for by his Word his immediate Word he does all things he speaks and it is done God made the Heavens and the Earth and this whole Fabrick of the Creation by his Word his immediate Word and he upholds all things thereby God said Let there be Light and there was Light Let there be a Firmament and there was a Firm ment Let the Waters be gathered together and they were Let the Earth bring forth Grass and it was so c. He spoke and it was done And he said Let us make Man in our own Image and it was so Gen 1. He had no other means but the word of his Mouth the word of his eternal Power which was in the beginning whereby all things were made and without it was nothing made And now does not Man in his being Created again unto good Works in his being formed again a new Creature depend upon the same immediate Word of Power which first Created him by this is man begotten again by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever and by this he liveth by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God so you may see it s the Scriptures testimony he does all things by his immediate Word the Word worketh in all things immediately which God ever made means are but ciphers without this means opperate but mediately but the Word immediately and this Word is Christ by whom all things are made and in whom they are upheld now here is the difference betwixt this noble piece of Workmanship Man Created a new in Christ Jesus the Word and the other parts of the visible Creation the Word is in him and opperates in them but that Word is not known felt tasted apprehended but God has given Man a knowledg thereof and herein is his glory beyond them he can feel the spring of his Life he can tast the good Word of God in which he liveth moveth and hath his being And he that knoweth not this Word of Life and heavenly Power and vertue in him is dead the corruptible earthly principle cannot apprehend it for it is spiritually discerned and then what differs he from a beast that perisheth but that he is the more miserable Argument 7. And hereby it is that man cometh to the knowledg of Sin and of Wrath and of the heavy displeasure of God because of it somewhat in his mind and conscience which awakeneth him as out of a dead sleep wherein possibly he has so many years seen the sorrows of death now begins to encompass him and the pangs of Hell takes hold on him and he is cast into a bed of torment and finds great troubles and sorrow the arrowes of the Almighty stick fast in him and he is distracted with the terrors of the Lord And the fearful sound of Judgment continually affrights him and what is it which worketh all this in man but the Word of the Lord immediately proceeding from himself God speaking in his Wrath and vexing him in his sare Displeasure As it is Psal. 21. And revealing his Wrath from Heaven against all his ungodlines and unrighteousness Rom. 1. 18. Is it not Christ to whom all Judgment is committed who thus judgeth him Is it not his Spirit which convinceth him of Sin and of Righteousness and of Judgment it is the Lord who bringeth to light when he comes to judg the hidden things of darkness and makes manifest the counsels of the Heart 1 Cor. 4. 5. And all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light and that judgeth them and reproveth the deeds of the evil doer John 3. 20. And worketh Condemnation in him this condemned Cain it condemned Saul it condemned Indas Whereby their punishment was unsupportable for them and now were it not God himself who spoke in them in his Wrath were it not his arm and finger that touched them and lay heavy upon them they could easily bear it they could be comforted against all their other troubles and anxieties could they get rid of this and fly from the fierce anger and wrathful countenance of God but where ever they goe his judgment follows them his witness in their consciences torments them the fire kindles which never goes out and the Worm that never dies gnaweth upon them this is the fiery flaming Sword which devoureth the adversary and cutteth down the man of Sin a fiery Law goeth out of the mouth of the Lord and burneth round about and by this Law is the knowledg of Sin whereof Paul speaks for before this Law came he was alive and secure in Sins his Legal righteousness touching the Law blameless it could not give him the knowledg of his Sin but when this Law came that gave him the knowledg of it and made it exceeding sinful and killed him Argument 8. And as it is God who speaking in man raiseth this storm in his Conscience he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind as it is written which all the powers of Heaven and Earth could not do besides him Man could remain invincible as a brazen Wall against all their assaults could he be hid from the fierce wrath of God revealed against him in his conscience all the words of Scripture all the curses writ therein could not move him he hath oft heard them and made light of mem all I say as it is God alone who raiseth this storm and bringeth this trouble upon him so it is he alone who can calm and quiet it again he must say to the Wind and raging Waves of the Sea be still and they obey him and that which brings peace and calmness true calmness and stillness to a mans conscience when it is so vehemently troubled demonstrates it self to bear eternal Power for nothing else can do it when God speaks peace who can let it as it is written when he giveth quietness who can make trouble Job 34. and 29. And who can give it but he the Lord speaketh peace in his People he and he alone bindeth up the broken Heart and healeth the wounded in Spiritâ—… he sendeth his Word and healeâ—… the word that cometh from his own mouth which saith in the Soul fear not It is I be not affraid be of good comfort thy Sins are forgiven thee and faith in this word alone can only stay quiet and comfort the wearie distrest Soul faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God the word which proceedeth immediately from himself and faith laying hold on that Word which is full of Power All the words of the Scripture cannot do it when God ceases to speak himself to the Soul it refuseth to be comforted it may read and search and meditate upon the Scriptures but the wounded spirit remains the doubtings the tossings the terrours continue I appeal to any who ever knew any thing of the terrour of the Lord upon their Spirits if it be not so it would fain apply the promises it would fain suck comfort out of the Scripture words but
Immediate Revelation OR Jesus Christ the Eternall Son of God revealed in man and revealing the knowledge of God and the things of his Kingdom immediately OR The Holy Ghost the Holy Spirit of promise the spirit of Prophecy poured forth and inspiring man and induing him with power from on high and baptising him thereunto giving him wisdom understanding and knowledge from above and giving to some utterance and moving them by his own immediate assistance to speak forth and declare the wonderful things of God NOT CEASED But remaining a standing and perpetual Ordinance in the Church of Christ and being of indispensible necessity as to the whole body in general so to every member thereof every true Believer in particular asserted and demonstrated And the objections that have any seeming weight against it answered Prov. 29. 18. Where there is no vision the people Perish Writ by George Keith Prisoner for the Truth in the Tolbooth of Aberdein the 29th of the third Moneth 1665. Printed in the Year 1668. A few words by way of Preface IT hath been in my heart once and again from the Lord to write some things unto the people and especially the Professors of this Nation concerning this great and weighty matter of Immediate Revelation which they say both Teachers and People is ceased we say is remaining and we know it to be so from the blessed experience given us of God therein even that it remaineth and is of necessary continuance in the true Church and among the true Saints and is not only necessary for the preservation safety and comfortable walking of the Saints with God but is also necessary in order to men and womens becoming Saints for through Immediate Revelation it is that any man who is naturally void of the true and saving knowledge of God and acquaintance with him comes to attain it The discussing of this controversie is of very great weight for this error of theirs concerning Immediate Revelation is such a Fundamental one that the greatest part of their other errors are built on it and indeed the whole superstructure of their Church and Ministry and Worship at to its outward constitution so that if this their foundation be found and discovered to be false viz. That there is no Immmediate Revelations now a dayes as the common priviledge of the Saints then down falls the whole superstructure of the outward constitution of their Church Ministry and Worship which all of necessity must be false if the foundation on which they are builded be such And here I shal instance several particulars of great weight which are all built upon this false foundation aforesaid 1. That the Scriptures outward testimony is most necessary and that no true and saving Knowledge of God is to be attained but by the Scriptures being read or heard 2. That there is no immediate furnishing gifting and fitting and qualifying men to be Teachers in the Church by immediate inspiration and pouring forth of the spirit of prophesie without any respect had to sex or humane qualifications of better learning such as was frequent in 〈◊〉 Apostles times as in Acts 2. 1. Cor. 14. All this say they is ceased so James Durham a noted man among the Presbyterians saith pag. 471. in his digression concerning prophecying that as it is taken for an immediate revealing of Gospel truths it is now ceased so say they generally hence their Divinity Schools and Colledges are come up both among Papists and Protestants whereby young men being sent of their Relations in order to a lively-hood learn the Art and Trade of preaching and praying and continues so many years till they be licentiated as ever a Shoo maker or other Tradesman serves his Apprenticeship and they make humane learning or the knowledge of Letters and essential qualification to a Minister so as he cannot be a Minister without it but grace only accidentall and not necessary to his being a Minister but to his better being so the aforesaid I. D. now such a learning of the things of God as is taught by man Divinely inspired who teach from the inspiration of God in them and whose care it is to turn and bring up them whom they teach unto the same light life and spirit of God from which they speak that they may learn in that and so come to be partakers with them of the same knowledge and wisdom from the same fountain we dearly own such was the School of the Prophets where the Teachers were the true Prophets of God and taught from Gods spirit in them whose teachings being in the evidence and demonstration of Gods spirit proved effectual unto the Schollars or learners so that they became prophets also and received of the same spirit and this dispensation which was both among Prophets and Apostles we witness to be among us through the mercy and goodness of the Lord at this day even the poâ—…ring forth the spirit of the Lord no less upon the hearers then was at first upon the Teachers whereby they also are become able to teach others both males and females prophecying or speaking forth the great things of God as the spirit gives utterance declaring the great things of the Gospel in its effectual workings on their own hearts now that Prophecying is frequently taken in Scripture in this sence and not only for a foretelling of things to come is clear from Rom. 12. 6. Rev. 10. 11. 11. 13. 19. 10. compared to Rev. 12. 17. Joel 2. 28. 1 Cor. 14. 24. 31. 3dly Another great error following upon the aforesaid is that no man in these dayes is infallibly assisted to write speak preach or pray or praise as the Prophets and Apostles and Evangelists witnessed of old 4thly That there is no Immediate Call unto the Ministry 5thly That none are to wait for an inward call motion impulse or inspiration and assistance to preach or pray or give thanks so as to forbear until it be given them Nor that any should expect an Immediate Call and impulse or motion to the doing of any thing whatsomever that way being ceased 6thly That the Scriptures are a filled up Canon and the only rule of faith and obedience in all things and no more Scriptures to be writ or given forth from the spirit of the Lord. 7thly That their is no infallible way of discerning the true Ministers and Members of Iesus Christ as who be living and wâ—…o not whence proceeds that promiscuous mâ—…t multitude of teachers people where of their Church is composed who are generally void of any experience of a gratious work on their hearts The Controversie truly stated and clearly and distinctly opened Concerning Immediate Revelation whether ceased or remaining and needful to remain in the true Church BEcause in all matters of debate the true State of the controversie is so needful to be known that without the clear and distinct knowledge thereof The arguments brought to prove the thing affirmed do not so manifestly convince nor
are the objections against it so evidently answered therefore I find it â—…it to open up and hold forth the true state of the controversie clearly and distinctly concerning this of Immediate Revelation whether ceased or remaining and needful to remain in the true Church showing both what we do not understand thereby and what we do understand for the removing these sad and woful mistakes and prejudices from off the minds of people who contend against us herein 1. First We do not hereby understand the Prophecying or foretelling of things to come this gist of foretelling things to come being so accidental a thing to a Saint and true Christian that many Saints may altogether want it and many who are not Saints may have it yet though we do not at all plead for the indispensible necessity of Prophecying as limited to this signification of foreseeing and foretelling things to come to which add the knowledge of things either by past or present or any other things which are neither essentials of Religion nor needful to be known Nevertheless we affirm such a thing hath been may be and frequently is in the true Church as even a foreseeing and foretelling of things to come which the Lord at times reveals unto whom he pleaseth both for the comfort of the Godly and the terror of the wicked This many of the national way acknowledge and experience proveth so that concerning this kind of Prophecying which is the foretelling of future events the controversie is not at all stated betwixt these of the national way and us for none of us plead its absolute and â—…dispensible necessity to any and they acknowledge it may be given to some 2. â—…condly We do not hereby understand the Revelation of any other Gospel or way unto Heaven or any other essentialls of the Christian Religion then what was revealed in the beginning and hath been in all ages revealed and made known unto the Saints more or less and is fully and sufficiently declared and witnessed too in the Scriptures which we do freely acknowledge to be a full and perfect Testimony of all the essentials of the Christian Religion Yet as in former times their have been greater and more manifest and full and clear discoveries of the same Gospel and way of God and misteries of Religion let forth unto the Saints of one generation then unto the Saints of another as is clear from Eph. 3. 5. So may it be now and we know it to be so in our experience Observe then the difference that 's betwixt these two the new Revelation of new things and the new Revelation of the gâ—…od old things which are the essentials of Religion and have ever been and ever shall be in substance the same though under different discoveries the first of these two we do not plead for but the latter viz. That we have and must have in order to a saving sanctifying and sufficient knowledge a new Revelation of the good old things such as of God of Christ of the holy spirit of repentance conversion sanctification faith hope love joy peace and other fruits of the spirit of worship prayer and thanksgiving of the Church and communion of Saints c. For that the old Revelation of these good old thâ—…ngs given unto the Saints in former ages cannot serve our turn the faith of another man and his knowledge and experience is not sufficient unto me but I must be saved by my own faith or the faith knowledge and experience given me of God of the self same things so nor can the Revelation and discovery of them given of God unto others suffice unto me nor were these thing recorded in writ that I or any other man should sit down upon the History or Relation of what God had wrought or revealed in others but to point and direct us inward into that same principle of life which wrought and revealed these things in them that we may wait for it and find it revealing and working the same things in us and so to become partakers of the same pretious faith knowledge and experience with them And if we are to partake of the same pretious faith with them so also are we to partake with them of the same pretious Revelation and inspiration of the word of God by which their faith was wrought and which was its object and foundation as also it is ours and conâ—…inues to lâ—…e the same in all generations Now though we say that the Scriptures are a full and perfect testimony of all the essentials of the Christian Religion yet we believe contrary unto these of the National way that they are not a Canon so filled up as no more is to be added unto them from the same immediate inspiration and Revelation of the spirit of God through his servants of the same authority with them for though no new essentials are to be added yet a new and fuller and clearer Testimony may be added concerning the same old essentials for indeed less then the one half of the Scriptures is a full and perfect Testimony of all the essentials yet this proves not the other parts to be useless and imperfect But though we affirm that no other essentials are to be revealed to us but what are declared in the Scripture nevertheless we say this that a great many particular things both by way of precept and prohibition permission and approbation and counsel from the Lord are both revealed and are necessary to be revealed unto us which are not essentials of the Christian Religion nor principles of the Doctrine of Christ but things relating to our conversation in the World and our walking with God with faith and comfort according to his will with the knowledge of which we are to be filled in all things and the word of the Lord is to dwell in us richly touching all things that occurre revealing in us the will of God as commanding or forbidding or licensing us how to carry and be conversant about them For it being the great promise of the new covenant that the Lord will guide his people continually and be with them in counselling directing and leading them in whatever they do or whithersoever they go and seeing he requires it of them that in all their thoughts words and deeds they look unto him and wait for his counsel and stand therein in his approbation and justification doing all to the least particular in his will and name even their very eating and drinking their marrying and giving in marriage their plowing and digging or any other employment their going or coming to a pâ—…ce and abiding therein doing all this and many more particulars could be mentioned in Faith that is to say in the feeling and certain knowledge that in the will of the Lord feeling his approbation and good will therein they are found in such things from the Revelation of his life in their particulars It is very evident that their is a necessity for these under the
new covenant dispensation of living in and walking after the spirit to have things revealed unto them from the Lord which are not to be found in the Scriptures particularly not so much as by consequence for indeed the Scriptures point us inward to the spirit of the Lord in our hearts which is more nigh then they are Blessed are they and shall be who make the testimony of Gods word and spirit in their hearts the men of their counsel they know the sure certain Path wherein the waysaring man though a fool cannot crie But this we further say which I add for a caution that the spirit of the Lord who is goodness and righteousness it self never can nor doeth command us to do things that are intrinsecally or in their own nature evil or contrary to the Scriptures 3. Thirdly We do not hereby understand any of these wayes following as of necessary continuance 1. Not any outward audible voice framed by the Lord immediately in the air and presented to the outward ear 2. Nor any outward visible appearance presented to the outward eye neither by the Ministry of Angels nor by the Ministry of Christ in the outward 3. Nor dreams and visions upon the imagination in the night season nor yet by transes so called which is by a cessation of the exercise of all the outward sences 4. Nor any outward miracles 5. Nor the discovery and Revelation of things from God meerly in the principle and light of reason or in that principle wherein a man is capable to know the things of a man as a man as he is placed in a region above the beasts and all other inferior living creatures for indeed man as a man hath a principle in him which is natural and essential to him in which he is capable to know higher things then the other animals can in their animal principle and through this principle which he hath in him as a man he not only knoweth many things as of Arts and Sciences natural but also he is capable therein to receive a knowledge from the Lord without any outward means by any inward manifestation and that either of things natural or supernatural now what a man hath revealed or communicated to him of knowledge from God touching natural things in the natural principle of his natural understanding or reason he hath a sufficient satisfactory intuitive knowledge of them because they are proportional unto his natural understanding but when things which are supernatural or revealed unto him in the principle of his natural understanding meerly though never so immediately even from the spirit of the Lord inwardly manifesting them his knowledge is not full and satisfactory as not being intuitive but abstractive for the mind of man can know no things in inâ—…tively fully and satisfyingly but when it reacheth them in a principle that is proportional unto them and which can apprehend them in their own-proper forms properties qualities and idea's which the natural cannot do as touching supernatural objects but only as touching natural for supernatural objects require a supernatural organâ—…or principle in which they can only be known intuitively and with satisfaction 4. Fourthly The way and manner of Immediate Revelation concerning God and the things of his kâ—…ngdom and the leadings and movings and workings of his spirit which tend unto and accompany salvation which we plead for as of necessary continuance which only giveth or can give the true saving satisfactory and intuitâ—…ve knowledge of these supernatural things aforesaid is that alone manifestation Revelation which is discovered and given from the Lords spirit unto the mind of man in the seed and birth of God in him and which the mind in that seed and Birth alone receiveth This seed and birth of God is only that suitable and proportionate Organ instrument or principle in which divine supernatural things can be sufficiently and satisfyingly that is to say intuitively known for as the objects are divine and supernatural so this seed and birth of God is divine and supernatural also therefore it hath a suitableness and proportion unto them which the natural hath not therefore the natural man cannot intuitively and evidently understand the things of God as saith the Apostle because they are spiritually discerned and he wants the spiritual birth which is the only suâ—…cient Organ or instrument whereby the mind can understand them Now the mind that is cloathed with the seed and birth of God is the spiritual man that is able to understand and discern spiritual things because he hath the Organ or instrument which can teach them in their own proper and immediate forms properties qualities and idea's this seed and birth of God hath only the true spiritual sences of seeing hearing tasting smeling and feeling the word of life and the wonderful powers and virtues thereof and which can only give unto man to discern how that Heavenly and divine word doth work its wonderous effects in man and how it moveth leadeth guideth inlightneth quickneth gladneth and refresheth him and every way influenceth him it is the ignorance and want of the true knowledge of this seed and birth of God which occasions such woeful ignorance and mistakes amongst people touching immediate revelation and the true manner of it for they do not neither Teacher nor people acknowledge this seed and Birth of God upon the saints to be a substantial living principle in which they have all the spiritual and supernatural sensations of spiritual and supernatural objects really present and manifest seen heard smelled tasted and felt as really as the outward birth is a substantial living principle in which we have the natural and animal sences and sensations of outward and natural things they only conceive regeneration to be but an accidental though supernatural change on the mind and that in its regeneration it putteth on no substantial principle but only some supernatural accidents so that according to them the seed and birth of God iâ—… but an accident but we know it to be a substance and feel it to be so as manifestly as we feel and know this outward birth of flesh and blood to be a substance for it hath all the properties and characters of a substance that the outward hath it giveth us to see heaâ—… smel taste and fâ—…l the substantial things of the spiritual inward and invisible world which is the throne and kingdome of God as the outward giveth us to see hear smel taste and feel the substantial thiâ—… of this natural outward and visible world so that it is as false and vain a thing to say the inward birth is but an accident as to say the outward birth is but an accident seeing the 〈◊〉 hath as real spiritual sences as the other hath natural 〈◊〉 which no accident can haue and if any further ask who are desirous of information from a true and honest desire of what nature it is and if it be a particle or portion of the very Deitie or
evil birth as against the birth it self and that is only to punish to torment to execute vengeance and to Plague and Minister wrath tyibulation sorrow and anguish which tendeth unto no repentance and softning of heart nor unto any separation betwixt the soul and it so as to slay the birth and save the soul. And thus it is with the fallen Angels and the souls of the damned and all these whose day of visitation is over for this effect hath only the mercy in the judgement which worketh to soften to melt to bow and subject the soul in true humility unto the Lord and beget in it a true willingness and satisfaction to come under the judgement and drink this bitter cup and be baptized with this fire-baptism to the end it may be delivered from the bondage of corruption which is the body of sin and death and may be fitted to put on the new man the birth from above of the incorruptible seed in which only it can injoy and have fellowship with God in the love the peace the joy that is unspeakable and full of glory and passing understanding And whereas the mercy goeth forth in the judgement towards man in the fallen state to recover and convert him their is also some secret manifestation thereof unto him and of the love compassion bowels and good will of God that is towards him which is necessary to be held forth as a foundation and ground of his faith and hope that God will be merciful unto him if he but come under the judgement and permit it in him to have its operation of purging and refining Yet because in the unconverted state he is only a child of wrath and not at all a child of love but only in a capacity to become a child or vessel of the love and mercy of God therefore doth the wrath most appear and manifest it self in him and the mercy and love as a little seed is shut up as within the wrath and the judgement which sendeth forth after some wonderfully secret conveyance some manifestation of it self their through which the soul is capable to know as at a distance and through the judgement and wrath so that as the Lord remembreth mercy-unto lost man in the midst of wrath the poor soul can look at the mercy and discover it in the midst of the Wrath but it is so manifested that it begetteth in the heart a most infallible conviction that the mercy and love which it discovereth as at a distance and in the wrath cannot at all be enjoyed and had fellowship with as in it self and in such any immediate manner as the Saints witness until the wrath and the judgement be passed through This fiery wall must be climbed this sea must be swimed over this gulf must be shot before this immediate manifestation and enjoyment of the mercy and love of God can be reached unto which is the heavenly prize the City of refuge the land of rest and peace on the other side of the lake or 〈◊〉 and this manifestation of the mercy and love of God shining forth as within the vail of the judgement condemnation is the gospel or glad tydings that is preached in every creature that is to say in every man and woman under heaven which doth occasion true joy and gladness of heart in man and woman to arise after a sort because of the mercy love peace and good will of God though not attained in the birth that is from above yet attainable This is that Ark of the covenant and the mercy seat that is hid in the holie of holies within the vail where the Gentile or the Stranger cannot enter nor can any whilst the first Tabernacle standeth and the vail is not done away yet the glory thereof shineth forth through the vail as a light in a dark place And this is it which makes the ministration of death and condemnation so glorious and acceptable unto the soul because it discovereth though darkly and as in great obscurity the ministration of life and justification within it as attainable and to be attained after the other is passed through and thus it may appear how great a difference there is in the very kind betwixt the immediate revelation that the Saints and begotten of God are capable of and do enjoy and the immediate revelation that the wicked and unbegotten are capable and partakers off For the begotten know and enjoy the love and mercy of God immediately feel taste and savour it The unbegotten have an immediate revelation of the wrath and judgement but not of the love and mercy for the love and the mercy is only revealed in them immediately through the wrath and the judgement that is to say the wrath and the judgement intervening and coming betwixt And that the mercy and love of God is only so hiddenly remotely and darkly to be known unto the soul in the unbegotten state is not only because of the judgement and wrath of God intervening which hiâ—…dreth it to break forth in the brightness of manifestation as it doth in the Saints until it be quenched but also because of the impotency and inability of the soul in that state to apprehend it for that it is all over vailed with the evil and unrighteous birth and though within this birth it hath the true inward man which is capable to hear see taste of God and converse with him in the love immediately were he but quickned and made alive yet in the 〈◊〉 state this true inward man is dead his ear is deafned his eye blinded his mouth shut his tongue bound and so also his hands and his feet through the unrighteous birth that is in the dominion therefore man in this state because of this vail of darkness which deadneth and blindeth cannot enjoy the mercy and love of God nor know it immediately yea even when the mercy and love shineth through the wrath and the judgement and also peirceth through the birth of unrighteousness to reach unto the true inward man shut up in death to redeem this lawful captive and bring this prisoner out of the pit to unstop the deâ—…ear and enlighten the blind eye the evil birth doth often hinder and quench and drive back the manifestation and drowneth or swalloweth it up that the soul cannot take hold of it so as to have it as an aâ—…ding and permanent-object in its vâ—…w or observation but it appeareth as in a sudden like a flash of lightning in a dark night and suddenly againe disappeareth or like unto the spark or glance cast by the fire struck out of a 〈◊〉 in the dark for the darknesâ—… through which it shineth after its being a little devided and disclosed doth again close and driveth it inwards again into its center and suddenly againe it appeareth and suddenly againe it disappeareth because of the contrariety and stuff that is betwixt it and the darkness now that in which the flash spark or glance of the
love and mercy of God is apprehended is not the natural man which is utterly incapable thereof but the dead spiritual man that is a little revâ—…ved through the living touch and manifestation But the judgement and wrath of God that is revealed as a flaming fire is more able to grapple and fight with the darkness and can keep its place longest in the heart in this state yea it is the judgement which is first brought forth into victory over transgression and the Prince of it and then the mercy shineth forth in great sweetness â—…eauty brightness and majesty and rejoyceth over the judgement and turneth its severity and rigor into the greatest meekness and gentleness after all the contrary is expelled wrought out and destroyed and then doth the light of the glory of God shine in an unspeakable brightness in the purified soul as a permanent and abiding object so as to dwell and tabernacle therein to rest upon the soul and abide in it and heir the Kingdome of righteousness peace and joy is witnissed to be of an everlasting and unchangeable continuance and the glory of the Lord so to be arisen as it goeth down no more this is the day that hath no night that is endlesse and everlasting 5. Fifthly By immediate revelation its being of necessary continuance in the true Church or among the true Saints we understand not only immediate supernatural operations ' and influences of the spirit of God in and upon the mind and understanding of man which the Schoolmen call revelations ex parte subjecti i. e. upon the part of the subject to assist and inable or elevate the minde to know and understand savingly but also such inward manifestations and appearances and illuminations and influences as are the very immediate objects of our mind which hath real sensations and feelings of them as aforesaid in themselves without the need of words or any other thing by way of object to represent them which the Schoolmen call revelations ex parte objesti i. e. upon the part of the object so that a real object or objects are immediately by the Lord set before the mind of man which he seeth and perceiveth when they are presented and when not as my outward eye seeth when it is light or dark or what is presented in the light and when it is presented and when it is taken away out of my sight that which is given from Gods spirit unto mans mind upon the part of the subject by way of any help or assistance to enable it to know and understand the things of God as they are presented under in or by or through the scriptures the Schoolmen call it medium incognitum assentiendi an unknown midst of knowing or assenting it helps me to know but I know not it self in it self it is not the very object say they of my knowledge and if it be not the very immediate object of my knowledge it is not known but a hid unknown thing and so according to them the help of Gods spirit his influence his concurrence coeoperation his motion and praemotion his lightnings and quicknings and breathings and all his other communications and working and works in mans mind are things wholy sealed hid shut up vailed from and unknown to the mind in whom they are it hath no immediate feeling or perception of them or immediate knowledge of them more then a tree that grows in the field and is influenced with the light and warmth of the Sun and watered with the rain and dew from heaven but the tree having only the light of vegetation but not the life of sensation knows not what influenceth or watereth it sees not that glorious heavens that so bountifully powreth down its influences on it nor hath it any sensible taste or relish of the water that falls on it wch it drinks in for its nourishment and so knows not to speak properly when it is watered and when not when the Sun goes down and when it rises Thus it is with the Saints according to the Schoolmen and national teachers who because they want the spiritual sences themselves therefore they deny that the things of God as aforesaid are objective that is to say sensible or perceiveable in themselves Hence it is that in the ignorance blindness and insensibleness of their minds the query us so much How know you that you have the spiâ—…it of God how know you when he moves you to speak pray or give thanks how know you that that refreshment and joy and comfort which you say is given you from the spirit is true and not a delusion of Sathan And when we answer that we know the spirit of the Lord in his shinings warmings quicknings waterings and refreshings from and by himself in his own immediate manifestation in our hearts minds and spirits which have a seeing hearing smelling tasting and feelling of him in the divine seed and birth which hath all these sensations in it that are infallible whereby we know that it is he and not another the spiritual sences can discern betwixt good and evil both in root and branch fountain and streams principle and action the good spirit from the evil and the influence and work of the good â—…om the influence and work of the evil as the natural eye can 〈◊〉 betwixt light and darkness white and black or the natural ear betwixt sounds pleasant and unpleasant or the natural taâ—… betwixt sweet and bitter or the feeling betwixt hard and soft rough and smooth And as all the natural sences are infallible and cannot erre when the organ is sound and he medium fit and suitable and the object duly proposed so is it as touching the spiritual sences which are also infallible touching their objects when they are duly proposed through a fit medium upon or unto a sound organ Now the Organ is the civine feed and birth aforesaid which if nothing of the evil and contrary Nature lye too near to hurt it will do its office and discover the things proposed most clearly and distinctly the medium or midst is that pure heavenly Air breath or spirit which proceedeth from the Lord in which his pure light shines forth into a most perfect manifestation of what is proposed wherein also the pure heavenly and divine voice or sound of the spirit of God which doth wonderfully and unspeakably refresh quicken and comfort it formed and conveyed into the spiritual ear and all the objects whither of the spiritual sight or hearing or tasting or feeling or â—…elling are proposed and presented by the Lord himself in the seed who is also the most noble and glorious object and doth give an objective manifestation of himself to be seen heard and tasted of in such a manner as is inutterable and never entred into mans heart to conceive but God hath revealed it unto us by his spirit Now these who deny objective manifestations revelations and proposals will not receive this answer nor can
they to long as they abide in their opinion which is that these things aforesaid are not objective in themselves and so are not sensible or feelable nor can men have a feeling or tasting of them but there are some among the people who are ashamed of this answer of the priests and affirm against them with us that the power vertue spirit light life of God may be seen felt relished and tasted of in it felf no less then the natural vertue of natural things as of spices flowers oyntments wine and bread light and warmth can be felt and descerned to the natural sences Now if any grant that the things aforesaid and the divine power vertue light life and spirit of God can in itself be felt and tasted of that it is sensible by or unto the spiritual mind such must also grant that it is objective for because it is objective therefore it is sensible or may be felt as because outward light and colours are objective therefore they are visible or I can see them and because an outward sound is objective therefore it is audible and I can hear it and so of the rest for what ever is objective is sensible and whatever is sensible feelable or perceiveable in it self is objective but what is not objective is not feelable cannot be felt tasted favoured And so if the Lord himself be not objectively manifest in us he cannot be seen nor heard nor tasted nor felt and thus it is according to the School men and national teachers doctrine who generally being men void of all sence and feeling of God have in the blindness of their minds and in the wisdom from below that is carnal earthly and divilish framed and invented this perverse doctrine for their own gains and ends that all seeing and hearing of God himself or immediate converse with him by object ve manifestations is not a thing to be expected as being ceased and never given as a general priviledge unto the Saints but only unto some particular persons by way of special priviledg and extraordinary and some who have both seen and tasted the things of God in themselves in some small measure have been staggered through their leaning more unto the false Doctrine of their teachers in this thing then unto their own felt and known experience whereby I am perswaded some contrary to what they have sâ—…en heard tasted and felt from the presence and appearance of God in themselves have denyed objective Immediate Revelation and used that distinction with others of subjective or effective and objective revelations affirming the effective and subjective only to remain but denying the objective This distinction I find not only used by Robert Baron an Episcopal man who some years ago professed to teach Theologie in the City of Aberdeen who in his book intituled Apodixis Catholica de formali objecti fidei treats of it at large and calls the revelation ex parte subjesti medium incognitum as aforesaid but that ex parte objecti medium cognitum a known midst Tract 9 Anth. Dup puncto 2. num 14. 14. 15. p. 6. num 5. 6. But also I finde it made use off by George Gillespie a man famous in the Presbyterian way in his book of miscellanies cap. 21. pag. 261. And the national Teachers to day both Episcopal and Presbyterial much use it affirming all objective manifestations of the very truths of the Gospel and essentials of religion to be ceased and no otherway to be objectively revealed but by the Scriptures outward Testimony so that but as a man bears such and such worde of Scripture in his minde and is exercised in the thinking meditating and turning them over and over in his minde at such and such times he only hath the actual knowledge of God but if he should come to such a stilness and silence of minde as not to think upon scripture words and turn them over in his mind or not to have the eye of his understanding fixed upon them in that time he should have no actual knowledge of God or any of the things of his kingdom because they are the alone objective manifestations of the things of God of God so if they be out of view they can know nothing actually as when the object is removed out of my sight I cannot see it and if it be removed out of the view of my mind I cannot remember it We on the contrary affirm and I affirm it from the manifold and blessed experience given me thereof from God and many are witnesses with me in this matter to the stopping the mouthes of all gainsayers that God himself his power vertue light life and spirit his truth his goodness holyness rightteousness his beauty and glory is prelent in us by way of object is objectively manifest so that he can be heard seen tasted and felt if all scripture words were out of our present remembrance so that if we had not one scripture expression in our veiw to mind it or turn it up and down in our minds we could feel and enjoy the Lord and have fellowship with him whose eternal life vertue and power is present as a most glorious object in us so that if we retain this object God in our knowledge in our mind in our feeling in the seed and birth of his own sowing and begetting in us and all words should be let pass so as not at that time to mind them we should have and often have had a true knowledge and enjoyment of God even beyond what ever any words could contribute unto us yet we despise not words nay we dearly esteem and value them as a sweet and pretious testimony of the eternal life from which they came but then only do we feel and find the sweetness and comfort of them when the same eternal life which first breathed them forth doth either again breath or speak them forth in us or sendeth forth of his living and powerful influences into them as they have a place in our minds or memories which when that life withdraws its influences from them though they remain in our minds they are but as an empty vessel which we cannot make use off for our refreshment till the life again open and send forth of its living streams into them so but as the life influenceth them we lay them by out of our very thoughts for we find it to hurt and weaken and deaden us to thiâ—…k any thoughts even from the Scriptures but as the life and spirit of God influenceth and concurreth so that we still are for putting the Scripture in such a close conjunction with the life and spirit from which they came that we may not nor dare not make use of the Scripture but in the life and spirit as that opens and influenceth so that we are not for separating the letter from the spirit or the words from the word and life but for conjoyning them these only separate the letter or the
words of the spirit from the spirit who make use of them so as to think or speak them otherwise then in the openings and influencings breathings and living communications of the spirit who think or speak the spirits words not in the spirit of the Lord but in their own spirâ—…t which we dare not nor ought not to do and if at any time we do it we find our selves rebuked and chastised by the Lord therefore But now though we limit bind up and tye the words of the Scripture unto the Spirit so as not to use them but in and by the spirit yet we may not bind up limit tye and confirm the spirit within such narrow bounds as the Scripture word nay nor within any words whatsomever so as if we could not enjoy the spirit of the Lord nor feel nor taste nor savour of his divine power and vertue but in or by words for the power and vertue of Gods spirit can be felt savoured and tasted in it self without all words and depends not on words in order to its being tasted and felt more then spices perfumes or oyntments depends on words to make them to be felt sme'led or savoured so that the manifestation of the sweetness and sweet savour of the life and spirit depends on no words but the manifestation of the words depends on the spirit which have no glory nor sweetness nor refreshment but what the spirit makes manifest in them through his shinings breathings quicknings and living communications 6. Sixthly And whereas a great part of the controversie betwixt our adversaries and us touching this matter of Immed ate Revelation doth relate unto that of infallibility they affirming that none in these our dayes are led assisted and guided in what they think speak write or do by an infallible spirit so as that the spirit is to be tasted or leaned into in his own inward manifestation alone and without any outward testimony if their were no outward to stand by it or where the outward is yet to prefer the inward unto it as more evident and manifest unto us in whom it is given I find it with me in a few words to open this also and state the controversie touching this thing of infallibility Now when we affirm that we are taught and led infallibly and think speak write or do infallibly we understand it not promiscuously and in that latitude as if in every thing whither we act in the spirit of the Lord or not in his spirit but in our own we did act think speak or write infallibly nor do we affirm that there is such a close and near conjunction as yet made up betwixt the spirit of the Lord and us as if in nothing we could act in a disjunction from the spirit but should find such a powerful constraint and bounding of our spirits in all things whatsomever within the leadings and assistings of the spirit of God that we could not act or do things alone in our own spirit yea and in a wrong spirit for we do freely acknowledge that such is our state and condition as we are capable to run out and both think speak write and do things that are not only not infallible but may be very wrong and false yea whatever we do in our own spirit in a disjunction from the immediate manifestation and coeoperation and assistance of Gods spirit we ought to suspect it and judge it fallible and so not at all to lean to it in more or less but this we say whatever we think speak write or do in the spirit of God his immediate manifestation and coeoperation in us as we are sound in conjunction therewith is infallible and what the seed and birth of God in us judgeth or discerneth or doeth that is ever infallible the eye of the seed alwayes seeth infallibly its ear always heareth infallibly its hand always acteth infallibly its foot treadeth every step of its way infallibly and if we see hear act and walk in it and with it we are so far and no further nfallible so that this infallibility as it relates unto the seed birth and spirit of God is absolute but as it relates unto us is limited and conditional and is rather a possibility of not being deceived then an impossibility of being deceived And it is the gross and woful ignorance of people touching the nature of this divine seed and birth and its sensations which 〈◊〉 giveth unto man of divine things that occasions them to think infallibility such an impossible thing for they are so sunk down into the natural principles of the animal and humane life that they apprehend not a higher principle to be in the very Saints as a substantial living birth giving unto that mind which is cloathed with it true and real tensations of divine and spiritual objects and seeing they know no other principles but the two inferior one animal or brutal and the other humane or natural to man as a man which cannot reach to divine and supernatural things as in themselves it is no wonder they account infallibility such a hard and impossible thing but if they did once but apprehend or conceive ought of this divine birth as a substantial principle giving unto man as real sensation and feelings of divine and supernatural things as the outward substantial natural birth giveth him of outward things or as the principle of his own natural understanding giveth him an infallible natural knowledge of things naturally intel igible whereof there are many instances in the Sciences of the Mathematicks and Metaphysicks so called they could the more easily at least be convinced of this thing of infallibility that such had an infallible knowledg of God and this requirings and leadings and the things of his kingdome who have attained unto this divine substantial supernatural birth to see taste and feel divine and supernatural objects therein for if the Animal principle be infallible in respect of its objâ—…ct which it sees hears smels tastes and fee's and if the humane principle or natural understanding be infallible in respect of its objects as in the sciences afore said which is by all acknowledged then it could not be denyed but that the divine and supernatural birth and principle which giveth unto mans mind by way of Organ as of seeing hearing tasting c. The spiritual and supernatural knowledg of spiritual and supernatural objects is no less if not more infallible at least more evident in respect of its objects but this is the loss they conceive not aright of this seed and birth nor do they acknowledge any other operations in the mind of man touching God and spiritual things but what are meer mental abstractions but deny all spiritual sensations of spiritual objects properly so called for this were to acknowledge immediate objctive reveâ—…ations which they so much oppose and contradict 7. Seventhly I find another great mistake among our adversaries in this matter touching immediate revelation the teachings of
an other of them but more especially the Teachers and Ministers and Bishops so called so stifly and furiously opposing it and the assertors and witnesses thereof to the stirring up of the Rulers and powers of the earth to persecute them with prisoning banishment and other cruel usages and spoyling of their goods and the people through the instigation of their Teachers who falsely in many things report us not only cruely mock and revile us but many of them fall a beating and buffeting of us for the truths fake and in love and compassion to their souls and in the fear and will of the Lord I am drawn to give my Testimony concerning this and to hold forth to the people the Truth and neâ—…y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 demonstrating it in so far forth as words may be serviceable thereto according to the measure of knowledge I have received from the Lord concerning this thing That our persecutors such of them who through the ignorance that is in them oppose us being informed and convinced of this truth by the light of Christ which shineth in their consciences in the darkness which will not faâ—… to testifie and witness to the truth of my testimony herein may cease any further cruel using of us least they be found fighters against God and cause the innocent to suffer which the righteous judge of the world will not suffer to paâ—… unrevenged and for the sake of the poor people of this Nation â—…or indeed for want of the knowledge of the unsearchable riches of Christ who are as lost sheep going astray upon the barren mountains whether their shepherds have driven them in this cloudy dark day or rather night of thick Aegyptian darkness wherewith they are so blinded in their minds that they are past feeling of God his heavenly power and vertue the only true food of their souls the only true pasture and fold of rest their resting place which the most of them never knew and such who at any time have known any thing of it have forgotten it Oh what a letâ—…argie has overtaken them who have so long and so much professed the name of Jesus Christ among whom there have been some who in some measure sometime a day could feelingly and experimentally speak of what God had done in their souls what Christ had wrought in them could â—…ell of sweet hours of fellowship and communion with him his coming into their souls and supping with them and they with him his revealing the bid invisible in comprehensible inconceivable to the natural understanding glory of his love and shedding it abroad in their souls speaking in them words oâ—… lâ—…e words of power living words spirit and life inutterable impossible to be expressed speaking as never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoke or could speak could they have any satisfaction but in his presence his life giving countenance but in the voice of their beloved could it content them to hear man speak when their beloved spoke not was it not a burden unto them to hear or read what God had wrought in them but as the living voice of the beloved of their souls did accompany and witness afresh these things in them causing their hearts to burn and earn with in them he opening in them the Scriptures opening their understandings how did their hearts burn with coals of Love kindled at the fountain God who is love how did their hearts leap for joy at the sound of his voice how were there bowels moved in them when he spoke how did the handles of the lock drop with sweet smelling myrrhe when they rose up to open to their beloved how could they discern when he spoke It is the voice of my beloved could they say that speaketh unto me arise my beloved my fair one and come away Such and the like experiences as we read that the people of the Lord witnessed in the Scriptures so could some who have lived in this Nation and perhaps some yet living witness the same also and could have said A men to the truth of all these things but alas alas into what a dead sleep and letâ—…argie are they fallen which has so stupified and benummed them that they are become past feeling of these sweet experiences how has the thick darkness whereinto they are fallen and are sunk so choaked them and quite wiped out the true remembrance of these things they have so forgot them as if they had never known them and now they are turned with the sons of Belial to mock at these things calling them fancy delusion imagination melancholly some hypochondriack humor a spirit of witcherie and delusion and to persecute them who witness this blessed dispensation of life and glory though in a more steddy and fuller manner and measure and to 〈◊〉 the servants and Ministers thereof with the â—…me of deceivers and false Prophets oh oh how have ye fallen from heaven to earth how are ye sunk into the pit wherein there is no â—…ater how have ye lost your glory turned your glory into shame and followed after lying vanities how have ye suffered your selves to be â—…ulled a sleep in the whores lap with her bewitching vâ—… who hath cut your Locks wherein your strength lay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is departed from you and the Philistines mock you having put out your eyes and you are become a hissing and reproach to day and yet ye will not cease to reproach you are spoiled your selves and yet ye will not cease to spoil the enemy is getting his will of you to the causing of you shrink from your cause ye have lost your ground ye have thought shame of your cause that which by you was called the cause of God the Covenant and oath of God the work and interest and concernment of Jesus Christ ye have left it at your heels and the most of you trampled on it and now ye fret and rage because ye are provoked to jealousie by a people that are no people poor and despiseable in this world but rich and honourable with God unto whom the Kingdom is given it is taken from you for that ye have not brought forth the fruits worthy of it and it is given unto them a Kingdom which is righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost and heavenly Kingdom that cannot be shaken wherein these despiseable ones stand in the Lambs power and reign in victory and dominion in the midst of their sufferings as Kings and Princes unto God over all the cruelty and persecution of their opposers and now ye are joyning issue with them against us whom ye looked upon and dealt with them as your enemies and called them the enemies of God limbs of Antichrist Antichristian ye have associated with them become one body and Church with them plead for their Ministry and Worship that at least if it be not so good as ye would desire yet its lawful and better then to want all and ye go and hear such men up and down the Land whom ye know to have dealt
perfidiously and treacherously for their filthy lucres sake and ye are generally convinced that they are but time servers wicked and bad ye are now openly and avowedly come to plead for a wicked ministry that such who are natural men and wicked may be Ministers of Christ and ought to be heard followed and maintained and such whom the Lord has sent forth to Minister in the power of his life and spirit ye call deluders Fanaticks and the like oh oh remember the day call to mind the time when your souls â—…oathed such Ministers and ye would travel many miles from one remote corner of the nation to another to hear a man who could speak lively to your souls in demonstration of the spirit and of power then there was in you a measure of pure discerning whereby ye could favour the man of God and distinguish the formal dry withered cold and dead preacher from the living and all his painted fine good words could not deceive you e had then a mouth a sence that could taste words as meat and such ye would follow and hear who could speak from and Minister of the power and spirit of life the Ministers of the Letter the dead formal preacher who could chant and talk the Scripture words and steal from other mens lines the good words made ready to their hand ye could not away with they were loathsome and burthensome unto you but now-having lost the discerning these ye can follow and maintain them And such who deny them ye call denyers of the Ministers of Christ a standing Ministry and yet when it was better with you then it is now ye denyed them and many a day cryed in good earnest of your souls to God that he would remove them and whip out of his house such buyers and sellers and purifie and purge the sons of Lev how cryed ye out and breathed to the Lord for a spiritual Ministry a Gospel Ministry a powerful Ministry and now when it s come and coming ye oppose it and bend your force to keep it down oh foolish people and unthankful do ye thus requite the Lord return return from whence ye are fallen repeâ—…rand do you first works turn to the Lord the fountain of living waters from whom ye have deeply revolted cease cease from the broken Cisterns ye have hewed out unto your selves drink no more at the pudled waters the dead waters which who so drinketh off dye they are dead because not freshly issuing and springing from the fountain of life if ye will return come and walk in the light of the Lord with us O house of Iacob O ye lost scattered sheep who have been driven from the fold of rest the sweet pleasant green pasture of your souls the still runing waters the pure sweet Christaline river of life that issueth fresh in living streams from the fountain it self Lo every one that thirsteth come unto the waters and drink wihout Money and price that your souls may live for of a truth the Lord God his opened unto us the fountain a vein of life a well-spring of life a well of living water hath he revealed in us who have believed in his light and hearkned to his voice which cryed in our hearts many a day saying in us turn ye turn ye why will ye die turn ye at my reproof and behold I will pour ouâ—… my spirit upon you this is the well of living water the gift of God which who so drinketh off will never any more drink or thirst to drink of these dead waters that is the good words uttered from a dead killing spirit the waters of the Whore on which she sits and holds forth this cup of fornications unto the inhabitants of the earth whereby they are made drunk bewitched and killed for her lips drops as an hony comb and her mouth is smoother then Oyl but her end the breath and spirit of her mouth from which the words proceed and which accompanies them is bitter as Wormwâ—…od and sharper then a two edged Sword to kill and destroy that of the Lords begetting and starving of it but to the edifying feeding and building up of the false birth Babilons brats which are not to live but to be starved and dye and happy are they who taketh them and dasheth them against the stones And now I say for your sake O ye my kiâ—…olk according to the flesh my little Sister who hath no breasts 〈◊〉 scattered sheep who have no pasture for your souls but that which feedeth death and maketh you live in the earthly corrupt principle which is the Serpents meat that if by any means I may provoke some of you and be serviceable as a mean in the Lords hand who am nothing of my self unto you that ye may return unto the Bishop and Shepherd of your Souls I am drawn in the tender love of God to write unto you concerning this principle to wit Jesus Christ revealed and revealing in man God and the things of his Kingdom even these veins and passages of liâ—… which runs through Paradise the City of God whâ—… streams make glad every inhabitant thereof who because of this can sit and sing God is our refuge we will not fear though the earth be removed and cast into the midst of the Sea God is known for a refuge in her palaces she is beautiful for Scituation the joy of the whole earth is and shall be Mount Sion on the sides of the North the City of the great King 〈◊〉 it must be he alone even this great King who must open an eye in you by the revelation of himself where by ye can behold thâ—… glorious Mountain of his Holiness on whâ—…ch his City Ierusalem from above is built where a feast of fat things full of marrow of wines on the Lees well refined is given to all who enter thereinto the vultures eye the eye of the natural understanding that eye which now seeth cannot see it and the path thereunto is short from all living in the natural earthly corrupt principle and it must be the Light of Christ that can only open the true eye to see this blessed path of Life which if ever ye know it must be known alone by Immediate Revelation and manifestation of Christ in you And it were a great step in its pâ—…ace for you to be convinced of this that it must be so And for this cause this is written to the simple hearted who are willing to see and loves to know the truth that ye being convinced by sound reason and it being demonstrated to you that there is such a thing among the Lords people and must be and that there is no other way to know God or the misteries of his Kindom but as this â—…ey of knowledge which your teachers take from you viz. Jesus Christ revealed in you opens them up then ye may be brought to wait for this glorious dispensation which many thousands can truly witness is come and I in my
measure testifie hereto even the Kingdom come with power and great glory and more abundantly coming in the Revelation and appearance of Jesus Christ the second time unto salvation and we are made to sing that song Isay 25. 9. 〈◊〉 this is our God he is come he is come we have waited for him he is cloathed with the garâ—…nts of Salvation we will be glad and râ—…yce in him We will remember his love more then Wine 1. Caâ—… And further the usefulness of this principle concerning Immediate Revelation and the spirit of Prophesie yet remaining and to remain a standing perpetual indispensible necessary ordinance of God iâ—… the true Church being demonstrated will appear seeing it is the hinge and foundation of all the other weighty differences betwixt these of the national way and us for this principle being asserted and demonstrated to be of indispensible necessity in the church and the grand and main ordinance the foundation ordinance of all the other ordinances so much cryed up in opposition to this the foundation of the true Church Ministry Worship c. Then will it appear that these who deny and manifestly oppose this principle and the assertors of it whatever be there pretences are no church of Christ but Babylon and their Ministers no true Ministers of Christ but her Merchants and their worship no true worship but Idolatry and consequently that our separating from their Church Ministry and Worship is justifiable and we ought to separate therefrom as we would escape the Plagues that are to be poured forth on Babylon and all who seek to uphold her And now I proceed to the Arguments or reasons tending to demonstrate what is asserted and though the earthly carnal mind which ever accounted the way and wisdome of God foolishness fancy and madness will account all that can be said for it light frivolous and inconsequential yet I am assured of it that it shall have weight with them who have any the true Nobility of understanding and it shall reach the seed and principle of God in their consciences and hereto I shall be made manifest and the arguments brought shall be of force for I have not fetched them from my own wisdom neither has it taught me them but in the measure of the heavenly wisdom given me of God have I learned them and though I cite Scriptures and make use of them in arguing this point yet I can truly say it I have not my knowledge therefrom neither shall I dare to use striving words any further then the things by them declared in some measure are opened in my understanding and interpreted unto me from that spirit of truth which gave them forth and this gives me aright to speak and make use of them Argument 1. There is no other way to God but by the Revelation of his son he dwells in the light inaccessible which the mortal or natural understanding cannot approach unto clouds and darkness are round about him he filleth all things but is apprehended by nothing but that which cometh from himself is begotten of himself and leadeth unto himself the eye of flesh cannot see God neither can it see any thing which is beyond its sphear the earthly can only apprehend the earthly nothing can reach further then its proper object wherewith it is bounded and limited Now God is not the object of the eye of flesh I do not mean the bodily eye this is as uncapable hereof as that the carnal mind the natural man the eye and understanding in man which can judge of things earthly and pass a true judgement upon them and have a certain infallible knowledge of them in the capacity it is placed in and can be wiâ—…e as to these things and find out many secret things in nature and demonstrate them sufficiently to a mans understanding yet this is blind in respect of God it cannot know him with the true knowledge when it stretches it self to know him it is confounded and dashed more then if the bodily eye would set it self to look upon the Sun it is blinded with his beams and yet it will be medling and trying and searching into this mistery but it cannot by searching find out God he dwels in any other principle then it can reach unto and nothing can reach beyond its principle he dwels in the light here is his habitation and therefore in the light he can only be known that can only reveal him and it is somewhat begot of the light the child of light which has its element its habitation its principle in the light which can see and understand God and know him this is that which Christ taught himself in the dayes of his flesh and is recorded in Scriptures no man knoweth the Father save the Son and he to whom the Son reveals him Matthew 11. 27. Now if any should object and say he means an outward Revelation a mediate not Immediate Revelation this will be manifestly confuted by what is said already and is yet to be said for that you call the outward or mediate Revelation write words spoken from without though the best of words uttered from Christ in the dayes of his flesh or from any of the Apostles or Prophets and yet recorded in the Scriptures cannot reveal the Father nor the Son either they point only at that which reveals and were spoken and write for that end that people might come to the principle of true knowledge in themselves for first let us begin with Moses he was a man sent of God and of Christ he was inspired with the holy spirit Christ spoke in him to the people of the Jews and all these words could not reveal God nor his Son unto them the vail hung before Moses face and remains upon their hearts to this day in the reading of Moses words and by this vail their minds are blinded then come down to the Prophets who were sent of God come to David to Isaiah the evangelical Prophet so called who had very clear and glorious discoveries of God and his Son Jesus Christ yet could their words reveal God unto the people of the Iews or can they at this day no the vail remains then come to Jesus Christ himself who spoke to them in the dayes of his flesh face to face did his words reveal him or his Father unto them did they not mistake him for all this he stood in the midst of them and they knew him not for their eyes were held were blinded and thorough their ignorance they crucified him the Lord of glory but could the Apostles words reveal him either nay for they continued blind and persecuted them unto death as deceivers and blasphemers the god of this world have blinded that eye in them which could know the glorious appearance of him either in the dayes of his flesh or in his spiritual appearance in his people So then it is clear neither any of the Prophets or Apostles though they were lights yet they were
O ye Corinthians and elsewhere writing unto them he saith God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ then it is the light shining into the heart out of the darkness which gives the knowledge of the glory and ver 4 Such who believe not the God of this woâ—…ld hath blinded their minds least the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them then all who believe have this priviledge then it is not only peculiar to the Apostles the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ shineth in them and the light reveals the Gospel which is hid from them who beleive not ver 3. It discovers the glorious Gospel or as it is in the Greek the Gospel of glory it reveals a hid glory in the Gospel which is beyond all words or expressions or thoughts of mans heart the glorious Gospel of Christ is not the words the best of Scripture words writ or spoke by the Prophets and Apostles it is that which the words declare of but not the words themselves which may be read heard and known by the unbeliever and he may gather a stock and treasury of knowledge from the words which knowledge is but a false dead empty barren formal knowledge a form of knowledge Rom. 〈◊〉 20. A shadow of knowledge but not the true knowledge which is life and life eternal John 17. 3. But the Gospel he knows not it is hid from him for the eye is blended that can see or know the glory of it for it is the power of God unto Salvation it is the preaching the glad tydings of Salvation unto poor lost man â—…y Jesus Christ himself immediately in his heart it is Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in man by the powerful breath of his spirit awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and I will give thee light and be thy salvationâ—… This is that which Christ said himself the hour shall come whâ—… the denâ—…shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that bear shall live so he is the great preacher of this great and glorious Gospel himself whose it is Isaiah 61. 1 2 3. compared with Luke 4. 18. The spirit of the Lord is upon me becaâ—…se he hath aâ—…ointed me to preach the Gospel to the Poor he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted 〈◊〉 preach delâ—…verance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind c. all other preachers whosoever among men they are but as forerunners like Iohn Baptist and this is their message Iohn 12. 15. Fear not daughter of Sion behold thy King cometh c. And how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of them who publish these glad tydings-concerning the coming of the King himself and all the most powerful preachers that ever spoke among the sons of men must say with the same Iohn behold their cometh one after us which is preferred before us for he was before us he must increase but we must decrease we are not that Prophet but are sent to testifie of him whose shoes latchet we are not worthy to unloose he it is who will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost and teach you to the satisfaction of your souls and be with you for ever when we are gone and removed from you and the Bride greatly rejoyceth because of the Bridegroom his approach and the hearing of his own voice and this fulfills the joy of the friends of the Bridegroom even the voice of the Bridegroom to the Bride himself come seen heard embraced the Bride married to himself kissed with the â—…isses of his mouth and this also fulfils the joy of the Bride fâ—…r it was her great desire the presence of the Bridegroom himseâ—…f and her desire accomplished how sweet is it to her soul Thus it is fully demonstrated how insufficient words all words from without even Scripture words are to give or learn man the knowledge of God as also how insufficient mans conceptions reasonings thoughts and imaginations in the earthly carnal mind which is darkness Eph. 5. 8. and death Rom. 8. 〈◊〉 concerning Scripture words and the things recorded by them are to this effect The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man to be but vanity and his wisdom foolishness and enmity against God even all that wisdom which the carnal mind can gather into it self whither from the words of Scripture or from the works of creation and providence It is all enmity against God and is so far from leadâ—…ng man unto the knowledge of him that it leadeth him from it the world by wisdom knew not God 1 Cor. 1. 21. The Jews who had the Scriptures and their Doctors and Rabbies who had gathered a great deal of wisdom and knowledge not the true wisdom and knowledge but a form as is said did it further them to receive the knowledge of Jesus Christ in a more glorious manifestation or rather was it not a loss unto them did it not blind their hearts was not the preaching of the Gospel foolishness unto them and the Greeks or Gentiles who â—…udyed the creation the book of nature so called and gathered a great deal of wisdom and knowledge theirfrom but it was mans wisdom which is from below and is carnal earthly and divilish by this wisdom they knew not God and the preaching of the Gospel was to them also foolishness thus because both Iew and Gentile had wandred after their own imaginations and reasonings the former concerning the Scriptuâ—…es and the latter concerning the works of creation and departed from the pure principle of God the light of his Son Jesus Christ who had enlightned both one and the other every man that cometh into the world Iohn 1. 9. Which would have been unto them a key of knowledge a key to the Jews to open up and reveal the Scriptures unto them a key to the Greeks or Gentiles to open up and reveal the works of the pure creation of God and given to both an eye to read these prints and characters of the wisdom power and goodness of God engraven thereupon and hereby they would have been led up keeping chastly to this principle the light of Jesus to the knowledge of God after a more excellent way and manner then either words or works of creation could give even to know God in himself and in his son the express Image of the fathers substance this is a glorious knowledge indeed the knowledge of God in the Son who is his express Image so like unto him that he is one with him this infinitely transcends that other knowledge of God either in the declaration of words or works for that they all come infinitely short of the noble Image Christ Jesus the brightnesâ—… of the fathers glory and such who sit down upon such a knowledge as they may gather into their minds
whither from words or works which proceedeth from God and come not up to know him in his own image the light of his Son they have not the true knowledge of God and make void the use and service both of Scriptures and works of creation which are given forth from him self as witnesses of his glory in the world for the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his hand-work Psal. 19. 1 2. And the natural day and night the Sun Moon and Stars have a language and a declaration after their kind the sum whereof is this he hath made us and not we our selves and the Scripture hath its language and doth witness and declare many things concerning God not to be found in the book of creation and so though both the one and the other do testifie of God yet are neither sufficient to give the the true knowledge of him which is truth life everlasting all is as it were but a knowledge by hearsay something declaring or demonstrating that there is a God but not what he is for only the Son can thus reveal him and give the knowledge of him by the seeing of the eye And now therefore all ye who deny the Revelation of the Son immediately by his own immediate light which can only make him manifest as the Sun can only be made manifest and seen with its own beams as said Plotinus a Gentile who saw further into this mistery then many called Christians ye are yet ignorant of God neither can ye truly conceive of him when ye think of him in your carnal minds the object of your thoughts is not the true God but an Idol of your own brain a graven image an image of Gold and Silver an idol god which must be famished and broke into pieces ere ever ye come to know the true God And ye who spend so much of your time in gathering wisdom and knowledge from either the words or works of God and the many books concerning both while you aâ—…e not come to the true and pure principle of God the light oâ—…i Son noâ—… begot of that nor renewed thereby in the spirit of your miâ—… your wisdom is foolishness your knowledge iâ—… darknesâ—… 〈◊〉 dead barren empty knowledge and it is enmity against Gâ—… it is like water gathered into a stinking filthy corrupt vessel which corruptâ—… and the vessel becomes the more corrupt and this more and more eats as a canker kills stupifies and benums that which is tender in a mans soul and has any feeling of God so that man becomes past feeling of him and this is the fruit of that knowledge even the fruit of the forbidden tree which kills and feeds death so that such being shut up in death and alienated from the life of God and past feeling give over themselves to work all lasciviousness and uncleanness with greediness Eph. 4. 19. And thus I have writ and insisted something more largely on this particular in tender love to the simple hearted who are much betrayed by the enemy in this thing who are tempted to eat of the tree of knowledge and because it seems pleasant to the eye of the carnal mind and seems good for food therefore they take and eat of it that is to say for I desire to use plainness of speech Sathan beguils them suggesting into their hearts that if they will read many books and be diligent in searching after knowledge that way and search and dive into the creation and to know the secrets and misteries of nature they will be wise to know good and evil and this will accomplish perfect them and throughly furnish them in their employment and calling to whichsoever they apply themselves And so one takes himself to read commentars of Scripture and this he thinks will furnish him with knowledge and ability to teach for the ministry and another takes himself to read Hypocrates and Gallen and other writers concerning medicine and so he thinks to become hereby a Physitian c. While in the mean time their minds are out from the light of Christ their talent given them to profit withall which gives the true knowledge and true ability to minister either to the soul or to the body and is the principal thing which if their minds were come to and begot into it their reading or other exercises in the leadings of this would be useful and serviceable in their place but as they are used become and are a loss as is said unto them And the enemy makes a prey of their souls and fetters their feet in this snare of gathering knowledge from books or any other way to keep them from the true knowledge which is life and peace and joy and fruitful in the works of righteousness for the devil cares not how much knowledge a man gather into his vessel providing it be not the true knowledge and wisdom which God teacheth and cometh from above and is retained in the new bottle the renewed mind this knowledge only hurts his kingdom that other can do it no hurt but advantage and become a bulwark against the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in mans heart and if ever such come to the true knowledge and wisdom of God they must be emptied of all the former and the vessel must be cleansed with the spirit of Judgement and of burning and it must be learned by word of mouth from wisdom's own lips line upon line and precept upon precept now a little and then a little as the vessel is able to receive for the Lord giveth wisdom out of his mouth cometh understanding And now to sum up in a few words all that is said in this Argument the knowledge of God being that which is indispensibly necessary to every believer and true Christian and seeing this cometh only by the Revelation of the Son of God immediately in the heart and by the receiving it from the mouth of God himself and from the inspiration of his holy spirit the inspiration of the Almighty saith Elihu giveth understanding as is fully demonstrated then it follows by necessary consequence that the Revelation of Christ immediately and God his speaking to man Immediately and the inspiration of the holy spirit breathing into mans heart immediately the true and saving knowledge of God is also of indispensible necessity and therefore not ceased in the true Church though in the false but remaining a standing and perpetual Ordinance therein for if Revelation be ceased then is also the knowledge of God ceased but if this remain so must that also Argument 2. God revealed in man made manifest in him by his Son thorough his eternal spirit is mans blessedness his habitation of rest and peace and joy God being his portion his possession his habitation fellowship with him in the light in the word in the spirit this was mans blessed estate in the beginning when God created him he created him after his own image he put his image Christ the
express image of himself in man and he breathed in him the breath or spirit of life then did man live indeed he was a living soul he lived in God he lived an holy heavenly spiritual and divine life and Christ the light of men was his life lived in him then the Lamb was not stain Christ the Lamb the light the life of man and this was mans glory he was made capable of conversing with God of having fellowship with him God spake in him revealed his glory in him the glory of his eternal wisdom power and goodness the glory of his eternal love that hid glory that was in himself before the world began here man had full content and satisfaction and peace and rest he ruled as King in the creation and God ruled King in him and the Law whereby he ruled him was not an outward Law it was wâ—…it in his heart spoke unto him by word of mouth from God himself and man had access unto the tree of life which is Jesus Christ and it was his food and he drank of the pure river of the water of life and he lived in paradice and all the pretious things in it all its pleasant fruits he was allowed to eat of only he was forbidden to take of the tree of knowledge of good and evil least he should dye in that same day and now man in this state he had a heavenly spiritual and divine principle in him wherein he had a pure and perfect descerning of God and his will he had an eye to see God an ear to hear his voice which was full of glory sweetness power and Majesty and the other sences of smelling tasting handling feeling and that which was smelled tasted and felt was heavenly power and vertue which filled him with glory joy and rejoycing and he was a fountain of continual praise unto his creator and he loved him above all things else even with all his heart soul might and strength and God delighted in his love and he delighted in his and if man had not sinned by eating the forbidden fruit he had continued in this blessed state and lived eternally in the sweet embracements of his father and creator and God would never have hid his face from him nor ceased to speak to him face to face now when man sinned and transgressed the holy Law of his God by his sin death came upon him he dyed the same day according to the word of the Lord and was driven out of Paradise and had no more access to the tree of life nor the pleasant fruits of the Garden of God nor to the river of the water of life that runneth thorow it he was driven from the face of his creator into the earth into the earthly principle and therein he lived but ceased any more from living in the heavenly or divine principle that which had the discerning and feeling of God dyed in him and remains shut up in death in all his posterity to this day and the pure eye which saw God in the light which came from himself was â—…ailed a thick vail of darkness came over which blinded him and the spiritual ear was stopt and all his other spiritual sences of smelling tasting and feeling were stupified and benummed and the lust awakened in him in the earthly principle a sharp and quick discerning in the things that are earthly and corrupt and begot in him an unsatiable greedy divilish desire and love after them thus man wandred from God and he set up in his heart this corruptible world in the place of God and Sathan the God of this world ruled in him and so the Lamb came to be slain in him from the foundation of the world that holy meek harmless nature the Lambs nature was slain in him and beasts nature got up in him the Serpents nature and he bore the image of the earthly and became an earthly beastly man and he begot his children in his image and as he so they became children of Wrath alienated from the life of God thus he whom the Lord planted a noble Vine wholly a right seed became a degenerate plant of a strange Vine unto him and he being the root and stock of mankind the branches his posterity behoved to partake of the defiled nature of the root which is transmitted from father to son and its the seed of the serpent of which the viper the devils brat the old Adam is conceived and brought forth and till man put of this old Adam till this birth of the Serpent be killed in him man cannot enter into the Kingdom of God nor see the face of God for this is a vail of darkness and separation betwixt God and the soul now the bowels of the Fathers love stirred in compassion to the work of his hands that of the pure creation in man which though shut up in death yet it remained and perished not as to its being it did not become a nothing but remained a being and this is the lost which God sent his son into the world to seek and to save not to seek or to save the old Adam that birth of the Serpents begetting but to destroy it for it is not capable of Gods Salvation but that which Christ came to save is that of God which proceeded from him the seed of God in man the seed of Abraham whereof Abrahams old decayed body as good as dead and Sarahs barren womb was a Type to take hold of this to breath life in this and by the powerful sound of his living voice to raise it up out of the grave out of the earth and to make it fructifie and bring forth Isaac the heir of promise the son of laughter and joy and so to recover man to the blessed state of life he was created in in the beginning to bring him to live again in the pure principle of the life of the Lamb which dyed not could not dye as to its self but man dyed from it and it ceased to live in him but it ever lived in it self being an eternal incorruptible life and this hath ever striven with man in the fall to recover him and would gather man into it self as a hen would gather her chickens and this is it which every man in a day by experience finds more or less moving in his heart making him restless he can have no rest or content in the earthly principle there is somewhat of a more noble extraction in him whose center is not the earthly principle but the heavenly and divine and it seeks to be in union with its center its fountain and the earthly corruptible principle the body of sin is a burden unto it and blessed are they who come to feel somewhat in themselves to which sin becomes a burden there is some what there alive of the begetting of God for the dead have no sence or feeling and that which breaths life into the seed is the life of man Jesus Christ the light
speak unto us in his son that we may live and it will not be enough for any man to speak except himself be heard and the 〈◊〉 learned as it is in Jesus Eph. 4. 21. and again it is writâ—… 〈◊〉 59 21 As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirit that is upon thee and my words which I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mâ—…uth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 â—…eed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fâ—…rth and for ever See how God hath appointâ—…t for his seed â—…and every Believer is his seed according to 〈◊〉 3. 29. as an everlasting ordinance his spirit upon them 〈◊〉 his words put by himself into their mouth and again Joel 〈◊〉 28. 29. And it shall come to pasâ—… that I will pour my spirit apâ—… 〈◊〉 and your sons and your daughters shall Prophesie c. And 〈◊〉 â—…pon the servanâ—… and â—…idens will I pour out my spiâ—… See further these Scriptures Zach. 12. 8. 10. Isay 40. 5â—… 〈◊〉 10. 11. Isay 41 17 18. Isay 49. 6. Isay 51. 3 4 5. Isay 55. and 〈◊〉 60. througout Now I ask such who say Immediate 〈◊〉 and Gods speaking in men from his own mouth and his pouring forth his spirit upon them to prophesie is ceased whither did these promises belong to the Law or to the Gospel to the old Covenant or to the new that they belonged to the old they cannot say it with any colour of reason seeing these glorious things are promised in these latter days and were gloriously accomplished after Christs resurrection and ascension which put an end to the ministration of the Law and old Covenant but and if they belonged to the new Covenant and to the Gospel yea these things promised are the Covenant it self as is clear in the above cited Scriptures then how are they ceased if the new Covenant or Gospel ministration be ceased then is the pouring forth of the spirit and Gods putting words into the mouth of his seed ceased but if the new Covenant and Gospel ministration be not ceased then is not the pouring forth of the spirit of Prophesie ceased either Argument 4. This was a priviledge common to every Believer in the dayes of the Apostles to whom they ministred as they preached unto them the Lord opened their hearts to believe and the holy Ghost fell upon them who heard and believed see Acts 2. Acts 4. Acts 8. Acts 10. 44. Gal. 3. 23. 1 Cor. 3. 16. and 1 Cor. 4 16. Every one of them had a spiritual gift some a Psalm some a Doctrine some a Revelation some a tongue some an interpretation and verse 21. Ye may all Prophesie one by one c. Lo how a Revelation and the pouring forth of the spirit was not peculiar to the Apostles alone but to believers generally it was common And they were inriched by him in all utterance and in all knowledge 1 Cor. 1. 5. and if any man said Paul Rom. 8. have not the spirit of Christ 〈◊〉 is none of his and he prayed for the Eph. 1. chap. 17. ver That God would give unto them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of himself c. and he said ver 13. After that they believed they were sealed with that holy spirit of promise tho earnest of their inheritance And Jesus Christ promised this to whom soever should believe in him Joh. 7. 38. He that believeth in me out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters and verse 39. This spâ—… he of the spirit which they that believe on him should receive 〈◊〉 the Holy Ghost was not given for that Iesus was not yet glorified and now if the holy Ghost be not received by them who believe and if the pouring of it forth be ceased and then is that promise falsified and broken but that is impossible therefore is this also And now seeing from what is said it is clear that the pouring forth of the spirit of the Lord the spirit of wisdom and revelation in all knowledge and utterance was the common priviledge of believers in the dayâ—… of the Apostles and that by vertue of the rew Covenant and the promises their to belonging it is also manifest that this glorious dispensation is the priviledge of believers now and in all ages past or to come is so being under the same covenant and to whom belong the sâ—…me promises which they have a right to in their head Christ for in him all the promises are yea and Amen and seeing the Scripture speaks so fully of that abundance of glory that is to be revealed in the days of the Gospel belonging to the new Covenant dispensation how then is it ceased and to cease for ever so as never any more to take place in the earth and wherein do's the Gospel dispensation which brings life and immortality to light transcend and surpass the dispensation of the Law and old Covenant if not herein that the 〈◊〉 is done away in Christ and the substance revealed the Lord being the light of his people and their God their glory the light of the Moon becomming as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun as the light of seven days wherein does the glory of the latâ—…er house transcend and excel the glory of the former but that the Lord whom his people seek shall suddenly come into his temple and that unto them who fear his name the Son of righteousness shal arise with healing under â—…is wings Mal. 3. and 4. And has not God appointed this as a standing ordinance in his church the Son of righteousness to shine therein with his own immediate beams as this visible Sun to shine in the world take away the revelation of Christ his Church and then will she not be left in as great in confusion desolation distress as if the inhabitants of the earth should be deprived of the natural sun what a woful night would come upon them is not the woman Christs spâ—… use cloathed with the Sun and as she went into the wilderneâ—…s fleeing from the Dragon thus cloathed is she not to return so also and such who cry down all Immediate Revelation and prophesying do they not make the Gospel dispensation exceedingly inferiour to the Law for even in that ministration there were some Prophets some to whom the Word of the Lord came from his own mouth and if there be nothing such now at all it is a very poor Law and despisable Dispensation as truly it is so among you Vision is not and therefore the people perish but now is the Lord fulfilling these glorious promises to the people of his pasture whom for a small moment he had forsaken but with great mercies is he gathering them Thy Watchmen shall lift up the voice with the voice together shall they sing for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion Isa. 52. 8. And ver
6. Therefore my people shall know my name therefore in that day they shall know that I am he that doth speak behold it is I. And Isa. 33. v. 17. Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty they shall behold the land that is very far off Argument 5. The Kingdome of Iesus Christ is an Everlasting Kingdom Dan. 2. 8. 44. and 4 and 4. and 3. and 7. and 14. And so never to cease and this kingdom of his what is it but the Revelation of his living and eternal arm in his people it is a Kingdom which is not of this world it is a spiritual Kingdom it is a Kingdom within and it comes with power and great glory but not with observation to the eye that looks abroad the hearts of the children of men that is the place where his Kingdom is set up for there is it where the powers of darkness reigns And there it is where the battel is fought betwixt Michael and the Dragon there must the strongeâ—… man be cast out and the stronger Christ Jesus the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah enter his name is called Wonderful Counsellour the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace the Emanuel which being interpreted is God in Man of the encrease of whose government and grace there shall be no end upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order and to establish it with judgment and justice for ever Isa. 9. 19 17. And as he is a King for ever so is he a Priest for ever and a Prophet A King to rule in his Saints by his immediate arm A Priest to make Intercession immediately betwixt God and Man for there is but one Mediator who comes betwixt God and the Soul he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts unto man and he is Mans Advocate unto God and there is noâ—… to intervene or come betwixt God and the Soul but Christ the alone Mediator to whom God speaks in his Son and the Soul speaks to God in the Son also and Prayes and Worships and gives thanks in the Son through whom alone there is access unto God through him not at a distance but near where his living drawings are felt his eternal Power is felt making way for the Soul unto God breaking through all the powers of darkness rending all the Vails that hinders it from enjoying the countenance of the God of its life Oh that this misery were known how hid is it from you who talk so much of Christ the only Mediator and that there is none else but he and yet ye deny his immediate appearance and manifestation in Man Let me tell you every thing ye set up as a midst betwixt him and you ye make it a Mediator and so ye rob him of his glory and are all gross Idolaters as the Papists who make the Virgin Mary and other Saints their Mediators that by you are called your means and Ordinances ye set them up in Christs stead when ye come unto God and do not witness the immediate appearance of Jesus Christ in your Souls drawing you in his life what and how to speak teaching you in you then ye come by something else ye do not come unto God by him but by that you call your Prayers and Ordinances O! that ye would lay it to heart for I speak what I certainly know who has felt the indignation of the Lord upon me for my rash approach unto him and my many prayers which as I was taught by man I thought means to lead me unto God whilst I remained ignorant of the appearance of Jesus Christ to mediate in me and make Intercession with sighs and groans unutterable which now in my measure through the blessing of the Lord I am come to witness and I now know that whatever mediates or comes betwixt Christ and the Soul is a Vail and wall of partition for he is the life the strength the power of the begotten of God in Man and without him it can do nothing it cannot pray nor praise nor speak nor so much as call him Lord but with him it can do all pray alwayes rejoyce evermore offer up the pure incense of a continual sacrifice unto God of Prayer and Thanksgiving from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same And now the Scripture being so full and frequent in its testimonies concerning this viz. The appearance of Jesus Christ in his Saints see but these three places passing others Col. 27. Ephe. 3. and 17. 2 Cor. 13. and 5. What a strange thing is it that men are so impudent to call it fancy delusion and blasphemy and if Christ be in his Saints is he not King in them does he not rule in them and if he rule in them by his outstretched arm in them does he not rule immediately And is not the rule or law whereby he rules immediate And is he not a Priest forever in them and a Prophet Does he not speak in them or is he altogether dump and silent in them and if he speak in them speaketh he not immediately or can any man or thing which is without man speak so immediately to the Heart or Soul as Christ who made it and is in it and comes in for that end to reveal himself and his father therein and so to fulfil that Prayer of his Iohn 17. and 24. Father I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me And is it not the work of Christ in man to open that eye which was blinded by mans Fall which in the Momentstate did see God and his Son And now the eye being opened and himself present and the Vail that hinders rent and taken off according to that is promised Isa. 25. and 7. Does not then that eye which is opened see him and is not this an immediate Revelation and is it not his work to open the ear that was deaf a spiritual ear in men and why doth he open it but to speak to that ear and can that ear be satisfied unless it hear him and is not the word proceeding from himself the proper object of this ear And such who have not this ear opened in them cannot hear Christ and thinks such a thing Delusion measuring others by themselves And further Is it not his work to awaken up and beget a discerning a sence and feeling and casting in them whereby they may taste how good the Lord is taste the good Word of the Lord and the Powers of the World to come and handle the word of Life and smell the sweet savour of his Oyntments and feel after him according to these Scriptures 1 Pet. 2. 3. Psal. 34. 8. Heb. 6. 5. 1 Iohn 1. 1. Cant. 1. 3. Acts 17. 27. Argument 6. And now ye who deny God his speaking immediately in man ye deny all the work of God in man and of his Son Jesus Christ
body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the Body You see how it is said This Head this Foundation This Corner-stone hath an effectual Working in the Measure of every part for it is a living Stone a Stone which is Life and Spirit and so breathes Life in every part and member of the Body Whereby every Member also becomes a living Stone 1 Pet. 2. 5. A Temple of the Holy Ghost which is therein 1 Cor. 6. 19. So the holy Spirit of Christ dwels in the whole Body and in every Member and is not divided but is one in all and in every one Now mark further Christ is this Foundation as Peter confessed him Revealed not by Flesh and Blood but by his Father which is in Heaven Christ must be revealed by the Father before he become a Foundation this is that which buâ—…eth which edifieth the effectual working in every part the Revelation of the Arm of the Lord in mans heart This is that which diggeth deep beyond all the earth and sand and that which is Corruptible till it come to the Incorruptible The Word of God which abideth for ever and is able to carry the Building and bear it up against all the storms that can affault it Whosoever cometh to me saith Christ and heareth my sarings and doth them he is like a man that built an house and dâ—…gged deep and laid the Foundation on a Rock and this is himself Loâ—… now he saith He that builds on the true Foundation on the Rock he diggeth deep for it and he heareth Christ himself and not only heareth but doeth So he must dig deep beyond all words till he come to the Power wherein the Kingdom standeth 1 Cor. 4. 20. In Power and not in Words he must dig deep beyond all Words till he come to the eternal Word which Created the Heavens and the Earth and is the Foundation which upholds them and hereupon must this new Creaâ—…ion be builded for nothing else can carry the weight of it and as is touched already this Foundation must be revealed not by Flesh and Blood but by God himself or else it cannot be come into and so cannot be built upon No man cometh unto me sâ—…th Christ unless the Father draw him and he who hath heared and learned of the Father cometh to him John 9. 44. 45. See how this agreeth with that which Christ said to Peter Flesh and Blood hath not revealed this unto thee This Rock on which I will build my Church but my Father in Heaven it must be the Revelation of the Father which must give the knowledg of it The living knowledge the knowledge which is life eternal for this Foundation being Life its effectual working is to quicken that which is dead that it may become a Member and it draws to it self by the vertue and power of its life and by the drawings a feeling of the life which draws is begotten and this feeling is the true knowledge and hereby man comes to know infallibly the true Foundation he discerns it in the feeling and so he can distinguish it from that which is Corruptible and is not able to bear up the building And therefore now ye who have not come to the revelation of the Father and of his Son ye have not yet seen the Foundation and how can ye Build on it If ye have not heard Christs words from his own mouth and do them not and if ye have not digged deep beyond all Words yea and thoughts and comprehensions of the carnal Mind if ye have not digged so deep till ye come to the Power wherein the kingdom of God stands your building is but on the Sand and that Church whatsoever which is not builded on this Foundation Christ Jesus immediately revealed both in the whole Body and in every Member thereof is not the true Church but a Synagogue of Sathan a vile Harlot Mystery Babylon the Mother of Fornicators for the true Church is one in all ages past present and to come and it hath ever had one Foundation which is Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever and there is one Body and one Spirit one hope one Lord one Faith one Baptism Ephes. 4. 4 5. Now what was this Foundation of the Church of God before ever Scripture was writ before Moses and the Prophets and Apostles which came after who wrot the Scriptures Was it not Jesus Christ the Word which was in the beginning had it any other Foundation and what gave them the knowledge of this Foundation and builded them upon it when they had no Scripture and whereupon was their faith founded by the hearing of what word did they come by their Faith seeing then the Scriptures was not writ it was even the Word which came from God himself and taught them immediately and many of them believed when they had no man to speak unto them The Word of the Lord came unto Abraham when he was in his own country saying unto him Get thee out from among thy kindred and from thy Fathers house out of thy country unto the Land that I will shew thee and there was no man brought this message to him for those among whom he lived were Idolaters but God spoke to him by his own immediate Word and he heard and believed and it was counted to him for Righteousness Thus ye may see how Abraham's Faith came by the hearing of the Word of God proceeding from his own mouth Now every Believer is the Seed of Abraham Gal. 3. 29. And this Faith is the same Faith with his for there is but one Faith and it hath the same Foundation the Word of God proceeding immediately from himself for no other Word is able to beget it but the same Word of power which begot the Faith of Abraham for Faith is the gift of God it is a Supernatural thing and therefore it must have a supernatural Cause it must stand in the power of God the Word of Power which was in the Beginning 1 Cor. 2. 5. For nothing else is able to bear the weight of 〈◊〉 and so Isaac and Iacob heard God and believed And the Word of the Lord came unto Moses and he believed And so many others we read of who heard God himself and now the 〈◊〉 being one in all and having one foundation it follows manifestly That every believer must hear the Word of the Lord which proceedeth out of his own Mouth on which alone that one Faith is builded And to this one Foundation Moses and all the Prophets and Apostles testified and bâ—…ar witness So did Jesus Christ himself in the daies of his Flesh. Let us begin with Moses after he had fully declared unto the Iews as he had received them from the Lord all the Laws pertaining to the first Covenant and have writ them in a book and had given them
to the People which he caused the Levites to keep and lay up in the side of the Ark see Deut. 31. 24 25 26 He falls a declaring concerning the New Covenant Deut. 30. from 11 ver to ver 16. This Commandment saith he which I Commanded thee this day is not hidden from thee neither is it far of It is not in Heaven that thou shouldest say Who shall go up for us into Heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it Neither is it beyond Sea that thou shouldest say who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it But the Word is very nigh unto thee in my 〈◊〉 and in thine Heart that thou mayest do it Now that Moses in these Words points at the New-Covenant is manifest because first he points them to this Word and Commandment not writ in tables of Stone or in the book of the Law But to it in the heart The Word is very nigh thee sayes he in thy Heart This is that which more fully declared Ierem. 31. 32. For then the New-Covenant dispensation came to be more manifestly revealed but in Moses time was more hid and obscure for the Vail hung before his face Secondly 'T is maaifest also from Rom. 10. 5 6 7 8 9. When Paul according to the wisdom given him maketh a full and ample Interpretation upon Moses Words shewing how that Moses described both in the fore-cited place the Old Covenant and the New Which Paul calleth the Righteousness of the Law and the righteousness of Faith ver 5. for sayes he Moses descrybeth the righteousness which is of the Law that the Man which doeth these things shall live by them But the Righteousness which is of Faith saith he speaketh on this wise Say not in thy heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring up Christ again from the Dead But what saith it the Word is â—…gh thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart that is the Word of Faith saith he which we Preach c. In which word it is clear he points at that spoken by Moses Deut. 30. 12 13. c And he calls them the words of the Righteousness of Faith and that Word Moses poynted the Iews too in their heart he calls it the Word of Faith and it is clear he understands it of Christ for he addeth by way of Interpretation to Moses words speaking from the same Spirit Say not in thy heart who shall Ascend into Heaven that is saith he to bring Christ down from above and this is it which Paul pleadeth so much for in the Epistles Rom. Gal. shewing that there is no Justification by Moses's Law to wit that writ in the book of the Law and delivered to the Levites nor that writ in the Tables of Stone which he calls the Righteousness of the Law but by the Righteousness of Faith the word of Faith which is the New-Covenant Faith in Jesus Christ the word in the heart And elsewhere he saith If there had been a Law which could have given Life then Righteousness had been thereby but now by this Word in the Heart Life is given and therefore is Righteousness thereby for it is â—…he Word of Life living and Powerful c. And Moses pointed at the same Jesus Christ before Deut. 18. 18. 19. where he calleth him a Prophet c. And the Iews and People of Israel who lived in Moses's time and were saved it was through Faith in this Word in this Prophet raised up in them in their hearts not at a distance but nigh the Word is nigh in thy Heart And this is Christ in them the hope of Glory the Mistery hid from eyes and Generations but was ever made manifest in his Saints but in the latter daies more clearly Christ in all that believe the hope of Glory and so from what is said It is Manifest that Moses pointed at this Foundation which is one in all ages of the Church which was not the Words writ in Tables of Stone or Books of the Law but the Word of Faith whereby comes the Righteousness of Faith and the believing Iews in Moses's time made not a Church different from that in the time of the Apostles and down-wards all are one Church and under one Covenant and were saved by one Faith in one Lord and Redeemer though the dispensations did differ in many Circumstances and these who succeeded had more full and large discoveries of the Mistery yet in substance they all agreed and were all one upon the matter This being so weighty and it lying before me so clearly and it being so useful to demonstrate so far as words may be serviceable therein the matter in hand I have been driven to insist the more largely upon it and now to descend to David and the Prophets and Apostles whereas I might instance many hundred places in the book of the Psalmes I shall only point at the 119 Psal. And desire the Reader in the fear of the Lord to ponder and weigh what is therein declared concerning this Foundation and fundamental Principle to witt the Word and what word is it he speaks so much and so frequently of here and else where when he sayes ver 11. Thy word have I hid in my Heart and ver 16. I will not forget thy Word and ver 25. Quicken thou me by or according to thy Word and ver 28. Strengthen me according to thy Word and ver 42. I trust in thy Word and ver 43. He calls it the Word of Truth and ver 50. Thy Word hath quickned me and ver 81 82. I hope in thy Word mine eyes fail for thy Word when wilt thou comfort me and ver 89. For ever O Lord thy Word is setled in Heaven and ver 105. Thy Word is a Lamp unto my Feet and a Light unto my Path. and ver 123. Mine eyes fail for thy Salvation and for the Word of thy righteousness and ver 133. Order my Steps in thy Word and ver 140. Thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it and ver 160. Thy Word is true from the Beginning and ver 162. I rejoyce at thy Words as one that findeth great spoil and ver 169. Give me understanding according to thy Word Let that which is noble and ingenuous in any one answer me what Word this is whether it be the Letter of the Scriptures writ in a Book or that Word of Faith Paul and Moses long before spoke off the Word in the heart That it is not the Letter of the Scripture or any outward Word or Words whatsoever as the national Teachers give poor people to believe may be very clear to that in any man which ever had experience of any opperation of God on his Heart any Life quickning or Comfort from the Lord That which has found this will answer
me That it is the Word of Power even that Eternal Word which is Sealed in Heaven as it is ver 89. and which Created the Heavens and Earth and no less Power can quicken a dead fainting Soul or comfort a weary distressed Mind Alas What can Scripture Words do read of a Book or spoken from mans Mouth when this Eternal Omnipotent Word breathes not in the Heart when it speaks not can the Heart open to receive any Consolation Oh how does the Soul that has once felt living touches and breathings of this Word of Life faint for it how does it wait all the day long till it come how does it watch more than for the Morning And when it reads in the Words of Scripture concerning the sweet and lively opperation of this Word what it has wrought in others and remembers what it has wrought in it self and finds no moving or streaming forth of its Vertue how does it lament after the Lord till he send his Word aâ—…rest and heal and restore and quicken and comfort it to its full satisfaction and then was this Word even then present with it in its Languishing time begetting in it desires after a more full Manifestation and that this Word is that I am pleading for whereof David speaks so much can be the more easily demonstrated to such who are the more insensible of this Word what it is not being acquainted with its living vertue in themselves and therefore are apt to call it a fancy for that David was a Prophet a Man inspired of God to whom the Word of the Lord came immediately from his own mouth for this is generally acknowledged Now was not this a rich dispensation and a glorious Would not David prefer this Immediate Word to the Words writ in a Book either from himself or these before him and in Davids time there was but little of the Scriptures written and if he would prefer this Word immediately proceeding from the mouth of the Lord whereby he was Inspired and Prophecied and Prayed and sung Psalms to the words writ in a book which were but the effect of that Word of Prophecy or Inspiration in the Heart Then is it not clear that in these places above cited he understands this Word and this was the Word in the beginning the Word of Power of Truth of Righteousness of Faith of Life in his Heart which taught him the Laws Judgments Statutes Commandments Precepts Testimonies c. He so much mentions in that Psalm This quenched him this strengthened hâ—…m this comforted him this taught him and made him wiser than his Teachers this was a Rule unto him a Lamp unto his seet and a light to his Paths in this his steps were ordered ver 133. In this he Worshiped â—…e Prayed he sung Psalms and all his springs were in this it was life in his heart and sweet as hony in his Mouth and caused his lips drop as a hony Comb. And Solomon Davids Son how much doth he speak of this Word but under an other Name for it hath many names because it hath many vertues or properties some name pointing at one some at another he calls it Wisdom in his Books of the Proverbs and Eccles. and in the Song he calls it Love Beloved and by many other Names So Iohn Baptist calleth it the Light Iohn the Apostle the Anoynting the Light the Lâ—…mb the Witness and he is most frequently called in the Wrightings of the Evangelists and Apostles Jesus Christ and by whatever name or vertue signified whereby he was known to be a Saviour to all that believed in him whether Iew or Gentiles who enlightens every man that cometh into the World And to return to Solomon how fully and maniâ—…estly points he at this Principle and Foundation under the name of Wisdom and wisdom it is for Jesus Christ is the Wisdom and Power of God how does he bring it in under the designation of a Woman a Spouse a Wife of youth a Mother c. So powerful so earnestly so convincingly pleading with man and even with all men Prov. 1. 20. Wisdom crieth without she uttereth her voice in the streets she cryeth in the chief places of Concourse in the openings of the Gates in the City she uttereth her words or as it is in Iunius and Tremelius Translation more truly In every Ciâ—…y she speaketh her words for her sound is gone forth into all the Earth and her words unto the end of the World Rom. 10. 18 How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and scorners delight in scorning and Fools hate knowledg â—…urn you at my reproof behold I will powr out unto you my Spirit and make known my words unto you ver 22 23 and Prov. 8 3 4. She cryeth at the Gates at the entry of the City at the comming in at the dores unto you O men I call and my voice is to the Sons of Men or as it is in the Translation aforesaid I call upon you the Vulgar or the Commons of the Sons of Men She calleth upon all many are called but few hearken and obey and so it is that few are chosen And is not her crying in this place at the â—…ates in every City that is in every man at the coming in at the Doors the same with Jesus Christ his standing at the door the door of the heart saying Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man will open unto me Revel 3. 20 and hear my voice I will come into him and Supp with him c. Now what doth she promise to these that hearken to her and receives her instructions and lay hold thereon Prov. 2. 2 5. If thou incline thine ear unto Wisdom and apply thine heart to understanding c. Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledg of God And Prov. 1. 33. VVho so hearkneth unto me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil and ver 23. Turn you at my reproof behold I will pour out my spirit unto you and Prov. 3. 13. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom c. For her Merchandize is better than silver and the gain thereof than fine Gold She is more precious than Rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her length of daies are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honor her wayes are wayes of pleasantness and all her paths are peace she is a tree of Life to them that lay hold upon her and happy iâ—… every one that retaineth her and Prov. 3. 23. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely and thy foot shall not stumble when thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid yea thou shalt lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet unto thee and Prov. 4. 6. Forsake her not and she shall preserve thee love her and she shall keep thee wisdom is the principal thing exalt hâ—…r and she shall promote thee she shall
bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her c. and Prov. 6. 22. As it is in the Latin Translation VVhithersoever thou shalt go she shall lead thee when thou sleepest she shall keep thee and when thou awakest she shall talk with thee for the Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is Light and reproofs of Instruction are the way of Life to keep thee from the evil â—…man c. That is the false deceitful whorish spirit the spirit of this world whâ—…ch bewitches the whole Earth and rules in the children of Diobedience and Prov. 8. 14. Counsel is mine and sound Iudgment or VVisdom and ver 28. I lead in the way of righteousness in the midst of the Pathes of iudgment that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance and I will fill their Treasures and ver 34. 35. Blessed is the man that heareth me waiting daily at my Gates waiting at the postes of my dores for who so findeth me findeth Life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. and Prov. 9. 3. She hath sent forth her Maidens she cryeth upon the highest places of the City who so is simple let him turn in hither as for every one that wanteth understanding she saith to him come eat of my Bread and drink of my Wine which I have mingled c. Lo How universal is her call and how particular to all and to every one and she not only sendeth forth her Maidens that is her Ministers to cry but she crieth her self and how sufficient is she being the very fulness of God himself to answer all Mens necessities and to be unto him above all that his heart can desire wanteth he Counsel counsel is hers needs he direction whithersoever he shall go she shall lead him pants he for life she is a Tree of Life would he be at substance somewhat beyond all shaddows all temporals all things that may be seen or heard by the eye or ear of flesh she causeth to inherit substance that which is eternal beyond all words thoughts or comprehensions of man which the Moth nor the Rust cannot corrupt nor the Thief break thorow and steal would he have long life riches and honours length of daies are in her right hand riches and honour in her left would he have the fear of the Lord and the knowledg of God she giveth it him Is he hungry she feedeth him with the bread of Life which is heavenly Vertue and Power the â—…ood of Angels Doth he thirst she giveth him of the Wine new in the Fathers Kingdom even that which groweth in the Paradise of God Would he have a rule to walk by her Commandments is a Lamp and her Law a Light VVould he have peace and preservation and pleasure her wayes are peace and her paths pleasantness and who so hearkneth unto her shall dwell safely c. Or needeth he company when he goeth or sitteth when he lyeth down or riseth up when he walketh in the Field or is shut up alone in a Prison or desolate place where none hath access unto him then she talketh with him and she is more to him than Ten thousands of Companies for sweet is her voice and her countenance is comely she is like the loving Hind and pleasant Roe and her breasts satisfie him at all times and he is alwaies ravished with her love and now where is this wisdom to be found Oh! How are men bewitched from the true path where it appears and how are we in a day bewitched with them seeking her without us and following after these Idol Shepherds who with destruction and Death hath heard the fame thereof with their ears but never saw her and so could not tell us where to find her but cryed Lo here Lo there in this sermon that fine book this or that place of Scripture this or the other Ordnance while as we were led out from watching at the posts of her Doors waiting to hear her voice in us and her reproofs which were the way unto her and her path was in the light which shined in our Consciences but our blind Watch-men told us that was not wisdoms voice which reproved us in our hearts in secret for ous sins but the checks of a Natural Conscience and the light which shined in our dark hearts and made manifest the hidden things of dishonesty in us said they is not the path of wisdom nor can it lead unto her but a natural Light a light which is darkness and blind as to the things of God but we have found them Iyars for it hath led us unto her and that which reproved us we have found to be her voice and we turning at her reproofs we have found her promise verified even the powering forth her spirit upon us Prov. 1. 23. And she hath revealed in us a measure of all these blessed things aforesaid and many a day read weof them in the Scriptures and heard the same thereof with our ears but both she and they were hid from us till our minds were turned to her own voice and light in our own hearts and this gave us the knowledg of her and of these heavenly and spiritual blessings which accompany her and we assuredly know that it is the Lord alone that giveth her immediately out of his own mouth Prov. 2. 6. She is hid from the eyes of all living and kept close from the Fowls of the air c. God understandeth the way thereof and unto man he saith Behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding Iob 28. 21. 23 28 And blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see her And thus I have largely pointed unto this Principle and Foundation from Solomons Testimony and now I shall descend to Isaia's and passing many places might be instanced I shall cite but a few Isa. 2. 2 3 4 5. And it shall come to pass in the last dayes that the Mountain of the Lords House shall be established in the top of the Mountains c. And all Nations shall flow unto it c. For out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem and he the Word for that is his Name Rev. 19. 13. shall judge among the Nations and shall correct or reform many people as it 's in the Latine Translation And they shall beat their Swords into Plow-shares c. O house of Jacob come ye and let us walk in the Light of the Lord. And Isa. 4. 25. In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious and the form of the Earth shall be excellent c. And the Lord will Create upon every dwelling place of Mount Sion and upon her assemblies a cloud and smoak by day and the shining of a flaming Fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defence and there shall be a Tabernacle for a shaddow And Isa. 42. 1. Behold my servant whom I uphold
mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth I have put my spirit upon him he shall bring forth Iudgment to the Gentiles c. He shall not fall nor be discouraged till he have set Iudgment in the Earth and the Isles shall wait for his Law ver 4. and Isa. 49. 6. I will also give thee for a Light to the Gentiles that thou mayst be my Salvation unto the ends of the Earth And ver 8. I will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people to establish the Earth to cause to inherit the desolate heritages c. And Isa 55. 4. Behold I have given him for a witness to the People a Leader and Commander to the People And Ieremiah the Prophet saith of him Ierem. 23. 5 6. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall Reign and prosper and shall execute Iudgment and Iustice in the Earth in his daies Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely And this is his Name whereby he shall be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS And he said of him Ierem. 20. 9. His Word was in mine heart as a burning Fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing I could not stay And this was the Word which come unto all the true Prophets and instructed them with their Messages from the Mouth of the Lord Many other Passages might be brought testifying to this Principle out of the other Prophets Ezek. Dâ—… Hosea and the rest but I forbear And Iohn the Baptist testified of him saying That he came being sent of God for a Witness of the Light that all men there-through might believe he was not that Light but was sent to bear Witness of that Light that was the true Light which enlightens every Man that cometh into the World John 1. 6 7 8 9. And Christ himself in the dayes of his Flesh testified of himself saying I am the Light of the World he that followeth me shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life John 8. 12. And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love darkness rather than light John 3. 19. and John 14. 6. I am the way the truth and the life And Iohn 11. 25. I am the Resurrection and the Life And Iohn 10. 9. I am the Door by me if any man enter in he shall be saved and go in and out and find Pasture And Iohn 15. 1. I am the Vine and my Father is the Husband-man c. And all these glorious things both he in the daies of his Flesh and the Prophets before that his appearance in that body of Flesh declared neither only nor Principally concerning his coming in the Flesh namely in that Vessel or Temple which appeared at Iesalem mainly and Principally concerning his spiritual appearance in his Saints after his being Crucified Risen and Ascended for till then the Son of Man was not glorified Phil. 7. 39. And though he was bodily present with his Disciples yet he told them they were to see greater things Phil. 1. 50 And he said the Kingdom of God was at hand and he taught them to pray for it and he said There be standing some among you which shall not taste of death till they see the Kingdom of God come with great power and glory whereby it is manifest that these things relate mainly to his coming again in spirit when it should be powred out according to these many Promisses concerning the same Recorded in the Prophets and as is said before he told them It was expedient he should go away that he might come again in a more glorious and comfortable appearance by the Revelation of his glorious Power in their hearts for his Kingdom was not of this World but an inward Kingdom and he said that it was within and pointed to this spiritual appearance by his Light in their hearts under many Parables and Figures which he calls the Kingdom of God Mat. 13. 18 19 c. He compareth it to seed sown in several sorts of Ground and he explaineth what he meaneth thereby calling it the word of the Kingdom That Kingdom which standeth not in Words but in the Word Eternal and this is the Word of the Kingdom which is sown in all sorts of Ground good and bad that is in every mans heart but the good only receiveth it and bringeth forth Fruit therein ver 3. He compareth it to a grain of Mustard-seed which being the least of all seeds yet groweth up unto a Tree and is the greatest among herbs hereby pointing at his appearance in Mans heart at first which is very insensible but as he is believed in becomes gradually greater and greate till the Kingdom come with power and great Glory which is also figured forth by the other Parable of Leven which a Woman took and hid in three measures of Meal and it Leaveneth the whole Again ver 44. He compareth it unto a Treasure hâ—…d in the Field the which when a Man hath found he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that Field whereby he understandeth his Light that shineth in the darkness of Mans Heart which hideth it from him and Earth in mans Heart is that Field Now though the darkness doth much to hide this noble Treasure yet this noble Pearl shineth forth through the Darkness and reaches to somewhat in Man which being touched by its Vertue and Power is made sensible and an eye opens in the sensible part which finds the Treasure and selleâ—…h all for it quitteth all the Light discovers to he evil that the Field may be redeemed and the Treasure possessed and this Treasure the Word of the Kingdom being full of Power worketh cut the Corruption out of the Field the fruitful Field becometh barren and then fatneth it and maketh it good ground good Earth this is the New-Earth and the Treasures or seed sown therein takes Root and becomes a branch or plant and it is the noble Plant of Renown That iâ—… Christ formed in the Soul Gal. 4. 19. And so the barren Wilderness becometh a fruitful Field and the fruit of the Earth becometh excellent Isa. 4. 2. For it is the fruit which springs out of the Earth and the Heavens open and poureth down Righteousness which watereth this noble Plant with its living streams Again he compareth it to a Merchant-man seeking goodly Pearls who finding one Pearl of great price went and sould all and bought it What is this Pearl but the Light Revel 21. 21. Compared with Iohn 10. 9. The twelve Gates are twelve Pearls and yet but one as the seven Spirits of God are one Spirit Again ver 47. He likeneth it unto a Net cast into the Sea which gathereth of every kind good and bad but the good are kept in the vessells and the bad cast away hereby is signified the Word of Gods Power the Light of
word of life declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ Lo how he declaâ—…eth that his fellowship was with the Son Jesus Christ. Though long before now his appearance after the Flesh was removed yet he had fellowship with that Life which remained and more gloriously appeared after he was taken up the Life which was in the beginning that he that heard saw and handled not with that which is born of the Flesh but of the Spirit and was partaker off even that Divine Nature or Life 2 Pet. 1. 4. And this Apostle Iohn calls it by other names such as the seed of God the Anointing or Unction the Truth c. And in Revel He calls it the Lamb and the Word of God And thus I have gone thorow Moses Prophets Christ himself in the dayes of his Flesh and his Apostles their Testimony concerning this Foundation or fundamental Principle which as they witnessed a Foundation and Fountain of Blessedness Life Joy and peace in themselves a substance beyond all Shaddows Words Pleasures Representations Comprehensions or Thoughts so they pointed their Hearers hereto and this was the work of their Ministry That people being brought to heâ—…r see handle and pareake of this Life in themselves they might have fellowship with them therein and so let People try themselves and the Churches they are Members off if they be built on this Foundation the Word of Life which was in the beginning or if they have never come to know any other Foundation as yet but words from without and from which they never knew any other ground to believe them but here say from man and not hearing the voice of God himself their Foundation is but false their Faith false their Church and Worship and their whole Religon is false and vain Argument II. And this was it to witt the Revelation of Jâ—…us Christ and the hearing of his own Voice by which these who heard the Ministers and Apostles sent by him believed their words and the things by them declared for had it not been this they comeing forth declaring of such unheard of things and so unlike so unprobable so foolish to the wisdom of Flesh and Blood they could never have been received nor gained such ground upon the World as they did This is somewhat touched before but is some-what more fully to be treated of here being so weighty This was it that gave to the people a proof of their Ministracy and Call and message that it was of God he who sent them Christ the Word which was in the beginning and spoke in them to the people the same spoke and beas Testimony to the same words and things declared by the words in the Hearts and Consciences of the hearers and this made them and their Doctrine Manifest they had no other proof so sufficient as this and this without any other was sufficient and so necessary that nothing else could certainly perswade them for many of the Prophets wrought no Miracles nor did they alwaies tell of things to come and how many were Converted to the Faith who never saw any outward Miracle wrought and these who were past feeling or discerning the witness of God in themselves would not believe for all the Miracles or other outward appearance they called them devilry and the like for their hearts were hardned and the heart that is hardned hath the ear that should hear stopped and the eye blinded so was it with Pharaoh and his servants yea and many times with the people of the Iews themselves but they who had the ear to hear the inward ear in the sensible heart did hear and such a power oft times went along with the Messengers of the Lord that it rent the hard Rockie heart and broke it in pieces and made iâ—… sensible and quickned the dead and opened an ear to hear the word in themselves and so the Lords Messengers declaring in the power and Word of God that spoke in them they directed them to hear that Word in themselves He that hath an 〈◊〉 to â—…ear said Iohn let him hear what the Spiriâ—… saith to the Churches And Ieâ—…miah said If ye will not hear within in secret as I have read it in a Latin Translation my Soul shall weep for you Hear the word of the Lord said they this was their Authority their Proof they had not aâ—… he and as this cleared their Call and the truth of their Message in themselves so did it in their hearers and nothing else could do it but that Word the word of Truth the word of Faith to which Moses pointed the Iews and Paul the Romans in their hearts and this made them Manifest and their Doctrine and witnessed to them was a Seal of confirmation unto it I have given him said the Lord as it is writ Isa. 55. 4. For a witness to the People and Revel 1. 5. He is called the faithfull witness See further Mal. 3. 5. Mica 1. 2. Clear Testimonies for this and he who believed had the witness in himself 1 Iohn 5. 10. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness Christ the witness in himself and in the Testimony of this witness which said Amen to the words spoken thorow the Lords Messengers stood ther Faith not in their words but in the word in themselves testifying thereto and they believed not because they heard them but because they heard himself as did the Samaritans John 4. 42. And this is the Testimony of God which is greater than the Testimony of Man for which it is blessed and so their Faith stands in that which cannot be shaken let men be shaken and tossed and driven to another thing or testimony yet the Foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this Seal this Witness in ones self and the Faith that comes thus stands in the power of God the word of Power which witnesseth in them God speaking himself in them and this is the so called formal object of Faith Papists and Protestants so contend for both agreeing in this That it is God speaking which is the formal object But quoth the Papists It is the speaking in the Church of Rome and so upon the matter They make it her Tradition No quoth the now Protestant the degenerate Protestant for the pure primitive Protestants owned the true Foundation with us though their discovery of it was but little God speaking in the Scriptures is the object formal of our Faith or Foundation of it viz. The chief moving cause or medium ex parte Objecti why the Scriptures are to be believed which is in effect to make the Scriptures themselves it for they deny that God speaks in Man's heart or reveals immediately in man by voice or word of mouth from himself by way of object So that that which is heard seen or felt is not any object imrevealed from God himself that word it self
feeling in his Spirit the Lord giving him liberty and how far short do the Scriptures fall to tell a man what he is to do in all the circumstances and emergencies of Providences which fall out in his life time no rational man but seeth a World full of Books could not contain rules and directions to a man in all things which yet are all to be done in Faith the Foundation whereof is the Word of God and his Revealed Will and if one should plead that general rules of Scripture and examples may serve the turn who see not they cannot but fall short there being no rule immaginary so generall concerning things in themselves indifferent but suffer thousands of exceptions and examples also yea and many times these things which in the general look as duty when the particular comes to be weighed in the ballance of Righteous Judgment it is Sin As for instance Parents are to be obeyed but now what if they command that which God forbids then they are to be denied therein and many times the case is so doubtful whether the thing commanded be against or with the command of the Lord one sayes it is and seeks to Justifie it by Scriptures another sayes it is not and condemns it from Scriptures and what can be a touch-stone in such cases but the Light of Christ which makes all Manifest and many have seen this how general rules the best of them all as they lye in words fail to determine particulars as in that and the like Fus suum est cuique tribuendum every man is to have what is proper or belonging to him and yet this suffers many exceptions as if a Mad-man would demand his own knife from another that has it to cut his own Throat it is to be denied and oft times the case in the particular cloathed with such and such circumstances is exceeding doubtful when the general is clear and therefore they make a vertue they call Epieikeia in Greek and to this they give the Office of Modifying and Judging in such cases how far the general rule of equity is to be kept to or receded from in such cases as requires exception as for instance mans right must yield to Gods right and the right of particulars must yield to the right in general and this is the work of that vertue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they terme it to define the true midst or miâ—…di â—…ity betwixt the two extreams and the many circumstances which falls in betwixt them to touch the Center in â—…is large circumstance and what can do this but the very Wisdom of God which would lead man through all these intricacies according to its promise Prov. 6. 22. above mentioned And what a blessed Priviledg do they cut themselves short of who â—…enies such a thing can be expected as the immediate leadings of the Lord teaching man and giving him counsel in the wearie affaires and circumstances of his Life and instructing him in the Will of his God and calling him to what ever place calling or imployment he betakes himself too as the Lord who is his Judge is Chastly waited upon and we can set too our Seal to it that we have found it so And without this it is impossiâ—…le to please God and now having shewed the deceipt of the enemy in this thing whereby they are betrayed into an opinion That the Principle which moves in man or gives him his knowledge cannot be known in its own immediate Manifestation I proceed further to demonstrate that it s to be known and that the true ear or eye which Gods spirit opens in mans Soul as it is Spiritual Heavenly and of an incorruptible Nature so is its object and therefore the objective Revelation immediately from the Spirit of God is as necessary as the subjective I am constrained to use their terms and find freedom so to do for their sake and so whereas they say there is no object to be revealed but that which is already revealed in Scripture and is evident and clear enough in it self and requires onely one opened ear or eye to discover it is utterly false we look not saith Paul on things that are seen but at things which are not seen for the things which are seen are Temporal but the things which are not seen are Eternal 2 Cor. 4. 18. Now observe what he makes the object of a Christians sight knowledg or discerning not words but things and how far short words fall of the things is above manifested next he makes this object not things temporal things visible that falls under the preception of the carnal eye or ear or whatever is of this corruptible World now though the things reported of in Scripture be eternal yet the words of the Scripture as they can be read or heard with the eye or ear of flesh are not eternal for nothing they can perceive is such now again see how far the Apostle shuts forth words or the best of conceptions or thoughts or speculations of Mans heart or whatever can be perceived that way from being the object of this eye or sence of the Lords begetting in man 1 Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Now all the words of the Scripture the eye hath seen or may see the ear hear and they may enter into the heart of man to conceive the words and form many conceptions on them but the things have never entred which the Scriptures report off into his heart it is true he may form one image or likeness of them in his mind as if I should form a likeness of such a Man or Countrey I never saw but only heard off this were not the true representation no more is that it s but an Idol and Revelations 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a white Stone and in the stone a new Name written which no man knoweth but he that receives it Lo here is the object of his knowledge that overcometh and none knew this object but he The hidden Manna the white Stone and the new name and what is this object but the Son of the Fathers Love Jesus Christ himself not only revealing but revealed in the Soul not only causing a man to know but being himself known The eternal Life it self manifested He is this hidden Manna this white Stone in which the Name is written and now is not a sight of him manifested seen heard handled more than all words is not this one object revealed which onely himself can reveal Oh what an indignity do ye to Christ and to that holy pure chaste birth of his begetting in man who deny that any more of the glory of Christ is to be known but what letters of Sylables or sounds in the Air can contain they give indeed a true report of him
give the understanding sense true interpretation of them Jesus Christ he himself is the great Interpreter the one of a Thousand Jâ—… 33. 23. Even he who met the two Disciples in 〈◊〉 wâ—…y going to Emaâ—…s and beginning at Moses and all the 〈◊〉 expounded into them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself and it is clear that he spoke outwardly to them by word of Mouth so he spoke inwardly by his Spirit into their hearts and therefore they said one to another Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the Scriptures Luke 24. 27 32. Now what made this burning of their hearts within them but the powerful appearance of his Spirit which wrought in them as fire which dispelled these clouâ—…y mists of Darkness which covered as a vaile the eye of their understandings whereby they could not perceive the things written of him and 't is said concerning the other Disciples and Apostles ver 45. Then opened he their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures And that the words spoke from without could not do this is clear from his own Testimony Iohn 6. 63. It is the Spirit which quickneth the Flesh profiteth nothing the Words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life and Job 32. 8. The Inspiration of the Almighty gives understanding This is that which opens the Scriptures else they are a sealed book and how weak and dark were the Disciples whilst Christ abode with them in his bodily appearance how many things were shut up from them even although they had some knowledg which Flesh and Blood had not revealed to them but his Father in Heaven yet the Spirit not being pouered forth in such a measure of glorious Manifestation as afterwards they received till then they were Ignorant of many things See Iohn 14. 9. Iohn 16. 16. 17. Compared with 25. Math. 16. 8. 9. Math. 16. 21. 22. Iohn 11. 13. Iohn 13. 28. Luke 9. 44. Luke 9. 33. Math 17. 23. Acts 1. 6. And especially the mistery of his Dying and Rising again and the coming of his Kingdom was much hid from them therefore he said Iohn 16. 12 13. I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now Howbeit when the Spirit of Truth is Come he will guide you into all Truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak c. And so when the Spirit was poured out then their understandings were opened and they called to remembrance many things spoke by him in the daies of his Flesh and then they understood them No Prophecy of the Scripture saith Peter is of any private Interpretation 2 Peâ—… 1. 20. But according to the Greek and Bezars Translation the words are more plain No Prophecy of the Scripture is of a Man 's own Interpretation Prophecy Explications the Man who spoke the Scriptures from the Spirit of God was not to Interpret them of himself nor in his own will so neither was any other to Interpret them but that Spirit which first gave them forth was to Interpret them For the things of God knoweth no Man save the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2. 11. And if it be so among Men Tâ—…t the Law maker is only admitted in point of Controversie the expounder of the Law and if he who writes a Book amongst men be accounted the fittest to Interpret or give the sence or meaning of his words how much more is it necessary that the Spirit of the Lord which gave forth the Scriptures be the expounder of them especially seeing the Scriptures declare of such things that are so Mysterious to the natural understanding of Man or to his natural reason that they are quite above its comprehending or conceiving of them I say not contrary to his Reason to witt that Spirit Principle or faculty in Man which can judge truly or certainly of things Natural and this is also of God but the Mysteries of Salvation whereof the Scriptures treat though they be not contrary as is said yet they are above the reach of this Principle or Power of discerning as the things of reason are above the things of the senses bodily so the things of Faith are above the things of Reason to witt that Reason or Principle which can judge truly of things Natural for I Like not to contend about words I acknowledg the Principle of Faith is and may be fitly called rational and the believer is the most rational man in the World and the very wisdom of God is Reason or Understanding and that wisdom wherewith he denies his servants from above is also reason but it 's not the Natural reason for before man was endued with the Heavenly Wisdom he had the Natural Reason or Understanding but then he neither had nor could have the knowledge of the things of God to witt The Misteries of Salvation This is that which the Apostle plainly declares 1 Cor. 2. 14. But the Natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Lo how he makes them impossible to be known to the Natural Man or understanding because the knowledge of them stands in an other Principle in that which is born of the Spirit of God the Seed of God that can only know them they are spiritually discerned And this further Consideration will yet make it more appear That man of himself without the Revelation and Inspiration of the Spirit of God cannot understand the things of God and so cannot Interpret the Scriptures declaring of them because Man as he stands in the Fall and not come to be Regenerate lives and is quite sunkinto a Wisdom Knowledg and Understanding that is altogether contrary to the wisdom of God and the true knowledg of God it is true as is already said there is somewhat in man which Judgeth truly and pertinently of things Natural and this of it self is not contrary to the wisdom of God but a gift of God and is of good use to Man were it in its right place and by this man properly is a Man he has a rational Principle in him whereby in this he excells the Beast of the Field but now man in the Fall stands not in this Principle it rules not in him there is another birth in man which Lords it and rules in him and this birth is of the Devils begetting and hereby Man is a Child of the Devill For this Seed whereof this Birth is begotten was sown into mans heart when he Fell and it has ever propagated and spread it self through Adams Posterity since and this Seed and Birth has a Wisdom and Knowledge which is Carnal Earthly and Devilish and is direct opposite and contrary to the wisdom of God as every thing of this birth is contrary to every thing of the birth of the Spirit
of God Gal. 5. 17. And now the wisdom of this Fleshly Devilish birth rules in every man in the natural state and subjects and brings into slayery that other Principle in him which in it self is apt to judge rightly of things within its own Sphere to witt things Natural and this Devilish Earthly Carnal Wisdom makes it do it service and answer its Designes and the more quick and discerning that a man be in the Natural Spirit or understanding this Devilish Earthly Carnall Wisdom which most usually is called in the Scriptures Acceptation also Natural being a top of it and ruleing therein the more it makes a man incapable of the true knowledge and wisdom and sets up the stronger Bulwarks in man against the wisdom of God And these are the strong holds which Paul speaks of which the Spiritual Weapons are mighty to pull down the high imaginations according to the Greek it is reasonings and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledg of God 2 Cor. 10. and 5. So it is clear That the reasonings of man standing in this wisdom which is altogether contrary to the true wisdom and knowledg of God are so far from being a help to him to further him in the true knowledg that it is a strong hold against it and therefore is to be cast down ere a man can come to the true knowledg which proceeds from the meek and lowly Spirit of Jesus Christ the beginning of which wisdom is the fear of God and so the more that a man is indued with the knowledg of Letters and other parts which might be of use to him were he come to have his mind Redeemed into Gods fear and so to have the wisdom of God to rule in him while he remains in the natural unregenerate State the more these things are a loss and snare unto him and this is that wisdom the Apostle speaks of when he sayes The World by wisdom knew not God and this Wisdom being a Type in the learned Doctours Rabbies Scrybes and Phtises among the Iews led them from the knowledg of Jesus Christ so that they not only did mistake him notwithstanding of all the Scripture skill but said he had a Devil and prevailed with the Rulers to Crucifie him and Persecute all his followers and this wisdom in them taught them to reason against Christ from the Scriptures this Man cannot be of God say they because he breaks the Sabbath and despiseth Moses Law but now the eye of that wisdom being open in them which cannot but judge amiss of the things of God they misunderstood the Scriptures and wrested them to their own Destruction and although they were learned in the Letter and form of knowledg yet they were unlearned and Idiots as to the true knowledg and Christ called them blind leaders of the blind Math. 15. 14. So you may perâ—…eive what learning that is Peter speaks of when he saies 2 Pet. 3. 16. These that are unlearned wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction for the Iewish Doctors Scribes and Pharises who were very learned Men in that knowledg Letters could give them and they had Languages Hebrew Greek and Latine and yet by Christs testimony they were blind and so unlearned and all their learning was so far from helping them to understand the Scriptures that the more they mis-understood them and the poor and simple and unlettered men they understood the Scriptures and knew Christ to be the Messiah that Moses and the Prophets writ off whereas they knew him not and for all their learning were shut out from the knowledg of the Scriptures and the wrong eye being opâ—…n in them they read the Scriptures backward and could not but judge amiss of them Now all this while I have not denyed that there is any thing in man who may be in a Natural State that can in any way or manner know any thing of God the Natural Man cannot indeed that is to say that Principle which in man makes him a man and Distinguishes him from a Beast That of it self cannot know the things of Gods heavenly Kingdom because they are above its reach and then far less can that Man or Birth of the Devills begetting called the old Man know them for its wisdom is contrary thereto but now there is a Seed of God in Man even in that State which is shut up in Death or Darkness under this earthly Wisdom which as a vaile blinds it yet the Light of Christ shines so thorow the Vail in this State as that it reaches the Seed and ministers some knowledge to Man in this State whereby he knows he ought to be righteous and sober and godly in a Measure and knows some things to be good and some things to be vile and were man faithful to that which gives him this knowledge it would redeem his mind out of the false wisdom and increase in him the true knowledg but man remaining Disobedient the earthly wisdom getteth dominion in him and the more it rules him the more it blinds him till he be altogether past feeling and then it is so with him as with these Isa. 6. 10. Now whereas it is commonly said that Scripture is the best Interpreter of Scriptures for what is obscure in one place is plain in another and so the obscure is to be expounded by the plain and there 's as much of the Scripture plain as is necessary for any man to know to this I answer in the words of Prov. 8. 9. They are all plain to him that understandeth to him who is endued with a measure of the same Spirit that gave them forth which has revealed to him the things by them declared so a man knowing the things the words concerning them stand open and clear and plain to his understanding for they are plain and manifest to that eye and ear which can read hear and understand them but now the plainest Scripture in the Bible treating of the things of Gods Kingdom which are most necessary to be known is dark and obscure and mysterious to the Natural Man and foolishness to the fleshly wisdom for that the things are not known by him and so he cannot understand the words concerning them for the knowledg of the things is as it were a key to open up the words but the plainest words that are cannot give the knowledg of the things which are onely known by a Spiritual discerning Is not that a plain Scripture Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart But what learned man with all his Letter knowledg understands it not having that love by the Spirit of God shed abroad in his heart The man who cannot read a letter and has a feeling of this Love abiding in him a thousand fold more knows that Scripture and can speak more pertinently concerning it from the feeling thereof and what it has wrought in him than the other can do from his housefull of Books and other helps of
Cheater Worldling say This is my infirmity and the best have their infirmities I have a good heart and am sincere for all this and I approve not my doings and I may have true faith for all this and be in a Justified condition Now passing this Decept of theirs which their Teachers have caused them to drink in I shall only at this time use it so far against them as to demonstrate all their signes and marks come short to give them assurance for now according to their own Confession their keeping the Commandments cannot be a Sign to them for they cannot come up to keep them and their evil works are many and much more than their good how then shall the good Tree be found by its fruits seeing the good Tree cannot bring forth evil fruits and how shall the good in this mixture be known from the evil and this yet increases the difficulty in the point of Tryal that not the quantity or the measure is to be looked into of goodness or grace in Man but the quantity kind or nature and it 's true that it is so Now where there is so much of the evil and so little of the good like a dust of Gold a little grain in a dunghill of evil whose nature is to hide the good how can it appear or be infallibly known but by the Revelation of the Light of Christ which searches â—…ll the depths of Heaven and Hell and indeed in the midest of Much of a contrary Nature in man Much Filth and Deceipt and Corruption yet the Light I say will discover the little grain of sincerity the small mustard Seed and without this Man has no comfort till that he know that there is somewhat that is sincere and honest in him and this breathes and cries to God for Deliverance from that of a contrary Nature That he would slay it with the Sword of his mouth and raise it up unto Dominion and Victory over all And it 's only God who searches every thing in Man's heart that can discover it to him for he cannot himself of himself know it but the Lord he searcheth the Heart and tryeth the Reins and sheweth to man his thoughts and every motion of his mind of what nature quality and principle they are and so it 's manifest that one uncertain fâ—…llible and dubious way this is for a Man to know his State by Marks and Signs when he is not come to the immediate Manifestation and Revelation of the Light of Christ in his heart in this to read his evidences and examine them No more can they tell a Man his State without this than a Sun-Dyal can tell the hours of the day when the Sun shines not upon it with his beams and this comparison some of themselves have made and whatever that assurance be they can gather without Immediate Revelation it 's not the assurance of Faith and so at best it 's but conjecture this will easily appear from their own very Principles and some of them has seen it and granted it for were it no assurance of Faith then it should have the Revealed Word of God for its object either by Scripture or Immediately spoken from the mouth of the Lord This they grant That Faith can have no other formal object Now according to their own way they affirm this assurance is but to be gathered by consequence as in such an Argument or Silogisme Whosoever firmly and truly believeeth in Christ and loveth him c. is Justified But I am such saith he therefore I am such Now the Proposition of this Argument being sound in Scripture I grant it and shall let it pass for a true Foundation at this time though as is above demonstrated the Scripture Words in themselves be not a sufficient Foundation But what warrant have they for the Faith of the Assumption Viâ—… I believe I love Christ no Scripture in all the Bible speaks this particularly to any man and they acknowledge it and that this assumption has not the Word of God for it's object but Dictamen Conscientie The testimony of Man 's own Heart and Conscience that he sincerely believes and loves God And now according to that true Principle and granted by themselves the Conclusion alwayes followeth the weaker premises as one link in the Chain being weak weakens the whole Chain it followeth That this Conclusion must follow the certainty of the Assumption and it being but the testimony of a Man 's own Conscience for to this at last he must return how many arguments soever he makes and not the Testimony of the Word and Spirit of God in his Conscience for this they have shut out of Doores as is said wherefore the Conclusion also which is the assurance a Man has of his State by the practical silogysm as is called by them is but the assurance of Faith not Divine but Humane That is an Assurance leaning upon Man's own Testimony of himself and not upon the Testimony of God's Word and so it 's not the Assurance of Faith the Scripture speaks off which has its object the Word of God And this as is said some of themselves ingenuously have confessed and affirmed That an assurance of Faith is only attainable by special Revelation And as for my self I can truly say it I was put upon the Rack as it were with the Doctrine of the Natural Teachers when I set about to examine my State for the signs they gave me of my State was as obscure and dark to me as my State it self and how then could I by them know it And thus I am sure it has been and is with many others and what shall we render unto the Lord who has spoken in our hearts saying Be of good comfort I am at peace with you your sins are forgiven I am well pleased with you in my beloved Son and has caused his Light to shine forth in our hearts which Reveals our State unto us and pointeth unto us the infallible Signs and Characters of it and the love of God is Immediately felt and this knowledge of it is beyond all Signes and Characters of it and what a blessed Priviledge do they robe themselves of which they might attain unto who cry out All Revelation is Ceased for if it be Ceased then can Men neither know God Scripture or Himself Argument 14. And hereby only Man can also know the true Church in general and the Members and Ministers thereof in particular the true Church has alwayes been a Mistery unâ—…o the World the Men of this World for it standeth in another Principle The true Church is in God 1 Thes. 1. 1. This is the Principle it standeth in and every Member thereof they are his hidden ones they are as dead Men unto the World being Crucified to it and it to them for said Paul Coloss. 3. 3. Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God And as Christ is so are they in this World being
her taking upon her the True Mothers Cloathing wherein she has appeared but an Enemy to the Life has bewiched the whole Earth with the Cup of her Fornications and so her Merchants has passed for the Ministers of Christ but now the Children of the Light discerneth both her and them and their Hypocritical garb cannot deceive them for the Sheep of Christ hear his voice and they know it one in another and hereby they know one another and a stranger they will not allow for they know not the voice of strangers they own it not and so the false Prophet that comes in the Sheeps cloathing and is inwardly a ravening Wolf that comes in the form of words the form of godliness he cannot deliver them the Elect cannot be deceived they can beware of him and fly from him Iohn 10. 4. 5. Mat. 7. 15. And how could they beware of him if they could not discern him to be such and these who say they are Ministers and are not they can try their Spirits it is more than their words the anointing teacheth them 1 Iohn 4. 1. Compared with 5. and 6. 1 Iohn 5. 27. And so can know not the speech of them that are puffed up but the power wherein the Kingdom standeth 1 Cor. 4. 19. 20. And herein and hereby were the true Ministers of Christ Manifest to the Children of God 1 Thess. 1. 5. Our Gospel came not unto you in Word only but also in Power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance c. And now a few words by way of tender advice to those who has been long seeking a pure Church not a mined confused Rabble of godless Atheifts such as the members of the National Churches generally are but a Church in God a Spiritual House built up of living Stones a Spiritual Ministry a Powerful Ministry a Spiritual Worship this many have been seeking but have not found it neither such a Church Ministry or Worship for not coming to the true Foundation and that which makes the true Church Ministry and Worship to witt Jesus Christ Revealed in themselves and Revealing God and me Church and the Ministry and Worship to them I say their not coming to this but setting about the building of Church Ministry and Worship without it they do and shall for ever in this way fall short of it and what strife and janglings and debate they have made concerning the tryal and qualifications of Church Members and Ministers and how sore they have been put at by them who plead for a Church of the mixt multitude of Believers and Unbelievers affirming it is impossible they can be Infallibly Discerned and that the true believing Spiritual Minister cannot be Discerned from the unbelieving Carnal Formal Preacher of the Letter and so they have no rule or touchstone to try one or another but that of Words Formes or Appearances are not come to the Righteous Judgment and these they acknowledge are very Fallible And now were they come to the teachings of Gods Spirit the Anoynting in themselves This would be an Infallible touch-stone and rule of tryal unto them for one and all And so there is no Cure nor Remedy for all these evils and fore calumnies wherewith they are encompassed but the Light of Jesus Christ which they so much despise and contemn this would heal all their diseases remove all their doubts and all their Controversies bind up all their Wounds and Breaches this would fitly frame the whole building together and make iâ—… grow up an holy Temple unto the Lord in whom they should be all builded together for one habitation of God through the Spirit Ephes. 2. 21. 22. And till then They will never cease to build Babilon Argument 15. THIS hath been the Main Point of Controversie all along the time of the Aposâ—…y and the Reign of the Beast Dragon Whore and false Prophet betwixt the remnant of the Womans Seed the followers of the Lamb on the one hand and the Beast Dragon Where c. on the other to wit The Testimony of Jesus Christ together with the keeping of the Commandments of God and what this Testimony is See Revel 19. 10. For the Testimony of Iesus is the Spirit of Prophecy Revel 12. 17. And the Dragon was wroth with the Woman and went to make War with the remnant of her Seed which keep the Commandements of God and have the Testimony of Iesus Christ. This is the quarrel The Testimony of Jesus which is the Spirit of Prophecy and by this the Womans Seed the followers of the Lamb sought against the Dragon and his followers and by this they overcame Revel 12. 11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their Testimony These are their weapons not any Carnal weapon the Lambs followers have none such but the Word of their Testimony the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and by this the Antichrist the Man of Sin the Son of Perdition that wicked one is to be Revealed and Consumed 2 Thess. 2. 8. Whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and shall Destroy with the brightness of his Comming That is his Light Life Power and Spirit Revealed both in the particular and general shall consume this Antichrist That sits in the Temple of God Man's Heart and rules as Lord there and this Antichrist is not a Person or Persons particular but a Spirit Ioh. 4. 2. and is the very Spirit of Satan which rules in the Children of Disobedience The Heart which was made to be a Temple for God a House of Prayer but is become a Den for the Thief and Robber and here in this Temple the Whore Mistery Babilon sits as a Queen in the Particular and in the General Now it is the aforesaid word which is as fire that is to burn up this Whores Flesh and Destroy her and put her out of the Temple of God Men's Hearts which should be an habitation of his Spirit See 1 Cor. 3. 16 17. 1 Cor. 6. 19. 2 Cor. 6. 16. For this was Man's state he was a Temple for God in the beginning but by his sins this Temple came to be Defiled and the Serpent entred and dwelt in it and for this end Christ came into the World to destroy the Devils work in Man's Heart and to cast him out and to dwell in this Temple Man's Heart as in the beginning and this is the Antichrist who denies this Christ came in the Flesh â—…me in the body of his Saints which are his Temple and so the Apostacy was from this in the dayes of the Apostles Christ lived in his Saints dwelt in them spoke in them was King Priest and Prophet in them and then came in the Apostacy when people departed from this holy living Power Revealed in them Christ the Wisdom and Power of God and then Babilon prevailed the Whorish Spirit which bewitched People and drew them into Whoredom with the Form from
this holy Power to which they ought to have keept chaste and moved only in its leadings Spoke Prayed and Worshiped therein and so as the departing from this was the rise and beginning of the Apostacy so the returning into this will be the end of it and its end is come in many and is coming in many more and this alone is the true resormation out of the Apostacy there is not another but the returning to this and seeing its generally granted by all Protestants so called That there has been an Apostacy since the daies of the Apostles and that the Church of Rome which has been the only visible Church that has continued since then till now by a continual succession in Bishops Ministry Worship Ordinances so called is that Apostate Church and Mistery Babilon not the true Church but a Synagogue of Satan then how could they I mean the Protestants come up to a reformation and recovery out of the Apostacy and be restored into the purity of Ministry Worship and Ordinances but by receiving them from the Lord himself Immediately and who could call their Ministers to Preach a Reformation out of the Apostacy but the Lord himself seeing they had no true Church nor Ministry preceeding them to call them and supposing as it were not I mean that had been a Mediate call from man I thought fit only to touch this a little here having handled it more fully else-where and indeed The purest Primitive Protestants whose Testimony I own in its place maintained Immediate Calls and the Spirit of Prophecy and witnessed it and in the History of the Reformation of Scotland commonly called Knox Chronicle it 's to be seen That both George Wishard and Iohn Knox were endued with the same and Prophecyed And in Foxes book of Martyrs its to be seen at large how many of the Lords Witnesses who were raised up by him to testifie against the corruptions of the Church of Rome and her Ministry did Prophecy and their Prophecies are in the said book Recorded as they rose up one after another in each Generation for the Lord never wanted his Witnesses all along though they were but few and the said book shews How that Iohn Husse a German Protestant Prophecied of a New Ministry that should come and whence could this New Ministry arise could the Romesh Whore which as is said was only that which had the Form and Constitution of a Church Ministry Ordinances before the time of the Reformation bring forth this New Ministry Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean or rather was it not to come from Heaven a Birth of the New Ierusalem which cometh down from above who when the Dragon fought against her did flie into a place prepared her of God and he prevailed over her visible appearing state but she remained safe as to her being in the place appointed her of God and her Man-child also which was caught up unto God in his Throne And in the end of the Apostacy She and her Man-child Christ Jesus the Lamb was to appear again in the Earth and take place therein and overcome Antichrist the Beast Dragon Whore and false Prophet See Revel 12. 5 6 14. Compared with Revel 21. 1 2 3 4 5 6. And these few Witnesses the Lord raised up all along in the time of the prevailing of the Apostacy are by many of the Protestants themselves reckoned to be the two Witnesses mentioned Revel 11. from verse 3. to verse 13. Who after they were killed did rise again ver 11. This they expounded to be other persons rising up to bear Testimony for the Lord after these before them were killed and they themselves are said to rise again because the same Spirit of Life from God which was in them did also enter into these who succeideed them and so the Witnesses were the same because it was one Spirit in them who went before and came after and they had one Testimony the Testimony of Jesus Christ which is the Spirit of Prophecy for they Prophecied in Sack-cloathes One thousand two hundred and threescore daies That is all the time of the Apostacy as is by themseives acknowledged See Iames Durhams book on these places and he is forced to confess That these words Revel 11. 12. And they heard a great voice from Heaven saying unto them Come up hither c. holds forth some extraordinary Call or Impulse the reformers should have from the Lord and yet this same Man for all this pleads for a succession of the Reformed Church and Ministry Lawfully descended through the Church of Rome and denies that Immediate Revelation is that by which the Church is to be Reformed and brought out of Babilon But to say no more of him It has been his great weakness And now from what is said in these fifteen Arguments concerning Immediate Revelation Let that of God in the Reader Judge concerning it's being necessary to Continue The Objections having any seeeming weight against it Answered Obj. IMmediate Revelation was a Priviledge especial and peculiar to the Twelve Apostles and is therefore now Ceased Answ. The contrary is above Demonstrated in many places And Immediate Revelation and the Spirit of Prophecy was before them even from the beginning and continued after them and Church History reports it continued till after the first Century and was known in the Church and it has alwaies been in the true Church though not in the false and is a Priviledge belonging to every Saint for that which makes one a true Christian and Saint is the Spirit of Christ the anoynting in him 2. Obj. The working of Miracles and the speaking with Tongues and strange Languages is Ceafed and therefore also is Immediate Revelation Answ. That working of Miracles and the guift of Tongues is altogether Ceased and never any more to be in the Earth cannot be proved and it 's a rash assertion for though these things be not to be found among the National Christians who have the name but want the thing the anoynting which Christians or makes the Christian and not the sprinkling of water on a Childs forehead yet they may be found among the true and we Witness the Power of God which wrought all these outward Miracles working Miraculously in our Hearts opening the blind eye of the mind and deaf ear raising to life the dead Soul causing the Lame to leap as an Hart and the Tongue of the Dumb to speak c. And these are the greatest Miracles and the outward were but a Figure of them and were for the sake of the unbelievers who believed not except they saw but now though Miracles and gifts of Tongues were ceased altogether yet it follows not That Revelation Immediate is Ceased This being more necessary yea altogether necessary and belonging to the very substance of the Covenant and promises of the Gosel as is above Demonstrated Obj. 3. Men may be mistaken and take that for the Inspiration of God which is but
the Inspiration of the Devil and it is Impossible to know the one from the other but by the Scriptures which ye deny to be a sufficient touch-stone or rule of Tryal of Spirits and there hath many formerly risen up who has pretended to be Inspired of God and were but Deceivers and this makes us fustly suspect all others An. Men keeping their place That is abiding in the fear of God and obedience to his Commands are safe from being deceived for such have a good understanding clear a pure discerning in the Light whereby to know the Spirit of God from the Spirit of Deceit and this was known before Scriptures were written and men are in no greater hazard of being deceived now than Abraham Isaac Iacob Enoch Noah and other Saints were before Scripture was written and if any should say God spoke to them by a voice audible to the fleshly ear I answer If it had been so that sometimes he had yet his speaking inwardly by his Word and the voice of his Spirit into their hearts was more certain satisfying and sufficient and that alone could not have been sufficient but he spoke to many by his Spirit inwardly in their hearts only and this voice was audible and heard to the Spirituall ear and was certain And such who plead against Immediate Revelation or Impiration from the Spirit of God as a thing impossible to be infallibly discerned from a delusion of Satan shew the Atheism of their hearts for if it be impossible then was not Enoch Noah Abraham c. Inspired nor knew God by Revelation but if Revelation was possible then it is possible now for that which is once possible can never in it self become impossible and what though some have falsely pretended thereto and from a pretence of the Spirit have done wickedly will this prove man has not the thing in reality there were pretenders in Ieremiah's time to the Spirit of God and did wickedly under that pretence Ierem. 23. 25 30 31. Ierem. 28. 1 2 3. 4. And so there were many false Prophets in all ages but this is no argument against the true Prophets nor against Immediate Revelation but for it for this only can discover the Deceiver and Spirit of deceipt both in Man himself and in another and many has pretended to Mortification Self-denyal c. but never knew these things in reality none do therefore now know them in reality and many has done wickedly under a pretence of Scripture is therefore Scripture to be denyed 4. Obj. The Scripture is a Cannon or Rule filled up against which who add thereto a Curse is pronounced Revel 22. 18. And this Rule is sufficient being able to make wise unto Salvation and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect thorowly furnished unto all good Works 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. whereby it appears to be a sufficient rule of Faith and Manners containing the whole Counsel of God as our Confession of Faith saies and all things necessary for his own Glory Man's Salvation Faith and Life is either expresly set down in Scripture or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture vnto which nothing at any time is to be added by new Revelations of the Spirit and for this they bring in their Confession of Faith These Scriptures further Prov. 22. 19. 20 21. Luke 1 3 4. Rom. 15. 4. Mat. 4. 4 7 10. Isa. 8. 19. 20. 2 Pet. 1. 19. Heb. 1. 1. 2. Luk. 16. 29. 31. Ephes. 2. 20. 2 Pet. 3. 15 16. 17. Gal. 1. 8 9. 2 Thes. 2. 2. And now all these Scriptures being brought for proofs against any New Revelation of the Spirit and the Scriptures being a compleat Cannon or Rule to which nothing is to be added even by the Spirit of the Lord I have set them all down not passing one and it 's in my heart to pass thorow them all and shew how they are wrested and perverted to prove that which the Spirit of the Lord which gave them forth never intended And though all these Scriptures we dearly own and the 〈◊〉 of them yet their abusing of them we cannot own at all and let that of God which is Iust Righteous and Impartial in its Iudgment in the Reader Iudge if they prove any such thing as is intended by these who brought them for that effect who call themselves an Assembly of Divines but in effect are but Diviners and guessers having so plainly denied that which makes the Divine to wit The Mind and Spirit of Christ Revealing in Man the things of his Kingdom Ans. That the Cannon of the Scripture is so filled up and Composed of such Books as are to be found in the Bible betwixt Genesis and Revelations excluding all other Writings whatsoever and Words either of old or late proceeding from the Inspiration of the Spirit of God or as having no such Authority Certainty or Infallability as these particular writings or books aforesaid is an old Popish fansie without any ground from the Scriptures own Testimony for it is altogether silent of the number of the books of Scripture how many they were and 〈◊〉 it is of their order some Popish Counsells determined both the one and the other and Scripture makes mention of several other writings of the holy Men Inspired of God besides these we have in our Bibles and some of them being found and felt to savour of the same Spirit which gave forth the other yet because of their Counsel acts they are not Received But now to come to the Proofs The first is Revel 12 18. 19. But what saies this Concerning the number of the Books or what saies it against the Spirit of the Lord his adding by New Revelations for the words If any Man shall add or take away the words of this book Limits not the Spirit of God from adding other Books of Writeings to the Scripture Now at no â—…e Man is to add to Gods words but what the Lord gives him to speak he is not to go beyond nor to say Thus saith the Lord to that which the Lord hath not spoken nor is man to diminish there from 〈◊〉 See this same Commanded Deut. 4. 2. But do these words prove there were no more Books or Words to proceed from the Inspiration of the Spirit of God how many Prophets came after Moses and how many Books of the Scripture were written after Deut. and Proverbs 30. 6. Add though not unto his Words This we see man limiâ—…ed from adding but not the Spirit of God for much Scripture was writ after Solomon and so these other Scriptures of the old Testament they bring Prov. 22. 19 20 21. And Isa. 8. 19 20. What do they prove that no more Scripture was to be writ after them whereas they themselves acknowledg the most part of Scripture was written afterwards and in the by I would only have the Reader observe how