a blessing enjoy the good and live for evermore Thine for the Truths sake THO. FORSTER THE CONTENTS 1. THat God is now known by his Name Light as heretofore by his Names Jehovah Elohim I am c. And that God's First dayes work in the dark Soul of Man is the creating of Light 2. That man true Guide is within him Or the Light of Christ in Man is the true guide of the Soul 3. A word of Reproof to all that say The Light of Christ in man is natural carnal or an insufficient Guide 4. A word to all that say Revelation is ceased and that the Saints must not expect such glorious manifestations now as were in the primitive times With a few Queries for the enlightning the blind Eyes of such as say That No man hath the infallible Spirit now 5. Counsel to him that feels the wright of sin and groans for deliverance but yet complains for mans of power 6. A word of Hope for the Persecuting Magistrate if his day of Grace be not already past also some it is 7. A view of false Doctrine and a Reproof to false Teachers who beast that they have the Original and yet are ignorant of the Word of Life and quickning Spirit within 8. Direction for all those that wait for the coming of their Saviour and how they may know him when he appears 9. Encouragement to the weary Traveller whose journey is towards Canaan To follow the Light and Lamb of God to the Holy Land of Rest But not to go before it 10. A Word touching the Resurrection and who they are that are risen with Christ and shall reign with him And by whom 〈◊〉 is seen in his spiritual appearance and where A GUIDE TO THE BLIND Pointed to That God is now known by his Name LIGHT as heretofore by his Names Jehovah Elohim I am c. And that Gods first dayes work in the dark Soul or little world of Man is creating of Light THE Message which the beloved Disciple of Christ hath declared to the Saints is this That God is â—â—ght and that in him is no darknesse 1 Joh. 1.5 This also is my Message unto thee God is Light and whatsoever is to be known of him is manifest in man Rom. 1.19 To thee then who art still in the dark and knowest not this truth or if thou knowest it obeyest it not to wit the Light within Thou I say art not yet come to the first dayes work of God in the dark Chaos of thy own heart for the same way doth the Lord proceed with his creature Man in the creation of him to good works as he did with the whole Universe to wit First bring him out of darkness into his marvelous light God when he made the World created the Heaven and the Earth and the Earth was without form and darkness was upon the face of the deep And in this state is man in his first Creation through the fall without form and darkness is upon him But when the Spirit of God moved upon the Waters and said Let there be Light there was light and the Light he called Day and the Darkness he called Night and the Evening and the Morning were the first Day Now consider Friends all you who disown the Light calling it natural carnal darkness and insufficient to guide you What do you judge of your present state and condition Are you not like the Chaos And is not your little World without form and void And is not darkness upon the face of your deep imaginations until the spirit of God move upon your Waters of instability and his Light spring forth in your understandings from his holy Spirit Oh that you who reject the Light would consider this that you are so far from rest that you are not yet come to the first dayes work of God in your own hearts How can you say as the Disciples and followers of Christ do That it is God that worketh all his works in you and for you How can you number your selves amongst the children of Light when you refuse the Light to work in you and rebel against it Have you not read in the holy Scriptures That Christ did not work many miracles in his own Countrey because of the peoples unbelief there I do not say he could not work them but this I affirm The Lord compels none to serve him in the dark but when he hath enlightened man with his own Light with which he enlighteneth every man that cometh into the World man is at his choice whether he will follow and obey the light yea or no I say the Lord doth not force the Will of man to obedience but woes him and beseecheth him to be reconciled knowing the great misery which will justly and inevitably follow the rebellious and disobedient soul Oh! that I could perswade all men to obedience that so they may eat of the Tree of Life which by transgression man is falne from and which he cannot touch lest he dye And now let none say that he is not enlightened or that he wants power upon the penalty of condemnation for ever for the Lord requires nothing of man but what he hath given him full power to do all power in heaven and in earth being in the Son and this Son of power is freely offered to every man that will receive him For God so loved the world that he gave his own Son to dye for lost man that he might live I say he is freely given a light to the Gentiles and a Guide to them as well as a Glory to his people Israel and none are excluded who are willing to come unto him And thou that deniest the Light Whose workmanship art thou And whose Works are wrought in thee Are they not Works of darkness and thou the son of perdition Oh! suffer not the Devil any longer to delude thee by his evil Instruments and to work his works in thee but endeavour thou to be made light in the Lord for thou wert not made to serve the Devil but to be a Temple for Gods holy Spirit to dwell in Mans true Guide is within him Or The Light of Christ in Man is the true Guide of the Soul PAUL that eminent Apostle of Christ and Son of the Light hath declared That whatsoever is to be known of God is manifest in man as is said already Rom. 1.19 Let none then say Lo here or lo there but if they should hear what our Saviour Christ faith Go not after them nor follow them for the kingdom of God is within you Luke 17.21 Now if the Kingdom be within then of necessity must mans guide be there also That Christ is the Light and Guide of man see Joh. 1.9 Joh. 14.6 and that he is in his Saints read Col. 1.27 And in Rom. 8.10 the Apostle saith If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin and again If the spirit of him that raised up Iesus from
at Jerusalem must live in us and we in him and so must we know him even to lead and guide us out of all error sin and vanity into all truth righteousness and stability if we ever know him to salvation I know your minds have been abroad and peradventure yet are as mine was but I never knew my Saviour whom I sought without until I turned my mind inward and found him there No more can ye If them art still abroad wandring upon the barren Mountains O come down for I am well assured there is no food there for thy hungry soul The day I say is far spent and the night at hand wander no longer in the coasts of Egypt and Land of darkness where no Light is nor true Guide to lead thee but hasten into the low Valley search deep into the bottom of thy heart come to Meekness Patience and humility of spirit and there O there wilt thou meet with thy true Guide and that Light which alone can lead out of darkness all the faithful followers of it Reproof to him that faith the Light within is natural and that the Light of Christ was carnal and darkness as some have affirmed THou knowest not what thou sayest O man that sayest the Light is natural carnal or insufficient nor whereof thou affirmest Hast thou been a Teacher or Hearer in England for many years and a professor of Religion and yet knowest not Jesus Take this for thy portion thou who despisest the riches and goodness of the Lord in his Son Christ The Light or Talent which thou now hast shall be taken from thee and thou the unprofitable servant cast out into outward darkness vvhere shall be nothing but weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth because thou hast rejected the Light within which is Gods Witness in every man and hast judged and denied it Know this That thou by it shalt be condemned for ever I say the day of Grace and long-suffering of the Lord which would now lead thee to repentance will not alwayes last the Light or Candle of the Lord in thee will not alwayes shine but the night of darkness in which thou shalt ever remain will overtake thee where thou shalt be shut up in Chains for evermore then oh then it vvill be too late to vvish thou hadst not slighted the light in thy conscience and called it carnal darkness and insufficient for it now is and then will be more then a thousand Witnesses against thee The Light of Christ I say is not carnal is not darkness is not insufficient to lead blind man out of darkness into the marvelous light of the Lord for by it and it alone have I been lead from the one into the other and can set to my seal of a truth That God is light and Christ is light and that his light is in every man and it is and will be the condemnation That Light is come into the World but men love darkness rather then light because their deeds are evil and ful of darkness Friend This I am bold to declare as in the Light of the Lord That there is no other way to be saved from eternal darkness but by coming unto Christ the light of the World and walking in his light if so thou do as he is in the light then and not till then shalt thou have fellowship with the children of Light and the blood of Jesus will cleanse thee from all sin Some Queries to them that say Revelation is ceased and that the Saints must not now expect such glorious manifestations as were in the primitive times and that say no man hath the infallible Spirit now MAny there are who in this state of darkness do believe and say That Revelation is ceased and that the infallible Spirit is not now known amongst the Saints and that they are not to expect such glorious manifestations now as were in the primitive times The ignorance and gross darkness of such I cannot but bewail and for the opening of their understandings shall propound unto them some Queries As first Whether is not Christ the same to day yesterday and for ever and the holy Spirit the same and as operative quick and powerful now as ever Or hath it lost its powerful operation now Is the Lords love to his Saints less now then before Or is his hand shortned that he cannot save to the uttermost as well now as ever Where is it said which ye so boldly affirm That Revelation is ceased or shall ever cease from the Saints or Spouse of Christ Hath not the Lord promised that in the later dayes he will pour out his Spirit upon all flesh and his sons and his daughters shall prophesie And hath not John said That the light of that day shall be as seven dayes and that there shall be no need of a Candle nor light of the Sun for the Lord God shall be the light thereof What is it that in the night of darkness when thou art lying upon thy bed of Adultery and carnal pleasure sporting thy unsatiable soul in the lusts of the flesh discovers and reveals the wickedness of thy heart unto thee What is it that in the day time checks thee for thy wanton eye and pride of life when none without perhaps dares accuse thee What is it that discovers unto thee in thy Chamber of Imagery the secret Adultery of thy heart when no outward eye sees thee What is it that brings to thy remembrance things past as if they were but yesterday and sets thy secret sins in order before thee What is it that tells thee thou hast committed the sin against the Holy Ghost and for which thou canst never receive pardon when committed Oh! how is it that thou shouldst suffer the instruments of Satan to work such a belief in thee and so far to put out the eye of thy Faith and of thy reasonable soul also as not to see thy self in a delusion when the Scriptures do positively say That no man knows the Father but the Son and him to whom the Son wil reveal him Matth. 12.27 Tell me poor soul whether thou canst be so ignorant of the Scriptures as not to know this That he that worships the Father must worship him in spirit Dost thou not know that the holy spirit is a spirit of Revelation wheresoever it is Dost thou not know that that is its work in man and that if thou hast not this Spirit of Christ thou art none of his Friend it 's an infallibly sign thou deniest the spirit that sayest Revelation is ceased it being its proper Work And thou that sayest No man hath the infallible Spirit now Let me ask thee also Hath the Lord no people in this Age to bear testimony to his Truth Do none know the Lord novv And are none in the Way of Truth Is this thy Faith Then knovv thou for certain thou art led by a spirit of delusion and whilest thou thus believest thou canst never
are wearing the crown Friends let me be plain with you How came you into the fear of the Lord Did that which brought you in lead you out again Surely no the Work of the Lord is perfect and stands for ever and the true Members of Christ Jesus call not this high or that low but they know that if any man will be great amongst them he is to be servant to all I say the Members jar not nor clash not one against another but there is a most sweet harmony in the body without any discord at all the highest doth not say to the lowest I have no need of thee nor the lowest doth not say so to the highest But friends is it not because you have felt the Cross too heavy for you to hear having once taken it up and laid it down again Or is it because you would shun judgement which you must come to again and love it too before you can meet with the Lord in peace Peradventure thou thinkest thy self some wise man in knowledge and so hast been accounted in thy generation and for thee to become a fool or to come back again after so great a profession of Christ as thou hast made would be to thy dishonor and shame would cover thy face If thus thou reasonest know this Thou art thy own Enemy and thou lovest the praise of men more then the glory of God or the salvation of thy own soul And since you cannot deny but the poor receive the Gospel the rich are sent empty away with all their words of mans Wisdom How comes it to pass that the plain and naked Truth of God preached in power and practised in simplicity is of no more account amongst you Friends be not deceived in your selves for you cannot deceive us The Light of Christ Jesus in us hath discovered you all to be out of the way who own it not Are you sent of God who cry Lo here or low there as some of you do and creep into Chambers and private places there speak with your doors shut Is this in times of freedom like the practice of the true Ministers of the Gospel who preach the glad tydings thereof to all inviting all and beseeching all to receive it that so all might come in or be left without excuse Can any of you say you preach the everlasting Gospel by the Revelation of Christ Jesus in you Or do you not confess your selves to be fallible and such as preach from a large comprehension of what you have heard or read peradventure from H. N. or Jacob Behem c Is what you preach of God And are all your springs in him If yours be the everlasting truth of God come forth and declare your Message to all for truth seeks no corners The Kingdom of Heaven is like a draw-net which being cast into the sea receives all that comes in but treasures up none but the good fish if then you would be Fishers of men come to the sea-shore stand in an open place and cast in your Nets into the seas of Confusion of this World prick people to the heart by your powerful Ministration and convince thousands of their Errors Heresies and false Opinions which they received and suckt in by the false prophets and Ministers of Antichrist as the true Ministers of Christ in the primitive times did and still do But if you doubt whether yours be the true Gospel or another My counsel to you is CEASE to declare it in the Name of the Lord for nothing shall profit the hearers but what is declared in the eternal Spirit of God without doubting Wait in silence then until you have received power from on high which when it is received and declared shall put to silence the gain-sayers and stop the mouth of the evil doers Friends for the Seed's sake in you I desire to speak therefore suffer me though a fool to be free with you Have you known the fools state which all that will be truly wise must come to if not hasten thither apace for mans Wisdom is foolishness with God and and keeps him truly in that which is but folly Oh! What will all thy carnal Wisdom though in a mystery and high notions avail thee so long as thou art got above that which leads to true Wisdom and makes wise unto salvation those that are fools for Christ Are you those that have got in thorough the strait Gate and do you walk in the narrow path which leads to life and which few find Or are you not indeed those who have striven for a time to enter but could not Take heed you be not left out Have you bid Farewel to the friendship of this World to the manners fashions vain customs and delights thereof Or are you not still alive in them all Have you born the cross till every idle world and vain imagination be slain and crucified Or are you not those who have felt it too heavy to bear and so laid it down again Are you as Beacons upon a Hill And do you give light to all that see your conversation Or have you not put your light in a dark Lanthore not suffering it to shine forth lest you your selves should be discovered Are you not those who preach and hear from a large comprehension but your selves far from the life of what you hear or speak Have you the power as well as the words of truth Or are you uot those who have lost the power you once had as the Devil hath done and retained the notion onely which he is the supporter of Are you indeed and in truth arrived at the dispensation of Love as you pretend or third degree of the holy life as you call it which loves its Neighbours good as its own and stoops to the meanest Babe in Christ as well as walks with the grown man Friends the Well of Life lyes low and you must dig deep to find it high words without the power are as the blustering winds which do more harm then good but its the still low voice where God is heard and the sheep of Christ follow it 'T is true the Doctrine of the Crosse was once in my esteem but a low and mean dispensation and the disciples thereof as I thought in a pitifull and sad condition but this was in the time of my exaltation with you when I had got above the pure and meek seed of Jesus which was kept under in me but blessed be the Lord who hath brought down the Mighty from his Seat and set me on the Rock of ages On which if ever you know stability you must be brought which Rock Christ which followed the Israelites the wilderness and refreshed them wh 〈…〉 Rock is the food of Angels as well as every hungry soul If any of you h 〈…〉 this bread you know that in the m 〈…〉 of famine you shall have enough a 〈…〉 that your water is sure coming out the rock if so I