and Earth bowed their knees to the Lamb to the Power and this was then fulfilled at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow both of things in Heaven and things in Earth and his Name was now the Word of God and this was in the beginning and the Word of God is the Power of God and now both the Celestial bodies and terresterial bodies were all subject to the Power and all the works of the Lords hands were finished and he rested and all both things in Heaven and Earth rested in the power and all kept holy-day and rejoyced Though the Heavens and the Earth were created and all things wrought and finished yet the world was not begun that lay in wickedness which the Devil is the God of neither was the Power which is Christ the mystery hid neither was the Lamb slain yet Now after all was made and created and were good and blessed and indued with power life and vertue according to the purpose of his heavenly will which is eternally pure yet was not the lamb slain nor the mystery hid which is the power wch is Christ for what should slay him or what should hide him he that reads let him understand this that I speak of cannot be reached unto with that Wisedome that stands in time which was not in the beginning with God that is shut out but the wise in heart shall understand knowledge and the prudent shall know what hath been in the beginning and of his wonderful works in the dayes of old and of the mystry which was before the world began when the Lamb was in glory the Son in glory Christ in glory the first born of every creature and was born before the world began he that hath an ear to hear let him hear when all that God had made and brought forth by the word by the Power was blessed and stood in the Power then did the Lamb sit in his throne then was he the delight of God and God in him and all that was made by him rejoyced in him here was love here was glory here was purity unity and a sweet harmony joy peace love eternal life Gods power ran through all All was good Christ was not now hid he shed himself abroad and all things was partakers of his power in which they were made here was happinesse blessednesse joy dominion everlasting and eternal felicity innocency purity and perfection and man in it God in it the Lamb in it man in it after his own image the Mystery of godlynesse was not hid there was nothing to hide it or overshadow it no vail no covering but righteousnesse was manifest and was the covering of all inocency the cloathing of all purity the robe of all and life the dwelling place of all and all the works of his hands rested with the Father with the Lamb with the Word with the power with Christ in glory with the Father in the etenall glory whereby all was upheld in purity unity harmony answering the pure will of God and man had power to answer the will of his Maker which he received from God the Father of life by the power in which he was made and to abide in the will of God for ever and herein he and all things in heaven and the whole family thereof and all the holy host of God bowed to the lambs power and he reigned the Angels were subject to the first born of every creature before the Angels or before any thing was made he was his age who can declare or his generation his age runs paralell with eternity with immortality and came from the eternal womb from the bosome of the Father where he is even where he was before the world began he that reads let him understand now the power ruling in all and over all all was in peace and was blessed Now the Angel stood in his power moved in his power and all the Celestial bodies went in and out at his command and moved not nor stirred not but when he moved this was then fulfilled let all the Angels worship him and so they did reverenced him were subject to him sang and rejoyced in him triumphed in in his power and all the Holy Host moved at his command and marched on in his strength to performe his will to accomplish his everlasting purpose and to fulfill his eternal decree and gave glory to him who sate upon the throne of righteousness and judged in righteousnesse for ever and ruled in righteousness for ever there was joy in heaven the Father rejoyced the Son rejoyced the Angels rejoyced the morning stars sang the the Sons of God shouted for joy the holy Host gave praise and all praised in the firmament of his power in which they stood moved walked lived and accomplished the pure perpetual eternal decree of their maker Moreover the terrestrial bodies were all subject to him he reigned in all over all moved all gave Life to all and was the Life of Adam of the male and the Female and then was this fulfilled even then which was spoken in time though by him who was before all time who was the life of all things I say he lived then and because he lived man lived also for he was his Life now Christ the power reigned over all and all in the Lambs power were subject in a sweet harmony answering the pure will of their Lord their King that lived for ever who was upon his throne in the heavens and now his kingdom was over all there was joy in heaven there was peace on earth the good will of God was done In Earth as it was in heaven Oh beautiful oh glorious oh comly oh admirable oh incomprehensible was the glory my tongue can not expresse and time would faile me to declare the eternal exellency which God hath revealed by his spirit and that which I see is not Lawful now for me to utter now was no mountaines nor hils to hide the mystery but it shined upon all in all over all and above all was not hid As I said there was now no hiding place that could or did overshadow the mystery of godlinesse for the eyes of all things looked upon him whether Celestial or Terrestrial and all and every thing according to its kind rejoyced in the Light of his countenance and of his power was glad and gloried in him for then there was not an other he that can hear let him Now the Earth rejoyced and the floods clapped their hands now the great deep smiled all things that was therein the springs thereof laughed which flowed forth as though they had issued out of a womb now every thing that had breath lived praysed the Lord neither was there any thing but bowed and submitted to their Maker and he Lord and King over all yet in eternal glory yet let the wise in heart understand this was in the beginning and though it was in the beginning yet this was when
his face and his name shall be in their foreheads and the Lord God shall give them light and shall be unto them an everlasting light and they shall reign with him for ever and ever over the whore Beast false prophet Antichrists deceivers seducers the pit death hell the grave shall triumph in his strength over all the powers of darkness and sing praises to him that abides for ever these things are true and faithful and shall be fulfilled and the time is at hand blessed are they that waite and watch that they may discern the signs of the times and the coming of the bride-groom that they may enter into the chamber of rest and into the Palace of eternal life into the City of the great King to sit with him and eat with him and rejoyce with him in the glory Eternal which was before the world began shall be when it shall be no more the end hastens he is blessed that is come and coming to the end of it for that which is immutable and Eternally glorious shall appear the Lord hasten it saith my spirit Amen The day of the Lord and how it is seen THe Lord God of the whole earth who lives for ever even the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and Jacob whose Throne is established in righteousness for ever who rideth upon the heavens and shines forth in his eternal excellency from the firmament of his power he is manifesting himself in his power as in the dayes of old and revealing his righteousness as in the years past and pouring forth his spirit upon his sons and daughters according to his promise and they that believe comes to be made partakers of the blessing of the everlasting Hills even the Lord who appeared at Sinai unto Moses his servant in the bush who rose up from mount Seir and shined forth in his brightness from mount Paran and came with ten thousands of his Saints even he from whose right hand went a fiery Law so that the people could not behold his glory the same is he who hath now appeared in this the day of his power and is appearing whose glory shall dazle the eyes of the world whose brightness shall make dim all the worlds glory and stain its wisdom and shut it up in utter darkness that it shall not appear to have any existance or being and the shadow of death shall flie away and all the haughty and lofty Princes of this world shall be horribly afraid the beasts shall go into their dens when the day appears and the Lambs of the everlasting fold shall come forth and be fed in the fat valleys where the springs of life compasseth about all the banks and rejoyce in their shepherd and shall say The Lord is my shepherd which many at this time doth admire and say What hath the Lord wrought who have seen his wonders in the dayes of old and have seen his noble acts which the fathers have told of who are fallen asleep and are at rest in the Lord and now many is God bringing to see their witness to be true and to have the same fulfilled in themselves honour and praise unto him for ever who is the stay and strength of all his people for ever And the day of the Lord is broken and the light hath appeared that manifesteth all things which are reproveable and the day-star is risen in the hearts of many and they are come to see that fulfilled in their hearts which Peter exhorted them to wait for and to take heed unto the sure word of prophesie until the day appeared and did dawn in their hearts which day when it appears and to whom it appears discovereth all things and maketh all things manifest as it is declared by the Spirit of truth in the Scripture of truth and every mans work shall be tryed of what sort it is and of what nature it is and this day hath appeared to many praises to the Lord who have waited for it and now they see every thing in its ground and rise and every tree and fruit is seen according to its kind whether good or bad and every mans work is obvious to every one who are in the day and upon whom the morning of righteousness hath appeared and the Sun of righteousness hath shined upon whereby that is seen in every one by the light which is truly called day by the Lord who causeth it to spring from on high which is reproveable and condemnable and also whatever is justifiable and unreproveable is seen by the day of the Lord appearing in the heart The day of the Lord what it is and to whom it hath appeared discovered and how it is seen GOd is a spirit his day is spiritual and is seen with a spiritual eye its pure light pure brightness the pure shining forth of the Lord in his glorious excellency the pure shining forth of eternity life putting forth it self in its brightness holiness sheding it self abroad in its glory purity spreading it self in its immeasurable excellency and can only be seen as it is in it self by the children of the light that are born of it there is a natural day there is a spiritual day the natural day receives its brightness from the Sun the spiritual day receives it brightness from the Son of righteousness by whom it s brought forth without whom nothing was made or is made or brought forth but by him who is the fountain of life and as the natual day receives its clearness from the natural Sun and is discerned by the natural eye of a natural man and all things natural are seen and discovered by and in the natural day and are perspicuous and obvious to him that hath his natural sight even so from the Son of righteousness the Lord of glory light and purity the day of God receives its brightness and is issued out from him by the rayes of his brightnes and is discerned and seen only by the spitual eye of the spiritual man who is the image of the father brought forth in life and in his own nature and quality that is to say from God the Father of life by Christ Jesus the life of men the light of the world and this is the birth which is born from above wch is of the nature of the Father and the Son of the day he only comes to behold this day and discerns all things of the Fathers Kingdom by it and likewise discerns all the hidden things of dishonesty and the works of darknes which are brought forth by the Prince of darkness who is shut up in eternal and utter darkness which is his dwelling place for ever which is his residence and shall be the residence of all the workers of iniquity that bear his image for ever Ob. But some may be ready to say It is not yet appeared and all things are not yet made manifest and that day is not yet come neither hath appeared in this
THE INVISIBLE Things of GOD Brought to light by the REVELATION of the ETERNAL SPIRIT who was an ey-witness of the wonders of the Lord in the beginning Wherein is declared the Felicity of all things in the beginning and the sad estate of all things after the transgression How all the reformed Churches so called in Christendom are yet in the Apostacy The estate of the true Church before the Apostacy and her state in the Apostacy And the glory that shall appear after the Apostacy By one who believes God will shine out of Sion in perfect beauty again after the dark night of Apostacy called Francis Howgill The Light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun as Seven days And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people and the vail that is spread over all Nations Isai. 25 7. London Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate 1659. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER OR Readers TO the upright hearted Reader in all the Regions of the Earth wherein this may come who have walked in the thick fogs and mists which hath arisen out of the botomlesse pit which hath been raised up since the transgression which have dimmed your eyes hurt your sight so that you could not behold the pure Celestial being nor him that dwels in it whose presence gives Life nor any thing within the vail because the vail hath been spred over all Nations and it hath been so thick that it hath been hard for any to rent it and the night of Apostacy and darknesse hath been so long since the woman fled into the wildernesse and since the man-child which was born hath been caught up to God that few or none for this many ages past hath come to see the end of the night but hath mourned without hope and few or none hath seen or hath been able to discerne the time of the womans return out of the wildernesse again into which she fled and few or none hath seen to the end of the times after which shee should return and mens sight in the Apostacy hath been so dime and in the vexation that when the man-child which was caught up unto God would appear again few hath had faith to believe or sight to he hold him or an understanding to deserne of the times But praises be to the Lord God everlasting who hath opened is and opening the windowes of heaven and showring down his wisdome as a mighty rain his knowledge as the morning dew and an understanding is pouring forth as the water out of the bottles of heaven as the water spouts so that ages times things daies and years is measured and seen And him that was before all things is beholden by whom all things was made who hath been as in a far country all this long night of darknesse but the time is fully expired and now is he returning and his appearance is as a morning without clouds as clear as the Sun and as pure as Christal and now is he scattering the clouds fogs and mists as with the East wind his pure breath clears the air and by his arm which is mighty is he renting the vail of the covering according to his promise revealing himself in his naked glory that the solitary may rejoice and the feeble may be comforted and them that have erred may come to a good un-understanding what I have writ thou must read me onely in that which is invisible and eternal in thy self else I am sealed from thee my words are a riddle and although the the dreamers of this age in the apostacy say Imeditate revelation is ceased and not to be looked for yet I must needs bear my testimony against them all for what I have here written I neither received of man nor from man nor books nor other words but by the eternal spirit who saw these things and was an eye-witness of them and God through it hath revealed them in me and to me that I might beare my testimony of the hidden things of God which are eternal although I have made use of the scriptures and the saints words and cited some it is not for my sake but thine who reades that so every truth may be confirmed by 2. or 3. witnesses If thou wait to know and find the key of David who opens in what I have declared thou wilt see the state of things before the fall and after the fall how all men in the fall have corrupted themselves in all administrations thou wilt see the state of the Church before the apostacy in the apostacy and what shall be after the apostacy and if thou cannot reach into the things as they are declared judg them not before the day appeare in thy selfe for till then they will be obscure to thee but as it appeares in thee thou shalt bear me witnesse that these things are holy faithful and true and hath and shall be fulfilled in that which is immutable I bid thee farewel F H. The chief particulars or heads in the ensuiug discourse treated upon aud opened by the Spirit of the Lord who was an ey-witness unto these things 1. THe work of the Lord declared which was in the beginning when the word was with God and man in the image of God 2. Although the heavens and the Earth were created and all things therein finished yet the world was not begun that lay in wickednesse which the Devil is the God of neither was Christ the mystery hid nor the Lamb slain 3. The understanding may read the Wisdom of God in a mystery and also may see the sottish Doctrine of the apostates 4. An objection answered 5. Another objection answered 6. How peace joy and delight possessed every thing that God had made how every thing which he had formed glorified him with one consent in the beginning 7. How man lost his state and dominion and unity with God and all the creatures and how the Lamb came to be slain and the world that lay in wickedness came to be framed in man after the tempter entred how endless misery can in upon all after the transgression 8. How sin entred into the world and death by sin and how man is dead while he lives and all is dead works that he acteth and the state of all the sons of men and their works may be seen in the fall 9. 3. Objections answered about this particular 10. Self righteousness deeds of darkness also and dead works and are to be condemned also and man who acteth them in the fall 11. An objection answered as to the present state of the Ministry of the Nations their practice and their worship 12. An objection as to the Churches so called and their worship in the Nations 13. The dark and blind Doctrines of the Ranters denyed 14. An objection about reading the Scriptures and conforming to the outward practice of
the Saints in former ages 15. How all men upon the earth in the degeneration in the fall have corrupted themselves and have been Idolaters in every administration being gone from the life and Power of God in themselves And having lost the Power of God man can neither worship honour nor obey God aright 16. A few words to that which is called Christendom who professe Christianity 17. Something about water-Baptisme to both Priests and separatists 18. Something about Rome in the apostacy and all their worship in the degeneration 19. The Protestants or Reformed Churches so called not yet come out of the waters nor from under the beasts Power 20. The Presbyters and Independants are yet under Antichrists Reign in the apostacy and have among them yet the Attire of the Whore 21. How the woman that travelled in birth who was clothed with the Sun and brought forth the man-childe fled into the wilderness when the Dragon had power and the man-child was caught up unto God 22. How the woman comes out again and when and he that was caught up unto God descends again and appears again to take the Rule to himself and how he makes war with the Dragon and all the apostates and overcomes them 23. How the glory of the Lord shall appear after the apostacy greater then before and the ministration into which them that follow the Lamb shall be brought shall be more spiritual celestial then before for that shall appear in which all visible types and shadowes ends in and shall be the last that is to be expected by the sons of men the sight of which hath appeared which yet cannot be uttered 24 What the day of the Lord is and to whom it hath appeared and how it is seen and discovered 25 What it is and what it will be to the wicked declared 26. What it is to the righteous and how he appears to them and whether we are to look for it while in the body resolved 27. Where it doth appear and how it cometh and how it is to be looked for declared 28. What the Spirit of the Lord is and how it comes to be received which discovers the the things of God 29. How the spirit of truth worketh and operateth in them who are convinced and yet have not obeyed it shewed 30 How the spirit of the Father worketh in them who hearken to it and are in some measure made partakers of its power shewn 31 Vnto whom the spirit of the Father bears witness and seals assurance of the Fathers love and of justification with God declared 32 What the grace of God is which is free and to whom it hath appeared and where all is to wait to receive it 33 whether all have received the grace of God or no and whether it be a sufficient teacher in it self demonstrated 34 Some objections answered 35 A word to the wise men of this world who are glorying in the sound of words 36 Also another to them who are glorying in outward appear ances and worshipping visible things in stead of the life 37 The Kingdome of God and his Christ declared in some measure as it is revaled by the spirit what it is and where it is to be waited for and how it comes to be revealed in them that believe 38 Divers Objections answered The work of the Lord declared which was in the beginning when the word was with God and was the Fathers delight and man made in the Image of God and lived in the Lambs Power and he was mans life and this was before the transgression of these declared as God hath manifested them by his Spirit IN the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God the same was in the beginning before the foundation of the Earth was laid or the Hills were framed he was with the Father and was the Fathers delight and he delighted in the Father and the Father in him then did the morning stars sing together and the Son of God shout for joy In the beginning were the heavens created and the Pillars theref set the earth was framed by the Power and all things both in the Heaven and In the Earth were created by the Power Gods Son every Beast of the field every fowl of the Heaven and the decreed place for the Sea was broken up and all things that moveth therein were created by the word and by the Power and man was made by the Power and in the Power and he was the Image of God as it is written In the Image of God created he him Male and Female created he them and he had dominion over all the works of his hands over every beast of the field which were created by the Power over the Serpent among the rest which was created by the Power and was good as he was made in the Power and by the wisdom they were all brought forth and man made in that wisdom that brought them forth who was better then them all and was made partakers of the Power and of the Wisdom more then them all and by the wisdom called every thing as is was in its nature so named he everything and the dominion he had was in the Power over all things over all the Creation of God which was good and the Earth and all things that are therein the tree of knowledge good that stood in the garden also but not for food so these be the generations of the Heavens and the Earth in the day when God created them they were all good made and created by God in the Power Eternal which is good unchangeably good without variation and the unchangeable Power in which and by which they were made moved in them all and they all received vertue and Power from the Power Gods Son and the Power moved in them all and shined through them all and ran through them all and they were all to abide in the Covenant in which they were made and not any to move or act without the Power but only as the Power which was the life of them all moved them and acted them and so goodness possessed them all for all was partakers of the goodness of God and it was the life of them and they were none of them to move nor stir but as the life of men the Power by which they were created moved them which was Gods Son the Heavens and the Earth were finished and all things that therein are and they were all good and this saying was true then which was spoken by Christ the Power many generations after I in them and thou in me and all was perfect in one the Father was in the Power the Power was in the Father and all the Creatures in the Power Now was the Father glorified now was the Son glorified now was man in Dominion in Power crowned with honour Lord over all the works that God had made in the Power and now the whole Family both of Heaven
burnt-offerings kept fasts and Sabbaths and new Moons and all these things and lied swore and dealt falsly and left no roome for the poor and yet they said the Lord was among them the Lord sent his servant the Prophet to tell them the Lord was weary of them and of their oblations why they were out of the faith out of the life out of the Power and deceit lodged in their heartts covetousnese envy murder oppression and violence as ravening wolves hunting for their prey the Prophets prophesied for hire their Priests bear rule by their means and people was one with it and liked it and loved it should be so the end of those things was misery the Judgement of God came upon them they were scattered among their enemies their Prophets slain and for their sake Sion became as a plowed corn field and Jerusalem a heap and now he that offered an ox was no more accepted then if he slew a man no more then if he blessed Chemosh Ashteroth or Baal all was sin and to be condemned by the power out of which they were gone The Scribes and Pharisees in Christs time great worshippers devout men devout women zealous men for Temple Priests tithes days Sabbaths oblations and were acting all those things that were commanded in or about the worship of God yet Christ said unto his Disciplrs except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scrihes and Pharisees ye cannot enter the Kingdom of God they might have said which at least they did in their hearts this man says he is the Son of God and yet saith and teacheth his Disciples another righteousness then is commanded in the Law and moreover tells them except their righteousnes exceed ours they cannot enter into Gods Kingdom where is there in all the earth any better righteousness then ours we do not as the heathen worship Idol-gods we keep the Sabbaths and purifie our selves and payes tithes and keeps the Ordinances given by the Lord to Moses and our fathers well these things they were doing but they were but dead works they were out of the faith out of the Power and had not Gods word abiding in their hearts from which their Power and ability should have come to have answered the will of God here was self-righteousness although they did the outward things which were commanded of the Lord yet they were dead works their Temple left desolate worship desolate Jerusalem compassed about with armies not one stone left upon another which was not to be thrown down and they scattered among the heathen their Priests slain and their oblations ceased plagues Judgement prusuing whithersoever they went did all those things save them from the wrath all their works and dead worships self-righteousness save them were they accepted oh nay rejected a seed of falshood a crooked generation an hypocritical generation these things with many more which I could instance all shewing that man in the transgression of the life of the power whether he sinned or wrought that which he might Judge was righteous yet they were but dead works Ob. But some may say what saist thou to this generation of Ministers preachers and Ordinances we live in a Gospel time and are under Gospel ordinances and they teach that man is redeemed by Christ from sins past present and to come and the ordinances that we practice now I hope you will not call them dead works Ans. I say the ministry in these nations made by mans will and by the will of the flesh and that are seeking their gaine from their quarter and are suing men at Law and throwing men in dungeons and holes to the losse of some mens lives already and hundreds have been and are like to be spoiled onely to uphold their greedy devouring nature who have ravened and devoured like evening Wolves some mens estates wholly and some times taken ten fold the value who ravens from place to place from one end of the Land to another and into other Nations also for filthy lucre or a greater benefit I say they are in the fall in the transgression death rules in them over them and they are Ministers of death and never brought any to God but of them many other brethren who are in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ hath borne a large testimony which any considerate wise prudent and reasonable man may see them to be Ministers of death demonstrated by many sound grounds and unanswerable arguments and the scripture of truth clearly bearing witnesse to the same and so I refer the Reader to those things and shall content my selfe at present in what I have said in this particular Now as to the worship or ordinances or practices themselves I come unto and shall speak no otherwise of any thing then God by his eternal light and spirit hath made me understand in the true ground of things else I know well how to be silent Now this I say to all sects opinions and fellowships though they be devided into many heads or societies man acting or performing any thing of worship ordinance or any practice whatsoever which the scriptures declares hath been or ever was though they should doe it in the same manner sutable in every circumstance to that which others did till all or every man come to believe in the power again which man went from in the transgression all that he doth is selfe-righteousnesse and dead works preaching dead prayer dead Baptisme dead their communion dead their conferences dead their exhortations dead their fasts dead their offerings like as if one had offered a dead beast under the law or a lame Lamb which had been abomination even so I say till man come to that which he hath lost in the transgression till man find the power the life the light the messiah and feel him in them to work move lead guid and act all will be accounted with the Lord selfe-righteousnesse dead works dead fruit and if all would examine and try they might see the Nations almost spread over with dead men in Adam and dead works abound and coverings which God will rent and lay all waste together false rest imitated formes and representations without life I say till men come into the power againe that Adam went from and so died in that day he cannot doe any thing well pleasing to God and whosoever comes to that again passeth every step through death and denies himselfe and all selfe-actions selfe-righteousnesse and must come to be bare and naked again even as he was before he came out he and his wife were naked and were not ashamed selfe-acting was not known now self-will self-worship self-righteousness nay they moved in the power righteousnesse was their covering and as I said before there was no shame I might speak largely in this thing and truly my tongue is the pen of a ready writer oh that all had an eare to hear that their souls might live and that every one might be unbottomed of his false
the spirit now on the Lords day sees the same man-childe who was brought forth by by the woman who was to rule the Nations but was caught up to the Throne of God before he came to Râ—le and then the Dragon ruled the beasts and false prophet the Whore the Mother of harlots sate as a Queen and the woman the mother of the heir fled into an obscure and a retired place and was hid times and dayes as I said before but as she appeared again in beauty so the man-childe the heir he appears also in glory Majesty and power and John saw him Revelations 19. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. And I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse and he that sate upon him was called faithful and true and he doth Judge and make War in rigteousness his eyes was as a flame of fire on his head were many Crowns and he had a name written that none knew but he bimself and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood and his name is called the word of God And now the womans seed is increased again after the Dragon and the beasts War and now they become an Army and follows the Lamb their leader who is anoynted with honour glory and Majesty and renown strength power wisdom joy and gladness above all his fellowes yet his followers are annointed too and the seed of the woman the inhabitants of the City of the great King they are clothed with the same garment and Armour and rides on in power strength and Majesty after him and they are clothed and shall be with the garment of their Mother and the garment of their Captain their head and as he rode on in innocency so they ride on after him and the woman was in heaven that travelled and the childe was born there though he was to rule the Nations of the Earth and so who so are of this womans seed which is born in the City of the great King Jerusalem unto which the Hebrewes were come Heb 21. before the Apostacy and before the woman fled so now the same City comes to be seen again and the children are free born of their mother the Lambs wife who is joyned to him and is to be so for ever in the everlasting Covenant so they being heavenly children redeemed from the earth from under the Dragons power they follow the Lamb the word Gods power Revel 19. 14. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses clothed in fine linen white and clean and out of his mouth goes a sharp sword and with it he shall smite the Nations and now comes he to rule them with a rod of Iron he was brought forth long before but was caught up to God again and the Dragon beast and whore and false prophet ruled the Nations and killed the Saints but now he appears again after the Apostacy and a great host with him and the woman also and her children are many and they all follow the first-born and now comes the wo to the dragon and Whore beast and false prophets and unclean spirits and on them that worship devils and now shall he tread the wine-press of the wrath of God Almighty And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh written King of Kings and Lord of Lords And now appears an Angel standing in the Sun which the womanâ— was clothed with and he cryed with a loud voyce saying to all the fowls that flie in the midst of heaven come and gather to the Supper of the great day of God and now must the flesh of the Kings and Captains and Nobles and flesh of mighty men who had drunk the Whores cup now must drink of the wine of Gods wrath and the Beast and the Kings of the earth and their Armies gathered together to make War against him that sate on the white horse and his Army and the beast was taken and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him and the remnant were slain that took part with the beast by him that sate upon the horse and his Army whose sword proceeded out of his mouth and all the fowls were filled with their flesh the Whore is burnt before the beast the false prophet and his Army now slain and their flesh eaten by the fowls of heaven and now the blood comes forth to the horse bridles And now the Angel descends having the key of the bottomless pit from whence the old Dragon the Serpent the red Dragon the Devil came there is his beginning there was he brought forth and there he grew up he that reads let him understand out of the bottomless pit for the Nations were never deceived till he appeared and he appeared as I have said before after the heaven and the earth was made and all things therein I say after he was not before he deceived Eve in the garden now he is grown old and so is truely called the old Dragon grown into a body of deceit well now must he be taken and bound and cast into the bottomless pit from whence he came that he deceive the Nations no more Rev. 20. 1 2. and all this War is in the bringing out of the Apostacy and in order to the Lamb and the Saints everlasting Reign in heaven and over the earth for ever This I have seen and my heart rejoyceth and my mouth shall praise the Lord the woman I say is appearing and she is cloathed with beautiful garments and the holy child the man-child hath appeared and is manifest again among the Saints and in then and the Lamb which hath been slain since the world began is alive behold he lives for evermore and now many are his followers and an innumerable company shall ride on after him who is King of Kings and now is God fulfilling that which Iohn saw in the Lords day which should come to pass the work is begun he hath appeared out of whose mouth proceeds the two edged sword which shall hew downe all the Dragons army the beast and his followers and though the cry be yet among many who shall make war with the beast and who shall speak against his prophets yet a little while and fear shall come their vaunts and boasts shall be turned into doubting and dreadfull fear on every side for Jacob shall be as a flame and Esau and all his race shall be as Stubble he that reads let him understand the wisdome of God in a mystery and the worke of the Lord which shall shortly come to to passe The manifestation of Gods glory shall be as great after the Apostacy as ever it was in any age before the rise of antichrist and the ministrations into which them that follow the Lamb shall be brought shall be as spiritual holy Celestial and divine as ever was before For the end of all our outward visible appearances shall come which the whore hath decked her selfe with and life it shall be known in the body and
God injoyed and worshiped glorified and honoured in that which shall never alter but abides for ever and this shall be is the last ministration that ever shall appear among the Sons of men We who are come out of the Apostacy knowes what was before sees what shal be after the everlasting Gosple of the Son of God shall be preached again to them that dwell on the Earth the same that was preached to Abraham before either old or new Testament was written the latter all sects since the apostacy call the gospel and so greatly manifest their ignoance for that were to make two Gospels to call the scriptures the Gospel or that which is written and they who so erre in their judgements are yet among the smoke of the pit are yet under antichrists reigne are ignorant of him who is the saving health of the Nations And the living infalible true lasting and everlasting spirit of the Father shall be poured out again and many now witnesse it and a numberlesse number shall witnesse it and the time hastens And the Lamb shall stand upon mount Sion and many who are redeemed from the earth and from among men which shall be the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb and they shall sit with him and shall reigne with him and have power over sin temptation and the Devil Hell and the Lake and this is to come to passe and is coming to passe and hastens greatly and the voice out of heaven shall be heard as the voice of many waters and the voice of harpers harping with their harps and the new song shall be sung the pure song of the Lamb shal be sung by all who are redeemed from the earth in every Nation kindred Tongue and people who have heard believed and received the joyful sound of the everlasting Gospel again and now they shall fear God and glorifie him and honour him even they who have feared the Beast and glorified him in the Apostacy they shall deny his power and own the Lambs power and worship him that sits upon the throne of righteousnesse who lives for ever and ever and is eternal Life it selfe the worship shall be now in spirit and truth where the Dragon cannot come neither the beast Harlot false prophet nor antichrist nor none of his followers can come and here in the ministration shal be more glorious after the Apostacy then it was before the worship stood before in many outward visible things and representations and outward performances and ordinances I manifestly say the dragon beast whore and false prophets and Apostates took up these things and Nations and kindreds and Tongues and people who drunk of the whores cup all that were gone from their maker their husband they have been and are acting and performing imitating like Jannes and Jambres but since the daies of the Apostles they corrupted these things and hath made Idols of them and painted themselves with them and have got the sheeps cloathing therefore now will the Lord appear and manifest his power life and glory in away more invisible and pure than before and more divine celestial and glorious where never an hypocrite shal tread in the path so the restoration is a mystery that shall be after the Apostacy the glory is not to appear in externall things for there the mother of harlots hath hid her selfe long which hath made all Nations drunk but the cloathing of the Lambs wife and of the bride shall be another thing then the attire of the harlot for the spouse of the Lamb shall be arrayed in the same attire that the Lamb is cloathed withall and with the same vestment and the Tabernacle of God is to be with men and he shall dwell in them even the Lord that spirit and shall walke in them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be with them and in them and sorrow shall be done away and teares wiped away and that done away which was the cause of sorrow Rev. 21. 3. and 4. and there shall be no more death nor crying nor any more pain for the former things are passed away to wit death which entred in by sin it shall be destroyed and the earth out of which the second beast arose and the sea out of which the first beast did arise upon which the whore sate and Hell and the lake which was prepared and raised up when man was degenerated from the Lord they shall be destroyed and he also which hath the power of death which is the Devil he shall be destroyed and his works the cause of scorne and then they shall see the Lord face to face even them that have but seen him darkly as in a glasse or as in a cloud they shall see his pure living countenance which giveth life and death and Hell shall be cast into the Lake of fire and whosoever is not found written in the Lambs book of life must be cast into the fire Then the new heaven and earth shall be seen and the heavenly City which shall come down from God out of heaven which no mortal eye shall behold neither shal be able to behold which hath twelve foundations and twelve gates and the glory of God shall be upon her and her light shall be as a stone most precious and as clear as cristall yea all things visible are too short and not to be compared to it for in it their need neither Sun nor Moon to shine in it for the glory of the Lord shall lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof and all who shall be partakers of this glorious Ministration shall walk in the light of the Lamb there shall be no night nor the least appearance of a cloud or darkness but transparent brightness and glory which shall be permanent durable and everlasting for the Lord God and the Lamb is the Temple of the City in which the Saints shall worship him that sits upon the throne for evermore and shall give unto him glory and honour and dominion and eternal praise for evermore who alone is worthy who lives for ever in eternal glory and everlasting light and brightness for cvermore And his face shall be seen in whom all figures representations shadows ends in and the pure river of water of life which is as clear as Christal which proceeds out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb and all who have kept the word of his patience shall drink thereof and be nourished up in immortality and life everlasting for ever And the tree of life that stands in the Paradice of God them that have overcome shall eat thereof and live for ever and the Nations Kindreds Tongues people and Regions who have heard believed and received the everlasting Gospel shall know his saving health and the Throne of God and the Lamb shall be seen and his servants shall serve him who is their Lord and King who lives for ever and they shall see
to strive with them having so long rebelled against and gain-sayd the pure drawings of it that so the Lord is grieved and wearied with their impenitency that he gives them up to their vile affections and to follow the imaginations of their own hearts who receiveth not the truth in the love of it but in the enmyty still remaines obstinate doing despite unto the spirit of grace his long-suffering comes to an end his fierce wrath comes to be kindled against such and that which would have led them out of the world in true pure and everlasting peace now becomes their tormentor and they banished from his presence and shut up in eternal misery where the fire is kindled by the breath of the the Lord that burns for ever the sentence of condemnation being past upon them because they had pleasure in unrighteousnesse and have sold themselves to do wickedly and crucifying the appearance of God in themselves which appearance though it live in the fountain of Life yet crucified by thee who art out of the Life yet lives still for ever in it self to be thy condemnation eternally How the spirit of the Father worketh in them who are turned to it and have taken heed unto its manifestation and are in some measure partakers of its power THere are differences of administrations But the same Lord and there are diversity of gifts but the same spirit and there are diversities of operations but the same God which worketh all in all Now the spirit of truth which is Life in it selfe putteth forth its own pure act not onely to convince and detect him that transgresseth its appearance and to manifest evil which hath been committed by man but also being turned unto and waited in it shews man when motions and temptations unto sin ariseth and as the creature is still and waiteth in that which manifesteth and singly keeps in his mind to it It sheds abroad its power and vanquisheth and subdueth those lusts which do arise and condemns the ground from whence they do arise and it purely draweth the mind after it and secretly worketh breatheth forth its pure life in him that waiteth in patience and in stilnesse not heeding the vayn thoughts and imaginations that riseth in his heart but rather heeds the manifestation of the spirit at whose bright appearance all the vain desires comes to be extinguished there comes to be a hunger begot within to be made partakers of its purity and of its nature For God through the operation of the eternal Spirit lets forth his power which turneth and changeth the heart and cuts a sunder and divides betwixt a man and those lovers that he hath joyned unto and makes a separation within and carries a man further from those things which the measure of the spirit reproves and this leads nearer to God And so they that do believe in the measure of Gods spirit comes to feel what repentance from dead works is and the works and the worker is seen and who it is that hath wrought is manifest in the Light and as there is a diligent waiting upon it there is nothing that passeth through the mind but it discerns and gives a discerning to every particular heart who singly and quietly waytes upon it But yet after the spirit of truth in some measure be felt and its living testymony in some thing yet it may be a long time before there be a clear distingushment in the understanding so that one cannot clearly discerne its moving from all other false motions and high Imaginations which are above And hence it is that the hasty and froward mindes followes their own motions which leads them into deceit and then the Questioner gets up and then they question all that ever the spirit hath made manifest unto them before a vail then is drawn over and the enemy lodges in the vail and in the darknesse which is entred then as soon as any hearkens within to that which is the uppermost and doth abound the enemy that lodgeth in that presents motions as to obey this and that and all is deceit So therefore all is to keep back that they may sensibly feel between the pure motions and the drawing of the spirit and the vaine thoughts that arise out of the earthly heart and when any thing doth arise which the Light doth not bear witnesse to it 's not to be followed nor heeded but a quiet still waiting that things may be cleared to the understanding and for want of this many have run out and have brought forth Satans work and acted things forwardly in their wils and so have clean lost the true sense of that which would guide their minds and have followed the spirit of error and have caused the pure spirit of the Lord to be evil spoken of But as there is a keeping back and a quiet waiting out of willing or running and haste it arises purely and stilly in the heart and shineth forth in brightnesse in the heart so that it giveth perfect evidence and full Testimony of it selfe that there will be no doubting nor questioning of its motion for it will apparently shew forth it selfe in its own transparent brightnesse with full assurance of its own will and then after it be clearly seen and its motion then keep under all reasoning and keep out all questioning and give not way to temptation and that which moves of the Lord of life will carry thee through in its own operation and power to accomplish the will of God and so thou wilt have peace being obedient and thy strength will be renewed for as any are brought to submit unto the will of God when it is known and comes to obey by vertue of its own power that which is contrary unto Gods spirit in thee comes to loose its strength and to decay and be weakned but as any disobeyes the pure motions of Gods holy Spirit after it be known the enemy is strengthened and that which is of the flesh nourished and the spirit comes to be quenched that which would give thee power if thou submitedst unto it But yet know this the spirit in it self never loses its purity neither can be quenched in its selfe but will bear its pure witnesse against thee and none shall be able to stop its reproof Thus the diversity of its operation comes to be known as it s hearkned unto obeyed loved and believed in it puts forth its pure power and gives strength and seals peace to the obedient but disobeyed and resisted it condemns judges reproves and seales condemnation to the disobedient and yet there is no variation in it selfe for it is alwayes one and the same But as it operateth upon different natures or objects unto which it joyns to or stands at adistance from that is to say the good ground it causeth to bring forth fruit unto God and the cursed ground out of which bryers Thornes do arise it kindles a fire in that shall not