carnal mind or to imitate things which others who had the Spirit did in the Spirit by the command of the Spirit for thee to imitate and practice this without the Spirit is idolatry An invented Church an invented Ministry an invented worship an imitated Church an imitated Ministry an imitated worship without the life without the Spirit all these are the work of mens hands and are idols and all that is performed herein is idolatry Rev 9 20. This is a Religion without life a worship without life a fabrick for idolatry and the whole course of worship and service in it is idolatry For the living God the Lord God of endless life and power is alone worshipped by his Spirit and in the truth of that life which he begets in the heart and all other worship though never so seemingly spiritual is idolatrous Ah professors professors if ye knew how many idol-prayers and services ye have loaded the Lord with and how ye have been whoring from him while ye have seemed to be drawing nigh to him ye would hang down your heads and mouâ—n For what ever ye have done in the worship of God without the leading and presence of his Spirit it hath been idolatry For the worship of God under the Gospel is in the Spirit and in the truth and required of them who are in the Spirit and in the truth and not of others John 4. 23. for them alone the Lord seeketh to worship and the Lord will admit of none to his worship but such as he seeks And if any else will thrust themselves into his worship it is not accepted nor do they worship the true God but they worship they know not what and their whole state and course here is a state and course of idolatry 4. Sorceryes witcherafts divinations and inchantments I do not mean outward sorceryes or witchcrafts they are but the shadow or figure of the inward mistery of deceit of this black dark spirit which appears as an Angel of light that he migh bewitch and deceive Neither repented they of their sorcer yes Rev 9 21. This false Church this adulterous woman she hath her golden cup and her wine mingled and with this cup she bewitches the eye with this wine she inflames the heart and intoxicates the brain She invents wayes and worships like to the true or she imitates the true wayes and appearances of life and when the poor simple young man is singly seeking after God from some true touches of his life before he comes to know the Spirit of life before he can come to be marryed to the Lamb she comes with her golden cup and with her tempting wine and bewitches the poor heart therewith and so leads it aside into her painted bed Wouldst thou enjoy God saith she wouldst thou worship him aright wouldst thou have fellowship with him Lo here 's the way here 's the Church here are the Ordinances here 's the Ministry here are the means Thou must wait upon God in the use of the means and these are them Did not the Saints formerly do thus did not they meet with God here did not they serve and worship God thus Come thou hither also do what they did enjoy what they enjoyed Yea but thou whorish woman did ever God appoint means wiâ—hout his Spirit Thou leavest the main yea indeed the only thing behind thee which it selfe alone is accepted and without which nothing is accepted And this is the course of the whore in all her transformings in all her baits in all her temptings she stil leaves the Spirit behind her She may perhaps speak of the Spirit to hide her self the more because the letter of the Scripture is so expresse therein and teach people to look and wait for the Spirit but so as is never to be obtained For he that begins in Religion either to pray or worship or seek the knowledge of God without the Spirit shall never meet with the Spirit so but that way of knowledge religion and worship of his must first be broken down and he become a fool and recieve the Spirit as a fool out of all his religious knowledge and wisdom which he had gathered before and afterwards following the Spirit which is thus received he shall be led into the true wisdom Now mark that which follows ye that have a desire to understand This spirit of deceit this whorish spirit this spirit of divination and witchcraft which by her sorceryes deceived all Nations Rev 18. 23. came forth curiously decked at first with all manner of deceiveableness of unrighteousness It had the exact form of life the true form of Godliness and a lively spirit in it it had the form of knowledge and the form of worship and with these it came to tempt and draw away them from the life and from the power who were in the life and in the power and it did prevail upon such as kept not close to the anointing But after it had overcome and gained the Churches territories then it might safely corrupt the form and so it did and went into multitudes of inventions and fopperies as at this day may be seen amongst the Papists Now these are easily discovered and seen through by any simple plain honest eye upon a little breaking forth of the light Therefore the whorish spirit when she perceives her self found out here she changes her shape and attire and comes back back again by degrees as need requires to the forms of knowledge and worship wherewith she was arrayed when she deceived at first yet stil she is the same and doth this to keep poor simple hearts still in her bands from the life and from the Spirit And thus painted thus decked thus holding forth Scripture-knowledge and Scripture-wayes of worship she is the more subtil witch the more subtil sorceresse and is able to deceive any eye but that which is opened in the light With her Lo here Christ lo there Christ she would deceive the very elect if it were possible but it is not possible for they are taught by the Spirit not to go forth and the anointing within preserves them And he that knoweth not this preservation is bewitched by her and his fear of God is such as may be taught by the precepts of men and practised without the knowledge of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus which is the Saints rule guide and preservation For as the Apostles were able Ministers not of the letter but of the spirit of the New Testament 3 Cor 3. 6. So they that received their Ministry or that which they ministred received not the letter only but the Spirit and were preserved not by the letter but by the Spirit and were made able to try words things and Spirits not by the letter but by the Spirit But this the whorish spirit is departed from and bewitcheth others from first possessing them that the Spirit is not to be looked for and then perswading them to make
unclean that the pure life may receive you into unity with it selfe but the spirit that is unpurged from its Babylonish worships and practises the Lord will not suffer to come neer him Therefore search what is Babylon and of Babylon in all your wayes and worships and wait on the Spirit of the Lord to be redeemed out of it and separated from it or ye must remain separated from the Lord and not partake of his life and vertue from which that City with all her inhabitants is shut out for ever The Lord hath had a sore controversie with this Nation with her Rulers her teachers and people for his seeds sake which he hath been begetting to himself and calling forth to worship him according to the pure Law of his spirit of life out of the wayes worships and Heathenish customs of the earthly spirit Israel is his first born whom he will not have any longer kept in bondage They are his own of his own begetting and forming of his own nourishing and bringing up the plants of his own right hand whom he watereth with the dews of Heaven and with the showrs of his everlasting mercy and loving kindness whom he hath gathered by the arm of his power and whom he leadeth and defendeth by his cloud and pillar of fire over whom he is tender as of the apple of his eye They are his anointed ones whom he will not have touched but rebuketh Kings and Parliaments Armyes and Councils for their sakes saying Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm Have ye not seen how no strength nor Council hath been able to prevail against them They have had no fence but the arm which hath gathered them What plottings and contrivings hath there been against them How are they as sheep appointed for the slaughter destinated to be devoured crushed and trodden under foot what divinations and inchantments have been used against them even to blot out their name and remembrance from the earth But why do ye strive and contend thus with the God of Jacob can ye prosper He that made the earth will not ye let him have room therein for his people Must they be subject to your wils Must they bow to your image shall not the God of the spirits of all flesh have the command of the spirits of his own people can ye stop the Spirit of God from breathing upon them or will ye fal foul upon them if they be obedient to the breathings and movings of his Spirit May it not suffice that they are innocent and harmless among you in their conversations and practises but will ye still Lord it over their consciences will ye put the Lord to it to the very last to try it out with you whether he can defend his people and make way for their liberty Wel If peace be taken from you if your rulers laws and governments be broken in peices if his hand be stretched forth against you if he curse your very blessings whom can ye blame Why do you provoke him against your own souls are ye stronger then he If ye be stronger and wiser ye may prevail but if he be stronger and will put forth his arm his people shall be saved and find a shelter in him in the midst of all that wrath which is powring down upon you Your peace hath been lengthned out for their sakes If it had not been for their sakes for the remnant which the Lord hath had to gather ye had ere this been as Sodom and like unto Gomorrah The Land is ful of filthinesse which the Lords soul loaths and instead of drawing forth the sword against it ye draw it forth against his witnesses There is liberty enough for sin and vanity for excess and riotousnesse for images and idols but to worship God in Spirit to obey his pure movings this kindles your rage and these are the people who are a burthen to you Ah how fain would ye ease you of this people Sion is indeed a burthensome stone and will fall heavy on all that meddle with her But the Lord will ease himselfe of the adversaries of his life and Spirit and he will bring forth his righteousness which he hath prepared and set it up in the earth and none shall be able to stop him Therefore gather your selves together in battel associate your selves that ye may be broken in peices take council together it shall come to nought speak the word it shall not stand but the Lords council shall stand and he will fulfil all his pleasure and will delight himselfe in his people and raise them up by the fall of their enemies and then ye shall see against whom ye have plotted and contended and what ye have helped to bring about by all your secret plots and designs If the Lord had not been on our side now may Israel say if the Lord had not been on our side what had become of his poor people Ah poor worm Jacob how often would the foot of pride have trampled thee down again and again had not the everlasting arm been stretched out for thee But fear not worm Jacob nor be not sollicitous for thy preservation but trust that arm which delighteth to preserve thee Ah foolish people and unwise who strive against your own mercy who see not upon what hinge all your mercies hang but make it your work to break down the Wall that defends you Jerusalem is the City of the great King which is coming down from heaven and Israel is his people and both must have a place in the earth the Lord hath determined it and who can withstand it what prejudice can Jerusalem or the inhabitants thereof bring unto you They are enemies indeed to this earthly state of things and would have all brought in subjection to the life and power of their King and all that stands in opposition to God brought down and made pliable to his spirit and this the unyoked earthly spirit cannot bear But this is the interest of your souls and the way to unity with that life which is their happiness peace and rest for ever for if ye could pass through the fire and bear the burning up of your dross ye also might become vessels for the Finer and might dwell with them in their everlasting habitation The Saints formerly had an entrance ministred to them into the everlasting Kingdom and came to mount Sion which cannot be removed and to Jerusalem the City of the living God Heb. 12. 22. where the blood of sprinkling the peace that passeth understanding the everlasting righteousness and the joy unspeakable and full of glory was witnessed in the renewed spirit which receiveth the Kingdom which cannot be shaken and entreth into the everlasting rest And this is again revealed and the 〈…〉 nesses shall ascend into heaven in the sight of their enemies even into the new heaven and the new earth where righteousness dwells and the old heaven and old earth withal its inhabitants shall be burnt up and then shall it be seen that righteousness becomes and belongs to the house of God for ever And his City shall be a quiet habitation free from all the noise and hurry of Babylon where the pure river of life runs clear free from all the mud and mixtures of Babylon and the Lord God of infinite fulness will not disdain communion with his creatures but will tabernacle among them dwell with them sup with them walk in them and take them into his holy habitation and they shall dwell with him sup with him and walk in him But who shall abide in his tabetnacle who shall dwell in his holy hill He that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart c. he who contemns the vile person how great and high soever but honoreth them that fear the Lord be they otherwise what they will This man shall dwell on high above the reach of all low creeping dark spirits even in that holy habitation of life and power which nothing can touch or annoy I shall now conclude with a few words concerning the present estate of this poor distracted Nation This Nation hath long lain wounded and sick She hath had many Physicians on whom she hath spent much who have promised her fair but have not effected her cure Of late her wound hath been much enlarged yea she is become sick at her very heart and in great danger Many are spending their judgement upon her some thinking a King would help all some a Parliament and some hoping for good from the Army but every eye sees her case to be very desperate Ah England England Thou strivest with thy Maker and he overturns thy strength and councils The life and wisdom which thou despisest is that which alone can heal thee Thou strivest to keep off the strokes from the enemies of God and smitest his dear ones how can he spare thee Hand stils joyn in hand to keep the Lords stroke from reaching Babylon which he hath directed at her heart and will not miss her but will peirce through every thing that stands in his way Though the cry hath long been Hurt not the tender conscience it is that on which God works and wherein he chuseth to appear and with which he is pleased and pitties Many promises have been touching liberty of conscience yet still the meek of the earth the innocent lambs of Christ those that are faithful to the light of God in their consciences are persecuted and suffer What canst thou plead O England why the Lord should not break thee all in peices and save his people himself by and in the midst of thy ruins The Lord will have the victory over thee in this particular about which he hath so long striven with thee It would be better and easier for thee to yield unto then be forced by his hand Therefore at length hear his voice which hath so often and so loud cryed unto thee Let my people go that they may serve me The End
Babylon the Great DESCRIBED The City of Confusion In every part whereof Antichrist Reigns Which knoweth not the order and unity of the spirit but striveth to set up an order and uniformity according to the wisdom of the flesh in all her Territories aâ—d Dominions Her SINS Her JVDGEMENTS With some plain Queries further to discover her And some considerations to help out of her Suburbs that her inward building may lye the more open to the breath and spirit of the Lord from which it is to receiv its consumption and overthrow Also An Exhortation to the Powers of the Earth By Isaac Penington the younger That which is far of and exceeding deep who can find out I and mine heart compassed to know and to search and to seck out wisdom and the reason and to know the wickedness of folly even of foolishnes and madness And I find more bitter then death the woman whose heart is snares and nets her hands bands He that is good before God shall escape from her but the sinner shall be taken by her Eccles. 7. 24 25 26. He that is born of the pure immortal seed and lives in the annointing escapes the golden cup of fornication and all the painted beds of fornication and is not defiled with women Rev. 14. 4. but remains chast to the Bridegroom London Printed for Lodowick Lloyd and are to sold at his Shop in Coâ—nhi 〈…〉 next door to the Castle 1659. LO this is the City which is built up of and filled with images and likenesses of the ways and truths of God without the life and power On her outside ther 's the likeness of a Church the likeness of a Ministry the likeness of the Ordinances Duties and ways of holiness On her inside ther 's the likeness of the good knowledge the likeness of repentance and conversion the likeness of faith the likeness of zeal for God the likeness of love to God and his Saints the likeness of the Lambs meekness and innocency the likeness of justification the likeness of sanctification the likeness of mortification the likeness of hope peace joy rest and satisfaction c. but the substance the truth the vertue of all these is wanting to her and she her self is found persecuting that very thing where it is found in truth the image whereof she cries up This This is the woman that hath bewitched the whole earth for these many generations and is still changing her dresses and paints that she might still bewitch people and sit as a Queen reigning over their consciences But blessed be the light which is arisen to discover and the power which is able to overthrow this stately this lofty this mighty City and all that take part with it The Lord God Omnipotent reigneth in Sion and Antichrist with his City Babylon falleth Sing praises sing praises O inhabitant of Sion to him who subjecteth Babylon with all her glory under thy feet For he bringeth down them that dwell on high the lofty City he layeth it low he layeth it low even to the ground he bringeth it even to the dust The foot shall tread it down the feet of the poor the steps of the needy Isa. 26. 5 6. The Preface THere hath been in me a zeal for God from my childhood and a most earnest search into the Scriptures which my soul deeply relished and my heart honoured and loved and still doth for the revelation of the mind and will of God Two things did I earnestly search and beg for The one was for the discovery of the outward way of worship The other for the inward life vertue and power which I looked upon the outward as the proper means to lead me to At the beginning of the troubles in these Nations there was a lively stirring in me and an hope that God was bringing forth somewhat I likewise felt the same stirring in many others at which my heart was rejoyced and with which my soul was refreshed but I found it soon begin to flag and wither which forced me to retire and to separate from that where I found the life and power dying and decaying In my separation the Lord was with me my soul remembreth it right wel and he had regard to the simplicity honesty and integrity of my heart which he himself had kindled in me And though I felt too soon into a way of Church-fellowship and Ordinances yet he had regard to me and pittyed me and refreshed my life even there But at length the form overgrew vs and the sweet and precious life in us began to dye Then the Lord found out another way to refresh us namely by a sensible relating of our conditions and of his dealings with us and workings in us which was very sweet and precious at first but the enemy crept in there also Out of this state I never made any change but here the hand of the Lord fel upon me striking at my very root breaking all my life in sunder and trampling my crown in the dust Then I became a man of sorrows being stripped of all my life faith hope joy comfort in one day not knowing which way to looke nor what to desire Sometimes there were breathings stiring in me but they were presently judged Sometimes a little glance of refreshment from a Scripture presented to me but suddenly taken away and my death and darknesse increased thereby Then should I wish O that I might appear before his throne for surely my conscience is clear in his sight and I have not wickedly departed from my God but was broken in pieces by his hand even while my soul was earnestly seeking after him O how my soul did mourn to see how I was fit to be made a prey to every ravening spirit and many did seek to devour me but the hand of the Lord was with me preserving me though I knew it not And though I was wholly broken and desolate of all that I had called or could call knowledg insomuch as that I could not call any thing either good or evil yet the Lord by a secret instinct preserved me exceedingly out of that which was evil and kept my heart secretly panting after the fountain wel-spring of good Yea when I was at length through deep despair of ever meeting with God any more in this life captivated by the world and betrayed by the love of it which at last rose up in me and gained upon me by perswading me that my present estate and condition did require the free use of it and the enjoyment of all it could afford yet the Lord followed me and often was I visited with secret loathings of the world and turnings from it and pantings after the spring of my life but these were dreaded by me and suddenly quenched by the evil part for fear of that misery and unutterable anguish which I had felt hereby the remembrance whereof was fresh in me In this my courting of the world and estrangement from the life the
accepted and his not who disdains and derides the true seed of of life the living heir who hunts abroad for food pleasing to that nature which is to be famished who crucifies the Lord of glory because of his meaness and because he appears not in that way of devotion and holinesse wherein they expect him Neither will he appear so but to overturn all that which ye have set up and to set up that which ye disdain This is the Lords work and it is marvellous in our eyes Now there are several sins which the Spirit of the Lord hath charged Babylon with and which he will reckon with her for and with all that partake with her therein some whereof I may mention As 1. Her deep fornications from the life under a pretence of honouring and worshipping of it Be not offended that I begin with it again seeing it is also mentioned among other particular sins of hers Rev 9. 21. She speaks fair words she calls to have the worship of God set up and a Godly Ministry and the Ordinances of God in a Nation but the thing is not so in the sight of God but in all this she seeks the advancement of her owne whoredoms And this was and is the very way of Antichrists rising he gets into the form he cryes up the form and by the form which he cries up he eats out the power If Antichrist speak directly against the power without first creeping into and setting up a form and crying up that he would soon be detected but under a form and profession of truth he hides himselfe and covers his spirit of enmity and persecution therewith and here he can secretly and safely smite the innocent and fight against that very spirit life and power which he himselfe in his form makes a profession of being subject to And this is the Wolfe in the Sheeps cloathing which by this fair appearance of the sheeps wool on his back covers his ravenous nature from the eyes of the beholders Now there are three wayes of fornication one of which this spirit is allwayes guilty of sometimes of them all 1. By inventing things which the Lord never commanded or adding to that which the Lord did command The mind of man is very busie and ful of inventions and where the heart is touched with devotion and zeal towards God the inventing part exceedingly exerciseth it selfe this way either in imagining and forming somewhat which it thinks may be acceptable to God or in adding to those things which it finds commanded In this way of fornication the popish Church abounds being filled with ceremonies of their own inventing and of additions to such things as are found mentioned in the Scriptures The common Protestants also have been too guilty here 2. By imitating of those things which were commanded to others When a man finds in Scripture the things which some others did or which they were commanded to do and so he is venturing upon them before he feels the leading of that spirit whereby they were led thereunto Now in this he errs from the life he goes without his guid he doth that which was a good thing in others who were led by the Spirit thereto but in him it is fornication This man is a theif and an intruder he steals into the outward knowledge and practise without the inward life and power he intrudes into that into which others were fairly led coming in by the doore for which entrance he also should have waited and not have run on headily of himself This way of fornication the strictest among the Protestants have generally been ensnared in who have run on further and further to search out the purest way of worship the neerest pattern to the primitive times and so have applyed themselves diligently thereto not knowing what they were to wait for to be their guid and give them the enterance And here now thinking themselves to be in the right they have contracted a lofty spirit and held forth their conceptions of the way as the only way and so have lost the meekness and simplicity which was fresh and lively in some of them before which sets them a great way back and makes the enterance into the kingdom very hard to them Whereas if that simplicity and tenderness were fresh in them the Lord would shew great regard to that easily pardoning this their errour and in mercy to them visiting that evil spirit with his judgements which stood nigh them and was the cause of their error But they are grown high they are grown wise they are become confident they know the way already and can maintain it by undenyable arguments as they think to be the way so the Lord with his teachings is at a great distance from them that lying very low in them which the Lord alone will teach 3. By continuing in practices to which they were once led by the Spirit without the immediate presence and life of the Spirit For the whole worship the whole Religion of the Gospel consists in following the Spirit in having the Spirit do all in us and for us Therefore whatsoever a man doth of himself it is out of the life it is in the fornication If a man pray at any time without the Spirit that prayer is fornication and is not either acceptable to God or profitable to himself but grieves the Spirit hurts the life and wounds the soul Now this way of fornication have they especially fallen into who have been acquainted with true leadings and openings of the Spirit and have afterwards run to them for refreshment and so by degrees forgot the Spirit that opened And by this means was that life which was precious and very favoury in the Ranters before they were seduced by the Spirit of deceit into that way of ranting overturned And thus they also who deeply saw into the mistery of whoredoms and into the more inward wayes of fornication above others even they also were deceived with the whores cup and drank afresh of that wine of fornication which the whore very cunningly had new mingled for them and they also are become a reproach to the Inhabitants of Sion who find a living habitation in that Spirit of life which they turned from Now if there be a true eye opened in any in the reading of this how easily and manifestly will he see whoredome whoredome fornication adultery generally in mens Religions practices in their Churches in their Ministeries in their Ordinances in their prayers in their whole course O how think ye doth the eye of the Jealous God behold these things but your eyes who are held captive here cannot see it The God of this world with his mists hath darkned you the great whore with her sorceries hath inchanted you and ye are her slaves ye are drunk with her cup and how can ye judge soberly eiâ—her of your own estate towards God or concerning your practices in Religion 2. Her notorious blasphemies Having fornicated from the
Religion and one of which they serve therein He that is led by the Spirit of God he serves God he worships God He that is led by the spirit of Satan he serves not God but that spirit which appeares in the Temple of God like God and gives such demonstrations that he is God as no flesh can deny 2 Thess 2. 4. Here now is the great deceivableness of unrighteousness In prophanesse in manifest wickednesse Satan is easily seen and men that are found here it is granted that they are serving the Devil but that he should sit as King in gathered Churches in dutyes in ordinances in wayes of self-denyal and mortification and be worshipped here this is hard to be seene yet any of these which the Spirit of the Lord leads not into or which are performed at any time without his Spirit he is worshiped in Consider this ye that are wise in Religion and are dilligently reading the Scriptures and gathering knowledge and rules of worship and applying promises c. Do ye this in the life and Spirit of God or in your own wisdom and according to your owne understanding Doth not the wisdom of that spirit which is out of the truth guid you in your searchings after truth O do not serve that spirit which the Lord hates but come backe to that from which in all this ye erre and which in all this ye cannot serve and worship And let not your Religion any longer consist in meer practising what the Saints formerly practised for that ye may do without the same spirit but in yeelding up to that life power and pure spirit that they were led by And when ye are joyned to this then do not prescribe the Lamb the way that he shall go but follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Do not tell the Shepheard by your gathered wisdom the way that he must lead you in but know the voice and follow For this I can truly testifie that if once ye come in faithfulnesse and true light to follow the Lamb he will lead you in paths ye have not known and out of the paths ye have known 7. Compelling of others to worship Rev 13. 15 16. The false woman and the beast set up a worship in the will and they do not know why any in the will also may not subject and submit to it They can give them reasons they can give them arguments from Scripture and if they will not yeeld to these they are to be looked upon as stubborn and refractory and to be compelled by outward force This hath been the course generally throughout the Land of Babylon But these shew hereby that they themselves are erred from the truth and therefore very unfit and unlikely to teach it others For that which God works upon is the conscience which he convinceth by the light of his Spirit and no other light can truly convince it That therefore which would have a man yeeld to any practise or way of worship till he be truly convinced is of the Devil My son give me thy heart saith Christ the wisdom of God Come not to me with oblations and sactifices but give me thy heart My son give me thy knee give me thy obedience to the wayes I have set up give me thy conformity saith Antichrist saith the adulterated wisdom and if any refuse she endeavours to compel them Thus like Jeroboam the son of Nebat she makes that which she calls Israel to sin or like Nebuchadnezzar she sets up an Idol and causeth all her children to bow to it Thus the load of the iniquity of multitudes lies upon that scarlet whore who forces her cup of abominations and filthiness upon all she can Rev 17. 4. causing all both smal and great in all her Territories to receive her marke and worship her Image The work of the Minister of Christ is to keep the conscience tender that the voice of Christ may be heard and the Law of his Spirit of life which makes obedient to the God of life spring up there but this is the Image here is the way bow conform say the Ministers of Antichrist But we are not convinced in the sight of God that this is the way say poor souls It is your own fault ye may be convinif ye will say the Ministers of Antichrist we are ready to give you arguments and Scriptures to convince you how is it ye are not convinced Ye must be convinced otherwise the Magistrate must deale with you Thus they endeavour to harden the conscience that they may set upon it and ride it and terrifie it from it's subjection to it's only true and lawful King O the havock that hath been made of souls by this means the Lord is requiring it of this generation But let me ask this question to all the learned and wise in all the Regions of Babylon under what painted form or way of worship soever Can any worship God aright before they be truly convinced of his will and way can any be convinced without his light and Spirit were it good and acceptable in the sight of God for any persons to run into that way whereof thou sayest thou art convinced that it is the way before they themselves are convinced If it be not good or acceptable what is that that goes about to compel them Away with thy carnal weapons and if thou wilt draw to God draw by that which is spiritual but if thou wilt still be using outward force running to the laws of men and power of the Magistrate the Lord hath opened an eye which discovers thy nakednesse herein and is able to make it manifest in the sight of all people and thou shalt not long cover thy shame The Lotds people shall be a willing people to follow him in the day of his power but all the Lords people have been unwilling to follow thee in the day of thy power which is neer an end and the very fountain of thy deceit and tyranny over the conscience is opening and making manifest 8. Persecution of such as she cannot compell to her worship She sets up her form of knowledg she sets up her way of worship and those that will not be drawn to own the one and practise the other she sets her brand upon them for erroneous persons Schismaticks Hereticks they must not buy or sel Rev 13. 17. They must be banished or imprisoned or perhaps put to death for she is hardly satisfied til she hath drunk the blood of those who in any eminent degree are the witnesses of Christ against her Rev 17. 6. This was a thing wondered at by John with great admiration to see this woman this great City out of which all the venomous darts are shor against the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus under a pretence of zeal for the Church and ordinances of Christ For this is the engine whereby the Dragon makes war with the true womans seed which keep the commandements of God and have the testimony
flesh is grass and the glory thereof as the flower of the field Surely this people is grasse and their zeal and profession of God like the fading flower Some plain Queryes drawn out of the Book of the Revel for all sorts of Professors of this age to answer between God their own souls that they may see whether they have received that light from him which his Spirit judged necessary to give forth to keep people chast to him to preserve them from the several painted beds of Antichrists fornications and whoredoms from the life Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophesie and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand Rev 1. 3. The time of deceit was then at hand for Antichrist with his false Church and false Prophets to get up which were to last til the houre of judgement Rev 14. 7 8. Hast thou read hast thou heard hast thou kept the things written in this book then happy art thou But hast thou not read in the Spirit hast thou not heard the true sound of these things from the Spirit of life hast thou not kept the things written therein Then thou hast been deceived with the mistery of iniquity and must smart with the whore in the hour of her judgement The Queryes are these which follow I. What woman was that which was cloathed with the Sun and had the Moon under her feet c Rev 12. 1. Whether it was the true Church or no II. What that wilderness was whereinto she fled where she had a place prepared of God that they should feed her there 1260 dayes vers 6. III. How long those 1260 dayes did last and whether they he yet expired and whether the true Church is anywhere else to befound all the time of the 1260 days but in that place in the wilderness IV. What are all the Churches the Ministry the Ordinances that appear out of the wilderness all this while while the true Church is there V. What was that beast which came out of the Sea to which the Dragon gave his power his seat and great authority which all the world worshipped Rev 13. ver 1. to 5. VI What is that Sea and those ships wherein wherewith the Merchants of the earth traded with Babylon and were maderich by their traffique what were those Merchants what their Merchandize and what kind of riches was this Rev 18. ver 15. to 20. VII What was that name of God and that Tabernacle and those inhabitants of heaven which was blasphemed by the beast that arose out of the Sea all the time of the 42 Moneths Rev 13. vers 5 6. VIII What is the Lambs book of life and where is it and how are the names of any so written in it as to preserve them from the worship of the beast Rev 13. 8. IX What is that beast that came up out of the earth with the horns of a Lamb as if it came up in the Lambs power which doth great wonders and iustifieth his sacrifice by making fire come down from heaven in the sight of men who both causeth men to make an Image to the first beast and also putteth life into the Image which men make Rev 13. ver 11. c. So that here 's not a meer dead Image but there 's life in the beasts knowledge ordinances and worship yet with God all this is dead for it is not the true life X. What is the beasts mark his name his number Rev 13. 17. For if I do not infallibly know this I may have receved his mark I may help to make up his name I may be of his number and be unknown to my selfe a worshipper of him and his Image and so be liable to partake of the torment of the fire and brimstone threatned to such Rev 14. 9 10. XI What is that song which none could learn but the 144 thousand which were not defiled with women but remained Virgins Rev 14. 3. XII What was that other woman which took and kept the place of the former woman after she had fled into the wildernesse and enlarged her territories in Nations Kindreds tonguus and peoples Rev 17. 4. ver 15. XIII What was the purple and scarlet colours and the gold and precious stones she was decked with ver 4. XIV What was the golden cup she had in her hand which was ful of abominations and filthinesse of her fornications in the midst of all her glorious appearance of zeal devotion humility and holinesse ver 4. XV What kind of drunkenness was it wherewith the Kings and inhabiters of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of this cup Rev 17. 2. XVI How may thâ—se who have hated the whore and made her desolate and naked and cat her flesh and burned her with sire yet after all this give their kingdom again to the beast Rev 17. v 16 17. How may this be done and how often may it be done These are plain simple Queryes not to intangle mens minds or set their brains on work for that way shall they never be able to resolve them but to awaken the simplicity in them which will readily let them see what the Lord hath revealed to them herein and in which they are to wait for the knowledge hereof that they may escape or come out of the snare And in the mean time not to boast as Israel of old did when the Prophets from the mouth of the Lord accused them that they had not polluted themselves they had not gone after Baalim Jer 2. 22 23 v 35. but wait O backsliding Christian and thou shalt see thy way in the valley And though thou hast ofâ—en traversed thy ground to change thy path gadding from one form to another from one notion to another yet all this hath been out of the life out of the pure power and stil in the whoredom Open the weak sick eye in the weak heart For how weak is thy heart while thou hast done all this and let the languishing simplicity be my witnesse for under all thy wisdom thy zeal thy knowledge thy worship that faints that fails that is not what it was in the beginning Though thou art grown much higher wiser and greater otherwise yet there thou hast lost and happy wilt thou be if all thy gains ever since may become losse to thee for the recovering of this Some considerations helping out of the Suburbs or out-skirts of Babylon that her inward building may be the better come at and lye the more open to the Axe and Hammer which is to batter it down and to cut it up for the fire FIrst Consider what it was the Church fled out of when she fled into the wildernesse Was it not out of that Church-state or building which the Spirit of God had raised up for her here in the world to which her ordinances and way of Church-worship belonged Was it not here that the Dragon
been drawn forth the trumpet hath sounded the battel is begun and blood hath been shed on both sides the blood of the creature on the one side the blood of the whorish spirit on the other side The whore with the power of the beast on which she rides and by whose strength and assistance she makes war with the Lamb is mighty and dreadful and it hath long been said Who is able to make war with the beast whose strength is hers But the Lord God who hath arisen out of his holy habitation to judge and hath begun to judge her is more mighty by whose arm strength she shal fal the beast shall not be able to carry her up and down any longer nay nor to uphold her in her seat of government over the consciences of men Be wise now therefore and consider the present state of things and if ye find not hearts to help the Lord against the mighty yet take heed of helping the mighty against the Lord The vessels wherein the life arises and appears are poor and very contemptible and ye may easily trample upon them but the life which riseth up in them is very precious and too strong for the powers either of earth or of hel The Lord did not appear formerly among you or of late begin to raise you up again that ye should become enemies to him or aiders of his enemies against him but that ye might let his seed go forth to worship him in the wildernesse for in this dark Land of Egypt they cannot Therefore break the yoaks and take off the burdens an 〈…〉 er there be no new snares laid but leave the conscience where the Lord chooseth to appear which he delights to draw out of the world to himselfe free to the Lord The Lord hath kindled and is kindling the fire with which he is burning and wil burn the flesh of the whore Come not neer to help her lest ye feel the flames Stand afarre off and see her burning and at most pity her but help her not We fight not against the flesh and blood of creatures but against that evil spirit which captivates and makes them miserable nor do we fight with carnal weapons but with such weapons as are able to reach that Spirit Now if ye interpose with your carnal weapons and smite the vessel which the Lord is pleased to make use of in this warfare his hand will be upon you yea if ye endeavour to bear off the stroak from the whore it will light upon your selves and the Lords hand and his stroaks in this day of his jealousie and vengeance is very heavy Do what ye can ye shall not be able to hinder the Lords victory who will overcome even by this very people whom the wise of all sorts despise all that ye can doe in taking part with the enemy is but to bring wounds and judgements upon your selves and to shorten the dayes of your government but the worke of the Lord will go on and prosper and this painted harlot which pretends to be the Spouse of Christ and has deckt her self so pleasingly with her stollen knowledge of Scriptures and layes claim to his Ministry and Ordinances shall be stripped naked and her shame seen and every child in the life shall be able to point at her and the song of triumph over the Dragon the beast the false Churches and all the false Prophets who are not made nor prophesie not by the anointing shall be sung in righteousnes even to the Lamb who dayly getteth and will get perfect victory for to him it is given over all his enemies A Postcript THe redemption of the soul is by the Spirit of the Lord which he that would enjoy from it must know its appearance and operation in himself and not quench or limit it but universally be subject to its guidance and leadings All mans inward misery arises from mans inward rebellion which is as the sin of witchcraft springing from the spirit of witchcraft his recovery and happiness is in the faith and in the obedience to the pure power movings and operations of the Spirit in him The Lord God who made all mankind who is the Lord of all he is redeeming a people to himselfe by his Spirit And this Spirit will not be limited by the powers of the earth but will break Nations in pieces and trample upon Princes as Mortar and as the potter treadeth clay til it hath made its way through them O open the eye the inward eye which can discern the seasons It is not now the time for Antichrist to prevail or for proud flesh to rise up in its heady will to stop the outgoings of its maker This season is past and the season of the prevailing of the life and power of the Son of righteousnesse is now come Therefore lift up your heads O ye weak and faint of the flock for iniquity and oppression must fall both within and without and the tender God of everlasting love will turn back the captivity of his people and of his creatures Be not therefore affrighted at the inward power of sin in the heart nor at the outward oppressing powers of the earth for the redeemers strength is above all and he is stretching forth his mighty arm to save in the true and living faith of the elect it is felt it is felt And O ye potsheards of the earth strive not with your maker limit him not for he wil assuredly break through you Think not to subject him to your Laws but learn his Law come under his yoake and be bound by him that ye may tast of his liberty Wash your lips and kisse the Son and be not angry at his various appearances so contrary to your wisdome but fear his dreadful name and his threshing instrument which hath teeth and seek an hiding place under the shadow of his wings against the sharp season of the breaking forth of his wrath and jealous indignation for the cause of Sion which hastneth apace He hath long let the Spirit of Babylon have its liberty and his hath been silent now is the time for his Spirit to speak and for Babylous to be silent Wil ye stil force him to silence and open Babylons mouth Will ye not suffer him to speak but according to the Laws and orders of Babylon Must that counterfeit Queen stil sit on the Throne among you and the true Princesse be made her servant O let it not be grievous to you to see the Spirit of the Lord arise and make Babylon appear Babylon Her wisdom her knowledge her unity her uniformity her order her comelinesse her beauty is but folly confusion disorder and deformity before the Lord happy is the eye that sees it and the foot that turns from her Therefore awake arise and stand up from the dead come out of the thick dark Land where the pure God of life is not to be found Come out of Babylon and touch not the