rest false and fained hope and faith and of his own ragged garment and let goe his selfe-righteousnesse and his dead works and come to Christ the life of men again that man hath run from that so he might have life and peace Ob. But some would say that thou wouldst have all upside down unchristian the Nations and unchurch Churches and throw down all our worship and then what should we doe all would be as heathens and turne into Athisme I say a time of fanning and â—ifting and trying is come when nothing shall stand but that hath the image stamp and character of the living God upon it and all that which hath been brought up and raised up since man hath been in the transgression must be turned down into the pit again and all that have got a name of Christian and wants his life to live among them and in them shall be scattered as clouds with the East wind and all imitated worships and will worshippers and the fained faith and the fained hope shall be confounded and all will worships and worshippers will be overturned who are not come yet to the true light that lightens every man that comes into the World and till man comes to the light and tries his deeds and works by it he never sees what he is doing nor what he is working nor what he works and so all that man doth here in the unbeliefe it is but sin or selfe-righteousnesse which is brought forth by him who abode not in the truth in the unbelief and so who be come to the power which was in the beginning before sin entred and death by sin hath and doth measure all deeds and all works man that is in the losse in the fall sees that a dead man cannot act a living work nor bring forth living fruits unto God nor living works of righteousnesse being in the unrighteousnesse neither the fruits of faith being in the unbeliefe neither the works of the day being in the night neither the works of charity being in the emnity in a word without Christ the power the light the life which was glorified with the Father before the world began I say he said it himself who is the beginning of the creation of God the first born of every creature he said and his testimony will be found true without me ye can do nothing nothing that is wel-pleasing to the Lord nothing that ever shall be acceptable and here is the true state of all the Earth discovered and all mankind drove out from God miserable naked hopelesse helplesse faithlesse and so can doe nothing as to the glorifying of God his maker or to the ordering of any thing in the creation to his glory having lost his dominion and Gods wisdome and this being considered seriously by all and brought to the light in all and their deeds tryed by it would make the lofty bow and the stout hearted fear and the conceited sit down in solitarinesse that they should so long deceive their own souls with a conceit of righteousnesse and redemption when as death yet reignes in them and over them and not life eternall So the Devil is a distinct being from God and his works are distinst and his deeds from the works of God and neither he nor his works shall ever be numbred among the works of God but he and they that obey him and follow him who is out of the truth they their works of what sort soever they may seem unto men to be whose eyes the devil hath blinded so I say all is to be condemned and shut out from Gods presence for ever and to be destroyed by him who is a consuming fire and all the righteousnesse of man burned as combustable stuff in unquenchable fire Pr. And by what hath been said the principle of that ranting crew who are become vaine in their imaginations and foolish their understandings being darkned are seen and their principle overthrown As that light and darknesse is one good evil one and sin and righteousnesse one and truth and a lye one and that God is all and doth all and what ever is done is of God and that there is no evil but to him that thinks it so and it is onely a false apprehention of things and that there is no such thing as sin that sin is nothing Unto all these things I might speak but the understanding Reader may by what is before written see each of these plainly declared and the true ground of things laid down as the spirit gave utterance and this shall at present suffice in this matter Ob. But some may object further and say will not reading the scriptures and conforming to the practise of the saints in the use of his ordinances will not this make us accepted and bring us out of the fall and make us good christians Answ. No while death hath dominion in man and over man and the vaile over the heart man doth not understand the mystery of Gods kingdome neither understands the scripture which was spoken from the spirit of truth or any thing of truth as it is in Christ for none understands the things of God but by the spirit of God so that every man that comes to have a good understanding must come to know the pure spirit of God in him to direct him informe him which spirit was the original of the scripture for the holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost and without the Holy Ghost in some measure be known â—nd that which is infallible the sayings the writings the scriptures cannot be understood because of the want of this all the Earth is run into heads sects opinions large treatises and volumes expositions have been written yet differing one from another and all from the spirit and in all these particular sects persecuting one another envying one another and hating one another and would compell others to believe what they believe in what they say if they had but power and for proof of this it is most evident in the scripture of truth and in latter ages since the Apostles it hath been and it is evidently seen both among the Papists and Protestants and among all them that are called the reformed Churches but all this is in the fall and in the transgression and in the Apostacy and is an evident token that they are all under the power of the beast who makes War against the Lamb so all compellation and they that do compell are not worshippers of the Lamb but of the beast which is to be destroyed and cast into the lake For the Jews under the first Covenant had the Scriptures the good and wholsome words of God and the Prophets and read the Law and the Prophets on the Sabbath dayes and yet the vail was over their hearts and and though they did perform many things commanded yet they being erred from the spirit did not understand
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
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
purity in him reproveth so he comes nearer and comes to join in some measure to the spirit of holines or the holy spirit and to receive it and to feel the power of God in some small measure though but weakly working in him to the purging out those things which the spirit lets him see is evil which hath been reproved in him and so in some measure feels in himself what to wait upon and where to wait and in what even in that which gives every one a feeling of their own condition within and opens their understandings How the spirit of truth worketh and operateth in them who are convinced and yet hath not obeyed it shewed THough God who is a spirit hath appeared by his manifestation unto all yet all have not received it he that hates the light hath not received it The eye-lids of the morning are unto him as the shadow of death that which manifesteth and bringeth to light all evil the evil doer likes it not heeds it not receives it not but still is without God in the world that lies in wickedness and without the spirit in death and dead in trespasses and sins a sepulchre in which the just lies slain in this state God is not remembred there is no remembrance in the grave nor no thanks in the pit yet night shines in darkness and a man unconverted yet convinced in that darkness and that which convinceth him is the light so light shines in darkness in man in the greatest darkness and this may convince all vain disputers who say every one is not inlightened neither that the spirit of God hath appeared to all good men have it bad men it s near them they that bring forth the fruits of darkness and bring forth the deeds of darkness they are lighted yea they that are in darkness and are darkness the light shines in them the Spirit of God shines there in darkness manifesteth their darkness here man is darkness the Ephesians were darkness in the unconverted estate yet had light shining in them Eph. 5. 8. the spirits manifestation they had but were not led by it once they were without God in the world but after were turned unto it â—it shewed them their darkness and it leading their minds they came to be made light in the Lord who is that spirit whose manifestation hath appeared to all so all are without excuse for he hath not left himself without witness and they that have not Gods witness to be theirs that is to say to possess it they have no faith nor assurance in God at all but that which should bring assurance of salvation unto them it assures their condemnation and also reveals sorrow Now as every one is turned to the measure of Gods holy spirit and keeps his mind into it he comes to feel and to see its reproof and so as the mind is kept still into it it arises in its purity and shines forth in the heart in more brightness still checking man for disobedience still judging and as it is listened unto it appears in strength and layes every mans heart open and lets him see how full of unrighteousness he is how full of imaginations he is how his heart is full of vain idle thoughts and how lust aboundeth in the heart this makes his trouble to increase and his sorrow to multiply and this is alwayes present none can run from it but it follows him and shall pursue every one to the pit who obey it not and kindle his torment and whatsoever the mind may run into to take pleasure for a moment and the heart be exercised in yet this measure of Gods Spirit is alwayes present to condemn it and judge a man for it so the strokes of the Almighty is still heavy upon his back being still in the disobedience of the spirit it never bears witness unto any man in that state but God through it still sounds the alarum of War and terror in his heart so that fear compasseth him about on every side and though for moment the cry may not be heard and through disobedience it may seem as dead as unto him yet if ever the mind be but still and a man sober and calm and ever mind what he is doing it appears again and though a man may take up something and perform something which is called religious and pray in words and read and talk of the Scriptures and may take up some carnal outward Ordinance and there content himself for a time yet still the witness of Gods holy Spirit for that shews him his hypocrisie and that he seeks a cover to shelter himself under that he may live in disobedience be at ease in the flesh but all in vain for there is no peace within but the measure of Gods Spirit still shewes him that he serves sin and follows his own will and in this will brings forth a worship and this is will-worship nay if a man practice all those things which others who were in the life performed and were accepted yet this will not satisfie God hath no pleasure in this no more then if one slew a man or blessed an Idol or kissed Baal all is abomination to the Lord and though a man may sin so far against the light of Christ in his own conscience that the light be to him as though there were no such thing yet all this well not do for the Lord will thunder from his holy plaâ—â—â—â—ough thou have stopped thy ear as to him and closed thy eyes yet he will cause his terror to strike into thy heart so that dread shall compass thee about as a wall and thou shalt be afraid for that which thou shalt see hear though the spirit strives long yet being still disobeyed the long-suffering of God comes to an end concerning him that hath been unfaithful and then his wrath is kindled as fire which shall burn to the lowest Hâ—ll into which all the rebellious and stif-necked shall be cast and have their portion for ever among all the children of darknesse therefore all who have been convinced long still are by Gods holy spirit of the way of truth and yet have not submitted to the leading of the spirit think on this for its the Lords truth which I declare to you or else eternal mysery will be your end And if thou still persist on after the imaginations of thine own heart and in thy rebellious will thou quencheth the spirit and the motions thereof though it be life in it self yet is as ded unto thee who art in the gainsaying resisting that through which Gods eternal power is manifest in them that believe thou wilt grow insensible past feeling and become as seared flesh and be senslesse as to the things of God and hardnesse of heart will come upon thee and thou wilt be as a stone that cannot be melted and woe will be unto such where the spirit of the Lord in them ceaseth