To all such as Complain that they want Power not applying themselves to yeild subjection to what of God is made manifest in them upon a pretence of waiting for Power so to do THe Lord God of eternal power who made Man in his own Image he stretcheth forth his Arm to save and redeem his lost Creature It is his power alone that effecteth the work of Redemption He quickneth man who is dead in Trespasses and Sins He keepeth alive and leadeth on the quickned soul in the path of Life He conquereth scattereth and subdueth all the enemies round about the Soul even all the losts corruptions and temptations which lead unto and entangle in Perdition Yet the Lord God requireth somewhat of the man whom he saveth without which being found in man and returned to him from man he saveth him not Quest What doth he require of Man Answ He requireth of Man Repentance Faith and Obedience That he should turn at his Call from the Darkness to the Light that he should trust in and cleave to the Light but believe the spirit of Darkness no more and lastly that he should obey the Light follow the Light walk in the footsteps of the living towards the Land of Light work the Works of God in the Light Quest How can Man do this Answ Of himself he cannot But being touched being quickned by the Eternal Power being turned by a secret vertue and stirring of life in his Heart then he can turn towards that which turneth him Being drawn by the Life by the Power he can follow after the Life and after the Power Finding the sweetness of the Living Vine and his soul made alive by the Sap of the Vine his heart can now cleave to and abide in the Vine and bring forth the Fruit of the living faith and obedience to the Husband-man who daily dresseth the Heart that waiteth in the Living Principle for further life from the Fountain that it may bring forth the fruits of Life more and more Now mark Is it possible for any man to come to the Eternal Rest that travels not the Path Or is there any Path but the repentance faith and obedience of the Living Spirit even of the Child begotten by the Eternal Power who is taught by its Father to abide and walk in the Life and in the Power God putteth forth his Hand all the day long to fetch home lost man He hath given him a Talent a living Talent which is able to work man into the life and to bring forth the fruits of life in man Man overlooks the Talent joyns not his heart to it brings not forth the fruits of Life to the giver but cries he wants power and what is he what can he do can he cleanse his own heart can he kill his corruptions can he quicken himself c. Now mark again There are several dispensations of God to mankind in all which man of himself falls short of the Life of the Power of the Glory an comes under Condemnation God layes the blame on man for not hearkning for not believing for not walking with him Man layes the blame on God and says he wants power Look on him who is not obedient to the light which he cannot but confess to shine in his heart and often to reprove him ask him why he doth not obey it is not this his plea that he wants power Now let men consider will this stand before the Throne of God This is the condemnation that men do not believe the Light of Life do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ do not trust and follow the Light which would lead them to Life but trust and follow the darkness which leads into death and into everlasting Condemnation Their plea is they want power so to do Is this true I confess the power doth not so flow forth to man as man expects it but the power of life works man out of death in a mistery and begins in him as weakness There is all the strength all the power of the enemy against the work of God in the heart There is but a little thing like a grain of mustard-seed a weak thing a foolish thing even that which is not to man's eye to overcome all this and yet in this is the power And here is the great deceit of man He looks for a great manifest power in or upon him to begin with and doth not see how the power is in the little weak stirings of life in the heart in the rising up of somewhat against the mighty strength of corruption in him which he turning towards cleaving to and wa 〈…〉 upon the Lord in the strength of the Lord will be made 〈…〉 a 〈…〉 in its seas and he will be drawn nearer and nearer to the Lord and his enemies be overcome and fall he knows not how But he that waits for such a mighty appearance of power at first looking so to begin and after that manner to be preserved and carried on can never in this capacity so much as walk in the path Eternal nor is not in the way of receiving the power which springs up as weakness and leads on and overcomes enemies in a mysterions way of working and not in such a manifest and direct way of conquest as man's wisdom expects The seed of the kingdom is sown man knows not how even by a sound of the Eternal Spirit which he is not a fit Judge of and it grows up he knows not how and the power appears and works in it in away that he is not aware of He looks for the Kingdom the Power and the Life in a way of his observation answerable to the thoughts and expectations of his heart But thus it never comes but in the way of its own eternal motion it springs in the hearts of many and they overlook the thing and turn from it daily not knowing its proper way of appearance but expecting it some other way And thus the enemy holds them in the bands of death and they are captives in the strange land refusing the Prince of Life in his daily offers of Life because they look not for him thus but after another way and manner And till this eye of observation be put out in them they can never clearly see the appearance of the Saviour to them not feel the efficacy of his saving of them from that from which none but he can deliver Now for the sakes of such as are single-hearted and yet withheld from the enjoyment of the Life of God and of his pure Power through away of wrong expecting it I shall say a little concerning the operation of the power in quickning and leading on the quickned soul as also concerning the way of its springing up in the heart and the necessity of this way I my self was long withheld from obedience to the Light Eternal in its low appearance of discovering and convincing of sin through this very deceit believing that my
requires and so finds 〈…〉 putting on forward in the faith in him the power delights to appear He that would feel strength beforehand and act in the sence of that strength from him the power withdraws But he that is weak and hath no strength but still as it freely drops into him from moment to moment this is the vessel the power chuseth to manifest it self to and to be continually appearing in This is the New Covenant I will put my fear in their hearts and where the fear of the New Covenant is found so much life power and eternal vertue as is necessary for the present state of that heart cannot be far off So in the upright-hearted in the heart that is true to God the power of deceit cannot dwell but the Power of Truth delights to fill it in a way sutable to the state of the Spirit and so as may be seen by the eye of the spirit and felt by the spiritual sence And in the Love is the constraining power which constrains from the evil path from the path of unbelief and disobedience into the Path of Life Thirdly The necessity of this way of the springing up of the Power and not in such a manifest way as man's heart desires and as man's eye expects It is necessary in several respects In respect of God in reference to the creature and in reference to the Soul's enemies 1. In respect of God It is necessary that his Power and Life should spring up in the creature in its own way according to the counsel of his own wisdom suitable to his own nature and not in the way which the creature chalks out and expects it in God must be like himself and walk in his own Path in every thing he does He is a God that hideth himself in the mystery of his working throughout the whole trac◠of man's redemption and man must be wrought out of himself out of his own thoughts expectations gathered apprehensions concerning the Kingdom and way to Life led in a path he doth not know nor ever can know any longer than he is in it and in wayes he hath not been acquainted with The way of Life is still new every moment fresh and living and the earthly part of those who may have in some measure felt the power of regeneration cannot know it nor walk in it Consider this O ye that fence your selves against the present appearance of the Spirit and against the Convictions Demonstrations and Drawings of its Eternal Light and Power by somewhat which ye have formerly felt and known 2. In reference to the Creature the Power of God must needs appear thus hiddenly and in such a misterious way 1. That the creature might go through all those exercises of Spirit which are necessary to fit it for its inheritance in the holy Land There are Straits Wants Tryals Temptations inward Weaknesses buffetings from the Enemy withdrawings of the life c. which God seeth necessary to Excercise the Spirits of his with that he might fit them for himself and for a safe enjoyment of his life in fulness which could not be if there were such a manifest power to begin with and continually at hand to perform all in and for the Soul as many men wait for and think necessary to have 2. That the fleshly part might be throughly worn out and destroyed When the Power appears and works mightily in the soul there is somewhat apt to get up to exalt it self by the Power and to abuse the Power and if the Power were not withdrawn and this tormented and famished in the absence of the Power and in the withdrawing of the sweet appearance of Life a wrong thing would be stealing into the Inheritance and the soul would never be throughly purified nor come to a pure enjoyment of the Power Therefore doth the Lord appear in this misterious way that the promise might be sure to the Seed that the Seed which is the right Heir of the Power might come alone to inherit the Power and the false birth not touch the least enjoyment of it but feel the bitter stroaks of death and destruction from it What had become of Paul if he had had Power to resist the buffettings of the enemy as he desired would not his fleshly part have remained in the exaltation and not have been brought down 2 Cor. 12. 7. 3. In reference to the Enemy The enemy could never be wholly conquered his strong holds in the heart broken down the redemption from under his hand perfected were it not for this misterious way of the appearing and working of the Power even out of the sight of man's eye and contrary to his will and expectation For had man such a power as he desires still present with him had he faith in his power or obedience in his power or could he take up the Cross in his power or have strength to fight against the enemy as he desires and expects the enemy would still find enterance into him and keep his hold of him But God who knoweth the state of the creature with the strength and passages of the enemy into man by working with his mighty power in man according to his own will and in the way of his own Wisdom contrary to what man can desire or expect but as he is taken into and comprehended in the Eternal Will carries on his work sweetly and safely and perfects the salvation of those who will not who run not who desire not to be any thing but wait to feel and know his Power and to become subject to it and lie under even in the lowest way of its manifestation and appearance Object This may be true in the ordinary way of Redemption of Souls but there are deep captivities even the captivity of Babylon inwardly and spiritually which surely will need a very great appearance of the Power of God to deliver out of and what can that soul do but wait there under the captivity untill that mighty power arise Answ It is true The Power must needs be very great and the appearance of it wonderful which delivers out of such a captivity but yet the beginnings of it may be small and out of the sight of that eye which looks and waits for so great an appearance Hast thou not light enough already to begin thy travel out of Babylon Hast thou begun thy travel Dost thou walk in the light which shineth upon thee in that dark land to gather and lead thee out of it Or wilt thou not begin to come out till the very glory and brightness of Sion shine upon thee If there be but light power enough to lead thee one step out of the land of darkness confusion of Spirit towards obedience to the lowest or meanest Truth that is sufficient for thee at present as thou art found faithful here more will spring in thee But if thou stop here or at any time after thou hast begun and
purify him from the darkness unbelief and disobedience and whether God will not impute to this man what Christ performed on man's behalf in the flesh he being in unity with and in subjection to the light and poâ—er whereby it was wrought wherein is the fellowship with the blood and wherein alone it washeth from the sin though as to the outward knowledge of what was outwardly done the man may possibly be ignorant And seeing it is not absolutely necessary towards the involving in the guilt of Adams sin the outward knowing what Adam did but the proceeding from and being found in the same spirit and nature doth sufficiently convey it So whether being gathered into and found in Christs Spirit even in faith obedience and subjection to the light thereof in the heart whether this is not also sufficient to convey the Righteousness of Christ and wheher God will fail to impute it to that man Query 6. Whether True Religion Spiritual Worship the Salvation of the Soul do not depend upon the Spirit of the Lord who is near to every heart with his eternal Light which he can easily convey to any heart whose ear is opened to hearken to his breathings and drawings So that it is easy to the Lord to save any of the Sons of men even in the darkest and remotest corners of the earth and he can cast off those who seem highest in zeal and most flourishing under any outward means of Salvation Oh wonderfully infinite is the Lord who shall bound his Spirit Happy is he that feareth before him and in his fear learneth to depart from iniquity and walk in the good Path that his Spirit teacheth He is near to God and shall tast of the good things and shall not be rejected for want of outward knowledge but what ever was done for lost man he that is found in the light of Life and in the obedience to the spirit of Life shall reap the benefit of But he that boasts in his knowledge of these things and of his Faith in Christ Jesus yet not being found in the true living eternal light of the Spirit but an enemy to it and ignorant of it the Lord will rend his confidence from him in a day that he is not aware of ' Glorious was the dispensation of the Law and great was the advantage to the Jew thereby above the Gentiles Yet they missing the Spirit and Life of it and growing wise in their own apprehensions and interpretations about it fell beneath the Gentiles becoming greater strangers to the power wisdom of God harder to be reached brought in under the subjection of the Gospel More glorious was the dispensation of the Gospel to the Christians and much greater was their advantage than that of the Jews But an Apostacy coming and they loosing the true Power and Spirit growing wise by a litteral knowledge of some of the things of God in the earthly part forming interpretations of Scriptures and entring into practises in that wisdom they are now become at as great a distance from this powerfull visitation of God by his Spirit which raiseth the Seed and springeth up freshly in the hearts of those whom the Lord our God doth call out of their fenced Cities and allure into the Wilderness as the Jews were at from that appearance before the Apostacy and in as great danger are the Children of the Kingdom to be cast out now as then Oh that my God would please to open the ear of some tender and upright-hearted among them to hear this testimony that they might no longer stumble at that which alone is able to lead them to God and to make them happy in God Is there any uniting with God or enjoying of God but by his Spirit is there any receiving of Gods Spirit but within in the heart doth he not appear there by his Light in his Power What if God please to give forth a measure of his Eternal Light in the hearts of his Chosen to open that to thâ—m which they could never see before and to bring them into a nearer unity with him than ever they knew before may he not do it Nay is not such a thing needful to help out of the deep intricate Apostacy wherein have been so many twistings twinings of the subtle Serpent about every step or appearance of Reformation and to gather the wandring sheep who were scattered up and down and sorely distressed for want of the Tongne of the Learned to speak a word in season to their estates and conditions Have not every sort bent the Scriptures in the Reasonings of their own Minds and made them speak according to their own hearts Lusts And is not every one wise in his own Eyes and strong in his own Tower and fenced City Surely there was great need of an appearance of the Lord to shut out the Wisdom of Man and to help the Poor the Needy the Fatherless the weak Panting-Babes And blessed be the Lord God who hath appeared and blessed are those who have seen his Light and bowed at the Feet of his living Appearance and felt the Vertue of his Saving Arm scattering their Lusts and Corruptions yea also raising up and bringing forth his Pure Seed in the fâ—eâ—h Power Dominion and Authority of his perfect life which reigneth in the hearts which the Lord hath Regenerated and Sanctified for evermore O my Friends my Friends that the eye might be once blinded in you which hinders your sight of God and the eye opened which beholds his Glory and also taketh pleasure in his lowest Appearance The Babe alone hath the Misteries of the Kingdom revealed to him the Wise and Prudent are excluded the birth after the flesh in every one must be famished and destroyed and he alone can see in the Eternal Light this Dispensation of the Everlasting Gospel after the Apostacy which the Lord hideth from those who are wise in the Letter of the former Dispensation of the same Gospel but cannot read it as it was given forth in the Spirit then nor as it is now again held forth in the same Spirit and Power O my Friends This is the Truth to you wait on the Lord that ye may understand it from him Your right Eye must be put out which will never cease offending you and causing you to stumble so long as it is able to see and all your knowledge which ye hold out of the Life become as dross and dung to you if ever ye tast and come to enjoy the Excellency and Glory of this Appearance of God in his Eternal Spirit who hath descended from on high into the Hearts of his Chosen to prepare thâ—m for his Spiritual Temple that he may dwell in them and they in him And he will dwell in them and they shall dwell in him to the full delight and satisfaction of their hearts and to the confusion of all those who remain despising and reproaching this his Glorious Appearance and his people in whom he hath appeared The day is not far off wherein this will be made manifest wherein great bitterness and anguish of Spirit will befall those who can onely see the Glory afar of but cannot Inherit it being found in that nature and spirit which is separated from it and eternally shut out of it Isaac Penington the younger LONDON Printed for Robert Wilson at the Sign of the Black-Spread-Eagle and Windmil in Maâ—tins l' Grand 1661.