their knowledge is the knowledge of the spirit The good seem to give God the glory and to make him their strength in Battle and considering how gloriously they have conquered are strongly perswaded that the mighty power of God accompanied them and where God assists and gives victory it must bee for good for the good of mankinde and the world and therefore they will improve their victories to attain that high end Thus they make their progresse if God assists in acts of blood by force and fightings he doth the same in acts of force and violence upon the corrupt Governours of the World who are running back into Aegypt leaning upon the Pillars of the World setting up their empty guilded Idols corrupt forms and dark administrations as the utmost end of all their endeavours as the price of all the blood shed in the Kingdomes Thus being perswaded of the presence of the Lord and have in their own spirits some height and strength to good some will and desire to doe good to the world they continue their begun motion measuring the whole by themselves the spirits of others by their own and so think their whole body of assistants fitly qualified for the government of a Kingdome Never considering what a spirit of darknesse pride vain-glory Ambition dwels and acts amongst them and how weak meer naturall spirits are being raised from the dust to sit upon a throne and to bear the temptations of Power Honour and worldly glory Consider actions purely and simply according to their nature and the dispensations of the Gospel This is a violent unnaturall fleshly way for the reforming of the world the small stone must bee hewen out without hands This is the winde rending and tearing the rocks before the soft and still voice was heard This is the fire and Earth-quake to burn and shake this earthly fabrick the corrupt world and its glory Thus the Parliament have been executioners of vengeance upon the Kings party who for judgement a fire of wrath kindled in the bowels of the Kingdom setting the properities of darknesse at enmity amongst themselves A darke and formall Clergie against a more dark and formall formality and hypocisie against loosenesse and profanesse restrained civilty against riot and luxury The Ministers preach war and the sword and fire from heaven discovering their own weaknesse unable to act in the strength of God therefore they cry up the Cause of Religion the Covenant the Ordinances these though under more light then the other yet they stir up the spirits of men to afflict and torment their persecutors King Prelats Malignants and to take away their revenues and honours Far be it from me to blast the least appearance of God amongst them or to spread a cloud upon those faint glimmerings which shin'd in their spirits It was their darknesse their flesh that made them thus excentrick they acted in the spirit of the world and of nature their light was lightnings from Mount Sinai not the glorious light of the Spirit In this way they will be like the billowes and waves of the Sea one tossing and driving forward the other till they dash themselves against the rocks The Parliament and their Armies have broken the Cavaliers the Presbytery Episcopacy the Independents have restrained the power of Presbytery for their pride and coveteousnes giving them of the Cup they gave others to drink If the Independents corrupt there are those sprung out of their own bowels prepared for their executioners these if they aspire too high will be Levell'd themselves by their great Idoll the People or their principles will raise a spirit dwelling in the confused rabble and multitude to break and tear all to pieces to bring all into a huddle and confusion without order law or government Thus the fury of the Lord breaks forth like a burning fire against all corruption in the powers of the world against tyranny and oppression in all its formes and shapes though its Woolvish spirit is cloathed with innocency and gentlenesse the outward form will not change the nature Monarchy Aristocracie Democracie will be much at one unlesse the breath of life from heaven quicken their dead liveless carkasses I fear in our contests we have too much mixed earth with heaven we have gone a dark nâ—trodden obscure path therefore the Lord may justly withdraw that spirit of justice and righteousnes which hath accompanied and acted even more worldly States and Republikes They acted in the flesh we pretend to a higher principle we speak of spirit and power and divine light their motions were naturall according to their natures being of the earth earthly ours irregular excentrick unnaturall being we think our selves heavenly live in the aire of the Gospel in the light of the Spirit which points us out a more glorious way therefore it is but just with God if when we sow the winde we reap the whirl-winde But what will be the end of all when wee have prov'd our own strength to be weaknesse when our overturning shall succeed another that glorious power shall manifest it whose right it is alone to reign when we have passed through a wildernesse the Lord will bring us into the Land of rest so long breathed after and desired the Lord will bring order out of confusion light out of darknesse peace out of war and troubles This will as surely be as the spring now succeeds the winter the day the night who the Lord may make most glorious in this work known alone to himselfe It magnifies his power and goodnesse if he breaths life in those dead bones which we trample upon if he quickens those which we have reprobated and rejected as wither'd branches and vile excrements He can make the first last and the last first he can bring down the proud spirit of a Nebuchadnezzar and force him to glorifie the God of Heaven In the mean time let every man keep his own station let the people of God shine like themselves that it may appear they are sent into the world to do good to the world to reflect the image and glory of God Those that are magistrates let them put forth the spirits of Christians let their actions bee convincing let not the world justly brand them for corrupt unjust self-advancers and raisers their families rather then restorers of the ruines of a kingdome if the floods of darknesse roars against them and a deluge of confusion overflows if the flames of division breake out again let them be confident they are above the danger in another Region where no cloud can reach them no confusion disturb them and if their earthlyes here their bodies of dust yet they shall dwell securely in these burnings and be at peace in the middest of these flames Thus Sir I have given you my thoughts of the times My earnest desire is that things may prove otherwise then I write in relation to those now in power the Lord if it be his will make their
as conveniently you may let me hear from you I would not burden you 9. Letter Deare Sister WITH the rest of my fellow heires in the Son-ship in this unity of Truth and Love I salute you I thanke you for appointing a freind to relate to mee your estate in the things of God of whom I received information to much content having for a long time before had great desire to understand your condition and am now fully satisfied in it as for the dealings of the Lord with me I am free to give you some account I am indeed in the judgement of those to whom the day of judgement is not yet come accounted and termed an Heretique but in the light and truth of God a Co-heire with Christ being annointed with the same oyle of gladnesse which is indeed joy to the spirit and as marrow to the bones and a perpetual light of truth in certainty and power and in such fulnesse already that he beares witnesse to himselfe in others that it is hee and fulnesse of wisdome and might to answer all the occasions that he is pleased to present himselfe to me and magnify himselfe in mee as for the Scripture it is much unsealed and I have sweet sellowâ—sip in that one spirit that throdgbout all ages declared the Father the Son as for the ministry of Angels I know it having for a long time beene under it but of late have had knowing understanding of it and fellowship with understanding among them truly my deare companions our God that saveth us is perfect and so is his salvation which when we shall be by him circumcised in heart which is the taking away the fleshly vaile and the face of the covering that is spread over all Nations Isaiah 25. then shall wee see and with joy possesse together that it is the same strong one that prepareth us and júdgeth darknesse I speake not this as if darknesse were contrary to this mighty God for in his light it is that hee is at unity with all the workes of wonder which hee brings forth darknesse is not so to him for the darknesse lo him is as cleare as the noon-day that is hee seeth as fully and posseth as contentedly his will in the darknesse as in the light and when wee are taken into that eternall light we shall see our God is as rich and wonderfull in the deeps of darknesse as in the clearest light for in the unity of the spirit it is easily discerned that God is one in all though different in comming forth for as in a garden the severall colours of flowers make the most glorious appearance even so light and darknesse are the two generall treasures of the Almighty in both which hee is infinite and wonderfull and as hee pleaseth to take us into either of these so it is to make himselfe known in his unsearchable greatnesse as in Isay he sayth Hee will give unto us the hidden treasures of darknesse and Malachi sayth that the Sunne of Righteousnesse shall arise upon us Both which Scriptures import to me that God himselfe in his apperance to us is both the treasures of darknesse and the Sunne of Righteousnesse and it is all one to me whether hee take me with him into the heights above or into the depths beneath for wee are ever together and I possesse the fulfilling of that Scripture which sayth where I am there shall my Servant bee so that when God my excellency will appeare in the externall creation which is a thick vail and the invisible one much hid in it yet I have sweet discerning of him and fellowship with him there and when hee takes me into the deeps of darknes God my glory is with me and we either see us one or lie down in one and when hee will ascend into the highest Heavens he carrieth me up along with him What is all this but the manifestation that his dwelling place is large and deepe and that hee himselfe is the one infinitenesse The fulnesse that filleth all in all things 10. Letter Sir I Received yours which brings mee the state of affaires then in agitation between the Parliament and Army you send mee what they best approve of and what they dare not owne No wonder if some good men are upon this dilemma many I know are almost broken betweene those principles they call of Reason and those of God the first acknowledging man to be compounded of two natures earth and heaven light and darknesse breake the actions into severall streames as if of two and not one person It is our misery and the sadnesse of our spirits that we are held in these chaines of earth and darknesse that wee are fetterd in these prisons of mortality and are not free in all things to act like our selves as sprung from a divine Principle as born of a nobler seed and putting forth the strength and power of the divine nature in actions purely and simply spirituall But if this light shineâ— not upon our spirits in its Meridian-glory let us wait till the Sunne riseth let us not walke in the paths of darknesse according to the principle and spirit of this world There is glorious light in the east already the Mountaine tops beginne to discover it When I looke upon the world and survay the actions of men when I consider the interests and principles of the most the fleshly toylings and struglings of the spirits of the worlds reformers I cannot but see much weaknesse and darknesse generating poore and spiritlesse designes which rend and teare and never bind up the breaches of a Kingdome 'T is true the body politicke as you write was desperately sicke and a desperate disease must have a desperate cure but consider the nature of the disease and then judge of the meanes to cure it All the properties of hell and darknes all the superfluities of folly and vanity all the mists of errour and superstition had formd themselves into a body of corruption and so assaulted and possessed the vitall parts both of Church and State seizing the heart and spirits of government and religion the soule of both were fled there remained little but a poore carkass a painted image a spiritless form without any motion but artificiall and violent But tell me what is the Physick to cure this Lethargy Parliament and People Church and State Soul and Body were languishing with this sickness A spirit of reformation begins to worke The faint breathings of the spirit of life puts some upon indeavours to undertake the cure some according to the spirit that acted them mixt ingredients earthly and carnall ignorant Empiricks who knew not the nature of the disease or cure others ransacke the bowels of nature and reason study the practises and prescriptions of the old Heroe's of the world the Heathen Conquerers and reformers of Nations and yet never rise so high either in magnanimity or greatnesse of spirit to doe good in their generations and command themselves
friends with you 2. Letter My dear friend IN whom I have rejoyced I hold my selfe bound to acquaint you with the wonderfull dealings of my God with me It is so that I am called into judgement and the Books are opened and the booke of life is opened and I am judged according to all things which are written in the books Yet neither of these books is that Bible-book which we have hug'd so long as our onely happinesse I would not hore now be mistaken for I doe not say this judgement is not spoken off in the Bible neither those boâ—ks out of which I am judged for that they are both of them and yet I say that the Bible in the letter of it as it is bound up there is not the book I would not for a world take away any thing from the Bible or any of the excellency of that which is therein written but I would have it set in the right place I would not have it taken for God himselfe and yet God is in it and the letter of it is a very sweet manifestation of God but it is not God though God I say be manifested in this flesh But though wee have knowne things after the flesh yet henceforth we will know them so no more for indeed except wee come through the flesh which is the vail we cannot enter into the holiest for the outward Court is given to the Gentiles and it shall not bee measured wee all desire and strive to enter into rest the Lord give us hearts therefore that we faile not because of unbeliefe But indeed our lives and also our spirits are so full of prejudicate opinions that wee are apt to think the worst of every thing whereas if we were the children of God and like our Father we then should live in God which is love yea we should then be made one with this love Certainly we may feare that those Children are basely begotten that doe not in any way resemble their Father Deare friend such a like generation have we begotten amongst us for if we were like our Father we then should hope all things beleeve all things think no evill not be lifted up in our selves but thinke of every one better then of our selves But though the seed of the Serpent be sowen amongst us yet I say againe I would not bee mistaken by you for I am not against the use of the Bible for I see a true sweet lovely spirit in the writings of it though yet I would have you know that I dare not justifie all things as they lye in the letter of it not because the truth is not in it but because of the abuse of that truth by the fals translation of it for every one when he translates a Coppy writes it as he thinks fit and so puts in and leaves out according to his conceptions and we all are not ignorant what hands these coppies have come thorow I beseech you therefore to wait upon that one spirit which is in you he it is that shall lead you into all truth and I am sure that when God hath written his own truth within you then you will be able as well as the Apostles to write a Bible or any book else without you I am very confident did the Apostles live in our dayes they would be exceedingly grieved to see us appropriate the spirit onely to them when indeed the spirit cannot be confined for it is God himself and this God is in you and with you though you know it not so well as I could wish you did Let us therefore leave off all our appropriations and distinctions and then doe you tell me what you finde but God we have been apt indeed to say Lo hear he is and there he is but this is a lye for he is every where and he is not any where as confin'd or distinct from himself I beseech you therefore in the bowels of mercy that you be carefull what you doe I have one thing to acquaint you with which indeed was the cause of my present writing and its this That seeing as I have told you the great day of the Lord is come upon me and every thing is brought into judgement I cannot but minde you of one thing which past betwixt us and it was this you told me once of your visiting a maid which said that she lived in heaven and above the Bible even in God and by the Revelations of his own spirit which much stumbled both you and me Now I am come to tell you that this maid is risen in me and that I know now what she meant being by the wonderful goodnes of my God taken in to the same life my self and it is but lately accomplished upon my soule Shee meant therefore above the letter of that word in the Bible that indeed was dead too her but she lived in the spirit and life of it which was and is in God himself and this is the life which we all have groaned after and yet when God comes to take us out of those graves of sin and self apropriations and to loose those Chains and Bonds which we have in our darknesse and ignorance been brought into by distinctions we are afraid of him and not onely like Mary take him for the Gardner but wee are even afraid that it is Satan himself transformed as we call it into an Angel of light when indeed that is the very Satan that tels us so though he sets before us a seeming good but we are not ignorant of his wiles This was the Apple which he deceived our Mother Eve withall even this seeming good and hath ever since caused us to surfeit with it even to take things that are not for what they are in truth therefore take notice by the way that those things are not that seem to be or visibly doe appear to our sight but the things that are invisible and cannot appear to our fleshly sight those are the things in truth and therefore take notice of this that all this outward frame of things which doth appeare to our fleshly sight is but a resemblance or a figure of him which is invisible and cannot be seen but with a pure spirituall sight I speak all this for your and others sakes which yet stick in the flesh of Christ For I blesse my God I am got through it even within the vaile and I see him who is invisible with the eyes of my spirit and certainly I had these visible eys given me as a signe or a shadow of the substance Blessed therefore be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which hath not suffered me to stick in any thing below himself but hath brought me through all the wiles and cunning deceits of Satan and hath at length centured me in himself and hath caused me to sit down and rest in his own bosome Let therefore our heavenly Father bee glorified for this his great goodnes towards the Sonnes of
or judge of things without I am to judge of things within me Those things that I have tasted seen and handled I declare unto you for the dispensation of truth is upon me and I would not now speak any thing or doe any thing but as he speaks in me and does in me for it s no more I now but the Lord I indeed have been something in mans day and I desired to be and to speak but that day is past it s come into judgement weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary and found too light The day of the Lord onely is now upon me and here I desire to be perfected But I will yet goe a little further and shew you the workings of God upon me and in me It was so that before God so wonderfully appeared to me I had exceeding working in my spirit and drawing to come up and serve the Lord in a more spirituall administration and scriptures were still opened to me in a new and strange way still tending to that spirituall enjoyment of God which then was in mine eye and now have At last there was an extraordinary expectation begotten in me and I waited for my establishment in the spirit though I did yet appear in the flesh but against this there were great fightings between the two powers both from within me and also from friends without yet there was in mee even in the darkest time a secret hope even beyond hope that I should enjoy it and my eye was unto him who hath now saved me but here I was brought to lye down in his will even without it and though I never should have felt it yet in this beliefe could I have laid down my life and have dyed That there was such a time appointed for the people of God and that they should surely have such a glory though they appeared and lived upon earth for the Lord hath said The tabernacle of God should be with men and he would raigne for ever and ever But the day before this glory came unto me I had this word very strongly set home upon me Wee shall not all sleep but be changed And truly as the time drew neer I had such strong workings of spirit that I could expect no other indeed and I did expect it and withall look't with what body I should come for I was thinking as I told you before that this outward form must be done away when God came to change us but when I saw it still remain and I so wonderfully beheld God I was taken with admiration yet did I still expect that sure it would anone goe a way for I thought it impossible that I should look constantly upon this glory and yet remain upon the earth for indeed though I expected much yet this sight was farre beyond my expectation Now I felt the fleshly part within me flie a way at his presence and Death and Hell were destroyed I heard sentence given against the enemy of all our peace and he ran a way I felt him cast out and in the morning I could sing a song over him For his head I found was turned into the waters yet still this outward body did not moulder a way At last it was given mee from him that shewed me these things to aske for indeed I was not able till it was given me and I asked and said O Lord God why have I flesh upon me and see thee in this glorious manner for Infinitenesse it self looked upon me and I looked upon it Can any man see thee I said and live It was answered me againe Thou art not alive I have slain thee No man indeed can see mee and live but as a man thou art dead and never shalt live more as a man but the sonne of God can see mee Thou shall live as the son of God and so thou shalt see me But I said O Lord Why am I not presently dissolved by this Infinite glory that now so openly beholds me Why have I flesh upon me in the appearance of it It was answered Thou hast brethren in the flesh therefore hast thou flesh upon thee because thou must carry them a testimony of what thou hast seen of me but look for no glory in the flesh but sufferings and perseeutions for thy glory lyes within all flesh and accordingly I accepted of it because it was the fathers will and for no other cause It was also manifested to me that while they were persecuting me I should be inwardly filled with the glory of God and triumph over all their cruelty though I might for this testimony suffer as Jesus Christ did upon the Cross I should bee willing in the will of God to see your face however this I am sure that when the Lord brings forth his own righteousnes upon you you cannot be silent to your own bowels and that indeed I am for I am not as to my own particular any longer but am fallen into the Church and there I see my self to have a most glorious resurrection I was afraid once indeed to loose my life but I never had so much glory as now I finde in the body Oh how true is that word Every one that will save his life shall loose it but he that looseth his life for my name sake shall find it The Lord of heaven and earth give men to see their glory in union and then they will never stand so much as they doe upon distinctions did they see their resurrection in the body and knew what this body is they could not so account of any particular appearances but they should see themselves alwayes alive and because he lives therefore they should live also for if they would cease to live in their own life they should be perfected and live in the life of God But the truth is the word Body stumbles them because they are not wholly yet brought off from looking upon things as they appear for hence hath flowen all our imaginary worship but when Christ is again formed in us then he and we by him shall not judge according to the hearing of the ear nor the sight of the eye but righteous judgement Therefore the filth of the daughter of Sion or all those evils and mistakes which now possesse us is said to be purged away by a spirit of judgment as well as by a spirit of burning For it must be first judged before it can be burned and truly I doe in som measure see what that Scripture speaks off After death comes judgement for I am sure that since I had this death and since my soule was separated from my body I have been judged for things done in the body that is while I lived in the body for I knew a time when I lived in this body and I know now what it is to live out of the body and yet appear in the body for that is the great mistake the body that appears to be is not the body The scripture