and him onely shalt thou serve Then the devil leaveth him And if in any of the Devils Temptations Jesus may be said to stop the mouth of the Devil and cause him to keep silence it was in this when he tempts him to have a love to the World and such a love to the World and the glory of it as for the enjoyment of it he should fall down and worship him And Jesus did not onely resist the Devil in his Temptation and rebuke him commanding him to depart from him and kept him for that time for speaking any more to him but he brings Scripture to prove the unlawfulness of the yielding to the Temptation It is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve This Scripture may also have two interpretations first that it was the duty of the Devil to worship Jesus as his Lord and God and not Jesus to worship the Devil and then as Jesus was man and the son of God so it was not his duty to fall down to the Devil and worship him but to worship the Father as his Lord and God And it were well if all the Objecters and all others would follow this Example of Jesus that when the Devil getteth them up uâ—to the exceeding high Mountain of the earthy part in them of that which hath a love to the world within them and there shew them all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them and promise to give them all to fall down and worship him that thus they resist the Devil and command him from them and as much as in them lieth not suffer him to speak of such a thing to them as to perswade them to have such a love to the World and the glory thereof wherein all things of the world within man which is mans self mans Will and all things without man that is all outward Creatures is contained and comprehended as for it to fall down and worship the Devil and for the love of the World and the glory thereof to serve and obey the Devil No no answer with Jesus Get thee hence Satan get thee hence Tempter It is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve And if I yield to thy Temptations to love the World and the glory of it and so in that my love to the World or to any part of it either within me or without me I fall down and worship thee then I cannot worship my Lord and my God onely but I shall be a Worshipper and a Server of thee No no this must not be In and under these three Temptations I believe that all the Temptations that man meets withal may be contained or comprehended as all Prayers are contained or comprehended in that Prayer Jesus taught his Disciples to pray And see Jesus in all these Temptations makes use of the Scriptures in his resisting of the Devil in his Temptations and thereby as man to shew the lawfulness and the usefulness that was in his making use of the Scriptures to resist the Devil in his Temptations And I believe it is our duty to follow Jesus's Example therein That it is our duty by the Scriptures to prove and try our works actions and doings whether they be done by the Spirit of Jesus in us that resisted the Devil in that outward body of Jesus Yea or Nay And if our works actions and doings cannot be proved by the Scripture to be according to the declared Will of God that he hath made known to man that is his Will that man should obey him in as Jesus in that outward body did by the Scriptures prove that his works actions and doings were according to Gods declared Will in the Scriptures that he should do and so he made use of the Scriptures not onely in that which is mentioned of his resisting of the Devil in his Temptations but in his other works actions and doings he makes use of the Scriptures to prove that what he did in that body was according to Gods declared Will that he should do in that body as it was written of him in the Scriptures And when the Apostle speaks of him to be the Body prepared by God to do Gods will which pleased God better than outward Sacrifice and Offerings he saith of him Lo I come to do thy will O God as it is written of me in the volume of the book There is a lo a behold put to it that is it is to be taken notice of that Jesus came to do in that body the will of God the Father as it was Gods declared will written in the Scriptures that he should do Heb. 10. 5 6 7. I do believe and dare be bold to say it that they are not the works actions and doings of the same Spirit of Jesus in man that was in that outward man Jesus which man doth and refuseth to bring to the Scriptures to prove that they are done according to Gods declared will written in the Scriptures that man is to do in obedience to him for Jesus did not onely make use of the Scriptures to resist the Devil in his Temptations but thereby to shew that what he did in resisting of the Devil was according to Gods declared will written in the Scriptures as he did in many other of his particular works and actions he made use of the Scripture to prove by the Scripture that it was according to Gods declared will written in the Scriptures that he should do And therefore I believe that I may safely conclude that those works actions and doings that are done by any that cannot be proved by the Scriptures to be Gods declared will for man to do in obedience to him that they are not wrought acted and done by the same Spirit of Jesus in them that wrought acted and did those things that God in the Scripture had declared to be his will to be done in that body And I think I do them no wrong to judge that those works actions and doings that is not done according to what they can prove by Scripture to be done according to Gods declared will therein written that such works actions and doings they are not the works actions or doings of Jesus in them as he is in them to save them from sin but they are the works actions and doings of a wrong spirit or will in them which would not have that done in those bodies of theirs that was and is Gods declared will written in the Scriptures that they should do and obey God in But perhaps some may object and speak to this purpose We have the Light in us and that is the true Light that is in us and it is the same true Light that is the Word of God it self and it is that which gave forth the Scriptures and what wouldst thou have us bring this Light in us to the Scriptures to be judged by them Or wouldst thou have us bring our works
and actions done in us by this Light to the Scriptures to be judged Or wilt thou have us bring our obedience done by this Light in us to be proved by the Scriptures whether or no they be such things as God requires of us to be done What wouldst thou have us to bring the Light to be tryed by the Scriptures that gave forth the Scriptures What to try the Creator by the Creature the Maker by the thing made What wouldst thou have the Spirit tried by the dead Letter To this I answer The Light the true Light is one and the same it never alters nor changes and it is one and the same in all men as it is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World and it is the same in those that have no Scriptures in those that have nothing outwardly written that was given forth by the holy men that spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost It is the same true Light in those that have no Scriptures as it is in those that have the Scriptures And if that be the Argument that because we have the Light in us that gave forth the Scriptures therefore we need not make use of the Scriptures or not so much use of them as to bring our works actions and doings to them to be tryed by them to see if they be agreeable to the works actions or doings done by the holy men of old by that spirit in them that gave forth the Scriptures or agreeable to what the holy men of old gave forth in the Scriptures to be Gods will for man to do I ask them that make this for an Objection this Question Whether or no Jesus had not as man as much of this Light in him as thou hast And yet he made use of the Scriptures to prove that what he did was agreeable to Gods declared will written in the Scriptures that he as a son ought to do in obedience to the Father It is true that those that have not the Scriptures they cannot bring their works to the Scriptures to try them whether or no their works are agreeable to those works done by the holy men of old or agreeable to that which the holy men of old gave forth in the Scriptures to be Gods will that man should obey him in These not having the Law written without them they cannot bring their works to a written Law without them to be tryed by that but they having onely the Law written within them in their hearts they bring their works to that Law to be tryed by that written Law in their hearts Rom. 2. 14 15. But for others that have the Law and the Prophets and the Writings of Matthew Mark Luke and John and of the Apostles without them for them that have the Scriptures to talk of bringing the Light to be tryed by the Scriptures that is to bring the spirit the Life that gave forth the Scriptures to be tryed by the dead Letter Is not this a piece of the Serpents subtile deceit to talk after this manner But for those that have the Scriptures for them to bring their works actions and doings of those that own that they have the true Light in them and walk in obedience to that Light in them for them to bring this obedience of theirs that they say is done by the true Light and not to bring the true Light it self to prove that by Scripture that is to prove their obedience to the Light by the Scripture and not to prove the true Light by the Scripture whether or no their obedience be according to the obedience wrought in the holy men of old by the same spirit that gave forth the Scriptures by the true Light that spirit of God in them that gave forth the Scriptures wherein God hath made known to man what is his will that man should do and what is his will that man should not do This is that which we that have the Scriptures should bring to the Scriptures to prove the truth of not to prove the truth of the Light whether that be true or no but to prove the truth of our obedience to the Light in our works actions and doings to prove whether they be wrought in us by the true Light the spirit of God in us or whether they be wrought in us by the subtilty of the Serpent in us for there is in man but two Natures whereby and from whence all our works actions and doings come and proceed that is the seed of the woman and the Serpent and his seed and whatsoever is not done in us by the seed of the woman in us by Jesus the true Light in us is done in us by the Serpent and his seed in us And this is that we are to bring to the Scriptures to be proved and tryed by whether or no our works doings or actions that be done in us be done in us by the seed of the woman or by the Serpent and his seed and for that they are true Rules for us to know by that is true Rules for us to know by which Nature in us our works actions or doings are wrought in us And is not that but a piece of the subtile Serpents deceit to talk of such a thing as of bringing the Light in them to the Scriptures to be tryed by them whether it is the true Light or no That is no other but to bring the spirit to be tryed by the Letter which cannot be And by their so talking of bringing the Light the spirit to be tryed by the letter of the Scriptures do they not thereby put a slight or undervaluing of the true Light or spirit that gave forth the Scriptures Or are they not such who do so talk that seek by their so talking to make the Scriptures of little or no use but onely as to what things they please and when they please and where they please As if the Light the true Light and spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures by the holy men of God was one thing then in them and did one thing then in them in making known what was Gods declared will for man to do in obedience to him and that it is another thing now in man in making known another thing now to be the will of God that man should do and that is contrary to what was Gods will declared in the Scriptures I know that as to an outward form of Worship God did make known one thing to be his mind and will to the Prophets and another thing to the Apostles but however here was no contradiction that outward form of Worship in the time of the Law and the Prophets did not contradict that outward form of Worship that was in the Apostles time nor did that outward form in the Apostles time contradict that outward form of Worship that was in the time of the Law and the Prophets The one was but a Type and Figure of
the other and what was in the one was in the other as God was in them both worshipped as a spirit and the Worship that then was and now is performed as God then did and now doth look for and accept of is to worship him in spirit and in truth and so in that there was no contradiction There was not one thing that was Gods will for man to obey him in the days of the Prophets and another thing in the days of the Apostles that was to be done in man and that in obedience to God which was contrary to that which was Gods revealed will to be done in the days of the Prophets that they were to obey God in No there was no such contradiction And that now there is another thing wherein God is to be obeyed in in these days of Gods making the Light to shine more in the inward part of man than formerly and this other thing that God is now to be obeyed in as some would have it that are not willing to bring their works deeds or actions to the Scriptures to be tryed by them whether or no they be agreeable to the works deeds or actions of the holy men of old by whom God by the spirit by the true light gave forth the Scriptures and in them gave forth what was his will that man should do in obedience to him This other thing that some pretends by the light in them that they are now to obey God in is contrary and not agreeable to Gods declared will in the Scriptures and so they make the unchangeable God to be like changeable men to have one thing to be his will for man to obey him in at one time and another thing quite contrary to that to be his will for man to obey him in at another time Jesus the true light the Word of God by whose spirit the holy men of old spake as they were moved in giving forth the Scriptures both Prophets and Apostles it was the command of this Jesus this true light this spirit that gave forth the Scriptures in that outward body that he took in the nature of man to search the Scriptures John 5. 39. And he giveth the reason why it is that he commands them to search the Scriptures it was because they are they that testifie of him they are they that bear witness they are they that testifie that bear witness what he is they are they that testifie which witness what was the Fathers will that as man he was to do they are they that testifie that bear witness that as he was man he came not to do his own will but the will of the Father that sent him They are they that testifie that bear witness what Jesus the true light the Word of God in man is And they are they that testifie that bear witness what this true light is in every man and what this true light Jesus doth in every man They are they that is the Scriptures are they that testifie that bear witness how this true light Jesus by his spirit it teacheth it guideth it leadeth man into the doing of all that is of the Truth by that spirit that is of his sending forth according to his promise that he would send the spirit of truth and when he is come he shall guide them into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak for he shall receive of mine and shew it to you John 16 13 14. How do they disobey Jesus Command that refuse to bring their works actions and doings to the Scriptures to be tryed by them whether or no they are the works actions and doings of Jesus the true light in them and that under a pretence because Jesus the true light is in them and therefore it is that they need not or ought not to do it And how willingly are they to be deceived in thinking what is done in them and by them is done in and by Jesus the true light in them And yet will not bring it to that which Jesus saith testifieth which bear witness to what is the works of Jesus in them And therefore there is great reason why the Scriptures are to be searched to be sought after searched and sought into to find out what it is that they testifie what it is that they bear witness of Jesus to be as he is the true Light the Word of God the Saviour of man As he sends his spirit of Truth into man to make known to man what that spirit receives from him and thereby to guide man into all Truth and whatever it is in man that pretends to be the work actions or doings of the Light of Jesus in them and is not agreeable to the testimony the witness that the Scripture bears of Jesus the true Light and of his works actions or doings in man And if that be true that Jesus said as I believe none dare deny the truth of it that the Scriptures testifie of him then those works actions or doings that they do not testifie to be the works of Jesus in man as he is the true Light and sends his spirit to guide them into all Truth may very well be looked upon and judged to be the work of Satan the subtile Serpent in man transforming himself into the likeness of an Angel of Light which Satan did in the Apostles time upon the like occasion read 2 Corinth 11. 13 14 15. For such are false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ And no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness but let them be so yet their end shall be according to their works The Apostle speaking of Christ and how it is our duty to follow Christ's Example he brings Scripture to prove the truth of what he said Rom. 15. 1 2 3 4. We therefore that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to his edification For even Christ pleased not himself but as it is written The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope The Apostle here sets down the duty of those that are strong and may I not say of those that would be thought or do think themselves stronger than others and that is not to please themselves to satisfie and content themselves in that they are stronger than others and so exalt themselves over and above those that are weak but their duty is to bear the infirmities of the weak and thereby to please his neighbour for that is good to edification And it this their so doing that was to follow the example of Christ who
given as Help-meets for the life of Jesus in man When I speak of the Life of Jesus in man I do not mean that eternal Life and Being that gave life and being to all things for that Life and Being the works or actions of man cannot reach unto to do it either good or harm but I mean the Life of Jesus as a Saviour in man as he is sent of the Father and is come into fallen man and is of that eternal Life and being that gave being to all that life of his that was slain in man by sin and is come again into man to be raised up to life and thereby to save man from sin and to bring man to God and into God again from whence man fell by his sin And so as man keeps in obedience to his being drawn or led forth by the Spirit of Jesus in him so he in his obedience being thereunto led or drawn forth by the Spirit of Jesus Christ in him is as an Help-meet for that life of Jesus in him to save him from sin which the woman given to Adam as an Help-meet I believe was a figure of And mans going out of his obedience in the time of the drawings or strivings of the Spirit of Jesus in him is a hurt or hindrance to that Life of Jesus in him that is to that Life that is a saving him from sin And so that which was as an Help-meet is deceived by the subtilty of the Serpents self that in man that yielded obedience to God is deceived in and by its disobedience God's Spirit striving in man to keep him from sin that is God's drawing of man and as man keeps in obedience to those strivings and drawings of the Spirit of God in him so he becomes an Help-meet to the Life of Jesus in him that is to that Life that saves from sin The end of Paul's preaching was to bring men to repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentance Acts 26. 20. And it was Gods Command by the Apostle to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling For it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Philip. 2. 12 13. Every one is to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling But how are they to work out their own salvation It must be according to the strivings or drawings of the Spirit of God in them to do it For it is God that worketh in us to will and to do of his good pleasure The work is God's but he doth not do it without man working with him and as God chose man to work with him so he makes man as an Help-meet for the Life of Jesus in man to save man from sin as man yields an obedience to the working of God in him but when man goes out of his obedience and yields not obedience to the working of God's Spirit in him then the woman is deceived and found in the transgression While the woman stood in obedience to the strivings or drawings of the Spirit of God in her which strove in her to keep her from yielding to the temptations of the Serpent and caused her to resist the temptations of the Serpent telling him that they might eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden But of the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden God had said they should not eat of it nor touch it lest ye die While the woman stood thus in obedience to the working of the Spirit of God in her that strove in her to keep her from sinning she was as God wrought it in her an Help-meet for the preserving of the Life of Jesus in her that kept her from sin But while the Spirit of God thus wrought and strove in her she hearkened to the Serpents temptation and went out of her obedience into disobedience then she was deceived and found in the transgression as all men in the state of disobedience are How doth experience teach the truth of this at this very day the subtile Serpent presents to man his temptation The Light the Spirit which is Jesus although in several names yet but one Being God makes known to man that what the Serpent tempts to is a breaking of his Commands and the penalty that follows the breaking of the Command is death This is the striving or drawing of God by his Spirit in man to keep man from sin this was in the woman While man stands in obedience to these strivings or drawings of God in him he is kept from sin and so was the woman And as man is thus an Instrument in Gods hand for God doth not save man from sin without mans joyning condescending or being willing thereunto and although the work be wholly Gods who worketh both to will and to do yet God doth not do this his great work without his Instrument man And as man is an Instrument in Gods hand so God makes him a fit Instrument to do his work withal And so man may be said to be an Help-meet for the work of God in man as a man that hath a work to do makes an Instrument fit to do his work with and so his Instrument is an Help-meet or fit for him to do his work withal God strives or draws in man by his Light his Spirit his Son Jesus to keep man from yielding to the temptation of the Serpent The Serpent also then strives in man and draws in man to yield to his temptation this was the cause of the woman The Serpent in his temptation causeth man to behold a good and pleasantness to be had in the sin in the forbidden Fruit the woman saw that the Tree was good for food and pleasant to the eye When the understanding part in man the knowing part in man beheld a good for food and pleasantness to the eye in what was contrary to the Command of God and that there was so much good and pleasantness in it that he shall thereby have content and full satisfaction as being wise as Gods Then there is a desire in the mind stirred up after the enjoying of it this was the case of the woman when she saw the Tree to be good for food and pleasant to the eye then there was a desire stirred up in her to take thereof to be made wise thereby So when the understanding and knowing part in man looketh out and sees that there is a good a pleasantness a satisfaction and full content in what God hath forbidden man to do and that thereby he shall be made as Gods then a desire gets up in the mind to get the enjoyment thereof that he may be wise as Gods that is that he may know what good what pleasure what satisfaction what content there is to be had in the doing the thing that God hath forbidden to be done And so mans desire is to be wise in that God hath forbidden him to do and to know what
what Jesus the Light made known to him to be Gods will to obey him in And Jesus tells the Jews that if they were Abraham's Children they would do the works of Abraham that is yield obedience to God in what Jesus as a Light in them tells them the Truth is Gods will that they should obey him in And while men are out of this obedience let them be of what outward form of worshipping of God that they will and have never so high esteem of themselves and be as highly esteemed of by others as these Jews had yet they are Children of Wrath as well as others and so in that state as Children of Wrath they are cast out of the Kingdom of Heaven and are where their Father the Devil is Oh! but infinite infinite are the mercies of that unchangeable God as I have experienced who can say in some measure with Paul Ephes 2. who wherein in times past walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience Among whom also we had our conversation in time past in the lust of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath even as others Mark Among whom that is amongst those that had walked according to the course of this world according to the power of the Prince of the Air which is the Devil that worketh in the Children of disobedience among these we had our conversation in times past fulfilling the desires of our flesh and of the mind and were by nature Children of wrath even as others Although the Ephesians as they were Gentiles might not be in an outward form of worshipping God in those outward things that God had required to be worshipped in yet Paul was and of the highest sort or form of them as elsewhere he speaks of himself And yet see how Paul put himself to be equal with them that had been in no outward form of Worship although he himself had been high in that outward form of worshipping of God in those outward things that God had required to be worshipped in yet when he was in that height of outward Worship he owned himself to be one that walked according to the course of the world and according to the power of the Prince of the Air which is the Devil the Spirit which worketh in the Children of disobedience Among whom we had also our conversation Paul with the Ephesians had their conversations in time past in the lust of their flesh fulfilling the desires of their flesh and mind and were by nature Children of Wrath even as others Mark they were not onely Children of Wrath by nature that is by the nature of the Serpent who is the Prince of the Air who is the Devil who is the Spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience but they were the Children of Wrath even as others that is just even alike there was no difference between their being Children of Wrath by nature and others being Children of Wrath by nature There is the same nature of being Children of Wrath in those that are high in an outward form of worshipping God as was Paul who as to his outward life as to men lived blameless and those that were in no outward form of worshipping God as were the Gentiles while they both have their conversations in the lust of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the mind pleasing themselves in what they do if they be in an outward form of Worship they please content and satisfie themselves in that outward form of Worship and therein they are fulfilling the lust of the flesh and the desires of their minds in eating of the forbidden Fruit as do those that were in no outward form of worshipping God as were the Gentiles who fulfilled the lust of the flesh and the desires of their minds in outward pleasures And so both those that fulfil the lust of the flesh and desire of the mind in outward forms of Worship or in outward pleasure they are those that are not suffering Jesus's Word to have any place in them and so they are seeking to kill Jesus in themselves for telling them the truth that he had of God But God who is rich in mercy for the great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by grace we are saved and have raised us up together and have made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Mark they which having their Conversations in the lust of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind and thereby were by nature Children of Disobedience and so Children of Wrath Children of the Devil both those that were not in an outward form of worshipping of God as were these Gentiles the Ephesians and those that were in the highest of outward forms of worshipping of God as was Paul yet God who is rich in mercy can and does for his great love sake wherewith he loved them yea even when they are dead in sins quicken them together with Christ and so raise them up together as to make them sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus as you may see more to that purpose in the second Chapter of the Ephesians Jesus tells the woman of Samaria John 4. that the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth Jerusalem was the place that God had chosen to be worshipped in and so it represents the true outward form of worshipping God wherein God was worshipped according to his Command The Mountain of Samaria represents the false worshipping of God for although there might be something done there that God had required in his outward Worship to be done yet they mixing other things with it that God had not required to be done in his Worship and so it represents all false outward forms of Worship And Jesus tells the woman and would have her believe him mark that Jesus would have the woman belleve him that the hour cometh when neither in this mountain that is in the false outward forms of Worship nor at Jerusalem that is the true outward forms of Worship they should worship the Father But the hour cometh and now is mark that now is then at that time it was that the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth and that because the Father seeketh such to worship him God being a spirit they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth or else it is no worshipping of him where the Spirit and the Truth is wanting because whom God seeketh
to worship him they and they onely are the acceptable Worshippers of God and God seeketh for those and onely those to worship him that worship him in spirit and truth It is not the outward places nor the outward form no not at Jerusalem nor the outward Worship commanded to be used there that God seeketh for it is the spiritual Worship done in the truth and in the sincerity of the heart that God seeketh for it is that and that onely that is well-pleasing to him which the outward forms of worshipping is not although never so exactly performed according to the Command of God yet if the Spirit of God which leads and guides into all truth be wanting the outward form is not acceptable to God nor sought for of God nor desired of God And where the Spirit of God is and is the Guide and Leader of them in his Worship although the outward form be wanting yet these are the true Worshippers of God and these are those that God seeketh for to worship him that is those that worship him in his Spirit and in his Truth that is in Jesus and all those that so worship him in the use of outward forms or without the use of outward forms Of all Nations and Kinreds and People and Tongues that worship him in his Spirit and in his Truth in Jesus which saves from sin by which Spirit they are guided and led thereunto to do it in the truth and sincerity of their hearts these are such as God seeketh for to worship him and are acceptable to God And of these John beheld the great multitude that no man could number standing before the Throne and before the Lamb clothed with white Robes and Palms in their hands crying with a loud voice saying Salvation to our God which came out of great tribulations having washed their robes and made them white in the bloud of the Lamb. And John did but hear of a hundred forty and four thousand of all the Tribes of Israel to be sealed for the servants of God And those were they that were in the outward form of Worship which had the Commandments writ in Tables of stone and had the Law and the Prophets written in Books without them and read among them without them every Sabbath-day And had the Oracles of God committed to them and to whom pertain the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and the service of God and the promises Whose are the Fathers and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came And yet of all the Tribes of the outward Israel there was but a hundred forty four thousand sealed for the servants of God I take notice and so I desire the Reader to take notice that the Tribe of Dan was left out there was none sealed of that Tribe that was a Serpent by the way to be the servants of God none of the subtile Serpents Tribe are sealed to be the servants of God And that was the reason why there was no more sealed of all the outward Tribes of outward Israel the Serpents Tribe was not sealed and the Serpents Tribe is those wherein the Serpent and his seed rule in the heart These being left out and not sealed for the servants of God of the Tribes of Israel was the reason there was no more sealed and it is the reason that there is no more sealed of all the Tribes that are in the several outward forms of outward Worship and that is that which makes their number so small that a man may easily number a hundred forty and four thousand And of the Gentiles all Nations and Kinreds and People and Tongues that have not known the subtilty of the Serpent tempting man in the outward forms of worshipping of God and also of those that have known the subtilty of the Serpent tempting them in outward forms of worshipping of God and have known a saving and being delivered out of those temptations of the Serpent by the life of Jesus in them and so are none of the Serpents by the life of Jesus in them and so are none of the Serpents Tribe nor are sufficing themselves nor can suffice themselves in that they are worshipping God in outward forms but are worshipping him in his Spirit and in his Truth that is in Jesus that saves them from sin Of all these that is of those that have not known the subtilty of the Serpent tempting them in outward forms and those that have known the subtilty of the Serpent tempting them in outward forms and have known a being saved and delivered out of his temptations There are a great multitude that no man can number standing before the Throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands crying with a loud voice saying Salvation to our God having come out of great tribulations and washed their robes and made them white in the bloud of the Lamb. Thus Jesus is a Light and a Saviour to those that never hear of that Jesus born of the Virgin Mary And now to return again to those that have heard of that Jesus born of the Virgin Mary and profess themselves Christians and have known something of the working of Gods Spirit in them and have known something what it hath been to be drawn or led forth by the Spirit of Jesus in them how far they may go and yet not know the birth of the Child Jesus in them that saves from sin nor the woman that was deceived and in the transgression to be saved out of the transgression by bearing the Child Jesus Man may by Jesus the Light in him be convinced of sin that it is the breaking of Gods Command and of the Judgment of God that is due to man for sin and he may be so far convinced in himself of sin and of Gods judgment for sin as that he may be brought to a repentance and sorrow for his sins and a desire to be kept from sinning and he may pray earnestly that he may be kept from sin and may set upon a reformation and do many things in obedience to God that he knew to be the will of God And this may be done from some stirrings or movings of the Spirit of Jesus in him and yet the Serpent self his own will deceive him in all this as I have experienced And that thus man may from the knowledge that he hath of this or that thing that he does know that in the doing thereof he doth that which is a breaking of the Command of God and for his so breaking of the Command of God Jesus the Light in him that makes known to him the breaking of Gods Command doth likewise make known to him what is due to him for his transgressions that is Death Hell or Damnation which man being afraid of and willing to escape and to escape the punishment that he apprehends to be due to him for his sins this makes him to repent of his sins and
Baptist and feared him knowing that he was a just and holy man and he heard him gladly and did many things yet because John reproved him for his beloved sin he put him into prison and afterwards cut off his head Mark 6. This is to be read within in the mystery Simon who by his Sorcery had bewitched the People being looked upon as the great power of God he believed Philip preaching and was baptized and continued with Philip wondring and beholding the miracles and signs that were done and offered to part with his money if for it he might have had the power of disposing the Holy Ghost yet his heart was not right in the sight of God but he was in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity Acts 8. This also may be read within in the mystery These both were under Johns dispensations the one of Preaching and the other of Water-Baptism and both in an outward yielding obedience to God Hymenia and Alexander they went further they put away Faith and a good Conscience which they could not have done if they had not first had Faith and a good Conscience and were gone so far as to make shipwrack of Faith and yet there was a hope of recovery of these 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. But it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame Heb. 6. 4 5 6. Here is a going a great way in the ways of God and a being in a high state and yet a possibility of falling when they are gone so far and are in that high state but if then they do fall it is impossible for them to be renewed again by Repentance and therefore what great need hath all to have a care and not to desire the forbidden Fruit that is to desire to know more of God than a desire to yield obedience to God in what they know of him and also to keep low and to have a low esteem of themselves in and under all the enjoyments of God and his manifestations or making known of himself in them and unto them and not to look upon any part of what they enjoy of Gods making known himself in them or unto them as their own but to look upon all their enjoyments as the Free Gift of God and given to them to be as an Help-meet for the life of the Son of God in them for the bringing them into the Image or likeness of the heavenly Adam I know no subtile Serpent no Satan no Tempter no Devil without me and therefore I can say nothing of a substile Serpent a Satan a Tempter or a Devil without me Those who do know a subtile Serpent a Satan a Tempter or a Devil without them they may declare their knowledge of that subtile Serpent of that Satan of that Tempter or of that Devil that they know without them and what works or actions they have known done by that subtile Serpent that Satan that Tempter oâ— Devil without them As I have declared my knowledge of the subtile Serpent the Satan the Tempter or the Devil within me their works or actions I would not be mistaken I do not say there is no more to be known of the Devil than what I have known of his works and actions within me that is as he is a subtile Serpent a Satan a Tempter or a Devil that is as much as to say he is all whatsoever it is in man that opposeth God and the work of God in man that is the Devil I know no more of him that is I have no experimental knowledge of him but onely as he opposeth God and the work of God in man But I read of other works actions or manifestations of the Devil in Scripture as that of Witches Wizzards familiar Spirits Divinations Inchantments which I know nothing of but onely as I read of them in the Scripture and of those possessed with Devils in the time that Jesus Christ lived in the Humane Nature upon the Earth as the man that came to him to have the Devil cast out of his child which did sometimes cast him into the fire and into the water and rent and tore him at the time of his casting out that he left him as if he had been dead And the man possessed with Devils that chains and fetters could not hold him cutting himself with stones and kept in tombs and had many Devils entred into him but of these I know nothing of experimentally but as something of the inward work of the Devil in man may be compared to these outward works or actions of the Devil but as to the outward works themselves I am altogether ignorant of them I onely know them as I read of them in the Scripture but having no experimental knowledge of them causes me to say I know no other subtile Serpent Satan Tempter or Devil but what I have found of his works and actions within me and I leave it to others that know the other works and actions of the Devil as without doubt some there be that now do know some of them to declare if they please what they know of them I know and do believe that evil men have evil Spirits or evil Angels that do attend upon them their works or actions I have seen of those evil Spirits or evil Angels within me but I never saw any of those evil Spirits or Angels without me and I also know and believe that good men as God hath again made them good by bringing forth his begotten Son Jesus in them they have good Spirits or good Angels attending upon them their works or actions I have seen of those good Spirits or Angels within me but I never saw any of those good Spirits or Angels without me I think that to be my duty that John said was his and others their practice in his time 1 John 1. 1 2 3. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life for the life was manifest and we have seen it and bear witness and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ I have read what the subtile Serpent said to the woman and what answer she gave the Serpent and how she yielded to the Temptation and I have read how the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came also among them
understood none of these things and the saying was hid from them neither understood they the things that were spoken Does any one believe that Jesus spake these true words and that he did not speak them by a true spirit but that it was a wrong spirit in Jesus that spake these words I say that if any one does believe that these true words spoken by Jesus were not spoken by the true spirit and if not spoken by the true spirit then they must be spoken by the false spirit They that do so believe I believe they will be ashamed to say that they believe that Jesus did not speak these true words by the true spirit and that he spake them by the wrong spirit And if Jesus did speak these words by the true spirit as that Jesus did speak them by the true spirit then see the falsity and deceit that is in the Argument that I have heard often and that by many used that because by the true words spoken they did not feel them to reach the witness of God the seed of God in them when they heard them spoken therefore it was that they believed the true words spoken were not spoken by the true spirit but by a wrong spirit By the same rule the Twelve might have judged that Jesus did not speak those true words and why because they understood none of these things and the saying of his was hid from them neither knew they the things that were spoken If they had felt these words of Jesus to have reached the witness of God the seed of God in them how then could it have been that they understood none of those things and his saying was hid from them neither knew they the things that were spoken if they had felt those true words spoken by Jesus by the true light and by him proved by Scriptures not onely by one Scripture but by many Scriptures by all things that are written by the Prophets concerning him if they had felt these words to have reached the seed of God the witness of God in them they would have understood something of those sayings they would not all have been hid from them they would have known something of what had been spoken but by this Scripture it is plainly proved that true words may be spoken by the true spirit and proved by many Scriptures and that too concerning Christs being put to death and by whom and the place where and of his rising again and when he rise And all these may be spoken of the inward work of God in the heart of men as the like I have known and yet the Witness of God the seed of God in the hearers have not been by them felt to be reached unto by the words so spoken none of the Twelve understood any of the things Jesus spake of I pray observe none of his hearers understood any of the saying he spake And so although they have understood the outward sound of the Words spoken as the Twelve did the outward Words spoken by Jesus yet the inward meaning of them the spiritual meaning of them as they are wrought asked and done in man may be hid from them and they may know nothing of those things spoken as to the Work of God in the heart and yet they may be spoken to such as the Twelve were or at least would be counted such as the Twelve were that is those that had the most familiar acquaintance with Christ who Jesus had sent forth to preach that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand and had cast out Devils in his Name And yet these did not know what Christs Death and Resurrection was neither understood they any thing of it when he spake of it to them And may there not be such in this knowing Age we live in that may for some years have been Disciples and followers of Christ in the flesh and have had a familiar acquaintance with him and have been sent to preach the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and have cast out Devils in his Name and yet have not known Christs Death and Resurrection nor have understood any thing of it when it hath been spoken of to them by those that have known the inward work of it wrought within them Luke 9. 44 45 46. Jesus said to his Disciples Let these sayings sink down into your ears for the son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men But they understood not the saying and it was hid from them and they perceived it not and they feared to ask him of that saying Then there arose a â—easoning among them which should be the greatest Mark the Scripture were not these true words spoken by Jesus and were they not spoken by the true spirit in him and were they not spoken to his Disciples his followers And yet these true words were spoken by Jesus and spoken by the true spirit in that person that never had sinned and they by the true spirit were called upon that those sayings should sink down into their ears and yet true words thus spoken by the true spirit in him that they had no just cause to speak evil of although some when they could not deny the truth of what he had said were so bold as to say to him Say we not well that thou art a Samaritane and hast a devil John 8. There is that have met with words to the like purpose when they could not deny the truth of what hath been spoken and yet these true words spoken by one whom there hath not been the like man upon Earth And yet they that heard him speak them and to whom they were directly spoken unto and called upon that 〈◊〉 words should sink down into their ears and yet they did not feel in them that these true words spoken by a man in whom the fulness of the true spirit dwelt bodily these words they did not feel that they reached the witness of God the seed of God in them because they understood not thaâ— saying it was hid from them they perceived it not How fully how plainly does the Scripture make out the deceivableness of that Argument That because when they hear true words spoken and they do not feel the witness of God the seed of God in them to be reached by these words therefore they that speak them must speak them by a wrong spirit Oh! the subtilty that the subtile Serpents self useth to deceive people in a form of Godliness perswading them that in the disobeying God in the looking upon the tree of Knowledge they shall be as Gods and so have a liberty to judge according to the putting forward of their own wills in them These true words were spoken by Jesus a man in whom the fulness of the true spirit dwelt bodily and by him called upon that those sayings should sink down into their ears which is more than onely to give them the hearing of them and yet for all this they did not
feel these words thus spoken to reach the witness of God the seed of God in them And it appeareth that it did not reach the witness of God the seed of God in them by that they understood not the saying and it was hid from them and they perceived it not which if they by these words spoken by Jesus had felt that it had reached the witness of God in them the seed of God in them they would have understood seen and perceived something of the meaning of what Christ had said What think ye who dare say that they think or believe that the Disciples the followers of Jesus to whom these words were spoken had done well if they had gone to Jesus and told him although they could not deny but that those words that he had spoken were true yet they questioned whether or no he spake them by the true and right spirit and the reason why they questioned and did not believe he spake them by the right and true spirit is this Because when they heard him speak those words they did not feel that those words spoken by him did reach the witness of God the seed of God in them Who dare so say that they think or believe the Disciples had done well if they should have gone to Jesus and used such an Argument to have perswaded Jesus that the words he spake were not spoken by the true spirit because they 〈◊〉 they heard them did not fell the witness of God the seed of God reached in them by Jesus true words when he spake them If such a light Argument as this had been sufficient to have proved that Jesus true words had not been spoken by a true and right spirit because his words when spoken did not reach to the witness of God the seed of God in those that heard him how much then of his words would then have been proved to have been spoken by the wrong spirit How little and how seldom do we read in the Scripture that those that heard Christ speak true words and that by the true spirit that the hearers of Jesus did feel the witness of God the seed of God reached in them by Jesus true words when he spake them And yet yow many times have I heard that used as an Argument and the onely Argument to prove that the true words spoken have not been spoken by the true spirit but spoken by the wrong spirit And why because those when they heard them they did not feel the witness of God the seed of God in them reached by those true words spoken but they have found something in them troubled and burdened when they heard those words spoken Jesus Disciples they did not understand the words spoken by him they being hid from them and they perceived them not and they feared to ask him of that saying that is they feared to ask him the meaning of that saying I shall not say they were afraid to ask the meaning of those true words that they judged to be spoken by a wrong spirit but this I can say they did not ask the meaning of them And the Disciples when they feared to ask him of that saying then there arose a reasoning among them which of them should be greatest they were more minding to be great and which of them should be greatest amongst them than to ask and enquire into the meaning of what Christ had said when he spake something of his Death and yet these were the Disciples and followers of Jesus Would it not be well it were not so now in this knowing Age that we live in That there were not more reasoning and a greater care taken to know which shall be greatest than there is a care taken and an enquiry made to understand the words of Jesus spoken concerning his Death Balaam who used Inchantments and loved the wages of Unrighteousness I do not find in all the Scripture that ever he was reproved for the true words that he spake that God put into him to speak Nor do I find that they were a burden or a trouble to any that heard him speak them unless it were to Balak and those with him that would have had Israel cursed and to them indeed Balaam's words were a burden and a trouble unto The hearing of the prosperity of the outward Israel the outward seed of God which was a Type of the inward seed of God this was a trouble and a burden to Balak and those with him that would have had the seed of God cursed And for persons in this knowing Age to be troubled and burdened with the hearing words spoken by one that did declare his knowledge of the inward seed of God to prosper in him and how he had known it set at liberty from the bondage of the subtile Serpent who had deceived him in an outward form of Godliness perswading him that in his eating of the forbidden tree he should be as Gods in knowledge that this his declaring of his experience of the prosperity of the inward seed of God in him and perswading others to have a care that they were not deceived by the subtilty of the Serpent as he had been that these words or words spoken to this purpose or effect should be a trouble or a burden to any Must not that which was burdened and troubled in them be the same spirit that was burdened and troubled in Balak and those with him when he and they instead of hearing Balaam to curse the outward seed of God that he blessed them altogether As God the true spirit changeth not but his Works Actions and Doings do agree and do not contradict one another in all Ages and Generations so the Serpent the lying and deceitful spirit changeth not but his works actions and doings do agree and do not contradict one another in all Ages and Generations and therefore it was the same spirit in those that were offended at the hearing of the true words spoken in making known the prosperity of the inward seed being set at liberty from the bondage of the subtile Serpent and warning of others to have a care of being deceived by the subtile Serpent I say it was the same spirit that was offended in them that was offended in Balak and those with him that he heard the Words spoken by Balaam when he declared the prosperity of the outward seed of God But I know an Objection or Argument may be made or raised although I never heard it made or raised yet I know it may be made or raised and that to this purpose That true words may be spoken by a wrong or evil spirit and such true words as the Scripture speak yea the very words of the Scripture and brought in for Scripture and brought in as a proof for what this wrong or evil spirit have been spoken to before And ought this wrong spirit or evil spirit be suffered in going on to speak these true words although words of Scripture or ought
pleased not himself and that he proves by Scripture that it was the duty of the strong to follow Christs example and that Christ did not please himself because it is written The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell upon me And then he tells them That what was written in the Scripture aforetime was written for them to learn I pray what is it that we should learn by the Scripture if we are not to learn thereby to follow Christs example in proving our works actions or doings by the Scriptures Was it not Christs practice to make use of the Scriptures to prove that what he did was according to Gods declared will made known by the Prophets and was it not the practice of the Apostle see for one place the afore-mentioned Scripture where the Apostle does not onely bring Scripture to prove what was his and the Saints duty for them to do but he also brings Scripture to prove that Christ did the same things that was written of him in the Scriptures that he should do and also that it was and is the duty of those that are Christs Disciples to follow him in what he therein did which was according to Gods declared will in the Scriptures that he should do And many other places of Scripture there be that Christ and his Apostles made use of the Scriptures to prove that what they did was agreeable to the will of God before declared by the holy men of God And I hope none will deny it in words and therefore I shall bring no more Scripture to prove that it was the practice of Christ and followed by the Apostles and yet these were such as had the same true light in ehem that gave forth the Scriptures And do any men think themselves better than Christ and the Apostles and that because the same true light that is in them that was in Christ and the Apostles and that therefore they ought not to bring their works actions and doings to the Scriptures to be tryed by them to see whether they be agreeable to the works actions or doings of the holy men of old done in them by that spirit that gave forth the Scriptures or whether they be agreeable to the will of God declared in the Scriptures by those holy men of old that was and is Gods will for us to obey him in The Apostle said Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning What were they written onely for the learning of the Apostles and those in that day And what were they not written for our learning now in this day of the shining forth of the light amongst us And to the same end that we through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures might have hope And have we not comfort and hope by bringing our works actions and doings to the Scriptures to try them by the Scriptures I say to try our works actions or doings by the Scriptures I do not say to try the true light that is in us by the Scriptures that is a falsity and deceit to speak after that manner but to try our works actions and doings by the Scriptures to see how agreeing they are to the works actions and doings of the holy men of God in those things that the Scripture make mention of that they were carried forth by the spirit of God the true light in them to do and also to try our works actions and doings by those things written in the Scripture that the holy men gave forth by the spirit of God in them the true light that is the duty for man to do according to the declared will of God Now as we bring our works actions or doings to this Touch-stone to be tryed by it and find that our works actions or doings are agreeable to what the holy men of old did in obedience to God and as they in obedience to God declared what was Gods will that man should obey him in I say as men thus bring their works actions or doings to the holy Scripture to be tryed by it whether they are agreeable to the works actions or doings that God by his spirit the true light wrought in the holy men of old that gave forth the Scriptures or agreeable to what God by the spirit of the true light gave in command to the holy men of old that man ought to do in obedience to God And when they have brought their works actions or doings to the Scriptures thus to be tryed and find them answerable and agreeing to the works actions or doings wrought by Gods spirit the true light in the holy men of old or answerable and agreeing to the works actions or doings given forth from God by the holy men of old for man to obey God in As they thus find their works actions or doings to be answerable and agreeing to and with the Scriptures so are the Scriptures a comfort and hope to them that as the holy men of God in old time did enjoy the love and favour of God in this life and more in the life to come as is made known in the Scriptures so if we with patience continue in our obedience by the help and assistance of the true light in us to God according to Gods declared will in the Scriptures God may and will do the like by us and for us as he did for the holy men of old And this Comfort and Hope I have and do now find in the Scriptures for some years before I heard of the name of a Quaker I by experience had found that the Letter of the Scripture killed and from that death that I was made serviceable of that I got by trusting in that knowledge that I had by the Letter of the Scriptures thinking by that knowledge to have eternal life it made me afraid to read the Scriptures for above a year fearing thereby I should be a means to hinder my self of that life that was to be had in and by the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures and I did declare that the Scriptures were not the Word of God but that was the Word of God by which all things were made but the Scriptures as they were given forth by the spirit of God as he moved the holy men to speak them so they were the words spoken by God And now I do give that honour to the Scriptures that Paul writ of 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. And from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works here is the right use that is to be made of the Scriptures they are able to make wise unto salvation but it must be through that faith that is in Christ Jesus it must be by believing that there is
a power in Christ Jesus the true light to save us and in that belief to yield an obedience to God in what God hath made known to us to be his will to obey him in In this faith manifested by obedience the Scriptures are able to make wise unto salvation and then as they are given by inspiration of God they are profitable for Doctrine whatever is taught ought to be agreeable to the Scripture and the Scriptures are profitable for reproof all reproof ought to be agreeable to â—â—e Scriptures and they are profitable for correction all correction ought to be agreeable to the Scriptures and they are profitable for instruction in righteousness all instruction in righteousness is agreeable to the Scripture that by this means the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto good works How is the man of God to be made perfect throughly furnished unto good works that is how is the man of God to know perfectly and throughly what are those good works that God requires of him to do Is it not by the knowing of them as God hath been pleased to make known what is his revealed will for man to obey him in as they are written in the Scriptures I speak this as Paul did of those that have the Scriptures as Timothy had and not of those that have not the Scriptures who by the true Light the power of them Divine Nature in them do those things that God hath written in his Law within them by which Law written in them as they yield an obedience to it God perfectly and throughly furnishes the unto good works according to his revealed will written within them This is to make the right use of the Scriptures and not to Idolize them on the one hand as if eternal life was to be had in them as did the Jews and as once I did nor to undervalue them on the other hand as some do who because the true Light is in them and the same true light is in all men and therefore they undervalue the Scriptures because that is in them that gave forth the Scriptures And they are all undervaluers of the Scriptures who refuse to bring their works actions or doings to the Scriptures to try them by the Scriptures whether those works actions or doings of them be the works actions or doings of Jesus the true Light in them Jesus and the Apostles proved their works actions or doings by the Scriptures that they were done by the true Light in them that is that they were done as God had declared to be his will that they should do as it is written in the Scriptures which the holy men spake as they were moved by the true light in them And if any ones works actions or doings be the work of the true Light Jesus in them then they are agreeable and like the works actions of the holy men who gave forth the Scripture as those holy men wrought acted or did by the working acting or doing by the same spirit in them that gave forth the Scripture or agreeable and like the works actions or doings that the holy men by the spirit the true Light in them declared to be Gods mind and will for man to do And those works actions or doings let them be done by whom they will although by such as think themselves equal with the Apostles whose works actions and doings are not answerable and agreeing to what the holy men of old was moved to write to be Gods will that man should obey him in written in the Scriptures I say that if their works actions and doings be not answerable and agreeing to what is written in the Scriptures that is Gods declared mind and will for them to do they may talk of what light they please that light in them if they will have it so called that leads them forth in the doing of any thing that is contrary and not answerable and agreeing to Gods declared will written in the Scriptures it is not the true light but if it may be called a light it is that knowing light or the light of knowledge that Satan himself is transform'd into and it is no great thing if his Ministers or servants work act or do by that light as I my self have done and have therein been deceived by the subtile Serpents self in me I have known much of the subtile Serpents selfs Temptations how he hath tempted me in the doing of what God hath forbidden me to do that thereby I should be in knowledge as Gods knowing good and evil It was Gods Command to Isaiah chap. 8. to bind up the Testimony and seal the Law among his Disciples and that people should seek to their God to the Law and to the Testimony If they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them In Isaiah's days when the Scriptures were less than they are now yet they were then to be bound up and sealed amongst Gods Disciples and people were then to seek to their God to the Law and to the Testimony and if they did not then speak according to this Word of the Law and Testimony then written in the Scriptures it was because there was no light in them that is to say they did not speak according to the movings of the true light in them for man cannot shut or keep out the true light from being in him The true light Jesus is and will be in man teaching him what is Gods will for him to do and so enabling of him to do Gods will if he will believe in the Name in the Power of this Jesus the true Light that there is a power in this light to save from sin if he will yield an obedience to it in leaving and forsaking the doing of that which this light in him tells him God hath forbidden him to do and if man will not yield obedience to this true light the spirit of God in him and thereby come to be saved from sin then this true light the Spirit of God will remain and abide in him judging and condemning of him for his disobedience to the Command of God and they cannot keep it out of them but it will be in them judging and condemning of them for their disobedience And so the true light may be said to be in those that speak not according to the Law and the Testimony of the Scriptures But the true light is not in them so as that they are brought into the obedience of the light and so it may be said not to be in them The light of the body is the eye if therefore thine eye be single the whole body is full of light but if thine eye be evil thy whole body shall be full of darkness If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness how great is that darkness Mat. 6. 22 23. While the eye of the understanding and knowing part in man is single that is alone and onely for God and
blameless as most had done for now I do know that it was the true Light Christ Jesus that was in me judging and condemning me for such outward sins from my being a very Child and I was kept from such sins as being afraid of Gods Justice that was made known to me to be due for such sins and yet not so kept but that the subtile Serpent sometimes prevailed over me And then when I had sinned how did I repent and mourn and humble my self and pray to God for forgiveness and set upon religious duties as I was then taught to gain the love and favour of God! until at last these Prayers these Mournings these Repentings these Fastings these Religious Perfâ—â—mances became the greatest sins in me and I apprehended Gods Justice and Judgments to be most due to me for these religious sins as I may so call them more than I did for any outward profane sins for God had made it known to me that it was the Serpent self in me that put me upon the gaining of understanding and knowledge to know what was Gods will that man should do thereby to be able to discourse of it amongst men and to be counted some body and also by that knowledge I thought to have eternal life And God made it known to me that my love was more to my self in those things that I did in obedience to him than it was from any true love that I had to God for if I could have escaped Gods Justice for sin I should have loved and delighted more in sinning than in obeying God And God made it known to me that it was my own will and that for ends that I had of my own that I did all that I did in gaining and desiring to gain knowledge of him and of his will And so much was I then grownd in pieces by the stone of the manifestations and making known of Gods Justice and Judgment dâ—e to me for my religious sins as I may so call them as that I was afraid to read and I dare not pray to God but sometimes would fall down upon my knees and sigh and grown but dare not speak a word nor dare not speak and discourse of things concerning God as formerly I had done nor keep no company with those that were thought to be godly persons as before I had done nor went to no outward form of Worship but sighed and mourned to my self but made no outward shew of it for fear I should play the Hypocrite And while I was in this state and condition what was it that I would not have given for one glympse or little beam of the making known of Gods love to me which when I was worshipping and serving God as I thought I was when in the Serpents subtilty in the understanding and knowledge that he had put me upon to gain and in the obedience that he had put me upon to do after my Prayers Mournings and Repentings and humbling of my self for my sins and my Promises and Vows made to God to do so no more then could I easily apprehend God to be a merciful God forgiving sins and trespasses and that God had a love to me But now when I saw that in all these religious duties as I then called them I found that to be true which often in words I had spoken That all our Righteousness was but as filthy ragâ— and as a monstruous Garment and that we sinned in the best of our duties and performances When I found this to be true indeed which I had so often in formality spoken then there remained in me nothing but a fear of Gods Justice and Judgments to follow me for my sin and especially for my religious sins for my mocking God in a seeming outward obedience to him in doing the outward things that I knew was his will for me to do but my heart was not upright to God my love was to my sin but for fear of his Justice I dare not commit the sin and so it was self-will self-love in me that carried me out in the doing all that I did in obedience to God And for these self-actions in me I most feared Gods Justice to fall upon me and that made me afraid to do or perform any of those religious duties and performances as I then called them And thus by the grinding-stone of Gods Justice was self in me in its three parts or properties that is in the understanding and knowing part in the desire love and affection and in the will which I in the Parable compare to the three measures of Meal being thus grownd and made fit for the Leaven of Gods love to be taken in by the woman in me The drawings or goings forth of the spirit of Jesus in me to save me from sin which now I know was all of his working and preparing although I did not then understand it to be the work of Jesus in me but now I know that it was the work of Jesus in me to cause me to deny my self to deny my self in that understanding and wisdom that the Serpent put me upon to learn to deny my self in my love and desire to the Creation and especially to that of self in me and to deny my self in my own will and especially in the doing of what then I called religious works or Worship done to God And while I lay thus grownd apieces I saw nothing in my self to recommend me to God nor saw nothing in my self why God should bestow any love upon me nor could I apprehend that there was any love in me to God as once I could and did apprehend that there was love in me to God when I was worshipping him in the Serpents wisdom in my own will Then I thought there was a love in me to God and would say so too and would have taken it very ill if any one should have told me that I did not love God And while I was in this sad and deplorable estate without apprehending any love in me to God or any love in God to me Now I do know that this was the work of Jesus the true Light in me working in me by his spirit to save me from sin and that not onely from the outward actions of sin but to save me from the love of sin And when he had thus prepared in me if I may so call them his three measures of Meal the Understanding and Knowing part in me the Desire and Love in me and the Will in me and made them fit for the woman the drawings the leadings and goings forth of the spirit of Jesus in me to take the Leaven to take the makings known of the Fathers love to me then he caused it to be so to me then he made known the Fathers love to me And the manner of it was thus It pleased him to bring into my mind the words of Manoah Sampson's Father and his Mother when they saw the Angel of the Lord to
the obedience done in man to God by that love of God which worketh the love in man by the making known of Gods love to man which begets a love in man to God by which love to God it is that man denies himself all self all that is of self in all the parts or properties of it And so in that denial of self he takes up the Cross to his own will And so as he is in the denying of himself and taking up of the Cross to his will to that will in him that is contrary to Gods will and would not that Gods will should be done in him And so as this Cross is taken up so are the manifestations or makings known of Gods Justice or Judgments in man and to man for his sins they are taken away from man There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8. 1. Mark there is no condemnation there is no manifestation or making known of Gods Justice or Judgments for sin to those that are in Christ Jesus to those who walk not after the flesh to those who walk not after the self-will that is in man but walk after the spirit of Jesus in man walk after that which saves man from sin from all sin and that not onely from the outward actions of sin but also the inward love and desire to sin I am by the assistance of the Light the spirit of Jesus in me endeavouring to be of Paul's mind Philip. 3. But what things were gain to me those things I count loss for Christ Yea and doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ And be found in him not having my own righteousness 〈◊〉 is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ Thâ—â— I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after if I may apprehend that for which I am also apprehended of Christ Jesus Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forth unto those things that are before I press forward towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal it even this unto you And thus have I as briefly as well as I could let you know my experience how man may deny himself and take up a Cross to self-will or mans own will and follow Jesus And I hope the reading of it will not burden the Witness or Seed of God in any although some have pretended that the hearing of me speak to this purpose hath burdened the Witness or Seed of God in them I shall speak something of the benefit that I know by experience that comes to man by yielding to Gods Will by having of our Wills resigned and given up into Gods Will as the Will of man was when God made him in his own Image by our having our Wills resigned and given up into Gods Will we do thereby make it appear that we be like Jesus which was conceived in the Womb of the Virgin Mary and so took the outward nature of man as God created man without sin in that nature of man or outward body of man the man Jesus the Divine Nature dwelt that is it took up its abode or being there it stayed it remained there and the dwelling or abiding of the Divine Nature in that outward body of the man Jesus was that which caused that outward body to do nothing but what was the Will of God for that body that it should do as in that body of Jesus he did declare and make known saying I do nothing of my self but as the Father hath taught me I speak these things Joh. 8. 28. He spake not of himself but the Father that sent him he gave him a Commandment what he should say and what he should speak and he knew his Commandment is life everlasting therefore whatsoever he spake it was even as the Father had said to him so he spake John 12. 49 50. And that the world may know that he loved the Father and as the Father gave him commandment even so he did John 14. 31. And when there was something that did rise or get up in that outward body of Jesus as the nature of man was in it that would not have had Gods will to have been done to that body which that body came to do which he called his Will Yet how did he pray to the Father that that will of his that was not willing to have that done to that body which that body came to do that that Will that he called his Will should not be done but that the Will that he called the Fathers Will should be done as you may read in Matthew Mark and Luke Now as we come to have our wills resigned and given up into Gods will so we make it appear that we be like Jesus that as he in that body that was of the nature of man had the Divine Nature to dwell in that body so we in the outward body that is in the Nature of man have the Divine Nature to dwell in us I do not say in that measure and fulness that the Divine Nature dwelt in that body for the fulness of the Divine Nature dwelt in that body and to say that the seme fulness dwells in our bodies I think to be Blasphemy But this I do say that as our wills come to be resigned and given up to the will of God so we make it appear that we be like Jesus that is as he was in that outward body in the nature of man and so had the Divine Nature to dwell in him so in these bodies of ours the Divine Nature dwells in us that is a measure of the Divine Nature to dwell in us as Christ is the Head and we the Members of that Body and so as every member of the outward body partakes in its measure of the same life that is in the head so it is in the spiritual or mistical Body of Jesus As we come to haue our wills resigned and given up into the will of God so we make it appear that we are members of that Body and that there is a measure of the same Divine Nature to dwell in us in these bodies of ours that dwelt in that outward Body of that outward Jesus and that according to the measure of the same Divine Nature dwelling in these bodies
to be spiritually worshipped and he accepts of no other Worship but what is the Worship of his own Spirit in man done from a principle of love to God And whatsoever Worship man in his will sets up because he would escape the Justice and Judgments of God for his sins is no Worship acceptable to God And this I do know that when men are in this Worship set up in their own wills to escape the punishment of God for their sins they say in their hearts as Jeroboam said outwardly of his Calves Behold thy gods that brought thee out of Egypt Behold this Worship that I in my will have set up or taken up to keep me from the apprehensions of Gods Justice and Judgments to me it hath delivered me it hath brought me out from that slavery and bondage that I was in under the apprehensions of the making known of Gods wrath Gods Justice and Judgments to me for my sins And now they set up an Altar to these the Calves that they have made that is their own outward obedience done in their own wills for their own ends and upon this Altar they offer their Sacrifices they offer their outward performances of their outward religious duties or their outward service in the worship of their Calves in worshipping and bowing down to that outward form of Worship that in their wills they have set up thereby to escape Gods Justice and Judgments that they apprehend to be due to them for their sins And although for a time they may hereby patch up a peace to themselves yet it is no more lasting to them than Adam's Aprons made of Fig-leaves were lasting to him for as soon as he heard Gods voice walking in the garden although in the cool of the day he was afraid and hid himself And so it will be with them as soon as they hear the voice of God speaking in the garden in their hearts saying Adam where art thou Man where art thou Art thou worshipping me in my Spirit in my Truth in my Jesus that saves thee from sin and that not onely from the outward actions of sin but from the love and desire to sin Man where art thou art thou in this Worship or art thou in a Worship set up in thy own will to escape the punishment that is due to thee for thy sins and yet in thy heart thou love and delight in sin as much as ever thou didst Man where art thou And when this day comes as that it will certainly come then their outward form of Worship set up in their own wills for their own ends to escape the apprehensions of Gods Justice and Judgments to them for their sins will do them no more good than Adam's Aprons of Fig-leaves covered his nakedness and hid him from Gods Justice for his sin but they will be as open and lie as naked to the manifestations of Gods Justice and Judgments to them for their sins as if they had never had any outward form of Worship I having had experience how subtilly the Serpent works twisting and turning himself about in the heart of man the garden of God in man upon the Tree of knowledge and when he sees he cannot keep man from being in some outward form of Worship and thereby be kept from running into outward sins and evils as once he had done whereby the manifestations and making known of Gods Justice and Judgments seize so upon man for his sins as that man knew not how to bear it then the Serpent willingly let man in his will to set upon an outward form of Worship thereby to take off the fierceness of the manifestation and making known of Gods Justice and Judgments that he once lay under for sin And the subtile Serpent cares not what outward form of Worship it is that man in his will will set up to worship in so that he can but keep alive in him the love to those sins that he outwardly leaves and forsakes And because he is afraid of Gods Justice for the committing of those sins man may make the outside as clear as he will as did the Pharisees if the inside be but foul if the love do but still remain to the sins or to any one sin the Serpent rather than he will wholly lose his Kingdom he will content himself if he can but rule and raign in the inward love to sin although it be but to one dearly beloved sin I also knowing the readiness and the proneness that is in man to yield to the subtilty of the Serpent and for his own ends for his own preservation to be kept from being killed or slain by the Justice of God as it was with Jeroboam when he set up his Calves which he did for his own preservation to be kept from being killed 1 Kings 12. 27. Man to be preserved and kept from the Justice and Judgments of God for sin he sets up and sets upon an outward form of Worship and such an outward form of Worship as that he thinks that God will be best pleased in And in this Worship he sets up his Altar of outward self-obedience to God and upon this Altar he offers his Sacrifice of an outward observance and that very strictly too of all and every of those things that are outwardly required or desired in that outward form of Worship that in his will he sets or takes up And in this his offering of his Sacrifice of a strict and devout observing and fulfilling of all and every of those things that are outwardly required and desired in that outward form of Worship which in his will he sets up and upon the Altar set up by him of his outward self-obedience to God In this man satisfies pleases and contents himself as Jeroboam did with his Calves instead of the true Worship of God which is to worship him in his Spirit and in his Truth in his Jesus in that which saves from sin and that not onely from the outward actions of sin for fear of the punishment but this Worship of God that is done in Spirit and in his Truth in his Jesus in that which saves from sin there is in this Worship a knowing of a being saved from the love to sin as well as a being saved from the outward actions of sin I say I knowing and having experienced how man thus by the subtilty of the Serpent is ready to set up a Worship to himself as Jeroboam did instead of the true Worship of God and upon the Altar set up by himself of self-obedience to God and there upon that Altar to offer his Sacrifices of a strict and devout doing and performing of all and every the outward things that is required or desired in that outward form of Worship and thereby and therein to please satisfie and content themselves as if they were worshipping God in his Spirit and in his Truth in his Jesus that does not onely save from the outward acts of sin but saves
from the root of sin from the love to sin God caused me to cry out against this Altar of self-obedience to God and against the Sacrifices offered upon it to please satisfie and content themselves in a strict observing doing and performing of all and every the outward things required in the outward Worship that they did set up as Jeroboam did and neglected the true Worship of God and neglected the Worship of God in his Spirit and in his Truth and in that which doth not onely save from sin in the act but from sin in the love of it And in telling them the danger that would follow and befal such a Worship as I had experienced and if any of them had set up such a Worship not charging any particular person with so doing but declaring what I knew of the subtilty of the Serpent putting man upon so doing and the danger that they were in who were in such a Worship And where is there a Meeting that there is no such Worshippers in But that all and every person that belongs to the Meeting are such and onely such as are worshipping God in his Spirit and in his Truth in his Jesus that does not onely save them from the outward actions of sin but from the love and desire to sin And those that are not thus worshpping God in his Spirit and in his Truth in his Jesus in that which saves from sin and not onely saves from outward sins taken notice of by men to be sins but saves from the root of sin from the love to sin Let them be what they will be and think of themselves as highly as they will and be never so highly esteemed of by others yet I must once more tell them whatsoever outward Worship it is that they profess it is but a Worship that the subtile Serpent puts them upon and they are with Jeroboam making of Calves and saying in their hearts these be the gods that have saved thee from that bondage and slavery that once they were under by and for their outward sins and all that they are doing in that Worship is but an offering Sacrifice upon that Altar that they have set up of self-obedience to God I shall not say that upon my thus crying out against this Altar of self obedience to God and the Sacrifices offered thereon that King Jeroboam put out his hand and said Lay hold on him but this I can say that he that looked upon himself as the chief man in the Meeting and was so esteemed of by others he often when I was speaking to the purposes aforesaid would rise up and go out of the Meeting and the rest of the Meeting would follow him I shall not say that he had done as Jeroboam did make Calves for his own safety to preserve his life and was offering Sacrifice upon the Altar of Self-obedience and therefore with Jeroboam could not indure to hear his Altar to be cry'd out against but the Tree is known by its fruit Some others although they followed his example of going out of the Meeting yet they shew something more of the following of Christs Command than he did and they would come sometimes and speak to me about my speaking which I always gave them mild and very gentle answers as I know none of them dare say to the contrary and although they had nothing to say against what I spoke but that my words were true nor had they any thing against my Life and Conversation they could not deny but that I lived as blameless as any of them But the great thing they had to say against my speaking was because my words did not reach the witness of God in them or the seed of God in them as they called it but when I spake there was something in them that was troubled and burdened and therefore they put out their hands to lay hold on me dâ—siring me to speak no more And by what spirit it was that they spake thus to me I have here already declared in declaring in what spirit it was that Peter rebuked Jesus in for speaking what was true and how Jesus words were a trouble and a burden to a will that opposed Gods will in Peter and the rest of the Twelve and so shall say no more of it now From this great disturbance my speaking to the aforesaid purposes had made to that will in them that could not endure to hear true words spoken in declaring and making known the subtilty of the Serpent how he kept up his Kingdom in man in and under an outward form of godliness of being like God when he disobeys God in that he does not worship him in his spirit and in his truth in his Jesus as he perswaded man at first and thereby caused him to fall telling him by disobeying God he should be as Gods This did so disturb burden and trouble that will in them that when there came any to the Meeting that day that they were willing to hear them speak words that many times if I did while such were there when none was either speaking or praying yet if I began to speak a few words then one or other of them would either stand up and fall a speaking or fall down upon their knees and pray or else go out of the Meeting and so break up the Meeting and so they put out their hands against me saying Lay hold on him Yet amongst all these that did put forth their hands against me there was never any one of them that would begin a discourse with me concerning my speaking no not one of them and yet I constantly when the Meeting was ended followed them to the aforesaid chief mans house whither they constantly went and there stayed till they went from thence if they went from thence that night I saw their going away and if they stayed there all night then I stayed there until they were about going to supper And sometimes I would begin the discourse with them to know why they dealt so by me but I received very pitiful answers from them sometimes they would say they thought I had done speaking because I did not follow on to speak so fast as some do and sometimes I had this answer that if any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by the first was to hold his peace and therefore when they began to speak I was to hold my peace indeed I did so because I would beget no disturbance but that is not the meaning of the Scripture but the meaning of the Scripture is quite contrary for if any thing be revealed to one that sitteth by the first is to hold his peace before he that had any thing revealed to him was to begin to speak or else how could they all Prophecy one by one and it was the practice of the Apostles as you may read Acts 15. And it is the constant practice amongst them that the one leaves speaking before the other begins but so
me But so it hath pleased the infinite wise God to leave their failings weaknesses infirmities or miscarriages and not onely theirs but others of his faithful Servants in writing and now in print not to the end to be as Examples for us to follow but to be as Warnings for us to have a care that we by the subtilty of the Serpent do not fall as they did for they and we stand and are saved by all one and the same Faith in the same Jesus and what is written is written for our Instruction and Learning And I know that the same Spirit that will blame me for making so publick the dealings of Friends by me will also blame me for medling with the failings weaknesses infirmities or miscarriages of the Twelve as it did in some Friends for speaking of the failings of Job who although perfect and upright and how patiently he bore what God suffered Satan to afflict him with yet his patience did not always continue the same for if it had he would never have cursed the day of his birth c. I made but use of this in my speaking in the Meeting to shew what great need we all had to stand upon our watch lest at any time we be overcome by the subtilty of the Adversary and this gave such an offence that I was by two counted no small Friends at two several times rebuked for mentioning Job's failings And therefore I expect no other but by the same Spirit I shall be sentenced and judged for my making so publick the dealings of those called Friends or Quakers to me or rather to that which was of Jesus in me but if they do I know by what Spirit it is that they so judge and censure me That it is not by the spirit of God for the example of the spirit of God I follow it is the example of God by his spirit in Matthew and Luke to make publick in writing the dealings of the Twelve by Jesus It is the example of God by his spirit in Paul to make publick in writing Peter's not walking uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel but dissembled It is the example of God by his spirit in the holy men of old that gave forth the Scriptures to make publick in writing the failings of the best of his Servants as of Noah Abraham Lot Moses David Job and others And therefore I shall conclude with the words of Jesus Mat. 10. 24 25. The disciple is not above his master nor the servant above his lord It is enough for the disciple that he is as his master and the servant as his lord if they have called the master of the house Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of the houshold I have forborn the mentioning of any Name or Names and so I shall unless I hear what I have written be contradicted or the truth of it questioned and then I may not onely name the Names of the Persons but the Places where they either spake or did what I have herein mentioned READER WHosoever thou art that shall read what I have writ if upon the reading of what I have writ of the dealings of some of those called Quakers to me thou shalt therefore judge or think the worse of the Truth those called Quakers own and believe in that is of the true Light in them which Light is Jesus that came to save his People from their sins and that Jesus who is the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World it is onely he and there is none other that can save any one from their sins and the way that they own that God is to be worshipped in by this Jesus the true Light in them is to worship him in his Spirit and Truth That evil Spirit that would lead thee or cause thee upon the reading of what I have writ to judge or think the worse of the Truth owned and believed by those called Quakers and of the way owned and believed by them that God is to be worshipped in because of the dealings of some of them to me the same evil Spirit upon the same ground may lead thee or cause thee to judge or think the worse of Jesus and of the way that he declared that God the Father was to be worshipped in and that because of the dealings of the Twelve by him as I have in what I have writ mentioned of their dealings by Jesus as that they did not believe all that he said to be true nor did they always understand the truth spoken by him but by Peter he was rebuked for speaking the truth and all of them did contradict him in his speaking the truth saying to him That should not be done to him and that by them that he had said should be done to him and that by them as when he told them they should be all offended because of him that night and so offended as to be scattered and forsake him and as he said they should therein deal by him so they did deal by him although they had all said they would not deal so by him And moreover there was one of the Twelve that for the love he had to money betrayed him and sold him to them that he knew sought for him to take away his life Thus much you may read in the Scriptures of the dealings of the Twelve by Jesus And therefore I do say that the same evil Spirit that would have thee to judge or think the worse of the Truth that is owned and believed by those called Quakers of their worshipping God in Spirit and Truth because of what I have writ that some of them have done to me The same evil Spirit upon the same ground may cause thee to judge and think the worse of Jesus and of the truth that Jesus preached because of what the Twelve did to him that thou mayest read written in the Scriptures God knows and bears me witness that why I make mention of their dealings to me is to do what I believed I ought to do thereby to make known what knowledge and acquaintance man may have of Jesus in the flesh and yet not know Jesus in his Death and Resurrection as the Twelve who had the most knowledge of him and acquaintance with him in the flesh and were sent by him to preach and cast out Devils and yet knew him not in his Death and Resurrection And therefore man may go a great way in an outward form of Worship and in an outward following of Jesus and yet not come fully to know what it is to deny himself daily and take up his Cross to all self and be a Follower of Jesus in the Spirit As the Twelve although they followed him in the flesh and so had the most acquaintance with him yet they had not in that time of their knowing of him and following of him in the flesh so fully learned that Lesson of self-denial and taking up of the daily Cross to their own wills as they learned it when they knew his Death and Resurrection in themselves and followed him in the Spirit And as Paul said They knew no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Oh how subtilly the Serpent self in man can and does act in an outward form of worshipping God tempting man in that knowledge and understanding that he hath of God to eat of the forbidden Tree that he might thereby be as Gods I do therefore beseech the Readers to have a great care that they be not deceived by the Serpents subtilty therein as I do know he hath formerly deceived me And also I do beseech them not to answer the desires of the subtile Serpent or Tempter in them as to judge or think the worse of the Truth the true Light in man or of those called Quakers because of some ill dealings done by some of them to Henry Abbut FINIS