in earth this is the Son that hath set me free will keep me free every particular measure of this sweet power of God are so many particular Angels of light or manifestations of love sent from the father to be my keeper Well I only mention this experience that men may prize Gods teachings more then they have and to be afraid of mens teachings when Gods is wanting for truly the most glorious Preacher or professor of literal gospel either are or will prove the subtilest hypocrites if this power of God be not their strength and life for without God we can do nothing and by him we are able to do all things Some truths I shall here write which brought along with them much life and peace into my heart when God sent them down into me or rather when he took me up into them and caused me to behold and feed upon the glory of them But I do not write to teach any one my words to be their knowledge for what I know I speak and leave it upon the spirit of the Reader that if he finde the same workings of God in him his joy may be confirmed by a witnesse and so fulfilled that more hands may be lifted up together to set the Crown upon our God and that more mouths may be opened to sing Alleluia and prayses of honour to our Father and to the Lamb for evermore It is very possible that a man may attain to the literal knowledge of the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles and may speak largely of the History thereof and draw conclusions and raise many uses for the present support of a troubled soul or for the restraining of lewd practises or for the direction of a civill conversation and yet both they that speake and they that hear may be not only unacquainted with but enemies to that Spirit of truth by which the Prophets and Apostles writ For it is not the Apostles writings but the spirit that dwelt in them that did inspire their hearts which gives life and peace to us all And therefore when the Prophets Jeremiah Ezekiel and Isaiah spake what they saw from God they spake thus saith the Lord out of experience of what they saw and felt and they were called true Prophets But when others rise up that spake their words and writings and so applying them to another age and generation of men saying Thus saith the Lord as the other did yet they were called false Prophets because they had seen nothing themselves from God but walked by the legs and saw by the eyes of the true Prophets for God doth not threaten death to every City in every age of the world as to Sodome and Gomorrah neither captivity to every people as he did to Israel under Nebuchadnezar in Babylon neither doth he promise victory and deliverance to every Army or people from enemies as he did to Israel in Jehosaphats time Now if any man speak and assure others of victory when God purposes destruction or speaks of destruction when God purposes a victory these men speak at random and though they speak the very words of the scriptures yet they speak not the minde of him that gives life or destroys and so having seene nothing from him they are to be reckoned among false Prophets that run before they be sent though their words be many and eloquent A man may know the scriptures as they are written yet a stranger yea an opposing enemie to the God of the Scriptures as the Jews were they knew the writings of Moses who writ of Iesus Christ yet they persecuted and killed Iesus Christ when he who was the great Prophet was come because they knew him not for if they had known him to have bin the great power and wisdom of God they would not have killed him And so many now a dayes do and may know the Scriptures of the Gospel and yet may and do persecute the spirit of the Gospel through ignorance and unbelief truly friends it is not the knowledge of the Scriptures only but the knowledge of the God of the Scripture as God is pleased to make known himself by his Almighty working to you that gives life and peace to you if you know or can speak of Scriptures and have seen nothing of God you are like Parats that speak the words of another as you have been taught by humane education But if the same anointing or power and wisdom of God dwell and rule in you as did appear in the Prophets and Apostles that writ then you can see into that mysterie of the Scripture which is God manifest in flesh and so can speak the minde of the Scriptures though you should never see hear nor reade the Scriptures from men If your peace and comfort in God should only remain with you while you are either hearing or reading Scriptures or while you have the society of such as can speak or discourse thereof and then finde again that your comfort and peace is gone when you are deprived by any occasion of that society of Saints truly let me tell you that though you prize and know the Scriptures yet there is a great strangnesse between you and the God of the Scriptures It hath been such a time with me and I see it is thus with others at this very day let them enjoy outward hearing reading and liberty in prayer and Saints communion and they are in peace and they live in heaven as they conceive and it is a sweet life but it is not The life for if the wisdom of God hedge up all those enjoyments with Thornes and leave these poor souls alone as it was Christs case all forsook him and fled and left him alone to stand in the midst of enemies why truly here is your tryall for God hath denyed you the opportunities of hearing reading praying Saints fellowship doth not your heart now look after those helps mourn in their absence If so as I know it is with you then where is your knowledge experience and your peace in and with God it shews plainly that at such a time we sucked refreshment from the creatures breasts but not from God Or further when you have all opportunities to hear to read to pray and to communicate with Saints in their society and yet if God deny you peace and life under all this enjoyment then you begin to mourn to see your barrennesse and condition like a fruitlesse Fig-tree or ruinous Wildernesse which is well it is thus with you God will have you lie here for a while under this bondage before he give you liberty and if it be thus with you as I know it is then where is your rest and peace in God for truly God will take up his people into such a height of glory that he will make them lie down in rest and peace in him when no visible help or means appear when there is
gave consent and so eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evill even his own selfe and imagination The same whisperings of flesh appeared in the humane nature Jesus Christ for he was thereby inticed to dislike that condion his father had put him in for first he was moved to murmur against the father as though his father were carelesse of his son in letting him fast forty dayes and forty nights and so the flesh would have had Christ to have waited no longer on his father but to Command those stones to become bread But Christ rejected that inticement Then the flesh begins to move him to presume upon his fathers protection that is to cast himselfe down from the pinacle of the Temple upon this conceit that he was the son of God this is an unreasonable attempt even mere confusion as all the wisdome of the flesh is But Christ rejects this likewise Then the flesh intices him to Convetousness and vaine glory after the things of the world and told him that if he would cease waiting upon the fathers providence and follow the imaginations of the flesh all the glory of the world should be his for the imagination of the flesh thinks it can compasse any thing by its own wit and policy But Christ rejects this likewise and because he was the son he delighted to obey and to wait upon his father and was content with his condition his father had put him in so that here was whisperings of unbelief whisperings of pride and whisperings of covetousness and vaine glory all which are the fruits of the flesh But Jesus Christ gave no consent thereunto as Adam the first man did but stil kept close to his father sinned not so that here was the divell the motions and imaginations of the flesh the father of lies that tempted Adam and slew him And here was the same divell that tempted Christ for he did partake of flesh and was tempted in all things like unto us But Christ slew him and cast him out of heaven humane flesh and therefore this Anoynting is said to be the earnest of our Inheritance that as this power of God did dwell in Jesus and trod the divell the father of lies the fleshy imagination under his feet so that he killed him that killed Adam and us in him even so the same power in the fathers times and seasons will bruise the same Serpents head in every son and daughter of Adam and tread them under his feet in them But till such time as Christ hath finished this great mysterie there is will be troublers in this flesh our bodies for the risings up of a mans own concupiscence will trouble him and the flaming sword the dispensations of the righteous law laying hold thereupon will affright and terrifie the enslaved creature and raise mountains of miserie against him and so from hence comes all those horrors within a man and all those alterations and hurly burlies in the world upon mens estates families and persons as we see befell Iob which losses and miseries to Iob were the breakings forth of a righteous law upon Iob tempered by the wisdome of God not for Iobs hurt or the Devills good but for Iobs liberty and peace with God and for the devils utter shame and distruction Well in all your troubles I could wish you could look upon the hand of God that smites and not upon the Devill at a distance from God as I have done and I know you do for when God is pleased to open your eyes as to see that it is he that smites affrights torments shakes kingdoms families estates persons through the power of his righteous law which all flesh have gone astray from and which the power of darkness even the imagination of your proud flesh stil flashes against I say if the father please to let you see this then that which you call devill will appeare to be in you his power wil appear to your sight you will see that by the power of the Anointing the law of love and by no other power you will must be set free from the devil in short time For first the Father doth quicken and awake you and then he takes away the flaming sword causes the creature that was lost to come into him and to taste and eat of him who is the tree of life and so to wait upon him and live for ever The Apostle Paul saith it is the letter that kils but the Spirit gives life that is the strictnesse of a righteous Law being broken by the creature it kils the creature for this is the flaming sword that turns every way upon the thoughts words and actions of the sinner presenting nothing but wrath misery and death in the inward sight of the minde But now the Spirit the Law of love this quickens and unites the Father and his creature again and makes them one This Spirit doth burn up and cast away the flesh and that enmity and it casts the dispensation of wrath out of Gods hand and so removes that enmity likewise And now God appears not in anger as an enemy and his Declarations are not in terms of killing and bruising and making the creature grone under misery affrightings and death But he appears in manifestations of love peace and fatherly oneness Now all the clouds and storms are blown over and the love of the father shines bright and hot upon the soul making it fruitfull in love joy and peace in humility obedience and delight in God now the troubler or devill is cast out and goes and there is a onenesse of life peace liberty and joy between God and his creature Wel this may be a burthen to some to heare me thus speak but to you that the son hath given liberty to I am confident it will drop a pretious favour into your spirit CHAP. IV. A poor soule that lies under bondage before the father sets him free is troubled in a two-fold sence both which are the fruits or effects of the righteous law which hath first slaine the creature by taking advantage of disobedience and then holds him under the bondage of that death till the law of love swallow up the murtherer and set the creature free First the poor enslaved creature is tossed with many troubles within his own spirit which no man sees but himselfe such as these sometimes he cannot pray then he is troubled when he doth pray he either misplaces his words or he hath been too long or too short or some self-praysing thoughts arise and then he is troubled he cannot understand nor speak what is in his heart and when he findes himself able to speake then memory fayles him and then he is troubled when people do not regard him for his preaching and praying then he is troubled when others tell him that he must cease praying and preaching and self-acting and wait upon the Father for his pure teaching
actings breathings of your soules is within the center of the same spirit in which the man Jesus Christ lived acted and breathed If you live in the flesh that is if you be subject to the powers of the flesh within you then you believe in the flesh and bring forth the fruit of the flesh which is self-conceit covetousness envy pride hypocrisie and the like But if you live in Christ that is in that mighty and spirituall man of truth then you believe in him and bring forth the fruit of the spirit which is love joy peace humilitie obedience sincerity and the like If Jesus Christ that mighty King rule in you he will check and condemne every unrighteous thought as well as extravagant words and loose actions though no other man see and know your secret wickednesse but your selves and he will speake peace and Justifie you within when your flesh in any things is subject to him though you are hated slandered and mightily oppressed by the injustice of others But if King-flesh rule then you go on in secret and open wayes of unrighteousnesse with greediness and delight and have no checks within at all Now the strong man of sin keeps the house your bodies and every thing enjoyes a seeming peace within you But this is not the peace nor the liberty but a fore runner of great torment in the day of Judgment that is when the Judge the King of righteousness shall appeare to sit upon the throne within you judging and condemning this serpent or man of sin within you and so bruising his head that you who have been and are pisoners thereunto may live in the light peace of the father so set at liberty from bondage assure your selves you that glory in flesh you shall not go scot-free you shall be cast into the everlasting burnings as well as others and tryed in that fire as gold in the furnace And this fire is the father himself into whom when any creature fals he burns up the drosse in the creature which is the curse that came in through unrighteousnesse which is all the imaginary glory of the flesh and so makes man to appeare and stand bright before him you cannot burne away the drosse but the gold must suffer the heat of the fire the father cannot consume the serpent the man of sin out of my body but I that have been incorporated into that nature of the serpent must needs suffer paine this drosse and gold in man is so mixed together that nothing can separate them but the fiery orb which is the father himselfe that tries all things And here likewise lies a great delusion within mankinde you call the father your God and the word God is much in your mouths but here you deceive your selves for you know not the father to be your God nor Lord neither can you call him your God till you see and feele by experience that he rules and governs in you and that your proud and coveteous flesh stoopes and is made subject to him When the spirit within you doth command your flesh in rightousnesse and will not suffer frowardness covetousness pride hypocrisie and the like to arise and act but presently checks and condemns and shames you you can then speake in experience that the father who is the mighty governour is your God and your Lord for the powers of your poysoned flesh are made suctject to him But so long as King-flesh raignes doth act pride envy covetousness hypocrisie unrighteousnesse within you then he that you call God is the devill that cursed serpent or poysoned flesh even the power of darkness is your God and you cannot say the father is your God for if you do you deceive your self you are subject to the devill you are not subject to the father He that looks for a God without himself and worships God at a distance he worships he knows not what but is led away and deceived by the imaginations of his own heart which is Belzebub the great Devill but he that looks for a God within himself and submits himselfe to the spirit of righteousnesse that shines within this man knows whom he worships for he is made subject to and hath communitie with that spirit that made all flesh that dwells in all flesh and in every creature within the globe And this is the law and the testimony even the law of the spirit of righteousnesse within and testimony of the spirit within a man when a man can say I see feel and know that my flesh is in part subject and is daily subjecting to the great power that dwels in the whole creation what I heare another man speak or write it is nothing to me till I finde the same experience within my self this is the law and testimony of Jesus and if any man speak not according to this rule it is because there is no knowledge in him not in the booke of scriptures which is another mans testimony and the testimony of others is known to be a truth by the testimony of the same spirit within your self and no other way whatsoever There is one scripture hath been often laid before me by others and I knew not the meaning of it if I went about to studie or imagine the meaning I was lost presently and trouble took hold upon me Well after I found the spirit of contentednesse to come with power and made me quiet within so that I said within my self let my father give me the knowledge of this or any other truth or deny me the knowledge of it his will be done I can know nothing till he teach me therefore I will lie down before him and wait with a quiet spirit upon him I say I was no sooner brought into this waiting frame of spirit not only this but divers other truths was and I can almost say daily is given into me from the father to the abundant satisfaction of my soul The scripture is this Mat. 8. 28. where the two men that were possessed with devills cryed out to Jesus Art thou come to destroy us before the time I deny not the history but that there were two men really filled and tormented with devils or distempers which is the curse in mankinde and that at the Command of Christ those troublers in them went into the heard of swine and the swine ran into the sea and perished there But now the matter in this history settles peace within my spirit as it is shewed unto me and that is this By the two possessed is pointed out to me First the earth mankinde by reason of his unrighteousnesse is filled with thornes and bryers that is with troublesome distempers of all sorts which are called devills or serpent or the curse of the earth or the wicked man that sowes tares in Gods vineyard mankinde so that here is mankinde or flesh full of troublers or devills distempering the creation for do but crosse
that can be given him For it is Reason that made all things and it is Reason that governs the whole Creation and if flesh were but subject thereunto that is to the spirit of Reason within himself it would never act unrighteousnesse for if rash froward and mad anger rise up in a man and makes him walk according to the hasty violence of that Devill now he is said truly to be an unreasonable man or a man that is not subject to Reason But if Reason be King in a man then he moderates the man both within and without so that he may be truly said to be a reasonable man or a man subject to reason and so a profitable man amongst his fellow creatures For let reason rule the man and he dares not trespasse against his fellow creature but will do as he would be done unto For Reason tels him is thy neighbour hungry and naked to day do thou feed him and cloath him it may be thy case to morrow and then he will be ready to helpe thee VVhen the Curse in flesh moves a man to oppresse or deceive his neighbour or to take away his rights and liberties to beat or abuse him in any kinde reason moderates this wicked flesh and speaks within Wouldest thou be dealt so by thy self Wouldest thou have another to come and take away thy Goods thy Liberties thy Life No said the flesh that I would not Then saith Reason Do as thou wouldest be done unto and hereby the envious and covetous and proud flesh is killed and the man is made very Moderate And this spirit of Reason is not without a man but within every man he needs not run after others to tell him or teach him for this spirit is his maker he dwels in him and if the flesh were subject to him he should finde daily teaching thereform though he were alone and saw the face of no man And truly let me tell you That you cannot say the spirit is your God till you feel and see by experience that the spirit doth govern your flesh for if Envy be your Lord that rules your flesh if Pride and Covetousnesse rule your flesh then is Envy Covetousnesse or Pride your God If you fear men so greatly that you dare not do righteously for fear of angering men then slavish fear is your God If rash anger govern your flesh then is anger your God If Uncleannesse rule in you that is your God Therefore deceive not your selves but let reason work within you and examine and see what your flesh is subject to for whatsoever doth govern in you that is your God If the curse in the flesh govern you then the devill is your God and you are servants to him for the curse is the devill But if your flesh be subject to the spirit within it which is Reason and which made the flesh then is the Father your God and you may lawfully call him your God for you know now what you speak and that your words are words of experience but if you act contrary to reason you act like a beast and not like a man according to his creation for by his creation he is made Lord of all creatures and therefore the spirit dwels supreamly in him but when he follows the way of the flesh then he acts like a beast below the creation of a man and so hath lost the honor of his creation CHAP. VI THere be three Scriptures that were brought to me and the light that shined forth gave much strength to my soul I shall only mention them and then conclude The first is Rev. 9. 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the green grasse of the earth neither any green thing neither any tree but only those men that have not the seal of God upon their fore-heads and these were not to be killed neither but that they should be tormented five moneths by those Locusts that came out of the smoke that rise up out of the bottomlesse pit that was now opened or made manifest what it is By green grasse and trees that were not to be hurt were shewed to me to be the tender sons and daughters that Christ hath newly called out of the earth to grow up towards him And likewise the tender plants of divine life that Christ had planted in that tender earth As love branching out into hungering and thirsting after righteousnesse and this tender green grasse nor the earth whereupon is grows is not hurt for in the midest of any trouble whatsoever the breathings of love after the father in hungering and thirsting after him is still kept alive in the tender soule And why must not these be hurt Why because these have the seal of the spirit upon them as tender plants as such as are dear unto him I but pride envy covetousnesse hypocrisie and the earth upon which these and such like weeds grow are to be tormented and why because they have not the seal of the spirit upon their foreheads and they are to be tormented five moneths before such time as these weeds be burned up and that poysoned earth become fruitfull for good seed I but these are called men not sinfull qualities that are to be tormented it is true but a man is called according to his qualitie and manners take a proud covetous or envious man and crosse any of these wicked qualities and you torment the man For when envy raignes in a man if it be crost the whole man is crost and if pride or selfe will raigne in a man and be crost the man is tormented so that the quality declares the man and the man is declared what he is by his quality And therefore in the second Scripture Rev. 20. 15. It is said Whosoever was not written in the Lambs book of life was cast into the lake of fire By Lambs book of life is shewed to me to be his very divine nature and spirit wherein Love Humility Patience Peace and such like are written and these shall enter into life and the men in whom this Spirit rules shall enter into heaven and live in the Father For these fruits of the Spirit prove a man to be a son of light and every son of light is known by these qualities that was engraven in the Lambs Nature or Spirit But whatsoever was not written in the Lambs book as Envy Pride Covetousnesse Self-will and the like these shall be cast into the lake of fire the spirit of burning to be consumed and the men in whom these cursed powers rule shall be tormented while that drosse is in burning up and vexed day and night and are restlesse and cannot be quiet but fretts and are troubled continually Therefore whatsoever is not written in the Lambs nature shall never live in rest in the father but envy pride covetousnesse self-will and the like were not written in the Lambs booke or Spirit for he was full of love and
and children of the Independent party and root them all out Alas poor creatures God may suffer you to do something in this kinde but you shall finde that God will hide his people under the shadow of his wings and when you have killed all yet those that you would kill shall be left alive For as God made the Nations formerly to kill one another while Israel looked on and were saved from their malice Even so God can make an outside-professing-Service-book man to kill an outside-professing Presbyter and God may suffer an outside-professing Presbyter to kill an hypocriticall Independent and so make the seed of the Serpent to sheath their swords in one anothers bowels while his sincere hearted ones scattered abroad in the Kingdom shall stand and look on and be preserved by Gods protecting care from the danger For you hot spirited men if you will beleeve Scripture which you Idolize so much for you prefer those writings before the God of the Prophets and Apostles you shall finde that God told Ezekiell That when Gog and Magog purposed to destroy Gods People when they were at rest and dwelt at ease why saith God when my people are at rest thou shalt not know it but I will sanctifie my self upon thee O Gog before their eyes And so let these hot spirited people in these dayes do the worst they can they shall never destroy all Gods people out of the Land God will have his witnesses to rise up that shall torment these inhabitants of the earth for though God suffer persecution scoffs reproachful names and oppression yet he will not suffer a small rooting out of his Saints For if the Nations of old could not root out Israel after the flesh which were one single nation visible among all the nations of the earth though they did endeavour it neither can you now you hot spirited people root out all the Saints much lesse you will finde it now the more difficult for now the Saints doe not live all in one Nation but are scattered through all Nations kindreds tongues and People The appearence of God among them is not altogether in out ward formall worship and Temple service as it was to the Jews visible to the eye of the world But the appearance of God now is in the Saints that they worship the Father in spirit and truth in such a secret manner as the eye of the world cannot nor does not alwayes see And therefore though the mysterie of iniquitie seek to kill all as these unbeleevers that are the actors thereof do say they will yet they cannot because they cannot know them And when they have killed all as they think if God should suffer them to act their bloody intents and words yet in conclusion it will appear that the enemies kill one another and spirituall Israel will be preserved Herod killed all the children about two yeres old I but the Child Jesus whom he sought chiefly to kill was gone sent by God far out of Herods reach and when it shall appeare in conclusion that they have killed their own hypocritical people and the sincere hearted whom they aymed at are escaped their vexation wil increase and they will dye with sorrow Therefore now Judge if God be not the chief sufferer because they will not leave God a seed on earth you Saints of God be not troubled to hear that your neighbours will plunder and kill you and root out all Israel out of the land they cannot do it God will fight for you against them the cause is Gods not yours And in seeking your ruine they will pull their own ruine speedily upon themselves Pharaoh thought to destroy Israel and his own destruction which he thought least upon was accomplished Be not troubled at these threatnings but stand still waite with a quiet peaceable heart on God and see what a deliverance he will work for you Assure your selves I see God working a great deliverance for you your number shall increase the number of bloody minded men shall decrease therefore do you meet God by faith and honour him by owning him in the middest of these stormes the enjoyment of your riches friends or bodily life doth not make you happie nor the losse of these cannot make you miserable if you have these it is the enjoyment of God within that gives you a sweet use of them without if all be taken from you it is your Fathers will to suffer it and he will be honoured by it your oppressions and sufferings will bring glory to him And if you lose your life then your work in done therefore stand still with comfort in the place and condition God hath put you in And say Father do with my estate my body my life what thou wilt honour thy selfe in me and by me and thy will be done Now if once God hath brought your spirit to this frame then God is glorified on your behalf for now the glory of Christ the King of righteousnesse hath subdued the Serpent and is revealed in you But God is evil spoken of and doth suffer on their behalf that persecute Now know you weake ones that it is not you but God who is the greatest long sufferer in these times it is not men but the appearance of God in men which the mysterie of iniquity strives against for do you not see how the spirit of lies would root out the spirit of truth the spirit of envy would root out the spirit of love the spirit of hypocrisie would root out the the spirit of sincerity the spirit of pride and self honouring would root out the spirit of humility that honours God the spirit of self-will would root out the spirit of meekness and patience that waits upon the will of God the spirit of unfaithful rashness discontent would root out the spirit of quietness that is at restin God the spirit of greedy covetousness injustice and oppression would root out the spirit of justice and tenderness that depends upon God And in one word the mysterie of iniquitie Beast whorish spirit or flesh having a time given him of God to act and shew its wisdome and power strvies might and maine to root out all appearance of God out of mankinde But alas poor Serpent thou must die thy self Gods time is neer expired that he gave thee and he is rooting thee out of mankinde and consuming in the fire of his wrath for he will become the Lord our righteousness and dwell in flesh himselfe this is Gods mysterie which he is in and about to make publikely manifest amongst men But as yet hypocrisie raignes and would raigne as King And sincerity which is God is laughed to scorne The national peace and liberty is pretended that is the outward shew of love to God but secretly most men both of high and low degree intend either to inrich themselves with the kingdomes monies ruins or else by their secret
for time is coming that every one must be taught of God and this troubles him very much Well all these troubles and such like proceed from the shinings forth of the righteous law upon the proud heart and he cannot bear it because he seeks himselfe more then God the unbelief of the heart lives by sence upon the creature the law of God tels the heart he must trust God and not man and though all sence fayl him from men and creatures yet to waite upon God but this troubles him he cannot wait and if he do wait he questions whether he shall have such things he is bid to wait for and the poor heart lies under great tossings Again in his course of trading in the world if he ask sometimes too little or sometimes too much for his wares then he is troubled and do what he can his heart is troubled because he thinks he might have done better when business goes cross to his minde he is troubled whether it be fair weather or fowl if it be not just to his minde he is troubled Then appears pride covetousnesse frowardness uncleaness springing up in his heart and these trouble him if he cannot speak for God when others speak against him as he thinks then he is troubled if he do speak of the things of God then his heart tels him he is an hypocrite or self-lover and then he is trobled so that there arises not a thought in his heart but there is some fretting or trouble tyed to it And vvhat are all these and such like but even a legion of devils or troublers that holds the creature under bondage and torments him thus in hell day and night I call it a hell for it is a condition of darkness below the life comfort and peace of God All these are wrought in the soul by the righteous Law for the creature strives to be wise and the Law proves him a fool he would fain be righteous and the light of the Law shews him he is a wicked hypocrite he would fain have faith and holiness in him and the Law shews him he is an unbelieving sinner he would fain enjoy the peace of God and yet enjoy himself too the Law tels him he must deny himself and take up his cross daily if he would enjoy God he would fain be counted some body for wisdom faith prayer preaching the Law tels him all is as good as nothing because he goes forth in his own strength and the power of the father is absent And thus the Law is that flaming sword which turns every way upon the sinner and scorches the poor imprisoned soul in every thought of his heart burning up his pride and self-conceit so that the righteous Law raigns like a Tyrant in and over the poor prisoner and while the soul is thus tormented by the dispensation of wrath the envious spirit of darkness that rules in other men delights to see this poor creature thus under bondage and so casts jeers slanders reproaches and hard usage upon him Envy rejoyces in others misery even as Love rejoyceth in the liberty and life of others But poor soul know this that God is burning up thy dross and ere long vvill set thee at liberty and the fire of love that burns in thee will break forth to thy comfort and then he will give thee power to rejoyce over the Devill and to set thy feet upon his neck as a conquered slave even as he makes thee his slave now Then secondly This same imprisoned creature that lies under the Law being as yet not set free by the Son meets with many troubles without and these are but dispensations of wrath as the other was likewise as sicknesse frowns of friends hatred of men losses of his estate by fire water being cheated by false spirited men death of his cattle or many such like casualties whereby he becomes poor in the world and meets with many straits as hard language hungry belly to be despised imprisoned and abundance of such provocations in the vvorld And it may be meets with fearfull Apparisions in the night or day that terrifies him as it was Jobs case he was filled with terrors in the night sometimes these troubles lie within a mans spirit in griefs and sadpressures inward burnings of trouble and torment which no man is sensible of but himself and sometimes it breaks forth in bitter words and speeches through oppression of the spirit to the disturbance of others and this is called madness or distraction which grows upon a man when the pure Law doth cross his carnall imagination wilfull will pride covetous or lustfull desires then doth the distemper of his troubled spirit break out But when Christ comes and sets him free then he comes to see that whatsoever did befall him must befall him it was the will of the father for the burning up of his dross and pride of flesh and shall be made to say Father thy will be done and for ever yea infinitely for ever be thy name praised that thou hast given me such a heart to be content and submit in love and meekness to thee and to take every thing in love from thee this is thine own handiwork it was not thus formerly but thou hast drawn me through a nipping and pinching wilderness into this land of Canaan even to lie down in rest in thine own bosome praysed be thy name Yea but the poor troubled soul is offended at my words and thinks and saies this cannot be it is impossible that any man should have such a frame of spirit Alas poor man I have been as thou art but if thou canst believe in Gods love and power from the testimony of another thou wilt believe this for a truth But if thou cannot believe but yet remain troubled he that feels the sweetness of such a work of God knows it to be a truth wait upon God as thy fellow servant doth for his pure teaching and thou wilt finde him the same to thee as he is to another Paul writes of one that was in Christ before him and so though thou wade through flames of fire to imbrace God in thine armes thy comforts will be the sweeter thy experience the more and thou wilt greatly rejoyce in that thou hast been in so hot a fire when the father causes thee to lie down in his bosom the liberty in this rest is now so sweet to thee And truly friends let me tell you that which hath been often of late whispered into my spirit and I believe there is something in it that this wrath bitternesse and discontent that appeares generally in mens spirits in England one against another upon the breakings forth of the truths of God doth whisper in my spirit that the Father hath cast England into the fire and is purging the drosse from the gold that liberty is not far off and that the plentifull pouring out of the Anoynting even the spirit
spirit of righteousnesse is like the offended Law of a King that speaks death to the offender which way soever he turn himself it flashes like the flaming sword every way and so takes peace from that particular earth And if he look abroad the same declaration of wrath follows the eye of the sinner and flames out fire in every place even as the father is pleased visibly to appear in outward manifestations of justice to the terrifying of the disobedient that he may know himself and his works that they have been unrighteous As in losses sad accidents death of friends or cattell casualties by fire water unseasonable weather or the like and so taking an outvvard peace from the earth that is from divers branches of disobedient earth men and vvomen making them to sit dovvn in sorrow And poor sinners when they feel and see such inward and outward misery they cry out Oh this is the devill that troubles them And so look upon the Devill as a third powerfull beeing distinct between God and them working their misery Alas poor sinners this is the devil indeed a great troubler but not such a devil as you fancie for this Devill or murtherer that takes away your peace is within you it is your sin and the curse of your flesh upon which the fury of the King of righteousnesse hath seised and taken fast hold and now expect no peace in earth that is in your flesh till there be peace in heaven that is till your flesh be made subject to the spirit and the Father and you become one For truly let me tell you and you shall finde it true That as the curse or disobedient flesh in you doth rise up in rebellion against the spirit by scoffing hating self-loving despising expression of bitternesse and discontent against the way of the spirit and so seeking to advance your selves or your fleshy lusting above the spirit Even so the Law of the spirit will appear and the flashings of this flaming sword will spread the more to advance the spirit even the King of glory and so will hedge in your way and crosse you at every turning And truly if you see the fury of the Lord to appear more hot and fierce then formerly then say and say truly That the breakings out of sin and curse is more violent in these dayes then formerly And it must be so For now the bottomlesse pit is opened that is The curse or serpent in humane flesh is let loose to act and shew it self in his own likenesse and it makes himself manifest to be the power of darknesse the father of lies the enemies of the Father and the Whore the Beast and mother of all abominations And the four evill Angels that is Subtilty Hypocrisie Envy and Cruelty backed and strengthened with all the power of Hell or Curse are let loose that is the strength of these are manifest and act powerfully in these dayes and assure your selves that the dispensations of wrath do and must increase to the view of creatures more then formerly But these sad apparisions of inward and outward wrath will not last long the time shortens apace and the work of the Father hastens apace for righteousnesse and peace hath begun to take the Kingdom and to raign whose dominion shall have no end When your eyes are opened you shall see that it is the righteous Law or rule of truth that thwarts and crosses the sinfull and cursed principles that rule and that still would rule a King in your flesh And this Law works sometimes within condemning a man within his own conscience without any outward means but the light of the spirit within rises up and declares the darknesse of the curse within the flesh and sometimes it condemns the man within himself through the sight or hearing of other mens words and actions without nay the very actions of other creatures are made to be whips to torment him Sometimes thou hast had vain glorious imaginations rising up within thee puffing up thy mind with big thoughts of thy self as if thou wert some great body for thy learning riches parts prayers fasting preachings to whom every man must give respect Thou hast thoughts of covetousnesse of injustice of uncleanesse and thinkest thou maiest take thy pleasure herein and if any discover thy lewdnesse in these abominations which thou seest no evill in persently thou hast thoughts of revenge arises in thee to make such and such know what they do to crosse thee in that thou saiest and doest And thereupon pursues thy resolution to get a power to put thy envious thoughts which thou thinkest is zeal into execution but thou dost not do it and why because the opportunities of the earth will not give thee power Well all this is the swelling up of the curse within thee which thou thinkest is the spirit of holinesse a strong delusion But within a short time after thy conscience or rather the spirit within begins to trouble thee and fils thy face with shame and thy heart with a king distemper because thou that art a professor of a meek and loving spirit which is true godlinesse should have such exalting thoughts in thee against thy fellow creature and consent unto them Or it may be some others may cast out jeers against thy very thoughts yet not knowing thy heart and thereby thy distempers multiplie and peace vanisheth from thy proud lifted up heart and now thou concludest that this is the devill that first put ill thoughts into thee now troubles thee for them It is true it is the devill indeed but not such a devill as thou thinkest of for first the father of lies thy unclean flesh that was he that inticed thee to envy and now the righteous Law of the spirit within thee shews thee thy evill and shames and troubles thy minde and throws thee under vexation and sorrow of spirit and kils all thy comforts and dashes all thy contentednesse to pieces And no man knowes of these inward sorrowes but thy own heart this is the law and the testimony even the perfect rule of holiness that appears in thee to thee and hedges in the way of the flesh with thornes throws thee under bondage this is the murtherer which thou callest the devill he is a murtherer indeed of the curse though thou who art dead under the curse maist be made alive in the spirit and live in the father of peace And sometimes the Law works without and opens the mouthes of others to speak against thy selfe-conceit in preaching praying or carnall use of scriptures and against thy covetousness and pride that makes thee lift up thy self above thy fellow creatures and thou thinkst this is the devill that tempts thee to forsake God and goodness Alas friend it is the righteous law that crosses thy fleshie hypocrisie and that sends these messengers as dispensers of wrath to thee to make thee not to looke after the letter but the spirit of the
scriptures to burne up thy drosse to consume the curse out of thee to refine thee and make thee pure gold that is to make thee live in and after the spirit and to pull thee out of the flesh In which and after which thou livest By what hath been spoken I question not but the father will let light shine into the spirits of his servants that they may see what the devill or murtherer is which is the serpent sin or curse dwelling within a man or the power of deceived flesh imbittered and made a stinging Scorpion by the law of righteousnesss The sting of sin is death and the strength of sin is the Law Now there is none that can free the creature from this compound murtherer or from these two band-dogs but Jesus Christ who is not a single man at a distance from you but who is the wisdome and power of the father who spirits the whole creation dwelling and ruling King of righteousnesse in your very flesh And he it is that comes and puls off these fierce devouring powers heals the creature that they were fastened upon and sets him free And how doth he doe that Why first he destroyes the curse that is in man and puls away that selfishness that was in him which made him to prefer the flesh above the spirit and so delivers the sinner from his envy covetousnesse discontent pride hypocrisie and makes him patient humble content under Gods hand makes him to love to delight and to glory only in God and so makes the creature to advance God above all and to set the crown of glory upon his head And now that devouring band-dog sin or curse is pulled off And then secondly when sin or serpent is thus pulled off and the creature man is made one with the father and reconciled in nature and spirit to him then the other band-dog wrath or offended law which was the strength of sin in working the creatures miserie hath nothing left to fasten upon But being a righteous law now becomes the creatures friend since the creature by Christ is made one with the righteous father and thus Christ who is the wisdome and power of God hath set the sinner free And if the son make us free we are free indeed But what is to be understood by this power of God Why truly I conceive this by the power of God is not a power without us only as it was in the man Christ Jesus when he suffered death in his own single person and thereby conquered hell and death and overcame the devil and cast the accuser out of heaven that is out of flesh that the father might dwell bodily in flesh and tread the curse under mans feet But the same Anointing or power in-dwelling and ruling whithin us and thus the power of love in man is the power of God in man and this sets us free from envy the power of patience and of a meeke spirit in man is the power of God in man and sets us free from discontent the power of humilitie in us is the power of God in us and sets us free from pride the power of peace joy and sweet resting of heart in God is the power of God in us which sets us free from sorrows and inward bondage of minde And thus the power life and peace of the father ruling as God a mighty governor in us and being established in us which indeed is the Anointing spoken of or the Lord our righteousnesse that rules in us is that power of God or that Christ that sets us free from sin and death for this is Christ in you which is the hope of glory or the earnest of the future inheritance And truly these and such like powers of God within a man are those Glorious Angels in their severall measures which the Father hath sent to guard his children and to keep them in all their wayes that they dash not their foot against the rock even God himself For Love Humility Patience Meeknesse Joy and a sweet resting of heart in GOD makes the creature submit cheerfully to God in every condition Let a Son of the Father meet with Losses Straights and Oppressious in the world and his heart presently answers Thy will be done Father thou knowest I want necessaries thou knowest what those necessaries for me are my heart waits upon thee let times be peace or war let weather be fair or fowl still the poor believing soul saith All this is good because it is the will and pleasure of my Father who will have it to be thus And thus the power of the Spirit who is the King of righteousnesse within every man treads down flesh and sets the creature free from Hell Death and Devill And the wisdom of the Father is in all this likewise for he doth this in wisdom to make himself known and that his creature being delivered by such a strong hand may out of a feeling experience own him and magnifie his name Well if you cast your eyes abroad among the sons and daughters of men you shall see very few that are saved and very few in whom Christ dwels And now the son of man comes to save he findes no faith in earth he findes righteousnesse ruling in no man but King flesh ruling in every one But this is comfort to the earth The son of righteousnesse is comming and hath begun to heal the earth he is treading down the powers of the flesh and he goes on mightily conquering and taking up sons and daughters out of their imaginary earth under which they have lien buried to enjoy the Father and to live in the onenesse of that spirit that made all things so that ere long the sweet song that is sung in private shall be sung publickly upon the house tops Rejoyce for the Lord God omnipotent raigns Yea when this mighty power Christ is lifted up he will draw all men after him that is when he is exalted and known to be the only spirit that dwels in the creation and that knits every creature into the one spirit himself then is the time which indeed is beginning in these dayes that he will draw all men after him So that every one shall see themselves in a losse and shall enquire the way to Sion even to this spirit the dwelling place of rest they shall see that books are nothing mens words and teachings studies and imaginary thoughts and conjectures are nothing but the Lord alone even this spirit is all in all and shall be exalted honored and lifted up by all in this day of his power And how is the spirit lifted up Why truely when the flesh is subject to the spirit And how is that VVhy thus First to know that this spirit which is called God or Father or Lord is Reason for though men esteem this word Reason to bee too mean a name to set forth the Father by yet it is the highest name