Messiah where the Law of Life is Written not in Tables of stone or outward writings of the Letter but in the heart by the Spirit There they shall be cleansed by inward Water receive the inward Circumcision and Mark of the inward Jew be sprinkled with the everlasting Blood of the Lamb and taught to offer up the spiritual Sacrifice and shall hear the Voice which will tell them of the Way and which will lead them in Paths they have not known There the spiritual Seed the spiritual Israel shall find the Shepherd of Israel who leads into the Land of Life puts forth his Sheep into the Pastures of Life gives them of the living Streams to drink begetting them as Heirs of and bringing them up in the everlasting Power and Dominion of the Life Quest How may old Israel enter into this Path and so become new Israel Answ By waiting on the Lord for the closing of that Eye which is wise according to the Flesh and for the opening of that Eye which is at first weak in Spirit There must be a low beginning Israel must know and not despise the Day of small things if ever he will grow up into the Riches and Inheritance of this Glory There is a Light in every heart which gives a sound in the natural Vessel which is very hardly at first distinguishable from the natural till by obedience and subjection thereto its living Touch Vertue and Power comes to be felt and distinguished but in the Meek Humble Believing and Obidient it daily appears more and more and makes it self more clearly manifest to them who are walking on unto the Kingdom and Inheritance in it while others are disputing about it Quest How may Israel believe and become subject to the Light Answ When there is a drawing felt in the heart either to good or against evil he must not dispute concerning it on the one hand nor run on in the forwardness on the other for both these wayes the breathings of the Spirit on him and springings up of the good Seed in him are easily quenched but in the Fear he is to trust himself with what his heart certainly feels in the drawing Vertue and in the Humility to give up the Members to the Good and to withhold them from the Evil waiting for strength from the Fountain of strength towards both By this means there is a Travell and removal out of the corruption and filth of the heart into the pure holy Law Nature Image and Will of God Quest Where doth God find the heart when he first visiteth it with his Light Answ In Egypt in the Darkness in the Bonds and Captivity of Death Quest What doth the Lord do with it there Answ He Exerciseth it a while there till he hath made it fit for a Wilderness-state Quest What doth he do with it then Ans He bringeth it into the Wilderness which he hath fitted it for Quest What doth he do with it in the Wilderness Answ He prepareth it for and leadeth it towards the Land of Life Quest What doth he do with it then Ans He giveth it an entrance into the everlasting Kingdom which is the Land of Life according as he hath prepared and fitted it That which is new-begotten new-created and formed new-born in the Messiah's Eternal Light findeth an Entrance into and an Habitation in the Light and is not turned back into the Land of Darkness it abiding in the Vertue and Principle of its Life although sometimes it may be exercised with the Darkness for its further advantage Thou art our Habitation from everlasting to everlasting saith the Child of Light unto the Father of Spirits in all Ages and Generations Now that Israel after the Flesh may the better understand the Path of the spiritual Israel in the way of Redemption by the powerful visitations of the Light of the Messiah in their hearts and Consciences may know the Gospel of his Salvation which is able to effect that which the Law of Moses could not because of the weakness of the Flesh on their parts let them in fear and silence of the natural wisdom and in waiting on the Lord in Spirit consider these Questions and Answers following relating to spiritual Israel Some Questions and Answers for the Direction Comfort Help and Furtherance of God 's Spiritual Israel in their Travels in Spirit from Spiritual Egypt through the Spiritual Wilderness to Spiritual Canaan which is the Land where the Redeemed Soul flourisheth in the Life walking with God and Worshiping Him in Spirit and Truth Quest WHat is the Gospel Answ A good Message or glad Tydings to man in the fallen estate concerning a Promise of Redemption out of it Quest Is man then in a fallen Estate Answ His present Temper Constitution Disposition and whole Course upon the least touch of God upon his Spirit do in some measure discover his fall unto him though the insensibleness which is come upon him by his grievous wound and death through the fall maketh him very unapt to take notice thereof Quest What was his Estate before his fall Answ A State of Glory and Blessedness wherein he came pure out of the hands of his Creator was fitted for his use service enjoyment and delight even for him to appear or disappear in and exercise according to his pleasure Quest Wherein did his Glory and Blessedness consist Ans Chiefly in these four things to wit In the Light in the Life in the Liberty in which the Vessel was formed and in the Indwelling and appearing of the Creator there according to his pleasure Quest Open this a little further Answ Man was made a Vessel of Light a Vessel of Life a Vessel of pure Freedom He was formed in the Eternal Image and had a pure being in that Image He was Light in the Lord living in the Lord free unto all Good and from all Evil in the Lord. This was the state of his being at first and thus was he made in the Image a pure resemblance of the Eternal Purity and Blessedness but besides this he had the Eternal Life the Eternal Substance the Eternal Purity it self dwelling in the Vessel shining in it and manifesting it self from it according to its pleasure Quest How came man to fall from this Estate Answ Not willingly not of an inclination of his own but he was deceived through the subtilty of Temptation to entertain a desire of enlarging his blessedness out of the limits of the will of his Creator Quest How could such a Temptation enter man he being Pure and Holy inclined to Good and against Evil after the Image of his Creator Answ Man was not made to enjoy a Perfection in himself separate from his Creator or to live of himself but by dependance Now though he had no inclination in him not to depend or to seek a Life in himself out of the Fountain yet there was a Capacity of so doing before which Capacity the Tempter laid his bait of advancing
the Heart Object Then the Work of Redemption is not carryed on by an absolute free-creating Power Answ The Creating Power and preserving Power is the same but the work is somewhat different both in the outward visible Creation and in the inward New-Creation The preservation of that which is Created and Planted unto its growth and Perfection is by the same Power which Created and Planted but rather in a way of Care Industry Art and Skill than of such Immediate Force and Power though by the exercise and putting forth of the same Vertue and Power There are Three things in Redemption First There is the issuing out of the Free Grace Love Vertue and Divine Power towards the Creature Secondly There is the opening of the Estate of the Creature thereby convincing and drawing it out of the Alienation from the Life towards Unity with the Life Thirdly There is the following of the creature after the Life in the quickening Vertue of the drawings through all the Snares Temptations Diversions and Oppositions of the Enemy Now there is no hindring of the issuing forth of the Free Grace towards the creature or of those convictions and inclinations of the creature to follow which necessarily ensue thereupon But the Pursuit and Progress of the creature or its abiding with the quickening Vertue and Power may many wayes be interrupted and diverted and so the creature drawn from under the influence of the free Covenant for though the Covenant be free yet the creature onely partakes of it as it is drawn into it and preserved in it Therefore let those Fear who feel the Power and Redeeming Vertue and know that notwithstanding the free and certain Promise to the Seed yet the creature is as Clay in the hands of the Potter which may be made a Vessel of Honour or Dishonour as he pleaseth to favour it or take occasion against it And who ever would pass through the Work of Salvation and Redemption unto the Salvation and Redemption it self in the living Vertue received from the Life let him keep fast hold on the good Pleasure and in it give all diligence to make his Calling and Election sure working out his Salvation with Fear and Trembling because God worketh in him both to will and to do of his good Will And walking diligently and industriously in this Path he may attain the Seal of the Redemption even that Mark which can never be worn out and to full Assurance of Faith in the Redeeming Power though it is also possible for him afterwards through much negligence grieving the Spirit whereby he was sealed to lose the sight of the Mark and the comfort of the Assurance which was once fresh and clear in his Spirit For a close at this time I shall add a few words concerning the Unity of God's Grace or free Light of his Spirit notwithstanding the various Estates and Conditions of man whom it visits and the variety of its Operations There is a threefold state of Man wherein the Grace of God visits him First The Gentile-state or state of Nature Secondly The Jew-state or Administration of the Law wherein God takes him under his own Tuition making known his will to him and requiring Obedience of him and not only so but also directs him to the inward Teacher and to the Principle of the pure Fear which is the place of Wisdom's teaching and instructions Thirdly The Gospel-state or state of Faith where the Principle is raised the Seed lives and that is felt springing up known and enjoyed which does the Will and receives the Promise Now in all these the Law the Light the Life the Wisdom the Power is one and the same but the Administrations are different In the Gentile-state or state of Nature the â—ight which man receives there to discover Evil and work him into Good is of the Spirit and by vertue of the Promise For he had been everlastingly shut up in the Darkness had it not been for the Promise and it is for the Promise sake and from the free Grace that he hath any Visitation in the state of Nature and any desires after or leadings towards the good and from the evil which spring not nor can spring from corrupted Nature but from the free Fountain of the new Life In the Law-state the Light grows more clear the Teacher is there discerned and acknowledged his drawings warnings instructions and reproofs felt more distinctly and the Soul that is watchful continually exercised therein In the Gospel-state the Principle of Life is raised the promised Seed come the Power which doth the Will received and the Light of Life entring into and possessing the Vessel Now this is the whole of Man to wait on the Ministration of the Life to him in his present-estate whether he be yet in the estate of Nature or under the Law or under Grace To know whence his Redemption springs and to wait on the Redeeming Arm for the beginnings progress and perfecting of it And if he be in the feeling of that Vertue it is enough or if he be but kept longing and panting after it it is well yea if there be but a desire in him after a thirst there is hope nay if there be but the least feeling of his dead barren and sensless Estate there is some Life in him which the Lord loves and will find a time to express his bowels towards yea that which is wholly in the Darkness and shut up in the Pit the Lord hath bowels in him towards and after many dayes may please to visit Oh the height the depth the length the breadth of the Riches of the Mercy and Love of God! who knows his yearning towards Souls and his wayes of visiting and redeeming O my Soul hope thou in the Lord for evermore and leave not breathing towards him till thou and his whole Creation be filled and satisfied with him and then fetch the full breath of Life in him for ever THE END A Post-script I Have been Treating of the Inward Work as it is wrought in the heart by the Power and brought to the sensible Experimental Knowledge of the Creature yet would not be so understood as if I made void what was done without by Christ in his own Person or any of those ends and purposes for which it was wrought and appointed so to be done by the Father though this I know that the knowledge of those things with the belief therein or any Practices and observations therefrom without the Life can no more profit now than the Jews literal knowledge of the Law could profit them when they were rejected therewith And since the Apostacy of this latter Age especially I have clearly seen in the Spirit of the Lord that the Professors Knowledge of the Letter of the Gospel and cleaving to their apprehensions which they gather therefrom is become a Snare and Trap to them to keep them from feeling the Power and living in the sensibility of the Vertue of the
Grace even as the Jews Table or gathered knowledge from Moses and the Prophets became their Snare and Trap. The Lord open their Eyes in his due time to discern it that they may not withstand that Ministration and Revelation of his everlasting Gospel which God seeth good to visit the Apostatised world with after this long dark night of the Apostacy whereof those that stick in Forms or knowledge of things from the Letter without the Power cannot but prove the greatest Enemies Opposers and Persecutors Now to help them a little if the Lord please in the rouling of my bowels towards them I find my heart opened to lay a few things before them First With my heart in the sight of the Lord do I own that Principle which formerly wrought in some of them which I my self was wrought upon by and knew not onely the outward knowledge which they were acquainted with but also the inward work and I also knew what I called the Light of Nature and what I called the Light of the Spirit the one whereof was not the other but differed as far as Spirit and Flesh Secondâ—â— I also own all the Openings and Refreshments which they received from the Lord in reading of the Scriptures in their Publick or Private Exercises and the Experiences which they had from God in their own hearts and I know that these things in themselves were true in their Proportion however their present sence and holding of them out of that wherein they received them may justly be judged by the Spirit of the Lord in his Servants Thirdly Though those things were true in their day and in their Proportion and Measure yet in them they might lose their vertue and die and so they not retain the thing in its Life in its own Principle in the newness of the Spirit in that Birth to which God gave it but onely an Image of it in the Natural understanding in the earthly part in the dead Principle and then their knowledge of God and their Experiences cannot but be corrupted and now become the possession of Death and the Engines of Death in their hearts Again God had somewhat further to manifest even to bring forth that which they so earnestly prayed for in that Day which they having abided in that Vertue wherin they prayed might easily have discerned and embraced but being out of that and pleasing themselves with the litteral knowledge of the things they then received holding them in the wise earthly part that part cannot but stumble at the low and contemptible Appearances of God which are still offensive to that part The great Glory of God is hid in a little Seed and how can the great Eye of the fleshly-wise see it We have Moses and the Prophets said the Jews after the Flesh But as for this man we know not whence he is Even so it is now We know the Relation which the Scriptures have given of Christ by the Apostles we are sure this is of God say the Professors but as for this little Seed of the Kingdom or Light of God in the heart we cannot believe that all we want is to spring up in it Now Fourthly there is a necessity both of the knowledge of Persons to pass away and also of their Experiences to be given up and let fall in these two cases following First When the Vertue is withdrawn from them when Death hath caught them when they become Death's goods For that which is received from the Life is onely profitable to the Soul in the vertue of the Life When the earthly part hath caught them and seated it self there they then become the strong holds of the Enemy and the Engines of Death to the heart so that then Life and true Relief is not to be had in them but where the Eternal Vertue pleases next to appear Secondly When God hath somewhat to bring forth further in the world or in any particular heart to make way for it he brings Death upon that which was before living Thus when God is pleased to bring forth a greater Measure of Faith and Power of his Spirit he distresseth the heart making the fore-going Faith and Power appear weak and pass away and many times for a season shutteth up the Soul in the unbelief until the Fresh Faith and Fresh Power spring up and arise And this causeth the necessity of the further Dispensations of his Eternal Vertue to appear and the Beauty of them to shine which they would not have done so abundantly had it not been for the fore-going distresse of the heaâ— Theâ—â—â—â—â—e yet some things further weighty upon my heart to lay before them needful for them to consider of which may be serviceable and helpful to them in their present Condition if the Lord please to open their hearts and impress them thereon They are four Propositions relating to the right Knowledge of the things of God which are these following First That the Knowledge of the things of God comes from the Spirit As the Scriptures themselves came from the Spirit so the true Knowledge of them is alone given to any man which receiveth it by the same Spirit And no man living can know the mind of the words which the Spirit spake but as the same Spirit which spake them gives the meaning of them Secondly That the Knowledge of God the living Knowledge the serviceable Knowledge is 〈◊〉 held in the Spirit and in the Birth which is of the Spirit Man's natural part is not the true Treasury nor is man's Reason to be Master of any of the things of God's Spirit but that which holds the Knowledge of the Kingdom the Grace of the Kingdom the living Experiences is that which is born of the Seed of the Kingdom and man's Reason is for ever to be shut out of the things of God further than it bowes is limited and subjected Thirdly That the Knowledge received from the Spirit is still to be tryed by the Spirit The Spirit alone can keep it living and the Spirit alone can tell whether the Life and Vertue be still in it or whether Death hath caught it whether it be Manna fit for the Soul's Food or Manna once given but now corrupted O my Dear Friends wait to understand my Experience concerning this thing which is this That which I had certainly received from God and which the true Birth at first had fed on the earthly Birth would be catching at laying hold of and treasuring up to feed on at another time Likewise in my reading of the Scriptures I lay open to this great snare of reading in my own will and of gathering from thence in mine own understanding so growing wise concerning the things of God after the Flesh for though at that time I was not without living Knowledge and Experiences of God yet I knew not how to turn from the Death nor to keep to the Life and so the bad the lean the earthly the ill-favoured overgrew the good