OBSERVATIONS On some Passages of Lodowick Muggleton In his Interpretation of the 11th Chapter of the Revelations As also on some Passages in that Book of his stiled The Neck of the Quakers Broken and in his Letter to Thomas Taylor Whereby it may appear what spirit he is of and what god his Commission is from Whereunto is added A brief Account of my Souls Travel towards the Holy Land with a few words concerning the Way of knowing and receiving the Truth Written in tender love to Souls in true sense and understanding received from the Lord and with reverence to his holy Spirit and Power By Isaac Pennington Printed in the Year 1668. The Preface to the Reader HAving bad a Book of Lodowick Muggleton's sent me to peruse and having been earnestly pressed thereunto by some who had let in his spirit and doctrines to their great hurt in the fear of the Lord and in the sense of his holy Spirit of Truth and in tender love to them who had requested this of me I cast my eye thereupon wherein I observed very many things contrary to the Spirit of 〈◊〉 Lord the Testimony of the holy Scriptures and the nature of Truth some whereof for the service of others are here communicated To which there arose somewhat in my heart to add concerning my self in reference to my wearisom seekings journeys and travels after the Lord. Indeed it came upon me very freshly and livingly and the Lord may please to make it usefull to others even to help to stay the minds and quicken the hopes of such that are fainting as I deeply was Now if so be any shall reap any benefit thereby let them give glory to the Lord alone who alone is worthy thereof For I seek not esteem of men but all my desire is that men might know the Lord and the Power of his Truth and by him be gathered into and preserved in that which is pure of him It is the day of the Gospel even of Gods Eternal Power which is risen in many hearts for indeed the Light of the Everlasting Day of God shines gloriously and doth conquer and shall conquer the darkness and corruption in mens minds daily more and more O that more might partake of its vertue and not stumble at that stumbling Stone which the Builders out of the Life and Power in every Age and Generation have first dispised and rejected O that men might seek after Christ the Wisdom of God aright not in that spirit and wisdom which shall never find him For it is easie to seek amiss but none can seek aright save only those that are led and taught of God so to do Observations on some passages of Lodowick Muggleton in his Interpretation of the 11th Chapter of the Revelations IN Page 9. he saith The Law is not written in the Seed of Faiths Nature at all but in the Seed of Reasons Nature only Reason or the Spirit of Reason he saith is the Devil p. 15. Observ The Sum of the Law is Love Even to love God above all and ones Neighbour as ones self And this Love which is the Sum of the Law and fulfils the Law God writeth in the hearts of his spiritual Seed In p. 15. he affirmeth That that saying of the Devil was true which he laid to Christ All the Kingdoms of the Earth are mine Observ The Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof The Devil hath no right to it God never gave it him but God himself is Judge who throweth down one and setteth up another disposing of the Kingdoms of men according to his pleasure Psal 75. 7. Dan. 4. 25. In p. 19. he saith There never was no Enmity between the Person of the Serpent and the Person of the Woman but the Enmity which lay between them was in the two Seeds Observ Is not the Enmity as expessly placed by God between the Serpent and the Woman as between their Seeds I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed Gen. 3. 15. In p. 21. he saith So that now God himself is not capable to dissolve himself into Seed or Nature as he was before Observ Is God changable Is he one thing to day and another thing tomorrow and can he never be any more what he was yesterday His god may be so but the true God is not so I the Lord change not his Nature his Seed his Life his Spirit his Power is the same for ever Further in p. 21. he saith These two Seeds were those two spiritual bodies which are called by the revelation of Moses two Trees Yet they were in forms of men and was capable as they were spiritual bodies to dissolve into Seed or Nature and so become capable to suffer the paine of death Observ O the depth of imagination from that Spirit which giveth imaginations to them that will receive them He that is taught of God never learned thus but learneth much otherwise and in the feeling sense and experience knoweth the two Seeds and is born of the one and separated from the other from the very womb I mean from his birth of the Jerusalem which is above which is free from the spirit of deceit and all its imaginary knowledge which is the Mother of all that are born of the Spirit In p. 22. he saith Knowledge proceedeth from life that hath wisdom in it Observ Living knowledge doth But there is a knowledge which comes not from the true Wisdom nor doth convey Life but Death And such is the knowledge which he hath from his god and holdeth forth to others it poysons and corrup◠the mind and leads out of the capacity of receiving and obeying the Truth as it is in Jesus In p. 27. he saith Reason can feed on nothing but what it can see with this visible eye Observ That is not Reasons food only which is seen with this visible eye but Reason is in the mind and feeds chiefly on thing which the mind gathers and comprehends inwardly In p. 29. he saith I declare by revelation from the holy Spirit that out of these two spiritual trees came forth these two Commissions namely the Commission of Moses and the Prophets and the Commission of Jesus and the Apostles Observ He had said before p. 11. One of these trees was the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the form of a man p. 14. that tempted Adam Was that which tempted Adam the tree out of which Moses his Commission came Doth not he call this tree the Serpent p. 30. Had Moses his Commission from the Serpent Surely every one that is of God will say no. In p. 30. he saith These two Olive-trees and Candlesticks here spoken of I declare are those two Commissions which came forth of these two spiritual trees Observ One of these trees he said was the very Person of God himself p. 10. That the other was the tree that tempted Adam whereas the Tree did not tempt Adam
Building Isa 4. 5. In p. 66. he saith The Apostles should be equal in the Kingdom of Glory as they were equal here in the Kingdom of Grace And again p. 67. As there should be no preheminence with the Apostles here in the Kingdom of Grace neither should there be any preheminence in the Kingdom of Glory Yet p. 102. he saith Peter was the head of the Apostles Observ Hath the Head no preheminence in the Body Are the rest of the Members equal with the Head is not this an absolute contradiction In p 78. he saith The Commission of the Apostles was not the Commission of the Spirit Observ Paul saith they were made able Ministers of the new Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 6. What is to be desired more then the new Covenant wherein Life Spirit and Power is received Now the Apostles were made by God able Ministers thereof and the glory of this Covenant and Ministration remaineth verse 11. In p. 93. he saith Death being the First-born of the Law it went forth as a Conqueror of all Life both in God and man Observ The Law is holy just and good and bringeth forth only that which is holy Sin is not of the Law but against the Law and the wages of sin is death Yet neither sin nor death could ever conquer the Life of God but the unconquerable Life and Power have ever reigned over them Gods Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and his Dominion endureth throughout all Ages which Sin nor Death nor Hell could ever conquer That life which Christ did give up none took from him as a Conqueror but he laid it down freely at the requiring of the Father knowing his glorious Power was able to restore and raise it up again In p. 105. he saith The body of man is that Tophet that was ordained of old and the spirit of Reason is that King which must abide in this Tophet Observ The body of man was Gods Temple before it was defiled with sin and is Gods Temple again when it is purified and purged from sin Now him that defileth this Temple of God him will God destroy And Christ said Fear him who after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell Luk. 12. 5. What is he able to cast into Hell why both body and soul Mat. 10. 28. Then the body of man is not the Tophet or Hell but Tophet is that whereinto the souls and bodies of the wicked are to be cast In p. 116. he saith Eternity did become Time and Time shall become Eternity again Observ Eternity did never become time but is unchangable in its Nature Spirit Life and Beeing for evermore but it brought forth natural and changable things in time which time shall have an end Observations on some Passages in a Book of Lodowick Muggleton 's stiled by him The Neck of the Quakers Broken IN p. 14. he affirmeth That Adam had no part in the begetting of Cain Observ The Scripture saith Adam knew Eve his wife and she conceived and bare Cain and said I have gotten a man from the Lord Gen. 4. 1. Here the holy Spirit of God attributeth the begetting of Cain to Adam's knowing his wife Eve but L. M. saith otherwise In p. 15. he saith Whoever is partaker of the seed of Adam may be said to have the Spirit of Christ in them and their spirits to be in him that is Christ dwells in their hearts by Faith Observ The Scriptures distinguish between the first and second Adam None have the Spirit of Christ from or in the first Adam but only from and in the second And the old Adam's seed spirit and nature is to be put off by him that puts on the new and he must be born again of the immortal Seed of Life who receives the Spirit of Life In p. 17. He calls Reason the Devil and p. 29. saith This Devil so much spoken of in Scripture is no other but the spirit of Reason Observ Indeed corrupted reason is of the Devil but pure Reason is of God Man by his fall had his reason corrupted and so became bruitish and unreasonable but by Faith in the redeeming Power he is brought out of the Fall raised from Death to Life and in the new Life hath the true holy righteous Reason restored to him again 2 Thes 3. 2. which Reason is neither the Devil nor of the Devil In p. 22. he saith If God be a person in the form of a man as I am sure he is for I do acknowledge no other God but the man Christ Jesus who is a distinct body of flesh and bone of his own how then can he fill Heaven and Earth with his presence and get in-the Quakers bodies c. Observ Solomon said in prayer to God 2 Chron. 6. 18. which prayer God testified his acceptance of as being from his own Spirit chap. 7. 1 Behold Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee how much less this House which I have built Again Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity what is Eternity whose Name is holy I dwell in the high and holy with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit c. Isa 57. 15. Yet again it is said Ye are the Temple of the Living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them 2 Cor. 6. 16. Is it such a strange thing that God should be in Heaven and in Earth also Is not the Earth his Footstool and are not the feet present in the place on which they tread Was not Christ in Heaven while he was hear on Earth according to his own words No man saith he hath ascendded up to Heaven but he that came down from Heaven the Son of Man which is in Heaven John 3. 13. And cannot God be in Heaven and in Earth too and also by his Spirit in the hearts of his people In p. 23. he saith To say that Christ according to the Flesh was of Abraham is Blasphemy Observ The Apostle said concerning the Jews whom he calls his Brethren and Kinsmen according to the Flesh Rom. 9. 3. of whom as concerning the Flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen verse 5. Did Christ come of the Jews according to the Flesh and did he not come of Abraham according to the Flesh Now lest any should apprehend there may be some difference between according in verse 3 and concerning in verse 5 I shall add this they are both the same in the Greek It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in both In p. 24 25. he saith None can interpret Scriptures truely but himself Observ All that are children to them God giveth of his Spirit Gal. 4. 6. and they that have the Spirit have that which interprets Scriptures truly which they keeping to cannot be deceived about the interpretation of them But they that keep not to the Anointing within but receive interpretations from men
without may easily be deceived In p. 25. he saith God hath made him the Judge of the Scriptures Observ Let him that readeth wait to feel the Spirit which is of God and the Light wherein God dwells and that will open Scriptures and the mysteries of the Kingdom to him he abiding in unity therewith through the pure subjection thereto and manifest to him who is the Judge in spiritual matters in Gods Israel Again p. 25. he saith further We the Witnesses of the Spirit do know more then Moses the Prophets and Apostles did things of more higher concernment Observ The Apostles were not the least in the Kingdom but in the glory of the day 1 Pet. 2. 5. in the Eternal Life in him that was true 1 John 5. 20. and they had the whole Counsel of God even a Ministry sufficient to perfect the Work of God in the Saints Ephes 4. 12. that so they might present men perfect in Christ Jesus Col. 1. 28. And happy is he that receiveth their testimony and cometh into and walketh in that Light which their message was concerning 1 John 1. 2. verse 5 7. Yet again p. 25. he saith The Quakers have only the dead letter of other mens words whose light was but dark in comparison of the light that comes by this commission of the Spirit Observ Yes they have much more then the dead letter of other mens words for they witness the living Spirit and are taught thereby and subject thereto Blessed be the Lord who is become the Shepherd and Teacher of his people himself according to his Promise And as for the Apostles light being dark in comparison c. Observ We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even of the Lord the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 18. Again God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ chap. 4. 6. In that day the woman was clothed with the Sun for as many as are truly baptised into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3. 27. had the Moon under her feet and was crowned with a Crown of twelve Stars and not only travelling to bring forth but brought forth the Man-child which was to rule all Nations They who are indeed in the Spirit know that the Light which is now broke forth is but the Light of the same Day which shined then very gloriously in them who were the glory of Christ 2 Cor. 8. 23. They had the Spirit of God plentifully poured upon them which opened to them the mysteries of the Kingdom and the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 9 10. And how highly soever he think or speak of himself yet this is known concerning him that he hath a very great journey to travel before he can come to that measure of Light that they were in or to receive that proportion of the true Spirit that they received For he is yet quite out of it In p. 29. he affirmeth That it was the very God-head Life that suffered death Observ If the God-head Life suffered death what power was left to raise it up again I am the Resurrection and the Life said Christ but he spake concerning that which raised Lazarus which was of an immortal nature and could not die not concerning the body but the Life and Power of the Father which dwelt in and was revealed through the body which died not with the body but remained alive to raise the body What kind of doctrine is this that the very God-head Life suffered death and so to make the Creator mortal like the Creature In p. 39. he saith God the King of Heaven is not in this World at all Observ Whether shall I go from thy Spirit or whether shall I flee from thy Presence said David who had the Spirit of God If I ascend up into Heaven thou art there if I make my bed in Hell thou art there c. Psal 139. 7 8. And do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Jer. 23. 24. But L. M. hath affirmed contrary to these Testimonies that God is not in this World at all In p. 48. he saith I am the only and alone Judge what shall become of men and women after death neither shall those that are damned by me see any other God or Judge but me or that Sentence which I have passed upon them Observ Is he God is he Christ is he the only one is there not another God another Judge Yes we know there is another who judgeth otherwise then he hath judged who judgeth that to death which he judgeth to life and that to Life which he judgeth to death And in the Resurrection of the just and the unjust shall not both the just and unjust see him who is the Judge Read Matth. 25. 31 c. Again p. 48. he saith No man upon the Earth can or ought to judge of the Doctrine of a Prophet that hath a Commission from God Observ Cannot he judge who hath the Anointing Doth not he that is a Child of God receive his Spirit and is not the Spirit of God able to judge in them that receive it Judge not according to the appearance saith Christ but judge righteous judgment Joh. 7. 24. Did Christ absolutely forbid men from judging concerning him or his doctrine and miracles or did he not rather direct them how they might judge aright I speak as to wise men judge ye what I say 1 Cor. 10. 15. The Apostle had a Commission from God yet he did not barrmen from judging of his words but bid them judge and the same Apostle saith Let the Prophets speak two or three and let the others judge 1 Cor. 14. 29. Is the Spirit of God given to and received of the Believer and shall he not therewith judge concerning Spirits and Doctrines and Commissions which pretend to be of him and Apostles and Angels whether they be Angels of Light indeed or only such as would so appear Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God 1 John 4. 1. And they which are of God love to come to the Light which tries and makes manifest but they that are not of God refuse to be tried by it Thou hast tried them that say they are Apostle and are not and hast found them Lyars Rev. 2. 2. God giveth that Light that Spirit that Anointing to his which hath in it ability to try and they ought to try therewith Doctrines Spirits Prophets Apostles and certainly find thereby that they are of him before they receive them or else they may easily be deceived Despise not prophesyings saith the Apostle 1 Thes 5. 20. but yet withal though a man may not despise them yet neither may he receive them without due trial therefore the Apostle in the next words adds Prove
nature of reason never did nor can do in any Again in p. 11. he saith very slightingly and as untruly concerning the Quakers thus As for the sins your hearts are clensed from they are no other but such like as these that is to say to keep the hat on the head before a Magistrate and to find fault with gold-lace and a piece of ribbon a bandstring and a gold button and to rend and tear gold-lace and other lace off their clothes and burn it and to use the Language of thee and thou He or she that gets thee or thou perfectly is a very good Quaker they are gotten half way to the Quakers Heaven These and such like righteousness is the Quakers perfection and all the cleansing of heart they have c. Observ O thou despiser reproacher and belyar of the Work of God in the hearts of his children Nay nay there are thousands who in Gods Presence can testifie against thee that they have waited for and received the inward clensing from the filthiness of flesh and spirit from the inward lusts and motions of sin in the mind having felt the Ax of the Lord and the two-edged Sword which cutteth up sin at the very roots But thou art so far from having thy heart cleansed that thou art not yet clensed from lying lips but bringest forth thy false reproachfull slanderous testimony against the Heritage of God in the sight of the Sun In p. 13. he saith further of the Quakers That they own no other death of Christ but what is within them what ever they pretend by using the words of Scripture c. Observ They sincerely and in plainness of heart own and acknowledge the death of that Body which the Father prepared for his Son in which he did the Fathers Will in his suffering without the Gate of Jerusalem Therefore in this he is a very false Witness and therein hath grosly belyed the Quakers In p. 15. he saith You Quakers are the darkest pieces to interpret Scripture of any other Opinions in the World for you will name places of Scripture but never interpret any c. Observ It is better to bring men to that which opens the mind to understand the Scriptures then to give men interpretations of words or things beyond their capacity Yet the Spirit of the Lord in and through many called Quakers doth often open many Scriptures in clearness and demonstration to others Read the Book called Gospel-Liberty or the Royal Law of Love and see if many Scriptures be not therein opened to the lowest capacity But the Lord hath given them the true skill and understanding and they are not to open to and feed that in men which the Lord hath appointto be famished Yet if they did not open Scriptures the Scriptures are plain to him that hath an understanding Now for a close I shall add somewhat of the Testimony which is written in my heart by the finger of Gods Spirit concerning the People called Quakers Indeed they have met with many reproaches and sore oppositions many wayes since they were a People but notwithstanding all their bow abides in strength and the hands of their arms have been made strong against the wicked one with all his devices in his several kinds of instruments and their Light is still the same and their God the same who blesseth them from day to day even in the midst of all the revilings slanders persecutions and curses which they have met with from men without and in the midst of all the temptations inward trials and afflictions also which are often met with inwardly Yea we know him to be our God and cannot but trust him having found him to be faithfull to us hitherto and knowing his nature to be such that he cannot but continue his loving-kindness and faithfulness to all who are gathered by him into his holy inward spiritual Covenant of Life and Peace and who dwells with him therein And truly we are fully satisfied and at rest in him and cannot desire another then he who hath redeemed our Souls from death given us Life brought us out of the pit wherein was no water into a large place set our feet upon a rock a rock indeed and establisheth our goings in the path of holiness working all our works in us and for us by his Spirit and Power Yea we have the Witness in our hearts even the Witness which never erred nor can deceive which testifieth to and with our spirits our Sonship so that we do not imagine our selves sons from apprehensions upon Scriptures but we feel our selves sons in the true sensibleness and know who David is and reap and inherit the sure mercies of David daily O blessed be our Father O blessed for ever be the Father of Life who feeds who nourishes who waters who refreshes with the Bread of Life and with the pure living Water his Lambs his babes his plants his tender ones of whom he is daily tender and who are daily tender of his Name and Honour And if any man preach another God then he who creates anew in the true Light and therein puts forth his arm of Salvation death and destruction and the curse are his portion from the hand of the Lord. Now O people any of you that reads this mans writings and admire them what spirit are ye of what is it in you that relisheth them what do they feed in you Not the true Birth I am sure but that in you which must perish and come into death and destruction if ever your Souls be saved I speak sensibly and from the true understanding and experience which God hath given me yea I certainly know that the knowledge and notions which he holds forth are not pure nor able to cleanse the heart of any that receives them And all people that truly love your Souls and desire the Salvation thereof O wait on God that ye may be enabled by him rightly to distinguish between receiving notions concerning God and Christ and feeling and receiving the Power which effectually redeems from sin and death for deceit may enter in at the one but cannot at the other The Enemy hath all deceivableness of unrighteousness to paint as if it were righteousness and appear in and to enter and possess the mind by but he is excluded the redeeming power He that feels that which renews his heart to God and breaks the power and strength of lusts and temptations in him and brings him into subjection to the Truth which from God lives in the hearts of those that receive it in the vertue life and power of it here his devices and deceits are at an end and here the elect Sheep feel the hand of the Father which is stronger then all which none can pluck out of Here is the Fold here is the safe dwelling place whither the Lord leadeth and where he preserveth his Lambs and Children and there is not another Now as for him notwithstanding all that he hath done
against the Lord and against his dear people so far am I from wishing any harm unto him that I could wish with all my heart that it were possible for him to come to a true sense of the true Light of Gods holy Spirit that by it he might examine wherein he hath provoked and sinned against the Lord that the Lord should thus leave him not only to be deceived himself but to become an head or root of deceit to others and so to bring the blood of many Souls upon him which will be his bitter burthen and misery in the day of the Lord upon him when the Lord shall rebuke him for blaspheming his Name his Light his Spirit and shall justifie in the sight of men and Angels those to be his Heritage and everlastingly dear unto him whom he hath reproached misrepresented and cursed unto eternity but they are gathered by God into the blessed Seed which he knoweth not nor in this spirit nor by this Commission shall ever know where he cannot curse nor can his curse reach or touch them but they therein are blessed for evermore Amen A brief account of my Souls Travel towards the Holy Land and how at length it pleased the Lord to joyn my heart to his pure holy living Truth wherein I have witnessed the new Covenant and peace with the Lord therein with a few words concerning the Way of knowing and receiving the Truth which is not done by disputes and reasonings of the mind about it but in waiting aright for the Demonstration and Power of Gods Spirit to open the heart and vnderstanding and by submissive obedience to it even in its lowest appearances in the inward parts MY Heart from my childhood was pointed towards the Lord whom I feared and longed after from my tender years wherein I felt that I could not be satisfied with nor indeed seek after the things of this perishing World which naturally pass away but I desired true sense of and unity with that which abideth for ever There was somewhat indeed then still with me even the Seed of Eternity which leavened and ballanced my spirit almost continually but I knew it unâ—â—distinctly so as to turn to it and give up to it entirely and understandingly In this temper of mind I earnestly sought after the Lord applying my self to hear Sermons and read the best Books I could meet with but especially the Scriptures which were very sweet and savory to me yea I very earnestly desired and pressed after the knowledge of the Scriptures but was much afraid of receiving mens interpretations of them or of fastning any interpretation upon them my self but waited much and prayed much that from the Spirit of the Lord I might receive the true understanding of them and that he would chiefly endue me with that Knowledge which I might feel sanctifying and saving And indeed I did sensibly receive of his Love of his Mercy and of his Grace which I felt still freely to move towards me and at seasons when I was most filled with the sense of my own unworthiness and had least expectations of the manifestation of them But I was exceedingly entangled about Election and Reprobation having drunk in that doctrine according as it was then held forth by the strictest of those that were termed Puritans and as then seemed to me very manifest and positive from Rom. 9. c. fearing lest notwithstanding all my desires and seekings after the Lord he might in his decree have passed me by and I felt it would be bitter to me to bear his Wrath and be separated from his Love for evermore yet if he had so decreed it would be and I should notwithstanding these fair beginnings and hopes fall away and perish at the last In this great trouble and grief which was much added to by not finding the Spirit of God so in me and with me as I had read and believed the former Christians had it and in mourning over and grapling with secret corruptions and temptations I spent many years and fell into great weakness of body and often casting my self upon my bed did wring my hands and weep bitterly begging earnestly of the Lord daily that I might be pitied by him and helped against my enemies and be made conformable to the image of his Son by his own renewing Power And indeed at last when my nature was almost spent and the pit of dispair was even closing its mouth upon me mercy sprang and deliverance came and the Lord my God owned me and sealed his Love unto me and light sprang within me which made not only the Scriptures but the very outward creatures glorious in my eye so that every thing was sweet and pleasant and lightsom round about me But I soon felt that this estate was too high and glorious for me and I was not able to abide in it it so overcame my natural spirits wherefore blessing the Name of the Lord for his great goodness to me I prayed unto him to take that from me which I was not able to bear and to give me such a proportion of his light and presence as was sutable to my present state and might fit me for his service Whereupon this was presently removed from me yet a savour remained with me wherein I had sweetness and comfort and refreshment for a long season But my mind did not then know how to turn to and dwell with that which gave me the savour nor rightly to read what God did daily write in my heart which sufficiently manifested it self to be of him by its living vertue and pure opperation upon me but I looked upon the Scriptures to be my rule and so would weigh the inward appearances of God to me by what was outwardly written and durst not receive any thing from God immediately as it sprang from the Fountain but only in that mediate way Herein did I limit the holy One of Israel and exceedingly hurt my own Soul and I afterwards felt and came to understand Yet the Lord was tender to me and condescended exceedingly opening Scriptures to me freshly every day teaching and instructing warming and comforting my heart thereby and truly he did help me to pray and to believe and to love him and his appearances in any yea to love all the sons of men and all his creatures with a true love But that in me which knew not the appearances of the Lord in my spirit but would limit him to words of Scripture formerly written that proceeded yet further and would be raising a fabrick of knowledge out of the Scriptures and gathering a perfect rule as I thought concerning my heart my words my ways my worship and according to what I thus drank in after this manner from the Scriptures I practised and with much seriousness of spirit and prayer to God fell a helping to build up an Independent Congregation wherein the savour of Life and the Presence of God was fresh with me as I believe there are
yet some alive of that Congregation can testifie This was my state when I was smitten broken and distressed by the Lord confounded in my worship confounded in my knowledge stripped of all in one day which it is hard to utter and was matter of amazement to all that beheld me I lay open and naked to all that would enquire of me and strive to search out what might be the cause the Lord should deal so with me They would at first be jealous that I had sinned and provoked him so to do but when they had scanned things throughly and I had opened my heart nakedly to them I do not remember any one that ever retained that sence concerning me My Soul remembreth the Woomwood and Gall the exceeding bitterness of that state and is still humbled in me in the remembrance of it before the Lord. O how did I wish with Job that I might come before him and bowingly plead with him for indeed I had no sense of any guilt upon me but was sick of love towards him and as one violently rent from the bosom of his Beloved O how gladly would I have met with death for I was weary all the day long and afraid of the night and weary also of the night-season and afraid of the ensuing day I remember my grievous and bitter mournings to the Lord how often did I say O Lord why hast thou forsaken me why hast thou broken me to pieces I had no delight but thee no desire after any but thee My heart was bent wholly to serve thee and thou hadst even fitted me as appeared to my sense by many deep exercises and experiences for thy service why dost thou make me thus miserable Sometimes I would cast mine eye upon a Scripture and my heart would even melâ— within me at other times I would desire to pray to my God as I had formerly done but I found I knew him not and I could not tell how to pray or in any wise to come neer him as I had formerly done In this condition I wandered up and down from mountain to hill from one sort to another with a cry in my spirit Can ye tell news of my Beloved where doth he dwell where doth he appear but their voices were still strange to me and I should retire sad and oppressed and bowed down in spirit from them Now surely all serious sober sensible people will be ready to enquire how I came satisfyingly to know the Lord at length or whether I do yet certainly know him and am yet truly satisfied Yes indeed I am satisfied at my very heart Truly my heart is united to him whom I longed after in an everlasting Covenant of pure Life and Peace Well then how came this about will some say Why thus The Lord opened my spirit the Lord gave me the certain and sensible feeling of the pure Seed which had been with me from the beginning the Lord caused his holy Power to fall upon me and gave me such an inward demonstration and feeling of the Seed of Life that I cried out in my spirit This is he This is he there is not another there never was another He was always near me though I knew him not not so sensibly not so distinctly as now he was revealed in me and to me by the Father O that I might now be joyned to him and he alone might live in me And so in the willingness which God had wrought in me in this day of his Power to my Soul I gave up to be instructed exercised and led by him in the waiting for and feeling of his holy Seed that all might be wrought out of me which could not live with the Seed but would be hindring the dwelling and reigning of the feed in me while it remained and had power And so I have gone through a fore travel and fight of afflictions and temptations of many kinds wherein the Lord hath been merciful to me in helping me and preserving the spark of Life in me in the midst of many things which have befallen me whose nature tended to quench and extinguish it Now thus having met with the true Way and walked with the Lord therein wherein daily-certainty yea and full assurance of Faith and of understanding is at length obtained I cannot be silent true Love and pure Life stirring in me and moving me but am necessitated to testifie of it to others and this is it To retire inwardly and wait to feel somewhat of the Lord somewhat of his holy Spirit and Power discovering and drawing from that which is contrary to him and into his holy Nature and Heavenly Image And then as that mind is joyned to this somewhat is received some true Life some true Light some true Discerning which the Creature not exceeding but abiding in the measure of is safe but it is easie erring from this but hard abiding with it and not going before its leadings But he that feels Life and begins in Life doth he not begin safely and he that waits and fears and goes on no further then his Captain goes before him doth he not proceed safely yea very safely even till he cometh to be so setled and established in the Vertue Demonstration and Power of Truth as nothing can prevail to make him Now blessed be the Lord there are many at this day who can truly and faithfully witness that they have been brought by the Lord to this state And thus have we learned of the Lord to wit not by the high striving aspiring mind but by lying low and being contented with a little If but a crum of Bread yet if bread if but a drop of Water yet if water we have been contented with it and also thankfull to the Lord for it Nor by thoughtfulness and wise searching and deep considering with our own wisdom and reason have we obtained but in the still meek and humble waiting have we found that brought into the death which is not to know the mysteries of Gods Kingdom and that which is to live made alive and increase in Life Therefore he that would truly know the Lord let him take heed of his own reason and understanding I tried this way very far for I considered most seriously and uprightly I prayed I read the Scriptures I earnestly desired to understand and find out whether that which this people called Quakers testified of was the only Way and Truth of God as they seemed to me but to pretend but for all this prejudices multiplied upon me and strong reasonings against them which appeared to me as unanswerable But when the Lord revealed his Seed in me and touched my heart therewith which administred true Life and Vertue to me I presently felt them there the children of the Most High and so grown up in his Life Power and holy Dominion as the inward eye being opened by the Lord sees as drew forth from me great reverence of heart and praises to the Lord who had so appeared among men in these latter dayes And as God draweth in any respect O give up in faithfulness to him Despise the Shame take up the Cross for indeed it is a Way which is very cross to man and which his wisdom will exceedingly be ashamed of but that must be denied and turned from the secret sensible drawings of Gods Spirit waited for and given up to Mind people He that will come into the new Covenant must come into the obedience of it The Light of Life which God hath hid in the Heart is the Covenant and from this Covenant God doth not give knowledg to satisfie the vast aspiring comprehending wisdom of man but living Knowledge to feed that which is quickned by him which Knowledge is given in the obedience and is very sweet and precious to the taste of him that knows how to feed upon it Yea truly this is a very excellent pure precious nature and a little of it weighs down that great vast knowledge in the comprehending part which the mans spirit and nature so much prizeth and presseth after And truly Friends I witness at this day a great difference between the sweetness of comprehending the knowledge of things as expressed in the Scriptures this I sed much on formerly and tasting the hidden Life the hidden Manna in the heart which is my food now blessed for ever be the Lord my God and Saviour O that others had a true certain and sensible taste of the Life Vertue and Goodness of the Lord as it is revealed there surely it could not but kindle the true hunger and enflame the true thirst which can never be satisfied but by the True Bread and by Water from the Living Fountain This the Lord in the tenderness of his Love and in the Riches of his Grace and Mercy hath brought us to and this we earnestly and uprightly desire and endeavour that others may be brought to also that they may rightly in the true silence of Flesh and in the pure stilness of Spirit wait for and in the Lords due time receive that which answers the desire of the awakened Mind and Soul and satisfies it with the true precious Substance for evermore Amen THE END