which he hath of God betrusted in him and not by his own strivings in the thoughts of himself his worth or wisdom And in diligent hearkening and obeying of the Spirit have I found the right faithfulness towards God though getting knowledge be highly esteemed with men and I have found that as I have the Spirit manifest in me to profit withal so the times of my profiting is onely in his hand and my waitings upon him when he moves not is my reasonable service and a profiting time to me as if he moved though I see it not and this I found a great cross to my hasty will which indeed is the true worship in Spirit which when I knew not this Spirit to hearken and bow to and obey and observe in all things as his will leads I worshipped I knew not what and my fear towards God then was taught by the precepts of men and I was not taught of the Lord not being born of that Spirit and so all the children of the Lord are taught of the Lord and as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God these Scriptures I then could read and understand without meanings not by that which my wisdom taught me but which the Holy Ghost taught me and the Scriptures thus learned and received was no more a notion to be lost but a possession and I came to have an inheritance therein amongst them that are sanctified in all ages no subtle man could either steal them or change them or any way beguil me of the Truth of them by wresting them nor take away my comfort I had in them my comfort and fellowship therein being in the same Spirit and life that gave them forth and the Word of God thus grew and endureth for ever and the Spirit of truth that leads into all truth endures for ever and the Seed of God is one therein to all generations and that is one which perfects the Spirits of all Just men and God himself is Judge over all and leader of all by his own begettings in all that enter into this rest of the faithful which remains to all his children out of which false Faiths and disobedience shuts themselves And that which declares the righteousness of God for remission of sins past and for an inheritance against sin for time to come have I found to be Faith without falshood which Righteousness though in the Faith and Hope beyond declaring yet inherited but as the vertues that are in Christ Jesus comes to be received in the life of them And that faith which hath not that Righteousness for its ground and end and the vertues and several measures of the growth of Christ for its life and increase That I have found upon tryal to be a fained fancy after mans mind and not after Gods measures And he that saith he hath Faith in God and is without the hope of this Righteousness for his inheritance Or saith he hath Christ further then he hath his Virtues for his life and growth towards this inheritance when he comes to be weighed with Truth will be found too light to stand in Judgement or abide the fire or to dwell with everlasting burnings The tryal of that Faith will leave him without Faith then shall it be read as it is written When the Son of man comes shall he find Faith on the Earth Who they be that are under the Law and who they be that have made void the Law against themselves and who they be that are under Grace GRace reigns through Righteousness and the Law through Transgression and he that sayes he is from under the Law and the transgressor alive he makes void the Law against himself but is under it in the account of God For the Seed or Image of God being fallen the transgressor is above to whom there is no Grace nor Life promised who hath no true obedience but for self-ends upon this is the Law added till the Promised Seed arise And a School-master the Law is till it bring to Christ who of the Woman is made under the Law who takes upon him the Seed after the flesh the Soul to Redeem from under the Transgressor that the natural Plant of God may grow so who can witness the Teachings and Chastizings of the Law to bring him so low till he come under the Seed so as the seed be set above the head of the Transgressor and have bruised it and so taken away the strength of sin there the strength of the law is taken away also And as the Soul is raised up through the law the law being fulfilled by the seed through the Spirit so it arises above the law into the Kingdom of Grace which reigns through Righteousness and not by making void the law for the Grace is to the Seed and the Law to the Transgressor and as these reign in the Creature so is he under the Law or under Grace for the Law hath power over the man of sin as long as he lives then is the Seed of the Promise in bondage but he being dead by which the seed is held Captive the seed rises under Grace which as it rises through the law fulfills it and being fulfilled it loses its strength as sin dies and so hath no more power the Law being the strength of sin till it be fulfilled by the seed through the Spirit so he that is dead to sin is free from sin and under Grace And he that casts off the the Law while he is alive that sins makes void the law against himself So he that 's under Grace is dead to sin and dead to the Law which is the strength of sin and sin hath no more dominion over the soul the power of it being subdued which was the Law unfulfilled but where the law is made void the strength of sin yet remains and the Law will overtake them in the end And he that learns this in the Death and Resurrection and eternal life shall in this work learn what the Transgression is and how the law is added upon him and how it is the strength of sin in him but not in the seed and what it is that makes the entrance through the law and how Grace comes to abound where sin hath abounded and to reign through Righteousnesse unto eternal life So where the Transgressor is slain there the Law is at an end and fulfilled and the natural Plant of God brings forth against which there is no law but the law is against the man of sin and the man of sin against the law as long as he lives and power it will have over him and one jot of it will not passe away till it be fulfilled And he that would cast off the Law and make it void is far from Grace but in him that fulfills the Law doth Grace and Truth abound Of the Way of Life from the Knowledge that devoures the Life Wouldest thou know the Way of Life from
that are full of earthly glory c. Here is the earth set above then the Vail is before your eye and you see not the Lord that Spirit nor do you set up Jesus to be Lord by the Holy Ghost But if that eye be open in you that can see through the Vail of earth and all this deal of flesh and darknesse to that which is within the Vail even the Holy One in his Temple him to chuse and set above in your minds Then your eye shall see the Lords anointed and the King in his Glory and he shall rule whose right it is in every heart and your Governous shall be of your selves and all violence shall cease and shakings of Governments the Government being upon his shoulders who is the Prince of all your peace in the great in the small who shall reign in righteousnesse and judge the people with equity for God and not for rewards to whose authority every knee shall bow and every tongue confesse for conscience sake his Name being written in every heart will then be read whose Kingdom is everlasting and in spirit and power he reigns and in spirit is worshipped in Heaven and in Earth who fills all things with the presence of his Glory and his Kingdom is near to all that can believe it s within you saith Christ and he rules where he is not known though not to salvation who is made of the Seed of David after the flesh by the Word of God to all Generations a King for ever according to promise whose Kingdome the eye which the God of this World hath blinded is putting afar off who sees not the Light of his Glorious Gospel though he be not afar off but him in whom all things have life and being either to salvation or condemnation and this is the condemnation that light is come already into the World which men who loves their evil deeds say is to come and so looks for that without who is a Spirit within and therein hath ever reigned more or lesse but now is arising to his day over all the World whose sound is gone out to the ends of the earth and his light ariseth in every heart to life or condemnation and some it leads into rest and others it pricks to the heart and they kick against it and will not have it to rule therein and to this day he is rejected of the builders who is the first born unto God in Spirit blessed over all And now all sorts of people who in truth wait for the Kingdom of God upon earth with that which in you is of him you may all see if you keep that eye single when he draws near who is born of the Spirit and when he is put afar off in his Government here below when you behold in any manner of Authority such a spirit as is for God alone looking to that of God in every man without respect of person or riches and with a single eye seeks to find out where that measure of God is transgressed in any or where it is oppressed by any and with that measure of God in himself seeks to set judgement upon the head of the transgressor and to set free the innocent principle of God in all which will not lead any to evil then is the judgement of God and for God and that of God is set above in all that 's he that 's born of God here the Kingdom of God is near and as this increases so God draws near and his Kingdom increases and that of God in you all will answer thereto and rejoyce thereat which waits for him and that which is upright in every heart shall say that is the Judgement of God and in that Vessel is God on his Throne according to the measure of that Spirit set up in Judgement so is Jesus Lord by the holy Ghost known and bowed to But on the contrary in what place of Authority soever it be in which the Innocent comes for Judgement against the Oppressor who is too strong for him and so seeks to justice to plead his Cause and to deliver the seed of God that is burthened And when he comes his Cause is not heard but is thrust away if not further ensnared because he cannot oppress that of God in him more either by bowing to something of vain Customs or Worships never set up by God nor owned by his witness for Conscience sake Or else because he cannot fire his judgement by feeding a Covetous Spirit which is for Rewards and not for God that he Judges and so the Innocent soul is not relieved at this throne but sent away as an of fender from that place where he should be eased and justified with the judgement of a free spirit for justice sake doth not that of God in you all testifie against this that judgement is here turned backward in that vessel and that Jusus is not Lord therein so the innocent heart is sadned but not saved and the Kingdom of God put afar off and the Scepter of righteousness not seen Wherefore Rulers and People who set up flesh in stead of the holy spirit to rule over you the wills of men the pride and glory of this world or any visible thing here below born after the flesh see what you chuse and what you put afar off and with that spirit you now chuse you will never see the Kingdom of God nor be able to say in truth that Jesus is Lord It s by the spirit of holiness meekness and true judgement and works of righteousness that Jesus is known to Reign and therein stands the sight of his Kingdom and Lordship in every heart in every Court and in every place of judgement to all generations which you deny in chusing the man of this world after the flesh to rule in you or over you therein And yet you say you look for him and thy Kingdom come delay but deny him in the simplicity of his lowly spirit to rule for his own in all as all your Rulers ever did as you have read in words and now may read in deeds the world by wisdom knows not God so that spirit chuses its own to rule but cannot receive him whom you say you look for And how should any one who sees the Kingdom of God and where the simplicity of Christ is above own that Kingdom or worship that spirit and not betray the simplicity of Christ and give his honour to another And if in the meekness of mind you did but weigh this you could not think it so strange why so many at this day who have received the Kingdom of God in his lowly just and righteous spirit chuse rather to suffer death under that spirit of this world then to bow to worship it or confesse that due thereto which belongs onely to Jesus the Lord neither would you say it was obstinacy or contempt of Authority rather to suffer by the will of man then to rob
the Lord of his glory deny Christ in his Kingly office and set up another in his place And herein true wisdom may see that in so doing we resist not that power which is ordained of God nor the person but that spirit we testifie against by sufferings under which God never annointed for a Saviour holding forth the annointing as we have received for a witness against him in the spirit of meekness confessing our King in whom we receive power to suffer so to us he is come and by the gift of the Holy Ghost we can say he is Lord therefore to us there is but one Lord though there be many so called whether in heaven or in earth yet have we but one in all both in heaven and earth and him we know where ever he is by the gift of the Holy Ghost and to him in spirit we confesse and bow and the fruits of his spirit are manifest with the light of the world testifying against all the works of darkness in all the children of his Kingdom And to us he is born who is from above the holy Child wonderful in Councel and strength whose heavenly power and vertue takes our affections from all earthly objects and worship whose name is Immanuel and it is written in our hearts and shed abroad into the world in our lives and Christ Jesus is the end of our conversation him alone to put on above all to Preach by walking in him as we have received of that lively image of holiness and Truth the annointed of God and so we confesse him before men who is the right Heir in what vessel soever he appears and the prayers we give to God where this treasure is found in the earthen vessel and the hope of all our glory is Christ within and the increase of his Government is Christ within of which there is no end and with that spirit is all righteousness established the Kingdom of God upon earth and Eternal life And where this is not seen chosen and followed there men rule in their own wills and where mens persons and riches is respected in chusing such there the same is respected in judgement by such and the Law of God is perverted and the sword of Justice which should defend the cause of the innocent is laid by and the fist of wickeduess lift up against that which is tender of God in every conscience and when this rules the righteous Seed mourns in secret but wickedness reigns openly And this is and ever was the state of the Kingdom of God and the Kingdoms of the Gentiles the one rules in the Spirit of Holiness and the other exercise Lordship in their own wills chosen and set up not by the Holy Ghost as you may read in the Scriptures concerning Israels common wealth who when they wanted the ruling of this spirit they sold themselves under their enemies but when this was their Judge they had a Saviour chosen after the spirit not after the flesh what ever was the vessel the Spirit was their Saviour Moses was a poor wandring Shepheard yet in this Spirit a God to Pharaoh and Saviour of Israel Samuel a poor man who received no reward for judgement and when they went about to chuse another after the manner of other Nations they rejected God who then gave them a King in his wrath David a poor man not chosen by the outward appearance as man looks but by the heart by the direction of the Spirit he was the Shepherd of Israel and his seed of the same Election hath the everlasting Kingdom of promise to all generations Elisha a plowman yet by that Spirit was he the Chariots of Israel and horsmen thereof Deborah a woman yet a Judge deliverer to Israel And too long would it be to instance in all ages how he hath set up his throne and saved his people in this Election not of wisdom riches or worldly glory but the poor of this world rich in Faith heirs of the Kingdom of promise which you say you look for but cannot see nor receive while you chuse after the flesh as the world hath ever done who still have bent all their wisdom and Religion to keep the Heir out of his Kingdom whom they have been looking for after the flesh but not believing in the light to give them a fight through the vail to him that is born of the Spirit have resisted the Holy One and chosen the murtherer as did your fathers so do you alwayes resist the Holy Ghost and as it was so it is that which is born of the flesh is flesh and chuses after the flesh and worships after the flesh for it can see no further it cannot see the Kingdom of God and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit and chuses after the spirit and worships in spirit and these are contrary Kingdoms and he that 's born after the flesh persecutes him that 's born after the spirit ever did and ever will do for the Scripture cannot be broken which hath so said and is now fulfilled And now you that are called Christians you read and Preach of this King Christ Jesus and his Kingdom what a One he ever hath been in his appearance upon Earth by whom he hath been received and by whom rejected and after what manner he hath ever suffered and by what power he hath reigned in all ages and this you will confesse in words but will you now receive him to reign in you Or can you own his appearance where it is set up in others and not be offended therewith is that eye open that knows him or can you delight in him who was never like the world in his walkings was not he ever poor as to this world and therefore rejected of the rich and learned lowly and rejected of Princes and them that was high was not his work ever to change shadows and forms and Religious traditions set up in mens minds above the life of Truth and leadings of the spirit and to set up spiritual worship and obedience in its place And therefore by the builders ever rejected and condemned and his new work was ever foolishness to the wise wherefore he bare the reproach thereof with patience was he not ever meek and innocent and harmless in his conversation towards all men as a Lamb indeed seperate from sinners in life yet seeking them to save out of sin with the dayly giving up his life c So he was and so he hath ever appeared on earth now can you receive you King as he was you that wait for him Or do you think he is changed Is he now become proud and lofty in flesh after the world cruel and covetous and hard-hearted subtle and crafty to deceive the simpie strong and violent to trample on the helpless doth the glory of his Scepter now stand in meats and drinks and fine apparel or great earthly possessions doth he now come to take up his abode and
condemnation Have you not heard of the love of the Father to the world who sends his Son to lay down his Life therein for a light to the world that whosoever believeth therein might not be condemned can you read and confess this life laid down in the Prophets in Christ in the Apostles in the Martyrs and in all in whom this righteous blood hath been shed from Abel to your time and can you not say they were blind Priest and People who could not see this innocent sufferer in his several appearances And what will you say of your selves seeing the same testimony is before your eyes but not received was ever his sufferings so increased in so little a time and for such little foolish things as your selves calls them which though they seem little yet much innocent blood hath been shed and this life is laid down dayly in many And why should you count that so little which your brethren count dearer then their precious life Is there any thing makes it so but the tenderness of the one and hardness of the other But say you they are guilty of their own blood to suffer for such foolish things but who is their executioners do not you suffer fools dayly they shall witness against you that there is something in it more then folly have you not read that God chuseth the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and base despised things to bring to nought things that are and weak things to confound the mighty and can you read and Preach this and not see it fulfilled nor understand without a meaning then take heed how you call that foolish which God hath chosen to lay down his life in for a witness against the murtherer in the wise men of the world will you call that foolishness whereby the mysteries of God comes to be manifest and that which he hath chosen to declare himself in openly in his Temples and his worship his service and his suffering long in meekness and the Devil in his Temples with his servants his pride his rashness and cruelty and to lay each open to the simplest heart by their fruits which have been long covered with words but now every one that knowes a Wolfe from a Lamb may see and cannot be deceived will you call this little which discovers so great a depth of deceit so closely hid and opens the painted Sepulchres and searches the heart of the deceitful laying it open to your selves and others which else you could not have known nor believed if you were told it could many of you have believed the prince of pride had ruled in you til you see him act you in cruelty on your brethren because they cannot worship you or could you have believed that the murtherer had been there till you proceed to cast into prisons your brethren keep them there till death for these little things And these things some suffer under you for a witness and the rest are spared though that spirit would have none to live that the Scriptures may be fulfilled Satan shal cast some of you into prison c. And are not these things manifestly laid open to your selves and all that are not willingly blind and also the contrary Spirit of Christ Jesus where these things are patiently endured And will you call this foolishness which thus leaves all the world without excuse and prepares all for righteous Judgement many had little thought these little things should have opened such great secrets or this folly have confounded such wisdom when a subtle spirit hath been some years getting knowledge and words and Religion to make himself fair without that others may believe him to be a suffering Saint and one of these little things arises in his way which discover him to be a devouring Wolfe in a moment may not the wise then truely say the weakness of God is greater then the wisdom of men and God hath chosen foolish things to confound the wise And now the Scripture is fulfilled to your face whether you seeing can perceive or no and the rock of offence is laid and the stone of stumbling though he be refused And he is come whom we have looked for in the thousands of his Saints and the head over his Church and his body he is preparing dayly that the Fathers will may be done in Earth and that he may take vengeance of them that know him not nor will receive his testimony who will not believe his light that now shineth but take pleasure in unrighteousness though he be come after their own Preaching and many are his witnesses at his day glory to his brightness and let the Son arise and Reign for ever in whom alone the Scriptures are now fulfilling and the builders reject him and the wicked make prey upon him where he turns from iniquity and the spoiling of goods is suffered joyfully and the havock is made of the Church and he is taken from prison and from Judgement and the reproach of many he bears and the back is given to the smiter and he that sues at the Law for the coat may take the Cloak also he that would have the Hat take the head and body also without resisting and prayers and tears is shed for them that hate and despitefully use him and goods are taken away and not asked again this is our beloved and this is his voice and his sheep knows it and follows him and thus it is written of him and thus it is now read and glory to him that liveth and Reigneth for ever who was and is and is come TO THE RANTERS WO unto you Ranters of all sorts the day of your torment approacheth your cup is almost full your time draws near an end you are fed you are grown full for the slaughter your swelling is reached up to Heaven and the burthen of the Innocent Just one in you cries on high above all people you have dealth evil with the Lord and treacherously betrayed the tender proffer of his Spirit you have murthered the babe in the womb and he hath not resisted but intreated How many gentle reproofs hath he visited you with And with what Love and Faithfulnesse hath he followed you from one of your evils to another calling to you in secret in season and out of season before the act of your wickednesse in the act of it and after you have done it If by any means he might have overtaken you and prevented your ruine and won you again that he might have done you good and saved you from the paths of the Destroyer all wch is written where it cannot be rooted out against the day of vengeance although you have done what you can to stop the mouth of Gods witnesse in you and to stifle the Just least he should reprove you or give you light in your dark by-paths wherein you have walked towards the Lord as wilde Colts and fed Horses refusing his teachings or corrections