the Captives that are in Satans Bands That they may all upon these fore-mention'd Terms come to Enjoy Peace with God again and a Crown of Everlasting Life to their Souls when Dayes in this Life will have an End 2 Cor. 5.7 when all Crowns of Glory here below will fade away and never be enjoyed more Oh! then Happy will they be that have got an Habitation in God and an Inheritance that will never decay And God also by his holy Spirit makes Proclamation on the other hand That they that will not turn to him and lead a New Life but still Rebel against the Manifestations of his Light and the Strivings of his good Spirit in their own Hearts and Consciences till he leaveth striving with them and their Day of Visitation be over That unto all such and upon all such shall pass the Sentence of Mat. 7.23 ch 25.40.41 Go you Cursed Depart from me I know you not And thus the Wicked and all the Workers of Iniquity will be turned into Hell and all that forget God where they must inherit Everlasting Punishment And here is the Reprobation Damnation that God decreed in the Beginning not that God would not have saved them But it is happened to them as to Jerusalem of old Luke 13.34 God hath striven to gather them and they would not be gathered and so God's Unalterable Decree in Justice is fulfilled upon them And this concerneth all people upon the face of the Earth that desire Peace with God in this Life and a Dwelling with him for their Souls when this Life will have an End I say It concerns them to search and try how it is with them and how they stand in Relation to the Spirit of God in themselves and to consider by what they are led for all are led by the good Spirit or the bad and the good Spirit leads Peoples Mind Heaven-wards to mind heavenly things and the bad Spirit leads Peoples Minds Hell-wards to mind Ungodliness and Carnal Earthly things and if not resisted strived against and turned from it will lead into the Bottomless Pit out of which there is no Redemption And no man in his own Will or Strength can stand against that Soul-betraying Spirit which hath taken hold of all Mankind so that without the help of God's Spirit all are undone being no way able to Help themselves but blessed be the Lord he hath taken care of man and hath sent his good Spirit to that end to help us against the Spirit of Unrighteousness Now here all People by this good Spirit of God may come to have their Understandings opened and to see how it is with them as upon the account of their Salvation and how they stand in acceptance with God Now Mark here lies the thing if thou art led by the Spirit of God then thou art at Peace with the Spirit of God in thy self Rom. 8.16 but if the Spirit of God be yet a Reprover and Condemner in thy Heart and Conscience John 16.7 8. John 3.3 20 21 22. and check and trouble thee there then thy Peace and thy Salvation is not wrought with God but thou standest far rejected in the sight of God who is the Searcher of all Hearts and the Discerner of all Thoughts although thou mayst profess much of Religion and mayst run into many Inventions and Forms thinking to please God and to find Peace for thy Soul and thou mayst Pray Preach Read and Sing and be an Observer of outward Ordinances and Family-Duties too as they are called and yet be an Enemy to God and to thy own Soul if thou refusest to be led by the Spirit of God out of the Evil Wayes of the World from a vain Conversation Prov. 15.8 28.9 For the Prayers of the Wicked are an Abomination to the Lord. For so far came Saul when he was an Enemy to God and his People and to his own Soul he made a great flourish about Religion and was much in the outward Observations Acts 9. chap. 22. he said of himself that he was blameless as concerning the outward Law Rom. 7. and doubtless he had great Learning and was very zealous for Religion far beyond Thousands now adayes of those that are called Christians yet all this while he was an Enemy to the Spirit of God in his own Heart and in his blind Zeal kickt against the prickings of Gods Spirit in himself as many high Professors do now adayes and are rebelling against the strivings of Gods Spirit in their own Consciences while full of outward Duties that make a fair shew in the Flesh But it is hard for People to kick against the Pricks for consider that if ever man come into the Way of God again it must be by being instructed by the Spirit of God Prov. 6.23 For the Reproofs of instruction are the Way of Life and God hath given his good Spirit to that end viz. to instruct People in the way of Everlasting Life And this is he that was in that Body of Flesh that suffered at Jerusalem by the murdering Jews who was the only begotten of the Father John 1.12 13 14. Chap. 3.16 full of Grace and Truth that whosoever would believe on him should not Perish but have Everlasting Life He that said Before Abraham was I am this is that second Adam John 8.59 that quickning Spirit who is that Saviour and God manifested in Flesh Rom. 9.5 1 Cor. 15. 1 John 2.5 who is come to Redeem people out of Sin and from a Vain Conversation that he might be the Saviour of their Soul Tit. 2.13 14. by inwardly washing and cleansing them from their Sin by his own Blood and not to save People in Sin but from it and this is that Rock that followed Israel of Old of which they drank Which Rock 1 Cor. 10.4 says Paul was Christ Jesus So here is the means of Salvation and that of Gods preparing for poor lost mans recovery to bring him back to be an Inheritor in that Kingdom that stands in Righteousness and Peace and Joy forever and the way to it is to come to be instructed by this holy Spirit of Truth which leads into all Truth and the Reproofs of this instructing Spirit is the way to Life as the Scriptures of Truth say and bear Testimony Now that that Reproveth people for sinning is that which leadeth them that adhere to it out of Sin and Instructs and teaches people the Way to this Kingdom of God and till People come to own the Instructions Teachings and Leadings of this good Spirit of God that leads into all Truth and teaches all Truth and no Lye is in it they shall never know the way to the Kingdom of Heaven nor have the Peace of it never any did But by rejecting the strivings of Gods Spirit and striving against the prickings of it in the Conscience comes Misery upon all People This was the Overthrow
Blind and think all is well till Death comes and then they come to see all is in vain their spending of their Money for that which is not Bread and their Labour for that which satisfies not the immortal Soul and then begins to say O that I had another day I would not do as I have done and the Reason of this is because they have been seeking the Living among the Dead and Life where no Life is for there is no Life among the Priests in their dead Professions which will satisfie any man's hungering immortal Soul for that which satisfies peoples immortal Souls Priests and Professors are crying out against because it troubles them in their Sin and False Worships and for making a Trade of the Scriptures and Merchandize of the People and for this they are crying out against it almost in every Pulpit and almost in every Professors Meeting crying and railing against the Light of Christ Grace and Truth in the inward parts one calling it A Diabolical Light others calling it A Natural Light and The Check of a Natural Conscience and some in their Ignorance are so impudent as in plain English to call the Light of Christ A Devilish Light and some call it The Quakers Light and An Insufficient Light with many other Reproachful and Villifying Terms against Christ and the Light not only in their Pulpits but also in their Lives and Practices at other times for they find that when people once come to walk in the Light of Christ and to be led by the Spirit of God they will have no more of their blind Teaching then down goes their Trade and their great Gain of Merchandize with all their Gifts and Rewards and Babylon with all her Bravery and the old Whore which sate upon the Waters and made many People drunk with the Cup of her Fornication When once People come to be led by the Spirit of Jesus which is revealed in mankind to wit the Spirit of Truth which leadeth into all Truth and guideth into all Righteousness Then down falleth all Babylons Merchants Kingdom of Hell and altogether and then cometh Christs Kingdom to be set up and known which is hid from the Wisdom of this World But some may say Revelation and Inspiration is now ceased and how shall People come to that State thou speakest of now adayes I Answer If Revelation be ceased then Salvation and the Knowledge of God is ceased and if this be true then what have Priests to Preach now adayes for Christ said No man knows the Father but the Son and him to whom the Son will reveal him Mat. 11.27 and that none came to him but by the Father whom Christ the Son revealeth And Paul also said That when it pleased God to reveal his Son in him he consulted not with Flesh and Blood but with the Son whom the Father revealed So here its plain to the Eye that seeth which God opened that Revelation is not ceased but the Son revealeth the Father and the Father reveals the Son in People as witnessed by the Apostle Paul to show to People their inward conditions how it stands with them in the sight of God and this Paul did not see nor find out with all his Learning nor with his great Zeal or great Religion till Christ the Light was revealed in him neither shall any man upon the Earth come to know how it is with him as to his inward condition till he come to know Christ revealed in him and to Inspire him by his holy Spirit as I have hinted before that although there be a Spirit in man yet it is the Inspiration of the Almighty that gives a man an Understanding and if it be as some say that Inspiration is ceased then all true Understanding concerning Salvation and Spiritual matters is lost then what need any go after the Priests or any other Professors if there be no Knowledge of God or Christ to be attained to Away with all their blind and false Juggles which they bewitch People with that they might not obey the Truth it is all Lyes Delusions Revelation or Inspiration is not ceased Paul was since Christ and he witnessed Revelation and Inspiration and many more since him and I believe Christ and Paul spoke true and that the Scripture is true and all that is against it is Deceit and the Scripture holds forth Revelation and Inspiration is not ceased although in the time of the Law the Priests Lips were appointed to preserve the Peoples Knowledge and the people were appointed to seek the Law at their Mouthes Yet now it is not so but every one that lacks Knowledge is to ask of God who gives Liberally and upbraideth not such as ask in Faith But say some You Quakers do not Baptize your Children nor receive the Sacrament as we do I Answer If thou meanest Sprinkling of Infants I do not believe that was used by any of the People of God in many Ages since Christ and the Apostles dayes and therefore I do not know why any should use it seeing there is not any President in all the Scripture that it was ever used by any of the Primitive Christians neither in all the Scripture do I find any command of God for it and therefore why should we use it besides I look upon the thing as it is now practised to be a great offence to God in the Actors of it and for this Reason which I shall render for when the Priests and People meet together to Christen or Baptize a Child as they so call it most commonly the Parents of the Child must get some other Persons as they can to stand for the Child and there they must Promise and Vow three things in the Child's Name first That it shall forsake the Devil and all his Works Pomps and Vanities of this wicked world all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Secondly That the Child shall believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith Thirdly That it shall keep Gods holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the dayes of its Life This is Confusion and contrary to their Faith and Principle for they do not believe that any such thing can be or such a state attained to Now to enjoyn People to promise that the Child shall do that which they themselves do believe is Unpossible is Folly and Madness Coufusion and a Snare to them to whom they make so to imagine For if one should ask the Priest or any of them if they could live such a Life as they Promise and Vow the Child shall do they will say No it cannot be And are crying out in almost every Pulpit and almost in every Professors Meeting against such a Perfect Life as they promise and vow the Child shall live and saying No Perfection here For to forsake the Devil all his Works to keep Gods holy Will and Commandments is Perfection Now consider the Distraction Confusion Madness and Blindness of this
I let Israel go This Sturdy Oak did God visit with Judgment by pouring out of his Plagues upon him and his Land and he brought down his Pride in the Red Sea and he Humbled him by a perpetual Overthrow in the Deep but this Israel whom Pharaoh would not let go that they might hold a Feast unto the Lord in the Wilderness and Sacrifice unto their God them did God deliver out of his hand by a strong Arm and led thorow the Red Sea as upon dry Land making the Waters stand as Walls on the Right hand and on the Left And thus God made Pharach an Example to all that after should be Hard-hearted and refuse to Obey the Lord. And let it never be forgotten that in all these Overthrows God took care for the Righteous for them that loved God and obeyed his Voice and rebelled not against his good Spirit but turned at the Reproofs thereof who sinned not but stood in Awe as Namely Noah that Righteous man him God saved from the Destruction of the old World and delivered just Lot out of the Overthrow of Sodom and Israel his People he redeemed out of the Iron-Furnace and delivered them from Pharaoh that opprest them and pleaded their Cause with the Kings of the Earth and avenged their Wrongs upon them Yet here 's one President more that part of Israel which sinned and obeyed not God's Voice but day by day provoked him to Anger by their Rebellion and Unbelief even them for whom God had wrought such great Salvation God overthrew in the Wilderness and cut them off in his Anger by the Sword the Plague or other Destruction and twenty three thousand fell in one day and God made their Children to wander in the Wilderness Forty Years to bear the Whoredoms of their Fathers till the Carcases of their Fathers were consumed in the Wilderness These God was grieved and displeased with because they rebelled against his Good Spirit which he gave them to instruct and lead them in the Way they should go and this was not all but he sware in his Wrath They should not enter into his Rest So may we well conclude with the Apostle That if God spared not the Angels that sinned nor the Old World that sinned nor the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah that sinned nor Pharaoh and his Host that sinned nor that part of Israel that sinned whom God so dearly loved and wrought so great Salvation for but made them Examples for all that after should live Ungodly oh what shall be the End of those that tread under foot the Son of God and count the Blood of the Covenant an Unholy Thing and do despight to the Spirit of Grace and daily crucifie the Son of God afresh spiritually by their Ungodly Lives and Ungodly Conversations For as Sin was the Transgression of the Law so whosoever sinneth rebels against God and Christ and doth do despight to the Spirit of Grace and as he that despised the Law that came by Moses dyed without Mercy so God hath reserved a greater Punishment for him that sins wilfully and turns not at God's Reproof but rebels against his Spirit sets at nought his Counsel and despises his Reproof and hates Knowledge and doth not chuse the Fear of the Lord nor that Light and Grace that inwardly strives with men to turn them from Sin by inwardly checking and reproving them for sin in their Hearts and Consciences and inward Parts and counsels them in their inward Parts to live soberly righteously and godly in this present World such I say must inherit everlasting Flames and have their Portion in the Lake that burns where shall be weeping and wailing and Gnashing of Teeth and that for evermore And let it be observed how God loved the Righteous and preserved them in all Ages who feared God and stood in his Counsel and loved God above all who feared God because they loved him and sinned not but stood in Awe oh how attentive was God's Ear to hear them and how did God open their Hearts to intercede for the Ungodly for their Enemies for them that hated them without a Cause and grudged them their natural Lives that God had given them Oh how was the Lord intreated by them insomuch that the Wicked speeded the better for the Righteous for in the Overthrow of Sodom if there could have been Ten Righteous found God would have spared the whole City for the sakes of Ten Righteous Persons and Zoar was spared for Lot's sake that Just Man It is good and blessed for all to be Righteous for without Righteousness and Holiness none shall see God and without seeing of God there is no enjoying that Kingdom which is not of this World wherein there is Joy and Peace forever Now there is no man of himself can come to be righteous and pure in Heart but Christ must cleanse and purge the Heart and wash it by the inward Washing of Regeneration by sprinkling the Heart from an Evil Conscience by his own Blood and the Heart being thus made pure the Saying of Christ in the fifth of Matthew comes to be fulfilled to all such viz. Blessed is the pure in Heart for they shall see God And in order to bring to this Blessedness God hath laid Help upon one that is mighty to save to take off the Burthen of Sin from the Soul and to give Rest to the Soul that is weary Now most people will confess to this because it is Scripture but it is one thing to confess to it and another thing to know it experimentally and to come truly to Christ It may be an Objection may be in some concerning the Manner of Coming to Christ Unto this I Answer The Manner of coming to Christ is to come to his Light and Grace in the Heart and so to be made new Creatures man must leave Sin and come to a godly Sorrow which worketh a true Repentance never to be repented of to come to know Sin to be a Burden and to feel the weight of it upon the Soul if he will come aright to Christ for these be they that Christ called to come to him saying Come to me all you that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you Rest I will ease you Matt. 11.28 And as thou comest to him he will make thee righteous and pure in Heart that thou mayest see God and be blessed This is that a man cannot do for himself nor no man for him but Christ only So it is those that mourn and groan under the Burden of Sin that are fit to come to Christ not them that take Pleasure in Sin nor them that love Sin and plead they must live in it term of Life that is till they Dye But them that travail as Paul did to be delivered from the Body of Sin c. Rom. 7.24 this is the Way to become New Creatures and these be they that hear the Voice of the Son of God and live as he said My
Sheep hear my Voice and the Voice of a Stranger they will not hear John 10.27 these were good Sheep Now to come to hear Christ's Voice is to obey his Spirit that striveth in the Heart to reclaim the Wicked and the Willing and Obedient shall dwell in the Land in the Kingdom of God and shall eat of the Good of the Land the Bread of Life and their Souls shall partake of the Honey and the Milk that floweth therein Isaeah 1.19 Some may say If I had been in the dayes of his Flesh I would have heard him and have come to him but he is asoended up on high and sitteth at the Right Hand of God and how can I hear him now Well it is true he is ascended into Heaven and is with the Father But mark this he is not confined to one place but as thou mayst read in the Scriptures Rom. 9.5 He is God over all blessed forever and his Presence filleth Heaven and Earth he is every where and there is a measure or manifestation of his Light and good Spirit given to thee 1 Cor. 12.7 and to every man and woman upon the Earth that thou and they may profit by it upon the count of Salvation and the knowledge of this is made known in thee or that which may be known of God is manifest in thee and the Scripture saith Rom. 1.19 The Word is near even in the Heart and in the Mouth c. there thou mayst hear it and as thou obeyest the Voice of it it will give thee Power to do that which it doth require of thee and by doing this it is that thou mayst hear his Voice by keeping to that of God in thee and thy mind exercised in it Here the Voice of the Spirit of Christ is known as well as in days past and in Generations gone So let none deceive themselves for the Spirit of Christ is near to all whether they will hear him or not and true it is that they must one day give an account to him whether they will or no therfore let none deceive you with lying Vanities or unprofitable Words for this is he that searcheth the Heart and tryeth the Reins and sheweth unto man what his Thoughts are the Lord of Hosts is his Name and he is not far from any Acts 17.27 28. so that no man need say Who shall ascend to fetch Christ or who shall descend to fetch Christ up or who shall go beyond the Sea For saith the Apostle The Word of Faith which we Preach is nigh but how nigh in the Heart Rom. 10.6 7 8. and that Christ was that Word of Faith which they preacht and so we say that People may hear it and do it And Christ said to John as may be read in the third Chapter of the Revelations Behold I stand at the Door and knock if any man hear my Voice and open the Door I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me Rev. 3.20 It is at the Door of the Heart the Lord knocketh and they that hear obey the Spirit of Jesus that there knocketh such come to be born of the Spirit and by this come to sup with the Lord which is not an outward Supper but an inward enjoyment of spiritual Food the Bread of Life that which came down from Heaven which Christ said He that eateth thereof should never dye should live forever John 6.33 34 35 50 52 53 63. and that Bread that a man eating of it never dyes Christ said was the true Bread that his Father gave from Heaven then the Priests did not give it And when the People murmured because Christ said Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you did not Christ for their further satisfaction make them this Answer The Words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life it is the Spirit that quickeneth the Flesh profitteth nothing Now they that can believe Christ let them who said The Flesh profitteth nothing but the quickening Spirit and Power of God that raiseth the Soul from Death to Life And this is that we labour to bring People to that all might come to know that they have a part in him who said I am the Resurrection and the Life John 5.25 and so to feed at the Table of the Lord that they may never hunger more And for this we have been and yet are hated of the World both of Professors and Prophane but more especially of some angry and envious Professors and no marvel for none hated Christ and the Apostles more than they that made Profession of Religion in those dayes who were themselves out of the Life of Righteousness and in Hatred Strife and Envy as too many Professors are now adayes who stick in the outward Observations and Ceremonies one crying Lo here is Christ and another Lo there he is and all in their own Inventions or in the Inventions of their Fore-Fathers or at least in the Imitation of Elementary Things often Persecuting and Destroying one another about Opinions And these are they that are led by a false spirit for all people are led by the true or false Spirit for there is but two the Good and the Bad which all People upon the Earth are led by that is the Spirit of God or the Spirit of the Devil and to which of these a man gives his Mind to serve his Servant he is and his Conversation is managed by that Spirit and it may be that both lead to profess Religion for even the Devil in some sense is not against Peoples making a Profession of Religion but he makes them so blindly Zealous that they shall Hate Persecuto or Murder those that will not believe what they believe and worship as they worship and be of their Religion The Devil cares not how much People talk of God and Christ and Religion provided they do not deny him to lead them and so become New Creatures For they that are not led by the Spirit of Christ are none of his Rom. 8.9 And to be led by the Spirit of Christ is to become a New Creature for all have been in the old Nature Children of Wrath as the Apostle said Ephes 2.3 we as well as others till we come to put off the Old Man with his Deeds and to put on the New Man which is created after the Image of him that created him in Righteousness and true Holiness Ephes 4.24 the image of Christ who said Behold I make all things New And herein cometh the New Birth to be known by which People come to be Heirs to God's Kingdom which none ever come to but they that are born again which is to live a Life answerable to the Truth and to put off the old Man's Deeds is to put off Sin for all Sin and Wickedness is of the Devil the old Man and this is the old Nature by
say That the works of Christ are not perfect they that know Christ to work all their Works in them and for them which Works are perfect and profitable in all they that are pure in Heart and by this Sin cometh to be destroyed and by the Power of God Perfection is known and not by any thing of man's Righteousness Service or Invention which is but Outward Lip Service which Christ complained against concerning them that honoured him with their Mouthes but their Hearts were far from him it is now just so with most sorts of People Priests Professors and Prophane that are come no further than the Scribes and Pharisees were and the Jews and High Priests in Christ's dayes when he in the Body of Flesh walked upon the Earth they then were much opposing Christ and the Apostles Doctrine because they preach't up another Doctrine contrary to the Traditions who were busie about Outward Duties and Services Praying Preaching and Singing and Eating Drinking Washing and making a great flourish with Outward Worship and boasting about Religion which was but in Ceremonies Types Figures and Shadows altogether in Outward things as people are now adayes that are not come to the Spiritual Worship which is in Christ Jesus these were in Ages past and are in this our Age all crying out against that inward Principle which Christ and the Apostles exhorted People to as you may read in the Scriptures of Truth how Christ said He was the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world John 1.9 This Light shineth in the Heart and Conscience there to shew a man his Thoughts and to set his Inward Condition in view before him because nothing else can do it and this was that Light that shone in Paul when he said O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Rom. 7.24 It was the Light of Christ that shewed him his wretched state and not only so but gave him Power over it and he being faithful to it through great Self-denyal he taking up the Cross to his own Will whereby he was crucified to the World and the World to him was made able to travail through great Tribulations Exercises and Persecutions both by Professors and Prophane and by his own Country Men and all this Hatred and Malice was raised up in them by the Devil against Paul because he was turned to the Spirit and Light of Christ Jesus in himself and led a new Life and worshipped God in another manner than he did before to wit in the Spirit and in the Truth he being come to that which was out of their sight to things that Christ had revealed to him and by this he preached and turned People from Darkness to the Light of Christ in themselves and from Satan's Power to the Power of God for this thing was Paul enviously persecuted and cryed-out against and accounted Mad and ceased not their Pursuit till they had murdered him at Rome and for this very thing do Professors Priests Magistrates and many others hate us now adayes for turning of People from Darkness to Light from Satan's Power to the Power of the living God many have been the Inventions Consultations Contrivances against us both by Parliaments Councils Magistrates Bishops Priests Professors and Prophane that if the Lord had not stood by us we had been destroyed long ago but the Righteous God that pleads the innocent Cause of his Children hath so kept us and preserved us by his Living Power that our Adversaries had never ought to prove against us but only the Law of our God and this honest Daniel was accused for but consider what became of his Accusers and the Accusers of the Righteous in all Ages and then read within what will become of the Persecutors of God's People in this Age and for the future and who ever prospered that fought against God for the Hand of God is too strong for the whole World and it was ever turned upon them that used Violence and Misery must be their Portion if they Repent not Therefore 't is good for all people to look home and to consider how it is with them as to their inward Condition for it I am Wrong thou shalt not give an Account for me nor I for thee but every one for themselves therefore it is good for every one to walk in the Light while the Light shineth before Darkness come upon thee and there be no more Light and thou left without Remedy for Salvation for it is the Light that bringeth Salvation as you may read in the Scriptures what the Holy Men say 2 Cor. 4.6 That God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our Hearts to give us the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ that is in the Appearance of Jesus Christ Christ is the Light and the Light is Christ Within the Hope of Glory and this they spoke who were Witnesses of his inward Appearance of his revealing himself in their Hearts and Inward Parts And further the Scripture saith That this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and men loved Darkness rather than Light because their Deeds are Evil John 3.19 This is Salvation to them that are saved and Damnation to them that are damned to wit the Light for you may see that they that hated the Light were condemned by it and it was and is hated by all that love and plead for Sin which is Evil for while people live in Darkness which is Evil they see not the Evil Effect that Darkness will produce to them that love it nor the Misery that doth attend them and therefore they hate the Light for the Light makes Sin appear exceeding sinful and dreadful to behold and they that are not willing to leave their Sins get up into Disregard and Hatred against the Light that sheweth them it and sheweth to them their States this is that which troubleth people in their Minds and disquietteth them in their inward Parts for following their Lusts and Pleasures and therefore hated by them for this is oftentimes troubling of them for creeping under false Colours of Religions and false Security and lets them have no true Peace under any invented Religion that is not set up by God and Christ and also troubleth the common Priests for making a Trade of the Scriptures and Merchandize of the people who with their Lyes make People believe all is well with them when it is no such thing and so cheat People both of their Souls and Money and all this they do for Money but People are not willing to believe this because it is an easie Road and pleasing to the Old Nature and old course of Life and here they can live and please the basest of men and do according to the Traditions and Doctrines of man although it be never so contrary to God and here the Blind lead the
put in by the spirit of the Devil and whatsoever is put into any Man or Woman's Mind that is good right and just is done by the Spirit of the Lord for take notice of this all peoples Minds and Affections are swayed by one or the other of these two Spirits one turning into Wickedness the other into Righteousness this is true whether thou wilt believe it or no thou shalt be made to know it when it will be too late if thou art not aware A few words in answer to the fore-mentioned Reasonings and Objections against the Truth and Spiritual Worship As to the Strait Gate and Narrow Way it is strait to the Wicked it is pleasant to the Righteous and as to the many Wayes there are not many Wayes to Heaven but to Heaven there is but one Way and that is to come to answer God's Spirit in thee and to worship God in Spirit and in Truth And as to the being hated of all people this is no new thing for Christ and all the holy Men of God were ever Hated as thou mayst read in the Scriptures and Moses said He did esteem of the Repreaches that be under-went for Christ's sake to be greater Riches to him than all the Treasures in Egypt and though they were hated of Men yet they were beloved of God and all this while it is well enough And as to the Danger of Losing any thing for Christ's sake this was counted by the Righteous all Joy that they were not counted only worthy to Rain with Christ but also to Suffer with him and the Lord hath promised That whatsoever any Suffer for him they shall have Recompensed in this Life a hundred fold and in the World to come Life Everlasting without End And the Scripture saith They that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecutions And Christ told his Disciples The Servant was not greater than his Master if they persecuted him it was certain they would perseoute them And as to the Displeasing of Men it is impossible that people can please God and Ungodly Men and Peter and John bad people judge whether they had best Please God or Man And as concerning a Livelihood believe the Scripture First seek God's Kingdom and the Righteousness thereof and all other things shall be added to thee Matth. 6.33 And as for our Religion which is in Spirit and in Truth to be a New Upstart Religion this is a downright Slander for it was set up by Christ above sixteen hundred years ago and there is no other Way to Heaven but this though some there be that do profess it that do not walk in it this doth not alter the Case or make the thing not to be the same as it is professed for Judas did not alter the Case in that matter neither do any Traitors to the Truth now adayes And as to the False Religion it is true it hath been long standing the more is the Pity yet that doth not make because False Religions have been long standing that therefore it must ever remain this will not hold It is true ever since Wickedness hath been covered under a Cloak of Religion this hath been standing And as to the Church which some say cannot Err I answer that there is no Church or People but do Err except them that are led and guided by the Spirit of God and such are the only true Church and they that are led by this are led by that Spirit that never did nor can Err and till people come to this all go astray let them profess what they will And as to our Fore-Fathers how it was with them that I will leave to the Lord I will not judge of them that I never knew but this I do believe of them That some of them were Faithful to what they knew and that is it the Lord requires and doth accept of and as to them they are gone and I do believe some of them dyed in the true Faith which we do believe in and I do believe they are at Rest with the Lord and were of our Mind and Belief though not called by this new Nick-Name which the Devil in our Age hath invented for his Servants to put upon us as in all Ages the Devil had New Nick-Names for to disguise and deride Christ and his Followers and so he hath now And for your Ministers to know the Way there are none that know the Truth nor no true Ministers but them that come to be endewed with Power from on High which is known by Revelation and Inspiration which your Priests and Professors do deny therefore they cannot know the Truth while they are denying that which bringeth to the Knowledge of the Truth for the Scripture saith and I do believe they are true and they say though there is a Spirit in Man yet it is the Inspiration of the Almighty that gives an Understanding And as concerning Great Learning this is good in its place as men come to the true Understanding of it given to them by the Spirit of God for the Scripture is as a Mystery hid from the Wisdom of this World and it was never known that Outward Learning or Education of Men nor Great Learning did ever bring any man to the Knowledge of the Truth nor never was able to unsold the Mystery of Godliness to any man as for Instance there was Paul he was a great Learned Man and had great Parts and Education and counted himself beyond many of the Jews yet for all this he was ignorant of the true Knowledge of God till he came to it by the Revelation of the Son of God for that was and now is the thing alone that brought People to the Knowledge of that which is hid from the Wisdom of this World And as concerning Tradesmen and Plowmen knowing the Way read the Scriptures and there thou wilt find in all Ages it was such chiefly that came to the true Knowledge of the right Way of God for there were Peter and John that were Unlearned Men and many more beside them which were able Ministers of the Lord and where are there any great Learned Men now adayes that can compare with them but there are many now adayes that are come to the Knowledge of the Truth as they came to it by the Learning which they have learned of the Lord so do they preach whether they have outward Learning or not this makes not much matter in the things of God though Learning be very good in its place to them that make good use of it but if you observe the greatest Learned Men are commonly most ignorant of Christ's Kingdom therefore that is not the thing that makes people Righteous nor is it enough barely reading the Prophets Words and Works and Christ's Words and what he did and the Apostles Conditions how it was with them it is not enough to read these things unless people come to live the same Life that they did but it must be done by the Power of God and this is the Reason that there are so many ever reading and hearing and never able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth thinking by running into outward things they shall do well and never come to Christ that they may know Life Eternal which is to know God as the Scripture saith whom to know is Life Eternal A Day and a Time hath God given to all people that if they will in that Day and Time they may come to know God and by him to be cleansed of Sin which is the Cause of Death to their Souls And in this Day Christ would gather all People to himself as a Hen gathers her Chickens under her Wings but if people will not come to him in that Day and Time when he calleth to them they shall never know Freedom from the Bondage of Hell and Death A Lamentation may be taken up concerning all such that sin out their Day and the Night comes on them at unawares and there be none to help as Christ took up concerning Jerusalem when their Day was over he went and beheld it with much Sorrow and wept over it with much Pity saying on this wise O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent to thee how often would I have gathered thee even as a Hen would have gathered her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not and further said he O that thou hadst known in this thy Day the things belonging to thy Peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes So it is with all people that sin out their Day as they did for the Lord striveth with all People as well as he strove with them to bring them to the Knowledge of the Things that belong to their Peace but still here they lie in Ignorance not yielding to the Motions of the Spirit of Christ although there be things laid up in store for them which do belong to their Peace yet in this Condition they are never worthy to know it because they believe not and they that are not faithful in a little never come to know much Thus will it be with all those that sin out their Day and will not answer God in the Time when he striveth with them So 't is good for all people to consider these things before it be too late that they may get Assurance of that which will stand by them and make choice of that which Mary did that Good Part which shall never be taken from them and herein people will come to finish their course with Joy and lay down their Heads in Peace when Dayes and Time shall be no more Thus far have I cleared my Conscience of that which lay upon me from the Lord to write in Love to all who desire to be in Favour with God that they may have Assurance of Acceptance with him for their Souls when their Bodies must be laid in their Graves So I rest with Love and Good Will towards all People desiring the Good and Prosperity of all in that Way which leadeth to that Kingdom which is not of this World who am known to many to be of that Mind and of that Desire by the Name of John Songhurst West Chiltington in Sussex in the 2d Moneth 1680. THE END