Devil and Anti-christ rules there teacheth there thou art a poor Captive and Bondslave thereof profess what thou wilt and if the Power of God thou knowest not working within thy self and operating in thy Heart not only to shake pull down and remove that which can be shaken and removed but also to bring in that which cannot be shaken nor removed viz. Everlasting Righteousness I say if this thou knowest not the Power of the Enemy of God and thy Soul worketh in thee and prevaileth over thee by working in thy Imaginations Will and Affections Mind and Members that which is Evil either in self-Sinning or self Righteousness which are both Abomination to the Lord So if thou knowest not the Word of God within thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart with the Virtues and Properties thereof as a Hammer as a Fire quick and powerful sharper then a two-edged Sword and hearest and obeyest the Voice thereof I say if this Word thou knowest not within thou art not made clean nor sanctified by it but those Things stand in thee against which it is as a Hammer Fire Sword sharp and powerful and the Word and Commands of the old Serpent that Betrayer sounds loâ—d in thy Ears and pierceth deep into thy Heart and thou art carryed away with the Wind thereof and enterest into his Temptations daily and knowest not Power against them so thou canst not say as David once did Psal 119.11 I have hid thy Word in my Heart that I might not sin against thee neither hast thou received with Meekness the Ingrafted Word which is able to save but art of those whom Christ spoak to Ye have not his Word speaking of his Father abiding in yoâ— John 5.38 And if thou knowest not the Law of the Spirit of Life within thee written in thy Inward Parts thou art a Stranger to the New-Covenant Jer. 31.33 the Law of Sin Death hath Power over thee the Law that is in thy Members leads thee Captive thereto and the Carnal Mind which is Enmity against God and cannot be subject to his Law reigns in thee though thou professest the Law of God with thy Tongue thou dost not love it nor delight in it in thy Hearr neither is it better in thy Esteem then Thousands of Gold and Silver So in short If thou art not Partaker Possessor of the Heavenly Treasures in thy Earthen Vessel thou art fraighted with Earthly Treasures Vanities if thou knowest not thy Body the Temple of the Living God and thy Heart his Throne then is it as a Cage for Unclean Birds and as a Habitation for Wild Beasts and as a Nest for Venemous Creeping Things and the Prince of Darkness sits upon the Throne of thy Heart and rules there let thy Opinion and Talk of Religion be what it will Now be thou warned and advised to watch against that Spirit in thy self which moveth thee to sleight deride and mock at the Appearance and Manifestation of the Light Crace Spirit Power Word and Law of God within And learn to cease also from those Teachers without which have caused thee to err who hate the Light within and despise the Shining of it and give it despicable Names as Ignis Fatuus 〈◊〉 certain or Falce Fire Natural Light and the Checks and Reproofs of it but the Checks of a Natural Conscience and despise the Grace that appears to all men and call it Common and not Saving Crace and sleight and reject the Power and Spirit of God within which moves and works against all Evil and to all Good not allowing it to be the principal Rule and Guide of a Christian and also endeavour to demolish race out the Word and Law of God within under Pretence of directing thee to a more sure Word and Law without viz. the Holy Scriptures which contain divers Words Precepts and Commandments c. spoaken by holy men to whom the Word of the Lord came which was before the Words were and by this Word and Spirit that came to them and was in them were they moved to speak them and that is greater then the Words and till thou knowest a Measure of the same Word and Spirit within thy self thou canst neither truly understand nor obey the Words and holy Precepts and Exhortations that proceeded from it that indeed being the Original Cause Root and Ground from whence all the Good Words and Good Works that ever sprang up in the Heart of Mankind proceeded Such Teachers have ran â—ut God hath not sent them so People are not profitted but spoiled by them they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men they neither enter themselves nor suffer those that would and under the Name of Ministers of Christ are direct Ministers of Antichrist from such turn thou away learn of the Grace of God which Teacheth to deny Ungodliness c. and love the Light and bring thy Deeds to it John 3.21 and walk in it so shalt thou become a Child of it and have Right to inherit the precious Promises and possess and enjoy the Glorious Priviledges which thou hast hitherto only profess'd heard and read of in the holy Scriptures so wilt thou come to inherit Substance and soon be wiser then thy former Teachers and of a Titular Christian thou wilt become a Christian indeed an Israelite indeed a Jew inward indeed whose Praise is of God and not of Men. W. S. THE True Christian's FAITH AND EXPERIENCE DECLARED Concerning God Christ the Spirit c. First Concerning God THE True Christian believes there is One God who is a Spirit pure in Essence God is infinite and incomprehensible in himself and all the Words of Men and Angels cannot define him as he is being in all through all and above all And the various Names given him throughout the holy Scriptures were according to the Manifestation or Appearance and Operation of his Spirit in their Hearts that wrote them and according to the State it found them in when it appeared to them hence he was call'd a Consuming Fire Our God is a Consuming Fire and his Word as a Hammer and as a Fire and a Jealous and Angry God who as a Devouring Fire goes through the Bryars and Thorns and consumes them and the Day of his Appearance among these Bryars and Thorns Thiâ—les and Stubble is compared to the burning of Fire in an Oven in which the Wicked cannot dwell And others could call him by quite contrary Names even according to the Operation of his Spirit in them by the same could say that God is Love and his Word was as Milk and sweeter then Hony or the Hony-Comb and that the Light of his Countenance was better then the Encrease of Corn Wine and Oyl and that he was a Shield and a Shaddow of a Rock in a Weary Land his Name as a strong Tower and safe-dwelling-Place and as precious Oyntment pour'd forth and his Face or Presence
Ignorance will advance them with Lip-Honour beyond what they testifie of themselves and above what they are for they are not the Word of God but proceeded from it and bear witness thereof which Word is sharp powerful sharper then any Two edged Sword dividing in the inward Parts this Word is in the Mouth and in the Heart to be heard there and obeyed there And they call Christ the Word of God which Word was in the beginning before the Scriptures were written And all that understand not the Voice of this Word this inward and spiritual Speaking Word are wholely ignorant of the Words of God and Good Men recorded in the holy Scriptures and is no true Honourer nor Believer of them notwithstanding his Verbal Traditional Notional Profession and high Titles he gives them he only therein shews his Blindness and Folly in taking the History and Description or Declaration of a thing for the thing it self They are not the Everlasting Rule Touch-stone and Tryer of Spirits but declare and testifie of him that is as Christ said to the Jews speaking of the Scriptures They are they that testifie of me but you will not come to me that you may have Life IIII. The True Christian's Faith and Experience concerning the Doctrine of Repentance THE True Christian believeth the Doctrines and Teachings of Christ and his Apostels recorded in the Holy Scriptures and that it is not only his Duty but his Practice to obey them and live according to them As first the Doctrine of Repentance from Dead Works or a turning from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to the Power of God this is the Gate of the Kingdom or the first Step towards Christianity this is the Door at which the True Christian entereth if any miss this Way they strive to enter in vain without Repenting which is changing or turning from Evil to Good from the Way of Death to the Way of Life from Darkness it self to Light it self from the Power and Service of Sin and Satan to the Power Service of God Righteousness This is the Nature and Effect of true Repentance and without this no Man hath a true Title in Christ nor Christianity let his Profession of it be never so high for Death reigned over all Men from the Fall of Adam till Moses and all Men have therein come short of the Glory of God and in that faln Nature are the Children of Wrath dead in Sins and Trespasses and God hath concluded all in Unbelief Rom. 11.32 that he might have Mercy upon all And now the Call of God is to all Men every where to Repent Acts 17.30 and none but those that answer this Call finds the Mercy this Call of God is more universally inward and immediate then outward and mediate the which if People slight disregard and neglect to obey the outward Instruments and Means avail not Now the true Christian gives Testimony that he believes and obeys the Doctrine of Repentance in manner following First-Whereas his Mind and Heart was running after and captivated with the Sight of the Eye the Lust of the Flesh and the Pride of Life that are in that World which lies in Wickedness now his Mind and Heart is not only stopped but also turned from them and weaned from the Delight and Pleasure he had in them and not only so but by the Shining of the Light in his Heart is made to see the exceeding Sinfulness of them and to feel the Weight and Burthen thereof which while he was dead in Sins and Trespasses he could not feel nor be sensible of but now being quickned by the Voice of God which calls to Repentance he cryes out with Paul O wretched Man who shall deliver me c and this is the Cry which the Lord is ready to hear and to answer with the Manifestation of his Love and Power and with the Joy of his Salvation and now is his Face Sion-ward and his Travail towards the Holy City is begun and this True Christian right wel knows that his Repentance or turning from and out of the broad Way of Sin Satan and setting his Foot into the strait and narrow Way was not of himself nor effected in his own Will and Power but by the Virtue of the free Gift of God and Operation of his free-Grace and that he daily and momentarily needs the Divine Assistance of the same to lead guide and assist him every Step of his Journey to the End of the same And now he is a living Witness of the Truth of Christ's Saying when he said Verely verely I say unto you John 5.25 the Hour is coming and now is when the Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live This is the first distinguishing Work of the powerful Voice of God and the true hearing of it the World hears its convincing Voice but not regarding nor obeying it are not made alive nor converted by it nothing is able nor sufficient nor appointed of God to give Repentance unto Life but the hearing of this Voice of the Son he hath formerly or in Times past heard many Voices Lo here and lo there and hath made many Repentances and Turnings from one Way and Opinion to another but till he heard and obeyed the Voice of the Son of God never knew that Repentance which is never to be repented of And then 2dly when this Christian hath heard and obeyed this Voice and is turned out of the broad Way and begins to walk in the straight and narrow Way and to have no Fellowship with the Unfruitful Works of Darkness but rather reprove them then he became a Wonder a By-Word and a Taunt and his former Companions who thought it strange that he run not with them into the same Excess of Riot but makes strait Steps to his Feet and measured all his Goings by the Line of Righteousness Rom. 2.4 which the Goodness of God that leadeth to Repentance hath brought him to now he appeared like an Owl in the Desart and like a Pelican in the Wilderness and like a Sparrow upon the House-Top Now his great Tryals Temptations and Exercises begin both within and without here he sees his Enemies about him like Bees when they swarm which till now he had no Sight nor Sense of the strong Man keeping the House all his Goods were at Peace and the House being Dark and his Eye Dim did not perceive nor discover the Enemies of his Soul that lodged therein nor could not judge nor discern the Nature of the Goods with which his House was furnished that old Deceiver having Power to transform himself like unto an Angel of God and to imitate the Furniture of his Temple but now he having heard the Voice of the Son of God and being quickned by his mighty Power and the Eye of his Mind opened fastened upon the same then the Devil rageth knowing he hath but a
Old Serpent in the Hearts of Men. THe True Christian is endued with a Heavenly Spirit of Discerning by which he seeth to the Beginning before Sin enter'd the World and by it perceiveth how it entered and how it hath grown and encreased and filled the Earth with Violence and how that Old Serpent which at first was fain to use great Subtilty and Lyes and make great Promises before he could prevail against Eve is now grown so Power ful a Prince in his Kingdom of Darkness in the Hearts of the Children of Men in whom he rules that he no sooner moves in their Hearts ☞ but they follow him no sooner commands but they obey he needs not use his Subtilty and Cunning to betray allure and perswade nor make great Promises before he can win to his Obedience many being grown such Natural Children of him and such born Slaves in his Kingdom that now in these dayes his Commands are sufficient to Thousands and Ten Thousands and his very Motions to Evil have gain'd such a Powerful Name in the World even among the Titular Christians that they count them too Mighty to be withstood too Powerful to vanquish too Strong to war with overcome and conquer in all his Motions Commands and Temptations while on this side the Grave hereby People are become Home-bred Slaves and have sold themselves for nought having let in that accursed Faith that hath sprung up in the Apostacy from the True Faith that they can never resist all the Motions of the Devil nor disobey all his Commands ☞ nor be delivered from all his Temptations till the Death of their Natural Bodies which is then too late for As the Tree falls so it lies c. Now the Titular Christian will readily acknowledge and confess that the Motions of the Devil are strong powerful and present with him and in him and that thereby he is stirred up to Evil But he doth not believe that the Spirit of God is so nigh him and present with him moving in him against the Motions of the Evil One nor that there is sufficient Power from God given to him to preserve him from obeying the Motions and Temptations of the World Flesh and the Devil and to move him to that which is Good and enable him to do it Also he hath no Faith in this Gift of God but rather counts it Delusion and the Property of a Phanatick to profess the Knowledge of the Spirit of God moving in them to speak and write good Words and do good Works this Professors and Prophane Learned and Unlearned make a Mock at concluding this Operation of the Spirit is not in use nor to be known in these dayes nor to be expected in these latter Ages of the World as if God had left the World of Mankind to be guided wholely by the Motions of the Devil as if there was no Law or Power in the Mind able and sufficient to war against the Law and Power that is in the Members and overcome it Thus to believe is the Faith of Devils and not the Faith of God's Elect For the True Christian in this Age as in former Ages is a living Witness of the Moving of the Spirit of God to every good Word and Work as the Holy Men and Christians in former Ages did who speak as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and as they were led and guided by the Spirit as is testified in the Holy Scriptures though made a Mock of in this Day And this Spirit of God accompanied the Righteous in all Ages and always moved led and guided them into the Way of Peace and as they obeyed it and abode with it Acts 7.9 they were preserved by it therein though in the midst of their Enemies This preserved Joseph when the Patriarchs moved with Envy sold him into Aegypt and out of the Temptations he met with there and the same Spirit of Envy that moved the Patriarchs to sell Joseph moved Cain to kill Abel and moved Esau to hate his Brother and the Israelites to envy Moses and Aaron and the Jews to persecute the Prophets Christ and the Apostles And the Unbelieving Vagabond Jews were moved by this Spirit of Envy Acts 17.5 to make a Tumult against Paul and Silas and to assault the House of Jason and to draw him and the Brethren to the Rulers with false Accusations the Spirit of Envy is the same at this Day and his Motions are the same and all that obey them are found in the same Work And the Motions of the Holy Spirit are also the same and all that obey them bring forth the Fruits thereof and they are both manifested by their Fruits the one moves to Good the other to Evil the one to Love and Good-will the other to Envy and Hatred ☞ the one to Patience and Long-suffering the other to Anger Rage and Persecution the one moves to Meekness Gentleness Lowly-mindedness the other to Hardness Roughness Exaltedness and High-mindedness So by the Fruits and Effects are the Motions of the Spirit of God known and distinguished from the Motions of the Devil the Prince in Darkness And whosoever do or shall profess to speak or write Words or do Works Many whom the old Serpent could not move nor draw into Carnal Wickednesses have been captivated with Spiritual Wiskednesses in High Places and have been deceived so far as to call High Thoughts and Imaginations Motions of the Spirit of God and these have been exalted above all that is called God being joyned to the Son of Perdition who usurps the Throne of God and hath been and is worshipped as God or do Works in and by the Motion of the Spirit of God if they tend not to Good if they are not accompanied with the Fruits of the same if they will not endure the Tryal of the Spirit of God in others and abide by the Testimony thereof and also agree with the Testimonies of the Holy Men of old left upon Record in the holy Scriptures For the Spirit of the Prophets was subject to the Prophets and The Christians were of One Mind I say except this their Motion is to be judged by the Spirit of God and them also that obey it as a Delusion of an Exalted Spirit and as a High Imagination which must be brought down and whoever glories therein or boasts thereof will fade and wither as a Flower and fall and corrupt as Untimely Fruit the Mouth of the Lord hath spoaken it XV. The True Christian 's Faith and Experience concerning Revelation THE Cry in the World is even among many called Christians No Revelation in these dayes Revelation is ceased No Spiritual Vision to be known now No Sight of God now as Abraham Moses and the Prophets and Primitive Christians had c. Now the Faith Experience and Testimony of the True Christian is that Where there is no Vision Prov. 29.18 no Heavenly Sight that 's the Perishing State Where there
God dwelleth in us and his Love is perfected in us Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit And we have seen and doe testifie That the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the World 1 John 4.12 read to the end of the Chapter I counsel thee to buy of me Gold tryed in the Fire that thou mayest be Rich and White Rayment that thou mayst be cloathed and that the Shame of thy Nakedness do not appear and anoint thy Eyes with Eye-salve that thou mayst see As many as I love I rebuke and chasten be Zealous therefore and Repent 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 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am sate down with my Father in his Throne He that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches Rev. 3.18 19 20 21 22. To him that Overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a White Stone and in the Stone a New Name written which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it Rev. 2.17 He that believes hath the Witness in himself He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son But the Fearful and Vnbelieving and the Abominable and Murderer and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Lyars shall have their Part in the Lake which burns with Fire and Brimstone which is the Second Death Rev. 21.7 8. Thus I have here transcribed and set before thee these Scriptures before being very Divine and Heavenly Sayings greatly worthy of thy reading over and over again and in that Light and Grace which shines and appears in thy Heart and is able to remove the Covering and take away the Vail from off the same I desire thee to weigh and consider them and measure and try thy self thereby Had I not the Remembrance still upon my Mind how I often read those Scriptures and many the like while my Understanding was clouded and the Vail over my Heart and did not understand what I read nor receive the Comfort of them nor witness the Truth thereof in my self I say were it not for this Remembrance and the Knowledge of the true Light that now shineth out of Darkness I should admire and wonder how the Titular Christian who readeth and professeth the holy plain Testimonies Precepts Exhortations and Glorious Promises recorded in the Holy Scriptures and lived in and born witness to by divers true Christians now in this Age should oppose and gain-say the fame and understand nothing thereof Though he professeth them to be 〈◊〉 he is so far from being ruled by 〈◊〉 Ruâ—â— that he hates and persecutes those that are and that have received the good things they testifie of And were it not that the holy Scriptures had a great Esteem in the Affections of the People of those Nations called Christendom and that they did bear so plain Evidence to the Truth of the Doctrines taught and Heavenly Estates now professed and enjoyed by the True Christian he would be more hated persecuted and cryed out against then he is So for this Reason and divers more he hath great Cause to praise God that the Scriptures have been preserved and the holy divine Sayings and Testimonies of the Righteous delivered down to this Age so clear true and plain as they are for he alone enjoyes the Benefit Priviledge and Comfort of them by the Virtue and Operation of the Light Love and Spirit of God which they testifie of working in his Inward Man And except this be known the Scriptures and all Heavenly things are as a sealed Book to thee let thy Natural Parts Wisdom and Acquired Attainments be never so great Therefore thy Duty is above all things To hearken to and obey the Voice of God and regard the Inspiration of the Almighty which gives Understanding that thou mayest learn his Heavenly Precepts and understand his Divine Mysteries and enjoy his Glorious Promises and be made wise unto Salvation and so inherit Everlasting Life Peace and Glory and know an Entrance ministred into the Joy of the Lord. And at least an Earnest of all these things thou art to know revealed felt and enjoy within thy self before thou go hence and be no more among men Therefore put not the Day of the Lorâ— afar off nor say in thy Heart The Lorâ— delayes his Coming for he waits to shew himself gracious unto thee and is come nigh unto Judgment and standeth even at thâ— Door Read Proverbs 8. and appeareth at the Gate Entrance of thy Hearth and his Appearance thou may 〈◊〉 infallibly know from all other Appearances because it judgeth every Appearance of Evilâ— and not only so but if thou openest thâ— Gate and entertainest him in thy Heart hâ— will furnish thee with Power and Strength against it and fill thy Temple with his Heavenly Treasures of Wisdom and Glory Sâ— shalt thou not only read and hear of Gooâ— Things but understand possess and enjoy them and be able to obey this Exhortatioâ—â— Abstain from every Appearance of Evil. And this Saying once spoaken to Cain the First-born after Transgression universally concerns thee and all Mankind and is sounded daily in their Ears If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted But if thou dost Evil Sin lies at thy Door Gen. 4.3 And Tribulation and Anguish attends every Soul of Man that doth Evil let him profess what he will Rom. 2.9 Something by Way of Caution and Warning to the Titular Christian to whose Hand this following Treatise may come I Have some Sence upon my Mind that thou wilt upon thy reading thereof be ready to censure and judge those Things thou understandest not nor hast had any Experience of and also to deride and mock at the frequent Testimonies and Exhortations to the Light within Grace within Spirit within Power of God within Word of God within Law within c. Consider what thou dost and against what and whom thou openest thy Mouth and dread the living God whom in Words only thou professest to be a Spirit Infinite Omnipresent and Almighty which Spirit searcheth thy Heart and judgeth thy Wayes though thou at present be Ignorant and Unbelieving concerning him and his being so near thee and also consider within thy self how that if thou knowest not Light shining within and a walking in it thou art no Child of it but Darkness abounds in thee and thou knowest not whither thou goest nor at what thou stumblest if Grace thou knowest not to rule and reign within thee Sin ruleth and Death the Wages thereof is present with thee if the Spirit of God thou knowest not teaching and ruling in thy Heart and sitting upon the Throne thereof the Spirit of Satan
a being led by the Spirit in the Way of Holiness and so cannot fulfil the Lust of the Flesh but by the same doth mortifie them and gain Victory over them and is sanctified and cleansed from them and is taught by the Spirit the true Knowledge of God how to worship him aright in Spirit Truth and so prayes in the Spirit and with the Understanding and sings in the Spirit and praiseth God in the Spirit and the Law of the Spirit is in his Heart and this Law of the Spirit of Life makes him free from the Law of Sin and Death and the Spirit of God which raised up Jesus from the Dead dwelleth in him and quickneth his Mortal Body And this True Christian is the Spiritual Man which discerneth all Things but is not discerned by another out of the same Spirit which searcheth all Things yea the deep Things of God and he is led by the Spirit from under the Law and through the Law to him which was before the Law and so is under Grace and brings forth the Fruits thereof which is Love Peace Joy Long-Suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance against this Christian there is no Law The Titular Christian he saith he believeth in the Holy Spirit c. But how doth he demonstrate his Faith and Belief he is ready to make a Mock of receiving the Spirit and being led by the Spirit mov'd taught by the Spirit this seems strange Doctrine to him that he should know his Lusts mortified by the Spirit and that he should walk in the Spirit and be sanctified by the Spirit from all Sin and Uncleaness and that he should attend the Motion and Guidance of the Spirit and in all his Conversation to do nothing but what will stand justified by this Holy Spirit and that he should pray in the Spirit and sing with the Spirit and worship in the Spirit c. These are new Doctrines to the Titular Christian he knows not what to make of them except it be to brand them with despicable Names And the Law of the Spirit of Life which should free him from the Law of Sin and Death he is a Stranger to and wholy ignorant of the Indwelling of that Spirit which raised Jesus from the Dead to quicken his mortal Body this he counts Fanatick Doctrine c. And instead of being a spiritual Man which discerneth all Things he is Carnal and seeth not far off the Vail being over his Heart cannot see nor regard the Glory of God when it appeareth in the Inward Temple but opposeth slighteth the Appearance of that Holy Spirit which searcheth his Heart and all Things and so is not led by it from under the Law which Law was added because of Transgression and this Titular Christian which liveth in the Nature and Act of Transgression and that knows not the Cursed Ground removed which bringeth forth Bryars and Thorns from whence all Evil Thoughts Words and Works proceed and is a Stranger to the Mortification of them by the Spirit he is under the Law and liable to the Punishment thereof and not under Grace let him profess what he will if he brings not forth the Fruit of the Spirit in his Life and Conversation he clearly sheweth he doth not believe in it nor walk in it neither hath received it nor come to any true Knowledge of it by its Work and Operation in his Heart he only talks of it with his Tongue as some Book or Body hath told him this is the Property and State of a Titular Christian IIII. The True Christian's Faith and Experience concerning the Holy Scriptures THE True Christian truly honoureth the Holy Scriptures in their Places and believeth and receiveth their Testimony and is a living Witness of the Truth thereof and he domonstrateth it as followeth By believing receiving and obeying him viz. Christ Jesus of whom they testifie whereby he receives Power to order his Conversation according to them and the True Christian believeth that they were spoaken and written by the Motion and inspiration of the Spirit of God in Holy Men Prophets and Apostles and that it is his Duty to Wait upon God to receive the Spirit of Grace and Glory and the Gifts thereof of whom they testifie that thereby be may be enabled to read them with Understanding and to receive the Comfort of them and to be made wise through Faith in Christ unto Salvation by them And this Christian knows rightwell That all the Vniversity or Acad miâ—al Learning in the World is not able to give the true Knowledge of the Mind of the Spirit in the holy Scriptures they are as a seal'd Book to all the Wit Reason Comprehension and Acquired Parts of all Mankind in the Fall Learned and Unlearned And until man comes to receive regard and improve the Manifestation of the Spirit which is given to every man to profit withal as the Scriptures witness he is wholy ignorant and a Stranger to the Key of true Knowledge and the Treasures of Life and Wisdom are hid from him and secured as with seven Seals and the Cherubimâ— with a Flaming Sword that turns every Way and guards the Tree of Life with the Fruits thereof from the faln Wisdom of Man And this the True Christian knows by Experience having tryed what the Wisdom of this World in all its Perfection can do and hath seen it confounded and brought to nought in himself being discovered to be no part of the Key of true everlasting Knowledge but rather that which hides it makes the Vail the thicker and shuts the Door of the Kingdom the faster and those that abound in it neither enter themselves nor suffer those that would and this the Holy Scriptures testifie The Titular Christian he saith He honoureth the Scriptures and believeth the Testimony of them c. But how doth he demonstrate his Honour to them and Belief of them Doth he order his Conversation according to them They exhort To abstain from every Appearance of Evil and from every fleshly Lust which wars against the Soul and to put on the whole Armour of God and thereby resist the Devil and make him flee The Titular Christian doth not obey this Exhortation neither doth he believe that it 's possible that any should obey it on this side the Grave So while he pretends to honour them he gives them the Lye for what 's more ridiculous and unreasonablethen to profess a Belief that the Spirit of God in Holy Men hath left Holy Precepts and Exhortations upon Record in the Scriptures which are unpossible to be obeyed Yet this is the Language of the Titular Christian who honoureth them with his Lips and cryes them up with his Tongue but in Works denyes them Sometimes he will give them more Titles of Honour then to them is due as when he calls them The Word of God The Touch-stone and Tryer of all Spirits The Everlasting Rule of Faith and Practice so in his
cannot be saved and so this Reader his Eye being abroad and being ignorant of that Head in which the Wise Man's Eye stands and not discerning the Times and Seasons and the divers Dispensations of God towards Mankind since the Fall ☞ nor perceiving the End of them layes hold of the Shadow and Figure instead of the Substance and gets Possession of the Shell instead of the Kernel his Body washed though not with the pure Water of the Word his Outside baptized with outward Water and then accounts himself a Subject and Partaker of Christ's Ordinance But herein the Titular Christian of all Sorts is deceived for notwithstanding his Teachers tell him that he entered within the Pale of the Church ☞ and was made a Member of Christ when he was sprinkled with Water in his Infancy and the other when of Understanding to imitate others I say herein he deceiveth himself and is deceived because he still remains ignorant of the One Baptism which washeth and cleanseth the Inside purifieth the Heart and sprinkles the Conscience from dead Works of which all the Outside Sprinklings ☞ Washings and Baptisms that ever were apointed of God or practis'd of holy Men were but a Figure or Type And the True Christian sticks not nor remains in any of them but it 's a great Mystery to tell the Titular Christian of being baptized with this one Baptism which is the Baptism of Christ under the Term of Holy Ghost and Fire though he may read that Christ foretold that even those that were Partakers of John's Baptism which was the greatest of outward Baptisms should be baptized with the Holy Ghost and Fire And John said I indeed baptize with Water Mat. 3.11 12. unto Repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier then I whose Shoes I am not worthy to bear he will baptize with the Holy Ghost and with Fire whose Fan is in his Hand and will make clean his Floor and gather his Wheat into his Garner and burn up the Chaff with Vnquencheable Fire This the True Christian witnessed fulfilled in the Primitive Times and now is Partaker of the same being baptized into Christ Gal. 3.27 Col. 2.12 hath put him on being baptized into his Death is buried with him in Baptism ☞ and this Baptism being one brings all that are Partakers of it The Ground of Vnity of what Nation or Country soever Bond or Free into one Body into Oneness of Heart and Mind and Spirit as Paul testified to the Corinthians For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body whether we be Jews or Grecians 1 Cor. 12.13 whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit this blessed Oneness and Unity is the Fruit and Effect of the one true Baptism of Christ Jesus These Things the Titular Christian can read of in the Holy Scriptures which the True Christians were Witnesses of But till the Vail of the Covering be rent and taken away from off his Heart and he truly turned unto the Lord and becomes sensible of the Operation of his Spirit as a Fanner as a Purger as a Gatherer of the Wheat in the Garner and as a Fire to burn up the Chaff till this he knows working in his own Heart ☞ he remains in Death and Darkness and only talks of Heavenly Things and lives in the Earthly and boasts of Christ's Ordinance of Baptism but is a Stranger to it and sticks in the Outside and Shadow and abides in the outward Court which is trodden under Foot of the Gentiles and cryes up the Temple of the Lord and his Ordinances but dwells not therein nor is not a living Witness or Member thereof And concerning the Lord's Supper the Titular Christian professeth himself a Guess prepared to sit at the Table and to eat of the Dainties that he hath prepared but the Master of the Feast hath appeared and taken notice of his Guess and hath given an Eye also to his Children to see beyond the outside Appearance and Profession and the Day of Tryal and Manifestation is come and the Titular Christian must be examin'd whether he sits at the Table of the Lord and eats of his Flesh and drinks of his Blood or on the contrary whether he only professeth it ☞ and crowdeth himself in unprepared without his Wedding-Garment and catcheth at a Shadow and feedeth upon Husks and is as one that dreameth he eateth but when he awakes is hungery therefore how doth he demonstrate that he is a Partaker of this Supper why he hath received by Tradition or findeth it written in the holy Scriptures That the same Night that Christ was betrayed he took Bread and blessed it and brake it and gave to his Disciples and said take eat this is my Body which is given for you do this in Remembrance of me and also the Cup saying This Cup is that Now Testament in my Blood which is shed for you this do as often as ye drink in remembrance of me and Paul saith So often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup you shew forth the Lord's Death till he come This was only to and amongst the Disciples and weak Believers and was in it self but a Representation and Figure of that which is Meat indeed and Drink indeed which Paul principally aim'd at which at Christ's second Appearance without Sin unto Salvation his Saints and Disciples were Partakers of But the Titular Christian before he hath approved himself a Disciple of Jesus and before he hath followed him one Step in the Work of Regeneration ☞ begins to imitate what he finds was practised by Christ and his Disciples though not in the same Spirit nor to the same End one Sort gets Bread and Wine and consecrates it as he saith by a sinful Hand and polluted Lips and then imagins it immediately Transubstantiated or changed into the Real Flesh and Blood of Christ this is a great and strong Delusion indeed be being led by such a gross implicite Faith as to believe so palpable and witless a Lye contrary to his outward Senses which are able to try outward Things for the very Bread and Wine so consecrated remains of the very same Quality Nature and Form as before and as subject to Decay Mould and Corrupt and be eaten by Vermin as any other Bread and Wine of the same kind Another Sort not quite so much besotted in this thing blesseth Bread and Wine after his manner and looks upon it as Bread and Wine after his Blessing is bestowed upon it eating and drinking of it some after one Fashion and some after another calling it A Blessed Sacrament one will eat it before Dinner another after Supper one Standing another Kneeling another Sitting c. and do not look upon it as Real Fesh and Blood but a Representation Type or Figure or something which ought to be partaken of in Remembrance of Christ till he comes But in all
these things the Titular Christian deceives himself and indeed hath no Part in the one nor in the other in the true Figure nor in the Substance And notwithstanding his outward Mouth eats and drinks outward Bread and Wine which comes from beneath and is the Fruit of the Earth his Inward Man pines and hungers for want of partaking of that Living Bread which comes down from Heaven and is wholely a Stranger to that Flesh which is Meat indeed and to that Blood which is Drink indeed and puts the Coming of the Lord far off and is wholely ignorant not only of him but of the Manner of his Coming also and of the very Door of Conscience at which he stands knocking and so doth not open unto him but openeth to a Stranger and entertaineth his Enemy and giveth Place and Obedience to that which occasioned all his Sufferings to wit Sin and the Author of it ☞ this is to sit at the Table of Devils eating of the Forbidden Fruit in this State he hath no Part in the Precious Promises no Right nor Title in Christ nor his Ordinances much being to do before all things are prepared ☞ and made ready for the Last Supper And before this Titular Christian is made fit to fit at the Table with him or stand upright in his Presence and before he knows him tomake his abode with him and to sup with him as he hath promised and as the True Christian in former Ages and now in this Age enjoyeth who did and doth witness Eternal Life abiding in him Read John 6.53 54 55 56 57 58. For he that eateth his Flesh and drinketh his Blood hath Eternal Life and dwelleth in him and he in him c. This the Titular Christian cannot receive nor understand no more then the Jews did this he stumbleth at and goeth backward murmureth and taketh Offence as some of old did when Christ was speaking of the Bread which came down from Heaven which who eat of should live forever many of his own Disciples said This is a Hard Saying who can hear it and so murmured and went backward walked no more with him ☞ These though they heard his many Gracious Words and saw his Mighty Works and Miracles wrought before their Carnal Eyes and Ears yet they saw not him as he was the Mighty Power of God nor heard him as Peter did who said when he asked the Twelve Will ye leave me also Master To whom shall we go Thou hast the Words of Eternal Life and we believe and know thou â—rt Christ the Son of the Living God This Knowledge Christ said was revealed unto him not by Flesh and Blood but by his Heavenly Father Now the Titular Christian denyes Revelation the only Means of all true Knowledge and so in his Carnal Imaginations and exalted Mind above the Cross of Christ glories in the Flesh and prides himself with what Flesh and Blood hath taught him and revealed unto him and cryes up Natural Bread and Natural Wine ☞ and a Natural Supper which feeds the Natural Man and remains a Stranger to that Bread which cometh down from Heaven and to the Wine of the Kingdom and to the Supper of the Lord and to his Table which is richly spread and hates and derides the True Christian who possesseth and enjoyeth these things And this is the Cause that notwithstanding the Titular Christian eats never so often of this Outward Bread and drinks this Outward Cup which he in his Ignorance calls The Supper of the Lord he hungers and thirsts again ☞ even after the Forbidden Fruit and after the Wine of Sodom and Egypt and drinks down Iniquity as the Ox drinketh Water And so in the End notwithstanding his Notions and Profession of the Supper of the Lord and Eating at his Table his Soul is hard bestead with Hunger and pines for Thirst and labours for very Vanity soweth the Wind and reaps the Whirle-wind of the Wrath of God This is the State of all the Titular Christians upon the Face of the Earth of what Name or Sect soever X. The True Christian 's Faith and Experience concerning the Universal Love of God towards all Mankind THe True Christian believes that the Love of God is universal unto all Mankind and that his Grace which bringeth Salvation hath and doth appear unto all men and that he hath given a manifestation of his Spirit to every man to profit withal and that he hath and doth give his Good Spirit and Gifts to the Rebellious and that God so loved the World that he hath given his only begotten Son that * None excluded from Salvation in Christ by any Decree who soever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life and that he is the true Light that lighteth every man coming into the World ☞ and that this Light is saving and sufficient to lead all Mankind that love it and walk in it to him from whence it comes where they may inherit Life and Salvation and God wills not the Death of him that dyes neither doth he desire the Death of a Sinner but rather that he would turn and live and his Call is to all men every where to Repent and there is a Possibility that all men may hear his Voice and Repent and may partake of his Universal Love and be saved by his Grace which hath appeared and profit by the Manifestation which he hath given The Gifts Graces and Spirit of God are given to all men yea to the Rebellious Sloathful and Disobedient to lead them out of those things and be guided out of Rebellion by his Good Spirit and to believe in him which saves from perishing and gives Everlasting Life These things are call'd for exhorted to throughout the Holy Scriptures and there is a Possibility to obey them otherwise all is in vain the Call to all in vain the Appearance of Grace to all in vain the Gift and Manifestation of the Spirit to every one in vain and the Shining of the Light in vain if Men may not obey it ☞ and walk in it So Man's Destruction is of himself and his Sores remain uncured and his Soul unredeemed not because there is no Balm in Gilead or because the Arm of the Lord is shortened or his Love abated nor not because he hath decreed any man's Destruction from Eternity but because men will not make use of the Balm nor be gathered by his Arm that is stretched out all the Day long even to the Rebellious to save them nor receive that Love that daily is tendered Their Eye is blind and their Souls poor miserable and naked not because he hath not Eye-Salve Fine Linnen and Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge to furnish them withal but because men are taken up with other things and have no mind to purchase Gold tryed in the Fire nor White Raiment to be cloathed The Forbidden Fruit seems more beautiful and lovely to desire the
Issue could not be stopped nor his Wounds healed and his Sores ran in the Night and his Soul refused Comfort and he was cast out into the open Field to the loathing of his Person and the Levite and the Priest passed by and ministred no Help he saw no Eye to pitty nor no Hand to save nor no Physitian of value could he meet withal all told him he could never be cured healed and made a sound living Man again while he lived upon the Earth and to encrease his Misery he was perswaded to believe the same which Belief is one of the strongest Links of the Chains of Darkness in short Words cannot express the sad and lamentable Estate of Mankind in the Fall which the True Christian once lay in even bound in Chains of Darkness under the Slavery and Bondage of Sin and Satan captivated in a strange Land c. out of which nothing leâ—s then the mighty terrible and glorious Power of God by and through his Son Christ Jesus is able effectually to redeem save and deliver Therefore in the second Place the True Christian's Testimony is as followeth To the Praise and Glory of the Power of God in his glorious Appearance and heavenly Revelation through the Son of his Love in this latter Day wherein his exceeding Riches and Kindness and Power is manifested and made known as in Ages past and as in the Generation of Old and his faithful Promises fulfilled John 5.25 〈◊〉 the Hour is come wherein the dead hear the Voice of God and the Graves open and they that are therein come forth and a mighty Sound is heard of the dry Bones in the Valley coming together People dead in Sins and Trespasses degenerated and estranged from the Life of God are as these dry Bones and are to be witnesses of the same Power to restore them to Form and Life and knitting Bone to Bone and Joynt to Joynt and Sinnew to Sinnew and Flesh grows upon the same and the Breath of Life is received and a standing up is known of an exceeding great Army which shall yet encrease more and more and inherit and possess the Anti type of the promised Land this was seen and prophesied of by Ezekiel and now enjoyed by the True Christian read Chap. 36. to Ver. 14. and the Lord give the Understanding Now to witness these Things effected by the Spirit and Power of the Lord is more then to see a dead Body outwardly raised to Life and to have the Eye of the Mind opened and the Ear of the Spiritual Man unstopped the Tongue unloosed that can praise the Lord and the Lamâ—â— to leap as an Heart and to run the Wayes of God's Commandments with Delight without stumbling Weariness or Fainting I say these Things being wrought by the Power of God in the inward Man are greater Miracles then the opening of a blind Eye or unstopping of a deaf Ear or unloosing the Tongue of the dum or curing the lame outwardly And to be cleansed from the Leprous Disease of Sin and to know the bloody Issue thereof stopped and to have the Heart sprinkled from an Evil Conscience and the Body washed with pure Water and the Heart and Mind cleansed from all that would defile by the precious Blood of Christ manifest and known within where the Defilements are greater Miracles ☞ and effected by a greater Power though the same in Nature then that which cured the Leprosie and bloody Issue outwardly and the cleansing of the Mind Heart and Conscience and healing the Inward Man of all its Diseases is more wonderful then the healing all outward Diseases whatsoever Now the working of outward Miracles are not of absolute Necessity in the Church of Christ neither doth the Gift thereof alwayes attend the Church and we read of no outward Miracles wrought by divers primitive Apostles Ministers and Teachers Elders and Fathers in the Church ☞ But these greates Works and Miracles which Christ promis'd those that believed in him should do they were all Witnesses of in a Measure being of absolute Necessity to be known wrought by Christ the Power of God in every True Christian now as then without which no Resurrection to Life nor Entrance into the Way of Salvation is attained unto let the Titular Christian profess what he will And I still well remember when I was a Titular Christian and a Hearer and Disciple of that Generation which now calls upon the True Christian for Signs aad Miracles which no Impostor or false Christian can give they used then to acknowledge and preach for Doctrine That the Conversion of one Soul to God was a greater Work then the Creation of the World and the main Reason they gave was That in the Work of the Outward Creation nothing did resist and oppose God said Let it be and it was so But now in the New Creation and Work of Regeneration God meets with much Opposition He speaks and calls once and again and Man regards it not he stretcheth out his Hand all the Day long and the Rebellious regards it not he stands at the Door and knocks but his Enemy is gotten into the House and the Door is shut against him yet he waits to shew himself gracious according to the Phrase in Scripture Till his Head is wet with the Dew and his Locks with the Drops of the Night and he woeth and beseeches with Bowels of Compassion all Mankind by his Universal Love and Light and holy Spirit All have a Day of Visitation to be reconciled unto him and to turn or be converted unto him that he may heal them restore and redeem them out of the Degeneration which they are run into through Sin into the Primitive Estate and pure Enjoyment of himself which was before Sin entered or the forbidden Fruit was eaten or Evil was in the World but Mankind slights this great Love and resist and despiseth this Light and Holy Spirit which would work all these Things in him and for him So these Things above considered which are according to the Phrase and Language of the Holy Scriptures it may evidently appear that the Work of the New Creation being accompanied with so much Opposition is greater then the Work of the Old In this the Titular Christian as in many other Things talks a Truth with his Tongue but is not a living Witness and Experiencer of the same in his Heart ☞ therefore when the True Christian tells him what the Lord hath done for his Soul and the mighty Works and Wonders that he hath wrought in him and for him how he hath raised him from Death to Life from Sin to Righteousness and translated him from Darkness to Light from the Kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of his dear Son and how he hath made him whole every whit even upon the Sabbath Day and that he now sits in Heavenly Places with him cloathed in his right Mind and that he hath received a good Understanding
I now live I live by the Faith of the Son of God this is the Perfection the True Christian arrives at ☞ even to know Christ live in him and Self and Sin dead then this Life of Righteousness reigns where once Sin and Death reigned and this Life cureth all Diseases and makes a Man grow to Perfection makes the Mind sound and the Understanding A perfect Sign where Life reigns the Heart clean and honest purgeth the Conscience from all dead Works and brings into the Service of the living God and makes free and redeems from the contrary viz. the Service of Sin and Satan and this is a perfect State and hath been is and may be attained unto according to the Holy Scriptures and the Testimony of the True Christian And some Titular Christians do pray for promise and profess as much 〈◊〉 Words The Titular Christian prayeth for and professeth Perfection but doth not believe it 's possible to attain till after the Death of the Body So his Prayer is vain his Belief a strong Delusion when they pray for a clean Heart and the renewing of a right Spirit to live a holy Life and to be cleansed from all Sin and when they promise one for another to forsake the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh and to keep God's Holy Will and Commandments this is Perfection and he that doth receive a clean Heart and a right Spirit and doth those Things is a perfect Man Now he that professeth and witnesseth these Things before spoaken of and hath travailed through the Work of the New Creation he can speak of Perfection in Truth and Righteousness he can say all the Works of God are perfect good yea very good being a living Witness of the same and that the Works of Man in the Fall and Degeneration and of the old Serpent whom he obeyes are all imperfect and bad yea very bad therefore let all that talk of Perfection with their Tongues and profess it with their Lips see that they are in that Faith which is the Gift of God and works by Love ☞ and doth wonderful Things though it be but as a Grain of Mustard Seed it removes Mountains and the Effect of it doth away all Imperfection and makes whole every whit the Eye being fixed upon the Author thereof it brings the Mighty from its Seat and exalteth that of low Degree it brings to the true Poverty which makes many rich and inherits all Things to the Sorrowing wherein is Rejoycing alwayes to the having nothing and yet poffessing all Things to the Weakness wherein is Strength to the Loss wherein is Gain to the Death wherein is Life Everlasting this State Paul was in when he spoak after this Manner When I am Weak then am I strong when dead then alive as sorrowing yet alwayes rejoycing 2 Cor. 6.10 as poor yet making many rich as having nothing yet possessing all Things these Things are as Riddles and Mysteries to the Carnal Mind and are hidden from the Wise and Prudent but revealed to the Babes who suck at the Breasts of Consolation and are weaned from the Breasts of this World in all its Perfection Glory and Beauty visible and invisible and are become Children of that Faith without which 't is impossible to please God Therefore if any will be perfect and have Treasure in Heaven ☞ they must become as new born Babes feeding on the Milk of the Word and know a growing up in and by the Vertue of the same to the State of a perfect Man out of all Self-Will Thoughts and Imaginations self-Wisdom Riches and Knowledge for in the State of Innocency before the Fall Man was not rich wise nor strong of himself his own Will Thoughts and Desires ☞ though in themselves and in their Places harmless did not rule over him neither did he feed upon the Tree of Knowledge which was and is good in its Place though not for Food but he ruled over them all while he stood in the Image of his Maker and obeyed his Command he had Power over all the Beasts of the Field and Fish of the Sea and the Earth was subdued by him and he had Dominion over it standing in the Life Power Riches and Wisdom of his God and out of his own here though he had nothing yet he possessed all subdued all and had Dominion over all though he fed not upon the Tree of Knowledge yet was he full of Knowledge and Wisdom to discern the Nature of all Things and to give them Names accordingly though he had no Will nor Defire ☞ but what was to be subject to the Will of God nor no Power or Strength given him of God to act contrary to his Command yet he had great Power Liberty and Freedom given him of God over all the Works of his Hands And every Herb bearing Seed which was upon all the Earth and every Tree in which was the Fruit of a Tree bearing Seed for Meat only the Tree of Knowledge which grew not at one Corner but in the midst of the Garden even where the Tree of Life it self grew he was not to eat of he that reads let him understand for I testifie that Moses ☞ or the Author of Genesis was endued with the same Divine Heavenly Sight and Wisdom when he wrot these Things as John was when he wrot his Book of Revelations and a Measure of the same must give the Understanding of them Now Mankind had nothing to do but to dress and keep the Garden which God 's own Hand had planted and this he was to do in the Will Wisdom and Power of God by which he became a Living Soul cloathed with the Image of God without any other Covering but his Spirit this was his Glory and Perfection And in this stood his Joy and Felicity Power and Dominion within and without in this stands the True Christian 's now But when he suffered his Will and Desire and the Eye of his Mind by the Temptation to be drawn and alured forth and gave way to the springing up of a Desire ☞ to know and be wise for himself to be something of himself this let the Temptation over him being deceived disobeyed his God even under a Hope of gaining by it and bettering his State The Life and Image of God which Adam lost was inward and spiritual he dyed not immediately as to his outward Form or bodily Existence but lived many years believing the Serpent who said You shall be as Gods you shall not dye Thus Death entred upon him thus the Image of God in him became vail'd and his Beauty Glory and Perfection defaced his own Will and Desires no sooner gave way to but Temptationt entred no sooner his own Eye opened but his Imperfection appeared and his Nakedness was seen ☞ no sooner he began to live of himself and to will
a Form yet there may be a Form without the Power this Spirit of Formality captivated some in former Ages and led them to deny the Power from such they were to turn away then and so art thou now for if this Spirit of Formality prevails though a Form of Godliness be â—etained as a Form of sound Words Plainness and Decency in Apparrel Superfluity of Meats and Drinks laid aside Respecting Mens Persons and Worshipping them with Cap and Knee avoided Truth and Light within profest in Words Meetings and Assembling often frequented the Sound of Truth as a lovely Song c. Yet if thy Heart be gone astray if thou feelst not Life to lead thee if thou takest not up the Daily Cross to thy Will Thoughts Affections Lusts and Passions and by the same mortifie them thou mayst be a meer Formalist and thy observing and abiding in thy Form may become as abominable in the Sight of the Lord now as it was of old among his once Peculiar People the Jews when he sent his Prophet Isaiah to cry against them though they kept and observed the Multitude of Offerings and Sacrifices Feasts Fasts New-Moons and Sabbath Dayes Solemn Meetings and Assemblings before the Lord c. which was the very Form of Worship he once commanded but the Spirit of Dead Formality being got into their Hearts corrupted them So that he that killed an Ox was as he that slew a Man he that sacrificed a Lamb as he that cut off a Dog's Neck he that offered Oblations as if he offered Swiâ—â—s Blood he that burnt Incense as if he blessed an Idol the Reason of all this was not because these Things were evil in themselves but because the Call of the Lord was not answered and because when he spake they did not hear but did Evil before his Eyes and chose that in which he delighted not yet observed and performed the outward Part of Worship and sate before the Lord as his People and loved and delighted to hear the Word of the Lord by the Mouth of his Prophet but not to do them Read Isaiah 66.3 and Ezekiel 33.30 31 32. Now dear Friend let this sore Evil never some near thy Dwelling in thy holy Form of Godliness which thou hast been lead unto by the Power keep in the Sence and Feeling of the same in thy Form of sound Words keep in the Fear of God and Tenderness of Conscience wherein thou wert at first constrained to speak them even in the Cross to self which took great Offence thereat yet in Tenderness Love and Fear to God against thy Will and the Pride and haughty Spirit of this World wert thou moved to speak them likewise thy holy Form in not Respecting Mens Persons or having them in Admiration because of Advantage nor honouring them in bowing with Cap Knee nor giving flattering Titles to Men this the Spirit of the Lord led to in the Beginning keep in the same and his Presence and Power will uphold thee in the same and also lead thee to honour all Men in the Lord and to be subject to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake and truly to honour thy Parents and rise up before thy Elders and give them double Honour and to be curteous and kindly affectionate unto all this will the Spirit of the Lord lead thee to being the Nature of Christianity as thou walkest and abidest therein thou wilt be like thy Heavenly Father And thy Holy Form of Plainness of Apparel and thy Avoiding of Superfluity in Meats and Drinks c. keep thou with that Holy Spirit that led thee thereto and let not the Sense thereof depart from thee so shalt thou feel the Power thereof accompanying of thee and working in thee to remove that Root and Ground from whence all Superfluity of Naughtiness did arise and wholely mortifie that Spirit that delighted in these things And in thy Holy Form and Manner of Meeting together alwayes have thy Mind exercised in that Love and Life Virtue and Power of the Lord by which he touched thy Heart and met with thee therein in the beginning so shalt thou enjoy more and more of his Presence and encrease in Wisdom Life and Strength and all the Virtues of the Holy Spirit And though thou hast received an Unction from the Holy One which is able to teach thee all things necessary or needful to thy Salvation yet this will not lead thee to forsake the assembling of thy self with the Lord's People according to their wonted Manner nor to forsake the Flocks of the Companions nor the Foot-steps thereof but to travail on in the same till thou comest to know where they lie down at Noon solacing themselves in the green Pastures of Life and there to lie down with them where none can make thee afraid and where no Destroyer is where the Spirit of dead Formality hath no place Here thy Form of Godliness will be accompanied with Power and this Evil will never overtake thee as it hath some in our Age who are convinced by the Truth and love the Sound thereof yet come to our Meetings and frequent our Assemblies formally and customarily even as the Unbelievers and ignorant People go to hear the Common Service or Studied Sermons but receive not the Ingrafted Word which is able to save their Souls So though they hear many Heavenly Testimonies and Exhortations they receive and obey them not neither do they grow and encrease in their Inward Man from one Degree of Grace Knowledge and Virtue unto another This Spirit of dead Formality hath also assumed the Form of Sound Words and Plainness of Apparel c. and under this Form and Disguize hath brought forth and effected much Evil deceived many and laid a stumbling before others and brought an Evil Report upon the Truth and those that live in it And this Evil Spirit of Deceit Hypocrisie and Formality hath wrought more Mischief against the Truth and the Holy Profession of it manifest within even under this Form then all open Opposition and Persecution could ever effect This is now and hath been in former Ages the Way and Work of the Spirit of Deceit when he cannot prevail by direct Opposition and Perfecttion then will he get the Words and Profession of Truth and appear and work under the Form thereof and by the Evil Fruits he brings forth under this Disguize he occasions many who are waiting for the Consolation of Israel and strictly observing the Conversation of the Children thereof to lose their Expectation and to sit down and conclude These People are but as others and their Way is but as other Wayes and they fail in their Profession of Holiness c. as others do we see Evil amongst them as amongst others even under their very Form c. This hath occasioned many to take up their Rest in a Latitudinarian Spirit or to be ready to say All Men are Lyars and Religion a Cheat and some to run into Atheism it self But double Wo and Misery will be the Portion of those Persons who entertain and joyn with this Spirit of Deceit and Hypocrisie and thereby occasion many to stumble go backwards and fall and speak Evil of the Way of Truth which is Peaceable Peasant and Pure not only in it self but also to all those that love it and obey it and become Children of it But as for those that once knew the Way of the Lord and afterwards gave way to the Spirit of Evil Deceit Hypocrisie and Formality or that took up the Form of Godliness to deceive as in former Ages so now such are more Abominable in the Sight of the Lord and more to be testified against then the very Heathen or prophane Unbelievers False Brethren are most Perilous and Hypocrites most Odious in the Sight of God and all good Men and the Guilt of Souls lies at their Door because of their Ungodly Practices and Evil Doings under the Form Shew and Profession of Godliness such like Unsavory Salt are good for nothing but to be trod under Foot of Men judged and condemned by God's Witness within themselves and without by others and the Knawing Worm takes hold of them and the Unquenchable Fire is kindled in their Bowels and an Earnest of Eternal Vengeance they receive as a Just Recompence of Reward and like faln Angels are reserved in Chains to the Judgment of the Great Day For my Faith and Belief is That if all that ever took up the Form and Profession of the Truth Light Grace and Spiritual Manifestation thereof within had stood firm in the same and watcht against ruled over and kept out the Spirit of Enmity Vngodliness Deceit and dead Formality and by the Heavenly Gift and Power with which they were endued had judged the Serpent in all his Appearances Formings and Transformings and walked Vprightly in the same the Eye of the Nations had been towards us and Yea and Nay had been of great Authority in this Nation of England before this day and Truth in the Inward Parts the Law of the Spirit the Rule of Life and Manners Within honourable and of high Esteem in the Hearts and Minds of Thousands more then now it is Offences have come and may come but Wo to them by whom they come So my tender Friend who hast not had thy spiritual Senses throughly exercised nor art not yet acquainted with all the Wiles and Devices of the Enemy for whose sake I chiefly write this Epistle this One Thing I would have thee settle in thy Mind At the Gate of dead Formality and under the Form of Godliness the Destroying Spirit of Apostacy entred in the Primitive Times and soon ecclipsed the Light of the Glorious Gospel and the Old Adversary effected that by turning Professor of Christianity which he could not bring to pass by Bloody Persecutions and open Opposition and fully understand that the Spirit of Satan working under the Form of Godliness is that which hath been is and will be the greatest Waster and Destroyer and Opposer of the Power thereof Therefore watch thou against him in this Appearance not only in others but in thy self so wilt thou frustrate his Design and be able to keep thy self as some of Old did that the Evil One touch thee not W. S. THE END
THE True Christian's FAITH AND EXPERIENCE Briefly Declared Concerning God Christ the Spirit the holy Scriptures the Gospel and the Doctrines thereof Also The Titular Christian's Faith and Profession Try'd Examin'd and Judg'd Written for the Confirmation and Consolation of the One and for the Information in order to the Restoration and Salvation of the Other Also A Few Words to such who are newly turned in their Minds to the Light within are Believers in it By William Shewen He is not a Jew that is one outwardly Rom. 2.28 He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom John 3.29 He that hath the Son hath Life he that hath not the Son hath not Life John 5.6 Darkness is past the True Light now shineth 1 Joh. 2.8 The People that walked in Darkness have seen a great Light they that dwell in the Shadow of Death upon them hath the Light shined Isa 9.2 Every one that doth Evil hateth the Light c. John 3.20.21 Printed in the Year 1675. THE CONTENTS THE Faith and Experience of the True Christian briefly declar'd 1. Concerning God page 33. 2. Concerning Christ page 39. 3. Concerning the Holy Spirit page 45. 4. Concerning the Holy Scriptures page 48. 5. Concerning Repentance page 52. 6. Concerning Mortification Warfare Self-denyal and Dying Daily page 60. 7. Concerning Sanctification Washing and Cleansing from Sin and Corruption page 65. 8. Concerning Justification page 72. 9. Concerning Baptism and the Lord's Supper page 76. 10. Concerning the Universal Love of God towards all Mankind page 88. 11. Concerning Election and Reprobation page 92. 12. Concerning Temptation page 105. 13. Concerning a Holy Life pag 114. 14. Concerning the Motion or Moving of the Spirit of God and the Motion of the Spirit of the Old Serpent in the Hearts of Men pag 119. 15. Concerning Revelation pag 224. 16. Concerning the Gospel or Gladtidings of Life and Salvation pag 133. 17. Concerning Grace and Living under it and Growing in it from one Degree unto another and of the Possibility of Falling Away from it pag 142. 18. Concerning Outward and Inward Miracles pag 150. 19. Concerning the Doctrine and State of Perfection pag 161. 20. A Few Words to such as are newly turned in their Minds to the Light and are Believers in it pag 173. TO THE READER Friend THou mayest know that in this Part of the World call'd Christendom the Name Christian is very Famous and that there are few therein but desire to be call'd by that Name and a high and great Profession of Christianity abounds amongst the divers Sects therein all covering the Name of Christian ☞ but the Christian-Life the Christ-like Life and the nature of Christianity is much Wanting and the Fruits and Effects of the holy Spirit of Christianity are much wanting among them all and the contrary much abounds whereby an Evil Savour is sent forth to the Nations round about called Heathens and Infidels For there is scarce any Sort of Wickedness to be found upon the Face of the whole Earth which is not done and committed in this Part of the World called Christendom whereby the Jews and Heathen instead of being Converted are strengthned and confirmed in their Infidelity Ignorance Blindness and Idolatry For where this Nominal or Titular Christian hath prevailed as among the Americans he hath sent forth such a Stink and III Savour by his Abominable Inhumane Practices that the Name of Christ is blasphemed and the Christian-Religion hated by many that have heard the Fame and Report thereof Had the Life of Christ and the Nature of Christianity been known and lived in by all that profess the Name Christendom had bin as a Fruitful Field and as a Pleasant Garden enclosed and as a Vineyard wall'd about full of Trees of Righteousness and Plants of God's own Right Hand planting and the Tree of Life would have flourish'd among them in the midst thereof and the Leaves of the same would have healed the Nations round about and it would have been as a City set upon an Hill which cannot be hid and as a Lamp that burneth being fed with Sweet Oyl and as a Glorious Light that shineth and many would have fled unto it as unto a City of Refuge and have walked in the Light thereof and have seen and beheld their Good Works and have Glorified their Father which is in Heaven and they would have lain down as a Flock of Harmless Lambs together solacing themselves in the Green Pastures of Life and Salvation in the low Valley and a top of that holy Mountain where no Destroyer is nor none can make afraid Isa 11.7 8 9. Where the Lyon eats Straw like the Ox and where the Sucking Child-plays on the Hole of the Asp and the weaned Child puts his Hand on the Cockatrice's Den without Hurt And the Earth would have been full of the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea And this Song would have been in Christendom as in the Land of Judah Isa 26.1 2. We have a strong City Salvation will God appoint for Walls and Bullworks and the Gates thereof would have been open to them as a Righteous Nation that keepeth the Truth that they might have entred in and dwelt safely this would have been the State of Christendom But alas alas the quite Contrary appears Instead of being as a Fruitful Field and as a Pleasant Garden â—â—closed and as a Vineyard planted and walled about bearing Fruit unto God and flourishing with Trees Plants of his own Right-hand planting it s like a Desart Howling Wilderness full of Bryars Thorns and hurtful Weeds whereby the Good Seed that was sown is choaked and the Noble Plant degenerated from and become the Plant of a strange Vine which brings forth the sower Grapes which makes the Wine of Sodom which fills the Whore's Cup whereby Nations are made drunk And instead of being like a Flock of Harmless Lambs lying down together in Love and Unity feeding in the Green Pastures of Life and Salvation in the low Valley and a top of the holy Mountain where no Destroyer is they are like unto a Herd of Swine that is possessed and runs violently into the Sea and that walloweth in the Mire and like the Wolf Bear Lyon ☞ Asp and Cockatrice which the little Child hath not Power over but their devouring and poysonous Nature remains which makes them prey one upon another bite and devour one another hate and murder one another even under the Profession and Name of Christ and Christianity So instead of being as a City whose Walls are Salvation and as the heavenly Jerusalem they are like Sodom Gomorrah and Babylon And instead of being like a Lamp that burneth being fed with sweet Oyl and a Light that shineth they are like a Lamp that 's gone out and a Candle under a Bed or Bushel which gives no Light to others Instead of the Meekness Love Brotherly-kindnes Gentleness Patience Long-suffering Forgiveness Innocency Goodness
Harmlesness Righteousness and Heavenly-mindedness of Jesus which he and his Followers were and are indued withal the quite contrary abounds and yet a Profession of Jesus in Words is not wanting in these Nations called Christendom so that Isaiah's Vision Sight or Prophesie is fulfilled therein The shew of their Countenance doth witness against them Isa 3.9 12. and they declare their Sin as Sodom they hide it not Wo unto their Soul for they have rewarded Evil unto themselves Children are their Oppressors and Women rule over them Oh my People they which lead thee cause thee to Err and destroy the Way of thy Paths c. In this day also this Prophecy is fulfilled in Christendom Seaven Women shall take hold of one Man Isa 4.1 saying We will eat our own Bread and wear our own Apparel only let us be called by thy Name to take away our Reproach ☞ These seven Women are or may fitly be compared to the perfect full Number of all the Titular Christians of all the diverse Sects and Opinions in whole Christendom who profess the Name of Christ and call Christ their Husband but play the Harlot with other Lovers and eat their own Bread which is the forbidden Fruit and the old gather'd Manna and wear their own Apparel which they have sowed together with their own Hands and formed by their own Inventions to cover thei Nakedness in Transgression But the Lord God whom they have transgressed against is come down to walk in his Garden and he finds it overgrown with Weeds Thorns Bryars and Thistles but neither the Weeds Trees nor Fig-tree Leaves of Profession though sowed together and made like a Garment of Modefty and Righteousness ☞ can hide from his All-seeing Eye the Word Adam where art thou is sounded forth and he and all his Works are found out and the hidden things of Esau are sought out and the Earth can no longer cover her slain But the Blood of Righteous Abel cryes and the Souls under the Altar cry How long Lord how long will it be ere thou avenge thy self on them that dwell on the Earth and yet profess thy Name and thy Son's Name and say Thus saith the Lord when they have not heard thy Voice nor seen thy Shape nor known thy wonderous Works in the Deep nor regarded the Operation of thy Hand Because of these things the Cry of the Righteous hath been unto the Lord in all Ages and is now in this Age even because of the Hatred and Bloodiness of Cain about Religion and Worship and because of the Envy of Esau about the Blessing and because the great Whore who sits upon the Waters and rides upon the Beast and calls her self the Lamb's Wife and holds forth her Golden Cup full of Abominations with which the Nations even those called Christendom are made drunk hath so far prevailed And because the Waters on which the Whore sitteth which are Nations Tongues and People and the Beast on whom she rides takes her Golden Cup for the Cup of Blessing and for the Gold that is tryed in the Fire and the Wine of Fornication for the New Wine of the Kingdom And because this great Whore is taken for the Bride the Lamb's Wife the Harlot for the Spouse of Christ the Titular Christian for the True finally because Light is called Darkness and Darkness Light Good Evil and Evil Good I say This made Jeremy wish his Head were Waters and his Eyes a Fountain of Tears that he might weep day and night for the Slain of the Daughter of his People Jer. 9.1 2. This made Christ to weep over Jerusalem and Paul to wish himself separate from Christ for his Brethrens sake This made the Prophets Apostles Ministers willing to spend and be spent and to run to and fro that Knowledge might be encreased and People undeceived because of these things the Cry Breathing of the Souls of the Righteous is unto the Lord that he would take away the Vail that is spread over the Hearts of all People by Transgression and open the Blind Eye and unstop the Deaf Ear that his Glory may be seen and his Voyce heard and the two great Mysteries of Godliness and Iniquity revealed And that People may come to look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn over him even him whom they have kissed with their Lips but betrayed in their Hearts and so come to that Godly Sorrow which leadeth to Repentance and a Turning unto him who redeemeth from all these things and bringeth into Favour with God again and giveth Right to eat of the Tree of Life and to enter through the Gate into the City even the heavenly Jerusalem which that all may partake of and inherit is the Desire of the True Christian who hath received the Gospel of Peace and Good-will to all men the which that thou may attain unto take the Counsel of one who was a Child of Wrath as well as others and once lived in the Nature of Cain and Esau and was one of them on whom the Whore sate and was deceived by her Golden Cup and drank of the Wine of her Fornication and once took the Whore for the Lamb's Wife the Harlot for the true Woman Babylon for Jerusalem Antichrist for Christ the Titular Christian for the True But now knoweth that the Son of God is come and a good Understanding given whereby he knoweth him that is true and is in him that is true and hath received Wisdom to trace the Eagle in the Air and the Serpent on the Rock and the Adulterous Woman who eateth the Forbidden Fruit and wipeth her Mouth and saith She hath done none Evil and is now acquainted with the Wiles and Mysterious Workings of him who is more subtil then all the Beasts of the Field and is come to the Rending of the Vail and the taking off the Covering and to the falling of the Scales from his Eyes and to the Revelation of the two great Mysteries of Godliness and Iniquity I say unto thee whosoever thou art that readest these words and knowest not the same Turn thy Mind inward ☞ commune with thy own Heart and be still stand in Awe and sin not fear to offend that holy Spirit which searcheth thy Heart and love the Reproofs thereof for its the Way of Life and wait low in the same until that Eye be opened in thee that can see God's Salvation that he hath appointed unto the ends of the Earth then wilt thou Rejoyce therein And cease from Man ☞ whose Breath is in his own Nostrils and speaks the studied Inventions of his own corrupt Heart and the Traditions of his Fore-Fathers and yet saith Thus saith the Lord when he hath not spoaken unto him nor heard his Voice nor seen his Shape but speaks the Conceivings and Divinations of his own Brain and the Uncertain Notions of his own Spirit The * The Root of all Division Erroneous Opinions and Sects listening
and hearkening to this and following of this in the particular and in the general is the universal Ground and Root from whence spring all the Diversities of Sects and Erroncous Opinions upon the Face of the Earth and from this ariseth all the Willing Running Self-Righteousness Will-Worship Voluntary Humility and Intrusion into Things which are not seen in the Vision of God but being vainly puffed up in a fleshly Mind Now this thou art to cease from in thy own particular for thou wert not created to sollow thy own Thoughts Conceivings and Imaginations ☞ nor the Motions of the Flesh nor Enticements of the Serpent But another Guide is appointed for thee which all that are ignorant of go astray from their Youth Now this Guide is not far off that thou needest say Who shall ascend or descend or go beyond the Seas to setch it but it s nigh thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart thaâ— thou mayest hear it and obey it and be guided by it And that thou mayest know its Voice and Teaching and Guidance from all other Voices and Teachings I will in a few words set before thee an Infallible Way and shew thee Certain Marks and Tokens thereof for it s known by its Work and Operation First If thou art as all are before the New Creation is known without Form and Void Darkness being over the Face of the Deep ☞ if thou art as the Waters or one cover'd with Darkness yet the Spirit of God moveth upon the Waters and is ready to work in thee and to form thee into a Comliness and the true Light shines in thee though thou art Darkness in order to shew thee the Way out of it And thou mayest know this holy Spirit that moveth upon the Waters and the Voice of it from thy own Spirit Thoughts and Imaginations and from the Voice of the Serpent * An infallible Mark of the Holy Spirit of God in the Hearts of Men Jew and Gentile because it alwayes moveth against every Appearance of Evil and calls out of it sheweth thee the very secret Thoughts and Intents of thy Heart reproveth and judgeth every vain Thought and wicked Imagination and when thou goest before it and walkest in the Pathes of Darkness Sin and Disobedience thou may'st hear it as a Voice behind thee reproving thee saying This is the Way walk in it And this holy Guide consents to no Evil thou dost but is given of God to lead thee out of it and to bring thee to him that saves from it This is the great Ordinance of God Ae and the Means of Salvation that he hath appointed the which if thou sleight and difregard thou wilt remain without Form Void and Empty of the Heavenly Treasures and never be able to say in Truth as the Primitive Christians did and the True Christians now can viz. 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 and so wilt continue ignorant of the New Creation of God and of the Experimental Work of Regeneration profess what thou wilt ☞ and live under what other Ordinances and Means thou wilt and hear what other Teachers thou wilt and follow what other Guides thou wilt if thou learnest not of the Grace of God within which hath appeared to thee and all men if thou walkest not in the Light which shines within and art not guided by the good Spirit of God which was the Saints Guide in all Ages thy Profession is vain and thy Religion a Lye and thou deceivest thy own Soul in Sin thou livest and in Sin thou wilt dye and where Christ is thou canst not come This is the Experience of him that hath tryed the Traditions of Men the Teachings and Inventions of Men Books and studied Sermons and Carnal Ordinances and hath found them not able to lead one Step in the Narrow Way or give perfect Victory over one Sin neither is all the Wisdom Understanding Prudence and Knowledge among all the Children of men that are Strangers to the New Creation Work of Regeneration wrought by the Spirit of God within themselves ☞ able to direct or bring any so much as to the Gate or Entrance of true Wisdom Life and Immortality but rather hedgeth up the Way and leadeth more and more astray from it This is the Wisdom and Knowledge which the Righteous in former Ages testified against which is of this World Fleshly and Foolish Earthly and Sensual and whoever encreaseth in it encreaâ—eth in that which brings Sorrow for as the Fool so dyeth this Wise Maâ— And whosoever sets himself up 〈◊〉 this Wisdom ☞ as a Teacher of thâ— Ignorant and as a Guide to the Blinâ— though allowed by the Universitiâ— or general Schools he runs befoâ—â— he is sent and doth not profit tâ— People at all but is as the Bliâ— which leadeth the Blind and they bâ— fall into the Ditch together out which there is no Redemption 〈◊〉 by the Knowledge of the Effect Working of the holy Spirit and Son of God in thee to open thy Eye that thou mayest see where thou art and beget a Desire in thee and a Cry in thee for Deliverance and minister Strength unto thee and to pull thy Feet out of the Mire and Clay and to set them upon a Rock and be as a Light unto thee to guide thee in thy Way that thou stumblest not again all which I testifie he is ready and willing to do for thee and all that love his Appearance ☞ And those only love his Appearance that love the Spirit of Truth in them and believe in it and receive it which reproveth them of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment and this is an Infallible Proof that People love this Spirit believe in it and receive it A True Proof that People love the Spirit when they walk in it and obey it and bring forth the Fruits of it and are led by it out of Sin and that Righteousness and Judgment which it did reprove them of while they lived therein and are led by it into that Holiness and Everlasting Righteousness through true Judgment which is the White Rayment Fine Linnen and Cloathing of the True Christian who is come to know the same holy Spirit of Truth which once convinced reproved and judged him for Sin and Ungodliness to make him free from it and become his Comforter and Leader into all Truth according to the Promise of Christ Jesus Joh. 16. the which to possess and enjoy The Sum of Christian-Religion is the End Sum and Substance of the Christian-Religion and the End of all Hearing Reading Preaching and Believing And that thou mayest know whether thou art a Possessor hereof or whether thou only talkest of it and professest it I in thâ— Bowels of Love intreat and beseecâ— thee seriously to weigh read and confider what
follows as the Faith and Experience of a True Christian which iâ— written in True Love and Good-Wiâ—â— to all that have the Vail over their Hearts and the Scales before their Eyes when they are reading the holy Scriptures and professing God Christ Christianity and the Doctrines thereof which are but briefly hinted at or spoaken to in few words in what follows And whether thou art a bare Professor or a real Possessor thou mayest reap Profit hereby if the one thou art in vited to inherit Substance if the other thou art exhorted and Warned to beware lest thou lose thy Inheritance again So to the Light Grace and holy Spirit of God in thee 〈◊〉 thou Professor Prophane or Believerâ— I do commend thee with it to read and with it to judge by it to be taught gâ—â—ded into a good Understanding and into the true Knowledge of the two great Mysteries of Godliness and Iniquity And that thou mayest truly understand and receive the one and discover and avoid the other is the Desire of him who is a Lover of the Christian-Religion and of all that walk therein and hath Good-will to all men William Shewen Reader THese Scriptures following having a good Esteem in my Mind as Sayings worthy greatly to be noted and weightily considered I have committed them to the Press wishing thou mayest enjoy the End wherefore And this I will assure thee If thou canst understand believe and receive these Divine and Heavenly Sayings Precepts Exhortations Promises and Testimonies in these and other Scriptures mentioned in this brief Declaration of a True Christian's Faith c. thou wilt not stumble at nor reject his Testimony c. but imbrace and have Unity therewith But if thou understandest not nor believest the one neither wilt thou the other for the True Christian bears Testimony to the holy Scriptures and the Scriptures to him and the Titular Christian's Testimony is against them and they are against him because he doth not obey them nor live the Life they call for Eccl. 12.1 2. Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy Youth while the Evil Dayes come not nor the Years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no Pleasure in them while the Sun or the Light or the Moon or the Stars be not darkened nor the Clouds return after the Rain Dearly Beloved Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God for many False Prophets are gone out into this World 1 John 4. 1 c. Little Children You are of God and have overcome them for greater is he that is in you then he that is in the World Vers 4. Whosoever transgressâ—th and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God He that continueth in the Doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son 2 John 9th vers If there come any unto you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your House neither bid him God speed Vers 10. To be Carnally-minded is Death but to be Spiritually-minded is Life Peace because the Carnal Mind is Enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be So then they that are in the Flesh cannot please God But ye are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of God he is none of his And if Christ be in you the Body is dead because of Sin but the Spirit is Life because of Righteousness But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the Dead shall also quicken your Mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Rom. 8.6 7 8 9 10 11. Vnto the Pure all things are pure but unto them that are Defiled and Vnbelieving is nething pure but even their Minds and Consciences are defiled They profess that they know God but by Works they deny him and are abominable and to every good Work Reprobate Tit. 1.15 16. If ye abide in me and my Words abide in you ask what you will and it shall be done unto you John 15.7 And you shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free Whosoever committeth sin is the Servant of sin John 8.32 34. Verely verely I say unto you If a man keep my Saying he shall never see Death Vers 51. Father I will That they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the Foundation of the World That the Love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them John 17.24 26. The Disciple is not above his Master but every one that is perfect shall be as his Master Luke 6.40 But love ye your Enemies and do good and lend hoping for nothing again and your Reward shall be great and ye shall be the Children of the Highest for he is Kind to the Vnthankful and to the Evil Be ye therefore Merciful as your Father also is Merciful Luke 6.35 36. Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you But the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you And ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth and is no Lye And even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him 1 John 2.27 Read the 8th Chapter to the Romans and the Lord give thee Understanding Rom. 10.8 The Word is nigh thee in thy Mouth in thy Heart that is the Word of Faith which we preach And hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his Commandments He that saith he knoweth him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Lyar and the Truth is not in him But whosoever keepeth his Word in him verely is the Love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him He that saith He abideth in Him â—ught himself also so to walk even as he walked 1 John 2.3 4 5 6. read to the end of the Chapter Little Children Let no man deceive you He that doth Righteousness is Righteous even as he is Righteous He that committeth Sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning For this Purpose was the Son of God manifest that he might destroy the Works of the Devil Whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remains in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil Whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God neither he that loves not his Brother We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren He that loveth not his Brother abideth in Death 1 John Chap. 3. Vers 2. to the 10th and 14th No man hath seen God at any time If we love one another
Glory and Power which is Terrible to the Worker of Iniquity is pleasant and desirable by those that witness Sion's Redemption by the Spirit of Judgment and Burning from Iniquity these things are known now as in former Ages The same Ark whose Presence troubled and plagued the Philistians was the Glory of Israel the same Hand and Power that smites and destroyeth the Egyptian saves and delivers the Israelite the same Spirit of Truth that reproveth the World of Sin is the Comforter of those that are made free by it from Sin the same Breath that breathed Life in the beginning before Sin entred kind'eth the Fire that tormenteth the Wicked He that can understand let him â—mnipresent in Beâ—â—g incomprehensiâ—â—e and Almighty in Power And he demonstrateth his Faith and Experience after this manner He has received a Manifestation of him in his own Heart Mind and Spirit and so is come to know him pore Omni-present by his Work and Operation therein he can say that God is pure of a Truth because he findeth his Appearance so pure and holy in his Heart that it will not allow nor suffer so much as a vain Thought to lodge there nor no unclean thing to be touched And this True Christian is a true witness of the Truth of those Scriptures Hab. 1.13 Jer. 17.10 15.19 which saith that God is of purer Eyes then to behold Iniquity and that He searcheth the Heart and tryeth the Reins and divideth betwixt the Precious and the Vile betwixt Thought Thought Word and Word Work and Work And further He is a True Witness that God is Almighty in Power because he hath by his mighty Power broaken down those Strong Holds formerly builded in his Heart by the Enemy of his Soul Cast down Imaginations and every High Thing that exalted 〈◊〉 self against the Knowledge of God â—inging into Captivity very Thought into the â—bedience of Christ And he knoweth the â—rk Mountains at â—â—ich his Feet stumbled removed the Rocks rended the Raging Waves stilled and that Tongue and Nature bridled which no Man could tame But before this be witnessed he hath known him to sit as a Refiners Fire Mal. 3.3 and as Fullers Sope and as a Spirit of Judgment and Burning and so became a living Witness of what he hath seen felt heard understood by the mighty Working of his Holy Spirit in his Mortal Body The Titular Christian he saith he believeth in one God who is pure omnipresent and Almighty take his Word and there is no Difference But how doth he demonstrate his Faith that to him there is but one God why he hath heard a Relation of him his Oneness his Purity and Almightiness in the Holy Scriptures and he hath been educated and trained up in the Traditions of his Fore-fathers and so his Knowledge of God he professeth is acquired therefrom he hath read in some Book or some Body hath told him that God is One Pure Omnipresent and Almighty and he grounds his Faith and Knowledge upon this Tradition and History and sorofesseth God and his Attributes in Words but is not a living Witness of the same within himself And so notwithstanding he professeth one God he liveth in the World which hath many Gods and worships and falls down before them every beloved Lust obeyed is a God Let the Titular Christian profess what he will he that committeth Sin is the Servant of it and therein is no Believer Worshipper nor Knower of the True God his Purity nor Almightiness because his Heart remaineth Corrupt and Rocky and the Mountains of Darkness Ignorance remain unremoved and the strong Holds of Satan unbroaken down his Thoughts and Imaginations unsubjected to the Obedience of Christ his Will Tongue and Nature unbridled the Dross Tin and Rubbage remains and is as a Grave to the pure Mettal this Titular Christian contents himself to hear or read of God as a Refiner's Fire and as Fuller's Sope and as a Spirit of Judgment and Burning and of his cleansing and purifying some in former Generations but loves not nor cares not to know him so in himself but rather despiseth and hateth his pure Appearance in him whose first Work is to convince him of Sin Righteousnes Judgment which is compared to a little Silver amongst much Dross a little Seed amongst many great ones to a little Leaven hid in three Measures of Meal which Silver can't be parted separated enjoy'd but by the Appearance of God within as a Refiners Fire to purge away the Dross take away the Tin also which is somewhat like the Silver whereby indeed the Titular Christian is deceived neither can the little Seed grow up till the Rubbish be taken away and the Ground that is Cursed removed and the Heart made honest which is the good Ground wherein the Seed of the Kingdom grows to Perfection neither can the little Leaven work through and leaven the three Measures of Meal till that be taken away which lets and hinders viz. Unbelief and Hardness of Heart Now this Day of small Things this Day of Jacob's Troubles wherein he goes through the Refiners Fire this little Seed this little Leaven is overlook'd despised and flighted by the Titular Christian who in his own Conceit is exalted and puffed up above the pure Appearance of God in his Heart which to know and obey is the Gate of all true Wisdom and Knowledge and is grown so tall great and Wise in his own Thoughts and Imaginations that he cannot walk in the straight Way nor go in at the Door of the Sheepfold but would climb up some other Way and so contents himself with a Traditional Historical Profession of God in Words and deny him in Works And all the Knowledge and Experience he hath of God his Purity Oneness and Almightiness is but as some Body hath told him or as he hath in an Unsanctified and Unprepared Heart read in the Holy Scriptures which Knowledge avails nothing except accompanied with a living Expeâ—ience of the same Power working after the same Manner as it did in others in Times past who have left their Testimonies thereof upon Record II. The True Christian's Faith and Experience concerning the Lord Jesus Christ THE True Christian believes in one Lord Jesus Christ who came from the Bosom of the Father who is the Son of the true God by whom he made the World and that this Lord Jesus Christ is his Saviour Redeemer Sanctifier and Cleanser by his precious Blood and is to him as a King Priest and Prophet c. And he demonstrateth his Faith in this Manner in being Obedient to him as he is Lord in being saved by him from Sin as he is Jesus and by his learning of him and being taught by him as he is Christ or the Anointing So he can call him Lord Jesus Christ in Truth and Righteousness having truly learned his Name and Nature through Obedience to his Cross and a Cleansing by his
precious Blood and so he not only reads hears and professes the Benefits and Priviledges which the primitive Christians partook of and enjoyed by believing in receiving of Christ but experimentally partaketh of and possesseth and enjoyeth the same Rom. 8 16. And the Spirit of God beareth Witness with his Spirit that he is a Child of God and a Joynt Heir with Christ Bone of his Bone and Flesh of his Flesh and that he hath the Mind of Christ and that Christ lives in him and is greater in him then he that is in the World And as the old Adversary the Devil is strong and powerful to tempt and ready on the one Hand and on the other to draw and allure into Evil so he knoweth his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as near and as ready and more powerful to deliver save and preserve him from falling into Evil and Temptation and he is not only enabled to resist the Divel but to make him flee also Thus in Truth can the True Christian call Christ the Captain of his Salvation who being armed with his Power fights as he did followeth him sits down in Heavenly Places with him triumphing over Sin Death Hell and the Grave So the True Christian proveth himself so by denying himself and taking up his Cross daily and following of Christ and that he believeth in him because he enjoyeth Everlasting Life and abides not in Death and Darkness but hath overcome the Wicked one and that he is his Lord because he doth the thing he saith or commandeth and that he loveth him because he keepeth his Commandments and hath received Power to become the Son of God and further hath a Name better then the Name of Sons and Daughters The Titular Christian saith he believeth in one Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the true God by whom he made the World and that this Lord Jesus Christ is his Saviour Redeemer and Sanctifier by his precious Blood c. and professeth him as King Priest and Prophet and in all his Attributes and Offices But how doth he demonstrate and shew forth his Belief and Profession How is he his Lord Doth he do the Thing he saith How is he his Saviour Is he saved by him from the committing of Sin and redeemed from a vain Conversation How doth he believe in him as Christ or the Anointing Is he taught by him How is he his King Priest and Prophet Doth he rule in his Heart as King Are all his Services Sacrifices and Offerings offer'd up by and through his Hand as Priest Doth he hear him in all Things as the Prophet whom God hath raised like unto Moses No the Titular Christian hath no Knowledge of him after this Manner neither doth he believe 't is attainable on this side the Grave nor possible to obey him as Lord nor to be saved by him from Sin as Jesus nor taught by him as Christ or the Anointing nor that he can be washed cleansed and sanctified by his precious Blood from the Stains Spots and Defilements of the World Flesh and the Devil while he bears about this Body of Clay he contents himself with a corrupt traditional Faith which hath sprung up in the dark Night of Apostacy which is certainly a very venemous pernicious Weed of the Devil's Kingdom which hath poysoned and destroyed the Souls of many and is now grown to such Maturity and cloathed with such Beauty to the Eye of the Titular Christian that he calls it the Christian Faith though thereby he is taught to believe that 't is not possible to cease from Sin nor to have his Heart purified nor to overcome the Devil and gain Victory over the World and further that notwithstanding he committeth Sin daily and liveth in the Act of it Term of Life in this World he is hereby taught to believe that Christ will save him from the Guilt and Punishment of it in the World to come It may be said of this Titular Christian's Faith as it was once said of Saul and David Looseness and A theism hath slain its Thousands but this its Ten Thousands So although he hears and reads what Christ did in and for those that belived in him and of the powerful Virtue and Operation of that Ancient Christian Faith which was once delivered to the Saints and born witness to by the Holy Scriptures yet he neither hopes believes nor expects to witness the same wrought in him and for him they bear witness of some in whom Christ wrought (a) In whom Christ works all the Devil works nothing all their Works and that through him they were able to do all Things And many glorious Things were spoaken of and were enjoyed by the true Believers in Christ while upon Earth But the Titular Christian puts off all till he is dead and pleads for the Continuation of the Devil and his Works Term of Life and saith the Devil works strongly in him and prevails over him and causeth him to sin in his Holy Duties and that he is so captivated by him that he cannot live one Day nor Hour without Sin so notwithstanding his Profession of Christ he knows him not greater in him then he that is in the World so the strong Man keeps House and it s furnished with his Goods and though he cryes Lord Lord he is a Worker of Iniquity and is bound in Chains of Darkness and his Feet stick fast in the Mire and in the Clay even while he talks of Lord and Saviour he is led Captive at the Devils Will and is a Stranger to that Power which is able to resist him and make him flee and to that Faith which gives Victory So he cannot in Truth call Christ the Captain of his Salvation nor approve himself one of his Souldiers who is armed with the same Power with it fights against the same Enemy and gains the Victory and followeth him who rides on Conquering and to Conquer so never comes to sit down with him in his Father's Kingdom triumphing over Sin Death Hell and the Grave but remains under the Power thereof through the Fear of which he is all his Life Time subject to Bondage 2 Heb. 15. let his Profession of Liberty and Redemption by Christ be what it will his fair Talk will avail him nothing though he saith he believeth in Christ and loveth him yet if he keepeth not his Commandments he is a Lyar and deceiveth himself and hath not Eternal Life abiding in him Profession and Name of Christ without Possession and Nature is of no worth III. The true Christian's Faith and Experience concerning the Holy Spirit THE True Christian believeth in the Holy Spirit being one of the Three which bears Record in Heaven which Three are one and he sheweth forth his Faith by his Obedience thereto he hath received the Spirit of Adoption whereby he can call God Father not as the Scribes Pharisees and Hypocrites did but in Truth and Righteousness and he witnesseth
short Time and that his Dispossession grows nigh and the spoiling of his Goods are at Hand Except he could by any Means prevent it but all his Endeavours were and are in vaâ—n against this true Repentant who trusting in the Goodness of the Lord which at first led him to Repentance and relying upon the Arm of his Power which had opened the Eye that was blind and unstopped the Ear that was deaf and enlightned the Understanding that was darkened he in the same is made able to stand and to resist him in all his Assaults and to escape all his Baits and Snares and to quench all his fiery Darts and to overcome him in all his Temptations and to go right on his Way pressing forward towards the Mark of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil. 3.14 where all the Treasures of Wisdom of Knowledge and of Glory are hid Col. 2.3 and laid up for these that love his Appearance and obey his low Calling which is to Repentance and none other are in the Way to know what the High-Calling of God in Christ Jesus is let their Notions Professions and Confessions be never so high The Titular Christian he professeth he believeth the Doctrine and Teachings of Christ and his Apostles and first this of Repentance but how doth he demonstrate his Faith Is his Mind turned from the Darkness and the Way of it to the Light and the Way of it from the Power of Satan and the Works of it to the Power of God and the Works of it Is he quickned and made alive by the hearing of the Voice of the Son of God Is he come forth of the Grave of Sin and Sea of Corruption Doth he feel the Weight and Burthen of it Is Sin become exceeding sinful unto him Is a Cry raised in his Soul unto the Lord for a full Deliverance and Redemption from the Servitude of Sin and Satan Hath he a true Sence and Sight of the Nature and Tendency of Sin Is his Mind truly turned to the Appearance of God in Christ within which is to destroy and make an End of Sin and finish Transgression and the Authors of it and bring in Everlasting Righteousness instead thereof Doth he bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance And doth he shew by them that he is turned from the Service of Sin and Satan into the Service of God and Righteousness Is he turned out of the broad Way Doth he walk in the straight and narrow and make strait Steps to his Feet and are they pulled out of the Mire and Clay and are they set upon the Rock and are all his Goings guided by the Line of Righteousness is he enabled by the powerful Voice Arm of the Son of God to stand upright on his Feet in the midst of all his Enemies and by the same to travail on in the Way of Holiness towards the Holy City and Heavenly Jerusalem the City of the Saints Solemnity These Things accompany True Repentance therefore let the Titular Christian turn the Eye of his Mind Inward and commune with his own Heart and be still and consult with God's Witness therein and examine and answer these Things and see and try whether he hath not deceived himself with a false Profession and a feigned Repentance wherein he confesseth daily but doth not forsake and so finds not Mercy deceiving his own Soul by daily sinning and an Imaginary Repentance being subject to call and account a changing and turning from one Sort of the Devil's Service to another from Self-Sinning and Debauchery to Self-Righteousness from one Opinion to another and from one Sort and Fashion of invented Worship to another a Repentance though in all the old Man with his Deeds appears prevalent and the Earthly Image is born and the Nature and Ground of Sin and Transgression remains unshaken by the Voice and Power of the Son of God which calls and leads all that hear and obey it to true Repentance And till this Voice be heard and this Power felt and witnessed to work and operate in the inward Man the Beast receives no deadly Wound nor the Strength of Sin is not abated and the strong Holds of Imagination continues unbroaken down and so Repentance in this State is only talked of in vain by all the Nominal Christians upon the Face of the Eatth who experience not these Things wrought and effected in them and for them and are wholely ignorant of that Repentance which is never to be repented of and of that Joy that is in Heaven over one Sinner that Repenteth more then over ninety nine Just Perfons who need no Repentance VI. The True Christian 's Faith Experience concerning Mortification Warfare Self-denyal and a Dying daily THe True Christian next unto Repentance believes the Doctrine of Mortification Warfare Self-Denyal and a Dying daily and he sheweth forth his Faith by his Works having heard obey'd the Call of God being thereby turn'd or repented he comes to receive the Spirit of Adoption where by he can call God Father and so comes to receive Power against the World the Flesh and the Devil which though he hath turned his back upon them and set his Face Sion-wards yet they will follow him and pursue him and attend him with divers Allurements and Temptations in order to turn him back again and thus will continue laying Baits and Snares in Hopes to prevail until a Death be witnessed to the Carnal Mind and Transgressing Nature which is prone to receive the Temptation therefore the True Christian being come to a true Sight and Sense of the Strength and Subtility of the Enemy watches and wars in the Spirit against him and obeyes the Apostle's Exhortation Mortifie therefore your Members Col. 3.5 Rom. 8.13 which are upon the Earth c. And if ye through the Spirit mortifie the Deeds of the Body ye shall live So he witnesseth a Dying or Mortifying daily of that Nature and Mind which has had a Life in Sin until it be mortified or Killed and till he cometh to witness that Saying fulfilled Death is Swallowed up in Victory the Strength of it being taken away till which is effected he remaineth in the Warfare like a good Souldier sollowing his Captain conquering and to conquer until a perfect Victory be obtain'd And that he may not fail nor come short in this Warfare and Work of Mortification he keeps his Eye alwayes upon his Captain and his Ears open to that Voice that at first quickened him and called him to Repentance and his Mind stay'd upon that Holy Spirit of Grace that hath wrought hitherto for him which makes Self of no Reputation and which burieth self in all his Acquirements and Perfection in the Death of the Cross as not being fit nor worthy to be concerned in the Work of Regeneration And the True Christian well knows that there is no Possibility to be a Disciple and Follower of Christ further then the daily Cross to Self
Things And all those Babel Builders blind Guides which set up minister this kind of Doctrine that God hath pre-ordained how many Persons shall be saved and how many damned if People were not as ignorant and as blind as themselves their Trade would quickly be spoiled and come to an End and no Body would imploy them for if there be a fixed Decree from all Eternity how many shall be saved and how many damned which neither the one nor the other by all the Good Evil they can do are able to alter this determinate Counsel then altogether in vain is it for People to hire such Builders who say before hand their Tower will never convey any to Heaven who are not designed to go there without it or to maintain such unprofitable Talkers and vain Bablers when they can neither make them better nor worse nor bring one Soul to Salvation that is not determined and decreed already to be saved nor direct one Soul how he may escape Hell that shall not escape it without their Directions these are unprofitable and vain Talkers indeed and Messengers of miserable Tidings that preach this Doctrine of Devils in the World the Fruit and Effect of which runs many a poor Soul upon one of these desperate Rocks disfolute Despair or implicite Imaginary Security Again this Doctrine of God's absolutely decreeing the greater Part of Mankind to Damnation makes void Christ's coming a Light into the World and his Suffering Dying and Râ—sing again his sending his Apostles and Ministers out into the World to perswade Men to be reconciled to God and to receive his free Love and Grace that 's tendered in Christ Jesus to all †The Doctrine of a setled Decree concerning Election and Reprobation as to Persons layes wast all the general Means of Salvation and excludes God's Vniversal Love and makes him a Rospecter of Persons and if all stand under such a unrevokeable Decree which all that the Sons of Men can do or say is not able to alter or to make them one Jot the better or worse as to the End nor any Means contrarvwise take Effect to gain Heaven nor prevent going to Hell I say if these Things were so then in vain are all conditional Preachings Woings and Beseechings in an universal Way in vain is the Gospel preached in every Creature in vain hath and doth the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation appear unto all Men in vain are all enlightened in vain is a Manifestation of the Spirit given to every Man to profit withal in vain are his good Gifts given to the Rebellious and the Testimonies of God's Universal Love to all Mankind plentifully declared of in the Holy Scriptures are all in vain and this Doctrine gives them all the Lye Much might be said to shew the Grossness and Absurdness of this kind of Doctrine but intending Brevity and a Hint at Things and hoping the Light of the glorious Gospel that now shines and is broaken forth in the Hearts of Thousands and Ten Thousands will disperse this gross Darkness and cause this destructive pernicious Doctrine to vanish away especially in this Nation of England before this Age is worn out I say for these two Reasons I forbear to enlarge with a Breathing to the Lord that People may come to know the fallow Ground plowed up and the hard Clods broaken and their Hearts made tender and honest that the good Seed of the Kingdom wherein the Election stands may spring and grow up and bear Fruit in them to Everlasting Life and the Seed of the Serpent rooted out and he and all his Works destroyed this is the glorious Liberty which the whole Creation groans for and some already enjoy it Praises to God forever whose Love extends to all whose Arm is stretched out to help all whose Scepter of Salvation is held forth to all whose Desire is that all may come to the Knowledge of his Truth and be saved This is the Testimony of God and of those Righteous Men that knew him in former Ages who were born of the Incorruptible Seed and is the Testimony of the Righteous in this Age ☞ and the contrary is the Testimony of the Enemy of God and Man that old Serpent and his Children who are born of the Seed of it and their Fruit is the Off-spring of the Adulterer and the Whore whom God will judge This is the Word of Truth to all whom it may concern XII The True Christian's Faith and Experience concerning Temptation IAMES saith Blessed is the Man that endureth Temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of Life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Let no man say when he is tempted he is tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with Evil neither tempteth he any man But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed James 1.12 13 14. Now the True Christian is a Witness of this Saying of James having found the Blessedness that follows the enduring Temptation received the Earnest of the Crown of Life And he truly and experimentally knoweth That God cannot be tempted with Evil because that Heavenly Light and Grace and Manifestation of the Holy Spirit which he is Partaker of and endued withal and is of God cannot be tempted with Evil nor be prevailed upon to consent or take Pleasure in any Unrighteousness and this good and perfect Gift of God which cannot be tempted with Evil nor tempteth no man received believed in and entertained in the Heart is that which enabled the Righteous in all Ages to endure Temptation and doth enable them in this Age ☞ And all those that know not receive not believe not in this Good and Perfect * Which is the Light and Grace or Holy Spirit Within Gift of God given and sent into the World to Sinners as well as Saints they cannot nor are not able to endure Temptation but are led away of their Lusts and enticed and fall into Temptation for want of Faith in the Gift and Power of God which is as near them as the Temptation and able and ready to deliver them if they would regard it and obey it Now the Ground of all Temptations are within the Lusts that lead away are within the Light which discovers them and the Grace which is sufficient and the Spirit which mortifies the Lusts ☞ must be also known within where the Temptations rise and attend Mankind even the Righteous for a time and divers outward Objects also may present in order to draw out and alure the Mind to joyn with them and to entertain them ¶ The Devil hath Power to Tempt but not to Force But neither the Temptations Within nor Without can prevail until the Light is disregarded the Appearance of Grace sleighted and the Spirit of God despised and the Mind joyned to the Tempter and Temptation Now it s no Sin to be tempted but to
enter into the Temptation No man was ever condemned because tempted or because Evil Motions Temptations did arise in him and present themselves if he entered not into them nor gave no place to them nor joyned with them in his Mind nor suffered his Members to obey them but kept in the Light Grace and Spirit of God by which he resisted them and the Author of them and made him flee This is the Blessed Man that endureth Temptations So though Temptations are Evil and Sinful in themselves and did at some times attend the Righteous in all Ages and do at this day yet if they give no place nor Consent to them ☞ nor obey them but by the Light and Spirit of God judge them and walk in the Light which discovers them and the Evil Tendency of them and are preserved from joyning to them they are no Sinners because tempted as for instance to speak but to a low State if any are troubled with unclean and vain Thoughts and tempted with Dark Unlawful Imaginations which in themselves are Evil and * These will lodge in that Flesh in which dwells no good thing till it and its Habitation be Mortified and removed which is to be known even while the Earthen Vessel remaineth that holds the Heavenly Treasure Sinful yet if they by the Light and Spirit of God judge them and give no Place or Obedience to them but wait to see the ground thereof remov'd they do that which is right in the Sight of the Lord and are no Sinners so if tempted to use any Member of the Body to speak or do any Evil as the Tongue to lye flatter or dissemble or speak perverse things or the Hand to do Violence to any man or the Feet to run to do Mischief ☞ if these Members are not yielded up to serve and obey these Temptations those so tempted are no Transgressors but are Witnesses of that Prayer and the Effect of it which Christ taught his Disciples Lead us not or let us not be led into Temptation but deliver us from Evil. Christ Jesus was attended with divers great Temptations and the Old Serpent that deceived the first Adam was very bold with him and carried him from * Let him that readeth understand Place to Place from the Wilderness to the holy City from thence to the Pinacle of the Temple and then to an exceeding high Mountain and shewed him all the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them with a Promise He would give them all to him if he would fall down and worship him But he standing in the Power of his Father gave no place to him but rebuked him and resisted him in all his Temptations and overcame him Now it s said While the Time of Temptation lasted he eat nothing and when they were ended Luke 4. Mat. 4. he afterwards hungred and when the Devil departed Angels ministred unto him this is the Glory of the Second Adam that never fell though tempted to fall eat no forbidden Fruit though tempted to ea◠neither did he hunger in the time of Temptation after it nor gave no place to the Lyes of the Old Serpent that allured and deceived the First Adam thereby and subjected him under Hope of enjoying a better Estate then that wherein God had placed him and so fell into the Depth of Misery first by letting out a Desire after the Pleasantness of the Forbidden Fruit and Hungering after it in the Time of Temptation and then putting forth the Hand and joyning to it obeyes and eats and fulfils the Lusts of the Serpent And thus and in this manner Temptation prevails over all the Sons of the First Adam who bear the Earthly Image and are not born again of the promised Seed that breaks the Head of the Serpent and redeems from under his Power and brings to grow up in the Second Adam who could not be prevail'd upon with his Lyes and Subtilty And this Second Adam Christ Jesus is the Captain of the True Christian's Salvation who is gone before leaving him an Ensample to follow his Steps And he hath endued him with Heavenly Power and armed him with Spiritual Armour and furnished him with Strength so to do So the True Christian is compared to a good Souldier that follows his Captain ☞ and fights with him and doth not desert him and leave him to fight by himself but makes Good Use of the Power Armour of Light and Sword of the Spirit that 's given him to war withal and to overcome his Enemy withal and he keeps on his Breast-Plate of Righteousness and the Helmet of Salvation which are able to quench all the Fiery Darts of the Devil and so follows his Captain not only Conquering but also to Conquer for when he hath overcome him not only in the Field but hath also pursued him to his †The Devil 's Strong Holds are built in the Wills Thoughts and Imaginations of Men. Strong Holds and beaten him out there and pulled them down and cast down Imaginations and every high thing that exalts it self against the Knowledge of God in which he built them When this is effected by virtue of the Weapons which are Mighty and by the Power of him which enables the True Christian to do all things he still keeps on his Watch-Tower which is the Light of Christ wherewith he is enlightened that he may not be surprized with another Part of his Forces and as he keepeth watching there in vain are all his Stratagems Wiles and subtil Devices in vain are all his Snares Ambushments laid in vain are all his Temptations and Allurements as the True Christian keeps in that and dwells in that in which the Devil hath no Part nor Fellowship in ☞ viz. the Light whereby he is discovered and all his Baits and Snares seen and avoided It is in the Darkness and over all that dwell in it that he prevalls his Power stands there and is exercised over all that walk in it he need not go about with Wiles and Devices to deceive such who already dwell and are Subjects in his Kingdom nor he need not go about like a roaring Lyon seeking to devour them being already under his Dominion and obedient Children Vasals and Slaves to him ☞ he need not use Subtilty to tempt such but Power to command and they obey But it s against the Children of Light that are turned from the Darkness and from under his Power that he improves all his cunning Subtilty and Devices and it s against them he rageth if by any Means he can beguile them as he beguiled Eve 2 Cor. 11.3 and corrupt their Minds from the Simplicity that is in Christ even after they are presented as a chast Virgin to Christ and are come to a dwelling Place in Paradice and to appear before God in Heaven he will not cease to tempt and accuse there as he hath done he is still ready to do he tempted
and Power to save being known to none but such as do receive it And all that do receive this Grace Tit. 2,11 are taught by it to deny Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World Thus it taught the True Christian in former Ages and teacheth the same now and all that are so taught by it ☞ are not under the Law but under Grace for Grace doth not destroy the Law but fulfils it and leads those that are under it to the Enjoyment of the Substance of those Heavenly Things it shaddowed forth and which the Prophets prophesied of And further it teacheth more Spiritual and Evangelical Lessons then Moses did by whom the Law came And the True Christian not only receives this Grace but grows in it from one Degree unto another and witnesseth a being saved by it and a being justified by it having Experience of its Sufficiency when the Enemy doth assault and Tryals and Temptations attend even as Paul 2 Cor. 12.19 the aged when in Danger and besought the Lord the Answer was My Grace is sufficient for thee The Christians are Witnesses this Day of the same And Paul could say ☞ By the Grace of God I am what I am That was an High and Heavenly State to be no otherwise then Grace made him Self Sin and Satan is here excluded and all Boasting and Glorying in the Flesh is laid aside and the free Gift and Grace of God exalted over all This is a standing by Grace and a living under it being sav'd by it from transgressing the Law Rom. 5.20 21. which is Holy Just and Good Here Grace reigneth through Righteousness unto Eternal Life even where Sin reigned once unto Death and abounded here Grace is known to abound much more ☞ This was not only professed and talked of by the True Christians in former Ages nor is not now in this Age but really selt known and witnessed in them by the effectual Work and Operation of it they did not nor do profess a living under Grace while they do and commit that which the Law is over and which the Law was added because of viz. ☞ Sin He that is alive to Sin the Law hath Power over him and he is indeed under the Law notwithstanding he may profess a being under Grace and living in Gospel-Times Rom. 7. Read and Vnderstand for Paul's Parallel holds good A Woman is bound by the Law to her Husband so long as he liveth but when Dead she is loosed from the Law of her Husband So the Law hath Dominion over a Man so long as he liveth in that Life and Nature which transgresseth it let him profess what he will And none are fitted and prepared to be married to another even to him who is raised from the Dead till they are become Dead unto the Law and so delivered from it that being Dead wherein or whereby they were held viz. Sin For saith he When we were in the Flesh the Motions of Sin which were by the Law did work in our Members to bring forth Fruit unto Death but now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in Newness of Spirit and not in the Oldness of the Letter Here the True Christian knows the Righteousness of the Law fulfilled in him who walketh not after the Flesh nor the Motions of it but after the Spirit and the Motions thereof so that his Words are seasoned with Grace and walks to the Praise and Glory of his Grace And as he here abides he witnesseth a being delivered from under the Law and knows the Occasion of it taken away and so truly lives under Grace and grows in it and in the Knowledge of his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to whom be Glory both now and forever But now notwithstanding the Cry of the Tuular Christian is No Falling from Grace totally c. yet there is a Possibility that after People have received the Grace of God and known the Virtue and Operation of it also that they may Fall from it again and of Children of Grace become Children of Wrath they may turn the Grace of God into Wantonness or rather turn from it after they have received it into Wantonness they may use their Liberty which by Grace they are come unto as an Occasion to the Flesh and so not stand fast in that Liberty wherewith Christ had made them free And they may fall from Stedfastness after by Grace they have attained unto it And after People have clean escaped from them which live in Error and from the Pollutions of the World they may Err again and be polluted again and turn like the Dog to his Vomit again and like the Sow that was washed to the Wallowing in the Mire again ☞ and an Evil Heart of Unbelief and Disobedience in departing from the Living God after they have known him may get in again and People may crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to open Shame and trample the Blood of the Covenant with which once their Hearts were sprinkled under Foot again and do Despight unto the Spirit of Grace and grieve the holy Spirit of God and finally they may make Shipwrack of Faith a Good Conscience c. These things may all be done or else in vain are the divers Exhortations recorded in the Holy Scriptures to the primitive Christians To Stand fast Abide and Continue to the End that they might not be Entangled again Deceived nor fall into Temptations again And in vain was all the Labour Travail Care and Exercise of the Apostles Teachers and Elders among the Churches after they were gathered out of the World and had received the manifold Graces of God to confirm them and establish them in the same if there had been no Danger of their Falling from it again and corrupting themselves again This Titular Christian's Opinion of no total Falling from Grace is contrary to the Current of the whole Scriptures and of the True Christan's Experience And Paul's Testimony is That such that so fall away who were once enlightened and tasted of the Heavenly Gift and Powers of the World to come Hebr. 6.4 10.26 if such sin wilfully after they have received the Knowledge of the Truth that it is unpossible to renew them again to Repentance and that there remains no more Sacrifice for Sins but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and Fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries who incur a sorer Punishment then those that despised Moses's Law who dyed without Mercy under Two or Three Witnesses There is a sorer Punishment then Outward Death which the Outward Law inflicted upon the Transgressors of it and those that have known the Law of him that is greater then Moses which is the Law of the Spirit of Life and have been Subjects of it and fallen and apostatized from it again
to know him that is true and is in him that is true And that he hath the Witness of God's Spirit bearing Witness with his Spirit that he is a Child of God and a Possessor of these Things which Things no Impostor Deceiver nor Titular Christian can have and possess while so I say when these Things are told and born Witness of in the Ears of the Titular Christian he slights and disregards and will not believe the same but counts it Delusion and Fanatick Dreams and Fancies arising from spiritual Pride High-mindedness and vain Conceit and so despiseth his Testimony the Works that bear Witness thereof even as the Jews did of old judge condemn Christ and his mighty Works as wrought by the Power of the Devil so doth the Titular Christian in this Age Judge Censure Arraign and Condemn Christ and his Mighty Works in this Day of his Power and spiritual Appearance in the Hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men wherein he hath wrought as mighty Works and done as great Miracles as in any Age since the Fall of Man and many are now living Monuments of the same blessed is the Eye that seeth them and is fixed upon the Author thereof to whom be Glory and Praise throughout all Generations forever XIX The True Christian's Faith and Experience concerning the Doctrine of Perfection IN the Holy Scriptures are divers Precepts and Commands and Exhortations not only to Holiness 2 Cor. 7 1. but to the Perfecting of Holiness in the Fear of God Phil. 3.14 and to the pressing forwards until it be attained unto and afull Growth be witnessed to the Stature of a Perfect Man in Christ Jesus Presented to God without Blemish Col. 1.28 Spot or Wrinkle or any such Thing And it 's said of Noah Gen. 6.9 that he was a Just and Perfect Man in his Gâ—neration and that he walked with God And God said unto Abraham Walk before me Gen. 17.1 and be thou Perfect And that Job was a Perfect and Just Man Job 1.8 And in David's Time he bids Mark the Perfect Man Psal 37.37 and behâ—ld the Vpright the End of such is Peace And Christ exhorted his Disciples to be Perfect as theirl eavenly Father was â—erfect Mat. 5 48. And the Labour and Travail of the Apostles was that People might be Perfect and Entire ☞ Jaâ— 1.4 wanting nothing and that they might be presented Perfect Heb. 13.21 and be made Perfect in every good Work And he wished the Perfection of those he wrote to 2 Cor. 13.9 â— Cor. 2.6 And he spoak Wisdom among them that were Perfect So the Holy Scriptures contain not only Precepts and Exhortations to Holiness and Perfection but they also give Testimony that several did obey them and attain thereunto in Ages past And the Faith and Testimony of the True Christian in this Age is That Holiness and Perfection are attainable now as in Dayes of old and that the divers Precepts and Exhortations in the Scriptures thereunto may be obeyed and the State truly enjoyed even while People dwell in these Earthly Tabernacles 2 Cor. 4.7 they may enjoy the Heavenly Treasure in their Earthen Vessels 1 Thes 4.4 which may be possessed with Sanctification and Honour Now this is one of the sound Doctrines which the Titular Christian cannot endure comprehend nor understand therefore cryes out against it and sayes No Perfection here no perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God no coming to the Mark of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus 2 Cor. 11.2 no growing up to the Stature of the Fulness of Christ no perfect Man in Christ nor no being presented to God as a Chast Virgin Holy Col. 1.22 28. Jude 24. and Vnblamable Faultless without Spot or Wrinkle In Sum no being now as the Fathers of old and the Christians in the primitive Times were No Possibility of perfect Obedience to the divers Precepts Exhortations and Commands of the Spirit of God throughout the Holy Scriptures this is the Language of the Titular Christian so that herein he commits these two great Evils ☞ First Notwithstanding his pretended Honour to the Scriptures and Holy Men he gives them all the Lye Secondly He with the sloathful Servant calls God a hard Master in requiring that which nont are able to perform But the Testimony Faith and Experience of the True Christian is quite the contrary he having passed through the Work of Regeneration and experienced the divers Workings and Operations of the Spirit of God in his Heart in this small Treatiâ—e before hinted at leading him from one Degree of Grace unto another from one Degree of Faith and Knowledge unto another until he is fully saved by the Grace hath gained Perfect Victory by the Faith from over that which made him Imperfect Sinful and Defiled and until the Knowledge of the Lord so abounds in him that it covers the Earth as the Waters cover the Sea and until he comes to the Sabbath of Rest the Anti-Type of the outward Sabbath wherein he speaks not his own Words nor thinks his own Thoughts nor doth his own Will nor Works but witnesseth a Denyal of them all and a putting off the old Man with his Deeds and keeping the Body under and a Bridle upon the Tongue Nature Will Thoughts and Desires which received the Temptation in the Beginning alwayes keeping them to the Cross ☞ though a Rent wing Restoration be attain'd unto and the State of Innocency known and lived in even as in the Beginning before the Fall yet the Will Thoughts and Desires must be watched ruled over and subjected to the Will and Command of God in Truth and Reality even as Christ hath lest an Ensample whose Will and Desires were as good pure and perfect as Adam's were before he fell and as any can attain to in this Age yet said he when he prayed to his Father Not my will but thâ—ne whose Will he came to do Now in this Heavenly Self Denyal and true Resignation stands the Perfection and Safety of the True Christian all which is wrought and effected by the Power and Spiritual Appearance of the second Adam in him and for him who of himself can do nothing And in this is his Happiness and Perfection that he is come to cease from his own Thoughts Words and Works his own Way and Will and his own Wisdom and Knowledge also for in these Things began his Misery ☞ and while they lived in him and ruled over him he continued in the Misery notwithstanding his divers Devices and Inventions and Strivings to get out of it Death Misery and Sorrow accompanied him and clave close unto him and he could never be rid thereof till he come through the Work of Regeneration through true Self Denyal and Resignation to that Estate which Paul was in when he said I live yet not I but Christ lives in me and the Life that