Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	know_v	scripture_n	truth_n	7,532	5	5.8743	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34984	An alarum sounded in the borders of spiritual Egypt vvhich shall be heard in Babylon, and astonish the inhabitants of the defiled and polluted habitations of the earth. And the power of the Prince of Darkness called into question; and he himself examin'd by the truth, how he came to raign over mankind; and how long his time shall be, till he comes to be cast out of his dominion, and the creature be deliver'd from under his tyranny; to serve God in spirit and in truth, as Christ, the prince of peace, has order'd them. Also the number of him whom the world hath wonder'd after, found out; and demonstrated to be near at an end: and withal, that it is no wayes unlawful, nor in vain, both to hope, and to expect the utter desolation, and destruction of sin in this life, and the setting up of perfect righteousness in the souls of men, where sin has too long raign'd. Written in a testimony to the truth, and against the false position of the devil, and his servants; by a servant of God, Steven Crisp.	Crisp, Stephen, 1628-1692.	1671 (1671)	Wing C6922; ESTC R215182	35,940	50

in the Power of Christ believing that the Devil is more able to keep the Creature and to hold fast that which by Deceit and Treachery he has gotten in it then God who made the Creature good in his nature is ●ble to restore it to his first purity that the Creature might come to serve him in Righteousness and Holiness And such as so believe are no true Christians nor true Believers But are standing in the corrupt nature that has unity with the Devil and plead his Cause who is willing that his corrupt birth should live in Man as long as he lives in the World For he knows that so long no acceptable Sacrifice can be offered up to God for you cannot bring forth a clean Sacrifice out of an unclean Vessel and as long as nature is defiled the works will be unclean that are wrought in that nature Secondly The second pleading is That never any Man was freed from Sin ever since Sin first entred into the World and that therefore it is Presumption to expect such a thing in this Life Answ If this Position were true That there was never any Man freed from Sin yet it would be presumption to say that God should not be able to do that which he never did and it is also presumption to conclude that never any Man was freed but if this Position be false then not only the consequence is false to wit that none can be freed but also the Argument it self is proved to be a Lye and so is swept away and a Door is opened unto all that has more love to Righteousness then to Sin both to hope and to expect that the same work should again be wrought in and for them without presumption Now that all men are Sinners by nature is evident and that some were changed out of that natural State is as evident so that the Question is only whether those that are translated out of that sinfull nature remain sinfull yea or nay which if it be so what advantage have they beyond others if they after they are translated must remain unfreed But I answer with the words of the Apostle 1 Pet. 4.1 He that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from Sin And here he spoke of such that were yet in the Body but had suffered with and were made partakers of the Sufferings and Death of Christ which was to Sin through which every one must pass before they can come to the Resurrection that is in Christ by which said Peter They obtained the answer of a good Conscience in the Sight of God which he calls the Baptism that Saves now some having been Partakers of that Death Baptism and Resurrection of Christ by which they came to cease from Sin and to have an answer of a good Conscience without offence both to God and Man which none that sins can have then may there some lawfully expect to come to the enjoyment of the same state of freedom and clearness as well now as formerly without presumption Secondly I answer with the words of the Apostle John 1 Joh. 3.9 He that is born of God sinneth not because his seed abideth in him and he cannot sin for he is born of God Now whereas there have been some that were born of God and have been his Children and that they that were so had overcome the Wicked one so that he could not touch them but they had kept their Garments white and unspotted and that some have been freed from the Law of Sin and Death and that some have Walked unbl●mable and without spot and had put off the old Man with his Deeds and had known the new Birth and could by the Holy Spirit call God Father which things are all manifest in the Scriptures of Truth which none can deny but those that will deny the Scripture Why then should any man question that the same Works of Redemption should not now again be brought to pass And therefore it is lawfull to expect it without presumption This Argument being confuted by the experience of the Saints Thirdly The Faith of Gods Elect is but one in all Ages and that Faith has purified the Hearts of many in former Ages and has taught them to Walk with God as for Instance Enoch Walked with God several hundreds of years Gen. 5.21 and it would be a horrible thing to say that he Walked with God when he Walked in Sin as if God Walked in a Sinfull Way for the Prophet said the Bloody-man nor the Worker of Iniquity Dwells nor walks not with the Lord But Enoch Dwelled and Walked with the Lord and did not Iniquity for if he had he should not have obtained a Testimony that he pleased the Lord for Sinners and Evil-doers do not please him By Faith Noah Walked with God and was a Preacher of Righteousness in the old World 2 Pet. 2.5 also Lot in Sodom which they could not have been if they had been Sinners except they had been such Preachers as the Preachers at this day but they were owned of God though they were mocked of men and it is said of them that they did Inherit Righteousness which they preached And of Lot it is said that his Soul as well as his Doctrine was Righteous And by the same Faith Job was kept in the fear of God in the Land of Vz for that taught him to eschew evil by which he obtained a Testimony of God that he was perfect and upright which no Sinner is 1 Job 1.22 and if he had not been free from Sin it would have been false to say of him that he eschewed the evil and was perfect and though his Tryals were many yet he sinned not with his Lips neither did he charge God foolishly and in the end of all his Tryals God cleared him of having sinned witnessing that he had found him faithfull and received a Sacrifice from his Hand for those zealous Professors that had charged him with Sin whom God had cleared And the same Faith caused Abraham and Sarah to be partakers of the Promise and Abraham was a Friend of God of which Christ said That none could be but by fulfilling his Will and those that do so are no Sinners And by this Faith Moses chused rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God Heb. 11.25 then to enjoy the pleasures of Sin So mark he left Sin and the pleasures of it and then he must be without Sin by which he obtained a Testimony that he was a Servant of God which Sinners are not By Faith David's Heart was made after the Mind of God and that is not sinfull but free from it for in him is no Darkness at all By the same Faith the Prophets were chosen Vessels of God and were upheld in their Testimony for God till they came to obtain that Testimony that they were the Men and Servants of God which they could not have been and withall Servants unto Sin And the Scripture beareth

that the Enmity is great in the first birth and so that although he grew up to be an Offerer yet he did not grow up in dominion over the Serpent nor over the quality of the Destroyer in himself and that sort of Offering was more acceptable to the Devil then to God And now mark that man was a Sinner and yet religious his Sin and Religion were consistant and could have place together at one and the same time in one man as it is now with the Professors of this Age who say they are Sinners and that their best Works are polluted and defiled with Sin and that they must remain so whilst they live and yet they will seek acceptance with God in these poluted Offerings notwithstanding they do profess him to be pure to whom they Offer Thus was this first Sacrificer blind and darkned and so are many Thousands after him and the dominion of the Devil was over him First Deceiving him by Leading him to Expect an Acceptance because he Offered though with an Evil Heart Secondly to lead him into the evil which had kept him from acceptance Thirdly by making him so Wrath and Angry because he was not accepted against his Brother that did well and was partaker of the one sure Faith of the Elect Seed of God And the Serpent having thus darkned his mind then he durst come before him with a Lye though he was a Man of whom Eve thought that she had gotten him from the Lord perswading him that if that Faithfull Abel was out of the Way that then it would be better with him So he hearkned to the Counsel of this evil spirit and shed Innocent Blood about Religion here Persecution got his entrance into the World by one that was an Offerer and an evil Doer together a fit Instrument for such a Work But behold what became of this Man the Blood which he had shed and the Earth which had drunk it up cry'd for Vengance against this bloody Offerer and he fear'd exceedingly and said He could not bear his Punishment and said Every one that finds me will slay me and to prevent that he went and Built a City in the Land of Nod hear was the beginning of Fortifications which was to defend the Transgressor for the Righteous have a Tower namely the Name of God and there they are safe without such Gates or Walls Now let every one consider how little right this spirit had in all these things but he entred by a Lye and Reigned by a Lye and Darkness and deceit was his defence for his Government and how little reason there is to plead for such a spirit let the wise in heart judge It would go beyond my present aime and purpose to trace this spirit who is called the Devil and Satan the Dragon and old Serpent through all Ages since the beginning to see with how little Truth Right or Equity he came up to Reign among Men. The understanding Reader of the Scriptures of Truth can see it clear enough and it is a great wonder and one of the greatest that is in that part of the World called Christendom that there are so many men being men of knowledge in other matters and such as set up the Scriptures so much as they seem to do calling it the Word of God the Rule of Christians the Light of the World the Guide of Life c. that they should go with such a Book in their hands pleading for the Devil's Kingdom and for a necessity that it must continue as long as there is a man upon Earth Whereas the Scripture in substance is nothing else but as a Declaration against him and his Government and sheweth how he ought to be forsaken opposed resisted and cast out and withall how that Primitive pure and holy and Righteous Law of that Spirit which is called God and is holy pure and Blessed for ever how that ought to be imbraced received and exalted in the whole Creation I say this is a very great wonder of which and of the consequences thereof the Christians so called have cause to be ashamed yea are a Reproach to the whole World and it is high time that some do arise for God and the call is gone forth Who is on the Lord's part Exod. 32.26 The Devil has an innumerable Host to plead for Sin some with Arguments and some with cruel Weapons but who is on the Lord's part that can say the Lord Reigns in Righteousness and in Truth he Judges the Earth Oh! All ye carnal Professors of God and Christ in words but in works deny him and sayes that Sin must stand and remain as long as you live Be it known unto you in the Name of the God of Heaven that where Sin remains there the Devil is Prince and Ruler And if that must remain as long as you live the Devil desires it no longer for he that will be his Servant in this life must be his Companion in the World to come But hear ye the Word of the Lord thou great Host and mighty Army of the Devil Beast Serpent and the old Deceiver who plead that his Government shall stand as long as there is a man to live upon Earth The Controversie of the Lord God Almighty is Proclaimed and begun against you all and your Prince yea the Arm of the everlasting God is stretched out against you and henceforth ye shall not be prosperous but the Dominion of your Prince shall be lessened and both his and your Power shall be weakned and your Weapons both of Deceit and Cruelty shall be broken and come to nought The Inheritance of of the Wicked shall be laid waste and the design which hath been carried on so long shall be frustrated Deceit and Falshood shall fall before the Truth and Darkness shall flee before the Light and your fortified City shall fail you and the Land of Nod will not be a hiding place for you For the Arm of the mighty God of Jacob shall scatter you as a reproach and make y●u ashamed of your Work and of your Prince Now to touch a tittle at your Arguments which the Servants of this spirit make use of for to hold ●p his Kingd●m of whi●h they say It is impossible tha● it should be brought down even as if God had given up all Man kind which is the best of his Creation unto t●e Devil and that he should keep none of them for himself to serve him till they have fulf●lled the Devi●'s work to the ●●ll and can serve him no longer Certainly t e Heathens M●ors and Indians have a better D●ctrine then these in the ground though Darkness is over their understandings as concerning God and Heaven and such things yet many of them do not judge that there is such a necessity to do evil as long as they live but abstain from that which they know to be evil and they that do so are esteemed to have their pleasures and delight in the

An ALARUM Sounded in the Borders of Spiritual Egypt VVhich shall be heard in Babylon and astonish the Inhabitants of the Defiled and Polluted Habitations of the Earth And the Power of the Prince of Darkness called into Question and he himself Examin'd by the Truth how he came to raign over Mankind and how long his time shall be till he come to be cast out of his Dominion and the Creature be deliver'd from under his Tyranny to serve God in Spirit and in Truth as Christ the Prince of Peace has order'd them Also the Number of him whom the world has wonder'd after found out and demonstrated to be near at an End and withal that it is no wayes unlawful nor in vain both to hope and to expect the ●●ter Desolation and Destruction of Sin in this Life and the setting up of perfect Righteousness in the souls of men where Sin has too long raign'd Written in a Testimony to the Truth and against the false Position of the Devil and his Servants by a Servant of God Steven Crisp Mat. 15.12 13 14. Then came his Disciples and said unto him Know●● thou that the Pharisees were offended after they heard this Saying But he said Let them alone they be blind Leaders of the Blind c. 1 John 3.8 He that commits Sin is of the Devil c. Printed in the Year 1671. TO THE READER Courteous Reader This small Treatise does not Appear with the Approbation of the Learned Doctors of this our Age Neither do I believe it will be received in the Accademies or Vniversities and among the Rabbies whether they be Papists or Protestants and considering the Subject it is not like that it should get such Patrons And therefore must I singly Recommend it to the Witness of God in thy own Conscience who ever thou art by which Witness thou knowest that as long as the Devil Reigns in thee it is not as it ought to be And if thou be at all desireous that it should or might be as it ought it will be no wayes offensive unto thee to hear of the overthrow of him that has brought out of order and withal of the Appearance of him who is the Restorer of Israel and the right Heir of the Gentiles And this one thing I do desire of thee of what Profession Religion or Judgment thou mayst be to wit That thou layst by thy own Interest of the Controversie for a little time and read without prejudice or partiallity and be not offended that another is not of thy Judgment but consider that thou in thy own particular art in one and the same Transgression in the matter aforesaid seeing the greatest part of Man-kind is not of thy Judgment And they have as much power to Judge thee that thou art wrong as thou hast to Judge me that I am wrong Therefore read in coolness and consider what thou read'st as knowing that it is God that must give an understanding and whereas the Subject or Matter of the Treatise does comprehend much and many things are but hinted at therefore look up to the Lord who can enlarge thy understanding in it as it pleaseth him And as concerning the Priests who are so busie to make Complaints against Sectarians Hereticks and heretical Books desiring the Magistrates they would abuse their Power to defend them and their Doctrine by Persecution They would do better to employ their time in the answering of these Positions And whereas they are call'd Spiritual let them fight with Spiritual Weapons if they have them and bring forth something in defence of their old Master and his Kingdom and Power now in a time of need when it is near come to an end And whereas the words Government Dominion Raign and Kingdom are often us'd by which some of perverse Minds may conclude That I intend thereby the Overthrow or Changing or Subverting of outward Government To prevent such a Momus I do declare in the sight of God and before all Men That I have no such thought or intention perfectly declaring my Judgment viz. That a Christian ought to live peaceably and quietly under all sorts of Governments which the Lord permits to be or is pleased to set up and I do believe That the Ruling or Government of an Emperor King Prince or State in it self is not Repugnant to but Co●sist●nt with the Government of Christ whose Kingdom is Spiritual and the more he Re●gns in the Hearts of People the easier will it be for the Rulers of th●s World to f●lfill their Office and if the Devil were wholly dis-thron'd yet no●withstanding they might still Rule De●ree●ng Justice according to the Words of him who said By me Kings Raign and the Princes decree Jus●ice by me Princes Rule and the Nobles even all the Judges of the Earth Prov. 8.15 16. And then they would be under him who is their King and Lord and the People would live a pleasant Godly and peaceable life under their Respective Kings and Lords And seeing these things are promised and that he is faithfull that hath promised them Why should not we then hope for and expect the fulfilling thereof And so Courteous Reader having given thee this short Caution and Instruction I leave thee to Read the following Discourse and Remain a Friend to thee and all Men. S. C. An ALARUM Sounded in the Borders of Spiritual Egypt VVhich shall be heard in BABYLON and Astonish the Inhabitants of the Defiled and Polluted Habitations of the EARTH MAny are the Devices of Satan and great is the Subtilty which he furnisheth his Children and Servants withal by which he seeks to uphold his kingdom pleading now a Right to that which he got by Subtilty and has taught his whole Family That it is impossible for any to be freed from under his Service even as if all men that are created of God were created to the service of the Devil and although he can make no man yet that he is able after they are made to keep them in his service yea although their Maker does call for them to serve him And so by this suppos'd Necessity which is a Doctrine well-pleasing to the flesh he keeps Nations Kindreds Tongues and People in Bondage to his will and not only so but he has so bewitched and besotted his whole Synagogue and every sort in it that they cannot endure to hear that they should be made free and all that comes to declare Liberty to these Captives and an opening of the Door of this Prison-house the darkness unto those that are shut up within it they cry out against such Away with them from the Earth let them be Crucified Stoned Hanged Burned Imprisoned and Banished or at least derided and mocked at and all manner of evil be spoken of them And what have they done They have preached against Sin that it must come to an end and have preached that that which is Perfect is to be found in this life by which men might come to

Elizium-Feilds after they are dead Lucillius said know ye not what grevious Punishments and Torments the wicked and evil men are to suffer after this life or in what great happiness the good men shall live The Heathen Epicarmus said If thou art godly in thy mind thou shalt being dead not suffer evil and many such sayings are among them But these fallen Christians who plead a necessity to serve this spirit whom they call the Devil whose place they will confess is in Hell and in the everlasting Fire yet they notwithstanding without doing good expect to injoy their Elizium to wit a Heaven where God and the holy Angels dwell forever Now let us examine a little what reason there is for this great mistake First They say that Sin is rooted and planted in the Nature of Man yea so that a Man must cease to be a Man before he can come to cease from being a Sinner Answer That Man in his Natural state is so united with Sin as that he thereby is seperated from God I do not deny and also that there is a natural inclination in man to commit Sin is also true to wit as long as they remain in their natural state and condition And if these Champions for the Devil's Kingdom had blotted out out of that which they call their Rule all those Pretious sayings that make mention of a state of Grace of being under Grace of being Changed or Translated of being Redeemed and made Free of being Washed Clensed Sanctified perfectly in Soul Body and Spirit and many more such places then they had had a Plea for their Prince But seeing there is such a large Testimony of the Mercy and goodness of God and of his Power and Al-sufficiency to Redeem and Save therefore it is worthy to be pleaded before we allow the Devil such an unlimitted Power in and among yea over all the Sons and Daughers of Men. And therefore as concerning the first part of this Objection to wit That Sin is rooted in the Nature of Man How came it to be rooted there Whose Work was it to make it so was it the Work of God or hath he ordered it that it should be so If so Why is any Man or Woman punished or condemned for its being so seeing it could not be otherwise But none else but such as are wholly blind from a true sence of God will dare to say so For then the manifold calling of Sinners unto Repentance to Wash them to Cleanse them to put away the Evil from them to Cease to do Evil c. must all be against his will and ordering and so consequently but a mockery But God forbid that any Man should say or think so Well if it was not by the ordering or appointment of God but that God has made Man Righteous in his Nature Will and Affections yea in the Image of God he Created him Then it must needs be another that has wrought this great Work to plant Sin in his Nature and when it is examined it will appear that it is the work of a cursed Out-cast an Unclean Lying Treacherous Spirit who was rejected of God and had no place in the whole Creation but by framing a lye he brought a poor Woman from her Integrity and Obedience and so from that came a great alteration to be in her and a Ground or Foundation was laid for the Devil to build upon and from that time he has alwayes had a Rule in the hearts of the Children of Disobedience But now that this Rule and Government should not onely be Universal but also Irresistable and unalterable yea though God Almighty stretch forth his Power to Redeem any out of this Kingdom to bring them into the Kingdom of his dear Son yet they say it is impossible for him till he dies It is as much as to say If God will have any Man to serve him perfectly he must first kill him and then he shall have him to his service in another World Oh Horrible Ignorance of the Power of God and of the end for which Christ came into the World namely to destroy the Divel and his Works Now when his Work is destroyed which has a tendancy to corrupt man's nature then the nature of Men and Women come to be ag●in holy clean and pure and Man comes to be Restored to his first Image and the Glory of the first Body is again known of which all the Bond-slaves of the Devil are Ignorant and this Power to restore the nature of Man again is the Lord 's alone it was the Devil that corrupted it and it is God that sanctifies it again and delivers it by the Spirit of Judgment and of Burning which the Hypocrites cannot bear Now the manner how the nature of Man came to be corrupted you have heard that it was by Man's joyning with that spirit that was fallen and cast out from God and had onely a power in the Darkness and could not Reign over any thing but over that which he could draw from the Glory of God into the Darkness And God who dwells in the Light being moved with infinite compassion sent his Eternal Son that was with him before the World was that he should be made partaker of the same nature in which Man was Created that by the Vertue of the Eternal Power he might restore him unto God and might minister unto the spirits of all such to whom this Darkness and corrupted state was as a Prison-house And this Jesus received not the nature of Angels that was not his Work but he received the Seed of Abraham which was in Captivity that he might Redeem it from Captivity through Death suffering under the weight of that which oppressed the Creature and caused it to groan after Redemption so that although it could not deliver it self yet it might come to be Delivered through Faith in him who is mighty to save And this Jesus which was of the Seed of Abraham after the flesh purifieth the nature of all those that joyn with him for the Work of the Devil is to bring in corruption and the Work of Christ is to destroy it and instead thereof to bring in Everlasting Righteousness Now where Sin is remaining in the nature there the Covenant with Hell and Death is not broken neither are such in Covenant with God but are yet under the Power of the Prince of the Air whatever they may profess And the death of Christ is yet of no value unto them because they are yet in their Sin and corrupted nature unchanged Untranslated So that those that hold this Plea for the Devil that because he once got a Place in the nature of Man and has corrupted it that therefore Sin must remain so long as the Life or nature remains such are strangers to the Work of God and to his Power by which he worketh and also to Christ Jesus through whom he works and they have more Faith in the Power of the Devil then

in the worst way viz. By Sin which is so very contrary to his nature But Let but these Sin-Pleaders suppose That if God should stretch forth his Power so far in man that it should destroy all the Works of the Devil and cast out Sin and cause his Soul to take as great Delight and Joy in Well-doing as ever it had in Sin and should plant Humility as naturally in the Soul as the Devil has planted Pride in it Now the Question is Whether this Power that works this change be not as able to keep the Creature in this Condition as to bring him to it without any help of the Devil or his Work But they will say To suppose a thing that is Impossible is either against Reason or Presumption I Answer All things are Possible with God except to Lye and as concerning this It is not only possible but the contrary is impossible because God hath so often promis'd it to make a perfect Work and to finish his Work in all them that trust in him And for this End is Christ Jesus come That he might destroy the Devil and his Works And in the Parable he saith When he comes that is stronger he shall bind the strong Man and spoil his Goods and cast him out This seems as if Christ who is the stronger had no need of the Devil or his Goods either to keep his People Humble thereby But the Apostle said That they were kept by Faith through the Power of God unto Salvation Except you will say as the Priests in Scotland say Cursed is he that sayes Faith it without Sin and let all the People say Amen Then the words of the Apostle must be read thus You are kept by a Faith which is mixed with sin in the Power of God unto Salvation But if you will have it so speak it out as they have done but being you profess That Faith is the Gift of God we may well say It is able to clense the Heart and to give Victory over the World and also over the Devil and Sin and then there is no need of sin to keep us Humble For if Humility was a Fruit of sin it would not be so acceptable unto God as it is for the Prophet says He giveth his Grace to the Humble and dwelleth with such that are of a Contrite and Broken Heart Again if a few sins yea though they be but a Remnant can keep men Humble then a great deal of sin must needs make a man more Humble so then let us plentifully sin that we may plentifully be Humble But God forbid that such doctrine or such Teachers should go unreprov'd for they have exalted the work of the Devil beyond the Work of God And it is because such Teachers have been countenanc'd that the People have been led into so much Blindness Ignorance and Hardness of Heart and that People have wholly lost the Hope and Expectation of a Day of Deliverance and have taken up a Rest in a sinful and slavish state And now If any come to Preach the Gospel which brings Deliverance and Freedom to the Soul their Souls being in a Rest already though a False Polluted Rest such are look'd upon as Disturbers of their Rest and Breakers of their Peace and such like even as it was with the Prophet Micah when he cryed out Mic. 2.10 Arise ye and depart for this is not your Rest because it is polluted it shall destroy you even with a sore Destruction But Blessed be the Lord God of Heaven and Earth forever for he hath brought forth his Day of Salvation which many have long'd after and are longing and are in travel that they might come to know it to whom a sinful state is no Resting-place but is unto them as a strange Land in which they cannot sing the Songs of Sion but still have Jerusalem in their remembrance which is Free-born from above longing after the Day of Gathering that the Lamb and not the changeable Priests and Teachers may be their Light and Leader Unto such I say and testifie in the Name of the God of Heaven Lift up your Heads for the Day of your Redemption draweth nigh and Deliverance shall come out of Sion the City of our Solemnity Isa 33.20 And a Mighty Voice shall be sounded forth from the holy Mountain from the Lord of Hosts and those that hear it shall live and the dead Bones in the Valleys shall be enliven'd and the Joy of that Day shall be greater then the Joy of the Harvest Now How and in what manner these things will be brought to pass is a great Dispute among many that are yet seeking in the carnal Wisdom to conceive and comprehend spiritual things and so they come to be scatter'd divided in their imaginations And therefore in the mean time those that are become willing to sit down in Quietness in the Light of Christ Jesus that sheweth every running-out of the Mind they come to feel the Pure Fear of God to be planted in their Hearts so that they dare not think their own Thoughts nor speak their own Words And here is the beginning of the true Wisdom by which Wisdom it is given unto them to understand those things which they could not find out in all the time of their Travel and Pains in the faln Wisdom And whil'st they were hearkening after the different Voices of men they never could have a Certainty But now hearing him by whom God speaketh who is manifest within them whom their Ear is inclin'd unto within they come to know certainly that which they know through the Testimony of the Holy Spirit who alone is able to reveal unto those that Fear Him the Mysteries of God's Kingdom and he shuts them up from the Wise and Prudent of this World And therefore you that desire to have an understanding of these things come down from your high Builded Towers of Knowledge and Comprehension and sit down in that Pure Light that brings a Death upon the Earthly Wisdom and become as Fools that you may be wise and that Wisdom that is so received shall lead to know the Number of the Beast which the whole World with all their Accademical Wisdom and all the Sects with their Inventions are strangers unto at this day and are carrying about with them his Name and the number of it or his Mark by which they are accepted among Men and yet do not know what it is But when they come to a wise enough to know it and honest enough to forsake it then they will see that the Friend-ship of this World comes to be broken and the Enmity to work against the Holy Seed and the Seed comes to arise and bruise the Head of the Enmity and to nail it fast to a Cross till it Dye and then comes Freedom then there is War no more then there is peace on Earth and nothing but good will towards all Men yea to Enemies Then Anguish and Sorrow

cometh from God they shall understand and it is to such I write for I have learn'd to cover the Pearls before the Swine and to with-hold the Children's Bread from the Dogs And by what is here said it sufficiently appears First That this Intruder or Usurper call'd the Devil Satan Dragon or Antichrist has no Right to Rule and to Rain over Mankind all the dayes of their Life Secondly That his Kingdom is a limited Kingdom and was not to continue forever Thirdly That the limits of it has been reveal'd to several of the Servants of God Fourthly That the appointed time of his Government is nigh come to an End Fifthly That there is a Blessed Day and Time to be expected after the end of his Raign And Sixthly That none can come to enjoy that Blessed Time and Blessedness nor sing the Song of Joy and Deliverance but those that patiently wait upon the Lord in the dayes of Tribulation and have that Hope to see the Salvation which cometh out of Sion And therefore for a Conclusion I shall say this That all those that feel themselves in Bondage under this Prince of Darkness in what manner soever it be and are not willing to remain so alwayes Believe but in him that sheweth you your Bondage and wait in his pure Light in your own Consciences which discovers Darkness and the Prince of it and then you will feel a Hope to spring up in you that you may be deliver'd as I my self have felt 1 Joh. 3.3 And this Hope will lead to a daily Washing and Purifying and to a daily Crucifying and Mortifying of thy earthly Members And as this Hope comes to work in thee it will bring thee to an Experience of being deliver'd in some particular things and that will strengthen thy Hope of being deliver'd from more and so at last a Faith will arise in thee Perfectly and Thorowly to be made free from sin And when thou art made Partaker of this Faith then the greatest and strongest Bond of the Devil is broken for through the Unbelief of it he keeps his Kingdom in Man and Woman And when this Evil Root of Unbelief is taken away then his Kingdom comes soon to an end and the Government of Truth comes to be set up in thee and so there comes a Change to he wrought in thee both inwardly and outwardly and so comes his Kingdom who is the Intruder or Usurper to be lessen'd first in thy self and then thou comest to see that Change in another and so it goeth forward from one to ten and from ten to a thousand and so forth more and more until the Inheritance of the Wicked comes to be wholy laid waste till Truth and Righteousness and the Raign and Government of Christ Jesus our Lord comes to be set up in the Earth which my Soul longs and travels for and so I know it is with many more for whose sake this is written and as a Testimony against that proud and presumptious Generation of Hypocrites of what Sort or Name or in what Nation or Kingdom soever they may be who not only have subjected themselves unto this Prince of Darkness and unto the Power of him who is call'd the Devil and Satan but also pretend That all Mankind must do so and continue so all their dayes and that there is no Remedy nor Help against it and so deny the Power of God and lead the people to trust in a Lye But the Day of the Power of God is come and the Refuge of Lyes is swept away and the Deliverance and Victory of the Lamb is known unto many to whom and to the Everlasting God by the Operation of the Holy Spirit in the Hearts of the Redeemed be sung Everlasting Praises Thanks-giving Renown Honour and Glory and Dominion forever Postscript THere comes something further up in my Heart concerning this matter which I think good to communicate unto you There are hardly any ignorant how commonly it is said That we cannot live without sin and that we cannot be made free from it as long as we live in this World even as if our Sin and our Life were so knit together that they cannot be seperated from one another but that they must end together and not the one before the other Now all those that believe there is 〈◊〉 God they also believe that he is the Fountain of Life and gives Life unto all that Lives And all that believes that there is a Devil they also believe that he is the Author and Original of Sin as Christ said When he speaks a Lye he speaks of his own for he is a Lyar and a Father of Lyes Joh. 8.44 and so he is of all other Wickedness Now he gives life to no man for that comes of God and he having made them live then comes the Devil and betrayes them unto sin And now are Men and Women become such Fools that they seek to bind together inseparably that which is of God with that which is of the Devil and that is a gre●t Foolishness For What Fellowship has Christ with Belial or Light with Darkness So also the Life of Men simply consider'd in it self has no Fellowship with sin for they come forth of two different Originals and he who is the Original of Life is stronger then he who is the Original of Sin And though he has brought in Sin and has corrupted Nature which first was pure by sin and men in that corrupt Nature do abuse their Life which they have from God to his Dishonour and to their own Perdition yet that Life is not so joyn'd unto Sin that they are inseparable For though it be true That men cannot sin if they live not yet it is not true to say That if men sin not then they cannot live for the life that some lived they lived by the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 and that is in dominion over Sin and over the Devil the Author of it There is another common Position That we must live in sin so long as we do carry about with us this Body of Sin and Death meaning this Substantial or Corporal Body alledging the words of Paul Rom. 7.24 Now this is also a Blind and Foolish Position as if the Fault of all sins which they commit were in the Body or the Member● of it whereas on the contrary the Body simply in it self is not guilty of that which through the Body is done it being altogether passive having no will in the Members but they are as Instruments that are order'd or dispos'd of according to the Laws of God or of the Devil the one or the other being set up to rule in the Will and Mind of the Creature and the Members have no power to do or leave undone any thing but as they receive it by the Will or Understanding Also there is no Member of the Body but is made to serve the Lord and is also made fit for it and