enter into Isa 26. Their outward Kings in that Land and particularly David were but Types of the spiritual King the spiritual David whom God would raise up to the spiritual People who should seek the Lord their God and David their King who shall be their spiritual shepherd and ruler whom God hath appointed to fed them in the Integrity of his Heart and to guide them by the skilfulness of his hands who is King of Righteousness tnd Peace inwardly and who ministers Righteousness and Peace to the sheep and lambs of his pastures Their outward Priests even their High-Priests were but a representation of the great High-Priest of God who was to be a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck Psalm 110. Their outward Covenant made with them from the outward mount Sinai upon the giving of the Law and holy Statutes and Ordinances by which they were to live and enjoy God in their outward state was but a shadow of the inward and spiritual Covenant the new and everlasting Covenant which God makes with his inward and spiritual people in the latter dayes Their outward Law as 〈◊〉 written engrav'n in tables of stones was but a shadow of the inward Law which God puts into the Children of the new Covenant insomuch that they need not go outwardly to learn the Knowledge of God or his will or law but the inward Israel find it inwardly written within There the Isles who wait for the law of the spirit of Life for the Law of the Messiah receive the Ministration of the Law in the spirit and Power of the Messiah which they wait for Their outward Mount Zion on which the outward Temple was built by Solomon that wise King that righteous King that peaceable King was a figure of the inward Mountain whereupon the inward House is built in the dayes of the Gospel in the dayes of the Messiah And to this Mountain are the spiritual people to come up and worship And this is the Zion and Jerusalem even inward and spiritual from which the Law and Word of the Lord go forth in the dayes of the Messiah And the spiritual house of Jacob combind or agree together to walk in the Light of the Lord who sends forth his Light and Truth and leads them to his holy Hill and to his Tabernacles Their outward Tabernacle and Temple sanctified by God for him to dwell and appear in was a shadow of God's inward dwelling-place in man I will tabernacle in them God dwelleth not in Houses or Temples made with hands that is not the place of his rest as saith the Prophet Isaiah but the high and lofty One that inhabits Eternity whose Throne is in Heaven and the Earth his Footstool he dwelleth also with him that is of an humble and contrite spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the spirit of the contrite ones Their outward Sabbaths were not the lasting Sabbath or Rest of the Gospel but given them for a sign but the day of Redemption from sin the day of resting from sin the day of ceasing from the Works of the flesh the day wherein God is all doth all by his spirit power inwardly and wherein he alone is exalted this is the day of rest which the Lord hath made for the spiritual Israel and which they are glad of and rejoice in So their Incense and Sacrifices were not the lasting Incense and Sacrifices but shadows thereof The prayers of the Saints when God pours out the spirit of prayer and supplication upon them and they pray to him therein that is the Incense Let my prayer be directed before thee as Incense and the lifting up of my Hands as the evening Sacrifice And this was the Incense and a pure Offering whic◠in every place was to be offered up to God's Name among the Gentiles when his Name should be great among them as Malachy foretels And what said David of old when God's spirit and the holy vision was upon him Sacrifice and Offering thou didst not desire mine Ears hast thou opened Burnt Offering and Sin-Offering hast thou not required Then said I lo I come in the volmn of the book it is written of me I delight to do thy Will O my God yea thy Law is in the midst of my Bowels The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit rent your hearts nd not your garments and turn to the Lord your God A broken and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise The offering Praise to God from a sincere Heart and the ordering of the Conversation aright these are the Sacrifices well-pleasing to God for sacrifices were not the thing which God mainly required of outward Israel but this OBEY MY VOICE And Obedienc is more acceptable then all other sacrifices and to hearken then the Fat of the choicest Rams Besides those outward sacrifices could not remove or take away sin from the Conscience but he that came to do the will and to put and end to those sacrifices and oblations which were but outward imperfect he doth both wash and take away sins from within and also bring in Everlasting Righteousness where his Light shines and his pure Life springs inwardly in the Heart And this is the substance of all the shadows even the Light eternal the Word eternal the Son of the living God who is Light as the Father is Light the Word nigh in the Mouth and Heart the Word of the New Covenant the which Moses directed your Fathers to Deut. 30. And by which the Lord speaketh and hath spoken throughout the world Psalm 50.1 and teacheth every man that hearkeneth to his voice to do justly love Mercy and walk humbly with his God as it is expressed by the Prophet Micah Now to you Jews of the outward line of Abraham whose return to the Lord my soul most earnestly desireth after and for which I have most vehemently and wrestlingly prayed to the Lord are some few weighty Queries upon my heart Query 1. How came David to pant so after the living God like the Hart or Hind after the water-brooks Was it not from the quickning Virtue of this inward word which Moses the man of God had directed the mind to Read Psalm 119. and see how he breathed for Quicknings from this word on which all depends And if ye come to experience this word and the quickning virtue of it and follow the Lord on therein ye will soon come to know the day of the Messiah and the glory of his Kingdom which is not outward transitory and of a perishing nature but inward spiritual and eerlasting as David well knew and spake sensibly of Psalm 145. and elsewhere Qu. 2. What are the waters which every thirsty soul is invited to Are they not the waters of the Messiah Are they not waters that flow out of the wells of salvation Isa 12. Do not the Spiritual Israel draw spiritual water out of the wells of the Saviour in the Dayes
And when this Ensign is more fully lifted up shall not the Gentiles more abundantly come unto God from the Ends of the Earth and bewail their dead and estranged Estate from God saying Surely our Fathers inherited Vanity and things wherein is no Profit Jer. 16·19 And shall they not turn from all their Idols to serve the living God Thes 1.9 And concerning the Messiah it vvas promised that in his Name should the Gentiles trust and the Isles should vvait for his lavv and he should bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles Isa 42.11 vvith Mat. 12.21 But vvhat should I mention any more Scriptures unto you concerning this thing vvhenas ye have so large full certain and daily Experience of it in that vvhich is pure and living of God which never deceived nor can deceive any for ye are begotten by his Spirit into his own Image and Nature and have received the Spirit of Adoption whereâ—n ye cry Abba Father to the Father of Spirits He found you indeed in a strange land under great Captivity and Alienation ftom him Ye have been in Egypt in Sodom in Babylon spiritually But the mercy of the Lord hath followed you thither and the Arm of the Lord hath reached to you there and hath cut Rahab and wounded the Dragon Yea he whom the Lord hath given for a Light to the Gentiles hath shined to you there in the midst of your Darkness So that God sent among you the Prophet like unto Moses though far above Moses and hearing him he led you out of Egypt and by the Rod of his Power did Signs and Wonders and valiant Acts there breaking that Power which with a strong Hand held you captive there and oppressed you And ye have known the Travel Trials and Temptations in the spiritual Wilderness and the falling of the carcases which were to fall there and the holy leading by the Pillar of Cloud and Fire through all the Entanglements and Dangers therein Yea and the faithful among you the tried and prepared among you have passed over Jordan the River of pure Judgment into the good Land and come to witness David and Solomon who are one in Spirit your King who rules in Righteousnes and ministers to you Peace everlasting And ye have an High-Priest there not after the Order of Aaron but after the Order of Melchizedeck who is made the Everlasting High-Priest of God not after the Law of a Carnal Commandment but after the Power of an Endless Life whose lips preserve the knowledge of the law for you in that endless power of Life who ministers for you to you in that endless Power and intercedes with Power and Efficacy and sprinkles the Blood of the Covenant upon you vvhich takes avvay sin from your Hearts Consciences So that ye knovv the invvard Jew's state the invvard Holy Land and Kingdom the inward Circumcision before ye enter into that Land and the inward Lamb the inward Passeover the inward Mount Zion and Jerusalem the inward Sacrifices and Incense the inward Tabernacle Temple and Ark of the Covenant the inward Table of Shew-Bread the inward Manna the inward Rod that buddeth the inward Candlestick and the Lamps which are never to go out in God's Temple And what should I say more All that that people were to be outwardly in an outvvard VVay and State hath God made you invvardly in the Substance And what God would have been to them outvvardly had they obeyed his Voice and kept his Statutes and Judgments that he is to you invvardly vvho are the called and chosen and faithful Followers of the Lamb And ye are the enjoyers of their Bâ—essings and Promises inwardly O the glory of your State to the Eye that is opened to see it Now somewhat doth remain on my Heart unto you O be daily sensible of the tender Goodness and Mercy of the Lord which is broke forth among you What Mercy what Love hath the Father shewn unto you that ye should be thus accounted the Children of God! that they which were once nigh should be removed so far off and ye whiâ—h were so far off should be brought so nigh and should forever inherit the sure mercies of David For of a Truth the Lord will never forsake you but his mercy endures forever towards you and your Stakes shall never be removed but this inward Building shall stand forever This Zion is the Place of God's Rest where he will dwell forever whereof the outward Zion was but a Figure 2 dly Remember what the Lord promised himself concerning you When he vvas vveary of that people and continually complaining of them O vvhat did he promise himself concerning the People he vvould bring forth by the Spirit and Povver of the Messiah in the latter Dayes Did he not promise himself that they should be an holy People an invvardly circumcised people a People that should please him Sheep that should hear the Shepherd's Voice and be healed by him gathered home to him and so follovv and learn of him the Shepherd that they should all know him from the least to the greatest and that he would forgive their Sins and heal their Backslidings and they should not return to Folly or backslide any more as the Children after the Flesh alwayes did Is not this the People whom indeed God hath formed for himself who shall shew forth his praise 3 dly Remember what a Covenant God hath prepared to make with you as ye incline your Ears to him and are led by him into the holy agreement with him even a Cevenant which is not weak as the old Covenant vvas but is full of Virtue and Vigour to enable you to do whatever God requires of you Mark what it contains Putting God's Fear into you Not the Fear which is taught by man's precepts vvhich man may get into hiâ— carnal mind but vvhich God places as the Trasury of Life in the Heart as it is vvritten The Fear of the Lord is his Treasure Isa 33.6 And O vvho knovvs the preciousness of this Treasure Hovv it cleanseth the Heart and keepeth it clean and will not suffer the mind that is seasoned with it and kept to it to depart from the living God! It fenceth from Unbelief it fenceth from Disobedience it will not suffer the Soul so much as to meddle with any Appearance of Evil. O precious glorious blessed Treasure Happy is the manâ— that feareth alwayes with this Fear Another precious thing this Covenant contains is The Law written in the Heart that it shall be as near yea nearer then sin is in the Heart that is made tender and hath the Law of the Spirit of Life written in it Who knows what it is to have the Law of Love the Law of Life the Law of the Spirit the Law of Faith the Law of new Obedience livingly written by God in his Heart Surely none can but they in whom God writes it And such cannot but desire to have it written in their Hearts by his blessed
Finger daily more and more But this Covenant contains yet more even the putting of his own Spirit within them to be a Fountain of Life there a Fountain of Strength and Wisdom there to make them more and more willing in the day of his Power and to cause them to walk in his wayes and keep his Statutes and Judgments and do them that the Lord their God may bless them and delight in them O who would not long after and take up the Cross and Shame to enjoy the Glory of this State O what hath God done for a poor despised Remnant among the Gentiles O who would not desire to keep this blessed Covenant with the Lord that he might fully enjoy the Lord that the Marriage with the Maker might be witnessed in his Loving-kindness Everlasting Righteousness and all Unrigteousness and Uncleanness might be put away removed and separated from the Heart forever Ah the Virgin-Spirit which the Lamb loves and delights to marry with He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit and he must part with all that is old evil unclean and corrupt in him that would be joyned to the Lord and become one Spirit with him O who would lose the precious Fear of the Covenant which is clean and endureth forever and keepeth clean and chast to the Lord forever And who vvould miss of one Lavv which God hath to write in the Hearts of his Children when every Law is a Law of Life and changeth the Mind into the Nature of the Law-giver And who would grieve God's Spirit which is our Comforter Or quench that which kindles the pure Flame of Love and Life in our Hearts Much less can any of his dear and tender Children be willing to vex him by manifest Carelesness and Disobedience who giveth us to drink of the River of his Pleasures O my dear Friends ye do not know the great Travail of my Heart that all the Children of the Lord might walk before him in all well-pleasing that we might come all into Covenant into the full Covenant and walk fully with him in the Covenant that his Anger might be forever turned away from us all and he might never be wroth with nor rebuke any of us any more It is written on my Heart the breaking forth of this Glory would reach the Jews And though they be cast off as to their outward State and not so to be owned or come into that Glory any more yet there is a Day of mercy and Love for them as to that inward State of Life and Redemption which their outward State typified And the breaking forth of the full Glory of the Gentiles and the manifestation of God's mighty Power and Presence with them they being made by God a People to him and so walking with God as none possibly can but those who are created anew and so made by him this might provoke the Jews the poor scattered forsaken Jews to seek after the Lord their God and David their King inwardly to be revealed in them and rule among them The Lord God of our Life and tender Mercies carry on to Perfection this blessed Work of his which he hath so mightily begun and so mightily hitherto carried on and keep us in the Sense of his good Spirit and in tender and holy subjection thereto and in Unity together in the Life wherein we have been gathered and preserved and in pure Judgment over all the Workings of the Enemy every where and in the Gospel-love one to another and to all men even our greatest Enemies that we may seek the good of all men even the rescuing and preserving all out of Sin and Wrath as much as in us is possible that the pure Light wherewith our God and Heavenly Father hath enlightned us may shine in us and the Life wherewith he hath â—uickned us may live in us and we may feed on nothing but Life and grow in nothing but Life and Truth to the great Glory of our Heavenly Father and to the great Joy of our Hearts Amen A few words to England my Native Country O Land of my Nativity O my dear Country-men THE pure Power of the Lord is upon me and the Springs of Life open in me and among many other things I am melted in Love and Desires after your Welfare and this is in my Heart to say to you If I now testifie to you in Truth of a Pearl a heavenly Pearl an everlasting Pearl will ye not hear me If I tell you your Heart is the Field or Earth wherein it is hid will ye not consider of it If the everlasting Gospel be preached again which contains true Tidings of Redemption from sin will ye not listen after it If the Kingdom of God and Righteousness of Christ be to be revealed within would ye not willingly learn to wait for it there and beg of God that the Eye may be opened in you which alone can see it when it doth appear Indeed God's Visitation is upon this Nation in an especial manner his Light and Power is breaking forth in it against the Darkness and Power of the Spirit of Satan which hath captivated and still captivateth many Ye desire outward liberty and the enjoyment of your outward rights would ye not be free inwardly Free from the base earthly selfish nature and spirit which man fallen from God and the Glory wherein he created him is degenerated into Oh is not the Power of God and life of Christ able to restore man to this He that created man at first so glorious in his own Image is he not able to create him anew Oh hear my dear Countrymen the Power is revealed which createth anew and they that receive it and are as Clay in the Hands of the great Potter given up to be formed by it are daily created by the Operation of it anew into an holy heavenly innocent living tender righteous Frame Day by Day and are made willing daily more and more to be the Lord's in this Day of his Power and do receive Power to become Sons and strength against their Souls Enemies And the glorious work of Redemption which God hath begun in them the Arm of his strength mightily carrieth on in them to their Comfort and his everlasting Praise There is a spiritual Egypt and Sodom as well as there was an outward and there is a spiritual Wilderness and Canaan also And the Arm of God's Power inwardly and spiritually hath been revealed in this spiritual Egypt Wilderness and Canaan as really as ever it was in the outward Do ye not read of a Jew-inward and a Circumcision-inward and the leaven-inward and keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread even of Bread that is not leavened with sin And he that eats of this unleavened Bread it unleavens him of sin and leavens him with Life and Holiness For it is an holy Bread and a living Bread This is the Bread which comes down from Heaven which they that feed upon live and
whose VVrath is dreadful Rev. 19.11 to the end Psalm 2.11 Qu· 8. What shall the Cry be when God's Spirit and Power prevaileth over the Dragon's Spirit and â—nd Power when the Lamb gets the Victory when he smites the Earth with the Rod of his Mouth and with the Breath of his Lips shall slay the Wicked when he brings down the Dragon Beast and false Prophet and the false Church Mother of Harlots which hath drunk the Blood of his Saints with his Vials Plagues Woes Thunders c When Babylon the great City falls which made all Nations drunk with her spiritual Wine of Fornication Answ Then the Power which doth this shall be magnified Then it shall be said no more who can make War with the Beast but who can withstand this Power Who can make War with the Innocent Righteous Lamb who hath his sword in his Mouth and with his tender-hearted faithful Followers and prosper Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name For all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy Judgments are made manifest Great and Marvelous are thy Works Lord God Almighty Just and True are thy Wayes thou King of Saints Rev. 15.3 4. Yea a great Voice of much People in Heaven shall say Allelujah Salvation and Glory and Honour and Power unto the Lord our God for True and Righteous are his Judgments for he hath judged the great Whore which did corrupt the Earth with her Fornication and hath avenged the Blood of his Servants at her Hand chap. 19. ver 1.2 Now doth it not concern all people to consider which is Zion God's holy Mountain and which is the Jerusalem of his building the holy City of God the holy Church of God the Mother of all the truly living Children for the Jerusalem which is above and which is free is the Mother of them all Gal. 4.26 And also which is Babylon the City built by man and the Spirit of Antichrist in a kind of likeness but not in the real nature of the true Church that they may wait for and follow God's Call to come out of her and may not partake of her sins of her sorceries Rev. 18.22 of her Fornication from the pure Life Spirit and Power and seting up Worships and compelling people to worship in her forms which are out of the Life and out of the Power that they partake not of her plagues which will indeed be very dreadful such as shall affright any from coming near her or medling with her spiritual sorceries and fornications any more Rev. 18.4 ver 9 10. O therefore let every one consider what the Beast is what his Image what the Mark in the Forehead what in the right Hand and take heed he be not found worshipping the Beast and his Image or receiving his Mark either in his Forehead or right hand lest God make him to drink of the Wine of his Wrath which is poured out without Mixture into the Cup of his Indignation and he be tormented with Fire and Brimstone in the Presence of the holy Angels and in the Presence of the Lamb and have no rest Day nor Night Rev. 14.9 10 11. I had rather run great hazards outwardly and suffer much Affliction and Persecution from Men to keep my Soul true to God in the spiritual Worship and Testimony which he hath given me against all false Wayes and invented Worships then expose my Soul to the hazard of drinking of this dreadful Cup of God's Indignation which the Lord God of tender Mercies teach men and give them true VVisdom to avoid and escape Amen THE CONCLUSION BEhold my Servant shall deal prudently he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high As many were astonied at thee his Visage was so marred more then any man and his Form more then the Sons of Men so shall he sprinkle many Nations the Kings shall shut their mouthes at him For that which had not been told them shall they see and that which they had not heard shall they consider Isa 52.13 14 15 Thou art fairer then the Children of Men Grace is poured into thy Lips therefore God hath blessed thee forever Gird thy Sword upon thy Thigh O most mighty with thy Glory and thy Majesty And in thy Majesty ride prosperously because of Truth and Meekness and Righteousness and thy Right Hand shall teach thee terrible things Thine Arrows are sharp in the Hearts of the King's Enemies whereby the People shall fall under thee Thy Throne O God is forever and ever The Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter Thou lovest Righteousness and hatest Wickedness therefore God thy God hoth anointed thee with the Oyl of Gladness above thy Fellows Psalm 45. ver 2. to 8. Strengthen ye the weak Hands and confirm the feeble Knees Say to them that are of a fearful Heart be strong fear not Behold your God will come with Vengeance even God with a Recompence he will come and save you Then the Eyes of the blind shall be opened and the Ears of the deaf shall be unstopped Then shall the lame man leap as an Hart and the Tongue of the dumb sing For in the Wilderness shall Waters break out and streams in the Desert And the parched Ground shall become a Pool and the thirsty Land Springs of Water In the Habitation of Dragons where each lay shall be Grass with Reeds and Rushes And an high-way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of Holiness the unclean shall not pass over it but it shall be for those the wayfaring men though Fools shall not err therein No Lyon shall be there nor any ravenous Beast shall go up thereon it shall not be found there But the redeemed shall walk there And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with Songs and everlasting Joy upon their Heads They shall obtain Joy and Gladness and Sorrow and Sighing shall flee away Isa 35. ver 3. to the end Blessed be the Lord God of Life forever â—hese Scriptures and many more are sweetâ—y and preciously fulfilled in the hearts of a Remnant in this our Day They were once in a degree fulfilled in the Day of the Apâ—earance of the word of Life in the prepaâ—ed Body of Flesh They were again moâ—e geâ—erally fulfilled in the Day of the pouring â—ut of his Spirit and gathering a people to â—im both from among the Jews and Gentiles â—hom he did sprinkle with his holy Life Spiâ—it and Power And they are again fulfilled â—n the hearts of many after the long Night of Darkness and great and large Apostacy from â—he Spirit and Power of the Apostles Blessed O blessed be the Lord the Sun of Righâ—eousness hath again shone forth and appeared inwardly in a glorious living powerful manner to them that have feared his Name and he hath been a God of Vengeance to the Man of Sin yea to all that was dark fleshly and corrupt in them and a God of
alone is exalted O that this Day vvere more knovvn and the Lord vvho is indeed vvorthy vvere more exalted and all Flesh become his Foot-stool forever Concerning the true Church and Ministry under the Gospel and the Maintenance thereof some few Questions answered in Truth and Plainness of Heart and left to the Witness and Testimony of God in other mens Consciences Question 1. WHich is the true Church or the Gospel-Church or he Church according to the new Covenant For â—here was an old Covenant and a Church according to that under the Law And there â—s a new Covenant and a Church according to that under the Gospel Answ For the clearing of this to the hearts and Consciences of People let us enquire and consider what the new Covenant is and then it will more easily appear which is the Church according to the new Covenant The new Covenant according to plain scripture and according to manifest experience â—n this blessed Day of the shining of the Gospel-Light in mens heatts is a Covenant oâ— God's putting his Law in the inward parts oâ— People and writing it in their hearts and of his becoming their God making â—hem hiâ— People and of teaching thâ—m all to know him inwardly and experimentally from the least to the greatest and of being merciful to their unrighteousness and remembring theiâ— sins and iniquities no more Jer. 31.33 34 Heb. 8.10 11 12. Now if this be the new Covenant the Covenant of the Gospel-Church then they are the Gospel-Church who are the People oâ— God according to this Covenant who have the law put by God into their inward parts and writ in their hearts and so according to this law and covenant have God to bâ— their God and are his People and are taughâ— by him to know him as it is written All thâ— Children shall be taught of the Lord Isa 54.13 John 6 45. and whose unrighteousnesâ— God hath been merciful to and whose sins and iniquities he remembereth no more being washed away from their Consciences by the Blood of the everlasting Covenant which thâ— Blood of Bulls and Goats could never do Sâ— that this is the new Testament-Church oâ— Gospel-Church a Church of Jews inward aâ— the Law-Church was a Church of Jews outward A Church of inward Worshippers oâ— Worshippers in Spirit and in Truth John 4.23 as the Law-Church was a Church of Worshippers outward A Church of inward circumcised ones as the Law-Church was a Church of outwardly circumcised ones Rom. 2.29 A Church of such as are inwardly holy as the Law-Church was to be a Church of such as were outwardly holy A Church of such as offer inward Incense and Sacrifices as the Law-Church was a Church of such as offered outward Incense and Sacrifices A Church of inwardly redeemed ones from the inward Egypt from the inward Darkness and Power of Satan as the Law-Church was a Church of such as were redeemed from the outward Egypt and the Povver of Pharaoh outvvard A Church that hath the invvard Ark Rev. 11.19 the invvard Presence the invvard Manna c. as the outvvard Church of the Jews had the outvvard Qu. 2. Which is the true Gospel-Ministry and who are the true Gospel-Ministers Answ Those vvhom Christ sends forth in the Spirit and Povver of his Father to gather and build up this Church Christ had all Power in Heaven and Earth given him even to ths very End to gather defend and build up his Church And he bid his Apostles vvait for the same Povver and sends forth his Ministers in the same Povver that they may be able Ministers of the Gospel vvhich is not VVords but Povver even the Povver of God unto Salvation Rom. 1.16 The nevv Covenant stands is not in Letter but in Spirit and Povver and they that are the Ministers of it must receive Life Spirit and Povver from Christ the Head and minister in that Spirit Life and Povver to the Members or they cannot nourish and build them up Yea they must preach and minister to the VVorld in it or they are not able to gather out of the VVorld into it Christ the Lord oâ— his Church the Foundation of Life in his Church the everlasting Rock is a living Stone and his Church is built of lively Stones And hovv can any minister Life unto them or build them up in the Life Spirit and Power but who aâ—e in the Life Spirit and Power and who receive Life Spirit and Power from the Head to furthe quicken and build up the living Members with The Milk which nourisheth the living Babe is living which must come pure from the Breast of Life and not be mixed with man's VVisdom or Brain-invâ—ntions or it cannot yield pure Nourishment VVhat then must the Bread and VVine and VVater of the Kingdom be whereon the Children and Heirs of the Kingdom must feed or they cannot be satisfied And the Ministers of the Gospel are Stewards of this heavenly Life this heavenly Spirit this heavenly Power this heavenly Treasure which they have in the earthen Vessels and which God enables them to bring forth for the feeding of his Lambs and Sheep Christ said unto Peter Lovest thou me more then these Peter answered him Yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee If it be so Feed my Lambs feed my Sheep said Christ to him But how should he feed them In what should he feed them VVith what should he feed them All Power saith Christ is given me in Heaven and in Earth and I am to ascend to my Father and to receive the Fulness of his Spirit and do ye wait and ye shall receive abundantly of the same spirit and power and then in that spirit and power ye shall be able to feed my Lambs and Sheep that are begotten and gathered to me in it But out of it none is able to feed and build them up for that is the very thing they are to be fed with and built up in· Indeed a man may be a Minister of the letter a Minister of the law without the spirit and power but of he Gospel he cannot possibly for that consists not in letter but in spirit 2 Cor. 3. And the Faith that is to be begotten there is not to stand in the VVisdom of man but in the Power of God The Gospel-state the Gospel-church the Gospel-building begins in the Power and is carried on in the Power and finished or perfected in the Power and the whole Ministry of the Gospel is to partake of this Power and minister in it or they can do nothing in this work Christ Jesus our Lord begun it in this Power and none can carry it on without this Power The Lord God of Glory laid the foundation Behold I lay in Zion for a Foundation c. Isa 28.16 1 Pet. 2.4 5 6. And the quickning spirit alone is able to make living stones and spiritual stones and the Lord alone is able to build them up by the operation of this spirit and power
and they that are the true Ministers of the Gospel minister in this and are to wait for it daily from God that they may minister in it Qu. 3. What is the Maintenance of the Ministers of Christ or what is to be the Maintenance of the true Ministers under the Gospel Answ Christ who hath sent them forth to minister in his Name hath provided for them they that are his true Ministers are satisfied with what he hath provided for them Mat. 10.10 being careful not to make the Gospel which is to be an inward Blessing outwardly chargeable to any The Mind of the true Ministers is about the Service of Christ how they may be faithful to him gather souls to him feed them with the Bread of life from him not what they shall have from men for so doing for such covet no man's Gold or Silver c. Some Question answered concerning the Lambs War Question 1 WHO is the Lamb Answ Hâ— that takes away the sins of the world The Word which was in the Beginning Behold the Lamb of God said John John 1.1 ver 29. He â—hat was born of the Virgin Mary after the Flesh and was also the Man-child born of â—he travelling-church after the Spirit Rev. 12.5 Qu. 2. Who makes War with the Lamb Answ All that are in Wickedness in Darkness in Sin and Corruption and under the Power thereof who strive to defend and maintain this Kingdom against the appearance of his light spirit and power in them Qu. 3. What strength have they on their side that make War against the Lamb Answ The strength of the great red Dragon who hath seven Heads and ten Horns and in every one of his Heads is Wisdom and in every one of his Horns there is Power So that dreadful is the Battel that is fought between them either inwardly in the Heart or outwardly in the VVorld when Christ appears in his light spirit and power to assault and break down the Kingdom of Darkness and to set up his own Kingdom which must be set up even in the VVorld Dan. 7.14.27 Rev. 11 15. Qu. 4 Did the great red Dragon and his Army never in no respect prevail in this Battel Answ Yes for even while the Lamb and his pure life and holy Testimony have prevailed so that the Dragon and his Army could get no ground over them inwardly but salvation the wall and bulwark of God's Heritage and strength and the Kindom of God and the Power of his Christ did prevail inwardly yet the Dragon even then hath prevailed over their goods liberties and lives outwardly and he drove the VVoman the true Church out of her Place as I may say that she was forced to fly into the VVilderness he so sorely assaulting her Yea after that also he made VVar with the Remnant of her seed and cast some of them into Prison and drunk the Blood of those that would not drink his false Church's Cup but keep the Commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Rev. 12. chap. 2.10 yea the Beast to which he gave his Power which had seven Heads and ten Horns like him chap. 13.1 made VVar with the saints and over came them outwardly though he could not overcome them inwardly for he could not make them to worship him ver 7 8. Nay nor the second Beast neither though he had Horns like a Lamb and spake like a Dragon and exercised all the power of the first Beast and did great wonders and had power to give Life unto the Image of the former Beast and would kill all that would not worship the Image of the Beast and would suffer none to buy or sell but such as had the Mark or Name of the Beast Yet neither could this Beast overcome the Followers of the Lamb as to their inward Life and Testimony though it had power to kill and suppress them outwardly ver 11. to the end chap. 14.9 to ver 13. which plainly shews the saints had patience and kept the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus and would not worship the Beast and his Image nor receive his Mark either in Forehead or Hand Qu. 5. What was the Cry up and down Nations when the Dragon and the Beast thus prevailed and when the false Church carried her Cup of Fornications up and down through Kingdoms and Nations and made the Kings and Inhabitants of the Earth drink thereof and who would not drink thereof she would not let them buy nor sel but impoverish imprison them and drink their Blood Rev. 17.2 6. Answ The Cry every where was Who is like unto the Beast Who is able to make War with the Beast Indeed there appeared no Power any where able to withstand or resist this power which the Dragon had who gave it both to the Beast which arose out of the Sea and to the Beast which arose out of the Earth both which joyned together to persecute all that would not drink of the false Church its Cup which was Golden without but full of Abomination and Filthiness of Fornication fornicating from the holy Life Spirit and Power of the Lamb inwardly who is the Head of the true Church and true Worshippers Rev. 13.4 chap. 17.4 5. Qu. 6. What is the time of the Dragon 's the Beast's and false Church thus Prevailing against the true Church in reference to the outward though they cannot prevail against its inward Life and Testimony but that through Patience and Sufferingâ— prevails over and reigns inwardly in the midst of all their Cruelty and oppressing of the outward Man Answ It is the time of Antichrist's reign and sitting in the Temple as if he were God and exalting himself over all that is called God and which ought to be worshipped It is the time of the true Church its being in the VVilderness and of the Man-child's which the true Church brought forth being caught up to God which things were to last according to Scripture account 1260. dayes or a Time Times and half a Time 2 Thes 2.3.4 Rev. 12.6.14 Qu. 7. What will the Lamb do when this time is out Answ He will come and make VVar again he will come with his heavenly Armies armed with spiritual Armour and fight an heavenly Battel yea he will judge and make VVar in Righteousness against the Unrighteousness of the Dragon and the Beast and the false prophet and his heavenly Armies shall follow him their Captain and Leader on white Horses clothed in fine linnen white and clean who shall fight in his spirit and power against all that he fighteth against And out of his Mouth goeth a sharp sword that with it he should smite the Nations and he shall rule them with a Rod of Iron and make the spirits of all his Opposers bow under him and fly to shelter themselves from that VVrath which they cannot escape O who would not kiss the Son that he might not provoke the Lamb to VVrath against him