TO THE JEWS NATVRAL AND TO THE JEWS SPIRITVAL With a few Words to England my Native Country c. Some Sensible Weighty QUERIES Concerning some things very sweet and necessary to be experienced in the Truly-Christian State whereunto is added A Postscript Containing some Queries on Isa 50·10 11. A Scripture of Deep Counsel Concern to the darkned and distressed states of some among those that fear obey the Lord. By ISAAC PENINGTON Printed in the Year 1677. TO THE JEWS NATVRAL AND TO THE JEWS SPIRITVAL With a few Words to England my Native Country Whereunto are added two or three Queries touching the River and City of God and the pure Stilness wherein God is known and exalted As also some Questions answered concerning the true Church Ministry and Maintenance under the Gospel about the Lamb's war Written in Travelling Bowels By ISAAC PENINGTON Truly God is good to Israel to such as are of a clean heart Psalm 73.11 Behold an Isralite indeed in whom is no guile Joh. 1.47 For he is not a Iew that is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Iew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose Praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2.28 29. Behold the Dayes come saith the Lord that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised Egypt and Iudah and Edom and the Children of Ammon and Moab and all that are in the utmost corners that dwell in the wilderness for all these Nations are uncircumcised and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart Ier. 9.25 26. Printed in the Year 1677. THE PREFACE WHat a day of distress and revelation of the righteous Judgment of God is to come upon the wicked and ungodly World even upon man who was created in the Image of God but is now fallen from it and found out of it and in another Image very unlike it the eye which the God of this world hath blinded and the heart which he hath hardened by sin and transgression hath no sense of What a day of distress and misery some in this nation and in other parts of the World have already met with how they have felt the Weight of Sin upon their Spirits and what a sore thing it hath been to them to feel their Souls separated from that God that made them who is the Husband and Father King and Preserver of Souls that are found in his Image and Nature how they have been inwardly captivated by a Forreign Power and oppressed and made to serve under sin and could hear no effectual Tidings of his appearance who was able to save but their Spirits were ready to sink and their Hope of Redemption from that which oppressed and captivated them almost cut off this being an inward State and Condition hath been altogether hid from the Eye which is outward How the Lord at length appeared unto these his Bowels having long rowled over them and he having long waited to be gracious to them even till the fully acceptable and set time was come how his Light hath shined in and upon them how he gathered those dry Bones together and breathed Life into them and made them live this is also altogether an hidden thing from the Eye of the World How the Lord who appeared to them hath exercised and tried them how he hath judged them and how he hath saved them what Desolations he hath made inwardly in them and what he hath built up there what an Hammer a Sword a Fire c. his pure Word of Life hath been in them How that Birth which could live without God without his inward Life or upon Words and Knowledge without Life hath been famished until by the Pain of the Famine its very Life and Breath hath been taken from it and it crucified with Christ by the Pain of the Cross of Christ and what Birth hath been raised and crowned afterwards and beautified with the Ornaments of Righteousness and Salvation yea with the endless Love and Mercy of its God and how the Lord is with his People and dwells and walks in them and how he hath humbled them to walk with him and how in Fear and Humility they do walk with him in the Light of the Day everlasting even as God is Light and walks in the Light of his own Day these are very strange and unknown things to the Wisest and most Prudent in Religion at this Day who are not gathered into the Mystery of Godliness nor into the Spirit Power and Glory of the Father where these things are revealed in and by the Son What Faith the Children of Wisdom have in the Wisdom and Power which hath appeared what Confidence they have in the Lord their God that he will stand by them in all their Exercises and Trials both inward and outward and what Experiences they have had of the Lords standing by them in both how his Faithfulness doth not fail and how their Faith in him is upheld and preserved by him that it doth not fail in the stormy time or Hour of greatest Distress and how their Eye is unto him and their Hearts with him in the Calms so that their God is all in all unto them continually And who knows this but they that have it Oh who can utter or declare the Sweetness and Certainty of this where it is enjoyed What Love also the Lord sheds abroad in their Hearts and how he teacheth and causeth them to love by often circumcising their Hearts and cutting off that which hindereth the pure Love from springing in them and how they love others in the Love wherewith God who is Love hath loved them and how natural it is to them to pray for their Enemies and to bless them that curse them and do Good for Evil but cannot requite Evil for Evil being transplanted into and growing up in the Root that is good and sends up good sap and Virtue into them which nourisheth all that is good in them but is Death and Destruction to the Remainders of evil as the Lord pursueth and findeth it out Oh how impossible is it for the Heart of man to conceive or understand Now I also having tasted of the Mercy and Goodness of the Lord and having been brought out of a State of great Misery and Sorrow of Heart into the Redemption and Joy of God's chosen and having found the Lord faithful to me and giving me Faith in the Appearance of his Spirit and Power in me and true Love tender Love not only to my Brethren in the Truth but to all Mankind springing in me and divers Fruits issuing forth from it some of them at this time I cannot but publish and the Lord open the Hearts of those whom it concerns that they may find some Help Benefit and Furtherance by it for it is the Joy of my Heart to receive Good from God
they that live feed upon And though they be many yet feeding upon this Bread they become come one Bread one living Body consisting of a living Head and living Members for the same life and pure heavenly nature which is in the head is communicated by him to the members But how shall we find this may some say I will tell you how we found it and here none can miss of it that sweep the House and make a diligent and faithful search after it That in the heart of man which turns against sin discovers sin draws from sin wherein God ministers help against sin that is it That is the Pearl hid that is the Kingdom hid in that is the Righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith in all that receive and give up to this holy leaven This is of the Nature of God and Christ this is a measure of his Light of his pure life this is the law and commandment everlasting which God writes in the hearts of the spiritual Israel For the inward Jew hath inward tables where the inward law is wâ—it for the inward eye to read O how nigh is God inwardly to the inward people in this our day O the pure glory is broke forth But alas men are in their several sorts of Dreams and take no notice of it What shall the Lord do to awaken this Nation In what way shall his Power appear to bring down Unrighteousness and to bring up Righteousness in the Spirits of People Do ye not think the Lord hath been at work and is still at work How could Deceit be so wasted inwardly and Truth so grown inwardly and overspread more and more and gain ground in the Nation if the hand and Power of the Lord were not with it blessing it O take notice of the handy-work of the Lord ye children of men and wait to feel Truth near and to partake of the living Virtue and Power of it that ye may feel your Hearts creating anew and the old Heavens and Earth may inwardly pass away wherein dwells Unrighteousness and the new Heavens and the new Earth may be inwardly witnessed wherein dwells Righteousness O that this Nation might become a Paradise of God! O that every one might be sensible of his Presence and Power and Kingdom and righteous Government inwardly in the Heart from the King that sits on the Throne to the Begger on the Dunghil Surely man was not made for himself surely he was not made such a Creature as now he is but in the holy Image of God with love in his heart to God above all and to his Neighbour as to himself O what are the Religions and Professions of several sorts where this love is not found The Lord is restoring his Image and bringing forth the true pure Religion again The Pearl the Truth contains comprehends it O buy the Pearl O buy the precious Truth sel all that is contrary to it for it take up the Cross to all that is evil in thee as the Light in thee maketh it manifest and thou shalt have the free Possession of it in thy heart and feel it a root of Life a treasure of Life a well of Life out of which the living water will be daily springing up in thee unto Life everlasting Amen The 22d of the 7th Mon. 1676. Three Queries upon three verses of the 46th Psalm Verse 4. THere is a River the Streams whereof shall make glad the City of God the holy Place of the Tabernacles of the most High Query 1. Which is the River and what are the Streams thereof which make glad the City of God And which is the City of God which they make glad Which are the Tabernacles of the most high and which is the holy Place of those Tabernacles O my dear Country-men that every one in this Nation did understand and enjoy these thing For the Lord is ready to beget a Will to beget a Thirst in the hearts of the Children of Men And whosoever thirsteth whosoever will is called to the Waters and may come to the Waters and take of the Water of Life freely Isa 55.1 Rev. 22.17 yea to the full satisfaction of their Souls For indeed this is the Day of God's Power wherein he doth make his people willing to come to him and to abide with him the Fountain of living Waters And those that do come to him and abide with him he abundantly satisfieth with the Fatness of his House and giveth them to drink of the River of his Pleasures Psal 36.8 9. Mark God is the Fountain of living Waters with him is the Fountain of life a River of Pleasures a River whose Streams make glad the whole City even the holy Place of all the Tabernacles of the most high And he giveth his Citizens to drink of it and whoever drinketh of it it maketh them glad it refresheth their life O that more knew what this means Ver. 5. God is in the midst of her she shall not be moved God shall help her and that right early or when the Morning appeareth or from the Morning appearing Qu. 2. How is God in the midst of this City Is it not more gloriously in an inward way then ever he was in the Temple in the outward Jerusalem in an outward way How is she built How is she founded and scituated How comes it about that she shall not be moved How is God her Refuge and Strength and present help in time of Trouble After what manner doth God arise inwardly and scatter his Enemies How doth the Morning Light help her after what manner when the Enemy cometh in like a Flood doth the Spirit of the Lord lift up a standard against him Ah blessed are they that know and experience and live in the Enjoyment of these things O that this whole Nation did so Were it not worth the suffering of much the denying of much and the bearing of much Judgment to come to this Ver. 10. Be still and know that I am God I will be exalted among or in the Heathen I will be exalted in the Earth Qu. 3. What is that Stilness wherein God is known to be God not outwardly in notion but inwardly in the heart VVhat is that Silence of Mind wherein God teacheth his Israel in the new Covenant to know him as he is even all of them from the greatest to the least How will God come to be exalted in the Heathen and in the Earth Is it not by the Light of his Day breaking forth and shining in them VVhere this Day breaks forth in any heart doth it not bteak down and destroy the Kingdom of Darkness inwardly And doth not the King of glory consume the man of sin the wicked one that was exalted in the Temple before which Temple belonged of right to God with the spirit of his mouth and destroy him with the Brightness of his coming or appearing Isa 11.4 2 Thes 2.8 Then is the Day known vvherein the Lord
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
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
of the Messiah What is it to come to these waters O that ye experimentally knew But this I will tell you from true and certain Experience that if ye come to take notice of this word of Life which God hath placed nigh in your Mouths and Hearts to separate between the Evil words and evil thoughts of the Enemie's begetting and bringing forth and the good words and good thoughts of God's begetting and bringing forth and incline your Ear to it and come from that which it reproves in you and draws you from to it self your souls shall soon come to live and he that gives you Life will make an Everlasting Covenant with you even the sure Mercies of David But ye must still mind him as a witness and leader and commander inwardly in your Hearts that ye may be preserved in the Covenant and enjoy the Blessings of it see Isa 55. Qu. 3. Did not the Messiah come at the set time at the time set by the holy Spirit of prophecy Did he not come in the prepared Body to do the will And did he not do the will And after his Obedience to his Father was he not cut off though not for himself And after his cutting off were not you made desolate Why were ye made desolate Why did such a stroke come upon you as never before O consider it Read Dan. 9.24 to the end of the chapter and let him that readeth understand Qu. 4. What was that Curse and on whom did it light Let their Table become a Snare to them c. Psalm 69. was it not on those that gave gall and vinegar to the Messiah to drink whom David was a figure of and spake in spirit concerning Whose Eyes are alwayes darkned Doth not the vail lie still on your whole Nation Do ye know the inward mountain where the vail or face of the covering is destroyed In the inward day and light of the Messiah it is destroyed There that which vails the noble eye of the mâ—nd is known and also that which destroyes and reâ—oveth it To what purpose is it for you to read Moses and the Prophets when the vail is so upon you that ye cannot see what is to be abolished and is abolished by the dawning of the glorious day of the Messiah and what is to remain and never to be abolished There is a Jewship there is a Circumcision there is a Sabbath there is a Rest c. for the inward and spiritual people which is to remain and never to be abolished Qu. 5. VVho were those that God would hide his Face from and see what their end should be because they were a froward Generation children in whom was no faith VVho were they that moved God to Jealousie and provoked him to Anger And what was the people and foolish nation he would provoke them to Jealousie and Anger with Deut. 32. Was it not the spiritual the holy nation inwardly the true Jews whom God took from among the Gentiles whom he appeared among and was a God and a Father to when he cast off and forsook the Jews outward and left them to be a Desolation Qu. 6. Who are those that shall be hungry when God's Servants shall eat And thirsty when God's Servants shall drink And ashamed when his Servants shall rejoyce Are not your souls hungry and parched for want of the spiritual sustenance which the living God satisfieth his servants with making 〈◊〉 feast of fat things to them on his inward holy mountain And are not ye ashamed of your expectations of the Messiah while the servants of the Lord rejoyce in him their Prince and Saviour and witness him daily a Leader and Commander to them What is the People whom the Lord hath slain and made desolate are not ye a slain people to God alienated from his Life Spirit and Power dead in your litteral Notions and Observations And what are the servants of the Lord whom the Lord hath called by another Name even a Name that ye never knew see Isa 66. And consider how all your day God spread out his Hand to you and ye were rebellious and would not hear and now night is come upon you and your visitation as such a people is and hath been long ended Qu. 7. Did not God signifie by the Prophet Malachy that he had no Pleasure in you nor would accept an Offering at your Hand And did not he also signifie the choosing of the Gentiles in your stead that the called among the Gentiles should be his people and his Name which ye had profaned should be great among them and their Incense and pure Offering in every place be accepted even from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same Read Mal. chap. 1. Qu. 8. Now the inward people and the inward Covenant the New Covenant are brought forth shall ye ever be owned or regarded as an outward People according to your outward Covenant any more Will not all such expectations fail you for ever Ye have looked from generation to generation for the coming and appearing of the Messiah outwardly after an outward manner But his coming and appearance is inward and he setteth up his Kingdom his everlasting Kingdom in his Saints and in their Hearts he ruleth inwardly and the Messiah the seed of the VVoman bruiseth the Head of the serpent there O that ye knew the substatce O that ye knew the VVord of Life in the Heart and were turned to it and daily faithful and obedient That ye might feel it crushing and dashing the power of sin and corruption in your Hearts This is the Consolation Hope and Joy of the inward and spiritual Israel O that ye might be made partakers thereof and that your long outward captivity and desolation might at length end in inward Freedom and Redemption Amen Somewhat of Concern to the Jews spiritual who are of the Seed of Abraham spiritually or according to the Faith and gathered in this day of God's Power to the true and everlasting Shiloh THE Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his Feet untill Shiloh come and unto him shall the Gathering of the People be Gen. 49.10 Old Jacob in the Spirit of Prophecy saw that Judah was to have the Scepter the kingly Power and it was not to depart from him it was to be his Right and the Law-giver was to be between his Feet till Shiloh came then the Right was Shiloh's to reign and to give Laws to his People whom he should gather out of the Kingdom of Darkness and from Satan's Power into his own inward spiritual and everlasting Kingdom This was the true King God's King whom he would set up on the holy Hill of spiritual Zion and all the holy inward spiritual gatherings of all People scattered from the holy living Power must be to him I will overturn overturn overturn it and it shall be no more until he come whose Right it is and I will give it him And his
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-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
Mercy and tender Bowels to those which panâ—â—â— after and waited for his Salvation And the healing Virtue from under the VVings of the Saviour and the holy Anointing hath dropped upon the Eyes of the blind the puâ—e Eye-salve and they have been opened and the Ears of the deaf by the Voice of the Son of God have been unstopped and the inwardly and spiriually lame have leaped as an Hart and the Tongue which could not name God in Truth and Righteousness but hath been dumb before him and before men also could not but sing because of the breaking forth of the VVaters and Streams of Life upon the thirsty land and parched ground making them a pool and springs of water VVhich land which thus is changed from its wilderness and parched state into an holy fresh and living state the Dragons do not lodge in nor is it any more an Habitation or Cage for unclean noisom Birds as great professing Babylon the Mother of Harlots with all her fleshly professing-Daughters is but Life dwells there the holy one is in the midst of this land it brings forth the fruits of Life and Righteousness to the righteous holy one And here the King of Glory's High-way even the way of Holiness is known which none but those whom he makes holy can walk in Let men profess what they will yet being unclean in Heart and Coversation they cannot pass over to come into this Way but the holy they which are made holy by God and keep to live in and follow that which is holy though way faring men and though otherwise Fools yet they shall not err here but be preserved by the holy Power in the holy way which is prepared and cast up for these And as for that which would tear and destroy it shall not be found on all that holy Mountain where these live and feed Yea here is the House of God and Throne of God and God the Judge of all and Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and the Blood of sprinkling where the ransomed of the Lord enjoy the Presence of the Bridegroom whom God hath set King and who reigns on his holy Hill of inward and spiritual Zion and causeth them to sing who feel him reign even the everlasting Seed of Life to reign inwardly in the Heart Oh everlasting Joy is upon their Heads they have obtained Joy and Gladness and Sorrow and Sighing flees away when the Joy unspeakable and full of Glory is felt springing in the Heart from the Sense of the Presence and Enjoyment of the Bridegroom for of a Truth the Lord hath comforted Zion yea he hath comforted many of her waste places he was angry with her Daughters before their filth was purged away by the Spirit â—udgment and Burning since that time his Anger hath been turned away and he hath comforted them Isa 12.1 c. and he hath made her Wilderness in many hearâ—s like Eden and her Desert like the Garden of the Lord even like the Garden that he waters and how can Joy and Gladness but be found here with Thanksgiving and the Voice of Melody Isa 58.11 chap. 51.3 Thus it is with such of the gathered People and Nation of the Lord that hearken and give ear to him and have known the Law of Life to proceed out of his Mouth and his Judgment to rest for a Light ver 4. THE END THE CONTENTS First A Preface concerning God's visiting and appearing to his distressed People in this and other Nations II. Somewhat in the Love of God to the Iews Natural p. 1. III. Somewhat in the same Love to the Iews Spiritual p. 16. IV. A few Words to England my Native Country p. 31. V. Three Queries on three Verses of Psalm 46. p. 36. VI. Some Questions answered concerning the true Church Ministry Maintenance under the Gospel p. 39. VII Some Questions answered touching the Lamb's War p. 45. VIII The Conclusion containing some precious Scriptures concerning Christ's inward Appearance and his powerful Working against his Enemies and in and for his People with some few Words added thereupon