own which he had not taken up the Cross to that would not that Jesus should do what was Gods will in him that he should do And it was this will of Peter's that was contrary to the will of God that was troubled and and burdened at Jesus's words when Jesus spake the truth and it was in that will of his own that did believe that Jesus spake those words by a wrong Spirit for he made Jesus a lyar saying that it should not be as Jesus had said And in this will in this wrong Spirit in this Satan in this Devil Peter undertook to rebuke Jesus for speaking the truth that he had received of the Father as to my knowledge others have done the like And further to make it more manifest that it is a lying and deceitful Spirit which worketh in the Will that perswades to believe that those things that are true which be spoken are spoken by a wrong Spirit and all the reason that is given why it must be so that it is spoken by a wrong Spirit is because it does not reach the seed of God in them but they find a burden a load oppressing them and it is a great trouble to them to hear those words spoken And if this were true then Jesus in the time that he had lived upon the Earth spake many times by a wrong Spirit in that it did not reach the seed of God in his Disciples Mark 14. 27 vers to 31 vers Jesus saith to his Disciples All ye shall be offended because of me this night for it is written I will smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered But Peter said Although all shall be offended yet will not I. Jesus saith unto him This night before the cock crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice But he spake the more vehemently If I should die with thee I will not deny thee in any wise Likewise also said they all I pray observe the words of the Scripture Jesus had told them that that night they should be all offended because of him and he proves the truth of it by Scripture for it was written I will smite the shepherd and the sheâ—p shall be scattered What Jesus spake was the truth he had received from the Father And did he not spake these words by the true Spirit And yet this did not reach the seed of God in them so as to believe he spake true And therefore how could they believe that Jesus spake these words by the true Spirit yea by their own answers it did appear that they all believed that he spake them by a wrong Spirit because they all said that should not be true that Jesus had spoken Jesus had said that they should be all offended because of him that night and the truth of that Scripture should be fulfilled that night that the Shepherd should be smitten and the Sheep scattered Peter who had at another time some distance of time between before that time began to rebuke him for speaking something to that purpose he does not now reprove Jesus for speaking the truth but he again contradicts him for speaking the truth and tells him that what he had spoken should not be done for although all should be offended because of him yet would not he And when Jesus told him that that night before the Cock crew twice he should deny him thrice he spake the more vehemently If I die with thee I will not in any wise deny thee Likewise also said they all That is all of them said as Peter had said that they would not be offended because of him that night and before they would deny him they would die with him As Peter in his own Will had resolved to do so had they resolved in their Wills to do I pray what hindred the true words spoken by Jesus that it did not reach the seed of God in them Was it because they were spoken by a wrong Spirit Or was it not because their own Wills lay uppermost in them above the seed of God in them and so made such a separation as that the words spoken by Jesus could not reach the seed of God in them Was it not their own Wills in them that would not have them to be offended because of him that night being it was Gods will that it should be so and God had caused the Prophets to foretel the same But there was in them all a Will opposing the Will of God and that Will of theirs was that which hindred that Jesus's true words spoken by the true Spirit that they did not reach the seed of God in them and this Will of theirs was troubled and burdened by the words spoken by Jesus What might not this Will say in them or they say in this Will What shall I that have been a Disciple a Follower of Jesus that have been sent by him to preach the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand have had power to heal all manner of Diseases and to cast out Devils and have had my outward feet lately washed by him and that night received of him that which is commonly called the Sacrament of his Body and Bloud and what shall I now be offended because of this Jesus that hath done so much for me No I will not be offended no rather than I will be offended because of him I will first die with him This Will of theirs that was not willing that Gods Will should be done in them this Will of theirs was burdened and troubled in hearing Jesus speak those true words That that night they should be all offended because of him And from this strong fleshly love and affection that they had to the fleshly Body of Jesus might they not think as others have done that it was something in them that was good something in them that was of God that was troubled and burdened at Jesus speaking of the true words by the true Spirit When indeed and in truth that which was burdened and troubled at Jesus's true words spoken by the true Spirit it was nothing but the fleshly will of theirs in which will they opposed the will of God as others have done in this knowing Age. How were these deceived by the subtile Serpents self their own wills in them who hod been so much with Jesus and had received so much from Jesus and yet had not taken up the Cross to their own wills but were in the knowing of Jesus after the flesh and followers of Jesus after the flesh and were ignorant of his Death and Resurrection in them Luke 18. 31 32 33 34. Then took he unto him the Twelve and said unto them Behold me go unto Jerusalem and all things that are written by the Prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished for he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles and shall be mocked and spitefully entreated and spit on and they shall scourge him and put him to death and the third day he shall rise again and they
that is because the words spoken they did not feel them to reach to the witness of God in them or theseed of God in them and therefore they judged them not to be spoken by the true spirit of Jesus in him that spake them and that because they found some thing burdened or troubled in them when those words were spoken and yet they could not deny but that he might speak what he knew to be the work of God in him and that his words were true and that his life was answerable to his words but because they did not feel his words to reach to the witness of God in them or the Seed of God in them but there was something troubled and burden'd in them when they heard those words spoken therefore it was that they judged him to speak these words by a wrong Spirit I pray mark the Argument because the Seed of God in them or the witness of God in them was not reach'd to by the words spoken therefore they must be spoken by a wrong Spirit and why must they be spoken by a wrong Spirit is because some thing was troubled or burdened within them by those words spoken and therefore that which was troubled or burdened in them by those words being spoken must be the seed of God in them or the witness of God in them that must be the thing troubled or burdened in them by those words Oh the mystery of deceit that lieth secretly hid in the heart of man by the subtilty of the Serpent self-will in man who will not bring their deeds to the light to be made manifest who will not bring their deeds to the truth that the true Light hath made known in the Scriptures to be thereby judged whether they be true or false but do talk of a Light in them and to walk by the Light and yet do things and judge of things contrary to what the Scripture makes known to be true which was given forth by the true Light For by the Scriptures there is nothing more plainer than that it is the duty of all to make known to others what God hath made known of himself to them in his great work of saving of man from the subtilty of the Serpent by whose temptation man was brought to sin brought to disobey God But this making known what God hath made known of himself in saving from sin this say they was spoken by a wrong Spirit and the reason why it must be so that it was spoken by a wrong Spirit is because they did not feel the words spoken to reach the seed of God or the witness of God in them and because there was something in them that was troubled or burdened by hearing those words spoken and that they say is the seed of God in them And if they had said it had been the seed of the Serpent in them that had been troubled they had spoken more truer and agreeable to the testimony of the Scripture Mat. 16. 21 22 23. Jesus tells his Disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things and be killed and be raised again the third day What is this but a making known to them what God the Father had made known to him that he was to do for the saving of man from the subtilty of the Serpent who by his temptations had caused man to sin Dare any one be so wicked as to say that Christ did not speak this by the true Spirit but it was a wrong Spirit in Christ that spake it I say dare any be so wicked as to say so And yet these true words of his did not reach to the seed of God in Peter and yet Peter was troubled there was something in Peter that was oppressed and burdened with the hearing of Jesus speaking of these words And none can reasonably believe but that Peter thought and believed that that which was troubled and burdened by these words spoken by Jesus was something in him that was good something in him that loved Jesus which Peter might as some others have done think that it was the seed of God in him that was troubled and burdened at what Jesus spake And that made him take the boldness upon him as to take Jesus to him and began to rebuke him saying Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee And I pray what was this in Peter that was so troubled and burdened in Peter at what Christ had said Was it not Peter's Will in him which was contrary to Gods Will This Will of Peter's that was thus troubled and burdened that lay uppermost in Peter and that was that which hindered in Peter Christs words that they did not reach the seed of God in Peter the subtilty of the Serpents self in Peter deceived him He having been a Disciple a follower of Jesus and having preached the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and had power to heal all manner of Diseases and to cast out Devils and had given that testimony of Jesus that he had the words of eternal life might not Peter who had done all this think that Jesus spake by a wrong Spirit because he found his words to be a trouble and burden to him Peter he did so think that he spake by a wrong Spirit and that is plain by the Scripture for he began to rebuke Jesus for what he had said and told him in his rebuking of him that that should not be done to Jesus that Jesus had said should be done to him And so he makes Jesus to speak a lye And what is that less than to tell Jesus that he did not speak those words by the true Spirit For if Peter had believed that they had been spoken by a true Spirit Peter would have believed the words would prove true and he would not have gone about to reprove him for speaking true words by the true Spirit but Peter did not believe the words to be true and going about to reprove him for speaking of them it is plain that Peter believed they were spoken by a wrong Spirit when it was the lying Spirit in Peter that reproved Jesus for speaking the truth And Peter's rebuke was made up of nothing but lyes and that made Jesus call him Satan and told him he was an offence to him for he favoured not of the things that be of God but those things that be of men that was he savoured not the things of God the doing Gods will which was to be done by Jesus going to Jerusalem and to suffer many things of the Elders Chief Priests and Scribes and to be killed and be raised again the third day See who they were that Jesus suffered under it was under those that were high in an outward form of worshipping God And as Peter savoured not the things of God the having of Gods will done so he did savour the things of men he favoured the having of his own will done for it was a will of Peter's
understood none of these things and the saying was hid from them neither understood they the things that were spoken Does any one believe that Jesus spake these true words and that he did not speak them by a true spirit but that it was a wrong spirit in Jesus that spake these words I say that if any one does believe that these true words spoken by Jesus were not spoken by the true spirit and if not spoken by the true spirit then they must be spoken by the false spirit They that do so believe I believe they will be ashamed to say that they believe that Jesus did not speak these true words by the true spirit and that he spake them by the wrong spirit And if Jesus did speak these words by the true spirit as that Jesus did speak them by the true spirit then see the falsity and deceit that is in the Argument that I have heard often and that by many used that because by the true words spoken they did not feel them to reach the witness of God the seed of God in them when they heard them spoken therefore it was that they believed the true words spoken were not spoken by the true spirit but by a wrong spirit By the same rule the Twelve might have judged that Jesus did not speak those true words and why because they understood none of these things and the saying of his was hid from them neither knew they the things that were spoken If they had felt these words of Jesus to have reached the witness of God the seed of God in them how then could it have been that they understood none of those things and his saying was hid from them neither knew they the things that were spoken if they had felt those true words spoken by Jesus by the true light and by him proved by Scriptures not onely by one Scripture but by many Scriptures by all things that are written by the Prophets concerning him if they had felt these words to have reached the seed of God the witness of God in them they would have understood something of those sayings they would not all have been hid from them they would have known something of what had been spoken but by this Scripture it is plainly proved that true words may be spoken by the true spirit and proved by many Scriptures and that too concerning Christs being put to death and by whom and the place where and of his rising again and when he rise And all these may be spoken of the inward work of God in the heart of men as the like I have known and yet the Witness of God the seed of God in the hearers have not been by them felt to be reached unto by the words so spoken none of the Twelve understood any of the things Jesus spake of I pray observe none of his hearers understood any of the saying he spake And so although they have understood the outward sound of the Words spoken as the Twelve did the outward Words spoken by Jesus yet the inward meaning of them the spiritual meaning of them as they are wrought asked and done in man may be hid from them and they may know nothing of those things spoken as to the Work of God in the heart and yet they may be spoken to such as the Twelve were or at least would be counted such as the Twelve were that is those that had the most familiar acquaintance with Christ who Jesus had sent forth to preach that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand and had cast out Devils in his Name And yet these did not know what Christs Death and Resurrection was neither understood they any thing of it when he spake of it to them And may there not be such in this knowing Age we live in that may for some years have been Disciples and followers of Christ in the flesh and have had a familiar acquaintance with him and have been sent to preach the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and have cast out Devils in his Name and yet have not known Christs Death and Resurrection nor have understood any thing of it when it hath been spoken of to them by those that have known the inward work of it wrought within them Luke 9. 44 45 46. Jesus said to his Disciples Let these sayings sink down into your ears for the son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men But they understood not the saying and it was hid from them and they perceived it not and they feared to ask him of that saying Then there arose a â—easoning among them which should be the greatest Mark the Scripture were not these true words spoken by Jesus and were they not spoken by the true spirit in him and were they not spoken to his Disciples his followers And yet these true words were spoken by Jesus and spoken by the true spirit in that person that never had sinned and they by the true spirit were called upon that those sayings should sink down into their ears and yet true words thus spoken by the true spirit in him that they had no just cause to speak evil of although some when they could not deny the truth of what he had said were so bold as to say to him Say we not well that thou art a Samaritane and hast a devil John 8. There is that have met with words to the like purpose when they could not deny the truth of what hath been spoken and yet these true words spoken by one whom there hath not been the like man upon Earth And yet they that heard him speak them and to whom they were directly spoken unto and called upon that 〈◊〉 words should sink down into their ears and yet they did not feel in them that these true words spoken by a man in whom the fulness of the true spirit dwelt bodily these words they did not feel that they reached the witness of God the seed of God in them because they understood not thaâ— saying it was hid from them they perceived it not How fully how plainly does the Scripture make out the deceivableness of that Argument That because when they hear true words spoken and they do not feel the witness of God the seed of God in them to be reached by these words therefore they that speak them must speak them by a wrong spirit Oh! the subtilty that the subtile Serpents self useth to deceive people in a form of Godliness perswading them that in the disobeying God in the looking upon the tree of Knowledge they shall be as Gods and so have a liberty to judge according to the putting forward of their own wills in them These true words were spoken by Jesus a man in whom the fulness of the true spirit dwelt bodily and by him called upon that those sayings should sink down into their ears which is more than onely to give them the hearing of them and yet for all this they did not
feel these words thus spoken to reach the witness of God the seed of God in them And it appeareth that it did not reach the witness of God the seed of God in them by that they understood not the saying and it was hid from them and they perceived it not which if they by these words spoken by Jesus had felt that it had reached the witness of God in them the seed of God in them they would have understood seen and perceived something of the meaning of what Christ had said What think ye who dare say that they think or believe that the Disciples the followers of Jesus to whom these words were spoken had done well if they had gone to Jesus and told him although they could not deny but that those words that he had spoken were true yet they questioned whether or no he spake them by the true and right spirit and the reason why they questioned and did not believe he spake them by the right and true spirit is this Because when they heard him speak those words they did not feel that those words spoken by him did reach the witness of God the seed of God in them Who dare so say that they think or believe the Disciples had done well if they should have gone to Jesus and used such an Argument to have perswaded Jesus that the words he spake were not spoken by the true spirit because they 〈◊〉 they heard them did not fell the witness of God the seed of God reached in them by Jesus true words when he spake them If such a light Argument as this had been sufficient to have proved that Jesus true words had not been spoken by a true and right spirit because his words when spoken did not reach to the witness of God the seed of God in those that heard him how much then of his words would then have been proved to have been spoken by the wrong spirit How little and how seldom do we read in the Scripture that those that heard Christ speak true words and that by the true spirit that the hearers of Jesus did feel the witness of God the seed of God reached in them by Jesus true words when he spake them And yet yow many times have I heard that used as an Argument and the onely Argument to prove that the true words spoken have not been spoken by the true spirit but spoken by the wrong spirit And why because those when they heard them they did not feel the witness of God the seed of God in them reached by those true words spoken but they have found something in them troubled and burdened when they heard those words spoken Jesus Disciples they did not understand the words spoken by him they being hid from them and they perceived them not and they feared to ask him of that saying that is they feared to ask him the meaning of that saying I shall not say they were afraid to ask the meaning of those true words that they judged to be spoken by a wrong spirit but this I can say they did not ask the meaning of them And the Disciples when they feared to ask him of that saying then there arose a reasoning among them which of them should be greatest they were more minding to be great and which of them should be greatest amongst them than to ask and enquire into the meaning of what Christ had said when he spake something of his Death and yet these were the Disciples and followers of Jesus Would it not be well it were not so now in this knowing Age that we live in That there were not more reasoning and a greater care taken to know which shall be greatest than there is a care taken and an enquiry made to understand the words of Jesus spoken concerning his Death Balaam who used Inchantments and loved the wages of Unrighteousness I do not find in all the Scripture that ever he was reproved for the true words that he spake that God put into him to speak Nor do I find that they were a burden or a trouble to any that heard him speak them unless it were to Balak and those with him that would have had Israel cursed and to them indeed Balaam's words were a burden and a trouble unto The hearing of the prosperity of the outward Israel the outward seed of God which was a Type of the inward seed of God this was a trouble and a burden to Balak and those with him that would have had the seed of God cursed And for persons in this knowing Age to be troubled and burdened with the hearing words spoken by one that did declare his knowledge of the inward seed of God to prosper in him and how he had known it set at liberty from the bondage of the subtile Serpent who had deceived him in an outward form of Godliness perswading him that in his eating of the forbidden tree he should be as Gods in knowledge that this his declaring of his experience of the prosperity of the inward seed of God in him and perswading others to have a care that they were not deceived by the subtilty of the Serpent as he had been that these words or words spoken to this purpose or effect should be a trouble or a burden to any Must not that which was burdened and troubled in them be the same spirit that was burdened and troubled in Balak and those with him when he and they instead of hearing Balaam to curse the outward seed of God that he blessed them altogether As God the true spirit changeth not but his Works Actions and Doings do agree and do not contradict one another in all Ages and Generations so the Serpent the lying and deceitful spirit changeth not but his works actions and doings do agree and do not contradict one another in all Ages and Generations and therefore it was the same spirit in those that were offended at the hearing of the true words spoken in making known the prosperity of the inward seed being set at liberty from the bondage of the subtile Serpent and warning of others to have a care of being deceived by the subtile Serpent I say it was the same spirit that was offended in them that was offended in Balak and those with him that he heard the Words spoken by Balaam when he declared the prosperity of the outward seed of God But I know an Objection or Argument may be made or raised although I never heard it made or raised yet I know it may be made or raised and that to this purpose That true words may be spoken by a wrong or evil spirit and such true words as the Scripture speak yea the very words of the Scripture and brought in for Scripture and brought in as a proof for what this wrong or evil spirit have been spoken to before And ought this wrong spirit or evil spirit be suffered in going on to speak these true words although words of Scripture or ought
in their Wills set by them and thereby and therein to please satisfie and content themselves as if they were worshipping God in his spirit and in his truth in his Jesus that saves from sin and also telling of them what would follow and fall upon them for such Worship and Service But at length it happened to me as it did to the man of God sent to cry against the Altar at Bethel who King Jeroboam by his threatning nor by his friendship could prevail with to disobey any part of the Command of God but he was prevailed with and brought into disobedience by an old Prophet that told him that an Angel spake to him by the Word of the Lord but he lyed unto him he had no Angel spake to him nor no Word from the Lord to say what he did to the man sent of God It was the old lying Serpents self in him that spake these words to him whereby he deceived the man sent of God and so it happened to me All the bad dealings that I had received did not in the least hinder me in my obedience to any part of the Command of God in speaking what I had in Command to speak but it so happened that I was in Company with three Women called Old Quakers of great esteem amongst them and although in plain words they did not give themselves the Name of Prophetess as the old Prophet did or say as he did that an Angel spake to him by the word of the Lord yet they spake words to the same purpose That they were moved by the spirit of God to speak to me and that it was in the Name of God and for Gods sake and many words to these purposes that they used to me and that although as they said they did not know one anothers minds nor had said nothing of it before yet they did speak to that purpose as if they all of them severally one by another had a Command from God and that they were all moved by the spirit of God in them at that time to speak to me and let me know from God that what I spake in the Meeting I did not speak by a true moving of the spirit of God in me but it was the wrong spirits self in me that put me forward to speak and very many words they spake to me to these purposes And I having had a large experience of the subtilty of the Serpents self in me and how he had in former times deceived me in a shew of godliness and then they all as the old Prophet did did affirm that they had a several Angel or as they called it a several moving of the spirit of God severally did move in each of them and put them upon it to speak to me by the word of the Lord in them although I now know they all lyed to me as the old Prophet did yet these their lying words then spoken in the Name of the Lord deceived me as the lying words of the old Prophet deceived the man sent of God and they caused me as the Serpent did Eve who at first resisted the Temptation but afterwards she yielded to question or doubt of the Command of God whether God had said Ye shall not eat of every tree of the Garden and so at first I resisted them very strongly yet at length through their many words I question'd or doubted whether God had commanded me to speak as I had spoken although I did before know that God had Commanded me to speak as Eve knew that God had said they should not eat of every tree of the Garden there was one Tree that God had Commanded that they should not eat thereof And in this knowledge of what was Gods Command Eve had obeyed God in as I in that knowledge that it was the Command of God for me to speak had obeyed God in but it was with me as it was with Eve and the man sent of God who at first resisted and said Nay to the old Prophet after the Serpent by his deceit and lye had caused Eve to question or doubt whether God had Commanded what she in her self before knew to be the Command of God and from that knowledge that she had in her self that it was the Command of God she had yielded obedience unto it but soon after the Serpent had wrought in her to question or doubt whether it was the Command of God or no he soon by his lying brought her to disobey God in his Command and it cost her her life and so the man sent of God he knew that it was the Command of God in him that he should not eat bread or drink water in that place and he for a time obeyed the Command of God in him and did not yield to the desire of the old Prophet but when by the lying of the old Prophet and that in the word of the Lord as the old Serpent in him caused him to say he questioned the truth of the Command of God in him which before he had obeyed and would not for the fear or friendship of a King be prevailed with into the disobedience of any part of it yet by the lye of one that called himself a Prophet and sent of God as he was he went from obeying what he had known to be the true Command of God in him and believed the lye that the lying old Prophet had told him was the Command of God for him to obey God in and that cost him his life and so it was with me although at first I resisted them strongly and would give no way to them yet afterwards by the lyes that they told me in the word of the Lord as they pretended to me that it was by the motion of the spirit of God in them that they spake to me I giving some credit to them as Eve did to the Serpent and the man sent of God to the old lying Prophet I began to question the truth of the Command of God in me which before I knew to be the Command of God in me and had obeyed God therein and I did with Eve and the man of God who gave more credit to the lye the Serpent told and the old Prophet told than to the truth spoken in them and to them by the spirit of God and so did I give more credit to the lye that they spake to me in that they told me it was by the moving of self in me that I spake and not by the Command of God and by believing them in their lye I went out of the obedience to what I knew was the Command of God in me and to me and for a time I had obeyed God in which all the hard or bad dealings that I had met withal could not in the least prevail with me to disobey the Command of God in me and to me to speak what God had given me in Command to speak but I was prevailed with and prevailed over
tree of knowledge of good and evil or the fruit of it or to touch the fruit of it this was what was forbidden Jesus was tempted but he did not yield to the temptation and so did not sin Jesus was led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil Mat. 4. 1. mark that led of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil read it within who can in the mystery there is so much in it and so much do I see in it that if I should declare it few at this day could bear it Jesus told his Disciples I have many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now John 16. 12. I hope I may without offence to any write what is in the Scripture And first as to the time when Jesus was led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil Matth. 4. 1. which is not by every one that reads it minded or any notice taken of it although there is very much in it The time it was then when at that very time that Jesus had by his Fore-runner John fulfilled all Righteousness and had the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighted upon him and lo a voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Matth. 3. 15 16 17. then was the time Mark 1. 12. immediately it was that then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil Secondly it was Jesus it was the beloved Son of God in whom he was well pleased that had fulfilled all Righteousness it was he that came to save his people from their sins that was led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil the Scripture does not say that he went of himself into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil Mark saith of it Mark 1. 12. the spirit driveth him into the wilderness Thirdly it was the spirit that led up the beloved Son of God in whom he was well pleased that had fulfilled all Righteousness that came to save his people from their sins into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil it was no man nor any outward earthy Creature that led up Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil but Jesus was led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil there is much in that I pray mark the words of the Scripture it is not said that Jesus was led down of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil but Jesus was led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil Fourthly this beloved Son of God in whom God was well pleased that had fulfilled all Righteousness that came to save his people from their sins whither was he led up of the spirit to be tempted of the Devil it was into the wilderness not onely led up to a wilderness which might be to the outside of a wilderness but led up into the wilderness he was led up into the wilderness he was in the wilderness what wilderdess the wilderness is all the name that is given to it in the Scriptures outward wilderness have outward names There is a wilderness that is not without nor hath an outward name and yet it is a wilderness and may truly be said to be the wilderness Fifthly and this beloved Son of God in whom he was well pleased that had fulfilled all Righteousness that came to save his people from their sins was lâ—d up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil as first being there in the wilderness and in want he was then tempted by the Devil to do that which God had not commanded him to do to supply his want being an hungred he was tempted to command those stones to be made bread Secondly he being taken up mark that taken up of the Devil into the holy City and set upon a pinacle of the Temple he was tempted of the Devil to presume upon God the Fathers love and care because God had given his Angels charge concerning him to preserve him from harm therefore he was tempted to cast himself down from a pinacle of the Temple Thirdly he was taken up mark that taken up by the Devil into an exceeding high mountain and shewed all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them and tempted by the Devil to do that which was altogether unlawful to have given to him the things of the World the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them and that was to fall down and worship the Devil And in these temptations in the wilderness that he was of the spirit led up into he did make it appear that he was the Son of God by his obedience to God as is plain by his not yielding in the least to any of the Temptations Sixthly this beloved Son of God in whom God was well pleased that had fulfilled all Righteousness that came to save his people from their sins he was led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil to be tempted of him that was a murderer from the beginning to be tempted of him that abode not in the truth to be tempted of him that there is no truth in him to be tempted of him that is a lyar and the father of lyes John 8. 44. I pray take notice of this that the Scripture doth not say that Jesus was led up of the spirit to be tempted of the Devil any where but onely in the wilderness and when he had fasted forty days and forty nights he was afterwards an hungred mark that an hungred he wanted bread there is much in that of Jesus being an hungred and when the Tempter came to him he said the Tempter said that which tempted him it was that which said which being taken notice of it may as an instrument in Gods hand be as an help to understand what the wilderness was and what the Devil was and what Jesus temptations were that he was tempted in the holy City and the Temple they were not in an outward wilderness and where is there an outward mountain in the outward world so exceedingly high that upon it may be seen all the outward Kingdoms of the outward World and the outward glory of them and Jesus in the temptation was taken up into an exceeding high mountain and shewed all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them if the Reader who understandeth little or nothing of the mystery of Jesus being led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil did but in true silence of all the earthy part in him of all that is of the flesh in him wait upon God and be like the poor Widow to the unjust Judge who would not give over going to him until he had done her justice so not to give over waiting upon
God in true self-denial in being as a nothing in thy self until God send his spirit that quiet into all truth to guide to search to let thee understand something of the great mystery that is in these few words Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil thou wouldst then find that those few words have been much read without and very little understood by the outward Readers within they have read little of them within themselves The forbidden fruit as it was presented in the temptation it was pleasant to the eye and to be desired to make wise the knowing of Gods will and not to do Gods will is the forbidden fruit What God requires of man to obey him in and what man knows to be Gods will that he should obey him in is good but to know Gods will and not to do it is evil that is the knowing of good and evil in the action which is sin To know is very pleasant to the eye because it makes wise and how much is there a desire in man going forth after knowledge that they may be wise because Wisdom is one part of the Essence or Being of God and it is to be like God and so man in the temptation had a desire to be like God as being wise And thus man desired to know more of God than he desired in that knowledge to yield obedience to God in what he knew of God And this is the forbidden fruit to have a desire to be wise like God to know God or the mind and will of God and not to obey God according to what he knew to be Gods will this was Adams fall this was the forbidden fruit which man was not to eat of nor yet to touch it And now man is fallen who can say upon a true examination of himself in the inward parts that he is now judged or condemned for the doing of any thing but for the doing of those things that God hath made known to him that he ought not to do or else he is judged and condemned for the not doing of those things that God hath made known to him to be his will that he ought to do and should do the condemnation is either for doing what we know we ought not to do or for leaving undone what we know that we should do The woman mystically being the figure of mans being drawn by the spirit or the goings or leadings forth of man by the spirit of Jesus in man for as the Lord God took the woman out of Adam so is mans being drawn by the spirit or the goings or leadings forth of man by the spirit of Jesus in man is the work of the Lord God and they are given as Help-meets for the life of Jesus in man that is as Help-meets for that life of Jesus in man that is in him saving of him from sin And as the woman as she was taken out of Adam although she was bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh yet she had a distinct and separated body from Adam so in the mystery is to be understood mans being drawn by the spirit of Jesus or the goings or leadings forth of the spirit of Jesus in man although taken out of Jesus in man as the woman was taken out of man to be distinct and separated from Jesus in man and serve for the end the woman was created for to be as an Help-meet for man so man by these drawings of the spirit or the goings or leadings forth of man by the spirit of Jesus in man are as Help-meets for the life of Jesus in man How is the life of Jesus in man refreshed and comforted when there is in man a drawing going or leading forth of the spirit to meditate of Gods goodness or to meditate of some mystery that God is making known to the Soul either what God is or what he hath made man to be or what man was before the fall or what man made himself by the fall or what God hath made man by his redeeming of him or what man shall be in the resurrection or sometimes in praying or speaking or some sudden Vision or breakings out of the manifestations of Gods love in these or other of the drawings leadings or goings forth of man by the Spirit of Jesus in man How is the Life of Jesus in man helped and refreshed that is that Life of Jesus in man that is in him saving of him from sin So as the woman was created to be an Help-meet for Adam so hath God made man by these drawings leadings or goings forth of man by the Spirit of Jesus in man as Help-meets for the Life of Jesus in man as he is in man a saving him from sin Now as I said before as the woman although taken out of Adam and was bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh yet she had a distinct and separate body of her self So in the mystery although man by these drawings of the Spirit or goings or leadings forth of man by the Spirit they come from Jesus and are taken out of Jesus in man yet in the mystery they are to be looked upon as a distinct and separate body from Jesus in man as the woman was a distinct and separate body from man Now the Serpents self or a mans own will as separated from God as it is in the fall and so is become a fallen Angel or Spirit and being in the garden of God that is in the heart or inward part of man this presents to the woman that is to man as being drawn of the Spirit or his goings or being led forth by the Spirit of Jesus in man a desire more to know the things of God than to come into the obedience of what God hath by those drawings leadings or goings forth of the Spirit made known to them to obey him in and this is the forbidden Fruit for man to desire to know more of God in those manifestations or enjoyments that he hath received from God by the drawings leadings or goings forth of his Spirit in them than to obey God in what he knew of God or that God doth make known to him of himself in those manifestations or enjoyments that he gives of himself unto man And this desire after knowledge this Serpents self or a mans own will in the fall presents to be very pleasant to the eye of the woman and to be desired to be made wise and by it to be as Gods But these presentations to the woman is to be taken as if man in these drawings goings or leadings forth of the Spirit were distinct and separate from Jesus as the woman was from the man And that is onely to be taken as to that sense or knowledge that the Soul wherein these drawings or goings forth of the Spirit are acted hath of them that is as the Soul or inward part of man does look upon the drawings
obedience in us so comes the feet to be defiled and made unclean Now as Jesus hath washed and made clean the feet of obedience in any and keeps them clean in the walking in obedience to God it is their duty and they are to follow the Example of Jesus That if they see in any that the Serpent hath bruised the heel of the seed of the woman in them that is in their walking upon the earthy part in them any part of the Earth hath cleaved to their feet whereby they are polluted or defiled then it is their duty as Instruments in Gods hand to wash and make clean the feet of those that they see so polluted or defiled And this is what God by the Apostle commanded If any man be overtaken in a fault yea which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Bear ye one anothers burthens and so fulfil the Law of Christ Gal. 6. 1 2. Which is as much as to say If any man by the temptation of the Serpent hath defiled his feet of obedience in being overtaken in a fault the earthy part on which he walked upon in his obedience hath cleaved to his feet of obedience and hath defiled them yea that are spiritual yea that stand in your obedience by the power of Jesus in you who hath washed your feet wash ye the feet of those that are polluted restore such a one again to the pure and clean walking in obedience to Jesus but do it in the spirit of meekness in a low and meek spirit not lording it over them but in meekness and lowliness of mind as if thou wert indeed a servant to them attending upon them to that very end considering thy self lest thou also be tempted lest thou also fall by the temptation of the Serpent self in thee lest thou pollute or defile thy feet of obedience in walking upon the earthy part in thee And so then thou mayst stand as much in need of another to be an Instrument in Gods hand to wash thy feet to make thee clean in thy obedience to God and so restore thee again by the spirit of meekness to God as thy Brother hath need of thee And in thus your seeking to restore one another in the spirit of meekness ye bear one anothers burthens and so fulfil the law of Christ the Command of Christ to wash one anothers feet as he washed your feet And when and where this shall be put in practice that Lordly power which some in their wills because they have known Jesus in the flesh and he hath sent them to preach and cast out Devils they have taken upon them to judge and condemn others wherein the Witness of God in their Consciences the Light of God hath acquitted and cleared them And when that Lordly power shall be thrown down and a Cross taken up to that Will and also when and where this duty of washing one anothers feet is known and practised then when there is indeed such a thing done whereby the feet of obedience is polluted or defiled and it be seen by those in whom the Lordly and Masterly spirit is cast down and a Cross taken up to that Lordly and Masterly Will in them that was ready to run out in judging and passing sentence upon others because their feet of obedience have been polluted and by the subtilty of the Serpents temptations they have been overtaken in a fault Instead of running upon them and passing sentence upon them there will be a Spirit of meekness gentleness forbearance love long suffering pity and compassion used to them and thereby to be as Instruments in Gods hand to wash the feet of such a one to recover to restore and bring such a one again into obedience to God as not knowing how soon you that now stand may fall by the like temptations And this I believe men will come more into the practice of as they come to know what it is to take up the Cross to their own Wills and to follow Jesus and not be like the Disciples of Christ that would have had fire to come down from Heaven upon those that would not retain them who knew not what spirits they themselves were of and yet had known Christ and had followed Jesus in the flesh and had preached and cast out Devils and yet knew not what it was for Jesus to wash their feet nor what it was to wash the feet of others and therefore had no patience to bear with them that would not retain them that would not take in and believe what they said although spoken in their wills as in their own Wills it was that they would have fire come from Heaven to consume them Some there hath been in this knowing Age that we live in that hath taken upon them to judge those true words spoken by one whose life they have had nothing to object against and yet for declaring what he hath known of the deceit that is wrought in the heart of man by the subtilty of the Serpents self in man and that under a form of Religion and thereby the Devil perswades man that he shall thereby come to be like God and declaring how he hath in Jesus's Name by the power of Jesus the true Light in him resisted and cast out the Devil in his temptations and desiring them to have a care that they be not deceived by the temptations of the subtilty of the Serpents self in them under an outward form of Religion and of being like God as Adam was and himself had experienced They have judged these words or words spoken to that purpose or tending to the same effect in discovering the subtilty of the Serpents self in man in an outward form of Worship and how the Serpent in those temptations might be resisted and overcome to be spoken from a wrong Spirit and so would make the Devil to be a dividing of his Kingdom and so if Christs words be true they would make the Devil to be a throwing down his Kingdom for he said to those zealous Professors that thought themselves better than others when they so judged of him that he cast out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils that a Kingdom divided cannot stand And if Satan cast out Devils he is divided against himself and how then can his Kingdom stand Mat. 12. 24 25 26. Jesus himself meets with the like dealing from the like sort of zealous Professors And he told his Disciples that the disciple is not to be above the master nor the servant above the lord It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master and the servant as his lord if they have called the master of the house Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of the houshold Mat. 10. 24 25. But that which made them judge that the words were not spoken by a true Spirit was this as hath been several times expressed by them
he not rather to be rebuked or put to silence than suffer'd to go on in his speaking of such true words And this Objection thus made or Argument thus raised they may seem to ground or lay the foundation of it upon the Devils tempting of Jesus Matth. 4. in these words The Devil taketh him up into the holy City and setteth him on a pinacle of the Temple and saith unto him If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down for it is written He shall give his Angels charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone Jesus saith to him It is written again Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Upon this Scripture some may seem to raise such an Objection or Argument as this or to this purpose That the wrong or evil spirit or the spirit of the Devil in man may speak true words the words of the Scripture and bring it for proof of what he had before said but that spirit is not to be suffered to speak such true words but to be rebuked and put to silence and that from this example of Jesus In answer thereunto I do believe Jesus example is to be followed And if there be any that from this Scripture do raise any such-like Objection or Argument as I have here mentioned as I suppose there may and will be some such I say it were well if they would follow Jesus example and read the whole temptation as it is written in the Scripture Then Jesus was led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil read it in the mystery who can And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights he was afterwards an hungred and when the Tempter came to him he said If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread but he answered and said It is written That man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God I pray what rebuke was hear to the Devil or putting him to silence and causing him to keep silence as Jesus had power so to do and could have done it if it had pleased him But Jesus leaves this his answer to the Devil as an example for us to follow that if the Devil tempts us to the doing of any thing that is contrary to Gods declared will for us to obey him in thing that was for Jesus to make bread of stones to satisfie his hunger and thereby to answer the Devil in his temptations to give another manifestation of his being Gods Son than that the Father had before given of him by a voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Jesus he resisted the Devil in his Temptation and bringeth Scripture to prove that it was not lawful for him to yield to his temptation to command those stones to be made bread to satisfie his hunger and thereby to yield to his temptation by it to manifest himself to be the Son of God and therefore he proved it by Scripture that mans life did not consist by bread alone but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God and this he hath left as an example for us to follow Doth the Devil tempt thee to the doing of any thing that is contrary to Gods declared will for thee to do to supply thee in any want that thou art in if it be either an inward want of the bread from Heaven or an outward want of any outward thing as Jesus being hungry wanted bread and thereby have thee to yield to his Temptation and give another manifestation or making known that thou art the Son of God Then that making known to thee that thou art his Son by the voice that thou hast heard from the Kingdom of Heaven that is in thee and in that Kingdom in that Rule in that Government that thou knowest that God hath in thee which is his Kingdom in thee wherein and whereby he hath made known in thee and to thee that thou art as thou art in his Son Jesus in thee that saves thee from thy sins and so in his Son Jesus thou art his beloved Son in whom he is well pleased And do thou not so much seek to stop or put to silence the Devil in thee in his temptations if it were in thy power so to do as it was in Jesus power as to resist him in his Temptations and to bring Scripture to prove that we ought not to yield to his Temptations Jesus did not stop or put to silence the Devil although it was in his power so to do when he thus tempted him and therefore that is an answer to that part of the Objection whether by the example of Jesus the wrong or evil spirit is not to be stopped or put to silence and not suffer'd to speak for Jesus he did not stop and put to silence the Devil but suffer'd him still to speak Then the Devil taketh him up into the holy City and setteth him on a pinacle of the Temple and saith unto him If thou be the son of God cast thy self down for it is written He shall give his Angels charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bare thee up lest at any time thou dash-thy foot against a stone Jesus saith unto him It is written again Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God I pray what rebuke or putting the Devil to silence or stopping of his mouth was here by Jesus answer to this Temptation more than was in his answer to the former Temptation although the Devil brings Scripture as an argument to press Jesus to yield to him in this his Temptation and that because Jesus had resisted the Devil in the former temptation and proved it by Scripture that he ought not to yield to his Temptation Now the Devil brings Scripture as an argument to have him yield to his Temptation telling him there was no danger to befal him if he yielded to him in his Temptation in casting himself down from that pinacle if he were the Son of God he might safely do it because it is written He shall give his Angels charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone I say what rebuke did Jesus give the Devil for speaking of Scripture-words I find no more rebuke that he gave him when he made use of the Scripture as an Argument to perswade him to yield to his Temptation nor no more stopping of his mouth and putting him to silence than he did when he made an answer to the former Temptation when the Devil made use of no Scripture as he made use of no Scripture when he tempted him to make bread of stones And this is a full answer to the Objection for Jesus did not rebuke the Devil nor stop his mouth nor put him
more to silence when he made use of the Scripture as an Argument 〈◊〉 perswade him to yield to his Temptation than he did rebuke him stop his mouth and put him to silence when he spake no Scripture in tempting of him no nor so much neither for you will find in the next Temptation when the Devil makes no use of Scripture he rebukes him more sharply and stops his mouth and puts him to silence And therefore there is no ground from this Scripture to build such an Objection or Argument upon that an evil or wrong spirit or the spirit of the Devil in man may speak true words the words of the Scripture and bring it in for a proof of what he had before said but such a spirit is not to be suffered to speak such words but to be rebuked and put to silence according to Jesus's Example when Jesus did no such thing nor gave no such Example But before I pass from this Temptation I desire the Objecter to follow Jesus's Example which is our duty so to do Doth the Devil get thee into the holy City the holy City of God in man and set thee upon a Pinacle of the Temple there within thee read it within and would have thee cast thy self down from thence where he hath exalted thee in the holy City upon a Pinacle of the Temple of God in thee thereby to manifest thy self to be the son of God thereby to make it known that thou art Gods son in another way than the way that God hath declared thee to be his son in read it within And does he bring Scripture to thee to prove that thou mayst safely do it thou mayst tempt God in making known thy self to be his son in a way he hath not commanded and it will be no danger to thee to do it read it within I could tell my experience herein but I know it will be with many in this knowing Age as it was with the Eleven when Jesus had many things to say to them but they could not bear them then John 16. 12. but the time is coming and at hand when men shall read them within and then it will be born when true words may by all be spoken and will be born without being a burden o◠trouble to any of the Hearers that obey the Light in them and make it their Guide to guide them into all Truth Then it will be known to be a duty to follow Jesus's Example to resist the Temptation how highly soever he hath exalted thee and lifted thee up in his Temptation as he did Jesus in bringing him into the holy City and setting him upon a Pinacle of the Temple and then and there would have him to manifest himself to be the son of God and brings Scripture to prove the lawfulness thereof Which I know are all Figures and are to be read and known within And if thou find the Devil thus to tempt thee as some have done follow Jesus's Example do not so much seek to stop the mouth of the temptation as to stand fast in thy obedience in keeping with Jesus in the low and meek Spirit and bring Scripture to contradict the Temptation as Jesus did He tells the Devil It is written again Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God The Devil brought Scripture to prove that if he were the son of God that God had given his Angels charge to keep him from harm Jesus answered the Devil It is written Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Which as no Scripture is of private interpretation so is not this And in these few words Jesus according to our Proverb Kill two Birds with one stone he tells the Devil that it is not his duty to tempt him as he is his Lord and God nor was it his duty as he was man and the son of God to tempt the Father in casting himself down from thence because the Father had so great a love for him as to give his Angels charge concerning him to keep him from harm And when this Example of Jesus is followed in resisting of the Devil in his Temptations the Cross will be taken up to that Will that would run out to judge to rebuke to stop the mouth and to make them keep silence that are speaking of true words for Jesus did not so rebuke the Devil for speaking true words as to stop his mouth or make him keep silence Because that again after this the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them And saith All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Then said Jesus unto him Get thee hence Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve Then the devil leaveth him I pray hear the Devil brings no Scripture nor speaks nothing to him whereby he would have him manifest himself to be the son of God in yielding to him in his Temptations In this Temptation he onely got him up into an exceeding high Mountain and shewed him all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them and promises to give him all them if he would fall down and worship him And for this setting of him upon an high Mountain which I know is to be read within and then shewing of him all the Kingdoms of the World which is to be read within and then telling him All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me which also may be read within All of them I know to be Figures And for this Temptation Jesus rebukes him more sharper than for the other two and if I may use such an expression he did more stop his mouth and put him to silence than he did in the other two Temptations First he bids him get him hence Satan he did not before command the Devil to depart from him nor did he call him Satan when in the other two Temptations he would have had him answered his Temptations by making himself known to be the son of God in ways that God had not required of him to manifest himself to be his son in and for the last of the two he brings Scripture to prove that he might do it with his own safety and yet in neither of those two Temptations he did not command him to depart from him nor call him Satan But now when he had taken him up into an exceeding high Mountain and shewed him all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them now to tempt him to have such a love to the World to the enjoyments thereof and the glory of it as for the sake thereof to fall down and worship him This caused Jesus to command the Devil to depart from him and to call him Satan Tempter and bring Scripture for his denying to yield to the Temptation It is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God
the other and what was in the one was in the other as God was in them both worshipped as a spirit and the Worship that then was and now is performed as God then did and now doth look for and accept of is to worship him in spirit and in truth and so in that there was no contradiction There was not one thing that was Gods will for man to obey him in the days of the Prophets and another thing in the days of the Apostles that was to be done in man and that in obedience to God which was contrary to that which was Gods revealed will to be done in the days of the Prophets that they were to obey God in No there was no such contradiction And that now there is another thing wherein God is to be obeyed in in these days of Gods making the Light to shine more in the inward part of man than formerly and this other thing that God is now to be obeyed in as some would have it that are not willing to bring their works deeds or actions to the Scriptures to be tryed by them whether or no they be agreeable to the works deeds or actions of the holy men of old by whom God by the spirit by the true light gave forth the Scriptures and in them gave forth what was his will that man should do in obedience to him This other thing that some pretends by the light in them that they are now to obey God in is contrary and not agreeable to Gods declared will in the Scriptures and so they make the unchangeable God to be like changeable men to have one thing to be his will for man to obey him in at one time and another thing quite contrary to that to be his will for man to obey him in at another time Jesus the true light the Word of God by whose spirit the holy men of old spake as they were moved in giving forth the Scriptures both Prophets and Apostles it was the command of this Jesus this true light this spirit that gave forth the Scriptures in that outward body that he took in the nature of man to search the Scriptures John 5. 39. And he giveth the reason why it is that he commands them to search the Scriptures it was because they are they that testifie of him they are they that bear witness they are they that testifie that bear witness what he is they are they that testifie which witness what was the Fathers will that as man he was to do they are they that testifie that bear witness that as he was man he came not to do his own will but the will of the Father that sent him They are they that testifie that bear witness what Jesus the true light the Word of God in man is And they are they that testifie that bear witness what this true light is in every man and what this true light Jesus doth in every man They are they that is the Scriptures are they that testifie that bear witness how this true light Jesus by his spirit it teacheth it guideth it leadeth man into the doing of all that is of the Truth by that spirit that is of his sending forth according to his promise that he would send the spirit of truth and when he is come he shall guide them into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak for he shall receive of mine and shew it to you John 16 13 14. How do they disobey Jesus Command that refuse to bring their works actions and doings to the Scriptures to be tryed by them whether or no they are the works actions and doings of Jesus the true light in them and that under a pretence because Jesus the true light is in them and therefore it is that they need not or ought not to do it And how willingly are they to be deceived in thinking what is done in them and by them is done in and by Jesus the true light in them And yet will not bring it to that which Jesus saith testifieth which bear witness to what is the works of Jesus in them And therefore there is great reason why the Scriptures are to be searched to be sought after searched and sought into to find out what it is that they testifie what it is that they bear witness of Jesus to be as he is the true Light the Word of God the Saviour of man As he sends his spirit of Truth into man to make known to man what that spirit receives from him and thereby to guide man into all Truth and whatever it is in man that pretends to be the work actions or doings of the Light of Jesus in them and is not agreeable to the testimony the witness that the Scripture bears of Jesus the true Light and of his works actions or doings in man And if that be true that Jesus said as I believe none dare deny the truth of it that the Scriptures testifie of him then those works actions or doings that they do not testifie to be the works of Jesus in man as he is the true Light and sends his spirit to guide them into all Truth may very well be looked upon and judged to be the work of Satan the subtile Serpent in man transforming himself into the likeness of an Angel of Light which Satan did in the Apostles time upon the like occasion read 2 Corinth 11. 13 14 15. For such are false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ And no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness but let them be so yet their end shall be according to their works The Apostle speaking of Christ and how it is our duty to follow Christ's Example he brings Scripture to prove the truth of what he said Rom. 15. 1 2 3 4. We therefore that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to his edification For even Christ pleased not himself but as it is written The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope The Apostle here sets down the duty of those that are strong and may I not say of those that would be thought or do think themselves stronger than others and that is not to please themselves to satisfie and content themselves in that they are stronger than others and so exalt themselves over and above those that are weak but their duty is to bear the infirmities of the weak and thereby to please his neighbour for that is good to edification And it this their so doing that was to follow the example of Christ who
pleased not himself and that he proves by Scripture that it was the duty of the strong to follow Christs example and that Christ did not please himself because it is written The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell upon me And then he tells them That what was written in the Scripture aforetime was written for them to learn I pray what is it that we should learn by the Scripture if we are not to learn thereby to follow Christs example in proving our works actions or doings by the Scriptures Was it not Christs practice to make use of the Scriptures to prove that what he did was according to Gods declared will made known by the Prophets and was it not the practice of the Apostle see for one place the afore-mentioned Scripture where the Apostle does not onely bring Scripture to prove what was his and the Saints duty for them to do but he also brings Scripture to prove that Christ did the same things that was written of him in the Scriptures that he should do and also that it was and is the duty of those that are Christs Disciples to follow him in what he therein did which was according to Gods declared will in the Scriptures that he should do And many other places of Scripture there be that Christ and his Apostles made use of the Scriptures to prove that what they did was agreeable to the will of God before declared by the holy men of God And I hope none will deny it in words and therefore I shall bring no more Scripture to prove that it was the practice of Christ and followed by the Apostles and yet these were such as had the same true light in ehem that gave forth the Scriptures And do any men think themselves better than Christ and the Apostles and that because the same true light that is in them that was in Christ and the Apostles and that therefore they ought not to bring their works actions and doings to the Scriptures to be tryed by them to see whether they be agreeable to the works actions or doings of the holy men of old done in them by that spirit that gave forth the Scriptures or whether they be agreeable to the will of God declared in the Scriptures by those holy men of old that was and is Gods will for us to obey him in The Apostle said Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning What were they written onely for the learning of the Apostles and those in that day And what were they not written for our learning now in this day of the shining forth of the light amongst us And to the same end that we through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures might have hope And have we not comfort and hope by bringing our works actions and doings to the Scriptures to try them by the Scriptures I say to try our works actions or doings by the Scriptures I do not say to try the true light that is in us by the Scriptures that is a falsity and deceit to speak after that manner but to try our works actions and doings by the Scriptures to see how agreeing they are to the works actions and doings of the holy men of God in those things that the Scripture make mention of that they were carried forth by the spirit of God the true light in them to do and also to try our works actions and doings by those things written in the Scripture that the holy men gave forth by the spirit of God in them the true light that is the duty for man to do according to the declared will of God Now as we bring our works actions or doings to this Touch-stone to be tryed by it and find that our works actions or doings are agreeable to what the holy men of old did in obedience to God and as they in obedience to God declared what was Gods will that man should obey him in I say as men thus bring their works actions or doings to the holy Scripture to be tryed by it whether they are agreeable to the works actions or doings that God by his spirit the true light wrought in the holy men of old that gave forth the Scriptures or agreeable to what God by the spirit of the true light gave in command to the holy men of old that man ought to do in obedience to God And when they have brought their works actions or doings to the Scriptures thus to be tryed and find them answerable and agreeing to the works actions or doings wrought by Gods spirit the true light in the holy men of old or answerable and agreeing to the works actions or doings given forth from God by the holy men of old for man to obey God in As they thus find their works actions or doings to be answerable and agreeing to and with the Scriptures so are the Scriptures a comfort and hope to them that as the holy men of God in old time did enjoy the love and favour of God in this life and more in the life to come as is made known in the Scriptures so if we with patience continue in our obedience by the help and assistance of the true light in us to God according to Gods declared will in the Scriptures God may and will do the like by us and for us as he did for the holy men of old And this Comfort and Hope I have and do now find in the Scriptures for some years before I heard of the name of a Quaker I by experience had found that the Letter of the Scripture killed and from that death that I was made serviceable of that I got by trusting in that knowledge that I had by the Letter of the Scriptures thinking by that knowledge to have eternal life it made me afraid to read the Scriptures for above a year fearing thereby I should be a means to hinder my self of that life that was to be had in and by the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures and I did declare that the Scriptures were not the Word of God but that was the Word of God by which all things were made but the Scriptures as they were given forth by the spirit of God as he moved the holy men to speak them so they were the words spoken by God And now I do give that honour to the Scriptures that Paul writ of 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. And from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works here is the right use that is to be made of the Scriptures they are able to make wise unto salvation but it must be through that faith that is in Christ Jesus it must be by believing that there is
from the root of sin from the love to sin God caused me to cry out against this Altar of self-obedience to God and against the Sacrifices offered upon it to please satisfie and content themselves in a strict observing doing and performing of all and every the outward things required in the outward Worship that they did set up as Jeroboam did and neglected the true Worship of God and neglected the Worship of God in his Spirit and in his Truth and in that which doth not onely save from sin in the act but from sin in the love of it And in telling them the danger that would follow and befal such a Worship as I had experienced and if any of them had set up such a Worship not charging any particular person with so doing but declaring what I knew of the subtilty of the Serpent putting man upon so doing and the danger that they were in who were in such a Worship And where is there a Meeting that there is no such Worshippers in But that all and every person that belongs to the Meeting are such and onely such as are worshipping God in his Spirit and in his Truth in his Jesus that does not onely save them from the outward actions of sin but from the love and desire to sin And those that are not thus worshpping God in his Spirit and in his Truth in his Jesus in that which saves from sin and not onely saves from outward sins taken notice of by men to be sins but saves from the root of sin from the love to sin Let them be what they will be and think of themselves as highly as they will and be never so highly esteemed of by others yet I must once more tell them whatsoever outward Worship it is that they profess it is but a Worship that the subtile Serpent puts them upon and they are with Jeroboam making of Calves and saying in their hearts these be the gods that have saved thee from that bondage and slavery that once they were under by and for their outward sins and all that they are doing in that Worship is but an offering Sacrifice upon that Altar that they have set up of self-obedience to God I shall not say that upon my thus crying out against this Altar of self obedience to God and the Sacrifices offered thereon that King Jeroboam put out his hand and said Lay hold on him but this I can say that he that looked upon himself as the chief man in the Meeting and was so esteemed of by others he often when I was speaking to the purposes aforesaid would rise up and go out of the Meeting and the rest of the Meeting would follow him I shall not say that he had done as Jeroboam did make Calves for his own safety to preserve his life and was offering Sacrifice upon the Altar of Self-obedience and therefore with Jeroboam could not indure to hear his Altar to be cry'd out against but the Tree is known by its fruit Some others although they followed his example of going out of the Meeting yet they shew something more of the following of Christs Command than he did and they would come sometimes and speak to me about my speaking which I always gave them mild and very gentle answers as I know none of them dare say to the contrary and although they had nothing to say against what I spoke but that my words were true nor had they any thing against my Life and Conversation they could not deny but that I lived as blameless as any of them But the great thing they had to say against my speaking was because my words did not reach the witness of God in them or the seed of God in them as they called it but when I spake there was something in them that was troubled and burdened and therefore they put out their hands to lay hold on me dâ—siring me to speak no more And by what spirit it was that they spake thus to me I have here already declared in declaring in what spirit it was that Peter rebuked Jesus in for speaking what was true and how Jesus words were a trouble and a burden to a will that opposed Gods will in Peter and the rest of the Twelve and so shall say no more of it now From this great disturbance my speaking to the aforesaid purposes had made to that will in them that could not endure to hear true words spoken in declaring and making known the subtilty of the Serpent how he kept up his Kingdom in man in and under an outward form of godliness of being like God when he disobeys God in that he does not worship him in his spirit and in his truth in his Jesus as he perswaded man at first and thereby caused him to fall telling him by disobeying God he should be as Gods This did so disturb burden and trouble that will in them that when there came any to the Meeting that day that they were willing to hear them speak words that many times if I did while such were there when none was either speaking or praying yet if I began to speak a few words then one or other of them would either stand up and fall a speaking or fall down upon their knees and pray or else go out of the Meeting and so break up the Meeting and so they put out their hands against me saying Lay hold on him Yet amongst all these that did put forth their hands against me there was never any one of them that would begin a discourse with me concerning my speaking no not one of them and yet I constantly when the Meeting was ended followed them to the aforesaid chief mans house whither they constantly went and there stayed till they went from thence if they went from thence that night I saw their going away and if they stayed there all night then I stayed there until they were about going to supper And sometimes I would begin the discourse with them to know why they dealt so by me but I received very pitiful answers from them sometimes they would say they thought I had done speaking because I did not follow on to speak so fast as some do and sometimes I had this answer that if any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by the first was to hold his peace and therefore when they began to speak I was to hold my peace indeed I did so because I would beget no disturbance but that is not the meaning of the Scripture but the meaning of the Scripture is quite contrary for if any thing be revealed to one that sitteth by the first is to hold his peace before he that had any thing revealed to him was to begin to speak or else how could they all Prophecy one by one and it was the practice of the Apostles as you may read Acts 15. And it is the constant practice amongst them that the one leaves speaking before the other begins but so