unto the day of God And having felt his Love by kissing of his Rod I will make mention of his Name and tell of his Salvation For he hath shewed me the same which saves out of Transgression Therefore with joy unto the Lord with th'Spirit I will sing Who hath broken the snare and cord of Death which was a sting And hath quickened by his Power a life in me to live Which when it feels his pleasent showers doth Praises to him give I when I feel the pure Fountain in me to ope and spring Which issues from Sions Mountain the Life of her sweet King Then is my sp'rit orecome ev'n with the issues of that Life Which cometh from the glorious Sun who leadeth out of strife Into the perfect pure Love which never thinketh ill Where nothing at all doth him move to any but pure good-will O in this Life that 's free from strife my soul hath its delight For O it is my married Wife to whom my very life In that same holy Marriage which is both clean and pure Which neither Death nor Hell can break but ever will endure Is even wedded yet not by any Imagination But by the Spirit undefil'd which saves out of transgression Yet in much fear unto the Lord I cry O without thy Presence what am I If thou forsake me I shall surely fall For of my self I have no strength at all O therefore by thy Power me deliver And save to glorifie thy Name for ever Yet now come hearken unto me all that desire to know And my Beloved long to see the way to you I le show It is by walking in the Light which doth convince of sin Which is committed in the night by all that walk therein Therefore out of the Darkness come and hearken to the Light Even the Glory of the Son and it will free you quite So my dear Beloved you will then come to see By whom my soul is moved who 's so dear to me O then you 'l come to see his shape and hear his glorious Voice The which will make the Seed to leap and your souls to rejoyce Therefore come now follow the Light and do not from it turn So shall you have a pure sight and myst'ries deep shall learn Even that great and glorious Work of happy Restoration The which is wrought by him that makes the blessed new creation Who sitting on the Throne alone shines like a precious stone Who doth enlighten every one that in the world doth come Therefore let all that fear the Lord now hearken to his Voice And obey it that better is than any Sacrifice Wherefore now come and look within and there encline your ear For 't is the Spirit of the Lord which only speaketh there For though mans heart's deceitful and imaginations nought Yet God's Spirit it is which shews him ev'ry idle thought Therefore within let every one unto the Light return And hearken to its Voice that 's pure and then you 'l come to learn What that is call'd that doth redeem and save the soul from sin And then you 'l come to know the Law that written is within Even by the finger and direction of the living God In all the hearts of them who understand and kiss his Rod Which smiteth and chastiseth them when ere they go astray That it might turn them that are out into the good old Way Wherein they will find peace that 's pure unto their souls and then Shall rest with God which will endure for evermore Amen And so the Lord God of eternal Holiness having lighted a Candle in my heart and given me a measure of his good Spirit by which he hath preached Righteousness thorow me if I had never opened my mouth nor set pen to paper I say I am not now to put it under a bushel and hide it but to set it up that it may give light unto all neither must I hide my Talent in the earth lest it be taken from me and given to another who will improve it better but my chiefest care must be to stand in all things approved to God in faithfulness and when he draws me or calls me forth if I leave the old man to mend his Net himself as Peter and John did let none that knows me marvel at it for I must go about my Father's business who hath redeemed my mind out of the love of earthly things and worldly delights that I should set my whole delight in him who hath also brought me to see of the travel of my soul and to be satisfied concerning the knowledge of his Truth so that I look not for another Truth Way Leader nor Guide to lead me up to a higher glory in this Truth which is yet to be attained for the revealing of which am I waiting in the Light not expecting any thing any other way but only a growing from strength to strength and a pressing on from glory to glory even as God in his Son Christ the Light shall make known himself unto me but I expect not another Saviour than Him the Light for by Him the Lepers are cleansed the blind made to see and the lame man to leap like an Hart the dumb to speak and to the poor is the Gospel preached by Him whom he filleth with good things but the rich and the full he sends empty away all which whosoever receives and follows the Lamb the Light the Way the Truth and the Life shall come to witness and reade with a clear understanding what I have written but from those that rebel against the Light these things are sealed by the hand of the Wisdom of God I. W. Some wholesom DIRECTIONS to stir up young People to seek after their Creator in the dayes of their youth ANd now O all you Young men and Maids with all that are of a capacity to understand my words who are young and tender in years for my bowels yearn towards you therefore come hearken to my voice and be attentive to the words of my mouth and I will instruct you in the Fear of the Lord which is the beginning of true Wisdom Now this is the Counsel of God unto you which he hath put into my heart to write that you all hearken to that which shews you the evil of the world and the vanity of your own wayes which condemns you for every evil word and action for that I testifie unto you all is the Spirit of God which he hath given you to profit withall which as you receive it will open your understandings and if you join therewith it will give you dominion over sin and cleanse you from iniquity O therefore come down to it and put your necks under the yoke and let that which crosseth the vain mind be your delight and still join with that in you which breatheth after God so shall you come to an acquaintance with him for to that doth he make known himself and to them and none but them
THE Doctrine of Perfection VINDICATED By way of Answer to some objecting Reasons frequently used by them that plead for Sin in this life And that Freedom from Sin is to be attained in this life or never plainly shewed herein and how they that deny it are one with the false Prophets and Antichristian Seducers spoken of in the Scriptures With some Wholsome EXHORTATION given forth as the Spirit gave utterance tending to provoke all that make a profession of God to press on after the same Shewing plainly how it is agreeable with what is signified in the Scripture and the Light within both of which bears witness for the said Doctrine and against all Sin Something likewayes expressed concerning BREAD and WINE Also some wholsome DIRECTIONS to stir up young People to seek after their Creator in the dayes of their youth Written by one who breathes to God for the Redemption of the Seed that lies yet in the house of bondage bound by the Cords of Iniquity J. Whitehouse LONDON Printed for R. Wilson 1663. TO THE READERS FRIENDS THe eternal invisible Fountain of Wisdom Life Love and everlasting Mercy who is the Creator and Upholder of all things by the Word of his powerful Spirit who is God over all blessed for ever who when I was young and tender in years did beget a sincere desire in my soul which hath caused me even to this day secretly to seek after the knowledge of and acquaintance with him that I might know his Will and receive Power from him to do the same 's the which desires he in his endless Love to my poor breathing soul which hath no true peace nor satisfaction but in doing his Will and enjoying his Presence which is of more value to me than any outward thing yea than Life it self in this world hath far more abundantly satisfied than many now can or than I my self once could believe when I was in the darkness which comprehends not the Light of his Son which shines in the hearts of the sons and daughters of men letting them see the evil of their wayes which I testifie as one who hath made proof of the same is sufficient to give them the knowledge of God and to lead them into all Truth if they would but give up to follow the leadings of it by the leadings of which in my seeking estate have I been drawn from one sort of People to another still to associate my self with those who did most sincerely press on after God in a holy life being willing to run with the formost that I might obtain with them the prize which is to say in this life only a perfect freedom from all sin even to put off the old man with all his deeds which is sin and a putting on the new which is created after God in perfect and true Holiness which the Lord God hath given me by his Spirit to believe and see a possibility of attaining to in which only stands the certain assurance of the full Prize and the eternal Weight and Crown of Glory which in the Life to come is to be fully enjoyed the which this first is but as an Earnest of without which the true certainty of the second cannot be obtained And since I have received this Faith power thereby hath been given me far more than before when I rejected the Light of his Son by which only I witness it is received And now this Faith which is from above even the perfect gift of God I find to be the chiefest thing for the effecting and compleating of an holy life in man through the power of God in them which believe being received into the heart of obtaining a perfect life becomes as a root therein which is pure that causeth the branches to be holy and keeps the creature circumspect and sincere to God still minding what a holy Calling and Mark is set before it and so the Faith being sound and clean the fruits thereof are Holiness which becomes the House of the Lord God And verily whosoever comes to sup with him without this comely pure covering of Holiness they shall in no wayes enter with the Lamb into the Marriage-Chamber but be shut out the which I see this day to the burthening of my soul and grief of my spirit is abundantly wanting amongst most People professing God and Christ for they having not this purifying Faith count it Blasphemy and Error and so rest and believe in the contrary which is to say they must live in sin whilst in this life being taught so by their blind guides who could not themselves cease therefrom and so Prophaneness is gone forth from the Priests over all the Land as in the ancient dayes which giveth way to much loosness and sin the which if any in the Spirit of meekness and fear of God reprove them for then presently they flee to the Scripture and with the same spirit that leads them to sin rake together all the Saints failings to plead for sin term of life the which those things were never written for so that in stead of resisting the Devil in the pure Faith which stands in the Power of God rather gives place to him and pleads for their so doing so that the Devil hath not his Kingdom by force onely but by consent they having granted him a place in them while they have a place in this life which grieves the Spirit of God their Creator who alone should have the Rule and Government of their bodies souls and spirits which are his in the sense of which I am moved to write these following lines by way of Answer to some Questions or objecting Reasons which are frequently used by them that plead for sin and against the Doctrine of Perfection that if possible it may be a help to stir them up to the Witness of God in them that their Understandings by it may be opened who are not wilfully blind but rather through ignorance stand against the thing being beguiled by the subtilty of the Serpent as Eve in her innocency was who told her though she did eat of the forbidden fruit she should not surely dye and that is his lying voice at this day whether in Teachers or others that tells people though they live in some sin they shall be saved from the condemning power thereof So I shall proceed in order as before-mentioned as the Lord shall assist me by his Spirit with what else may be given me in thereby even as the Spirit shall give to express in what signification God shall please for the good of all that desire after him to whom this may come the which I commit to the Light in all Consciences to answer to the truth hereof desiring all that know me in the outward not to slight it because of the meanness of the outward vessel that wrote it but with care to weigh it over that God's Witness in you may answer for God hath made the poor in this world rich in
acceptance with God and of his mercy to my soul and I saw it was the evil one which led me into sin that would have me to believe I should not be accepted with God because of my transgressions which I had not gotten power over for to will it was then present with me but how to perform I had not found for though the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ the Light was nigh unto me which now I know makes me free from the Law of sin and death yet I knew it not then but now I know that the Lord was then at work in me begetting desires in my heart after him that so I might be made willing to receive the manifestation of his Son in me with joy which when he had prepared my soul he then revealed in me by which my heart was made glad and even overcome with the love of God and his great Mercies towards me But yet to go back a little while I was ignorant of the glorious Manifestation of God and went to the Baptists Meetings until there was some of the People called Quakers came into this Country who preached up the Light within and the like by whom some of the Baptists were convinced and then the rest of them who were Speakers made it their great business to preach down and against the Light within and so I was thereby hindred with evil Reports of them which then were many very much cast against that People though I had never heard them at all but as concerning those who preached so much against that inward Light wo and alas for them for they are greatly fallen into the Darkness and are become even as sottish as other people and have lost their Zeal which they had for that which they then thought to be Truth for whose sakes I have many times been grieved for I can testifie that there was a good desire once in them which drawed them in some measure as I may say towards Canaan but alas the way proved strait and the mind being alive which lusted after the flesh-pots they are again turned into the darkness of Egypt And notwithstanding all that these men could say for their own way or against others yer I saw plainly neither they nor I were as we should be but I was still unsatisfied because I had a Law in my members that warred against the Law of my mind which led me captive into sin which I could not overcome neither could I believe I ever should though I had a desire against it And so after all these things it was ordered that I must go down to Bristol upon some outward occasion about which time I was seventeen or eighteen years old and it happened that I was to stay there some time in which I did abide at a place where there was a Woman who owned the People called Quakers and she shewed me some of their Books and though I could reade but badly yet I perceived that they were not such a People as I thought they had and so my mind was turned out of enmity against them into love insomuch that I had a desire to hear them so I went to their Meetings several times but could hear no words but in beholding of them I was convinced that they were a People to whom God had manifested more than any People that ever I had seen but how I knew not but at last on a First-day I was much moved in my spirit above other times to go to their Meeting and unknown to me before I came there was a man whose name in the flesh is John Story in whom God had raised his Witness and opened his Understanding to bear a Testimony for him who when I heard speak the Spirit of Life opened my understanding to receive his words which were made serviceable to me at that time for the informing of my mind in the true Way of God which I had been long seeking after the which I gladly received and willingly turned from the Darkness joyning to the Light which I found to be as a man that told me all that ever I had done and not onely so but condemned all sin in me shewing what was good and what was evil condemning me for joyning with the evil And so the ministration of Condemnation I came to witness which was very glorious in its time wherein the just Judgements of the Lord took hold of that which drew me into sin in which Judgments the true Seed greatly rejoyced because its Redemption drew nigh and the Lord was arisen to plead with its Enemy by Fire and Sword which had held it in bondage which I was daily led to take up a Cross to by which the carnal mind which warreth against the spiritual was crucified in me daily and I daily died to the world and the vanities thereof and so my mind came to be redeemed unto God who with the finger of his Spirit wrote his Law in my heart which as I became obedient to it made me free from the Law of sin and gave me victory over it daily so was that in me quickned which delighted only to do the Will of God and to walk in his Way which I testifie is a pleasant path and very delightsom surpassing all the delights and vanities of the world which satisfies not the soul but burdens the pure Seed of God which I witness is set free through Judgements and that there is no way to Life but through Death for fallen man no way to true Joy but through Trouble no way to Canaan but through the Red Sea and the Wilderness no way to enter the Kingdom but through many Tribulations So the Lord by the Spirit of burning hath made that in me which was as a fruitful field to become as a Forest and that which was as a Forest to be as a fruitful field Yea the Lord hath made the parched to be as a pool and the dry-land springs of water and hath visited poor Lazarus with mercy and love but the rich Glutton hath he fed with Judgement and Esau the wild hunter the first birth hath he brought down to serve Jacob the younger who hath obtained the Blessing and hard-hearted Pharoah hath he plagued but Israel the Seed hath he blessed whom he hath led by the pillar of fire which was a light unto him by which he walked out of the darkness of Egypt from under the bondage of Pharoah whom he hath destroyed in the bottom of the Sea Therefore doth the Seed rejoyce and sing with high praises to its King who by the power of his strong hand hath broken the snare and band and set its feet at liberty that it might walk in the way to Canaan the blessed Land in this God's glorious day wherein the Sun is risen in glory bright which hath expell'd the darkness of the cloudy night and hath melted the frost and snow away which covered the tender plant in the gloomy day Wherefore now being come
are of God then that which is of the Devil is done away So here perfection in part will not stand nor agree with this Doctrine for it is manifest if we are in Christ Jam. 1.4 then the intireness is known where nothing is wanting because all things are of God who is perfect but this work is not by self neither by man's own willing â—or running but of God that shews mercy Col. 1.27 1 Cor. 1.30 2 Cor. 4.7 which mercy is Christ the Light in all that receive him the hope of Glory who is made unto them wisdom and power to mortifie and justifie to kill and to make alive even to work all their works in them and for them which was the treasure that the Apostles had in their earthen vessels that the excellency of the Power might be of God and not of them the which work must be witnessed in this life for after the departure hence Heb. 3.7 8. there is no putting off the old man with his deeds Therefore while it is called to day harden not your hearts but arise and awake to Righteousness and hearken to that which knocks at the door of your hearts calling to repentance Rev. 3.20.21.27 for nothing that defiles or is defiled must enter with the Lamb into the Kingdom of Glory And if your heads lie down in sin and in it you end your race even so will your rest be in your old garments you will be found which the Lord who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity hath no pleasure in neither will receive you unless your garments are made white in the blood of the Lamb which clenseth all who walk in his Light from sin which was witnessed by the Apostles who walked therein in this world which made them bold against the day of Judgment because as he was even so were they which is agreeable to Christ's own words who said He that is perfect shall be as his Master the which if you witness not before you go hence all your hopes of it hereafter wil be as a dream wherein a man thinks he is drinking but when he awakens lo he is dry Even so all your dreams of entring into Holiness with Christ or having his Righteousness imputed for yours whilst you have lived in unrighteousness will all pass away as a vision of the night or as a dream which cometh to nothing And for the further proof of this point in hand the Doctrine of Perfection Joh. 1.1 give ear a little to the Light of Christ the faithful and true Witness even the Word that was in the beginning before sin was brought forth Rom. 10 8. which in the Scripture is called the Word nigh in the heart and in the mouth which Paul preached Joh. 15.26 and the Spirit of Truth which convinceth the world of sin which is infallible and cannot change nor err but keeps its unity with God of whose nature it is Behold I bear a Testimony against all sin saith the Light whatever is reproved is made manifest by me and in righteous Judgment I seal the Condemnation upon every soul of man that doth evil for I never consented to any sin since the day that man transgressed against me in the beginning but have kept my Unity with my Father in purity though man fell yet not me I spare no sin great nor small but by me it is condemned all neither speak I peace to any therein telling them they shall be saved from the Wrath to come though they live in some sin though man's ear which should have heard my Voice hath been stopped by the Devil and his eye kept blind by the god of the world so that he hath not known my Voice nor seen my Shape and though I have knockt at the door of his heart yet he would not open to me but loved the voice of the Serpent better who hath taught many to teach this for Truth That he must have some part in their hearts as long as they live on the earth and yet notwithstanding they shall be saved but behold they shall find it a lie and I will make them to know it was never spoken by me in the day when I shall judge the secrets of all hearts when none shall be able to stop my Mouth nor hinder my Voice Then will I kindle a Fire that shall never go out and quicken a Worm which shall gnaw eternally then shall they remember how I shewed them the evil of their wayes and set their sins in order before them but they would not hearken unto me neither regard reproof but stopped their hears at my Voice and closed their eye-lids at the shining of my Light John 3.19 20. loving the darkness rather because their deeds are evil therefore the wages of sin shall be their portion in the pit of death for ever Wherefore thus saith the Light that shines in darkness Come all ye workers of iniquity and stand in your ranks together and let me reason with you a little O ye Murderers and envious ones ye Thieves and covetous of other mens goods ye Swearers Lyars and false-witness-bearers Cozeners Cheaters and users of any dissimulation whatsoever with all you proud lustful ones and all you Gamesters and vain boasters Singers and rejoycers in that which your own vain minds have invented and all foolish jesters and speakers of idle words whatsoever even all from the greatest sinners to the least Do not I the Light in all your Consciences reprove and condemn you for all these things as well the least as the greatest Did I ever give you leave to live in any of these things but contrariwise have I often wooed and entreated you to come out of them telling and shewing you plainly if you lived in any of these things you should never inherit the Kingdom of God And also O you Professors who have had a form of Godliness but not the holy power thereof who in an outward show have made many Prayers with other outside shews of Holiness while your hearts were full of Iniquity and the in-side all Deceit have not I the Light often smitten you for these things Mat. 7.20 21 22 23. shewing you that the Lord looked not at the outward appearance but only requireth the heart and though you may say you have prophesied in my Name yea and cast out Devils with many wonderful works yet will I profess I never knew you unless you receive me that I may cleanse you from all iniquity Wherefore cleanse your hands ye Publicans and purifie your hearts ye Pharisees for so long as you are in sin neither of you are justified by me Deny me in any of these things before-mentioned if you can for which if I condemn you think you to find mercy with my Father Nay Joh. 5.22 nay my Father and I are both one and he hath committed all Judgment unto me and that you will find one day to your utter condemnation
who wait therein upon him wherefore let not your minds run after vain things but above all mind the Fear of the Lord and seek after your Creator in your youthful dayes before the evil seed hath gotten too deep a root in your hearts for then it will be hard to get it out yea ever the longer you put the day of the Lord off so much the harder will it be for you to return and become conformable to his Will even as it is hard to make an old crooked tree streight and fit it for the building which is not done without much hewing so will it be with you if you go on till old age in the crooked perversness of sin but if you take up the Cross while you are young then shall you grow up as the pleasant plants of a Garden in whom the Husbandman is well-pleased who will make it the delight of his soul to water you with the distilling Dews of his Love which is better than Wine or Oyl or any earthly thing O then after Him seek ye with your whole hearts then shall you find Him and be satisfied in the fulness of his Love whose Life will rest upon you and make you like unto himself whose Image of Love you are to bear forth to all men who causeth his Sun to shine upon his Enemies aswel as his Friends but yet you are to bear a faithful Testimony against all Unrighteousness hating the evil of all but the persons of none and in all conditions watch over your own spirits with diligence for the greatest enemy you have to deal with is in your own house which will be drawing your minds into something or other in the Creation below that so he might cause you to forget God your Creator which if you be crossed in and cannot have your wills satisfied nor accomplish the desire of your minds murmur not for God seeth what will be best for your good and his glory O therefore let not your minds run after Gold nor Silver Houses nor Lands Wives nor Husbands neither the Friendship of the World nor the Fashions thereof which will all pass away and come to nothing but above all these seek ye first the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof and in it be content with what shall be of God added unto you who will not suffer those that fear him to want any good thing who have chosen the one thing needful above all other things even the good part and have refused the evil and the many things whereby comes the offence such have made a good choice for the Lord is their Inheritance and Portion and their Lot is fallen in a good ground Wherefore all come turn in and cleave to the one good thing even that which never consented to any evil for that is the Seed of the Kingdom which is likened to a little Leaven which the woman hid in the Meal and it leavened the whole Lump even so is that Seed the Righteous Leaven hid in your hearts to leaven you into its nature which is of the Nature of God O then let all your hearts be united thereunto and in obedience give up to the vvorkings of it and then it vvill vvork out all that is contrary to God in you and make you like unto it self vvhich is meek and lowly harmless pure and undefiled and therefore it condemns you while you are in the lofty hurtful filthy nature which leads you into sin Which if it follow you with Torment Condemnation giving you no peace in your evil vvayes then this I testifie as one who have had experience thereof That it is the Love of God unto you for then is he seeking after you and striving with you by his Spirit that he might draw you to Himself who would not that you should perish in your sin but turn to him and receive the reproof of his Instruction which is the Way of Life O therefore turn ye turn ye and kiss the Rod that smites you and it will be a staff of strength unto you with which you shall walk and not be weary and with it shall you smite down your Enemy who would stop you in the way and when you are faint you shall lean thereon and be strengthened and then that which was your Condemner will become your Justifier and that which spoke trouble will speak peace unto you Wherefore let the time past be sufficient which you have spent in vanity and for time to come see that you hearken to that which calls to Repentance even the Light of Jesus which is the more sure Word of Prophecy nigh in your hearts and in your mouthes which is the Word of Faith which the Apostle preached which will purifie your hearts from sin and cleanse your spirits from iniquity So while the Lord calls see that you answer for his Spirit will not alwayes strive with men And now my Friends you who are in any measure turned to this or hereafter may turn and by it come to see many vanities of the World and foolish customs of men which you must forsake or you cannot have peace with God which will be a cross unto you this is my Counsel unto you That you reason not with flesh and blood which must not God's Kingdom inherit but give up freely and look not at your own weakness neither flee the Cross for if you do then you save alive the Enemy of your own peace which is the carnal mind which must be crucified upon the Cross which is spiritual So stay your minds only in the Light and there you will find the Power of God to crucifie your carnal minds in which the weakness stands and will give you power over all vvithin and vvithout for this I can truly say for your encouragement Are you weak and fearful so was I but the Lord hah made me in many things strong and bold for that which is good glory to his Name for ever in whom I will make my boast for he it is who worketh all my works in me and for me so that I am nothing but He is all who if He should forsake me I should surely fall So whatever he may shew you or do for you or with you yet still keep you in the sense of your own nothingness lest the boasting mind get up in you to rob Him of his Glory So be not high-minded but fear and make it your greatest care to be diligent and hearken to his Voice that you may be prepared for the glorious Manifestation which is to be revealed in you by the Son of God who is arisen higher in his Beauty than in the dayes past wherein the cloud of Ezer and thick darkness was over many by which they were vailed but the day is at hand wherein the light of the Moon shall become as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun as the light of seven dayes and the eyes of many shall be opened to see