cometh and how it works in its power and efficacy that I may know the difference of a Believer and an Unbeliever and also whether I be in the Faith or no Answer Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God the Word and the Spirit is one but the Spirit and the Letter is two for the Letter killeth but the Spirit maketh alive the Spirit is a free gift the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal the nature of the Spirit is light and with this light are all men enlightned that all men through him might believe the manner of the Spirit working in the heart First a discovery of the sin and the want of life in the soul Secondly it begets a true desire after the Lord and a secret hunger and thirst after righteousness and draws the heart to be affected into the love of the Spirit as it is written He that loves the light brings his deeds to the light and through love the Spirit begets a belief in the heart to its self and as it is written He that believes in the light shall not abide in darkness all sin is darkness Mark the manifestation of the Spirit that searcheth the heart and maketh the sin known the same sorts the sins and evil deeds the light makes them manifest of what sort they are and as the sin is made known to be sin the manifestation of the Spirit that sheweth the sins and sorts them the same Spirit convinceth the Conscience of every sin and every evil deed and the same manifestation of the Spirit abides in the heart which is the onely means to work out mans salvation and the manner of its working in the heart as its nature is light and love even so it begets the heart into union with it self As it is written Of his own will begot he us by the word of truth and as the heart is drawn through love into union with the Spirit it is drawn from the sin and from the evil for the love of Christ constraineth and the same manifestation of the Spirit which is Gods free gift to work out mans salvation that begets the heart into unity with it self the same begets a belief in the heart to believe in Christ the Light who is the light of the world who hath enlightned every man that all men through him might believe and the honest heart receiveth the truth in the love of it the Spirit begets a belief in the heart and this is the Faith that comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God and this faith is that which works by love and this is the faith that purifieth the heart the strength of this faith removes the sin removes mountains and gives victory as it is written He that believes in the light shall not abide in darkness but shall have the light of life and this is the promise and the portion which the believer receives he shall have the light of life and the life gives assurance for every believer hath a seal in his soul of life eternal through the working of the Spirit by its power and efficacy in mortifying and destroying the works of the Devil that sinne and death may have no more dominion in the heart and so death comes to be swallowed up by victory and the promise of God accomplished in Christ who saith I am come that you might have life who is the life and brings life who cometh and his reward is with him Question Thou speakest that Christ hath enlightned every man that all men through him might believe what is the reason that all should be enlightned and yet some come short of Faith in Christ Answer The defect it not in the light but their rejecting it is the cause The mercy and justice of God through Christ by enlightning all that in the day of account all may be left without excuse mans misery will be found to be of himself here lieth the matter all are enlightned but all men have not faith many will not believe that the light is truth or that it is sufficient to save the soul and such hates the light every one that doth evil hateth the light and calleth the good evil and evil good and putteth light for darkness and darkness for light and such becomes reprobates concerning the Faith so that it is plain one sort loving the light believing and obeying it and another sort hating rejecting resisting and denying so that such as hates to be reformed and rejects the motions of the Spirit and resisteth the Holy Ghost and denyeth the Lord that bought them their destruction is of themselves and the Lord and his faithful people will be clear of their blood in the day of Judgement Question But is the light of Christ sufficient to save the Believer Answer Yea the light is the author of the faith and the faith standeth in the light and so it is saving faith and the light is the grace and it is written My grace is sufficient for thee This grace was and is the Saints teacher which taught and teacheth the believer to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts Question If the light be the authour of the true saith in the believer and so the authour of mans salvation what is the portion of the unbeliever seeing thou sayest that all are enlightned Answer The unbelievers that hate the light the light is their condemnation as it is written This is the condemnation that light is come and men love darkness because their deeds are evil as also the grace that was the Saints teacher the unbelievers denied the grace and turned to wantonness and heaped up teachers to themselves having itching ears as many do at this day so the grace that taught and justified and justifieth the believers living in it the same grace condemneth the unbelievers denying to be taught and guided by it who have it in their hearts but hateth to be reformed by it Question I am much satisfied that the word of God in the heart is the Spirit of God and that it is Gods free gift and the onely means to work out mans salvation and also that by this free gift which is the manifestation of the Spirit every unbeliever in the day of Judgement shall be left without excuse Answer Thus the questioner is answered in the truth concerning the word of God in the heart and the power and efficacy of its working by deviding betwixt the joynt and marrow and by giving a discerning of the thoughts and intents of the heart the discerning is the eye by which eye the power of the word in the heart is discerned A separation being made in the heart by the word whereby good and evil is divided and the word in the heart giveth a discerning of the evil in the heart and so the light of the body is the eye this is that eye that the god of this world had blinded which the power of the word hath opened and
anointed with eye salve that it can see and discern the thoughts and intents of the heart And also to discern words and actions oathes and lyes and the intent of the heart in all carriages towards God and man now to discern the intent of all words and to discern the intents of the thoughts and the intent of a lye and the like as in this manner how the devil worketh who abode not in the truth who was a lyar and murtherer from the beginning who is the authour of all evil that is to say to draw the minde and heart of man from God to believe lyes Aud thus the Serpent did to Eve by alluring her to eat of the forbidden fruit saying it is good and Adam in like manner by eating therof lost his blessed estate Thus the authour of sin the authour of evil deceived and deceiveth mankinde by drawing the mind from the good to the evil and in presenting the evil delightsome to the eye of the minde and alluring the heart thereafter to be affected therewith as into one lust after another and also divers lying vanities divers lyes to get ungodly gain and so into pride of heart and oathes and the like as covetousness oppression envy and malice and persecution Thus the author of sin hath allured the heart of man from God and inticed it to sin and sinners that such and the like above mentioned lusts which war against the soul Man in the fall is overcome with evil and where the Devil sits as king in the heart who is called the prince of the aire that ruleth in the children of disobedience It is his work to blinde the eye that such should not see the light of the gorious Gospel shining in their hearts and such are carried captive by Satan at his will into such strong holds and hurtful lusts as is before mentioned And being blinde they cannot see nor discern the thoughts and intents of their hearts their eyes being shut up in unbelief in departing from the living God and lending an ear an eye and an heart unto the author of sin and so into the fleshly lusts that war against the soul And such whose eyes are blinded whose ears are stopped and hearts hardned by the deceitfulness of sin in that state such cannot believe that the truth is the truth but as the unbelieving Jews that rose up against the Lord of life even so now do such unreasonable men who have not faith persecute those who bear testimony to the truth as it is made manifest in them so that as it was it is they that are born after the flesh persecute them that are born after the spirit in such a manner that many have thought they have done God service as Saul did Thus man in the fall being drove from God in the state of degeneration his eye is blinded and heart hardened through the deceitfulness of sin committing wickedness with greediness until the Lord opens his eyes by the manifestation of his Spirit whereby the understanding comes to be enlightned and a discerning given into his heart to discern his own estate that he is fallen into by the temptations of Satan and his instruments And also that which gives a discerning of the heart sheweth how the heart is run with delight into several fleshly lusts strong holds and wicked practices and lying vanities which the Devil is the authour of and by so doing is overcome with evil and as the Serpent told Eve that the forbidden fruit was good she might eat so hath the Devil taught many to call evil good and to eat thereof and so by eating thereof the sin is committed and so death entered as it was to Adam and Eve and so it is with all the sons and daughters of Adam in the fall as it is written As in Adam all dye so in Christ shall all be made alive But to know how all in Christ are made alive is a mystery for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life which gift of God is the Son of God and he that hath the Sonne hath Life but he that hath not the Son hath no life for the Son is the way the truth and life to the believer which way is described how it may be obtained by the answers of several questions in this Book which may be useful to the honest hearted for their recovery out of the state of Adam in the fall unto Christ the second Adam that never fell HEre followeth a declaration of an opening in my heart as by vision in me as I lay in bed in the night season in the twelfth Moneth 1663. in which Vision there appeared unto my view a sumptuous building in form like to a spacious Lords Pallace standing on a hill and I beholding of it delighted in it and as I looked upon it it appeared to me that there were several pipes of lead laid round about the walls of that building ordered in mine eye to serve the whole house with water And I stood considering from whence this water should come to serve such a spacious place being it stood upon a hill And it further appeared to me that the water that served the whole house came from a Fountain and the Lord of that building had ordered conveyance from the Fountain to serve the whole house And it being such an excellent work I greatly desired to see the Fountain and how the water was conveyed from the Fountain And then I was shewed an excellent place called a Porters Lodge where the Porter abode continually and it was shewed me that that Porter was highly esteemed of the Lord of the building and commission were given to him to serve the whole house with water and that both the Fountain and the conveyance of the water were to be ordered at his pleasure Then I greatly desired to see into the house how the house was supplied with water and withal way was made for me to enter into the house and as I walked into several rooms there were several servants and every servant had his office and I looked for the water and in some of the rooms the water came in abundantly and those servants of those rooms kept all things under their charge in good order very pleasant to behold to the great honour of the Lord of that house and then I walked further in the house into other rooms and I looked for the water and the water came into those rooms very slowly and the servants of those rooms were not industerous in their places for their Lord but were part for their Lord and part for themselves and their rooms were not clean and it was shewed me that there were many of those unfaithful servants and unclean rooms Then I desired to see further into the house and going further along into other rooms I looked for water seeing the rooms exceeding foul and the servants of those rooms wholly at ease and it was shewed me that there was
do not walk up to what they are perswaded in their heart is truth they being full of fears but if many do so for fear of the Law may not the Lord ardon such and shew mercy afterward Answer It is in God to pardon and to shew mercy upon repentance and forsaking sin and transgression but it is a dangerous thing to tempt and provoke the Lord by disobeying his voice slighting his visitation for it is with him to harden to give the creature to unbeliefe as he sees Cause so to day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts for they that neglect the day of their visitation wherein God calls them to repentance which is the day of mercy and healing his justice will find them out and how can it stand with the justice of God to own such as deny him hath not the Lord called many this day that will not hear may not the day come that such may call and cry and he will not hear are not such as know the truth and not obey it the fearful and unbelieving whom God will judge how dare thou who art afraid to confesse him before men count thy self a beleever or how dare thou build upon a hope in thy heart that he should hear thee when thou callest and thou deny him now he calls not this the hippocrites hope that must perish Question Thou speakest of a call that the Lord calls unto his people by how may I know when God calleth me or what is Gods call that I may know it Answer Gods call is by his word which is nigh in the heart that thou may hear it and do it it is so nigh thee that thou canst neither swear nor lie but the word is so nigh it will reprove thee and condemn thee Question Is that Gods call I have known that many times but whether doth it call me Answer The word in the heart calleth from the sin it is nigh to discover every sin it is a living word it is quick in making the sin known and calleth to abstain there are many are called but few are chosen Question What is the reason that many should be called and few chosen Answer The want of love to Gods word how should God Chuse such as hates to be reformed for God hath placed his word in the heart to reform the heart and many will talk of the word with their mouth but hates to be reformed by it in their hearts so as it is written every one that doth evil hateth the light but he that heareth the word and doth it such maketh their calling and election sure such yeildeth to the word that is so nigh to discover every oath and every lie though it might bring much gain the word is so nigh that calleth to forsake and rebukes also with such strokes of Judgement in the Conscience the righteous smiteth the Lord hath smitten and in smiting the fear of the Lord is learned the word is nigh in the heart that thou should hear it and do it the hearers and doers are such as yeilds and is willing to be taught by it but such as heareth the word and doth it not the word is as an hammer and smiteth them in their conscience that they go with a wounded Conscience and falleth under the wrath of God through disobedience Question Is there ability to be obtained as in matter of salvation as by hearing and doing or is it a matter of condemnation to hear it and not to do it Answer Yea there is matter of salvation in hearing and doing for it is written he that hear eth my word and doth it is compared to a wise man that built upon a rock but such as hear and do it not are compared to build upon the sand Question Hath man power to do the one and leave the other undone or may it not be imputed that it is a matter of works seeing that man may do it or leave it undone because thou saist hear and do or hear and not do Answer Yea there is power in man given him of God and he that is of God heareth Gods word the word is quick it is a speaking word is revealed in the heart speaketh against all manner of sin that ariseth in the heart so he that hath an ear to hear what the Lord saith such dare not lend an ear to the sin or to the wicked so the word is a law to the lawless the power stands in the word which is Gods stroke to the sinful part the love of this being felt in the heart Constraineth unto obedience and so begetteth a willingness in the mind for the word being powerful over-pours the heart which hath had its life in evil and overcomes the heart by love so that what by its love and what by its judgements the honest heart is made subject and this is none of mans works nor mans righteousness but the power of the word that the upright in heart heareth and doth by yielding obedience in heart unto it But he that heareth the word and doth it not are such as â—ive in Pride and Pleasures as Swearing Lying and even all manner of evil and hath many secret reproofs in their Consciences but will none of its reproofs and hates to be reformed by it for every one that doth evil hates the light so that their is a willingness in man naturally as being faln to do evil and being wholly inclined in heart thereunto there is power enough to do evil but hath no power of himself to do good but to leave all without excuse the Lord who hath no delight in the death of a sinner hath caused his light to appear in the sinful heart who by the word maketh the sin manifest so that many can acknowledge they do live in gross sins and that they are condemned in their own Consciences many times that the custom or habit of sin carrieth their hearts away to delight in iniquity so that the love of the evil carrieth or draws the heart after it and into it and that the creature hath power naturally to chuse the evil the heart being wholly bent thereunto yet this man or these sort of evil men are ready to confess upon examination that they many times do hear the word in their hearts that afflicts them and condemns them in their Consciences for not doing of it thus with many their is a Confessing but not a forsaking And therefore it is that they do not find mercy Question I astance some particulars that I may understand more plainly Answer For instance some men are given to Drunkenness and have an habit in that sin doth the Spirit of God lead into that sin nay then it must needs be an evil Spirit that leads into evil ways Now the word of God is nigh such a one even in his heart at the very time when the mind is running after strong drink or bad Company and the word sheweth the man the sin
you are carried about with windes without fruit as to God And further in the 13th verse Iude describes such more at large as raging wayes of the Sea foaming out your own shame wandering stars and your portion he hath described saying To whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever And further Iude brings Enochs prophesie of the Lords coming with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all the ungodly for their ungodly deeds and hard speeches And Iude further describes them that the Lord would execute judgement upon stiling them that they might be known in the 16. ver These are they which are murmurers complainers walking after their own lusts speaking great swelling words having mens persons in admiration because of advantage Do not you Priests believe that you are of this number whom Iude hath described in matter of practise yet further Iude openeth such more in the 18. and 19. verses saying how the Apostle spoke of such before how there should be mockers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts saying These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit Mark Iude saith these who walk after their own ungodly lusts such as are sensual separated from the Spirit Consider therefore if Iude have not given a clear description who they are that the Saints are to be aware of and how such as thou may be discerned from them that fear the Lord both by doctrine and conversation Now consider if thou can contrary this and bring a proof of any of the Ministers of Christ that persecuted any about Religion for an example for thee and thy brethren who profess your selves Ministers but prove your selves persecutors Then shew me who they are that Jude wrote to the Saints to be aware of that goes in Cains way and Balaams way or who they are that turned the grace of God into lasciviousness who are crept in at unawares and who are the filthy dreamers as bruit beasts separated from the spirit and know nothing but what they know naturally that walks in Cains way and Balaams way and loves to feast and the upper rooms also raging waves foaming out their own shame fruitless trees who liveth in their own ungodly lusts â—aving mens persons in admiration because of advantage Now Daniel if thou and the Doctor Priests of Ely called Justices can clear your selves to be none of this number abovesaid whom Jude hath described how such might be known both by doctrine and practise and also set forth their portion then let us whom you cast into Ely Goale hear from you who they are that walk in Cains and Balaams way for it will lie upon you to clear your selves by doctrine and example according to Scripture Rule or else own your own Scriptures and Iudes sentence your portion For Daniel according to thy words I have read Iudes Epistle and do bear my testimony against all such as walk in Cains way persecuting the just and also against all such as run greedily after the errour of Balaam for reward and against such filthy dreamers which are crept in at unawares who were ordained of old for condemnation and against such as are sensual having not the Spirit who live in their own ungodly lusts And for a farther testimony that you are of that number that Iude hath sentenced who walk in Cains way persecutig the just remember Ely Goale and all that take notice of your actions stand witness against you have you not cast fourteen men into prison and kept us twenty weeks from Sessions to Sessions when no evil can he proved against us done either to God or man and you Priests have set on the Bench both to be our Accusers and Judges how much false imprisonment have we received by you must not a record of this be kept think you with the Lord who assuredly takes notice of all your proceeding against the Innocent And thou Daniel cryed keep them up Goaler who came by the Goale door and smote a prisoner on the face where is there any such persecuters in England as you Priests shew your selves to be Well might Jude say Woe unto such as go in the way of Cain and run greedily after the error of Balaam for reward such murmurers and complainers do you not murmur and grudge that we whom you persecute should live amongst you and do you not complain to the Magistrates against us have you not informed the Judge of the Assize to keep such and such in prison whom your envy is against let the witness in you speak for whatsoever is committed in darkness is made manifest in the light do you not believe that the Lord will avenge for these things Now Daniel its like thou wilt call this a railing accusation but Jude did not rail when he said such and such were to perish and that such as were crept in at unaware were ordained of old for condemnation and that such as walked in Cains way aâ— Balaams way dreamers murmurers complainers and the like that walked afteâ— their own ungodly lusts that to such was reserved the blackness of darkness for ever this was and is no railing accusation buâ— the words of truth which is and must bâ— fulfilled Be warned therefore O ye Priests anâ— take heed of fighting against the Lord 〈◊〉 persecuting his people for what is done unto his is done unto him for the Lord is on our side In vain it is for man to strive against him who will by no means acquâ—â— the wicked and if you have any regard unto your own souls take heed what you do the day of account hastens and I never knew any fight against God and prosper Tho. Richardson The End