desire his hand to be removed till all is consumed that is for the Fire in this fiery Baptism and if you continue faithful to the end of your Purification in Patience and Long-suffering diligently attending upon His Hand alone for His redeeming Power to redeem you from the Earth and all perishing things whose Fan is in his hand and he will thoroughly purge his Floor and gather his Wheat into his Gardner but the Chaff he will hurn up in this unquenchable fire and then you shall come forth as the Gold seven times refined And farther take this from one that hath upon Tryal proved it for your comfort and encouragement in your Journy that the more diligently you wait upon him in all Conditions you pass through even so much the more shall you receive of his virtuous Life and heavenly Power for by this your continual secreet converse and invisible Union with the Everlasting GOD you will come to be so filled with his divine Love that your Mortal will be swallowed up of the Immortal so that it will become your whole Life and all your Thoughts Words and Works will have their Rice and settled Habitation therein but then you must be sure let nothing come out of the fire unconsumed for hear lies the stress of all your giving up all that which is for the Sword to be cut off and that that is for the Fire to be burnt up for if you keep any thing back that GOD requires to be offered up of any Darling-sin or beloved Dalalie whether Love to the World Name or Fame together with the whole Catalogue that belongs to Self for if Self be in any case whatsoever you must lay the Ax to the Root of that Tree and with all your Strength and Power cut it down for if the Root remains the fruitless Tree will grow therefore Self the accursed Thing must be found out and destroyed Joshua 7.11.22 Before you can prosper in this Holy War to get the Victory over all your Enemies for you know a faithful Souldier intangles not himself with the Affairs of this Life but gives up all to follow him that hath chosen him counting nothing dear to them nor any thing hard to endure for the hope of obtaining the Victory and I entreat you consider how intent he is in the Fight Doth he mind any thing but striking at the Enemy No for if he did he could not overcome it is so in the spiritual Warfare of the Soul It counts nothing dear that it may win him CHRIST JESUS thinking no time long nor any thing hard to endure for the Joy and Beauty that is set before it of its beloved Lord who went before through the bitter Agony of Soul and bloody Passion with Mockings Slanders Reproaches Hatred and Malice of his cruel Enemies and ignominious Death for thee and the Redemption of thy Soul from all Iniquity if thou follow Him the Captain of thy Salvation through his self-denial in Faith and Obedience for it is not only given you to believe but also to suffer for his sake Because Faith without Works is dead and thus the LORD will be found in his own way For I am the Way the Truth and the Life and none can come to the Father but by me saith he Here you see CHRIST is the Way his suffering Life is the Way he hath appointed and also saith He that comes this Way to me I will in no wise cast him off but will pray to the Father that whatsoever you ask the Father in my Name he will give it you even the Spirit of Truth that shall lead you into all Truth and cut of all Errour and will be your Strength in all Weakness for this is that your Souls travels for and hath such bitter Pang as a Woman in Travail to bring forth my Will my most exceptable Will therefore will I deliver you and though you sowe in Tears you shall reap in Joy and tho' you go out weeping and carrying precious Seed you shall return with Joy and bring your Sheaves 126 Psalm 5 6. As one speaking his own Experience with Christ's words said For though Sin the evil Seed be sown when Men sleep and take root with Pleasure and springs up with Delight yet the End thereof is Bitterness Lamentation and unconceivable Wooes But my precious Seed saith Christ is sown with Tears conceived with Sorrow and brought forth with Sighings Nights of Watchings Days of Mourning and with much labour of Spirit and travail of Soul must you see your desire Brought forth and it s not beating the Air that will fight your battels for its a gainst such airy Notions you are to make War and all Spirits of what sorts soever that would possess you with Words and Forms without the power of Righteousness regard them not for nothing less than Victory over Sin will satisfie your immortal Souls Therefore yours is Work and not vain Words and for my part all 's a like to me whether in Forms or out of Forms if they deny the power of Godliness in the Practical-part I say as the Apostle said From such turn away and do as Christ my LORD and Master did turn from the proud Pharisees to the poor Publicans and Sinners that wants a Physician and tender his loving kindness to them for the whole needs no Physician but the Sick and what tho many may say we have Eat and Drank in thy presence nay farther cast our Devils and in thy Name done many wonderful Works but what said Christ to all this Depart from me ye workers of Iniquity I know you not This is plain and evident for you to see if you are not wilfully blind it s not all the outward Services of the outward Temple nor the outward Water nor the Holy Duties nor the holy and comply Orders for the worker iniquity hath spoiled all these and made them unholy and uncomly But the latter of these might uave claim'd more right to the aforesaid wonderfull works had they kept to their first works and in the humility of Christ But what they had committed to them when they were in poverty of spirit they have decked themselves therewith and now it serves to make a discourse of though they are gone from the Life of Innocency into the spirit of Craft and subtilty and so are got above the Cross of Christ which is the power of GOD into the Liberty of of the Flesh by which they are become Great and waren â—ich and so bless themselves in the Earth instead of the GOD of Trueth This is Adultery Treachery and Whordom therefore their Portion is with the rest Depart from me ye workers of Iniquity I know you not Others there are who have a Sight beyond Forms but the same Ground remains in them as in the rest very few excepted that I know of yet a more universsal Spirit of Love to all remains in them than the rest Friends to you this is my Advice Take not
THE VVidow VVhiterows HUMBLE THANKSGIVING FOR THE KINGS SAFE RETURN With an Account of John Hall's Vision upon the first day of the Eleventh Month 1692 3. And also a Letter to a Friend concerning John Hall's Message with a Letter from Jamaica concerning the Earthquake that happen'd there a Warning to the Inhabitants of the Earth to fear GOD and give Glory to Him for the hour of His Judgments are come Say unto the KING and to the QVEEN humble your Selves sit down Jeremiah 13.18 The People of Neniveh believed GOD and proclaimed a Fast and put on Sackcloth from the greatest of them to the least of them For word came unto the King of Nineveh and he rose from his Throne and he laid his Robe from him and covered him with Sackcloth and sate in Ashes Jonah 3.5 6. Licensed D. P. April 18. London Printed by D. Edwards in Nevel 's Alley in Fetter-lane for J. B. 1694 THE Widow Whiterows HUMBLE THANKSGIVING FOR THE KING'S Safe RETURN ONCE more I am highly honoured with Mercy and Truth to return Thanks to the Most High for the Kings safe Return Oh what shall I say to the LORD for all his Mercies and boundless Favours for I am as one astonish'd at his Goodness How wonderful are his Works and his Ways past finding out therefore who shall not admire Thee Thou King of Righteousness who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth in thy Hands to bind the Kings of the Earth in Chains and their Nobles with fetters of Iron who rulest in the Heavens and makes bare the Arm of thy Glorious Power in the Earth to dash the Nations asunder and break in pieces the Potsherds of the Earth as a Potter's Vessel Oh Great LORD glorious in Power fearful in Praises doing wonders Thou LORD Jehovah art come and thy Power goes before Thee that shall rend the Rocks and cleave the Mountains in sunder The Everlasting GOD is come to throw down Mountains and Hills and to exalt the low Valleys he 'll awaken the Earth by his thundring Power and the sleepy Inhabitant thereof by his loud sounding Judgments For this know Oh King There 's neither Strength nor Policy shall stand Against what GOD's a bringing on this Land The Youth shall howl the Aged shall weep sore Yet there 's glad tidings for the Meek and Poor The Poor in Spirit I mean Matth. 5.3 who are Heirs of the Kingdom of Glory whom GOD will hide in the hollow of his Hand whilst his fierce Indignation passes over the Rebellious wherefore Oh that my Counsel might be acceptable to the King and that his ways might so please the LORD as that his days may be prolonged in this Land which the LORD for a time hath given him to do the will of GOD in all things with all his Might and with all his Strength that these heavy Judgments which the LORD hath pronounced may not be executed in the King's days For thus said the LORD to me in my deep humiliation before him viz. My Controversie is not with Man or Woman farther than they are found in the Transgression take away the Transgression and where 's my Controversie Is it so O Righteous LORD that thy Controversie is not with Man or VVoman farther than they are found in the transgression of thy Righteous Law and pure Commandments Oh then for thy Mercy sake and the advancement of thy Glorious Power and the praise of thy ever Blessed Name in these Nations and throughout all the Earth turn the King and Queens Hearts with all their Powers and Strengths to Thee as the Riveâ—s of VVaters are turned that with a powerful force of Thy Love and ardent Affection to thy Glory they may joyn unanimously together in Heart and Soul to humble themselves in the dust before Thee the Almighty GOD repenting with Niniveh's Repentance Jonah 3.7 8. For no less Repentance will put a stop to the hot and fiery Indignation of the LORD which is kindled against this Land but to turn every one from his Evil Way and from the wickedness that is in their hands therefore Oh noble Prince anâ— Princess for the LORD's sake who is the King of Eternal Glory the GOD of the Spirits of all Flesh the Everlasting Counsellor the Prince 〈◊〉 Peace the GOD that made the Heavens and Earth the Sea and all thaâ— therein is who hath delivered the King from all his Enemies and gavâ— him his Life for a Prey and for the LORD JESUS CHRIST's sake his Sufâ— fering Life and Bloody Passion who was nail'd to the Cross and gave uâ— his Life there for all Mankind and rose again for the Salvation and Redemption of the Faithful I pray again and again for His sake whâ— hath been with the King in six troubles and in the seventh by his outâ— stretch'd Arm hath deliver'd him Oh for His sake come down from your Thrones and humble your selves in the dust by Fastings and Prayers and deep Humiliation crying mightily to GOD the Father of all your Mercies that He would be with you in Counsel and direct your way in truth before Him to do His most acceptable will in all things that in his infinite compassions for his great and terrible name sake shew you what to do and which way to take for the suppressing and total destruction of this boundless flood of Ungodliness that overflows these Nations And dearest Prince and Princess I humbly beg and beseech you for the LORD and his Glory sake and for your own Lives and Liberty sake be not negligent in this great VVork prostrating your selves night and day before the Throne of his Grace crying mightily to him for his assisting Power Heavenly VVisdom and Holy Zeal which his Valiants had of Old Phinehas Numbers 25 7 8 11. Jehoshaphat Hezakiah and Josias these were clad with Zeal as with a Garment these were the Valiants of Israel that knew how to handle weapons of VVar being girt with the Sword of the Spirit and Helmet of Salvation Phinehas was honourable who by his holy Zeal stop'd the Plague from the Children of Israel then said the LORD unto Moses Phinehas the Son of Eleazar hath turned mine Anger away from the Children of Israel while he was zealous for my sake among them therefore I have not consumed the Children of Israel in my Jclousie wherefore say unto him Behold I give unto him my Covenant of Peace and he shall have it and his Seed after him for Ever because he was zealous for his God and hath made him an attonement for the Children of Israel Oh what an influence had this upon the LORD and how this act of Holy Zeal pleas'd his Divine Majesty here we may see the difference between a holy Zeal for GOD and his Glory and a blind Zeal that hath any Interest in it to Self-honour either in Name or Fame or any other thing of this perishing VVorld The first hath power to prevail with GOD to stop the Judgment the latter suffers it to go
the true Ministers of Christ trod in the steps of their LORD they lived in the offering up of their Souls continually in the flames of Love as a whole Burnt-offering to Christ which is the practical part and kept their Bodies under that while they were Preachers to others they might not be cast aways themselves 1 Cor. 9.26 they went on conquering and to conquer and so doth every true Christian they are still conquering and overcoming all their Enemies getting their Sins and Lusts under their Feet and can never rest whilst there is any to overcome till they have brought all in Subjection and this they are able to do through the Power of Christ in them although the false Prophets and Ministers of Antichrist who are Ministers of the Flesh and not of the Spirit that tells them to the contrary for their sinister ends to keep up their Trade of Diana Acts 19.24 But alas who do I give this aforesaid Doctrine to For it must be a Caleb that must do this work a Caleb which signifies a good Heart not a Heart that seeks Liberty to the flesh to make the knowledge of Christ a more easie way to sinning to encourage them in their Luxury and Fleshly Pleasures not an Heart of unbelief that brings an evil report upon the good â—and to make the death of Christ of no effect saying We shall never overcome our Sins and Lusts being so many potent and strong while we are on this side the Grave No no this is not the Heart that shall overcome but a couragious valiant heart that 's fill'd with Faith and Love that stands armed upon its Watch-Tower against every high and wandring thought strong hold and vain Imagination that exalts it self against the Power Kingdom and Soveraignty of Christ that so it may kill Sin in the Conception before it be brought to the Birth and this is the way that Christ and his Apostles ascribed to work out your Salvation with Fear and Trembling that we be equal workers together with him and then Co-heirs for he places our Salvation conditionally if we suffer with him we shall also Reign with him so then this suffering life is the door all must come in at for saith Christ He that comes another way is a Thief and a Robber so here 's no Salvation but by being partakers of his Internal Sufferings which Hermes Trismigestes doth excellently treat of in his first Book For this only Oh Son saith he is the way to the Truth which our Progenitors travelled in and by which making their Journey they at length attained to the good it is a venerable way and plain but hard and difficult for the Soul to go in that is in the Body For first must it war against its own self and after much strife and dissention it must be overcome of one part for the contention is of one against two whilst it flies away and they strive to hold and detain it but the Victory of both is not like for the one hasteth to that which is good but the other is a Neighbour to the things that are Evil and that which is good desireth to be set at Liberty but the things that are evil love Bondage and Slavery And if the two parts be overcome they become quiet and are content to accept of it as their Ruler but if the one be overcome of the two it is by them led and carried to be punish'd by its Being and continuance here This is Oh Son the guide in the way that leads thither for thou must first forsake the Body before thy End and get the Victory in this contention and strifeful Life and when thou hast overcome then return and avoid all conversation with the Multitude or common People for I would not have thee subject to Envy for they do rather sharpen and whet evil Men to their Maliciousness therefore it behoveth to avoid the Multitude and take heed of them as not undestanding the Virtue and Power of the things that are said And in the second Book where he began to Preach unto Men the Beauty and fairness of Piety and Knowledge saying Oh ye People Men born and made of the Earth which have given your selves over to drunkenness and sleep and to the ignorance of GOD. Be sober and cease your surfeit whereto you are allured and invited by brutish and unreasonable sleep Why Oh Men of the off-spring of the Earth why have you delivered your selves over unto death having power to partake of Immortality repent and change your Minds you that have together walked in Error and have been darkned in Ignorance depart from that dark Light be partakers of Immortality and leave or forsake Corruption And some of them that heard me said he Mocking and Scorning went away and delivered themselves up to the way of Death But others casting themselves down before my Feet said he Besought me that they might be taught but I caused them to rise up I became a guide to Mankind teaching them the reasons how and by what means they may be saved and I sowed in them the words of Wisdom and nourished them with Ambrosian water of Immortality I shall speak something of his great Vision which in order should have gone first How God appeared to him calling him by his Name saying What wouldst thou hear and see or what wouldst thou understand to learn and know Then said Hermes Who art thou I am quoth he Poemanders the Mind of the Great LORD the most Mighty and absolute Emperour I know what thou wouldst have and I am always present with thee Then said I I would learn the things that are and understand the nature of them and know GOD. How said Poemander know God I answered that I would gladly hear Then said he have me again in thy Mind and whatsoever thou wouldest learn I will teach it thee When he had thus said he was changed his Idea or Form and straightway in the twinkling of an Eye all things were opened unto me and I saw an infinite sight all things were become light both sweet and exceedingly pleasant and I was wonderfully delighted in the beholding it But after this there was a darkness fearful and hideous insomuch that Hermes trembled at his Idea or Form which I cannot now insist further upon How GOD revealed himself to him making known the mystery of his outward and inward Creation which is wonderful and excellent and is committed to Posterity though in an obscure or hidden Stile But having not room here for the Vision being much I shall only touch at something as I go along that may be serviceable to my matter in hand Poemander GOD said Let the Man endued with a Mind mark consider and know himself well Hermes Have not all Men a Mind Poemander Take heed what thou sayest I the Mind come unto Men that are holy and good pure and merciful and live piously and religiously and my Presence is a help to them and forthwith