ever meet Nor whilst their Work 's so much insisted on Know they the Rest in which the Work is done Nor whilst their Care 's so much i' th' outward Court Do they know that where th' Righteous do resort Whose Life as all is hid with Christ in God Where inwardly their Souls make their abode And as that which is hidden can't be seen So they have never in great Flourish been Their Kingdom as long since their Master said Of Worldly Things is neither form'd nor made They low and little are in their own Eyes And ne'er extol themselves as great or wise And as they 're low so they at little aim Of that which th' other boastingly proclaim They 're like unto the Daughters of the King Which altogether Glorious are within As for their Works they 're com'd unto an End That on God's Work in them they may depend They cease to work but never cease to shew These Works God has in them wrought that are true This Path is narrow and the Gate is strait And few there be that enter in thereat 'T is strait as Abr'am's off'ring up his Son In whom his Hopes and Comfort was begun He offer'd him in whom the Promise stood It was his All and yet the Act was good Whatever's good doth come from God it 's plain And when recall'd we should restor't again Nay he recalleth that which he did give That we might see by him we only live He lendeth help us to regenerate And with him we seem to co-operate That Work to perfect but when that is done It 's offer'd up as Abr'am did his Son Yea even as to Death at God's Command And this is done that we might understand Our Weakness and our Nothingness discern And th' Gate of true Humility might learn When this Act 's done we in another sort Receive that we may sensibly report Man sav'd in Mercy not by Works must be Yea by the Grace of God that 's ever free This we ne'er truly knew till we did meet Grace without Works in Love our Souls to greet Nor can that Act be done and truly known Till Works are unto their Perfection grown This Act is then as Ev'ning to that Rest Whose Morning is the Sabbath which is blest Concerning which much more might here be said But that my Letter would too long be made So shall defer my further Argument Until a sitter Season do present Mean while I will a little let thee see How with thy self thou still dost disagree In what hast written thou wouldst seem my Friend Until thou comest near the latter end What put thee out of humour whilst thou writ That at the Last thou should the First forget A Friend at first but at the last art none What Humour this deserveth to be shown 'T is like some foolish Fancy if not vain Which in thy next I pray thee well explain Thou sayst Dear John let 's not disturb each other Then shall my Heart and Spirit call thee Brother But if thou'll not thy raging Spirit curb But thou will still the Churches Peace disturb Then stand thee forth and hearken to the Doom Of holy Church which without doubt will come 'T is plainly in the two first Lines imply'd If I molest thee not we shall abide Without reserve in cordial Friendship ty'd And yet before I 'd given thee denial Or thou hadst made of me a further Trial Against me thou proceedest in the latter And threatens with some other awful Matter By which if thou or those thy Words agree It is as constant in unconstancy Likewise for Peace whilst thou did seem to speak Thou didst for War but an Occasion seek As to Holy Churches Doom From whence or from what People must it come And what 's the Fault and Crime which I have done That I am into so great Danger run Disturbance being a Word in general As oft besides as in the Truth doth fall Thou should therefore the Fact have specifi'd That by some Rule thy Charges might be try'd For I whilst in the Dark thou dost me shoot How to avoid the Danger am in doubt For thou shouldst not suppose I can be made Of what I neither hear nor see afraid And what is not and what doth not appear Are both alike as tho' they never were Of Holy Church thou dost begin to speak But where or what she is I 'm still to seek The World we know is of Pretenders full Describe her therefore by a certain Rule This I desire of thee to undertake Because I would to her a Journey make For if she Holy is I truly see None but the Heretick cut off must be An Heretick doth against Knowledge act For to be Self-condemned is his Fact This Cause with thee I would before her plead In hopes I might thy Judgment supersede For I for Proof would thy own Words produce Before her for my Service and my Use Since thou hast said my Way to me seems right And that thou know'st then I against my Light Act not therein as this thou must confess She cannot me for Heresie suppress Again I would desire of her to know If she Commission gave thee thus to do Or if she had selected and made choice Of thee to be the Oracle of her Voice For how canst thou be any other way Ascertain'd what she shall both do and say And if not certain is' t not Arrogance Or Folly thus thy Judgment to advance Thou saith It is your Creed Back into Bonds to drive the Holy Seed For where our Walls are weak if we repair Thou and such Men as thee disturbed are As were of old that subtil Hornet breed Who was the like unto old Jacob's Seed These Walls that 's weak are of Jerusalem And how can I compared be to them But then the Matter still which I should know Is whether 't is Jerusalem below Or that above thou should agree to this Least I might understand that Point amis This thou omitted but I ne'er did read Of more than two and therefore will proceed T' enquire which of these Cities it must be To which thy Words most fitly can agree As for Jerusalem that is above Her Walls are perfect good the Scriptures prove For God her Walls hath good and perfect made And none to that which he hath done can add Therefore it never can this City be Which the kind Mother is of all that 's free It then must be Jerusalem below Concerning which the Sacred Scriptures show When Men have done whate're they can as Men She is in bondage with her Childeren What Work is this or what do you intend When more you work still more you have to mend For is not this like them that 's learning ever But ne'er attain the Truth by that Indeavour Or like to them that found out Shinar's Plain A Babel's Tower to erect again And like to them will you not stopped be Until your Language you divided see Is' t not divided
SOME REMAINS OF JOHN HOGG In Two Parts The First being An ANSWER to a LETTER writ to him by Tho. Markham The Second A CONTINUATION and more full Discourse of the Matters treated of in the said Answer c. Published by a Friend of the Author 's since his Death LONDON Printed in the Year 1698. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER BElieving these ensuing Lines may be of use and service to those that will read and impartially weigh and consider them I thought fit to commit them to the Press for the Benefit of such into whose Hands they may come The Author was my intimate Acquaintance many Years and as Opportunity offer'd I have been often edify'd by his private as well as publick Discourses to the opening of my Understanding in Things of a Religious Nature He was a Man of great Thinking acute in most things of a sound and discerning Judgment that any unprejudic'd Person not bigotted to Parties or seeming Religious Societies must have receiv'd Benefit by conversing with him He was a Religious-minded Man and good Christian yet without Affectation or making a Show of his being so I doubt not but he is entred into that Rest which he travell'd for and had a large Taste of whilst in that Body with which my self and others have so often conversed The following Papers will give the serious Reader a clearer Evidence of the soundness of his Judgment than I can pretend to as also the Reasons why he writ in Verse which was occasion'd by one of his quondam Friends writing so to him by way of Admonition as was pretended I many times lament his being taken away from us because of the sweet Enjoyment and Christian Fellowship that I with some others had with him He was universal in his Love and good Wishes to all Mankind and has often said He did not believe that any Religious Society of People was the only true Church of Christ exclusive of the rest but that Sincerity of Heart toward God and good Will to Men without respect to Parties was that which only could intitle any to be Members of that Church of which he believ'd Christ Jesus to be Head and further added that the highest Pretenders to Religion in all Christian Reformations have not yet in a General way tho' some Particulars might come to know the likeness of the Truth cast out but rather in their Differences contend for it than for the Truth it self betwixt which there is as much difference as betwixt a Substance and its Shadow and that he believed was the Ground of those Janglings and Enmity amongst them upon a Religious Account and which he found true amongst his Friends the People call'd Quakers with whom he was in outward Fellowship Because he could not believe or value as others did some outward Rules and Orders set up amongst them to be any more than the Outward Court or like the Forms of other Professions For this he was slighted by some of those that esteem themselves Elders and Leaders amongst that People Above Twenty Years ago in some publick Meetings in London he had a more than ordinary impulse upon his Spirit amongst other things warning them to beware of Formality least God shou'd cause it to be proclaim'd in their Ears that altho' they increased in Number as the Sand of the Sea-shore yet a Remnant should but be saved And such a Remnant as truly travell'd after the Truth and for the true Rest he had Unity with to his dying Day which was the 24th of the Month December 1696. A little before his Departure he said to some that were with him being of sound and perfect Memory to his last that what he had writ and said about the difference betwixt him and Friends he was satisfy'd in and could not have done otherwise to have had Peace with that Divine Being into whose Rest he was going to enter and that he had no Regret or Trouble on his Mind for what he had done on that Account And for his giving a publick Caution in Meetings as is before-mention'd and at other times shewing his Dislike of some Practices amongst Friends it occasion'd some high-opinionated Elders and a Party amongst them from that time to his dying Day to spread Snares and ill Reports in his Way and carry'd their Enmity so high against him that they endeavour'd to take the Meeting from his House under the pretence of his not being in Unity with Friends which to my Knowledge he ever was with such as were sincere but those that seemed so and were not how great soever he never valu'd and it was they that he believ'd were the Snarlers at him as appear'd by his Neighbourhood's belief of his Sincerity Honesty and Christian Deportment of which the Meeting he belong'd to were so well satisfy'd that the Stratagem used on that account was rejected and the Meeting continu'd at his House in Course to his Death He lamented much the loss of that Life and Power that attended their Meetings in former Days But for himself I with some others must needs say he was not awanting in his Ministry which had always something lively new and fresh in it and was very edifying to such as without Prejudice heard him Therefore I could do not less than contribute this Epistle in testimony of my Love and Respect to his Memory who tho' he be taken away from us and tho' dead yet liveth as an Epistle upon my Heart and speaketh by these following Lines to them that are alive and will seriously peruse them Altho' his Attainments were great yet such Christians as were purely simple and innocent in all Appearances humbly seeking after higher Discoveries of God in Christ Jesus were dearly lov'd and own'd by him As to Worldly Affairs tho' he had much Business and some Trouble in it yet his Mind was not hurt by it for it rather sought him than he it and tho' he had many Losses and Disappointments yet I never saw him repine at any but bore all things with such an Equality of Temper as I have not often seen And as I am informed by some that were with him when he dy'd he bore the last and great Conflict of Death with the like Patience resigning his Soul unto him that gave it Now Reader I refer thee to the following Verses which I hope may be of use and benefit to the honest-minded and so remains thine and all Mens Friend and Well-wisher T.D. SOME REMAINS OF JOHN HOGG PART I. My Friend T. Markam THINE without Date is safely com'd to Hand At which I was surpris'd and at a Stand To see thy Mind deliver'd there in Rhime Not knowing thou wast Poet till this time I also heard before I did it see That it an Answer unto mine should be But when perused I did nothing find That it was so intended or design'd But that 's not much the matter is not great If thou shouldst the like Disappointment meet Provided still thou wast but of
my Mind Truth to receive where-ever we it find Whether it shall express'd or written be In Verse or Prose it is the same to me Altho' 't is true there 's many do decry Writing in Verse and think it Levity Yet well I know God may the Mind prepare Important Truths in Verses to declare Nay well I know before true Verse be made All roughness of the Mind must be allay'd A smooth and equal Temper must be found ' Ere Words can have right Number and true Sound The Temper is as Forms which may be true And yet in that Men Evil may pursue And Words apply unto another End Than Truth directs to speak or did intend Hence it appears Verse may be good or ill According to the Subject and Man's Will On this Account I shall survey thy Lines And Matter thou deliver'd has in Rhymes But first observe if thou wilst write again 'T is requisite thou keep a milder Strain For I will not hard Words with hard repay Nor Force add unto Force to gain my way 'T is Truth I seek and it shall be my bound According as God's Gift and Power 's found I 'll not say of my self in that respect As thou once said at Brigg I am Perfect But this I 'll say in me the Truth did spring Before for Truth I acted any thing Yet I 'll not say that all I 've said and done In Weight and Number with the Truth will run But this I 'll say where wrong to Truth I 'll yield Before without it I would gain the Field Therefore come forth i' th' Method that is true And do thy best my Failings to pursue As Wooll well pack'd by yielding I 'll resist The greatest Force in which thou can persist For in the main I do for Truth contend And in the Truth that War must have an end With my last Letter I shall first begin Because I find thou takes it as a Sin Or as a Crime in me or great Offence So plainly unto thee to write my Sense To me 't is plain thou takes it in this sort By the detracting Words thou dost retort Affirming that I rage I rave and roar With storming foaming and a number more Words too severe and hard to have relation To what thou calls A friendly Salutation For which I know no Cause in what was writ So thinks that thy Mistake hath caused it In this thou hast not been so kind to me Nor to thy self if thou mistaken be As to set forth the Matter or that Thing Whence these hard Words and grand Displeasure spring I am therefore in no Capacity My self nor thee where wrong to rectifie In short I 'm right or wrong in what is done If right thou dost too hard upon me run But if I 'm wrong thou still art found to blame That didst not now partic'larize the same For gen'ral Charges all Men will declare To prove one Evil thing invalid are Nay 't is a Maxim That Deceit doth lurk In Gen'rals and doth there obscurely work Thus gen'ral Charges are like Deeds o' th' Night Where Men decline the Scrut'ny of the Light In short by those hard Words which thou hast us'd I apprehend my self to be abus'd But if thou think this Charge thou can'st retrieve By answering mine which I do not believe Yet that thou mayst incourag'd be unto it I promise so submit when thou canst do it Mean while I shall proceed t' observe the rest Which in a gen'ral way is still exprest Which seems to me no edifying way Because the Truth doth almost undiscerned lay First with the State of Rest thou dost begin Enumerating many Virtues in That Sate which as thou statest them appear Not plain but intricate thou speakest there Of th' Fold of Rest in th' heat o' th' Day to be Plac'd in the Rest which can't with Truth agree For in true Rest there is no Day too hot This clearly shows that in it thou art not In it no Inequalities there are But all its Parts are congruous calm and fair And where each Part 's alike equally sure There needs no Fold of resting to secure For thus a Fold into a Fold is got Which is improper or else needeth not The Fold of Rest is only in the Way For Travellers to rest in th' Heat o' th' Day For their Refreshment when too much opprest By Heat i' th' Way and travel for the Rest By Fold of Rest we then may understand The Shadow of the Rock in th' weary Land Thou sayest the Angel in the Rest doth stand Which leads the Flock into the Holy Land Thy Words as may be seen imply no less As each observant Reader will confess Which if good Sense and understood by me The Rest and Holy Land do not agree Nay they are not one State but differ wide For sayst the Angel from the Rest doth guide Into the Holy Land by which thou hast Rashly thy self into Confusion cast For sure the Rest and Holy Land are one And 't is as sure i' th' rest the Angel leadeth none That th' Angel leadeth in the Way I grant But in the Rest that 's true there is no want I know 't is glorious for in it I have been On the Lord's Day and then have plainly seen Those true Dimensions there by which I know A right Account of it thou dost not show And if a right Account thou cannot give 'T is evident in it thou dost not live And if thou lives not in 't then in a Dream Where there is nothing truth that so doth seem No wonder for thy Rest seems in the way In which is chiefly known the Working Day And they who take their Peace and Rest up here Exceeding great in their own Eyes appear Their Acts and Words and Forms they magnifie As outward things above their Value high Of their Injoyments wondrous Noise they make As if they could by Force the Kingdom take They none can know nor can they well agree With any but of that Fraternity They see not how the Rains and Dews do fall Nor how from God the Sun doth shine on all Their Way and Form becomes to them a Snare Which God at first might for their Good prepare That they might through its use look for the Seed To whom the Promise is in time of need But such seem Rich and Wise and nothing want Whilst they are Blind and Poor and Ignorant As this is seen if any disapprove And show 't it will their Indignation move To persecute such in an unjust Hate As Troublers and Disturbers of their State But 't is no News it 's not their Fault alone Self-Righteous Men in every Age have shown The same to such as happ'ned to displease By troubling them in their false Rest and Ease But as they 're mov'd and troubl'd soon 't is plain They never yet did the true Rest attain Nor whilst their Voice is heard so loud i' th' Street Did they with the strait Gate yet
if you could but mind Might you not see the same and truly find But where the Bricks are fallen down and gone Are you resolv'd to build with hewen Stone Let me advise that be not done in pride For if it be you 'll lose when you are try'd Thou sayst Nor must thou more that wicked Leaven spread Nor in the Courts of Holy Temple tread What Temple 's this I pray thee well explain Whose hallow'd Courts I must no more profane What is its Form and where must it be found If Holy it shou'd stand on Holy Ground I ne'er of truly Sacred Temples heard But those that in Jerusalem were rear'd And of Jerusalems I find there 's two Yet which of them it is thou dost not show So leaves me as before uncertain where The Temple is of which thou speakest here Jerusalem above I certain am No Temple hath except God and the Lamb And yet thou hast not proved how thy Word With that most Holy Temple can accord For when thou sayst your Walls do want repair Don't think that there th' Courts of this Temple are I also find by seeking thus about You from the Courts above can't shut me out Your Power 's below and yet what Temple 's this Whose outward Court we find unmeasur'd is Limits and Bounds will you presume to set And measure that which God did not think fit Do you not hereby think your Form shall hold God by his Spirit as they did of old To whom the Prophets cried from the Lord When unto them they uttered his Word On that Occasion and in that respect In these plain Words or unto this effect Heaven's my Throne Earth as my Footstool lays Where is the House that you for me will raise Or where 's the Form Way or Place of my rest In all external Things to be exprest The World I form'd and its Foundation laid And every thing that 's in it I have made The Rivers Lakes and Seas and every Fountain With ev'ry Hill and Vale and ev'ry Mountain I 've made the Beasts that do upon them feed The fleecy Flocks and all the winged Breed The Fish I 've made that in the Waters move And these together do my Grandure prove And as I 've made them all they on me wait If I stood need I need not it relate To Man for mine they 're all and ever were And yet at all times empty do appear When Man has offer'd them to me as Merit Without a broken and a contrite Spirit A broken Spirit trembles at my Word To this I always did my Grace afford To this Man 't is that I did ever look And have of him at all times notice took And what from first has been by me preserr'd Unto the last I 'll have the same regard The Subject's high and I had much to say But time at present calleth me away Some things thou mayst observe I 've spoken to And query'd others that thou mightest show The Certainty of what thou did intend In these thy Words which I unto thee send And as thou didst another once direct That thou observe the same I do expect Whene'er thou writes or speakest be so plain As that the meanest may thy Sense attain Thus where thy Sayings are obscure to me I do expect they should explained be In the preceding part I 've noted some And more shall be adjoyn'd in what 's to come What Seamless Garment's this which you do wear And who are these that in it do appear When that is done I pray thee next descend To shew how I this Seamless Garment rend What Government of Truth do I withstand Demonstrate fairly under thy own Hand For how should I from Error guide my Feet If I don't know 't nor thou dost let me see 't What is this Power unto which I 'm bound And am against it in rebellion found The Charge is high remember thou produce Good Witness else th' art guilty of Abuse For to thy Charge Not Guilty I dare plead That I to tryal with thee might proceed What wicked Leaven is' t I must not spread Moreover where and what 's this Holy Seed And what 's my Creed I pray thee well explain By which I would lead back that Seed again What cleansing Wind is this whence doth it blow That Filth as Chaff out of the Church can throw What Filth is this that doth so light appear That with that Wind the Church of it you clear And once for all let it be understood What I oppose that is sincere and good As Truth is plain so it is also free To answer such as in sincerity Do seek the Truth by what they do inquire Which as above to know is my desire Thou wilst therefore by what is done be try'd As it is by thee granted or deny'd For as we friendly mutual Freedom take 'T is likely we may further Progress make To see the Things of Truth and more may learn Of Things that differ which may us concern For ev'ry Diff'rence is not really evil Except 't is aggravated by the Devil Nay there is diff'rence in a Sense that 's good If it could be but truly understood For God regards and doth his Love impart To ev'ry true upright and sincere Heart The outward cannot th' inward sanctifie Nor can our Souls for God be form'd thereby 'T is for the inward not the outward's sake God doth of Mankind truly notice take For there 's no Form that can acceptance find If there doth want Uprightness in the Mind But where the Mind to God-ward is sincere In any Place to such he draweth near For God hath left the outward Court unmet That we should not impeded be by it Nor that it should for th' future any more Be Cause of Envy as 't was heretofore So the right Use that should of Forms be made In them 's to wait for him on whom Help 's laid The Seed of old to Mankind promised To succour him and bruise the Serpent's Head If all in doing this could well agree There is no Diff'rence that can evil be O happy Time when this is brought about The Good is kept and Evil is shut out Then God with Love and Peace the Soul doth fill And unto Man there 's nothing but Good-will Here Man by Int'rest unto Love is bound And in that Case all gladly would be found Thou seest I call on thee to write again But mind thou be in thy Expressions plain For from dark Writing which the Intellect Cann't comprehend no Profit we expect Of many Things we have begun to speak And that which I from thee at present seek Is that thou willst proceed distinctly on From Point to Point until the whole be done For if thou 'l here in friendly sort assent I 'm well assur'd it will have good Event But if thou wilt reject what I propose And as before shall write then may I lose My Labour and Advice in this Assay But my Reward thou canst not
't is very plain He was intended to go home again Thus was he faithful till it came to pass That he deceived by a Prophet was Who yet prevail'd not till he let him know He was a Prophet and not only so But that th' Almighty by his Angel spake And bid go seek out and conduct him back Unto his House that he might with him stay To be refresh'd before he went away Thus far was Judah's Prophet faithful found Until this time he firmly kept his Ground But now he fail'd yet e're he was aware His rash Credulity drew on the Snare 'T is like he thought it was the Prophet's due To be believ'd all Prophets being true This show'd him young that small Experience had To think all Prophets good when some were bad That he a Prophet was none can deny He did not here mistake but in his Lye Thus do we find and are constrain'd to grant There may be Prophets true that Truth may want Hence it appears we ought not to depend On Prophets whatsoe're they may pretend Especially when they persuade us to What we believe we never ought to do Some right some wrong here is uncertainty If we depend upon them generally And what 's uncertain if we don't believe As certain Truth a Lye we do receive And what unto the whole cannot belong Of right belongeth not to any one Therefore when Prophets Credit greatly press Because themselves as Prophets they express At best from Truth they lead that so direct And them whene're they do 't we may suspect For Truth we know the Mind compleatly frees From ev'ry Doubt and all Uncertainties True Prophets therefore ever will direct Unto the Truth i' th' Mind to have respect So in the Mind there may no Doubt remain For those in Doubt are not in Truth 't is plain True Prophets do advise each one to know A certain Ground for what Men say and do Nor would have them on any so rely As to submit and know no reason why For Truth not being in 't there 's danger great Least such may be impos'd on by Deceit Or otherwise if their intent be true Such may mistake in what they do pursue And if the Blind led by the Blind shall be Neither the Danger of the Ditch can see Nor can intended Kindness justifie The doing ill that good may come thereby For if it could th' old Prophet an Excuse Of like import for his Deceit might use For tho' he ly'd it 's plain he did intend No less than Kindness to him as a Friend Nay his Design was unto him to shew Respect and Friendship as a Prophet true For he no sooner heard that he was slain By th' Lion which did by him yet remain But Love prevailing o'er the Terror led His friendly Heart to go take up the Dead To whom he kindly decent Burial gave As good as he himself desir'd to have For when he dy'd he did command his Sons To lay his Body by the Prophet's Bones And to his Honour said would come to pass All that by him at Beth-ell spoken was What Man can shew unto another more Respect than he to Judah's Prophet bore Both after Death had seiz'd him and before And yet in that he led him from the Way Which God on him as a Command did lay And by a Lye deceiv'd him it 's a Blot In After-Ages ne'er to be forgot Thus all his Kindness will not justifie His Fraud or wipe away his Infamy For our Instruction this was surely writ That we might truly caution'd be by it No Man against his Reason to persuade To acquiesce with us for as I said It is to him a Lye if he receives It for a Truth and otherwise believes Nor ought we to prefer at second Hand What Men are pleas'd to say is God's Command Contrary to what we believe his Will That we should value and keep to until It be perform'd or superseded by His Power that did on us that Service ly Nay if I should mistake had rather chuse Into God's Hands to fall than him abuse For Errors in this Case can rarely be But in such things as may with Truth agree And where I do believe there is an Awe Which as 't is true is as th' Almighty's Law To me and if to that as what I see Or do believe I shall contrary be As I transgress this Rule or it neglect God I dishonour and his Law reject But tho' I should mistake if but sincere God would at length the Truth unto me clear For where 's the Man that never yet has been Deceiv'd in what he'as thought he'as heard or seen Let him begin the first to censure this And when that 's done to prove it is amiss But Judah's Prophet in that he preferr'd Another's Sense before his own he err'd And for that Fault came into th' Lion's Pow'r Who did his Body kill tho' not devour For that was left that he might ever be A great Example to Posterity So that if we in this Affair transgress Our Fault is greater and Excuse is less If less can be because he could not know This grand Example which the Scriptures show Hence that blind Notion which so many git That Prophets unto Prophets should submit Is wrong if then it was as now in use We see 't corrected for a great Abuse Yea punished with great Severity Which shews it now as well as then a Lye Observe the Story and apply it well For with our Case it runneth parallel For had he only my last Letter meant Or with some Fact had bounded his intent His Words tho' hard might yet have been receiv'd As flowing from an Heart that 's only griev'd But not content that to condemn alone He will his Judgment fix on all I 've done In this he is too bold he soars too high His Judgment as unjust I must deny I must not fear his Threatning nor receive His seeming Kindness nor his Prayers believe For if he cordial be I truly find He shews to me but his mistaken Mind For God hath in this Matter said to me Go not to them let them return to thee And tho' you may this disregard and slight I know that in his Fear and Dread I write Whose Voice I must obey and Pow'r respect ' Gainst every one that shall the same reject In God's Command I must against him stand And all of his Opinion in the Land For I 'll affirm that God did me concern In truth by gen'ral Cautions to forewarn Friends of the danger of Formality Which he long since shew'd me approaching nigh The likeness of the Truth to be the thing That was instead of Truth like up to spring In this he shew'd me was the Mystery Of that which Scripture calls Iniquity On that Account Beware o' th' Form was mine Advice in Meetings where the Pow'r Divine Was wanting But the Words Beware o' th' Form Was the occasion that hath made you storm At me with
fit our Souls the Kingdom to possess Yea in the Wilderness he doth us lead Till all is mortifi'd worn out and dead That is not fit t' enjoy that blessed Land Of which Canaan did a Figure stand A Servant-State precedes that of a Son A Sonship must be known e'er th' Work be done The faithful Servant doth his Master fear A Father's Honour doth i' th' Son appear The Fear i' th' first Estate precedes the Love The last excludeth Fear the Scriptures prove A Son abideth in the House alway The Servant is but for his Time and Day And knows not what is by his Master said Or acted whilst the Son is privy made For 't is his Meat to do his Father's Will And chearfully he doth it all fulfill A second Resurrection doth imply A first and second Death doth signifie That a first Death already 's passed by If the first Death we do not really find Until a second seizeth on our Mind Eternal Wrath will come to be our Share And who can that great Misery declare So then we must a first Death truly know E'er second come if we escape its Wo. The first Death on us by Transgression come And o'er our Minds as yet doth Pow'r assume Whilst we unto the World are found alive We 're dead to God and of his Life depriv'd Christ must arise in us before that we Can know this Death or from 't deliver'd be Sin is this Death and whilst its Pow'rs abide Unbroke in us Christ is as crucifi'd To us but if he rise he doth bequeath That Life whereby we apprehend this Death We know it thus and as we do partake Of this first Resurrection and do make Our Part in it assur'd we live thereby That Death to know which is in Christ to die Nor can we know it till we understand The Work is finish'd which he did command A second Death we may this Death express The first to Sin this to our Righteousness This is the Saints Death precious in God's Eyes Accepted as their sweetest Sacrifice And 't is their Gain for now to God they live And more they die more Life they do receive Christ made us live and we did Sin refrain But through this Death he cometh to be slain In us that has the Pow'r of Death the Devil In what he works like Good as well as Evil. This Death is that th' Apostle did profess His Longing for with so great Earnestness For unto all Self-righteousness he dy'd That he might know Christ and him crucify'd He first makes mention of his Resurrection Next of his Fellowship with his Affection And lastly of a true Conformity Unto his Death which he desir'd to see This last he did desire we plainly read T' attain the Resurrection of the Dead Much of these glorious Truths here might we write But if we would obtain a clearer Sight We must our selves in Seeking then delight For when all 's utter'd that can be declar'd Or spoken of that can be read or heard These Truths are Myst'ries still unto that Mind That does not them sincerely seek to find For such another never can them know The use of Words is to direct unto The Truth in us to find out ev'ry State Which unto us the Scripture doth relate They are not distant from us they are near If we could know the Truth of what we hear For God's the Substance of each Mystery And unto ev'ry Soul he 's always nigh He sills all Things and doth in all remain The Heaven of Heavens cannot him contain He 's nearer us than our most secret Thought If this we knew or were it truly taught Our Apprehensions would not be abroad At some far distant Place to seek our God For whilst such Notions prepossess our Mind The Truth of Godliness we cannot find Christ also doth near ev'ry Soul abide Being with the Father in strict Union ty'd The Holy Spirit which doth still proceed From th' Father and the Son as we may read In Scripture testify'd is also near If we look for him where he doth appear That Christ may formed be within our Heart Before he will the Mystery impart But unto whom do these great Truths belong Not to the wise the rich the high or strong In their own Eyes in this they have no Share But with their Skill and Art excluded are But unto such as low and needy be In ev'ry Age the Gospel has been free It was to such Isaiah did proclaim The Gospel-Riches in the Father's Name O every one that hungry is he cries Or thirsty let him come and without Price Buy Milk and Wine Thus God the Poor supplies But he that hath a Price for 't to be told Riches of Grace he never did behold For if 't can purchas'd be in any Case By what 's our own it cannot then be Grace For Grace as it is Free belongs to none But those in misery and Want alone Such then it was that Christ our Saviour sought When on an high Feast-day he thus cry'd out Let him that thirsty is come unto me That he may drink Lifes Water which is free And these his gracious Words may be apply'd To all Mankind that should in him confide The Time approach'd that such should truly know Out of their Bellies living Waters flow And this was said touching the Holy Spirit Which every true Believer should inherit This to reveal he then both came and dy'd But was not known till he was glorify'd None in this holy Path he came to shew Can walk but such as are upright and true All Forms without us are but this within By which he doth destroy the Root of Sin This is the Way which all that do believe In Christ should wait assur'dly to receive This Way he did before his Follow'rs ly It was to wait for Power from on high That perfect Gift that cometh from above From God who in the Heart doth shed his Love This Way he did before all Ways prefer To be enjoin'd on each Particuler For tho' he did that Heavenly Wisdom preach And taught them as no other Man could teach Yet unto them he plainly did declare He'ad much to say which yet they could not bear Nor could they bear 't if he should bodily With them remain Therefore 't was needful he Should in the Flesh depart that they might know The Truth of what he came to say and do I 'll pray said he the Father and he 'll give Another Comforter with you to live And he continually with you shall stay And never more removed be away The Spirâ—t of Truth out of the World is thrust Because they see him not nor in him trust But you him know and shall hereafter find Him that is with you dwelling in your Mind Then unto your Remembrance he will bring What I have told you as to ev'ry thing When he is come I tell you what is true He 'll tâ—ke of mine and shew it unto you All 's nine the Father hath you may believe Therefore I said he 'll take of mine and give To you Yet a short while and th' World no more Shall see me as they have done heretofore Bâ—t you shall see me and you then shall know Because I live that you shall live also That day you 'll know I in the Father be In you also and you shall be in me Go search the Scriptures and you shall not find Another Method to perfect the Mind FINIS