and children of the Independent party and root them all out Alas poor creatures God may suffer you to do something in this kinde but you shall finde that God will hide his people under the shadow of his wings and when you have killed all yet those that you would kill shall be left alive For as God made the Nations formerly to kill one another while Israel looked on and were saved from their malice Even so God can make an outside-professing-Service-book man to kill an outside-professing Presbyter and God may suffer an outside-professing Presbyter to kill an hypocriticall Independent and so make the seed of the Serpent to sheath their swords in one anothers bowels while his sincere hearted ones scattered abroad in the Kingdom shall stand and look on and be preserved by Gods protecting care from the danger For you hot spirited men if you will beleeve Scripture which you Idolize so much for you prefer those writings before the God of the Prophets and Apostles you shall finde that God told Ezekiell That when Gog and Magog purposed to destroy Gods People when they were at rest and dwelt at ease why saith God when my people are at rest thou shalt not know it but I will sanctifie my self upon thee O Gog before their eyes And so let these hot spirited people in these dayes do the worst they can they shall never destroy all Gods people out of the Land God will have his witnesses to rise up that shall torment these inhabitants of the earth for though God suffer persecution scoffs reproachful names and oppression yet he will not suffer a small rooting out of his Saints For if the Nations of old could not root out Israel after the flesh which were one single nation visible among all the nations of the earth though they did endeavour it neither can you now you hot spirited people root out all the Saints much lesse you will finde it now the more difficult for now the Saints doe not live all in one Nation but are scattered through all Nations kindreds tongues and People The appearence of God among them is not altogether in out ward formall worship and Temple service as it was to the Jews visible to the eye of the world But the appearance of God now is in the Saints that they worship the Father in spirit and truth in such a secret manner as the eye of the world cannot nor does not alwayes see And therefore though the mysterie of iniquitie seek to kill all as these unbeleevers that are the actors thereof do say they will yet they cannot because they cannot know them And when they have killed all as they think if God should suffer them to act their bloody intents and words yet in conclusion it will appear that the enemies kill one another and spirituall Israel will be preserved Herod killed all the children about two yeres old I but the Child Jesus whom he sought chiefly to kill was gone sent by God far out of Herods reach and when it shall appeare in conclusion that they have killed their own hypocritical people and the sincere hearted whom they aymed at are escaped their vexation wil increase and they will dye with sorrow Therefore now Judge if God be not the chief sufferer because they will not leave God a seed on earth you Saints of God be not troubled to hear that your neighbours will plunder and kill you and root out all Israel out of the land they cannot do it God will fight for you against them the cause is Gods not yours And in seeking your ruine they will pull their own ruine speedily upon themselves Pharaoh thought to destroy Israel and his own destruction which he thought least upon was accomplished Be not troubled at these threatnings but stand still waite with a quiet peaceable heart on God and see what a deliverance he will work for you Assure your selves I see God working a great deliverance for you your number shall increase the number of bloody minded men shall decrease therefore do you meet God by faith and honour him by owning him in the middest of these stormes the enjoyment of your riches friends or bodily life doth not make you happie nor the losse of these cannot make you miserable if you have these it is the enjoyment of God within that gives you a sweet use of them without if all be taken from you it is your Fathers will to suffer it and he will be honoured by it your oppressions and sufferings will bring glory to him And if you lose your life then your work in done therefore stand still with comfort in the place and condition God hath put you in And say Father do with my estate my body my life what thou wilt honour thy selfe in me and by me and thy will be done Now if once God hath brought your spirit to this frame then God is glorified on your behalf for now the glory of Christ the King of righteousnesse hath subdued the Serpent and is revealed in you But God is evil spoken of and doth suffer on their behalf that persecute Now know you weake ones that it is not you but God who is the greatest long sufferer in these times it is not men but the appearance of God in men which the mysterie of iniquity strives against for do you not see how the spirit of lies would root out the spirit of truth the spirit of envy would root out the spirit of love the spirit of hypocrisie would root out the the spirit of sincerity the spirit of pride and self honouring would root out the spirit of humility that honours God the spirit of self-will would root out the spirit of meekness and patience that waits upon the will of God the spirit of unfaithful rashness discontent would root out the spirit of quietness that is at restin God the spirit of greedy covetousness injustice and oppression would root out the spirit of justice and tenderness that depends upon God And in one word the mysterie of iniquitie Beast whorish spirit or flesh having a time given him of God to act and shew its wisdome and power strvies might and maine to root out all appearance of God out of mankinde But alas poor Serpent thou must die thy self Gods time is neer expired that he gave thee and he is rooting thee out of mankinde and consuming in the fire of his wrath for he will become the Lord our righteousness and dwell in flesh himselfe this is Gods mysterie which he is in and about to make publikely manifest amongst men But as yet hypocrisie raignes and would raigne as King And sincerity which is God is laughed to scorne The national peace and liberty is pretended that is the outward shew of love to God but secretly most men both of high and low degree intend either to inrich themselves with the kingdomes monies ruins or else by their secret
the Serpent that held you under slavery all your life time Well as darkness hath overspread the Earth Mankinde so now is the time come that knowledge shall abound and cover the earth Mankinde light begins to arise the spirit begins to appear in flesh he spreads himself in his sons and daughters so that as the Sun shines from East to West so shall the appearing of this Son of righteousness he he comes not now in corners but openly the poor receive the Gospel which is this everlasting spirit wise men in the flesh are made fools fools are made wise scholars are declared to be ignorant the ignorant ones in mens learning become abundantly learned in the experimentall knowledge of Christ I do not write to teach I only declare what I know you may teach me for you have the fountain of life in you as well as I and therefore he is called the Lord because he rules not in one but in everyone through the globe and so we being many are knit together into one body are to be made all of one heart and one minde by that one spirit that enlightens every man I have yeelded to let these few experiences come abroad and partly unwilling because I see more clearly into these secrets then before I writ them which teaches me to rejoyce in silence to see the Father so abundantly at work and it shall cease speedily for men to stand up as they do to teach one another for every one shall be taught of him and I shall be as ready to hear as to speak and to give as to receive and every one delighting to do as they would be done unto This is the King of righteousness that shall raign in the earth this is the spirit that is now pouring out upon sons and daughters though it yet seem small it shall speedily increase and the Father will not despise that day of small things proud flesh shall die and raign King and governour in man no longer they that have understanding know what I say others may reproach and be offended but after they have been tryed in the fire which is the spirit they will acknowledge a truth herein and he made to speak as a friend to truth Your friend whose peace liberty and life lies in the spirit that governs within the Globe Jerrard Winstanley THE FATHERS TEACHING is the only satisfaction to WAITING SOVLS CHAP. I. THe teachings of men and the teachings of God are much different The former being but the light of the moon which shines not of it self but by the means and through the help of the sun The latter is the light of the sun that gives light to all not by means and helps from others but immediately from himself Mens teachings are two fold first when men speak to others what they have heard or read of the Scriptures or books of other mens writings and have seen nothing from God themselves And thus by natural industry study length of time in such an exercise or education from childehood many men Preach or teach others and think and so do others think of them that they are sent of God but Gods time is drawing neer that he will make it appear that these men do run before they be sent And that it is not the zeal of God which sets them to work but the desire and sweetness of a temporal living But this kinde of teaching and teachers must vanish And though God hath suffered them and yet awhile will suffer them for he sits upon the throne therefore let them alone and wait upon God Secondly Others speak from their own experience of what they have heard and seen from God and of what great things God hath done for their souls and this is from God And it is that ministry of the Gospel which God hath put into the hands of men whereby God doth mightily manifest himself and if any man take up this trade of teaching to get a living by for preaching is now adayes become a trade and speaks not from God by experience what they speak they are clouds without rain and such as meddle with holy things that as yet they have nothing to do withal But this teaching in Gods time must vanish too for this moon-light that is conveying knowledge to others by helps and means is to be swallowed up into the light of the sun and God shall become all in all as it is said ye shall be all taught of God and you need not that any man teach you for the anointing which the Saints receive from the Father doth teach them all things And that prophesie of Ieremiah must be fulfilled That the time shall come that men shall not teach one another saying Know the Lord for all shall know him by Gods own teaching from the least of them to the greatest And when God and the Lamb are the light of the City there shall be no more need of the light of the sun nor of the moon By the mentioning of sun and moon in this place God speaks to the capacity of men and points out the whole creation of night and day and that all creature-helps and means should fail though they were or are as glorious helps as the created sun that gives light to the day or as the created moon that gives light to the night And that the time shall come nay it is begun that God himself will be the light of men without creature-helps or means And so Paul seeing that the indwelling of God in man is and would be a glorious sun shine light said That knowledge or rather this way of conveying verbal knowledge one to another shall cease but love which is God endures for ever But thirdly The teachings of God shall never cease Gods teaching differs from men very much for men speak words to the ear but God works out the serpent and works himself into a man and so gives words of a feeling experience to the heart and causes the man to see light in Gods light as thus I have been proud envious and discontent and I have heard words from men against these yet in those dayes I thought I was good and I knew not those evils but when God came and wrought humility love and contentedness in me he then taught me to see and know by experience what the strength of God in me is which is humility love and patience which hath thrown down the strength of the serpent which was pride envy and discontent And this teaching of God I cannot forget it sticks lively in me though the â—…ords of men are forgotten by me and thus God takes up the soul more and more into himself and the soul findes much sweetness in feeling seeing and sensibly understanding the nature of God working dwelling and ruling in him this is Gods teaching in making men to know and to enjoy God this shall continue for the
for time is coming that every one must be taught of God and this troubles him very much Well all these troubles and such like proceed from the shinings forth of the righteous law upon the proud heart and he cannot bear it because he seeks himselfe more then God the unbelief of the heart lives by sence upon the creature the law of God tels the heart he must trust God and not man and though all sence fayl him from men and creatures yet to waite upon God but this troubles him he cannot wait and if he do wait he questions whether he shall have such things he is bid to wait for and the poor heart lies under great tossings Again in his course of trading in the world if he ask sometimes too little or sometimes too much for his wares then he is troubled and do what he can his heart is troubled because he thinks he might have done better when business goes cross to his minde he is troubled whether it be fair weather or fowl if it be not just to his minde he is troubled Then appears pride covetousnesse frowardness uncleaness springing up in his heart and these trouble him if he cannot speak for God when others speak against him as he thinks then he is troubled if he do speak of the things of God then his heart tels him he is an hypocrite or self-lover and then he is trobled so that there arises not a thought in his heart but there is some fretting or trouble tyed to it And vvhat are all these and such like but even a legion of devils or troublers that holds the creature under bondage and torments him thus in hell day and night I call it a hell for it is a condition of darkness below the life comfort and peace of God All these are wrought in the soul by the righteous Law for the creature strives to be wise and the Law proves him a fool he would fain be righteous and the light of the Law shews him he is a wicked hypocrite he would fain have faith and holiness in him and the Law shews him he is an unbelieving sinner he would fain enjoy the peace of God and yet enjoy himself too the Law tels him he must deny himself and take up his cross daily if he would enjoy God he would fain be counted some body for wisdom faith prayer preaching the Law tels him all is as good as nothing because he goes forth in his own strength and the power of the father is absent And thus the Law is that flaming sword which turns every way upon the sinner and scorches the poor imprisoned soul in every thought of his heart burning up his pride and self-conceit so that the righteous Law raigns like a Tyrant in and over the poor prisoner and while the soul is thus tormented by the dispensation of wrath the envious spirit of darkness that rules in other men delights to see this poor creature thus under bondage and so casts jeers slanders reproaches and hard usage upon him Envy rejoyces in others misery even as Love rejoyceth in the liberty and life of others But poor soul know this that God is burning up thy dross and ere long vvill set thee at liberty and the fire of love that burns in thee will break forth to thy comfort and then he will give thee power to rejoyce over the Devill and to set thy feet upon his neck as a conquered slave even as he makes thee his slave now Then secondly This same imprisoned creature that lies under the Law being as yet not set free by the Son meets with many troubles without and these are but dispensations of wrath as the other was likewise as sicknesse frowns of friends hatred of men losses of his estate by fire water being cheated by false spirited men death of his cattle or many such like casualties whereby he becomes poor in the world and meets with many straits as hard language hungry belly to be despised imprisoned and abundance of such provocations in the vvorld And it may be meets with fearfull Apparisions in the night or day that terrifies him as it was Jobs case he was filled with terrors in the night sometimes these troubles lie within a mans spirit in griefs and sadpressures inward burnings of trouble and torment which no man is sensible of but himself and sometimes it breaks forth in bitter words and speeches through oppression of the spirit to the disturbance of others and this is called madness or distraction which grows upon a man when the pure Law doth cross his carnall imagination wilfull will pride covetous or lustfull desires then doth the distemper of his troubled spirit break out But when Christ comes and sets him free then he comes to see that whatsoever did befall him must befall him it was the will of the father for the burning up of his dross and pride of flesh and shall be made to say Father thy will be done and for ever yea infinitely for ever be thy name praised that thou hast given me such a heart to be content and submit in love and meekness to thee and to take every thing in love from thee this is thine own handiwork it was not thus formerly but thou hast drawn me through a nipping and pinching wilderness into this land of Canaan even to lie down in rest in thine own bosome praysed be thy name Yea but the poor troubled soul is offended at my words and thinks and saies this cannot be it is impossible that any man should have such a frame of spirit Alas poor man I have been as thou art but if thou canst believe in Gods love and power from the testimony of another thou wilt believe this for a truth But if thou cannot believe but yet remain troubled he that feels the sweetness of such a work of God knows it to be a truth wait upon God as thy fellow servant doth for his pure teaching and thou wilt finde him the same to thee as he is to another Paul writes of one that was in Christ before him and so though thou wade through flames of fire to imbrace God in thine armes thy comforts will be the sweeter thy experience the more and thou wilt greatly rejoyce in that thou hast been in so hot a fire when the father causes thee to lie down in his bosom the liberty in this rest is now so sweet to thee And truly friends let me tell you that which hath been often of late whispered into my spirit and I believe there is something in it that this wrath bitternesse and discontent that appeares generally in mens spirits in England one against another upon the breakings forth of the truths of God doth whisper in my spirit that the Father hath cast England into the fire and is purging the drosse from the gold that liberty is not far off and that the plentifull pouring out of the Anoynting even the spirit
began to obey the Lord then the Lord sent an Angel which was no other but a mighty spirit of feare and confusion of minde among the Midianites Israels enemies which made them to destroy one another while Israel had the liberty to looke on CHAP. V. LEt the Powers Governours and Armies of the land learne to worship the Lord in righteousnesse lest while the Lord hath made them Angels to destroy some and to warne others the Lord do not give out a Commission to others to destroy and confound them and so bring about his work by another power For Assure your selves you Kingly Parliamentarie and Army power and know this that all unrighteous powers and actings must be destroyed the father is about the work and his hand will not slack this work is and will be going on more powerfull then ever till it be finished that all enemies to Christ be made his foot-stoole and he alone exalted who is King of righteousnesse For now Jesus Christ is upon his rising from the dead and will rule King of righteousnesse in flesh And though King-flesh in every man and woman hath for many years past denyed him and lifted up himself against him yet now is the time come that he will lift up himself and tread the powers of the flesh under his feet And friends doe not mistake the resurrection of Christ you expect he shall come in one single person as he did when he came to suffer and die and thereby to answer the types of Moses law let me tell you if you look for him under the notion of one single man after the flesh to be your Saviour you shall never never taste salvation by him But know that the mighty power that dwelt in that humane flesh that was called by the name Jesus Christ he was the man the mighty man of strength the flesh was as the woman to the man or the box that carryed that precious oyntment in and this man is sat down at the right hand of the father that is he is the strength of the father whereby he destroys King flesh and he sits in the highest heavens that is in those Saints that are taken up the highest into the father and lives in him treading the curse under foot And as the body of his flesh in his Ascension so called went out of the Apostles sight in a cloud of the Skies so shall the same mighty man rise up out of the earth that is from under the earthy imaginations and lusts of the sons of men for mankinde is the earth that containes him buried and out of this earth he is to arise and appeare in the clouds that is as he begins to shew himselfe in a man or a woman the fleshy powers in those enslaved soules will and do rise up to darken the light of that sun as long as he can till he the flesh who is the wicked man or the cursed thing that dwels within mankinde be taken away And therefore if you expect or look for the resurrection of Jesus Christ you must know that the spirit within the flesh is the Jesus Christ and you must see feel and know from himself his own resurrection within you if you expect life and peace by him For he is the life of the world that is of every particular son and daughter of the father who are every one of them a perfect created world of themselves and need not to seek abroad after other creatures for teaching for every one hath the light of the father within himself which is the mighty man Christ Iesus And he is now rising and spreading himselfe in these his sons and daughters and so rising from one to many persons till he enlighten the whole creation mankinde in every branch of it and cover this earth with knowledge as the waters cover the seas And this is the lightning that shall spread from East to West this is the kingdome of heaven within you dwelling and ruling in your flesh therefore learne to know Jesus Christ as the father knows him that is not after the flesh but know that the spirit within the flesh is that mighty man Jesus Christ and the flesh takes it name from that mighty man of truth that dwels within it he within governs the flesh he within laid down the flesh when he was said to die he within is the wisdome and power of God he within is to arise not at a distance from men but will rise up in men and manifest himselfe to be the light and life of every man and woman that is saved by him For a meek spirit bears the name Jesus And a man filled with the power of God or a man taken up into God to become one in spirit within beares the name Christ therefore you are not saved by believing there was such a man that lived and died at Jerusalem for though you believe there was such a man yet that is not saving faith to you till you feel the power of a meek spirit come into you and raigne King and tread all your envy frowardnesse and bitternesse of spirit under foot and till you feel and see the power of the righteous spirit come into you and raigne King treading all unrighteousnesse of the flesh whatsoever under foot making a conquered slave of that wicked man in the flesh And so changing your vile bodies and making them like his glorious body that is making the bodies of your flesh subject to the spirit of the father within it as the bodie of the flesh of Jesus Christ was subject to the spirit his father that dwelt within him in all things So that you do not look for a God now as formerly you did to be a place of glory beyond the Sun Moon and Stars nor imagine a divine beeing you know not where but you see him ruling within you and not only in you but you see and know him to be the spirit and power that dwels in every man and woman yea in every creature according to his orbe within the globe of the Creation So that now you see and feel and taste the sweetnesse of the spirit ruling in your flesh who is the Lord and King of glory in the whole creation and you have community with him who is the father of all things Now you are inlightened now you are saved and rises higher and higher into life and peace as this manifestation of the father increases and spreads within you And this is it to be saved by Jesus Christ for that mighty man of spirit hath taken up his habitation within your body and your body is his body and now his spirit is your spirit and so you are become one with him and with the father and this is the faith of Christ when your flesh is subject to the spirit of righteousnesse as the flesh of Christ was and this is to believe in Christ when the
actings breathings of your soules is within the center of the same spirit in which the man Jesus Christ lived acted and breathed If you live in the flesh that is if you be subject to the powers of the flesh within you then you believe in the flesh and bring forth the fruit of the flesh which is self-conceit covetousness envy pride hypocrisie and the like But if you live in Christ that is in that mighty and spirituall man of truth then you believe in him and bring forth the fruit of the spirit which is love joy peace humilitie obedience sincerity and the like If Jesus Christ that mighty King rule in you he will check and condemne every unrighteous thought as well as extravagant words and loose actions though no other man see and know your secret wickednesse but your selves and he will speake peace and Justifie you within when your flesh in any things is subject to him though you are hated slandered and mightily oppressed by the injustice of others But if King-flesh rule then you go on in secret and open wayes of unrighteousnesse with greediness and delight and have no checks within at all Now the strong man of sin keeps the house your bodies and every thing enjoyes a seeming peace within you But this is not the peace nor the liberty but a fore runner of great torment in the day of Judgment that is when the Judge the King of righteousness shall appeare to sit upon the throne within you judging and condemning this serpent or man of sin within you and so bruising his head that you who have been and are pisoners thereunto may live in the light peace of the father so set at liberty from bondage assure your selves you that glory in flesh you shall not go scot-free you shall be cast into the everlasting burnings as well as others and tryed in that fire as gold in the furnace And this fire is the father himself into whom when any creature fals he burns up the drosse in the creature which is the curse that came in through unrighteousnesse which is all the imaginary glory of the flesh and so makes man to appeare and stand bright before him you cannot burne away the drosse but the gold must suffer the heat of the fire the father cannot consume the serpent the man of sin out of my body but I that have been incorporated into that nature of the serpent must needs suffer paine this drosse and gold in man is so mixed together that nothing can separate them but the fiery orb which is the father himselfe that tries all things And here likewise lies a great delusion within mankinde you call the father your God and the word God is much in your mouths but here you deceive your selves for you know not the father to be your God nor Lord neither can you call him your God till you see and feele by experience that he rules and governs in you and that your proud and coveteous flesh stoopes and is made subject to him When the spirit within you doth command your flesh in rightousnesse and will not suffer frowardness covetousness pride hypocrisie and the like to arise and act but presently checks and condemns and shames you you can then speake in experience that the father who is the mighty governour is your God and your Lord for the powers of your poysoned flesh are made suctject to him But so long as King-flesh raignes doth act pride envy covetousness hypocrisie unrighteousnesse within you then he that you call God is the devill that cursed serpent or poysoned flesh even the power of darkness is your God and you cannot say the father is your God for if you do you deceive your self you are subject to the devill you are not subject to the father He that looks for a God without himself and worships God at a distance he worships he knows not what but is led away and deceived by the imaginations of his own heart which is Belzebub the great Devill but he that looks for a God within himself and submits himselfe to the spirit of righteousnesse that shines within this man knows whom he worships for he is made subject to and hath communitie with that spirit that made all flesh that dwells in all flesh and in every creature within the globe And this is the law and the testimony even the law of the spirit of righteousnesse within and testimony of the spirit within a man when a man can say I see feel and know that my flesh is in part subject and is daily subjecting to the great power that dwels in the whole creation what I heare another man speak or write it is nothing to me till I finde the same experience within my self this is the law and testimony of Jesus and if any man speak not according to this rule it is because there is no knowledge in him not in the booke of scriptures which is another mans testimony and the testimony of others is known to be a truth by the testimony of the same spirit within your self and no other way whatsoever There is one scripture hath been often laid before me by others and I knew not the meaning of it if I went about to studie or imagine the meaning I was lost presently and trouble took hold upon me Well after I found the spirit of contentednesse to come with power and made me quiet within so that I said within my self let my father give me the knowledge of this or any other truth or deny me the knowledge of it his will be done I can know nothing till he teach me therefore I will lie down before him and wait with a quiet spirit upon him I say I was no sooner brought into this waiting frame of spirit not only this but divers other truths was and I can almost say daily is given into me from the father to the abundant satisfaction of my soul The scripture is this Mat. 8. 28. where the two men that were possessed with devills cryed out to Jesus Art thou come to destroy us before the time I deny not the history but that there were two men really filled and tormented with devils or distempers which is the curse in mankinde and that at the Command of Christ those troublers in them went into the heard of swine and the swine ran into the sea and perished there But now the matter in this history settles peace within my spirit as it is shewed unto me and that is this By the two possessed is pointed out to me First the earth mankinde by reason of his unrighteousnesse is filled with thornes and bryers that is with troublesome distempers of all sorts which are called devills or serpent or the curse of the earth or the wicked man that sowes tares in Gods vineyard mankinde so that here is mankinde or flesh full of troublers or devills distempering the creation for do but crosse
THE SAINTS PARADISE OR The Fathers Teaching the only satisfaction to waiting SOULS WHEREIN Many Experiences are Recorded for the comfort of such as are under spirituall BURNING The inward Testimony is the Souls strength By Jerrard Winstanley Jer. 31. 34. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord 1 John 2. 27. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you But as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth London Printed for G. Calvert and are to be sold at the black-spred-Eagle at the West end of Pauls To my beloved friends whose souls hunger after sincere Milk Dear friends IT hath been the universall condition of the Earth Mankinde to be overspread with a black Cloud of darknesse and the knowledge of the King of righteousnesse hath been manifested but in some few scattered ones which as they haue had the spring in themselves so they have been as lights in the dark world and others have walked in their light and rested content to drink of their streams as if their declaration of truth had been the very Fountain it self I my self have known nothing but what I received by tradition from the mouths and pen of others I worshipped a God but I neither knew who he was nor where he was so that I lived in the dark being blinded by the imagination of my flesh and by the imagination of such as stand up to teach the people to know the Lord and yet have no knowledge of the Lord themselves but as they have received by hearsay from their books and other mens words I spoke of the name of God and Lord and Christ but I knew not this Lord God and Christ I prayed to a God but I knew not where he was nor what he was and so walking by imagination I worshipped that devill and called him God by reason whereof my comforts were often shaken to pieces and at last it was shewed to me That while I builded upon any words or writings of other men or while I looked after a God without me I did but build upon the sand and as yet I knew not the Rock And now know friends That this ignorant unsettled condition is yours at this time though I know that the proud King flesh that is in you will be ready to speak within you and tell you that you do know God and Christ and be offended with me because I say you know him not I do not write any thing as to be a teacher of you for I know you have a teacher within your selves which is the Spirit and when your â—â—esh is made subject to him he will teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance so that you shall not need to run after men for instruction for your eyes being opened you shall see the King of righteousnesse sit upon the throne within your selves judging and condemning the unrighteousnesse of the flesh filling your face with shame and your soul with horror though no man see or be acquainted with your actions or thoughts but your selves and justifying your righteous thoughts and actions and lead you into all wayes of truth And this is the Spirit or Father which as he made the Globe and every creature so he dwels in every creature but supreamly in Man and he it is by whom every one lives and moves and hath his being perfect man is the eye and face that sees and declares the Father and he is perfect when he is taken up into this spirit and lives in the light of reason and there is no man or woman can say that the Father doth not dwell in him for he is every where there is no a creature in the compasse of the creation but he is in that creature but disobedient man knows him not and why Because flesh is not subject to the spirit within it his covetous flesh hath deceived him for he either looks abroad for a God and so doth imagine and fancie a God to be in some particular place of glory beyond the skies or some where he knows not or in some place of glory that cannot be known till the body be laid in the dust Or else if men do look for a God within them according as the Record speaks God is within you yet they are led by the motions and commands of King flesh within them and not by King spirit and here they are at a losse not being able to distinguish between flesh and spirit by reason that covetousnesse and self-will blindes their eyes Truly friends King flesh is very covetous self-loving and self-honouring it likes them that say as it saith but it would imprison kill and hang every one that differs from him he is full of heart-burning either of open envy and bitter distemper or else carries himself in a smooth quiet way of hypocrisie walking in a shew of truth like an Angell of light but when he gets an opportune power he turns to be a tyrant against the way of the spirit And so all his love was but for by-ends to satisfie self in some particular or other But now the King of righteousnesse within you is a meek patient and quiet spirit and full of love and sincerity he burns up the proud and hasty flesh he loves truth and hates a lie if the creature acts unrighteously he checks and shames him if he act righteously according to the creation of a man he speaks peace within and so makes the man to walk sincerely and warily And when you come to know feel and see that the spirit of righteousness governs your flesh then you begin to know your God to fear your God to love your God and to walk humbly before your God and so to rejoyce in him and therefore if you would have the peace of God as you call it you must know what God it is you serve which is not a God without you visible among bodies but the spirit within you invisible in every body to the eye of flesh yet discernable to the eye of the spirit and when souls are made to have community with that spirit then they have peace and not till then For this let me tell you that if you subject your flesh to this mighty governour the spirit of righteousness within your selves he will bring you into community with the whole Globe so that in time you shall come to know as you are known and you shall not need to run after others to learn of them what God is for as you are a perfect creation every one of himself so you shall see and feel that this spirit is the great governour in you in righteousness and when you come thus to know the truth the truth shall make you free from the bondage of covetous and proud flesh
soul shall ever be learning what God is and shal be more more fed with this his teaching and as the divine beeing is infinite in all his attributes so the teachings of God in a soul shall be infinite withâ—ut end for God will still be leading the soul to know by experience the mysterie of God more and more this I say is GODS teaching And without Gods teachings in this kinde all the teachings of men will do no good for hence it is that there are so many Hypocrites amongst Professors they know much in the letter as men teaches them but they know nothing in spiritual power which is the way that God teaches And truly let me tell you if this power of God be wanting you will feel an inclinableness in you to give way to every evil action when a temptation thereunto is before you for though a man know from the letter that iniustice covetousness rash anger hardness of heart toward others and uncleanness of the flesh are evil and that the wrath of God will break forth upon such as commit such and such evils And though he know likewise from the letter that Justice Faith Meeknesse and tendernesse of spirit holinesse and chastitie are good yet this very man will be ready nay strongly drawn by the powers of his flesh to do the evill and refuse the good unlesse the powers of God be established in him and be his keeper As thus The power of justice delivering him from the power of injustice the power of a meek and patient spirit delivering him from the power of pettish frowardnesse the power of chastitie delivering him from the power of uncleannesse for this is the Anointing or that Son of God ruling a King of righteousnesse and peace within you that sets you free And truly when God is pleased to set you free from the Serpent and to let you see and feel his divine power thus ruling in you your heart and tongue cannot be silent but you will with life delight and power be chearfully returning praises to your heavenly Father that hath made your nature conformable to his son Jesus Christ Another thing let me tell you and truly it is to let you see what danger you are in if you only know the letter and want the power of God if you hear Paul speak that Believers are not under the Law of works but under the Law of love and if you hear the Saints of God speak out of experience that Christ hath set them free Now observe I say you that only hear the letter or outward report and do apprehend and can speak again what you hear you begin to think your selves some body I speak to you that think you are free and yet are not Here is a self conceit presently arises in you for knowledge in the letter only puffs up and this is one danger but this is not all For now this wise flesh will be yet presuming and will argue thus within thy heart God hath set us free from the Law of works we shall neither be condemned nor saved by that for we are under grace that is the the law of Christ and therefore saith the flesh thou mast take thy pleasure that which was sin formerly while thou wast under the law of works is now no sin while thou art under the law of love This is the temptation and now thou art upon tryall But if the Son set thee free he doth not only set thee free from the Law but from the Serpent too not only from Gods Law of Do this and live but from the Serpents law of works too for thy proud flesh would be reconciled to God by his workings but this is thy bondage and it shall not And if thy thoughts run that thou art freed from Gods condemning Law of works and yet findest no power of God within casting out the strong man truly for the present the father of lies the subtil flesh hath deceived thee This tickling delight of thy flesh is the same Serpent that tempted Adam if thou eat hereof that is if thou joyn hands and take delight according to the whisperings thereof as to be unjust secretly to seek revenge to be unclean or adulterous or the like thou wilt finde that this is the father of lies that promises much pleasure but cannot perform for it will throw thee into the fire that is under the lashes of Gods law which thou thought thou wast freed from But if thou have such whisperings and finde a strength to reject them thou wilt then see by experience that the strength of God is stronger then the flesh I believe the dear servants of God are much tempted for my own particular I can hardly hear a sin named but I have been tempted to it but I have found the teachings of God very usefull and the only power of the Father at such times hath kept me from wicked actions Well if thou finde that the power of God in thee which is sincerity and truth treds the aspiring of injustice in thee under foot and the power of God which is chastitie treds adulterous unclean enticements under foot and the power of God which is love treds envy and heart-burning grudge under foot and the like This is the wisdom and power of God even that Son of righteousnesse that sets you free for this is the powerfull oyle that was poured upon the Head Jesus Christ and runs down to the lowest member This power of God within thee answers the whisperings of that lyar the flesh within thee and tels thee it is true thou art not under the law of works to be condemned or saved by it but thou art under the law of love and holinesse The wisdom and power of God is thy keeper is God unrighteous is God froward is God envious is God unclean or doth he take delight in strange flesh or in any creature without himself or doth he not delight in himself in whom there is all glory Indeed friends minde what I tell you The flesh alwayes delights in its self and in the enjoyment of creatures but the power of God in thee alwayes glories and delights in God and findes rest in none but in God I speak this because I know that this is the most subtil most ensnaring and most dangerous temptation of the professing flesh of any I know And if God appear to be your strength at this time of trial you will then say feelingly and with a rejoycing thankfull heart O the mighty God indeed is my strength I had been unjust theevish envious proud given to all uncleannesse of the flesh but the power of Gods truth love humility and chastitie hath cast this strong man armed out and now I see what truth is what chastitie is what love to enemies is what sincerity is this is the power of God this is the anointing this is the King of righteousnesse that rules
is full of languishing this is a very low ebb but thou art not forsaken of the father though thy perswasion is much shaken the reason of all is this The pure law of the spirit is scorching and burning up the unbeliefe of thy flesh to make thee know God and to make thee bright in the eyes of God and men hereafter Now speake if this be not true you that have waded in or through this fire some are wading in this fire few have waded through it all must be burned herein more or lesse before they lie down quietly in the lap of providence Well this is the power of darknesse and bondage under which the divell or troubles within doth buffet you The power of my unrighteous flesh strives to maintain the kingly power in me and the righteous Law or the pure spirit strives to maintain his owne righteous and kingly power in me by tredding the other under foot If proud flesh stand then the the King of glory in me must be destroyed but if he keep the field and raigne in me then the head of my troubles which is the Serpent must be bruised And this is the enmity of natures between God and me this is the Divell and the power of this Divell or enmity doth not worke without the will but according to the will of God in killing the disobedient creature when the serpent in flesh kills then the creature man dies from God but when the law comes and kills then the creature begins to live again to God The flesh and darknesse within me is the Divell that is the father of lies that never spoke truth And the power of the perfect law taking hold thereupon threw me under sorrow and sealed up my miserie and this is utter darknesse for my soul lived below the life and nature of God in sin and disobedience and while that strong man kept the house I had peace and I lived below the comforts and joyes of God in sorrowes and miserie under the sence of Gods wrath for that sin and then my sinfull peace was taken from me And this is Hell yea and extremitie of the power of darknesse But this Divell is not a middle power distinct from God between God and the creature and so waits as a Gaoler to do his Office when the Judge condemns the sinner as some say and as I thought but it is the power of proud flesh and the power of the pure spirit mixing together not as friends but enemies opposing each other and so killing the weaker party the creature and taking peace from him And though God suffer the Divell to act and gives him a power sometimes over the creature yet God doth suffer it not to ruine his creature man but to ruine the Divell to bruise that serpents head and to reconcile the creature to himselfe and so to raise him up to enjoy the life of God that is dead under the power of the Divell This proud flesh or Divell is called the wicked one in his severall degrees in mankinde which is the serpent which bends his bow and makes ready his arrowes that he may shoot privily at him that is upright in heart that is at the appearance of God in the heart of man in every degree and measure of it This is that envious uncleane and wicked man that gathers to himselfe and that scatters from Christ for let a man in whom any measure of this serpent rules preach pray beare rule or do any thing he gives not the honour to God but he gathers up the honour to himselfe for he is full of selfe-seeking and selfe-praise and this is the wicked one whether he be little or big And God is angrie with this wicked one every day And this lordly power of the serpent must be killed before the manifestations of the fathers love favour sweet to the creature This is the father of lies this is the tempter this is he that deceives the Nations this proud flesh that would sit in Gods Temple and be as God is the mysterie Babylon the mother of all abominations this is the first mover to all enmity against God for it will not own the Father the King of glory But now it is the righteous Law that makes this appear to be enmity for light discovers darknesse and the spirit of fire discovers coldnesse Now the great mysterie of God is this he will remove this great stone or mountain that lies between him and his creature for he will swallow up his own dispensation of wrath as the creature cals it which is the Law of holinesse proving the creature a sinner and so casting him under sorrow which is sense of wrath and he will swallow up the enmity of our natures into love even into himself and so to make of two one when this mixed murderer is cast out of heaven And this devil or murderer appears sometimes within a man in troubling and filling the heart and flesh with sorrows and misery and sometimes he appears without when the spirit of proud flesh in other men envies me God may and many times gives way that that spirit of envy shall go forth and prosper and enjoy his will for if the envy hypocrisie and cruelty that breaths in others be acted upon me it is not the will of that envious spirit for my ruine but the will of God is done in suffering that spirit to act for its own ruine and my healing And truly I have a great perswasion that though God suffer this unclean spirit to run up and down and range in this Kingdom of England yet God will heal England in conclusion and cast this devil or unclean spirit into the lake of fire and so consume him There is one Scripture that gives great light into this truth The devil troubler or spirit of darkness in other men did envy Job which indeed is but the imagination of proud envious flesh for this is Belzebub that devises mischief and told God that if he would lay his hand upon him Job would curse him to his face Imagination thought arising from envy that afflictions would be a means to make a breach between God and Job as those wicked men did imagine in Wisdom 2. 21. Well God said Amen to the request of that evill spirit behold saith God to the devil Job is in thy hand even under that very power of temptation and suffering as thou wouldst have him to be under only touch not his life so that here is a power limited to Satan or to the envy of flesh in other men against Job but this power is not Satans power properly distinct from God but it is the very power of God which the God of wisdom hath given and limited to Satan whereby God will honour himself and shame the devil and bruise his head by Jobs sufferings The spirit of envy imagines that if Jobs Cattle and goods should be taken away by robbery
spirit of righteousnesse is like the offended Law of a King that speaks death to the offender which way soever he turn himself it flashes like the flaming sword every way and so takes peace from that particular earth And if he look abroad the same declaration of wrath follows the eye of the sinner and flames out fire in every place even as the father is pleased visibly to appear in outward manifestations of justice to the terrifying of the disobedient that he may know himself and his works that they have been unrighteous As in losses sad accidents death of friends or cattell casualties by fire water unseasonable weather or the like and so taking an outvvard peace from the earth that is from divers branches of disobedient earth men and vvomen making them to sit dovvn in sorrow And poor sinners when they feel and see such inward and outward misery they cry out Oh this is the devill that troubles them And so look upon the Devill as a third powerfull beeing distinct between God and them working their misery Alas poor sinners this is the devil indeed a great troubler but not such a devil as you fancie for this Devill or murtherer that takes away your peace is within you it is your sin and the curse of your flesh upon which the fury of the King of righteousnesse hath seised and taken fast hold and now expect no peace in earth that is in your flesh till there be peace in heaven that is till your flesh be made subject to the spirit and the Father and you become one For truly let me tell you and you shall finde it true That as the curse or disobedient flesh in you doth rise up in rebellion against the spirit by scoffing hating self-loving despising expression of bitternesse and discontent against the way of the spirit and so seeking to advance your selves or your fleshy lusting above the spirit Even so the Law of the spirit will appear and the flashings of this flaming sword will spread the more to advance the spirit even the King of glory and so will hedge in your way and crosse you at every turning And truly if you see the fury of the Lord to appear more hot and fierce then formerly then say and say truly That the breakings out of sin and curse is more violent in these dayes then formerly And it must be so For now the bottomlesse pit is opened that is The curse or serpent in humane flesh is let loose to act and shew it self in his own likenesse and it makes himself manifest to be the power of darknesse the father of lies the enemies of the Father and the Whore the Beast and mother of all abominations And the four evill Angels that is Subtilty Hypocrisie Envy and Cruelty backed and strengthened with all the power of Hell or Curse are let loose that is the strength of these are manifest and act powerfully in these dayes and assure your selves that the dispensations of wrath do and must increase to the view of creatures more then formerly But these sad apparisions of inward and outward wrath will not last long the time shortens apace and the work of the Father hastens apace for righteousnesse and peace hath begun to take the Kingdom and to raign whose dominion shall have no end When your eyes are opened you shall see that it is the righteous Law or rule of truth that thwarts and crosses the sinfull and cursed principles that rule and that still would rule a King in your flesh And this Law works sometimes within condemning a man within his own conscience without any outward means but the light of the spirit within rises up and declares the darknesse of the curse within the flesh and sometimes it condemns the man within himself through the sight or hearing of other mens words and actions without nay the very actions of other creatures are made to be whips to torment him Sometimes thou hast had vain glorious imaginations rising up within thee puffing up thy mind with big thoughts of thy self as if thou wert some great body for thy learning riches parts prayers fasting preachings to whom every man must give respect Thou hast thoughts of covetousnesse of injustice of uncleanesse and thinkest thou maiest take thy pleasure herein and if any discover thy lewdnesse in these abominations which thou seest no evill in persently thou hast thoughts of revenge arises in thee to make such and such know what they do to crosse thee in that thou saiest and doest And thereupon pursues thy resolution to get a power to put thy envious thoughts which thou thinkest is zeal into execution but thou dost not do it and why because the opportunities of the earth will not give thee power Well all this is the swelling up of the curse within thee which thou thinkest is the spirit of holinesse a strong delusion But within a short time after thy conscience or rather the spirit within begins to trouble thee and fils thy face with shame and thy heart with a king distemper because thou that art a professor of a meek and loving spirit which is true godlinesse should have such exalting thoughts in thee against thy fellow creature and consent unto them Or it may be some others may cast out jeers against thy very thoughts yet not knowing thy heart and thereby thy distempers multiplie and peace vanisheth from thy proud lifted up heart and now thou concludest that this is the devill that first put ill thoughts into thee now troubles thee for them It is true it is the devill indeed but not such a devill as thou thinkest of for first the father of lies thy unclean flesh that was he that inticed thee to envy and now the righteous Law of the spirit within thee shews thee thy evill and shames and troubles thy minde and throws thee under vexation and sorrow of spirit and kils all thy comforts and dashes all thy contentednesse to pieces And no man knowes of these inward sorrowes but thy own heart this is the law and the testimony even the perfect rule of holiness that appears in thee to thee and hedges in the way of the flesh with thornes throws thee under bondage this is the murtherer which thou callest the devill he is a murtherer indeed of the curse though thou who art dead under the curse maist be made alive in the spirit and live in the father of peace And sometimes the Law works without and opens the mouthes of others to speak against thy selfe-conceit in preaching praying or carnall use of scriptures and against thy covetousness and pride that makes thee lift up thy self above thy fellow creatures and thou thinkst this is the devill that tempts thee to forsake God and goodness Alas friend it is the righteous law that crosses thy fleshie hypocrisie and that sends these messengers as dispensers of wrath to thee to make thee not to looke after the letter but the spirit of the
of love truth and onenesse is near at hand and that England Scotland and Ireland so set at liberty from the bondage of the serpent within and the dispensation of wrath without shall be the tenth part of the City Babylon that shall fall off first and bow down at the feet of the Anoynting which is the wisdom and power of God that rules in flesh as Esay prophesied but whether God will manifest so great a work in this kingdome or no at this time his will be done but this I know much may be said of the workings of Gods power in this kinde in particular mens experience and as the father enlarges his hand this manifestation of his love will spread There is more hopes of a bitter storming spirit to be brought into God as this kingdome is generally full of then of a smooth close fawning hypocriticall self seeking fearefull spirit that playes of all sides for self-ends sake God received persecuting and bitter spirited Paul to mercy when as he let hypocriticall self-seeking Simon Magus go by as it were not counting him worth the minding All that I shall say is this you Saints of God that taste how sweet the love of the father is bear patiently with hot spirits God doth beare with them for he suffers more then you he is called the great long sufferer and when Gods love begins to shine forth upon them he can and it may be wil make some of them to out-strip you in experience of his love good will and power and so fill them abundantly with the spirit of joy But some do object against what I have spoken and say are not those Angels which fell devils distinct from God as man is distinct from God as Jude speaks And the Angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation he hath reserved in chaines of darkness unto the Judgement of the great day To answer this First I shall note that as heaven is set before us in a two-fold glory so are Angels As first every particular Saint is a true heaven or place of glory not only because the Father dwels in him but because he dwels in the Father likewise as thus the Father delights in him and manifests himselfe to this his son and his son by the clear sight and feeling of this manifestation is filled with joy and glory in his Father so that here is a mutuall fellowship of joy and oneness of love between them And this is Gods Kingdome even for flesh to be filled with Gods glory and indwelling presence in love and this is heaven in a lesser sence Secondly the whole City Sion is true heaven or a place of the fathers glory which is but the perfection of the former joy for as the father dwels and rules as a King of righteousnesse and love in one Saint so he dwells in all and all of them dwell in him as he enjoyes them for his delight so they enjoy him for their delight And as all and every one of them sees enjoyes and glories in the Father so they see enjoy and glory one in another every one knowing seeing and sweetly rejoycing in the unity and oneness of each others spirit it being the spirit of the father nay the father himself who is the spirit that fills all in all and knits them together into one body treading down all oppressing powers of the flesh for ever under their feet and this is heaven in the largest sence which every particular son and daughter of the father shall enjoy hereafter though they are now scattered abroad among the Sodomites of this unrighteous world that vexes their pretious soules from day to day And as heaven I say is set before us in this two-fold glory so the Angels are set before us in a two-fold glory likewise For first the particular sparks of glory or heavenly principles in man which the father hath set as lights to make known himselfe in his Saints as love humility sincerity content and rest in God and such like these are Angels and Angels of glory too because they are sparks of glory issued out of the father into earthen vessels and makes them to become the salt of the earth and light of the world Then secondly Men that are wholly taken up into God are called Angels such as have all their sences spiritually exercised in the father that can see hear taste smell and handle the excellent and glorious father and so Jesus Christ being a man so taken up into the father for he was a man fully anointed the God-head dwelt bodily in him he was called an Angel the Arch-Angell and Angel of his presence for he was the glorious sparke and light of the father And when men shall be and are so taken up into God they are called Angels and Angels of heaven too because the father dwels and glories in them and they live dwell and glory in the father and these are the Angels which the father sends to do his will As first the severall measures of his spirit are sparks of his glory as love joy humility sincerity and peace in God and such like these are particular Angels which the father sends down into humane flesh to keep it in all his wayes that it may not desperately blasphem God and so dash against the rock and such Angels as these every son and daughter of the father doth enjoy more or lesse and if it were not for these temptations would presently overcome them but these are spirituall powers from God that keep them upright in all their wayes and which makes them differ from the world And then for men that are wholly taken up into God as Moses and as Christ was they are ministers or Angels which the father sends forth to speake and do his will before and in the world therefore let the world in these dayes learne meeknesse and wisdome and lay aside their envy lest in the day of account they be found beating and killing such as the father sends in his name But now to answer to the objection We are to note that Angels in this latter sence which are men taken up into God and made perfect can never fall from God and so become Devils and enemies against God for this is the work of redemption which is unchangable and the father dwels and rules in them and hath bruised the serpents head in them never to revive again in them and they likewise live and dwell in God whose power treads all enemies under their feet And they have the sparks of glory or Angels of light within them which are the severall measures of the fathers spirit poured into them which remaines for ever and they themselves are Angels of light sent from the father to do his will here in this low condition of weak flesh But now Angels in the former sence which are divine sparks of glory planted in humane nature in its