life and from the Spirit then she blasphemes the life and the holy pure power and movings of the Spirit The woman which sate upon the scarlet coloured beast with whom the Kings of the earth committed fornication and the inhabitants of the earth were made druâ—k with the wine of her fornication was full of names of blasphemy Rev 17. 2 3. Yea the beast which carried her which had many heads horns and crowns he also had on his heads names of blasphemy Rev 13. 1. And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies ver 5. And he with the whore together for he did it by her spirit and instigation by vertue of the wine he had drunk out of her cup opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwel in Heaven ver 6. This hath been the work of the tongue in every head of the beast namely to blaspheme the life to blaspheme the true living power in all ages and generations since the apostacy from the life and spirit of the Apostles Now there is a twofold blasphemy which the whore and the powers of the earth that serve her are guilty of 1. There is a speaking well of the wayes of their own invention or the wayes which they have imitated without the life to call these the wayes of God the true wayes of life is blasphemy I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not but a Synagogue of Satan Rev 2. 9. There were even in the Apostles dayes persons who pretended to be Christians and pretended still to be of the Church though they had lost the life and this the Spirit of the Lord saith was blasphemy And what is their gathering into a Church who were never gathered into the life and setting up Ordinances and pastors what is this what is it for him to call himself a Christian or inward Jew who never had the fore-skin of his flesh cut off by the circumcising knife of the Spirit what will the Lord say this is when he comes to judge 2. There is a speaking evil of the truths of God The true knowledge the true fear the true worship the true Saints the true God the true Tabernacle the true Temple the true Heaven all which is in the Spirit and is alone revealed and seen there there are reproached these are mis-represented and the true sight and acknowledgement of them called error heresie and sectarism by all the blasphemers of Babylon Israel who had the Law and the Prophets the true Ordinances and the true Priests yet they called evill good and good evil they put darknesse for light and light for darknesse they put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Isa 5. 20. They were so wise in their own eyes and so prudent in their own sight they were so mighty to drink wine and men of such strength to mingle strong drink justifying the wicked for reward and taking away the righteousness of the righteous from him that there was no convincing of them by the light of God shining from the Prophets of their casting away of the Law of the Lord and despising the word of the holy one of Israel ver 21. to 25. Nay they were observers of the law and bearkned to the Prophets and Priests of the Lord Jer 5. 31. Therefore when the overflowing scourge came it should not come neer them Yea when the true Prophets of the Lord threatnedtheÌ„ with his coming with dreadful vengeance and his strange worke they in the height and confidence of their spirits could reply Let him make speed and hasten his worke that we may see it Isa 5. 20. How blind were they from seeing their blasphemies their calling of evil good and good evil c Yea in the very dayes of the Apostles The way of truth was evil spoken of and Synagogues of Satan setting up and blasphemies growing up apace from those which held the true form but denyed the power even while the powrings forth of the Spirit and revelations from the Spirit did abound How can it be expected it should be otherwise now when the Spirit is grown such a strange thing that to mention such a thing as being moved by the Spirit or acted by the Spirit is become ridiculous and the very teachers of the Nation who must speak by the Spirit if they speak the word of God cry revelation is ceased and count it a reproach for a man so much as to pretend to speak by the movings and in the power of the Spirit Now this double blasphemy necessarily follows the fornication Whoever is fornicated from the life he blasphemes the the life in all his knowledg in all his worship in all his Religion He calls that prayer which is not prayer that an ordinance which is not an ordinance that a Church which is not a Church 〈◊〉 a Minister which is not a Minister and that which is indeed the prayer the ordinance the Church the Minister he denyes and blasphemes and cannot do otherwise until the righteous judgements of the Lord purge the whores wine out of him and he be led back to that life and Spirit again from which in all these wayes of worship inventions and imitations he is gone a whoring The whore for these many ages hath been laying blasphemy to the charge of such as in any degree have been led by the Spirit of the Lord from her whoredomes but now the Lord is taking it off from them who have long been unjustly charged therewith and charging it upon her and she cannot escape his judgement for though she put on never so fine dresses and appearances like the Spouse and Church of Christ yet the Lord can distinguish and find out his Spouse though naked in the wilderness and without her attire and can also espy the whorish spirit though cloathed with the Churches attire and can charge her blasphemies against him his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven upon her 3. Grosse or more refined idolatries Little children said John keep your selves from Idols 1 John 5. 21. He saw Antichristianism breaking in apace many Antichrists being already come and now saith he keep to the anointing and keep from Idols Without a very strict watch without a mighty preservatioÌ„ by the anointing he saw idolatry would even creep in upon them who had tasted of the true power and vertue of life But how shall they keep from Idols who know not the anointing but think the revelations thereof are ceased He that buyeth not the tried gold of Christ Rev 3. 18. How can he avoid buying untried gold of Antichrist or silver or brasse or wood or stone which his Merchants traffique for and make idols of Rev 9. 20. If thine eyes be anointed with the true eye-salve thou mayest see and read the parable Idolatry is the worshipping of God without his Spirit that is the plain naked truth of the thing to invent things from the
though many Witnesses Prophets and Martyrs have mourned over her yet none have been able to raise up the Tabernacle of David which hath fallen down nor to recover Sion to this day but Babylon hath had the power over her Look with the true eye and behold how all Nations Kindreds Tongues and Languages have been drunk with some or other of the mixtures of this false womans cup some of them over and over and over again and have been Inhabitants of this City crying her up though not all in her grosse habit but some in her more refined shapes and transformings for the true Church for Sion whereas alas she hath only Sions dresse Sions shape Sions outward garment which is the likeness wherein she lies in wait to deceive but not Sions spirit 4. It is a City of iniquity of hidden iniquity That which is hid in this City it is not the life it is not the righteousness the holiness of the Saints but iniquity sin transgression of the life Look into any of the streets of Babylon into any of the houses any of the rooms any of the chambers of darkness there 's sin there there 's unrighteousnes there there 's not one cleansed heart to be found there not one pure eye to behold the God of life is to be found there but in every heart sin in a mistery iniquity in a mistery unrighteousness in a mistery They seem to be for God and Christ and to be cleansed by them but uncleaness lodges in them and sin rules in them against God and against his Christ in a mistery which their eye cannot see and so must needs mistake their state Yet this is the true state of Babylon in all the parcels of it it is the unclean City where purity of heart and life cannot be known but though it be washed and transformed never so often outwardly yet still it remains inwardly polluted that which defileth keeping possession and dominion there in a mistery The living water the living blood runs not in any of the streets of this City so that there can be no true cleansing there Nay such strangers are the choicest Inhabitants of Babylon to the Fountain of life in Sion to the river that cleanseth and healeth that they cannot so much as beleeve that there is a possibility of cleansing and perfect healing and making sound and whole here while on earth There is great talk of these things of the water the blood the cleansing in all the Regions of Babylon which hath heard of the fame and forms to it self a likeness but the thing it self is not to be found there and so the vertue which comes from the thing it self alone cannot be felt there And here in this there is a great difference between the vessels of Sion and the vessels of Babylon The vessels of Sion they are weak earthen foolish contemptible to the eye of mans wisdome which cannot look for any great matter of excellency there but the treasure the liquor of life in them is precious The vessels of Babylon make a great shew appear very holy very heavenly very zealous for God and Christ and for the setting up of his Church and Ordinances all over the world Thus they appear without but they are Sepulchers there 's rottenness within under all this there lodgeth an unclean an unsanctified heart an heart unsubdued to the spirit and power of the Gospel while it makes such a great shew of subjection and obedience to the letter 5. It is the City of the King of darknesse of the great King of darkness of the Prince of the power of the ayre who rules universally in the darknesse in the mistery of iniquiry throughout even in every heart Where ever is sin there is Satans throne and there he hath his Laws his Government his power in every heart of his dominion And where there is the least subjection to him he is yet a Prince his building is not as yet there wholly thrown down he is not there as yet dispossessed and cast out As long as there is any thing left wherein he may dwell he knows his owne and keeps his hold of it It is his right and he will not loose it All sin all darkness is properly his it is his seat and he hath the Government there Man is the Land where these two Kings fight and what ever is good and holy belongs to the one King and what ever is evill and unclean belongs to the other and there is no communion or peace between them but each keep their own and gather of their own unto themselves And where the fight is once begun between these there is no quietness in that Land till one of these be dispossessed but then there is either the peace of Babylon most commonly under a form of holinesse or the peace of Sion in the spirit life and power 6. This City was built and is daily built in imitation of Sion painted just like Sion The intent of it's building was to eat out Sion to suppresse Sion to withdraw from the truth by a false Image and to keep her Inhabitants in peace and satisfaction under a beliefe and hope that it is the true Sion and therefore it must needs be made like Sion else it could no way suite these ends Every street must be like the streets of Sion every house like the houses of Sion every Tribe and family like the Tribes and familyes of Sion every person like the persons in Sion all the Laws Ordinances c. like the Laws and Ordinances of Sion the worship like the worship in Sion the faith like the faith of Sion the painted Christ like the Christ of Sion all that go for truths like the truths of Sion they would not deceive else City Babylon would be soon seen through else and become quickly desolate and forsaken did she not lay her paint very thick and with great art and skil Now here 's the wisdome here 's the true eye tried to see through al the paints of this city in al the shapes and forms of it to turn from every street every house every chamber every image and false appearance of truth every false appearance of ordinances and wayes of worship every likenes of things which this spirit forms from the letter every duty that it thus cals for every promise of Scripture which it endeavours to apply to that to which it belongs not that it might lull the soule asleep and cosen and deceive it of the thing promised here I say is the true eye tried to turn from all this and to waite for the raising and redeeming of the true seed of Sion and for the springing up of the true life and power in it and from it For as long as this spirit can deceive you with any likenes ye shal never know the truth nor come to the worship of the true living God which alone is in the spirit and in the truth 7. The end of al this
carnal mind or to imitate things which others who had the Spirit did in the Spirit by the command of the Spirit for thee to imitate and practice this without the Spirit is idolatry An invented Church an invented Ministry an invented worship an imitated Church an imitated Ministry an imitated worship without the life without the Spirit all these are the work of mens hands and are idols and all that is performed herein is idolatry Rev 9 20. This is a Religion without life a worship without life a fabrick for idolatry and the whole course of worship and service in it is idolatry For the living God the Lord God of endless life and power is alone worshipped by his Spirit and in the truth of that life which he begets in the heart and all other worship though never so seemingly spiritual is idolatrous Ah professors professors if ye knew how many idol-prayers and services ye have loaded the Lord with and how ye have been whoring from him while ye have seemed to be drawing nigh to him ye would hang down your heads and mouâ—n For what ever ye have done in the worship of God without the leading and presence of his Spirit it hath been idolatry For the worship of God under the Gospel is in the Spirit and in the truth and required of them who are in the Spirit and in the truth and not of others John 4. 23. for them alone the Lord seeketh to worship and the Lord will admit of none to his worship but such as he seeks And if any else will thrust themselves into his worship it is not accepted nor do they worship the true God but they worship they know not what and their whole state and course here is a state and course of idolatry 4. Sorceryes witcherafts divinations and inchantments I do not mean outward sorceryes or witchcrafts they are but the shadow or figure of the inward mistery of deceit of this black dark spirit which appears as an Angel of light that he migh bewitch and deceive Neither repented they of their sorcer yes Rev 9 21. This false Church this adulterous woman she hath her golden cup and her wine mingled and with this cup she bewitches the eye with this wine she inflames the heart and intoxicates the brain She invents wayes and worships like to the true or she imitates the true wayes and appearances of life and when the poor simple young man is singly seeking after God from some true touches of his life before he comes to know the Spirit of life before he can come to be marryed to the Lamb she comes with her golden cup and with her tempting wine and bewitches the poor heart therewith and so leads it aside into her painted bed Wouldst thou enjoy God saith she wouldst thou worship him aright wouldst thou have fellowship with him Lo here 's the way here 's the Church here are the Ordinances here 's the Ministry here are the means Thou must wait upon God in the use of the means and these are them Did not the Saints formerly do thus did not they meet with God here did not they serve and worship God thus Come thou hither also do what they did enjoy what they enjoyed Yea but thou whorish woman did ever God appoint means wiâ—hout his Spirit Thou leavest the main yea indeed the only thing behind thee which it selfe alone is accepted and without which nothing is accepted And this is the course of the whore in all her transformings in all her baits in all her temptings she stil leaves the Spirit behind her She may perhaps speak of the Spirit to hide her self the more because the letter of the Scripture is so expresse therein and teach people to look and wait for the Spirit but so as is never to be obtained For he that begins in Religion either to pray or worship or seek the knowledge of God without the Spirit shall never meet with the Spirit so but that way of knowledge religion and worship of his must first be broken down and he become a fool and recieve the Spirit as a fool out of all his religious knowledge and wisdom which he had gathered before and afterwards following the Spirit which is thus received he shall be led into the true wisdom Now mark that which follows ye that have a desire to understand This spirit of deceit this whorish spirit this spirit of divination and witchcraft which by her sorceryes deceived all Nations Rev 18. 23. came forth curiously decked at first with all manner of deceiveableness of unrighteousness It had the exact form of life the true form of Godliness and a lively spirit in it it had the form of knowledge and the form of worship and with these it came to tempt and draw away them from the life and from the power who were in the life and in the power and it did prevail upon such as kept not close to the anointing But after it had overcome and gained the Churches territories then it might safely corrupt the form and so it did and went into multitudes of inventions and fopperies as at this day may be seen amongst the Papists Now these are easily discovered and seen through by any simple plain honest eye upon a little breaking forth of the light Therefore the whorish spirit when she perceives her self found out here she changes her shape and attire and comes back back again by degrees as need requires to the forms of knowledge and worship wherewith she was arrayed when she deceived at first yet stil she is the same and doth this to keep poor simple hearts still in her bands from the life and from the Spirit And thus painted thus decked thus holding forth Scripture-knowledge and Scripture-wayes of worship she is the more subtil witch the more subtil sorceresse and is able to deceive any eye but that which is opened in the light With her Lo here Christ lo there Christ she would deceive the very elect if it were possible but it is not possible for they are taught by the Spirit not to go forth and the anointing within preserves them And he that knoweth not this preservation is bewitched by her and his fear of God is such as may be taught by the precepts of men and practised without the knowledge of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus which is the Saints rule guide and preservation For as the Apostles were able Ministers not of the letter but of the spirit of the New Testament 3 Cor 3. 6. So they that received their Ministry or that which they ministred received not the letter only but the Spirit and were preserved not by the letter but by the Spirit and were made able to try words things and Spirits not by the letter but by the Spirit But this the whorish spirit is departed from and bewitcheth others from first possessing them that the Spirit is not to be looked for and then perswading them to make
Religion and one of which they serve therein He that is led by the Spirit of God he serves God he worships God He that is led by the spirit of Satan he serves not God but that spirit which appeares in the Temple of God like God and gives such demonstrations that he is God as no flesh can deny 2 Thess 2. 4. Here now is the great deceivableness of unrighteousness In prophanesse in manifest wickednesse Satan is easily seen and men that are found here it is granted that they are serving the Devil but that he should sit as King in gathered Churches in dutyes in ordinances in wayes of self-denyal and mortification and be worshipped here this is hard to be seene yet any of these which the Spirit of the Lord leads not into or which are performed at any time without his Spirit he is worshiped in Consider this ye that are wise in Religion and are dilligently reading the Scriptures and gathering knowledge and rules of worship and applying promises c. Do ye this in the life and Spirit of God or in your own wisdom and according to your owne understanding Doth not the wisdom of that spirit which is out of the truth guid you in your searchings after truth O do not serve that spirit which the Lord hates but come backe to that from which in all this ye erre and which in all this ye cannot serve and worship And let not your Religion any longer consist in meer practising what the Saints formerly practised for that ye may do without the same spirit but in yeelding up to that life power and pure spirit that they were led by And when ye are joyned to this then do not prescribe the Lamb the way that he shall go but follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Do not tell the Shepheard by your gathered wisdom the way that he must lead you in but know the voice and follow For this I can truly testifie that if once ye come in faithfulnesse and true light to follow the Lamb he will lead you in paths ye have not known and out of the paths ye have known 7. Compelling of others to worship Rev 13. 15 16. The false woman and the beast set up a worship in the will and they do not know why any in the will also may not subject and submit to it They can give them reasons they can give them arguments from Scripture and if they will not yeeld to these they are to be looked upon as stubborn and refractory and to be compelled by outward force This hath been the course generally throughout the Land of Babylon But these shew hereby that they themselves are erred from the truth and therefore very unfit and unlikely to teach it others For that which God works upon is the conscience which he convinceth by the light of his Spirit and no other light can truly convince it That therefore which would have a man yeeld to any practise or way of worship till he be truly convinced is of the Devil My son give me thy heart saith Christ the wisdom of God Come not to me with oblations and sactifices but give me thy heart My son give me thy knee give me thy obedience to the wayes I have set up give me thy conformity saith Antichrist saith the adulterated wisdom and if any refuse she endeavours to compel them Thus like Jeroboam the son of Nebat she makes that which she calls Israel to sin or like Nebuchadnezzar she sets up an Idol and causeth all her children to bow to it Thus the load of the iniquity of multitudes lies upon that scarlet whore who forces her cup of abominations and filthiness upon all she can Rev 17. 4. causing all both smal and great in all her Territories to receive her marke and worship her Image The work of the Minister of Christ is to keep the conscience tender that the voice of Christ may be heard and the Law of his Spirit of life which makes obedient to the God of life spring up there but this is the Image here is the way bow conform say the Ministers of Antichrist But we are not convinced in the sight of God that this is the way say poor souls It is your own fault ye may be convinif ye will say the Ministers of Antichrist we are ready to give you arguments and Scriptures to convince you how is it ye are not convinced Ye must be convinced otherwise the Magistrate must deale with you Thus they endeavour to harden the conscience that they may set upon it and ride it and terrifie it from it's subjection to it's only true and lawful King O the havock that hath been made of souls by this means the Lord is requiring it of this generation But let me ask this question to all the learned and wise in all the Regions of Babylon under what painted form or way of worship soever Can any worship God aright before they be truly convinced of his will and way can any be convinced without his light and Spirit were it good and acceptable in the sight of God for any persons to run into that way whereof thou sayest thou art convinced that it is the way before they themselves are convinced If it be not good or acceptable what is that that goes about to compel them Away with thy carnal weapons and if thou wilt draw to God draw by that which is spiritual but if thou wilt still be using outward force running to the laws of men and power of the Magistrate the Lord hath opened an eye which discovers thy nakednesse herein and is able to make it manifest in the sight of all people and thou shalt not long cover thy shame The Lotds people shall be a willing people to follow him in the day of his power but all the Lords people have been unwilling to follow thee in the day of thy power which is neer an end and the very fountain of thy deceit and tyranny over the conscience is opening and making manifest 8. Persecution of such as she cannot compell to her worship She sets up her form of knowledg she sets up her way of worship and those that will not be drawn to own the one and practise the other she sets her brand upon them for erroneous persons Schismaticks Hereticks they must not buy or sel Rev 13. 17. They must be banished or imprisoned or perhaps put to death for she is hardly satisfied til she hath drunk the blood of those who in any eminent degree are the witnesses of Christ against her Rev 17. 6. This was a thing wondered at by John with great admiration to see this woman this great City out of which all the venomous darts are shor against the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus under a pretence of zeal for the Church and ordinances of Christ For this is the engine whereby the Dragon makes war with the true womans seed which keep the commandements of God and have the testimony
of Satans building up this city this great city thus accurately in the power of deceit and in the very likenes of Sion was and is that it might be taken for Sion and he worshipped there as God and that without jealousie or suspition And he hath attained his end his city hath deceived and doth deceive it passeth currant for Sion among al the inhabitants of Babylon almost every sort of people cry it up for Sion in one appearance or other though al do not cry up the same appearance but their own image way and worship every one extolls their own image of the truth for the truth their own way of worship for the way their own church and family for the church and family of God And worshipping here they worship him and not the Lord for the Lord cannot be worshipped in any part of Babylon but the King of Babylon is worshipped in Babylon and the King of Sion alone in Sion Ah how deeply do men deceive their souls they think they beleeve in God they think they pray to God and hope to be owned at length by God and yet are so far from coming out of Mystery Babylon that it was never yet so much as discovered to them but they have either walked in the way of religion and worship they were brought up in in the apostacy or perhaps have removed out of one or two of the broad streets of it and so thereby think they have left Babylon when as the same spirit hath sit down in another street of the same city building up another house by the direction of the King thereof and there worshipping the same spirit as they did before but their souls never knew the fire in Sion and the furnace in Jerusalem by which the very inwards of their spirits must be cleansed before the pure ey of life be opened which can see Sion Now because ye are more able to receive things from Scripture-expressions then from the nature of the thing it self spoken as it is felt in the heart concerning which much more might be said were ye able to bear it consider a few Scriptures Babylon is called a great city Rev. 16. 19. and a great and mighty city chap. 18. 10. O the power of deceit in that city to bewitch from the life O the multitude of lying wonders that are there shewn in the heart to make a man beleeve that he is in the life to perswade men that the King thereof is the King of Sion and that the laws and ordinances of worship there are the laws and ordinances oi Sion that the prayer there is the prayer of the true child that the beleeving there is the true faith the love there the true love the hope there the true hope c. Some parts of Babylon some likenesses of truth there are so taking that none but the elect by the opening of the eternal eye can espy the deceit And it is a spiritual city a mystical city a city built by the working of the mystery of iniquity 2 Thes. 2. 7. whereupon she is called Mystery Rev. 17. 5. It is not a city of plain wickedness but a city of sin hid of sin keeping its life under a covering under a form of godlines of sin reigning in the heart under zeal under devotion under praying beleeving worshipping hoping waiting c. Where sin lies hid within under these there 's Babylon there 's the mystery of witchcraft there 's the painted throne of Satan there 's spiritual Egypt and Sodom where the Lord of life is daily crucified This is the city the mystical city the spiritual city Rev. 11. 8. And here is building up and throwing down continually She builds the spirit of the Lord confounds then down goes her building then up with another then down again This is her course without end when the Spirit of the Lord disturbs her for otherwise she can settle in any form of knowledg or worship though in her ordinary course she hath also many changes and turnings One while this or that being a truth another while not One while this or that being the sence or meaning of such a Scripture another while not Babylon is hardly ever without this kind of building up and throwing down And this city is a great city a city spread over all the earth she made all nations drink of the wine of the cup of her fornication Rev. 14. 8. The woman which is this city Rev. 17. 18. sate upon peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues Rev. 17. 15. She sate upon them as Queen as Princess guiding them in their knowledg and worship of the King of Babylon And those that once hated her and made war with her and burnt her flesh with fire she cosoned them with a new paint got them into her new bed of fornication and made them worship the King of Babylon again Rev. 17. 12 13. v. 16 17. and there they lay committing whoredom with her til the time of her last burning and utter desolation but then they forsook her for fear of her torment when they saw the smoke of her burning Rev. 18. 9 10. In the Temples of this city for in al the streets thereof yea in every house there are Temples Antichrist sits as God and is worshipped 2 Thess. 2. 4. He as God sitteth in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God He hath clothed himself like God he appears like God like the holy pure Spirit of life and power he appears in the temple of God he sits there he rules there he gives forth laws and ordinances of worship and devotion Yea if any one wil question his godhead or his right to do thus he wil prove it he wil make it manifest in the very temple of God that he is God He as God sitteth in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God He hath exalted himself into the throne above al that is called God he hath got into the temple he sitteth there as God and there he maketh it manifest to al his worshippers that he is the God in so much as among al the inhabitants of Babylon he is acknowledged and worshipped and the true Spirit of life is hid from their eyes and denied and crucified He shews himself that he is God he gives demonstrations of his godhead which that eye which is out of the life cannot but acknowledg and take to be true There is none can see and acknowledg the true God the true Christ but those that have the true ey the true anointing no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 3. and yet how many can speak great words of God and of Christ who know not what belongs to the anointing Alas alas Al nations and sorts of professors out of the life are coâ—oned with the devils demonstrations with Antichrists demonstrations with the whores demonstrations with the false Prophets demonstrations which are undeniable to
accepted and his not who disdains and derides the true seed of of life the living heir who hunts abroad for food pleasing to that nature which is to be famished who crucifies the Lord of glory because of his meaness and because he appears not in that way of devotion and holinesse wherein they expect him Neither will he appear so but to overturn all that which ye have set up and to set up that which ye disdain This is the Lords work and it is marvellous in our eyes Now there are several sins which the Spirit of the Lord hath charged Babylon with and which he will reckon with her for and with all that partake with her therein some whereof I may mention As 1. Her deep fornications from the life under a pretence of honouring and worshipping of it Be not offended that I begin with it again seeing it is also mentioned among other particular sins of hers Rev 9. 21. She speaks fair words she calls to have the worship of God set up and a Godly Ministry and the Ordinances of God in a Nation but the thing is not so in the sight of God but in all this she seeks the advancement of her owne whoredoms And this was and is the very way of Antichrists rising he gets into the form he cryes up the form and by the form which he cries up he eats out the power If Antichrist speak directly against the power without first creeping into and setting up a form and crying up that he would soon be detected but under a form and profession of truth he hides himselfe and covers his spirit of enmity and persecution therewith and here he can secretly and safely smite the innocent and fight against that very spirit life and power which he himselfe in his form makes a profession of being subject to And this is the Wolfe in the Sheeps cloathing which by this fair appearance of the sheeps wool on his back covers his ravenous nature from the eyes of the beholders Now there are three wayes of fornication one of which this spirit is allwayes guilty of sometimes of them all 1. By inventing things which the Lord never commanded or adding to that which the Lord did command The mind of man is very busie and ful of inventions and where the heart is touched with devotion and zeal towards God the inventing part exceedingly exerciseth it selfe this way either in imagining and forming somewhat which it thinks may be acceptable to God or in adding to those things which it finds commanded In this way of fornication the popish Church abounds being filled with ceremonies of their own inventing and of additions to such things as are found mentioned in the Scriptures The common Protestants also have been too guilty here 2. By imitating of those things which were commanded to others When a man finds in Scripture the things which some others did or which they were commanded to do and so he is venturing upon them before he feels the leading of that spirit whereby they were led thereunto Now in this he errs from the life he goes without his guid he doth that which was a good thing in others who were led by the Spirit thereto but in him it is fornication This man is a theif and an intruder he steals into the outward knowledge and practise without the inward life and power he intrudes into that into which others were fairly led coming in by the doore for which entrance he also should have waited and not have run on headily of himself This way of fornication the strictest among the Protestants have generally been ensnared in who have run on further and further to search out the purest way of worship the neerest pattern to the primitive times and so have applyed themselves diligently thereto not knowing what they were to wait for to be their guid and give them the enterance And here now thinking themselves to be in the right they have contracted a lofty spirit and held forth their conceptions of the way as the only way and so have lost the meekness and simplicity which was fresh and lively in some of them before which sets them a great way back and makes the enterance into the kingdom very hard to them Whereas if that simplicity and tenderness were fresh in them the Lord would shew great regard to that easily pardoning this their errour and in mercy to them visiting that evil spirit with his judgements which stood nigh them and was the cause of their error But they are grown high they are grown wise they are become confident they know the way already and can maintain it by undenyable arguments as they think to be the way so the Lord with his teachings is at a great distance from them that lying very low in them which the Lord alone will teach 3. By continuing in practices to which they were once led by the Spirit without the immediate presence and life of the Spirit For the whole worship the whole Religion of the Gospel consists in following the Spirit in having the Spirit do all in us and for us Therefore whatsoever a man doth of himself it is out of the life it is in the fornication If a man pray at any time without the Spirit that prayer is fornication and is not either acceptable to God or profitable to himself but grieves the Spirit hurts the life and wounds the soul Now this way of fornication have they especially fallen into who have been acquainted with true leadings and openings of the Spirit and have afterwards run to them for refreshment and so by degrees forgot the Spirit that opened And by this means was that life which was precious and very favoury in the Ranters before they were seduced by the Spirit of deceit into that way of ranting overturned And thus they also who deeply saw into the mistery of whoredoms and into the more inward wayes of fornication above others even they also were deceived with the whores cup and drank afresh of that wine of fornication which the whore very cunningly had new mingled for them and they also are become a reproach to the Inhabitants of Sion who find a living habitation in that Spirit of life which they turned from Now if there be a true eye opened in any in the reading of this how easily and manifestly will he see whoredome whoredome fornication adultery generally in mens Religions practices in their Churches in their Ministeries in their Ordinances in their prayers in their whole course O how think ye doth the eye of the Jealous God behold these things but your eyes who are held captive here cannot see it The God of this world with his mists hath darkned you the great whore with her sorceries hath inchanted you and ye are her slaves ye are drunk with her cup and how can ye judge soberly eiâ—her of your own estate towards God or concerning your practices in Religion 2. Her notorious blasphemies Having fornicated from the
of Jesus Christ even by this false woman which rides on the beast by whose power and strength she overcomes the Saints She sets up a way of doctrine a way of worship in a Nation and gets laws made for the defence of it and against them that will not submit to it and here she is too hard for the Saints by this means she overcomes the Martyrs and Witnesses and keeps the truth down and keeps up her way of deceit which without this prop would soon fall This whorish spirit scents the Spirit of the Lord she knows it will soon be her death if she cannot make it appear odious and suppresse it Therefore she hunts this spirit she hunts the life and power of what she her self professes especially if it appear vigorous and strong in any she seeks advantages against the servants of the living God representing them to the earthly powers as persons of dangerous principles and bad practises inventing all manner of what can be called evil against them and spreading it among the people that the truth may start up no where in the earth but every where be knocked down by the violence of the multitude or by the sword of the offended Magistrate Now what is the matter of all this great noise and fury Why this A Lamb is risen up in the innocency the pure harmless spirit is appearing in the earth the true life which discovers the hypocrisie and dead forms and wayes of the whorish spirit is breaking forth Therefore she makes a great out cry awakpeople awak the church is in danger arise Magistrates Magistracy and Ministry wil down if this Lamb-like spirit be suffered Nay nay These shall stand but Babylon shall fall and her mistery of iniquity be discovered and her deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse made manifest and the true life and Spirit shall arise and take possession of the hearts of people and make them a clean and fit habitation for God and people that are subject hereto shall feel it and enjoy it though the Merchants of Babylon say men shall never be made cleane while they live but must stil have a body of sin and death hanging about them But how shall they put on Christ who have not put off the body of sin Shall those who are made Kings and Priests to God here on earth minister in their filthy garments These are some of the sins of Babylon that painted harlot which is subtle in heart and lyes in wait to deceive in the absence of the true Church whose cloathing and resemblance she takes up and appears in And when she hath done all this When like Aegypt she hath kept the seed in bondage in all her Territories and Dominions in every Church she hath set up and by all her Ministries and Ordinances When like Sodom she hath filled the whole world with filthinesse uncleanesse and all manner of spiritual abominations When like old Jerusalem the bond-woman she and her children have scoffed at the Spirit in every appearance all the time of her reigne and have trampled upon and domineered over them who have but spoken of the coming of the just one in his people sporting her self in her own deceivings Yet after all this She wipes her mouth and saith she hath done no harm She hath been for the Gospel and Church and Ministry and Ordinances and the saith once delivered to the Saints and only against deceivers seducers blasphemers and hereticks But the Spirit of the Lord cannot be thus deceived nor shall the Nations be allwayes thus deceived and suffer her to sit as a Queen upon their consciences but she shall see sorrow and they shall taste joy at the sound of the everlasting Gospel when once again it cometh to their ears Rev 14. 6. Chap 19. 6 7. The judgement of Babylon BAbylon the great this great City of abominations which hath reigned over the whole earth which hath bewitched all sorts of professors with the golden cup of her fornications which hath subtilly led from the life and held all sorts captive in the witchery of her deceit and hath triumphed over the holy seed making Sion their mother desolate who sat in the dust and was trampled upon by her This great City this glorious City this rich City this mighty powerful City this Queen of the earth which knows not what belongs to Sions misery sorrow poverty and desolation with Antichrist her King and husband who hath cloathed himself with the garments of light and appeared in the likenesse of the King of Sion and hath long been so acknowledged and worshipped is to be judged by the Spirit of life which ariseth up out of the dust of Sion And though Babylon the great whore who in all her transformings hath still remained an enemy to the life hath great power and great wisdom and can shift very subtilly to save her self by both yet strong is the Lord God who judgeth her and he also is wise and she shall not escape his hand but he will pursue her with his voices with his thunderings with his hail-stones with his earth-quakes with his woes with his plagues with his cups of indignation till he hath made her manifest till he hath broken her in peeces till he hath crumbled and laid her in the dust till he hath brought her down to the very pit where the feet of Sion shall trample upon her for ever Sing sing O inhabitant of Sion dost thou not behold the Crown of pride going down apace The decree is sealed against her she cannot escape yea she is fallen she is fallen she is already taken in the snare the eye of my life seeth it and rejoyceth over her in the living power The plagues of God Allmighty from the fiercenesse of his indignation are visiting her whole Territories and passing over all her Land Nothing can help her to avoid his stroak no paint will serve no cover will hide no profession no practise no duties no ordinances no Church no Ministry can avail to conceal her but that spirit is pursued by the Spirit of the Lord and found out every where and plagues are prepared and powring out upon her Nay though she leave all her forms and pretend to wait and seek for the Lord yet she is found out there also Now what is her judgement Destruction and utter desolation from the hand of the Lord to be an hissing and reproach throughout all generations to be brought down by powrings forth of the wrath and vengeance of the Allmighty into the pit and there to drink the fulnesse of his wrath for ever Sion shal be exalted Sion shall drink the cup of life the cup of blessing the cup of love the cup of salvation for ever but Babylon the cup of fury the cup of indignation for ever and ever Sion shall sing but Babylon shall howl and all that saw any beauty or took any pleasure in her shall mourn over her Alas alas for her she who hath so many ages gone for the