Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	set_v	spirit_n	worship_v	1,631	5	9.0429	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77952	The Principles of truth being a declaration of our faith, who are called Quakers, whereby all that wants peace with God may return into their first state, through the operation of the light and power of God in the great work of regeneration / written by E.B., J.C., W.D., H.S.	Burrough, Edward, 1634-1662.; Crook, John, 1617-1699.; Dewsbury, William, 1621-1688.; Parker, Alexander, 1628-1689.; Smith, Humphrey, d. 1663.	1668 (1668)	Wing B6019A; ESTC R42820	61,240	151

foolishness whose beauty and excellency is hid from its eye But this is because the wisdom of man is out of its place not subjected to the Wisdom of God but exalted above it therefore as a curse unto it is it suffered to lift up it self in its conceitfulness against and so to persecute the pure Wisdom of God and the birth thereof that it might fall and be broken and snared and taken and its day deservedly come to an end and be shut up in the shadows and chambers of eternal darkness But what ear of Man can hear this Surely none that is whole in the line of Man's wisdom reason and understanding but that alone which is bruised broken and in some measure dashed to pieces by the inroads of a diviner Life and Nature This in the Leading of that Life which hath broken it and in the shinings of the Light eternal upon it and into it may be enabled to take up the Cross to the natural part and to die that Death with Christ which preserves from the second Death with the misery thereof Happy is he who knows and hearkens to the Perswasions of Gods Spirit who is born of God and taught to wait upon him and worship him in Spirit who receives his Religion from the Light of Faith into the renewed Nature and Mind and not from the Reason of Man into the natural understanding which is easily corrupted and cannot be kept pure but alone by the indwelling of the Principle of Eternal Life in it For though such may suffer very deeply in this World from the men of this World as the Subjects and Servants to the Principle of Life have done in all Ages and Generations yet their Principle will bear them out in which God will appear to strengthen and refresh their spirits and carry them up above all their Sufferings in the Patience Meekness and Faith of the Lamb And keeping to their Principle they cannot be overcome but must either live or die Conquerors according to the will and good pleasure of Him who ordereth and disposeth of all things well and bringeth good out of every evil in despite of all the Powers of Darkness And he that overcometh whether by life or death in the Lamb's Spirit shall wear the Lamb's Crown and sit down in that perfect Rest in the Kingdom of the Father which will give the hearts of all his Children full Satisfaction In which assured hope Life stirring in our bosoms and quickning our hearts with Love unto our God and Zeal for his Truth we can freely give up all that is near and dear unto u● in this World and lay down our heads i● inward Peace in the midst of the greates● outward Persecution and Trouble Eve● so O Lord thy Will be done concerning the● Generation of thy People whom thou hast begotten to thy Self and brought forth by thy mighty Power to testifie to thy Truth in thi● present day Dispose of them as it pleaseth Thee and let not their Faith in thee nor thy Faithfulness to them fail but let them be 〈◊〉 Praise to thy Name throughout all Generations and tendered by Thee as the First-fruits of thine Appearance in the Glorious Light of the Everlasting Day after this great long thick and dark Night of Apostacy from the Life and Spirit of the Apostles which hath so long eclipsed and covered the brightness of thy Beauty from the sight of the Earth Isaac Pennington A Declaration to all the World of our Faith and what we believe who are called Quakers ALSO What Ministers and Magistrates we own and what and whom we deny Concerning God Christ and the Spirit thus we believe FIrst That there is only one true God who is a Spirit and his Presence filleth Heaven and Earth he is Eternal and Everlasting the Creator and Preserver of all things That Heaven and Earth and all things therein by him were framed and brought forth and all things remain unto this day by his Power and whatsoever h● willeth in Heaven and Earth he brings to pass by his Word and Power And we believe That this God onely is and ought to be feared loved obeyed and worshipped by all Creatures and no other thing besides him in Heaven and Earth and we believe that his Worship and Obedience and Fear and Love is to be given in Spirit even in what his own Spirit moveth and leadeth his people unto And we believe his True Worship required and accepted of him is not by the tradition of men in outward observances or set dayes or places but he is worshippe● only in Spirit and Truth without respect o● times places or things and that none ca● worship him in Righteousness but his Children who are born of his Spirit and are le● and guided thereby And we believe That this God hath given his Son Christ Jesus into the World a free Gift unto the whole World and tha● every man that cometh into the World i● lighted by him that every man may believ● and be saved And we believe That he is given int● the World and no Nation Country o● People excepted but to all mankind he is given of God and hath enlightened them And every man through the world that be●ieveth in and receiveth Christ who is ●he Wisdom and Power of the Father shall be saved with eternal Salvation And eve●y one that believeth not in him shall be damned and shall possess everlasting misery And we believe That Salvation Justification and Sanctification is onely in Him wrought by him and no other for there is no other Name given under Heaven but Him alone by which Salvation is and we be●ieve all that receive him and believe ●n him are reconciled to God and are made alive to God to live to him in all things and do receive the forgiveness of Sins and are set free from all unrighteousness and from the body of Sin and Death and have the witness of the Spirit ●n them and the Spirit of the Father they have received and it witnesseth in them of the Father and of the Son and of the things that belong to their peace and it is the Earnest of the Inheritance and the Seal of the Promise of Eternal Life and by it are the deep things of God revealed to mankind and by it the Father and the Son dwell in the Saints and by it they have fellowship one with another and th● Father Son and Spirit are one And thi● we faithfully believe Again concerning Christ we believe That he is one with the Father and wa● with the Father before the World was and what the Father worketh is by the Son for he is the Arm of Gods Salvation and the very Power and Wisdom of the Creator and was is and is to come without beginning or end And we believe That all the Prophet● gave Testimony of him and that he wa● made manifest in Judea and Jerusalem an● did the Work of the Father and was persecuted of the Jews and was crucified by

believe in him who said I am the Light and is sate down at the right hand of God who is a Spirit eternally in the Heavens ascended up out of the sight of them which gazed after that body which is gone out of their sight even he Christ the Mystery hid from Ages and Generations now made manifest to destroy the works of the Devil being meek and low in heart he saith Learn of me Then not of the Priests nor any longer of Moses for the Law is the Schoolmaster to Christ who being come calleth one from the Custom another from going to bury the Dead another from questioning and reasoning what this man or another should do that he might not stand looking out at others but himself to follow the Light saying Follow thou me And those that followed him when he was upon Earth saw his Miracles and heard his Parables and eat of the outward Bread and were filled though many now eat and are not filled and they had his Body among them and they came to the Baptism and the Supper but Christ himself baptized not and when he was upon the Earth he said I go to the Father and I go to prepare a place for you and he said Whither I go ye know and he said before Follow me and except a man deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me he cannot be my Disciple and he said My Sheep hear my Voice and they followed me and he entred within the vail and the vail is over the heart and was made perfect through sufferings and is sate down in the Majesty on high glorified with God the Father and the Father was in him even the fulness of God and that which may be known of God is manifest in thee and he said he had finished the work the Father gave him to do and so the Fathers will was accomplished and done for which the body was prepared he said Now glorifie me Father with the same glory which I had with thee from the beginning and he that spake in the body abideth for ever who said A Body hast thou prepared me which Body being crucified he took up his Life again and then those that did know him three dayes before knew him not and he ascended and a cloud received him out of the sight of certain men who never found him unto this day for he remaineth out of the sight of most that profess him and as Lightning in the Clouds of Heaven doth he come again and every eye shall see him that condemneth sin and the Kingdom of Heaven is within you and yet the blind cannot see nor the deaf hear And this was he that Moses commanded to hear who said He that is with you shal● be in you and he that was with or without was to go away and that which was to b● received within he said should abide wit● them for ever and the Spirit of Truth wa● to lead into all Truth for though the body w●s prepared to do Gods Will yet they by it were not led into all Truth but some times understood it not though he spake Spirit and Life and moreover they wen● away and some fled from the Truth an● Peter denied him that was the Truth an● so such as have got a profession of the Truth without them and not the Spirit within to lead into all Truth such fly in the day o● Tryal from that Truth they profess an● some deny it rather then suffer with or fo● it and herein them called Baptists also have not come short and some of them have bowed to the Beast and so it is with many who profess Christ and Truth with out them even as with those who understood not the Parables neither could cast out the unclean Spirits so that Christ was and is grieved when he hath been so long with and professed and followed without and yet not come to that Faith which purifies the heart whereby to cast out the unclean within as thou mayst read in thy self And therefore Christ when he was upon Earth did often speak unto them of what was yet to come and I do seldom read or take notice that he did so often preach and repeat any one thing unto them as that of the Spirit to come saying that it mark the Spirit would lead into all Truth and seeing their weakness and unbelief Mark 16.14 he by the often repetition thereof did as it were the more chiefly to engage their hearts to wait for and seek after the incomes of that which should comfort them and abide with them when his Body was gone from them whither they could not come and to this one thing doth he direct them in various expressions as of his going to the Father and coming again and saith he I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive John 14.16 And many things Jesus did which if they should be all written the World might not contain the Books John 21.25 and many things he spake unto them Acts 2. ●0 and yet there was somenthing to come to be waited for and after to be received which was more then all this for saith he These things have I spoken unto you being yet present with you but the Comforter c. Mark the work but intimateth something greater or more then what was spoken to them whilst he was with them for saith he He that is with you shall be in you John 14.17 and said but the Comforter which is the holy Spirit whom the Father will sen● in my Name he will teach you all things mark what that is that teacheth all things and brings all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said and so that is within which bringeth the words of Spirit and Life to remembrance John 14.25 26. and having spoken of other things he saith again But when the Comforter comes even the Spirit of Truth John 15.26 and if I go not away the Comforter will not come but if I depart I will send him unto you Joh. 16.7 And I have many things to say unto you but you cannot bear them now howbeit when he the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth John 16.12.13 here it may be seen that they who followed Christ without and not received the Spirit within could not bear what he had to speak unto them and also it may be seen that when the Spirit was come it would be better with them And much more might be mentioned how Christ foretold what was to come and be received and revealed in that day John 16.23 when the Spirit should be poured forth according to the Prophe●s all which plainly declareth and most evidently sets forth how Christ in his Ministry when he was upon Earth did most chiefly direct unto the Ministration of the Spirit of Truth which was then yet to come and that they might not run to teach others as many do

b● baptized in the dayes past either for th● furtherance of the Gospel or tryal of the●… Faith we judge them not But this obedience is very rare to be found and w● could heartily desire that all would consider seriously whether literal sayings observed only by outward reading hearin● by the ear or inward impulses upon th● heart by the Divine Power are the motives unto Obedience in this kind And 〈◊〉 honesty and uprightness of heart may b● heard we believe and know the man● dead souls every-where notwithstandin● their Baptisms will be as so many witne●ses against them by their grovling upo● the earth as so many slain and killed me● by the Letter while the Spirits quickning have not been known in the true Baptism into death For we find by daily experiences that most men and women live lik● Pharoah's lean Kine only to eat up the fat and to envy those that are not so lean soul'd as themselves We believe also That as there is on● true saving Baptism so there is one Bread or Body of Christ which all the Saints d● feed upon and though they be many a● to persons yet their Bread is but one and they all in it but one Bread And this we believe is the flesh that came down from Heaven John 6.33 Though the outward Jews now as then murmur at him because he said I am the Bread which came down from Heaven ver 41 42. But Christ ver 45. to stop their murmuring tells them that the knowledge of this Mystery was only revealed unto them whom God and not man teacheth and no more than are taught of God can set seal and subscribe unto this Truth in Jesus though we believe also that Jesus took outward bread and brake it and gave it to the Disciples as the Scriptures saith and this was a figure of his Body that was to be pierced and broken upon the Tree and a shew to shew forth his Death until he came And we believe he did arise again and appear unto his Disciples And all that believed were together and had All things Common c. And they continued daily with one accord in the Temple breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God and having favour with all the people Acts 2.44 45 46 47. And we believe that the Apostle in 1 Cor. 11.20 saith true where he saith When ye come together therefore in one place this is not to eat the Lords Supper And all that he speaks in that chapter is not to perpetuate that outward breaking of Bread otherwise than as the Believers did that were filed with the holy Ghost in singleness of heart as before is said and yet we judge not those who break outward Bread and drink outward Wine being commanded so to do and put in remembrance thereby of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ by the Remembrancer the Spirit of Truth which is appointed by the Father to lead into all Truth But to do it by imitation or tradition only as most do it if not all at this day we know it is not an Offering unto God in Righteousness neither do we believe this to be the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ and yet the eating of the Flesh and drinking of the Blood of Christ we believe man must know and witness or he hath no life in him Joh. 6.53 54 55. And we believe that many are striving now in their spirits as the Jews did verse 52 saying How can this man give us his Flesh to eat And not only the Jews but many of his Disciples said This is a hard saying who can bear it ver 60. and at verse 63. he tells them It is the Spirit that quickeneth the Flesh profiteth nothing The words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life And he that hears and understands these words that are Spirit and Life will not be offended at what I have spoken of the Flesh and Blood of Christ By the same Spirit and Grace we believe That Prayer is an Ordinance of God when performed by his Spirit in its words and not those which mans wisdom teacheth or without words by sighs and groanes which cannot be uttered and these so often as the Spirit it self pleaseth But the Form without the Spirit whether it be by words of other mens framing or words of man's own spirit according to his will time and manner this is not the Prayer that prevails with God And we believe that there is none so weak and infirm but this Spirit proffers his help at some time or other though man regardeth it not And the more mans mind is gathered within from all visibles the more he comes to be sensible of the Movings and Stirrings of this Spirit in its secret cryes unto God answerable to the wants of tha● man or woman in whom it moves and cryes And by the due watching thereunto we believe and know the Spirit of Prayer and 〈◊〉 Adoption that cries unto God comes to b● discerned and distinguished from a man'● own spirit and will We believe by the same gift of Grace that there are several Ministrations and several Operations according to 1 Cor. 12. and all by the same Spirit as before and after th● Law by Moses and after by John the Baptis● and Christ and his Apostles and in all thes● the Ministration had acceptance with God through the management of the Spirit an● its rejection and dislike of God for th● want thereof And by this Spirit were th● Scriptures give forth and the holy me● of God did speak prophesie preach and pra● as they were moved and for want of it th● letter did and doth kill And for the further appearance and pouring out of thi● Spirit answerable unto the work and service that God had for them to do the● were to wait as Christ commanded hi● Disciples to do at Jerusalem to receive th● Promise of the Father For by this Spiri● he that speaks speaks as the Oracle of God And therefore as it was the practice of the People of God in old time to wait for the moving and stirring of this Spirit that they might speak as it gave them utterance in the evidence and demonstration thereof so do this People called Quakers now and according to its moving in their hearts they minister according to the signification of the Spirit whereby they understand both what and when to speak and when to be silent as also who are they that minister and speak in their own wills above the Cross of Christ which the Apostle was carefull alwayes to be in subjection to lest he should make it void by speaking the words which mans wisdom teacheth and therefore as the Saints did so we do believe and therefore we speak And such Preaching and Speaking in Faith as well as Praying in Faith is acceptable unto God as his Worship and not otherwise And we further believe by the

now before they had received the Spirit of Truth in themselves by and with that to be led into all Truth but might receive the power of truth in themselves from the Life thereof to convert others into the same therefore said he further after he was risen again But tarry ye in the City of Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high Mark 24.4 so that though they had seen his body before and had now seen him after his Resurrection yet that and all the rest was not enough without the Power and the Spirit which was to come which they were to wait for And so now men should tarry wait and stand still to see the Salvation of God and until they receive the Spirit for it is the Spirit not the body which searcheth all things and sheweth plainly of the Father And by this before written in short I have a little endeavoured to shew unto the meek and single-hearted that Moses when he was upon Earth directed unto Christ As in these words The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee of thy Brethren like unto me unto him shall ye hearken Deut. 18.15 And Christ when he was upon Earth directed unto the Spirit which was to come in like words saying These things have I spoken unto you being yet present with you but the Comforter which is the holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things John 14.25 26. And then what if I did write after the manner of men and say If Moses were now upon the Earth and Christ in his own body upon the Earth and Moses with all his Priests Tyth●s and Offerings and Religion which discovers Sin but makes nothing perfect which Paul profitted much in If he I say should command and exhort all people under his Ministry to go to Christ and hear him And if Christ were now upon Earth and notwithstanding his outward Miracles Circumcision Baptism Supper and Death yet he should command and exhort all that come through the Law or Ministration of Moses unto him to look and tarry and wait for another Comforter that they might receive the Spirit in them and say unto them that that should teach them all things and lead them into all Truth Then whether or no people were to continue following Mose's Priests with their Tythes and long Prayers and still be seeking the Law at their mouth or to come to Christ to seek the Gospel for Moses himself did not say that they should seek the Gospel at the Priests mouth And then when did the Priests ever preach the Gospel And then whether those obey not Moses who leave the Priests and come to Christ the Light and whether such when they are come to Christ should alwayes be looking and following after his Body Miracles Baptism or Supper without them or tarry and wait to receive the Spirit within them And then which of these now should all people that profess Christ be led by in these dayes either Moses or the Person of Christ or the Spirit of Truth And whether such as have received and are truly indeed led by this Spirit of Truth and know that to be their Teacher and follow it and are ruled governed and guided by it according to the Command of Moses and Christ do not hereby obey the command of Moses and Christ and fulfil their Doctrine And whether any other People or Professors whatsoever do obey the Command of Moses and Christ but only such And whether this be not a thing of great concernment to be known and learned by all who profess Christianity But why then do People follow these Priests of England any longer which are contrary to Moses and also to Christ who have no Store-houses but suffer the poor to want within and without and the Widow and the Stranger ready to perish and moreover devour and can never have enough of the Spoil of other mens goods And why do others dispute about and talk of the Body so much which they never saw nor knew And is it not better be silent and know God who dwells in his People and the Spirit of Truth which he requires in the inward parts and to feel after God even the Life in themselves because the Apostle said they were saved by his Life being before reconciled by his Death Rom. 5.10 and until the Life came there were many things which they were not saved from by his Body for the Body was before the Death and the Death which reconciles was passed through before the Life was received again to save and justifie And why then are People so much busied about that which was before the Reconciliation and so therein much short of the Life and for outward Bread Wine and Water Are not these things which are seen And are not the things that are seen Temporal But Christ the true Prophet being come of whom Moses did write who is the end of the Law and so the end of that Ministry whereby that is done away for the weakness and unprofitablenes● thereof and Christ coming after John o● whom John bare witness that he was before and greater and came after him and Christ also having finished that which he himself came to do and likewis● so largely and often Exhorted to wai● for another Comforter even the Spirit o● Truth Then what Ministration is it that now standeth and remaineth which is accordin● both to Moses Christ and the holy Scriptures and what Ministration is to be expected or waited for but the Ministratio● of the Spirit And whether all they be no● compassed about with a cloud of Error wh● are upholding that Ministry of the Law or a worse which Christ is the end of and the Apostles said was done away and likewise such as are upholding and keeping up that which Christ said he had finished And whether the upholding of such thing● now be not quite opposite both to Moses Christ and Scriptures And being that Moses nor indeed hi● true Ministers of the Law are not up●● Earth neither that Body of Christ which by the Professors was murthered at Jerusalem visibly to be seen upon Earth then what was it those have to follow who have not received the Spirit to be led by and if they will say they have the Writings of Moses and the Word of Christ I say if that be all then they that forsook and denied Christ had more than them for they had the words from his own mouth which were Spirit and Life and yet they understood not and then what do those understand who have not so much as they had therefore after he had suffered and rose again he opened their understandings And so what is all their Religion worth who are not come to the Spirit And whether Moses Ministration being ended by Christ and Christ also having finished his work are not all people in the first place now to wait for the Spirit and

the Man and placed at the East of the Garden of Eden Cherubims and a flaming Sword which turned every way to keep the Way of the Tree of Life Every Man and Woman behold and see how you are fallen from the estate and condition you are created in yo● were created in the Image of God to delight alone in him but you are fallen in obeying the counsel of the Serpent and are driven out of the Presence of God into the Earth and there your minds are feeding upon the dust of the Earth created objects which will perish some delight in Father and Mother some in Wife and Children some in House and Lands some in Money and Gold some in Meats and Drinks some in Raiment what they shall put on some in Lusts and Pleasures in Wantonness in vain idle Communication foolish Jesting and Laughter which is madness and folly and some in Honour and Preferment in this World wherein their hearts are lifted up in Pride and Exaltation above others whom they have Power over not considering how you are driven out from the Presence of the Lord wherein you were placed in the beginning and some there are that feed upon the Letter of the Scripture which is death comprehending God and Christ in their wisdom from what the Saints of the most high God have spoken forth from the Life they enjoyed in Christ Jesus which was in them the hope of their glory and man in his serpentine wisdom steals the Saints words into his understanding and never knew the Life and Power thereof in himself and so speaks a divination of his own brain a riddle to his own heart and while he speaks to others himself i● a cast-away Every man and woman in particular deal justly with your hearts and see where your hearts are and what they delight in for in some of these created objects you delight in and feed upon if you cannot witness your change by the Eternal and Powerfull Word of Truth for into the Earth you are driven from the presence of God and these are the fruits which spring out of the Earth which are in your hearts Self-love Pride Covetousness Anger Revenge Hastiness Frowardness Backbiting Hard-heartedness Cruelty and Oppression Lust and Uncleanness Drunkenness Impaciency and Unbelief and you are fenced out from coming to the Tree of Life with Cherubims and the flaming Sword which turns every way to keep the Tree of Life So every one see what you can witness of your return agai● unto God from whence you are seperated by the disobedience and evil of your hearts and see what is the ground of the hope o● your callings and by what power you are acted in your obedience unto God whether by the power of the first Adam or by the power of the second for if thou upon the convincement of the evil of thy wayes dost not wait in the Light which is in thy conscience that convinceth thee of the evil of thy doings for Power from the Lord to guide thee forth of the evil which the Light discovers which would guide thee into the Kingdom of God but thou runnest out into the wisdom of the first Adam to seek the Kingdom of God in outward forms and observations according as thou comprehendest of the Saints practices and thou imitatest their practices in thy wisdom and though thou walk never so strictly in these outward forms thou art alive in the first Adam sewing fig-leaves together to cover thy nakedness a peice of new cloth in an old garment thou art putting new wine into old bottles and art building up a Tower to get up to God in thy Heathenish and Babylonish wisdom and confusion will come upon thee In the day when the Lord comes to ●ook for fruit thou wilt be found a fruit●ess Tree that cumbers the ground Cain with his offering up Sacrifice unto God in thy first nature Esau seeking the bir●h-right with tears who shall never find it and all the fruit that is raised in thee is from Hagar the Bond-woman and thou hast thy end for thy self in all that thou dost which is thy hire which thou expectest in the end life for thy labour and obedience and thou regardest not the glory of the Lord and his fear is not b●fore thine eyes Therefore every man and woman deal justly with your own hearts under what name or title soever thou art whether thou be a Teacher of others or a Professor of what thou comprehendest to be truth from the Testimony the Saints gave forth from the Life and Power of Christ that was in them and thou expectest Life in thy outward Forms and Observations and mindest not to be guided by the Light which is of Christ in thy own Conscience which Light guided the Saints that gave forth the Scriptures and while thou disobeyest that Light profess what thou wilt thou art in the fall first Adam is yet alive in thee Cain is not yet banished nor Esau reprobated nor the bond-woman and her son cast out which are all figures and types of the first nature which is yet alive in thee and thy will is thy guide and thy heart is in the Earth notwithstanding all thy profession and thou art a painted beast made drunk with the wine of the wrath of the Whore which is thy wisdom which comprehends that which thou never didst know manifest in it self and sits deckt a well-favoured Harlot above the Cross of Christ thou wilt be found a Thief and a Robber who comes not in by the door Jesus Christ but climes up some other way and thus far went the Scribes and Pharisees and the young man who had kept the Commandments from his youth but when he should have sold all for Christ he went away sorrowful And thus far went Paul when he persecuted Jesus Christ according to the Law he walked blameless and all thy strict walking to get life in observations according to the Letter is striving again to get to the Tree of Life by thy own power who are fenced out with Cherubims and a flaming Sword which turns every way to keep the Tree of Life And if thou never sawest thy self fenced out from the presence of God notwithstanding all thy righteousness in observations thou art not come so near God as to see the flaming Sword which is placed to meet thee in every way thou turnest to get life in thy own power and to cut thee down and kill thee that Christ may be thy life thou art alive in the first Adam and art in the death for Death reigns over all from Adam to Moses and Moses is until the Prophets and the Prophets till John and John until Christ and if thou canst not witness that thou art come to Moses profess what thou wilt thou hast not set thy face towards God nor one step in the strait and narrow way to Eternal Life but art going the broad way to destruction whatever thou be whether a Teacher of others or a Professor

of what thou comprehendest to be Truth from the Letter of the Scripture under what form name or title soever thou be thou art a dead man and a dead woman and the wrath of God abides on thee though thou see it not Rom. 7.9 there Paul witnesseth saying I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came sin revived and I dyed Friends every one in particular deal justly with your hearts see what you can witness of your death with Christ by the powerfull Word of Truth which enlightens the Conscience and condems sin in the flesh for every one would ascend with Christ to be partakers of the Life and Glory with him but he becomes a stumbling-stone to be baptized with him into his Sufferings and Death to descend with him into Hell and this thou must witness before ever thou come to sit with him in heavenly places for it is they and they alone that shall reign with him who suffer with him and they that are dead with him shall live with him It is the dead that hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Arise thou that sleepest in the dust of the Earth securely in thy serpentine wisdom thy mind feeding upon the dust of the Earth created objects which will perish Arise stand up to Judgment that Christ may give thee Life This is required of thee O man To do Justly love Mercy and to walk Humbly with thy God Examine thy heart and deal justly with thy own Soul There is a Light in thy Conscience which Light is of Christ minding it will let thee see the Mystery of Iniquity that lodgeth in thy heart which is deceitfull and desperately wicked and this Light in thy Conscience which discovers unto thee the evil of thy heart is of the eternal Word of God and was from the beginning according as it is written in the outward Testimony of the Truth In th● beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word is God and the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made in him was Life and the Life was the Light of men And the Light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not Every one arise out of your earthly wisdom and mind the Light in thy Conscience and wait on the Power of the Lord in it and it will bring thee to judgment before the Throne of the Lamb where the righteous Law will be opened in thy heart that will cry through thy earthly heart for Righteousness and Judgment and the Book will be opened in thee where thou shalt see all written that thou hast done in the body and shalt give an account for every idle word and receive thy reward for what thou hast done and thy reward is Wrath and Condemnation which will pass upon thee from the presence of the Lamb for thy disobedience and breaking of the righteous Law which must be fulfilled and what way soever thou turnest to get life in outward forms and observations the flaming Sword which is the righteous Law that goes out of the mouth of the Lamb 't will turn every way and meet thee and cut thee down and cast thee into Hell where there is weeping and wailing for want of the presence of God and thou canst do nothing to pacify the Wrath of God which is gone out against thee Now wouldst thou hide thy self as Adam did when he appears in thy heart thy fig-leav'd garment of prayers tears forms outward observations according to thy comprehension of the Letter will not cover thy nakedness it served to cover thy nakedness from the sight of men but now when the Lord appears in thy heart thou canst not stand before him Now comes Cain in thee to be driven from the face of God to be a Fugitive and a Vagabond in the Earth notwithstanding all his Sacrifices and Esau in thee reprobated never to have the blessing though he seek it with tears and the Bond-woman and her son cast out and the first Adam now slain with the sharp Sword that goeth out of the mouth of the Lamb and art made to give up thy soul to God whose it is to do with thee what he will if he destroy thee for ever he may and if he save thee from eternal death it is his free Love Now art thou baptized with Christ into his Sufferings and Death where thou liest sealed down under the Eternal Judgment of God and there perishest for ever for any power or help thou hast in thy self and this is the Administration of Moses where thou liest condemned for ever under the righteous Law without any help or hope until the Administration of the Prophets that prophesie of a Christ that hath satisfied the righteous Law of God for thee who art lost and condemned under the power of the Law of Moses And now there is a secret hope raised up in thy soul and thou lookest up from under the condemning power of Moses for a Saviour And the Prophets are until John and of all that were born of women there was not one greater then John for he is a burning and shining Light that lets thee see the filthiness of thy heart and the Law shines in its purity to condemn the earthly man in thee but he strengthens the hope in thee that was raised up by the Prophets to see the beauty and excellency of Jesus Christ which ravisheth thy lost condemned soul that thou art willing to sell all for him the Scripture now being fulfilled in thee who witnesseth this from the dayes of John even until now The Kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violent take it by force now is every Mountain and Hill laid low in thee and crooked wayes made straight and the rough way in thee made smooth and thou waitest in the Wilderness and lost condition of thy self for the Salvation of God to be manifest to thee in Jesus Christ and in the appointed time of the Father the Son of man comes to thy soul as a thief in the night as the Lightning from the East to the West so is his appearance in thee and causeth thy dead soul to hear his voice which witnesseth to it eternal Life freely through his own blood and thy soul hears his voice and by the word of his Power is made to live and is sealed up by the holy Spirit of Promise the Spirit of God bearing witness with thy spirit that thou art his child Now comest thou to witness the second Adam to be a quickening Spirit and Isaac the promised Seed to be Heir for ever And that the wages of Sin is death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life And that by Grace thou art saved through Faith in the Lord Jesus not of works lest any should boast and he that hath Hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure and the love of Christ