But to write more plain for the sake of the weak of this glorious indwelling spirit which in the fulness of time cometh forth in flesh laying hold of the seed of Abraham the most glorious appearance that ever was being thus appeared was the express image of God who dwelleth in his people whose bodies are flesh and earthly tabernacles but by the operation of the sanctifying cleansing spirit which the Father sendeth are made fit habitations of God and so co-heirs with Christ and members of his body flesh and bones which Spirit quickneth to God and being thus received and obeyed is felt to live for ever though the shadowings forth of it be done away and this is eternal and never endeth but abideth with such for ever and the ministration of it is life it self to the soul and more to be valued and desired than all that ever was seen before it And as the Lord took of that spirit which was upon Moses and put it upon his brethren the Elders of Israel whereby they might Rule and judge with him so saith Christ the Father shall take of mine give unto you even of that spirit of Love Life Power Valour and Vertue which was upon and in him that was like unto Moses is ministred into put upon such as are truly his brethren friends whereby with him they thus gifted sanctified and qualified judgeth the world for all judgment is committed to the Son and of that which the Son hath and is committed to him doth the Father give unto his members and so from Christ the head they come to receive power over the World and its Way Worship and Fashions and over unclean spirits And that is an unclean spirit which will lead into any sin and it is an unclean spirit in which sin standeth and which pleadeth for the continuance and upholding of that which is unclean and that is of the World which the Saints judgeth And as those Elders of Israel who were of the Church in the Wilderness were not made fit to Judge nor Rule in outward matters by all the writings and words of the law though received by disposition of Angels until the Lord himself took of that Spirit which was upon Moses and put upon them So those that profess to be Elders in the Church now or any other person whatsoever are much less made fit to Rule or Judge in spiritual matters by all the reading and professing Moses writings and Christs words and the rest of the holy Scriptures though they were given by the inspiration of God until the Lord take of that spirit which was upon and in Christ who is like unto Moses and give unto and pour it upon and minister it in unto them And this is done in Gods way which is secret and time which is in his own hand to those whom he accounteth worthy thus to honour and who truly waiteth for it as a wayfering man for a resting place and as a Captive for deliverance And though Christ after his resurrection said All power in Heaven and in Earth is given unto me Go ye therefore and teach yet they were to tarry until they had the power in themselves and when that was come which they were to tarry and wait for then with that they went and so taught the Nations from the sensible feeling of that which taught them how to teach and all thing else when the same Spirit and power was upon them which was before committed unto him and so the coming forth of it from him into them and filling them therewith was to them in that work of the Ministry most effectual like as the vertue going forth of Christ healed the woman so the power and vertue of the holy spirit coming forth from Christ being sent of the Father and received by the Disciples who with much desire waited for that impowered them to do that which before they were commanded to do after they were endued with power or had the power in them and so what they were commanded to do they were to wait to receive power in themselves from God to performe and Christ did intend to give them power to do that which he commanded and as he commanded them to go and teach he also required them to tarry and so not to go until they had received power so to do and so it was the power of the Holy Ghost in them which made them Ministers and these were and such are truly Ordained Ministers And after they had received power from on high even the spirit or life of truth and were filled therewith and so had it in them then they went to do that which was commanded them then they went to teach the Nations and converted thousands and turned sinners and brought soules to God and then they were called Christians and then were people brought to be of the true Church which Christ buildeth upon that which flesh and blood revealeth not And this is the entrance into the Church of God 2 Thes 1. 1. the receiving of the spirit and in this God is worshipped not else for this hath excluded all other worship and those only are the true worshippers who comes in thus by the door which is Christ the light and spirit of truth sent into the heart from God And if all the prudent learned Divines so called in Europe or all or any of the wisest Orthodox men so call'd in any other quarter of the whole World can prove by the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament any other true worship of God who is a Spirit now extant among men and to be performed especially among them called Christians with acceptance to God but only that which the spirit of truth leadeth such unto as receive it then let them bring it forth that we may see it and prove it by plain undeniable truth of Scripture or otherwise I shall look upon their proofs words wayes actions practises performances duties and several worships as things of no value Or if there be any other entrance into the true worship of God than this Spirit that God sendeth or the Light which leadeth to it or if there be any other worship which God doth or will accept to be after this spoken or prophesied of in the Scriptures of truth whereby this shall ever be done away or ended from being the true only and alone worship of God whil'st men have a being upon earth then let the wisest of the Sons of men bring it forth and produce there strong reasons therein that we may plead together and that the entrance into and the true worship it self of the only true invisible God may be declared over all the World for the satisfaction of every tender heart concerning this For this I am satisfied in that Christ Jesus who is the end of the Law and who finished his work when he was upon earth is made a quickning Spirit and is the way and truth of life which bringeth into the worship of
the Truth and he said I am the Light which is the horn of salvation that God raiseth up to be a Light to lighten the Gentiles and is the salvation of Israel and so the soul is to hearken to that which God raiseth up and that is it which condemneth sin under it who is like unto Moses whose Ministry discovers sin and so Moses directed unto Christ who puts away the sin and Paul said of the glory of Moses Ministration that it was no glory in respect of the glory of the Ministration of the Spirit and the glorious Ministry of the Spirit was received after he who had a body prepared had suffered the crucifying of his body and the Prophets searched diligently to see the glory that was to be after the sufferings of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 10. 11. But the thing intended That Moses when he was upon earth directed unto Christ and gave commandment that they should hearken unto him who said I am the Light this is one Tittle of the Law that the light be hearkned unto who is the end of the Law and the sustance and he that offendeth herein is guilty of all and this is that in which all the large Ministrations of Moses is included that Christ the Light the true Prophet be hearkned unto and obeyed that by hearing and obeying his voyce or the word in the heart they might come from under the Law and the Priests and that which waxeth old unto the life and obedience of him who abides a Priest for ever even the Lord of that glory which lasteth for evermore Secondly Concerning Christ and his Ministration when he was upon earth and his work which he finished ANd when he cometh which Moses commandeth to hearken unto even Christ the true Prophet the Light of the World the living Minister the end of the Law who had a body prepared to do the will of the Father which was in him the man Christ Jesus he saith follow me and he took up his Cross and passed through the death the vail so being made perfect through sufferings attained that glory which he had with the Father before he had a body which body was prepared to do the Fathers will whose will was that all men should be saved therefore Christ tasted death for every man and rose again for the Justification of those that 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 gaseth after that body which is gone out of their sight even he Christ the Ministry hid from ages and generations now made manifest to destroy the works of the Devil being meek and low in the 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 Custome another from going to bury the dead another from questoning 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 Baptisme and the Supper but Christ himself Baptised not and when he was upon earth he said I go to the Father and I go to prepare a place for you and he said whether I go ye know and he said before follow me and except a man deny himself aud take up his Cross and follow me he cannot be my Disciple and he said my sheep hear my voyce 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 fullness of God and that which may be known of God is manifest in thee and he said he had finished the work that 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 sad a body hast thou prepared me which body being crucified he took up his life again and then those that did know him thiree 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 the lightening in the Clouds of Heaven doth he come again and every eye shall see him that condemneth sin and the Kingdome 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 shall be in you he that was with or without was to go away and that which was to be received within he said should abide with them for ever and the Spirit of truth was to lead into all truth for though the body was prepared to do Gods will yet they by it were not led into all truth but sometimes understood it not though he spake Spirit and Life and moreover they went away and some fled from the truth and Peter denyed him that was the truth and 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 of tryal from that truth they profess and some deny it rather than suffer with or for 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 without them even as with those who understood not the Parables nor could not 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 purifieth the heart whereby to cast out the unclean within as thou maist 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 seldome 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 Mar. 16. 14. he by the often repetition thereof did as it were the more chiefly to ingage their hearts to wait for seek after the incomes of that which should comfort them and abide with them when his body was gone from them
whether they could not come and to this one thing doth he direct them in various expressions as of his going to the Father coming again and saith he I will pray the Father he shall give you another Comforter even the Spirit of truth whom the World cannot receive John 12. 16. and many things Jesus did which if it should be all written the world might not contain the books John 21. 25. and many things he spake unto them Acts 2. 40. and â—et there was something to come to be waited for and after to be received which was more than all this for said he these things have I spoken unto you being yet present with you but the comforter mark the word but intimateth something greater or more than what was spoken to them whilst he was with them for he saith 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 send in my name he will teach you all things mark what that is that teacheth all things and bringeth 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 John 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 Prophets all which plainly declareth and most evidently sets forth how Christ in his Ministry when he was upon earth did most thiefly 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 now before they had received the spirit of truth in themselves by 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 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 bearted 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 the 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 Tyths and Offerings and Religion which discovers sin but makes nothing perfect which Paul profited 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 Moses Priests with their Tyths 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 of 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 which 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 Widdow and Stranger ready to perish and moreover devour and can never have enough of the spoil of others 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 dwels 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
reconcileth 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 unprofitableness thereof and Christ coming after John of 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 likewise so largely and often exhorted to wait for another Comforter even the Spirit Then what Ministration is it that now standeth and remaineth which is according both to Moses Christ and the holy Scriptures and what Ministration is to be expected or waited for but the Ministration of the Spirit And whether all they be not compassed about with a cloud of error who 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 things now be not quite opposite both to Moses Christ and Scriptures And being that Moses nor indeed his true Ministers of the Law are not upon earth neither that Body of Christ which by the Professors was murthered at Jerusalem visibly to be seen upon earth then what was it that 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 denyed Christ had more than them for they had the words from his own mouth which was 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 to receive the Spirit by it then to be led into all Truth and so being first led into the Truth then in the same Truth to worship God in the spirit who is a spirit And whether there be now any true worship standing which God accepteth but only this And whether this alone be not agreeable to Moses Christ and Scriptures And then whether all other worship now upheld be not contrary to this true worship of God and contrary to Moses Christ and Scriptures and indeed chiefly opposite to the spirit of God whereby he is grieved And if so whether all such worship way practise performances duties and Ordinances so called be not better left undone than performed until Gods Spirit be received to guid therein Thirdly Concerning the Ministration of the Spirit which abideth for ever MOses and his Ministry were visible and Christ in the form of a servant and so like unto Moses was visible and so was his miracles and that which is visible to the natural eye the carnal mind can come to profess and contend about but the blessed eye which God openeth with the Light cometh to see the one done away and the other finished by Christ the Light and Life And the Spirit is that which first moved and yet moveth and moved unto and led through the visible Ministration and this spirit is invisible as it is written the invisible only wise God whom no eye of flesh hath seen or can see and this moving invisible spirit of God which is without limit or end is that which all people should be led unto by all its outward visible appearances ministrations and dispensations and this spirit was that which gave forth and ordained the ministration of the law which was glorious in its time though to be done away but how much more glorious is the ministration of that spirit of life it self from which the ministration of the Law came which spirit abideth for ever And the Second Adam is made a quickning spirit and the spirit which is the word was with God and was God before the body of flesh was made and that spirit abideth for ever as is heard out of the Law he shall abide for ever and this is that which ever liveth to intercede And this for ever blessed invisibe spirit was before time and is to be when time shall be no more and is without limit an eternal lively substance giving life from it self and secretly covering it self from the carnal part of man not seen nor understood but by such as by its secret motions comes to be led to see through that which shadows it forth and by the Image Forme Shaddow or Figure to discern the substance which is the life where immortality dwelleth for in the most innermost and secret of all is the life of all being couered over with that in which it lies through the which it breaking forth in any discovery of it self is that whereby the beholders might be drawn through the discovery to it self which in the discovery broke forth for the discovery was still too short of that from whence it came that which was discovered forth in any shadow Forme or Image was not to be Idolized nor set up for the every thing or substance of life from whence it proceeded and herein hath been much mistake by such who came not by that which opened in the visibles to that from whence it came in that to have their understandings opened and thereby to be made sensible of that which is eternal by it to be brought in where its indwellings abideth forever whose breakings forth in the visible which was to draw to that invisible refreshed the â—â—ul invisibly in an unexpected manner and time but being after sought for in the visibles and not in the eternal Withdraws it self out of the visibles and out of the sight and reach of that which seeks it there that thereby that which is to live for ever with it may come through all that which it appeared in unto the very thing and invisible substance it self which is the life of all and the true center of the living motion which moveth of it self and gave forth all things good as they proceeded from it by vertue of its gradual and various motions and this being come openeth it self in them that find it and live therein and this maketh Darkness Light before the people whose dwelling is with God and the crooked comes to be made staight by the thing it self and dark sayings of old comes to be opened and secret things revealed
God and he is the beginning and the end and he leadeth to the beginning of Gods Worship and he is the end and the Rest of all the faithful in whom all the promises are yea and Amen and without him all is as nothing and all that come before him are thieves and robbers and he it is that abideth a Priest for ever and his spirit of truth is it which all people and professors whatsoever should first wait to receive thereby to be led into that true spiritual worship which alone God accepteth lest they and their worship and building fall together in a day when there is none to deliver And then thus I will Query If Christs own dear Disciples who had forsook all and followed him not Priests or Baptists did not come to receive this spirit by hearing all the words which he spoke unto them but by waiting after the words were ended then whether those that have not forsaken all nor so much as the worlds fashions do now come to receive the Spirit by Reading Hearing or Professing the same words of Christ now written or any other part of Scriptures Or whether a proud man hath received this Spirit or a lyar or a prophane person or any wise or prudent man whatsoever by any means or way of his and whether any such ever did have can or may by any industry or other way or means attain to this spirit which leadeth in the true Worship of God but as it is freely given forth from God and then whether all people are not to be led by that spirit which God freely giveth into the Worship of God because Christ said the spirit should lead which indeed doth lead into all truth and nothing else doth so And they that hath not received this from God to lead them are not yet come to be led by that which the Sons and Children of God were and are led by And the Ministration of the Spirit which all are now to be taught by is inwardly to be known in the nearest secret invisible manner and is more out of the sight comprehension and reach of mans wisdome than any other Ministration and it is given forth from the clear fountain it self unto the souls satisfaction of man when he is come to the end of words or having heard much or all the words that can be spoken of it remaineth unsatisfied in a restless longing desire to find receive feel and enjoy the thing it self which the words declared of and that which satisfieth the true thirsting soul comes clearly from God to the refreshing of the inward parrs of man and filling of the empty barren hungry spirit which cannot be satisfied without Gods in-dwellings and thus the disciples were led along and at last in a foolish way to the great Professors they waited among them in Jerusalem and the Lord had regard unto them and sent his own Spirit unto them and then they were filled with the Holy Ghost And the secret invisible hand of God whose power was is felt in my heart having out of the sight of flesh and blood in the hidden counsel of his secret will led me by the vertue of the opperation drawings thereof through those things which thereby I come to leave behind and to receive and feel that which now goeth before and is my leader in whose Covenant of life eternal my soul is now satisfied and so by good experience of the Lords leadings and from an experimental knowledge and sensible feeling and present enjoyment of the incomes of the Spirit of Truth and Life which filleth the inward parts with the holiness of it self and giveth power to do the things required before of God even from the right and good understanding thereof is this written That where it meets with the like condition in a weary Traveller it may answer its own and be helpful to the weak and feeble that such may not give over pressing forwards nor faint in their long travail though many Mountains on which they did nourish themselves for a time will not yield them Bread now yet that they may with me and the rest of the followers and friends of Christ past and present alwayes continue following the Spirit as it leads until the inward man be filled therewith and so power and strength from God come to be known and received in every particular For thus it is with Christs followers now they are not satisfied until they are filled with that which they heard of and their souls thirsted after and so it was with them then they were filled with what they wanted before and then from that which they were filled with they spoke forth and so they did teach the Nations and brought people under the power of God and Baptised them into that and dipt them into the Name of the Father and brought them under that which saveth from sin and plunged them into the holy Spirit and as they Teacht they did this Baptising as they did Teach and plunging them as their doctrine went forth into that which washeth and purifieth the Conscience from the filth and guilt of sin of which the outward Baptism was a Figure of this which saveth and so their Doctrine was from an inward life and proceeded from that which was invisible and so reached to that which wanted life in the Hearers and so brought up the power of God over them and them under it and into it for the word is Into and they were to bring People into the Name not water and they were to bring or Baptise them into the Name as they did Teach Go ye and Teach Baptising into Baptising is in the present Tense when they did Teach and so here the spiritual and inward Baptism goes along with the preaching of the Word of life which is inward and brings man to an inward injoyment of God being Baptised into his Name which is a strong Tower which preserveth from the power of the Devil and we all who are brought into this and are come in here are all by one spirit Baptised into one Body and so worship God in the spirit having the heart sprinkled from an evil Conscience by the washig of Regeneration in the Ministration of the Gospel of peace whereby there is a drawing nigh to God being brought into his Name and a free access to the Throne of that Grace which saveth from and out of all filthiness of flesh and spirit THE END