the Promise in the Seed before the World began even Life Eternal which in the Saints abides when the World shall be no more who through Faith have overcome the World and inherit Life Eternal and this is Jesus the only true God and the Saviour of the World who is from Generation to Generation By Faith I came to see that the Light which enlightneth every one which comes into the World answereth the Law and the Prophets and is the Life of them both condemning every Transgressor Transgression in which Light the Law being manifest condemneth the Jew that hath the Law and sinneth under it and condemneth the Gentile who having not the Law in the letter sins out of it and by the Light all the World will become guilty that every tongue may confess to God and every mouth may be stopped when by the Light which enlightens every one every ones deeds will be manifest for that records them all in the Book of Conscience and brings them all into remembrance before God and testifieth of them between God and man so that all come to be left without excuse By Faith in the Light it 's given me to see how all the World live in vanity transgressing the Light and the Law and the Prophets and those things that are noted in the Scriptures of Truth and it 's nothing they have more set at nought and less esteemed on and less regarded than these and less regarded than the Lord and his Truth and the Scriptures or writings of it though so highly cried up in words By Faith I see they prefer even those things which are as naught and worse than naught for they corrupt their minds before the Truth and Scriptures of it even in those things in which they transgress the Apostle's Doctrine in following the fashions of the World in wearing of Gold and Pearls and costly things and Rings on their hands and Jewels in their ears and Ribbonds Toys Baubles and costly Laces of Gold and Silver on all parts of their Bodies according as the lusts of Ignorance and the treachery of the proud earthly Nature and earthly sensual Wit invents Fashions to the great Dishonour of God and their own Bodies in which they should bear the Image of God and sanctifie their Vessels unto Honour but alas the Body which should be for the Lord that is given up to be fornicated after those unprofitable things before-mentioned and many more in the Fashions of the World in which many have given up themselves and in vain Bowings and vain Complements and vain Traditions and vain Flatteries and though they will say their hearts are not in those things yet by Faith in the Light I have seen long ago That all who live in such things and say their hearts are not in them deceive their own souls for by Faith I have seen long ago that none can live in such things but they do it to please that which is vain and of the Vanity and out of the Spirit of the Truth By Faith I have seen that it is hard for many to let the World go for many hang in it until they become ready to pass away and perish with it But blessed are they whose part is in the World to come who have denied themselves and this World and let the Kingdom of this World go whose part is in that which is Immortal By Faith I have seen that none can come highly to esteem of the Truth and the Scriptures of it but who believe in the Light that by Faith they may deny the World and all things thereof and their own selves also for that which loveth the World the Wrath of God is upon it the Love of the Pather is not in it this denies the Father and the Son and highly esteems of the Scriptures and never comes to Yea and Nay in all Communications neither fulfilleth the Royal Law and the Prophets for this is selfish and lightly esteems of the Law and the Prophets and will not fulfil them in doing to all men as men would be done unto By Faith I see this Principle which is earthly and hangs in the earthly Nature is a snare to thousands in this the Day of the Lord and earthly things are ready to ensnare many when they by Faith have overcome many other things which were snares unto them before but blessed are all they that dwell in the Faith in the Light in the Power which gives Victory over the World and over all that appertains unto it My Kingdom is not of this World saith Christ He that will enter into my Kingdom he must deny himself and take up his daily cross and follow me for none can enjoy two Kingdoms nor serve two Masters By Faith in God I received Power to deny my self and to cross my self in the love of all things and all delights beneath the Truth of God and to lay hold on the hope of Salvation though for its sake I suffered with the rest of the flock of God in the hatred of the World in Reproaches in Stonings in Tumultings in Scourgings in Stocks in Prisons in Fetters of Iron in Bruisings in Woundings in Travels in Rejection of all the World and yet by Faith have rejoyced over them all in hope accounting all things as nothing to be compared with the Glory which God hath revealed in his own Seed and the Power which by his own Son he hath revealed in me By Faith it was confirmed unto me that the Law and the Prophets and Christ's and the Apostles Writings the Scriptures are certainly Truth declared from the Lord and the Words of the most High God which I never doubted on from a Child but that they were to be believed by all By Faith I came to receive an understanding in those things noted in the Scriptures of Truth and to be satisfied concerning all things therein contained for in the day when I sought Knowledge and was ready to be incumbred in seeking out the mystery of things by Faith in the Light I received the Answer of God which I read in the word of Faith in my heart which spake on this wise faying That I needed not to seek Knowledge but to wait upon the Lord and to have my mind truly bowed before Him in the measure of his Life and whatsoever thing I stood in need of to know and that the Lord saw it expedient He would certainly give me the knowledge of it and to understand it in the Lord 's own appointed time VVhich Word hath been as a Stay to my Soul and I have seen God fulfilling it from day to day who hath made known Himself to me and given me His Truth who requireth nothing of any one under Heaven but that which He first giveth who condemneth none but for disobeying that which He giveth By Faith I see all the Professors of the World are aiming at the wrong Mark and seeking the wrong thing and in the wrong Way for they are seeking
after Knowledge and to grow high in Wisdom and in Profession of words when as they should seek after the Life and wait for the Power of God which should lead them in pure Obedience to the Lord and to his Truth which Life and Power if they miss on they will be but as if they had precious Ointment of the Apothecary but alas Flies have corrupted it that it cannot cure Even so if all the knowledge of the World whilst mixt with earthliness and enmity neither doth it stand in the Power of the Lord which redeemeth out of the World and giveth to seek after God and feel after Him in his Life to walk in his pure living way which who come into shall not want Wisdom nor Knowledge but shall have it in the gift of God By Faith it 's given me to see that the same Life which God hath in these last dayes made manifest and declared to be the Light of the World and doth enlighten every one that cometh into the VVorld was in the dayes of Old which is the Heart of God by which he purposeth and upholdeth all things which Life in due time was declared to be his Son and made known in the Church while in the Wilderness and was the Rock which followed Israel of which they drank when they were joyned unto the Law and baptized into Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea by which Moses He was seen that God would raise Him up in the midst of the People for all the People to hear that he that would not hear Him might be cut off So that certain it is the Law did prophesie that the Son of God should come and not only so for he was manifest in the dayes of Noah preaching to the Spirits in Prison whose day Abraham saw and was glad by which Life the Prophets wrote of his Sufferings which they saw and witnessed should certainly be fulfilled before the Seed was raised up through the Virgin which Seed is Christ who is come and hath taken the Seed of Abraham and David and suffered in the body which Sufferings by Faith in the Light which He hath enlightened every one withal are clearly seen and believed to be done and fulfilled according to the Scriptures So that by Faith in the Light it 's seen and certainly believed that the Lord 's Christ is come in the flesh hath suffered and is arisen in Glory in the Kingdom of his Father having suffered and fulfilled all things that was written of Him being declared by signs and wonders and mighty deeds to be the only begotten Son of the Father the Prince of all his Saints the Kings of the Earth and Priests unto God and all these things hath he done and suffered as it was written of Him in the Prophets That He being the first-born among many Brethren and the first begotten from the dead might have the preheminence being in all things a Captain and Example in all Godliness and Humility humbling Himself unto death even the death of His Cross that in all things He being our Example we may follow Him in His Sufferings and Death who in that He dyed once dyed unto Sin in that He liveth He liveth unto God Death hath no more dominion over Him So likewise is every one dying unto Sin to live unto God that the residue of the dayes may be spent in the Service of God and the death which hath reigned in the mortal body and subjected the Creature unto Vanity may have no more dominion but may be swallowed up and consumed unto the end in the Victory of the Judgments of the Life And by Faith it is seen that it is a greater Mystery to know Christ to be the first-born who must be witnessed born first in Man before Man can be born again and be begotten from the dead before Man can be begotten from the dead He that reads let him understand he that reads must read by Faith in the Light and blessed is he that readeth and heareth and seeth and hath part in these things he shall give Glory to the Lord and to his Christ who is translating many Sons and Daughters out of the Kingdoms of this VVorld into Himself and into His Kingdom to praise and glorifie and magnifie Him for ever By Faith it is seen that Christ is certainly manifested to be that which was written of Him namely to be a Covenant of the People and Light of the Gentiles and Salvation of the Ends of the Earth who is able to save to the utmost all that come unto God by Him who hath freely offered up himself once for all and by the one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and not only so but being an Atonement for Sin hath appeased the Wrath of God towards all so that He is become a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World having obtained Favour with God so that time and space is given and a day of Visitation unto all that the Long-sufferings of God waiteth towards all And this is the Liberty and Advantage which Christ through his Death and Sufferings hath purchased for All that all Men having a Visitation and time they might Repent and turn to the Lord by doing Righteousness which if they neglect their time and through impudence and impenitence and hardness of heart continue in their sins and unbelief and so treasures up Wrath against the day of Wrath and the revelation of the Righteous Judgments of God such shall certainly perish and receive the greater Condemnation when the measure of their Iniquities are full and all the Sufferings of Christ will be laid to their charge who have pierced the Just by resisting the Grace and the Light which from the Just is come to witness against all Transgression and doth testifie against it in every ones Conscience and this all shall see to be true that the Sufferings of Christ will be but to the greater Condemnation of them that continue in Wickedness though by His stripes are they made whole who turn unto Him but the Just when He appears the Families and Kindreds of the Earth shall weep and waile over Him when every Eye shall see Him and them that pierced Him shall behold him for He shall come in the Glory of his Kingdom and in the Power of his Father to sit as Judge upon all the Families and Kindreds of the Earth pleading with them by Sword and Fire and righteous Judgements taking Vengeance on all who have not wrought Righteousness on the Earth nor walked prudently amongst Men to shew forth his Praise and the glory of his Grace in obeying unto an Holy Life and Pure Conversation and as he comes rises and appears He destroyes the spirits of Belial and consumes the Transgressor that His Covenant of Peace and Life for evermore may be established with and in His Seed in which He comes and in which he reveals himself in the Children of the Covenant in Mighty Power that his
an Oration before the People who gave a shout and said it was the Voice of a God and not of a man and that the worms should eat him because he gave not the Glory to God By Faith it 's seen that it was great faithfulness and obedience unto the Lord in the Apostles that they gave up themselves to do the Work of God and laboured in the Truth to turn both Jews and Gentiles to Christ the true Light which enlightneth every one that cometh into the World and to the Grace which hath appeared to all men which taught the Saints that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts they might live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World and come to know the saving of their Souls by the Grace through Faith and when the People did once believe they came to receive Grace for Grace and had Faith revealed in them from Faith to Faith which gave them Victory over the whole World and over the Transgression of it to be cleansed from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God and unto such the Apostles wrote Epistles exhorting them to continue in the Faith and to persevere in the Hope Watching and being Sober having the loynes of their minds girt about with the Truth unto these Salvation was come nearer than when they first Believed therefore they were to awake from sleep and rise from dead Works and to put off the deeds of the Night for the Darkness was past and the true Light shined and they were to put on the whole Armour of God to Arm themselves with the Armour of Light that they might withstand the evil Day and might be able to quench the fiery Darts of the Devil that they might offer their Bodies unto God a Living Holy Sacrifice acceptable unto God which was but their reasonable Service not fashioning themselves according to the Fashions of the World but to be renewed in their Mindes to prove what is that good and acceptable and perfed Will of God And they were not to adorn themselves with Gold or Silver or Pearls or Plaiting of Hair nor costly Array but with modest Apparel to adorn the Doctrine of the Gospel of Christ Let not your adorning be with the putting on of Apparel nor wearing of Gold or Pearls ar broidered Hair but let it be in the hidden man of the Heart with a meek and quiet Spirit which with the Lord is of great price and their words were to be few and seasoned with salt that they might administer Grace to the Hearers that all things might be done in Order and decently for the setting forth the Glory of God and the Praise of his Grace by which they were called to be Saints By Faith it 's likewise seen that after the Apostles had once turned the People to the true Light and to know God shining in their Hearts to cause the Light to shine out of Darkness to give them the Light of the Knowledge of his Glory in the face of Jesus Christ in which they received the Anointing which gave them an understanding to know all things so that they needed no man to teach them then they committed them to the Word of his Grace which was able to keep them from falling and left them to assemble themselves together in the Spirit to worship God in the Spirit and in the Truth and not to forsake the assembling themselves together as the manner of some was but to wait for the Promises and persevere in the Hope unto the end waiting for the appearing of the great God and his Christ then they left them committing them to the Grace which was able to keep them from falling and to the Spirit of Jesus which was able to build them up and â—o keep them from the world unspotted â—nd to hate even the garment spotted with the Flesh and to present them Holy unto God without spot or blemish or any such like thing which brought them 〈…〉 one another and to have Union one wâ—â—h another and not with the world for a Believer and an Infidel cannot concord then I say they left them and did not continue with them as the manner of Hirelings ever was to stay as long as they lived for great sums of Money with one People except they could get a greater Benefice with another whose day is as the cutting off Life from the Earth and going down to the Grave but the Apostles day was to do the joyful Work of God and to call many into the Light the way of everlasting Rest and Peace and Joy who when they had turned one People to the Light left them and wrote to them from another People unto whom they were gone to turn them to the same Truth and out of other Lands So they saluted the Saints and their Assemblies which they had gathered with the saluâ—ations of Peace and Love exhorting all to press forward to the Mark of the price of the High Calling in Christ Jesus namely to the full attainment of the fulness of an Holy and perfect Life that they might all be presented perfect in Christ and sanctified throughout in Soul Body and Spirit and being partakers of the Divine Nature and escaping the Corruption which is in the world through lust and being partakers of the Faith they might give all diligence to make their Calling and Election sure adding unto Faith Vertue and unto Vertue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness brotherly Love and to brotherly Love Charity which is the band that keepeth perfect for if these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ but he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall and so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ This I have given forth from the Innocency and uprightness of my Heart as moved of the Lord which I send abroad as a Testimony of the true Work of the true Faith and of its Effect it being a few of those excellent Truths which through Faith in the Light is given me to see and to believe and to witness forth the true Testimony of the Saints which justly and truly they through Faith witnessed forth to the Glory of God and it is to be Printed and sent abroad unto all People but most especially to all the English in America and the West-Indies and the Islands thereunto belonging which if in this I should finish my Testimony of Writing or Declaring the Truth of God yet this shall stand unto Generations to come and to this present Generation as a Testimony