outward worshipping of God in these things that God hath outwardly required to be done in his worship and so call themselves the Children of God and of the Seed of Abraham These are they that shall be cast out of the Kingdom into utter darkness When those that make not the outward shew of worshipping of God but do the things contained in the Law of God written in their hearts and shew the works thereof written there they shall be taken into the Kingdom of Heaven and sit down there with Abraham Isaac and Jacob when those that think themselves Children of the Kingdom because of their outward form of worshipping shall be cast out although they say God is their Father and that they are of the seed of Abraham as did the Jews Jesus tells the Jews that believed on him John 3. who told Jesus that they were of Abrahams seed and that God was their Father and Jesus tells them that he knew that they were of Abraham's seed but they seek to kill him because his word had no place in them And when they told him Abraham was their Father Jesus says to them That if they were Abrahams Children they would do the works of Abraham but now ye seek to kill me a man that hath told you the truth which he heard of God this did not Abraham that is Abraham did not seek to kill him But notwithstanding they were such as believed on Jesus and told him they were Abrahams seed and that God was their Father and he tells them that he knew they were Abrahams seed yet because they went about to kill him for telling them the truth Jesus he tells them they were of their Father the Devil and the lust of your Father ye will do He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him These were they that looked upon themselves to be the Children of the Kingdom and to have a right to sit down in it with Abraham Isaac and Jacob because they were in an outward form of worship worshipping God in the outward worship that God had commanded and they called Abraham Father and that they were Abrahams seed And mark further the Scripture saith of them that they believed on Jesus and owned that they had one Father even God and yet these were cast out of the Kingdom of God into utter darkness Jesus telling them they were of their Father the Devil and where their Father was must they not be there also with him and if any can believe that the Devil is in the Kingdom of Heaven sitting there with Abraham Isaac and Jacob then they may believe that his Children are there also and his Children are those that are in the outward form of worshipping God although in an outward form that God hath required to be used in his worship and say that Abraham is their Father and that they are of the seed of Abraham and that they have but one Father even God and that they believe on Jesus as did those Jews and yet Jesus's Word had no place in them but they seek to kill Jesus as did those Jews for telling them the truth Mark they did not kill Jesus they did but seek to kill Jesus as do all those wherein Jesus is a light in them and does tell them the truth what it is that they should do in obedience to God but they will not do it and therefore Jesus word hath no place in them and so as much as in them lyeth they seek to kill Jesus for telling them the truth that is they seek to kill him in themselves in that they do not do the things contained in the Law of God written within them nor shew the works of the Law of God writ in their hearts as did the Gentiles that had not the Law of God written without them and yet they did the things contained in Gods Law and shew'd the work thereof written in their hearts I say if any man can believe the Devil is in the Kingdom of Heaven sitting with Abraham Isaac and Jacob then they may believe that his Children are in the Kingdom of Heaven with Abraham Isaac and Jacob. It is not the high thoughts and esteem that they have of themselves or that others have of them as if they were the Children of the Kingdom that can give then an entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven because they are in an outward form of worship and as to the outward in the doing of such things in it as God hath commanded and looking upon Abraham to be their Father and that they were of Abraham's seed and calling God Father and believing in his Son Jesus this cannot give them an entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven there being that in them that will not let Jesus words have any place in them and therefore they seek to kill Jesus for telling them the truth that is they seek to kill Jesus in them in that they do not yield obedience to God in what Jesus the light in them makes known to be Gods will for them to obey him in this makes them of their Father the Devil because they will do his lusts and if the Father be cast out sure the Children must be cast out with him The Gentile Centurion who was great as to the outward in that he could say to this man Go and he goeth and to another Come and he cometh and to his Servant Do this and he doth it yet he did not boast and bear up himself to come of the Line of Abraham nor to be of his seed nor did he call God his Father but was low and little mean and unworthy in his own esteem and did not think himself worthy that Jesus should come under his Roof And yet there was a greater Faith in this Gentile that was not in the outward form of worshipping God than Jesus had found in Israel that were in the outward form of worshipping God And he although not of the Line of Abraham nor in the outward worship of Israel yet he was one of them that should sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven when the Children of the Kingdom should be cast out into utter darkness with the Devil their Father whose lust they will do This is the state of man while in an outward form of worshiping of God and are not doing the things contained in Gods Law written in their hearts that is they yield not obedience to God in what Jesus as a Light in them makes known to be Gods will that they should obey God in but they will as much as in them lieth seek to put out that Light by their disobedience and so seek â—o kill Jesus in them for telling them the truth which Abraham the Father of the Faithful did not and so by their disobedience they make it appear they are not the Children of Abraham because they do not Abraham's works Abraham he obeyed God in
what Jesus the Light made known to him to be Gods will to obey him in And Jesus tells the Jews that if they were Abraham's Children they would do the works of Abraham that is yield obedience to God in what Jesus as a Light in them tells them the Truth is Gods will that they should obey him in And while men are out of this obedience let them be of what outward form of worshipping of God that they will and have never so high esteem of themselves and be as highly esteemed of by others as these Jews had yet they are Children of Wrath as well as others and so in that state as Children of Wrath they are cast out of the Kingdom of Heaven and are where their Father the Devil is Oh! but infinite infinite are the mercies of that unchangeable God as I have experienced who can say in some measure with Paul Ephes 2. who wherein in times past walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience Among whom also we had our conversation in time past in the lust of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath even as others Mark Among whom that is amongst those that had walked according to the course of this world according to the power of the Prince of the Air which is the Devil that worketh in the Children of disobedience among these we had our conversation in times past fulfilling the desires of our flesh and of the mind and were by nature Children of wrath even as others Although the Ephesians as they were Gentiles might not be in an outward form of worshipping God in those outward things that God had required to be worshipped in yet Paul was and of the highest sort or form of them as elsewhere he speaks of himself And yet see how Paul put himself to be equal with them that had been in no outward form of Worship although he himself had been high in that outward form of worshipping of God in those outward things that God had required to be worshipped in yet when he was in that height of outward Worship he owned himself to be one that walked according to the course of the world and according to the power of the Prince of the Air which is the Devil the Spirit which worketh in the Children of disobedience Among whom we had also our conversation Paul with the Ephesians had their conversations in time past in the lust of their flesh fulfilling the desires of their flesh and mind and were by nature Children of Wrath even as others Mark they were not onely Children of Wrath by nature that is by the nature of the Serpent who is the Prince of the Air who is the Devil who is the Spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience but they were the Children of Wrath even as others that is just even alike there was no difference between their being Children of Wrath by nature and others being Children of Wrath by nature There is the same nature of being Children of Wrath in those that are high in an outward form of worshipping God as was Paul who as to his outward life as to men lived blameless and those that were in no outward form of worshipping God as were the Gentiles while they both have their conversations in the lust of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the mind pleasing themselves in what they do if they be in an outward form of Worship they please content and satisfie themselves in that outward form of Worship and therein they are fulfilling the lust of the flesh and the desires of their minds in eating of the forbidden Fruit as do those that were in no outward form of worshipping God as were the Gentiles who fulfilled the lust of the flesh and the desires of their minds in outward pleasures And so both those that fulfil the lust of the flesh and desire of the mind in outward forms of Worship or in outward pleasure they are those that are not suffering Jesus's Word to have any place in them and so they are seeking to kill Jesus in themselves for telling them the truth that he had of God But God who is rich in mercy for the great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by grace we are saved and have raised us up together and have made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Mark they which having their Conversations in the lust of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind and thereby were by nature Children of Disobedience and so Children of Wrath Children of the Devil both those that were not in an outward form of worshipping of God as were these Gentiles the Ephesians and those that were in the highest of outward forms of worshipping of God as was Paul yet God who is rich in mercy can and does for his great love sake wherewith he loved them yea even when they are dead in sins quicken them together with Christ and so raise them up together as to make them sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus as you may see more to that purpose in the second Chapter of the Ephesians Jesus tells the woman of Samaria John 4. that the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth Jerusalem was the place that God had chosen to be worshipped in and so it represents the true outward form of worshipping God wherein God was worshipped according to his Command The Mountain of Samaria represents the false worshipping of God for although there might be something done there that God had required in his outward Worship to be done yet they mixing other things with it that God had not required to be done in his Worship and so it represents all false outward forms of Worship And Jesus tells the woman and would have her believe him mark that Jesus would have the woman belleve him that the hour cometh when neither in this mountain that is in the false outward forms of Worship nor at Jerusalem that is the true outward forms of Worship they should worship the Father But the hour cometh and now is mark that now is then at that time it was that the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth and that because the Father seeketh such to worship him God being a spirit they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth or else it is no worshipping of him where the Spirit and the Truth is wanting because whom God seeketh
drawings of the Spirit of Jesus the true Light in man who in the woman gave this answer to the subtile Serpent We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden But of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden God hath said Ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it lest ye die Here man by the woman in the help and assistance of the Spirit of Jesus the Light in man that caused him to relate to the Serpent the Command of God in what was Gods revealed will to him and in him wherein he was to obey God in doing what God had commanded him to do and wherein he was to obey God in what God had commanded him not to do And hereby having his will kept and preserved in the will of God he resisted the temptation and stood in his obedience to God feeding upon the Tree of Life in him But the Serpent continuing his temptation said unto the woman Ye shall not surely die For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil The Serpent had before asked the Question in man Yea hath God said Ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden What could he willed or desired in the asking of this Question but the drawing of man out of his obedience to God into disobedience But the will at that time was not gotten to be so strong in the man as to prevail over man but it was resisted by the power of God in man May I not say by the same power of God in man that prayed Father not my will but thy will be done Here began the strife between the two wills in man which Paul was sensible of when he said The good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do Rom. 7. God by his Spirit strove in the will of man that is in that will of man which had yielded obedience to God in his Commands and knew the doing of nothing else but of the Commands of God and thereby drawing man to keep man still in obedience to his Commands But another will appeared in man that strove to bring man out of his obedience to God in the keeping his Commands into the disobedience in not doing his Commands for what can it be else but a will that strove so much in man to bring man from his obedience into disobedience In the asking that Question Yea hath God said Ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden that which asked that Question it was that in man that after it had made a beginning would not nor did not leave tempting of man until it had brought man into disobedience An outward Serpent it could not be because he was one of the Creatures that God had given man dominion over and God brought him to man to name God made him subject to man and man in obedience to God having rule and dominion over him did name him But besides that which makes it undeniable that it was not an outward Serpent is this the seed of the woman which on all hands is owned to be Jesus that saves from sin was to bruise the head of this Serpent that tempted man to eat of the forbidden Tree and this Serpent that tempted man to eat of the Tree that God had forbidden was to bruise the heel of the seed of the woman bruise the heel of Jesus bruise the heel of that which saves from sin And where can ye find in the Scriptures or any where else that ever Jesus that saves from sin bruised the head of this outward Serpent or that ever this outward Serpent bruised the heel of Jesus bruised the heel of that in man that saves man from sin But to this purpose ye may read in Scripture that Jesus in man that saves man from sin bruise the head of that will in man that tempt man to eat of the forbidden Fruit that tempt man to do the things that God hath forbidden as that you may read in the seventh of the Romans where Paul cries out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of death whereas before he made a great complaint of doing what he would not he found a will in him drawing him to do that God had commanded him not to do but he finds a remedy against that will that bruised the head of that will and that is Jesus Christ And this will in man is known to bruise the heel of Jesus that is as Jesus is in man a saving of man from sin and so bringing man into God again this will in man is striving in man to hinder and hurt this work of Jesus as appears in the aforesaid seventh of the Romans To speak something to the words in the latter part of the temptation of the Serpent whereby he prevailed with the woman Ye shall not surely die although the temptation did not at first prevail with the woman to question the truth of what she knew whether or no God had said Ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden yet in the continuing of the temptation I believe he did at length prevail with the woman to question the truth of it whether God had said Ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden or else how could he have prevailed with her to a belief that they should not surely die if they did eat of it For God had as surely said that they should die in the day that they eat thereof as he had said Ye shall not eat of it but the Serpent having caused in her a doubt or question whether or no God had said Ye shall not eat of it he causeth her to believe Ye shall not surely die if they did eat of it How can it be thought that the woman could believe the temptation that they should not surely die if they did eat of the forbidden Tree being God had certainly said that they should surely die in the day they eat of it if she had not first yielded to the temptation to doubt or question the truth whether God had said Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden and if they did they should surely die Doth not experience teach the truth of this that when the Tempter tempteth to do what God hath forbidden that there is first a question or a doubt got up in man whether God hath forbidden it or no And if he cannot prevail so far then to question if it be forbidden yet not so forbidden with such strictness and severity as the Light of God in man doth at first discover it to be forbidden that if they eat of it in the day they eat of it they shall surely die they shall surely receive a punishment from God for it And then although there may not be altogether a yielding so fully to the temptation as to
question or doubt wholly of the truth of the Command of God yet there is a yielding so far to the temptation as to question whether or no that God is so strict or severe in his Command as the Light of God at first makes known in man that he is And then there is a belief got up in man that he shall not surely die that is as God was not so strict or severe in his Commands so God will not be so strict or severe in his punishments And thus the Tempter perswades man out of his obedience that he had to God which was in the believing the truth of what God had said into disobedience to God in the believing the lye the Tempter said And when the Tempter had prevailed thus far with man as to question the truth of what God had said and brought man to believe that God had not said true in saying they should surely die but perswaded man that Ye shall not surely die Then he proceeds further in his temptation and perswades man to a belief that God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil The Tempter perswades man not onely to believe that God had said a lye when he said in the day he eat thereof he should surely die to die is to cease to be as man is said to die when he ceaseth to be alive but the temptation perswades man to believe that God knew that he lied when he said man shall surely die in the day he eat of the forbidden Tree And this the Tempter did in perswading man to believe that God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods that is as much as to say that God did know that man should be so far from dying that is from ceasing to be that he should have a more higher or greater Being than the Being he had before the Tempter entered into him for the Being man had before the temptation entered into him was but the Being of a Creature but by yielding to the temptation the Tempter perswades him to believe that he should have a Being as God ye shall be as Gods and so he perswades man to a belief that God did not onely lye when he spake the truth in saying man shall surely die in the day he eat of the forbidden Tree but that God did know he lyed when indeed the truth of it was that all that God spake was that which was surely true as God is the truth But the Tempter by his lying perswades man to believe that God was such a one as the Tempter was that he was a lyar and knew himself to be a lyar when God had said nothing but the truth and the Tempter had said nothing that was true and that it was all lyes that he had said that is that in and by his deceit he intended to deceive man in all that he said to man John 8. 44. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own for he is a lyar and the father of it The Devil the Tempter is the Father the begetter of lyes and is he that abode not in the truth where once he was And when the Tempter had prevailed thus far with man to cause him to believe that God had not spoken true and that God knew that he had not spoken true then he perswades man into a belief of the great profit gain and benefit that man should have in the believing the Tempter the Serpent in his lyes and in yielding to his temptation in his eating of the forbidden Tree in his disobedience to God and that God did know that in the day ye eat thereof he perswaded man that God knew that all was to be as the Tempter the Serpent said to man it should be that their eyes should be opened that the understanding and knowing part in man should see and know that they should be as Gods knowing good and evil How did God know good and evil that man should be as Gods knowing good and evil and that he should be so by eating of the Tree God had forbidden to be eaten of by doing that which God had forbidden man to do Doth any one believe or think that God knew evil in doing contrary to his own declared will If they do so believe or think I believe they will not so speak but be like the fool that says in his heart there is no God in his heart he speaks it and in his heart he believes that God is not in his heart But God did know good and evil God did know his declared will to man to be good and God willed this declared will of himself and of himself he willed this declared will of his to be done there was no mover no stirer no drawer to move stir or draw God to his will or to the knowledge of his will to be good nor to will his will to be done there was no mover no stirer no drawer to move stir or draw God to do his declared will in man and so to bring up mans will into his will and to cause mans will to be resigned up into the doing of Gods will And in all this God knew good and in Gods knowing of good he was absolute in himself there was nothing that could help him or move stir or draw him thereunto and thus God was in knowing of good God knew what was evil God knew that the doing of what he had forbidden to be done was evil God new that it was evil because he had forbidden it and thus God knew evil as it was evil but God did not know evil in the action in the doing of what he had forbidden to be done The Serpent by his temptation perswaded man to believe that he should be as God to know good and evil as God knew good and evil so man should know good and evil God knew his declared will to man to be good of himself God had none to give him the knowledge thereof And so the Tempter perswaded man that he should know the will of God as God knew it as God of himself and not as a Creature to have his knowledge thereof from another And God willed his declared will of himself and so the Tempter perswaded man that he should be as God to will Gods declared will of himself and not as a Creature to have his will brought to will Gods will by the motion stirring drawings or the work of another in him And God of himself he willed his declared will of his to be done and so the Tempter he perswaded man that he should be as God and not as a Creature and that of himself he should will Gods declared will to be done God had none that moved stirred and drew
put themselves forth into the doing thereof they having eaten of the forbidden Tree they having done that which they knew God had commanded them not to do And the eyes of their understanding and knowledge being opened they see themselves naked that is that they have sinned against God and that there is judgment due to them from this God that they have offended and that makes them afraid and to passifie the apprehensions that they have in them of the anger of this God which by that understanding and knowledge that they have of him they know to be due to them for their sins And by that understanding and knowledge that they have of God they know that he is good and that it is good to pray to him and to worship and serve him And the subtile Serpent that by his temptations drew them in to eat of the forbidden Tree the doing of what God had forbidden them to do he perswades them that their eyes being opened by that understanding and knowledge that they have of God they of themselves know what is Gods declared will that they should do in praying to him in worshipping and serving of him and that they of themselves can will Gods will to be done and they of themselves can bring up their wills to do Gods will in performing of their Prayers Worship and Service to God And thus the subtile Serpent perswades them that their eyes being opened they are as Gods to know will and to do all of themselves and so of themselves they pray worship and serve God as they call it and are not contented to be as Creatures to know nothing but as they wait upon God to reveal it in them by his Spirit and to will nothing but what God in his will willeth in them and to do nothing but what God by his Spirit led or draw them forth in the doing thereof Although few are so bold or ignorant of God as to confess with their tongues that they of themselves do know Gods declared will that it is good and that they of themselves can will Gods will to be done in them and that they of themselves can bring up their wills to do Gods will in praying to him and in worshipping and serving of him yet by their actions they manifest the truth of what with their tongues they will not confess for by their actions it doth appear that they do all as Gods of themselves in that they do not wait upon God for him to do it in them by the leadings or drawings of his Spirit in them but they yield to the stirrings movings or drawings of their own wills and as their wills lead them out for to do so they go forth in their Prayer Worship and Service to God as they call it It were well if all those that are in the use of Set Forms of Prayers and those that pray in their Families at set times would consider what is the leading stirring moving or drawing Cause of their so praying and to see whether or no they do pray as the Apostle said of himself and the Saints That they knew not what they should pray for as they ought but as the Spirit it self made intercession for them with groanings that cannot be uttered and that their Prayers be performed in Gods Spirit and in truth or else they are not acceptable to God who is a Spirit I so well love all of them whose Lives and Conversations as to the outward are blameless and use those Prayers as a Sacrifice or Offerings to God as to beg of them to have a care that in the use of them the Serpent do not deceive them as he hath deceived me in praying worshipping and serving of God For by experience I do know that what is done in praying worshipping and serving of God that is not done wholly and alone by the Spirit of God in man and man in the doing thereof to be but an Instrument in Gods hand to do his work by And so indeed and in truth it is no other but God the Son in us praying worshipping and serving God the Father that hath begotten us in himself again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead And what Prayer Worship and Service is not thus done in God unto God is not acceptable to God and all other Prayers Worship and Service that hath been done in me and called by me Prayer Worship and Service done to God I do now know and have experienced it to be true that it hath onely been done by the subtilty of the Serpent in me in that understanding and knowledge that I had of God that caused me to have high thoughts of my self and that of my self in that understanding and knowledge I had of God I could pray worship and serve God and was as God to my self that is to will what I knew was Gods will and to do what I knew to be Gods will that I should do that is as to an outward obedience to God And now I do know that all that then I did in obedience to God was done in my own will and for my own self-ends And knowing the danger that I was then in being in the womans deceived state and so in the transgression and so in danger of perishing I cannot but out of love and pity to those that are in that state give them warning for them to have a care that they do not fall into that Quick-sand that lieth so hid in man and as an honest Traveller in the outward Land having fallen into a Quick-sand setteth a mark there that so others may have a care of falling into the same place This being the end of all my making known of what I know of the subtil Serpents self-will in me And further to make it more clearer that it is the work of the Tempter in man as man is in the fallen state to perswade man to have high thoughts that of himself in that understanding and knowledge that he hath of God he can know Gods will and can will Gods will and can do what God would have him to do And if this be not the true state of man in the fall to have the subtile Serpent to be thus in him tempting of him I desire then to know from whence it comes that many now see it to be so hard for man to become a very nothing in the Work of his Salvation that so God may be all in it and man nothing but onely as God makes him an Instrument in his hand But they who are not in some measure come to the knowledge of that in them as to know how hard a thing it is to become a nothing in the working out of their salvation that so God may be all in them in that great work of saving of them to them it is as hard to believe the truth of what I have said concerning the experience that some have seen of the Tempter how
goings or leadings forth of the Spirit of Jesus in them and take them in as their own drawings goings or leadings forth after God and do not look upon them as they are the work of God or Jesus in them And thus as at a distance or separate from Jesus that is the Soul first losing the being sensible of its being drawn going or being led forth by the Spirit of Jesus in them to be the work of Jesus in them and so not keeping in the low and meek Spirit but being lifted up with what they enjoy of God in those drawings goings or leadings forth of the Spirit in them self or mans will in the fall prevails through the pleasing part that it hath of those drawings goings or leadings forth of the Spirit as to look upon them as their own and they do not look upon them as the work of Jesus in them And from this a desire gets up in man to be wise And so that in man which is the woman that was drawn led or went forth by the Spirit takes and eats of them that is to take it down into them and satisfie themselves therewith as their own drawings leadings or goings forth after God which they were drawn led or went forth to by the Spirit of Jesus in them Not that the drawings goings or leadings forth of the Spirit of Jesus in man can eat of the forbidden Fruit they cannot eat of the forbidden Fruit but man in those drawings goings or leadings forth of the Spirit eats of the forbidden Fruit that is he takes down into himself as man does the food he eats a desire more to know of God than to obey God in what he knows And so as mans body is satisfied with taking in and eating of his food so man satisfies himself with taking and eating of knowledge and contents himself with knowledge as with food to live upon and his life is in it And the reason why man takes in eats and feeds himself upon knowledge in the drawings leadings or goings forth of Jesus's Spirit in him is because of mans not minding or having regard to the root from whence those drawings goings or leadings forth of the Spirit in him sprung which is from Jesus in them but they looking upon them as their own and as springing or coming from something of their own And here the subtile Serpents self or mans own will as it is separated from Gods will gets in his head and having got in his head he by degrees rigles in his whole body He at first began so with the woman he first said to her Yea hath God said Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden He puts it by way of question and causes her to question whether it were true or no that God had said that they should not eat of every tree of the garden And when Jesus the Light that lightneth every man that cometh into the world tells the woman what was Gods Command and the Will of God that they should do and the punishment if they transgressed Gods Command that is they should die it was Jesus in the woman that gave the Serpent this answer it was that in the woman that if she would have believed and obeyed would have kept her from sinning from eating the forbidden fruit But the Serpent he having got in his head into her in causing her to question the truth of Gods Command whether or no God had said they should not eat of every tree of the garden Now he rigleth in his whole body and by his lying would make God a lyar saying Ye shall not surely die For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil Here the Serpent gets in his body rigling it in a little at once First he removes the penalty out of the womans thoughts perswading her she shall not die as God had said and so gives God the lye or makes God a lyar And when the Serpent had perswaded the woman that God had not said true then he easily wrought in her a good opinion of himself that he spake true when he told her the lye that God knew that in the day she eat of the forbidden Fruit their eyes should be opened and they should be as Gods knowing good and evil they should not onely be as Gods but their eyes should be opened so as that they should see themselves as Gods How doth experience at this day teach the truth of this That before the Devil doth prevail with them to yield to his temptations he first begets a doubt or question in the heart whether indeed God hath forbidden the doing of what the Devil tempteth to do that is as the Devil presents his false gloss upon it that there is a good to be gained by yielding to his temptations as he did the forbidden fruit to the woman that it was good for food and to be desired to make wise And if the Devil once prevail so far as to get the Creature to reason the case with him whether the doing of what he tempteth to be lawful or not lawful and so makes the person doubtful and questioning in what before he knew and believed to be the will of God and obeyed God in as was the case of the woman she knew and believed she was not to eat of the forbidden fruit and for a time obeyed God in it then he soon prevails with them as he did with the woman to hopes of escaping the penalty that Jesus the Light in them hath told them would follow upon their breaking Gods Command and then how easily is the Creature carried away to a belief of what the Devil said to be true as did the woman that by yielding to his temptations they shall be great gainers the woman was promised to have her eyes opened and to be as Gods knowing good and evil What greater gain can any have by yielding to the Devils temptations than to have their eyes opened and to be as Gods And who is it that can say if ever they did take any notice or regard how the Devil tempts them and how they have been carried away with his temptations if they have not in some degree or measure found it to be so That first there is a question or doubt in them whether what they are tempted to be a breaking of the Command of God or if it be a breaking of the Command of God yet not so great a breaking of the Command of God as that they shall surely die for it that is be surely damned for it but they may eat of the forbidden fruit and yet be as Gods that is break Gods Command and please themselves therein and have their own minds wills and desires satisfied in what they do And what can be greater gain than this to have their minds and wills This to them is a Kingdom and herein they think themselves
be saved Gods end in sending his Son was not to condemn any one but to save all He that believeth on him is not condemned all those are saved that believe on him but he that believeth not is condemned already all those that do not believe on the begotten Son of God the true Light they are already condemned that is presently while they are in that state of unbelief All men as they have sinned are as they are in the state of sin under the sentance of condemnation but Gods love is such to man in general that he hath sent his onely begotten Son to take off that sentance of condemnation that whosoever did believe in him should not be condemned God grants to them that believe in his Son to speak after the manner of men a Pardon and so the sentence of condemnation is taken off from them and they are as if they had never been condemned but all those that do not believe in his Son they remain under that sentence of condemnation and so are condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the onely begotten Son of God The cause why all men are condemned is because they do not believe in the Name of the onely begotten Son of God As the name of a King signifies the power of the King so the Name of the onely begotten Son of God signifies the power of the onely begotten Son of God They do not believe in his power who is the true Light in them that makes known in them and shews unto them what may be known of God They do not believe that this Light hath power to save them or that there is a sufficient power in this Light that if they should yield obedience to it to save them And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world Light is come into the world into that world Man that God so loved that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever of that world Man believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life God hath by his true Light made known his love in them and their condemnation is not because they did not know God or for want of Gods making known his love to them or for want of Gods making known so much of God to them as may be known of God but it is because Light is come into the world Man come into them and men love darkness rather than light is because their deeds are evil For every one that doth evil hateth the light evil doers hate the Light hate Jesus the onely begotten Son of God whom God in his love hath sent to save them neither cometh to the light they will not come to Jesus the onely begotten Son of God the true Light that lighteth them that makes known in them and shew unto them what may be known of God to the end that they may be saved by believing in his Name by believing in his power but they will not come to him the true Light the power of God to salvation to be saved by him lest their evil deeds should be reproved or discovered They so love their evil deeds that rather than they will have them reproved or discovered so as to be brought to a leaving or forsaking of them They will not come to the Light to be saved by the Light that is to be saved by the onely begotten Son of God But he that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God This is that which maketh the difference in men God makes known himself in all that which is to be known of God even his eternal power and Godhead Gods makes known in all he hath shewed it unto them and so they are without excuse His love is to all he gave his Son that whosoever none excepted that did believe in him should not perish He did not send his Son to condemn the world Man but to save the world Man and those that believe in him are not condemned but are saved from the condemnation and those that believe not are already condemned they are now in the state of condemnation And it is because they have not believed on him the condemnation is because Light is come into the World come into them and they believe not in it but they love darkness the works of darkness evil deeds better than they love the Light And instead of loving the Light that makes known evil deeds in them they hate the Light because it discovers lays open and makes their evil deeds known and reproves them for evil deeds and therefore they will not come to the Light but hate it The Light in them calls them to come and believe in it but they will not come and believe in it And why will they not come and believe in it It is because they love their evil deeds and that causes them to hate the Light but he that doth truth that is he that in sincerity and integrity of his heart doth the things that God hath made known in him to be his will that he should obey him in he cometh to the Light And why doth he that doth truth come to the Light It is that his deeds his works may be made known made manifest that they are wrought in God He that doth truth he that truly yields obedience to God according to what he knows of God his hearts desire is to bring all his actions and deeds to Jesus the true Light of God in him that thereby they may be made known made manifest made truly known in him and to him that they are the works of God wrought in him that is the great thing desired by him that doth the truth to know that all that is done in him is done by Jesus the truth in him So that the difference that is made in men is of their own making Gods love is general to all he sent his Son to save all that would believe in him he hath made known his love in all That which may be known of God is manifest in them God he hath shewed it unto them they are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse But some love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil and therefore they will not come to the light but are haters of the light Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God nor were they thankful to God for what God had made known of himself to them but became vain in their imaginations Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things that are not convenient Rom. 1. 21 28. I pray mark the words of the Scripture Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge which knowledge they once had that God had given to them of himself
that is because the words spoken they did not feel them to reach to the witness of God in them or theseed of God in them and therefore they judged them not to be spoken by the true spirit of Jesus in him that spake them and that because they found some thing burdened or troubled in them when those words were spoken and yet they could not deny but that he might speak what he knew to be the work of God in him and that his words were true and that his life was answerable to his words but because they did not feel his words to reach to the witness of God in them or the Seed of God in them but there was something troubled and burden'd in them when they heard those words spoken therefore it was that they judged him to speak these words by a wrong Spirit I pray mark the Argument because the Seed of God in them or the witness of God in them was not reach'd to by the words spoken therefore they must be spoken by a wrong Spirit and why must they be spoken by a wrong Spirit is because some thing was troubled or burdened within them by those words spoken and therefore that which was troubled or burdened in them by those words being spoken must be the seed of God in them or the witness of God in them that must be the thing troubled or burdened in them by those words Oh the mystery of deceit that lieth secretly hid in the heart of man by the subtilty of the Serpent self-will in man who will not bring their deeds to the light to be made manifest who will not bring their deeds to the truth that the true Light hath made known in the Scriptures to be thereby judged whether they be true or false but do talk of a Light in them and to walk by the Light and yet do things and judge of things contrary to what the Scripture makes known to be true which was given forth by the true Light For by the Scriptures there is nothing more plainer than that it is the duty of all to make known to others what God hath made known of himself to them in his great work of saving of man from the subtilty of the Serpent by whose temptation man was brought to sin brought to disobey God But this making known what God hath made known of himself in saving from sin this say they was spoken by a wrong Spirit and the reason why it must be so that it was spoken by a wrong Spirit is because they did not feel the words spoken to reach the seed of God or the witness of God in them and because there was something in them that was troubled or burdened by hearing those words spoken and that they say is the seed of God in them And if they had said it had been the seed of the Serpent in them that had been troubled they had spoken more truer and agreeable to the testimony of the Scripture Mat. 16. 21 22 23. Jesus tells his Disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things and be killed and be raised again the third day What is this but a making known to them what God the Father had made known to him that he was to do for the saving of man from the subtilty of the Serpent who by his temptations had caused man to sin Dare any one be so wicked as to say that Christ did not speak this by the true Spirit but it was a wrong Spirit in Christ that spake it I say dare any be so wicked as to say so And yet these true words of his did not reach to the seed of God in Peter and yet Peter was troubled there was something in Peter that was oppressed and burdened with the hearing of Jesus speaking of these words And none can reasonably believe but that Peter thought and believed that that which was troubled and burdened by these words spoken by Jesus was something in him that was good something in him that loved Jesus which Peter might as some others have done think that it was the seed of God in him that was troubled and burdened at what Jesus spake And that made him take the boldness upon him as to take Jesus to him and began to rebuke him saying Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee And I pray what was this in Peter that was so troubled and burdened in Peter at what Christ had said Was it not Peter's Will in him which was contrary to Gods Will This Will of Peter's that was thus troubled and burdened that lay uppermost in Peter and that was that which hindered in Peter Christs words that they did not reach the seed of God in Peter the subtilty of the Serpents self in Peter deceived him He having been a Disciple a follower of Jesus and having preached the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and had power to heal all manner of Diseases and to cast out Devils and had given that testimony of Jesus that he had the words of eternal life might not Peter who had done all this think that Jesus spake by a wrong Spirit because he found his words to be a trouble and burden to him Peter he did so think that he spake by a wrong Spirit and that is plain by the Scripture for he began to rebuke Jesus for what he had said and told him in his rebuking of him that that should not be done to Jesus that Jesus had said should be done to him And so he makes Jesus to speak a lye And what is that less than to tell Jesus that he did not speak those words by the true Spirit For if Peter had believed that they had been spoken by a true Spirit Peter would have believed the words would prove true and he would not have gone about to reprove him for speaking true words by the true Spirit but Peter did not believe the words to be true and going about to reprove him for speaking of them it is plain that Peter believed they were spoken by a wrong Spirit when it was the lying Spirit in Peter that reproved Jesus for speaking the truth And Peter's rebuke was made up of nothing but lyes and that made Jesus call him Satan and told him he was an offence to him for he favoured not of the things that be of God but those things that be of men that was he savoured not the things of God the doing Gods will which was to be done by Jesus going to Jerusalem and to suffer many things of the Elders Chief Priests and Scribes and to be killed and be raised again the third day See who they were that Jesus suffered under it was under those that were high in an outward form of worshipping God And as Peter savoured not the things of God the having of Gods will done so he did savour the things of men he favoured the having of his own will done for it was a will of Peter's
own which he had not taken up the Cross to that would not that Jesus should do what was Gods will in him that he should do And it was this will of Peter's that was contrary to the will of God that was troubled and and burdened at Jesus's words when Jesus spake the truth and it was in that will of his own that did believe that Jesus spake those words by a wrong Spirit for he made Jesus a lyar saying that it should not be as Jesus had said And in this will in this wrong Spirit in this Satan in this Devil Peter undertook to rebuke Jesus for speaking the truth that he had received of the Father as to my knowledge others have done the like And further to make it more manifest that it is a lying and deceitful Spirit which worketh in the Will that perswades to believe that those things that are true which be spoken are spoken by a wrong Spirit and all the reason that is given why it must be so that it is spoken by a wrong Spirit is because it does not reach the seed of God in them but they find a burden a load oppressing them and it is a great trouble to them to hear those words spoken And if this were true then Jesus in the time that he had lived upon the Earth spake many times by a wrong Spirit in that it did not reach the seed of God in his Disciples Mark 14. 27 vers to 31 vers Jesus saith to his Disciples All ye shall be offended because of me this night for it is written I will smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered But Peter said Although all shall be offended yet will not I. Jesus saith unto him This night before the cock crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice But he spake the more vehemently If I should die with thee I will not deny thee in any wise Likewise also said they all I pray observe the words of the Scripture Jesus had told them that that night they should be all offended because of him and he proves the truth of it by Scripture for it was written I will smite the shepherd and the sheâ—p shall be scattered What Jesus spake was the truth he had received from the Father And did he not spake these words by the true Spirit And yet this did not reach the seed of God in them so as to believe he spake true And therefore how could they believe that Jesus spake these words by the true Spirit yea by their own answers it did appear that they all believed that he spake them by a wrong Spirit because they all said that should not be true that Jesus had spoken Jesus had said that they should be all offended because of him that night and the truth of that Scripture should be fulfilled that night that the Shepherd should be smitten and the Sheep scattered Peter who had at another time some distance of time between before that time began to rebuke him for speaking something to that purpose he does not now reprove Jesus for speaking the truth but he again contradicts him for speaking the truth and tells him that what he had spoken should not be done for although all should be offended because of him yet would not he And when Jesus told him that that night before the Cock crew twice he should deny him thrice he spake the more vehemently If I die with thee I will not in any wise deny thee Likewise also said they all That is all of them said as Peter had said that they would not be offended because of him that night and before they would deny him they would die with him As Peter in his own Will had resolved to do so had they resolved in their Wills to do I pray what hindred the true words spoken by Jesus that it did not reach the seed of God in them Was it because they were spoken by a wrong Spirit Or was it not because their own Wills lay uppermost in them above the seed of God in them and so made such a separation as that the words spoken by Jesus could not reach the seed of God in them Was it not their own Wills in them that would not have them to be offended because of him that night being it was Gods will that it should be so and God had caused the Prophets to foretel the same But there was in them all a Will opposing the Will of God and that Will of theirs was that which hindred that Jesus's true words spoken by the true Spirit that they did not reach the seed of God in them and this Will of theirs was troubled and burdened by the words spoken by Jesus What might not this Will say in them or they say in this Will What shall I that have been a Disciple a Follower of Jesus that have been sent by him to preach the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand have had power to heal all manner of Diseases and to cast out Devils and have had my outward feet lately washed by him and that night received of him that which is commonly called the Sacrament of his Body and Bloud and what shall I now be offended because of this Jesus that hath done so much for me No I will not be offended no rather than I will be offended because of him I will first die with him This Will of theirs that was not willing that Gods Will should be done in them this Will of theirs was burdened and troubled in hearing Jesus speak those true words That that night they should be all offended because of him And from this strong fleshly love and affection that they had to the fleshly Body of Jesus might they not think as others have done that it was something in them that was good something in them that was of God that was troubled and burdened at Jesus speaking of the true words by the true Spirit When indeed and in truth that which was burdened and troubled at Jesus's true words spoken by the true Spirit it was nothing but the fleshly will of theirs in which will they opposed the will of God as others have done in this knowing Age. How were these deceived by the subtile Serpents self their own wills in them who hod been so much with Jesus and had received so much from Jesus and yet had not taken up the Cross to their own wills but were in the knowing of Jesus after the flesh and followers of Jesus after the flesh and were ignorant of his Death and Resurrection in them Luke 18. 31 32 33 34. Then took he unto him the Twelve and said unto them Behold me go unto Jerusalem and all things that are written by the Prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished for he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles and shall be mocked and spitefully entreated and spit on and they shall scourge him and put him to death and the third day he shall rise again and they
understood none of these things and the saying was hid from them neither understood they the things that were spoken Does any one believe that Jesus spake these true words and that he did not speak them by a true spirit but that it was a wrong spirit in Jesus that spake these words I say that if any one does believe that these true words spoken by Jesus were not spoken by the true spirit and if not spoken by the true spirit then they must be spoken by the false spirit They that do so believe I believe they will be ashamed to say that they believe that Jesus did not speak these true words by the true spirit and that he spake them by the wrong spirit And if Jesus did speak these words by the true spirit as that Jesus did speak them by the true spirit then see the falsity and deceit that is in the Argument that I have heard often and that by many used that because by the true words spoken they did not feel them to reach the witness of God the seed of God in them when they heard them spoken therefore it was that they believed the true words spoken were not spoken by the true spirit but by a wrong spirit By the same rule the Twelve might have judged that Jesus did not speak those true words and why because they understood none of these things and the saying of his was hid from them neither knew they the things that were spoken If they had felt these words of Jesus to have reached the witness of God the seed of God in them how then could it have been that they understood none of those things and his saying was hid from them neither knew they the things that were spoken if they had felt those true words spoken by Jesus by the true light and by him proved by Scriptures not onely by one Scripture but by many Scriptures by all things that are written by the Prophets concerning him if they had felt these words to have reached the seed of God the witness of God in them they would have understood something of those sayings they would not all have been hid from them they would have known something of what had been spoken but by this Scripture it is plainly proved that true words may be spoken by the true spirit and proved by many Scriptures and that too concerning Christs being put to death and by whom and the place where and of his rising again and when he rise And all these may be spoken of the inward work of God in the heart of men as the like I have known and yet the Witness of God the seed of God in the hearers have not been by them felt to be reached unto by the words so spoken none of the Twelve understood any of the things Jesus spake of I pray observe none of his hearers understood any of the saying he spake And so although they have understood the outward sound of the Words spoken as the Twelve did the outward Words spoken by Jesus yet the inward meaning of them the spiritual meaning of them as they are wrought asked and done in man may be hid from them and they may know nothing of those things spoken as to the Work of God in the heart and yet they may be spoken to such as the Twelve were or at least would be counted such as the Twelve were that is those that had the most familiar acquaintance with Christ who Jesus had sent forth to preach that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand and had cast out Devils in his Name And yet these did not know what Christs Death and Resurrection was neither understood they any thing of it when he spake of it to them And may there not be such in this knowing Age we live in that may for some years have been Disciples and followers of Christ in the flesh and have had a familiar acquaintance with him and have been sent to preach the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and have cast out Devils in his Name and yet have not known Christs Death and Resurrection nor have understood any thing of it when it hath been spoken of to them by those that have known the inward work of it wrought within them Luke 9. 44 45 46. Jesus said to his Disciples Let these sayings sink down into your ears for the son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men But they understood not the saying and it was hid from them and they perceived it not and they feared to ask him of that saying Then there arose a â—easoning among them which should be the greatest Mark the Scripture were not these true words spoken by Jesus and were they not spoken by the true spirit in him and were they not spoken to his Disciples his followers And yet these true words were spoken by Jesus and spoken by the true spirit in that person that never had sinned and they by the true spirit were called upon that those sayings should sink down into their ears and yet true words thus spoken by the true spirit in him that they had no just cause to speak evil of although some when they could not deny the truth of what he had said were so bold as to say to him Say we not well that thou art a Samaritane and hast a devil John 8. There is that have met with words to the like purpose when they could not deny the truth of what hath been spoken and yet these true words spoken by one whom there hath not been the like man upon Earth And yet they that heard him speak them and to whom they were directly spoken unto and called upon that 〈◊〉 words should sink down into their ears and yet they did not feel in them that these true words spoken by a man in whom the fulness of the true spirit dwelt bodily these words they did not feel that they reached the witness of God the seed of God in them because they understood not thaâ— saying it was hid from them they perceived it not How fully how plainly does the Scripture make out the deceivableness of that Argument That because when they hear true words spoken and they do not feel the witness of God the seed of God in them to be reached by these words therefore they that speak them must speak them by a wrong spirit Oh! the subtilty that the subtile Serpents self useth to deceive people in a form of Godliness perswading them that in the disobeying God in the looking upon the tree of Knowledge they shall be as Gods and so have a liberty to judge according to the putting forward of their own wills in them These true words were spoken by Jesus a man in whom the fulness of the true spirit dwelt bodily and by him called upon that those sayings should sink down into their ears which is more than onely to give them the hearing of them and yet for all this they did not
more to silence when he made use of the Scripture as an Argument 〈◊〉 perswade him to yield to his Temptation than he did rebuke him stop his mouth and put him to silence when he spake no Scripture in tempting of him no nor so much neither for you will find in the next Temptation when the Devil makes no use of Scripture he rebukes him more sharply and stops his mouth and puts him to silence And therefore there is no ground from this Scripture to build such an Objection or Argument upon that an evil or wrong spirit or the spirit of the Devil in man may speak true words the words of the Scripture and bring it in for a proof of what he had before said but such a spirit is not to be suffered to speak such words but to be rebuked and put to silence according to Jesus's Example when Jesus did no such thing nor gave no such Example But before I pass from this Temptation I desire the Objecter to follow Jesus's Example which is our duty so to do Doth the Devil get thee into the holy City the holy City of God in man and set thee upon a Pinacle of the Temple there within thee read it within and would have thee cast thy self down from thence where he hath exalted thee in the holy City upon a Pinacle of the Temple of God in thee thereby to manifest thy self to be the son of God thereby to make it known that thou art Gods son in another way than the way that God hath declared thee to be his son in read it within And does he bring Scripture to thee to prove that thou mayst safely do it thou mayst tempt God in making known thy self to be his son in a way he hath not commanded and it will be no danger to thee to do it read it within I could tell my experience herein but I know it will be with many in this knowing Age as it was with the Eleven when Jesus had many things to say to them but they could not bear them then John 16. 12. but the time is coming and at hand when men shall read them within and then it will be born when true words may by all be spoken and will be born without being a burden o◠trouble to any of the Hearers that obey the Light in them and make it their Guide to guide them into all Truth Then it will be known to be a duty to follow Jesus's Example to resist the Temptation how highly soever he hath exalted thee and lifted thee up in his Temptation as he did Jesus in bringing him into the holy City and setting him upon a Pinacle of the Temple and then and there would have him to manifest himself to be the son of God and brings Scripture to prove the lawfulness thereof Which I know are all Figures and are to be read and known within And if thou find the Devil thus to tempt thee as some have done follow Jesus's Example do not so much seek to stop the mouth of the temptation as to stand fast in thy obedience in keeping with Jesus in the low and meek Spirit and bring Scripture to contradict the Temptation as Jesus did He tells the Devil It is written again Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God The Devil brought Scripture to prove that if he were the son of God that God had given his Angels charge to keep him from harm Jesus answered the Devil It is written Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Which as no Scripture is of private interpretation so is not this And in these few words Jesus according to our Proverb Kill two Birds with one stone he tells the Devil that it is not his duty to tempt him as he is his Lord and God nor was it his duty as he was man and the son of God to tempt the Father in casting himself down from thence because the Father had so great a love for him as to give his Angels charge concerning him to keep him from harm And when this Example of Jesus is followed in resisting of the Devil in his Temptations the Cross will be taken up to that Will that would run out to judge to rebuke to stop the mouth and to make them keep silence that are speaking of true words for Jesus did not so rebuke the Devil for speaking true words as to stop his mouth or make him keep silence Because that again after this the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them And saith All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Then said Jesus unto him Get thee hence Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve Then the devil leaveth him I pray hear the Devil brings no Scripture nor speaks nothing to him whereby he would have him manifest himself to be the son of God in yielding to him in his Temptations In this Temptation he onely got him up into an exceeding high Mountain and shewed him all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them and promises to give him all them if he would fall down and worship him And for this setting of him upon an high Mountain which I know is to be read within and then shewing of him all the Kingdoms of the World which is to be read within and then telling him All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me which also may be read within All of them I know to be Figures And for this Temptation Jesus rebukes him more sharper than for the other two and if I may use such an expression he did more stop his mouth and put him to silence than he did in the other two Temptations First he bids him get him hence Satan he did not before command the Devil to depart from him nor did he call him Satan when in the other two Temptations he would have had him answered his Temptations by making himself known to be the son of God in ways that God had not required of him to manifest himself to be his son in and for the last of the two he brings Scripture to prove that he might do it with his own safety and yet in neither of those two Temptations he did not command him to depart from him nor call him Satan But now when he had taken him up into an exceeding high Mountain and shewed him all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them now to tempt him to have such a love to the World to the enjoyments thereof and the glory of it as for the sake thereof to fall down and worship him This caused Jesus to command the Devil to depart from him and to call him Satan Tempter and bring Scripture for his denying to yield to the Temptation It is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God
the other and what was in the one was in the other as God was in them both worshipped as a spirit and the Worship that then was and now is performed as God then did and now doth look for and accept of is to worship him in spirit and in truth and so in that there was no contradiction There was not one thing that was Gods will for man to obey him in the days of the Prophets and another thing in the days of the Apostles that was to be done in man and that in obedience to God which was contrary to that which was Gods revealed will to be done in the days of the Prophets that they were to obey God in No there was no such contradiction And that now there is another thing wherein God is to be obeyed in in these days of Gods making the Light to shine more in the inward part of man than formerly and this other thing that God is now to be obeyed in as some would have it that are not willing to bring their works deeds or actions to the Scriptures to be tryed by them whether or no they be agreeable to the works deeds or actions of the holy men of old by whom God by the spirit by the true light gave forth the Scriptures and in them gave forth what was his will that man should do in obedience to him This other thing that some pretends by the light in them that they are now to obey God in is contrary and not agreeable to Gods declared will in the Scriptures and so they make the unchangeable God to be like changeable men to have one thing to be his will for man to obey him in at one time and another thing quite contrary to that to be his will for man to obey him in at another time Jesus the true light the Word of God by whose spirit the holy men of old spake as they were moved in giving forth the Scriptures both Prophets and Apostles it was the command of this Jesus this true light this spirit that gave forth the Scriptures in that outward body that he took in the nature of man to search the Scriptures John 5. 39. And he giveth the reason why it is that he commands them to search the Scriptures it was because they are they that testifie of him they are they that bear witness they are they that testifie that bear witness what he is they are they that testifie which witness what was the Fathers will that as man he was to do they are they that testifie that bear witness that as he was man he came not to do his own will but the will of the Father that sent him They are they that testifie that bear witness what Jesus the true light the Word of God in man is And they are they that testifie that bear witness what this true light is in every man and what this true light Jesus doth in every man They are they that is the Scriptures are they that testifie that bear witness how this true light Jesus by his spirit it teacheth it guideth it leadeth man into the doing of all that is of the Truth by that spirit that is of his sending forth according to his promise that he would send the spirit of truth and when he is come he shall guide them into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak for he shall receive of mine and shew it to you John 16 13 14. How do they disobey Jesus Command that refuse to bring their works actions and doings to the Scriptures to be tryed by them whether or no they are the works actions and doings of Jesus the true light in them and that under a pretence because Jesus the true light is in them and therefore it is that they need not or ought not to do it And how willingly are they to be deceived in thinking what is done in them and by them is done in and by Jesus the true light in them And yet will not bring it to that which Jesus saith testifieth which bear witness to what is the works of Jesus in them And therefore there is great reason why the Scriptures are to be searched to be sought after searched and sought into to find out what it is that they testifie what it is that they bear witness of Jesus to be as he is the true Light the Word of God the Saviour of man As he sends his spirit of Truth into man to make known to man what that spirit receives from him and thereby to guide man into all Truth and whatever it is in man that pretends to be the work actions or doings of the Light of Jesus in them and is not agreeable to the testimony the witness that the Scripture bears of Jesus the true Light and of his works actions or doings in man And if that be true that Jesus said as I believe none dare deny the truth of it that the Scriptures testifie of him then those works actions or doings that they do not testifie to be the works of Jesus in man as he is the true Light and sends his spirit to guide them into all Truth may very well be looked upon and judged to be the work of Satan the subtile Serpent in man transforming himself into the likeness of an Angel of Light which Satan did in the Apostles time upon the like occasion read 2 Corinth 11. 13 14 15. For such are false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ And no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness but let them be so yet their end shall be according to their works The Apostle speaking of Christ and how it is our duty to follow Christ's Example he brings Scripture to prove the truth of what he said Rom. 15. 1 2 3 4. We therefore that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to his edification For even Christ pleased not himself but as it is written The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope The Apostle here sets down the duty of those that are strong and may I not say of those that would be thought or do think themselves stronger than others and that is not to please themselves to satisfie and content themselves in that they are stronger than others and so exalt themselves over and above those that are weak but their duty is to bear the infirmities of the weak and thereby to please his neighbour for that is good to edification And it this their so doing that was to follow the example of Christ who
of ours so we act and do the same things that were acted and done by that Body of Jesus As the same Divine Nature dwells in us as it takes up its abode and stays in us and remains in us so in these bodies of ours are the same things acted and done as was by the same Divine Nature acted and done in that Body of Jesus wherein the fulness of the Divine Nature dwelt For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily Col. 2. 9. I do not say that the same things are acted and done in these bodies of ours wherein this Divine Nature may appear to be in and their making known that this is the will of God that man should do and that is the will of God that man should not do for so a measure of this Divine Nature is in all men as he is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world John 1. And the World was made by him and the World knew him not the World knew him not and yet they were made by him and were his own as he was their Creator and he came to them as he is the true light in them but they did not receive him they would not give him entertainment they would not let him dwell in them and therefore it is that the same things are not acted and done in them that was acted and done in the outward Body of Jesus and yet he was in them as a light but to as many as received him as many as was willing that he should dwell in them to them he gave power to be the Sons of God even to them that believed in his Name even to as many as believed in the power of him the true light in them which was the Word and the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his Glory the Glory as of the onely begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth where a measure of the same Divine Nature dwells in these bodies of ours that the fulness thereof dwelt in that outward body of Jesus There is a beholding of it a seeing of it as the Glory of the onely begotten of the Father in them which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 1 Pet. 1. 3. I say that where the will is resigned and given up into the will of God there it does make it appear that we are like Jesus that as the Divine Nature was in that outward body of Jesus and dwelt there and in that outward body it did the will of God the Father so a measure of the same Divine Nature is in these bodies of ours and dwells there and in these bodies of ours do the will of God the Father as it did in that body of Jesus And as Jesus did nothing of himself but as the Father taught him and as the Father taught him so he spake those things that he spake So as our wills come to be resigned and given up into the will of God we will do nothing of our selves there will be a denying of all self and a doing onely of such things as the Father teacheth us and then there will be a denying of our selves in all we speak and a speaking of nothing but what the Father teacheth us to speak and therefore men may know by their actions and by their words whether in their actions and words their wills be resigned and given up to God and so thereby they may know whether a measure of the same Divine Nature dwells in that body of theirs that dwelt in that body of Jesus When men do nothing but what God the Father teacheth them to do and say nothing but what God the Father teacheth them to say then they make it appear that their wills are resigned and given up into Gods will and what is done and what is spoken in them is done and spoken by a measure of the same Divine Nature dwelling in them that dwelt in that body of Jesus and so they make it appear that they in these bodies be like to what Jesus was in that body But when men do such things as God the Father does not teach them to do and speak such words as God the Father does not teach them to speak they then make it appear that in the doing of those things and speaking of those words that their wills are not resigned and given up to Gods will nor are those things done nor those words spoken by a measure of the same Divine Nature dwelling in them that dwelt in that outward body of Jesus but those things that were done in them were such as that God did not teach them to do and those words spoken by them were such as that God did not teach them to speak Those works were done by them in their own Wills and those words spoken by them were spoken in their own Wills Jesus he spake nothing of himself but as the Father that sent him gave him a Command what he should say and what he should speak and he knew that his Command was life everlasting and therefore what he spake was even as the Father had said to him So as our wills come to be resigned and given up to the Will of God we will speak nothing of our selves but as God our Father giveth us a Command what we shall say and what we shall speak and we know that his Command is life everlasting and therefore what the Father gives in Command to speak even so as the Father hath said so to speak And where there is a knowing of what God hath given in Command to speak and that in this Command there is life everlasting and then where there hath not been a speaking of what God hath given in Command there the Will hath not been resigned nor given up into the Will of God nor hath it there been made appear that the same Divine Nature dwelt in that body that dwelt in the body of Jesus but in their own Wills in the Earthy part in them they have hid the Command of God in them that he hath given them to speak And therefore as man ought not to speak any thing in his own Will so man in his will ought not to hide or keep in silence any thing that God hath given him in Command to speak let it be never so little or never so much And as it is mans duty to obey Gods Command in speaking so man ought also to have a care in going beyond Gods Command in speaking for that is not to be like Jesus who spake even as the Father had said to him to speak just so much neither more nor less And as Jesus did manifest and make known to the World the love he had to the Father in that whatsoever the Father gave him in Command even so he did so where the Will is resigned and given up to the Will
from the root of sin from the love to sin God caused me to cry out against this Altar of self-obedience to God and against the Sacrifices offered upon it to please satisfie and content themselves in a strict observing doing and performing of all and every the outward things required in the outward Worship that they did set up as Jeroboam did and neglected the true Worship of God and neglected the Worship of God in his Spirit and in his Truth and in that which doth not onely save from sin in the act but from sin in the love of it And in telling them the danger that would follow and befal such a Worship as I had experienced and if any of them had set up such a Worship not charging any particular person with so doing but declaring what I knew of the subtilty of the Serpent putting man upon so doing and the danger that they were in who were in such a Worship And where is there a Meeting that there is no such Worshippers in But that all and every person that belongs to the Meeting are such and onely such as are worshipping God in his Spirit and in his Truth in his Jesus that does not onely save them from the outward actions of sin but from the love and desire to sin And those that are not thus worshpping God in his Spirit and in his Truth in his Jesus in that which saves from sin and not onely saves from outward sins taken notice of by men to be sins but saves from the root of sin from the love to sin Let them be what they will be and think of themselves as highly as they will and be never so highly esteemed of by others yet I must once more tell them whatsoever outward Worship it is that they profess it is but a Worship that the subtile Serpent puts them upon and they are with Jeroboam making of Calves and saying in their hearts these be the gods that have saved thee from that bondage and slavery that once they were under by and for their outward sins and all that they are doing in that Worship is but an offering Sacrifice upon that Altar that they have set up of self-obedience to God I shall not say that upon my thus crying out against this Altar of self obedience to God and the Sacrifices offered thereon that King Jeroboam put out his hand and said Lay hold on him but this I can say that he that looked upon himself as the chief man in the Meeting and was so esteemed of by others he often when I was speaking to the purposes aforesaid would rise up and go out of the Meeting and the rest of the Meeting would follow him I shall not say that he had done as Jeroboam did make Calves for his own safety to preserve his life and was offering Sacrifice upon the Altar of Self-obedience and therefore with Jeroboam could not indure to hear his Altar to be cry'd out against but the Tree is known by its fruit Some others although they followed his example of going out of the Meeting yet they shew something more of the following of Christs Command than he did and they would come sometimes and speak to me about my speaking which I always gave them mild and very gentle answers as I know none of them dare say to the contrary and although they had nothing to say against what I spoke but that my words were true nor had they any thing against my Life and Conversation they could not deny but that I lived as blameless as any of them But the great thing they had to say against my speaking was because my words did not reach the witness of God in them or the seed of God in them as they called it but when I spake there was something in them that was troubled and burdened and therefore they put out their hands to lay hold on me dâ—siring me to speak no more And by what spirit it was that they spake thus to me I have here already declared in declaring in what spirit it was that Peter rebuked Jesus in for speaking what was true and how Jesus words were a trouble and a burden to a will that opposed Gods will in Peter and the rest of the Twelve and so shall say no more of it now From this great disturbance my speaking to the aforesaid purposes had made to that will in them that could not endure to hear true words spoken in declaring and making known the subtilty of the Serpent how he kept up his Kingdom in man in and under an outward form of godliness of being like God when he disobeys God in that he does not worship him in his spirit and in his truth in his Jesus as he perswaded man at first and thereby caused him to fall telling him by disobeying God he should be as Gods This did so disturb burden and trouble that will in them that when there came any to the Meeting that day that they were willing to hear them speak words that many times if I did while such were there when none was either speaking or praying yet if I began to speak a few words then one or other of them would either stand up and fall a speaking or fall down upon their knees and pray or else go out of the Meeting and so break up the Meeting and so they put out their hands against me saying Lay hold on him Yet amongst all these that did put forth their hands against me there was never any one of them that would begin a discourse with me concerning my speaking no not one of them and yet I constantly when the Meeting was ended followed them to the aforesaid chief mans house whither they constantly went and there stayed till they went from thence if they went from thence that night I saw their going away and if they stayed there all night then I stayed there until they were about going to supper And sometimes I would begin the discourse with them to know why they dealt so by me but I received very pitiful answers from them sometimes they would say they thought I had done speaking because I did not follow on to speak so fast as some do and sometimes I had this answer that if any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by the first was to hold his peace and therefore when they began to speak I was to hold my peace indeed I did so because I would beget no disturbance but that is not the meaning of the Scripture but the meaning of the Scripture is quite contrary for if any thing be revealed to one that sitteth by the first is to hold his peace before he that had any thing revealed to him was to begin to speak or else how could they all Prophecy one by one and it was the practice of the Apostles as you may read Acts 15. And it is the constant practice amongst them that the one leaves speaking before the other begins but so
in their Wills set by them and thereby and therein to please satisfie and content themselves as if they were worshipping God in his spirit and in his truth in his Jesus that saves from sin and also telling of them what would follow and fall upon them for such Worship and Service But at length it happened to me as it did to the man of God sent to cry against the Altar at Bethel who King Jeroboam by his threatning nor by his friendship could prevail with to disobey any part of the Command of God but he was prevailed with and brought into disobedience by an old Prophet that told him that an Angel spake to him by the Word of the Lord but he lyed unto him he had no Angel spake to him nor no Word from the Lord to say what he did to the man sent of God It was the old lying Serpents self in him that spake these words to him whereby he deceived the man sent of God and so it happened to me All the bad dealings that I had received did not in the least hinder me in my obedience to any part of the Command of God in speaking what I had in Command to speak but it so happened that I was in Company with three Women called Old Quakers of great esteem amongst them and although in plain words they did not give themselves the Name of Prophetess as the old Prophet did or say as he did that an Angel spake to him by the word of the Lord yet they spake words to the same purpose That they were moved by the spirit of God to speak to me and that it was in the Name of God and for Gods sake and many words to these purposes that they used to me and that although as they said they did not know one anothers minds nor had said nothing of it before yet they did speak to that purpose as if they all of them severally one by another had a Command from God and that they were all moved by the spirit of God in them at that time to speak to me and let me know from God that what I spake in the Meeting I did not speak by a true moving of the spirit of God in me but it was the wrong spirits self in me that put me forward to speak and very many words they spake to me to these purposes And I having had a large experience of the subtilty of the Serpents self in me and how he had in former times deceived me in a shew of godliness and then they all as the old Prophet did did affirm that they had a several Angel or as they called it a several moving of the spirit of God severally did move in each of them and put them upon it to speak to me by the word of the Lord in them although I now know they all lyed to me as the old Prophet did yet these their lying words then spoken in the Name of the Lord deceived me as the lying words of the old Prophet deceived the man sent of God and they caused me as the Serpent did Eve who at first resisted the Temptation but afterwards she yielded to question or doubt of the Command of God whether God had said Ye shall not eat of every tree of the Garden and so at first I resisted them very strongly yet at length through their many words I question'd or doubted whether God had commanded me to speak as I had spoken although I did before know that God had Commanded me to speak as Eve knew that God had said they should not eat of every tree of the Garden there was one Tree that God had Commanded that they should not eat thereof And in this knowledge of what was Gods Command Eve had obeyed God in as I in that knowledge that it was the Command of God for me to speak had obeyed God in but it was with me as it was with Eve and the man sent of God who at first resisted and said Nay to the old Prophet after the Serpent by his deceit and lye had caused Eve to question or doubt whether God had Commanded what she in her self before knew to be the Command of God and from that knowledge that she had in her self that it was the Command of God she had yielded obedience unto it but soon after the Serpent had wrought in her to question or doubt whether it was the Command of God or no he soon by his lying brought her to disobey God in his Command and it cost her her life and so the man sent of God he knew that it was the Command of God in him that he should not eat bread or drink water in that place and he for a time obeyed the Command of God in him and did not yield to the desire of the old Prophet but when by the lying of the old Prophet and that in the word of the Lord as the old Serpent in him caused him to say he questioned the truth of the Command of God in him which before he had obeyed and would not for the fear or friendship of a King be prevailed with into the disobedience of any part of it yet by the lye of one that called himself a Prophet and sent of God as he was he went from obeying what he had known to be the true Command of God in him and believed the lye that the lying old Prophet had told him was the Command of God for him to obey God in and that cost him his life and so it was with me although at first I resisted them strongly and would give no way to them yet afterwards by the lyes that they told me in the word of the Lord as they pretended to me that it was by the motion of the spirit of God in them that they spake to me I giving some credit to them as Eve did to the Serpent and the man sent of God to the old lying Prophet I began to question the truth of the Command of God in me which before I knew to be the Command of God in me and had obeyed God therein and I did with Eve and the man of God who gave more credit to the lye the Serpent told and the old Prophet told than to the truth spoken in them and to them by the spirit of God and so did I give more credit to the lye that they spake to me in that they told me it was by the moving of self in me that I spake and not by the Command of God and by believing them in their lye I went out of the obedience to what I knew was the Command of God in me and to me and for a time I had obeyed God in which all the hard or bad dealings that I had met withal could not in the least prevail with me to disobey the Command of God in me and to me to speak what God had given me in Command to speak but I was prevailed with and prevailed over
by the lyes spoken in the Name of the Lord as was pretended by the three old Quakers so called and no sooner did I by the lyes that they had spoken to me begin to question or doubt of the truth of Gods Command in me to speak but there quietly got up in me a disobedience to the Command and when I found in me a motion to speak as formerly I had I did not yield obedience to the motion but went into the disobedience and kept silence as they had desired of me to do and so it cost me my life for soon after a Lion by the way met with me and slew me Jesus as he is the Lamb of God in making known in man and to man the Commands of God what man is to do in obedience to God and so in mans yielding of obedience to the Commands of God he makes known the love of God to man and in man and thus as a Lamb and act in man like a Lamb in innocency so he may be slain yea he is slain in man by his disobedience to God As I have known the slaying of him by my disobedience to the Command of God and as he is thus a Lamb in man and acts the part of a Lamb in man so the same God the same Power that hath sent him as a Jesus to save man to save all men that will believe in him that will yield obedience to what he makes known in them and to them to be the Command of God for them to obey God in so the same God the same Power hath made him Judge both of the Living and of the Dead And so as he is a Judge he is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and that as a Lion as a Judge I found him soon meeting of me after my disobedience in not obeying the Command of God to speak as he gave me a Command to speak and he slew me he passed the sentence of Condemnation upon me for my disobedience and made me sensible of my disobedience and I knew I had transgressed and I willingly submitted to Gods Chastisement as did the man sent from God when it was told him that for his disobedience that his Carkass should not come to the Sepulchre of his Fathers You do not read in the Scripture that in the least he murmured or reflected upon the Chastisement of God for his disobedience And the passing of this sentence of Condemnation upon me was so great as that I may truly say it slew me that is as to my own apprehensions I was as it were slain in that I did not find any more movings of God in me to speak as I formerly had nor did I find in me any more stirrings or drawings of the spirit of God in me to Meditation Contemplation or musing of God and of his Goodness to me as before my disobedience I often had and was much refreshed and comforted thereby in what God in those Meditations Contemplations or musings of God and his Goodness made known to me of himself in what he was to man as a Creator and a Redeemer and what man was in his Image and likeness as Created and Redeemed nor did I find such fresh manifestations and making known of Gods love to me as before I had done thereby to cause my love to increase to God and although I went to the Meeting and kept it constantly as before yet I found no comfort or refreshment thereby as formerly I had done when I stood in my obedience to God And in this slain state for my disobedience I continued a long time At length the first appearance that I apprehended or took notice of that God stirred or moved in me by his Spirit was the movings or stirrings up of a desire in me to understand the mystery of Adam the Woman the Garden the Serpent the forbidden Fruit and the eating of it and the death that man died in the day he eat thereof And to leave something of it in writing not in print I had no thoughts of any such thing then that others might know what God had made known to me of the subtilty of the Serpent in man and so little did I then think of writing much that I began upon half a sheet of Paper thinking upon that I might write what was Gods will that I should leave in writing but it exceeded the half sheet and came into several sheets And when I thought I had done writing and had tacked the sheets together intending to send them to printing it pleased God to take from me a Child whom I loved as being in the outward body more like me than any Child I had and such was Gods goodness to me although I had a natural affection to her as a Father yet I was so well satisfied with the will of God therein that it was no inward trouble or disturbance to me but I was as if it had not been in having my will resigned and given up into the will of God therein And then God moved and stirred in me to write something of what I knew of denying my self and taking up the Cross and following of Jesus and I did not think therein to have writ so much as would have filled one sheet of Paper not having the least thought as God is my witness of making any the least mention of what I knew of taking up the Cross and following of Jesus when I stood in my obedience to him in speaking what he had given me in command to speak through all the opposing I met with but finding it lay as a duty upon me after I had began to write of self-denial and taking up the Cross and following of Jesus I was then and thereby as my duty required to make known what I knew how the subtile Serpent deceives man in an outward form of Religion perswading them that in that outward form of Religion they are denying of themselves and taking up the Cross and following of Jesus when indeed and in truth they are but a setting up of self in them And I have yielded in doing my duty therein lest through my disobedience therein God might have dealt with me as he did by me for my disobedience in not speaking And if any that shall read what I have herein writ and there shall and does rise in them a spirit to think or to speak that I have not done well in it to make so publick the failings weaknesses infirmities or miscarriages of Friends to me or rather to that of Jesus in me I shall say that by the same Spirit they may upon the same grounds as well think and say that Matthew and Luke did not do well or rather the spirit of God in Matthew and Luke did not do well in making by writing so much more publick the failings weakness infirmities or miscarriages of the Twelve to Jesus as I have done the failings weakness infirmities or miscarriages of others to that which was of Jesus in