away one time after another and that Saying oftentimes did arise If the Blind lead the Blind they shall both fall into the Ditch Now Friends that we may never forget the love of our God herein that has reached to us Oh the great Concern that has been upon many and the Cries and Bemoanings that was in secret to the Lord that his hand might not spare nor his eye pitty until Judgment was brought forth into Victory We have cried to the Lord sometimes to bring us through Judgment that we might know a Victory and Freedom from Sin and Satan and also cry'd that others might come to be thus concern'd for I see many People very loose and unconcern'd and many days have passed over their Heads in a Profession and yet not truly concern'd as to Godward and Heavenward nor so as to yield Obedience to the Gift of God that will tell them all that ever they have done though it has made many to say Is not this the Christ Oh that all People would come to consider what Experience they have of the Work of Truth in their Hearts Truly Friends and People I could be glad to see my native Country-Men and Women to come to know the Work of the Lord for I do believe and therefore speak it that Christ Jesus who is the Truth is at work as he said I work and my Heavenly Father works also How work may some say It is by his Spirit and Power for he has Power so to do in Peoples Hearts a stony Heart is not made a Heart of Flesh without him who truly makes it so he who has all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him can do whatsoever he pleases but truly this doth not please fallen Man that is out of the Truth so to come to please God the way is too narrow and too strait for them where the love of this World is not easily parted with nor the Delights and vain Fashions of the World not willingly layed aside nor indeed can they be laid aside or overcome without coming to the Light of Christ within to know his appearance within he is the Physician of value and the chief Corner-stone and the true Foundation that every one ought to have their Faith built upon or otherways they will want a Foundation and we know he that builds a House and has not a good Foundation to build upon he comes to Loss and suffers Loss and so hath many a one for want of Experience how to build they have been apt to trust to the Building of others and to the Knowledge of others in that they should see to and for themselves For Faith is the Gift of God to Mankind and Men ought to receive it so in themselves and know a growing in the Obedience of Faith from Faith to Faith that so they may come to arrive at the Haven of Rest and Peace with God It was said that there is no Peace to the Wicked therefore ought all men to fear before the Lord and know his righteous Judgments to be set up in their Hearts that through Judgment they may come to learn to fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole Duty of Man Oh that all men would love Judgment that every thing that has offended the Lord and grieved his righteous Spirit may be judged out that clean Vessels we may be in the House of the Lord for the Vessels of God's House are holy Vessels Holiness is written upon them Oh! that holy Principle of Truth that has been and still is at work has made them such clean Vessels purifying them purging out the old Leaven of Malice and Sin and has made many as a new Lamp to the Lord that has thus been at work by his Spirit to bring Men and Women out of the Fall out of the Disobedience and out of the Trasgression and this is Christ Jesus that works this Work he is the second Adam the Lord from Heaven become a quickening Spirit he is the Way the Truth and the Life he is that great Prophet that Moses spoke of and told us that we should hear in all things and whosoever will not hear this great Prophet must be cut off from amongst the People for we know that by hearing and lending an Ear to the voice of the Serpent came Death even that Death that the Lord said should come in the day that Man eat of the forbidden Fruit and so we also know to the Praise of God and his Truth be it spoken that by hearing the Voice of Christ Jesus that speaks from Heaven comes Life to be known again and witnessed and partaken of for in the Lord Jehovah there is everlasting strength and He gives Strength and Power to his Children to overcome and then to him that overcomes will I give to inherit all things I will be his God and he shall be my Son saith the Lord of Hosts But the Fearful and Unbelieving the Abominable and the Lyar is not to be numbred with God's Children but in the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone Rev. 21. 7 8. Now my dear Friends you that have travelled this way and have been exercised this way towards the Lord and towards his Kingdom which is not of this World you know how it has been what a Care there has been upon many lest they should miscarry and lest they should be mistaken for it may so come to pass if we sit down at ease and in a careless Mind let us remember there is a great Work to be done there are many Weights and Burdens to be done away Sin is a great Weight and a Burden and as a Partitian Wall that cannot be broken down but as we come to the Truth and know that to work in us and for us and set us free for we may remember the words of our blessed Lord to a People in former days If you know the Truth the Truth shall set you free and if the Son who is the Truth make you free then are you free indeed This is a Freedom indeed But said they we were never in Bondage to any man Ah! that all People did but know what great Bondage Sin is surely they would desire to be released out of such Bondage and Slavery if they had any regard to their poor Souls they would desire to be the Lord's Free-men and Women they would not plead for Sin and for its continuance any longer for it hath reigned too long if People were but sensible and well awake out of it Awake to Righteousness and sin not says the Apostle and awake thou that sleepest arise from the Dead and Christ will give thee light And we can have Life that is everlasting Life no where else but many People and too too many has had a Life in Sin to their great Sorrow and Lamentation and truly Friends Sin is always Cause of Sorrow it is Truths Enemy and Man and Womans Enemy also If this great Enemy of
placed a flaming Sword at Eden 's Gate that turned every way if a man had all false Coverings of Professions or the Fig-leaf Garments or all the changable ways of Religion that are in the World this flaming Sword still placed it turns every way against him that there is no way at all left for fallen Man to enter or find out for Life in a state of Sin if he chang'd his way never so often this still turns against him Now in this state we may truly say there was none to help but the Lord and What did the Lord say to this thing for he had warned Man and Woman and had given them a Command before and a very large Priviledge too if they would have been contented Of all the Trees of the Garden thou maist eat save that only of Knowledge of Good and Evil And yet after Transgression the Lord in his great Love that he had to the Workmanship of his Hands says on this wise That the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpent's Head here is the Promise of the Lord this is the way that God promis'd to restore Mankind And this Seed was Christ he is the Way to God again Now it is very like many will be ready to conclude that Christ is the way to God again but that they suppose they may do by Tradition and never come to know the Seed to bruise the Serpent's Head in them but until this is known Men may make a Profession of God and Christ and yet know little or nothing at all of the Work of that Eternal Power and Spirit of Christ to renew to break down Sin and Satan and to renew and restore them into the Image of God again Oh! what need have we all to wait as they did of old until we be endued with Power from on high But some may say they had a Command for so doing and doth not this Command reach to us I hope none will deny it for says the Prophet They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength these are all they that come to a true waiting State upon the Lord for he is worthy to be waited upon and he will be waited upon and sought unto by the House of Israel and truly if People had a true regard to the Spirit of Truth that Christ said the Father would send in his Name People would be more watchful and more concern'd in waiting upon God then they are for I cannot but take notice many times how loose and careless many People are though not in pursuing after the things of this World that pass away and comes to an end but very loose and careless in Religious and Heavenly Matters and Things of far more concern then the Things that are here which we can behold with our outward Eye for the things which we behold with our outward Eyes are Temporal but the things that are not seen thereby which we ought to behold with our inward Eyes are Eternal Oh! that all People might hasten out of Sin even as Lot hastened out of that sinful Sodom that the Lord was angry with in days past Come Friends it is the same in our day the Sins of the People of England cry aloud and the Lord has spared this Land of ours many Years though sometimes visited with Judgments Oh! that all People would lay to heart the great Mercy the continued Mercy of the Lord to this poor Land wherein we live and how the People have provoked the Lord with their Disobedience for Disobedience is as the Sin of Witchcraft and the Disobedient dwell in a dry Land they know not when good comes But the earnest Cry of my Heart to God is that all People may come to amend their Ways and amend their Lives by coming to Unfeigned Repentance and turn to the Lord to his Grace that has appeared to all Men Where has the Grace of God appeared In the Heart where Sin has appeared For what end but that Sin may be forsaken destroyed and wrought out and everlasting Righteousness brought in instead thereof For righteousness exalts a nation or a people but sin is a shame to any nation or people And why will People love that which is a Shame to them and a Disgrace to all that are found in it indeed we may say the Lord found many of us therein but there has been a day of Washing and a day of Cleansing known inwardly where this Pollution lay there has been the Word of the Lord as a Fire and as a Hammer to burn it up and consume it Root and Branch And thus Friends we have learned true Religion and to bridle our Tongues that we might not offend against the Lord and a Stay to our Minds that we might not wander any more nor be bewildred any more nor turn aside any more Oh! the Lord grant that all People may come to walk in the Light of the Lord and then we are sure they will walk in that which pleases God And the Prophecy of Isaiah will come to be fulfilled upon us That the time should come that they should say one to another Come and let us walk in the light of the Lord let us go up to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths For how do People linger away their time in sinning against God How easily are they overtaken and perswaded to live in Sin term of Life but they are not so easily perswaded to forsake Sin although when a Sinner doth repent him of his Sins or forsake them he shall find Mercy the Lord will have Mercy he will abundantly pardon But now instead of Mens forsaking of it they are daily adding Sin to Sin and pulling it upon them as with a Cart-rope Men of perverse Minds of ill Minds and of ill Lives their Lives bespeak whose Children they are and whose Works they are a doing even the Works of the Flesh which is Sin the Works of the old Enemy that is shut out for ever he upholds his Kingdom in Disobedience and so do all that loves Sin and pleads for Sin there is nothing so hurtful as Sin is here Men has lost their Belief they have lost their right Senses talk of believing in God the Father Almighty and in Jesus Christ his only begotten Son and yet believe Sin must Reign as if there was a necessity for it so to do but we have learned better things Glory to God and things that do accompany Salvation we know that of whatsoever a Man is overcome of the same he is brought in Bondage I write said John unto you little children that ye sin not and to you young men because ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one then there was a possibility of Victory therefore let none be faint-hearted but look to Christ who has all Power in Heaven and Earth and is Alsufficient
and truly the 3d Chapter of the first Epistle of John is very full And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin And whosoever abideth in him sinneth not and whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him And then little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning for this purpose was the Son of God made manifest that he might destroy the works of the Devil Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God Now this is the Testimony of John and set down here to perswade all to come to the Work of the Spirit of Truth in their own Hearts that through the same they may come to please God and leave off those things that displeases him for we according to our Measures that we have receiv'd would have all People come to be saved and to see how far they are saved from Sin and also to come to learn Righteousness by the Spirit of Truth that leads into the way of it for in the way of Righteousness there is Peace and Assurance and that for ever and herein we are owned of the Lord he owns us as his Children and gives unto us a Portion or Measure of his Spirit which he giveth to them that truly ask it Truly this is a Portion indeed more to be desired than all that this World can afford and therefore that all may be good Stewards in the manifold Grace of God for God's Love has been manifold his Mercies has not failed to those that are found in their Duty to him and continues as dutiful Children alwaies observing what the Lord requires of them and as we are found obedient he gives us our Portion of Meat in due season He is the Rewarder of all those that truly seek him he doth not long hide his Face from these tho' sometimes he is pleased to try them in the Furnace of Affliction it is that they may come forth as Gold tryed in the Fire that is more pure more weighty more solid more of the nature of Truth may appear in them and through them that others beholding their good Conversations may come to glorifie their Heavenly Father for He is worthy of all the Honour Glory and Renown by us all both now henceforth and for ever saith my Soul Now Friends something relating to the Spirit of God how it wrought in former times even in the Beginning and also to several Generations In the Beginning the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters Here is something of the Spirits moving for before it was said that Darkness was upon the face of the Gen. 1. 2. Deep and holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost The Spirit of God strove with the old World to reclaim Gen. 6. 2. them from their Wickedness else how shall that place be understood when the Lord says My Spirit shall not always strive with Man because when Men grieve the Spirit of God by continuing in that which the Lord is angry with therefore the Lord said his Spirit should not always strive with Man we all of us ought to mind the day of our Visitation while the Help and Means of the Spirit is afforded to us or else Man's Destruction will be of himself Thou gavest them also thy good Spirit to instruct them and Neh. 9. 20. with hold not thy Manna from their Mouths yet nevertheless they rebelled against thee Oh how many Mercies both spiritual and temporal has the Lord showred down upon Englands Inhabitants also and yet they evilly requite the Lord Yet many years didst thou forbear Neh. 9. 30. and testified against them by thy Spirit in thy Prophets yet would they not give ear they still retained the hardness of their Hearts for which cause the Lord thus complained of them and testified against them by his Spirit and it is the same to this day notwithstanding the great Pretensions of many as not being under the Law but under the Gospel Thus saith the Lord he that created the Heavens and the Isa 42. 5. Earth he that giveth Breath to the People upon it and Spirit to them that walk therein the Breath and Spirit which all People have meet for Body and Soul is given them of God and all People ought to mind his good Spirit that their Souls may live to him But there is a Spirit in Man and the inspiration of the Job 32. 8. Almighty giveth Understanding That is Spiritual Understanding of the things of God that are hid while Man is in Disobedience for the carnal-minded man knows not the things of God neither indeed can he and the reason renderd because they are spiritually discerned and there was some that neither knew the Scriptures nor the Power of GOD this must needs be for want of taking heed to his Spirit or Divine Inspiration Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee Psa 139 7. from thy Presence There is no hiding from the Lord he sees and beholds all the ways of the Children of men and their Works of what sort or kind soever they be He is an All-seeing God and will not be mocked such as every one sows must they such reap and the Spirit of the Lord pursues the wicked and the ungodly man for his Wickedness and all his ungodly Deeds though acted never so secretly Teach me to do thy Will thou art my God thy Spirit is Psa 143. 10 good lead me into the Land of Uprightness This is a good Confession to the Spirit of Truth both as a Leader and a Teacher to do the Will of God and a Leader into the Land of Uprightness then out of the Land of Darkness and out of the Land of Unrighteousness We would to God all men were thus taught and thus led Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high and the Isa 32. 15. Wilderness be a fruitful Field and the fruitful Field be counted for a Forrest Here we may see what we are without the Spirit though our Professions may seem green and fruitful yet when the Spirit of the Lord is poured forth upon us they will be but little accounted of that can turn our barren Wilderness of Profession into a fruitful Field and blessed be God it has done great things for many And the Spirit entered into me when he spake unto me and Ezek. 2. 2. set me upon my Feet so that I heard him that spake unto me Here was the Entrance of the Spirit witnessed and it was said that the entrance of thy Word giveth Light The Spirit and the Word is one and by the entrance of the Spirit he heard the Lord speak to him and his words are Spirit and
Life Then the Spirit took me up and I heard a voice behind me Ezek. 3. 12 saying Blessed be the Glory of the Lord from his place Here was the Work of the Spirit in which God is glorified for it is his own Work that praises him and glorifies his great Power and excellent Name And all the while my Breath is in me and the Spirit of God Job 27. 3. is in my Heart my Lips shall not speak wickedness nor my Tongue utter deceit my Righteousness I will hold fast and will not let it go my Heart shall not reprove me as long as I do live It appears the Spirit of God in his Heart was able to preserve him and is it not now the same as ever it was from everlasting to everlasting God blessed for ever The Spirit of God hath made me and the Breath of the Job 33. 4. Almighty hath given me Life This he experienc'd hath given me Life he knew both what the Spirit of God had done and what it was then a doing a state beyond all Lifeless Forms and Shadows that are in the World And I will pour upon the House of David and upon the Zech. 12. 10. Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and Supplication and they shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn for him It is not in vain then to wait for the motion of the Spirit to supplicate the Lord but many vex it and grieve it in themselves and others also it may be said they crucifie to themselves afresh the inward appearance of the Lord of Life and Glory And it shall come to pass after those days saith the Lord Joel 2. 28. I will pour out of my Spirit upon all Flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall prophesie If the Lord has said it great reason for men to believe it and wait for it and not to be offended at it for who shall stop the Mouths of those the Lord opens Woe to the rebellious Children saith the Lord that take Isa 30. 1. Counsel but not of me that cover with a Covering but not of my spirit that they may add sin to sin Here is a Woe pronounced to the rebellious Children and that from God that cannot lye they had taken Counsel but it was ill Counsel it was such Counsel as to be rebellious and truly such Counsel is taken by the greatest part of Mankind But the Lord would have People to take Counsel of himself and be covered with his Spirit for they that are covered with Profession and with the words of other mens Experiences be but like the Fig-leaves or Fig-tree that bore no Fruit it was blasted and withered and so will all be that add Sin to Sin Therefore it is high time for all to come to Repentance and amendment of Life not to talk so very much of it but to come to it and live in the self-denyal of all false things and false ways and ill words that offend the Lord. Saith the Lord Behold my servant speaking of Christ Isa 42. 1. whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth I have put my spirit upon him he shall bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles The Spirit of the Lord was poured upon him without measure and the Lord delighted in him and would have all People to behold him that they may receive a Measure of his Spirit whereof Christ testified saying He shall take of mine and give it unto you and the least Measure of it if taken heed unto is sufficient to make a man an upright man For I will pour Water on him that is thirsty I will pour Isa 44. 3. my spirit upon thy seed and my Blessing upon thy Off-spring A very large Promise and in this Gospel-day we ought to look wait and hope for the fulfilling of it here is the free Love of God to the Children of Men that hunger and thirst after Righteousness they shall be filled they shall know the pouring forth of God's Spirit from Generation to Generation As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit which is upon thee and my Words which I Isa 59. 21. have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever Many are the Promises of God to the Children of Men which are yea and amen in the Seed which is Christ this Seed that bruises the Serpent's Head and delivers the Soul When the Enemy shall come in like a Flood the spirit Isa 59. 19. of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him How full is the Scriptures of Truth and how many times over the Lord has said and promised to pour out of his spirit and the wonderful Effects that it would bring forth for the Sons of Men both in former Ages and also in our Age. I have set down some few of them here in great love to my Native Country that all might believe and see them as recorded in the Scriptures though one of the least whom God has reached to yet by his Grace I am a Believer believing that it is not in vain to wait upon God for the fulfilling of these many precious Promises that are left us in the holy Scriptures I shall set down a few more and for no other end but that People may endeavour to reap the real Benefit thereof Jesus saith Verily I say unto thee except a man be born of John 3. 5. water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God This new Birth here spoken of is not that Birth which is after the Flesh but the Birth which is after the Spirit which no one can know but by the Holy Spirit and he that believes therein as the Scriptures have said Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But this John 7. 3. spake he of the spirit which they that believed in him should receive Now let us try our Belief if true then we shall know the Promise true also for the Promises of Christ and of the Spirit which he said he would send is to be expected or otherwise our not believing nor expecting of them hinders us from partaking thereof as it doth all them that do not expect the appearance of Christ in Spirit For the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers Joh. 4 23. shall worship the Father in the spirit and in the truth God is a spirit and those that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth Now let all the Worshippers in the World see what they worship for Christ said of the Temple-worshippers And to such as said in this mountain ye worship ye know not what and truly we may see by Christ's own words that all the Worshippers in the World that do not come to the Spirit are no true