manifested his pure presence poured out his spirit plentifully upon sons and daughters fulfilled that which Joelâ—prophesied â—prophesied of Joel 2. 28. which came to be fulfilled after Christs ascention Acts. 2. 17. and they received the holy Ghost spoke the wonderfull things of God as they were revealed by the spirit which shed it selfe abroad among them that waited for it so also the mystery of iniquity began to work even in that time and as the Apostles laid the foundation of truth and declared the truth Christ to be the foundation even so the Mystery of iniquity did work and a beginning or a foundation of error was laid by them who were gone out of the truth the false Prophets deceivers Anti-christs who were professors and preachers but they were such as were covetous and greedy of filthy lucre and made merchandize of souls for dishonest gaine and denyed the power of God Christ and were enemies to the Crosse and gloried in the flesh and spake swelling words of vanity and did all live in the lust of the flesh and were proud boasters and denyed the Lord that bought them for denying the power of God they did deny Christ though in words they preached him as this generation who are their off-springs doe out of strife contention as the Apostle writs they held the form of godlinesse but denyed the power and they were they that once were convinced of the truth and came into the forme of truth but denyed the power of truth but were in craft and deceit and they subverted whole houses from the faith and led them back into the world into unbeliefe in the Apostles dayes and yet had a worship and did worship but not the power not the life and this began to worke and wrought more cunningly and subtilly in the latter times And the Apostle Paul in many of his Epistles Iohn and Peter and Jude declares against them and Paul prophesied of them before his departure of grievous Wolves which should spring up which should not spare to make havock of the flock of Christ so the fall Apostles deceivers Antichrists and deceitful workers they went out then and did what they could to lead disciples after them into the world inwardly they were ravened from the spirit and was gone from it into the earth into the world and served not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies and the God of the world which is the Devil and they went into the world and the world received them and then they and their disciples turned against the saints and they held truth in words and the form for a while but it was in unrighteousness and here was the beginners and the beginning of the Apostats and of the Apostacy it was began in the Apostles dayes by them that went out of the truth out of the light and were ravened from the spirit and erred from the faith and were enemies to the power of God and these were the beginners and the layers of the foundation and then it grew that root of wickedness faster then the truth for the Jewes resisted and the heathen resisted and the Apostates and false prophets resisted and they that were Apostatized they resisted and they caused many to stumble to erre to make ship-wrack of their faith and so the world went after them the World the Nations the kindreds the tongues the people went after Kings Princes and potentates of the earth in processe of time they had over run-all killed the saints the woman fled into the wildernesse the man child was caught up unto God then all Nations who were gone from the Rock became as a sea reeled to fro unstable unsetled what were they like to settle in the Sea then a great beast arose with his seven heads and ten hornes and the whore which had defiled the bed and she sat upon the beast and she reached out her cup of fornication to the nations and all nations was drunk with her cup and then the beast made war and the nations were drunk and they loved the beast and received his marke became cruel and pushed at the saints and followed him and made war with them and the whore she drank the blood of the saints and the Dragon appeared and with his tayle drew the third part of the stars after him to the Earth the false Prophets they are the tayle of the Dragon who were gone from the testimony of Jesus the spirit of prophecy and drew after it the third part of the stars from the firmament of his power into the earth Rev. 12. 4. The man child was caught up unto God which was to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron and the woman fled into the wildernesse where God hath prepared a place for her and then the Dragon went out and made war with the remnant of her seed to wit the womans seed And so out of the Sea arose the beast out of Nations kindreds Tongues and peoples which are waters and the Dragon gave power to the beast and his seat and great authority Rev. 13. 2. And all the world wondred after the beast ver 3. and ver 4. They worshipped the Dragon which gave power to the beast and the beast likewise and now the worlâ— cryed which wondred after the beast who is able to make war with the beast and ver 6. he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven and he made war with the saints and did overcome them and all that dwelt upon the Earth worshipped him whose names were not written in the Lambs book of life And the beastâ— deceived the Nations and them that did dwell on the earth and now kindreds Tongues and peoples and Nations and all the world which wondred after him they who had lost the image of God now became the image of the beast that blasphemed God and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven and now the Kings of the earth that had drunk the Whores cup of fornication and the Nations Kindreds and Tongues and people who were become the beasts image now the image of the beast spoke and caused as many as would not worship the beast and the image should be killed take notice of that all who are called Christians it was not Gods image who compelled to worship or else be killed but it was the beasts image and wheresoever compultion and killing is exercised and practised they worship the beast Chap. 13. ver 16. And he causeth all both small and great rich and poor bond and free to receive a marke in their forehead or in their right hand and none might buy or sell but he which had the beasts marke or his name or the number of his name here was worship but it was the beasts worship and Idolatrous worship and the Dragons worship who sought to destroy the man-child which all the Angels is to worship all
burnt-offerings kept fasts and Sabbaths and new Moons and all these things and lied swore and dealt falsly and left no roome for the poor and yet they said the Lord was among them the Lord sent his servant the Prophet to tell them the Lord was weary of them and of their oblations why they were out of the faith out of the life out of the Power and deceit lodged in their heartts covetousnese envy murder oppression and violence as ravening wolves hunting for their prey the Prophets prophesied for hire their Priests bear rule by their means and people was one with it and liked it and loved it should be so the end of those things was misery the Judgement of God came upon them they were scattered among their enemies their Prophets slain and for their sake Sion became as a plowed corn field and Jerusalem a heap and now he that offered an ox was no more accepted then if he slew a man no more then if he blessed Chemosh Ashteroth or Baal all was sin and to be condemned by the power out of which they were gone The Scribes and Pharisees in Christs time great worshippers devout men devout women zealous men for Temple Priests tithes days Sabbaths oblations and were acting all those things that were commanded in or about the worship of God yet Christ said unto his Disciplrs except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scrihes and Pharisees ye cannot enter the Kingdom of God they might have said which at least they did in their hearts this man says he is the Son of God and yet saith and teacheth his Disciples another righteousness then is commanded in the Law and moreover tells them except their righteousnes exceed ours they cannot enter into Gods Kingdom where is there in all the earth any better righteousness then ours we do not as the heathen worship Idol-gods we keep the Sabbaths and purifie our selves and payes tithes and keeps the Ordinances given by the Lord to Moses and our fathers well these things they were doing but they were but dead works they were out of the faith out of the Power and had not Gods word abiding in their hearts from which their Power and ability should have come to have answered the will of God here was self-righteousness although they did the outward things which were commanded of the Lord yet they were dead works their Temple left desolate worship desolate Jerusalem compassed about with armies not one stone left upon another which was not to be thrown down and they scattered among the heathen their Priests slain and their oblations ceased plagues Judgement prusuing whithersoever they went did all those things save them from the wrath all their works and dead worships self-righteousness save them were they accepted oh nay rejected a seed of falshood a crooked generation an hypocritical generation these things with many more which I could instance all shewing that man in the transgression of the life of the power whether he sinned or wrought that which he might Judge was righteous yet they were but dead works Ob. But some may say what saist thou to this generation of Ministers preachers and Ordinances we live in a Gospel time and are under Gospel ordinances and they teach that man is redeemed by Christ from sins past present and to come and the ordinances that we practice now I hope you will not call them dead works Ans. I say the ministry in these nations made by mans will and by the will of the flesh and that are seeking their gaine from their quarter and are suing men at Law and throwing men in dungeons and holes to the losse of some mens lives already and hundreds have been and are like to be spoiled onely to uphold their greedy devouring nature who have ravened and devoured like evening Wolves some mens estates wholly and some times taken ten fold the value who ravens from place to place from one end of the Land to another and into other Nations also for filthy lucre or a greater benefit I say they are in the fall in the transgression death rules in them over them and they are Ministers of death and never brought any to God but of them many other brethren who are in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ hath borne a large testimony which any considerate wise prudent and reasonable man may see them to be Ministers of death demonstrated by many sound grounds and unanswerable arguments and the scripture of truth clearly bearing witnesse to the same and so I refer the Reader to those things and shall content my selfe at present in what I have said in this particular Now as to the worship or ordinances or practices themselves I come unto and shall speak no otherwise of any thing then God by his eternal light and spirit hath made me understand in the true ground of things else I know well how to be silent Now this I say to all sects opinions and fellowships though they be devided into many heads or societies man acting or performing any thing of worship ordinance or any practice whatsoever which the scriptures declares hath been or ever was though they should doe it in the same manner sutable in every circumstance to that which others did till all or every man come to believe in the power again which man went from in the transgression all that he doth is selfe-righteousnesse and dead works preaching dead prayer dead Baptisme dead their communion dead their conferences dead their exhortations dead their fasts dead their offerings like as if one had offered a dead beast under the law or a lame Lamb which had been abomination even so I say till man come to that which he hath lost in the transgression till man find the power the life the light the messiah and feel him in them to work move lead guid and act all will be accounted with the Lord selfe-righteousnesse dead works dead fruit and if all would examine and try they might see the Nations almost spread over with dead men in Adam and dead works abound and coverings which God will rent and lay all waste together false rest imitated formes and representations without life I say till men come into the power againe that Adam went from and so died in that day he cannot doe any thing well pleasing to God and whosoever comes to that again passeth every step through death and denies himselfe and all selfe-actions selfe-righteousnesse and must come to be bare and naked again even as he was before he came out he and his wife were naked and were not ashamed selfe-acting was not known now self-will self-worship self-righteousness nay they moved in the power righteousnesse was their covering and as I said before there was no shame I might speak largely in this thing and truly my tongue is the pen of a ready writer oh that all had an eare to hear that their souls might live and that every one might be unbottomed of his false
rest false and fained hope and faith and of his own ragged garment and let goe his selfe-righteousnesse and his dead works and come to Christ the life of men again that man hath run from that so he might have life and peace Ob. But some would say that thou wouldst have all upside down unchristian the Nations and unchurch Churches and throw down all our worship and then what should we doe all would be as heathens and turne into Athisme I say a time of fanning and â—ifting and trying is come when nothing shall stand but that hath the image stamp and character of the living God upon it and all that which hath been brought up and raised up since man hath been in the transgression must be turned down into the pit again and all that have got a name of Christian and wants his life to live among them and in them shall be scattered as clouds with the East wind and all imitated worships and will worshippers and the fained faith and the fained hope shall be confounded and all will worships and worshippers will be overturned who are not come yet to the true light that lightens every man that comes into the World and till man comes to the light and tries his deeds and works by it he never sees what he is doing nor what he is working nor what he works and so all that man doth here in the unbeliefe it is but sin or selfe-righteousnesse which is brought forth by him who abode not in the truth in the unbelief and so who be come to the power which was in the beginning before sin entred and death by sin hath and doth measure all deeds and all works man that is in the losse in the fall sees that a dead man cannot act a living work nor bring forth living fruits unto God nor living works of righteousnesse being in the unrighteousnesse neither the fruits of faith being in the unbeliefe neither the works of the day being in the night neither the works of charity being in the emnity in a word without Christ the power the light the life which was glorified with the Father before the world began I say he said it himself who is the beginning of the creation of God the first born of every creature he said and his testimony will be found true without me ye can do nothing nothing that is wel-pleasing to the Lord nothing that ever shall be acceptable and here is the true state of all the Earth discovered and all mankind drove out from God miserable naked hopelesse helplesse faithlesse and so can doe nothing as to the glorifying of God his maker or to the ordering of any thing in the creation to his glory having lost his dominion and Gods wisdome and this being considered seriously by all and brought to the light in all and their deeds tryed by it would make the lofty bow and the stout hearted fear and the conceited sit down in solitarinesse that they should so long deceive their own souls with a conceit of righteousnesse and redemption when as death yet reignes in them and over them and not life eternall So the Devil is a distinct being from God and his works are distinst and his deeds from the works of God and neither he nor his works shall ever be numbred among the works of God but he and they that obey him and follow him who is out of the truth they their works of what sort soever they may seem unto men to be whose eyes the devil hath blinded so I say all is to be condemned and shut out from Gods presence for ever and to be destroyed by him who is a consuming fire and all the righteousnesse of man burned as combustable stuff in unquenchable fire Pr. And by what hath been said the principle of that ranting crew who are become vaine in their imaginations and foolish their understandings being darkned are seen and their principle overthrown As that light and darknesse is one good evil one and sin and righteousnesse one and truth and a lye one and that God is all and doth all and what ever is done is of God and that there is no evil but to him that thinks it so and it is onely a false apprehention of things and that there is no such thing as sin that sin is nothing Unto all these things I might speak but the understanding Reader may by what is before written see each of these plainly declared and the true ground of things laid down as the spirit gave utterance and this shall at present suffice in this matter Ob. But some may object further and say will not reading the scriptures and conforming to the practise of the saints in the use of his ordinances will not this make us accepted and bring us out of the fall and make us good christians Answ. No while death hath dominion in man and over man and the vaile over the heart man doth not understand the mystery of Gods kingdome neither understands the scripture which was spoken from the spirit of truth or any thing of truth as it is in Christ for none understands the things of God but by the spirit of God so that every man that comes to have a good understanding must come to know the pure spirit of God in him to direct him informe him which spirit was the original of the scripture for the holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost and without the Holy Ghost in some measure be known â—nd that which is infallible the sayings the writings the scriptures cannot be understood because of the want of this all the Earth is run into heads sects opinions large treatises and volumes expositions have been written yet differing one from another and all from the spirit and in all these particular sects persecuting one another envying one another and hating one another and would compell others to believe what they believe in what they say if they had but power and for proof of this it is most evident in the scripture of truth and in latter ages since the Apostles it hath been and it is evidently seen both among the Papists and Protestants and among all them that are called the reformed Churches but all this is in the fall and in the transgression and in the Apostacy and is an evident token that they are all under the power of the beast who makes War against the Lamb so all compellation and they that do compell are not worshippers of the Lamb but of the beast which is to be destroyed and cast into the lake For the Jews under the first Covenant had the Scriptures the good and wholsome words of God and the Prophets and read the Law and the Prophets on the Sabbath dayes and yet the vail was over their hearts and and though they did perform many things commanded yet they being erred from the spirit did not understand
God injoyed and worshiped glorified and honoured in that which shall never alter but abides for ever and this shall be is the last ministration that ever shall appear among the Sons of men We who are come out of the Apostacy knowes what was before sees what shal be after the everlasting Gosple of the Son of God shall be preached again to them that dwell on the Earth the same that was preached to Abraham before either old or new Testament was written the latter all sects since the apostacy call the gospel and so greatly manifest their ignoance for that were to make two Gospels to call the scriptures the Gospel or that which is written and they who so erre in their judgements are yet among the smoke of the pit are yet under antichrists reigne are ignorant of him who is the saving health of the Nations And the living infalible true lasting and everlasting spirit of the Father shall be poured out again and many now witnesse it and a numberlesse number shall witnesse it and the time hastens And the Lamb shall stand upon mount Sion and many who are redeemed from the earth and from among men which shall be the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb and they shall sit with him and shall reigne with him and have power over sin temptation and the Devil Hell and the Lake and this is to come to passe and is coming to passe and hastens greatly and the voice out of heaven shall be heard as the voice of many waters and the voice of harpers harping with their harps and the new song shall be sung the pure song of the Lamb shal be sung by all who are redeemed from the earth in every Nation kindred Tongue and people who have heard believed and received the joyful sound of the everlasting Gospel again and now they shall fear God and glorifie him and honour him even they who have feared the Beast and glorified him in the Apostacy they shall deny his power and own the Lambs power and worship him that sits upon the throne of righteousnesse who lives for ever and ever and is eternal Life it selfe the worship shall be now in spirit and truth where the Dragon cannot come neither the beast Harlot false prophet nor antichrist nor none of his followers can come and here in the ministration shal be more glorious after the Apostacy then it was before the worship stood before in many outward visible things and representations and outward performances and ordinances I manifestly say the dragon beast whore and false prophets and Apostates took up these things and Nations and kindreds and Tongues and people who drunk of the whores cup all that were gone from their maker their husband they have been and are acting and performing imitating like Jannes and Jambres but since the daies of the Apostles they corrupted these things and hath made Idols of them and painted themselves with them and have got the sheeps cloathing therefore now will the Lord appear and manifest his power life and glory in away more invisible and pure than before and more divine celestial and glorious where never an hypocrite shal tread in the path so the restoration is a mystery that shall be after the Apostacy the glory is not to appear in externall things for there the mother of harlots hath hid her selfe long which hath made all Nations drunk but the cloathing of the Lambs wife and of the bride shall be another thing then the attire of the harlot for the spouse of the Lamb shall be arrayed in the same attire that the Lamb is cloathed withall and with the same vestment and the Tabernacle of God is to be with men and he shall dwell in them even the Lord that spirit and shall walke in them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be with them and in them and sorrow shall be done away and teares wiped away and that done away which was the cause of sorrow Rev. 21. 3. and 4. and there shall be no more death nor crying nor any more pain for the former things are passed away to wit death which entred in by sin it shall be destroyed and the earth out of which the second beast arose and the sea out of which the first beast did arise upon which the whore sate and Hell and the lake which was prepared and raised up when man was degenerated from the Lord they shall be destroyed and he also which hath the power of death which is the Devil he shall be destroyed and his works the cause of scorne and then they shall see the Lord face to face even them that have but seen him darkly as in a glasse or as in a cloud they shall see his pure living countenance which giveth life and death and Hell shall be cast into the Lake of fire and whosoever is not found written in the Lambs book of life must be cast into the fire Then the new heaven and earth shall be seen and the heavenly City which shall come down from God out of heaven which no mortal eye shall behold neither shal be able to behold which hath twelve foundations and twelve gates and the glory of God shall be upon her and her light shall be as a stone most precious and as clear as cristall yea all things visible are too short and not to be compared to it for in it their need neither Sun nor Moon to shine in it for the glory of the Lord shall lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof and all who shall be partakers of this glorious Ministration shall walk in the light of the Lamb there shall be no night nor the least appearance of a cloud or darkness but transparent brightness and glory which shall be permanent durable and everlasting for the Lord God and the Lamb is the Temple of the City in which the Saints shall worship him that sits upon the throne for evermore and shall give unto him glory and honour and dominion and eternal praise for evermore who alone is worthy who lives for ever in eternal glory and everlasting light and brightness for cvermore And his face shall be seen in whom all figures representations shadows ends in and the pure river of water of life which is as clear as Christal which proceeds out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb and all who have kept the word of his patience shall drink thereof and be nourished up in immortality and life everlasting for ever And the tree of life that stands in the Paradice of God them that have overcome shall eat thereof and live for ever and the Nations Kindreds Tongues people and Regions who have heard believed and received the everlasting Gospel shall know his saving health and the Throne of God and the Lamb shall be seen and his servants shall serve him who is their Lord and King who lives for ever and they shall see
to strive with them having so long rebelled against and gain-sayd the pure drawings of it that so the Lord is grieved and wearied with their impenitency that he gives them up to their vile affections and to follow the imaginations of their own hearts who receiveth not the truth in the love of it but in the enmyty still remaines obstinate doing despite unto the spirit of grace his long-suffering comes to an end his fierce wrath comes to be kindled against such and that which would have led them out of the world in true pure and everlasting peace now becomes their tormentor and they banished from his presence and shut up in eternal misery where the fire is kindled by the breath of the the Lord that burns for ever the sentence of condemnation being past upon them because they had pleasure in unrighteousnesse and have sold themselves to do wickedly and crucifying the appearance of God in themselves which appearance though it live in the fountain of Life yet crucified by thee who art out of the Life yet lives still for ever in it self to be thy condemnation eternally How the spirit of the Father worketh in them who are turned to it and have taken heed unto its manifestation and are in some measure partakers of its power THere are differences of administrations But the same Lord and there are diversity of gifts but the same spirit and there are diversities of operations but the same God which worketh all in all Now the spirit of truth which is Life in it selfe putteth forth its own pure act not onely to convince and detect him that transgresseth its appearance and to manifest evil which hath been committed by man but also being turned unto and waited in it shews man when motions and temptations unto sin ariseth and as the creature is still and waiteth in that which manifesteth and singly keeps in his mind to it It sheds abroad its power and vanquisheth and subdueth those lusts which do arise and condemns the ground from whence they do arise and it purely draweth the mind after it and secretly worketh breatheth forth its pure life in him that waiteth in patience and in stilnesse not heeding the vayn thoughts and imaginations that riseth in his heart but rather heeds the manifestation of the spirit at whose bright appearance all the vain desires comes to be extinguished there comes to be a hunger begot within to be made partakers of its purity and of its nature For God through the operation of the eternal Spirit lets forth his power which turneth and changeth the heart and cuts a sunder and divides betwixt a man and those lovers that he hath joyned unto and makes a separation within and carries a man further from those things which the measure of the spirit reproves and this leads nearer to God And so they that do believe in the measure of Gods spirit comes to feel what repentance from dead works is and the works and the worker is seen and who it is that hath wrought is manifest in the Light and as there is a diligent waiting upon it there is nothing that passeth through the mind but it discerns and gives a discerning to every particular heart who singly and quietly waytes upon it But yet after the spirit of truth in some measure be felt and its living testymony in some thing yet it may be a long time before there be a clear distingushment in the understanding so that one cannot clearly discerne its moving from all other false motions and high Imaginations which are above And hence it is that the hasty and froward mindes followes their own motions which leads them into deceit and then the Questioner gets up and then they question all that ever the spirit hath made manifest unto them before a vail then is drawn over and the enemy lodges in the vail and in the darknesse which is entred then as soon as any hearkens within to that which is the uppermost and doth abound the enemy that lodgeth in that presents motions as to obey this and that and all is deceit So therefore all is to keep back that they may sensibly feel between the pure motions and the drawing of the spirit and the vaine thoughts that arise out of the earthly heart and when any thing doth arise which the Light doth not bear witnesse to it 's not to be followed nor heeded but a quiet still waiting that things may be cleared to the understanding and for want of this many have run out and have brought forth Satans work and acted things forwardly in their wils and so have clean lost the true sense of that which would guide their minds and have followed the spirit of error and have caused the pure spirit of the Lord to be evil spoken of But as there is a keeping back and a quiet waiting out of willing or running and haste it arises purely and stilly in the heart and shineth forth in brightnesse in the heart so that it giveth perfect evidence and full Testimony of it selfe that there will be no doubting nor questioning of its motion for it will apparently shew forth it selfe in its own transparent brightnesse with full assurance of its own will and then after it be clearly seen and its motion then keep under all reasoning and keep out all questioning and give not way to temptation and that which moves of the Lord of life will carry thee through in its own operation and power to accomplish the will of God and so thou wilt have peace being obedient and thy strength will be renewed for as any are brought to submit unto the will of God when it is known and comes to obey by vertue of its own power that which is contrary unto Gods spirit in thee comes to loose its strength and to decay and be weakned but as any disobeyes the pure motions of Gods holy Spirit after it be known the enemy is strengthened and that which is of the flesh nourished and the spirit comes to be quenched that which would give thee power if thou submitedst unto it But yet know this the spirit in it self never loses its purity neither can be quenched in its selfe but will bear its pure witnesse against thee and none shall be able to stop its reproof Thus the diversity of its operation comes to be known as it s hearkned unto obeyed loved and believed in it puts forth its pure power and gives strength and seals peace to the obedient but disobeyed and resisted it condemns judges reproves and seales condemnation to the disobedient and yet there is no variation in it selfe for it is alwayes one and the same But as it operateth upon different natures or objects unto which it joyns to or stands at adistance from that is to say the good ground it causeth to bring forth fruit unto God and the cursed ground out of which bryers Thornes do arise it kindles a fire in that shall not