Immediate revelation, or, Jesus Christ the eternall Son of God revealed in man and revealing the knowledge of God and the things of his kingdom immediately : or, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit of promise, the spirit of prophecy poured forth and inspiring man and induing him with power from on high ... not ceased, but remaining a standing and perpetual ordinance in the Church of Christ and being of indispensible necessity as to the whole body in general ... / writ by George Keith, prisoner of the truth in the Tolbooth of Aberdein, the 29th of the third moneth, 1665.

Immediate revelation, or, Jesus Christ the eternall Son of God revealed in man and revealing the knowledge of God and the things of his kingdom immediately : or, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit of promise, the spirit of prophecy poured forth and inspiring man and induing him with power from on high ... not ceased, but remaining a standing and perpetual ordinance in the Church of Christ and being of indispensible necessity as to the whole body in general ... / writ by George Keith, prisoner of the truth in the Tolbooth of Aberdein, the 29th of the third moneth, 1665.

Table of contents

Title page

A few words by way of Preface:

The Controversie truly stated, and clearly and distinctly opened.

The second Part, God speaking in man by the word proceeding immediately from his own mouth.

The Objections having any seeeming weight against it, Answered.

POSTSCRIPT.

Errata, or faults escaped in Printing.

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[Page] Immediate Revelation, OR Jesus Christ the Eternall Son of God, revealed in man and revealing the knowledge of God, and the things of his Kingdom, immediately. OR The Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit of promise, the spirit of Prophecy, poured forth, and inspiring man, and induing him with power from on high, and baptising him thereunto, giving him wisdom, understanding, and knowledge from above, (and giving to some, utterance, and moving them, by his own immediate assistance to speak forth, and declare the wonderful things of God.) NOT CEASED But remaining a standing and perpetual Ordinance in the Church of Christ, and being of indispensible necessity as to the whole body in general, so to every member thereof; every true Believer in particular, asserted and demonstrated. And the objections that have any seeming weight against it answered.

Prov. 29. 18.

Where there is no vision, the people Perish.

Writ by George Keith Prisoner for the Truth, in the Tolbooth of Aberdein, the 29th of the third Moneth. 1665.

Printed in the Year. 1668.

A few words by way of Preface:

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IT hath been in my heart once and again from the Lord to write some things unto the people, and especially the Professors of this Nation, concerning this great and weighty matter of Immediate Revelation, which they say, (both Teachers and People) is ceased, we say, is remaining, and we know it to be so, from the blessed experience given us of God therein, even that it remaineth, and is of necessary continuance in the true Church, and among the true Saints, and is not only necessary for the preservation, safety, and comfortable walking of the Saints with God, but is also necessary in order to men and womens becoming Saints, for through Immediate Revelation it is, that any man who is naturally void of the true and saving knowledge of God, and acquaintance with him comes to attain it. The discussing of this controversie is of very great weight, for this error of theirs, concerning Immediate Revelation is such a Fundamental one, that the greatest part of their other errors, are built on it, and indeed the whole superstructure of their Church, and Ministry and Worship, at to its outward constitution, so that if this their foundation be found and discovered to be false, viz. That there is no Immmediate Revelations now a dayes, as the common priviledge of the Saints, then down falls the whole superstructure of the outward constitution of their Church, Ministry and Worship, which all of necessity must be false if the foundation on which they are builded be such. And here I shal instance several particulars of great weight which are all built upon this false foundation aforesaid. 1. That the Scriptures outward testimony is most necessary and that no true and saving Knowledge of God, is to be attained but by the Scriptures being read or heard. 2. That there is no immediate furnishing, gifting and fitting, and qualifying men to be Teachers in the Church, by immediate inspiration and pouring forth of the spirit of prophesie, without any respect had to sex, or humane qualifications of better learning such as was frequent in [...] Apostles times, as in Acts 2. 1. Cor. 14. All this say they is ceased, so James Durham (a noted man among the Presbyterians) saith pag. 471. in his digression concerning prophecying, that as it is taken for an immediate revealing of Gospel truths, it is now ceased, so say they generally, hence their Divinity Schools and Colledges are come up, both among Papists and Protestants whereby young men (being sent of their Relations in order to a lively-hood) learn the Art and Trade of preaching and praying; and continues so many years, [Page] till they be licentiated, as ever a Shoo maker, or other Tradesman, serves his Apprenticeship, and they make humane learning, or the knowledge of Letters, and essential qualification to a Minister, so as he cannot be a Minister without it but grace only accidentall, and not necessary to his being a Minister but to his better being, so the aforesaid I. D. now such a learning of the things of God, as is taught by man Divinely inspired, who teach from the inspiration of God in them, and whose care it is to turn and bring up them, whom they teach, unto the same light, life, and spirit of God, from which they speak, that they may learn in that, and so come to be partakers with them, of the same knowledge and wisdom, from the same fountain, we dearly own, such was the School of the Prophets, where the Teachers were the true Prophets of God, and taught from Gods spirit in them, whose teachings being in the evidence and demonstration of Gods spirit, proved effectual, unto the Schollars or learners, so that they became prophets also, and received of the same spirit and this dispensation, which was both among Prophets and Apostles we witness to be among us, through the mercy and goodness of the Lord at this day, even the po [...]ring forth the spirit of the Lord no less upon the hearers then was at first upon the Teachers, whereby they also are become able to teach others, both males and females prophecying, or speaking forth the great things of God, as the spirit gives utterance, declaring the great things of the Gospel, in its effectual workings on their own hearts, now that Prophecying is frequently taken in Scripture, in this sence, (and not only for a foretelling of things to come) is clear from, Rom. 12. 6. Rev. 10. 11. & 11. 13. & 19. 10. compared to Rev. 12. 17. Joel 2. 28. 1 Cor. 14. 24. 31. 3dly. Another great error following upon the aforesaid is that, no man in these dayes is infallibly assisted to write, speak, preach, or pray, or praise, as the Prophets and Apostles and Evangelists witnessed of old. 4thly. That there is no Immediate Call unto the Ministry. 5thly. That none are to wait for an inward call, motion, impulse, or inspiration and assistance to preach, or pray, or give thanks, so as to forbear until it be given them. Nor that any should expect, an Immediate Call. and impulse or motion, to the doing of any thing whatsomever that way being ceased. 6thly, That the Scriptures are a filled up Canon, and the only rule of faith and obedience, in all things, and no more Scriptures to be writ, or given forth from the spirit of the Lord. 7thly. That their is no infallible way of discerning the true Ministers and Members of Iesus Christ, as who be living, and w [...]o not, whence proceeds that promiscuous m [...]t multitude of teachers & people, where of their Church is composed, who are generally void of any experience of a gratious work on their hearts.

The Controversie truly stated, and clearly and distinctly opened.

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Concerning Immediate Revelation, whether ceased, or remaining, and needful to remain, in the true Church.

BEcause in all matters of debate, the true State of the controversie is so needful to be known, that without the clear and distinct knowledge thereof. The arguments brought to prove the thing affirmed, do not so manifestly convince, nor are the objections against it so evidently answered, therefore I find it [...]it, to open up and hold forth, the true state of the controversie, clearly and distinctly, concerning this of Immediate Revelation, whether ceased, or remaining, and needful to remain in the true Church, showing both what we do not understand thereby and what we do understand, for the removing these sad and woful mistakes and prejudices, from off the minds of people, who contend against us herein.

1. First, We do not hereby understand the Prophecying, or foretelling of things to come, this gist of foretelling things to come, being so accidental a thing to a Saint, and true Christian, that many Saints may altogether want it and many who are not Saints may have it, yet though we do not at all plead for the indispensible necessity of Prophecying, as limited to this signification of foreseeing and foretelling things to come [to which add the knowledge of things either by past, or present, or any other things, wch are neither essentials of Religion nor needful to be known) Nevertheless we affirm, such a thing hath been, may be, and frequently is in the true Church, as even a foreseeing, and foretelling of things to come which the Lord at times reveals unto whom he pleaseth, both for the comfort of the Godly, and the terror of the wicked, This many of the national [Page] way acknowledge, and experience proveth, so that concerning this kind of Prophecying; which is the foretelling of future events, the controversie is not at all stated, betwixt these of the national way and us, for none of us plead its absolute and [...]dispensible necessity to any, and they acknowledge, it may be given to some.

2. [...]condly, We do not hereby understand, the Revelation of any other Gospel, or way unto Heaven, or any other essentialls of the Christian Religion, then what was revealed in the beginning, and hath been in all ages, revealed and made known unto the Saints, more or less, and is fully and sufficiently declared, and witnessed too, in the Scriptures, which we do freely acknowledge to be a full and perfect Testimony of all the essentials of the Christian Religion. Yet as in former times, their have been greater and more manifest, and full, and clear discoveries, of the same Gospel, and way of God, and misteries of Religion, let forth unto the Saints of one generation, then unto the Saints of another, as is clear from Eph. 3. 5. So may it be now, and we know it to be so, in our experience. Observe then the difference, thats betwixt these two, the new Revelation of new things, and the new Revelation of the g [...]od old things, which are the essentials of Religion, and have ever been, and ever shall be in substance the same, though under different discoveries, the first of these two, we do not plead, for, but the latter, viz. That we have, (and must have in order to a saving, sanctifying, and sufficient knowledge) a new Revelation of the good old things, such as of God, of Christ, of the holy spirit, of repentance, conversion, sanctification faith, hope, love, joy, peace, and other fruits of the spirit, of worship, prayer, and thanksgiving, of the Church, and communion of Saints, &c. For that the old Revelation of these good old th [...]ngs, given unto the Saints in former ages, cannot serve our turn, the faith of another man, and his knowledge and experience, is not sufficient unto me, but I must be saved by my own faith, or the faith, knowledge and experience given me of God, of the self same things, so, nor can the Revelation and discovery of them given of God, unto others suffice unto me, nor were these thing, recorded in writ, that I or any other man should sit down, upon the History, or Relation of what [Page] God had wrought, or revealed in others, but to point and direct us inward into that same principle of life, which wrought and revealed these things in them, that we may wait for it, and find it, revealing and working the same things in us, and so to become partakers of the same pretious faith, knowledge and experience with them. And if we are to partake of the same pretious faith with them, so also are we to partake with them of the same pretious Revelation, and inspiration of the word of God, by which their faith was wrought and which was its object, and foundation, as also it is ours, and con [...]inues to l [...]e the same in all generations. Now though we say, that the Scriptures are a full and perfect testimony of all the essentials of the Christian Religion, yet we believe (contrary unto these of the National way) that they are not a Canon so filled up, as no more, is to be added unto them, from the same immediate inspiration and Revelation of the spirit of God, through his servants, of the same authority with them for though no new essentials are to be added, yet a new, and fuller and clearer Testimony may be added, concerning the same old essentials, for indeed less then the one half of the Scriptures is a full and perfect Testimony of all the essentials, yet this proves not the other parts to be useless, and imperfect.

But though we affirm, that no other essentials, are to be revealed to us, but what are declared in the Scripture, nevertheless we say this, that a great many particular things, both by way of precept and prohibition, permission and approbation, and counsel from the Lord, are both revealed, and are necessary to be revealed, unto us, which are not essentials of the Christian Religion, nor principles of the Doctrine of Christ, but things relating to our conversation in the World, and our walking with God with faith and comfort, according to his will, with the knowledge of which we are to be filled in all things, and the word of the Lord is to dwell in us richly, touching all things that occurre, revealing in us the will of God, as commanding or forbidding, or licensing us, how to carry, and be conversant about them. For it being the great promise of the new covenant that the Lord will guide his people continually, and be with them in counselling, directing and leading them in whatever they do, or whithersoever they go, and seeing [Page] he requires it of them, that in all their thoughts, words and deeds they look unto him and wait for his counsel and stand therein, in his approbation and justification, doing all to the least particular, in his will and name, even their very eating and drinking, their marrying and giving in marriage, their plowing and digging, or any other employment, their going, or coming to a p [...]ce, and abiding therein, doing all this and many more particulars could be mentioned in Faith, that is to say, in the feeling and certain knowledge, that in the will of the Lord, feeling his approbation and good will therein, they are found in such things, from the Revelation of his life in their particulars. It is very evident, that their is a necessity for these under the new covenant dispensation of living in, and walking after the spirit, to have things revealed unto them from the Lord, which are not to be found in the Scriptures, particularly, not so much as by consequence, for indeed the Scriptures point us inward to the spirit of the Lord in our hearts, which is more nigh, then they are Blessed, are they and shall be, who make the testimony of Gods word and spirit in their hearts, the men of their counsel, they know the sure certain Path, wherein the waysaring man, though a fool cannot crie. But this we further say, which I add for a caution, that the spirit of the Lord, who is goodness and righteousness it self never can, nor doeth command us to do things that are intrinsecally or in their own nature evil, or contrary to the Scriptures.

3. Thirdly, We do not hereby understand, any of these wayes following, as of necessary continuance. 1. Not any outward audible voice, framed by the Lord immediately in the air, and presented to the outward ear. 2. Nor any outward visible appearance presented to the outward eye, neither by the Ministry of Angels, nor by the Ministry of Christ, in the outward. 3. Nor dreams and visions upon the imagination in the night season, nor yet by transes so called, which is by a cessation of the exercise of all the outward sences. 4. Nor any outward miracles. 5. Nor the discovery and Revelation of things from God, meerly in the principle and light of reason, or in that principle, wherein a man is capable to know the things of a man, as a man, as he is placed in a region above the [Page] beasts, and all other inferior living creatures, for indeed man, as a man, hath a principle in him, which is natural and essential to him, in which he is capable to know higher things, then the other animals can, in their animal principle, and through this principle, which he hath in him, as a man, he not only knoweth many things, as of Arts and Sciences natural, but also he is capable therein to receive a knowledge from the Lord, without any outward means, by any inward manifestation, and that either of things natural, or supernatural, now what a man hath revealed or communicated to him of knowledge from God, touching natural things, in the natural principle, of his natural understanding or reason, he hath a sufficient satisfactory intuitive knowledge of them, because they are proportional unto his natural understanding, but when things which are supernatural or revealed unto him, in the principle of his natural understanding meerly, though never so immediately even from the spirit of the Lord inwardly manifesting them, his knowledge is not full and satisfactory, as not being intuitive, but abstractive, for the mind of man can know no things in in [...] tively fully and satisfyingly but when it reacheth them, in a principle that is proportional unto them, and which can apprehend them, in their own-proper forms, properties; qualities, and idea's which the natural cannot do, as touching supernatural objects, but only as touching natural for supernatural objects require a supernatural organ [...]or principle, in which they can only be known intuitively, and with satisfaction.

4. Fourthly, The way and manner of Immediate Revelation, concerning God and the things of his k [...]ngdom, and the leadings and movings and workings of his spirit, which tend unto, and accompany salvation, which we plead for, as of necessary continuance, which only giveth, or can give, the true saving satisfactory, and intuit [...]ve knowledge of these supernatural things aforesaid, is that alone manifestation & Revelation, which is discovered and given from the Lords spirit, unto the mind of man, in the seed and birth of God in him and which the mind in that seed and Birth alone, receiveth. This seed and birth of God, is only that suitable and proportionate Organ, instrument, or principle in which divine & supernatural things can be sufficiently and satisfyingly, that is to say, intuitively, [Page] known, for as the objects are divine and supernatural, so this seed and birth of God is divine and supernatural also therefore it hath a suitableness and proportion unto them which the natural hath not, therefore the natural man, cannot (intuitively and evidently) understand the things of God, as saith the Apostle, because they are spiritually discerned, and he wants the spiritual birth; which is the only su [...]cient Organ, or instrument, whereby the mind can understand them. Now the mind that is cloathed with the seed and birth of God, is the spiritual man, that is able to understand and discern spiritual things, because he hath the Organ or instrument, which can teach them in their own proper and immediate forms, properties, qualities, and idea's, this seed and birth of God hath only the true spiritual sences of seeing, hearing, tasting smeling and feeling the word of life, and the wonderful powers and virtues thereof, and which can only give unto man to discern, how that Heavenly and divine word doth work its wonderous effects in man, and how it moveth, leadeth, guideth, inlightneth, quickneth, gladneth and refresheth him, and every way influenceth him: it is the ignorance and want of the true knowledge of this seed and birth of God, which occasions such woeful ignorance and mistakes amongst people, touching immediate revelation, and the true manner of it, for they do not (neither Teacher nor people) acknowledge this seed and Birth of God upon the saints, to be a substantial living principle in which they have all the spiritual and supernatural sensations of spiritual and supernatural objects, really present and manifest, seen, heard, smelled, tasted and felt, as really as the outward birth is a substantial living principle, in which we have the natural and animal sences and sensations of outward and natural things, they only conceive regeneration to be but an accidental (though supernatural) change on the mind, and that in its regeneration, it putteth on no substantial principle, but only some supernatural accidents, so that according to them, the seed and birth of God i [...] but an accident, but we know it to be a substance and feel it to be so, as manifestly as we feel and know this outward birth of flesh and blood to be a substance, for it hath all the properties and characters of a substance, that the outward hath, it giveth [Page] us to see, hea [...], smel, taste, and f [...]l the substantial things of the spiritual inward and invisible world, which is the throne and kingdome of God, as the outward giveth us to see, hear, smel, taste, and feel the substantial thi [...] of this natural outward and visible world, so that it is as false and vain a thing to say, the inward birth is but an accident, as to say, the outward birth is but an accident, seeing the [...] hath as real spiritual sences, as the other hath natural [...], which no accident can haue, and if any further ask, who are desirous of information from a true and honest desire of what nature it is, and if it be a particle or portion of the very Deitie, or God-head, or if not of what it is, and by what is it nourished, I answer to speak properly, and after the proper language of men, it is not a particle, or portion, of the Godhead, as the outward body of [...]esh and blood, is a particle of the great outward world, for the God-head is not divisible, nor discerptible unto particles, being a most simple pure being void of all composition, or division, containing in himself all creaturely perfections in the greatest simplicity and eminency, above what is conciveable unto creatures, but it is of the heavenly, spiritual and invisible substance and being, that is the most glorious being and principle, in which God, as Father, So [...], and holy Ghost doth dwell, and tabernacle, and shine forth in the most glorious brightness, beauty, sweetness & majesty that the noble [...] of creatures in their highest supernatural elevation, can reach unto, behold him, and ha [...] fellowship with him, which i [...] the holy of holies, and the heaven of heavens, or that third heavens, in which Paul on earth saw and felt things inutterable, and out of these heavens, doth the seed of God come, who giveth it from himself out of Heaven, and soweth it in the heart of man, and form [...]h it by his own immediate arm, and power according to his infinite wisdome, and watereth it daily and hourly, with influences from heaven, which have of the virtue and breath of his own eternal life and spirit in them, whereby this seed groweth up into a perfect substantial birth of o [...] heavenly and incorruptible nature, (though till it come to its perfect formation, it can suffer hurt, so far as to be slain▪ through man his joyning unto the contrary seed and birth), which is Christ formed within, the body of Christ, his flesh and blood, which cometh down from heaven, [Page] and giveth life unto man, unto that soul or mind of man, which eateth it and feedeth upon it, and it is called the body and flesh and blood of Christ, because his eternal life and spirit dwelleth in it immediately, and co [...]ateth unto man the knowledge of the glory and beauty of himself, only in and through this seed and birth, which living substantial communication and knowledge of Christ, and of the Father in him, and of the holy spirit, who proceedeth from both, man only can receive, as his mind cometh to put off the body of sin, and to put on this seed and birth of God, this new man, this house and birth from Heaven, in which he is a partaker of heavenly things, by seeing, hearing, tasteing, smeling, and couching or feeling them, and hath the enjoyment of God, and [...]ellowship with him, who is the Lord of Heaven, and with the Angels and Saints, who are the fellow Citizens of this City, Ierusalem from above, mount Zion the City of the living God, unto which the Saints are come, on which they stand, in which they love, and have fellowship, and eat together of the feast of fat things, and the Wine well refined in the kingdome of the Father, is given unto them in an overflowing cup, which things the natural man, who is only cloathed with the natural birth and principle, cannot reach to understand, not so much as a blind man can understand colours, or a deaf man sounds, therefore he either denyeth them, or formeth monstrous and false conceptions about them. Hence it is, that the School-men and national teachers, deny that the Saints in these dayes, have any intuitive knowledge of God, and though they acknowledge, that the spirit of God hath immediate operations and in [...]uences of a supernatural kind in the saints, yet they deny them to be objective manifestations, that is to say, that they can be known in themselves as immediately seen, heard or felt, by way of voice, or visible, inward appearance, nor do they acknowledge that any of the Saints on earth now adays, know God or his spirit, or the things thereof in any other manner, but that which is abstractive and not intuitive. The intuitive knowledge is that whereby a man knoweth things in their own prop [...] forms qualities, properties and idea's, as when I know a man by leeing himself, hearing his own voice, when I know a land, [Page] by seting it self and all the fine Cities, fields and gardens to it, smel of the sweet smeling flowers, eat of the fruit, and drink of the Vines which grow in it, the abstract ve knowledge is only that which is but received from the borrowed, [...], and like (which are ever far unlike) forms, properties, qualities and idae's of things, as when I only hear a report of these things, by words of a mans mouth, or read a discription of them in writs, or draughts or figures, or what I can conceive of them in my own mind, not from themselves, really presented unto me but from unlike likenesses of them, even as unlike as the dead Image of a man's face, is to his own living face, or painted bread meat and drink is to that which is real and so according to this distinction, they say, all the knowledge of God which the Saints have on earth is but only abstractive, that is to say, abstracted and gathered from the words of others, who heard and saw him face to face, and from what they can conceive of him from their words recorded in scripture, or from these Prints and footsteps of him in the Creation, which is but a dark shadowing unsatisfactory knowledge, we on the other hand from both our own blessed experience, and the Scriptures testimony affirm that the Saints have an intuitive knowledge of God, and his power and vertue, spirit, light and Life, and the wondrous sweet and pretious workings and influences thereof, so as too hear himself [...] taste and see that he is good, to feel him, to smel and favour of his good oyntments according to these Scriptures following wherein the spiritual disceerning is held▪ forth under the names of all the five sences, as first of seeing, Psal. 34. 8. 63. [...]2. 106. 5. Isai. 29. 18. 33. 17. 52. 10. Matth, 16. 28. Mat. 5. 8. Acts 2 17. Rev. 22. 4. II of hearing, Psal. 51. 8. 81. 8. 85. 8. 143. 8. Luke 8, 8. Rev: 3. 6. 20. 22. Iohn 10. 3. 4 Heb. 3. 15. III. of tasteing, Psal. 34. 8. 119 103, Prov. 24. 13. 14. Luke 14. 24. Heb. 6. 45. 1 Pet. 2. 3. IV. of smeling, Cant. 1. 4. 2. 13. 4. 10 11. Hos. [...]4, 6. V. of feeling and hanoling▪ [...] 17. 27. Ephes. [...]4. 19. Philip. 1. 9 [...] the words in all knowledge and judgement should be translated in all knowledge and feeling, for it is [...] 1 Iohn [...]. 1. and [...] 5. 14. We read expresly of the fences, which d [...]rn between [Page] good and evil, In like manner the things of God themselves are held forth in Scripture, under the names of sensible things, and which are most taking, pleasant and refreshing unto the sences, as light fire, water, oyl, wine, oyntment, honey, marrow and fatness, bread, flesh, Manna, and many other such like names.

But sayes the natural man, these are only but metaphors and figures to which I say albeit, these names be so, yet that hinders not, but that the spiritual misteries represented under them, and signified by them, are real and substantial things, as really affecting the spiritual sences of the spiritual man, with joy, refreshment and pleasure, as the outward things affect the natural or animal senses of the natural man. And indeed these outward things are but figures of the inward and spiritual, which as far exceed and transcend them in life, glory, beauty, and excellency, as a living body doth the shadow, so that this whole visible world with all the glory of it, is but a shadow in respect of the spiritual and inward, signified thereby. And no more can a man know of the glory of this spiritual world and kingdom, while he is in the unregenerated state, by all that he can hear, or read, or conceive of it, but the shadow, for he can have no sensation of it self, and all these things in the outward world, the most excellent of them all, unto which it is likened, are but its shadow, and a very dark shadow of it, yea and all the Scripture words, can signifie no more unto him, so as to give him any further knowledge, then of the shadow, for the spiritual things themselves, he cannot reach unto, when he hears or reads them named, and spoken off, he hath no perception of themselves but of their shadow, for as to themselves, he is blind; deaf, & senceless, and this state man came into, through his fall, he died as to his spiritual li [...]e, he put off the birth, wherewith he was cloathed from above, in which only he had the discerning and enjoyment of the things above, and of the Lord of them, and when he dyed as to this seed and birth, which was very young and tender, and not attained unto its confirmation; he loosed his sensation and feeling of these things, and of God himself, and all his posterity who are not attained unto the regeneration want this [...]ensation and feeling; therefore when the Lord conversed [Page] with men in this state, in order to recover and save them, he appeared unto them, in a shadowy manner, as all appearances are, both outward, and inward, which are not in the seed and birth from above and held forth unto them; the things of the Kingdom of Heaven; under shadows till the seed should come to be put on, in which the things themselves should be seen, tasted, felt, and enjoyed. So that all these wayes of God's appearing and revealing himself, in by, or under outward appearances, or in dreams and night visions were but very shadowy and remote, and rather mediate, then immediate, Thus alone appearance and revelation of God in his own seed and birth in man, is the most near, and most immediate; and giveth unto man, the most int [...]itive, and clear, and open and satisfactory knowledge of God, that he is capable of in his highest supernatural elevation; so that there is no knowledge nor enjoyment of God, that the Creature can receive above the seed, nay not the Angels, and Saints departed this World, only they have a fuller enjoyment, be very much, but not another in the kind of it, then what is received in the seed and birth of God. Now as touching these outward apparitions of God, they were most frequent, under the law, and the times wherein the fathers lived, but more rare under the times of the Gospel, which holds forth this much, that under the law, this most noble and most immediate kind of Immediate Revelation in the seed and birth of God, was the more rare, and less known; for though they had the seed and it was in the formation in them, yet in most of them, it was not compleatly formed, nor brought forth, but as it were in the womb, and under ground, for the bringing it forth into such manifestation as therein with open face to behold the glory of the Lord belonged to the more Gospel times that were to come in the latter days; I call them, the more Gospel times, because there hath been, no age, nor generation, but hath had somewhat of the Gospel, and new covenant dispensation in it, even the darkest time, only it hath been in some ages more manifest then in others▪ so that under the Law, and first covenant dispensation, the Gospel was much hid, and what the people knew, or felt of the glory of the Gospel, as to the General, it was through the vail of types and shadows, though it might be otherwise as to [Page] some who had g [...]ven them of the Lord, even under the very times of the Law to behold with open face the very same glory of the Lord, which the Saints attained unto in the more evangelick times, but that was by a special priviledge and dispensation. And now seeing the glory of the Lord, doth so openly appear, and is so immediately manifested unto the Saints, in the divine seed and birth, in which also they can know his mind and will in any thing he pleases to reveal in them after this manner, therefore have the other manners by outward apparitions much ceased, nor are they at all needful to continue yet we dare not so limit the Lord, as to say, he never shall so appear to any, for he may if he please, but it is a thing that we neither desire, nor expect, his inward appearance & manifestation in the seed being that, which doth abundantly satisfie these, who are come thus to know him, and converse with h [...]m.

Now albeit (as it hath been said) that none are partakers of that Immediate Revelation, which giveth as with open face to behold the glory of the Lord in the light of his countenance and in the manifestation of his love, joy, peace, friendship, [...]and fatherly favour, but those who have attained unto the birth that is from above, of the immortal and incorruptible seed, yet the [...] is a Revelation end that immediate, in the very seed given forth from God, unto these, who are not yet born of that seed, even unto all in a day, whereby they may attain unto that state of being born of it, which is the Revelation of the wrath and displeasure God against them in the unbegotten state, as therein, being Children of Wrath and a most manifest demonstration of his anger and righteous judgement, which worketh in them as fire to devour the adversary and though i [...] be revealed [...] out any mercy unto the evil, and unrighteous birth, to which no mercy belongs but judgement and wrath, yet the mind, or soul of man, is capable of the mercy, and the mercy goeth forth in the judgement to qualifie and mitigate it, so that the soul; may be able to endure it. And were it not because of the mercy that is mixed with the judgement, no wicked unconverted man could be saved or converted, for the judgement that goeth forth without mercy hath the same operation against the soul who is cloathed with the evil birth, [Page] as against the birth it self, and that is only to punish, to torment, to execute vengeance, and to Plague, and Minister wrath, tyibulation, sorrow, and anguish, which tendeth unto no repentance, and softning of heart nor unto any separation betwixt the soul, and it, so as to slay the birth, and save the soul. (And thus it is with the fallen Angels, and the souls of the damned, and all these whose day of visitation is over) for this effect hath only the mercy in the judgement, which worketh to soften, to melt, to bow, and subject the soul, in true humility unto the Lord, and beget in it a true willingness and satisfaction, to come under the judgement, and drink this bitter cup, and be baptized with this fire-baptism, to the end it may be delivered from the bondage of corruption, which is the body of sin and death, and may be fitted to put on, the new man, the birth from above of the incorruptible seed, in which only it can injoy, and have fellowship with God, in the love, the peace, the joy, that is unspeakable and full of glory, and passing understanding. And whereas the mercy goeth forth in the judgement, towards man in the fallen state to recover and convert him, their is also some secret manifestation thereof unto him, and of the love, compassion, bowels, and good will of God, that is towards him; which is necessary to be held forth, as a foundation and ground of his faith and hope, that God will be merciful unto him, if he but come under the judgement, and permit it in him, to have its operation of purging and refining. Yet because in the unconverted state, he is only a child of wrath, and not at all a child of love, but only in a capacity to become a child, or vessel of the love and mercy of God; therefore doth the wrath most appear, and manifest it self in him, and the mercy and love as a little seed is shut up as within the wrath and the judgement, which sendeth forth (after some wonderfully secret conveyance, some manifestation of it self their through, which the soul is capable to know as at a distance, and through the judgement and wrath so that as the Lord remembreth mercy-unto lost man, in the midst of wrath, the poor soul can look at the mercy and discover it in the midst of the Wrath, but it is so manifested, that it begetteth in the heart a most infallible conviction, that the mercy and love, which it discovereth, as at a distance, and [Page] in the wrath, cannot at all be enjoyed, and had fellowship with, as in it self and in such any immediate manner, as the Saints witness, until the wrath, and the judgement be passed through. This fiery wall must be climbed, this sea must be swimed over, this gulf must be shot, before this immediate manifestation and enjoyment of the mercy and love of God, can be reached unto, which is the heavenly prize, the City of refuge, the land of rest and peace, on the other side of the lake or [...], and this manifestation of the mercy and love of God, shining forth as within the vail of the judgement & condemnation is the gospel, or glad tydings that is preached in every creature, that is to say, in every man and woman, under heaven, which doth occasion true joy and gladness of heart, in man and woman to arise after a sort, because of the mercy, love peace and good will of God though not attained, in the birth that is from above yet attainable. This is that Ark of the covenant, and the mercy seat, that is hid in the holie of holies, within the vail where the Gentile or the Stranger cannot enter, nor can any whilst the first Tabernacle standeth, and the vail is not done away, yet the glory thereof shineth forth through the vail as a light in a dark place. And this is it which makes the ministration of death and condemnation so glorious and acceptable unto the soul, because it discovereth though darkly, and as in great obscurity, the ministration of life and justification within it, as attainable, and to be attained, after the other is passed through, and thus it may appear, how great a difference there is, in the very kind betwixt the immediate revelation, that the Saints, and begotten of God are capable of, and do enjoy, and the immediate revelation that the wicked and unbegotten are capable and partakers off. For the begotten know and enjoy the love and mercy of God immediately, feel, taste and savour it.

The unbegotten, have an immediate revelation of the wrath and judgement, but not of the love and mercy, for the love and the mercy is only revealed in them, immediately through the wrath, and the judgement, that is to say the wrath, and the judgement intervening and coming betwixt. And that the mercy and love of God, is only so hiddenly remotely, [Page] and darkly to be known unto the soul, in the unbegotten state, is not only because of the judgement and wrath of God, intervening, (which hi [...]dreth it to break forth in the brightness of manifestation as it doth in the Saints) until it be quenched, but also because of the impotency and inability, of the soul, in that state to apprehend it, for that it is all over, vailed with the evil and unrighteous birth, and though within this birth it hath the true inward man which is capable to hear, see, taste of God, and converse with him, in the love immediately were he but quickned and made alive, yet in the [...] state, this true inward man is dead, his ear is deafned, his eye blinded, his mouth shut, his tongue bound, and so also his hands and his feet, through the unrighteous birth, that is in the dominion therefore man in this state, because of this vail of darkness, which deadneth and blindeth, cannot enjoy the mercy and love of God, nor know it immediately, yea even when the mercy and love shineth through the wrath, and the judgement, and also peirceth through the birth of unrighteousness, to reach unto the true inward man, shut up in death, to redeem this lawful captive, and bring this prisoner out of the pit, to unstop the de [...]ear, and enlighten the blind eye, the evil birth doth often hinder, and quench, and drive back the manifestation, and drowneth or swalloweth it up, that the soul cannot take hold of it, so as to have it, as an a [...]ding and permanent-object in its v [...]w, or observation. but it appeareth as in a sudden, like a flash of lightning in a dark night and suddenly againe disappeareth, or like unto the spark or glance cast by the fire struck out of a [...] in the dark for the darknes [...] through which it shineth, after its being a little devided, and disclosed, doth again close, and driveth it inwards again into its center, and suddenly againe it appeareth. and suddenly againe it disappeareth, because of the contrariety and stuff, that is betwixt it and the darkness, now that in which the flash, spark or glance of the love and mercy of God, is apprehended is not the natural man, which is utterly incapable thereof, but the dead spiritual man, that is a little rev [...]ved through the living touch and manifestation. But the judgement and wrath of God that is revealed as a flaming fire is more able to grapple and fight [Page] with the darkness, and can keep its place longest in the heart, in this state, yea it is the judgement, which is first brought forth into victory over transgression, and the Prince of it, and then the mercy shineth forth, in great sweetness, [...]eauty, brightness, and majesty, and rejoyceth over the judgement, and turneth its severity and rigor into the greatest meekness and gentleness, after all the contrary is expelled, wrought out and destroyed, and then doth the light of the glory of God shine in an unspeakable brightness, in the purified soul, as a permanent and abiding object so as to dwell and tabernacle therein, to rest upon the soul, and abide in it, and heir the Kingdome of righteousness, peace and joy is witnissed, to be of an everlasting and unchangeable continuance, and the glory of the Lord, so to be arisen, as it goeth down no more, this is the day that hath no night, that is endlesse and everlasting.

5. Fifthly, By immediate revelation, its being of necessary continuance in the true Church, or among the true Saints we understand not only immediate supernatural operations' and influences of the spirit of God in and upon the mind and understanding of man, which the Schoolmen call revelations ex parte subjecti, i. e. upon the part of the subject, to assist and inable or elevate the minde, to know and understand savingly, but also such inward manifestations and appearances, and illuminations and influences as are the very immediate objects of our mind, which hath real sensations and feelings of them, as aforesaid, in themselves, without the need of words, or any other thing by way of object to represent them, which the Schoolmen call revelations ex parte objesti, i. e. upon the part of the object. so that a real object, or objects, are immediately by the Lord set before the mind of man, which he seeth and perceiveth, when they are presented, and when not, as my outward eye seeth when it is light, or dark, or what is presented in the light, and when it is presented, and when it is taken away out of my sight, that which is given from Gods spirit unto mans mind, upon the part of the subject, by way of any help or assistance to enable it to know, and understand the things of God, as they are presented under, in or by, or through the scriptures, the Schoolmen call it medium incognitum [Page] assentiendi, an unknown midst of knowing or assenting, it helps me to know, but I know not it self, in it self, it is not the very object (say they) of my knowledge, and if it be not the very immediate object of my knowledge, it is not known, but a hid unknown thing, and so according to them, the help of Gods spirit, his influence, his concurrence, & coeoperation, his motion, and praemotion, his lightnings and quicknings, and breathings, and all his other communications and working, and works in mans mind, are things wholy sealed, hid, shut up, vailed from, and unknown to the mind in whom they are, it hath no immediate feeling or perception of them, or immediate knowledge of them more then a tree that grows in the field, and is influenced with the light and warmth of the Sun, and watered with the rain and dew from heaven, but the tree, having only the light of vegetation, but not the life of sensation knows not, what influenceth, or watereth it, sees not that glorious heavens that so bountifully powreth down its influences on it, nor hath it any sensible taste or relish of the water that falls on it, & wch it drinks in, for its nourishment, and so knows not (to speak properly) when it is watered, and when not, when the Sun goes down, and when it rises. Thus it is with the Saints according to the Schoolmen and national teachers, who because they want the spiritual sences themselves therefore they deny that the things of God as aforesaid are objective, that is to say sensible, or perceiveable, in themselves.

Hence it is, that in the ignorance, blindness, and insensibleness of their minds, the) query us so much. How know you that you have the spi [...]it of God, how know you, when he moves you, to speak, pray, or give thanks, how know you that that refreshment and joy and comfort, which you say, is given you from the spirit, is true and not a delusion of Sathan. And when we answer that we know the spirit of the Lord in his shinings, warmings, quicknings, waterings, and refreshings, from and by himself, in his own immediate manifestation in our hearts, minds and spirits, which have a seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and feelling of him, in the divine seed and birth, which hath all these sensations in it, that are infallible, whereby we know that it is he, and not another, the spiritual [Page] sences can discern betwixt good and evil, both in root and branch, fountain and streams, principle and action, the good spirit from the evil, and the influence and work of the good, [...]om the influence and work of the evil, as the natural eye can [...] betwixt light and darkness, white and black, or the natural ear betwixt sounds pleasant and unpleasant, or the natural ta [...] betwixt sweet and bitter or the feeling betwixt hard and soft, rough and smooth. And as all the natural sences are infallible and cannot erre, when the organ is sound, and he medium fit and suitable, and the object duly proposed, so is it, as touching the spiritual sences, which are also infallible, touching their objects, when they are duly proposed, through a fit medium, upon, or unto a sound organ. Now the Organ is the civine feed and birth aforesaid, which if nothing of the evil and contrary Nature lye too near to hurt it, will do its office and discover the things proposed most clearly and distinctly the medium or midst is that pure heavenly Air breath, or spirit, which proceedeth from the Lord, in which his pure light shines forth into a most perfect manifestation of what is proposed, wherein also the pure heavenly and divine voice or sound of the spirit of God, which doth wonderfully and unspeakably refresh quicken and comfort, it formed, and conveyed into the spiritual ear, and all the objects, whither of the spiritual sight, or hearing, or tasting or feeling or [...]elling, are proposed and presented by the Lord himself, in the seed, who is also the most noble and glorious object and doth give an objective manifestation of himself, to be seen, heard, and tasted of, in such a manner, as is inutterable and never entred into mans heart to conceive, but God hath revealed it unto us by his spirit.

Now these who deny objective manifestations, revelations and proposals, will not receive this answer nor can they to long as they abide in their opinion, which is, that these things aforesaid are not objective in themselves, and so are not sensible, or feelable, nor can men have a feeling, or tasting of them, but there are some among the people who are ashamed of this answer of the priests, and affirm against them with us, that the power, vertue, spirit light & life of God, may be seen, felt, relished and tasted of in it felf, no less then the natural [Page] vertue of natural things, as of spices, flowers, oyntments, wine and bread, light and warmth can be felt and descerned to the natural sences. Now if any grant that the things aforesaid, and the divine power, vertue, light, life, and spirit of God, can in itself be felt, and tasted of, that it is sensible by or unto the spiritual mind, such must also grant, that it is objective, for because it is objective, therefore it is sensible, or may be felt, as because outward light and colours are objective, therefore they are visible, or I can see them, and because an outward sound is objective, therefore it is audible, and I can hear it, and so of the rest, for what ever is objective is sensible, and whatever is sensible, feelable, or perceiveable in it self is objective, but what is not objective is not feelable, cannot be felt, tasted, favoured. And so if the Lord himself be not objectively manifest in us, he cannot be seen, nor heard, nor tasted, nor felt, and thus it is according to the School men and national teachers doctrine, who generally being men void of all sence and feeling of God have in the blindness of their minds, and in the wisdom from below, that is carnal earthly and divilish, framed and invented this perverse doctrine for their own gains and ends, that all seeing, and hearing of God himself; or immediate converse with him, by object ve manifestations is not a thing to be expected, as being ceased, and never given as a general priviledge unto the Saints; but only unto some particular persons by way of special priviledg and extraordinary, and some who have both seen and tasted the things of God in themselves, in some small measure, have been staggered through their leaning more unto the false Doctrine of their teachers, in this thing, then unto their own felt and known experience, whereby (I am perswaded) some contrary to what they have s [...]en heard, tasted and felt from the presence and appearance of God in themselves, have denyed objective Immediate Revelation, and used that distinction with others, of subjective, or effective, and objective revelations, affirming the effective and subjective only to remain, but denying the objective.

This distinction I find not only used by Robert Baron, an Episcopal man; who some years ago professed to teach Theologie, [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] in the City of Aberdeen who in his book intituled Apodixis Catholica de formali objecti fidei, treats of it at large, and calls the revelation, ex parte subjesti medium incognitum, as aforesaid, but that ex parte objecti, medium cognitum, a known midst, Tract. 9, Anth. Dup. puncto 2. num. 14. 14. 15. & p. 6. num. 5. 6. But also I finde it made use off by George Gillespie a man famous in the Presbyterian way, in his book of miscellanies cap. 21. pag. 261. And the national Teachers to day, both Episcopal and Presbyterial much use it, affirming all objective manifestations of the very truths of the Gospel, and essentials of religion to be ceased, and no otherway to be objectively revealed, but by the Scriptures outward Testimony, so that but as a man bears such and such worde of Scripture in his minde, and is exercised in the thinking, meditating, and turning them over and over in his minde, at such and such times he only hath the actual knowledge of God, but if he should come to such a stilness and silence of minde, as not to think upon scripture words, and turn them over in his mind, or not to have the eye of his understanding fixed upon them, in that time he should have no actual knowledge of God, or any of the things of his kingdom, because they are the alone objective manifestations of the things of God, & of God so if they be out of view, they can know nothing actually, as when the object is removed out of my sight, I cannot see it, and if it be removed out of the view of my mind. I cannot remember it. We on the contrary affirm, and I affirm it from the manifold and blessed experience given me thereof from God, and many are witnesses with me in this matter, to the stopping the mouthes of all gainsayers, that God himself, his power, vertue light, life and spirit, his truth, his goodness, holyness, rightteousness, his beauty and glory is prelent in us by way of object, is objectively manifest, so that he can be heard, seen, tasted and felt, if all scripture words were out of our present remembrance, so that if we had not one scripture expression in our veiw, to mind it, or turn it up and down in our minds, we could feel and enjoy the Lord, and have fellowship with him, whose eternal life, vertue and power is present, as a most glorious object in us, so that if we retain this object, God in our knowledge, in our mind in our feeling, in the seed [Page] and birth of his own sowing and begetting in us, and all words should be let pass, so as not at that time to mind them we should have, and often have had a true knowledge, and enjoyment of God, even beyond what ever any words could contribute unto us, yet we despise not words; nay we dearly esteem and value them as a sweet and pretious testimony, of the eternal life, from which they came; but then only do we feel and find the sweetness and comfort of them, when the same eternal life, which first breathed them forth, doth either again breath or speak them forth in us, or sendeth forth of his living and powerful influences into them, as they have a place in our minds, or memories, which when that life withdraws its influences from them, though they remain in our minds, they are but as an empty vessel, which we cannot make use off for our refreshment, till the life again open, and send forth of its living streams into them, so, but as the life influenceth them, we lay them by, out of our very thoughts, for we find it to hurt and weaken and deaden us, to thi [...]k any thoughts, even from the Scriptures, but as the life and spirit of God influenceth and concurreth, so that we still are for putting the Scripture in such a close conjunction, with the life and spirit from which they came; that we may not, nor dare not make use of the Scripture, but in the life and spirit, as that opens, and influenceth, so that we are not for separating the letter, from the spirit. or the words from the word and life, but for conjoyning them, these only separate the letter or the words of the spirit from the spirit, who make use of them, so as to think, or speak them, otherwise then in the openings and influencings, breathings and living communications of the spirit, who think or speak the spirits words, not in the spirit of the Lord but in their own spir [...]t, which we dare not, nor ought not to do, and if at any time we do it we find our selves rebuked and chastised by the Lord therefore.

But now though we limit, bind up, and tye the words of the Scripture, unto the Spirit, so as not to use them, but in and by the spirit, yet we may not bind up, limit, tye and confirm the spirit, within such narrow bounds, as the Scripture word, nay nor within any words whatsomever. so as if we [Page] could not enjoy the spirit of the Lord, nor feel, nor taste, nor savour of his divine power, and vertue, but in or by words, for the power and vertue of Gods spirit can be felt, savoured and tasted in it self, without all words, and depends not on words in order to its being tasted and felt, more then spices, perfumes, or oyntments depends on words to make them to be felt sme'led, or savoured, so that the manifestation of the sweetness and sweet savour of the life and spirit, depends on no words but the manifestation of the words depends on the spirit which have no glory nor sweetness, nor refreshment, but what the spirit makes manifest in them, through his shinings, breathings, quicknings, and living communications.

6. Sixthly, And whereas a great part of the controversie, betwixt our adversaries and us, touching this matter of Immed ate Revelation, doth relate unto that of infallibility, they affirming, that none in these our dayes are led, assisted and guided, in what they think, speak, write, or do, by an infallible spirit, so as that the spirit is to be tasted, or leaned into, in his own inward manifestation, alone, and without any outward testimony, if their were no outward, to stand by it, or where the outward is, yet to prefer the inward unto it, as more evident and manifest unto us in whom it is given, I find it with me, in a few words to open this also, and state the controversie touching this thing of infallibility.

Now when we affirm that we are taught and led infallibly, and think, speak, write, or do infallibly, we understand it not, promiscuously, and in that latitude, as if in every thing, whither we act in the spirit of the Lord, or not in his spirit, but in our own, we did act think speak, or write infallibly, nor do we affirm, that there is such a close and near conjunction, as yet made up betwixt the spirit of the Lord and us, as if in nothing we could act; in a disjunction from the spirit, but should find such a powerful constraint, and bounding of our spirits in all things whatsomever, within the leadings, and assistings of the spirit of God, that we could not act or do things alone, in our own spirit, yea and in a wrong spirit, for we do freely acknowledge, that such is our state and condition, as we are capable to run out and both think, speak, [Page] write and do things, that are not only not infallible, but may be very wrong and false, yea whatever we do in our own spirit, in a disjunction from the immediate manifestation and coeoperation and assistance of Gods spirit, we ought to suspect it, and judge it fallible, and so not at all to lean to it in more, or less, but this we say, whatever we think, speak, write or do, in the spirit of God his immediate manifestation, and coeoperation in us, as we are sound in conjunction therewith is infallible, and what the seed and birth of God in us judgeth, or discerneth, or doeth, that is ever infallible, the eye of the seed alwayes seeth infallibly, its ear always heareth infallibly, its hand always acteth infallibly, its foot treadeth every step of its way infallibly, and if we see, hear, act and walk in it, and with it, we are so far, and no further nfallible, so that this infallibility as it relates unto the seed, birth and spirit of God, is absolute, but as it relates unto us is limited and conditional, and is rather a possibility, of not being deceived, then an impossibility of being deceived And it is the gross and woful ignorance of people, touching the nature of this divine seed, and birth and its sensations which [...] giveth unto man, of divine things, that occasions them to think infallibility, such an impossible thing, for they are so sunk down into the natural principles of the animal and humane life, that they apprehend not a higher principle to be in the very Saints as a substantial living birth giving unto that mind which is cloathed with it, true and real tensations of divine and spiritual objects, and seeing they know no other principles but the two inferior, one animal, or brutal, and the other humane, or natural to man, as a man, which cannot reach to divine and supernatural things as in themselves, it is no wonder they account infallibility such a hard and impossible thing but if they did once but apprehend or conceive ought of this divine birth, as a substantial principle giving unto man as real sensation and feelings of divine and supernatural things, as the outward substantial natural birth giveth him of outward things, or as the principle of his own natural understanding giveth him an infallible natural knowledge of things naturally intel igible, whereof there are many instances in the Sciences of the Mathematicks and Metaphysicks so [Page] called they could the more easily at least be convinced of this thing of infallibility, that such had an infallible knowledg of God, and this requirings, and leadings and the things of his kingdome, who have attained unto this divine substantial supernatural birth, to see, taste and feel divine, and supernatural objects therein, for if the Animal principle be infallible in respect of its obj [...]ct, which it sees, hears, smels, tastes and fee's, and if the humane principle, or natural understanding be infallible in respect of its objects, as in the sciences afore said, which is by all acknowledged, then it could not be denyed, but that the divine and supernatural birth and principle which giveth unto mans mind by way of Organ, as of seeing, hearing, tasting, &c. The spiritual and supernatural knowledg of spiritual and supernatural objects is no less, if not more infallible at least more evident in respect of its objects, but this is the loss, they conceive not aright of this seed and birth, nor do they acknowledge any other operations in the mind of man, touching God and spiritual things, but what are meer mental abstractions, but deny all spiritual sensations of spiritual objects, properly so called, for this were to acknowledge immediate objctive reve [...]ations, which they so much oppose and contradict.

7. Seventhly, I find another great mistake among our adversaries in this matter touching immediate revelation, & the teachings of Gods spirit, as if thereby we did understand such a dispensation, as excludes and shuts out the service and usefulness of all means, and instruments whatsomever, whether books or men. Now for the removing of this prejudice, and clearing us in this matter, I find it in my heart, to add somewhat to this purpose. It is not the usefulness of outward means, that our testimony is against, but such as an absolute indispensible neccessity of them, as if without them, no knowledge of God, nor fellowship with him could be had. Indeed we have often known, and do know the usefulness of means or instruments, and have found much comfort through them, and there is a real suitablness, and aptness in means to beserviceable in conveying the influences and communications of the life and spirit of God into our bosomes, which he poureth forth through them into us, at times, when he pleaseth [Page] and makes them as conduit pipes to transmit them unto those to whom they are given, these are the golden pipes, which convey the golden oyl, mentioned in Zechary. And wee are p [...]rswaded of it, that it is a great offence against God, for any of never so high attainment on earth, though come to possess never so near and immediate fel [...]owship with the Lord, to flight and reject the service of any mean, though never so mean or small, which the Lord appointeth unto them, for the Lord will be absolute, and soveraign, and free in the communications of himself, his life, power, will and council unto men, so as to dispense these his heavenly blessings unto them, either with means, and through them, or without them, according to his good pleasure, and we find that somtimes he useth outward means, and somtimes he useth them not, but coveyeth unto us, from and through his own feed and birth in us, the living manifestations and communications of his life, will & council, many, yea most times without all means, or instruments from without for most times wee are left alone as to instruments or means without us, but as we abide faithful with God, he abideth with us alwayes, and we are never left alone as to him, for in him we live, move, and have our being, even as to our spiritual life, which can no more subsist without his living communications and inbreathings, or inspirations, than our natural life can subsist without A [...]. The benefit that the Lords people find in one another, as instruments unto one another for good, for their mutual refreshment, quickning, strengthning, and edification. makes their very outward fellowship and meeting together very acceptable and desireable, when it may be had in the will of the Lord, yea fellowship with the Saints is the next desireable thing, unto fellowship with God. Wherefore we cannot but acknowledge a great úsefulness in instruments from without but we may not overvalue them, so as to set them up in Gods room; as if wee could not live without them, the Lord himself is become the life of his people, he is in them, (in that which is of his own sowing, planting and begeting in them) an everlasting fountain and well spring of life and refreshment, opening and shutting according to his good pleasure, and communicating unto man of himself, through his own seed and birth, somtime through the seed in a mans own vessel, [Page] and sometime through the seed in an other mans vessel, so that the seed and birth of life it self, in the vessel is the greatest and most principal, and absolutely necessary mean and instrument of conveying life unto man, and the vessel at best is but the secondary and subordinate mean or instrument, which can do nothing, but as the life opens in the seed and conveyes it streams and influences their through. Now here is wisdome (which only the Lord giveth) to know the time, means, and instruments, (for many things are called means that are not so (and these only are the true means, which are off the Lord, his choosing and fitting, as also to know when they are serviceable, and that is only when he useth them, and causeth his eternal life to spring forth and break through them: they are but as vessels and conduits which can conveigh no liquor, nor water, but such as is poured forth into them, nor may they conveigh, but what is given to them to spare, as the overflowings of their own cup, and it is to no purpose, nor doteh it any good but hurt, and is idolatry for any man to run to use the mean, though it be of Gods own choosing and fitting, when the Lord doth not use it, appeareth not in it poureth not forth in it, of his living streams, It is even as if an hungry man should sit down at a covered table that has no meat set on, or as a thirsty man should put an empty flagon, or cup, or conduit to his head, which filleth his belly with wind, instead of drink if he suck at it, now when the Lord appeareth in any mean or instrument, and shineth through it, sendeth forth of his living communications their through unto others, such a way of communication, though it be through a means yet this hinders it, not in a true sence to be immediate, because the mean h [...]ir is transmitting, and not intermitting, and the transmitting mean hinder not the immediateness of the communicatione, but only the intermiting, as when, light, sounds and shapes of visible things come to our eys through and by the means of the air &c. This hinders not our vision to be immediate, and so if the light and life of God shine through any meanes, or instruments unto us for our refreshment, we receive it no less immediately, then if we had it without al outward means whatsoever, but these who minister not immediately [Page] from the immediate communication of life in their own hearts, are no true means, can do us no good, for they cannot minister and transmit the communications of life, who have it not in themselves, such are but wells without water, and clouds without rain,

George Keith,

The second Part, God speaking in man by the word proceeding immediately from his own mouth.

THis being the main and cheif principle (together with that other, that Jesus Christ the light of the world, doth enlighten every man that cometh in o the world, according to Iohn. 1. 9. whereby man heeding this manifestation of light that comes from him and following it in its drawings, movings, and requirings, and giving up to be led thereby he may come into the true and saving knowledge of God, and of his son, and holy spirit) not only professed but witnessed and professed by us the people of the Lord, in d [...]rision called Quakers, wherein we differ, as from the many religions and professions abroad, so from that which is professed by the people of these three Nations, and generally from all the so called protestant reformed Churches and professors, and teachers, as they stand at this day (though the primitive Protestants in some measure owned it) and they all one and an other of them (but more especially the Teachers, and Ministers, and Bishops so called) so stifly and furiously opposing it, and the assertors, and witnesses thereof to the stirring up of the Rulers, and powers of the earth to persecute them, with prisoning, banishment, and other cruel usages, and spoyling of their goods, and the people through the instigation of their Teachers, who falsely in many things report us not only cruely mock, and revile us but many of [Page] them fall a beating and buffeting of us for the truths fake, and in love and compassion to their souls, and in the fear and will of the Lord I am drawn to give my Testimony concerning this, and to hold forth to the people the Truth and ne [...]y [...] [...] demonstrating it (in so far forth as, words may be serviceable thereto) according to the measure of knowledge I have received from the Lord concerning this thing, That our persecutors (such of them who through the ignorance that is in them oppose us, being informed, and convinced of this truth, by the light of Christ which shineth in their consciences (in the darkness) which will not fa [...] to testifie and witness to the truth of my testimony herein, may cease any further cruel using of us, least they be found fighters against God, and cause the innocent to suffer which the righteous judge of the world will not suffer to pa [...] unrevenged, and for the sake of the poor people of this Nation [...]or indeed for want of the knowledge of the unsearchable riches of Christ) who are as lost sheep going astray upon the barren mountains, whether their shepherds have driven them in this cloudy dark day, or rather night, of thick Aegyptian darkness wherewith they are so blinded in their minds, that they are past feeling of God his heavenly power and vertue the only true food of their souls, the only true pasture and fold of rest, their resting place. which the most of them never knew, and such who at any time, have known any thing of it have forgotten it. Oh what a let [...]argie has overtaken them who have so long and so much professed the name of Jesus Christ, among whom there have been some, who in some measure sometime a day could feelingly and experimentally speak of what God had done in their souls, what Christ had wrought in them, could [...]ell of sweet hours of fellowship and communion with him, his coming into their souls, and supping with them, and they with him, his revealing the bid, invisible, in comprehensible, (inconceivable to the natural understanding) glory of his love, and shedding it abroad in their souls, speaking in them, words o [...] l [...]e, words of power, living words, spirit and life, inutterable, impossible to be expressed▪ speaking as never [...] [...] spoke or could speak, could they have any satisfaction [Page] but in his presence, his life giving countenance but in the voice of their beloved, could it content them to hear man speak, when their beloved spoke not? was it not a burden unto them to hear or read what God had wrought in them, but as the living voice of the beloved of their souls did accompany, and witness afresh these things in them, causing their hearts to burn and earn with in them, he opening in them the Scriptures, opening their understandings, how did their hearts burn, with coals of Love kindled at the fountain, God who is love, how did their hearts leap for joy, at the sound of his voice, how were there bowels moved in them, when he spoke, how did the handles of the lock drop with sweet smelling myrrhe: when they rose up to open to their beloved, how could they discern, when he spoke, It is the voice of my beloved (could they say) that speaketh unto me, arise my beloved, my fair one, and come away.

Such and the like experiences as we read that the people of the Lord witnessed in the Scriptures, so could some who have lived in this Nation, and perhaps some yet living witness the same also, and could have said A men to the truth of all these things, but alas, alas, into what a dead sleep, and let [...]argie, are they fallen which has so stupified and benummed them, that they are become past feeling of these sweet experiences, how has the thick darkness, whereinto they are fallen, and are sunk, so choaked them, and quite wiped out the true remembrance of these things, they have so forgot them, as if they had never known them, and now they are turned with the sons of Belial to mock at these things, calling them fancy, delusion, imagination, melancholly, some hypochondriack humor, a spirit of witcherie: and delusion, and to persecute them who witness this blessed dispensation of life and glory, (though in a more steddy and fuller manner and measure) and to [...] the servants and Ministers thereof, with the [...]me of deceivers, and false Prophets, oh, oh▪ how have ye fallen from heaven to earth, how are ye sunk into the pit; wherein there is no [...]ater, how have ye lost your glory turned your glory into shame, and followed after lying vanities, how have ye suffered your selves to be [...]ulled a sleep in the whores lap, with her bewitching v [...] who hath cut your Locks, wherein your strength lay, [...] [...] [Page] it is departed from you, and the Philistines mock you, having put out your eyes, and you are become a hissing and reproach to day, and yet ye will not cease to reproach, you are spoiled your selves, and yet ye will not cease to spoil, the enemy is getting his will of you, to the causing of you shrink from your cause, ye have lost your ground, ye have thought shame of your cause, that which by you was called the cause of God, the Covenant and oath of God, the work, and interest, and concernment of Jesus Christ, ye have left it at your heels, and the most of you trampled on it, and now ye fret, and rage, because ye are provoked to jealousie by a people that are no people, poor and despiseable in this world, but rich and honourable with God unto whom the Kingdom is given, it is taken from you, for that ye have not brought forth the fruits worthy of it, and it is given unto them, a Kingdom which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Ghost, and heavenly Kingdom, that cannot be shaken, wherein these despiseable ones stand in the Lambs power, and reign in victory, and dominion in the midst of their sufferings as Kings and Princes unto God, over all the cruelty, and persecution of their opposers, and now ye are joyning issue with them against us, whom ye looked upon, and dealt with them as your enemies, and called them the enemies of God, limbs of Antichrist, Antichristian, ye have associated with them, become one body and Church with them, plead for their Ministry and Worship, that at least if it be not so good as ye would desire, yet its lawful, and better then to want all, and ye go and hear such men up and down the Land, whom ye know to have dealt perfidiously, and treacherously for their filthy lucres sake, and ye are generally convinced that they are but time servers, wicked and bad, ye are now openly and avowedly come to plead for a wicked ministry, that such who are natural men, and wicked may be Ministers of Christ, and ought to be heard, followed, and maintained, and such whom the Lord has sent forth to Minister, in the power of his life, and spirit, ye call deluders Fanaticks and the like, oh, oh, remember the day, call to mind the time when your souls [...]oathed such Ministers, and ye would travel many miles from one remote corner of the nation to another, to hear a man who could speak lively to your souls, in demonstration of the [Page] spirit, and of power, then there was in you a measure of pure discerning, whereby ye could favour the man of God, and distinguish the formal, dry withered cold, and dead preacher, from the living, and all his painted fine good words could not deceive you,) e had then a mouth, a sence that could taste words, as meat, and such ye would follow and hear, who could speak from and Minister of the power and spirit of life, the Ministers of the Letter, the dead formal preacher, who could chant and talk the Scripture words, and steal from other mens lines the good words made ready to their hand, ye could not away with, they were loathsome and burthensome unto you, but now-having lost the discerning, these ye can follow, and maintain them. And such, who deny them ye call denyers of the Ministers of Christ, a standing Ministry, and yet when it was better with you then it is now ye denyed them, and many a day cryed in good earnest of your souls to God, that he would remove them, and whip out of his house such buyers, and sellers, and purifie, and purge the sons of Lev, how cryed ye out, and breathed to the Lord for, a spiritual Ministry, a Gospel Ministry, a powerful Ministry, and now when its come, and coming ye oppose it and bend your force to keep it down, oh foolish people, and unthankful do ye thus requite the Lord, return, return, from whence ye are fallen, repe [...]rand do you first works, turn to the Lord the fountain of living waters, from whom ye have deeply revolted, cease, cease from the broken Cisterns, ye have hewed out unto your selves, drink no more at the pudled waters, the dead waters, which who so drinketh off dye, they are dead because not freshly issuing and springing from the fountain of life, if ye will return, come, and walk in the light of the Lord with us, O house of Iacob, O ye lost scattered sheep, who have been driven from the fold of rest, the sweet, pleasant green pasture of your souls, the still runing waters, the pure sweet Christaline river of life, that issueth fresh in living streams from the fountain it self, Lo every one that thirsteth come unto the waters and drink wihout Money and price that your souls may live, for of a truth, the Lord God his opened unto us the fountain, a vein of life, a wellspring of life a well of living water hath he revealed in us, who have believed in his light, and hearkned to his voice, which [Page] cryed in our hearts many a day, saying in us turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die, turn ye at my reproof and behold I will pour ou [...] my spirit upon you, this is the well of living water the gift of God, which who so drinketh off, will never any more drink or thirst to drink of these dead waters, that is the good words, uttered from a dead killing spirit, the waters of the Whore on which she sits, and holds forth this cup of fornications, unto the inhabitants of the earth, whereby they are made drunk, bewitched, and killed, for her lips drops as an hony comb, and her mouth is smoother then Oyl, but her end (the breath and spirit of her mouth, from which the words proceed, and which accompanies them) is bitter as Wormw [...]od, and sharper then a two Prov. 5. 2. and 3. edged Sword, to kill and destroy that of the Lords begetting, and starving of it, but to the edifying, feeding and building up of the false birth, Babilons brats, which are not to live, but to be starved and dye, and happy are they who taketh them and dasheth them against the stones. And now I say for your sake, O ye, my ki [...]olk according to the flesh, my little Sister who hath no breasts▪ [...] scattered sheep who have no pasture for your souls, but that which feedeth death, and maketh you live in the earthly corrupt principle, which is the Serpents meat, that if by any means I may provoke some of you, and be serviceable (as a mean in the Lords hand, who am nothing of my self) unto you that ye may return unto the Bishop and Shepherd of your Souls, I am drawn in the tender love of God to write unto you concerning this principle, to wit, Jesus Christ revealed and revealing in man, God, and the things of his Kingdom, even these veins and passages of li [...], which runs through Paradise the City of God, wh [...] streams make glad every inhabitant thereof, who because of this can sit and sing, God is our refuge, we will not fear, though the earth be removed and cast into the midst of the Sea, God is known for a refuge in her palaces she is beautiful for Scituation, the joy of the whole earth is and shall be Mount Sion, on the sides of the North, the City of the great King, [...] it must be he alone even this great King, who must open an eye in you, by the revelation of himself, where by ye can behold th [...] glorious Mountain of his Holiness, on wh [...]ch his City Ierusalem [Page] from above is built, where a feast of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the Lees well refined is given to all who enter thereinto the vultures eye, the eye of the natural understanding, that eye which now seeth, cannot see it, and the path thereunto is short from all living, in the natural, earthly corrupt principle, and it must be the Light of Christ that can only open the true eye, to see this blessed path of Life, which if ever ye know, it must be known alone by Immediate Revelation and manifestation of Christ in you.

And it were a great step in its p [...]ace for you to be convinced of this, that it must be so, And for this cause this is written to the simple hearted, who are willing to see, and loves to know the truth, that ye being convinced by sound reason, and it being demonstrated to you that there is such a thing among the Lords people, and must be; and that there is no other way to know God, or the misteries of his Kindom, but as this [...]ey of knowledge (which your teachers take from you) viz. Jesus Christ revealed in you, opens them up, then ye may be brought to wait for this glorious dispensation, which many thousands can truly witness is come, and I in my measure testifie hereto, even the Kingdom come, with power and great glory (and more abundantly coming, in the Revelation and appearance of Jesus Christ the second time unto salvation, and we are made to sing that song, Isay 25. 9. [...] this is our God, he is come, he is come, we have waited for him, he is cloathed with the gar [...]nts of Salvation, we will be glad and r [...]yce in him. We will remember his love more then Wine, 1. Ca [...] ▪ And further the usefulness of this principle concerning Immediate Revelation, and the spirit of Prophesie yet remaining, and to remain a standing, perpetual, indispensible, necessary, ordinance of God i [...] the true Church, being demonstrated will appear, seeing it is the hinge and foundation of all the other weighty differences, betwixt these of the national way and us, for this principle being asserted and demonstrated to be of indispensible necessity, in the church, and the grand and main ordinance, the foundation, ordinance of all the other ordinances so much cryed up in opposition to this, the foundation of the true Church, Ministry, Worship, &c. Then will it appear, that these who deny, and manifestly oppose this principle, [Page] and the assertors of it, whatever be there pretences, are no church of Christ, but Babylon, and their Ministers, no true Ministers of Christ, but her Merchants, and their worship no true worship but Idolatry, and consequently that our separating from their Church, Ministry, and Worship, is justifiable, and we ought to separate therefrom as we would escape the Plagues that are to be poured forth, on Babylon, and all who seek to uphold her.

And now I proceed to the Arguments or reasons, tending to demonstrate what is asserted, and though the earthly carnal mind, which ever accounted the way and wisdome of God, foolishness, fancy, and madness; will account all that can be said for it light, frivolous, and inconsequential, yet I am assured of it that it shall have weight with them, who have any the true Nobility of understanding and it shall reach the seed and principle of God in their consciences, and hereto I shall be made manifest, and the arguments brought shall be of force, for I have not fetched them from my own wisdom, neither has it taught me them, but in the measure of the heavenly wisdom given me of God have I learned them, and though I cite Scriptures, and make use of them in arguing this point, yet I can truly say it I have not my knowledge therefrom, neither shall I dare to use striving words any further, then the things by them declared in some measure are opened in my understanding, and interpreted unto me from that spirit of truth, which gave them forth, and this gives me aright to speak and make use of them.

Argument. 1. There is no other way to God, but by the Revelation of his son, he dwells in the light inaccessible, which the mortal or natural understanding cannot approach unto clouds and darkness are round about him, he filleth all things, but is apprehended by nothing, but that which cometh from himself, is begotten of himself, and leadeth unto himself, the eye of flesh cannot see God, neither can it see any thing which is beyond its sphear, the earthly can only apprehend the earthly, nothing can reach further then its proper object, wherewith it is bounded and limited.

Now God is not the object of the eye of flesh (I do not [Page] mean the bodily eye, this is as uncapable hereof as that) the carnal mind the natural man, the eye and understanding in man, which can judge of things earthly, and pass a true judgement upon them, and have a certain infallible knowledge of them in the capacity it is placed in, and can be wi [...]e as to these things, and find out many secret things in nature and demonstrate them sufficiently to a mans understanding, yet this is blind in respect of God it cannot know him with the true knowledge, when it stretches it self to know him; it is confounded and dashed more then if the bodily eye would set it self to look upon the Sun, it is blinded with his beams, and yet it will be medling, and trying, and searching into this mistery, but it cannot by searching find out God, he dwels in any other principle then it can reach unto (and nothing can reach beyond its principle) he dwels in the light, here is his habitation, and therefore in the light he can only be known, that can only reveal him, and it is somewhat begot of the light the child of light, which has its element, its habitation, its principle in the light, which can see; and understand God and know him, this is that which Christ taught himself in the dayes of his flesh and is recorded in Scriptures, no man knoweth the Father save the Son, and he to whom the Son reveals him, Matthew 11. 27. Now if any should object and say he means an outward Revelation, a mediate not Immediate Revelation, this will be manifestly confuted by what is said already, and is yet to be said, for that you call the outward or mediate Revelation, write words spoken from without, though the best of words uttered from Christ in the dayes of his flesh, or from any of the Apostles, or Prophets, and yet recorded in the Scriptures, cannot reveal the Father, nor the Son either, they point only at that which reveals, and were spoken and write for that end, that people might come to the principle of true knowledge in themselves, for first let us begin with Moses he was a man sent of God, and of Christ, he was inspired with the holy spirit, Christ spoke in him to the people of the Jews, and all these words could not reveal God, nor his Son unto them the vail hung before Moses face, and remains upon their hearts to this day in the reading of Moses words, and by this [Page] vail their minds are blinded, then come down to the Prophets, who were sent of God, come to David, to Isaiah the evangelical Prophet so called, who had very clear and glorious discoveries of God, and his Son Jesus Christ, yet could their words reveal God unto the people of the Iews, or can they at this day? no the vail remains, then come to Jesus Christ himself who spoke to them in the dayes of his flesh face to face, did his words reveal him, or his Father unto them, did they not mistake him for all this, he stood in the midst of them, and they knew him not, for their eyes were held, were blinded, and thorough their ignorance they crucified him the Lord of glory, but could the Apostles words reveal him either? nay, for they continued blind, and persecuted them unto death, as deceivers and blasphemers, the god of this world have blinded that eye in them, which could know the glorious appearance of him either in the dayes of his flesh, or in his spiritual appearance in his people, So then it is clear neither any of the Prophets or Apostles, though they were lights, yet they were not that light, but were sent to bear witness of that light, which is the light of the world, and lighteth every man that cometh into it, that by believing in the light he may know God, and be saved, for God willeth all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth, and Christ said, it is expedient for you that I go away, else the comforter will not come even the spirit of truth whom I will send, and he will lead you into all truth, and bring things to your remembrance, and give you wisdom and knowledge and power, that all your enemies shall not be able to resist, and this spirit was to furnish and back them in their Ministry, else they had never gained such ground upon the world, when I am ascended said he, I will draw all men after me, and this spirit they witnessed sent into their hearts, teaching them what and how to speak, and what they declared unto the people inwards from the spirit of Life of Jesus Christ revealed in them the same spirit, and answered and testified to the truth of these things in their hearers, that was it which convinced the world, of sin, righteousness, and judgement, that was it which made them manifest to be of God made them manifest in the consciences of their hearers, thorough the manifestation of the truth, Christ the [Page] [Page] [Page] truth the spirit of truth, they were commended or approved to every mans conscience in the sight of God, and if they or their Gospel was hid, it was to them whose minds were blinded who were past feeling of the spirit of God which convinceth, reproveth, demonstrateth, and maketh manifest, and on such their words could get no ground, but they▪ persecuted, and opposed them, as fools; and mad men, so by that, is said you may understand, that word [...]even the best, cannot give the knowledge of God, and though Christ in the dayes of his flesh taught them many things, yet how were they hid from them, they were even very ignorant of many weighty things, and could not then receive them, or bear them, at have many things said he; that ye cannot bear as yet, but when the spirit, the comforter shall come, he shall teach you all things, and lead you into all truth, and be with you for ever, and when this spirit was poured forth, then their narrow understandings were opened and enlarged to know these things which formerly they could not bear, nor receive, whereby it may appear sufficiently to any man or men of true understanding, that the outward Revelation or discovery by words spoken from without of Christ or any of his Disciples or Apostles cannot reveal the Father nor the Son, for if it was i [...]ot sufficient to the Church his bodily presence, his reaching them outwardly by word of month, face to face, but he said [...] was exp [...] that he should go away from them, and he would send another teacher who would do greater things, and more manifestly, and glor [...]ously reveal unto them God and the things of his Kingdom, if Christs bodily presence in his flesh was not sufficient of it self, to minister though he spoke as never man spoke, lyes I say if, this ministration was not sufficient, but a more glorious they were to expect, and as they waited they witnessed, it fulfiled, and come unto them, then far [...]less is the outward ministration of any other man, or men whomsoever sufficient for that effect for if Christ be not any more to be known after the flesh, much less any other man, nor is their knowledge they can receive from any other man to be rested in, seeing the knowledge of Christ after the flesh was not sufficient nor to be rested in, but they were to look for a better, a more clear, and full manifestation in themselves, he appearing in a spiritual [Page] glorious, heavenly, misterious way in their hearts, even such a way as the world cannot know him, or receive him, which made Indas (n [...]t Iscaeriot) to wonder and question him saying, how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us, and not unto the world.

And it will yet further appear how insufficient words, (even the best of words, Scripture words, though there were as many books of Scripture as th [...] [...]hole world could contain) are to reveal or to give the knowledge of God unto man, many, yea the most of things natural, and created cannot be understood of or by words, words being but figures, emblems, signs and representations of things, come always short of the things themselves, (unless they be lying words, which go beyond the truth, and these come far shorter, and the knowledge they can give is but false, and a lye) what words can give a man the true and sufficient knowledge of the Sun, can the best Orator tell a blind man, what the Sun is, what these pleasant and beautiful colours of his bearas are which makes the Rainbow, thorough the refraction of a cloud dissolving into Rain, can they describe to him the beauty of a Lillie in the field to which Solomon in all his outward glory is not comparable. Do not these of the meanest capacity, and understanding who have their eyes, and can look upon the Lillie have a better and more satisfying knowledge thereof, then the blind man though quick of understanding, though he had all the wittyest Orators and wisest men of the world to describe it unto him, all their words comes far short of the other mans sight, or can a deaf man know, what a musical harmony, and melody of the vocie is, or can one who has lost the taste of his mouth know wine from water, or sweet from bitter, now if the knowledge of these natural things cannot be had sufficiently by any words, how much less can things spiritual, and God who is a spirit be known by words, if words come short in the description or manifestation of creatures, obvious to our bodily sences, how infinitely short they fall in the manifestation of God, or the things of his Kingdom, As it is written, 1 Cor. [...]. 9. Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, neither have entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them, that love him. But verse 10. God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit, for the spirit searcheth [Page] all things, yea the deep things of God. Lo how the Apostle shuts forth all the knowledge, that can be had either, by the outward ear, or eye, (when all words are excluded) from being sufficient to reveal the things of God, but can mans imaginations, reasonings or conceptions, and thoughts of man in his natural understanding do it either, nay saith he, it hath not entred into the heart of man to conceive them, then all conceptions and thoughts of mans heart in the fall, the old heart, old Adams heart, are also excluded from giving the knowledge, how then are they known, God (saith he) hath revealed them unto us by his spirit, not unto me only, said he, but unto us, unto you as well as unto me, O ye Corinthians, and elsewhere writing unto them, he saith, God who commanded the light 2 Cor. 4. 6. to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ, then it is the light shining into the heart out of the darkness, which gives the knowledge of the glory, and ver. 4, Such who believe not, the God of this wo [...]ld hath blinded their minds, least the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the Image of God should shine unto them, then all who believe have this priviledge (then it is not only peculiar to the Apostles) the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ shineth in them, and the light reveals the Gospel, which is hid from them who beleive not, ver. 3. It discovers the glorious Gospel, or as it is in the Greek, the Gospel of glory, it reveals a hid glory in the Gospel, which is beyond all words, or expressions, or thoughts of mans heart, the glorious Gospel of Christ is not the words, the best of Scripture words, writ or spoke by the Prophets and Apostles, it is that which the words declare of but not the words themselves, which may be read, heard▪ and known by the unbeliever, and he may gather a stock, and treasury of knowledge from the words (which knowledge is but a false, dead, empty, barren, formal knowledge, a form of knowledge. Rom. [...] 20. A shadow of knowledge, but not the true knowledge, which is life, and life eternal, John 17. 3. But the Gospel he knows not, it is hid from him, for the eye is blended that can see or know the glory of it, for it is the power of God unto Salvation, it is the preaching the glad tydings of Salvation unto poor lost man [...]y Jesus Christ himself immediately in his heart, it is Christ [...] [...] [Page] in man, by the powerful breath of his spirit, awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and I will give thee light, and be thy salvation [...]. This is that which Christ said himself, the hour shall come, wh [...] the den [...]shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that bear shall live, so he is the great preacher of this great and glorious Gospel himself whose it is, Isaiah 61. 1, 2, 3. compared with Luke 4. 18. The spirit of the Lord is upon me beca [...]se he hath a [...]ointed me to preach the Gospel to the Poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, [...] preach del [...]verance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, &c. all other preachers whosoever among men, they are but as forerunners (like Iohn Baptist) and this is their message, Iohn 12. 15. Fear not daughter of Sion, behold thy King cometh, &c. And how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of them who publish these glad tydings-concerning the coming of the King himself, and all the most powerful preachers that ever spoke among the sons of men must say with the same Iohn, behold their cometh one after us, which is preferred before us, for he was before us, he must increase but we must decrease, we are not that Prophet but are sent to testifie of him, whose shoes latchet we are not worthy to unloose, he it is, who will baptize you with fire, and with the Holy Ghost, and teach you to the satisfaction of your souls, and be with you for ever, when we are gone and removed from you, and the Bride greatly rejoyceth because of the Bridegroom his approach, and the hearing of his own voice, and this fulfills the joy of the friends of the Bridegroom, even the voice of the Bridegroom to the Bride, himself come, seen, heard, embraced, the Bride married to himself, kissed with the [...]isses of his mouth: and this also fulfils the joy of the Bride, f [...]r it was her great desire, the presence of the Bridegroom himse [...]f, and her desire accomplished, how sweet is it to her soul! Thus it is fully demonstrated, how insufficient words, all words from without, even Scripture words, are to give or learn man the knowledge of God as also how insufficient mans conceptions, reasonings, thoughts, and imaginations, in the earthly, carnal mind (which is darkness, Eph. 5. 8. and death, Rom. 8. [...]. concerning Scripture words and the things recorded by them are to this effect; The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man to be but vanity, and his wisdom foolishness, and enmity [Page] against God, even all that wisdom, which the carnal mind can gather into it self, whither from the words of Scripture, or from the works of creation, and providence.

It is all enmity against God, and is so far from lead [...]ng man unto the knowledge of him that it leadeth him from it, the world by wisdom knew not God, 1 Cor. 1. 21. The Jews who had the Scriptures and their Doctors and Rabbies, who had gathered a great deal of wisdom and knowledge, not the true wisdom and knowledge, but a form (as is said) did it further them to receive the knowledge of Jesus Christ, in a more glorious manifestation? or rather was it not a loss unto them, did it not blind their hearts, was not the preaching of the Gospel foolishness unto them? and the Greeks or Gentiles, who [...]udyed the creation, the book of nature so called, and gathered a great deal of wisdom and knowledge theirfrom, but it was mans wisdom which is from below, and is carnal, earthly, and divilish, by this wisdom they knew not God, and the preaching of the Gospel, was to them also foolishness, thus because both Iew and Gentile had wandred after their own imaginations, and reasonings, (the former concerning the Scriptu [...]es, and the latter concerning the works of creation) and departed from the pure principle of God, the light of his Son Jesus Christ, who had enlightned both one and the other, every man that cometh into the world. Iohn 1. 9. Which would have been unto them a key of knowledge, a key to the Jews to open up and reveal the Scriptures unto them, a key to the Greeks or Gentiles to open up and reveal the works of the pure creation of God, and given to both an eye to read these prints and characters of the wisdom, power and goodness of God engraven thereupon, and hereby they would have been led up (keeping chastly to this principle the light of Jesus) to the knowledge of God after a more excellent way and manner, then either words or works of creation could give, even to know God in himself, and in his son, the express Image of the fathers substance this is a glorious knowledge indeed, the knowledge of God in the Son, who is his express Image, so like unto him, that he is one with him this infinitely transcends, that other knowledge of God either in the declaration of words, or works, for that they all come infinitely short of the [Page] noble Image, Christ Jesus, the brightnes [...] of the fathers glory, and such who sit down upon such a knowledge as they may gather into their minds whither from words or works, which proceedeth from God and come not up to know him in his own image, the light of his Son, they have not the true knowledge of God, and make void the use and service both of Scriptures, and works of creation, which are given forth from him self, as witnesses of his glory in the world, for the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handwork, Psal. 19. 1 2. And the natural day and night, the Sun, Moon, and Stars have a language, and a declaration after their kind, the sum whereof is this, he hath made us and not we our selves, and the Scripture hath its language, and doth witness and declare many things concerning God, not to be found in the book of creation, and so though both the one and the other do testifie of God, yet are neither sufficient to give the the true knowledge of him, which is truth & life everlasting all is as it were but a knowledge by hearsay, something declaring or demonstrating, that there is a God, but not what he is, for only the Son can thus reveal him, and give the knowledge of him by the seeing of the eye.

And now therefore all ye who deny the Revelation of the Son immediately by his own immediate light (which can only make him manifest as the Sun can only be made manifest and seen with its own beams, as said Plotinus a Gentile, who saw further into this mistery then many called Christians) ye are yet ignorant of God, neither can ye truly conceive of him, when ye think of him in your carnal minds, the object of your thoughts is not the true God, but an Idol of your own brain, a graven image an image of Gold and Silver, an idol god, which must be famished, and broke into pieces, ere ever ye come to know the true God.

And ye who spend so much of your time in gathering wisdom and knowledge from either the words or works of God, and the many books concerning both, while you a [...]e not come to the true, and pure principle of God, the light o [...]i Son, no [...] begot of that, nor renewed thereby in the spirit of your mi [...] your wisdom is foolishness, your knowledge i [...] darknes [...] [...] dead, barren, empty knowledge, and it is enmity against G [...] [Page] it is like water gathered into a stinking, filthy, corrupt vessel which corrupt [...], and the vessel becomes the more corrupt, and this more and more eats as a canker, kills, stupifies and benums that which is tender in a mans soul, and has any feeling of God, so that man becomes past feeling of him, and this is the fruit of that knowledge, even the fruit of the forbidden tree, which kills, and feeds death, so that such being shut up in death and alienated from the life of God, and past feeling, give over themselves to work all lasciviousness and uncleanness with greediness, Eph. 4. 19. And thus I have writ, and insisted something more largely, on this particular, in tender love to the simple hearted, who are much betrayed by the enemy in this thing, who are tempted to eat of the tree of knowledge, and because it seems pleasant to the eye of the carnal mind, and seems good for food, therefore they take and eat of it, that is to say (for I desire to use plainness of speech) Sathan beguils them suggesting into their hearts, that if they will read many books, and be diligent in searching after knowledge that way, and search and dive into the creation and to know the secrets and misteries of nature, they will be wise to know good and evil, and this will accomplish & perfect them, and throughly furnish them in their employment and calling, to whichsoever they apply themselves. And so one takes himself to read commentars of Scripture, and this he thinks will furnish him with knowledge, and ability to teach for the ministry, and another takes himself to read Hypocrates and Gallen, and other writers concerning medicine, and so he thinks to become hereby a Physitian, &c. While in the mean time, their minds are out from the light of Christ, their talent given them to profit withall, which gives the true knowledge, and true ability to minister either to the soul or to the body, and is the principal thing which if their minds were come to, and begot into it, their reading or other exercises in the leadings of this, would be useful and serviceable in their place, but as they are used, become and are a loss (as is said) unto them.

And the enemy makes a prey of their souls, and fetters their feet in this snare, of gathering knowledge from books, or any other way, to keep them from the true knowledge, which is life and peace, and joy and fruitful in the works of righteousness, [Page] for the devil cares not how much knowledge a man gather into his vessel, providing it be not the true knowledge and wisdom which God teacheth, and cometh from above, and is retained in the new bottle, the renewed mind, this knowledge only hurts his kingdom, that other can do it no hurt but advantage, and become a bulwark against the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in mans heart, and if ever such come to the true knowledge and wisdom of God, they must be emptied of all the former, and the vessel must be cleansed with the spirit of Judgement, and of burning, and it must be learned by word of mouth from wisdom's own lips, line upon line, and precept upon precept, now a little, and then a little, as the vessel is able to receive, for the Lord giveth wisdom, out of his mouth cometh understanding.

And now to sum up in a few words, all that is said in this Argument, the knowledge of God being that which is indispensibly necessary to every believer and true Christian, and seeing this cometh only by the Revelation of the Son of God immediately in the heart; and by the receiving it from the mouth of God himself, and from the inspiration of his holy spirit (the inspiration of the Almighty saith Elihu giveth understanding, as is fully demonstrated then it follows by necessary consequence that the Revelation of Christ immediately, and God his speaking to man Immediately, and the inspiration of the holy spirit breathing into mans heart immediately the true and saving knowledge of God is also of indispensible necessity, and therefore not ceased in the true Church, though in the false, but remaining a standing and perpetual Ordinance therein, for if Revelation be ceased then is also the knowledge of God ceased, but if this remain so must that also.

Argument 2. God revealed in man made manifest in him by his Son, thorough his eternal spirit, is mans blessedness, his habitation of rest, and peace and joy, God being his portion, his possession, his habitation, fellowship with him in the light, in the word, in the spirit, this was mans blessed estate in the beginning when God created him, he created him after his own image, he put his image, Christ the express image [Page] of himself in man, and he breathed in him the breath or spirit of life, then did man live indeed, he was a living soul, he lived in God, he lived an holy, heavenly, spiritual and divine life, and Christ the light of men was his life lived in him, then the Lamb was not stain, Christ the Lamb, the light, the life of man, and this was mans glory, he was made capable of conversing with God, of having fellowship with him, God spake in him, revealed his glory in him, the glory of his eternal wisdom, power and goodness, the glory of his eternal love, that hid glory that was in himself before the world began, here man had full content and satisfaction, and peace, and rest, he ruled as King in the creation, and God ruled King in him, and the Law, whereby he ruled him, was not an outward Law, it was w [...]it in his heart, spoke unto him by word of mouth from God himself, and man had access unto the tree of life, (which is Jesus Christ) and it was his food, and he drank of the pure river of the water of life, and he lived in paradice, and all the pretious things in it, all its pleasant fruits, he was allowed to eat of, only he was forbidden to take of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, least he should dye in that same day, and now man in this state he had a heavenly spiritual and divine principle in him, wherein he had a pure and perfect descerning of God, and his will, he had an eye to see God, an ear to hear his voice, which was full of glory, sweetness, power and Majesty, and the other sences of smelling, tasting, handling, feeling, and that which was smelled, tasted, and felt, was heavenly power and vertue, which filled him with glory, joy and rejoycing, and he was a fountain of continual praise unto his creator, and he loved him above all things else, even with all his heart, soul, might, and strength, and God delighted in his love, and he delighted in his and if man had not sinned by eating the forbidden fruit, he had continued in this blessed state, and lived eternally in the sweet embracements of his father, and creator, and God would never have hid his face from him, nor ceased to speak to him face to face, now when man sinned, and transgressed the holy Law of his God by his sin death came upon him, he dyed the same day according to the word of the Lord, and was driven out of Paradise, and had no more access to the tree of life, nor the pleasant fruits of [Page] the Garden of God, nor to the river of the water of life, that runneth thorow it, he was driven from the face of his creator into the earth, into the earthly principle, and therein he lived, but ceased any more from living in the heavenly or divine principle, that which had the discerning and feeling of God dyed in him, and remains shut up in death in all his posterity to this day, and the pure eye which saw God in the light which came from himself was [...]ailed, a thick vail of darkness came over, which blinded him, and the spiritual ear was stopt and all his other spiritual sences of smelling, tasting, and feeling were stupified and benummed, and the lust awakened in him in the earthly principle, a sharp and quick discerning in the things, that are earthly and corrupt, and begot in him an unsatiable greedy divilish desire, and love after them, thus man wandred from God, and he set up in his heart this corruptible world in the place of God, and Sathan the God of this world ruled in him, and so the Lamb came to be slain in him from the foundation of the world, that holy, meek, harmless nature, the Lambs nature was slain in him, and beasts nature got up in him, the Serpents nature, and he bore the image of the earthly, and became an earthly, beastly man, and he begot his children in his image, and as he so they, became children of Wrath, alienated from the life of God, thus he whom the Lord planted a noble Vine, wholly a right seed became a degenerate plant of a strange Vine unto him, and he being the root, and stock of mankind, the branches his posterity behoved to partake of the defiled nature of the root, which is transmitted from father to son, and its the seed of the serpent, of which the viper, the devils brat, the old Adam is conceived, and brought forth, and till man put of this old Adam, till this birth of the Serpent be killed in him, man cannot enter into the Kingdom of God, nor see the face of God, for this is a vail of darkness, and separation betwixt God and the soul, now the bowels of the Fathers love stirred in compassion to the work of his hands, that of the pure creation in man, which though shut up in death, yet it remained and perished not, as to its being, it did not become a nothing, but remained a being, and this is the lost which God sent his son into the world to seek and to save, not to seek or to save the old Adam, that [Page] birth of the Serpents begetting, but to destroy it, for it is not capable of Gods Salvation, but that which Christ came to save, is that of God which proceeded from him, the seed of God in man, the seed of Abraham, whereof Abrahams old decayed body, as good as dead, and Sarahs barren womb was a Type, to take hold of this, to breath life in this, and by the powerful sound of his living voice to raise it up out of the grave, out of the earth, and to make it fructifie, and bring forth Isaac, the heir of promise, the son of laughter, and joy, and so to recover man to the blessed state of life he was created in, in the beginning, to bring him to live again in the pure principle, of the life of the Lamb, which dyed not, could not dye, as to its self, but man dyed from it, and it ceased to live in him, but it ever lived in it self, being an eternal incorruptible life, and this hath ever striven with man in the fall to recover him, and would gather man into it self, as a hen would gather her chickens, and this is it which every man in a day by experience finds more or less moving in his heart, making him restless, he can have no rest or content in the earthly principle, there is somewhat of a more noble extraction in him, whose center is not the earthly principle, but the heavenly and divine, and it seeks to be in union with its center, its fountain, and the earthly corruptible principle, the body of sin is a burden unto it, and blessed are they who come to feel somewhat in themselves to which sin becomes a burden, there is some what there alive of the begetting of God, for the dead have no sence or feeling, and that which breaths life into the seed, is the life of man, Jesus Christ the light of man, in him was life, and that life is the light of man, said Iohn, and so the light shineth forth in the darkness to visit the seed shut up therein, and the light breaths life into the seed, in such a measure and degree as its capable of in that state, and it draws out of the darkness, out of the death, out of the earth, out of the evil, into the light, into the good, into its self, and a measure of power goe along with the drawings to quicken the seed, and make it able to follow that which draweth, and as it is obeyed cherished, and followed, not resisted and quenched it ministreth dayly more and more life and power, and its drawings a [...] felt more and more forcibly, and so the eye [Page] opens (which was shut in Adam) to see God in the vertue and power of the light, which reveals him, and the ear opens to hear his voice, and the tongue of the dumb is loosed, to speak forth the praise of its Saviour, and Redeemer and the Limb is made to leap as an heart for joy, and Gods heavenly vertue and power is felt, tasted, and handled, and the passage again into Paradise is opened by that new and living way, and man gets access unto the tree of life, and the river of Gods pleasure that runneth thorow the Garden of God, and so man comes to live in God, and God in his Son Jesus Christ lives in him, and rules King, and Lord in him, and the law whereby he rules him is writ in his heart by the finger of his spirit, and he reveals the whole counsel of his will unto him by the word of his mouth, the light reveals the whole will of God unto him, and as he abides in the light and waits in it, it will manifest clearly in him what he should do, what he should shun, and he needs not go forth to seek a Law without him, or a teacher without him, the word is near, in his heart, and in his mouth, and this is the word of faith to which Moses pointed the Iews, and Paul the Romans, thus it is manifestly demonstrated, wha [...] was mans blessed state before his fall, what is his woful and miserable estate in the fall, how he is recovered out of it by Jesus Christ, his Power effectually working in him for his delivery, and how he is brought by him into the blessed condition, wherein Adam was created in the beginning (ye and is into a state more safe and glorious then ever it was) and this is generally acknowledged that it is so, and the Scriptures testifie fully to the truth of it, then it follows manifestly from the premisses, that every true Believer and Christian gets this blessed priviledge of knowing God by the hearing of his voice, and seeing of him in the Revelation of his light immediately proceeding from himself for this was Adams priviledge, and his most glorious, and principal, if man were not restored to this, he should come infinitely short of Adams blessedness, and now if any should say, man is to be restored through Christ to this priviledge, but not in this Life, that is reserved for heaven, and the other Life, the Scripture testifie [...] fully, that it is attainable, and attained in some measure before the laying down of this earthly tabernacle by every true [Page] believer, for every true believer is a man born again, born from above not of the corruptible seed, but the incorruptib [...]e, the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever, and in this birth the spiritual eye is opened, so is the ear and all the other sences, & then what hinders this birth from seeing of God, whereas it lives in the incorruptible and divine principle did, not Moses see God, and indured by faith, seeing him who is invisible? And did not Iob see God, and did not Isaiah see him, and do not all the pure in heart see him, and its promised to them, blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see him

Now it is generally granted that the Patriarehs, Prophets, and Apostles saw God, and heard his voice immediately but say they this was a special priviledge peculiar unto them, and not granted unto all believers, but from what is already said this is manifestly confuted (and will yet more appear from what follows) for Christ is not only the Saviour of the Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles, but of all that believe, it is a common Salvation unto them all, and they are all baptized into that same spirit, and one life, and Christ is head in all, the Sun in all, the glorious Sun of the soul, whose beams open the blind eye, and gives to behold in the light thereof the glory of the Lord in the face of Christ Jesus.

Argument. 3. Herein lyeth the main and principle difference betwixt the Law and the Gospel, the old Covenant and the new, the ministration of the Law was an outward ministration, and it had an outward Law, a Law w [...]it in tables of stone, and this Law was ministred by the hand [...] of the mediator Moses a tipe of Christ, and God spoke unto Moses, and Moses unto the people, and so terrible the voice was that it made the people sore affrighted, and Moses himself did quake tremble, and the people said, let God speak no more unto us, least we dye, but let Moses speak unto us, thus ye see how the Law, and old Covenant had an outward and a mediate ministration, and a carnal or lit [...]eral Commandement, and therefore it was weak and could not give Life, but was the ministration of death, and therefore was to pass away, for it was [Page] added because of transgression and given forth not as thereby man were to obtain li [...]e, or salvation but to be a School-master, to lead unto Christ, to point at him, and shadow him the substance, forth, wherefore it had an outward temple, tabernacle, priest-hood, sacrifice and stood all in outwards, and according to this dispensation or Covenant God spoke not to all whoever under it immediately, but mediately he spoke to to the fathers in the Prophets, Heb. 1. 1. But now the Gospel ministration, the ministration of the new Covenant, is the ministration of the spirit, which remaineth 2 Cor. from ver. 6. to 12, and so is not ceased, and it is God speaking to us in the last dayes in his son or by his son, Heb. 1. 1. That is more immediately, and this is the now Covenant Ier. 31. Heb 8. I will put my Laws into their minds and write them in their hearts, and they [...]ail not each every man his neighbour and his brother, saying know the Lord, for all shall know me from the least to the greatest, and this is a more excellent covenant, whereof Christ the son and heir is mediator, and he speaketh it unto the people, not from Mount Sinay but Sion, and his voice, is a calm sweet, still, pleasant life giving voice, and these under this ministration say, let Christ the Lord of the house speak himself, let God speak unto us in his son, that we may live, and it will not be enough for any man to speak, except himself be heard, and the [...] learned as it is in Jesus, Eph. 4. 21. and again it is writ [...]. [...], 59▪ 21 As for me, this is my Covenant with them saith the [...] ▪ [...] spirit that is upon thee and my words, which I [...] [...] m [...]uth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of [...] of [...] [...]eed, nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed, saith the [...] [...] f [...]rth and for ever. See how God hath appoint [...]t for his seed [...]and every Believer is his seed, according to [...]. 3. 29.) as an everlasting ordinance his spirit upon them, [...] his words put by himself into their mouth, and again, Joel [...] ▪ 28. 29. And it shall come to pas [...] that I will pour my spirit ap [...] [...], and your sons and your daughters shall Prophesie, &c. And [...] [...]pon the servan [...] and [...]idens will I pour out my spi [...]. See further these Scriptures, Zach. 12. 8. 10. Isay 40. 5 [...] [...], 10. 11. Isay 41 17, 18. Isay 49. 6. Isay 51. 3, 4, 5. Isay 55. and [...] 60. througout. Now I ask such who say Immediate [...] and Gods speaking in men from his own mouth, [Page] and his pouring forth his spirit upon them to prophesie is ceased, whither did these promises belong to the Law or to the Gospel, to the old Covenant or to the new, that they belonged to the old they cannot say it, with any colour of reason, seeing these glorious things are promised in these latter days, and were gloriously accomplished after Christs resurrection, and ascension, which put an end to the ministration of the Law, and old Covenant, but and if they belonged to the new Covenant, and to the Gospel (yea these things promised are the Covenant it self as is clear in the above cited Scriptures) then how are they ceased, if the new Covenant, or Gospel ministration be ceased, then is the pouring forth of the spirit, and Gods putting words into the mouth of his seed ceased but if the new Covenant and Gospel ministration be not ceased, then is not the pouring forth of the spirit of Prophesie ceased either.

Argument. 4. This was a priviledge common to every Believer in the dayes of the Apostles, to whom they ministred as, they preached unto them the Lord opened their hearts to believe, and the holy Ghost fell upon them who heard and believed, see Acts 2. Acts 4. Acts 8. Acts 10. 44. Gal. 3. 23. 1 Cor. 3. 16. and 1 Cor. 4 16. Every one of them had a spiritual gift, some a Psalm, some a Doctrine, some a Revelation, some a tongue, some an interpretation, and verse 21. Ye may all Prophesie one by one, &c. Lo how a Revelation, and the pouring forth of the spirit was not peculiar to the Apostles alone, but to believers generally it was common, And they were inriched by him in all utterance, and in all knowledge, 1 Cor. 1. 5. and if any man said Paul, Rom. 8. have not the spirit of Christ [...] is none of his, and he prayed for the, Eph. 1. chap. 17. ver. That God would give unto them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of himself, &c. and he said ver. 13. After that they believed they were sealed with that holy spirit of promise, tho earnest of their inheritance. And Jesus Christ promised this, to whom soever should believe in him, Joh. 7. 38. He that believeth in me out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters, and verse 39. This sp [...] he of the spirit, which they that believe on him should receive, [...] the Holy Ghost was not given, for that Iesus was not yet glorified, and [Page] now if the holy Ghost be not received by them who believe, and if the pouring of it forth be ceased and then is that promise falsified and broken but that is impossible, therefore is this also. And now seeing from what is said, it is clear, that the pouring forth of the spirit of the Lord, the spirit of wisdom and revelation in all knowledge, and utterance, was the common priviledge of believers in the day [...] of the Apostles, and that by vertue of the rew Covenant, and the promises their to belonging, it is also manifest, that this glorious dispensation is the priviledge of believers now, and in all ages past or to come is so, being under the same covenant, and to whom belong the s [...]me promises which they have a right to in their head Christ, for in him all the promises are yea and Amen, and seeing the Scripture speaks so fully of that abundance of glory that is to be revealed in the days of the Gospel belonging to the new Covenant dispensation how then is it ceased and to cease for ever, so as never any more to take place in the earth and wherein do's the Gospel dispensation, which brings life and immortality to light, transcend and surpass the dispensation of the Law and old Covenant, if not herein, that the [...] is done away in Christ and the substance revealed the Lord being the light of his people, and their God, their glory, the light of the Moon becomming as the light of the Sun, and the light of the Sun as the light of seven days, wherein does the glory of the lat [...]er house transcend and excel the glory of the former, but that the Lord whom his people seek shall suddenly come into his temple, and that unto them who fear his name, the Son of righteousness shal arise with healing under [...]is wings, Mal. 3. and 4. And has not God appointed this as a standing ordinance in his church the Son of righteousness to shine therein, with his own immediate beams, as this visible Sun to shine in the world: take away the revelation of Christ his Church, and then will she not be left in as great in confusion, desolation, distress, as if the inhabitants of the earth should be deprived of the natural sun, what a woful night would come upon them, is not the woman Christs sp [...] use cloathed with the Sun, and as she went into the wilderne [...]s fleeing from the Dragon thus cloathed, is she not to return so also, and such who cry down all Immediate Revelation, [Page] and prophesying, do they not make the Gospel dispensation exceedingly inferiour to the Law? for even in that ministration there were some Prophets, some to whom the Word of the Lord came from his own mouth, and if there be nothing such now at all, it is a very poor Law, and despisable Dispensation; as truly it is so among you: Vision is not, and therefore the people perish, but now is the Lord fulfilling these glorious promises to the people of his pasture, whom for a small moment he had forsaken, but with great mercies is he gathering them: Thy Watchmen shall lift up the voice, with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion, Isa. 52. 8. And ver. 6. Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore in that day, they shall know, that I am he that doth speak, behold, it is I. And Isa. 33. v. 17. Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

Argument. 5. The Kingdome of Iesus Christ is an Everlasting Kingdom, Dan. 2. 8. 44. and 4, and 4. and 3. and 7. and 14. And so never to cease; and this kingdom of his, what is it? but the Revelation of his living and eternal arm in his people, it is a Kingdom which is not of this world, it is a spiritual Kingdom; it is a Kingdom within, and it comes with power and great glory, but not with observation to the eye that looks abroad: the hearts of the children of men, that is, the place where his Kingdom is set up, for there is it where the powers of darkness reigns. And there it is where the battel is fought betwixt Michael and the Dragon; there must the stronge [...] man be cast out: and the stronger Christ Jesus the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah enter; his name is called Wonderful, Counsellour, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, the Emanuel, which being interpreted is God in Man; of the encrease of whose government and grace, there shall be no end upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom, to order and to establish it with judgment and justice for ever. Isa. 9. 19, 17. And as he is a King for ever, so is he a Priest for ever, and a Prophet. A King to rule in his Saints by his immediate arm: A Priest to make Intercession immediately betwixt God and Man, for there is but one Mediator, who comes betwixt God and the Soul, he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts unto man, and he is Mans Advocate unto God, and there is no [...] [Page] to intervene, or come betwixt God and the Soul; but Christ the alone Mediator to whom God speaks in his Son, and the Soul speaks to God in the Son also, and Prayes and Worships, and gives thanks in the Son, through whom alone there is access unto God; through him not at a distance, but near, where his living drawings are felt, his eternal Power is felt making way for the Soul unto God, breaking through all the powers of darkness, rending all the Vails that hinders it from enjoying the countenance of the God of its life. Oh that this misery were known! how hid is it from you, who talk so much of Christ the only Mediator? and that there is none else but he, and yet ye deny his immediate appearance and manifestation in Man: Let me tell you, every thing ye set up as a midst betwixt him and you, ye make it a Mediator, and so ye rob him of his glory, and are all gross Idolaters; as the Papists, who make the Virgin Mary, and other Saints their Mediators, that by you are called your means and Ordinances, ye set them up in Christs stead, when ye come unto God, and do not witness the immediate appearance of Jesus Christ in your Souls, drawing you in his life; what, and how to speak, teaching you, in you; then ye come by something else, ye do not come unto God by him, but by that you call your Prayers, and Ordinances: O! that ye would lay it to heart, for I speak what I certainly know, who has felt the indignation of the Lord upon me, for my rash approach unto him; and my many prayers, which as I was taught by man, I thought means to lead me unto God, whilst I remained ignorant of the appearance of Jesus Christ to mediate in me, and make Intercession with sighs and groans unutterable, which now in my measure, through the blessing of the Lord I am come to witness, and I now know, that whatever mediates or comes betwixt Christ and the Soul is a Vail, and wall of partition▪ for he is the life, the strength, the power, of the begotten of God in Man, and without him it can do nothing; it cannot pray, nor praise, nor speak, nor so much as call him Lord; but with him it can do all, pray alwayes, rejoyce evermore; offer up the pure incense of a continual sacrifice unto God, of Prayer and Thanksgiving from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same. And now the Scripture being so full and frequent in its testimonies concerning this, viz. The [Page] appearance of Jesus Christ in his Saints: (see but these three places passing others; Col. 27. Ephe. 3. and 17. 2 Cor. 13. and 5.) What a strange thing is it, that men are so impudent to call it fancy delusion and blasphemy; and if Christ be in his Saints, is he not King in them? does he not rule in them, and if he rule in them by his outstretched arm in them, does he not rule immediately? And is not the rule or law whereby he rules immediate? And is he not a Priest forever in them, and a Prophet? Does he not speak in them, or is he altogether dump and silent in them; and if he speak in them, speaketh he not immediately; or can any man, or thing which is without man speak so immediately to the Heart or Soul, as Christ who made it; and is in it, and comes in for that end, to reveal himself and his father therein, and so to fulfil that Prayer of his, Iohn 17. and 24. Father I will, that they whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me: And is it not the work of Christ in man, to open that eye which was blinded by mans Fall, which in the Momentstate did see God, and his Son: And now the eye being opened, and himself present, and the Vail that hinders, rent and taken off; according to that is promised, Isa. 25. and 7. Does not then that eye which is opened see him, and is not this an immediate Revelation; and is it not his work to open the ear that was deaf, a spiritual ear in men, and why doth he open it; but to speak to that ear, and can that ear be satisfied unless it hear him, and is not the word proceeding from himself, the proper object of this ear? And such who have not this ear opened in them cannot hear Christ, and thinks such a thing Delusion, measuring others by themselves: And further, Is it not his work to awaken up, and beget a discerning a sence and feeling, and casting in them whereby they may taste how good the Lord is, taste the good Word of the Lord, and the Powers of the World to come, and handle the word of Life, and smell the sweet savour of his Oyntments, and feel after him according to these Scriptures, 1 Pet. 2. 3. Psal. 34. 8. Heb. 6. 5. 1 Iohn 1. 1. Cant. 1. 3. Acts 17. 27.

Argument. 6. And now ye who deny God his speaking immediately in man, ye deny all the work of God in man, and of his Son Jesus Christ, for by his Word, his immediate Word, [Page] he does all things, he speaks and it is done; God made the Heavens and the Earth, and this whole Fabrick of the Creation by his Word, his immediate Word; and he upholds all things thereby: God said, Let there be Light, and there was Light. Let there be a Firmament, and there was a Firm ment. Let the Waters be gathered together, and they were. Let the Earth bring forth Grass, and it was so, &c. He spoke and it was done. And he said, Let us make Man in our own Image, and it was so. Gen 1. He had no other means but the word of his Mouth, the word of his eternal Power, which was in the beginning, whereby all things were made, and without it was nothing made. And now does not Man in his being Created again unto good Works, in his being formed again a new Creature, depend upon the same immediate Word of Power, which first Created him; by this is man begotten again by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever: and by this he liveth, by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God; so you may see, its the Scriptures testimony, he does all things by his immediate Word; the Word worketh in all things immediately which God ever made, means are but ciphers without this, means opperate but mediately, but the Word immediately; and this Word is Christ, by whom all things are made, and in whom they are upheld; now here is the difference betwixt this noble piece of Workmanship. Man Created a new in Christ Jesus the Word, and the other parts of the visible Creation; the Word is in him, and opperates in them, but that Word is not known, felt, tasted, apprehended, but God has given Man a knowledg thereof, and herein is his glory beyond them; he can feel the spring of his Life; he can tast the good Word of God; in which he liveth, moveth, and hath his being. And he that knoweth not this Word of Life and heavenly Power, and vertue in him is dead; the corruptible earthly principle cannot apprehend it, for it is spiritually discerned, and then what differs he from a beast that perisheth, but that he is the more miserable?

Argument. 7. And hereby it is, that man cometh to the knowledg of Sin, and of Wrath, and of the heavy displeasure of God because of it; somewhat in his mind and conscience, which awakeneth him as out of a dead sleep, wherein possibly he has so many years seen the sorrows of death, now begins to encompass [Page] him, and the pangs of Hell takes hold on him, and he is cast into a bed of torment, and finds great troubles and sorrow; the arrowes of the Almighty stick fast in him, and he is distracted with the terrors of the Lord: And the fearful sound of Judgment continually affrights him; and what is it, which worketh all this in man, but the Word of the Lord immediately proceeding from himself? God speaking in his Wrath, and vexing him in his sare Displeasure: As it is Psal. 21. And revealing his Wrath from Heaven against all his ungodlines and unrighteousness, Rom. 1. 18. Is it not Christ to whom all Judgment is committed, who thus judgeth him: Is it not his Spirit which convinceth him of Sin, and of Righteousness, and of Judgment; it is the Lord who bringeth to light (when he comes to judg) the hidden things of darkness, and makes manifest the counsels of the Heart, 1 Cor. 4. 5. And all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light, and that judgeth them, and reproveth the deeds of the evil doer, John 3. 20. And worketh Condemnation in him: this condemned Cain, it condemned Saul, it condemned Indas, Whereby their punishment was unsupportable for them; and now were it not God himself who spoke in them, in his Wrath? were it not his arm and finger that touched them, and lay heavy upon them? they could easily bear it, they could be comforted against all their other troubles, and anxieties; could they get rid of this, and fly from the fierce anger, and wrathful countenance of God; but where ever they goe his judgment follows them, his witness in their consciences torments them; the fire kindles which never goes out, and the Worm that never dies gnaweth upon them, this is the fiery flaming Sword, which devoureth the adversary, and cutteth down the man of Sin, a fiery Law goeth out of the mouth of the Lord, and burneth round about; and by this Law is the knowledg of Sin, whereof Paul speaks, for before this Law came, he was alive, and secure in Sins, his Legal righteousness touching the Law blameless, it could not give him the knowledg of his Sin, but when this Law came, that gave him the knowledg of it, and made it exceeding sinful, and killed him.

Argument. 8. And as it is God who speaking in man, raiseth this storm in his Conscience (he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind as it is written) which all the powers of Heaven [Page] and Earth could not do besides him: Man could remain invincible, as a brazen Wall against all their assaults; could he be hid from the fierce wrath of God revealed against him in his conscience; all the words of Scripture, all the curses writ therein could not move him, he hath oft heard them and made light of mem all. I say, as it is God alone who raiseth this storm, and bringeth this trouble upon him: so it is he alone who can calm and quiet it again; he must say to the Wind and raging Waves of the Sea be still, and they obey him; and that which brings peace and calmness, true calmness and stillness to a mans conscience when it is so vehemently troubled, demonstrates it self to bear eternal Power, for nothing else can do it when God speaks peace who can let it, as it is written, when he giveth quietness, who can make trouble, Job 34. and 29. And who can give it but he, the Lord speaketh peace in his People; he, and he alone bindeth up the broken Heart, and healeth the wounded in Spirit [...] he sendeth his Word and heale [...], the word that cometh from his own mouth which saith in the Soul fear not, It is I, be not affraid, be of good comfort thy Sins are forgiven thee, and faith in this word alone can only stay, quiet and comfort the wearie distrest Soul, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God; the word which proceedeth immediately from himself; and faith laying hold on that Word, which is full of Power. All the words of the Scripture cannot do it, when God ceases to speak himself to the Soul, it refuseth to be comforted; it may read, and search, and meditate upon the Scriptures, but the wounded spirit remains; the doubtings, the tossings, the terrours continue: I appeal to any, who ever knew any thing of the terrour of the Lord upon their Spirits, if it be not so, it would fain apply the promises, it would fain suck comfort out of the Scripture words, but it cannot find it, for the comfort is not in them, but the Life from which they came, and till it speak them afresh, they are but as a sounding Brass and tinksing Cimbal, a killing Letter, it is only the words that Christ himself speaks that are Spirit and Life; and they who see life in the Letter, see the living among the dead, for it declares of the Life, but it is not therein, but in him: and why is it, that so many Souls continue dead, notwithstanding their hearing, reading searching, and meditating upon the Letter; but because they [Page] come not to Christ himself to get life, who will turn their Water into Wine unto them, the oldness of the Letter into the newness of the Spirit, and all that they call their applying their promises, is but the work of their own imagination, and sparkes of their own kindling, which will cause them to lie down in sorrow till they come to know the great and precious Promises given unto them, spoken unto them, Immediately from the mouth of Jesus Christ, In whom all the Promises are Yea, and Amen.

Argument 9. And that there is somewhat in Man, where there is any true renderness and simplicity, which can be satisfied with nothing else, but God himself seen, heard, felt, tasted, and with a knowledg which cometh from his own Mouth, and the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation; This manifestly demonstrateth, there is such a thing to be attained, and might be attained were not the poor Soul missed, and turned aside from the true path, where it is to be found.

Oh, All ye simple tender hearted ones in whom there are any true breathings towards God at any time; I appeal to that which breathes in you, and it will answer me; (as for the dead form a withered Professor who is past feeling, I have nothing to do with him here, and he will be apt to laugh at this argument.) Do ye not find something in you which is not satisfied, with all the knowledg ye have drank in from the Scriptures, or the hearing of Man Preach upon them, are ye contented with all this▪ find ye rest herein, is your thirst quenched with these Waters, is your hunger satisfied? or rather, is it not so with you, as when a man in his sleep dreameth, that he eateth and drinketh and when he awaketh, behold he is hungry and thirsty? deal impartially with your selves, and then let that which is simple and tender and ingenuous answer me, and it will acknowledg it is so▪ Is not there somewhat in you, that sayes in your hearts, ye are yet ignorant of God? ye have not heard his Voice, nor seen his shape at any time, ye have not heard and learned of the Father, and so ye are not come unto Christ; feel ye not something in you which Laments after God, and Mourns because of its distance from him, and can have no joy or content because it wants the light of his Countenance. And all your Scripture, literal, traditional knowledg and wisdom is a burthen unto this in you; it can neither satisfie its hunger, nor quench its thirst: one [Page] crumb of Comfort from God himself, would be better to you than it all; a drop of living water out of the Eountain, ye would prefer to it all; for one glimpse of the glory and beauty of Jesus Christ ye would be content to count all your other knowledg loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledg of him thus, in the immediate manifestation of himself; this I am certain it is with many, and so was it with my self, and with many others who have much literal knowledg, we have drunk in partly from our own reading, and partly from mens speaking upon the Scriptures, but there was somewhat that cryed unto the Lord in our Souls, of his begetting for a better knowledg, a knowledg that was Life and Peace, and fruitful in the works of Righteousness, and that other knowledg became a burthen to us, and was as Death, for we found it empty, barren, and unfruitful in the works of Righteousness, and as it increased; it increased our sorrow; and the Lord in his great mercy heard that which cryed and breathed in us, the living knowledg, and opened the Ear to hear, and the Eye to see, and broke down the partition-wall, and rended the Vails which with-held from us the Light of his Countenance, and the streamings forth of his Life in the light into our Souls; and it was God that begot that desire in us, of a more immediate fellowship and communion with him in the Light of his life, and he would never have begot it, had the thing desired been impossible to be attained; and till we come to the accomplishment and fulfilling of our desire, even the sweet fellowship of him in the Revelation of his Light, we have not rest, peace, nor content, nor shall any ever have it; whereby it appears, that the one is as necessary to a Christian as the other, and he that believes, hath entered into his rest.

Argument 10. Iesus Christ Revealed in Man, is the foundation of the true Church, and of every Member thereof in particular; and therefore if the true Church remain, this must remain also. This is that which Christ Jesus taught himself, in the daies of his Flesh. Mat. 16. 16, 17, 18. Asking Peter who he was? To whom he answered, Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God, Then said he, Blessed art thou Simon Barjons, for Flesh and Blood hath not Ravealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my Church, and the Gates of Hell [Page] shall not prevail against it. Now this Rock, on which he said, he would build his Church; is not the Man or vessel Peter himself, as the Papists foolishly plead, But the Rock was himself. Isa. 28. 16. Behold, I lay in Sion for a Foundation, a Stone, a tryed Stone, a precious Corner Stone; a sure Foundation. And said Paul, 1 Cor. 3. 11. Other Foundation can no man lay, than that which is laid, which is Iesus Christ: See further those Scriptures, Dan. 2. 3, 4. Mat. 21. 42. 1 Pet. 2. 4. Ephes. 2. 20. So from these Scriptures it is manifest, That Christ himself is the Foundation; and not one, nor all the Apostles; they are not the Foundation, they are but a part of the building: And Christ is their Foundation, the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, as 'tis Ephes. 2. 20 He himself is the chief corner Stone: or, as it is in Beza's Translation the undermost corner-Stone; He is the undermost Stone of all the building, and he is the corner-Stone; that which knits every Stone, or part of the building together; being the Foundation Stone in every Member, That is, every Believer; they have all immediate access unto this Stone: To whom comming saies Peter, As unto a living Stone, 1 Pet. 2. 4. and Ephes. 4. 15, 16. He is the Head in all; From whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the Body: You see how it is said, This Head, this Foundation; This Corner-stone hath an effectual Working in the Measure of every part, for, it is a living Stone, a Stone which is Life and Spirit, and so breathes Life in every part and member of the Body; Whereby every Member also becomes a living Stone, 1 Pet. 2. 5. A Temple of the Holy Ghost which is therein, 1 Cor. 6. 19. So the holy Spirit of Christ dwels in the whole Body, and in every Member, and is not divided, but is one in all and in every one: Now mark further, Christ is this Foundation as Peter confessed him; Revealed not by Flesh and Blood, but, by his Father which is in Heaven: Christ must be revealed by the Father, before he become a Foundation; this is that which bu [...]eth, which edifieth the effectual working in every part, the Revelation of the Arm of the Lord in mans heart: This is that which diggeth deep beyond all the earth and sand, and that which is Corruptible, till it come to the Incorruptible.

[Page] The Word of God which abideth for ever; and is able to carry the Building, and bear it up against all the storms that can affault it: Whosoever cometh to me (saith Christ) and heareth my sarings and doth them, he is like a man that built an house, and d [...]gged deep, and laid the Foundation on a Rock; and this is himself. Lo [...]! now he saith, He that builds on the true Foundation, on the Rock he diggeth deep for it, and he heareth Christ himself, and not only heareth, but doeth: So he must dig deep beyond all words, till he come to the Power, wherein the Kingdom standeth, 1 Cor. 4. 20. In Power and not in Words, he must dig deep beyond all Words, till he come to the eternal Word, which Created the Heavens and the Earth, and is the Foundation which upholds them; and hereupon, must this new Crea [...]ion be builded, for nothing else can carry the weight of it▪ and as is touched already, this Foundation must be revealed, not by Flesh and Blood, but by God himself, or else it cannot be come into, and so cannot be built upon: No man cometh unto me (s [...]th Christ) unless the Father draw him, and he who hath heared and learned of the Father cometh to him, John 9. 44. 45. See how this agreeth with that which Christ said to Peter, Flesh and Blood hath not revealed this unto thee. This Rock on which I will build my Church, but my Father in Heaven; it must be the Revelation of the Father, which must give the knowledg of it: The living knowledge, the knowledge which is life eternal; for this Foundation being Life, its effectual working, is to quicken that which is dead, that it may become a Member; and it draws to it self by the vertue and power of its life, and by the drawings, a feeling of the life which draws is begotten, and this feeling is the true knowledge; and hereby, man comes to know infallibly, the true Foundation; he discerns it in the feeling, and so he can distinguish it from that which is Corruptible, and is not able to bear up the building: And therefore now ye who have not come to the revelation of the Father, and of his Son, ye have not yet seen the Foundation, and how can ye Build on it? If ye have not heard Christs words from his own mouth, and do them not, and if ye have not digged deep beyond all Words, yea, and thoughts, and comprehensions of the carnal Mind, if ye have not digged so deep till ye come to the Power, wherein [Page] the kingdom of God stands; your building is but on the Sand, and that Church whatsoever, which is not builded on this Foundation: Christ Jesus, immediately revealed both in the whole Body, and in every Member thereof; is not the true Church but a Synagogue of Sathan, a vile Harlot, Mystery Babylon, the Mother of Fornicators; for the true Church is one in all ages, past, present, and to come; and it hath ever had one Foundation, which is Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day and for ever; and there is one Body, and one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, Ephes. 4. 4, 5. Now, what was this Foundation of the Church of God, before ever Scripture was writ, before Moses, and the Prophets, and Apostles which came after, who wrot the Scriptures? Was it not Jesus Christ the Word, which was in the beginning, had it any other Foundation; and what gave them the knowledge of this Foundation? and builded them upon it, when they had no Scripture; and whereupon was their faith founded? by the hearing of what word did they come by their Faith, seeing then the Scriptures was not writ; it was even the Word which came from God himself, and taught them, immediately; and many of them believed, when they had no man to speak unto them. The Word of the Lord came unto Abraham when he was in his own country saying unto him, Get thee out from among thy kindred, and from thy Fathers house, out of thy country, unto the Land that I will shew thee: and there was no man brought this message to him, for, those among whom he lived were Idolaters, but God spoke to him by his own immediate Word, and he heard and believed, and it was counted to him for Righteousness. Thus ye may see how Abraham's Faith came by the hearing of the Word of God, proceeding from his own mouth; Now every Believer is the Seed of Abraham Gal. 3. 29. And this Faith, is the same Faith with his, (for there is but one Faith) and it hath the same Foundation, the Word of God proceeding immediately from himself, for no other Word is able to beget it, but the same Word of power which begot the Faith of Abraham, for Faith is the gift of God, it is a Supernatural thing, and therefore it must have a supernatural Cause; it must stand in the power of God, (the Word of Power which was in the Beginning) 1 Cor. 2. 5. For nothing else is able to bear the [Page] weight of [...]; and so Isaac and Iacob heard God and believed: And the Word of the Lord came unto Moses, and he believed. And so many others we read of, who heard God himself; and now the [...] being one in all, and having one foundation; it follows manifestly, That every believer must hear the Word of the Lord, which proceedeth out of his own Mouth; on which alone, that one Faith is builded: And to this one Foundation Moses and all the Prophets and Apostles, testified and b [...]ar witness; So did Jesus Christ himself in the daies of his Flesh. Let us begin with Moses after he had fully declared unto the Iews (as he had received them from the Lord) all the Laws pertaining to the first Covenant; and have writ them in a book, and had given them to the People, which he caused the Levites to keep and lay up in the side of the Ark, see Deut. 31. 24, 25, 26 He falls a declaring concerning the New Covenant, Deut. 30. from 11 ver. to ver. 16. This Commandment saith he, which I Commanded thee this day, is not hidden from thee, neither is it far of; It is not in Heaven that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us into Heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it: Neither is it beyond Sea, that thou shouldest say, who shall go over the Sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it and do it; But the Word is very nigh unto thee, in my [...] and in thine Heart, that thou mayest do it. Now that Moses in these Words, points at the New-Covenant is manifest, because first he points them to this Word and Commandment, not writ in tables of Stone, or in the book of the Law: But to it in the heart: The Word is very nigh thee sayes he, in thy Heart. This is that which more fully declared, Ierem. 31. 32. For then the New-Covenant dispensation came to be more manifestly revealed, but in Moses time was more hid and obscure, for the Vail hung before his face.

Secondly. 'Tis maaifest also from Rom. 10. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. When Paul according to the wisdom given him, maketh a full and ample Interpretation upon Moses Words, shewing how that Moses described, both in the fore-cited place, the Old Covenant and the New; Which Paul calleth the Righteousness of the Law, and the righteousness of Faith, ver. 5. for, sayes he, Moses descrybeth the righteousness which is of the Law, that the [Page] Man which doeth these things shall live by them, But the Righteousness which is of Faith (saith he) speaketh on this wise, Say not in thy heart, who shall ascend into Heaven, that is, to bring Christ down from above; or who shall descend into the Deep that is, to bring up Christ again from the Dead: But what saith it, the Word is [...]gh thee, in thy Mouth, and in thy Heart, that is the Word of Faith, (saith he) which we Preach, &c. In which word; it is clear he points at that spoken by Moses, Deut. 30. 12, 13. &c: And he calls them the words of the Righteousness of Faith, and that Word Moses poynted the Iews too in their heart, he calls it the Word of Faith; and it is clear, he understands it of Christ, for he addeth by way of Interpretation to Moses words, speaking from the same Spirit, Say not in thy heart who shall Ascend into Heaven, that is (saith he) to bring Christ down from above: and this is it, which Paul pleadeth so much for in the Epistles, Rom. Gal. shewing, that there is no Justification by Moses's Law, to wit, that writ in the book of the Law, and delivered to the Levites, nor that writ in the Tables of Stone; which he calls the Righteousness of the Law, but by the Righteousness of Faith; the word of Faith which is the New-Covenant; Faith in Jesus Christ, the word in the heart: And elsewhere he saith, If there had been a Law which could have given Life, then Righteousness had been thereby; but now by this Word in the Heart, Life is given, and therefore is Righteousness thereby, for it is [...]he Word of Life living and Powerful &c. And Moses pointed at the same Jesus Christ before, Deut. 18. 18. 19. where he calleth him a Prophet, &c. And the Iews, and People of Israel who lived in Moses's time, and were saved, it was through Faith in this Word, in this Prophet, raised up in them, in their hearts, not at a distance, but nigh; the Word is nigh in thy Heart: And this is Christ in them the hope of Glory, the Mistery hid from eyes and Generations, but was ever made manifest in his Saints, but in the latter daies more clearly: Christ in all that believe the hope of Glory; and so from what is said, It is Manifest that Moses pointed at this Foundation, (which is one in all ages) of the Church, which was not the Words writ in Tables of Stone, or Books of the Law, but the Word of Faith, whereby comes the Righteousness of Faith, [Page] and the believing Iews in Moses's time, made not a Church different from that in the time of the Apostles, and down-wards, all are one Church, and under one Covenant, and were saved by one Faith, in one Lord and Redeemer, though the dispensations did differ in many Circumstances, and these who succeeded had more full and large discoveries of the Mistery; yet, in substance they all agreed, and were all one upon the matter.

This being so weighty, and it lying before me so clearly, and it being so useful to demonstrate (so far as words may be serviceable therein) the matter in hand, I have been driven to insist the more largely upon it, and now to descend to David and the Prophets, and Apostles; whereas I might instance many hundred places in the book of the Psalmes: I shall only point at the 119 Psal. And desire the Reader in the fear of the Lord, to ponder and weigh what is therein declared concerning this Foundation and fundamental Principle, to witt the Word; and what word is it, he speaks so much, and so frequently of here and else where, when he sayes ver. 11. Thy word have I hid in my Heart, and ver. 16. I will not forget thy Word. and ver. 25. Quicken thou me by (or according to) thy Word, and ver. 28. Strengthen me according to thy Word. and ver. 42. I trust in thy Word. and ver. 43. He calls it the Word of Truth. and ver. 50. Thy Word hath quickned me. and ver. 81, 82. I hope in thy Word, mine eyes fail for thy Word, when wilt thou comfort me. and ver. 89. For ever O Lord, thy Word is setled in Heaven. and ver. 105. Thy Word is a Lamp unto my Feet, and a Light unto my Path. and ver. 123. Mine eyes fail for thy Salvation, and for the Word of thy righteousness. and ver. 133. Order my Steps in thy Word. and ver. 140. Thy word is very pure, therefore thy servant loveth it. and ver. 160. Thy Word is true from the Beginning, and ver. 162. I rejoyce at thy Words as one that findeth great spoil. and ver. 169. Give me understanding according to thy Word.

Let that which is noble and ingenuous in any one answer me, what Word this is, whether it be the Letter of the Scriptures writ in a Book, or that Word of Faith Paul, and Moses long before spoke off; the Word in the heart: That it is not the Letter of the Scripture, or any outward, Word or Words whatsoever, as the national Teachers give poor people to believe; may be very [Page] clear to that in any man, which ever had experience of any opperation of God on his Heart, any Life, quickning or Comfort from the Lord; That which has found this, will answer me, That it is the Word of Power, even that Eternal Word, which is Sealed in Heaven, as it is ver. 89. and which Created the Heavens and Earth; and no less Power can quicken a dead fainting Soul; or comfort a weary distressed Mind. Alas, What can Scripture Words do, read of a Book, or spoken from mans Mouth, when this Eternal Omnipotent Word breathes not in the Heart, when it speaks not; can the Heart open to receive any Consolation: Oh how does the Soul, that has once felt living touches, and breathings of this Word of Life, faint for it; how does it wait all the day long till it come, how does it watch more than for the Morning; And when it reads in the Words of Scripture, concerning the sweet and lively opperation of this Word, what it has wrought in others, and remembers what it has wrought in it self, and finds no moving or streaming forth of its Vertue; how does it lament after the Lord, till he send his Word a [...]rest, and heal and restore, and quicken, and comfort it, to its full satisfaction; and then was this Word, even then present with it, in its Languishing time, begetting in it desires after a more full Manifestation; and that this Word is that I am pleading for, whereof David speaks so much, can be the more easily demonstrated to such, who are the more insensible of this Word, what it is, not being acquainted with its living vertue in themselves, and therefore are apt to call it a fancy; for that David was a Prophet, a Man inspired of God, to whom the Word of the Lord came immediately from his own mouth, for this is generally acknowledged: Now was not this a rich dispensation and a glorious? Would not David prefer this Immediate Word, to the Words writ in a Book either from himself, or these before him, and in Davids time, there was but little of the Scriptures written, and if he would prefer this Word immediately proceeding from the mouth of the Lord, (whereby he was Inspired, and Prophecied, and Prayed, and sung Psalms) to the words writ in a book, which were but the effect of that Word of Prophecy or Inspiration in the Heart: Then is it not clear, that in these places above cited, he understands this Word, [Page] and this was the Word in the beginning, the Word of Power, of Truth, of Righteousness, of Faith, of Life in his Heart which taught him the Laws, Judgments, Statutes, Commandments, Precepts, Testimonies, &c. He so much mentions in that Psalm. This quenched him, this strengthened h [...]m, this comforted him, this taught him, and made him wiser than his Teachers; this was a Rule unto him, a Lamp unto his seet, and a light to his Paths, in this his steps were ordered. ver. 133. In this he Worshiped, [...]e Prayed, he sung Psalms, and all his springs were in this; it was life in his heart, and sweet as hony in his Mouth, and caused his lips drop as a hony Comb.

And Solomon Davids Son, how much doth he speak of this Word, but under an other Name, for it hath many names, because it hath many vertues or properties, some name pointing at one, some at another: he calls it Wisdom in his Books of the Proverbs, and Eccles. and in the Song, he calls it Love, Beloved, and by many other Names; So Iohn Baptist calleth it the Light, Iohn the Apostle, the Anoynting, the Light, the L [...]mb, the Witness, and he is most frequently called in the Wrightings of the Evangelists and Apostles, Jesus Christ, and by whatever name or vertue signified, whereby he was known to be a Saviour to all that believed in him, whether Iew or Gentiles, who enlightens every man that cometh into the World. And to return to Solomon, how fully and mani [...]estly points he at this Principle, and Foundation, under the name of Wisdom, and wisdom it is, for Jesus Christ is the Wisdom and Power of God, how does he bring it in, under the designation of a Woman, a Spouse, a Wife of youth, a Mother, &c. So powerful, so earnestly, so convincingly pleading with man, and even with all men, Prov. 1. 20. Wisdom crieth without, she uttereth her voice in the streets, she cryeth in the chief places of Concourse, in the openings of the Gates in the City, she uttereth her words, or as it is in Iunius, and Tremelius, Translation, more truly; In every Ci [...]y she speaketh her words, (for her sound is gone forth into all the Earth, and her words unto the end of the World, Rom. 10. 18) How long ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity, and scorners delight in scorning, and Fools hate knowledg; [...]urn you at my reproof, behold, I will powr out unto you my Spirit, and make known my words [Page] unto you, ver. 22, 23, and Prov. 8, 3, 4. She cryeth at the Gates, at the entry of the City, at the comming in at the dores; unto you O men, I call, and my voice is to the Sons of Men; or as it is in the Translation aforesaid, I call upon you the Vulgar, or the Commons of the Sons of Men, She calleth upon all, many are called, but few hearken and obey; and so it is, that few are chosen: And is not her crying in this place, at the [...]ates in every City (that is in every man) at the coming in at the Doors, the same with Jesus Christ his standing at the door (the door of the heart) saying, Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man will open unto me (Revel. 3. 20) and hear my voice, I will come into him, and Supp with him, &c. Now what doth she promise to these that hearken to her and receives her instructions, and lay hold thereon, Prov. 2. 2, 5. If thou incline thine ear unto Wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding, &c. Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledg of God. And Prov. 1. 33. VVho so hearkneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. and ver. 23. Turn you at my reproof, behold I will pour out my spirit unto you, and Prov. 3. 13. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom &c. For her Merchandize is better than silver, and the gain thereof, than fine Gold. She is more precious than Rubies, and all the things thou canst desire, are not to be compared unto her; length of daies are in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honor, her wayes are wayes of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace, she is a tree of Life to them that lay hold upon her, and happy i [...] every one that retaineth her. and Prov. 3. 23. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely and thy foot shall not stumble; when thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid, yea, thou shalt lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet unto thee. and Prov. 4. 6. Forsake her not and she shall preserve thee, love her and she shall keep thee; wisdom is the principal thing, exalt h [...]r and she shall promote thee, she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her, &c. and Prov. 6. 22. (As it is in the Latin Translation) VVhithersoever thou shalt go she shall lead thee, when thou sleepest, she shall keep thee, and when thou awakest, she shall talk with thee, for the Commandment is a Lamp, and the Law is Light, and reproofs of Instruction are the way of Life, to keep thee from the evil [...]man, &c. [Page] (That is the false deceitful whorish spirit, the spirit of this world, wh [...]ch bewitches the whole Earth, and rules in the children of Diobedience) and Prov. 8. 14. Counsel is mine, and sound Iudgment, or VVisdom. and ver. 28. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the Pathes of iudgment, that I may cause those that love me, to inherit substance, and I will fill their Treasures. and ver. 34. 35. Blessed is the man that heareth me, waiting daily at my Gates, waiting at the postes of my dores, for who so findeth me, findeth Life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord. and Prov. 9. 3. She hath sent forth her Maidens, she cryeth upon the highest places of the City, who so is simple let him turn in hither, as for every one that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, come eat of my Bread and drink of my Wine which I have mingled, &c. Lo, How universal is her call, and how particular to all, and to every one, and she not only sendeth forth her Maidens, (that is her Ministers) to cry, but she crieth her self; and how sufficient is she (being the very fulness of God himself) to answer all Mens necessities, and to be unto him above all that his heart can desire; wanteth he Counsel, counsel is hers; needs he direction whithersoever he shall go, she shall lead him; pants he for life, she is a Tree of Life; would he be at substance somewhat beyond all shaddows, all temporals, all things that may be seen or heard by the eye or ear of flesh; she causeth to inherit substance, that which is eternal beyond all words, thoughts, or comprehensions of man, which the Moth nor the Rust cannot corrupt, nor the Thief break thorow and steal; would he have long life, riches and honours, length of daies are in her right hand, riches and honour in her left; would he have the fear of the Lord, and the knowledg of God? she giveth it him: Is he hungry? she feedeth him with the bread of Life, which is heavenly Vertue and Power, the [...]ood of Angels: Doth he thirst? she giveth him of the Wine new in the Fathers Kingdom, even that which groweth in the Paradise of God: Would he have a rule to walk by? her Commandments is a Lamp, and her Law a Light: VVould he have peace, and preservation, and pleasure? her wayes are peace, and her paths pleasantness, and who so hearkneth unto her shall dwell safely, &c. Or needeth he company when he goeth, or sitteth, when he lyeth down, or riseth [Page] up, when he walketh in the Field, or is shut up alone in a Prison, or desolate place, where none hath access unto him; then she talketh with him, and she is more to him, than Ten thousands of Companies, for sweet is her voice, and her countenance is comely; she is like the loving Hind, and pleasant Roe, and her breasts satisfie him at all times, and he is alwaies ravished with her love, and now where is this wisdom to be found? Oh! How are men bewitched from the true path, where it appears; and how are we in a day bewitched with them, seeking her without us, and following after these Idol Shepherds (who with destruction and Death hath heard the fame thereof with their ears, but never saw her, and so could not tell us where to find her, but cryed, Lo here, Lo there, in this sermon, that fine book, this or that place of Scripture, this or the other Ordnance, while as we were led out from watching at the posts of her Doors, waiting to hear her voice in us, and her reproofs which were the way unto her, and her path was in the light which shined in our Consciences, but our blind Watch-men told us, that was not wisdoms voice, which reproved us in our hearts in secret for ous sins, but the checks of a Natural Conscience, and the light which shined in our dark hearts, and made manifest the hidden things of dishonesty in us (said they) is not the path of wisdom, nor can it lead unto her, but a natural Light, a light which is darkness, and blind as to the things of God, but we have found them Iyars, for it hath led us unto her, and that which reproved us, we have found to be her voice, and we turning at her reproofs, we have found her promise verified, even the powering forth her spirit upon us, Prov. 1. 23. And she hath revealed in us a measure of all these blessed things aforesaid, and many a day read weof them in the Scriptures, and heard the same thereof with our ears, but both she and they were hid from us, till our minds were turned to her own voice, and light in our own hearts, and this gave us the knowledg of her, and of these heavenly and spiritual blessings which accompany her, and we assuredly know, that it is the Lord alone that giveth her, immediately out of his own mouth, Prov. 2. 6. She is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the Fowls of the air; &c. God understandeth the way thereof and unto man he saith, Behold the fear [Page] of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding. Iob 28. 21. 23, 28, And blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see her. And thus I have largely pointed unto this Principle, and Foundation from Solomons Testimony; and now I shall descend to Isaia's, and passing many places might be instanced, I shall cite but a few, Isa. 2. 2, 3, 4, 5. And it shall come to pass in the last dayes that the Mountain of the Lords House shall be established, in the top of the Mountains, &c. And all Nations shall flow unto it, &c. For out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem, and he (the Word for that is his Name, Rev. 19. 13.) shall judge among the Nations, and shall correct, or reform many people, (as it's in the Latine Translation) And they shall beat their Swords into Plow-shares, &c. O house of Jacob come ye, and let us walk in the Light of the Lord. And Isa. 4. 25. In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the form of the Earth shall be excellent, &c. And the Lord will Create upon every dwelling place of Mount Sion, and upon her assemblies a cloud and smoak by day, and the shining of a flaming Fire by night, for upon all the glory shall be a defence; and there shall be a Tabernacle for a shaddow. And Isa. 42. 1. Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth, I have put my spirit upon him, he shall bring forth Iudgment to the Gentiles &c. He shall not fall, nor be discouraged, till he have set Iudgment in the Earth, and the Isles shall wait for his Law, ver. 4. and Isa. 49. 6. I will also give thee for a Light to the Gentiles, that thou mayst be my Salvation, unto the ends of the Earth. And ver. 8. I will preserve thee, and give thee for a Covenant of the people to establish the Earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages, &c. And Isa, 55. 4. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the People, a Leader and Commander to the People. And Ieremiah the Prophet saith of him, Ierem. 23. 5, 6. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a King shall Reign and prosper, and shall execute Iudgment and Iustice in the Earth, in his daies Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: And this is his Name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. And he said of him, Ierem. 20. 9. His Word was in mine heart [Page] as a burning Fire, shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, I could not stay. And this was the Word which come unto all the true Prophets and instructed them with their Messages, from the Mouth of the Lord: Many other Passages might be brought, testifying to this Principle, out of the other Prophets Ezek. D [...]. Hosea, and the rest, but I forbear. And Iohn the Baptist testified of him, saying, That he came being sent of God, for a Witness of the Light, that all men there-through might believe, he was not that Light, but was sent to bear Witness of that Light, that was the true Light, which enlightens every Man that cometh into the World, John 1. 6, 7, 8, 9. And Christ himself in the dayes of his Flesh testified of himself; saying, I am the Light of the World, he that followeth me, shall not walk in Darkness, but shall have the Light of Life, John 8. 12. And this is the Condemnation, that Light is come into the World, and Men love darkness rather than light. John 3. 19. and John 14. 6. I am the way, the truth, and the life. And Iohn 11. 25. I am the Resurrection and the Life. And Iohn 10. 9. I am the Door, by me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and go in and out, and find Pasture. And Iohn 15. 1. I am the Vine, and my Father is the Husband-man, &c. And all these glorious things both he in the daies of his Flesh, and the Prophets before that his appearance in that body of Flesh; declared, neither only nor Principally, concerning his coming in the Flesh; namely, in that Vessel, or Temple, which appeared at Iesalem, mainly and Principally, concerning his spiritual appearance in his Saints, after his being Crucified, Risen, and Ascended, for till then, the Son of Man was not glorified, Phil. 7. 39. And though he was bodily present with his Disciples, yet he told them, they were to see greater things, Phil. 1. 50, And he said the Kingdom of God was at hand: and he taught them to pray for it, and he said; There be standing some among you, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Kingdom of God come with great power and glory; whereby it is manifest, that these things relate mainly to his coming again in spirit, when it should be powred out according to these many Promisses concerning the same, Recorded in the Prophets, and as is said before, he told them, It was expedient he should [Page] go away, that he might come again in a more glorious and comfortable appearance by the Revelation of his glorious Power in their hearts, for his Kingdom was not of this World, but an inward Kingdom, and he said, that it was within; and pointed to this spiritual appearance, by his Light in their hearts, under many Parables and Figures, which he calls the Kingdom of God, Mat. 13. 18, 19, &c. He compareth it to seed sown in several sorts of Ground; and he explaineth what he meaneth thereby, calling it the word of the Kingdom; That Kingdom which standeth not in Words, but in the Word Eternal, and this is the Word of the Kingdom which is sown in all sorts of Ground, good and bad; that is, in every mans heart, but the good only receiveth it, and bringeth forth Fruit therein. ver. 3. He compareth it to a grain of Mustard-seed, which being the least of all seeds, yet groweth up unto a Tree, and is the greatest among herbs; hereby pointing at his appearance in Mans heart at first, which is very insensible; but as he is believed in, becomes gradually greater and greate, till the Kingdom come with power and great Glory, which is also figured forth, by the other Parable of Leven, which a Woman took and hid in three measures of Meal, and it Leaveneth the whole. Again, ver. 44. He compareth it unto a Treasure h [...]d in the Field, the which, when a Man hath found he hideth, and for joy thereof, goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that Field; whereby he understandeth his Light that shineth in the darkness of Mans Heart, which hideth it from him; and Earth in mans Heart is that Field: Now though the darkness doth much to hide this noble Treasure, yet this noble Pearl shineth forth through the Darkness, and reaches to somewhat in Man, which being touched by its Vertue and Power, is made sensible; and an eye opens in the sensible part, which finds the Treasure, and selle [...]h all for it, (quitteth all the Light discovers to he evil) that the Field may be redeemed, and the Treasure possessed; and this Treasure, the Word of the Kingdom being full of Power, worketh cut the Corruption out of the Field, (the fruitful Field becometh barren) and then fatneth it, and maketh it good ground, good Earth, (this is the New-Earth) and the Treasures or seed sown therein takes Root, and becomes a branch or plant, [Page] and it is the noble Plant of Renown, That i [...], Christ formed in the Soul, Gal. 4. 19. And so the barren Wilderness becometh a fruitful Field, and the fruit of the Earth becometh excellent Isa. 4. 2. For it is the fruit which springs out of the Earth, and the Heavens open and poureth down Righteousness, which watereth this noble Plant, with its living streams. Again, he compareth it to a Merchant-man seeking goodly Pearls, who finding one Pearl of great price, went and sould all and bought it; What is this Pearl, but the Light, Revel. 21. 21. Compared with Iohn 10. 9. The twelve Gates are twelve Pearls, and yet but one; as the seven Spirits of God are one Spirit: Again, ver. 47. He likeneth it unto a Net cast into the Sea, which gathereth of every kind good and bad, but the good are kept in the vessells, and the bad cast away; hereby is signified, the Word of Gods Power, the Light of Christ taking hold both of the good and the evil in mens hearts, it taketh hold of the good and brings it into Union with it self; it taketh hold of the evil, not to unite it self there-with, for that is unpossible; but to crush it, and make a Conquest over it, and cast it into utter darkness lest it trouble the Creation. And Luke 15. 8, 9. He compareth it to a Woman, having lost her piece of Silver in her House, and she lighteth a candle and sweepeth the house, and seeketh diligently till she find it; and when she findeth it, she calleth her friends and maketh merry with them, through joy that the lost piece of mony is found, and this House where the lost piece of mony was lost, and is found is, mans heart, it was lost by Adam's Fall, yet it remained still in the house, and in the house in Man's heart its to be found, and the candle is lighted in this house, and it must be swept to find it; by all which, Christ Jesus points at this Principle, his Kingdom, or appearance by his Light in Man's heart, and the scope of all these Parables is, to turn in Man's mind to the Kingdom, the Light of Christ in the Heart, to find the Treasure, the Pearls, the lost piece of mony there, to find it where it was lost and is hid, for there it is to be enjoyed and possessed: No man possesses more of God, or of Christ, but what is revealed in himself; and to this Principle and Foundation the Apostles pointed for Pauls Commission, was from God, to Preach into the Gentiles, turning [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] them from Darkness into the Light, and so he Preached up the Light much, 2 Cor. 4. 6. God (saith he) who commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness, hath shined in our hers: here he Preacheth not any outward Light, but a Light that shineth in the Heart, an inward Light; and he calls it ver. 7. The Treasure in the Earthen Vessel; as Christ called it, The Treasure hid in the Field. And Ephes. 5. 13. He saith, all things that are reproved, are made manifest by the Light; for what ever doth make Manifest is light, wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the Dead, and Christ shall give thee Light: He does not say, that he should give it, or his words either; but, that Christ should give it: but by his words he pointeth to him, and him not a farr off, but neer; the Word is nigh, (Rom. 10. 8.) even in thy heart, by which he understands Christ, as is above demonstrated, and more plainly he declares this, Col. 1. 26. 27. calling it, The riches of the Glory of the Mystery in the Gentiles, (for so it is in the Greek;) And this Mystery is Christ, the Mystery in them, hid in them; the Treasure hid and till it be found, it is not the hope in them, but in them in whom it is manifested, it is the hope of glory, Christ in you the hope of Glory, ver. 27. And him he Preached to every man, ver. 28. warning every man, and teaching every man, he Preached him to them, in them; and he pointed them [...] him, in them; him Crucified in them, the Light shining in the Darkness in them, the Treasure hid in the Field, in them; the piece of Mony lost in the House in them: And as Jesus Christ came to seek, and save the Lost, so all his Ministers ever Preached people to this, the Lost in them; that it might be found, that they may find a lost God, a lost Christ, whom they had lost, and from whom they were separated by their Sins: This was the sum and substance of their Doctrine, to turn them to God, and to his Son Jesus Christ near them; That they might feel after him, in whom they had Living, Being, and Motion, to turn them to the fountain of living Waters, from the broken Cisterns to the Issues of Life which would spring forth in their hearts, were that which letts removed; and therefore said Paul, 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined not to know any thing among you, (in you) save Iesus Christ, and him Cruified; He Preached every where Christ [Page] Crucified, that he might be raised up in them, the Treasure hid, that it might be found in them; and therefore he said, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves, whether ye be in the Faith, prove your own selves, know ye not, that Christ Jesus is in you, except ye be reprobates; have ye not found the Treasures that was hid in you, the piece of mony lost, &c. And the other Apostles pointed at this same Principle in the heart. Iames saith (Iam. 5. 5, 6.) To the ungodly rich men of this world, who live in pleasure on the Earth, and are wanton; Nourishing their heart, as in a day of feasting, ye have Condemned, and killed the Just, and he doth not resist you, Christ Jesus the just and faithful witness in their heart, him they had Crucified in his appearance in them; for as he is, and lives in himself, being one eternal Incorruptible Life, he cannot be Crucified, but his appearance may be. See Rev. 11. 8. Compared with Rev. 13. 8. And he saith to the brethren grudge not one against another brethren, lest ye be Condemned; behold, the Iudge standeth before the door; Christ he standeth by at the door, if ye grudge, he will hearken the least motion of that Nature, and Condemn it by his light which shineth in your Consciences; for that is it that Condemnes, Iohn 3. And he bids them wait patiently for the coming of the Lord, Viz. In his glorious appearance the second time unto Salvation, as the Husband man waiteth patiently for the precious Fruit of the Earth, after the seed sown; Now Christ is both the Seeds-man, and the Seed, and also the precious Fruit. And Peter in like manner directeth them to this, and for the pattern, waiting for his second appearance, 1 Pet. 1. 13. Be sober and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you, at the Reuelation of Jesus Christ, when he shall appear in you glorified, who before was Crucified in weakness, yet now raised in Power, and living by the power of God, and raising you up together with him, and setting you in heavenly places in him. And till that time, that the day dawn, and the day Star arise thus in their hearts, he directeth them unto a light that shineth in a dark place, which is the same Jesus Christ in his first appearance; as the seed sown, a seed of Light sown, but not come forth to the perfect day, and this he calls the most sure, or firm word of Prophecy; where unto [Page] they do well to take he [...]d for the time; and this is the same Word Moses pointed the Iews unto, as is above demonstrated And Iohn points much to this Principle, 1 Iohn 1. 1. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life; declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ: Lo, how he decla [...]eth, that his fellowship was with the Son Jesus Christ. Though long before now, his appearance after the Flesh was removed, yet he had fellowship with that Life which remained, and more gloriously appeared after he was taken up; the Life which was in the beginning, that he that heard saw, and handled, (not with that which is born of the Flesh, but of the Spirit,) and was partaker off; even that Divine Nature, or Life, 2 Pet. 1. 4. And this Apostle Iohn calls it by other names, such as the seed of God, the Anointing, or Unction, the Truth, &c. And in Revel. He calls it the Lamb, and the Word of God. And thus I have gone thorow Moses, Prophets, Christ himself in the dayes of his Flesh, and his Apostles, their Testimony concerning this Foundation, or fundamental Principle, which as they witnessed, a Foundation and Fountain of Blessedness. Life, Joy, and peace in themselves; a substance beyond all Shaddows, Words, Pleasures Representations, Comprehensions, or Thoughts, so they pointed their Hearers hereto, and this was the work of their Ministry, That people being brought to he [...]r, see, handle, and pareake of this Life in themselves, they might have fellowship, with them therein; and so let People try themselves, and the Churches they are Members off, if they be built on this Foundation, the Word of Life which was in the beginning, or if they have never come to know any other Foundation as yet, but words from without, and from which they never knew, any other ground to believe them, but here say, from man, and not hearing the voice of God himself, their Foundation is but false, their Faith false, their Church, and Worship, and their whole Religon is false and vain.

Argument, II. And this was it, to witt, the Revelation of J [...]us Christ, and the hearing of his own Voice, by which these [Page] who heard the Ministers and Apostles (sent by him) believed their words, and the things by them declared, for had it not been this, they comeing forth declaring of such unheard of things, and so unlike, so unprobable, so foolish to the wisdom of Flesh and Blood; they could never have been received, nor gained such ground upon the World as they did: This is somewhat touched before, but is some-what more fully to be treated of here, being so weighty. This was it, that gave to the people a proof of their Ministracy, and Call, and message that it was of God, he who sent them; Christ the Word which was in the beginning, and spoke in them to the people, the same spoke and beas Testimony to the same words and things, declared by the words in the Hearts and Consciences of the hearers; and this made them and their Doctrine Manifest, they had no other proof so sufficient as this, and this without any other was sufficient, and so necessary, that nothing else could certainly perswade them, for many of the Prophets wrought no Miracles, nor did they alwaies tell of things to come, and how many were Converted to the Faith, who never saw any outward Miracle wrought, and these who were past feeling or discerning the witness of God in themselves, would not believe for all the Miracles, or other outward appearance, they called them devilry, and the like; for, their hearts were hardned, and the heart that is hardned, hath the ear that should hear stopped, and the eye blinded: so was it with Pharaoh and his servants, yea and many times with the people of the Iews themselves, but they who had the ear to hear, the inward ear in the sensible heart did hear; and such a power oft times went along with the Messengers of the Lord, that it rent the hard Rockie heart, and broke it in pieces, and made i [...] sensible, and quickned the dead, and opened an ear to hear the word in themselves, and so the Lords Messengers declaring in the power and Word of God that spoke in them; they directed them to hear that Word in themselves: He that hath an [...] to [...]ear (said Iohn) let him hear what the Spiri [...] saith to the Churches: And Ie [...]miah said, If ye will not hear within in secret (as I have read it in a Latin Translation) my Soul shall weep for you. Hear the word of the Lord said they, this was their Authority, their Proof they had not a [...] he [Page] and as this cleared their Call, and the truth of their Message in themselves, so did it in their hearers, and nothing else could do it, but that Word; the word of Truth, the word of Faith, to which Moses pointed the Iews, and Paul the Romans in their hearts; and this made them Manifest, and their Doctrine, and witnessed to them, was a Seal of confirmation unto it; I have given him said the Lord, (as it is writ, Isa. 55. 4.) For a witness to the People; and Revel. 1. 5. He is called the faithfull witness. See further, Mal. 3. 5. Mica. 1. 2. Clear Testimonies for this, and he who believed, had the witness in himself, 1 Iohn 5. 10. He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness, Christ the witness in himself, and in the Testimony of this witness, which said Amen to the words spoken thorow the Lords Messengers, stood ther Faith, not in their words, but in the word in themselves testifying thereto, and they believed not, because they heard them, but because they heard himself; as did the Samaritans, John 4. 42. And this is the Testimony of God, which is greater than the Testimony of Man, for which, it is blessed; and so their Faith stands in that which cannot be shaken, let men be shaken, and tossed, and driven to another thing or testimony; yet the Foundation of the Lord standeth sure, having this Seal, this Witness in ones self: and the Faith that comes thus, stands in the power of God, the word of Power which witnesseth in them, God speaking himself in them, and this is the (so called) formal object of Faith, Papists and Protestants so contend for, both agreeing in this, That it is God speaking, which is the formal object: But quoth the Papists, It is the speaking in the Church of Rome; and so upon the matter, They make it her Tradition: No, quoth the now Protestant, the degenerate Protestant, (for the pure primitive Protestants owned the true Foundation with us, though their discovery of it was but little,) God speaking in the Scriptures, is the object formal of our Faith, or Foundation of it, viz. The chief moving cause or medium, ex parte Objecti, why the Scriptures are to be believed, which is in effect, to make the Scriptures themselves it; for they deny, that God speaks in Man's heart, or reveals immediately in man, by voice, or word of mouth from himself by way of object: So that that which is heard, seen, or felt, is not any object imrevealed [Page] from God himself, that word it self immediately speaking, manifesting, or revealing as the Prophets and Apostles witnessed, but God speaking from without, in the Scriptures, that is it; and that this may be believed, they say, There is need of an Illumination, (they are a fraid to call it a Revelation, as may be seen in their Consession of Faith, 1 Cap. 6 Art. Where denying all new Revelations of the Spirit they add; nevertheless, we acknowledg the inward Illuminations of the Spirit of God, to be necessary for the saveing understanding of such things, as are revealed in the Scriptures, for therein say they, the whole Counsel of God concerning all things is revealed yet,) some are now calling it an inward Revelation, or an Immediate Revelation; ex parte subjecti, sive potentiae; but not ex parte objecti sive medii aut principii cogniti, quod prius cognitum in se ducit in cognitionem alterius, and they call it, to witt, this Revelation, ex parte subjecti sive potentiae medium Incognitum assentiens, i. e. an unknown midst of assenting; See for this Robert Barrones book concerning this part, against Iesuit Turnbul, where the Reader will see: I faithfully relate his Doctrine, and this man refutes (but so caused me Wonder,) them who affirm, that the Foundation, or formal object of Faith, is the Internal Testimony of the Spirit, speaking or manifesting in such a way as the Prophets, who were inspired, witnessed, having (as he acknowledges) the objects presented unto their minds, from God himself by species, or formes Supernatural as he calls them, and as they term them in the Scools, and he illustrates this further, in what sense he owns Immediate Revelation, and in what sense he denies it, by a pretty fitt comparison, as when a vail or cover is taken off a man's eye; that is sayes he, a Revelation ex parte subjecti sive potentiae, of the part of the subject, or facultie, or sense, which perceives, and that which he denies is Revelation ex parte objecti, as when the eye having no vail upon it, or stop from seeing, but that the object is hid, by a vail covering it, and this vail must be removed ere the eye see; though never so quick of discerning in it self, and thus he concludeth that there needs the operation of the Spirit of God, to take the vail off the eye, but not off the object, for that needeth not the object of a man's Faith is the doctrines of the Scriptures, which are most clear [Page] and evident therein; only the Vail must be taken off the eye of the mind to see them in the Scriptures: and this is the general Doctrine of the Priests, and Teachers in the Natural Ministry, as I haue discoursed with themselves both South and North; and its the Doctrine generally of the Protestant Churches so called, as they stand at this day; and now they say in their Pulpits and else-where, That we do them great wrong, when we affirm, They deny immediate Revelation, and the teachings of Gods Spirit, for they say, that we maintain, but in such a way, and not in such a way, as is before declared; and I have asked some of them, If they be for an inward Revelation, Testimony, or Teaching of the Spirit of God, then whither is the inward of the Spirit, or the outward of the Letter the most evident, certain, or perswasive to me? I have been answered, (though some hath said, That of the Letter, is the greatest, weightiest, most evident, &c.) They are not two Revelations, the inward and the outward, but they are one and the same Revelation, Testimony, or Teaching, caused by different Mediums, the Scriptures by way of Object, the Illumination of the Spirit, and the Mind concurring therewith, by way of Power or Faculty; as when I look upon a Lillie, three things concurr to make me see it, the Eye, the Light, and the Lillie; and if one of the three be wanting, there will be no sight of the Lillie, yet the Eye makes not one Vision, the Lillie another, but one and the same Vision is made with both, and so the Revelation of the Spirit, is not to be compared with the outward of the Letter say they: Whether is best or most certain, these being not two but one, and each midst being Supream, or greatest in its kind; the one ex parte subjecti, the other ex parte objecti: and that ex parte subjecti, they call medium incognitum, assentiendi, that which gives the knowledge of the object, but is not known itself Immediately, or first known or perceived; and then giving the knowledge of the other, as the Eye is medium incognitum videndi, it gives the sight, but is not seen it self; so the fore-cited Robert Barron. And I have found it with men th [...] more largely to hold forth the Priests Doctrine in this thing, to undeceive such as are so gulled, and cheated with them; who w [...]les would give the poor people to believe, they [Page] are for Immediate Revelation, but it is well known they deny it, both in Principle and Practice, and did they not deny it: Why persecute they such who are for it; and were they for the immediate Teachings of Gods Spirit in man's Heart: Why oppose they such who witnesseth it, and are not better learned? and when they say, They are taught, and called of God to Preach, as Peter and many others, who had not book learning. O (they cry out) Fancy, Delusion, Revelation Immediate is ceased: And they are very blind who see not, that upon this Foundations of denying Immediate Revelation, or teaching of Gods Spirit, depends their Church, Ministery, and the whole Clergy, and their so called Theology, and Philosophy, Schools, and Colledges, for if once people were perswaded and convinced, That God did Teach, and would teach them, who wait on him; such and many more things, and in a more excellent way than are taught by them, for such great Summs of Mony then they would turn their backs upon them, and their Colledges would become like the Abacies at this day (which lodged that Prophane Rabble of Papist Monks and Friers, who pretended to as great Spirituality, as the National Priests do) an habitation for Owles and Ravencus Beasts, and then down should all the Proud, Lording, lofty Clergy, with their many degrees of Doctorships, Lordships, and Masterships pass; who being strangers to the true knowledge, which is Life, Peace, Joy and Satisfaction in full assurance to the Soul, are vainly puffed up in their fleshly minds, by the form of knowledge in the Letter; as I was my self, whilst among them, and thought all men Idiots, and unlearned, who were not sk [...]lled in that litteral knowledge, but the Lord by his rich Grace brought me to see the vanity of all that knowledg: And I was convinced, that I was yet ignorant of the true knowledge of God, and I came to value one dram of the living knowledge; (from God himself) so to speak, to [...]all the Talents of that other, which I had laboured so much for, and had cost me so much both travel and mony, and I saw, it was all but loss and dung; and it lay upon me from the Lord, to depart from these Teachers, who could not point me to the living knowledge of God, where I could find it: And I came and heard Men and Women who were taught of God, who pointed me to the true Principle; and [Page] though some of them could not read a Letter, yet I find them wiser than all the Teachers, I ever formally had been under, and now the Lord has brought me into a Measure of the same living knowledge from his own mouth; and if people were convinced, that there is such a blessed and glorious dispensation, and so freely attained, they would turn their backs upon the old rotten Clergy, (for I cannot call it no better,) and waite upon the Lord for knowledge; and these they would only hear who were taught of God themselves: and the condition of their Disciples and Flocks, who generally are more barbarous, wicked, and ungodly than the savage Indians, too manifestly declares, they are not brought to the true knowledge and wisdome, the principle whereof, is the fear of the Lord, which redeems the mind out of all such practises they are found in. And now I shall lay open a little, this d [...]eipt of theirs; who affirm Revelation is ceased exparte objesti, of the part of the object; but it remains exparte subjecti, of the part of the subject, faculty, or power, which knoweth, and gives the knowledge, but it self in it self, is not known but by way of consequence; judging it to be the Spirit of God, from such tokens and marks as they fancy in their dark minds. Now behold the deceit of the Serpent, which lieth alwaies near to betray from the knowledge, which is life, and comes from the Spirit of God; and to snare them with a knowledge, which comes but from the Letter, and their dark minds, together with his suggestions and inspirations thereinto, and so they come to acknowledge which is the brat of the earthly Spirit; this hatches and brings it forth, and the Devil begot it, and is the Father of it: and this wisdome is called by Iames 3. 15. Earthly, Sensual, and Devilish, and is not from above; so then ye may perceive, there is a wisdom and knowledge of the Scriptures, that is devilish: such had the Priests, Pharisees, and Lawyers of the Iews, much Scripture Letter knowledge, but it was devilish; for they killed Christ. Now these who are endued with this knowledge, think farr otherwise, they think it is spiritual knowledge, and spiritual it is in that sense; as wickedness is called Spiritual, but they are apt to think, it has come from the Spirit of God, whereas it is from the Devil; and here the Devil who gives it them, covers [Page] himself, so that he cannot be seen, and the knowledge cannot be known of what nature it is, till the principle or spring, from whence it springs or flowes, be discovered, known, seen, felt, or perceived; and now he having so deceived them, as to make them believe, this is not attainable; the spring or principle, which gives the knowledge, is not immediately to be known: This was the Prophets and Apostles priviledge, who had a knowledge of the Principle in its immediate Manifestation, which taught them, they could perceive the Fountain clearly, from whence it flowed, it was Revealed to them Immediately, but this is now ceased, and we must gather only the knowledge of the Principle that indues us by consequence; (and what a poor uncertain blind knowledge, is this I may afterwards demonstrate when I come to examine that they call their assurance) and thus they continue in the dark, though they have a knowledge; yet they cannot certainly tell, who is the Father of it, who begot it, who inspired it, they feel not the principle, nor seeth, nor perceiveth it, its medium incognitum assentiendi, that is, an unknown midst of assenting, and yet they think all is well, and their knowledge is true and good enough; as a Man that has the Jaundies, which seeth the object, let it be never so White, he judgeth it to be yellow, and thinks he see well enough, not seeing the yellow vitious humour in his eye that beguiles him; but now if he could see his eye, to compare it with another Man's eye, than he would be convinced, his sight was not the right sight, for he would perceive, that the Principle is vitiated, and that vitiates the sight; and so they not knowing the Principle clearly and distinctly in it self, when any motion or operation comes in upon their minds; let it be although concerning such or such things, some Scriptures brought to their remembrance, or some thing bearing it self in, as duty; were it to pray, or give almes, or read, or hear, or the like; and finding some inclination begetting a bentness in them, and driving them by way of impulse to such or such a thing: Now, they not knowing manifestly the ground or principle from which these thoughts, suggestions, motions and inclinations arise; what a loss are they at? and how great is the danger they are in? as if a man at midnight were walking amongst Coal [...] pits, [Page] he is as ready to fall in the pit, as keep the right way, and much more, having no guid certainly to direct him in this thing; and now these Motives, Thoughts, and Inclinations, and workings, arising from the wrong Spirit and Principle, though they had never so great a shew, to be good and duty, yet they are not to be cherished, received, or obeyed, and he who obeys them, serves the Devil, and not God. Again, a Motive or Inclination, or opening, concerning such or such a thing, proceeding from the spirit of the Lord, if it be not received, followed and obeyed; this becomes fin and grieves, and provokes the holy Spirit of God; and so man in this state, not knowing certainly and infallibly, the spring and principle that moves him, is equally ready to serve the Devil as God, yea much more, for he being captivated in the darkness, the Devil rules in him at his pleasure; for certain it is, what ever is moved in Man's heart, it proceeds either from the Spirit of Satan, or from the Spirit of God; now he who has the true eve opened in the sensible part in him, perceives manifestly the Spring, whence the motions arise; if it be of God, it feels it to be so, and is refreshed with the heavenly vertue and power that moves him, and it fills his heart with joy and peace unspeakable, the nature of which joy, is discerned to be pure in the Light which manifestes it. Again, if the motion be of the Devil, the eye in the sensible part manifestly discernes it in the Light, and feels the Spring or Principle from which it arises, and he is burthened with it, and that of the Lords begetting in his heart, hath no union with it, nor can close with it; and power from God arises and resistes it in the heart; and thus when the enemy would come in as a flood, the Spirit of the Lord sets up a standard and bullwark against him: and O what a sweet blessed and comfortable condition is this, to know every Motion that moves in the Soul; to have Judgment so set up, the pure Judgment from the Lord in the heart, which passes an infallible sentence upon every thought and inclination, shewing its Nature, and stamping as it were upon the face, a Superscription shewing whose it is. This is the spiritual Man which judges all things, and is judged of no man; he is a Child of the day, and walks in the Light where is no occasion of stumbling; and he knoweth whither he goeth, and whom he serveth, and [Page] whose work he doth; and this man doth all in Faith, from a full unshaken perswasion, that he is allowed and approved of God in what he does, and so he serves God in all things, and glorifies him in his Body and in his Spirit, which are the Lords; and till Man return to this state, which was the pure state of his first Creation, he shall never have true Peace, or Content, or Joy or Rest, but find Judgment from the Lord pursuing him, if he be not past feeling; and this was my own condition in a day, O how did I lament before the Lord because of the thick Darkness wherein I was so choaked, that I had no manifest or infallible feeling of that which is my life to day, the blessed Spirit of God; and when many things moved in me, and thoughts come in upon my mind, how was I ground as betwixt two Millstones with doubts on the one hand lest they were of God, and fears on the other to the contrary, and I had no certainty of either; and so what ever I did, I was Condemned, and full well I knew the truth of that Scripture, He that doubteth is Damned: and I never came to the full and manifest Perswasion what Spirit or Principle moved in me, till I came to a cessation of all my own works, in the self will, and then in the stillness I learned the Judgment of God, concerning every thing in me; and in that day I cryed out and questioned in my heart saying, Is such a thing possible at this day, (for I had no doubt, but the Prophets and Apostles, and Saints of old have it) for me to know that Spirit that moveth in me, to have a feeling or sensation of it, which would put me out of doubt; as when I taste Wine or Water or Vinegar, I discern each of them Manifestly, and has no doubt concerning them; and by the Lords merciful Providence and his good hand that led me, in a way I knew not; I met with a People who told me there was such a blessed Dispensation, and they were brought into it in their measures, and they said to me, God was to be known and his holy blessed Spirit, by a sensation or feeling, which begot a ravishing unspeakable Joy, sweetness and delight in the Soul, such as I never conceived of, neither could it enter into my heart, till it were Revealed into the; and as I keeped to that which judged me, gradually it raised up a pure sense and discerning in me, and begot a birth of Life in me, which could feel its Spring or Principle: [Page] And this is man's happiness, and till he come hither, he is in Darkness, and walks he knows not whither, and works, he knows not whose work it is, or whom he serves; for now these thoughts motions, or inclinations of the mind being so secret, what can judge them? but the Word of God alone; that Eternal Word of Power Jesus Christ, before whom, all things are naked and bare, which is quick and powerful, and sharper than a Two-edged-Sword, to devide betwixt the Soul and Spirit, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart; all Scripture words come short here, infinitely short, for the Devil can, and oft doth, Transform himself into the likeness of an Angel of Light, and puts on the sheeps cloathing, the good words, Scripture words he can suggest them, and teach man to spin out many subtil notions & interpretations about them, which things also may be true upon the matter being known and received from, and retained in the false spirit, is but an Idol and not the Truth. Again, there are many things which a man does, which themselves considered, may be done, or not done; and so they being considered meerly in themselves, are neither good or evil, and become only so according to the Principle which moves in mens hearts thereto; good, because from the Spirit of God Man is moved thereto; and evil, because from the wrong Spirit Man is moved to do them: and so it comes oft to pass, that two Men doing the same things upon the matter, or speaking the ame words; suppose the giving of almes, or speaking of some swords by way of exhortation, or prayer, or the like; the one may be justified of God, doing the same from the movings of his Spirit, the other Condemned, doing them from the wrong Spirit, or Principle; and yet doth so far go playing together as Scripture words can go with them; and here the words fall short to judge them, both useing the words or things in themselves, allowable by them; but now the one doing in the Faith, which gives the feeling of the Principle of God which moves him, is accepted; and the other doing but in the form and immitation, and from the wrong Spirit and Principle is rejected, and his service abomination before God: And if one would say, These inward secret Motions may be judged by their fruits, which afterwards outwardly appear? I answer, That is too late, [Page] and the enemy may proceed so great a length, before the fruits outwardly appear, as to have wholly captivated Man into his snares, so as he cannot get rid, and then he will readily teach him to Justifie the Fruit also: But though they were seen to be evil it is too late; according to the wise saying of the Poet,

Principiis obsta sere Medicina paratur,

Cum mala per longas invaluere moras.

Resist all evills, how soon they begin,

When they have grown too late, comes Medicine.

Evil is to be resisted in its first appearance; (the Serpent is to be crushed in the Egg,) And how shall it be resisted, if it be not manifestly known: And hereby it may further appear, how absolutely necessary it is for man to know the guidance of the Lord Immediately by the Revelation of his Light and Spirit to order him in the stepps of his conversation, for it is not in man to direct his stepps; and he is in all his waies to acknowledg the Lord, and to be found in his will in all things, doing all in his name; that is, in his Power, in the leadings of his holy Spirit, to walk after that in all things, else he cannot do all in Faith, having in all he doth, either the express Commandment of the Lord thereanent, or at least his approbation; feeling in his Spirit, the Lord giving him liberty: and how far short do the Scriptures fall, to tell a man, what he is to do in all the circumstances and emergencies of Providences which fall out in his life time, no rational man but seeth; a World full of Books could not contain, rules and directions to a man in all things, which yet are all to be done in Faith, the Foundation whereof, is the Word of God, and his Revealed Will; and if one should plead, that general rules of Scripture, and examples may serve the turn, who see not, they cannot but fall short, there being no rule immaginary so generall concerning things in themselves indifferent, but suffer thousands of exceptions and examples also; yea, and many times these things which in the general look as duty; when the particular comes to be weighed in the ballance of Righteous Judgment, it is Sin; As for instance, Parents are to be obeyed, but now, what if they command that which God forbids, then they are to be denied therein, and many times the case is so doubtful, whether the [Page] thing commanded be against or with the command of the Lord: one sayes it is, and seeks to Justifie it by Scriptures; another sayes it is not, and condemns it from Scriptures, and what can be a touch-stone in such cases, but the Light of Christ which makes all Manifest, and many have seen this, how general rules the best of them all, as they lye in words fail to determine particulars, as in that and the like, Fus suum est cuique tribuendum, every man is to have what is proper, or belonging to him; and yet this suffers many exceptions, as if a Mad-man would demand his own knife from another that has it, to cut his own Throat, it is to be denied; and oft times the case in the particular cloathed with such and such circumstances is exceeding doubtful, when the general is clear; and therefore they make a vertue, they call Epieikeia in Greek, and to this, they give the Office of Modifying, and Judging in such cases, how far the general rule of equity is to be kept to, or receded from, in such cases as requires exception; as for instance, mans right must yield to Gods right, and the right of particulars must yield to the right in general; and this is the work of that vertue [...] as they terme it, to define the true midst or mi [...]di [...]ity betwixt the two extreams, and the many circumstances which falls in betwixt them, to touch the Center in [...]is large circumstance, and what can do this, but the very Wisdom of God, which would lead man through all these intricacies, according to its promise, Prov. 6. 22. above mentioned. And what a blessed Priviledg do they cut themselves short of, who [...]enies such a thing can be expected, as the immediate leadings of the Lord, teaching man, and giving him counsel in the wearie affaires and circumstances of his Life; and instructing him in the Will of his God, and calling him to what ever place, calling, or imployment he betakes himself too; as the Lord who is his Judge, is Chastly waited upon; and we can set too our Seal to it, that we have found it so: And without this, it is impossi [...]le to please God, and now having shewed the deceipt of the enemy in this thing, whereby they are betrayed into an opinion. That the Principle which moves in man, or gives him his knowledge, cannot be known in its own immediate Manifestation: I proceed further to demonstrate, that its to be known, and that the true ear or eye [Page] which Gods spirit opens in mans Soul, as it is Spiritual, Heavenly, and of an incorruptible Nature, so is its object; and therefore the objective Revelation immediately from the Spirit of God is as necessary as the subjective: I am constrained to use their terms, and find freedom so to do, for their sake; and so whereas they say, there is no object to be revealed, but that which is already revealed in Scripture, and is evident and clear enough in it self, and requires onely one opened ear or eye to discover, it is utterly false: we look not saith Paul on things that are seen, but at things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are Temporal, but the things which are not seen are Eternal, 2 Cor. 4. 18. Now observe what he makes the object of a Christians sight, knowledg or discerning, not words, but things; and how far short words fall of the things, is above manifested: next he makes this object, not things temporal, things visible, that falls under the preception of the carnal eye, or ear, or whatever is of this corruptible World; now though the things reported of in Scripture, be eternal, yet the words of the Scripture as they can be read, or heard with the eye or ear of flesh are not eternal, for nothing they can perceive is such; now again, see how far the Apostle shuts forth words, or the best of conceptions, or thoughts, or speculations of Mans heart, or whatever can be perceived that way, from being the object of this eye or sence of the Lords begetting in man, 1 Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. Now all the words of the Scripture, the eye hath seen, or may see; the ear hear, and they may enter into the heart of man to conceive the words, and form many conceptions on them; but the things have never entred, which the Scriptures report off into his heart, it is true, he may form one image or likeness of them in his mind as if I should form a likeness of such a Man or Countrey I never saw, but only heard off; this were not the true representation, no more is that, its but an Idol, and Revelations 2. 17. To him that overcometh, will I give to eat of the hidden Manna, and will give him a white Stone, and in the stone a new Name, written, which no man knoweth, but he that receives it. Lo, here is the object of his knowledge that overcometh, [Page] and none knew this object but he: The hidden Manna, the white Stone, and the new name, and what is this object but the Son of the Fathers Love Jesus Christ, himself, not only revealing, but revealed in the Soul; not only causing a man to know, but being himself known. The eternal Life it self manifested, He is this hidden Manna, this white Stone in which the Name is written, and now is not a sight of him manifested, seen, heard, handled, more than all words; is not this one object revealed, which onely himself can reveal: Oh, what an indignity do ye to Christ, and to that holy, pure, chaste, birth of his begetting in man, who deny, that any more of the glory of Christ is to be known; but what letters of Sylables, or sounds in the Air, can contain, they give indeed a true report of him, and of his glory, but infinitely falls the report short of a sight of himself; one glimpse of his lovely Co [...]ntenance, one look of his eye, would swallow up all that knowledg of him, drunk in by the report and fame of him, (which death and destruction can have, but is eternally excluded from the sight) as the Light of the day at noon, swallowes up the Light of the Starrs, and makes them all disappear, what a vast difference was betwixt the report of Solomon, and of his glory, to the Queen of Sheba, and her sight thereof, 1 Kin. 10. 4. And when the Queen of Sheba, had seen all Solomons Wisdom, and the House he had built, and the meat of his Table, and the attendance of his Ministers, and their Apparrel, &c. ver. 6. She said to the King, it was a true report, that I heard in my own Land, of the, Acts, and of thy Wisdom; howbeit, I believed not the words untill I came, and mine eyes had seen it, and behold the half was not told me, thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the same which I heard. And ver. 5. When she sa [...] the things themselves, there was no more Spirit in him, Now if Solomons glory and wealth, exceeded far the report or fame thereof; yea, of all that could be written, or spoken in words, which truly did report of him; how infinitely more does the glory of Christ, the true Solomon, and of his House and Table, and the meat thereof, and his Servants, and the Appa [...]el, the substance of all these things, whereof they were but a Figure, exceed the report or sound thereof, if they come short in the description of the shadow, how much more [Page] in the substance, and now Let any one who ever felt any true experience of the Love of Christ shed abroad in the heart, answer me: does not all words fall infinitely short of it, all that ever the eye saw, or ear heard, or the heart or mind conceived, (till that it was revealed by the fountain it self) was nothing to that which was felt, seen, tasted, of the love of Christ, which passeth knowledg, and it is past knowledg; it passeth words, and the joy unspeakable and full of glory, and the peace that passeth understanding: do they not infinitely exceed all the fame and report of them, in words they pass the understanding, the knowledg, the thoughts of the heart, much more pass they words: O how blind and insensible are they, who will deny this! and if they pass words, all words that can be uttered to represent them, then what can reveale them, but the spirit of God it self. Cor. 2, and 10. God saith, he hath revealed them to us by his Spirit. and ver. 12. Now we have received not the Spirit of this World, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. And what are the things the love of God felt; O how it peirceth, how it ravisheth the pure mind; how sweet is it, and more precious than the best Wine, is not this a glorious thing, and the Peace of God, and the Joy of his Salvation, and the Spirit of Glory, and of Power, which resteth on all Gods faithful witnesses and followers, and the bread of Life which comes down from heaven, a heavenly substance and vertue, which is Angels food; and the water of Life which springeth forth in full, fresh, living streams from the Well, Spring, and Fountain, which is opened in the heart of every true believer; what glorious things are these, and how infinitely words, or all outwards conceivable fall short in the description of them, and if they exceed all that is writ, or reported in Scripture concerning them, yet are known; then what is it but the Spirit that reveals them, and is not this an immediate objective Revelation. If I should read a description of Italie, make it never so exact or lively, and of the rich Buildings, the pleasant Vineyards, and Orchards, the excellent Wines, and other Fruits that grow there, and then come afterwards to see the Land it self, and its Buildings, and to eat of the Wine-Grapes, and taste of the Wine; have I not then [Page] another manner of knowledg, and are they not new objects discovered to me, the things themselves being now seen and known, whereas formerly, they were but as reported of, and when the Soul is brought to see that Land afar off, and yet nigh; the Land of P [...]omise, according to what is prom [...]sed; which Land is the Kingd [...]m [...]hich is Ri [...]teousness, and Peace, and Joy in the Holy Chest, and the Power of an endless Life, a Land flowing wi [...]h M [...]ss and Hony. continuall Rivers of Pleasures and Consola [...]n from the presence of the Lord; and is admitted to drink of [...]se Waters out of the Wells of Salvation: and to eat of t [...]ese Appies that grow upon the Tree of Life, which beareth Twelve manner of Fruit every Moneth. Does i [...] not discover and know new objects, infinitely excee [...]ing the report of these things, for my self (and I know all who have tasted with me of the heavenly gift will say, Amen, to my declaration.) I read the Scriptures all over several times, I studied them, I meditated upon them, and dived into them, and heard them weekly P [...]eached on, and I thought I had the Spiritual Eye, and the Ear, and had the knowledg of the things of God in some Measure; and yet I can truly say it, the Lord hath opened that Eye in me now, whereby, I discern Manifestly, that I then was very blind, and knew little more of these things, but the report; and when it pleased the Lord to Reveal himself in me, and the things of his Kingdom, Oh how did my Spirit fail, how was I stru [...]k with Admiration of th [...]t glory which appeared; How did it ravish my heart, and daily ravishes it, with its beauty and sweetness: and now I see, That all the knowledg of these things at a distance, by report is exceedingly short of the true substantial kno [...]ledg, and what I could apprehend of them by that Spirit, which t [...]en bare rule in me, which was the Spirit of the World, was bu [...] an Idol and Image of the Beast which bewitched me; And [...]lory to the Lord, who has given me, with many others victory over th [...]s Beast, and his Name, and Image, and yet there was that, even then which lay captive in me, under this Spirit that thirsted for the true knowledg of God, as the Hare pants after the Wa [...]er brooks, and could be satisfied with nothing else; and the Lord heard, and relieved, and gave me the knowledg of himself, and has raised up a Birth of his own begetting in me, [Page] and is daily more and more raising it up, which cannot live but in the Light of his countenance, nor be satisfied with all the reports of him, if himself be not heard, seen, and enjoyed; as 'twas said, Let me see the Kings face, and if there be any iniquity in me, Let him kill me 2 Sam, 14. 32. How much more doth he that is born of God, desire his Fathers face, the Kings face, the light of his Countenance; this made David, and so maketh it all the Children of God say, We have more joy and gladness in the light of our Fathers Countenance, though it were shut up in a Dungeon with Bread and Water, than they whose Corn, and Oyl, and Wine doth abound. Now, whereas it is said, The Scriptures are plain, evident, and manifest in themselves; they have a secret glory, Majesty and Purity in them, which mans writings in his own wisdom have not, and this abundantly manifests them to the spiritual Eye; I grant it is so, and certainly knows it to be so, which makes them so precious unto me, but consider a little, what this Glory, Majesty, Plainness, Purity &c. is, which makes them Manifest, and to whom it Manifests them: Such an Example will somewhat figure it forth, having first known such a man of rare beauty, comeliness, and majesty, which appears in his countenance; and afterwards, seeing his Portrait drawn so exactly as a Pensel could do; this Image or Portrait has a pretty lively representation of him, and the Characters of his Beauty, and the Majesty of his Countenance appear somewhat in the Portrait, whereby I Manifestly know, That it is the representation of such a Man: Now these Characters of Beauty and Majesty in the Image, come far short of the Mans countenance, and it was the seeing of him first, made me know his Image to be his; and so the glory and beauty of his Face may be called Primarie, but that in the Portr [...] Secondary, or Derivative; and the seeing himself, makes me believe, that it is his Description, and it is Manifest enough so I reading in the Scripture wherein there are as it were, rare and excellent draughts, shaddowing forth Jesus Christ; and I then coming to know himself, the Scriptures lye open and plain unto me, and they are very evident and manifest; but to him that never saw the King of Glory himself, they are hid, and as a sealed Book; and he who has heard God [Page] himself speak, will manifestly know the words writ or declared by others, in whom he has also spoken, and he stands near himself to testifie and witness to the truth of these words which come from himself: So Queen Sheba easily believed the report concerning Solomon and his wealth when she saw it, and I reading the Description of such a Countrey I have been in, and travelled thorow, it is easie for me to know, whether it be true, or false; and I being so long a hearer of such a Man speaking from word of mouth, and afterwards reading a book containing his words, I know them to be his, having heard him before; but the words as they lye in a book come far short of these which proceedeth from his own mouth, for these had much móre Life and Power with them: Then how much more do the words Immediately proceeding out of the Mouth of God, excell a Declaration or writing of them, though they be also precious, and excellent, but where the Word of the King himself is, there is Power, and blessed are they who know this joyful sound of the Voice of the living God in their hearts, and have thus learned the truth as it is in Jesus; having so learned Christ, having heard himself, and so having him, the Witness in themselves. Ephes. 4. 21. 1 Iohn 5. 10. They are built on a sure Foundation, which gives them fullness of Assurance, That the Prophets, and Apostles Doctrine is of God, having found himself Come, and seen him of whom Moses and the Prophets wrot, Iohn 1. 45. 46. And as it was the Spirit of Jesus Christ Witnessing (in the hearts of them who believed) to the Truth of the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, by which they were made Manifest in their Consciences, and their words were believed, which proceeded Immediately from their own Mouthes; and seeing that was necessary then, it must be also necessary now, also much if not much more, seeing these Apostles and Prophets are not alive themselves in the flesh to tell us, that they spoke or wrot so, but that their writings are transmitted to us, through many generations from hand to hand, and no question they have fallen into enemies hands, and how can a man be so fully assured, as is sufficient for his Salvation; but that Papists, Iews, and others, who had them before us, have wronged them, and both added, and taken away, and altered; [Page] if the Spirit of the Lord perswade him not to the contrary, seeing it is possible they might have done so, if the Lord had permitted; and what a light Foundation have they to their Faith, which men of corrupt minds, or Devils, or any powers whatsoever of this World, may brangle, spoile, corrupt, add to, or take from, for as we know through the rich mercy, and gracious Providence of God, the Lord hath so wonderfully preserved the Scriptures Testimony so far uncorrupt and pure, as that they abundantly testifie the true foundation, and these things sufficient for Salvation; not that they are sufficient themselves, but they abundantly testifie to that which is sufficient; and this we know by the Spirit of God that wrought them: but what a tottering and Lubrick, and uncertain Foundation ye have made to your selves, some of you affirming, and these men of great account with you, that the points of the Hebrew Coppies in which Language, the old Testament was writ, are but mens aditions, and the first writers used them not; and it is affirmed by many of your selves, they are but a late invention: Now what a great difference, and considerable the pointing makes any skilled in that Language but a little, may know, (the points being the vowells) even so great, that the points otherwaies set or added, may not only alter one or more words, but whole sentances; and if so, what a loss are ye at in your Foundation: I found it only to touch this a little, and refer the Reader to Samm [...]el Fishers Book, where he treats of this at large; and Iohn Owen Confesseth the points or vowels to be so weighty, that if they be invented or added since the writeing of the Scriptures by fallible men, it mightily threatens the ruine of the Christian Faith, thus he in words to the same purpose as may be seen in his book; and yet these men who set forth the Biblia Polyglotta: and many others affirm, the points to be added since, or that the contrarie is not Certain, but they are happy whose Faith depends not on mans saying or unsaying, but on that Word which was in the beginning, and this only can certifie us of the Scriptures.

Argument 12. And as by the Spirit of Jesus Christ his Revealing Immediately in mans heart, and bearing testimony to the Scriptures, that they are of God, and writ from his inspiring [Page] and moving of these holy Men of God who penned them. Man can only be sufficiently perswaded to believe them, so this can only give the understanding sense, true interpretation of them; Jesus Christ he himself is the great Interpreter the one of a Thousand, J [...]. 33. 23. Even he who met the two Disciples in [...] w [...]y going to Ema [...]s, and beginning at Moses and all the [...], expounded into them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning himself; and it is clear, that he spoke outwardly to them by word of Mouth, so he spoke inwardly by his Spirit into their hearts, and therefore they said one to another, Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures, Luke 24. 27, 32. Now what made this burning of their hearts within them but the powerful appearance of his Spirit which wrought in them as fire, which dispelled these clou [...]y mists of Darkness, which covered as a vaile the eye of their understandings, whereby they could not perceive the things written of him; and 'tis said, concerning the other Disciples and Apostles, ver. 45. Then opened he their understandings, that they might understand the Scriptures. And that the words spoke from without, could not do, this is clear from his own Testimony, Iohn, 6. 63. It is the Spirit which quickneth, the Flesh profiteth nothing, the Words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are Life. and Job 32. 8. The Inspiration of the Almighty gives understanding; This is that which opens the Scriptures else they are a sealed book, and how weak and dark were the Disciples whilst Christ abode with them, in his bodily appearance; how many things were shut up from them, even although they had some knowledg, which Flesh and Blood had not revealed to them, but his Father in Heaven: yet, the Spirit not being pouered forth in such a measure of glorious Manifestation as afterwards they received, till then they were Ignorant of many things, See Iohn 14. 9. Iohn 16. 16. 17. Compared with 25. Math. 16. 8. 9. Math. 16. 21. 22. Iohn 11. 13. Iohn 13. 28. Luke 9. 44. Luke 9. 33. Math 17. 23. Acts 1. 6. And especially the mistery of his Dying and Rising again, and the coming of his Kingdom was much hid from them; therefore he said, Iohn 16. 12, 13. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now: [Page] Howbeit, when the Spirit of Truth is Come he will guide you into all Truth; for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, &c. And so when the Spirit was poured out, then their understandings were opened, and they called to remembrance many things spoke by him, in the daies of his Flesh, and then they understood them. No Prophecy of the Scripture (saith Peter) is of any private Interpretation, 2 Pe [...]. 1. 20. But according to the Greek and Bezars Translation, the words are more plain; No Prophecy of the Scripture is of a Man's own Interpretation, Prophecy, Explications, the Man who spoke the Scriptures from the Spirit of God was not to Interpret them of himself, nor in his own will, so neither was any other to Interpret them, but that Spirit which first gave them forth, was to Interpret them: For the things of God knoweth no Man, save the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. 2. 11. And if it be so among Men, T [...]t the Law maker is only admitted in point of Controversie, the expounder of the Law; and if he who writes a Book amongst men, be accounted the fittest to Interpret or give the sence or meaning of his words, how much more is it necessary that the Spirit of the Lord which gave forth the Scriptures, be the expounder of them; especially, seeing the Scriptures declare of such things that are so Mysterious to the natural understanding of Man, or to his natural reason, that they are quite above its comprehending or conceiving of them; I say, not contrary to his Reason, to witt, that Spirit, Principle or faculty in Man, which can judge truly or certainly of things Natural, and this is also of God; but the Mysteries of Salvation whereof the Scriptures treat, though they be not contrary as is said, yet they are above the reach of this Principle or Power, of discerning; as the things of reason are above the things of the senses bodily, so the things of Faith, are above the things of Reason; to witt, that Reason, or Principle which can judge truly of things Natural, for I Like not to contend about words, I acknowledg the Principle of Faith is, and may be fitly called rational, and the believer is the most rational man in the World, and the very wisdom of God is Reason, or Understanding, and that wisdom wherewith he denies his servants from above is also reason, but it's not the Natural reason; for before man was endued [Page] with the Heavenly Wisdom, he had the Natural Reason or Understanding, but then he neither had, nor could have the knowledge of the things of God, to witt, The Misteries of Salvation; This is that which the Apostle plainly declares, 1 Cor. 2. 14. But, the Natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned, Lo how he makes them impossible to be known to the Natural Man, or understanding, because the knowledge of them stands in an other Principle, in that which is born of the Spirit of God, the Seed of God, that can only know them; they are spiritually discerned: And this further Consideration will yet make it more appear, That man of himself without the Revelation and Inspiration of the Spirit of God cannot understand the things of God, and so cannot Interpret the Scriptures, declaring of them, because Man as he stands in the Fall, and not come to be Regenerate, lives, and is quite sunkinto a Wisdom, Knowledg, and Understanding that is altogether contrary to the wisdom of God, and the true knowledg of God; it is true as is already said, there is somewhat in man, which Judgeth truly, and pertinently of things Natural, and this of it self, is not contrary to the wisdom of God, but a gift of God, and is of good use to Man, were it in its right place, and by this, man properly is a Man, he has a rational Principle in him, whereby, in this he excells the Beast of the Field; but now man in the Fall, stands not in this Principle, it rules not in him, there is another birth in man, which Lords it, and rules in him, and this birth is of the Devils begetting, and hereby Man is a Child of the Devill: For this Seed whereof this Birth is begotten, was sown into mans heart when he Fell, and it has ever propagated and spread it self through Adams Posterity since, and this Seed and Birth has a Wisdom, and Knowledge, which is Carnal, Earthly, and Devilish, and is direct, opposite, and contrary to the wisdom of God, as every thing of this birth, is contrary to every thing of the birth of the Spirit of God, Gal. 5. 17. And now the wisdom of this Fleshly, Devilish birth rules in every man, in the natural state and subjects, and brings into slayery that other Principle in him, which in it [Page] self, is apt to judge rightly of things within its own Sphere to witt, things Natural, and this Devilish, Earthly, Carnal Wisdom makes it do it service, and answer its Designes, and the more quick and discerning that a man be in the Natural Spirit or understanding, this Devilish, Earthly, Carnall Wisdom, which most usually is called in the Scriptures Acceptation, also Natural, being a top of it, and ruleing therein; the more it makes a man incapable of the true knowledge and wisdom, and sets up the stronger Bulwarks in man, against the wisdom of God; And these are the strong holds which Paul speaks of, which the Spiritual Weapons are mighty to pull down, the high imaginations, according to the Greek it is reasonings; and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledg of God, 2 Cor. 10. and 5. So it is clear, That the reasonings of man standing in this wisdom which is altogether contrary to the true wisdom and knowledg of God; are so far from being a help to him, to further him in the true knowledg, that it is a strong hold against it, and therefore is to be cast down ere a man can come to the true knowledg which proceeds from the meek and lowly Spirit of Jesus Christ, the beginning of which wisdom, is the fear of God, and so the more that a man is indued with the knowledg of Letters, and other parts, (which might be of use to him, were he come to have his mind Redeemed into Gods fear, and so to have the wisdom of God to rule in him) while he remains in the natural unregenerate State; the more these things are a loss and snare unto him: and this is that wisdom the Apostle speaks of, when he sayes The World by wisdom knew not God, and this Wisdom being a Type in the learned Doctours, Rabbies, Scrybes, and Phtises, among the Iews, led them from the knowledg of Jesus Christ, so that they not only did mistake him, notwithstanding, of all the Scripture skill, but said, he had a Devil, and prevailed with the Rulers to Crucifie him, and Persecute all his followers; and this wisdom in them, taught them to reason against Christ, from the Scriptures, this Man cannot be of God say they, because he breaks the Sabbath, and despiseth Moses Law; but now the eye of that wisdom being open in them, which cannot but judge amiss of the things of God, they misunderstood the Scriptures, and wrested them to [Page] their own Destruction; and although they were learned in the Letter, and form of knowledg, yet they were unlearned and Idiots, as to the true knowledg, and Christ called them blind leaders of the blind, Math. 15. 14. So you may per [...]eive, what learning that is, Peter speaks of, when he saies, 2 Pet. 3. 16. These that are unlearned, wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction, for the Iewish Doctors, Scribes, and Pharises who were very learned Men in that knowledg Letters could give them, and they had Languages Hebrew, Greek, and Latine; and yet by Christs testimony, they were blind and so unlearned, and all their learning was so far from helping them to understand the Scriptures, that the more they mis-understood them, and the poor and simple and unlettered men, they understood the Scriptures and knew Christ to be the Messiah, that Moses and the Prophets writ off, whereas they knew him not, and for all their learning, were shut out from the knowledg of the Scriptures, and the wrong eye being op [...]n in them, they read the Scriptures backward, and could not but judge amiss of them. Now all this while I have not denyed, that there is any thing in man, who may be in a Natural State, that can in any way, or manner know any thing of God; the Natural Man cannot indeed, that is to say, that Principle which in man, makes him a man, and Distinguishes him from a Beast; That of it self cannot know the things of Gods heavenly Kingdom, because they are above its reach; and then far less can that Man or Birth of the Devills begetting, called the old Man know them, for its wisdom is contrary thereto; but now there is a Seed of God in Man, even in that State which is shut up in Death, or Darkness, under this earthly Wisdom, which as a vaile blinds it, yet the Light of Christ shines so thorow the Vail in this State, as that it reaches the Seed, and ministers some knowledge to Man in this State, whereby he knows he ought to be righteous, and sober, and godly in a Measure, and knows some things to be good, and some things to be vile; and were man faithful to that which gives him this knowledge, it would redeem his mind out of the false wisdom, and increase in him the true knowledg, but man remaining Disobedient, the earthly wisdom getteth dominion in him, and the more it rules him, the more it blinds [Page] him, till he be altogether past feeling, and then it is so with him, as with these, Isa. 6. 10. Now whereas it is commonly said, that Scripture is the best Interpreter of Scriptures for what is obscure in one place, is plain in another; and so the obscure is to be expounded by the plain, and there's as much of the Scripture plain, as is necessary for any man to know: to this I answer in the words of Prov. 8. 9. They are all plain to him that understandeth, to him who is endued with a measure of the same Spirit that gave them forth, which has revealed to him, the things by them declared; so a man knowing the things, the words concerning them stand open and clear, and plain to his understanding for they are plain and manifest to that eye and ear which can read, hear, and understand them; but now the plainest Scripture in the Bible treating of the things of Gods Kingdom, which are most necessary to be known, is dark, and obscure, and mysterious to the Natural Man, and foolishness to the fleshly wisdom, for that the things are not known by him, and so he cannot understand the words concerning them; for the knowledg of the things, is as it were, a key to open up the words, but the plainest words that are, cannot give the knowledg of the things, which are onely known by a Spiritual discerning: Is not that a plain Scripture, Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. But what learned man with all his Letter knowledg understands it; not having that love by the Spirit of God shed abroad in his heart: The man who cannot read a letter, and has a feeling of this Love, abiding in him, a thousand fold more knows that Scripture, and can speak more pertinently concerning it, from the feeling thereof, and what it has wrought in him; than the other can do from his housefull of Books, and other helps of Learning. Now I acknowledg, that some Scriptures are more plain and open than others, and the spiritual man, the understanding man who has revealed a true Judgment, and pure discerning from the Lord, he can know what Scripture is more plain, and what more obscure; and so standing in the wisdom of God and in his Counsel, he may compare Scripture with Scripture, and Spiritualls with Spiritualls, and so he may open up, the obscure from the plain, and reason and reduce consequents From the more plain to open up the more obscure, and this which [Page] reasons, which co [...]p [...], which judges in him of Scriptures, and what consequence may be drawn, must be that of the Spirit of the Lords begetting in him, which cannot judge amiss, but it alwaies judges righteous Judgment; and so the opening up the Scripture more obscure from the more plain, will be of good service, in its place, to the hearer, for the speaker opening Scripture in the wisdom and Power of God reaches the seed in Man, and the plainest Scripture is apt to reach; and the Lord standeth near to testifie to the words so interpreted, and this witness in Man's Conscience answers to the truth, of what is declared; and so I acknowledg, there is great use and service in the interpreting of Scriptures, when the interpreter hath his gift of God, and keeps within his measure, and speaks according to the analogie or proportion of Faith, according to what is revealed to him, the measure of the gift of Christ, Ephes. 4. 7. This is that, which Paul makes the rule of interpretation, See 2 Cor. 10. 13. We will not boast (said he) of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule, which God hath described unto us: see further, Rom. 15. 18. 19. 2 Cor. 4. 13. Rom. 12. 3. compared with Phil. 6. 3, 15. 16. Lo how in this place he presses no man further to believe him, or be of the same mind with him; then according to what God hath revealed to him, if any man be other wayes minded, God shall reveal even this to him; nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule; see how he makes the measure of attainment; The Rule; but now a man medling with the interpretation of Scripture in his own wisdom, out of the wisdom of God, how can he but err, if he come to read and compare, Scripture with Scripture; and so to open up one Scripture from another, with that eye which cannot but Judge amiss; the Light of the Body is the Eye, if therefore the Eye be single, the whole body is full of Light, but if the Light in him be Darkness, how great is his Darkness; the Eye of that wisdom in him, which is contrary to the wisdom of God, being Judge in him, it must of necessity Judge amiss, especially, seeing that Scripture words in themselves (abstracting from the mind of the Spirit of Christ, which such have not) are admittable of different Interpretations, not only different readings, according to the Translations [Page] which differ, but the same word being rightly Translated; may in themselves rightly considered, have different meanings; how then shall the meaning of the Spirit be had without its own reaching, what an impossible thing were it, to hit right upon the true sense, or interpretation, without the Spirit of God, though there were nothing in m [...]n that had a byass, or prejudice against the Truth; but now that Spirit which is of this World, and is contrary to the Spirit of God, and his truth, being Judge in him: this makes it far more impossible. So it's a thing of great weight and concernment, for a man to know of what Spirit he is, what Spirit is Judge in him, what Spirit leads him, what eye is open in him, for according to this, so will be the interpretation of Scripture; for although they say, that Scripture expounds Scripture, yet at best, it's but that, by which it is expounded; but now that Spirit, or Principle, or Wisdom in man, which compares Scripture with Scripture, which reasons and draweth consequences, and judges of them; that is the interpreter: So the result of all is, such is the Judgment, and Interpretation according to the right or wrong Spirit, which rules in him, and the wrong Spirit cannot but wrest, add to, and take from Scripture, and the Curse is pronounced against it, and the right Spirit, the Spirit of God, and the eye which it opens in man, cannot judge amiss, it passeth alwaies Righteous Judgment. And O that men would consider this, so weighty a thing, who go on so rashly to meddle with Scripture, and give meanings to it, what Spirit they are of, what is that in them which gives the meaning of it, if it be not the heavenly wisdom it cannot but wrest, and what is the reason that there are so many different Religions in the World, and opinions, one contrary to another; whereas, the Truth, and true Religion is but one, and so many hundred different interpretations of Scripture, but that mens minds are gone from the Spirit of truth, which would make them all of one mind, and open the like eye in all, and then all would judg as unanimously of Scripture; as now the bodily eye judges of things visible, men make no contest or jarring about what they see, looking upon the same objects, through the same midst, with the like eye, which being sound, makes all their judgments one, and till men come to the one Spirit, which opens the like [Page] eye in all they can never be of one mind, and whereas people so much, ask at us whom made ye judge of interpreting of Scripture, I say, the measure of the gift in every one, the measure of the wisdom given of God; and till Man come to this, and judges in it, or rather it in him; he steps up into the place of Judgment, which belongs not to him, and he ought not to Judge. And I may shut up all concerning this particular, with a word of advice to such, who are so ready to meddle with Interpretation of Scriptures, giving meanings on them, and are so confident they are right, and yet many of them are not come to the fear of God, which is the beginning of that wisdom, which only can judge aright of Scriptures: To such I say, Take heed to your Spirits, be jealous over them, know what Spirit ye are of, for on this thing depends all; if this be not known, if ye be in the doubt concerning this, ye know nothing yet truly, for the Principle being doubtful, the foundation being uncertain, so much of necessity be the whole superstructure.

Argument, 13. And now as I have demonstrated, how that by the Revelation of the Spirit of Jesus Christ in Man, he only can know God and the things of his Kingdom, and the Scriptures with their interpretation: so I am to show, that hereby can man only know himself, and the state he stands in before God, whether Justified, or Condemned; without this, he can have no true, nor infallible assurance of Gods love and favour: That there is such a thing attainable to every Believer, and necessary for him to know, as to his comfortable walking with God, the Scriptures manifestly declare, and it's generally acknowledged, it's to become to, and sought after, and therefore, I shall not insist on the proveing of it being granted, only the way how it is attained; that is it I plead for, That it is only by the Immediate Revelation of the Spirit of Christ, Justifying the man in his heart; He is near that Iustifyeth, saith the Prophet, so near that he is in him, and justifieth him in his conscience, and without this, man can never have true assurance, till God justifieth him; mans justification, or words only spoke without, can do nothing) Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirits, that we are the children of God: Not the words of Scripture, or the words of the Spirit spoke to, or in [Page] other men, what is that to me, but the Spirit it self witnesseth this; and he that believeth, hath this witness in himself, witnessing in him. 1 Phil. 5. 10. And saith Paul, 2 Cor. 1. 21. Now he which stablisheth us with you is Christ, and hath appointed us is God, who hath also sealed us, and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Lo how he makes it a common Priviledge to him and them; and this is that which stablisheth, setleth, confirmeth, stayeth the mind, and giveth it peace, and removeth all doubtings, begeteth in it a full assurance of Faith, according to Heb. 10. 22. and Heb. 6. 11. It's called, The full assurance of hope. and Col. 2. 2. all riches of the full assurance of understanding. And this was the fruit of Pauls preaching. 1 Thes. 1. 5. For our Gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the holy Ghost, and in much assurance: and Ephes. 1. 13. In whom, (viz. in Christ) when ye had believed (for it should be so Translated) Ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of Promise; So blessed are they who receave this Seal, and what are all Scripture words without this Seal, but a blank; and this Seal is the Seal of the holy Spirit of Promise, sealing in mans heart, that he is beloved, justified, and approved of God, and it can make him cry with assurance, that it is so Abba Father: And this will yet further appear, that its only by Revelation, that a man can be assured of his state, by the immediate manifestation of his state to him in the Light of Jesus Christ, by examining the other grounds, which men make for this assurance, when they have shut out of doors that which can give it, and gives it, as is proved by the Scriptures Testimony; a man say they, can be assured of his state before God, if he be Justified by certain Signes, Characters, and Marks, for if he be a true believer, that his Faith is the true Faith, the living Faith, and not the false dead Faith; This say they, he can know by his Love to God, by his meekness, his patience, his courage, his righteousness, his love to his Neighbours; but now seeing there are semblances of all these, a counterfeit love doth to God and Man, meekness, patience, &c. For the Hippocrite who has nothing of the true Love, Patience, Meekness, &c. Yet, he hath a likeliness of them, and will proceed as far in the outward actions of Devotion, Charity, Equity, &c. As the other [Page] that is the true believer; yea, and even according to their own confession, he may go beyond him; and so whereas they say, the Tree is kno [...]n by its Fruits, and it is so, but by what are the Fruits known, two men may be found doing the same outward work, which has the same outward appearance, and yet the one a meet Hippocrite, the other a sincere Christian; then by what can their works, or fruits be judged? It's true, some works are so manifestly evil, as Cursing, Swearing, Drunkenness, Lying, Stealing, Killing, Whoreing, that they are readily known by all to be such; and that which makes them known, is the Light of Christ in their hearts, but now these works, which carry in them an appearance to be good, and yet are not good, but dead works, empty, without Life, though they have a fair show, yet they are rottenness within, as its reported of some Aples, that have a very pleasant colour, but are poyson within; how shall man judge of these, now he who has Life in himself, the birth begotten of God; he has a Spiritual sence, and discerning, whereby he can savour, smell, and taste of the works, the fruits of the good tree, for they have a good favour, a living spiritual savour, they smell, and taste of the Tree of Life, on which they grow; hence they are called living works, and these in the Light which reveals them, and makes all manifest, or seen to be good: And the works have but the appearance, they are also seen and discerned to be such, and being evil, they cast an evil favour, by which in the Light, which begets the discerning, they are felt, and he can have no union with them, nor with the tree, on which they grow; and this man discerneth in the manifestation of the Light, both his own, and his neighbours works, of what nature they are, by the casting and smelling of the fruit, the Tree is known, both in himself and his neighbour, and this is a great Mystery, and hard to be received with such, who have not got that taste, and discerning, begot in them of the Lord, which tasteth words, and works, as the mouth tasteth meat; but hereto I give my testimony, that there is such a thing, and I do witness it in my measure, and so I confess there are Signes, and Characters of a mans state, the fruits infallibly manifest the tree, but the fruits cannot be certainly and infallibly known, but in and by the Light, which reveals them, and begets a tast [Page] to discern them, this is it which enters into the Kirnel, and pierces thorow the outward appearance, and searches what is in the Centre, and brings to light the hidden things of Dishonesty, and discovers the ravening Wolf in the Sheeps cloathing; whether in a mans self, or his neighbour. And this further makes it the more impossible; for a Man without Revelation to know his state, especially, according to our Advessaries Principle; for, whereas Christ said, Whereby shall ye know, that ye love me, if ye keep my Commandements. Now they say, that is impossible, we must break them every day in thought, word, and deed, and we must remain in a necessity of sinning while we remain in the body; and this Principle, takes every wicked prophane wretch to cover his wickedness: O sayes he, the Children of God have their infirmities, David fell, in Murther and Adultery, Noah into Darkness, Peter denied his Master, &c. and the common Swearer, Drunkard, Whoremonger, Backbiter, Cheater, Worldling say, This is my infirmity and the best have their infirmities: I have a good heart and am sincere for all this, and I approve not my doings, and I may have true faith for all this, and be in a Justified condition: Now passing this Decept of theirs, which their Teachers have caused them to drink in, I shall only at this time use it so far against them, as to demonstrate all their signes and marks, come short to give them assurance; for now according to their own Confession, their keeping the Commandments, cannot be a Sign to them, for they cannot come up to keep them, and their evil works are many, and much more than their good; how then shall the good Tree be found by its fruits, seeing the good Tree cannot bring forth evil fruits, and how shall the good in this mixture be known from the evil; and this yet increases the difficulty in the point of Tryal, that not the quantity, or the measure is to be looked into, of goodness, or grace in Man; but the quantity, kind, or nature, and it's true that it is so: Now where there is so much of the evil, and so little of the good, like a dust of Gold, a little grain, in a dunghill of evil, whose nature is to hide the good; how can it appear, or be infallibly known, but by the Revelation of the Light of Christ, which searches [...]ll the depths of Heaven and Hell, and indeed, in the midest of [Page] Much of a contrary Nature in man, Much Filth, and Deceipt, and Corruption; yet the Light I say, will discover the little grain of sincerity, the small mustard Seed, and without this, Man has no comfort, till that he know, that there is somewhat that is sincere and honest in him; and this breathes and cries to God for Deliverance, from that of a contrary Nature, That he would slay it with the Sword of his mouth, and raise it up unto Dominion and Victory over all; And it's only God who searches every thing in Man's heart that can discover it to him, for he cannot himself, of himself know it, but the Lord he searcheth the Heart and tryeth the Reins, and sheweth to man his thoughts, and every motion of his mind, of what nature, quality, and principle they are; and so it's manifest, that one uncertain, f [...]llible, and dubious way this is, for a Man to know his State by Marks and Signs, when he is not come to the immediate Manifestation and Revelation of the Light of Christ in his heart; in this to read his evidences, and examine them: No more can they tell a Man his State without this, than a Sun-Dyal can tell the hours of the day, when the Sun shines not upon it with his beams; and this comparison, some of themselves have made: and whatever that assurance be they can gather without Immediate Revelation, it's not the assurance of Faith, and so at best it's but conjecture; this will easily appear from their own very Principles, and some of them has seen it and granted it, for were it no assurance of Faith, then it should have the Revealed Word of God for its object, either by Scripture, or Immediately spoken from the mouth of the Lord; This they grant, That Faith can have no other formal object: Now according to their own way they affirm, this assurance is but to be gathered by consequence, as in such an Argument or Silogisme; Whosoever firmly and truly believeeth in Christ and loveth him, &c. is Justified; But I am such saith he, therefore I am such. Now the Proposition of this Argument being sound in Scripture, I grant it, and shall let it pass for a true Foundation at this time; (though as is above demonstrated, the Scripture Words in themselves be not a sufficient Foundation:) But what warrant have they for the Faith of the Assumption? Vi [...]. I believe, I love Christ, no [Page] Scripture in all the Bible speaks this particularly to any man, and they acknowledge it; and that this assumption has not the Word of God for it's object, but Dictamen Conscientie, The testimony of Man's own Heart and Conscience, that he sincerely believes, and loves God; And now according to that true Principle, and granted by themselves, the Conclusion alwayes followeth the weaker premises, as one link in the Chain being weak, weakens the whole Chain; it followeth, That this Conclusion must follow the certainty of the Assumption; and it being but the testimony of a Man's own Conscience, for to this at last he must return, how many arguments soever he makes; and not the Testimony of the Word, and Spirit of God in his Conscience, for this they have shut out of Doores as is said; wherefore the Conclusion also, which is the assurance a Man has of his State, (by the practical silogysm as is called by them) is but the assurance of Faith not Divine, but Humane; That is an Assurance leaning upon Man's own Testimony of himself, and not upon the Testimony of God's Word, and so it's not the Assurance of Faith, the Scripture speaks off; which has its object the Word of God: And this as is said, some of themselves ingenuously have confessed and affirmed, That an assurance of Faith is only attainable by special Revelation: And as for my self, I can truly say it, I was put upon the Rack as it were, with the Doctrine of the Natural Teachers, when I set about to examine my State; for the signs they gave me of my State, was as obscure and dark to me as my State it self; and how then could I by them know it: And thus I am sure it has been, and is with many others, and what shall we render unto the Lord, who has spoken in our hearts, saying, Be of good comfort, I am at peace with you, your sins are forgiven I am well pleased with you in my beloved Son; and has caused his Light to shine forth in our hearts, which Reveals our State unto us, and pointeth unto us the infallible Signs and Characters of it, and the love of God is Immediately felt; and this knowledge of it, is beyond all Signes and Characters of it; and what a blessed Priviledge do they robe themselves of, which they might attain unto, who cry out, All Revelation is Ceased; for if it be Ceased, then can Men neither know God, Scripture, or Himself.

[Page] Argument, 14. And hereby only Man can also know the true Church in general, and the Members and Ministers thereof, in particular, the true Church has alwayes been a Mistery un [...]o the World, the Men of this World, for it standeth in another Principle; The true Church is in God, 1 Thes. 1. 1. This is the Principle it standeth in, and every Member thereof, they are his hidden ones, they are as dead Men unto the World, being Crucified to it, and it to them: for (said Paul Coloss. 3. 3.) Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God: And as Christ is, so are they in this World, being flesh of his flesh, and Members of his body, being born from above, and begot into another Nature, Life, Spirit, and Principle, and therefore the World knoweth it not, nor them the Members thereof, for it knoweth its own and loveth them; these who stand in the same Ground, Spirit and Principle, with it self: but because they are no [...] of World but of God, therefore it knoweth them not, but hateth and persecuteth them, Iohn 1, 31. And so the People and Children of God in all ages have been strangers, unto the World, and unknown to it; They have been for Signs and for Wonders, their Doctrine, their Laws, their Conversations, hath alwaies been accounted strange and ridiculous, and they have been reckoned Deceivers, and Blasphemers; and the true Prophets and Servants of God have been killed, and stoned, and put to many cruel Deaths; see that Cloud of Witnesses, Heb. 11. throughout, and ver. 37. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were [...]ayn by the sword, they wandred about in sheep-skins, and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented; of whom the World was not worthy, &c. And so Jesus Christ himself being come in the flesh, they knew him not, and Crucified him as a Blasphemer; and they Persecuted and killed his Disciples, and followers, under the Name of Deceivers, and such as would turn the World up-side down; as Deceivers and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known: But now the Members of the true Church know one another, being Children of the same Father and Mother, Members of the same Body; having one Mind, Soul, Spirit, and Life in them all; They cannot but know one another in that, wherein their Unity stands, and Fellowship, and Communion [Page] one with another; and this Unity of the Spirit, is the Bond of Peace, Ephes. 4. 3. And the Bond of Love, whereby their hearts are knit together in Love, unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, for the Love is a discerning thing; He that Loveth God knoweth him, and he that Loveth him that is begotten of God, knoweth him also, for the true Love and the true Knowledge, goeth alwaies together, and the one is the Ground and Foundation of the other; for that which I have no true knowledge of, I cannot Love, and that which I Love, I cannot but Know in some measure, and that which I certainly Know not, but doubtingly, that I cannot perfectly Love; for perfect Love casteth out fear, and there is no fear in Love, and so no doubting in Love; for the fear comes from the doubting, and all the Children of God, are Sealed in their Fore-heads, They have their Fathers Name written upon them, the Name of my God, and the Name of the City of my God, Revel. [...]. 1. 2. compared with Revel. 7. 3. Whereby they know one another to be the Children of [...]ome Father, the Citizens of one City, which is the New Ierusalem, the Church of the First-born; and this is most necessary for them, that they know not one another, and that not by conjecture, but certainly; for they being all followers of the Lamb together, Warring the same Warfare, in the same Cause and Testimony, which is also unknown, and hid to the World, if they did not infallibly know one another, they could not have that Peace, and Unity, and Concord one with another; how could they discern the true Friend, from the Enemy, the secret Enemy, the Deceiver, which is the most dangerous Enemy; and can come into all outwards and appearances w [...]th Friends, can put on the Sheeps cloathing, and a form of Godliness, but deny the Power, and be an enemy to it; a ravenous Wolf can speak fair, yea, and profess all the Words and Principles of Truth, and come the whole length of all outwards as is said, and yet be a rotten Hypocrite, a lymn of Satan, a bra [...] of Babylon, void of all fear of God: So how shall he be discerned? See Mal. 3. 18. Where this is promised. Then shall ye return, and discern between the Righteous and the Wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not; [Page] and if this Discerning were not, it could not otherwayes be, but that the one half of the Children of God, should War and Contend against one another; and be as Babylons Builders, the one half breaking down, and the other half building up, and confounding one another; and hereby it may appear, that these many Churches, that have been set up in the Apostacy, have not been true Churches; nor begot into the true Nature, Spirit, and Principle of the Church, by reason of their Warring one against another, hatred, variance, strife, emulation, killing, and putting to death one another; and where ever any thing of this Spirit of strife, hatred, envy, persecution enters, it eats as a Canker, and cuts off of the body, that Member or Members, whereinto it gets entrance; and so going from the Unity, the Peace, the Love, they become past feeling, dead, rotten Members, and are to be cut off, and denyed; and now it being demonstrated, that the Children of God Infallibly know one another, and hereto I give my Testimony, That there is such a thing among the Children of God, an Infallible knowledge of one another, (which they have not of themselves, but is the free gift of God; and when he pleaseth, he may shut them up, and counsel some person or persons, that they may not be known for a time; so Saul or Paul was unknown for a time to the brethren) it manifestly follows (besides what is already said) That this knowledge can alone proceed from the Revelation of Jesus Christ, Immediately Manifesting one and another among themselves, (whereby they are as Epistles writ in one anothers hearts, known and read of all Men, all the Members of the same Body, 2 Cor. 3. 2, 3. For being Children of the Light, in the Light, they dwell and walk and have their fellowship; and this makes them Manifest, and herein they behold the beauty one of another, and each Member envieth not, at the beauty of its Neighbours Member, but rejoyceth there [...], and they are comforted and refreshed one in another, standing fast in one Spirit, and have a fellow feeling with one another, in Joy and Tribulation, in Sufferings, and Consolations, and bear one anothers Burdens; and so fullfil the Law of Christ. And did not the Light, wherein is their habitation, Reveal and make them Manifest? They [Page] could not know one another certainly at all, for it being above proved, That without Revelation in the Light, a Man cannot know himself; then it is Manifest, farr less can he know his Neighbour: And seeing Babilons Children, the Whores Brats, as is said, can come into all outward formes or appearances, either of words or practices, then there is no way possible, how the Children of the true Mother, can be known from the Children of the Whore; or how the true Mother her self, can be known from the Whore; Mistery Babylon! But by the Revelation of the Light and Life of Jesus Christ: And this Whore Mistery Babylon, by her taking upon her, the True Mothers Cloathing, wherein she has appeared, but an Enemy to the Life, has bewiched the whole Earth with the Cup of her Fornications, and so her Merchants has passed, for the Ministers of Christ; but now the Children of the Light discerneth both her and them, and their Hypocritical garb cannot deceive them, for the Sheep of Christ hear his voice, and they know it one in another, and hereby they know one another, and a stranger they will not allow, for they know not the voice of strangers, they own it not; and so the false Prophet that comes in the Sheeps cloathing, and is inwardly a ravening Wolf, that comes in the form of words, the form of godliness, he cannot deliver them, the Elect cannot be deceived, they can beware of him, and fly from him, Iohn 10. 4. 5. Mat. 7. 15. And how could they beware of him, if they could not discern him to be such; and these who say, they are Ministers and are not, they can try their Spirits, it is more than their words, the anointing teacheth them, 1 Iohn 4. 1. Compared with 5. and 6. 1 Iohn 5. 27. And so can know, not the speech of them that are puffed up, but the power wherein the Kingdom standeth, 1 Cor. 4. 19. 20. And herein, and hereby, were the true Ministers of Christ, Manifest to the Children of God. 1 Thess. 1. 5. Our Gospel came not unto you in Word only, but also in Power, and in the holy Ghost, and in much assurance, &c. And now a few words by way of tender advice, to those who has been long seeking a pure Church, not a mined confused Rabble of godless Atheifts, such as the members of the National Churches generally are; but a Church in God, a Spiritual [Page] House, built up of living Stones; a Spiritual Ministry, a Powerful Ministry, a Spiritual Worship; this many have been seeking, but have not found it, neither such a Church Ministry, or Worship, for not coming to the true Foundation; and that which makes the true Church, Ministry, and Worship, to witt, Jesus Christ Revealed in themselves, and Revealing God, and me Church, and the Ministry, and Worship to them; I say, their not coming to this, but setting about the building of Church Ministry, and Worship without it, they do and shall for ever in this way, fall short of it; and what strife, and janglings, and debate they have made, concerning the tryal and qualifications of Church Members, and Ministers; and how sore they have been put at, by them, who plead for a Church of the mixt multitude of Believers, and Unbelievers, affirming, it is impossible they can be Infallibly Discerned, and that the true believing Spiritual Minister, cannot be Discerned, from the unbelieving Carnal, Formal Preacher of the Letter, and so they have no rule or touchstone to try one or another, but that of Words, Formes, or Appearances, (are not come to the Righteous Judgment;) and these they acknowledge, are very Fallible: And now were they come to the teachings of Gods Spirit, the Anoynting in themselves, This would be an Infallible touch-stone, and rule of tryal unto them, for one and all. And so there is no Cure, nor Remedy for all these evils, and fore calumnies wherewith they are encompassed; but the Light of Jesus Christ, which they so much despise and contemn; this would heal all their diseases, remove all their doubts, and all their Controversies, bind up all their Wounds and Breaches; this would fitly frame the whole building together, and make i [...] grow up an holy Temple unto the Lord, in whom, they should be all builded together for one habitation of God, through the Spirit, Ephes. 2. 21. 22. And till then, They will never cease to build Babilon.

Argument, 15. THIS hath been the Main Point of Controversie all along the time of the Apos [...]y, and the Reign of the Beast, Dragon, Whore, and false Prophet, betwixt the remnant of the Womans Seed, the followers of the Lamb, on the one hand, and the Beast, Dragon, Where, &c. on the other; [Page] to wit, The Testimony of Jesus Christ, (together with the keeping of the Commandments, of God) and what this Testimony is, See Revel. 19. 10. For the Testimony of Iesus is the Spirit of Prophecy. Revel. 12. 17. And the Dragon was wroth with the Woman, and went to make War with the remnant of her Seed, which keep the Commandements of God, and have the Testimony of Iesus Christ. This is the quarrel, The Testimony of Jesus, which is the Spirit of Prophecy, and by this, the Womans Seed, the followers of the Lamb, sought against the Dragon and his followers, and by this they overcame. Revel. 12. 11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the Word of their Testimony: These are their weapons, not any Carnal weapon, (the Lambs followers have none such) but the Word of their Testimony, the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; and by this, the Antichrist, the Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition, that wicked one, is to be Revealed, and Consumed. 2 Thess. 2. 8. Whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and shall Destroy with the brightness of his Comming: That is, his Light, Life, Power, and Spirit, Revealed both in the particular, and general, shall consume this Antichrist, That sits in the Temple of God, Man's Heart, and rules as Lord there; and this Antichrist, is not a Person, or Persons particular, but a Spirit, Ioh. 4. 2. and is the very Spirit of Satan, which rules in the Children of Disobedience; The Heart, which was made to be a Temple for God, a House of Prayer, but is become a Den for the Thief and Robber, and here in this Temple, the Whore, Mistery Babilon sits as a Queen, in the Particular, and in the General: Now it is the aforesaid word, which is as fire, that is, to burn up this Whores Flesh, and Destroy her, and put her out of the Temple of God, Men's Hearts which should be an habitation of his Spirit, See 1 Cor. 3. 16, 17. 1 Cor. 6. 19. 2 Cor. 6. 16. For this was Man's state, he was a Temple for God, in the beginning, but by his sins, this Temple came to be Defiled, and the Serpent entred, and dwelt in it; and for this end, Christ came into the World to destroy the Devils work in Man's Heart, and to cast him out, and to dwell in this Temple Man's Heart, as in the beginning; and this is the Antichrist, who denies this [Page] Christ came in the Flesh, [...]me in the body of his Saints, which are his Temple; and so the Apostacy was from this, in the dayes of the Apostles, Christ lived in his Saints, dwelt in them, spoke in them, was King, Priest, and Prophet in them, and then came in the Apostacy; when people departed from this holy living Power Revealed in them: Christ the Wisdom and Power of God, and then Babilon prevailed, the Whorish Spirit which bewitched People, and drew them into Whoredom with the Form, from this holy Power, to which they ought to have keept chaste, and moved only in its leadings, Spoke, Prayed, and Worshiped therein, and so as the departing from this, was the rise and beginning of the Apostacy, so the returning into this, will be the end of it, and its end is come in many; and is coming in many more, and this alone is the true resormation out of the Apostacy, there is not another, but the returning to this; and seeing its generally granted by all Protestants so called, That there has been an Apostacy since the daies of the Apostles, and that the Church of Rome, (which has been the only visible Church that has continued since then, till now, by a continual succession, in Bishops, Ministry, Worship, Ordinances) so called, is that Apostate Church, and Mistery Babilon; not the true Church, but a Synagogue of Satan; then how could they, I mean the Protestants come up to a reformation, and recovery out of the Apostacy, and be restored into the purity of Ministry, Worship, and Ordinances, but by receiving them from the Lord himself Immediately; and who could call their Ministers to Preach a Reformation out of the Apostacy, but the Lord himself seeing they had no true Church, nor Ministry, preceeding them to call them, and supposing as it were not, I mean that had been a Mediate call from man.)

I thought fit only to touch this a little here, having handled it more fully else-where: and indeed, The purest Primitive Protestants, (whose Testimony I own in its place, maintained Immediate Calls, and the Spirit of Prophecy, and witnessed it; and in the History of the Reformation of Scotland, commonly called, Knox Chronicle, it's to be seen, That both George Wishard, and Iohn Knox, were endued with the same, and Prophecyed: And in Foxes book of Martyrs its to be seen [Page] at large, how many of the Lords Witnesses who were raised up by him, to testifie against the corruptions of the Church of Rome, and her Ministry did Prophecy, and their Prophecies are in the said book Recorded, as they rose up one after another in each Generation, for the Lord never wanted his Witnesses all along, though they were but few; and the said book shews, How that Iohn Husse a German Protestant, Prophecied of a New Ministry that should come, and whence could this New Ministry arise; could the Romesh Whore, (which as is said, was only that, which had the Form and Constitution of a Church, Ministry, Ordinances, before the time of the Reformation bring forth this New Ministry: Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? or rather, was it not to come from Heaven, a Birth of the New Ierusalem which cometh down from above; who when the Dragon fought against her, did flie into a place prepared her of God; and he prevailed over her visible appearing state, but she remained safe, as to her being in the place appointed her of God, and her Man-child also, which was caught up unto God in his Throne: And in the end of the Apostacy, She and her Man-child Christ Jesus the Lamb, was to appear again in the Earth, and take place therein; and overcome Antichrist, the Beast, Dragon, Whore, and false Prophet, See Revel. 12. 5, 6, 14. Compared with Revel. 21. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. And these few Witnesses the Lord raised up all along, in the time of the prevailing of the Apostacy, are by many of the Protestants themselves, reckoned to be the two Witnesses, mentioned Revel. 11. from verse 3. to verse 13. Who after they were killed did rise again. ver. 11. This they expounded to be other persons, rising up to bear Testimony for the Lord, after these before them were killed; and they themselves are said to rise again; because the same Spirit of Life from God, which was in them, did also enter into these who succeideed them, and so the Witnesses were the same, because it was one Spirit in them, who went before and came after, and they had one Testimony, the Testimony of Jesus Christ, which is the Spirit of Prophecy, for they Prophecied in Sack-cloathes One thousand two hundred, and threescore daies, That is all the time of the Apostacy, as is by themseives [Page] acknowledged: See Iames Durhams book on these places, and he is forced to confess, That these words Revel. 11. 12. And they heard a great voice from Heaven, saying unto them, Come up hither, &c. holds forth some extraordinary Call, or Impulse the reformers should have from the Lord; and yet this same Man, for all this, pleads for a succession of the Reformed Church and Ministry, Lawfully descended through the Church of Rome; and denies that Immediate Revelation, is that, by which the Church is to be Reformed and brought out of Babilon. But to say no more of him, It has been his great weakness: And now from what is said in these fifteen Arguments, concerning Immediate Revelation; Let that of God in the Reader Judge, concerning it's being necessary to Continue.

The Objections having any seeeming weight against it, Answered.

[Page]

Obj. IMmediate Revelation was a Priviledge, especial and peculiar to the Twelve Apostles, and is therefore now Ceased.

Answ. The contrary is above Demonstrated in many places, And Immediate Revelation, and the Spirit of Prophecy, was before them, even from the beginning, and continued after them; and Church History reports, it continued till after the first Century, and was known in the Church; and it has alwaies been in the true Church, (though not in the false) and is a Priviledge belonging to every Saint, for that which makes one a true Christian and Saint, is the Spirit of Christ, the anoynting in him.

2. Obj. The working of Miracles, and the speaking with Tongues and strange Languages is Ceafed, and therefore also is Immediate Revelation.

Answ. That working of Miracles, and the guift of Tongues, is altogether Ceased, and never any more to be in the Earth, cannot be proved, and it's a rash assertion; for, though these things be not to be found among the National Christians (who have the name, but want the thing, the anoynting, which Christians, or makes the Christian, and not the sprinkling of water on a Childs forehead) yet they may be found among the true; and we Witness the Power of God, which wrought all these outward Miracles, working Miraculously in our Hearts, opening the blind eye of the mind, and deaf ear, raising to life, the dead Soul; causing the Lame, to leap as an Hart, and the Tongue of the Dumb to speak, &c. And these are the greatest Miracles, and the outward, were but a Figure of them; and were for the sake of the unbelievers, who believed not except they saw, but now, though Miracles and gifts of Tongues were ceased altogether, yet it follows not, That Revelation Immediate is Ceased: This being more necessary, yea, altogether necessary, and belonging to the very substance of the Covenant, and promises of the Gosel, as is above Demonstrated.

[Page] Obj. 3. Men may be mistaken, and take that for the Inspiration of God, which is but the Inspiration of the Devil; and it is Impossible to know the one from the other, but by the Scriptures, which ye deny to be a sufficient touch-stone, or rule of Tryal of Spirits, and there hath many formerly risen up, who has pretended to be Inspired of God, and were but Deceivers; and this makes us fustly suspect all others.

An. Men keeping their place; That is abiding in the fear of God, and obedience to his Commands, are safe from being deceived, for such have a good understanding, clear, a pure discerning in the Light, whereby to know the Spirit of God, from the Spirit of Deceit, and this was known, before Scriptures were written; and men are in no greater hazard of being deceived now, than Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, Enoch, Noah, and other Saints were, before Scripture was written; and if any should say, God spoke to them by a voice audible to the fleshly ear, I answer, If it had been so, that sometimes he had, yet his speaking inwardly by his Word, and the voice of his Spirit into their hearts was more certain, satisfying, and sufficient, and that alone could not have been sufficient, but he spoke to many by his Spirit inwardly, in their hearts only, and this voice was audible, and heard to the Spirituall ear, and was certain. And such who plead against Immediate Revelation, or Impiration from the Spirit of God, as a thing impossible to be infallibly discerned from a delusion of Satan, shew the Atheism of their hearts, for if it be impossible, then was not Enoch, Noah, Abraham, &c. Inspired, nor knew God by Revelation; but if Revelation was possible then, it is possible now, for that which is once possible, can never in it self become impossible; and what though some have falsely pretended thereto, and from a pretence of the Spirit, have done wickedly, will this prove man has not the thing in reality; there were pretenders in Ieremiah's time to the Spirit of God, and did wickedly under that pretence, Ierem. 23. 25, 30, 31. Ierem. 28. 1, 2, 3. 4. And so there were many false Prophets in all ages; but this is no argument against the true Prophets, nor against Immediate Revelation, but for it; for this only can discover [Page] the Deceiver, and Spirit of deceipt, both in Man himself, and in another: and many has pretended to Mortification, Self-denyal, &c. but never knew these things in reality; none do therefore now know them in reality; and many has done wickedly, under a pretence of Scripture, is therefore Scripture to be denyed?

4. Obj. The Scripture is a Cannon or Rule filled up, against which who add thereto, a Curse is pronounced, Revel. 22. 18. And this Rule is sufficient, being able to make wise unto Salvation; and is profitable for Doctrine, for Reproof, for Correction, for Instruction in Righteousness, that the Man of God may be perfect thorowly furnished unto all good Works, 2 Tim. 3. 15, 16, 17. whereby it appears to be a sufficient rule of Faith and Manners, containing the whole Counsel of God (as our Confession of Faith saies,) and all things necessary for his own Glory, Man's Salvation, Faith, and Life is either expresly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence, may be deduced from Scripture, vnto which, nothing at any time is to be added by new Revelations of the Spirit; and for this, they bring (in their Confession of Faith) These Scriptures further: Prov. 22. 19. 20, 21. Luke 1, 3, 4. Rom. 15. 4. Mat. 4. 4, 7, 10. Isa. 8. 19. 20. 2 Pet. 1. 19. Heb. 1. 1. 2. Luk. 16. 29. 31. Ephes. 2. 20. 2 Pet. 3. 15, 16. 17. Gal. 1. 8, 9. 2 Thes. 2. 2. And now all these Scriptures being brought for proofs against any New Revelation of the Spirit, and the Scriptures being a compleat Cannon or Rule, to which, nothing is to be added even by the Spirit of the Lord, I have set them all down not passing one, and it's in my heart, to pass thorow them all, and shew how they are wrested and perverted, to prove that which the Spirit of the Lord, which gave them forth, never intended; And though all these Scriptures we dearly own, and the [...] of them, yet their abusing of them we cannot own at all, and let that of God which is Iust, Righteous; and Impartial in its Iudgment, in the Reader Iudge; if they prove any such thing as is intended by these who brought them for that effect, who call themselves, an Assembly of Divines, but in effect are but Diviners and guessers, having so plainly denied that [Page] which makes the Divine; to wit, The Mind and Spirit of Christ Revealing in Man; the things of his Kingdom.

Ans. That the Cannon of the Scripture is so filled up, and Composed of such Books as are to be found in the Bible, betwixt Genesis, and Revelations, excluding all other Writings whatsoever, and Words, (either of old or late) proceeding from the Inspiration of the Spirit of God, (or as having no such Authority, Certainty, or Infallability, as these particular, writings or books aforesaid, is an old Popish fansie, without any ground from the Scriptures own Testimony, for it is altogether silent of the number of the books of Scripture, how many they were, and [...] it is of their order; some Popish, Counsells determined both the one and the other, and Scripture makes mention of several other writings of the holy Men, Inspired of God, besides these, we have in our Bibles, and some of them being found and felt to savour of the same Spirit, which gave forth the other; yet, because of their Counsel acts, they are not Received. But now to come to the Proofs, The first is, Revel. 12 18. 19. But what saies this, Concerning the number of the Books? or what saies it, against the Spirit of the Lord, his adding by New Revelations, for the words. If any Man shall add, or take away the words of this book. Limits not the Spirit of God from adding other Books of Writeings to the Scripture: Now at no [...]e Man is to add to Gods words, but what the Lord gives him to speak, he is not to go beyond, nor to say, Thus saith the Lord, to that which the Lord hath not spoken, nor is man to diminish there from [...] See this same Commanded, Deut. 4. 2. But do these words prove, there were no more Books or Words to proceed from the Inspiration of the Spirit of God: how many Prophets came after Moses? and how many Books of the Scripture were written after Deut. and Proverbs 30. 6. Add, though not unto his Words. This we see man limi [...]ed from adding, but not the Spirit of God, for much Scripture was writ after Solomon, and so these other Scriptures of the old Testament, they bring, Prov. 22. 19, 20, 21. And Isa. 8. 19, 20. What do they prove, that no more Scripture was to be, writ after [Page] them? whereas, they themselves acknowledg the most part of Scripture was written afterwards, and in the by, I would only have the Reader observe, how like these men who talke of the Scripture Canon being filled up, so that the Spirit of Prophecy is Ceased, are to the Iews who had such a fancy among them concerning the Scriptures of the Old Testament, their being filled up, and their becoming a Rule to them, so that when Christ and his Apostles came and spoke from the same Spirit, the Scriptures were writ from, they would not hear them, but cryed up the Scriptures, We have the Scriptures and Moses Law, and God spoke unto Moses and our Fathers, but this Man, we know not from whence he is, Joh. 9. 28, 29. And as for Prov. 22. 19, 20, 21. There is wisdom [...]ught in speaking to Solomon, and making known her words and writeing unto him; but that proves nothing, That the speaking of that wisdom or spirit in others, as in Solomon is Ceased: Nor yet, Isa. 8. 19, 29. To the Law and to the Testimony, if they speak not according to this word, &c. Now could this be a good Argument for the Iews, against Christ and his Apostles, and their Writeings? No, nor is not now against writeings, or words proceeding from the Inspiration of the same Spirit; for that which was writ after, or is to be writ from the Spirit of God, is not contrary to any thing writ before from the same Spirit, but according to it, for all the words of truth accord, and agree together; and there was a Law and Testimony writ in Men's Hearts, before a Line of Scripture was ever writ in a Book; and they who spoke not according thereto, were but deceivers, and had no morneing in them as the Hebrew carries it. And now I come to that Scripture they lay so much weight upon, 2 Tim. 3. 15. 16, 17. But what? Does the Cannon close here? is not the next Chapter writ from the Inspiration of the Spirit of God, and the other following Books, if they were writ after this as they follow after it? or if these words prove not, but that Paul and others both spoke and wrot afterwards from the Inspiration of the holy Ghost, how will it prove that there is no such thing now? O say they all new Revelations are superstuous, there needs no more Scripture; that which is writ [Page] is writ, is able to make wise unto Salvation, from a Tim. 3. 15, 16, 17. But I say, Paul and others wrot Scriptures afterwards. But to come to that Scripture, It is to be considered, there is a writeing by the Spirit of God upon Man's heart, See 1 Chron, 28. 12. Compared with ver. 19. and with Ierem. 31. 33, and 2 Cor. 33. And so this is Scripture or Writeing, (for both are one) by the inspiration of God; Scripture or writeing with Pen and Ink upon paper, but with the Spirit of the living God, upon the heart; and these holy writeings, are able to make [...] unto Salvation: And Scripture given unto a Man by Inspiration of God is profitable, (and the words should be thus Translated; All Scripture given by Inspiration of God, or all Writting given by Inspiration of God, profitable for Doctrine, for Reproofs, &c. That the Man of God may be perfect, for the word (is) is not in the Greek, and it's false, that all writeing is by Inspiration of God, for much has been writ from the Inspiration of the Devil; But I acknowledge these Books set down in our Bible, to be writ from the Inspiration of God, and when any man receives them by Inspiration, that they be given him by Inspiration, as to these who wrot them, then they are profitable to him; but if he come not to that Spirit which inspired the first Writers, and there-with to be Inspired, they cannot of themselves profit; for the Letter kills, but the Spirit giveth life, and the Inspiration of the holy Spirit giveth understanding, as saith Elihu; so who come not to this Inspiration, they come not to an Understanding of the Scriptures; And our very Adversaries dare not plead from this Scripture, that there is nothing more required but Scripture, to make wise unto Salvation; for they acknowledge the inward Illumination of the Spirit to be necessary thereto, and if they make one exception, why may not we make another, That inward Revel [...]ations and Inspirations are necessary, aswel, and, further it may be said of the Scriptures of the Old Testament, all that is spoken here of the use and ability of Scripture; yet does not this exclude the writeings of the Evangelists and Apostles, and we acknowledge the Scriptures are profitable and useful, but not sufficient of themselves, to make wise unto [Page] Salvation, without the inspiration of the same Spirit that gave them forth, which can only give the understanding of them: But why do they plead that Scripture is able to make the Man of God perfect, seeing they deny Perfection; and cannot abide to hear, that a man can be perfect? And that Scrip [...]ure, Luke 1. 3, 4. Does it prove, That no more Scripture is to be written, nor any after Luke spoke or wrot from the inspiration of the Spirit of God? Was not much writ afterwards? Or could Luk's word? cause Theophilus to know the certainty of these things of themselves: Nay, they were a Declaration of what he most surely believed himself, and Theophilus reading it, having the Spirit of God, would find that witnessing in him to the truth of these things, and this gives the certainty or assurance, See 1 Thes. 1. 5: Their next Scripture is, Rom. 15. 4. For whatsoever things were written afore-time, were written for our learning, &c. What then? is Revelation or the Spirit of Prophecy ceased for all this? yet Paul himself had it, and he sayes, The Scriptures were wrot for his learning, and he points here at a Scripture in the old Testamen [...], but this proves not there was no more Scriptures to be added thereto; and Paul sayes, not the Scriptures were writ, that we should learn only by them, or stick to the Letter learning, for he had a learning beyond them, even that of the Spirit; and in this same Epistle, he points them to the newness of the Spirit, beyond the oldners of the Letter, Rom. 7. 6. which compare with 2 Cor. 3. 6. Their next Scripture is Math. 4. 4, 7. as for ver. 4. It fighteth Manifestly against them, Man shall not live by Bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Now say they, The word proceeding from Gods mouth is Ceased, he speaks not from word of mouth now, as he did of old, but from the Scriptures, but if God himself speak not, Man lives not; And what does this prove, that Christ used the Scriptures Testimony against the Devil; is there not therefore any Inspiration or Revelation; was not Christ inspired himself; and was not Paul and the other Apostles Inspired, who used the Testimony of former Scriptures writ before them against their adversaries; but yet they wrot [Page] Scriptures themselves from the same Spirit; and why may not it be so now? Their next proof is, 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have a more sure word of Prophecy, &c. Answ. Supposing but not at all granting, hereby he meaned the Scriptures writ or spoke from without; he points them to this, but till the day dawn, and the Day star arise; Now some were come to the day, and were Children of the day, and had the day star arisen in them, and then they needed not the Light of the Moon, or night starrs. But I have shewed before this word of Prophecy, is the word in the Heart, which was in the beginning, before Scriptures was; and is that word that came to David, Isai, Ieremiah, and inspired them, from which the Scripture came, and this Word in my heart maketh me believe the Scriptures, and is the more sure and Manifest Word; or the most sure, as its in Beza's Translation, even surer than Scripture Words, which outward violence can rob me off, or I may forget them; but this remaineth for ever: and here lyeth a great deceipt in them, where Scripture speaks of the Word, and it's Vertue, and Excellency, and Sufficiency; O say they, This is Scripture, whereas I have shewed, though the Scriptures declare of that word, yet they are not it, but came from it, and point to it again; for the word is Christ, which was in the beginning. The next proof Heb. 1. 1, 2. This directly proves against them, as I have shewed before; God spoke to the Fathers in the Prophets, but to us in the Son, that is more Immediately. The next proof Luk. 16. 29. 31. This proves that Moses and the Prophets Testimony is of greater weight then if any should arise and testifie from the dead, but it proves nothing, that we should stick only to what is written by them, for much was writ after; nor does it prefer Moses and the Prophets Testimony, to the Testimony of the Spirit of Christ; this is more certain and satisfactory, and the end of their Testimony. Their next proof is, Ephes. 2. 20. Hereby they would prove, That the writeings of the Prophets and Apostles were the foundation of the Church; but this Scripture sayes nothing of that kind; for Jesus Christ is the Foundation of Prophets and Apostles, and the chief or undermost Corner-Stone; he is [Page] both Foundation-Stone, Corner-Stone, and Cop-Stone also, the First and the Last, and there is no other Foundation saith Paul himself, 1 Cor. 3. 11. and that Scripture is fully cleared above. Their next proof 2 Pet. 3. 15. 16. 17. But of all the Scriptures they have brought, this proves least for them, but much against them, for it mentions Pauls Epistles, and Writings which we own, and their usefulness also in their place; but it sayes nothing, that either his Writing or any other, are a compleat Cannon or Rule, or that Revelation is Ceased, but it sayes some things in them, are hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, &c. Then I say, there is the more need of Revelation to make a man Learned, and to open up these hard things, seeing only the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, can sufficiently do it, as is above Demonstrated. The next proof is Gal. 1. 8, 9. If any man, or an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Gospel unto you, let him be accursed. Answer, The Gospel was Preached unto Abraham, saith the Scripture, Gal. 3. 8. as well as unto us; and it was Preached unto Abel, Enoch, Noah, and to all believers, who lived before Scripture was writ in a book; and it was spoken into their Hearts, by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and the Saints who then lived, and were Inspired of God, preached the Gospel; and the Gospel is the same in all Generations, for it is the everlasting Gospel, Rev. 4. 6. But now the Declarations, Discoveries, and Manifestations of this one Gospel, hath been many and different, under the Law; more darkly, in the time of the Prophets; more Manifestly, in the time of the Apostles yet more Manifestly, and yet all one Gospel, and we Preach no other, but the same everlasting Gospel, which is the Power of God unto Salvation. Rom. 1. 16. The last proof is, 2 Thess. 2. 2. Wherein Paul beseeches them not to be shaken in mind or troubled, neither by Spirit, nor Word, nor Letter as from him, as that, that day of Christ, were at hand; but this proves nothing against the Inspiration of the Spirit of God, as if it were then ceased, or to cease; for it continued with him, and many others long afterwards, only it proves, they should not recite any such [Page] Doctrine, a [...] that, That day were suddenly to come he speaks of, though some should [...] it, as proceeding from the Spirit, or from Pauls Words, or Letters; and so that they might not be deceived by pretenders as is said, because some has falsely pretended to the Spirit, it follows not, that none have it in reality. And thus I have gone thorow all their Proofs, and shewed, that they prove no such thing as is intended by them, but are abused.

O j. 5. We much suspect this Doctrine of Immediate Revelation, and are feared to receive it, lest people coming to this, slight the Scriptures, and a Ministry, Worship, and Ordinances, for we find you so doing, who say, ye are come to it; and what use hath Scripture or Ministr [...], if God teach Immediately, by the Immediate Revelation of his Spirit?

Answ. This Doctrine ought not to be suspected by any-honest hearted Man or Woman, for it will never teach any to slight the Scriptures, but on the contrary; They will never know how to use, or esteem the Scriptures aright, till they come to that Life and Spirit which gave them forth, and to which they point; and these who were formerly Inspired of God, and were taught of him Immediately used and esteemed the Scriptures, nor slighted any Ministry, Worship, or Ordinances of Jesus Christ, as neither do we; and we acknowledge the Ministry who are sent of God, is both useful and comfortable to us, and we are bound to hear them, and acknowledge them; and at all times have we found their Ministry, usefull and refreshing unto us, having Ministered of the Life; and their Gospel came unto us, not in Word only, but in Power, and in the holy Ghost, and in much Assurance; as Pauls did unto them, 1 Thess. 1. 5. And we have also been refreshed with their Prayers in the heart, and found the fruit of them, and now in our measures are brought to the same Life; and yet their Ministry will alwayes be dear and comfortable to us, but not absolutely necessary; being come to a Teacher, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ, that cannot be removed into a Corner from us, when all men may, and be seperated from us, and we from them as to bodily presence; but indeed, who come to the Teachings and Ministry of the [Page] Spirit of Christ, in themselves; this will lead them, as it hath done us, from the Natural Ministry, Worship and Ordinances, for that they neither Worship, nor Minister from the Spirit, nor have received any ordinance there-from, as is Manifest both from their Principles and Practises.

The 7th. of the 4th. Month, 1668.

G. K.

FINIS.

POSTSCRIPT.

RObert Barron his Book, Entituled Apodipis Catholica de formali objecto fidei, coming to my hands after the finishing of what I had writ, concerning Immediate Revelation, its remaining a standing Ordnance in the Church; I found it fit to cite such particular places, (directing the Reader to his Words, where at large he may see them;) Where he declareth his Doctrine concerning Immediate, or inward Revelation, Ex parte Objecti, and ex parte Subjecti, affirming, that ex parte Objecti to be Ceased, which con [...]th the Prophets, and Penmen of the Scriptures to have had; and that only this Revelation [Page] Ex parte Objecti, is Revelation, properly simply, and according to the more usual way of speaking in the Scripture so called, see Tract [...]. 9. Authors Duplic. Puncto. 2 Num. 13. 14. 15. Again a few leaves after puncto. bt [...]. num. 6. and num. 5. Immediately preceeding, he saith, that which moves the Mind to give one assent to Truth, objectively, or by way of Object, is Medium cognitum, a known Midst; it must be known, and apprehended by the Mind, that it may move it to assent; but that which moveth effectively, upon the part of Subject or Power, which he calleth Revelation, Ex parte Subjecti, is Medium incognitum, an unknown mid'st, because (saith he) these helps upon the part of the subject, may co-operate to produce one assent of Faith, although they are not felt or known by us: Let the Reader take a view of these places, where he shall see, that I have truly set down his Doctrine, and his very words in that paper, concerning Immediate Revelation; and Tract. 9. Quest. 8. Num. 5. He saith, they falsly assert, that we believe the authority of the Scriptures, for, (or because of) the inward testimony of the Spirit; for we believe (saith he) the Divine Authority of the Scripture, not for another thing, but for the Scripture it self, because that act of Faith, whereby the Authority of the Scripture is believed, leaneth upon the Scripture it self, as it's principal Foundation: Some will say, (saith he) some Orthodox Theologues speak far otherwayes, for they most frequently affirm the Scripture authority to be believed, for, or because of the Inward Testimony of the Spirit; [...]o which he roundly answereth; (and I desire the Reader to mark the answer, whereby he may perceive, either their, or his Deceipt, whereby they give poor people to believe, that they deny not the Spirits Testimony, or inward Teaching; but when it comes to the point, their false cover is taken off, and they falsly deny it,) although (saith he,) they speak otherwaies, yet they think not otherwise, for that word, for, or because of, (Latine propter) is ambiguous, and sometimes importeth a respect to the effective cause of assent but sometimes, yea, more often, to the objective cause or Foundation, upon which, the assent of our mind leaneth, &c. This Robert Barron, after long debate with the Iesuit Turnbull, contending against the Papists, That the authority [Page] of the Church of Rome is not the formal Object, or Foundation of Faith, or believing of the Scriptures, cometh at last to refute their Doctrine (which he calleth Errour, and saith, that it is most easily refuted,) who maintain the formal Object of Faith, (i. e. its Foundation) to be the inward Revelation of the holy Spirit properly so called; and for the Revelation of this Dectrine (which Num. 6. he most of all condemneth) he bringeth five Arguments, Num. 8. Punct. 6. Tract. 9. And I find it fit to set them down also Word by Word, Translated into English out of the Latin, (in which his book is writ) that the Reader in whom the true discerning in any Measure is opened, may see the blindness of this man, in the things of God, notwithstanding, of all his Letter knowledge; and what a woful condition this poor Nation has been in these many years, for all their high pretences, to be the most glorious, and most purely reformed Church in the Earth; and yet this Doctrine of Immediate Revelation, wereby alone, God can be sufficiently and saveingly known, hath been by them, (and yet is by the present generation) accounted so ridiculous, that by this Man R. B. (called Doctor of Divinity in Aberdeen, and of great fame for his learning at home, and abroad) it is most of all condemned, even more than the Popish Doctrine, of resolveing their Faith in the Authority of the Church of Rome; so that Scripture is fulfilled upon them. Isa. 29. 13. 14. His Arguments are as followeth, To every one of which, as they ly in order; I shall return a few words of answer, which I hope shall satisfie the discerning, and indeed they are so weak, frivolous, and vain, that little or no answer is required; were it not that fools some times are to be answered in their folly, least they should seem wise in their own eyes, as Solomon speaketh,

First, (saith he) This way of knowing the Truth of the Doctrines of Faith, (viz. By the internal Revelation of the holy Spirit, properly so called,) is Extraordinary, and Prophetical; as is Manifest of the aforesaid, and consequentially the truth of the Christian Doctrine formerly and commonly, is not so made known unto the Faithful.

Answ. This way of Internal Revelation, Prophecy so called, [Page] hath alwayes been, not only Extraordinary, but altogether, shut up from the unbelieving, and such who stuck in the Letter; but it h [...]h alwayes been common to the true Christians and Saints in all ages, being the New Covenant Dispensatory which l [...]eth not for ever, Isa. 59. 21. That it was Prophetical, i. e. Imparted to the Prophets is granted, but it follows not, that therefore it is not the common priviledge of all Saints who were to have the like precious Faith with them; and though it was rare in the days of old, yet God hath poured cut according to his Promise, Ioel 2. 28, 29. Largely upon Sons and Daughters of his Spirit, whereby they Prophecy.

Secondly, (saith he) who imbrace this Errour, they confound the gift of Faith, and the gift of Prophecy; for the most noble k [...]nd of prophetical Revelation, is that which is by Intellectual speaking, or illumination as Thomas and Suarez teach.

Answ. 1. Who imbrace this supposed Err [...]ur, but indeed Truth; Do not confound the gift of Faith, and the gift of Prophecy, the spirit of Faith, and the spirit of Prophecy is one, but the opperations different, 1 Cor. 12. 4, 5, 6. Now if by the gift of Prophecy he understand (as he seemeth to do) the inward Manifestation or speaking of God Immediately to the mind, Faith is hereby wrought, viz. God this speaking or Manifesting the truth Immediately in the Mind, is the cause of Faith; and so as the cause and effect are different, so the Prophetical Revelation and the Faith of what is Revealed are different opperations; For because God Revealeth in Man these he believeth. But if he or any other, would thus reason, then every one who have the gift of Faith, must have the Prophetical Revelation; and so all believers are Prophers and do Prophecy.

Answ. 2. All Saints have the same Spirit and Word of Prophecy in some measure more or less, that the Prophets had, who ever directed people to the same Spirit and Word in their hearts, from which they spoke, that they might in themselves hear the same Word and Spirit, whereby the true Faith comes; and such who turned in their minds to this Word and Spirit in them, (or rather, by the drawings thereof, were turned by it) believed the Prophets Testimonies; and all others [Page] did not believe, but rejected their Testimony as false and seigned. I shall not need to cite Scriptures for this, or produce reasons, having done both at large in the fore-going Treatise; but whereas they say, then all should be Prophets and Prophecy, who believe.

Answ. 3. All the Saints must know the sheepherds voice in them, and witness Christ Jesus the great Prophet Prophecying or speaking in them, and must carry his Testimony which is the Spirit of Prophecy, Revel. 19. 10. compared with 12. 17. But we do not say, neither followeth it from our Doctrine, That all are called forth as Prophets to Prophecy, or Minister, or Teach, or have the gift of utterance given them; only this we affirm, That none ought to Minister or Teach, but who witness the Internal Call, and furnishing of the holy Spirit given them what to speak Immediately from it self, and inwardly revealing the truth of these things in them, whereof they declare, and they who Prophecy or Preach of Faith, ought to believe themselves, and to have the same Spirit of Faith according to that 1 Cor. 4. 13. We having the same Spirit of Faith believe, therefore we speak, and so speaking, a Prophecying of the effect or consequent of Faith, in all whom God calleth thereunto.

Thirdly, (saith he) This opinion too openly favoureth the Swendefieldians, Anabaptists and others, vaunting of Internal Breathings, or Inspirations, and enthusiasms; for saith he, that Internal Revelation which is upon the part of the object, and which is ever by Supernatural and disjoynedly Infused representations, truly and properly is Enthusiasme.

Answ. Lo! how the fleshly denies the Inward Breathings, or Inspirations of Gods Spirit, whereby alone the understanding is opened, and the true Wisdom and Life received; but what saith he here against it? but that the Swendefieldians, and Annabaptists maintain this Doctrine, and vaunt themselves to be Inspired, but this will not prove it false, though they had not been Inspired more, than when the false Prophets in Ieremiah's daies said, They were Inspyred by the Spirit of God, that therefore Ieremiah was not.

Fourthly, (saith he) Hence it followeth, that the whole [Page] Church, that is, all the faithful, are ruled by new Revelations.

Answ. What evil is this? or rather, is it not a blessed dispensation for all who believe, to walk after the Spirit, and to Witness God, dwelling and walking in them, as he hath promised. It is observable, how both this man, and all his brethren take it for granted, rather (it hath passed all along among them as a Principle) then that ever any of them could prove it, That there no Immediate Revelation; and upon this sandy Foundation they have built their Church, Ministry, Worship, and Ordinances which is now a falling, and great is, and shall be the fall thereof; but this we say, and certainly know, (such who can receive it let them) all true Christians have the dayly, and hourly Manifestations, Revelations, and Influences of the Life eternal fresh and new from the Fountain, as the Israelites gathered the Manna, new from Heaven every day, &c.

Fifthly, (saith he) Internal, or Immediate Revelations cannot make us more certain of the Divine Authority, than the outward Revelation, viz. the Scriptures; therefore, if the outward is not to be believed for it self, neither the inward, and so either an infinite progress, or vitious Circle must be committed.

Answ. The Antecedent is Manifestly false, and therefore it concludes not truly, for what man of the meanest discerning will not acknowledge, that God Immediately Revealing, or speaking in Man, (whose voice is full of heavenly vertue, sweetness, and holiness, which his Sheep by their heavenly nature, hear, and discern from the voice of a stranger) maketh him more certain, than when he has but a report from another.

Writ in the time of my Imprisonment, in the Tolboo [...]h of Aberdeen, in Scotland where I was shut up, ten Months, for no other cause but my Testimony to the Truth

The 3d. of the 6th. Month, 1668.

G. Keith.

Errata, or faults escaped in Printing.

PAge 10. Line 13. for annull read animal. p. 12. l. 27. for God, r. of God, p. 25. l. 33. for stuffe, r. strife. p. 17. l. 15. for light, r. life. p. 52. l. 9. for misery, r. mercy. p. 88. l. 25. for swords, r. words. p. 92. l. 31. for him. 1. her. p. 109. l. 15. for darkness, r. drunkenness. p. 137. l. 3. for none, r. is there none. p. 121. l. 21. for Christians, r. Christians have. p. 126. l. for with, r. [...]ot with.

THE END.

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

Immediate revelation, or, Jesus Christ the eternall Son of God revealed in man and revealing the knowledge of God and the things of his kingdom immediately : or, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit of promise, the spirit of prophecy poured forth and inspiring man and induing him with power from on high ... not ceased, but remaining a standing and perpetual ordinance in the Church of Christ and being of indispensible necessity as to the whole body in general ... / writ by George Keith, prisoner of the truth in the Tolbooth of Aberdein, the 29th of the third moneth, 1665.

Keith, George, 1639?-1716.

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1668

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2003-05 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

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A47152

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Wing K175

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ESTC R28754

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10750301

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45664

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— Immediate revelation, or, Jesus Christ the eternall Son of God revealed in man and revealing the knowledge of God and the things of his kingdom immediately : or, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit of promise, the spirit of prophecy poured forth and inspiring man and induing him with power from on high ... not ceased, but remaining a standing and perpetual ordinance in the Church of Christ and being of indispensible necessity as to the whole body in general ... / writ by George Keith, prisoner of the truth in the Tolbooth of Aberdein, the 29th of the third moneth, 1665., Keith, George, 1639?-1716..

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[2], 136 p.

s.n.],. [Aberdeen? :: 1668.. (Reproduction of original in the Harvard University Library.)

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