The Womans Advocate: Shewing the Reason According to Scripture, OR THE Scripture Reason; Why God hath brought to Light the true meaning of his Word, by an unexpected hand.

SEeing by that body of Men, which in the Word is termed the Beast, who under pretence of be­ing Teachers of the Gospel, deprive the Nations of the Scriptures, whom God permitted so to do; when the greater party, with their Rulers grew to have no love to the Truth, but took pleasure in un­righteousness; then God suffered them to be deluded by the Beast, and so Idolatry and Darkness overspread the Nations again: By means of which, we are now in great mistakes, having lost in several places the right Sentiments of the Word: And therefore if God hath at the end of the time determined, that the whole truth should break forth another way, I hope none will be offended: And because Woman was the first in the Transgression, therefore all the time of this World, God hath more afflicted them than Man. But the [Page 2] Lord Christ, to restore fallen Mankind, came of a Wo­man; and to shew they were alike beloved of the Lord, therefore his first coming was revealed to the Women, as well as to the Men. And also when he arose from the Dead, he then first appeared to the Women. But, because Woman was first in the Transgression, there­fore in the time of this World, Man was given the Ru­ling Power, and it is he that hath been the first setter up of all the Idolatrous Worship in the World.

And after the Primitive times, the Beast and false Prophet have been the Suppressors of the Knowledge of the Truth. And the Mighty God, foreseing what the event would be, Therefore by Zerubbabel the Favourite of Heaven, the Lord saith, Who art thou, O great Moun­tain before Zerubbabel? The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, his hands shall also finish it. Zech. 4. 7, 9. This was the great Zerubbabel that laid the Writing under Darius his Pillow; wherein he joyns Women and Truth together, as Prophetically foreseeing, that as Christ, who was Truth it self, should come of Woman; so again, when Man had darkned Truth by Errour, that God would again have Truth break forth by Woman, at Christs Second coming, and those places of Scripture which we have been mistaken in, to be fully and clearly explained by the Word, and that by Woman: And tho' Women, and all are said to be wicked, Yet great is Truth, and great is the God of Truth, 1 Esd. 3. 8, 12. And Christ saith of himself, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Lord giv­eth himself that Name of Truth. And several places of Scripture that we have apprehended to have little meaning in them, yet will prove to be of wonderful Sig­nification. Now as Zerubbabel is said to lay the Foun­dation of the Temple, so his hand is said to finish it. And Christ terms his Body a Temple, and the Temple of the Body of Christ, came of a Woman, and if the Lord will have the coming of the Temple, of his Glo­rious [Page 3] Body fully declared by Woman, it is what God thinks meet, who is no respecter of Persons, or Sex: For of them that are in the Lord. There is neither bond nor free, male nor female; for they are all one in Christ Jesus, Gal. 3. 28. And the Lords Second coming has been again declared, for these several Years since the Reformation, as by Luther, Usher, and Withers. And the Lord will not come the Second time, till his coming has been clearly made appear, and that by Woman.

I do not think that those Women that first saw the Lord after he arose, were better beloved of him, then the beloved Disciple John, or Peter: But that the Lord did thereby fore-shew, that the clear Declaration of his Second coming should be fully declared by Wo­man also. And I hope, that as Man is willing to be sa­ved by the Lord of Life that came of a Woman, that they will not rather chuse to go hood-winkt to De­struction, then to be warned by a Woman to escape the near Appproaching danger by a a speedy Refor­mation and Preparation, for the coming of the Lord.

But to be awakened out of a sleepy Security, seems no way pleasing to the Flesh; but let such consider, it is better to see the danger before hand, that they may avoid it, then to fall blind-fold into it. With the true Saint, there can be nothing so desirable as the coming of the Lord and the knowledge thereof; whose coming I long for: And my Souls desire also is, my fellow Creatures Eternal welfare: For which I have Laboured night and day. But I was willing to keep it from being known, by whom God had brought to Light the true meaning of his Word; therefore I endeavoured to place my words, when askt about the Books; so as it might not be apprehended that it was a Woman that wrote them. But the Lord bringing these fore-mentioned places of Scripture to my remembrance, as I was one Evening in Meditation; which before I had not taken notice of, [Page 4] as to apprehend their meaning: By which I thought that it was the will of God, that I should own the Work that he had imployed me in, that thro my weakness his Power might be exalted.

But as the Lords First coming was a snare to Israel, in that he came of her that was but of small appearance in this World; so the Truth now breaking forth, and not by the great Schollars and Rabbies of the time, it will prove a snare to many; especially to the high and lofty in their own imaginations. But God chuseth not the Wise and Learned of this World to discover the Secrets in his Word, because man should not attribute to his own Wisdome or Learning. Therefore God chuseth the weak things of the World to confound the wise and mighty, 1 Cor. 1. 27. Isa. 29. 11, 12, 13. Now the Beast deprived the Nations of the Gospel, and would not permit any woman so much as to Read the Word: For which, when man acts contrary to God, then God acts contrary to man. And in that, I that am but a weak Worm, do understand the Misterious part of the Scrip­tures, and have brought to Light the true meaning of those mistaken places, which has caused so much Dissen­tion amongst us; by means of which, we have been in great mistakes as to several places of Scripture, which have seemed contradictory one to the other, because we did not understand the true meaning of them. And therefore some have said, God hath a Secret and a revealed Will: And that by his revealed Will, he in­vites all that will, to come, promising them Life; but by his Secret Will he hath determined, that none but the Elect shall be saved. The which is no other, then the turning the Truth of God into a lie; in his offering that Mercy, which he never did intend to perform. But now, all those mistaken places of Scripture are clearly proved by the Word, to have another meaning then what we have hitherto apprehended: So as all the Scripture now by Gods assistance, is made to agree in [Page 5] a Holy harmony; and Justice, Mercy, and Truth, go hand in hand together. Therefore it is evident this must be done by the Assistance of God, and at the time, and in the way he hath appointed in his Word. And as the Jews were mistaken as to Christ's first coming, so the Christians are as much mistaken as to his second coming: But I hope our Rulers will not oppose the Truth as theirs did. But the people, as they, love to have smooth things told them, and love not them that tell them the truth, altho' they are willing to spend, and be spent for them.

Some there are that find fault with my quoting of Esdras in my Books, saying, that he was not mentio­ned either by Christ, or his Apostles. To which I an­swer, Neither were several other of the Prophets that are spoken of in the Old Testament. But if any say, he is not mentioned there, they assert that which is false. For Ezra in the Old Testament, is the same person, which in the Apochrapha is called Esdras. For in Ezra Chap. 10. the 9, 16, 17. Verses, is exactly the same with that in the 1 Book of Esdras, Chap. 9. 5, 6, 17. Ver­ses. And also in Nehemiah, Chap. 8. 2, 4. Verses. the like is again said in 1 Esdras 9. 40, 42. Verses. By which places it is fully made appear, that it was one and the same Man, who after the Captivity caused Is­rael to put away their strange Wives, being met toge­ther at Jerusalem on the Twentieth day of the Ninth Month, in the great showre of Rain; and likewise stood upon a Pulpit of Wood, and Read the Law on the First day of the Seventh Month to all the People. As to the difference of the Name, one was taken out of the Hebrew, the other out of the Caldean Tongue: and the Prophets are not called in the New Testament, as they are in the Old.

But as for our Ancient Expositors, who placed not his Prophesies among the Prophets, it was, because them­selves [Page 6] erred from the Truth. Not only as to their mis­apprehending that none but the Elect could be sa­ved, but they likewise understood not the meaning of the World to come. And that in Scripture, there is Three Worlds spoken of, and Three Evers, and Three Times, and Three Generations: And that in the Word, every World is termed a Generation, as well as that from the Father to the Son; which now, by laying Scripture to Scripture is proved. Neither did they apprehend that the Powers and People are termed the Heavens and Earth; which in the Word are so termed far oftner then the Material Heavens and Earth are, as now by the Scripture is made plainly appear. And our Ancient Expositors being mistaken in these things, made them deny the Restitution of all things, which God by the mouth of all his Prophets and his Apostles has declared, Acts 3. 21. which likewise Esdras affirm­eth; which will be fulfilled in time to come before Eter­nity: Until which time of Restitution, the Heavens were again to receive Christ. At which time of return, the World will be judged in Righteousness, by him whom God hath ordained, Acts 17. 31. And then will Israel be re­stored. For then the deliverer will turn away Ungod­liness from Jacob, Rom. 11. 26. And St. Paul turns us to the day of Judgment, Isa. 59. 20. For the time of the Judgment of this World, and the rise of the Saints, and the last Judgment, when all the Dead are raised, are clearly proved to be Two several Judgments. Sure our Ancient Expositors were in dangerous mistakes, when by their Interpretation of the New Testament, they make God false and forsworn in the Old Testa­ment. For therein he hath declared that Jerusalem shall again be Built upon her own heap, never more to be destroyed, Jer. 30. 18. Jer. 31. 40. And likewise God hath sworn by his right hand, and by thearm of his strength, that he will no more give their Corn to be meat to their Ene­mies, Isa. 62. 8. which promise will be made good to [Page 7] them at the time of the Restitution of all things. At which time, we shall be judged according to our deeds: These things will be fulfilled according to the Word, in as much as it is impossible for God to lie, in not perform­ing his promise to all according as he hath declared.

Luther declared in a Book that was Translated into English by Capt. Bell, That when the Turk began to decline, the Mighty Lord would come: And the signs of the time, as I have already elswhere proved by the Word, is about Forty years; the which time Israel lay in the Wilderness. And about Five or Six and Thirty years ago, There was, as is recited in History, over Constantinople, an Apparition seen in the Heavens, which was, a Woman with an open Book in her hand; which when they of the City did see, one of the Priests said, Our Mahomet is not come at his appointed time; And that the Book which the Woman holds open in her hand, may be the Book of the Crucified Jesus; which Book, we have neglected: Upon which saying, the people Stoned him to Death; at which time all the Lights in the place of their Worship went out. The History in which this is recorded, I saw about Seven years ago; it was a borrowed Book, and the Person is Dead, with whom I saw it: It was a Book in Folio, and treated of several Countreys, and may be heard of. And since that Apparition, the Turks have been much opprest by War, and are declining; and the Mighty Lord is a coming, as by all the signs that he hath given us, he doth declare; which in my Books by the Word I have fully proved. And Blessed will they be that are found waiting for him.

Whereas some say, if the Lord were a coming, sure we should know it: And likewise others say, if it were so, we should know it: And so the Third. But they examine not their own hearts, whether upon the signs the Lord hath given of his coming, there was then in them, an uncessant longing for his appearance; and so [Page 8] a more diligent search into the Word, by giving them­selves up to God, in studying the Scripture night and day; neglecting their outward concern: and like the importunate Widow to the Judge, sought to God by fervent Prayer, that they might more clearly under­stand the Scriptures. And if they had so done, my life for theirs, they might have known a great deal more then they do; in which way, the knowledge of the Truth was attained by me. And God doth often chuse a peculiar Person or Persons to accomplish or declare that he hath determined. And who is it, that for his so doing, dares say, What dost thou? As for my self, I have been one whom God hath Exercised with afflicti­on from my Youth up, and I have also loved my Lord much; and therefore was not only willing to give my labour and time, but likewise to venture my little con­cern for the Publication of the knowledge of the Truth, for the Glory of God and the good of Souls. And now, if any will set their helping hand, that the knowledge of the Truths now discovered, may be made more Pub­lick then I am capable to do; it will be very well plea­sing in the sight of God. For altho' the First Churches in the Apostles time were not in darkness, that, that day should overtake them as a thief, 1 Thes. 5. 4. Yet since the Christians are fallen into darkness, concerning the time, by the false Notions that they have received; which has caused us to overlook the signs of the time, which the Lord in his Word hath declared, should be before his Coming.

Upon which evident Manifestation of the signs, part of the Ministry in Swedeland, after those great Earrh­quakes, which the World in so short time, never before produced the like, both for Number and Greatness, as then were in several places, with the other signs which the Lord foretold should be to give notice of his Coming; therefore would have warned the People, apprehend­ing what Dreadful consequence it would be to them, [Page 9] that are found in darkness at that day, in not knowing the day of their Visitation. But those of the Clergy, that were in the wrong, prevailed, and would not suffer them so to Teach the People; and presently sent away to Holland to the Ministers there, to continue as they were. This came over in the Monthly Mercury, and a Lutheran Minister told me, that the Resolutions of the Ministers of Swedeland was, That whatever they thought themselves concerning the coming of Christ, they would not Teach it the People.

But the severe Sentence of the Lord is not only a­gainst them that add to his Word, that he will add to them the Plagues mentioned therein; but likewise those that take away from the Words of the Book, wherein the Lord declares the Judgment of this World, the Restitution of all things, as again making all things new, with the general Invitation or common Salvation. And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And the Lord saith, Whosoever will, let him come, Rev. 22. 17. And who is it dares say to the contrary? And it is those that will not own these things, that shall have their part taken out of the book of Life, and from all the Blessings therein promised, Rev. 22. 19.

Whereas it is said, There shall arise many false Christs, and false Prophets; but to tell you of the true Christ, and of his coming in the true way, according as he hath declared in his Word; I hope the Prince of Dark­ness will not so far prevail, as to make it to be esteemed amongst us as false Doctrine, which is so fully proved, both in the Old and New Testament: and likewise that Christs Righteousness will be applied for our Justificati­on according to his Word, in the way of our Obedience; and if this Doctrine is new to us, then have we forgot­ten the good old way. And it may be partly said of us, as God said of Israel, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; for there is many that would readily em­brace the Truth, had they been so well instructed, as [Page 10] to understand Truth from Errour; but them that will not see, and them that cannot see, will both fall into the Ditch: And i [...] we would but give our selves liber­ty to consider, we may easily see where the Stroke will fall, when by the Gospel the Lord tells such as are under it, That one shall be taken out of a Bed, and the other left: And one taken out of the Field, and the other left: And one out of the City, &c. And this not because God left them under necessity of Damnation, but because they would not forget the eager pursuit of this present evil World; as in the Parable. But God by the Prophets tells Israel, That they shall be gathered together, and come up to Jerusalem in Mul­titudes, upon Horses, Chariots, Litters, Mules, and swift Beasts: And then will he gather in others with them, Isa 60. 5, 6, 7. Isa. 66. 20. the which I have elswhere more largly proved. All which things ought to be weighed, and considered, since the Wel­fare of our Souls and Bodies lies at Stake.

The Bereans were termed Noble, because they searched the Scriptures, to see whether those things which the Apostles said were true, Acts 17. 11.

But the people of this Age think it their greatest Wis­dom, to put out their own eyes, and not to look into the Truth, rather choosing to answer by Rote, accord­ing to what Notions they have received, then to exa­mine the certainty of those Truths, which the Lord according to his promise, hath now at the end of the time brought to Light, that knowledge thereby might be increased; so as the Vision now by the Word, is made plain to speak; and Light is thereby broke forth at Evening time, according as he hath promised: And if we would own the whole Truth, and break off our Sins by working Righteousness, we might not only save our selves, but be an Example to many of the Christians abroad Oh! that we would consider our ways and be wise, and humble our selves to Almighty God, and [Page 11] that we may have more love one to the other, it being the last Commandment the Lord left us; that by our obedient and humble walking, God may exalt us in due time: But if not, The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day, Isa. 2. 17.

Whereas some say, that I make Interpretation of Scripture according to what I fancy; but whosoever says it, it is such as speak by rote themselves, and ac­cording to their received Opinion, and not by weigh­ing my Books and the Scriptures together; which if they did, without having a prejudice to the knowledge of the Truth, they would quickly be of another mind. For I don't pretend to Interpret Scripture, for that which God hath imployed me in, is to lay the Scrip­tures together; which is set down, here a little, and there a little, as thereby to make the Scriptures Inter­pret themselves; so as to make the true meaning of the Word appear by them, and in leaving nothing therein to contradict what is said; in which sure way there can be no mistake: Whil'st some others, by their own In­terpretations, have made the Scriptures like a Nose of Wax, and have turned it to what they please, in tak­ing some few Scriptures that has not been rightly un­derstood, to assert it, but leaving many other places of Scriptures to contradict them; but the Scripture is of certain rightly understood, when it is made to agree in a holy Harmony; and God proved to be faithful ac­cording to his Word, as well to the Jews, as to the Gentiles; which by the Interpretation of Scripture ac­cordsng to our Ancient Expositors, they have turned Earth into Heaven, and so made the promise of God to Israel at the time of the Restitution of all things, as nothing: For they only apprehended the New Jeru­salem that is above; and therefore thought not of a new Earthly one, which will be built again upon her own heap, never more to be destroyed, when all things are re­stored [Page 12] and again made new, as in my Books is proved. And tho' several Scriptures have a Twofold referrence or meaning, yet no Scripture doth admit of a contra­dictory meaning, when rightly understood.

And tho' our Ancient Reformers of the Church, I am fully perswaded were Men of Sincerity and Integrity, and several of them Martyrs of Jesus, but coming out of the Darkness of Popery, therefore could not suddenly discover the whole Truth of the Gospel; but now God according to his promise, That at Evening time it should be Light, Zach. 14. 7. And that at the end of the time knowledge should be increas­ed, Dan. 12. 4. that thereby that day of the Coming of the Lord, might not come on us unawares; and therefore hath at the appointed time caused the Vision to speak, Hab. 2. 3. And tho' it does come according to the Word, as a snare to all flesh, Luk. 21. 35. by rea­son it comes in a way unexpected: But whosoever will own the Truth and prepare for the Coming of the Lord, will be Blessed; but it is such that will not have the Lord to Reign over them, that at his return, when he has re­ceived the Kingdom, he then Commands to be brought and slain before him, Luke 19, 12, 27.

And that we might not be found to condemn others, of that we are guilty of our selves; as the smothering the Truth, rather then we will be found in mistakes: For when Gods Judgments are upon the earth, the Inhabi­tants of the World should learn Reghteousness, Isa. 26. 9.

The Prayers of the Wicked are Abomination and Sin, when they ask forgiveness for that they intend to com­mit again; but the Prayers of the Wicked is neither Abomination nor Sin, when they ask forgiveness for that they never intend to do again; begging God to assist them therein.

Some of the chief Heads of the most Miraculous Wonders, that have of late been in Christendom.