A Paper shewing who are the true Spouse of Christ, and who are not.
THe true Sponse of Christ, is his true Church which is in God our Father, 1 Thes. 1, 1. which hears his voice, feels his power, and is made one with him, that is the light & have him neer unto her, even in her bosome, & brings forth increase by vertue of his power or life that is in her, who is not of the world as he is not of the world but is bated by the world, as now under the reproachful name of Quakers, & the like.
The Whore is not truely espoused to Christ, nor one with him, but is the false Church which is not in God who is a spirit, but is in & of the world which iso posite to the spirit, and spiritual worship, which hears not the voice of Christ (but onely the letter or men reading in a book which such as are not Christs sheep may hear read and know) neither doth she feel his power, but denies them that do, or that any do, neither is she made one with him that is the light, nor have him so neer unto her as within the hope of Glory, Col. 1. 27. but only as far as above the skies, or as Ierusaleni, and so far from increasing in the increases of God, Col. 2. 19. or in the fruit of the spirit, or to increase her number by vertue thereof; but onely by an outward power, law, learning, or letter that killeth 2 Cor. 3. 6. which harlot or false Church is of the world, and not of Christ, and hath the worlds love, being truely named Mystery Babylon, the Mother of harlots, Out of which God hath redeemed us, Rev, 18. 4.
Now this false Church and painted harlot, having not Gods power in her to uphold her, is upheld by mans power, and is alwaies subject to the changeablenesse thereof, which Church or harlot is to fall with great violence, Rev. 18. 21.
Then now will I leave it to understanding men to judge, whether ever there were greater violence in this confused mother of harlots then now is; with what violence are some of her late chiefest pillers now going down, that upheld her a long time? and with what violence are others setting up, which violence causeth the people to mistak [...] them, and so to cry them down, and what violence is used in her between her Priests and teachers themselves one against another, and all compassing the holy City about in which God dwelleth, (who promised and doth dwell in his people) as though they would devour (us) all at once, but whether our help be of ourselves or from heaven, rea [...] Rev. 20. 9. and so let all judge whether violence be not begun.
And again at Babylons fall the Saints rejoyce, according as it is said rejoyce over (not bowing under) her my people, Rev. 18. 20.
And seeing Gods servants do begin to rejoyce and shout for joy (though few can he [...] it) and make melody in their hearts to the Lord, notwithstanding they are with muc [...] violence persecuted, slandered, all manner of evil spoken against them, and cast out o [...] the Sinagogues, threatned to be cursed out of their Church (because they cannot ge [...] [...] in) and brought before Rulers for his names sake, who said I am the light, Iohn [...] [Page 2]Re [...]. 10. 8. which turns to us for a testimony, Luke 21. 13.
Now men may mind the words of Christ, when the signs begin to come to [...] then thereby to know what is neer, Luke 21. 30. 31.
And now being it is so that Babel is to fall with great violence, and that the servants and Prophets of God are then to rejoyce.
And seeing also that they who are come out of her do begin to rejoyce over her.
Let it now be considered what is to follow, or what God will bring to passe, or what is neer at hand, and whether the destruction be not neer when they cry peace, all th [...] are safe, or whether the dreadful coming of Christ be not at the midst of the dark night, like a theif, upon all the ungodly werkers of darknesse, over whom the Saints rejoyce
My heart is filled with the power of God.
144 Lines of secret inward melody, not written to lift up any from that which gives it.
As I was walking alone in my close Prison at Winchester, upon the 24th day of the 5th. month 62. in much quietnesse and inward refreshings by the rising vertue of Gods refreshing love; these lines began to run gently through me, with melody in my heart to the Lord and when I was free in my self to begin to write, it departed not from me but came so easie and so fast as I could well right, whereby in a very little part of the foresaid day this was begun and finished with ney own hand; yet would not I have looked upon to be a great thing, nor a pattern nor example for others to run into the like for since I came into the life and obedience of truth, I durst not write any thing in verse until this time.
The 30th. of the 4th. month, 62.
AS in a vision the Sheep that I saw, they lodged on the side of a Mountain as high as Heaven, and they lay one by another, and one upon another, yet not in the least offensive one to another, but lay as quiet and as loveing as if they had been asleep, or sleeping one by and upon another, yet were perfectly awake: And though the whole world roaled from under them, whereby they were like to fall, and no visible ground or thing was seen to receive them or to fall upon (which was in such a manner that [...] cannot well expresse it) yet were they not afraid thereat but lay as quiet in themselves as before, being upheld by an invisible power; and they that were tumbling down, [...] were falling, had not the least harme; but their removeal was to them as it is to a [...] child to be removed in the Nurses Armes, out of one place to another, (more then it expresse) or though some of them seemed to be a little removed, or to fall, when th [...] whole world roaled from under them (which was but to try them) yet they that [...] so were not in the least harmed thereby but were very well supported, & in a [...] were recovered, and climbed up the most steepest mount of the whole world that was [...] fore them; and as for themselves they were more large, fair, and comely than ever [...] natural eyes beheld, and their wool was all over them as perfect shining gold.
After I had written this little thing and had also found that it was shewed [...] the very time that the Rulers of the Earth in London began to deprive friends of [...] worldly helps and things which seemed thereby to be wholly rolling from them [...] did I send one coppy of it to a friend in that City to see, who informing me that [...] friends desired to see it: wherefore I thus open it more plainly.
The world was the outward visible world, with all things that are upon it, or per [...] ning to it; the rolling away of it was so that nothing thereof was left them at that [...] to lay hold on, or to stay themselves upon. As for the sheep Christ termed his [...] [...] thren and members so, and as for their wooll they had aboundance thereof upon th [...] yet no more then comely or rather glorious, and it was as Armor to them not to be [...] ced through, nor to be taken from them, neither was it in the least defiled, which [...]
Printed for M. W.