where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world; that the love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them, and I in them.” John xvii. 24, 26.

"The disciple is not above his master, but every one that is perfect shall be as his master." Luke vi. 40.

66

But love your enemies, and do good. And lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the highest; for he is kind to the unthankful, and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." Luke vi. 35, 36. "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsover I command you."

"But the anointing which ye have received of him, abideth in you. And ye need not that any man teach you, but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things; and is truth, and is no lie. And even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." 1 John ii. 27. Read the eighth chapter to the Romans, and the Lord give thee understanding.

Rom. x. 8. "The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is the word of faith which we preach." "And hereby we do know that we do know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith he knoweth him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whosoever keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected; hereby know we, that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also to walk, even as he walked." 1 John ii. 3, 4, 5, 6. Read to the end of the chapter.

"Little children, let no man deceive you. He that doth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose was the son of God manifest, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin; for his seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil; whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother. We know, that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother, abideth in death." 1 John iii. v. 2 to the 10th and 14th.

“No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfect in us. Hereby we know, that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his spirit. And we have seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Son, to be the saviour of the world." 1 John iv. 12, &c.

"I counsel thee to buy of my gold tried in the fire, that thou mayst be rich; and white rayment, that thou mayst be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thy eyes with eye

salve, that thou mayst see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous, therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man here my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am sate down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith to the churches." Rev. iii. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.

"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 save he that receiveth it." Rev. ii. 17.

66 He that believes hath the witness in himself."

"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."

"But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderer, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." Rev. xxi. 7, 8.

Thus have I here transcribed and set before thee these scriptures before, being very divine and heavenly sayings, greatly worthy of thy reading over and over again; and in that light and grace which shines and appears in thy heart, and is able to remove the covering, and take away the veil from off the same; I desire thee to weigh and consider them, and measure and try thyself thereby. Had I not the remembrance still upon my mind, how I often read those scriptures, and many the like, while my understanding was clouded, and the veil over my heart, and did not understand what I read, nor receive the comfort of them, nor witness the truth thereof in myself. I say, were it not for this remembrance, and the knowledge of the true light, that now shineth out of darkness, I should admire and wonder how the titular Christian, who readeth and professeth the holy plain testimonies, precepts, exhortations, and glorious promises recorded in the holy scriptures, (and lived in, and borne witness to by divers true christians now in this age,) should oppose and gainsay the same, and understand nothing thereof.

Though he professeth them to be his rule, he is so far from being ruled by them himself, that he hates and persecutes those that are, and that have received the good things they testify of.

And were it not that the holy scriptures had a great esteem in the affections of the people of those nations called Christendom, and that they did bear so plain evidence to the truth of the doctrines taught, and heavenly estates now professed and enjoyed by the true Christian, he would be more hated, persecuted, and cried out against than he is. So for this reason and divers more, he hath great cause to praise

God, that the scriptures have been preserved, and the holy divine sayings and testimonies of the righteous delivered down to this age, so clear, true, and plain as they are; for he alone enjoys the benefit, privilege, and comfort of them, by the virtue and operation of the light, love, and spirit of God, which they testify of, working in his inward man. And except this be known, the scriptures, and all heavenly things are as a sealed book to thee, let thy natural parts, wisdom and acquired attainments, be never so great. Therefore thy duty is above all things, to hearken to, and obey the voice of God, and regard the inspiration of the Almighty, which gives understanding, that thou mayst learn his heavenly precepts, and understand his divine mysteries, and enjoy his glorious promises, and be made wise unto salvation, and so inherit everlasting life, peace and glory, and know an entrance ministered into the joy of the Lord.

And at least an earnest of all these things thou art to know, revealed, felt, and enjoyed within thyself, before thou go hence, and be no more seen among men.

Therefore put not the day of the Lord afar off, nor say in thy heart, the Lord delays his coming; for he waits to show himself gracious unto thee, and is come nigh unto judgment, and standeth even at the door, and appeareth at the gate and entrance of thy heart;* and his appearance thou mayst infallibly know from all other appearances, because it judgeth every appearance of evil; and not only so, but if thou openest the gate, and entertainest him in thy heart, he will furnish thee with power and strength against it, and fill thy temple with his heavenly treasures of wisdom and glory. So shalt thou not only read and hear of good things, but understand, possess, and enjoy them; and be able to obey this exhortation. "Abstain from every appearance of evil."

And this saying, once spoken to Cain, the first-born, after transgression, universally concerns thee and all mankind, and is sounded daily in their ears, "If thou dost well, shalt thou not be accepted? But if thou dost evil, sin lies at thy door," Gen. iv. 3. And tribulation and anguish attends every soul of man that doth evil (let him profess what he will.) Rom. ii. 9.

Something by way of Caution and Warning to the titular Christian, to whose hand this following Treatise may come.

I have some sense upon my mind, that thou wilt, upon thy reading thereof, be ready to censure and judge those things thou understandest

Read Proverbs viii.

not, nor hast had any experience of; and also, to deride and mock at the frequent testimonies and exhortations to the light within, grace within, spirit within, power of God within, word of God within, law within, &c. consider what thou dost, and against what and whom thou openest thy mouth, and dread the living God, whom in words only thou professest to be a spirit, infinite, omnipresent, and Almighty; which spirit searcheth thy heart, and judgeth thy ways, though thou at present be ignorant and unbelieving concerning him, and his being so near thee. And also consider within thyself, how that if thou knowest not light shining within, and a walking in it, thou art no child of it, but darkness abounds in thee, and thou knowest not whither thou goest, nor at what thou stumblest. If grace thou knowest not to rule and reign within thee, sin ruleth, and death, the wages thereof, is present with thee. If the spirit of God thou knowest not teaching and ruling in thy heart, and sitting upon the throne thereof, the spirit of satan, devil, and antichrist rules there, and teacheth there, and thou art a poor captive, and bond-slave thereof, profess what thou wilt. And if the power of God thou knowest not working within thyself, and operating in thy heart, not only to shake, pull down, and remove that which can be shaken and removed, but also to bring in that which cannot be shaken nor removed, viz. everlasting righteousness; I say, if this thou knowest not, the power of the enemy of God (and thy soul) worketh in thee, and prevaileth over thee, by working in thy imaginations, will, and affections, mind and members, that which is evil, either in self-sinning, or self righteousness, which are both abomintion to the Lord. So if thou knowest not the word of God within thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, with the virtues and properties thereof, as a hammer, as a fire, quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, and hearest and obeyest not the voice thereof; I say, if this word thou knowest not within, thou art not made clean nor sanctified by it; but those things stand in thee, against which it is as a hammer, fire, sword, sharp and powerful; and the word and commands of the old serpent, that betrayer, sounds loud in thy ears, and pierceth deep into thy heart, and thou art carried away with the wind thereof, and enterest into his temptations daily, and knowest not power against them; so thou canst not say, as David once did, "I have hid thy word in my heart, that I might not sin against thee:"* neither hast thou received with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save; but art of those whom Christ spoke to, "Ye have not his word (speaking of his father) abiding in you."+

And if thou knowest not the law of the spirit of life within thee, written in thy inward parts, thou art a stranger to the new covenant, and the law of sin and death hath power over thee, and the

• Psalm exix. 11.

† John v. 38.

+ Jer. xxxi. 33.

law that is in thy members leads thee captive thereto, and the carnal mind, which is enmity against God, and cannot be subject to his law, reigns in thee; and though thou professest the law of God with thy tongue, thou dost not love it, nor delight in it in thy heart; neither is it better in thy esteem than thousands of gold and silver.

So, in short, if thou art not partaker and possessor of the heavenly treasures in thy earthen vessel, thou art freighted with earthly treasures and vanities. If thou knowest not thy body the temple of the living God, and thy heart his throne, then is it as a cage for unclean birds, and as a habitation for wild beasts, and as a nest for venomous creeping things; and the prince of darkness sits upon the throne of thy heart, and rules there, let thy opinion and talk of religion be what it will.

Now, be thou warned and advised, to watch against that spirit in thyself, which moveth thee to slight, deride, and mock at the appearance and manifestation of the light, grace, spirit, power, word, and law of God within.

And learn to cease also from those teachers without which have caused thee to err, who hate the light within, and despise the shining of it, and give it despicable names, as ignis fatuus; uncertain or false fire; natural light; and the checks and reproofs of it, but the checks of a natural conscience; and despise the grace that appears to all men, and call it common, and not saving grace; and slight and reject the power and spirit of God within, which moves and works against all evil, and to all good, not allowing it to be the principal rule and guide of a christian; and also endeavour to demolish and raze out the word and law of God within, under pretence of directing thee to a more sure word and law without, viz. the holy scriptures, which contain divers words, precepts, and commandments, &c. spoken by holy men, to whom the word of the Lord came, (which was before the words were,) and by this word and spirit that came to them, and was in them, were they moved to speak them, and that is greater than the words. And till thou knowest a measure of the same word and spirit within thyself, thou canst neither truly understand nor obey the words, nor holy precepts and exhortations that proceeded from it; that indeed being the original cause, root, and ground, from whence all the good words and good works that ever sprang up in the heart of mankind proceeded. Such teachers have ran, but God hath not sent them; so people are not profited, but spoiled by them. They shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; they neither enter themselves, nor suffer those that would; and under the name of ministers of Christ, are direct ministers of antichrist. From such turn thou away, and learn of the grace of God, which teacheth to deny ungodliness, &c. and love the light,