turn from the corner-stone himself; and have neither skill nor patience to try what he is, in this his pure, precious, living, powerful, and glorious appearance in the fpiritual light of his inward day, after the long thick darknefs of the foregoing night. And woe would be unto us, if we did not thus teftify! For for this caufe we were born and brought into the world, to teftify to the prefent appearance of our God, and of his Chrift, in this our day. Glory to him who hath called and chofen us to, and (in a true and precious measure and degree of his own pure life) made us faithful

therein.

This (faith he) is so far from giving us a lift nearer heaven, that I cannot more properly refemble it than to the coming forth of Amaleck, who met Ifrael by the way when they were come forth out of Egypt, and fmote the bindmost of them, &c.

Anfw. Do not talk of having a lift nearer heaven. Oh! learn the way, the holy way, the living way, wherein no dead, unclean thing can walk. Learn to know God's Spirit in yourselves from that which oppofeth his, Spirit. Ye have been long learning, after your old conceivings and apprehenfions of the letter; oh! at length come to learn the truth as it is in Jefus, which difcovers fin and death, and the body of it, and crucifies and puts it off, and makes room in the heart for him that is true and pure.

And then for Amaleck's fmiting Ifrael, Oh! how greatly are ye mistaken! Ye take yourselves for Ifrael, and us for Amaleck; whereas, if your eyes, were anointed, ye would fee that we have been begotten and born of God's Spirit, through the Word of life, which was from the beginning, wherein we have been circumcifed with the circumcifion made without hands, that we might worship God in his own pure Spirit, and in his living truth; and that our God hath inwardly appeared to us, and led us out of Egypt's land, and out of Babylon alfo, and all the lands whereinto we have been fcattered in the cloudy and dark day: and that this is Amaleck's fpirit in your several forts of profeffors (through your dark imaginations and conceivings about the letter) which rifeth up against us; and this fpirit in you feareth not that God who hath appeared, and by his own holy arm of power hath led, and is leading us. So that we may take up the complaint of the prophet in this day, Who bath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For though we speak what we have heard, feen, and felt of the life which is eternal, and of the Word which was in the be ginning; yet ye are so far from the witnefs of God in your own hearts that ye cannot receive our teftimony, but oppofe it with your dead, dry, notional, conceited, imaginary knowledge, which will ftand you in no ftead, at all when ye come to appear before God.

Then he proceedeth, complaining against us thus: Ab, Sir! inftead of clapping as on the back, and miniftering to us in our journey, you clog our march, and fall upon our rear. Instead of ferving the kingdom of Chrift, which the church is now in travail of, you deny the first principles of the gospel, and

wholly

wholly difown the hope of Chrift's fecond appearing and kingdom; knowing or acknowledging, as no other Saviour, fo no other kingdom, but a principle or a light in yourselves.

Anfw. God is light, and in him is no darkness at all; and this is the meffage of the gospel, 1 John i. 5.

And Chrift, who is one with the Father, he is one and the fame light with him; and we confefs we look not for another befides him, nor for another kingdom besides the kingdom which is revealed in him; for the kingdom which is revealed and manifested in and by him, is the spiritual, eternal, everlasting kingdom, and there is not another. We do not say the fullness, or that the full glory of the kingdom, is now revealed or enjoyed (nay, we confess we have but the earnest, in comparison, but a measure, a proportion); but this is the fame in nature and kind with the fullness itself. And all that is of Chrift, of his Spirit, of his nature, is faving; the least measure of his grace that appeareth in any heart bringeth falvation with it; the leaft touch of his finger hath pure life and faving virtue in it; yet this is not diftinct nor feparate from the fullness, and so it is not another, though it be not the fullness.

But whereas thou complaineft of our not miniftering to you in your journey, but clogging it: Oh! that you knew what your journey is, and whither ye are marching and travelling in that present spirit wherein ye act! We acknowledge it God's great love and mercy to us, to deliver us from that fpirit, and from that way of knowledge, religion, and worship wherein ye ftill abide. And what we have feen and known from the Lord, that are we required of him to teftify to you; and if your eyes were opened (by the principle of light from him) in the holy anointing, ye would bow to the teftimony; but judging of it in a contrary wifdom and fpirit, ye not only turn from it, but fight against it; and reproach and flander us for our faithfulness to the Lord, and good-will to you; which the Lord make you sensible of, and forgive you, that at length ye may know and receive him (who is the defire of all nations) in his pure, living, inward, and spiritual appearance.

And as for denying the first principles; that belongs to yourselves; for do ye not deny that light which is the foundation of all, and wherein and whereby all the mysteries of God's kingdom are feen; and inftead thereof, fet up a notional comprehenfive knowledge of your own conceiving, comprehending, and gathering from the letter; whereas no man can underftand the letter but as he comes into and abides in the light? This we have experienced in ourselves formerly; for we were but gueffing at and imagining concerning the letter, until we were turned to, and our minds gathered into, and comprehended in, the light of God's Spirit.

And as for difowning the hope of Chrift's kingdom, the Lord knoweth that is far from us; for we ourselves blefs him for what of his kingdom is alVOL II.

X

ready

ready appeared, and wait and hope for the further and fuller appearance thereof. But this we confefs, another Spirit, another Chrift, another light, another life, another power, another kingdom, befides him who hath already appeared, we do not expect: for he is our king and kingdom both; and the leaft proportion of his life and Spirit received (bought with the lofs of all, and fo purchafed and poffeffed) is no less than a pearl of great price, and an heavenly kingdom to him that enjoyeth it.

He addeth further: If Chrift be but a principle, then we are no other; and only principles fhall be faved, and no perfons: Is this your gospel?

Anfw. Chrift is the promised feed, to which all the promises are, in which feed all the families of the earth are bleffed, as they are gathered unto, and grafted into, him. But he is not only the feed, but the feedfman alfo; who foweth of his life, of his nature, of his Spirit, of his heavenly image, in the hearts of the children of men. He giveth a meafure of the grace and truth unto them, the fullness whereof he hath received of his Father. Now this measure of the light eternal is very precious, and is that wherein he appears and manifefts himself. Yea, indeed, glorious things are both fpoken and witnessed of the feed of life, of the feed of the kingdom, of the grace and truth which comes by Jefus Chrift; but we never said that this feed or measure of life is the fullness itself, but that which the fullness imparts to us, and brings falvation home to our doors by. And if any man will receive Chrift, he must receive that from Chrift wherein he manifefts himself. There is a difference between the light which enlighteneth (the fullness of light, which giveth the measure of light, the measure of anointing to us) and the measure or proportion which is given; the one is Chrift himself, the other is his gift; yet his gift is of the fame nature with himself, and leavens thofe that receive it, and abide in it, into the fame nature: fo that not only the gift is one with him, but we alfo are one with him in the gift. Come, be not thus wife after the flesh, nor do not strive fo (in thy wisdom and knowledge out of the truth) to triumph over the truth, and truth's teftimony, in this the day of God's great love, and glorious arm of falvation, revealed in the midft of his people, which he hath gathered out of Babylon, and the dark knowledge thereof, into the light and kingdom of his own dear Son; where he giveth them eternal life, and of the fruits of the good and heavenly land.

He addeth: I firmly believe, and fo have all the faints that have gone before, that Chrift is a perfon, and his Spirit is a living principle in the hearts of all the faithful, but it is not the Spirit or principle in us that did redeem us, but the man Christ Jesus.

Anfw. If he mean by the man Chrift Jefus, the second Adam, the quickening Spirit, the heavenly man, the Lord from heaven, he who is One with the Father, the Word which was in the beginning, which created all things, I grant him to be the Redeemer; for it was he who laid down his glory, wherewith be was glorified before the world was, and made himself of no reputation, but

took

took upon him the form of a fervant, and came as a fervant, in the fashion of man, to do the will. But if he diftinguish Chrift from this Word and Spirit, and make the man's nature the Saviour, and the Godhead only assistant to him (as he seemed to word it before, and as these his words feem to imply), that I utterly deny. For fo teftifieth the fcripture, I am the Lord, and befides me there is no Saviour. I am a juft God, and a Saviour, &c. Sọ that Chrift is the Saviour, as he is one with God. It was God's arm and power (revealed in him) that effects falvation. Yea, if I may fo fpeak, his obedience was of value, as it came from the Spirit, and it was the offering it up through the eternal Spirit that made it fo acceptable to God. So that we must not attribute redemption originally to him as a man, but as he came from God; and bring the honour all back to the fpring and fountain from whence he had all, that God may be all in all, and the very kingdom of Chrift may endure and abide for ever, in the root of life from whence it came.

And so he is not a foundation or the corner-ftone diftinct from God. He, as the foundation, was and is the rock of ages, the spiritual rock, both before and fince he took upon him the body prepared for him. It is the Spirit, the life which was revealed in that man (by which he did his Father's will) which was and is the foundation whereupon all the living stones are built. There is a foundation of death, and that is the wicked spirit ; there is a foundation of life, and that is the Holy Spirit, by which Chrift himself was led and guided (in that his appearance in the flesh), which defcended upon him, and he was anointed with, and all his are to be anointed with, and live in, the fame Spirit. And he that knows Chrift in this Spirit, he hath the true and abiding knowledge of him, and no otherwife. And though the names Meffiah, Jefus, Chrift, Saviour, Anointed, &c. were given to him as in the flesh, or as man, they most properly and originally belong to him with respect to the divine life and birth in him, as the fent one, and only-begotten, proceeding from the Father, the brightness of his glory, &c. For he, as the eternal Son of God, was the fpiritual rock before he took upon him that body which was prepared for him, which exprefly was called the body of Jefus, and which he called this temple; and diftinctly, he being called Jefus Chrift come in the flesh, which every fpirit that confeffeth not, is not of God, but is that fpirit of antichrift, 1 John iv. 3.

He fpeaketh of fitting on the throne of David.

Anfw. It is a great matter to know that throne which David's throne fignified, and Chrift fitting thereon. His kingdom, his throne, are not of this outward worldly nature, but inward and spiritual; and his throne is in his kingdom and temple, where he reigns, and is worshipped. He that knoweth Satan dishonoured and caft out, knoweth alfo Chrift come in, and fitting on his throne. Oh! that men did give over their dreaming about the heavenly glory, and come thither in the leadings of God's Spirit where it is revealed.

Was the fcripture written in vain concerning the glorious state of the gofpel? But we all with open face beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the fame image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. iii. 18.

He putteth up a prayer for us, That the Lord would awaken us, and make us do our firft works, and return to our first love.

Anfw. Ah! poor man, how is he blinded! Not difcerning how the Lord hath done this for us, and much more. But it is he himself that hath loft his firft love, and doth not do his first works; but is found fhort of that tenderness, quickness, and favour that once was in him. Oh! that he might fee it, and return to him whofe quickening virtue restores and heals!

He concludeth with the words of the prophet Jeremiah, chap. xiii. ver. 15, 16, 17. Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud, for the Lord hath spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before he caufe darkness, and before your feet Stumble upon the dark mountains; and while ye look for light, he turn it into the Shadow of death, and make it grofs darkness. But if ye will not hear it, my foul fhall weep in fecret places for your pride, and mine eyes fball weep fore, and run down with tears, because the Lord's flock is carried away captive.

And

Anfw. How doth this man mistake in his fight and application of fcriptures, feeing and applying in a wrong fpirit? It is true, the Lord hath fpoken; but he himself, and many fuch as he is, have not given ear. what is the reason? but because they are exalted above the pure principle of life in their own hearts. And are not such proud? Hath not he brought forth these weapons, thefe falfe charges and reafonings, in this paper, against the heritage of God in the pride of his heart? As for us, the Lord God hath humbled us, and taught us, who have learned, and daily learn of him, in the humility, and in humility and fear do we give forth our teftimony, though alfo in the authority and majefty of our mafter's name, whofe name ftands over and is exalted above every name, and his mountain and gathering is (in the pure authority and power of his Spirit) above all other mountains and gatherings whatsoever. And as for God's caufing darkness, let him, and fuch as he is, look for it; for God doth not, nor will, cause darkness to them whom he hath gathered into the light of his Spirit; but faith to them, Arife, fhine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is rifen upon thee, O city and dwelling-place of the living God. But those that know not, or turn against his appearance, and cry up former difpenfations of the fame life and power, but reproach and blafpheme the prefent, on them doth he cause the grofs darkness to fall and cover them. And this which he threateneth us with, is already fallen upon himself, when his feet are fallen upon the dark mountains, and whilst he looks for light, he hath loft that which once he had; and his very light (as he esteems it) is become obfcurity and grofs darkness, as this dark paper of his (from the dark spirit and principle) makes manifeft to all that fhall read in it any measure of true fense or difcerning. And truly my foul doth weep in fecret for his pride

and