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Secondly, Here the true Jew's ftate, the ftate of the inward Jew, and the inward circumcifion, and the true worship (even the worship of the Father in Spirit and truth) is known. For the Jew inward is a child of light, begotten in the light, redeemed out of darkness, and dwells and walks in the light, as God is in the light, 1 John i. 7. And the circumcifion is not a fleshly act; but the cutting off of that which is fleshly from the mind by the Spirit and power of Chrift. And the gofpel worship, or the worship of the Jew inward, is the worshipping of God in the newness of the life of his Son,

Thirdly, Here is the true repentance from the dead nature and dead works, which no man can attain to of himself; but is God's gift through his Son, whom God hath appointed to be a prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of fins, Acts v. 31. I fay here, that repentance is known, waited for, and received. For not to men in the darkness, and loving the darknefs, is the true repentance given; but to them that are turned to the light, to them is repentance given unto life, As xi. 18. compared with chap. xxvi. 17, 18.

Fourthly, Here the true faith, the precious gift of faith is received, whereby men believe in him who gives life, and receive life from him. And this is the faith which gives accefs to God, and gives victory over the world, and that which is contrary to God: the faith which is given in the light doth fo; but the faith which men have in the darkness doth not so.

Fifthly, Here the cross of Chrift is known, which is an inward, living, fpiritual thing, effectually crucifying that man that takes it up, and daily bears it, to all that is earthly and finful; and then the pure feed and life of Chrift fprings up in his earth, over the world, and every worldly hing, Gal. vi. 14.

Sixthly, Here the pure love fprings in the heart, both to him that begets, and to him that is begotten. In the light there is nothing but love; but in the darkness there is no true love to be found; but the very love that is found there, is of the nature of enmity. It is the light of truth that purifieth the heart to the love unfeigned, 1 Pet. i. 22. Deut. xxx. 6.

Seventhly, Here the Lamb's patience and meeknefs is experienced, and the foul adorned with it. The Lamb is the light of the world, and they that are made lambs by him, partake of his fweet and meek nature, learning of him to be meek and lowly in heart, and fo have that patience and meekness from him which no other can attain to, Matt. xi. 29.

Eighthly, In the light the precious promises are fulfilled and partook of; which make them who partake of them, and in whom they are fulfilled, partakers of the divine nature; for the divine nature is not partook of in the darkness, but in him who is light. Man (who is darkness) cannot partake of the promises which belong to the children of light; but when, by the operation of God's power, his ftate and nature is changed, and he is

now

now no more darknefs, but light in the Lord, then the promifes which were made to the children of light he cometh to have a share in, Eph. v. 8. 2. Pet. i. 4.

Laftly, In the light the holy anointing is received, the voice of Chrift heard, and the new everlasting covenant, even the fure mercies of David, made with the foul, Ifai. lv. 3. The law of the new covenant (even the law of the Spirit of life in Chrift Jefus) written in the mind, and the holy fear of the new covenant, which cleanfeth and keepeth clean, put in the heart, and the blessed Spirit of the Father given and received, which gives to those that receive it power to become the fons of God, causing them to walk in his ways, and to keep his ftatutes and judgments, and to do them. Oh! bleffed difpenfation of life and holy power, which the Lord hath caufed to break forth among a defpifed people in thefe latter days! Oh! that the fons of men would hear and understand this precious loving-kindness of the Lord, and put their truft under the fhadow of his wings, and know what it is to be fatisfied with the fatnefs of his fpiritual gofpel houfe, and to drink of the river of his pleasures, and in his light to fee light, Pfal. xxxvi. 7, 8, 9.

This opened in me this morning, in love and compaffion towards the Papists. My bowels have often rolled over them, and been pained concerning them, to fee how they are clofed and fhut up as to the true sense and understanding of things of this nature. Oh! that they would prize the day of their vifitation, that they might hear the found of life both from others, and alfo in their own hearts, and the faving arm of the Lord might be inwardly revealed to them, and they effectually redeemed thereby!

I am no difdainer of Papifts, or any fort of Proteftants, nay, not of Turks or Jews; but a mourner because of their feveral mistakes, and a breather to the God of my life for tender mercy towards them all.

Aftrop, 13th of the Seventh Month, 1678.

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ND in this light the true church, the gofpel church, the New Testament church, is known; which is a church of the children of light, a building built in the light, which church is in God the Father, and in the Lord Jefus Chrift, 2 Theff. i. 1. In whom they are built together for an habitation of God, through the Spirit, Ephef. ii. 22. Yea, in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth into an holy temple in the Lord, ver. 21. (for the Lord frameth them fitly together into a fpiritual and holy building). And all that are here gathered out of the darkness into the light, who walk in the light, and abide in the light, are built upon the foundation of the apoftles and prophets, Jefus Chrift himself being the chief corner-ftone, ver. 20. And are no more ftrangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the faints, and of the houfhold of God, ver. 19.

The gospel church is the fpiritual houfe of Jacob, which walk in the light of the Lord, Ifai. ii. 5. who go up to the mountain of the Lord (to that which is revealed to be the mountain of God in the last days, even fpiritual Mount Sion, Heb. xii. 22.), to the houfe of the God of Jacob, where he teacheth his fpiritual people, the inward Jews, of his ways, and they learn to walk in his paths: for out of this Sion fhall go forth the law of the Spirit of life in Chrift Jefus (in the days of the gofpel) and the Word of the Lord from this Jerufalem, ver. 2, 3. For Jerufalem which is above is free, which is the mother of all the children which are born of God's Spirit, Gal. iv. 26. John iii. 6. And the being the mother of them all, nourisheth them all with the Word of life, which goeth forth from her; and all her children know and justify her their mother, Matt. xi. 19. Oh! that all, both Papists and Proteftants, knew this true mother-church, this mother of all the living, of whom none but the living are born, and who nourisheth all the living, and none elfe, with the law and Word of eternal life!

And if they knew the true church, the church which is of the true Jews, the church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven, and did live and walk in the light of the Lamb, and follow the leader, the Shepherd of Ifrael, and faithful bishop of the foul, who overfeeth and taketh care of the foul, they would learn, and come to know and experience these things following:

First, The dwelling-places of Mount Sion, and her affemblies, and God's creating upon every of them a cloud and fmoak by day, and the shining of a

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flaming fire by night, which is the defence upon all the glory that the Lord bringeth forth among his fpiritual church and people, Ifai. iv. 5.

Secondly, They would know the land of the inward Jews, and fpiritual Judah, and the fong fung therein, because of the ftrong city which the Lord builds there, and the falvation which he appoints for walls and bulwarks about it; and would fee and know how none but the inward Jews, the inwardly circumcifed and fanctified, even the righteous nation that keepeth the truth, can enter by the gates into that city, Ifai. xxvi. 1, 2. And they that dwell in that city, whofe minds are stayed on the Lord, and who trust in him, the Lord will keep in perfect peace, ver. 3. Then Jerufalem is a quiet habitation indeed, and the refting and feeding-places in it are fure, Ifai. xxxii. 18. and chap. xxxiii. 15. 20.

Thirdly, They would know the feast of fat things, which the Lord of hofts makes to all people that are here; to all people that come up to, and dwell on, his holy mountain, and ferve and worship him in Spirit and truth. The Lord of hosts maketh such a feaft as no eye hath feen, nor ear heard, nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive what it is, but only by the Spirit of God; even a feaft of fat things, even a feast of spiritual fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined, Ifai. xxv. 6. They that are turned to the light, and follow Chrift the light, fhall not abide in darkness, but have the light of life, John viii. 12. Shall be tranflated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the dear Son, and they fhall fup with Chrift, and he with them, and both together drink of the fruit of the vine of life new in the Father's kingdom.

Fourthly, They fhall infallibly know here, in this light which shines on God's holy mountain, the destroying or fwallowing up of the face of the covering caft over all people, and the veil fpread over all nations, Ifai. xxv. 7. For the veil is caft over and spread in the darkness; but is done away and fwallowed up in Chrift the light: for the veil is done away in him, 2 Cor. iii. 14. And all that are in Christ, in his Spirit, in the light and liberty thereof, behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord, and are changed into the fame image, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord, ver. 17, 18.

Laftly, Here the king of righteoufnefs's highway is known, even the way of holiness, which the unclean cannot pafs over; but the fanctified in the light do walk in; and the wayfaring men here, though fools, do not err in, Ifai. xxxv. 8. For they that are taught of God in the new covenant, and follow the leading of his bleffed Spirit, do not

err.

Oh! that the true church were known, which is now come and coming out of the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved, who led and VOL. II.

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leads her out thence, into her own land of life and glory, where her light fhines, and fhe arifeth and ftandeth upon her feet before the Lord, and the glory of the Lord fhines upon her, and covers her! Happy is the eye that feeth this, and the foul that hath a fhare in it!

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