About this time there was a great meeting of the Baptists, at Broughton in Leicesterhire, with some that I had separated from them; and people of other notions went thither: and went thither also. Not many of the Baptists came; but abundance of other people were there. And the Lord opened my mouth, and his Everlasting Truth was declared among them; and the Power of the Lord was over them all. For in that day the Lord's Power began to spring, and I had great openings in the Scriptures, and several were convinced in those parts, and were turned from darkness to Light, and from the power of Satan unto God; and his Power they did receive, and by it many were raised up to praise God. And when I reasoned with professors and other people, some were convinced, and did stand, Yet I was under great temptations sometimes, and my inward sufferings were heavy; but I could find none to open my condition to, but the Lord alone, unto whom I cried night and day. And I went back in Nottinghamshire, and there the Lord showed me, that the natures of those things, which were hurtful without, were within in the hearts and minds of wicked men. The natures of dogs, swine, vipers, of Sodom and Egypt Pharaoh, Cain, Ishmael, Esau, &c. And then natures of these I saw within, though people had been looking without. And I cried to the Lord, saying, why should I be thus, seeing I was never addicted to commit those evils? And the lord answered, that it was needful, I should have a sense of all conditions; how else should I speak to all conditions? And in this I saw the infinite love of God. I saw also, that there was an ocean of darkness and death; but an infinite ocean of Light and Love, which flowed over the ocean of darkness: and in that also I saw the infinite Love of God; and I had great openings. And as I was walking by the steeple house side, in the town of Mansfield, the Lord said unto me, that which people do trample upon, must be thy food. And as the Lord spoke, He opened it to me, how that people and professors did trample upon the Life, even the Life of Christ was trampled upon; and they fed upon words, and fed one another with words; but trampled upon the Life: and trampled under foot the blood of the Son of God (which blood was my life;) and they lived in their airy notions, talking of him. It seemed strange to me at first, that I should feed on that, which the high professors trampled upon; but the Lord opened it clearly to me by his eternal Spirit and Power.
Then came people from far and near to see me: and I was fearful of being drawn out by them; yet I was made to speak, and open things to them There was one Brown, who had great prophecies and sight upon his death bed of me. And he spoke openly, of what I should be made instrumental by the Lord to bring forth. And of others he spoke that they should come to nothing: which was fulfilled on some, that then were something in show. And when this man was buried, a great work of the Lord fell upon me, to the admiration of many, who though I had been dead: and many came to see me for about fourteen days time; for I was very much altered in countenance and person, as if my body had been new molded and changed. And while I was in that condition, I had a sense and discerning given me by the Lord, through which I saw plainly, that when many people talked of God and of Christ, &c. the serpent spoke in them: but this was hard to be born. Yet the work of the Lord went on in some, and my sorrows and troubles began to wear off, and tears of joy dropped from me, so that I could have wept night and day with tears of joy to the Lord, in humility and brokeness of heart. And I saw into that, which was without end, and things which cant be uttered, and of the greatness and infiniteness of the Love of God, which cannot be expressed by words. For I had been brought through the very ocean of darkness and earth, and through the power, and over the power of Satan, by the eternal, glorious Power of Christ; even through that darkness was I brought which covered over all the Word, and which chained down all, and shut up all in death. And the same eternal Power of God, which brought me through these things, was that, which afterwards shook the nations, priests, professors, and people. Then could I say, I had been in spiritual Babylon, Sodom, Egypt and the Grave; but by the eternal power of God I was come out of it, and was brought over it, and the power of it, into the Power of Christ. And I saw the Harvest WHITE, and the Seed of God lying thick on the ground, as ever did wheat, that was sown outwardly; and none to gather it: and for this I mourned with tears. And a report went abroad of me, that I was a young man, that had a discerning spirit: whereupon many came to me, from far and near, professors, priests and people; and the Lord's Power broke forth: and I had great openings and prophecies; and spake unto them of the things of God, and they heard with attention and silence; and went away, and spread the fame thereof. Then came the tempter, and set upon me again, charging me, that I had sinned against the Holy Ghost: but I could not tell in what. And then Paul's condition came before me, how, after he had been taken up into the third heavens, and seen things not lawful to be uttered, a messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him again. Thus by the power of Christ I got over that temptation also.
In the year 1648, as I was sitting in a Friend's House in Nottingham (for by this time the power of God had opened the hearts of some to receive the Word of Life and Reconciliation) I saw, there was a great crack to go throughout the earth, and a great smoke to go, as the crack went; and that after the crack there should be a great shaking: this was the earth in people's hearts, which was to be shaken, before the Seed of God was raised out of the earth. And it was so; for the Lord's power began to shake them and great Meetings we began to have, and a might power and work of God there was amongst people, to the astonishment of both people and priests.
And there was a meeting of priests and professors at a Justice's house, and I went among them. And there they discoursed, how Paul said, he had not known sin, but by the Law, which said, thou shalt not lust: and they held that to be spoken of the outward law. But I told them, Paul spoke that, after he was convinced: for he had the outward Law before, and was bred up in it, when he was in the lust of persecution; but this was the Law of god in his mind, which he served, and which the law in his members warred against: for that which he thought had been life to him, proved death. So the more sober of the priests and professors yielded, and consented, that it was not the outward law, but the inward, which showed the inward lust, which Paul spoke of, after he was convinced: for the outward ;law took hold upon the outward action; but the inward law upon the inward lust.
After this I went again to Mansfield, where was a great meeting of professors and people and I was moved to pray. And the Lord's Power was so great, that the house seemed to be shaken. And when I had done, some of the professors said, it was now, as in the days of the Apostles, when the house was shaken where they were: after I had prayed, one of the professors would pray; which brought deadness and a veil over them: and others of the professors were grieved at him, and told him, it was a temptation upon him. Then eh came to me, and desired, that I would pray again: but I could not pray in man's will.
Soon after there was another great meeting of professors, and a Captain (whose name was Amos Stoddard) came in: and they were discoursing of the blood of Christ. And as they were discoursing of it, I saw, through the immediate opening of the invisible Spirit, the blood of Christ. And I cried out among them, and said; do you net see the blood of Christ? See it in your hearts, to sprinkle your hearts and consciences from dead works, to serve the living god, for I saw it, the blood of the new covenant, how it came into the heart. This startled the professors, who would have the blood only without them, and not in them. But Captain Stoddard was reached, and said; let the youth speak: hear the youth speak; when he saw, they endeavored to bear me down with many words.
There was also a company of priests that were looked upon to be tender (one of their names was Kellet) and several people, that were tender, went to hear them. And I was moved to go after them, and bid them, mind the Lord's teaching in your inward parts. That priest Kellet was against parsonages them; but afterwards he got a great one, and turned a persecutor.
Now, after I had had some service in these parts, I went through Derbyshire into my own country Leicestershire again, and several tender people were convinced. And passing thence, I met with a great company of professors in Warwickshire, who were praying, and expounding the scriptures in the field; and they gave the Bible tome, and I opened it on the fifth of Matthew, where Christ expounded the law: and I opened the inward state to the, and the outward state; and they fill into a fierce contention, and so parted: but the Lord's power got ground.
Then I heard of a great meeting to be at Leicester, for a dispute, wherein both Presbyterians, Independents, Baptists and Common Prayer men were said to be all concerned. The Meeting was in a steeple house; and thither I was moved by the Lord God to go, and be amongst them. And I heard their discourse and reasonings, some being in pews, and the priest in the pulpit; abundance of people being gathered together. At last one woman asked a question of out Peter, what the birth was, viz. a being born again of incorruptible Seed, by the Word of God, that lives and abides forever? And the priest said to her, I permit not a woman to speak in the church; though he had before given liberty for any to speak. Whereupon I was wrapped up, as in a rapture, in the Lord's Power: and I stepped up in a place, and asked the priest; do thou call this place (the steeple house) a church? Or dost thou called this mixed multitude a church? For the woman asking a question, he ought to have answered it, having given liberty for any to speak. But he did not answer me neither; but asked me, what a church was? I told him, the Church was the pillar and ground of Truth, made up of living stones, living members, a spiritual household, which Christ was the head of: but he was not the head of a mixed multitude, or of an old house made up of lime, stones, and wood: this set them all on fire. The priest came down out of his pulpit, and others out of their pews, and the dispute was there marred. But I went to a great inn, and there disputed the thing with the priests and professors of all sorts; and they were all on a fire. But I maintained the true Church, and the true head thereof, over the heads of them all, till they all gave out, and fled away. And there was one man, that seemed loving, and appeared for a while to join with me; but he soon turned against me, and joined with a priest, in pleading for infant's baptism; though he himself had been a Baptist before: and so left me alone. Howbeit there were several convinced that day; and the woman, that asked the question aforesaid, was convinced, and her family: and the Lord's Power and glory shined over all.
After this I returned to Nottinghamshire again, and went into the Vale of Beavor. And as I went, I preached repentance to the people: and there were many convinced in the Vale of Beavor, in many towns; for I stayed some weeks among them. And one morning, as I was sitting by the fire, a great cloud came over me, and a temptation beset me: and I sat still. And it said; all things come by nature; and the elements and stars came over me; so that I was in a mnner quite clouded with it: but inasmuch as I sat still, and said nothing, the people of the house perceived nothing. And as I sat still under it, and let it alone, a living hope arose in me, and a true voice arose in mem which said; there is a living God, who made all things. And immediately the cloud and temptation vanished away, and life rose over it all, and my heart was glad, and I praised the living God. And after some time I met with some people, that had such a notion, that there was no God, but that all things came by nature. And I had great dispute with them and overturned them; and made some of them confess, that there was a living God: then I saw, that it was good, that I had gone through that exercise. And we had great Meetings in those parts; for the Power of the Lord broke through in that side of the country. And returning into Nottinghamshire, I found there a company of shattered Baptists, and others; and the Lord's Power wrought mightily, and gathered many of them. Then afterwards I went to Mansfield and there a way; where the Lord's Power was wonderfully manifested both at Mansfield, and other towns thereabouts. And in Darbyshire the mighty Power of God wrought in a wonderful manner. At Eton, a town near Darby, there was a Meeting of Friends, where there was such a might Power of God, that they were greatly shaken, and any mouths were opened in the power of the Lord God. And many were moved by the Lord to go to steeple houses, to the priests and to the people, to declare the Everlasting Truth unto them.
And at a certain time, when I was a Mansfield, there was a sitting of the Justices, about the hiring of servants; and it was upon me from the Lord, to go and speak to the Justices, that they should not oppress the servants in their wages. So I walked towards the inn, where they sat; but finding a company of fiddlers there, I did not go in, but thought to come in the morning, when I might have a more serious opportunity to discourse them; not thinking that a seasonable time. But when I came again in the morning, they were gone, and I was struck even blind, that I could not see,. And I inquired of the innkeeper, where the justices were to sit that day? And he told me, at a town eight miles off. And my sight began to come to me again; and I went, and ran thitherward, as fast as I could., and when I was come where they were, and many servants with them, I exhorted the Justices, not to oppress the servants in their wages; but to do that which was right and just to them: and I exhorted the servants, to do their duties, and serve honestly, &c. And they all received my exhortation kindly; for I was moved of the Lord therein.
Moreover I was moved to go to several courts, and steeple houses at Mansfield, and other places, to warn them to leave off oppression and oaths, and to turn from deceit, and to turn to the Lord, and do justly. Particularly at Mansfield, after I had been at a court there, I was moved to go, and speak to one of the wickedest men in the country, one who was a common drunkard, a noted whore master, and a rhyme maker: and I reproved him, in the dread of the mighty God, for his evil courses. And when I had done speaking, and left him, he came after me, and told me; that he was so smitten, when I spoke to him, that he had scarce any strength left in him. So this man was convinced, and turned from his wickedness, and remained an honest , sober man, to the astonishment of the people, who had known him before. Thus the work of the Lord went forward, and many were turned from the darkness to the Light, within the compass of these three years, 1646, 1647, and 1648. And divers Meetings of Friends, in several places, were then gathered to God's teaching, by his Light, Spirit and Power: for the Lord's Power broke forth daily upon more and more, wonderfully.
Now was I come up in Spirit through the flaming sword, into the paradise of God. All things were new; and all the creation gave another smell unto me, than before, beyond what words can utter. I knew nothing, but pureness, and innocency, and righteousness, being renewed into the image of God by Christ Jesus; so that I say, I was come up to the state of Adam, which he was in, before he fell. The creation was opened to me: and it showed me, how all things had their names given them, according to their nature and virtue. And I was at a stand in my mind, whether I should practice physic for the good of mankind, seeing, the nature and virtues of the creatures were so opened to me by the Lord. But I was immediately taken up in spirit, to see into another or more steadfast state, than Adam's in innocency, even into a state in Christ Jesus, that should never fall. And the Lord showed me, that such as were faithful to him in the Power and Light of Christ, should come up into that state, in which Adam was, before he fell: in wich the admirable works of the creation, and the virtues thereof may be known, through the openings of that divine Word of Wisdom and Power, by which they were made. Great things did the Lord lead me into, and wonderful depths were opened unto me, beyond what can be words be declared: but as people came into subjection to the Spirit of God, and grow up in the image and power of the Almighty, they may receive the Word of Wisdom, that opens all things, and come to know the hidden unity in the Eternal Being.
Thus I traveled on in the Lord's service, as the Lord led me. And when I came to Nottingham, the mighty Power of God was there among Friends. From thence I went to Clauson and Leicestershire, in the Vale of Beavor, and the might Power of God was there also, in several towns and villages, where Friends were gathered. While I was there, the Lord opened to me three tings, relating to those three great professions of the world, physic, divinity (so called) and law. And he showed me, that the physicians and doctors of physic were out of the wisdom of God, by which the creatures were made; and so knew not the virtues of the creatures, because they were out of the Word of Wisdom, by which they were made. And he showed me, that the priests were out of the true faith, which Christ is the Author of; the faith which purifies and gives victory, and brings people to have access to god, by which they please God: which mystery of faith is held in a pure conscience. He showed me also, that the lawyers were out of the equity, and out of the true justice, and out of the law of god, which went over the first transgression, and over all sin, and answered the Spirit of God, that was grieved, and transgressed in man. And that these three, the physicians, the priests, and the lawyers, ruled the world out of the wisdom, out of the faith, and out of the equity and law of God; the one pretending the cure of the body, the other the cure of the soul, and the third the property of the people. But I saw, they were all out, out of the Wisdom, out of the Faith, out of the equity and perfect Law of God. And as the Lord opened these things unto me, I felt his Power went forth all by, by which all might be reformed, if they would receive and bow unto it. The priests might be reformed, and brought into the true Faith, which was the gift of God. The lawyers might be reformed, and brought into the Law of God, wich answers that of God (that is transgressed) in everyone, and brings to love one's neighbor as himself: this let man see, if he wrongs his neighbor, he wrongs himself; and this teaches him to do unto others, as he would they should do unto him. The physicians might be reformed, and brought into the wisdom of god, by which all things were made and created that they might receive a right knowledge of the creatures, and understand the virtues of them which the Word of Wisdom, by which they were made and are upheld, has given them. Abundance was opened concerning these things; how all lay out of the wisdom of God, and out of the righteousness, and holiness, that man at the first was made in: but as all believe in the Light, and walk in the Light, which Christ has enlightened every man, that comes into the world, with, and so become Children of the Light, and of the day of Christ, in his day all things are seen, visible and invisible, by the Divine Light of Christ, the Spiritual, Heavenly Man, by whom all things were made and created.
Then I saw concerning the priests, that although they stood in deceit, and acted by the dark power, which both they and their people ere kept under; yet they were not the greatest deceivers spoken of in the Scriptures: for these were not come as far, as many of them had come. But the Lord opened to me, who the greatest deceivers were, and how far they might come; even such as came as far as Cain, to hear the voice of God; and such as came out of Egypt, and through the Read Sea, and to praise God on the banks of the sea shore; such as could speak by experience of God's miracles and wonders; such as were came as far as Corah and Bathen, and their company; such as came as far as Balaam, who could speak the Word of the Lord, who heard his voice and knew it, and knew his Spirit; and could see the Star of Jacob, and the goodliness of Israel's tent; the second birth, which no enchantment could prevail against: these that could speak so much of their experiences of God, and yet turned from the Spirit and the Word, and went into gainsaying; these were, and would be the great deceivers, far beyond the priests. Likewise among the Christians, such as should preach in Christ's name, and should work miracles, cast out Devils, and go so far as Cain, a Core and a Balaam in the Gospel times, these were and would be the great deceivers; they that could speak some experiences of Christ and God, but lived not in the Life. These were they, that led the world after them, who got the form of godliness, but denied the Power; who inwardly ravened from the spirit, and brought people into the form; but persecuted them. That were in the Power (as Cain did) and ran greedily into the error of Balaam, through covetousness, loving the wages of unrighteousness, as Balaam did, These followers of Cain, Core and Balaam have brought the world since the Apostles' days to be like a sea. And such as these, I say, might deceive now, as they had in former ages: but it is impossible for them to deceive the elect, who were chosen in Christ, who was, before the world began, and before the deceiver was: though others may be deceived in their openings and prophecies, not keeping their minds to the Lord Jesus Christ, who does open and reveal to his.
And I saw the state of those both priests and people, who in reading the Scriptures cry out much against Cain, Esau, and Judas, and other wicked men of former times, mentioned in the Holy Scriptures; but do not see the nature of Cain, of Esau, of Judas, and those others in themselves. And these said, it was they, they, they, that were the bad people; putting if off from themselves: but when some of these came with the Light and Spirit of Truth to see into themselves, then they came to say, I, I, I, it is I myself, that have been the Ishmael, and the Esau, &c. For then they came to see the nature of wild Ishmael in themselves; the nature of Cain, of Esau, of Corah, of Balaam, and of the son of perdition in themselves, sitting above all that is called God in them. So I saw, it was the fallen man, that was got up into the Scriptures, and was finding fault with those before mentioned; and with the back sliding Jews, calling them the sturdy oaks, and tall cedars, and the fat bulls of Bashan, wild heifers, vipers, serpents, &c. And charging them, that it was they, they closed their eyes, and stopped their ears, and hardened their hearts, and were dull of hearing: and that it was they, that hated the Light, and rebelled against it, and that quenched the Spirit, and vexed and grieved it, and walked despitefully against the Spirit of Grace, and turned the Grace of God into wantonness: and that it was they, that resisted the Holy Ghost; and they, that got the form of godliness, and turned against the Power: and that they were the inwardly ravening wolves, that had got the Sheep's clothing: and that they were the wells without water, and clouds without rain, and trees without fruit, &c. But when these (who were so much taken up with find fault with others, and thought themselves clear from these things) came to look into themselves, and with the Light of Christ throughly to search themselves, they might see enough of this in themselves: but then the cry could not be, it is he, or they, as before; but I, and we are found in these conditions.
I saw also, how people read the Scriptures without a right sense of the, and without duly applying them to their own states. For when they read, that death reigned from Adam to Moses; and that the Law and the Prophets were until John; and that the least in the Kingdom is greater than John; they read these things without them, and applied them to others without them (and the things wee true of others without them:) but they did not turn in to find the Truth of these things in themselves. But as these tings came to be opened in me, I saw, death reigned over them from Adam to Moses, from the entrance into transgression, till they came to the ministration of condemnation, which restrains people from sin, that brings death. Then when the ministration of Moses is passed through the ministry of the prophets comes to be read and understood, which reaches through the figures, types and shadows unto John, the greatest prophet born of woman; whose ministration prepared the way of the Lord, by bringing down the exalted mountains, and making straight paths. And as this ministration is passed through, an entrance comes to be known into the everlasting Kingdom. So I saw plainly, that none could read Moses aright, without Moses spirit, bu which Moses saw, how man was in the image of God in Paradise, and how he fell, and how death came over him, and how all men have been under this death. And I saw, how Moses received the pure Law, that went over all transgressors; and how the clean beasts, which were figures and types, were offered up, when the people were come into the righteous law, that went over the first transgression. And both Moses and the Prophets saw through the types and figures, and beyond them ,and saw Christ the great Prophet, that was to come to fulfil them. And I saw, that none could read John's words aright, and with a true understanding of them, but in and with the same Divine Spirit, buy which John spoke them; and by his burning, shining Light, which is sent from God. For by that Spirit their crooked natures might be made straight, and their rough natures smooth, and the exacter and violent doer in them might be thrown out: and they that had been hypocrites, might come to bring forth fruits meet for repentance, and their mountain of sin and earthliness might be laid low in them , and their valley exalted in them; that there might be a way prepared for the Lord in them: and then the least in the Kingdom is greater than John. But all must first know the voice crying in their wilderness, in their hearts, which through transgression has become as a wilderness. Thus I saw, it was an easy matter to say, death reigned from Adam to Moses; and that the Law and the Prophets were until John: but none could know, how death reigned from Adam to Moses, &c. But by the same Holy Spirit, which Moses and the Prophets, and John were in. They could not know the spiritual meaning of Moses, the Prophets' and John's words, nor see their path and travels, much less see through them, and to the end of them into the Kingdom; unless they had the Spirit and Light of Jesus: nor could they know the words of Christ, and of his Apostles, without his Spirit. But as man comes through, by the Spirit and Power of god, to Christ (who fulfills the types, figures, shadows, promises, and prophecies, that were of him) and is led by the Holy Ghost into the Truth and Substance of the Scriptures, sitting down in him, who is the author and end of them; then are they read, and understood, with profit and great delight.
Moreover, the Lord God let me see (when I was brought up into his image, in righteousness and holiness, and into the paradise of God) the state, how Adam was made a living soul: and also the stature of Christ, they mystery, that had been hid from ages and generations: which things are hard to be uttered; and cannot be born by many. For of all the sects in christendom (so called) that I discoursed withal, I found none, that could bear to be told, that nay should come to Adam's perfection, into that image of God, and righteousness and holiness, that Adam was in, before he fell; to be so clear and pure without sin, as he was. Therefore, how should they be able to bear, being told, that any should grow up to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, when they cannot bear to hear, that any shall come, while upon earth, into the same Power and Spirit, that the Prophets and Apostles were in? Though it be a certain truth, that none can understand their writings, without the same Spirit, by which they were written.
Now the Lord God has opened me by his invisible Power, how that every man was enlightened by the Divine Light of Christ, and I saw it shine through all: and that they, that believed in it, came out of condemnation, and came to the Light of Life, and became the children of it: but they that hated it, and did not believe in it, were condemned by it; though they made a profession of Christ. This I saw in the pure openings of the Light, without the help of any man; neither did I then know, where to find it in the Scriptures (though afterwards, searching the Scriptures, I found it.) For I saw in that Light and Spirit, which was, before Scripture was given forth, that all must come to that Spirit, if they would know God or Christ, or the Scriptures aright, which they that gave them forth, were lead and taught by.
But I observed a dulness and drowsy heaviness upon people, which I wondered at: for sometimes, when I would set my self to sleep, my mind went over all to the beginning, in that which is from Everlasting to Everlasting. And I saw, death was to pass over this sleepy, heavy state. And I told people, they must come to witness death to that sleepy, heavy nature, and a cross to it in the Power of God, that their minds and hearts might be on things above.
And on a certain time, as I was walking in the fields, the Lord said unto me; thy name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, which was before the foundation of the world. And as the Lord spoke it, I believe, and saw it in the new birth. Then sometime after the Lord commanded me to go abroad into the world, which was like a briary, thorny wilderness. And when I came in the Lord's mighty Power, with the Word of Life into the world, the world swelled, and made a noise, like the great raging waves of the sea. Priests and professors, magistrates and people were all like a sea, when I came to proclaim the day of the Lord among them, and to preach repentance to them.
Now I was sent to turn people from darkness to the Light, that they might receive Christ Jesus: for t o as many as should receive him in his Light, I saw, that the would give Power to become the Sons of God: which I had obtained by receiving Christ. And I was to direct people to the Spirit, that gave forth the Scriptures, by which they might be led into all Truth, and so up to Christ and God, as they had been, who gave them forth. And I was tgo turn them to the Grace of God, and to the Truth in the heart, which came by Jesus; that by this Grace they might be taught, which would bring them Salvation, that their hearts might be established by it, and the words might be seasoned, and all might come to know their Salvation nigh. For I saw, that Christ had died for all men, and was a propitiation for all; and had enlightened all men and women with his divine and saving Light: and that none could be a true believer, but who believed in it, I saw, that the grace of God, which brings Salvation, has appeared to all men, and that the manifestation of the Spirit of God was given to every man, to profit withal. These things I did not see by the help of man, nor by the letter (though they are written in the letter;) but I saw them in the Light of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by his immediate Spirit and Power, as did the holy men of God, by whom the Holy Scriptures were written. Yet I had no slight esteem of the Holy Scriptures; but they were very precious to me: for I was in that Spirit, by which they were given forth; and what the Lord opened in me, I afterwards found was agreeable to them. I could speak much of these things, and many volumes might be written; but all would prove too short to set forth the infinite love, wisdom and power of God, in preparing, fitting and furnishing me for the service he has appointed me to; letting me see the depths of Satan on the one hand, and opening tome, on the other hand, the divine mysteries of his own everlasting Kingdom.
Now when the Lord God, and his Son Jesus Christ did sent me forth into the World, to preach his everlasting Gospel and Salvation, I was glad, that I was commanded to turn people to that inward Light, Sprit, and Grace, by which all might know their salvation, and their way to God; even that divine Spirit, which would lead them into all Truth, and which I infallibly knew, would never deceive any.
But with and by this divine Power and Spirit of God, and the Light of Jesus, I was to bring people off from all their own way, to Christ the new and living way; and from their churches (which men had made and gathered) to the Church in God, the General Assembly written in Heaven, which Christ is the head of; and off from the world's teaches, made by men, to learn of Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, of whom the Father said, this is my beloved son, hear you him; and off from all the world's worship, to know the Spirit of Truth in the inward parts, and to be led thereby; that in it they might worship the Father of Spirits, who seeks such to worship him: which Spirit they that worshiped not in, knew not, what they worshiped. And I was to bring people off from all the world's religions, which were vain; that they might know the pure Religion, and might visit the fatherless, the widows and the strangers, and keep themselves from the spots of the world: and then there would not be so many beggars; the sigh to whom often grieved my heart, to see so much heard heartedness among them that professed the name of Christ. And I was to bring them off form all the world's fellowships, and prayings and singings, which stood in forms without power; that their fellowship might be in the Holy Ghost, and in the Eternal Spirit of God; that they might pray in the Holy Ghost, and sing in the Spirit, and with the grace, that comes by Jesus; making melody in their hearts to the Lord, who has sent his beloved Son to be their Savior; and caused his heavenly sun to shine upon all the world, and through them all, and his heavenly rain to fall upon the just and the unjust (as his outward rain does fall, and his outward sun does shine on all) which is God's unspeakable love to the World. And I was to bring people off from Jewish ceremonies, and from heathenish fables, and from men's inventions, and windy doctrines, by which they blew the people about, and all their beggarly rudiments, with their schools and colleges, for making ministers of Christ, who are indeed ministers of their own making, but not of Christ's. And all their images and crosses, and sprinkling of infants, with all their holy days (so called) and all their vain traditions, which they had gotten up since the Apostles' days, which the Lord's Power was against: and in the dread and authority thereof was I moved to declare against them all; and against all that preached, and not freely; as bing such, as had not received freely from Christ.
Moreover, when the Lord sent me forth into the world, he forbad me to put off my hat to any, high or low. And I was required to thee and thou all men and women, without any respect to rich or poor, great or small. And as I traveled up and down, I was not to bid people good morrow, or good evening; neither might I bow or scrape with my leg to any one: and this made the sects and professions to rage. But the Lord's Power carried me over all to his glory; and many came to be turned to God in a little time: the heavenly Day of the Lord sprang from on high, and broke forth apace; by the light of which came to see, where they were.
But Oh! the rage that then was in the priests, magistrates, professors, and people of all sorts; but especially in the priests and professors: for though thou to a singe person was according to their own learning, their accidence and grammar rules, and according to the Bible; yet they could not bear to hear it: and the hot honor, because I could not put off my hat to the, it set them all into a rage. But the Lord showed mem that it was an honor below,, which he would lay in the dust, and stain it; an honor which proud flesh looked for, but sought not the honor, which came from God only. That it was an honour invented by men in the fall, and in the alienation from God, who were offended, if it were not given them; and yet would be looked upon themselves as saints, church members, and great Christians: but Christ says, how can you believe, who receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor, that comes from God only? And I (say Christ) receive not honor of men: showing, that men have an honor, which men will receive and give; but Christ will have none of it: this is the honor, which Christ will not receive, and which must be laid in the dust. Oh! the rage and scorn, the heat and fury, that arose! Oh! the blows, punchings, beatings and imprisonments that we underwent, for not putting off our hats to men! For that soon tired all men's patience and sobriety, what it was. Some had their hats violently plucked off, and thrown away; so that they quite lost them. The bad language and vile usage we receive on this account, is hard to be expressed; beside the danger we were sometimes in of losing our lives for this matter, and that by the great professions of Christianity; who there discovered, that they were not true believers, and thou it was but a small thing in the eye of man, yet a wonderful confusion it brought among all the professors and priests: but, blessed by the Lord, many came to see the vanity of that custom, of putting off the hat to man; and felt the weight of Truth's testimony against it.
About this time I was sorely exercised in going to their courts t cry for justice, and in speaking and writing to Judges and Justices to do justly; and in warning such, as kept public houses for entertainment, that they should not let people have more drink than would do them good: and in testifying against their wakes and feasts, their may games, sports, plays, and shows, which trained up people to vanity and looseness, and led them from the fear of God; and the days they had set forth as holy days, were usually the times, wherein they most dishonored God in these things. In fairs also, and in markets I was made to declare against their deceitful merchandise, , and cheating and cozening; warning all to deal justly, and to speak the truth, and to let their yea be yea, and their nay be nay; and to do unto others, as they would have others do unto them: and forewarning them of the great and terrible Day of the Lord, which would come upon them all. I was moved also to cry against all sort of music, and against the mountebanks playing tricks on their stages; for they burdened the pure life, and stirred up people's minds to vanity. I was much exercised too with school masters and school mistresses, warning them to teach their children sobriety in the fear of the Lord; that they might not be nursed and trained up in lightness, vanity and wantonness. Likewise I was made to warn masters and mistresses, fathers and mothers in private families, to tkae care, that their children and servants might be trained up in the fear of the Lord; and that they themselves should be therein examples and patterns of sobriety and virtue to them. For I saw, that, as the Jews were to teach their children the Law of God, and the Old Covenant, and to train them up in it; and their servants, yea the very strangers, were to keep the Sabbath among them, and be circumcised, before they might eat of their sacrifices; so all Christians, and all that made of profession of Christianity, ought to train up their children and servants in the New Covenant of Light, Christ Jesus, who is God's Salvation to the ends of the earth; that all may know their salvation. And they ought to train them up in the Law of Life, the Law of the Spirit, the Law of Love and of Faith; that they might be made free from the Law of Sin and Death. And all Christians ought to be circumcised by the Spirit, wich puts off the body of the sins of the flesh, that they may come to eat of the heavenly Sacrifice, Christ Jesus, that true spiritual food, which none can rightly feed upon, but they, that are circumcised by the Spirit. Likewise I was exercised about the star gazers, who drew peoples' minds from Christ, the bright and the morning star; and from the sun of righteousness, by whom the sun, and moon and stars, and all things else were made, who is the wisdom of God, and from whom the right knowledge of all things is received.
But the black, earthly spirit of the priest wounded my life: and when I heard the bell toll, to call people together to the steeple house, it struck at my life: for it was just like a market bell, to gather people together, that the priest might set forth his war to sale. Oh the vast sums of money, that are gotten by the trade they make of selling the Scriptures, and by their preaching, form the highest bishop to the lowest priest! What one trade else in the world is comparable to it? Notwithstanding that the Scriptures were given forth freely; and Christ commanded his ministers to preach freely; and the prophets and apostles denounced judgment against all covetous hirelings, and diviners for money. But in this free spirit of the Lord Jesus was I sent forth, to declare to word of Life, and reconciliation freely, that all might come up to Christ, who gives freely, and who renews up into the image of God, which man and woman were in, before they fell; that they might sit down in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Forward to the Next Section-->