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appeared; that which hath been tender, and begotten of God, fnibbed, bowed down, curbed, and perfecuted, and false devotion and worship set up instead of the true?

Query 11. Muft not antichrist be destroyed, the falfe church judged, the true church come out of the wilderness into which the fled, the man-child appear again, conquering and to conquer all which hath rifen up from the fpirit of darkness fince the first breaking forth of the gospel? And is not the gospel to be preached again to them that dwell on earth; even to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people? Rev. xiv. 6.

Now who is wife to understand the appearance of the Lord, and the beginning of these things, which is in a way contrary to man's wisdom; and fo he that will difcern them, must come out from following of the man's own spirit, nature, and wisdom in himself, into the fenfe and leadings of him who giveth the true eye-fight. The appearance of the Lord is inward and fpiritual, and he must have an inward and spiritual eye who discerneth it. It was faid of old, by mockers and fcoffers, Where is the promise of his coming? For all things continue as they were from the beginning. The fame spirit will fay fo ftill; and yet, to that eye which the Lord hath opened, he is already come inwardly, fpiritually, in his own pure eternal life and power; and the precious effects of his coming are made manifeft in many hearts; bleffed be his name. Yea, he is further to Yea, he is further to appear in glory and pure brightness; and fo we wait further for his appearance, both in our own hearts, and in the hearts of the children of men. We have met with our beloved; our God, whom we waited for, hath appeared. The Sun of righteousness hath arisen, with healing under his wings, and we have felt virtue and healing from him, and cannot but rejoice and teftify of his falvation.

And what further manifestations of himself he hath yet to give forth, we are fure to partake of, being formed by him in Spirit, and found in that wherein he appears, and from whence his glory fhines. Oh! that all that love the Lord Jefus Chrift in any measure of fincerity, did know the way of the gospel, which is in the Spirit, light, life, and power, which is eternal, even in the grace and truth which is in him! And his kingdom, which is fpiritual, and not of this world, cannot be fhaken by this world (nor his Mount Sion removed); but is able to shake all nations and kingdoms which kifs not the Son, but oppofe him. Bleffed are they who are turned to the light of his Spirit, and who therein kifs and obey him.

IX. Some

IX.

Some QUERIES concerning the Spirit of Christ, or the Spirit of the Father (it being one and the fame Spirit) for those who take themfelves to be Chriftians (and under the Gospel Difpenfation) to confider and examine themselves by, that they may not be deceived, either concerning their prefent Eftate here, or the eternal Eftate of their Souls bereafter; feeing the Apostle fo exprefly faith, If any Man hath not the Spirit of Chrift, he is none of his, Rom. viii.

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Query 1. OST thou know the Holy Spirit of the Father? Thou mayeft have read fomewhat concerning it, and have apprehenfions in thy mind about it; but doft thou truly know what it is by its inward appearances and operations in thine own heart?

Query 2. Haft thou received God's Holy Spirit into thy heart? Haft thou let in Chrift's Spirit, when he hath knocked at the door of thy heart, and received him? For he that is a true child, most naturally breatheth and crieth for the Father's Spirit; and the Father also most naturally giveth his Spirit to them that truly and rightly ask it of him, Luke xi. 13. and thou must thankfully receive the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, when the Father gives him.

Query 3. Doth the Spirit of Chrift dwell in thee? Hath the stronger man caft the ftrong man out of thee, and taken poffeffion of thy heart, and doth he dwell therein? Then thou mayeft truly fay, that thou art built up by God an habitation for him in the Spirit. Then thou art wathed and cleinfed by him from thy filthinefs; and lufts or vain thoughts do not lodge in thee. For the Holy Spirit of Christ will not dwell where fuch things lodge; but come out from among them, and be ye feparate, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and be a father to you, and ye fhall be my fons and daughters, faith the Lord Almighty, in whom I will dwell and walk, 2 Gor. vi. 15, 16, 17.

Query 4. Doth God's Spirit lead thee into all truth that thou needeft know and walk in? Art thou a true Child, depending upon, and guided by, the Spirit of the Father? Canft thou not fee thy way, but as he maketh it known to thee? Art thou a follower of the fpotlefs Lamb, in the fame Spirit wherein he walked? If it be thus with thee, then art thou a child

of God indeed.

Query 5. Doft thou live in the Spirit? Doft thou feel the Spirit of God to be a fountain of life, from whence life fprings up into thee daily Dot thou witness that fcripture fulfilled in thee, He that believeth on me, as the fcripture hath faid, out of his belly fhall flow rivers of living water? Haft thou received the living water from Chrift? And is that living water become a well of life in thee?

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Query 6. Doft thou walk in the Spirit, in the life thereof, in the newness thereof springing up in thy heart? Doft thou know the difference between walking in the oldness of the letter, and in the newness of the Spirit?

Query 7. Didft thou ever learn of the Father, to know Chrift? And didft thou ever learn of Chrift, to know the Father? And hath the Father indeed revealed the Son to thee, and the Son indeed revealed the Father to thee? Or art thou yet only in the dead and dry notions, or barren comprehenfions about these things?

Query 8. Doft thou know how the letter killeth, and how the Spirit quickeneth and maketh alive? And art thou made alive by the Spirit, and born of the heavenly water and Spirit, and fo become spiritual as the fcripture teftifieth? That which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit.

Query 9. Art thou come under the miniftration of the Spirit? Doft thou know what the ministration of the Spirit is? Or doft thou only know what the letter faith concerning the miniftration of the Spirit, but art altogether ignorant of the miniftration itself?

Query 10. Doft thou know what the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jefus means? Haft thou ever received this law; the law of the new covenant; the holy law of life written in thy heart by the finger of God's Spirit? For the fame Spirit that wrote the law of the letter in tables of ftone, writeth the law of the Spirit in the fleshly tables of the heart.

Query 11. Doft thou not grieve the Holy Spirit, nor quench it, nor defpife the prophefyings thereof in thine own heart? For Chrift is a king, a prieft, a prophet; and he minifters in his fanctuary, in his temple (which the holy renewed heart is), in and by his Spirit.

Query 12. Doft thou know what the anointing is? Art thou anointed therewith? And doth thy whole ability lie therein, infomuch as that thou art daily fenfible thou canst not do any thing of thyfelf, but ftill findest God working in thee, both to will and to do that which is right in his eyes, of his own good pleasure ?

Query 13. Did thy religion begin in the Spirit? In the living miniftration of the new covenant? Did thy knowledge begin fo; to wit, in feeling God opening thy heart by his Spirit, and giving thee the understanding whereby thou mightest know him? Did thy faith begin in his power, and doth it ftand in the fame power to this day? Oh! that men were fenfible what is the right religion, and of the inward appearance of God's holy arm and power, which alone can redeem, and fave the foul out of the hands of its enemies?

Query 14. Doth thy worship stand in the Spirit, and inward life of truth in thy heart? Art thou fuch a worshipper as the Father hath fought out. and made fo? Or art thou a worshipper of thine own or other mens making? And doft thou keep within the limits of the living and spiritual worship, and not tranfgreis the law thereof?

VOL. IL

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Oh! who would be mistaken and deceived about fuch weighty things as thefe, of fo great neceffity and concern? Who would mifs of God's Spirit, and of the law and covenant of life in Chrift Jefus, and be only in a dream concerning these things, without the true, demonftrative knowledge, poffeffion, and enjoyment of them?

X.

Of the true Way (the Way of Holiness, the Way of Life), and of the true Teaching and Knowledge.

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(HRIST is the way, the only way to the Father; there is not another. Now every one that will truly know Chrift, and come to Chrift, must learn of the Father. It is written in the prophets, All thy children fhall be taught of the Lord; every one therefore that bath beard and learned of the Father, cometh unto me, faid Chrift. Here are two things neceffary for every one that would come to Chrift. One is hearing of the Father; the other is, learning what he teacheth. For though a man do hear the living voice of the Father, yet if he do not learn and keep the inftruction of life received from him, he may be drawn afide before he come to the Son. But he whofe ears are opened to hear the voice, and who feels the inftruction of life from the Father, to go to him in whom he hath placed life; here the Spirit of the Father fecretly draws in the inwards of a man's mind and fpirit, from that which is really dead, to that which is truly living.

Now, when a man is come to the Son, in whom the Father hath placed the fullness of life, then he fhall witnefs him the way to the Father, and he will teach him daily of the Father. And here is the ftate of true fubjection to the Son experienced, whom the foul must hear (and of whom he is to learn) in all things; who difcovers the inward darknefs in man's mind, and breaks down that in him which is contrary to God, having a daily cros ready for that which is to be crucified in him, whereby he fhall die daily to himfelf. And as he dies to himself, Chrift will reveal himself more and more in him, and he fhall feel the pure feed of life fpringing more and more up in him, and living in him, and he in it; in and through which he fhall come more and more into union and fellowship with the Father of fpirits, and the whole living body of his church and people.

But now, to learn of the Father to come to the Son, and to learn of the Son to know the Father, and to walk in the newness of fpirit before him (and not in an old dead knowledge and fleshly understanding), these are great myfteries, which none can learn by a literal conception and compre henfion of things, but as they are quickened, and their minds and underftandings opened and kept open by the Lord. Therefore this is the great fkill and true wisdom, to know the Shepherd and his voice; and his manner of appearing, and to what he appears; which is to his own fheep, to

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the true birth. And his way and manner of appearing to that birth, is by vifiting and reaching to it by his power opening it, thereby giving it to fee, hear, and understand; but shutting up himself from the contrary nature, wisdom, and spirit in all men.

There is fomewhat which maketh a fair fhew in the fleshly part, as if it were of God; but God knoweth what and who are his. Now it is for the true children, that the milk of the word, and the bread of life is; and them the Lord is ftill gracious to, and heareth all the defires and breatheings of their hearts; them he preferveth and visiteth in Egypt, and alfo bringeth out, thence. Them he leadeth through the wilderness, dividing the Red-Sea before them; before them also he divideth Jordan (the river of judgment), caufing them to pass through it alfo, that they may enter into the Holy Land. And their lot he defendeth in the Holy Land, in their fubjection to the Spirit and law of life which rules there. But the contrary birth falleth short by the way, and cannot enter into, nor abide in, that which is pure and living of God.

Now in the lowly feed the whole mystery of life is learned, by thofe that come thither, and wait there, growing up into him who is the head; but no leffon of life, and of the truth as it is in Jefus, is learned out of it. Oh! how careful had men need be to know this feed in themselves, and to witness its daily fpringing up and growth in them.

XI.

Concerning Separation from the Spirit and Ways of the World.

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HERE is a neceffity of feparation from the fpirit, ways, and worfhips of the world, by thofe that will be the Lord's people. The Jews outward were to be a feparated people from all other people (from their gods, from their worships) if they would enjoy the favour of the Lord, and the bleffings of the good land. God had separated them from all other nations, and they were not to mingle with them; neither in their worship, nor marriages, &c. So the Jews inward, who are God's gathering of fpiritual worshippers, out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, are to be a separated and holy people to the Lord. For when God caft off the Jews, he fought out worshippers in their ftead, even for a spiritual nation and holy people of inward Jews, inftead of that outward people, outward place of worship, and outward land, which he caft off. Now those whom God feeks to be the new, inward, and fpiritual worshippers (inftead of the literal and outward) muft come out of all other ways and gatherings, upon the many mountains, to the mountain of the Lord's house, and to the place of his gathering: the command is express, Come out from among them, and be ye separate; and touch not the unclean thing, and I will

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