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put his hand on the cockatrice's den; and they that are in the power can tread upon ferpents, and they cannot hurt, wound, poison, or destroy; for there is fafety all over God's holy mountain, and the venom or poison of the wicked fpirit cannot reach thither, to hurt or poifon any there: for God's earth is filled with knowledge, with life, with pure living knowledge, which preferves out of the reach of darknefs and death.

Nay, here Ephraim doth not envy Judah, nor Judah vex Ephraim; for the envying, vexing nature and fpirit is taken out of them both. And here is turned to the Lord a people of a pure language, who speak the truth as they feel it, as they receive it from the Lord, in the life of it, in the true fenfe and understanding of it, and not according to their own apprehendings or imaginings concerning it, which are the various and many languages of Babel. For in the feed, and of the feed, is the pure language; but out from the feed are the many voices and languages (even the confufion of Babel); one fpeaking as he apprehends, thus; another fpeaking as he conceives, thus; fo plainly manifefting that they are out from the evidence and demonftration of the Spirit, whofe voice is one, and language one, in all, in the day of the gofpel. And he that fpeaks otherwife than the law and teftimony of life fpeaks in the heart, it is either because he knoweth not, or is not yet gathered into, the morning-light of the everlasting day of the gofpel; for there all are to speak, as the oracles of God, the truth as it is in Jefus.

In this day the anger of God is turned away, and condemnation come to an end (for there is no condemnation to them that are in Chrift Jefus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit); and the Comforter is come, by whom God comforts the foul; and the foul with joy draweth water out of the wells or fprings of the Comforter. Yea, the foul is gathered into the love (or into God, who is love), where the Saviour and falvation is felt, and God found fuch a present help and strength in time of trouble, that fear is done away, and the Lord trufted and hoped in; yea, and boasted of, in every condition. So that his name is made mention of, and fung of, and exalted over all that can come to oppofe or break down the work of his power in the heart; infomuch that the inhabitant of Sion cries out and fhouts against the enemy, when he appears, because the Holy One of Ifrae! is fo great in the midst of her, who breaks the spear and the bow, the shield and the battle, Selah. See Ifai. xii.

Yea, in this day the feaft of fat things is made on God's holy mountain; of fat things full of marrow, and wines on the lees well refined. And in this mountain the veil of the covering (fpread over the heart) is done away: for in the feed there is no feigned covering; but an opening of the unveiled eye, to fee the unveiled life and power, even the revealed arm of the Redeemer.

Who hath believed our report; and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? It was faid fo in the old covenant, in the law difpenfation; but it is not faid

fo

fo in the new covenant, in the gospel difpenfation; for the veil is done away in Chrift, and the children there with open face behold (as in a mirror) the glory of the Lord.

And here, where the feed is revealed, and the foul come into the feed, and become one with the feed, that is felt which breaketh the serpent's head; and when his head is broken, death is foon swallowed up in victory, and the tears of forrow wiped away (fo that there is no room for any tears now, but tears of joy, tears of melting love and sweetness, before the Lord), and the rebuke because of uncircumcifion taken away. For when God circumcifeth the heart, to love the Lord with all the heart, then it receiveth life from him, and then the fhame and rebuke of the uncircumcifed and dead ftate paffeth away.

And then faith the foul, Lo! this is my God I fo much wanted, and fo long waited for. Ob! be is come, he is come, to judge my heart in righteousness, and to bring under all that hath kept the feed under in me; and I feel him, my foul's falvation, and my heart is glad in him. And now I know the land of Judab (for that land outwardly was but a figure of the inward), and the strong city that is therein (which the righteous nation that keepeth the truth enters in at the gates of) where God appointeth falvation for walls and bulwarks. See Ifai. xxv. and chap. xxvi.

And in this day, when the feed is raised, when the gospel power reacheth to the feed, and raiseth up the foul with the feed, and punifheth Leviathan, that crooked ferpent, and deftroyeth the place where the dragons lay; fo that as fuch a place it can be found no more, because the Lord hath made all things new, and laid waste the old, then fhall be fung to her that was afflicted a vineyard of red wine, which the Lord will keep and water every moment, left any hurt it; yea, the Lord (who is the keeper of Ifrael, who neither flumbereth nor fleepeth) will keep it night and day; and though fury be not in the Lord, yet he will go through the briars and thorns which set themselves in battle against him, to hinder the current of his love and bleffings upon his heritage.

But as for his people, God will be very gracious to them, answering them in all that they call upon him for, and being with them in the fire, and in the water; fo that the waters fhall not be able to overwhelm them, nor the flame of the fierceft fire kindle upon them. For the enemies' fire shall not be able to burn up God's heritage, nor their waters to overflow them; but God's fire and waters fhall overflow and confume the adverfaries, as he pleaseth to let forth his overflowing fcourge and fiery indignation upon them.

The gospel is a state of pouring out the Spirit of God upon his feed, and his bleffing upon his off-fpring; wherein he strengthens that which is weak, and confirms that which is feeble; wherein he comforts worm Jacob, and recompenfeth vengeance to that which oppreffed him, that which wounded him, that which bowed him down, that which closed his eye,

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ftopped his ear, made him dumb and lame, hardened his heart from God's fear, &c. that nature, that wifdom, that fpirit, that power, is vifited with vengeance. That which emptied him of the good, and made him defolate and folitary, is now fmitten, diftreffed, and made folitary; and the prifoner of hope loofed, and brought out of the pit; and the blind eye opened, and the deaf ear unftopped, and the lame made to leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb to fing, and the parched ground become a pool, and the thirfty land fprings of water; and that nature wherein dragons dwelt is now changed, and life dwells there; and the holy new earth brings forth her increase of life to the Lord, and the way of holiness is made plain; which rough Efau, or conceited Ishmael, or facrificing Cain, (who hath not the true brotherly love in him) cannot come into; but holy Abel, bleffed Ifaac, plain Jacob, walked therein, and inherited the bleffing; and the ranfomed of the Lord return from all their defolations, captivities, and scatterings in the apoftafy, and come to Sion with fongs, and everlasting joy upon their heads, where they obtain joy and gladnefs, and where forrow and fighing flee away. For when the Comforter is come to the foul, when the Spirit from on high is poured out upon it, then the wildernes becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is counted for a foreft; then judgment dwells in the wilderness, and righteoufnefs remains in the fruitful field; then righteoufnefs is known, and the work thereof; and the work of righteousness is peace, and the effect of righteoufnefs quietnefs, and af furance for ever. And the people of God then dwell (even his holy Ifrael, his fpiritual Ifrael, the redeemed ones by his Spirit and power) in a peaceable habitation, and in fure dwellings, and in quiet refting-places, where their God is to them as a munition of rocks, and as broad rivers of love, life, righteousness, peace, joy, and bleffednefs for ever.

In the gospel state, the Lord, the Redeemer, the Holy One of Ifrael, who is the teacher of his people in the new covenant, who teacheth them to profit therein, and leadeth them in the way that they should go: I fay, in the gospel ftate he is known, and his voice hearkened to. My fheep (thote whom I gather and redeem) bear my voice, and follow me, faith Chrift; who feed my flock like a fhepherd, guiding them by my Spirit into fresh and green paftures, gathering my lambs with my arm, carrying them in my bofom, and gently leading thofe that are with young. Yea, I bring the blind by a way that they knew not, and lead them in paths they have not known. I make dark things light before them, and crooked things ftrait. These things do I do unto them, and will not forfake them.. Yea, worm Jacob, which was trampled upon by all, is now made a fharp thre ing inftrument having teeth, which threfheth the mountains (beating them fmall) and makes the hills as chaff, which fans them, and the wind carrieth them away, and the whirlwind scattereth them; but Jacob rejoiceth in his God, and glorieth in the Holy One of Ifrael; who openeth rivers in highplaces, and fountains in the midft of vallies; and makes the wilderness a

pool

pool of water, and the dry land fprings of water. For the Lord hath comforted Sion, and had compaffion on her waste place, and on her oppreffed feed in Babylon; and hath said to the prisoners, Go forth; and to them that fat in darkness, fhew yourselves abroad in the light; and he hath made her wilderness like Eden, and her defart like the garden of the Lord; fo that joy and gladness is found in her (even the joy of God's Spirit, which is unfpeakable, and full of glory), with thanksgiving, and the voice of melody: for the deftroyer, and those that made her wafte, are gone forth of her, and great is the the Holy One in the midst of her. So that the barren, that did not bear, fings; and fhe cries aloud, and breaks forth into finging, that did not travail with child; for fhe travails not now in vain, but also brings forth abundantly: fo that more are the children of the defolate than of the formerly married wife. And how can it be otherwise? For the Maker is the husband, who hath made an everlasting covenant of peace with the foul in the Son of his love, and keeps and preferves in that covenant, where the Lord can never be wroth the foul, nor rebuke it: for here all the children of the Lord are taught of the Lord, and kept in his holy fear, and in fubjection to his Spirit; and great is their peace, and in righteousness are they established, and are far from oppreffion, the terror whereof cannot come near them.

There are three or four things yet more on my heart to mention concerning the gospel state.

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First, In it the gospel faft is known; which is not to afflict the foul, or hang down the head like a bulrush for a day; but to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppreffed go free, to break every yoke, to deal one's bread to the hungry (to vifit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep one's felf unfpotted from the worldly fpirit and nature, which defiles, and fo not to touch the unclean thing).

Then the light of the foul breaks forth as the morning, and its health fprings forth speedily, and its righteousness goeth before it (for that which judgeth unrighteoufnefs, that is its righteousness; which instead of coming after, to reprove and condemn, now goeth before), and the glory of the Lord is the reward, coming after to preferve and defend all that springs up, ere al in the power. Oh! bleffed is he that witneffeth this state!

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Secondly, In the gofpel ftate the gofpel fabbath is kept, and known to be God's holy day, and called a delight (the holy of the Lord, honourable), and the Lord is honoured in it by the foul while it walketh not in its own ways, nor findeth its own pleafures, nor fpeaketh its own words: and then the foul delighteth itself in the Lord, who then (in this state) causeth it to ride on the high-places of the earth, and feedeth it with the heritage of Jacob its father. What is that? What is Jacob's heritage? What is it that Jacob is to be fed with, and inherit? Is it any lefs than the life and bleffedness of the promised land? Is it any lefs than the hidden manna? Is iɛ

any

any less than the fruit of the living vine? Is it any other than the sweetness and fatnefs of the true olive-tree?

Thirdly, In it the garment of falvation is put on, even the Lord Jefus Chrift; for here the filthy garments are put off, and the pure garments put on. For here the Lord hath appointed to them that have mourned in Sion, to give them beauty for afbes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praife for the Spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteoufnefs, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. So that here the foul can truly fay, I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my foul fhall be joyful in my God; for he hath cloathed me with the garments of falvation; he bath covered me with the robe of righteousness. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden caufeth the things that are fown in it to fpring forth, fo the Lord hath caufed righteousness and praife to fpring forth before the eyes of all that are truly opened by him; and he will not draw back his arm, or put up the fword which he hath drawn, till he hath deftroyed his adverfaries, and laid waste the mount of Efau, and made his Jerufalem the praise of the whole earth. Amen, ballelujah!

And here is the love which casteth out fear, and removeth care; fo that they that dwell here are careful in nothing, but in every thing make their requests known to God by prayer and fupplication, with thanksgiving; and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, guards the heart and mind, through Chrift Jefus. So that here God glorifieth the foul, changing it from glory to glory, in and by his Spirit; and God is praised and glorified in and by the foul, and the heart kept pure and chatte in the eye of the Lord; and the converfation ordered aright by his Spirit and power, which the foul lives and walks, and his falvation feen and enjoyed daily more and more. So that here is a poffeffion or inheritance of life in the kingdom (in the holy land of the living) of which there is no end. Everlafting endless prayers to the Holy One of Ifrael (whofe tabernacle is with men, and who dwelleth in the midst of his people) for ever and ever.

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Now if any one doubt concerning the truth of these things, this word is in my heart to fuch, Come, and fee. Oh! come and fee the glory of the Lord, and the power of his life, and righteoufnefs of his kingdom, which is now revealed, after the long night of darknefs! Oh! bleffed, bleffed be his name, who hath caused his light to fhine, and opened the eye (which was once blind) to see it!

which

Quest. But how may I come to fee the glory of the gospel state? Anfw. Come to the feed, and wait to feel and receive the power raiseth the feed in the heart, and bringeth the heart, foul, mind, and spirit

into union with the feed.

Queft. But how may I come to the feed; and how may I wait aright to feel and receive the power which raifeth it?

Anfw. Mind that in thee which fearcheth the heart, and what it reacheth to, and quickeneth in thee; what it draweth thee from, what it draweth

thee

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