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the heart, and might feel his redeeming power and virtue there, and so be brought into union and fellowship with him!

The CONCLUSION of the FIRST PART.

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HERE is a precious promife of God's making a feaft of fat things on his holy mountain, and of destroying there the face of the covering, caft over all people, and the veil that is fpread over all nations, Ifaiah xxv. 6, 7. Now, what is this mountain? Was there not a Mount Sion under the law, which was figurative? and is there not a Mount Sion under the gospel, which is the fubftance of that figure? and did not the christians in the apoftles days, who were called of God and fanctified, come to this Mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerufalem, where they had fellowship with God the judge of all, and with Jefus the mediator of the new covenant, &c.? Heb. xii. 22, 24. And was not the veil here done away in him who was their Lord, their light, their life, their strength, their fun of righteoufnefs, their bright and morning-ftar? fo that with open face they could behold the glory of the Lord, and were changed thereby into his heavenly image, from glory to glory, 2 Cor. iii. 18.

But alas! how hath that life, Spirit, and power been loft, fince the days of the apoftles! Men have ftill owned the apoftles words, and formed many notions and apprehenfions out of the letter, but loft the apoftles Spirit, loft the knowledge of the holy mountain, where the veil is taken away, and where the feaft of fat things is made; and fo are only dreaming about eating and drinking spiritually, but know not what it is to feed on the living fubftance. And fo (being ignorant of that) the veil is over their hearts while they read the prophets words, and Christ's and his apoftles words; and the mystery of life, and of the redeeming power, is hid from their eyes: and that which God intended to them for a table, is become their fnare (as it was with the Jews); and their back is fo bowed down under the loads and burthens of the enemy, that they cannot fo much as hope or believe in the power of life for redemption therefrom, but conclude it must neceffarily be fo with them all their days.

Oh! where's the faith that gives victory over the enemies? Where's the ability in the faith, fo to refift him as to make him fly? Where's Satan's falling like lightening (Oh! his ftrength before the power of the Lord is but a flash!) and the God of peace his treading him under the feet of his faints? Oh! where's that truth, or that knowledge of the Son, which makes free from him? (John viii. 32, 36.) Where's that Spirit wherein liberty from his power and fnares is felt? 2 Cor. iii. 17. Where's living in the VOL. II.

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Spirit,

Spirit, and walking in the Spirit, and in the pure light of the Lord, where he cannot come? Where's reading of the fcriptures in that which gives to witness them, and which fulfils them in the heart?

Oh! the mystery of godlinefs, the power of godlinefs, where the life is revealed, and the veil taken away, and an understanding given, opened, and kept open, to read and understand the fcriptures aright; yea, and the hidden glory alfo! Where it cannot be faid in truth to thofe that are there, Ye know not the fcriptures, nor the power of God; but ye have received power to become fons of God, and ye are in him that is true; who truly opens the fcriptures in your hearts, and gives you the enjoyment, inheritance, and poffeffion of the precious promifes, whereby ye are made partakers of the divine nature, and live in him who is the head and spring of that nature. Oh! that people that profefs Chrift were here! Oh! that they did know him who begets! and then they would not be fo ignorant of those that are begotten by him; but would come into the true faith, into the true love, into the true knowledge and obedience of him, whom God hath appointed to guide and govern, and build up the whole living body. The Lord guide me inwardly thither, where the mystery is revealed, and the fellowship with God, and his Son and faints, held in the mystery! For our fellowship is not in a notional knowledge concerning Chrift, but in the life itself, which the Lord God gather his people more and more into, and build them more and more up in. Amen.

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A BRIEF

A

BRIEF ACCOUNT

CONCERNING

The PEOPLE called QUAKER S,

IN

Reference both to PRINCIPLE and DOCTRINE.

We are a People of God's gathering, who (many of us) had long waited for his Appearance, and had undergone great Diftrefs for want thereof.

UT fome may fay, What appearance of the great God and Saviour

Quest. B did ye want?

Anfw. We wanted the prefence and power of his Spirit to be inwardly manifested in our spirits. We had (as I may fay) what we could gather from the letter, and endeavoured to practise what we could read in the letter; but we wanted the power from on high, we wanted life, we wanted the prefence and fellowship of our beloved; we wanted the knowledge of the heavenly feed and kingdom, and an entrance into it, and the holy dominion and reign of the Lord of life over the flesh, over fin and death in us. Queft. How did God appear to you?

Anfw. The Sun of righteoufnefs did arife in us, the day-fpring from on high, the morning-ftar did vifit us, infomuch that we did as really fee and feel the light and brightnefs of the inward day in our spirits, as ever we felt the darkness of the inward night.

Queft. How did God gather you?

Anfw. By the voice of his Son, by the arm of his Son, by the virtue of his Son's light and life inwardly revealed and working in our hearts. This loofed us inwardly from the darkness, from the bonds of fin and iniquity, from the power of the captiver and destroyer, and turned our minds inwardly towards our Lord and Saviour, to mind his inward appearance, his

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inward

inward fhinings, his inward quickenings; all which were fresh from God, and full of virtue. And as we came to be fenfible of them, join to them, receive and give up to them, we came to partake of their virtue, and to witnefs the refcuing and redeeming of our fouls thereby. So that by hearing the Son's voice, and following him, we came to find him the way to the Father, and to be gathered home by him to the Father's houfe, where is bread enough, and manfions of reft and peace for all the children of the Most High.

Now as touching the bleffed principle of truth, which we have had ex-perience of, and teftify to (for how can we conceal fo rich a treasure, and be faithful to God, or bear true good-will to men!) it is no new thing in itself, though of late more clearly revealed, and the minds of men more clearly directed and guided to it, than in former-ages. It is no other than that which Chrift himfelf abundantly preached, who preached the kingdom, who preached the truth which makes free, and that under many parables and refemblances; fometimes of a little feed, fometimes of a pearl or hid treasure, fometimes of a leaven or falt, fometimes of a loft piece of filver, &c. Now what is this, and where is this to be found? What is this which is like a little feed, a pearl, &c. and where is it to be found? What is the field? Is it not the world, and is not the world fet in man's heart? What is the houfe which is to be fwept, and the candle lighted in? Is it not that house, or heart, where the many enemies are? A man's enemies, faith Chrift, are those of his own houfe. Indeed the teftimony concerning this was precious to us; but the finding and experiencing the thing teftified of to be according to the teftimony, was much more. And this we fay in perfect truth of heart, and in moft tender love to the fouls of people, that whoever tries, fhall find this little thing, this little feed of the kingdom, to be a kingdom, to be a pearl, to be heavenly treafure, to be the leaven of life, leavening the heart with life, and with the most precious oil and ointment of healing and falvation. So that we teftify to no new thing, but to the truth and grace which was from the beginning; which was always in Jefus Chrift, our Lord and Saviour, and difpenfed by him in all ages and generations, whereby he quickened, renewed, and changed the heart of the true believers in his inward and spiritual appearance in them, thereby deftroying the enemies of his own houfe, and faving them. from them. For indeed there is no faving the creature, without destroying that in the creature, which brings fpiritual death and destruction upon it. Ifrael of old was faved by the destroying of their outward enemies; and Ifrael now (the new Ifrael, the inward Ifrael) is faved by the destruction of their inward enemies. Oh! that people could come out of their own wifdom, and wait for God's wifdom, that in it they might come to fee the glory, the excellency, the exceeding rich virtue and treasures of life, that are wrapped up in this principle or feed of life; and fo might receive it, give up to it, and come to partake thereof.

And

And as touching doctrines, we have no new doctrines to hold forth. The doctrines held forth in the holy fcriptures are the doctrines that we believe. And this doth farther feal to us our belief of this principle, because we find it a key by which God openeth the scriptures to us, and giveth us the living fenfe and evidence of them in our hearts. We fee and have felt in it to whom the curfe and wrath belongs; and to whom the love, mercy, peace, bleffings, and precious promifes belong; and have been led by God's Holy Spirit and power through the judgments to the mercy, and to the partaking of the precious promifes. So that what should we publish any new faith, or any new doctrines for? Indeed we have none to publish; but all our aim is to bring men to the ancient principle of truth, and to the right understanding and practice of the ancient apoftolick doctrine and holy faith once delivered to the faints. Head-notions do but cause disputes; but heart-knowledge, heart-experience, fenfe of the living power of God inwardly, the evidence and demonftration of his Spirit in the inward parts, puts an end to difputes, and puts men upon the inward travel and exercife of spirit by that which is new and living, which avails with God. Now whereas many are offended at us, becaufe we do not more preach doctrinal points, or the hiftory of Chrift, as touching his death, refurrection, afcenfion, &c.; but our declaration and teftimony is chiefly concerning a principle to direct and guide mens minds thereto; to give a plain account of this thing, as it pleafeth the Lord to open my heart at this time in love and good-will to fatisfy and remove prejudices where it may be; thus it is in brief,

First, That which God hath given us the experience of (after our great lofs in the literal knowledge of things) and that which he hath given us to testify of, is the mystery, the hidden life, the inward and fpiritual appearance of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, revealing his power inwardly, destroying enemies inwardly, and working his work inwardly in the heart. Oh! this was the joyful found to our fouls, even the tidings of the arifing of that inward life and power which could do this! Now this fpiritual appearance of his was after his appearance in the flesh, and is the standing. and lasting difpenfation of the gofpel, even the appearance of Chrift in his Spirit and power inwardly in the hearts of his. So that in minding this, and being faithful in this refpect, we mind our peculiar work, and are faithful in that which God hath peculiarly called us to, and requireth of us.

Secondly, There is not that need. of publishing the other as formerly was. The hiftorical relation concerning Chrift is generally believed and received by all forts that pretend to Chriftianity. His death, his miracles, his rifing, his afcending, his interceding, &c. is generally believed by all people; but the mystery they mifs of, the hidden life they are not acquainted with, but alienated from the life of God, in the midft of their literal owning and acknowledging of thefe things.

Thirdly,

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