how they knew God, or received his word, without them. In thy exhortation thou bid'st me love Christ, wheresoever I see him but had'st thou told me where one might come to see him, or how one might know him, thou had'st shewed more of a Christian in that than in all thou hast spoken. But it seems ye are not all of one mind: some of you say, he is gone, and will be no more seen, till doomsday; but if ever ye come to see Christ to your comfort, while ye oppose his light, then God hath not spoken by me. This thou shalt remember, when thy time thou hast spent.'

G. F.

Great opposition did the priests and professors make about this time against the light of Christ Jesus, denying it to be universally given; and against the pouring forth of the spirit, and sons and daughters prophesying thereby : and much they laboured to darken the minds of people, that they might keep them still in a dependence on their teaching. Wherefore I was moved of the Lord to give forth the following paper, for the opening of the minds and understandings of people, and to manifest the blindness and darkness of their teachers.

To all you professors, priests and teachers, who are in the darkness, and know not the spirit in prison, and know not the light that shines in darkness, and which the darkness doth not comprehend; but are the infidels, whom the god of the world hath blinded, and to whom the gospel is hid. For though ye have the four books, yet the gospel is hid to you; who are now stranging at the work of God, and do not believe that Christ hath enlightened every one that cometh into the world. To you I offer some scriptures to read, which will prove your spirits, and try them, how contrary they be unto the apostles' spirit, the spirit of Christ and of the saints. Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison (1 Pet. iii. 19.) He that readeth, let him understand, whether this was a measure of the spirit, yea or nay, or the spirit without measure, which he ministered to?"For he whom God hath sent, speaketh the words of God; for God giveth not the spirit by measure unto him." (John iii. 34.) Here Christ had not the spirit given to him by measure. The apostle said, "We will not boast of things without (or beyond) our measure. (2 Cor. x. 13.) So here was measure, and not by measure. Christ, who received not the spirit by measure, told his disciples he would send them the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, that

he should guide them into all truth: for he should not speak of himself, but whatsover he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shew it unto you. (John xvi. 13. 14.) Mind, read and learn; the Comforter shall receive of mine, saith Christ, and shall shew it unto you: who hath the measure, receives of his, who hath not by measure. The Comforter, when he comes, is to reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment, (verse 8.) Now mind all the large work of God: the Spirit of Truth, which leads the saints into all truth, which receives of Christ's, and shews it unto the disciples, who be in the measure, he shall reprove the world of sin, because they do not believe, &c. The Comforter, whom Christ will send, takes of his, and shews it to the disciples; and the same reproves the world. Mind now, whether this be a measure, yea or nay, which comes from him, who received not the spirit by measure. He that leads the believer into all truth, reproves the unbeliever in the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment: so he that is led into all truth, sees that which is reproved, by the Spirit of Truth that leads him. Now when Christ saith, "He shall take of mine, and shew it unto you;" whether this be a measure, yea or nay, from him whom God gave the spirit not by measure unto?

:

And again the Lord said, both by his prophet (Joel ii. 28.) and his apostle (Acts ii. 17, 18). "It shall come to pass in the last days, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh, your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams and on my servants, and on my handmaidens, I will pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy.' Look, ye deceivers, here the Lord saith he will pour out of his spirit, mark the word [of it] of the Lord's Spirit upon all flesh. What! young men, old men, sons and daughters, and maids, all these to have the Spirit of God poured forth upon them? Here, say they, these deny the means then: nay, that is the means. And the great and notable day of the Lord is coming, wherein it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. The God of the spirits of all flesh is known; "And" saith the apostle, who would not boast of things beyond his measure, "that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them." (Rom. i. 19). By this which was of God manifest in them, they knew covetousness, maliciousness, murder, deceit and ungodliness, and knew that the judg

ments of God were upon such things; and that they were worthy of death not only that did the same, but that had pleasure in them that did them. Therefore said the apostle, "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men," &c. Now this of God manifest in them, which God shewed unto them, by which they know unrighteousness, and God's judgments thereupon, and that they which commit such things (as are there mentioned) are worthy of death; whether this be a measure, yea or nay, which is of God, and which he hath shewed to them? What was that in them that did by nature the things contained in the law, which shewed the work of the law written in their hearts, (Rom. ii. 14, 15). Mark, written! Shall not this judge them that have the outward law, but are out of the life of it? The apostle saith, "the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” (1 Cor. xii. 7.) There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit, but the manifestation of it is given to every man to profit withal. Mark, to one is given by the Spirit, the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophesy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the self-same spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. Mark that, to every man severally as he will.

Again, the apostle saith," the grace of God that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world," (Tit. ii. 11, 12). Now ye, that turn this grace which brings salvation, into lasciviousness, ye deny it, and say, that which teacheth the saints, who by grace are saved, hath not appeared to all men. Jude saith, "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (verse 15). Here mark again; him that cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to convince all of their ungodly deeds and hard speeches; here it is, all of their ungodly deeds, and all of their hard speeches; none left out, but all to be convinced and judged, the world reproved by him who comes with ten thousands of his saints, and will reign, and be

king and judge. And have not ye all something in you, that doth reprove you for your hard speeches, and your ungodly deeds, the ungodliest of you all, who live in your hard speeches against him, and against his light and spiritual appearance in his people?

6

Again, the apostle writing to the Gentiles, saith, "But unto every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ," (Ephesians iv. 7). Now mark, here is the measure of the gift of Christ, "who lighteth every man that cometh into the world,' (John i. 9.) that all men through him might believe. He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned, &c. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world," &c. (John iii. 18, 19). Now every man that cometh into the world being enlightened, one, he loveth it, and brings his deeds to the light, that with the light he may see whether they be wrought in God the other, he hates the light, because his deeds are evil; and he will not bring his deeds to the light, because he knows the light will reprove him. So he that hates the light, wherewith Christ hath enlightened him, knows the light will reprove him for his evil deeds, and therefore he will not come to the light.

Again, the Lord by his prophet said concerning Christ, "I will give him for a light to the Gentiles, that he may be my salvation to the ends of the earth," (Isa. xlix. 6). And what is that, which the children that walk according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit, that now worketh in the children of disobedience (Ephes. ii. 2), are disobedient to? Mark, and read for yourselves, who being disobedient, walk according to the course of the world, according to the power of the prince of the air; mark, I say, what it is that all such are disobedient to ? He that hath an ear let him hear. The apostle saith to the Colossians, "the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience," (Col. iii. 6). Come ye professors, let us see, is not this something of God that is disobeyed? Is it not that which is of God manifest in them, which God hath shewn them, which lets them see, God's judgments are upon such when they act unrighteously? Is not this the measure of God (mark) and the spirit that is in prison? and the Spirit of God that is grieved?

And ye professors, come, let us read the parable of the talents, and reckon with you, and see who it is that hath hid the Lord's money in the earth? Come ye, that have gained, enter ye into your master's joy go thou, that hast hid the Lord's money in the earth, into utter darkness;

take it from him, and give it to him that hath; and every man shall have his reward. For the Lord hath given to every man according to his several ability (Mat. xxv. 15). Mark that, to every man according to his several ability: read this if you can: and now is the Lord coming to call every man severally to account, to whom he hath given severally according to their ability. And now the wicked and slothful servant, who hid the Lord's money in the earth, will be found out, and the Lord's money will be taken from him, although he hath hidden it: to him the Lord's commands have been grievous; but to us they are not, who love God and keep his commandments. "And," saith the apostle to the Romans, "I say, through the grace given unto me, to every wan that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith," (Rom. xii. 3). Read and mark, here is a measure of faith.

"And," saith another apostle, "as every one hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God," (1 Pet. iv. 10). "For the grace of God hath appeared to all men." Now, the good stewards can give their account with joy: but ye bad stewards, that turn the grace of God into lasciviousness, now ye will be reckoned withal; now ye shall have your reward. But,' say the world, 'must every one minister as he hath received the gift?' 'Yea,' say I, "but let him speak as the oracles of God; and let him do it as of the ability which God giveth," (verse 11). John in the Revelation saith, "They were judged every man according to their works," (Rev. xx. 13). Christ saith, "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." (Mat. xii. 36). " So ye, that name the name of Christ, depart from iniquity. (2 Tim. ii. 19). "The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then he shall reward every one according to his works," (Mat. xvi. 27). He who is gone into a far country, and hath given the talents to every one of you, according to your several ability," will render to every man according to his deeds," (Rom. ii. 6). "And further I say unto you, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life, because of righteousness," (Rom. viii. 9, 10). So let the light which cometh from Christ examine; for the Lord is appearing. Ye that have received according to your ability, smite not your fellow-servant; and think not that