way of his judgments and righteous indignation; till the same that wounded, speak peace. For the same is to speak peace, and not another; "I the Lord wound, and I heal; I kill, "and I make alive." "Judgment is mine, and "mercy is mine; and they both issue from my "lips." (See Isa. xii. 1.) So every one, that would not be deceived about, nor misapply the promises, wait to feel that in you, which leads into the condition to which the promise belongs, and to be led into and kept in the condition by it. And then, the same that leads into the condition, will apply the promise to him who is in the condition, the ear being open to him, hearkening to the Lord, waiting what he will speak, who speaks peace to his people in his seasons; and having the ear shut against the voice of the unrighteous troubler of the souls of God's heritage. Yea, he that applieth the promises to the soul, (having brought it into the state to which they belong) he also will lead and bring unto the fulfilling of the promises, even to the receiving of the good things promised and waited for; so that the soul shall witness the gospel to be a glorious, state indeed; a state of life, a state of liberty, a state of power, a state of dominion, a state of holiness, a kingdom of righteousness and peace, wherein there are everlasting mansions and dwelling-places in Christ Jesus, for the seed of the righteous for evermore. The Lord God of everlasting mercy, life, power, and rich goodness, cause the light of his own Holy Spirit to shine into your hearts, guide you thereby into and in the true way, even in the

pure living path, (which was and is but one for ever) that ye may come into the true possession, and full enjoyment, and infallible witnessing of these things.

23d of the Second Month, 1668.

THERE is another QUERY, of great Concernment, which springeth up in my Heart towards you.

Query. Is not the Spirit, or anointing, the great gospel-promise, and the great gospelordinance? Is not he truth, and no lie, and the leader out of all lies and deceits into the truth, and the preserver of the mind and spirit therein?"Little children," said the same apostle, who had directed to the anointing, "keep yourselves from idols." Is there any possibility of being kept from images and idols, but by him? Can any understand the things of the Spirit, or the words spoken by the Spirit concerning spiritual things, but by him? And then, is not every apprehension, that ye take up from the scriptures concerning spiritual things, which ye have not from him, (but comprehend and gather of yourselves) an image, or conceiving of your own, concerning that thing, and not that true knowledge and understanding of the thing which he alone can give? Oh! that all the chambers of imagery were thrown down in you, and every idol of the heart and mind discovered to you, and broken down by the light and power of the Lord; that ye might come to that which is pure and

living, and by its purifying know the pure heart, the pure mind, the pure conscience, and offer up the pure perfect offering; not the lame, blind, imperfect, &c. which were not accepted (in the figure) under the law, nor acceptable under the gospel. Mal. i. 11, 18, and chap. iii. 3.

Friends, ye must know that which is pure from God, and ye must come into it (out of that which is impure, into that which is pure.) Now that ye may do so, ye must know the purifying; for nothing that is impure, can enter into that which is pure. Yea, ye must become priests to God, and wear the priest's garment, the pure garment, the living garment, the fine linen, without mixture of the woollen. Ye must be born of the innocency, be clothed with the innocency. The stony, hard, desperately-wicked heart must be taken away, and the tender heart of flesh received, the mind renewed to God, the fear put within, (which cleanseth and keepeth clean) the law writ within, the Spirit of the Lord put in the inward parts, and felt powerfully operating and changing there. Yea, and the inside must not only be clean, but the outside also; for ye must be clothed with the Spirit, clothed with the Lamb's righteousness and holiness; and thus ye must appear before the Lord in his temple, which is the beauty of holiness, whose house holiness becomes forever; where ye are never to appear in your own filthy rags, but in the nature, Spirit, righteousness, and life of Christ. And thus ye are wellpleasing to God, even in that which is of God;

being born of that, formed of that, found in that, appearing in that. But in his own, no man can be accepted; for it is determined of God, and stands irreversible for ever, that in his own (in his own knowledge, in his own faith, in his own obedience, in his own righteousness, in his own willing and running, &c.) shall no flesh for ever be justified in his sight; but only and alone in the nature, Spirit, life, righteousness, faith, obedience, and holiness of his Son. Therefore wait for the seed, that ye may know the seed, feel the seed, the pure seed of life, the leaven of the heavenly kingdom, and may witness it arising and come in you to do the will, and you in it quickened and enabled to live to and serve the living God. And when ye know this seed, ye know Christ; and when ye receive this seed, ye receive Christ; and if it live in you, Christ lives in you; and in it (being in it, and abiding in it) are ye heirs of the life, kingdom, and power, which hath no end; and shall daily feel the promises and blessings belonging to the seed, flowing in upon your spirits. But if ye content yourselves with the knowledge of Christ, which the erring and apostatised spirit of man from the life and power may gather out of the letter of the scriptures, and feed thereon; that will not nourish you up to eternal life, but death and sin, and the gates of hell will have power over you notwithstanding that; but if ye, through the Spirit, receive power over that which is contrary to God, and through him mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Therefore wait for the manifest.

ation of the pure power of the endless life, which is now dispensed from on high, blessed be the name of the living one, and wait to know and be joined to that seed of life, wherein and whereby it is dispensed, that ye may witness Christ's kingdom come to you, and the reign of your spirits with him therein, over all that captivateth from him, loadoth the soul, boweth down and oppresseth.

A POSTSCRIPT,

CONCERNING DECEIT AND BEING DECEIVED.

THERE is that which deceives, where it is hearkened to, and there is that which is liable to be deceived by it. There is likewise that which deceiveth not; and there is also that which cannot be deceived. So likewise there is a pure fear and watching in the truth against the deceit, lest by any means it should enter and betray. As also there is a fear that is a snare, (which the true faith preserves out of) whereby many are entangled in the very bowels of deceit, even concerning those very things about which they are afraid they should be deceived. This hath been experienced by those, who have been acquainted with the Lord's precious truth, and thereby are come to know and discern the wiles and devices of Satan; who often hath quenched what the Lord hath kindled, by his stirring up a fear, lest it should not be of the Lord, but from the spirit of deceit.