********************START OF HEADER******************** This text has been proofread but is not guaranteed to be free from errors. Corrections to the original text have been left in place. Title: The Daughter of Sion Awakened, and Putting on Strength; She is Arising, and Shaking herself out of the Dust and Putting on Her Beautiful Garments, an electronic edition Author: Fox, Margaret Askew Fell, 1614-1702 Publisher: Place published: Date: 1677 ********************END OF HEADER******************** THE Daughter of Sion AWAKENED, And putting on Strength: She is Arising, and shaking her self out of the Dust, and putting on her Beautiful Garments.M. F.And thou, O Tower of the Flock, the Strong Hold of the Daughter of Sion, unto thee shall it come, even the first Dominion; the Kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem, Micah 4.8.The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Sion, Psal. 110.2.Sing and rejoyce, o Daughter of Sion; for lo I come, and will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord: and many Nations shall be joyned unto the Lord in that day, and shall be my People; and I will dwell in the midst of thee; and thou shalt know, that the Lord of Hosts hath sent me unto thee, Zach. 2. 10, 11.Rejoyce greatly, O Daighter of Sion; shout O Daughter of Jerusalem: behold thy King cometh; he is just, and having Salvation; lowly, and riding upon an Ass, and upon a Colt the Foal of an Ass, Zach. 9. 9. & Mat. 21. 5. & John 12. 15.Behold I lay in Sion a Stone of Stumbling and a Rock of Offence; whosoever believeth on him, shall not be ashamed, Rom. 9. 33.There shall come out of Sion a Deliverer, and he shall turn away iniquity from Jacob, Rom. 11. 26.Behold I lay in Sion a chief Cornerstone, elect and precious; he that believeth on him, shall not be ashamed, Pet. 2. 6.Printed in the Year 1677.The Daughter of Sion Awakened; and putting on Strength.OUT of Sion, the Perfection of Beauty, hath God shined, in the Light of his glorious Son, to recover, and to bring back, and to redeem his whole Body, which is his Church, out of all Nations, Kindreds, Peoples, Tongues and Languages.Now the universal, divine, glorious, infinite, invisible God is shining in the dark places, in the hearts of men and women. There is a Day dawning in the heart, and a Day-star arising, which the Night hath been over since Adam. Even the everlasting Day is dawning in the hearts of men and women; glorious Praises to the highest forever. Even that Day which the serpent in the beginning vailed and clouded with darkness through his temptation, and drawing of Adam and Eve into disobedience to the Command of God in the beginning, and so beguiled them, by which they and all their Posterity, in the fallen state, have brought upon them ever since the heavy Displeasure and Wrath of almighty God: so that the serpent was not only cursed, but the ground also, and man and woman came under the heavy Judgements of God in that state and condition. But the holy Lord, in his infinite Wisdom, and rich Bounty, hath found out a Way to recover all that are faithful and obedient unto him. So that as Adam and Eve went from Gods Commands through Disobedience; so all that ever come unto God, must return by the Obedience to his Light that shines from the Son of his love. For the Lord God said unto the serpent in the beginning, Because thou hast done this thing, I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy Head and thou shall bruise his Heel. Now this part of these last words, hath been perfectly fulfilled ever since the fall; for the Lamb hath been slain from the foundation of the world, Rev. 13. 8. ever since this world of wickedness, and darkness, and disobedience entred into the hearts of Adam and Eve; for the Prince of Darkness is the God of this world. And it broke forth, and manifested it self in cain, the first birth (which Adam and Eve brought forth) who slew his Brother Abel in Wrath and Revenge: and all that stock of bloody Cain went on in that nature, until they had corrupted the whole Earth. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the Earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his Heart was evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man, and it grieved him at his heart, when the Earth was corrupted, and was filled with Violence, and all flesh had corrupted his way upon the Earth. And the Lord said, I will destroy man (whom I have created) from the face of the Earth, both man and beast. And so the lord brought the flood of destruction upon all the ungodly. So this cursed seed bruised the heel of this good seed before the Flood. And after the Lord replenished the Earth again, of the three Sons of Noah, there was a cursed Ham, which Noah said was cursed, who, when he saw his fathers Nakedness, told his Bretheren. So Sham and Joseph took a Garment, and covered their Father's Nakedness, and went backward because they would not see it. And Noah said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant; and God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant; and a servant of servants is he to be. And so this cursed seed ever appeared and opposed the good, as the generation of this Ham and Canaan did manifest, who would go build Babel: and the Son of Ham was Cush, and Cush begat Nimrod, and the beginning of his Kingdom was babel; and God confounded their Language; from thence did the Lord scatter them upon all the face of the earth, Gen. 10. And Ishmael, which the Angel of the Lord said would be a wilde man, which was borne of Hagar, the AEgyptian woman. And Sarah saw the Son of Hagar the AEgyptian mocking of Isaac, which was the Seed to whom the Covenant and Promise of God was. And also Esau hated Jacob, because of the Blessing wherewith his Father had blessed him. And Esau said in his heart, The Dayes of Mourning for my Father is at hand, then will I slay my Brother Jacob. So here the murderous seed of the old serpent appeared again. And how often was the Lord grieved with the Children of Israel's Murmurings and Lustings, when they loathed the Manna, and lusted after Flesh? and when the People complained, it displeased theLord, and his anger was kindled, and the Fire of the Lord burned, and consumed as many as were in the outtermost parts of the Camp. And likewise, when they gathered the Quailes, when the flesh was yet in their Teeth, the Wrath of the Lord was kindled against them, and smote them with a very great Plague. And also, when they rebelled against Moses, that they bid, stone him with stones; that the Glory of the Lord appeared in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, before all the Children of Israel. And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil Congregation? I have heard the Murmurings of the Children of Israel, which they murmur against me? Say unto them, As truly as I live, faith unto the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine Ear, so will I do unto you ; your Carcases shall fall in this Wilderness, and all that were numbred of you, from twenty years old, and upwards, that have murmured against me, &c. And how did Corah, Dathan, and Abiram rebel and oppose Moses? and what a breach did they make among the Congregation of Israel? Though the god of Israel had separated them to do the service of the tabernacle, and to stand before the Congregation to minister unto them, yet corah, Dathan, and Abiram gathered all their Company together against the Lord, and did murmur against Moses and Aaron; and when Moses sent to call them, they said, We will not come up; and further said, Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us out of a Land that flowed with Milk and Honey, to kill us in the Wilderness, except thou altogether make thy self a Prince over us? moreover, thou hast not brought us into a Land that flows with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: will thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up. Here was the rebellious spirit indeed; but the Lord was avenged of them, and of their company. And again, when the people rebelled against God, and against Moses, and said, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of the Land of Egypt, to dye in the Wilderness, where there is no bread, neither is there any Water, and our Souls loath this light Bread. And the Lord sent Fiery Serpents among the people, and they bit them, and mueh people of Israel dyed, &c. And how would Balic and Balaam have cursed Israel by their Divination, that they might not have been a People, if the Lord would have suffered them? And Balaam was forced to confess, That God is not a Man, that he should lye; neither the Son of Man, that he should repent: Hath he said it, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Behold, I have received a commandment to bless, and he hath blessed, and i cannot reverse it. He hath not beheld Iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen Perversness in Israel; the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them. There is no Inchantment against Jacob, nor Divination against Israel. I shall see him, but not now; i sahll behold him, but not nigh. there shall come a star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall arise out of Israel; out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion &c. Here Balaam had a true sight and prophesie of christ, the blessed seed, and everlasting Covenant, yet would he have cursed this People for the unrighteous Wages of Balack to cast a stumbling-block before them; for whilst Israel abode at Shittim, they began to commit Whoredom with the Daughters of Moab, and they called the people unto the Sacrifices of their Gods, and the people did eat, and bow down to their gods, &c. And Israel joyned himself unto Baal peor, and the anger of the lord was kindled against Israel; and the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the Heads of the People, and hang them up against the Sun, that the fierce Anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel, &c. And when Moses taught the Children of Israel the Judgements and Statutes of the Lord, he said, Your Eyes have seen what the Lord did because of Baal-peor; for all the men that followed Baal-peor, the Lord thy god hath destroyed from among you. So all this cursed seed hath still disobeyed and opposed the command of the Lord, throughout all Generations, and hath bruised the Heel of this good seed till this very day. The Lord hath cursed this seed of the serpent, and the Curse remains upon him forever, Read Deuteronomy, chap. 28. from the 16th verse to the end. And this is the seed that ever bruiseth the heel of the good seed, and the Prophet Isaiah largely prophesied of, who said, He made his Grave with the Wicked, and with the Rich in his Death, because he had done no Violence, neither was any Deceit found in his mouth; yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him: he is despised and rejected of men, a man of Sorrows, and acquainted with Grief: Surely he hath born our Griefs, and carryed our Sorrows. He was afflicted, yet we esteemed him not; he was wounded for our Transgressions, he was bruised for our Iniquities; the Chastisement of our Peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like Sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all, Isa. 53. chap. Here the precious Seed hath actually suffered and been oppresed all along by the wicked seed of the serpent; so that the faith- ful Word of the Lord is fulfilled, which said, it should bruise his Heel, as may be clearly seen through the Scriptures of Truth, and may also be read in every heart and every bosome of every man and woman (upon the face of the whole Earth) which lies in the Fall, and in the Disobedience, and under the Curse. The just & the pure Principle of the living God suffers in every heart, who is in the darkness, & under the power of the Prince of darkness: the Just lies slain there in spiritual Sodom, and spiritual AEgypt, and spiritual Babylon, which is all the World spiritually, the World of Darkness the old serpent hath set and sown in the hearts of men and women, in Adam and Eve, and all of their Off-spring. When he tempted them into Transgression and Disobedience of Gods Command, then the Image of God was defaced in which God made them in the beginning; through the Disobedience they fell from Purity and Righteousness, and from Favour with God, and now they lie in Darkness and in Death, filled with sin and iniquity. So this World of Darkness and Death stands fast in the Hearts of Men and Women, so that they cannot see God in his Work. For the Apostle saith, As by one man sin entred into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned, &c. And again the Apostle saith, We are all of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And he saith, if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, left the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the Image of God, should shine unto them, &c. And David saith, The Lord shall judge the World in Righteousness. And he desired of the Lord, to be delivered from the Men of the World, which have their Portion in this Life, &c. And Christ Jesus saith, Now is the Judgement of this World; now shall the Prince of this World be cast out: and I, if I be lifted up from the Earth, will draw all men after me, John 12. 31, 32. And the Apostle saith, They had not received the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we may know the things that are freely given us of God, 1 Cor. 2. 12. And again, the Apostle saith, Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the Power of the Air, that spirit that now works in the Children of Disobedience, Ephos. 2. 2. And he bids them, Put on the whole Armour of God, that they may be able to stand against the assaults of the Devil; for we wrestle not against Flesh and Blood, but against Principalities, and against Powers, and against the Prince of Darkness of this world, against spiritual Wickednesses in high places, &c. And the Apostle saith, Greater is he that is in us, then he that is in this world. And also, the same Apostle saith, Now we know, that whatsoever things the Law saith, it saith to them who are under the Law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God, &c. So here lies all the world of the Ungodly, guilty of Sin, guilty of Transgression, guilty of disobedience; but now in these last dayes, the Lord Jesus Christ is come a Light into the world, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting Life, and that through him they might be saved, John 3. 16, 17. So now the Lord Jesus Christ who is sent a Light into the world, and lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He that was in the beginning with God; all things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made; in him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. And this Light doth shine in darkness, in this world of darkness, though darkness cannot comprehend it. John was sent from God, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe: He was sent to bear witness of the Light, that was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. So this Light, that lights every man that comes into the world, this is the true Light, that shines in the dark heart, and this is the true Day, that dawns in the heart; and Christ Jesus is the Daystar that ariseth in the heart.And this is the true Seed, and this is the blessed Seed, that hath the Promise and Word of the Eternal God joyned and fixed to it. That he should bruise the serpents Head, who hath set darkness in the hearts of people. And as certainly as the Lord hath fulfilled that Word, which he promised in the beginning, That the Seed of the serpent should bruise his Heel; so certainly and perfectly is he fulfilling the other part of it, That the seed of the Woman should bruise the serpent's Head. And God hath not only put enmity between the two seeds, but he hath put enmity between the serpent and the Woman, Gen. 3. And the Lord God said unto the Woman, What is this thou hath done? And the Woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the Lord said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all Cattel, and above all the beasts of the field; upon thy Belley shalt thou go, and Dust shalt thou eat all the dayes of thy life: and I will put unmity between thee and the Woman, and between thy Seed and her Seed. So this enmity that god hath put between the Serpent and the Woman, there is no reconciling of it; for where there is any part of the serpents seed or spirit, it is smiting and striking at the Woman, and contemning her Weakness. For when the Woman, being with Child cryed and travelled in birth, pained to be delivered, then behold the great red Dragon appear'd, having seven Heads and ten Horns, and seven Crowns upon his Head; and the Dragon stood before the Woman, which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her Child as soon as it was born. But she brought forth her Man-child, which is to rule all nations with a Rod of Iron, and her Child was caught up to God, and to his Throne, and the Woman fled into the Wilderness, where she ahd a place prepared of God, &c. So God alwayes provided for the Woman, that she was nourished and preserved from the face of the serpent. And the serpent will not yet cease to cast out Waters as a Flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the Flood. And the Dragon is very wroth with the Woman, and seeks to make war with the Woman, and with the remnant of her Seed.And so, this is perfectly fulfilled also; for the serpent, or any part of his spirit, where it is, hath a perfect enmity against the Woman. But the eternal Word and Promise of God stands upon the head of the serpent, which is, that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the seprents Head: and this is perfectly fulfilling in this our day; for the Head of the serpent is now coming to be bruised by the Seed of the Woman, Christ Jesus: For the serpents seed and spirit is now gotten into the highest dress; he is now got into the Profession and Words of Truth itself, and would, if it were possible, do as he did, when he told her, they should be as Gods; but he betrayed her and beguiled her, as she said. But now he is opposing one that is too strong for him, as he tempted Christ in the dayes of his Flesh; but he could not prevail then, nor surely can he now against him in his spiritual appearance, the Elect he cannot deceive, who dwells in the Light, that comes from the Throne of divine Glory, that sees him, and discerns him, and his secret Baits, and Snares, and Wiles; he doth deceive the dark and the ignorant, and betrays them that keep not to the Ensign that is set for the gathering of all Nations; but the Elect he cannot deceive, that are rooted and grounded upon the precious Corner stone, that is laid in Sion; they that are built upon the Rock, Christ Jesus, they cannot be shaken. But Christ Jesus shakes all Foundations that are not built upon him; and he is coming to rase oput and to root out that Foundation which the old serpent hath laid in the Hearts of people; he is coming to disposses him, and to destroy him and all his works; the Right is his; he was before ever the old serpent was; he was set up from everlasting to everlasting; man and woman was created in his Image, and he is now coming to claim his own, and to recover and restore man again. The Devil hath had a long Reign; he may well be called the old serpent, because he ahd a beginning; but now his head and power is coming to be bruised; and the Word of the eternal God is coming to be fulfilled upon him, which is, That the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpents Head: And he will make a short work of the Earth, and cut it short in Righteousness for his Elects sake. The Lord God is now at work; his Word and Power and Spirit, by which the Heavens and the Earth were made, is at work; the Grace and the Truth, which comes by Jesus Christ, is at work; and the Light of the glorious Gospel, the Power of God, is working, for the destruction of the Devil and all his works. And he is pouring down his Spirit of Grace and Supplication, so that now all people that come to the Lords eternal Light and Truth may look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn over him, as one that mourneth for his only Son, Zach. 12. 0. And now, in these last dayes, since there hath been a falling away, and a NIght of Darkness, and a Night of Apostacy from the true, spiritual and glorious Appearance of the Ressurection of Jesus, in the Apostles and primitive Christians dayes, since which time the Woman, that brought forth the man-child, hath been fled into the Wilderness, a Place prepared of God for her, and had the two Wings of the great Eagle given her: But she is now returning out of the Wilderness, leaning upon her Beloved; and the Holy City, New Jerusalem, is coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a Bride for her Husband, having the Glory of God; and her Light is like a Jasper Stone, most precious, clear as Chrystal, which shines forth in its Glory, and clearly makes manifest all the power and body of spiritual Darkness. And the man of sin is now revealed, the son of perdition, which hath sit in the temple of God, in the hearts of man and woman, who was and is in the falling away from the new Covenant, and the resurrection of Jesus, in his Spirit, in the hearts and bodies of his Saints, which was his Temple in the Apostles dayes. The man of sin hath sitten in that temple all Christendom over, where Christ and the Scriptures are professed without them, ever since the Apostles dayes, in this night of apostacy; the man of sin hath kept the hearts of people professing Christ, the Apostles and Saints words without them, in the spirit of darkness. So they have all been out of the true Worship of God, which is in his own Spirit, and in his own truth, and in his own Light, which is his new Covenant where he writes his Law in their heart, and puts his spirit in their inward parts, where sin is done away, and transgression and iniquity is blotted out. But in this night of apostacy, they have all been out of this Way and out of the Truth, and out of this Light and Life, and so in a dark unclean spirit they have taken Christs words, and the Prophets, and Apostles, and Saints words; tehre the man of sin hath sitten in the hearts of People, decked and trimmed with the Saints words, professing Christ and the scriptures without them, in a dark spirit, but do not confess him come within them. The Apostle said, Many Deceivers are entred into the World, who confess not that Jesus Christ is comein the flesh, this is a Deceiver and an Antichrist. And hereby know ye the Spirit of God, every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God: and this is the spirit of Antichrist whereof you have heard it should come, and now even already, it is in the world. And this is that spirit of Antichrist, which is entred into the world, which hath been in the world, in this dark night of apostacy, who professeth Christ in words without them, but will not confess his Light, and his Spirit, and his Truth within them. And therefore the Apostle said to the Saints, Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things; let that therefore abide in you which you have heard from the beginning: if that which you have heard from the beginning remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father: These things have I written unto you, concerning them that seduce you; but the Anointing which you have received of him, abideth in you; and you need not that any man teach, but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things, and is Truth, and is no Lye, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him, &c. And so this anointing and unction of the Holy One, is, ever was, and ever shall be the Saints Teacher. But this is not Antichrists Teacher; he sitteth in the Temple of God, professing word without, and can have no union with nor benefit of the true Christ, which came by Water and Blood; not by Water only, but by Water and Blood. And it is his Spirit that beareth witness, because his spirit is Truth. He that believeth in the Son of God, hath the Witness in himself. And this is the record that God hath given us of his Son, eternal Life, and this Life is in his Son. But antichrist in the world hath none of this Record; his Record is without, and his Pretence of Christ is only as without, and will not have him within.But Glory be to the Highest forever, this man of sin, this son of perdition is revealed, which hath sate in that Temple which God hath chosen for himself, in the Hearts of men and women, in which he hath written his Law and Covenant: But by the spirit of his Mouth, and by the Brightness of his Coming, will he slay the Wicked, who hath long opposed Christ's Reign in his Saints and Members. And the Lord is coming to gather his Elect from the four Winds, and from the one end of the Earth to the other; he has all Power in Heaven and in Earth given unto him, and he is the Lord of all the Hosts in the Heavens and in the Earth; at his Word and command they all stand up together, &c. he hath brought his only begotten Son into the World; he hath lighted every man and woman that cometh into the World: and so let all the Angels worship him, he who is the Head of all Principalities and Powers, Angels and Authorities, are all subject to him; and he sendeth forth his Angels, his ministring spirits, that are sent forth for the Heirs of Salvation; and his Ministers in Flames of Fire upon the Head of the spiritual wickedness of the old serpent; his Angels are his Messengers and Reapers, that bind the Tares in bundles, and casts them into the Fire. He is sending forth his Angel, that hath the sharp sickle, that he may thrust in his sickle; for the Harvest is ripe. To which of the Angels hath he said at any time, Thou art my son? Or to which of the Angels hath he said at any time, Sit at my Right Hand? He hath not put in subjection unto the angels the World to come, whereof we speak. But unto the Son he hath said, Thou art my Son thsi day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I will give thee the Hethen for thine Inheritance, and the utmost parts of the Earth for thy Possession. And unto the Son he hath said, Sit thou at my right hand, until all thine Enemies be thy Footstool. Yea, unto the Son he hath said, thy Throne, O God, is forever and ever; the Scepter of righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the Oyl of Gladness above thy Fellows. Though the Heathen raged, and the Wicked hath imagined vain things, yet hath the Lord set his holy King upon his holy Hill of Sion. And he hath anointed him to preach Glad-tidings to the Poor, Liberty to the Captives. And he hath anointed him to proclaim the acceptable Year of the Lord, and the Day of Vengeance of our God. And he hath anointed him to open the blind Eyes, and to unstopeth the deaf Ears, and to cause the Tongue of the Dumb to sing, and to loose the tongues of the Stammerer, that he may speak plainly, &c. He hath anointed him to make the Lame to leap and skip as an Hart. He hath anointed him to set open the Prison Doors, and to bring forth the Prisoners out of the Prison-house, and those that have long sitten in darkness, and under the Vail of the shadow of death, he hath anointed him to bring them forth, that they may shew themselves, that upon them his glorious Light may shine. He hath anointed him to bring again that which hath been driven away, and to gather together again that which hath been scattered, and to make the Prisoners of hope to rejoyce, that have so long lain in the Pit, where there is no Waters. He hath anointed him to raise up the Tabernacle unto David, and to make up the Breaches thereof. He hath anointed him to bring back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, and the whole Seed of Israel, and to unite and knit together into one the house of Joseph, the house of David and the house of Israel. He hath anointed him to enlarge Japheth, that he may dwell in the Tents of Shem. He that is the Light of the Gentiles, and the Glory of his People Israel, and the Salvation to the ends of the Earth. He is the Lords Anointed, for the taking away of that middle Wall of partition, that Wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles, that Law of Commandments that was contained in Ordinances, which was contained in an outward Temple, that was contained in an outward Covenant written in Tables of Stone, and an outward Priesthood, and outward Offerings, and outward Washings and Sacrifices, which the Apostle calls a world by Sanctuary and beggarly Rudiments; he hath abolished all these in his flesh, and thereby hath slain the Enmity, and nailed them to his Cross; and he hath made to himself of twain one new man, and so making Peace; and that he might reconcile both Jew and Gentile unto God in one Body; for through him we have both access by one spirit unto the Father. So now its neither Circumcision nor uncircumcision that availes, but a New Nature, and a New Creature, in Christ Jesus. For he is our Peace, who hath made both one, which the Apostle saith is a Mystery, which in other ages was not made known to the Sons of men, that the Gentiles should be Fellow-Heirs, and of the same Body, and partakers of his Promises in Christ (by the Gospel) which he hath purchased for us, in whom is hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge. For he hath taken away the First Covenant and Law, which was written in Tables of stone, that he might establish the second Covenant written in the heart. And he hath taken away the first Priesthood, that could not stand by reason of Death, that he might establish the second Priesthood, that is not made by the Law of a Carnal Commandment, but by the Power of an endless Life. And he hath taken away the outward Offerings and Sacrifices, that he might establish the one offering. He hath taken away the first Temple, that Solomon built, that he might establish the second Temple of his Body, which is his Church, that the Glory of this latter House may far exceed the glory of the former. He is the Mediator of a better Covenant, established upon better Promises, an everlasting Covenant, that never can be broken, written not in Tables of stone, but in fleshly Tables of the Heart. By this one Offering, which he hath offered up, even himself, through the eternal Spirit, once for all, by this one Offering he is able to save to the utmost all that ever comes unto God by him, which believeth in his Light, and walketh in it, of what Nation or People soever, Jew or Gentile, Barbarian, Schythian, Bond or Free, Male or Female, all that ever comes to God by him, he is able to save to the utmost, &c. By this one Offering he hath opened a living Fountain, not only for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in, but whosoever is athrist, of what Nation soever, they may come unto him and drink. For in the dayes of his Flesh, he invited all that were athirst to come unto him and drink, John 7. 37, 38, 39. And this he spoke of his Spirit, which he was then going to pour forth, which he hath now largely manifested, which he is pouring upon all flesh, upon his sons and upon his daughters, upon his servants and upon his hand-maids. And the Tabernacle of God is now with men, and he dwells with them, and they are his People, and God himself is with them, and is their God.And the Lord Jesus Christ is building the Temple, which is his Church, which is made of living stones; he that is greater then Solomon hath laid his Foundation in Sion; he hath laid the Rock and corner-stone; he is building up spiritual Sion, the City of his Solemnity; the wise Master builder is at work, and he is building up that City that our Father Abraham looked for, whose Builder and Maker is God; his Word is at work, his Spirit is at work, his Power and Light is at work, hs Grace and Truth is at work; he that layes true Judgement to the Line, and righteousness to the Plummet in the Hearts of men & women, he is at work. He that sit in the midst of the Throne, and in the midst of the four Beasts, and in the midst of the four and twenty Elders, as a Lamb that hath been slain; he that hath the seven Eyes, and the seven Horns, which are the seven Spirits of the living God, sent forth throughout all the Earth, and runs to and fro, and sees both before and behind; the gathering is unto him, yea the gathering of all Nations is unto him. He that walked in the midst of seven Golden Candlesticks, which hath not only the Vrim and Thummim, but the Light of Lights, Perfection of Perfection, Glory of Glories, and Holiness to the Lord. And this is that pure River of the Water of Life, proceeding out of the Throne of God, and of the lamb; in the midst of it, and of either side of it is the Tree of Life; blessed are they that do his Commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and enter in through the Gates into the City. He is that Tree of Life that stands in the midst of the whole Paradise of God, which bears his Fruit every moneth, whose Leaves are for the healing of the Nations. So all Nations, and all the ends of the Earth, must look unto him if they be saved, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who is the image of the invisible God, the First-born of every Creature. He is the Head of his Body, the Church, who is anointed with the Oyl of Gladness above his Fellows; and in him dwells all the Fulness of the Godhead bodily; and he dispenses of his Fulness throughtout his whole Body; [Colloss. 1. 19.] and the prec- ious Oyle, with which he is anointed, flows plentifully to every Member, who holds the Head, and abideth in the Unity, and keeps in the favour of his good Oyntment; for that is as the Dew of Hermon, and as the Dew that desendeth upon the Mountains of Sion; for there the Lord commandeth his Blessing, even Life for evermore; which is a Mystery that hath been hid from Ages and Generations, but now is made manifest to his Saints; to whom God would make known what is the Riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles, which is, Christ in us the Hope of Glory, whom the Apostle preached, warning every man, and teaching every man, in all Wisdom, that he might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, &c. And this is our Way, and the Truth; and there is no other Way nor Name under the whole Heaven, but the Name of Jesus, by which any can be saved; to which Name every Knee must bow, and every Tongue confess. For it is he that is crowned with Glory and Honour, that by the Grace of God he should taste death for every man, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, which is the Devil. He hath blotted out the Hand-writing of Ordinances, and hath taken it away, nailing it to his cross. And he hath spoiled Principalities and Powers, and hath openly triumphed over them: so in this great Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, [Ephes. 5. 23, 25, 27.] in which he hath given himself for his body, which is his Church; he hath made no difference in this Work between Male and Female, but they are all one in Christ Jesus, whose Faith and Belief stamds in his Name and Power, who are sanctified and cleansed: so he presents his glorious Church unto himself (not having Spot or Wrinkle, or anysuch thing) which is his Body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all, Eph. 1. 22, 23.THE POSTSCRIPT.And blessed and happy are all the Faithful, that are constant. true and obedient to the Lord's eternal Light, Spirit and Truth; that so the holy Anointing, which they have received from the Beginning, abide in them, and they abide in it, then have they fellowship with the Son and with the Father: For that was the Reason why the Apostle John writ in his Epistle to the Saints, it was concerning them that did seduce them; therefore he said, Let that abide in you which you have heard from the beginning remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son and in the Father, 1 John. 2. 24, 25. And this is the safety and preservation of all the Faithful, to keep to the holy Unction, and Anointing of the Holy One, which they have received of him, which is in them, and which was in the beginning, is and ever shall be the Saints Teacher, that never changes; here are the Saints and Faithful in Christ Jesus preserved. But there was a spirit in the Apostles dayes, that chime in privily, & drew away many after their pernicious ways, as may be seen in 2 Pet. 2. Which did fulfil the prophesie of the Apostle Paul to Timothy, where he saith, That the spirit spoke expresly, That some should depart from the Faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and Doctrines of Devils, &c. Also Jude is very zealous against that spirit, as may be read in his Epistle. But as the Apostles, Peter and Jude say, If God spared not the Angels, which kept not their first-estate, but left their own Habitation, who was cast down to Hell, to be reserved in Chains of darkness, unto the Judgement of the great Day, &c. And therefore let all beware and take heed, in the Fear of the Lord God, to keep to the true Testimony of God in their own Hearts, and to the true Touch-stone, that God has placed in them; and not believe every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they be of God; for many false spirits are gone out into the World, &c. We are of God, saith the Apostl; he that knoweth God, heareth us; he that is not of God, heareth not us: hereby know we the spirit of Truth and the spirit of Error, 1 John, 4. 6. This is the same Spirit still, and God is the same, and his Power and Spirit is the same. And let all the Opposers of his spirit read their Portion in the Epistles of Peter and Jude. M. F.THE END.