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judgment for fin in themselves, their works are gone beforehand to judgment; and they are not afraid of the day of wrath to the wicked; for perfect love cafts out all fuch fear; they are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Chrift; they have part in the first refurrection, and the fecond death hath no power over them. And now, having paffed through the very hour and power of darknefs; endured the fiery trial; drank the cup the crucified Saviour drank of, and being baptized with his baptifm, they come to witness, as he did after his temptations, the ministration of holy angels. Indeed he has promised all those who continue with him in his temptations, a place in his kingdom; and as the angels ministered to him in the days of his flesh, immediately after his fore temptation and trials, fo is it in his brethren's experience; for after their deep abasement and fiery baptifm in the afflictive difpenfation of the fixth feal, their profpects open into a difcovery of the powers or miniftring fpirits that stand on and over all that is earthly; as John faw the four angels ftanding on the four corners of the earth. Now the four corners feem to comprehend the whole earth; and indeed it must all be fhaken in us, if ever we know the new heavens and new earth, wherein dwells righteoufnefs: to thefe four angels. it was given to hurt the earth and the fea; not only all that is of earth or earthly, but alfo all that is of an unstable nature, is liable to the stroke and must be chastised and fubdued. But in the midft of all this deftruction to the earth and fea, another holy angel appears, afcending from the east, (that is, from where the fun of righteoufnefs ever arifeth with healing in his wings) and Oh! the unspeakable joy and confolation which now fprings and overflows the foul. For fing, O ye heavens! ye ranfomed of the Lord on earth, rejoice, and praise the Lord, for this is the angel that has the feal of the living God. And now, after your many deep probations

and

to all the fons of Adam in the fall: an enjoyment and adoration, a tranfporting felicity and fruition, even in this life in degree, which a full idea of can never be conveyed to an unregenerate foul, by all the arts of defcription-all the powers of rhetoric or elocution and which the carnal mind can never conceive an adequate idea of by all the reasonings of flesh and blood, or penetrations of human wisdom. The wife, the fcribe, the difputer of this world, may imagine and contend in ignorance and darknefs; but can never in that ftate have the living knowledge and experience of these things; while they that endure the day of trial, continue with Chrift in his temptations, drink his cup, and abide his baptifms, his agonies and death, thus refting from all their own works, come to the true christian fabbath, and therein worship God in fpirit and in truth, in the pure living experience of that facred, awful, reverential filence which is known in heaven. These know what is meant by the fmoke of the incense which continually afcends up before God, from the angel's hand, and from the golden altar, for ever; and are in good preparation to witness and understand the remaining wonders—the foundings of the angels-the measure of the temple-the leaving out of the outward court-the woman cloathed with the fun-the dragon's tail, and many other deep myfteries, which are never clearly understood, but as he that has the key of David opens them.But as far as needful he fails not to open them to all who follow him in the regeneration, wherefoever he leadeth them; who are redeemed from the earth, and from among men. Thefe fhall ftand with him on Mount Sion, and having their Father's name written in their foreheads, fhall fing the new fong, receive the bleffing of those who obey his commands, have a right to the tree of life, and enter in through the gates into the City.-They

fhall

fhall reft from their labours, and their works fhall follow them.

Great part of the Revelations, as well as other myfterious fcriptures, is livingly known in the work and progrefs of regeneration, and therein found very pertinent and defcriptive, in regard to the many exercises, pangs, probations, and deliverances, which attend the foul in its feafons of refinement, and gradual renovation.And all this hinders not, but well confifts, with the more outward meaning and fulfilment of fuch parts of facred record, fo far as they really refpect things outward: but Í am firm in the faith, that many are mufing and gazing after outward fulfilments, to the very great, and fometimes injurious diverfion of their minds from the only work, and fulfilment of many paffages, which they may ever properly expect to experience. The fcripture is a fealed book; it is abundantly wrapped up in parable, metaphor, and myftery-yea many, very many things in it, which men whofe minds are outward will read and understand of outward things, are mainly meant of internal operations, difcoveries, and overturnings, which God in his dealings with the foul, leads it along through. He that hath an ear, let him hear-is a very proper intimation, and is therefore often repeated, that the mind may be directed to an inward hearkening, in order to a right understanding: for many have eyes, but fee not; and ears, but hear not. The eye and ear that fees and hears divine things rightly, must be divinely opened. Many are blind because they think they fee; and deaf, by reafon of their confidence that they hear. Chrift's coming was, and is, that those who fee and hear may be made blind and deaf; and that the blind and deaf may fee and hear; and bleffed are thefe who are made blind and deaf by him; for it is as needful to true feeing and hearing, to be first made blind and deaf, as K 2

wounding

wounding is neceffary to healing, and killing, to being made alive. He that will be wife, must first become a fool that he may be wife, and he that will fee and hear, muft first become blind and deaf.

O, it is a great thing to know that eye and ear closed, that ever fees and hears amifs, and to keep them steadily shut up; and the fingle eye and ear properly open. Keep to that in thee, O inward traveller, that shuts the wrong eye and ear, and opens the right; then wilt thou be in the number of fuch as our Lord pronounceth bleffed, faying, bleffed are your eyes, for they fee, and your ears, for they hear.

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Matt. xiii. 16.

CHAP.

CHAP. VI.

The folly of felf-importance. The author's concern, that himself and others may experience an entire reduction of felf, and perfect refignation to the divine will. His vifit to Friends of Oblong and Nine-Partners, in the fate of New-York.

I

1784, HAVE divers times lately very 6ih mo. 12. clearly feen the great folly of thinking ourselves of much importance, either in religious fociety, or in the world. O may my foul dwell ever in true abafement; for bleffed and happy is he that knows a being brought down, yea down low, and there abiding; for until all felf-exaltation is entirely rooted out of our minds, we are not what God would have us to be; and his turning and overturning in us, is in order, if not refifted, thus to make us; and until we do, from the centre of our fouls, give him all the glory, there remains in us a fource of unhappiness, diforder, and confufion. -O man! how great is the work of thy falvation; how many deaths thou haft to die, before that comes to reign in thee, which lives for ever;-for know thou, that thou canst never fully enjoy that life which is hid with Chrift in God, until thou dieft to thy own felfish life. It is he that lofes his life for Chrift's fake, that shall find it: yea, our bleffed Saviour declares, if any man bate not his ' own life, he cannot be my difciple't-and at this juncture of time I fincerely think I do fo.-Lord God Almighty, carry on thy great work in my foul, bow every exalted imagination, and lay all that is not of thy own immediate begettings in me, level with the duft, that I may altogether, and at all times, hate my own life, with perfect hatred, until I come livingly to know that it is thy only begotten, in whom thou art well pleased, and with no K 3

† Luke xiv. 26.

man

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