There is something upon me as from the Lord to write unto you
concerning the precious Faith which was once delivered unto
the Saints, which (may be) you may be called to contend for;
times of Tryal thereof seeming to approach; but the onely intent
and desire of my Soul is, that you may be brought into it,
in the Truth and soundness of it, which indeed is a Mystery, and cannot be
held but in a pure Conscience void of offence towards God and towards man;
And being that it is so, that without Faith it is impossible to please God,
and that whatsoever is not of Faith is sin; This being weighed and read in
the pure Eternal Light which every one hath a measure of to try withal, it
will nearly concern every one to search and try narrowly and throughly,
whether they be in the Faith which is of Gods Elect yea or no: This may
be lightly looked upon with many, as though it were needlesse and below BA their A1v 2
their condition and state, as if it were easie to be in the Faith of God, yea
the very World, the Apostatized Christians will talk of a faith though it be
dead and they yet in their sins; But truly Friends I see in the Eternal that
it is a great Mistery to be made partaker of the precious Faith, which gives
the victory over the World, and Faith is the gift of God.

And I find in the Scriptures of the Prophets that there was few that witnesed
and spoke of Faith, though there was many faithful men which by Faith
obtained a good report, and died in the Faith, by which they did the commandements
of God, according to his Eternal purpose, yet the Fathers
were under the cloud, and the appearance of God in their day was in a cloud,
and all passed through the Sea and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud
and in the Sea, and they did drink of the Rock which followed them, which
Rock was Christ; while Moses is Read the vail is over the heart, which vail
is done a way in Christ.

When God called Moses and Aaron and Miriam he said, “Hear now my
Word if there be a Prophet among you, I the Lord will make my self
known unto him in a Vision, and speak unto him in a Dream:” This is the
State which must be passed through; but the Lord said with Moses “my Servant
it is not so, who is faithful in all my house, with him I will speak
mouth to mouth, even apparently and not in dark speeches.” Here Moses
was faithful to God as a Servant, and his Ministration was glorious, yet this
glory was to be done away, by reason of the glory that excelled, which glory
remains where the Spirit of the Lord is the covering. And so Friends,
come into the Light of the Son of God, which gives the Light of the knowledge
of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ, the brightness of the
Fathers glory, which Moses could not see and live; And here you will come
to see and to read through the mystery of the faith of the Gospel in the ministration
of the Spirit; And now that none may think of themselves above
what they ought to think, let every one with the Light of Jesus seriously
and singly search and try your standing, for it may be that times of tryal of
faith may come. The Apostle bad the Corinthians examine themselves whether
they were in the faith, “prove your own selves” (saith he) “know
you not how that Christ is in you except you be Reprobates”: This he
said to the Corinthians who were a gathered people; And to the
Galathians saith he, “If a man think of himself to be something when he is
nothing he deceives himself, but let every man prove his own work, and
then he will have joy in himself and not in another.”

Friends, be not offended that you are put to a search and warned beforehand,
that your foundation and standing may be sure when the day of tryal
comes, for the Lord hath said, Zech. 13.9. “I will bring the third part of them
through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and try them as
gold is tryed, and they shall call on my name and I will hear them, I will say
‘it is my people’, and they shall say ‘the Lord is my God’.”

And Peter saith, “Ye who are kept by the power of God through the faith
unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time, wherein ye greatly rejoyce,
though now for a season ye are in heavinesse through manifold temptations,
that the tryal of your faith being much more precious then gold that
perisheth though it be tryed by fire, might be found unto the praise honour
and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”; O blessed will ye be if you be found A2r 3
found here, for then will you not think it strange concerning the fiery tryals
which are to try you, but you will even rejoyce, inasmuch as you are partakers
of the sufferings of Christ.

Truly Friends my care is, with the desire of my soul, that you might
come into the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that the same mind may
be in you that was also in Christ Jesus, who made himself of no reputation,
but took upon him the form of a Servant, and was made in the likenesse of
men, and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself, and became
obedient to the death of the Cross, and through that he is exalted; And this
is the path that the faithful in Christ Jesus must walk in, which may be
found strait and narrow to the first man which is rough and hairy, Esau-like:
And though (as I said before) you may think strange that you should be
exhorted to come into the Faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, yet this is above
the Disciples condition, for they were often reproved for the want of this of
their Lord and Master, when he was exhorting them to take no thought for
their meat nor for their drink, neither for their body what they should put
on, for saith he, “shall he not much more cloath you O ye of little faith.” And
again when the tempest rose upon the Sea, they begun to be afraid, Then
said he unto them, “why are ye fearful O ye of little faith?” And again when
he shewed them the Fig-tree how it was withered, Christ said unto them,
“If ye have faith and doubt not, ye shall not onely do this which is done to
this fig-tree, but also if you say unto this Mountain ‘be thou removed into
the Sea’, and it shall be done, and whatsoever you pray for, believing, ye
shall receive.” And again he said unto Peter when the Sea was boistrous and
he afraid, he said unto him, “O thou of little faith why dost thou doubt?” Yet
after this Peters faith was shaken. Again when that the Disciples could not
cure the man that was Lunatick, then Jesus said unto them, “O faithlesse and
perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer
you? bring him hither to me”; And one of the Disciples said, “Why could
not we cast him out?” Then Jesus said unto them, “because of your unbelief,
For verily I say unto you, if you had faith as a grain of mustard seed,
you should say unto this Mountain remove hence to yonder place, and it
should be so, and nothing shall be unpossible unto you”; And unto Thomas he
said, “Be not faithlesse but believing”.

So here is the very life of your life, that you believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, for whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed, for there is no
difference between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich
unto all that call upon him and believe in him.

And so now Friends, seeing that many, when tryals come upon them, have
been shaken, as you may see in the Scriptures more fully, Therefore in the
fear of the Lord God keep close and near to the word of Faith which is nigh
in the heart, and neither ascend nor descend, but keep to the Righteouusness
of faith, and then you keep to the substance of things hoped for, and to the
Evidence and Testimony of things not seen. Through faith you may understand
that the Worlds were made by the Invisible Word of God, so that
things which are seen are not made of things which do appear, but by the
Immortal and Eternal Word which was in the beginning, here you will see
him that is invisible, as Abraham did who believed, and it was accounted unto A2 him A2v 4
him for Righteousnesse, not when he was in the Circumcision, but when he
was in the uncircumcision, and so he received the sign of Circumcision a
seal of the Righteousnesse of his Faith which he had before he was Circumcised,
that he might be the Father of all that believe though they be not
Circumcised outwardly, that Righteousnesse might be imputed unto them
also, not of the Jews onely but also of the Gentiles; for all who walk in the
steps of that faith of our Father Abraham, for the promise that he should be
the Heir of the World was not to Abraham or to his Seed through the
Law, but through the Righteousnesse of Faith, therefore is it of Faith that it
might be by Grace, to the end that the promise might be sure to all the Seed,
not to that onely which is of the Law, but to that also which is of the faith
of Abraham which is the Father of us all, who against hope believed in hope,
that he might become the Father of many Nations. Oh the Infinite Love
and Wisdom of the Lord God, and the depth of the Mystery that hath been
hid but now is revealed by his Spirit.

Know ye therefore that they that are of Faith are the Children of Abraham,
and the Scripture which cannot be broken, foreseeing that God would
Justifie the Heathen through Faith, Preached before the Gospel unto Abraham,
saying, “In Thee shall all Nations be blessed.” The promise of the blessing
to Abraham and his Seed, this is the glad tydings of the Everlasting Gospel,
the liberty to the Captives, the desire of all Nations which is now come
and risen, manifested and fulfilled what he hath promised in this his day;
And all they that be of the faith, are blessed with faithful Abraham, and
this is the Gospel which the Apostle was not ashamed of to preach, which is
the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew
first, and also to the Greek, for therein is the Righteousnesse of God revealed
from faith to faith, for the Just lives by faith, whether they be Jew or Greek,
bond or free, there is neither male nor female here but they are all one in
Christ Jesus: and if they be Christs, then are they Abrahams seed, and heirs
according to promise. And here is the fountain opened for the house of David
and for the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleannesse, Christ
Jesus the Everlasting Covenant, who in the last day of the great feast stood
and cryed, saying, “If any man were athirst, let him come unto me and drink he that
believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living waters”, but this he spake
of the spirit, which they that believed on him should receive, according to
the words of the Apostle, who said unto the Jews, “Received you the spirit by
the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith?” for we through the spirit wait
for the hope of the Righteousnesse of faith; for in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision
nor uncircumcision availeth, but faith that worketh by love, and
obedience unto him, who saith, “I am the Resurrection and life, he that believeth
on me, though he was dead yet shall he live”; And he that liveth and believeth
shall never die, and he that believeth worketh the works of God, he that believeth
shall never thirst; And this is the will of the Father that hath sent the
Son, that every one that seeth him should believe on him, & have everlasting
life, and he would raise him up at the last day; and blessed are they that believes
and lives in the freedom of the spirit, for to the spiritual mind is life and
peace, and no evil tydings can come to such, such reckons not the sufferings
of this present time worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed,ed, A3r 5
for the Just lives by his faith; but if any man draw back, my soul hath no
pleasure in him.

Now Friends, seeing it is so, that the spirit speaketh expresly, that in the
latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits
and Doctines of Devils, and that some have cast off their first faith, and some through the love of mony have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves
through with many sorrows, and some have denied the faith, and some have
had their faith overthrown by others words, and some have made shipwrack
of faith, and Jude speaks of many (and sundry) that fell away and left their
first love, and did not keep their first Estate, as you may read; And therefore
did he exhort them that they should earnestly contend for the faith
which was once delivered to the Saints.

And so friends, this is the very end of my writing, that you even would
contend for the precious faith in every particular, and also in the general;
And call to mind how that God after he had brought the children of Israel
out of Ægypt, yet they fell in the Wildernesse because of unbelief: Therefore
fly all ungodlinesse, and follow after Righteousnesse, Faith, Love and Patience,
fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on Eternal Life; Consider
the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was
faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house
as a servant, and Christ as a Son over his own house, whose house are we, if
we hold fast the confidence and rejoycing of our hope unto the end, here
will every one be preserved clear in his condition, who through the spirit wait
for the hope of the Righteousnesse of faith, and take heed there be not in any
one of you an evil heart of unbelief departing from the living God, for we
are made partakers of Christ if we hold fast the profession of our faith without
wavering; And unto us the Gospel is preached as well as unto them,
but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in
them that heard it, Therefore did he swear in his wrath that they should
not enter into his rest, they entered not because of unbelief.

Now this being so fully proved and manifested to you, lay aside every
weight, and run with patience the Race that its set before you, looking unto
Jesus the Authour and finisher of our faith, who is the corner stone and Rock
of Eternal Salvation, who is rooted and grounded on him will not be shaken
though the storms and Tempests beat; Consider him that endured such contradiction
of sinners, least you be weary and faint in your minds; For all
the promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen, in whom we have
boldnesse and accesse with confidence by the faith of him who worketh all in
us and for us; For none are justified by the works of the law, but by the
faith of Jesus Christ, and by faith you stand, for God hath put no difference
betwixt the Jews and the Gentiles, if their hearts be purified by faith, whose
eyes are opened, and who are turned from the darknesse to the light, from
the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive the forgivenesse of sin,
and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ, even the
Righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all
them that believe; For there is no difference, for all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God; For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is holy also,
and if the Root be holy so are the branches, and if some of the branches be broken A3v 6
broken off, it is because of unbelief, and thou standest by faith, be not highminded
but fear:

Oh friends, consider that your standing is by faith in Christ Jesus, even we
have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ,
“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World, and this is the victory that overcometh
the World, even our Faith, who is he that overcometh the World, but he
that believeth that Jesus is the Christ”, here shall we be more then Conquerers, as
we abide and grow from strength to strength, and from faith to faith, building
up one another in our most holy faith, till we all come in the unity of
the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto
the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ, that we henceforth be no
more children tossed to & fro, and carried about with every wind of Doctrine,
by the slight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lye in wait to deceive,
but speaking the Truth in love, may grow into him in all things who is
the head, even Christ, that so we might make all men see what is the fellowship
of the mystery which from the begining of the World hath been hid in God,
who created all things by Jesus Christ, in whom we have boldnesse and accesse
with confidence by the faith in him, that so Christ may dwell in your
hearts by faith, and you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to
comprehend with all Saints, what is the height, breadth, length and depth,
and to know the Love of God, which passeth knowledge, unto whom be
eternal glory, honour and Dominion for ever.

Now dearly beloved Friends and Brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in
the power of his might, take unto you the Armour of Righteousnesse, that
you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil, for now you come
not to wrestle with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers, and
against the Rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickednesses
in high places; Wherefore let your cloathing and Armour be Light,
that you may be able to stand in the evil day, and above all take the shield
of Faith, in this will you quench the fiery darts of the wicked: Stand fast
in one spirit striving together for the faith of the Gospel, and in nothing terrified
by your Adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition,
but to you of Salvation and that of God; For unto you is given in the behalf
of Christ, not onely to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake, and
that you holding fast the Word of Life, may cause us to rejoyce in the day
of Christ that we have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain; Yea if I
were offered upon the sacrifice of your faith, I could joy and rejoyce with
you all. And now that you may come to the soundnesse of the Truth of the
Gospel of Christ, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that you
being rooted and grounded in him, and that through the Spirit you may
wait for the hope of Righteousnesse by Faith, and so grow up as living plants,
which are called Trees of Righteousnesse, the planting of the Lord.

And truly Friends, there is none that believes but he knows that God is,
nor there is none that believes but he hath the witnes in him that he is in the
unity of the Faith, and he that believes hath his heart purified by Faith, he
that believes is entered into the rest, and he is sealed with the spirit of
promise.

So, Friends, search your selves, for a sinner in Zion will be afraid and A4r 7
and fear will surprize the Hypocrite, and truly none can dwell with the
everlasting burning but he that worketh Righteousnesse, and every mans
work must be tryed by fire, and he that is saved in the day of the Lord,
it is so as by fire, it is not offerings that will burn that will serve in this
our day, but it is the perfect offering of Righteousnesse that will passe
the fire that is now accepted. The God of Eternal power and life strengthen
you by his grace in the Inward man, that so you may be True and
Faithful Warriours in the Work of the Lord, that you may fight the
good fight, and finish your course, and keep the Faith, that a Crown of
Righteousnesse may be laid up for you.

For certainly the day is come in which the Lord with his sore
great and strong sword will he punish Leviathan that piercing crooked
Serpent, and he will slay the Dragon that is in the Sea; And
though there be a Song of a Vineyard of Red Wine, yet the Lord will
keep his plant, he will water it every moment least any hurt it, yea he will
keep it night and day, if Bryars and Thorns be set in battel against him,
he will go through them and burn them together, for the Lords
people is his portion, Israel is the lot of his inheritance, and though
he hath found Jacob in a Desert Land, and a waste howling Wildernesse,
yet he hath led him about and instructed him, he hath kept
him as the Apple of his eye, as an Eagle stirreth up her Neast, fluttereth
over her young, spreadeth abroad her Wings and taketh
them, so doth the Lord with the Seed of his Covenant; And the day
is come that they do sing in the Land of Judah, the Lyon of which
Tribe hath opened the Book and unloosed the Seals; We have a
strong City, Salvation God hath given for Walls and Bulwarks, the
Gates whereof are opened that the Righteous Nation may enter in,
who are as lively Stones built up a Spiritual House, an Holy Priesthood
to offer up Spiritual Sacrifice acceptable unto God by Jesus Christ,
whose foundation is laid in Zion the chief corner Stone elect and pretious,
and he that believeth on him shall never be confounded, unto all
that believe on him he is pretious, but unto them which be disobedient,
the Stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the
Corner, and you that do believe on him are the chosen Generation, a
Royal Priesthood, an Holy Nation, a peculiar people, so will you shew
forth the praises of him that hath called you out of darknesse into his
marvelous Light, here abiding with God, whose immortality dwells in
the Light, and whose power and sweet pretious presence is in the Light,
all things here are possible, here will you inherit all things, so while you
have the Light, believe in the Light, that you may be the Children of
the Light begotten into it, born of the Spirit which is Light, here you
will be preserved sitting under your own Vine, where none can make you
affraid, while that Babylon is falling, and all the graven Images of her
Gods is breaking unto the ground, “‘I will rise up’ saith the Lord God of
Hosts, ‘and will cut off from Babylon the Name and Remnant, Son and
Nephew saith the Lord, I will make it a possession for the Bittern, and
I will sweep it with the Besome of Destruction; The Lord of Hosts hath
sworn saying, surely as I have thought so shall it come to passe, as I have
purposed so shall it stand, that I will break the Syrian in my Land, and upon A4v 8
upon my Mountains tread him under foot, then shall his yoak depart
from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders; This is
the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth, and this is the hand
that is stretched out upon all Nations, for the Lord of Hosts hath purposed;
and who shall disannul it? And his hand is stretched out, and who shall
turn it back?’” So all wait in the Faith of Gods Elect for the fulfilling and
bringing to passe of his great Work, for God is faithful that hath promised
unto Abraham, before him whom he believed, even God who
quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not, as though
they were.

Abraham against hope believed in hope, and so was the Father of many
Nations, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but
was strong in Faith giving God the Glory, and this was counted to him
for Righteousnesse; “Now ye that seek the Lord, ye that follow after
Righteousnesse, ye must look unto the Rock whence ye were hewen, and
to the hole of the Rock whence ye were digged, ye must look unto Abraham
bra your Father in the Faith and unto Sarahs Womb who bare you,
For I have called him alone”, Saith the Lord, “I have blessed him and encreased
him, here is Zion comforted, and the waste places and Wildernesses
made like Eden, and her Desarts like the Garden of the Lord, joy and
gladnesse is found therein, Thanksgiving and the voice of Melody” to this
safe habitation of rest and peace which is eternal and doth endure for ever,
do I commit you.

The believing Jews and the believing Gentiles are the Children of Abraham,
and are blessed with faithful Abraham, for of a Truth God is no respecter
of Persons, but every one that believeth and worketh Righteousnesse
is accepted of him, whether they be Jews or Greeks, Barbarian or
Cythian, Bond or Free, if they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and walk
in him they are all one, and this is the Salvation that is to the ends of the
Earth the Covenant of Light.