teousness and holiness that man at the first was made in: but as all believe in the light, and walk in the light, which Christ hath enlightened every man that cometh into the world withal, and so become children of the light, and of the day of Christ, in his day all things are seen, visible and invisible, by the divine light of Christ, the spiritual, heavenly man, by whom all things were made and created.

Then I saw concerning the priests, that although they stood in the deceit, and acted by the dark power, which both they and their people were kept under, yet they were not the greatest deceivers spoken of in the scriptures; for these were not come so far as many of them had come. But the Lord opened to me who the greatest deceivers were, and how far they might come; even such as came as far as Cain, to hear the voice of God; and such as came out of Egypt, and through the Red Sea, and to praise God on the banks of the sea shore; such as could speak by experience of God's miracles and wonders; such as were come as far as Korah and Dathan, and their company; such as came as far as Balaam, who could speak the word of the Lord, who heard his voice, and knew it, and knew his spirit; and could see the star of Jacob, and the goodliness of Israel's tent; the second birth, which no enchant. ment could prevail against: these that could speak so much of the experiences of God, and yet turned from the spirit and the word, and went into the gainsaying: these were, and would be the great decivers, far beyond the priests. Likewise among the Christians, such as should preach in Christ's name, and should work miracles, cast out devils, and go as far as a Cain, a Korah and a Balaam in the gospel times, these were and would be the great deceivers; they that could speak some experiences of Christ and God, but lived not in the life. These were they that led the world after them, who got the form of godliness, but denied the power; who inwardly ravened from the spirit, and brought people into the form, but persecuted them that were in the power (as Cain did,) and ran greedily after the error of Balaam, through covetousness, loving the wages of unrighteousness, as Balaam did. These followers of Cain, Korah and Balaam have brought the world since the apostles' days to be like a sea. And such as these, I saw, might deceive now, as they had in former ages: but it is impossible for them to deceive the elect, who were chosen in Christ, who was before the world began, and before deceiver was; though others may be deceived in their openings and prophecies, not keeping their minds to the Lord Jesus Christ, who doth open and reveal to his.

VOL. I.

G

And I saw the state of those, both priests and people, who in reading the scriptures cry out much against Cain, Esau, and Judas, and other wicked men of former times, mentioned in the holy scriptures; but do not see the nature of Cain, of Esau, of Judas, and those others in themselves. And these said, it was they, they, they, that were the bad people; putting it off from themselves: but when some of these came with the light and spirit of truth to see into themselves, then they came to say, I, I, I, it is I myself, that have been the Ishmael, and the Esau, &c. For then they came to see the nature of wild Ishmael in themselves; the nature of Cain, of Esau, of Korah, of Balaam, and of the son of perdition in themselves, sitting above all that is called God in them. So I saw it was the fallen man that was got up into the scriptures, and was finding fault with those before mentioned; and with the backsliding Jews, calling them the sturdy oaks, and tall cedars, and fat bulls of Bashan, wild heifers, vipers, serpents, &c. And charging them, that it was they that closed their eyes, and stopped their ears, and hardened their hearts, and were dull of hearing and that it was they that hated the light, and rebelled against it, and that quenched the spirit, and vexed and grieved it, and walked despitefully against the spirit of grace, and turned the grace of God into wantonness and that it was they that resisted the Holy Ghost; and they that got the form of godliness, and turned against the power: and that they were the inwardly ravening wolves, that bad got the sheep's cloathing: and that they were the wells without water, and clouds without rain, and trees without fruit, &c. But when these (who were so much taken up with finding fault with others, and thought themselves clear from these things) came to look into themselves, and with the light of Christ thoroughly to search themselves, they might see enough of this in themselves; and then the cry could not be, it is he, or they, as before; but I, and we, are found in these conditions.

I saw also how people read the Scriptures without a right sense of them, and without duly applying them to their own states. For when they read that death reigned from Adam to Moses, and that the law and the prophets were until John, and that the least in the kingdom is greater than John; they read these things without them, and applied them to others without them (and the things were true of others without them :) but they did not turn in to find the truth of these things in themselves. But as these things came to be opened in me, I saw death reigned over them from Adam to Moses, from the entrance into

transgression till they came to the ministration of condemnation, which restrains people from sin, that brings death. Then when the ministration of Moses is passed through, the ministry of the prophets comes to be read and understood, which reaches through the figures, types, and shadows unto John, the greatest prophet born of a woman, whose ministration prepares the way of the Lord, by bringing down the exalted mountains, and making straight paths. And as this ministration is passed through, an entrance comes to be known into the everlasting kingdom. So I saw plainly that none could read Moses aright, without Moses's spirit, by which Moses saw how man was in the image of God in Paradise, and how he fell, and how death came over him, and how all men have been under this death. And I saw how Moses received the pure law, that went over all transgressors; and how the clean beasts, which were figures and types, were offered up, when the people were come into the righteous law that went over the first transgression. And both Moses and the prophets saw through the types and figures, and beyond them, and saw Christ the great phrophet, that was to come to fulfil them. And I saw that none could read John's words aright, and with a true understanding of them, but in and with the same divine Spirit, y which John spake them, and by his burning, shining light, which is sent from God. For by that spirit their crooked natures might be made straight, and their rough natures smooth, and the exactor and violent doer in them might be thrown out they that had been hypocrites might come to bring forth fruits meet for repentance, and their mountain of sin and earthliness might be laid low in them, and their valley exalted in them, that there might be a way prepared for the Lord in them: and then the least in the kingdom is greater than John. But all must first know the voice crying in their wilderness, in their hearts, which through transgression were become as a wilderness. Thus I saw, it was an easy matter to say, death reigned from Adam to Moses; and, that the law and the prophets were until John; and, that the least in the kingdom is greater than John but none could know how death reigned from Adam to Moses, &c. but by the same Holy Spirit which Moses and the prophets, and John were in. They could not know the spiritual meaning of Moses,' the prophets,' and John's words, nor see their path and travels, much less see through them, and to the end of them into the kingdom, unless they had the spirit and light of Jesus; nor could they know the words of Christ and of his apostles,

and

without his spirit. But as man comes through, by the spirit and power of God, to Christ (who fulfills the types, figures, shadows, promises, and prophesies, that were of him) and is led by the Holy Ghost into the truth and substance of the Scriptures, sitting down in him who is the author and end of them; then are they read, and understood, with profit and great delight.

Moreover, the Lord God let me see (when I was brought up into his image in righteousness and holiness, and into the paradise of God) the state how Adam was made a living soul; and also the stature of Christ, the mystery, that had been hid from ages and generations; which things are hard to be uttered, and cannot be borne by many. For of all the sects in Christendom (so called) that I discoursed withal, I found none that could bear to be told that any should come to Adam's perfection, into that image of God and righteousness, and holiness, that Adam was in before he fell; to be so clear and pure without sin as he was. Therefore, how should they be able to bear being told that any should grow up to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, when they cannot bear to hear that any should come, whilst upon earth, into the same power and spirit that the prophets and apostles were in. Though it be a certain truth that none can understand their writings aright, without the same spirit by which they were

written.

Now the Lord God hath opened to me by his invisible power, how that every man was enlightened by the divine. light of Christ; and I saw it shine through all: and that they that believed in it came out of condemnation, and came to the light of life, and became the children of it; but they that hated it, and did not believe in it, were condemned by it, though they made a profession of Christ. This I saw in the pure openings of the light, without the help of any man; neither did I then know where to find it in the Scriptures (though aftewards, searching the Scriptures, I found it). For I saw in that light and spirit which was before Scripture was given forth, and which led the holy men of God to give them forth, that all must come to that spirit if they would know God or Christ, or the Scriptures aright, which they that gave them forth were led and taught by.

But I observed a dullness and drowsy heaviness upon people, which I wondered at: for sometimes, when I would set myself to sleep, my mind went over all to the beginning, in that which is from everlasting to everlasting. And I saw, death was to pass over this sleepy, heavy state.

And I told people they must come to witness death to that sleepy, heavy nature, and a cross to it in the power of God, that their minds and hearts might be on things above.

6

And on a certain time, as I was walking in the fields, the Lord said unto me; Thy name is written in the Lamb's book of life, which was before the foundation of the world.' And as the Lord spake it, I believed, and saw it in the new birth. Then sometime after the Lord commanded me to go abroad into the world, which was like a briary, thorny wilderness. And when I came in the Lord's mighty power, with the word of life into the world, the world swelled, and made a noise, like the great raging waves of the sea. Priests and professors, magistrates and people were all like a sea, when I came to proclaim the day of the Lord amongst them, and to preach repentance to them.

Now I was sent to turn people from darkness to the light, that they might receive Christ Jesus: for to as many as should receive him in his light, I saw that he would give power to become the sons of God; which I had obtained by receiving Christ. And I was to direct people to the Spirit, that gave forth the Scriptures, by which they might be led into all truth, and so up to Christ and God, as they had been who gave them forth. And I was to turn them to the grace of God, and to the truth in the heart, which came by Jesus; that by this grace they might be taught, which would bring them salvation, that their hearts might be established by it, and their words might be seasoned, and all might come to know their salvation nigh. For I saw that Christ had died for all men, and was a propitiation for all; and had enlightened all men. and women with his divine and saving light, and that none could be a true believer but who believed in it. I saw that the grace of God, which brings salvation, had appeared to all men, and that the manifestation of the Spirit of God was given to every man, to profit withal. These things I did not see by the help of man, nor by the letter (though they are written in the letter), but I saw them in the light of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by his immediate spirit and power, as did the holy men of God, by whom the Holy Scriptures were written. Yet I had no slight esteem of the Holy Scriptures, but they were very precious to me, for I was in that spirit by which they were given forth; and what the Lord opened in me, I afterwards found was agreeable to them. I could speak much of these things, and many volumes might be written, but all would prove too short to set forth the infinite love,