SOME REMAINS OF JOHN HOGG.  
In Two Parts.  
The First being An ANSWER to a LETTER writ to him by Tho. Markham.  
The Second, A CONTINUATION, and more full Discourse of the Matters treated of in the said Answer, etc.  
Published by a Friend of the Author's since his Death.  
LONDON: Printed in the Year 1698.   

THE EPISTLE TO THE READER.  
BElieving these ensuing Lines may be of use and service to those that will read and impartially weigh and consider them, I thought fit to commit them to the Press, for the Benefit of such into whose Hands they may come. The Author was my intimate Acquaintance many Years; and as Opportunity offered, I have been often edified by his private as well as public Discourses, to the opening of my Understanding in Things of a Religious Nature: He was a Man of great Thinking, acute in most things, of a sound and discerning Judgement, that any unprejudiced Person, not  to Parties, or seeming Religious Societies, must have received Benefit by conversing with him. He was a Religious-minded Man, and good Christian, yet without Affectation, or making a Show of his being so. I doubt not but he is entered into that Rest which he travelled for, and had a large Taste of, whilst in that Body, with which myself and others have so often conversed. The following Papers will give the serious Reader a clearer Evidence of the soundness of his Judgement than I can pretend to; as also the Reasons why he writ in Verse, which was occasioned by one of his quondam Friends writing so to him, by way of Admonition as was pretended: I many times lament his being taken away from us, because of the sweet Enjoyment and Christian Fellowship that I, with some others, had with him. He was universal in his Love and good Wishes to all Mankind; and has often said, He did not believe that any Religious Society of People was the only true Church of Christ, exclusive of the rest; but that Sincerity of Heart toward God, and good Will to Men, without respect to Parties, was that which only could entitle any to be Members of that Church, of which he believed Christ Jesus to be Head; and further added, that the highest Pretenders to Religion in all Christian Reformations have not yet in a General way (tho' some Particulars might) come to know the likeness of the Truth cast out, but rather in their Differences contend for it, than for the Truth itself, betwixt which there is as much difference as betwixt a Substance and its Shadow; and that he believed was the Ground of those Janglings and Enmity amongst them upon a Religious Account, and which he found true amongst his Friends, the People called Quakers, with whom he was in outward Fellowship: Because he could not believe or value (as others did) some outward Rules, and Orders set up amongst them, to be any more than the Outward Court, or like the Forms of other Professions; For this he was slighted by some of those that esteem themselves Elders and Leaders amongst that People. Above Twenty Years ago, in some public Meetings in London, he had a more than ordinary impulse upon his Spirit, amongst other things warning them to beware of Formality, lest God should cause it to be proclaimed in their Ears, that altho' they increased in Number as the Sand of the Seashore, yet a Remnant should but be saved: And such a Remnant as truly travelled after the Truth, and for the true Rest, he had Unity with to his dying Day; which was the 24th. of the Month December, 1696. A little before his Departure, he said to some that were with him, (being of sound and perfect Memory to his last) that what he had writ and said about the difference betwixt him and Friends, he was satisfied in, and could not have done otherwise, to have had Peace with that Divine Being, into whose Rest he was going to enter; and that he had no Regret or Trouble on his Mind for what he had done on that Account. And for his giving a public Caution in Meetings, as is beforementioned, and at other times showing his Dislike of some Practices amongst Friends, it occasioned some high-opinionated Elders, and a Party amongst them, from that time to his dying Day, to spread Snares and ill Reports in his Way, and carried their Enmity so high against him, that they endeavoured to take the Meeting from his House, under the pretence of his not being in Unity with Friends; which to my Knowledge he ever was with such as were sincere; but those that seemed so, and were not, how great soever, he never valued; and it was they that he believed were the Snarlers at him; as appeared by his Neighbourhood's belief of his Sincerity, Honesty, and Christian Deportment; of which the Meeting he belonged to were so well satisfied, that the Stratagem used on that account was rejected, and the Meeting continued at his House in Course, to his Death.  
He lamented much the loss of that Life and Power that attended their Meetings in former Days: But for himself, I with some others must needs say, he was not wanting in his Ministry, which had always something lively, new and fresh in it, and was very edifying to such as without Prejudice heard him: Therefore I could do not less than contribute this Epistle in testimony of my Love and Respect to his Memory; who, tho' he be taken away from us, and tho' dead, yet liveth as an Epistle upon my Heart, and speaketh by these following Lines to them that are alive, and will seriously peruse them. Although his Attainments were great, yet such Christians as were purely simple and innocent in all Appearances, humbly seeking after higher Discoveries of God in Christ Jesus, were dearly loved and owned by him. As to Worldly Affairs, tho' he had much Business, and some Trouble in it, yet his Mind was not hurt by it, for it rather sought him than he it; and tho' he had many Losses and Disappointments, yet I never saw him repine at any; but bore all things with such an Equality of Temper as I have not often seen. And as I am informed by some that were with him when he died, he bore the last and great Conflict of Death with the like Patience, resigning his Soul unto him that gave it. Now Reader, I refer thee to the following Verses, which I hope may be of use and benefit to the honest-minded; and so remains thine and all men's Friend and Wellwisher,  
T.D.   

SOME REMAINS OF JOHN HOGG.  
PART I.  
My Friend T. Markam,  

THINE without Date is safely comed to Hand,  
At which I was surprised, and at a Stand,  
To see thy Mind delivered there in Rhyme,  
Not knowing thou wast Poet till this time.  
I also heard before I did it see,  
That it an Answer unto mine should be;  
But when perused, I did nothing find  
That it was so intended or designed:  
But that's not much, the matter is not great,  
If thou shouldst the like Disappointment meet,  
Provided still thou wast but of my Mind,  
Truth to receive wherever we it find.  
Whether it shall expressed or written be  
In Verse or Prose, it is the same to me;  
Although 'tis true, there's many do decry  
Writing in Verse, and think it Levity.  
Yet well I know God may the Mind prepare  
Important Truths in Verses to declare;  
Nay, well I know, before true Verse be made,  
All roughness of the Mind must be allayed.  
A smooth and equal Temper must be found  
‛ E'er Words can have right Number and true Sound.  
The Temper is as Forms, which may be true,  
And yet in that Men Evil may pursue,  
And Words apply unto another End  
Than Truth directs to speak, or did intent.  
Hence it appears Verse may be good or ill,  
According to the Subject, and Man's Will.  
On this Account I shall survey thy Lines,  
And Matter thou delivered has in Rhymes.  
But first observe, if thou wilt write again,  
'Tis requisite thou keep a milder Strain;  
For I will not hard Words with hard repay,  
Nor Force add unto Force to gain my way.  
'Tis Truth I seek, and it shall be my bound,  
According as God's Gift and Power's found.  
I'll not say of myself in that respect,  
As thou once said at Brigg, I am Perfect;  
But this I'll say, in me the Truth did spring  
Before for Truth I acted any thing;  
Yet I'll not say that all I've said and done  
In Weight and Number with the Truth will run:  
But this I'll say, where wrong, to Truth I'll yield,  
Before without it I would gain the Field.  
Therefore come forth i'th' Method that is true,  
And do thy best my Failings to pursue;  
As Wool well packed, by yielding I'll resist  
The greatest Force in which thou can persist;  
For in the main I do for Truth contend,  
And in the Truth that War must have an end.   

With my last Letter I shall first begin,  
Because I find thou takes it as a Sin,  
Or as a Crime in me, or great Offence,  
So plainly unto thee to write my Sense:  
To me 'tis plain thou takes it in this sort,  
By the detracting Words thou dost retort;  
Affirming that I rage, I rave and roar,  
With storming, foaming, and a number more  
Words too severe, and hard to have relation  
To what thou calls A friendly Salutation;  
For which I know no Cause in what was writ,  
So thinks that thy Mistake hath caused it:  
In this thou hast not been so kind to me,  
Nor to thyself, if thou mistaken be,  
As to set forth the Matter, or that Thing  
Whence these hard Words and grand Displeasure spring.  
I am therefore in no Capacity  
Myself nor thee, where wrong, to rectify.  
In short, I'm right or wrong in what is done;  
If right, thou dost too hard upon me run;  
But if I'm wrong, thou still art found to blame  
That didst not now partic'larize the same;  
For gen'ral Charges all Men will declare,  
To prove one Evil thing, invalid are;  
Nay 'tis a Maxim, That Deceit doth lurk  
In Generals, and doth there obscurely work.  
Thus gen'ral Charges are like Deeds o'th' Night,  
Where Men decline the Scrut'ny of the Light.  
In short, by those hard Words which thou hast used,  
I apprehend myself to be abused.  
But if thou think this Charge thou canst retrieve  
By answering mine, which I do not believe,  
Yet that thou mayst encouraged be unto it,  
I promise so submit when thou canst do it.  
Mean while I shall proceed t' observe the rest,  
Which in a gen'ral way is still expressed;  
Which seems to me no edifying way,  
Because the Truth doth almost undiscerned lay.  
First with the State of Rest thou dost begin,  
Enumerating many Virtues in  
That Sat; which as thou statest them appear  
Not plain but intricate: thou speakest there  
Of th' Fold of Rest in th' heat o'th' Day to be  
Placed in the Rest, which can't with Truth agree;  
For in true Rest there is no Day too hot;  
This clearly shows that in it thou art not;  
In it no Inequalities there are,  
But all its Parts are congruous, calm and fair;  
And where each Part's alike equally, sure  
There needs no Fold of resting to secure;  
For thus a Fold into a Fold is got,  
Which is improper, or else needeth not:  
The Fold of Rest is only in the Way,  
For Travellers to rest in th' Heat o'th' Day  
For their Refreshment, when too much oppressed  
By Heat i'th' Way, and travel for the Rest.  
By Fold of Rest we then may understand  
The Shadow of the Rock in th' weary Land.  
Thou sayest the Angel in the Rest doth stand,  
Which leads the Flock into the Holy Land.  
Thy Words, as may be seen, imply no less,  
As each observant Reader will confess;  
Which if good Sense, and understood by me,  
The Rest and Holy Land do not agree;  
Nay they are not one State, but differ wide;  
For sayest, the Angel from the Rest doth guide  
Into the Holy Land; by which thou hast  
Rashly thyself into Confusion cast:  
For sure the Rest and Holy Land are one,  
And 'tis as sure i'th' rest the Angel leadeth none.  
That th' Angel leadeth in the Way I grant,  
But in the Rest that's true there is no want.  
I know 'tis glorious, for in it I have been  
On the Lord's Day, and then have plainly seen  
Those true Dimensions there, by which I know  
A right Account of it thou dost not show:  
And if a right Account thou cannot give,  
'Tis evident in it thou dost not live:  
And if thou lives not in't, then in a Dream,  
Where there is nothing truth that so doth seem.  
No wonder! for thy Rest seems in the way  
In which is chief known the Working Day;  
And they who take their Peace and Rest up here,  
Exceeding great in their own Eyes appear:  
Their Acts, and Words, and Forms they magnify  
As outward things above their Value high:  
Of their Enjoyments wondrous Noise they make,  
As if they could by Force the Kingdom take:  
They none can know, nor can they well agree  
With any but of that Fraternity:  
They see not how the Rains and Dews do fall,  
Nor how from God the Sun doth shine on all.  
Their Way and Form becomes to them a Snare,  
Which God at first might for their Good prepare;  
That they might through its use look for the Seed,  
To whom the Promise is in time of need:  
But such seem Rich, and Wise, and nothing want,  
Whilst they are Blind, and Poor, and Ignorant.  
As this is seen; if any disapprove,  
And show't, it will their Indignation move  
To persecute such in an unjust Hate,  
As Troublers and Disturbers of their State.  
But 'tis no News, it's not their Fault alone,  
Self-Righteous Men in every Age have shown  
The same to such as happened to displease,  
By troubling them in their false Rest and Ease:  
But as they're moved and troubled soon, 'tis plain  
They never yet did the true Rest attain.  
Nor whilst their Voice is heard so loud i'th' Street,  
Did they with the straight Gate yet ever meet;  
Nor, whilst their Work's so much insisted on,  
Know they the Rest in which the Work is done;  
Nor whilst their Care's so much i'th' outward Court,  
Do they know that where th' Righteous do resort;  
Whose Life as all is hid with Christ in God,  
Where inwardly their Souls make their abode:  
And as that which is hidden can't be seen,  
So they have never in great Flourish been.  
Their Kingdom, as long since their Master said,  
Of Worldly Things is neither formed nor made.  
They low and little are in their own Eyes,  
And ne'er extol themselves as great or wise:  
And as they're low, so they at little aim  
Of that, which th'other boastingly proclaim:  
They're like unto the Daughters of the King,  
Which altogether Glorious are within.  
As for their Works, they're comed unto an End,  
That on God's Work in them they may depend:  
They cease to work, but never cease to show  
These Works God has in them wrought that are true;  
This Path is narrow, and the Gate is straight,  
And few there be that enter in thereat.  
'Tis straight, as Abr'am's offering up his Son,  
In whom his Hopes and Comfort was begun:  
He offered him in whom the Promise stood;  
It was his All, and yet the Act was good.  
Whatever's good doth come from God, it's plain,  
And when recalled, we should restored again;  
Nay, he recalleth that which he did give,  
That we might see, by him we only live.  
He dareth help us to regenerate,  
And with him we seem to cooperate  
That Work to perfect; but when that is done,  
It's offered up, as Abr'am did his Son:  
Yea, even as to Death, at God's Command.  
And this is done, that we might understand  
Our Weakness, and our Nothingness discern,  
And th' Gate of true Humility might learn.  
When this Act's done, we in another sort  
Receive, that we may sensibly report,  
Man saved in Mercy, not by Works must be,  
Yea, by the Grace of God, that's ever free.  
This we ne'er truly knew, till we did meet  
Grace without Works in Love our Souls to greet.  
Nor can that Act be done and truly known,  
Till Works are unto their Perfection grown.  
This Act is then as Evening to that Rest,  
Whose Morning is the Sabbath which is blest;  
Concerning which, much more might here be said,  
But that my Letter would too long be made:  
So shall defer my further Argument,  
Until a sitter Season do present.  
Mean while I will a little let thee see  
How with thyself thou still dost disagree:  
In what hast written, thou wouldst seem my Friend,  
Until thou comest near the latter end.  
What put thee out of humour whilst thou writ?  
That at the Last thou should the First forget.  
A Friend at first, but at the last art none:  
What Humour this deserveth to be shown.  
'Tis like some foolish Fancy, if not vain,  
Which in thy next I pray thee well explain.  
Thou sayest," Dear John, let's not disturb each other,  
" Then shall my Heart and Spirit call thee Brother:  
" But if thou'll not thy raging Spirit curb,  
" But thou will still the Church's Peace disturb,  
" Then stand thee forth, and hearken to the Doom  
" Of holy Church, which without doubt will come.  
'Tis plainly in the two first Lines employed,  
If I molest thee not, we shall abide  
Without reserve, in cordial Friendship tied.  
And yet before I'd given thee denial,  
Or thou hadst made of me a further Trial,  
Against me thou proceedest in the latter,  
And threatens with some other awful Matter;  
By which, if thou or those thy Words agree,  
It is as constant in unconstancy.  
Likewise for Peace whilst thou did seem to speak,  
Thou didst for War but an Occasion seek.  
— As to Holy Church's Doom,  
From whence, or from what People must it come?  
And what's the Fault and Crime which I have done?  
That I am into so great Danger run:  
Disturbance being a Word in general  
As oft besides as in the Truth doth fall.  
Thou should therefore the Fact have specified,  
That by some Rule thy Charges might be tried.  
For I, whilst in the Dark thou dost me shoot,  
How to avoid the Danger am in doubt.  
For thou shouldst not suppose I can be made,  
Of what I neither hear nor see, afraid;  
And what is not, and what doth not appear,  
Are both alike, as tho' they never were.  
Of Holy Church thou dost begin to speak,  
But where or what she is, I'm still to seek.  
The World we know is of Pretenders full;  
Describe her therefore by a certain Rule.  
This I desire of thee to undertake,  
Because I would to her a Journey make;  
For if she Holy is, I truly see,  
None but the Heretic cut off must be.  
An Heretic doth against Knowledge act;  
For to be Self-condemned is his Fact.  
This Cause with thee I would before her plead,  
In hopes I might thy Judgement supersede:  
For I for Proof would thy own Words produce  
Before her for my Service and my Use:  
Since thou hast said my Way to me seems right,  
And that thou knowst; then I against my Light  
Act not therein; as this thou must confess  
She cannot me for Heresy suppress.  
Again I would desire of her to know,  
If she Commission gave thee thus to do;  
Or if she had selected and made choice  
Of thee to be the Oracle of her Voice.  
For how canst thou be any other way  
Ascertained what she shall both do and say?  
And if not certain, is't not Arrogance  
Or Folly, thus thy Judgement to advance?  
—" Thou saith It is your Creed  
" Back into Bonds to drive the Holy Seed;  
" For where our Walls are weak, if we repair,  
" Thou and such Men as thee disturbed are,  
" As were of old that subtle Hornet breed,  
" Who was the like unto old Jacob's Seed.  
These Walls that's weak are of Jerusalem,  
And how can I compared be to them?  
But then the Matter still, which I should know,  
Is, whether 'tis Jerusalem below?  
Or that above? thou should agree to this,  
Lest I might understand that Point amiss:  
This thou omitted; but I ne'er did read  
Of more than two, and therefore will proceed  
T'enquire which of these Cities it must be,  
To which thy Words most fitly can agree.  
As for Jerusalem that is above,  
Her Walls are perfect good, the Scriptures prove:  
For God her Walls hath good and perfect made,  
And none to that which he hath done can add.  
Therefore it never can this City be,  
Which the kind Mother is of all that's free.  
It than must be Jerusalem below,  
Concerning which the Sacred Scriptures show.  
When Men have done whate'er they can as Men,  
She is in bondage with her Childerens.  
What Work is this, or what do you intent?  
When more you work, still more you have to mend:  
For is not this like them that's learning ever,  
But ne'er attain the Truth by that Endeavour?  
Or like to them that found out Shinar's Plain,  
A Babel's Tower to erect again?  
And like to them will you not stopped be,  
Until your Language you divided see?  
Is't not divided if you could but mind,  
Might you not see the same, and truly find?  
But where the Bricks are fallen down and gone,  
Are you resolved to build with hewn Stone?  
Let me advise, that be not done in pride;  
For if it be, you'll lose when you are tried.  
Thou sayest,  
" Nor must thou more that wicked Leaven spread,  
" Nor in the Courts of Holy Temple tread.  
What Temple's this, I pray thee well explain,  
Whose hallowed Courts I must no more profane?  
What is its Form, and where must it be found?  
If Holy, it should stand on Holy Ground.  
I ne'er of truly Sacred Temples heard,  
But those that in Jerusalem were reared.  
And of Jerusalem's I find there's two,  
Yet which of them it is thou dost not show;  
So leaves me, as before, uncertain where  
The Temple is, of which thou speakest here.  
Jerusalem above I certain am  
No Temple hath except God and the Lamb;  
And yet thou hast not proved, how thy Word  
With that most Holy Temple can accord.  
For when thou sayest your Walls do want repair,  
Don't think that there th' Courts of this Temple are.  
I also find by seeking thus about,  
You from the Courts above can't shut me out.  
Your Power's below, and yet what Temple's this,  
Whose outward Court we find unmeasured is?  
Limits and Bounds will you presume to set,  
And measure that which God did not think fit?  
Do you not hereby think your Form shall hold  
God by his Spirit, as they did of old,  
To whom the Prophets cried from the Lord,  
When unto them they uttered his Word,  
On that Occasion, and in that respect,  
In these plain Words, or unto this effect;  
Heaven's my Throne, Earth as my Footstool lays,  
Where is the House that you for me will raise?  
Or where's the Form, Way, or Place of my rest  
In all external Things to be expressed?  
The World I formed, and its Foundation laid,  
And every thing that's in it I have made;  
The Rivers, Lakes, and Seas, and every Fountain,  
With every Hill and Vale, and every Mountain;  
I've made the Beasts that do upon them feed,  
The fleecy Flocks, and all the winged Breed:  
The Fish I've made that in the Waters move,  
And these together do my Grandeur prove:  
And as I've made them all, they on me wait;  
If I stood need, I need not it relate  
To Man; for mine they're all and ever were;  
And yet at all times empty do appear,  
When Man has offered them to me as Merit,  
Without a broken and a contrite Spirit.  
A broken Spirit trembles at my Word,  
To this I always did my Grace afford;  
To this Man 'tis that I did ever look,  
And have of him at all time's notice took;  
And what from first has been by me preferred  
Unto the last I'll have the same regard.  
The Subject's high, and I had much to say,  
But time at present calleth me away.  
Some things thou mayst observe I've spoken to,  
And queryed others, that thou mightest show  
The Certainty of what thou did intent  
In these thy Words, which I unto thee send.  
And as thou didst another once direct,  
That thou observe the same I do expect:  
Whenever thou writes or speakest be so plain,  
As that the meanest may thy Sense attain.  
Thus where thy Say are obscure to me,  
I do expect they should explained be.  
In the preceding part I've noted some,  
And more shall be adjoined in what's to come.  
What Seamless Garments this which you do wear?  
And who are these that in it do appear?  
When that is done, I pray thee next descend  
To show how I this Seamless Garment rend.  
What Government of Truth do I withstand?  
Demonstrate fairly under thy own Hand.  
For how should I from Error guide my Feet  
If I don't know't, nor thou dost let me see't?  
What is this Power unto which I'm bound,  
And am against it in rebellion found?  
The Charge is high, remember thou produce  
Good Witness, else thou'rt guilty of Abuse:  
For to thy Charge Not Guilty I dare plead,  
That I to trial with thee might proceed:  
What wicked Leaven is't I must not spread?  
Moreover where and what's this Holy Seed?  
And what's my Creed, I pray thee well explain,  
By which I would lead back that Seed again?  
What cleansing Wind is this, whence doth it blow,  
That Filth as Chaff out of the Church can throw?  
What Filth is this that doth so light appear,  
That with that Wind the Church of it you clear?  
And once for all let it be understood,  
What I oppose that is sincere and good.  
As Truth is plain, so it is also free  
To answer such as in sincerity  
Do seek the Truth, by what they do inquire;  
Which as above to know is my desire.  
Thou wilt therefore by what is done be tried,  
As it is by thee granted or denied.  
For as we friendly mutual Freedom take,  
'Tis likely we may further Progress make  
To see the Things of Truth, and more may learn  
Of Things that differ, which may us concern.  
For every Difference is not really evil,  
Except 'tis aggravated by the Devil.  
Nay, there is difference in a Sense that's good,  
If it could be but truly understood:  
For God regards and doth his Love impart  
To every true, upright, and sincere Heart.  
The outward cannot th' inward sanctify,  
Nor can our Souls for God be formed thereby.  
'Tis for the inward, not the outward's sake,  
God doth of Mankind truly notice take:  
For there's no Form that can acceptance find,  
If there doth want Uprightness in the Mind.  
But where the Mind to God-ward is sincere,  
In any Place to such he draweth near:  
For God hath left the outward Court unmet,  
That we should not impeded be by it,  
Nor that it should for th' future any more  
Be Cause of Envy, as 'twas heretofore.  
So the right Use that should of Forms be made,  
In 's to wait for him on whom Help's laid,  
The Seed of old to Mankind promised,  
To secure him, and bruise the Serpent's Head.  
If all in doing this could well agree,  
There is no Difference that can evil be.  
O happy Time, when this is brought about!  
The Good is kept, and Evil is shut out.  
Then God with Love and Peace the Soul doth fill,  
And unto Man there's nothing but .  
Here Man by Interest unto Love is bound,  
And in that Case all gladly would be found.  
Thou seest I call on thee to write again;  
But mind thou be in thy Expressions plain:  
For from dark Writing, which the Intellect  
Can't comprehend, no Profit we expect.   

Of many Things we have begun to speak;  
And that which I from thee at present seek,  
Is, that thou willst proceed distinctly on  
From Point to Point, until the whole be done.  
For if thou'lt hear in friendly sort assent,  
I'm well assured, it will have good Event:  
But if thou wilt reject what I propose,  
And as before shall write, then may I lose  
My Labour and Advice in this Assay;  
But my Reward thou canst not take away.  
Where the Term You thou chanceth here to find,  
It noteth Thee, and others of thy Mind.  
Those that are free I do not int'rogate,  
Nor do I charge them to be in thy State:  
My Words therefore I would not have thee stretch  
Beyond what I intended them to reach:  
For if thou seekest my Intent to find,  
Take the best Sense, and thou wilt have my Mind:  
But if to this thou shalt contrary do,  
It is as thou wouldst not be done unto.  
A noted Error do not thou stand in;  
For that at last is finished in Sin.  
Whate'er thou findest wrong, do not defend;  
For that's no proper way the Fault to mend.  
In what thou thinks thou'rt sure, there modest be,  
And then no doubt but still we may agree.  
Thus in a friendly Mind I take my leave,  
And rest thy Friend, if thou can it perceive.    

SOME REMAINS OF JOHN HOGG.  
PART II.  

TO write in Meter was not my Intent,  
Until some Verses were unto me sent:  
Which Matter when considered in my Mind,  
The Author, I believed, some Fault would find,  
If I did not myself to him address  
In the like way he did himself express.  
And lest the Matter he should disrespect  
For want of writing in his Dialect,  
I thought it better, if I could but find  
Clearness, in Verse to write to him my Mind,  
Than otherwise; and than it did appear,  
As I considered it, most plain and clear:  
For on that Consideration, this I found,  
It was not Modes of Speech, it was the Ground  
From which Words sprung or came, with the Intent  
That they were brought forth, and abroad were sent.  
This was the Matter; for we truly find,  
Th' Abuse of Things doth never change their Kind:  
Seeing God hath in the World made nothing Evil,  
All Misuse and Abuse is of the Devil;  
Yet what is Evil made by his Abuse,  
May be at other Times put to good Use.  
In speaking generally, this holdeth true;  
(And I would give to every Thing its due.)  
For Instance: What can we more Evil show  
Than Words, when from an evil Ground they flow?  
And yet what Word is there so evil made,  
But to good Use the same may well be said?  
And what is here by me to Words applied,  
It may in Verse and other Things be tried.  
For writing Verse I need not his Excuse,  
Because himself hath put it first in use;  
And therefore since he did me here precede,  
My Way's no other than what he did lead;  
And no Man can another justly blame,  
When he himself's a doer of the same.  
But thinking others may read, hear, and see  
What we have written, besides him and me;  
For them it is that I apologise,  
That as they understand, they may be wise,  
Not to condemn, before they prove the Way  
Of Words in Number, which is my Assay.  
For if there be for every Thing a Time,  
A Season then there is to write in Rhyme.  
This all should note, and no Occasion take  
Against the Matter, for the Methods sake:  
For unto me it seems clear and manifest,  
That weighty Truths may be in Verse expressed;  
And such as find 'em there, and them refuse  
Because o'th' Form, the Truth they do abuse.  
Try all things, and retain whatever's good,  
Speaks every Case, where Truth is understood,  
Or may be found: If such will but apply  
Their Minds to search, and things for Truth to try:  
But if some will not try, and yet condemn,  
This seems to be rash Foolishness in them;  
Or else I judge that such conceited are,  
And then of Fools more hopes there is by far;  
For Fools according to their Folly do,  
And that's because they do no better know;  
But as denied of Reason, therefore may  
Be more excused for a Fault, than they  
Who have a Talon given, yet refuse  
Their Talon to improve, exchange, or use;  
How can they further plead Excuse, when tried,  
Than he that did i'th' Earth his Talon hid?  
Or what can such expect from Judgement just,  
But, like him, be deprived of their Trust?  
But who so blind as him that will not see?  
Or foolish, that's resolved so to be?  
And now to touch the Matter shall descend,  
Of which to write at present, did intent:  
I find the Author in a gen'ral way  
Condemns me, and great Fault doth on me lay,  
Advising me, that I may back return  
With speed, and for my past Offences mourn;  
But Faults he showeth none, therefore to me  
All I have acted must condemned be;  
And forasmuch as he declares, A Doom  
Is from some People like on me to come:  
Some have (it seems) a Combination made  
Against me, and some evil Project laid.  
But that I may prevent that bad design,  
Note this, I pray, The Work was none of mine:  
What I have done it was at God's Command,  
Or I, at least, do so it understand.  
Good Conscience then in this Case I may plead,  
And where no Evil is, that you should heed,  
Lest rashly you yourselves precipitate  
Into an Act, which you may rue too late.  
Perhaps you'll say, that all you does in Love,  
Which thinks no ill; yet that doth nothing prove.  
What Rule give you that I may certain be  
In what you say there's no Hypocrisy?  
But if you think you're true, how must I know,  
That you may not mistake in what you do.  
Produce the Rule, by which the Truth you'll show,  
And see if I cannot as good give you.  
What tho' some seem in good will to begin,  
That is not much; the Sirens also sing,  
Whilst their intent is with deluding Charms  
To draw the Sailors into fatal Harms;  
Such as are wary when the Charms they hear,  
Keep on their Course, or do a better steer;  
And by that Caution get entirely free  
O'th' sad Mishap, wherewith they menaced be:  
But such as unto them an Ear shall lend,  
May in quick Ruin surely find their End.  
If this a Fiction be; yet it is clear,  
A noted Truth in'ts Moral doth appear.  
For thus did th' Serpent to our Mother Eve,  
When his design was only to deceive.  
Therefore we are not suddenly to lay  
Our Hands on Man, tho' he may sing or pray;  
But wisely to consider of the End,  
As well as Friendship, that such may pretend,  
Especially where 've believed or learned,  
That God's Command may be therein concerned.  
If Judah's Prophet this had carefully  
Observed on his Return from Bethel, he  
By the old Prophet had not been deceived,  
Nor by the Lion of his Life bereaved.  
The Story's mournful if we heed it well,  
Because a Prophet by a Prophet fell.  
As Judah's Prophet was sent by the Lord  
'Gainst Bethel's Altar to declare his Word;  
So in that place he was not Bread to eat,  
Nor by the Way he thither went, retreat:  
Nor dothed appear, but that he did intent  
God's Mandate to observe unto the end;  
For all the Arguments the King could use  
To make him stay to eat, he did refuse;  
Nay tho' to do't he promised a Reward,  
Yet that like th'rest, he still did disregard:  
And by another Way, 'tis very plain,  
He was intended to go home again.  
Thus was he faithful, till it came to pass  
That he deceived by a Prophet was;  
Who yet prevailed not, till he let him know  
He was a Prophet, and not only so,  
But that th' Almighty by his Angel spoke,  
And bid go seek out, and conduct him back  
Unto his House, that he might with him stay  
To be refreshed before he went away.  
Thus far was Judah's Prophet faithful found,  
Until this time he firmly kept his Ground:  
But now he failed; yet  he was ware,  
His rash Credulity drew on the Snare.  
'Tis like he thought it was the Prophet's due  
To be believed, all Prophets being true:  
This showed him young, that small Experience had,  
To think all Prophet's good when some were bad:  
That he a Prophet was none can deny,  
He did not here mistake but in his Lie;  
Thus do we find, and are constrained to grant,  
There may be Prophets true, that Truth may want.  
Hence it appears, we ought not to depend  
On Prophets, whatsoever they may pretend;  
Especially when they persuade us to  
What we believe we never ought to do:  
Some right, some wrong; here is uncertainty,  
If we depend upon them generally:  
And what's uncertain, if we don't believe  
As certain Truth, a Lie we do receive;  
And what unto the whole cannot belong,  
Of right belongeth not to any one;  
Therefore when Prophets Credit greatly press,  
Because themselves as Prophets they express;  
At best from Truth they lead that so direct,  
And them, whenever they do't, we may suspect.  
For Truth, we know, the Mind completely frees  
From every Doubt, and all Uncertainties.  
True Prophets therefore ever will direct  
Unto the Truth i'th' Mind to have respect;  
So in the Mind there may no Doubt remain,  
For those in Doubt are not in Truth 'tis plain.  
True Prophets do advise each one to know  
A certain Ground for what Men say and do,  
Nor would have them on any so rely,  
As to submit and know no reason why.  
For Truth not being in't, there's danger great  
Lest such may be imposed on by Deceit;  
Or otherwise if their intent be true,  
Such may mistake in what they do pursue.  
And if the Blind led by the Blind shall be,  
Neither the Danger of the Ditch can see.  
Nor can intended Kindness justify  
The doing ill, that good may come thereby:  
For if it could, th' old Prophet an Excuse  
Of like import for his Deceit might use;  
For tho' he lied, it's plain he did intent  
No less than Kindness to him, as a Friend;  
Nay his Design was unto him to show  
Respect and Friendship as a Prophet true;  
For he no sooner heard that he was slain  
By th' Lion, which did by him yet remain,  
But Love prevailing o'er the Terror, led  
His friendly Heart to go take up the Dead;  
To whom he kindly decent Burial gave,  
As good as he himself desired to have;  
For when he died, he did command his Sons  
To lay his Body by the Prophet's Bones;  
And to his Honour said would come to pass  
All that by him at Beth-ell spoken was.  
What Man can show unto another more  
Respect than he to Judah's Prophet bore,  
Both after Death had seized him, and before?  
And yet, in that he led him from the Way  
Which God on him as a Command did lay,  
And by a Lie deceived him, it's a Blot  
In After-Ages ne'er to be forgot.  
Thus all his Kindness will not justify  
His Fraud, or wipe away his Infamy.  
For our Instruction this was surely writ,  
That we might truly cautioned be by it,  
No Man against his Reason to persuade  
To acquiesce with us; for (as I said)  
It is to him a Lie, if he receives  
It for a Truth, and otherwise believes.  
Nor ought we to prefer at second Hand  
What Men are pleased to say is God's Command,  
Contrary to what we believe his Will;  
That we should value and keep to, until  
It be performed, or superseded by  
His Power that did on us that Service lie;  
Nay, if I should mistake, had rather choose  
Into God's Hands to fall, than him abuse:  
For Errors in this Case can rarely be  
But in such things as may with Truth agree;  
And where I do believe there is an Awe,  
Which, as 'tis true, is as th' Almighty's Law  
To me, and if to that, as what I see  
Or do believe, I shall contrary be;  
As I transgress this Rule, or it neglect  
God I dishonour, and his Law reject:  
But tho' I should mistake, if but sincere,  
God would at length the Truth unto me clear.  
For where's the Man that never yet has been  
Deceived in what he'as thought he'as heard or seen?  
Let him begin the first to censure this,  
And when that's done, to prove it is amiss.  
But Judah's Prophet, in that he preferred  
Another's Sense before his own, he erred,  
And for that Fault came into th' Lion's Power,  
Who did his Body kill, tho' not devour;  
For that was left, that he might ever be  
A great Example to Posterity.  
So that if we in this Affair transgress,  
Our Fault is greater, and Excuse is less,  
If less can be: because he could not know  
This grand Example which the Scriptures show.  
Hence that blind Notion, which so many git,  
That Prophets unto Prophets should submit,  
Is wrong; if then it was, as now in use,  
We see't corrected for a great Abuse;  
Yea punished with great Severity,  
Which shows it now, as well as then, a Lie:  
Observe the Story, and apply it well,  
For with our Case it runneth parallel.   

For had he only my last Letter meant,  
Or with some Fact had bounded his intent,  
His Words, tho' hard, might yet have been received,  
As flowing from an Heart that's only grieved;  
But not content that to condemn alone,  
He will his Judgement fix on all I've done:  
In this he is too bold, he soars too high,  
His Judgement as unjust I must deny:  
I must not fear his Threatening, nor receive  
His seeming Kindness, nor his Prayers believe.  
For if he cordial be, I truly find  
He shows to me but his mistaken Mind.  
For God hath in this Matter said to me,  
Go not to them, let them return to thee.  
And tho' you may this disregard and slight,  
I know that in his Fear and Dread I writ,  
Whose Voice I must obey, and Power respect,  
'Gainst every one that shall the same reject;  
In God's Command I must against him stand,  
And all of his Opinion in the Land.   

For I'll affirm, that God did me concern  
In truth, by gen'ral Cautions to forewarn  
Friends of the danger of Formality,  
Which he long since showed me approaching nigh;  
The likeness of the Truth to be the thing  
That was instead of Truth like up to spring.  
In this he showed me was the Mystery  
Of that which Scripture calls Iniquity.  
On that Account, Beware o'th' Form, was mine  
Advice in Meetings, where the Power Divine  
Was wanting; But the Words, Beware o'th' Form,  
Was the occasion that hath made you storm  
At me, with cens'ring and unseemly Words,  
That neither Truth nor Righteousness affords.  
For this you have been spreading in my Way  
The Snare of ill Report unto this Day:  
And yet, as if you were resolved still  
The Measure of this Mischief up to fill,  
By public ways according to your Power,  
My Name to injure, and my Life devour;  
Of which, I must confess, I'm not afraid,  
For all that can by you be done or said.  
Yet for your good, I would have you take heed,  
That you in ill no further might proceed:  
Lest in your Wills you make the Prophets die,  
Whilst you their Tombs do seem to beautify.  
For in the Form that Truth appeareth in,  
At last must be revealed the Man of Sin.  
This must be either granted or denied;  
If granted, why are you dissatisfied  
With my kind Admonition to beware  
Of what you may be, or in danger are?  
If you deny't, it's evident to me,  
You in the Danger more entangled be.  
To be in Danger and yet rest secure,  
Makes Danger greater, and the Snare more sure;  
For those that of their Danger knowledge have,  
Some means perhaps may use themselves to save;  
But those that are in Peril not ware,  
Before the Hazard's known, they're caught i'th' Snare.  
Still their Condition's worse, who do reject  
Good Counsel given them, and disrespect  
Their faithful Monitors, yea them abuse  
For it, as well as their Advice refuse;  
And mostly this the Prophet's true have found  
In every Generation to abound:  
And as the Wise Man said, There's nothing new,  
So in our Age this Case is found too true.  
But to the Matter to return again:  
If you deny the Danger, it is plain  
You have not known the Man of Sin as yet,  
I'th' Temple of God as a God to sit:  
Nor have you known him out of Heaven cast,  
Which is a Work that must be done at last:  
For had you seen or scaped the Danger here,  
You'd seen't so great, all might a Caution bear;  
He's first cast out as Evil, this hath been  
In every Reformation truly seen,  
At last like good he is forth to be cast,  
No Reformation yet this Act hath past.  
A Murderer to give up to be slain  
To a just Law, no Mystery doth contain;  
For 'tis decreed, he that takes Life away  
In Malice, for that Fact his Life must pay.  
All this is but according to the Law,  
And 'tis but just that we the same should do.  
And 'tis but just that we the same should do.  
But when we offer up the Good, 'tis clear,  
In this great Act a Mystery doth appear;  
When God again requireth us to give  
That which we truly did from him receive;  
As this is offered up to him again,  
We Nothing are, and he doth All remain:  
When what we had is back unto him given  
That did bestowed, our Hope's only in Heaven;  
Our Conversations there, and then the Lord  
We may expect will graciously afford  
Whate'er we need; that we may learn thereby  
Not on ourselves, but on him to rely:  
When Isaac must be our free Sacrifice,  
‛ Ere we can be obedient, true, and wise;  
In giving up, or holding back the Hand,  
Doth what is rightly called a Mystery stand.  
If we give up, we plainly come to see,  
Christ both the bottom and the Top must be:  
And that the pure in Heart only possess  
True Knowledge of the Mystery of Godliness:  
Such also find what doth a Christian make,  
Is that of which no other can partake.  
As this perceived is, such cease to strive  
For what can't make, nor keep their Souls alive.  
They now endeavour in each Mind to raise  
The love of Truth, that such may truly praise  
The Works of God, as he appears within  
To lead unto himself destroying Sin.  
This Work can no Man for another do,  
Nor can one Man God for another know.  
Him I must know myself, if known at all  
Me to redeem, and bring out of the Fall:  
Him I must fear or love, if him I know,  
Or be enabled his Commands to do:  
For if I love him not, I cannot keep  
The Precepts appertaining to his Sheep;  
Nor, if his Fear or Love's not in me raised,  
Can I perform an Act by which he's praised.  
But if in me his Fear or Love doth stand,  
I shall obedient be to his Command.  
This Holy Fear Man's Precept cannot teach,  
No outward Rule this high Command can reach.  
For God to know in Christ's Eternal Life,  
It cometh not by Form, nor stands in strife.  
Particulars may this great Work have seen,  
But in a gen'ral way it hath never been,  
Nor can be known, until our Elders shall  
Cast down their Crowns, and let them freely fall.  
Nor can they throw them down, until 've known  
The offering up of Isaac, as is shown;  
Which cannot be, till't can be truly said,  
That God is All, and they as Nothing made:  
Till this is known, as it hath ever been,  
Division will successively be seen.  
For God will turn, and overturn again,  
Until He come, whose right it is to reign.  
But since we read, and likewise often hear,  
Of Sin there is a Mystery to appear;  
We should not think it in what's simply evil,  
In that there is no Mystery of the Devil.  
For into this he leads, as to his own;  
Here he is ill, and this his ill is known.  
In this there is no Mystery of Sin,  
For't plainly wicked is, and so hath been;  
Herein he is not changed from Sins beginning,  
Sin added unto Sin is still but sinning.  
This he brings forth, as he's the Root of Evil,  
And in this Work he's properly a Devil.   

But he can change his Blackness into White,  
Appearing as an Angel of the Light;  
And then like Truth he will direct unto  
Such Acts as God commanded we should do.  
We several Precedents might here produce,  
Of which we shall the most familiar choose.  
The Pharisees gave Alms, the Act was good,  
And it as a Command they understood  
Of God to help the Poor: But they were found  
To give Alms chief from another ground:  
Before they gave, the Trumpet's Sound was heard,  
And this was done to purchase the Reward  
Of Praise; herein they did not rightly do;  
For th' Act being good prevented not the Woe  
Pronounced by him that was the Truth, and knew  
Tho' th' Act was good, their Spirit was not true.  
In worship and religious Exercise,  
In outward Points what seemed to suffice  
For giving God his due, they did practise;  
And did in making Converts most transcend;  
For Sea and Land they compassed for that End.  
Thus seemed they in external things exact,  
And could not touched be for any Fact;  
Yet as their chief Design was to appear  
Blameless in outward things, they termed were  
By Christ, Sepulchers filled with Rottenness,  
Garnished and covered with the finest Dress.  
In this they looked like Good and not like Evil,  
And yet by truth were found as of the Devil.  
Their outside was not blamed; it was their Sin,  
That they did not the Work i'th' Heart begin;  
Nor for the inside took such wholesome Care,  
To make it like the outside clean and fair:  
For had they wisely made their inside clean  
At first, their outside would as fair have been.  
And what was said to th' Pharisees of old  
Unto such like at all times may be told.  
But if objected, this was under th' Law,  
And nought to them that do the Gospel know.  
We answer, 'tis as much in this our Day  
As 'twas in bypast Ages every way:  
For when the Devil can no longer keep in Sin,  
In likeness of the Truth he always creepeth in,  
In every Age, yea, and in every Nation,  
Where any thing of zealous Reformation  
Was well begun, to be advanced on  
Against the evil Works that he had done.  
'Tis true, he this resists with all his Power,  
At first Appearance, and would all devour  
That him withstand in his pernicious Way:  
But when the Powers too great for him to stay  
The Reformation, nay, it still proceeds  
Against his Force, and Wrath, and Evil Deeds.  
Then there's no hope for him to keep his Ground,  
By doing that, which still is evil found;  
And doubtless, if he had no other Way,  
His Kingdom might have ended e'er this Day.  
For he has often been cast forth, as Evil,  
By th' Power of God in Christ, which doth the Devil  
Destroy in th' Heart and Soul, and cast him out,  
Yea, and, as sinful, treads him under Foot:  
And, when cast forth, he must without remain,  
Except by Craft he can return again:  
For he can ne'er re-enter, 'tis confessed,  
In the same Hue wherein he's dispossessed;  
For there the Mind is changed, the House is swept,  
His Goods are spoiled, and he hath nothing left  
Which he can call his own, or come unto  
Therein his Hellish Wrath or Power to show.  
Here he's dethroned, and now no Power hath  
Man to molest, or trouble in his Wrath.  
For with a Sword he'as got a deadly Wound,  
And Marks thereof are on that Body found;  
He as an Evil Spirit is cast out,  
And like as such he rangeth round about,  
In all dry places seeking after rest,  
But none can find, whilst he is disposest:  
Therefore resolveth to return, because  
If he abide without, he surely knows  
That Torment, which shall be his final Doom,  
Before the time is like on him to come.  
This to put off at present he'll assay,  
Not by an evil, but a Truthlike way.  
For as the House is cleansed, he must hid  
His Filth, and enter liked, or be descried.  
But if prevailing he like Truth get in,  
Their last State's worse than when they did begin.  
And of all Reformations, ne'er was one,  
But was by this Device prevailed upon:  
By which he has kept up his War and Strife  
For Forms and Rules, that never could give Life.  
He comes not now as with a rushing Sound,  
But rather like one speaking out o'th' Ground;  
Bespeaking Peace in the most humble wise,  
That his Deceit and Cunning can devise,  
Like Gibeonites appointed to be slain,  
But by their Craft did still i'th' Land remain;  
And tho' they were to servile Labours put,  
Yet from God's Service were not wholly shut.  
Thus to re-enter, and regain his place,  
He'll change his Voice, his Habit, and his Face:  
He's still a Foe, but looketh like a Friend  
That is advising unto some good end:  
This way he Man beguiled in the Beginning,  
When he did teach him first the way of Sinning:  
For having then in Man no place or part,  
By Force he could not enter, but by Art:  
But by his Craft he entered in, and then  
Of an upright he made a sinful Man.  
Again he'll celebrate the righteous Praise  
Of those he caused to fall in former Days.  
Like as he taught the Jews to beautify  
The Prophet's Tombs, and make their Master die.  
Again he'll over-value every thing  
That's outward, and from Truth did seem to spring;  
As they that did to th' Brazen Serpent give  
That undue Honour, which we may perceive  
Was by th' inspired Penman on record  
Left, that to us Instructioned might afford.  
Here Forms of Worship he will magnify  
And 'bove their Value will extol them high;  
And this he doth that he may make a Snare  
Of what God may permit, or did prepare  
For good to Man, that he might fitted be  
To wait and hope for the great Mystery  
Of God in Christ, which fully doth perfect  
All Laws and Forms added in that respect.  
Of this we have a Figure in the Jew,  
Whose Form and Law by God ordained were true,  
Yet were they added only to abide  
Till Christ did come, (this cannot be denied)  
For whom they should have waited in its use,  
Then should they have committed no Abuse  
Against their Prophets, nor against their Lord,  
But them received, and obeyed his Word.  
But when their Form they valued too high,  
Through subtle Workings of the Enemy,  
They could not see it was to have an end,  
So evil did, whilst they did it defend;  
By keeping it, they did oppose his Will,  
Who gave it, and did come it to fulfil.  
Thus the true Prophets they could not receive,  
Nor in their Saviour when he came believe.  
Thus that which was for a good End brought in,  
Became to them a Veil, a Snare and Ginn;  
And as it was in this Form to the Jew,  
It hath or may be in all Forms that's true.  
For every Form that's true has the like use,  
And may therefore meet with the like Abuse;  
And Forms have all been true, that did commence,  
According to God's powerful Influence  
Upon the Minds of Men to Reformation,  
In every Age and every Generation.  
For since that Day and Time the outward Court  
Was left unmet, there many might resort  
To worship God in various Forms or Ways,  
As Truth appeared to them in their Days:  
But all that found acceptance did agree  
In this one Point, to wit, Sincerity.  
For ne'er was Form that could acceptance find  
Where there did want Sincerity i'th' Mind.  
But where the Mind being right gives God his due,  
Forms hinder not that morally are true;  
Nay they may help, and introduced were  
To stay the Mind, and check Sin's full career  
They can't perfect the Mind, they may prepare  
In a right use to wait for Christ the Heir,  
To perfect Man, and into Heaven guide;  
This only to the Seed can be applied,  
Which unto Man of old was promised,  
That he alone should bruise the Serpent's Head.  
This Forms cannot, for they did but begin,  
Or added was, when Man was found in Sin;  
And what was not before Transgression shown  
Must be fulfilled before its end is known;  
Nor can they be fulfilled, but as we find  
Christ by his Spirit to conduct our Mind.  
Thus as there's divers Forms, yet as they tend  
To Holiness, they seem to have an end.  
And therefore as they in this Case agree,  
Men never should about them angry be,  
Nor strive to wrath or envy, which is best,  
Or which should be preferred above the rest.  
Of every one there may have been some use,  
And of the best there may be an Abuse;  
If here, as in the outward Court, we stay,  
The Gentile State can never pass away;  
For th' outward Court is not (tho' ne'er so true)  
The restingplace of the believing Jew.  
Thus, as above, so here they agree again,  
That none by Forms Perfection can attain;  
So whilst about them Men contend and strive,  
The Devil doth his Kingdom keep alive.  
That there are divers Forms it doth appear,  
But which of them excels is not so clear:  
Well, if one better than another be,  
It is with Truth as th' later doth agree;  
And since that Reformation is begun,  
We should not rest until the Work be done.  
For of Christ's Government there is no end:  
To its increase than we should all attend.  
Yet what Forms best, to me may not be best,  
Unless I see it better than the rest:  
Thus what I judge is best, is best to me,  
Until I can that which is better see.  
For how should I its Excellence confess,  
Except I do perceive a betterness?  
And if my Conscience can't be satisfied  
That it excels, I'm not t'observe it tied;  
Should I observe what I do not believe,  
I cannot please my God, but may him grieve.  
For if't appear not right, I do not find  
I can approve on't with an upright Mind;  
And where an Act doth want Sincerity,  
With God that Act's no better than a Lye.  
'Tis true, true Worship in the Truth doth stand,  
In which no Form nor Likeness doth command.  
But this I cannot know till it is shown,  
To follow my Belief till that is known  
Unto the Truth, in me is nearer much,  
Than what I know not, nor believe is such,  
Provided I'm sincere, and waits to know  
What God is pleased further to bestow.  
For must be faithful first to what we see,  
Before from God more will revealed be;  
For if not faithful to what we believe,  
We are not fit what's better to receive:  
And if in things below we are not just,  
With things above God never will us trust.  
In this Case then what we believe as true,  
We're bound unto it, something like the Jew  
To that great Form, which at Mount Sina came,  
Whose Law was spoke from an amazing Flame  
By God, who did the Heart affect with Fear,  
Through what the Eyes did see and Ears did hear.  
But tho' this Form was ushered in with Power,  
Like Forms that are, it was not to endure:  
And as th' Observers it could ne'er perfect,  
They should have had for it a like respect;  
They might have prized it, as the best they knew,  
And yet left room for better to ensue;  
According to his Mind, that gave that Law,  
Which they obliged were t'observe and do,  
As God's Command to them, and that until  
The fullness of Time came i'th' Father's Will,  
To send his Son, who from his Bosom came  
It to accomplish, and remove the same.  
It was not to perfect, but to prepare  
Like Forms that are to wait for the true Heir,  
That was, and is, and also is to come  
Into Men's Hearts, for whom they should make room;  
And this fullness of time continues still,  
To all that wait to know the Father's Will:  
For Christ, Heir to the Prophets and the Law,  
And of all Good in Forms that Man can know:  
For God unto him did this Witness bear,  
That he was Heir, and that all should him hear,  
But such as think to serve God by an outward Law,  
As yet the Voice of Christ they do not truly know;  
For where th' Object o'th' Mind's an outward Rule,  
Such are not comed into Christ Jesus School:  
For all that hear, and's taught of him, inherit  
The Substance, by the Conduct of his Spirit:  
As he to all, whose Souls do truly live,  
Entrance to God doth by one Spirit give;  
Not by one outward Way or Form, for than  
It should have been delivered to all Men.  
But no such Form appeareth to be given  
By our Redeemer, tho' he came from Heaven.  
That Form to end, and further to make known  
A greater Good than had before been shown;  
Which, if intended by external Ways,  
Instead of larger in our later Days  
Had lesser been than unto Israel was,  
For theirs did all succeeding Forms surpass.  
Such Certainty in Forms doth not appear  
Now to Mankind; as we (alas) may hear,  
By those Contentions in our Saviour's Mind,  
What Form he did intent to leave behind.  
For God to Israel did their Form afford  
Immediately from Heaven by his Word;  
And this being sure, (for Scripture proves the same)  
Is more than any modern Form can claim.  
Yet as 'twas given in peculiar wise,  
To them, it after gave a dismal Rise  
To that grand Hatred in their Separation  
Made betwixt them and every other Nation.  
But as't became thus a Partition-Wall,  
God took it down to show his Love to all.  
Now if to show that Love, he had designed  
One Form to have prescribed to Mankind,  
That with one Sacred Form he might remove  
The ground of Strife, and introduce true Love;  
'Twas requisite that Form should handed be  
From Heaven with undoubted Certainty,  
Like Israel's, with that Majesty conveyed,  
That every Man must have the same obeyed.  
For sure we are, if God did that intent,  
His Power was mighty to command the End.  
But that he did not this, is very plain  
From those great differences which yet remain  
Amongst Mankind about that outward Way  
Which God as a Command on Man did lay.  
Now if the Whole received not such Command,  
As we from certain Grounds do understand,  
It's against Truth for any to suppose  
That God a part of Men again has chose,  
To whom he an undoubted Form might give,  
By which all Mankind should be bound to live.  
This, to conclude, to Man is the broad Way,  
Which doth the Ground of greatest Errors lay.  
First, as to God, his Love such narrow still,  
Contrary unto his revealed Will:  
Such also on his Wisdom do reflect,  
As no good Builder, or wise Architect,  
To take a Building down, because he found  
A fault in it, or that it was not sound;  
And yet a second like it erects again,  
In which that Fault or Weakness doth remain:  
On Mankind also has as ill Effect;  
For 'tis the Ground of all the Disrespect  
They show each other on Religion's score,  
Besides the Evil that is showed before.  
For our believing, like unto the Jew,  
There's but one outward Form that can be true,  
Gives ground for every People to conceive  
That is the Way which they themselves believe.  
This is the Cause of Envy and of Pride,  
As in the Jewish Worship hath been tried.  
God's Kingdom this doth shut, and there in vain  
Many attempt an Entrance to obtain.  
This Error doth i' th' Universe abound;  
It is too much in all Religions found:  
And this Mistake the Devil makes the Cause  
That in Religion Men on Men impose.  
For Forms, we daily see, continue still  
To be the Ground of Hatred and Ill-will,  
As Men about them strive and do contend,  
Until their Peace and Fellowship they rend;  
Yea, oft proceed in their litigious Jars,  
Till Wrath exerts itself in open Wars;  
And there they seek each others Blood to spill.  
This contradicts our Blessed Saviour's Will,  
Who came not to destroy, but Peace to send  
And  unto Men, this was his End.  
What then to be his Will be signified,  
As Gospel to Mankind doth still abide.  
But some one Form alone to re-ordain,  
Which Men in strife about it should retain,  
Was to rebuild what he before took down,  
As in the Scripture is expressly shown.  
With Men such Buildings do sometimes agree,  
But cannot with th' Eternal Deity.  
With him all Wisdom and all Power doth dwell;  
He can Effects in all their Causes tell;  
He doth foresee them e'er they come to pass,  
So could not be deceived in this Case.  
From hence we may believe, he would not lay  
The Ground for Envy, which to take away  
He came, and Power had that to prevent;  
To make it then could not be his Intent.  
Now if he did no more one Form erect,  
Unto all Forms he hath a like Respect,  
As Forms directing unto what is Good,  
In which Sense this is to be understood:  
And this to us doth certain Truth appear,  
Since only they're accepted that's sincere.  
This Doctrine is not strange, nor is it new;  
For it hath been in every Age as true:  
It's not more Truth, because it is more seen;  
For what's a Truth, as true has always been:  
Yea, even in the Jewish State at height,  
Their greater ne'er condemned a lesser Light:  
For every Man that feared God, and wrought  
True Righteousness, in every Age throughout  
The World, Acceptance gained, as Peter taught.  
But God with his own Form a Fault did find,  
In that it never could perfect the Mind;  
And as that Form could not the Mind perfect,  
No other Form can do't; in that respect  
The taking down of that doth plainly show  
That all should wait a greater Truth to know.  
For best of Forms could only regulate  
The outward Man, they reach no higher State;  
The Branch they may cut off, as't springeth out,  
But have no power to reach unto the Root;  
And tho' thus far they may be termed Good,  
As outward evil is by them withstood,  
Yet must there a more sublime Way be known,  
As by our Saviour's Words is plainly shown;  
Who told us, That except we're born again,  
We in the Kingdom can no Place obtain.  
No outward Guides can e'er complete this Work;  
For under that an Hypocrite may lurk:  
Like Truth the Devil did get into those  
Who had God's Form, but did his Power oppose.  
For ne'er was Form, tho' 'twas exactly Good,  
But hath at last the Power of Truth withstood;  
Not from their Nature, nor from their true Use,  
But from their Weakness, and their blind Abuse.  
Thus outward Rules, as set up to serve God,  
Tho' they may disser in their Form and Mode,  
All in the Ground agree, alike in kind,  
As they are made a Guide unto the Mind,  
The highest State such can but Legal find.  
So then their proper Use in 's to wait,  
To know the Gospel and the Legal State:  
Tho all God's Deal we may Gospel call,  
Which he doth use to bring Man out o' th' Fall.  
For what God addeth Man for to restore  
That we may put upon the Gospel Score;  
And thus the Law the Gospel did begin,  
But Gospel is o'th' Law a finishing.  
For those Distinctions are to us as true  
As they were unto Israel or the Jew;  
Since what was done i'th' Jewish Dispensation,  
As Figures unto us they have relation.  
For what God did that was not to remain,  
It is the Substance that such Acts contain,  
Which we should look for, and inquire it out,  
To find how our Salvation's brought about.  
It was the Seed of Abr'am that God chose  
According to the Flesh, and unto those  
He gave his Form that from Mount Sinai came;  
And Christ came in the Flesh to end the same.  
For as that Form measured and stinted was,  
It could not end until it came to pass  
The Son of God from Heaven did descend,  
An higher way to show that Form to end.  
He came not to destroy it, but fulfil  
For Righteousness, that was and is his Will;  
And as he did then, he doth now supply  
The lower Rules with Rules that are more high.  
His Government goes on, and doth not cease,  
From good to better he doth it increase.  
Whoever finds this Truth, and in him trust,  
They bring forth in external things what's just:  
Things strictly honest such both speak and do,  
Not by compulsion of an outward Law,  
Nor by Constraint, but by a ready Mind;  
For such are now to Good by Love inclined.  
This last Appearance doth the first contain;  
For in the last the Substance doth remain.  
God's Work with Man doth in Progression run  
From less to more, until the Work is done:  
And when the Summ's computed at the last  
It comprehends the whole of what is past.  
This nobler way, that by our Lord was shown,  
Was to the Jew and Gentile to be one:  
And all Mankind in their whole Multitude,  
He did in Jew and Gentile then include;  
And of those twain doth one new Body make,  
As of his Law and Gospel they partake.  
The Jew as to the Flesh he did reject,  
That in the Spirit he might him elect;  
And he did Abr'am's fleshly Seed refuse,  
That after th' Spirit he his Seed might choose.  
Thus all vainglorious Boastings laid aside,  
None may in the defective Flesh confide;  
For by God's Spirit must Man's Works be tried.  
There none can on external Things rely,  
That he'll to all, as to the Jew, deny.  
The Jew now inward is, and so's his Law,  
Yea and in Spirit must he Gospel know  
For Law, the Gospel it doth yet precede,  
That Men might Gospel-everlasting read.  
God's Holy Law in th' Hearts of every one  
The Substance is of what was writ in Stone;  
For Moses Law we may a Transcript call,  
Copied in Stone from this Original.  
Christ to the outward Jew i'th' Flesh has been,  
But so hereafter will no more be seen;  
By them he was in that appearance slain,  
Tho' in himself he always did remain,  
As now he is; of him we ought to have  
Knowledge, if him we know as from the Grave  
He risen; to know Christ only as the Jews  
Is t' hear of him, yet the right Way refuse:  
To see him only as they did of old,  
Is him and not his Mystery to behold.  
The outward Law was needful, good, and true,  
But by misuse became a Veil to th' Jew,  
Which to this Moment doth obscure their Mind,  
Nor can't be rend away, but keeps them blind,  
Till they are turned to Christ, and know thereby  
'Twas the Messiah they did crucify.  
Christ came i'th' Flesh, 'twas absolutely good:  
For without that could not be understood  
The Mystery, hid from the World's Foundation  
In all Mankind in every Generation.  
This coming also may a Veil be made,  
Which unperceived draws on a gloomy Shade  
O'er most; as on him in a Creature-way  
Men look, they know not his Eternal Day;  
And whilst Men think, he is not to be known  
As surely now, as when to Jew was shown;  
Or that he is not now to us so near,  
As when he did to them i'th' Flesh appear;  
Such know him not as everlasting King,  
Nor yet as in his Death and Suffering.  
Christ is and ever has a Mystery been,  
Which Vult'rous Eye as yet hath never seen.  
Whoever finds and sees whom they profess,  
He is their Mystery of Godliness.  
He was and is their undefiled way,  
In which could never walk a Beast of prey.  
Christ in the Flesh was vailed to the Jew;  
To know him but i'th' Flesh's a Veil to you.  
That Christ shall once be seen, the Jews presume,  
And you aright believe that he did come;  
But whilst you know him not t'appear within,  
Both are alike concluded under Sin.  
'Tis true in a good Sense what both assert:  
And into one new Man God will convert  
These two, as they breathe after Christ; and then  
Shall know that he puts off the Veil in Men.  
For all those Acts, which heretofore he did,  
He doth in Spirit now, tho' they are hid.  
Him still the legal Christian doth despise;  
For in the Flesh he's still a Cross to th' Wise.  
He in the Flesh a Sufferer always was,  
Since his being slain in Man came first to pass.  
Christ is the same he was in every Case,  
Who this believes, doth a grand Truth embrace.  
'Tis an authentic Truth that Christ is Lord,  
But who so calls him of their own accord  
Without the Holy Spirit, cannot find  
The truth of what they utter in their Mind;  
In what they say true Witness is not born,  
Nor th' Veil yet off their Understanding torn.  
Now that the Lord the Spirit is, was told  
Unto the Jew, and true to all doth hold;  
In Spirit then we must know Christ his Day,  
Before the Veil in us be put away.  
But we mistake that Christ expect to know  
As Jesus, e'er we understand his Law.  
The Law of God appearing in the Heart  
Of his great Work in us hath the first part.  
This the Schoolmaster is, which us doth bring  
To witness Christ in us as Lord and King.  
This Holy Law in us must take a place,  
Before we truly know what's Grace as Grace:  
This is affirmed by the Apostle Paul,  
And is (no doubt) acknowledged true by all:  
I was, said he, without the Law alive,  
But when th' Commandment came, Sin did revive,  
And then I died; was that made Death to me  
That was ordained to Life? No verily:  
But that Sin might as Sin be understood,  
Death was in me wrought by that which was good.  
This was the Law i'th' Heart, there is no doubt,  
For th' Law in Stone he never was without.  
Nay further still, we do in Scripture find,  
He names th' aforesaid Law, that of his Mind;  
Which whilst not comed unto, we may believe,  
His Sense of Sin and Death did not perceive,  
An outward Good was to the outward Jew  
A Figure, to the Spiritual that is true:  
The outward Jews with Slavery oppressed,  
Before they could it see, must be released:  
That is, they could not see the promised Land,  
Whilst shackled by imperious Phar'oh's Hand;  
But were, till more oppressed, as to it dead,  
Nor could they cry to be delivered.  
Thus Man in Death doth never Trouble know,  
He's dead to God, and also to his Law:  
The Law's as dead to him till God revive,  
Or by his Spirit make the same alive;  
But when by God restored to Life, it hath  
That Power in us to manifest his Wrath  
From Heaven against our Sin, and what is Evil  
Wrought in's by our malignant Foe the Devil.  
For God Division makes by Judgement sure  
Betwixt the Soul of Man and Satan's Power;  
And Man in that Division doth partake  
Of Sorrow truly for the Evil's sake.  
This is the Way the Father doth us draw  
Unto his Son, that we his Love may know.  
No other way the Righteous yet have found  
That saving Grace might unto them abound;  
And they that know not thus the Work begin,  
Their Knowledge has but superficial been.  
Such than do well themselves to prove and try  
If they him know on whom they can rely.  
Our Way th' Apostle here doth personate,  
And to the Life sets forth the troubled State;  
Thus he exclaimed; I in my Members find  
A Law that wars against that of my Mind,  
And takes me Captive sore against my Will,  
By which am forced to do that which is ill.  
To what is good I readily consent,  
But finds no power the evil to prevent;  
O wretched Man! who shall deliver me  
From this body of Death and Misery.  
The Law brought Wrath, the Trouble Christ did bring  
Into his Flesh, there to condemn the Sin,  
His Soul to save, by which he did espy  
Grace without Works, and could it magnify:  
The Law of God the Creature doth condemn,  
But Christ the Grace condemns the Sin in them:  
God makes his Law alive, this breaks Death's reign,  
And Life we do receive by being slain.  
Tho' all God's Deal with us be in love,  
Yet all his Acts we do not so approve;  
For he doth kill before he giveth Life,  
And in that dying there is found great Strife:  
And yet this kill is to make us live;  
But who in dying can that Truth perceive?  
He makes us live, but still we live in pain,  
Because the Death and Evil doth remain.  
We're sure we live, because we do endure  
The Sense of Grief, which makes our living sure.  
Our Trouble now proceedeth from within,  
The Cause of its the Knowledge of our Sin;  
And Knowledge of our Sin and servile Yoke,  
Is from the Law which we have truly broke,  
And from't we find cannot relieved be;  
In this springs up the sense of Misery,  
That fits us for the Gospel, which is free.  
Now than it is that we a Saviour want,  
And do for him, as th' Hart for Water, pant.  
Now we prepared are, and Christ gins  
As Jesus now to save us from our Sins;  
Sin he condemns i'th' Flesh. and Power doth give  
To serve him, that has made our Souls to live.  
A Type of this God did in Israel show,  
When the Egyptian Host he overthrew  
I'th' Red-Sea, and by that stupendious Deed  
His People from their Fear and Bondage freed.  
Now unto God could Israel sacrifice  
What Egypt could not stop, tho' might despise.  
Now Israel did rejoice, and not before,  
That their Oppressors they should see no more.  
For now was their Deliverance achieved  
From every thing that had in Bondage grieved.  
By this they were set free from all they knew  
That hindered them, God's Worship to pursue.  
Yet still before they could the Land possess,  
Met various Troubles in the Wilderness,  
Too tedious here and numerous to relate,  
Which did concern them in their Servant-State.  
This was to fit them, and to lay them low  
In their own Eyes; that they might truly know  
From God it was that now they did enjoy  
The promised Land, for he did there destroy  
Their Adversaries, and supplied their Want  
With House and Vineyard, which they did not plant;  
And these miraculous Deal did effect,  
That all their Time they paid him due respect;  
They walked with him, magnified his Name,  
And with loud Praises echoed forth his Fame.  
But when a new Gen'ration did arise  
The good Land to enjoy, they did not prise  
It truly, nor the Mercy of the Lord,  
Who to their Fathers did that Land afford:  
His Law they did forsake, and quickly swerved  
From God's true Worship, and base Idols served.  
All this and more, it seems, did come to pass,  
Because not sitted as their Fathers was.  
They heard how their enslaved Fathers groaned  
Whilst truckling under Phar'oh's proud Command:  
This did they hear, but did not understand.  
The Wonders God performed i'th' Fields of Zoan  
They might have heard of, but had never known.  
The Fame of Phar'oh's Host might reach their Ear,  
But being unseen, it could not cause true Fear,  
Nor bring them into Trouble, Grief, or Pain;  
Nor did they know at all when they were slain.  
They heard, but saw not, how God did divide  
The threatening Billows, and the Channel dried.  
They sometimes heard of God's most glorious Fame  
When on Mount Sina ' in the fiery Flame;  
But did not know and see him so appear,  
And therefore wanted that true Sense of Fear;  
Nor knew the Travel through the Wilderness,  
Which feelingly their Fathers could express.  
No Wonder now, if then they did decline  
That Virtue, which did make their Father's shine.  
There was wanting that true Exercise,  
By which God taught their Fathers to be wise.  
For 'tis in Scripture found, if duly sought,  
True, that God's Fear in Exercise is taught:  
Nor did he any in his Path advance,  
But through deep Troubles had their Entrance:  
At least, none persevered to the End,  
But were on God thus fitted to depend.  
None truly can, from hence we may discern,  
God's Love or Fear by outward Precepts learn.  
The Scripture is a Record, which doth hold  
The Story of God's Noble Acts of old:  
What are we better, if we know no more  
Than what God did for others heretofore?  
We may believe it undoubted Truth: What then?  
The same may be believed by wicked Men:  
Yet 've a secret Sense, which none can find,  
But such as unto Good are well inclined.  
This Myst'ry's veiled in them to all men's Eyes,  
Who seek not Wisdom, or doth it despise.  
The History most certain Truth contains,  
But th' Substance in the Mystery remains;  
Which as 'tis found, the Scripture's made our own,  
As in the Fullness others have them known.  
Thus Egypt's King, with the Egyptian Land,  
A Figure of the Evil one doth stand,  
As in the Darkness he doth rule the Soul,  
And by his Power doth poor Man control:  
As likewise Israel in their Bondage great  
A Figure is to th' Soul, which now doth meet  
With Bondage in the Spirit, and thereby  
As truly for Deliverance doth cry,  
As Israel did to God, who them did hear;  
And now, as well as then, he doth appear,  
To quash the Devil's Power, and break the Chains  
Would press the Soul int' everlasting Pains:  
The power's the same which now the Soul doth save,  
That unto Israel then Deliverance gave.  
The Difference is only as applied,  
In th' outward then; but now it must be tried  
In th' inward Man, where we the Truths behold  
Which Scriptures do in mystic Figures fold.  
Nor is the captivated Soul resigned  
And yielded up by Satan, till he find  
God by his Judgement hath his Firstborn slain,  
By him begotten in Man's Heart to reign.  
When Man at first God's righteous Law transgressed,  
He on the Soul his Image then impressed;  
Which slain in us, we do begin to tread  
The Ways that from his damned Borders lead.  
But tho' his Firstborn in us God may kill,  
Yet he that it begot remaineth still,  
His Pow'rs not broken so, but he'll pursue  
The Soul to take, its Bondage to renew;  
As Phar'oh with his thundering armed Force  
Pursued the Isra'lites, to stop their Course,  
So Satan finds the Soul in such a case  
As straitened Israel, flying from his Face.  
For towering Rocks are seen on either Side,  
Before's a Sea, devouring, deep, and wide;  
And the Egyptian Host behind doth stay,  
Seeming to wait for nothing but the Day.  
No less than Death does in their Looks appear,  
Which almost kill, as well as puts in fear.  
Now Israel's Straits such come aright to know,  
And do partake of their Distress and Woe:  
If such consult, they find they must account  
The Danger greater than they can surmount.  
Now 'tis our Duty to stand still and wait,  
To hear what God will speak to dissipate  
Our Fears, as Israel did; and so we find  
Our Angel-guard removed to behind:  
For he that lately did before us stand,  
Is now betwixt us and this armed Band;  
To them he's Dark, but unto us a Light,  
Who keeps them from us in this doleful Night:  
If this we can but see, it may ease us from  
Our Fears, until the Morning-watch shall come.  
When God commands the Rod to check the Pride  
Of the insulting Waves, and them divide,  
And smooth a Passage o'er th' untrodden Sand,  
Fenced with prodigious Walls on either Hand:  
So for our Safety Sea is made dry Land.  
When thus the Channel of the Deep we find  
Safe unto us, God fills our joyful Mind  
With Praises great, our Hope increaseth more  
That we shall now ascend the farther Shore;  
Which when attained, and on its Banks we stand,  
And do behold the Sea that God made Land,  
We see the Waters which to us a Wall  
Of Safety were, upon our Foes doth fall  
With Fury great; for God doth them destroy,  
And turns our Sorrow into cordial Joy.  
The Work is true as thus it doth begin;  
And Moses Song such learn aright to sing;  
The Subject is a full deliverance gained  
From all Impediments, that us detained  
When we desired th' Egyptian Land to leave,  
Which we must know God granteth, to perceive,  
Before we can unto him sacrifice,  
What he approves as pleasing in his Eyes.  
For, as when th' Israelites in Egypt lived,  
With Marblehearted Phar'oh's Taxes grieved,  
They could not sacrifice; no more can we,  
Whilst chained by our Sins in Slavery.  
The Devil will no more let's worship God,  
Than Egypt did, until he feel his Rod;  
But when delivered, like them, we proceed  
To follow him, as he our Souls shall lead.  
Now do we wait, that we may know aright  
God, in our Hearts his Mind and Law to write,  
Which may the Knowledge of his Will assord;  
Thus he becomes our Master and our Lord.  
Now do we wait, that we may truly find  
His Tabernacle finished in our Mind,  
According to the Pattern and Account  
Which he delivers from his holy Mount.  
For in the Wilderness he doth appear,  
His Tabernacle of Witness to rear  
Within our Souls, to show us his Intent  
When we must Journey, and when pitch our Tent.  
Like Israel, he conducts i' th' Wilderness,  
To fit our Souls the Kingdom to possess:  
Yea, in the Wilderness he doth us lead,  
Till all is mortified, worn out, and dead,  
That is not fit t' enjoy that blessed Land,  
Of which Canaan did a Figure stand.  
A Servant-State precedes that of a Son,  
A Sonship must be known e'er th' Work be done.  
The faithful Servant doth his Master fear;  
A Father's Honour doth i' th' Son appear.  
The Fear i' th' first Estate precedes the Love,  
The last excludeth Fear, the Scriptures prove.  
A Son abideth in the House always,  
The Servant is but for his Time and Day,  
And knows not what is by his Master said  
Or acted; whilst the Son is privy made:  
For 'tis his Meat to do his Father's Will,  
And cheerfully he doth it all fulfil.  
A second Resurrection doth imply  
A first; and second Death doth signify  
That a first Death already's passed by.  
If the first Death we do not really find,  
Until a second seizeth on our Mind,  
Eternal Wrath will come to be our Share;  
And who can that great Misery declare?  
So then we must a first Death truly know,  
E'er second come, if we escape its Wo.  
The first Death on us by Transgression come,  
And o'er our Minds as yet doth Power assume:  
Whilst we unto the World are found alive,  
We're dead to God, and of his Life deprived.  
Christ must arise in us, before that we  
Can know this Death, or from't delivered be.  
Sin is this Death; and whilst its Powers abide  
Unbroke in us, Christ is as crucified  
To us; but if he rise, he doth bequeath  
That Life whereby we apprehend this Death:  
We know it thus, and as we do partake  
Of this first Resurrection, and do make  
Our Part in it assured, we live thereby  
That Death to know which is in Christ to die:  
Nor can we know it, till we understand  
The Work is finished, which he did command.  
A second Death we may this Death express,  
The first to Sin, this to our Righteousness:  
This is the Saints Death, precious in God's Eyes,  
Accepted as their sweetest Sacrifice;  
And 'tis their Gain, for now to God they live,  
And more they die, more Life they do receive.  
Christ made us live, and we did Sin refrain;  
But through this Death he cometh to be slain  
In us that has the Power of Death, the Devil,  
In what he works like Good, as well as Evil.  
This Death is that th' Apostle did profess  
His Longing for with so great Earnestness:  
For unto all Self-righteousness he died,  
That he might know Christ, and him crucified.  
He first makes mention of his Resurrection,  
Next, of his Fellowship, with his Affection;  
And lastly, of a true Conformity  
Unto his Death, which he desired to see:  
This last he did desire, we plainly read,  
T'attain the Resurrection of the Dead.  
Much of these glorious Truths here might we write;  
But if we would obtain a clearer Sight,  
We must ourselves in Seeking then delight.  
For when all's uttered that can be declared,  
Or spoken of, that can be read or heard;  
These Truths are mysteries still unto that Mind  
That does not them sincerely seek to find:  
For such, another never can them know;  
The use of Words is to direct unto  
The Truth in us, to find out every State  
Which unto us the Scripture doth relate;  
They are not distant from us, they are near,  
If we could know the Truth of what we hear.  
For God's the Substance of each Mystery,  
And unto every Soul he's always nigh;  
He sills all Things, and doth in all remain;  
The Heaven of Heavens cannot him contain;  
He's nearer us than our most secret Thought.  
If this we knew, or were it truly taught,  
Our Apprehensions would not be abroad  
At some far distant Place to seek our God.  
For whilst such Notions prepossess our Mind,  
The Truth of Godliness we cannot find.  
Christ also doth near every Soul abide,  
Being with the Father in strict Union tied.  
The Holy Spirit, which doth still proceed  
From th' Father and the Son, as we may read  
In Scripture testified, is also near,  
If we look for him where he doth appear,  
That Christ may form be within our Heart,  
Before he will the Mystery impart.  
But unto whom do these great Truths belong?  
Not to the wise, the rich, the high, or strong  
In their own Eyes; in this they have no Share,  
But with their Skill and Art excluded are:  
But unto such as low and needy be,  
In every Age the Gospel has been free:  
It was to such Isaiah did proclaim  
The Gospel-Riches in the Father's Name;  
O every one that hungry is (he cries)  
Or thirsty, let him come, and without Price  
Buy Milk and Wine. Thus God the Poor supplies.  
But he that hath a Price for't to be told,  
Riches of Grace he never did behold;  
For if it can purchased be in any Case  
By what's our own, it cannot then be Grace.  
For Grace, as it is Free, belongs to none  
But those in misery and Want alone:  
Such than it was that Christ our Saviour sought,  
When on an high Feast-day he thus cried out,  
Let him that thirsty is, come unto me,  
That he may drink Life's Water, which is free.  
And these his gracious Words may be applied  
To all Mankind that should in him confide:  
The Time approached, that such should truly know  
Out of their Bellies living Waters flow:  
And this was said touching the Holy Spirit,  
Which every true Believer should inherit.  
This to reveal, he then both came and died,  
But was not known till he was glorified.  
None in this holy Path, he came to show,  
Can walk, but such as are upright and true.  
All Forms without us are, but this within,  
By which he doth destroy the Root of Sin.  
This is the Way which all that do believe  
In Christ, should wait assur'dly to receive.  
This Way he did before his followers lie,  
It was to wait for Power from on high,  
That perfect Gift, that cometh from above,  
From God, who in the Heart doth shed his Love.  
This Way he did before all Ways prefer,  
To be enjoined on each Particular.  
For tho' he did that Heavenly Wisdom preach,  
And taught them as no other Man could teach;  
Yet unto them he plainly did declare  
He'ad much to say, which yet they could not bear;  
Nor could they bear't, if he should bodily  
With them remain: Therefore 'twas needful he  
Should in the Flesh departed, that they might know  
The Truth of what he came to say and do.  
I'll pray (said he) the Father, and he'll give  
Another Comforter with you to live,  
And he continually with you shall stay,  
And never more removed be away.  
The Spirit of Truth out of the World is thrust,  
Because they see him not, nor in him trust:  
But you him know, and shall hereafter find  
Him that is with you dwelling in your Mind.  
Then unto your Remembrance he will bring  
What I have told you as to every thing.  
When he is come, I tell you what is true,  
He'll t●ke of mine, and show it unto you.  
All's nine the Father hath, you may believe;  
Therefore (I said) he'll take of mine and give  
To you. Yet a short while, and th' World no more  
Shall see me, as they have done heretofore:  
B●t you shall see me, and you then shall know,  
Because I live, that you shall live also.  
That day you'll know, I in the Father be,  
In you also, and you shall be in me.  
Go search the Scriptures, and you shall not find  
Another Method to perfect the Mind.   
FINIS.