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 \arkles of Glory ^ 
 
 fome Beams of the 
 Morning Star. 
 
 By John Saltmarsh. 
 
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SPARKLES 
 OF GLORY. 
 

 
 if: 
 
 
 SPARKLES 
 
 OF 
 
 GLORY, 
 
 OK 
 
 Some Beams of the 
 MORNING STAR. 
 
 Wherein are many discoveries 
 as to Truth and Peace. 
 
 To the establishment and pure enlarge- 
 ment of a Christian in Spirit 
 and Truth. 
 
 By JOHN SALTMARSH, 
 
 Preacher of the Gospel. 
 
 HosEA 3. 
 His coming is prepared as the morning. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed in the year 1647. 
 
 Reprinted for WiUiam Pickering, 
 
 1847. 
 
 ^ 
 
 =»«= 
 
 =» 
 
 
 =5^ 
 
 
OF 
 
 T^^:^^^CKTOH 
 
 
 THE TABL. 
 
 &Mm^;, 
 
 THE two Creations, or two 
 
 Natures of Flesh and Spirit 1 
 
 The true Church 11 
 
 The true Personal Reign of Christ 
 
 as it is Spiritual 14 
 
 Antichrist within us . . . . 17 
 
 The Doctrine of Baptisms . . 18 
 
 The Baptists 18 
 
 The Baptism of Suflferings . . 22 
 
 Tiie Baptism of Water, or of John 23 
 The Baptism of the Holy Ghost, 
 
 or Gifts 26 
 
 The Baptism of Christ . ... 28 
 The Divers Ministery, with the 
 
 Ministery of Christ in his Saints 31 
 The Passage from lower Minis- 
 trations to higher 40 
 
 The Spirit and Life of outward 
 
 Ordinances 55 
 
 The Christian under Episcopacy, 
 Prelacy, Presbytery, Baptism, 
 
 Independency, &c 61 
 
 The Christian in Truth .... 66 
 The Witnesses in Sackcloth . .68 
 Magistracy a Power ordained of 
 
 God 88 
 
 The discerning of Spirits ... 91 
 
 Principles of War and Peace . . 96 
 
 b 
 
The Table, 
 
 In order to Peace, and Suffering, 
 and Love : 
 
 i. The Will of God . . 99 
 
 2. God ciianging Dispensa- 
 tions 101 
 
 3. Tlie Law of Nature and 
 Grace 102 
 
 4. The Gospel Method of 
 Victory 103 
 
 5. How Resistings in some 
 are of Flesh, and of the 
 Law of Nature in others 104 
 
 6. The Advantage Chris- 
 tians have of Bondage . 105 
 
 7. Upon what Account the 
 purest and freest outward 
 Liberty is 106 
 
 8. A Word concerning 
 Heresy and Schism . . 109 
 
 Heresy Ill 
 
 Schism 112 
 
 9. Truth 113 
 
 The Mystery of true Christian 
 
 Liberty from God, not from 
 Man, or the Power of Man . 116 
 
 A Discovery of the highest At- 
 tainment of the Protestants 
 generally in the Mystery of 
 Salvation 118 
 
 Of Faith 121 
 
 A further Discovery as to Free- 
 Grace 121 
 
 A Discovery as to the general 
 Point, or Christ dying for all . 125 
 
 The last Discovery, and as some 
 
The Tahle. 
 
 say, the highest and most glo- 
 rious, concerning the whole 
 Mystery of God to Men, and 
 
 this Creation , 127 
 
 An additional concerning An- 
 tichrist and the Mystery of 
 
 Iniquity 133 
 
 The several Attainments of the 
 
 Common Protestant . . . 140 
 The general Redemptionist . . 140 
 
 The Free-Gracian 141 
 
 Conclusion 142 
 
 A Discovery of Prayer . . . 143 
 A Discovery of the Law . . . 150 
 ADiscoveryof Duties and Works 154 
 A Discovery of outward Ordi- 
 nances 156 
 
 A Discovery of the Jews, and 
 
 their Conversion 158 
 
 All false Worships and Ways 
 practised in Conscience, or in 
 Liberty, will be destroyed in 
 
 Christ's Day 1 60 
 
 A Discovery of Christ in us . . 162 
 
 The Fiery Trial 163 
 
 God in Heaven, or in a Place of 
 
 Distance, as to our Infirmity . 167 
 The Spiritual Sabbath . . . . 169 
 The Gospel as in its own Glory, 
 and as in the Scriptures of the 
 Old and New Testament . .171 
 Assurance of Salvation . . . 175 
 The Knowledge of God according 
 to the various Dispensations of 
 Himself 179 
 
2'he Table. 
 
 A further Discovery of the Mys- 
 tery of Salvation in the Gospel 
 Administration, and its own 
 
 Glory 182 
 
 The Seekers' Attainment, with a 
 Discovery of a more Spiritual 
 
 Way 185 
 
 The Grounds botli against Li- 
 berty of Conscience, and for 
 it, clearly slated, for all to 
 judge : 
 
 Against Liberty of Conscience, 
 the strongest Grounds, and 
 all the Grounds generally 
 
 known 191 
 
 The Grounds for Liberty of 
 Conscience which are strong- 
 est, and are all commonly 
 
 known 193 
 
 A Mystery, or the Christian fol- 
 lowing tiie Appearances of God 
 through all created Things . 200 
 A Postscript to Mr. Gataker . 202 
 A pretended Heresy .... 206 
 A short Epistle to Master KnollSj 
 the Author of a Book, called 
 The shining of a flaming Fire, 
 &c. written against me, as to 
 the Point of Baptism . . . 208 
 
To the High and Honourable 
 Court of Parliament. 
 
 WHAT others have done by 
 the Law of your authority. 
 Presented before ye their advice 
 in matters of Religion; I shall, 
 from the law of love to your Just 
 authority, present ye, not my ad- 
 vice (the Lord himself advise and 
 counsel ye) but some things which 
 concern the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
 the peace and prosperity of your 
 Kingdom; and that I may not be '7^'^'fi''"^ 
 disobedient to the lieaventy vision, a?aviV a^ia 
 or light of God revealed in me. 
 
 There are two Principles in the 
 world which have these sad, and 
 dark conclusions attending them, 
 the two Principles are these : 
 
 1 . That such as conform not to 
 the Doctrine and discipline estab- 
 lished; and yet as to the State are 
 good Subjects, and peaceably af- 
 
 Acts 26. 19. 
 
The Epistle Dedicatory. 
 
 fected, shall be proceeded against 
 hy fines ^ imprisonment, S^e. 
 
 2. That such as shall speak upon 
 the Scriptures, or open them, Pub- 
 licly, or in Private^ and are not 
 ordained by the laying on of the 
 hands of that present established 
 ministery of a kingdom, shall be 
 proceeded against by fines, impri- 
 sonment, ^c. 
 
 The sad and dark conclusions 
 Mhich follow, are these : 
 
 1. All the glorious discoveries 
 of God, above, or beyond that 
 System, or form of Doctrine, Sfc. 
 shall he judr/ed, and sentenced, as 
 Heresy and Schism ; and so God 
 himself shall be judged by man, 
 which must needs be a sin, bring- 
 ing much desolation; unless they 
 that enact such Laws, were that 
 very infallible Apostleship for In- 
 terjjretation of all Scriptures ; as 
 the first Apostleshij) was for wri- 
 ting all Scriptures. And is God, 
 
 f«i;Mc'voy; a God/ of the GcntUcs also? that 
 is, is Goc? limited to one sort of 
 we;i ? Thou thoughtest (saith God) 
 
 i'sai. 51. that I was altogether, such an one 
 as thyself; that is, a GocZ merely 
 
The Epistle Dedicatojy. 
 
 of one Image or figure : behold, 
 the Heaven of Heavens cannot con- Psai. 
 tain him, he dwelleth not in Tem- 
 ples made with hands, and where 
 is his habitation, and who hath 
 known the place of his rest ? That 
 is, what is man that he should con- 
 ceive that God is only in a place, 
 or Temple, or form of Woi^ship, 
 or System of Doctrine of hi&form 
 or making, since the ^me is come, 
 that we do no longer worshij) in this 
 Temple, nor at Jerusalem ; but John 4. 
 they that worship, must worship 
 in 5j9zVi^ and truth; which truth, joim i4. 
 is he only who is the truth. 
 
 2. Many thousands oi precious 
 Christians shall be under Delin- 
 quency, as to fines, imprisonmejit, 
 SfC. and under the scandal of He- 
 retics and Schismatics ; because 
 not seeing by that one light, nor 
 believing in that one Proportion of 
 faith, nor receiving such interpre- 
 tations and Consequences of Scrip- 
 tures, for the very Scriptures them- 
 selves ; and by such persecution, 
 the civil power w'hich is received 
 from God, shall be turned against 
 God, or against the more spiritual 
 administration of God; and so 
 
i V The Ep is t h Dedicatory . 
 
 God's Administrations dashed one 
 against another. 
 
 Acts 9. Saul, Saul, why persecutcst thou 
 
 me? touch not viine anointed, and 
 
 Psai. do my Prophets no harm : not as 
 
 having dominion over the heritage^ 
 or Lordship over faith. 
 
 3. That were to set up the Church 
 Polity of the Jews amongst Chris- 
 tians ; and not according to God's 
 divine appointment, but mans ; for 
 God in that first Polity of the Jews' 
 Church under the Old Testament ^ 
 joined to the Kings and Magistracy 
 then, a Priesthood with Urim and 
 Thummim ; and Prophets anoint- 
 ed of God as a certain, true, in- 
 fallible, directive power for order- 
 ing that way of administration ; but 
 this way of Christians now, with- 
 out any such warrant, or appoint- 
 ment of God brings back again the 
 same Church Polity, under the 
 New Testament, wliich was typical 
 as to Christ the King and Priest, 
 and Prophet, and joins to Kings 
 and Magistracy now, a ministery 
 less of God, less certain, less true, 
 not infallible ; so as all texts, in- 
 staiices, and examples brought from 
 the Old Testament of the Kings, 
 
The Epistle Dedicatory. 
 
 Princes^ and Magistrates oi Israel ^ 
 compelling to the worship of God, 
 without proving- the continuance of 
 the same Church Polity under the 
 New Testament, and the like 
 Priesthood, and Prophets accord- 
 ingly sent of God to direct them, 
 is all invalid, and of no effect as to 
 such proceedings. 
 
 4. The infinitely abounding* spi- 
 rit of God, which blows when and 
 where it listeth, and ministers in 
 Christians according to the gift, 
 and prophesies according to the will 
 of the Almighty God ; pouring it- 
 self out upon all flesh, giving out 
 
 the word, and making the company john 3. s. 
 great who publish it, even this ^^™- ^^• 
 Ahnighty, all glorious, infinitely Acts 2. is. 
 abounding, dispensing, and reveal- i\\ ^^' 
 ing Spirit, is made subject to the Jo -rvsZi^a 
 Laws and Ordinances 01 men, to i^, s^xaf ^^5, 
 the pleasures and wills, to the mea- *^'^^^^ 
 Bures and forms of men, to outward r'SmeCiMXTo^ 
 ceremonies, as Ordination, &c. *^''' 
 God must not speak till man give 
 him leave; not teach, nor Preach, 
 but whom man allowSj and ap- 
 proves, and ordains. 
 
 5. This making laws for punish- 
 ing all that conform not to the 
 
vi The Epistle Dedicatory . 
 
 doctrine and discipline established, 
 destroys the true interests of all 
 states and kimjdoms, excluding all 
 societies of men, but of one sort 
 and ybr;«, though never so peace- 
 ably affected, or obedient as men 
 and Subjects, respectively to the 
 State, and civil government there- 
 of, and was never found in any 
 State, or Church Polity by divine 
 appointment, but in that one na- 
 tion of the Jews, whose Polity, as 
 to such a form, God himself pecu- 
 liarly made, owned and preserved, 
 and the Lord Jesus himself ful- 
 Jilled and dissolved. 
 
 For Heresy and Schism, I know 
 ye ought not to tolerate any, but 
 to let them bear their oiun judg- 
 ment, which is spiritual admoni- 
 tion, Church- censure, rejectio?i, 
 excommunication ; which if effec- 
 tual, as all true, right, spiritual 
 Tit. 3. 10. censures have been and are, is that 
 
 1 Cor. 5. 5. . • 7 7 . 7 
 
 •iThes. 3. just proportionublc judgment for 
 7r4a55va. ^"*^^ Gospel-sins; \^ not effectual, 
 Tov tcSt-oi/^ then the insufficiency, weakness, 
 ccl^criKw ay Unprofitableness or such as assume 
 r^^wmv rra- such Church-poivcr , and censures, 
 TfTre. Will appear before ye. 
 
 And as to that point of the pre- 
 
The Epistle DecUcatorif. vii 
 
 sent Ordination, which some have 
 so pressed upon ye, disting-uishing- 
 to ye, that their Ordination was 
 from the Bishops, as Ministers, 
 not as Bishops. Right Honour- 
 able, consider, that distinction can- 
 not be, for there was no such thing- 
 as Ministers in the Church of 
 Rome, or of England as to this 
 successively pretended Ordination ; 
 but Priests, and Bishops, or Epis- 
 copacy, and Priesthood: and sure- 
 ly if Episcopacy doth not, yet 
 Priesthood doth altogether evacu- SeeMamn. 
 ate the essence of Ministery now otMa^yrs. 
 under the New Testament as by ^^^"• 
 such Ordination : and how much 
 more rational are their Arguments, 
 who hold their Ministery lawful, 
 from the lawfulness oi Episcopacy ; 
 than those, who deny Episcopacy , 
 8fc. and yet have no Ordination but 
 from them. 
 
 For this Christian-liberty , it is 
 such as preserves not only the out- 
 ward peace of Christians who en- 
 joy it, but the peace and prosperity 
 oi Kingdoms, and Magistrates, who 
 establish it; and the life, glory, 
 and happiness, destruction, and 
 death of Kingdoms is wrapped in 
 
The Epistle Dedicatory. 
 
 Eph.s. 30. the Christian s life or death : they 
 
 t\l\ri*' ^''e the jmrts and Members of 
 
 Psai. 105 Christ, the ajiple of liis eye, his 
 
 Jewels, his anointed,\n8 Prophets, 
 
 his Children. 
 
 As therefore ye look to he pros- 
 pered by this Spirit of God ; as ye 
 look for wisdom from this Spirit of 
 Go<^ to g-overn this State ; as ye 
 look for comfort fi-om this Spirit of 
 God in all your distresses ; as ye 
 look for [/ifts from this Spirit of 
 God in all the administrations : as 
 ye look for the sweet spiritual 
 breathings and refreshments from 
 this Spirit of Goo? in all the several 
 changes of this creation : love, pre- 
 serve, hidulge this Spirit ; quench 
 not, oppose not, oppress not this 
 Spirit: confine it not to one out- 
 ward form or fellowship of men, 
 1 Thes. 1. which are not that Catholic 
 Acts'? 51 Church, that Apostleship of infal- 
 t:ph.4. 10. libility ; and they that are ^pinVwa/, 
 live in that spirit and truth, which 
 j->hn 8.32, makes them free indeed, and it is 
 , ^^^3^,^ below that Spirit of God, to Peti- 
 i>.n/3e«u-o-«< tioji liberty of conscience in spiri- 
 '"^'^' tuals, fiom any men or Magistrates 
 
 in the World ; because God will 
 make Jerusalem a cup of trem- 
 
The Epistle Dedicatory . ix 
 
 bling to all Nations, and a stone 
 of astonishment ; and the spiritual 
 Christians will rather hold forth 
 such things, to bear witness to the 
 truth, and to desire all to forbear 
 persecution, as much for their own 
 sakes who persecute, as for theirs 
 who ^ve persecuted. 
 
 And for that just power of Ma- 
 gistracy, I acknowledge it a Power 
 Ordained of God, for administra- 
 tioji of Justice and righteousness <i^>, ^3 5^3 
 in the societies of men, and nations ; ^f^^'M^^^ 
 a Minister of GocZ for ^ooc?, a ^e?-- Rom. 13. 
 ror to evil works ; and that we are '' ^' "^" 
 to be subject to every Ordinance of 
 man, for the Lord's sake ; and for 
 this cause we pay tribute to whom 
 tribute ; honour to whom honour: 
 and all societies of Christians by no Ry„,. 13. 
 pretence of religion, or liberty for ^-^'^s. 
 the worship of God, are to resist or jTexo;, tm 
 disturb the c^^;^7 administration of ^''e"""? 
 this/?02f e?' : but as to that consider- 
 ation ; all Christians are to suffer 
 according' to the wilt of God, (all 
 lawful ways for preservation of 
 States and Kingdoms still excepted) 
 and all such Magistracy are to pre- 
 serve their respective States, by all 
 wholesome, lawful, cautionary 
 A 2 
 
The Epistle Dedicatory. 
 
 Laws2Lii^ Ordinances, m Peace ; so 
 as while liberty or iJidulgcncy , as 
 to the tender consciences in Religion 
 is spoken on, yet no less security 
 of the State, no diminution to the 
 just power of Magistracy ; no less 
 preservation of the Peace of the 
 Kingdom is desired by those that 
 are truly spiritual. And though 
 many suffer under the name of He- 
 retics and Schismatics before ye, 
 for not conforming- to the present 
 doctrine TinA discipline established ; 
 Right Honourable, consider, whe- 
 ther this doth not call in question 
 all the very present doctrine and 
 discipline so established ; for by this 
 very thing of judging all Incon- 
 formity to the present worship and 
 form of things to be Heresy ; by 
 the same, all this present form of 
 worship and confession of faith is 
 judged Heresy and Schism, to the 
 late former government, and doc- 
 trine established in the Church of 
 England: i\\\s present Synodoimen 
 being no more that visible Catho- 
 lic Church, and infallible Apostle- 
 ship, than the former were, so as 
 the changing the former Articles of 
 the Church of England into a new 
 
The Epistle Dedicatory . xi 
 
 confession o^ faith, the Episcopacy 
 into Presbytery ; and so altering 
 both the fundamentals in religion 
 and the discipline, is equally new 
 %/t^ and Heresy, as to the former 
 doctrine and discipline : (and if it 
 be objected) but this present Synod, 
 are men of more Zz^^^ and Piety 
 than the forr)ier, and so they esta- 
 bhsh more truth, and bring in more 
 Reformation ; if so, why is there 
 not more love, more peaceableness, 
 more self-deyiial, more power of 
 ^Of?Ziwess,than there was in the suf- 
 fering Bishops, and the Preaching 
 Lay- Martyrs then; who loved 
 Christ in himself, and in one an- 
 other. 
 
 And now (Noble Senators) since 
 very worthy things have been for- 
 merly done by ye unto this Nation ; 
 let not your Sun set in a cloud, nor 
 your light shine upon those that 
 have loved you, as the Moon once 
 upon the Water, making it of the 
 colour of Blood ; are ye not come 
 to the Kingdom in Peace ? Are not 
 the gleanings of Ephraim in the 
 Vintage? Did not David sz.y, shall 2 Sam. 19. 
 any man be put to death this day *"** 
 in Israeli 
 
xii The Epistle Dedicatory. 
 
 The Lord enlighten ye (if it be 
 his will) more and more, in the 
 knoivledge of Jesus Christ, and of 
 the love of God, and of all who 
 have any thintj of God in them, and 
 let you see those thing's which con- 
 cern your peace in this your day. 
 
 Your Honours' humble 
 
 Servant, 
 
 John Saltmarsii. 
 
To all true Christians. 
 
 Friends, 
 
 n|^HE only scope of this Book, 
 X is to mind ye of an higher 
 excellency , than mere created 
 things can afford ye, of the truth 
 as it is in Jesus, or in Spirit. 
 
 And of that unity of Spirit which 
 Christians should live in, under 
 their several forms and attain- 
 ments, and I have not held forth 
 any discovery of truth, or of any 
 higher dispensation, so as to darken- 
 too much other dispensations in 
 which Christians live, or to lessen 
 and undervalue their attainments, 
 but only to he faithful in the power 
 of God to his discoveries in my own 
 spirit. 
 
 I desire we may all bear one an- 
 other's burdens, and consider, that 
 God is in all his several Dispensa- 
 tions, and measures, 2i.iid Christians 
 are not to hasten out of any till the 
 
The Epistle 
 
 Lord himself say, Come up hither; 
 and the stronger are to bear the in- 
 Jirmities of the lueak. 
 
 I am not against the LaWj nor 
 repentance, nor duties^ nor ordi- 
 najices, as some would say : So as 
 all these flow from their rig'ht prin- 
 cijjle, to their right eiid. 
 
 I am not against the settling of 
 Church- Government Prudential- 
 ly, as now, so as all of another luay 
 be not persecuted. Because I know 
 God hath his people under several 
 attainments and measures, and is 
 to his people in all these, in his 
 mere grace and love, as formerly 
 to the Bishojjs and thousands of 
 weak Christians in Queen Eliza- 
 beth's, and Queen Mary's days of 
 Martyrdom, in their forms. 
 
 I am only against any form, as 
 it becomes an engine of persecution 
 to all Christians differing from it. 
 
 I am not against the sitting of 
 ?Lii Assembly or Syjiodat Westmin- 
 ster, that are so persuaded, be- 
 cause, that is but to allow such li- 
 berty to others' consciences, as we 
 desire ourselves ; and surely if they 
 would propound such things only 
 
to the Reader. xv 
 
 as they have received, or they are 
 in conscience persuaded of to all 
 the Kingdom; and so leave it to 
 the Spirit of God and their mi- 
 nistery to persuade and convince 
 all others, and not desire power from 
 others to compel; this were but to 
 minister as they had received. 
 
 I have stated some things, and 
 truths, as they are held in those 
 very grounds ; the Spirit of God in 
 the Reader may judge truth with- 
 out any determination of man. 
 
 I have spoken concerning the li- 
 berty of some that are spiritual in 
 outward things of worship and dis- 
 cipline without sin, yet of no other, 
 but as the wisdom of God shall di- 
 rect to edification, and with care 
 of offence, and Scriptures allow : 
 To the weak I became as weak; to i Coi . 9. 
 them that were under the Law, as 
 under the Law; to them that were 
 without Law, as without Law, 
 though not without Law to God. 
 Now in this Scripture, liberty to 
 things of former institution by 
 God, and of no such institution, is 
 discovered ; those words, under the 
 Law, contain liberty to things once 
 
xvi The Epistle 
 
 instituted, and those words, with- 
 out Laiv, to things not instituted, 
 
 1 Cor. 8. and therefore the Apostle saith, We 
 know, an Idol is nothing, Howheit, 
 there is not in every man that know- 
 
 Mat. ledge; and again, To the pure all 
 
 things are pure, and that that goes 
 into the man, defiles not the man. 
 And yet 1 know this very truth, 
 as well as that of the grace of God, 
 and all other truths may be turned 
 m^owantonness,z.nAlicentiousness, 
 and not pure Christian liberty. 
 
 1 am for the knowledge of God 
 in the Father, Son, and Spirit, 
 and for true Christianity, as it is in 
 life, and Spirit, and power of god- 
 liness, and for love to all ; but to 
 
 Phil. 3. 3. the sins of all, We are circumci- 
 sio7i, which ivorshij) God in the 
 Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, 
 and have no confidence in the 
 Flesh. 
 
 I have spoken of the true Chris- 
 tian under that more gross form 
 of Episcojjacy , not approving that 
 form, but in order to higher and 
 more spiritual discoveries ; and 
 this I do, because I find God in 
 loiuer as well as higher, in purer 
 
to the Reader. xvii 
 
 as well as more corrupt adminis- 
 trations ; and in tenderness and re- 
 spect to many thousands in this 
 Kingdom, and many other King- 
 doms, who are not yet out of this 
 form, and yet Goc? may be in them, 
 as in Germany, Sweeden, Den- 
 mark^ in England formerly and of 
 late, God having his more spiritual 
 times for them, as well as others. 
 
 I have spoken of things here 
 sometimes very briefly, because I 
 find less of man in writing- the sub- 
 stance and truth of things, so far 
 as revealed in us, than in tedious 
 discourses and Paraphrases, which 
 are many times rather the works of 
 reason, and wit, and art, than of 
 the Spirit of God; and I have writ 
 not in that common method of men, 
 because I received it not accord- 
 ingly. 
 
 I find two things which make 
 some outward Ordinances so ex- 
 ceedingly, and in divine right stood 
 for : the one is, an opinion, that 
 there is a very model in the Letter 
 of Scriptures to be discovered ; 
 which is to reduce Christians to 
 bondage again, and to ^form with- 
 
xviii The Epistle 
 
 out those very (j'ifts, which is not 
 to be found in the word. 
 
 The other opinion is, that the 
 setting up such ?iform, is an im- 
 mediate way ofjixiuf/ God, nnd his 
 Spirit upon it, which indeed is a 
 finer kind of Idolatry , to conceive 
 that God enters into outward 
 things, and conveys his all glori- 
 ous, Rud A I might y Spirit by them, 
 whenas they are only signs, JigureSy 
 and Images of more spiritual things 
 enjoyed, or to be enjoyed ; and that 
 of God's appearance and convey- 
 ance of himself in outward things, 
 according to this opinion, is such 
 as the Papists hold, as to Images , 
 and to things conferring grace 
 Ex opere operato, and all Idolaters 
 accordingly, conceiving that God 
 immediately informs, and glorifies, 
 and spiritualizes those forms, and 
 figures to the beholders; as the /5- 
 raelites when the Calf was made, 
 cried, these are thy Gods Israel. 
 
 I know Ordinances used in their 
 true nature, and as things that are 
 the Parables, figures, and types of 
 spiritual things, are not to be re- 
 jected, but many Christians do 
 
to the Reader. xix 
 
 sweetly partake of them in this their 
 state of weakness and bondage, 
 wherein God makes heavenly 
 thing's appear by eai^thly, that men, 
 as Thomas, m.ay see and believe, 
 though blessed are they that have 
 not seen, and yet do believe. 
 
 All I have now to say to ye is 
 this: 
 
 Something of a mystery of God, 
 and something' of a mystery of Sa- 
 tan. 
 
 That of God is this, that the Lord 
 doth in much wisdom suffer the 
 weakness of some spiritual men to 
 come forth : and by this, he carries 
 spiritual thing's in more mystery, 
 and manages the glory of his spirit 
 through ways and things which are 
 an offence, and scandal before the 
 World ; by which some stumble 
 and fall, and are broken, Christ 
 was set up for the falling as well 
 as rising of many in Israel. 
 
 That of Satan is this, to observe 
 how he fortifies corrupt nature 
 against the spirit of God; which 
 spirit he knows can only destroy 
 his Kingdom, and reveal the King- 
 dom of God; and therefore coun- 
 
X X The Episth to the Reader. 
 
 terfeits the spirit by false Revela- 
 tio7is and appearances ; transform- 
 ing himself into an Angel of light, 
 and then casting all this as a scan- 
 dal, upon the pure Spirit of God 
 by reproaches, viz. of praying by 
 the spirit, and preaching by the 
 spirit, and new Revelations, and 
 new Light, thus making the world 
 blaspheme, and the weaker Saints 
 afraid of the glory of the spirit, 
 lest it prove a delusion. 
 
 ^ ^ ^ 
 

 SPARKLES OF GLORY. 
 
 The Two Citations 
 
 or Two Natures of Flesh 
 
 and Spirit. 
 
 THESE two Creations are two 
 distinct Natures, from whence 
 all things of Flesh and Spirit come 
 forth ; the two Adams are the two ^fSrojavV- 
 seeds, roots, or principles of these '^°^' 
 two Natures or Creations, the StCie^c; u,- 
 Old and New ; so as in the know- t^uX^i,. 
 ledge of these two there opens a '■^^■ 
 Prospect both of heaven and earth, 
 of the first man and the second, i cor. js. 
 ivho are the sean or womb of all 22. 
 things carnal and spiritual, and vlrT "'" 
 into whom are gathered up all the ;^^'''' "''^^'' ' 
 Mystery of C/iWs^ and Antichrist, ""''' 
 and from whence the Mystery of 
 
Some Beams of that 
 
 
 both are brought forth before those 
 that are spiritual ; the spiritual 
 man judgeth all things. 
 
 The first Adam is the root of all 
 fleshly Creation and Excellency ; 
 the glory of the first Creation is 
 gathered up into him, as the light 
 into the body of the Sun ; the life 
 of Angels or Spirits, of sense or 
 beasts, of nature or vegetation, is 
 all in him : So as man is all created 
 excellency in the map or abridg- 
 Uev. 21. 3. ment ; and God, making* his Ta- 
 bernacle with man, dwells at the 
 same time with all his Creation ; 
 Man, being the glorious and bright 
 sum or whole of the Creation, was 
 1.5.14. ^figure and type of the Son of 
 Gof/, Jesus Christ : And therefore 
 he was said to be made after his 
 (icii. 1. 26. own Image, which Image was Je- 
 a-KaiywryM. sus C/trist, callcd by the Apostle 
 the Image of the invisible God, 
 the brightness of his glory, and 
 express Image of his Person. 
 
 And while man was thus in the 
 Image of God, and stood and lived 
 in Communion with God, walking 
 in that Paradise, or that Glory of 
 his first Creation, in obedience to 
 God, and participation of God, he 
 
 
 Roiij 
 
 £"' TU'TTOf. 
 
 T^f Jofjl,' 
 
 Hob. 1. 3. 
 
Bright and Moiming Star. 3 
 
 was the Image of all or any created 
 excellency^ as it was, or is, or 
 shall be in order to a more excel- 
 lent life, to a life out of itself, in 
 him who is the fountain of life. Psai. 36. 9. 
 
 And while man was in this com- 
 munion and dependency to God, 
 as he was made in his Image, or 
 as he was the likeness and simili- Gen. 1. 26. 
 tude of God, he was the figure 
 and image of Jesus Christ in his 
 New Creation, or whole body, or Eph.4. 23. 
 Saints, who know no other life '"^"J^"." 
 than in God, whose springs are 
 all in him ; the Lord God being 
 their everlasting light, and their 
 God their glory. 
 
 While they, like the golden Can- Zee. 4. 12. 
 dlestick in Zechariah, are fed with 
 the golden oil that is continually 
 f owing and issuing through the 
 golden pipes. 
 
 The excellency of this first Crea- 
 <20W is but earthly or fleshly in 
 the Spirit's account, and as it stands 
 in distinction to the second Crea- 1 Cor. 15. 
 tion, or new man, or Lord from ^^^J;, ^^,5^^. 
 heaven ; so as the circuit or fur- -^o; i^yn?. ^^ 
 thest attainment of man in this "^f'"^* ''f*""' 
 Creation is but to things of this 
 Creation; from things of ra^to/ia/ 
 
Some Beams of that 
 
 and Aufjelical glory to things of 
 lowest and most earthly life or 
 excellency, of which Sokmwn was 
 an Image : as his heart was large 
 like the sand on the sea shores 
 and as he was ivise from the Cedar 
 in Lebanon to the wormwood in 
 the wall ; from the highest to the 
 lowest part of this Creation, com- 
 prehending all from the top of this 
 Creation to the bottom ; and see- 
 ing the face of God in this more 
 darkly, as in a glass, the invisible 
 things of him being clearly seen 
 
 rk s^onu. and understood by the things that 
 
 Rom. 1.20. are made, even his eternal power 
 
 tZT^ and Godhead. 
 
 Sftorrvf- Now all this excellency and 
 
 glory of the frst man did leave 
 Gen. 3. God, being tempted of the woman 
 and the serpent, which were a 
 figure of Jleshly wisdom without 
 God, and of the lueakness of this 
 Creation in its own nature, as it 
 was drawn away and enticed from 
 its life in God and communion 
 with God, to live in itself, or own 
 life, and to be to itself what God 
 should have been, wisdom, and 
 life, and righteousness, power, and 
 strength, and preservation, and all 
 things. 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 5 
 
 And as it left God, life, and 
 communion in him, was a figure 
 or image of this Creation departing 
 from God, and living' out of God ; 
 and now, according to this Indepen- 
 dent subsistence or life from God, 
 it apostates and degenerates into 
 that nature which is called the seed 
 of the serpent, the old man, the 
 m?/5^er?/ of in{^w2^//, which appeared 2 Thes. 
 all along in the cursed /^wres or ^Z^^.^^,,, 
 types of Cain, of Esau, of /sA- rniavofMoa 
 mael, of the children of the bond- ce'li! 4!"! 
 woman, of Judas, of Antichrist, ^f"^^""^ 
 of the whore of Babylon ; so as all oai. 4. v3. 
 the knowledge of sin, of all fleshly ^^y Tro^w ^^ 
 abominations, whether more 5j9z- j^^^ ,g 
 ritual or carnal, are discovered in 
 the knowledge of this j^r5^ wan, 
 thus discovered as he lives not in 
 God, nor in communion with God, 
 and lives a Zzyi? distinct from the 
 life in God, and all his actings and 
 workings are from his own /z/e, his 
 /i/e of this Creation, and to Am- 
 self, not from Goc/, nor to God. 
 
 The second Adam, or Jesus 
 Christ, is that quickening Spirit, 
 or Zo7'<f yVom heaven, and is the 
 root of all the second or new Crea- 
 tion, which is created according to 
 
Some Beams of that 
 
 God, in ri(jhteousness and true 
 F:ph.4. 24. holiness, which rif/hteousness is 
 •^ i'/'^r-'"!' called the rif/hteousness of God 
 <ixn5«a;. and true holiness, which is an ho- 
 liness more g-lorious than the holi- 
 ness of the first Creation, an holi- 
 ness which is of God, not of man, 
 and therefore true holiness, or ho- 
 liness in truth. 
 
 This Jesus, or second Adam, as 
 i.xiv Ta 6ta. he is Spirit, is called the Image of 
 the invisible God, the brightness 
 of his glory , and express Image of 
 his Person ; is the life manifested, 
 the Word of God, he that is alive 
 for evermore, the Alpha and Ome- 
 ga, the beginning and the ending ; 
 this is he who is the wisdom, mijid, 
 or understanding of God, and was 
 in God, and is the Immanuel, or 
 God with us, or God making* his 
 Rer. 21. 3. Tabemacle with men. 
 
 This Jesus Christ is that glory 
 of God in which the Father is re- 
 vealed, and so none knows the 
 Luke 10. Father but the Son, and he to 
 ^^'^' whom the Son will reveal him. 
 
 This is he who, being in the 
 John 1. 18. bosom of God, declares him to the 
 sons of men, and so rejoices in the 
 Prov.8.31. habitable parts of the earth. 
 
 1 John 1.2. 
 
 l^m i<pa.Tt- 
 John 1. 1. 
 
 Rev. 1. 8. 
 
 Prov. 8. 
 
 Mat. 1.23. 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 7 
 
 This Jesus Christ is the revela- 
 tion of God, even the Father; this 
 is the glass or crystal of God, in 
 whom we with open face behold^ 2Cor.3. is. 
 as in a glass, the glory of the ^^.TciriuiLtxt- 
 Lord, and are changed from glory 
 to glory. 
 
 The Sons of men taken into this 
 glory of the Son of God, are that 
 new or second Creation, that 7iew Rev. 21.2. 
 Jerusalem, which came down from 
 God, the city of the living God, ^'^oXif ssi ^Sv- 
 the Spirits of just men made per- Heb. 12.23. 
 feet, the new creature, the hea- 
 venly men ; as is the Lord from 1 Cor. 15. 
 heaven, so are they that are hea- '*^' '*^' 
 venly ; the spiritual men of him 
 who is the quickening Spirit ; so i for. 15. 
 as Jesus Christ is made unto us i coi. 1. 30. 
 the wisdom, power, righteousness, 
 sanctification, and redemption of 
 God. 
 
 This Jesus Christ is the root, 
 seed, principle^ or original of all 
 this new and heavenly life, glory, 
 and spirit to the Sons of men, 
 wherein they enter within the veil 
 or flesh, which is the first Crea- 
 don, beyond which is this glory 
 and light ; the veil of this first 
 Temple or Creation being rent by 
 
8 
 
 Some Beams of that 
 
 T»iy liiav 
 
 at.''; 
 
 him who crucified ?i\\ flesh through 
 Hrb.9. 14. the eternal Spirit^ and entered 
 Luke 24. into his glory, and is now passed 
 into the holiest, through whom we 
 have access to God even the Fa- 
 ther, throug-h the blood of the 
 everlasting Covenant ; which blood 
 
 «j;r'^£L!ir ^'^^ ^^^ ^^^^ Creation and Excel- 
 lency crucified to the very life and 
 blood of it; this was the seal or 
 mark of the New Testament in 
 his blood. 
 
 This Son of God is he who came 
 to restore the first Creation from 
 its enmity to God, and so in that 
 Ministery of his flesh became the 
 word of reconciliation, by which 
 the world was reconciled unto 
 him ; and in this Creation wherein 
 vian had sinned and departed from 
 
 Cor. 5. 
 18. 
 
 T>iv 5«axon'av 
 T>){ xaTa»>a- 
 
 God, living- in his own life, the 
 Son of God was manifested in this 
 
 Rom. R. 3. Creation to condemn sin in the 
 flesh, and to take away sin, and to 
 fulfil the righteousness of the Law 
 in the flesh of this first Creation, 
 
 R. m. s. 3. the law being weak through the 
 flesh ; and thus he was made sin 
 for us, who knew no sin, that we 
 might be made the righteousness 
 of God in him ; not only righte- 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 9 
 
 ousness according to the law, 
 
 Christ being the end of the law 
 
 {for righteousness) to every one 
 
 that believeth ; but the righteous- Rom. 3. 21, 
 
 ness of God, a righteousness of j.,^f,;^,^ ,3 
 
 more glory and excellency . fi»a- 
 
 The Son of God did not only 
 fulfil this, bringing home this first 
 Creation or man to God, accord- 
 ing to his first excellency and com- 
 munion with God ; but in this ap- 
 pearance in the flesh he was a 
 figure of God, whose design is to 
 make his Saints his Temple, his 
 Tabernacle, his Body, his new 1 Cor. 6. 19. 
 Creation, his new creatures, his fcorfi2.^' 
 habitation or house. And God 12. 
 thus manifested in flesh was a Eph. 2. 22. 
 figure of that mystery oi godliness f«f e^afsfiifln 
 in us, or God becoming an Im- 'iTu^.'^ag. 
 manuel, or God with us. ^^'^^- '• '^•^• 
 
 And in his crucifying all this 
 first glory in which he appeared, 
 revealed that old design of God, 
 that mystery hid from ages, and Coi. 1.20. 
 now made manifest to the Saints; tTfrt 
 nailing all the flesh of his Saints vova7roT*v 
 to the same Cross, and being lifted '*'"""^" 
 up draws all men unto him, which 
 is the Mystery of the Gospel, or 
 Christ crucifled ; all the life or 
 B 2 
 
10 Some Beams of that 
 
 excellency of this first Creation 
 
 beinf^ crucified in tlie Saints as in 
 
 Christ, whereby they enter into 
 
 their fjlory as he did into his, and 
 
 John 17. are in the same glory of God made 
 
 onCj as he and the Father are 
 
 one. 
 
 This is th^t fellowship of Christ's 
 
 Phil. 3. 10. death, sufferings and resurrection, 
 
 X1°«W- spoken of by Paul, into which the 
 
 T"-*-- Christian is received. 
 
 And now all things of this new 
 
 or second Creation, as they are 
 
 spiritual and heavenly, are only 
 
 in and through the same Spirit, and 
 
 discerned in the same Spirit. 
 
 And the whole Christ, or Son 
 
 1 Cor. 12. of God, is head and body, he and 
 
 his, who shall enjoy and live with 
 
 God in one Spirit, when God shall 
 
 hei-t^<rZu.a bc oll iu all, and the fulness of 
 
 Sra-fixfTOf. ^J^^ stature of Christ grown up to 
 
 Epb. 1.23. be the body of him whojilleth all 
 
 in all. 
 Tov\r^oixct ^^^ Jesus Christ in this consi- 
 .ravraiv dcratlou of the ivhole man, nature, 
 ^V8. or body in which (jod is revealed, 
 
 liev. 3. 14. is the beginning of the Creation 
 c!>1. \'. ir. of God, the first-born of every 
 creature, in whom all things sub- 
 sist. 
 
ruiuoc 
 
 Bright and Mornhtg Star. 1 
 
 The true Church. 
 
 THAT is the Church or body 
 of Christ which is baptized fi; 'iv<Tu. 
 by one Spirit into oneness and •i^"'^^*^*'^^^''- 
 unity of Spirit, a unity or incor- 
 poration with Christ, being wade John 17. 
 perfect in one ; even one, as thou, ^^" 
 Father, art in me, and I in thee. 
 
 This body is that wherein all 
 the members live, and are quick- 1 Coi. 12. 
 ened in owe and the same Spirit ^^' 
 with Christ, and in this unity if 
 one member suffer, all the mem- 1 Cor. 12, 
 bers suffer with it. ^^' 
 
 All the members of this body 
 have the same care one of another. 1 Cor. 12. 
 This body is spiritual, and all the ^^' 
 members of it spiritual ; because 
 Christ is the head of it, and he is 1 Cor. 11. 3. 
 a quickening Spirit, and the Lord 2Cor.3. u. 
 that Spirit. ° "'-^'^f- ■"' 
 
 That is the true Church which 
 is the Temple of God, where God 
 dwells : ye are the Temples of 
 the Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ is 
 the chief corner stone of this Tem- 
 ple, elect and precious ; this is the Eph. 2. 20. 
 Temple which the Angel measures Rfv.*ii."f,' 
 with a golden reed, and the Altar '^- 
 
12 So?/ie Beams of that 
 
 thereof, or the eternal Spirit, upon 
 which all tlie first Creation is of- 
 fered in the Saints as it was of- 
 fered in Christ, who throiig-h the 
 Heb. 9. 14. eternal Spirit offered himself, 
 leaving out the outiuard court, or 
 the Jiesh and first Creation, and 
 all outward administrations, which 
 are given to the Gentiles to tread 
 down. 
 
 The Tabernacle and Temple 
 were figures of this wherein God 
 and the glory of God appeared ; 
 and all gatherings. Communions, 
 or Fellowships called Churches in 
 the Gospel, were clearer types of 
 this. 
 
 This is the Church which is the 
 pillar and ground of truth, the 
 general Assembly and Church of 
 the first born, w-hich are written 
 in heaven. 
 
 This is the Church to which 
 Jesus Christ is all, and in all, 
 u. filling all, the Apostle to this 
 Church, the Prophet, Pastor, and 
 Teacher, preaching to it, prophe- 
 sying init, feeding it, and watching 
 over it, and teaching it, so as all 
 are taught of God. 
 
 This is the Church against which 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 13 
 
 the gates of hell cannot prevail^ Max.ig^ is. 
 having Jesus Christ its rock and '^rJa'^Lso- 
 foundation. iJ.i)<Tuif^H 7iv 
 
 This is the Church to which all 
 the promises of Spirit, life, and 
 glory are made to the believers and 
 members that are in this Fellowship 
 and of this Church. 
 
 And into this Church all are ad- 
 mitted through the Sjnrit of Christ, i Cor. 12. 10. 
 and all are discerned members in Joi^^j^J ll 
 the same Spirit y and tried by the -^t^iMXTu. 
 Spirit. 
 
 And this Church of Christ being 
 thus baptized by Spirit into one 
 body, is not to be divided by any 
 outward things which are of this 
 Creation, which are visible, out- Cui. 2. 20, 
 ward, and perishing ; or by any 
 fellowship and ordinances below 
 the glory of the Spirit, which are 
 part of the first Tabernacle ; nor 
 are the members of this spiritual 
 Church to be divided by any schism 
 or division, procured or effected by 
 2LX\y principle less, or less excellent 
 than the Spirit of God. 
 
 And therefore whatsoever fel- 
 lowship in pretence of Church- 
 no tion, or Baptism-notion, or PreS' 
 byterial-notion, shall cast itself 
 
14 Some Beams of that 
 
 into any model of the letter, which 
 allows not communion with other 
 believers in Spirit, in whom the 
 power of the Spirit, and of Christ 
 cannot be denied, but to be visible 
 and apparent, tliough not in the 
 practice of some particular ordi- 
 nance, such felloiv ship will in the 
 day of the Lord Jesus, or clearer 
 revelation of Christ, see how they 
 have offended many little ones, 
 whom in these outward things they 
 ought to have pleased to edijica- 
 Rom. 13. Hon, the knu of love^ and spirit or 
 Rom. 8. 2. ^\f^ being more royal and excellent, 
 Col. 2. 20. than any worldly rudiment whatso- 
 ever. 
 
 The true Personal Reign of 
 Christ as it is Spiritual. 
 
 The Lord Jesus is entered into his 
 glory, having crucified flesh, and 
 
 Luke 24. sits at the right hand of God, or 
 in the choicest glory of the Father, 
 
 2 Coi . 3. where he is the Lord that Spirit, 
 and the Lord of glory. 
 
 I Cor. 5.25. The Lord Jesus must reign till 
 he hath put all his enemies under 
 his feet: he fills all administrations 
 of Dominion^ Judgment, Power, 
 and Magistracy , in the world, which 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 15 
 
 is part of his King-dom here, all 
 judgment and power in heaven and John 5. 22, 
 earth being committed unto him ; Mat'^-is. is. 
 yet this is not his spiritual reign, 
 thoug-h administered by him who is 
 in Spirit. 
 
 The Lord Jesus hath a kingdom 
 inward 3,nd spiritual, the kingdom Luke 17. ii. 
 of God is within you, the kingdom 
 of God is righteousness, peace, 
 and joy, the kingdom of God is icoi. 4. 21. 
 in power. 
 
 The Lord Jesus denied his king- 
 dom to be of this world, or to come 
 with observation, as lo here, or lo Luke u. -21. 
 there, as the glory of the world, ^^*' '^^' 
 and the kingdoms of the world is 
 in its appearance. 
 
 The Lord Jesus his coming is as 
 lightning from East to West, filling Mat. 24. -27. 
 heaven ; lightning is a glory with- 
 out figure, so shall Christ's coming 
 and revelation in Spirit be ; for as 
 the lightning lighteth from one 
 end of heaven to the other, so shall 
 the coming of the Son of man be. 
 
 The Lord Jesus his coming is in 
 Spirit and glory, in revelation in 
 his Saints ; he shall come to be 2 Thes. 1 . 
 glorified in his Saints, and admired ^°' 
 in all them that believe. 
 
 The Lord Jesus reigns already, 
 
16 Some Beams of t It at 
 
 all things are put in siihjection 
 under hhn, death, and hell, and 
 sin, and Antichrist, and the 
 
 Hcb. 2. 8. wicked; only lue see not all yet 
 put under hivi. Jesus Christ 
 reigns in Spirit, only his reign 
 appears not yet ; now are we the 
 
 I John 3. 1. Sons of God, but it doth not appear 
 what we shall be ; but when he 
 shall appear, we shall be like him. 
 All the prophecies, and promises 
 of glory, and a kingdom of Anti- 
 christ to be destroyed, of the great 
 Battles, of the Thrones, of the 
 new Jerusalem, of him on i\\ewhite 
 horse, the Lord of Lords, and King 
 oi Kings are most glorious in Spirit, 
 and most suitable to Christ in the 
 glory of his Father, and for any 
 other figure of Christ's reign or 
 kingdom, in any fleshly glory, 
 political or monarchical kingdom, 
 according to any pattern upon 
 earth ; these conceptions or notions 
 are occasioned by the Allegories, 
 and Allusions, and Parables the 
 Spirit speaks ; which they that are 
 weak and carnal, as some Disciples 
 and Pharisees were, take more in 
 the Letter than in the Spirit. 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 17 
 
 Antichrist within us. 
 
 THAT Antichristian mystery 
 which seems to be working* 
 in so mhnjjigures and shapes with- 
 out in the world, and makes up the 
 truth of those Scriptures of the 
 beast, and the whore, and the false 
 prophet, &c. flows only from the 
 Antichrist within us, or the mys- 
 tery of iniquity which lies in the 
 flesh, or old 7nan, or man of sin, 'iTiits.2 3. 
 the So7i of perdition, as in the root, 
 seed, or principle ; and in us you 
 may find all the delusions and de- 
 ceivableness of unrighteousness, 
 with all the several fig-ures it ap- 
 pears in, in the Revelation, and 
 Epistle to the Thessalonians, and 
 the Spirit of that Natural man in 2Tijes. 2. 
 us acts all that wickedness in us, 
 which in the World comes forth 
 only in Images more Visible, and 
 fleshly : and to the destruction of 
 this Antichrist we should look, and 
 lay the Axe to the root of the tree, 
 carnal wisdom, self-righteousness, 
 high imaginations, fleshly appre- 
 hensions of God and Christ, chang- 
 ing the truth of God into a lie, with 
 
Some Beams of that 
 
 all the false testimonies of our own 
 spirits for the Spirit of God, the 
 counterfeit sea linr/s and assurances 
 of our carnal hearts, the deceivable- 
 ness of carnal reason, with all other 
 actings of the flesh. 
 
 The Doctinne of Baptisms, 
 
 Ba^T'\t<^^lwv f I ^HE Doctrinc of BaptUm^ is 
 
 J<5ax,i- J^ g^^l^ ^ doctrine as clearly and 
 
 spiritually understood, and opened, 
 
 will establish the Spirits of many 
 
 Christians, who are much in the 
 
 dark in these, not distinguishing 
 
 p:ph.4. 21. nor discerning the Baptisms as 
 
 Itfiltilr. they are in their own Nature, and 
 
 ii-ra ' in Spirit, or as the truth is in 
 
 Jesus. 
 
 The Baptists. 
 
 BAPTISM of Water being a 
 Legal Ordinance, though a 
 more clear administration of Christ, 
 was administered always by per- 
 sons of more than ordinary gift and 
 spirit; for in all Legal adminis- 
 trations which pointed at and sha- 
 dowed Christ, still they were per- 
 
Bright and Morning Star, 19 
 
 formed by some properly, and spe- 
 cially, and extraordinarily enabled 
 for that OJi.ce or Ministration^ and 
 therefore the tribe of Levi was for 
 administration of Ordinances then 
 under the Law, and Abraham for Gfin. u. 23. 
 circumcision, Moses, and Aaron, 
 ^c. John Baptist, the Apostles, 
 and the more than ordinary gifted 
 Disciples, and Philip, and Ana- 
 nias : nor is there any extant in 
 all the New Testament who did 
 administer Baptism, but they were 
 such as by a poiver and gift more 
 than ordinary could make demon- 
 stration of their calling to the ad- 
 ministration of water, which was 
 fii'st in that way of doctrine per- 
 formed by him, than whom a 
 greater Prophet hath not risen, 
 even by John who Baptized ; and 
 so Philip and Ananias, the one 
 working glorious miracles at Sa- Acis 8. 
 maria, the other having a vision 
 from God to w^arrant and glorify 
 his call to that administration upon 
 Paul, and so all the Apostles 
 and seventy Disciples, were such 
 who went about doing miracles as 
 men excellently gifted for admi- 
 nistration ; and whereas the Scrip- 
 
20 Some Beams of that 
 
 tures make mention of some Dis- 
 Act» 10.48. ciples, as those with Peter, who 
 did not appear to do any thing" 
 more than others ; nor Philip, nor 
 Ananias at the time of their admi- 
 nistration of water ; it oug-ht to be 
 sufficient to us, that the Scriptures 
 doth set forth Jolm Baptist and 
 the Apostles and Disciples that 
 were more than ordinarily g-ifted, 
 and Philip and Ananias who had 
 sufficient warrant to themselves by 
 such glory upon them for that 
 Office and administration of water 
 upon any, and for those other Dis- 
 ciples, surely we see and read 
 enough to tell us, in those that 
 were so gifted ; and in them and 
 their gifts, there is light enough to 
 shew us the glory of those Bap- 
 tists that did undertake to admi- 
 nister, which in the Scripture me- 
 thod is sufficient for all others of 
 whom the Scripture is silent. 
 
 And for that of Christ^s Dis- 
 ciples, both in Johns time and 
 Christ's, and after his Resurrec- 
 tion, in the Acts of the Apostles, 
 baptizing by water, we find this ; 
 That the Lord Jesus himself bap' 
 Mat. 10. tized none, but his Disciples, nor 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 21 
 
 did he; in his first sending them 
 forth, g'ive them any power to bap- 
 tize as in his Ministery , but they 
 Baptized upon Johns account, that 
 of water being his ministration who 
 Baptized unto Christ as well as 
 they, though not in that clearness 
 of ministration and Doctrine^ as 
 they did ; and therefore Paul did 
 tell the Corinthians he was not iCor. 1. 17. 
 sent to Baptize^ and did it accord- 
 ing to his spiritual liberty, he was 
 a Jeiv to the Jew, Sfc, and Peter 
 and the rest did it upon the like 
 account : though I believe they 
 were under more bondage to these 
 outward things, as washing, for 
 Peter was an Apostle to the Cir- Gai.-2. s. 
 cumcision, and Arianias who bap- 
 tized Paul was a Jewish Disciple. 
 And further, I believe, that as 
 the Lord did suffer the Law of 
 Ceremonies to die out by degrees, 
 and to be worn out by the minis- 
 tration of the Gospel, so he did 
 that part of Johns Ministery, of 
 washing, by the Baptism of Christ, 
 of his Spirit, I must decrease, but John 3 30. 
 he must increase, which surely was 
 spoken not according to the per- 
 sons of John and Christ, but ac- 
 
22 Some Beams of that 
 
 cording- to their ministration, \\h\c\\ 
 is the great thing the Scripture 
 takes notice on. 
 
 The Baptism of Sufferings. 
 
 THE Baptism of Sufferings is 
 that Passion, Crucifying, and 
 death, which the Body or flesh of 
 Christ was to be Baptized or washed 
 TO paTrV/Lia. in ; Can ye be Baptized with the 
 <!I^.£wei Baptism that I am Baptized 
 "^^ with ? 
 
 The Baptism of Suffering's is that 
 
 in which the Lord Jesus was to be 
 
 Heb. 2. JO. perfected according to the flesh ; it 
 
 t^^iaJ^^ behoved him to make the Captain 
 
 of our Salvation perfect through 
 
 sufferings. 
 
 The Baptism of Sifferings is 
 that Joidan ; that stream or flood 
 of Passions which all the Spiritual 
 Israelites were to pass through ; 
 this was that River of Brimstone, 
 which is kindled from the breath of 
 the Lord Jesus himself, through 
 the flowings of which he was able 
 to conduct all his, and Land them 
 safely upon the shore or land of 
 Promise, or on the other side Jor- 
 dan ; / have a Baptism to be bap- 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 23 
 
 tized with, and how am I strait- Lnke 12. 
 ened till it be accomplished ! b/ttW^xo. 
 
 This Baptism of sufferings is that (Ja7r7»o-s;iv«». 
 in which all the whole flesh of 
 Christ is to be Baptized, all which 
 flesh is not that only which Christ 
 appeared in, but that of his body 
 or members, With the baptism that tyU ^airrit^o- 
 I am baptized with, shall ye be s^'^f'*'^^*'* 
 baptized. That I may Jill up that Mark 10. 
 which is behind of the afflictions Coi.'i.24. 
 of Christ in my flesh, for his ^~^^|^fY^'* 
 body's sake, which is the Church, h tt, o-o^k/. 
 
 The Baptism of Water or 
 of John. 
 
 THE Baptism of water is John's 
 Ministery unto Christ : I in- Mat. 3. 11. 
 deed Baptize ye with water unto *" ^"' 
 Repentance : the Baptism of water 
 was a Legal washing, and therefore 
 reckoned amongst things that are 
 Legal; Thefrst Tabernacle stood 
 in meats and drinks, and divers Heb. 9. 10. 
 washings and carnal Ordinances, 
 which divers washings are called 3ia<t)ofo.f 
 Baptisms in the Greek. ^a^i.v,xo.i. 
 
 The Baptism of Water was there- 
 fore in its Ministery administered 
 by Johnj who was a Prophet nearer 
 
24 Some Beams of that 
 
 the more clear Revelation of Jesus 
 Christ than the rest, for a greater 
 Prophet than John hath not risen, 
 and therefore this Ministration was 
 administered by him who was a 
 Prophet, or one rather upon the 
 account of the Law than the Gos- 
 
 '^i«y"' P^^' ^^^' ^^^ ^^^"^ ^'^^ ^^"^^ ^^ ^^^ 
 
 S^'^''" Kingdom of God is greater than 
 he. 
 
 The Baptism of Water was not 
 given in Christ's Ministery to his 
 Disciples or Apostles, who, when 
 he sent them out to preach first to 
 the Jews, gave them not one word 
 
 Mat. 10. 5. to Baptize ; the Lord Jesus was 
 Baptized by John, the Minister of 
 ^yate^, to fulfill righteousness for 
 his, the Righteousness of washing 
 which was Legal as Circumcision, 
 
 Col. 2. II, therefore we are said to be Circum- 
 cised with him in Circumcision, 
 buried with him in Baptism ; the 
 Baptism of Water was performed 
 by the Disciples and Apostles of 
 Christ in the Name of the Lord Je- 
 sus, as all other Legal Ordinances 
 were, for Circumcision and all was 
 to Christ, who was the end of the 
 Law; but Jesus Christ himself 
 neyer Baptized any, never was an 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 25 
 
 administrator of it in his own per- 
 son, he Baptized none, but his Dis- John 4. i, 
 ciples, so as his Disciples Baptized ^' 
 none, as his only Ministration, but 
 as from John, and as in his Minis- 
 tration unto the Lord Jesus, and as 
 a Ministration which was begun by 
 one who was so eminent a Prophet, 
 and so acceptable to Disciples that 
 were weak and Legal. 
 
 The Baptism of Water was more 
 used by those Apostles or Disciples 
 which were Jewish, and to the Jews, 
 as Peter, who had the Apostleship 
 of Circumcision, and so did Ju- Gal. 2. 8. 
 daize more ; than by the Apostle %%J,fX. 
 who was less a Jew, and had not 
 seen Christ in the flesh but in the 
 Spirit, and was an Apostle to the 
 Uncircumcision, and professed he 1 Cor. 1. 
 was not sent to Baptize, but to '» yitl kirig-u- 
 Preach the Gospel. Xfi^Xfrc? 
 
 Ihis Baptism 01 Water was called 
 a Baptism of Repentance, and of Acts 19. 4. 
 Manifestation to Israel, because 
 that coming of Christ in the flesh 
 was the first opening of the Mys- 
 tery of Christ in flesh to those who 
 were under sin and bondage, as 
 the Jews and the Gentiles were. 
 
 John 1. 31. 
 
ev trve'^tJMTi 
 
 '26 Some Beams of that 
 
 The Baptism of the Holy 
 Ghost ^ or Gifts. 
 
 THE Baptism of the Holy 
 Ghost or Gifts, is that Bap- 
 tism which is said to be more pro- 
 perly Christ's ministration, He 
 "'>'r''*' shall baptize ye with the Holy 
 Ghost and with fire. 
 
 The Baptism of the Holy Ghost 
 or Gifts was that Baptism which 
 the Lord Jesus promised his Dis- 
 ciples to fulfil upon them, and upon 
 Mat. 28. their Ministration, Go, teach and 
 Baptize all Nations, in the Name 
 of the Father, and of the Son, 
 and of the Holy Ghost ; and lo, I 
 am with you, Sfc. or, I Disciple 
 those Nations, and Baptize them 
 with the Holy Ghost in your mi- 
 nistration ; for we all know that 
 Apostles and Disciples could not 
 disciple or baptize any : who is 
 Paul or who is Apollos ? and this 
 Ministration of the Holy Ghost or 
 Gifts was to last that Age, for so 
 
 19. 
 
 ■JTuTOCi ra; 
 
 T^^li^Ja is the Greek, not for ever and 
 riduZvo;. Bvcr, OY to the end of the world, 
 as is commonly read, but to the 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 27 
 
 Age, or during the time, or for the 
 fulfilling of that ministration. 
 
 The Baptism of Gifts or the 
 Holy Ghost was administered from 
 Christ in the Disciples' ministra- 
 tion, Be Baptized, and ye shall 
 receive the gifts of the Holy 
 Ghost ; for the promise is to you 
 and to your children, Sfc. which 
 promise is that of gifts or the Holy 
 Ghost, which was that thing pro- 
 mised by John upon Christ's Mi- 
 nistery, He shall Baptize with the 
 Holy Ghost ; and was promised 
 by Jesus Christ himself, Ye shall Acts i. 5. 
 be Baptized with the Holy Ghost, 
 8fc. ; and Paul laid his hands on Acts 19. 6. 
 them, and they received the Holy 
 Ghost; and the Holy Ghost fell 
 on them, this was a promise in the Joel 2. 28. 
 Prophets too. 
 
 The Baptism of the Holy Ghost 
 or Gifts and fire was in figure : 
 Gifts held forth the flowing of a 
 more spiritual Nature or of the 
 Spirit upon those who were true 
 spiritual Disciples, and fire was a 
 sign or figure of the power of the 
 Spirit in the spiritual Disciples, 
 burning up and destroying flesh 
 and the body of sin in them, even 
 
20 Some Beams of that 
 
 this first Creation, upon which it 
 fell, for it sate upon each of them 
 in fire, signifying-, by its resting 
 upon their flesh, what part was de- 
 signed to loss and purification ; 
 
 1 Cor. 3. The Jire shall try every mans 
 .^h , work of what sort it is; if any 
 
 TO TTVf Sow- «/ 1 1 II /• 
 
 tMxcrit i; s,u man's work be burnt, he shall suf- 
 
 '"'^"^ fer loss, but he himself shall he 
 
 saved, yet so as by fire. 
 
 The Baptism of Christ. 
 
 THE Baptism of Christ, which 
 is his own proper and Spiritual 
 and only ministration, is that by 
 which all true Christians are Bap- 
 tized into fellowship with him, and 
 oneness with him ; and so becomes 
 wholly washed in the New creature, 
 or New man, or Baptized into the 
 very Name of the Father, Son, 
 and Holy Ghost, of which that 
 Baptism administered in gifts, or 
 the Holy Ghost by the Apostles, 
 more visibly was a sign. 
 WfToSyoMot The Baptism of Christ, who is 
 
 ft( [tntO] TU r cy • • ^ T 
 
 "B-oTfof, 4c. the Lord that i^pirit, the Image 
 
 2 Cor. 3. ^y ^^^ invisible God, the quicken- 
 Coi. 1. 15. ing Spirit, is that one Baptism 
 
 spoken on in Ephes. 4, One Lord, 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 29 
 
 one faith, one Baptism, for Jesus Eph.4. 5. 
 Christ administering in himself, ^^f^^^/J'^"' 
 and his own Spiritual Nature, can 
 only make us thus one with him- 
 self, and with his own body. 
 
 The Baptism of Christ thus 
 Administered in his own Spiritual 
 Nature upon his, is that very Bap- 
 tism by which we are in the fellow- 
 ship of his sufferings and of his Phil. 3. 10. 
 death : as many as are baptized ^°™' ^' ^' 
 into Christ, are Baptized into his 
 death, and as many as are bap- 
 tized into Christ have put on skyj^Krrw. 
 Christ; so as this Baptism, by 
 which we are all Baptized into 
 Christ, and put on Christ and his 
 death, is spiritual ; for Christ can- Rom- 6. 
 
 ' f . . Gal. 3. -27. 
 
 not be truly put on, nor any thing 
 of his, his sufferings, death, or 
 resurrection, but in Spirit and f^^^lj^'' 
 Truth, whereby we are truly cru- chH^toin- 
 cifled and dead with him, to our- '^""' 
 selves and the world, and alive with Gal. 5. 
 him in one spirit ; the same Spirit Rom. s. 
 that raised up Jesus Christ shall ^irS ttwJ- 
 also quicken our mortal bodies. ^^'^°^' 
 
 The Baptism of Jesus Christ is 
 that whereby we are baptized into 
 his body ; now his body is a Spiri- 
 tual one, and fashioning like his 
 
30 Some Beams of that 
 
 i.Cor. 12. glorious one, by one Spirit we are 
 
 , l^- ~ all baptized iyito one body. 
 
 [into.] The Baptism of Christ is that 
 
 whereby we are complete in him ; 
 
 Ci.i. 2. 10. now we are complete in him only 
 by being one with him in Spirit 
 
 Tri^y.rfitM- and Nature: He being made unto 
 
 "'•■ us Righteousness and Sanctijica- 
 
 tion, Sfc. and thus we are said to 
 
 Col. 2. 11, be circumcised with the circumci- 
 sion made without hands, and 
 
 u-^t^yrriA- buriedwith him in baptism, where- 
 
 '^'"' 271 also we are risen with him 
 
 through faith, or Spirit; so as we 
 are Baptized in him as we are Cir- 
 cumcised in him, that is, we are 
 all in him ; and as the Circumci- 
 sion is without hands, so is the 
 Baptism, it being- the Apostle's 
 whole business in this Chapter to 
 take us and the Colossians up 
 
 Col. 2, 20, higher than rudiments, which perish 
 ^^' with using. 
 
 The Baptism of Christ is that 
 true spiritual ivashing and cleans- 
 ing wherein all his are baptized, 
 
 1. Pet. 3, not the putting away the filth of 
 
 ^^' the flesh, but the answer of a 
 
 good Conscience towards God by 
 
 the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 
 
 and this is the Baptism which is 
 
Bright and Morning Star, 3i 
 
 said in this place to save us, as 
 Noah's Ark did those eight persons ht^ct; <rw>:u. 
 infigure, therefore saith the Apostle, ^ 20!"^" 
 the likejigure whereunto Baptism Bifio-p^a 
 doth now save us. ^j. j^^i. 
 
 Tunov. 
 Exemplar. 
 
 The Divers Ministery, with 
 
 the Minister y of Christ 
 
 in his Saints, 
 
 UNDER the Law there was a 
 Priesthood, the administra- 
 tion of the Law and Sacrifices being 
 gathered up into one Tribe, that of 
 Levi; none was to take this office 
 but he that was called of God, as Hcb. 
 was Aaron. 
 
 Under the Law there were Pro- 
 phets, as Moses, Samuel, Elijah, 
 Isaiah, Ezekiel, ^c. the Interpre- 
 tation of the Law, and the more 
 spiritual Revelation of the Will of 
 God, were administered by the Pro- 
 phets, or some few to whom the 
 Word of the Lord came. 
 
 Both Priests and Prophets were 
 Types and Figures of Jesus Christ 
 to come, the great high Priest and Heb. 
 Prophet of his people as well as in 
 ministery to the people. 
 
32 Some Beams of tit at 
 
 In the more clear Revelation of 
 the Gospel, the administration of 
 Christ was committed to a few, or 
 certain Disciples in distinction of 
 Gifts and Office ; twelve of whom 
 
 Mat. 10. were called Apostles, and seventy 
 Disciples. 
 
 When Jesus Christ went out of 
 Jlesh into spirit, or ascended, he 
 confirmed and settled this miniS" 
 trution by pouring out gifts of 
 Spirit for the more g-lorious and 
 visible quickening- and spiritualizing- 
 this Ministration ; he ascended up 
 on high a7id gave gifts unto nieUy 
 he gave some Apostles, some Evan- 
 gelists, some Prophets, some Pas- 
 
 Epii. 4 tors, some Teachers for the work of 
 the Ministery, &c. 
 
 During the Ministration of Jesus 
 Christ in the Church in this dis- 
 tinction and diversity of gifts, there 
 were such as were spiritually and 
 visibly gifted accordingly, so as the 
 Apostles and Evangelists, and Pro- 
 phets and Pastors were known to 
 be such, both by the Saints or peo- 
 ple of God, to whom they did ac- 
 1. Coy. 12, cording to their gifts administer, 
 
 '"■ and to themselves, they adminis- 
 
 tering in the knowledge of such 
 
 1 Cor. 9. gifts of Spirit as were in them. 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 33 
 
 During this Ministration of Jesus 
 Christ by Apostles, Evangelists, 
 Prophets, Pastors, &c. the Dis- 
 ciples that were not in the distinc- Acts s. 4. 
 tion or number of such, but were 
 only called Disciples, yet did Preach Rom. 12,(5. 
 and administer as they had received. 
 
 Antichrist, or the Mystery of In- 
 iquity, came in upon this Ministra- 
 tion by gifts and Ordinances, and 
 the glory of the Spirit and power 
 of gifts went off from the visible 
 Church, as the glory of God from 
 the Temple to the threshold, till it 
 was v.'holly departed ; this was the 
 falling away prophesied on by 
 Paul, and by John in his Epistles, 2Thes.2,3. 
 and in the Revelation, in the vision 3" ° ' ' 
 of the Churches of Asia, and of l|^*^^'- ^- ^• 
 
 , -- 1 ^ 1 T* 1 chapters. 
 
 the Beast, and talse Prophet. Rev. 13. 
 
 All things in the visible Churches 
 of the Nations were, and are, in 
 the absence of the Spirit and of 
 gifts, administered by Arts and 
 Sciences, and Grammatical know- 
 ledge of tongues and languages, 
 and according to some spiritual 
 measure received in some, to whom 
 these things are in some degree 
 sanctified and spiritualized. 
 
 All knowledge and understanding 
 c2 
 
Some Beams of that 
 
 of the Orif^inal, all Interpretation 
 of Scriptures is according- to the 
 outward and inward administration 
 of both, through Arts, Sciences, 
 and tongues acquired, and through 
 such a measure of spiritual under- 
 standing as each have received. 
 
 There is no restoration of these 
 gifts of Spirit, which were in the 
 first ministration of the Church, as 
 of Apostles, Evangelists, Prophets, 
 Pastors, Teachers, according to the 
 first institution, that is, so as the 
 gifts of all these Offices are clearly 
 to be seen and discerned in Spirit, 
 to be the very unction and gift 
 either of Prophet, or Pastor, or 
 Teacher, as in the first Ministra- 
 tion, which will more clearly appear 
 in singling that pure gift of Spirit 
 that is in each from the habits of 
 Arts and Sciences, and Languages 
 acquired ; and from that Spiritual 
 understanding which is in all the 
 Saints, according to that work of 
 the Spirit, or regenerate part in 
 them, which is one and the same 
 for nature and substance of regene- 
 ration with all ; so as no super- 
 added, or proper, or distinguishing 
 gifts appear upon any other ac- 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 35 
 
 count, but either a natural^ or arti- 
 Jicial, or purely Spiritual account ; 
 not upon any account of distinction 
 oi gifts and Office as at first, when 
 the Spirit was poured out, and this 
 will appear yet more in comparing- 
 times, diXiA persons, and gifts ; our 
 times with the first, our Pastors 
 even of all Churches with the first, 
 and the gifts of all now with the 
 gifts then : then the Spirit of God 
 was poured out in gifts, and the 
 Disciples were taught of God, and 
 Prophesied and Preached from 
 the mere gift and spirit received ; 
 but now Prophets and Pastors 
 are taught from another account, 
 viz. upon a more Artificial and i?i~ 
 dustrious, and humane account, 
 and iheiY regenerate Nature ; then 
 they ministered and spake as the 
 Oracles of God, then they spake 
 as the Spirit only gave them ut- 
 terance. 
 
 The Ministery that is raised up Acts 2. 
 to destroy Antichrist, or the man 
 of sin, which prevailed against the 
 first ministery and gifts, is to be 
 more glorious, and powerful, and 
 mighty, as the Ministery of gifts 
 was more excellent than that of 
 
30 Some Beams of that 
 
 the Laic ; and so destroyed that 
 power of Apostacy that had pre- 
 vailed upon the Priesthood and 
 Law then ; so the Ministery that 
 is to destroy that mystery of ini- 
 quity^ which prevailed upon the 
 Gospel Ministery of fjifts^ must 
 be more excellent, and g'lorious, 
 and powerful than that, and this is 
 Jesus Christ himself, called the 
 Acts 3. Prophet whom we are to hear ; 
 Heb. 8. and that God, of whom we shall 
 all be taught; Ye shall be all 
 taught of God ; and he that shall 
 destroy Antichrist by the bright- 
 ness of his coming, and that An- 
 
 Kiv. 14. fi. gel ^vith the everlasting Gospel, 
 "prophesied on by John, preach- 
 ing and enlightening the earth 
 with his glory ; this is the day of 
 Jesus Christ, whose coming is 
 
 Hos. fi. 3. prepared as the morning. 
 
 The Ministery of Jesus Christ, 
 
 Rev. 18. 1. this Angel of the Covenant, is 
 through his people, who are his 
 Angel, or the Angel and Messen- 
 ger to him, as he is the Angel to 
 God or Messenger, or he that was 
 sent of God; and this Ministery 
 is a Ministery of Jesus Christ in 
 all his Saints or people, according 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 37 
 
 to his administration of light, and 
 glory, and truth in them, shining 
 in them to the revelation of truth 
 and the Gospel : This Ministery 
 exceeds the Priesthood of the law, 
 which was but in one tribe, and 
 one sort of men, and was but a 
 Ministery of Christ to come in the 
 flesh ; this Ministery is of Jesus 
 Christ the Prophet in the whole 
 body of his Saints, come in the 
 fiesh, and perfected in spirit, and Luke 24. 
 entered into glory. 
 
 The Ministery of Jesus Christ 
 the great Prophet in all his saints, 
 or people, or body, is a Ministery 
 exceeding the Ministery of the 
 Gospel in gifts of miracles and 
 other gifts ; for that was in some, 
 this in all, that of men more im- 
 mediately, this of Jesus Christ 
 more immediately ; that of some 
 gifts, which, though excellent in 
 their nature and operatio7is of the 
 same Spirit, yet these might be 
 such as were not spiritual, but 
 carnal ; but the puie Ministery of 
 Jesus Christ in his Saints, in him- 
 self, as he is the quickening Spirit 
 and Lord from heaven, is in none 
 but such as are of his body and in 
 one Spirit with him. 
 
38 Sotne Beams of that 
 
 The present Minister}/ of men 
 among-st all the Cliurches at this 
 day according- to any appearance 
 of the Spirit of God in them, 
 though running; through the chan- 
 nel of ArtSy Sciences, and Lan- 
 guacjes acquired by natural power 
 and industry y is such a Ministery 
 as we may hear and receive or par- 
 take of anything- of God or Christ 
 there, that we find in their admi- 
 nistration, though this he not that 
 pure Ministery of Christ in Spirit, 
 as we find the Apostles and Dis- 
 ciples of Christ in the Jewish wor- 
 ship in the Synagogues and Tem- 
 ple under the Apostacy and Cor- 
 ruption. 
 
 Ztph. 2. And this Principle of bodily 
 and local separation I find is both 
 Legal, and Jewish, and literal; 
 
 Cor. 8. 4, and is sucked in by the Saints 
 ' ' from the first Gospel discoveries, 
 and from the law, and Mosaical 
 principles of sejmration, and when 
 the Spirit of God is more in them, 
 they shall see it, and hath been, as 
 I clearly find, no little hinderance, 
 and is at this day, to the power of 
 the Gospel, and Jesus Christ in 
 Spirit, and the body of Christ in 
 
5,6. 
 
 Bright and Morning Star, 39 
 
 the unity of the Spirit ; and since 
 our controversies in these outward 
 things and Churchways, S^c. have 
 increased, the law of love and 
 Spirit, and power oi godliness hath 
 much abated ; whWe form and mere 
 letter, and something of outward 
 order, have taken up the place. 
 
 And though this may be an of- 
 fence to such, as Paul saith, who 
 make conscience of the Idol ; yet 
 we know, saith he, an Idol is no- i Cor. 8.4, 
 thing, nor an Idol Temple ; but 
 when they shall see the Christian 
 as he is in Spirit, and the new 
 Creation, and no other thing part 
 of him but what is glory, spirit, 
 and life, and that all the law of 
 outward order and form is only a 
 supplement to the absence of the 
 Spirit of God, and to order their 
 outward man amongst men to their 
 fellow saints and the world, while 
 the law of the Spirit of life is not 
 in them shining, and conforming 
 them in Spirit and love to the Image 
 of Christ. And for my part I am 
 far from denying any Gospel ybr;w, 
 or way which appears to be the 
 practice of the Saints then, be- 
 cause I conceive that saints see 
 
40 Sortie Beams of that 
 
 gathering and practisiiig are yet 
 under such a mbiistratimi, and are 
 to walk in it while they are in 
 bondage and iveakness. 
 
 But, on the contrary, I am far 
 from thinking- these administra- 
 tions to be our glory and hig-h point 
 of Reformation, which our Breth- 
 reyi of the Indepeiident, and Bap- 
 tisjn, and Presbyterian way do, 
 but in all tenderness, love, and yet 
 faithfulness to them, rather a mi- 
 nistration of bondage and weak- 
 ness to the SaiJitSf because the 
 Scriptures make it clear, calling- 
 such ministrations our seeing dark- 
 ly as in a glass, and seeing in party 
 and that when the more perfect is 
 1 Cor. 13. come, then that which is in part 
 
 8 9 10 11 
 
 12'. ' ' shall be done away. 
 
 The Passage f 7^0771 lower 
 
 Mbiisti^atmis to 
 
 highe7\ 
 
 THE administrations in which 
 God hath appeared, and doth 
 appear yet in some proportion, are 
 these : 
 1- The law or righteousness of the 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 41 
 
 first Creation, in which God had Gen. 1. 26. 
 communion with man, and mmi |^' ' ' 
 with God, yet rather as with a 
 Creator than with a Father or an 
 Immanuel, and in the outward Gen. 2. 15, 
 Court, or first Creation, not in the ' ' 
 inward or holiest ; Paradise itself 
 being- but an Image of the excel- 
 lency of this Creation. 
 
 Man having fallen through the 2. 
 temptationoi the serpent, orjleshly Gen. 3. 
 wisdom, and the espousals of the 
 woman, or the weakness of that Exod. 20. 
 Creation wherein he was made, 
 hath the first law oi righteousness 
 presented to him in a new minis- 
 tration of letter by Moses in Tables 2 Cor. 3. 7. 
 of stone from GoJ, in which the 
 first glory and excellency was mi- 
 nistered to man in his fallen and 
 apostated condition. 
 
 And because the law or first 
 righteousness was lueak through 
 the Jiesh, there was the lowest mi- 
 nistration of Angels, viz. by vision, Heb. 1. 1. 
 dreams, Sfc. added, and likewise a 
 ministration of Priests, Sacrifices, 
 Ceremonies, Tabernacle, Temple, 
 Prophets, hy wh'xchman might have 
 access unto God and speak with 
 him, yet but in the outward Court, 
 
42 Some Beams of that 
 
 or Jlcsh, or thhuja of this Creation, 
 thougli he filled these with another 
 glory, a richer and a more excel- 
 lent discoveiy of his love, in the 
 promised seed. 
 
 There was another ministration 
 Exod. added, o£war and peace of the Na- 
 tions, enemies in the Jiesh, and of 
 Josh, a promised land, or blessing in the 
 flesh, and the Israelites or Jews 
 were to pass under this ministra- 
 tion, through all the enmity, op- 
 positions, and battles of the Na- 
 tions to this Canaan, all which 
 ■was accomplished to them in letter, 
 and in that in figure of a more spi- 
 ritual enmity, and kingdom, and 
 glory, which is fulfilled in the more 
 Gospel-revelation, when the ful- 
 ness of time came. 
 
 The next ministration is some- 
 thing clearer than all these, and 
 something brighter than the law, 
 yet not so clear nor full as that of 
 the fulness of time which followed 
 it, or of Christ in the flesh, and 
 this ministration was that of Jo/aw, 
 Mat. than whom a greater Prophet did 
 not rise, yet he that was least in 
 the kingdom of God was greater 
 than he ; he was a burning and a 
 
Bright and Mo?ming Star. 43 
 
 shining light. The law and the John. 
 prophets were till John, he was ^""^ ^' 
 the Prophet of the Highest, and 
 was sent to prepare his way, and 
 to make Christ manifest to Israel Juhn i. 31. 
 by word and water, and this was 
 only a ministration in order to one 
 more spiritual, was to decrease, as Joiin 3. 30. 
 the other did increase : the Bap- 
 tism of the Spirit or fire was to lick 
 up this of water, as in that figure 
 of the sacrifice performed hy Elijah 1 Kings is. 
 the Prophet, when the fire came ^"^ ^^ "*** 
 down and sucked up all the four 
 barrels of water. 
 
 The other Ministration was the 
 Gospel in the fiesh of Christ, or 
 in gifts and ordinances something 
 more clear and in more discovery , 
 and revelation; for the fiesh oi MzxA.cap. 
 Christ in which he taught, and did ^' *''• ^^ 
 miracles, and was circumcised and 
 baptized, was a copy or draught of 
 that ministration of gifts and or- 
 dinances, which was as perfect as 
 the first Creation in its glory and 
 purity, and yet higher and nearer 
 to God, coming forth in more re- 
 velation of an Immanuel, or God 
 with us. 
 
 A further Ministration was more 
 
44 Sotne Beams of that 
 
 nearness and participation of God 
 manifested in flesh, or of Christ ; 
 and that was in r/races or opera- 
 tions and fruits of the Spirit, as 
 Gal. 5. 22. of faith, rcpeiitance, love, self- 
 denial, humiliation, meekness, all 
 which are a sweet spiritual admi- 
 nistration, even the light of the 
 1 Cor. 4. c. glorious Gospel of God shining in 
 the face of Jesus Christ. 
 
 Another Ministration respec- 
 tively to a more excellent glory to 
 come, is that by Angels in their 
 highest administration, which is the 
 only Angelical and Seraphical re- 
 velation, being something below 
 the Spirit, yet higher than reason, 
 or man's highest principle ; and this 
 John received all those more ex- 
 Rev, chap, cellent discoveries to be fulfilled in 
 
 ) and 2. ,i • 
 
 their seasons. 
 
 There is another Ministration of 
 more Spirit, of love, meekness, 
 self-denial, suffering, overcoming 
 evil with good, and conquering by 
 receiving in the wrath and enmity 
 of the world ; and this I take one 
 of the last and glorious truths, re- 
 spectively to the fesh and the world, 
 into which God will gather up his 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 45 
 
 people by times and degrees, from 
 all worldly and fleshly interests 
 and engagements, wherein they 
 shall be carried up into a more full 
 enjoyment of God, and conformity 
 to Christ in his sufferings, death, Phii. 3. 
 and resurrection. 
 
 The Lord Jesus walked first in 
 this truth, he was led as a sheep to 
 the slaughter, when he was re- 1 Pet- 2. 
 viled, reviled not again, luhen he 
 suffered he threatened not. 
 
 The Lord Jesus revealed this 
 Gospel-truth, and distinguished it 
 from the law, which lavj was, 
 an eye for an eye, and a tooth for 
 a tooth. 
 
 But he saith, resist not evil, but 
 whosoever shall smite thee on the Mat. 5. 39. 
 one cheek turn to him the other 
 also. 
 
 Ye have heard it hath been said 
 thou shalt love thy neighbour, but 
 I say unto ye, love your enemies, 
 bless them that curse you, do good Mat. 5. 44. 
 to them that despitefully use you 
 and loersecute you, that ye may be 
 the children of your heavenly 
 Father. 
 
 The Apostle to the Romans re- 
 
4n Some Beams of that 
 
 veals this; dearly beloved, avenge 
 not yourselves, vengeance is mine, 
 
 Rom. If thine enemy hunger feed him, 
 if he thirst give him drink ; for in 
 so doing thou shalt heaj) coals of 
 fre upon his head. 
 
 Be not overcome of evil, but 
 overcome evil with good. 
 
 The Lord Jesus prophesied of 
 Mat. 6. this, blessed are the meek, for they 
 shall inherit the earth ; through 
 their meekness they shall inherit, 
 through their meekness only shall 
 the jealousy and enmity of the Na- 
 tions be allayed concerning them. 
 
 John in his vision of the latter 
 times saw an appearance of this. 
 Rev. 14. Here is the patience and faith 
 of the Saints, of them that have 
 the commandments and the faith 
 of Jesus ; to which that of the 
 Apostle to the Hebreics answers, 
 there reynaineth therefore a rest 
 to the people of God, and he that 
 is entered into his rest hath ceased 
 Heb. 4. from his works as God did from 
 his. 
 
 The last, and more full, and 
 rich Ministration, and most naked, 
 is that of God by himself in Spirit 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 47 
 
 to the sons of God, into which 
 Jesus Christ the forerunner is Heb. 
 entered, and / saw no Temple 
 therein, for the Lord God Al- Rev. 21. 
 mighty and the Lamb are the *^' ^^* 
 Temple of it. 
 
 And this Ministration is ful- 
 filled then, when Christ shall have 
 delivered up the kingdom unto 
 God; and this is not only done 
 upon the whole body of Christ at 
 the last, but is fulfilled in its par- 
 ticular accomplishments, and mys- 
 tery of Spirit here, there being 
 found these transitions, passages, 
 and resignations, and exchanges 
 of glory in the Saint. 
 
 He that can receive it let him 
 receive it. 
 
 The more full and naked Minis- 
 tration of God by himself in Spirit, 
 and / saw no Temple therein, for Rev. 21. 
 the Lord God Almighty and the '^'^^'^^■ 
 Lamb are the Temple of it. 
 
 And as God hath appeared in 
 all these former, saving the last, 
 into which Jesus Christ hath en- 
 tered, so they remain still as fgures 
 and as so many several Signs or 
 Planets in this Creation and the 
 other, for believers to be born in, 
 
48 Some Beams of that 
 
 and to pass throiip;h in some pro- 
 portion and measure till Christ 
 :or. 15. hath delivered up the kingdom 
 unto God. 
 
 God hath appeared in all these 
 former administrations to his peo- 
 ple, and they have enjoyed him in 
 these degrees, and distances, and 
 approaches ; and they remain still 
 as figures, and as so many sig'ns 
 and planets in the first Creation 
 and the second for Christians, in 
 some jneasure and proportion to 
 pass through ; so as he that is of 
 any spiritual discerning in these, 
 may be able to comprehend with 
 all saints what is the height, and 
 depth, and breadth, of God's mi- 
 nistration to his People, and to 
 know Saints according- to the mea- 
 sures they receive, and the minis- 
 tration they live in with God. 
 
 I have drawn out these minis- 
 trations in their particular orbs, 
 and spheres, and circles, which I 
 could have folded up in three only, 
 of Law, Gospel, and Spirit, or of 
 letter, graces, and God, or of the 
 first, second, and third heavens ; 
 but I saw God something abound- 
 ing and variously dispensing, and 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 49 
 
 I followed him in ih?ii fulness and 
 variety so far, as he hath lighted 
 my candle. 
 
 1 shall now discourse a little 
 more generally of all these, and of 
 the passage from these, and of God 
 appearing in these, and his going 
 out from these, till he hath scat- 
 tered all these veils before him, 
 that he and his may see and enjoy 
 each other with open face, where 
 we shall see as we are seen, and 
 know as we are known. 
 
 The Christian passes through 
 several ages and dispensations ; 
 as Christ was in the world, so is 
 every Christian; he was made 
 under the Law, under Circumci- 
 sion, under Baptism, and the Sup- 
 per of bread and wine, and then 
 he crucified all ih^t flesh he walk- 
 ed in under those dispensations, 
 and entered into glory, for thus it 
 behoved Christ to suffer and enter Luke 24. 
 into his glory. 
 
 The Jewish Church, or dispensa- 
 tion which was according to Moses, 
 and the letter in which they were 
 led out in carnal and more fleshly 
 courses, as in the proceeding against 
 the Nations by war and fighting ^ 
 
 D 
 
50 Some Beams of that 
 
 with all their other lej^al rites and 
 rudiments, were a clear figure of 
 the Christian under age, or under 
 tutors and (jovernors, and worldly 
 rudiments. 
 
 The Disciples of Christ, accord- 
 ing to Johns ministery and Christ's 
 in the jiesh, were another type or 
 figure for all Disciples of their age 
 and ministery, and the Spirit of 
 Christ works in all the Disciples 
 according to such w'ay, and pro- 
 portion, and measure, and dispen- 
 G.i. I. 1. sation, the heir as loncj as he is a 
 child differing nothing from a ser- 
 vant, though he be Lord of all , 
 until the time appointed of the 
 Father. 
 
 And I could not speak unto 
 you as unto sjnritual, but as unto 
 carnal, even as unto babes in 
 Christ, I have fod you with milk, 
 and not with meat. 
 
 And the great and excellent de- 
 sign or mind of God in all these 
 things, is only to lead out his pea- 
 Rom. 1. pl^i Church, or Disciples from 
 age to age, from faith to faith, 
 from glory to glory, from letter 
 to letter, from ordinance to ordi- 
 
 Cor. 3. 
 I, 2. 
 
 1 Cor. 
 18 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 51 
 
 nance, from flesh to flesh, and so 
 to Spirit, and so to 7nore Spirit, 
 and at length into all Spirit, when 
 the Son sliall deliver up the king- 
 dom unto the Father, and God 
 shall be all in all, which last 
 transition, or resignation, or reso- 
 lution of all into tlie kingdom of 
 God is not, as some think, only 
 when the fulness of times or ages 
 is come, but is transacting and 
 finishing in parts and members of 
 the body of Christ, and is not one 
 single act, point, or effusion of 
 glory, but a perfecting and ful- 
 fulling it in the several members 
 of Jesus Christ, till the fulness of 
 the stature of Christ be made up, 
 and the Church become the ful- 
 ness of him that filleth rdl in all. 
 
 For the day dawns, and the ^ p^^ ^ 
 day-star arises in the heart, shin- j9. 
 ing more and more unto a perfect 
 day ; and he who is the bright Rev. 22. 
 and morning Star, is still shining 
 into the glory of the Sun of righ- 
 teousness, and the light of the 
 Moon shall become as the light of ^^^ 
 the sun, and the light of the Sun 
 as the light of seven days, till 
 
52 *• Some Beams of that 
 
 the Lord God himself be the ever- 
 lasting lujht, and our God our 
 Glory. 
 
 Thus is the Christian, or Dis- 
 ciple of Christ, passing- on upon 
 the several degrees and measures 
 into the glory of Christ, and cru- 
 cifying each condition as he passes 
 through it, as all the Disciples have 
 done before : the Jews passed out 
 of that of the Tabernacle into the 
 Temple, and from thence into the 
 Jiesh of Christ, that Temple de- 
 stroyed and raised up in three 
 days, a greater than Solomonheing 
 there, and from thence into Christ 
 Crucified, and so into a ministery 
 of spirit and life. 
 
 And the Disciples all of them 
 had a measure of time and season 
 in each Ministration, and God had 
 his when he filled the Tabernacle 
 with a cloud, and the Temple with 
 Glory, and the flesh of Christ 
 with unction or spirit above his fel- 
 lows ; and while God lived in each 
 ministration, quickening, and glo- 
 rifying, and acting it for himself, 
 that presence of God and of Spirit 
 \vas to the Disciples like the Sun 
 in Summer shining- upon them, the 
 
Bright and Monihig Star. 53 
 
 candle of the Lord shining upon Job 29. 3, 
 their heads, and his secret upon 
 their Tabernacles. But when the 
 line of God's season was run out to 
 its poiyit and extremity, that he 
 would no longer stay there, nor 
 have his glory inhabit in such or 
 such a ministration, then that mi- 
 nistration became but a place of 
 desolation, a solitary /j/ace/br the 
 Satyrs to dwell in, and the screech 
 Owl to sing in, that is, for the 
 Spirit of Apostacy and of Anti- 
 christ or iniquity to possess and 
 act in. 
 
 And for Disciples to stay longer 
 in any ministration than the Lord 
 or the life and Spirit of Christ is 
 in it, is as if Lot should tarry in 
 Sodom, Israel with the Ark when 
 God was departed, the Jews in the 
 Temple when the Veil was rent, 
 and the glory gone off to the thresh- 
 old, and from thence too ; their 
 house being left unto them deso- 
 late, even that house or ministra- 
 tion where the light of God did 
 formerly dwell. 
 
 As if the Disciples of Christ that 
 went into the Grave should step in 
 and sojourn there where his body 
 
54 Some Beams of that 
 
 had lain, and was risen and gone, 
 seeking the dead amongst tlie Hv- 
 ing. The disciples of Christ were 
 a true figure of such who, when 
 Christ was dead, were embalming 
 the bofly, and would preserve it 
 with spices and ointments when the 
 spirit and life was out of it. 
 
 The Jews were a figure of such 
 who would preserve the'w Law, and 
 the shadows of all their worship, 
 when Chiist had left them, who 
 was the life and substance of all 
 Mat.26.51, that ministration. Peter Tind the 
 ^^' rest were a Due image of such, who 
 
 in that sword he woi-e was a true 
 figure of all such as Christ suffers 
 in a icarlike and defensive posture 
 about his tlesh, or whom he suffers 
 to be so far conformed to the 
 fashion of the world, as to guard 
 and preserve those fleshly privi- 
 leges of his presence and power 
 amongst them, and in that activity 
 of his to rescue and preserve that 
 flesh and body in which so much 
 glory and excellency had appeared, 
 and so many miracles were done, 
 beyond that point or end of minis- 
 tration, which God even the Fa- 
 ther and the Son himself had set, 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 55 
 
 was a fig-ure of all such as should 
 stretch out any dispensation or mi- 
 nistration of God farther than the 
 line or spiritual sinew of it will 
 bear. 
 
 The Spirit and Life of Out- 
 ward Ordinances, 
 
 THE second Man or Adam, in 
 whom we all live, is a quick- 
 ening Sjnrit, and the Lord from 
 heaven, and is at the right hand 
 of God, viz. in the choicest glory 
 of the Father. 
 
 That by which the people of God, 
 or all true Christians are born, is 
 the seed of God, or Word of God^ 
 OTih^divine nature of Jesus Christ, 
 or the Spirit of God, which is 
 called snnctifcation, regeneration. 
 
 That the true spiritual Christian 
 is that new creature, that sanc- 
 tified one, or regenerate one, who 
 is thus born, and hathChrist/brwec? 
 on him, and this new creature is 
 fed by the Spiritual life of Christ. 
 
 That the nevj creature, or spi- 
 ritual man, is one who receives all 
 his growth and increasings in the 
 
ijii Some lieams of tluU 
 
 power, seed, and Principle of the 
 Spirit of God, or Jesus Christ. 
 
 That the Ministery or Ministra- 
 tion by which he grows up to that 
 fulness of stature in Jesus Christ, 
 is a Ministery or ministration of 
 glory and spirit. 
 
 That the true and spiritual Bap- 
 tism, by which every Christian is 
 baptized into Christ's death, is the 
 Baptism of Blood, which is the 
 righteousness, spirit, or /?ye of 
 Christ. 
 
 That the due and spiritual .Sa- 
 crament of the Lord's Supper is 
 the very Z>oJ?/ and blood of Christ 
 in the Sjnrit, or that pure spiritual 
 nature oi Jesus Christ, quickening 
 and feeding up the Christian into 
 a spiritual life and wwzom with 
 God. 
 
 That the true spiritual Miii'ister 
 is /esw5 Christ, who is called a 
 Minister of the Sanctuary which 
 the Lord pitched and not men. 
 
 That /e5M5 Christ is the true 
 Spiritual Apostle, sent out from 
 God to reveal the Father, and is 
 so called by the Spirit of God in 
 Scriptures, the Apostle and i/i^A 
 Priest of our profession. 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 
 
 That Jesus Christ is the true 
 spiritual Prophet that teaches his 
 people, so as they are all taught of 
 God, and is so called in Scriptures 
 a Prophety which the Lord God 
 raised up instead of Moses. 
 
 That the true Spiritual Pastor 
 is Jesus Christ, who is that one 
 Shepherd prophesied on, who can 
 lead his people only into green 
 Pastures, or places of life. 
 
 That the Spirits of just men 
 made perfect, or the true Christian 
 in spirit, are those true spiritual 
 Elders in the New Testament. 
 
 That the true Church of Christ 
 is that spiritual company whom 
 Christ hath washed in his blood, 
 clothed in his righteousness, sanc- 
 tified in his spirit, espoused to him- 
 self; this is the City of the living 
 God, the heavenly Jerusalem, the 
 general Assembly and Church of 
 the first-horn, the House, and 
 Temple, and Kingdom of God. 
 
 That the true spiritual keys of 
 the Kingdom of God is the very 
 Spirit of God, the very Spiritual 
 power of Jesus Christ upon be- 
 lievers and unbelievers, who hath 
 the keys of David, and opens, arid 
 d2 
 
CiQ ISome Beams of that 
 
 no man shuts, and slnits, and no 
 man opens. 
 
 Tliiit true spiritual excomimt- 
 nication is Jesus Christ, who is 
 mii^hty in Spirit and Poiver in all 
 his, pronouncing' an anatheina ma~ 
 ranatha or curse upon all flesh, 
 and delivering- the body or sinful 
 flesh over to Satan, or the power 
 of darkness, whereby flesh and 
 every fleshly member is cast out 
 from all communion with God and 
 Jesus Christ, and from those who 
 are indeed horn of God, and are 
 the true Sjnritual Church of God, 
 which is no more than that true 
 difference and distinction which 
 Jesus Christ puts betwixt the pre- 
 cious and the vile. 
 
 The true Spiritual Gospel-Or- 
 der, which the Apostle rejoiced to 
 behold, is that spiritual distinction 
 and variety in the body of Christ, 
 wherein one Member differs from 
 another in measure of Sjnrit, and 
 Glory, and Power, and yet all 
 complete, and make perfect that 
 body of Christ in the Spiiit ; for 
 he being- a spiritual head, must 
 have a spiritual body. 
 
 The true Spiritual government 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 59 
 
 is Christ reigning in the Saints in 
 Spirit, ordering them in thought, 
 word, and deed, holding forth his 
 power, and sceptre, which is a 
 sceptre of righteousness against 
 flesh and blood, Principalities and 
 Powers, spiritual wickedness in 
 high places. 
 
 The true Spiritual Covenant is 
 the New Covenant, which God 
 makes with us in Christ, and where- 
 in he is manifested to be their God, 
 and they his people, to teach them, 
 and write his law in their hearts. Htb. s. 
 
 The true Spiritual Ordination 
 is the hand of J esus Christ, stretched 
 out or laid on upon the Spirits of 
 such Christians as preach or Pro- 
 phesy of the Ministery of the Gos- 
 pel, that is, such are rightly and 
 purely ordained and sent out, who 
 are sent out from the power of the 
 Lord Jesus, to whom all power in 
 heaven and earth is given, and 
 are anointed of him to preach the 
 Gospel, and sent of him, who as- 
 cended to give gifts unto men, 
 some Apostles, some Evangelists, 
 some Prophets, some Pastors, some 
 teachers. 
 
 The true spiritual trial or exa- 
 
60 Some Beams of that 
 
 raination of the f/ifts of ?Lny is then, 
 when the Sjnrit of the Prophets is 
 only suhject to the Prophets^ that 
 is, when the gift by which any one 
 speaks of Jesus Christ is mani- 
 fested in the hearts and spirits of 
 the Saints when they see the truths 
 they minister as they are in Jesus, 
 and in themselves, and in them that 
 are spiritual, and truly anointedhy 
 the same Spirit ; and so are all 
 Prophets according to the measure 
 given, or as they are all baptized 
 into one spirit and body, and have 
 all received of his fulness, who is 
 that great Prophet raised up of our 
 brethren like unto Moses, and are 
 redeemed to be Kings, and Priests, 
 and Prophets, even partakers of 
 all his offices in Spirit, he being 
 the spiritual head of all his, who 
 are the spiritual body, his Church. 
 
Bright, and Morning Star. 61 
 
 The Christian under Epis- 
 copacy, Prelacy, Presby- 
 tery, Baptism, Indepen- 
 dency, S^c. 
 
 THE whole world was divided 
 into Jew and Gentile ; the 
 Jew was that only visible Church 
 of God, to whom pertained the 
 glory f and the adoption, and the 
 Covenants : and yet this Jewish 
 Church was exceedingly fallen from 
 its glory and purity both oi Priest- 
 hood, and Worship, and Adminis- 
 trations, when Christ came : So 
 as now the Prophecy seemed to be 
 fulfilled, they were now loithout 
 a King, and without a Priest, and Hosea. 
 without a Sacrifice, and. an Ephod, 
 and a Seraphim ; and were cor- 
 rupted with many traditions and 
 doctrines of men, teaching for doc- 
 trines the tradiiions of men : Thus 
 was the Jew, and their Church. 
 
 The Gentile had changed the 
 truth of God into a lie, and had 
 worshipped the creature more than Rom. i. 
 the Creator ; and had changed the 
 glory of the incorruptible God, and 
 
62 Some Beams of that 
 
 were i^iven up to a reprobate mind, 
 and were therefore called sinners of 
 the Gentiles alienated from the life 
 of God, stramjers to the Covenants 
 of Promise ; thus were the Gen- 
 tiles full of Idols and Idol temples, 
 sacrificing' to devils, and that way 
 of the knoiu ledge of God, which 
 was both in the law written in their 
 hearts accusiyig or excusing, and 
 in the whole Creation, where the 
 eternal Power and Godhead was 
 clearly seen, even in the things 
 that did appear, even that way of 
 the knowledge of God in them was 
 dai'kened, and they became vain in 
 their imagination, din& their foolish 
 hearts luere darkened. 
 
 Nowwhen/ew and Gentile were 
 both thus, yet God had his people 
 amongst both, amongst the Jew, 
 where Zacharias the Priest, Eliza- 
 beth, and Mary, and Joseph, and 
 Simeon, and Nicodemus, a Ruler 
 of the Pharisees, and Joseph of 
 Arimathea, with many such, were 
 like so many Stars in a dark night. 
 
 Among the Gentile there was a 
 Job, a Queen of Sheba, a woman 
 of Canaan, the loise men that came 
 to Jerusalem^ the Greeks that came 
 
Bright and Morning Star. p8 
 
 to see Jesus, Cornelius the Cen- 
 turion, so as in every Nation he 
 that serveth God, a?id worketh 
 righteousness, is accepted of him, Acts 10,34. 
 and God is no respecter of persons. 
 
 When John came, who was a 
 burning and a shining light, he 
 preached to, and baptized ?L\\Judea, 
 who went out to the Baptism of 
 John, and taught his Disciples by 
 forms of Prayer, and such rudi- 
 ments, to their weakness, and God 
 had his people here that were under 
 no more knowledge of Christ, nor 
 higher revelation, than this washing 
 to Repentance, and to him that 
 should come after him, and this 
 low way of communion luith God 
 in forms or rules of Prayer given 
 out by John, for so John taught 
 his Disciples. 
 
 When Christ came preaching 
 the Gospel of the kingdom, and 
 teaching in Parables and Mysteries, 
 he had a People and Disciples who 
 knew little of his sufferings, that 
 he should die and rise again, as 
 Peter, and the rest, and knew little 
 of that glorious doctrine and truth 
 which he spake and preached to 
 them, till he took them alone and 
 
f,4 Some Beams of that 
 
 expounded to them those Myste- 
 ries ; and his Disciples were under 
 a form and rule of Prayer as 
 Johns were ; Lord, teach us to 
 pray as John taiKjht his Disciples : 
 They saw little more of him than 
 his Jieshly presence and miracles^ 
 they loved him, and clave to him, 
 and followed him, but had very few 
 discoveries of him in Spirit, except 
 some few of them, James , and 
 Peter, and John, befoie whom he 
 was transfigured in the Mount, 
 which was but figurative and typical 
 of a more spiritual revelation ; 
 And when the Spirit of Christ was 
 come, and the Apostles were sent 
 forth in clearer evidences and de- 
 monstrations of Truth, then some 
 were under John's Baptism, and 
 knew not of any Holy Ghost ; 
 
 Rom. 2. some were under the law, and zea- 
 
 ^^" lous of the Law and Circumcision ; 
 
 some reg-arded a day, some eat 
 
 herbs, some were eating such 
 
 1 Cor. 8. things as were sacrificed to Idols. 
 So as here God's people were 
 found, some in a corrupted Church, 
 as that of the Jews, some under 
 false worship and traditions, some 
 under Legal rites, nndev forms or 
 
Bright arid Morning Star. fis 
 
 rules ofprayer, some under Johns 
 Baptism, under bondage of days 
 and times and other outivard 
 things, under the ignorance of 
 Christ's death and resurrection, 
 and of the holy Ghost. 
 
 So as all these things considered, 
 there will spring these Conclusions. 
 
 That the Nations commonly 
 called Christians, who are under 
 the account of others as false in 
 i\\e\YC\\m'Q\\'Constitution,worship, 
 forms, and order, yet these things 
 are not exclusive to the true Chris- 
 tian in Spirit, or one born of God, 
 but in these commonly called Chris- 
 tians, though under Episcopacy , 
 or Prelacy, or Presbytery, yet 
 there may be such as have the true 
 seed of God in them, partakers of 
 Jesus Christ, true Discijjles of 
 Jesus Christ, respectively to rege- 
 neration or the 7ieiv birth, if they 
 wait in the i7icreasings of Christ, Rom. i. 
 and revelation of righteousness ^^' 
 from, faith to faith. 
 
 That there are true and spiritual 
 Disciples of Jesus Christ, under 
 forms of Prayer, who have little 
 more communion with God than 
 in those forms, as of Common- 
 
f)C Some Beams of that 
 ±± 
 
 Prayer, Book-prayers, outward 
 rules of worsliip ; so as they wait 
 in these to come up into hig'her 
 revelations of Spirit when dis- 
 covered to them. 
 
 That there are such who are 
 Christians anointed by the Spirit 
 of God, under observations of days, 
 times, meats, drinks, several opi- 
 nions of Christ, of the Hohj Ghost, 
 of the resurrection, of Church 
 order, of Baptism of Water, which 
 is Johns Baptism, called Anabap- 
 tists ; so as they all in these several 
 j^y,„ 1,7, measures pass onfromyai^^ to 
 ■1 Cor. 3. faith, and (jlory to glory. 
 
 18. 
 
 The Christian in Truth. 
 
 rT"^H AT which forms, essentia tes, 
 X 01' constitutes the true Chris- 
 tian, is the Spirit q/ Jesus Christ, 
 that lohich is born of the Spirit is 
 spirit, so as a man is a Christian 
 from birth, as he is born a man, 
 so he is born a Christian, both are 
 from birth, and seed, the one of 
 flesh, the other of Spirit. 
 
 The Christian is one who is of 
 
Blight and Morning Star, 67 
 
 the second Adam, as all men are 
 of the Jirsf, and the second man is 
 the quickening spirit, the Lord 
 from heaven, and so are they that 
 are heavenly. 
 
 The Christian is one in whom 
 Christ is formed or figured, (as 
 the Greek word implies) one that 
 bears the image of the heavenly 
 man ; who is the Image of Jesus 
 Christ, as Jesus Christ is the Image 
 of the invisible God. 
 
 The Christian is one who hath 
 the incorruptible seed in him, or 
 the word ichich liveih and abideth 
 for ever, which word is the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, who quickens the 
 Saint, and is the life of the Saint, 
 you hath he quickened who were Eph. 2. 
 dead in trespasses and sins. 
 
 The Christian is one who is in 
 fellowship and conformity with 
 Jesus Christ in his crucifyings, 
 death, and resurrection, in whom 
 the flesh, and life of the fesh must 
 die, as it did in him, and the Chris- 
 tian, as Christ did, must live in 
 Spirit to God. 
 
 The Christian is one who is the 
 new creature, or 7iew man, for he 
 
fis Some Beams of that 
 
 that sits upon the Throne in his 
 Spirit saith, behold I make all 
 2 Cor. 5. thing's, all new, old things in him, 
 as corruptions and lusts, do pass 
 away. 
 
 J7. 
 
 The Ministery that hath been 
 since Antichrist or the Clys- 
 ter i/ of Ldquiti/ reignedwith- 
 out, or in the Worship of God 
 in all Societies of Christians 
 called Churches, whether in 
 Presbytery, Independency , or 
 Baptism, is not the same with 
 that first Ministerij of the 
 Gospel in pure gifts, and is 
 no other than the Witnesses 
 in Sackcloth. 
 
 p]pii. 4. s. r I ^HE Lord Jesus ascended up 
 titX^ 1 on high, out of flesh into 
 vt^^^^l »S/>m^, and gave gifts unto men, 
 he g-ave some Apostles, some Evan- 
 gelists, some Prophets, some Pas- 
 tors, some Teachers. 
 
 In this administration of gifts, 
 the mijstery of Jesus Christ, or the 
 Gospel, was revealed and carried on 
 till the time Prophesied on by the 
 Spirit of God, wherein the inystery 
 
 Eph. 4. 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 69 
 
 of iniquity should prevail, and the 
 falling away should be, and the 
 man of sin should be revealed, and 2 Thes. 2. 
 perilous times should come : and fx^"^"i^^. 
 this mystery of iniquity did so Tccc-iuvfrrov 
 darken and overcast all this ad- ^f'^*"^ 
 ministration of the Gospel in gifts, 
 and ordinances, or outward ad- 
 ministrations, as there was a visible 
 Apostacy respectively to those very- 
 pure gifts of the Spirit, and pure 
 administrations respectively to the 
 first institution, and this is no more 
 than the experience of our own 
 age, and the times before, so far 
 as any History can make apparent, 
 doth clearly demonstrate ; so as that 
 administration of Spirit or Ordi- 
 nances, which hath been in several 
 times since the first pure Gospel- 
 day, or time (wherein the Spirit 
 did minister in truth and demon- 
 stration) hath been but in some 
 faint and small discoveries of the 
 Spirit and Letter, as in those of 
 Huss, Luther, Wicklijf, Calvin, 
 Peter Martyr, and Bede, with all 
 the rest of our many Martyrs in 
 the kingdom, who were glorious 
 lights respectively to the darkness 
 of that generation, yet if compared 
 
70 Some Beams of that 
 
 with the pure glory of the first 
 Gospel-administration in (jifts and 
 ordinanceSy wore far below, and in 
 darkness ;ind lueakness to that ; so 
 as I look upon all God's ways of 
 the administration of his Gospel 
 to hold some proportion one with 
 another; the Tabernacte, Tind Tem- 
 ple, and Laws of outward adminis- 
 tration wei-e in such ways and 
 means God did appear in ; and so 
 in the Priests and Prophets, God 
 Hebr. 1. 1. at suiulrij tinics and in divers 
 x'ai^ox^o- '^<^^^^^-'>% speaking" to onr fathers j 
 7ru» and afterward God took up our vei-y 
 
 flesh to administer in, and so came, 
 and spoke to us by his Son, and 
 after all these, the Lord went out 
 from these after his usage of them, 
 and appearance in them, and then 
 they were no more an ordinance 
 or way to God, as they formerly 
 w^ere ; nor did ever the Lord enjoin 
 the restitution or reassuming of 
 them again, when the Temple was 
 once rent, the veil of it, the Lord 
 was no more in it, nor in their 
 Priesthood and Sacrifices, ^'C. nor 
 when once the Lord Jesus had 
 ended his administration in the 
 flesh upon the Cross, did he ever 
 
Bright and Morning Star, 
 
 restore it in that very way again, 
 or intend it according" to that first 
 appearance, but in a more glorijied 
 state. 
 
 And so in all reformations res- 
 pectively to these former adminis- 
 trations, they never returned back, 
 or reassumed the same again, after 
 once God had refused it, and laid 
 it by. When Christ came in the 
 flesh, he did not make it his work 
 to settle the Priesthood again, but 
 to lead them into the spiritual 
 glory and fulfilling of all those 
 /e^ttZ dispensations, and carry them 
 on into more GospeZ-administra- 
 tions, and that which was more ex- 
 cellent and perfect. 
 
 So it is in that first Gospel-a.d- 
 ministration of gifts and ordinances 
 after Christ ascended, there were 
 such pure operations of Spirit, as 
 in gifts, and some outward insti- 
 tutions, and Church-adtninistra- 
 tions, but these were only the 
 Ministration for that age, as the 
 Tabernacle was for its age, and 
 the Temple, Priesthood, ?im[ Sacri- 
 fices for their age, and the flesh 
 of Christ for its age or time ; so 
 as the falling away is no more, 
 
72 Some Beams of tliat 
 
 but the Lord gathering up, or 
 taking in tlie out-goin*^s, opera- 
 tions, or gifts of his Spirit in such 
 a way oi ministration, and till this 
 was done, there was a luithholding 
 of the mystery of iniquity from 
 bein<^ revealed; therefore saith 
 2 Tiies. 2. the Apostle to the Saints, Ye know 
 ToiriYov. what ivithholdeth that he might 
 V- 7. 6e revealed in his time, and he 
 
 --^-- ^^0 Ze^^eM ^i;^7/. let, till he be 
 taken out of the way ; and truly 
 that mystery did not work freely, 
 nor powerfully, till the Lord had 
 removed the glory of his Spirit 
 from the Churches, the presence 
 of which did exceedingly prevent, 
 and withhold, and put an hin- 
 drance to the revelation and domi- 
 nion of that man of sin. 
 
 And the Spirit of God foreseeing 
 God about to leave this ministra- 
 tion of Gospel-^Zory to the world, 
 and bring a night upon all that day 
 and brightness of his Son, prophe- 
 sied of the times to come, and to 
 succeed that ^Zory, viz. in the last 
 days jjeriloiis times shall come, 
 men shall be lovers of themselves, 
 covetous, proud, boasters, ^c. des- 
 pisers of those that are good, 
 
 2 Tim. 3 
 2—5. 
 
Bright and Morning Si 
 
 ar. 
 
 high-minded, lovers of pleasures 
 more than lovers of God, having 
 a form of godliness, but denying- 
 the Power thereof. 
 
 But there were false Prophets 
 among' the People, even as there 
 shall be false Teachers amongst 
 you ; who privily shall bring in 
 damnable Heresies, 8^c. and many 2 Pet. 2. i 
 shall follow their ^tevmcmn^iu ays, ^'^' 
 by reason of whom the way of 
 truth shall be evil spoken of, and 
 through covetousness shall they 
 make merchandize of you. 
 
 Beloved, remember ye the words 
 which were spoken before of the 
 Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 how that they told you there hu\e lo. 
 should be mockers in the last 
 times, these be they. Separating 
 themselves, having not the Spirit. 
 
 Little children, it is the last 1 ^oim 2. 
 time, and us ye have heard that 
 Antichrist should come, everi now 
 are there many Antichrists, where- 
 by we know that it is the last 
 time. 
 
 So as from all these places of 
 the Apostles, we may see their 
 Prophesies of the Antichristian 
 times, which are the times of the 
 
 E 
 
74 Some Beams of that 
 
 flesh, and of the Spirit of in- 
 iquity, reigning- amongst the 
 Saints, or in the Christian world, 
 the Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ 
 in Spirit, being all this time cru- 
 cified in Spiritual Sodom, Egypt, 
 or Babylon, which is the Kingdom 
 of the Flesh and the Powers of 
 Darkness, and this is the State 
 and condition of the Church of 
 Christ, or those who are the Spi- 
 ritual vessels, or Golden cups of 
 the Lord's Temple and carried 
 away captive, and live under the 
 Power oi Flesh, and of Spiritual 
 wickednesses. So as all the time 
 of the reign and Prevailing of this 
 mystery, (which mystery is in a 
 threefold Principality or emi- 
 nency, viz. of the beast, the false 
 Prophet, and the devil, all which 
 ra T^a '■> three work as well without, unto 
 ''^r^iliic- the world, as within, in the flesh 
 of every Saint,) all the time of this 
 reign or prevailing is not a time of 
 any restitution or restoration of 
 the first ministery, or gifts, or or- 
 dinances, as was in the Apostles^ 
 times, but is the state and perse- 
 cution of the Lord Jesus in Spirit j 
 and the time of the woman s being 
 
 IIlv. H), 
 •20. 
 
 TO 3>1^»CV ME 
 
 (?aXcr. 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 75 
 
 in the wilderness, all things in this Rev. 12. e. 
 time seeming as a waste and barren ^ '^ f^' 
 dispensation about her, not inha- f^^y. 
 bited by the Spirit of God, and she 
 in a retirement of Spirit dwelling* 
 with God, out of the power of the 
 Dragon, who casts only his fiood 
 after her, but not upon her. 
 
 So as here is no more in this 
 time of Antichrist' s reign in the 
 Flesh and the World, but only the 
 Church" s oppression in Spirit, and 
 the crucifying the Lord in Spirit. 
 
 And all these appearances of the 
 Lord Jesus in many glorious Saints 
 who in particular ages appeared 
 were but appearances of him who 
 is that Faithful and true witness, 
 against this power of the ma?i of 
 sin, and were but drops of the 
 vials, Soundings of the Trumpets, 
 openings of the Seals, before the 
 Battle of the great Day, when fire 
 shall come down from God out of Rev. 20. 9. 
 heaven and devour them, the Lord 
 Jesus being revealed in flames of 
 Spirit, ^nd glory, against all Flesh. 
 
 So as there is not any luord ap- 
 pearing in all the Scripture, that 
 the first minis tery by gifts and 
 ordinances shall in any measure be 
 
70 Some Beams of that 
 
 continued, thoug'h in part, or in 
 reservation to be restored, as if 
 this were the p:reat work the Lord 
 intended to bring- to pass, viz. the 
 setting up a purer 7ninistery of 
 gifts to teach his people, or re- 
 storing some legal ordinances, as 
 Baptism of water, the church way, 
 or Presbytery of Elders, and all 
 the glory of the last times or ages 
 should be only the bringing in these, 
 and taking them out of the hands 
 of Antichrist, all which arise from 
 a mistake of the type of the Jeivish 
 Apostacy and captivity which 
 figured out the Spiritual Church 
 or new Jerusalem, in Babylon, or 
 Captivity to the flesh, or man of 
 sin in all his deceivableness and 
 Power, and the restoring of all 
 shall be only the appearance of the 
 Lord Jesus, who shall destroy tIw- 
 tichrist with the brightness of his 
 'i The?. 2. coming, and the two edged Sword 
 of his mouth, his Spirit. 
 
 And there is not a word spoken 
 in all the Scriptures of these things 
 to be restored, as gifts and ordi- 
 nances, but the glory of the Lord 
 in Spirit, and therefore the Refor- 
 mation or Restoration that the Lord 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 77 
 
 Jesus bring-s with him, (for Moses, 
 
 Joshua, and all the reforming- 
 
 Kings of Judah, were but types of 
 
 him, the last and most excellent 
 
 and glorious Reformer, Ki7ig of 
 
 Kings, and Lord of Lords,) that 
 
 Reformation, I say, that he brings 
 
 with him, is the revelation of him- Rtv. n. 
 
 self in Spirit, he and his Father i^a. eo. 19. 
 
 beins: the light and Temple of his ^'^"^''f'^ 
 
 7^1 1111 1 «'' °^'' = ^*=^ 
 
 people, for there shall be no other 5 TravToxea- 
 
 there. "'^• 
 
 This shall be a glory without 
 Sun, or Moon, or Stars, or any 
 such low or faint appearance as 
 gift or ordinance, but the Zorc? 
 God shall be the everlasting light, 
 and Goc? ^/ie glory ; and light 
 sAaZZ corer ^/ie earth as the waters 
 cover the sea : light shall not 
 Sparkle or be in bright beams as 
 in a gift or an ordinance, but it 
 shall tiow out from the Lord him- 
 self, even cover the earth, swallow- 
 ing up or overflowing all earthly 
 administrations. And it shall be 
 as much Apostacy in the Saints 
 to go back to that first ministery 
 of the Gospel-times, which was the 
 ministery to the first discovery of 
 that mystery hid from ages, as it 
 
78 Some Beams of that 
 
 would have been in them to have 
 g'one back to Jewish Temple and 
 Priesthood, &:c. And have taken 
 the setting- up of those to have 
 been the <^reat and only Reforma- 
 tion of Christ come in the fleshy 
 and as the Lord Jesus himself did 
 in his coming in the flesh fulfill all 
 these, and destroy nothing, save 
 only as to the outward and perish- 
 ing nature of those ordinances and 
 Rudiments of the law : So in this 
 his last glory to be revealed in the 
 saints here, he shall not destroy 
 any of the first ministery of the 
 Gospel by gifts and ordinances, 
 but shall fulfill it ; it being" but a 
 type of his glory to be revealed in 
 the Saints, and the former minis- 
 tery is only destroyed as to that 
 outward Perishing part of it. 
 
 And this destruction of Anti- 
 christ, and i\\Q glory to be revealed, 
 is the Prophecy of the Prophets, 
 and John in the Revelation, and 
 is the sum and substance of all 
 types and ministrations which were 
 before. 
 
 So as all the pretended Refor- 
 mations by gifts and Ordinances, 
 "which tend to a reducing* us to that 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 79 
 
 first minister 1/ of the Apostles' 
 times, which that of Presbytery, 
 of Independency , and Baptism- 
 way endeavours, is but a building 
 up such things as the Lord would 
 have destroyed ; it being an admi- 
 nistration which he would use no 
 longer, and therefore suffered An- 
 tichrist to prevail upon it, and the 
 man of sin to overcome it, and as 
 God to sit in the Temple, or in all 
 that outward form and worship, 
 figured out in that word the Tem- 
 ple as God, or as God himself used 
 to do, when he was pleased to ap- 
 pear there. 
 
 And therefore all thdit minis tejy 
 and Pastorship and teaching is not 
 at all upon the account of the first 
 Gospel ministration, according to 
 that very glory of the gifts, and 
 pure anointing, by which they did 
 minister as the oracles of God and 
 very truths of God, as they did 
 then, so far as they Spake or did 
 any thing in the Holy Ghost : but 
 they now, I mean the Pastors and 
 ministers, do Speak and minister 
 doubtfully, darkly, uncertainly, 
 more in the fesh than the Spirit, 
 not at all in any thing of unction 
 
CO Some Beams of that 
 
 or anointinr) exceeding any private 
 Christian, or distinct according^ to 
 any (jift of the Holy Ghost, but 
 so far only as they exceed others 
 in parts, wit, or learninj^, which 
 are upon a lower account of the 
 Spirit than the first f/ifts upon that 
 of Arts and sciences. 
 
 And therefore if Pastors, mi- 
 nisters, and Christians, who can- 
 not now minister as the oracles of 
 God, nor according to the very 
 gifts of the Holy Ghost then, will 
 be content to Prophesy, as Christ 
 
 I'-'w 11. will only allow his Witnesses to 
 do, even all that bear Witness of 
 him, in Sackcloth, according to 
 that poor, loiv, and legal account 
 and humble condition they are in, 
 it being yet the time of An tic his fs 
 reign, not of Chrisfs, and not as- 
 sume to themselves the names. Of- 
 fices, Pre-eminence, glory, obedi- 
 ence, very administrations, which 
 were then in power and in the Holy 
 Ghost, hoih inPastorsmdChurches, 
 
 Rev. 3. and not walk as full, and rich, and 
 wanting nothing, when as they are 
 poor, miserable, and naked. The 
 
 iilv. a. Church of Laodicea being a figure 
 of all such, for my part, I then shall 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 8i 
 
 look on all such as in the Spirit, 
 and walking humbly with God, and 
 prophesying in sackcloth, and wait- 
 ing for the coming' of the Lord Je- 
 sus; nor do deny but Christians in 
 these ways a?id administrations 
 have enjoyed God sweetly, though 
 they be not such ways as God ap- 
 proves on, though he suffer: as 
 many of the Godly Bishops and 
 Martyrs did enjoy Jesus Christ 
 in their times of CeremoJiies and 
 Forms of Prayer, God still ap- 
 pearing to his, as they are in Christ, 
 not in such or such an outward way 
 or form. 
 
 There remaineth two or three 
 choice Scriptures to open concern- 
 ing this, and they are these : 
 
 And he gave some Apostles, and Eph. 4. ii, 
 some Prophets, and some Evan- ^"^' ''*' 
 gelists, and some Pastors, and 
 some Teachers, for the perfecting 
 of the Saints, for the ivork of the 
 Minis t ery , for the edifying of the 
 body of Christ, till we all come 
 in the unity of the faith, 8^c. 
 
 And God hath set some in the 1 Cor. 12. 
 Church, first Apostles, seconda- 
 rily Prophets, thirdly Teachers; 
 after that, miracles, then gifts of 
 E 2 
 
 28. 
 
82 Some Beams of that 
 
 healhifj, helps ^ fjovernmcnts, di- 
 versities of tonrjues. 
 Mat. 28 Go ye therefore and teach all 
 Nations, Baptizing them in the 
 Name of the Father, and of the 
 Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 Teaching them to observe all 
 things whatsoever I have com- 
 manded you, and lo I am with 
 you to the end of the world. 
 
 From all these Scriptures these 
 Conclusions are made : 
 
 1. That there is a Ministery of 
 gifts, of teaching, and ordinances. 
 
 2. That this is for the perfecting 
 of the Saints. 
 
 3. That this is to last to the end 
 of the world. 
 
 Now these Scriptures are much 
 mistaken according to such results 
 and conclusions. 
 
 The Scripture to the Ephesians, 
 Eph. 4, shews only that there was 
 such a Ministery of gifts and of- 
 fices, but not any such continuance 
 of them to the end of the ivorld. 
 For where it is said, for the per- 
 irfif Tcv Ka- fecting of the Saints, Sfc. till we 
 ITI^tl. ^11 come, ^c. that hath relation to 
 the tenth verse, or to Christ as- 
 cended, that he might fill all 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 83 
 
 things; and this of the perfecting /u^xftaT^v- 
 of the Saints, Sfc. is only an ex- 3^^,!" " 
 position or clearer interpr-etation of 
 that tenth verse, how he ^lls alt 
 things, viz. hy perfecting his Saints ^■<« Tr^.r^-icm 
 in the work of the Ministery, or 
 that glorious and spiritual admi- 
 nistration of himself upon his, to 
 bring- them all into the unity of the «'« e-'^^^nra 
 faith, so as he may be one in them 
 and they in him, the Lord one, 
 and his name one, which is that 
 unity of the faith. 
 
 Nor can this Scripture intend 
 any other thing- than this, viz. to 
 shew first how the Lord fits all 
 things, as in verse the tenth, and 
 how he set up a ministration of 
 gifts in the first discovery of Gos- 
 pel glory, he gave some Apostles; 
 and how he himself perfects the 
 saints by being their fulness, and 
 so edifies or builds up his body, 
 and brings forth that unity of the 
 faith, or one glorious evidence and 
 revelation of himself in the whole 
 body. 
 
 Nor can any other thing bear 
 the weight of such expressions but 
 Christ himself. Who can perfect 
 the Saints but Christ? AVho can 
 
5 4 Some Beams of that 
 
 edify the body or build it up but 
 Christ ? Who can brinp: forth 
 unity of faith but Christ ? For 
 no gifts either of Apostle or Pro- 
 phet, or SfC. can perfect the saints. 
 Cor. 13. Though I have the erift of Pro- 
 
 •i. ;j. 
 
 Q.. ^ ..l»,v. l...y^ j_,, 
 
 phecy, and understand all myste- 
 ries, and all knowledye, and though 
 I have aliyhi/^, and have not love, 
 or Christ, who is the love of the 
 Father, it profiteth me nothing. 
 
 But suppose it were so, that the 
 Ministration of gifts and offices, 
 there spoken on, were for the per- 
 fecting of the saints till the unity 
 of the faith be, what doth this 
 prove to the present Ministration 
 of gifts and offices now, or since 
 the falling away amongst us, for 
 we have none of them in the pure 
 gifts of the Holy Ghost or tfnc- 
 tion, and we must either have all 
 or none ; there is no taking- these 
 gifts and offices in pieces and parts, 
 as they do generally, distinguish- 
 ing them into extraordinary and 
 ordinary ; the extraordinary , they 
 say, are Apostles, Evangelists, 
 Prophets, and these, they say, are 
 ceased ; but Pastors and Teachers, 
 they say, are ordinary, and re- 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 85 
 
 main. But where is this distinc- 
 tion to be found in tlie Word ? are 
 not all gifts of the same Spirit? 
 Doth not the Scripture reckon 
 them all equally necessary in the 
 Church ? Doth it any where speak 
 of Apostles, Evangelists, Pro- 
 phets, only for the first Ag-e, and 
 Pastors and Teachers for the Ages 
 after ? Doth not the Scripture say 
 expressly, he hath set some in his ^^"Z = ^«=f 
 Church? 1 Cor. 12. 28, and so^rr""^" 
 reckons according to some order in 
 the excellency of gifts and office, 
 not according to the expiration of 
 some, and the life and continuance 
 of the rest, saying, Apostles, Evan- 
 gelists, Prophets are to cease, only 
 Pastors ?ini\. Teachers remain; but 
 he saith plainly he hath set all these 
 in his Church, not excepting one 
 sort more than another ; nay, a 
 Pastor or Teacher, in the true 
 and proper gift and office was as 
 spiritual as the other, viz. of the 
 pure anointing or the Holy Ghost ; 
 but Pastor and Teacher hath been 
 considered in a lower capacity, and 
 industry, art, natural jmrts, and 
 learning have been taken in in 
 after times to the composition of a 
 
Some Beams of' that 
 
 Pastor and Teacher, and upon 
 this account those offices have been 
 thought ordinary , which were upon 
 the mere and pure account of the 
 Holi/ Ghost : so as if they will have 
 Pastors and Teachers only remain, 
 where is the Scripture for excepting 
 the rest, and where are the very 
 same gifts ? And pure anointing 
 of Spirit for watching, feeding, 
 and teaching? 
 
 And if they will have these 
 Scriptures to hold forth such a 
 continued Ministery of necessity 
 to the perfecting of the Saints, 
 where are all the rest, viz. Apos- 
 tles, Evangelists, S^c. for all are 
 reckoned both in Ej^h. 4, 1 Cor. 
 12. 28, and where are those very 
 gifts of pure anointing ? And why 
 so many hundred years without 
 these? What hath become of the 
 Saints since the first gvQ2l falling 
 away ? How have they been per- 
 fected? If all these were for that 
 very work, and yet not visibly ex- 
 tant for so many years ? Nay, the 
 pure gifts of the anointing of the 
 Holy Ghost not appearing in any 
 of the most glorious Reformers, as 
 Luther, who had much darkness, 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 87 
 
 as in that of Consubstantiation, 
 and in his passions to King Henry, 
 and in many other particulars of his, 
 &c. and so of the rest, save only 
 they shone forth in the more glory 
 because of the darkness of that 
 Ge7ieration. 
 
 For that other Scripture in 3fat- 
 thew 28 : Go, teach and baptize, 
 and lo I am with you, it is only 
 (as I take it) and merely in appli- 
 cation to the Apostles and Disciples 
 of that Age ^n^ Ministration whom 
 the Lord bid go and teach what 
 he had commanded them, and bap- 
 tize into the name or mystery of 
 God, which word baptize is ?i figure 
 Christ uses to express the depth of 
 a spiritual mystery, as in that, can 
 ye be ba2')tized with the Baptism varct; t^,- 
 that lam baptized with? And he ^f^^"'- 
 shall baptize you with the Holy >.««<t3«»w- 
 Ghost, ^c. And that phrase, to '"^' 
 the end of the ivorld, is (if more 
 clearly translated) to \\iQ finishing 
 of the Age, or that Age of Minis- 
 tration. 
 
 Some of these things are scatter- 
 ingly spoken on in other places of 
 my Book, but here rtiore perfectly 
 and clearly. 
 
88 Some Beams of that 
 
 Magistraci) a Power or- 
 dained of God. 
 
 THE Magistrate is a power or- 
 dained of God, an Image of 
 tiie Power and Judyment com- 
 mitted to Christ; Scripture and 
 the gift of wisdom, justice, and 
 Rom. 13 righteousness are his unction now, 
 as the oil or anointing was his 
 unction under the Old Testament. 
 Magistracy for form is not one 
 and the same, but divers, according 
 to the several polity of Nations 
 and Kingdoms, by Kings singly, 
 or Kings and States jointly ; as in 
 this Kingdom, or States singly, as 
 in the old notions of Monarchy, 
 Aristocracy, Democracy, and that 
 each Nation is subject accord- 
 ing to its polity and form to the 
 respective government, and that 
 Sci'iptures clothe and invest that 
 form in its very first being and con- 
 stitution, and that form receives 
 an Image of God upon it, as the 
 first man, who as soon as he became 
 such a model of earth or clay be- 
 came a man, and had the glory of 
 
Bright and Morning Star. S9 
 
 God upon him, and dominion over 
 the creatures. 
 
 These Powers and Magistrates 
 upon earth are set up for the pun- 
 ishment of evil doers, and for the 
 praise of them that do well, jus- Rom. is. 
 tice and righteousness being* that 
 very line or golden reed by which 
 they are measured, the very Scales 
 by which God lueighs them, where 
 if they be found too light, he Dan. 5. 
 gives their Kingdoms to another. 
 
 All lawful subjection is to be 
 rendered, honour to whom honour, Rom. is. 
 tribute to whom tribute, and sub- 
 jection to every ordinance of man 
 for the Lord's sake ; Prayers and 
 Supjplications are to be made for 
 them, that we may lead a peace- 
 able and a quiet life in all godli- 
 ness and honesty. 
 
 Magistracy is set up, not only 
 to be an Image of Christ to the 
 world, but to administer Peace and 
 Judg-ment to the world and Socie- 
 ties of men, and more principally 
 to his people in the flesh, who while 
 they are nursing fathers to them 
 do administer truly, and to Christ 
 in. his jJeople ; when Persecutors, 
 Christ still turns their administra- 
 
90 Some Beams of that 
 
 tion, thouicH evil in itself, intog-ood 
 Roiii.s. 28. for his, all things working toge- 
 ther for good to those that love 
 God. 
 
 The high and g-lorioiis design of 
 Christ in Magistracy is to open a 
 way in all their kingdoms and do- 
 minions for the Spirit of God to 
 breathe in, Kings shall be thy fa- 
 thers, Sfc. and walk in, in such out- 
 ward administrations as it pleaseth 
 the Spirit of God to appear in to 
 the Saints, who are in flesh and 
 weakness, and so far as concerns 
 any outward administration of 
 Christ, Jesus Christ becomes a 
 subject in his Saints to the power 
 he hath committed to Magistracy, 
 they having power to hinder and 
 further his spiritual design so far 
 as it comes forth in the outward 
 man ; therefore all power of Magis- 
 tracy turned against the Spirit of 
 God in this appearance shall, and 
 all such Kingdoms and Nations as 
 proceed accordingly, viz. to oppose 
 that Kingdom, Power, and Do- 
 minion they receive from Christ 
 against him in his spiritual King- 
 dom, shall be dashed to pieces like 
 a potter's vessel. Be wise now 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 91 
 
 therefore, O ye Kings, and he in- Psalm 2. 
 structed, ye Judges of the earth. 
 
 But all such Nations, States, and 
 Kingdoms as shall administer not 
 only judgment and righteousness 
 in the world, but shall bring their 
 glory and honour to Christ and his Rev. 21. 
 Spirit in his People, Peace shall '^' 
 be within their walls, and prosperity 
 within their Palaces, Judgment 
 shall fiow there like a river, and 
 righteousness likeamighty stream. 
 
 The discei^ning of Spirits. 
 
 THERE was such a Manifes- 
 tation of Sjnrit given to the 
 people of God in the first Gosjwl- 
 times as they could in the very 
 unction or anoiriting of God discern 
 Spirits and try Spirits, Ye have i Joim. 4. 
 an unction and ye know all things, 
 the same anointiiig teacheth ye, 1 Cor. 12. 
 to another the gift of discerning 
 Spirits. 
 
 In this Manifestation of Spirit 
 were 2A\ False-teachers, Deceivers, 1 John 4, 
 Antichrists, and Hypocrites ]udged 2 John 7. 
 and discerned ; I will come to you, 1 Cor. 4. 
 saith the Apostle, and will know, 
 
Some Beams of that 
 
 not the words of them, that are 
 puffed 2tp, but the poiver. 
 
 This Manifestation of Spirit is 
 that in which Spiritual men are 
 known and revealed to each other, 
 and have as full assurance of each 
 other in Spirit and in Truth as men 
 know 7nen by the voice, features, 
 complexions, statures of the out- 
 ward man. 
 
 The Manifestation of Spirit may 
 be darkened and clouded in Chris- 
 tians sometimes, and hath been in 
 the purest times, when the Disci- 
 Acis 8. pies did not know Simon Magus, 
 Dor Demas, nor Hymenceus, and 
 Philetus, nor those that went out 
 1 John,u. from them, nor Judas. 
 
 The Manifestation of Spirit hath 
 been much lost and darkened in 
 the Churches for many hundred 
 years, since the Antichristian dark- 
 ness was upon them ; and therefore 
 they have judged Spiritual things 
 in a mist, and in much dimness and 
 doubtfulness, it hath been neither 
 nif/ht nor day. 
 
 For supplement of this Manifes- 
 tation of Spirit, Christians walked 
 by Candle-light and Star-light, 
 and set up marks and signs of trial 
 
 19. 
 
Briglit and Morning Star. 93 
 
 and demonstration in the letter and 
 outward man, so as any hypocrite 
 might appear for a true Christian; 
 and therefore most of their way of 
 Manifestation hath been from for- 
 mal relations and confessions of 
 faith, and experiences according to 
 the Law or standard of their own 
 Spirits, trying and judging all other 
 measures of grace by their own. 
 
 The experience of Christians, 
 who have the Spirit oiGo^ in them, 
 is very clear concerning the work- 
 ings and manifestations of the same 
 Spirit in others, as in Prayer, 
 Preaching, Prophesying, Confe- 
 rence, Conformity to Christ, Spi- 
 ritual conversation, so as Chris- 
 tians can in a manner say, the 
 Spirit of God is here and here, or 
 here I taste and see sornething of 
 God; here is a sjnritual savour, 
 there is none ; as in natural things 
 there is such a proportion betwixt 
 the sense and object, that the sense 
 knows and discerns its own object, 
 as in smelling, tasting, seeing, 
 hearing, so in Spirituals; and as 
 there is an outward, a letter, or 
 Scriptur e -Chvisti'QXiity , by which 
 men are distinsruished as Jew and 
 
94 Sume Beams of that 
 
 Gentile, as Professors and Pro- 
 fane, as of the visible Church and 
 of the world, so there is in the true 
 spiritual Church, or Kinr/dom of 
 God in Truth, a more pure spiri- 
 tual and g'lorious way of knowing- 
 each other according to that true 
 spiritual glory, nature, and light 
 
 Epii. 5. 8. that each walks in, being all chil- 
 dren of the day and of the light. 
 And this is no more than the ful- 
 
 Mai. 3. 18. filling of that promise, then shall 
 ye return and discern between the 
 righteous and the wicked, between 
 him that serveth God and him 
 that serveth him not ; but it is in 
 that day when the Lord makes up 
 his j excels, which is the more glo- 
 rious revelation of Jesus Christ in 
 the Saints, gathering his people 
 into more unity and glory of Spi- 
 rit. 
 
 All works 2ind fruits of men, as 
 the)'- are Christians and spiritual, 
 must either he judged and discerned 
 in the same Spirit and measure of 
 light and glory in which they are 
 wrought, and from whence they 
 flow, or else it is but a mere ,for- 
 ??ial, outward, pretended, false, 
 and fleshly way of judging in those 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 9;" 
 
 that so judge ; and thus the tree 
 is truly and purely known by its 
 fruits, and faith by works : The 
 same Faith and Spirit shining and 
 discerning, in those that judge the 
 works of their faith, who are judged.- 
 And thus we may see how Sy- 
 nods, and Councils of men, and 
 visible Churches have erred in their 
 judgments and discernings of all 
 others, judging all higher attain- 
 ments of light and glory, heresy 
 and schism ; and by this sentencing 
 the Lord himself, and confining 
 him only to their own measures 
 and degrees, which is that very spi- 
 rit oi Antichrist sitting in the Tem- 
 ple of God, and judging as God, 
 nay, judging God himself accord- 
 ing to his other manifestations 
 which they see not, nor receive, 
 unless they pretend to be that only 
 select Apostleship for interpreta- 
 tion and revelation of Scripture, as 
 the Apostles, who were the first 
 Preachers of Scripture ; and this 
 they must do upon their ways and 
 grounds of disceriiing ; but what 
 shall be done to these that judge 
 before the time, and the day, or 
 more full revelation oHqbxxb Christ, 
 
OG Some Beams of that 
 
 tl)e false Prophet shall he taken 
 and cast into the lake that hums 
 with fire ; and these that judg-e 
 God in their brethren according; to 
 such manifestations as are not in 
 themselves, shall be jndg^ed of Goc? 
 their Jiidrje^ even of the Lord Je- 
 sus, the Judge oi quirk and dead: 
 Cain was an image of all such, 
 judging his brotliers sacrifice, and 
 for that was sentenced of God. 
 
 Principles of War and 
 Peace, 
 
 BacriXft'a ETri I, TTTAR is the more natural 
 'etZ^^"' VV work of the Nations of 
 
 l«.of.,rcxi- the World, who shall, accordinG: to 
 
 IJJi; axoaf 
 
 Christ's Prophecy, be dashing- one 
 another in pieces till the last ap- 
 pearance of Jesus Christ, there 
 Mat. 24. 6, shall be Wars and rumours of 
 ^' Wars, Nation shall rise against 
 
 Nation, and Kingdom against 
 Kingdom. 
 
 2. War is from the Law and 
 Principles of nature, according to 
 which the Nations of the world 
 live and are acted, having no higher 
 a law to raise them, and carry 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 97 
 
 them up into more glorious dis- 
 pensations ; For the Law or Prin- 
 ciples of nature dictate thus, pre- 
 serve thyself, thy life, thy lands, 
 thy rights, an eye for an eye, and E'cod. 21. 
 a tooth for a tooth. '"^^' 
 
 3. The true Christian, so far as 
 he is in nature, and under this laiv, 
 he is acted according to the icorld, 
 and to the mere Principles of na- 
 ture and law ; and therefore it is 
 that the Christians to this day are 
 found at the same work with the 
 world, and two are grinding at one Mat. 24. 40, 
 mill, two are in one field, two in ..'^l" ~ 
 07ie bed; that is, the true Chris- uy^^^Coh 
 tian and the mere natural man are ''"' '^'^^'' 
 together in one work, ^.tone plough, 
 
 in one bed or way of Peace and 
 worldly res^, till the Lord Jesus /u/a Tr^a- 
 be more manifested in Spirit, or in ^'/a^'^S^'. 
 his coming and revelation, and the 
 owe, or ^rwe Christian, be taken, 
 and the other Ze/if, the one taken 
 up higher into more Spirit, and 
 more of Christ, the other left in 
 their mere nature, and legal prin- 
 ciples, and worldly doings. 
 
 4. The Jews were not only a 
 type of the true spiritual Church, 
 but of the Christians under the 
 
us 
 
 Some Beams of that 
 
 jtaioixovoMCf- 
 
 lowest disjiensation ; and ia the 
 model of their armed Tribes and 
 Exod. 13. Generals, as of Moses and Joshua^ 
 were a figure of the Christian un- 
 (iai. 4. 2. (ier jyujnlage and bondage to na- 
 ture y and the Z«z^5 of nature ; and 
 so they were led out against the 
 vTTOEffjT^offBf Nations, who were a fiqure of 
 worldly Tyranny and oppression^ 
 to recover their /awe? of re^^, or 
 such worldly privileges as they had 
 in j)romise and donation from God. 
 5. Under the Gospel the Lord 
 Mat.26.52. Suffered the same figure in Peter ^ 
 who walked ahout with Christ in 
 his fieshly appearance, with his 
 sword girt about him, and attended 
 inirji^'ov his Person till Christ bid him put 
 XM^ccv ti; it Up again into his sheath, because 
 iJrJ;^"*^ he was now going out of that dis- 
 pensation oi flesh into more glory, 
 into the same glory that he had 
 with God before the world was, 
 and was accordingly providing a 
 more spiritual dispensation for 
 them, even the Comforter or Spi- 
 Joiui 17. 5. rit of truth, all which were a figure 
 ^2(5? of all the Disciples of Peter s fel- 
 i); T*iv ioiotv lowship and weakness, whom the 
 Lord would suffer in an armed and 
 defensive Posture, till he provided 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 99 
 
 a more spiritual Ministration for 
 them, and a way of more spirit, 
 light and glory. 
 
 In order to Peace, and Suf- 
 fering, and Love. 
 
 The Will of God. 
 
 A CHRISTIAN is most per- 
 fected in the Will of God, 
 in laying himself down to rest in 
 the bosom of such providence as 
 the Lord opens to him ; for nothing* 
 creates perplexity and disquietness 
 of Spirit, but when the will of man 
 is in complying and in a motion 
 distinct from the will of God, when 
 the Spirit of man moves in its own 
 fleshly course and circuit, and so 
 runs out into a dispensation further 
 than the law of present providence 
 will fairly allow it : and in this 
 way men study, i^^ot, desire, lust, 
 are passionate, inordinate, un- 
 quiet, unstable, and like the trou- 
 bled sea, foam out themselves ; 
 upon this account, men lust and 
 
100 Some Beams of that 
 
 Jame«4. 2. have not, they kill and desire to 
 TkI-x^".^ have, and cannot obtain, they Jig ht 
 and war, yet they have not ; are 
 Isa. 2G. 17. with child, and bring forth wind, 
 and work no deliverance ; they say 
 the bricks are fallen down, but we 
 will build with heiun stones; the 
 Sycamores are cut down, but we 
 will change them into Cedars. The 
 Lord Jesus held forth another pat- 
 Heb. 10. 7. tern and figure, Lo, I come to do 
 T^six,^ ^/iy w?7/, O God ; not my will, 
 John 4. 34. but thi7ie be done; it is my meat 
 and drink to c?o Me will of my 
 Father ; the Apostle answers this, 
 pi.il. 4. 11, as in water face answers face, / 
 . ''f have learyied in whatsoever state 
 
 i]vou. I am, therewith to be content; I 
 
 can be abased, and I can abound : 
 1 John 4. tj^g reason of all is, from the spi- 
 ritual anointing they receive, by 
 Eph. 1. 18. which their understandings are en- 
 m o<j)3aA- lightened to see all the various 
 '^"f' workings and contrary contextures 
 
 of providence meeting in one point 
 Rom. 8. 28. qt line, the luill of God; so as all 
 ytrT; I^^- things work together for good to 
 ^''- those that love God. 
 
Bright and Morning Star. loi 
 
 2. 
 
 God changing Dispen- 
 sations. 
 
 THE Christian is most 2it peace 2. 
 when he is willing to be ga- 
 thered up by God from such ways , 
 and ministrations below as he hath 
 lived in formerly, if he see God 
 clearly in it, for God hath his times 
 •of letting out, and winding up, of 
 using such or such a ministration, 
 and then breaking it, and laying it 
 by, and appearing in other, and we 
 must not limit the Holy One of 
 Israel, nor fix him always upon 
 the same point of dispensation, he 
 went out from his Tabernacle into 
 his Temple, from thence into the 
 flesh of Christy and so into ordi- 
 nances, and gifts, and graces, and 
 Spirit ; with the Jews he was in 
 war, in peace, in captivity, in de- 
 liverance, or return ; and in this 
 exchange of dispensation, God re- 
 veals and shines forth his wisdom,, 
 glory, and power upon his and 
 upon the world, which wisdom, 
 
-fova. 
 
 102 Some Beams of that 
 
 power, and i^Iory being in that ful- 
 ness and infiniteness in himself, can- 
 not appear in one globe and ball of 
 glory below, upon this Creation, 
 but as in parts, and scattered 
 beams, and divers workings ; and 
 therefore John saw the Lord in a 
 vision like a Jasper upon a Throne, 
 and a rainbow round about the 
 ^ 4. 3. Throne ; which rainbow is a glory 
 rfyov?'^^'^ of many colours, or 2l figure of the 
 glory of Jesus Christ in many ap- 
 pearances of things below. 
 
 3- 
 
 The Law of Nature ami 
 
 Grace. 
 
 THE Christian is one who 
 should live in an higher region 
 than fiesh or nature, and when 
 God saith come up hither, he shall 
 live there, even in Spirit with him; 
 so as though grace destroys not 
 nature, yet it perfects and glori- 
 fies nature, and leads it out into 
 higher and more excellent attain- 
 ments, than it can find in itself; 
 nature lives by this law. Preserve 
 
Cor. 4.12. 
 Pet.2,-23. 
 
 Bright and Morning Star, io3 
 
 thyself, thy life, thy lands, thy 
 
 rights and privileges, avenge thy- Mat. 5. as. 
 
 self, an eye for an eye, and a i^^^-^^-^^- 
 
 tooth for a tooth, and love only 
 
 thy neighbour : Grace lives by this 
 
 law. Deny thyself forsake lands, 
 
 life, houses, take up the Cross, 
 
 if he take thy cloak let him have >iat. 5. 40, 
 
 thy coat also, love thy enemies, '*"'' 
 
 bless them that curse thee ; when 
 
 thou art reviled revile not again, 1 
 
 when thou sufferest threaten not. 
 
 4- 
 
 The Gospel Method of 
 Victory, 
 
 SUFFERINGS are ways of vec- 
 tory in another method and 
 form; he that conquers under per- 
 secution, receives in the enmity, 
 wrath, and opposition of his ene- 
 mies into himself, and there 
 quenches it and destroys it in Spi- 
 rit ; for the Christian being' one 
 with the Lord Jesus, flesh of his 
 flesh, and bone of his bone, is par- Eph. 
 taker of thatpoz^er and glory which 
 was in CAnsf; 'and through him 
 
104 Some Beams of that 
 
 (who hath overcome the world) we 
 Rniii. 8. are more than conquerors, and this 
 I John 5. 4. is our victovy , even our faith ; and 
 the strength and life of Christ is 
 shed abroad through all his People^ 
 so as death hath no sting for them, 
 and the grave no victory over them, 
 I CoV.is. the violence of fire is quenched, 
 mouths of lions stopped, kingdoms 
 subdued. 
 
 5- 
 
 Hoio Resist'uigs in some are 
 of Flesh, and of the Law 
 of Nature in others. 
 
 Heb. 11. 
 
 R' 
 
 ESISTINGS are ever from 
 want of conformity to the 
 will of God; and though God or- 
 der and dispose all the ways of 7nQn, 
 Roin.8. 28. and act them to his own purpose 
 and glory, yet the weakness and 
 selfish courses of man are no way 
 excusable because of that, for man 
 acts from a principle of his own, 
 and of fesh contrary to that re- 
 vealed and manifested providence 
 that God held forth to him, and in 
 that he originally and naturally 
 
Bright and Mornhig Star. los 
 
 departs from God, and becomes a 
 god unto himself, judging- ^oocZ and 
 evil for himself, which is the tast- 
 ing of t\\Q forbidden tree, and seeks 
 out many inventions. 
 
 Thus it is in some, yet in others 
 it is from that very law of nature 
 and self-preservation under which 
 they live and are acted. 
 
 6. 
 
 The Advantage Christians 
 have of Bondage. 
 
 THERE are times of bondage 
 which God hath for his, and 
 through which they must pass into 
 more spiritual liberty and enjoy- 
 ments of Jesus Christ ; for God 
 hath this design, to increase his Acts s. i, 
 Gospel by scattering- such as pro- 
 fess it amongst other people, that 
 the earth may hQ filled with know- 
 ledge, and to make his own fulness 
 the portion of his people, and to 
 carry them through some confor- 
 mity to the flesh of Jesus Christ, 
 even the fellowship of his suffer- 
 ings and death, which is most spi- 
 
 F 2 
 
lOG Some Beams of that 
 
 ritual, as it is most inward^ and 
 in Spirit or sinful Jiesh, but as it 
 is more outward and carnal, as in 
 persecution ; so it is a figure or 
 image of the more spiritual : and 
 further, the bondage of God's peo- 
 ple, according to this account I 
 speak on, is in the type of the Jew's 
 bondage, when the Chaldeans were 
 to take Jerusalem, Jeremiah told 
 them, he that goeth forth to the 
 ■■ 34. -2. Chaldeans shall live, and shall have 
 his life for a prey ; and go forth, 
 says he, to the King of Babylon's 
 Princes and live ; but if ye stay 
 in the City, ye shall be consumed, 
 which is a figure or shadow of 
 abiding longer in any dispensation, 
 or way, than God is clearly in it, 
 and his presence appears upon it. 
 
 7- 
 Upo7i what Account the 
 furest and freest outward 
 Liberty is, 
 
 THE People of God shall re- 
 ceive their best and purest 
 outward liberty upon another ac- 
 
Bright and Morning Star. i07 
 
 count than their own strength, de- 
 sign, and activity, and that is by 
 these ways. 
 
 The glory of Christ and the light 
 of God shining' more in their ^aces 
 and outward yuan, the nations shall 
 bring their glory unto them, and 
 shall take hold of the Skirt of him Ztcii.s.23. 
 that is a Jew, and say, we hear 
 that God is in you. 
 
 The meekness, peace, love, and 
 righteousness that shall appear from 
 them, as beams from the Sun, shall 
 much prevail upon the world, which 
 are those on\j graces that the world 
 can love and be enamoured on in 
 God's people, for they are graces 
 that g'o out to the blessing, and 
 prosperity , ?inA preservation of the 
 world, and in such a dispensation 
 as this, it is, that all men love God, 
 because he appears to them in 
 things of their own nature, his Sun 
 shining upon the unjust, and his Mat. 5. 45. 
 rain upon the wicked, and in such 
 a dispensation it is that men shall 
 love the people of God, while they 
 shine upon them in such things as 
 they can bear and love ; though 
 still according to another Revela- 
 tion of them^ or manifestation of 
 
108 Some Beams of that 
 
 God in them, they shall be hated, 
 as they do God himself. 
 
 And the other way for liberty is 
 the power of God upon the hearts 
 of Princes and nations, of which 
 Cyrus and Darius were figures : 
 Jci. 52. and the King- of Babylon lifting up 
 the head of Jehoiakin. 
 
 And that other way is the Spi- 
 rituality of God's people, raising 
 them from the love of worldly In- 
 terests and Engagements, save only 
 for righteousness sake, and thegood 
 of nations in administration of 
 judgment and peace, and when 
 Christians appear to the worldmore 
 disengaged from the love oi power. 
 Dominion, Riches, earthly glory, 
 and the nations find them not in 
 their own ways, nor desiring to live 
 with them in their borders and 
 fruitful plains, nor seeking their 
 vineyards, nor plucking apples 
 from their trees ; their jealousy, 
 revenge, enmity, in part and per- 
 secution shall cease towards them ; 
 the other way is, God shall make 
 Jerusalem a burthensome stone, 
 and a cup of trembling to all na- 
 tions, they shall be weary of afflict- 
 ing them, because of the affliction 
 
Bright and Morning Star. luo 
 
 that shall come upon them where 
 they are carried away captive ; and 
 the Philistines were a type of this, 
 when they found the Ark of God 
 plaguing- them with Emrods, and 
 they were to send it away with an 
 offering. 
 
 8. 
 
 A Word concerning Heresy 
 and Schism. 
 
 SOME books have been writ 
 against me and I have been 
 silent, and was rather willing to sit 
 under the shadow of another's con- 
 tradiction and reproach, than to 
 reply, till God by his Spirit^ in 
 the hearts of such as did oppose, 
 might bring forth my righteousness 
 as the noon day ; and then we, 
 who had been enemies through the 
 several measures of light we see by, 
 and judging each other rather in 
 Jiesh than Spirit, might rejoice and 
 embrace as brethren in the unity 
 of the same faith ; and I saw fur- 
 ther, that in books of controversy I 
 left my adversary still upon some 
 account with me for passion and 
 
110 Some Beams of that 
 
 recrimination, as all others do on 
 all sides, whom I see write ; there- 
 fore I rather made it my choice to 
 isa. 26.20. enter into the chamber (or retire- 
 ment of Spirit) and shut the door 
 upon me till the indignation be 
 over-past ; for we can set but letter 
 to letter, and Scripture to Scrip- 
 ture, and argument to argument, 
 and interpretation to interpreta- 
 tion, and nothing can be judged 
 till the day or time of more reve- 
 lation oi truth, till the Holy Ghost 
 dindjire sit upon each of us, trying 
 every man's work of what sort it 
 is, and burning up that in us which 
 is hay and stubble; for writing 
 hook after book in such a line of Re- 
 plies and Rejoinders, hath usually 
 more of man than God in it, and 
 we seem to say with our lips we 
 will prevail, our tongues are our 
 own, who is Lord over us ? I am 
 not against contending for truth 
 earnestly, but that is in Spirit, not 
 in flesh, nor passions ; and I know 
 well that the Spirit of God is flow- 
 ing in, and is aflre in the bosom, 
 but still as a refiner s fire trying 
 and purifying , not scorching nor 
 burning up that which is pure and 
 
Bright and Morning Star. ill 
 
 spiritual in one another; and I 
 know some allowance there must 
 be on all sides to infirmities and 
 darkness, and several conceptions 
 of truth in all, which yet hath not 
 been ; and I know not any of us 
 that eitherpreac^ or write on Scrip- 
 tures in such a light of Spirit as 
 the Apostles writ the Scriptures. 
 
 Her^esi/. 
 
 HERESY is a choice, in the a/^fo-.f. 
 signification of the word, 
 and in the ap)plication of it in Scrip- 
 ture, it is a choice of some other 
 thing for truth than is truth, by 
 those who seemingly received truth, 
 though after they make another 
 choice of that which is contrary to 
 truth. 
 
 Heresy, which was judged by 
 the Apostles accordingly, was a 
 choice of some thing contrary to 
 the faith and sound doctrine of 
 Scriptures delivered by inspiration, 
 or in Spirit and Truth ; so as He- 
 resy is something against the very 
 Doctrine of Faith in the Word or jfaik 7. 9. 
 Scriptures, not against any inter- 
 
112 Some Beams of that 
 
 pretationSj doctrines, conclusions^ 
 glosses, Comynents, or Preachings 
 of men, who speak not Scripture, 
 nor the word of trxith originally 
 nor infallibly, as the Apostles did; 
 but so far as that is the very Scrip- 
 ture they speak, and so far as they 
 speak the truth in Jesus ; and in 
 the Spirit of God, else they teach 
 for Doctrines the Traditions of 
 
 Schism, 
 
 SCHISM is a breaking off, a 
 renting or dividing from Chris- 
 tians who are in an outward pro- 
 fession of truth, and in an outward 
 fellowship of truth. 
 
 Now there may be Schism in 
 visible Churches or fellowships of 
 Saints upon this account, but there 
 can be none in the true body of 
 Christ, or the spiritual Church, 
 which is baptized by one spirit into 
 one body, for they that arc joined 
 to the Lord are one Sinrit, and 
 they are made perfect in one ; and 
 so far as they are in that one Spirit 
 cannot be divided, nor can suffer 
 any Schism; so as the dividing 
 
Bright and Morning Star. lis 
 
 from men merely, or the fellow - 
 shijjs of men merely, or the errors 
 of men, or departing into higher 
 attainments of truth ; while the 
 rest of the visible fellowships sit 
 still, is no Schism, for if so, the 
 Protestants were a Schism toRome, 
 and Presbyterians to Bishojys, and 
 all that go on from faith to faith, 
 from glory to glory, to the rest 
 whom they leave behind. 
 
 9- 
 
 Truth. 
 
 THERE is but one Truth, and 
 that is Jesus Christ; I am John 14.6. 
 the way, and the truth, and he is 
 Truth III the original or pattern ; 
 and we see nor know no more Truth 
 than we see and knoiu in him, this 
 is called the truth us it is in Jesus : 
 For Jesus Christ is the A Ipha and 
 Omega of all things, and compre- 
 hends all essence, and form, and 
 life, and Spirit of things in him- 
 self; and all things of this Creation 
 are but Shadows and Images of this 
 Truth, and the outward forms of 
 th^it glory; this Truth makes free, 
 
114 Some Beams of that 
 
 that is the operatio/i of it ; and 
 tlierefore so much of Truth or of 
 Christ any one knows or receives, 
 so much freedom or liberty they 
 receive, and so much they are de- 
 livered into the f/lorious liberty of 
 the Sons of God; and where the 
 Spirit of the Lord is, there is li- 
 berty : And therefore as Truth is 
 in any, so is spiritual liberty, and 
 the Spirit of bondage in them passes 
 away, and such are disburdened of 
 the legal terrors, fears, of the lies, 
 delusions, false conceptions, tra- 
 ditions under which they have lived 
 as they g-row up into Truth; the 
 Spirit of Truth only teaches and 
 reveals this Truth; and opens those 
 treasures of wisdom and knowledge 
 which are in Christ. Truth, though. 
 it be but one, yet it shines forth in 
 many streams of glory, and opens 
 like day ; in Jesus Christ this variety 
 of truth7i])'^e?iYsth?ittruth,0Y glory , 
 or true brightness of God, and all 
 that truth of this Creation ot forms 
 of the world; z.ni\?i\\ truth of Letter, 
 ovScripture, oroutward Ordinance 
 is in its pure Essence and Spirit in 
 Jesus Christ; Truth gathers up 
 men more into Christ from the Jiesh 
 
Bright and Morning Star, ii5 
 
 and loose vanity of the world ; and 
 therefore we are said to have our 
 loins girt with truth ; the girdle of Eph. 6. 14. 
 truth, as it were, binding- us up, 
 and keeping' close in Spirit to the 
 Lord ; there is a fulness, settle- 
 ment, and establishment in truth, 
 as in things of this world ; there is 
 a far more solid and real enjoyment 
 in the substance of things here than 
 in their shadows, counterfeits, or 
 pictures, because there is a nature, 
 or Spirit and life in that thing to 
 be enjoyed, and answers the Spirit 
 and life of him that enjoys, by com- 
 municating something substantial, 
 solid, and proportionable than 
 images and shadows are. So it is 
 in the truth, Jesus Christ, in whom 
 is life, andmoYeexcelle7it, glorious, 
 and spiritual form, or life, exceed- 
 ing the nature of things here, and 
 communicatino- more true and solid 
 glory , than all things here, which 
 are but as shadows to that, as other 
 things are shadows to them ; there- 
 fore, says David, I shall behold 
 thy face in righteousness ; I shall 
 be satisfied when I awake ivith thy 
 likeness, as if the face or likeness 
 of God, which is Jesus Christ the 
 
lie Some Beams of that 
 
 image of the invisible God, could 
 only satisfy ; and the soul in such 
 a prospect of /?^/i^ nnd f/lory is truly 
 awakened, till when, it is but asleep 
 and in dreams and visions of its own 
 spirit, all the life and discoveries of 
 se7ise and reason being but dreams 
 rather than true awakenings ; and 
 therefore the more any one hath 
 seen of truth in Jesus, the more 
 spiritually and highly theyjudg-e 
 of all outward things, being not 
 satisfied in the mere letter ov form 
 of them, but in the spirituality of 
 them, and true life of them, which 
 is Jesus Christ. 
 
 The Mysteri/ of true Chris- 
 tiaji Liberty from God, 
 not from J\Ian, or the 
 Power of ]\Ien, 
 
 WE have hitherto filled much 
 paper with Scriptures, Rea- 
 sons, and Arguments for Liberty 
 of conscience, and thus far it hath 
 been well in order to the peace of 
 those whose consciences in outward 
 things run cross, contrary, and 
 destructive to others, both in rule 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 117 
 
 and practice, so as when Chris- 
 tians are under several forms and 
 administrations, and these diame- 
 trical, or opposite to each other, 
 and mutually contradicting and 
 expelling each other, here can be 
 no Peace nor Preservation of all, 
 but from an indulgeyicy or liberty 
 in all ; and this is such a liberty as 
 7nen may give to men ; this is the 
 liberty of the outward man, and is 
 upon the old legal, a.ndjirst Gos- 
 pel or New Testament account, as 
 in the mere letter, as in those 
 Scriptures ; but this is yet below 
 the true Christian Liberty, and a 
 mystery unwritten, which is ori- 
 ginally from the Spirit of God, 
 and is merely spiritual, and works 
 from a pure enlargement of Spirit, 
 and a true spiritual Prospect of 
 all outward things, which is an 
 image of that liberty which is in 
 God, who appears under his seve- 
 ral forms of Creation pure and 
 holy in himself or his own nature. 
 But this is a mystery yet, and a 
 land of peace and purify, not yet 
 clearly discovered ; nor the right 
 inhabitants of it, but to some ; and 
 this liberty will further appear as 
 
118 Some Beams of that 
 
 the Lord Jesus is more and more 
 revealed in the Saints, judginr/ the 
 world in Spirit, and reigning- over 
 the tyranny and j)Owcr of men in 
 z glory of Spirit, which ^\\?i\\ judge 
 and torment their adversaries, 
 while they shall triumph over all 
 the practices in the flesh against 
 them. 
 
 A Discovery of the highest 
 Attainment of the Pi^o- 
 test ants generally i?i the 
 Mystery of Salvation. 
 
 Gen. 1. A -D^Mwas the first man, cre- 
 
 -^^ ated after God's own image. 
 
 Gen. 2. he was a public person, and 'he 
 
 * Js*' ^^* sinning, sin entered upon all, and 
 
 Rom. 5. death by sin ; the Zaz6' was after- 
 
 d%o ^^'^'"^^^ revealed by God to Moses, 
 
 wherein was a copy of that first 
 
 image or righteousness from whence 
 
 Rom. 5. w«w fell, and under the condem- 
 
 ^2 nation of which all mankind were 
 
 by nature, or as born of their first 
 
 The way of life or salvation, 
 
 which w^as revealed to be a w^ay 
 
 ^[*y"^- ^- out of this condeinnation and death, 
 
Bright and Morni?ig Star. ii9 
 
 was by Jesus Christ, the Son of 
 God, born of a Virgin in the ful- 
 ness of time made under the Law, Rom. 8. 3. 
 and fulfilling" the Law, bearing our \q^ '>^q\ 
 sins, crucified, dead, buried, and 
 risen, ascended, and entered into Heb. 9. 
 glory, and sitting at the right ''^^' ^^' 
 hand of God, making intercession 
 for us ; and by the Preaching of 
 this Jesus Christ in the Ministery Eph. 4. 8, 
 of the Word which he hath set in ^' '*'' ^'■ 
 his Church, a true and lively faith 
 is begotten in the hearts of men, 
 such as are elect or chosen in Rom. 10. 
 Christ before the fouridation of g ^J" j ^ 
 the world was laid, not from any 
 works foreseen, but of God's mere 
 grace ; and by this faith so begot- Eph. 2. 8. 
 ten, they apply Jestis Christ and 
 all his merits to righteousness and ^gs^ls^^ 
 justification ; and through this, 
 and the sanctified use of all other 
 ordinances of God, as Preaching, 1 cor. 1. 
 Prayer, Sacraments, the regene- ^^' 
 rate are more and more sanctified, 
 and so built up in graces oi faith, 2 pet. 1. 
 repentance, love, new obedience, 5>c, r. 
 and made to persevere through the 
 power of God unto salvation : Nor 
 is the Ministery of the Law use- cai. 3. 24. 
 less in this, the Law being a part 
 
120 Some Beams of that 
 
 of this Ministery to bring- men to 
 Christ, or to make tliem seek out 
 for mercy, they discerning^ their 
 misery by the preaching of the 
 Law, it being God's usual method 
 in Scriptures not to offer the Gos- 
 
 Mat. n. pel without this preparatory of 
 
 *^' humiliation and contrition ; and 
 
 men so humbled and wounded by 
 
 the Law are only fit for the mercy 
 
 of the Gospel or of Jesus Christ. 
 
 Act. 1.11. This Jesus Christ they believe 
 to be one ascended according to 
 that body he appeared in, and 
 sitting at the right hand of God, 
 and in the figure o^ glorified flesh, 
 according to which all the Saints 
 
 1 Cor. 15. shall be glorified in their souls and 
 bodies; and in Jesus Christ thus 
 glorified m flesh, and entered thus 
 into his Father s glory, they be- 
 lieve ; and to the Lord Jesus in 
 this^^wre and /brm of glory with- 
 out them they are carried out in 
 faith; and through Jesus Christ 
 thus they believe that they are^w*- 
 tified, and through the Spirit of 
 God in this Jesus Christ they are 
 sanctified. 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 121 
 
 Of Faith, 
 
 FAITH, they say, is a grace 
 wrought by the Spirit of God^ 
 whereby a believer rests upon Jesus 
 Christ for justification, and this 
 they call faith of adherence ; and 
 when t\ns faith works through love, 
 obedience, self-denial, and other 
 fruits, they call it faith of assur- 
 ance ; for, they say, assurance is 
 obtained through the Spirit of God 
 bearing witness in promises and 
 good works, as well as by itself; 
 and faith, working thus, is sancti- 
 fication too, or holiness wrought by 
 graces. 
 
 A further Discovery as to 
 Free-Grace. 
 
 THEY believe Jesus Christ as- 
 cended in the body accord- 
 ingly, and glorified in fiesh; and 
 through Jesus Christ thus ascend- 
 ed, and sitting on the right hand 
 of God in this figure and bodily 
 form, they accoidingly conceive 
 all graces of Spirit to flow forth 
 
122 Some Beams of that 
 
 into the Saints in faith, love, obe- 
 dience, ^c. 
 
 But they look not on justif cation 
 as flowing- from Christ acted upon 
 by the faith of a believer first, and 
 so a consequent of believing or of 
 faith, but an antecedent or going 
 before faith ; they hold Jesus Christ 
 to be righteousness and justif ca- 
 tion to a sinner, and that all are 
 Justif ed before they believe or re- 
 pent ; faith and repentance are 
 fruits of righteousness or justif ca- 
 tion, Christ being given to open the 
 Luke 4. 10. eyes of the bli?id, and to briyig the 
 prisoners out of prison, ^c. and 
 that all such righteousness and 
 justif cation clothes the sinner so 
 completely through God's ijnputa- 
 tion, that all sin is done away like 
 Ezck. a thick cloud, and none imputed to 
 believers; Christ hath taken away 
 1 Pet. 2. 24. all sin by his offering up one sacri- 
 26.^" "^^'fce once for all ; and that faith in 
 the believer doth nothing, no not 
 instrumentally as to justif cation^ 
 but as by way of revelation and 
 manifestation of th2it justif cation : 
 Hence it is that they affirm no be- 
 liever ought to pray for pardon of 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 123 
 
 sin, being- a righteous pe7'son, at 
 once in Christ, and wholly par- 
 doned ; but all this righteoiisiiess 
 and justification they take upon 
 the account merely of God's im- 
 putation, of Christ without us, or 
 in heaven, who calleth things that 
 are not as if they were ; and they 
 look upon all works and duties, S^c. 
 as works flowing from love, and 
 from justification or righteousness, 
 not directed to justification or in 
 any order to it; we believe, repent, 
 love, and obey (say they) not that 
 we may be saved, but because we 
 are saved ; and any other way of 
 believing, obeying, S^c. they look 
 upon as legal, and not so purely 
 Evangelical ; and they hold forth 
 all the work of justification and 
 righteousness to be of mere grace, 
 and that all Gospel promises are 
 free ; and Christ is freely offered 
 to sinners as sinners, in the Minis- 
 tery of the Word. 
 
 So as their highest attainment 
 is this, that God doth all to sinners Ezek. lo. 
 in mere grace ; that no sin is im- Epii.^2.^«. 
 puted to sinners, but they are pure 8. 9- 
 
 II,- 4,\- A J Cor. 1. 
 
 only by imputation ; and so no 30 
 
124 Some Beams of that 
 
 1 Pet. 2. believers are punished for sin, but 
 Isa^i3 G. ^roDi ^^'* • ^"^ ^1^ works of ^race 
 
 L„j.^. 1. in a believer is because they are 
 
 7-1, '5. saved, or pardoned, not that they 
 
 may be saved or pardoned ; and 
 
 2 Cor. 5. all they are to do is from love, not 
 '^ from bondacje, or from a mere out- 
 ward Commandment; and the 
 
 Matt. 9. Gospel or cjrace of God in Christ 
 
 1 lim* 1 is/ree, and in free promises ; and 
 
 13. so to be preached to sinners, as 
 
 seeConfes- '^ ^ey, commonlv called Presby- 
 sion of terians, Independents, Anabaptists, 
 '^in'thisAs- &c. hold all points of doctrine, as 
 sembiy. jq justification, sanctification, 
 cmfes- faith, ^c. the ministery of the 
 sion of word and Sacraments, which they 
 
 the sex>en c i • n i 
 
 Churches, call means oi salvation ; all these 
 hold alike with the common Pro- 
 testant ; this being the sum of the 
 Artu-ies of Articlcs of the Church of England 
 ofEn"-'^^ made by the Bishops and con- 
 lund. firmed by Queen Elizabeth, King 
 
 James, and King Charles : and 
 there hath been no Reformation 
 further, nor any higher attain- 
 ment in these things, than the Bi- 
 shops made, and the Synod m Eng- 
 land formerly. 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 121 
 
 And all the Reformation that 
 hath been endeavoured, hath been 
 only in some outward things, as 
 Discipline or Church-government , 
 and some outward ordinances of 
 Baptism, and the Supper, not any- 
 purer or more glorious discoveries 
 of God, or the Spirit, or Jesus 
 Christ, or our union with the 
 Sjnrit, or glory, as to spiritual 
 things, or Christ risen, but as to 
 Christ in the fiesh, or under the 
 law, of which these ordinances 
 were a sign. 
 
 A Discovery as to the ge- 
 neral Point, or Christ 
 dying for all. 
 
 ^'^HEY say the Scriptures hold Rom. 5. 
 forth all sinning, and Christ ^ coV^5* 
 dying for all, and the promises of is. 
 Christ generally to all, upon con- *^''''" ^' ^^'' 
 dition, and exhortations to all to 2Pet. 3. 9. 
 repent, believe and come to Christ ; 
 and therefore conclude the Lord 
 Jesus or second man was given 
 from the Father to give a price of 
 
Juhnl. 11. 
 
 126 Some Beams of that 
 
 redemption for all those who fell 
 in the^/\«f^ man; and those, they 
 say, were all mankind, and with 
 Christ a Ministery of reconcilia- 
 tion and graces to all that will not 
 wilfully reject, or refuse, or put 
 iMat. 23. by the offers of grace and salva- 
 'i Pet 3. 9. ^^^^ ^® tendered, but remain pas- 
 sive, and so far as in them lies, not 
 oppose the Spirit and means of 
 grace, though they acknowledge 
 they can do nothing of themselves 
 to obtain faith or any other work 
 of salvation, but all that is merely 
 of the Spirit of God working in 
 those who are called; and upon 
 these general terms of grace they 
 affirm also the election of some 
 which they conclude from that 
 work of God in them who are 
 called of God through the means 
 of grace, they not resisting that 
 calif or present offer of grace. 
 
 And this they say is the Gospel 
 of salvation preached to all, which 
 all may receive if they resist not. 
 
 •2 Ptt. 3. 9. 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 127 
 
 77? e last Discovery, and as 
 some say, the highest and 
 most glorious, concerning 
 the whole Mystery of God 
 to Men, and this Crea- 
 tion. 
 
 GOD being* infinitely one, yet 
 in a three-fold manifestation 
 to us, of Father, Son, and Spirit, 
 would make out himself in an image 
 in this Creation, or nature, and 
 therefore he takes to himself one 
 part of it into union to himself, 
 according to one way of manifes- Ps^ii.sfjo. 
 tation, called in Scripture light, \Y^^i^^ 
 love, grace, salvation, father, T\t. 2.11. 
 bridegroom, glory, and that part jj'hlf 3.^2';! 
 of nature which enjoys God in this i P'^t- ii'^- 
 manifestation of grace or salvation, Eph. 1*1.4, 
 is called the Angels, the Saints, ^ J-^^'- ^'^■ 
 the Elect, the Son, the Tabernacle Rev! 21.2, 
 of God; the neiu Jerusalem, the ^' 
 Temple, the Spouse. 
 
 He takes to himself the other 
 part of the Creation, and there he 
 is present, but not in this way of 
 gi^ace and light, but of another 
 
128 Some Beams of that 
 
 majdfestaiion called law, justice, 
 wrath y everlasting burnings; and 
 Psa. 139.S. these are called devils, wicked men, 
 iu,l! l^/u, Jlcsh, which live in God, and sub- 
 sist in hiin as creatures in their 
 being, but not in his grace and 
 glory , not in that manifestation of 
 Joim 1. 5. his, the light shining in darkness^ 
 but the darkness comprehending 
 it not. 
 
 This is the mystery God is in, 
 as to this Creation and the biig-hter 
 part of it, as to Angels, Saints; 
 and to the darker part of it, as to 
 devils and wicked 7nen ; and all 
 that God doth here below, under 
 the Sun, is to preach this in several 
 tcays or ministrations, as in the 
 appearances of this Creation, in 
 light, and darkness, and in the 
 Scriptures. 
 J. )in 5. 39. The Scriptures are no other than 
 a way or ministration by letter of 
 this mystery, and all the passages 
 there, from the first man to the 
 second, from the Old Testament 
 to the New, with those two very 
 appearances of the two men or 
 r.cH. 1. Adams, were but a miyiistery or 
 ^ 47T'48.^* wcLy of God to signify or Jigrire 
 this mystery ; and so all the rest 
 
Bright and Mortiing Star. 129 
 
 we read of, as of Cain and Abel, Gen. 4. 
 Isaac and Ishmael,Jacob?ind Esau, Gen. 
 Israel and Judah, Saul and David, 1 Sam. 
 Judas and the Eleven, Christ and Acts 1.25. 
 Antichrist ; and thus these set forth 
 diXid figure this mystery. 
 
 They say Adam was a way by 
 which God preached first to man, 
 and was not the first man in whom 
 all stood and fell, but a way by which 
 this mystery of God was made to 
 appear first to the Creation, and 
 Adam held forth nature or a part 
 of this Creation in communion with 
 God as to grace and /oz;e, while he 
 stood, and another part of the Cre- 
 ation or nature out of communion 
 with God, as to /ot;e and grace, 
 but in communion or union to God, 
 as to law and justice, or wrath ; 
 and thus they interpret those Scrip- 
 tures oi man's first glory and fall 
 less in the very letter, and more 
 in the mystery, and according to 
 Adam, in this two-fold state, were 
 all the rest, Cain and Abel, Sfc. 
 
 They say that Goc? in the Old 
 Testament preached this mystery, 
 though more darkly, and in sha- 
 dows, as in the law, and sacrifices, Gai. 4. 21, 
 and in the children of the bond- 2^'2*'^^- 
 
 G2 
 
130 Some Beams of that 
 
 luoman, and o^th^ free, of IsraeVs 
 walking with God, and apostating. 
 And that the Gospel or fulness 
 of ti7ne of the clearer discovery of 
 this mystery was the Lord Jesus 
 Idmself, or God manifest in the 
 flesh, or as in one man, ii figure of 
 the ivhole inystery as to grace and 
 Zo7;e, or God in flesh, or in his ; or 
 of God in that other par^ of liis 
 Creation, his Church or Saints : 
 And all that Go<^ did in this single 
 and particular manifestation in 
 flesh, as in one TWft??, was only a 
 more full, clearer, excellent, and 
 spiritual Ministery of the mystery 
 of salvation; therefore Christ is 
 called a Minister, one sent, an 
 A/,ostle. And all that Christ did 
 Luke 4. IS. from his childhood to his crucify- 
 Heb. 3. 1. ^-^^^ death, and cross, was a dis- 
 covery of Goc? by this^^wre in the 
 whole mystery, how God is in all 
 /a*5, and how he works, and hath 
 his times of law, of graces, and 
 Gospel, of crucifying and offering* 
 up all to death through the eter- 
 nal Spirit, which is the blood of 
 Heb. 9. 14. the everlasting Covenant, or Seal, 
 whereby God witnesses to his peo- 
 ple that he is their God, and they 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 131 
 
 hispeople ,hy]ii\Vmg all the strength 
 and life, and power of the first Cre- 
 ation, and carrying it up into a more 
 excellent and glorious life, his own 
 Spirit. 
 
 And so all Christ's birth, growing, 
 submitting to ordinances, cruci- 
 fying, death, burial, resurrection, 
 ascension, were so many discoveries 
 as to us in the fesh, of the whole 
 mystery of God in the Saints, made 
 out in these parts and degrees, and 
 several ages a.nd conditions, to shew 
 how God weakens and brings to 
 nothing the life of nature, or of 
 this Creation in which he will dwell 
 and make his Tabernacle, ?ind carry 
 it up into a higher and more ex- 
 cellent life, even himself and his John it. 
 own glory. 22,23. 
 
 So, as they say, all that is spoken 
 of Christ, as in that person that 
 was born of a Virgin, who was cir- 
 cumcised, baptized, crucified, dead, 
 and buried, risen, and ascended, is 
 spoken m figure of the whole nature 
 into which God enters, or is born 
 into the ivorld, and so takes our 
 nature along wdth him through 
 several administrations into glory. 
 
 So as the sum of all is this, that 
 
132 Some Beams of that 
 
 the Lord takes our nature or this 
 whole Creation into union with him- 
 self, and is present with it, in two 
 ways of manifestation, off/race and 
 salvation, of Law and Justice ; 
 and thus God is present with the 
 Angels and Saints ; with Devils and 
 icicked men ; and Adam and Christ 
 are the two eminent and princijial 
 administrations of this jnystery^ 
 and all the rest from C«m and^^e/, 
 through all the other several per- 
 sons, ordinances, and ministeries, 
 as of Prophets, Apostles, Anti- 
 christ, are but divers administra- 
 tions or discoveries of this ; and all 
 ordinances, gifts, and graces of the 
 Spirit are but weaker appearances 
 of this mystery, and such minis- 
 trations as the Spirit of God ad- 
 ministers in our nature, till it be 
 glorified in a higher glory : when 
 -. 13. that which is perfect is come, that 
 ^^' which is in part shall be done away; 
 God shall be unto us broad rivers 
 and streams, where shall go no ship 
 with sails, nor galley with oars. 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 133 
 
 An additional 
 
 Antichrist and the Mys- 
 tery of Iniquity. 
 
 THESE Scriptures hold forth 
 a description of Antichrist. 
 
 There shall arise false Christs Mark 13. 
 and false Prophets, and shall 
 shew great signs and wonders. 
 
 — Except there come a falling 2 Thes. 2. 
 away first, and that man of sin be ^' '*' ^" 
 revealed, the son of perdition, who 
 opposeth and exalteth himself 
 above all that is called God, or 
 that is worshipijed ; So that he as 
 God sitteth in the Temple of God, 
 shelving himself that he is God. 
 
 — Whose coming is after the 
 working of Satan, with all power 
 and signs, and lying wonders, 
 and with all deceivableness of 
 unrighteousness. 
 
 And as ye have heard that An- 1 John 2. 
 tichrist shall come , even now there ^^' 
 are many Antichrists. 
 
 And I beheld another beast ^^'^' ^^^ 
 coming up out of the earth, ' ^' 
 Sfc. 
 
 And he doth great ivonders, so 
 
3 ^:c. 
 
 134 Some Beams of that 
 
 that he maketh fire come down 
 from heaven 
 
 And deceiveth them that dwell 
 on the earth, by the mea?is of 
 those miracles ivhich he hadpower 
 to do. 
 
 And he causeth all, both small 
 and great, Sfc. to receive a mark 
 in their right hand, or in their 
 foreheads. 
 
 The great whore that sitteth 
 upon many waters. 
 Ri'v. 17. 2, / saw a woman sit upon a scar- 
 let-coloured beast, full of names 
 of Blasphemy, having seven heads 
 and ten horns, and the woman 
 was arrayed in purple and scarlet 
 colour, and decked with gold and 
 precious stones and pearls, having 
 a golden cvp in her hand full of 
 abominations, and upon her head 
 written, mystery Babylon the 
 great. And I saw the woman 
 drunken with the blood of the 
 Saints. 
 John 4. And every spirit that confesseth 
 not Jesus Christ coming in flesh 
 — is that spirit of Antichrist. 
 
 From all the Scriptures and the 
 revelation of the Spirit of God 
 
 3. 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 135 
 
 concerning the mystery of ini- 
 quity these things will arise. 
 
 That the mystery of iniquity or 
 Antichrist is a false Christ, or false 
 anointed one, that is, when any 
 other thing bat the Lord himself 
 is in the place or office of Christ a^^ pro 
 unto us, either our own righteous- advemu. 
 ness, as our Priest and Sacrifice, 
 or our own wisdom, wit, or reason, 
 as our Prophet, and Teacher, and 
 Interpreter of spiritual things. 
 
 And this mystery of iniquity, 
 or Antichrist, is from a fallirig 
 away first, that is, from a depar- 
 ture from God, and the life and 
 light of God, and dependency or 
 subsistence in God, that is, when 
 man, or the spirit oUnanwiW sub- 
 sist of itself, live in itself, and be 
 wise of itself, and worship of itself, 
 and be righteous of itself; this is 
 the man of sin, or son o^ perdition, 
 or fiesh which God will destroy ; 
 and this Spirit of Antichrist, or 
 man fallen thus from God, sits in 
 the Temple of Goc? as God; that 
 is, is in aU forms of worship, and 
 there /zve5, and reigns, and rules 
 the whole T/iari into a fleshly obe- 
 
136 Some Beams of that 
 
 dience ; and his coming- or appear- 
 ances are as Satan, tliat is, in 
 spiritual wickedness, transform- 
 iw^ himself into an Angel of light, 
 teaching, interpreting, revealing 
 the mysteries of God in carnal 
 reason and luisdom by natural 
 parts and arts, not in the pure 
 Spirit and anointing of Go^, and 
 so performing- all things, in order 
 to God and his worship, and com- 
 munion with him, by lying- signs 
 and wonders, and all deceivable- 
 ness of unrighteousness ; for while 
 the spirit of man, in its own wis- 
 dom and power, acts in the pre- 
 tence of God and to God, and in 
 the mig-hty working and power of 
 Satan, it doth bring forth 5f^?i5 
 and wonders, even things wonder^ 
 ful in the e?/e5 of the natural man ; 
 and such things as are very signs, 
 very images, and shadows of »S/?i- 
 n^w«/ things, though not the things 
 themselves. 
 
 And the appearances of this man 
 of sin are many and divers, there- 
 fore called mdi,ny Antichrists ; and 
 as this maji of sin opposes the 
 Lord Jesus in spirit and light he 
 is called the beast, that ascends 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 137 
 
 out of the earth, or the lowest 
 part of the Creation, the flesh; and 
 by the Jire or fieshly counterfeit- 
 ings of the Spirit, which he works 
 in the sight of them that dwell on 
 the earth or of those that are in 
 the flesh, he deceives; And yet 
 such is the power of this beast or 
 this spirit of flesh, as it constrains 
 men, and compels them, and over- 
 comes them wholly to its own 
 power, making such in whom it 
 reiixns to receive a mark in their 
 hand and foreheads, that is, to 
 own and jjrofess this fieshly ivis- 
 dom and actings, and to practise 
 and put forth the power of it 
 against Christ in Spirit. 
 
 And this is that whore too, for 
 when the spirit of man is departed 
 from God, and the life of Gud^ 
 it is become an adulteress, having 
 left its first love, or husband, 
 which was the Lord himself, and 
 sits upon a beast, even upon the 
 flesh, a beast of scarlet colour, 
 that is, bloody and persecuting 
 the precious and spiritual appear- 
 ances of the Lord Jesus, and 
 this is a beast of seven heads and 
 ten horns, which heads and horns. 
 
138 Some Beams of that 
 
 are but figures of carnal wisdom 
 and power, and the seven and 
 teji figures of perfectioi and com- 
 pleteness, as to the 7nan of sin ; 
 for the number of the beast is the 
 number of a man, and yet his num- 
 ber is but 666, that is, is but a 
 number of weakness and imperfec- 
 tion, and work, or bondage ; not 
 the number of God or of seven, 
 which is perfection and rest. 
 
 And the whore is adorned with 
 gold and pearl, which are those 
 excellencies of nature and forms 
 of worship and Scriptures with 
 which she cZec^s herself, and is 
 adorned as a counterfeit spouse of 
 Christ, and upon her head is wys- 
 ^erz/, that is, all this appearance of 
 hers, even her highest and choicest, 
 her head, is mystery to all, who 
 are made drunken with the cup of 
 her for}iicatio7is , or STpirhuiil whore- 
 doms and idolatries, they discern- 
 ing- none of these, but all being* in 
 mystery to them. 
 
 And this Antichrist is one who 
 denies Christ coming in flesh, or 
 God in his jyeople, who is coming 
 and coming, that is ever flowing 
 out in fresh and glorious discove- 
 
Bright and Morning Star. isu 
 
 ries and manifestations oih\\nse\f, 
 forbidding all beyond them as new 
 lights and false revelations^ and 
 fixing God and his appearances in 
 their Conceptions, Votes, and Re- 
 sults, and Counsels, and Conse- 
 quences, and Conclusions, and 
 Laws of worship. 
 
 This Antichrist thus described 
 is found in man, or the spirit of 
 mere man, in all his departure or 
 falling away from God, in all his 
 lying signs or count erf eitings of 
 the spirit, in his sitting as Goc?, 
 in his being a beast or opposing 
 the Spirit, in his scarlet colour, 
 or his crncifyings of Christ in us ; 
 in his denying the Lord's coming 
 or further manifestations of his 
 light and Spirit in us, and thus 
 quenching the Spirit. 
 
 And from hence he flows out 
 and spreads himself in the world 
 in all Idolatrous forms of worship, 
 in all false interpretations of God, 
 and of the truth as it is in Jesus. 
 
149 Some Beams of that 
 
 These are the several 
 Attainments. 
 
 The Common Protestant. 
 
 THE common Protestant, as to 
 doctrine and fundamentals^ 
 are so far in a discovery of the 
 mystery o^ salvation, as to behold 
 a state oi condemnation in sin, and 
 a way of salvation by Jesus Christy 
 and faith in him ; yet some take 
 this way to be but a kno\vledp:e of 
 Christ after the flesh, and of Christ 
 as one single jierson or figure of a 
 man, and the first glimpse of the 
 love of God, and but merely a dis- 
 covery beyond the laiu ; and all 
 but 2l fleshly sjnrituality. 
 
 The general Redemptionist . 
 
 THEY that are for general re- 
 demption through Christ, in 
 the free offers of grace to all, and 
 his dying for all, some say, attain 
 no higher in this than Christ after 
 the flesh, and fall into the same 
 consequence with those that hold 
 the particular election and repro- 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 
 
 bation of some ; and though there 
 be in this a more g-eneral ministra- 
 tion of Christ held forth according- 
 to the letter, yet they say it goes 
 not so high as the mystery oi Christ 
 in Spirit and in pure glory and 
 truth, but of Christ in glorified 
 flesh, and as in one single person 
 or figure of a man ; and all end 
 but in 2l fleshly spirituality, and in 
 an attainment as to the mere letter 
 of Scripture. 
 
 The Free-Gracia7i, 
 
 THEY that have discovered up 
 into free-grace orthe jnysiery 
 of salvation, singled out from con- 
 ditions, qualifications, and works, 
 some say, attain no higher in that 
 than a discovery merely beyond the 
 common Protestant, both going qo 
 higher than a justification by im- 
 putation, and through Christ after 
 the flesh, as in one single person or 
 figure of a 7?^a?^ glorified in flesh, or 
 the body without, and in a local 
 glory, or a circumscribed nature, 
 and putting all the righteousness 
 upon a mere account in God, and 
 all the taking away of sin or sinful 
 
142 Some Beams of that 
 
 flesh upon a 7ion-imputation or 
 not-accounting not in the cruci- 
 fying, death, ox fiery trial of the 
 flesh, and the pure, spiritual, in- 
 corruptible seed of God within, 
 Christ hi us the hope of glory. 
 
 And their highest attainment, as 
 to duties and ivorks,is only, as some 
 say, to the nature and manner of 
 their production or flowing forth, 
 they counting the nature and ori- 
 ginal of all no higher than a habit 
 oi grace or quality, and their pro- 
 ceeding as immediately in the na- 
 ture of that which they say is love ; 
 all they do being from love, and in 
 love, not in bondage. 
 
 Conclusion. 
 
 AND \kiQ%Q. attainments zj^ not 
 such as are therefore con- 
 demned, because no higher, or more 
 spiritual, but are only considered 
 as not the highest, but in order to 
 the mystery of salvation, and several 
 measures and ages of attainment, 
 and seeing darkly, as in a glass, 
 till that which is perfect is come. 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 143 
 
 A Discovery of Frayer. 
 
 ^^HAT which hath been dis- 
 covered concerning Prayer is 
 this : First, 
 
 That they who could not pray in 
 the Spirit might use a form of 
 prayer, as John taught his Dis- 
 ciples, and the Lord Jesus his, in 
 that of Our Father, Sfc. and David 
 in thePsalms ; and theApostles and 
 Christ himself are found in the 
 sameybrmand expressions of prayer 
 very often : he went away and 
 prayed the same things again; 
 Mose5 prayed, arise, Lord, (^c. and 
 again, arise, Lord; this is the Jirst 
 discovery, and is truth, though 
 truth in weakness and infancy. 
 
 A furtherdiscovery is, that prayer 
 is rather a work of the Spirit than 
 of any ybrm, and that no set form 
 ought to be put upon the Spirit of 
 God, but what it freely breathes 
 and speaks, and all constant speak- 
 ings to God in this (as they call) 
 a conceived way, or impremeditate, 
 or extemporary way is taken com- 
 monly amongst Christians for 
 prayer in the Spirit, and for that 
 
14-1 Some Beams of that 
 
 spiritual way of prayer which the 
 Disciples of Christ used in the 
 Gospel, who were grown up from 
 the infancy and childishness of 
 forms or words taught them, which 
 is but a mere natural or outward 
 thing-, as they say, which any may 
 perform by strength of natural parts, 
 as wit, and memory, and affections. 
 
 The furthest discovery as some 
 say, is this: 
 
 That Prayer is no other but the 
 Rom. 8. revelation of the will of God, or 
 •■io, 27. jjiij^d Qf God, as to such and such 
 particulars, either spiritual or tem- 
 porul, and is an immediate, jiroper^ 
 and sjnritual act of the Spirit of 
 God in the Saints, and that all such 
 speakinrjs as are not from the very 
 manifestation of the Spirit of God 
 in us, are but such prayers and 
 petitions as natural reason, and 
 memory, and affections m^y form 
 and dictate, and doth usually ; and 
 that there is no difference betwixt 
 such kind of praying and forms of 
 prayer, (though it may be extem- 
 porary or conceived, as some who 
 can pray upon this account three 
 or four hours, and nothing more 
 frequent now ;) nay, this kind of 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 145 
 
 j)rayer is far worse, by how much 
 it trarisforms itself more into an 
 Angel of light and is not, sitting* 
 in the Temj)le of God as God ; or 
 pretending itself to be the Spirit 
 of God, and is not, being- more 
 properly the flowings and breath- 
 ings of reason, and the strength of 
 mans wit, and memory and affec- 
 tions, and is constantly performed 
 in public and private, and thus j^re 
 is fetched down from heaven in the 
 sight of men that dwell upon the 
 earth, or such as are yet more be- 
 loiu than above, or in heaven, and 
 Spirit : and thus the people of Israel Isa. i. 
 ipraye(\, whose prayers were an abo- 
 mination ; thus the Pharisees made Mat. 
 long prayers, ^c. 
 
 So as Prayer then, according to 
 this discovery, is the Spirit of Gf7c? 
 only revealing and speaking in the 
 people of Go<i, we know not what 
 ^o jora?/ /or as we ought, that is, Rom. 8. 
 we, as ?^e are ourselves know not : ^*^' ^'^^ 
 And therefore all that we pray, and 
 not the Spirit of God in us, not that 
 Spirit oi Prayer, spoken on in Scrip- 
 ture, is but the Spirit of man pray- 
 ing, which is but the cry of the 
 
 H 
 
146 Some Beams of that 
 
 creature y or a natural complaining 
 for what we want, as the Ninevites, 
 and the children and beasts of that 
 City all cried unto the Lord. 
 
 But in pure prayer the Spirit 
 helpeth our infirmities, the Spirit 
 Rom. 8. of God which makes intercession 
 ^^' ^^' with groaning s which cannot be 
 uttered; that is, the speakings or 
 manifestations of the Spirit of God 
 are not so utterable by the Jlesh or 
 voice oiman, and the Spirit maketh 
 intercession for iheSaints according 
 to the will of God, or according to 
 GW,(as in the Greek) that is Prayer 
 is God speaking in us his mind and 
 will; And therefore the Lord Jesus 
 taught this in that form and doc- 
 trine of his : Thy ivill be done in 
 earth as it is in heaven^ wherein 
 he set forth that more spiritual and 
 perfect Prayer which was only ac- 
 cording to God, and which the 
 Saiiits should pray afterwards when 
 the Spirit was more revealed. 
 
 And this is prayer in Spirit, and 
 to pray thus is to pray in some evi- 
 dence and demonstration of God, 
 and in faith or believing the will of 
 God, as to this or this thing, at this 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 147 
 
 or this time; whatsoever ye ask in 
 prayer, believing, S^c. 
 
 And all other askings or seekings 
 of God which are not thus in Spirit j 
 and in the will or mind of God in 
 some evidence or pure work of Spirit, 
 or raising of Spirit, is but the askings 
 of creatures as creatures ; and thus 
 all mere natural and carnal people 
 pray, and are heard and answered 
 many times, in the mercy find good- 
 ness of God, who makes his Sun to 
 shine upon the just and unjust. 
 
 All exhortations in Scripture to 
 this duty of prayer, as seek ye my 
 face, pray continually, watch and 
 pray, be fervent in prayer, ask and 
 ye shall have, 8fc. are only then 
 rightly, effectually, and properly 
 appliedand obeyed, when the Spirit 
 of God doth it in the Christian, 
 when the Spirit of God breathes in 
 and reveals the will of God, and 
 acts in the duty or expressions, and 
 the Christian speaks in himself, or 
 in presence of others, that mind of 
 God; and so this Spirit of God 
 clothes itself in flesh, or letter, or 
 expressions, as to the outwardman ; 
 andthey whosay ^mewin iheSpirit, 
 
148 Some Beams of that 
 
 as the Apostle saith, say Amen in 
 the same Spirit, or else they are 
 not in prayer in a pure spiritual 
 closure, or unity of Spirit. 
 
 Prayer is the xuorkings and weaker 
 or fainter manifestations of the 
 Sjiirit of God in the Christian, 
 while he is in bondage, that is, while 
 God is not the fulness, the light 
 and glory , and «// in a// unto him ; 
 for where there is any asking, or 
 seeking, or desiring, there is not 
 perfect rest, enjoyment, all-suffici- 
 ency, and fulness: And therefore 
 while Christians are in bondage, 
 and not yet brought into the glorious 
 Roi:i. 8. liberty of the sons of God, they are 
 under the Ministration of Prayer to 
 God, or of asking ; as children are 
 to 2L fat her in nonage and pupilage. 
 All Scriptures of Prayer, or 
 John 16. concerningPr«?/er, andthe/)ra?/c"r5 
 w, 24. ^£ ^i^g Saints in the vial, are con- 
 siderable respectively to the state 
 Rev. 8. 3, of weakness and bondage the Saints 
 '*■ are in, praying not in the Spirit of 
 
 God, but in weakness or the flesh, 
 according to their own wills; which 
 hath been usual with Saints for- 
 merly, as Paul, who prayed thrice 
 to remove the buffeting, and was 
 
 i 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 149 
 
 answered, my grace is sufficient 2 Cor. 12, 
 for thee, or is it not enough that I ^' ^' ^" 
 have grace for thee in all my deal- 
 ings and dispensatio7isto\v2iY^B, thee, 
 live thou upon that ? and the Lord 
 Jesus himself prayed, Father, if it Mat. 
 be thy ivill let this cup pass ^ yet 
 afterwards he was more the mani- 
 festation of God, Father, not as / 
 will, that is, not as /, or that of 
 man in me, but as thou wilt ; and 
 many Christians, wanting the clear 
 and glorious revelation of the will 
 of God, pray for such and such 
 things, for the obtaining such and 
 such mercies, and removal of such 
 and such miseries, being all this 
 while in the dark to the will and 
 mind of the Lord; when, as if the 
 will of the Lord were seen or dis- 
 covered, they would rejoice, and be 
 at rest in such conditions, and learn 
 how to want as well as to abound, 
 that is, to luant such or such things Piiii. 4. 11, 
 as the Lord takes from them, and ^^' 
 to abound in the Lord without those 
 things, or with those things, which 
 is the sweet state of the Christian, 
 and a rest or peace in figure to that 
 glory and fulness to be revealed in 
 us, and those Christians as are in 
 
150 Some Beams of that 
 
 some measu re in th is light or glimpse 
 of the fulness of God, are entered 
 upon the borders of Canaan, and 
 are feeding upon some bunches of 
 the grapes of the promised land. 
 
 A Discovery of the Law. 
 
 SOME say, the Law is obli- 
 gatory and binding" to all 
 Christians, because moral, and so 
 perpetual, and that it was revealed 
 
 Gal. 3. 19. because of transgressions : And 
 that the Law is of no less efficacy 
 
 Rom. 7. 7. now than before to reveal sin and 
 convince of sin, and that Christ 
 
 Mat. 5. 17. came not to destroy the Law, but 
 to fulfil it; that the ministery of 
 the Law ought to precede and go 
 before the GosjDel, because none 
 ought to have Christ offered to 
 them in a promise, but such as the 
 Laiv hath humbled and prepared; 
 that God doth sanctify the Mi- 
 nistery of the Law to conversion 
 and sanctifcation of his people, 
 and such as preach it are not legal; 
 thus the Protestant in general. 
 
 Others say that a further dis- 
 covery of the Law is this. 
 
Bright and Morning Star, isi 
 
 That the Law was a discovery 
 or appearance of God's righteous^ 
 ness and mans, according to the 
 nature of both, as in the first Cre- 
 ation, God is revealed in the Law 
 to be one God and only to be wor- Mark 12. 
 shipped, and no other Gods but g^J 3^ 
 one ; and man is revealed in his i4. 
 first created righteousness, love Luke 10. 
 thy neighbour as thyself. 
 
 The Law is in every one by na- 
 ture, accusing and excusing, and 
 God's transcribing it into tables of Rom. 2. 1. 
 stone, was to set before man a tes- 
 timony or witness in the letter of 
 what Law he had inwardly, the 
 Law is spiritual, and to bear wit- Rom. 7. 
 ness to his Apostacy and falling ^^' 
 away, and to all his sins, trans- 
 gressions and enormities commit- 
 ted. 
 
 Moses and the Prophets were 
 Ministers of it in the letter, the John 1. 17. 
 Law was given by Moses, it being 
 first delivered or preached by the Mi- Mat- 1 1- 
 nistery of Angels, or dispensation Heb! 2. 
 of Angels ; the Lord Jesus himself 
 and the Apostles were clearer and Math. a. 
 more spiritual Ministers of it. ^3"]^; ^' 
 
 The Law, as it is in letter, and 
 in the Ministery of Moses, and Heb. 10. 1, 
 
IvOlll. 
 
 ir>2 SoDie 13 earns of that 
 
 the Prophets, and Christ, Sfc. is a 
 witness and image to the more ex- 
 m. 8. 2. cellent Laiu, that of the Spirit of 
 life in Jesus Christ. 
 
 The Law, in mere letter and 
 /e^a/ minis tery, works bondage 
 
 Heb!2. 14, ^"^ brings forth the 5/;in7 of bo?icl- 
 •^- o^e in those who are under the 
 
 LaWy working- convictions and tes- 
 timonies of good and evil , whereby 
 the laiu of nature is awakened 
 
 Rom. 2. 15. and strengthened to accuse sinful 
 flesh. 
 
 The Law, as it is a flgure, or 
 shadow, or image of Spirit or 57;^- 
 ritual righteousness, may be a 
 Ministery of preparation or wi^- 
 
 Aiat. 3 3. ;ies5, as John was, pi'ejjare ye the 
 way ; and the Baptism of water to 
 an outward purif cation or washing 
 as the letter or Ministery of the 
 Law is ; and this is a Ministery of 
 God's first appearance to a sin- 
 ner. 
 
 Men may work very high, as to 
 God and duties and luorks by the 
 Ministery of the Zaw or letter 
 without, and the law within, and 
 the letter of Scriptures interpreted 
 by no higher a light than that of 
 the law j and yet all such right- 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 15S 
 
 eousness is but to bondage, com- 
 pared with the higher law or Spirit Rom. 8. 2. 
 of life. 
 
 The Law curseth all unright- Rom.3.i!i, 
 eousness as to the Jlesh or man 
 sinning, and it is that standing 
 condemnation oi Jlesh or sin; the 
 Law was revealed because of trans- 
 gression, and cursed is every one Gal. 3. 10. 
 that continueth not in all things 
 that are written in the Law. 
 
 All the repentance and reforma- 
 tion, which the Law or mere mi- 
 nistery of the letter works, is not 
 spiritual but legal ; and yet, if in 
 order to a more spiritual or to 
 Christ in Spirit, it is of the nature 
 of Johns Ministery, ?i preparatory John 1. 17. 
 Rnd figure of more glory and triith Heb. 10. 1. 
 in substance. 
 
 The spiritual man, who lives in 
 the Spirit, is not under the mere 
 law of the letter, but it is accord- 
 ing to its spirituality, the princi- 
 ple and spiritual life of him, sp as 
 such are not under the Law but Rom. 0. 14. 
 under Grace, and not in bondage Rom, 7. 
 and fear but love ; perfect love , \~^- , 
 
 .'^ ^ - ^ x- ./ 1 John 4, 
 
 casting out /ear. is. 
 
 They that are true spiritual 
 comprehensive Christians know in 
 h2 
 
1 54 Some Beams of that 
 
 what order and subserviency to 
 place the law, as it is in a minis- 
 ter)' of letter, when as the Infant 
 Christian, in the first discovejy of 
 Christ or Free Grace, looks upon 
 all Ministrations below him as 
 legal, and so is carried out to op- 
 pose them too disorderly. 
 
 A T>iscover\i of Duties and 
 Works. 
 
 SOME say that duties and 
 works are fruits oi faith and 
 (lai. 5. 2-2. of the habits of grace in us, and 
 Mat 7 'iG ^^^ ^^^^ conformity of a Christian 
 Mat. 5. i(j. to the Commandments and Laws 
 20. ' of God revealed in Sciipfures, and 
 that duties are to be done because 
 1 Tim. 6. commanded, and that they are such 
 HH)' 10. ^^2/5 and means as God hath ap- 
 24- pointed a Christian to walk in to 
 
 "14!%. salvation ; and that according- as 
 these are performed more or less 
 1 Cor. 11. strMtly a Christian ought to judge 
 ^ 2s. himself or approve himself, and 
 
 '5.'' ' that Christians are to wait upon 
 God in duties for the Spirit and 
 for all other discoveries of himself 
 thus the Protestant in general. 
 
Bright and Morning Star. i.)5 
 
 Others say that the duties and 
 works of a Christian flow from the Rum. 5. r,. 
 Spirit of God, of love and of adop- ^cNa's!^' 
 tion, else they are but the perform- J4. 
 
 1 L J- c ^ Rom. 8. 
 
 ances and obedience 01 servants, 15. 
 not of sons and such as are horn 
 of Goc?. 
 
 That the mere Commandments 
 or letter of Scripture is not a /azi; Rom. <;. 
 to a Christiem why he should walk '^• 
 in duties, but the Zazt; written in 
 our hearts, the law of Zi/e ; and Rom. /. 
 this is the difference of duties and ^~'' 
 performances under the mere Old 
 Testament dispensation and the 
 New, or pure Gospel or ?iei(; Cove- 
 nant, the one or that of Moses was 
 a Minister!/ from without, that of 
 Christ from within, and that duties 
 in the letter are but Images and 
 figures of what the spiritual man 
 doth act from that /i/e of Christ 
 in him, not as thing's commanded 
 him, nor in relation to heaven and 
 AeZZ; because such obedience and 
 actings are of service, and acted 
 as first from without, and merce- 
 nary or of price, and for salva- 
 tion. 
 
56 Some Beams of that 
 
 A Discovoy of outivard 
 Ordinances. 
 
 SOME say, outward Ordinances 
 are Commands of Christy and 
 therefore to be done because they 
 are Commands, and that they are 
 sanctijied by God, and his Spirit, 
 and that we are to wait on God iu 
 the use of means, and that spiritual 
 things are conveyed by Ordi- 
 nances into the souls of men, thus 
 says the Protestant generally. 
 
 Others say, That outward Ordi- 
 nances as in the letter are the Old 
 Testamejit Ministration, or a Legal 
 ministration of John s ministery, or 
 Christ under the Law, or m flesh, 
 and that such Ordinances as the 
 Lord Jesus commanded while he 
 was in the Ministery of the Law 
 made under the Law, a minister of 
 circumcision, and not commands of 
 Christ as in mere glory and spirit, 
 nor a ministration of his as in that 
 more excellent condition and the 
 not distinguishing Christ as in 
 flesh, and so teaching and com- 
 manding, and as in Spirit, and so 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 157 
 
 ministering' in pure spiritual light 
 and glory, is the reason of all such 
 legal doctrine and use of ordi- 
 nances in bondage, as is this day 
 in the letter ; Other of Baptism, 
 &c. or Church fellowship, SfC. 
 
 That the new Covenant or God 
 revealed in his, and teaching his 
 is not by any outward way or mi- 
 nistery or means, but by the in- 
 ward or unction and anointing, ye Heb. s. 
 are all taught of God ; no man 
 shall teach his neighbour or bro- 
 ther any more, saying, know the 
 Lord; and all conference and dis- 
 coveries in letter or speech is but 
 mere witnessing to the Zo/^tZ and 
 the discoveries of Go<i of what we 
 are taught, not any ministery (as 
 formerly) for teaching. 
 
 No outward ordinance or mini- 
 stration of the creature or oilettei- 
 can convey or confer or bring in 
 pure spiritual things, there is a John 3. 8. 
 great mistake in that, and they are 
 but signs and shadows of spiritual 2 Cor. 4. 
 things, and they are to the Spirit Heb. 10. 1. 
 in the New Testament as the sha- 
 dows of the 0/c? were to the flesh 
 of Christ, figures and perishing 
 
158 Some Beams of that 
 
 Col. 2. 20. thing's and to be fulfilled in Spirit 
 25.** ' and in the coming- of Spirit. 
 
 They are that which are called 
 
 1 Cor. 13. the beholding God as in a ylass, 
 
 ^^' the seeing darkly and in part the 
 
 heavens and earth which are to be 
 
 rolled up as a garment. 
 
 A Discovery of the Jews and 
 their Conversion, 
 
 S' 
 
 Koin. 11. 
 
 7. 
 
 OME say, they are those who 
 are of the seed of Abraham 
 and have Abraham to their Father^ 
 and are Jeius hy fleshly birth, and 
 such as live yet in the Old Testa- 
 ment Laws and Privileges as cir- 
 cumcision, and have the veil upon 
 Rom. 9. 6, their hearts untaken away, oppo- 
 sing Christ come in the flesh, and 
 expecting the Messiah yet in a 
 more carnal glory, they shall be 
 converted and called in before the 
 coming of Christ in Judgment. 
 
 Others say. That the Jews were 
 but aflgure of the children of the 
 bondwojnan, and of the Christians 
 under the Apostacy or in mere let- 
 ter and corrupted forms of wor- 
 
Bright and Morning Star. mo 
 
 ship; and as the Jew was reckoned 
 before to be the people of mere 
 Ordinances, and of the worship of 
 God according to the letter of 
 Scriptures, to whom the Oracles 
 of God were committed, and to Rom. 9. 4. 
 whom pertained, &c. so the Chris- 
 tians generally who are now the 
 people of the New Testament, as 
 to letter, and of all the worship 
 according to the scriptures in the 
 letter, are that Jew under the new 
 Testament, answering to the Jew 
 under the old, there being two 
 seeds according to the flesh and Rom. 9. 6. 
 according to promise, though they ^' 
 by promise or faith are counted 
 for the seed. 
 
 The calling of the Jeivs is the Rom. 2. 
 bringing up the Christians from ^' ^^' 
 letter to Spirit, and according to 
 this mystery the Jews shall be 
 called and converted daily ; and 
 are ; for in the whole Nations of 
 Christians as of Italy, Germany, 
 Poland, Denmark, Spain, France, 
 Scotland, England, S^-c. the Lord 
 shall call in many by his own Spi- 
 rit into himself, and shall be re- 
 vealed in them in power not in 
 form. 
 
IGO Some Beams of that 
 
 That the Jews who are by na- 
 ture Jews or according- to fie shly 
 generation shall be no otherwise 
 called but as the other Jew of 
 which they are a figure ; and thus 
 they interpret the call of the Jews 
 Rom. 11. and not in any such outward obser- 
 ^' vation as men commonly suppose, 
 Luke 17. not remembering that the kingdom 
 '■^^' of God comes not with observation 
 as to the world, and that the day 
 of the Lord shall come as a snare 
 upon all the earth. 
 
 All false Worships and 
 Ways, practised i?i Con- 
 science or in Liberty , will 
 be destroyed in Christ's 
 Day. 
 
 GOD hath a time before Christ 
 come in Spirit, as he had be- 
 fore Christ came in the fiesh, a 
 time wherein he suffered long and 
 was patient, and was revealed to 
 his people, though dwelling in much 
 Gejitilism,Judais7n,2ind ignorance; 
 and therefore God's appearance, or 
 comrnunion with his people, from 
 the time of the falling away, or of 
 
Bright and Morning Star. I6i 
 
 the man of 5m being revealed, hath 2 Pet. 3. 3, 
 been in grace and long suffering , ' ' 
 and hath patiently borne his being 
 crucified in spiritual Sodom or 
 Egypt, and therefore he hath been 
 with his people under Popery , under 
 Episcopacy , and is at this day, not 
 in approbation of their ybrm but in 
 his own mere love, grace, and long- 
 suffering, and is at this day ac- 
 cordingly with the people in Inde- 
 pendency , Presbytery, Baptism, 
 ^c. and all other male-administra- 
 tions. 
 
 The Lord Jesus hath a day and 2 Thes. 1. 
 time to be revealed in, which is his 
 coming in the Saints, when he will 
 judge the World, and then shall 
 Antichrist be consumed, and the 2 Thes. 2. 
 flesh of the whore, or Babylon in 
 all \iQv administrations shall be tor- Rev. ir. 
 mented and burnt \\\t\\fire, and not 
 a little one of Babylon shall be 
 spared, but dashed against thes^onc^, 
 not the purest Idols she hath, even 
 Idols of gold and silver, with all 
 her merchandize, pearls, and pre- 
 cious stones, and cinnamons and 
 odours, diW^ frankincense, all things 
 0^ false ivorship, ^c. and adminis- 
 tration, though very sweet and pre- 
 
162 Some Beams of that 
 
 cious in the judgme7it ofjlesh and 
 blood, and then shall all the saints' 
 Indulgencies cease to all these 
 things under which they are now 
 walking, some in Conscience^ some 
 in Liberty, even then when God's 
 indulgency ceases. 
 
 A Discovery of Christ 
 i?i us. 
 
 SOME say it is no other but 
 habits of grace in us, and such 
 a work of sanctif cation and mor- 
 tijication wrought by the graces of 
 the Spirit ; and this they say is 
 Christ formed in us, the image of 
 Christ, the conformity to Christ ; 
 this the Protestant generally. 
 
 Others say Christ in us is when 
 
 we are made the anointed of God, 
 
 which is the Christ, or the whole 
 
 1 Cor. 12. entire Christ, as one spiritual new 
 
 man. 
 
 And that the image of Christ in 
 us is Christ manifested in onr flesh 
 Phil. 3. 10. as to sufferings and death, whereby 
 the flesh is crucified in the power 
 of God and of the Spirit, and the 
 outward man or the Flesh is dying 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 1C3 
 
 and perishing even day by day, 
 
 and is then dead when the very life 
 
 of the Flesh is slain, and we live 
 
 no more unto ourselves, but God or 
 
 Christ liveth in us, it being no more 
 
 we that live, and manifested, as in Gal. 2. 20. 
 
 resurrection, or in the life of the 
 
 Spirit, wherein we who were dead 
 
 in sins and trespasses are risen with 
 
 Christ, who is the resurrection and 
 
 the life, I am the resurrection and 
 
 the life. 
 
 The Fieri/ Trial. 
 
 THERE is a State and condition 
 of Christians scarce known, 
 and it is the fiery Trial, or that 
 power of God put forth upon the 
 administrations that Christians are 1 Pet.4.12. 
 under, and so passing out of them 
 into higher discoveries of God; and 
 the fiery trial is the Spirit of God 
 burning up or destroying such an 
 administration to a Christian, as 
 when a Christian passes from a 
 mere legal state into a state less 
 legal or more Gospel, receiving 
 some more precious and sweet ap- 
 pearances of God in Grace, and 
 free promises; in this passage there 
 
164 Some Beams of that 
 
 is a Fiery Trial upon that first 
 Administration that was Legal, 
 whereby man's own rig'hteousness 
 is consumed and crucified to a more 
 excellent discovery of God; and 
 even in that more Gospel-State of 
 a CAm^zan, whereby he enjoys God 
 in that ministration o^ graces, gifts, 
 and Ordinances, there will be a 
 fiery Trial in a Christian s passage 
 into more glorious manifestations 
 of God, and there will be a burning 
 and torment even in that ministra- 
 tion of his graces and gifts, ^c. 
 
 And this State is Prophesied of 
 in that Scripture, the sun shall be 
 turned into darkness, and the moon 
 into Mood before that great and 
 notable day, that is, not only the 
 Lord Jesus, the Sun, (as some say) 
 will be as darkness to the world, 
 S^c. but all that which was the glory 
 and ligJU of a Christian, and his 
 way of communion with God, his 
 Sun, and Moon, and Stars shall be 
 darkened and become as blood be- 
 fore that notable day, or that more 
 excellent revelation of God: and 
 2rct.3.io. that oi Peter, but the day of the 
 Lord will come, ^c. in the which 
 the heavens shall pass away with a 
 
Bright and Morning Star, IC5 
 
 great noise, and the elements shall 
 melt with fervent heat ; the earth 
 also, and the works that are therein 
 shall be burnt up ; which is not 
 only a Prophecy of the last judg- 
 ment, but of the particular judg- 
 ment upon former administrations 
 in a Christian which is figured out 
 in the heavens and earth, and ele- 
 ments, which are those ?nore or less 
 glorious administrations, and the 
 fire is that trial by the Spirit of 
 God which as fire burns and de- 
 stroys. 
 
 This is accordingly figured out 
 in that to the Corinthians, The fire i Cor.s.i.i, 
 shall try every mans work, of ^^' 
 what sort it is ; If any man's work 
 shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss, 
 which work is those several admi- 
 nistrations of gold, silver, precious 
 stones, ivood, hay, stubble, which 
 pass under the revelation of the 
 day, or glory of Christ, or fre of 
 the spirit. 
 
 This is further revealed in Re- 
 velations, 2. 9. I know thy works 
 and tribulation and poverty, (§'c. 
 and ye shall have tribulation for 
 ten days, this was written to the 
 Church of Smyrna, or to all Chris- 
 
IGG Some Beams of that 
 
 tians under the Jigure of that 
 Church which was tribulatioUy 
 prison or bondage and poverty ; 
 that is, while Christians are in 
 their former administrations as in 
 bondage, prison, poverty, looking 
 at all they have as nothing, and 
 ^\\ former things they were rich in 
 as nothing, and now as bondage to 
 a more excellent enjoyment of 
 God. 
 
 This is likewise in the mystery 
 of it, the cross of Christ, or the 
 
 Fhi\.i.\o. fellowship of Christ's sufferings, 
 crucify ings, and death, for as 
 Christ crucified all that glorious 
 administration in which he was 
 in the flesh, and it all died to a 
 more glorious life, even the glory 
 of God the Father ^ so every Chris- 
 tian is to take up this cross, and 
 
 1 Cor. 1.17, to bring his highest and choicest 
 18,23. administration to this cross, and 
 
 i Cor. 2. «. to have them all crucified to higher 
 discoveries of God, this is the 
 
 Gal. 6. 14. knowledge of Christ Crucified, or 
 self-denial. 
 
 Many Christians who are sad- 
 dened, darkened, in much tribula- 
 tion as to the administrations they 
 are under, and take them for de- 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 1C7 
 
 sertions and withdrawing s of God, 
 when as they are the presence of 
 God upon such administrations 
 making them dark and wither and 
 consume, and the bringing in of a 
 richer and fuller glory. 
 
 God in Heaven or in a 
 Place of Distance as to 
 our Injirmity. 
 
 MANY Christians in their 
 conceptions of God and 
 prayings or addresses to God con- 
 sider him as in a local glory, and 
 so change the glory of the incor- 
 ruptible God into an image made 
 like to corruptible man. 
 
 God is infinite and all in all, 
 and whither shall / go (saith the 
 Psalmist) from thy spirit, or whi- 
 ther shall I fly from thy presence, 
 and where is the place of his rest ? Isa. 66. i. 
 And say not in thy heart who shall 
 ascend into heaven to bring Christ Rom. lo. 
 down from above ? The word is 
 nigh even in thy heart, the word 
 (saith the Apostle) that we preach, 
 which word was Christ the eternal 
 Word, which was with God and 
 
168 Some Beams of that 
 
 was God: And thus the Lord is 
 Phil. 4. said to be at hand, the Lord is at 
 hand. 
 
 The spiritual Christian knows 
 that all Jifjures of place, as of 
 God's residence, as heaven, and 
 all such discoveries of God as to 
 place or distance are only as to 
 man and to the hifirmities of man ; 
 and therefore p7-«?/s not and speaks 
 not to Go^ nor of God as to Place 
 or distance, but as if he were in 
 Aim and about /im, his H^A^ Aawc? 
 embracing him and Ais /e/V AawcZ 
 under him ; and in such discovery 
 of God as he hath by faith, Sfc. 
 or any such graces and other ad- 
 ministrations he worships not God, 
 nor considers GoJ as that or ^/m^ 
 discovery, because then he should 
 worship something- for God, which 
 is not God, and as Joh?i, fall 
 down at the feet of the Angel or 
 some glorious ministration and 
 worship there. 
 
 The carnal and weak Christian 
 worships, prays, ^c. and thinks of 
 God as to form, figure, and place, 
 and distance, and discoveries of 
 him by graces, gifts, ^c. 
 
 Whereas Go^ is only to be en- 
 
Bright and Morning Star. wo 
 
 joyed in those as in a glass darkly, 
 for we have not seen his shape, 
 nor heard his voice. 
 
 The Spiritual Sabbath. 
 
 THIS Mystery of God was 
 held forth first in the Cre- 
 ation in that of the seventh day 
 which God was said to sanctify, Gen. i. 
 which was no other than the en- 
 joyment of God in the Revelation 
 of himself, who is perfect rest and 
 sabbath in his own glory, the six 
 days being accordingly 2i figure of 
 X\\Q Christian in bondage or under 
 active and working administra- 
 tions, as those of the Law and 
 Gospel are, as all forms of wor- 
 ship, duties, graces, prayer. Ordi- 
 nances, 8fc. 
 
 This Sabbath was a sign to the 
 people of God in bondage or under 
 the law, and the Lord Jesus, in 
 his Active Rud fulfilling Adminis- 
 tration while he was in the flesh, 
 was the Antitype of the six days, 
 and his entering into glory was Lnke 24. 
 that very Sabbath and rest, which '^^• 
 was the bosom of the Father from 
 whence he came and where he John i. is. 
 
170 Some Seams of that 
 
 returned, and this is the scope of 
 that fourth chap, to the Hebrews, 
 and the bosom of the Father is 
 that Sabbath or Rest, there re- 
 ilcb. 4. maineth therefore a rest to the 
 people of God, and he that hath 
 entered into his rest hath ceased 
 from his works as God did from 
 his, that is, the Lord Jesus hav- 
 ing- fulfilled his day's work as to 
 the law, entered into his glory or 
 restj so Christ in that held forth 
 the true Christian Sabbath, which 
 was the father, as Philip, shew 
 us the Father and it sujfficeth us ; 
 there is fulness, rest, sabbath, and 
 sufficiency in the Father, or Re- 
 velation of God in the Christian. 
 
 So as the Spiritual Christian 
 in the true discovery of God, his 
 fulness lives in an eternal every- 
 day sabbath, while some live in 
 little more than the bare sign, or 
 one day in the lueek. 
 
 
Bright and Morning Star. i7i 
 
 The Gospel as in its ow7i 
 Glory J and as in the Scrip- 
 tares of the Old and Neiv 
 Testament. 
 
 THE Gospel is everlasting, Rev. u. e. 
 for it is the tidings and Re- 
 velation of God, in love, grace, 
 or mercy to his, or God mani- 
 fested in Jlesh, or making* his Ta- 
 bernacle with men. 
 
 This Gospel, which is no other 
 than the mystery of Salvation, 
 revealed or declared in Spirit to 
 men, is clothed in several admi- 
 nistrations, as that of the Old 
 Testament ?Lnd the New, the Scrip- 
 tures of both being' the Revelation 
 of heavenly things by earthly or 
 created things, or by natural forms 
 and expressions, so as the letter 
 is a par able, figure or allegory, by 
 which spiritual things are spoken 
 and brought forth amongst men ; 
 they are they which testify of 
 Christ, hitherto I have spoken to 
 you in Proverbs, Sfc. The Scrijj- 
 tures or writings of the everlast- 
 ing Gospel, are the true scriptures, 
 
172 Some Beams of that 
 
 as they are the very Imag-e and 
 letter of the mystery of Salvation^ 
 or of Spiritual things, or the ?nind 
 of God, or as they are in that pure 
 and spiritual Older and form of 
 words to truth itself; not as they 
 are merely in their grammatical 
 construction and sense or common 
 reading-, which any that under- 
 stand the Hebrew or Greek may 
 receive, and therefore the Scrip- 
 tures according to such or such 
 interpretations and consequences 
 of men, are not to be imposed as 
 mere things of faith and funda- 
 mentals, but so far as the spirit 
 of God reveals them to be that 
 very truth and mind of God in 
 those who receive them, else they 
 are received and acknowledged for 
 the Authority, and reputation of 
 men, not of God, therefore Christ 
 told the Pharisees they erred, not 
 knowing the Scriptures, and yet 
 they had the Scriptures, and read 
 them, and understood them in the 
 letter, but not in the Spirit. 
 
 The Gospel being thus distin- 
 guished into the spiritual nature 
 of it, and into the administration 
 with which it is clothed, nothing 
 
 I 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 173 
 
 is pure, spiritual^ divine Gospel, 
 but that which is light, life, glory, 
 spirit, or God revealed; whatso- 
 ever is of mere letter, form, Ordi- 
 nance, is of the administration or 
 Gospel-clothing and appearance, 
 as to men and as in the flesh, 
 things that are seen are temporal, 
 thing-s that are not seen are eter- 
 nal. 
 
 So as that distinction used con- 
 cerning Ordinances, when they are 
 called Gospel- Ordinances, Gospel- 
 Commandments in contradistinc- 
 tion to the legal Ordinances is a 
 great mistake and an advancing 
 and Exalting outward things into 
 spiritual, and putting an Image of 
 Christ and divinity upon them, 
 which they will not bear in such 
 an oppositio7i or contradistinction, 
 to the Ordinances under the law, 
 for all the Ordinances under the 
 law or of the Old Testament, 
 were Gospel Ordinances, or Ordi- 
 nances holding forth Christ, and 
 figuring Christ : and so the Ordi- 
 nances of the New Testament ; 
 and are all alike letter, outward, 
 and visible, and of things that 
 perish with using, which was the 
 
174 Some Beams of that 
 
 Col. 2. 2. nature of the Administrations of 
 the Law^ and therefore saith the 
 Ajwstle they did all eat the same 
 spiritual meat, and they did all 
 drink tlie same spiritual drink, 
 
 1 Cor. 10. and they drank of that rock that 
 ^''*' followed them, and that rock was 
 Christ; that is, the Ordinances 
 of the Law or OZfZ Testament 
 were as much spiritual as those of 
 the A^eiiJ Testament, that is, such 
 things as signified Christ in the 
 flesh, which those of the New 
 Testament as Baptism, and the 
 last Supper, but he concludes, be 
 not ye Idolaters as were some of 
 them, they sat down to eat and 
 drink and rose up to play ; that 
 is, they did Idolize those outward 
 administrations as their manna, 
 water, out of the rock, and pass- 
 over which they ate and drank, 
 and rose up to play, that is, lived 
 in the mere refreshments of such 
 formal participations and commu- 
 nion with mere outward things 
 and Ordinances, and were cheered 
 and contented with such created 
 enjoyments of God ; thus they 
 rose up to play after their Idolatry 
 with those Administrations, as 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 175 
 
 many weak Christians now, who 
 having- sat down to eat and drink 
 in the Administrations of the New 
 Testament, as these in the Old, 
 rise up ioj)lay, go away fed up with 
 created refreshments, rather than 
 spiritual manifestations of God. 
 
 Assurance of Salvation. 
 
 THE^pwre, spiritual, and glori- 
 ous assurance of salvation 
 comes from the knowledge of God, 
 or the pure manifestation of the 
 Spirit of God, bearing witness, and 
 g-iving testimony, that we are the 
 children of God ; this is pure spi- 
 ritual assurance, this is called the 
 white stone with a new name writ- Rev. 2. 17. 
 ten, which none know but those 
 that have it, this is the unction 1 Joim 2. 
 whereby we know all things, this 
 is that Spirit by which we know 
 things freely given to us of God. 
 
 So as all Demonstrations of Sal- 
 vation, which are made to the soul 
 by Tiny rational, persuasive , or Ar- 
 gumentative way, and not in the 
 mere evidence of the pure light or 
 spirit of God, is but movdX, or human 
 and traditional, and will fail ; and 
 
 20. 
 
170 Some Beams of that 
 
 all applications of Gospel promises, 
 and all Conclusions from the mere 
 letter of Scriptures, which are not 
 the pure imag^e or Figure without, 
 answering the very evidence and 
 demonstration o{ Spirit, and of God 
 within, is but a literal amd formal 
 assurance, and will fail. 
 
 All counterfeit or resembled tes- 
 timonies, either by Satan, who can 
 transform himself into an Angel of 
 Light, or by the mere persuasion 
 of Nature, or the carnal conscience, 
 whereby Nature doth willingly de- 
 ceive, and flatter and persuade itself, 
 being usually unwilling to perish^ 
 and believe its own destruction will 
 fail. 
 
 But there are many ways of as- 
 surance of Salvation, though more 
 dim and faint, besides that more in- 
 ward and purely spiritual, and that 
 merely of God, which is enjoyed 
 very rarehj, and I know not by 
 whom , excepting those only to whom 
 the Kingdom of God is revealed in 
 spirit, and God is seen face to face; 
 and first assurance is wrought by 
 the knowledge of God, according 
 to such enjoyment as the soul is 
 
Bright and Moniing Star. 177 
 
 under in its Administration to God, 
 as 
 
 First, there are these ways of 
 knowing God. 
 
 1. By reason or the 7nere lig-ht 
 of nature^ and works of this cre- 
 ation, and here is a law accusing 
 and excusing, (as the Apostle saith) 
 and how God is revealed in this as 
 to salvation in all those Nations 
 where the Gospel is not heard as 
 in its outward letter and Adminis- 
 tration, or elsewhere, and how far 
 God may administer Christ in this, 
 as formerly to Job and Cornelius, 
 I dare not judge, nor condemn, nor 
 conclude, but sure there is no Sal- 
 vation out of Christ ; and hovv^ far 
 God may use this light of nature or 
 reason to administer Christ in, as 
 he makes use of others more low 
 and visible administrations not so 
 excellent, I know not. 
 
 2. There is a knowledge of God 
 by graces and gifts, or fruits of the 
 Spirit, as faith, love, self-denial, 
 repentance, &c. and by the letter or 
 promises, and outward Ordi?iances 
 and Duties; and as God's manifes- 
 tation is in these, so is the assurance 
 
 12 
 
178 Some Beams of that 
 
 of salvation through these, and such 
 assurance is of no higher and clearer 
 and more glorious certainty than 
 God through these doth afford, that 
 is, (as the Apostle saith) darkly as 
 in a glass; and as these are sha- 
 dowed and clouded, so is the assur- 
 ance, and that is the reason why 
 so many are cast down and afflicted 
 as to this thing of assurance, and 
 pine and consume because the tes- 
 timonies of their Salvation are no 
 brighter nor clearer than such Ad- 
 ministration will admit, and here 
 they are to wait. 
 
 The reason why assurances of 
 salvation are no more glorious nor 
 pure,\&hec2iVimthespiritualChurch 
 or Saints are in Baby Ion, in the flesh , 
 compassed about with the mystery 
 of iniquity, and of Antichrist in 
 ourselves, and enjoy not God in 
 that sweet and pure vision as they 
 shall do when they return to Jeru- 
 salem, the new Jerusalem, the City 
 of the living God. 
 
 They that speak of the assurances 
 in pure revelation of Spirit, not 
 comprehending all the several ad' 
 ministrationszLndmeasureswheTein 
 God appears to his, do much mis- 
 
Bright and Morjiing Star, 179 
 
 take, and it will appear from that 
 knowledge of God which is amongst 
 men, in all its several dispensations ^ 
 as here follows. 
 
 The Knowledge of God ac- 
 cording to thevarious Dis- 
 pensations of Himself 
 
 GOD is known in the light of 
 nature or reason, and works 
 of this creation, the eternal power Rom. i. 
 and Godhead being seen by things 
 that do appear, and man being 
 made after the Image of God, and 
 having a laiu within him accusing Rom. -i. 
 or excusing. 
 
 2. By the mere letter or scrip- 
 tures, and light of nature or reason, 
 which is a rational dispensation, 
 heightened from such Images and 
 appearances of God as it meets with 
 there or in letter. 
 
 3. By outward Ordinances, or 
 signs and Images, and things that 
 do appear, and thus God is seen 
 still as in the creation, or in created 
 things. 
 
 4. By the minister]/ of Angels, 
 or a more high and Seraphical, 
 
ISO Some Beams of that 
 
 though still creature-ministrations 
 of God. 
 
 5. By graces or appearances of 
 the Sjnrit, as faith, repentance, 
 love, self-denial, humility, 8fc. 
 which was the ministration of the 
 first Gospel-iivL\QS under the Old 
 Testament, before Christ came in 
 the flesh, and now in the New Tes- 
 
 2 Cor. 3.18. tament, since his coming, and this 
 is said to be as in a glass. 
 
 6. By God's own light, even Am- 
 5e(/* revealed ; and this is ih^ipure, 
 increated, divine, immediate glory, 
 flowing from himself, or himself; 
 
 John 17. Father, (saith Christ) glorify me 
 with thyself, or the glory that I 
 had with thee; and the glory that 
 thou gavest me, I have given them, 
 that they 7nay be one as tve are one. 
 Now let us consider, who knows 
 God according to himself, or his 
 own light and glory. 
 
 None (saith God) can see me and 
 live ; so as they that see God do not 
 live, they do not live, or that thing 
 called themselves do not live ; that 
 which is called a mans self is his 
 own reason, his wisdom, his righte- 
 ousness, his desires or will, his 
 imaginations, his affections, his 
 
Bright and Morning Star. isi 
 
 lusts ; now if these live, God was 
 never yet seen, none can see God 
 and live ; for when any see God, 
 it shall be no more they that live, 
 but Christ or God that liveth in Gal. 2. 20. 
 them ; now who is there that hath 
 seen God that doth not live, in whom 
 nothing of self lives. And that we 
 may see how God revealed will 
 annihilate and bring to nothing all 
 Jlesh, consider the appearances of 
 Angels, and graces, &c. How was 
 Daniel smote into astonishment ? 
 no spirit was left in him : how was 
 Isaiah ? Woe is me, I am undone, 
 I have seen the Lord : how was 
 John when he fell at the Angel's 
 feet ? how have many left the world 
 and worldly contents, relations, and 
 all other creature comforts, as many 
 Anchoritesandcontemplative souls, 
 who are carried no higher than by 
 Angel discoveries ! 
 
 Oh ! how doth the pure appear- 
 ance of God pour shame upon all 
 Jlesh, ^nd Jleshly glory and excel- 
 lency, upon all the visions and 
 dreams that man hath had of God, 
 either by pure reason, his image, 
 or by creature-imagery , or outward 
 administration and notion by letter. 
 
182 Sofiie Beams of that 
 
 1 Cor. 13. or by graces, ^c. for when that 
 which is perfect is come, that which 
 is in part shall be done away : The 
 day of our Lord will be upon all our 
 Isa. 2. Cedars, and Oaks, and pleasant 
 pictures J and Idols of gold and sil- 
 ver, even our richest and most spi- 
 ritual Idolatry, ^nd judgment shall 
 be upon all the merchandize of 
 JBabylon, the pearls and precious 
 stones, the Cinnamon and odours, 
 Sindfrajikince7ise, upon all deceive- 
 ableness of unrighteousness, and 
 all false worship, ^c. 
 
 A further Discove?y of the 
 JMi/stery of Salvation in 
 the Gospel- Administra- 
 tion, and its own Glory. 
 
 THE Gospel -administration, 
 wherein the mystery of sal- 
 vation is first discovered, is in the 
 Scriptures of the New Testament 
 held forth in these following* par- 
 ticulars. 
 
 1. In repentance, which they say 
 is a sorrow for sin wrought by the 
 Spirit of God and the Law, flowing" 
 from Christ, who gives repentance 
 
Bright mid Morning Star. 183 
 
 to Israel, and the Spirit of grace Acts 5.31. 
 which mourns over him, ^c. and is Zec 12.10. 
 thsit godly sorrow for sin, the new- 2Cor.7.io, 
 man grieving over the old. ^^• 
 
 2. In faith, which they say is 
 an act of the regenerate soul upon 
 Christ, resting" and believing in him Rom. 3.28. 
 for justification and righteousness, 
 
 or as some say, a ^race from Christ Rom. 1.17. 
 or righteousness. 
 
 3. In conversion or ca/Zm^r, which 
 is the work of the spirit of God, 
 turning, or sanctifying, or per- iThei.4.7. 
 suading the soul of the Christian ^JIlIq'^', 
 from his sinful and unregenerate 
 
 estate to God in Christ. 
 
 4. In J^<s/^;?ca^^o?^, which is God's 
 pardoning the sm5 of a believer, or Rom. 5. 9. 
 not imputing sins unto him, and Rom. 4.25. 
 imputing the righteousness of Christ 
 
 unto him, whereby he stands j>w5^z- Rom. 8.33. 
 fiedzxiA forgiven, ^xiA righteous in Rom. 5. 1. 
 the sight of Goc? freely ; and of 
 God's grace through faith instru- 
 mentally, which as the hand re- 
 ceives Christ, as some say ; without 
 faith, as others say. Thus the 
 Scriptures in the letter hold forth 
 the first revelation of the mystery 
 of God in such words and expres- 
 sions as these, and such as these 
 
184 Some Beams of that 
 
 are, as prayer, good works, duties, 
 ordinances, which ?irevery suitable, 
 diud projwrtioiiable to the first ap- 
 pearance of God in us, or the mys- 
 tery oi salvation, working in its in- 
 fancy and first creation in the 
 Christian, and thus the infirmity 
 of Christians is fitted with a mani- 
 festation of the mystery in icords 
 and forms, and all the Christian 
 Churches of the world generally 
 draw out all their Systems and 
 models of divinity into articles of 
 faith, and Confessions of faith, 
 according' to this very letter of Scrip- 
 tures, which is no other but a reve- 
 lation of the mystery of Salvation 
 as to man's infirmity, and say some, 
 they call it their fundamentals , and 
 the highest attainment of Chris- 
 tianity. 
 
 Others say the mystery of sal- 
 vation is no other than Immanuel 
 or God with us, or God in flesh, 
 not only in that man Christ, but in 
 the whole Christ, Christ being* no 
 more but an anointed one, and that 
 anointed one is our nature or weak- 
 ness anointed with the Spirit, even 
 God himself who is strength ; and 
 this mystery of great and exceeding 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 185 
 
 glory is revealed in pieces ojidparts, 
 and after the manner of 7nen, ac- 
 cording to the infirmity oi ouv Jiesh, 
 within the Christian in graces, 8^c. 
 and in the Scriptures , or expressions 
 and forms without the Christian. 
 
 The Seekers, their Attain- 
 me)it, with a Discovery 
 of a more spiritual Wax/, 
 
 THEY find that the former 
 Christians of the first or of 
 the Apostles' times, according- to 
 Institutions then, and the adminis- 
 tration of Ordinances then, were 
 more visibly and spiritually en- 
 dowed with power from on high, 
 or with gifts of the Sjnrit, and 
 so were able to make clear arid 
 evident demonstrations of God 
 amongst them ; as in the Churches 
 of all the Christians then, in Co- 
 rinth, Ephesus, ^c. And that all 
 who administered in any outward 
 Ofitce, as to spiritual things, were i Cor. 12, 
 visibly gifted; there was then an 
 Apostle, Evangelist, Prophet, Eph. 1. 
 Pastor, Teacher, Gifts of Heal- 
 
Some Beams of that 
 
 Cor. 13. ing, Gifts of Miracles, of Tongves, 
 Sfc. And all was administered in 
 the anointhig or unction of Spirit y 
 clearly , certainly , infallibly : they 
 ministered as the Oracles of God. 
 But now in this time of the Ajws- 
 tacy of the Churches, they find no 
 such gifts, and so dare not meddle 
 with ?iny outivard Administrations, 
 dare not preach, baptize, or teachy 
 ^c. or have any Church-fellowship, 
 because they find no attainment 
 yet in any Churches or Church- 
 ways, or administration of Ordi- 
 naces, according to the fivsi jjattern 
 in the New Testament, they find 
 nothing but the outward Ceremony 
 of all Administrations ; as of bare 
 water in Baptism, of bare Imposi- 
 tion ofhandsin Ordination, of bare 
 Election of Oncers, as Pastors, 
 Teachers, S^c. of bare Church-cen- 
 sures, without the visible power of 
 gifts of Spii'it which were before. 
 
 Therefore they wait in this time 
 of the Apostacy of the Christian 
 Churches, as the Jews did in the 
 time of their Apostacy, and as the 
 Apostles and Disciples at Jerusa- 
 lem, till they were endued with 
 power from on high, finding* no 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 187 
 
 practice for Worship, but accord- 
 ing* to the first pattern. 
 
 They wait only in Prayer and 
 Conference, pretending to no cer- 
 tain determination of things, nor 
 any infallible consequences or in- 
 terpretations of Scriptures. 
 
 They wait for a restoration of 
 all things, and a setting up all 
 Gospel Officers, Churches, Ordi- 
 nances, according to the pattern in 
 the New Testament. 
 
 They wait for an Apostle or 
 Angel, that is, some with a visible 
 glory and power, able in the Sjrlrit 
 to give visible demonstration of 
 their sending, as to the world : and 
 thus they interpret those places of 
 the Revelation. 
 
 This is the highest of their At- 
 tainment. 
 
 But some speak of a further dis- 
 covery, and more spiritual than 
 this of the Seekers, as this : 
 
 1. That there is no warrant from 
 Scriptures to expect any restoring 
 of Offices or Ordinances according 
 to the first pattern in Scripture. 
 
 2. That the ^y&X pattern in Scrip- 
 ture of Offices and Ordinances, 
 was but a more purely -legal Bis- 
 
10 
 
 188 Some Beams of that 
 
 j)ensation, or a discovery of the 
 Gospel rather as to Christ after 
 the Jleshj than after the Spirit ; 
 and a discovery as to the weakness 
 both of Jeivs and Gentiles then, 
 respectively to visible Administra- 
 tions, and gifts of Spirit. 
 
 3. That the A dministrations and 
 Cor. 13. gifts then, were but a ministration 
 
 in part, and darkly, as in a glass, 
 and of things that should vanish 
 away. 
 
 4. That God never set up any 
 Administration or Office but for a 
 time and season, and used it as a 
 temporary dispensation ; as the 
 Tabernacle, Temple^ Law, Priest- 
 hood, ^c. and then left them never 
 to be restored. So the first Gos- 
 pel administration by Ordinances, 
 gifts, Sfc. 
 
 5. That to wait in any such way 
 of Seeking or expectation, is Anti- 
 christian, because there is no Scrip- 
 tures to warrant any such restora- 
 tion, or expectation of such admi- 
 nistratio7is : and that all such 
 waiting is that desert, wilderness- 
 condition prophesied on by Christ ; 
 that is, ivaste and barren as to 
 spiritual things : If they say, Be- 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 189 
 
 hold, he is in the desert, go not Mat. 24. 
 forth : And that it is that condition 
 prophesied on to be in the secret 
 chambers, or single fellowships 
 that are in such expectations ; a 
 c/mm5er signifying' an uj)per room, 
 or a room above others ; so this state 
 of Seeking is thought by those of 
 that Way, to be an upper room, or 
 higher administration, as to Pres- 
 bytery, Independency, Baptism, 
 8^c. and that Lo, Christ is here, 
 or the gathering into that Way, 
 and saying it is his, to wait in. 
 
 6. That the truth is, Christ is in 
 all his in spirit and truth, and as 
 the eternal seed; and his fulness Coi. 1.26. 
 is already in the Saints, or all true 
 Christians : and that all growth, Eph. 3. is, 
 improvement, or reformation that ^^* 
 is to be, is only the revelation or 
 appearance of this : When he shall goi. 3. 4. 
 appear, 8fc. or to be revealed in ijohn3.2. 
 the brightness of his coming, in the •iThes.a. 
 day of the Lord Jesus ; and that ^'^' 
 he is in us that true life, salvation, 
 glory ; only we see him but in part ; 
 and that all conceptions of God or 
 Christ, as to distance of coming, Rom. 10.6, 
 ^c. administrations, ordinances, ^**'^' 
 gifts, are but to expect Christ in a 
 
100 Some Beams of that 
 
 Col. }.Z6, Jieshli/ way or appearance, not as 
 he is hi us, our life, fulness, hope 
 of glory , ^c. And this next ap- 
 pearance of his shall be in his own 
 light, spirit, and glory, in himself 
 and his. And this is that Refor- 
 mation to be expected ; this is the 
 Psa. 36. last administration of himself by 
 himself in his : In his light we 
 shall see light. 
 
 And the Saints or true Chris- 
 tians shall not only see God thus in 
 himself, face to face, as they are 
 seen; but the world s\i^\\ see him in 
 a way of conviction and sjnritual 
 judgment upon themselves ; even 
 him that sits upon the throne. 
 
 And all that pure administration 
 of Ordinances and Gifts which was 
 and is expected by these, is but a 
 middle or iiiterdispensation betwixt 
 God and his ; wherein God is seen 
 as in a glass, not as he is in his own 
 glory, which is himself, which is 
 the last and most spiritual disco- 
 very. 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 191 
 
 The Grounds both against 
 Liberty of Conscience and 
 for it, ckarly stated, for 
 all to judge. 
 
 Against Liberty of Conscience 
 these are the strongest Grounds, 
 and all the Grounds generally 
 known. 
 
 THE Magistrate is the keeper 
 of both the Tables of the Custos 
 Law : and as he may punish any Tabl?^ 
 evil committed against the second 
 Table, or the society of man ; so 
 he may punish any Idolatry com- 
 mitted against God, or the Wor- Exod. 20. 
 yAzp of God, in the first Table. 
 
 2. The Magistrates under the Old 
 Testament reformed; Moses and 
 Joshua, the Kings and Princes of 
 Tudah and Israel, Neheiniah, ^c. 
 50 the Magistrates now. 
 
 3. The Magistiate is the minis- 
 ter of God for good, and a terror Rom. 13. 
 fo evil works, and bears not the 
 ^^word in vain; therefore may 
 Dunish Heresy and Schism, because 
 
 wil. 
 
 4. The Magistrates are 797^0- 
 ihesied on to be assistants to the 
 
192 Some Beams of that 
 
 Church of God : Kings shall be thy 
 
 fathers, and Queens thy nursing 
 
 'mothers; and therefore may punish 
 
 all such as are enemies to it, as all 
 
 Heretics and Schismatics are. 
 
 Acts 5. 1. 5. Peter smote Ajianias and his 
 
 wife Sapj)hira with death, which 
 
 was a temporal punishment for 
 
 their sin of Hypocrisy : so may the 
 
 Magistrate put forth a temporal 
 
 punishment for a spiritual ofifence. 
 
 6. Paul wished that they were 
 
 Gal. s. 12. cut offivhich troubled them: there- 
 fore Magistrates may cut off Here- 
 tics, because they are troublers of 
 the Church. 
 
 Rev. 2. 18. '''• The Church of Thyatira was 
 reproved for suiOfering Jezebel to 
 teach, and to seduce : therefore Ma- 
 gistrates are not to sw^er false Pro- 
 phets or Seducers to be. 
 Zech. 13. 8. The father ?in(^ mother o^ him 
 that is ^ false Prophet, shall thrust 
 him through, and say. Thou shaV 
 not live; for thou speakest lies 
 in the Name of the Lord. This 
 was a Prophecy as to Magistrates' 
 punishment for Heresy. 
 
 9. If Magistrates shall not punish 
 for Heresy, Errors and Schism^ 
 there will be nothing but Confusioa 
 
 
Bright and Morning Star. io:i 
 
 and no settlement nor establish- 
 ment of any Peace, Order, or 
 Truth in the Church. 
 
 10. It appears from the practice 
 of all Christian States generally, 
 who punish all such as conform not ; 
 from all Councils and Synods, who 
 still hold this power to be in the Ma- 
 gistrate, of reforming and punish- 
 ing Heresy and Schism. 
 
 The Grounds for Liberty of Con- 
 science which are strongest, and 
 are all commonly known. 
 
 1. Moses was a keeper of both 
 Tables only as he Avas a Type of 
 Christ, and so called the Mediator 
 
 of the Old Testament, and Wor- Juim i. ir. 
 
 ship of God then : but so is not the 
 
 Magistrate now, the Office of 
 
 Moses being fulfilled in Jesus Acts 3. -n. 
 
 Christ, and ending in him, even 
 
 in that Person in whom all the Luke 9. so. 
 
 Types were fulfilled. 
 
 2. The Magistrates of the Old 
 Testa?nent ; as Moses, Joshua, the 
 Kings of Judah and Israel, Nehe- 
 miah, 8^c. were in a peculiar and 
 special way of Magistracy as to 
 that Church-Polity of the Jews, 
 and had a special, and peculiar, 
 
 K 
 
 35 
 
194 Some Beams of that 
 
 and infallibly directive power of 
 Priesthood with Urim and Thum- 
 7nim, and Prophets anointed of 
 God to assist, and direct, and iti- 
 struct them in the Law, or Refor- 
 mation of the Church at such times 
 as they reformed. And the Law of 
 
 2 Cor. 3. (i, the Old Testament lay more plain- 
 '' ^^' ly and clearly in the letter, not so 
 much in spirit as the letter of the 
 New Testament : And therefore 
 the Magistracy now having- no such 
 special reference to a Church- Po- 
 lity, nor any such Ministery infal- 
 libly directive joined to them, can- 
 not proceed so to reform, nor com- 
 pel, noY punish. 
 
 3. The Magistrates under the 
 New Testament are Ministers as 
 
 Rom. 1} 4 to yood and evil, not as to Truth 
 and Heresy : and this ^oorZ and evil 
 is such good and evil as falls under 
 the Law of their cognizance, that 
 is, the Lawof A'^«^2/re,by which they 
 make Laws, and judge the breach 
 of them : which Law of Nature or 
 light Reason, is the Law or prin- 
 ciple for administration of Justice 
 and Righteousness in all Societies 
 of Men and Nations : And thus 
 
 ii..m. 13.4. the Mao-istrate bears not the sword 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 195 
 
 in vain. But this is not as to 
 Heresy and Schism, of which the 
 higher Law is judg-e, viz. the Law 
 of the Spirit of life which is in 
 Jesus Christ, not the Law of Na^ 
 ture or this Creation. 
 
 4. In that Prophecy, Kings shall 
 be thy fathers, and Queens thy 
 nursing mothers, is not in its own 
 Scripture, or any other, interpreted 
 to be any other thing than the in- 
 dulgency and favour of States and 
 Kingdoms to the people of God ; 
 which is far from bearing- witness 
 to any destructiveness or persecu- 
 tion of them. 
 
 5. That Peter smote Ananias and Acts5.i,2. 
 his wife Sapphira with death for 
 
 lying, is only a witness of God's 
 power and holiness put forth in an 
 act of Miracle upon the sin of Hy- 
 pocrisy for convincing unbelievers, 
 and confirming believers, and is no 
 way exemplary to any Magistrate, 
 being a power by miracle, or by 
 an extraordinary act; and Magis- ^ 
 tracy in its administration is ordi- 
 nary : and it was in an Apostle, 
 not a Magistrate, by a spiritual, 
 not a carnal weapon. 
 
 6. Paul swishing that such were Gai. 5.12. 
 
196 Some Beams of that 
 
 cut off that troubled them, holds 
 forth no other cutting off than by 
 Church-censure or Excommunica- 
 tion, which was a visible dividing 
 them from that visibly spiritual 
 body, the Church, called a deliver- 
 ing up to Satan, ^c. 
 RcT. 2.18. 7. The Church of Thyatira was 
 reproved for suffering Jezebel to 
 teach and to seduce : but this is not 
 the Magistracy of Thyatira which 
 was to forbid her teaching by pun- 
 ishment, but the Angel or Minis- 
 tery of that Church, as all agree, 
 who was rebuked because they or 
 he put not forth that spiritual power 
 they had oi Admonition, Rejection, 
 Excommunication , 
 Zcch. 13. 8. The father and mother of him 
 ''^'^' that begat the false Prophet, and 
 was to thrust him through that pro- 
 phesicd lies in the name of the Lord, 
 was a Prophecy respectively to the 
 Law of the /ezt;s which was amongst 
 them against /ft/se Prophets, and 
 had a true Priesthood, and infal- 
 lible Prophets, with a special Law 
 to try them by, and condemn them. 
 And more spiritually was this : By 
 the false Prophet, is meant the 
 spirit oi Antichrist : hj the father 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 197 
 
 and mother that begat him, they 
 who made him a Prophet, or begat 
 and cried him up into the reputa- 
 tion of a Prophet: and then thrust- 
 ing him through for the lies he pro- 
 phesied, is their spiritual smiting 
 that Anii- christian working with 
 the Sword of the Spirit, through 
 some new enlightenings from God 
 received, or brightness of Christ's 
 glory, which shall slay and kill all 
 appearances and deceivableness of 
 ^Ae wia^ q/ si^i or false Prophet, 
 and not suffer him to live. 
 
 9. That there will be no settle- 
 ment of Peace, Order, or Truth 
 in the Church if the Magistrates 
 do not punish for Heresy, is upon 
 mistaken and false grounds, sup- 
 posing three things which are not. 
 First, that the Church-polity of 
 the Jeius by Magistrate and Priest- 
 hood is to be used by Christians ; 
 which is not, it being fulfilled in 
 Christ, the true King and Priest ; 
 and Christians having no such in- 
 fallible Priesthood to join to Magis- 
 tracy. Secondly, that Civil povjer 
 can establish anything of an higher 
 glory, law and principle, than it- 
 self as all spiritual truths and 
 
193 Some Beams of that 
 
 discoveries of Jesus Christ are. 
 Thirdly, the mistake of true spi- 
 ritual settlement, peace, order, and 
 truth, which receive all their beinrj, 
 propagation, and establishment 
 from the Spirit of God, and the 
 Scriptures, and such spiritual Laws 
 as God hath revealed for ordering 
 the outward man of the Christian 
 by, respectively to the Society or 
 fellowship of other Christians, 
 called Church-censures , &c. Chris- 
 tians being under a twofold Polity ; 
 that of the Kingdom of Christ, as 
 Christians ; that of the kingdom 
 of this ivorld, as men, or such as 
 are subject to the Laws of civil 
 Government : And likewise sup- 
 posing all peace and order to be 
 grounded upon Uniformity, not 
 EpJi 4. 3. upon Unity of spirit ; and preser- 
 vation of the civil Peace of the 
 State. 
 
 10. That States and Kingdoms 
 do to this day practise punishing 
 Heresy by the power of Magis- 
 trates, and that Councils and Sy- 
 nods do allow it ; all such practice 
 of what States soever in this kind 
 doth shew only what they do, not 
 what they ought to do. And the 
 
Bright and Morning Star, 199 
 
 kingdoms of the world are prophe- Rev. 17.17. 
 sied on to give their Kingdoms and 
 strength from themselves to the 
 false Church. And for Councils 
 and Synods, they are such as have 
 erred in other things, and why not 
 in this? It being their great /^i^eres^ 
 to establish themselves, &c. by the 
 Magistrate's power. 
 
 Whatsoever is not 0/ faith is R<>m- ^^■ 
 sin : So as all who are compelled in 
 things of Worship to do anything 
 of which they are not persuaded, 
 do sin. 
 
 Gospel-sins, or sins against an 
 higher law or light than that of 
 Nature and Reason, (which is the 
 only sphere for Civil Government 
 to move in) is to be judged and 
 punished by a law and light pro- 
 portionable, and more spiritual than 
 any power of Magistracy ; as the 
 Spirit of God going out in Gospel- 
 Judgment, Admonition, Rejection, 
 Excommunication, S^c. 
 
 The danger and hazard of Per- 
 secution of the members of Christ, 
 which is a sin bringing much judg- 
 ment, because judged and punished 
 by such a light and law, viz. by 
 Synods and Councils of men who 
 
200 Some Beams of that 
 
 are not infallible in their decrees 
 AwA judgments of truth and heresy. 
 
 By force and compulsion, men 
 Avho are 2oeak in the faith are 
 made hypocrites, in their outward 
 man conforming to the laws of men 
 in fear and bondage. 
 
 All such />oit;er of compulsion in 
 States and Kingdoms principled 
 with any %A^ and liberty, except 
 Spain, France, ^c, shall destroy 
 the true Interests of all such States 
 and Kingdoms oppressing all So- 
 cieties and fellowships of men, as 
 to spiritual things, though never 
 so peaceably affected, as men and 
 subjects. 
 
 A Mystery ; or the Chris- 
 tianfoUowing the Appear- 
 ances of God through all 
 created Things. 
 
 TH AT which is the pure, spi- 
 ritual, comprehensive prin- 
 ciple of a Christian, is this : — 
 
 That all outward administra- 
 tions, whether as to Religion, or 
 to natural, civil, and moral things, 
 are only the visible appearances of 
 
Bright and Morning Star, 201 
 
 God, as to the world, or in this 
 creation; or the clothing of God, 
 being- such forms and dispensa- 
 tions as God puts on amongst men 
 to appear to them in; this is the 
 garment the Son of God was 
 clothed with down to the feet, or Rev. 1. 13. 
 to his lowest appearance. And 
 God doth not ^x himself upon any 
 one form or outward dispensation, 
 but at his own will and p)leasure 
 comes forth in such and such an 
 administration, and goes out of it, 
 and leaves it, and takes up ano- 
 ther. And this is clear in all 
 God's proceedings with the world, 
 both in the Jewish Church and Heb. 12. 
 State; and CAm^mws now. And -^''^'■ 
 when God is gone out, and hath 
 left such or such an administra- 
 tion, of what kind soever it is, be 
 it religious, moral, or civil ; such 
 an administration is a desolate 
 house, a temple whose veil is rent, 
 a sun whose light is darkened ; 
 and to worship it then, is to luor- 
 ship an Idol, an Image, a form, 
 without God, or any manifestation 
 of God in it, save to him, who (as 
 Paul saith) knows an Idol to be 1 Cor. 8. 4- 
 nothing. 
 
 K 2 
 
202 Some Beams of that 
 
 Thepwre, spiritual, comprehen- 
 sive Christian, is one who grows 
 Phil. 3. 14. up with God from administration 
 IS." ■ to administration, and so walks 
 with God in all his rejnoves and 
 spiritual increasings andjioivings ; 
 and such are weak and in the Jiesh 
 who tarry behind, worshipping 
 that form or administration out of 
 which God is departed. 
 
 A Postscript to Master 
 Gataker, Author of a 
 Book called Shadows with- 
 out Substance, written 
 against me. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 THE reasons why I did not 
 answer you were these : I 
 mean your last Book, called Sha- 
 dows without Substance, ^c. 
 
 I found that Replies and Rejoin- 
 ders did exceedingly confound and 
 perplex the plainness and simpli- 
 city, and glory of Truth, and had 
 much of self, and passion, and re- 
 crimination ; which I am confident 
 the Lord will shew you in much of 
 what you have written. For I am 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 203 
 
 assured that God will reveal and 
 convince you iiower fully and 
 mightily in many passages which 
 yourself wrote, and not the Spirit 
 of God. Lay your hand upon 
 your heart, and consider sadly, if 
 the advantage of the times, the 
 glory of reputation, the passion of 
 man in you, and the multitude of 
 years, and fame of learning (not 
 willing to be convinced by days or 
 months) did not write most of your 
 last Book. 
 
 What you wrote in the sincerity 
 of Spirit, and in that measure of 
 Truth you received, I rejoice in ; 
 and what you wrote in the artifice 
 of your parts, your ivit, and your 
 other human advantages, or de- 
 vices of flesh and blood, whereby 
 you laid on colours to make your 
 own Arguments fair and comely to 
 a man judging no higher than Rea- 
 son, or in your own measure of 
 Truth, and whereby you laid on 
 your darker and more shadowish 
 stuff upon me your adversary , ren- 
 dering me to the Reader, both in 
 your Title-page, and throughout 
 your Book, as one that denied the 
 Apostles' Doctrine, and Christ's, 
 
204 Some Beams of that 
 
 because I denied your conclusions 
 and deductions to be that very 
 Doctrine^ and the mind of those 
 very ScriptiLres of Christ and the 
 Apostles. This, I say, must pass 
 under the Jiery trial, and you must 
 sufifer loss, so as hyjire. 
 
 Surely, to aeny what Master 
 Gataaer, or some Synods of men 
 say, is not to deny what Christ 
 and the Apostles say, unless the 
 Spirit of God reveal in them one 
 and the same Truth, and that they 
 all speak by one and the same 
 Spirit, in one and the same lan- 
 guage. 
 
 Nor did I see that you in all 
 your Writijigs had done anything 
 against the truth declared by we ; 
 but had only defended yourself, 
 and your own measure of truth, 
 with rejection and reproaches of 
 mine ; and all this in the form 
 only oi argumentation and confu- 
 tation, not in the power : so as I 
 did rest without replying, knowing 
 that the substance of what truth 
 I had written was as I had received 
 then; and would abide, because he 
 who is the pattern of all truth, 
 Jesus Christ, abides the same, yes- 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 205 
 
 terday, and to-day , and for ever. 
 And for any expressions of mine, or 
 form of words which may make 
 truth appear to some not one and 
 the same : I only can as yet speak 
 truth in the language given me : 
 when I can speak more tongues, 
 or the languages of several Chris- 
 tians, of Avhich the gifts of 
 tongues were a sign, then / and 
 you shall be better understood by 
 ourselves and others. 
 
 Sir, I have spoken ohq particu- 
 lar more clearly, which you and 
 some others spake on in my Book. 
 And thus I take my leave oi you, 
 desiring to love any appearance of 
 God in you, and to forgive any in- 
 firmities in you, which are of man; 
 as I desire myself to be loved or 
 forgiven oi others. 
 
 And truly I do not expound that 
 of contending earnestly for the 
 Truth to be in reproaches andjoas- 
 sions, in Replies and Rejoinders, 
 and many Books ; but in Spirit, 
 and spiritual affection, and pure 
 manifestation of the same Truth. 
 Sir, your Friend, 
 
 John Saltmarsii. 
 
206 Some Beams of that 
 
 A pretended Heresy. 
 
 BoJk npHAT which is pretended, or 
 called \^ at least believed by some to 
 broke ^6 Hercsy in my Book of Grace, 
 loose, is this ; which I desire to explain 
 P. 84. more fully, that it may appear more 
 clearly to be Truth : 
 
 That Christ hath believed per- 
 fectly, repented perfectly , morti- 
 fied sin perfectly for us. 
 
 First. That Christ hath done all 
 for us, is truth: he \\2ith fulfilled 
 all righteousness, both that right- 
 eousness which is of the Law, and 
 that which is of the Gospel, in 
 graces, SfC. and upon this account 
 he is made unto us righteous- 
 ness, SfC. 
 
 Secondly. Faith, repentance, 
 mortification, were all in Christ 
 originally, primarily, as in their 
 nature, their fountain, their root 
 or seed ; and therefore he is said 
 to give repentance to Israel ; and 
 he is the author andfinisher of our 
 faith ; and it is called the faith of 
 the Son of God ; and of his ful- 
 ness have all we received, and 
 grace for grace ; for every grace 
 in him, a grace in us. 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 207 
 
 And to say Christ hath done all 
 these for us, first in himself, and 
 then in us through himself, I hope 
 is such an Heresy as we all believe. 
 It may be, my want of clearer 
 explanation made it be taken for 
 Heresy ; which I hope will now 
 be judg-ed more candidly to be a 
 Truth. 
 
 Nor can this ( That Christ hath 
 all graces and perfection in him- 
 self) prove that we stand in need of 
 none in us, no Faith nor Repent- 
 ance in us, nor mortification of 
 sin in us, no more than PauVs 
 Doctrine of Grace and Faith, and 
 the Christian to be under Grace, 
 destroy the Law, or make void 
 Faith, or cause men to sin that 
 Grace may abound. 
 
 I never yet denied the Graces 
 and Fruits of the Spirit of God, 
 which appear in Faith, Repent- 
 ance, new Obedience, Mortifica- 
 tion of sin, as may be seen in all 
 things I have written. It may be 
 I may speak Truth in such a no- 
 tion or conception, or measure of 
 light as 1 have received it in, and 
 not in another s. The Christian, 
 as the English or French, can only 
 speak in his own Tongue or Lan- 
 
208 Some Beams of that 
 
 guage, till the Lord be one, and 
 his name one amongst us : and in 
 the mean time, let us judge Heresy 
 by the Truth in Scripture, and in 
 the Spirit ; not as it seems to us so, 
 or appears so, perhaps not for want 
 of true light in what is written but 
 more light to what is already writ- 
 ten, to make it more clearly appear 
 true light. 
 
 To Master Knolls, the. 
 Author of a Book, called 
 The shining of a flaming 
 Fire, S^c. written against 
 me, as to the point of 
 Baptism, 
 
 Dear Brother, 
 
 I HAVE been long silent, not 
 because what you wrote had 
 prevailed in me to believe the Or- 
 dinance of Baptism by water, so 
 practised, of that necessity, or of 
 t\\2it pure and Apostolic practice in 
 these times, since the outward 
 Court given to the Gentiles hath 
 been trodden down, and the gifts 
 of Spirit, which was the glory and 
 life of those visible administrations 
 then, now taken away. But I was 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 200 
 
 not very hasty, because I know it 
 
 is not man that teacheth Truth, jo^n e. 45. 
 
 but God ; Ye shall be all tavght 
 
 of God. There are three thing's I 
 
 propound to you, with many other. 
 
 1. That all that baptize now by 
 
 the power of teaching, {Go teach Mat. 28. 
 and baptize) do teach in the same 
 gift the disciples that baptized 
 formerly did teach ; that is, as the 
 oracles of God, in the pure mani- 
 festation of the Spirit of God, else 
 that Command, Go teach and bap- 
 tize, belongs not to disciples o 
 less ;j?<re, less certain, and less 
 infallible teaching, as all disciples 
 now in mystical Babylon; or the 
 flesh, are ; but to disciples of the 
 first anointing, or frst fruits of 
 the Spirit, such as the Apostles 
 were, and such as Philip and 
 Anayiias, and the brethren with 
 Peter, ^c. 
 
 2. That the Baptism of water 
 is Christ's Baptism, or his admi- 
 nistration ; but it is Johns and his 
 Ministery : I come baptizing with 
 water; but he shall baptize you 
 with the Holy Ghost : And there- 
 fore Christ never gave it to his 
 disciples in their first Commission 
 to preach to the Jews^ nor bap- 
 
210 Some Beams of that 
 
 Mat, 10. tized he any himself ^ that can be 
 found; nor doth it appear that 
 this in Matth. 28, is meant of 
 baptizing by water, but by the 
 Spirit, or baptism of gifts, which 
 Christ baptized with in their ad- 
 ministration, saying, Lo, I am 
 with you, or in you, SfC. 
 
 3. That the disciples of Christ 
 baptized only by water, as in 
 Johns Ministery, though into 
 Christ, as all legal administra- 
 tions were, viz. to Christ ; and 
 did it partly in honour to John's 
 Ministery, (for, a greater prophet 
 than John hath not risen) and to 
 the believer s weakness; as in that, 
 
 1 Cor. 1. To the weak, I was weak : To 
 them under the Law, as under the 
 Law, Sfc. yet, saith he, I was not 
 sent to baptize : It was no part of 
 his Commission, but of his spiritual 
 liberty, and to edification of the 
 weak : for he circumcised. 
 
 And there is another thingwhich 
 hath caused much mistake and con- 
 fidence in this point of Baptism by 
 water, and that is, The not distin- 
 
 Rom. 6. guishingthe doctrine of Baptisms, 
 
 ^"'- ^- but interpreting the words of Bap- 
 tism used in the Epistles, which 
 appear to be words of mystery j 
 
Bright and Morning Star. 211 
 
 and spiritual immersion, as to the 
 mysteries of God, and of bein^ 
 made by one Spirit one whhChrist, 
 one in his death, buried with him 
 by Baptism, Sfc. to be of a mere 
 literal, elementary signification, 
 and to be meant of water only, 
 and from this, pressing it as ne- 
 cessary, 8^c. 
 
 And further, there is no little 
 mistake of that in the Hebrews, 
 where the doctrine of Baptisms 
 is reckoned amongst the Jirst prin- 
 ciples of the doctrine of Christ ; 
 whereas those Jirst principles are 
 reckoned in the Hebrews, not as if Heb. 6. 
 all of them were things to be for 
 ever the principles of ever j Chris- 
 tian, but of the doctrine of Christ 
 in some of those things, as to that 
 age ; those things being first 
 brought forth in that ministration 
 of Christ' then : for if it were 
 otherwise, and all they oi necessity 
 as the Jirst principles, then where 
 is the other Baptism of gifts there 
 mentioned in the Word ? For the Bu^mxr- 
 word is Baptisms, not Baptism, j^"^'^*- 
 And further, the Apostle rather 
 calls Christians up higher, more 
 into Spirit : Wherefore leaving, 
 saith he, the doctrine of Christ, 
 
212 Bright and Morning Star. 
 
 Hcb. G. 1. let us go on to perfection, or ib 
 that which is perfect ; which is 
 Christ himself. As if he should 
 say, Let us be no moie weak Chris- 
 tians, but sucli as seek higher and 
 more excellent things. 
 
 I refer you to the Doctrine of 
 Baptisms here in my Booh, where 
 I have not controversially written, 
 but in meekness, and ^j/ftin dis- 
 tinction of things. 
 
 Nor am I against Baptism by 
 water, if administered according 
 to the measure of light ye are un- 
 der, and not in an Apostolical ne- 
 cessity and pressure, and as a di- 
 viding Ordinance to the unity of 
 the Spirit of God in Christians. 
 
 Dear Sir, I love and tender 
 those true appearances of God that 
 are in you, and rejoice with you 
 in beholding that glory by which 
 we are all changed from glory to 
 glory, ^'c. and am, your Friend and 
 Brother in the Lord, 
 
 John Saltmarsh. 
 
 F I ^ 1 S. 
 
 J Whittjsgham "20 Tookes Court. 
 
1 1012 01002 4059 
 
 Sparkles of Gh 
 
 or fome Beams ol 
 Morning Star, 
 
 By John Saltmarsi 
 
 It 
 
 r- ''^.