top, did signify the worship of the law of Moses, which was a veil upon the people of the Jews face; so that they could not see that spiritual and heavenly glory, which was in the believing that this Jesus was the Son of God, or the Saviour of the world.

Therefore the worship of the law of Moses, which was a veil before the peoples face, was now, by the death of Christ rent in twain from the bottom to the top; so that the reason of man could never sew it or join it together again unto this day, though it hath been much endeavoured by the seed of reason. Therefore it is said, that Moses put a veil upon his face, it did so shine, that the people of Israel could not look upon it, it was so bright and glorious; which veil of Moses was only to signify the worship of the law, which was to be rent from the bottom to the top by the death of Christ; that is, to be torn in pieces, not fit to be used any more by the believers in Jesus.

And this did the natural veil of Solomon's temple rending from the bottom to the top signify.

And as for the stones cleaving asunder, it did signify in the spiritual the breaking of the stony hearts of the Jews asunder, and the Gentiles too, by causing some of their stony hearts to break in pieces, by faith and love, in believing that this was the son of God..

Others again, their stony hearts were broken asunder with wrath and envy, because the worship of the law was now rent in twain; so that they could not have life by the righteousness of the law, which, made their hearts of stone with envy even ready to burst, as you may read in the Acts, concerning their malice towards Stephen. And for the earthquake, there spoken of, you may read in the book of the in

terpretation, there I have opened it something large; so that there needeth no more to be said of that.

But the thing that you aim at, as I perceive, is concerning those dead bodies, which slept in the earth, and arose and appeared unto many.

First, You must understand the power of Christ's death; and secondly, the power of his resurrection. You find at his death the veil of the temple did rend, and the stones did cleave, and the earth did quake.

These things were done at his death, by the power of that; but the graves opening, and the dead bodies arising, was after his resurrection; which thing was to prove the power of his rising from the dead: therefore he raised the bodies of many saints which slept, which arose, and appeared unto many.

Now you must understand, that it was the bodies of the saints that arose, and came out of the graves, and appeared, and not the bodies of the reprobate, that hated and persecuted him.

Also it is to be understood, that those saints that arose out of the graves were but newly fallen asleep or dead, not that they were corrupted or turned to dust, as those are that have been dead a long time; then could they not have risen with the same bodies as was laid in the graves, but they were raised in the same nature as Lazarus was, that had been four days dead neither were their bodies spiritualized as the body of Christ was; that is, they did not rise spiritual bodies; but the same natural bodies that slept or died, did rise again, and appeared in the temple.

You do not read, that they did ever speak or eat afterwards as Lazarus and Christ did; for Lazarus did live some years afterwards in that natural body which was born, and then died again, and is now asleep in the dust of the earth.

But Christ's body rising a spiritual body, it is alive, and behold it is alive for evermore.

But you may say, what became of those bodies of the saints which arose.

To which I answer, their bodies lay down in the same graves again, and there shall remain until the resurrection: only this was done to shew the power of Christ's resurrection, both in raising up of himself from death to life, and of his power in raising the saints out of their graves.

Which thing was but as a little fast, or but as a sign of his great power, which he hath gained to himself, by his death and resurrection, even power to raise the seed of faith to that eternal happiness, and to raise the seed of reason to that endless misery, which both seeds shall find at the general day of resurrection; when it shall be said, Come ye blessed, to the seed of faith, and, Go ye cursed, to the seed of reason. And if you consider these things, they make more for the mortality of the soul than against it.

For it doth not say, that spirits rose out of the graves, but bodies, neither did spirits come into them.

But the power of Christ's resurrection had an influence on their bodies; which did cause their bodies to arise to shew his power as aforesaid.

More might be said on this thing; but where true faith is, may easily be understood the truth of it.

So, with my love to you as a civil man, and to your wife as a true believer, I rest,

LODOWICKE MUGGLETON.

September 8, 1662.

A Copy of a Letter written by the Prophet Lodowicke Muggleton, to Mrs. Elizabeth Carter, of Chesterfield, from London, dated the 11th of December, 1662.

Dear Friend, Elizabeth Carter,

I RECEIVED your letter, and am glad to hear of the benefit that you have received in the belief of this commission, and of your further joy you have received by my being with you. All that I can say in it is, that I am glad to hear that the seed of faith in such tender age should spring up as a fountain of living water unto eternal life; and the more strong your faith is grounded upon this commission of the Spirit, the more firm will you stand. It will be as a rock, which no storms nor winds whatsoever shall be able to make it fall; for every commission from God is a rock, and whosoever doth build upon it will stand sure, when as the sandy foundation, though it seem ever so strong, when the storm of death and the wind of eternal judgment doth come, then it will fall, because it was built upon the sand; for this personal God is the Head Corner-stone, and that Stone which is laid in Sion; and blessed are those that build upon it, which none can do but those that have a faith in a commission.

Therefore all that seeming shew of righteousnes sin the Quakers and others, it will avail them nothing, because it was built upon the sand, that is, upon an infinite incomprehensible spirit, without a body, which is but a sandy foundation; they will find so in the end, though they make slight of a God that is

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cloathed with flesh and bone, yet this flesh and bone is the stone which the builders refused, which is become the Head of the Corner. Also it is that stumbling stone and rock of offence, which every man doth stumble at, but those that do believe in this commission of the Spirit; and you having expressed a great measure of faith in this commission of the Spirit, all that I shall say this time in this thing is, that you may grow in further understanding, faith, and knowledge of these things until you come to the possession of that eternal happiness, which your faith in this commission of the Spirit will lead you unto.

Dear Friend,

I have sent you the copy of Mr. Hatter's letter to John Leavins; I would desire you to take a copy of it, and send it me again, because my letter is joined with it. I shall be in London about a month hence; I do intend to take my journey on Tuesday next; so, with my love to your mother and Elizabeth Smith, Mr. Frewteril and his wife, I rest

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Your Friend in the eternal Truth,

LODOWICKE MUGGLETON.

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