EPISTLE

DEDICATOR Y.

O all true Christian People, that do or fhall hereafter come to believe in this third and laft fpiritual Commiffion, is the enfuing Treatife directed, with Love * and Peace to you be multiplied: It being a Legacy left you by the Lords laft true Prophet, for your further establishment in Truth: As alfo it is left for a convincement of the Seed of Reason, when he is in the Duft; that by these Acts they may fee how he hath been flandered, reproached, and belied, perfecuted and imprisoned without a Cause.

For how many lying Reports hath been not only flung upon them, but also upon the true Believers of them; faying, That we own neither God nor Devil, Heaven or Hell; and all because they fee us ufe no outward glittering fhew in fruitless Forms of Worship; whilft we worship an invifible Spiritual, yet perfonal God, in Spirit and Truth, which the World knows nothing of.

For this we know and affirm, that the Doctrine of this Commiffion of the Spirit is of as great purity and power as to Godlinefs, as ever any was, and as they were themselves, ever kept innocent from the breach of the moral Law, as to Act: Even fo the Fruits of their Doctrine is of the like Efficacy in the knowing feed of Faith, by which they have dominion over Sin, as in refpect of Act.

And altho' this laft Prophet in his Anfwer to the nine Affertions, hath fhewed his great Mercy and Clemency to fome corrupt Natures, yet it is but to fuch who act not fo far, as the breach of the moral Law; as to borrow Money, and not to pay it

again; or to be paffionate and hafty natur'd, overcome with ftrong Drink, or the like, and tho' thefe are evil, yet reach but to the Borders of the Law, being frailties in Nature, which difturb the Peace of the Mind, for in fuch things, as the Apoftle James faith, We offend all: But where there is true Faith, it prevents the Act; as this Prophet faith in one Place, among many his Words are thefe, Faith, faith he, overcomes all Sin, Death, and Hell, within a Man's felf, and that none but fuch fhall be admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven. And the Prophet Reeve's Doctrine is thus, faying, All thofe that are led by the Voice of the holy Spirit of Jefus, do work Righteoufnels in their Bodies whereby they die unto Sin. Again, faith he, in another Place, The light of Chrift in Man doth convert from the ruling Power of Sin. And in a third Place, which is not yet printed faith, That they that are led by the Spirit of Faith, are kept from the commiting of Sin; I do not fay, faith he, that they have no motion to Sin, but the Spirit of Faith purifies their Hearts, giving them power against those Motions, that they commit not the Act; and from hence it is, that all that are born of God, know the Voice of God, and hath this Power over Sin, as I have declar'd faid he.

Thefe Doctrines of the Prophets are abfolute and poffitive, and do give great light into feveral Scriptures, as Matt. chap. v. ver. 28. 1 John chap. 3. ver. 9. and ver. 15. in these places we are to diftinguish between the Motion and the Action of Sin: This may alfo give light into Rom. chap. vii. how that Paul fpake there as to the ftate by Nature, as alfo of the ftrife and struggle between the two feeds of Faith and Reason, untill the Law of Faith was quickened, and power by it attain'd, and then had he dominion over Sin, as Chap. viii. and fo came to have peace with God, and with his own Confcience, and affurance of eternal Life.

And from hence comes the grounds of true Worship, and flows forth all spiritual Praife, as David faid, O how fweet is thy Law: This fweet Law is the Law of Faith; and he or she that is truly poffeffed hereof, can feal to thofe Words of the Prophet

Reeve, which faith, That he that is born of God, his Language and Practice is fuch as fpeaks forth the power of Godlinets, to the confounding of all glittering tongue Hipocrites, and faithle's Formalifts,

Now let all true Believers know, that under every Commiffion this is made the ordinary way of Life and Salvation; yet to prevent an Objection, this is confeffed by us: That tho' there is this power in Faith as aforefaid, yet the Lord for the Trial of his Creature, may fuffer fome of his chofen Ones to fall in the Time of a Commitlion; and for the Praife of his free Grace, may grant them one Repentance, or fecond free Pardon; for thus writes the Prophet Reeve in a writing not yet printed.

The Lord, faith he, leaves fome to their own Strength, through which he rebels against the Light that is in him, to the wounding of his own Soul; to the end that he may learn, that the power by which he is preferved from the Act of Sin, and fo from eternal Ruin, is not in himfelf, but in the living. God that made him. Therefore the Scripture here and there pointeth forth one that the Lord hath left for a Seafon, to manifeft his prerogative Power over his Creatures, and afterwards doth his Godhead Spirit move him to a fecond free Pardon, wherein he raifeth that Soul to a higher and greater measure of Grace, Wisdom and Humility, than it had before; which fulfils that saying of Paul, Where Sin abounded, there Grace did fuperabound. And this was fulfiled both by David and Paul.

Here we fee that if an elect Veffel fhould once fall after his Knowledge and Belief in Truth, that his fecond Pardon doth raife him to a higher degree of Grace, Wisdom and Humility than he had before: This by the Prophet is made a true Trial to know whether a Repentance or Converfion from the Act of Sin committed, be real or fained; as alfo that a fecond fall or relapse will prove dangerous, because it is rare to find a third Pardon, and a third increase of Grace to that Pardon.

Thus it is made clear that the Doctrine of this Commiffion of the Spirit it hath power of Purity in it, and none that is truly

born

born of God can dispute against it, but rather fear to offend, as the Prophet Reeve faith, That a true born Saint is afraid of his own evil Thoughts, much more of evil Words or Deeds against God or Man.

Again we fee by this Book of the Acts, that these two Prophets were jointly chofen of God, and made equal in Power and Authority; for the Prophet Reeve faith, That his fellow Witnefs had as great Power as he had himfelf: And further faid, That he was the Lord's laft High Prieft; if this be granted, then it must follow, that there can be no Salvation to fuch as fhall reject him, or his Writings, altho' they pretend to own John Keeve.

Moreover, the mighty fufferings that thefe Prophets have undergone for their Teftimony fake, are admirable; yet notwithstanding all Oppofition, Providence preferv'd them fo, as that they both Died in their Beds in Peace; and not only fo, but this laft Prophet liv'd to fee the downfall of many of his great Enemies, and of his Perfecutors and Judges.

Now to come to a conclufion of this Epiftle: When the Prophet had wrote this Book of the Acts, he kept it by him, not letting any to fee it; but about two Weeks before he Died, it was put into the Hands of one of us, that was his true Friend, and ancient Acquaintance, in order to be printed after his Death, which now with the affiftance of fome Friends, through Providence, it is perfected, and is recommended to the whole houfhold of Faith, which I doubt not, but it will be accepted of, being a true Copy from the Original, there being nothing here printed but what is really his own; only you are to know that there are fome things omitted that are of a temporal Account, as a difpute with Mr. Leader, concerning Eclipfes, and the height of the vifible Heavens, with fome other particulars, which things are left out, becaufe of the greatnefs of the Charge, for all cannot be printed that is written, for it is evident, that altho' there is above a Hundred Sheets of theirs in print, yet is it not paft a third part of what is written by them two Witneffes, for in the Year 1682, Mr. Delamaine did transcribe so many of

their Works, and bound up in a Book, as contained 1052 pages in Fol:o; in which Book, and in what is printed, almost all the Scripture hath been Interpreted, that are of concernment to Salvation. But whether it may enter into the Heart of any that are Rich, to be ftirred up to print the fame; or whether the Powers of the Nation may permit it, we leave to Providence. But before I conclude, it is requifite to give you an account of the Prophet's Death and Burial, which was thus, upon the firft Day of March, 1697, the Prophet was taken with an Illnefs and Weaknefs, upon which he faid thefe Words, Now hath God fent Death unto me; and prefently after was helped to Bed, and tho' he kept his Bed, yet we could not perceive that he was fick, only weak, and he lay as if he flept, but in such quietnefs, as if he was nothing concerned with either Pain or Sickness.

So that it was meer Age that took him away, which was the 14th Day of March, he then departed this Life with as much peace and quietnefs, as ever any Man did, being about 88 Years of Age, fo that he had that Bleffing, to come to the Grave in a full Age, like as a fhock of Corn cometh in at his Seafon. Upon the 16th Day his Corps was remov'd to Larfimus-Hall, and on the 17th Day, was from thence attended on, with two hundred forty eight Friends, accompanying him to Bethlehem Church: Yard where he was Buried by his Fellow Witness, which was according to his own Appointment.

And thus was the Lord's laft Prophet brought to his Grave in Peace, without noife, or without tumult, though thousands of Spectators beheld it; and there they are both to remain untill the coming of their Lord, their King, and their Redeemer the Lord Jefus Chrift, the High and Mighty God, and our God; and bleffed are they that know their Voice, and wait for that Day, and are not offended with these Things. Farewell.

T. T.

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