with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression; the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" Mic. vi. 6, 7.

What saith the answer of God? No, no; this is not the way to come to pardon of sin, or to acceptance with the Lord; but come to that which teacheth what is good, and what the "Lord requireth of thee, O man; which is to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with the Lord." Come thither in the teachings of God's Spirit, and worship there, and there thou shalt witness the forgiveness of sins, and acceptance with the Lord. Mic. vi. 7, 8. and Isai. i. 16, 17, 18. For it was not offering sacrifices of old (appointed under the law) that would do the thing, nor men's pleading the sacrifice under the gospel; but coming to that Spirit which teacheth holiness, and being subject to that Spirit, and offering in that Spirit (to the Father) what proceeds therefrom. So that his building in the Spirit is the only temple, and the sacrifices or offerings in the Spirit are the only offerings of the New Testament.

And here every groan or sigh towards the Lord after that which is pure, every supplication in the Spirit, every acknowledgment of the goodness of the Lord in a true and pure sense, are of a sweet savour in the nostrils of the Lord: yea, using hospitality, relieving the poor, or doing any thing that is good from the good and holy root, are sacrifices acceptable to the Lord. Read these scriptures following, and if the Lord open thine eyes, thou

mayest thereby come to see both what the temple and sacrifices are.

Ephes. ii. 21, 22.

1 Cor. iii. 16, and 2 Cor. vi. 16. Isai. x. 7. 15. Heb. iři. 6. Rev. xxi. 22. John iv. These places foregoing are for the the sacrifices, Psal. 1. 14, 15. and

23. Psal. xc. 1. temple: then for

Ji. 16, 17. and exli. 2. Mal. i. 11. Heb. x. 8, 9. Rom. xii. 1. 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. 1 Pet. ii. 5. Heb. xiii. 15. Phil, iv. 18.

A NECESSARY WARNING, CONCERNING ADDING TO, AND DIMINISHING FROM, THE SCRIPTURES.

[Extracted from a Piece addressed "to all that call themselves Christians," &c.]

Ir is recorded, Rev. xxii. 18, 19. "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

Great are the plagues that are written in this book, even the pouring out of eternal wrath without mixture; torment day and night, in the presence of the Lamb, &c. As the growth and fulness of the mystery of iniquity are spoken of in this book, so the measuring out of the fulness of wrath to it, is spoken of also. And great is the life and blessedness that is here promised, to those

that fight with, and overcome, the mystery of iniquity; and receive not any marks or names of the beast, nor are subject to any of his horns, though he push ever so hard with them. Now to meet with all the plagues here threatened, and to miss of all the blessedness here promised, is it not a sad state? Why, he that addeth to these things here spoken, or diminisheth from the words of this prophecy, the Lord hath said this shall befall him. Therefore, in the fear of that God who hath spoken this, and will make it good, let every one search, who is the adder, who is the diminisher?

Now mark, see if this be not a clear thing. He that giveth any other meaning of any scripture, than what is the true proper meaning thereof, he both addeth and diminisheth; he taketh away the true sense, he addeth a sense that is not true. The Spirit of the Lord is the true expositor of scriptures; he never addeth nor diminisheth: but man, being without that Spirit, doth but guess, doth but imagine, doth but study or invent a meaning, and so he is ever adding or diminishing.

-Did the Lord, in these words of forbidding to add or diminish upon so great a penalty, lay a restraint and limit upon his own Spirit, that it should no more hereafter speak in his sons and daughters; or did he intend to lay bounds upon the unruly spirit of man? Did God leave man's spirit at liberty to invent and form meanings of his words, and bind up his own Spirit from speaking

further words afterwards? When Moses said, Thou shalt not add or diminish, was this to be any stop to the prophets, in whom God should speak afterwards? Is not this one of the subtle serpent's inventions, to keep up the esteem of man's invented meanings as the true sense, and to make a fortification against the entrance of that Spirit, which can discover all his false interpretations of the true words of God, and to make him see that he is the adder and the diminisher, and that his name will not be found in the book of life, when the true light is held forth to read by.

But how may I avoid adding to the things, and diminishing from the words, of this prophecy, and of other scriptures; that I may not meet with the weight of this curse, or miss of the blessing?

Ans. Dost thou ask this question from thy heart, in the simplicity, out of the fleshly wisdom? Then hearken with that ear, and thou shalt set thy seal to mine answer.

1. Wait for the key of knowledge, which is God's free gift. Do not go with a false key to the scriptures of Truth; for it will not open them. Man is too hasty to know the meaning of the scriptures, and to enter into the things of God, and so he climbs up over the door with his own understanding; but he has not patience to wait to know the door, and to receive the key which opens and shuts the door; and by this means he gathers death out of words which came from life. And this I dare positively affirm, that all that have

gone this way to work have but a dead knowledge; and it is death in them that feeds upon this knowledge, and the life is not raised. Consider now the weight of this counsel in the true balance: there is no opening of the scriptures but by the true key, nor is there any coming at the key till the Lord please to give it. What then is to be done, but only to wait (in the silence of that part which would be forward, and running before-hand) till the key be given, and to know how to receive it, as it is offered in the light; and not to wait in the will, or expect to receive it according to observations in the fleshly wisdom from the letter.

2. Let not thy understanding have the managing of this key, when it is given; but know the true opener, the skilful user of the key, the hand which can only turn the key aright; and let him have the managing both of his own key, and of thine understanding. Do not run in thine own understanding, or in thine own will, to search out the meaning of scripture; for then thou feedest with the scripture that which it is the intent of all words of life to destroy: but as thou waitedst for the key at first, so continually wait for the appearances and movings of the user of the key, and he will shut out thy understanding and will continually, which would still be running after the literal part of scriptures; and let thee into the life both of the prophecies and doctrines thereof. Man, when he hath received a true gift from God, he would be managing of it himself, and to be sure he will