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Primitive Christianity Revived, Again

From William Salt's 1663 "Some Breathings of Life ..."

And theſe two things feel me in (and therein abide with me.)

My heart fixed in the Spirit of Love, wherein I am to keep for ever, And drawn and guided by that Spirit which way he pleaſeth, and I paſſive therein, which will never deceive any of you to abide in Love, and know the Imediate motions of the good Spirit to guide you.

Thus it was well with Iſrael as they were kept by day and by night to the Conduct of the Pillar of Fire and the Cloud, and had this in their ſight through all their Journeyings, to be kept in a continual Subjection and Dependance upon God. And at the word of the Lord they travelled, and at the word of the Lord they ſtood ſtill, or abode in their Tents, whether two Dayes, or a Month, or a Year, as the Cloud tarried or remained upon the Tabernacle, the Children of Iſrael Remained ſtill, and Journeyed not; So as this is to be Read by each in Particular, ſo it is in the General; At the Commandment of the Lord they reſted in their Tents, and at the Commandment of the Lord they Journeyed, and roſe up, and ſate down with Holy Breathings in their mouths. Ariſe O Lord, and let thine Enemies be ſcattered, and return unto the many Thouſands of Iſrael. And the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord went before them in their Journeyings, holding forth at that time what the Spiritual Iſrael were to have, to go before them in ages to come, even him who was given for a Leader and Commander to the People.

And what is it can help out of the Apoſtacy, heal any of their Backſlidings, or ſave any from the errours of their way, but the unerring Spirit of the Lord, to know its Motions and Leadings.

And whereas it was ſaid, by one ſpeaking concerning the Raging of the Sea, and caſting up its Mire and Dirt, yet ſaid he, We muſt [...] through it, yea but the Lord muſt lead firſt, otherwiſe Creatures may quickly ſink; and where the Lord leads, there any are to follow, but for otherwiſe.

And another ſpeaking to this effect, To heed the Power and Spirit of the Lord which was before Storms and Tempeſts was; yea ſo to heed it, as to be guided by it; So that this brings ſtill unto the thing that hath been ſpoken of, to feel the Lord preſent, or to ſee the Living going before, if that move not then to be ſtill; So let all Fleſh be ſilent before the Lord, and all fleſhly reaſonings, for the Lord is riſen of a Truth, whom we are to follow, and let the ſound thereof go forth to the utmoſt ends of the Earth.

This then in ſhort, what the tendance of my words hath been, not to appear in any thing, but what the Spirit of the Lord moves unto directly, for had that been ſtill, I had been ſtill in this matter; neither having regard to one time or place more then another, but Spiritual, all in the Spirit to be performed, or as that makes way, or bows the hearts of any, which is to be waited for: In the mans day, things hath been done in the mans time, and according to his will, but in the day of the Lord, all is to be done in his time, and according to his will, who hath all times in his hand, which the Creature is to eye diligently in this mighty day of the Lord, wherein man is wholly to be ceaſed from for ever.

So to viſit one another, any as they are moved, and ſpeak one to another, and meet together as they are moved; for if two or three ſhall agree on Earth, as touching any thing that they ſhall ask, it ſhall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven ſaith Chriſt; For where two or three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the midſt of them; And ſo daily to exhort one another as they ſee cauſe, or are led thereunto by the Spirit of the Lord, where there is any Buffettings, Temptations, or things of that kind. And where any more generally ſhall aſſemble themſelves together, and find leadings thereunto in the Spirit of Love let them do it, even as that puts forth it ſelf in the thing, otherwiſe it were better to be ſtill, and not to do it, becauſe it hath been done, and others have exhorted thereunto, and ſo to be tyed to the Letter of a diſpenſation; for there is a time for all things, and to every thing there is a Seaſon ſaith Solomon; there may be a time to go forth, and there may be a time to go forth, and there may be a time to keep ſtill, a time to ſpeak, and a time to be ſilent, or is the ſpirit of the Lord to be limited about any of theſe things, as that he ſhall not have the liberty left him, to require what, or when he pleaſeth?

And may not ſome as contentedly be brought to ſit in ſilence, or to be taught as formerly to be Teachers of others, and may it not be [...] Convenient?

And did not the Prophet of the Lord Declare their ſtrength was to [...] ſtill? & may there not be a time for ſitting ſtill now as well as then? and is not the Creature Man and Woman to be held in ſubjection to the Creator? and did not the Saints ſit at his Feet, to hear the word at his Month, which is the thing that is ſo deſirable now, and the matter contended for to receive the Word at his Mouth, which the Holy men of old well knew, and more deſired it, then their neceſſary food, yea it was ſweeter to them then the Honey, or the Honey Comb.

“But the Flood is come, and what ſhall I ſay, even to be ſtill.”

This then is my exhortation unto all, in the fear of God, and in Love, and as moved thereunto by his bleſſed Spirit, every one as Members one of another, to anſwer his place in the body (The Wiſe mans eye is in his head, and ſees what he requires, and to anſwer his requirings, or what may be laid before one another in meekneſſe, and in Love, as they feel the thing in their own Life to anſwer it) that there may be no drawings back, for ſuch the Lord's Soul hath no pleaſure in.

And this which I have here in the beginning written, is what in time paſt hath riſen in me from the moveings and openings of the ſpirit of the Lord, which I now think meet to commacate. When I was in deep diſtreſs and ſorrow of ſpirit concerning the ark of our God and the cauſe of his truth, and ſomething concerning the condition of others, (when I ſet my face toward them) to both which ſomthing was anſwered; Therefore let none proceed in a forward zeal or a haſty raſh Spirit to Judge, leſt the Lord rebuke it, nor to be high-minded, but fear.

Remember Ʋzza who put forth his hand, as he thought to ſtay the Ark, and yet was ſmitten.

And with whom was he grieved, was it not with them whoſe Carcaſſes fell in the Wilderneſſe? who ſtrived againſt his good Spirit, tempted, and provoked him, and ſo fell ſhort of the promiſed Land? and that is not a Serving or worſhiping (for God is a Spirit and will be worſhiped in Spirit and truth) to reſiſt and grieve his Spirit, or provoke it, or is not he to have the ſole or abſolute Authority, and Preheminency over his own handy-worke; and is not every Creature to bow unto him? if he ſay unto him go, is not he to do it; and if he ſay [...]th the ſame come, is not he to obey, and ſo to be Subjected to his heavenly will in all things, whether it be to go, or come, or ſtand; therefore good it will be for all the tender-hearted to eye the [...]ings of the Lord's good ſpirit in all things, to look over all forms, or appearances, though ſometimes the ſpirit of the Lord have appeared in them, yet he is not limited unto that; therefore [...] is not to be ſticked in, but to be preſſing forward, looking unto [...] that was in the beginning, Chriſt the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, whoſe name is called the word of God, which was before Shadows, Formes, or Viſible things were; So that if the Creature be not by him led into thoſe, let him let them alone as things below the life, that there may not be a ſtriveing in any, or provoking, for that is not a ſerving, but the Will ſubjected unto his pure, and holy, undefiled Spirit, whereby man may come into life to live in God, and not to have a life in any outward Viſible thing, which may paſs away, and periſh with the uſeing; and ſo the outward thing is to be uſed as if men uſed it not, and ſo will the heart be kept ſingle and diſ-intangled to Follow the Lamb whereſoever he bideth, which all the Lambs of Chriſt are needfully to mind, wherein ſtands their ſafty in this day.

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Comment by Keith Saylor on 7th mo. 13, 2021 at 10:26pm: Full text if Salt's pamphlet can be found here:

https://qualit2.blogspot.com/p/some-breathings-of-life-from-naked-h...

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