A Midnight Cry from the Temple of God to the Ten Virgins

p. 16Here follows an Addition to what I presented to the Ministry of the Quakers, To shew the difference between the first Ministration to Adam, of the Light of the Lam of God written in the hearts of all the Sons and Daughters of Adam (to manifest to them the Knowledge of good and evil, by which Law or Light God will judge the World) And the Ministration of Grace and Righteousness, (through Faith in the Blood of Jesus Christ the second Adam) ministred to the Transgressor, under which Ministration the Righteousness of the Law is written on their hearts, and they acquitted of their sins, through the free Pardon of G◊d, and so come to escape the Justice of Gods Wrath, justly due to them, through Gods forbearance in not executing the same.

WHen Adam stood nakedly innocent before God, he was not ashamed, but when he had disobeyed, by eating of the forbidden Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, there was an Eye opened in him to see himself nakedly guilty, and therefore hid himself from the presence of God. Now this l◊ight that manifested-to him the gui◊t of his sin, would p. 17not save him from the Death that God had before threatned him with; so that the eye that was opened in Adam could see nothing but Death; therefore for Adam to think of obtaining favour with God, so as to escape the punishment of his sin, by following of this Light, after once he had finned, was but sowing fig-leaves together to cover his Nakedness; for the wages of sin is Death; and therefore after he had sinned God set Cherubims and a flaming Sword that turned every way, to keep the way of the Tree of Life, that Gods Justice might be seen in punishing Adam for his sin; for while Adam was obedient to God he lived in the Garden of Pleasure, but when he disobeyed God, there was an eye opened in him to see his own guilt, which caused Adam to hide himself from the presence of God, and to endeavour to cover his shame or nakedness by his own wisdom and works; for, said he, I heard thy Voice in the Garden, and was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid my self; but said the Lord to him, Who told thee that thou wast Naked? as much as if God should say, How camest thou by this knowledge? it must needs be by thy Disobedience, in eating of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, whereof I commanded thee that thou shoulest not eat; so that Adam came to receive p. 18the Light of Condemnation by his ◊in, and for his sin was sent forth from the Garden to Till the ground, and could not by any means come at the Tree of Life by following this Light that gave him the knowledge of good and evil, because he had once sinned, and for this one sin, Condemnation came upon all men, even Sorrow, Labour, and Death it self, from which there could be no redemption after sentence was past, and the execution thereof is the full punishment of Adams sin, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself did not escape the punishment thereof, as he was the Seed of Adam; for he under-went Sorrow, Weariness and Death it self, all which was the punishment of Adams sin.

p. 18And that Serpent (in the Mystery) that guiled Eve, was he that is now calld the great Red Dragon, that old Serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole World; and thus by his subtilty became the Author of sin, and therefore it is written, He that had the power of Death is the Devil, and all we the Children of Adam have eaten of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil in the first Adam, so that our eyes are opened, and by a divine Light we have the knowledge of good and evil, by which Light God will judge the World by the second p. 19Adam, and every one shall be judged according to his own works, even by this work of the Law written in their hearts, which ◊ives the knowledge of good and evil, their Consciences bearing witness to their own thoughts, whose thoughts will either accuse or else excuse them before the Judgment Seat of Christ, and their Conscience will be a Witness for or against themselves, and all those that then shall be found to have lived up to this divine Light, shall be justified by it in their own perfect Righteousness; for all such have no need of a Saviour, for Christ did not come to call the Righteous, but Sinners to Repentance; and all such as then shall be found justified, through Faith in the Blood of Jesus Christ, shall not be condemned by it, tho' they had once been the worst of sinners, because they have overcome through the Blood of the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the World; & therefore God hath given them to cat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Garden, that they might eat thereof, and live forever; for such only have obtained of God free Pardon and Remission of their sins, and therefore are beholding to God for his rich Grace and free Mercy in Jesus Christ, for blotting out their sins, and putting into them his own Righ◊eousness, p. 20which is by Faith in Jesus Christ; and all such as then shall be found to have rebelled against this Light or Knowledge of good and evil, and their Names not found written in the Book of Life, shall be eternally condemned by it, after the Resurrection of the Body. …