Made Public, as a Testimony
to the Right Way to God,
Revealed and Made Known in this
the Day of his Glorious Appearing
to his People. That they may be
Encouraged to Walk therein
to the End thereof.
By William Shewen
Exodus 14:15 Speak unto the children of Israel,
that they go forward.
Matthew 10:22 He that endures to the end, shall be saved.
London, Printed by John Bringhurst,
At the Sign of the Book in Grace-Church-Street
1683
(octavo, 16 sheets), Reprinted in whole, or just the Meditations:
1764, 1769, 1771, 1793, 1799, 1826, 1827, 1838,
MEDITATIONS,
&c.
The following excerpt is from a 17th century out-of-print text.
The precious Light which shineth in the heart, is the everlasting Day of God, in which he walks, and in which he works. Blessed are those that walk with him, and work with him; they can tell of his mighty acts, and speak of his wondrous works. Those that walk in this Light, and are become children of this day, are witnesses of the true everlasting worship, which is in the Spirit and the Truth. Such are come to the substance and end of all the legal administrations and temple worship, which consisted much in daily killing, and daily offering of bullocks, rams and lambs and etc. Now those that are come to worship in spirit, witness a daily dying, and a daily offering, till death is known. Such know, that it is easier to kill a bullock or a ram outwardly, than to kill or mortify the beastly nature within: and it is a greater work to witness the will wholly resigned up into the will of the Lord, and the thoughts and imaginations brought down into the obedience of the cross, than to perform the outward part of worship, commanded in the law. I testify to all, that those who know not the beastly nature slain, and offered up in themselves, and their thoughts and wills subjected, are not come to the end of the law, nor from under it, nor to the one everlasting offering, Christ Jesus.
Blessed are all who have their eye unto the Lord, and their ear open unto him at all times, and in all places, and in all states and conditions; for of a truth, God is come to teach his people himself, as was long since foretold. All that have learned of him, and are guided by his spirit, are thereby led to within the veil into the holiest of holies, and know the veil to be taken away, not only the veil of Moses, and the veil of the outward temple; but, also, the veil of the flesh of Christ; and are come to behold him, and dwell with him, who was before the cause of veils had a being; before the cause of the law, the labor of the prophets, and suffering of Christ had a being. This state is precious to behold, and very delightful to enjoy. This is the light of his countenance indeed, which is better than corn, wine, oil, or all visible things.
This is the blessed end of waiting upon God, as the handmaid does upon the eye of her mistress. Whether thou are as a babe, as a child, as a young man, as an elder, or as a father; thy duty is in all these states and growths, to have they eye unto the Lord, that he may lead thee from the one into the other, and preserve thee therein by his grace, which is able and sufficient to teach thee all good, save and defend thee from all evil, lead thee into glory, and establish thee in the kingdom thereof for ever.
It is a very blessed thing, and those are the people that are come to a blessed state and condition, who can say in truth, that their bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost. These are they whose eyes behold their teacher; their eye is inward unto him, who teaches in his temple, and whose glory appears in his temple. These are the blessed people that have this knowledge; and all that have it, know how they come by it, and how they became so, having been the temples of the unclean spirit. They know the temple that was defiled and polluted, cleansed and purged, and the unclean spirit and his works cast forth. These are a watchful people against all that would defile the temple again, and these are the true temple worshippers in this day and age, and this is the temple in which every one speaks of the Glory of the Lord, of the power of the Lord, and of his wondrous works wrought therein, even in his temple not made with hands.
This is the antitype and substance of the outward temple built by Solomon, and the various worships and services therein; even when people are brought into such a state, as to know their bodies the temple of the living God; that he walks in them, and dwells in them, according to the ancient prophecies of holy men. These are a habitation of God through the Spirit.
These are the worshippers in Spirit, in Truth, not only in appointed places and solemn assemblies, but at other times and places, bowing to every appearance of God in his temple, in the Spirit and in the Truth in the inward parts, which God loves, accepts and delights in.
The outward temple, after it was finished and sanctified, became defiled, polluted, and made as a den of thieves; therefore it became robbed and spoiled of all its treasure, and so in the end destroyed. This was, or came to pass in the figure, and is written for our learning; Let all be watchful and take heed, lest after they know their bodies the temples of God, sanctified or made holy, they become polluted and defiled again. Such God will destroy with woeful destruction.
It is very precious when people are come not only to know their bodies the temples of the Holy Ghost, which knowledge is absolutely needful, for without it there is no being a Christian, but also are come to know an heavenly stillness, an heavenly silence in the temple, no buying and selling, nor exchanging; no noise of the workman's iron tool in the temple, for that defiles the temple, and pollutes the altar, if it be but lifted up upon it. The best parts, inventions and arts of man in the fall, has nothing to do in rearing an altar, in building a temple, nor in setting up a worship, or offering sacrifices to God. His righteousness and his wickedness are both abomination to the Lord.
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See also: Excerpts from William Shewen, Counsel to the Christian Traveller .
A brief biography of William Shewen (24 KB)
A bibliography of William Shewen (92 KB)