rest with a sober and chaste mind as to be preserved from touching any thing that defiles or wherein the soul feels not the pure love meek motion and heavenly life of Jesus Christ above all outward appearances likenesses or forms of words and as it is contrary to and envyed of all natural selfishness VII In the next place truely to know this one Lord Jesus Christ come in the flesh as the new and living way to the Father the Immanuel God with us making the atonement by the blood of his Cross to have all things subject unto him his servants in him and he in them which is the great mysterie of godliness hid from Ages and Generations until the fulness of time and then manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit believed on in the world and received up into glory which none of the wise men of this world ever knew or can know by all their learned skill of earthly wisdom nor any man that lives after the flesh or satisfieth himself with hearing reading telling or talking of him or concerning what he or his Apostles did said or suffered as those that vainly take his Name into their mouths on most occasions of their invented ways but know him not neither by his divine Nature nor Name nor how God and man became one Christ Jesus how that which may be known of God is manifest in man how he is the wonderful counsellor The mighty God The Prince of peace The Author and Finisher of our faith how he saves his people from their sins is the Reconciler without imputation of sin how he is formed in his servants and cleanseth them by his blood from all sin and unrighteousness how they take up the cross and follow him or what the cross is how the body becomes dead because of sin and the spirit alive for righteousness sake how they are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones how he is their Leader and captain of salvation made perfect through sufferings how they are baptised into his death and saved by his life how the Union is perfected in all the parts and members of his body the Church what the Church is or how his Body or what it is to eat his flesh and drink his blood without which as himself said we have no life in us how every knee shall bow to him of things in heaven in earth and under the earth and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father how he is that blessed and onely Potentate King of kings and Lord of lords The head of all thrones and dominions and every name that is named c. And therefore not knowing him cannot worship him accordingly Neither are such willing to become obedient to him in his light that maketh all things manifest naked and bare whereby he brings every secret thing to light and passeth judgement upon the transgressing nature and bruiseth the branches of it with every lust of the flesh lust of the eyes and pride of life that are not of the Father but of the world nor to know him the Healer and Maker up of the breach the Repairer of the ancient path to walk in by cleansing mens souls that are full filthy while they remain ignorant of him or have any fleshly appetite lust or like desire alive in them whereby the fair pearl is blemished and much more filthy when their souls are taken up with a full love and liking of this world and wholly overcome by the sensual and fleshly part that they chuse it and delight therein as the full rest of their hearts so that they feel no liquor of life or sweetness of grace stirring them to loath what their flesh liketh nor to desire that heavenly food of their souls so they do not bear the image of sin but are born and carryed with it and of it and feel no strength but in it nor no will to leave it but yeild thereto with all ready forwardness But Jesus Christ is the food of all hungry souls and through him in him and by him are such souls reformed and restored into their first and fair likeness of God in righteousness and true holiness and so is the new man created in Christ Jesus to good works to walk in them by the Divine will and quickning Spirit whereby the flaming sword comes to be removed and the everlasting gate opened to all willing and watchful souls to enter thereat into the heavenly and endless life where Jesus Christ is the Door the Porter and Receiver always waiting ready to imbrace the souls that so watch pray wait and attend to be here in this life reformed by his Spirit into his likeness and love to live by the words of his mouth as swallowed up of the Divine will of inexpressible sweetness and so walk in the Spirit of love and meekness with sober and chaste minds as the Lords free-men without handling or touching any unclean thing that defiles or where in their souls feel not the pure love meek motion and holy life of Jesus Christ above all shadows types figures forms or fleshly things c. There be many that think they love Jesus Christ and know him to whom he may truly say I know you not depart from me ye are workers of iniquity Though they may have attained to a fleshly knowledge of him by imagining thinking and fashioning him in themselves with their minds thoughts affections desires cares and bodily wits and so suppose they love fear serve and worship him as a man like themselves yet without sin that God is wroth with them as a man that is offended that Christ died for their sins and therefore they fall down at his feet with sorrow of heart crying for mercy and pardon and like the five foolish Virgins suppose they are ready for him have good trust in his mercy and so reverence him and fear before him and thereupon do verily believe they so know and worship him because they feel their hearts moved and stirred with love to him and desire of him But this is not the worship in spirit and truth which he expects and accepts for all this while these worshippers know not their own souls nor God in Christ Jesus reconciling them to himself nor have they any Oyl in their lamps or sweet liquor of life suppling their souls for the Lord Jesus is not seen much less known and worshipped by mens imaginations for the earthly nature cannot receive retain or bear this heavenly new wine So there was a time when Christ Jesus told his Disciples he had many things to say unto them but they could not then bear them and yet being upright in hearts to the Lord he is pleased so to temper strengthen and comfort them with such an inward beholding that they forsake sins and the great love of this world whereby the invisible light of his Godhead is somewhat shadowed to the inner eye of their souls under the bedily
heaven that Christ said is within the heritage of heavenly love is found and repossessed in mans soul for it is not so easily found as many usually suppose nor is it a work of one day onely but attained by much waiting in the light sweeping searching watching praying and silent mourning before the Lord and as the heart and conscience becomes purified then he shall finde that homely and peaceable presence of Jesus Christ the pearl of great price in the glimmering shadow of pure shining brightness in his soul But though Jesus Christ is so hid in the soul yet no man is any whit the better thereby that doth not there finde him and feel his operations spiritually but remains as it is written a reprobate whatsoever he may be otherwise And a great mercy it is to man that this Jewel was lost where it may be found again by the light in the scarching and watchful soul where Jesus Christ full oft calleth and knocketh by his privy voice stirring reproving and inviting the soul to a diligent search and withal to abandon other lovers vanities and entanglements that hinder the hearing of his voice for as it is said this daughter must consider and forget her own people and her fathers house of worldly thoughts loves cares and fears which hinder the soul that it can neither see him nor hear him and therefore all troublesome thoughts restless noise and imaginations are to be put away as Hagar the bond-woman that may not be heir with the son of the free woman for while the soul is in the bondage of corruption there is nothing within but black clouds and spiritual blindness with fleshly thoughts and desires crying against it in the dark conscience but as the inner eye of the soul is opened in the light which is of Jesus Christ in whom dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily there is that pure sight and sweet love of endless vertue and blessed rest which is found within the soul by the great and burning desires for him whereby all other loves and lovers are cast out and not suffered to rest in the heart which is a right seeking for him this hid Treasure And as this stirring and waiting in the light waxeth firm stable and unmoveable it will be holpen and comforted by inward and spiritual strength of love and sweet savour in the soul with light of continual springing faithfulness and assured knowledge of him and the powers of the thoughts onely upon him and freed from every other affection to rest in the sweet anointing which is the shadow and taste of Jesus Christ and the better any soul finds him the more it will desire him in cleanness of heart and pureness of conscience to meet him more singly in the same way he appeareth and wherein it hath seen and found him at first and other times since most savourly And though thou art altogether blind and seest nothing rightly in thy self or of the Godhead of Christ yet consider seriously what thou wantest and what thou hast lost for thy soul can have no true content or sure satisfaction but in God from whence it is and if thy heart say I want and would have Jesus Christ and nothing but him onely wait therein for him as not satisfied with that appearance and follow him as he leadeth thee and more and more press forward to know him and the power of his resurrection and fellowship of his sufferings and to be made conformable to his death and so grow up in him as he moves and grows in thee and yet know that when thou hast found the most of him in the highest ravishments of spirit as Peter and Iohn in the mount or as Paul mentioned thou hast not therein fully attained to him as he is in his joy for he is still above that any soul feeleth as the fountain of all joy and sweetness but thou art ever to know and feel a spiritual longing after him and a loathing of all things else and then thou wilt find him more worth then all things even then all visions and revelations though not without visions and revelations then all joy in heaven and earth if it might be had without him for thou wilt then say in thy soul as David whom have I in heaven but thee and I desire nothing in the earth besides thee as feeling and finding that his pure presence onely gives understanding to the simple he teacheth fools knowledge whereat the Nations are angry the people and their teachers rage and imagine a vain thing against him and his holy One as not willing to know him for fear of the Cross and the shame which he despised for the joy set before him and are therefore grieved that any others should Conversion is properly a turning from evil to good from lust to pure love which is God and this conversion is ever accompanied with repentance from dead works that are past and out of that nature love and liking wherein they were wrought to serve the living and true God and therefore it is not every turning of mans body and mind from one outward form or practice to another as it were thereby to serve and worship God for then the divers Political turnings of former and latter times would be conversion to him which he may not so accept because he changeth not but is the same at all times even the unerring Father of spirits and so to be worshipped in spirit and in truth and these are outward turnings from one act of mans will to another or from evil to worse as the Proselytes that the Pharisees made sevenfold worse then before whilst the ground of sin with its branches remain standing uncut down or toucht from whence such traditional turnings arise to oppose that one truth and good way of the Lord wherein all obedient souls are made free from such shifts and changes but while men have either not know the fear of the Lord or are departed from it left and lost the power of godliness and simple truth in themselves so that their salt is without savour their minds run abroad and their hearts are filled with fleshly desires loves and fears wherein they labour night and day to gain and keep the love and friendship of this world which is enmity to God with the profits and pleasures thereof and therein serve themselves like the beasts that perish and have their hearts oft filled with wrath and revenge like unreasonable beasts against others of their own kind when they are hindred of any their desired ends and likewise against such as so hinder them not therein unless by standing in their way as the Angel before Balaam and so touching their more quick and tender parts and that onely in love to bring them back into the light and fear of the Lord that their blind and dead souls might be lighted and enlivened to have regard to the honest principle of God in themselves and others that would rule all
like men and be strong in the Lord and the power of his might that the fear of man careful thought or immoderate desire be not found in any of you watch and pray that you enter not into tentations or give occasion to the enemy of your souls lest there should be floath guile or dissimulation hid in any heart or a root of bitterness springing up to trouble and defile or other unskilfull stirring by inordinate affections in any soul after the bodily sufferings changes being seldome free from temptations specially in the weak who are most apt to censure the strong he that hath the beam in his own eye to pull at the moat that is in his brothers eye while contrarily the strong strive not with the weakness in any but ever to strengthen the pure principle help it over the weakness that you may appeare as you are the plant which the Lords right hand hath planted so as that none can pluck you up his portion and peculiar treasure his Jewels sons of the free woman that abide in the house for ever a people whom the Lord loves leads about instructs in his way and keeps from evil and to whom is his blessing of peace and life for evermore that are as living stones built up a spirituall house as a city set on a hill that cannot be hid to shew forth his praise in the blessed love and brightness of his shining glory and be a sweet savour to him in them that believe and in them that perish in unbelief by holding forth the faithfull word of his patience and everlasting Gospel of mans salvation c. What manner of persons ought you therefore to be in all holy conversation that by the burning beams of his beautifull and holy presence you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men that blame your good conversation in Christ Jesus and the hearts of others that tremble at the word of the Lord be melted into tender love and heavenly sweetness suitable to receive that blessed Gospel of peace and reconciliation and so suck at the breasts of consolation as to be daily delighted with the fresh springs of his love thereby to flourish as an herb and be prepared to enjoy the inheritance of the Saints in light and though the world know you not and Satan the enemy of your souls would not have you known lest it should be to his loss yet is the righteous God greater in you then he that is in the world hasting to clear up your innocency that you may be well known to have no strange god amongst you that you touch not the unclean thing but are his sons and daughters having your habitation in the holy mountain with the shout of a King amongst you and that his word spoken shall surely come to pass your enemies be found liars and confess that they have dealt unworthily with you for the Lord hath kindled a fire that shall proceed out of your mouthes to devoure the adversary which cannot be quenched and they that hurt you must be so killed and there is no project to prevent it but as you are faithfull to our Lord spirituall victory you shall have over the beast over his image over his mark and over the number of his name and be found without spot before the throne of God and the Lamb and this is it that giveth you victory even your firm faith but you have need of patience and that it have its perfect work in you so that having done the will of God you may enjoy the promises in the new heaven and earth the true voyce of God in spirituall glory in the essentiall freedome of will and restitution of all things into the heavenly rest wherein all doubts are resolved un on cleared and expectations satisfied and in the way every one is to take care there be no giving or taking offence no falling our no touching of any unclean thing noâ—haâ—…y striving with the evil nature in any others for that as pitch will defile no giving place to evil but overcome it with good as our Lord commanded and being ever apt to teach and bless that you may be heirs of the blessing And to conclude here is nakedly and barely set before all sorts of men the wayes and wages as Moses sometimes said of good and evil life and death for every man to chuse which he will for so it pleaseth the Lord to deal with every man and therein he doth man no wrong by leaving him to his own will and giving him a reward according to his own works c. and experience teacheth that every man will say he loves God and Christ and would be sorry else while he acts as his enemie against him and that he would have everlasting life his soul saved by partaking of the joyes of heaven and avoyding the torments of hell and therefore would die the death of the righteous and have his latter end like his And so said Baalam when he was striving to curse the people of God and gave wicked counsel to the King of Moab against them and to such I say Why walk you then in Balaams way for mens favours rewards so act against the Lord his servants and the light of him in your own consciences for self-ends and make such provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof And why are you not now willing to live the life of the righteous but have him in so great derision and a proverb of reproach as at this day why do you account his life madness and his end without honour why erre you so from the truth that the light of righteousness should not arise and shine in you but rest your souls so in fleshly likings and love of this world whereby godliness seems nothing to you but as a scornfull thing of nought and wrath rests in your hearts even against the Lord and his servants though you say you love him but know that for all these things the Lord God will bring you to judgement you shall see as it is written the righteous stand with great boldness and his salvation seem strange to you above all you looked for and then over-late you may say within your selves What hath pride profited us or the pomp of riches with our vaunting brought us when the â—dolgods you now serve shall depart as a shadow or Post that passeth by with the friendship of this world whereby you are at enmity with God for as it is written whosoever will be a friend to this world is the enemy of God and afraid of him seeks to hide his heart from him and inward fear possesseth him as it did Adam so that he hates his light loves darkness keeps in it flies wanders stumbles staggers and peace departeth from him and though he force to himself a kind of counterfeit mirth for a time yet therewith also he is soon pinched and feels a heavy weight and pain in his own bosom from which he cannot flâ—e but it reproves him and condemns him at every turn and as for the light that shineth in the dark place of his soul he is afraid of that also and faith or love find no room in his earthen vessel for his own lusts fill up the place and devour all by conceit imaginations and vile affections wherein he spends his time to beast himself and yet got swelling words of vanity touching things he never saw and to have mens persons in admiration for advantage sake which is a knowledge and condition that puffâ—th up the heart but redeems not to God from the worldly glory and vain conversation wherein some are so fettered that they will not be reclaimed or endure to be soberly admonished to the contrary for the safety of their souls from whence there is this one onely way Jesus Christ the pure path to be known spiritually and the Father worshipped in him to which a very plain simple man as the fishermen without humane learning may easily attain if he hinder not himself by his own willing seeking desiring hearing striving or outward contention about it because there is a pure principle in every mans conscience which hath onely need to be awaked stirred up and quickned to behold and see all things in the inner powers and parts of the soul and so cease from all outward seekings for it because it is there the free gift of God by his spirit and such as no man can fully teach the knowledge of to another though he were never so well acquainted with the Divine Mysteries which if well considered by those that have attained to some small measure or degree of grace they world not so run into words as many do or be so conceited of their little grace received as to lose it by vain glory while others that have much more wait in still silence of their souls for the Lords work to be therein accomplished as these also would oft times when they speak did they know how little grace or spirituall favour they have in respect of what God giveth to others that singly wait on him with holy and humble hearts and may give also to them if they likewise wait diligently for it Ah that worldly and vain minded men would at last consider and commune with their own hearts to finde out their wayes and see the sadness of their conditions with the high concernments of their souls and how the difference stands between the children of this world that are wife in their generation and the children of light and how the latter exceed the former by many degrees of true wisdome from above and heavenly joy when no word is spoken or matter seen outwardly whereof may be some directions found suitable to each mans present condition in what is here written according to my understanding in the simple and unchangable truth that hath a willing heart to embrace the appearances of Jesus Christ spiritually in his own particular and if not here is over-much said to rise up in judgement against him when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to his Gospel who is the Lord of Life and Glory 22. of the second moneth 1661. THE END