Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	believe_v	faith_n	reason_n	2,615	5	5.5904	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54043	Naked truth, or, Truth nakedly manifesting itself in several particulars for the removing of hinderances out of the way of the simple-hearted, that they may come to true knowledge, life, liberty, peace and joy in the Lord, through the vertue and power of his precious truth, revealed and working in them : given forth by way of question and answer : whereunto are added, some experiences, with some Scriptures very sweet, and necessary to be experienced in the Gospel-state : as also, a few words concerning the true Christ, and a few words in the bowels of tender love and good will to my native country / by a long mourner and traveller after, but as length an happy experiencer of the truth, as it is in Jesus, Isaac Pennington.	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.	1674 (1674)	Wing P1179; ESTC R39811	53,138	126

Naked Truth OR TRUTH nakedly manifesting it self in several Particulars for the removing of Hinderances out of the way of the Simple-hearted that they may come to true Knowledge Life Liberty Peace and Joy in the Lord through the vertue and power of his precious Truth revealed and working in them Given forth by way of Question and Answer Whereunto are added some Experiences with some Scriptures very sweet and necessary to be experienced in the Gospel-state As also A few words concerning the True Christ and a few words in the Bowels of tender love and good-will to my native Country By a long Mourner and Traveller after but at length an happy Experiencer of the Truth as it is in Jesus ISAAC PENINGTON Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see Luke 10.23 London Printed in the Year 1674. The Preface TRue Knowledg and true Experience especially concerning things of necessity and great concern to the Soul is very precious As to know the true Foundation the Corner-Stone which God layes in his Spiritual Sion and the Heavenly Jerusalem which is the Mother of all that are born of God and the gathering out of the spirit of this World with the vanity and falshood thereof into God's Spirit which is Truth and no Lye and the building up of the holy Temple in which God appears and is worshipped and the heavenly Communion with the Father and Son in the one pure Light which shines from them into the heart and the one Faith the one Circumcision the one Baptism the one holy Mountain the one feast of sat things made thereon the one Water of Life the one Bread the one Cup of Salvation c. Now the things of the Kingdom are all at the dispose of the King thereof To him all Power is given in him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge he hath life in himself and he hath life to dispose of and dispense to his He gives the true Knowledge which is Life Eternal He gives Repentance and Remission of Sins He teacheth to believe in the Father and he giveth Faith also He is the Shepherd of the Sheep who by his Voice quickeneth and maketh alive and leadeth and preserveth and nourisheth up to Life eternal Therefore whoever will understand aright must receive understanding from him And whoever will repent aright must receive repentance from him And whoever will believe aright must receive Faith from him And whoever will hear and see aright must receive an ear and eye from him and whoever will come unto him and receive him must witness that new heart forming or formed in him wherewith and whereby he is received Men greatly mistake and erre about the Gospel-knowledge and Religion by beginning therein without the Gospel-Spirit and Power Therefore that man that would not be deceived and lose his Soul for ever let him take heed how he begins how he stands and how he proceeds in his Religion The Jews-state stood in the Revelation of God's Spirit and Power outwardly and the state of the Christians the New-Covenant-state stands in the revelation of Gods Spirit and Power inwardly For none can beget a new birth to God inwardly but his own Spirit and Power working inwardly in the heart Therefore thou that wouldest live with God for ever and not perish from the Presence and Glory of his Power mind these three things First God's inward visiting thee and making a real change in thee I do not mean a change in thy mind from one notion to another but a change in thy heart from one nature and spirit to another This is the great Work which nothing but the mighty Power of God which raised Jesus from the dead can effect in the hearts of the children of men Now that this may be wrought out in thee wait for the appearing and working of that Power which by its appearing and working doth effect it daily more and more in these that unite to it and give up to its operations O wait to feel the Power begetting somewhat of its own nature in thee leavening thee into its nature by the pure heavenly leaven where with God waits to leaven thy heart Thu● feel thy beginning from the true Root from the holy Principle from the Seed of th● Kingdom and then wait to feel that grows up in thee and to grow up therefrom tha● as the beginning is pure so the growth may be pure also For after God hath visite● thee and begotten somewhat in thee an● leavened thee in some measure so th● there is true life true sense true hungerings true breathings after the Lord an● his Righteousness after the Fountain 〈◊〉 living Waters then in the next place mind and wait to learn of the true Teache● how to come to the true Waters that th● mayst drink thereof and of no dirty puddle of thy own or any others forming Where are these Waters dispensed and where are they to be found why in the New-Covenant which God makes with the hungry and thirsty Souls as they come to the Shepherd and hear his Voice and learn of him and follow him Therefore thou must wait to distinguish Spirits and the knocks of Spirits in thy own heart Thou must know when the Shepherd knocks and when the stranger knocks and let in the Shepherd when he knocks and not let in the stranger when he knocks Thus by knowing him enclining thine ear to him and hearing his voice thou comest to have the everlasting Covenant made with thy Soul even the sure Mercies of David wherein the union with God is sure the Teacher sure never more to be removed from thee the fear which God puts into the heart sure the Law of the new life sure being so written in thy heart by the finger of Gods Spirit as none can blot out the love of God sure his preservation sure the inheritance of life sure O sweet Covenant O holy Covenant O blessed Covenant and blessed are all those Souls with whom God makes this Covenant and who are kept by him in the sense and enjoyment of it Now lastly After God hath made this Covenant with thee and spoken peace to thee and given thee of the Power Righteousness and joy of the Kingdom and set the holy Hedge of his Power and Wall of Salvation about thee thou must take heed of going forth after any lust after any desire of the flesh after any temptation of the enemy thou must keep within the holy limits and not touch any dead or unclean thing lest thou be defiled and so in degree separated from him who is pure The occasion of what follows was briefly thus There was a controversie between me and another about many of these things towards whom my love was in a travel And having a sense on my heart that the enemy makes use of the wrong apprehensions and mistakes he begets in mens minds about these things contrary to the true knowledg and experience which God giveth to the Children which

the true holiness up and down in several professions but there is no real holiness to be found nor righteousnes neither but in the trees of Gods planting in the branches which are by him ingraffed into the true Vine and Olive-tree whose strength of vertue and holiness lies in the lap which they daily receive from him XVIII Concerning Christs works outwardly in the days of his flesh and inwardly in the day and inward shining of the light of his spirit in the heart Quest Which are greater the works which Christ did outwardly on the Bodies of men in the days of his flesh or which he doth inwardly in mens Minds and Spirits by the powerful appearance and operation of his Spirit because Christ said the works that he did those that believed on him should do and greater also because he went to the Father Joh. 14.12 Answ Doubtless to reach to the Soul and quicken the Soul and raise the Soul out of the grave of death and cure the blindness deafness hardness and diseases of the soul is greater than the outward and was signified by the outward XIX Concerning the yoke or cross of Christ Quest What is the yoke or cross of Christ Answ It is inward as that which is to be crucified is chiefly inward It is that gift of God that light of his Spirit which is contrary to the darkness contrary to all that is corrupt which wills against it and wars against it and being received subjected to and born patiently takes away the life of the flesh the will and wisdom of the flesh and all the subtile reasonings and devices of the fleshly part and so that languishes and dies and Gods plant is eased of it and the soul abiding under this cross comes into the true pure and perfect liberty where it hath scope unto holiness freedom unto righteousness and is in strait bonds and holy chains from all liberty to the flesh and from all unholiness and unrighteousness of every kind XX. Concerning making our Calling and Election sure Quest How may a man make his Calling and Election sure Answ By making the gift of God sure to him by making that sure to him wherein the Calling and Election is For the choice is of the seed the holy seed the inward seed the seed of Gods Spirit and of the creature as joyned to the seed God would have none to perish but would have all come to the knowledg of Christ the Truth who is the seed in whom the Election stands and his holy advice to men is whom he begins to call and to lead towards the Election To make their Calling and Election sure So that the way of making the Calling and Election sure is to make the gift sure the seed sure the leaven sure the pearl sure which God will never reject nor any that are found in true union with it and in the love and obedience of it O therefore as God visits with power with his powerful gift and as thou receivest power dominion and authority over sin for in this gift is God's dominion and authority revealed be faithful to the gift be faithful to the power give up to the truth in the inward parts come into it dwell in it that thou mayst feel its vertue and delivering nature from every enslaving and embondaging thing and then stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ the Lord by the life vertue and power of his truth sets thee free And so here thou wilt read thy Calling and read thy Election day by day and find them sealed and sure to thee in that truth in that gift in that Heavenly Light in that holy seed which came from God and is of him and which he delights to own and will never reject XXI Concerning Prayer Quest Which is the true Prayer Answ The breathings which arise from the true birth from the living sense which God gives to the true birth that is the true prayer There is a spirit of prayer and supplication given by God to his children to wrestle and prevail with him by All prayer that arises from and is given by that Spirit is true prayer all other prayer is not right and true but at best but an imitation of the true We know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Mark the very groanings that come from Gods Spirit from his breathing and work upon the heart are right prayers in Gods sight but other sighs and groans are not so XXII Concerning Repentance Quest Which is the true Repentance Answ That which Christ gives whom God hath exalted to be the Prince and Saviour to give Repentance and forgiveness of sins Acts 5.31 It is not in man's power to repent his heart is hard and impenitent It is God's power which melteth tendereth and changeth the heart So that there is a great difference between the sense and sorrow of mans nature and the sense and sorrow which God gives to the heart which he renews and changes The one is of an earthly the other of a heavenly nature The one is like the early dew or morning cloud it soon passeth away the other is written in the new heart and abideth So that in it there is a real sorrow and mourning over the corrupt nature and all the dead works of the flesh and a turning from them and medling no more with them This is the Repentance of the renewed ones which is the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ unto them and is a godly sorrow for sin not to be repented of XXIII Concerning Faith Quest What is the true Faith Answ It is a belief in the power which saves from a true sense and experience of it in the heart For the power which saves must first manifest it self before it can be believed in And how doth it manifest it self but by shining in the heart which hath been darkened by transgression to open the eye of the understanding which the God of the World hath Blinded and to unstop the deaf Ear and so it begets and creats somewhat capable to receive its further manifestation The Scripture speaks of a new Creation in Christ Indeed all true believers are so and they have the ability the faculty the power of believing from him who creates them anew There is that which is called Faith in unregenerate men but that is not the Faith I am now speaking of but that which is the gift of God to his own birth to his own begotten To you it is given not only to believe c. Phil. 1.29 Mark it is given to believe O this holy gift this Faith of the new birth is the Faith which pleaseth God prevaileth with him purifieth the heart to which it is given giveth access to God interest in his power and promises and victory over the worldly nature and over all the Soul's enemies Blessed be the Lord for bestowing and increasing it in the hearts of his

and partake of Justification according to the Law thereof Thirdly That Justification and Sanctification are both of and through Grace It s so in the beginning and it is so all along By grace ye are saved saith the Apostle The whole work of Salvation is began and carried on through Grace It is through that God visits and reaches to the Soul with his quickening Vertue and Power He regenerates also thereby Through that he Just fies Through that he Sanctifies c. So that as the work goes on Grace Grace is to be cryed for to him that does the work from his very laying the Foundation and fastning the Soul thereupon to his very laying on of the top-stone Fourthly Though Justification and Sanctification be of God's Grace and Mercy in Christ yet this doth not exclude Faith but they are also through Faith and not without it God doth not Justify man in the unbelieving state in the dead state in his abiding there but in the coming out of it in the repenting and turning from the dead works to the living God and in believing in him and so he also Sanctifies him Fifthly Faith and Obedience are of the same nature and always go together So that wherever there is Faith there is Obedience likewise and wherever there is Obedience there is Faith Obedience flows from Faith and cannot be without it for the very nature and vertue of Faith is in it And Faith is Obedience For this is the command of God that the soul believe on him and in his appearances whom he hath sent to save and this Believing is Obedience unto him that commands it And this Faith and this Obedience is Holy and Just in God's sight and through it but not without it the Soul is the both Justified and Sanctified Sixtly That the works of Faith the works of the new Life are not the works of the Law the works of the old Covenant nor are excluded Justification as the Works of the old Covenant are For I have found the Lord who hath condemned and excluded all my doings which ever I have been able to do of my self still Justify and accept what his Spirit and Holy Power hath done in me They are not of the same nature in themselves nor are they so accounted of in the eye of the Lord. For the Lord distinguisheth between root and root and what springeth from the holy Root he Justifieth as holy and what ariseth from the unholy root he condemneth as unholy Seventhly That by the Law of Faith all boasting is excluded in the whole work both of Justification and Sanctification What is the Law of Faith Is not this its Law to fetch all from the Son to do all in the Son to quit self and its own ability and to perform all in the newness of the Spirit in the ability which is of God given and continued in and through his Grace and Mercy to the Soul in the Lord Jesus Christ All the veins of Life all the strains of the new Covenant run here Here is no boasting of the Creature here can be no boasting for all its ability and strength is shut out and that which is given of God to it is all and doth all Yet every Jew here hath praise of God His Faith is commended his Love is commended his Faithfulness is commended his Zeal for the Lord his Obedience to the Lord his Patience in suffering is commended c. but the praise and honour of all redounds not to his flesh but to the Spirit and Grace of God in him So that here flesh is laid low and kept in the dust for ever and God alone exalted in this day of his pure power in the heart He that truly believeth entreth into rest How into rest From what doth he rest Why from his own works from the works of the flesh yea from the Works of the Old Covenant from the Works that arise from his own ability from the works wherein he can never be Justified with the Gospel-Justification But doth he cease from the works of Faith doth he cease from the Labour of Love doth he cease from Obedience to any thing that God requires Nay then surely he rather beginneth to work and labour in the Vine-yard and his labour is not in vain in the Lord. VII Concerning Faith Several things I have experienced both concerning the nature vertue and operations of it some whereof as I feel them spring up livingly in my heart I may mention at this time First This I have often experienced that it is an hard thing truly and rightly to believe It is an easy matter to believe notions concerning God and concerning Christ but to believe in God to believe in Christ to believe in him that raised up Jesus to believe in the Light Life and Power which flows from Jesus this indeed is hard by reason of the great Darkness and Ignorance which man is faln into through transgression Secondly I have experienced this also that Faith is God's gift and that it flows from the power of his Life There is first a quickening first a touching of the heart by the holy pure Power of the Lord and when a man is touched and quickened then in and by and through that vertue which flows into him he can believe in that which toucheth and quickneth him Thirdly That Faith never stands in a mans own power but alwayes in the vertue and power of the life of the Son So that he that will believe aright must wait to feel the Life of the Son revealed in him and Faith flowing therefrom For the true belief springs from the Life of the holy root and from the flowing up and springing up of that Life Faith receives its nourishment and daily vertue Fourthly I have observed this in my travels that the Earthly Wisdom and Notions there from got into the Mind and held in the Mind out of the sense of life are a great let to Faith For these strengthen and nourish that in man which is to be weakned and die that Life and the birth of life may be all in the heart Man is to die man is to be ceased from his understanding his Wisdom is to be brought to nought But after it hath had a stroke and wound from God's holy Spirit and Power even the very wound which tends to death yet it will be getting Life again getting its deadly wound healed and nourishing its Life by those very notions which came from that Life and Power which in measure slew it And thus the Jew outward hath his Life in the outwardness of knowledg in the outwardness of the Law in the letter which killeth for the relation and outward knowledg of things killeth and deadneth more and more unless man come into the inward Life and Vertue and daily feel them quickned there If ye live in the Spirit walk in the Spirit said the Apostle A man cannot live in an outwardness of knowledg concerning the Spirit and Power of

true Love the true Meekness and Patience That is only learned of the Lamb and received of him by receiving of his Spirit and nature from him And O how precious is this how sweet is it felt in the heart To feel a meek a quiet a patient spirit in the midst of all trials all troubles all fears all doubts all temptations of every kind Indeed this is of much price in the sight of the Lord and also in the eye of him who hath received it from the Lord and enjoyeth it in him and possesseth his soul in it XXIX Concerning the Knowledg of the new Covenant Quest What is the knowledg of the new Covenant Answ The Knowledg which is given by God to the new birth for to it the new Covenant belongs and the knowledg thereof The truly begotten of God the true disciples of Christ to them it is given to know the Kingdom of God but to others it is not given The Jew outward the first birth the birth after the flesh for hem the Priests lips were to preserve knowledg and they were to seek the law a●● his mouth and to them God sent Prophets to speak to them and taught them by his prophets but concerning the inward Jews the Children of the new Covenant the Children of the Jerusalem which is above concerning her seed it was prophesied that they all should be taught of the Lord they all should hear and know the voice of the Shepheard himself they should all be gathered to the Sheepherd and Bishop of the Soul and taught by him So that in this new holy living Covenant God himself is the Sheepherd God himself is the Teacher not only of the greatest but of the very least Heb. 8. For he teacheth them all to know the Lord and to know his Son and to come to his Son and to love him their Father and one another So that he that is taught of God he hath the true knowledg the living knowledg the substantial knowledg the knowledg of the thing it self of the life eternal it self All that are not thus taught but learn only from a literal description and relations of things have not the knowledg of the new Covenant the knowledg of the thing it self but only an outward knowledg such as the first birth may catch at lay hold on and comprehend XXX Concerning the Fear of the new Covenant Quest What is the Fear of the new Covenant Answ It is the Fear which God puts in the hearts of his children which Fear cleanseth their hearts and keepeth them from departing from their God There is a great deal of difference between the Fear which may be learned from precepts from without and the Fear which God puts into the hearts of his Children from a root of life within which Fear is of an heavenly nature and is the free gift of God to his own heavenly Birth and none else which no man can possibly attain by any thoughts or reasonings of his own but only by the springings of life from God And he that would have this Fear must know the place of wisdom and wait there for it and when he hath it this Fear will soon begin to make him wise towards Salvation and teach him to depart from evil which is the cause of destruction Job 28.28 XXXI Concerning Hope Quest What is the true Hope Answ The stay of the Mind upon the Lord the stay of the heavenly birth upon its Father For we must distinguish between Hope and Hope There is the Hope of the hypocrite or false birth which shall perish and the Hope of the true birth which will never fail it nor make it ashamed because that birth is taught of God to hope aright Now in Hope there is both the ground of it and the Hope it self The ground of the Hope is God's Love God's Truth God's Faithfulness God's Grace his Seed his Christ felt within being of him united to him in him he in me here 's the ground of my assurance of the everlasting glory and inheritance which is sure to the seed and to all that are of and in the seed So knowing Christ within me feeling Christ within me living in him and he in me I have an anchor sure and steadfast within the vail which no storm no tempests no tryals no temptations present or to come have power over And then there is the Hope or hoping it self that is the staying of the Mind upon the Lord the leaning upon the Lord the retireing beyond all thought or reasonings or lookings out to the inward life to feel somewhat spring from it for the soul to Hope and trust in beyond all outward appearance And this Hope never deceives nor makes ashamed those who are taught of God thus to stay their minds upon him Nay though the state be darkness and no Light seen yet beneath the darkness there is somewhat to stay the Mind of the Child and Servant of the Lord till he appear and cause light to break out of obscurity for light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright even in their darkest saddest and most distressed conditions in all which the Lord is near them and there is still ground for them to Hope in him XXXII Concerning Peace Quest Which is the true Peace Answ The Peace which God speaks to the Soul the Peace which Christ gives to his own disciples The way of Truth the way of Life leads to Peace and the Peace which is found therein is of God's giving and is the true Peace First God breaths upon the heart begets a right birth a true Child then he leads him into the holy way the righteous way from that which loads and burthens to that wherein is the ease and rest Thus in the believing and following him there 's Joy and Peace This is experienced by all the true travellers and by none else No man with all his wisdom knowledg and understanding can so much as guess at what this Peace is The Peace of God the Peace which he speaks to his Children the nature of it the sweetness of it the heavenliness of it passeth mans understanding but he who is born from above who hath a new and heavenly understanding he knoweth the nature excellency and preciousness of it and would not for all this World for any fear or danger or expectation of any thing from without hazard the breaking off this precious Peace and Rest of his Soul in his God XXXIII Concerning Joy Quest Which is the true Joy Answ The Joy which flows from God's presence and the work of his power in the heart and the assured expectation which he gives of the full inheritance and glory of life everlasting When the Bridegroom is present when the soul is gathered home to him married to him in union with him in the holy living fellowship when he appears against the enemies of the Soul rising up against them breaking scattering them and giving of his good things filling with

the endless Life but he that would truly live must live in the spirit it self and he that would rightly walk on in his way must walk in that Spirit wherein he received life and wherein he that abideth lives before the Lord. Fifthly This I have also observed that all notional Faith wherein is not the living vertue as concerning Christ his sufferings death resurrection ascention intercession and concerning Justification by him c. the enemy will let the Soul alone with and let him enjoy peace in but his war is desperately against the true Faith against Faith in the true power against Faith in the light of Life O how many sore and sharp assaults doth he make against the Faith which receives its vertue from God and causeth the Soul to live to God! And how sore is it with the soul when Faith is weak and the enemy comes on against it with the strength of his assaults and temptations Lord encrease our Faith said the sensible disciples Sixtly It is a precious thing to feel Faith quickened by God and helped by God against the enemy For then the enemy cannot prevail against the Soul but the Soul through the vertue and power of life prevails over the enemy in the Faith And this is the great work of a Christian not only to wrestle and fight but to learn so to wrestle and so to fight as to overcome Seventhly That in the pure fear not that which is taught by the precepts of Men but which God puts into the heart Faith hath its strength and exerciseth its strength O who knows the preciousness of this Fear The power of Faith the power of Life the power of Salvation and everlasting preservation is revealed in it Therefore saith the Lord when he speaketh of providing for his Children in the new Covenant that they shall abide with him for ever and not depart any more from him as the Children of the old Covenant did I will put my Fear in their hearts and they shall not depart from me And when the Angel preached the Everlasting Gospel how did he preach it Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his Judgment is come c. Rev. 14. When the pure Fear is felt when that which is contrary to God is judged then the Gospel is known and the work thereof experienced in the heart And how easy is it when the pure fear is felt to distrust and deny ones self and trust in th● Lord O how weak are the reasonings and imaginations then and how strong is the powe● which scatters them and lifts up the head ove● them Now it concerns every one deeply to consder of what nature his Faith is and what vertu● is in it and what it can do in and through the Power of the Lord for him how it fetcheth in the true living nourishment every day how it delivers the Soul and gives it victory over that which Faith was appointed to deliver from For he who through the Faith overcometh that which is contrary to God shall inherit and he that fights the good fight of Faith shall overcome but he that overcomes not his enemies which stand in his way shall be sure to be hindred by them from attaining to his journeys end VIII Concerning Obedience some Experiences also First True Obedience Gospel-Obedience flows from life flows from the living faith If I could obey in all things that God requires of me yet that would not satisfy me unless I felt my Obedience flow from the birth of his Life in me My Father doth all in me saith Christ this was Christs comfort And to feel Christ do all in the Soul is the comfort of every one that truly believes in him Secondly True Obedience Gospel Obedience is natural to the birth which is born of God It is unnatural to the flesh to mans Wisdom to deny himself and take up the cross but it is natural to the birth which is born of God's Spirit That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit and it is natural to it to be conversant in and exercised about that which is Spiritual Thirdly That honouring and pleasing and answering the will of the Lord is the proper aim of the truly Obedient O how do they delight to do the will of God I have Meat saith Christ that ye know not of To do the will was his Meat and drink and it is Meat and Drink to all that are of his nature and Spirit If I should never have any other reward but the pleasure of Obedience yet I could not but say and testify that in answering the Law of the pure Life in keeping the holy statutes and commandments of Gods Spirit there is great reward But yet there is a crown also and a reaping after this Life of every thing that is sown to the Spirt and the crown is weighty and everlastingly glorious Fourthly Gospel Obedience is exceeding necessa●y in and to the Gospel-state Mark The Lamb is the leader and can any be saved by him but they that follow him When Christ calls out of the World must not the Soul come to him who is the Sheepherd And must not the Sheep daily learn to know his voice and follow him even till they come to be acquainted with every moving drawing and leading of his Spirit and so come to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes Mark what a weight Christ layeth upon doing If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Why then the disciples cannot come to happiness but in the doing in the obeying of the will of Christ his Lord and Maker And he that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him to a wise man that built his house upon a rock But the believer without doing the will is the foolish builder whose building will not stand Again saith Christ As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Father's Commandements and abide in his love The disciples whom he most dearly loved must keep his commandments if they will continue in his Love And his Apostles taught the same even the working out of the Salvation and the purifying of the heart through the Obedience of the truth For Mark There is a Covenant of Life a way of Life and how can Life be reaped how can the work of Life go on but in Subjection and Obedience thereto O blessed is he who meets with the power of Life which enables to obey and who is Obedient and subject to that power For he that truly believes in Christ is turned by him to his Light and to the power of his Father and the Peace Growth Joy Blessedness c is witnessed in subjection thereto VIII Concerning the Cross of Christ This I have experienced concerning the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ that it is an inward and spiritual thing produceing inward and

have the witness in themselves the living testimony which none can put out or take away from them He hath opened mine eyes he hath opened my heart he hath raised me out of the grave he hath given me eternal Life He hath changed me inwardly created me inwardly by the working of his mighty power and I daily live am preserved and grow by the same power I feel his Life his vertue his power his presence day by day He is with me he lives in me and I live not of my self but by feeling him to live in me finding life spring up from him into me and through me and therein lies all my ability and strength for evermore A few words in the Bowels of tender Love and Good Will to my Native Country It is written When thy judgments are in the earth the inhabitants of the World shall learn Righteousness O that this might be verified concerning thee O England even that thou mightest learn Righteousness and that the dayes of thy unrighteousness might come to an end Have not God's judgments been upon thee Yea are not God's Judgments still upon thee And can any thing divert them from coming more upon thee but thy speedy returning unto the Lord in breaking off thy sins by unfeigned Repentance O that thou mightest be sensible of the hand of the Lord and mightest hear the Rod and him who hath appointed it The Lord hath power over all Nations and can break them in peices as a Potters Vessel They are but as the drop of a Bucket as the small dust of the Ballance they are before him as nothing and are counted to him less than nothing and vanity Read Isa 24. See how God will plead with Nations and consider whether he be not dealing thus with thee O hath not that been found in thee and is not that found in thee which provoketh the Lord exceedingly O that the weighty sense of thy sins were upon thee and that thou mightest truly repent and turn from them that thou mightest reap the benefit of God's Judgments and learn Righteousness and his Indignation might be removed from thee and his tender Bowels of compassion move towards thee But perhaps some may say What is the Righteousness we should learn Answ O learn to know God that is a righteous thing Learn to fear God Learn to worship him aright How is that Why in his own Spirit and Truth in which he seeks to be worshiped Learn Humility towards God learn Justice and Mercy towards Men. Learn to love thy Enemies If ye will be Christians that is the Law of Christ But that which is called the Christian world many of them have not yet learned so much as to love their Friends but hate and persecute such as fear the Lord and seek their good and stand in the gap to keep back the Wrath of the Lord from breaking in upon them and are wrestling mightily with him with strong cries that he would stay the sharpness thereof that it might not break forth to their destruction Learn to do to others as ye would be done to Do not do to any because of their Religion and tender Consciences towards the Lord what ye would not have done to your selves because of your Religion How long will it be ere ye learn this how many Judgments and Distresses shall come upon you before ye bow in Spirit under the mighty hand of God and yield your selves in submission to him to learn things of him Quest But how shall we learn Righteousness Answ Retire inwardly to that and harken inwardly to that which gives the sence of Judgments and learn of that and that will wean you inwardly from all your unrighteousness and teach you Righteousness There is that inwardly in the unregenerate which hardens and misleads there is also that inwardly which tenders melts teacheth and leadeth aright as it is believed in and obeyed O that men knew the difference between these two and how to turn from the one to the other For out of the heart proceeds all that is evil and vain and out of the heart are the issues of Life also The well or puddle of the muddy Waters of the Waters of Egypt of the Wine of Sodom and Waters of Babylon is there and the Well and Cistern of the pure Waters is there also O my native Country that thou mightest be the first Nation in this age of the World that might pass through the judgments of God and be cleansed thereby and be happy O that thy Rulers and Governors were weaned from the spirit and wisdom of this World and might receive of God's holy Spirit and Wisdom and Judge and Govern themselves and the people thereby When the Jew outward was chosen to be the people of God did not he pour out of his Spirit to govern them by Were the Judges Kings and Leaders thereof only anointed with outward Oyl were they not also anointed with God's Spirit And can any Christian Magistrate govern aright any Christian Nation without the assistance and guidance of the same Spirit And O that all the people were anointed also that they might be inwardly Kings and Priests to the Lord and the Kingdom of Christ might be inwardly set up in all their hearts and every man might reign in and through him over the enemies of his own soul O that the Power and Glory of the Lord might cover thy Governors and Inhabitants O England O the prayers that have been long put up in bowels of tenderness for thee O the besome of the Lord the besome of his Righteous Judgments that it might sweep the hearts of men inwardly that this Nation might be prepared for the Glory of the Lord for the Glory which he reveals in his Heavenly birth to break forth outwardly to the admiration and magnifying of the work of his Power in the eyes of all beholders Amen Amen THE END A Brief TABLE of the CONTENTS 1. COncerning understanding the Scriptures Page 11 2. Concerning the illuminating and Sanctifying Spirit Page 12 3. Concerning the Spirit of God and the Scriptures Page 13 4. Concerning the perfect and converting Law of God Page 14 5. Concerning David's Longings Page 15 6. Concerning the Spiritual Sun Page 16 7. Concerning the Words being a fire and hammer Page 17 8. Concerning God's writing his Law in the heart Page 18 9. Concerning the inward Light of God's Spirit Page 19 10. Concerning the Gospel-Ministers and Ministry Page 20 11. Concerning trying of Spirits c. Page 22 12. Concerning things necessary to Salvation Page 23 13. Concerning the True Gospel-Church Page 24 14. Concerning the way to Salvation Page 25 15. Concerning Christs saving the Soul Page 26 16. Concerning Regeneration Page 27 17. Concerning true Holiness ibid. 18. Concerning Christs works Page 28 19. Concerning the Yoke or Cross of Christ Page 29 20. Concerning making our Calling and Election sure ibid 21. Concerning Prayer Page 31 22. Concerning Repentance Page 32 23. Concerning Faith Page 33 24. Concerning Obedience Page 34 25. Concerning Justification Page 35 26. Concerning good Works Page 37 27. Concerning Love Page 38 28. Concerning Meekness and Patience Page 39 29. Concerning the knowledg of the new Covenant Page 40 30. Concerning the Fear of the new Covenant Page 42 31. Concerning Hope Page 43 32. Concerning Peace Page 44 33 Concerning Joy Page 45 34. Concerning Poverty of Spirit and Humility Page 46 The Conclusion Page 49 EXPERIENCES 1. Concerning the Seed of the Kingdom Page 57 2. Concerning the Souls food Page 58 3. Concerning Gods power Page 59 4. Concerning Temptations Page 60 5. Concerning Prayer Page 62 6. Concerning Justification and Sanctification Page 63 7. Concerning Faith Page 67 8. Concerning Obedience Page 71 9. Concerning the Cross of Christ Page 74 10. Concerning the Mystery Page 77 11. Right judging experienced Page 80 12. About knowing God's Spirit Page 84 13. Queries concerning the Seed of the Kingdom Page 85 14. Postcript to the experiences Page 91 Some Scriptures very sweet c. Page 93 A few words Concerning the true Christ Page 111 A few words to my native Country Page 115 ERRATA THe Stops have been much misplaced and many left out which the Reader is desired by his careful observation of the matter to supply the defect herein Some Errors which alter or may hinder the understanding of the sense are here taken notice of PAg. 6. lin 6. read those l. 14. r. grow P. 16. l. 3. f. they r. thy P. 22. l. 8. r. and the life P. 24. l. 20. r. meet together P. 27. l. 3. Blot out the first the. P. 54. l. 21. r. and experience P. 55. l. 16. r. to cure every Sickness P. 57. l. 17. r. Warring against them P. 61. l. 16. r. in the patience P. 64. l. 13. blot out the word for P. 68. l. 14. r. from P. 73. l. 8. Lord and Master P. 74. l 7. r. producing l. 17. r. hath this power P. 83. l. 12. r. bring Through the misunderstanding of the Printer the Titles over the pages belonging to that part of the Book called Experiences were omitted and the Title belonging to the following part put in heir stead which the Reader is desired thus to amend Experiences pag. 57 to p. 63. Concerning Justification and Sanctification p. 63 to 67. Experiences concerning Faith p. 67 to 71. Experiences concerning Obedience p. 71 to 74. The Cross of Christ experienced p. 74 to 77. The Mystery experienced p. 77 to 80. Right Judging experienced p. 80 to 84. How to know God's Spirit p. 84. Experimental Queries p. 85 to 90. How to know the Seed A serious Examination A Postscript to the Experiences p. 91 to 93.

Resurrection and the Life enters the King of Righteousness the King of Peace enters he who is the Wisdom and Power of God enters and what becomes of the Power and Goods of the enemy then Doth he not kill and destroy them doth he not consume and devour them Doth he not empty the House of them and garnish the house with that which is truly pure glorious and beautiful Lastly what is it to have him sup with the soul and what is it for the Soul to sup with him Is not here eating and drinking in his Fathers Kingdom Doth he not first destroy the Devils Kingdom and then set up his own Kingdom and doth he not feast with the soul and feast the Soul in the Kingdom which he sets up there O that all men knew how near he who is eternal Life is to them Doth not God search the heart Is not he near the heart doth not his Light shine there in the midst of mans darkness and corruption doth not his Power reach thither and assault and trouble the enemy doth not his pure Love wherewith he loveth man pierce thither Doth he not knock doth he not call Doth he not touch doth he not draw doth he not give at times some living tender sense to many hearts who too much neglect and despise him and regard not the day of his tender visiting them and calling after them O how is the Love of God the Spirit of God the Life of God the Wisdom of God the Power of God the drawings and instructions of his Grace day by day resisted by the Wisdom and Will of the flesh in those that are born thereof and hearken thereto and so live after the flesh and not after that which reproves the flesh Many more Scriptures might be mentioned and also sensibly and livingly witnessed to but these are enough to give a taste The Lord open mens understandings into the thing it self and give them the key which opens into the truth even into the mystery thereof wherein is the hidden Life and Vertue Amen A few words Concerning the true Christ how it may be certainly and infallibly know which is he This Question relates not to his outward appearance in the dayes of his flesh but to his inward and spiritual appearance how it may be known To which the Answer on my heart is Even after the same way and by the same means is he to be known in his inward appearance as he was known in his outward which was by the revealing of the Father For none knows the Son but the Father and he to whom the Father reveals him And when Simon Peter confessed him to be Christ the Son of the living God Blessed said he art thou Simon Bar-Jona for flesh and bloud hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven Mat. 16. vers 16 17. And if none could know Christ in his appearance in flesh notwithstanding so many manifest and express Prophesie concerning him but such only to whom the Father revealed him how shall any know his inward and spiritual appearance unless they be taught of the Father and hear and learn of him so to do But more particularly to shew how the Father revealed his Son and how they came to know in that day that he was the Son of the living God the holy one the anointed Saviour and that the same way and by the same means people than will truly know him must come to the knowledg of him now First They came to know him by the manifestation of the Life that was in him by the fulness of the Grace and Truth which dwelt in him and put it self forth so as to be discerned by the inward and spiritual eye in them For the Life was manifested 1 Joh. 1.2 The Life which was in him was manifested to the Spiritual eye which was in them and thus they came to know him Secondly By his voice and knocks Thus said he concerning his sheep in those days that they know his voice Joh. 10.4 Oh he hath such a voice as none hath but he He speaks in his Father's authority not as the Scribes not as earthly wise learned men he speaks in the evidence and demonstration of God's Spirit The words which he speaks are Spirit and Life They that hear his voice live And when he stands at the door and knocks he pierceth deep O the beatings of his hand upon the render and sensible hearts and consciences O his secret reproofs his secret instructions his secret quicknings and enlightenings how did they and how do they eternally make him manifest in the hearts and consciences of his Thirdly By his Baptism or by his baptizing into his own Spirit and Power While people were in expectation and mused in their hearts of John whether he were the Christ or not John answers the case and tells them how they might discern and know the true Christ It is not I who baptize with water but he that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost and with fire whose fan is in his hand c. Luk. 3.15 16.17 Was not this then and is not this now the way to know the true Christ He that knoweth him who inwardly and spiritually baptizeth him who hath the fan who inwardly fanneth and purgeth the Floor gathering in the Wheat and burning up the chaff doth not he inwardly truly and Spiritually know Christ He that knoweth the Word which is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul Spirit of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart doth not he know the word which was in the beginning which was with God yea which was God for he is the only searcher of the heart and trier of the reins Fourthly By his mighty works The works which the Father hath given me to finish the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me Joh. 5.36 And when John sent two of his disciples to Jesus with this question Art thou he that should come or look we for another Christ bids them go and tel John what things they had seen and heard how that the Blind see the Lame walk the Lepers are Cleansed the Deaf hear the Dead are raised to the poor the Gospel is Preached and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me Luke 7.22 23. Why herein is a marvelous thing said the blind man that ye know not from whence he is and yet he hath opened my eyes Joh. 9.30 He who hath the power and putteth forth the power inwardly who openeth the inward eye the inward ear looseth the inward tongue causeth the inward feet to walk in the way of Life and the inward hands to work the works of God he is the Messiah the Saviour the word of Life the Son of the Living God They that believe in him in his Spirit in his Power in his inward appearance