all times to help the travelling Soul but yet there are some times more especially wherein the Lord doth give more abundant access and opportunity unto the Soul which every one is to observe within himself and improve the same Let none therefore strive or wrastle in their own will or natural strength to attain to this Silence but let them be faithful to God in what they know to be his will and be diligent in some honest and lawful imployment and carefully attend the meetings of the faithful when they meet together to wait upon the Lord and speak the Word of the Lord to one another as they are moved and to worship and call upon him in Spirit and in Truth For the Life of the faithful and of such as are near unto the Lord who are become strong men in Christ hath an exceeding great influence upon the weak to help them and gather them to the true silence and the presence of the Lord is more abundantly manifest where the faithful meet together in his Name as â—e hath promised whereunto many can set their seal And thus every one who is sincere and faithful to what they know and have received will naturally and as it were by a natural growth in the Truth attain by degrees more and more unto such a state until they perfectly come to enjoy and possess it so as to see Jerusalem a quiet habitation and to behold the King in his beauty and see his goings in the Sanctuary which will cause the Soul to sing with David and to say as it is Psal. 84. ver 1 10. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts For a day in thy Court is better than a thousand But of this I warn thee that if thou hast time enough to spare as thou think'st to rest from all outward affairs that thou mayst the more abundantly apply thy self to this Silence and silent waiting yet thou mayst exceed through a wrong and blind zeal and so mayst indanger and hurt thy self For such a silence as doth not allow us to mind and be employed in our honest and lawful affairs is not alwaies required of us but at certain times that we set apart unto that end either in private or publick as the Wisdom of God doth teach us and his Spirit doth move Which times although they be frequent yet ordinarily are not to be of long continuance for it is the will of God that so long as we are in these earthly tabernacles we be exercised in bodily and external actions whereof Christ himself gave us an example who went about doing good and at times retired with his Disciples and sometimes alone to watch and to pray and again returned unto the people to minister unto them both in Soul and Body what they had need of Nor doth the moderate use and exercise of the body in lawful affairs hinder as is said the true silence in some degree that is sufficient for the present time but doth rather help and contribute unto the same but the highest degree of it is neither alwaies required of us nor is indeed at all times possible to be performed by us for unto all things there is a measure and what is within measure is good but to exceed is hurtful and dangerous GEORGE KEITH In the Prison of Aberdeen the 15 of the 4 month 1678. The Way to the CITY OF GOD. CHAP. I. Holding forth Certain Doctrinal Principles of the TRVTH whereof a Mâ—n being convinced by the Spirit of God it contributes much to his making a right entrance into the way of Holiness A Man doth not nor can he enter into the way of Holiness but he must first have his understanding some way opened by the Spirit of Truth so as to receive some convincement of certain Principles of Truth For how can a man enter into a way and know nothing thereof neither more nor less It is the usual method and order of the Spirit of God first to convince a man of divers things before he proceed further so as to convert him into the way of Holiness or carry him on wards therein Therefore I shall in the first place lay down a few certain Principles the knowledg of which is of great advantage unto beginners for their first entrance into Holiness and I shall at this time but name and suppose them as known rather than prove them referring their probation to other Treatises And though I may not say that none ever attained unto any measure of Holiness without the clear distinct and explicit knowledg of all these Principles hereafter delivered yet I am very free to say that the knowledg of them all doth very much conduce to beginners for their entrance into Holiness and the ignorance of them hath been a grievous let to many a Soul which though it hath not made the entrance absolutely impossible yet hath it made it extream difficult even much more by far than it is indeed and in Truth or is found to be by those whose Understandings are well informed in these Principles I. That all men in their natural and unregenerate state are unholy and unrighteous altogether and so as such unable to do any thing acceptable to GOD and unfit for fellowship and communion with him II. That GOD hath not left men wholly in this condition but hath given unto all and every one of them an occasion in a day or time of Visitation whereby it is possible for them to come out of their first state of unholiness and unrighteousness which is also a state of Spiritual blindness and death into a state of holiness and righteousness which is a state of enjoying spiritual Light and Life of GOD. III. That this occasion is ministred unto every one through Jesus Christ who is freely given of the Father unto every man that comes into the world for Salvation as attainable by every man through him IV. That the coming of Jesus Christ into the world both outwardly and inwardly was necessary unto mans Salvation so that the one is not to be understood in opposition to the other for that both have their great uses and blessings unto men Hence all who are saved are saved no less by the benefit and grace of his outward coming in his becoming man suffering dying and resurrection then by that of his inward coming as a Light and quickening Spirit c. Yet that the knowledg of his inward coming is that which is the more needful and in the first place as being that by which the true and comfortable use of his outward coming is alone sufficiently understood V. That the Lord IESVS according to his inward coming is come a Light into the world lightning every man that cometh into the world that all through him might believe and by believing might have eternal life VI. That his coming in the inward is in a Divine and Heavenly SEED which the Father hath given from Heaven unto every man and hath sown in the
but the more abundant fruit it bringeth forth this Month or year the yet more abundantly it bring forth the next Yea its life is so much in working and bringing forth fruit that if it be hindered in its movings and workings it dyeth even as the fire goeth out if it be stopt from burning and the water dyeth if it be kept from running Besides The Lord is so well pleased in the Soul that is diligent in good works through his own holy Life and Spirit that he doth reward it with a further measure and taketh delight to water the Soul that is fruitful therein the more abundantly with his heavenly vertue and Spirit even as the Husband-man doth his garden which yieldeth him good fruit But the Vine-yard which bringeth not forth Good Grapes but the Sowr and Bitter Grapes of evil works see what he doth to it Isa. 5. I will lay it wast saith the Lord it shall not be pruned nor digged c. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it But it may be said Is not faith a work and is not believing working And yet thou grants that the Soul comes to attain unto the first beginning or beginnings of a holy and spiritual life through faith and believing Unto this I answer that there is a twofold property of Faith 1. Receptive or receiving 2. Operative or working Now the Soul doth not attain unto the beginning of a holy Life through the property of faith which is opperative but through that which is receptive And least any should think this distinction too nice or subtile I shall prove it from the express words of Scripture 1. That faith is operative is clear from that Scripture where it is said Faith worketh by Love and where it is said to purifie the Heart and do a great many good things in many other places 2. That it is receptive I shall go no further then Ioh. 1.12 For proof To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God And that this receiving Christ is a believing in him is plain from the words immediately following even said he to them that believe in his Name So here is the receptive faith for receptive is as much as to say in English receiving Nor are there many examples wanting in natural things to shew that a thing may have the receptive power when as yet it hath not the operative yea that the receptive maketh way for the operative as to instance in some 1. The needle of the compass must first receive its vertue from the load stone being touched with it before it can direct it self towards the pole 2. The branch that is cut-off from its own natural stock and grafted into another it first receiveth life and vertue from the stock into which it is grafted and drinketh it in before it proceed to send forth either leaves or flourish or fruit 3. The womb first receiveth seed before the powers of nature in it proceed in their operation for its conception and formation 4. The Stomach first receiveth the meat into it before by the powers of nature therein it digest and turn it into the nourishment of the body And indeed this last example doth with great clearness hold forth the thing in hand For suppose now a man through hunger were even faint and as it were dead so that he were able to do nothing yet receiving a little food the vertue of it doth suddenly revive him and gives him natural strength whereby he may do and work as formerly And thus the Soul receiving and drinking in that divine vertue of life that is in the divine Seed is thereby quickened and strengthened to do the things that pertain unto an holy Life in some measure All which examples and many more which could be adduced prove that a thing may have a receptive power and not the operative yea that the receptive maketh way for the operative And to this purpose these words of Christ are observable He that believes in me saith he though he were dead yet shall he live which imports that a Soul though it be dead may believe that is to say receive the Seed and principle of Life into it for this Divine Principle is of an insinuating and penetrating nature it doth make way for its own reception in the heart insinuating and as it were winding it self thereinto as the Fire doth into Wood or any combustible matter But now when this Principle doth labour to work it self into the Soul and its powers the Soul may resist and doth so many times whereby it remaineth dead though otherwise it might have lived by giving way unto or receiving this Divine Principle and Seed And thus that subtle objection may be answered which is thus Believing or Faith is an act of Spiritual Life indwelling in the Soul and can only proceed from the Soul that liveth a Spiritual Life For as a dead Body cannot walk or move so nor can a dead Soul believe From this it is inferred That the Soul must first live before it can believe or have Faith and consequently that none others can have Faith but they who are already partakers of a Spiritual Life which is contrary to what ye say that it is possible for all men to believe while yet ye grant all men are not spiritually alive But this is answered by the former distinction of the twofold property of Faith Therefore unto that proposition on which the whole strength of the objection lieth viz. that Faith is an act of Spiritual Life indwelling in the Soul I thus answer That the Operative Faith or Believing is an act of Spiritual Life indwelling I grant but as for the receptive property of Faith through it the Soul is made a partaker of the Spiritual Life by which it comes to indwell in the Soul and therefore the Soul cannot be conceived to live Spiritually before the receptive Faith This receptive Faith is the same with the Soul 's converting or turning or being converted or turned inwardly by the Lord unto the Divine Seed and Principle in it and to the Divine Presence of God and Christ Jesus therein whereof I have said somewhat chap. 4. And whether the Soul be supposed only to be passive in this receptive Faith or partly passive and partly active the matter is not much provided it be acknowledged that it cannot so much as believe even according to the receptive Faith but as it is enabled and assisted after a supernatural manner by the Lord. Also some may object This Doctrin seemeth contrary to what ye seem to hold when ye say That it is possible for all men to do the things that God requires of them and that no man perisheth for want of power to do the will of God Answ. There is no contrariety herein for when we say it 's possible for all men to do the things that God requires of them we understand not this simply and absolutely
as thus God is the Life of our Souls as an efficient câ—use of Life and that originally and immediately but not as the informing or formal cause thereof such as the Holy Life begot of the Holy Seed is which is even the formal cause of it CHAP. VII Shewing How the Soul is to reflect upon it self and enter into Trial and Examination of it self whether it hath truly passed through the aforesaid steps of Conversion and continuance therein in passiveness and forbearance and whether it hath attained unto any beginnings of the Divine and Holy Life and the powers thereof before it enter upon other operative Exercises and how or by what Rule or Touch-stone it may infallibly know the same THe service which the Lord requireth of us and which we ought to perform unto him is our reasonable service as the Scriptures declare and expresly call it which beside other things which might be mentioned doth import this especially that whatsoever service or work we go about to do unto the Lord we do it with a true and certain knowledge that we are indeed serving him and not our selves nor any other For if I do any work and yet do not know certainly to whom I am working my work cannot be called reasonable for to do a thing reasonably is to do it with a certain knowledg and judgment and herein is man's excellency above the other Creatures which are unreasonable that whereas they work only according to that which either inwardly or outwardly moves them not knowing what they do so as to make a judgment of discretion betwixt causes and cauâ—es man is to do all his works with such a discretive judgment and understanding that he certainly knoweth both the end unto which he worketh and also the principle from which otherwise his work is rather brutal than rational And so as we are required to praise the Lord with understanding as the Scriptures declare so we ought to serve the Lord in every particular step with understanding also so as to be able to give a rational account of our service that it is indeed unto the Lord and this we cannot do unless we certainly know that what we do is by the Power of his Holy Life and Spirit assisting us for it is the Lord who giveth us both to will and to do and without him we can do nothing not so much as say that IESVS is the LORD but by the Holy Ghost divinely and supernaturally assisting us indeed we may repeat the bare words without any supernatural assistance but here they are no wise regarded of the Lord for if they be not expressed with the supernatural assistance of his Spirit as aforesaid they are but dead and empty of that Life and Vertue which renders them acceptable unto him And so any other work if we do not work it in him and by him supernaturally assisting we do it not to him and if we know not that we do so it is not our reasonable service which he requires Moreover whatever we do as a service unto the Lord we ought to do it in faith but if we do not certainly know from what principle or power we do any thing we are left in a suspense and doubtfulness and have nothing but conjecture at best to build upon which is far from faith Also he that doth a thing doubtfully doth both displease the Lord who forbids it and brings weakness and confusion upon himself for he that doubteth is damned as saith the Scripture Now to the end that a man may know whether the work or works which he is about to do be indeed unto the Lord he is to reflect upon himself and to enter upon an impartial examination and trial of his own Soul whether he hath passed truly through the aforesaid steps of conversion and continuance therein in passiveness and forbearance and so whether he hath attained unto any true beginnings of the Divine and Holy Life and the Powers thereof and that before he enter upon other operative exercises because that unless in some measure he hath truly passed through these steps he cannot perform any work rightly and acceptably unto God And this examination and reflexion is the more needful for that even these steps may be counterfeited no less then other things A Soul may even seem to it self to have converted or turned it self inwards unto the Divine Presence c. and yet not have truly converted thereunto Yea I will say a great word but that which is a very certain truth Many do inwardly convert as unto God but it 's not to the true God but a false even an Image of their own framing and deviseing and as unto Christ but indeed it is unto Anti-Christ And surely this is as it were the very beginning of the working of the Mystery of iniquity when Satan putteth on the appearance of God and Anti-Christ of Christ sitting down in the Temple of God and being axalted above every thing that is called God Now to open this a little more we are to consider that all men have some notion or image of God in their minds by which when they speak hear or read of him they some way think and form their thoughts and conceptions of him according to that objective notion or Idea with which they are acquainted Now though it is also certain that there is in some measure a true objective concept or Idea of God put or planted by God himself in every man's mind which is in and of the Divine Seed sown in every man yet the usual knowledg that men commonly have of God doth not proceed from this true Idea in the Divine Seed nor is it the pattern or example according to which they usually frame the thoughts and conceptions of their minds when they usually speak read hear or consider of him in their minds forasmuch as the Divine Seed in and through which the true Idea is received in most men yea in all wicked men and unconverted is greatly burthened and oppressed through the lusts and iniquities which prevail in them whereby it comes to pass that frequently that true object concept or Idea or manifestation of God in the Divine Seed which in Scripture is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. that which may be known of God is vailed and clouded in them so that the Soul doth no more apprehend it then if it were not And when by the Power of the Lord in his Visitation upon the Soul this objective concept as aforesaid is brought into some measure of manifestation yet the Soul is so intently taken up with its sinful lusts and pleasures that it doth little observe it and many times not at all even as if some friend passed by before me in my view yet I being much taken up with looking at some other persons or things should know nothing of his being so near And indeed it is even so as to this matter the Lord doth often visit the Soul and passeth
in the Revelation that he shall work lying and false wonders and cause Fire to come down from Heaven videlicit in appearance to deceive them who dwell upon the earth Yet we have a plain and ready answer to this objection which is this The Presence of the Lord in the Soul in the Divine Seed doth send forth such a manifestation of his own Light and Spirit in it which discovereth infallibly the works and deeds which are wrought in the Soul whether they be of God yea or nay and putteth the Soul into a capacity infallibly to discern them and to know whose they are And though the Enemy be never so near in his subtle workings to deceive thee the Lord is as near and nearer to reveal him But as for them who deny Immediate Revelation in these days they leave the Soul at an utter uncertainty that it cannot know the work of God in it from the work of the Enemy For seeing they deny that the operations of his Spirit are objective and objectively manifest they are but as certain blind or blank lines and impressions drawn upon paper which no man can read or perceive But having shewed this at more length elsewhere I shall not further proceed in it at present Now if thou wouldst desire to know the truth of thy Conversion by a way prior to that of effects which is needful yea it were needful for thee to know in the very first instant in which thou setst about to perform thy acts of Conversion whether they be true yea or no Also whether that be the true presence or manifestation of God unto which thou dost convert or but that false and framed god above-mentioned or Satan transforming himself into the likeness of God thou shalt know thus If it be the true God and the true Christ he doth manifest himself so to be for God is Light and Christ is the Light of the world which lightens every man that comes into the world that they may believe and turn unto God Now as there is no way to know the Light even that which is outward but by it self and the manifestation that comes from it so there is no other way so certain to know God and Christ but by the Light and Spirit of manifestation which proceed from them And of this I am verily perswaded that there is no man upon the face of the earth but that there is some manifestation of God so plainly and evidently set before him as that he cannot but be convinced that it is the LORD and that frequently whose appearance in the heart is so far different from every false appearance of Satan or any god or image of him which the Soul makes to it self or can make that it may very plainly and infallibly distinguish the one from the other and needs not to be deceived unless it wittingly and wilfully give up it self to be deceived And if thou ask Wherein doth the appearance of the one from the other so far differ that it may be so easily discerned I answer In this the true appearance of God and Christ Jesus is against every sin more or less in thee whether of Flesh or Spirit and by it thou art reproved of every sin in some measure yea and it worketh as Fire against the Briaâ—s and Thorns against every sin in thee and the body and root of it though at first thou wilt not be so sensible of it as to have a particular observation of all thy sins yet thou wilâ— find it working against them all as it were in a heap sparing none of them nor reconcileable to any of them So that what ever particular sin is brought under thy particular observation thou wilt find the appearance of Christ against it as much as any But now the false god which a man maketh unto himself in his mind is very reconcileable to many sins which thou art plainly convinced to be sins and he can dwell with them and let them flourish and grow largely in the heart and not be a devouring fire against them yea the false and counterfeit god is an enemy tâ— no sin at all and would never reprove or disswade thee from any sin but o 〈…〉 thee And this is the hypocriâ—es 〈◊〉 and the high flown notionists god whom they in some sort stand in awe to offend as to some â—ross outward acts or even some inward also because they have shaped him in such and such a form as is contrary in appearance to such and such sins But as for thee love him that reproves every sin in thought or desire word or work and is dreadful unto every transgressour more or less yea is as a devouring fire against them for that is the true God Now this appearance of God thou shalt observe to manifest it self in a little small Seed the least of all Seeds in the very inwards of thy heart which is meek and holy and pure and harmless and is contrary unto nothing but sin can be reconciled with any thing save sin but with no sin in any measure I have found it with me the more to insist on this particular for that I certainly know there are many who are wofully bewitched with a mystery of Iniquity in relation to this matter being like Capernanum exalted to the Heavens as it were in their notions about God so as to think they daily contemplate and enjoy him and yet it is but an Idol and by the children of Light they are seen and felt to be it darkness and the Seed is felt to suffer in them and to â—e in the very bonds of death notwithstanding all their high and lofty imaginations Now if the Seed be raised in thee so that the Holy Life and Powers thereof become formed though but a little thou wilt feel it and its powers as manifest to move stir and spring in thee as ever the Mother felt the Child to spring in her Womb so that thou canst no less doubt of the one then she can of the other and so by the stirrings and movings thereof thou wilt begin to be acquainted with the Spiritual refreshments and joyes of the Children of God CHAP. VIII Wherein divers Advertisements and Cautions are given unto the Soul in relation unto its applying it self unto Works or operative Exercises inward or outward through the Holy Life and the Powers thereof WE are his Workmanship said the Apostle created unto Christ Iesus unto good works that we should walk in them So that the Lord giveth not unto any man the being of a holy life with its powers in vain or for no effect but that he should make use of it and them to bring forth good works even as the Husbandman planteth his Vines and other Trees that they may bring forth Fruit. We must improve and make use of our Masters Money to profit withal that our Talent may encrease to the honour of him who hath given it unto us and to our own happiness and comfort
but conditionally to wit upon their believing for they who believe receive power to do the will of God whereas the unbelievers want this power because of their unbelief and forasmuch as it 's possible for all men to believe at such times when the Lord doth visit them and touch their hearts by the gracious influence of his Holy Spirit therefore we do justly say that all men may do the will of God according to the restriction aforesaid CHAP. X. Of the great Influence that the Coming of our Lord Iesus Christ in the outward in his Birth Life Doctrin Works Sufferings Death Resurrection Ascension Glorification c. Hath upon our mortification to sin and regeneration unto Holiness even unto Perfection and after what manner we should improve the same effectually in order thereunto GReat and excellent are the Benefits which do come upon men through the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ even in the outward but through a Spirit of Deceit and Hypocrisie which hath deeply entred the most of Professors and leavened them Great and woful are the abuses which they have put both upon his outward coming and the benefits thereof while they do both grievously misunderstand and misapply the end of his coming For whereas the main and principle end of his coming is to reconcile Men unto God and make peace betwixt them through his purging their Consciences from dead works taking away the Sins and Pollutions of their Hearts and defacing and blotting out that unholy Image of Satan begot in them through unrighteousness and enduing them with the Heavenly and Righteous Image of God they on the contrary have supposed or dreamed that his end in coming was to reconcile them to God and justifie them while remaining in their sins Yea and so far they have proceeded herein as to imagine that there is no need of Holiness at all for Iustification and Reconciliation but only for making them meet for Heaven as they term it Whereby it would seem they suppose that whereas Heaven can be at no peace with unholy men yet God can as if God were more reconcileable with Iniquity than Heaven is But surely neither Heaven nor the God of Heaven much less can ever be reconciled or at peace with unholiness or those who live in it Now the ground of this their supposition is an unfound â—otion they have drunken in that Christ is come or put in their stead to fulfil the Law of God for them in his own person both actively and passively by which they are wholly justified â—n the sight of God through his satisfaction though they remain in much sinfulness and unholiness in their own particular But tho we do truly acknowledg the full and perfect satisfaction of Christ unto the Father both in his doings and sufferings yet we deny that notion of it as unsound and unscripâ—ural For the true sense of the satisfaction of Christ both as we read it outwardly in the Scriptures testimony and feel and know it inwardly in the work and testimony of his Spirit Light and Life in our hearts is after and according to the manner as follows I. When man sinned against God and became corrupt and unclean in his heart before him through transgession the peace betwixt God and him was broken and so man who in his innocent state was justified and at peace with God now through his sin became unjustified and the wrath of God kindled against him both in his Soul and body in great measure II. This wrath of God would have burnt in such a violent and forcible manner had not he provided a way in his infinite mercy in some measure to abate and qualifie it that it would have sunk man into endless and irrecoverable torment and misery But God prepared a way both to qualifie this wrath and also in due time wholly to quench it and bring man into perfect peace and reconciliation with God as at the beginning yea and to establish him therein for ever III. Now the way and remedy he provided both for the qualifying it at first and afterwards for the total quenching of it was the coming of the Lord Iesus Christ his only begotten Son in a Holy Seed conception and birth out of which should spring such a gentle meek and qualifying Spirit and Life that it should stand up in the way betwixt the wrath of God and men first to abate and qualifie the wrath towards men even while they are in their sins but not to remove it and that for a certain time or day of visitation given them of God to repent and come out of their sins and sinful nature and spirit into holiness and the nature and 〈◊〉 thereof and then quite to remove and quench it at their being made free from sin anâ— perfected in holiness And truely this great and unspeakable benefit from Christ have all unholy men in the day of their visitation that through his sweet and quallifying Life the wrath of God is in a great measure born up from falling upon them to the uttermost which if it did would instantly sink them into the pit from whence there is no recovery Nevertheless the wrath of God abideth upon all unholy men but through the meek Life of Christ in the Holy Seed it is greatly suspended or born off IV. Now that the Lord Jesus might be the more universally and throughly a Saviour unto man for his recovery out of the misery and bondage and vanity into which he had thrown himself it pleased the Father yea and the Son both that he should come to wit Christ in a holy Seed both inwardly and outwardly for the deliverance of both the inward and outward man yea and for the deliverance of the whole outward creation from the vanity and corruption it was made subject unto through the sin of Man And thus even from the beginning yea upon mans fall God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself and Christ was manifest in the holy Seed inwardly and so stood in the way to ward off the wrath from the sinners and unholy that it might not come upon them to the uttermost during the day of their visitation For even at man's fall the Seed of the woman was given not only to bruise the Serpents head but also to be a Lamb or Sacrifice to atone and pacifie the wrath of God towards men And this is the Lamb that was slain from the beginning of the World V. And through the coming of Jesus Christ thus in the inward even before he was outwardly come or manifest many were saved and attained unto perfect peace and reconciliation with God in their Souls yet not in unholiness but in departing therefrom and becoming holy and sanctified unto God Now tho from the beginning he was not outwardly come nevertheless his purpose of coming outwardly was from the beginning and also he had a certain fore-knowledg and sense of what he was to suffer and how he was to be delivered up
Life through the burden and weight of mens iniquities But how Christ did suffer under the iniquities of men and the spirit and power thereof can never be understood in any true measure but by these alone who are come to be acquainted with a measure of his righteous Life in their own particulars and to know a measure of redemption from sin thereby such will feel how that righteous Life of Christ Jesus suffers by sin and the spirit and power thereof so that many times we have felt the Life of him in us to be deeply smitten and wounded and deeply to suffer through and by iniquity and the spirit of it even in others and in a whole country and nation yea in some measure through the whole world The reason of which is because of that deep and near Sympathy that his Life in the Saints hath with the Seed of that Life that is oppressed in others till it be raised So that many in whom this righteous Life is raised to reign in perfect dominion over all its contrary in their own particulars yet witness many times its deep sufferings through its Sympathy with that Seed of its own nature oppressed and murdered in others So that indeed upon the matter this Righteous Life in none of the Saints will be wholly delivered from its Sufferings till that of its own nature over all the World be raised up in all hearts to reign with it in dominion either in full love or wrath And truly these deep Sufferings of Christ under the burden of mens Iniquities really felt and witnessed by him as in the Garden and on the Cross c. I find the Professors know little or nothing of for they conceive not that Christ suffered any other way by the burden of sin laid on him then in that he suffered the Wrath of God that was due to men for sin and so they understand his bearing our sins to be only in respect of the Wrath of God he did bear which was not so for he suffered much more deeply by the sins of the World and the Spirit thereof because of that great and implacable contrariety and enmity which sin and the Spirit thereof hath against his tender Life which at that time had mustered up all its forces against him the Lord permitting it so to be that by his patient and meek sufferings he might overcome it as indeed he did and even upon the Cross Triumphed over it and gave the Spirit of Transgression the greatest blow and wound that ever it got which shall in due time by the Vertue and Power of his Sufferings be utterly slain and extinguished in the Earth and it filled with his Holy and Righteous Spirit And this Spirit of Iniquity wrought what it could so to Eclipse and Vail the presence of God from his Righteous Soul as to take away that comfort and joy from him which at other times he had yet his Faith pierced through this Cloud that it did not overcome him but he overcame it and signified his Faith in God saying My GOD my GOD Why hast thou forsaken me which respected that sensible joy and comfort yet in the midst of this deep trial the Father was with him in love and in the Power and Vertue of that Love the Wrath became mitigated and qualified towards men And to speak properly the Wrath was indeed against men but never on any account directly against Christ who did indeed intervene and intermediate betwixt it and us to bear it off and qualifie it as is abovesaid yet he could never suffer it as the damned do for he qualified it both in the Father's Love and in his own but the Wrath which the damned suffer hath no such qualification And truly we cannot judg that the Father was to speak properly offended or displeased with him nay not on our account nor do the Scriptures speak any thing so only it pleased the Father thus to try him and make him perfect thus by sufferings to the end he might overcome Sin and the Spirit thereof in the more Glory and might be the more fitted to help them that are under Trials as being touched with the feeling of our Infirmities IIII. Being presented in his Spirit as aforesaid they have also great influence to raise in our Souls most fervent Breathings and Supplications unto the Lord not only for his pardoning and forgiving Grace for and because of his Son's Blood-shed his Sufferings and Death c. by which he procured or purchased it but also for his Sanctifying and Mortifying Grace even for an abundant measure of the Life and Spirit of Grace whereby we may be enabled to die perfectly unto sin and live unto God in perfection of Holyness so thâ—t the Soul may strongly plead with the Lord upon the account of Christ that he may pour forth abundantly of his Grace Life Light and Spirit because that the Lord Jesus hath purchased it abundantly and hath opened the Fountain of the Father's Love abundantly by his Obedience and Righteousness to the end that all Souls may come and draw out of that fulness of his which he hath purchased and is in him even Grace for Grace Joh. 1.16 both to justifie and sanctifie and as much the one as the other V. Also these things presented in the Spirit as aforesaid and in and thereby applied to the Soul become very strong and forcible motives unto it to war against sin universally and the Spirit thereof to the utter killing and destroying of it seeing it is the greatest enemy of that tender Life of Christ which suffered so much on this account even to the mortifying of the Soul unto sin and saving it therefrom so that if the Soul do not diligently apply it self unto a total mortification of sin it doth nothing answer unto that love and good-will of Christ in his sufferings nor to the end thereof They are also of the same force to move the Soul to follow after Holiness till it attain unto it so as to be pure and holy as Christ its Beloved and Spouse who gave himself for her that she might be holy and to present her unto God without spot or wrinkle or any such thing Eph. 5.27 Also how can the Soul but be moved to press after Holiness seeing it inwardly feels that the Righteous Life of Christ is as much eased and refreshed and delighted in its becoming Holy as ever it was formerly Grieved and Burthened with its Iniquities VI. Our Blessed Lord in his outward coming Life and Way of Conversation Doctrine Sufferings and Death c. is a most noble and perfect example unto us even the best that ever outwardly was is or shall be that we might imitate his Vertues and follow his Steps in all Godliness Temperance and Righteousness who taught us most excellent Documents and Instructions of a Holy Life both in Doctrine and Example and sealed the same with his most Holy and Blessed Sufferings who knew no sin yet so willingly
discerned from the counterfeit which proceed only from the meer Natural Principle or together with the same from Satans transformings but as there is a regard unto the Principle from whence the effects do proceed for the true Divine Principle as the mind is duly applied thereunto doth infallibly discover its own effects and also the counterfeit workings and effects of the Enemy And therefore all outward rules do fail and come short to give an infallible discerning betwixt these two Principles where the inward living discerning which the true Divine Principle begeteth is not attained But where this inward living discerning is attained and kept unto in any measure outward rules may be useful in their place but they only who have this discerning that proceedeth from the Principle it self can sufficiently make a due application of any outward rules or other outward helps that can be given in the case GEORGE KEITH FINIS ERRATA IN the Preface Page 6. line 20. after made dele any p. 8. l. 18. r. into some l. 28. r. I do l. 29. r. kinds p. 12 l. 20. f. or r. and. In the Book p. 26. l. 18. f. an r. and p. 30. l. 27. f. souls r. soul f. it r. its p. 32. l. 26. f. of r. oft p. 39. l. 15. after perform r. them p. 44. l. 6. f. excesses r. exercises p. 45. l. 22. after here r. also p. 48. l. 22 f. beginning r. beginneth p. 50. l. 18. f. saith r. said l. 31. f. p. r. cap p. 66. l. 25. f. or r. for p. 69. l. 7. f. with r. of l. 30. f. begets r. beget p. 70. l. 20. f. though r. through l. 22. after weaken r. it p. 75. l. 12. f. object r. objective p. 85. l. 7. f. unto r. in p. 90. f. the r. thy p. 103. l. 8. after all dele and l. 14. f. live r. alive p. 105. l. 4. f. works r. words p. 108. l. 29. r. the other p. 109. l. 7. f. or r. and l 16. f. powers r. power p. 112. l. 9. f. things r. thing p. 113. l. 5. r. diligently p. 116. l. 4. f. bring r. bringeth p 121. l. 17. r. and how and p. 134. l. 26. f. and uinon r. an union p. 142. l. 21. f. but r. that The CONTENTS CHAP. I. CErtain Doctrinal Principles of the Truth whereof a man being convinced by the Spirit of God it contributes much to his making a right entrance into the way of Holiness Pag. 1 CHAP. II. That the Soul converting it self unto GOD in the Divine Seed within its self through the Influence of the Divine Power upon it for that effect is the very first thing that is requisite unto it in order to its entring into the way of Holiness 10 CHAP. III. How the Soul ought to persist and continue in its conversion towards God and Christ and of the effects which follow at first thereupon as also of the Inward trials and troubles it usually meeteth with therein 19 CHAP. IV. How the Soul after its converting unto GOD and Jesus Christ in the Divine Seed must in its persisting and continuance therein stand in great passiveness stilness and quietness bearing and forbearing before it enter upon its operative exercises 36 CHAP. V. How the Soul after its Conversion unto GOD and continuance therein in passiveness and forbearance for some small time becometh a partaker of the Holy and Divine Life and the Powers thereof in some measure through some beginnings of a Spiritual Death and Regeneration by which it attaineth unto some measure of union with God and Christ and thereby is put in some capacity for operative exercises of Holiness unto which it ought to apply and that any other way of entring upon these exercises is but feigned and hypocritical 47 CHAP. VI. Wherein divers things needful to be known by them who do or would enter into the way of Holiness in relation to the nature of Conversion Regeneration of the Life and Power of Holiness and of Vnion with God are opened and the gross mistake of most Professors touching these things discovered and cleared 60 CHAP. VII How the Soul is to reflect upon it self and enter into a trial and examination of it self whether it hath truly passed through the aforesaid steps of Conversion and continuance therein in passiveness and forbearance and whether it hath attained unto any beginnings of the Divine and Holy Life and the Powers thereof before it enter upon other operative Exercises and how or by what rule or touch-stone it may infallibly know the same 71 CHAP. VIII Wherein divers Advertisements and Cautions are given unto the Soul in relation unto its applying it self unto Works or operative Exercises inward or outward through the Holy Life and the Powers thereof 85 CHAP. IX How that though Works can have no influence upon the very first beginnings of a Holy Life that being only received through a receptive Faith yet they do greatly conduce unto the growth and continuance thereof also unto the killing and mortification of the sinful and unholy Life with its Powers more and more till it be utterly slain where also the distinction of a two fold property of Faith viz. Receptive and Operative is somewhat opened 114 CHAP. X. Of the great influence that the Coming of our Lord Iesus Christ in the outward in his birth life doctrine works sufferings death resurrection ascension glorification c. hath upon our mortification to sin and regeneration unto holiness even unto perfection and how and after what manner we should improve the same effectually in order thereunto 121 How to discern the CONVICTIONS that proceed from the Light of Faith or Divine Principle in us from those that proceed from the Light of Nature or meer Natural and Humane Reason assisted by Arguments drawn from Scripture 158 BOOKS Printed and Sold by the Assigns of J. Sowle at the Bible in George Yard in o Linbard-Street A Brief Account of the Rise and Progress of the People called Quakers in which their Fundamental Principle Doctrines Worship Ministry and Discipline are plainly declared to prevent the Mistakes and Perversions that Ignorance and Prejudice may make to Abuse the Credulous With a Summary Relation of the former Dispensations of God in the World by way of Introduction By W. Penn. Price Bound 1 s. The Christian-Quaker and his divine Testimony stated and vindicated from Scripture Reason and Authority By W. Penn. Price Bound 2 s. Primitive Christianity Revived in the Faith and Practice of the People called Quakers Written in Testimony to the present Dispensation of God through them to the World that Prejudices may be removed the Simple informed the Well-inclined encouraged and the Truth and its innocent Friends rightly represented By W. Penn. Price Bound 1 s. A Defence of a Paper entituled Gospel-Truths against the Exceptions of the Bishop of Cork's Testimony against the Quakers By W. Penn. Price Bound 1 s. An Account of W. Penn's Travels in Holland and Germany for the
no dead Letter but a living Testimony in â—heir place and order for to none is the Testimony of Truth a dead thing but to such as are deâ—d and are alienated from that life which gave it forth Yet thou art not to rest in any sense or savour of Life that thou feel'st in the outward testimony but by the same thou art to be led in into thy own Heart and Soul to wait for the arising and springing up of it within thy self for thou needst Life to be nearer thee than in any outward testimony that thou mayst enjoy it as a Fountain and Well of Living Water springing up unto eternal Life in thy Belly and inward parts and as this Fountain springs up in thâ—â— it will flow forth into all thy senses and into all the powers of thy Soul and make them alive and it will quicken thy understanding and memory as also thy will and affections and give Life unto thy thoughts and meditations and it will cause thee when at any time thou readst the Scriptures as this Living Fountain opens in thee to read them livingly and with a living sense and understanding aâ—â— when thou hear'st them read to hear with Life also and in a living sense and when thou dost meditate upon them or upon the things declared in them as upon the Love of God and Christ Jesus and what Christ hath done and suffered for thee and how he died and rose again and is gone to Heaven there to appear in the presence of God for us and that he is to return again to judge the quick and the dead and to give the reward of Everlasting Life to all that have served him but to punish with everlasting destruction all that have not believed in him nor been obedient unto his Gospel or whatever other things recorded in the Scriptures the Fountain of Life in thy self will give Life unto all those Meditations as thou wait'st for the free openings of it and they will be living and sweet unto thy Soul yea sweeter than the hony and the honey-comb and thou wilt be truly edified refreshed and strengthened in the Scriptures Testimony But if thou goest about to seek Life in the Scriptures as the Iews did of old and in the mean time neglect to come unto Christ who is the Life and the Fountain of it thou canst not expect to find Life in the Scriptures or any blessing of God in thy reading or meditating in them For as none can enjoy the light and good of the outward Sun that shineth without or abroad who shut their Eyes against it and let it have no place in them so no more canst thou enjoy the Light and Good of Christ Jesus that Sun of Righteousness if thou shut'st thy inward eyes against his Light that shineth in thee Moreover I must inform thee a little further why I have not in this Treatise insisted upon or scarcely so much as mentioned many particular duties that are altogether necessary unto every true Christian As giving alms to the poor visiting the sick and imprisioned the widow and fatherless Nor the many respective duties that we owe to one another as we stand related together in the world Nor have I set down a particular enumeration of all the commands prohibitioâ—s promises and threatnings of God contained in the Scripture Nor have I mentioned all the Christian Vertues far less defined or described them in a particular manner Nor have I set â—own a catalogue of all the sins and vices recorded in the Scripture Nor have I recommended unto people the reading of the Scriptures conference and meditation upon them nor frequenting the Assemblies of God's People where the Lord is waited upon the Word of God is preached and living worship prayer and thanksgiving is offered up unto him in Spirit and in Truth Now the reason why I have not so particularly mentioned these things was not any wilful omission or neglect as if I did not lay any weight upon these things or made any â—light of any of them Nay all this was and is far from me but my design being only in short and as briefly as well could be to point at some general things and also at these particulars which are the main and are the most necessary for the right and acceptable performance of those other things above mentioned My great care was to lâ—â— the Foundation well and to put my Reader in mind of the first and most necessary things which I â—id find so much neglected by most of Professors of Christianity my end singly being that people might be brought to have the true Nature Life and Spirit of Christianity to abound and have place in them and then all these other things will easily and naturally follow And I could not well mention these things without having insisted more largely upon them than the nature of so small a Treatise would admit For I did not design a compleat system of Practical Divinity but only as it were to put a Primar or Rudiment into the hands of a young beginner And as for many of the above mentioned Particulars they are generally acknowledg'd among all that profess the Name of Christ. But yet the right hearing the right reading the right meditating the right preaching the right praying and singing either private or publick the right giving of alms the right visiting of the sick the prisoner the fatherless and widow and the right practising of all other Christian duties is a great and rare thing and few there are among those called Christians who do indeed rightly practise them and go about them Now though all these and other particulars be not expresly mentioned in this Treatise yet the right manner and way how they are to be gone about and performed is not only expressed here but it is the main design of the whole and that is that People may come to know the true Life of God and of Godliness to live in them and the True Spirit of Christ and of Christianity to reign and rule in them and in all things to order and guide and inable them that so whatsoever they do they may do it in the Life in the Spirit in the Power in the Light and in the Love of God and then they do it in the Name of God and of Christ and in Faith and so they do it aright and it is acceptable unto God and serviceable unto men There is one thing further which I cannot well omit and that is to answer an objection which may be strong in the minds of some who have not experience in the case That whereas I recommend so much the place of silence and of being so passive still and quiet to wait for and attend unto the Divine working and moving of God and of Christ by the Holy Spirit in the Soul it is like some will be ready to say that Obj. Such a thing leadeth into a stupidity or lethargy of mind if not into something worse
unto it the powers of nature and sin so strongly set it upon working Answ. Indeed the difficulty is great because both the powers of nature and sin work strongly and joyn their forces together unto acting and doing and besides nature is so unacquainted with such a thing that it is very impatient of it yet I say it is not impossible and if thou dost rightly perform the simple acts of conversion turning thy mind still nearer and nearer unto the Divine Prefence in the Holy and Divine Seed thou wilt find by degrees thy heart to come into this passiveness and forbearance and to continue or persist therein for a time CHAP. V. Shewing How the Soul after its Conversion unto GOD and continuance therein in passiveness and forbearance for some small time becometh a partaker of the Holy and Divine Life and the Powers thereof in some measure through some beginnings of a Spiritual Death and Regeneration by which it attaineth unto some measure of union with God and Christ and thereby is put in some capacity for operative exercises of Holiness unto which it ought to apply and that any other way of entring upon these exercises is but freigned and hypocritical OPerari sequitur esse that is to say Working followeth being is a maxime in Naturals it holdeth as much in Spirituals So that before a man can do the works of â—olinesâ— he must be a partaker of the Life and Power of Holiness and that not in a notion or imagination but in substance or being And before that a man can work his works in God he must have a being in God in some measure through his attaining an union with him for even as the body cannot co-operate with the Soul in natural actions unless it be a partaker of the Soul's Life and be in union with it so nor can the Soul co-operate with God in spiritual and holy actions till it be a partaker of his Life and attain unto some union with him Now I have shewed above that the Soul through its converting unto God and continuance therein in passiveness and forbearance as aforesaid were it but for a very small time becometh a partaker of some beginnings of a spiritual Death and Regeneration For when the Soul converteth unto God and Christ in the Divine Seed and persisteth were it but for a little therein it beginning to feel the Divine fire to inkindle in it in the Divine Seed which mortifieth and purifieth some place in the heart whereby it becometh a fit matrix or womb for the Divine Seed to take root in and for to spring up and pâ—t forth some tender buds and beginnings of a Holy and Spiritual Life which do no sooner appear but they do impress and endue the Soul in some measure with their powers and vertues by which it is put in some capacity for operative exercises of Holiness unto which it ought to apply It is generally granted that Faith is as it were the Root of all holy and spiritual actions and the Scriptures do hold it forth plainly that Faith or believing is the first step unto a holy life and the very entrance thereinto and that Faâ—â—h by a natural order is to go before Works for for without Faith it is impossible to please God though men should do never so many things for it is Faith which drawing Spirit and Life from God infuseth the same into works which maketh them living and therefore as the Apostle Iames said Faith without works is dead so it is no less true works without faith are dead Faith without works is dead because if it want works it is an infallible sign that it is but a dead and false faith for the true and living faith is operative and working and cannot forbear but it must be breathing forth its life in holy actions Works without â—aith are dead because it is faith which drawing life from God infuseth it into them and as I have shewed above this faith is the Soul 's converting or turning unto God through the Divine and gracious touch and influence of the Spirit of God upon it in the Divine Seed by which a man cometh to be partaker of Holiness and Rightâ—ousness according to which the ungodly are said to be justified not by working but by believing which is to be understood unquestionably of these works which men endeavour and go about to perform in the natural and unconverted state whereby they seek to work themselves into holiness which is impossible for that were to invert the very order of Nature both in Naturals and Spirituals which setteth the being of a thing before its operation but not the operation before the being as who would say The Fruit makes the Tree whereas on the contrary it is the Tree which makes the Fruit. And hereunto will agree these words of Augustin Bona opera non praecedunt justificandum sed sequuntur justificatum that is to say Good works go not before the making of a man righteous but do follow a mans being made righteous Also when the Jews came unto Christ asking what they should do that they might work the works of God he bid them believe This saith he is the work of God that ye believe in him whom he hath sent Furthermore he said unto them While ye have the Light believe in it that ye may become the Children of the Light And thus Peter exhorted them who were come to be partakers of the precious faith Add unto your faith vertue c. Whereby it appears that faith which is the mind 's turning in unto God with both its understanding will and other powers is the first step or entrance into a holy Life And when these Jews Acts 2. inquired of him what they should do to be saved he bid them Repent and be baptized And p. 3.19 he said again unto others Repent and be converted So that Faith which is one and the same with conversion and Repentance aâ—e the two first principles of the Doctrin of Christ and his Apostles and are plainly so called Heb. 6.1 and are said to be the very foundation or first beginning of the Christian Life of which foundation or ground-work Iesus Christ is the foundation for the word foundation signifieth sometimes the ground whereon a House is built and in this sense Christ is the alone foundation other whiles it signifies the ground-work or as it were the first beginnings of the building on the foundation and in this sense Faith and Repentance are the foundation or fundamentals of a Christian Life Now Repentance is the Soul 's entring not only into a sorrow for sin and an aversion therefrom but also into a spiritual death unto sin and a regeneration into a new life and so much doth the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is rendred into English Repentance plainly import for it s as much as to say as a change of the mind which change is nothing else but its dying into sin and becoming
and unto this that maxime in Naturals doth well answer Esse est propter operari Being is for working for to that end hath every thing received its being and powers of a Natural Life that it may reduce them into act and perform the operations which are proper unto them So if we shall take a survey of the whole Creation and of all things in it in the Heavens the earth and the other elements we shall find them all upon motion and working the works which belong unto the powers of their natural being And thus the creaâ—ures do in some sort resemble their Maker who not only wrought the creatures into a being by creation but continueth still working to preserve uphold and govern them according to which the Lord said My Father worketh hitherto and I work Now if thou hast in any measure passed through the aforesaid steps of Conversion and continuance therein in passiveness and forbearance were it but for a very small time thou art by this time become a partaker of the holy Life and its Powers in some measure and so art entred at â—east into the way and path of holiness and art come unto a true and sound beginning being come unto Chriâ—t who is the Beginning and the End both the Alpha and the Omega the Way the Truth and the Life the Door into the Sheep-fold and House of God So having entred by him thou art no Intruder no Thief nor Robber but a true Servant of the House of God wherein thou art to work the works of God and having received Christ so must thou walk in him being now planted into him as the branch into the Vine-tree and made a real partaker of the vertue of the Root and hereby joyned to the tree as a natural branch thou must now bring â—orth the fruit of good works and being come to live in the Spirit thou must also walk in the Spirit and work and do all thy works in him and through him But some may say According to this method and way of proceeding a man is kept long off from working for it may be a long time ere he pass through these steps and so during this time suppose it were a years time or more shall he proceed to no operative exercises of Religion but remain as a cypher or blank till he has got through these steps May it not be said unto him Why standst thou so long idle Answ. This is an Objection which is much with many and hath deep place in the minds of some newly convinced ones and who are but beginning they would fain be a doing and working as others yea and the hypocritical part and spirit which hath its life in dead performances and works will still be dogging and pricking them forward unto the doing of things before the time Now learn a Parable of a Fruit-tree be it an Apple-tree or the like into which a graft is imped being cut off from another Tree where it did grow as a natural branch and did bud green and flourish and bring forth Fruit but such Fruit as was naught Now suppose that such is the good nature of the Tree into which it is grafted that it makes the graft bring forth other sort of fruit than formerly even good fruit and that in abundance it 's true it is not so with the common Trees in the outward for they do not change the grafts imped on them into their own nature but rather the imp changeth the sap and vertue of spirit of the Tree that it causeth the Tree to bring forth fruit according to the kind of the graft it self But it is otherwise betwixt Châ—ist and us men for we being planted or grafted into him he changeth the nature of our Fruit from evil to good otherwise the comparison holds very well Now when the graft is cut off from its natural stock it was very gâ—â—en and full of life yea suppose it was full of blossoms or fruit yet when by the hand of the Husband-man it is cut off from its natural stock and grafted into another it doth not instantly spring and green and flourish as before far less bear new fruit but first of all dyeth its greenness and flourish withereth and its fruits fall off so that it remaineth very bare and empty-like for some time yet the powers of nature are not altogether idle in it for by little and little the power of life in the Tree into which it is ingrafted doth infuse and insinuate it self into it by which it uniteth and knitteth the graft to the Tree by a natural union and then in process of time the graft beginneth to green and flourish again and bring forth fruit both much better and more abundant as is said And here we may observe somewhat of all these steps in a similitude which the graft passeth through before it cometh to bear fruit as 1. The power of the life in the Tree insinuating it self into the graft taketh hold of the faint and dead powers of nature in the graft and conveâ—teth or turneth them into it self 2. The graft being thus turned or joined to the Tree not by any outward bonds but by the influence of the Tree continueth and persisteth therein which if it did not it could not receive life from the Tree 3. In this continuance it remaineth very passive doing nothing but secretly drinking in the vertue and power of life from the Tree into which it is grafted and so by this means it becomes in due time as a natural branch of the Tree and brings forth its fruits as aforesaid now such is the discretion of the Husband man that he requires not present fruit from the Tree neither is he offended with it that it yields not present fruit but patiently waits for the fruit in the season of it Even such is the discretion of the Lord yea and much more towards men that if they convert and turn into the true Vine and Tree of Life not resisting the Power of Life therein but suffering it to work in them to kill the unholy life by which they live and bring forth fruit unto sin and if they continue thus converted in a passive and forbearing way suffering the Spirit and Power of God in the Divine Seed in them to do in it what him pleaseth this is acceptable unto the Lord even thus to die in him and blessed are such for their works shall follow them in due time And this is according to what our Lord taught himself Vnless said he a grain of Wheat fall into the ground and die it remaineth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit this he spake in relation to himself but it holds good also in relation to others Wouldst thou indeed bring forth the fruits of good works unto the Lord then thou must fall into the ground and die like a grain of Wheat and afterwards thou wilt live again and spring up bearing friut both good and abundant and the
Lord who is the Husband-man requireth not fruit of thee before the season but patiently waiteth for it Yet the time is not so long betwixt the time of the first converting and the season of bearing fruits and producing good works as thou maist think if thou pass truly and faithfully through these few steps thou maist come to bear some fruit that is to say to be able and fit to do some good works in a very short space much less than a year yea much less than a Month yea what if I say than the space of one day Nay I add further it may be possible for thee within an hours space and yet less after thou hast truly converted unto the Lord and touched as it were the hem of his Garment and drunk in vertue therefrom to do some good works in a true measure of acceptance unto the Lord yea the time may be so short wherein after thy conversion thou maist be put into a capacity to do something both inwardly and outwardly that we cannot determine the least bound or limit of it for it is an easie thing for the Lord to raise his holy life in thee in an instant or the twinkling of an eye And indeed the waies of the Lord with men in this respect are very wonderful and past finding out as in many others in some he raiseth life as it were instantly in others he taketh a longer time to do it in others yet a longer c. For he is the unlimitted Holy One of Israel who limiteth us but will not nor ought he to be limited by us And tho he may raise this life sooner in one than another where that other is no more wanting as to the aforesaid steps than his Neighbour yet usually these who with most diligence and faithfulness cleave unto the Lord in his appearing in them in his own Seed do most readily and speedily find the holy life raised in them and the Powers thereof sensibly moving in their inward parts Now I find it with me yet more particularly to point at some advertisements and cautions in relation unto the Souls applying it self unto works and operative exercises after it hath attained unto some measure of life and power whereby it is put in some capacity to perform them which I may not call Rules and Prescriptions as proceeding from me tho herein I know the mind and counsel of God but advertisements being only of use to point the Soul inwards unto the manifestations of Truth in the springings up of life in its own particular where it will see the use and need of these things more than what it can hear or read of them from anothers declaration And truly they are such things that the want of the true knowledg sense and observation of them has been a grievous block in the way of many in their proâ—ress in holiness yea has hindred them from growing up to any considerable pitch or perfection in holiness that they have continued as Weaklings and Babes there-through whereas otherwise they might have been strong men in Christ. I. Having now attained unto a measure of the Holy Life and the Powers thereof so that thou findst the Powers of this Life in thy heart as it were a wheel within a wheel or as a Soul within a Soul yea it is truly so and that also thou findst thy Soul in a measure of pure union with it and every power of thy Soul affected and touched with the powers of this Holy Life in pure embraces every one as it were kissing each other and hereby thou wilt feel thy self strong in some measure to do some things pertaining unto a holy Life yea thou wilt even so find it with thee as if thou wert cured of a bodyly lameness or as if thy tongue were loosed which was formerly bound then thou art to stand in great fear and reverence and be very cautious that thou fall not upon doing any thing or things less or more at all adventures or hand over head as they use to say as to set about any performance in thy own natural and selfish will because thou findest strength in thee as thou conceivest to perform it for if thou so do thou wilt provoke the Lord and grieve that holy life which hath sprung and appeared in thee not at all to be ruled or led into any action by thy will but by the will of the Lord alone And if thou goest about to do any thing in such a manner though thou findst both clearness and strength of mind with thee at first yet afterward thou wilt to thy great loss feel weakness and confusion to enter thee and a thick cloud of darkness will come betwixt the eye of thy Soul and that pure Light of Life which shined in thee yea a vail of death will come over the tender Life in some measure and thou wilt find the pure Life in thee burthened and oppressed which will occasion pain and grief of Soul unto thee which cannot be uttered And of these things we have had experience divers times so that had not the Lord in tender mercy recovered us we had gone down into the grave after some measure of quickening The reason of all this is because of man by his own will usurping and presuming to lead forth the holy life which usurpation it cannot endure so as to yield or consent unto it Therefore it withdraweth its holy powers of Light and Life from the powers of the Soul concentring them within its own particular being And thus the Soul is left in darkness confusion and weakness and the tender Life is both grieved and burthened as aforesaid For whatever seeketh to move it from its perfect unity with the will of God doth hurt it for it standeth for ever incorruptible with the Divine will and that which seeketh to move it to the contrary may well bruise and wound yea kill it while it is but young and tender but it can never draw it to consent When therefore at any time thou findest it well with thy Soul and thy heart is strengthned as with bread or with some strong cordial or liquor by the springings forth and effusions of the streams of this holy Life in thee then thou art to stand in a passiveness and forbearance waiting upon the will and motions of this holy Life which is for every one with the will of God that thou mayst do such or such things which that Life requireth of thee and then whatever thou sets about to do not in thy own natural will but in the will of this which is the will of God thou shalt find thy clearness thy peace and strength which formerly thou hadst not only to be continued with thee but to be multiplyed and abound II. And yet more particularly know or consider it that thou art to do nothing without a clear and infallible knowledge of thy warrant and that from this inward Guide the Holy Life of Christ and his blessed
the inferiour powers and affections of the Soul be also therewithal moved and with the words which proceed therefrom it is a good thing and comfortable in its place but not too much to be looked after But we are to be careful that we keep them in such stedfastness as not to suffer them to be moved simply or barely by meer words or outward works when the Holy Life doth not move upon them and that principally for all such motions are hurtful and not profitable It is the Coal from the Altar that is to say such a heat or warmth that comes from the Holy Life thâ—â— doth only work the true impressions on the affections whether by words or without them or doth only qualifie and concoct them so to speak after the right manner working out the evil crude and beastly humours and dispositions out of them VI. Thou art also to know that though thy present condition admit thee to do some things yea divers works both inward and outward pertaining to a Holy Life as being come in measure to be a partaker thereof yet thou art in this time of thy weakness and childhood in the Spiritual Life more to be passive than active except as to the simple acts of conversion wherein thou art constantly so much as possible to be found for thereby thou wilt be still drinking in from the Living Fountain the Waters of Life by which thou wilt live and increase more and more in the Holy Life so as to grow up from childhood unto youth-head and from that unto a perfect man in Christ Iesus Therefore it will be altogether fit and needful for thee to be often repeating these former steps of conversion and persisting therein in great passiveness and forbearance not only from all evil things but even from these which are not clear unto thee to be good or at least harmless and innocent And as thou knowst that the several ages and states of a man of infancy childhood youth-head and perfect man-hood have their several works and exercises proper unto them beside what is proper unto all these four so it is much what here for indeed the spiritual man also hath his four states as his infancy his child-hood youth-head and perfect manhood Now if thou be yet but in the infancy of a spiritual Life thou canst do but little unless to turn thee to thy Mother's Breast which hath conceived thee that is to say to the Divine and Holy Life and abide in thy conversion thereunto drinking in the sincere milk of the Word that thou mayst grow thereby And if thou be come up to a state of childhood as out of infancy yet thou canst as yet not do many nor great things but this is a good time for thee to go unto the School of the Holy Ghost and learn the things of God in his immediate teachings so as to drink in a solid sound and digested knowledg of them in some measure before thou much speak of them to others being swift to hear but slow to speak But if thou be come up to the state of a young man yet thou canst not do all those things which a man of perfect age can neither is it given nor required of thee VII Be very mindful to regard thy own measure of Life so that thou be not drawn forth or lifted up to do greater things or any things in a greater or higher strain then thy present ability of Life permits for if thou bend or screw or wind up the Powers of thy Soul too high above thy measure yea if in any thing above it it will much mar and spoil the work that thou art about and displease the Lord and grieve his Holy Spirit and Life even as the winding of some string or strings on a musical instrument above what may keep in true concord with other strings doth quite spoil the harmony and render it ungrateful unto discerning ears Yea many hereby have suffered great loss and brought many grievous burthens upon that Holy Life and also upon their own Souls in so doing And let not the greater measure of another be an occasion to draw thee forth from thy own as seeking to do things equally with him or to go beyond him also to mind and reflect by an inward observation when the Life or Powers thereof begin to cease or shut up that so thou mayst therein also follow them so as to cease at their ceasing to be shut up with them and opened with them and keep time and measure and touches with them that thou mayst not be left doing alone for if so thou art not doing the Lords's work but thy own VIII Thou art to learn to distinguish betwixt the powers given thee from the Holy Life to do such and such things and the exercise of that Power for though the Power may be said after a sort alwaies to remain with thee while the Life it self remains yet thou hast not the exercise of this Power at thy will and dispose and so thou mayst observe a great difference betwixt thy exercising thy natural Powers and these Spiritual for the natural thou canst use when thou wiltst as to speak write sing naturally c. But thou canst not use the spiritual powers though they be in thee in thy own will Therefore thou art to wait upon the Lord that he may give thee the use of them by the new and actual influence of his Spirit upon them which is as it were the key which opens them otherwise they are shut up and locked IX And lastly Watch against the enemy who lieth near thee in all thy workings one way or other to mar them For indeed so long as the body of sin lives in thee in any measure so far hath Satan a place in thee for this body with its members and powers of its unholy life is the very Kingdom and Throne of Satan in which he lives and rules after a sort as the Lord doth in his Kingdom which is the heavenly Body and Birth with the Members and Powers thereof and as the Lord doth work mightily in his own Kingdom and place which he hath gained in the Soul and strongly moveth the Soul with its Powers to concur and cooperate with him so the enemy worketh strongly in opposition to the Lord and also moveth the Soul with its powers to concur and co-operat with him And thus the poor Soul is set as betwixt two contrary streams the one seeking to carry it one way and the other to carry it to the contrary and on this account it is that the Soul sometime obeyeth the one and sometime the other sometime it is carried forward and sometimes backward yea and sometimes it doth the Lord's work and sometimes the work of the enemy and at other times the works which it doth are so to speak mixed or standeth in a mixture so that one part of its work may be of and in the Lord and done in his Power and Spirit and
the other part may be of the enemy yea the Soul may begin to do something well and in the Spirit and yet end it in the Flesh through its weakness and inadvertency Nevertheless we must not conceive any such mixture possible as if what the Lord doth in the Soul and what the Soul doth with him and by his Power and Spirit could be corrupted and defiled by the Enemy Nay for the work of the Lord is still pure so far as it goeth But now the Soul giving way to the Enemy he enters and so putteth a stop to the Lord's work at that time but he can never defile or corrupt it And thus the Lord's part of the work is still his and the Enemy hath no share in it nor any influence upon it so as to defile it but he may stop it as the Lord permits him and as the Soul gives him way so to do Now one may readily object According to this it would seem that so long as sin hath any life or power in the Soul it being as is said the Devils Kingdom it were impossible for it to do any work unto the Lord and in him from fiâ—st to last but that it should be marred and stand in the mixture as aforesaid for the very state and condition of the Soul being in the mixture as partly the Holy Life and its Powers having place therein and partly the unholy life and its powers How can it be but that the work it self should stand in the mixture also and that proportionally according to the mixture of the Souls own state and condition For while the Soul is working that which is good by the Powers of the Holy Life in and with the Lord will the powers of the unholy life be idle and asleep or rather will they not work in opposition Yea will not the Devil move strongly in them to resist and mar the work of the Lord Answ. This objection indeed doth evince that the things is somewhat difficult but not impossible It 's true the powers of the unholy life do of their own nature incline to work in opposition to the work of the Lord and Satan will never be wanting as much as he can to move and stir them up but this answers it plainly that as the Soul turns unto the Lord and breaths unto him through the Powers of his own Life and Spirit for preservation and continueth thus inwardly turned and converted unto him in fear watchfulness and singleness the Power of the Lord God cometh over the unholy Life and its Powers yea and over the whole power of the enemy therein and doth bind and captivate them that they can no more prevail to hinder the Soul from doing the work of the Lord in purity and perfection in a measure then if they had no such place in it Even as in the outward if I were doing a piece of work and some strong bodied man had a resolution to stop or mar me yet if a stronger than he come and bind him up I may do the work compleatly maugre him he may fret and make a noise like a mad Dog or Lion upon a Chain but he can do no more And truly we have found the truth of this many times in our own experience that as we have kept diligent nigh unto the Lord with our minds towards him in tender breathings and desires that we might be preserved we have found him chained as aforesaid But when we have but a little become remiss and suffered our minds to slide back from that diligence and watchfulness as was requisite then the Lord suffered the enemy somewhat as it were to break loose upon us and use his strength in some measure against us to the end that thereby we might be stirred up unto the more watchfulness And indeed many times we find it so with us in this matter as it was with the Jews at the rebuilding of the City who were so put to it that while they builded with the one hand they behooved to fight against the adversary with the other Thus ye may see that there is a time wherein sin and its powers may be captivated before it be utterly slain and the strong man may be bound before he be utterly cast out CHAP. IX Shewing How that though Works can have no great influence upon the very first beginnings of a Holy Life that being only received through a receptive Faith yet they do greatly conduce unto the growth and continuance thereof also unto the killing and mortification of the sinful and unholy Life with its powers more and more till it be utterly slain where also the distinction of a twofold property of Faith viz. Receptive and operative is somewhat opened WOrk out your Salvation said the Apostle with fear and trembling It is observable he did not bid them begin their Salvation with works but that they should work it out or proceed in it through works which is a manifest proof that works have a great use and service promoting and carrying on the Salvation of the Soul though they cannot begin it and concerning the great use they have unto this effect Paul the same Apostle said again Rom. 8. If ye live after the flâ—sh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Wherein these two things are plainly implied 1. That carnal and evil works that is a living after the flesh occasion death upon them who are come to some measure of spiritual life evil and unholy works are deadning and killing they are like a cankeâ— which eat out the life of the Soul 2. That good and holy works serve not only to preserve the measure of the holy life already attained but to increase and improve it And this same the parable of the Talents doth plainly hold forth for he who received but two Talents yet improving the same and putting them to use they became multiplyed into four so he who received the five by using them gained other five Many other Scripture exaâ—mples could be brought to prove the Trâ—â—â— of it but these shall at present suffice Moreover the very nature of the thing doth also demonstrate it for it is here the same as to the spiritual life as it is in the natural for the natural life and the powers thereof become stronger and stronger the more it is upon motion and exercise as we see by dayly experience but there is this difference that the natural Life after it hath come to its heighth doth decay and even spendeth or consumeth it self in its motions or workings for it is but a temporary thing Whereas the spiritual life is eternal and doth never at any time decay or diminish through its workings but is thereby perpetuated It is such a good plant that it ever groweth and flourisheth and bringeth forth twelve manner of fruits every Month where it is well occupyed or improved and never of its own nature decayeth or waxeth barren
into the hands of sinners to be so dealt with as it came to pass in the fulness of time And according to this in a true sense it may be said that he bore the weight of his outward sufferings in great measure from the very beginning As even among us men what we do certainly foresee of sufferings or trials to come upon us for the future doth affect us with no less weight many times in the foresight of them then in their accomplishment yea sometimes more as every one knoweth by some experience And that he was given up and resigned in the very beginning to come into the World outwardly and suffer those indignities and cruelties with many other deep trials was certainly a sacrifice of a sweet smell before the Lord and was very acceptable and satisfactory unto him VI. And thus according to the plain and genuine sense above mentioned obvious to the weakest capacity we may truly say that all the benefits and blessings which come upon men or have come upon them from the very beginning for either their justification or sanctification have a spiritual relation and respect unto Jesus Christ both in his inward and outward coming and his doings and sufferings in both by which he gave perfect obedience unto his Father and thereby he hath obtained the free Gift to come upon all unto justification of life Therefore we are not too nicely to distinguish betwixt the influence of his inward and outward coming and the effects thereof but rather to take them conjunctly as in a perfect conjunction having a perfect influence upon all mankind for their reconciliation and renovation unto God as obtaining that measure of Light and Grace from God unto all and every one whereby it is possible for them in a day to be saved VII And indeed we do very freely and willingly acknowledge that the 〈…〉 aforesaid by his obedience and suffâ—â—â—ngs even in the outward hath by his satisfaction unâ—o God obtained it that man may come into justification and favour with God but not any otherwise but upon these terms viz. upon their Faith and Repentance Mortification or dying unto sin and living a new life of holiness and righteousness unto God otherwise all pâ—etence unto Justification by Christ his Satisfaction is but a deceit and a cloak for men to sooth and gratifie themselves in their sins and lusts for the Lord justifieth only his own Seed and them who are begotten and born of it in whom the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled through the Power Life and Spirit of Christ manifest in them who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit to whom there is no condemnation And these terms videlicet Faith and Holiness are very gentle and easie forasmuch as Christ is freely given of the Father unto all men to enable them to the full performance thereof Also here is another great errour and mistake among Professors generally that they do not conceive that Christ did really suffer for and by mens sins but only at his outward coming which mistake is grounded upon this other mistake that Christ had no being as man but at his coming into the outward and consequently could not suffer which consequence behoved to be admitted if the ground on which it was built were true but it is utterly false for it is most certain from the Scriptures Testimony that he suffered all along by mens iniquities as where it is said I am pressed under them c. Amos 2.13 and that he was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World yea that he endured the old world with much long-suffering and many other places For even from the beginning he was Mediator therefore he is said to be the beginning of the creation of God the first-born of all creatures And why might not Christ suffer in men before his outward coming as he doth now suffer in them long after it even as Paul speaketh of the sufferings of Christ which remained to be accomplished in him for the Seed which is Christ according to his participation with the Creatures hath been the same in all Ages and hath had its sufferings under by and for the sins of men in them all for the removing and abolishing of them This outward coming of the Lord Jesus and his Conception Birth Life Sufferings Death Resurrection and Ascension c. is one of the greatest and profoundest mysteries of the Christian Faith and hath an exceeding much deeper sense and consideration than most apprehend or than any can apprehend but as it is opened unto them in the Life Light and Spirit of Christ in their own particulars And therefore I do admonish and warn all yea I obtest them in the Power and Spirit of Jesus Christ that they do not make any slight account of it or undervalue this great and glorious mystery that shall be the eternal object of the Saints contemplation for which as among other things they shall eternally adore and admire the infinite goodness wisdom mercy and power of the Lord in and over all his works And if the mystery be not opened unto them as aforesaid let them be silent and hold their peace not meddling to measure the mysteries nor this mystery of God with the weak and shallow capacity of their own apprehensions And seeing the Lord has given me some in-sight and knowledge thereof in a measure and that by the Revelation of the Spirit and Life of his Son in my heart I may not forbear to mention and declare somewhat of it unto others which I warn and admonish all that shall read or hear of it to beware of judging of the same but in the express sense feeling and opening of the same Life and Spirit in their own particulars It hath been commonly taught and supposed that the coming of Iesus in the outward and his becoming man had no further in it but that the WORD which was from everlasting did assume the true nature of man in Soul and Body â—nto an immediate union with it self commonly called the Hypostatical or Personal Vnion and that this Manhood of Chriâ—t was conceived in a miraculous way by the Power of the Holy Ghost in the Virgins Womb. All which is willingly granted and truly and cordially believed by me But I say there is yet a further thing in it than they yet speak of or apprehend and it is this That even that holy Birth and Conception as it had the real and true nature of man so it had much more viz. a certain Divine Perfection as I may so call it through the wisdom given me of God whereby it was not only the whole and intire Nature or Birth of Manhood but was more yea much more than a man It 's true it is commonly granted that Christ was more than a man yea both God and man which is true but yet they do not apprehend the thing whereof I speak For tho they grant Christ was both God and man yet they do
sufferings as in a Wine-press to the end that sweet Wine might come forth that hath the vertue in it to cure men of their wounds both in relation to wrath and sin And so when he cryed forth with a loud voice upon the Cross My God c. even therein and there through Vertue went from him in that holy Breath or Spirit which had and hath a most effectual Influence upon both men and the creation for their deliverance as aforesaid for nothing that he ever did or suffered was in vain or without vertue and influence unto mens Salvation And thus having declared the great influence which the very outward coming Birth Life Sufferings and Death c. of Christ hath upon men both for their Justification and Sanctification let us now see how and in what manner we should improve the same effectually in order thereunto For indeed we shall find how the Apostles did greatly improve and make use of it in order unto Mortification or dying unto sin and living unto holiness and making progress therein unto perfection As to instance in some few examples Rom. 6.2 How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Know ye not that as many of us as were baptized into Iesus Christ were Baptized into his death c. See throughout the whole Chapter 2 Cor. 5.14 For the love of Christ constraineth us Because we thus judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves buâ— unto him who died for them and rose again 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree but we being dead to sin should live to righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed Vers. 21. Because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 4.1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind For he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God By all which places and many other which could be mentioned we may observe that the Saints made the chifest use and improvements of the Sufferings Death and Resurrection of Christ for the Mortification of Sin and living unto God in holiness and righteousness and that unto perfection and did not sooth or please themselves to live in much sin and unholiness and speaking peace to themselves therein because of what Christ had done and suffered for them And now I shall sum up in a few words the particular uses and benefits which the Saints receive in order to a growing and proceeding in holiness through the improving the Coming Sufferings Death and Resurrection of the Lord in the outward through the Power and Light of his own holy Spirit and Life in and by which only they can improve them aright I. As his Coming Birth Sufferings Death Resurrection c. are presented and set before us in the evidence and vertue of his own Light and Spirit in our hearts so it is made a great occasion to strengthen both our faith in God and our love towards him forasmuch as our Lord God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ hath given by his outward coming c. as aforesaid a very great and large testimony of his love and good will towards all men for their Salvation and of his patience and long-suffering in permitting men so to use his own dear Son which was as if it had been unto himself Yea herein he gave a most convincing Testimony how he had born and suffered with wonderful long-suffering the iniquities of men which struck against his inward Life and Spirit of his Son in all ages and generations before the wounding and crucifying it in them as now they did against him in the outward By which men might be greatly convinced that the will of the Lord was their Salvation in so bearing and suffering them for had he not intended love to them herein he might have eased himself of his adversaries in a Moment and altogether delivered that tender Life and Spirit of his Son from its sufferings in them and brought intolerable sufferings upon the transgressors themselves Also herein the Lord gave a great testimony of his Power to save in as much as tho he delivered up his Son to suffer most deep affliction in and under sinners yet in due time he raised him up again even from death and did manifestly set him over all his adversaries according to the working of which mighty power he is able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by him And so these things being inwardly presented and set before the Soul in the Spirit and Light of Jesus Christ are indeed very forcible and prevailing to work faith in it both upon the mercy and power of the Lord and so to rest and stay its faith upon him for its full and perfect Salvation as also to work and beget love unto him in the inward sense and feeling of the wonderful love of God as manifesting it self even so in the outward II. And yet more particularly the coming sufferings and death of Christ as presented by his Spirit in the Soul as aforesaid have a very special influence to kindle most ardent love in it towards him in the sense of that love of his so wonderfully manifested in the outward whereby for the Souls saving from sin and wrath he so humbled himself by so many steps and degrees and bore such indignities and sufferings as never any one did and all in love to the Soul and for it and for its deliverance as aforesaid and that he should be manifest in the outward body and suffer so deeply therein even for the delivering our outward bodies also from sin and wrath these things I say as presented and set before the Soul in his own Spirit as it were himself telling it in a particular way how he had humbled himself and what he had done and suffered for it are strong and prevailing occasions to work most ardent and dear love in the Soul towards him and his Spirit and towards the Father also whose free Gift of Love he is III. And they have indeed a great influence when presented in his Spirit as aforesaid to work in our hearts true and real repentance from all our sins yea and a perfect and universal hatred against them as having a sense that our sins were the occasion of his sufferings yea his deepest and heaviest sufferings even in his Soul in the outward was through the burden of our iniquities which he then did bear so that the wounds he got in his blessed Body with the Nails and the Spear and the Thorns and the violent Hands of Men were nothing comparable to these wounds he had in his righteous Soul and
suffered Death for Sin gave us a most convincing Example that we should Die unto it and suffer it no more to live in us Now it is to be observed and remembred that in all these Steps the Sufferings and Death of Christ c. have these Influences upon us not as they are presented unto us barely in our own Spirit or as we do bring them to our remembrance thereby and so make a working upon our selves in our own thoughts and motions for in so doing we shall never profit our own Souls either in Dying unto Sin or Living in Holiness unto God Indeed we may thereby raise sparks of our own kindling in the affectionate part and work some effect in our hearts which may be a shadow or likeness of these things but can never be the things themselves but as they are inwardly presented to the Soul in the Light Life and Spirit of Christ Iesus and applied thereby and that instantly and continually For it is his Light Life and Spirit alone which both gives the true Understanding of the Vse and End of these things and also gives unto the Soul the living sense and feeling of them and in a living and effectual way doth only and can apply them unto the Soul and whole Powers thereof for the Working such suitable Effects and Impressions as are proper thereunto But some may say Seeing the outward Coming Sufferings and Death c. of the Lord Iesus Christ as it is known and improved by the Soul is so effectual to work Faith and Love in it towards God and for its Mortification unto Sin and living in Holiness unto God would it not therefore seem that the knowledg of the outward Coming Sufferings and Death of Christ as aforesaid is of absolute necessity unto every one for the attainment of these things For how can a Soul believe that God will be Gracious unto it or is reconcileable with it but as it looks upon that Testimony of his Mercy and Love in sending his Beloved Son outwardly into the World to Suffer and Die for our Sins in order unto our Reconciliation and Peace with God Also how can it love God with that Purity and Fervency of Love which is according to the Gospel but as it regards and considers that Testimony of his Love in the Coming Sufferings and Death of Christ in the outward ANSW Indeed the knowledg of this outward Coming Sufferings and Death is of very blessed use and advantage and all who have it should be very thankful unto God who hath given us this Testimony of his Love Good-will Long-suffering and Power in the outward coming of Jesus Christ for the more abundant helping and enabling us to believe in him and love him Yet this I say though express knowledg of his outward Coming Sufferings and Death is very profitable to beget Faith and Love in men towards God as aforesaid and ought to be highly valued in its place nevertheless this express knowledg is not of absolute necessity unto Faith and Love forasmuch as the outward Coming Sufferings and Death of Christ may have and hath a real and true Influence upon them who know it not expresly For seeing he hath tasted death for every man and given his Life a Ransom for all it cannot be but that it should have an Influence upon all Yea the Apostle expresly mentions what it is Rom. 5.18 19. how that by the Righteousness and Obedience of Christ the Free Gift is come upon all to Iustification of Life Look then as many of Adam's Posterity suffer disadvantage by his disobedience who never knew it expresly so why may not many receive an advantage by Christ the Second Adam's obedience even in the outward who never knew it expresly Yea certainly they have for how many Thousands have been Saved before Christ's coming in the outward who knew it not expresly And many who knew something of it it was but very darkly and under Vails and Figures yea the very Disciples did not for a good time know of his Death so that when he told them of it they were astonished and yet they had both Faith and Love in some measure seeing then that some had Faith and Love to God and were saved without the express knowledg thereof before he came outwardly why not also after his coming where his coming outwardly hath not been preached nor revealed Yea has not God a way of saving Infants and the Dumb and Deaf who have not that express knowledg For now Christ is inwardly come in a Seed of Life and Light in all which is the Word of Reconciliation by which men may be Reconciled with God as they joyn and apply their minds thereunto and in this the Lord God doth give a sufficient testimony of his love mercy good-will Long suffering and Power unto every man for his Salvation whereby it is possible for him to attain unto the true Faith in God and the true Love towards him even according to the Gospel And in this Holy Seed the Sufferings of Christ and how he bore the Iniquities of the Soul and makes Intercession or Attonement unto God may be learned in some measure with many other things concerning Christ in relation to him and his doings and sufferings in the outward which was an outward and visible Testimony of his inward doings and sufferings in all ages in men and women in the Holy Seed And indeed we find that this is only the true and effectual way of knowing the use and work of his Coming and Sufferings and Death in the outward by turning and having our minds turned inwards unto himself near and in our hearts in the Holy Seed to know by an inward feeling and good experience his doings and sufferings in us by being made conformable thereunto In which Holy Seed as it ariseth in us such a clear Light shineth forth in our hearts as giveth unto us the true knowledg of the Vse of his inward Doings and Sufferings hence also such a precious sweet and powerful Life springeth up from and in the same Holy Seed which doth with much sweetness and comfort enable us to follow his example in the outward in Faith in Obedience in Love in Purity in Patience in Godliness in Righteousness and Temperance and all other things wherein we are required to imitate him And this is the great loss we find people at generally who seek to know the Vertue and Vse of his Coming Doings and Sufferings in the outward by what they can outwardly hear or read of him while as they remain estranged from his Light Life and Spirit in the Holy Seed in their hearts and yet they can never know the same but in this And Oh! at what great pains have many poor Souls been to imitate Christ in his Heavenly Vertues by setting him as their Example before him but meerly as the Letter or History declares of him By which way yet they can never attain unto the true imitation or following of him for
Service of the Gospel of Christ by way of Journal Containing also divers Letters and Epistles writ to several Great and Eminent Persons whilst there The Third Impression Corrected by the Author 's own Copy with some Answers not before Printed Price Bound 2 s. Tender Counsel and Advice by way of Epistle to all those who are Sensible of their Day of Visitation and who have received the Call of the Lord by the Light and Spirit of his SON in their Hearts to partake of the Great Salvation where-ever scattered throughout the World Faith Hope and Charity which overcome the World be multiplied among you By W. Penn. The Third Edition Price 3 d Scripture-Instruction degested into several Sections by way of Question and Answer In Order to promote Piety and Virtue and discourage Vice and Immorality with a Preface relating to Education by I. Freame price 1 s. W. Penn's Key in English Price 4 d. French 4 d. 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Spirit now raised and formed in thee For this is he whom the Lord hath given thee for a Leader and a Commander and he is worthy to have this place for that he is an infallible Guide Instructor Counsellour and Teacher which never sinned nor can sin and him hath the Father given unto thee for a Head that in all things thou shouldst obey him and do nothing but in his will Even as it is in the natural body and life and powers thereof for the powers of Life which are in the head and heart being supream over the powers which are in the other members do rule and command them and the members in which they are And so it should be here and where the inferiour powers of the natural life do not obey the superiour powers of the same there is confusion and disorder in nature as indeed it hath fallen out through mens disobedience to this holy Life because man's supreamist power of Life videlicet his will hath not stood in subjection to the Powers of this Holy Life which is its supream therefore hath its power been taken from it in great part that it cannot rule its inferiour powers as of the natural passions and affections but they often rebell against it So that many times a man is led by his very animal passions into things against his very will which would not be so were his will brought into a perfect subjection unto the will of this Holâ— Life its supream and higher power for then it would give it a perfect victory and dominion over them Now when I speak of the absolute need that the Soul hath to know its warrant from its inward Guide and Leader viz this Holy Life and God who is so therein and so in conjunction therewith that when I speak of the one it is never to be understood but in conjunction with the other By this warrant I say I do not conceive that the Soul for every thing it doth is to have an absolute and possitive command nay but it must have either that or at least an inward felt permission allowance or liberty given to it in and from the same and where this is clearly and distinctly received and known it is warrant sufficient unto such who have it And whosoever do any thing or things in this inward and felt liberty of the Holy Life and Spirit of Jesus Christ do the same in true faith and gruonded upon the known will of God either mandatory or permissory And if this permission or liberty be not granted unto thee thou wilt sensibly feel in thy heart the Holy Life with its powers repugnant thereunto so that it will sensibly move and stir in thy heart against the thing thou hast before thee to do III. And as thou art not forwardly or rashly in thy own will to do any thing without the warrant aforesaid of the Holy Life mandatory or permissory â—o thou art to be as careful that thou be not backward negligent or unwilling to answer the will of this Holy Life in doing those things which it moves and inclines thee unto and requireth of thee for the hurt is one and the same in both viz. in going about to do a thing or things contrary to the will of God and forbearing to do that or those things which he requireth of thee the one is the sin of commission the other is the sin of emission both of them the sin of disobedience against God and so both of them provoke the Lord burthen and grieve his Holy Life and Spirit and both of them bring weakness conâ—usion deadness and darkness upon the Soul IV. Do nothing doubtfully and with unclearness and confusion of mind but exercise a perfect passiveness and forbearance as to all these things which are not cleared up unto thee to be the mind and will of the Lord. The right knowledge use and observation of this is of both great comfort and advantage unto the Soul as we have often found by great and good experience 1. It is of great comfort for it signifieth the great lenity and moderation of the Lord towards us that if we be singly given up in our minds having a willingness of heart in simplicity and uprightness to know the will of God perfectly in all things if some things even of great importance be unclear unto us he spareth to charge the guiltiness of disobedience upon us till we be clear tho we be â—ound in the forbearance of them which is great gentleness upon the Lords part 2. Again It is of great advantage to us for First It riddeth us of many superstitious fears which others have whilst one while they suppose they should do this other while the contrary and still imagin God to be angry with them one way or other which begetteth most woful superstitious fears in the Soul and indeed I may say the ground of all superstition is the unclearness and confusion of mind as to the understanding the will of God one while over-rating things and judging it self bound in things wherein the Lord hath left it free and then again imagining but both doubtfully to please the Lord in things he doth not regard Secondly It reduceth our whole work as it were within a narrow or small compass and yet not narrower than the Lord alloweth for according to this advertisement concerning the many things that come before us as duty by way of consideration if we stand in a true and single resignation unto the will of God in all things or truly aim thereat we may thus reason with our own hearts Either such a thing is made clear unto me from the Lord by the manifestation of his Holy Life in my heart or after singly waiting upon him it is not as yet made clear unto me If the former then it is my work to do it and I must not forbear whatever trouble from the enemy without or within I meet with in the practice thereof If the latter I have nothing more to do with it at present but to wait upon the Lord if he shall afterwards clear it up unto me and so I may let it alone with a quiet and peaceable Conscience And thus ye may see there is a great difference betwixt doing and forbearing for unclearness of mind in the thing may be a ground for me to forbear it but I must not do any thing upon the ground of unclearness A third advantage is that thereby our minds are kept clear and pure and open even like a free and clear air which doth with readiness receive the light that shineth in it and every impression made in it thereby whereas doing things in the unclearness and doubtfulness confuseth and disordereth the mind yea maketh it muddy and gross bringeth darkness and death over it for he that doubteth is condemned in his own heart Fourthly It giveth us an opportunity to cut short the work in righteousness touching the doing or forbearing of divers things which are called