likeness of Christs fleshly holiness and may be in so great love that it slayeth all wicked love in their souls and strengthens them to suffer freely for him and yet this over-shadowing of their souls whereby they are kept from the great love of the world is onely as a shadow of the invisible light of the Godhead and manhood united and lightly touching the serious and devour soul whereof the Prophet spake as being under the shadow of his spiritual wings or manhood and yet this is but Christs love received intomens dark minds and imaginations though it be that condition whereunto thousands professing Christianity have not yet attained though they pretend much and seem to teach others also But it is faith and spiritual feeling of Jesus Christ which purifieth the heart and whereby the soul comes to understand his spiritual love in the Godhead as Christ said I in them and thou in me and to be made perfect in one c. to which all bodily beholdings are but as means directing mens minds to the light and thereby their souls to a serious consideration of the wonderful love goodness power and wisdom manifested in the manhood of Christ spiritually And so it is like Martha loved him and laboured in outward service for him and that with hearty affections but Mary chose the better part she received and embraced him with more pure affections and retained him in her bea rt Mary Magdalen loved Christ well before his passion of bodily death but her love was much bodily and little spiritually for she loved him not as God before though her thoughts and affections were set upon him in which affections or actions expressing her love Christ condemns her not in that time so far as we find but after when he was risen from death and appeared unto her she would have reverenced him with such a manner of love as she did before and then Christ forbad her saying Touch me not as look not on me with a fleshly eye to rest therein for so I am not ascended to my Father nor equal to the Father so but now love me as I am one with the Father in the form of the Godhead know love and worship me as God and man like God so to be with me love and worship me onely for that I am God that took the nature of man and therefore receive and embrace me as God in thine heart and in thy love of me and worship me in the enlightned understanding of thy soul as Jesus Christ God and man the saving truth goodness and light of blessed life and spiritual joy and so Christ Jesus promised to come unto his Disciples and be with them by his holy Spirit after given them with power from on high to teach them all things and lead them into all truth the which heavenly gift of holiness and glory few have yet attained to in these latter times since the Apostacy and therefore those souls that have not attained to this spiritual understanding of him through his grace are to wait in his light with pure affections of fervent love until more grace be freely given unto them and not to over-run the conditions wherein they are but stay therein until they shall respectively feel a better revealed in them still minding that all spiritual gifts are felt and tasted in the powers of the souls chiefly in love and spiritual understanding but not in imaginations through the strength of the body or bodily wits which are not spiritual feelings and at most but outward tokens of spiritual inward feelings in the powers of their souls where the holy Ghost hath lighted their reasons and kindled their affections with his blessed Presence so clearly in fervent love that they immediately thereby received the knowledge of spiritual truth and perfect love with an outward shewing of of the inward feeling of spiritual grace And as it was in the former Disciples so it is now in other like-perfect souls visited and lighted within by the holy Ghost whereby there is an outward feeling of the inward grace and the body made obedient thereby to the Spirits moving and leading without fainedness or fancie of imagination And he is no spiritual man that hath not thus learned Christ or is taught his lesson by him in like spiritual wise nor any way qualified to judge of spiritual matters but must consequently erre in his understanding and mar all he meddles with and not know how or wherein he so erreth much less how to amend his own crrours and how then shall he reform others but as a blind man may judge of colours because these spiritual things are above the sight of his carnal eye so that he perceiveth them not that hath not the spiritual eye of his understanding opened and how then should he open the Scriptures that as Christ said neither knows them nor the power of God or be skill'd in the use of his spiritual Weapons his warfare or work to be done in his Vineyard or know the kingdom power or glory of God whereto all true service tends For as it is written The natural man understands not the things of the Spirit of God but they are foolishness to him for it is the spiritual man that judgeth all things and is judged of no man because his life is hid with God in Christ as taken from the earth and unknown to the world but well known to God and is so reformed in soul that he feels the least fleshly stirring in him and condemns it and loaths it in his heart and ever fleeth to God for strength against all such motions and loves not his life to attain the life eternal but is passive in every thing a man of sorrows and sufferings as his Lord Jesus was and left him an ensample to follow him therein Seeing the business in hand is of soul-concernment it is absolutely necessary that the soul should know it self with the facultie vertues and powers thereof by its turning into and watchful keeping in its pure principle of the light of Christ Jesus in the Conscience to love that light and observe its motions as it shall be led by the holy Spirit into all truth and thereby restored into its primitive purity fit to enjoy the sweet presence of God as Adam did before his disobedience For a miserable and wretched man is he that knoweth not the workings worth and worthiness of his own soul the first lesson to be learned in Christs school as the trade of his youth it being the most excellent Creature that the Lord God formed for his service and glory whereto nothing can give true content satisfaction or rest but God onely and therefore neither to love nor desire any thing but him for otherwise he cannot come to know the Spirit of God and what it willeth worketh or would work in him how it striveth how it is grieved how quenched how he searcheth all things even the deep things of God how he dwelleth in man how
the powers of the soul So there is a meekness that is gained by the working of reason in fleshly feeling and another that is deeply felt in the soul and is the free and spiritual gift of love and it is a full hard thing and a great mystery to him that stands in the working of his own reason to keep constant rest and softness in his heart and charity to love men when they despise him without resisting or repining thereat c. Both these are of love but the first worketh by the reason of the soul the second worketh by the holy Spirit in the soul and so the first is imperfect the second perfect The first meekness a man feeleth in beholding his sin and wretchedness and judging himself unworthy of any mercy or good thing at the hand of God and as the worst of creatures worthy of all sufferings and thus thrusteth himself down under all others and grieveth in his heart when he is overcome by any temptation confesseth accuseth himself and asketh forgiveness c. But this is not perfect meekness for it comes of beginning to profit in grace caused by beholding of sins and this is the meekness that love worketh by the reason of the soul But perfect meekness the soul feeleth of the sight and spiritual knowledge of Jesus Christ seeing him to be all and do all in the soul and for it and hath so great love and joy in that spiritual sight that it forgetteth it self after a sort and leaneth to Jesus Christ with all the love it hath to behold him and heeds not any unworthiness or sins before done but setteth it self with all sins past and good deeds also at nought as unworthy to be remembred and judgeth no particular soul neither better nor worse them himself but loves and helps the good in all and every man therein and slighteth and despiseth all the joy and worship of this world as seeing it so little and nought in regard of the joy and love the soul feeleth in the spiritual sight of Jesus Christ and knowledge of his purity and holiness that though he might have all worldly joy and worship without sin yet he would not meddle with it The world hath no savour in this meekness but is exceeding far from it It is the lover of Jesus Christ onely that hath this meekness abiding in him with liking and gladness and that without any heaviness or stirring for it But the world hath a proud meekness belonging to an hypocrite without this joy or gladness by the gift of the holy Ghost and do heed the praises of men as also fear their dispraises taking pleasure or displeasure thereat in themselves and it 's like this was the snare that David prayed to have his heart pluckt out of And many that yet love the praise of men more then God or his praise do bestir themselves travel and labour with their wills wits and affections and so think on God Christ and outward exercises as it were by their strength to draw out of themselves a feeling of the love of God in Christ even by bodily force and mastery if that were possible But these love not spiritually nor is this a kindly or gracious work of love but a kind of maddoing of the soul at Reasons bidding which without meekness and forsaking the love of earthly things is very dangerous to beget spiritual pride which otherwise done in meekness of love and a loathing of all earthly affections may finde favour with the Lord and be by him changed from mans own works into spiritual workings for as man cannot think a good thought of himself so he ought to forbear his own thinkings words and works as not good and therefore can find no acceptance with God and wait with patience for the Lords working in him to will and to do of his good pleasure all other workings being to the soul's greater sufferings and loss as the Prophet said The kindling of fires with mans own sparks causeth the foul to lie down in sorrow In such an imperfect Lover Love worketh freely by the affections of man but in perfect Lovers Love worketh within in the light by spiritual affections killing all other affections in the soul and that both kindly and quietly but man not knowing this work of the holy Spirit will not believe how the vertues of Meekness Soberness Chastity Love and Cleanness is wrought so quietly and surely without travel or painful labour of the body and bodily wits and therefore they labour and toil day after day with their Reasons and outward exercises in their own strength to get vertues and make love by words and other stirrings and what they seem so to get they have much more ado to keep with all their fightings against sin contendings for grace and wranglings about it and therefore are like Wrastlers sometimes above and soon again underneath up and down in and out off and on getting and losing and so weary their wits and tire themselves because all this striving is in their own reason might and strength of self-will as fightings with themselves but neither in true savour nor love and therefore have not the victory or upper hand of what they strive about and such must loose the full rest because no man may so put himself fully into Gods hands for that man seeth him not but his eye being shut he thereby closeth it faster lest he should see and will not know it and though some such may suffer bodily pains for what they do as in love to Jesus Christ and that gladly yet being not of the holy Spirit led by the fire of burning love and brightness it is fully mingled with high pride presumption judging and disdaining them by whom they suffer and yet these say and think they are in charity and that they suffer all for the love of God but are begailed by the Devil's transformings because their knowledge of God is principally in imaginations and their love to him in natural affections and bodily likenesses at the best but as milk before strong meat for in strong feeding on the Father's Bread at his own Table the imaginations may not be serviceable unless to the feeling in understanding when need is and then onely as a hand-maid waiting on the hand of her Dame Many do like well of the Vertues of Meekness Lowliness and Patience as in their own reasons and wills that are enemies thereto in their affections through grudgings in themselves at those in whom they are and so can have no love to Vertue or vertuous men or know how to delight in them as such spiritually and what these men do by the stirrings of reason in them is but out of a fleshly fear of God or rather applause of men for Jesus Christ is but as a stranger to the soul until his Image be therein reformed in meekness and love which is his Livery and wherein he discovers himself and his secrets as he said to his
THE One Good Way OF GOD CONTRARY To the many different ways of Mens making WITH Loving Warnings Exhortations Cautions to all sorts of men concerning their souls and to be at peace amongst themselves By One that truly loves them in and for God Known by the outward name RICHARD HODDEN Gal. 6.7 Be not deceived God is not mocked whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap c. Ephes 6.11 12. Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil for we wrestle not with flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places Ephes 4.14 That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and frâ— â—nd carried about with every wind of doctrine by slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive LONDON Printed by J. C. and are to be sold by Richard Moon Book-seller in Windstreet in Bristol 1661. To the READER Friendly Reader I Have here made mention of the Good Cause and Way of God in plain words according to the knowledge of his Son revealed in me with much love to all men that they might with their eyes see and with their ears hear the voice of the beloved Son of God be converted healed and live unto him in righteousness and true holiness And if thou be willing to know this one way for thine own soul with the true state thereof turn in thy mind to the pure light of the Lord Jesus to the word that is neer thee in thy mouth and in thine heart commune there and be still to obey it that thou maist know thine own Teacher learn thine own Lesson feel and find how thy soul prospereth and travelleth in its journey towards the holy Land of heavenly Love and blessed Rest to enter therein and cease from thy own works as God did from his And thus prepared read on considerately with deep sadness great dread love and meeckness that thou maist feel the love and favour therein not to get words and thereby deceive thy soul and ever mind the present stirrings in thy heart to love and long after the Lords knocking at thy door for thee to open that the King of glory may come in and shew thee what his good pleasure it in thine own particular for thy good without running into others conditions to loose thine own strength that thou maist walk in obedience thereto by the leading of his blessed spirit of holiness whatever others scoffingly may speak thereof and so feel and find what adviseable part of the ensuing Treatise may concern thy present state and therein wait and abide faithful until thou shalt hear the voice saying Come up higher and then follow it for the eternal life here but hinted at is far from the roving wild mind and unstable soul and cannot be truely tasted or sweetly savoured so long as the soul remains ignorant of its self and true Teacher or beholds any created things and mingles with them because Eternity is perfectly free from all similitudes appearances and perishing things as being of and in the Father of lights with whom is no variableness nor shadow of changing whose pure presence so ravisheth the enlightned souls that it desireth nothing but union with that light and to know and do what that willeth in him and therein seeketh to bring all others into the same heavenly frame and happy estate of endless joy and blessed love without hope of reward or fear of punishment wherein dependeth all the souls happiness which no man ought to shun neither indeed doth but he that is wilfully blind willingly ignorant of the love of God in Christ Jesus the true light and enemy to vertue and the health and safety of his own soul because this pure path is ready prepared and ever open waiting to embrace and conduct the soul that so cometh and is such as whereas the pure mind finds the entrance easie plain and pleasant such as wherein the unlearned fools in the worlds esteem and of mean capacities cannot erre but the worldly-wise prudent and learned Clerks may not thereby be acquainted with it it is so contrary to their wisdom and the entrance a strait gate to them because therein their invented Arts and earthly skill have no place which they that trust to shall one day know and pay for their credulity though otherwise commendable and useful in the managing of earthly matters And herein is the great mercy of Almighty God manifested in Christ Jesus to sinners that have long neglected his love that the poor the blind the lame and all willing watchful and weary souls that truly love him in his least and lowest appearance might come to him and in his pure path of pleasure and light see light and finde refreshment as those that have gone before in owning and witnessing his good old Cause in his way as did righteous Abel Enoch Noah Abraham Moses the Prophets Christ Jesus himself and his Disciples Martyrs and others did and still do to obey him in all the leadings of his love in their souls and feelings of his grace and spiritual favour that they may know him more and better and so grow up in him and by his spiritual nourishment pruning and purging be sitted to bring forth more fruit in most humble and modest manner of obedience according to the farther discoveries of his higher glory and be therein exercised that the purchased inheritance of the Saints in light and crown thereof may be in due time received Thy Friend R. H. The Contents 1 EPistle 2 Of Adam 3 Worldlings 4 Formalists 5 Zealots 6 Love of God 7 Jesus Christ 8 Soul 9 Meditations 10 Prayer 11 Pearl 12 Conversion 13 Temptations 14 Faith in fleshly feeling 15 Darkness of Soul 16 Meekness of Love 17 Faith in spiritual favour 18 Conclusion Peace in all Humility in all The Cross in all Tenderness in all The One Good Way of GOD Contrary to the many different Ways of Men's Making I Intend not here to say much though something may be expected of the Manner how Matter whereof or Time when the Lord God formed the first Man Adam and breathed into him the breath of life whereby he became a living soul or how long he abode in that innocent life of obedience according to the abilities thereby given him to converse with God and give names to the other Creatures according to their natures how God made him a meet helper how the Devil as a sâ—btil Serpent prevailed with the woman and both with Adam to learn and strive to be kingly potent and skilful to reign and rule over the Love and meekness of God and by self-will to look out with a lastful minde after what was forbidden him and to take content in the visible things of this Earthly Creation and be ambitious and covetous thereof wherein the devils Kingdom consists for which the serpent
liberty in the will of Satan and the flesh to use or rather abuse the outward things upon their own lusts without any touch of Conscience as being unwilling to know what Conscience and the light therein means lest it should hinder their earthly happiness of glorying in their shame as men not in their right minds but bereaved of their wits not knowing what they are of whom they are to whom they belong what their business is here or how to gain content in anything but every Toy disquiets their minds every filthy lust takes hold of them and gets dominion over them leads them captive and they say they cannot help it some adding that if God had given them grace to forsake their evil ways as he hath done to some others then they should be happy and gladly leave their sinful courses and when God giveth them grace they will c. Now to such I say They speak truely but very wickedly that they have no grace and therefore none they will have though the grace of God hath appeared to all men but they continue still in their filthy love and delight in their lusts and that because they disable themselves to receive grace and neither wait to be prepared for the drawings of God in them nor take any heed to his leading or light that would shew them better but resist all so that they seldome feel any glimpse of the light of Christ neither are willing to suffer it to rest in or shine into their souls lest it should draw them from the great love and liking of this world and the lusts that seem so sweet to them But Do they say they want grace to resist sin and tentations thereto that do presently yeild themselves to sin upon the motions thereof These men have grace truely offered to them but they withstand it and turn it into wantonness and resist the true light and holy Spirit when it moveth and striveth with them as sometime did the old world whereby it becomes as natural to such men to commit sin as the Ox to drink in water and therefore think it impossible to withstand it but it is by reason of their custom therein and willingness thereto which doth so weaken and enfeeble their wills and affections to grace that they feel not the vertue thereof to resist the Devil or sin when he offers it to the soul and when they do feel inward smitings in their Consciences or as a heavy weight upon them they presently to quiet their Consciences flee to their vain pleasures and lustful practises even as beasts and Sodomites to eat and drink and rise up to play fill themselves with worldly solace and leave tokens of their jollity behind them from whence that general Question ariseth Do you love this meat or drink this or the other outward thing c. about which lusts many do so mightily spend their strength and employ their wits in striving to get needless wealth to satisfie this love this lust this god their bellies wherein they glory which tends to their utter loss in spiritual things and that when they have over-much unless they would employ it better and also cast it off and detract from their desires inordinate affections loves and likings that keep them from the love of God sight and feeling of Gods grace and way of restauration to the heavenly mysteries of his glorious Kingdom all bodily things being for support of bodily strength as physick for health with much Caution lest Iust step in with the use so could Paul beat down his body and others following his example therein as he followed Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father IV. O ye Formalists that have in these days your ways in the aiery Element without footing or foundation that turn any way with every wind not knowing whither you go because darkness hath blinded your eyes and sloth so possess'd your souls that you are unfree and afraid to have your eyes opened in the light lest it should prove to your loss in earthly things and therefore do neglect the light and silence the voyce of Jesus Christ in your own and others Consciences by your formal and fleshly inventions of Conformity and bodily exercises that all are to perish with the using being as it is written after the doctrines and commandments of men c. from whence spring up the devised snares and gins to catch the innocent and Non-conformists that are not of your aiery minds without considering the commands of Christ Jesus the Lord of the harvest who said Let the tares and wheat grow together in the world until the harvest and again in these words Whatsoever yâ— would that men should do unto you so do you unto them or how he pleasech respectively to carry on his great work of soâ—ls to reform them into faith and spiritual feeling neither yet how you your selves or some of you are but newly released from under the yoke of your bondage and suddenly step up upon a stage of this world to shew your selves for a little season should not in any wise lay a like or greater yoke of bondage upon the necks of others then you your selves were able to bear and especially in these transient times when as it is written the holy God is pouring contempt upon all flesh and these fading glories are vanishing away ready to be left by you or snatcht from you before you have any firm hold of them but times and seasons are all in the Lords hands and his secrets with his saints and therefore in love to your souls consider well your way and be not high-minded but fear before the God of heaven and learn of him to be wise in this your day of tryal to understand what the good will of the Lord is respectively to you and let not love and meekness be mastered by any exalted peevish wrathful spirit of contention in you for he is now proving you that you might know what is in your own hearts and that others might see whether you will indeed truly incline your souls to him and his service so to act as you seem to pray to have his will done in earth as it is in heaven c. who will no more spare you then he hath done others in case you be found in their footsteps contrary to his one good way truth and life which those that have truly tasted the sweetness of cannot neglect whatever others do for the reasonable service is as it is written not a conforming to this world but a being transformed by the renewing of the mind To prove what that good and acceptable and perfect will of God is whereby he reforms mens souls through faith as pleaseth him into a perfect inward savour taste feeling and wise skill which the holy Ghost teacheth and planteth in the powers of the soul whereby he requites no hard harth or intricate service but what is according to right reason and the knowledge thereof to be received
and therefore so many under pretence of prayers and praises to God stick not to scoft at the teachings of the holy Spirit gift of the holy Ghost silent waitings upon God watching praying new lights c. and so go on blaspheming the Father of lights and the holy Name by which his saints are called as things most contrary to their natures and fleshly affections and therefore it highly concerns you every one to consider well with what you come before the Lord and to examine your selves whether you are in the faith whether Christ Jesus be in you or you are reprobates Now if Jesus Christ be forming in you then the body is dayly dying and if he be there formed the body is dead because of sin and the Spirit alive for righteousness sake and then all sensible things of bodily wits of imaginations natural reason and understanding are brought under the true light and heavenly Spirit and yeilded up so as to know and do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus wherein I do not mean onely naming him as his names are written in a Book or on a Wall or spoken of by polluted Livs but in the light and by his Spirit with the thoughts and affections naked bare and free from beholding bodily or earthly things as altered from fleshly likings and affections into spiritual savour sweetness and delight in his divine presence wherein the Spirit of prayer is freely given and felt as a flaming desire in the heart to Jesus Christ the mighty power love and wisdom of God by the heavenly touch of spiritual love which is neither bodily nor can be bodily felt onely the soul that is wholly devoted to God may and doth feel it but not with any bodily wit wisdom or skill because it is not felt but in the spiritual desire of the soul that is cleansed or waiting to be cleansed from all unrighteousness and there it doth so warm heat and quicken to watchfulness in prayer and obedience that it enliveneth the soul and ravisheth it more and more with pure joy and consolation in him so that the thoughts are gathered in at all times to think speak and act soberly sadly and seriously and in prayer ever to express such words as God onely by his Spirit putteth into the heart like an eccho of mans voyce to his friend which prayer is much alone as Christs also was free from all lets and interruptions and is the gift of the holy Ghost and lasteth not very long at a time in the fervour of it for that it is laborious to the Spirit though very pleasant through the passion of love therein felt truely tasted and sweetly savoured not much unlike that of Moses when he opened not his lips or of Hannah when she did but move her lips which breaketh down all lusts and likings of earthly things with so great force as that the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence thereby while the soul is wounded with the sword of love and thereby overcomes and obtains the requests in some sense as Jacob did but the body then seems to fall down and may not bear it because the working is of so great force that the most vicious and fleshly man on earth so touched would be right sorrowful and sad therewith for the time and loath all his lusts and fleshly likings of earthly things by him most delighted in before as Jeremy said the love and feeling of God was made as burning fire in his heart and this is the holy Ghost and fire even the love of God in man burning and wasting all other loves and likings in mans soul as a fire sticking in the bones and filling all the powers of the soul with grace and glorious sweetness as marrow fills the bones and yet not without the wits but within them so full of might and power where it worketh within that if smiteth down into and through all and throws down the body into quaking and trembling for that it is so far unlike and contrary to the body that the body cannot skill of it nor bear it as was in like manner witnessed in Moses David Habakkuk and others and also in some of my dear friends that are living witnesses thereof yet in the flesh onely our Lord Jesus moderateth it and tempereth it into a soft and sober sweetness by abating the fervour and motion in time convenient and administreth life and peace as the soul becomes capable of it So that the holy Spirit teacheth for what and how to pray watch meditate and move to please God without any mans teaching and so our prayer is continual without ceasing and most and best alone in the heart that is made pure and clean by the operation of the holy Spirit that teacheth to do all things and live ever in the love and sweet presence of God without any great letting of lusts vanities or other tentations as the soul becomes clean and purely devoted to him We read in holy Scriptures of the womans lost Groat the pearl and treâ—sure hid in the field selling all buying c. which certainly are matters of some importance to man because so significantly exprest by Jesus Christ of himself and mans soul as of lighting a candle sweeping searching finding rejoycing digging deep selling all other merchandize buying c. and therefore it skills much to have this Candle lighted whereby mans soul may see this treasure in its self and know the value of it whereby it may be induced to sell all for it which may not be until it be known that it is lost and where as in the inner part of mans own house for as Jesus Christ was lost in mans soul so there he is to be found what was lost there by Adam is to be found there in Christ Jesus the pure pearl of high price and primitive perfection but he may not be there found in naming of him by any his outward names nor as by faining his name or any power in mans heart by the labour of his minde or studying that name never so strongly or earnestly for in this manner do those that are far out of the way think to finde him and by so seeking miss of him as neither knowing his Voyce Name nor Nature or taste any savour of him or see comeliness in him to desire him but live without as strangers to him even without GOD in the world but he that comes to have an inward sight of a little of that spiritual fairness and dignity which the reasonable soul had of and in God at first that was lost in Adam and is to be had again by grace in Christ Jesus as it shall be enlightned to see him spiritually and shall not hide that light as under a bushel by over-laying it with earthly business or affections but shall love it above all earthly things even as the soul is swept with the fear of God washt with tears within c. and so the groat the pearl the Kingdom of
Disciples Learn of me for I am lowly and meek and you shall finde reft to your souls and again Love ye one another or love together as I have loved you by this said he shall all men know that you are my disciples He did not say They should be known by working miracles casting out Devils preaching teaching or praying which should be more minded by those that now desire signes and wonders that they may otherwise see if they shut not their eyes while true love and meekness are the greatest of miracles in these last and perilous times wherein men strive to resist evil not to suffer it to revenge wrongs rather then to forgive them as Christ commanded rather to fain love and meekness then be possessed of them suffer and endure all things and such is not worthy the name of love or meekness in mans will which is but altogether imperfect but meekness as in pure love and spiritual affections is perfect meekness and he that hath this is a meek man poor in spirit that knoweth himself as he is and ought to be known dissembleth not but loveth all others in or for God but where grudgings are in the heart towards any or unquiet thoughts the heart is not clean the conscience is not pure nor the walking charitably or with God in love of clean affections and consequently in and for God for the more evil any one doth to a meek man the more good doth he to him as to a man out of his right minde and so do thou and pray for such as Christ commanded and observe how he himself did by Judas for all his wickedness and to others never so much as saying to any man Thou lyest though some falsly accused him said He had a devil c. neither do I read that he reproved Judas openly bâ—t rather waited for his repentance to the very last and the more like to Jesus Christ thou art herein the more thou lovest thy self onely in God and not out of him and so thou lovest truly and not onely for righteousness vertue of God in thee or others so thou lovest not thy felf but God and if thou be yet bound in sin and feelest the burden of it then so thou lovest thy self for God to be freed by him from sin into his service and so if thou truly live in meekness thou lovest every man in the first place thou lovest God in man and in the second place thou lovest man for God that he may be his so should God be loved in all and for all and all in him and this is true love but if thy minde be troubled or unquiet when thou art rebuked belyed or evilly entreated then there is pride remaining in thy heart seem thou never so holy outwardly and there lyes hid like a Fox in his den And no good deed canst thou possibly do but it is spoiled therewith and thou hast thy reward for it is a mystery to love mens persons which ever ought to be and loathe their sins as contrary to God but it is no mystery to fain or pretend love fast sit silent preach give to the needy c. for these things bad men may do but to love men truly and hate the evil in them is the gift of God by the holy Spirit of Love which he gives freely and readily to all that wait truely for it and is therefore most pretious and profitable and without this there is not meekness of love to all men and a seeking the salvation of all but a stumbling and erring from the truth and mistaking one thing for another errours for truth and truth for errours because Covetousness and Anger is not forsaken while any other love but what is so in God and for God remains as to any creature or thing and thou shalt sinde it easier to forsake riches and lusts then the love of them for he that coveteth or desireth any thing he hath not and thereby keeps back the clean desires to Vertâ—e is yet covetous and look how much sorrow thou feelest upon the loss of any thing so much was thy love to it so that thou covetest not spiritual things so as thou oughtest but that thou stamblest at them and then how shouldst thou be filled with kindly savour within while the flesh retains its beastly savour without But this know that diligent watching inward hunger and pains helpeth the holy Spirit in thee to overcome yet while the bad root lives its evil branches will be springing up for therein is the compleat nature of the evil root and thereof the loathsome fruit which every evil man brings forth out of the evil treasure of his heart and there the strong man armed keeps the house until there be a free yeilding to Jesus Christ in meekness and pure love wherein he may overcome that strong man and strip him of all his strength and weapons wherein he trusteth and create the new man according to his own image and likeness of righteousness and true holiness and as thou receivest him with ability to exercise thy sences and discern things rightly to have Jesus Christ formed in thee and as thou conceivest him and he lives in thee thou wilt bring forth good things out of the good treasure of his life by strong desires and earnest actings to please him and be made like unto him not as of fleshly forming but in full meekness of minde pure love full perfection and fruition of all heavenly vertues and unchangeable blessedness whereunto Christ Jesus is the door he the Porter and not another he opens and no man shuts and shuts and no man opens by him is the enterance the going in and out and finding pasture for he is the pasture even the living bread that came down from heaven and is in heaven the well of water springing up to everlasting life of whom all the several sects and sorts of men that climb up another way are ignorant and so wanting the nourishment thereof fall short of the glory of God and yet forward to reprove others without any certain knowledge of those things in themselves or considering with how much meekness gentleness love and privacie for the most part reproofs ought to be even in weighty matters and in all as thrust on by divine love and some hopes of thereby shewing the sinner the evil of his way that he may be reclaimed ever weighing well how dangerous it is to abase and reprove others and not live in the light ones self and how many tribulations and tentations others have born to keep thee low in thine own eyes and learn to know how to esteem others highly in love for their works sake but but whosoever arrogates to or exalts himself thereby becomes base and blockish an antichrist unfit for any spiritual work and shall certainly fall low at last because the power of the Lord Jesus hath not had a kindly working in such a soul or his pure presence received by it or
rightly known to it to live and grow up in it as it is in all meek souls that in a still and quiet staidness suffer him and yeild to him for the increase and finishing of his own work therein The Soul of Man which the LORD GOD formed as hath been said by breathing of his breath of life into him is a worthy likeness image or similitude of God not the bodily shape but the inner powers thereof but since falling from the light and heavenly presence of sweet love and sure joy into the painful darkness and lusts of this wretched life is by his own act cast out of the heritage of heaven So that man now in no wise can know Jesus Christ the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world by running out with his thoughts into the most excellent way that mans wit can imagine but by a turning the Soul in to that of God within it self in the light thereof and there waiting for his still voice wherein the Lord Jesus Christ moveth which the wise and prudent men of this world imagine to be a low mean natural and contemptible thing but therein is the living and true God discovered to the soul and exalted above all created things whereby the soul seeth it self and also above it self into the heavenly place while it is so kept in the most inner and precious clean part of it self and taketh pure pleasure therein and that not onely for the light sake but for the blessed love which is in that light and the knowledge it giveth how to seek God within and forget all bodily things without and also forget thinking of it self and wayting to finde therein onely the uncreated God that made him and gave him reason will and affections and quickeneth him in Christ Jesus by his blessed light and so as Christ Jesus moves in him by his grace so moveth the soul to find and feel him more in himself as the true light which is not a natural or bodily thing but truth and faithfulness in spiritual light for as bodily light serveth to the body or outward man so this true light and faithful spiritual being which is God in Christ sheweth to the reason of the soul first it self and then in and by it self all other spiritual things that are needful to the knowledge and salvation of the Soul So said David By or In thy light we see light And thus is God a consuming fire that burneth and consumeth sin out of the soul and purifieth it even as fire parifieth Metals and these are as favory words as also is the work to those that so receive them and when the inner eye of the Soul is opened through grace to have such a beholding of Jesus Christ thereby shall the soul be raught to turn the outward powers into spiritual use and not to reft in a bare believing but grow in farther sight and knowledge of him untill the reasonable soul receive the kingdome of God as Christ said and that full blessed and endless life in him And in order thereto ever to feel and know how Jesus Christ opens the inner eye of the soul of his goodness and meer mercy when and as he pleaseth by lighting the reason with his true inner light in the conscience to see him and know him by little and little as the soul may suffer him whereby he gently sheweth the soul that he is an unchangeable being of saving strength faithfulness goodness and blessedness of endless life which the obedient soul learneth to see as much more then can be well express'd as Jesus pleaseth to reveal to him by his holy Spirit and that not blindly nakedly or unsavourily as in mans own reason by his outward learning or other bodily abilities but with an understanding enlightned comforted and strengthened by the gift of the holy Ghost with a wonderfull inexpressible love reverence godly fear spirituall savour and heavenly delight so as that the affections become ravished therewith and keeps from the minding of earthly things And thus is Go pleased to beget his owne likeness in man which beg tring is his Son in flesh even that goodness sight and sure knowledge of God in Christ and love unfained in him which is a reforming of the soul in faith and feeling and yet may not be grown so fully perfect in love as some have felt and written of but the more clean clear and simple the soul is made in parting from fleshly love the more quick sight and greater love to God it hath and it may be so as though there were no other man that believed in or loved Jesus Christ but that he were alone as Elijah once thought yet he would love him trust in him and follow him and not part with him for all other things and then a man valueth all earthly created things at one rate as nothing worth in his esteem knowing that both the love and the things themselves that worldly men esteem and delight in shall perish together coveting nothing but close communion with Jesus Christ spiritually not fleshly for he knows not after the flesh but loves and owns Jesus Christ in all men without respect to outward persons and things and flies from the vain sights of worldly delights that others take pleasure in his delight being onely in Jesus Christ lest other things should let the freedome of his heart from him neither doth he value or heed the speakings of other men unless in the same light love meekness of Jesus Christ and would rather be still in peace having nothing outwardly unless it be spoken feelingly and stirringly as of the love of Jesus to farther him therein And as for speaking or hearing of worldly speech it hath no savour in him much less stories tidings or vain janglings can have no place in his thoughts and therefore not in his affections for as the inner eye of the soul is opened through faith working by love into the beholding of Jesus Christ by inspiration of speciall grace it is thereby made clean subtill and able to move to and work in the Lords vineyard in such manner of working by the holy Ghost as the greatest learned men on earth cannot imagine with all their wit and skill much less shew it with their tongues because it is not gotten by study nor through any mans labour but by pure and speciall gift of the holy Ghost and is not different in quality from the heavenly gift in conversion of the chosen souls but is the same though it be otherwise felt and shadowed out to the soul For as the soul groweth in grace so grace groweth in the soul and increaseth more and more unto the perfect day and heavenly kingdom of especiall seeing into the secrets of the Lord Jesus so that when the heart awaketh to God and is knit to him then it sleepeth and is lost from the world And thus the Apostles slept to the worldly love while in true inspiration of
but grace giveth ability in spirituall manner as it cometh into the pure mind and this opening of the understanding is by the working of the holy Ghost in the pâ—esence of Jesus Christ whereby the soul is enabled to expound the Scriptures one after another be they never so hard or secret and the harder they be and the farther from mans reason and understanding the more delightfull is the true shewing of them whether it be Literal as concerning the outward man Moral to inform of vertues to be followed and vices to be eschewed Mystical to see the words and works of Jesus Christ spiritually or Spirituall as longing after him and his works to do them in like love and live in them as his friends so said he and this last truly understanding Scriptures savours well and very sweetly in the Lords taste for so the spirit of life giveth understanding of what was formerly by himself directed and from him written and so of no private interpretation quickning the thoughts of the soul therein with great sweetness savour and delight in special sad and serious waiting on Jesus Ghrist to understand Scriptures in his will and his testimonies of love therein through divers inward discernings sweet movings and sudden touchings of the holy Ghost whereby the soul is taught and enabled thereto without other helps and he that thus is given to understand the Scriptures values not the knowledge of men gotten by learning arts and sciâ—nces though of never so great worldly cunning and skill for the end of the true knowledge thereof taught by Jesus Christ is that the soul may see and enjoy him and attain salvation to life eternall and therein glorifie him as God equall with the Father c. whereas the other way of knowledge is for self-ends worldly vanities and fleshly delights When the servants of Jesus Christ are well skilled concerning their hearing the voyce of Christ they truly hearken know and follow him and then neither feignedness by transformings nor otherwise can deceive them for therein is no fainedness fancy pride nor hypocrisie but soundness meekness peace and charity full of life love and grace so that when it soundeth in the soul it so aboundeth with strength and vertue that it causeth the soul to leave all to wait upon it to listen hearken perceive rest in and love the sweet breathing of his spirituall voyce according as he sheweth himself whether as a Master a Father a Husband c. keeping the soul in a wonderfull reverence and lively beholding of him with much liking and delight to the soul that it may become a true and faithfull Spouse to him in the fulness of fellowship and light of love and this is in great power and glory a state of perfection in the way to as full communion with God as Adam had in innocency and Enoch by walking with him but the sight strength and comforts of some are therein more then others though all in this state are growing into the love and life of God in Christ Jesus so as the eye of heaven is opened to all such clean souls whereof holy men have diversly written as they were moved by the holy Ghost as of a life above all appearances likenesses bodily creatures or things even as in heaven beholding the Lord Jesus spiritually and loving him faithfully and therein knowing God the holy Ghost as love uncreated and the love formed in the affections of the soul to be of and by him through the sight and knowledge of the unchangable light and truth which is of God placed and seated in all meek souls wherein the spirit of holiness resteth and pleasantly walketh pet this formed love in the soul is not God himself but the love which the soul feeleth in Jesus Christ and to him neither is this the cause of coming to Jesus Christ but pure love which is God himself is the true cause of this knowing and drawing to himself for he sheweth and giveth of this love which is the holy Ghost to teach and lead therein so that God is both the giver and the gift as Christ Jesus said I give my life c. whereby mans soul comes to know this uncreated love and to know and love Jesus Christ as the free gift of God whereby he toucheth the heart with the invisible light to know him and receive his love and to love him again as in and with the same love so freely given and received but all in his own time by more quick or flow gracious feelings imparted into such souls as are cloathed with the new light of righteousness and true holiness which is a right reforming in this spirituall savour love and meekness but he is not so lighted and led by the holy Spirit that thinks he can do any good thing of himself or otherwise then by such working in him spiritually To you my dear friends that are of the holy brethren partakers of the heavenly vocation I salute you in the pure light of unchangable and endless love in Christ Jesus our Lord according to the spirit of holiness and undefiled liberty wherewith he hath made us free to serve him in spirit and truth have you born the indignation of the Lord in your own particulars are you purged from the pollutions of the world cleansed from the filthiness of flesh and spirit and thereby departed from the shadowes of this world and received glorious garments of the Lord put off the mortall and put on the immortall cloathing and sweetly confessed and meekly suffered for the name and testimony of our Lord Jesus who is our life and who of very faithfulness and pure love hath caused us to be troubled and is near at hand to succour you and give you rest in him purifie and prepare you for further trials to your spirituall profit and advantage in filling up the measure of his sufferings in your flesh and overcoming by the blood of the Lamb the word of his testimony and not loving your lives unto the death wherein the eternall God will be your refuge and underneath his everlasting arm for your defence and therefore all to be faithfull and diligent that truth suffer not by any faint or feeble owning of it for we are not called onely to believe but to suffer also for him in whom we believe and you be here onely as pilgrims and strangers that have freely parted with your owne wills desires fleshly affections and worldly delights that the eternall will of God may be done in you and by you and now bear the Cross quietly and patiently in clean vessels as Temples of the living God for his worship in the beauty of holiness and what have you here more that is worthy your minding that man can take from you or how may you withhold any other thing from our Lord or his service wherein you know that your loss or labour will not be in vain And therefore gird up the loyns of your minds stand fast quit you
talkers and contenders about words questions and outward things and would make themselves love God by their own strength and wisdom which may not be though they should act therein never so violently as it were to pull God out of heaven to them by their strivings pantings and burstings out into heat in their devoted zeal for though such suppose in their thoughts and hearts they love God and also resolve so to do and for his sake to suffer death yet these mens love in that manner is neither truely so nor is any strength so asked by them to stand therein for such souls have but either received that gift of love through Christ as a man or they have it not but would have it and so strive in their own strength to feel the love of God but come not to a waiting in the light to see and know their own souls nor themselves unworthy and unable to do any good thing think a good thought or in the least measure to move towards God or prepare their own hearts for him or see their own miserable blind and naked condition as dead in sins and trespasses waiting at the Pool to receive help and healing by the Angels moving of the water as the Lords free gift of love to eternal life which is the way for them to come to the sight of Jesus Christ as being all to them and working all in them and therefore not to strive outwardly but quietly wait and ask nothing but the gifts of love that they might be touched and taught of him to see God by his blessed light and gracious presence and then love him by his own gift of love so received through patient suffering as wrought in their souls by the holy Ghost without bodily strength or earthly skill these being the means whereby souls are made so meek and obedient that they work not of themselves at all by bodily wit or exercise but freely suffer the holy Ghost to will and to do in them and with them as best pleaseth him for the working of their souls into faith and feeling of his love by degrees without outward noise or strivings about it for Christs Voice was not heard in the street it is a soft and still voice to be heard in silence and felt of all the senses and powers of the soul and is very sweet to all savoury minds that have waited for him and they that so wait long and covet after the fruits of the Spirit and sow thereto shall much encrease therein But as this is not by bodily exercise so it may not be by resting in spiritual employment already done but a pressing forward toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus and ever following that they feel to grow therein towards perfection for otherwise there will be a sudden settling upon the old Lees and so a declining to loss and the end without profit or comfort as some Apostates who have said they have gone round back again c. and so lost not onely their hold of perfection but their first love and leading principle of God in them for there is first a beginning with rude souls and a change of the mind in the working of faith and then faith worketh by love and after that by the more strong clear and pure stirrings as felt in all active souls towards that life of perfect love for though the body of sin be at first seen in the light then debased and in some suddenly crucified yet it will be seen felt and laboured in and against until full victory be obtained as the beloved Paul said by his rejoycing in Christ Jesus he died dayly whereby the old feeling of the body of sin comes to be destroyed and the soul brought into a new gracious feeling by the operation of the holy Spirit to grow up in him who is the head of all principalities and powers VI. These things being so it highly concerns every man respectively to weigh and warily consider his own way station and standing and to prize the time and abilities that the Lords love in Christ Jesus hath allotted him to wait and watch for his conversion reconciliation and salvation and to account the time mispent and irrecoverably past sufficient to have done the will of the flesh in thinking his own thoughts speaking his own words and acting contrary to the eternal counsel and will and that the present time is onely mans to make his use of not knowing what shall be to morrow and the loss of what is past will be his greatest grief as his ignorant soul comes to see it self its sins and duty or otherwise as Christ said of Judas better to him he had never been born Whereof I onely query as the beloved Peter What shall the end be of those that obey not the Gospel of Jesus Christ but take pleasure in unrighteousness and mind not the Lords love in drawing them or their duties in a willing yeilding and suitable subjection thereto For great was the love of the Lord God in creating man after his own image and likeness with a soul fair clean and fit for his service and glory and yet greater when man had proudly departed from that holy and happy condition and made himself unfree and unfit to embrace that love and serve that end in commending promising and setting forth his love again in his own onely Son to restore man and bring him back into God from whom he so wilfully and wickedly departed by the enticement of the Devil and thereby to free him from the snares thereof and pains due therefore and yet his especial and greatest love is to be felt tasted and sweetly savoured in his free cleansing of mans soul by the gift of the holy Ghost whereby it becomes to be conformed to the likeness of his dear Son by which love he giveth of his Godhead to every obedient and clean soul that comes to will and to do of his good pleasure as a fit vessel and temple for the holy Ghost to dwell in and walk in which all his sons and daughters that are heirs of this salvation do right-well know and therein are made willing and obedient ready and diligent to help all others what they may to come to the same happy condition of blessed love and heavenly sweetness that all things may be restored to their first and primitive purity and the great mercy and love of the Lord seen to and felt by all his creatures for whom he taketh care in their respective kinds feeding the Ravens clothing the Lilies and much more the obedient soul that is of his own breath and waits upon him by his Spirit being plain and simple in the truth and willing to do all things in the eternal will ever waiting to live always in his light of love by every word that proceeds out of his mouth until he be swallowed up of the divine will and inexpressible goodness and wisdom and so settled in his
rest with a sober and chaste mind as to be preserved from touching any thing that defiles or wherein the soul feels not the pure love meek motion and heavenly life of Jesus Christ above all outward appearances likenesses or forms of words and as it is contrary to and envyed of all natural selfishness VII In the next place truely to know this one Lord Jesus Christ come in the flesh as the new and living way to the Father the Immanuel God with us making the atonement by the blood of his Cross to have all things subject unto him his servants in him and he in them which is the great mysterie of godliness hid from Ages and Generations until the fulness of time and then manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit believed on in the world and received up into glory which none of the wise men of this world ever knew or can know by all their learned skill of earthly wisdom nor any man that lives after the flesh or satisfieth himself with hearing reading telling or talking of him or concerning what he or his Apostles did said or suffered as those that vainly take his Name into their mouths on most occasions of their invented ways but know him not neither by his divine Nature nor Name nor how God and man became one Christ Jesus how that which may be known of God is manifest in man how he is the wonderful counsellor The mighty God The Prince of peace The Author and Finisher of our faith how he saves his people from their sins is the Reconciler without imputation of sin how he is formed in his servants and cleanseth them by his blood from all sin and unrighteousness how they take up the cross and follow him or what the cross is how the body becomes dead because of sin and the spirit alive for righteousness sake how they are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones how he is their Leader and captain of salvation made perfect through sufferings how they are baptised into his death and saved by his life how the Union is perfected in all the parts and members of his body the Church what the Church is or how his Body or what it is to eat his flesh and drink his blood without which as himself said we have no life in us how every knee shall bow to him of things in heaven in earth and under the earth and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father how he is that blessed and onely Potentate King of kings and Lord of lords The head of all thrones and dominions and every name that is named c. And therefore not knowing him cannot worship him accordingly Neither are such willing to become obedient to him in his light that maketh all things manifest naked and bare whereby he brings every secret thing to light and passeth judgement upon the transgressing nature and bruiseth the branches of it with every lust of the flesh lust of the eyes and pride of life that are not of the Father but of the world nor to know him the Healer and Maker up of the breach the Repairer of the ancient path to walk in by cleansing mens souls that are full filthy while they remain ignorant of him or have any fleshly appetite lust or like desire alive in them whereby the fair pearl is blemished and much more filthy when their souls are taken up with a full love and liking of this world and wholly overcome by the sensual and fleshly part that they chuse it and delight therein as the full rest of their hearts so that they feel no liquor of life or sweetness of grace stirring them to loath what their flesh liketh nor to desire that heavenly food of their souls so they do not bear the image of sin but are born and carryed with it and of it and feel no strength but in it nor no will to leave it but yeild thereto with all ready forwardness But Jesus Christ is the food of all hungry souls and through him in him and by him are such souls reformed and restored into their first and fair likeness of God in righteousness and true holiness and so is the new man created in Christ Jesus to good works to walk in them by the Divine will and quickning Spirit whereby the flaming sword comes to be removed and the everlasting gate opened to all willing and watchful souls to enter thereat into the heavenly and endless life where Jesus Christ is the Door the Porter and Receiver always waiting ready to imbrace the souls that so watch pray wait and attend to be here in this life reformed by his Spirit into his likeness and love to live by the words of his mouth as swallowed up of the Divine will of inexpressible sweetness and so walk in the Spirit of love and meekness with sober and chaste minds as the Lords free-men without handling or touching any unclean thing that defiles or where in their souls feel not the pure love meek motion and holy life of Jesus Christ above all shadows types figures forms or fleshly things c. There be many that think they love Jesus Christ and know him to whom he may truly say I know you not depart from me ye are workers of iniquity Though they may have attained to a fleshly knowledge of him by imagining thinking and fashioning him in themselves with their minds thoughts affections desires cares and bodily wits and so suppose they love fear serve and worship him as a man like themselves yet without sin that God is wroth with them as a man that is offended that Christ died for their sins and therefore they fall down at his feet with sorrow of heart crying for mercy and pardon and like the five foolish Virgins suppose they are ready for him have good trust in his mercy and so reverence him and fear before him and thereupon do verily believe they so know and worship him because they feel their hearts moved and stirred with love to him and desire of him But this is not the worship in spirit and truth which he expects and accepts for all this while these worshippers know not their own souls nor God in Christ Jesus reconciling them to himself nor have they any Oyl in their lamps or sweet liquor of life suppling their souls for the Lord Jesus is not seen much less known and worshipped by mens imaginations for the earthly nature cannot receive retain or bear this heavenly new wine So there was a time when Christ Jesus told his Disciples he had many things to say unto them but they could not then bear them and yet being upright in hearts to the Lord he is pleased so to temper strengthen and comfort them with such an inward beholding that they forsake sins and the great love of this world whereby the invisible light of his Godhead is somewhat shadowed to the inner eye of their souls under the bedily
he witnesseth with mans spirit or how he baptiseth into the one body how the excellent mysteries of divine love are revealed to the obedient and clean soul by the holy Ghost or how so to live and walk in the Spirit as not to fulfil the lusts of the flesh This living soul is not any corporeal substance but a life invisible as God is invisible for it is of the breath of God and so is Gods in an especial manner that by its vertue beareth up the body and quickneth it and so the Spirit formed in man is said to be the candle of the Lord useful there in searching the inner parts and knowing the hearts secrets This soul consisteth of reason mind will and other faculties fit to receive and retain God in its understanding and knowledge without forgetting him or being distracted by any Creature or creaturely thing and as the Reason is enlightned and becomes clear and bright free from errour and darkness and the will and affections turned into the light and love of Christ Jesus the promised seed and endless wisdom of God and is free from all beastly love of the flesh or any Creature by his blessed love meer mercy and soveraign goodness of his holy Spirit The soul becomes as Adams was in Paradise an innocent Life of conversing with God and as Enochs that walked with God pleased him and was not found c. But this soul cannot be found or known while man hath any thing molesting it that is of his own body or bodily wits wherewith the senses may be exercised so he that will save his lise must loose it for the reasonable soul is a life immortal as well as invisible and hath a power and pure light of Christ in it self to see know and love the truth and true good which is God onely and he that truely feels and knows this and is sensible of the touches thereof feels and knows somewhat of the reasonable soul and the kindly workings of it and the more he becomes acquainted therewith in this manner the better he seeth and knoweth himself and others also and the more meek humble lowly loving tender and compassionate will he be towards all men and creatures And this was the highestate and condition the heavenly and excellent dignity that Adam lost when he became in love with himself and selfish things taking delight in earthly knowledge and worldly glory whereby he fell into a dark feeble and wretched estate like the beast that perisheth by which the love that before was clean savory and sweet in the holy Ghost was so turned into a filthy beastly love and liking of himself and the creatures wherein he sought content but found it not as it now is with all that remain in that degenerated nature and therefore the soul to be brought back to know it self and be fitted for the service whereunto it was ordained by its being gathered up into its self and fully departed from beholding all creaturely things or selfish use of bodily wits arts wisdom or knowledge of man gotten by any natural means study labour or exercise so that the soul feel it self in its own kind in being as it were without a body for as the eye of the soul is opened to Jesus Christ in his pure light and the love turned to him it is received up above all bodily creatures from beholding liking thinking on and using them and ever disdaining to be obedient to any worldly thought or earthly thing that perisheth with the using And while the soul is so kept therein cometh no errour nor deceit of its enemy because it then seeth Jesus Christ above and in him and holds the mystery of faith in a pure conscience and all created things below under his feet as not in him nor of him So David waited upon God for salvation and his heart hearkned and indited of that good matter and so became very ready in it and saw the beauty of the Lord and when the soul is brought into this heavenly harmony it truly loves God and all creatures spiritually not fleshly and carnally as in its former ignorance and is overcome with the sweetness of Christs words of love clearly revealed and spoken into the ear of the heart which that soul heareth and obeyeth with good savour and true joy in him alone and so his secrets are with his saims but not with the blind world for the ignorant soul is so over-laid with worldly love that it is all common as the high-way so that every stirring of the flesh and the Devil sinketh into it resteth therein and passeth through it as it pleaseth without controule and so if any good seed fall therein it withereth for want of earth it is choaked or these fewls of the air steal it away and devour it there being onely the degenerate nature of old Adam while that which became a living soul wants the quickning spirit to form the new man settle and establish the soul not according to the carnal commandment but after the power of the endless life But how hard and difficult this is for the rude soul so unacquainted with it self and accustomed to receive tentations make provision for the flesh and fulfil its lusts and be stirring much in filth and fleshly things to enter this strait gate to the knowledge of its self in its true light is evident by the ignorance of most and the small numbers of those that find it for most men that would finde entrance and know their souls in stead of turning in into the light of Christ turn their thoughts with imaginations into their bodies to seek for their souls and to feel them as though they were hid within their hearts as their hearts are holden and hid within their bodies Now if a man should covet to know his soul and that never so earnestly and seek for it in that manner in his body he may not possibly so find it in its self but the more he seeketh to feel and know it by studiousness as he would know or learn tongues arts or other bodily things the farther shall he be from it by that seeking and therefore so many weary themselves in vain by seeking the door in a wrong way and contrary nature whereby it is hid from the wise and prudent and revealed onely to babes and sucklings at the breasts of consolation in the pure light of Christ who is this Door and by whom the diligent soul comes truely and quickly to enter understand and know what its self is with its true Teacher and Guide while the other soul falleth suddenly into imaginations of bodily things and words supposing thereby to have or gain the light of its self and so of God and spiritual things which as I said before can never be so attained by imagination or bodily wit as the mind may see sensibly what is just between man and man by its understanding thereof for then the soul might see it self in understanding
and sometimes so far prevailed as to occupie the affections of the soul while the Spirit as a law within was labouring for deliverance until the Lord Jesus pleased to prepare the soul and break into it by his blessed presence and give it feeling of pure love and so stretch the heart forward to fathom and follow what is before for behinde are all bodily things thoughts desires fears and such like that hinder the comfort in and speed of the whole work for nothing is to be kept from the slaughter that is for destruction no mean in destroying sin though a right hand or eye they must away and give place to the divine work of the Spirit in the light which is bâ—fore as the spiritual vertues begâ—n in the Reason of the willing soul and to be perfected in love as it comes to be reformed into the grace of Christ to a perfect hatred of the deeds of the flesh and all wavering mindedness and want of love for otherwise he hinders the work through his own wâ—lfulness and choice in the contrary nature which will cause all to be to little purpose troublesom and heavie as a working in the fire if not thereby destroyed because of his not feeling any grace or spiritual savour therein The ways wiles and dâ—vices of the evil one to deceive and devour souls are such and so divers in these later days that the ignorant and unskilful souls may not easily escape because he takes all advantages by the times temptations bodily wits and faculties of such dark souls to lead them into self-love and the sundry kindes of lustful living in the vanities of their mindes wantonness and pleasure upon the earth as fitting themselves for a day of slaughter and so keeps them while he may in presumption c. but if once he see any soul would entirely give themselves to be spiritually employed then he striveth by himself and his ministers to set their sins in order before them and tells them they are great sinnâ—rs and more in this change and turning then in any thing before saying to them That is not the way but a denial of Christ a fancie and frenzie of a Fanatick spirit and for some wicked end and that it will bring them into contempt want and poverty wherein none will pity them that they must change their conditions with their mindes wives and children come to want that they will fall into bodâ—ly sickness and be laid in prisons that they should have learned men to advise them better the Ministers to admonish them and pray for them to take counsel at the Priests lips which preserve knowledge and not run of their own heads with a few giddy contemptible people that are ignorant of the Scriptures and Original tongues and if they depart not from their new way greater temptations will overtake them And with much more of this kinde doth this flattering devil seek to beguile such souls as hearken to him by the cunning craftiness of such as lie in wait to deceive and that entangle with enticing words of mans wisdom to beguile their souls with bodily savours sweetness of wits arts and outward exercises and thereby if possible draw them aside from the simplicity and puff them up with conceit of themselves as if they had by such wisdom and the ways thereof formerly found the feeling of heavenly joy and so lead them back again and up into high notions and conceits of a proud minde until they become base and blockish and thereby fall full lowe at last with their cold dry and barren souls for the more they imagine to gain by such means the greater will be their loss and they the farther off from what they so seem to seek and much more indisposed to return into the right way of obtaining it for thereby the minde will be oft and highly lifted up as if it were in a happie estate and condition more holy vertuous and better then others and to rejoyce as if they had escaped a very great temptation and to conceive angry stirrings in themselves when others seem not so to esteem of them and the flattering spirits will suddenly praise and applaud such as for good deeds and vertuous living and this last is the sorest and greatest of all temptations and most dangerous because of the delight men will seem to feel about them by such sounds to the ear and sweet savour of sense tickling them with delight therein as if all were well and they had much grace and were rightly travelling with their mindes from fleshly things while they are onely ravished with spiritual pride wherein the vain love and self-conceit prayeth weepeth speaketh and thanketh God with the Pharisee while they know not God but their proud hearts deceive them and lead them to shew outward love and meekness in speech and gesture as if they were spiritually vertuous and that they disliked nothing but sin onely because it is contrary to God and yet are even then at the gate of spiritual death so puft up with pride and pleasure therein as that they are even dead while they live or rather twice dead and pluckt up the roots become servants to men and times mistaking one thing for another with their fleshly hearts got aloft and puffed up resting in the root and rottenness of sin black and thick darkness filling their souls which may be hid from some men yet Christ Jesus sees it and abhors it and their services because of their hypocrisie and heresie so accompanied with bodily and spiritual pride which was never learned of Christ as their God for man maketh any thing his God that his heart is in love with that he takes content in dares sin against God for or wrong any man by and so such men have their divers kinds of Idol-gods one his belly another the applause of men a third his opinions and words heard or spoken wherein such serve not the Lord Jesus but their own lustful mindes and every other thing that a man chuseth by his own act to take pleasure in is his God and then when God stirs up such souls to obedience and gives them suitable abilities these proud hearts resist all and in stead of obedience become rebellious heady harsh and high-minded abusing the tender mercies of the Lord God in the light of his spiritual leadings to repentance and this condition is as aforesaid the more desperate because therein such conclude that all is well and sound and that they are right sure and righteous even above any ordinary Pharisee and so arrogate to themselves And therefore hear and consider thou that thinkest thou standest that supposest thou art raised from death to life hast tasted of the good word of God and born it may be some afflictions and take heed of this false liberty for then will Satan try and winnow thee and be teaching thee as aforesaid or as sometime he would have done Jesus Christ to cast himself down to turn stones into
bread c. And full many have so fallen by his means into this high spiritual pride and thought that therein they have done God service and unless the soul be rooted and grounded in love and so in meekness with a spiritual feeling of Jesus Christ as God equal with the Father it will be apt to yeild to such transformings and to ask as the Disciples sometimes did who shall be greatest and so may soon depart from the simple and pure life and loose their hold of that which leads the humble and meek to perfection and therefore what great care waiting and diligence yea what faithfulness is requisite in keeping in the light that will let men see the deceit and lead them in the way to escape the evil thereof for as we read the Lord Jesus was tempted but was not overcome because the Devil found nothing in him whereto he might fasten the temptation And this is of experience and advisement to all willing souls that when tentations come and move to fleshly love and likings of earthly things heed them not consider them not whether it concern outward profit or loss scorning or despising frowning or flattering for if the Devil by himself or means of his instruments prevail with thee to consider it thou art then thereby more then half overcome because the same nature in thee will be apt to joyn with it and the great danger is lest thou shouldst like it or be afraid of it and so be overcome by it Therefore keep within in the light that thou maist be able to say to thy self in that case I have chosen my way my part my portion is in Christ Jesus him I love in him I have righteousness and strength in him I rejoyce and enjoy all things and nothing will I have out of him for he accepts me as worthy to love him c. and be sure to be bold and clear therein and then shalt thou find thine enemies less bold against thee for truth never suffers more than when it is coldly and faintly owned Though these enemies will be still striving against thee and telling thee of dangers and perilous things to befal thee in that way and set themselves to hinder thee by slanders and reproaches of all kindes striâ—â— thee of thy reputation and strive to drive thee aside into anger and words of rebâ—ke that they may have whereof to accuse thee therefore take hâ—ed thereof and keep thy tongue as with a bit and bridle and as thou comâ—st to know Jesus Christ spiritually thou wilt also come to a hearty love in being despised sputned at trampled upon and abused and if there shall happen to be some inward regret or rising against it the light will shew thee the evil of it and the spirit of love will suppress it and give victory over it and as thou attendest faithfully thou wilt find and know that God forsaketh no man in such tentations unless it shall be to encrease their spiritual strength if they suffer a while patiently and not turn to folly that they may find Jesus Christ the sweet and ready way full of spiritual refreshments and comforts and themselves poor blind and naked without him and to have nothing bâ—t what he giveth and herein suffer much buffeting of Satan and his ministers withoâ—t heeding or rather with despising such tentations setting them at nought c. But if any shall strive with his thoughts and bodiâ—y wits to drive away tentations and put them out as by mastery thereby will the enemy get advantage and overcome and therefore as before so I say again ever withdraw thy thoughts from the tentations into the light of Jesus Christ where the striving and life of strength lieth and wait on him for deliverance and victory And also beware thou never shew such temptations to any worldly men though reputed never so wise learned or religious that have not felt the like tryals in themselves for they will certainly bring thy soul into greater danger by their worldly advice to thy fleshly feeling And this also know that the Lord is pleased to leave the soul so sometimes for its tryal a little season that in mercy he may gather it more cleanly into himself to grow and spring up as a morning-star and deliverance he will surely give in the needful time to all his members that they may trust in him more fully and then he gladdeth them with his presence and fasteneth them to himself shewing them his secrets and giving them treasures of wisdom and knowledge He brings in light and expels darkness opens the eye of the soul and lighteth it to see how good it was for it to be so troubled the like whereof David witnessed and thereby learned the Lords righteous judgements I shall here say little of the Faith that stands in the wisdom of men though that be most in use and esteem with the worldly wise men of this generation because it is of mentioned in other places as the great Engine of deceit serving to silence the voice of Christ in their own and others consciences and for other earthly ends and to lead them into perilous paths of sin and selfishness from the pure and spiritual path of Jesus Christ the endless light love wisdom and power of God whereby mans conversion is hindred and the way thereto as it were thereby blockt up for in mans conversion before reason be turned into light and will into love and the soul comes into a waiting condition for cleansing it usually feels its self heavy loaden dâ—ll and indisposed thereto by reason of such obstructions as thereby and otherwise also lie in the way yet as Jesus Christ moveth and desireth so is he therein covertly desired and thereupon he fâ—rther moveth to work his secret work in man as in a reasonable instrument that by degrees may have faith wrought in him with knowledge of Christ Jesus and his spiritual presence light and truth and for that end that so I begins to wait upon him at all times diligently with the whole heart until he give words whereby to pray and do fitly order the affections to that continâ—al duty without using words otherwise heard lest vanity of mind and spiritual enemies enter and blind the eyes and hinder the soul from chasing the love of God in Christ Jesus whereby the heart should be cleansed and established to feel and find how fair and profitable his work will be in and to the soul as it comes to know the two days or lights the false light and true light the love of this world and fleshly things and the pure love of Jesus Christ through grace establishing the soul with the real difference between them and begins to feel some increasing knowledge in the true light to feel the false light worldly love and lustful pleasures seem lâ—ttle and pass away as a shadow which is the light that the Devil brought in by Eve and Adam saying they should be as gods knowing
free to wait on Jesus Christ as he ought for so long as love to any creature or lustful desire carries the mind out from Jesus Christ his true light within he cannot die to the world nor come into this darkness of knowing himself be crucified to the world as not desiring it nor accepting it And for this forsaking said Jesus Christ he shall have a hundred fold even the profit of this darkness be hid through grace from worldly goods that he seek them not earnestly is not letted by them loveth them not looketh not after them and therefore hath an hundred fold more then any King or rich man of the earth that takes care to keep that he hath and yet covets more for he that coveteth Jesus Christ and him onely he hath more rest of heart and conscience true love and delight in his soul in one hour then he that loveth the things of this world hath or can have in all his life-time and this darkness is but as mid-day when the Sun shineth out of the darkness and Jesus Christ giveth rest to his beloved that standeth firm in his counsâ—l and doubteth not nor is afraid for any evil tydings because his heart is sined and is well assured that the light of knowledge and feeling of spiritual love is in Christ Jesus of him and for him and that the darkiness in forsaking of worldly love is by his forming and reformming the soul onely to and for himself and that he reformeth us in us and not without us for grace is inwardly given at first and so wrought by degrees as man applyeth his heart thereto As first Jesus Christ by his light and Spirit calleth from worldly vanities and that then brings great sweerness and joy with it but if left and not seconded it stayeth there but for a little season though the remembrance thereof abideth and after that the time of reforming and setting the soul at rights is with much labour and watching for when the mind is set against all sin within and without and the desire wholly on the love of Jesus Christ wherein there will be felt many lets from within in his own will and without from his enemies by temptations and his great torment that he hath lived so long in the false love of the world and this will stick close to him until he pass through spiritual tribulation and be purified through fears doubts and perplexities that he will be near unto despair and wholly left unto the enemy save onely that the Lord Jesus privately loveth him and such a soul hath also private trust in his mercy and go he never so far he shall not fall because he is born up from despair though with great inward pain so that he sometimes knoweth not whence it cometh and yet then that soul would not for all the world be blinded with the false love as before it was for that were hell to such a soul and this the Lord Jesus doth in pure love and for great profit to that soul to drive out sensuality that it might receive spiritual light And when the soul is reformed in feeling and freely accepteth the gift of perfect cleansing to enter into the rest and cease from his own works as God did from his then is Jesus Christ more sweetly familiar with the soul that is so brought through the fire of afflictions into true peace and in this working some souls have great devotion in prayer and main touchings of spiritual light in understanding and others of comfortable heat and great sweetness and never come fully to this restful darkness with a present fervent desire of lasting love and longing after God but these inward feelings where they stand in compunction and sorrow for sin or of devotion or outward imagination are not the feelings that the soul shall have and feel in the gracious habitation with God spiritually while in this life or body of flesh though they may be gracious gifts of God and not to be abused or neglected although the soul that feels them is not yet reformed in feeling for it hath not yet received the gift of perfect and spiritual burning love to Jesus Christ as they may come to if they be faithful in it and yet they may feel more of the love of God then others that have that gift in the way towards perfect feeling in as much as the feeling sheweth more outwardly by their fervour in bodily tokens as in weeping praying speaking and other bodily stirrings and strivings that some others would think them ravished with love c. Yet still consider that these stirrings and strivings are of God to stay them from the worldly love and lusts of the flesh that have so long been rooted in their hearts from which worldly love they may not be drawn out by such feeble stirrings of great fervour and outward strength which is no true token of much love but of weakness and little love in their souls that cannot bear a little touching of God for it is yet fleshly and fastened thereto and not mortified there from by the work of the Spirit of God For the touch seems so quick and also delectable over all things felt before in fleshly love of earthly things that it is over-taken with it for that it is so new sudden and strange that the body cannot well bear it but breaketh out into weepings bodily stirrings and other actions as Christ said the old bottles would break and not hold the new wine but that God keepeth it whole in mercy letteth it break out into tears and words through weakness and feebleness of soul and not because of much love as some may suppose but afterwards when through love the uncleanness is melted out of the soul by such fervour then is the love clear and standeth still and then perfect love casteth out fear then is the soul in peace and much more in love then before though it shew less outward for it is now all whole at rest within and little appearing outwardly For in the first state such feelings come to the soul suddainly before it be well aware and as it comes before the soul knows it so it oft returneth or departeth without its knowledge neither can the soul tell how to come to that state again no know where to find it for the thought are not yet kept within in the light with a firm longing desire to Jesus Christ nor the eye of the soul kept open and neer to the spiritual beholding of heavenly things and so the heart is not sixed and then what weakness and unsuitableness is in all without stedfasness firm faith and full intent to God to know his secrets and obey his will And it is always to be diligently minded that there are two manner of feelings the one inward according to mans bodily wit and skill and the other more inward or within that being of spiritual light wisdom and skill which the holy Ghost teacheth and planteth in
like men and be strong in the Lord and the power of his might that the fear of man careful thought or immoderate desire be not found in any of you watch and pray that you enter not into tentations or give occasion to the enemy of your souls lest there should be floath guile or dissimulation hid in any heart or a root of bitterness springing up to trouble and defile or other unskilfull stirring by inordinate affections in any soul after the bodily sufferings changes being seldome free from temptations specially in the weak who are most apt to censure the strong he that hath the beam in his own eye to pull at the moat that is in his brothers eye while contrarily the strong strive not with the weakness in any but ever to strengthen the pure principle help it over the weakness that you may appeare as you are the plant which the Lords right hand hath planted so as that none can pluck you up his portion and peculiar treasure his Jewels sons of the free woman that abide in the house for ever a people whom the Lord loves leads about instructs in his way and keeps from evil and to whom is his blessing of peace and life for evermore that are as living stones built up a spirituall house as a city set on a hill that cannot be hid to shew forth his praise in the blessed love and brightness of his shining glory and be a sweet savour to him in them that believe and in them that perish in unbelief by holding forth the faithfull word of his patience and everlasting Gospel of mans salvation c. What manner of persons ought you therefore to be in all holy conversation that by the burning beams of his beautifull and holy presence you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men that blame your good conversation in Christ Jesus and the hearts of others that tremble at the word of the Lord be melted into tender love and heavenly sweetness suitable to receive that blessed Gospel of peace and reconciliation and so suck at the breasts of consolation as to be daily delighted with the fresh springs of his love thereby to flourish as an herb and be prepared to enjoy the inheritance of the Saints in light and though the world know you not and Satan the enemy of your souls would not have you known lest it should be to his loss yet is the righteous God greater in you then he that is in the world hasting to clear up your innocency that you may be well known to have no strange god amongst you that you touch not the unclean thing but are his sons and daughters having your habitation in the holy mountain with the shout of a King amongst you and that his word spoken shall surely come to pass your enemies be found liars and confess that they have dealt unworthily with you for the Lord hath kindled a fire that shall proceed out of your mouthes to devoure the adversary which cannot be quenched and they that hurt you must be so killed and there is no project to prevent it but as you are faithfull to our Lord spirituall victory you shall have over the beast over his image over his mark and over the number of his name and be found without spot before the throne of God and the Lamb and this is it that giveth you victory even your firm faith but you have need of patience and that it have its perfect work in you so that having done the will of God you may enjoy the promises in the new heaven and earth the true voyce of God in spirituall glory in the essentiall freedome of will and restitution of all things into the heavenly rest wherein all doubts are resolved un on cleared and expectations satisfied and in the way every one is to take care there be no giving or taking offence no falling our no touching of any unclean thing noâ—haâ—…y striving with the evil nature in any others for that as pitch will defile no giving place to evil but overcome it with good as our Lord commanded and being ever apt to teach and bless that you may be heirs of the blessing And to conclude here is nakedly and barely set before all sorts of men the wayes and wages as Moses sometimes said of good and evil life and death for every man to chuse which he will for so it pleaseth the Lord to deal with every man and therein he doth man no wrong by leaving him to his own will and giving him a reward according to his own works c. and experience teacheth that every man will say he loves God and Christ and would be sorry else while he acts as his enemie against him and that he would have everlasting life his soul saved by partaking of the joyes of heaven and avoyding the torments of hell and therefore would die the death of the righteous and have his latter end like his And so said Baalam when he was striving to curse the people of God and gave wicked counsel to the King of Moab against them and to such I say Why walk you then in Balaams way for mens favours rewards so act against the Lord his servants and the light of him in your own consciences for self-ends and make such provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof And why are you not now willing to live the life of the righteous but have him in so great derision and a proverb of reproach as at this day why do you account his life madness and his end without honour why erre you so from the truth that the light of righteousness should not arise and shine in you but rest your souls so in fleshly likings and love of this world whereby godliness seems nothing to you but as a scornfull thing of nought and wrath rests in your hearts even against the Lord and his servants though you say you love him but know that for all these things the Lord God will bring you to judgement you shall see as it is written the righteous stand with great boldness and his salvation seem strange to you above all you looked for and then over-late you may say within your selves What hath pride profited us or the pomp of riches with our vaunting brought us when the â—dolgods you now serve shall depart as a shadow or Post that passeth by with the friendship of this world whereby you are at enmity with God for as it is written whosoever will be a friend to this world is the enemy of God and afraid of him seeks to hide his heart from him and inward fear possesseth him as it did Adam so that he hates his light loves darkness keeps in it flies wanders stumbles staggers and peace departeth from him and though he force to himself a kind of counterfeit mirth for a time yet therewith also he is soon pinched and feels a heavy weight and pain in his own bosom from which he cannot flâ—e but it reproves him and condemns him at every turn and as for the light that shineth in the dark place of his soul he is afraid of that also and faith or love find no room in his earthen vessel for his own lusts fill up the place and devour all by conceit imaginations and vile affections wherein he spends his time to beast himself and yet got swelling words of vanity touching things he never saw and to have mens persons in admiration for advantage sake which is a knowledge and condition that puffâ—th up the heart but redeems not to God from the worldly glory and vain conversation wherein some are so fettered that they will not be reclaimed or endure to be soberly admonished to the contrary for the safety of their souls from whence there is this one onely way Jesus Christ the pure path to be known spiritually and the Father worshipped in him to which a very plain simple man as the fishermen without humane learning may easily attain if he hinder not himself by his own willing seeking desiring hearing striving or outward contention about it because there is a pure principle in every mans conscience which hath onely need to be awaked stirred up and quickned to behold and see all things in the inner powers and parts of the soul and so cease from all outward seekings for it because it is there the free gift of God by his spirit and such as no man can fully teach the knowledge of to another though he were never so well acquainted with the Divine Mysteries which if well considered by those that have attained to some small measure or degree of grace they world not so run into words as many do or be so conceited of their little grace received as to lose it by vain glory while others that have much more wait in still silence of their souls for the Lords work to be therein accomplished as these also would oft times when they speak did they know how little grace or spirituall favour they have in respect of what God giveth to others that singly wait on him with holy and humble hearts and may give also to them if they likewise wait diligently for it Ah that worldly and vain minded men would at last consider and commune with their own hearts to finde out their wayes and see the sadness of their conditions with the high concernments of their souls and how the difference stands between the children of this world that are wife in their generation and the children of light and how the latter exceed the former by many degrees of true wisdome from above and heavenly joy when no word is spoken or matter seen outwardly whereof may be some directions found suitable to each mans present condition in what is here written according to my understanding in the simple and unchangable truth that hath a willing heart to embrace the appearances of Jesus Christ spiritually in his own particular and if not here is over-much said to rise up in judgement against him when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to his Gospel who is the Lord of Life and Glory 22. of the second moneth 1661. THE END
heaven that Christ said is within the heritage of heavenly love is found and repossessed in mans soul for it is not so easily found as many usually suppose nor is it a work of one day onely but attained by much waiting in the light sweeping searching watching praying and silent mourning before the Lord and as the heart and conscience becomes purified then he shall finde that homely and peaceable presence of Jesus Christ the pearl of great price in the glimmering shadow of pure shining brightness in his soul But though Jesus Christ is so hid in the soul yet no man is any whit the better thereby that doth not there finde him and feel his operations spiritually but remains as it is written a reprobate whatsoever he may be otherwise And a great mercy it is to man that this Jewel was lost where it may be found again by the light in the scarching and watchful soul where Jesus Christ full oft calleth and knocketh by his privy voice stirring reproving and inviting the soul to a diligent search and withal to abandon other lovers vanities and entanglements that hinder the hearing of his voice for as it is said this daughter must consider and forget her own people and her fathers house of worldly thoughts loves cares and fears which hinder the soul that it can neither see him nor hear him and therefore all troublesome thoughts restless noise and imaginations are to be put away as Hagar the bond-woman that may not be heir with the son of the free woman for while the soul is in the bondage of corruption there is nothing within but black clouds and spiritual blindness with fleshly thoughts and desires crying against it in the dark conscience but as the inner eye of the soul is opened in the light which is of Jesus Christ in whom dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily there is that pure sight and sweet love of endless vertue and blessed rest which is found within the soul by the great and burning desires for him whereby all other loves and lovers are cast out and not suffered to rest in the heart which is a right seeking for him this hid Treasure And as this stirring and waiting in the light waxeth firm stable and unmoveable it will be holpen and comforted by inward and spiritual strength of love and sweet savour in the soul with light of continual springing faithfulness and assured knowledge of him and the powers of the thoughts onely upon him and freed from every other affection to rest in the sweet anointing which is the shadow and taste of Jesus Christ and the better any soul finds him the more it will desire him in cleanness of heart and pureness of conscience to meet him more singly in the same way he appeareth and wherein it hath seen and found him at first and other times since most savourly And though thou art altogether blind and seest nothing rightly in thy self or of the Godhead of Christ yet consider seriously what thou wantest and what thou hast lost for thy soul can have no true content or sure satisfaction but in God from whence it is and if thy heart say I want and would have Jesus Christ and nothing but him onely wait therein for him as not satisfied with that appearance and follow him as he leadeth thee and more and more press forward to know him and the power of his resurrection and fellowship of his sufferings and to be made conformable to his death and so grow up in him as he moves and grows in thee and yet know that when thou hast found the most of him in the highest ravishments of spirit as Peter and Iohn in the mount or as Paul mentioned thou hast not therein fully attained to him as he is in his joy for he is still above that any soul feeleth as the fountain of all joy and sweetness but thou art ever to know and feel a spiritual longing after him and a loathing of all things else and then thou wilt find him more worth then all things even then all visions and revelations though not without visions and revelations then all joy in heaven and earth if it might be had without him for thou wilt then say in thy soul as David whom have I in heaven but thee and I desire nothing in the earth besides thee as feeling and finding that his pure presence onely gives understanding to the simple he teacheth fools knowledge whereat the Nations are angry the people and their teachers rage and imagine a vain thing against him and his holy One as not willing to know him for fear of the Cross and the shame which he despised for the joy set before him and are therefore grieved that any others should Conversion is properly a turning from evil to good from lust to pure love which is God and this conversion is ever accompanied with repentance from dead works that are past and out of that nature love and liking wherein they were wrought to serve the living and true God and therefore it is not every turning of mans body and mind from one outward form or practice to another as it were thereby to serve and worship God for then the divers Political turnings of former and latter times would be conversion to him which he may not so accept because he changeth not but is the same at all times even the unerring Father of spirits and so to be worshipped in spirit and in truth and these are outward turnings from one act of mans will to another or from evil to worse as the Proselytes that the Pharisees made sevenfold worse then before whilst the ground of sin with its branches remain standing uncut down or toucht from whence such traditional turnings arise to oppose that one truth and good way of the Lord wherein all obedient souls are made free from such shifts and changes but while men have either not know the fear of the Lord or are departed from it left and lost the power of godliness and simple truth in themselves so that their salt is without savour their minds run abroad and their hearts are filled with fleshly desires loves and fears wherein they labour night and day to gain and keep the love and friendship of this world which is enmity to God with the profits and pleasures thereof and therein serve themselves like the beasts that perish and have their hearts oft filled with wrath and revenge like unreasonable beasts against others of their own kind when they are hindred of any their desired ends and likewise against such as so hinder them not therein unless by standing in their way as the Angel before Balaam and so touching their more quick and tender parts and that onely in love to bring them back into the light and fear of the Lord that their blind and dead souls might be lighted and enlivened to have regard to the honest principle of God in themselves and others that would rule all