the garden that is as man in his own apprehensions looked upon God to be like himself that is as he had changed himself in his obedience to God so man in that false sight that he then had of God looked upon God that he had changed his love to him and so man beheld himself as sent or drove from the presence of God and turned out of the garden out of Gods love and delight that he had in man And the reason why man so looked upon God to have no love nor delight in him in his fallen state was because man in his disobedience he found no love nor delight that he had in himself towards God and so he judged God to be changed towards him as he had changed himself towards God when in truth the change was onely in man And so man may be said to send drive or turn himself out of the Garden where man in the fallen state is and so do continue out of the Garden until there is a change wrought in the heart of man by being brought to a knowledge of God's unchangeableness that although man by his disobedience turned enemy to God yet love continued in God towards man God so loved the world God's love was so great to man too great for the tongue of man to express or the heart of man to conceive of that he gave his onely begotten son that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. And God commended his love towards us that while we were sinners Christ died for us When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son Rom. 5. 8. 10. These Scriptures shew the unchangeableness of God's love to man which until man comes in some measure or degree to be made sensible of the unchangeableness of God's love the fear of God's justice for sin continues in the heart of man and man continues out of the Garden and a true love to God is wanting in the heart of man But when that Change is wrought in the heart that we love God because he first loved us then man cometh again into the Garden and man obeys God because God hath made known his love to him and therefore he loves God again and then the heart or inward part in man is pleasing and delightful to God man's delight is to obey God 1 John 4. 18 19. There is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment he that feareth is not made perfect in love We love him because he first loved us Here is the true state of man in the Fall and of his being restored again When man by his transgression had lost his love to God then the fear of God entered into his heart and that caused or brought forth torment and as long as fear continued in mans heart mans love is not made perfect to God and mans love is made perfect to God by our loving of him because he first loved us and then mans heart or the inward part in man cometh again to be as a pleasant and delightful Garden The Tree of knowledge of good and evil as in the mystery God made man and as a gift God gave to man the knowledge of himself that he was his God And God also gave to man the knowledge of his revealed will that what God had commanded man to do was God's will that he should do and what God had made known of himself in man and what was God's revealed will in man that he should do in obedience to him was good and so God gave to man the knowledge of what was good And God gave also to man the knowledge of his revealed will of what God had commanded him not to do and what was Gods revealed will in man that God had commanded man not to do that was evil and so God gave to man the knowledge of what was evil And this was in mans heart or the inward part of man which in the mystery was God's Garden And this knowledge of good and evil in the mystery is a Tree remaining in the Garden in the heart or inward part of man and in this knowledge of what was good and what was evil man for a time stood in his obedience to God obeying God in the doing all that he had commanded him to do and obeying God in the leaving undone all that he had forbidden him to do And while man in this his knowledge stood thus in obedience to God in doing all that God had commanded him to do and in leaving undone all that God had commanded him not to do man knew no will in him of his own but mans will was wholly resigned up into Gods will man willed nothing but what God willed in him and what God willed in man that man willed in God and man knew no other will but the will of God and so God was all and in all man And man was the Paradise the delight of God and God was the Paradise the delight of man And out of the ground that the Lord God had made man of the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food the tree of life also in the midst of the garden and the tree of knowledge of good and evil Gen. 2. 7. 9. The Tree of Life is Jesus the Light of God in man and this Tree was also in the midst of the garden the garden is the heart or inward part of man which the Lord God planted Eastward which is the place of the rising of the Sun which is as much as to say God so placed the heart or inward part in man his garden that it should be in the place wherein the rising of his Son Jesus the true Light in man did rise and as a Tree there to grow and be in the midst of his garden and the Tree of knowledge of good and evil I pray observe the words of the Scripture The tree of life also in the midst of the garden and the tree of knowledge of good and evil See how near the Tree of knowledge of good and evil is placed to the Tree of life there is but and between them and that and makes them two Trees and so indeed they are The Tree of Life is one which is Jesus the true Light of God in man and the Tree of knowledge of good and evil is another and they are so near joyned together that there is but an and that parts them Jesus the Word of God the true Light in man gave man the knowledge of what was Gods will that he should do and that was good man was to do good and the same Jesus the Word of God in man gave man the knowledge of what he should not do and that was evil man was not to do evil And these two Trees were very nearly joyned together in Gods garden in the heart of man and so a measure of
not onely to say lightly and carelesly as many do I would I had not sinned and broken Gods Commands and God forgive me for it but there is in them an inward repentance an inward sorrow and grief which goes so far as that there is a desire in them that they may not commit sin again and an earnest praying to God that they may not commit sin again and a doing of many things to prevent or to be kept from the doing or the committing the sin again which they have before committed And yet in all this the subtile Serpents self or mans will prevails much as I have experienced That man may repent that he hath sinned in doing what he knew to be a breaking of Gods Command and may be sorrowful for it and mourn for it and earnestly pray that he may do so no more and use much means to be kept from sinning and yet all this time hath a love to the sin but for fear that he hath of the punishment and the willingness that he hath to escape the punishment causeth the repentance and sorrow and mourning that he hath for sinning and to escape the punishment that sets him upon doings as praying fasting and other religious Duties that he thinks may be a means to keep him from being overcome by the Devils temptations and to do such things as he thinks God will be pleased with and for this his so doing of these things he thinks to find acceptance with God And all this may be done for a self-end and in their own will and is onely to escape the punishment which if they could escape the punishment the doing the things that God hath forbidden would be no trouble to them but very pleasing and to be desired And in this state many are deceived and think themselves in a good condition because they cannot now sin as once they could when they had little trouble in their Consciences for their sins but now if they sin trouble sorrow and grief does attend them for their sins and there is praying to God for forgiveness and it may be private days of fasting to be kept that they may be kept from sinning and it may be for private sins such sins as none but God and their Conscience can accuse them of and the best that they know of outward forms of Religion is set up and strictly practised by them and an outward blameless life is got up in them to what they once lived in and they are counted of others to be one of those that are the Children of God and Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven and they look upon themselves to be one of that number And yet all this time the root of sin that is the love of sin remains in them as live as ever it was and so long as the love of any sin remains alive in them what they do in obedience to God is done because they are afraid of Gods Justice for their sin and while there remains in them a fear of Gods Justice for sin they have no true love to God while they are afraid of God There is no fear in love perfect love casteth out fear 1 John 4. 18. Their repentings sorrows griefs mournings prayings fastings and all other their religious performances while done for the escaping or for the preventing Gods Justice to fall upon them because of their sins that they have committed That which carries them forth to the doing and performing of those repentings sorrows griefs mournings prayings fastings and all other their religious performances it is self it is for a self-end to escape or prevent Gods Justice falling on them for their sins and therefore it is that they will do them And so they are deceived in all their doings by the subtilty of self in them doing their own wills in them and are of the Serpâ—nts Tribe of whom none are sealed for the servants of God These they have known the beginning of John preaching in the Wilderness in them that is when their hearts were as a Wilderness wherein every unclean Beast fed and found an abiding-place every unclean Lust found wherewithal to feed upon and to abide in Before man disobeyed God in eating of the Tree that God had forbidden him to eat of mans heart was like a garden a place of Gods delight and brought forth pleasing Fruit unto God the Plants therein were of Gods planting no Thorns nor Thistles were therein nor no wild nor unclean Beast was found there but after man had disobeyed God in eating of the Tree that God had forbidden him to eat of then mans heart instead of being like a garden wherein God was pleased it became like a Wilderness a place displeasing to God a place wherein God was offended a place bringing forth Thorns and Thistles such Plants of disobedience sprung up in the heart of man as was not of Gods planting nor pleasing to God And then mans heart became like a Wilderness a place of every unclean and beastly Lust to harbour feed and abide in And here in this wilderness of the heart many have heard the voice of John the Forerunner of Jesus preaching Repentance and they having heard his voice and have repented and have come to John's Baptism that is an outward washing of water a making clean of the outside and so they have been John's Disciples they have known a cutting of the Branches of sin that is a repenting and forsaking such sins and evils as are generally accounted as sin and evil Yea they may have gone further and have cut down the body of sin that is they have not onely repented â—nd forsaken such sins and evils as are done outwardly that man can accuse them of but have repented and forsaken such sins done within them that none can accuse them of but God and their Consciences and yet they have not come so far as to hear and obey the end of John's preaching in them that is that the Ax is laid to the root of the Tree of sin and the root from whence sin sprung is love that is the love that is in mans heart to sin the love to the sin that is first in mans heart before it cometh forth into action There was first in the woman a seeing of the Tree to be good for food and pleasing to the eye and a desire to it this was first in her before she took of the fruit thereof and eat of it There is first in the heart of man a love to sin before there is a going forth to the committing of it and this love is the root from whence sin in the action sprung And the end of John's preaching was to lay the Ax to the root of the Tree sin which bringeth not forth good fruit to hew it down and cast it into the fire to be consumed that is to cast the love and desire to sin that is in the heart of man to cast that into the fire to be consumed that gave
God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things that are not convenient Even that is just equal alike then things are said to be even when they are just equal alike Here is the reason why God gives men over to a reprobate mind to do those things that are evil It is because they do not like to retain to keep that knowledge that God hath given to them of himself and to keep it so as to glorifie him in that knowledge and so to glorifie him in that knowledge as thereby to manifest their thankfulness to him and to manifest their thankfulness by their obedience in obeying God according to what they know of him And the want of this their obeying God according to what God hath made known of himself unto them is the cause why even just alike God gives men over to a reprobate mind to do those things that are not convenient and as they are Reprobates so they are condemned Others that do the truth they obey God in Jesus the truth and their hearts desire is that Jesus the true Light may make known the truth in them and to them that their deeds are wrought in God and they are lovers of the Light and from that love that they have to the Light and to the doing the truth that is the doing of the will of God in sincerity and integrity of their hearts according as Jesus the true Light in them hath made known in them what is Gods will that they should do and what is Gods will that they should not do These they bring their deeds to the Light that they may be made manifest that is made known in them and to them that they are wrought by God in them Gods love is such to man in general to all men as that he is willing to keep man from perishing and is willing to save them and give them eternal life But some men are not willing to come to Jesus the true Light in them although God so loved the world Man as to send him to that end that whosoever believed on him should not perish but have eternal life yet Jesus the true Light said to some that thought to have eternal life in the Scriptures and it was to those that were in the highest outward form of worshipping God and said God was their Father to these Jesus said Ye will not come to me that ye might have life John 5. 39 40. Mans will is that which hinders man from coming to Jesus the true Light that they may have life that they may be saved by him God does his part in sending his Son into the World to save them and so the Father draws them by the Son and he is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World he makes known Gods love in them and to them and so the Father draws them by making known his love in them Can any one say that they have known the Father to draw them to come to the Son to believe on him any other way but as Jesus the Son the true Light in them hath made known the Fathers love to them And this God hath done to all because that which may be known of God is manifest in them God hath shewed it unto them The invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead Mark that Even his eternal power and Godhead And what is there more to be known of God than his eternal power and Godhead Dare any one say that they know any thing more of God than what is contained in his eternal power and Godhead And although God hath so manifested himself in them and shewed himself to them yet they will not come to his beloved Son Jesus the true Light that they may have life Jesus did not say to them the subtle Serpent Satan the Tempter or the Devil that they would not have them come to him that they might have life but it was their will that hindered or kept them back from coming to Jesus that they might have life Ye will not come to me that ye might have life Oh Will Will that which brought man into sin and so brought death that keeps man from coming to Jesus the true Light that they may again have life To speak something of what I know of taking up the Cross and to follow JESUS TO have the will brought to be resigned up into Gods will to be given up into the will of God to be what God will this is the taking up of the Cross and following of Jesus this is to be a Disciple of Jesus this is to learn of Jesus and without this whatsoever outward profession any may be of how zealous soever they may be in that outward profession how outwardly blameless soever they may live how much soever they may be esteemed of by others how high esteem soever they may have of themselves as to be the Disciples the Scholars or Learners of Jesus yet if they have not learned some part of this Lesson to deny themselves to deny all that is of self in them which the will is a great part of and take up his Cross and follow Jesus The Cross that Jesus took up was the Cross to that will in him that as he was man would have had the Cup taken from him but he took up the Cross to that will in praying Father not my will but thy will be done and this Cross must all take up that will be his Disciples that will learn of him and follow him in the spirit and not be knowers of him in the flesh and followers of him onely in the flesh Jesus said to his Disciples that if any man will come after him and whosoever will come after him must deny himself and take up his Cross daily and follow him Matth. 16. 24. Mark 8. 24. Luke 9. 23. I pray mark the words of the Scripture if any man will or whosoever will which is as much as to say there is none whosoever that can come after Jesus there is none whosoever that can follow Jesus there is none whosoever that can learn of Jesus but they must first deny themselves deny all that is of self in them which will is a great part of All that is of self is first to be denyed before man can take up his Cross and follow Jesus before man can take up a Cross to his own will his own will must first be denyed be said Nay to be resisted as being of the Devil Resist the Devil and he will flee from you Jam. 4. 7. Resist the Temptations of the will and stand in obedience to Jesus the true Light and that will which opposeth Gods will that will flee from you it will not abide the battel with you but it will flee from you it will vanquish will be overcome and cease to be in you as it ceased to
blameless as most had done for now I do know that it was the true Light Christ Jesus that was in me judging and condemning me for such outward sins from my being a very Child and I was kept from such sins as being afraid of Gods Justice that was made known to me to be due for such sins and yet not so kept but that the subtile Serpent sometimes prevailed over me And then when I had sinned how did I repent and mourn and humble my self and pray to God for forgiveness and set upon religious duties as I was then taught to gain the love and favour of God! until at last these Prayers these Mournings these Repentings these Fastings these Religious Perfâ—â—mances became the greatest sins in me and I apprehended Gods Justice and Judgments to be most due to me for these religious sins as I may so call them more than I did for any outward profane sins for God had made it known to me that it was the Serpent self in me that put me upon the gaining of understanding and knowledge to know what was Gods will that man should do thereby to be able to discourse of it amongst men and to be counted some body and also by that knowledge I thought to have eternal life And God made it known to me that my love was more to my self in those things that I did in obedience to him than it was from any true love that I had to God for if I could have escaped Gods Justice for sin I should have loved and delighted more in sinning than in obeying God And God made it known to me that it was my own will and that for ends that I had of my own that I did all that I did in gaining and desiring to gain knowledge of him and of his will And so much was I then grownd in pieces by the stone of the manifestations and making known of Gods Justice and Judgment dâ—e to me for my religious sins as I may so call them as that I was afraid to read and I dare not pray to God but sometimes would fall down upon my knees and sigh and grown but dare not speak a word nor dare not speak and discourse of things concerning God as formerly I had done nor keep no company with those that were thought to be godly persons as before I had done nor went to no outward form of Worship but sighed and mourned to my self but made no outward shew of it for fear I should play the Hypocrite And while I was in this state and condition what was it that I would not have given for one glympse or little beam of the making known of Gods love to me which when I was worshipping and serving God as I thought I was when in the Serpents subtilty in the understanding and knowledge that he had put me upon to gain and in the obedience that he had put me upon to do after my Prayers Mournings and Repentings and humbling of my self for my sins and my Promises and Vows made to God to do so no more then could I easily apprehend God to be a merciful God forgiving sins and trespasses and that God had a love to me But now when I saw that in all these religious duties as I then called them I found that to be true which often in words I had spoken That all our Righteousness was but as filthy ragâ— and as a monstruous Garment and that we sinned in the best of our duties and performances When I found this to be true indeed which I had so often in formality spoken then there remained in me nothing but a fear of Gods Justice and Judgments to follow me for my sin and especially for my religious sins for my mocking God in a seeming outward obedience to him in doing the outward things that I knew was his will for me to do but my heart was not upright to God my love was to my sin but for fear of his Justice I dare not commit the sin and so it was self-will self-love in me that carried me out in the doing all that I did in obedience to God And for these self-actions in me I most feared Gods Justice to fall upon me and that made me afraid to do or perform any of those religious duties and performances as I then called them And thus by the grinding-stone of Gods Justice was self in me in its three parts or properties that is in the understanding and knowing part in the desire love and affection and in the will which I in the Parable compare to the three measures of Meal being thus grownd and made fit for the Leaven of Gods love to be taken in by the woman in me The drawings or goings forth of the spirit of Jesus in me to save me from sin which now I know was all of his working and preparing although I did not then understand it to be the work of Jesus in me but now I know that it was the work of Jesus in me to cause me to deny my self to deny my self in that understanding and wisdom that the Serpent put me upon to learn to deny my self in my love and desire to the Creation and especially to that of self in me and to deny my self in my own will and especially in the doing of what then I called religious works or Worship done to God And while I lay thus grownd apieces I saw nothing in my self to recommend me to God nor saw nothing in my self why God should bestow any love upon me nor could I apprehend that there was any love in me to God as once I could and did apprehend that there was love in me to God when I was worshipping him in the Serpents wisdom in my own will Then I thought there was a love in me to God and would say so too and would have taken it very ill if any one should have told me that I did not love God And while I was in this sad and deplorable estate without apprehending any love in me to God or any love in God to me Now I do know that this was the work of Jesus the true Light in me working in me by his spirit to save me from sin and that not onely from the outward actions of sin but to save me from the love of sin And when he had thus prepared in me if I may so call them his three measures of Meal the Understanding and Knowing part in me the Desire and Love in me and the Will in me and made them fit for the woman the drawings the leadings and goings forth of the spirit of Jesus in me to take the Leaven to take the makings known of the Fathers love to me then he caused it to be so to me then he made known the Fathers love to me And the manner of it was thus It pleased him to bring into my mind the words of Manoah Sampson's Father and his Mother when they saw the Angel of the Lord to
love that God hath shewed to man in making of him in his likeness and Image yet man proved so unworthy and rebellious to this God that manifested and made known so much love to him as that he rebelled against this God and as I may say to speak after the manner of men proved a Traytor to this God that had manifested and made known so much love to him For whereas God in the Creation as man was made in his Image God ruled in man and over man and mans will was resigned and given up into the will of God But man like a Traytor set up his own will and preferred that above and before the will of God in him and put the government of himself under his own will to be ruled by his own will where all men in the fallen state now are and while this will bears the rule over them they will not come to Jesus the true Light in them that they may have life John 5. 40. And although man in his Treachery and Rebellion lost his love to God and became an enemy to God yet God as unchangeable he continued his love to man and his love was then so great to man when man was in his Rebellion against God and an enemy to God that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 16. And God commended his love towards us that while we were yet sinners and enemies to God Christ died for us Rom. 5. 8. And God hath sent his Ambassadours to beseech and pray you to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 20. And what shall not the unchangeableness of Gods Love to us and the willingness that is in God that we should be reconciled to him and not to perish shall not this work upon us to be willing to resign and give up our wills into Gods will when there can be no reconciliation made between God and lost man but by mans being willing to resign and give up his will into the will of God That is the partition-wall that must be taken down that which at first made the separation between God and man It was man went out of the doing of Gods will into the doing of his own will and to reconcile man again to God there must be a going out of mans will into Gods will again And is not this very reasonable that man should resign and give up his will into the will of God being Gods love is so unchangeable to man As that when man had no true love in him to God but was Gods enemy yet then Gods love was such to man as to give his Son his beloved Son to keep man from perishing and that man by his love of God might have everlasting life and therefore can there be any thing more reasonable than this That man should resign and give up his will into the will of God And further if the consideration of Gods love to man in his Creation and the unchangeableness of his love to man when man was turned Gods enemy and Gods willingness to have man to be reconciled unto him if this will not prevail with man to be willing to have his will resigned and given up into the will of God let man consider the absolute necessity that there is as on mans part to have his will resigned and given up into Gods will for if mans will be not resigned and given up into Gods will man perishes for ever There can be no reconciling of God and man together without mans will being resigned and given up into the will of God for although indeed God is unchangeable in himself and so is a God of love and so there is love in God to man his Creature yet also God in himself is a God of Justice executing of his Justice to all and upon all that stand it out in Rebellion against him which all men do while in their wills they oppose Gods will And let men flatter themselves what they will with the unchangeableness of Gods love to man and so have thoughts that God loves them yet until there is a willingness in them to have their wills resigned and given up into the will of God I know by experience that these thoughts of theirs of Gods loving of them is changeable in them and sometimes they may have thoughts in them that God loves them and at other times they are afraid of Gods Justice and Judgments to fall upon them for their sins and transgressions And to be made free from the manifestations or making known of Gods Justice and Judgments for sin in us and to us is to have our wills resigned and given up into the will of God and then we may say with Paul Rom. 7. For that which I do I allow not for what I would that I do not but what I hate that I do If then I do that which I would not I consent unto the law that it is good now then it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me And as the will comes to be resigned and given up into the will of God so there is a knowing that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus to them whose wills are resigned and given up into the will of God as their Father as was the will of Christ Jesus and there is no being in Christ Jesus unless in some measure degree or other the will be resigned and given up to God as a Father as was the will of Christ Jesus And as their wills are resigned and given up into the will of God so they walk not after the flesh they walk not after their fleshly wills they follow not their fleshly wills but they walk after the spirit they follow after the spirit of Christ Jesus the true light in them that teacheth them to resign and give up their wills into the will of God and those who are not thus in Christ Jesus who have not their wills resigned and given up into the will of God as Christ Jesus will was they are still in the state of condemnation because they walk after the flesh their own wills and although at sometimes they may have some hopes or apprehensions of Gods love towards them yet it is not lasting in them it fails them when they stand in most need of it that is it fails them when God is making known in them and to them his Justice and Judgments due to them for their sins Then they cannot apprehend any love in God to them but they are afraid of God for then they cannot say as Paul said that what I would I do not but what I hate that I do and then that it was no more I that did it but sin that dwelleth in me They cannot speak after that manner but instead thereof the
the Will of this infinite loving God to be ruled guided and governed by the Will of this loving God And this great loving God is willing to do it for him and in him to speak after the manner of men without putting him to any charge or trouble in bringing the work to pass and that freely if man would not in his Will oppose and hinder God in this his great work And what will man whom God hath endued with more Reason than he hath all the Creatures upon the Earth will he be so ruinous and destructive to himself as not to be willing to resigne and give up his Will into the Will of God to be ruled guided and governed by the Will of God made known in him and to him and that when this great infinite and unchangeable loving God is willing to do that great work in him of working up of mans Will into the Will of God if man would not oppose him in this his great work And therefore may it not well be said of man that his destruction is of himself And lastly I desire man to consider that if he will not be perswaded by the making known of the unchangeableness of Gods love to him by Jesus the Son of God the true Light in him to have his will to be resigned and given up into the will of God and by Gods willingness to do this great work in him yet at length Gods will shall and will be done and man in and by his will cannot nor shall not hinder Gods will from being done Do we not see it by daily experience how God makes void and brings to nought the purposes that man in his will determines to bring to pass yea the purposes and determinations of the great men upon the Earth made in their wills how in their wills they can go no further nor do no more than God in his will of sufferance suffers them so to do And come to more inferiour men of all sorts and degrees how they in their wills purpose and appoint the doing of this or that thing and how by God their purposes and appointments are made void and come to nothing and cannot in any of them go or do the least beyond the will of Gods sufferance to suffer them to go or do Neither can men in their wills by all the means that they can use keep or hinder from falling upon them or from falling upon any thing that they call theirs or hinder the coming upon them or upon any thing that they call theirs any thing whatsoever that God in his will intends and purposes shall fall upon them or theirs or any thing that shall come upon them or upon what they call theirs And although man for a time may hinder Gods will that is Gods declared will that man should obey God in this will of God man may by his disobedience hinder from being done in him yet at length Gods will will be done in them whether man will or no that is Gods will in Gods administration of his Justice and true Judgment in man for his disobedience against God And that man by all the ways and means that man in his will can use he cannot nor shall not hinder that will of God from being done in him And therefore according to true Reason as God hath made man a reasonable Creature above all the Creatures upon the Earth what madness and folly is it for man to stand in his own will and not to become willing by the power of Jesus the true Light in him to resigne and give up his will into the will of God and take up his Cross to his own will and to be a Disciple a Follower a Learner of Jesus in him who is in him to that very end to save him from sin and to reconcile him to God All that is required for man to do in the resigning and giving up of his will into Gods will is but to be as the Meal is to the Leaven not to oppose God in his work in man as the Meal does not oppose or hinder the working of the Leaven So man in his will is not to oppose or hinder God in his work in him in the making known his love in man and to man and thereby to work a love in man to God again and to work out of man that love that is in man to his own understanding and knowledge to his own desire love and affection and to his own will for as man by the spirit of Jesus in him receives and takes in the love of God unto him not as a righteous person as if he deserved love at Gods hands but as a sinner an enemy to God and so as that there is no desert in him that God should shew any love to him but as to desert in him his desert it is to have Gods Justice and Judgment to fall upon him for his sins Jesus calls not the righteous but sinners to repentance and man does not repent of the love that he hath to sin but as he comes to apprehend love in God to him as a sinner man may for fear of Gods Justice repent of the actions of sin but not of the love he hath to sin And in this state and condition for man to be brought to apprehend love in God to him as a sinner as an enemy to God although God does not love sin in man yet God loves man as his Creature And this love in God begets a love in man to God and from that love that is begotten by God in man to God for it is God that begets the love in man to himself and by that love man comes to obey God because God first loved him And then man according to that measure or degree of love that is begot in him by God he becomes a nothing in himself that God may be all and do all in him And then is man as the Meal not opposing the working of the Leaven of Gods love in him bringing him to love God again And so man then does all that he does in obedience to God becaâ—â—â— God first loved him And this is the true denying of self of all sâ—lf and taking up the Cross and following of Jesus that saves from â—in I have read in the 1 Kings 13. that there came a man of God out of Judath and by the Word of the Lord to Bethel and he cryed against the Altar in the Word of the Lord and â—y the Word of the Lord he was charged to eat no bread nor drink no water in that place nor to turn back again by the way he wâ—nt But an old Prophet that dwelt in Bethel went after the man of God and said to him Come home with me and eat bread And the man of God said to him I may not return with thee nor go in with thee neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place For it was said to me by the word of the
the first being to sin in man which was love in the will and in the desire of man And although we read of many that heard John preach Repentance and came to his Baptism as did Jerusalem and Judea and the Regions round about Jordan many Pharisees and Scribes were baptised of him confessing their sins Mat. 3. yet few of them came to the end of his preaching to know the Ax laid to the root of the Tree to know the love and desire to sin in the heart to be hewn down and cast into the fire to be consumed And this John told them must be in the Baptism of Jesus which his Baptism was a forerunner of which was to baptise with the Holy Ghost and with fire In Jesus's Baptism in the Baptism that saves from sin they were to know the fire of the Holy Ghost to burn and consume the love and desire to sin in them That whereas there was a time in which they had in them a love and a desire to commit sin but dare not commit sin for fear of the punishment that they knew was justly due to them for their sins but if they could have escaped the punishment they would willingly have pleased themselves in the sins And here the Serpent self deceived them they thought there was an enmity in them against sin because they were afraid to commit sin when the enmity was not against sin but against the punishment for sin And so indeed and in truth the enmity that they thought was in them against sin it was in them against God that is against the justice of God and sin in the root sin in the love and the desire to it was alive and sin and they in union and thus the subtile Serpents self and their own wills deceive them under a form of godliness But when they are come to the end of Johns Preaching and Baptism and know what it is to have the axe laid to the root of the tree of sin to the love of sin and to know the hewing down and burning up of the love and desire to sin in them so as if there were no punishment for sin yet would they not sin And why would they not sin it is because of the manifestations or making known of the love of God that is shed abroad in the heart God having made known the freeness of his love to them without any desert from them that while they were sinners and so enemies to God there was love in God to them and he sent his Son to die to reconcile them to himself This begets a love in them to God we love him because he first loved us and now the enmity is not against the punishment as it was when what we did in obedience to God was because we were afraid of Hell if we disobeyed him but the enmity is now against the sin as it offends that God that hath bestowed the riches of his Love upon them And now the Creature if it be drawn aside by the temptations of his own hearts lusts if the Serpent bruise the heel of the seed of the Woman in it as God hath said it should how does it mourn for its offence not because it knows that God as a loving Father will chastize it for its offence it does well know that God will not let offences pass in his Children unchastized but their grief and sorrow is because it hath offended God his loving Father And as to the chastisements of God although in themselves they are tedious but as they come from a loving Father and are for their good so they are pleasing to them as God makes use of them to the bringing forth of the peaceable fruit of Righteousness in them This was Davids case Psal 119. 67. Before he was afflicted he went astray but now he had kept his word and hence is a change wrought in the heart now the sorrow and grief that is in it because sin is committed is not because it is afraid of the punishment as once it was but the sorrow and grief is because a loving God a loving Father is offended by its breaking of his Commands And this change in the heart is wrought by the joyning together the two seeds if I may so call them the seed of God the power of God in man and the seed of God the power of God without man and from hence cometh the Child Jesus that saves from sin in the bearing of which the woman was saved That in man that was deceived and in the transgression is again saved here cometh the restauration of man man being restored again into the Image of love to God that he lost in the fall and into that Image of holiness in obeying God that he lost in the fall and now there is a change wrought in the will man being brought to will what God will and that because it is Gods will and now he does not do Gods will because he knows that if he does it not he shall be punished for his transgressions as once he did when that which put him upon his obedience to God in what he knew to be Gods will that he should do it was that by the doing thereof he might escape that punishment that he knew would be due to him if he did not do Gods will but now there is such a change that if there were no punishment for the transgression yet there is a willingness in him to do Gods will and that because of the love that God hath manifested and made known to him that God loved him when there was an enmity in his heart against God yet God loved him and sent his Son to die to reconcile him to God Rom. 5. 8 9 10. And this begot such a love in the heart to God as that it so changes the will that its desire is not to do its own will but Gods will onely and it is afraid lest its own will that he is so much sensible of that hath so much deceived him should get into the doing of what he is so carried forth to do in obedience to God and so deceive him and bring him again into the transgression that he is afraid of his own will as of a deadly Serpent this is known in some measure degree or other where the Child Jesus is born and the Woman saved out of the transgression they do know the work of the onely begotten Son of God in them and not only to restore that in them that Adam lost in the fall but to preserve and keep them from falling by the temptation as Adam did they knew that in them that the Serpent cannot tempt so as to cause it to sin nor never did nor never will yield to the temptation and that they are not onely the created Sons of God but the begotten Sons of God 1 Pet. 1. 3 23. and that it is that begotten Son of God in them that keeps them from falling by the temptation Herod heard John
and what the Lord said to Satan of Job and wha Satan said to the Lord concerning Job and the leave that the Lord gave Satan to try Jobs Integrity and how Satan tryed Job I have also read that the Lord said to Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not and when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren And of Peters Confidence not to deny Jesus and how he was prevailed with to deny Jesus and of his repenting And I have likewise read of Jesus being led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil and when the Tempter came to him what he said to Jesus what answers Jesus gave the Tempter and Devil and by my reading of them and remembring what I had read I could speak and discourse of them but I knew little of them in comparison of what I did then speak of them nor do I now know any thing of them but what by experience I hear of them spoken within me and have seen with the inward eye and have looked upon within me as a measure of them have been acted done or wrought within me and I do believe it to be unlawful for me now to speak or declare more of them than what by experience I have seen and heard of them within me and so much I may speak and declare and no more And if it be objected to me If thou mayst speak or declare no more than what by experience thou hast within thee heard and seen then how hast thou heard and seen within thee That Jesus is a light to all and a Saviour to some that have not heard of an outward Jesus born of the Virgin Mary and crucified at Jerusalem To that I answer I was once without the true knowledge of that Jesus born of the Virgin Mary and Crucified at Jerusalem although from my being a Child I was brought up to read the Scriptures that make mention of such a Jesus and I was taught by my Parents to say that I believed there was such a Jesus and yet I do now know that I did not then when I read of such a Jesus in the Scriptures and said I believed in such a Jesus I did not then know that there was such a Jesus I was onely learned to say so but I knew it not and what was I then better than those that never heard of the name of such a Jesus when I onely heard of the name but knew not what he was that is I knew not what he was as he was sent of God to save from sin And all that profess themselves Christians and know any thing of the work of God in their hearts will own that the knowing by reading or here-say of such a Jesus born of the Virgin Mary and so growing up to be a man and Crucified at Jerusalem and know no more of him that this knowledge of him does them no good as to their Salvation and what are they then the better for their hearing or reading of the Name of such a Jesus are they any thing better than those that never heard of that Name But that knowledge of Jesus that does them good to their Salvation is the knowing of him to be a Jesus that is a Saviour that saves from sin that knowing of him is that which is onely good and profitable to their Salvation and not the hearing or knowing of an outward name of Jesus I knowing and having experience of this within me to be true that it is not the hearing and knowing of the outward Name Jesus that does man any good to his Salvation but it is the knowing him to be Jesus a Saviour from sin that does man good to Salvation and thereby I know and have experienced that God may save some that have not heard of an outward Jesus born of the Virgin Mary and Crucified at Jerusalem and the way how he saves them is by saving them from their sins before I know a saving from sin I know nothing of Jesus but onely as I had heard or read of the Name Jesus but of the nature of Jesus as he is a Saviour sent of God I was as ignorant as those that never heard of the name Jesus I onely knew the Name as it was written in these letters JESVS but the nature of Jesus as he is a Saviour I knew not I did not know him as he is the great power of God to Salvation the onely begotten son of Gods Love the true Light which makes known to man the unchangeable being of Gods Love to the World MAN that whosoever believed in him the onely begotten Son of God the true Light that is whosoever so believed the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World so that none are without this Light they that so believe in this true Light that tells them this is good and what they ought to do and this is evil which they ought not to do and yield obedience to God according to what this true Light the onely begotten Son of God in them makes known to them to be Gods will that they should do or that they should leave undone These that so yield an obedience to the light in them in doing the good that this Light makes known in them they ought to do and in leaving undone the evil that this Light makes known to them that they should not do these are they that Gods love is so to in his begotten Son as that they shall not perish but have everlasting life and this believing the true Light Jesus the onely begotten Son of God and yielding obedience thereunto is not wrought in them by the reading or hearing of a Name Jesus that a man had that was born of the Virgin Mary and Crucified at Jerusalem and that knowledge that we have by reading the Scriptures and hearing the name Jesus preached that is all the knowledge that we now can have more than those that never heard of that Name and of that Man But that which give us the true knowledge of that Name and what that Man was before that Body had a being upon the Earth and what it was when it had a being upon the Earth and what it is now it hath no being upon the Earth I say that which gives us the true knowledge of what that man Jesus was before he had a body upon the Earth and what he was in that body upon the Earth and what he is now that body is taken from the Earth That which gives us the true knowledge of what he was and now is it is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World and so he is a light and the true light in those that never heard of that Name and of that Man as he is the same true light in us that hath heard of that Name and of that Man And as he
be saved Gods end in sending his Son was not to condemn any one but to save all He that believeth on him is not condemned all those are saved that believe on him but he that believeth not is condemned already all those that do not believe on the begotten Son of God the true Light they are already condemned that is presently while they are in that state of unbelief All men as they have sinned are as they are in the state of sin under the sentance of condemnation but Gods love is such to man in general that he hath sent his onely begotten Son to take off that sentance of condemnation that whosoever did believe in him should not be condemned God grants to them that believe in his Son to speak after the manner of men a Pardon and so the sentence of condemnation is taken off from them and they are as if they had never been condemned but all those that do not believe in his Son they remain under that sentence of condemnation and so are condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the onely begotten Son of God The cause why all men are condemned is because they do not believe in the Name of the onely begotten Son of God As the name of a King signifies the power of the King so the Name of the onely begotten Son of God signifies the power of the onely begotten Son of God They do not believe in his power who is the true Light in them that makes known in them and shews unto them what may be known of God They do not believe that this Light hath power to save them or that there is a sufficient power in this Light that if they should yield obedience to it to save them And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world Light is come into the world into that world Man that God so loved that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever of that world Man believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life God hath by his true Light made known his love in them and their condemnation is not because they did not know God or for want of Gods making known his love to them or for want of Gods making known so much of God to them as may be known of God but it is because Light is come into the world Man come into them and men love darkness rather than light is because their deeds are evil For every one that doth evil hateth the light evil doers hate the Light hate Jesus the onely begotten Son of God whom God in his love hath sent to save them neither cometh to the light they will not come to Jesus the onely begotten Son of God the true Light that lighteth them that makes known in them and shew unto them what may be known of God to the end that they may be saved by believing in his Name by believing in his power but they will not come to him the true Light the power of God to salvation to be saved by him lest their evil deeds should be reproved or discovered They so love their evil deeds that rather than they will have them reproved or discovered so as to be brought to a leaving or forsaking of them They will not come to the Light to be saved by the Light that is to be saved by the onely begotten Son of God But he that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God This is that which maketh the difference in men God makes known himself in all that which is to be known of God even his eternal power and Godhead Gods makes known in all he hath shewed it unto them and so they are without excuse His love is to all he gave his Son that whosoever none excepted that did believe in him should not perish He did not send his Son to condemn the world Man but to save the world Man and those that believe in him are not condemned but are saved from the condemnation and those that believe not are already condemned they are now in the state of condemnation And it is because they have not believed on him the condemnation is because Light is come into the World come into them and they believe not in it but they love darkness the works of darkness evil deeds better than they love the Light And instead of loving the Light that makes known evil deeds in them they hate the Light because it discovers lays open and makes their evil deeds known and reproves them for evil deeds and therefore they will not come to the Light but hate it The Light in them calls them to come and believe in it but they will not come and believe in it And why will they not come and believe in it It is because they love their evil deeds and that causes them to hate the Light but he that doth truth that is he that in sincerity and integrity of his heart doth the things that God hath made known in him to be his will that he should obey him in he cometh to the Light And why doth he that doth truth come to the Light It is that his deeds his works may be made known made manifest that they are wrought in God He that doth truth he that truly yields obedience to God according to what he knows of God his hearts desire is to bring all his actions and deeds to Jesus the true Light of God in him that thereby they may be made known made manifest made truly known in him and to him that they are the works of God wrought in him that is the great thing desired by him that doth the truth to know that all that is done in him is done by Jesus the truth in him So that the difference that is made in men is of their own making Gods love is general to all he sent his Son to save all that would believe in him he hath made known his love in all That which may be known of God is manifest in them God he hath shewed it unto them they are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse But some love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil and therefore they will not come to the light but are haters of the light Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God nor were they thankful to God for what God had made known of himself to them but became vain in their imaginations Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things that are not convenient Rom. 1. 21 28. I pray mark the words of the Scripture Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge which knowledge they once had that God had given to them of himself
be in Jesus when he prayed saying O my Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt And that will in Jesus that as man would have had the cup to be taken from him that will abode not the battel in him but flee'd and was vanquished was overcome and the Fathers will was done And so it will be with us and in us if we will with the Light of Jesus in us that light that is in us and it is so in us that it would save us from sin save us from the doing of our own wills if we would by the help and assistance of the power of that Jesus the Light in us resist the temptations of the will and abide in the power of that Light Jesus believe in his Name believe in that power which is the love of God to us it is the Gospel of God the good tidings of God the power of God to Salvation which is made known in us If we will believe in the name of this Jesus the true Light believe in the power of the Light in us that that Light that power of God that Gospel that making known of Gods love to us and in us that it is that and that onely that is able to save us is able to keep us to salvation and so by it to be saved from the temptations of our own wills This will save us from the temptations of our own wills and so save us from the condemnation that is due to us for our sins which we commit in yielding to our own wills The believing in the name of the onely begotten Son of God in the power of the true Light in us which is the onely begotten Son of God which all those that do not believe in the name of this true Light in them in the power of that Light in them which is the onely begotten Son of God they are already condemned they are while they are out of that believing in the name of the onely begotten Son of God in the present state of condemnation for their sins John 3. 18. and are in the doing of their own wills and so are not in the taking up of the Cross which is not onely to be taken up that is to say once and no more or now and then as for a man once to say he took up his Cross he crossed he said Nay to his own will he once vanquished he once overcame his own will he once followed Jesus or to say sometimes he took up his Cross he sometimes crossed his own will he sometimes vanquished and overcame his own will this is not enough to be a Disciple a Follower of Jesus a Scholar a Learner of Jesus but he that will be a Disciple a Follower a Scholar a Learner of Jesus he must daily that is constantly deny himself take up his Cross and follow Jesus As Jesus taught his Disciples to pray day by day for their daily bread so they are to pray day by day Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven They are day by day to pray that Gods will be done in their earthy bodies day by day to take up their Cross and follow Jesus day by day every day daily Jesus took up the Cross to his will as man he said Nay to that will that was in him as man he vanquished and overcame that will he had as man and day by day daily he did the will of the Father as he was the onely begotten Son of the Father and if any man and whosoever will come after him will follow him he must take up his Cross to his will he must cross his will he must say Nay to his will he must vanquish and overcome his will and this must not be done onely once or at some times but daily constantly day by day every day and that is to take up the Cross and follow Jesus follow that which saves from sin that it is to be a Scholar a Learner of that Light Jesus in us that is in us and it is a gift of God given unto us and that to that very end to save us from sin to save us from the doing of our own wills and to restore us to the doing of Gods will and to keep us in the doing of the Fathers will as the begotten Son of God and not as the created son of God who fell from the doing of Gods will although made in Gods Image which the begotten Son of God cannot fall from the doing of Gods will he sinneth not nor can he sin because the seed of God remains in him abides in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God That which is born of God cannot sin and whosoever does not bear his Cross and come to Jesus follow Jesus cannot be his Disciple Luke 14. 27. There is no being a Disciple a Scholar a Learner of Jesus without bearing of his Cross without coming to Jesus without following of Jesus none can be his Disciple but they may be the Disciples and Followers of Jesus and yet not follow those that look upon themselves to be the Disciples and Followers of Jesus The Twelve forbade one casting out Devils in Jesus Name because he did not follow them but Jesus rebuked them for it saying Forbid him not for he that is not against us is for us and none could do miracles in his name and lightly speak evil of him Mark 9. 38. 39 40. He that casteth out Devils in himself he that takes up the Cross to his own will he is a Follower of Jesus a Disciple a Scholar a Learner of Jesus within him that saves him from sin as was he that the Twelve met with that cast out Devils in Jesus name in the power of Jesus in him and yet the Twelve forbade him to cast out Devils in Jesus Name in the power of Jesus because he followed not them he gave not honour to them to follow them to come after them and therefore it was that they did not regard that he was a follower of Jesus and that he was for Jesus and did miracles in his Name they regarded more their own honour to be followed by him than they minded the honour of Jesus who he honoured and followed and was for Jesus and yet they forbade him to cast out Devils in Jesus Name who was on Jesus part and could not lightly easily readily speak evil of Jesus and yet in their own wills for a self-end of their own because he followed not them gave not them the honour they forbade him to cast out Devils in Jesus Name and such a one I have known forbidden to declare to others what God hath made known to him that so as an instrument in Gods hand he might be as a means to cast out the Devils that entred into man by the subtilty of the Serpents self in man in and by declaring to others Gods goodness to him how
own which he had not taken up the Cross to that would not that Jesus should do what was Gods will in him that he should do And it was this will of Peter's that was contrary to the will of God that was troubled and and burdened at Jesus's words when Jesus spake the truth and it was in that will of his own that did believe that Jesus spake those words by a wrong Spirit for he made Jesus a lyar saying that it should not be as Jesus had said And in this will in this wrong Spirit in this Satan in this Devil Peter undertook to rebuke Jesus for speaking the truth that he had received of the Father as to my knowledge others have done the like And further to make it more manifest that it is a lying and deceitful Spirit which worketh in the Will that perswades to believe that those things that are true which be spoken are spoken by a wrong Spirit and all the reason that is given why it must be so that it is spoken by a wrong Spirit is because it does not reach the seed of God in them but they find a burden a load oppressing them and it is a great trouble to them to hear those words spoken And if this were true then Jesus in the time that he had lived upon the Earth spake many times by a wrong Spirit in that it did not reach the seed of God in his Disciples Mark 14. 27 vers to 31 vers Jesus saith to his Disciples All ye shall be offended because of me this night for it is written I will smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered But Peter said Although all shall be offended yet will not I. Jesus saith unto him This night before the cock crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice But he spake the more vehemently If I should die with thee I will not deny thee in any wise Likewise also said they all I pray observe the words of the Scripture Jesus had told them that that night they should be all offended because of him and he proves the truth of it by Scripture for it was written I will smite the shepherd and the sheâ—p shall be scattered What Jesus spake was the truth he had received from the Father And did he not spake these words by the true Spirit And yet this did not reach the seed of God in them so as to believe he spake true And therefore how could they believe that Jesus spake these words by the true Spirit yea by their own answers it did appear that they all believed that he spake them by a wrong Spirit because they all said that should not be true that Jesus had spoken Jesus had said that they should be all offended because of him that night and the truth of that Scripture should be fulfilled that night that the Shepherd should be smitten and the Sheep scattered Peter who had at another time some distance of time between before that time began to rebuke him for speaking something to that purpose he does not now reprove Jesus for speaking the truth but he again contradicts him for speaking the truth and tells him that what he had spoken should not be done for although all should be offended because of him yet would not he And when Jesus told him that that night before the Cock crew twice he should deny him thrice he spake the more vehemently If I die with thee I will not in any wise deny thee Likewise also said they all That is all of them said as Peter had said that they would not be offended because of him that night and before they would deny him they would die with him As Peter in his own Will had resolved to do so had they resolved in their Wills to do I pray what hindred the true words spoken by Jesus that it did not reach the seed of God in them Was it because they were spoken by a wrong Spirit Or was it not because their own Wills lay uppermost in them above the seed of God in them and so made such a separation as that the words spoken by Jesus could not reach the seed of God in them Was it not their own Wills in them that would not have them to be offended because of him that night being it was Gods will that it should be so and God had caused the Prophets to foretel the same But there was in them all a Will opposing the Will of God and that Will of theirs was that which hindred that Jesus's true words spoken by the true Spirit that they did not reach the seed of God in them and this Will of theirs was troubled and burdened by the words spoken by Jesus What might not this Will say in them or they say in this Will What shall I that have been a Disciple a Follower of Jesus that have been sent by him to preach the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand have had power to heal all manner of Diseases and to cast out Devils and have had my outward feet lately washed by him and that night received of him that which is commonly called the Sacrament of his Body and Bloud and what shall I now be offended because of this Jesus that hath done so much for me No I will not be offended no rather than I will be offended because of him I will first die with him This Will of theirs that was not willing that Gods Will should be done in them this Will of theirs was burdened and troubled in hearing Jesus speak those true words That that night they should be all offended because of him And from this strong fleshly love and affection that they had to the fleshly Body of Jesus might they not think as others have done that it was something in them that was good something in them that was of God that was troubled and burdened at Jesus speaking of the true words by the true Spirit When indeed and in truth that which was burdened and troubled at Jesus's true words spoken by the true Spirit it was nothing but the fleshly will of theirs in which will they opposed the will of God as others have done in this knowing Age. How were these deceived by the subtile Serpents self their own wills in them who hod been so much with Jesus and had received so much from Jesus and yet had not taken up the Cross to their own wills but were in the knowing of Jesus after the flesh and followers of Jesus after the flesh and were ignorant of his Death and Resurrection in them Luke 18. 31 32 33 34. Then took he unto him the Twelve and said unto them Behold me go unto Jerusalem and all things that are written by the Prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished for he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles and shall be mocked and spitefully entreated and spit on and they shall scourge him and put him to death and the third day he shall rise again and they
pleased not himself and that he proves by Scripture that it was the duty of the strong to follow Christs example and that Christ did not please himself because it is written The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell upon me And then he tells them That what was written in the Scripture aforetime was written for them to learn I pray what is it that we should learn by the Scripture if we are not to learn thereby to follow Christs example in proving our works actions or doings by the Scriptures Was it not Christs practice to make use of the Scriptures to prove that what he did was according to Gods declared will made known by the Prophets and was it not the practice of the Apostle see for one place the afore-mentioned Scripture where the Apostle does not onely bring Scripture to prove what was his and the Saints duty for them to do but he also brings Scripture to prove that Christ did the same things that was written of him in the Scriptures that he should do and also that it was and is the duty of those that are Christs Disciples to follow him in what he therein did which was according to Gods declared will in the Scriptures that he should do And many other places of Scripture there be that Christ and his Apostles made use of the Scriptures to prove that what they did was agreeable to the will of God before declared by the holy men of God And I hope none will deny it in words and therefore I shall bring no more Scripture to prove that it was the practice of Christ and followed by the Apostles and yet these were such as had the same true light in ehem that gave forth the Scriptures And do any men think themselves better than Christ and the Apostles and that because the same true light that is in them that was in Christ and the Apostles and that therefore they ought not to bring their works actions and doings to the Scriptures to be tryed by them to see whether they be agreeable to the works actions or doings of the holy men of old done in them by that spirit that gave forth the Scriptures or whether they be agreeable to the will of God declared in the Scriptures by those holy men of old that was and is Gods will for us to obey him in The Apostle said Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning What were they written onely for the learning of the Apostles and those in that day And what were they not written for our learning now in this day of the shining forth of the light amongst us And to the same end that we through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures might have hope And have we not comfort and hope by bringing our works actions and doings to the Scriptures to try them by the Scriptures I say to try our works actions or doings by the Scriptures I do not say to try the true light that is in us by the Scriptures that is a falsity and deceit to speak after that manner but to try our works actions and doings by the Scriptures to see how agreeing they are to the works actions and doings of the holy men of God in those things that the Scripture make mention of that they were carried forth by the spirit of God the true light in them to do and also to try our works actions and doings by those things written in the Scripture that the holy men gave forth by the spirit of God in them the true light that is the duty for man to do according to the declared will of God Now as we bring our works actions or doings to this Touch-stone to be tryed by it and find that our works actions or doings are agreeable to what the holy men of old did in obedience to God and as they in obedience to God declared what was Gods will that man should obey him in I say as men thus bring their works actions or doings to the holy Scripture to be tryed by it whether they are agreeable to the works actions or doings that God by his spirit the true light wrought in the holy men of old that gave forth the Scriptures or agreeable to what God by the spirit of the true light gave in command to the holy men of old that man ought to do in obedience to God And when they have brought their works actions or doings to the Scriptures thus to be tryed and find them answerable and agreeing to the works actions or doings wrought by Gods spirit the true light in the holy men of old or answerable and agreeing to the works actions or doings given forth from God by the holy men of old for man to obey God in As they thus find their works actions or doings to be answerable and agreeing to and with the Scriptures so are the Scriptures a comfort and hope to them that as the holy men of God in old time did enjoy the love and favour of God in this life and more in the life to come as is made known in the Scriptures so if we with patience continue in our obedience by the help and assistance of the true light in us to God according to Gods declared will in the Scriptures God may and will do the like by us and for us as he did for the holy men of old And this Comfort and Hope I have and do now find in the Scriptures for some years before I heard of the name of a Quaker I by experience had found that the Letter of the Scripture killed and from that death that I was made serviceable of that I got by trusting in that knowledge that I had by the Letter of the Scriptures thinking by that knowledge to have eternal life it made me afraid to read the Scriptures for above a year fearing thereby I should be a means to hinder my self of that life that was to be had in and by the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures and I did declare that the Scriptures were not the Word of God but that was the Word of God by which all things were made but the Scriptures as they were given forth by the spirit of God as he moved the holy men to speak them so they were the words spoken by God And now I do give that honour to the Scriptures that Paul writ of 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. And from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works here is the right use that is to be made of the Scriptures they are able to make wise unto salvation but it must be through that faith that is in Christ Jesus it must be by believing that there is
ascend up in the flame of the Altar Manoah said to his wife We shall surely die because we have seen God But his wife said unto him If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands neither would he have shewed us all these things nor would at this time have told us such things as these Judg. 13. Upon the thinking of these words God was pleased to put this into me That if God had been pleased to kill me to send me to Hell to damn me he would never have shewed me all these things He would never have shewed me the deceit of the subtile Serpent self in me in putting me upon it to get to understand and know Gods declared will made known in the Scriptures which as to the letter of them I knew in that day much more than now I do He would never have discovered to me the deceit of the Serpent in putting me upon an outward form of Religion and from one form to another which was in best esteem and that out of a self-self-love and not out of any true love that was in me to God And he would never have discovered to me that all this was done in my own will for self-ends of my own if God had a mind to kill me to send me to Hell to damn me He would never have made known these things to me but have let me go on in the understanding and knowledge that the Serpent had put me upon to get and to let me have contented my self in that understanding and knowledge and in that worship and service of God that the subtile Serpent had put me upon to do in my own will and so have let me gone to Hell in deceiving my self thinking I had been going to Heaven and should never have known that I had been going to Hell until I had been in what is called the flames thereof The consideration of this as God would have it caused me to have some thoughts that God had some love to me or else he would never have made known these things to me And this was but a little Leaven and a very little too for I considering the greatness of my sins and especially of my religious sins as I now call them how much I had therein mocked God and the Serpent when he saw he could no more deceive me in a form of godliness then he had almost got me to despair of Gods love until God dropped in a little hopes of it upon the aforementioned considerations but so little was this Leavâ—â—f the manifestations or making known of Gods love to me that I was a long time between hope and fear until at length I thought there was something stirring in me that I could love God or a willingness in me to love God and then I began to have some hope that God might love me but not for any desert of mine as while I was in the deceivable estate deceived by the Serpent I thought then that God might love me for what I did for God in my obedience to God but now I knew a death to all those thoughts that God should love me for the obedience that I had done to him all that was grownd to pieces in me and now if God loved me he must love me freely And thus as I apprehended the freeness of Gods love to me so I found a love to grow in me to God And that understanding and knowledge that the Serpent had perswaded me to and that love and desire to self that he had wrought in me and that will of my own which before I acted by and did all in I sound to be so broken and grownd apieces as not to oppose or hinder the working of the Leaven of Gods love in me but the Leaven of Gods love did so work in me as to work up my heart again unto a love to God And then if at any time any thing of the parts or properties of self did rise in me the Light of Jesus in me discovered it and made it known to me and by my obedience yielding to the Light in those discoverings of self in me self it was kept under and subdued And so as it is the property of the Meal not to oppose or hinder the working of the Leaven that it is hid in but it is passive it suffers the Leaven to do its own work so as I kept in obedience to the Light in me which although then I did not know it by that name but onely by the name of the spirit of God in me I say as I was kept by that power by the power of the Light or spirit of God in me in obedience to the Light or spirit of God in me which made a discovery of the attempts or endeavours of self to rise again in me and as I was kept in obedience to that which discovered self in me so self was kept down in me in all its three parts or properties and so as self was kept down in me so self opposed not the working of the Leaven the making known of Gods love to me that wrought in me a love to God again and so as my love increased to God so it decreased to self in all the three parts or properties of it And so I came to know how to deny my self and take up the Cross to that will in me that is not willing that Gods will should be done in me and to follow Jesus to follow that in me that was in me a saving me from sin As the Leaven being hid in the Meal doth not presently do its work in leavening the whole but doth it by degrees a little and a little and in length of time it is that it brings the whole to be like it self so did I then find as now I do the Leaven of the love of God made known and hid in 〈◊〉 It did not then at the first making known of the love of Gâ—◠〈◊〉 me presently work such a love of God in me as to work out the love of all self in me but by little and little as I now find my love increase to God so I find love to die and decrease to self in me in all its three parts or properties and thereby a greater strength to increase in me to take up the Cross in me to that will in me that is not willing that the will of God should be done in me Man in himself of his own will went out of his obedience to God and so in and by his disobedience he lost his love to God and so came under the manifestations or makings known of Gods Justice and Judgment for his sin So man must by Gods making known his love which is in God as God changed not to man by this unchangeable love man must be brought to love God again and in and by that unchangeable love man is restored to love God again and in and by
is that which maketh chastisements although at present they seem grievous yet afterwards they yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them that are exercised therein This is the Feast of fat things and of Wine well refined from the lees that God hath made is making and will make upon his holy Mount for all Nations to come unto This is that which put more gladness into the heart than can the increase of Corn or Wine and all outward things This is that which causeth a lying down in peace The resigning and giving up of the will into the will of God was that in which the Faith of those mentioned in the 11th of the Hebrews was exercised in And who is it that can say upon a true examination that he hath any true peace any true quietness any true comfort any true quietness any true comfort any true content any true satisfaction in any thing that they desire to enjoy but as their wills be resigned and given up into the will of God in that enjoyment And who is it that can say upon a true examination that they have any true peace any true content any true satisfaction in any thing that does befal them or come to them or upon them that is contrary to the desire or will of man in them if they do not find that their wills as it is the will of man as it was in the man Christ Jesus are resigned and given up into the will of God in what is fallen upon them or come to them or upon them And in the having of the will resigned and given up into the will of God this gives true peace true quietness true comfort true content and true satisfaction in the enjoyment of what as man we desire to enjoy And in the having of the will resigned and given up into the will of God this giveth true peace true quiet true comfort true content and satisfaction in the bearing and suffering under those things that do befal us and come to us or upon us that are contrary to the desire and will of man in us And would man as God hath made him more reasonable and hath placed more of Reason in him than in all the Creatures upon Earth would he but consult with this Reason in him and be true to the Light of God in him he would see how reasonable a thing it is for him to resigne and give up his Will into the Will of God And if man did first consider the great care and love that God took I speak after the manner of men as God in the Scripture compares himself and his actions to man and to the actions of men and so after that manner I call it the great care and love that God did take in the creating and making of Man more than in all other things that he made In all other things that he made he did but say Let there be and there was as he said Let there be light and there was light And so on in the whole Creation it is And God said and as God said so it was until he came to make Man and then God said Let us make man Although the word us signifies more than one yet do I not believe that there is more than one God but God speaking after the manner of men calls in the advice or assistance of the whole Divine Nature that he would make himself known to man in as Father Son and Holy Ghost which he did not in all or any part of the Creation before and further he did not in all or any of the Creation before man being the last of the Creation He did not say Let us make it after our likeness but in the Creation of man he said Let us make man in our likeness And so God created man in his own Image And God did not say that he created any thing but man in his likeness and Image And moreover God did not give to any Creature that he had made except man the Dominion over any other Creature but to man God gave the Dominion over the fish of the Sea and over the fowl of the Air and over the cattel and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth Would but man seriously consult with that Reason in him that God hath given to him above all the Creatures upon the Earth and believe the Truth that the true light in him would make known and discover to him in the reason that God hath given to him man could not but in the consideration of the great love that God manifests to him in his Creation in calling the whole Divine Nature to advise and assist in the making of him which he did not to all or any of the Creation besides man and then to make him in the likeness and Image of this Divine Nature which he made none of the Creation besides in and then to consider of the largeness of the Dominion that he gave to man over what he had created and gave no Dominion to any other Creature over any thing that he had Created â—nd if man would be serious in himself consulting with that Reason that God hath given to him and believe the truth of God in him the true light in him if he would believe the Truth of what this true Light in him would make known to him in the use of his Reason he could not deny but openly confess and own and that upon the consideration of what God hath done for him in his Creation that it is a thing very reasonable that man should resign and give up his will into the will of God to be what God would have him to be and further the light of God in man if man would be true to that light of God in him that would make known to man in that reason that God hath given to man That if man did not resign and give up his will into the will of God he would in the not doing of it shew and manifest an exceeding deal of Unworthiness Unthankfulness Disobedience and Rebellion against God who might very justly and reasonably require and command of man to have his will resigned and given up into his will for the great love and care that he manifested and made known to man above all other of his Creation in making of man in his likeness and Image and the Dominion that he gave him above what he gave to all other of his Creatures And if the consideration of Gods love to man in his Creation will not work upon man by the true light of God in him to the reasonableness that it is for man to resign and give up his will into Gods will then let man consider the unchangeableness of Gods love to man in that although God had manifested and made known so great love to man in his creating and making of him more than to any or all the Creatures that he made besides man and yet notwithstanding this great
to be spiritually worshipped and he accepts of no other Worship but what is the Worship of his own Spirit in man done from a principle of love to God And whatsoever Worship man in his will sets up because he would escape the Justice and Judgments of God for his sins is no Worship acceptable to God And this I do know that when men are in this Worship set up in their own wills to escape the punishment of God for their sins they say in their hearts as Jeroboam said outwardly of his Calves Behold thy gods that brought thee out of Egypt Behold this Worship that I in my will have set up or taken up to keep me from the apprehensions of Gods Justice and Judgments to me it hath delivered me it hath brought me out from that slavery and bondage that I was in under the apprehensions of the making known of Gods wrath Gods Justice and Judgments to me for my sins And now they set up an Altar to these the Calves that they have made that is their own outward obedience done in their own wills for their own ends and upon this Altar they offer their Sacrifices they offer their outward performances of their outward religious duties or their outward service in the worship of their Calves in worshipping and bowing down to that outward form of Worship that in their wills they have set up thereby to escape Gods Justice and Judgments that they apprehend to be due to them for their sins And although for a time they may hereby patch up a peace to themselves yet it is no more lasting to them than Adam's Aprons made of Fig-leaves were lasting to him for as soon as he heard Gods voice walking in the garden although in the cool of the day he was afraid and hid himself And so it will be with them as soon as they hear the voice of God speaking in the garden in their hearts saying Adam where art thou Man where art thou Art thou worshipping me in my Spirit in my Truth in my Jesus that saves thee from sin and that not onely from the outward actions of sin but from the love and desire to sin Man where art thou art thou in this Worship or art thou in a Worship set up in thy own will to escape the punishment that is due to thee for thy sins and yet in thy heart thou love and delight in sin as much as ever thou didst Man where art thou And when this day comes as that it will certainly come then their outward form of Worship set up in their own wills for their own ends to escape the apprehensions of Gods Justice and Judgments to them for their sins will do them no more good than Adam's Aprons of Fig-leaves covered his nakedness and hid him from Gods Justice for his sin but they will be as open and lie as naked to the manifestations of Gods Justice and Judgments to them for their sins as if they had never had any outward form of Worship I having had experience how subtilly the Serpent works twisting and turning himself about in the heart of man the garden of God in man upon the Tree of knowledge and when he sees he cannot keep man from being in some outward form of Worship and thereby be kept from running into outward sins and evils as once he had done whereby the manifestations and making known of Gods Justice and Judgments seize so upon man for his sins as that man knew not how to bear it then the Serpent willingly let man in his will to set upon an outward form of Worship thereby to take off the fierceness of the manifestation and making known of Gods Justice and Judgments that he once lay under for sin And the subtile Serpent cares not what outward form of Worship it is that man in his will will set up to worship in so that he can but keep alive in him the love to those sins that he outwardly leaves and forsakes And because he is afraid of Gods Justice for the committing of those sins man may make the outside as clear as he will as did the Pharisees if the inside be but foul if the love do but still remain to the sins or to any one sin the Serpent rather than he will wholly lose his Kingdom he will content himself if he can but rule and raign in the inward love to sin although it be but to one dearly beloved sin I also knowing the readiness and the proneness that is in man to yield to the subtilty of the Serpent and for his own ends for his own preservation to be kept from being killed or slain by the Justice of God as it was with Jeroboam when he set up his Calves which he did for his own preservation to be kept from being killed 1 Kings 12. 27. Man to be preserved and kept from the Justice and Judgments of God for sin he sets up and sets upon an outward form of Worship and such an outward form of Worship as that he thinks that God will be best pleased in And in this Worship he sets up his Altar of outward self-obedience to God and upon this Altar he offers his Sacrifice of an outward observance and that very strictly too of all and every of those things that are outwardly required or desired in that outward form of Worship that in his will he sets or takes up And in this his offering of his Sacrifice of a strict and devout observing and fulfilling of all and every of those things that are outwardly required and desired in that outward form of Worship which in his will he sets up and upon the Altar set up by him of his outward self-obedience to God In this man satisfies pleases and contents himself as Jeroboam did with his Calves instead of the true Worship of God which is to worship him in his Spirit and in his Truth in his Jesus in that which saves from sin and that not onely from the outward actions of sin for fear of the punishment but this Worship of God that is done in Spirit and in his Truth in his Jesus in that which saves from sin there is in this Worship a knowing of a being saved from the love to sin as well as a being saved from the outward actions of sin I say I knowing and having experienced how man thus by the subtilty of the Serpent is ready to set up a Worship to himself as Jeroboam did instead of the true Worship of God and upon the Altar set up by himself of self-obedience to God and there upon that Altar to offer his Sacrifices of a strict and devout doing and performing of all and every the outward things that is required or desired in that outward form of Worship and thereby and therein to please satisfie and content themselves as if they were worshipping God in his Spirit and in his Truth in his Jesus that does not onely save from the outward acts of sin but saves