learning many things are known to him the which is called Science and saith that it knoweth this or that And if you aske him whence he knoweth it he will make answer that he hath read it in books c. And this is termed knowledg and science c. but it is belief and not science or knowledg and by this science or knowledg many things are understood and known which are not loved There is also a love which is altogether false as when any thing is loved for reward as when a man loveth justice to the end he might obtain something by it c. Also when any creature loveth another for something of his own or if the creature do love God for some end then all these things are false and this love is most proper to nature as it is nature neither can nature as it is nature know or perform any other love then this for if any one were able to perceive this nature as it is nature loveth nothing but it self by this means something is acknowledged to be good and not loved But the true love is taught and directed by the true light and knowledg and the true eternal and divine light teacheth love to love nothing else but the true simple and perfect good and that for no other cause but for good not that it desireth to have this or that or any thing from it by way of reward but only for the love of good and because it is good and ought deservedly to be loved That which is thus known of the true light must also necessarily be loved of the true love Now the perfect good which is called good cannot be known but of the true light and therefore must needs be loved when it is known CHAP. XLI Of the true Love of God THis also is to be observed in what man soever the true light or the true love is in him the true and perfect good is known and love of it self and this is done not that he loveth it as himself or as from himself but as it is the true and simple good and surely that which is perfect neither can nor will love any thing so far forth as it is loved of it but the only true good and because it self is that same thing it necessarily followeth that it self should love it self yet not it self as it self nor of it self as of it self but so and in such manner as one and the true good doth love one true perfect good and as the one true and perfect good And hereupon it is said and is true that God doth not love himself as himself for if there were any thing better then God God would love it and not himself For in this true light and in this true love there neither remaineth I or mine or to me or thou or thine or any such things but the light knoweth and understandeth that one good which is all good and above all good and all things are truly good in this one and without this one there is no good Therefore here this or that I or thou or the like is not loved but only that One which is neither I nor thou this nor that and in it every good is loved as the only good as it is said all in one as in one and one in all as in all and one and all good is loved by one in one or by the love of one for the love that is born to one Here it is necessary that all Egoity mine selfness and the like should wholy perish and be forsaken and this belongeth properly to God excepting what belongeth to the personality Whatsoever therefore cometh to pass in a man who is truly deified either by doing or suffering the same comes to pass in this light or in this love and from the same and by the same and again into the same hence it followeth that man is contented with it and giveth over his desire to know more or less or to have live dye or not to be c. all these things are effected and are one and the same neither is any thing here blamed but only sin and what sin is is formerly said For it is sin to will otherwise then the simple and perfect good or the one and eternal will and to will any thing without it or against it or otherwise then that only will would whatsoever proceedeth thence as to lye injustice fraud and all vices Finally whatsoever is and is called sin cometh hence that man willeth otherwise then God the true good For if there were no will but this only one there would be no sin committed Therefore we may well say that all our own will is sin and that sin is nothing else but that which proceeds from our will and this is only that whereof a true deified man doth complain and indeed he is so far grieved and moved with as that if such a man were to endure a hundred infamous cruel deaths he would not so much complain or grieve as for sin And this must of necessity continue so until the death of the body where such a one is wanting here surely is not a divine or deified man Therefore after that in this light and in this love all good is loved in one and as one and one in all and in all things as one and as all it followeth necessarily that whatsoever hath truly a good name should also be loved as vertue order integrity justice truth c. Briefly whatsoever belongeth to God as the true good being proper to it the same is beloved and commended of it And whatsoever is contrary hereunto or voyd of this breedeth pain and torment and is blamed as sin And in what man soever this is beloved in the true light and true love he leadeth the most excellent best and worthiest life of any that ever was or shall be and therefore this is to be affected and praised above all other lives This was and is in Christ most perfect otherwise he could not be Christ and this love of which all this excellent life and all good is loved causeth all whatsoever is meet convenient or ought to be suffered done or come to pass to be willingly and freely done and suffered though it be or might be grievous to nature Again Christ saith My yoke is easie and my burthen light this is wrought by that love which loveth this excellent life and it is apparent in the Apostles and Martyrs who suffered willingly and patiently whatsoever they were to suffer neither did they desire of God that the torment and pain might be shortned and made easie or less but only that they might abide firm and constant And surely whatsoever is proper to the divine love in a truly deified man the same is so simple right and plain that it can never be plainly and truly expressed and written neither can it be known but only where it is and where it is not it cannot be loved much less known Again
what is best and most excellent in every thing and loveth that in the true good and for none other cause but for the true good and where this knowledg is there is perceived that the life of Christ is best and most excellent and therefore also to be loved of all and willingly had and born not regarding whether it be sweet or sowre acceptable or troublesome to nature Besides it is to be observed that in what man this true good is known there it is necessary that the life of Christ should be and remain unto the death of the body he that thinketh othewise is deceived and he that speaketh otherwise lyeth and in whom the life of Christ is not he neither knoweth the true God nor Truth it self CHAP. XVII Of the way to Christ LEt no man conceive that he can attain to this true light and knowledg and to the life of Christ by many questions hearing reading or studying or by excellent hard sciences and learning or exquisite natural reason I will say further so long as man retaineth any thing of any thing or doth hold any thing in esteem love desire or study it or keepeth it in his hands whatsoever that is whether it be man himself or any thing else he attaineth not to this This Christ affirmeth when he saith Matthew 16. If thou wilt follow me forsake thy self and come after me And he that doth not forsake himself and his own life and doth not leave and lose it is not worthy of me neither can he be my Disciple The meaning of which words is this he that doth not forsake and abandon all things can never know me truly nor attain to my life And say that this had never bin uttered by the mouth of man yet truth speaketh by it self for this is as true as truth it self But so long as man doth love in part and a portion only and especially himself and doth make account and esteem of it he is so far blinded and becometh so blind as that he knoweth not good but such as is most profitable commodious and pleasing to himself and those things which are his this I say he chiefly accounteth of and holdeth most dear CHAP. XVIII That the life of Christ is envyed of humane wisdom ANd because the life of Christ is most bitter to all selfness and egoity therefore for the obtaining of the same it is necessary that all selfness and natural egoity perish die and be utterly forsaken Therefore also every mans nature doth abhor this life supposing it to be evil unjust foolish and embracing a life fiting it self pleasant and such is his blindness that he doth hold it for the best You see that there is no life so pleasant and agreeable to nature as that which consisteth of liberty and dissolateness Therefore nature cleaveth to this enjoying it as her own flesh peace and tranquillity as also all things which are her own And this comes to pass especially in them who are endued with excellent natural reason for this doth climb so high and standeth so far in her own light and on her self as that she thinketh her self to be that eternal and true light and doth challenge to her self to be the same and being deceived in her self deceiveth others with her self who know no better being thereto also enclined CHAP. XIX The state of a Christian is not to be expresled HEre some man will ask in what estate that man is who followeth the true light as much as is possible to him To whom I will answer that this can never truly be said and why so because that he who is not the thing cannot say it neither can he that is it and knoweth it speak it But if any desire to know it let him expect until he be that thing Further I beleeve that his outward conversation and manners are such that he is capable of whatsoever is fitting and convenient to be done and whatsoever is not meet and convenient to be done But is there not some lust of man who saith so I will so I command this he is not capable of but man perswadeth himself that many things are fitting and ought to be done which notwithstanding are foul and not meet to be done If a mans own pride or covetousness or any other vice or dishonesty provoke him to do or omit any thing he saith that necessity urged him to it and that it ought to be done if the favor or friendship of men or his own lust do set him forward to this or that or doth draw him from it he saith so it is meet and ought to be and all these things are false But if man had none other must or ought but that which God our preserver and truth doth draw and turn us to he should sometimes have more business and work then now he hath CHAP. XX. That the World is mad IT is said that the Devil and his spirit doth sometimes so possess and hold some man as that he knows not what he doth leaveth undone being besides himself the evil spirit having such command over him as that in him with him and through him and from him he doth or omitteth whatsoever he will This in some sort is true that the whole world is possessed with the Devil and carryed of him that is by lyes deceits and other wickednesses and vices which are all diabolical If therefore any man were in such manner possessed and transported by the Spirit of God as that he knew not what he did or did not or were so out of himself as that the will and Spirit of God should moderate his actions and so govern and move him as to cause him with him and from him whatsoever he would and how he would then this man were one of those of whom Saint Paul speaketh Romans 8. Whosoever are carryed and moved by the Spirit of God the same are the sons of God and not subjects to the Law and to whom Christ saith it is not you that speak but the Spirit of Christ speaketh in you but I fear that there are a hundred thousand or rather so many as cannot be numbered who are moved by the Devil whereas in the mean time not one is moved by the Spirit of God which cometh to pass because men have more likeness to the Devil then to God for egoity and selfness belong wholy to the Devil Now in one or two words all things may be here expressed which I have here rehearsed in so many words Even thus Be thou wholy and plainly without thy self And yet this matter is more fully and better declared and shewed and distinguished in many words Now some man will say I am unprepared for all these things therefore this cannot be done in me and so men do get and find out some excuse To the which we may thus answer That man is not ready and is unprepared it is certainly his own fault For if man would mind and do nothing
or amended but by turning to obedience and as long as man liveth in disobedience sin is never corrected nor amended in him do what he can which is to be known by this because disobedience is sin it self But if man do return to true obedience all faults are corrected amended and pardoned but otherwise this cannot come to pass A matter worthy to be observed yea if the Devil could come to true obedience he should become an Angel and all his sin and wickednes should be corrected amended and at once forgiven Also if any Angel could return to disobedience he should presently become a Devil although he should do no other thing If it could come to pass that any man might wholy and absolutely cast off himself so as that he lived without all things in true obedience as the humanity of Christ was then he should be voyd of himself and one with Christ and should be the same by grace which Christ was by nature But men deny that this can be done and therefore say no man is voyd of sin howsoever it be this is evident that the neerer any man approacheth to this obedience so much the less sin is in him and the further he is from it the more sin he hath Finally that a man should be good better or the best of all evil worse or the worst of all condemned or blessed of God all consisteth in this obedience or disobedience This also is written the more selfness and egoity the more there is of sin and unrighteousness and the lesser there is of the one the greater want there is of the other This also is written the more that my self doth decrease that is egoity or selfness the more doth in me increase the I of God id est God himself If all men were in true obedience there would be then no pain nor misery but only that which is perceived by the senses and that should be very easie and not to be complained of which may be thus proved for if that should come to pass all men would be in concord neither would one grieve or hurt another neither would any man live or do any thing which were contrary to God whence therefore could grief and misery come But now alas all the World and men in the World are in disobedience and if any man were wholy and sincerely obedient as we beleeve that Christ was and as he was indeed else he could not have been Christ all men would be disobedient to this man and would put him to all bitterness and miserable sorrow for all men would be contrary to him which we may understand by this For that man in this obedience should be one with God and God himself should be there man himself Now all disobedience is contrary to God and is nothing else In very deed there is nothing contrary unto God neither creature nor work of the creature nor whatsoever can be named or thought there are none of these I say contrary unto God or that can displease him but only disobedience But a disobedient man is so displeasant unto him and contrary and God complaineth so much of him that when as man doth grieve and hath a feeling of those things which be contrary to him that God would willingly endure an hundred deaths that he might kill disobedience in man and beget there again his own obedience And although no man be so wholy and so sincere in this obedience as Christ was yet it may come to pass that some may approach so neer unto it as to be made and called and so to be Divine and God And the neerer that man doth come unto it and the more he is made Divine and God all disobedience sin and injustice is the more troublesome to him and grieveth him being hard to be endured Disobedience and sin is the same thing there is no sin but disobedience and that which proceedeth from it CHAP. XV. That a man ought to attribute good to God and evil to himself OBserve that which now shall be spoken there be some men which do suppose and say that they are so far mortified and gone out of themselves that they may lead a life voyd of sorrow and free from all grievances even as if all men were in this obedience or as if they were no creatures Also that they may lead an easie and sweet life whereby to please their minds and in all things whatsoever give themselves wholy unto pleasure but surely it is not so for their estate is no other then before is said It is true it would be so if all men were indued with obedience but they are not so and again this also cannot be But some man will say surely man ought to be free from all things and not to attribute any thing unto himself which is either bad or good I answer no man ought to attribute any good unto himself for that is proper only to God and his goodness but that man hath grace and eternal reward who is fitted thereunto being apt and prepared to be the house and habitation of the eternal good and Divinity so as it may exercise in him without hinderance the power will and work of it self but if man will exercise himself and attribute none evil unto himself but decline to the devil and wickedness then I say that blame and Infamy and eternal mis-fortune and damnation is due to such a man for that he is fitted and prepared and accommodated unto this that the devil deceit lying and all other wickedness might have the full scope power work and discourse in him and that he might be the house and habitation thereof CHAP. XVI That the Christian life is the best WE ought also to observe beleeve and know that no life is so excellent good and so beloved of God as the life of Christ which notwithstanding is the most bitter life to all nature and selfnes also a dissolute free life is most pleasant to nature and selfness and egoity yet it is not the best and most excellent but it may be made the best in some men and although the life of Christ be most bitter yet it is the best beloved of all as from hence may appear because that is the knowledg whereby the true and simple good is discerned which good is not this or that but the same wherof Saint Paul speaketh When that which is perfect and entire is come then all division and imperfection shall be abolished which sentence of his is thus to be taken That which is perfect is superior to all division and evety thing which is divided and imperfect is nothing in comparison of that which is perfect Thus also shall all knowledge of that which is divided be abolished when and where that which is perfect is known it is needful also that it be so loved and that the other love wherewith a man doth love himself and all other things be wholy abolished and this knowledg doth also discern
Kingdom of the Devil and these things are thus found to be truly there where God is man But where Christ and his true followers are there it is necessary that true inward spiritual humility and poverty should be and also a dejected and constant mind which mind it is meet should be full of close and hidden calamity and grief even to the death of the body And this I do truly avouch that he that thinketh otherwise is deceived and with himself deceiveth others as hath been said for this cause all nature and selfness doth depart from this kind of life and doth cleave to the false and free life as hath been said Now some Adam or Devil who desireth to excuse and defend himself would come upon me and say thus You would prove indeed that Christ was without himself and many other such like things yet notwithstanding he speaks often of himself and doth commend himself for this and that Unto which I thus answer When the truth ought and is willing to do or will there is no other cause of its will desire and action but that the truth might be known and manifested and this was in Christ and hither did all his works and actions tend and whatsoever was most profitable and behooful for that also whatsoever things were done by him from those he was free as likewise from all other things which were done You will say therefore there was in Christ some cause why he did every thing Unto which I thus answer If any man ask the Sun why it shineth it would answer it is necessary that I shine neither can I do otherwise for this is proper and belongeth to me and it is my freedom of nature to be endued with this property and to shine even so it is with God and Christ and all things that are divine and belonging unto God that they will do and desire no other thing nor no other good or for good neither can any other cause be alleaged CHAP. XXV How all things are to be left or lost AFter these things we must observe that it is said yea Christ himself saith that all things are to be left and lost which is not to be understood as if men should have nothing or have to do with nothing for it is necessary that man should have and do even something in this life wherein he may be employed so long as he liveth But this is thus to be understood Whatsoever any man or creature can do omit or know is not that thing wherein unition or uniting is placed And what is unition It is no other thing but that thy self be plainly singly and altogether simple in the truth together with the simple and eternal will of God And also that thou be wholly voyd of thy own will and that the created will flow into the eternal will and there dissolve and be turned into nothing so that the ettrnal will do there only will do or leave undone any thing And what is there that can help or further man to this matter that can neither words works nor other Ceremonies do nor finally any creature nor the work power knowledg action or omission of all the creatures Thus ought all things to be lost and lâ—ft which is as much as if you should say it is not to be supposed or thought that there is any work speech knowledg or learning or any other thing created which can help profit in this business but all these things whatsoever are to be lost and left and we must make our progress unto unition And yet it is necessary that these things should be and something there is which is to be done and left undone especially a man ought to sleep and wake and walk and stand to speak and be silent and many other things which must needs be so long as a man liveth CHAP. XXVI That the inner man is unmoveably joyned with God the outward man notwithstanding is moved THis also is truly to be observed that where unition befalleth and is truly made there immediatly the inner man remaineth unmoveable and suffereth his outward man to be moved hither and thither in those things and to those things which are convenient and necessary to be and come to pass So that the outward man may say yea and say truly I neither will be nor will not be neither live nor dye neither know nor be ignorant neither do nor leave undone or whatsoever of this kind but what is fit and ought to be done to that I am obedient whether it be to suffer or to act any thing Thus it comes to pass that the outward man hath no other cause nor any thing else which he seeketh but only to satisfie the eternal will for this we may truly perceive that the inward man ought to stand immoveable and the outward man ought and must move And although the inner man be some cause of the moving of the outward man yet this cause is no other thing but that it is necessary and must be done by the decree of the eternal will and where God himself would be or is there also the same thing is done as is to be perceived in Christ Also where this is in the divine and proceeding from the divine light there is not spiritual pride nor foolish liberty or a mind licentious but lowly submission and a depressed humbled and sorrowful soul and all order justice equality truth and whatsoever belongeth to all vertue There must also be peace and contentedness of estate and condition but if it be otherwise it is not right with man as is well else-where said more at large And as truly there is nothing which may help or further this unition so is there nothing which can hinder or avert it but only man himself through his own will CHAP. XXVII That no man in this life can be free from pain IT is both said and heard that man ought and may be without pain or grief in this life as Christ was after his Resurrection This they go about to confirm out of these words of Christ I will go before you into Galilee there you shall see me Also where he saith a spirit hath neither flesh nor bones as ye see me have which words they would thus expound As you have seen me and followed me when I was in a mortal body and in this life after the same manner you shall see me and I will go before you and you shall follow me in Galilee that is you shall both feel and taste being painless and immutable in what estate you shall live and remain before you dye the death of the body and suffer And as you see me have flesh and bones being notwithstanding free from pains after the self-same manner shall you be also in your corporality and your mortal humanity not harmed by the death of the body To this manner of reasoning it is thus answered Christ did not ordain that man should or could attain unto this
things and because it is deceived it doth think and say that whatsoever is the best sweetest and most fit for it self that indeed is the best of all other things and it doth say that 't is the best of all that every man should seek do and will that which is best for himself it knows none other good but its own and that which is best for it self as it supposeth But if you speak unto it of the true and simple good which is neither this nor that it knows not what it is but only laugheth it to scorn which indeed is fitting to be so for nature as it is nature cannot attain to it Therefore seeing this light is mearly nature it cannot proceed so far This false light doth also say that it hath surmounted both Religion and Conscience and whatsoever it doth is right In so much that a certain false libertine spirit did say standing in this error that although he had slain ten thousand men he would make no more conscience of it then if he had killed a dog Briefly this false and deceived light doth fly all things that are contrary and grievous to nature and this is proper unto it because it is nature and being so deceived as that it supposeth it self to be God it doubted not to swear by all the Saints that it knoweth the thing which is the best and hath his existence in it so that it intenddeth only to extol and seek that which is the best of all Thus it cometh to pass that it never either is amended or taught more then the Devil himself Observe also that this light doth suppose it self to be God and arrogateth the same to it self and herein it is Lucifer the Devil and whereas it doth reject the Life of Christ and many other things belonging to the true good and such as were taught beloved of Christ it is Antichrist seeing it doth teach and live against and contrary to Christ And even as this light is deceived by its own subtilty so likewise are all things deceived by it which are neither God nor Divine that is all men who are not illuminated with the true light and the love thereof for whosoever they are that are illuminated of the true light they are never deceived but whosoever hath it not and yet is so affected as that he will walk with this false light and remain in it he is deceived And this comes to pass because all men that are in the light which is not true are turned into themselves and do esteem themselves and that which is profitable and fit for them to be the chiefest good and if any man will commend and propound that unto them for the chiefest good and will help them to it and teach them how to obtain it him they follow and esteem as their Master Now this false light doth teach all things belonging thereunto and therefore all men follow it who know not the true light so it comes to pass that they are deceived both together It is said of Antichrist that when he cometh all that have not the Seal of God shall follow him those which have it shall not follow him and that is the same light this is true indeed if any man can attain to that which is best for himself viz. that which is best to God ward that is excellent but this is not done so long as man seeketh and loveth that which is best for himself For to the end he may find and obtain that which is best for himself it is necessary that he first lose that whith is best for himself as hath been already said But if a man be willing to forsake and lose that which is best for himself to the end he may find that which is best for himself this again is false therefore there are but few that can come into this way This false light that a man ought to be voyd of Religion and that he is a fool and a block who maketh any account thereof and this it would prove from Christ who was voyd of Religion to the which answer is made that the Devil is voyd also of Religion yet he is no whit the better for being so Understand therefore what Religion is Religion is when it is acknowledged that man is averse or diverted from God by his own will which both is truly named and called sin and that this was mans fault and not Gods for God is free from all fault of sinning who is he therefore that knoweth himself to be guiltless except Christ alone and some few besides Know that whosoever is voyd of Religion is either Christ or the Devil In a word wheresoever the true light is there is also a true and upright life which is acceptable and beloved of God And although it be not the Life of Christ in perfection yet notwithstanding it is rectified and framed to the imitation of him and such a one loveth the Life of Christ and whatsoever properly belongeth to reason order and all vertues In this life I say all selfness I mine c. perisheth Lastly Nothing is in it admired or sought but only good for good and as it is good But where the false light is there is no regard had either of Christ or all vertues but that is sought and beloved which is fitting and pleasing to nature hence proceedeth false and inordinate liberties whereby man becometh secure and negligent in and of every thing For the true light is the seed of God and therefore brings forth the fruit of God The false light is the seed of the Devil and where it is sown there also the fruit of the Devil and the Devil himself increaseth This may be perceived and understood by the words and arguments formerly set down CHAP. XXXIX Who and what a deified man is IT might be demanded who is or what is a deified or a divine man whereunto I answer he who is illuminated and enbeamed with divine light and kindled with the eternal and divine love is a divine and a deified man And of this light we have made some mention heretofore But we must know that light and knowledg is fit for nothing nor is nothing without love which may here be perceived that although a man very well know what vertue or vice is yet except he love vertue he becometh not neither is endued with vertue but leaving vertue he followeth vice But if he embrace vertue then he followeth it and this love causeth himself to become an enemy to vice and in such manner that he cannot only not entertain nor commit sin but also maketh him to hate it in all men yea he doth so far love vertue that he cannot be at rest except he doth exercise or enjoy it as much as he may and that for no other cause but for that he loveth vertue and vertue it self is a reward to him with enjoying of which he rests so well contented as that he will not exchange
and enjoying it to the use of himself and those which are his and this is the great loss and injury This I say is that bit wherewith Adam did bite the apple which is forbidden and contrary to God And as long and where this self-will is there never is any true quietness which may easily be discerned both in man and also in the Devil Neither is there verily any true happyness there either in this life or everlastingly Where this self-will is there is a propriety by which man doth challenge will unto himself and maketh it his own which if it be not forsaken in this life but carryed forth of this life it is to be feared that it can never be abandoned neither can that man ever receive true contentment nor enjoy peace rest or happyness The which may be seen in the Devil If creatures were not endued with reason and will surely God would remain unknown and unbelieved neither praised nor honoured and all living creatures would be of no aceount and unfit to serve God and this answer is made to this question If there be any one who from this long and tedious speech which notwithstanding is short and profitable to Godwards can and will correct himself that will be very acceptable to God That which is free is proper to no man and he that doth appropriate it doth ill Now of all freedoms nothing is so free as the wil and whosoever maketh it his own and doth not leave it to its own noble liberty free nobleness free nature he doth ill this doth the Devil and Adam and all their Imitators but he that doth leave will to its own excellent liberty doth as he ought This doth Christ and all that imitate him He that depriveth will of that his excellent liberty and maketh it his own this mans reward is that he becometh subject to cares sorrows poverties troubles unquietness and misfortunes and that he remain in them so long as that lasteth both in this life and for ever But he that leaveth will to its own free nature he enjoyeth plenty peace quietness rest felicity both in this life and everlastingly Wherfore where and in what man will is not appropriated but remaineth in its own excellent freedom there abideth and is a truly free and absolute man or creature of whom Christ saith Truth shall make you free and presently after Whom the Son doth make free he is free indeed John 8. CHAP. LI. That in what man the truth is in that man free-will is THis also is diligently to be observed That in what man soever the truth useth its free liberty it hath a work proper to it self which is to will and that which it willeth it willeth without hinderance and it willeth that which in every thing is the best and most excellent and whatsoever is not excellent nor good is contrary unto it breedeth grief and complaint and the freer the will is and at liberty the more sorrow pain and cause of moan is brought upon it by wickedness dishonesty malice vice and whatsoever is or can be termed sin This may be discerned in Christ who was endued with a most free absolute and least-appropriated will that ever was or shall be in any man yea the humanity of Christ was a creature most free and at greatest liberty of any man that ever was and yet it suffered so much cause of complaint misery and pain for sin that is for all things contrary to God as never any creature was able to suffer more But where man doth challenge liberty in such sort to himself as that he will endure no cause of complaint or misery for sin and such thing as are contrary to God but will neglect and free himself from all care and would be in this life in the same condition wherein Christ was after his Resurrection c. There is no true liberty arising from the divine light but a natural unjust false erroneous devilish liberty out of a natural life and erroneous light If there were no self-will there would be no propriety at all in the Kingdom of Heaven nothing is proper and therefore there is full abundance true peace and all happpness and if any one were there who would challenge any propriety to himself he should necessarily go to Hell and become a Devil But in Hell every one desireth to have his own self-will and therefore there is all unhappiness and misery the like also happeneth in this life But if there were any one in Hell who could free himself from self-will and propriety he should come from Hell to Heaven Now man in this world is placed between Heaven and Hell and may turn himself to either of them for the more propriety he hath the more he is subject to Hell and unhappiness and the less wil he hath the less hel he hath the neerer he is to the king dom of heaven And if man in this present world could be utterly void of self-will and propriety and be free and absolute by means of the true and divine light and should remain truly in that estate this man should be sure to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven He that hath would have or desireth to have any thing proper to himself becometh proper and as it were his own slave and bondman but he that hath nothing nor will have any thing nor desireth to have any thing proper to himself he is free and at liberty and none hath propriety in him CHAP. LII Of Christ his Cross CHrist did teach all these things which are here written in his long life which was almost three and thirty years and a half and this he did in few words when he said Follow me Now that man may follow him it is necessary that he forsake all things for Christ forsook all things so far forth as they never were so left of any other nor could be Further he that would follow him must also take up his Cross which Cross is nothing else but the Life of Christ for this Cross is bitter to all nature Therefore he saith Whosoever doth not forsake all and take up his Cross he is not worthy of me and cannot be my Disciple neither doth he follow me But the free false nature supposeth that it hath forsaken all things yet will not endure the Cross and saith that it hath endured enough of it and that now it standeth in no need of it but therein it is deceived for if it had once truly tasted the Cross it could never forsake it He that beleeveth in Christ must beleeve all things that are written Christ saith No man cometh to the Father but by me Now observe how we must come to the Father by Christ man ought to examine himself and all things that are his both inwardly and outwardly and so behave and help himself so far as he can that in him there never remain or be inwardly any evil or desire love or estimation thought or pleasure other