Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	light_n	natural_a	sun_n	1,020	5	9.7836	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54052	The scattered sheep sought after 1. In a lamentation over the general losse of the powerful presence of God in his people, since the dayes of the apostles, with a particular bewailing of the withering and death of those precious buddings forth of life, which appeared in many at the beginning of the late troubles in these nations, with the proper way of recovery for such, 2. In some propositions concerning the only way of salvation, where is an answer given to that great objection, that the light which convinceth of sin, is the light of a natural conscience, and a brief account rendred of the ground of mens misunderstanding Scriptures, 3. In exposing to view the fundamental principle of the Gospel, upon which the redeemed spirit is built, 4. And in some questions and answers, by way of catechism, for the sake of the simple hearted, directing to that principle, and fixing in it / by Isaac Penington.	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.	1665 (1665)	Wing P1188; ESTC R18193	27,955	34

THE Scattered sheep Sought after 1. In a Lamentation over the general losse of the powerful presence of God in his people since the dayes of the Apostles with a particular bewailing of the withering and death of those precious buddings forth of life which appeared in many at the beginning of the late troubles in these Nations with the proper way of recovery for such 2. In some Propositions concerning the only way of salvation where is an answer given to that great objection That the light which convinceth of sin is the light of a natural conscience and a brief account rendred of the ground of mens misunderstanding Scriptures 3. In exposing to view the fundamental Principle of the Gospel upon which the redeemed Spirit is built 4. And in some Questions and Answers by way of Catechism for the sake of the simple hearted directing to that Principle and fixing in it By Isaac Pennington When Ephraim spoke trembling he exalted himself in Israel but when he offended in Baal he died And now they sin more and more c. Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud and as the early dew c. Hos 13.1 2 3. Yea his spring shall become drie and his fountain shall be dried up ver 15. We have all been as sheep going astray but blessed be the everlasting Arm which hath gathered any of us to the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls O come to the fold O scattered Sheep come to the fold Wander no longer from mountain to hill but remember your resting place the ol● resting place of Israel even the m●untain of the Lords house where Israe● may lie d●wn and feed in peace and no ravenous beast can disturb O house of Jacob let whoredome wine and new wine no longer stea● away your hearts but come let us walk in the light of the Lord. LONDON Printed in the Year 1665. The PREFACE MY people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the Fountain of living waters and hewed them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water This was ever and anon the complaint of the Lord concerning Israel from the beginning to the end The Lord did delight to beget nourish and bring up that people for himself but they were almost continually revolting from him and rebelling against him He did mighty things for them but they still forgot him He redeemed them by his outstretched Arm he fed them he defended them but they knew him not Isa 1.3 but decked themselves with the ornaments which they had from him and then lift up the heel against him Ezek. 16.7 c. Deut. 32.15 In plain terms they got what knowledge they could from him into their own vessels and then they could set up for themselves live of themselves without fresh bublings up of life from the spring from whence their knowledg came the Priests said not Where is the Lord but could handle the Law and teach the knowledge of it without him and the Prophets could prophesie by another Spirit Jer. 2.8 And thus the Lord God of life lived not in them but they lived upon such things as once came from the life but being separated from the spring were dead and nourished but the dead part in them the part estranged from God And thus though their professions were great and they multiplied prayers and sacrifices and fasts and drew nigh to God with their lips yet their hearts were far from him They had forsaken the Fountain they drank not of the waters of the spring of the rock that followed them but they drank of the waters of their own Cisterns They set up that knowledge of the Law for their light which they had hewed out with the tools of their own understanding without that spirit that wrote it This was Israels error of old they drank very zealously of the waters of the Law but they drank it not from he spring but out of the Cisterns which themselves had hewed And as it was thus with Israel of old so hath it been with Israel since The Christian Israel hath been alwaies back-sliding alwaies forgetting the Lord still getting what they could from him to live of themselves but refusing to live on h m getting what knowledge they could from the Scriptures without him getting what they could from their exercises and experiences but neglecting the sp●ing of their life And so this Israel also dies this Israel likewise withers and becomes a scorn to the beathen for though they speak great words of their God yet they themselves are but as the heathen uncircumcised like them unacquainted with the vertue power of life like them alwaies striving against sin in that which cannot conquer and so they also are slaves under their lusts and corruptions like the heathen and know not the truth which makes free indeed Exceeding great hath been the apostacy of this age Mighty was the appearance of God inwardly in his peoples Spirits mighty was the appearance of God outwardly in the Nation many waies and great hopes there was of a thorow reformation But how suddenly was the pure Spirit of the Lord forgotten and departed from and his work overturned both within and without inwardly in his peoples spirits and outwardly in the Nation whose revolting was but a type of the inward And how hath the Spirit of the Lord mourned after his people often reproving them for their back-slidings but they have been as Israel of old like the deaf Adder justifying themselves and complaining against the witnesses of God as Israel did against his Prophets who from the Lord testifie against them And it cannot be otherwise for the dead waters in Israels hewen Cisterns will never agree with the waters of the living Fountain but will withstand their testimony How shall the charmer charm wisely enough to make apostate Israel hearken to his voice I have not back slidden saith one in one form I have not back-slidden saith another in another form I am not back-slidden saith one in one notion I am not back slidden saith another in another notion I am believing hoping and waiting in what the Lord hath already revealed and following on to know him This hath been thy manner from thy youth that thou obedst not my word but still hast been justifying thy self as if thou hadst obeyed And yet your back-slidings are written upon your foreheads as with the point of a Diamond for who among you retains his freshnesse an evident demonstration that ye are departed from the spring and hold your knowledge experiences and h pes in the dead part and your chiefest prop of comfort is the remembrance of what ye once had Ah poor barren dead souls is this your best support Return return enter into the house of mourning and let the living lay it to heart A Lamentation with a call to mourning and Lamentation c. O Israel the royal seed the plant of renown the living off-spring of eternity O daughter of Sion who didst once shine with

down knows this very well and therefore endeavours all it can to keep you from owning judgement He would faine keep the light in others from judging you Do not judge saith he All judgement is committed to the Son True but shall not the light of the Son judge shall not the light of that candle which the Lord hath lighted in one heart discover and judg the darkness in another heart Light doth make manifest and its manifestation is its judgement the uttering of the words are but the declaration of what the light in the heart hath done before and cannot but do for as long as it is light where ever it come it will and cannot but discover and judge the darkness it meets with though the darkness cannot owne either its discovery or its judgment but must needs except against it Now if he cannot do this which is utterly impossibly for the dark spirit to do then in the next place he fortifies and hardens the heart as much as he can from receiving the judgement by perswading him to look upon it as the judgement of another spirit like his own and not as the judgement of the light And so what Paul said concerning mans judgement that it was a small matter to him to be judged by mans judgement the same will he say concerning this judgement And yet as the greatest judgement of man in the highest strain of the comprehending part shall fall so the lowest judgement of the light in the weakest child shall stand and all the exalted ones of the earth shall in due time fall before it though now in the present elevation of their minds they may rise high above it and trample it down Therefore be not afraid to judge deceit O ye weak ones but be sure that the light alone in you judge and lie very low in the light that that part which the light in you judgeth in others get not up in you while the light is making use of you to judge it in others And now ye poor lost souls who find the need of judgment and any willingness within you to embrace it wait first for the rising of the Judge of Israel in your hearts and in the next place wait for the joyning of your hearts to him both which are to be done by his eternal light which manifests and gives his life In the lowest shining of this light there is the judgement and there is the King himself who is not severed from the least degree or mersure of his own light bow down to him kiss his feet know the nature of the thing and subject to it worship him here in his humiliation receive him in his strokes in his smitings and observe and turn from that in your selves which smites him and ye shall one day see him in his majesty in the power of his love in his everlasting healings and embraces And know assuredly that that which will not worship him here will not be fit to worship him there nor shall not but shall only tremble at the dread of his majesty and be confounded at the sweetness of his love but not be able to bow down to it in the true life For that Spirit which is out of the life is shut out in its highest desires hopes attainments enjoyments seemingly spiritual rest universal love liberty and peace as well as in its darkest and grossest paths of pollution Therefore wait to know the nature of things that ye may not be deceived with the highest choicest and most powerful appearances of death in the exactest image of life not stumble at true life in its lowest and weakest appearance And this ye can only attain to by a birth of and growth up in the true wisdome which slaies that spirit which lives on the same things in the comprehension and gathers a stock of knowledge and experiences in its own understanding part These are words of tender love and they will also be words of true life where the Fathers earth opens to drink them in to whose good pleasure and blessing my soul commends them Some Propositions concerning the only way of Salvation 1. That there is no way of being saved from sin and wrath eternal but by that Christ alone which died at Jerusalem There is no name vertue life or power under heaven given by which lost man may be saved but his alone 2. That there is no way of being saved by him but through receiving him into the heart by a living faith and having him formed in the heart Christ saves not as he stands without at the door knocking but as he is let in and being let in he brings in with him that life power and mercy which breaks down the wall of partition unites to God and saves The Jews could not be saved formerly by belief of a Messiah to come with the observation of all the Laws and Ordinances of Moses nor can any now be saved by belief of a Christ already come with observation of all that the Apostles Commanded or Practised but alone by the receiving of him into the heart who there works out the Salvation 3. That there is no way of receiving Christ into the heart and of having him formed there but by receiving the light of his spirit in which light he is and dwels Keep out the light of the spirit keep out Christ let in the light of the spirit let in Christ for the Father and the Son are light and are alone known and received in the light but never out of it 4. That the way of receiving the light of the spirit into the heart and thereby uniting with the Father and the Son is by hearkning to and receiving its convictions of sin there The first operation of the spirit towards man lying in the sin is to convince him of the sin and he that receives not the convincing light of the spirit the work is stopped in him at the very first and Christ can never come to be formed in him because that light whereby he should be formed is kept out And then he may talk of Christ and practise duties pray read and meditate much and gather comforts from promises and run into Ordinances and be exceeding zealous and affectionate in all these and yet perish in the end Yea the Devil will let him alone if not help him in all this knowing that he hath him the surer thereby he being by the strict observation of these kept out of the danger of his condition which otherwise perhaps he might be made sensible of Object But I may be deceived in hearkning to a light within for while I think that I therein hearken to the light of the Spirit it may prove but the light of a natural conscience Answ 1. If it should be but the light of a natural Conscience and it draw thee from sin which separates from God and so prepare thee for the understanding believing and receiving what the Scripture saith of Christ this is no very

bad deceit but if in the result it should prove to have been the light of the Spirit and thou all thy life time hast took it for the light of a natural conscience and so hast despised or at least neglected if not reproached it thou wilt then find that this was a very bad deceit 2. I can shew thee by express Scripture that it is the work of the spirit to convince of sin Joh. 16.8 And again that the Law which is spiritual manifesteth that which is corrupt and carnal Rom. 7.14 But where canst thou shew me from Scripture that a natural conscience can convince of sin 3. Let any man give heed to the light in his heart he shall find it to discover his most inward his most secret his most spiritual evils which a natural light cannot do for that which is natural cannot discover that which is spiritual 4. The Apostle saith That it is the grace which hath appeared to all men which teacheth not only godlinesse but also sobriety and righteousnesse Tit. 2.11 12. The light of the falne nature is darknesse can teach nothing of God what any man learns now of the true knowledg of God he learns by grace which shines in the darknesse of mans nature to leaven it with the true knowledg though man being darknesse can by no means comprehend it and so cannot give it its true name Therefore take heed lest through ignorance ye blaspheme the holy light of the pure Spirit calling that natural looking on it with the carnal eye which with the spiritual eye is seen to be spiritual For thou that dost this wilt be be also erring on the other hand calling thy carnal meanings and conceivings about the mind of the Spirit of God in Scripture spiritual And he that thus puts darknesse for light must needs put light for darknesse and then call evil good and good evil and so err from the Spirit of God in the whole course of his Religion even in the most inward exercises of it Man by nature is dead in trespasses and sinnes quite dead and his conscience wholly dark That which giveth him the sense of his death and of his darknesse must be another thing then his nature even the light of the spirit of Christ shining in his dark heart and conscience It is the seed of the woman which not only destroyes but also discovers all the deeds of the Serpent Now this seed this light is one in all though there have been several dispensations of it One to the Heathen in whom it springs up after an hidden manner even as it were naturally from whence it had the name of the Light of Nature though it be the mistery of life and salvation hid in them Col. 1.27 this mistery in the Gentiles it is ill translated among another to the Jews in whom it was more vigorously stirred up by a Law given who by types and shadows and righteous exercises according to the Law were to be awakened to the living principle Mich. 6.8 Another to the Christians in whom it was livelily brought forth to light and life by an especial dispensation of grace in so much as that which was the Mistery in the Gentiles and vailed from the Jews being opened in them was found to be Christ the hope Col. 1.27 But under all these dispensations the generality of men have fallen short of the glory of God and missed of the substance Therefore the Lord God is now bringing forth the substance it self but under such a vail as hides it from the eye of mans wisdome under what dispensation soever he be and how high soever in that dispensation To some it seems natural to others legal to some it seems from the power of Satan or at least they pretend so to others it seems the ministry of John Baptist Thus men guess at it in the wisdome of their comprehensions waiting the true line and plummet to measure it by Now to you who have not waited to learn in the wisdome of God the names of things which there are given according to their nature but in the forwardnesse of your spirits from your gathered knowledg without the living power have ventured to call that natural which in the eternal wisdome is seen to be spiritual and which hath been able to effect that which all that knowledge which ye call spiritual could never do let me propose th consideration of one Scripture to your Consciences in the sight of God The Scripture is that in Job 28.12 to the end Where shall wisdome be found and where is the place of understanding Man knoweth not the price thereof neither is it found in the land of the living The deep saith it is not in me and the sea saith not in me It cannot be gotten for gold neither shall silver be weighed for the price thoreof c. Whence then cometh wisdome and where is the place of understanding seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living and kept close from the fowls of Heaven Destruction and death say we have heard the fame thereof with our ears God understandeth the way thereof and he knoweth the place thereof c. And he said unto man Behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdome and to depart from evil is understanding Now consider well First Is this natural wisdome or spiritual wisdome that is thus precious What is this that destruction and death have heard the fame of Is it the wisdome of nature or is it Christ the wisdome of God Secondly Where is the place of this where doth God point man to find this wisdome He points him to the fear Unto man he said he hath shewed thee O man what is good Behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding Go to the fear there it is taught that is the wisdom learn by the fear to depart from evil that 's the understanding This is it which is so precious which nothing can equalize or value here is the place of it thus it is to be learned Sin overspreads all the land of darknesse there is no fear of God before mens eyes there there is no learning of the fear there all the wisdom that man can come by cannot teach it he that learneth to fear God to depart from evil must learn of Christ the wisdom of God and must deny all the varieties of the wisdome of men which undertakes to teach it but cannot Thirdly What is that in every man which teachech the fear which teacheth to depart from evil Every man hath in him an eye that sees the evil what is that eye which the God of this world doth so strive to blind and doth so generally blind Every man hath in him an enemy to evil one that never consented to it but still reproves it and fights against it even in secret what is this This is no less then a ray from Christ the wisdome of God out of the seat of the fear in

A. Letting in the light which convinceth of and warreth against sin the life stirs and is felt and the life leads to the word which was in the beginning and gives the feeling of that also And in the word the righteousnesse the peace the wisdom the power the love is felt and he is made all these to those who are led into and kept in the light And when the powers of darknesse appear with mighty dread and there is no strength to withstand them this lifts up a standard against them and calms all the tempests and cures all the wounds and diseases of the soul anointing it with the everlasting oil so that now I can sensibly and with clear understanding call it my Saviour the Captain of my salvation my Christ or anointed my Husband my King my Lord my God Q. Where doth this light shine A. In the darknesse at first but when it hath vanquished expelled and dispersed the darknesse it shines out of it Q. What is that darkness wherein the light shines A. Man mans heart mans conscience mans spirit This is the world which Christ the Sun of righteousnesse is the light of in every part whereof he causeth the rayes or beams of his light to shine at his pleasure though in no part the darknesse can comprehend the least shining of his light Q. How then can it ever be converted thereby A. The darknesse is not to be converted Every man in this state is reprobated and the wrath abideth on him So that the darknesse is rejected and man in the darknesse but man touched by the light made sensible of it and following it in the life and power which it begets is drawn out of the horrible pit and saved Q How may I do to find the light in the midst of the da●kness of my heart which is so great and this seed so small A. By its discovering and warring against the darknesse There is somewhat which discovereth both the open and secret iniquity of the corrupt heart following it under all its coverings of zeal holinesse and all manner of voluntary humility and self righteousnesse with which the true light ●●ver had unity and sometimes may cause secret misgivings that all is not well but there may be a flaw found in this covering and in the end it may prove too narrow for the soul This which thus warreth against the darknesse to bring people off from all false foundations to the true and living foundation this is the light and thus thou maist find it at some time or other at work in thy heart if thou mind it Q. Having found the light how may I come to feel the saving vertue and power of it A. By believing in it For the vertue and power springs up in the heart that believes in it Q. How can I believe in it am not I dead A. There is a creating a quickning power in the light which begets a little life and that can answer the voice of the living power Q. Yea If I could finde any such thing begotten in me then I might be drawn to assent that that though never so small might believe but surely my dead heart never can A. Hast thou never found a true honest breathing towards God hast thou never found sin not an imaginary but a real burthen This was from life there was somewhat begotten of God in thee which felt this It was not flesh blood in thee but somwhat from above And if this had known the spring of its life and not been deceived from it by the subtilty it would have fed upon and have grown up in the vertue and power of the spring from whence its life came Q. Why then by this all men have power to believe A. In the light which shines in all and visits all there is the power and this power strives with the creature to work it self into the creature and where there hath been the least breathing after life there hath been a taste of the power for this came from it But the great deceiver of souls lifts up mens mind in the imagination to look for some great appearance of power and so they slight and overlook the day of small things and neglect receiving the beginnings of that which in the issue would be the thing they look for Waiting in that which is low and little in the heart the power enters the seed grows the Kingdom is felt and daily more and more revealed in the power And this is the true way and door to the thing take heed of climbing over it Q. What is it to believe in the light A. To receive its testimony either concerning good or evil and so either to turn towards or from in the will and power which the light begets in the heart Q. How will this save me A. By this means that in thee which destroys thee and separates thee from the living God is daily wrought out and the heart daily changed into the Image of him who is light and brought into unity and fellowship with the light possessing of it and being possessed by it and this is Salvation Q. We thought salvation had been a thing to be bestowed hereafter after the death of the body but if it be thus then salvation is wrought out here A. So it is even in all that are saved for there is no working of it out hereafter but here it is wrought out with fear and trembling and the believer who is truly in unity with the life daily changed from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. Q. But shew more particularly how Faith or believing in the light worketh out the Salvation A. First it causeth a fear and trembling to seize upon the sinner The Lord God Almighty by the rising of his light in the heart causeth the powers of darknesse to shake the earth to tremble the hills and mountains to melt and the goodly fruit-Trees to cast their fruit And then the plant of the Lord springs up out of the dry and barren ground which by the dews and showers from above thrives grows and spreads till it fills Gods earth 2. In this fear and trembling the work of true repentantance and conversion is begun and carried on There is a turning of the Soul from the darknesse to the light from the dark power to the power of light from the spirit of deceit to the Spirit of truth from all false appearances and imaginations about holiness to that which the eternal light manifesteth to be truly so And now is a time of mourning of deep mourning while the separtion is working while the enemies strength is not broken and subdued and while the heart is now and then feeling it self still hankering after its old lovers 3. In the belief of the light and in the fear placed in the heart there springs up an hope a living hope in the living principle which hath manifested it self and begun to work For the Soul truly turning to

by his Spirit draws to the Son and the Son by the same spirit draws to the Father and they both draw by the spirit as he is light as he is their light lighted to that end For as the Father is light and the Son light so that Spirit which draws to them must be light also He is indeed the breath of light eternally lighted to draw to the eternal Image of light and then to the eternal substance which eternally dwels in that eternal Image Q. But how may I know the Spirit and its operations that I may follow him and be led by him both to the Son and to the Father and so come into the everlasting fellowship A. The Spirit is to be known by those motions operations which are proper to him which flow alone from him and from nothing else Q. What are they A. Convincing of sin and reproving for sin which nothing can truly discover and reprove but the light of the Spirit Darknesse ca●not make manifest darknesse but whatsoever maketh manifest is light All the discoveries of darknesse in the hidden world of the heart are from Christ the Sun of Righteousnesse by his Spirit what name soever men may give it who know not this Sun nor its light nor the true names of things in the light but have named even the things of God in the dark and according to the dark apprehensions and conceptions of their own imaginary mind But this I say to such as are so ready to beat their brains and dispute leave contending about names come to the thing come to that which reproves thee in secret follow the light that thus checks and draws be diligent be faithful be obedient thou shalt find this lead thee to that which all thy knowledg out of this even all that which thou callest Spiritual light will never be able to lead thee And when thou art joyned to this light it will shew thee him whom thou hast pierced even so as never yet thou sawest him and open a fresh vain of blood and grief in thee to bleed and mourn over him and work that repentance in thee which thou never wast acquainted with before and teach thee that faith to which yet thou art a stranger and teach thee that self-denyal which will reach to the very root of that nature which yet lives even under that and by means of that which thou callest spiritual light and will lay such an yoke on thy neck as the unrighteou one is not able to bear yea such an one as the hypocrite which is able to hide it self under confessions of sin and forms of zeal knowledg devotion and worship shall be daily tormented and wasted with And then thou shalt know what it is to wait upon God in the way of his judgments and find the powers of life and death striving for thy soul and daily floods and stormes encompassing and attending thee under which thou wilt assuredly fall and perish unlesse the everlasting arm of Gods power be stretched out for thee and be continually redeeming thee And then thou wilt feel and see how sin is pardoned and how it is bound how death brake in upon Adam and how it daily breaks in upon mankind and what that standard is which the spirit of the Lord lifteth up against the powers of darknesse And then thou wilt come clearly to perceive how that which thou hast called religion formerly which flowed not from this principle hath been but the invention of thine own imaginary mind though thou fatheredst it upon the Scriptures as most men do most of their inventions about Doctrine and Worship wherein thou hast been in a dream of being changed and yet remainest still the same in nature and hast had a name that thou hast lived but art still dead a name of being sanctified but still uncleane a name of being justified but still condemned by the light in thine own conscience which is one with him who is thy Judge and who will judge according to it And so as that which is real taketh place in thee so that which hath been but imaginary will passe away A short Catechism for the sake of the simple-hearted Quest VVHat is the estate and condition of all men by nature as they are begotten of the seed of the evil doer and come out of the loyns of the first Adam Answ A state of sin and darknesse a state of death and misery a state of enmity against God a state accursed from God exposed to his wrath and most righteous judgments both here and hereafter Q. What brought Adam to this estate and what keeps the sons of Adam in it A. Feeding on the tree of knowledg from which man is not excluded to this day though he is from the tree of life Q. How came Adam at first and how come men still to feed on the tree of knowledg A. From a lustful appetite and desire after the forbidden wisdom sown in their hearts by the envious enemy of their souls who is continually twining about this tree and tempting men and women to eat of it perswading them that the fruit thereof is good for food and indeed it is very desirable to their eye and promiseth fair to make them everlastingly wise but still faileth Q. What is the forbidden fruit A. It is knowledg without life knowledg in the earthly part knowledg acquired from below not given from above This promiseth to make men as God and to give them the ability of discerning and distinguishing between good and evil which is Gods peculiar property Eating of this fruit undid Adam undid the Gentiles undid the Jews undid the Christians they all feeding on the tree of knowledg and departing from the life in their several dispensations Q. How doth this fruit undo man A. The wisdom and knowledg which they thus gather and feed upon perverts them makes them wise in the wrong part exalts them against the life duls the true appetite and increases the wrong appetite in so much as that there is not so much as a desire in them after God in truth but only to get knowledg and wisdom from what they can comprehend By this means whatsoever was afterwards ordained to life became death to man Thus the Gentiles liked not to retain God in their knowledg but fell by their dispensation provoking God to cast them off and give them up to the vanity of their imaginations And thus the Jews whom God then chose fell likewise by their dispensation God for this cause giving them up to their own hearts lusts and rejecting them from being a people And the Gentiles whom God ingrafted into the true Olive in the Jews stead they also after the same manner fell by their dispensation Thus each of these fell by gathering wisdom from the letter but missing of the life in every of these dispensations Q. What is the food which man should feed on A. The tree of life the word which liveth and abideth for ever