an hundred fold in this time and in the World to come Life Everlasting Forsaking and Self-denial hath alwayes been the way to Life and to true Blessedness and is the way unto this day And therefore all you who have wandered in your own ways and have not yet learned to deny your selves of what is contrary to the Witness of God in your Consciences but have desires and that strong ones too to keep and hold that still which the Light in you doth reprove and yet have desires of Life and Peace too and so are in many doubts and straits about these things to you all this is the Counsel of the Lord and the cry of his pure Spirit Come out of the Babylonish confusion of your own thoughts and touch not that which is unclean and the Lord will receive you and what God by his pure Spirit hath called unclean let no man presume to call clean and to joyn to it lest they be found fighting against God and nourishing and keeping that alive which God hath appointed to die and be destroyed ye cannot serve two Masters nor pertake of the Table of the Lord and the Table of Devils Oh feed not that birth that hungers after evil things and delights in them but what is for famine let it be famished and what is for the Sword let the two edged Sword that goeth out of the mouth of the faithfull and true Witness cut it down Rev. 1.16 and 3.14 and so thou may see the Giants in the Land slain before thee by one that is mighty to deliver and to bring thee out of this Spiritual Egypt with a high hand but this thou cannot come to witness but by diligent following him and if thou willingly yeelds to his gentle drawings when thou feelst them in thy heart thou wilt find them to he effectual and profitable to thy Soul and the more thou follows him the more thou wilt feel his goodness break in upon thee for thy encouragement and the less thou wilt doubt of his love and mercy in leading thee still farther even unto the end and unto that Rest which will satisfie thy Soul Therefore lay aside all Consultations that are against thy Obedience to the Gift of God in thy heart which reproves Sin in thee and give not way to vain and needless doubts about it but as thou findst that thou hast been condemned and judged in thy disobeying of it now try and prove whether by taking up thy daily cross and obeying of it in thy words and actions and in all things if thou dost not find the answer of sweet peace and joy and when thou shalt find it so then will there be no more room for doubts and questioning against thy obeying of it but as any questions or doubts doth arise in thee or shall be cast in thy way by any without thee thou wilt feel the answer of it in thy self to thy refreshing and so thou wilt come to witness the effectual opperation of it daily in thy Soul to work thy change and translation out of thy self into it self and so thou wilt come not only to know the Light in thee for that one may do and perish For this is the Condemnation that Light is come and not loved but thou wilt know that thou art in the Light and walkest there with God and in the holy Fellowship where thou feelst the Lord near thee in his Light and his Reward is with him and so coming to walk and dwell in the Light thy conversation is now in Heaven as the Saints of old was and thy unity is witnessed with the Father and the Son as theirs was who said If we walk in the Light as he is in the Light they had fellowship with him and if any said they had fellowship and walked in Darkness which all Sinners do for Sin is the work of it such they said were Lyars And such as walks in the Light as he is in the Light such comes to know the Blood that cleanseth and washeth from the Sin and from all unrighteousness and such as feels this work wrought in them are brought into such a knowledge of the blood of Christ that they need not doubt about it nor have no occasion to raise a question where it is or what it is nor what the efficacy of it is for having the work and witness of the Blood in them this forthwith resolves all doubts that would arise and so likewise those that comes to know the Light in all things to be their Guide to lead out of Darkness and Sin and Imperfections and to bring into the Innocent and Blameless Conversation which becometh Saints and so come to know their footsteps directed before the Lord such have done doubting and questioning about Perfection for such sees that which is perfect to be come and they from the belief which they have of attaining it are labouring to conform themselves unto that rule and endeavouring after it not as the carnal Professors who say they labour after a Conquest over their Sins with a belief they shall never attain it while they live but they so run that they may attain and have the true hope in them which they that have are purifying themselves as he is pure that is their hope as John said He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as God is pure that so Even as he was in this present World so they may be also and so here the Substance will come and will cause the shadow to flee and will answer all thy Doubts and Questions far beyond what Arguments can do And again the many doubts and disputations that have arisen about the Resurrection as thou comest to be faithfull in the daily Cross that doth slay and crucifie that nature in thee that hath resisted the Truth and held the Seed in bondage as that comes to die and to be burâ—ed down in the true Baptism into Christs Death thou wiâ—t feel the Pure to spring up in thee and thou wiâ—t be made a partaker of the new Life and the true Resurrection which is Christ and all that are in him are in the Resurrection and in the Life for he said I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth on me thâ—ugh he were dead yet shall he live and this living to God in the Spirit of this â—â—n is the first Resurrection which whomsoever comes to witness the second death hath no power over them but they come to know the thing as it is in Jesus and their doubts are all answered about that also for he that knows a death and Resurrect on afâ—er this manner To be dead to Sin and to be risen with Christ Jesus in the new Life even while they are in this earthly Tabernancle before it is dâ—ssolvâ—d such will never question their appearing at the Judgment Seat of God after it is dissolved but do believe it with joy and gladness and hath a fervent hope concerning the Resurrection of
might be resolved in such a state what to do consider thou that hast these struglings in thee about the Light in thy Conscience whether it is true or no or whether thou shalt own it or no and art thinking in thy self what is best for thee to do whether to go on stoutly against it or to submit to it I say consider if thou rebel against it thou can never know whether it would lead thee as it was said of old Job 24. They that rebel against the Light they know not the Way of it so that if thou dost take that course to rebel that will but increase thy ignorance of the Way that the Light leads in and makes it more terrible to thee every time it doth appear in thee till thou comest to that state spoken of Job 24.17 That the dawning of the Day will be as the shadow of death for the more thou rebels against it the more dark thou wilt daily grow and so the less able to resolve thy self in those doubtfull things that fill thy mind but as darkness increaseth in thee so the power of it will bind thee down as a Chain and smother every good desire in thee and thus by rebellion against the Light do some men lose the very sence and knowledge of it and grows past feeling and strangers to it though it be in them for the custom of Sin taketh away the sence and the feeling of the burthen of it but to you I write that are not yet come to this state of hardness of heart but are brought daily into a sence of the burthen of Sin and that are ready to say if you were but sure that were the Truth and way of God which shews you your Sin you would follow it and love it and own it but are kept off by doubts and questionings Verily I say unto you before these doubts be resolved you must try this as to your sorrow you have tried the other before you can be effectually informed for Arguments will not do sufficienly in this case therefore try and prove what this Principle can do for thee when thou obeyst it which ye know hath power to condemn you and break your Peace when you disobey it Why should ye always be shut up in unbelief and in doubts and so kept from trying and proving the Light as well as ye have proved the Darkness that so ye might reap the fruit of it to Salvation as well as you have done the fruit of the other unto Condemnation Oh dear people consider ye cannot obey this Light of Christ Jesus in your Consciences but by taking up a daily Cross to your own Wills Lusts and Affections for that is contrary thereunto and that which leads to obey your Lusts leads to disobey the Light and that which leads to obey the Light that crosseth the Lusts and vile Affections which are at enmity with the Light and must by it be judged and condemned and that which leads thee to slight it and call it by some slighty name that 's also an Enemy to it and must be judged by it and so as the Light comes to rule over those things in thee which are enemies to it thou wilt know that it will lead thee contrary to thy corrupt nature and as thou feelest the thing so in thy self thou wilt come to be wiser then those Teachers that have called it a Natural light for that which is Natural leadeth according to Nature but that which is Spiritual leadeth according to the Spirit which Apostle said was contrary to the Flesh and warred against it and so that objection will by thy obeying the Light come to be answered far better then words and arguments could have answered it and so likewise the sufficiency of the Light thou wilt come to feel if thou dost not oppose it but give up to be guided by it and wilt know that it is able to deliver thee when thou art tempted as weil as to judge thee when thou hast yeelded to the Tempter for thou knowst already that it is able to condemn thee when thou sinnest against it but thou cannot certainly know it sufficient to give peace and to justifie till thou obeyest it So then the plain Path-way to the answering thy doubts about the Principle of Truth in the Inward-parts is by obeying of it and yeelding to it for they that do evil they grow into hatred against it and it judges them as they deny to obey the Light so the Light denies to justifie them and so coming justly under the condemnation of it by reason of transgression they grow afraid of it But alas this doth but prove that it is sent of God for it doth Gods work which is righteous For to justifie the Wicked and to condemn the Righteous both these are an abomination to the Lord and so is it with his Witness in thy own Conscience which God hath placed there to bear witness for him concerning all thy actions whether they are good or evil and thou thy self whoever thou art whether high or low rich or poor professor or prophane shalt confess unto this that this hath never condemned thee for that which was good nor born witness against thee for that thou wast not guilty of And therefore all you that have been hurried and tossed with doubts and questionings about the Truth come hearken to the Counsel of God at this time once more sounded forth unto you from his Spirit by a Servant of his without you and answered by the measure of his good Spirit within you which hath the same voice and cry in you for Obedience to what is made manifest of God in you obey the Light and ye shall see daily more of it till it break forth as a morning unto thee and till it shines unto a perfect day yea a day of gladness and rejoycing to thy poor distressed Soul Oh Arise thou that sits sorrowing and thou that art crying out in secret because of the bonds and fetters that are yet upon thee Arise arise I say in the Name of the Lord God of Sion who draws nigh to thee by his quickning Spirit and hearken to his voice who saith to the Prisoner Come forth and to the bowed down Arise and to the feeble ones Put on strength and follow me I will confound your Foes and break the strength of your Enemies as I have done for my People who have forsaken all to follow me and obey me so will I do for you and if ye in uprightness walk before me and keep my Conant as they have done no power or strength of the Enemy within or without shall be too hard for you And when the Lord doth thus arise in your Souls and stir up his own pure Witness and his Arm awakens in you and his pure Light breaks forth oh what consolation is it to you and how have many of you seen your vain doubtings expelled and a cleer convincement hath prevailed upon your spirits concerning
the way of God and at such a time you have begun to resolve to follow the Lord in his pure Way of Holiness thus opened unto you in the Light though to the loss of all and though it be to the bearing your part of the great reproach that lies upon them that loves him more then their lives and at such a time there was felt a secret joy in a hidden ground in your Souls and the seed of the Kingdom that had been long buried up began to spring up in you in which Seed your Souls felt some touchings of that Heavenly Life and Joy which for the time exceeded all things that this World could afford and whensoever ye come to feel this refreshing dew upon your Souls then take heed and wait singly in the sence of it keep your eye to the joy that is now set before you in Christ Jesus the Seed for if you let your mind wander and your eyes gad abroad there be objects on every hand to lead you out from your Souls beloved and to bring you to defile your hearts and make your selves an unfit place of residence for him who is holy and pure and will not dwell nor take delight in a polluted Temple but will withdraw himself as he did from Israel of old and from their Temple when it was polluted and prophaned And besides when your minds are taken hold of by any of the corruptable things in this changable World there will presently kindle a desiring longing and lusting after the enjoyment of those things though contrary to the will of God and then next the Reasoner and Consulter gets up in thee and starts a question May not I enjoy the Lord and this May not I keep in the Way of Truth and yet do this or that thing which my heart desireth And though it be not perfectly according to the Truth made manifest in me yet I will have my will my lust my desire satisfied but this one time and that 's not much saith the Consulter and this is but a small matter there be others that do greater things then this and such like reasonings enters the mind and this grieves and vexeth that good and righteous tender Spirit that moved in thee and brings a weight and oppression upon the pure in thee and that withdraws it self again from thee in which thy Light did arise unto thee and so a night comes upon thee for where the Serpent can bring any to make a question of obeying the Truth he is as ready to frame an Answer as to beget the Question but his answer alwayes comes with a Liberty and perswasion to disobey as it did by Eve in the beginning and when transgression is finished then death enters upon thee with its dark power and manifold sorrows peirceth thy poor soul though the fruit was desirable to be eaten yet now it is eaten thou cannot come at liâ—e to eat of that too though thou defirest it but art driven out and kept out with a flaming sword that turns every way against thee And here 's now a ground laid for doubts and questioning of a higher nature then before to arise in thee for before thou doubted of the Truth it self whether it were the Truth but now having tasted of it and received a convincement of it and yet let forth thy mind from it after other Lovers and thy ears after the voice of the Adulteress and so caused the pure Light to withdraw from thee thorow thy rebellion now thou desirest thou might but see again what thou hast seen and feel again what thou hast felt but doubts and fears that thou shalt never see nor feel nor enjoy the like again and now thou wishest oh that thou hadst stood in the cross to thy own will and that thou hadst denied thy self that thou might not thus have lost the sight and sence of thy Souls Beloved And now thou seest by wofull experience whence doubts and fears and sorrows do arise even thy joyming with the Enemy who brings forth reasons against the obedience to the Light And therefore now hearken to that which remains in thee though darkness and sorrow doth encompass thee yet there is something remains which gives thee a sence of thy state and condition and makes thee to know thy loss and want hear the voice of this and this will humble thee and bring thee into true brokenness of heart and contriteness of spirit and as thou comes to know that state then thou hast something to offer to the Lord of his own preparing which will be far more acceptable to him then a multitude of words and performances and duties so called and as thou in the true lowliness of mind dost come before the Lord and offers up this offering God will hear in Heaven and will answer the cry of the poor and needy Soul that cannot be satisfied without his presence and he will remember his mercies of old which never fail for his seed sake which is not yet brought forth in thee And when God doth again shine forth unto thee and make his Power known thou must expect it must be in judgment because of the transgression thou hast gone into that he may consume that in thee which led thee into the Sin from his pure Law which is Light for Zion is redeemed by judgment And therefore take heed lest thou be offended at his appearance take heed that thou limit not the Holy One but if his appearance be with more sharpness and bitterness to the carnal part then before it is but just it should be so It is the Lord let him do what he will he sees more cause now then before by how much more thou hast sinned against his goodness but bow to his Judgments Bear his Indignation as Micah said because thou hast sinned against-them Mic 7.9 And as thou yeeds to his righteous Judgement thou wilt know the coming to the midst of them in which the mercy is remembred and made manifest and therefore the hasty and impatient that flees the Judgment as soon as it begins a little to appear in them they never find the true deliverance but gets ease another way which lasteth but for a moment but they who comes to know a thorow work wrought in their Earth and the Floor thorowly purged they come to know the true and lasting Peace to their Immortal Souls and although this is not obtained by ease and liberty to the carnal mind which must die yet the end Crowns all that holds out to it they are the saved ones as Christ said Mark 13.13 and they find the returning with shaves as the Prophet said Psal 126.5 6. They that sow in Tears shall reap in Joy They went forth said he with weeping and bearing precious Seed but they shall return with joy and bring their Sheaves And as Christ said They that forsake father and mother wife and children house or lands yea or their own lives fâ—r my sake shall have