him when the darkness tempts him and when the lusts of the flesh are moving to any evil and thus doth the light within man manifest it selfe in order to Salvation Q. And is the light an universall manifestation unto all men A. Yes And that without respect of persons Q. And is the love of God universally tendred unto all in such a manifestation A. Yes For the light being manifest from the love it tendres it selfe in the manifestation Q. And is the love received by all unto whom it is so tendred A. Nay for many reject the light and will not become subject to the reproofe of it and they that doe so they doe not receive the love which in that manifestation is tendred unto them Q. But is there any thing that lyes on mans part in order to his salvation A. Yes he is to obey the light and follow it and then the light will teach him to deny himselfe and to take up the daily Cross Q. And doth the light work in order to salvation if man obey it and follow it A. Yes for he that obeyes the light and followes it he doth not abide in darkness but comes to the light of life Q. Hath man power in himselfe to turn to the light and to obey it and follow it A. Nay of himselfe he can doe nothing that is good nor turn from any thing that is evil but if he stand still when the light reproves him he there answers it in obedience as not joyning with that which the light reproves him for and so by giving diligence to the reproofe and standing still when reproofe comes he is there in obedience to it and then the love which is tendred in that manifestation it casts it selfe about him and with its strength it separates him from the sin and begets a dislike in him unto it so that he begins to abhor the appearance of it and then in the strength of the love he turns from the power of Satan unto the power of God where the light becomes his leader and teacher in the way of peace so that Salvation is in the light alone and not by any thing which is done by man of himselfe yet the light requires man to yeild himselfe unto it and yeilding himselfe unto it he answers the requirings of it in obedience and so becomes a servant to the light in all things Q. What doth the light work when man so yeilds himselfe to serve it A. It then rises in power and is felt to be powerfull to the pulling down the strong hold of sin and unthroaning the powers of darkness whereby the uncleane corrupted nature comes to be crucified and fleshly lusts condemned and so the burdens weights and loads are removed under which man hath travelled and groaned Q. But is the light sufficient to save man from all sin and to present him holy and blameless before God A. Yes it is so and they that love it knowes it to be so for the light is Christ and all power in heaven and earth is given unto him and there is nothing impossible with him nor too hard for him if man doe not reject him and rebell against him Q. And doth the power in its rising work contrary to mans own will wisdome and reason A. Yes for the power is the Cross unto the will wisdome and reason of man and in all things worketh as a cross unto that nature and stops it and chaines it and yoaks it down when it would be at liberty Q. And is that work of the power unto Salvation A. Yes if it be obeyed that the opposer doe not quench it it puts a difference between the precious and the vile and so rises as a hammer and knocks down the vile and takes hold on it as a fire and burnes it up and so man comes into the furnace where God is a consuming fire Q. But can any abide the day of his comming in such a dispensation A. Yes some there be that doe abide it who loves not their lives unto death but trusts in the Lord though he kills them Q. And is Salvation wrought through such a dispensation of Christ A. Yes for he is terrible whilest the wicked stand in his sight and reveales himselfe in flaming fire to execute vengeance upon the rebellious nature for his appearance unto Salvation is in judgment against all and upon all that would not that he should reigne Q. And doth Christ worke this worke in man A. Yes for sin is within man and there must Christ work to purge his conscience if ever he be made clean Q. But doe none know Christ to be Salvation but such as feeles his work within them A. No for it is to be understood that whilest man remaines in the fall he is under the power of darkness and therefore the power of Christ must work within him to subdue the power of darkness that ruleth over him and to save him from the temptations that the darkness entangles him in and so man is ever to stand in the pure fear of God and to waite for the appearance of his power to deliver him out of the snares in which he lyes entangled in the darkness and then he will feele the work of the power in him to cast out the strong man which hath kept the house and the power will keep man in the awe that he dare not sin for who have felt the judgment of the Lord for sin they stand in the pure fear least at any time their feet should slip into sin and this is true love to God when sin is denyed with which his Spirit is greived Q. And doth the power work effectually to Salvation as man yeilds himselfe unto it and denyes that which it doth reprove him for A. Yes it works effectually unto Salvation by destroying death and him that hath the power of it which is the Devil and so by the work of the power the old man is crucified the old works words and thoughts they all dye and sin is condemned in the flesh and the flesh is brought into subjection and silence through death and this man must know wrought in him by the power of God if ever he come to eternal life for no unclean thing that must enter into the Kingdome of God and therefore it must be denyed and put off before the Kingdome can be obtained Q. But must man pass through death and rise again whilest he is in the body A. Yes For except he be regenerated and born again he cannot enter into the kingdome of God and therefore he must dye to the first Adams flesh and be quickened and raised again in the second Adams spirit and so in the resurrection and life enter the Kingdome as a little child Q. And doth the work of the power bring death upon the first Adam through out A. Yes for no part or propertie of the first Adam that must live before God and as the second Adam rises in power
themselves to be the highest yet notwithstanding they are as strangers unto the heavenly misteries of the glorious Kingdome for though the natural man may hear all words and read all writings which from the life is declared yet is the mistery hid from his eyes and by how much he searches in his own wisdom to know and strives vvith that part to comprehend the misterie in the words declared by so much the more doth he thicken the vaile upon his understanding and thâ—ugh a man may fill himselfe with such a knovvledge and by his curious searching gather and compass much riches yet it is no more but enriching the false birth exalting it with pride in the apprehension of its riches and though such a man perswade himself that he knows all things yet he knows nothing as he ought to know neither is he any more but as sounding Brass and a tinkling Cymbal and there is no greater danger then to fall into this Sea of Knowledg and to be tossed about with its restless waves for it is as possible to number the Stars in the Firmament as for a man that swims in the Sea of Knowledg to be at rest So Reader this learn to understand that the way of God is not as the way of man and it is most certain that he which seeks riches by his own knowledg he runs in his own way and the end of that way is death but the way of God is life and peace and there is none can find it with all their searching and comprehending but by quiet and patient waiting whereby man comes to feel the light of Christ with which he is enlightened and so comes down into the humility and into the poverty where the light stops his wanderings and runnings and prevents him for walking in his own way and with the light he comes to see the danger that he is in and so comes to stand still in silence in which man being contented and waiting patiently upon God the light will turn him from his own way and the cunning devices of his own heart and bring him into the new and living way and there will become his leader and teacher and so lead him in the cross to his own Will Wisdome and Reason the power of God which is the cross of Christ will strike over it and cross it and yoak it down and so he will be humbled to the death of the Cross where to his own wisdome he will become a fool and to his own riches he will become poor and there dye the death to his own life and then the babe rises up in the power and the secrets of God is with it and that is the great gain of godliness when man is drawen out of himself and comes to Christ in whom is all the treasures of wisdom and true knowledg and in whom the fulness of the God-head dwelleth bodily this is true translation out of the earthly into the heavenly where the babe knows the Father and sits in the feeling of his presence with joy and there it is truly contented with what it hath and waits in patience to receive what it hath not and whether it have more or less it is contented and covets not beyond the fathers giving and here is immortal food which satisfies the immortal soul which never can be compassed or gained in mans own way so to die is the greatest gain and to become a fool poor and nothing is the way to be truly wise rich and possesse all things and through this strait gate and in this narrow way is perfect peace and rest for ever And now Reader be thou diligent to understand what thou readest and consider thy present state that thou may not secure thy self in thy own way as if there was no danger and take up thy rest before thou hast passed through death there is that in thee which would save its life and will reason strongly to defend it but if thou love that life and seek to save it thou looses life eternal therefore be considerate the matter is weighty and do not deceive thy self through thy own belief nor do not wrong thy self with a vain hope as if all should be well hereafter but wait to understand what the power of God hath done for thee and what thou hast denied in pure love to God for if thou do not follow Christ in the daily Cross thou art not his Disciple and if not a Disciple then not an heir of God nor a joynt heir with Christ of the heavenly inheritance therefore please not thy self with thy own comprehensions as if thou had compassed God and Christ with thy own wisdome but consider whether thou be regenerated and born again of incorruptible seed and whether thou sit in the joy of Gods salvation and whether thou have thy portion in his Kingdom this is weighty for thee to consider for if in some measure this be not fulfilled in thee and witnessed by thee in deed and in truth thy latter end will be bitterness if thou continue in thine own way and then thy fair sayings will not help thee nor thy wealth and riches comfort thee when the Lord saies Depart from me Therefore bow to the day of the Lord in thy Conscience that thou may feel Christ to conquer the restlesse part in thee and to subject the worker of iniquity and do not outstand the tenders of Gods love unto thee but when he calls do thou hearken and when he reproves do thou obey and when he commands do thou follow and then where ever he leads thee he will be with thee and in all thy afflictions he will comfort thee and with his arm of power he will support thee and out of all thy troubles he will deliver thee and there thou wilt know him and feel him beyond thy own wisdom and reason and he will make thee run when thy reason would stop thee and will be ready to save thee when the enemy tempts thee and so thou wilt know him a God at hand if thou be faithful to his councel therefore fear before him and submit unto him whilst his love is to thee for he is God and there is not another who can see him and live who can stand befâ—re him and not be consumed who can eat of the tree of life and not die by the flaming Sword All flesh is grass and the height of all its glorie must pass away but who are born of the seed immortal they shall prosper unto a fair stature in Christ and in him live for ever So do thou mind the light and power of God in thy Conscience and read in meekness and fear and the truth in thy inward parts will answer to the truth of what thou readest for truth is but one in all and it answers to its own as face answers face in a glass and if thou with the truth in thee readest the testimonie without thee thou wilt feel a perfect closing with
the first Adam is put to death and so the quickning spirit of the second Adam goes over the sinful flesh of the first Adam and there is the resurrection of the seed and the translation of man into its nature where he receives a new body and a new life in which body and life he bears the image of the heavenly and then he is blameless in Body Soul and Spirit Q. And is that the way by which man must come to inherit life eternal A. Yes for life eternal is only in the Son and man in his own life is alienated from it and therefore he must dye to his own life before he can inherit eternal life in the Son Q. And is there none that pleases God but who are thus regenerated and born again A. None in the flesh can please God and therefore man is to wait in the power for a new birth which is not after the flesh but after the spirit which birth of the spirit is the Fathers beloved Son in whom he is well pleased Q. How doth the power dispose man in the death A. It disposes him in stilness keeping all fleshly motions in silence so as a little child he lyes nakedly and innocently before God and hath no will nor wisdom nor reason left in him but all baptized down into the sufferings of Christ where they are dissolved into nothingness and there the power kils him and gives him life again and so man layes down his own life and takes up life in Christ in which life he comes to be raised in the resurrection of Christ and here is the passing from death to life where man puts on Christ and is made a new creature and in a new life he then serves God and pleaseth God for his thoughts words and works are all changed and with a new tongue he then sings the new songs and gives glory and honour and praise and thanks unto him that sits upon the throne who lives for ever and ever and this is in substance the whole matter Q. But doth not the birth of the seed meet with much opposition in its resurrection A. Yes whilest it is in the travaile it is strongly opposed by a contrary nature and many dangers that lyes near on every hand untill death have passed upon all as is said before but when the power hath crucified the first Adam throughout and that the seed be raised into the glorious liberty of its own life then the seed reigneth and hath dominion and government over all oppositions triumphing in victory Q. But how is oppositions removed and dangers escaped in the travaile A. By Faith in the power and watching to be kept close to the leadings of it and so the power will remove oppositions and defend from dangers for the watch being kept to it and the Faith standing stedfast in it the enemy hath no power to prevaile though he may tempt for the living power is as a wall on the right hand and on the left to preserve from dangers and it goes before as a conquerour to remove oppositions and comes behinde as a safe guard to keep off the Enemy for smiting the hind most part of the Campe and thus Christ by his power is all in all every way to the travailing Babe that cannot rest in any place below the freedome of his own life and therefore let none enter into unbeliefe as if oppositions could never be removed nor dangers clearly escaped for he that quickeneth and giveth life to breath after him he is mighty in his power and he doth assuredly save to the utmost the birth of his own begetting which abides in the simple tender breathings to possess more of his life Q. But may there not be captivity after the power be received and that something be quickened by the power to breath after God A. That present state is captivity for that which by the power is quickened to breath after God it is then in captivity and breathes in the power to be delivered out of captivity and as the power is received and Faith kept in it the power works in order to deliverance Q. But may there not be captivity after there be deliverance in some measure wrought by the power A. Yes there may be so for if the minde erre from the power and unbeliefe enter there may be captivity again in those very places out of which the power hath wrought deliverance and so many may come to taste of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come and yet may goe back again and here captivity comes upon many who have had a long travaile out of Egypt and have seen great and wonderfull things wrought by the power Q. But is not the power sufficient to preserve from going a stray and returning again into such a state as to come into captivity after it have wrought deliverance A. The power is as sufficient to preserve as to deliver and is not at al weaker in the one then in the other but where such a state comes to pass there is not Faithfulness to the power but temptations enters and prevailes and so the minde goes from the power into the temptations whereby there is away opened for the darkness to rise again which in the day of tenderness and faithfulness to the power was kept in subjection under the yoak Q. And doth the power follow after such again after they erre from it and doe not abide faithfull in it to recover them and deliver them out of their captivity A. Yes for the Lord waites to be gracious and though there may be a backsliding yet he doth not shut up his compassion but condiscends in bowels of tenderness to follow the wandering sheep which is gone a stray and by the word of his power he calls to return and if there be a yeilding to the word of power and a joyning to it again the Lord heales the backslidings and loves as freely as ever he did and so he brings the erring sheep again into the Fold and gives it pasture amongst his Flock and here he shews his goodness in the Riches of his mercy Q. And doth the power preserve and keep all safe in their travaile that abide in it Faithfully A. Yes for they that abide in the power and are guided by the power they doe not erre but by the power are kept through faith unto Salvation and all the babes that live in the power they receive strength in the power and doe not faint Q. What are the dangers that may befall whilest the seed is in travaile A. There be very many which the light discovers distinctly yet I shall name a few of them 1. To glory in the flesh with that which is manifest from God in the day of tenderness 2. To gather the manifestation of truth into the wisdome below and to enrich the false birth 3. To center in the forme or practice of truth as it stands in appearance onely 4.