Grace even as the Jews Table or gathered knowledge from Moses and the Prophets became their Snare and Trap. The Lord open their Eyes in his due time to discern it that they may not withstand that Ministration and Revelation of his everlasting Gospel which God seeth good to visit the Apostatised world with after this long dark night of the Apostacy whereof those that stick in Forms or knowledge of things from the Letter without the Power cannot but prove the greatest Enemies Opposers and Persecutors Now to help them a little if the Lord please in the rouling of my bowels towards them I find my heart opened to lay a few things before them First With my heart in the sight of the Lord do I own that Principle which formerly wrought in some of them which I my self was wrought upon by and knew not onely the outward knowledge which they were acquainted with but also the inward work and I also knew what I called the Light of Nature and what I called the Light of the Spirit the one whereof was not the other but differed as far as Spirit and Flesh Secondâ—â— I also own all the Openings and Refreshments which they received from the Lord in reading of the Scriptures in their Publick or Private Exercises and the Experiences which they had from God in their own hearts and I know that these things in themselves were true in their Proportion however their present sence and holding of them out of that wherein they received them may justly be judged by the Spirit of the Lord in his Servants Thirdly Though those things were true in their day and in their Proportion and Measure yet in them they might lose their vertue and die and so they not retain the thing in its Life in its own Principle in the newness of the Spirit in that Birth to which God gave it but onely an Image of it in the Natural understanding in the earthly part in the dead Principle and then their knowledge of God and their Experiences cannot but be corrupted and now become the possession of Death and the Engines of Death in their hearts Again God had somewhat further to manifest even to bring forth that which they so earnestly prayed for in that Day which they having abided in that Vertue wherin they prayed might easily have discerned and embraced but being out of that and pleasing themselves with the litteral knowledge of the things they then received holding them in the wise earthly part that part cannot but stumble at the low and contemptible Appearances of God which are still offensive to that part The great Glory of God is hid in a little Seed and how can the great Eye of the fleshly-wise see it We have Moses and the Prophets said the Jews after the Flesh But as for this man we know not whence he is Even so it is now We know the Relation which the Scriptures have given of Christ by the Apostles we are sure this is of God say the Professors but as for this little Seed of the Kingdom or Light of God in the heart we cannot believe that all we want is to spring up in it Now Fourthly there is a necessity both of the knowledge of Persons to pass away and also of their Experiences to be given up and let fall in these two cases following First When the Vertue is withdrawn from them when Death hath caught them when they become Death's goods For that which is received from the Life is onely profitable to the Soul in the vertue of the Life When the earthly part hath caught them and seated it self there they then become the strong holds of the Enemy and the Engines of Death to the heart so that then Life and true Relief is not to be had in them but where the Eternal Vertue pleases next to appear Secondly When God hath somewhat to bring forth further in the world or in any particular heart to make way for it he brings Death upon that which was before living Thus when God is pleased to bring forth a greater Measure of Faith and Power of his Spirit he distresseth the heart making the fore-going Faith and Power appear weak and pass away and many times for a season shutteth up the Soul in the unbelief until the Fresh Faith and Fresh Power spring up and arise And this causeth the necessity of the further Dispensations of his Eternal Vertue to appear and the Beauty of them to shine which they would not have done so abundantly had it not been for the fore-going distresse of the heaâ— Theâ—â—â—â—â—e yet some things further weighty upon my heart to lay before them needful for them to consider of which may be serviceable and helpful to them in their present Condition if the Lord please to open their hearts and impress them thereon They are four Propositions relating to the right Knowledge of the things of God which are these following First That the Knowledge of the things of God comes from the Spirit As the Scriptures themselves came from the Spirit so the true Knowledge of them is alone given to any man which receiveth it by the same Spirit And no man living can know the mind of the words which the Spirit spake but as the same Spirit which spake them gives the meaning of them Secondly That the Knowledge of God the living Knowledge the serviceable Knowledge is 〈◊〉 held in the Spirit and in the Birth which is of the Spirit Man's natural part is not the true Treasury nor is man's Reason to be Master of any of the things of God's Spirit but that which holds the Knowledge of the Kingdom the Grace of the Kingdom the living Experiences is that which is born of the Seed of the Kingdom and man's Reason is for ever to be shut out of the things of God further than it bowes is limited and subjected Thirdly That the Knowledge received from the Spirit is still to be tryed by the Spirit The Spirit alone can keep it living and the Spirit alone can tell whether the Life and Vertue be still in it or whether Death hath caught it whether it be Manna fit for the Soul's Food or Manna once given but now corrupted O my Dear Friends wait to understand my Experience concerning this thing which is this That which I had certainly received from God and which the true Birth at first had fed on the earthly Birth would be catching at laying hold of and treasuring up to feed on at another time Likewise in my reading of the Scriptures I lay open to this great snare of reading in my own will and of gathering from thence in mine own understanding so growing wise concerning the things of God after the Flesh for though at that time I was not without living Knowledge and Experiences of God yet I knew not how to turn from the Death nor to keep to the Life and so the bad the lean the earthly the ill-favoured overgrew the good
him to a greater Wisdom Glory and Excellency than his Creator had placed him in with which he consulting out of the dependance upon his Creator fell from that which alone was able to uphold him in the pure state wherein he was made Thus was he taken in the snare of misery and brought to that loss which all the Sons of Adam lie groveling under to this day when the Lord at any time awakens the sence thereof in them Quest What was the State of man in and since the fall Answ A state of Darkness a state of Death a state of deep Captivity wherein his Soul Body and Spirit are become dark as to the Light of God dead as to the Life of Righteousness and Captive unto that spirit which hath entred them by their hearkning thereto who dwelleth and ruleth in them in the Darkness as God did before in the Light Quest How is man dark how is man dead is his Soul or body dead as to their being or how else is it Answ Man is not dead as to his being either in Soul or Body but as to the right pure and sanctified state of each The Vessels still remain the same in being but they are emptied of their proper Liquor and filled with other Wine The Understanding is the same the Reason the same the Will the same the Memory the same the bodily Members the same as to their being or matter but they are all otherwise leavened and another King now dwells in them and Reigns over them Quest Then there needs not any dissolution of man's Reason or bringing it to nothing in relation to man's Recovery but onely a changing of the Leaven Answ Man is become another thing by degeneration from the Life He is so poisoned by Sin and Corruption that he is to be wholly broken down and brought to nothing even in the very Naturals that he may be new made and built up in the newness of the Spirit Thus he is to become as a Fool as a little Child or rather as a Seed to be cast into the womb of Life there to be formed and born of the Spirit And as he springs up in the Life he is to forget his own Country living in the Spirit and walking in the Spirit where watching to the Spirit and against his own Reason in the pure Childishess in the simple instinct and naturalness of the Life he shall at length find a Reason new formed and springing up in him which waiting on the Lord in Obedience and subjection shall be taken into Unity with the Life but if the Eye of Reason open too fast and be not kept down to the Light of Life the Betrayer will enter again at that door and bring the Soul into Death after it hath had sweet and Precious Tasts of the Redeeming Vertue and Power Quest Can Man in the fall see his fallen Estate and so seek after a recovery out of it Answ It is not possible for him so to do without some Light shining upon him from the Redeemer How can Darkness discover Darkness That which maketh mamanifest the Darkness is Light When the Vessel is dark and the Prince of Darkness filleth it and dwelleth in it what can that Eye see but according to the Darkness judging Evil Good and Good Evil bitter sweet and sweet bitter Quest But there is no man but hath some Light no man but at some time or other seeth Good or Evil in some measure Answ That ariseth not from the light of Man's Nature as it now stands in the fall which being wholly in the Enemie's hands and being it self become darkness cannot at all give man notice of or light him out of the darkness but from a fresh Visitation of the Life which giveth all men a day of Visitation by the shining of its Light wherein is some manifestation to man and some certain sight by him both of the Good and of the Evil and not onely so but there is also the living Spirit striving with him and attracting him from the one to the other according to the Lord 's good pleasure whose is both the Light and also the determination of the proportion of every man's Visitation by it Quest But hath not man naturally a Light in the fallen Estate which discovereth unto him Good and Evil Answ Not a true Light not a true Discovery but onely somewhat which the Enemy setteth up in man as such to keep him in the entanglements of the Deceit and out of the suspition of it For the Enemy entring into him by his subtilty blindeth and deceiveth his Eye that he may the better hold him Captive in the deceit insomuch as he discerneth not the false Image which the Enemy hath stamped upon him for though the Enemy bringeth man into a state of real Darkness Death and Captivity yet these do not at present appear to man what they are but are miscoloured or Painted to appear what they are not the better to deceive bewitch and entangle man therein The Enemy did not represent Darkness in its Black hue Death and Captivity in its dreadful Appearance to Adam but as Wisdom as Light as a better Life as a greater Freedom And thus he still enters man and after this manner he still dwells in man until the true Light pursue him opening and discovering his Deceit and drawing man back from this false Paradise of pleasure in wisdom and liberty out of the Life into a sence of his want of and breathings after the true Garden of the living God Q. Is man then mistaken in his Judgment of Good and Evil since the fall Answ Yes altogether and by this means doth he so pleasingly scituate himself and take up his Habitation in the Kingdom of Darkness wherein are strong holds and wise reasonings against the true God and for the false Appearances of good which the Enemy of the Soul strongly makes men believe to be such as he represents them for in the darkness Thus in particular persons and also in Societies evil is pursued after and advanced for good and the true good suppressed as evil through the working of the Mystery of Darkness in mens hearts Quest What then is the proper Estate and Condition of man in the fall Answ A State of false light of false life of false liberty He seemeth to himself advanced in Wisdom above the low empty naked Estate of Innocency which is nothing and hath nothing but by a continual dependance on the Goodness of the Creator He seemeth also advanced in Life advanced in Liberty He can speak his own words think his own thoughts do his own will seek himself please himself satisfie himself The life of Righteousness is a yoak a bond in his Eye He is free from the restraint of it He hath Life in himself and is exceeding wise in the compass of his own dominions Thus doth the Enemy transform the Kingdom of Darkness and Death giving fallen Man a share with him in it while he
is given them in the Life to see with The Eye of Life is limited in man and man is to be held within the limits and openings of Life and his Heart and Mind to be bounded within the Desires and Delights which arise from the Life he is to wait on the Life for its living moving and being all in his Being and here he shall be large enough and full enough and wise enough and happy enough But there is somewhat which presents to him a Kingdom a Riches a Dominion a Vastness of Perfection in himself at his own command the which he beginning to listen unto the same opens an Eye in him to see the Beauty and Glory thereof and then Immediately his heart is taken and he cannot avoid the snare nor can he henceforth know where he is until that which he hath forsaken again please to visit him and to discover to him his Iniquity and Errour from the true Root Quest What is the way of safety when God enlargeth the Territories of Life in the Soul and causeth his Love and Grace to abound Answ To Drink the Draughts of Joy and Sweetness in the pure Fear and Trembling not departing therefrom in what ever it doth for God or receives from him till the Salvation be wholly wrought out and perfected the Habitation of unspotted Love prepared and the Soul led into and seated in its compleat Mansion therein And then the Name of Fear is no more heard of in the Land of Life though the Principle from whence the Fear sprang and the Birth and building which was begotten raised up formed and perfected in the Fear abideth for ever So that the pure Love doth not cast out the pure Fear wherein is no Bondage of the Life but the preservation of the Life from the Bondage but swallows it up and comprehends it for the pure Fear is but Love descended and the pure Love is but Fear ascended the Eternal Principle or Substance being one and the same in both Quest Is there then such a State of Safety upon which the Enemy cannot Intrench Answ There is a State of such Union with the Life as the Enemy cannot come between where there is lying down and rising up in the Power of the Life and no Beast of prey can make afraid any more nor can any Root of bitterness spring up from within to trouble or make any disturbance between the Life and the Soul any more Some Questions and Answers conducing towards the further manifestation and opening the Path of Redemption and Eternal Life to the Eye of Spiritual Israel Quest HOw doth the Son of God or Eternal Word in whom is the Light of Life Redeem man out of the fallen Estate out of the Kingdom of Darkness and Death into the Kingdom of everlasting Righteousness and Peace in the Life Answ Three wayes First by wounding him in the Natural and corrupt Estate and so breaking his Peace and Pleasure in the Kingdom of Darkness and making him weary thereof Secondly By weakening him under the Teachings and Chastizements of the Law Thirdly By healing and binding him up with the Oil of Salvation in the Power of the endless Life which is the Gospel Quest How doth God wound him in the natural and corrupt State Answ By pursuing him with his Light which letteth him see what it is discovering the Evil and Danger of it and so weaning his heart from it and making him look out after and long for a Redeemer O how Burthensome is the Captivity to the awakened Soul when he hath a glimpse of what man was before his fall when he had a place and being in the Life with a Spirit suitable to the Life and what he is now in his Estate of estrangedness and alienation from the Life and whither he is going in his Paths of unrighteousness estrangedness and alienation And while his heart is thus turning from the Land of Death and Captivity and longing after the Redeeming Power and Vertue of the Life the Enemy the Power of Darkness layes load upon him drawing him more and more under the Chains and Bonds of Iniquity to the utmost of its strength So that now Lusts abound Evils increase Temptations and Snares multiply and in the Land of Captivity their strength is great the Soul weak and faint and the Redeeming Power and Vertue seems very far off Now this is the Estate of Conversion when the Lord in the midst of the Powers of Death and Darkness turns the heart from them towards himself causing it to wait under the Captivity for the Appearance of the Arm of his strength to break the yoke of the Oppressor from off the Necks of the oppressed and so to bring out of the Land of Death and Darkness into the Travels towards the Land of Promise where the Peace the Life the Liberty in the Lord the Rest the Joy the full Content and Happiness is reaped by the Soul which follows the Lamb thither Quest How doth God weaken the Creature under the Teachings and Chastisements of the Law Answ By exercising him towards Good and Evil and correcting him for his unbelief and disobedience as he finds good just and necessary for him Quest How doth God exercise him towards Good and Evil and correct him Ans When he hath brought him from under the Power of Darkness in some measure and in some measure set the Spirit free there-from by the Vertue of his Life springing up in the heart then he exerciseth the Heart and Conversation towards the Good and from the Evil then he giveth out Laws for or against things according as he findeth most Proper to the Estate of every Particular Soul Now upon the giving forth of the Law the Life being in some measure raised there is that which loves its Teachings and pure Path and there is that also which draws back from it and that being yet strong there come many strokes and Chastisements from the Lord upon his own Dear Child And these are bitter and to be forced into the Sin which it loaths and in Heart is turned from and to be kept from the Good which it longs after in heart is United to partly by the strength of the Enemy and partly by reason of its own weakness and negligence this is bitter also insomuch as it cryeth out Day after Day and findeth this Administration of the Law almost as heavy a yoke as the Land of Captivity it self was because of the weakness of it through the Flesh and the strength and advantages which the corruption of the Heart and Prince of Darkness gather thereby Quest What is the benefit of these Exercises upon the Soul Answ They melt they break they make the Heart Tender and fit to be moulded by the Eternal Vertue and Power into a Vessel for the Power Quest What frames of Spirit do they work the Heart or Mind into Answ Into very many precious Ones As for Instance First They make the Spirit poor The daily
inroads of Sin and Corruption dashing against the Holy and Righteous Law of Life the over-bearing the strong Desires after Purity and forcing into the Defilement hindring the Soul from doing what it loves and making it to do what it hates and would not this makes it become poorer and poorer and more Afflicted Day by Day Upon some Visitations of the pure Life and some fresh Vertue received Oh how strong doth the Soul seem but when it suddenly Forfeits its Mercies loses its freshness and is Plunged deeper in the Pit than before how poor and weak doth it then feel it self Trembling at the next openings of the Life and Springings up of the Vertue thereof in it not knowing what Weakness Captivity Entanglements and Misery from the Snares of Death remain to follow Secondly They bring into a mourning Estate They fill the Eyes with Tears and the Heart with Sorrow yea they cause an entrance into the House of mourning To be accustomed to Wounds Bruises Snares grieving of the Spirit provoking of the Deliverer furthering and giving Advantages to the Enemy c. the sence of this overwhelms the Heart with grief and causeth continual Sorrow and Lamentation to that which is upright towards God Thirdly They bring into a meek merciful and Tender-hearted frame towards others He that is tempted he that often falls and is so often wounded and made miserable he pitties those that err he mourns over the miserable His heart is broken with the Sins and Afflictions of others and he knoweth not how to be hard towards them feeling such continual need of abundant mercy himself It is the rich man the sound man in Religion that is rough and hard but he that is once throughly melted in the Furnace and made up again is made up Tender and retaineth the impression of the Meekness Love and Mercy for ever Now a broken Estate in Religion or a state of waiting for the Life is much more precious than that which is rich and full by what it had formerly received and still holdeth out of the Immediate feeling and fresh Vertue of the Life Fourthly They bring into an hungry and thirsty state after Holiness and Righteousness O how the Soul that is sensible of its filth longeth to be washed how it panteth after the Pastures of Life the food of Life the living Waters to appear before and enjoy God in the Land of the living O how doth the heart that is dayly afflicted with its Unbelief and Disobedience long for the Faith that stands in the Power and the Obedience that flowes from the Power O Teach me thy Statutes shew me the pure Path of Obedience in the way of Life guide my feet in the way everlasting O write thy Fear in my Heart that I may not depart from thee Create a clean heart in me and put thy Spirit within me to be my strength O continue thy Loving-kindness to them that know thee and thy Righteousness to the upright in Heart O what unutterable Breathings dayly issue out from the broken Spirit towards the Spring of its Life Fifthly They bring into a pure frame into a cleanness of inside Cleanse first the inside of the Cup and Platter said Christ to the Pharisees and he doth so in his Disciples With the mind I serve the Law of God said Paul when he cryed out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver It is not conceiveable what purity of heart is Formed by God in his Israel by the fire which he kindleth in his Sion and by the Furnace which he setteth up in his Jerusalem for though in the Furnace the Dross still appears the sight whereof is apt to grieve and afflict the precious Heart yet the melting and purifying sweetly goes on and the Soul which abideth the heat is effectually cleansed thereby as is very manifest afterwards when Righteousness springs up with the quiet Fruit thereof but this cannot be discerned while the flames are discovering and taking hold of the Unrighteousness Sixtly They bring into a Patient Frame fit to bear Reproaches and Persecutions from the World who in the midst of all this weakness misery and distress lay load upon the Poor Soul Persecuting him whom God hath smitten and speaking to the grief of him whom God hath wounded God smites for want of Obedience for too much propensity to please the World for not coming soon enough out of their Customes Vanities Earthly wayes and Worships and so soon as the Heart and Conversation is given up in Obedience to the Lord the World is discontent and they smite and Persecute because of the Obedience Now the more the Spirit is broken by the hand of the Lord and taught thereby to fear him and the less strength it hath in it self to grapple with the Persecuting Spirit of the World the fitter it is to stand in God's Counsel to wait for his strength and preservation which is able to bear up its head above all the rage and swelling of the waters of the worldly Spirit in the men of this World Much more might be said but this may suffice What is behind will be felt inwardly as the Soul waits on God in the leadings of his Spirit through the Teachings Chastisements and Distresses of the Law Quest With what kind of things doth the Lord exercise the Spirits of his Israel to bring their hearts into these and such other like precious frames Ans With several sorts and kinds of things both outward and inward As First With oppositions reproaches and interruptions from the earthly part both in the men of this World and in themselves There is abundance within and abundance without to resist disdain and interrupt the Work of God in the heart to oppose and withstand that which he hath begotten there his leadings of it and its Obedience to him Secondly with Temptations from the Enemy even of many Kinds Natures and Degrees according to the present temper and Condition of the Soul as either to doubt and so despaire or be Confident in the Flesh from Knowledge received out of the pure Fear and fresh feeling of the Life so again either to halt and draw back or to be over-hasty and forward so likewise either not to obey and Act for God or to Act in that Will and Wisdom which is against God Now these with such like are very Numerous Frequent and sometimes very violent 〈◊〉 â—â—petuous Thirdly By withdrawings o◠〈◊〉 Life and sweet presence of God 〈◊〉 the Soul These are very frequâ—â—â— from the Lord towards his peopâ—â— insomuch as he is called by this Title the God that hideth his face from the house of Jacob Isai 8.17 chap. 45.15 Fourthly By Buffettings and prevailings of the Enemy When the Spirit is grieved the Life wounded and withdraws inward the Enemy often gets ground giving wounds and causing Bruises to the Soul not onely tempting but finding entrance and taking in the snare the Bird which once escaped was delivered Fifthly By doubts
he can still retain or gather in his own Principle And here do deep Travellers lose their way falling from their Portion in the Land of Life and from their enjoyments in the Paradice of the Pleasure of the Life into the earthly and sensual Spirit holding things wisely and richly there in the earthly Principle not knowing the remove of their Habitation thither nor thinking that they are there He that readeth these things let him not strive to comprehend them but be content with what he feeleth thereof suitable to his own present Estate and as the Life grows in him and he in the Life and he comes to meet with the things and exercises spoken of the words and experiences concerning them will of themselves open to him and be useful and serviceable to him so far as the Lord pleaseth he keeping to the leadings savour and Principle of Life in in himself wherein alone his knowledge sight growth and experiences are safe Now he that would travel safely in Spirit unto the Land of Life let him wait to have these things following written by the Finger of God in his heart and the sence and Impression thereof preserved fresh in him First It is the Free Grace of God which begins the Work of Redemption which causeth the Light to shine which worketh the Repentance or turning from the dead State and also the belief in and turning towards the living God Secondly It is the same grace alone that can preserve and cause the Plant of Grace to grow If there be a withdrawing of the Light a withholding of the free influence that which depends thereupon cannot retain its freshness which the Lord may do as often as he pleaseth for the chastisement of the Rebellious part or for the Tryal of his Pure Life and Vertue in his Plants Thirdly The grace of God visiting the Soul in the Death in the Darkness in the fallen Estate begetteth Life anew in it maketh it in some measure Light in the Lord openeth an Eye in it to see the things of God an Ear to hear and distinguish between the sound of Life and of Death an heart to turn from and refuse the vanity and to turn towards and abide in the living Substance Fourthly The Spirit of God carryes on the Work of Redemption by drawing leading and acting the quickened Soul by exercising that which he hath begotten in the Life under the Law of the Life Thus the Life draws the Soul dayly nearer and nearer towards the everlasting spring and from the fading emptiness of Sin Vanity and the Creature-hood and the Soul by the enlivened Vertue dayly follows on after the Life in the leadings Spirit and Power thereof There is a living Soul begotten by the Vertue of the Grace and the living Soul dayly lives in the Grace and travels in the Vertue thereof from the Unbelief to the Faith from the Enmity to the Love from the perversness to the Straitness from the Iniquity to this Righteousness even from all the territories of the Darkness and also from the weak Measures and Degrees of the Grace and Life towards the Fulness it self even until it perfectly Center in and be fully filled therewith Fifthly Where there is a stopping of the Vertue received from the Grace and not an Answer of it in the heart there the Work of Redemption is stopped If the Soul follow not in the drawing the drawing is lost as to it If the Ear open not to hear the voyce of the Word or if it be not mixed with Faith in the heart hearing it proves ineffectual If strength issue forth from the Lord yet if the Soul receive not the strength which issueth forth and Bubleth up in it or answer it not in giving up to it and Travelling on the Soul abideth where it was at least if it also retire not backward from that Estate and Condition whereto the Life had advanced it for if the Vertue of the Life and Grace be refused there is an advantage given to Death to re-enter and gain ground by its contrary Vertue and Power Sixthly Mark therefore diligently how the Lord doth carry on the Dispensation of his Love and Free Grace even as if there were much done by the strength and Diligence of the Creature What wounding of it self by Repentance what striving to believe what wrestling against Enemies and for the Influences of the Grace and to keep the hope up and the distrust out what strict watching and waiting even as if the Creature did work out its whole Salvation Seventhly Though the Creature seemeth to do much it self having received Life from the Grace and acting abundantly towards God in the Grace yet it is the Grace and Vertue which comes from the Creator who is also the Redeemer which indeed doth all for though the creature repent really and turn from the Darkness with its whole heart yet the Repentance is of the Vertue which flows from the Grace and not of the creature which receives the Grace and so likewise is the Faith the Love the Obedience the Meekness the Patience the Watching the Waiting the Hoping c. Yea the very receiving the Grace is not of the creature but of the Grace for the creature is dead until it be visited by the Grace and by the Visitation of the Grace alone is made alive and able to receive it Behold then the mystery of Redemption God is all in Redemption God doth all therein as fully as in Creation it is a new Creation even the whole Work thereof yet the creature quickened and renewed is in Unity with him in his Operations Phil. 2.12 13. He whose Eyes are opened can read the Mystery and in true understanding say if he hath been led and hath proceeded so far I am able to do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me yet not I but the Grace of God in me Now to bring the creature to this the Lord exerciseth it dayly in Obedience unto him in the Life and Vertue which floweth forth from him causing it to feel its weakness as it forgets the Vertue or aspires to live of it self on the Vertue received out of the sensible feeling of its Dependance upon the Spring And indeed the Vertue that comes from God can alone Answer God and the creature is onely accepted with the Spring and Father of Life as it is found therein Quest But if the Work of Redemption be wrought by God's creating Power how cometh it to meet with so many rubs and interruptions and sometimes overturnings can any thing stop God's Creating Power Answ So far as God absolutely pleaseth to Create nothing can stop or hinder but the entrance of that which he beginneth to Create into the creature and its getting a being there as also the growth and preservation of it there may be hindred by the force of Spiritual Enemies if the Lord please to permit or by the grieving and provoking of that Free Power which alone begetteth and preserveth Life in
and wel-pleasing to God and brought it into bitter misery and Death O that ye knew being begotten of the Will of the Father and keeping the Will of the Father receiving the Bread dayly from his hand That which man conceiveth concerning the Scriptures is not the pure Milk of the Word but that which the Breasts gives out that is it which hath the Immediate Life Vertue and true Nourishment in it And this must be returned back into the Treasury and not held in the earthly part in the earthly will and understanding but received from the Life again when it is again needed yea this have I often known that when I have been in great distress I have received fresh comfort from the Lord but running to that afterwards it never was able to comfort me but more deeply wounded me And thus hath the Lord been Teaching me to live upon himself and not upon any thing received from him but upon the Life it self the Mercy the good Pleasure which Proportions out the living Bread dayly to the living Birth Fourthly It is easie receiving of Knowledge in the earthly part in the earthly Wisdom out of the Spirit and living Vertue When one readeth a Scripture it is easie conceiving and apprehending a meaning ones self or taking in another man's meaning but it is hard abstaining from all conceivings and reasonings of the mind and waiting for the pure Will and Opening of the Spirit therein Also it is easie retaining of Knowledge and making use of it in the will and wisdom of the earthly mind for both these are natural but it is hard denying the reason the thoughts and imaginations and watching to the Spirit O Professors wait for the living Appearance of God even for the freshness of his Spirit in your spirits that in that which cometh from the Spirit ye may know the Spirit and may also know how to turn to him and abide with him having the watch set against that wisdom in your selves which in all Ages and Generations is eternally shut out of the things of the Kingdom although it may gather get and hold a vast Knowledge of the things of the Kingdom in the earthly Treasury Thus Fleshly Israel hath the Wisdom of the Letter but Spiritual Israel the Wisdom Vertue and Life of the Spirit in all Ages and Generations And though he that is born after the Flesh despiseth him who is born after the Spirit yet this is God's Heir and the bond-woman the earthly wisdom with all her Children even the greatest Giants in Knowledge Profeâ—â—â—â—n of Religion and Scripture o◠〈◊〉 must be cast out and 〈◊〉 Inherit the Land of Life This is written that that might be raised in you by the Power which is to Inherit the Life Eternal and ye not find your Souls deceived when the Light of that Day fully opens which hath already dawned I was in a poor low Condition when the Lord formerly visited me as lost as undone as miserable as any What Knowledge what Life what precious Vertue I then received was from God's Grace which was still his own and he might call for it at his pleasure And surely he which hath received from the Fountain ought to trust and to give back again to the Fountain when he calleth for it and then to remain Empty Naked and Desolate until he be 〈◊〉 freely visited This is an hard â—â—ssâ—n who can learn it Who can trust his Life with the Fountain and lie open to what follows Yet this did the Lord require of me and my heart being not willing to part with my Life but striving to retain it and grow in the first way of the Dispensation of the Grace unto Perfection he brake it after an unutterable manner and brought such a Misery Desolation upon me as I could not possibly have suspected having been sealed by him And now he is Teaching me to live more fully upon his Grace or rather upon the Spring where I am nothing where I can be nothing for ever but he is and will be what he will be and when he will be and nothing in me can be satisfied with him but what is of him and lives in him And here all that I have known or formerly tasted of him springs up again at his pleasure and I drink of the old Wine and also of the new but have nothing at my own dispose And when I catch at any thing or would be any thing I lose the Spring and am Corrected for my Backsliding and Adultery of spirit but am still again visited with fresh Love and the springings up of the fresh Power and Life and fresh Visitations of the rich Mercy and Grace which the everlasting Fountain naturally openeth in its own The Pearl is exceeding Rich the Treasure of Life unutterable and he that will possesse it must sell all for it even all his Lusts and Corruptions yea all the Riches of his Nature the best of his Will the best of his Wisdom most refined nay not onely so but all the Riches of his Spirit all that he hath held or can hold out of the Life Then when he is poor in Spirit and hath nothing in himself but emptiness nothing so much as to receive or retain the Life but what is formed groweth up in and is preserved in the Life according to its own meer will and good pleasure then alone is hâ— fit to be comprehended and brought forth in the Eternal Spring Perfectly happy is he who is perfectly possessed thereof yet he is not without a Proportion of blessedness also who is mourning after it and Travelling towards it which can never be attained by the Natural Part 's retaining the Letter of any Spiritual Revelation or Knowledge but onely by beginning in the Eternal Vertue abiding in it and Travelling from Death to Death and from Life to Life till all be slain which is to die and perish in the way and all be raised and perfected which is to receive and live in the Kingdom and Crown of Life for ever which the Lord layes before all to run after but none but the Spiritual Seed begotten of and abiding in the Spirit can obtain Mind then this brief Summ. The lost Creature the undone Creature is graciously sought after and visited by the Fountain of its Life and being Being visited with the Mercy and Grace and impressed it receiveth somewhat of the Grace and Living Vertue from the Fountain Having received somewhat the Creature is apt to retain it in the Creaturely Vessel even in the own will and to inlarge the own Wisdom thereby and so to become somewhat again in it self forgetting the Spring As the Creature retaineth any thing in the Natural part out of the Immediate feeling of the Living Vertue it corrupts it Adulterates 〈…〉 the living Spring And that which any one hath thus Adulterated with must be taken from him and he be made dead to it and it to him before he can be recovered into a Living State fit to enjoy what he formerly received or further to receive of and grow up in the fresh Living Vertue THE END