A plain Path-VVay opened To the Simple-Hearted For the Answering all Doubts Objections Which do arise in them against the Light and Truth in the Inward Parts by which many are kept from Obedience and so from Peace to their Panting Souls By Stephen Crisp Friends and People I Have had a deep exercise upon my spirit concerning many who are come to feel something stirring and moving in their Hearts that is good to bring them into a serious consideration of their course of life and the inward state of their Immortal Souls and when you have sometimes begun to turn your minds to this good thing that stirred in you then have many Doubts and Objections arisen in you lest you should be Mis-led Deceived or Deluded and lest this thing that inwardly strives with you should lead you into the Erronious Way of the Quakers as the world's Teachers call it for they speak and write of and bear a constant Testimony to something that is in man that calls upon him to Repent and to turn to the Lord and under this very Notion that ye have heard Evil and thought evil of that People by the same Rule you are apt to think evil of that which works in your own bosom to lead you out of Sin and Iniquity and so ye are tempted to slight it and to get some slighty name for it to call it by which Antichrist's Ministers have many to afford you as to call it A Natural Light A Common Gift of the Spirit but not a Saving Gift Conviction of a Natural Conscience A Legal Work yea and many calls it The Devils work to disturb the Soul of its Peace and some A Diabolical Light c. And thus when thou art brought to slight that good Principle that strives with thee under some such Name thou gettest ease again for a little while and takest liberty to act against it and to do and say that which this Principle doth in secret condemn and then it riseth again and breaks thy peace and brings trouble and Anguish upon thy Soul and then up comes many Doubts on the one hand and Doubts on the other hand and thy poor Soul is beset and encompassed with doubts and fears and jealousies sometimes thou fearest thou withstandest the Truth to thy own Destruction and sometimes fearest again its a Delusion and thou shalt be deceived and besides thou findst many Learned men and worldly-wise men that tell thee that there is nothing good in thee and here thou art in a great strait and labourest under many sorrowful thoughts and many doubtful disputations arise in thy mind the Flesh now strongly warreth against that which comes to disturb it and the Spirit strongly warreth against that which resists rebels against it and these two are contrary and these contrary things are both in thee and thou poor Creature must feel the strugling of them both and by reason of thy darkness and doubts and fears thou scarce knows or at least with certainty which is right Now in this state and condition how acceptable would a Messenger be one of a thousand to shew unto such a one that which might deliver his Soul from going down into the pit and save his life from the Destroyer Job 33.23 And truly very many are in this straitned state in these dayes for whose sakes I am drawn into a deep exercise many times by day and by night and my cry to God is that his glorious power may more and more arise to open these doors that are shut and folded upon many such and to bring forth the imprisoned spirits out of the Prison-house and out of the Bondage of this Spiritual Aegypt where our Lord was and is crucified Spiritually and that he may expel the clouds of darkness in which the fears and doubts and qeustionings arise and that he may make a clear way in all such for his Light to break forth out of obscurity in which the answer to those Doubts and Questions do arise And by that same Spirit that labours with you am I moved to send this forth unto you all as a word of Exhortation and Counsel in the Name and fear of the Lord God by which as many as do rightly receive it and make a true use and proof of it shall find help and benefit and shall know the mouth of the Questioner stopped and the Answer of Peace witnessed to their Immortal Souls in the Lords due time And therefore consider this That every good and perfect Gift cometh from above from the Father of Lights Spirits who would not the Death of a Sinner but rather that he should turn and live and therefore hath he out of his infinite Love and tender Mercies to the Sons of Men prepared a way to draw nigh unto them even while they are in their Sins which he doth not but thorow Jesus Christ the Mediator of the New-Covenant whom he hath freely given to be a Light unto the dark World and that he should Enlighten every one that cometh into the World John 1.9 of which Number thou art one whoever thou art and art enlightned by Christ though thou be yet Darkness in thy self as the Ephesians once were yet the Light shineth in thy Darkness or else there would not be two contrary Natures and Seeds found working in thee as there is and this Light wherewith thou art enlightned is the Life of Jesus John 1.4 which he hath given a Ransom for man and that was not Natural as some foolishly imagine for if it were Natural it could not be a Ransom for man out of Sin for the Sin to be Natural and that which reproves it Natural is contrary to the Apostle who said they two that warred in the Creature were contrary and called the one Flesh or Natural and the other Spirit or Spiritual and Christ Jesus called that which should Reprove the World of Sin The Spirit of Truth and Antichrist and his Ministers call it A Natural Insufficient Light c. But know this thou that art enquiring That that in thee which doth make manifest things to thee that are reproveable that 's the Light wherewith Christ Jesus hath enlightned thee withal as the Apostle of Christ said in his Epistle to the Ephesians chap. 5. v. 13 14. and that Principle which leads thee to do or say such things as thou art secretly reproved for in thine own Conscience that is the Darkness and the Enemy of thy Souls Peace which who walks in doth not know whether he goeth for this doth minister a Peace and Pleasure to thee and a delight to thy carnal Mind for a season yet the other to wit the Light the Reprover hath power to take away peace from thee again and to judge thee and to make that which was sweet to thee to become hitter and the Darkness nor Lust nor Vanity of thy mind cannot deliver thee from this stroke Now that thou mightst 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 rebelest against it thou canst never know whither 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 rebelst against it the more dark thou wilt daily grow and so the less able to resolve thy self in those doubtful 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 grow 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 sufficiently 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 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 the 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 well as to judge thee when thou hast yeilded to the Tempter for thou knowst already that it is able to condemn thee when thou sinnest against it but thou canst not 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 to Truth in the inward-parts is by obeying of it and yielding 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 Rejoyceing 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 Covenant 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 clear Convincement hath prevailed upon your spirits concerning the way of God and at such a time you
that matter that he will according to his promise raise them up at the last day and will give unto every Seed his own Body even as pleaseth him and the Creature is not careful then about such foolish questions and doubts as to enquire what manner of Body God will give them but leaves it to the Lord in full faith that he will raise them up according to the Scriptures And so here all thy doubts will flee away and are answered with that that was before them as it comes to rule in the Creature and Death that is the root ground of them comes to be swallowed up in the Victory of the Life And so as thou feelst thy part in this Resurrection all the doubts and fears of thy own condition will he answered effectually which cannot otherwise be answered but by that good Sprit of God that strives with thee which when it doth prevail with thee and thou becomest subject to it then it witnesseth for thee for that there is a state in which there is a danger of falling away thy daily experience teacheth thee to thy sorrow and besides Christ said Every Branch in me that beareth not fruit must be cut off and the many examples in Scripture of them that departed from the Faith and made shipwrack of it and turned with the Dog to the vomit and the Sow to the mire doth sufficiently prove it and if thou dost stand it is by Faith and thou must take heed and so mayst thou come to the Crown and Seal and Assurance and an Establishment in the Kingdom where thou shalt no more go forth but shalt have thy Soul's desire answered And when thou comest to know this state and to receive this White Stone that hath the Name within thou wilt then be without doubt or fear given up in the will of God to do and to suffer all things according to his blessed will And here is the true and perfect Rest to thy Soul whoever thou art that art now labouring in the Iron Furnace of thy own thoughts and doubts in the which the more thou givest thy self up thereto the darker thou art and the fuller of doubts for they will beget and multiply one another and the more thou reasonest against obeying Gods Witness in thy heart the lessable thou art to obey it but the little strength which God gives thee thou consultest it away and then when thou wouldst be strong thou becom'st feeble and when thou wouldst in some measure obey thy own Consultation stands in the way and hinders thee and the more thou increasest in knowledge in this state the more thou increasest thy Sorrow and Condemnation so that sometimes thou art ready to wish thou hadst never known so much of Truth and sometimes wishest thou knewst more concerning such a Point or such a Doctrine or such a Scripture or such a Mystery and art apt to think because thou art yet ignorant in some things relating to Truth therefore thou art the more excusable if thou be disobedient But alas poor Soul consider the way to know more is to be obedient to a little which thou hast received and then that Mist and Fog of thy own unfaithfulness will vanish away from before the Eye of thy mind for it is that which hinders good things from thee and makes thee go daily with a burthen upon thy shoulders a guilt upon thy Conscience thou canst not in no case of thy necessities come before the Lord with an open face but art covered still with thine own iniquities and in this state thou knowest neither Sabbath nor new Moon nor Holy-day to the Lord but all labour toyl and travel and wearisomness of spirit till many even come to wish an end of their dayes yet are in great fear that the end will be worse too Oh! how my Soul pities you whose state this is and I have a great sympathy with your sorrows in bowels of tender love am I drawn forth to reach out a hand to help you as one that hath obtained mercy to know deliverances and to witness the way of it and have the testimony of God in my heart to witness forth the coming of the Saviour to the poor needy Souls to the relieving of them and comforting of them and my Souls desire is that your Bonds might be broken and your Souls might escape But this I say in the Name of the Lord to you all There is no way for your deliverance but your giving up in single obedience to that faithfull and true Witness of God which stirs and moves in thee against thy sins and therefore wait thou to feel thy mind and will subjected thereunto that thou mayst feel thy self to be one of those willing people in this the day of Gods Power and cease from thy reasonings against thy obeying the Truth and from saying thou canst not thou wantst Power and when God gives thee Grace then thou wilt obey for these sayings are in vain For though it is true none can obey the Lord but by his Grace and Power given unto them yet he hath made his Grace even that which bringeth Salvation to appear unto all men as in Titus 2.11 and it hath appeared unto thee and in thee to whom I write and is a Reprover in thee and thou must turn to that that smites thee and then thou turnest to the Grace of God for it s his Grace that strives with thee to lead thee out of the Evil that it reproves in thee and so out of the World that lies in the Evil up to God from whence the Grace cometh for whosoever doth give up to the drawings of the good Spirit of God that moves in them and in obedience thereto do deny themselves of their own Wills and Lusts and evil Desires and Pleasures such want not Power but feel him near them that works the willingness first and then the deed according to his pleasure and so the glory comes alone to be his and then thou knowest the Mystery of the Cross and how it is the Power of God which all that reject the Cross complain for want of And so so long as thou livest in the Cross thou livest in the Power and thy obeying is easie and all things are possible to thee through it and as long as thou art daily dying to that which is corruptible thou feelest the more Life and Joy and Pleasure in that which is Everlasting and thy desires grow more and more fervent after a full and perfect Enjoyment of it in the pure Unity of Spirit And those desires growing strong in thee it grows a lighter thing to thee to part with that which hinders though it be thy Bosom sins thy Delilahs and Darlings yet all must go for the love thou hast to Truth and such only as have this Love and continue in it are counted worthy to be Heirs of the Kingdom of God for so long as any thing be hugged and loved besides the Lord if the Lord should manifest his Love to thee thou wouldst play the Harlot and abuse his Mercies and cleave to thy old Lovers as Israel of old did that was after the Flesh and therefore think it not strange to be brought through manifold Tryals that thereby thou mayst be purged and prepared as a Bride for the true Husband Christ Jesus for there are many that desire acquaintance with him but are not fitted for him they must be washed first and trimmed first and must put off the vile Raiment first and must come to know the white Linnen put on And while this work is doing what need of Patience and Quietness of Spirit is there what need of Subjection to the workings of that holy Spirit in all things that thou mayst not be setting limits bounds to that which must bound and limit thee in all things nor say in thine heart If my Trials were but so or my Exercises so or so I could then bear them but rather submit in all things willingly to do and suffer and to be tried and exercised even as it pleaseth the Lord to order or suffer thee to be tried and in all his dealings say with the good man It is the Lord let him do what he will with thee And whosoever gives up thus to him though he slay them yet shall they live though he wound them yet he will heal them again Therefore learn patience and stillness of mind for by taking thought thou canst add nothing in this work I remember Israel of old who were commanded to stand still to see the Salvation of God in their greatest straits and they were a figure unto thee And now in the Light read thy figure and wait for the Substance the true Seed that it may bring forth peace and rest to thy Immortal Soul and may set up Righteousness in thy Earth which is that I travel after on the behalf of all distressed and afflicted Souls every where to whom I am a Friend and Well-wisher as one knowing their Trials Straits Doubts and Besettings and also through the rich love of God in Christ Jesus do witness the delivering answering and satisfying Life made manifest and revealed in its own Eternal Light which lighteth every man and in true desire that you may all know the same and in discharge of my duty towards God and my Generation have I sent forth this word of Counsel and Exhortation and do remain in my Rest with the Lord being thus far clear of the Blood of all men whether they hear or forbear and though in Bonds for the Gospel sake yet the Lords Free-man waiting in patience and full assurance for Zion's full Redemption Known by the name Stephen Crisp THE END