and therefore so many under pretence of prayers and praises to God stick not to scoft at the teachings of the holy Spirit gift of the holy Ghost silent waitings upon God watching praying new lights c. and so go on blaspheming the Father of lights and the holy Name by which his saints are called as things most contrary to their natures and fleshly affections and therefore it highly concerns you every one to consider well with what you come before the Lord and to examine your selves whether you are in the faith whether Christ Jesus be in you or you are reprobates Now if Jesus Christ be forming in you then the body is dayly dying and if he be there formed the body is dead because of sin and the Spirit alive for righteousness sake and then all sensible things of bodily wits of imaginations natural reason and understanding are brought under the true light and heavenly Spirit and yeilded up so as to know and do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus wherein I do not mean onely naming him as his names are written in a Book or on a Wall or spoken of by polluted Livs but in the light and by his Spirit with the thoughts and affections naked bare and free from beholding bodily or earthly things as altered from fleshly likings and affections into spiritual savour sweetness and delight in his divine presence wherein the Spirit of prayer is freely given and felt as a flaming desire in the heart to Jesus Christ the mighty power love and wisdom of God by the heavenly touch of spiritual love which is neither bodily nor can be bodily felt onely the soul that is wholly devoted to God may and doth feel it but not with any bodily wit wisdom or skill because it is not felt but in the spiritual desire of the soul that is cleansed or waiting to be cleansed from all unrighteousness and there it doth so warm heat and quicken to watchfulness in prayer and obedience that it enliveneth the soul and ravisheth it more and more with pure joy and consolation in him so that the thoughts are gathered in at all times to think speak and act soberly sadly and seriously and in prayer ever to express such words as God onely by his Spirit putteth into the heart like an eccho of mans voyce to his friend which prayer is much alone as Christs also was free from all lets and interruptions and is the gift of the holy Ghost and lasteth not very long at a time in the fervour of it for that it is laborious to the Spirit though very pleasant through the passion of love therein felt truely tasted and sweetly savoured not much unlike that of Moses when he opened not his lips or of Hannah when she did but move her lips which breaketh down all lusts and likings of earthly things with so great force as that the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence thereby while the soul is wounded with the sword of love and thereby overcomes and obtains the requests in some sense as Jacob did but the body then seems to fall down and may not bear it because the working is of so great force that the most vicious and fleshly man on earth so touched would be right sorrowful and sad therewith for the time and loath all his lusts and fleshly likings of earthly things by him most delighted in before as Jeremy said the love and feeling of God was made as burning fire in his heart and this is the holy Ghost and fire even the love of God in man burning and wasting all other loves and likings in mans soul as a fire sticking in the bones and filling all the powers of the soul with grace and glorious sweetness as marrow fills the bones and yet not without the wits but within them so full of might and power where it worketh within that if smiteth down into and through all and throws down the body into quaking and trembling for that it is so far unlike and contrary to the body that the body cannot skill of it nor bear it as was in like manner witnessed in Moses David Habakkuk and others and also in some of my dear friends that are living witnesses thereof yet in the flesh onely our Lord Jesus moderateth it and tempereth it into a soft and sober sweetness by abating the fervour and motion in time convenient and administreth life and peace as the soul becomes capable of it So that the holy Spirit teacheth for what and how to pray watch meditate and move to please God without any mans teaching and so our prayer is continual without ceasing and most and best alone in the heart that is made pure and clean by the operation of the holy Spirit that teacheth to do all things and live ever in the love and sweet presence of God without any great letting of lusts vanities or other tentations as the soul becomes clean and purely devoted to him We read in holy Scriptures of the womans lost Groat the pearl and treâ—sure hid in the field selling all buying c. which certainly are matters of some importance to man because so significantly exprest by Jesus Christ of himself and mans soul as of lighting a candle sweeping searching finding rejoycing digging deep selling all other merchandize buying c. and therefore it skills much to have this Candle lighted whereby mans soul may see this treasure in its self and know the value of it whereby it may be induced to sell all for it which may not be until it be known that it is lost and where as in the inner part of mans own house for as Jesus Christ was lost in mans soul so there he is to be found what was lost there by Adam is to be found there in Christ Jesus the pure pearl of high price and primitive perfection but he may not be there found in naming of him by any his outward names nor as by faining his name or any power in mans heart by the labour of his minde or studying that name never so strongly or earnestly for in this manner do those that are far out of the way think to finde him and by so seeking miss of him as neither knowing his Voyce Name nor Nature or taste any savour of him or see comeliness in him to desire him but live without as strangers to him even without GOD in the world but he that comes to have an inward sight of a little of that spiritual fairness and dignity which the reasonable soul had of and in God at first that was lost in Adam and is to be had again by grace in Christ Jesus as it shall be enlightned to see him spiritually and shall not hide that light as under a bushel by over-laying it with earthly business or affections but shall love it above all earthly things even as the soul is swept with the fear of God washt with tears within c. and so the groat the pearl the Kingdom of
the holy Ghost contemplating on Jesus Christ they were awake though they had other sleeps sometimes as when Christ said Could you not watch with me one houre having their souls inspired through grace and the speciall eye therein opened and beholding Jesus Christ in purity and poverty of spirit inward silence true rest peace in conscience highness of heavenly thoughts with singleness and purity of heart disliking the joyes of this world and onely delighted with spirituall savour of bright burning love thirsting for and gently seeking the Lords blessed presence spiritually These are true testimonies of the inspiration of the holy Ghost in this keeping the spirituall eye of the soul but seeing that reforming onely in faith and fleshly feeling is very low and perilous in its beginning because of the aptness then to yield to the tempter and backslide and reforming in spirituall feeling and savour so high and sure great diligence is requisite in watching waiting coveting and labouring as the Lord Jesus moveth in disposing the affections and bringing the heart to cleanness and feeling of grace which is a constant work of much travel of soul against all wicked stirrings and temptations for it so falls out with some that through negligence and yielding to tentations the enemy enters the soul again and then it feels not the grace as it did but it is withdrawn and the soul returns into the state as before but then the soul is in much blindness pain sorrow and unsavouriness for it relisheth worldly things but unsavourily and is encumbered with bodily wit and earthly matters for the time and then it desireth after the grace of Christ Jesus again and may not find it for a time but this withdrawing is alwayes for just cause and also in much merey to prove the soul and let it see that without Christ it can do nothing and come to him again with much pain and labour fear care and watchfulness while it supposeth that Jesus Christ heareth not which is his dealing with many for their spirituall strength and growth in him for then the Lord Jesus is sure that the soul will not turn again to worldly love for that it can have no savour therein and then after a time Jesus Christ returneth into that soul full of grace and truth visiteth it in its desires sighs and longings for very love to his presence and then as he toucheth it softly and anoynieth it with the oyle of gladness it is healed of all pains and pantings and then it cryeth to Jesus in the spirit with a glad heart and sweet still voyce as his love teacheth This opening of the spirituall eye of the soule is a light darknesle and rich poverty leading to purity of spirit quietness of conscience inward peace and spirituall rest with high and heavenly thoughts in singleness of soul a light and feeling of grace in the secrets of the heart tasting heavenly savour of inflamed love with bright-shining light of reforming into pure feeling whereof many holy men of God have written every one according to his respective feeling thereof in the grace of the holy Ghost and though they seem divers in shewing by words because then each one spake after his own then receiving and encreasing in grace yet nevertheless they agreed in all as in one sentence of unchangable verity for the soul that through the Lords mercifull visiting with his grace comes to see the face of Jesus by that touching and especiall grace of the holy Ghost is changed and turned from what it was into another manner of living for it is wonderfully drawn first into it self from love and likings of all earthly things insomuch that it hath lost the savour of the bodily life and all things else save onely Jesus Christ and is thereby made clean from all the filth of sin and all inordinate affections are wiped off and washed away in the blood of the Lamb and hath nothing standing to hinder him between God and his soul but onely the bodily eye which is thereby become blind and the soul in spirituall rest with Jesus Christ without fears cares or desires of worldly things but fully imployed in a free and spiritual working and love therein whereby its rest increaseth to perfection it being truly called rest because grace hath wholly loosed the heavy yoak and bonds of fleshly love to work with ease in sweet amity joy and delight as the holy Spirit directeth the soul and leadeth it And this doth silence the soul from janglings of all other speakers for it is the voyce of Jesus Christ in heavenly vertue softly sounding in the clean soul by his quick and piercing word sharply dividing between the joynts and marrow and discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart that slayeth all fleshly love and keepeth the soul quiet from all the stirrings thereof and so is silence made in heaven for half an hour as it is written even within in the clean soul that is lifted up by grace from earthly love to heavenly conversation and so it is in silence though but for a short time before it be again assaulted by its enemies yet hath it peace in conscience because this grace puts out all gratings prickings stirrings and fightings of sin making Jesus Christ and the soul both one in agreement of will and affections so that there are no upbraidings of sin nor reprovings for faults for the Son and that soul have kissed each other and are become friends and all faults past are forgiven whereby the soul feeleth assurance of its salvation by the witness of the holy Ghost in the heart and thereby receiveth day by day more and more spirituall joy and boldness to come to the throne of grace the holy Spirit bearing witness of its sonship and the witness in the conscience administring sure consolation with peace and pure accord love and lasting friendship between Jesus Christ and the soul so that the soul is then above the world in high and heavenly contemplation which is an earnest of true glory here in the body in the knowledge of Jesus Christ with so strong and lasting desires of love that many waters cannot quench And blessed is that soul which is ever fed in feeling of love in Jesus Christs presence is born up by desire to him in his absence for he is wise and hath well learned Christ that holdeth him sadly and reverently with pure affections while he is present and while he is as absent beareth it patiently and easily without bitter pains of impure desires and as there are diversities of feelings in the presence of grace so there are in the absence of grace according to the souls meekness or growth therein and therefore he that knoweth not the absence of grace is readily deceived by outward sounds of other mens sayings and he that is not diligent and watchfull to keep the presence of grace is very unkind to Jesus Christ that in and for love giveth it for the soul should be
but grace giveth ability in spirituall manner as it cometh into the pure mind and this opening of the understanding is by the working of the holy Ghost in the pâ—esence of Jesus Christ whereby the soul is enabled to expound the Scriptures one after another be they never so hard or secret and the harder they be and the farther from mans reason and understanding the more delightfull is the true shewing of them whether it be Literal as concerning the outward man Moral to inform of vertues to be followed and vices to be eschewed Mystical to see the words and works of Jesus Christ spiritually or Spirituall as longing after him and his works to do them in like love and live in them as his friends so said he and this last truly understanding Scriptures savours well and very sweetly in the Lords taste for so the spirit of life giveth understanding of what was formerly by himself directed and from him written and so of no private interpretation quickning the thoughts of the soul therein with great sweetness savour and delight in special sad and serious waiting on Jesus Ghrist to understand Scriptures in his will and his testimonies of love therein through divers inward discernings sweet movings and sudden touchings of the holy Ghost whereby the soul is taught and enabled thereto without other helps and he that thus is given to understand the Scriptures values not the knowledge of men gotten by learning arts and sciâ—nces though of never so great worldly cunning and skill for the end of the true knowledge thereof taught by Jesus Christ is that the soul may see and enjoy him and attain salvation to life eternall and therein glorifie him as God equall with the Father c. whereas the other way of knowledge is for self-ends worldly vanities and fleshly delights When the servants of Jesus Christ are well skilled concerning their hearing the voyce of Christ they truly hearken know and follow him and then neither feignedness by transformings nor otherwise can deceive them for therein is no fainedness fancy pride nor hypocrisie but soundness meekness peace and charity full of life love and grace so that when it soundeth in the soul it so aboundeth with strength and vertue that it causeth the soul to leave all to wait upon it to listen hearken perceive rest in and love the sweet breathing of his spirituall voyce according as he sheweth himself whether as a Master a Father a Husband c. keeping the soul in a wonderfull reverence and lively beholding of him with much liking and delight to the soul that it may become a true and faithfull Spouse to him in the fulness of fellowship and light of love and this is in great power and glory a state of perfection in the way to as full communion with God as Adam had in innocency and Enoch by walking with him but the sight strength and comforts of some are therein more then others though all in this state are growing into the love and life of God in Christ Jesus so as the eye of heaven is opened to all such clean souls whereof holy men have diversly written as they were moved by the holy Ghost as of a life above all appearances likenesses bodily creatures or things even as in heaven beholding the Lord Jesus spiritually and loving him faithfully and therein knowing God the holy Ghost as love uncreated and the love formed in the affections of the soul to be of and by him through the sight and knowledge of the unchangable light and truth which is of God placed and seated in all meek souls wherein the spirit of holiness resteth and pleasantly walketh pet this formed love in the soul is not God himself but the love which the soul feeleth in Jesus Christ and to him neither is this the cause of coming to Jesus Christ but pure love which is God himself is the true cause of this knowing and drawing to himself for he sheweth and giveth of this love which is the holy Ghost to teach and lead therein so that God is both the giver and the gift as Christ Jesus said I give my life c. whereby mans soul comes to know this uncreated love and to know and love Jesus Christ as the free gift of God whereby he toucheth the heart with the invisible light to know him and receive his love and to love him again as in and with the same love so freely given and received but all in his own time by more quick or flow gracious feelings imparted into such souls as are cloathed with the new light of righteousness and true holiness which is a right reforming in this spirituall savour love and meekness but he is not so lighted and led by the holy Spirit that thinks he can do any good thing of himself or otherwise then by such working in him spiritually To you my dear friends that are of the holy brethren partakers of the heavenly vocation I salute you in the pure light of unchangable and endless love in Christ Jesus our Lord according to the spirit of holiness and undefiled liberty wherewith he hath made us free to serve him in spirit and truth have you born the indignation of the Lord in your own particulars are you purged from the pollutions of the world cleansed from the filthiness of flesh and spirit and thereby departed from the shadowes of this world and received glorious garments of the Lord put off the mortall and put on the immortall cloathing and sweetly confessed and meekly suffered for the name and testimony of our Lord Jesus who is our life and who of very faithfulness and pure love hath caused us to be troubled and is near at hand to succour you and give you rest in him purifie and prepare you for further trials to your spirituall profit and advantage in filling up the measure of his sufferings in your flesh and overcoming by the blood of the Lamb the word of his testimony and not loving your lives unto the death wherein the eternall God will be your refuge and underneath his everlasting arm for your defence and therefore all to be faithfull and diligent that truth suffer not by any faint or feeble owning of it for we are not called onely to believe but to suffer also for him in whom we believe and you be here onely as pilgrims and strangers that have freely parted with your owne wills desires fleshly affections and worldly delights that the eternall will of God may be done in you and by you and now bear the Cross quietly and patiently in clean vessels as Temples of the living God for his worship in the beauty of holiness and what have you here more that is worthy your minding that man can take from you or how may you withhold any other thing from our Lord or his service wherein you know that your loss or labour will not be in vain And therefore gird up the loyns of your minds stand fast quit you
rest with a sober and chaste mind as to be preserved from touching any thing that defiles or wherein the soul feels not the pure love meek motion and heavenly life of Jesus Christ above all outward appearances likenesses or forms of words and as it is contrary to and envyed of all natural selfishness VII In the next place truely to know this one Lord Jesus Christ come in the flesh as the new and living way to the Father the Immanuel God with us making the atonement by the blood of his Cross to have all things subject unto him his servants in him and he in them which is the great mysterie of godliness hid from Ages and Generations until the fulness of time and then manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit believed on in the world and received up into glory which none of the wise men of this world ever knew or can know by all their learned skill of earthly wisdom nor any man that lives after the flesh or satisfieth himself with hearing reading telling or talking of him or concerning what he or his Apostles did said or suffered as those that vainly take his Name into their mouths on most occasions of their invented ways but know him not neither by his divine Nature nor Name nor how God and man became one Christ Jesus how that which may be known of God is manifest in man how he is the wonderful counsellor The mighty God The Prince of peace The Author and Finisher of our faith how he saves his people from their sins is the Reconciler without imputation of sin how he is formed in his servants and cleanseth them by his blood from all sin and unrighteousness how they take up the cross and follow him or what the cross is how the body becomes dead because of sin and the spirit alive for righteousness sake how they are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones how he is their Leader and captain of salvation made perfect through sufferings how they are baptised into his death and saved by his life how the Union is perfected in all the parts and members of his body the Church what the Church is or how his Body or what it is to eat his flesh and drink his blood without which as himself said we have no life in us how every knee shall bow to him of things in heaven in earth and under the earth and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father how he is that blessed and onely Potentate King of kings and Lord of lords The head of all thrones and dominions and every name that is named c. And therefore not knowing him cannot worship him accordingly Neither are such willing to become obedient to him in his light that maketh all things manifest naked and bare whereby he brings every secret thing to light and passeth judgement upon the transgressing nature and bruiseth the branches of it with every lust of the flesh lust of the eyes and pride of life that are not of the Father but of the world nor to know him the Healer and Maker up of the breach the Repairer of the ancient path to walk in by cleansing mens souls that are full filthy while they remain ignorant of him or have any fleshly appetite lust or like desire alive in them whereby the fair pearl is blemished and much more filthy when their souls are taken up with a full love and liking of this world and wholly overcome by the sensual and fleshly part that they chuse it and delight therein as the full rest of their hearts so that they feel no liquor of life or sweetness of grace stirring them to loath what their flesh liketh nor to desire that heavenly food of their souls so they do not bear the image of sin but are born and carryed with it and of it and feel no strength but in it nor no will to leave it but yeild thereto with all ready forwardness But Jesus Christ is the food of all hungry souls and through him in him and by him are such souls reformed and restored into their first and fair likeness of God in righteousness and true holiness and so is the new man created in Christ Jesus to good works to walk in them by the Divine will and quickning Spirit whereby the flaming sword comes to be removed and the everlasting gate opened to all willing and watchful souls to enter thereat into the heavenly and endless life where Jesus Christ is the Door the Porter and Receiver always waiting ready to imbrace the souls that so watch pray wait and attend to be here in this life reformed by his Spirit into his likeness and love to live by the words of his mouth as swallowed up of the Divine will of inexpressible sweetness and so walk in the Spirit of love and meekness with sober and chaste minds as the Lords free-men without handling or touching any unclean thing that defiles or where in their souls feel not the pure love meek motion and holy life of Jesus Christ above all shadows types figures forms or fleshly things c. There be many that think they love Jesus Christ and know him to whom he may truly say I know you not depart from me ye are workers of iniquity Though they may have attained to a fleshly knowledge of him by imagining thinking and fashioning him in themselves with their minds thoughts affections desires cares and bodily wits and so suppose they love fear serve and worship him as a man like themselves yet without sin that God is wroth with them as a man that is offended that Christ died for their sins and therefore they fall down at his feet with sorrow of heart crying for mercy and pardon and like the five foolish Virgins suppose they are ready for him have good trust in his mercy and so reverence him and fear before him and thereupon do verily believe they so know and worship him because they feel their hearts moved and stirred with love to him and desire of him But this is not the worship in spirit and truth which he expects and accepts for all this while these worshippers know not their own souls nor God in Christ Jesus reconciling them to himself nor have they any Oyl in their lamps or sweet liquor of life suppling their souls for the Lord Jesus is not seen much less known and worshipped by mens imaginations for the earthly nature cannot receive retain or bear this heavenly new wine So there was a time when Christ Jesus told his Disciples he had many things to say unto them but they could not then bear them and yet being upright in hearts to the Lord he is pleased so to temper strengthen and comfort them with such an inward beholding that they forsake sins and the great love of this world whereby the invisible light of his Godhead is somewhat shadowed to the inner eye of their souls under the bedily
likeness of Christs fleshly holiness and may be in so great love that it slayeth all wicked love in their souls and strengthens them to suffer freely for him and yet this over-shadowing of their souls whereby they are kept from the great love of the world is onely as a shadow of the invisible light of the Godhead and manhood united and lightly touching the serious and devour soul whereof the Prophet spake as being under the shadow of his spiritual wings or manhood and yet this is but Christs love received intomens dark minds and imaginations though it be that condition whereunto thousands professing Christianity have not yet attained though they pretend much and seem to teach others also But it is faith and spiritual feeling of Jesus Christ which purifieth the heart and whereby the soul comes to understand his spiritual love in the Godhead as Christ said I in them and thou in me and to be made perfect in one c. to which all bodily beholdings are but as means directing mens minds to the light and thereby their souls to a serious consideration of the wonderful love goodness power and wisdom manifested in the manhood of Christ spiritually And so it is like Martha loved him and laboured in outward service for him and that with hearty affections but Mary chose the better part she received and embraced him with more pure affections and retained him in her bea rt Mary Magdalen loved Christ well before his passion of bodily death but her love was much bodily and little spiritually for she loved him not as God before though her thoughts and affections were set upon him in which affections or actions expressing her love Christ condemns her not in that time so far as we find but after when he was risen from death and appeared unto her she would have reverenced him with such a manner of love as she did before and then Christ forbad her saying Touch me not as look not on me with a fleshly eye to rest therein for so I am not ascended to my Father nor equal to the Father so but now love me as I am one with the Father in the form of the Godhead know love and worship me as God and man like God so to be with me love and worship me onely for that I am God that took the nature of man and therefore receive and embrace me as God in thine heart and in thy love of me and worship me in the enlightned understanding of thy soul as Jesus Christ God and man the saving truth goodness and light of blessed life and spiritual joy and so Christ Jesus promised to come unto his Disciples and be with them by his holy Spirit after given them with power from on high to teach them all things and lead them into all truth the which heavenly gift of holiness and glory few have yet attained to in these latter times since the Apostacy and therefore those souls that have not attained to this spiritual understanding of him through his grace are to wait in his light with pure affections of fervent love until more grace be freely given unto them and not to over-run the conditions wherein they are but stay therein until they shall respectively feel a better revealed in them still minding that all spiritual gifts are felt and tasted in the powers of the souls chiefly in love and spiritual understanding but not in imaginations through the strength of the body or bodily wits which are not spiritual feelings and at most but outward tokens of spiritual inward feelings in the powers of their souls where the holy Ghost hath lighted their reasons and kindled their affections with his blessed Presence so clearly in fervent love that they immediately thereby received the knowledge of spiritual truth and perfect love with an outward shewing of of the inward feeling of spiritual grace And as it was in the former Disciples so it is now in other like-perfect souls visited and lighted within by the holy Ghost whereby there is an outward feeling of the inward grace and the body made obedient thereby to the Spirits moving and leading without fainedness or fancie of imagination And he is no spiritual man that hath not thus learned Christ or is taught his lesson by him in like spiritual wise nor any way qualified to judge of spiritual matters but must consequently erre in his understanding and mar all he meddles with and not know how or wherein he so erreth much less how to amend his own crrours and how then shall he reform others but as a blind man may judge of colours because these spiritual things are above the sight of his carnal eye so that he perceiveth them not that hath not the spiritual eye of his understanding opened and how then should he open the Scriptures that as Christ said neither knows them nor the power of God or be skill'd in the use of his spiritual Weapons his warfare or work to be done in his Vineyard or know the kingdom power or glory of God whereto all true service tends For as it is written The natural man understands not the things of the Spirit of God but they are foolishness to him for it is the spiritual man that judgeth all things and is judged of no man because his life is hid with God in Christ as taken from the earth and unknown to the world but well known to God and is so reformed in soul that he feels the least fleshly stirring in him and condemns it and loaths it in his heart and ever fleeth to God for strength against all such motions and loves not his life to attain the life eternal but is passive in every thing a man of sorrows and sufferings as his Lord Jesus was and left him an ensample to follow him therein Seeing the business in hand is of soul-concernment it is absolutely necessary that the soul should know it self with the facultie vertues and powers thereof by its turning into and watchful keeping in its pure principle of the light of Christ Jesus in the Conscience to love that light and observe its motions as it shall be led by the holy Spirit into all truth and thereby restored into its primitive purity fit to enjoy the sweet presence of God as Adam did before his disobedience For a miserable and wretched man is he that knoweth not the workings worth and worthiness of his own soul the first lesson to be learned in Christs school as the trade of his youth it being the most excellent Creature that the Lord God formed for his service and glory whereto nothing can give true content satisfaction or rest but God onely and therefore neither to love nor desire any thing but him for otherwise he cannot come to know the Spirit of God and what it willeth worketh or would work in him how it striveth how it is grieved how quenched how he searcheth all things even the deep things of God how he dwelleth in man how
he witnesseth with mans spirit or how he baptiseth into the one body how the excellent mysteries of divine love are revealed to the obedient and clean soul by the holy Ghost or how so to live and walk in the Spirit as not to fulfil the lusts of the flesh This living soul is not any corporeal substance but a life invisible as God is invisible for it is of the breath of God and so is Gods in an especial manner that by its vertue beareth up the body and quickneth it and so the Spirit formed in man is said to be the candle of the Lord useful there in searching the inner parts and knowing the hearts secrets This soul consisteth of reason mind will and other faculties fit to receive and retain God in its understanding and knowledge without forgetting him or being distracted by any Creature or creaturely thing and as the Reason is enlightned and becomes clear and bright free from errour and darkness and the will and affections turned into the light and love of Christ Jesus the promised seed and endless wisdom of God and is free from all beastly love of the flesh or any Creature by his blessed love meer mercy and soveraign goodness of his holy Spirit The soul becomes as Adams was in Paradise an innocent Life of conversing with God and as Enochs that walked with God pleased him and was not found c. But this soul cannot be found or known while man hath any thing molesting it that is of his own body or bodily wits wherewith the senses may be exercised so he that will save his lise must loose it for the reasonable soul is a life immortal as well as invisible and hath a power and pure light of Christ in it self to see know and love the truth and true good which is God onely and he that truely feels and knows this and is sensible of the touches thereof feels and knows somewhat of the reasonable soul and the kindly workings of it and the more he becomes acquainted therewith in this manner the better he seeth and knoweth himself and others also and the more meek humble lowly loving tender and compassionate will he be towards all men and creatures And this was the highestate and condition the heavenly and excellent dignity that Adam lost when he became in love with himself and selfish things taking delight in earthly knowledge and worldly glory whereby he fell into a dark feeble and wretched estate like the beast that perisheth by which the love that before was clean savory and sweet in the holy Ghost was so turned into a filthy beastly love and liking of himself and the creatures wherein he sought content but found it not as it now is with all that remain in that degenerated nature and therefore the soul to be brought back to know it self and be fitted for the service whereunto it was ordained by its being gathered up into its self and fully departed from beholding all creaturely things or selfish use of bodily wits arts wisdom or knowledge of man gotten by any natural means study labour or exercise so that the soul feel it self in its own kind in being as it were without a body for as the eye of the soul is opened to Jesus Christ in his pure light and the love turned to him it is received up above all bodily creatures from beholding liking thinking on and using them and ever disdaining to be obedient to any worldly thought or earthly thing that perisheth with the using And while the soul is so kept therein cometh no errour nor deceit of its enemy because it then seeth Jesus Christ above and in him and holds the mystery of faith in a pure conscience and all created things below under his feet as not in him nor of him So David waited upon God for salvation and his heart hearkned and indited of that good matter and so became very ready in it and saw the beauty of the Lord and when the soul is brought into this heavenly harmony it truly loves God and all creatures spiritually not fleshly and carnally as in its former ignorance and is overcome with the sweetness of Christs words of love clearly revealed and spoken into the ear of the heart which that soul heareth and obeyeth with good savour and true joy in him alone and so his secrets are with his saims but not with the blind world for the ignorant soul is so over-laid with worldly love that it is all common as the high-way so that every stirring of the flesh and the Devil sinketh into it resteth therein and passeth through it as it pleaseth without controule and so if any good seed fall therein it withereth for want of earth it is choaked or these fewls of the air steal it away and devour it there being onely the degenerate nature of old Adam while that which became a living soul wants the quickning spirit to form the new man settle and establish the soul not according to the carnal commandment but after the power of the endless life But how hard and difficult this is for the rude soul so unacquainted with it self and accustomed to receive tentations make provision for the flesh and fulfil its lusts and be stirring much in filth and fleshly things to enter this strait gate to the knowledge of its self in its true light is evident by the ignorance of most and the small numbers of those that find it for most men that would finde entrance and know their souls in stead of turning in into the light of Christ turn their thoughts with imaginations into their bodies to seek for their souls and to feel them as though they were hid within their hearts as their hearts are holden and hid within their bodies Now if a man should covet to know his soul and that never so earnestly and seek for it in that manner in his body he may not possibly so find it in its self but the more he seeketh to feel and know it by studiousness as he would know or learn tongues arts or other bodily things the farther shall he be from it by that seeking and therefore so many weary themselves in vain by seeking the door in a wrong way and contrary nature whereby it is hid from the wise and prudent and revealed onely to babes and sucklings at the breasts of consolation in the pure light of Christ who is this Door and by whom the diligent soul comes truely and quickly to enter understand and know what its self is with its true Teacher and Guide while the other soul falleth suddenly into imaginations of bodily things and words supposing thereby to have or gain the light of its self and so of God and spiritual things which as I said before can never be so attained by imagination or bodily wit as the mind may see sensibly what is just between man and man by its understanding thereof for then the soul might see it self in understanding
him and his motions and the more is the soul alive and active to him accounting it a shame to be fed with swines meat of fleshly things and savours wherein he feels no spiritual refreshment or true joy of love and delight And therefore he ever sets his heart and mind spiritually upon good meditates on him to know what he willeth and to please him see him know him have love and enjoy him by his grace and by degrees more and better and as the soul ever keeps to these desires it will be shewed plainly in the light what is evil and what good what is pleasing to God and what is contrary to him and teach him all needful things for salvation gain them for him and bestow them on him and therefore as there is a standing fast in this watchful desire victory will be given so that the soul wait and meditate meekly and patiently until Jesus Christ accept thereof give spiritual savour and accomplish his own work therein with victory as to other saints in his own time and so as it may become that souls chiefest joy to know and do that heavenly will because of the true spiritual delight therein But if man should comply and strive with his bodily wits and worldly wisdom that will but drive him farther off and a wretched thing it is for any man to leave the inward watch and keeping of his heart and shape to himself any outward form figure likeness or habit of vertue and holiness in meditation prayer or other performance to live in such a form of outward exercise beholding joyning with or imitating others and supposing himself right and righteous in so doing for thereby he departeth from the light guidance and government of Gods blessed Spirit and deceiveth himself by thinking he hath acceptance with God in his own doings which so done are directly against God though they might be right and acceptable in those that were led thereto by the Spirit of God In this general calling of souls employment nothing is rightly done but in watching and prayer nor any true watch kept or prayer presented but in the light and with a spiritual understanding wherein vertue wisdom and strength comes to be received and rightly employed but this consists not in learning to say words or know how many parts prayer hath or how to word it wisely for the drawing of others affections and so to make long prayers for pretence or as to be heard for much speaking in the way that mans wisdom teacheth of bodily exercise as did the Pharisees whereof Christ warned his Disciples and lifting up themselves in their own strength for the applause of men that they may be reputed able Christians of excellent parts full of knowledge better then others c. By which means many are themselves deceived by thinking they have the grace of Christ and spiritual knowledge and thereupon do so worship and please themselves in their hearts as if they were the onely men to pray praise and give thanks to God for with and above others while all is but with their lips vain words and bodily wits wherewith they onely dishonour God and defile themselves and others that so joyn with them in words before their hearts and souls are therein agreed by stealing the thanks praise and worship from God to themselves like the Pharisees that would presently be thanking God in words and judging others without the fear of God faith in him or any true love in feeling or affections or desires to know their own hearts and the iniquities thereof much less that God or others should know them or they their duties to him But these forward minds are far from any sure savour of delight or being in God and therefore their prayers or praises find no place with him neither are they fair or seemly in the mouths of such men where self is loved and their minds employed to provide for the outward man and their pride is the greater that so move while they keep no true watch and guard over their thoughts have no hold of their hearts or stay of their minds but multiply words in a powerless way of mans wisdom by imagining evils finding faults accusing themselves and others and asking sometimes what they do not in truth desire and oft what they do not want but to spend upon their lusts wherein the most are misled as their consciences witness being ignorant of the A ostles doctrine fellowship and prayers as they are of the knowledge of God and the Godhead in the manhood of Christ But that no man may mistake my understanding in the commands of Christ Jesus my Lord how to pray or my practise in obedience thereto let every one turn in their minds to his light and there wait to know how he said Enter into thy closet and shut thy door forget not that and pray to thy Father in secret So Christ himself prayed in the mountain in the garden in the desart alone from his Disciples and required thâ—m to watch and pray And also appointed joynt praying and said Where two of you shall agree upon any thing to ask it shall be granted of my Father which is in heaven but said he Use no vain repetitions as the heathen do And again Hitherto have you asked nothing in my Name ask and you shall receive that your joy may be full And his Disciples did afterwards so ask in his Name in faith and feeling and that without wavering as it is written and prayed much without ceasing with all manner of prayers and supplications in the Spirit and with the Spirit and understanding not knowing what to ask but as the Spirit helped and made requests with sighs and groans not to be uttered and so asking they received whether privately alone as Paul when he felt the grace sufficient for him or as agreed in particular cases as was that in chusing one in the room of Judas their praying together with one accord their sitting so together waiting for the gift of the holy Ghost while they had received but the first fruits of the Spirit So likewise the Church prayed for Peter and for others on other occasions but still more and more in the pure power and fervent love as they received the more spiritual gifts of the holy Ghost By all which it is most evident that the fire of that blessed Spirit of holiness at all times kindled the sacrifice and the praise was not of men but of God And thus they prayed in Christs Name as they were made partakers of his divine Nature But what outward naming of Christ was there in all this which is a work that the rude and unâ—â—ly soul the wild and worldly mind knows nothing of Or what of set times places or personal respects was used therein though now men have learned frequently to take the Name of God and Jesus Christ in vain into their mouths while they hate to be reformed and neither know his Nature nor his Name
like her head in vertue and firmness of perfect love And this take for a maxime that he who perceiveth no changes in feeling of his grace given him but still remains a like all whole strong stable unbroken or unhurt as he thinketh must needs be either full perfect or full blind but the latter is more like or most to be feared for he that is so perfect that he is above all touches of earthly things dwelleth in Jesus Christ by sweet and soft love is accepted into a high estate of heavenly glory and restfull pleasure knowing nothing but pure love which is God but he is full blind indeed that feigneth himself to be in grace and savour with Jesus Christ without spirituall feeling of the holy Ghost and setleth himself in a stay'd condition as if he were ever in feeling working in spirituall grace thinking that all is grace that he feeleth without and within and that what he doeth and speaketh is grace and that he is unchangable therein and alwayes at one stay and condition which he esteemeth good Such a soul is fully blind and altogether without feeling of grace in any its workings for they are wrought as aforesaid and by a lively inspiration thereof with the spirituall presence of Jesus Christ in the soul and sweetness of his love by his wonderfull in-dwelling there This is the life of feeling in grace after the measure of the gift with a reverend beholding him spiritually without which in some measure all is but deceitfull and nothing worth nor any way of good use but hurtfull for as the soul is the light and life of the body so is Jesus Christ the light and life of the soul by his gracious presence which cannot so well be exprest as felt for it is the light life love joy strength and rest of the soul that hath painfully felt it yet with sweetness insomuch that it cannot cease from desiring it And this is that no man may mistake in or concerning the work of grace in his own soul and he who will remain still filthy may bear his own burthen whatever he be and his shame also for God hath not left himself without a witness in every man neither is he wanting to any though as Christ said The holy Ghost inspireth where and when he will and that privily as the wind bloweth oft-times when men are least aware of him but is known by his stirring and turning the heart into a beholding of his goodness and melting it into softness of love yet wondereth at his highness shining brightness but the substance effect of this shining grace remaineth though not in its fervour while the soul is kept clean without fallings by wilfulness or negligence into a dissolute life of fleshliness and outward vanity and also know that the soul which is unacquainted with the touches of spirituall grace is an enemy to all spirituall works as being old dry rotten barren and without savour in it self for the salt hath there no savour and to be trodden under foot and nothing but the light of grace through touching maketh it lively sharp quick subtil ready and able to spirituall work by giving it great freedome and a holy readiness in will and affections to obey all the stirrings of grace in the soul and to watch thereto for opening of the spirituall eye whereby it becomes apt to meditation watching and prayer but not to pray in the common manner it did before with loud voyce many words and other mens speakings but in stilness of the voyce and tenderness of heart being gathered up into it self and in the spirituall presence of Jesus Christ wherein every word and syllable hath a savoury sweet sound and delectable melody in the heart by the holy Spirit as being wholly entered into the fire of love the powers of the soul being all heated and inflamed with love so that the sparks flie upward whence the fire came and therein is the soul so comfortably enlightned that it knowes not how to leave off watching praying and praising God with spirituall delight and heavenly joy when no matter is seen outwardly nor voyce heard And this is the food and nourishment of the soul and of much vertue against temptations and likings of the world for it beareth up both soul and body from painfull heaviness of heart and feeling of the wretchedness of this earthly life and the soul is thereby kept quick and lively This was Davids prayer as Incense ascending and perfuming the soul and so as any hath a Psalm of the spirit which is savoury and soft sweet and pleasant in the pure mind broken and burning heart it giveth up a sweet smell to the face of our Lord Jesus Christ these are the prayers and praises heard and accepted of God as before hath been said yielding and also receiving grace from him which he accepts as an addition to his Glory and all other praying wants savour and sweetness as a speaking of words with the tongue when the heart is gone after other lovers or likings of fleshly things and the soul is not master of the bodily wits and imaginations of the brain and is that wherein is no constant devotion no freeâ—om of spirit no ardent and burning love and affections nor whole mind but much speaking and running about here and there by words seeming to speak of spirituall matters without savour profit or any soul-satisfaction and therefore hear with me a few words more of this weighty business of Prayer and keep first to silence and firm watchfulness that thou maist first come to a joyfull feeling of this spirituall praying and that shall teach thee unchangable wisdome without fancy or faineâ—ness that those are possessed with that speak well or ill of things they know not and therefore abide therein untill grace come into thy soul otherwise and will remove it in part for a time and employ thee otherwise and then therein be obedient for that is the best of all sacrifices whereby the holy God will be served and so there is no need of mans teaching how to pray or praise him what words to speak how to divide duties into parts or to guide the affections for the holy Spirit teacheth all this and much more as he pleaseth and the soul feeleth it self led thereby to enjoy Jesus Christ in some measure but this praying and praising God with the Spirit and understanding the wise world accounts foolishness and being strangers to it would have others continue so likewise In this spirituall watchfulness is the Revelation of Jesus Christ whereby the writings of the holy men of God are rightly shewed and opened which mans wit learning reason or study cannot reach for the understanding thereof is freely shewed to the clear soul by Jesus Christ who is the well-spring of wisdome and knowledge it is he that maketh the soul lively and wise to understand the holy Scriptures and yet not all at once in speciall view thereof
in his own light and spiritual leading in every mans conscience there to arise and his enemies be scattered as he transformeth and reneweth the mind according to his blessed will of heavenly love and the contrary thereto is onely unreasonable unrighteous intolerable and abominable to God as that which enforceth men of corrupt and unstable minds to formalities and hypocrisie whereof ensueth condemnation in themselves to their souls besides the many other mischiefs and miseries to mankinde for what is out of faith is sin both in the commander and actor and if the heart condema God is greater and knoweth all and who shall justifie where he condemns and as it is written Blessed and happy is he that condemns not himself in the thing that he alloweth and contrarily which ought to be well heeded and warily observed by all men and is by those that are willing to know and perform the great trust reposed in them concerning their own souls as knowing that they must give an account of themselves to God and ought not to trust their souls with others that have other ends then for the Lords service and learned Arts whereby to call good evil and evil good put darkness for light and light for darkness as blind men or with their eyes shut and unwilling to know the light of life and leading of the holy Spirit of truth as if as the fool said in his heart there were no God or not desiring the knowledge of his way and yet concerning the things of this world cry Give give more more when they have not rightly learned how to use that they have V. You that are strict and zealous Professors in your ways should study to be quiet in your selves and with others you have a zeal as for God but not according to knowledge of him as a fire of love in you kindled by the holy Ghost and therefore you are such and so diversly opinionated without unity or order amongst your selves but one fort contending for the Monster Uniformity another for their new-made Faith a third for their dead dumb and empty ordinances and each impleading others and employing your selves like Nadab and Abibu or Core and his company in kindling and offering strange fires before the Lord and resisting the truth taught in the light of Christ by his blessed Spirit which leads into all truth as Jannes and Jambres sometime withstood Moses but your deeds are so manifest and you stopt and reproved in your inward and outward parts so as not like much farther to prevail are again in love as heretofore warned to turn in your minds to him that there smiteth for amendment that a remnant of you forsaking the sparks of their own kindling may be purged purished and brought forth as gold tryed and saved by that consuming fire which burns and wasts all sin our of obedient souls with the fleshly loves and lovers thereof so as there may be no more mis-judging by private and perverse spirits of ignorance weakness or thick darkness that cannot comprehend the deep things of God but do turn the minds out of the true light of Jesus Christ wherein his servants see light to walk that pure path of holiness in him to glory in words emptiness and vanity of your wills bodily wits and works as did the former persecuters of Christ Jesus not wisely heeding the Lords hand whereby he is restoring all things into the glorious liberty of his sons and daughters and how he therefore now shakes the earth and heavens also which should abate the edge of mens earthly appetites accompanied with such strange and hideous effects and would if they knew any thing of the Lords pure and powerful workings or of the times and seasons or were but near ripe for truth and apt to the kingdom of God and would take such off from expecting greater signes and wonders or acting another thing by another spirit of private interpretation different from the Lords purpose so many ways manifested and therefore it is evident that such men are sick weak or fallen asleep so that they cannot discern the Lords body his truth and true worshippers nor other things that differ And though you may not be competent Judges in spiritual matters yet consider is it righteous or reasonable that those who are either meerly carnal or have not yet received so much as the bare presence of the holy Spirit in grace should judge others that are sealed with the Spirit of promise baptised and made to drink into that one Spirit which judgeth all things and so are partakers of the divine nature of the immortal and invisible God Have you never read how the Lords praise is perfected in the mouths of his babes and sucklings and that whosoever doth not receive the kingdom of God as a little Childe shall in no wise enter therein or how the mysteries of that kingdom are hid from the wise and prudent and revealed to such babes or how the halt lame and blind whom you despise do enter while you your selves and others art shut out and the rich sent empty away Remember that Exhortation of Christ Jesus to men of your sort saying Wash the inside that the out may be clean also It is high time for you to be willing to put away the evil of your doings and yeild to his light and leading of his Spirit that your souls may be prepared and fitted to feel and know him as God equal with the Father spiritually to clense you from all unrighteousness and then you will not suppose that any good thing of him can make you happy but what is so revealed and wrought in you or be ignorant of the danger of resisting or neglecting such divine stirrings in your souls by any your exquisite Arts natural Reasons or bodily Wits as some do who are so much thereby deceived that they think they are not deceived You may read likewise of some that had travelled pretty far in outward Ordinances been baptised with water c. and yet not heard that there is an holy Ghost and such in those days are not a few that have their cars stopped with dumb and deadly sounds of words or thereby become so dull of hearing that they hearken not to the voice of the Charmer though he charm never so wisely nor are gotten one step farther then those that had not heard of an holy Ghost though they can talk much of him by what they have read or others told them and how then should they believe on him of whom they have not heard specially while they are so willingly led by such ignorant talking that so dulls them and hinders their heeding of the true light and hearing what the holy Spirit saith and how he revealeth the deep things of God to all watchful and willing souls so that such have their loves to and their faith and lives in mans wisdom and seldom or never come to the love of God indeed and in truth but remain vain and unruly
talkers and contenders about words questions and outward things and would make themselves love God by their own strength and wisdom which may not be though they should act therein never so violently as it were to pull God out of heaven to them by their strivings pantings and burstings out into heat in their devoted zeal for though such suppose in their thoughts and hearts they love God and also resolve so to do and for his sake to suffer death yet these mens love in that manner is neither truely so nor is any strength so asked by them to stand therein for such souls have but either received that gift of love through Christ as a man or they have it not but would have it and so strive in their own strength to feel the love of God but come not to a waiting in the light to see and know their own souls nor themselves unworthy and unable to do any good thing think a good thought or in the least measure to move towards God or prepare their own hearts for him or see their own miserable blind and naked condition as dead in sins and trespasses waiting at the Pool to receive help and healing by the Angels moving of the water as the Lords free gift of love to eternal life which is the way for them to come to the sight of Jesus Christ as being all to them and working all in them and therefore not to strive outwardly but quietly wait and ask nothing but the gifts of love that they might be touched and taught of him to see God by his blessed light and gracious presence and then love him by his own gift of love so received through patient suffering as wrought in their souls by the holy Ghost without bodily strength or earthly skill these being the means whereby souls are made so meek and obedient that they work not of themselves at all by bodily wit or exercise but freely suffer the holy Ghost to will and to do in them and with them as best pleaseth him for the working of their souls into faith and feeling of his love by degrees without outward noise or strivings about it for Christs Voice was not heard in the street it is a soft and still voice to be heard in silence and felt of all the senses and powers of the soul and is very sweet to all savoury minds that have waited for him and they that so wait long and covet after the fruits of the Spirit and sow thereto shall much encrease therein But as this is not by bodily exercise so it may not be by resting in spiritual employment already done but a pressing forward toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus and ever following that they feel to grow therein towards perfection for otherwise there will be a sudden settling upon the old Lees and so a declining to loss and the end without profit or comfort as some Apostates who have said they have gone round back again c. and so lost not onely their hold of perfection but their first love and leading principle of God in them for there is first a beginning with rude souls and a change of the mind in the working of faith and then faith worketh by love and after that by the more strong clear and pure stirrings as felt in all active souls towards that life of perfect love for though the body of sin be at first seen in the light then debased and in some suddenly crucified yet it will be seen felt and laboured in and against until full victory be obtained as the beloved Paul said by his rejoycing in Christ Jesus he died dayly whereby the old feeling of the body of sin comes to be destroyed and the soul brought into a new gracious feeling by the operation of the holy Spirit to grow up in him who is the head of all principalities and powers VI. These things being so it highly concerns every man respectively to weigh and warily consider his own way station and standing and to prize the time and abilities that the Lords love in Christ Jesus hath allotted him to wait and watch for his conversion reconciliation and salvation and to account the time mispent and irrecoverably past sufficient to have done the will of the flesh in thinking his own thoughts speaking his own words and acting contrary to the eternal counsel and will and that the present time is onely mans to make his use of not knowing what shall be to morrow and the loss of what is past will be his greatest grief as his ignorant soul comes to see it self its sins and duty or otherwise as Christ said of Judas better to him he had never been born Whereof I onely query as the beloved Peter What shall the end be of those that obey not the Gospel of Jesus Christ but take pleasure in unrighteousness and mind not the Lords love in drawing them or their duties in a willing yeilding and suitable subjection thereto For great was the love of the Lord God in creating man after his own image and likeness with a soul fair clean and fit for his service and glory and yet greater when man had proudly departed from that holy and happy condition and made himself unfree and unfit to embrace that love and serve that end in commending promising and setting forth his love again in his own onely Son to restore man and bring him back into God from whom he so wilfully and wickedly departed by the enticement of the Devil and thereby to free him from the snares thereof and pains due therefore and yet his especial and greatest love is to be felt tasted and sweetly savoured in his free cleansing of mans soul by the gift of the holy Ghost whereby it becomes to be conformed to the likeness of his dear Son by which love he giveth of his Godhead to every obedient and clean soul that comes to will and to do of his good pleasure as a fit vessel and temple for the holy Ghost to dwell in and walk in which all his sons and daughters that are heirs of this salvation do right-well know and therein are made willing and obedient ready and diligent to help all others what they may to come to the same happy condition of blessed love and heavenly sweetness that all things may be restored to their first and primitive purity and the great mercy and love of the Lord seen to and felt by all his creatures for whom he taketh care in their respective kinds feeding the Ravens clothing the Lilies and much more the obedient soul that is of his own breath and waits upon him by his Spirit being plain and simple in the truth and willing to do all things in the eternal will ever waiting to live always in his light of love by every word that proceeds out of his mouth until he be swallowed up of the divine will and inexpressible goodness and wisdom and so settled in his
reasonable things But the soul is to seek for a higher knowledge of and in it self in the light as to know that it is invisible and immortal of the breath of God wherein God is to be seen spiritually which is a great mystery not to be exprest in words but to be sought out and kept clean and bright from worldly wisdom fleshly filth and earthly vanities above the sensual part to see it self in Jesus Christ the Way Truth and Life the ancient Path wherein the holy men of God ever walked to please him in diligent labour and travel of mind and sufferings of the outward man and yet with fulness of joy and spiritual delight In every spiritual work and employment mans will wisdom reasoning and earthly affections are to be left behind as Abraham left his servants when he went to offer his Son Isaac for a burnt-offering to the Lord and as Moses drawing near to God put off his shoes so all you that will draw near unto the Lord God cast aside and leave behind you your own selfishness wills wisdoms and imaginations with every high thought that exalteth it self and keeps your souls from closing with the Lord in his holy service that you may be by him prepared to meditate watch pray and give thanks in all things and at all times and embrace all divine counsel and heavenly help thereby freely tendered in the pure light and tender touches in the conscience to move the heart into an awful dread and true fear of God that by the stirrings of grace you may come to a knowledge of him spiritually which gift is common to all bat particularly received by the diligent soul that waits therein stable and firm according as it so receiveth and keepeth thereto with all ready chearfulness moving in its own measure of grace so given though it be never so little for the Lord is pleased suddenly to prepare mens hearts by putting meditations into their minds in the beginning and time of their conversions especially of such as have been much occupied in worldly defilements and then commonly the thoughts of such when once turned in are most upon their sins with great sorrow meekness and tears asking forgiveness and watching thereto as the Lord toucheth their so us sharply to make them the sooner clean for then the sin will be ever in the sight as foul and horrible and accompanied with fightings and hard conflicts in their consciences so as that they can take no rest until the Lord Jesus give it as pleaseth him wherein is his tender mercy that he may scowre and cleanse such souls the more speedily and forgive their sins as he wipeth them away wherein justification is in sanctification and sanctification accompanied with justification and fitteth the soul to receive some spiritual grace and gift of his love and so the holy Spirit oft stirreth to meditations in God which worketh a kindly work in their souls to be waited in and the fruits of the Spirit to be received and all in Jesus Christ as the pure power endless love and wisdom of God that sets the heart upon hungering after his vertue and spiritual discoveries in such exercises as God is graciously pleased to give in to the soul and so meditation watching and praying have no rules bounds or limits set by man unto them but when and as the Lord Jesus pleaseth to give by the holy Spirit for his gift it is for disposing of his chosen ones and drawing in their souls to him to be made wise in waiting knowing and obeying him spiritually wherein he giveth such tender-heartedness that they oft melt into devotion and are ravished in souls above measure somewhat like as it sometimes was with the Disciples that sate together and were filled with the holy Ghost and then spake forth the great and wonderful things of God when all they knew was oy that spiritual ravishing love and so the Lord is pleased oftentimes to open his treasury and give to some very plentifally in all ages as their souls come to be cleansed and the way made open and easie to them though the doing thereof is a great mystery to others that remain ignorant or are net watchful and diligent so that it passeth over them some growing contrary to it and at enmity with it for then the Lord withdraweth it again by reason of that slothfulness and abuse and sometimes from the more diligent to prove and try such that they may know wherein their strength standeth and after that to feel their own weakness and also know their respective states and how to love more spiritually and so partly it was with the Disciples that loved Christ much while in the flesh with them but then fleshly as in his manhood and therefore he told them it was necessary for them that he should go away and send the holy Ghost to teach them to know and love more spiritually and so the Lord oft withdraws himself outwardly that the inward and heavenly presence of his love may be the more earnestly desired meditated on and pressed after and that the soul may know its duty and employment in waiting watching and suffering until it be throughly renewed strengthned and established in his spiritual might and power to glorifie him with more fervent love and holy worship and if it so come to pass that he who is watchful and diligent therein feels not this vertue enabling him to meditation or spiritual imployment with his whole heart as he desireth but in stead thereof fee leth many other thoughts run in upon him and hinder him and the more pain he taketh to keep his heart in watching and waiting for spiritual feeling the farther off it is to the very last and again harder afterwards this is to teach him to watch more singly and sincerely within the soul and forget all things without and to know that it is no easie thing to love with all the heart until the heart be renewed for this work will be found painful and laborious at first by the pressing in of vain thoughts and a full hard task it is for him that feels no grace to be long meditating waiting and watching in his soul and much will he be encumbered with running and roving thoughts as having gotten no sure hold of his heart and therefore is the heart to be kept unto God in the light with all diligence for thereout come the issues of life or of death for there is the good or the evil treasure and when well kept there springs up wise and clear thoughts clean affections fiery desires to spititual employment vertue and vertuous actions but otherwise thereout come the contrary as evil thoughts unclean desires and affections for every mans thoughts and meditations discover to him that is of a heedful mind what he is as that whereon he thinketh and meditateth in that he loveth so that he loveth is his God and the more he loveth God the more he mindeth him and meditateth on
and sometimes so far prevailed as to occupie the affections of the soul while the Spirit as a law within was labouring for deliverance until the Lord Jesus pleased to prepare the soul and break into it by his blessed presence and give it feeling of pure love and so stretch the heart forward to fathom and follow what is before for behinde are all bodily things thoughts desires fears and such like that hinder the comfort in and speed of the whole work for nothing is to be kept from the slaughter that is for destruction no mean in destroying sin though a right hand or eye they must away and give place to the divine work of the Spirit in the light which is bâ—fore as the spiritual vertues begâ—n in the Reason of the willing soul and to be perfected in love as it comes to be reformed into the grace of Christ to a perfect hatred of the deeds of the flesh and all wavering mindedness and want of love for otherwise he hinders the work through his own wâ—lfulness and choice in the contrary nature which will cause all to be to little purpose troublesom and heavie as a working in the fire if not thereby destroyed because of his not feeling any grace or spiritual savour therein The ways wiles and dâ—vices of the evil one to deceive and devour souls are such and so divers in these later days that the ignorant and unskilful souls may not easily escape because he takes all advantages by the times temptations bodily wits and faculties of such dark souls to lead them into self-love and the sundry kindes of lustful living in the vanities of their mindes wantonness and pleasure upon the earth as fitting themselves for a day of slaughter and so keeps them while he may in presumption c. but if once he see any soul would entirely give themselves to be spiritually employed then he striveth by himself and his ministers to set their sins in order before them and tells them they are great sinnâ—rs and more in this change and turning then in any thing before saying to them That is not the way but a denial of Christ a fancie and frenzie of a Fanatick spirit and for some wicked end and that it will bring them into contempt want and poverty wherein none will pity them that they must change their conditions with their mindes wives and children come to want that they will fall into bodâ—ly sickness and be laid in prisons that they should have learned men to advise them better the Ministers to admonish them and pray for them to take counsel at the Priests lips which preserve knowledge and not run of their own heads with a few giddy contemptible people that are ignorant of the Scriptures and Original tongues and if they depart not from their new way greater temptations will overtake them And with much more of this kinde doth this flattering devil seek to beguile such souls as hearken to him by the cunning craftiness of such as lie in wait to deceive and that entangle with enticing words of mans wisdom to beguile their souls with bodily savours sweetness of wits arts and outward exercises and thereby if possible draw them aside from the simplicity and puff them up with conceit of themselves as if they had by such wisdom and the ways thereof formerly found the feeling of heavenly joy and so lead them back again and up into high notions and conceits of a proud minde until they become base and blockish and thereby fall full lowe at last with their cold dry and barren souls for the more they imagine to gain by such means the greater will be their loss and they the farther off from what they so seem to seek and much more indisposed to return into the right way of obtaining it for thereby the minde will be oft and highly lifted up as if it were in a happie estate and condition more holy vertuous and better then others and to rejoyce as if they had escaped a very great temptation and to conceive angry stirrings in themselves when others seem not so to esteem of them and the flattering spirits will suddenly praise and applaud such as for good deeds and vertuous living and this last is the sorest and greatest of all temptations and most dangerous because of the delight men will seem to feel about them by such sounds to the ear and sweet savour of sense tickling them with delight therein as if all were well and they had much grace and were rightly travelling with their mindes from fleshly things while they are onely ravished with spiritual pride wherein the vain love and self-conceit prayeth weepeth speaketh and thanketh God with the Pharisee while they know not God but their proud hearts deceive them and lead them to shew outward love and meekness in speech and gesture as if they were spiritually vertuous and that they disliked nothing but sin onely because it is contrary to God and yet are even then at the gate of spiritual death so puft up with pride and pleasure therein as that they are even dead while they live or rather twice dead and pluckt up the roots become servants to men and times mistaking one thing for another with their fleshly hearts got aloft and puffed up resting in the root and rottenness of sin black and thick darkness filling their souls which may be hid from some men yet Christ Jesus sees it and abhors it and their services because of their hypocrisie and heresie so accompanied with bodily and spiritual pride which was never learned of Christ as their God for man maketh any thing his God that his heart is in love with that he takes content in dares sin against God for or wrong any man by and so such men have their divers kinds of Idol-gods one his belly another the applause of men a third his opinions and words heard or spoken wherein such serve not the Lord Jesus but their own lustful mindes and every other thing that a man chuseth by his own act to take pleasure in is his God and then when God stirs up such souls to obedience and gives them suitable abilities these proud hearts resist all and in stead of obedience become rebellious heady harsh and high-minded abusing the tender mercies of the Lord God in the light of his spiritual leadings to repentance and this condition is as aforesaid the more desperate because therein such conclude that all is well and sound and that they are right sure and righteous even above any ordinary Pharisee and so arrogate to themselves And therefore hear and consider thou that thinkest thou standest that supposest thou art raised from death to life hast tasted of the good word of God and born it may be some afflictions and take heed of this false liberty for then will Satan try and winnow thee and be teaching thee as aforesaid or as sometime he would have done Jesus Christ to cast himself down to turn stones into