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as the mind joined to deceit, is thereby defiled; fo the mind joined to the truth of God, is by its power and virtue purified.

Now having felt this, and being filled with the love and good-will of God to the fouls of others, how can we but testify it to others, who stand in need of God's truth (and its cleansing property and virtue) as well as we; especially being thereunto moved and drawn by the Spirit of the Lord?

Now when the Lord giveth forth the found in its power and life, it many times pierceth deeply through the earthly veil, and reacheth to its own; which (being reached to) answers to the teftimony, faying, it is Truth. So here is a beginning of the work of God in that heart, the foul being touched with his truth, feeling it inwardly, and yielding in fome measure to the overcoming virtue and power of it.

But then comes the fubtil one, whose design and labour is to undermine and overturn the work of God in the foul; and he begets doubts, and jealoufies, and queftionings, both concerning us, and concerning the doctrine taught by us, to fuggeft into the mind, as if it were not (nor indeed could be) of God: and fo bringing the difpute and determination into another part than where truth got entrance, he eafily fways the mind to determine against its own former feeling, and to turn from that work which was begun to be wrought in it by God, and from the worker alfo. And thus many poor hearts are entangled and carried back into captivity, who began to feel the ftirrings of truth in their hearts (wherein is the power of redemption) which would have redeemed them as well as others, had they received it in the love of it, and became fubject to it.

Oh! it is a precious thing to receive from God a spirit of difcerning, which gives ability to difcern his Spirit from the spirit of deceit ! yea, it is impoffible to be preferved in the right Spirit and way, but as this is felt. For how can the Lord be received in all the motions and operations of his Spirit? or how can the contrary spirit be turned from in all its fubtil devices, twistings, and reasonings in the mind, unless there be a difcerning (in the true light of the Lord) what is of the one and what of the other?

And ye that would not be deceived, fink deep beneath the thoughts, reasonings, and confultations of the earthly mind, that ye may meet with fomewhat of the kingdom and power (which carries its own evidence and demonstration with it) and may be gathered into it, and find a sense, knowledge, and judgment there, which never was deceived nor can deceive. Know the elect of God, which the deceits pafs over and cannot reach; for its nature and birth is beyond them. It came from the light of the Father. It lives in the light of the Father. It fees in that light; yea, there its judgment and understanding is, where deceit never had power to enter. But he that confiders as a man, fees as a man, judges as a man, concerning the things of God, by what he can gather out of the fcriptures, or conclude from his own fenfe, knowledge, and experience, he may easily err; yea, indeed, he is in the way of error in fo doing. For the pure religion, the

pure

pure knowledge, the right judgment, the living faith, begins in the power and demonstration of the Spirit; and these are its limits, out of flesh, out of man, out of his will, out of his wifdom, out of the compafs of his comprehenfion. And he that paffeth not these bounds, never meets with the life, power, and virtue of truth. He may meet with a body of notions and formed knowledge, wherein he may tell of the fall of man, and reftoration by Chrift, and very exactly, according to a literal description; but the life, the true knowledge, the powerful virtue is another thing, and is met with in another country, whither man cannot travel, but as he is ftripped of himself, and new formed, made and brought forth in another.

Oh! therefore, ye that defire after the Lord (that would be his, that would feel him yours, that would know his truth in the life and power of it) wait for the demonftrations of his Spirit; learn to diftinguish inwardly, between his teachings from his Spirit, and the teachings of another fpirit from the letter. For it is fo indeed: that other fpirit would have taught Christ fo; and he will teach any elfe fo, that will hearken to him. Now he that is taught fo, and follows fuch teachings, wanders from God, is not accepted with him, but follows that which leads from him, under a pretence and appearance of leading to him. And here hardness and deadness grow and increase, the foul being turned from that which is living, and alone able to give life.

Quest. But how may I do, who am weak and full of doubts and fears, to keep in the fenfe of truth, and to come to a certainty that I am not deceived therein?

Anfw. To thee, who putteft this question in the uprightness and fimplicity of thy heart, I have somewhat to say.

1. Mind how thou waft touched, mind how thou waft reached, obferve what ear was opened in thee, and breathe to the Lord to keep that ear open in thee, and the other fhut. For this I can affure thee in the truth of God, that with that ear which the Lord opened to truth (which thou felteft his Spirit unlocking in thee, and letting in truth by) I fay, with that ear thou fhalt never be able to let in any thing afterwards contrary to truth. But if the enemy can open the other ear, that will hear his prejudices, his jealoufies, his doubts, his fears, his temptations, and let them in, to thrust out that which entered at the other ear. Now canft thou not diftinguish, O poor foul (a little to help thee) between that which brought fome fenfe of truth into thee, and that which rifeth in thee against truth? Oh! fear be fore the Lord! oh! watch, and pray, that when the tempter comes, thou enter not with him into the temptation, and fo lofe thy union and growth in that which is invaluable.

2. Keep thine eye and heart upon the preciousness of what thou felteft. Oh! remember, how fresh, how warm, how living it was; how it reached, how it overcame, how it melted. The remembrance of this (cleaved to in the

mind) will be a strength against the temptations and fubtil devices of the

enemy.

3. Meddle not with the things that the enemy cafts into thy mind. Confider not whether they be fo or no. He that confiders of a temptation (in many cafes) hath let it in and is overcome already. When Eve did but hearken to what the Serpent faid, how foon was the loft and gone? The enemy many times brings temptations beyond the state, capacity and ability of the foul, to determine. Thefe things, at prefent, are too high for thee. Thou haft not yet received a proportion of life from God to determine them by; and if thou run beyond thy measure, and determine things in thy mind, which as yet are beyond thy reach, thou must needs run into the fnare.

4. The prefent determining of these things, would not be of fo great advantage to thee, as thou mayeft apprehend. Why fo? Because the enemy hath many temptations and devices of the fame kind (as well as of other kinds) which he would bring one after another. And when he brings a fsecond, a third, &c. that which engaged thee to confider of the firft, would engage thee also to confider of the reft. And if thou couldest find one answered, and not the other, that would appear to thee as fo much the more weighty, and thou wouldst hardly be able to escape confenting to the tempter therein. Therefore the way is to keep out of him, in the upright fenfe of what the Lord wrought in thee; for fo far he is with thee, and abiding there, thou art out of the enemy's reach. But being drawn by the enemy to confider of things that are out of thy reach, thou therein layeft thyself open to his fnares and betrayings..

5. Mind what was forbidden thee, or required of thee in that time, when thou felteft the warmth from God. For there is then an heavenly voice, and an heavenly vision most commonly in the heart, though the enemy turns the mind, as much as may be, from heeding it. There is then oftentimes fomewhat of the worldly nature and course discovered, or fomewhat of God's will made manifeft; somewhat that thou dost (or hast done) which' then thou seest to be not of the Father, but of the world; and somewhat perhaps of the Father, which thou knoweft thou oughteft to become fubject to, but thou art afraid of the croís, or fhame, or wouldft fain have fome more clearness firft. Oh! call this to mind afterwards; and if ever thou wouldst receive life, and come into union with God's truth, and receive his Spirit and power, and be established therein; become obedient to the heavenly vision! Confult not with flesh and blood, but enter into the obedience of that very thing, which was forbid or required, be it little or much. This is the right way, this is that thy mind fhould be exercised in. And if thy mind be exercised faithfully here, the Lord will ftrengthen thee against the tempter, when he comes with his temptations and fubtil objections. But if thou falter here, and become unfaithful in the little, thou art not like to meet with more, no nor with the prefervation of the Lord in that little. And indeed this is the caufe. of the miscarriage of

many,

many, because they received not that little which was made manifeft, in the love of it; but had pleasure in the unrighteousness, and fo lingered in pleafing the spirit of the world, both in themselves, and others, when they were called by the Lord to quit it and travel out of it.

6. Wait for the renewings of life and fenfe in thee from God; wait for another vifit, wait for another touch and demonftration of his Spirit. Where didft thou meet with it? Go thither again, wait there again, and look up to the Lord to stay thy fpirit till he appear again.

But, oh! take heed, that before the light arife again, before the life stir again, thou be not gone (by hearkening to temptations) into an incapacity of knowing or receiving it. For this is the way of the Lord, the experi enced way after him (after the touches of his truth) comes the tempter with his reasonings, deceits, likeneffes, &c. Now the Lord is trying thee, how thy heart will stick to him: and if thou come off from the temptation, if thou ftand clear of the enemy, the Lord will appear to thee again; ftrengthen thee, comfort thee, open more to thee, lead thee further in the way of life, and nearer to the power and purity thereof: but if thou draw back from that, wherein the Lord began to work, the Lord's foul hath no pleasure to appear any further to thee, or work any further in thee.

And one thing I will tell thee. If thou let not in the enemy's temptations, but abide (under the clouds, under the ftorms, under the tempefts, under the confufed reafonings, fears, doubts, and troubles) looking towards the Lord, waiting for him, and not making a league with the enemy against him in the mean time, the Lord will certainly appear; and when he doth appear, thou shalt find one of these two effects.

Either the power of the enemy's objections, or temptations, will be fo broken, as thou fhalt not then heed them; or they will be fo anfwered by the appearance and light of the Spirit of the Lord, as thou shalt be fatisfied about them. Now which of these is the better for thee, the Lord God knows, and that thou shalt be fure to receive from him in that hour; neither will he leave thee, but fecretly support thee in the mean time; thy eye and mind being towards him.

The light and power of the Lord, when it arifeth, fcatters and breaks that into pieces in the mind, which was very powerful before; fo as the foul doth not now fo much as mind the confidering or knowing of that, which the enemy had made it believe was fo neceffary for it to know. For mark; that which caufeth me to grow, is the feeling of life, the fense of the Lord's prefence and power with me, the living knowledge, the knowledge which quickens, and gives life. Now, when the life fprings, when the light fhines, when the Lord in the power and precious vifitations of his truth, reacheth to my heart, this is prefent with me. Then what matter I thofe objections and prejudices, which the enemy cafts into my mind? Nay, I cannot heed them, being taken up with another thing of a deeper nature. Thus have I often found it by experience; all that troubled me,

and

and that I doubted of, vanishing in a moment; that being prefent with me, and prevailing in me, which puts an end to all thoughts, reafonings, and difputes.

Again, it pleaseth the Lord at other times (when he feeth good) to open the mind, and let it into the fight of thofe things (it waiting upon him, and letting them alone his feason) which of itself it could never have waded through. Thus also have I seen the objections, and ftumbling-blocks concerning this precious people (who are of God, as the firft fruits of his powerful vifitation after the apoftafy); concerning their principle, way, doctrine, practices, &c. opened unto me in the clear light of God, and in the holy demonstrations of his Spirit; infomuch as I have manifeftly feen, and been fully fatisfied, that what was objected in my own heart, and is objected to in the hearts of others, hath been from the fubtil accufer of the brethren, who beareth false witness against them, and would draw as many as he can to partake in his falfe teftimony, and fo alfo to become falfe witneffes against God, his truth and people. Therefore beware, all ye that defire after the Lord, and would meet with the reft and fatisfaction of your fouls in him, how ye be prejudiced against that, whereby God worketh in others, and whereby he hath appointed to work in you, and all whom he worketh in. For he hath fent his Son to give life, and he will not give life by another. And he hath appointed his Son fhall be received as a principle, as a feed of life, though as little as a grain of mustard-feed; yet thus must he be received; and in this his low appearance hath he the prefence of God with him, and his power and authority; and what he, this little feed (though ever fo little) requires, teaches, forbids, &c. must be observed. But there is none upon the earth can own or fubmit to this, but he that becomes a child alfo; yea, a very little child. Man's spirit, man's wisdom, man's knowledge, man's religion, man's zeal, &c. is too big to enter here. Men are too wife, too knowing, too rich from fcriptures and experiences to submit to this; as the Scribes and Pharifees were to submit to Christ's appearance, doctrines, and preachings, when he appeared among them in that body of flesh. Therefore come into the true feeling, out of the dead knowledge into the living fenfe, where life, power, righteousness, yea, the peace and joy of the kingdom, is tafted of, and in fome measure witneffed by thofe, who bow down in fpirit before the least or lowest name. or appearance of Jefus; the loweft degree and measure of whofe life is King and Lord over death for ever.

VOL. II.

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