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Show So J677· ~ The AtiTHOJ\'S LlEE. Vox., I. d fit ck Five they , bpened the Gates of the City, Soon after the Clock ha u 0 r I nO: but it came upon me, with a fweet, and we bad pot long g~fi ~~·s 'PerjccJtted Countefs, with a Salu tation from yet fervent Pow~;· tfo Jvtfilt 'nd to open unto her more plainly rhe Way of the Love and L I;t o c us, a . . E. ifll the Lord; which I did in .this followmg /",, ' · To the Countefs of'falckenfleyn and Bruch, at Mulheim. ' My Dear ,Friend, . . od (Grieved nnd Crucified hj aY tbe J fv~rfc,~ :}-i,~;=i~~jlJ[f11!::t %yGUnderftanding, blifs and be with tby Spirit for ever! b h beloved for the So<e of t hy Defirtt nnd Tho' unlutow1f, yet art f 6N .m.uc G d . The Rc ort wfJercof, from fume in ~reay:ing~S4 Sota;{r;:a;;:/;;';J~~rdflo~ of truf Kindnifs.tJon my Spirz, ~~J ,.:;j;J ;~0':z; a very fin!.!Jlar andferv_6nt In_clination to vijit tbtc/0 a:n~~/ rather, becnufifeofh t2bnt S1 offering nGndl%~"~:;;.o,~:i~uf:.i/! :;r,;;ldbood bu~ for theSa<c o I y C4 towards o' JJ'" '} b C rJi fi B 'both a Secke_r after the ~ord, anj abgr~j1 fgferer r' 0~b~ (lTvo;7J.e, n~ R: rcnt.r Re!ar1onr, Compamons, nn;1 t e ~~ r1g'p1ates o If . :~d~:;•s:u7Z':r/,0!}::~~ {: ;;;:'}:./::, ~;;fe ::,~•o;::,::J .'}';b;11;;;1;;~~f'i(c~ of God, a_ml the /b~cio~f !--ifc of 1~!r~e::;,,~01~;:, ~{//:b:~,m~;}l b!~f/te ;~:. dc:nef1_ :m~lor~nf':za~:v:o':U;:ffofufftr for bU ]\-ame's Sake; that the Spirit tm(;~d_ a~d (J;f Glory may refl upon thy Soul. of Jlni truJ 1 crmfay, 1 felt t~e good TViU of God, his T~oly Care, and h:avenly Vi:r. · L ve 10 extend 11nro t hee. But one Tbrng more efpecraUy lay 'J111111on; · ./ 10 have communicated URto thee, which made me the more 11~:ffi_nm]of~~ Opportunity rofpenk 'll!itb thee, and that wru thi'r, That thou {houdft have a uue, right and diftmll Knowledge of thy own Scare, and h t that is which hath vifited thee; and m what thy Fatth, Patience, Ho 3 e and Sal vat di.l ion ftand; whcr~ to wait, and bow to fin~ th.e Lord, and 1h b tween th.:l.t which is born of God, and that whtch IS not; both '· ~if:rpecl to thy felf in all the Motions and Conceptions of thy Heart ; :n~ with Refpe8: to others in their Religious Worf'hips an~ Perform_ances ; to the End that thou mayft not be deceived .a~ou t the Th~ relaung to God's Kingdom, and thy Eternal Peace: Thts ts of gr~atefl erghr. . . Now know certainly, thor wbicb hnr.h clifcovcred unto thee tbe Vamflet of t his World, tbt Emptintft nnd the Fodmg of nO earthly Glory, tbe BkjJcdnefi of t fJe Righteoll!, and tbe Joy of tb: World tbat u to eo~e, ~the Lrgh~ ''J GJrift Jeftn wherewith be barb enbg~tened tby .Soul: For 1t1 htm was l:tf1 and that Life is the Light of Manktn~, John 1. t· 9· Tb~ts God promi{e h the Pro bet Ifabh; to give Him, vu:. for a Ltght to lighten the. Gen/' ies andp for his Salva tion' to the Ends of the Earth. So thnt Cl•rifl the i ;gbt is God't Gift , and Eternal_Life it_bid i1t him; yea, all the Trerifuret if WifJom nnd Knowledge who rs the Lrght of tbc Gojpei·Tcmpk, tru< Be· ~ieve;.r, Rev. 2 1. .A11d all ;bat receive t 1Jir Light into their Hearts, ~nd brmg t heir Deeds to it , to fee in what Groun~ rbeyare w~ougb~, w_bet1~rr rn Go~ or in tbe Evil One, and make this ~leffed Lrg~t tb~ Guide rf rberr Life; fear~n.g! uith a71 holy Fear, to do any Tbzng that thu Lrgbt mnnijrfl.r to he Evll; «art. ing and watebing with a godly Care to be preferved bitt"! clefs before the ~ord f Jfay, all fuch become Children of Ltght, and Wnntffe~ of the _Ltfe o . Jcfus. 0 bi~f!ed v:ilt thou h< for ever, if in the Way of tbrs Holy Lrght thy 1l1ind wallu to the End! . . L' ~ Ln This that bath vijireJ. t hee lead t hee; tbu Seed of L1ght :1nd t eo[, wbie11 is the Seed of the Kingdom,; yea, 'tis Ch:if1, rbe true and only S~ed. God t hat vifited my Soul, even m my young 1enrs; that fpread my Sms. '" Ord;r before me, reproved me, imd bro11ght Godly San-ow upon me; makr;~ Vo~;.: I: Tbe AuTHoR's LIFE. Si me o/ttn to fJJtep in folildry Pltice.r, and _fay within my SoN!, 0 that 1 knew 1677 the Lord as l ought to know him! 0 that I ferved ~ir_n as I oug.ht to ferve ~ )Jjm ! ,1'ea, often Wa/ there r1.grear Concern upon my SplTlt about mme Burna/ StaN, pourn/ully dejiri11g th.tt the Lord would give my Soul Refl in the great Dry of Trouble. J\ltJw WaJ all.the G~ory of the World Ill a Bubble ; yea, nq. t hing waJ dear .to meth3.c I m1ght wmCbtift : For the Love, Friendfhipand Pl~afure if thu World were a Burden unto my Soul. .lind in tbh Seeking .. flare 1 rom ditefled to rheTefiimony of Jefus irt mine own Confcience as the true f'hining Lithr, giving me to difcern the Tlioughts and Intents of mine own Heart. .And no f ooncr wm I turned unto it; but I f ound it to be that which from my Childhood bad vijited me, t hough I diflinflly llnew it not : .And when I rrceived lr ilt tb( Love of it, it jhtwed me all that ever I bad done and reprov ed all the unfruitful Workr of Dar)mefs; j udgin.r me a1 a ft1an i~ t he Ftejh, and laying Judgment to the L ine, and RigbteouJnefs to the Plummet in 1fle. And tU by the Brightnefs of his Coming into my Soul he difcaverctl the Man of Sin there, upon hi.s Throne, J o by the Breath of his Mouth, wbieb is the two-eJged Sword of his Spirit, He deflroytth bi.r Power and Kingdom. ilnd Jo bnving mode me a Witneft of th< Dw b of t he Crojs, be hnth oifo mode me a TVitneJs of his RcJurr~flion. So that in good Menjttre IJJ} Soul tan now Jny, I am juftified_in the Spirit;_ and !ho11gb the S,tnu of Condemnation unto Death was glorwus, yet Jufttficatton unto Life was, and is, more glorious. In this State of the New Mtm nll if new : Beho!d new Heavcnt, nnd a new Earth! Old Thints come to be tlohe away; th~ old .Man with hH Deeds put off. Now nrro Thot~ght.r, n~w Dejires, new iJ.ffcOions, new L ove nero Friend .. jhip, new Society, new K._indre~. new Faith~ even that which ov;rcometh thi~ IVar!d, through many Trtbula_ttonr; on_d new Hope, even Jba1 living Hope that is f ounded upon ~ru~ E_xpenence, whub holds O"_t all Sror'!'.t• and can fie to t he Glory rhat zs znvijible (to cor?ta! Eyes) m the mtdfl of the greotefl Tempe fl. l\7ow it it the fame hle.lfed SeetJ. of Light , Life and Groce, which from GoJ. t he Father is } own in thy liettrr, and « bub b,n!J moved nnd wrough't there the Change wbicb thou bajt witne.lfed from tbe Spirit tJ/ this World : Turn to it, watch in it , t hat h.f it thou mayjl be hept }rom o/J that it difcovers to he contrary to God'; efpecMlly / rom thy [ elf, from rhine own Runnings, Willingr and Strivinf .r: For whatfoever is not born of the Spirit is Flef'h; and tha: inherits not the Kingdom of God ; but aU that fow to it fhall inherjt Corruption. By this thou wilt come to f eel, nor only all Sin to he a Burden, but all thine own Righteoufnejs, y~a, all Man's Righteoufnefs to he a Burden. Thou wilt _fee the Difference betwixt the Dutiet nnd Prnyer.r which t hou hegerrejl, and the Duties and Prnyers which, in thy tr11e Silence from a!J JefF .i!llivity of Mind, the Lord begets in thee. 0 that t bou111ight'jl !mow the lUyflery of the new Birth, and wb11t t hat ir that can truly call God Farber ; even that that is bcgollen of him, which liveth o.nd breotbetb, and both iu Beginning a11d Being in that Life which it hid with G_hrifl in q od, nnd hy w~icb h b~th been quickened 1~ t he Knowledge and Wor/h1p of C?;rifl and God. .And t hu thou Jl?alt nor [ml !O /mow and enjoy, m thou patrentlyju(ferefl the Lord to work hu own H ork mtbee, by his OT£11 hle.lfed Spirit, .AnJ.tbat wbich wilJ give thee to f avour and difcern t he right Jl1otions ttnd Conceptions, D11ties and Performances in thy f elf, from the f a!.[c, will give thee to favour nnd·di(cern t hat wh;ch iS rigbt [rom t bnt which if /alfe in others; that which U of God, f rom that whieb U of JJ1an. Have a Care o( gar bering of Sticks, and kindling a Fire of thine own, and tbencompalfing tby J eif about with the Sparks of the Fire which thou haft kindled,{ or t he End oftbHSt ate is to lie down in Sorrow ; Qecauf e rheHea.venly Fire is a6f~nt, which mllketb the Sacri fice acceptable: Yen, t he L ord may fl ir in zby lie art, but t hou moyfl brin( f orth : Bur he thor gives to conceive, be bring& t o the Birth, and be g iveth Power to bring f orth ncceprnbly : For wichout Chrift we can do nothing; and bleffed are tiNy t hat flir not before the .Angel movnb rbe Waters, and go not /;(fore Chrifl bnt ttre ltd by Him, and t hat M Dwa!un |
