30

30. And I commit you to the tender effectual working love of Jesus Christ; and commend myself unto your brotherly love, favour, and affection.

OUR SALVATION IN THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST.

AH sincere wishes of divine salvation in holy power, and of all temporal welfare premised.

HAVE received your letter, sent to me for Christian friendship and refreshment, in divine knowledge, in divine desire, and affectionate, hearty Christian love, and it is exceeding welcome and acceptable to me.

2. And, also, I do rejoice that yet God hath His children, and little flock here and there, whereas else at present the world is deeply drowned in wickedness, and is apprehended in theyfre of anger, which shortly shall make a great rent in the Antichristian Christendom, as it is known and manifest.

3. And that man doth very well and right who learneth to know himself aright what he is, which cannot be brought to pass through reason and sharp searching [or deep studying and speculation in natural acruments of reason]; but in the true process (or following') of Christ in a real resigned soul, which disclaimeth and forsaketh the reason, and its own wit and human selfness, and entereth with a true conversion from the earthly way into the highest simplicity of Christ, into the true and deepest humility under the cross of Christ, as Christ hath faithfully taught us, and said, Unless you turn and become as children, and be born anew of the water and Holy Spirit, you cannot see the kingdom of God.

4. Whereunto a true real resignation and renouncement of human self doth belong; that man wholly betaketh himself into his inward

ground, and wholly annihilate himself in self, and turn himself by earnest repentance with inward entire desire from this world's being into God, and wholly die in the death of Christ to his own strength and self-will, and fall down or sink into the mercy and compassion of God, that so he may be apprehended of the Holy Spirit in the inward ground in himself, that the same may see, will, and act through Him, what is pleasing to God; who only is the true searcher in divine knowledge, and the light of the soul, in which light it beholdeth and knoweth God, and in no other way may it attain to divine and natural knowledge, vision, and contemplation.

5. For the natural rational man understands nothing of the mystery of God's kingdom, for it is without, and not in God, which is plain and manifest by the learned in reason; in that they contend and wrangle about the being and will of God, and yet know it not, for they hear not God's word in them.

6. And all is dead and void of understanding in reference to God, which hath not the living voice, and the divine hearing of the new birth in the Ens of Christ in it; that the Spirit of God may give testimony of His outward hearing and teaching in him, in which internal seeing God only is known, and His being understood, to which the outward literal or written word is only a form and a prepared instrumeyit.

7. But the true understanding must flow from the inward ground out of the living word of God (which must before be opened and revealed in man), and enter into the written word, that there may be one concordance and harmony, else all teaching of the divine being and will is nothing but a building upon the great Babylon of earthly reason and wonders.

8. In which internal ground all my knowledge concerning the divine and natural ground hath taken its rise, beginning, and under- standing; for I am not born of the school of this world [or educated in scholastic arts], and am a plain simple man; but by God's spirit and will I am brought without my own purpose and desire into divine knowledge in high natural searchings.

9. Which knowledge and free gift of grace I shall heartily and willingly impart to my dear brethren and fellow-members in the life-tree of Jesus Christ, and daily make supplication to God, that their hearts might be opened in divine hearing and understanding; that such knowledge might be manifest and made known also in them, and we might be delivered out of the contentious, disputing Babylon, and be brought into one brotherly love, and hear in us what God's will and being is.

10. And, sir, I let you understand that your acknowledgment and tendered friendship is of great acceptance with me; and I wish also to discourse with you of divine matters, and recreate myself therein, which (being we are so from one another) cannot be done so well, and yet it may fall out, for I am fully intended (when the days be a little lengthened, and we be somewhat better assured of more constant weather, if God grant so much favour and time oi peace) to confer with you and other good brethren and friends in those parts by word of mouth; and then I will answer your propounded points, and speak with you fundamentally of them, which now in haste cannot be done: and I commend you and yours to the meek love of Jesus Christ.

Our Salvation is in the Life of yesus Christ iti us.

EAR sir, my fellow-member and brother in Christ our Saviour; my cordial wish and co-operating desire of the divine love and grace premised: I desire to let you know in Christian love that I have considered your condition in a Christian sympathy and fellow- feeling, and have brought it before the gracious compassion of the Most High, to see what He would be pleased to let me know therein.

2. Whereupon, sir, I must tell you that I, in the same gracious compassion, obtained such an insight and vision of your condition and temptation, that the ground and cause of it is made known to. me; and I will set it down in brief for a memorandum, that you may consider and ponder it seriously by yourself.

3. The first cause of such strong working temptation is the supernatural, superabundant, and unspeakable love of God (that is, the divine good will, and then the creatural will of man struggling one against another); that the human will refuseth fully to resign and give itself up with total confidence unto such great grace of God, which is tendered unto it out of pure love, but seeketh itself and its own love of transitory things, and loveth itself and the beings [or things'\ of this world more than God.

4. Therefore man's own nature (which in its own centre without the love of God standeth in mere anguish, strife, enmity, and unquiet contrariety) tempteth him; into which also the devil shooteth his false desire, to lead man astray from such liigh grace and love of God.

5. This temptation is the greatest; and it is even the combat which Christ maintaineth with His love (shed forth into the nature of man) against such selfness^ also against God's anger, sin, death, devil, and hell, in which combat the human dragon must be devoured by the love of Christ, and changed into an angelical image.

6. And if the love of God in Christ had not its infiuence in you, you should have none of this combat, but the dragon (viz., the false devilish will) would maintain his natural right [and possession with- out any such conflict or disturbance].

7. Now, therefore, this perplexing and distressing temptation is wrought very sensibly in nature by the dragon, who is in travailing anguish with his own nature, when such great love of God cometh into him, and would change his natural right into a diviiie [self- denyingj will.

8. For here Christ [the serpent-stroyer] standeth in man, in hell,.and stormeth or assaulteth the strong prey-fort of the devil, whence ariseth such strife; where Christ and Lucifer fight for the soul, as God hath given you to see, and know experimentally in the first temptation.

g. Thus Christ bruiseth the head of the serpent, and the serpent stingeth Christ in the heel, and the poor soul standeth in the midst in great trembling and sadness, and can do nothing, but only stand still in hope; it is not able also to lift up its face before God, and pour forth its effectual prayers, for the dragon turneth its face towards the vanity of this world, and shows it the beauty and glory of this world, and mocketh it, because it will become another creature; and represents unto it the kingdom in which it liveth, and its natural ground.

10. And here the soul standeth with Christ in the wilderness, in \ht forty days' temptation, where the might, glory, riches, and pleasure of this world is tendered unto it, alluring it to elevate itself and enter into its own self-will.

11. The second temptation oi Lucifer, and the selfish dragon of nature, is this, that when the soul hath tasted the divine love, and hath been once illuminated, then the soul will have that same light for its own propriety, and work therein in its own power and ability, as in its own peculiar possession; understand, the nature of the soul, which being without God's light is a dragon as Lucifer, that I say will have it for its own propriety; but this dragon will not resign up his natural right; he will be a maker and disposer of the divine power, and live therein in great joy in his fiery [selfish] nature; and this cannot be.

12. This dragon (viz., the fiery nature) must be changed with its own will into a love fire, and forego his natural right; but he is un- willing to do it; but he in such a change or transmutation looketh for an own self-fower, and yet findeth none, and therefore he beginneth to doubt of grace, because he seeth that in such working he must forsake his natural desire and will; and hence he continually is afraid, and will not die in the divine light from his own natural right, but always ihinketh that the light oi grace (which worketh without such sharpness and fiery might) is a. false hght.

13. Whence it cometb, that the outward reason (which, however, is blind [and seeth nothing aright of itself] \ continually thinketh: Oh! who knoweth how it is with thee, whether it be true or no that God hath illuminated thee, that He is in thee? It may likely proceed from such a. fancy; thou seest not the like in other people, and yet they think to be saved as well as thou; thou makest thyself thereby only the fool of the world, and standest in fear and trembling at God's anger, more than those who comfort themselves only with the promise of grace upon thtfutio-e revelation.

14. Thus it Cometh to pass that then the internal ground doth sigh and pant after the inflammation and motion of the light, and fain would have it; but the nature is able to do nothing; it is as- if it were wholly rejected of God, which is also true, as to the self-will; for God hath planted a new will into it; it must die to its own will, and be changed into God's will.

15. And because the will of nature must here die and resign up its own right to' the will of God, therefore such grievous temptations are therein; for the devil will not have his prey-fort to fall or be demolished \ for if Christ shall live in man, then the spirit of self- lust and imagination must die, and yet it doth not wholly die in the time of this life by reason of the flesh, but it dieth daily, and yet liveth; and therefore there is such contest, which no wicked man feeleth, but only those who have put on Christ, in whom Christ fighteth with Lucifer.

1 6. The third temptation is in the strongholds of the devil, namely, in the will and mind, as also in flesh and blood; where the false centres lie in man, as a peculiar self-will to the proud temporal life, to the lust of the flesh, to earthly things; also many curses of men which have been wished upon his body and soul through his tempta- tion; all the sins which have grounded and concentred, and yet stand in the astral spirit, as a strong fort; in which Christ now fighteth, and will destroy it; which stronghold of might, pleasure,, and beauty of this world the human will doth still esteem and hold

for its propriety and best treasure, and will not resign it up and be obedient to Christ.

17. Therefore, beloved sir and Christian brother, I tell you, and give you to understand, what our loving Lord Jesus Christ hath shown me in my consideration; examine yourself, what your tempta- tion is; our dear Lord said, We must forsake all, and follow Him; and so we should be right Christ-like poor (or truly spiritually poor).

1 8. Now if you yet stick with your mind in the self-lust, imagi- nation, and love of earthly things, then therein (namely, in those centres which yet work in you) you have such temptation.

19. But if you will follow my child-like counsel, I tell you this, that when such temptation doth arise in you, you must then imagine nothing else to yourself save the bitter suffering and dying of our Lord, and consider His reproach and scorn, His contempt and poverty in this world, which He hath undergone and done for us poor men; and resign your desire and whole will thereinto, that you would very

fain be conformable to His image, and with all unfeigned willingness follow him in his process [or way of life\, and patiently endure whatsoever is laid upon you to suffer, and that willingly, for His sake; and desire only to be conformable or like unto Him; and for His love sake and will be content to be abject, despised, in contempt, and affliction, that you might but maintain and keep this His love in you, and will no longer to yourself, but only what Christ willeth through you.

20. Dear sir, I fear me there is yet somewhat in you that is,displeasi7ig to Christ by reason whereof there is such strife in you. Christ willeth that you should with Him die to your own will, in His death, and arise in His will, and live with Him; and Christ is at

J>resent in your soul, and striveth for your soul.

21. Let all earthly will go, and resign up yourself wholly and fully; let joy and sadness, comfort and conflict, be all one unto you; and so you shall with Christ be a conqueror over the world, devil, death, and hell, and at last find by experience what Christ hath been in you, and wherefore this hath happened unto you, which hath been the process of all the children of Christ. I speak out of ■Christian affection.

Dated on the day of Christ's going to His suffering and dying. Anno Dom., 1623.

The open FoJtntain in the heart of Jesus Christ J>e our i-efi'eshment and constant light.

ORTHY, learned, and kind sir, my friend and beloved brother in Christ, all hearty wishes of the love, illumination, and bless- ing of God premised, your diligent study in the divine 'cm'sdoni is very acceptable and joyous to me.

2. And so much the more, in that I per- ceive in your letter that God hath opened yoiur heart and spirit to a right understanding; and I wish from my heart (as indeed I do not at all doubt) that the precious coral in the humanity of Christ might again spring forth (in the spirit of Christ and His tender humanity in us) from the inward man in your Paradisiacal plant withered in Adam., and bring forth true fruits for the table of God.

3. And that the noble and precious braiich may be fast engrafted in the vine of Christ, and spring forth afresh from the same;. and may blossom with us amidst this present wicked, thorny world, and help to foretell the summer of Christ in His time of the lily; indeed, some branches out of Christ's rose-garden do here and there appear, and do spring forth as a wonder of God in the midst of the fire of tribulation in Bahel.

4. But that you say my writings have given you some direction, go to; be thankful to God for it, who thus manifesteth His wonders and deep hidden wisdom by mean and unexercised people, and sets them for a light to the children who in the cradle of the world work in their Bahel stA fable; and that they are convinced by mean sim- plicity that their works, will, and life is only a carved image and a

forged selfish invention that hath not its foundation and root in Him.

5. As at present the Most High hath given us manifoldly to understand whence in short time His wonders in His hidden wisdom are [and shall] be declared to the world in writings for the light thereof, in which our posterity, and all those who obtain under- standing from God in them, shall not only wonder but exceedingly rejoice.

6. I understood by Mr. Walter that you have received some of my writings which do much delight you; yet I could wish that you had the last pieces also, which are more plain and clear, and have a sweeter foundation, in which the manifested God may be known in all His wonders and works very clearly.

7. They will in many places open more light unto you in your practice: for the ground of nature is very clearly discovered therein; as also our very fair pleasant garden of Christ of the new birth.

8. Beloved Frederick, it will give you much furtherance to temporal and eternal exercise, and I hope that you (being an engrafted scion) shall not break off from the tree of the divine wisdom; for shortly there will come a time when it shall be of need- ful use and you shall rejoice among th.Q firstli?igs that go out from Babel.

9. I highly thank you iox yonx present \A\vAl I have received, and I shall, for its recompense, carry it in my will into the mystery of the Most- High; and it shall be received as a treasure for you; and I acknowledge hereby your true open heart.

10. However the pearlwiW not be therefore given, but for nothing; as God hath done for us in Christ; and so one member is bound unto the other: and I commend you to the sweet, and pleasant love of yesus Christ, and exhort yon further to seek after the pearl.

The Salvation and Light of God in the Life of Jesus Christ enlighten you, and ^ve you further to understand LLis will.

OURTEOUS sir and good friend, I cannot but rejoice with you, in that you have given up your life to [be] a plant of God; and so it springeth and buddeth forth in the body of Jesus Christ the Son of God, who hath begotten us again to a Hving creature in Himself, and hath set us before His Father as a lovely plant in His pleasant Paradisiacal garden, to His joy and deeds of wonder.

2. And I find (if I consider aright), that you are not only a plant of God for yourself, but as a pleasant herb and flower doth not hold its strength and virtue within itself, but doth cast forth and diffuse its virtue for a sweet relish unto all living essences (ox thing's), and freely presents itself unto all creatures, whatever become of it, and so it doth not spare itself, but continually produceth its power and smell.

3. And thus I find it to be with the soul of man, which con- tinually groweth and freely yieldeth its power or virtue for him to taste that desireth it, and is capable of receiving its power; be it either to love or anger; to the life of God in Christ, or to the life of pride, leading into the utmost drift of misery, which in the end befalls those that are not grown in God.

4. But praise, glory, and honour unto those who are regenerate in Christ, who, although they do here lose their life, and appear before the sting of the thorny plant aa a poor, useless herb that is trampled under foot, but as an herb that is cut down and is no more seen or discerned, and reason saith it is quite gone, but for all that it hath its root in the earth, and springeth up; thus likewise the soul of the saints is engrafted into the holy life of Jesus Christ, and standeth in God His Father, and springeth forth again through death.

5. At which (seeing we have known the same effectually) we do rejoice; and therefore we esteem the life of this world, which con- sisteth in the source of the stars and elements, as the leasts and do rejoice that we are the children of God.

6. Seeing we know that God is really in us, and yet He is hidden to our earthly life, therefore we know that our soul is in God, and springeth up in God, and the body is in the dominion of the stars and elements, according to the source of this world.

7. Thus we are God's image and likeness, who Himself is all; should we not therefore rejoice? who will separate us from God, if the soul be in God, where no death or destruction is?

8. Therefore, my dear faithful friend and brother in Christ, I esteem it great joy unto me that I have found a precious plant of God of you, of which my soul smelt, and thereby was strengthened, when the oppressor would have torn it out of the land of the living, when it lay under the oppressors, and the thorny plants of Antichrist intended to devour us.

9. But as God cometh to help the branches which stand in Him with His power that they might not perish; albeit devil and death do storm against them; so they must spring forth again through death, and the wrath or fierceness of the anger and sting of death; and ■ though God bestow the most noble and precious herb of His garden upon it, yet His will must stand; what is sown in Him, that must grow in Him.

ro. This we know, in that He hath given His heart (viz., the most precious plant in Himself) to become man for us to a strong sweet savour of regeneration in Him, that when we were in death we might be able to spring forth, with, and through Him out of death, in God His Father, and bring forth the fruits of Paradise.

11. Being then we know that we are the plants [fruits or 7iursery'\ of God, let us not fear anything, but continually grow in the life of God, and bring forth fruit to God's honour, and deeds of wonder, we shall enjoy them eternally.

12. And being we know that our precious life standeth in great ■danger (between the kingdom of heaven, and the kingdom of hell; lying cgptable to both in this time of Hfe), therefore we must walk warily and circumspectly, that our pearl may not be broken; we must not let the savour of wrath {sin, iniquity) into us for to corrupt and spoil us, whereby the precious fruit is hindered in the growth, and God should complain of us: that He is like a vine-dresser that _gleaneth, and would fain enjoy the precious grapes.

13. Therefore let us be watchful to fight against the Prince of

Wrath, that the precious grapes and fruits of God may grow in us, in which God may have a good smell and taste, that we may be a pleasant sweet savour to Him in Christ.

14. We shall well enjoy it when we are rid from the vanity of this life; and then we shall live and spring up in God, and eat of the pure life of God without defect; and He will be our food, and we His, that so there may be a pleasant, mutual, Paradisiacal growth in one another, we in God, and God in us, in the eternal source of the holy life in God's nursery, wherein is mere perfection in pure love.

1 5. For which cause we labour so earnestly, and suffer the scorn and contempt of the world, that while our earthly life springeth in death, our heavenly life may spring forth through death, that so the earthly life may appeBr before the heavenly as a scorn; which indeed is not worthy to be called a life, comparing it with the heavenly.

16. And therefore we suffer patiently in the earthly life, and re- joice in the heavenly, in hope that we shall hs freed from vanity; and then we shall be well refreshed with consolation; what we have been fain here to sow in tribulation and trouble we shall reap in great joy.

1 7. Wherefore, my very dear brother in the life of God, in which you stand, you are more acceptable to me that you have awakened me out of deep sleeps that I might go on to bring forth fruit in the life of God, and afterward to rejoice therein with the children of God.

18. And I give you to understand that, after I was again awakened, a very strong odour was given to me in the life of God; and I hope to bring forth fruit therein, and to aivalzeti the sleepy, as God hath awakened me out of the sleep wherein I lay.

19. And I entreat you for the holy life sake of God in Christ, that for the future you would not be faint or weary, but animate and quicken up your life in Christ, that our spirits may be apprehended and understood, which cannot be without the divine power.

20. For every one speaketh from his essences in the wonders of God, according as his life is enkindled in God; and no man can bring us to an understanding, but the only spirit of God (out of or pro- ceeding from God); which in tlie day of Pentecost did in the mouth of the Apostles change the tongues of ail nations into one, that the languages of all nations could understand the tongues of the Apostles, whereas they spake butfrotn one tongue, but the heart and spirit of the hearers were opened in God, that they all understood them, every one in his ozc'?i language, as if the Apostles had spoken in their languages.

21. Thus it is only possible in God that one spirit can apprehend and understand another, for I fear me that in many places of my

zvritings I shall be difficult to be imderstood; but in God I am vei-y easy and plain to the reader, if his soul be grounded in God, from which knowledge I only write.

22. For I have very little from the historical art of this world, and I write not for the pride and honour sake of their art, for I am not begotten of their art, but out of the life of God, that I might bear fruit in the Paradisiacal rose-garden of God.

23. And that not for myself only, but for my brethren, and sisters, that we might be one holy body in Christ to God our Father, who hath loved and chosen us before tlie foundation of the world was laid.

24. Therefore, as Christ spared not His life, and so also His true disciples, but did freely preach the kingdom of God, albeit they suffered scorn and death in this world for it, and that only for the sake of the heavenly kingdom, so must we not fear so much the tem- poral scorn and death for the heavenly life sake, and so pray that God would deliver us from all evil, and give us unity in one mind.

25. But I am sorry that I am so difficult to be understood oi yon in some points of my writings, and I wish that I could impart my soul to you, that you might apprehend my meaning.

26. For I understand that it concerneth the deepest points on which the?nai}i depends, where I have used some Latin words, but my meaning resteth.in truth, not barely in the Latin tongue, but much rather in the language of Nature.

27. For it is opened unto me in some measure to sound out the spirits of the letters from their very original, and I would very gladly give you the meaning and interpretation of those words which I have used, and in which you have a misunderstandiitg; but, seeing it will take up some room, and now (being I am in haste) it cannot be done, I am very willing to offer myself to give you a very clear interpretation of them very shortly.

28. For I have been so busied with travelling up and down, and other affairs, that I could not pleasure you therein; I pray have a little patience to wait for it.

29. For I have yet so much to do, by reason of my brother's daughter (who is lately dead), that I must run every week into the country; and was also fain to make two sore journeys, with which the time is run away.

30. If it please God that my travelling be once over, I hope that it shall do many a poor soul good service in its hunger; yet what God will, be done; as many a spile of grass perisheth (or witliereth) when the heaven giveth not its rain, so do wo7-ldly affairs hinder God's kingdom.