Love to the lost

Concerning Light and Life.

GOd is the life of every Creature, though few there be that know it; for the darknesse sees him not, nor his life, though the Children of Darknesse have got words in the Scripture (which were given forth from the light) to talk of, yet God such know not present: for the first beginning of God in the world is lighr; God said, let there he light, and it was so. And this light God saw that it was good: This is that which was in the beginning with God, the Word, by which all things were made and seen; and without this was nothing made that was made, nor any thing seen to be good; and darknesse was over the face of all the waters till the light, which from the Word came, who is the Life; which life is the light of men: So none can see the life, but with the light, which from the life comes▪ which to the life leads all that follow it. So this that was in the begin∣ning, is given to keep in order all the Creation: That is good; but the darknesse comprehends it not, though it shine in it: so all that abide in the darknesse are destroyed, not discerning the life, to order and govern the Creation in the light.

So all that go out of the light, go into the darknesse, and there the life and Image of God is lost, and there is the Fall, and all who there abide are reserved in Chaines of darknesse, not knowing the life which breaks the Bonds and Chains of Iniquity, and opens the Grave and Prison door. And here the Soul being in death, breathing after the Life, but Darknesse got above: In the darknesse is the Creature led into Sects, Opinions, and Errours, after the Imaginations, to seek life; but further it runs here to the sensuall Wisdome, further into Death and Darknesse, till the Creature be so blinded in the understanding, that he thinks and imagins he doth God service, when he is acting a∣gainst the life of God, both in himself, and others: so comes the Crea∣ture of God and his Life, wherewith God did furnish him to do his Will wholly to be lost, and the Gospel hid, that should recover him again; the God of this World having so blinded the mind, and thereby so farre

alienated him from the life of God, that he neither hath power and life to do the will of God, nor light to know where to have it yet in this condition of death, and darknesse, and without the: life of God shall the Creature never be without profession, or some conceit or other, to keep in a vain hope of salvation.

And here is the sole ground and cause why we have so many sorts of, formes and opinions, and wayes of worship, but none that doth good, nor lives in what they say, because all have lost the life of God which onely is able to bri••g forth the righteousnesse of God. And selfe hav∣ing got the form, into the Imagination above the life, cannot receive the light that l••es under, that condemns it. So all the world lies in darkensse, yea thick darknesse is upon all the seas, and great depths is covered with grosse darknesse: and from thence is the Imaginati∣on spread over all; so that none can witnesse the work of God, nei∣ther knows the beginning nor end thereof. And this is the cause of condemnation, and it rests upon all who are out of the life of God. And no other way there is appointed of the Father, to come out of this condition, but Christ Jesus, the light and life of men; who is the light that is in the world, though the world know him not; which light shines in darknesse, but cannot therewith be comprehended; which light is the revealer of darknesse, and manifests the deeds thereof, and the first appearance of this in the Creature, shews the darknesse, and captivity that is in the darknesse; till which the Creature never comes to see the wretched condition that man is in, who is without God the life; nor till then will the Creature be willing to stand still to see Gods salvation; but is full with vain hopes, conceits, and Imagi∣nations and the vaile is over the heart, and what God hath there written is not seen, and so being whole needs not the physitian. And with this blind heart the creature reads the Scriptures, and steals the promises that the Children of light spoke of who had the life, whereby the seed was raised out of the grave, to which the promise is; but neither knowes law nor Gospel; neither came so far as Moses, yet boasting of Christ.

But when the light is minded, the Creature comes to see death raign∣ing, and self alive without the law, with that light which was given to keep out of the pollution, and defilements; and so to keep the life clear and unspotted. With that light, that is seen and judged which hath passed over the life and defiled it, and that which hath gendered to bondage is seen, and the hardnesse of heart comes to be felt, and the cause seen, even the great transgression of the pure law; & so comes the fear of the God, to take hold of the man that hath lived out of the life of God, and taketh pleasure in unrighteousnesse; and the Creature then finds trouble within, even where the strong man did keep the house in peace; and abiding in the light, the cause and end of it is seen, and d welling in the fear; Wisdom is received from

above to depart from the iniquity; and in departing from the iniquity, there is a coming nearer to God; so the light growes, and springs; as there is a comming nearer of the just paths of life. And as the light ariseth the Creation is seene, and how the enmity hath spread over, and how the lust hath defiled it, and how that which was planted as a vineyard is become as a wildernesse for barrenness growne over with thornes and bryars, sturdy Oaks, and tall Cedars, for want of the Vinedresser: and where the Lilly should grow, its growne over with Weeds, Thistles, and Nettles; so that God walks not there because of the great abomination; and that is the cause of all your woe, even his absence.

And when you see this the lamentation begins, in the house of laugh∣ter, even after him from whom you have fallen; and as you follow the light, and come nearer to the Lord from whence it comes, you will see that it is onely your own wills, and wayes that hath separated you from the holy one. And with the light you will come to see, how often you have beene moved by the spirit of light, from your evill wayes; and that the cause why you have beene thus long in the Fall, hath beene in selfe-will, and worldly pleasures, whereby the life hath suf∣fered: never till then comes any to see him whom you have peirced, nor to lament over him, nor to see what it is that oppresseth the just, nor to hate that which God hates, and love that which he loves, in a∣ny measure; but joynes with that which destroyes the soul, and de∣voures the life; and yet makes a profession, and a prayer against it in words; and thats the pharisee, and hypocrite, who with the words de∣stroys the life, who makes a profession above the life, but not in the life; and this is he that climeth up some other way, then the life which is the doore, to which the light leads. And in this state are all the high minded, lofty ones, whose mouths speake of great things, swel∣ling words of vanity; for so are words without life; empty Brasse, giving a pleasant voyce to the carnall eare, but cannot evidence the life, and the works of it; who have the Saints words present, but their righteousnesse is as far off as Judea, Corinth, Thessalonica, &c: and these are they who in words confesse God, but in works deny him who have a large faith in words, but to the good worke reprobate: for none can be of any true judgment concerning the work of God, who are strangers to the life that workes it.