The Signature of All Things — trans. John Ellistone (1651)

25. All whatever teaches of Christ's Satisfaction, and comforting oneself with Christ's Suffering, if it teaches not also the true Ground how a Man must wholly die to Self-hood in the Death, and give himself up in the resigned Will wholly into the Obedience of God, as a new Child of a new Will, the same is without, and not in the speaking Voice of God, viz. in Christ's Door.

26. No flattering or comforting avails anything, but to die to the false Will and Desire in Christ's Death, and to arise in the wholly resigned Will in Christ's Resurrection in him, and continually mortify the earthly Self-hood, and quench the Evil which the earthly Will introduces into the Imagination, as an evil Fire which would fain continually burn.

27. Comforting and setting the Suffering of Christ in the Forefront is not the true Faith; no, no, it is only without, and not within: But a converted Will, which enters into Sorrow for its earthly Iniquity, and will have none of it any more; and yet finds that it is kept back by the self-ful earthly Lust, and with his converted Will departs sincerely out of this Abomination and false Desire into God's Mercy, and casts himself with great anxious [earnest] Desire into Christ's Obedience, Suffering, and Death, and in the converted Will wholly dies to the earthly Lust in Christ's Death, which will not depart out of Christ's Death, and continually cries Abba, loving Father! take thy dear Son's Obedience for me; let me only in his Death live in his Obedience in thee; let me die in him, that I may be Nothing in myself, but live and be in his Will, in his Humanity in thee; receive me, but wholly in his Resurrection, and not in my Unworthiness; but receive me in him; let me be dead in him, and give me his Life, that I may be thy obedient Son in him, that his Suffering and Death may be mine, that I may be before the same Christ in him who has deprived Death of its Might, viz. a Branch or Twig of his Life.

28. Thus, and no otherwise, is the true Christian Faith; it is not only a Comforting, but an incessant Desire; the Desire obtains the Suffering of Christ, which [Desire] would continually fain be obedient, if it knew but how it should behave itself before him, which continually does fall down before him, and dives itself into the deepest Humility before him; it suffers and does all Things readily, only that it Might but receive Grace; it is willing to take the Cross of Christ upon itself, and regards not all the Scorn of all the World in its Selfhood, but continually presses forward into Christ's Love-Desire: This Desire does only grow out of Christ's Death, and out of his Resurrection in God, and brings forth Fruit in Patience which is hidden in God, of which the earthly Man knows Nothing, for it finds itself in its Selfhood.

29. A true Christian is a continual Champion, and walks wholly in the Will and Desire in Christ's Person, as he hath walked up and down upon the Earth. Christ, when he was upon the Earth, desired to overcome Death, and bring the human Selfhood in true Resignation into divine Obedience: And this likewise a right Christian desires to do; he desires continually to die to the Iniquity of Death and Wrath, and give himself up to Obedience, and to arise and live in Christ's Obedience in God.

30. Therefore, dear Brethren, take heed of putting on Christ's Purple Mantle without a resigned Will; the poor Sinner without Sorrow for his Sins, and Conversion of his Will, does only take it in Scorn to Christ: Keep you from that Doctrine which teaches of self-ful Abilities, and of the Works of Justification.