8. Dear children, look well to yourselves in this world: at present men lead you on in hypocritical ways: they boast much of faith, and lead people on in an historical faith, which is but mere notion [or opinion], they teach you the notion, and he that doth not stick to that is accounted an heretic: O how dead is the present faith! It stayeth at the knowledge, or the notion; they suppose that when people know how to speak much of God, of
Christ's merits, sufferings, and death for mankind, and comfort themselves therewith, that it is the way to eternal life.
9. O no, all that availeth nothing, that thou knowest and ticklest thyself with it: true faith in Christ is quite another thing; it lieth not barely in the history, and in the letter: the [bare] letter is not the Word, it is but a leader and director to the word: the Word is living, and hath the spirit; the right faith is the right will, which entereth into the Living Word.
10. If you comfort yourself never so long with the sufferings of Christ, and yet your will and purpose remain in deceit and wickedness, then the spirit which proceedeth out of your will, is a thief and a murderer; you teach one thing, and do another: God desireth no flattering hypocrisy, but an earnest [sincere purpose and] will, which entereth into him by obedience, and this is right believing [or faith] in the Holy Ghost; and therein is the word and death of Christ fruitful indeed.
11. Christ saith, You must turn and be as little children, who are not yet conscious of any falsehood, deceit, or wickedness, and in Christ, through Christ's death, be born of his flesh and blood, if you will see the kingdom of heaven; for he that eateth not the flesh of the Son of Man, and drinketh not his blood, hath no part in him.
12. Dear brethren, it consisteth not in the Host
[which the priest delivers for Holy Bread]
only, which you deliver to the people, and in the
cup or chalice [wherein they carry the Host] :
No, but when the soul converteth,
and bringeth the body under subjection, and giveth itself up wholly in obedience unto God, and into his will, and desireth to go in at Christ's entrance to the Father; then it goeth out from the life of this world, and goeth with Christ into the Father, who giveth it Christ's flesh and blood; for it eateth of the Word of the Lord at God's table, and getteth
Christ's flesh for its body, and Christ's blood for its refreshment and habitation; for the soul dwelleth in the heart, and burneth out of the heart-blood as a kindled light; and hath its principal dominion in the head, in the brains, and there it hath/zve open gates [the five senses], in which it governeth with the spirit of its life.
13. And therefore if the tincture in the soul, in the heart-blood, be entered into Christ's will, then that will governeth the spirit of the soul in the head; and though it hath many obstacles and hindrances from the earthly bestial spirit, as also from the devil, who infecteth the earthly spirit, (so often as the soul is secure or careless), and bringeth it into fleshly lust; yet nevertheless, when the soul doth but reject the earthly bestial thoughts and influences, or instigations, then it remaineth in Christ still; for the body of Christ, which the soul hath, is too hard a bit for the devil to overcome;
and yet a harder bit it is for the soul to turn away from the spirit of this world, and enter into the obedience of God.
14. Dear brethren, it is not a handful of historical faith that will do, for men to set the merits of Christ aloft: it must be sincere and earnest: You must earnestly enter through death and hell of the devils into the merits of Christ: You must overcome the spirit of this world: Your will must press itself with all its reason and thoughts into the will of God, and then you will see how little the historical knowledge can do.
15. If you will not drive the devil out of your heart, then he will not let you enter into God's will: If you will keep the iniquity of falsehood in
8. Dear children, look well to yourselves in this world: at present men lead you on in hypocritical ways: they boast much of faith, and lead people on in an historical faith, which is but mere notion [or opinion], they teach you the notion, and he that does not stick to that is accounted an heretic: O how dead is the present faith! It stays at the knowledge, or the notion; they suppose that when people know how to speak much of God, of
Christ's merits, sufferings, and death for mankind, and comfort themselves therewith, that it is the way to eternal life.
9. O no, all that avails nothing, that you know and ticklest yourself with it: true faith in Christ is quite another thing; it lies not barely in the history, and in the letter: the [bare] letter is not the Word, it is but a leader and director to the word: the Word is living, and has the spirit; the right faith is the right will, which enters into the Living Word.
10. If you comfort yourself never so long with the sufferings of Christ, and yet your will and purpose remain in deceit and wickedness, then the spirit which proceeds out of your will, is a thief and a murderer; you teach one thing, and do another: God desires no flattering hypocrisy, but an earnest [sincere purpose and] will, which enters into him by obedience, and this is right believing [or faith] in the Holy Ghost; and therein is the word and death of Christ fruitful indeed.
11. Christ says, You must turn and be as little children, who are not yet conscious of any falsehood, deceit, or wickedness, and in Christ, through Christ's death, be born of his flesh and blood, if you will see the kingdom of heaven; for he that eats not the flesh of the Son of Man, and drinks not his blood, has no part in him.
12. Dear brethren, it consists not in the Host
[which the priest delivers for Holy Bread]
only, which you deliver to the people, and in the
cup or chalice [wherein they carry the Host] :
No, but when the soul converts,
and brings the body under subjection, and gives itself up wholly in obedience unto God, and into his will, and desires to go in at Christ's entrance to the Father; then it goes out from the life of this world, and goes with Christ into the Father, who gives it Christ's flesh and blood; for it eats of the Word of the Lord at God's table, and getts
Christ's flesh for its body, and Christ's blood for its refreshment and habitation; for the soul dwells in the heart, and burns out of the heart-blood as a kindled light; and has its principal dominion in the head, in the brains, and there it has/zve open gates [the five senses], in which it governs with the spirit of its life.
13. And therefore if the tincture in the soul, in the heart-blood, be entered into Christ's will, then that will governs the spirit of the soul in the head; and though it has many obstacles and hindrances from the earthly bestial spirit, as also from the devil, who infects the earthly spirit, (so often as the soul is secure or careless), and brings it into fleshly lust; yet nevertheless, when the soul does but reject the earthly bestial thoughts and influences, or instigations, then it remains in Christ still; for the body of Christ, which the soul has, is too hard a bit for the devil to overcome;
and yet a harder bit it is for the soul to turn away from the spirit of this world, and enter into the obedience of God.
14. Dear brethren, it is not a handful of historical faith that will do, for men to set the merits of Christ aloft: it must be sincere and earnest: You must earnestly enter through death and hell of the devils into the merits of Christ: You must overcome the spirit of this world: Your will must press itself with all its reason and thoughts into the will of God, and then you will see how little the historical knowledge can do.
15. If you will not drive the devil out of your heart, then he will not let you enter into God's will: If you will keep the iniquity of falsehood in
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