The Toaster. — When the Qround of the Will yieldeth itself up«to God, then it sinketh down from itself beyond all (ground and Place, where God only is manifest, worketh and Willeth, and then it becometh Nothing to itself, as to its own Willing , and so God worketh and Willeth in it. Yea, God dwelleth in this resigned Will*; by which means the Soul is Sanctified, and so cometh into Divine Rest . Now when the Body is dead, the Soul is throughly penetrated and saturated with the Love of GOD, and throughly enlightened with the Light of God ; even as the Fire throughly inflameth a red-hot Iron, whereby it loseth its Darkness. This is the Right Hand of Christ ; where the Loveoi God throughly possesseth the Soul all over, and is a shining Light and a new Life in it; and thus the Soul is in Heaven, and a Temple of the Holy Cjhost ; yea, it is indeed itself the very Heaven of God in which He dwelleth. But the Case of the wicked Soul is tlys: It will not in the Time of this Life enter into the Divine Resignation of its Will, but goeth on continually in its own Lust and Falsehood, in the Will of the Devil. It receiveth into itself nothing but Wickedness , Lies , Pride , Covetousness , Envy, and Anger, and yieldeth its Will unto them. By which Means the Hellish Element also becometh manifest and working in the Soul, and throughly penetrateth and possesseth it all over, as •Fire doth a burning hot Iron. Now such a Soul cannot come to * Divine Rest, for God’s Anger is manifested in it. And therefore when the Body parteth from it, then its eternal Qrief and Despair . begin. For it perceiveth and findeth, that it is become a mere self tormenting Abomination, and is ashamed to strive to enter with its false Will into God. Nay, it cannot ; for it is captivated jo6 The TV ay to Qhrist .
— - • ■ ■ 1 ' f in the Wrath , and is itself Wrath , and hath shut itself up therein by its false and evil Desire , which it hath raised up in itself. And seeing the Light of God shineth not in it, and his Love toucheth it not, therefore it is a great Darkness and an aching anguishing Source of Fire, which carrieth Hell in itself, and cannot reach the Light of God. Thus it dwelleth in itself in Hell, and needeth no entering into it, for wheresoever it is, it is in Hell ; though it should cast itself many Hundred Thousand Miles from the Place it is in, yet it abideth still in the same Property and Source of Darkness .
39. The Scholar. — H ow cometh it therj that a Holy Soul in this Life-Time, doth not perfectly plrceive that Heavenly Light and foy , nor a wicked Soul feel Hell \ when both of them are thus in Man, and one of them of Necessity voorketh in him ?
The Master. — T he Kingdom of Heaven in the Saints is working and sensible in their Faith ; they feel the Loveoi God in their Faith , by which the Will yieldeth itself up into God/ But the natural Life is environed with Flesh and Blood \ standeth in the Contrariety of God’s Anger , and is also compassed about and closely beset with the vain Lust of this outivard World. So that the poor Soul liveth in the Midst of its Enemies , having the World on one Side , the Devil on the other ; and on a third the Curse of the Anger of God in Flesh and Blood; which continually sift , try , and throughly penetrate the Life of Man, who is often brought into bitter Anguish, through these several Assaults of Hell, which would fain manifest itself in him. But the Soul sinketh down in the Hope of Divine Qrace , and standeth like a fair Rose in the midst of Thorns, until the Kingdom of this World falleth off from it in the Death of the Body ; and then doth it become first truly and really manifest in the Love of God, having nothing more to hinder or molest it. But during the Time of this Life in the Body it must walk with Christ , who will stand by it and deliver it out of its own Hell by throughly pevetrating it with his Love , and thus change its Hell into Heaven.
The Toaster. — When the Qround of the Will yields itself up«to God, then it sinks down from itself beyond all (ground and Place, where God only is manifest, works and Wills, and then it becomes Nothing to itself, as to its own Willing , and so God works and Wills in it. Yea, God dwells in this resigned Will*; by which means the Soul is Sanctified, and so comes into Divine Rest . Now when the Body is dead, the Soul is throughly penetrated and saturated with the Love of GOD, and throughly enlightened with the Light of God ; even as the Fire throughly inflams a red-hot Iron, whereby it loses its Darkness. This is the Right Hand of Christ ; where the Loveoi God throughly possesses the Soul all over, and is a shining Light and a new Life in it; and thus the Soul is in Heaven, and a Temple of the Holy Cjhost ; yea, it is indeed itself the very Heaven of God in which He dwells. But the Case of the wicked Soul is tlys: It will not in the Time of this Life enter into the Divine Resignation of its Will, but goes on continually in its own Lust and Falsehood, in the Will of the Devil. It receives into itself nothing but Wickedness , Lies , Pride , Covetousness , Envy, and Anger, and yields its Will unto them. By which Means the Hellish Element also becomes manifest and working in the Soul, and throughly penetrats and possesses it all over, as •Fire does a burning hot Iron. Now such a Soul cannot come to * Divine Rest, for God’s Anger is manifested in it. And therefore when the Body parts from it, then its eternal Qrief and Despair . begin. For it perceives and finds, that it is become a mere self tormenting Abomination, and is ashamed to strive to enter with its false Will into God. Nay, it cannot ; for it is captivated jo6 The TV ay to Qhrist .
— - • ■ ■ 1 ' f in the Wrath , and is itself Wrath , and has shut itself up therein by its false and evil Desire , which it has raised up in itself. And seeing the Light of God shines not in it, and his Love touches it not, therefore it is a great Darkness and an aching anguishing Source of Fire, which carries Hell in itself, and cannot reach the Light of God. Thus it dwells in itself in Hell, and needs no entering into it, for wheresoever it is, it is in Hell ; though it should cast itself many Hundred Thousand Miles from the Place it is in, yet it abides still in the same Property and Source of Darkness .
39. The Scholar. — H ow comes it therj that a Holy Soul in this Life-Time, does not perfectly plrceive that Heavenly Light and foy , nor a wicked Soul feel Hell \ when both of them are thus in Man, and one of them of Necessity voorks in him ?
The Master. — T he Kingdom of Heaven in the Saints is working and sensible in their Faith ; they feel the Loveoi God in their Faith , by which the Will yields itself up into God/ But the natural Life is environed with Flesh and Blood \ stands in the Contrariety of God’s Anger , and is also compassed about and closely beset with the vain Lust of this outivard World. So that the poor Soul lives in the Midst of its Enemies , having the World on one Side , the Devil on the other ; and on a third the Curse of the Anger of God in Flesh and Blood; which continually sift , try , and throughly penetrate the Life of Man, who is often brought into bitter Anguish, through these several Assaults of Hell, which would fain manifest itself in him. But the Soul sinks down in the Hope of Divine Qrace , and stands like a fair Rose in the midst of Thorns, until the Kingdom of this World falls off from it in the Death of the Body ; and then does it become first truly and really manifest in the Love of God, having nothing more to hinder or molest it. But during the Time of this Life in the Body it must walk with Christ , who will stand by it and deliver it out of its own Hell by throughly pevetrating it with his Love , and thus change its Hell into Heaven.
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