tnally in him ; therefore whatsoever (/Wa? an y shall do to such a Christian in his bodily Necessities , it is done to Christ Himself who dwelleth in him. For such a Christian is not his own , but is wholly resigned to Christ , and become //& peculiar Possession , and consequently the good Deed is done to Christ Himself. Therefore also whosoever shall withhold their Help from such a needy Christian , and forbear to serve him in his Necessity , they thrust Christ away from themselves, and despise Him in His Members. When a poor Person that belongeth thus to Christ asketh any Thing of thee, and thou deniest it him in his Necessity , thou deniest it to Christ Himself And whatsoever Hurt any shall do to such a Christian , they do it to Christ Himself. When any mock, scorn, revile, reject, or thrust away such a one, they do all that to Christ ; but he that receiveth him, giveth him **Meat wa^f)rink, or Apparel , and assisteth him in his Necessities , doth it likewise to Christy and to a Fellow-Member of his own Body . Nay, he doth it to himself if he be a Christian; for we all are fine in Christ , as a Tree and its Branches are One.
{ 5. The SCHOLAR. — How then will those subsist in the Day of that Fierce Judgment \ who afflict and vex the poor and distressed , and deprive them of their very Sweat ; necessitating and constraining them by Force to be subject to their Wills , and trampling upon them, as their Foot-stools , only that they themselves may live in Pomp and Power, and spend the Fruits of this poor People’s Sweat and Labour in Voluptuousness , Pride , and Vanity ?
The MASTER. — Christ suffereth in the Persecution of His Members. Therefore all the Wrong that such hard Exactors do to the poor Wretches under their Control, is done to Christ Himself ; and falleth under His severe Sentence and Judgment. And besides that, they help the Devil to augment his Kingdom ; for by such Oppression of the Poor they draw them off from Cfirist , and make them seek unlawful Ways to fill their Bellies, Nay, they work for and with the Devil himself, doing the very same Thing which he doth ; who, without Intermission, opposeth the Kingdom of Christ, which consisteth only in Love . All these Oppressors, if they do not turn with their whole Hearts to Christ , and minister to, or serve, Him, must go into. Hell-fire, which is fed and kept alive by nothing else but such m.ere Self as that ^vhich they have*exercised over the Poor here.
56. The SCHOLAR. — But how will it fare with those , and how will they be able to stand that severe Trial who in this Time do so fiercely contend about the Kingdom of Christ , and slander , revile , and persecute one another for their Religion ; as they do ?
The Master. — A ll such have not yet known Christ ; and are
p. 8
1 . 1 4 The TV ay to Qhrist .
but as a Type or Figure of Heaven and Hell, striving with each other for the Victory.
All rising, swelling Pride , which contendeth about Opinions , is an Image of Self. And whosoever hath not Faith and Humility , nor liveth in the Spirit of Christy which is Love , is only armed with the Anger of God, and helpeth forward the Victory of the Imaginary Self that is, the Kingdom of Darkness , and the Anger of God. For at the Day of Judgment all Self shall be * given to the Darkness ; as shall also all the unprofitable Contentions of Men ; in which they seek not after Love , but merely after their Imaginary Self that they may exalt themselves by exalting and establishing their Opinions ; stirring up Princes to Wars for the sake of the same, and by that means occasioning the Desolation of whole Countries of People. All such Things belong to the Judgment , which will separate the fah e* from th^. true ; and then all Images or Opinions shall cease, and all the Children of Qod shall dwell for ever in the Love of Christ , and , That in them. °
tnally in him ; therefore whatsoever (/Wa? an y shall do to such a Christian in his bodily Necessities , it is done to Christ Himself who dwells in him. For such a Christian is not his own , but is wholly resigned to Christ , and become //& peculiar Possession , and consequently the good Deed is done to Christ Himself. Therefore also whosoever shall withhold their Help from such a needy Christian , and forbear to serve him in his Necessity , they thrust Christ away from themselves, and despise Him in His Members. When a poor Person that belongs thus to Christ asks any Thing of you, and you deniest it him in his Necessity , you deniest it to Christ Himself And whatsoever Hurt any shall do to such a Christian , they do it to Christ Himself. When any mock, scorn, revile, reject, or thrust away such a one, they do all that to Christ ; but he that receives him, gives him **Meat wa^f)rink, or Apparel , and assists him in his Necessities , does it likewise to Christy and to a Fellow-Member of his own Body . Nay, he does it to himself if he be a Christian; for we all are fine in Christ , as a Tree and its Branches are One.
{ 5. The SCHOLAR. — How then will those subsist in the Day of that Fierce Judgment \ who afflict and vex the poor and distressed , and deprive them of their very Sweat ; necessitating and constraining them by Force to be subject to their Wills , and trampling upon them, as their Foot-stools , only that they themselves may live in Pomp and Power, and spend the Fruits of this poor People’s Sweat and Labour in Voluptuousness , Pride , and Vanity ?
The MASTER. — Christ suffers in the Persecution of His Members. Therefore all the Wrong that such hard Exactors do to the poor Wretches under their Control, is done to Christ Himself ; and falls under His severe Sentence and Judgment. And besides that, they help the Devil to augment his Kingdom ; for by such Oppression of the Poor they draw them off from Cfirist , and make them seek unlawful Ways to fill their Bellies, Nay, they work for and with the Devil himself, doing the very same Thing which he does ; who, without Intermission, opposes the Kingdom of Christ, which consists only in Love . All these Oppressors, if they do not turn with their whole Hearts to Christ , and minister to, or serve, Him, must go into. Hell-fire, which is fed and kept alive by nothing else but such m.ere Self as that ^vhich they have*exercised over the Poor here.
56. The SCHOLAR. — But how will it fare with those , and how will they be able to stand that severe Trial who in this Time do so fiercely contend about the Kingdom of Christ , and slander , revile , and persecute one another for their Religion ; as they do ?
The Master. — A ll such have not yet known Christ ; and are
p. 8
1 . 1 4 The TV ay to Qhrist .
but as a Type or Figure of Heaven and Hell, striving with each other for the Victory.
All rising, swelling Pride , which contends about Opinions , is an Image of Self. And whosoever has not Faith and Humility , nor lives in the Spirit of Christy which is Love , is only armed with the Anger of God, and helps forward the Victory of the Imaginary Self that is, the Kingdom of Darkness , and the Anger of God. For at the Day of Judgment all Self shall be * given to the Darkness ; as shall also all the unprofitable Contentions of Men ; in which they seek not after Love , but merely after their Imaginary Self that they may exalt themselves by exalting and establishing their Opinions ; stirring up Princes to Wars for the sake of the same, and by that means occasioning the Desolation of whole Countries of People. All such Things belong to the Judgment , which will separate the fah e* from th^. true ; and then all Images or Opinions shall cease, and all the Children of Qod shall dwell for ever in the Love of Christ , and , That in them. °
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.