ful life, the clear light, &c., and so their minds are taken up with thoughts about these great things, and desires after these great things, and they overlook the way wherein and whereby these are to be witnessed and obtained.

For the Lord God, in his infinite wisdom, picked out these contemptible things to exercise his flock by, and to lead them in. And whatever men may think of them, yet none knows, but they who experience it, how hard it is to follow and subject to the Lord in these, and how much they bow down and break the earthly and uncircumcised spirit in a man. Now, friend, thou who desirest life from God, oh! take heed thou dost not beat back the beginnings of his life, and the redemption of thy soul, by despising and overlooking the day of small things. Why may not God choose to lead thee in the way that he hath led the rest of his flock? Why shouldst not thou also come to deny the customs and vanities of this world (and come into that which is simple and plain), and stand in the will and life of God out of them? Are not the ways, customs, and vanities of the world, of the spirit of the world, and not of the Father? Did they not come from the corrupt part? Are they not of the corrupt part? Do they not please the corrupt part? Must they not be left behind by him that travels into the seed, is one with the seed, and lives in the seed? Why wilt thou stick in these things? Why wilt thou dispute about these things? Oh! feel the Father's drawings, first out of the world, first out of that which is not of the Father, but of the world; that he may draw thee further and further, even into the kingdom and power everlasting, which are many days' journey beyond that which thou stickest at.

Now mind and remember this which followeth: In the days of Christ and his apostles, God chose the foolish things, and the weak things, and things that were not, to hide the path of life, and the mysteries of his kingdom, from the wise, searching eye of man in those days. Why may he not choose the like things now? Why may he not now reveal things to the babes, and not to the wise of this age and generation? Why may it not be to his glory, to

have it now said also: "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe (where is the learned man)? Where is the disputer of this world?" Can any of them find out that, or any of them discern that, which God revealeth to his little ones? No, no; they are generally got too high above that little, low, tender, meek, sensible principle, in the faith whereof, and in obedience whereto, the teachings of God are received, and his life and power witnessed. And because of their riches, wisdom, and knowledge out of this, therefore is the entrance into the pure, living truth (which cleanseth the mind, and keepeth it clean, which quickeneth it, and keepeth it living) to them so exceeding difficult.

And as the principle is little, the seed of the kingdom little (like a grain of mustard seed), the least of all seeds; so, why may not its appearance also be little, even in low, weak things, despisable to man's eye and wisdom; which man sees nothing in, and may account of no value? And yet, the power of the cross (which brings down and slays the corruptible), and the resurrection of the life may be witnessed and felt in them. "The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men:" and he knoweth what he doth in leading his children in this contemptible path, and by these contemptible exercises, which all that is wise, high, lofty, and aspiring, according to the flesh, may easily overlook and slight, but can hardly stoop down and subject to.

God is the same that ever he was; and he still appears in the way of his own wisdom, and out of man's; and he that will partake of God's wisdom must deny and keep out of his own. His touches, his drawings, his teachings, his blessings, his love, his peace, his joy, his sweetness, &c. are let forth upon, felt, and enjoyed by the soul, in the new creation, in the new sense, in the denial and passing out of the old.

SOMEWHAT TOUCHING THE GOSPEL-REST, OR SABBATH.

WHAT is the gospel-rest? What is the gospel-sabbath? Is it a shadow, as that of the law was? Or is it the substance of that which the law shadowed out?

"The law was given by Moses." Moses, by the command of God, gave forth the shadows of the heavenly things under the law; "But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." The true sabbath, the true rest, the law of the Spirit of life, in and to the true Jews, comes by him. The law of Moses had the shadow of the good things to come; which good things themselves the gospel contains, bringing life and immortality to light, and the soul into the enjoyment and possession of the heavenly things themselves.

The apostle disputes the case about both these, Heb. iv. both about the seventh day of rest, and about the land of rest; showing that they were neither of them the substance; they were but the rests which were to pass away. But besides them, there was a rest remaining, a day of rest remaining, a land of rest remaining; whereof they both (both the outward sabbath of rest, and the land of rest under the law) were figures.

Now for whom did this rest remain? Why, it remained for the true Jews, for believers, for the spiritual circumcision in the times of the gospel. "And we (saith he) who have believed, do enter into rest.” The faith gives entrance, the Son's faith; the faith which stands in the power, the faith which is victory, and gives victory over sin and the world, removes the mountains and difficulties which stand in the way, and gives entrance into the gospel-rest. Faith, which is from and of the power of the endless life, puts sin under, brings down self, gathers man into a new principle, brings man forth in a new principle, causeth him to live and act in a new principle, &c. And as man comes thither, and that life riseth and hath power in him, it causeth him to rest from his own works, and to wait for and experience God, in and through Christ, to work all, and be all in him.

The apostle Peter also speaks of this rest, and declares how it is attained, even by suffering in the flesh, "He that hath suffered (saith he) in the flesh hath ceased from sin.” 1 Pet. iv. 1. It is the fleshly part, the motions in the flesh, from whence sin ariseth.

"Lust, when it is conceived, bringeth forth sin." Now Christ hath prepared and appointed a cross, a spiritual yoke, to bring down the flesh, which causeth great suffering in the flesh to him that taketh it upon him. To deny all ungodliness, and every worldly lust, motion, desire, and delight of the fleshly mind and nature, there is a sore suffering to the earthly part; but yet this bringeth down the earthly part in all that take it up, and helpeth and causeth to cease from sin. And he that hath taken up the cross wholly, and felt the thorough work of it, and suffered in the flesh the parting with and crucifying all that is of the flesh, that which would cause him to sin is slain in him, and he ceaseth from sin. Then he is in the rest; then he keeps the rest fully; then he knows the yoke and cross, which was once burdensome to him, to become easy and delightful, that being worn out in him to which it was painful.

Now he that is in measure delivered, that hath in measure suffered, findeth some rest, and may in some measure keep the sabbath; yea, in the faith, the weakest babe (abiding there) cannot but keep the sabbath, and offer up the sacrifices, and perform the services thereof to the Lord. For the worship of the New Testament relates not to outward times or days; but is in the Spirit, in the truth, in the name, in the power, in the substance, on the day, and in the times and seasons which the Lord hath made, and makes, in the spirits of his people.

And here that scripture is witnessed to those that are born of the Spirit, and live in the Spirit, and walk after the Spirit: "Sin shall not have dominion over you; for you are not under the law, but under grace." Who are not under the law, but under grace? Why, they that are gathered by the grace, that hear the voice of God in the grace, drawing and enabling them to follow; they whom the grace over

shadows from the power and dominion of sin; they are under it, they are sheltered, saved, and preserved by it.

He that is born of God sinneth not, but obeyeth the grace; but he that committeth sin, is the servant of sin, and not yet made free by the grace and power of the Son, from it. Yea, the Son gives that freedom in his day from sin, and the power of Satan, as they that are out of the light of his day cannot so much as believe; but they that are gathered into, and walk in the light thereof, they witness the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, making them free from the law of sin and death. What! is the stronger than the strong man come, with his law and power of the endless life, and shall not he manifest his dominion in the heart, over the law of sin and death? Yea, as it is received, and let in, it works out, overcomes, bears down, over-runs the law of sin and death; and that promise is witnessed, fulfilled, O death! I will be thy death.

And if God, by the power and breath of his Holy Spirit, with the living, powerful laws thereof, kill sin and death in the heart, what shall make them alive again? No, no; then they are dead indeed, and the kingdom and reign of Christ is witnessed in that soul.

Then the birth of life is witnessed; then the man-child is witnessed, ruling with a rod of iron, dashing in pieces all motions and temptations to corruption, and all that would defile, so that they cannot enter the mind; and guarding it in the pure peace, unspeakable joy, and rest of the Son continually. And there it is as truly witnessed inwardly (as ever it was at any time enjoyed or hoped for by the Jews outwardly) that this horn of salvation, which God hath raised up in the house of his servant David, breaks all the horns of the oppressors, and gives rest to the soul from them round about, that, without fear of them any more, it may serve him in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of its life.

There are some good desires in many people, for which, blessed be the name of the Lord; but there is great error of judgment, and wandering up and down from the truth,