"Wherever
this Love comes, it makes all imperfect things flee before it, but it strengthens
and confirms every plant that is sown by the Spirit, which have long lain
buried and makes them appear above ground. It is the king flower
of the whole paradisical spring that protects the whole, transmuting
all into one entire body of Love that doth extend and give forth itself
in all spiritual bounty according to its high nature and property. It is
not shut up to itself upon any consideration as to what it possesseth and
enjoys, for it holds nothing in proprietorship, whatever its lot is, but
all is free to the disciples of the same descent and birth with Himself.
This Love cannot withhold from any of their necessities, for it seeks not
its own. It is God's only steward upon earth whom He dare trust with the
care of His household who are in spiritual hunger and nakedness.
"Know,
whoever you be that are made to willingly venture the loss of all
to arrive at this pearl of charity, that you shall most surely find
it, and great rejoicing there will be at the finding of this lost goat
(a British coin worth about 4 pennies today}. Indeed, the house of
the soul must be first thoroughly searched and the natural self-love must
be swept out. For what is that which we must lose but even all rubbish,
filth and dross So that our hearts, being emptied and cleansed from all
these, the king of Love may enter in with full train, wherein we may know
nothing but concord, tranquility and a springing treasury of all goodness.
Wherefore,
let all holy and pure minds be stirred up to wait for the dropping dews
which fall from one eternal element to bring this plant of Love's kingdom
forward even unto its full height of perfection. And be tender of its first
buddings, for it hath many subtle enemies both at home and abroad. It is
the heir and therefore is conspired against, for can but the envious spirit
find out where its birth doth spring, they will attempt to kill it whilst
it is but an infant, for which cause it must be hid in the clefts of the
Eternal Rock. There it is to be fed and nourished with its own nature-milk
and honey of Love until it become strong and able to encounter and overcome
all its opposites that it may reign alone as monarch of the soul.
"My
friends, whoever you be that shall read this experimental writing, know
assuredly that if you can but find this burning star of Love risen
-- nay, if you can but feel the glowings and enkindlings of heat in the
center of your hearts, it is more to be valued than all other spiritual
gifts, powers and divine ornaments which pertain to the new creation. Then
we may boldly despise and contemn all worldly dominions and all the joys
and delights of sensual love. For you must know it is such a sacred and
celestial seed, coming immediately from the heart of the Deity, as cannot
admit anything of defilement or pollution to abide with it. It soon
leaves the soul if anything be taken in which cannot abide the
burning touch of this altar coal.
"But
here it may be asked, "What is this Love which is so highly exalted
above all heavenly and earthly things ? Sure there must be some rare transcending
quality in it not commonly known that makes you press it so vehemently?"
"Truly,
well I may, yet not I, but the essential Love Itself doth move me to open
the mystery of It, which happily hath not been understood as now by breaking
up the fountain of it so that it may plentifully run forth. For giving
the light of the knowledge of it doth but make way for the very substance
itself to rise sensibly in its flaming quality. Take this further account
of it, that it is known to be the most holy and pure generation of the
immaculate Virgin of God for which is prepared the virgin-womb
that this birth might be the choice and undefiled one of her that brings
it forth.
It
shall not be now at Christ's second birth as it was at His first. Then
His visage was marred more than any man's. He was a man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief, and there was no form nor comeliness in Him, which
made Him to be set at naught and greatly despised, though without sin or
guile. But being found a sufferer under it, He therefore could not be exalted
until He had His first birth in us which must precede His second. But there
is a vast difference between Christ's first and second coming.
Many
ages are passed wherein saints have known only the birth of Christ in them
after this weak, suffering, dying and reproachful state. The apostles,
upon whom the Holy Ghost was poured forth after a most signal manner, by
which Christ gave witness in them of His victory and exaltation, enabling
them to work miraculously; yet notwithstanding, they were not gotten
beyond the suffering birth of Christ in themselves, for they only
had the revelation and foresight of His appearing in power and great glory.
But they departed this life and did not see the sign of the
Son of man (the birth and establishment of Love) to take up in
them for a visible reign and kingdom that might redeem out of all tribulation,
and so it hath continued until this day.
But
yet there is not to be found a generation so prepared and made ready for
the second coming of Christ as was in that day, which might make us doubt
whether the coming of Christ is so near. Because this birth of Love is
so hardly found in any, risen up to an absolute dominion, which is
a sure introduction to the omnipotent reign of Christ in this visible earth
in the inward properties of the Love flock. But you will say, "The
apostles and those that were convened by their ministry were all in the
dispensation of Love and were in expectation of having the Kingdom restored
to Israel in their day. What was the reason then that Christ's second birth
did not rise in them ?"
"To
which I answer that it was thought meet by the Father of Wisdom that all
of that generation should drink of their Lord's suffering and dying cup,
as He often hinted unto them when personally with them, though they had
a general spirit of prophecy concerning His glorious reign in which He
would appear in His saints. And then again, it may be disputed as to whether
those elders themselves had completed their own regeneration and so were
perfectly arrived to the throne-dominion of Love as fixed Overcomers. Paul,
Peter and John, who were the most eminent amongst them, seemed to have
somewhat more in sight than what they had attained to and so were still
pressing after it.
"However,
it may be concluded that they had got the start before any that are known
at this day, yet it seems that hitherto Love's womb hath been shut up from
bringing forth children of the resurrection-- at least to
anything that is manifestly known.
"But
for this we may have good hope that if indeed it be born in anyone and
made strong to maintain its right and superiority over the whole inward
creation, ruling as God, by whom it is certainly avouched that a virgin
spirit shall be given to such for eternal generation, who shall be able
to raise and quicken the holy grain of Love that lieth as dead, so that
Love may see her offspring to multiply exceedingly unto all perfect purity.
Such an holy congregation and society, being once raised to reign upon
Love's throne together will be as so many raised banners which will be
terrible to the nations which stand without the circle of Love.
"Now,
by all this we see what hath hitherto put a stop and caused the Lord to
delay His coming and will continue to delay until perfect Love is
come to burn up every image in the mind that is not engraved by God's
own finger. It is certainly to be concluded that charity
is the golden wash and baptizing pool out of which souls
do come all ruddy and white [inwardly], clear and bright, to whom the Lord
may say, "My dove, my fair one, my undefiled, come away; the
Love-scarlet dye hath washed thy [inward] blackness away so that now thou
art all fair in My eye."
This
is a prophecy which hath been fulfilled in part and will have more abundant
fulfillment as this spirit of burning Love takes possession of hearts.
Then the very face of God will be the covering by which
we shall see and know what before we were ignorant of as to our own
pure Love's nativity, which was foreknown in Christ before the world of
wrath and bitterness did show itself. And thus, by the first and second
birth of Christ in us, all will come to be restored to a glorious new creation
where Love shall die no more, nor sin live which brought in curse and sorrow
and estranged God from us.
Now, is not all this a most persuasive motive to the Love-flock, wherever scattered, that God intends to bring them to this Love-band of perfection that we may know one another as God's enkindled sparks, increasing to flames, which are to consume all envy and wrath as stubble and dross. The trumpet sounds from Mount Zion and waxeth louder and louder. We daily hear it, from which we have declared the most excellent things concerning the eternal Love-fellowship in God's own clearness, in which no spot of darkness is to be found. You will say -- "Where are such to be found according to this degree which you have here described? All visible churches and societies are far too light when weighed with this golden grain and shekel of the eternal sanctuary."
"We
know it to be so from the all-piercing eye which doth try all degrees of
Love, and it may be universally bewailed that so much superficial, formal
and dead love is found, both to God and to one another. Hence we do not
wonder that the Bridegroom makes no more haste, His bride wanting as yet
her full vesture or robe of pure Charity, without which she can never
be said to be ready, for this is to be all her glory both within
and without and to adorn her for Love and delight.
Therefore,
all pre-eminence and honor give to Love, taking all care to nourish it
up in God and there abound in it towards one another. This high, pure and
mystical unity of Love hath been yet very little understood and even less
practiced. That heaven-born society is much scattered. Where is Love's
paved habitation to be found in which fervent charity doth wholly act and
move, loving and admiring as God appears and looks forth through the lattice
of humanity in each one? Oh! How should it draw out and open the springs
of Love as God Himself who is the spirit and life of Love which moveth
and riseth in holy souls!
"Therefore,
it becomes us to be tender of it; not to grieve it nor quench it in one
another for that may cause it to sink and die away in ourselves, and then
the very ark of our strength departs from us, and the heat and vigor of
all spiritual life declines with it.
"Upon
which consideration, O ye heaven-born out of the womb of eternal Love,
wherever dispersed-- let your gatherings be to this lifted up standard
where Love's kingdom is known and possessed in all peace, joy and tranquility.
The trumpet from Mount Zion doth sound to call you away from all worldly,
drossy perishing loves which are not supersensual and celestial. Nay further,
it doth call you away from all lukewarm superficial loves,
for Love's workings must be fervent, strong and immutable for the making
meet for the rising and abiding power of the Holy Ghost to work from.
All
which will be brought out of the fiery furnace of Love for the great and
mighty things that give testimony of Christ's kingdom in His saints being
come, for it will surely open from this center. Now, whoever ye are that
feel the touch of this celestial firestone, send forth your warming sparks
to set one another in an holy flame. Know your own mother's children. Hide
not yourselves from them. Be no longer strangers towards them. Find them
out from north to south, and revive yet once again the apostolic knot and
band of unfeigned Love that may forerun the Bridegroom's return to dwell
among us, so that we may no longer fast and mourn but be ever feasted with
Love's multiplyings from the fountain deity. Even so confirm it accordingly,
O Lord Jesus!"