"For in very deed the new birth is a new man, whether Christ for us or Christ in us, which is formed by the Divine Word.  And this new man is "he that is born of God and cannot sin", because he has no sin in his nature.  This is "he that overcometh the world" because he is of a divine nature and is both contrary to the world and above it.  This is he who alone can "love his brother as himself" because the love of God abideth in him.  The old natural man is of this world and enlightened only with the light of this world:  he is shut up in his own envy, pride and wrath
and can only escape from these by the cross of Christ; that is, by dying with Him.  This is the "self" that our Savior calls us to deny--this is the "self" that we are to "hate" and "lose", that the kingdom of God may come in us; that is, that God's will may be done in us.  All other sacrifices that we make, whether of worldly goods, honors or pleasures, are but small matters compared to that death of self, spiritual as well as natural, which must be made before our regeneration has its perfect work.

 "To be a true student or disciple of the Mystery is to be a disciple of Christ, for it calls you to nothing but the gospel and wherever it enters, either into the height or depth of nature, it is only to confirm those words of Christ, "He that followeth me not, walketh in darkness", and "Unless a man deny himself (his will), and forsake all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple".  This is the philosophy opened in this Mystery.  It is not to lead you after itself, but to compel you by every truth of nature to turn to Christ, as the one Way, the one Truth, the one Life and Salvation of the soul; not as notionally apprehended or historically known, but as experimentally found, living, speaking and working in your soul.

"Read as long or as much as you will of this Mystery, it is all labor lost if you intend anything else by it or would be anything else from it except a man dead to sin and to the world that you may have life unto God though Jesus Christ our Lord."
 

"It would seem, therefore, from what William Law writes, that there is much to be gained by allowing one's self to be purged while yet in this life, as well as much to be lost in resisting it.  For after the body of flesh and blood is put off, "the soul has only the strong apostate nature of fallen angels left in it, which must have its place in that blackness and darkness of a fiery wrath that burns in them and in their kingdom".  It seems to be much easier to undergo purging and overcome sin while still in the body than to be left to those ages that are required to do the same work after the body has been lost.

"If we are willing, if we wisely use this great and awesome thing called "our will", we may attain in a relatively short time and under remarkably lenient and agreeable measures what may require ages of distress and torment later, not to mention what is forfeited by such a long disobedience.  I do not say that we must be able----only willing.  Grace is always available in Christ, but it is only for the obedient----the disobedient don't need it.  So, if we be willing, we may eat the good of the land [The Pearl of Great Price Who will become our life:  our Wisdom, Righteousness, Redemption and Sanctification].

"I  recently experienced something I would like to share in the hope that it may benefit someone.  I had been confronted by the Lord about relinquishing something in which I had found pleasure.  It was not sinful or in any way tending in that direction but I had noticed that it did have a certain spirit-dulling effect upon me which I seemed quite willing to overlook because I did enjoy it.  The nature of the thing was so trivial and petty I could not at first believe that God was actually interested in it, much less intent that I relinquish it.  This in itself supports the idea that God means to invade every area of our life until He holds sway over it in entirety.

"Every time I was confronted by Him about this thing I would silently "take it under advisement" but never give an answer and would not make a decision on it.  The Lord finally had enough of that and brought the thing to such a head that I found myself in the proverbial corner on the matter.  I had a decision to make and I knew that either way I made the decision, He would abide by it.  I wanted to be able to put aside what had become a distraction for me, but I realized that I didn't have the strength of determination to do so and to do it absolutely.  I definitely did not want to be guilty of half-measures with God.

"The fact that God has delivered me from so many other things didn't seem to make any difference to me.  I noticed another thing which took place in my soul during this time.  While I was coming to a decision on the matter, knowing I really had no choice if God is to be All in me, I noticed what could be called nothing other than a great soul-sob within.  It was as if my soul intuitively knew what the outcome was going to be and mourned the loss of this little innocent pleasure.  I have experienced this before, and it seems to be a process the soul goes through in
yielding itself to God in a matter.

"I really wrestled with this thing for about four days and finally said to the Lord something to the effect of, "Lord, I want to lay this down and find all  my pleasure in you, but I know that I'm just not able.  If you mean for me to do this in my own strength, then when and if I accomplish this, I will have somewhat of which I may boast.  Knowing
that You alone must have the glory of a finished work, I yield to You in this and expect that You will make it possible".  That something so petty could rouse such a struggle in me proved to me what I had before only suspected.  That I can of myself really do nothing!  We are pitifully helpless and woefully ignorant of it.

"The moment I yielded my will in the matter, it was no longer a problem to me.  My soul, in the area of the will, had consented and so it seemed as if nothing was left which blocked the grace of God.  The point I want to make here is that my will acted as a lock which God apparently chose not to violate.  Instead, He so dealt with me that I was pleased to unlock it myself.  I was once again amazed to find how easy it was to do in God what I could not do myself, and the part my will had played in it all seemed astonishing to me.  Our will is a great and awesome thing when used wisely.  When used unwisely, it can also become so hard that it just cannot seem to yield...

"It is one thing to yield all things to God, but to give up that which is most cherished by man----his will, his self, is death to self.  Without this we have no part in the first resurrection.  It is this reality of death to self, a real relinquishing of the will to God, which causes what I call the great soul-sob within us.  The soul knows right well that its exercise of its will has come to its own calvary.  What the soul doesn't seem to realize is that through this very relinquishment of its own will and becoming completely dependent upon its God, through this death to self, it gains all things in God.

"For no sooner does the soul agree with what the spirit intuitively knows is right and good and correct, no sooner does the soul come into harmony and oneness with the spirit as to truth and the reality of that truth by acquiescing to the truth----the marriage of soul and spirit takes place.

"Then shall it be that, "Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land (body) any more be termed Desolate:  but thou shalt be called Hephzibah (My delight is in her), and thy land (body) Beulah (Married)" ---Isaiah 62:4.  They shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal diadem in the hand of their God who are willing to trade their will for His...

"When the will of man becomes one with God's will, then "BEHOLD, THE TABERNACLE OF GOD IS WITH MAN"!

"Such a work as this only God would undertake to accomplish.  And only God is able to will and to do of His good pleasure in us.  It ought to comfort us to realize with understanding that we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works."