A Manifestation OF THE LOVE of GOD unto all such as are convinced of TRUTH, and do not Obey it.  
THE breaking forth and dawning of the day is very pleasant unto such as have long walked and been wearied in a night of darkness, for by the appearance of the day there is a discovery of the crooked paths in which there hath been a sore travel whilst darkness overspread; and in some measure there have many seen this day to dawn, and it hath been pleasant to them in its appearance, as making those things manifest, which in the darkness they could not see, and by the manifestation many have been convinced of the evil deed of darkness, and also of the Truth; and so, the dayspring from on high hath visited, to give light to many that sat in darkness, by which they see what is good and what is evil: but all have not obeyed, and therefore many are yet covered with darkness, notwithstanding they are convinced, and the Seed is yet in bondage though the Light hath shined; for many may be convinced of evil and not forsake it, and they also may be convinced of what is good and not come to live in it; and this is for want of obedience to the Light which visiteth and convinceth, and that is the ground why darkness standeth and the Seed is burdened, for none can come out of darkness but in the Light which reproves it; and though People may be convinced of all the deeds of darkness, and the evil of them, yet if they do not obey the Light which convinceth, and deny those deeds which the Light reproveth, there is a continuance in them, notwithstanding there be a convincement in the conscience to the contrary: and this is a disobedient state, by which the Light is denied and not the darkness, and unto this state there are many stripes belong; for they that know their Masters will and do it not, they must be beaten with many stripes: Therefore you that be convinced with the Light, and are not yet come into obedience, so as to deny that which you are convinced is evil, and to live in that which you are convinced is good, be mindful to answer the requirings of God, and keep close to the Light which convinceth you of that which is evil, and so love the Light and obey it, as to confess it and bear testimony to it; and whatsoever would let or hinder you for obeying, deny it, and take up the Cross unto it; for many stumble at the Cross, by which they are hindered from obeying the Truth, and that which stumbles at the Cross, will deny Christ when he should be confessed; and they which deny him before men, he will deny them before his Father which is in Heaven: (so mark) there is none that are to expect that Christ will confess them before his Father in Heaven, but as they confess him before men upon earth, and so come to be his Witnesses upon Earth, in a true and faithful testimony, by denying the darkness, and confessing him the Light; and this is the Cross which must be taken up before there be a true Disciple; for they that deny not themselves, and take up the Cross and follow Christ, they are not his Disciples; so a Disciple is known by self-denial, and submitting to the daily Cross, that is a mark of a Disciple, for by that they are known to follow Christ in his Light, as Children of obedience: now many may be convinced and yet not come to be Disciples, because they do not obey the Light unto self-denial, nor submit unto the daily Cross, and so keep that life and nature living which is to be crucified; and such never come, in that state, to be God's Witnesses upon earth, though they be convinced of what is Truth; therefore all are to examine what it is that hinders you from obeying the Truth, for if you do not search it out with the Light, and so deny it, and take up the Cross unto it, you will find it to be a hindrance to you all your days, and so you will never come to confess Christ before men, but, on the contrary, deny him; and then what will he do for you before his Father in Heaven, but as you have done unto him before men upon Earth? Now as you mind the Light which convinces you, it will let you see every particular thing that hinders you from obeying; for the Light will search unto it, and find it out, and make you sensible of it, and then you will see that you are in love with something more than Christ, and that you do not answer the Light as Children of Obedience, and so every particular thing which hinders you from obeying, will be manifest in the Light, as you mind it; and there you will know whether you love Father or Mother, Wife or Children, Houses or Lands, worldly Honour or Esteem, more than you love Christ, and how they have hindered you from obeying the Truth, and how scorn, and reproach, and persecution, which such suffer as live in the Truth, how those things have hindered you from obeying it; and so you will come to see in yourselves what is the hindrance, as you mind the Light with which Christ enlightens you, and by which he convinceth you. For, have you not purposed sometimes to draw nigh, and have not those things hindered you? and when ye have purposed to go forward, have they not drawn you back again? and doth not the Seed of God travel in pain, as being oppressed with that nature which you should deny and crucify? and is not that Hagar and her Son, which is to be cast out? for Hagars Son must not inherit with Isaac who is the Heir of Promise: therefore all wait in the Light with which Christ Jesus doth enlighten you, and be faithful to every manifestation of the Light in you; that as you are persuaded that Christ doth enlighten you, so you may be persuaded to obey the Light which doth convince you, and so through obedience came to witness Redemption and Salvation by his Power: for as you yield yourselves servants to obey him, he will turn you, and convert you, and work deliverance for you, and there you will know him in his power, who is able by his power to subdue all things to himself; and as you come to be converted by his power, you will feel his virtue and goodness in a sweet savour, for he loveth the Children of obedience, who are willing to turn unto him; and in your obedience unto him, his Life will rise in you, and there you will know the streams with which he refresheth Chosen; and if you yet love him and follow him, you will come to know the River which maketh glad his Heritage; for until you be converted and turned unto God through obedience to the Light, you neither taste nor feel the virtue of his Life, but sit in the Land of Famine and sore drought, and there you are as dry and unfruitful branches, that cannot bear fruit for want of nourishment; for until you obey the Light, and come out of Darkness, you are rooted in a bad ground, and bring forth unsavoury fruit, and whilst that standeth, the good Seed is hindered from sprouting forth in its own nature, and there can be no fruit to God's glory, but what the Seed brings forth in its own nature; for in the Seed is the Testimony by which God is glorified, and all born of the Seed are God's Witnesses upon earth, and they are not ashamed to confess the Truth before men; for where any are convinced of Truth, and are ashamed to confess it, there is not faithfulness unto that which convinceth, and so the Power is not felt that beareth testimony with boldness: and this maketh many to conform unto that which they are convinced is not the Truth; and to deny that which they are convinced is the Truth; so that where they should confess, they deny; and where they should deny, they confess; and here the testimony falleth, and the hands of evil doers are strengthened, and the disobedient bring trouble upon their own consciences, for there is no true peace with God in a disobedient state. But some may say, We see many that have long professed the Truth, that do not so fully answer all things in a clear Testimony; and we also see others, that seemingly did bear a large Testimony, and yet are turned again into the course of the world: And seeing some fail, and others fall, we are ready to question, whether it be really Truth in the ground, because Truth is able to preserve either from failing or falling? If thou give way, and join unto such reasonings and questionings, thou mayest soon be hindered from obeying the Truth; yea if thou wast going forward, such things would draw thee back again, and some have suffered loss in that very place; for it is the work of the enemy to draw the eye abroad to keep his own Kingdom standing at home, and to effect his design, he sets his own work in others to be viewed; for if thou that makest such an Objection, dost but mind the Light and Truth in thy own Conscience, and keep thy eye into that, thou wilt see and discern that such failings and fall come to pass by yielding to temptations, by which the mind is enticed and drawn from the Truth, and so thou wilt see the Truth stand clear in itself notwithstanding such things may happen unto some that have long professed it: For by such questionings the Enemy labours to hinder thee from obeying the Truth in thyself, because some that have professed it fail in performance, and others fall back and abide not; now if thou mind the Truth in thyself, thou wilt see that such things are not of or from the Truth, but of the Enemy; and thou wilt also see that it is the Enemy in thee which draws out thy mind to look abroad, and thereby to hinder thee from minding and obeying Truth in thyself; and if he can work his work, he than saves his own Kingdom, and holds thee Captive under his power; but if thou mind the Light in thine own Conscience, thou wilt see what Truth is in itself, and if thou love it; to obey and follow it, thou wilt witness a going forward in it, and that will take away all occasion of stumbling from before thee, and the Testimony of Truth will spring and live in thee, and as thou livest in that, it will preserve and keep thee; and then the failings and fall of such as do not live and abide in the Truth, will not come nigh thee, and so thou wilt witness a growth in the Truth, though some may fail and others may fall; and that will cause thee to be more in love with Truth, because it preserves thee; for the danger lieth in looking forth, by which the Enemy hath an advantage to deceive, and so the eye is more abroad, and taking notice of what others do amiss, than it is at home to behold Truth in its own naked simplicity, innocency and purity; and then the Enemy begetteth hard thoughts of Truth, because some fail and others fall, and that must needs hinder from obedience to the Truth, where it is so. Therefore seeing the Enemy hath such cunning devices to deceive thee, thou shouldest watch to the Light with which Christ Jesus doth enlighten thee, and wait in the Light for power to resist thy Enemy, and so when he would break in upon thee, the Light will lift up itself a standard against him, and then thou wilt know where the Cross standeth, and what is to be crossed when it moveth; and as thou abidest in the Cross to every motion that would draw out thy mind from the Truth, so thou wilt come to receive Truth in its own power, life and virtue, and in the Truth thou wilt receive strength to go forward through all oppositions that would hinder thee, or drive thee back, and the Light and Power will take away stumbling-blocks from before thee, if thou be willing to go forward in obedience, and that will make the yoke easy to thee, and the way plain before thee; and then thou wilt come to feel what Truth is in itself, and what it is unto thee, and that will put the Questioner down, because thou art come to understand that to be true which he questioneth. Oh therefore love the Truth, as nothing may hinder thee any longer from obeying it; for if thou so love it, thou wilt be drawn by it to live in it, and bear. Testimony to it, and that will free thee from those burdens which thou bearest in the disobedience; for whilst the corrupt and disobedient nature liveth above the Seed, there is a burdened Conscience, and a wounded Conscience, and a troubled Conscience; but as the Light is obeyed, it worketh by its own power, and purgeth out corruptions, by which the oppressed cometh to be eased: And so thou wilt come to receive Faith in the power, and thereby get victory over the world, and over the flesh, and over the devil, which is thy Enemy; and then thou wilt come to witness a growth in grace and godliness, and the Seed will bring forth the fruit of its own nature in thee, and thy Testimony will be found to God's glory, and that will multiply peace and blessing upon thee; therefore let not the world entangle thee, nor scorn or reproach discourage thee, nor persecution affright thee, but yield thyself to obey the Light with which Christ Jesus doth enlighten thee, for it will be better for thee to suffer affliction with the People of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; but if thou run with the multitude to do evil, thou wilt fall into the same destruction, and then thy sorrow will be heavy upon thee, and thy perplexity a perpetual misery. Oh that thou wouldst consider the things which belong to thy peace, before calamity come upon thee, and do not stand at such a distance from the Light which convinceth thee; for now there is a door open, and thou knowest not how soon it may shut upon thee; and now is the day of salvation, and thou art not sure how long it may be continued to thee: therefore believe in the Light whilst thou hast the Light, that thou mayest be a child of Light; for until thou come to be a child of Light, and to walk in the Light, thou art not in the Saint's fellowship and inheritance, though with the Light thou be convinced; So wait to learn of the Light as thy Teacher, and follow the Light as thy Leader, that thou mayest not only stand in the knowledge of what thou shouldest deny, but deny it; nor only stand in the knowledge of what thou shouldest live in, but live in it: And so ungodliness and worldly lusts will die, and righteousness and godliness will spring up and live, and in that nature thou wilt bear a right Image after him that hath created thee; and as thou learnest thou wilt understand more perfectly; for by learning, thy understanding will be opened and informed, and that will make thee of a good understanding in heavenly things; Therefore be mindful to learn of Christ Jesus as thy Teacher, and follow him as thy Leader and Way unto God, for none can come to the Father but by him, nor none can inherit Life but who are born of him; and as thou waitest to learn, thy understanding will be enlarged, and then live in that which gives thee understanding, and so thy ignorance will vanish away, and sound wisdom will take place, and thou wilt there see Christ Jesus in the beauty of his holiness, and receive consolation in the virtue of his Life, and so thou wilt be able to bear testimony to him from a good understanding of him; and if thou here stand faithful, he will be with thee in all trials which come upon thee because of thy Testimony, and thou wilt know a hiding-place in storms, and a sure refuge in distress; for as thou receivest Christ Jesus in his Light, and in his Light abidest, thou art with him of whom it is said, that he liveth, and there thou hast darkness under thy feet as a footstool and treadest upon the high places of the Earth, by which thou comest to be unloosed from all entanglements, and to be freed from all burdens, and to rejoice in the glorious Liberty; and so thou comest to sit down in a quiet habitation, and in a sure dwelling, and to feel the presence of the Lord God, and peace and satisfaction in it. And as some may be hindered from obeying the Truth, in not minding to follow it, so some may be hindered from obeying the Truth in running forwardly before it; and so one may lie questioning and lingering, and the other may run hastily in presuming; and this is a disobedient state as is the first; For if there be not a standing in the fear, there may be an intruding into those things which have not been seen, and thereby the fleshly mind may vainly be puffed up; and where this cometh to pass, there is not a holding of the Head, from which all the Body, by joints and bands having nourishment ministered and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. And so a hasty and forward willer and runner is in the same state of disobedience as is the backward Lingerer; for the Light is not minded as a Leader by either; And in this disobedient state of intruding and presuming, the Seed of God is held in great bondage with corruption. So all are to mind the Light by which they may see their present states and conditions, and what the Light maketh manifest to be a hindrance from obeying the Truth, to deny it and take up the Cross unto it, and then the Light will draw such forward, as are questioning and linger, and pull such back again as are intruding and presuming; and so the way of peace and life will be witnessed by all such as are obedient, and the Lord God will manifest himself unto them, and show them his salvation, and they will find a sure resting place in him that lives for ever; and here every one will know not only a good beginning, but also a good ending, and then they will finish their course in joy, and not in grief and sorrow; and so all walking in true obedience to the Light, there is no occasion of stumbling, nor no occasion of failing or falling, either by lingering or presuming; but as the Light convinceth, so it will lead, redeem and save; and that is the gathering power, and preserving power of the Lord, and in that is the unity and fellowship of the Saints; and the mind which humbleth itself unto it, and liveth in it, is directed and ordered by it to the praise and glory of Almighty God.  
William Smith.  
THE END