‘And this further is given me to say to every particular person, to whom this writing shall come, Whatever is thy condition, wait in the light which lets thee see it; there is thy counsel and thy strength to be received, to stay thee, and to recover thee. Art thou tempted to sin? abide in that which lets thee see it, that there thou mayest come to feed on the right body, and not on the temptation; for if thou mindest the temptation it will overcome thee, but in the light is salvation. Or, having sinned, art thou tempted to despair, or to destroy thyself? mind not the temptation, for it is death that sin hath brought forth; feed not on it, nor mind it, lest thou eatest condemnation; for that is the wrong body. The body of Christ is felt in the light, in which is life from death, grace and truth to feed on, which will overcome for thee, being followed; but if thou followest the temptation, fear and condemnation will swallow thee up. If there appear to thee voices, visions, and revelations, feed not thereon, but abide in the light and feel the body of Christ, and there wilt thou receive faith and power to judge of every appearance and spirit, the good to hold fast and obey, and the bad to resist. Art thou in darkness? mind it not; for if thou dost, it will fill thee more; but stand still and act not, and wait in patience till light arise out of darkness to lead thee. Art thou wounded in conscience? feed not there, but abide in the light, which leads to the grace and truth, which teaches to deny and put off the weight, and removes the cause, and brings saving health to light; yea, this I say to thee in the name of Jesus Christ, that though thou hast made thy grave as deep as the nethermost hell, or were thy afflictions as great as Job’s, and thy darkness as the depth of the sea, yet if thou wilt not run to vain helps, as I have done, but stay upon the Lord, till he give thee light by his word, (who commands light to shine out of darkness,) from thence will he bring thee forth, and his eye shall guide thee, and thou shalt praise his name, as I do this day, glory for evermore! And this word is nigh thee which must give thee light, though darkness comprehends it not. And hadst thou gifts, revelations, knowledge, wisdom, or whatever thou canst read of in the Scriptures of truth, and dost not abide in the light, and feed on the body of Christ, whence the gifts spring, but feed on the gift, thou mayest be up for a while in thy own sight, but certainly thou wilt wither and die to God, and darkness will come upon thee, and thy food will turn to thy condemnation in the sight of God.’
Nayler’s Works, page lv.
THE
HISTORY
OF THE
RISE, INCREASE, AND PROGRESS,
OF THE
CHRISTIAN PEOPLE CALLED QUAKERS.
INTERMIXED WITH
SEVERAL REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES.
WRITTEN ORIGINALLY IN LOW DUTCH,
AND ALSO TRANSLATED BY HIMSELF INTO ENGLISH.
BY WILLIAM SEWEL.