Friends,
He that loves not, knows not God, for God is love, and he that dwells in love, dwells in God, and God in him. Herein is love made perfect, who are as He is in this world; here is boldness in judgment; there is no fear in this love, no torment in judgment. But if any man love the world, or the things that are in the world, the love of the Father is not in him, but the love of the world: which judgment torments; for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, is not of the Father. These are in the world, and lie in wickedness, which cannot stand in judgment, who have fear in judgment, who are tormented in judgment, whose life is in the world, in the lust, in the pleasure, in the pride, in the excess, in the ease and in the world's nature: These are not of God; whose love to these is greater in them than the Spirit which calls them out of the world; for such cannot endure judgment, cannot stand in it without torment, fear arises, torment arises within, which makes them flee judgment, and cry out against it; which God loves, which the sons of God love, who are redeemed therewith, who have denied the spirit of the world, which is to be tormented, and have received the Spirit of adoption, through the Spirit of judgment, and the Spirit of burning, and are purified, and sanctified, and baptized into Christ Jesus, and have put off the world in great tribulation: Such love judgment, and are able to stand therein, and to dwell with everlasting burning, that which condemns the wicked, the world and the spirit thereof; such love, who love God, who love His appearance in Jesus Christ, who is a consuming fire, which is love everlasting to His own Seed, not of the world, nor the lust thereof; but that which strikes at the world's life, vanity and glory, which cannot stand His appearance, whose day burns as an oven, before whom the world's glory and the fashion of it passes away, that He may bring forth His sons and daughters in another image and life which the world loves not, but has torment in judgment, but the redeemed rejoice therein.
And who is it now that cries, Away with judgment, and who has turned it into wormwood? Such as have their life in the world, whose delight is in that which will be burned, who are for condemnation, who are disobedient to Him that calls them out of the world, who deny the Light of the world, sent to convince the world of sin, and lead into all truth; Such cannot stand in judgment; what boldness can such have therein, who are condemned already, for unbelief in the light and disobedience thereto, fear and torment must needs arise and drive them away, and as chaff must they be, that the Scripture may be fulfilled.
And these cry out for love, who cannot stand in judgment, who stand in the enmity; those who love the things of the world, are in the enmity against God, and those whose life is therein, what have you to do with love? You must first deny the enmity, and give up that life that stands therein, through obedience to the Light, which is God's love to the world, that through the cross of Christ, and by the Spirit of judgment and baptism of fire, all the bonds of iniquity, which keep you in the world, in the enmity and out of God, may be broken, and you brought out free, born of that Spirit which the world hates and condemns, which condemns the world. And so through death of that life which holds you in the world, in the enmity, under the law, under the wrath, you may come to enjoy God, who is love, whom without holiness none can see to their comfort.
God's love stands not in man's will, nor can any who stand in the will of man either give or receive it, only to those who have no other lovers in the world, He gives Himself: whoever loves Christ's life, as to hate their own, whose hearts can join to nothing but what is of God. And this is that true chastity and true charity, which all must learn with the loss of the world's gain, e're God be enjoyed as a Husband. And he who has obtained this treasure in his vessel, must possess it in holiness, or lose it; he cannot let the harlot in and be undefiled, nor give it out to the nature which he has denied to obtain it, and not betray it and lose it, which is only retained in holiness alone. So He that dwells in love calls to all in love; Come to Me, says Christ, and drink and eat freely: this is love, but do all hear? Do all obey? Do all come? Do all inherit? Do all own correction? Are all of God? Do not many cast off judgment, and despise reproof? will not hear the rod, and yet would have the love? Whom I love, I rebuke, says the Spirit, and chasten every son that I receive. This is God's Way; so you who reject it, reject love, and not it you.
Ah! Silly people, how are you deceived! Does he that sees you fast in the world and in the curse, where you have not power to do well, as yourselves confess, but to do evil, and comes and cries peace to you there, and sits down with you in that form or fellowship, does he bring you love, or has he the love that is of God in him, who flatters you here? And does he who has the sword of judgment, and faithfully uses it to part you and the world in which the enmity stands against God, to bring you out into the Son's freedom, does he hate you, or is he your enemy? Is not this to put enmity for love, and love for enmity, as it is at this day with all that love the things of the world, and are kept captive therein, when truth comes to pass upon them where you are?
And you say you are come to the Son and to freedom &c. and you are all in love, as you say: But when judgment from God is sent among you, and falls upon that which is of the world where it finds you; then a fire kindles among you, and you have torment, and your love leaves you; which shows your love is not of God, which loves judgment, where mercy rejoices, whose love has not torment nor fear.
Now the day tries your sonship, your freedom and your love; For judgment I am come into the world, says the Son: And are you come to Him and cannot stand therein? Are you free-born who are in that nature whereon the fires kindle? Is your love that which bears all things, who are tormented in judgment, and driven into heaps of confusion and fear, speaking you no not what? Is this the voice of sons, which cries, Away with judgment? Is this to receive correction? Is this the Son's freedom, or of His nature? Nay, this is to kick against that which pricks you, wherein you plainly show you have not learned your sonship of the Father, after Christ Jesus; nor know Him formed in you, who bears the chastisement of peace, but have got your knowledge another way, than in learning of Christ, and your love is not obtained through the fire, with the loss of all that is to be consumed, which God hates, nor are you born of that Spirit of Christ, to whom all judgment is committed in heaven and earth, nor do you know the key of David.
Now honestly search your house with the candle which God has lighted, and when you find the truth in your inward parts, then shall you say, There is no love but in it; and that the world's love stands in that which God hates, and is a lie, and pierces the soul of all that serve it, or let it into their bosom. And for this we may not join in your love, though we love you, in that which is beloved of the Father, wherein alone we can have boldness in the day of judgment, and in that life alone, in which love is made perfect, which none can inherit further than they become as He is in this world, walking as He walked, dwelling in God who is love without end.
