"The regenerated, new-born soul in Christ has not only a new spirit, but is a new creation, with an everlasting (spiritual) body. . . . . He is not of this world; he is a stranger to this world, with no understanding of it. . . . He is in the paradise of God, and desires nothing else but that which Christ within his soul desires. . . . This soul must die to letters, reason, scholarship and knowledge, to enter into the only one true life — Jesus! . . . For hard thoughts, high fancies and conceits are not necessary, but the love and mercy of God — to be one with him. . . . This soul must keep plunged in the humility, love and patience of God; . . . go every hour out of death, and into life!
"He must learn how to go out of discussion and vanity; . . . break the power of the selfish will, which no man can do by his own human power. . . . He must give up his self-will as dead, that he may be submerged in the love of God. . . To every self-centered desire this soul must die; for all that doth vex and plague is the self-hood. . . . In all the world there is no such cruel beast as that which is in the heart of every man and woman, — self-love!
"What hinders men from seeing and hearing God, is their own hearing, seeing and willing; by their own wills they separate themselves from the will of God. They see and hear within their own desires, which obstructs them from seeing and hearing God. Terrestrial and material things overshadow them, and they cannot see beyond their own human nature. If they would be still, desist from thinking and feeling with their own self-hood, subdue the self-will, enter into a state of resignation, into a divine union with Christ, who sees God, and hears God, and speaks with him, who knows the word and will of God; then would the eternal hearing seeing and speaking become revealed to them.
"Self-will cannot comprehend anything of God. It is not in God, but external to him. If we live in Christ, the Spirit of Christ will see through us, and in us. We will see and know what Christ desires.
"Christ dwelling in the soul, causes his light to become a holy substance, a spiritual body, a true temple, in which the Holy Spirit dwells. . . . Self-hood hath not true substance, in which light can be steadfast. It desireth not God’s meekness.
"In meekness and lowliness consisteth the kingdom of heaven. . . God’s substance is humility. He who came to rescue us from the evil power, described himself as ‘meek and lowly’; and he could announce, when quit of coarse flesh and blood disguise, that to him was given ‘all power in heaven and in earth’. . . The mysteries of God are revealed to the meek. Let the soul lose no time in trying to clothe itself with humility. . . .Humility is the throne of love; unless this throne is firmly established, love is quickly deposed by every spasm of self-will. . . .It is more blessed to continue under the cross of Christ, in patience and meekness, than to bring down ‘fire from heaven’! . . . There is no contention in Christ, but love and humility.
"The flowers of the earth do not grudge at one another, though one be more beautiful and fuller of virtue than another, but they stand humbly, kindly, one by another, and enjoy one another’s virtue; so we all please God, if we give up ourselves into his will; if we all stand humbly in his field.
"Our trance of selfishness must end, for we are all being organized, by the one only life, in the one body. In the body of Christ, self-seeking is a monstrosity! . . . The whole body must be ‘fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint (or joining) supplieth, . . . unto the edifying of itself in love.’ The second manifestation of Christ to his people will be in their bodies. . . . Our Lord hath need of each one in his great, mystical body; and they must all be one in him, the Anointed.
"There is a life, this world comprehendeth it not; . . . it hath no fire to consume, but a mighty fire in light and love and joy; a fire of brightness and majesty, no pain therein. . . . It hath a body without defect, want, misery, anger, death or devil. . . . The Holy Spirit is its air and spirit; it is filled with love and joy. . . . This life has been from eternity. . . uprising and blossoming! . . . . It is not of this earth, but substantial, — the eternal life! . . . and all who have received this life, at the end of the age, will be presented pure and without blemish, . . . one body in Christ!
"In the time of the end, the time of the Lily, these writings will be sought as serviceable . . . to all such who are shooting forth into the fair Lily in the kingdom of God, who are in the process of birth, are these lines written; that each one may be strengthened, and bud in the life of God, and grow, and bear fruit in the Tree of paradise; . . . that each branch and twig in this fair Tree may contribute, help and shelter all the other branches and twigs, that this Tree may become a great Tree! . . . Then shall we all rejoice, one with another, with ‘joy unspeakable and full of glory’!"
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