The New Living Way Prepared by Christ

I was strengthened by their faith, and they by mine, when I came to them in the month of July. After I had edified myself freely in the Lord with them for nearly 14 days, I was led into prison at the instigation of the General Superintendent there.

For which great grace and mercy that the Lord has shown to me, an unworthy one, that He deemed me worthy of the tokens of my Jesus, to go into prison for the sake of His name, I can never sufficiently praise, laud, and extol Him. You poor preachers, scribes, and Pharisees think indeed in the malice of your hearts to do me evil; but the Lord, who does not allow you and the power of darkness to go any further than His wisdom recognizes to be necessary for my greater trial, humiliation, and purification, knows how to direct all circumstances most wholesomely for the good of my soul. For the more you, holy, good God, humble me through all manner of outward sufferings and tribulations, and withdraw the food from the desires of the inward man, the greater you make me from within; the greater light, grace, and power you can impart to my inward man. Under all outward sufferings and tribulations, our hearts become truly tender, still, calm, soft, and melted like wax, so that Jesus can impress His divine sense of suffering, humility, meekness, love, truth, and righteousness into them, and make us partakers of His divine nature.

Whether I have acknowledged Jesus before the town halls in the joy of the Spirit, with my mouth and conduct, as I believe in the inward being through the conviction of His Spirit.

Whether I have proven the compassionate love of Jesus toward all straying and lost little sheep, and have faithfully sought them, and warned them against the murderers and ravenous wolves?

Whether I have proven true love and divine zeal for love against their sins, in hearty intercession and faithful exhortation to repentance, toward the worst enemies and persecutors.