The Soul's Conflict with Itself

True self that is worth the owning, is when a man is taken into a higher condition and made one with Christ, and esteems neither of himself nor others, as happy for any thing according to the flesh. 1. He is under the law and government of the Spirit, and so far as he is himself, works according to that principle: 2. He labours more and more to be transformed into the likeness of Christ, in whom he esteemeth that he hath his best being. 3. He esteems of all things that befall him, to be good or ill, as they further or hinder his best condition. If all be well for that, he counts himself well, whatsoever else befalls him.

True selfe that is worth the owning, is when a man is taken into a higher condition and made one with Christ, and esteemes neither of himselfe nor others, as happy for any thing according to the flesh. 1. Hee is under the law and government of the Spirit, and so farre as he is himselfe, works according to that principle: 2. He labours more and more to be transformed into the likenesse of Christ, in whom hee esteemeth that hee hath his best being. 3. He esteemes of all things that befall him, to bee good or ill, as they further or hinder his best condition. If all bee well for that, hee counts himselfe well, whatsoever else befals him.

Another man when he doth any thing that is good, acts not his own part; but a godly man when he doth good, is in his proper element; what another man doth for by ends and reasons, that he doth from a new nature; which if there were no Law to compel, yet would move him to that which is pleasing to Christ. If he be drawn aside by passion or temptation, ⟨p. 115⟩that he judgeth not to be himself, but taketh a holy revenge on himself for it, as being redeemed and taken out from himself; he thinks himself no debtor, nor to owe any service to his corrupt self. That which he plots and projects and works for is, that Christ may rule every where, and especially in himself, for he is not his own but Christs, and therefore desires to be more and more emptied of himself, that Christ might be all in all in him.