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(36) For he hides the noble Grain of Mustard-seed, so that Man does not know himself. And then the World supposes, that he is thus plagued and smitten of God, whereby the Devil's Kingdom remains always hidden and undiscovered.

(44) [“Here is meant or understood, out of or from a very wicked Seed, out of which there often grows a Thistle; though yet there were a Remedy, if the Will was but once broken; but it is a rare and precious Thing; however indeed on a good Tree it is often so, that some Branches also wither.”] Note.

(5) And those cares He indicated in the parable of the fourfold seed, when He said that "the seed of the word which fell unto the thorns" and hedges was choked by them, and could not bring forth fruit. It is therefore necessary to learn how to make use of every occurrence, so as by a good life, according to knowledge, to be trained for the state of eternal life. For it said, "I saw the wicked exalted and towering as the cedars of Lebanon; and I passed," says the Scripture, "and, lo, he was not; and I sought him, and his place was not found. Keep innocence, and look on uprightness: for there is a remnant to the man of peace." Such will he be who believes unfeignedly with his whole heart, and is tranquil in his whole soul. "For the different people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from the Lord." "They bless with their mouth, but they curse in their heart." "They loved Him with their mouth, and lied to Him with their tongue; but their heart was not right with Him, and they were not faithful to His covenant."

(25) Now, after that a man hath walked in all the ways that lead him unto the truth, and exercised himself therein, not sparing his labour; now, as often and as long as he dreameth that his work is altogether finished, and he is by this time quite dead to the world, and come out from Self and given up to God alone, behold! the Devil cometh and soweth his seed in the man’s heart. From this seed spring two fruits; the one is spiritual fulness or pride, the other is false, lawless freedom. These are two sisters who love to be together. Now, it beginneth on this wise: the Devil puffeth up the man, till he thinketh himself to have climbed the topmost pinnacle, and to have come so near to heaven, that he no longer needeth Scripture, nor teaching, nor this nor that, but is altogether raised above any need. Whereupon there ariseth a false peace and satisfaction with himself, and then it followeth that he saith or thinketh: “Yea, now I am above all other men, and know and understand more than any one in the world; therefore it is certainly just and reasonable that I should be the lord and commander of all creatures, and that all creatures, and especially all men, should serve me and be subject unto me.” And then he seeketh and desireth the same, and taketh it gladly from all creatures, especially men, and thinketh himself well worthy of all this, and that it is his due, and looketh on men as if they were the beasts of the field, and thinketh himself worthy of all that ministereth to his body and life and nature, in profit, or joy, or pleasure, or even pastime and amusement, and he seeketh and taketh it wherever he findeth opportunity.

(45) While thou livest in this struggling or striving Birth or Geniture, thou must apply to it, and suffer the Devil to ride upon thee; but so hard as he strikes thee, so hard thou must strike him again if thou wilt defend thyself. For when thou fightest against him, thou stirrest up his Wrath-fire, and destroyest his Nest, and this is then as a great Combustion, and as a great strong Battle maintained against him.

(46) That which thou hast sown in the Ground, that will spring up, be it Rye, Wheat, Barley, Tares or Thorns; that which is not combustible or capable of the final or last Fire, that will not burn at all: But God will not corrupt or spoil his good Seed himself, but will husband, till, and manure it, that it may bear Fruit in the eternal Life.

(23) in this Strife and Fight against the Wrath of God, and the kindled Fierceness of the Devils, and of all wicked Men, the Light rises up in the Heart of the Honest and Upright; and the friendly Love of God embraces him, that he may not despair in his Cross, but strive further still against the Wrath and Fierceness.

(25) I do not write this for my own Praise, but only for an Item or Hint, that if it go with you, you should not despair about it; for there belongs and is requisite a mighty enduring hard Labour, and Stoutness, for him that fights with the Devil, betwixt Heaven and Hell: For he is a potent Prince.

(11) As poison that has reached the blood spreads through the body, so the sin that finds a weak spot spreads through the spirit. A man carrying a bowl full of oil, surrounded by soldiers with drawn swords, in fear of death if he should trip, will walk needfully; and so it is with him that is under the vow. Then when slumber and faintness fall upon him, he will strive against them as speedily as one springs up when a serpent is creeping into his lap. Whenever he is caught unawares, he will be sorely grieved, and consider what he should do that it may not befall him again. For the sake of this he will desire godly company or tasks to come in his way, that his remembrance may be exercised in these conditions. Remembering the Sermon on Heedfulness, he will hold himself in readiness, so that even before a task comes to him he is prepared to turn to every course. As the seed of the cotton-tree is swayed at the coming and going of the wind, so will he be obedient to his resolution; and thus divine power is gained.

(34) Therefore the Soul of Man must fight and strive continually with the Devil, for he still presents before it the Swine-apples of Paradise, and invites it also to bite thereof, that he thereby may also bring it into his Prison. ["That is, the fierce Source of Malignity, wherewith the Soul is infected."] And

(138) Therefore it must undergo many hard Blows and Pinches, and must every Day and Hour wrestle and struggle with the Devil, that is, with the hellish Qualities, and it liveth in great Danger in this World; and therefore this Life is very well called, the Valley of Misery, full of Anguish, a perpetual Hurlyburly, Pulling, and Haling, Worrying, Warring, Fighting, Struggling and Striving. [Or devilish Condition*, Inclination*, and Passions in us.]

(21) Thus it goes also with the bestial Body, when it has once tasted of the Sweetness of God, then it continually hungers and thirsts after it: But the Devil in the Power of God's Wrath opposes exceedingly, and so a Man in such a Course must continually stand in an anxious Birth or Geniture; and so there is nothing but fighting and warring in his Births or Genitures.