it from the voice of Strangers and no more to follow Strangers but to return unto the Lord with all your Hearts and to submit your selves unto him in all humbleness and lowliness as the Light teacheth and that you may all come to know your own measures and abilities which God hath given you for he giveth to every one according to their abilities and that you may all keep down to your own measures and none of you to be exalted above his measure but all there to wait to see the Wisdom of God revealed in you that so you may grow in Wisdom and Power and Strength and Might in the knowledge of God who reneweth their strength that wait upon him So here is your Power and Strength to resist Temptations All to wait in the Light which comes from Christ unto whom all Power is given For in the Light you will see Temptations as they arise and waiting in the Light ye will receive Power from him from whom the Light comes to withstand the Temptations and to overcome the Tempter as he overcame who is gone before even Christ Jesus the Word of God who was before the World was who overcame the World he is the same that ever he was he changeth not and they that believe in him and wait in his Light they receive Power to overcome the World and them he redeems out of the World and they are not conformable to the Fashions and Customs and Wayes of the World but they are transformed by the renewing of their minds and their minds and affections are set upon Heavenly things so as you wait in the Light you will see the worlds Words and Fashions and VVayes all to be burdensom to the seed of God and if you love the Light you will know and find that Power present by which you will be made able and willing to cast off every weight and burden as they are seen with the Light and giving up in obedience to the Light keeping in the Cross you will find peace in your measures and you will see the Lord present to water and refresh that of himself in you and to cut off and purge out whatâ—oever oppresseth and hinders the growth of his own Plant in you and so you will become fruitful in your places and measures unto the Lord and he will take delight in you and feed you with food convenient according to your growth and necessities and he will be your God and you shall be his People and Sheep of his Pasture and you shall grow into the Covenant and he will take away you stony hearts and give you new hearts and write his Law therein and you shall know his Teachings Heb. 8.10 11 12. and he will be merciful unto you and forgive all your iniquities and you shall know the Blood of the Covenant which shall cleanse you from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 and you shall know the Son and he shall make you free Joh. 8.32 36. and he will reveal the Father unto you and you shall be no more barren nor unfruitful but the VVilderness shall become a fruitful Place and the barren Land a fruitful Field and the parched ground shall become a place of pleasant Springs Isa 35. and the Lord God and the Lamb will take delight in your Feasts and make their abode with you These things will the Lord in his time accomplish and ye shall know them and be witnesses of them if you will indeed hearken unto his Voice and obey it and keep his Covenant and return unto him with all your Hearts and submit your selves to the Light of his Son in all your Consciences and then you shall be hid in the Day of the fierce VVrath of the Almighty which he is bringing upon the heads of the ungodly for although he hath long forborn them yet the cry of his Elect is not forgotten Luke 18.7 for now his long sufferings towards them shall be turned unto their everlasting contempt for even now is he arising to take vengeance upon the Oppressors of his righteous Seed and wo unto all those that are found in the Army of the Dragon for he shall be taken with the false Prophet and all those that have received the mark of the Beast and they all shall be cast into the Lake that burneth for ever this is the second Death Rev. 20.14 15. and this is the Portion and Reward of all those that are found fighting against the Lamb therefore you that are warned of the destruction which is speedily to come upon those that have cast the Law of God behind their backs and crucified the Son of God and are yet fighting against his Kingdom the Light in their Consciences condemns them eternally Stay not but come out from among them lest partaking of their sins ye also partake of their plagues Rev. 18.4 which are their due and now to be brought upon them take heed that you delay not for the Judgement hasteth greatly but if you refuse to hearken unto the Counsel of the Lord and resolve to go on in your own wills and imaginations and reject the Light of his Son in your Consciences which he hath given you to lead you out of your own wills and imaginations and so give your strength unto Strangers then will those desires which are yet in you towards the living God soon dye and you will grow more dark and wax stronger in your imaginations and you will become enemies even to the very appearance of Truth and your hearts will become hard and you will be found guilty of the blood of the Son of God and you will wax worse and worse 2 Tim. 3.13 and so you will grow fit for the Plagues and Judgements of the righteous God and the blood of his Son will cry for vengeance against you as Abels did against Cain Gen. 4.10 and the Lord will hear the cry thereof and will pour forth his Judgements upon you and then shall the Light in all your Consciences arise and witness to the Judgements of God that they are just and it shall let you see that you were warned of your destruction often times by it and that â—ou had a time given you to repent in Rev. 2.21 and then you shall be made to confess that your destruction is of your selves So in love to your souls I have written this in which your present condition which is miserable is plainly declared unto you and the way to come out of it by Christ Jesus the Light and the Priests who have long deceived many of you are here laid open in plainness and such as act in their own imaginations by imitating those who dwelt in the Life of what they professed also what you have gathered and gained all this time you have been making a Profession of God is here declared and the end thereof and what you shall attain unto if you will diligently hearken unto the Voice of God and obey the Light of his Son in all your
strives with you to shew you your abominations and to draw and lead you out of the same O be not still Stiff-necked but hearken to the Word of the Lord which sheweth you the thoughts and Intents of your Hearts and hearken and be obedient to the Call thereof that so by its Power you may Hasten out of Babylon both Young and Old Rich and Poor High and Low Noble or Ignoble Professor or Profane who yet are there For the Lord's Controversie is great with Babylon her Merchants and Inhabitants and he will not much longer spare but he will suddenly smite and none shall be able to hinder his stroak Yea yea he will wound and none shall be able to heal For the measure of her Iniquities Idolatries and Whoredoms are nigh full and the Wine of her Fornications hath caused the Fatts to overflow and she is come up into remembrance before the Lord the Just God who will Plague her and all her Merchants and Inhabitants according to their Abominations whereby they have grievously provoked Him Therefore come out of her whilst Mercy and Time is offered lest you perish with her in her Judgements which the Lord is Strongly and Swiftly bringing upon her Oh England England A day of Sorrow and Calamity is coming upon many of thy Inhabitants I have long been sensible of it even a day of such Breaking Confusion and Judgement as hath not been for a long space For thy People have wearied out the Lord with their Iniquities and grieved his holy Spirit with their Abominations dayes without number Oh England England The Lord hath a Precious and Holy Seed in thee Yea He hath a Remnant which he hath Raised by his Power to and for himself which are exceeding precious in his sight and these a great part of thine Inhabitants have Shamefully entreated and grievously Oppressed and Persecuted And they have Patiently born the same and have laboured in the Life of Innocency and Spirit of Emanuel to Inform thy Rulers and People in the Things that are Just and True and have shewn them the Wayes which have and do Displease the Lord and have Exhorted and Warned thy Inhabitants Time after Time But notwithstanding their Doctrine Lives and Conversations have manifested their Innocency and Uprightness of Heart before God and Man Yet have many of thy Rulers Priests and People Oppressed them more and more Some Spoiling their Goods others Imprisoning their Bodies in filthy Holes and Dungeons till several of them have Sealed their Testimony for the Lord with their Blood which cryeth for Vengeance in the Ears of the Almighty and the Lord hath heard the Cry thereof and hath looked down and beheld the Actings of the sons of men and he is near to Visit Yea the Lord hath beheld and doth behold the Snares that have been and are laid for the Innocent who have no other Helper but him alone and therefore they have Committed their Cause unto Him who shall bring it to pass Yea he hath taken Notice how several of thy Rulers have combin'd together and endeavoured to Force His Babes to Violate his Royal Law and to Break his Command who saith Swear not at all to Uphold and Obey theirs which is Contrary to his Yea He hath taken Notice of the Cruel Sufferings and great Temptations of his People who many of them are yet Imprisoned and both their Bodies and Estates threatned to be Destroyed by some evil men if they will not break the Royal Law and Commandment of Christ which he hath placed in their hearts to Obey and Do. Oh! The Lord hath seen the Partiality and Evil Intents of several of the Judges and Rulers of this Land who have had Power to let the Innocent go free and yet keep many of his Ministers and Servants many of which have outward Estates Prisoners in many places although they have no more against them than against those whom they have turned forth which is nothing else but for their Obeying the Command of Christ in them who this day saith unto his People Swear not at all as he said to his Disciples formerly and for meeting together and Speaking and Praying in his Name for the Edifying Comforting and Building up one another in their most holy Faith The Lord hath also taken notice that when some of the Rulers might Relieve the Innocent and let the Oppressed go free they will not and then to cover themselves they will say They cannot act contrary to the Law But when a Ruler will act that which he hath no Law for he can then plead a Prerogative Royal for that and thus are the Innocent Lambs of Christ made a Prey upon Oh! the Oppressions of his People and others are great this day in thee O Land and the Crying of the Fatherless the Widows and the Needy is come up before the Lord God of Compassion who will thorowly plead the Cause of his People and the Poor and Needy of the Land Oh England England I have oft heard and treasured up what the Lord hath said in me concerning thy Inhabitants but now must I declare it in the Appointed Season Thus hath the Lord spoken in me for a long time concerning thy Inhabitants saying The People are too many the People are too many I will thin them I will thin them Mark that is He will make them fewer for they cumber the Ground And the Spirit of the Lord hath oft signified unto me for a long time That an Over-flowing Scourge yea even an exceeding great and terrible Iudgement is to come upon thee O Land and that many in thee shall fall and be taken away in the Judgement and the Spirit of the Lord signifieth unto me that the time draweth nigh and that the Decree of the Lord is so firm that though some of the Lords Children and Prophets could appear so as to stand in the Gap yet should not that alter his Decree onely in the Righteousness of the Lamb they shall be hid and saved from his Wrath whatever may be done to any of their Bodies but his fierce Wrath and Indignation shall be poured forth upon the Ungodly and a great Desolation and Destruction shall there be for he will overturn and overturn till he hath dis-throned and thrown down the Man of Sin and exalted and established the Kingdom of his Dear Son over all the Kingdoms of the World and the Kingdom and Dominion and the Greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the Holy People the Saints of the Most High whose Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him who is King of Saints Behold ye Despisers and Wonder This is the Work which the Lord will accomplish by his own Power though you will in no wise believe it but you shall feel even both Hypocrites and Prophane that the Lord is able to bring to pass the thing that is in his heart And you now think to set up and establish your
your reward with the unrighteous And so remember you are warned of the destruction that is to come upon back-sliders and ungodly men if you perish your blood be upon your heads I am clear of it having cleared my Conscience unto you and verily my desire is God is my witness that you might return unto the Lord with your hearts and break off from your iniquities by true Repenâ—ance that so he might heal your back-slidings and that you might come to know the Salvation of your Souls now your Power to act righteously is in the Light which comes from Christ who is the Wisdom and Power and Righteousness of God unto whom all Power is given and he hath given unto every one of you a measure of his Light which if you love and believe and wait in it as it arises in you that is your Teacher to teach you the Truth and to guide you to God who is Light and if you walk in the Light then shall you have fellowship with the Children of Light but if you hate and reject the Light which shews you Sin and Evil that is your Condemnation from God John 3.19 and from the Saints in Light Eternally This from the motion of the Lord in me who for several years was amongst you and had a great zeal as some of you once had against Tyrants and unjust Laws by which the people were are greatly oppressed and in that time I suffered much hardship as to the outward man and was oft in jeopardy of my life as many of you have been which I was willing then to endure and to pass through for the suppressing of Tyrants and unjust Laws which by them were made and upheld But the Lord hath called me out from among you hath made me a Souldier in the Army of the Lamb who shall overcome all his Enemies although for a time he suffer like a Lamb yet he will arise like a Lyon upon his Enemies at unawares and he will tear tread down and consume and destroy them and none shall be able to deliver out of his hand I am now a sufferer also for the everlasting Truth and not for the breach of any known Law and thus the Rulers in this Nation who persecute the Innocent reward me evil for good but in the Power of the living God I stand a witness against all Persecutors and Tyrants who seek to make a prey upon the lives of the Righteous by which Power I am preserved out of their hands and kept above all sufferings and time and place which they are permitted to inflict upon me for a time for the tryal of my faith but my cause is the Lords and he will plead and revenge it Remember from whence you are fallen G. F. A Strong and terrible Alarm sounded out of the holy Mountain against the Inhabitants of the Earth c. WOe wo unto you Rulers Priests and People who live without the fear of God and do hide your abominations in hypocrisie and dissimulations you are got into several Sects and Opinions and there some of you have long made a Profession of God with your tongues and lips but your hearts are removed far from him so that your Profession stinks in the Nostrils of the Almighty and he loaths and abhors your Preaching and Praying for you are weighed and you are found too light your coverings are too narrow they will no longer hide you for now you are searched with the true Light which makes you manifest and rips off your coverings so that your nakedness appears the day hath made you manifest and now is the Light risen and with it you are seen to be out of the Life of Truth yea you are found to be the greatest Enemies to the life that be upon the earth for you Murther it in the particular and you hate and persecute it wheresoever it is brought forth yea and in all its appearances you seek to suppress and murther it Remember your fore-fathers cryed Not this man but Barrabbas and your cry and Practice is seen to be the same in nature now for the Robber and Murderer is set free and hath his Liberty in and among you and in you and by you is the Son of God cryed against and murdered yea ye are the betrayers and murderers of him and his blood you are guilty of and it cryeth for vengeance against you unto the Lord who hath long forborn you and because his Judgements were not speedily executed upon you you have strengthned youe selves in your wickedness and imaginations and have provoked the Almighty to wrath and have not considered that his long-suffering towards you was to have drawn you to Repentance but the day of your Visitation you have despised and have hated the Light of his Son in your Consciences which hath often shewed you your Evil Deeds and so have trampled the blood of the Covenant under your feet and have done despight unto the Spirit of Grace and hath chosen to follow the vain imaginations of your own hearts and have contemned the Counsel of the Lord and would not that he should reign over you for which cause his Iudgements linger not against you but are ready to be poured forth upon your heads even upon you who have sold your selves to work abomination in the sight of the Lord and are worshipping in the house of your Imagery and have joyned and are become one with the great Whore of Babylon who hath made her self drunken with the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus but now is she come in remembrance before the dreadful and terrible God and now shall both she and her Lovers be Plagued and tormented together Therefore you Nobles and Rulers Captains and Mighty men Priests and People High and Low Rich and Poor Bond and Free who hath committed Fornication with her awake to the Iudgement and behold your King the old Dragon which is the Divel and Satan for he is come forth and deceives you and he is come to gather you to the Battel of the great Day which is at hand for the Harvest is ripe and the Wine-press is full and your Fat 's overflow and the measure of your Iniquities is great and now will God be avenged on you who will bring you all down unto the valley of Discision even there shall the Day of the Lord be upon you which will be a day of pain and anguish a day of blackness and gloominess and of thick darkness unto you that have slain the Witness of God and have made merry over him your mirth is almost at an end and instead thereof shall be mourning and bitter Lamentation which shall come upon you in one day and now is the day of Vengeance proclaimed now is the Trumpet sounded forth behold the LYON roareth Therefore Oh! all ye Inhabitants of the Earth fear and tremble before the living dreadful God and dread ye his Name for now is he arising in his Glory and Majesty
to resist all that which is contrary unto me and I will destroy all the works of the Serpent in you and bruise his head and I will purge out all your iniquities and forgive all your trespasses I will change your nature and I will make you new Creatures if ye will hearken unto me and obey me the Light in you and I will make you partakers of my Divine Nature and I will judge and condemn and consume all that in you which is contrary to my Nature if ye will abide in the Light and I will take away all Darkness and earthly-mindedness and I will reveal my secrets and mysteries unto my Seed in you and I will cause you to delight alone in me the Light of Life and I will feed you with the Bread of Life and ye shall drink of my Life and ye shall be satisfied and I will manifest my Power more and more in you and if ye will be faithful unto me and obey my voice and wait upon me the Light then I will make the crooked wayes strait before you and the rough wayes smooth and I will destroy the Power of Darkness within and without you and if ye will follow me I will lead you out of the World and Worldly cares into patience into meekness and into stilness and quietness of spirit and whatsoever you suffer for my Names sake I will be your exceeding great reward and I will be your dread and ye shall be the dread of Nations I will be your Glory and ye shall be the Glory of Nations and I will reign over you and ye shall reign over all the World in my Light and Life and Power and if ye continue in me the Light I will give you Dominion over all your Enemies within and without you and I will make them all bow before you and I the Lord God of Light and Life will be your Redeemer and Saviour your Rock your Shield and your Defence and if ye will wait in my Life it shall be your Life and I the Life will destroy the destroyer within and without you and I will bring you out of all trouble and restlesness and dissatisfaction and I will be your peace and your rest and your satisfaction and ye shall lie down in me the Light of Life and none shall make you afraid These things shall you come to witness in the work of your regeneration and much more than is here expressed if ye be faithful unto me the true Light in you who have no fellowship with any thing that is Evil and then I wil purge all Evil out of you and even as I am so shall ye be also yea I will work this work and perfect it in you if ye continue and abide in me the Light Now if any should say that here is nothing spoken of Christ in what I have here written I answer what I have here written is the words which the Father who is one with Christ the Son gave unto me to write in which words the true Christ is owned and a Testimony given of him and no other But further in the Fear and Wisdom of God for the satisfaction of the simple I do declare in plain words That I do believe in the true Christ the Lord of Life who was glorified with the Father before the World began and I do believe that he was in due time made manifest in that body of flesh who was called Jesus and that in him the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily who was supposed to be the Carpenter's Son whom the Jews Crucified without the gates of Jerusalem and I have remission of Sins through his blood who is the Lord of Life and he was buried but he is risen and Ascended and sits on the right hand of the Majesty on high This is the Christ I own who also was and is Crucified in Sodom and Aegypt by the rebellious yea he is Crucified afresh and put to open shame now by those that trample the blood of the Covenant the Light of Life under their feet and count it an unholy or a natural thing and such act despightfully against the Spirit of Grace and such Murther the Seed which keeps the commands of God and such will God the Light overthrow and burn to ashes as he did Sodom and Gomorrah but all that love and obey the true Light which is the fire shall be saved and preserved by it and shall remain unhurt but all that hate and disobey the Light in them that is their condemnation the Light These are faithful and true sayings and things also that must shortly come to pass and he witnessed Postscript READER WHo ever thou art be moderate and take heed of disobeying and despising the true Light for if thou dost thou disobeyest and dispisest the True and Eternal God who is Light and that is his Name whereby he is and will be known in this Age and Generation Therefore stumble not at the Light which lighteneth every one which cometh into the World for if thou doest thou stumblest at God his Name at Christ the Word by which all things were made and are upheld at the Door the Way the Truth and the Life at the Rock at the Elect Stone and these all are but one and if thou stumble at these what ever thou art thou shalt be broken But they that obey and believe the true Light they shall be made Children of the Light and shall be taught of God and shall walk in his Light G. F. A Word to the People of the World who hate the Light to be witnessed by the Light in them all VVherein is shewed unto them what the Light is which is the condemnation of the VVorld with its deeds and what the Spirit of Truth is and what it leads them into who are led by it and what the Spirit of Error is and what it leads them into who are led by it And also they are here exhorted to repent whilst they have the Light to believe and walk in the Light lest darkness come upon them and they into it be cast where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Also a few Queries to such Professors as stumble at the Light the Word the Kingdom and Spirit of God within and tell People that none can be free from sin in this Life and yet say that they own the Scriptures LIght is come into the VVorld and the VVorld hates it Joh. 8.12 and the whole World lyeth in wickedness 1 Joh. 5.19 And this is the Condemnation of the VVorld that Light is come into the VVorld and men loved the Darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil saith Christ Joh. 3.19 20. And every one that doth evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his deeds should be reproved But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the Light for whatsoever doth make manifest is Light Eph. 5.13 and Christ Jesus he is the true
in chusing of Parliaments according to England's Custom and how unlike it is that a Parliament so chosen should make England a free Nation seeing the great Oppressors of the Land viz. Priests and Lawyers and the great wicked covetous persecuting men are so much concerned in the chusing them so that if Parliaments so chosen should continue the People of the Lord are not like to be set free from their Oppression though Parliaments and Rulers have been made to do many good things by a Power which many of them scarce knew but the Lord hath a further thing yet to do in the Nations than either Protectors or Parliaments would submit unto therefore the Lord hath thrown them by but they had first a day of tryal given them and now is the Lord trying others and if they will not do his Work in breaking every yoke and letting the oppressed go free God will assuredly break them with a greater destruction than came upon those before them Therefore let your moderation be known unto all men for the Lord is at hand and thirst not after blood lest the Lord give ye blood to drink and we know that Kings and Protectors and Parliaments have made fair pretences and have given themselves fine Titles and have pleaded that they had a just right to and a necessity for their Authority and sought to get into the affections of the People by smooth words and large promises to carry on their own design but their hearts were not right before the Lord and therefore he broke them and their Titles and know that the People that fear God they matter not Titles and high Names but they look for righteous actions to be brought forth and many see that a Parliament that was chose by the most voices of the outwardly rich People were not like to act righteously and therefore they are willing to wait to see what the Lord will do by others and we see that People have been in great Blindness in contending for Parliaments so chosen so let this Wisdom be learned and lived in which is better than the strength of fools who oft perish in their passion and folly And now Friends in the Army and Committee that have turned out the Parliament Dread ye the Lord God and mind the equal just noble Principle of God in you which hath stirred against Tyranny and Oppression and make it not your business to declare only for Freedom as some before you did and did not the thing they declared for but in the Fear and Wisdom of the Lord go ye on to act for the good of all his Creatures and seek not your own Honours but singly do the same both for your Friends and Enemies that you would have them do for you if they were in Authority as ye are and until ye come to this ye are not like to prosper the Lord abhorreth the lying flattering double deceitful tongue and heart and the People also have been wearied with fair words because the actions have been wanting that should have accompanied the said words Remember how you have cryed out against the Oppression of a forced Maintenance for Teachers and now ye are tryed and have Power given you to break that Oppression down which some of you I say have desired others to do therefore abuse not your Power but leave the People free to maintain their own Teachers mark The Ministers that Christ sends forth they have no need of you in this particular as to provide Food and Raiment for them for their Heavenly Father knows that they have need of those things and provides it for them without an outward Law to compel it that so they lack not any thing and that Teacher that will not consent to this he serveth not the Lord Jesus but his own Belly and that is his God and such a one can never profit the People and mark if ye should take away Tythes and Command by a Law any other Maintenance from us for Teachers that would be the same Tyranny and Oppression in the nature and ground of it that Tythes were and we must bear our Testimony against it also and our Lives or Estates or both must yet suffer therefore if ye do thus you leave Us in the same Bondage as before And let Laws be provided that are righteous just and equal according to that of God in the Conscience and let such be impowered to execute them that will hear and determine Causes freely according to righteousness and let causes of difference between man and man be heard in every County and when by plain proof of two or three witnesses without transgressing Christ's doctrine it come to be manifested who have done the wrong then let the Executioners of the Law be impowered to cause the party or parties to restore for the wrong that is done according to Equity that so this abominable Oppression about the Law and Lawyers may be broken down and thunder down all ungodly gaming 's and shews whereby the foolish wild People are cheated of their moneys and spend away their precious time to the dishonour of the pure God And let the People of the Lord have their Liberty to speak his Word freely where and when his Spirit leads them and gives them utterance and let the Law take hold on such as would wrong any man's Person or Estate And let the dread of the Lord be upon your Spirits and wait in his Light to receive his Wisdom that therein you may be ordered in the particular and in it order all things to his Glory that ye may remove all that which is standing which is contrary to the Will of God And meddle not to establish Religion and Teachers by an outward Law for verily if ye do ye will be broken let that alone to Christ whose work it is Consider all that went before you of late years that would be medling with such things the Lord broke them to pieces and they were warned in their day as ye are now And let not your many Victories which ye have obtained nor your being preserved in so many overturnings wherein ye have been made instrumental nor your strength courage nor wisdom puff ye up for thus saith the Lord God even as earthen vessels are in the hands of a Potter who hath power to dash them one against another until they be broken or to break them in pieces with another thing that appears more weak than they even so are you in my hand saith the Lord and I can confound your Wisdom and take away your Courage and smite you with faintness and dauntedness of Spirit in the twinkling of an eye therefore seek not your selves for if you do your day shall be but short Remember you of the Army had Power once before to have acted for the good of your Nation but the subtilty in some who sought themselves whom God hath since blasted beguiled you and mark some of you sold your power for Commissions and others
Younger A Noble Salutation And a Faithful GREETING Unto THEE Charles Stuart Who art now PROCLAIMED KING OF England Scotland France and Ireland I. Several wholesom sound Exhortations c. LET thy Moderation be known unto all men for the Lord is at hand whose presence filleth Heaven and Earth and let such a Nobility appear in Thee as to try all things and to hold fast that which is good and either to read or to hear with patience before thou judgest for Wisdom becometh a King and true Reason Solidness and Patience him that is a Ruler of the People Mark The God of Heaven hath put into my heart to write unto Thee and in tender love both to thy Soul and Body to lay before Thee several things whereby thou mayest come to see and consider how the mighty Hand and Justice of the Invisible God hath been in these overturnings and changes which have happened in these Nations of late years therefore consider these things The Mighty God the Everlasting Father He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and the whole Earth is his and the fulness thereof and he Ruleth over the Kingdoms of men and giveth them unto whomsoever he pleaseth Yea he pulleth down one and setteth up another and there is no overturning or changing the Kingdoms but it is either by his Commission or Permission and the Lord doth not do any thing neither suffereth he any thing to be done unto persons or Kingdoms without a Cause though he may do whatsoever he pleaseth and who shall call him to an account Yet all his doings are righteous and his wayes are just and equal altogether And it is for the unrighteousness sometimes of a King or Kings and sometimes of a People and other times of both that the Lord doth break or suffer a Nation or Nations to be broken and when he determines to break a People or to change Governments or to suffer such to be done in vain do men strive to preserve or uphold them and the Lord may and doth make whomsoever he pleaseth his Instruments for to do his determined Work and when they have done his Work then he may do whatsoever he pleaseth with them and many times his Instruments when they begin his determined Work appear very contemptible unto many Yet such speak foolishly and without understanding who say That such Instruments are too weak and cannot prevail seeing all power is in the hand of God who can give Wisdom and Strength and Courage unto whomsoever he pleaseth Yea so much as may accomplish his Work and he very oft-times by that which appeareth foolish weak and contemptible confoundeth and bringeth to naught that which appeareth to be Mighty and wise that no flesh should glory in his presence And when his Instruments have done his Work and he determines to break or suffer them to be broken again let them appear never so Wise Bold and Mighty yet vainly do they speak who say Such a Wise Bold and Mighty People cannot be broken seeing the Lord can do whatsoever he pleaseth who suddenly can turn man's Wisdom into folly his strength into weakness and his boldness into dauntedness of Spirit Now such things as these O King come oft to pass and none of them without a Cause and they that are truly Wise learn further and get understanding through all these things Therefore is true Wisdom better than Strength and a right Understanding is better than an earthly Crown Therefore O King wait to feel the noble Principle of Wisdom which God hath inspired Thee withal for there is a measure of it in Thee though it hath been hid and that measure is the Light which Christ the Wisdom of God hath enlightned Thee withal which Light in Thee is that which never had fellowship with darkness in Thee or its deeds nor concord with the Devil or his Works but makes manifest and reproves all such things which Light being received in the love of it and believed and waited in man becomes a child of it and so it gives him a good understanding and opens an eye in him whereby he comes to see the hand and workings and appearances of the invisible God and this Light is the free Gift of God which is come upon all men which being rejected and a man not liking to retain it in his knowledge he profesing himself then to be wise becomes a fool and brings condemnation upon himself for rejecting that which should minister all things unto him pertaining unto Life and Godliness Therefore O King give all diligence to receive the Gift which God hath placed in thy heart that so thou mayest be acquainted with Wisdom and that thou mayest be filled with moderation gravity and patience and come to a right understanding and discerning that so thou mayest rightly look upon things past present and to come and see them as they were are and shall be II. Concerning the overturning of thy Father c. COncerning thy Father and those that took his Part There was an eminent hand of God in breaking them down and bringing them under and God did it not without a Cause for the Iniquity in them provoked the holy God to anger and the hight and pride of their spirits grieved and pressed the Spirit of the Just God and after he had a long time born with them and warned them with his Eternal Light in their Consciences yet they repented not but still grieved his good Spirit by many provocations and waxed higher and higher against him in disobedience his anger then was kindled against them and his indignation waxed hot and he arose in the fiery spirit of his jealousie to ease himself of his Adversaries and avenge himself of his Enemies and because the Living Wise Eternal God who made all the Nations of the earth of one blood and is no respecter of persons saw that those that took part with thy Father were generally according to outward appearance accounted the wisest richest noblest and stoutest men mark and that they did glory in their Wisdom Riches Nobility Stoutness and Strength and vaunted themselves over those that were made of the same Blood He the living God did then appear in contemptible Instruments as to outward appearance as in Trades-men Plough-men Servants and the like with some others whom I know thy Father's Party made a mock at and even scorned them as it were and thought it too low and too base a thing to engage War with such a contemptible People yet in such I say did the Lord appear to carry on that Work which he had determined even to bring down the loftiness of man and to stain the pride and glory of flesh and that thy Father's Party might have come to see that they were but men made of the same earth and blood that others were And the Lord God appeared mightily in those his Instruments giving them Wisdom Courage and Strength to mannage a War against a far more Mighty and Wise
either in things Religious or in things Civil betwixt man and man than we desire all others might enjoy And if such a Government as this be set up then if he that is Chief in taking care and seeing that Justice may be done to all without respect of persons if he be called a King a Judge a Protector or a General we shall not be against either or any of the Names Or if the care and trust be laid upon more if they be called by the Name of a Parliament or a Council or a Committee or King and Parliament or any we are content and shall willingly submit unto Righteousness from them or any of them as our duty And it is that which is unrighteous which is called a Government wherein Oppression Partiality and Cruelty is exercised either in things relating unto conscience in matter of Worship or in things civil betwixt man and man that we stand against and if such a thing be set up and called a Government and if the chief in it be called a King or a Judge or a Protector or a General or a Parliament or a Council or a Committee or King and Parliament we cannot stand for any of the Names nor submit unto the unjust things commanded by them any other wayes than through a patient suffering under it And this according to the strength of the Lord we shall be willing to do VII How we resolve in the strength of the Lord to stand for that which is righteous and against that which is unrighteous c. THe way how we shall stand for the Righteous Government and Governours is by yielding all due lawful obedience unto them and their Commands and by labouring in the Power of the Lord to bring down and to keep under the evil lust in People which is the cause of all Wars and Rebellions and Transgression And as much as in us lies we shall endeavour to live peaceably with all men and perswade others unto the same And so by a Godly Conversation we shall be patterns unto others And this will be an adorning of good Government and Governors and a help unto them And this we resolve in the strength of the Lord to do Also the manner how we shall stand through the Power of the Lord against that which is unrighteous though it be called a Government and against unrighteous Governours is by bearing our Testimony against them in the Power of the Lord and by yielding no other obedience to them than in submitting patiently to suffer and endure whatsoever punishment the Lord shall suffer them to lay upon us And this shall turn against them daily and weaken them and bring shame upon them For Persecution is to them that persecute us a token of Perdition but unto Us of Salvation and that from the Lord. VIII Concerning a Government and Governours wherein there may be something seen to be good and something bad c. ANd as concerning a Government or Governours wherein there may be something good and something bad This I say in such a case whatsoever is good in either we shall be ready through the Lord's strength to submit unto and own and we shall labour to preserve and cherish that And as the Lord shall move us we shall be willing to shew the Governours in plainness what is wrong in them and in the Government and if they refuse to hear us and afflict us we shall in patience yield our Bodies to suffer under that which is bad in either however we shall discountenance it and labour through the Power of the Lord in a Spiritual Warfare to destroy it that so it may further appear that we are not against Magistracy but for it it being God's Ordinance and that we are only against that in Magistrates and People which would and which doth defile and pollute the place of Magistracy IX Concerning Plotting or using a Carnal Weapon and from whom we expect Deliverance c. ANd I further testifie in the Lord that I do not intend neither have I any such thought in my heart either to plot for or against Thee or any other upon the Earth for I do not expect deliverance by a carnal Sword and yet I know deliverance shall come with or without the help of man and in vain have been and shall be all the strivings compellings and murderings about Religion Church and Worship for man may as well say to the Sun in the Firmament Stand thou still Or to the Sea Be thou dryed up as hinder one jot of the Lord 's mighty workings in this his day for his Work yea his strange work shall be brought to pass and mine eye sees it and not any mortal shall be able to hinder it And into the belief of this I know that the Lord hath gathered several thousands into the same mind with me that are called by the name of Quakers and we could desire if it were the Will of God even that all men were of the same mind And those that are otherwise minded we shall leave them unto the Lord to do what he pleaseth with them And we are freely given up unto the Will of God and we have committed our Cause unto Him and He shall bring it to pass that so it may plainly be made manifest that we are a People saved by our God from whom we expect deliverance And he hath made us willing to wait until he bring it to pass And this we are confident of that the Everlasting Gospel which is the Power of God shall again be Preached unto all Nations Kindreds Tongues and People and that the Whore of Babylon the Beast and his Horns and his Names which have prevailed against the Bodies of the Holy People in the night of Apostacy shall cease to prevail against the Saints and that Babylon and her Merchants shall be thrown down and confounded and then shall the Saints of the most High possess the Kingdom And we do believe that God will overturn and overturn until he hath brought to pass the thing that he hath decreed which is to establish Righteousness in the earth and then shall there be Judges as at the first and Counsellors as at the beginning and Kings shall become Nursing-Fathers and Queens shall become Nursing-Mothers and the Kingdoms of this VVorld shall become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ and hereof we have an assurance in the Spirit of Truth and yet we never expect to know Christ after the flesh to reign but he shall reign over all the Earth whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all Powers shall serve and obey him who is King of Saints X. Concerning Revenge and what may follow if it be sought and what if not c. TAke heed of seeking Revenge O let not the Enemy of thy Soul within or without get Thee into Blood Vengeance is the Lords and he will repay it Therefore wherein thy Enemies went beyond their Commission against thy Father or
any that took his Part leave that unto the Lord who will reward every one in Righteousness according to their deeds done in their Bodies And consider how far Christ was from seeking or desiring Revenge when they murdered him as concerning the flesh who said Father forgive them for they know not what they do Oh mind that Spirit and consider he was greater than thy Father and he was free from all Transgression and wherein thy Enemies did evil in any thing against thy Father or Thee and those that took your Part freely forgive them and render not evil for evil unto any man but overcome evil with that which is good O King this were the way for Thee to be established in peace and so to end thy dayes Oh that thy Heart were thus inclined that Mercy and Righteousness and Peace might be found to reign in Thee and that Mercy might Triumph over severity then might'st thou prosper and many of thy Enemies and also of those that are called thy Friends might be converted unto God and so ye might be united in true love one unto another and this were better than conquering by force And consider this there are many that acted against thy Father and Thee whom the Lord intends good towards though I know that several of them through Covetousness and Envy have done exceedingly wrong in many things Yet consider how Christ taught his to pray Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And I do verily believe that if they turn unto the Lord and truly humble themselves under his hand and believe in the Light of his Son and obey him that he will freely forgive them all their Transgressions But if thou resolvest to avenge thy self and those called thy Friends which have suffered and to keep under those which are now fallen under Thee by a heavy yoke either in matters of Worship or otherwise I know it will exasperate the spirits of many against Thee and it will raise up the desperate aggravating part in man and so the thing may kindle again in the murdering Spirit And the Lord may suffer it to break forth into blood which if it should it may be the sadest time that ever thou yet sawest for this I know and do stedfastly believe that after God hath tryed his People he will assuredly bring an overflowing scourge upon this Nation and many shall fall and perish by an eminent hand and judgement of the Lord except they repent speedily And verily there is but a little space given to prevent this great Judgement and Destruction because the Lord hath already born long and his patience hath been exceeding great and he hath sent many of his Servants and Prophets to warn this Nation and others and many thousands have believed us and are gathered into Peace with us notwithstanding they see a great Judgement to come upon the Earth and though many have believed us yet alas the far greater part hath either beaten or imprisoned or scoffed at or slighted and rejected us or the Testimony which we hold and some have spoyled our goods and imprisoned some of us to death and some of us have been killed for the Testimony of Jesus and the Word of God And so many in the Nations are waxed worse and worse And when the Lord hath smitten some they have revolted more and more and when he hath raised up others and given them prosperity they have then fed themselves without fear and forgot the Lord and waxed wanton against him Therefore seeing people will neither hear the Prophets of the Lord nor regard the Light of his Son in their Consciences which checks and reproves for sin and evil in secret nor turn to the Lord when he smites them nor regard his Truth when they have prosperity the Lord will leave striving with such a People and bring sudden destruction upon them and deliver his chosen as he did just Lot So we are given up to the Will of the Lord and do patiently wait for his mighty appearance to deliver us who have long been a suffering People who have suffered both by Parliaments Army Protectors and by those called thy Friends also yea we have suffered and been most cruelly entreated even by Rulers Priests and People Professors and Prophane because we could not joyn unto the evil in either but we have been made to reprove them for it and to exhort them unto that which is good and so we must yet do so long as we find the Lord requiring it at our hands though for it we be hated and persecuted unto death yet knowing that it is without cause on our part when we suffer we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ in all our sufferings and our lives are not dear unto us that we may finish our course with joy and our Testimony for the Lord which he hath given to bear though it be sealed with our blood for we certainly know that the Lord is our reward in whatsoever we do or suffer for his Names sake And now O King as thou expects the Blessing and Presence of the Lord with Thee in thy Government Fear and Dread his Presence by standing in awe of his living Witness the Light which he hath placed in thy Conscience to guide and direct Thee in all thy wayes that his wrath may be turned away from Thee that so this Scripture might not be fulfilled upon the People of this Nation God gave them a King in his anger and he took him away in his sore displeasure But if it should prove so I shall have peace for I am clear of thy blood in as much as in plainness I have let Thee see how things have been and how they may or shall be and wherein thy danger stands and how that Righteousness only establisheth the Throne And my desire is if it be the Will of God that thou mightest consider them in the Principle of Life and Wisdom and thereby come to be preserved and saved from that Destruction which in God's Eternal Light I see Thee in great danger of Thus in Innocency and Truth and in Uprightness and Sincerity of heart I have freely declared unto Thee what was laid upon me and it is in true tender and unfeigned love both to thy Soul and Body And that this is true God is my Witness and the Witness of himself in thy Conscience shall answer unto it unto which I leave and commend Thee from which thou canst not hide thy thoughts So to the Lord God of Life be Glory and Dominion and everlasting Praises over all to whom it doth belong Amen Given forth in Harwich Goal in Essex the 16. day of the 3d. Month called May 1660. Where I suffer for the Testimony of Jesus through the envy of the Devil who is the false accuser of the Brethren POSTSCRIPT THough this Treatise was more especially laid upon me to write it unto the KING and therefore to him was it directed
means can any resist his Will Or if he will do it by outward means cannot he provide it himself contrary to man's expectation Therefore Dread ye the Maiesty and Power of the Lord and fear before his Dreadful Name Friends I must deal plainly with you in the sight of God who hath made me a Prophet to the Nation I may not flatter any of you My Life is in the hand of my Maker and not one hair of my Head can fall to the ground without his Providence He hath redeemed my Soul from Hell and my Mind from the Earth and he hath given me his good Spirit to lead me I am henceforth no more my own but I am the Lord 's who hath formed me for his Praise and hath brought me forth that I may sound forth his powerful Truth amongst the People Therefore must I not fear Man neither must I be afraid of the Sons of Men. Verily your Spirits are seen to be too high for the Work which God will have to be wrought in the Earth and you are found in that your selves which the Lord will work against And he is loaded with the pride and excess that ye and many in the Nation are in and his Soul abhors the Vanity Musick and Pleasures which ye delight in Oh how hath Iniquity abounded since ye came into place and how is Oppression and Cruelty encreased and continued upon them that seek the good of all Now consider this That which the Lord was wroth with you for and threw you and your friends out for before he will not own that now nor that you should revive and establish that again For the Lord's Controversie is yet against those things though he hath thrown out a treacherous People who perverted his Cause Therefore try your Foundation before you build and settle for verily whatsoever is not founded upon CHRIST JESUS the Rock of Ages whether it be in things Religious or in things Civil the higher it is built the greater will its fall be and every ones work must be tryed by fire what Foundation soever they build upon and great will be the Destruction and Consumation for nothing but what can abide the fire shall remain And verily there is exceeding much both in Governours and Governments Laws Ministry Profession Trades and in the Constitution of them as they now stand and in the Conversations of the People which is to be utterly destroyed by the fire of the Lord's Jealousie and the day hastens which will try every man's work of what sort it is and that which is for the fire neither high words nor outward strength shall be able to save it Oh! The Spirit of the Lord is grieved and pressed with the Iniquities and Whoredoms of this Generation Oh! the Waste and the Spoyl that is made of the Lord's Creatures excess in Apparel excess in Diet and deceitful Feastings and Banquetings and each strive to exceed one another not scarce knowing what to invent to eat and to drink or to put on or what Musick or Images and Vanities to invent to please the Carnal Eye and Ear and in the mean time your own flesh or them of the same blood lye go sit or stand in your streets crying for a piece of Bread and many of your Lame and Blind and Sick and others both in Prisons and other places are ready to Famish Oh! Consider these things speedily and mock not at the Lord's Menssengers as some before you have done when they have been warned as you now are lest your bonds be made strong also and lest the Lord smite you with a Curse and send you Famine or Want in the room of your Abundance and Superfluity and Rags instead of Ribbons Feathers Gold and Silver Lace and Gorgious Attire and howling and mourning instead of your Musick Songs and Oaths Oh! It 's hard to utter the abomination that flows and swells in this Nation it is a shame to the Rulers to suffer these Stage-playes Mount-banks and vain Sports and Shows whereby the Lord is greatly dishonoured and foolish People are cheated of their money and the Creation is devoured and wasted and Mens lives sometimes endangered Oh! How have men invented mischief and vanity to stir up lightness and vanity one in another Oh ye Rulers is not this a horrible wickedness that a man who hath his right natural senses should be suffered to feign himself to be a Natural Fool and that he should be suffered to speak any light vain words he pleaseth even what he can invent to stir up lightness and vain laughter among you Have you not manifested your selves to be slighters of the Apostles Doctrine read Eph. 4.29 5.4 And is this an honour for the Chief of you to have a company of Men and Boys drest up with Ribbons and Bells about their legs and one acting like a Fool with a Ladle in in his hand dancing before you even like a company of mad distracted men making a noise like a company of Carriers Horses Oh! the Life of God is grieved with these things and all that fear his Name loath them and it is a shame that ever such things should be suffered in a Land Therefore O ye Rulers let all this ungodliness and superfluity of naughtiness be laid aside and receive with meekness the ingrafted Word which is able to save your souls Jam. 1.21 and that will teach you to love even your Enemies and to forgive them and to put a difference between the pretious and the vile And it will keep your hands from blood and your hearts from desiring after it if you will obey it and it will shew you with what God's Controversie is both in your Government and Worship and Conversations and it will teach you to deny it Yea if you will own its Teachings it will teach you to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live godly righteously and soberly in this present world Tit. 2.11 12. But if you will not return to the Word which is nigh in your mouths and in your hearts that you may obey it and do it Deut. 30.14 Rom. 10.8 verily this know that neither your Strength nor Wisdom shall be able to deliver you from the just hand of the Lord which shall find out all his Enemies Therefore if you would escape the overturning hand of the Lord Repent speedily and humble your selves before the Lord and forgive your Enemies love Mercy Compel none to your Worship nor to uphold your Teachers and be willing that the Lord alone should send forth Labourers into his Harvest and that he may lead them by his own Spirit that they may speak as that gives them utterance and limit or quench it not but let all have their Freedom to Worship God in the Spirit who know it according to the manifestation of it which is given to every man to profit withal Joh. 4.23 24. 1 Cor 12.7 for such a Worship the Lord owns And take away that grievous Oppression
in your Forms without Power neither Flee the Cross any longer but wait in the True Simplicity to feel God's hand of Tender Love which he reacheth sorth to and manifesteth in you to lead and guide your minds into his Pure Worship which is in the Spirit and in the Truth Oh People This is the Worship that he will set up He will be LORD and LAW-GIVER in the Consciences of his People and those that will not be content that EMANUEL should Reign over them he will Slay them with the Sword of the Spirit The words of his Mouth Oh! Hearken hearken a little and stand still that you may hear the voice of the True Shepherd in your own hearts who calleth for Truth in the Inward Parts he will discover what lodgeth Within and He will shew you the Way wherein you should walk and he will let you see what the Cross is unto and He will teach you when you are alone in your Beds or where-ever you are if you will receive Him who giveth you Life and Breath whose gentle Reproofs and Instructions are the Way of Life Therefore you in whom the Breathings and Desires after the Lord are Consult not with Flesh and Blood neither reason against the Cross but submit to every Appearance of God's Power in you which appeareth to Crucifie the Fleshly Birth and Nature which hath stood and doth stand in Rebellion and Emnity against the Pure and Precious Life and Requirings of the Lamb of God that so that Mind which is at enmity against God and that Nature in you which is Disobedient to his Commands in Spirit may come to be Crucified that so there may be a Change Inwardly felt and witnessed by the working of the might Power of Christ in your Inward Parts and then the Desires and Breathings which are Begotten in you after Righteousness they will be strengthned and the Teachings of the Almighty will be truly known and you believing in the Power you will receive Power to obey and Practice whatsoever the Lord shall make known unto you by his Spirit to be his Will and Requirings Oh People Let the Dread of the Lord Seize upon your Spirits in this the Day of his Power wherein he is Trying Sifting and Winnowing the Nations and wait to feel that Life arise within you which beareth Testimony against all evil within and without that so ye may become more and more acquainted with the Teachings Drawings and Leadings thereof that thereby you may be drawn and led out of those things which have kept your Souls in the Death hindred you from enjoying the Pure Peace of God And this know and consider that all that come to witness their Souls raised out of Death and brought to enjoy the Peace of God they must Believe in the Life of the Quickning Spirit which is the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven who for Sin Condemneth Sin in the Flesh and appeareth in the Inward Parts of man to work out Sin and Transgression which hath Separated from God and so to make clean the heart and inside of Male and Female Oh People This is the Work of Christ the Son of God even to make manifest and destroy the Works of the Devil and so to reconcile man unto God by the Virtue of his own Life which he gave a Ransom for many and blessed are all those that believe in the Life of the Son of God and feel and know it manifested in their mortal flesh for they shall witness the Power of it to make all things new and so their Souls will come up in the hand of God and his Peace will be Received and Enjoyed Oh People Wait to know and feel this Work of Christ within you that so you may be made able to Stand in the Judgement and to Endure the Tryal and that you may be Hid from the Wrath of the Lamb which is nigh to come upon the Rebellious Oh! Consider this Those that are his Followers they come thorow many Tribulations and their overcoming their Enemies is by His Blood not by a talk of it but by the Virtue and Power of it sprinkled in their Hearts which washeth and maketh them White Clean and without Fault before God Oh People my Bowels yearn my Bowels yearn towards you whose Desires in any measure are after the Lord O that you would now Return with all your hearts unto Him and obey the Voice of his Power in you then should you be made able to stand and endure the fiery Tryal which is come and coming Oh! the Day hastens wherein all Profession that is not grounded in the Life and Power of the Lord Jesus Christ whatever the shew of it be it will be so shaken that an utter Blasting and withering shall come upon it and for that cause the Lord doth and will yet suffer great Tryals to come both upon the Professors and Possessors of his Name that so his Children the Possessors may be manifested unto all and discerned from all that are but Professors though never so fair and seemingly Covered For all Coverings but what is of the Power and Spirit it self shall be too Narrow and all that are not Covered with the Spirit and Power of Emanuel their Shame and Nakedness shall appear more and more This is the Testimony which the Spirit and Word of Truth giveth therefore He that hath an ear to hear let him hear before the day of his Visitation be wholly past and the things belonging to his Peace he hid from his Eyes For yet a little while and the Voice shall be He that is filthy let him be filthy still For the Spirit of the Lord shall not alwayes strive with Flesh but his Plagues and Indignation shall be poured out upon such as will be gathered in the Day of his Patience long Forbearance and Free-Love and He or She that Loveth Father Mother Husband Wife Children House or Land Liberty Honour or any Thing more than the Life of the Lamb shall be counted not worthy of him and plainly manifested so to be Read this who can and he that can receive it let him For the Time draweth nigh that these Sayings must be fulfilled Printed the 13th of the Second Month 1661. GEORGE FOX the Younger SEVERAL EPISTLES To FRIENDS Who are GATHERED into the Light of Life A General EPISTLE and a tender Greeting sent unto the Flock of Christ who meet together to Worship the Father and the Son in the Spirit of Truth to be read in the Fear and Wisdom of God amongst them DEAR and tenderly beloved Friends and â—hildren of the most High God who have felt and tasted of his eternal Word of Life and have been acquainted with the workings and operations thereof whereby you are begotten again unto a lively Hope and are brought to know that Life which you were alienated from and that Covenant of Promise which ye were strangers unto Oh Friends unto you is my Love in the Lord Jesus Christ exceeding great
their Visitation even in the day of God's long Patience and Forbearance but set and bend themselves against the Lord and his Anointed Now Friends here is our strength and these are the Weapons which we must war withal against all this ungodliness that is come and coming up Therefore every particular hearken diligently unto the Call of God in the inward parts and wait in the meek Principle of Life that each may know and feel their own proper Gift or Gifts Weapon or Weapons and that every one may be kept sensible of the Teachings of the Captain of our Salvation that so ye may be expert in handling and using of it or them to the glory of him who hath called you to War against Babylon And dear Friends if any who love the Truth be yet further oppressed and their Goods spoyled by the false Prophet or Beast as many will be Oh! be ye tender-hearted towards such and know that the Earth is the Lord's and the Fulness thereof and they that follow the Lamb are redeemed from the Earth Therefore ye who know the Life dwell in it that your Redemption from all earthly things may be witnessed and that your Bodies and Estates may freely be given up to serve the Lord and one another whilst you are suffered to enjoy them Friends I know many of your Bodies and Estates have been and yet are so given up but these things I speak by way of remembrance to stir up the pure mind in all who breath after the Truth that love unfeigned may be maintained and encreased among you that ye may be all as Children of one Family dwelling together in Unity and Peace contented with the Will of the Father and be not at all discouraged or daunted because of the strength and malice and cruelty that is in the Adversary but be still and Patient in the Faith and stand out of all mortals in the sence of the Invisible Immortal Power of God and in that Meet oft together and visit one another whilst you may and be as Lambs amongst Wolves and the LORD our God shall appear for us and fight against our Enemies as he fought in the dayes of old against the Enemies of his Seed yea he shall confound our Enemies and bring them to naught and bring Liberty to his People when he hath tryed them to the full be Patient and doubt not though the Day must be hot yet it shall be but short for the Elects sake Watch and look not out He that will save his Life shall lose it but he that is willing to part with it shall find it eternally So the endless eternal Father of Life of Power of Wisdom of Peace of Love of Salvation gather and knit and unite you together and preserve and keep you in the melting Power and Love of the Lamb that ye may be as a Garden of Spices that your savour may be pleasant unto the Lord and unto all that breath after him in this the day of Tryal Amen Ah my dear Friends you have had a large and glorious day allowed you for the begetting and gathering of you into the precious Faith and the Unity thereof and many precious opportunities have you had for the assembling your selves together in the Name of the Lord and plenteously hath his eternal sweet Power and Life been manifested in and among you and as you have waited therein Oh! how have you felt the Blood of the everlasting Covenant the Life of Jesus purging and purifying your Consciences that therein you might hold the Mystery of that Faith which is your Victory over the World And now my Friends the Lord our God hath seen it good that ye may yet be tryed yea you must further be tryed your Faith your Strength your Patience must all be tryed and that by fire as I said before that a pure People you may be who stand and endure the Tryal unto the Lord yea a glorious People shall ye be whose beauty and splendor shall fill the Earth Therefore my dearly beloved in the Lord be watchful I beseech you and turn in and keep low in the feeling of the eternal Power in your own Vessels and know that every particulars strength lyeth there and ever particular will be tryed Therefore keep to your particular strength and be obedient to the Power in all its movings that so by it your minds may be drawn off all things that can or may change and come to an end and become wholly centered in the unchangeable endless Life of God Then my Friends nothing can harm you But verily if any of your affections be centered in Husbands Wives Children or any earthen Vessel or visible thing whatsoever so as that you cannot be willing to part with all if it be required at your hands then may your sufferings be great and dangerous unto you Therefore I beseech you be followers of the invisible Life of Jesus in all its appearances anddrawings that so by it you may be taught how to use all visible changeable things unto the Glory of the Lord whilst you are permitted to enjoy them And that you may be made willing to give up and to part with all yeâ— even with your lives also if you be called thereunto for the Tryal of your Faith or that your Enemies thereby may fill up the measure of their Iniquity and that Judgement may come upon them to the full And whilst you have outward liberty for the keeping your Meetings together be diligent therein as I said before and when any of you come to be hindred from such opportunities as you have enjoyed Oh! then be patient and wait upon the Lord for strength and if in any place it should come to pass that but two or three of you could come together neglect not that for if in the pure fear and love of God you be kept it will be profitable comfortable unto you And dear Friends you who are but weak in the Truth to you I now speak Take heed of looking out at any of us whom the Lord God hath drawn forth by his own Power and Love to declare his living eternal Truth unto you I say look not out at us as for strength or teaching but look to the endless Life in your selves which we have directed you unto in which your strength and satisfactory Teaching is for we may be removed far from you as to the outward but the Life and Power by which you and we stand abideth with and in you and we as to the outward may be bruised broken and slain for the Testimony of Jesus and the Word of God which we hold But the Life and Spirit of God and the Lamb dwelleth for ever with you that believe in it and if ye crucifie it not to your selves there is none that can slay it And while you have Us or any of Us among you I exhort and warn you all and that in the Name and Authority of the Lord that ye look not