laid up for me in the Lord Jesus and by the power of the Word of their Testimony there was a secret hope raised up in me to wait for his coming there I waited till the Administration of Iohn and I witness that of all that is born of a Woman there is none greater then Iohn for he is a burning and a shining Light who discovered more of the mystery of iniquity in me in his Administration and the sence of my condition was more manifest and the cry of my condemned Soul was great and could not be satisfied but breathed and thirsted after Christ to saye me freely through his Blood or I perished for ever and in this condemned estate I lay waiting for the coming of Christ Jesus who in the appointed time of the Father appeared to my Soul as the Lightnings from the East to the West and my dead Soul heard his voice and by his voice was made to live who created me to a lively hope and sealed me up in the everlasting Covenant of life with his Blood then I witnessed the wages of Sin and Death and the Gift of God eternal Life through Jesus Christ my Lord and I witnessed according to Testimony of Scripture Death raigns over all from Adam to Moses and Moses untill the Prophets and the Prophets untill Iohn and from this day the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force there is no rest to the Soul till Christ be manifest and this the Scripture witnesseth and I witness these Scriptures fulfilled in me in the year according to the accoâ—t 1645. The Witnesses that stood before the God of the Earth and had power to plague the Earth having finished their Testimony the Beast ascends out of the bottomless Pit and makes War against them and kills them and their dead Bodies lay in the Streets of the great City spiritual Sodom and Egypt where our Lord was Crucified and this Scripture was fulfilled in me in the year according to account 1648. Then Kindreds Tongues and the Nations of the Earthmade merry over the Witnesses and I see the abomination that maketh desolate which is spoken of by Daniel the Prophet standing in the holy place where it ought not and then was I led by the Spirit into the Wilderness and tempted of the Devil that the Scripture might be fulfiled Luke 4.1 In that day and hour of temptation which was in the time as the lines following giveth Testimony I witnessed these Scriptures fulfilled in me of Pauls condition wherein he complained as I then did who found a Law in my members Warring against the Law of my minde that when I would do good evil was present with me the sence of which caused me to cry Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this Death And as I was crying to the Lord to free me from the burthen I groaned under the Word of the Lord came unto me saying My Grace is sufficient for thee I will deliver thee and by the power of this Word I was armed with Patience to wait in his Counsel groaning under the body of Sin in the day and hour of temptation until it pleased the Lord to manifest his Power to free me which was in the year according to the account 1651. The Spirit of Life from God entred into the Witnesses and they stood upon their Feet then great fear fell upon all that saw them and the Temple of God was opened in Heaven and I saw in the Temple the Ark of his Testament and there were Lightnings Voyces Thunder Earthquakes and great Hail then mystery Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots and the Abomination of the Earth which made all Nations drunk with the Wine of the Wrath of her Fornication she was discovered in me and God remembred her when the mighty day of the Lords power was manifest upon her Jesus Christ was revealed from Heaven in flaming fire pouring vials of wrath upon her and rendring vengeance upon all in me that knew him not and disobeyed his Gospel and purged away the filthy nature that did me imbondage with the Spirit of judgement and with the Spirit of burning so through the righteous Law of life in Christ Jesus I was made free and am from the body of Sin and Death and through these great tribulations my Garments is washed and made white in the Blood of the Lamb who hath led me through the Gates of the City into the new Ierusalem where there is nothing enters that works abomination or makes a lie but what is written in the Lambs book of Life where my Soul now feeds upon the Tree of Life which I had so long hungred and thirsted after that stands in the Paradise of God where there is no more curse not night but the Lord God and the Lamb is my Light and Life for ever and ever I witness I am regenerated and born again of the immortal Seed and hath partaked on the first Resurrection on whom the second Death hath no power And this I declare to all the Inhabitants in England and all that dwell upon the Earth that God alone is the Teacher of his People and hath given to every one a measure of Grace which is the Light that comes from Christ that checks and reproves for Sin in the secrets of the Heart and Conscience and all that wait in that Light which comes from Christ which is the free Grace of God for the Power of Jesus Christ to destroy Sin and to guide them in obedience to the Light so shall they come to know the only true God and Father of Light in Christ Jesus who is the way to him And this I witness to all the Sons of men that the knowledge of eternal Life I came not to by the Letter of the Scripture nor hearing men speak of the Name of God I came to the true knowledge of the Scripture and the eternal rest they testifie it in Christ by the Inspiration of the Spirit of Jesus Christ the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah who alone is found worthy to open the Seals of the Book and I witness none else can for he alone opened the Seals of the Book in me and sealed it up to my Soul by the Testimony of his own Spirit according to his own promise I will bind up the Testimony and seal the Law amongst my Disciples and I will write my Law in their Hearts and put my Spirit in their inward parts and they shall not depart from me neither shall they need to teach every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother for all shall know me from the least of them to the greatest for I will be merciful to their Vnrighteousness and their Sins and Iniquities will I remember no more and all my Childern shall be taught of me saith the
whom they have power over not considering how you are driven out from the Presence of the Lord wherein you were placed in the beginning and some there are that feed upon the letter of the Scripture conprehending God and Christ in their Wisdom from what the Saints of the most high God had spoke forth from the Life they enjoyed in Christ Jesus which was in them the hope of their Glory and Man in his Serpentine Wisdom steals the Saints words into his understanding and never knows the Life and Power thereof in himself and so speaks a divination of his own Brain a Riddle to his own Heart and while he speaks to others himself is a Cast-way Every Man and Woman in particular deal justly with your Hearts and see where your Hearts are and what they delight in for in some of these created objects you delight in and feed upon if you cannot witness your change by the Eternal and Powerful Word of Truth for into the Earth you are driven from the Presence of God and these are the Fruits which spring forth of the Earth which is in your Hearts Self-love Pride Covetousness Anger Revenge Hastiness Frowardness Back-biting hard-Heartedness Cruelty and Oppression Lust and Uncleanness Drunkenness Impatiency and Unbelief and you are fenced out from coming to the Tree of Life with Cherubims and the flaming Sword which turns every way to keep the Tree of Life So every one see what you can witness of your return again unto God from whence you are separated by the Disobedience and evil of your Hearts and see what is the Ground of the hope of your callings and by what Power you are acted in your Obedience unto God whether by the Power of the first Adam or by the Power of the Second for if thou upon the Convincement of the evil of thy ways do not wait in the Light which is in thy Conscience that convinceth thee of the evil of thy doings for Power from the Lord to guide thee forth of the evil which the Light discovers which would guide thee into the Kingdom of God but thou runnest out into the Wisdom of the first Adam to seek the Kingdom of God in outward Forms and Observations according as thou comprehendest of the Saints practices and thou imitatest their practices in thy Wisdom and though thou walkst never so strictly in these outward Forms thou art alive in the first Adam sewing fig-leaves together to cover thy nakedness a piece of new cloth in an old Garment thou art putting new Wine into old Bottles and art building up a Tower to get up to God in thy heathenish and Babylonish Wisdom and confusion will come upon thee in the day when the Lord comes to look for Fruit thou wilt be found a fruitless Tree that cumbers the Ground Cain with his offering up Sacrifice unto God in thy first nature Esau seeking the Birth-right with Tears who shall never find it and all the Fruit that is raised in thee is from Hagar the Bond-woman and thou hast thy end for thy self in all that thou dost which is thy Hire which thou expectest in the end life for thy Labour and Obedience and thou regards not the Glory of the Lord and his Fear is not before thine Eyes therefore every Man and Woman deal justly with your own Hearts under what name or title soever thou be whether thou be a Teacher of others or a Professor of what thou comprehendest to be Truth from the Testimony the Saints gave forth from the Life and Power of Christ that was in them and thou expectest Life in thy outward Forms and Observations and mindest not to be guided by the Light which is of Christ in thy own Conscience which Light guided the Saints that gave forth the Scriptures and while thou disobeyest that Light profess what thou wilt thou art in the fall first Adam is yet alive in thee Cain is not yet banished nor Esau reprobated nor the Bond-woman and her Son cast out which are all figures and types of the first nature which is yet alive in thee and thy will is thy guide and thy Heart is in the Earth notwithstanding all thy profession and thou art a painted beast made drunk with the Wine of the wrath of the Whore which is thy Wisdom which comprehends that which thou never didst know manifest in it self and sits deckt as a well favoured Harlot above the Cross of Christ thou wilt be found a Thief and a Robber who comes not in by the Door Jesus Christ but climbs up some other way and thus far went the Scribes and Pharisees and the young Man who had kept the Commandments from his youth but when he should have sold all for Christ he went away sorrowful And thus far went Paul when he persecuted Jesus Christ according to the Law he walked blameless and all thy strict walking to get Life in Observations according to the Letter is striving again to get to the Tree of Life by thy own power who art fenced out with Cherubims and a flaming Sword which turns every way to keep the way of the Tree of Life And if thou never sawest thy self fenced out from the Presence of God notwithstanding all thy righteousness in observations thou art not come so near God as to see the flaming Sword which is placed to meet thee in every way thou turnest to get life in thy own power and to cut thee down and kill thee that Christ may be thy life thou art alive in the first Adam and art in the death for death reigns over all from Adam to Moses and Moses is until the Prophets and the Prophets till Iohn and Iohn until Christ and if thou canst not witness that thou art come to Moses profess what thou wilt thou hast not set thy Face towards God nor one step in the strait and narrow way to Eternal Life but art going the broad way to destruction whatever thou be whether a Teacher of others or a Professor of what thou comprehendest to be Truth from the Letter of the Scripture under what Form Name or Title soever thou be thou art a dead Man and a dead Woman and the wrath of God abides on thee though thou seest it not Rom. 7.9 There Paul witnesseth I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came sin revived and I dyed Friends every one in particular deal justly with your Hearts see what you can witness of your death with Christ by the powerful word of Truth which enlightens the Conscience and condemns sin in the flesh for every one would ascend with Christ to be partakers of the Life and Glory with him but he becomes a stumbling Stone to be Baptized with him into his sufferings and death and this thou must witness before ever thou come to sit with him in Heavenly Places for it is they and they alone that
the fulness of stature in Christ to thy own Destruction I see a Law in my Members warring against the Law of my Mind and brings me into Captivity into the Law of Sin which is in my Members but he gave not up himself to be a Servant of Sin as thou doest it was his burden that made him to cry Oh wretched Man that I am who will deliver me from this body of Death and he waited in the Faith until he was freed Rom. 8.2 For the Law of the spirit of Life in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit He witnessed Christ come in him to fulfil the Law and so do all the Saints now according to their growth some witness the Law fulfilled in them and others are waiting in the Faith patiently following the Lord daily through the Cross until the Law be fulfilled But thou art departed from the Counsel of the Lord thy God and causest his Name to be evil spoken of and hast made the Hearts of his People sad as they did that the Apostle speaks of For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the Enemies of the Cross of Christ whose end is Destruction whose God is their Belly and whose Glory is their Shame who mind earthly things These Scriptures are fulfilled in thee which the Apostle mentions And while they promise them Liberty they themselves are the Servants of Corruption for of whom a Man is overcome of the same is he brought into Bondage for if after they have escaped the pollutions of the World through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter end of them is worseâ—â—ith them then the beginning for it had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness then after they have known it to turn from the Holy Commandment delivered unto them but it is happened unto them according to the true Proverb the Dog is returned to his own Vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the Mire And thou mayst read what will be manifest to thee from the Lord. For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries He that despised Moses Law died without Mercy how much sorer punishment suppose ye shalt thou be thought worthy of who hast trodden under foot the Son of God and hast counted the blood of the Coveant wherewith thou wast sanctified an unholy thing and hast done despite unto the Spirit of Grace and we know him that hath said Vengeance belongs unto me I will recompence saith the Lord It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first work in minding that light of Jesus Christ in thee before whom thou once stoodest condemned for that thou now livest in Prize the time and give up to be guided by the counsel of the Lord in thee the light of thy conscience that discovers every vain thought wait on the power that is present with the light and it will dash Babylons children against the stones which is Sin in its conception so will thy carnal mind be brought to the Cross daily and thy Heart will be purged with the Spirit of judgment and the Spirit of burning kiss the Son in obeying his Counsel the Light in thee least thou perish in the way for if his anger be kindled a little blessed are they that trust in him The discovery of Mystery Babylon to all enslaved Captives in Babylons Kingdom who are made Drunk with the Wine of the Wrath of he Fornications and bewitched through the multitudes of her Inchantments FRiends Babylon is within you the Mother of Harlots is within you and bewitches you through the abundance of her Sorceries and the Beast is within you that riseth out of the bottomless Pit of the deceived Heart which is deceitful and desperately wicked and the Beast which all the World wanders after is your wills that makes War against the Lamb of God in you which is the Light that makes manifest the evil of your Hearts and your wisdom is the great Whore that sits upon the Beast that ariseth out of the bottomless pit of the deceitful Heart and she finds out many deceitful inventions to preserve the beastly will alive having a golden Cup in her Hand full of the Abominations of the Earth and this golden Cup is your outward professions glorious comprehensions and conceivements of God and Christ imitating what the Saints did in power according as they were moved by the operation of the Spirit of the most high God and 〈◊〉 â—mitate the Saints practice by your wisdom There is nothing but confusion in the Kingdom of Babylom so come you to be divided into so many particular Forms as Presbyterians Independants Anabaptists and divers others that are in outward worships painted over with glorious words and yet you whose wills guide you are painted Beasts bewitched with the Mother of Harlots notwithstanding all your outward professions and glorious observations they are but the golden Cup and within you are full of the abominations of the Earth as self-love covetousness lust and uncleanness hastiness frowardness backbiting slandering hardheartedness cruelty and oppresion grinding the Face of the Poor impatiency and unbelief and the Fear of the Lord is not before your Eyes and thus you lie inslaved Captives in the Kingdom of Babylon refreshing your Hearts in the Creature enjoyments which will perish some in Father and Mother some in Wife and Children some in House and Land some in Money and Gold some in self Wisdom delighting in themselves some in Honour and Preferment in this World and when there is enjoyment of these visible Creatures then there is content and when they are taken away there is trouble the mind always plodding contriving and acting every way to get of the Creatures what the Heart lusts after and he that gets the most is the highest exalted so every one is exalted above another and there is nothing but Tyranny Cruelty and Oppression among you you Sons and Daughters of Babylon And in her was found the Blood of the Prophets and of the Saints and all that were slain upon the Earth The Merchants of Babylon are your Teachers who draw you from your guide which is the pure Light of Christ in you to seek the Kingdom of God in Observations without you contrary to the mind of Christ the Kingdom of God comes not with Observations neither shall they say lo here
his Counsel the Light that comes from Christ in it to wait on him to open the Seals of the Book and make known the mystery of eternal life to the Soul the Scripture testifieth is in Christ the Truth of it to know as it is in Jesus The Word of the Lord to all in England whom the Lord hath betrusted with Power from the highest to the lowest to see the peace be kept and to judg the Cause of the People with righteous Judgments With a Lamentation over all in England who oppose Christ in his spiritual appearance and so slight the day of your Visitation to your own Destruction From the common Goal in Northampton the 25 th day of the 4 th Moneth 1655. Oh People in England AM I become your Enemy because I tell you the truth and deal plainly with you in declaring the minde of the Lord unto you which in the eternal riches of his Love he hath made known unto me by the Word of God and Testimony of Jesus Christ for which Word and Testimony I suffer outward Bonds and Persecutions as my Lord and Master did who was called a Blasphemer Belzebub the Prince of Devils by the high Priests who cried to the unjust Magistrates to deliver him up into their hands that their Persecuting Murthering spirits that thirsted after his Blood might be satisfied which the unjust men in Authority to do them a pleasure in satisfying their wills abused their power and delivered him up and though they proved not any thing against him they put him to Death calling him a Blasphemer and he sealed his Testimony with his Blood And all my holy Brethren Prophets and Apostles were called Blasphemers Hereticks Seducers and Deluders by the false Prophets High-Priests and Pharisees then who professed the Name of God in words but denied him in their practices and Persecuted his Children who were guided by his Word under the names formerly written as I and my Brethren are now Persecuted by the same Generation which profess God and Christ in words but denying him in their practices living in Pride and Pleasures Envy and Murder every way Persecuting and seeking to destroy the Bodies of the Saints of the most high God where the righteous Seed is raised up which witnesseth against their unrighteous practices and discovers them in their secret hypocrisie which is hid under their voluntary humility which causeth them to appear what they are and manifests what was hid in their Hearts under their fair coverings of outward Forms and Profession of Religion which they now manifest forth by their Fruit whose Children they are in obedience to their father the Devil who was a Persecuter and a Murtherer from the Beginning whose works they now do that profess Christ in words but denies to be guided by his Spirit for his Spirit is no Persecuter and so are they made manifest in what they do to all that have Eyes to see that they are strangers to Christ while they continue in Cain's nature persecuting the righteous Seed without a cause as he did and doth in this Nation both in the North of it and in other Prisons in several places of it there hath been cast into them the Saints and Children of the most high God for obeying his Will in witnessing forth his eternal Word that he hath made manifest in them And no breach of any National Law proved against them but a Popish Law made in Queen Maries Raign which some hath suffered under and many other of the Saints and Children of the most high God they have Persecuted and cast into Prisons and not the breach of any National Law proved against them but in the pride and envy of their Hearts do they Persecute the Innocent to satisfie their own wills as I am a witness against them who have Persecuted me and cast me into Prison under the name of a Seducer as they say for the Seducing of the People of this Nation and for suspition of Blasphemy and breaking of the publick Peace in dispersing Principles â—ontrary to the truth of the Gospel and Peace of the Nation and not any Accuser appeared to my face to prove what they charge against me as is formerly written either by the Law of God or the Law of the Nation but the Serpent in whom he rules hath manifest his enmity against me whom the Lord hath redeemed from the Earth and sent to Preach the everlasting Gospel to those that dwell upon the Earth and to witness against the wickedness of the dark World that the deeds thereof are evil for which Testimony the World that hates the Light that comes from Christ whom they ever Persecuted to fulfil the measure of their fathers Iniquities hath me and my Brethren Persecuted under the names as formerly written charging me with making Tumults and breaking the publick Peace for walking in obedience to the Spirit of Christ which guided all â—e sent to preach his Gospel to run to and fro as I have done in thee oh England that knowledge may be increased as is recorded in the Scripture of Truth Dan. 12.4 And is according to the commands of Christ Go your ways behold I send you forth as Lambs among Wolves carry neither Purse nor Scrip nor Shoes and salute no man by the way and into what City ye enter and they receive you eat such things as is set before you Luke 10. vers 3 4 8. But beware of men for they will deliver you up to their Counsel and they will scourge you in their Synagogues and you shall be brought before Governours and Kings for my Names sake but he that endures unto the end shall be saved Mat. 10. vers 17 18 22. According as it is written the wicked World that always did as they now do persecute the Messengers of Jesus Christ who to them were and are sent to witness against them in their Markets and Meeting-places that their deeds are evil which the Children of this Generation that are strangers to the leadings of the Spirit of Truth calls them that are guided by the Spirit to walk according to the Scripture makers of Tumults movers of Sedition breakers of the publick Peace as the unrighteous Generation did who Persecuted Christ and his Apostles whose practice was to declare the minde of God in their Synagogues and Markets as the Ministers of Christ do now And they found him in the Temple sitting in the midst of the Doctors both hearing and asking them Questions Luke 2.46 When Jesus came to Nazareth where he had been brought up and as his custom was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and as he was declaring the Word of eternal life to the People all they in the Synagogue when they heard these things he spake were filled with wrath and rose up and thrust him out of the City and led him to the brow of the Hill whereon the City was built that they might cast him down headlong but he passed through the
fear seized upon my soul for a long time after and Iudas Condition was cast into my mind untill it were shewed that the seal of the Covenant was the spirit of Christ and no outward Element and the supper was the body and blood of Christ which the world doth not know nor I at that time but was made to wait for the manifestation of it to me Then I durst joyn no more wiâ—â— the world in that practise nor in their practise in singing Davids conditions which they called Psalms for the light in my Conscience let me see the evil of my heart that I was not in Davids condition the sence of which stopped my mouth and while they were singing I did mourn and weep for want of the pure spirit that David had that caused him to sing neither could I apply the promises which they told me belonged to me for I found no promise belonging to that nature but the wrath of God abode upon me for my disobeying his Counsel in me the Light in my Conscience but being ignorant it was his Counsel I departed from it and lent my Ear to those without that said they spoke from the Mouth of the Lord so was deceived and caused to err by their Lies that did draw me to seek the Kingdom of God in observations without but the Word of the Kingdom was in me and executed the righteous justice of God upon my adulterous heart that took counsel and not at his Mouth till I was consumed and my Body was brought so weak I was not able to answer the expectation of him whom the Lord had placed me with though my Conscience was clear I did what I was able and he in his carnal wisdom thought I was in a Consumption and was in minde sometimes to have sent me away to my Friends in the Flesh and other times he would have the men the World calls Doctors to apply some things to my Body for my Recovery but I was not free to let them but once for fear of giving them offence for I knew my infirmity was the evil of my heart that separated me from the presence of my God and how to be freed from it none told me and when I found no help in outward observations in Reading Praying Hearing or Meditating of what I heard my sorrow and misery was so great it constrained me to run to those the World calls Ministers and Professors which appeared to me had most acquaintance with God to ask them what I might do to be saved and they spoke smooth things to me to believe in the Name of Jesus Christ and to apply the promises but that he was to be found within me none told me which added to my sorrow telling me to believe in Christ I knew not where he was then at that time did the Wars begin in this Nation and mine Eyes being still abroad to do something in outward observations for my life the men called Ministers cried Curse ye Meroz because they went not forth to help the Lord against the mighty Then I was willing to give my body to death in obedience to my God to free my soul from 〈◊〉 that I might escape the Wrath I lay under 〈◊〉 get acquaintance with him I joyned with that little Remnant which said they fought for the Gospel but when I was amongst them I found as much ignorance of the Gospel as was in those I had been with none told me what the Gospel was but the Letter which is the outward Testimony and Declaration of the Gospel which is Christ who is the Glad-tydings to Sinners but they called the Letter the Gospel as I had heard before so I found no rest to my Soul amongst them Then I heard there was in Scotland a reformed Church whom they said walked in the fear of the Lord I journyed into that Country and to Edenbrough where I found nothing but formallity their Teachers calling to the people to seek the Kingdom of Heaven in outward observations as I had heard in England Then I returned back to England again and went amongst those that called themselves the Church of Christ who are called by the name Anabaptists and Independants who was setting up a more glorious Image in outward observations and said they were the Children of God but I could not joyn with them for the Testimony of his Love my Soul wanted And then the Lord discovered to me that his Love could not be attained in any thing I could do in any of these outward observations so in all these my turnings in my carnal wisdom seeking the Kingdom of God in observations without thither the flaming Sword turned which kept the way of the Tree of Life and fenced me from it and cut me down and rent all my Fig-leave Coverings destroyed that minde that looked out to seek the Kingdom of Heaven in observations or to hearken any more to hear the Word of the Lord from 〈◊〉 Then my minde was turned within by the Power of the Lord to wait in his Counsel the Light in my Conscience to hear what the Lord would say And the Word of the Lord came unto me and said Put up thy Sword into thy Scabard if my Kingdom were of this World then would my Children Fight Knowest thou not that if I need I could have twelve legions of Angels from my Father which Word enlightned my Heart and discovered the mystery of iniquity and that the Kingdom of Christ was within and the Enemies was within and was spiritual and my Weapons against them must be spiritual the Power of God Then I could no longer Fight with a carnal Weapon against a carnal Man for the Letter which man in his carnal wisdom called the Gospel and had deceived me but then the Lord discovered to me the deceits of all these men in England that were seeking the Kingdom of Heaven in outward observations and the Messenger of the Covenant forth of his Mouth proceeded the two-edged Sword with which he slays his Enemies cut me down and caused me to yeild in obedience to put up my carnal Sword into the Scabard and to leave the Army Then I returned to my outward Habitation and Calling I had in the World and there laboured with my Hands my minde being turned within to wait upon the Lord in the way of his judgments and this I witness the Administration of Moses in which Cain is banished Esau reprobated Pharoah plagued the first born of Egypt slain and my will brought in subjection for the Lord to do with me what his will was if he condemned me he might and if he saved me it was his free Love and in this condemned estate I lay crying in the depth of misery without any hopes of deliverance by any thing I could do to pacifie the Wrath of God till the Administration of the Prophets that witnessed to my Soul there was free redemption
40th Page thou saist of those in scorn called Quakers thou can safely say they deny the benefit that comes to the Church by Christ's suffering in that Flesh that he received from the Virgin Mary or else deny it to bâ— a real Body of Flesh and so make it but a Type and a Figure of Christ in the Saint who are his true real Body which he now suffers in and by his suffering makes satisfaction for them making the Death of the Cross of none effect Reply The miserable Worms that un-Covenant themselves and un-Christ themselves who denies Christ the Light thou art found to be one who in thy dark mind art working Abomination and making Lies which thou hast published to the World in thy Books and thy place thou maist read â—s is Recorded Rev. 21.27 And the rest of thy Accusations Recorded in the 40th Page we witness against and for the Simple sake declare as followeth that benefit came to the Church by Christ's suffering in that Body God gave which was born of the Virgin Mary and with one Offering hath Christ perfected for ever them that are Sanctified Heb. 10.14 And these are his Saints in whom he is now revealed who are his Body Eph. 1.23 which now suffered by thee and all that are of the Murdering Generation who bore false witness against Christ when he was in that Body which they Crucified at Ierusalem and thou hast manifest thy self to be of the same Murdering Generation who hath publishâ—â— to the World thy false witness against the Innocent to perfect thy evil intent towards the Body of Christ if the Lord prevent thee not but thou shalt know the Lord faithful that thou and all that forms your Tongues against him shall fall in judgement Isa. 54.17 And what is charged upon thee in Answer to thy Reply to the Answer to the third Question that thou sets at nought the Corner Stone and prefers the Testimony of him before him limitting the eternal Son of God as thou hast in what is Printed in the 55. Page where thou speakst of the Scripture that they are designed of God to be the only Instrument and Vessel of his Spirit to convey the knowledge of Christ as Redeemer to lost Man and without them Christ is not known at all to any saving ends Reply Who art thou that dare thus utter Words vvithout knovvledge Christ is known where the Father reveals him to be the Souls Life vvhether they have the Scripture yea or nay according to the Will of God he makes known his mind to his People who wait upon him in his fear and the secrets of the Lord are with those that fear him Psal. 25.14 And the Spirit of the Lord is witness with our spirits that we are the Children of God O Man repent least the Lord cut thee off and thou perish in thy gain-sayings And further thou hast written in Reply to what was returned in Answer to the Question before mentioned the most of thy false Accusations are answered in what was returned to the former part of the Book and all thy false Accusations and Reproaches denyed with the Light and for the Simples sake there is returned in Answer to thy Questions which thou hast propounded 1. Qu. Where read we of a perfect Law of God in the Heart and where is it made the Rule and Ground of the Saints Obedience Ans. the Law of God is perfect Psal. 19.7 and is the Rule to which the Saints are to walk in obedience to and to be guided by Psal. 119.12 and the Law to be in the Heart is proved Psal. 40.8 I delight to do thy will O God yea thy Law is within my Heart 2. Qu. Whether the Law in the Heart be under another Covenant distinct from the perfect Law of God declared in Scripture 3. Qu. What vve are to understand by the Lavv of God in the Heart vvhich is the same vvith Scripture vvhether the 10th Commandements vvritten in Tables of Stone only or all those positive Precepts of Gospel-Worship and Obedience conjoyned vvith them also Ans. To thy 2d and 3d Questions in the old Covenant the Lavv vvas vvritten in Tables of Stone vvhich Lavv having a shadovv of good things to come and not the very Image of the things can never vvith those Sacrifices vvhich they offered Year by Year continually make the comers thereunto perfect Heb. 10.1 And vvhen he came vvho saith Lo I come to â—o thy vvill O God he taketh avvay the first that â—e may establish the second ver 9. by vvhich vvill vve are sanctified thorow the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all ver 10. and by one Offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified whereof the holy Ghost is a Witness to us as he said before This is the Covenant that I will make with them saith the Lord I will put my Laws in their Hearts and in their Minds will I write them ver 14 15 16. Ier. 31.33 4. Qu. Whether the Law in the Heart without the use of Scriptures make any Evangelical discoveries of the Person Natures and Offices of Christ as he is Redeemer of lost Man Ans. Thy feigned Words we wave the Truth we witness the Law in the Heart witnessed in the New Covenant Christ is known to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6.15 And the faithful High Priest Heb. 2.17 3.1 4.15 5.6 7.26 10.21 who hath made us Kings and Priests to God and his Father c. Rev. 1.6 5. Qu. Whether all shall be saved that have the Law of God written in their Hearts by virtue of the New Covenant or any be saved that live to Years of discretion that know not Christ as the Scriptures testifie of him in order to his coming to the World to save sinners Ans. All are saved who are guided by the righteous Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ which sets them free from the Law of Sin and Death Rom. 8.2 And what Years soever any live unto they have no discretion to know Christ as the Scriptures testifie of him but they who in his Light wait upon him to be guided by him for who hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his Rom. 8.9 And for the rest of thy Aspersions and Revilings thou hast writ calling us Deceivers that fear the Authority of man or else we would deny Christ himself Reply Christ we do not deny but him we own who respects no Mans Person Rom. 2.11 and in him no fear of Man is and we in him Reign over thee and all the authority of the power of Darkness that stands in opposition to Christ the Son of God to whom every Knee must bow Phil. 2.10 the day shall declare it And in what thou hast replied to the Answer to the fourth Question which thou chargest to be untrue to say That Man in the fall as he stands in the state of corrupt nature hath not therein any Light
the week there was a Meeting where it was said there might be two Thousand My God was mighty in his Power to the glory of his Name If God will I may be at Justice Cripse's in Gloustershire the next third day and at Slettingford twelve Miles from Bristol the fourth day if God-will I may be at Bristol the sixth or the first day being the 18th of this Month further then as my freedom is in my moving in the Lord the presence of God keep you with me in his Life and all the Elect faithful to the end Amen W. D. Dear Friends IN the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ walk to reign over all contrary to the Light that in the Light and glory of God you may all shine forth living Witnesses of the Name of the everlasting holy pure God who hath looked on you in his tender love to gather you in the Everlasting Power of God to stand against all deceit blessed are you thaâ— are faithful in obeying the Light of Christ to foâ—low him in the Cross and straight way of self-denial you are my Brethren and Sisters in the Lord Jesus our Captain over all he will Crown you with his Almighty Power to stand in Faith and Patience to follow him until every tongue that lifts up it self against you shall fall in Judgment withal that stumble at Christ Jesus our Life and Light who will gather a large People to himself in that Country many shall come in that is yet wandering upon the Mountains where they find no rest Blessed are all you that abide and walk faithful with the Lord whom he hath called and chosen in the Light to be the first Fruits what ever ariseth contrary to the Light within or without watch to the Light you will descern stay your Hearts on the Lord in the Light holding fast your Confidence in the Lord he will deliver you forth of all contrary to the Light and cause you to rejoyce in the daily Cross to the crucifying you to the World and the World to you and over the World will cause you to rejoyce withal its pomps and glory and evil therein you shall over it stand in the Power of God to his Praise and Glory even so be it with you all in the Almighty Power of God in whom my Soul salutes you that faithfully walk humbly before the Lord in Obedience to his Counsel the Light. DEar Lambs called in the Light to lye down in the safe Fold of rest in Christ our life in the tender bowels of love in him I beseech you that you be faithful in meeting together in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and diligently watch to know your own measure of Grace in Christ him to feel in you to judge your thoughts and every vain Imagination that over them you may reign and delight in the refreshing of his presence and all take heed of many words at all times let them be few but what is from the savory Spirit of Life in Christ the Light in him the blessing of the Lord rest on you all for evermore there to farewel with me in the everlasting love of the Father in Christ the Light Amen W. D. Given forth the 24 th of the 7 th Month 1658 at Leeth near Edenborough Scotland Let Copies of this carefully be written and sent to the Churches when they are met together in the Fear of God to be read amongst them Dear Friends BRethren and Sisters called in the Light to feel the Power of Almighty God burying self in the Death and raising up his own immortal Birth of himself in all your Hearts which hungereth and thirsteth after his Righteousness and cannot be satisfied but in the Light of the Countenance of the Eternal God of Heaven Grace and Peace be multiplied to you all in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ the Light c. This to you all is the Word of the Lord God to watch diligently to the Light that you may see all the workings of the Enemy who would draw you from the Light and as the Lord discoveâ—eth him judge him in all his appearances with the Light that you may be kept out of all his Temptations that the Power of God you may all feel guiding of you that not any receive the knowledge of the Truth in the wrong ground as many have done who have received the knowledge of the Truth and for want of the watch to the Light the false birth in them raiseth its self with what is known and received in the day of tenderness and so hath run out in a drunken hard Spirit spending the Talent upon the lust out of Gods fear so hath grieved the Spirit of the Lord and burthened his dear People and hear is the ground of all that came out with us and go from us and are not of us who in the day of their coming forth were tender and at that time God manifested himself in measure but not watching to the Light the Enemy entered and the false birth rise in its strength and enriched it self with Gods gift then the Swine got the Pearl and turned again and all to rend so here is the ground of strife that hath been or ever shall be with all that came out in the acknowledgment of Truth and flee the true Judgment of God from his witness in their own particulars and through his People in whom he dwelleth All dear Children of God who love the Light prize the Mercy of the everlasting Father of Light who hath counted you worthy to wait upon him watch watch to the Light that the Judgment of the Lord may pass upon the first Man which is of the Earth that he may truely be buried into the one Baptism into the death that the birth Immortal you may feel generated in you by the working of the Immortal Word the true Birth which makes self of no reputation which humbleth self in the Cross and Thirsts and Hungers in you for the presence of the Lord or otherwise you cannot live fear you not you Children of my Father lift up your Heads in the Light of the Lord for the Bowels of the God of Heaven earns towards you stay your Hearts upon him in the Light and the Lord will rebuke the furious Enemy of your peace he will not break the bruised Reed neither will he quench the smoking Flax until he hath brought Judgment forth into Victory so let not any of you be bowed down any longer but all arise arise in the Light of the Lord God hold fast your confidence in the measure of the Light of Jesus and the Enemy of your peace he will rebuke and all unbelief and deceit he will throw down and raise you in the strength of his own Life to delight in the strait way of self-denial and the daily Cross where the Immortal Babe will receive the Crown of the Glory of the Lord and in the light of his Countenance shall be refreshed forever
that hath resisted the God of Israel DEar Friends let the Love of God constrain you to trust in him and feel the Birth of the Seed of God born up over all to eat and feed of the Bread of Life that out of time and place and over all visibles you may live and rejoyce over all hardships that would appear and wrath that arises all keep the word of Faith in the Power of God the Mountains shall fall before you more and more and you shall tread down the Pride of the perverse and froward Generation in the patience and dominion of God forever and let the strong bear the Burthen of the weak that all in the unity of the Spirit in the Power of the Love of God grow up an holy Preisthood offering up the Souls and Bodies a living Sacrifice in faithful Obedience to do the will of God. In whose Name it is declared unto you Dear Friends in vain is it for Man to strive to limit the holy one of Israel or his Spirit in his People for if they were as the Sand upon the Sea shoare that seek to oppress and destroy you that love God more then any thing in the World yea then Life it self fear not comfort your selves in the Light of his Countenance for he will arise and scatter in his wrath as dust before the wind all those that resist his Spirit and his righteousness will he establish in the Earth for ever And O Sion thy God reigneth and thou shalt seethy Enemies come bending to the soles of thy Feet and thy renown which shall go more and more over the Earth thy leaves shall heal the Nations which shall walk in thy Light and you shall be known in all the Earth to be the City of the most high God yea the righteous Seed which the Lord hath blessed when the Faces of thine Enemies shall be covered with shame the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it Let this be sent abroad amongst Friends with understanding in the Fear of God. W. D. York Tower the 19th 12th Mounth 1660. Dear Brethren ANd Suffering Members dwelling in the Power and Life glad your Hearts in the unlimited Power of God that in his strength you reign over all the Powers of Darkness in your keeping the word of Patience in the Lord Jesus who will plead your cause in his righteous Judgments when he will clear your Innocency in the Faees of all his Enemies to your eternal comfort and the Glory of his Name forever lift up your Heads this is the day that hath been proclaimed in your Ears which our God hasteth to finish and cut short in righteousness for his Name sake the mighty God of Power keep you faithful to the end Amen W. D. 19th 12th month 1660. DEar faithful Friends in God who hath known the day in your Travels that not any thing hath been dear to you not Life it self that you might enjoy the Light of the Countenance of God which he hath now manifested in the everlasting Covenant of his Light in Christ which now constraineth in the Power of our Royal Life born of the noble Seed to stand out over and above all flattering Tongues and all threatings and wrath of Men which will be more and more manifest before this day of tryal be over and what wrath ever the Lord suffers to arise in the Powers of the Earth without he moves do not any seek to stop it let God have the glory the wrath of Man turns to the praise of God and the remainder he will restrain while the royal Babes in Meekness and Patience stand still and gives glory to God in faithfull obedience with Life to Death if the Lord call for it who hath blessed the labour of all he called into the Vine-yard of God in whom my Bowels is enlarged in the strength of the Life I have received of the Father Oh feel me for I am with you filled with joy in the Lord that his royal Birth is brought forth and the Captive set free the Tongue of the Dumb loosed and the living Power of God raised to offer up living praises on the holy Altar of God in the Asemblies of his Saints Oh lift up your Heads be glad in the strength of the Lord in this day of gathering the good ripe Fruit in the Vine-yard of the Lord now doth the Vines abound with Vertue laden with Clusters of the purest Grapes full ripe which drops abundantly with the Wine renewed in the Kingdom of the Father Oh fill your Cups be not straitned in your Spirits to receive of the fulness of God in whom I am constrained to say unto you in the Light drink drink abundantly let the Thirst of the immortal Birth earnestly in the Light reach forth it self to draw more and more the infinite Life that it may comprehend you in the Power of it self that in its strength your Hearts may be set free over all below and your Spirit in the Light and Life raised in the Heavenly Harmony to praise and glorifie the Name of the Lord in eternal unity to the astonishment of all that know not God whose Hearts shall fail before the Life of God which keeps all that abide in it with what ever he gives low in his fear that neither Heights nor Depths Tribulations or Distress Persecution or Famine or Nakedness Peril or Sword Life nor Death things present nor things to come can never separate the royal Birth from its faithfull obedience to Christ Jesus the Light and dwell out of time and place and over all Creature enjoyments in the unlimitted Power to guide that your words be few and savory at all times whether in Bonds or out of Bonds to minister Grace to the Hearers and be tender affectionate one towards another in the pure chast Love of God all to lye down together in the eternal unity one in the fulness in the most high God over all blessed for ever Farewel your Brother W. D. From the Tower in York the 25 th of the first Month 1661. Let this go abroad amongst all the afflicted and wounded in Spirit with care send this to them DEar Child which Crys over all the World and beyond all the Pleasure Pomp and Vanity therein for the enjoyment of the Light and Countenance of God fear thou not neither be thou discouraged because of the violent assaults of the Enemy who seeks to draw thee into the carnal reasonings of thy Spirit and in it to kindle a fire to thy self and causâ—s thee to walk in the Light of the sparkes that thou hast kindled and this thou hast at the hand of the Lord in thy going from his Counsel thou lyes down in sorrow few knows thy great distress but to the Lord it is known and them that has walked in the same Pathes Oh thou Dear and afflicted Soul who lives in the deep sence of the working of the evil one in thy mind and many times is ready to
seek to overcome with their subtle enticing words to draw them into singularity and self-separation that they may set them up with admiration and to carry on their own Interest they make use of those they overcome to seek all occasions with themselves to speak evil some both by writing and printing against those that God hath raised up to keep their Habitation and to stand unmovable upon the Foundation Christ the Light to discern and judge their subtle crafty wicked proceedings and to lay them open that they be such as intrude into a Ministry and runs when God never sent them therefore they do not profit the people at all for they go not in at the Door which is the Light to be led in conformity to Christ in his suffering and Death so come they to be ignorant of the saving gathering word of eternal Life because they in self-strivings climb up over the true judgment of God and in pride and fleshly wisdom pretends to enjoyments of high things in a self-boasting spirit some saying in their Hearts as it is written I see and know and am rich and want nothing when they are blind and miserable and naked and wants all things and must come again to the Light to bâ—y eye-salve of Christ that they may see and raiment to cover them or else their nakedness will forever appear For this birth which is generated in the Myâ—tery of Iniquity as before written it cannot live but in singularity and self-separation setting up self some times in visible Formes Gestures and Postures to be seen distinct from others as Clouds tossed to and fro to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever except they repent for God will make the Womb of this Births Conception to be the Grave whence again it shall return and there to be buried to its eternal consummation the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it through his Servant that hath and doth labour day and night according to the ability of the Grace I have received of the Lord for the restoration of all those that have been in danger of destruction through the snares and working of the Enemy as before written And amongst many some hearked to counsel and have been again restored in obedience to the Light but who rejected the counsel of God through his Servants and desperately goes on in a self-serving spirit though often reproved they harden their necks destruction hath doth and will come upon them and that without remedy Oh! How did my Bowels earn for the preservation of I. P. in what I could to have drawn and separated him from that spirit which gave forth the paper that propagated the keeping on the Hat in prayer and reflected judgment upon those that called upon the Name of the Lord with their Heads uncovered but after much counselling of him in tender love to have stopt that paper from going abroad but he would not be separated from that spirit that gave it forth Then I cleared my Conscience in the Word of the Lord which now in my freedom in God I declare to the Children of Sion what the eternal judgment was that did arise in my Heart in words to this purpose Iohn â—f then propagate what thou hast written in this paper thou wilt wound more Hearts and cause more trouble of spirit amongst the tender hearted People of the Lord then when the temptation entred dear I. N. who deeply suffered but the Lord restored him again by true repentance And as to my particuler it is not my nature to be found striving with thee or any upon the Earth but having declared the Truth to thee I will return to my rest in the Lord and let every birth live the length of its day and time manifest what is born of God for that Spirit that stands up in self-striving will weary it felf and dye and end in the Earth And this will certainly come to pass upon all that do not diligently wait in the Light to judg the out-goings of their minds and to be lead in true self-denial which is the Foot-steps where the Flocks of the Companions delight to walk every one serving one another in love seeking to restore one another with the Spirit of love and meekness forth of what any have done through the violence of Temptation or weakness Oh! Dear Friends feel the earning Bowels of the Lord through me to you all in which I beseech you that what hath come to pass in this day of great tryal and hour of Temptation you may all in dear love to the Lord of Life return to his Light to feel his Power restoring into a true understanding with him to walk in true self-denial where you will feel his Presence filling your Hearts and binding you up in eternal Unity of the Spirit and bond of Peace every one forgetting all things that are behind and not any one stand up in self-striving but in the tender broâ—herly love informing the Judgements of one another in the Light and Power of the endless life and in it submit to the low estate of one another serving one another in love which is the washing one anothers feet and here is Christ and his Disciples in eternal unity and powerful Dominion against whom every tongue lifted up shall fall in Judgment and every weapon formed shall not prosper but come to naught for the Mountain of the Lords House shall be more and more set upon the top of the Mountains and established over all the Hills and all the faithful shall more and more in eternal unity praise and magnifie his Name in the beauty of holiness who sits upon the throne and liveth and reigneth forever and ever And dear chosen Vessels who hath known and doe abide and keep your state with God in the perfecting power manifest in your inward man which truly buries self in the death and hath raised you up and sent you forth in the Resurrection and power of the endless Life which seeketh not any thing but to glorifie the Lord in all your travels and undertakings where-ever the Lord calls you Oh you blessed amongst the people what can be said of the goodness of the Lord that hath been and will be more and more manifest to you whose care and burdens labours and travels is known to the Lord and your reward is with him forever Dear Brethren though great be the wrath that withstands the work of our God which wrath worketh openly and mysteriously to lay burdens upon the innocent and to add affliction unto the afflicted In the Word of the Lord that ariseth in my Heart I declare they shall but weary themselves and all their hopes shall fail them and their expectations shall come to nought who wait for evil concerning you who love the Lord better then your lives and delight to wait to feel his Power at all times leading and ordering in the limits and bonds of the Spirit of the Lord c. I know there is of you my
God manifest in the Light of the Covenant and sealed up to the Soul in the Blood of Jesus Oh come away come away out of all your thoughts desires doubts and unbelief which would turn you aside from the enjoyment of the dear love of God in Christ Jesus Let not any stand afar off because of your Littleness Lameness Blindness Weakness and Infirmities who cannot live at Peace until you be healed with the Blood of the Lamb. Arise arise you necessitated people in the Light of the Lord give up to the drawing Spirit of Life in the Light of Jesus Christ he will carry thee that cannot go in the Arms of his Compassions he will cause the Lame to walk and thou that art sensible of thy Blindness to recover thy sight yea he will heal thee of all thy Infirmities who in the Light waits as a little Child to be ordered and guided in the washing and sanctifying Spirit of the Lord Iesus who is become a Husband to the desolate Widow and a repairer of the Breaches and a restorer of the desolate Places in whom the Fatherless hath found mercy this day for his Names sake Oh! what shall I say of the unspeakable Love of God in Christ Jesus the Husband of the Bride the Lambs Wife Oh ye Sons of the glorious day read and feel in the deep tasts of the unsearchable Love. And you Hand-Maids of Glory drink of the inexpressible Ocean which flowes in the Light over all opposition This is the Son of the Fathers Love who hath been a Man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs He was Wounded for our Transgressions and by his Stripes are we healed and this is the Work of the Lord Let all Crowns be thrown down before him for he alone shall have all the glory besides him there is no other Therefore in the measure of him let every Son Daughter and Servant of God watch and diligently hearken to his Counsel and what ever the natural Man most inclines to when the Temptation besets you judge your selves look up to the Lord and resist the Devil with boldness in the first assault and the Lord God will give you Dominion over him and the Bond of Iniquity shall not have power over you and in his holy Authority every one stand in Dominion upon the Head of the first Man with all his excellency and glory that in the perfect freedom every particular Reign in the measure of the Light over every thought and desire that is contrary to the Will of God that in his eternal Will you Sons and Daughters of the most high you all dwell in the holy Faith which will evidence to you beyond your sight and will Arm you against all the fiery Darts of the Devil And you shall tread down Sathan under your Feet and in the triumphing Dominion through the Blood of the Lamb and Word of your Testimony you shall overcome and continually drink of the Rivers of pleasures which is the presence of the Lord Jesus our Light Life and Righteouness for ever for he is become our Husband and we are as the Wife of his Bosom in the delight of his glorious Love Let the Mourners in Sion rejoyce and the afflicted among the people be glad and fear the Lord. And let not any say the Lord regards me not who desires Salvation in uprightness of Heart for what ever thou hungers and thirsts for in his Life thou art the Heir of it and the Lord will satisfie thy Hunger with his refreshings for his Name sake And this is the Portion of them that are least in their own Eyes amongst the people the Lord hath spoken it And all you Inhabitants of the City of the great God whom the Lord hath prospered in your living Testimony in what he hath called unto blessed be the Lord God for you who retain the sensibility of your nothingness in self and so become poor with the poorest and Weak with the weakest and truly maketh self of no reputation but humbles it to the Cross and doth not serve self but the Lord and his people with all his Gifts and Ornaments with which he hath adorned you because of the savour of this Oyntment which you have in Christ causes the Souls of all the upright in Heart to praise the Lord for you Oh your stedfast valiant unwearied Travels Labours and Sufferings for the Lord causes the Hearts of his People to be enlarged with Hallelujahs and high Praises in the holy Assembles of his Saints you know your reward is with you and wo to them that devise mischief against you whom the Lord hath blessed Oh Sions Children from the least to the greatest love the Lord Jesus Christ and let not a thought of the Heart have any power that would draw from the Light Life and Love of the Lord Jesus let the day of the Resurrection arise upon you which will set your Souls in perfect love above all Unbelief and Infidelity Oh drink drink drink to the full satisfaction of your Souls of the Cup of his Salvation for it is freely handed to all that love him and thirsts for his Mercies and trample and tread down the self-working spirit that all be bound down in silence and kept in the Death that would move in any exercise to utter words rashly before the Lord but in the Resurrection Light Power Life and innocent Birth enter the Kingdom and Reign in the Dominion thereof Oh here my dear Friends let us comfort and consolate our Souls together for this is our beloved and we have waited for him and now is he come with power and great glory to deliver his Captives and establish them in his glorious freedom where the evil one shall not prevail against them and to Marry the Soul unto himself who hath waited for him as for the Morning and all in the Marriage union feel his Power abounding to lead in the daily Cross to stand over all that would draw from the sweet union that is in the footsteps of the Flock of his Companions who walk in the Light and stir up the gift of God in you in all faithful obedience to meet together in true watchfulness to wait in the Light And as your Hearts are filled with the Heavenly Power of the Lord and broken in the sence of the overcomings of his Life and moved in the forciable strength thereof in any exercise in your Families or in the Assemblies of his People quench not the Spirit of the Lord but be obedient and keep within the bounds of a broken Heart and a contrite Spirit which is a Sacrifice acceptable in his presence And all feel the love of God enlarging your Hearts one to another that the strong may bear the Burthen of the weak and in the pure Life of love you may grow fruitful Plants in the Vineyard which God's right-Hand hath Planted c. And as for our little Sister which is scattered amongst the people in the Nations that hath no Breast of
he will carry his tender Lambs in his Armes and the dear suckling Babes at the Breasts of his Consolation and to cause his young men in Christ to rejoyce in the purity of his nature and the Handmaids and Daughters of Glory to triumph in his Comliness with which he will cover them that love the Light and his pure nature better then their lives the aged among his people he will cloath them with Wisdom and the grave solid ponderous weighty Spirit shall more and more possess the Ancients among his Children a pure perfect eternal Judgment he hath plac'd in the midst of thee oh Sion that shall keep forth and bind the ravenous ones for it shall be as a wall for the preservation of his lovely City Ierusalem and great is and shall be the encreasings of God upon all thy Inhabitants that abhor self and love the Light and delights to walk in faithfulness up to the requirings of the Lord in this his dreadful day wherein he is purging his Sanctuary through great sufferings according to the word of the Lord as hath been declared let no discouragement be upon your Spirits for the mighty Jehovah is with every particular Babe of his Kingdom and dear and pretious is your lives in the sight of the Lord a Woman may forget her sucking Child but the Lord will not forget you that trust in his Mercies and though the Cup look bitter which many hath to drink in this trying day fear not you beloved People but stand approved in the Light of Jesus and whatever you meet withal his presence will accompany you in sweetning your passage daily more and more for his bowels earns abundantly to you who in the holy resolution in his heavenly Power is freely given up to do and suffer whatever the pleasure of the Lord is â—hat he may glorifie his Name in the Earth in disposing of you to the eternal renown of his Name forever Oh you dear Babes of the holy Seed abide in your safe dwelling in the Light over all fear of what ever man can do for the determination of God is not any more wrath shall have power then shall turn to his praise for the Lord hath given his Angels charge over you and they pitch their Tents continually about you and in vain it is for man to strive to afflict you whom the Lord will save or to destroy whom the Lord will preserve Therefore be glad oh Sion in thy God this day and let thy Inhabitants oh Ierusalem shine forth in the glory of the Heavenly power of the most high God who dwelleth in the middst of thee for the day of thy deliverance he is hastening and to make inquisition for the Blood of thy tender Children who has sufferred spoylings of their Goods and many Stripes Prisons Afflictions and Death for the Word of God and Testimony of Jesus Christ Therefore in the Word of his Patience every one stand in your several conditions gird up in the Light the mind to the Lord unmoveable in his strengâ—h to bear your Testimonies the strong leading the weak by the Hand that all in the gentle sweet leading Spirit of Life in eternal Unity live and walk in the heavenly Authority in peace and faithfulness until death where the Crown of eternal glory shall be your reward in the power of his everlasting dominion to Praise and Magnifie his Name with Hallelujahs and high praises in the beauty of his Life forever and for evermore Amen And further this ariseth in my Heart dear beloved vessels whereâ—oever God hath placed you in the Earth whatever appears amongst the Children of men in the Light of Christ stand still and dwell in your peaceable rest forever that to the witness of God in every Conscience we may be manifest to be the Children of the eternal God of Peace in whom is our diligent watchings and waitings upon our God to order us in his Power and Wisâ—om in our peaceable lives to be a blessing to all the Inhabitants of the Land of our Nativity from the highest to the lovest in what we may to perswade them to walk in the Fear of the Lord that they may escape in the day of terrible wrath which the mighty God will manifest in the day of his dreadful vengeance upon the ungodly that so by our conversation in Christ the measure of God in all their Consciences may testifie for us that in us the peaceable holy Seed is raised which the Lord hath blessed and in which we know that neither height nor depth principalities nor powers things present nor things to come prisons nakedness peril or sword life nor death can never seperate us from the sweet refreshing Life and Peace we have together in Christ the Righteousness Strength and Dominion forever In whom Rests the Soul of your Brother in the word of his Patience with you Farewell W. D. Warwick Goal the 8 th of the 11 th Month 1663. The Word of the Lord to Sion the New Ierusalem the Bride the Lambs Wife the Eâ—cellency of all the Glory that is amongst the People though she be now in deep Sufferings in fulness of time God will clear the Innocency of her Children and all the Nations of the Earth shall call her the Blessed of the Lord yea the holy City in whom the Lord dwells to manifest his Glory upon the Earth amongst the Children of men forever O Sion who is brought forth in the beautiful and glorious Birth of the morning of the Day of the Almighty God thou Ierusalem the Bride the Lambs Wife O what Tongue can express of what is felt in the heavenly Treasures and Fulness of the Most High who watches over thee for good and not for evil in this day of thy great Tryal wherein Judgment is begun at the House of God that he may prove you to be his People in the sight of the Nations and manifest his mighty Power for your deliverance in the presence of the People to the astonishment of all the proud and stout-hearted among the Children of men In the ability of the strength of the Lord I declare his Word to thy tender Children O Sion whom the Lord God beholds how you are compassed about with the ravenous Beasts of the field and given up by the Children of men for to be laid waste and to race up the Foundation of your strength if it were possible that so the pure and living Worship of God in the Spirit may not be known in the Earth O dear and tender Children of the Immortal Birth which maketh Self of no reputation whom the Lord hath called and chosen to be his living Witnesses upon the Earth to bear Testimony of his great and glorious Name amongst the People fear not Man whose breath is in his nostrils neither regard evil tydings of what men intend to do with you O be faithful upon your watch that you may stand in a good Authority in the Light and Life over all the
Testimony for him in the pure meek peaceable Spirit of our Lord Jesus with the hazard of the loss of all outward substance dear and tender Wife and Children and beloved Husband and tender Children to be rent from their dear beloved Parents and also with the hazard of your Liberty and Transportation out of your Native Country and not at all love your lives to death to seal your Testimony with your Blood in the Word of his Patience if the Lord require it at your Hands and when you have done the Will of God in what is before written your love is so large to the Lord Jesus that you abhor loath and detest and trample upon every appearance of the arrogant self-pridâ—ng and self-inriching boasting Spirit in what you have done or suffered for the Testimony of the Truth of our God and in true watchfulness and pure attendancy to the Light and Counsel of the Lord Jesus you are always kept in a true sensibility of your own nothingness cloathed with the Garment of everlasting humility where you sit at the feet of Jesus as Mary did chusing the good part that shall never be taken away casting your Garments of all self-righteousness upon the ground that Jesus may tread upon them and the cumbred disposition of Martha that would complain of the innocent Life or that would have any eye to self and rob him of his Glory and for this you Children of the most high is your daily waiting that the Lord Jesus may take you up into him and cause you to rejoyce and sing Hosanah to the highest and to bless him that comes in the Name of the Lord to cover you with his own righteousness and marry you to himself as his chosen and beloved Bride in his own faithfulness and give you perfect Victory in overcoming through the Blood of the Lamb and the word of your faithful Testimony in the pure meek holy healing Spirit of the Lord our righteousness in whom you shall be as Pillars in the Temple of our God and shall go no more forth but shall grow as Trees of Righteousness in the midd'st of the Street of the City of our God bringing forth acceptable Fruit to him in due season and your Leaves shall be for the healing of the Nations where-ever the Lord suffers you to be cast for the Testimony of his glorious Name yea the Prisoners of hope will be refreshed at the sound of your coming and the Mourners will rejoyce in your arising for the Tongue of the learned shall be given unto you all in your measure to speak a word in due season to every condition for you and all the Companions that can read and understand in the true experience your state as here written shall stand as Saviours upon Mount Sion which can never be removed because yoâ— have not any eye to self in what ever you do but it is your delight to be ordered by the holy Spirit of the Lord Jesus and in your resignation into his pure will you shall be translated more and more into the angelical glory and by your holy conversations words and works which hath the love of God stampt upon them you become Preachers of the mind of God to the Nations and as ministring Angels shall reap in his harvest to the gathering our Brethren from far and our Sisters from the ends of the Earth and all the Nations shall confess that you are the Children of the most high God the righteous Seed whom the Lord hath blessed and the Hearts of the People shall be changed in the day determined by the Power of the mighty God who turns the Hearts of men as a River of Water and the People of the Nations in the Earth shaâ—l more strive in their fervent desires for you suffering Innocent Lambs to live amongst them then they now strâ—ve and endeavour to send you away from them the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it through your Brother in the Lord Jesus whose life hath been of no esteem to serve you with my faithful Brethren who in true self-denial through the almighty Power of God indured the heat of the day that you might be gathered and established to indure the tryals which were of the Lord determined of which I was sent in years past to proclaim in your Ears and in the same word which speaketh thorow me to you of which neither jot nor tittle shall fall to the ground till all be fulfilled I declare to you this day Therefore dear and honourabâ—e Brethren and Sisters from the highest growth to the lowest stature in Jesus let not any consult with Flesh and Blood but all in the perfect Light and Life of Jesus lift up your Heads that your Souls may be inlivened with his quickening vertue in that eternal Hunger which nothing can satisfie but the Lord of Glory in this day of separation between the precious and the vile between the true birth and the false birth as it was in the days of old when they confessed unto him and followed him beyond the Seas but when the Lord said Except ye eat my Flesh and drink my Blood you have no Life in you All that were the false birth that stood as the high-way ground stony and thorny ground Hearers foolish Virgins that had no Oyle in their Lamps they said this is an hard saying and who can bear it and they went back and left the Lord of Life and followed no further Then the Lord said to the Children born of the true birth will you go away also They answered nay thou hast the words of eternal Life and whither shall we go Oh dear Child canst thou leave the Father that begot thee or canst thou â—eed of any thing but the bread he hath prepared for thee Though thou mayst be beset and compassed about as Bees with the Enemies of thy Souls peace that would hinder thee from walking with thy God yet can they keep thee from him nay assuredly thou hangest upon him as a Child upon a Father Though thou be as a little Babe thou abhors all things that would hinder thee from following the Lord Thou saist of thy riches of this World thou shalt be no snare to me and to the tender Wife weep not for me give me up for I must forsake thee when the Lord requires me neither regards the Crys and Tears of the mournful Children thou comfortest them in what thou mayst but thou freely leavest them for the Glory of thy God and thus is it with Wife concerning tender Husband and Children concerning their dear Parents in this day of rending one from another Assuredy I cannot but commiserate your condition and simpathize with you being sensible of the earnings of Bowels whilst I have been drinking this cup for many years And now Oh ye Babes born of the royal birth you are the chosen Jewels let no care be upon your Hearts for any thing in this World for you seeking Gods Kingdom and the
Holy God you trample and reign over the greatest subtilty which in the Mistery of iniquity transforms it self as is before written that so you may in the service of Love in the meek healing compassinate Spirit of Jesus gather all the tender hearted forth of all Sects Forms and Opinions with all that hath strayed from the foot-steps of the Flock of the Companions in the Light of the Lord with us to walk in faithfulness all their days until their change come that if it be possible that not any may be lost who hunger after righteousness and hath their Faces set towards Sion That so in the heavenly Harmony all that have truly sought the Face of God may in his pure Light Life and Dominion walk together with us in the unlimitted Bowels of Love in the Lord Jesus to the confounding of all Sion's Enemies who in the time determined of our God shall come bending to the Soles of the Feet of the afflicted suffering Lambs of my Father who Love the Lord better then your Lives and your Neighbour as your self yea and they that withstand you shaâ—l in the day determined of God confess it is in vain for any to strive to bring to pass their evil intents upon a People beloved of God whom he will carry through by his Almighty Power and save with the Arm of his Salvation for every Tongue lifted up against you shall fall in judgment and all Weapons formed against you shall not prosper but come to nought and you shall see the mighty salvation of God for your joy which the Lord will hasten more and more to the astonishment of all that withstand the rising of his Glory and you shall certainly know this is to you the Word of the Lord God declared thorow your Brother and Companion in the Tribulation and Kingdom of Patience in the Lord Jesus Christ. Farewel W. D. From the Common Goal in Warwick sent forth at the command of the Lord the 8 th of the 3 th Moâ—eth 1665. Blessed are they that overcometh through the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their Testimony and love their lives no more to Death The Discovery of Mans return to his first Estate by the Operation of the Power of God in the great work of Regeneration And a Word to the Back-slider who hath tasted of the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come and hath turned from the Grace of God into wantonness and gone back into spiritual Sodom and Egypt where our Lord is crucified Also a discovery of mystery Babylon and her Merchants And a word to the hard-hearted unbelieving Iews Professors who profess Christ in words but stumble at his Light in their Consciences to theiâ— own Destruction With a Word to all Saints who have set their Faces towards Sion to seek the Lord their God and to those that are waiting therein to worship him in Spirit and Truth And a Word of Consolation unto the travelling Child that yet sits in Darkness being deeply afflicted and wounded in Spirit through ignorance of Salvation in the New Covenant in Christ Jesus the Light. All Men and Women behold and see in what Estate you were Created ANd God said let us make Man in our Image God created Man in his own Image and in the Image of God created he Him Male and Female created he them And the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to dress and keep it and the Lord God Commanded the Man saying of every Tree in the Garden thou mayest freely eat but of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye the death The Serpent was more subtile then any beast of the Field which the Lord God had made he said unto the Woman ye shall not surely die for God doth know that in the day you eat thereof your Eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil And when the Woman saw the Tree was good for food and that it was pleasant unto the Eyes and a Tree to be desired to make one wise she took the Fruit thereof and did eat and gave also to her Husband with her and he did eat And the Eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked and they sewed fig-leaves together and made them aprons And they heard the Voice of the Lord God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day and Adam and his Wife hid themselves from the Presence of the Lord among the Trees of the Garden and the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him where art thou And he said I heard thy voice in the Garden and was afraid and because I was naked I hid my self And he said who told thee that thou wast naked hast thou eaten of the Tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat and the Man said the Woman whom thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the Tree and I did eat And the Lord God said unto the woman what is this that thou hast done the woman said the Serpent beguiled me and I did eat And the Lord God said unto the Serpent because thou hast done this thou art cursed above all Cattel and above every Beast of the Field upon thy Belley shalt thou go and Dust shalt thou eat all the Days of thy Life And I will put Enmity betwixt thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed it shall bruise thy Head and thou shalt bruise his Heel And the Lord God said Behold this Man is become as one of us to know good and evil and now lest he put forth his Hand and take also of the Tree of Life and eat and live forever therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken And he drove out the Man and placed at the East of the Garden of Eden Cherubims and a flaming Sword which turned every way to keep the way of the Tree of Life Every Man and Women behold and see how you are fallen from the estate and condition you were created in you were created in the Image of God to delight alone in him but you are fallen in obeying the counsel of the Serpent and are driven out of the Presence of God into the Earth and there your minds are feeding upon the dust of the Earth created oâ—jects which will perish some delight in Father and Mother some in Wife and Children some in Houfe and Lands some in Money and Gold some in Meats and Drinks some in Raiment what they shall put on some in Lusts and Pleasures in Wantonness vain idle Communication foolish Jesting and Laughter which is Madness and Folly and some in Honour and Preferments in this World wherein their Hearts are lifted up in Pride and Exaltation above others
which all things were created and without him was nothing made this Word is Life and the Life is the Light of Men and the Light shines in darkness and the darkness comprehends it not this Light is the word of Faith the Apostle exhorted to take heed unto Say not in thy Heart who shall ascend up to Heaven to fetch Christ down or down into the deep to fetch him up the Word is nâ—gh thee in thy Heart and in thy Mouth and this is the word of Faith which we Preach the unction of the holy one given of the Father so that we need not to teach one another but as the anointed teacheth us which is truth and no lye which is the sure word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well to take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-Star arise in your Hearts All people return within give up your selves freely to be guided by that Light that discovers to you the evil of your Hearts and none be discouraged because you see an evil Heart but prize the Love of God that discovers it to you and whatever the Light makes manifest to you to be evil Wait on the Lord for power and he will give you power to obey and in being faithful in a little more will be communicated from the Lord so will the righteous Law be set up in your Hearts that will cry through your earthly and carnal Hearts for Righteousness and Judgement and so will bring you to an account for every idle word and all deeds done in the body Look up unto the Lord against whom you have Sinned and he will arm you with power to what he layes upon you with patience to undergo his Will until all the powers of the Earth in you be famished and slain under his righteous Judgments then will Judgment be brought forth unto Victory that you can no longer live without the loving kindness of your Father in Christ Jesus Now is the Parable fulfilled the little grain of Mustard-Seed grown up above all Herbs and the little leaven hath leavened the whole lump and the Prodigal starved forever if his Father receive him not freely into his House Thou that canst witness this condition stand still in the Will of God he will raise up his seed in thee to trust in his Name and to delight in the eternal Covenant of Love and Life he hath made with thy Soul in the Lord Jesus Christ and will guide thee by the Word of his Power in a way thou knowest not forth of Babylon where thou wast an inslaved Captive under the power of the filthy Beast which is thy will and the Whore the Mother of Witchcrafts which is thy wisdom which enthralled thee under the Powers of darkness to satisfie the lusts of thine own Heart which led thee to destruction up to Sion to live by Faith in the Lord Jesus which will purifie thy Heart and set thy Soul free from under the powers of darkness into the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God where thou shalt sing the Songs of Sion Hallelujahs and Praises forevermore unto the Lord God that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever W. D. To all inslaved hard-hearted and unbelieving Jews in this Nation and elsewhere who are made drunk with the Wisdom of the Whore and bewitched through the abundance of Sorceries to put the Day of the Lord afar off looking for Christs coming in the Spirit as the hard-hearted unbelieving Iews in the Letter did for his coming in the Flesh according to the promise but they limited the Holy One according to their carnal wisdom expected his coming in great Pomp and Glory and when he came in that poor despised way contrary to their expectations they stumbled at him and would not own him to be their Saviour but rose up against him and put him to Death Matth. 27.1 to vers 50. BEhold you hard-hearted and unbelieving Iews do you not look for Christ coming in the Spirit according to his promise as they did for his coming in the Flesh but you limit the Holy One as they did expecting Christ to come in Power and Glory according to your own fancies and so put the Day of the Lord afar off you in rejecting and despising the Counsel of Jesus Christ the pure Light in your Consciences which lets you see every evil thought word and action and cryes behind you This is the way walk in it but you disobey the Light and hearkens to the counsel of your Hearts as the Iews in the Letter did that put Christ to Death and so you slay the Witnesses in Spiritual Sodom and Egypt in your Hearts where our Lord is Crucified in not regarding the Counsel of Christ which is that Light that shines in your dark Hearts which knocks at the Door according to his Word I stand at the Door and knock if any Man hear my Voice and open the Door I will come into him and will Sup with him and he with me Oh thou enslaved Soul under the power of Babylon in thee come forth mind the Light in thee which is the sure word of Prophesie whereunto you do well to take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-Star arise in your Hearts stand not out against this secret Counsel of Christ in you lest you perish in your gain-sayings for if his anger be kindled a little blessed are all they that trust in him All give up give up freely to be guided by the Counsel of the Lord the Light in you believing in his Power that is present with the Light he will lead you daily through the Cross in the straight way of his Sufferings and Death where the old Man will be put off with his deeds and so you shall have right to the Tree of Life and shall enter with him through the Gates into the City New Ierusalem where you shall have communion with the Father and the Son and an inheritance with those that are sanctified in Christ Jesus and shall reign as Kings upon Earth to the Praise and Glory of the Riches of the Grace of our Heavenly Father to whom alone be all Power Dominion Honour and Glory for ever and ever W. D. A Word from the Lord to all that are waiting on the Lord in Sion and those that are weeping and are seeking the Lord their God asking the way to Sion with their Faces thitherwards FEar not ye Mourners in Sion the Lord waits on you to be gracious unto you and though he give you the Bread of Adversity now and the Water of Affliction yet shall not your Teacher be removed into Corners any more but your Eyes shall see your Teacher and your Ears shall hear a Voyce behind you saying this is the way walk in it when you turn to the right Hand or to the left therefore every one
the glory of his Name and the comfort of one another which will cause you to prize the opportunities God gives to you not knowing how soon you may be deprived of them c. And be tender one over another and watch over one another with a pure single eye and every one see the Beam cast out of your own Eye before you go to spy a Moâ—e in others And if any Brother or Sister offend you that know speak to them privately in all tenderness to restore them and this know Whoever turns a Sinner from the error of his ways saves a Soul from Death and hides a multitude of Sins But if they will not hear take two or three more and speak to them again in the spirit of meekness waiting and seeking the Lord for their recovery but if they will not hear but persist in wickedness then acquaint the Church whom the Lord in his Wisdom will order to deal with them for his own glory And in all things you do I dearly beseech you do unto others as you would be done unto your selves that so you may all in your measures stand as Saviours upon Mount-Sion to the glory of the Lord in the power of his own Spirit which will cause the Whisperer Bcakbiter False-accuser and Tale-bearer to be clensed away and cast out of the House of the Lord that so in the good order of the Holy Spirit of our God we may all live that he alone in his Dominion may reign in us and amongst us whose Government is upon his Shoulders and all the Crowns of the Gory of Man cast down at his Feet that he may be exalted in ordering every member of the Body in their place and service to his everlasting Praise and Glory Even so dear Father carry on thy work in all the Churches of the Saints scattered over the face of the Earth that in the Eternal unity they may be established in the Lord being one and his Name one and all the contrary swept away with the Breath of thy Mouth and brightness of thy coming So come Lord Jesus take to thee thy great Power and reign in thy Authority in and amongst thy dear Children to the astonishment of the Nations and all people that are not born again and to the Exaltation of thy own Name and Kingdom over all who is worthy to reign blessed for ever and of whose Dominion there is no end And all you faithful Labourers in the Gospel of Christ who in true innocency travel in his Strength and seeks not any thing for your selves in what you do but to Glorifie the Lord in establishing his People in the living Unity in his own Spirit Oh blessed are you amongst the People my Soul Praises the Lord for you and blesseth his Name that ever he raised up such a Spirit in you that in all the greatest riches of the Spirit God gives to you yet you remain truly poor in your selves and in deep humilty become Servants to his People for the Lords sake and being poor you make many rich in that which will abide fresh and green in the Winter Storms and will not fade away in the Terrible Blasts which will come for the trial of his People and cause all Hearts to fail but what is born of his own nature Oh dearly beloved Brethren feel my Bowels of enlarged love which floweth to you in the Love and Life received and enioyed thorow death where there is no variableness nor shaddow of change I remain your Brother in the Word of his Patience to endure the Suffering according to his determination with all that love the Lord better then their lives W. D. Warwick the 14 th of the 10 th Month My dear Friends IN these trying days be not afraid of what Man can do whose Breath is in his Nostrils and lock up to the al-sufficiency of the Almighty God to stay your minds in him who hath counted you worthy to Suffer for him In all humility walk faithfully before him unto the end he is your reward and will give unto you a Crown of Life forever even so be it with you in the Name of the Lord is the breathing of my Soul for you whom my Soul loves and keep your Meetings in the Authority and Life of the meek and patient Spirit which wares out and overcomes all things that is not of its nature Read this in the fear of the Lord amongst Friends W. D. Warwâ—ck the 5 th of the 3 d Month 1671. For my dear Brethren George Whitehead A. Parker and Brethren concerned in the General Meeting My dear Brethren IN the Love of the Lord my Soul in the endeared Life of God is with you if the Lord had set my face to have been with you I should have been present in Body but I am ordered otherways having much upon me while the Door is open therefore my breathing to the Lord is that he may cover you in that Assembly with his Glory and heavenly Wisdom as I believe he will to the comfort of his People that so all Hearts may be gladed in feeling his pure Power and heavenly Refreshing in you My dear Brethren in the Light and Life of God whom my Soul loves and remains Your dear Brother in the Vnity of the Spirit of our dear Father who hath called us by his Name W. D. Bristol the 7 th day of the 3 d Month 1673. My dear Brethren Friends are generally in a sweet state with God in this City and where I have passed both to my comfort and yours in the Lord blessed be his Name forever Dear Brother IN the Covenant of Life in Christ our head my Soul salutes thee and simpathizeth with thee in thy exercise in thy Bonds with breathings to the Lord to sweeten all our ways what he calleth us unto with his living Presence to the perfecting of his glory forever Amen Dear George Fox I have been through many Counties in the North Countrey and the comfortable Persence of the Lord did manifest it self in all the Assemblies of his People to all our comfort in him our Head and Life blessed forever All was very peaceable and great Resort to Friends Meetings of all sorts of People and not any opposition but all Meetings parted in peace And it would be too tedious to mention the names of them that minded their Love to thee through all the Counties where I Travelled but generally all the Ancient Friends in Cumberland Northumberland Byshopprick and York-shire Darby-shire Notingham-shire Leicester-shire and in this Town desired to have their dear Love remembred to thee and the deep sence of thy Labour and Travel is fresh upon their Spirits which causeth many Prayers to be poured forth before the Lord if it be his good Will and Pleasure to give thee strength of Body and Liberty to Travel amongst them to their great comfort as in the days of old and years past but in the Will of our God our Souls rests with
Enemies but many were Convinced and received the Truth in the Love of it in beholding the Unity of faithful Friends to their everlasting Comfort and the Honour of the Name of the Lord forever which caused my Soul with the rest of the faithful Labourers to praise the Name of the Lord in blessing the Travel of our Souls and giving us to see the Fruit of our Labour â—n hâ—s Vineyard and the Peace and Unity of his People But of late I have heard that thou my antient Friend Edward Nightingal and Iohn Cox with some other in that City doth meet in a Separating spirit from the rest of Friends in that City which casts a Stumbling-block in the way of many And instead of gathering People to receive the Truth you scatter and drive them away and giveth great advantage to them that watch for evil and is of a bad savour and a Wounding of the Spirits of them that truly fear the Lord I can truly say that your meeting in that Separating spirit which is such an evil savour in the Nation hath been and is more Affliction to me then all Persecutions and Imprisonments I have endured unto this day Therefore I intreat and beseech thee my Antient Friend Edward Nightingal with all that meet in the Separation from the rest of Friends in the City to turn your minds to the Light of Christ in you that will let you see you have not done well and with it judge that which hath led you to Separate from meeting with Friends and return to meet with Friends in the City in the sweet Concord Love and Unity in the Life of the Blessed Truth as in the days of old and Years past of which I am a witness with the rest of faithful Friends that in all our Meetings whether in the Prison or in the City we never wanted the sweet appearance of Christ our Life in us and amongst us according to his Promise and our Comfort then and so is it now with all that meet in his Name and Unity with his People as we did in those days which was many Years before the Enemy could get any enterance to make a breach amongst them that make Profession of Gods blessed Truth and to draw some into a self Separation as he hath done you and too many elsewhere For I do assure you it is the work of the Enemy of your Souls for you should not have Separated but have kept your places amongst Friends and not have taken offence because Friends see there might be some service for Truth in meeting twice on the First Day it is very like in that City some that had a Love to Truth might get an opportunity to come to one of the Meetings It is very much to me how you let the Enemy get over you as to cause you to Separate from Friends which if you had kept your places in meeting with Friends you in time might have seen a Service in meeting twice a day as well as they For you may be sure that Separation neither restores any to love the Truth neither gathers any to God but rather scattereth and driveth away some that was gathered in Love to Truth by the painful and faithful Labourers that was truly sent of the Lord as is before written Therefore in the earnings of tender Bowels of the Love of God to you I once more beseech you that you in Humiliation wait in the Light of Christ he will let you see how the Enemy led you from the Light out of your places when you Separated from Meeting with Friends and in yeilding obedience to the Light it will bring you into your places again to meet with Friends to your Comfort and the Honour of the Name of the Lord according to the Counsel of the Lord in my Heart here sent unto you But if you reject the Council of the Lord which in his Love I am moved to send these Lines unto you then shall I Lament your Conditions because of the evil consequence your Separation will produce to your sorrow and wounding many God would not have Wounded for which you must give an account And before you lay down your Heads in peace you will remember me who hath not hide from you the Counsel of the Lord. W. D. Warwick the 21 st day of the 11 th Month 1684. A General Epistle to Friends from that Ancient Servant of Christ William Dewsbury MY Dear Friends and Brethren who are called forth of the World and pluckt as Brands out of the Fire by the Heavenly Power of God and hath Convinced you of his Everlasting Truth in the Light of Jesus Christ My dear Friends as have you received the Truth in some measure watch and pray and Believe in the Name of Christ that his Power you may feel in the Heavenly Inspiration of his blessed Spirit to lay Judgment to the Line and Righteousness to the Plummet that all that is not Obedient to the Light of Christ may be kept down and buried in the Heavenly Baptism under the Sentence of Death as it was and is with all the Children of God who have received the Sentence of Death in our selves that we may have no confidence in our selves but alone trust in the Living God which will keep you all in the sweet seasoned savory Spirit of Life in all your Words Tradings and Dealings amongst the Children of Men then will you be manifest and known to all People to be the Salt of the Earth who retain the savour of the Heavenly Life in the Blessed Truth in you that every one according to your Measure may be felt upon all occasions continually streaming forth in the savoury Spirit of Life to the Comfort of your own Families and the City of God who over all is Blessed forever And my dear Friends I desire all to be watchful that not any come short of what is required of them both Rulers of Families and Parents of Children while you have a day to be with them call your Families together to wait upon the Lord in the fear of his Name certainly the Lord will answer the end of your endeavours in causing the savoury Life to stream through you to season your Servants and Children that the Church of God may be in every paâ—ticular Family and Habitation of his People Great is tâ—e concern upon my Spirit for the Children of all that profess the blessed Truth of God that all Parents may stand iâ— their places to bring up their Children in the fear of the Lord while they are in their Minority and tender Years and under their tuishion not to be too indulgent to them in suffering the Spirit of the World to rule in them to have their own wills and to do those things which are not according to the Truth of God and to connive at their Children instead of reproving of them and crossing the Spirit of the World in them and causing them to be content with such things as is