enters not nor the vain Janglers who come with their carnal Weapons from the Letter without to fight against the Lamb whose Commands are written in the Heart where the Holy Ghost is by such resisted who are not come to the second Ministry where all things are compleat in him who is the Head the Beginning and the End in whom the Circumcision made without Hands is witnessed so the Vail is taken off the Heart and the end is seen even he that takes away the Sin of the World and so all Trespasses come to be forgiven unto them that are buried in the Baptism and so dead unto Sin whereby also the Hand-writing of Ordinances was against us comes to be blotted out and nailed down to the Cross whereby the Principalities and Powers are spoiled by the Power of the Word that becomes Flesh whereby those things that were in shew are triumphed over and nailed down to the Cross through which the Life comes to be raised and so Christ Jesus the Son of God comes to be revealed and made manifest being quickned in the Spirit and so no more to know Christ after the Flesh but in that which is raised up through the Cross unto which the shews and shadows of things are nailed down So the Doctrines of Baptism and Repentance from dead works are left behind and those things that are left behind are forgotten and there is a pressing forwards to Perfection by the Ministry of the second Priesthood wherein every man is to be presented Perfect in Christ Jesus in whom there is a growing from Grace to Grace and a changing from Glory to Glory by the same Spirit having received of his fulness Col. 2. 10 11 12 13 14 15. Rom. 6. 3 4 5 6 7 8. Heb. 6. 1 2. 1 Pet. 3. 22. 2 Cor. 3. 18. In the time of the first Priesthood the outward Blood was to purifie the transgression being without and the law without And so here is the outward Washings with the outward Water and the set dayes of Purification and these things were to be done often because of the continual Transgression of that Law which stood without which came to be fulfilled and did not Christ Jesus suffer without the Gate Heb. 9. 23. Col. 2. 23. And the Law being without hath the shadow and yet not the Image therefore far short of Christ the Substance Heb. 10. 1. In the time of the second Priesthood the heavenly things themselves are purified with better sacrifices then these Heb. 9. 23. which served to the purifying of the Patterns and the heavenly things themselves being purified with the living sacrifice so the way into the Holyest of all is known which is not manifested under the first Priesthood Heb. 9. 8. And so there is an entrance made into the Believers Rest Heb. 4. 3 10. Rev. 14. 13. where the seed of Abraham sits down in the Father's Kingdom which consisteth of Righteousness Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. and so as there is a coming to feel the Power of the second Ministry preaching to the spirit in Prison 1 Pet. 3. 19. 1 Cor. 1. 24. and so to quicken them that were dead in sin Ephes 2. 1. by whose quickning Power the seed comes to be raised up together with Christ the Head who sits at the Fathers right Hand in the heavenly places Ephes 1. 20. which are purified and prepared for the faithful Ephes 2. 5 6. John 17. 21 22 23 24. And as the heavenly things of the heavenly places are purified and the entrance into the Rest ministred so Christ comes to be seen exalted at the Fathers right Hand in the heavenly places above all Principalities and Powers which are spoiled Christ being the Head over all things Ephes 1. 21 22. And so there is a ruling over all that which stands in outward show the which Christ made a show of openly triumphing over them in it Col. 2. 15. And if there be a triumphing over these things which are in show before the entrance into the Holiest of all be made how much more are the outward shows triumphed over and the Principalities spoiled when the way into the Holiest of all is made manifest by the Power of him who is gone into the Heavens and is on the right hand of God Angels Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him 1 Pet. 3. 22. In the time of the first Priesthood the Rule and Covenant were without and such as come on further resist the Spirit within yet profess the Scriptures without but resist the Inspiration which gave them forth and yet are zealous for their Rule without being yet blind like Saul even persecuting them in whom the Spirit of Truth bears rule which Spirit they being not come unto to open the Eye and lead them into all Truth are found out of thier Rule which they so much talk of Read and see James 1. 26. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Tit. 3. 9. Ephes 4. 29 30 31 32. and ch 5. 11. 1 John 3. 4. and ch 2. 4. John 12. 36. Mat. 5. 28 29 30 39 40 41 42 43 44. and Ch. 23. 26 27. 1 Tim. 2. 9. 1 Thes 5. 5 15 17 18 19 20 21 22. 2 Cor. 13. 11. In the time of the second Priesthood a measure of the Spirit of Truth is own'd received within which whoso follows walks not in Darkness John 8. 12. the which leads into all Truth and orders and rules the Creature in the fear of him who is the God of Order whereby the strong holds are broken down and every Thought comes to be subjected unto Christ 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. who rules over all and upholds all things by the Word of his Power Heb. 1. 3. who hath given to every man a manifestation of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 7. and a proportion of Faith Rom. 12. 6. Christ being all and in all Gal. 3. 28. Col. 3. 11. and as every man hath received Christ Job 9. 9. so to walk in him Col. 2. 6. according to the same Rule already attained Mat. 25. 21. and to mind the same things already received that is the cause Phil. 3. 16 17 and mark them that walk so and not go beyond the measure of what they have received but be faithful in it as good Stewards of the manifold graces of God Tit. 2. 10. and such as walk according to that Rule grace mercy and peace be to them and to all the Israel of God 2 Cor. 10. 12 13. Written by a Servant of Jesus Christ the only High Priest and Minister of life for whose sake he suffers in outward Bonds at Dorchester this 28th day of the 1st Moneth 1657. who is despised persecuted imprisoned by the World called Humphry Smith AN ALARUM Sounding forth unto all the Inhabitants of the Earth ASA Warning before the Vials of the Everlasting Wrath be poured forth upon them THe Lord of Hosts whose Name is Holy whose Way is Everlasting whose Truth endureth forever whose
of Salvation are come wherein God even our God is shining out of Zion the redeemed of the Lord the perfection of Beauty unto all the World and all Nations who have been high shall now be brought down into the Valley there will Christ the Lord of Hosts plead in the cool of the day with all Flesh and fallen man and the day is come that the Heathen shall be weakned and the strength of the Mighty shall fail and he that handleth the Bow and the Shield and the Spear shall not deliver himself but the mighty man shall fall in the Streets and the strong man shall utterly faint and Wisdom shall perish from the Wise and Understanding from the Prudent and Judges shall be led away Fools and the Honourable shall be laid in the Dust and no Weapon formed against the Righteous Seed shall prosper for of a truth the Lord is with us and in vain do all the Potsherds of the Earth strive against the Lamb and his meek Spirit in his Members for though they Fine one and Whip another and Imprison many yet the day is come that they shall fall down under the Prisoners and bow down under the Slain for the Lord our God is risen over them all and he even laughs them to scorn and will have them in derision Therefore by ye still and quiet O ye flock of the most high and let the Bountifulness of God's everlasting Love break the Earthly Pitchers and feel Gods unlimitted Power fighting for you who are now to be quiet for a little season and you shall see the destruction of the wicked and the overturning of the seats of the ungodly who are all but as Chaffbefore the wind as stubble ready dryed before the fire of God's Jealousie which will shortly smoke against his Enemies who shall vanish like smoke when our God ariseth to confound Babel and overturn the foundation of the Wicked for great Babel is come in remembrance before our God who is now giving her Blood to drink and the day is at hand that Vengeance shall be poured forth upon the head of the Wicked and Flames of everlasting Burning upon the Whore the Beast and the false Prophet and all they that commit Fornication with strange flesh and they shall now be taken and cast alive sensible of Gods Wrath into the Lake that burneth forever and ever yea the day is at hand and the Ungodly shall not escape Therefore ye Sons and Daughters of the most High lift up your Heads behold your Redemption draweth nigh therefore rejoyce in the Lord forever and again I say Rejoyce for your Redeemer cometh riding upon the Wings of the Wind a Fire devoureth before him and behind him a flame burneth behold his Reward is with him and his Work before him and long his Enemies shall not stand but the overflowing Scourge shall pass over them all and their Covenant with Hell shall be broken and their Agreement with Death shall be dissanulled and their Shame and Nakedness shall appear to the view of all Nations and their Whoredoms shall be made manifest in the sight of all People and the Nations afar off shall hiss at them and they shall become a By-word and a Hissing to them afar off Wherefore be ye still and quiet O ye Children of the Light commune with your own Hearts and be still in your own Closets and fret not your selves because of the Ungodly for his day is short and e'er long his place shall not be found and in the mean time your Patience comes to be exercised and by the Tyranny of the Wicked and the Oppression of the Merciless your Faith is tryed and blessed forever are they who love not their Lives nor Goods more than Christ the Light but follow him unto the end who is despised of men contemned of the Wise and consulted against by the Rulers of the Earth who are now lifting up their beastly Power unto Heaven and are laying Snares and setting Traps to catch the Innocent and are openly blaspheming the God of the Seed of Abraham whom they call Quakers who confess we are Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth And all you who stand fast in the Faith that respects no man's Person and you that in patience endure the spoling of your Goods the Imprisoning or Whipping of your Persons and all you in whom there is honest desires begotten after the living Truth of the God of Life even to you all my Bowels of Love do reach and of your sufferings I do partake and my Prayer and Hearts desire to God for you Night and Day with Tears is That you may be preserved unto the end and this I write from a true sence and feeling of you your Sufferings and Conditions who are tryed divers wayes both within and without but faint not my dear Lambs the Lord God will never break Covenant neither can he leave or forsake the faithful Therefore only trust in the Lord and be still for the Lord of Hosts is fighting for you yea it is so and all your Enemies shall be but as the dust of the Earth and as the mire in the streets so shall the Lamb in Meekness Trample upon them all And my dear Friends now the Everlasting Love of God unto you hath appeared with the same Love come to love one another and be watchful one over another and in the Light meet often together and be not soon shaken in mind and so turn from the true Guide as some have done and that which is out of the Light with it judge in wisdom and meekness that you may answer that of God in all who contrary to the Light do act but of rash Judgment see that you all beware but rather in love wait to restore and build up one another and none of you depart out of Gods fear but be low single-hearted plain and honest without any By-covering or Double-mindedness but as Doves and Lambs in the godly simplicity all walk not as Strangers unto or High-mindedâ—ess one over another but in Love to serve and let your Minds be kept on the Eternal Invisible things and let Faith Love Meekness and Vertue abound in you so shall the work of God prosper in and by you Truly Friends the Love of the Lord is towards you and he will make you a blessing and a praise over the Earth and if you stand in his Counsel your Enemies shall be confounded and overturned Believe it it must be so And you the Jewels of the Lord shall be Crowned with Eternal Dominion and the Lord of Glory will be your God and Peace Righteousness and Plenty shall you enjoy forever Wherefore faint not O ye seed of Abraham who are Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth but let the meek be encouraged and the tender nursed up in the everlasting Arms of Gods endless Love and let none turn back because of the Enemy that standeth up before but all joyn battel with the Lamb and Gog and
with Fire and the Abominations of Molech confounded forever and the Whoredoms of the Whore punished with an everlasting Destruction and all them that have committed Fornication with the painted Harlot shut up in the Bed of Torment and in the Wine-press of the â—ierceness of the Wrath of the Almlghty for evermore In that Day shall the Songs of your Temples be turned into howling forever the place of your Worship laid desolate and the Dung of your solemn Feasts spread upon your Faces your Rottenness shall appear and your Unsound parts be made manifest the Skirts of the VVhore shall be discovered and all your Nakedness that long in secret have committed Fornication with her shall now appear to your everlasting shame And this shall come upon you as a Whirl-wind and overtake you as a Thief in the Night and when you cry Peace then shall Destruction upon Destruction come suddainly and you shall not escape Torment shall take hold upon you and Anguish shall seize upon your inward parts a Fire shall be kindled in your Bowels forever which shall burn and none shall quench it Oh who shall stand in this Day or who shall be able to endure the Terror of the Wrath of the Almighty Surely all the Ungodly shall be as the Grass that is cut down in the heat of Summer and all the Unrighteous as Fuel fitted for the Fire Oh! Whither then will the Sinners fly for Help or the Wicked for a Refuge VVhere shall the Lyar stand or how shall the Proud endure VVhat shall be the End of them that know not God And where will they be hid that obey not the Gospel of his Son Why certainly into the Lake must they be turned and with an utter Overthrow shall be condemned forever as it is written The Wicked shall be turned into Hell and all that forget God Therefore lament O ye Inhabitants of the Earth for the Lord is become your Enemy by reason of your Sins he is raining Snares as thick as Hail-stones upon you and the VVise men shall be taken in their own Craftiness Judges led away Fools Princes laid in the Dust Diviners turned Mad and a Curse will come upon all your goodly things Y your Glory shall vanish as the Dust and your Beauty shall be as the Dung upon the Earth Your Riches shall eat you up as a Moth doth a Garment your chiefest Delights will be your greatest Torment For the Lord is making the Earth empty and Wo to the Inhabitants thereof for evermore no Deliverer in it shall be found neither yet any to comfort you therefore shall the Young man VVeep and VVail the Strong man Cry bitterly In that day the Priests shall Howl the Honourable Lament and the Ancient go Mourning all the day long For the Lord is changing Times and Seasons and the Iniquity of the People is ascended up and the remembrance of the VVicked is come before him and once more will the Lord shake his Hand against the Wicked as in the day of Sodom and overturn the Oppressors as in the day of Pharaoh and shake the Heavens the Earth and the Sea and this shall be known when the Lord passeth through the Earth with his grounded Staff and Battels of Shakings And in that Day shall your solemn Meetings be confounded your high Places left desolate and your goodly Temples defaced Bats and Owls shall then build in your Steeple-houses and they shall be for the Fowls of the Air to lodge in the Night the unclean Beasts and Spirits of Devils do and shall resort thither a Den for Dogs shall it be made Your Bells shall come down after your Organs and your Temples shattered as the old Abbies and a perpetual Shame shall come upon all them that have been and are upholding the outward Temple made with Hands wherein God dwelleth rot and they themselves a Den of Thieves and full of Rotteness Therefore Astonishment of Heart shall come within and Destruction and Overturnings without Fear on every hand and Amazement shall come upon all Flesh then shall the Vine-dressers be ashamed and them that preach Peace to the Wicked shall no longer be hid Wherefore all you that have been Parliament-Members and all Judges Mayors Justices and Constables and all other Officers and People whatsoever that have been upholding the Wicked and oppressing the Just and have been hatching Mischief against and acting all manner of Cruelty you could invent upon the Servants of the Most High God behold the Lord will kindle a Fire in your Bowels which shall burn in the Night-season and with all your striving against it and vain hopes shall you not be able to quench it and when you should go to your Graves in Peace even then shall the Pangs of Hell lay hold upon you and utter Darkness shall compass you in on every side Oh! Fierce Furious and with unspeakable Violence will the Plagues of God come rolling in upon you When I was sick in Prison for a long time so weak as neither I nor any Friend then with me ever know any one and recover strength in the Body again at which time I gave up my Life and took my leave of Friends and lay down in the Fathers love not feeling sorrow or pain Friends hardly then knowing whether I breathed or not in which time I saw things unutterable And though Heaven was opened two Angels by my sides to bear me away into everlasting Rest yet was I left only for this end For the work of the Lord amongst the Sons of men for a time and so came into the Body again having seen before the way that all the Wicked shall go out And this I eternally witness to â—e true and now this Paper is written as a Warning from the Lord by one that came as from the Dead and yet many of you will not believe like the unmerciful mighty Waves of the Sea Which none can stop For verily and plainly I have seen the way that all the Wicked shall go and the place that they shall abide forever and none of their greatness in the world shall save them from it And I have seen the place where the Innocent whom you hate and all that dye in the Lord shall sleep in the Infiniteness of fulness of the Fountain of the Fathers unspeakable Mercy and unlimited Love where they shall rest in the fullness of God forever and ever and the entrance thereinto is easier and more to be desired than to fall into a sleep the sting of Death being taken away And this I know and testifie what I have seen and so warn all you the Enemies of the Lamb 's dear Members and your own Souls of the day that is coming upon you and the Vials of Wrath that therein will be poured forth upon you who when have felt Torment in your selves have then let Wrath arise up in you whereby you have been filled with Envy against a harmless People upon whom then to get ease
say He that is a Fisherman let him so abide neither did Christ say he that will be my Disciple must follow his outward Employment or Trade but he said He that will not hate Father and Mother Brethren and Sisters Wife and Children yea and his own Life too cannot be my Disciple Luke 1â— 20. and if not a Disciple much less a Minister of his But hereby neither Christ nor them Ministers of his neither I did or do intend to draw or perswade People to Idleness or open a Door for any such Evil neither is there many who are called out of the World's Worships and required to leave their Families and called to the Ministry but that hereby it may plainly appear that the Command and Call of Christ to his Work and Ministry is to be obeyed though it be to the forfaking of House Goods or Lands for a Minister of his said We have forsaken all And have not I done so and unto them who had forsaken all unto all such was promised a Hundred fold Matth. 19. 17 18 19. And Heaven and Earth shall pass away before one Jot or Tittle of his Word shall fail And truly I have found his Promise true for a Hundred times Hundred sold have I already received blessed be the Lord forever But how contrary it was to my own Will to fulfill the Will of the Lord. in leaving my Employment and outward Business in the World let all them judge with the Light who knew my Conversation therein and saw my Eagerness in the things of the World and Contrivances therein beyond many men my Heart being set in the Earthly things being very fierce in Labouring therein for the getting and encreasing of the Fruits of the Earth as though I would have laid up Treasure for many Years which might have been good in its place if my Mind had been redeemed out of it and my Heart from the Covetousness thereof but I say again it was much contrary to my strong Will to leave these things and the love of them and much more that might be named and be taken from it with a Hundred and Fifty Pound loss and be exposed to Want Hardships Revilings Imprisonments Whippings Stonings and all manner of cruel Torture that the Soris of men might have Power to inflict upon my Body and for me that ruled over many and was respected by many to become a Servant unto all and counted the Off-scouring of all and be abused by any Boy or the Vilest Person I meet and it was much contrary to my Will to refuse that Glory Honour and Preferment of the VVorld which was offered me by the Rulers thereof when I was beloved of them and Hundreds more and when I preached among them in the Pulpits daily and was then called of men Master like the Hirelings of England who being in the Curse cannot cease from Sin 2 Pet. 2. 14. yet I still refused their Unrighteous Gain and denyed all their Gifts and Rewards for the Lord in his Mercy kept me out of them Temptations though sometimes some that were then near Friends unto me would have perswaded me to have taken something of what was offered as to live upon but I durst not if I had wanted Food or Raiment but answered one Justice who was proposing me a free Gift toward Maintenance which might have been worth a Hundred Pound a Year or more seeing I left my Employment freely to preach daily but I say I answered I shall rather go in Sheep-Skins and Goat-Skins and eat Bread and drink Water and that little honest meek Principle in me which then kept me from that and such Temptations in due time led me to be Ruler over much which before I had not Power over therefore I say unto all it is good to be faithful to the little measure of God in the Conscience For when I was but young and void of the knowledge of God or his Way of Holiness my Mind ran much in the Earth with a covetous care how to gain the Riches thereof and even then did the Hand of the Lord follow me and his Witness in me did so judge and condemn me Night and Day for my Evil that at last I was scarce able to do any thing in the Earth or go upon it then waiting to see what the reason was after many Hours I saw clearly if I would leave the Wickedness of the world and follow the Lord and trust him I might have Peace and if not I was like to be cut off And then I left some Sins and resolved to live more Holy and began to Pray and Read and then I went to follow the Priests not knowing that in me which I was to hear and follow yet it secretly led me out of some Evil and so into some Peace and then my Heart was exalted in the Earth though I encreased in a Profession And when I was in the height of the World's Way and Worship and expecting Riches to increase even then in an unexpected time did the dread of the Lord fall upon me and his wonderful mighty Power wrought exceedingly in me to break me off from all my Wayes and seperate me from all the Worship of the VVorld and gave me to see the Abominations of all the Prayers of the Wicked and the Invalidity of all the Worships of all Mankind who are out of God's Covenant and the Operations then upon me by the terrible Hand of the Lord and the strivings that were in me can never be declared and then did the Lord command me to follow him in Obedience to his Will to declare against all Unrighteousness of men which I saw in the Light of Life to be in Priests Rulers and People and I then saw clearly in the eternal Light and foresight of God the Hardships Cruelties Whippings Imprisonments and Dungeon and many such things which since in part have been upon this Body fulfilled as may be read in several of my Books read the True Rule and at that time did the powerful Life of God so much break through me with such unspeakable Love that I was even willing to leave all walk with God But then contrary to Paul I reasoned with Flesh and Blood that I should be esteemed a Mad-man and that People would not believe me and that I was not fit and many such things Then the Word of the Lord was spoken in me saying Who is it that openeth the Mouth Is it not I the Lord Then was my Bowels even turned within me with the constraining Power of Gods Eternal Love and I began to be willing but when that was a little over the Tempter being near â— reasoned concerning my Wife and Children How they should be provided for and presently the Promise of the Lord was That they should be cared for and his Promise was to me That he who converteth Souls to God should shine as the Stars forever And when I had received them VVords into me I was overcome with
Cross of Christ is to the Joros a Stumbling-block to the Greeks Foolishness for Christ is this day as he was ever a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence to both the Houses of Israel 2 Cor. 1. 13. therefore are they this day speaking Evil of that they know not for say they concerning these Sects call'd Quakers We know that it is every where spoken against Acts 28. 22. But in the Way that men call Heresie do I Worship the God of my Father Acts 24. 14. and am not ashamed to own the Power that shakes the Earth for if I should be ashamed to own the Power of Christ before men then he might justly be ashamed of me before my Father which is in Heaven but I own and witness the same Power which made Moses exceedingly fear and quake The which overpowered Daniel that he had no strength left in him Dan. 10. 8. Which Power made Habakkuk Tremble his Lips Quivered Rottenness entred into his Bones Hab. 3. 16. the which Power struck down Paul Acts 9. 3 4 5 6. which caused the Goaler to come in Trembling Acts 16. 26 27 28 29. Therefore I say unto all serve the Lord with Fear and Trembling Psal 2. 11. and work out your Salvation with fear and Treambling Phil. 2. 12. for now I know the Lord to be with them that Tremble at his Word Therefore O foolish People without Understanding which have Eyes and see not Ears and hear not Fear ye not me saith the Lord Will ye not Tremble at my Presence Jer. 5. 21 22. Are you worse than Devils that Fear and Tremble Isa 2. 19. And now the mighty Power of the living God hath shaken the Earth and the Heavens that now that which cannot be shaken may remain Heb. 12. 27. Now all you that will enter in with the Bride-groom wait to receive the same Power for the Lord Jesus Christ is come tendering himself unto his own John 1. 11. and I witness that as many as receive him receive Power to become the Sons of God John 1. 12. O be not Fools and slow with Heart to believe all that the Prophets and Apostles saith for the Lord is still a God with Power he is the same yesterday and to day and forever whose everlasting Love is shed abroad in our Hearts by which the Love of the World is cast out For if any man love the World the Love of the Father is not in him John 2. 15. But we are bought with a Price and after glorifie God in Body Soul and Spirit which is the Lord's 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. Being made Ministers nof of the Letter which killeth but of the Spirit which giveth Liâ—e 2 Cor. 3. 6. Giving no offence in any thing that the Ministry of Christ be not blamed but in all things approving our selves as the ministers of God in much Patience in Affliction in Necessities in Distresses in Stripes in Imprisonments in Tamults in Labours in Watchings in Fastings by Pureness by Knowledge by Long-suffering by Kindness by the Holy Ghost by Love unfeigned by the Word of Truth by the Power of God by the Armour of Righteousness on the Right hand and on the Left by Honour and by Dishonour by Evil Report and Good Report as Deceivers and yet True as unknown and yet well known as Dying and behold we Live as Chastened and not Killed as Sorrowful and yet always Rejoycing as Poor and yet making many Rich as having Nothing yet Possessing all things 2 Cor. 6. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 and 10 Verses Now the Light of the glorious Gospel in the Face of Jesus Christ hath shined into our Hearts whereby the Grace that was to be brought in at the Revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 13. is now in us witnessed even the Grace the Apostle exhorted to hope for and the Prophets searched after 2 Pet. 2. 20. the which Grace and Glory is now made manifest in the Sons and Daughters whereby the everlasting Gospel is sounded forth in the Ears of many Thousands in England blessed are they that hear the joyful sound thereof For verily verily as the four Hundred and Thirty years Bondage in Aegypt was at last accomplished and as the Captivity in Babylon had an end and the Lord brought again the Captivity of his People even so now the many Years of Apostacy is over and the Lord hath heard the Cry of his own Seed and is come down to deliver Israel out of all Distresses and to gather the Out-casts Psalm 147. 2. And to bring home that which is driven away and to bind up that which is broken and to strengthen that which is sick but he will destroy the Fat and the Strong and will feed them with Judgment Ezek. 34. 26. but his own shall be delivered from the many Shepherds which have destroyed the Flock of Christ and they shall feed no longer Verse 20. yea verily People the mighty Power of the Lord is risen in England to gather his from the Corners of the Earth and they that have been long in the High-ways to Destruction being â—lind and Lame shall now be compelled to come in to the Supper of the Lamb and eat of the hidden Manna But many of the Children of the Kingdom shall be cast out For for Judgment is Christ come into the World that they that see not may see and they that soe may now be made Blind Joh 939. And the Sword of the Lord is drawn against the man of Sin to cut it down Root and Branch and to set up the Kingdom of Christ in Rightcousness and true Holiness And this Work of the Lord shall certainly go on and Men Devils nor the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against it The just Complaint of the Afflicted against the Rulers who oppress the Innocent to be delivered to the Judge of the Sessions at Winchester the 8th Moneth 1658. YOu that are set to rule over others should not let secret Envy Ambition and Prejudice so rule over you as not at all to hearken to the Counsel of the Meek nor receive Instruction from the Simple whom the Lord preserveth but you should let Haughtiness and Arrogancy be done away for God resisteth the Proud And you should come to that which is meek low sober and humble with it to know a ruling over that which hath captivated you under the power of Sin and Satan who hath so blinded the Mind that the Meek of the Earth are become your Enemies for telling you the truth and the Day upon you is come in which you cannot endure sound Doctrine But this I tell you That they who hate Reproof are bruitish and every man is bruitish in his Knowledge yea O ye men your Pastors are become bruitish and have not known the Lord though this be a hard saying to you who are your selves in that which is to be ruled with the Sword of God's dreadful Power who will execute Judgment upon all and with his own eternal
Power is he working Deliverance for his Jewels that are precious in his sight who suffer long and cruel Bondage under your strong corrupted Wills for which thing the Lord will visit and bring Darkness upon you even thick Darkness that may be felt and will fill you with Trouble in the Night season and overwhelm you with Obscurity in the day when you would have Rest Hearken ye Rulers and consider my Words and be ye warned of hatching Mischief in secret for behold a day of Trouble is coming upon you a day of Darkness and not Light yea the Lord God is coming near to Judgment and with Place this after pag. 92. what measure ye have meated it shall be measured to you again for of a truth the Lord is for us yea even with us and in us the mighty God of Jacob in whose dreadful Power and righteous Judgments we rejoyce forever whose Word of Power is our Life at which the Heathen rage whose Foolishness is our Wisdom in which we stand knowing him to be near who justifieth us who will not alwayes suffer the Rod of the Wicked to rest upon the back of the Righteous neither will his Spirit alwayes strive with you who rebel against the Light Job 24. 13. But those who hate Instruction and receive not the fear of the Lord neither yet cease afflicting the Members of his Son even such is the Lord of Life coming to viâ—â—t and he reacheth forth his hand and taketh away the Breath of the Wicked and putteth forth his Finger to the Life of the Princes of the Earth and most assuredly there is neither Pope King Prince Ruler Judge Justice or any other Nation or People whatsoever that shall be able to stand before the dreadful Power of the Lord of Hosts neither shall they ever prosper who combine together and rise up against him his poor despised Flock and the knowledge of his Ways but he will rain Snares upon all his Adversaries and pour Contempt upon Princes and stain the Pride of all their Glory and bring into Contempt all the Honourable of the Earth and with a foolish Nation will he anger the Judges of the Earth and with a People rejected forsaken and trodden under foot will the Lord bring down the strong Oaks of Bashan and Zion that no man cared for which hath been as a plowed Field will the Lord restore into its former Beuty and Jerusalem shall become a Praise over all the Earth and the Mountain of the Lords House of Holiness shall certainly be established above all your high dark Mountains of Wickedness and there is no Weapon formed against the Seed whom God hath blessed that ever shall prosper for we know in whom we have belived and we fear not the inchantings of Balaam neither are we discouraged because the mighty Rulers of the Earth would have the Israel of God defied for we know the Enterprizes of the Wicked will come to nothing and themselves shall fall into Destruction who are privately and openly seeking the Destruction of those whom God hath said shall prosper Therefore in vain do the Wicked bend their Bows and smite with the Tongue and imprison by their unjust and false Writings called Mittimusses for the Lord God seeth the Affliction of his People and will reprove Kings for their sakes and take the Wise in their own Craftiness and lead Judges away Fools and bring the Honour of the Princes of the Earth into Contempt for evermore and a perpetual Shame shall cover the faces of all Zion's Enemies and the Adversaries of Jerusalem which is free shall be as Chaff before the Wind and none of the Arm of Flesh shall be able to preserve you from the Wrath of the Almighty neither shall your Greatness in the World deliver you from the wrathful Presence of the Lamb who is the Light that condemns for the Sin neither shall any of your Unrighteous Laws Decrees and Ordinances Warrants or unjust Orders and Snares which you make for the Innocent hide cover or deliver you from the Terror of the Pit in this day of Darkness that is nigh at hand wherein yet more gross Darkness shall cover you until your feet stumble at the dark Mountains and you suddainly fall and never rise again and a perpetual Shame cover your Names for evermore who Repent not Wherefore Wo unto you Rulers of Hampshire who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth which makes free Who hath blinded your Minds that you cannot see the Life of the suffering Seed which preacheth the Innocency of the Lamb in Meekness and Long-suffering among you What is it that hath hardened your hearts that Truth cannot have entrance in you How are you Bowels shut up that you have not affection to Nature How unreasonably have you caused the Members of Christ sick and in Prison to suffer How will you give an Account for these things when they must go to the left hand who visit not the Members of Christ sick and in Prison Oh blind and miserable men my Soul even mourns over you that which should be your Life is and will be your Condemnation it lieth in Prison in you Oh! who are more blind than you And how long have you hardened your hearts against the day of Slaughter and rebelled and strove with the Powers of Darkness against the Light of Christ in you who amongst you hath not whereon lay his head neither can he be received though he come unto his own How evilly have you entreated his Servants and Messengers Where is your entertaining of Strangers and when do you plead the Cause of the poor and needy Is it not apparent that the poor in Spirit you are strangers to And is it not seen that the Bonds of Iniquity which separate you from God are not broken Are not we in this filthy streight Prisor a true figure of the filthy streight place in you that the righteous seed is long in Prison And is not the cutting off of one of the chiefest Counsellors among you an apparent token that your Councils are not of the Lord And may not the suddain destruction of another of the chiefest of you be a warning to the rest Are you more hardened than they in the days of Corah And are you more blind and worse than them whom God plagued because they kept the Ark of the Testimony of the Lord in the place of the uncircumcised And is not his Testimony a witness in us And will ye not see when the hand of the Lord is lifted up Surely were the oppressed let free within you would soon let the oppressed go free without and because it is not so Wo be to you a hard hearted and unbelieving Generation who shall pity you in the day of Slaughter or bemoan you when your Calamity cometh as a Whirl-wind Even then shall you know that the Lord is become your Enemy who are Enemies to his Lambs Oh! my heart is enlarged and I am filled
Power To all the Judges and Rulers of the Earth who rise up against the Lamb And to Gog Magog and all their Armies and to the whole Host of the Power of Darkness and to all men who fight against God who or whatsoever they be or whatsoever they be called BEhold ye Rulers of the Earth and listen and hear all ye Earthly minded Men let the Blindness of your Minds be opened that your dark Hearts may be enlightned hear I say and stop not your Ears whose Minds are in the Earth whose Eyes are closed whose Hearts are covered with a thick Vail by your own Iniquity who see not the Wonders of the Lord wrought among the living neither perceive the mighty Power of the God of the whole Earth who are besotted through the sinfulness of your continual Transgressions and are groveling as Moles in the Earth and laden with thick Clay and covered with the Vail that is spread over all Flesh that you see not the glory of the God of Life neither perceive ye the comliness of the holy One of Jacob to whom the bright Morning Star is as a Cloud of Darkness and the Way of the living God as a fierce Whirlwind of Fire who see not him that dwelt in the Bush neither hear his Voice who hath made Darkness his Habitation and his Pavilion round about him thick Clouds of the Skey Hear I say and let my words have entrance in you and let the sound of my Voice take place in your Hearts let the opening of my Lips give Astonishment to the Wicked and the enlargement of my Heart the Confounding of the Heathen let the Dread of the Lord take hold upon the Hypocrites and Astonishment seaze upon the Double-minded let the Prudent keep silent and hear and let the Honourable be quiet and consider let the Understanding give audience to my words and let the Mouth of the Fool be stopt let the Sinner stand still and be quiet and let the Ungodly consider the words of Truth rebel not against the Word of the Lord neither harden your Hearts against the Dread of his Power let the tall Cedar bow and bend and that which is lifted up be brought down and stand ye all in Meekness For behold the Omnipotent Power is come the Rock of Ages is revealed the Everlasting strength is made manifest the God of Abraham hath reacht forth his hand and the Redeemer of Israel is come to dwell in the midst the great Jehova hath uttered his Voice and he whose Name is I Am is at hand he that moveth upon the Waters may be felt and he that formeth the Seed in the Womb may be known he that inhabiteth Eternity is come to dwell in his People and walk in the midst of the poor despised of his flock having cleansed them by the washing of Water and renewed them by the Spirit of Burning and refined them with his Righteous Judgments and cleansed them with the Blood of his Son that in his Zion redeemed with Judgment he may dwell for evenmore and take up his rest in the midst of his People having made the place of his feet Glorious and his residence as a Seat in the midst of a Fire which burneth against all them that are in the Night and giveth light to them that are in the Covenant whose Glory is hid from the dark Mind and his Counsel with-held from the Unbelieving in Heart he standeth near unto the Wicked who perceiveth him not and taketh Notice of his secret Intents he observeth the footsteps of the Kings of the Earth and marketh the Decrees of the Unrighteous and when they have filled up their measure he putteth forth his Finger to their Life and taketh away their Breath he suddainly cuts off the Wicked and regardeth not the Mightiness of Princes he searcheth the Hearts of Kings and ruleth over the Powers of men his Infiniteness can never be declared in his hand is the Breath of the Life of the Souls of all Mankind Hear I say and consider my words and ponder the Meditations of my Mind for behold the Lord God of Life is come Immanuel is revealed the Root and Off-spring of David is grown up as a Plant of Renown the Seed of the Shepherd sits upon the Throne and before him shall all the Kings of the Earth lay down their Crowns every Emperor shall bow and bend and the Potentates of the Earth before him shall wither as a green Herb their Glory shall perish as the untimely Birth of the Womb their Honour shall vanish as the Smoke before the Wind their Wisdom shall fade away as a Blossom cut off and their Understandings shall come to nothing the Wisdom of the most high shall be exalted over all and with his foolishness will he them all confound yea with a foolish Nation will he anger the Judges of the Earth and with a despised People will he provoke the Rulers of the World to jealousie by the foolishness of his Flock will he confound his Enemies and by his weakness in them will he subdue the strength of the Mighty and though all his Enemies strive in the Arrogancy of their Spirits and in the fierceness of their strength yet shall he be exalted who is led as a Lamb dumb and he shall reign whose right it is in whose Mouth there is found no Guile who maketh an end of Sin and bringeth in Ever lasting Righteousness and setteth up Judgment in the Heart and cometh to rule in the Kingdoms of men and overturneth the Host of his Enemies by whom Judges are led away Fools Diviners turned Mad before whose Presence the Mightiness of the mightiest Rulers of the Earth is as Wax before the fire and their Strength melteth away as the fat of Lambs Wherefore hear and see O ye Kindreds and Rulers of the Earth the Lord our God is come the might of his strength is revealed and the Power of his Presence made known he hath chosen his Army to himself and their Names are written in his Life he hath numbred up his Hosts together and armed his chosen with his Everlasting Strength the Captain of his Host goeth before them and the Camp of the Lord is very great they are Numberless as the Sand of the Sea and Infinite as the Stars of Heaven Even so is the Seed of Abraham the Remnant of the Flock of Jacob whom the Lord hath redeemed who are chosen and faithful and true yea behold its even so and that all the Nations of the Earth shall know for the Lord of Hosts rideth on in Meekness in the midst of his Host and maketh War in Righteousness with the Enemies of the Lamb who would not that he should reign who makes an end of Sin and he is clothing his Army with Zeal as with a Garment and covering them with the Armour of Light and preserveth their Head in the day of Battel and girds them up with strength and guideth their feet upon the Rock and preserveth their
not need alwayes to keep one Company of his Subjects to guard him for fear of any other of his Subjects but rather for fear of such as are not his Subjects And were all his Subjects brought in such Faithfulness and the King well and truly satisfied therein would it not ease him and his Council of much Care and sometimes Fear too and to be so well satisfied in himself concerning his Subjects Faithfulness to him herein that he could take their Word for it without Oath Bond or Surety Or if he had no Word or Promise at all from them yet could believe and trust them that they would never plot or rise against him nor do him harm but remain as firm steadfast and true to him as any other Princes Subjects in the whole World by any of their Oaths Bonds or other Engagements whatsoever if not more constant and steadfast which were all the King's Subjects brought unto would be such an Honour unto the King therein as would hardly be found belonging unto any Prince in the whole World again IV. Concerning the Honour that the King might have by the Uprightness of his Subjects in their Traffick with other Nations VVEre all the King's Subjects or most part of them brought into Truth Plainness and Righteousness so that their Yea was Yea and their Nay Nay that so all Merchants and Factors could take their Words and trust to their Words to be of more value than the Oaths of most Princes Subjects in the World and that in what Nation or Kingdom soever they come in the World as soon as it was heard they were such a Princes Subjects that then both the King of those Dominions with Princes Judges Merchants Factors and People might all conclude they were true men of their Words and that any man might deal with them and none be afraid to traffique with them because they abhor Deceit Defraud and Lying and all manner of Cozening or Dishonesty And would not this also promote trading and so enrich the Kingdom and be some means to relieve the Poor And is not the enriching of the Kingdom for the King's Honour And what Man or Nation is it but would desire to deal with Just Men And would not the Fame of such a Prince and such his Subjects as deal justly and truely where-ever they come soon sound over all the World And would it not be for his Honour that had such a People as did neither seek nor ask but a Just Price where-ever they come amongst all Nations in the World And if such Honour before mentioned be esteemed what part of it is beyond this which might cause a King's Name to be renowned over the whole World having such upright true just honest-hearted men in all things to his Subjects as not any other Eemperour or Prince could produce the like V. Concerning the King's Honour by his Subjects departing from that which disbonoureth both God and the King and themselves VVEre all the King's Subjects brought to leave and utterly to forsake the Devil and all his Works the Pomp and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the flesh and the carnal desires of the same and so to leave and utterly forsake all manner of Evil in word and deed and to bear no Malice nor Hatred in their Hearts to keep their Tongues from Lying and Evil-speaking seeing it is the evil words that Corrupt the good manners and so not to speak proudly nor contemptuously no not of the meanest Member in the Nation but to abhor and leave Arrogancy with all manner of Voluptuosness knowing that God resisteth the Proud and so not one such prophane person as Lord Esau to be found amongst them nor one Swearer nor Lyar nor Thief nor Murderer amongst them neither yet a Drunkard nor a Glutton nor a Whoremonger nor a Covetous Person which is Idolatry to be found amongst them nor any that spend their dayes in Vanity nor that abuse or waste the good Creatures of God in any of the King's Dominions whereby any of his Subjects may come to want to his dishonour And were they all brought to forsake the very Appearance of Evil and so never to transgress any of his good Laws to his dishonour herein also would this be for the Honour of the King And thus might his Fame ring over all the World and be of great Renown among all the Upright-hearted in all Nations for what is a King without his Subjects And when is a King more honoured by his Subjects than when his Subjects themselves are most honourable and act most noble and honourably And what is more honourable and more noble in the outward practice among the sons of men whereby a King might be honoured than the things aforesaid Nay do not the Principles Qualities and Practices aforesaid make men more noble and honourable than the Titles of For Esau was called Lord Edom had many Dukes and Ishmael had twelve Princes Lord Esau or Dukes of Edom or Princes of Ishmael seeing Abraham was a Wanderer and Jacob a Pilgrim and Israel dwelt in Tents who obtained a good Report through Faith and whom God hath renowned with an everlasting Honour VI. Concerning the Honour of the King and also his great Benefit by his Subjects being the Peculiar Chosen People of God and their having the Spirit of the Lord to counsel Him VVEre many of the King's Subjects the true Servants and Children of the invisible God of Heaven and Earth by true mortification sanctification and regeneration and truly led moved and guided by the Spirit of God and many of them so grown into the Power and Wisdom of God really and absolutely so having the Spirit of the Lord poured sorth upon them in these latter dayes according to the promise of God which must be and is already fulfilled so that at a needful time one of them having as it was said of Daniel ch 5. v. 11. the Spirit Light Understanding and Wisdom being found in him could shew unto the King such a thing or things or secret Determination of God which all others the King's Wise-men whomsoever could not and to discover the lurking of the King's Enemies unto him and their secret purposes against him though they were far remote as Elisha discovered unto the King of Israel that which the King of Syria in his Bed-chamber contrived against him whereby the King of Israel escaped his Plots not once or twice 2 King 6. 10. And that they could and did at any time and often times as moved of the Lord declare and shew unto the King the Counsel of God concering himself and his Kingdom and what would come to pass concerning both and how he might avoid the Evil and chuse the Good like as Samuel and other Prophets who had the Spirit were wont to do unto the Kings of Israel in the dayes of old that so his Throne might be established in Righteousness which would be more than an ordinary Honour for
Whose Soul is lost from bliss Oh praise him all ye Saints Who feel his vertue near Vnto him still give thanks Who is our Father dear Let wicked men lament Let all Vngodly howl Too late shall some repent When down his Judgments rowle When Babel's turn'd in t ' Lake When the Beast is thither thrown When Drunkards reel and shake When Wrath is poured down When Vengeance much w th might Is pour'd on the Whore And all secret Deceit Destroy'd forever more Then Sion shall be glad Then God shall honoured be Then Praises shall be had Then Worship shall be free Then Comfort shall abound In all true mourning Lambs And Gospel free shall sound Throughout all Nation Lands The time hereof's at hand The Captives shall be free Gods Seed in every Land By him shall gathered be Let Friends rejoyce in fear Let fear in love abound Let Thousands more draw near For we the Pearl have found Let all in Patience dwell And in the Lord still trust That we in Love excell In which with you I rest As I walking alone in my close Prison at Winchester upon the 24th of the 5th Moneth 1662. in much Quietness Meekness and inward Refreshings by the rising vertue of Gods refreshing Love these Lines began to run gently through me with Melody in my Heart to the Lord and when I was free in my self to write it departed not from me but came so easie and so fast as I could well write whereby in a very little part of the said day this was begun and finished with my own Hand Yet would I not have it looked upon to be a great thing nor a pattern or example for others to run into the like For since I came into the Life and Obedience of Truth I durst not write any thing thus in Verse until this day and time neither was there the least thought in me thus to write until the very instant For writing in Meeter is apt to beget a lightness in some Readers and make way for too much or a wrong Liberty in others to do the like but not in the true fear which is the continual Refuge of Humphry Smith Hidden things made manifest by the Light In a plain Distinction between Condemnation Temptation Wherein is shewed How the Righteous Law of God is ministred upon the Transgressor and how it is to be by all received as a Schoolmaster to come to Christ by him to have the sin done away forever Also of Temptation what it is and how it may be known discerned from Condemnation With a Direction to them who profess the knowledge of Truth and live not in the power of God Concerning the Ministration of Condemnation THe World being set in man's Heart and Sin being in the World before the Promise was made which Promise was before the Law by which the Sin is discovered which Sin was in the World before the Promise yet the Promise was before the Law and yet until the Law comes Death reigns over that to which the Promise is and Sin separateth man from God the which is not clearly seen until the Commandment which is Light is come the Ministration whereof is Condemnation unto Man being found in the Transgression the which Ministration of Condemnation is to pass over all having sinned and when this cometh it finds man in the Death and by it is sin revived whereby man comes to see a Body of Sin which stands between him and God so that he is afraid of the dreadful Power of God ministred forth through the Law to slay him that hath transgressed the which some coming to see or in the least measure to feel call it a Temptation because it maketh him sensible that Condemnation belongeth to him and that all his Profession and building upon the Promise in that which the Promise was not unto and seeing that if he lie down to receive this Ministration that then all his Profession and Knowledge Zeal Wisdom and Prayers which did arise out of that ground which was cursed by reason of the sin that was in the World before either the Promise the Profession or the Law will be all ript up from him as filthy Rags and that his shame and nakedness must appear as it s written Every mouth shall be stopped and every one shall stand guilty before God and no Darkness no shadow of Death shall hide the workers of Iniquity from the mighty hand of God who brings to judgment the hidden things of Darkness and rips open the secrets of the Heart so that the most secret Sinâ— that ever were committed are clearly made manifest and justly charged upon the head of the Transgressor who stands in Enmity to God who will wound the head of the Transgressor and plead in Righteousness with him in whom the sin is found though not made manifest until the time that the Law is come by which it is discovered And this Ministration of Condemnation is not a Temptation though many call it so who being blind put Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness for that which sheweth man his sin doth not tempt man to sin but rather brings man in fear that he may not sin for because of sin was the Law added and the Law was given after much of the Love Preservation Power Deliverances and the Wonders of the Lord had been seen and it was given in the Wilderness where sometime there was want of Bread and Water where was Serpents Scorpions and many Tryals where the figure of him who was to heal the wounded and take away the sting of death and save the Life of man was lifted up on high without them the which figure or outward bodily Appearance was prepared by Moses And Christ had a body prepared him both which the carnal Eye might see and the carnal Mind contend about even as the Devil about the body of Moses but the Substance of the Figure Christ the Light Gods power being not received within in the heart and so fin the transgression of the Law remains within and the figure or that which the natural Eye did or may see was and is looked upon without and that without doth not take away the sin within and these knew not the Ways of God who sinned and at last loathed the Manna calling it light bread in the Wilderness even there was the Law Ministred they whose eyes are open may read and understand And where the Law was given forth there was a Mount or a high place of the Earth which then trembled by reason of the dreadful Power of the Lord of Hosts and beneath or under the Mount was the Seed and Israel of God which was to keep the Law and Life Read within and understand and yet by reason of that which was hard upon the heart there was a crying out with Dread and Horror and Fear That the Lord might speak no more lest they dye and so that which is hard upon the heart in the which by the
with the rest of his servants of old to live with him in the delightsom Ocean of the Infinite Fullness of his most desirable Power and precious Presence the streams whereof already are as the free Issuings forth of Life Eternal and as the streams of Mercy and the dews of the Morning Refreshing even the outmost borders of my dwelling and Comforting the mournful places of my Habitation Who can express his Goodness What man can utter his Bounty or how can man either in words or with Pen sufficiently signifie forth the Fullness and Virtue of that which passeth Knowledge Behold my Dwelling is in it and my Life is bound up with the inocent Lambs who live in the feeling Virtue of that which much super-aboundeth the most pleasantest and delightsom'st Words that ever my Tongue can utter and yet those that hear them hear the Truth in the which the Life doth stand and they that hear the Truth hear him from whence the Life doth come which Life it self in the power and virtue of it is the center of the Upright the Refuge of the Innocent and the thing it self unto which it self is drawing and gathering that it may be known within even to those who have been astray there-from that the one Fold the one Succour the one Food the one Shepherd the one Refuge the one Spirit the one Heart and the one Mind may be known and so the One God in the one only Vnity worshipped served and praised from the Power Life and Virtue of the one Spirit which comes from the only One God of Heaven and Earth before whom let the Heathen be Astonished and the ungodly fear and Tremble and the Brambles of the Earth prepare for the day of his Righteous Judgments and Fiery Indignation which as the breadth of his Nostrils being mixed with Flames of Endless Burnings he will plead with his own open Adversaries which shall be more fully manifest in the great Day of the Lord when all Mankind must give an account to him both of idle and wicked words and likewise of their deeds done in the body The Lord God hasten that day and let him come even him who cometh as a Thief in the Night even the Lord Jesus Christ who said I am the Truth the Spirit whereof the World cannot receive but we have known him and received him and know that he is true and have believed on him and have often drunk of the Living Water that springeth up unto life Eternal in those that truly believe And this I say forever blessed are they that believe and endure to the End for whom Gods Crown of Life is prepared and for all who give up their Lives and suffer faithfully for the Honour of him who hath so far honoured them as to account them worthy to bear their Testimony and to suffer for him In the which I say The Lord preserve my Friends and Brethren every where who have tasted of Gods loving kindness and remain sensible at present of the meekness of his love And let all Friends so dwell in the faith which is the gift of God over the World as to live thereby and not to lose the Crown of Glory and Immortality which was desired from the breathings of the seed in the day of Jacob's Captivity and the Lord God of my Life preserve and defend the plants of Righteousness even by his own Power and his own Spirit in that day and at that time when all other helps may not be available that then the sufficiency of the Greatness of his own Wisdom and strength may be apparent and then most happy shall those be who are found worthy to suffer and endure all manner of Tryals Cruelties and Hardships for him and his Names sake and to live and reign and enjoy his unutterable Peace and Rest which is in himself treasured up as a full Reward and much more then could have been expected for the Vpright in Heart who end their dayes in Truth and finish their Course in Righteousness and lay down their Lives for his sake to live with him for evermore And this is that thee and others may hear from me and know that I remain in the service of God and in faithful Long sufferings for the Gospel of his Son as at this day being the 6th of the 7th Moneth 1662. In the straight Prison at Winchester where I am known by this name Humphry Smith THE END
Power is Unlimited whose Mercy endures forever whose Judgments are just and true and all his Ways are equal whose Presence is Dreadful unto all the Double-minded whose bright Appearance is as a fierce Whirlwind of Fire and his Voice as the Terribleness of many Thunders all the Bowels of the Earth are ript open by the Dread of his Powerful Voice and all the created Earthly things pass away as if they had not been because of the Presence of the Almighty and the fierce Terror of the Lord of Glory who is now arising as a Gyant unto the Battel and as a mighty man of Valour unto the War who a long time hath held his peace and hid his face But now saith the Lord will I arise and roar like a Lyon and utter my Voice like a man of War yea I will arise as a Lyon out of a Thicket and a young Lyon out of the Forrest and I will Thunder from Heaven and Darkness shall be upon the Earth and with the Fire of my Jealousie shall the Wicked be consumed the Vngodly as the Smoke that vanisheth forever Wherefore come all ye Brambles of the Earth and gather your selves together all ye Briars Thorns and Thistles and all ye strong Oaks and tall Cedars yea all ye fruitless Trees that long have cumbred the Ground behold the Day is at hand that you shall be consumed forever and as the Stubble ready dry before an unquenchable Fire that is kindled with the Fierceness of the Wind of the Nostrils of the most High so shall all the Brambles of the Earth be Wherefore assemble your selves together O ye Heathen and stand up to Judgment O ye Princes and Rulers of the Earth and prepare to meet the Lord whose Trumpet is sounding an Alarum out of the holy Mountain to gather the whole Host of the Heathen to Battel and the People who know not God to the Slaughter of the great King Arise ye Idol-shepherds awake ye Blood-thirsty Rulers stand up together ye fatted Bulls Let all the wild Horses stand to the Battel saith the Lord of Hosts that I may pour out my Indignation like Fire upon them and Consume them as in a Moment forever that I may give you Blood to drink and fill you with Torment for evermore for thus saith the Lord Once more more will I arise and Confound mine Enemies and ease me of mine Adversaries and I even I will fill the Heathen with Horror and all mine Enemies with the Blackness of Darkness a Fire will I kindle in the Bowels of the Scornful and in the Proud shall the Flames burn forever and all the Earth shall know that I the Lord in the midst of them am Mighty in Power and that none is able to deliver out of my hand Therefore shall the Shepherds Howl forever and the Priesthood of England be Confounded and covered with a perpetual Shame the Nations afar off shall hiss at them and the Ages to come shall call them Accursed for the day is at hand that not a Tongue of all the Dogs of Aegypt shall be lifted up against the Seed that long hath groaned under the Bondage of cruel Oppressors who bite with their Teeth and imagine Evil upon their Beds and lay Snares for the Souls of the Innocent and watch for Iniquity to devour the Simple Therefore shall these things come upon you an unbelieving Generation whose Hearts are hardned Ears stopped and Eyes closed and many of you sealed up unto the great Day of everlasting Destruction which upon you the seed of Evil-doers is stealing unawares Neither shall you believe the things that are hastening upon you and declared unto you for the Prophets and Seers are covered a deep sleep is upon the bruitish Pastors and the Vail is upon the Hearts of all who are under the old Covenant and many of them are given up to the hardness of their Hearts and their Consciences are seared and such have yet a measure of Wickedness to fill up and then upon them the Vessels of Wrath fitted for Destruction shall the Flames of everlasting Burnings be poured forth forever from him that sitteth upon the Throne Wherefore Wo to the Inhabitants of the Earth forever Wo to the Proud and Lofty Ones Wo to all the Hard Hearted Abominable and Unbelieving the Devil is come down among you the old Drogon is Head in you the God of the World hath blinded your Minds the subtilty of the Serpent hath deceived you and now Wo is your Portion you are undone forever your King is the Angel of the bottomless Pit Gog and Magog are your chief Captains Cain is your Father Nimrod the mighty Hunter the builder of Babel is your elder Brother the great Whore is your Mother Ishmael and you are of one House Pharoah and Haman are your Companions Judas the betrayer of the Just is near unto every one of you and the Life of the Just crys for Vengeance upon your Head the glittering Sword of the Most High is drawn to cut you down forever the Ax to the very Root shall now come and Root and Branch shall be cut off forever Wherefore all ye Sorcerers Witches and Sons of the Whore with all Blasphemers who say you are Jews and are not come to the true Circumcision but Servants of Sin and so the Synagogue of Satan and all you false Prophets who feed at Jezabel's Table and not at the Table of the Lord nor never drunk of the Blood of the New Covenant to cleanse you from all Sin but are daily drinking the Cup of Fornication Now come all together the Standard of the Lord is lifted up against you and you shall have to drink forever the Cup of the Wine of the fierceness of the everlasting Wrath of the Lord Almighty and he will plague you with the Beast and the Whore together for evermore and your Seed shall be cut off the Earth and your Children from among the Living your Memorial shall Rot for evermore and your Name blotted out from under Heaven and all that hear of you shall Hiss at you and an astonishment and a hissing shall you be unto all People Where are Queen Maryes Judges and Bloody Persecutors who sought to drive down all by their Devilish power who were as high in Wickedness and cruel Oppression as any of you who are this day thirsting for Blood Where are your Cardinals Jesuits Friars Monks Abbots Abbies and Nunneries Where are your Altars and Crosses c Even as there hath been an Overturning of these so shall the Off-spring and Residue follow after and then shall the Priests howl and the Lamentation of the Shepherds be heard in all the Land and the Great men and the Rich men and all the Mighty of the Earth shall lament bitterly for their Torment shall come in one day and there shall be none to deliver Then shall your high places of Worship be left desolate and the Temple of the Beast destroyed forever and all the Idols burnt
of that Torment you have acted that Cruelty which afterwards the Light of Christ in your own Consciences hath condemned you for and the same will condemn all you forever that Repent not And these things will certainly come to pass and then shall all the Heathen know that the Lord is the same that ever he was and that he hath heard the Cry of the Oppressed and seen the Affliction of his People and taken notice of all your secret Contrivances against them who are born of and led by the Spirit who are as the sound of the Wind unto you that know not whence they come nor whither they go who now suffer by you with Christ and shall reign with him forever and ever when he who is their Life shall appear to confound Zion's Enemies forever and overturn the very Foundations of the Wicked though never so great and high and bring down the Mighty from their Ungodly Seats and overturn the Inventions of the Wicked and pour forth Everlasting Judgment upon the Beast and all them that bear his Mark or worship his Image And when the Whore shall have Blood to drink and the Mouthes of her Merchants stopt forever and all them that love and make Lyes their Refuge with all the Unclean and Unbelieving who receive Honour one of another and all the Blood-thirsty turned into the Lake then shall Righteousness spread over the Nations as the Morning-due and Holiness as the Light of the Sun in Summer and Judgment run down as Water and Peace spring up as a Fountain that overflows and is never dry In that day shall the poor of the Flock be gathered and the Out-casts of Israel return Deliverance shall come to the Captives and Joy to them that have Mourned the Wilderness shall then rejoyce and the Desart be glad for evermore Springs shall arise in the Desart and a Fountain shall be opened in the Wilderness the Standerd of the Lord shall be lifted up on High the scattered in the Desart and the Meek of the Earth shall flow unto it Nations shall turn unto the Lord of Hosts and People be gathered to the Banner of the Most High they shall feed together as the Lambs in the Morning and be satisfied as the Flock in Summer and then shall Zion's Mourners be comforted and filled with Joy forever then shall they shout aloud for Joy with Halelujah for evermore when the Smoke of the Torment of the Whore her Lovers and her Brats ascends up as the Smoke of Sodom forever and ever Then shall Glory Honour and Praise arise from them that were beheaded for the Testimony of Jesus the Light of the World and unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and the captives shall come out of their Captivity and the Prisoner out of the Pit and every Bond-man shall be set at Liberty and those that are at ease and Liberty in the Flesh shall be bound with Chains of Everlasting Darkness forever and ever and they shall be tormented day and night in the presence of the holy Angles and in the presence of the Lamb who is Light even all them who will not that he should reign who is the Lamb the Light and then shall they see Abraham Isaac and Jacob who wandered up and down and were Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth these with all their Seed then shall they see in the Kingdom and Dominion of God and they themselves shut out and so the Parable of the Rich man and Lazarus shall they know fulfilled Wherefore Wo Wo Wo to the Inhabitants of the Earth and all you the Enemies of the Lamb by reason of the Judgments that are yet to come for your Proud Flesh which is as the Flesh of Horses shall be as Dung upon the Earth and your Flesh is to be given unto the Fowls of the Air to feed upon for the Day of the great Slaughter is at hand and the Battel of the great King shall be set in order and every Battel of the Warrier is with confused Noise and Garments rolled in Blood but this shall be with Burning and Fuel of Fire and Blood shall all them have to drink who are found in Babel the great Whore that long have made the great men of the Earth Rich in whom the Blood of all the Saints is found from Abel unto this day wherein she and her Children are thirsting for the Blood of all them who believe in the Light Written upon the seventh and eight dayes of the 2d Moneth by him who suffers by some of Gogs Army in the House of Correction and common-Goal of Hampshire with the rest of the Lambs of Christ who is the Captain of my Salvation who hath armed me with the whole Armour of God and clothed me with the Armour of Light whereby he hath enabled me to stand in the day of Battel against all the Fiery Darts of the Devil and the Oppressions of Pharoah's Host and yet have nothing to Glory in but in the Lord having received all from him who teacheth my Hands to War and my Fingers to Fight and that not with Carnal Weapons but with Spiritual and deny all Carnal Fightings Qurrellings and Wars that ariseth from the Lust and learneth of him who maketh War in Righteousness and joyns with him in the Battel against the false Prophet the Whore and the Beast and all those that have his Mark in the Hand or in the Fore-head who rise up against them that have their Father's Name written in their Foreheads who is Light in whom I have believed and by whom do expect Deliverance in his due time with all his suffering Seed out of outward Bonds in the which I bear my Testimony against all his Enemies without Respect of Persons or Flattering Titles to any but in Love to the Souls of all though never so Dreadful to that in all which doth the Soul destroy to the which I am never to be reconciled but stand a Witness against until the Just under that arise and witness for me whose Love is only to the Seed of God in all by which I am known read and understood in the Light and of the other called Humphery Smith A Sad and Mournful LAMENTATION For the People of these Nations but especially for the Priests and Leaders of them and the more because of that which is coming to pass And let all People read it and let it have entrance into their Hearts in the fear of God for it is of much Concernment both for Priests Rulers and all People it being the deep Meditations of my Mind and the true Openings with the Light and Revelation of God in my Heart sundry times when my Spirit hath had secret conference with the Lord at such times as I have been absent from men or in the Night season in a true Mournful state of Pity towards the Souls of all Mankind for the Eternal good whereof this is written In Winchester-Prison and House of Correction being a colse Prisoner in a
and behold I have seen their Wo which is near at hand their Wives also shall be left as Widdows and their Children as Fatherless and from the pitiful Benovelence of the People must they be kept from Perishing in their Bodies but alas for their Souls who shall deliver them And herein moreover is their State and Condition the more Miserable because they will not regard this neither would they at all be warned by them whom the Lord hath sent amongst them and because they will not see when the hand of the Lord is lifted up neither regard the Word of his Power therefore for their Envy to the Lords People shall they be ashamed Isa 26. 11. that upon them it may be fulfilled which is written Behold I work a Work in your days ye Despisers which you shall in no wise believe though a man declare it unto you Acts 13. 41. Therefore have I considered in the very depth of my secret Meditations what shall be said or done in these things when the Priests have violated the Law and made void that which is Perfect and the Leaders of the People rebel against the Light Job 24. 31. and harden their Hearts against Reproof and will not be warned that they might escape the Dreadful day at hand therefore have I said Ah! surely the Lord will root them up Head and Tail Branch and Root in one day Ah! fruitless Trees said I have not you your selves yet brought forth the first Fruits of the Spirit which is Love And are not ye your selves yet come to that which fulfills the Law of God to wit Love And are not all without it as sounding Brass having the Tongues and the like making a Noise among the People like sounding Brass and pleasing their Fancies as tinkling Cimbals 1 Cor. 13. And have you been all this while sowing to the Flesh And are you the men who deny him that makes an end of Sin and his Blood which cleanseth from all Sin and the Faith which purisieth the Heart And are you the men who deny the true Light of him who said I am the Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World Are you the men that deny the Son of God and will ye not that he should reign that is of the Seed of Abraham who wandered up and down And is it you that are saying one to another and to the Rulers of the Earth concerning him that is the Light This is the Heir come let us Kill him And would you not that he should Rule who condemns Sin and saveth his People from thir Sins and maketh an end of Sin Surely have I said even therefore will the Lord reward you according to the Fruit of your own Ways and as you have denyed him so must you be condemned by him that is the Light Job 3. 19. And as you have been and yet are with Pilate and others of Babel in the many Languages and Tongues upon which the Whore sits and as you have been and yet are of the Nations which are drunk with the Wine of the Fornication of the Whore the great Whore Mystery Babylon that sits upon many Waters and hath corrupted the Earth and as you have been drunk with the Blood of the Saints and made rich by the Robbing and Spoiling of the Houses and Goods of many even as Troops of Robbers Hos 6. 9. Forty in one Troop lately at Dorchester feeding their Belly their God And as you have devoured Widdows Houses and been drunk with the Wine of the Fornication of the Whore and the Blood of Saints even so shall you have Blood to drink and even so must you drink the Cup of Astonishment and fierce Indignation of the Lord God Almighty and he will plague you false Prophets with the Whore together and the Beast and you must be taken alive and cast into the Lake of Fire which burneth forever and ever And when I have waited to see the end of these things and pondered this in my Heart in the Uprightness of Innocency and pure Simplicity of God then hath it been said in me Where then will the Memorial of this Priesthood of these Nations who came up since the Apostles days and were descended from the Bishops that were commissionated by the Pope and established by the See of Rome And what a Howling and a bitter Lamentation will come upon many in that day when Mystery Babylon the Mother of all these painted Harlots comes to be overturned forever How then will the Great men and the Rich men and the Mighty Ones of the Earth Mourn and Lament because of the Desolation of the Whore with whom they have all along committed Fornication and to see these her Children the painted Harlots the Priests of England who are covered with Saints words even dashed to pieces with the Light which is the Stone that is falling upon them to grind them to Powder Alas alas say they how many were made Rich And how many of our Children were like to be made Rich by being bred up under the Skirts of this Woman who hath a Golden Cup in her Hand holding it forth to all that will come to her And how many young men began to love her Pov. 7. Alas say they were not many of our Children looking at the Golden Cup and and growing up under her Wing at Oxford and Cambridge and in divers other Schools and Nurseries where the Languages and Tongues are even Multitudes upon which the Whore sits Rev. 18. 1 15. who hath the Golden Cup at which the Kings and the Great Ones of the Earth have drunk abundantly And must this Woman be laid Desolate And must her Children be dashed to pieces against the Stone the Light therefore is the Cry great and the Lamentation will be grievous when the Iniquity is come to the full the Sin ripe unto Judgment the Beast fully fatted for the Day of Slaughter and that come to pass which is haâ—â—ning suddenly though few can receive these things unexpected by many revealed in me and the more are they and many other People hardened and blinded herein because the Priests are so high so great and so strong and upheld by the strength of such Laws even exceeding and doubling in their Power and Authority the Laws that were made for the upholding of their Predecessors the Jesuites and Popish Priests in the dayes of Queen Mary whose Law was but three Moneths Imprisonment and now it is six and then the Law was but for the Tythes and now it is three times as much and so they are more higher exalted than ever and our Task is doubled and trebled upon us and besides they cry out We are Idle and wander up and down But let me Reason a little Was it not suddenly after their Bondage in Aegypt was doubled that the Lord overturned the mighty strength of the Oppressors forever and was not the cry of the oppressed great because the Task was doubled upon them who were in
and there is neither him nor any Priest Preacher Professor or Profane that can have any good ground or reason to envy me for declaring openly against all that in them which I declare against in my self when it ruled in me when I was as they yet are I being by several long unjust Imprisonments detained from Liberty to declare in words those and other things therefore for this very end have I written this in short that God's Truth might stand clear and not suffer in any thing done or said by me before Gods pure Wisdom was born up in me and that also the ground of all other things against the Truth if occasioned by me may be removed out of the Minds of all that are willing to receive the Truth if they knew it for I would not if possible that any thing whatsoever which concerned me should so remain in the Mind of any one as that thereby he should be hindred from receiving the living Truth which I have found so precious without which none can be saved And if by the appearing of the Shame of my former Nakedness an inlet for the Truth may be made into the Minds and Hearts of any therein will be my Joy and the Eternal Comfort of all them who by receiving and Sanctification of the Truth and faithfulness in the Light do come to rest in the Kingdom of Joy and Eternal Peace forever and ever Thus at present in tender Love to the Souls of you Rulers and Professors in Herefordshire to whom I say believe in the Light and mind God's Witness in you and be not Rigid Bitter nor Persecutors of the Children of Light who by them in the dark are called Quakers among whom I have chosen to suffer Reproaches for Christ's sake and Whippings long Imprisonments and Dungeon and now in the House of Correction all which declares me to be as you may read 2 Cor. 6. 3 to 11. who am a Friend to the Souls of all Mankind a Servant of Jesus Christ not by the Will of men to whom I am known by the Name Humphry Smith Winchester the 19th of 6th Moneth 1658. THE Wandering-Star DISCOVERED And his False Light Comprehended and made Manifest Or something in Answer to a Book called The Duakers Blazing-Star Or The Worlds-Wonder Set forth by Edmund Skipp who calls himself A Preacher of the Gospel at Bodenham in Herefordshire But is sound and seen by the Light of Christ and proved by his own Writings to be out of the Light of the Gospel and to be himself wandered from the Truth and is now amongst the rest of the Wandering Stars mentioned in Jude v. 13. With a Word to all Professors BEing moved to write something in Answer to the Scandals that have been cast upon the Truth by Edmund Skipp in a Book called The Worlds Wonder or the Quakers Blazing-Star whereing he hath not only cast many Aspersions upon us in these parts of the Nation to wit Here for dshire but also on those yea all of the same People whom he never saw nor heard whom the great and mighty Power of God hath raised by the pure Life of Christ in them to witness and live in which we here a handful of Babes are but in a little measure yet brought to witness therefore not for our own Vindication but for the simple Ones sake who ever were carried away in all Ages with Scribes Pharisees false Prophets false Apostles through the sleight and craftiness of men whereby they lay in wait to deceive 2 Cor. 4. 2. Therefore take notice that not many Wise men after the flesh not many Learned not many Mighty for the Wisdom of this World passeth away and the Lord is now taking the Wise in their own craftiness and chusing the Foolish things of the World to confound the Wise and the things that are not to bring to nothing things that are That so no Flesh may glory in his sight but that the Lord alone might be exalted in this the great day of his Power Isa 2. 11. wherein he is risen out of his holy Habitation Zach. 2. 13. to shake terribly the Earth Isa 2. 19 21. and bring down the Haughtiness of man and lay low the Haughty looks of man Isa 2. 11. who are going forth like men of War in their own Strength against the Lord and against the anointed witness the last page of Edmund Skipps Book Psal 2. 2. Now that the Truth of Jesus Christ may the more appear I shall in this following Discourse in brief lay open some of the stromer and yet-lived-in Deceits of this open Enemy and also some of his Lyes which he hath written against the Truth of Christ whom the World knows not therefore they write spake hate stone whip imprison and falsly say all manner of Evil against us wherein the Scriptures are fulfilled by them Mat. 5. 11 12. whose Judgment slumbereth not and whose Damnation lingereth not Now before I proceed further I give thee a little notice what sort of people he thus hath opened his Mouth wide against and it shall be made manifest and that from his own writings which declare us to be the People of God chosen out of the world John 15. 19. and he to be the Persecutor I shall give thee a few short hints but if thou wilt observe his Writings thou wilt find that he himself hath declared that our whole Life and practice is proved by plain Scripture and that our Lives and Practices are the same with them that did write and speak forth the Scriptures But in short see his own words in page 40. Did you ever know People acted through a more Glorious show or appearance of Righteousness then they are to wit us their denying and throwing off the World and all care and Pains for Christs sake their forsaking Father and Mother and Wife and Children Mat. 10. 37. Luke 14. 26. though with so much Affliction Opposition Persecution and Disgrace from men Is not this like the Cross of Christ and the Sufferings of Christ and his Apostles yea even the same Their traveling so many miles from place to place and speaking so boldly unto great men crying out against their Abominations their writing so many Letters dealing so plainly with men Jer. 18. 18. And there are hardly a People to be found that cry out more against Antichrist and all appearance of Sin and Unrighteousness than they do And in page 41. The whole bulk of their actings hitherto as far as I know or have heard do declare them to be carried forth as Ministers of Righteousness page 44. for I am perswaded they dare not tell a Lye Now see plainly before thou proceed the Darkness Ignorance and Envy of this man that can persecute in writings and smite with the Tongue such a People as he himself in this very Darkness cannot chuse but confess such things by and in who that is not altogether blind will not see the Blindness Darkness and Ignorance of
this mans confused Writings See one more page 50. Now these People as far as I am and ever was able to discern them are indued with a large measure in those things the Apostle mentioned in Heb. 6. 4 5 6. I mean many of them that I know that I did take in my former Intimacy and Acquaintance with them to have received much of the Power of Truth through Christs and to have much communion with God and large experience of his Love But as for others of them they were never judged by me or the rest to be any more than a willing People and for such this Scripture doth not touch them Even by this although there might be much more mentioned thou mayst see in measure in the Light of Christ what he is that doth Rail against such a People whose Words Lives Ways and Actions are agreeable to the Scripture as he confesseth in his own Book The World loves his own and the World delights in its own the World speaketh to the World and the World hears that which is spoken from the Earthly Heart reacheth the deaf Ear and no farther that which is comprehended by the dark Mind that is spoken forth by the deceitful Tongue that feeds the Deceit that lodgeth in the Hearers so one Darkness upholds another and the same Deceit upholds its own in both Speaker Hearer So in both Writer and Reader yea all that write and speak that which proceeds not from the Life but from the Death being in the state of Death is but Death speaking to Death whereby Serpents are begotten or the Seed of the Serpents is encreased Now they that are of God hear God's Word and they that hear not his Word are not of God for the natural man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are spiritually discerned by the spiritual man that judgeth all things though no man can judge him who is a Child of the day and dwelleth in the Light and hath no fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness out of which the Children of the Day are delivered and can witness the Darkness past and the true Light now shining in them But all those who say they have fellowship with Light and walk in Darkness are Lyars and all Lyars are shut out of the Kingdom and are estranged from God who is altogether Pure Holy and Righteous Just Perfect Light and those that dwell in him are as he is and they only have the Mind of Christ the which all the World and earthly Hearts are ignorant of Therefore I shall not put the worldly carnal Heart to judge of what may be written by me although I am but yet leaving off the World and entring into a little of that which is Eternal which no Eye of Flesh can ever attain unto and live neither can any but those that live in the same Life that speaks aright or understands what is spoken from the life by those that spake aright from the pure life Therefore let not thy deceitful Heart deceive thee in judging herein for the Old Heart is Deceitful as I shall further make manifest both unto the World and unto the Children of the Light not only from what I hear but from his own written words and my knowledge and being witnessed by the Light and Truth as it is manifested in me whereby something may so plainly appear that even the World it self may see the Deceit that always hath been and yet is in this man who now desires all the World to take notice p. 24. of his Exposition of his Lyes that he himself hath cast on us who are not of the World therefore the World knows us not for we witness against it that the Deeds thereof are Evil. After Edmund Skipp had thrown off his Tythes and convinced of much more which he was waiting to throw off too he then told me not long before he lest us That he had not Faith to carry him through neither could he believe but he was confident That the Devil would steal all that he had from him again the which is now too true Wo Wo Wo from the Eternal God to all the Inhabitants of the Earth who dwell in the earthly Darkness being seated in the Earth drove out from the presence of the living God and are Vagabonds and Fugitives in the Earth whose center is in the earthly dark Mind Wo to all those that put Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light Wo to all those that go down to Aegypt for help in Aegypt the pure Seed is captiyated and kept in Bondage in Sodom and Aegypt the Lord is daily crucified and put to open shame Wo to all the Oaks of Bashan and all the Beasts of the Field Wo to them that build their Nests among the Stars for Capernaum that is lifted up to Heaven and in its wisdom in its own strength shall be brought down to Hell for the Lord God of Life and Power is risen out of his holy Habitation to confound the Language of Babel and dry up the Tongue of the Egyptian Sea and famish all the gods of the Heathen that know not God whose presence is terrible to all the Children of Disobedience Therefore Wo unto him that striveth with his Maker who ariseth to scatter his Enemies and to wound the Head of every one that goeth on still in his Wickedness Oh! the Day of the Lord is at hand wherein every man shall receive according to the Deeds done in his Body then he that hath seemed to wait and now begins to smite his fellow-Servants saying his Master delays his coming and so eat and drink with the Drunken that are drunk indeed with the Wine of the Fornication of the Whore of Babylon those are Drunkards indeed that are drunk with VVine and overcome but not with strong drink such stagger at the Promises and stumble at the Corner-stone but when that Stone shall fall upon them it will grind them to Powder Therefore be warned of the Lord thou that despisest and wonderest For all the Works of the Lord are Wonderful lest thou perish for the Lord is working a Work in these dayes that thou canst not believe nor any that live in their own Wisdom exalted above the pure Wisdom of Christ who teacheth all his to deny all yea even all both their Wisdom Righteousness Wit and all carnal Comprehensions for they are Followers of him who lived not in his own Will For saith he I came not to do mine own Will but the Will of him that sent me and saith Not my Will but thy Will be done And he that is not yet made a Fool and so denies his own Will and Wisdom is yet exalted above the Cross and the Son of Perdition is exalted above all that is called God sitting in the Temple of God even in the Holy Place where Truth should alwayes be exalted Christ should reign as King and subdue all his Enemies under his Feet and lead Captivity
natural man perceiveth not the things of God which are hid from the Wise and Prudent even from the Readers of the Scripture from Scribes Pharisees Priests yea the Princes of this World for had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory who is crucified daily by the same spirit that now ruleth in the Children of Disobedience even in the Scribes Priests and People that live in the same Nature where the learned Ones of the World are and all those that walk in Darkness to wit Pride Covetousness Love of the World Hatred Varience Strife Sedition Heresie Backbiting Heady High-minded Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God Scoffers walking after their own Ungodly Lusts Raging Waves of the Sea foaming out their own Shame who account Gain Godliness whose Eyes are full of Adultery Feet swift to shed Blood Ears open to all deceit whose Mouthes are full of Cursing and Bitterness the Poyson of Asps is under their Lips their Throats are an open Sepulcher who imagin Mischief their Hearts being altogether Deceitful and desperately Wicked Such as these are the Fruits of the Flesh in the which all the World lies therefore I witness against the World that the Works thereof are Evil. Now in the world there are Sects Schismes Judgments and Opinions there they are heaping up Teachers to themselves having itching Ears and according to the number of their Fansies so are their wayes of Worship according to the number of their Imaginations so are their gods for there are many gods and many Lords but the living God is not known by the World for it by Wisdom knows not God No man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son revealeth him Now he that hath the Son revealed in him is born of God and he that is born of God overcometh the World and sinneth not He that sinneth hath not seen him But this is a hard saying who can bear it the World cannot for the World hears its own they that are of God hear Gods Word ye hear them not therefore ye are not of God Now Friends all you that have looked after me and other men for teaching now I can write unto you what I know that it is the Lord alone that teacheth his people to profit none teacheth like he who is now my Teacher indeed and will be yours if you are made willing and obedient to be taught directed and guided by him who is gathering his out of all Nations Kindreds and Tongues Ezek. 31. 11. which is by Jesus Christ the one and only Priest who is the Light of the Gentiles and the light of the World by which he hath enlightened every one that cometh into the World John 1. 9. which light shineth into the Darkness and the Darkness comprehendeth it not verse 5. Now the World is set in the heart of man eccles 3. 11. Of the which World Christ is the Light and he that followeth him shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life John 8. 12. This is that Grace of God that hath appeared unto all men teaching them to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World Tit. 2. 11 12. This is the Light of Christ who is the Word of God in the Heart for his Word of the living God is not far off but it is nigh thee in thy Heart and in thy Mouth that thou mayest do it Deut. 30. 14. Now therefore Friends look not forth after them that say Christ is here or there for they are all Deceivers The Word is nigh the Light is within thee even in thy Dark Heart although thy Dankness cannot comprehend it because thou lovest Darkness rather then the Light of Jesus Christ which shineth in thy Consceince and lets thee see the evil of thy Wayes and calls thee to Repentance and to forsake the Wicked and live This is the Talent that thou art hiding in the Earth for the which thou must give an Account therefore say I unto thee mind that Teacher that teacheth to deny Ungodliness and this is the Light to Jesus Christ in thy Conscience the which Light proceedeth from Christ and leadeth all that love it John 8. 12. up to Christ who is the Way the Truth and the Life the only Way and no other way to the Father Now all of you owning this VVord and Teacher and Light in your own Consciences you will come to witness Jesus Christ in the Light of Life and know him to be the way unto the Father which leads out of the Darkness of all the VVorld's Ways VVorships Forms Fashions Customs VVords VVayes and Actions and come to be gathered in the Light unto Jesus Christ who is the Light and from the Light then to come to witness the Scriptures to be true yea even fulfilled in you by the same Spirit as it was in them that did write and speak forth the Scriptures and so witness with them against the same things that were witnessed against then by the Children of the Light who had fellowship with the Father by the which they saw that which in measure I witness that there is but one Way one Truth one Light one Faith one Baptism one Spirit one Head one High Priest whoever liveth to make intercession for us one Church of the first-born whose Names are written in Heaven one God over all who is Rich unto all that call upon him in Spirit and Truth the which Worshippers the Father seeketh to Worship him who is a Spirit and all his Worships are Spiritual but God hears not Sinners and he that regardeth Iniquity in his Heart the Lord will not hear him for there are none but the pure in heart that shall see God whose Presence is Terrible to all the Workers of Iniquity that continue in the unfruitful Works of Darkness Now all of you see that you keep unto the true Guide which is Jesus Christ and follow him and see that you do not turn again to the Vomit as the manner of some is who begin in the Spirit and end in the Flesh Oh! leave all for Christ you cannot serve two Masters you cannot be of the World and of God you must witness a Separation Therefore in Love to all your Souls that have been Professors with me in publick in these parts of the Nation and all others flatter not your selves in your Conditions promising your selves Liberty whilst you are the Servants of Corruption therefore forsake the Wicked and live Now my Friends and all Persecutors marvel not at my Change for the Wicked have no Changes therefore they fear not God Psal 55. 19. but I am made to witness the fear of the Lord to be the beginning of Wisdom the which Wisdom is pure which cometh down from above James 3. 17. which none of the Princes of this World know 1 Cor. 1. 21. therefore they call the Doctrines of Christ Madness Acts 26. 24. for the preaching of the
these things for they that sung and danced in the Wilderness forgot the mighty Power of the Lord which brought them out of Bondage therefore they got into the carnal Liberty like many others at this day before they come to the true Rest and these were in the false Worship who Worship that which the carnal Eye might perceive and these had lost the true Guide And when they were in their singing and dancing they knew not what was become of him who was the Minister of the Law that discovers sin but though they who danced saw him not for a time but began to dispise him yet in a time unexpected he came upon them in the Fierceness of his Anger who executed the judgments of the Lord upon those vain Dancers with whom he was grieved who was in the Church in the Wilderness and is the holy One in the midst who with a suddain slaughter destroyed these Dancers whose voice of singing was not because of Mastry neither was their Voice the voice of the Cry of the Oppressed and these were Idolaters whose Hearts were uncircumcised and knew not the Wayes of God who therefore condemned them with an utter Overthrow that they perished in the Wilderness where they thus sinned after they had seen the Deliverances of the Lord as many of the Rulers and People of England have done who have forgotten their Leader to whom these are left for an Example of whom there were about thirty Thousand slain for their Singing Dancing and False Worship Exod. 32. 1 Cor. 9. And Herod had Dancing before him and she that danced and he that was pleased with Dancing caused his Head to be taken off that directed to him that is the Light and preached the Lamb that takes away the Sin and their carnal Nature and so this murders that which is to prepare the Way of the Lord and they took off his Head and murthered him who was a burning and a shining Light and slew him that preached Repentance and so the Dancers and the Rulers of the Earth who were pleased with Dancing and Musick murther that in them which calls to Repentance and are ready to murder such as preach Repentance to them And whilst there is a delighting in Dancing and Musick that which calleth to Repentance is in Bondage for John was in Prison when Herod was pleased with the Dancing and there is not a greater Prophet than he that preacheth Repentance and he that proclaims the Way of the Lord was in Prison and she that danced desired his Death and he that caused him to be beheaded was a King a great one in the Earth who was pleased with Dancing and was a Swearer out of Christs Doctrine for he promised with an Oath What soever she would ask who danced before him then nothing would satisfie the Dancer but the Death of him who preached Repentance and he was an Observer of Days and kept the day of his Birth with Dancing It was his Birth-day the day of his Birth in which he was brought forth who was a Swearer the Swearers delight in dancing that caused his head to be taken off who warned them that had the Oracles of God To fly from the Wrath to come and said They were a Generation of Vipers who had the Scriptures and came also to his Baptism and brought not forth fruits meet for Repentance these are the Vipers And so that which is to lead unto Christ doth suffer in Bondage and is murthered and the Head or first Appearance of it taken off upon that day which the Birth of that is brought forth which is pleased with the Dancing not like Job Jeremiah and delights in the Musick and that which exerciseth the mind of the Creature in the dancing desireth the Death and Murthering of that in Prison which is to call to Repentance above all other things yea there is nothing then so much desired as the Killing and Overcoming of that which is cast into Prison by him that delights in the Musick Matth. 14. And when them in Israel who had Harps the Musitioners them who delighted in Musick were carried Captive into Babylon the Land of Confusion in which Land Nimrod the mighty One in the Earth went hunting before the Lord and by the River of Babylon they sate down and wept who were before the Musitioners with their Harps these went into Captivity because of the Sin and hanged their Harps upon the Willowes and sate down Mourning by the Rivers of Babylon and that which delighted in the Musick caused the Captivity and leads into Bondage that which should come to Liberty whereby Sorrow Weeping and Mourning comes in the End for the Songs of the Temple is to be turned into Howling and their Delight in the Musick was turned into Weeping and they led captive from Zion who were come to the land of Promise and there took Liberty in these fleshly Delights Psalm 137. The Mind that hath Wisdom may read this And it was the King of Babylon who said Is not this great Babylon that I have built by the Might of my Power for the Honour of my Majesty that set up the golden Image to be Worshipped at the hearing of all kind of Musick and he also was a great man in the Earth a great King the King of Babylon a mighty One in Confusion who commanded the Magicians the Astrologers and Sorcerers and Caldeans and ruled over them and all them that dwelt in the Earth and he sent Greetings of Peace to People Nations and Languages that dwelt in all the Earth but he that is the Light comes not to send Peace on the Earth and the Angel cryed Wo Wo Wo to the Inhabitants of the Earth but he that was King over Nations in the Earth had many Instruments of Musick even all kinds of Musick and he that delighted in the Musick set up the Golden Image and by his command they that heard the Musick were presently to fall down and Worship the great Golden Image like the Children of Israel who set up the Golden Calf and these were Idolaters and in the false Worship and that which delighted in all kinds of Musick was in the Enmity to the Righteous Seed and sought to murther them who denyed the Musick and false Worship and therein such appear to be of Cain the Murtherer and of Lemach the Man-slayer And these great Ones in the Earth who had all kinds of Musick were in Babylon and these were the persecutors and such persecute now whose Rage was exceeding great against the Servants of the living God who to him were faithful though in Babylon and regarded not their Musick neither feared their great threatning Words nor yet obey their strict Command neither would they keep their Decrees nor take much care to Answer them in that matter nor bow before their Image though made with Gold nor Worship any other God than he that dwells in his People though they were in the Land of captivity among them in the
Land of Confusion who at last were brought to confess unto and fear and tremble before the living God who is Light that revealeth secrets in the Hearts But that which delights in the Musick seeks to murder the just and unto that which seeks to murther and persecute all them who are yet great in the Earth are joyned being not out of the Earth redeemed and the Rulers of the Earth take counsel together against the anointed which need not man to teach which seed is preserved and anointed amongst the flames of their burning Enmity for the Princes the Governours the Captains the Judges the Rulers the Counsellors the Sheriffs and all the Rulers of the Provinces who were of Babylon that delighted in the Musick stood before the Image and were in the false Worship and joyned together in the Persecution as such do now against the Seed of God and to confirm the Decree made by the King of Babylon which Decree was made with such fierce Tyranny and height of Pride and Envy that nothing less but presently to cast into the burning fiery Furnace would satisfie that Nature which ruled in these great Rulers in the Earth that loved the Musick whose fire of Enmity burned within them and they caused their Decree to be Proclaimed with a loud Voice That at the hearing of their Musick all men should Worship their Image or presently be cast into the Fire without because of their Fire of Enmity within the which Decree being not obeyed nor their Image worshipped nor their Enmity within nor Furnace without regarded by the Servants of the living God presently the King of Babylon was so full of Fury as the Furnace was full of Fire so that the form of his Visage was changed and rose up in that Power of Enmity against the Righteous Seed like Cain the Murtherer who rose up against his Brother whose Countenance also was changed whereby it appears he and the rest were of Cains seed and the Musitioners of their Father Jubal the seed of Lamech who slew a man read Dan. 3. When the Harp and the Musick go they must Worship the Image And the Persecuting Rulers of England need not to put this far from them being Rich and Mighty in the Earth and Envious like Cain and delighting in the Musick like the rest of his seed for the great Whore and Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth Mystery Babylon hath made all the Kings of the Earth Drunk with the Wine of her Fornication and the Great Men the Rich Men of the Earth and all Nations have committed Fornication with her who have corrupted the Earth and all Nations wonders after the Beast and in all Nations the Seed and Children of Mystery Babylon and of Cain and Lamech are sprung up and even in this Nation and other adjacent Kingdoms the Princes the Governours and Captains the Judges the Treasurers the Counsellors the Sheriffs and the Rulers of the Provinces delight in the Instruments of Musick and are Envious against the Righteous Seed who cannot bow to any Image nor Worship any Golden glorious Image or Likeness whatsoever but the living God who is able to deliver them and is a Spirit dwelling in his People and in Spirit is Worshipped by them who cannot bow unto or worship any Image or Likeness without set up by the will of man And therefore it is this day that the Governors and Captains the Judges the Treasurs the Counsellors the Sheriffs the Justices and all the Rulers in the Earth who are of Babels stock and of their Fathers Cain Lamech and Jubal are joyning together to persecute them that Worship God in Spirit who commanded not to bow down or worship any Image or Likeness and so their Likenesses are denyed the Substance being come and Christ revealed within who is a man of Sorrows who said The World should rejoyce John 16. 20. But their joy should be turned into sorrow and his Light in the Conscience is it which judgeth those vain Delights in carnal Musick which is to perish with the using For when the Spirit was departed from Saul he sought for one to play upon a Harp before him and for a time he was satisfied with that and when he heard the Musick he would be well but afterwards his delight in the Musick could not overcome that Murthering Spirit in him but at the very time that Saul heard the Musick he sought to slay him that was to be King and such as Saul who reject the Counsel of God slayes him that is the Light and would not that he should reign who is a man of Sorrows and he that loved the Musick had an evil Spirit or something that troubled him and that which moved in him while he heard the Musick to murther that which was to Reign the Lords Anointed the same thing led him to the Witch And so first he left the Spirit of God then sought â—ase by Musick then sought Counsel from the Witch he was shortly after destroyed They follow Witchcraft who obey not the truth which makes Free and he that is the Light is the Truth and the Lamb slain by that which takes delight in that which is out of the Truth invented by the Generation of Cain a Fugitive in the Earth of whom his deceived Mother said I have gotten a man from the Lord whose seed loves that which keeps from the Lord and leads into the Witchcraft like Saul not obeying the Lord nor the Truth of his Son who is the Light and Saul being required made use of the Harp to quiet him for a time from whom the Spirit of the Lord was departed and afterwards the seed of the Evil-Doers even the chief of the Nations did chaunt to the sound of the Viol and invent unto themselves Instruments of Musick like David putting far away the Evil day lying upon Beds of Ivory drinking wine in Bowls but not grieved for the Affliction of the Righteous seed and these were them that were at ease in Sion who were to go into Captivity with the first that go into Captivity whom the Wo is to as may be read Amos 6. And Solomons Wives his Men-Singers Women-Singers and Instruments of Musick drew away his Heart from the Lord and after he cryed against the Vanity of these things for it leads out from the Spirit and fear of the God of order within into the confused things without and such as follow that are of Babel the Mother of Harlots who hath made all Nations drunk in whom the time is come that the Voice of Harpers and Musitioners shall be heard no more at all for the Foundation and Skirts of that great Whore and her Craftsman are discovered with the Light which judgeth these things From a Prisoner of Christ in whom my Life is hid Humphery Smith DIVINE LOVE Spreading forth over all NATIONS OR The Glorious Day of Unity Teace and Concord Tendred unto all the Meek of the Earth Given forth from a tender Compassion to
of Hosts goeth before you the mighty God is in the midst of you the shout of a King is among you and your Weapons are not Carnal but Spiritual which will bring down their Holds though never so strong And you who suffer in outward Bonds and there in your place according to your measures bear your Testimony against the covetous Hirelings who are the Merchants that belong to the great Whore who have long fed at Jezables Table and have long deceived the simple Oh! faint not in your long-suffering the Lord God is with you as you continue in patience and long-suffering and you shall be crowned with Immortality forever if you endure to the end for the Cry of your Affliction is ascended up on high and the Lord hath heard the Sighing of the needy and a three-fold Reward will you at last receive who endure to the end For the Lord God of Life who seeth in secret is sccretly undermining the very Foundations of all Sions Enemies and bringing Deliverance unto the Captives in a Way that hath not been known that unto you O ye afflicted Ones may Deliverance come not by might nor by strength of man but by the mighty Arm of Gods Power which in due time will bring Deliverance unto all the dear Lambs of Christ who this day stand faithful in the Innocent sufferings And all you who are yet but young and tender abide you all in Meekness Lowliness Diligence and Faithfulness without murmuring at them that are growing up before you and let no Root of Bitterness spring up among any of you I beseech you in the Bowels of the Lord Jesus Christ And all you that are grown up into the Understanding of Holiness walk you all in the Life of God and let that guide you in God's Wisdom as Examples to the Flock among whom you are placed not as Lords to rule with any thing in the Will but in Tenderness to serve the least Member that it may be preserved that all may grow up a holy Building unto God the Father To whom be all Glory forever and ever The Blessing of the Lord be upon you and the Power of the Most High overshadow you that you may spring forth as the Rose in Summer and be fruitful as the Vine in its Season The true and ever lasting Rule discovered c. THe Lord God formed man of the Dust of the Ground and breathed into his Nostrils the Breath of Life and and man became a living Soul So man was formed of that which was earthly and into that which was earthly that which was living was breathed and that which is living comes from God which is to keep and lead man unto God but man going from that which is living into that which is Earthly is thereby led from God and being led from that which is living he is also pleading for another thing than that which is the Life to be his Rule and Guide and so comes not to be guided by that which is manifest of God in him Gen. 2. 7. Rom. 1. 19. Now the Letter is not living but the Breath of Life within is the which living Breath man not knowing goeth forth from it to be guided by the Letter which killeth 2 Cor. 3. 6. But the holy men of God who walked with God and were obedient to his Will and spake forth and writ Scriptures from that which was holy in them and were Perfect in their Generation they were such who came to be guided by that which was living in them and from that men in dayes of old called upon the Name of the Lord Gen. 6. 28. and they had not a Scripture without them to guide them thereunto And Enoch walked with God and so he walked with that which is living and not with that which is earthly neither had he a Scripture without him to be his Rule and so he walking with him who is the Life came to be translated that he should not see Death Gen. 5. 24. Heb. 11. 5. And Noah who was Perfect in his Generation found Grace in the sight of the Lord. Consider this he found that by which man comes to be saved for by Grace man is saved which Grace to all men hath appeared and so Noah found that which bringeth Salvation which is the Grace of God in the Heart and thereby he came to do God's Will and not by any thing that was earthly nor from a Scripture without Gen. 6. 8 9. Ephes 2. 5 8. Col. 3. 15 16. And Noah who found that by which man is saved him God blessed and his Seed and said The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every Beast of the field and they were to multiply and bring forth abundautly from the living that was within the Earth for by that comes the increase of God and with them God established his Covenant and so Gods Covenant came to be established with him who found that in the Heart by which man is saved Gen. 9. 1 2 7 8 9. And the Lord who is the one Spirit was Abraham's Leader from his Kindred and Father's House and so Abraham heard that which was living and obeyed that which was spiritual who had not a Scripture to be his Rule and unto him the Lord appeared and blessed and in the time of the grievous Famines he and his seed was fed Gen. 12. 1 2 7 8 9 10. And he that is led by the Spirit comes thereby to receive feedings when the Famine comes upon them who are led by another thing and Abraham who followed the Lord was called the Friend of God and he through believing became the Father of many Nations and he saw the day of Christ the Light and obeyed the Word which liveth and abideth forever 1 Pet. 1. 23. and being led by that which is living from his Father's House and out of his Country so by that which is living was he preserved and him God loved and to him afterward the Word of the Lord did come saying Fear not Abraham I am thy Shield and thy exceeding great Reward And Abraham answered the Lord and the seed which God blessed came forth of his Loins who are led by the Spirit Gen. 15. 1. Heb. 11. 8 9. And on the contrary Nimrod who began to be a mighty one in the Earth he went hunting before the Lord who is the one Spirit and now there is that first which is earthly and much earthly Wisdom whereby man goeth hunting before the Spirit comes the which should not be but man should stand still and not hunt and see the Salvation of God and so receive the Spirit to lead or go before him and not to run or hunt before the Spirit but let it lead man as it s written As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Rom. 8. 14. but Nimrod hunted before God who is a Spirit and he was one of the seed of Ham who was the Father of
Canaan whom Noah cursed And the beginning of this mighty Hunter's Kingdom was Babel where the Lord whom he hunted before followed after and confounded the Language of all them that belonged to this mighty Hunter who was a mighty one in the Earth and out of this Land of Babel went forth them that built many Cities and afterwards there was a People whose gods were according to the number of their Cities And so see what followeth when man is not led by the Spirit of God as Noah was and so preserved but hunts mightily before him being mighty in that which is Earthly first he is mighty in the Earth then a mighty Hunter then builds a mighty Tower whereby he that is earthly would climb up to Heaven this a Figure and then God confounded the Language and after wards those that were in the many Languages professed God who confounded the Language before whom their Father Nimrod hunted and they being found in that which God confounded though they professed God yet in Works denyed him and crucified his Son the Lord of Glory and writ over his Head of the many Languages Latin Greek and Hebrew and this was written above him that was the Light and so them now who are of the stock of Babel are yet exalted above the Light and count the Light a weak and low contemptible thing not able to save it self much less to save them that believe in it and so therein manifest themselves to be of their Fathers who crucified him that said I am the Light and said unto him If thou be the Son of God save thy self and so despised him who came to save them And this is some of the effect of mans hurting mightily in the Earth before they came to receive the Spirit as Nimrod did Gen. 9. 18 25. ch 10. 8 9 10 11. ch 11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. John 19. 19 20. But Jacob followed obeyed and believed the Lord who is a Spirit and the Presence of God was with him and the Blessing of the Most High was upon him and the Lord promised To be with him who was a Worm in six Troubles and in seven and when he passed through the Fire and the Water and God gave him a new Name and afterwards promised To give his Seed a Name better than of Sons and Daughters and Jacob was a plain man and dwelt in Tents and him God loved and he prevailed with God Isa 41. 14. ch 43. 1 2 3 4 5. Gen. 22. 28. Isa 56. 5. And so Nimrod with his Followers who was mighty in the Earth came to be confounded and Jacob who was little in the Earth as a Worm and dwelt in Tents he and his Seed came to be blessed And Moses the Servant of the Lord whom God Almighty honoured in his everlasting Love and made him a Deliverer unto and a Judge and Ruler over the People Acts 7. 35. he being in Aegypt the Land of Darkness and Bondage and all the Seed and Israel of God in cruel Oppression and I do not read that he had any direction from Man or Scripture or any thing else without him to guide him at first to refuse to be called the Son of Pharoahs Daughter and the glory of Aegypt and to chuse to suffer Affliction with the People of God Neither do I read that he saw the Angel or Glory of the Lord until after he was and had been Obedient unto that which God had given into him for that which may be known of God is manifest within Rom. 1. 19. for it is said in the Scriptures of Truth That it was by Faith Heb. 11. 24. that he refused the evil and chose the good and Faith is that which is in the Heart Acts 15. 9. As it is written If thou believe in thy Heart Rom. 10. 9. Acts 18. 37. And of that Faith in the Heart God hath given to every man a Proportion Rom. 12. 6. And as that which is but little in man is loved and obeyed so man comes to know more of God and hear his Word of Faith which is in the Heart Rom. 10. 8. And by hearing and Obedience of Faith man receiveth the Spirit Gal. 3. 2. which is an undeniable Truth which I might prove by a cloud of Witnesses from the Scriptures which were given forth from the Inspiration of God by his holy Servants And so there being something of God in man whereby man may as Moses did first refuse the Evil and then chuse a suffering state and so learn to do well the Sin then comes to be done away Isa 16. 17 18. and afterwards more of God's enless Love and powerful Presence is made manifest and so being faithful in the little received from God in the Heart man comes to rule over much as Moses did who first learned the Obedience of Faith in the Heart though in Aegypt and in the time of great Persecution where he was also despised of his Brethren yet he obeyed the Word of Faith in the Heart and so afterwards to him God appeared and the Word of the Lord came unto him and he talked with God afterwards face to face as a man talketh with his Friend and the many Wonders that the mighty Power of God wrought in and by him are recorded at large in the holy Scriptures for a Testimony thereof to last throughout many Generations And by this Faith also afterwards the Members of Christ did walk 2 Cor. 5. 7. And Joshua who succeeded Moses was full of the Spirit of Wisdom consider that he was first full of the Spirit and so thereby he came to be a Leader and Ruler over others and the Dread of the Lord fell and his Judgments came upon them who rose up or stood against him and those whom he by the Power of the Spirit in him came to rule over and great many and mighty were the Victories that God gave unto this man who was bold and couragious by reason of the fullness of the Spirit that was in him and the People hearkned unto him as they did unto Moses and he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses Deut. 34. 9. Josh 11. 15. But the Lords people in these dayes who are led by the Spirit of God in them are accounted both by Priests Rulers and People to be drunk or mad as it was before when the Son of God who is the Light was revealed in Paul Gal. 1. 15 16. he was accounted by the Ruler of the People to be mad Acts 26. 24. And when the Disciples of Christ had waited and afterwards received the Spirit of Truth within from the which they spake as with new Tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance at them then many were amazed others mocked supposing them to be drunk Acts 2. 12 13 14 15. And when Hunnah prayed in Heart being grieved in Spirit was esteemed to be drunk even by Ely the Priest yet she by her Prayers in her Heart obtained her desire of
now those that have the Scripture and call that their Rule in the which they read of Christ the Light yet the Light they deny and so deny him of whom the Scriptures speak and him unto whom all Power in Heaven Earth is committed and so long as they deny him who is the Light unto whom all Power is committed they cannot receive Power from him to become the Sons of God but they who do receive and believe in him who is the Light unto them he gives Power to become the Sons of God John 1. 12. And now the zealous professing Jews Scribes and Pharisees have the Scriptures but they deny him that is the Light and so they are blind and all those must needs be blind who hate the Light and deny it and so the Jews had the Oracles of God without them and the Law without them and Christ the Son of God without them and among them preaching to them and yet they were deaf and blind and of the Devil for they did his Works And moreover the Disciples of Christ might read the Scriptures without them and they had him in whom was the fullness of God among them with them or without them and yet in many things they understood not John 12. 16. but were often asking Questions as in Mat. 23. 10 36. chap. 16. 22. ch 17. 10 13 19. ch 18. 1 21. ch 19. 10. ch 24. 3. John 13. 7. and some time they knew not what Spirit they were of Luke 9. 55. and though he had been a long time with them yet it was hard for them to know him John 14. 5 6 7 8 9. and though he had been so long time with them consider it was with them for With may be one thing and In another until he had finished the Work without them which the Father gave him to do John 17. 4. Consider the outward Work of Christ without or among the Disciples may be finished and he was at the Passover with them and at the Supper with them and gave his Life for them and they saw his Body broken and his Blood shed without them and yet not withstanding all this afterwards he that is the Light upbraided them of Unbelief and Hardness of Heart Mark 16. 14. who for a long time had the fulness of God amongst and with them who being with them said He that is with you shall be in you John 14. 17. And so they were to wait to receive him within and that within was to abide forever but that without departed away but that within was and is to lead into all Truth and be with his to the end of the World for that which is in man is alwayes with him but that which is with man and not in him may not alwayes be with him And now the Light is in man and so he that is with his to the end of the World is the Light of the World who is the Resurrection and the Life who was dead and is alive and I say he liveth for evermore who hath finished his Work in the outward things to wit Circumcision Baptism the Supper and Death on the Cross without the gate and is now revealed within and worketh all our Works in us and ever liveth to make Intercession for us Isa 26. 12. Heb. 7. 25. in whose Hearts he is now crying Abba Father and he that hath the Son hath also the Father to whom be Eternal Dominion Glory Honour and humble Obedience for evermore And so Christ Jesus being also guided by that of God or rather the fulness of God in him whereby he finished his Work and departed away from among them and bid them wait for that which should abide with them forever and said These things have I spoken unto you being yet present with you but the Comforter whom the Eather will send in my Name he shall teach you all things John 14. 16 25 26. and that which teacheth all things was to be revealed within and until that was come and revealed in them they did not know all things so that that which teacheth all things and sheweth plainly of the Father and abideth forever is to be received within and they in Obedience to his Command did wait and their waiting was not in vain for when the time was fully come they did receive the Promise of the Father which they had waited for and so were filled with the holy Ghost Acts 2. 1 2 3 4. as Joshua was full of the Spirit and in Christ was the fullness of God and Stephen was a man full of the holy Ghost and the Desires of such was That others might be filled with all the Fullness of God Ephes 3. 19. It s not filled with the Scriptures And so they being filled with that which was holy were by that led in the Way of Holiness and with that which was holy in them were they to build up one another Jude 20. and then they spoke the Word of God with Boldness and after the Son of God was revealed in Paul three years after he went up to Jerusalem to see Peter Gal. 1. 16 17 18. and fourteen years after he went up to Jerusalem by Revelation Gal 2. 1 2. And so he did not say he went by the Scriptures or any Command without him but by Revelation and a Revelation is within and that all the Ministers and Disciples of Christ did come to be led and guided by his Spirit that was in them might easily be proved by many undeniable Truths of plain Scripture wereby it might more largely appear that they were all led guided and directed by the one Spirit in them though the Gifts Leadings and Operations of that one Spirit in them was various as may be read 1 Cor. 12. And now most People will grant this before written to be true That all the People of God formerly were led by the Spirit that was in them but that men should now in these dayes be led by the Spirit of Christ in them is by many denyed the which thing chiefly is that which I would a little search into or rather open to thee from that which hath searched me Psal 139. 23. and that according to the Scriptures of Truth if that will be by thee regarded that so it might appear unto all that are not willfully Rebellious against the Light of Christ in their own Consciences and also deniers of plain Scripture by the which I am ready to prove That the People of the Lord and Ministers of Christ were not only led by the Spirit of God themselves but also in their Words and Writings did direct others thereunto saying Walk in the Spirit be filled with the Spirit and Worship God in the Spirit Gal 5. 16. Ephes 5. 18. Phil. 3. 3. John 4. 24. But say the People Though they did walk and direct others to walk by the Spirit yet are not we now to walk by the Scriptures And is not the Scriptures now to be our Rule And
midst and hath rent the Vail and from under Death is risen in his unlimited Power Dominion and Authority even him that Death nor the Grave cannot hold who through Death hath conquered Death forever and though Death had Power over him before the Way into the Holiest of all was made manifest yet now Death hath no more dominion over him but he is risen through Death who was made a Curse and hath born away the Curse and removed the cursed ground upon which fallen man stood and hath born away the sin of the World and was made sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God through in and by him who hath opened the Understanding whereby the unsearchable Riches of unspeakable love comes to be made manifest even unto us who were going astray and were Children of Wrath as well as others and Aliens and Strangers to the Covenant of Grace and long were without God and in the World tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine after the cunning Craftiness of men whereby we were long deceived even by such who still bewitcht the Minds of the simple out of which Witchcraft I can say the Lord hath delivered and obedience to the Truth that makes Free is yeilded and Love Mercy and Judgment is come and brought forth and Victory is witnessed the Messenger of the everlasting Covenant is come even he that we long waited for and we do not look for another but he that is the same yesterday to day and forever who was to come and is come and is to come he that readeth let him understand who is without beginning of time or end of dayes who is made under the Law and became as a Servant being obedient to the Death through which the Life is risen up into the understanding and hath born away that which the Law had power over and hath brought in that by which the Law is fulfilled and so he that is the end of the Law for Righteousness is felt and received who taketh away the Sin and reconcileth the World up unto the Father where the sin is taken away by him who though he was made sin yet knew no sin who appears now the second time without sin to the saving of that which was lost which is now brought again and plenteous Redemption is known for the desire of all Nations is come and the second Houses is filled with his Glory the Wine-press is full the Fat 's overflow for the VVinter is past and the Summer is come and the Lillics appear in the Field where the Pearl was hid the Fig-tree puts forth her buds and the Vine yeilds her encrease the Olive doth blossom and the Apple-Tree in the midst of the VVood doth flourish and the good ground yeilds her encrease and is fruitful in its season to the good Husbandman and there is seed to the sower and bread to the eater the Barns are filled with abundance and the Store-houses with plenty and Treasure is laid up for many years in the heavenly places which are purified with the lively sacrifices so that the earthen Vessels are fitted to keep the heavenly Manna that shall dure throughout many generations and so against the Famine comes upon the Earth and all them that feed at Jezabels Table Oyle is laid up in safety and the finest of the Flower in a place where it is sure where it will last and never fail until the Heathen are scorched with heat and they that have forsaken the Lord are become as a parched Heath and all the gods of the Heathen famished and the Tongue of the Aegyptian Sea dryed up and all the false Prophets overturned who belong to Jezabel whose Body the Dogs must tear though she yet sits as a Qeen in opposition to the true Prophet Christ the Light and until them who are drunk with the Wine of the Fornication of the Whore and are the Merchants of Mystery Babylon the great the Mother of all the painted Harlots be all condemned in one day with an utter overthrow and the Seat of the Whore removed and all them that commit Fornication with her made as the Valley of Hammon Gog and as the Dung upon face of the Earth and all the Brats of the VVhore dashed against the Stones until then I say shall that in store remain and a Hiding-place be found for the Prophet of the Lord who is also hid near thee in thy own Land though thou art seeking him afar off Wherefore hear O ye Kindreds of the Earth for as the Dew spread upon the Mountains so doth the Streams of my Beloved raise overspreading the Earth with the comliness of his Love and filling it with the Beauty of his Grace the Banner of his Love is spreading forth as a Curtain and under the shadow of his Wings is a certain Hiding-place both from the Storm and from the Heat and though the Sea rage and all Kindreds and Tongues swell up in Wrath Pride and Arrogancy yet he come known witnessed and received who commands both the VVirds and the Sea who is the former of all things by whom they all were made and at his Command all are subdued and the lightnings of his Light enlightens the VVorld Psal 97. 4. and the Glory of his Power is spreading over the Nations and the excellency of his Beauty is reaching to his Lambs and because of his Comliness the Virgins love him and to him the Daughters of Jerusalem bring their Gifts and before him the Princes of the People lay down their Crowns and because of him the VVilderness doth rejoyce and the Desolate is made glad for the fruitful Land was become a barren VVilderness and now the baren VVilderness is turned into a fruitful Field and the plant sprung out of a dry Ground and the Seed is born of the barren VVomb and there is a VVay made in the VVilderness and streams are given in the Desart and the Ear of the deaf is opened the Lame doth walk and the Leaper is cleansed and the stammering Tongues speak plainly the Gospel is received and the everlasting Power is come even the Immanuel God with us and in us and we confess Christ come in the Flesh and do not look for another but do know that this is the great Prophet who is come into the VVorld that is set in the Heart Ecclcs 3. 11. which is in the midst out of which Moses said the Lord would raise up a Prophet Deut. 18. 15. the which Prophet being come which all are to hear he saith I am come a Light into the World John 8. 12. ch 12. 35 36 46. The VVorld being set in the Heart there is the light of him who saith I am the Light and he that is the Light is the true Prophet and the true Prophet is in the midst who is the Light whose day Abraham saw unto whom the Gospel was preached which Gospel is Gods Power whereby Abraham rejoyced because he came to see the Day
of him who is the Light of the World unto whom all the Prophets gave Testimony Isaiah who witnessed the Son born and the Child given Isa 9. 6. by whose stripes he came to be healed he preached the Light and said The Light was come and the Gentiles should come to his Light and Kings to the Brightness of his rising and he also prcached the Light to be everlasting Isa 60. 1 2 3 19 20. so that Kings and Gentiles shall come unto him that is the Light who is Gods Wisdom that is from Everlasting Prov. 8. 23. who is given for a Light to the Gentiles and in him they trust And Isaiah said Come ye let us walk in the Light of the Lord Isa 2. 5. And the Disciples called him Lord who is the Light And David's servants were careful that the Light of Israel might not be quenched by his going forth to War Mark That which leads forth to War quenches the Light 2 Sam. 21. 17. And Job did not deny but the Light was given to him that was in Misery and to the man whose Way was hid Job 3. 20 23. And David preached him who is given for a Light unto the Gentiles to be Salvation to the ends of the Earth and said The Lord is my Light and my Salvation Psal 27. 1. And in thy Light we shall see Light Psal 36. 9. And Light is sown for the Righteous Psal 97. 11. And he that came of David said Truly Light is sweet Eccles 11. 7. And when he came of whom the Prophets prophesied who is the only Prophet and High-priest and the end of the Prophets and the Law and that Priest hood which was made by a Law he being come preached himself to be the Light of the World and said While you have the Light believe in the Light John 8. ch 12. And John who was a Minister of Christ preached the Light and said it was the Life of man John 1. and Light is come into the World John 3. 16. And Peter preached the Light shining in a dark place And the Ministers of Christ who were Eye-witnesses of his Glory said The Light shined in Darkness and God commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness and some witnessed that they were made partakers of the Inheritance with the Saints in Light And many more Proofs might be brought from the Scriptures of Truth as a Cloud of Witnesses to prove that we who preach declare and bear witness to the Light do not therein preach a new Doctrine nor another Gospel but the same with all the holy men of God and that which we have heard and seen which was from the beginning which Message is this even the Light which Light in the World in the Heart is the Corner-stone which is the sure Foundation and other Foundation can no man lay than he that is the Light that is already laid And this is the true Prophet which all are to hear and the Children of the Light do hear know and obey his Voice and stranger they will not hear but him by whom God speaks for God in times Past spoke unto our Fathers at sundry times and in divers manners but in these last dayes he hath spoken unto us by his Son who is the Light whose Name is called the Word of God Rev. 19. 13. which Word was hid in Davids Heart of whom Christ came who is the Light and the Word which was a Light unto Davids feet and a Lanthorn to his steps and so David called him Lord who is the Light and the Word nigh who is in the midst and preacheth Peace to them that believe in follow and obey him that is the Light and the Light is the Condemnation of all them that hate it and every one that doth Evil hates the Light but the Light is the Condemnation of all whose Deeds are Evil and every one that loves the Light wherewith he is enlightned brings his deeds to it and by it the hidden things of Darkness are made manifest and waiting in that which it doth make manifest to be Evil so Christ the Light comes to destroy the Works of the Devil and make an end of Sin and reconciles up unto God who hath given him a Light of the Gentiles and a Covenant to be salvation to the Ends of the Earth and this is he that lighteth every man that comes into the World which World God so loved that he gave his Son a Light into it that all men through him might believe and be saved from Wrath to come and so it s the Will of him that sent him who is the Light that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth which Truth brings Freedom to the Seed whereby it comes to have Peace with God being redeemed from the Bondage of Corruption and set at Liberty from under the shadow of Death wherein many long have walked whose feet now comes to be guided into the Way of Everlasting Peace where the Children of the Light do rest together And this is he who hath wrought Redemption with his own Power and redeemed out of the Captivity and opened the Prison Door and preached Peace to the Spirit that was in Prison in the dayes of Noah when the old World was destroyed and brought the Flood upon the Ungodly yet saved the Seed in the midst of the Storm and raging Waves and by him even he that is the Light is Captivity led captive and that which ruled over is brought to be a Servant under and when the Word of the Lord came to the Rock it opened and much of living Water issued forth abundantly whereby the Thirsty came to be satisfied and clothing from him who is the Light doth daily come and the Rayment that never waxeth old he clothes with the Armour of Light and is as a Sun and a Shield from him the Spiritual Weapons come and he teaches the Hands to War and the Fingers to Fight so that the strong Holds are broken down and every Thought comes to be subjected and when he leads through the sufferings like a Lamb so is he followed and when he arises up to speak with Authority and not as the Scribes then is he obeyed who then utters his Voice like a man of War and lifts up his Voice like a Trumpet crying aloud unto all them that are Thirsty and proclaming the Woes unto all them who wear the false Coverings and by him are his Enemies confounded and Judges led away fools and Princes laid in the dust And at him do the Kings of the Earth shut their Mouthes and before him shall they all bow for with the Sword of his Lips doth he slay the Wicked and his slain are many and shall be more for no Flesh shall stand before him who is now come to plead and make War in Righteousness and now are his Enemies flying unto their strong Holds and fenced Cities but his Salvation is stronger than Walls or Bulwarks and that all
Life under the shadow of his Hand When he speaketh the word his Army goeth forth and at his Command they march on their way He lifteth up a Standard before them and proclaimeth open War against the Inhabitants of the Earth who now hear that the Lamb is come to reign in Righteousness and to stain the Pride of their Glory and confound the height of their Wisdom and lay their Honour in the Dust forever Therefore all Kindreds of the Earth even Gog Magog and all the Hosts of the Heathen are rising up in the bitterness of their Spirits in the height of the Power of the Man of Sin joyning all their Forces together as in one band of Darkness taking Counsel from Aegypt making a Covenant with Death and an Agreement with Hell and gathering up the utmost Powers of Darkness to be as a Refuge unto them And thus in the strength of the King of the Children of Pride they are rising up against the Lord even the God of Life and against his anointed Ones who have indeed and in truth received the Anointings and need not man to teach them but are all taught of the Lord God Almighty who also teacheth their hands to war and their fingers to fight And he utters his voice as the sound of many Waters before his Army who follow him in the might of his Power whose Presence is dreadful in the midst of his Host and there is none that is able to stand before him for he is a consuming Fire in the midst of his Camp and burneth up his Enemies round about and before him and his Army shall all faces gather paleness Everlasting Shame shall cover the Glory of all Flesh before him all People shall be much pained his Dread and Vengeance shall take hold on all his Adversaries His redeemed shall march with him in the travail of their Souls from strength to strength shall they continue on and none shall be feeble among them their Arrows shall reach into the Bowels of the Scornful and their words of Life pierce the Hearts of the Hypocrites They shall tread upon Kings as upon Monter and trample upon the Wicked as upon Ashes they fear not the greatest Goliahs neither yet the VVickedness of the Pride of Haman Unrighteous Decrees cannot stop their Mouthes nor the fear of a Furnace or a Dungeon with-hold them from their Way All Flesh is as Grass before them and at their Rebuke shall the Potsherds of the Earth be broken forever before them there is no Nation shall stand For One of them shall chase a Hundred and before Five shall the strength and wisdom of a Thousand be confounded And this the Lords Army shall never be confounded and his Glory in them shall never be defaced nor his Power with them shall never be overcome nor his strength in them shall never be vanquished therefore in vain do all the Potsherds of the Earth strive for they that rise up against them shall be as Flax before the Fire and the Mightiest among the Sons of Men shall he as the Grass that is cut down for the Lord of Hosts is very Terrible and in Meekness is the Lamb riding on to Judgment his Followers are enrobed with the Light of the Morning and adorned with the Beauty of the Sun Their Eyes are enlightned with the Light of the most High and they see through the dark parts of all their Enemies and discern the secret Plottings of all their Adversaries Their Wisdom comes in like a River and their Understanding shall never be darkned Their Strength is renewed as the Morning and they are valiant to do Exploits The Wisdom of the Wise before them shall be confounded forever and the Understanding of the Prudent be esteemed as a thing of nought They spy out the lurkings of their Enemies and see through the coverings of the Deceitful Of their strength they shall never be deprived neither shall their Weapons be taken from them Their Refuge shall never be shaken nor the place of their Rest removed The VVicked shall never enter upon their Dwellings nor all their Enemies invade the Land of their Rest for the desire of all Nations to them is come and him that they long waited for have they now received They tread upon the Cockatrice den and meet the devouring Lyons And in the Power of the Father's love there is no deadly thing that doth them hurt nor any VVeapon formed against them that ever shall prosper And this is Sion the Redeemed of the Lord the Glory of the God of Israel the Seed of Jacob whom the Lord hath chosen and set up on high over all the Kindreds of the Earth which stands against all the Enemies of the Lord and is his new threshing Instrument with which he will thresh the Heathen in his Anger and bathe his Sword in the Blood of the slain for behold his Sword shall devour much Flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many VVith Sion the perfection of Beauty will the Lord break in pieces wound confound and overturn forever the Horse and his Rider the Captain and his Troops the Antient and Honourable the Prophet that telleth Lyes yea all the Host of the Unrighteous and the Strength of the Army of the man of Sin and the Beauty of the VVhore that rides upon the Beast and all them who set themselves in Battel against the Lord and all them who lead into Captivity and would captivate the Servants of the Lamb shall go into Captivity forever For behold the Lord is with us the Shout of a King is among us the Lord whose Name is holy is come he hath uttered his Voice from Heaven and now the Nations of the Earth are angry but the Lord will reign in Righteousness and all his Enemies shall be astonished at his Presence and his Adversaries shall be amazed forever their Hearts shall be turned as a Stone within them and men shall be at their VVits end for fear and for looking after those things which shall come upon the Earth and all them whose Names are written in it their VVisdom shall not preserve them their Understandings shall not defend them neither shall all their Subtilty cover them from the Light their Nakedness shall appear to their Everlasting Shame and the Prisoners of Hope shall rejoyce over them for evermore For behold I say your day is come wherein you shall bow down under the Prisoners and fall under the slain according to the words of the Spirit of Prophecy Isa 10. 4. and the slain over you shall rejoyce for evermore having the high Praises of God in their Mouthes and the Sword of the Spirit in their Hearts with which they shall cut in pieces and pierce in sunder the Bowels of all flesh and it shall be as Chaff before them and the strength thereof as the passing away of the Morning-cloud and in the strength of the most high shall the Army of the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah go on and
prosper even as Kings whose Armies are swift to the Battel their faces are as an Adamant and their Countenances firce and terrible the found of their Voice is dreadful and the noise of their Appearance Astonish the Heathen the Earth before them is full of its Fruit behind them its a desolate Wilderness they spare not the Antient nor the Honourable neither have they respect to the Persons of men they even smile at Destruction when its coming and they are prepared for all your Oppressions VVherefore now gather your selves together O ye Potsherds of the Earth and stand up all you that thirst for blood assemble your selves together all ye Persecutors let your Counsels come up from Hell and let the depth of the Powers of darkness shew forth it self in the utmost of its strength and with it combine ye all together and stand up in the Power of your King which is the Angel of the Bottomless Pit who is head among in and over all you who thrist for the blood of the Innocent Now come and draw near in the very height of your Father's VVrath and behold we meet you in the Infiniteness of our Fathers Love and stand you together in the depth of your secret Subtilty and behold we abide in the pure VVisdom of the most High Stand ye up for the Glory and Honour of the World and we abide faithful for the Glory of the Lord our Maker And this I say plainly unto you that your long Tyranny will never weary out the patience we have received neither can you inflict more punishment than the Lord hath enabled us to bear and as your Wrath is incrased our Humility is increased much more and as you are filled and moved with Envy we are much more filled and overcome with the Power of the Fathers Life and though you contrive ways to ensnare the Innocent we take no thought aforehand to deliver our selves for Self we have denyed and we have given up our Bodies and Souls a living Sacrifice unto God to do or suffer his Will And him that kills the Body we fear not much less those that can but Whip or Imprison but for a few Moneths for our Life you cannot reach neither can you disturb their Rest whom the Lord hath crowned with Honour who out of the World are redeemed and bought with the price of Blood most precious but are become his to follow him whither-ever he leads them though it be through Tryals great Tribulations Bonds and long Imprisonments these things cannot move them who are brought to rest in the Defarts and sleep in the Woods yea and there is none can make them afraid with all their Threats unrighteous Laws Bonds Bridewels long unjust Imprisonments or Death it self And this Honour hath the Saints and herein do they rejoyce for evermore in that they are counted worthy to suffer for his Names sake who was made perfect through sufferings and and thereby overcame all the Powers of Darkness whereby Principalities and Powers are spoiled forever and through sufferings are we made more than Conquerers over all our Enemies whose Day will have an end whose Cruelty will cease whose Tyranny will be rewarded upon their own Heads and their Memorial will Rot forever but the faithfulness of the Faithful shall never be taken from him nor the innocency of the Harmless shall never be forgotten neither shall they ever want strength to stand in the day of Battel nor courage and boldness to endure when the Enemies of the Lord arise in Opposition against the brightness of the rising of the Power of the Lamb of God who is come to take away the Sin of the World even him who is the Light and the Heir against whom with one consent the Rulers of the Earth the Hireling Priests with all the Prophane and Unclean and all them of all Opinions in the World are joyning together in one Combination as with one Mind conspiring in their Enmity to slay and murder the Heir that is come to make an end of Sin Who saith I am the Light H. S. To all that want Peace with God To the Sheep every where not brought Home To the Thirsty Breathing Soul and to the Seed though in Captivity among and in the midst of all Professors Greetings of Love Mercy and Peace from God the Father of the Living VVHere the Bowels are not shut up nor the Heart darkned and where that doth not bear rule which stoppeth the Ear and closeth the Eye and where Prejudice and Rebellion against the Light with the Wisdom of the Flesh through that knowledge which puffeth up hath not wholly eaten up devoured got over and wholly overcome that tender Principle which once moved in the Heart towards that being of the living Substance There may my words take entrance and unto such who feel that which breathes to God and who are willing to be satisfied concerning the living Truth of his Son and who would receive the Truth if they knew it and do yet more desire after the Power of God than all the Temporal things that are seen and who are yet come no further than the reading of the Law the Priests the Tythes nor that Religion that makes nothing perfect and who are come no further than the outward Baptism Shadow or Figure or such things which are to be left behind Hâ—b 6. or who are come no further than the Supper or the Death and so not yet saved by his Life nor drunk of that which saveth and is to cleanse from all that which separateth from God after whom and the incomes of his Love Immortal whosoever truly desireth and is willing to receive the Power of his Life and come in Covenant with the Lord Such may lend me an Ear a little and you are them who may receive some benefit hereby for behold I write in plainness of the things of God my heart being enlarged with abundance of his Peace in which there is good will towards men that you might come to draw near to the Witness the Testimony whereof is within the vail which vail is over the heart 2 Cor. 3. 15 and is not done away but as you come to be in him who is given for a witness Isa 55. 4. by believing in the Light John 12. 36. and so to have the witness in you 1 John 5. 10. and you to be in it and that you may come to participate of Gods Indwellings and feel the Oyl which will last forever therefore I proceed thus How can I but look back a little with an Eye of Pity over those who yet are where once I was when the Darkness was over the Earth and the Cloud of Error compassed me as well as others surely I cannot now be so unmindful of them that are yet lost as not to have compassion upon the Out-casts of Israel or to conceal from them these things of so great concernment but rather as the Lord of my Life hath opened to me will I reach
forth my hand towards the weak and utter my voice to the Prisoner of Hope and shew unto the meek in the Earth how the invisible God hath led his seed and is leading his Remnant through and out of the Variety of things unto the one thing it self from whence the various Things Gifts and Ministrations do come Now that which is chiefly in my heart to write for the Seeds sake is First Something concerning the Ministration of Moses when he was upon Earth Secondly Concerning the Ministration of Christ whilst he was upon Earth Thirdly and chiefly Concerning the Ministration of the Spirit First Concerning Moses's Ministration when he was upon Earth which was to last till Shiloh came or until the time of Reformation AS concerning Moses Ministration to wit the Law Condemnation or Death with the Priests Offering and worldly Sanctuary and an outward Tabernacle and daily Offerings for Sin and Store-houses for the Levites Strangers Fatherless and Widdows having the Ark of the Testimony within the vail and the Mercy seat covered and the Golden-pot and the People to seek the Law at the Priests Mouth whereby their knowledge is preserved and many profit much thereby and come day by day and year by year unto that which they esteem a place of holy Worship and Ordinances of God And notwithstanding the Priests of Moses Law were made by the Law of God yet that Priesthood changeth and the Law changeth and the very glory of all this passeth away for this did once seem glorious unto me and many more which only discovered sin though it made nothing perfect and with much delight was the reading of the Law and the Prophets hearkened unto and the daily confession of sin but the vail is over the heart whilst Moses is Preached and Sacrifices Morning and Evening with the long Prayers which the comers thereunto were not at all thereby made Perfect as pertaining to the Conscience though it had a shaddow of good things to come yet the glory thereof comes to be done away then how much more will the very glory of the most glorious Appearance of that Ministry perish and be done away which cometh short of this and hath not so much as the Image of this which was as a shaddow O weak and beggarly things that are found among those Priests now and their followers who come short of Moses Ministry for he directed them to Christ the substance and so his Ministration comes to be done away as Christ comes to be received for Moses did not seek to uphold his Priests or Law or Tythes or any thing else when Christ should come who is the end of the Law but did write of him and not withstanding his Ministry and Priests he said He that would not hearken unto him should be cut off and said The Lord will raise up Mark the words raise up The Lord shall raise up a Prophet and when the Prophet was come he said I am the Light and I am meek and low in Heart and this is to be raised up which is meek for to them that sate in darkness Light hath sprung up and the Soul that hearkneth not to the Prophet which springs up shall be cut off for Truth springeth up out of the Earth and Christ is the Truth and he said I am the Light which is the Horn of Salvation that God raiseth up to be a Light to lighten the Gentiles and is the Salvation of Israel and so the soul is to hearken to that which God raiseth up and that is it which condemneth sin under it who is like unto Moses whose Ministry discovers sin and so Moses directed unto Christ who puts away the sin and Paul said of the glory of Moses Ministration That it was no Glory in respect of the Glory of the Ministration of the Spirit and the glorious Ministry of the Spirit was received after he who had a Body prepared had suffered the Crucifying of his body and the Prophets searched diligently to see the glory that was to be after the sufferings of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 10 11. But the thing intended That Moses when he was upon Earth directed unto Christ and gave commandment That they should hearken unto him who said I am the Light and this is one Tittle of the Law that the Light be hearkned unto who is the end of the Law and the substance and he that offendeth herein is guilty of all and this is that in which all the large Ministrations of Moses is included that Christ the Light the true Prophet be hearkned unto and obeyed that by hearing and obeying his Voice or the Word in the Heart they might come from under the Law and the Priests and that which waxeth old unto the Life and Obedience of him who abides a Priest forever even the Lord of that glory which lasteth for evemore Secondly Concerning Christ and his Ministration when he was upon Earth and his work which he finished ANd when he cometh which Moses commandeth to hearken unto even Christ the true Prophet the Light of the World the living Minister the end of the Law who had a Body prepared to do the will of the Father which was in him the Man Christ Jesus he saith follow me and he took up his Cross and passed through the Death and the Vail and so being made Perfect through sufferings attained that Glory which he had with the Father before he had a Body which Body was prepared to do the Fathers will whose will was That all men should be saved therefore Christ tasted death for every man and rose again for the Justification of those that believe in him who said I am the Light and is sate down at the right hand of God who is a Spirit eternally in the Heavens ascended up out of the sight of them which gazed after that Body which is gone out of their sight even he Christ the Ministry hid from Ages and Generations now made manifest to destroy the works of the Devil being meek and low in the Heart he saith Learn of me Then not the of Priests nor any longer of Moses for the Law is the Schoolmaster to Christ who being come calleth one from the Custom another from going to bury the Dead another from questoning and reasoning what this man or another should do that he might not stand looking out at others but himself to follow the Light saying follow thou me And those that followed him when he was upon Earth saw his Miracles and heard his Parables and eat of the outward Bread and were filled though many now eat and are not filled and they had his body among them and they came to the Baptism and the Supper but Christ himself Baptized not and when he was upon Earth he said I go to the Father and I go to prepare a place for you and he said whither I go ye know and he said before follow me and except a man deny himself and take up his Cross and follow
me he cannot be my Disciple and he said My sheep hear my Voice and they follow me and he entred within the Vail and the Vail is over the Heart and was made Perfect through suffering and is sate down in the Majesty on high glorified with God the Father and the Father was in him even the fulness of God and that which may be known of God is manifest in thee and he said He had finished the work that the Father gave him to do and so the Fathers will was accomplished and done for which the body was prepared he said Now glorifie me Father with the same glory which I had with thee from the beginning and he that spake in the body abideth forever who said A Body hast thou prepared me which Body being crucisied he took up his Life again and then those that did know him three dayes before knew him not and he ascended and a Cloud received him out of the sight of certain men who never found him unto this day for he remaineth out of the sight of most that profess him and as the lightning in the Clouds of Heaven doth he come again and every eye shall see him that condemneth sin and the Kingdom of Heaven is within you and yet the blind cannot see nor the deaf hear And this was he that Moses commanded to hear who said he that is with you shall be in you and he that was with or without was to go away and that which was to be received within he said should abide with them forever and the Spirit of Truth was to lead into all Truth for though the body was prepared to do Gods will yet they by it were not led into all Truth but sometimes understood it not though he speak Spirit and Life and moreover they went away and some fled from the Truth and Peter denyed him that was the Truth and so such as have got a Profession of the Truth without them and not the Spirit within to lead into all Truth such fly in the day of Tryal from that Truth they profess and some deny it rather than suffer with or for it and herein them called Baptists also have not come short and some of them have bowed to the Beast and so it is with many who profess Christ and Truth without them even as with those who understood not the Parables nor could not cast out the unclean Spirits so that Christ was and is grieved when he hath been so long with and professed and followed without and yet not come to that Faith which purifieth the Heart whereby to cast out the Unclean within as thou mayst read in thy self And therefore Christ when he was upon Earth did often speak unto them of what was yet to come and I do seldom read or take notice that he did so often preach and repeat any one thing unto them as that of the Spirit to come saying That it Mark the Spirit would lead into all Truth and seeing their Weakness and Unbelief Mark 16. 14. he by the often repetition thereof did as it were the more chiefly engage their Hearts to wait for and seek after the incomes of that which should comfort them and abide with them when his Body was gone from them whither they could not come and to this one thing doth he direct them in various expressions as of his going to the Father and coming again and saith he I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive John 12. 16. And many things Jesus did which if they should be all written the World might not contain the Books John 21. 25. And many things he spake unto them Acts 2. 40. and yet there was something to come to be waited for and after to be received which was more than all this for said he These things have I spoken unto you being yet present with you But the Comforter Mark the word BUT intimateth something greater or more than what was spoken to them whilst he was with them for he saith He that is with you shall be in you John 14. 17. and said But the Comforter which is the holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my Name he will teach you all things Mark what that is that teacheth all things and bringeth all things to your Remembrance what soever I have said and so that is within which bringeth the words of Spirit and Life to remembrance John 14. 25 26. And having spoken of other things he saith again But when the Comforter comes even the Spirit of Truth John 15. 26. And if I go not away the Comforter will not come but if I depart I will send him unto you John 16. 7. And I have many things to say unto you but you cannot bear them now howbeit when he the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth John 16. 12 13. Here it may be seen that they who followed Christ without and not received the Spirit within could not bear what he had to speak unto them and also it may be seen that when the Spirit was come it would be better with them And much more might be mentioned how Christ foretold what was to come and be received and revealed in that day John 16. 23. when the Spirit should be poured forth according to the Prophets all which plainly declare and most evidently set forth how Christ in his Ministry when he was upon Earth did most chiefly direct unto the Ministration of the Spirit of Truth which was then yet to come and that they might not run to teach others as many do now before they had received the Spirit of Truth in themselves by and with that to be led into all Truth but might receive the Power of Truth in themselves from the Life thereof to convert others into the same therefore said he further after he was risen again But tarry ye in the City of Jerusalem until you be enducd with Power from on high Mark 24. 4. so that though they had seen his Body before and had now seen him after his Resurrection yet that and all the rest was not enough without the Power and the Spirit which was to come which they were to wait for And so now men should tarry wait and stand still to see the Salvation of God and until they receive the Spirit for it is the Spirit not the Body which searcheth all things and sheweth plainly of the Father And by this before-written in short I have a little endeavoured to shew unto the meek and single-hearted That Moses when he was upon the Earth directed unto Christ As in these words The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee of thy Brethren like unto me unto him shall ye hearken Deut. 18. 15. And Christ when he was upon Earth directed unto the Spirit which was to come in the like words saying These things have I
Greatness of thy strength prevail against the Almighty If so then mayest thou stand in thy Wayes O City of London but if not thy Misery will be great and who shall bemoan thee in that day or pity thee in the time of thy Distress Forasmuch as thou hast refused the counsel of the Lord and rejected the voice of his Servants in the midst of thee and hearkened not to his Word in thy own Bowels but also slighted the many VVarnings of the Lord by his Servants who were sent of him in love to thee that thou mightest come to serve him and not thy own Pleasure proceeding on from Year to Year like a monstrous Woman who regardeth not the Voice nor Person of Husband nor Friend Oh! what shall be said unto thee Must thou needs be left for Desolation And must thou be left as a Woman forsaken Will thy Lovers help thee in the Day of Trouble or thy delightsom Pleasures preserve thy Heart from Judgment or thy glorious Riches hide thee from the burning Torments If thou lovest thy Wages of Vanity more than God and thy Hearts lust more than thy Maker and wilt not turn speedily from it to seek the Lord in thy Heart then mayst thou post on as thou art going hastily to the Pit and with much eagerness to the Gulf of Misery where none can help thee And then will thy Feasting be turned into Famine thy Beauty into Dust thy Glory into Shame and thy Honour into Contempt as thou hast seen it come to pass upon others whose Glory and Strength was as great as thine by whom thou hast not taken warning by a thorow and speedy returning unto the Lord with all thy Heart Therefore will God search thee and judge thee according to what is found in the midst of thee and thou shalt be awakened in the day of God's anger and be sensible of the Torment when it cometh For though God hath also tryed thee with giving thee thy Hearts desire yet hast thou not been thereby humbled and though the Lord hath visited thee in loving-kindness yet hast thou walked loftily nay moreover thou hast taken occasion thereby to be the more exalted and art going in the Steps of them that the Lord so lately for such things overturned before thee that it cannot yet be forgotten And dost thou or the Rules in thee think to establish your selves by acting such things for which God overtured many mightier then you Therefore O City think not to establish thy self by Blood nor to be setled by way of Revenge for though some men may have done some things unjust against some of you and others so that God may justly by you scourge them sore for it yet wherein you do it in the way of Revenge or to Avenge your own cause or to set up your selves in Self-ends like them before you therein God will also find out a Scourge for you And this I have seen that the Great men of the Earth stand in slippery places and their great strength before the Lord is as Smoke before the Wind. My counsel is therefore That thou fear the Lord and turn from the Way thou art in and let thy Judges know that the Lord will judge them and let thy Rulers understand that the Lord will rule over their Strength and Wisdom and let thy Teachers perceive that God is come to teach his own Children And let the Kings Heart be upright before the Lord in this the day of his Tryal and time of Visitation from God the shortness or length thereof being hid from him over whom God ruleth as it pleaseth him who is cutting his Work short in Righteousness Therefore let all thy Inhabitants O thou great City from the highest to the lowest take good heed unto their Wayes and the Intents which are in them for the Lord seeth the Secrets of all your Hearts H. S. ANd that thou mayst not altogether disesteem of this Vision concerning thee and that thy Wise men may not esteem it as a thing of nought which is published for thy good and brought forth for thy Warning and declared to set before thee thy state at hand that thou mightest be warned before-hand and come to find something in thy self whereby thou mightst stand in the day of Tryal and endure in the hour of Trouble or otherwise Gods Servants might seal up the Visions and Revelations of God in the Book of Secrets and treasure them in the enlightned Chambers of the Heart where God is revealing his Secrets to those that fear him Therefore shall I write what hath been formerly shewed most whereof being come to pass and the rest hasteneth In my former Vision in the dayes of the former Rulers I saw on a Hill many Trees together standing which were both great and tall but they were very old and of a long standing and many of their lofty Boughs were broken and battered and many hanged downward which pressed down the Trees and they were old withering and decaying and had not grown a long time and were but as a Wonder to the Beholders though they had been of great account and the chief Trees among or over the rest and it was so that I beheld them much even with admiration to see such Trees in such a state which was more to this purpose than is here exprest and I beheld until all these Trees were rooted up out of the Earth and so overturned every one and their dead Bodies lay in a confused manner and were fallen one upon another and the Ground upon which they stood was broken up and then there was some room and liberty and Light came in and I walked and looked every way both upon the Light and the great Desolation of these great Ones The Interpretation whereof may be read by such as can but see And though this great overturning befell those great tall and strong Trees and that light came into that Ground over which those fruitless Trees stood yet I beheld round about and near unto it much Briars Brambles and Thorns in abundance which covered the Earth and it was such Rubbish that it was never like to be fit for any thing but to have a Fire kindled among it and it was so thick and so strong that there was no passing in nor through it but only where the narrow Way was and there also those Briars would catch on every side and he that passed through must stoop very low And what those Briars and Thorns were let those Brambles read who covered the Earth with their Multitudes in Raging Swearing Cursing Shouting Roaring and Drinking the Health as they call it of their King at his coming And near unto the place of the Destruction of those great Trees was there a Child in great Desolation in a close place where it had been a long time and was not like yet to be released but remained in want and misery which mine Eye pitied and in Irons and my Heart was sadned for it and the
and so may it be well with all you as ye are faithful to God in the suffering state and so enjoy his Presence thus also with you for evermore may it go well Shall I now therefore return to Exhortation and Admonition with desires of tender Love towards you that you all in patience may stand and look to the Lord whom we have and have none other in Heaven to hear our Cry nor in Earth that truly commiserateth our Cause nor hath Power like him to help Dear Friends he knoweth our Intents and seeth how it is with us he hath given to many of us an heart to say Lord if thou shouldst suffer us to perish we will not leave thee and whatever become of us we dare not deny thee before men for thou hast called us and we are thine even thine own whom thou hast chosen Let your desires be forever thus unto the Lord and wait upon him continually and let your Eyes be more upon the Lord than upon those things which in this day of Tryal are suffered to come to pass by him which he can also turn for his own Glory and your Everlasting Comfort And Friends this know that as your Minds are upon and much caring how to preserve the temporal things the weight of them will lie upon you and stop the Springs of better Treasures but as your Minds are towards the Lord a great case and satisfaction will be come unto you And Friends Murmur not that this day is come for it may be there was need of it even amongst us and it may be ye are more yet to be redeemed out of the earthly part and transitory things and question not but this will be for good and as for Tryals since this cloud was up I have even drunk deep with you of the inward sufferings yea more than is convenient to mention but the Lord hath kept my feet upon the Rock and with all the Upright I sing Praises to his Name And now be tender one to another you may read the Figure God is bringing you near together and Aegypt is thrusting you out by reason of the Torment that is upon them and a Land of Rest is before you and from the presence of the Lord they cannot Banish us nay nor what they would neither for God is on our side though they have yet something more to do and when every mans Work is over he shall certainly receive his Reward from God either good or evil and then as the Apostle saith of the Wicked They shall be punished with everlasting Destruction from the Presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Presence 2 Thes 1. 6 7 8 9. But Friends it is safe for you all to dwell in your own Tents and mind the Lord and let your love be towards him above all things and in all things that you do wait to feel his Counsel and Guidance and trust him forever for great is the work of the Lord yea I have even looked for this day that the Cry of the innocent may reach unto Heaven and as I have said the sound thereof reach over Europe that Kings may come to be crowned with Honour and Judges decree Righteousness and true Judgment may stream forth as Water and Righteousness as a living stream that Thousands and Thousands of Thousands may slock to our Fold as Doves to the Windows that the Nations of men may bow under the Scepter of Righteousness and the Powers of Darkness shut up forever Behold O Friends yea stand still and see the fall of Babel the Destruction of the Whore and the Torment of the Beast for though Hell hath enlarged her self yet this we know the Lord liveth who scatters the Powers of Darkness Oh! what more shall I say who come to the dwelling-place of its unutterable Power may feel the unsearchable things of God And Friends let not the Enemy prevail through Unbelief for there Israel fell in the days of old and there is no greater danger than that of Unbelief But consider that you have something still to resist and seldom ever more than now and you have a spiritual Enemy to war with which flyes not but as he is resisted and in the time of your weakness and inward trouble is his time to prevail if ever and if thou canst stand then full easie mayst thou walk when Refreshings come and with delightsomness mayst thou persevere when the Cloud is over and this know that a Storm lasteth but for a time and Winter is but for a season and the Night remains not always nay the four hundred and thirty years had an end and the Bounds of the Seas are set and happy is he that always looketh unto him that ruleth over them for though when the Waves swelled even the Disciples were ready to think he cared not if they perished yet he intended better things for them and when for the Life's sake they cryed unto him he soon and easily abated the Rage both of Wind and Sea and then the sweetness of a Calm is prized Dear Friends I need not open the Parable unto you but even rather say The Lord be with you even every one of you beyond all that I can write and the Lord strengthen you and keep you stedfast in the Faith and refresh your Souls and minister more strength virtue and comfort unto you all every where for evermore Amen This is chiefly intended for all the imprisoned Servants of God and them yet at liberty and to be read among them with a good Understanding in that which gives it distinctly in the fear of God Humphery Smith Chalfont in Buckinghamshire the 13th of the 11th Mon. 1660. To Nâ—w-Englands pretended CHRISTIANS Who contrary to Christ have destroyed the Lives of men Having seen something of yours called by you an Appendix whereby you would justifie your selves in Whipping Imprisoning Banishing Killing and making Spoil of whole Families I being weak of Body and in Bed the strength of the Lord arose in me from the which was given forth that which followeth THe Lord God will answer you with that which you shall never be able to resist from the which you shall never be 〈◊〉 to fly neither shall your Coverings defend you but God will visit in secret and the Almighty will rain Snares upon you and all your strong holds in one day and that suddainly in a moment will the Lord God scatter and confound with all your strong Reasons and your Weapons which you have gathered together against the invisible God and his Servants like your Fathers in the dayes of Old Isa 41. 21. these with all your Weapons of War against the Lamb and the suffering seed shall be broken in the midst of you and Death will overtake you and Gods Righteous Judgments will enter within your dwellings and a day of blackness from the Throne of God will come upon you and his Anger with Bitterness will be poured forth upon you as a mighty Storm which
the King and God might bless and prosper him for their sakes as he did Pharaoh for the sake of that one faithful man Joseph after the King had released him out of Bonds But by this time many might say unto me as a Lord said unto the Prophet when he spake of things much unlike to come to pass How can these things be though God should make Windows in Heaven To which I answer That though I do not affirm that all those things shall come to pass concerning him yet I say that many are already and many more may come to the slate asoresaid And it would be his Happiness and more for his Honour than men can yet receive to be chief Magistrate among or over such a People and to have most of his Subjects so qualified and great would be his Peace thereby And thus further I say That the God of Heaven and Earth hath promised That a People shall be all Righteous and that Iniquity shall cease and the Nations shall learn War no more but every one shall rest under his own Vine and and none shall make them afraid and they shall be in League with the Stones of the Field and the Beasts of the Field shall be at peace with them And the Lord God hath brought many into the entrance of these things that with Christ in the Prophet they can give their Backs to the Smiter and their Cheeks to him that plucketh off the Hair And if it were well if that all the King's Subjects were come to the things aforesaid and to live in that upright state then it is not ill that some are come unto that state already And if the little that is begun towards this work were cherished might it not grow and encrease towards that state hinted at in the former brief Particulars touching the Honour of the King though there is an Honour which exceeds all this And certainly the Word of the Lord will stand forever though Men and their Powers and Heaven and Earth may pass away And assuredly the God of Righteousness hath begun his Work in this Nation and in the hearts of many of his little Ones And a Little One he hath said shall become a Thousand and a small One a strong Nation and the Kingdoms of this World shall become the Kingdom of our God and of his Christ And what if a Nation be born at once and Sion bring forth before her Travel and the Lord answer before his People call and hear while they are yet speaking and multiply the seed of Abraham as the Stars of Heaven and encrease the innocent flock of his Fold as the innumerable Plants upon the face of the Earth that Sin and Iniquity may have an end and Righteousness reign for evermore And if it be farther enquired How the King might have his Subjects truly principled and qualified as afore said or have such Subjects generally thus for his great Honour I Answer further to the everlasting Praise of God That there are many which may well be called some of his truest Subjects in his Dominions that are already truly principled and qualified as aforesaid and more are entering and growing up into the same Faithfulness Love Unity and Peace with all men and God will encrease them and it might be much for the Honour of God and the King to encourage them therein and much for the dishonour of God and dishonour and great disadvantage of the King divers ways if he seek or should be perswaded to seek the hindrance of these things or of his Subjects who are thus already qualified or the encrease of their Number therein or their encreasing in the honest noble honourable upright things aforesaid which things might make for the Honour of the King and will certainly be for the Glory of God And this is written by one that desireth the Peace of all the Nation and Unity amongst all men and that many more may come into the Righteous things aforesaid which would be for the Glory of God the Honour of the chief Magistrate the great Benefit of the Nations and much Comfort to themselves And that desireth the encrease of love truth and virtue which brings into the true honourable Nobility for the which this is written that men may come into the true Noble and Honourable Estate in the sight of God and all just Men among whom I am a true Friend to them all in love called Humphry Smith The 10th of the 4th Moneth 1661. To the Lambs of Christ MY dear Brethren who are Children of my Father whom he hath visited with the Power of his Eternal Love and gathered into his covenant of Light where Life and Immortality abideth forever who come to feel the Life of the risings of the Son of Gods Power with his Immortal strength you all in his Power to keep as living Branches of the Root to himself single and pure in the uprightness of Innoceny in this the day of his infinite love wherein the Glory of the Most High is revealed to the humble Seed which receives the Gospel of Peace and the Ministration of Life to those who in the Death did lie and by Captivity was long in Bondage kept which now from the Lord God of Life Refreshings comes to receive and Oyl of everlasting Joy to the mourning Plant whereby the everlasting Covenant of the Father is known in which I am with you forever you standing in obedience to the Power of the Word which operates in the Heart by which all things were made in which they are all enjoyed as you all in his Wisdom stand by it to be guided in the dominion of the Word with it over all to find Life and guidance with that which is Immortal in the strength whereof to stand as Pillars of Life for the living Truth of God against all his Enemies with boldness and cheerfulness through the Power of his Son whose Life you are to feel exercising you therein to which you are to yield Obedience with all humble Submission to the Fathers will abiding low in his fear and there is both Safety and Strength that the Fountain of the Fathers love may be opened in you as a Well-spring of Life to overcome you with the Power of himself that thereby you may be refreshed one in another and be opened one to another in the bowels of the Fathers love that it may overshadow you as a Tree in Summer and be to you as the refuge of a Rock in it to be hid from all the high and raging Waves Winds and Storms and from all secret Discontent or Swellings in the mind which are apt to hurt that which is little and tender which is to be brought forth into Liberty Peace and Life with the pangs of Sorrow and as with the anguish of a travailing Woman so is the Seed brought forth which lives forever which is fed with the Milk and preserved from the Storm and the Heat and fed with Food convenient and clothed
Corruptions of the Flesh And walk in the Life of Righteousness to preach forth the Innocency of the Lamb in uprightness through a suffering state and therein to glorifie him whom in Spirit and Truth you are to serve forever more so your Life may be renowned with him forever and your Souls replenished in the bountifulness of his Love whereby Fruits in you may abound to the glory of his Grace and you become rich in every good Word and Work And all you that are weak who meet with many Hardships and Tryals and Temptations within and without be ye not therefore discouraged nor moved but still mind that the Lord is able to deliver and still on him in much Patience wait that in the due time you may come to reap And truly Friends in faithfulness you will come to know the Lord to minister strength to the weak and give power to the faint that the small thing in you may become great and the barren become fruitful for in him who is the Light the plentious Redemption is and he it is that succours and saves in the time of need and helps and delivers in the time of distress and he will not leave the Humble Comfortless nor forsake the Meek of the Earth neither can the Lord forget his Covenant of Peace with the Seed of Jacob though it be but as a Worm in the Earth And you who suffer Bonds Imprisonments or loss of Goods for his sake who hath called you out of the World dear is my love unto you and precious is the faithful suffering Seed in you to me who also with you suffer both within and in outward Bonds seeing the Crown of rejoycing that through a suffering state is manifest to the Seed which through suffering comes to live forever and the Life is that which will uphold in the measure whereof manifest in you The power of the Lord preserve you that you may feel Truth kept clear in you and preserved blameless by you that the Prisoner of hope in you may Reign over its Adversaries and you feel the Power of the Lord strengthning the spoiled against the strong that under it the other may bow that to the humble Life of the Lamb slain all Nations may become subject And all consider that he that is the Wonderful Counsellor who saith I am the Light In it therefore wait the counsel of the Lord to receive And all take heed of going out from that to set up a form of barren Words without neither build ye the things which began to be destroyed but all take heed of vain Talkers high Boasters and such who by a multitude of Words darken that in you which is to give the knowledge of him whose Kingdom consisteth not of Words for many see things afar off and speak too soon and too much and out of the true fear whose Words feed that above the Seed in many who live thereby and it burthens the Seed in some tender Lambs so that it which should live in them is kept in Death And so such Talkers with their many Words do scatter the Flock and cause Strife being separated from the suffering Seed within and so cannot suffer one with another and things are out of God's Wisdom and out of Unity and true Brotherly Love and then the Mouthes of the Heathen are opened against you all and the precious Truth of God suffers Therefore it s better all such were silent and that in the true fear you come to wait on the Lord that the power of his Life might be opened in every particular and then if that speak a Word or two it will hurt none but be received by all that fear the Lord and that my Soul loveth but this I know and feel that many Words are spoken which murder the Life in the Meek Therefore where these things are let it be searched into with the Light in every particular that the true thing in all may arise and act and lead and guide in Meekness and true Fear that the Power of God in you all you may come unto And let all your Meetings be kept as in the dreadful Awe and Presence of God and meet together often that the Seed through Death may come to which my Love is dear in which Love which comes from God his Arm of Power preserve you all which is both my Desire and Prayers to God whom in the measure of his living Truth I serve in my Spirit and for which now I suffer Bonds who to some of you may be felt in that which is more near unto many of you than the Name Humphry Smith To the despised rejected and persecuted Lambs of Christ in the County of Dorset YOu whom the Lord God of Life hath visited with his Everlasting Loving-kindness in a day of Salvation and in an acceptable year hath the Lord â—ought after you who from him were going astray in the frowardness of your Wills and haughtiness of your vain Minds whereby your Souls were kept in Death out of which the Lord is now come to redeem and gather you his long lost sheep in his everlasting Arms of unlimited Love home unto the rest eternal where Peace and Plenty is within the Walls that are Salvation and the Gate of everlasting Peace within which the redeemed of the Lord do dwell and their rest is gloriously glorified with the presence of the most High who comes to rule in the Kingdoms of men and set his Righteousness and Judgment in the Earth whereby the meek of the Earth shall rejoyce and the Mourning seed shall be comforted because of him that executeth true Judgment upon the head of the Wicked which ruled over the growing seed which cryeth unto the Lord in the hour of distress and mourned for him who is the bright Morning Star whose lightnings begin now to enlighten the Earth and shine out of Darkness to give the knowledge of God in the sensible feeling part of the heart which comes to be made soft and tender thereby so that its wrought into Gods love which melts the Hills and shakes the Mountains and divides asunder that an open way fair clear may be made for the longing breathing seed to spring out of Bondage and feel Gods Mercy showered down as the latter Rain upon a dry and thirsty Land whereâ—y the Lillies grow and the Vine yields her Increase and the Olive flowrishes and Clothing from the God of Righteousness comes to cover the mourning naked Birth who hath no strength nor help but from the Lord God of Mercy who is the Father of the Fatherless and the Helper of the Helpless who also hears the Cry of the Needy and knows the mind of the Spirit and hath pity on all Sion's Mourners and Compassion of all the faint and he is helping the Prisoner out of the Pit whereby the Captive comes to be set at liberty and the opening of the Prison Door is felt by the Lambs and Children of the Day who unto the day
done it away with the same Power whereby before he came so to serve man under the Sin as to help him from under it and so to bring man with himself in his Power as it suffered by the Sin out of the Sin and out of that Power which captivated under or into the committing of Sin so to the end of it with Christ over it to live and reign forever as it is received in that way manner and operation which at first it doth come and shew forth it self in the Power of its sufferings whose Power and Virtue therein at first is known And so such who know Him in his suffering-state He permitteth chuseth and electeth to live and reign with him in his Ruling-state And so he that hath power to Reign hath power to Suffer and so to Suffer that he may Reign the exercise of whose power in his Suffering is in order to his Reigning and such as feel know and receive his Power first enabling them with him to suffer they with the same are brought to the end of sin and sinning by which the suffering came upon the Just for the Unjust and as man to this is joyned in his sufferings its Power worketh man's Redemption and so not of man or brings man back from under that power which held in the Transgression and Separation from the Bridegroom of the Soul and takes away that which captivates it and so breaks the Wall which stood between the desired Liberty and the present Bondage and so brings the true and lasting Peace and so both receive each other and are made one in each other and not otherwise It is certainly so And that man which truly suffered with it reigns with it who was joyned to it in its suffering till it came to reign and then to submit unto it and serve it in its Motions Leadings Rulings and Governings in the power of its Love which winneth the heart so to do as the chaste Wife to the Husband so with it in the Power of it man comes to reign over that which was both contrary to it and to the upright hearted man until all its Enemies are put under it and so under the man that is one with it and whose Life is in it being truly joyned to it of the Lord then not to be put asunder and so loving of it and in all things submitting to it more than the true chaste Virgin to the Husband living in the Power and the Power living in man and so both becoming one in Sufferings one in Tryals one in Tribulations one in Afflictions one in Joy one in Peace one in Liberty one in Captivity one in Riches one in Poverty And so truly one partaking with each other in all states unseparable may well in some measure be termed The Marriage of the Lamb which is come and more of it may be known and the Virgin being thus and more fully espoused to the undefiled unspotted of God they are thus far made one and she becomes the Daughter of the Husbands Father the King of Kings or the Adopted Child of God And thus the undefiled One of God and the Virgin of Sion becomes one in the unspeakable Unity which Unity being felt both as one preceive me and my Lines are understood and my Words received in Love And this is written and sent forth among all Friends who desire to hear of me and who have known me in the invisible Truth and such to whom the Lord hath made me serviceable in the precious things of the Kingdom of God which is of Peace and Righteousness where my Rest is that hereby they may hear from me and know that I remain in the labour of the Gospel which is very great and in the Fellowship of the Saints Your Brother in the unexpressible Love of the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour Humphery Smith From Cogshall in Essex in which parts very many of late have received the precious Truth the 12th of the 5th Moneth 1661. This is to all dear Friends who keep faithful in their measures to the end My dear Friends THe Father is well pleased in him who is meek and lowly in the heart and in Obedience unto him through the leadings of his Spirit of Power in which the Father's love is manifest which leads in the low Ground where the safe Way of everlasting Peace is known where all things are quiet and still where the small still Voice is heard whereby the dead come to live in the Powerful Life of the Fathers Love which compasseth about the seed as a Wall of everlasting Defence whereby there is boldness and courage comes in to Jacob the worm that it s then able to stand in that everlasting strength which is made perfect in weakness and to the weak â—â— only to be known that the weak then may say I am strong feeling strength ministred forth from that which is begotten of the Father wâ—ich never was comprehended by the earthly Wisdom which is all scattered as the smoke before the Wind when he ariseth that was laid in the Earth who hath long been as a Servant and is now to be served that he may be Lord over all who is a Man of Sorrows and leads through the suffering state that by the Obedience of Faith through the Power of the Cross which crucifies and brings to the death that which is to dye that the Vail may be rent and the way into the holiest of all made manisest and that received in the new ground which abideth forever even that which comforteth the weary Soul and satisfieth the longing Spirit and replenishâ—th the dry and barren Land with the Rivers of the Valley and the springs of the Desart that the meek in the Earth may rejoyce forever and through the Earth may grow as a Lilly in Summer For painly its the poor that receive the Gospel and the meek of the Earth that shall in her it Substance and it is the thing that is low that will last forever and that shall be set on the Throne and he that is low shall never fall neither shall his Footsteps at all be moved he leads the creature in the Father's fear and guideth the Tongue in Wisdom and its him alone that all are to wait for to receive and continue in even him that is acquainted with Grief who never openeth his Mouth in perversness but speaks Life in Wisdom through the Power of the Fathers Love which overpowers the Soul as an overflowing River of Oyl which makes all well and heals the grieved Spirit which none ever comes to find but such who alone walk with him who humbled himself to the Death of the Cross and became as a Servant though he was Lord over all in him there is safety for he is the Rock and the sure hiding-place even out of the sight of the World and from the Tempters power for the Devil hath nothing in him who is meek and low in whose mouth there is found no
guile this is he that hath been long set at naught whose tenders of Love constrain Obedience to himself because of the beauty that is in him which from them is hid over whom the Vail is through which they cannot see the Comliness of his Love I rest in the Fathers will your Souls Friend H. S. FRiends the Lord is with us and the God of Heaven is on our side and the Lord is our Defence who hath spoken Life and Peace to my Soul behold he will be with us forever and the holy Arm of his precious dreadful strength shall no Nation under Heaven prevail against dwell all in the Power of God and the blessing of the God of Heaven will be upon you all forever THe Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul and he then Prophesied but after for his disobedience he lost the Kingdom and was afraid of the shame before the People and the Kingdom is rent from such who disobey the Lord though they were among the Prophets like Saul who afterwards went to the Witch And the Witchcraft is near to all such as stand not in the Counsel of God to cause the People to hear his Word and not their own whose Word feeds not the flesh above the seed but is as a Hammer to break the Rocks in pieces and it kills and makes alive and opens a way through the Earth for the Prisoner of Hope to come forth And the Spirit came upon Balaam who was reproved by the dumb Ass that he was exalted above and resisted and he durst not go beyond the Word of the Lord he durst not go beyond that which was quick and powerful in the heart nor over-reach it to do more or less for the gaining of half a Kingdom in the Earthly And such as exceed Balaam therein may expect to be cut down also by the true seed as he was and so to fall among the rest of the Enemies of the Israel of God who is dreadful in Power And the Spirit came upon Jephthah who after offered his own Daughter for a Sacrifice and the Spirit came upon Sampson and yet he not standing in wisdom was bettrayed of his strength by a Daughter of the Philistines who also afterwards put out his eyes And so the Spirit may come up in some and yet afterwards they lose that with which they should see and some there are that use their tongues as in the Name of the Lord upon whom the Spirit never came mark that And Caiphas the High Priest prophesied and he spake not of himself and yet he was an enemy to Christ the Power of God and such as are got up high like high Priests above the measure of the Man of sorrows speak from self or flesh and are in that by which he that is the Light doth suffer and the power is resisted and the seed in others oppressed and they not brought to the Living Minister within the vail that abides a Priest forever but are in that which will dye And many might be named upon whom the Spirit came And Judas also had obtained part of the Ministry â—ut now consider the Spirit resteth upon the branch of the Root even the seed it self for the Spirit came upon many but it rested and relieth upon the se ed only even the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanâ—ing and counsel and might and knowledge and of the sear of the Lord in the fear of the Lord which is a fountain of Life which Life all are to feel and not be kept from by words without it but to feel that which comes from it and favour that that Jacobs Tent all may know which who so dwell in are blessed against whom there is no enchantment and where the Witch-craft cannot enter which leads from the strait and narrow way to the Spirit and Life into a liberty to that which is fleshly where that is kept alive which the word in the heart as a hammer and a sword should have broken and cut down for Paul was grieved with such who at first could almost have pluckt out their own eyes for him and after sought occasion against him and themselves to be made perfect in the flesh and all flesh as grass is to be cut down with the Sword of the Lamb and where the flesh is above the Spirit suffers by it and the vail is thickned which keeps from the Unity and out of the Life and Power of God H. S. THe Lord God of Heaven preserve all every where in the Love Long-suffering Forbearance Meekness and Gentelness out of the Strife or Self-seeking for suerly Wo will come upon that Spirit where-ever the Lord finds it and even the Lord knoweth the desires of my heart in true Simplicity hath been That his Righteous Judgments might pass betimes upon every appear ance thereof in my self and all others and I believe that God will never prosper it in any therefore my Exhortation in the Everlasting Love of the God of Heaven is That you all every where live in true Brotherly Love remember Joseph's Advice to his Brethren That they fall not out by the way The heavenly God of Power and Life and Virtue keep ye out of all this in the Life of Wisdom and Meekness where Strife shall never inhabit nor Death enter within the walls of Zion in which their dwellings are who keep themselves undefiled and remain in the fear of God to whom I commit you all and to the Power of the Word of his saving Grace praying to the Lord for you that evermore you may continue in the Love of Christ Your Freind and Brother Humphry Smith To the meek and open hearted Lambs and Flock of Heaven in meekness of Love with Greetings of Peace from the Seat of Infinite Mercy â—endred unto and sent to be read among them all who live in the humble State THere was a time of Blackness and Darkness which covered all flesh and the Guilt of Sin was upon all Consciences and Hardness of Heart possessed every Vessel and the Minds of all was astray from God and their Souls in the bonds of Iniquity in the day when none was able to deliver his brother O! who can utter the distress and the Languishing state which the Sheep then scattered were in O! the secret Groans of the Out-casts of Israel which God hath now gathered Why should it be forgotten Who could pluck their Feet then out of the Snare or deliver their Souls from Death had not the Lord in mercy looked down from Heaven surely many had sunk in the Pit of Misery and never come to see the Light of the Morning for the which the Bowels of the humble yearned in secret and the Sights were deep in the Solitary Place And then did the Lord in the Bowels of his Mercy let open his Ear and for his own Names-sake had regard unto the Complaint of the poor and needy and he caused Light to break out of Darkness and Truth to spring from its secret
hidden place and Life to grow up in the midst of Death and to break through the Powers of Darkness and the Lord in his Power gave utterance to his Servants and Messengers and then were the words of his Truth as Food to the Hungry and with much gladness of Heart was the sound of the Way of Life by many received then did Love begin to arise in the Heart and a tenderness in the Bowels and a willingness in the Mind and then was a Joy like the Joy of Harvest among the People and many began to invite one another saying Come and we will return to the Lord and we will resolve to walk in his Paths forever then was the Voice of Thanksgiving among the People and the wayes of the Lord became more delightsom than Gold and the footsteps of Righteousness more pleasant than all the Treasure in the world O! it even melts the heart to remember the dayes that are past and to consider the infinite Goodness of him that is the God of the Poor and Needy Then were many made willing to run and to leave their filthy Garments behind them even before they well knew how to do it O! how loathsom was Sin in that day and how wearisom was the Land of Darkness and how desirable even beyond expression was the unsatisfied thirsting Soul after the Presence of God Could the Treasure of the Earth then have given Peace or could Silver have satisfied the hungry heart Or could the choisest Love of the most nearest Relations have quenched the thirst of the parched ground Surely none but the Lord was then desired yea other Lovers became as loathsom and other Delights became burthensom to the weary Travellers and all Vanities began to vanish as a Vapour of Smoke and the Wind of Heaven was daily a scattering the chaff and the barren Womb mourned for the quickning Life of God who had put it into the hearts of his long afflicted scattered Ones to follow him in the Ways of Truth Equity and then did the Lord visit such again and again in his Loving-kindness by his Servants whose Living Words of Truth through them did yet more open the Understandings Hearts satisfie the judgments of the humble People in the knowledge of the way to Rest and Peace in leaving the evil chusing the good to walk come to live therein forever And then came the time of Trial and Exercise when the Cross must be taken up to the Worlds wayes and all foolish Vanities left behind and the needless words no longer used nor that Religion continued any longer in which made nothing perfect Then did the People gaze and wonder and the Relations and the Acquaintance stood like as from David afar off and then was every ones greatest Enemy with the Light found in his own House then did the Tribes of the Earth mourn then did the Dragon stretch forth his Power then did the Doubtings and Fears and Thoughts and Unbelief come roling in like Floods O the straights that many then were in even seeming greater than any before and none but the Lord could deliver so that then the Cryes were doubled and the secret Groans came on afresh again and the greater the Cryes of such were the more they prevailed with him that was to help but with his Rod he forced them to submit unto his Will by departing out of that which had caused him to frown upon them and by leaving that which had polluted their Dwelling and as they began to obey him therein so he began to let forth the smiles of his Favour towards them and when they offended again he chastized them fore and scourged them for their Negligence and corrected them because they forgot their Obedience to his will and as thereby they drew near unto him he eased the stroke of his Justice and let them taste of his Mercy and sometimes invited them with love as a Father draweth the Child And thus he left not working with them and in them by his own secret Wisdom and Power until he had brought them to be after the desire of his Heart that he might delight in them forever and that they might never more be scattered upon the barren Hills nor yet the dark Mountains And as Obedience in Truth and Innocency was willingly yeilded to the Lord Peace began to take hold and Satisfaction got some entrance and a little secret hope there was which became as an Anchor to the Soul against the Stormy time and also in the midst thereof and as Inniquity was departed from so there came into the humble Heart some satisfaction from God and some stability in his way of Righteousness and then refreshings of Life attended the heart in the Morning and the Water which reneweth the Thirsty began to open it self in the midst of a barren Land and then nothing was more desired than the living upon that Food with which the God of Heaven doth nourish only his Children which he freely gave and brought down even near to the Tents of Israel and he caused them to know his Statutes and his Judgments and he put his perfect Law in the midst of them and his Mercy seat within the Vail that they might ask Counsel at the living Oracle and he gave them his Spirit which all the circumcised of Heart do rightly know to be the chiefest good and to this end did he bestow that most precious Gift upon them and gave that Spirit of Life into them even to guide counsel and direct inform instruct reprove defend and succour them and nourish their Souls for evermore And so he set before them the way in which they should walk with him wherein he would be their Father and the Rock of their strength and made known unto them the secret Mysteries of his heavenly blessed Will which had been long concealed and doth yet so remain from the Disobedient and covered from the Children of men And when even the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob had done all this and much more for you O ye now well beloved Friends then did he begin to try your patience and to exercise yoâ— yet further to prove you and to make known unto you even more of that which had long been in the heart and then he suffered a calm to come over you and much quietness there was with many and then did the Enemy begin to assay again to bring into Carelesness and present a spirit of slumber with dulness and negligence attending and then the Seed was again burthened therewith and the Upright hearted durst not give way thereunto before whose Eyes the pure heavenly fear still remaineth surely it were almost endless to relate the sundry Tryals and States which have been known among the flock of Jacob Who could have believed that the strong should have been so tempted as they were and the mighty so assaulted divers wayes as they have been and yet that the weakest who continued in the Grace
Be quiet now therefore and hear all ye Judges Rulers Governours Justices and all other Officers and People whatsoevr upon the face of the whole Earth who ignorantly from your Zeal in that knowledge which puffeth up have had a hand against a dispised rejected forsaken People that are accounted the Off-scouring of all things and are accounted as sheep for the slaughter and are killed all the day long who follow him in the Travail of their Souls and brokenness of Heart whose face is marred more then the Sons of men to whom from him no Beauty nor Comeliness doth appear nor any thing wherefore he should be desired who indeed and in truth is not of this World Behold I say unto you who have persecuted the Innocent and smote the harmless with the Tongue and the Fist of Wickedness if you will let the humble seed arise in you and read with fear and consider in Meekness with a true desire to receive the Power of God's Love unto you is this Word of Visitation sent therefore O ye men feel ye that which opens the heart for behold I was made of one flesh with you and the Lord God and Father of my Life made all men of one Blood that they might feel after him and find him and surely from the true sence and feeling of Gods infinite Love unto Mankind that he might be saved from Wrath to come Therefore am I moved with my Father's Pity to visit you to whom Gods Love is and in whom the Seed lieth in Bondage and is not brought to the birth nor deliverance but the Earth is over it and you that should be gathered into God's Everlasting Covenant of Peace who lie yet in the Bondage why will you not believe my words which are the Truth of the Lord in the Power of his Love which will stand forever And so all your Hating Reviling and Imprisoning the Servents and Seed of God without you in the Nation and your ruling over the Innocent Honest Plain and Harmless is unto you a true figure of your hating resisting and imprisoning the Seed of God which is in you and your ruling over the honest meek thing in you with Tyranny and Cruelty in the strength of your wills and this hath long been so and by this figure hath the Lord been pleased to preach unto you of late years that you might hear and see and understand and this is plainly so you being not reconciled unto that of God in Bondage in you Therefore is your hatred against them without you who are reconciled to God and have no Confidence in the flesh and because you are not reconciled to him that made you therefore hath his witness in you often times disturbed and broke your Peace in the Earth and the hand of the Lord hath so followed you that many times you could not cause his Spirit to cease striving with you for some time but even trouble from it hath come upon you even in the Night-season when you would have Peace and when the Power of the Enemy of your souls hath risen up in you with Wrath and Envy in hastiness and passion against the Servants of the Lord and thereby have been moved with Envy to act that which was Evil against them intending thereby to make the true Jews bow down unto Haman's spirit in you then afterwards and some at the very time hath the witness of God in you arose and brought Judgment and Trouble and Torment upon you when some of you have been alone in quietness then hath the Lord been secretly Dealing with you by his measure of Light in you the which you have strove against some not knowing what it was and sought Peace and ease another way and so have not loved that which came to confound your Wisdom nor received that which is to bring the understanding of the prudent to nothing for that prudent understanding is in man and that which is to confound it is to be received in man I speak what I know and the Truth of which will stand forever but you have not received that which in the heart began to judge you nay rather are you not afraid of being judged and of that which judgeth in you And is it not a hard saying unto you that have talkt of God to preach him unto you who confounds the Wisdom of the Wise and brings the Vnderstanding of the prudent to nothing and to tell you how that which may be known of God is manifest in you Is it not therefore plain that you are yet joyned to that which is to be confounded and so have not received that which is to confound though it be in you for the Kingdom of God was in the Pharisees but they not knowing it did neither know the Lord of Glory but crucified him without them and resisted that which was holy in them yet professed the Scriptures without them as you do whose minds are out from the measure of the Inspiration of that Spirit in you which gave forth the Scriptures which are without you which Scriptures also testifie of the Light of Christ which is in you and of that which may be known of God in you to which you are to come for unto them who had the Scriptures without them Christ Jesus said Come unto me I am meek and low in heart and his Name is called the Word of God which is nigh even in your hearts though from you there it be hid as a Treasure hid in the Field but though it be hid from you yet it is there and though you have been unprofitable yet have you had a Talent yea the Lord God hath given Gifts to the Rebellious though they receive it not that he might dwell in them ye hard-hearted stiff-necked and uncircumcised why will you not believe my words Why will you not receive the Truth When will you bend and bow before the Lord God of Life Can you say in your hearts like the fool That there is no God Would you shut him out from having an entrance in you When was it that you did come to this thing which is hid in the heart And when did you try this thing which sometimes judgeth condemneth troubleth or confoundeth whether this thing would give you the knowledge of God And is not the Light to give the knowledge of God And doth not he that is the Light enlighten every man And is not the Light that which doth make manifest And is not there something in you that doth at sometimes make manifest And is there not something in you which doth judge and condemn you for Evil which is made manifest by it You that talk of trying all things Is not there one thing and have you not yet need of one thing even that which gives Power over sin and cleanseth from all sin And have you tryed this one thing the Light or that of God in you Whether this will bring you to Peace with God and man And whether by