Desires new Affections new Love new Friendship new Society new Kindred new Faith even that which overcometh this World through many Tribulations and new Hope even that living Hope that is founded upon true Experience which holds out all Storms and can see to the Glory that is invisible to carnal Eyes in the midst of the greatest Tempest Now 't is the same blessed Seed of Light Life and Grace that from God the Father is sown in thy Heart and hath moved and wrought there that Change which thou hast witnessed from the Spirit of this World turn to it watch in it that by it thou mayest be kept from all that it discovers to be contrary to God especially from thy self from thy own runnings willings and strivings for whatsoever is not born of the Spirit is Flesh and that inherits not the Kingdom of God and all that sow to it shall inherit Corruption By this thou wilt come to feel not only all Sin to be a Burden but all thy own Righteousness yea all Man's Righteousness to be a Burden Thou wilt see the difference betwixt the Duties and Prayers which thou begettest and the Duties and Prayers which in thy true silence from all self-activity of Mind the Lord begets in thee O that thou mightest know the Mystery of the new Birth and what that is that can truly call God Father even that that is begotten of him which liveth and breatheth and hath its Beginning and Being in that Life which is hid with Christ in God and by which it hath been quickened to the Knowledg and Worship of Christ and God and this thou shalt not fail to know and enjoy as thou patiently sufferest the Lord to work his own Work in thee by his own blessed Spirit And that which will give thee to savour and discern the right Motions and Conceptions Duties and Performances in thy self from the false will give thee to savour and discern that which is right in others from that which is false that which is of God from that which is of Man Have a Care of gathering of Sticks and kindling a Fire of thy own and then compassing thy self about the Sparks of the Fire which thou hast kindled for the end of this State is to lie down in Sorrow because the heavenly Fire is absent which maketh the Sacrifice acceptable yea the Lord may stir in thy Heart and thou mayest bring forth but he that gives to conceive he brings to the Birth and he giveth Power to bring forth for without Christ we can do nothing and blessed are they that stir not before the Angel moveth the Waters and go not before Christ but are led by him and that awaken not their Beloved till he please in whose Hand the Times and the Seasons are O blessed are they whose Eyes are opened to see him always present a God always nigh at Hand whose Hearts are stayed upon his holy Appearance in them and they are thereby translated into his Likeness whose Faith and Hope is in Christ in them the Hope of Glory My dear Friend weigh these Things with a serious retired sweet and tender frame of Spirit and the God that hath called me and thee by the Light of his dear Son open thy Understanding to perceive the Truth as it is in Jesus and what is the Mystery of the Fellowship of the Saints in Light So to the Lord I recommend thee the Watchman and Keeper of Israel the Lord be thy Strength and holy Comfort and speak Peace to thee and never leave thee nor forsake thee till he hath conducted thee through all Tribulations to his everlasting Kingdom of Rest and Glory O dear Heart be valiant and stay thy self upon Christ Jesus the Everlasting Rock and feel him a Fountain in thy Soul feel his Blood to cleanse and his Blood to drink and his Flesh to eat feed upon him for God hath given him for the Life of the World I had seen thee had not thy Father 's strange sort of severity hindred I confess I do not use to be so treated in my own Country where the Lord hath raised up many hundreds of Witnesses that he hath gathered out of all Sects and Professions to worship him not in their Spirits or Wills but in his Will Spirit and Truth and we are generally after much Affliction and Suffering in good Esteem even with the great Ones of this World And this let me add for thy particular Comfort that though I have been a Man of great Anguish and Sorrow because of the Scorn and Reproach that hath attended my separation from the World having been taught of Jesus to turn my back upon all the sake of that Glory that shall revealed yet to God's Honour I 〈◊〉 say it I have an hundred friends one yea God hath turned 〈◊〉 Hearts of my Enemies towarâ— me he hath fulfilled his Promiâ—â— to turn the Hearts of the Parenâ— unto the Children For my Parenâ— that once disowned me for this bleâ—sed Testimony 's sake of the Jewâ—â— Christian Circumcision and Baâ—tism inward against the fleshly Chrâ—stian have come to love me abovâ— all and have left me all thinkinâ— they could never do and leave enougâ— for me O how good is the Lorâ— yea the Ways of his Mercy aâ—â— even past finding out Wheresore my dear Friend truâ—â— in the Lord for ever and the Goâ— of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the Goâ— of the Prophets and of the Apostles the God of all the Holy Martyrs oâ— Jesus illuminate fortify and preservâ— thee stedfast that in the end thou mayest receive the Reward of Life and Eternal Salvation to whoâ— be Glory and to the Lamb thaâ— sits upon the Throne one God and one Lord blessed and magnified for ever and ever Amen Thy great and faithful Love for the blessed and holy Truth 's sake W. Penn. Duysburgh 13 th of 7 th Month S.N. 1677. P.S. My dear Brethren and Companions G K. and B F. with me salute thee in the dear Loâ—e of God The enclosed I received from a religious young Woman at Franckfort We have a blessed Opportunity in this Town with some that have a desire after the Lord in which we are abundantly comforted We have just now received thy Message and Salutation from H.S. which hath exceedingly refreshed and reviveâ— us for our trouble waâ— not foâ— our selves but for thee and wâ— hope our Love will not turn 〈◊〉 thy Disadvantage for we menâ—â—â—ned nothing of thy Name nor thâ— Name of any other Person onelâ— that we desired to speak with the Minister of Mulheim and that waâ— only to the Souldier The Lord made us a good Bed in the Fields and we were very well satisfâ—â—â— We are going this Afternoon out of the Town towards Wesel from thence to Cleve and thence to Herwerden the Lord willâ—â—â— sâ— farewell in the Lord. To the Graef or Earl of Bruck and Falckensteyn Friend I Wish thy Salvation and the Lord reward thee Good for the Evil that thou shewedst unto
in that place to lift up a Standard for his Name At Dinner there were several Strangers that came by the Post-Waggon that day among whom there was a Young Man of Bremen being a Student of Duysburgh who informed us of a sober and seeking Man of great Note in that City of Duysburgh to him we gave some Books There was one more who was tender and inquiring to whom also we gave some Books The Second Hour being at Hand we went to the Meeting where were several as well of the Town as of the Family the Meeting began with a weighty Exercise and Travel in Prayer that the Lord would glorifie his own Name that day and by his own power he made way to their Consciences and sounded his wakening Trumpet in their Ears that they might know that he was God and that there is none like unto him Oh the day of the Lord livingly dawned upon us and the searching Life of Jesus was in the midst of us Oh! the word that never faileth them that wait for it and abide in it opened the way and unsealed the Book of Life yea the quickning Power and Life of Jesus wrought and reacht to them and vertue from him in whom dwelleth the God-head bodily went forth and blessedly distilled upon us his own Heavenly Life sweeter than the Spices with pure Frankincense yea than the sweet smelling Myrrh that cometh from a far Country and as it began so it was carried on and so it ended Blessed be the Name of the Lord and confided in be our God for ever Assoon as the Meeting was done the Princess came to me and took me by the hand which she usually did to us all coming and going and went to speak to me of the Sense she had of that Power and Presence of God that was amongst us but was stopt and turning her self to the Window brake forth in an extraordinary Passion crying out I cannot Speak to you my Heart is full claping her Hands upon her Breast it melted me into a deep and calm tenderness in which I was moved to Minister a few words softly to her and after some time of Silence she recovered her self and as I was taking my leave of her she interrupted me thus Will ye not come hither again Pray call here as ye return out of Germany I told her we were in the Hand of the Lord and being his could not dispose of our selves but the Lord had taken care that we should not forget her and those with her for he had raised and begotten an Heavenly Concernment in our Souls for her and them and that we loved them all with that love wherewith God had loved uâ— with much more to that purpose She then turned to the rest of the Friends and would have had us all gone down to Supper with her but we chose rather to be excused we should Eat a bit of her Bread and Drink a glass of her Wine if she pleased in the Chamber where we were At last we prevailed with her to leave us The Countess the French Woman and the Countess's waiting Woman stay'd with us and we had a very retir'd and seasonable Opportunity with them After the Princess had Supt we went all down and took our Solemn leave of her the Countess her Sister the French Woman with the rest of the Family whose hearts were reach'd and opened by our Testimonies recommending unto them Holy Silence from all Will-worship and the Workings Strivings and Images of their own Mind and Spirit that Jesus might be felt of them in their Hearts his holy Teachings witnessed and followed in the way of his Blessed Cross that would crucifie them unto the World and the World unto them that their Faith Hope and Joy might stand in Christs in them the Heavenly Prophet Shepherd and Bishop whose voice all that are truly Sheep will hear and follow and not the voice of any stranger whatever So we left them in the Love and Peace of God praying that they might be kept from the Evil of this World So we returned to our Lodging having our Hearts filled with a weighty Sense of the Lord's appearance with us in that place and being late towards the Ninth Hour we prepared to go to Rest The next Morning being the Second day of the Week G.K. B.F. and my self got ready to begin our Journey towards Franckfort w câ— by the way of Cassel is about 200 English Miles R. B. prepared himself to return by the way weâ—came directly back to Amsterdam But before we parted we had a little time together in the Morning in our Chamber whither came one of the Princess's Family and one of the Town The Lord moved me to call upon his great Name that he would be with them that stayed and with them that returned also and with us that went forward in wild and untrodden places and his blessed Love and Life over-shadowed us yea he filled our Cup together and made us drink into one Spirit even the Cup of Blessings in the Fellowship of the everlasting Seed in which we took leave of one another and after having Eaten it being about the Seventh Hour we departed the City We came to Paderborn that Night six German Miles which are about thirty six English it is a dark Popish Town and under the Government of a Bishop of that Religion howbeit the Woman where we lodged was an Ancient Grave and Serious Person to whom we declared the Testimony of the Light shewing her the difference betwixt an outside and an inside Religion which she received with much kindness We left some Books with her which she took readily There was also with us at Supper a Lutheran that was a Lawyer with whom I had very good Service in opening to him the great loss of the power of Godliness as well among them who separated from Rome as in the Roman Church which he confessed I directed him to the Principle of Light in his Conscience that let him see the lifeless State of the false Christians and if he turned his mind to that Principle and waited there for Power he would receive Power to Rule and Govern himself according to true Godliness and that it was the loss of Christendom that they went from this Principle in which the Power standeth that conformeth the Soul into the Image and Likeness of the dear Son of God and thither they must come again if ever they will have the true knowledge of God and enjoy Life and Salvation with much more to that purpose all which he received lovingly The next Morning we set forwards toward Cassel but through great foulness of Weather having only naked Carts to Ride in the Waters being also High with the Rains We got not to Cassel till the next day which was the Fourth day of the Week It being late we made little inquiry that Night being also wearied with the foulness of the Ways and Weather But the next day we
would to God all Princes were of that mind But I have not chosen this way of Application I am driven to it by the disappointment thy absence from this Court gave me and the necessity I am under to expedite my Return And though I cannot so fully and consequently not so clearly express by Letter the Grounds inducing me to attempt this Visit yet this being all the way that is left me I shall declare them as well as I can In the first place I do with all sincere and Christian respect acknowledg and commend that Indulgence thou givest to all People professing Religion dissenting from the National Communion for it is in it self a most Natural Prudent and Christian thing Natural because it preserves Nature from being made a Sacrifice to the savage Fury of fallible yet proud Opinions out lawing Men of Parts Arts Industry and Honesty the grand Requisites of Humane Society and exposing them and their Families to utter Ruine for meer Nonconformity not to Religion but to Modes and Fashions in Religions Christian since the contrary expresly contradicteth both the Precept and Example of Christ who taught us to love Enemies not to abuse our Friends and triumph in the destruction of our harmless Neighbours He rebuked his Disciples when they called for Fire from Heaven upon Dissenters it may be Opposers Certainly then he never intended that they should kindle Fire on Earth to devour Men for Conscience And if Christ to whom all Power was given and his Apostles refused to employ Humane Force and Artifice so much as to conserve themselves 't is an Arrogancy every way indefensible in those that pretend to be their Followers that they assume an Authority to supercede controul and contradict the Precepts and Examples of Christ and his Apostles whose Kingdom not being of the nature of this ambitious violent World was not erected or maintained by those Weapons that are Carnal but Spiritual and Intellectual adequate to the Nature of the Soul and mighty through God to cast down the Strong-holds of Sin and every vain Imagination exalted in Man above the lowly meek Fear of God that ought to have the preeminence in the Hearts of the Sons of Men. Indulgence is Prudent in that it preserveth Concord No Kingdom divided against it self can stand It encourageth Arts Parts Industry to show and improve themselves which indeed are the Ornaments Strength and Wealth of a Countrey It encourageth People to transplant into this Land of Liberty where the Sweat of the Brow is not made the Forfeit of the Conscience And lastly it rendereth the Prince peculiarly Safe and Great Safe because all Interests for Interest-sake are bound to love and court him Great in that he is not govern'd or clogg'd with the Power of his Clergy which in most Countries is not only a Coordinate Power a kind of Duumvirateship in Government Imperium in Imperio at least an Eclipse to Monarchy but a Superior Power and rideth the Prince to their Designs holding the Helm of the Government and steering not by the Laws of Civil Freedom but certain Ecclesiastick Maxims of their own to the Maintenance and Enlargement of their Worldly Empire in their Church And all the Villany acted under the sacred peaceable and alluring Name of Christ his Ministry and Church though as remote from their Nature as the Wolf from the Sheep and the Pope from Peter The next thing I should have taken the liberty to have discours'd would have been this What Encouragement a Colony of vertuous and industrious Families might hope to receive from Thee in case they should transplant themselves into this Country which certainly in it self is very excellent respecting Taxes Oaths Arms c. Further to have represented the condition of some of our Friends and thy own Subjects who though they are liable to the same Tax as Mennists c. not by part the Case of other Dissenters yet the Vaught of the Town where they live came yesterday to forbid all preaching amongst them which implies a sort of Contradiction to the Indulgence given And in the last place for as much as all Men owe their Being to something greater than themselves to which 't is reasonable to believe they are accomptable from whence follow Rewards or Punishments I had an earnest desire to have spoken of the Nature of Truth Use Benefit and Reward of Religion and therein as to have discours'd what is Christian Religion in it self freed from those unreasonable Garbs some Men make it to wear so justly offensive to wise and thinking Men so to have proved the Principle and Life of the People in scorn called Quakers to have been sutable to the true Followers of Holy Jesus But as the Particulars would swell a Letter to a Book I shall take the Freedom to present thee upon my Return with some Tracts treating upon all these Subjects Prince my Soul is filled with Love and Respect to thee and thy Family I wish you all true and lasting Felicity and earnestly desire that you may never forget your Afflictions and in the remembrance of them be dehorted from those Lusts and Impieties which draw the Vengeance of Heaven upon the greatest Families on Earth that God may look upon you with the favourable Eye of his Providence And blessed is that Man whose God by profession is the Lord in reality viz. that is ruled and governed by the Lord and that lives in subjection to his Grace that having a Divine Sense of God in his Heart delights to retain that Sense and Knowledg of him and be meditating in his Noble Royal Law that converts the Soul to God and redeems Man from the sensual Pleasures of this World to the true Satisfaction of the Intellectual and Divine Life O the meanness and lowness of their Spirits that abandon themselves to the Government of Sense the animal Life thereby debasing their Natures rejecting the Divine Light that shineth in their Hearts saying Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die forgetting whence they are descended and not considering the Peace and Joy of the Vertuous I desire that the Lord would put it into thy Heart to think of thy latter End and with the Light of Christ in thy Conscience examine how it stands with thy Soul that thou mayest know and diligently watch to do those things that belong to thy eternal Peace One thing more give me leave to recommend to thee and that is to be very careful of inculcating generous free and righteous Principles into thy Son who is like to succeed thee that when thou art gone the Reputation of the Country may not sink by contrary Practices nor the People of divers Judgments now thy Subjects be disappointed distressed or ruined Which with sincere desires for thy temporal and eternal Good conclude this Thy unknown but sincere Friend William Penn. From Manheim 25th of 6th Mo. 1677. Which being done and having refreshed our selves we returned that night by the Rhine
called us and not protected us hath he given Power to conceive and not to bring forth hath he not sheltered us in many a Storm did he ever leave us under the Reproaches and Contradictions of Men nay hath he not spoken Peace to us were we ever cast out by Men and he forsook us No the Lord hath taken us up Were we ever in Prison and he visited us not hungry and he fed us not naked and he clothed us not or have we been sick and he came not to see us When were the Jails so close that he could not come in and the Dungeons so dark that he caused not his Light to shine upon us O nay he hath never left us nor forsaken us yea he hath provided richly for us he hath brought us into the Wilderness not to starve us but to try us yet not above our measure For he fed us with Manna from on high with pure Honey and Water out of the Rock and gave his good Spirit to sustain us By Night he was a Pillar of Fire to us to comfort us and by Day a Pillar of Cloud to hide and shelter us He was a Shadow of a mighty Rock that followed us and we never wanted a Brook by the way to refresh us Was God good to Israel outward Much more hath he abounded to his spiritual Israel the proper Seed and Off-spring of himself O the noble Deeds and valiant Acts that he hath wrought in our Day for our Deliverance He hath caused One to chase Ten and Ten an Hundred and an Hundred a Thousand many a Time None hath been able to snatch us out of his Hands who abode in his Truth For though the Winds have blown and the Sea hath raged yet hath he rebuked the Winds and the Sea for his Seed's sake He hath said to the Winds Be still and to the Sea Thus far shalt thou come and no further He hath cast up a high Way for his Ransomed to walk in so plain that though a Fool he shall not err therein This is the Light in which all Nations of them that are saved must walk for ever And therefore Friends let us stay our Minds in the Light of the Lord for ever and let the Awe Fear and Dread of the Almighty dwell in us and let his Holy Spirit be known to be a Covering to us that from the Spirit of this World we may be chastly kept and preserved unto God in the holy Light and Self-denying Life of Jesus who hath offered up himself once for all leaving us an Example that we should also follow his Steps that as he our dear Lord and Master so we his Servants and Friends and Children might by the eternal Spirit offer up our selves to God in Body in Soul and in Spirit which are his that we may be his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good Works to the Praise of him that hath called us which Calling is an high and an holy Calling by the eternal Light and Spirit in our Consciences O that it might for ever remain in high Estimation with us and that it may be the daily Watch and Travel of us all in the Presence of the Holy and Living God that hath called us to make our great Call and Election sure which many have neglected to do who have been convinced by the blessed Light and Truth of Christ Jesus revealed in their Hearts and who for a time have walked among us have been overcome by the Spirit of this World and turned their Hands from the Plough and deserted the Camp of the Lord and gone back into Egypt again whereby the Heathens have blasphemed and the Way and People of the Lord greatly have suffered Therefore O my dear Friends and Brethren in the Sense of that Life and Power that God from Heaven so gloriously hath dispensed among us and by which he hath given us multiplied Assurances of his Loving-kindness unto us and crowned us together with heavenly Dominion and in which my Spirit is at this time broken before the Lord do I most earnestly entreat you to watch continually lest any of you that have tasted of the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come fall by Temptation and by Carelesness and Neglect tempt the living God to withdraw his fatherly Visitation from any of you and finally to desert such for the Lord our God is a jealous God and he will not give his Glory unto another He hath given to Man all but Man himself and him he hath reserved for his own peculiar Service to build him up a glorious Temple to himself so that we are bought with a Price and we are not our own Therefore let us continually watch and stand in awe that we grieve not his Holy Spirit nor turn his Grace into Wantonness But all of us let us wait and that in a holy travail of Spirit to know our selves sealed by the Spirit of Adoption unto the Day of our compleat Redemption when not only all our Sins but all Sorrows Sighings and Tears shall be wiped away from our Eyes and everlasting Songs of Joy and Thanksgivings shall melodiously fill our Hearts to God that sits upon the Throne and to his blessed immaculate Lamb who by his most precious Blood shall have compleatly redeemed us from the Earth and written our Names in the Book of Life Friends The Spirit of the Lord hath often brought you into my Remembrance since I have been in this desolate Land and with Joy unutterable have I had sweet and precious Fellowship with you in the Faith of Jesus that overcometh the World For though absent in Body yet present in him that is Omnipresent And I can truly say you are very near and very dear unto me and the Love that God hath raised in my Heart unto you surpasses the Love of Women And our Testimony I am well satisfied is sealed up together And I am well assured that all that love the Light shall endure to the End throughout all Tribulations and in the End obtain Eternal Salvation And now Friends as I have been travelling in this dark and solitary Land the great Work of the Lord in the Earth has been often presented unto my view and the Day of the Lord hath been deeply upon me and my Soul and Spirit hath frequently been possessed with an holy and weighty Concern for the Glory of the Name of the Lord and the spreading of his everlasting Truth and the Prosperity of it through all Nations that the very Ends of the Earth may look to him and may know Christ the Light to be given to them for their Salvation And when the Sense of these things hath been deeply upon me an holy and strong Cry God hath raised in my Soul to him That we who have known this fatherly Visitation from on High and who have beheld the Day of the Lord the Rising of the Sun of Righteousness who is full of Grace and full of Truth
of the Glory of this blessed Mystery in the Gentiles which is Christ Jesus the Light of the World in you the Hope of Glory For this I have to tell you in the Vision of the Almighty that the Day of the breaking up of the Nations about you and of the sounding of the Gospel-Trumpet unto the Inhabitants of the Earth is just at the Door And they that are worthy who have kept their Habitation from the beginning and have dwelt in the Unity of the Faith that overcometh the World and have kept the Bond of Peace The Lord God will impower and spirit you to go forth with his Everlasting Word and Testament to awaken and gather Kindreds Languages and People to the Glory of the rising of the Gentiles Light who is God's Salvation unto the Ends of the Earth And I must tell you that there is a Breathing Hungering Seeking People solitarily scattered up and down this great Land of Germany where the Lord hath sent me and â— believe it is the like in other Nations And as the Lord hath laid it upon me with my Companions to seeâ— some of them out so have we founâ— several in divers Places And wâ— have had many blessed Opportunities amongst them wherein our Hearts have greatly rejoiced having been made deeply sensible of the Love of God towards them and of the great openness and tenderness of Spirit in them to receive the Testimony of Light and Life through us And we have a stedfast belief that the Lord will carry on his Work in this Land effectually and that he will raise up those that shall be as Ministers of his eternal Testament amongst them And O! our desire is that God would put it into the Hearts of many of his faithful Witnesses to visit the Inhabitants of this Country where God hath a great Seed of People to be gathered that his Work may go on in the Earth till the whole Earth be filled with his Glory And it is under the deep and weighty Sense of this approaching Work that the Lord God hath laid it upon me to write to you to wait for the farther pourings out of the Power and Spirit of the Lord that nothing that is Careless Sleepy Earthly or Exalted may get up whereby to displease the Lord and cause him to withdraw his sweet and preserving Presence from any that know him But let all keep the King of Righteousness his Peace and walk in the Steps of the Flocks of the Companions For Withering and Destruction shall come upon all such as desert the Camp of the Lord or with their murmuring Spirit disquiet the Heritage of God for they are greater Enemies to Sion's Glory and Jerusalem's Peace than the open Armies of the Aliens And it is a Warning to all that make mention of the Name of the Lord in this Dispensation he hath brought us to That they have a care how they let out their Minds in any wise to please the Lusts of the Eye the Lusts of the Flesh and the Pride of Life which are not of the Father but of this World lest any be exalted in a Liberty that maketh the Cross of Jesus of none effect and the Offence thereof to cease for such will become as Salt that hath lost its Savour and at last will be trod under the Feet of God and Men. For the Lord will withdraw his daily Presence and the Fountain will come to be sealed up and the Well of Salvation be stopped again Therefore as all would rejoice in the Joy of God's Salvation let them wait for the saving Power and dwell in it that knowing the Mystery of the Work of Regeneration Christ formed in them the Hope of their Glory they may be able in the motion of him that hath begotten them through Death to Life to go forth and declare the Way of Life and Salvation And all you that are young convinced of the Eternal Truth come into it and then you will feel the Virtue of it And so you will be Witnesses otherwise Vain Talkers Wells without Water Clouds without Rain for which State is reserved the Blackness of Darkness for ever Wherefore gird up the Loins of your Minds and be sober and tempt not God but receive the Day of your Visitation and walk worthy of so great Love and delight to retain God in your Knowledg and grieve not his Holy Spirit but join to it and be led by it that it may be an Earnest to you of an Eternal Inheritance And take up your daily Cross and follow Christ and not the Spirit of this World He was meek and lowly he was humble and plain he was few in Words but mighty in Deeds He loved not his Life unto Death even the reproachful Death of the Cross but laid down his Life and became of no Reputation and that for the Rebellious O the Height and the Depth the Length and the Breadth yea the Vnsearchableness of the Love of God in Christ Jesus Wherefore while it is to Day hearken to his Voice and harden not your Hearts and make no Bargains for your Self neither consult with Flesh and Blood But let the Lord be your Light and your Salvation let him be the Strength of your Life and the Length of your Days And this know assuredly that none ever trusted to the Lord and were confounded Wherefore hold up your Testimony for God as ye would enjoy the Increasings of his Life and Love And let your Light shine and confess him before the whole World Smother not his Appearance neither hide thy Candle God hath lighted in thee under a Bushel for Christ walketh among his Candlesticks of pure and tried Gold Wherefore set thy Light upon a Candlestick and shew forth thy good Conversation in Meekness and godly Fear that thou mayest become a good Example and others beholding thy good Works may glorify God But for the Rebellious the Fearful and the Unbelieving the Day hastens upon such that the things that belong to their Eternal Peace shall be hid from their Eyes for ever And all you my dear Friends and Brethren who are in Sufferings for the Testimony of Jesus and a good Conscience look up to Jesus the Author and Finisher of your Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the Shame and is sat down at the Right Hand of the Father in the heavenly Place into which if you faint not you shall all be received after the Days of your Pilgrimage shall be at an End with a Well done good and faithful Servant And though these Afflictions seem not joyous but grievous for the present yet a far more exceeding weight of Glory stands at the Door Wherefore count it all Joy you fall into these Trials and persevere to the End knowing that he that shall come will come and will not tarry and that his Reward is with him Remember the Martyrs of Jesus that loved not their Lives to the Death for his
Man greatly prevalent with too many serious people in that Land cannot abide starteth at and runneth away from him howbeit the Lord enabled me to open the thing to him as that it was no plant of God's planting but a weed of Degeneracy and Apostacy a carnal and earthly Honour the effect feeder and pleaser of pride and of a vain mind that no advantage redounded to mankind by it and how could they that ought to do all to the glory of God use that vain and unprofitable custom which cannot be done to the glory of God I intreated him seriously to consider with himself the rise and end of it whence it came whom it pleased and what that was that was angry that it had it not I also told him of the sincere and serviceable respect which Truth substituteth in place thereof and exhorted him to Simplicity and Poverty of Spirit to believe that Jesus he professed to be his Saviour whose outside as well as Doctrine pleased not the Jews and so we parted he took his leave of the Princess and then of us with great Civility After he was gone the Princess desired us to withdraw to her Chamber and there we began our farewell Meeting the thing lay weighty upon me and that in the deep dread of the Lord and eternally magnified be the Name of the Lord that overshaddowed us with his Glory his heavenly breaking dissolving Power richly flowed amongst us and his ministring Angel of Life was in the midst of us Let my Soul never forget the Divine Sense that overwhelmed all at that blessed farewell I took of them much opened in me of the Hour of Christ's Temptation his Watchfulness Perseverance and Victory about the ten Virgins what the true Virgin was the true Oyl and Lamp what the Bride-groom his Door Chamber and Supper and in conclusion that torrent of heavenly melting Love that we were all deeply affected I fell on my Knees recommending them unto the Lord crying with strong Cries for their Preservation and beseeched the Lord's Presence with us and so ended After some pause I went to the Princess and took her by the hand which she received and embraced with great signs of a weighty kindness being much broken I spoke a few words apart to her and left the Blessing and Peace of Jesus with and upon her Then I went to the Countess and left a particular Exhortation with her who fervently beseeched me to remember and implore the Lord on her behalf From her I went to the French-woman and bid her be faithful and constant to that which she knew she was exceedingly broken and took an affectionate and reverent Leave of us Then I spoke to the rest and took leave severally of them my Companions did all the like They followed us to the outward Room and there it was upon me to step to the Countess and once more to speak to her and take my leave of her which she received and returned with great Sense Humility and Love So turning to them all my Heart and Eye to the Lord I prayed that the Fear Presence Love and Life of God with all heavenly Blessings might descend and rest with and upon them then and for ever Home we went for our Lodging clear'd the House exhorted the Family left Books and then took Waggon for Wesel about 200 English Miles from Herwerden we rid three Nights and Days without lying down on a Bed or sleeping otherwise than in the Waggon which was only covered with an old ragged Sheet the Company we had with us made Twelve in number which much streightned us they were often if not always Vain yea in their religious Songs which is the fashion of that Country especially by Night they call them Luther's Songs and sometimes Psalms We were forced often to reprove and testify against their Hypocrisy to be full of all vain and often prophane Talk one hour and sing Psalms to God the next we shewed them the Deceit and Abomination of it We passed through several great Towns by the way as Lipstad Ham c. many Discourses we had of Truth and the Religion and Worship that was truly Christian and all was very well they bore what we said But one thing was remarkable that may not be omitted I had not been six hours in the Waggon before an heavy weight and unusual oppression fell upon me yea it weighed me almost to the Grave that I could almost say My Soul was sad even unto Death I knew not at present the Ground of this Exercise it remained about 24 hours upon me then it opened in me that it was a travel for the Seed that it might arise over all in them I had left behind and that nothing might be lost but the Son of Perdition O the strong Cries and deep Agonies many Tears and sincere bowings and humblings of Soul before the Lord that this holy sense which was raised in them might be preserved alive in them and they for ever in it that they might grow and spread as heavenly Plants of Righteousness to the glory of the Name of the Lord. The Narrative from the 27th of the 7th Month inclusive to the 10th of the 8th Month exclusive is inserted in the following Letter to the Countess of Hornes beginning in P. 220. and ending with P. 244. For Anna Maria de Hornes stiled Countess of Hornes at Herwerden in Germany My dear Friend O That thou mayest for ever dwell in the sweet and tender Sense of that divine Love and Life which hath visited thy Soul affected and overcome thy heart O tell me hath it not sometimes raised thy Spirit above the World and fill'd thee with fervent and passionate desires yea holy resolution to follow Jesus thy blessed Saviour who hath given his most precious Blood for Thee that thou shouldest not live to thy self but to him that hath so dearly purchased thee O the Retired Humble Reverent Frame that I have beheld thee in when this blessed life hath drawn thee into it self and adorned and seasoned thee with its own heavenly Vertue beautifying thy very Countenance beyond all the vain and foolish Ornaments of the wanton Daughters of Sodom and Egypt for therein are Charms not known to the Children of this World O that this holy and chast Life may be always pretious with thee and that thou mayest be for ever chastly kept in the Love and Fellowship of it That out of this World's nature spirit and practice thou mayest be redeemed by him who is the Way the Truth and the Life who as thou watchest with thy holy vigilance will not only daily manifest the Devices of the Enemy to thee but save thee from him For Christ's work in thee is thy sanctification as it is in him his Father's Will as he said of old to his Disciples This is the Will of God even your Sanctification O my dearly beloved Friend â—e stedfast immoveable without wavering and work out thy great Salvation with fear
Righteousness we have a Bread you know not of For this Manna wait daily that thou mayst be strengthened in thy wilderness-travel to the Land of Eternal Rest Wherefore labour not for the Bread that perisheth that is the Bread of Man's inventing and making which cometh from below and profiteth not because it giveth not life eternal But labour thou my dear Friend for the Bread that never perisheth that endureth for ever and that giveth life eternal to all that feed upon it O cast thy care upon this Word love it and dwell with it wait daily upon it hear its Voice only and follow it for it bringeth the Soul to the eternal Habitation of rest and glory Yea when all Flesh wither and the beauty thereof fade away this Word and they that are grafted in shall abide for ever O that this may be thy choice and it shall be thy Diadem and thy Eternal Crown and Glory These are the fervent desires and these the daily prayers of my Soul to the God of my Salvation for thee not only that nothing in thee may be lost besides the Son of Perdition But that thou mayst cast off every weight and burden and that Sin that doth so easily be-set thee that grieveth boweth and oppresseth thee Under the heavy weight of which thou groanest and sighest that the Redeemer would come from Zion to deliver thee O give not heed to the Enemy the false accuser that seeketh to devour that which is begotten of God in thee neither look upon thy own Sins Burdens or Weaknesses but lift up thy head and look to Jesus the Author of thy blessed Visitation and wholly hunger and thirst after him the spiritual brazen Serpent that healeth and relieveth all that in Faith and full Assurance look to him Want of looking to him hearing and obeying him and having true faith in him is the cause both of all the Presumption and Despair that are at this day He did no mighty things of old in those places where they believed not O faint not look not back remember the holy Ancients the holy Pilgrims of Faith the Royal Generation of Heaven Heb. 11. Thou believest in God believe also in him for the Work 's sake that he has already wrought in thee He will minister to thee as he was ministred unto by his Father's Angel in the Hour of his Abasement and great Temptation O watch and be faithful and thou shalt be a noble Witness for the Lord. Once more let me expostulate with thee would thou overcome the Enemies of thy Soul's peace and enjoy the delightful presence of the Lord with thee then keep nothing back let nothing be withheld that he calleth for remember that Saul of old lost his Kingdom for keeping that alive which he should have slain Thou knowest what beâ—el Ananias and Saphira outwardly But be thou like the poor Widow of old that therefore gave more into the Treasury than all the rest because they reserved the greatest part to themselves but she gave all she had O blessed are they that make no Bargains for themselves that have no reserves for Self neither consult with Flesh and Blood nor in any Sense conform to the least Ceremony which is born of them But that submit their Wills in all things to the Lord's that they may be made perfect through Sufferings as Christ was Read me in the mystery of Life I speak not of deserting or flinging away all outward Substance but that thy Heart may reign above all Visibles and make God its Treasure and never rest in any thing of this lower World or short of Christ the Eternal Rest of all the Seed of Faith Here beginneth the Narrative THE Lord brought us well to Wesel on the fift day after we left Herwerden having some Service by the way At Wesel we had a good time with Dr. Schuler and Rosendale and the Woman we mentioned to thee but the Taylor was shy and fearful of coming to us at the Doctor 's The next day we went towards Duysburgh we visited the Schult or Chief Governour that Night whom we found at home he received us with much Kindness His Wife and Sister we fear have been shaken in their good belief of our Testimony since we were last there some Fowls of the Air have devoured the Seed that was sown O that sweet and tender frame in which we left them the time before however the entrance we had upon the Spirit of the Schult a little consolated us Hence we sent Maria Martha's Friend a Letter desiring him to let us have his Answer the next Night at Dusseldorp inclosed to Neander when and wâ—ere we might see him either at Dusseldorp Mulheim or Duysburgh and if it were possible we would gladly visit the Countess of Bruch We got early to Dusseldorp next day being the last day of the Week but Neander was gone to Mulheim in order to Preach on the Morrow so that we were disappointed of our Intelligence Next Morning we went towards Ceulen and there arrived that Evening The next day we had a good opportunity with van Durando and Docemius at the House of the latter and that Afternoon took Boat for Dusseldorp Where arriving next Morning we presently sent for Neander who came to us and three more in company we had a blessed meeting with them and one of the three that came with him our Souls were exceedingly affected with The Meeting done they went away but Neander returned and first of our Letter to Mulheim we found by him as also at our return to Duysburgh that Kuper was so far from endeavouring ouâ— visit to the Countess that he would not meet us himself neither at Dusseldorp Mullheim nor Duysburgh nay it did not please him to send us an Answer much less any the least Salutation I confess it grieved us Now for Neander the Young man hath a Zeal for God and there is a Visitation upon him my Soul desireth that it may not be ineffectual but I have a great fear upon me for this I know certainly from the Lord God that liveth for ever and I have a Cloud of Witnesses to my Brethren that Retirement and Silence before God is the alone way for him to feel the heavenly gift to arise and come forth pure and unmixt this only can preach for God pray to God and beget People to God and nothing else But alas his office in that Family is quite another thing namely to perform Set Duties of fixt times Pray Preach and Sing and that in the way of the World's Appointments His very office is Babylonish namely a Chaplain for 't is a Popish Invention In the good old times Godly Abraham that was a Prince and Joshua a great General and David a King with many more instructed their Families in the knowledge and fear of God But now People are too Idle or too Great to pray for themselves and so they worship God by Proxy How can a
not only long beheld with a grieved Eye the many Abominations and gross Impieties that reign therein the Lusts Pleasures Wantonness Drunkenness Whoredoms Oaths Blasphemies Envy Treachery and Persecution of the Just but for some time I have had a deep Sense that the Overflowing Scourge of God's Wrath and Indignation was just ready to break out upon the People Confusion Amazement and Misery The Weight of which hath caused me to Cry within my self Who shall Save us Who shall Deliver us Is there none to stay the Stroke to blunt the Edge to stop the Fury and intercede for the People and mediate for this poor Land that the Lord may not utterly depart and take his Glory and his Name from it and make it a Desolation for the Wild Beasts of the Field and Fowls of the Air a Land of Judgment and not of Promise of Curses and not of Blessings My Friends whilst the Sense of this Distress that is coming as a Dreadful Visitation from the Hand of the Displeased God upon this Ungodly Land to Stain its Glory Bring down its Pride and Punish its Forgetfulness of the Lord and his many Deliverances lay so Heavy upon my Spirit the Lord presented before me all the Truly Conscientious and Well-inclined People in these Nations and more especially You his Despised but Chosen Generation for whose sake he would yet have Mercy And in the midst of his Judgments This I received for you from the Lord as his Holy Will and Counsel and it often sprung in my Heart with a very Fresh and Strong Life TO THY TENTS O ISRAEL TO THY TENTS O ISRAEL God is thy TENT To thy God O Israel PREPARE O Friends to stand in this Day before the LORD that is in the first place for ye shall also have your Exercise Yea Great is that Work which we have to do for the Lord by his Powerful but very Peaceable Spirit for God will by all these Hurries Confusions and Vexations that are at the Door drive People from their False Gods and bring them home to HIMSELF He will throw down Wickedness and establish Righteousness he will waste Sin but Truth shall grow He will debase the Mountain of Empty Profession but the Mountain of his Holiness shall be Exalted He hath determined to raise up and renown the Seed of Light Life and Truth in the Hearts of People Holy Patience Meekness Wisdom Love Faith Purity and Perseverance so much wanting in the World shall be seen to dwell in it and only to come from it And my witness is that ye are the People through whom this Heavenly Seed of Righteousness must Clearly and Stedfastly so shine unto others in these Uneven and Rough Times that are Come and Coming as that your Heavenly Father may be Glorified by you Wherefore in the Name of the Lord be ye all dis-incumbred of the World and discharged of the Cares of it Fly as for your Lives from the Snares therein and get you into your Watch-Tower the NAME of the LORD Which is not a Dead Name or a meer Literal Name but a Living Spiritual and very Powerful Name A Strong Tower indeed yea an Invincible Fortress where dwell ye with God and in him who speaketh Peace to his Children and ordains Quietness for them that trust in him He will make you to lie down Safely even then when Darkness and Confusion shall be thick about you yea ye shall live in the Fire that will Consume the Stubble of the World and your Garments shall not be so much as Singed for the Son of God whom the Flames as well as Winds and Seas obey will be in the Midst of you Next Friends this know We are the People above all others that must stand in the Gap and Pray for the putting away of the Wrath so as that this Land be not made an Utter Desolation and God expects it at our Hands PREPARE ye therefore to Meet and Sanctifie the Lord in his Coming and Judgments Why stand any of you Gazing Let none Gaze or Look out I beseech you that is the Enemy's Work to weaken you within but be ye Retired be ye Centered in the Eternal One and Meditate upon the Lord and his Living Pure Law that ye may be Wise in Heart and travel in Spirit for this Poor Land and that for Enemies as well as Friends The Lord is ready to hear you for this people when ye are ready to Intercede and I testifie Abraham is amongst you God's Friend and his Just Lot too yea Jacob that Prevailed and One that is Greater than them all JESUS the Lamb of God whose Blood speaketh better things than that of Abel in whom is the Mediation and Attonement Be therefore encouraged to wait upon the Lord and to bow before him and humbly to Meditate in the Life of JESUS with him I know he will put it into your Hearts so to do if ye wait upon him For he will not cast off this Land as he did Sodom he hath a Right Seed a Noble People in it that he hath and yet will gather many Sheep there be not yet of our Fold whom he will bring in and the foul Weather and the Storms will but help to drive them Home to JESUS the Living and True Witness and Light within that he whom God hath ordained to Reign may be Great in them And Lastly my Dear Friends and Brethren by how much this Day draws Nigh by so much the more do ye Stand loose in your Affections to the World but faâ—t in the Faith And Assemble your selves together and let God Arise in you and his Power and Spirit of Life among you that ye may not only Wrestle but in the End Prevail That it may be seen that SALVATION is of the Jews the Jews Inward in Spirit and in Truth And truly the time hastens that Ten shall take hold of the Skirt of such a Jew and they shall be saved But Wo to the Hypocrite in that Day the Formalist the Jew Outward the Circumcision in the Flesh and Fleshly Christian that cannot Resist the Temptations of this World the Temporizer one that Runs with the Tide he will be Divided For there will be more Tides more Interests on Foot at once than One wherefore Perplexity will take hold on him his Policy will be Confounded He will not know what to do to be Safe nor what to Joyn with this Double-minded Man will be Unstable in his Counsels and in his Actions his Sandy Foundation will be Shaken Therefore as I said Wo to the Hypocrite and to the Covetous Man too for his Gods will fail him the Thief the Moth and Rust will invade his Baggs and surprise his Treasure his Anguish will be Great in this Day But my Dear Brethren as the Power and Spirit of our Lord God will Preserve and Establish us if we Sincerely and Entirely confide therein and that above our Sollicitation or Need of Carnal Consultations or Contrivances which we have