away How did you Reform that which you call Baptising Infants you layed by the sign of the Cross which was made by a man called Minister in the Childes Fore-head and you layed by those called GOD-FATHERS and GOD-MOTHERS and yet you continued sprinkling water in the Childrens Faces and call it Baptisme and say You baptize them into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost What Scripture have you for this practice Did not the Sign of the Cross and sprinkling water in the Childes face both spring from one Root and neither of them can be proved Warrantable from the Scriptures of Truth and you have layed by the One as unlawful and continues the Other as lawful and this you call REFORMATâ—ON Are you not in the Midnight of Apostacy who upholds such things in your Profession of God which the Saints never practised nor any Scriptures declare of such things being used by them Who taught you to sing Davids Words in Meeter and to call upon your Congregations to sing to the Praâ—se and Glory of God and to have a Clerk to publish them and give them forth Is this to sing with the Spirit and Understanding and to make melody in your hearts to the Lord who have not a Psalm before the Clerk give it forth and then for all people of all Conditions to sing the Words though they know nothing of the state of David who Published the words from the sensibleness of his Condition as then he was in when he did declare them so they were true in him but such as cannot witness David's state you make them to sing Lyes in Hypocrisie And who taught you to take a portion of Scripture and call it a TEXT and tell people It is the Word of the Lord and that they may finde it written in in such a Book Chapter and Verse and then raise Doctrines from it Uses Motives Helps Arguments and make Applications Is not this the Colledge Work And have you not learned it there And is not this the Philosophy and vain Deceit which peopâ—e is to beware of Do you know the Scriptures and the Power of God you that are so wise in your own Eyes Where is you Scripture for these things Or did ever the LORD of LIFE and GLORY teach his Ministers so to Do as you are Doing at this day You are from the Saints life and in the old Root and your Birth is begotten in Whoredome and formed in the Inventions and Imaginations of the Old Man and brought forth in the strength of that Nature and the Lord's Controversie is sore against You because you do in Words profess him but in your Works deny him Therefore Repent speedily and turn to the Light of Christ in your own Consciences and be not so wise in your own Eyes but become Fools to you own wisdome that you may be wise in the Wisdome of God that your understandings may be opened to know the Scriptures and the Power of God For the Lord is visiting the Nations in this day of his Mercy and his love reaches unto you and with a measure of his Spirit he doth Reprove you and secretly discovers unto you the intents and thoughts of your hearts Turn when Reproof comes and hate it not for the Lords Love is tendred to you in that which doth Reprove you Hearken to it that you may be Converted and Healed before the Door of Mercy be shut and no place of Repentance can be found for the Lord hath a Seed to gather from amongst you that cannot live long with you such is the earnest desire after life in many this day whilest it is called to day let none behard but all wait to Receive from the Lord in tenderness that his Spirit may guide and lead you which is manifest in you and that the fruits thereof may be brought forth by you that LOVE and PEACE and GENTLENES may abound amongst you that WARRING and FIGHTING and DESTROYING one another may all cease that the Sound of the TRUMPET and the Al-arm of WAR may not be heard in the Land but that you may be gathered and united in the Spirit of Life where no Confusion nor Distraction is but perfect love and peace for ever Turn to the Lord and walk in the way of Understanding A few Words of tender Counsel unto those called INDEPENDENTS with all that walk in that way HEar ye Wandring ones who upon the Mountains are scattered You are tossed up and down and driven to and fro in the Cloudy and dark day something of the Morning did once appear unto you though you knew it not and in the Dawnings of the light which in you did begin to shine your understandings were opened and you beheld the Formes and Practises and abominable Idolatries which were come up in the Darkness and a true tenderness was raised in you towards the Lord and a breathing there was in you to enjoy his presence and you departed out of the Idolatrous wayes and worship could not joyn with them nor own their Customs and Tradâ—tions which were set up but seperated from them and gathered into a more particular and private Fellowship to wait upon the Lord and in this tenderness abiding and you kept in the fear to wait and the Visitations of God did break upon you and his Love did open to that which breathed in you and this was a good Day unto you and you were sweetly refreshed in it But behold how you have erred and from the Lord are gone astray and betrayed the Innocent Life you were not faithful unto God nor did not sink into his Counsel that his Arm of Power might have wounded the Head of the Transgressor smitten him down into the Death buryed him under the Judgement for ever you fled from Him when you should have joined unto Him and so never came through the Gaâ—e of Death to obtain Life in the Resurrection But you reached forth with that Mind which should have come to Judgement and with that Mind comprehended those things which in the Day of Tenderness were opened to you in the Light then did you enrich your selves and grew Wise and Mighty in Skill and Knowledge and you decked the false Birth with that which God opened to you in the Day when you breathed after him in the unsatisfiedness of your Minds were in the true hunger and in the sensibleness that you wanted Bread so you betrayed the simplicity delivered it up into the hands of the subtilty under which it lyes in Captivity and sorely oppressed and afflicted and so you erred from the LIFE which was near to be revealed in many of you and lost the WORD and drew back again and ran into the words and have got the words and with them stands filled in the earthly mind that fled the Judgement and there you are lifted up and exalted above the Witness of God and the false Birth hath beautified it self with the Saints words and sits
in the Temple as God for you sought out an easier Way then that which God hath prepared and drew aside for self-safety and denyed the Cross which the Light leads all unto that obeys it So you never entered in at the strait Gate to know the enmity slain which would not have the Life to reign but you got up in the Knowledge and grew wise in the Comprehension and branched forth in a shew of Godliness and in your own Wisdom brought forth what you conceived might be the nearest to the Saints Practise So a Birth you formed in the deceitful heart that is corrupted and lyes degenerated from God and though you be in some things seperated and more particularly gathered in appearance yet do you lye mixed and confused with the rest of Babylons Inhabitants you can go to their named Churches and hear their Colledge-Ministers which are made by man contrary to the Scriptures of Truth so you are in the luke-warm state neither hot nor cold and your Garment is party-coloured and it is neither Night nor Day amongst you for you are run into the many inventions and drinking of the Cup of Fornication and are joined to the Harlot and commits VVhoredom with her and brings forth a Birth that is after the Flesh which cannot please God so hath the old Enemy deceived you and betrayed the innocent Life which once breathed in you and you are seated and centered in your Form and there have your dependance for satisfaction and you flye to the Scriptures to prove your Birth to be lawful and you have got Saints Words and in something appear as they did in Practise and you can say That so you find it written and so did the Saints practise and so do you but you want the life which they were born into thorough the working of God's Mighty Power and in which they declared the Scriptures and if you could perform all that ever you read concerning their practise and be not come into their life it will not be owned of God to be a true Worship and Service though they in what they did were accepted and rewarded And none upon the Earth can understand the Scripture without a measure of that life from which it was ministred And so have you erred for want of knowledge because that darkness hath blinded your minds and though much you profess and boast of high things yet your Deeds testifies against you even as others do from amongst whom you are gathered in your Worship you are vain and light minded foolish jesting and idle talking abounds amongst you you are high-minded and lifted up with a perfect Tincture of Pride many of your hearts are after Covetousness which doth not become a people professing the Knowledge of God These things are not charged upon you to upbraid you or to boast over you but that you may come into stayedness and soberness and humblenesse of mind that when God's Witnesse smites upon you and reproves you for those things that be evil you may be sensible of its reproof for the Light of Christ which is pure it doth not consent to or allow of any such things but reproves them without respect of persons but you are so lifted up in your vain minds that you are not sensible of it neither have any regard unto it so you delight in the thing as if it were a Priviledge purchased for you by Christ whose Name you profess and you can plead for your Lightness and say it is your Liberty to rejoice and be merry and your Covetousnesse you can call it Carefulness and Providence and your Pride you can put it upon your Quality and Ability So hath the Enemy vailed you and drawn you from the Spirit of Life which doth certainly reprove you in your own Consciences for these things and thus the Enemy doth lead you out of God's fear and into vanity and then seeks a fair excuse to cover it but you are found to walk after the flesh and satisfies that part with all the affections and lusts of it and the Witness of God is not regarded by you though it be alwayes near you and in your secret Chambers with you and often smiting you and reproving you yet you are so high over it that you do not heed it nor when it calls you hearken not to it but run in your own Way and follow your own Wills and the imaginations of your own hearts and slights the Day of your Visitation and the sweet tenders of God's Love unto you in the Light for he waits to be Gracious though you be Careless and his hands are stretched forth still that he might gather you and do you good You are a People whom the Lord strives with though you have rejected and slighted and grieved his Spirit yet is his tender Mercy open towards you and the Arm of Salvation he reaches to you that into his own House he may bring you and there deal forth Daily-Bread and give you Water of Life freely I travel in Spirit for you and the Love of the Father reaches to you and I know from the Lord that there is an unsatisfied Cry in many of you who want the Bread of Life and Water of Life to refresh your Souls And when you have received that which you call your Ordinance and have eaten and drunken of the Temporals you want that Meat which endures to everlasting life and something in you that hungers and thirsts after the enjoyment of that Oh! there is a Seed amongst you that must not dye in Aegypt nor alwayes groan under Pharoah's Power but must be redeemed by the out stretched Arm of the Almighty His Love draws near you the Morning springs fast upon you AWAKE and behold what God is tendering to you hasten to it and lay hold upon it look not abroad but come within and feel it near you that you may know the Power to save you and the Arm that is stretched forth to redeem you and the Manifestation of God's Spirit within you will be strength and safety for you and as you turn unto it obey and believ in it it wil not leave you nor forsake you but will be a present help unto you in the needful time and in the patience waiting the DAY will break and the SUN of RIGHTEOUSNESS will Arise and the thick Clouds and Foggy Mysts that darkens your understandings will vanish away like the Morning-Dew and the brightness of his Rising will destroy ANTICHRIST which so long hath been exalted in you and all the loftiness and haughtiness will fall before him whose appearance is glorious And thus doth he manifest himself and makes known his Eternal Power in the hearts of all that wait upon him in the Measure of his Light and carries on his Work prosperously in his own hand cutting down and sparing not whatsoever stands in the heart contrary to him and would not have him to Reign and his Works declares that it is he for he works Faith
in the heart and reveals Truth in the inward parts and so becomes the Author of Faith and of eâ—ernal Salvation and the Mysterie of this Faith is held in a pure Conscience where his Arm hath been working and purging and purâ—fying And as you give up to that Measure of LIGHT in your own Conscienceâ— and wait to be guided and led by it and exercised in it you will know CHRIST revealed within you whom you are looking for without you and puts his Day far off from you And so you live in want of him and know not how to come to him nor the place where to find him but live in the Dreamings and the Nâ—ght-Visions and have a talke of him and what he hath done for you and so spend your precious time in slumbering and dreaming but do not behold the Light of his Countenance noâ— feel not the Joy of his Salvation nor drink not at the Wells thereof Now wait to feel him in the Light which makes all things manifest within you and when he draws near unto you reâ—ect hâ—m not if you feel an evil thought discovered that is his appearance that makes the â—â—iscovery then do thou sink down to that which makes manifest and be still and quiet in thy mâ—â—d and in the stayedness wait to receive him and though it 〈◊〉 but a little thing in its first appearance do not thou despise the Day of small things nor cast behind thee the Grain of Mustard-Seed because it is a little one but wait to know the glory of the Day and the branching forth of the Graâ—n of Mustard-Seed until it be grown up and spread it self over all The Lords Love freely opens unto all you that in tenderness and simplicity thirsts for his lâ—ving presence and for your sakes plainness of speech is used and God's pure Truth opened in the Life of his own Spirit that you may come and partake of the Riches of that GRACE and MERCY which from the FATHER is revealed and appears in you all that you may truly know the benefit that is in the Lord of Life and Power and feel his Eternal operation your Consciences to purge and your Hearts to purâ—fie that you may have fellowship with him in the everlasting Covenant of Peace and know the Blood of the Covenant to take away your sin and to pardon your Iniquity and so the Redemption through his blood you wil feel and the forgiveness of your sins according to the Riches of his Grace And this is unto you from the Lord God Eternally moved who breaths after Life that you may Arise and follow the Leadings of God into his own House and from his Hand receive your Daily-bread and drink of the Water of Life freely and this will satisfie and refresh you and daily renew strength unto you to follow the Lord God in the Light in all obedience and faithfulness without any weariness or faintness so will the Lord God receive you and be a Father unto you and make you Sons and Daughters and give you an Inheritance amongst the Saints in Light who are justified by Faith in Christ Jesus Be swift to hear and slow to speak A few Words of tender Counsel unto the BAPTISTS with all that walk in that WAY HEar you seperated ones who have set your selves in the Highest Seat and whose Branch puts out over all the Branches of the Tree you are beheld though you be climbed high and your Work is seen of what sort it is you must come to Tryal for your Work is not right before the Lord Once did the Morning open unto you and a Measure of Light out of Darkness shined and a sight you had of something which was out of the Truth and beheld Babylon without you in Practice and Worship and saw her Merchants that traded in her and could not for Conscience-sake Trade with them any longer nor buy their Merchandize any more but you separated from them in Practise and Worship And that which made these things manifest to your Understandings was Light and it was near unto you though you were but little acquainted with it you had Clearness in sight through Forms and Traditions then in practice amongst men and something opened before you that appeared more excellent and you did not onely depart out of that which was manifest to be out of the Truth but there was also a true waiting amongst you that you might come to enjoy living Bread that something in you hungred for and in that day a tender people you were whilest the true fear was in your hearts placed and in the fear you diligently waited and were kept low and little in your own eyes and you had fresh Visitations of God's Love and felt that which truly judged the Abomination and Vanity which you beheld in the World and you were convinced of the evil thereof and could have no fellowship with them and you cannot say in truth but in that Day the Lord was near you to have wrought his Work in you had you enclined to his Counsel and as you were kept in lowliness to wait and met and assembled in God's fear he was not straitned towards you but did relieve you and succour you in your wants and had compassion upon you in all your needs What Hungerings and Thirstings Breathings and Pantings were raised in the earnest for Life and Salvation And what a tender love was raised in many of you after the best things And how did you delight to walk in that Way which then was made manifest to you Was it noâ— better with many of you in that Day then it is now Consider soberly in the fear of God and judge down the rash wrathful Spirit which hath a Seat in many of you Are you not gone from that in which the Lord did first visit you and in which his tender Love was made manifest in you Was it any thing without you that first let you see your Way to be corrupted and that brought you into a sensibleness of your want and of your miserable and undone state without the Salvation of Christ Was this made manifest unto you by Reading or Hearing or by the Gift of God's Spirit manifest in your own hearts How hath the old Enemy deceived you and drawn your minds into the Visibles to look after and behold the things that are seen and there tenders you Satisfaction and so draws your minds from the weightier matter and that which is of absolute necessity for all to know a part in And so you are cumbred about many things and are got into the many Words and there you are sucking your nourishment and labouring to receive strength and there have taken up your rest What have you to live upon besides the Letter And what do you know of GOD and CHRIST more then what they declared who enjoyed his Life And if you say that it is sufficient for you to mind the Declaration and to know GOD and CHRIST as the Saints
are still defiled and the weight of corruption doth oppress you and makes you go heavily and that keeps you from the enjoyment of life You that are feeding upon the visibles which you call an Ordinance and yet cry for hunger and are feeble for want of nourishment and your strength ready to fail Oh! Arise Arise Turn to the Light of Christ within you which is freely given of God unto you neglect it no longer for it is the power of God unto salvation to all that beleeve and in him alone is treasured up all good things for he is the fulness and he ministers in freeness unto all that wait upon him and he hath enough for you all who will come that you may have life and will plentifully give unto you and cause you to feel his goodness in the land of the living Be not vainly puffed up but in lowness wait to receive A few Words of tender Counsel to all the Inhabitants of BABYLON HEar Oh ye people BABYLON must be destroyed and and all the Pride of her glory must be spoyled the Lord God hath so determined and no part of her Countrey must be spared for the Scourge is to pass thorough her Land and to find out high and low rich and poor who inhabits within her Borders and to smite them and spoil them that a dreadful cry will be heard amongst them all slying for their lives and none able to escape the severity of God's Judgement Therefore all Arise come out make haste who desires to live for destruction comes as a VVhirl-wind and there will not be a hiding place found in BABYLON for strong is the Lord that judgeth her and in one day will Judgement fall upon her and the Lord will make a full end concerning her Oh! my heart is heavy and my Spirit sad when I behold the Viol filled and how near it is to be opened and poured forth the Day hastens upon thee Oh BABYLON yea sudden Destruction is coming swiftly and in flames of Fire it will be rendered and will take hold upon thee and kindle within thee as Fire kindles in the midst of Tow and who shall then stand up for thee or bring deliverance to thee Not a man within thee will be able to lift up his head to do any thing for thee for all hearts will fail and all faces gather paleness who are found within thy borders and thou must drink the Cup of God's Indignation because thou hast rebelled against him for thou hast been a HARLOT from thy youth and hast decked thy self with costly Ornaments that thou mighest entice Lovers to thee and many have been deceived by thee and have been overcome to commit VVhordom with thee and many Children are brought forth by thee which are sons of thy Whoredom and these thy Children would rule in the Earth and would have all bow unto them and strive amongst themselves who should be greatest Is not this the fruit of thy womb O BABYLON that runs into all confusion and distraction and have no agreement amongst themselves but would devour and destroy one another And dost thou not dark thy Children with costly Attire and â—eautifie them with fair Ornaments that they may be beloved because of their Comeliness in which they appear to men Is not this thy VVitchcrâ—fâ— and Sorcery which thou hast spread over the Earth in this night of Apostacy Hast not thou sitten dâ—â—ked as a QUEEN and thy Children like PRINCES Sons And hast not thou and thy Children been the wonder of the World And have not all been subject to thee and bowed before thee and thy Sons VVhoredome And hast not thou handed forth a CUP of FORNICATION And have not the Nations received it at thy hand and drunk so deep of it until they have been made drunk What is this that thou hast done thou MOTHER of HARLOTS Hast thou deceived all Nations and made them drunk and then enticed them to commit VVhoredome with thee Must not thou be done unto as thou hast done unto others And must not thou be rewarded double for all thy sins I tell thee yea for he is just that will render unto thee a recompence and though thy Kingdome seem to be strong and thy City to be walled and thou enriched therein with the best things of the Earth all this will not save thee from the hand of him that pursues thee swiftly in Judgement And though thou hast gathered Nations unto thee and hast many Merchants that trade in thee and they all with their strength joyn together to save thee yet thou must fall and all that strive to uphold thee for thy Ruine is near to come and the wrath is kindled against thee and ready to take hold upon thee and to destroy thee Root and Branch that thy place will be no more found and it is the Lords long-suffering and patience that hath spared thee from utter Ruine untill this day and hath not as yet out thee off in the fierceness of his wrath with all those that are Inhabitants in thee It is not for thy sake that the stroak hath been kept off but for his own Name sake who delights to save in his Mercy that some of thy Inhabitants might behold his patience and his goodness and thereby come to repentance as some of them have done who were once in the midst of thee but his own arm reached unto them and hath gathered them out of thee and hath brought his Sons from far Daughters from the Ends of the Earth yea from all quarters of thy Dominion hath the Righteous God brought up a Remnant who in thy Kingdome were once scattered and dispersed and were amongst thy various Observations and thy Forms and Traditions where they could not finde a Resting-place and there is yet a Remnant that God will not destroy with thee who sit by thy Rivers and weep and it is for his Chosen sake that thou art spared unto this day but God is making haste the work to finish and is opening the Eyes of many who yet remain within thee thy filthiness to see and thy abominations and wickedness to loath and abhor and many will the Lord gather out of thee who now sit in sorrow within thee and wait to be delivered by the Arm of his Power such doth he reach unto in his Mercy and is drawing them out with the Cords of his Love So all people hear and consider from the highest to the lowest and let not this seem small in your eyes though your wisdome may account it so and sleight it and reject it as a tale that is told and still make your necks stiffe and your hearts hard against the Lord yet shall you all one day know that the Lord hath spoken it And all you tender ones that breathes after God under what Form soever you do yet abide or in what part of BABYLON soever your habitation is Arise come forth do not delay neither look behinde you but make
haste to the City of Refuge that you may live for the Lord with holds in pity towards you and long hath he striven with many of you but you have been slack in your obedience and have not regarded the Lords Visitation and yet doth he wait upon you that he may save you and shew mercy to you and though you trifle and put off from day to day yet is he striving with you that you may not perish in Babylon's Ruine Oh! do not delay any longer lest he leave you and depart from you and you continue touching the unclean thing and will not be separated from it then he will certainly smite you and none will be found to heal you Therefore give up to the Lord freely obey beleeve and follow the Light that out of Babylon you may clearly come and leave not a Hoof behinde you and stick not in any part or place of her though it seem never so glorious for â—o part of her will the Lord spare in the day when he smites And all you whose delight is in BABYLON and whose love is to her and who are trading and making your selves rich in her the voice of the Lord reacheth unto you that you might come ouâ— and be saved for he would have none of you destroyed therefore they who come under destruction destroy themselves because they refuse to hear and obey the Lords Counsel So let the Inhabitants of BABYLON consider and all her Merchants ponder the thing for the time of desolation comes yea it is near at hand he is making up his Jewels and gathering the Wheat into his Garner and when he hath finished and his own pleasure is performed towards his Chosen ones then will the storm fall upon thee O BABYLON yea fiery Indignation will proceed out of the mouth of the Almighty and from the fierceness of his wrath thou canst not escape but sorrow will come upon thee as pâ—ngs upon a woman in travel then WOE WOE WOE unto thee O BABYLON thy Brats and Merchants and all thy Inhabitants who in thee have lived in pleasure and have made themselves rich with Trading in thee this will be thy portion with all that belongs unto thee and refuse to come out from thee Weeping and Howling and Wayling and Lamentation for ever and this Cup must thou thy Sons and Merchants receive from the Lords hand who is just in his Judgements and Righteous in all his wayes FEAR and REPENT before it be hid from your Eyes A few Words of tender Counsel unto all born of the Spirit who walk in the way of Life HEar YE TENDER BABES Consider what God hath done for you who had pity upon you and bowels of compassion towards you when you were in a strange Land and when you were sate down by the Rivers of BABYLON and wept it was his tender love unto you his own arm that he then revealed to bring salvation to you by which he hath redeemed you as it is at this day How hath his work prospered since the day he called you to arise and since he turned your faces Sion-ward and became your Leader He hath raised you up to praise him he hath brought you forth to glorifie his Name for ever Oh ISRAEL thy GOD Reigneth Oh SEED of JACOB thy King is beautiful and glorious his Government is Everlasting and his Dominion endures throughout all Ages he is Risen to make all subject to him and to make all bow before the Scepter of his glory â—e is treading upon the high places of the Earth and bringing the necks of all his Enemies under him This is thy strength Oh ISRAEL and this is thy salvation thou Seed of JACOB God hath Ransomed thee in his love and upon thy head is Songs of Joy No Form nor Likeness can be made of thee neither can the prudent of the world comprehend thy glory Thou art over all Exalted Thou art over all lift up and praised thy Saints bless thee for ever and all thy Redeemed ones gives glory to thy holy Name all born of thee wait upon thee O GOD of Jacob our desires is to thee and to the Remembrance of thy Holiness Thou hast begotten us to thy self and we are born to praise thee in thy Power our safety is and we have none to help besides thee Thou hast brought the fleshly Birth under thee and thou hast Raised thy own to Reign in Dominion Oh the glory that in us thou hast Revealed and the Eternal life which thou hast made us partakers of What shall we say unto thee and what shall we offer before thee thou Redeemer of our souls we are before thee O Lord in thy love we are overcome and with a broken a contrite heart we offer up living praises which thou dost not despise Oh! blessed be thy Name that accepts us in thy Beloved through whom we have this boldness and access unto thee in full assurance through faith in his Name that thou wilt not forsake us but wilt preserve keep us faithful with thee unto the end and that thou wilt exalt thy Name in SION and make it the praise of the whole Earth this day Oh ye Mourners in SION why are ye cast down And why do you go so heavily Arise suck the Breasts of your Mother ye tender Babes and be strengthned She is a Virgin and never was defiled nor never joyned unto strange flesh lye down in her Bosome and be comforted she will nourish you by her Side and carry you in her Arms and dandle you upon her Knees and make you stronger than all your Enemies so let not your hands be feeble nor your hearts faint ye dear Babes born of the Immortal Seed for the Lord is with you and his blessing is upon you for ever and all your Enemies must fall before you and BABYLON must be given for the soles of your feet to tread upon the Lord of Hosts will perfom this Therefore be ye all stayed in faithfulness and let not any fears enter you whatever BABYLON may Decree concerning you but lift up your heads and rejoyce for this is the day of Israels Redemption And look not at any Storm or Blackness but wait for the shining forth of the SON of RIGHTEOUSNES before the Glory of whose brightness all Clouds will vanish away and be no more for the Abomination must be set up and for a time it must stand yea and in the holy place where it ought not these things must come to pass but be not ye troubled at them but look over them and see to the end and Rejoice for this will be the fall of BABYLON Head and Taile in which she must be plunged into deep misery and sorrow never more to rise and this will be the day of SIONS Everlasting glory Oh my Dear friends Our God whom we serve he is able to deliver he is the same as ever he was to his own Seed and the same Deliverance is wrought by
THE Morning-Watch OR A Spiritual Glass Opened WHEREIN A Clear DISCOVERY is made of That which lies in Darknesse from whence WARS CONTENTIONS and DESTRUCTIONS do arise concerning a professed RELIGION With a few words of tender Counsel Unto the Pope Prelate Presbyter Independent Baptist c. That they may all watch to the Morning and in the Glass behold themselves and try their Principle and Practise and see whose Image it bears and vvhether it be the same Principle that the Saints vvere guided by and the same Practice that they walked in that none may lye any longer in darkness and be deceived but all may come in one spirit to be gathered and into one body baptized where Love and Life Peace and Eternal Unity is truly enjoyed and possessed By one vvho travels for Israel's Freedom William Smith LONDON Printed and are to be sold by Robert Wilson at the sign of the Black-spread-Eagle and Wind-Mill in Martins near Aldersgate 1660. To the READER READER THe Way of Life or the Way of Death is the Choice that all people make and are found walking in The Way of Life is strait and there be not many finds it the Way of Death is broad and many walk therein Theâ—efore it is of concernment for thee to examine thy present state and to be careful in what way thou walkest least suddenly thou fall into danger for God would not have thee peâ—ish nor to go on in the Way of Death but would have thee turn and depart out of it and for that end hath he freely made manifest in thee a measure of his Spirit to discover it that thou mayst see the danger and escape it and that thou mayst not run into it and destroy thy self and that is in thy Conscience placed which truly tryes thy wayes and doings and doth not let an evil thought word or deed go unreproved thaâ— is the Light of Christ which thou art enlightened withall and lets thee see that when thou art at liberty in the flesh and satisfying the lusts of it thou art in the broad way that leads to destruction it reproves thee for it calls thee to turn and depart out of it if thou walk in pride drunkennesse covetousnesse envy or malâ—ce in scorn or disdain of others the Light of Christ doth reprove thee in thy own Conscience for such things and calls thee to abstaâ—n from them and this is the broad way that leads to destruction all that walk in it and will not turn from it when reproof comes they destroy themselves and will perish in their gain-saying Therefore whilest the Lord is visiting thee in his tender mercies harden not thy heart against him nor reâ—ect his counsel but be diligent and ready to receâ—ve and in the quietnesâ— of thy mind attend to the Word near thee which is in thy heart and in thy mouth that thou mayst obey it and do it for it is Gods gift unto thee and stands a witness for God in thy Conscâ—ence it is Life and the Life is the Light and the Light breaks forth in thee and makes manifest unto thee the secrets of thy own heart and lets thee see all thy thoughts whether they be good or evil and thou canst not hide thy Counsel from it nor cover any intent so close but it will find it out This is God's Love unto thee who hath given his Son for thee that thou in him might believe and have everlasting life Wait in his fear his counsel to know and his leading to follow and he will bring thee to the strait Way and open it for thee to walk in and he will judge and condemn all that in thee which must not enter and he will bring thee down into the Death where God's Wonders thou wilt behold in the deep And this is the straitness of the Way and the Ground why so few findes it and walks in it Because that flesh and blood must not enter but be judged down to death Therefore Reader be diligent to find out thy present state and to know the Way wherein thou art walking and do not deceâ—ve thy self by crying Peace when sudden destruction is near at hand and be not secure with a talk of God and Christ but wait to know them and speak not of Faith and Grace until thou have them for thereâ—n thou deceives thy self and the Enemy blinds thy mâ—nd in a secure state So unto that of God in thee which is pure I direct thee that thou mayst know the Leadings and Teachingâ— of it and believe in it and joyn to it and it wâ—ll bring thee to know those things that concerns thy own Peace And in the measure of God manifest in thee read this following Treatise and it will keep dâ—â—n that mind thaâ— covets Knowledg and would be feeding upon Knowledge which the Lord forbids or if any thing arise in thee which would be angry oâ— envious the Light of Chrâ—st will judge that down and â—â—ll keep thee low in the meekness and patience to read and understand and if any thing seem hard unto thee whiâ—h at present thou mayst not have clearness â—n let it aloâ—e until the day declare it And be not hasty to know nor rash to juâ—ge in that which cannot dâ—scern it but be stiâ—l coâ—l and sink down and wait in patâ—ence until the appointed time And this is published in the servâ—ce of Love for thy sake who erres for want of knowledge and is not come to walk in the Way of Understanding that thou mayst be informed of the subtil workings of the Enemy of thy Peace and to know a part in that which gives Dominion over him which is CHRIST JESUS the LIGHT in thy Conscience unto which I am made manifest who â—ravels to relâ—eve the weary and to ease the oppressed ones that the feeble may be strengthened and all that breath after God may be saved â—n this day of his Mercy My Friendship is to thee and all people in the Truth of God W. S. THE MORNING-WATCH Or A Spiritual GLASS Opened c AWAKE Awake all people Arise lift up your eyes watch to the Morning the Day is come and the glory of Israel is risen all things is manifest as they are Darkness is dangerous and the Ways thereof leads unto Death Why will ye walk therein And why will ye dye O ye yeople Everlasting Mercy from the Lord God is held forth that none might be lost but all might be saved Bow down your ear and hear be diligent and encline for that is come which was before the Subtilty and that is manifest which in the beginning made all things and was before the Serpent prevailed or before that sin or death entered and this hâ—th God revealed in his tender mercy and hath visited many therein whose Understandings are opened and their eyes enlightened to behold the way of life and they are come to that which was before the World was made and knows a part in that
Earthly corruptibâ—e Wisdom you have formed and brought forth and as you obey and believe in it it will lead you to God where Life and Eternal Salvation is obtained and Peace and Unity is enjoyed and possessed for ever Depart from Vanity and live A few Words of tender Counsel to the PRELATES with all that wâ—lk in that way generally called PROTESTANTS BEhold your WAY ye People and consider what is brought forth by you Look into the GLASS of Righteousness and see whose Image it bears Are you come to that which was in the beginning And doth the Light shine out of Darkness in you Your VVayes and Doings must come to tryal and your VVork must be seen of what sort it is for the Light maketh all things manifest You deny the POPE and those with him in words and you have got the Name of PROTESTANTS to be your Covering but when your Works are brought to trial they savour of the Popes Root and your fruit hath both one taste and your Births are Simeâ—n and Levi you are in the Apostacy and in Darkness you abide and there you wander form the Way of Truth and then you make a Way in your Inventions and seâ— up a Worship in your Wils and drinks of the Whores Cup and the Beast's Mark is in your FOREHEAD You have an Observation which you make to your selves and you set up the Kingdom there and the Customs and Traditions you walk in which by the Popes Power was first instituted and you uphold and maintain his Birth which was nourished and brought up by him in this Nation of England when his Power extended over it and his Skirts covered it and you strive to preserve it and to give more life unto it and to set it up as a lawful Child and so in your COUNCELS makes Laws to establish it and to compel all to worship it and do not consider from what Root it springs or whether it be according to the Scriptures of Truth or the Saints life but you run in haste in your own Wills sets up what seems right in your own Eyes and then make Laws to uphold it and to compel all to be conformable to it under penalties and punishment And what have you more to say for your PRACTISE and WORSHIP then the POPE hath for his Or is your Birth more like the Truth or the Saints Practice then his whom you seem to deny What Scripture have you for your made-Church of Wood and Stone And who first ordained it to be a Church and consecrated it to be holy And what Scripture have you for your formed PRAYERS and your LETTANY and to make them up together in a Book and call them COMMON PRAYER Who first instituted COLLEDGES And who gave them their Names And who first ordained that men should be made Ministers at Colledges And who first appointed TYTHES to be paid to that Ministry And who first made a LAW to compel such a Maintenance Who first made and ordained LORD-BISHOPS and ARCH-BISHOPS Vicars and Curates And who first divided their BISHOPRICKS and Diocesses And how came they to rule over other people to make Vicars and Curates under them How came up HOODS and TIPPETS and SURPLICES And who first ordained that Ministers should be clothed with them in the time of their Worship And who first set up ALTARS and ORGANS and made Singing-men and Singing-boyes Have you not found out many Inventions and observe the Customs and Traditions which hath been brought in when Darkness over-spread And so you are found to be out of the Saints life and errs from the Scripture of Truth and your Root is the corrupted heart of the old man and your Likeness bears his IMAGE Behold your Birth Is it not after the Flesh and a Child of Whoredom It is not like the Form of that which was brought forth by the Saints that lived in the Truth and worshipped God in Spirit and Truth Oh! Arise ye people here is not your REST it is polluted and God will destroy it with a sore destruction Therefore come out of BABYLON partake no longer of her sins lest ye be destroyed with her Plagues And be not violent towards others that God hath separated from amongst you neither force or compel any people by a Law to conform to such a VVorship or bow to such a Likeness or uphold such a Church or maintain such a Ministery least you draw Judgement speedily upon your selves For BABYLON must be destroyed and the Inhabitants thereof scattered therefore doth the Lord visit in his Love that his Seed might be gathered before his Wrath take hold in Judgement For God hath a Seed amongst you which groans and is pressed under your Corruptions and Abominations and his Bowels yearns towards it And in tender Love is this declared concerning you that you may turn to the Lord in this day of his Visitation wherein his Arm is gathering from off the Mountains and Hills and bringing into the Fold of his Reâ—â— for he is making haste and cutting the Work short in Righteousness Therefore all fear before him who is mighty to save and mighty to cut down and destroy and all encline to his Counsel whose VVord is near you and secretly reproves you in your own Conscience for the evil of your doings turn unto it for that was in the beginning and made and created all things and saw that they were good Hearken when the Word near you reproves you and obey believe and follow it for it teaches right things and your understandings it will open and bring you to consider the fruit of your doings and let you see your practise and Worship to be vain and it will lead you out of Confusion Warring and Fighting and destroying one another about your Religion and it wil bring you to know the pure Religion and undefiled before God which no carnal Weapon can either set up or pull down And so will you come into unity with God and one another and know the Rest and everlasting Peace that endures for ever Be not high-minded but fear A few Words of tender Counsel unto those called PRESBYTERIANS with all that are walking in that WAY HEar ye zealous PROFESSORS who are mounted up on high and in your Imaginations stand exalted What taste have your Fruit And what is the form of your Birth For you must come to the proof and the Tryal must pass upon you the Light hath found you out and makes you manifest and you are seen to be of the old Root though your Branch put out something higher the savour of your Fruit is bitter and the Form of your Birth is uncomely your Work doth not answer what you seem to profess you are run into observations and are setting up the Kingdom in words and make to your selves a Likeness and would compel subjection to it You have forgot the day of your Distresse when many of you suffered under Compelling Laws because you could not bow nor
up the Cross in obedience to the leadings of the Light and because in the movings of the Power they declared it and it is written doth this Minister satisfaction unto you to read it or to hear it if you come not to partake of a Measure of the same life which ministred pure refreshment unto them and in the strength of which they were constrained to minister forth again I tell you nay for no satisfaction or refreshment can any find but in that life which the holy men of God were inspired with and declared the Scriptures from so all that you make to your selves profits you not how like soever you may make it in the appearance to that which the Saints practised in the Power And is not this your present state reading what the Saints did and you make to your selvs the same as near as you can and in your wills perform it and can make it to be near in the likeness of that which they in the appearance practised So you read some of them went into the water and you go into the water because you read it and you read that they brake bread together and you do so because they did it Will you not be found setting up the highest part of the Image and drinking of the Cup of Fornication and committing VVhoredome and bringing forth a Childe of VVhoredom and a Birth after the Flesh For you lye in the Degeneration and walk in the Night of Apostacy and are not come to the Regeneration nor have no Knowledge of that VVater So the Old man you Retain and live his life and bear his Image and you never came to the Power which Crucifies the Old man and puts him off and brings forth a new Birth which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness that so you have not put on CHRIST the heavenly Image but are at enmity with him and the Old man is standing and you joyn to that which would not that Christ should Reign And thus you profess him in Words but in Works deny him And your practising that in your wills which the Saints performed in the life will not make you stand approved before God nor justifie you in his sight Therefore depart from your Imaginations come to Gods wâ—tness in you wait the power of it to feel to break down your Images and all the Carved VVorks which your own hands have made out of Gods Councel and which you have in your earthly wisdome set up to worship and set not your Post by the Lords Post nor mix your Work with his Work but cease from your own doings and be still that the Lord may bring forth his own Work in his own time according to his own pleasure that you may come through the gate of Death For verily there is not another Way for you to obtain eternal life And this is his Work whose Arm is Powerful to cut down and destroy the Earthly and Corruptible part and to Raise up the pure Immortal Seed which breathes after Life so will you come to know the New-creature-state and the new-Birth born which is not of flesh nor of blood nor of the will of man but of God and his appearance in you will testifie of him that he is the Son of God and this is the true Birth whose Right it is to Reign and under whose feet all the Harlots Children must be trodden down let your Eye be towards him that his Appearance you may behold and of his fulness receive that you may feel union with his life and be translated into his Likeness So all you that have any tenderness and groan under your heavy Tasks minde the Lords Counsel and obey his Teaching Start not aside when Reproof comes and hate not to be Reformed for the day of your Visitation is upon you and God is tender over his Seed that abides yet amongst you and is scattered upon the Mountains with you who breathes unto him and can feed no longer in your Pasture Oh the Bowels of Gods love that opens in this day to every Nation Kindred Tongue and People that he may Redeem his Chosen that cry unto him and give Ease to all the Afflicted ones who mourn for want of him For this is the Day of his Everlasting loving kindness held forth unto all people in the Light of his Son that who will come unto him believ in him may not perish but have everlasting life Therefore all stoop down and encline your ear to hear Do not continue climbing nor build so high in your Inventions for that is Babylon and the ground of all Confussion and from that lust of pride in the self-conceitedness arises WARS and CONTENTIONS and there is no service of God nor any thing brought forth in which he taketh pleasure so all mind that which makes for peace and that which leads into love and unity for that is the Light of Christ which is given of the Father to be a Leader unto you and it is true and will not deceive you it is the DOOR that gives entrance unto life which you have not found with all your climbing but have been heightned far off from it Therefore stand not exalted but come down and there feel the true Baptizer which will not suffer an evil thought to arise in you but baptize it down into the death if you encline to his Counsel and the Fan you will feel in his hand and his Power to purge the floor and to gather the VVheaâ— into the Garner and burn the Chaff with unquenchable fire and as you keep in the Patience and wait in the Judgement he will bring Judgement forth unto Victory and bring you into the Courts of his own House and there minister to your want and supply your need for the bread is in his own hand and unto the hungry he deals it and at his pleasure he gives it and if you wait in patience to receive it he will not let you want for his compassion is tender and freely doth he give good things to those that walk uprightly So let not the feeble faint nor the weak be discouraged but turn to the Light and walk in the Light and it will lead you to the Cross and bring you to the Judgement-Seat and through the Gate of Death and will open the Door into the Fathers House where there is bread enough it is sure water that never fails So will the Lord feed you with the fatness of his House give you to drink of the River of his pleasure and this is Meat and Drink indeed which if you wait to receiv you wil not be in such want suffer hunger as many of you now do who are from the leadings of God and upon the Mountains scattered and there famished for want of Bread And this in tender love is unto you who have been in the Water and hath been dipped and yet feel that you are not Cleansed but your Consciences
judging according to the flesh but according to the Spirit and sees to the Root and Principle from which all things springs up and grows and they do not judge according to the outward appearance but judge Righteous Judgement for such as Discern no further then what outwardly appears and then judge according to that others from the same ground may draw as true a Judgement against them and here people are not to Judge lest they be Judged which is a place much alleadged against true Judgement but who so Judges one of another it is not in the Spirit of Truth which doth Dâ—scern through all Appearances but it is in the flesh which cannot perceive beyond what doth appear And so all the false Births give Judgement one against another and cannot bear the Judgement of one another then they are provoked and angry one with another and run into Confusion and Distraction Warring and Fighting and Destroying one another about their formed Religion none being come to the Spirit that gives a discerning through what appears and gives true Judgement in the ground but all born of the Spirit hath true union with it and the flesh and the deeds of it is subdued under it and they are no more in the flesh but in the Spirit and have received Christ Jesus the Lord and walk in him and are spiritual and the spiritual man Judgeth all things and he himself is judged of no man And whether you can receive it or no you are all truly tried and judged not in the flesh but in the Spirit and your ROOT and FOUNDATION is seen and Discerned and is not found to be that which was in the beginning but that which the Subtilty generated since the beginning and so doth he rule over you and blind your mindes that you cannot see nor discern further then what appears and the mystery of the Kingdome is hid from your eyes and you run into the Words with your carnal mindes and earthly Wisdome and from what is written draw something to your selves and form up a Likeness in your conceivings and bring that forth in the strength of your own wills and this is your Foundation and the first Principle of your Religion and so the HARLOT hath brought forth many Children which in her Womb hath all been conceived and yet are not formed one like another but all differ in their Shape and Likeness and then strive one with another and yet are all Children of one House and all of one Kingdome but no Love nor Unity found amongst them but Envy Hatred and Malice and all one against another and divided into Heads and Parties which is an evident Testimony of the Ruine and Fall of your House and Kingdome For a House divided against it self cannot stand Therefore come out of it lest it fall upon you and utterly destroy you and all come to that where peace and safety is for God hath prepared a sure Refuge and Resting place for all that will come and he hath gathered many into Unity and perfect Peace therein and they rest in his love and are preserved in his power and he alone is their Strengâ—h and sure Defence so hath the Lord made his Power known in this his day and hath gathered a Remnant to that which was in the beginning which was the Saints Life and from which the Scriptures were declared of which they all testified that is now made manifest which the false Apostles ravened from and many Sons and Daughters are come to glory in it and this is the Spirit of Truth which leads into all Truth that cuts down Transgression and Reigns over the head of the Transgressor and doth discover clearly all the deeds of Darkness which is come up since the dayes of the Apostles and are practised by such as are in the Apostasie and this comprehends all but cannot be comprehended of any it is Pure Everlasting Unchangeable and no Variableness there is in it all that in it do beleeve have found the Author of Eternal Salvation and are come to the Wisdome and Righteousness of God and to the enjoyment of Eternal Life which is in CHRIST JESUS the Lord whose Glory and Majesty is spreading over the Earth and who is gathering a holy people to Himself that in them his Praise may be shewed forth who alone is Worthy God of Gods and King of Saints who by all his Reâ—eemed Ones is over all Exalted Magnified and Praised for Ever and Ever THE END