them with the graces of his Spirit and cloathed them with the Glistering Spangles of his Holyness the Angels Glory and cull and chuse them from the common part of Gods earth to be the chiefe or precious part of his earth his choice Golden Mine his peculiar treasure O may we not say who have but seen heard or tasted ever so little a glimpse of this free rich grace and precious love of God what O what shall we render unto the Lord for these unspeakable special mercies for certainly God looks for some returne of his own from us he looks for some thing present from us as we do present and future from him He looks we should live answerable to our enjoyments and hopes Says Peter What manner of persons ought we professors to be in practice in all holy conversation O how excellent a thing is it to see all the Saints adorne the Gospell of Christ in walking as well as talking Noah is recorded for a walker with God O to walk holy as Christ did when he was upon earth in the days of his flesh is excellent we know his life was a life of Sanctity an holy life for said he Which of you convinceth me of sin and he who had no sin nor guile found in his mouth nay more the Devil confest him the Holy one of God O what a precious life was this holy life as Christ walked holy so humble O that all Saints might walk in humility as their Lord and Head did who though he were Lord and Heir of all yet he washed his Disciples feet and humbled himself to death even the death of the cross The humble soul looks likest Christ humility is the veile of Christs Bride O how beautifull doth she look in Christs eye when this veile of Rebekkah is upon her be ye cloathed with humility saith God to us As this veile hides anothers faults so it s own graces as Rebekkah did her beauty true grace you know shines most irradiant through the mask of humility O what are all Christian duties without heavenly humility Incense smels most sweet when beaten small then it sends forth its fragrant perfume As Divine humility studies Gods goodness so it s own unworthiness Better is that sin which thorowly humbles the soul like David then that duty which lifts up Pharisee-like In this the grace of humility is precious it gives all to God as Joab when he had gotten the Victory sent for King David to carry away the Crown of it so a believer when he or she hath gotten Victory over some corruption or temptation then they set the Crown upon Christs head and say with David By my God I have leaped over a Wall and if they finde strength to go thorow duties then they with Paul write Christ and free grace upon all I laboured more a bundantly then them all yet not I but the grace of God in me To walk in love and amity as Christ did to the glory of God is very desireable he breathed forth nothing but love he was full of this perfume as his person was lovely so was his disposition he was composed all of love he was so full of love within that it broke forth without his lips dropped honey his hands Myrrhe his sides blood his heart Love love O how ought all Saints who look for glorious things to come to live in love as Christ did upon earth O that this sweet spice might send out its fragrant smell more among Christians that all things by them might be done in love We know saith John we who live in love and amity That we are passed from death to life surely none can love the Person of Christ really but they will love his Picture though very contemptible to the world O how might the Saints highly honor God if they were more united in love and quite dispossessed of these two evil spirits that of self-conceitedness or vain glory and uncharitableness O why should this be why should not we love as brethren have we not all one Father indeed that is a blessed strife when the Saints contend for the faith this consists in unity O it 's good indeed when simply out of love the Saints shall be willing to suffer patiently for Christ as he did with a Lamb-like spirit considering all our many and great sufferings are but one dram to his To think of Christs sufferings and of his faithfull ones Davids Jobs Jeremiahs Sions and many others that we are not alone in troubles sorrows and sufferings hath administred much comfort to me under all our sad changes The Lord give us to submit and subscribe more to our Gods will in all troubles and changes that we may swim in the laver of his Love Glorifying Him in the fires Sir having these scattered Meditations upon my spirit at present I was moved to communicate them to you by way of writing being deprived of another oportunity I hope you will accept my poor mite out of my scanty store into you full treasury with love as I have done yours formerly in your lines I remember a saying of yours which stirred me up a little to this communicating you said As the rich ones of the World Visit one another opening their treasures to each other so much more should the Saints declare the goodness of God to each other Fearing my many lines at present may weary you and being somewhat weak in body through sharp exercises I shall now leave you with all Saints in the Everlasting imbraces of our dear Lord Jesus whose delight is to make his beloved the bosom of his rest the bed of Spices whose precious graces doth perfume all our tribulations thorow which we enter into the Kingdom and this love of the Lord also makes the world and evil of it a sweet savour of good Peace and rest to us in the end The good Lord cause us more to indulge and honor the spirit of these graces above them for the sweet incomes of them this will demonstrate to the world that We injoy more Within then we make sound of Without which my spirit covets after and live not onely in the form but in the Power of Godliness and so cannot be led away with the Error of the wicked or fall from our own stedfastness but grow in grace and in the pure perfect knowledge of our dear God alone Now the God of love and peace be with ye making ye perfect in every good work of faith and love working in you and all Saints and us that which is well pleasing in his sight causing us all to walk as Angels among Men as the Powers and glory of Heaven upon Earth like the children of the day in practice as burning and shining lights in this dark world As the Saints believing heart and undaunted spirit is their glory before God so is their unspotted life their holy walking their Glory before men for when they see their good work they will glorifie their God Sir having no further freedom to write more to you now I shall take leave and rest Remaining Your engaged friend to love and serve you as a member of Christ an heire of Heaven and one anointed of the Father SARAH WIGHT An empty nothing whose fulness is all in that Fountain that filleth all in all I am unskilled in Apologies and excellent expressions and if I were not I had not whereof to glory of the excellency of mans wisdom Sir my dear mother is still tossed with many tempests of temptations but the Lord graciously supports her and gives her a little hopes sometimes of a gracious Issue The Lord cast her into your heart to beg patience for her to wait silently for a fresh manifestation of the Lords love to her sad soul that she may with joyfull lips set forth his praise she sees so much evil in her and no good which makes her often doubt whether it will go well with her in the end and I tell her this is a token for good for the more vile in our own eyes the more precious in the sight of the Lord this is a terrible sight to flesh and blood To see our selves as we are and God as he is Sir your kind acceptance of my former lines encouraged me to present these to your view at your leysure in spare hours Sir I desire you to give my cordial respects to Mr. T. though unknown by face with thanks for his Christian care and love to us in an unthought-of way it 's not he but the Lord in him and by him who will not leave a cup of cold water unrewarded to him and you and all his FINIS
A Wonderful Pleasant and Profitable LETTER Written by Mris SARAH WIGHT To a Friend EXPRESSING The joy is to be had in God IN Great Deep Long and Sore AFFLICTIONS Occasioned by the Death of her Brother the Troubles of her Mother but especially the workings of God in her own heart Published for the Use of the AFFLICTED LONDON Printed by James Cottrel for Ri. Moone at the seven Stars in Pauls Church-yard 1656. To the Right Honourable The Lady FLEETWOOD Madam I So esteem you upon the account especially of God not this World that passeth away I am bold to present this little piece not mine own to your view as suitable in some sort to your former and present state having drank in a degree as of the same Cup of inward sorrow and suffering so likewise of joy and salvation herein mentioned it being the portion of all as saith the Head of all Ye shall indeed drink of the Cup that I drink of Your Ladiships Sympathy together with your Dear and Noble Lord's with the afflicted of all sorts as I have largely and multitudes of others I believe found and this Author I suppose in particular hath occasioned this presented for a looking-Glass of solace and delight to your inward Man by Your Ladiships humbly devoted to GOD on your behalf R. B. Some Apology to Mrs. Sarah Wight Touching the printing of her Letter without her knowledge or consent Chosen of God in affliction and precious HAVing sundry times read over your Letter and found in it what my heart longed after and in God rejoyced greatly in I judged with others in the Light of him the printing of it might be of exceeding use especially now to the many bewildernessed ones to whom it might serve as a VVitness they having none left them as to Man in this cloudy and dark day to lean upon save only their dearly beloved Lord and he neither not alwayes manifest and yet manifest too in a measure in the true and alone Messiah in them the Rock of Ages and the onely Hope This I have done without consulting you about it it being judged by others your Friends and by me also it might have prevented the publishing it through a temptation perhaps of modesty in you but thus making you publick was I know divinely urged of God in many as in order to his own immortal glory and praise appearing in your most most low estate so to the profit and consolation of many the like minded but especially the like afflicted in any degree with you among whom I leave you and my self with you bowing continually as is most meet at the feet of God most holy Amen A Wonderful Pleasant and Profitable LETTER Dear Sir PRecious Christian friend much beloved in the Lord of all love in him I kindly salute you wishing you and your dear Relation with my self and all Saints an heavenly increase of knowledge in the mystery of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ not doubting but as ye have received some of the Spirit so you enjoy daily fresh supplies and at last shall be perfected in the Spirit to the glory of God who hath formed you to shew forth his noble praise Sir in our winter-season of affliction I finde it a Christians crown of rejoycing to retire in the Spirit to hear what God speaks for none speaks or teaches like him never man spake like Christ In this retirement of spirit or silent waiting upon God we shall be able to see and say with the Prophet David that God is good of a truth to his purified sincere single-hearted Israelites in the midst of all troubles under Pharaohs bondage at the Red-sea in the wilderness in the firy furnace doing them unexpected good at all times he is a present help to us and an Ark or hiding-place for us from all storms and tempests I finde there is no condition so sad but there is balm enough in Gilead sutable comfort of supplies in Israels God to revive and raise up a fainting spirit The depths of misery we finde are never beyond the depthless depths of mercies When the Lord is pleased to make bare his holy Arm for the deliverance of his people out of troubles he first lays them very lowe that his work may be more admirable he many times for this very end strips us naked and bare and deprives us of all helps and props belowe that we may thereby learn to make the Lord alone our stay and trust who stiles himself A God that comforteth those that are cast down poor helpless nothings this is the very time a soul may expect great appearances and deliverances from God when its help stands onely in the Name of the Lord. That soul that findes a special presence of God with it in trouble as the children in the firy furnace hath ample cause to bless his Name This gracious presence hath been much with us in moderating the measure of our cross though not in taking it away which I desire to wait the Lords time for in praising him who hath not hitherto suffered it to be above our strength As he moderates the measure so the time it 's but a moment of affliction and light in comparison of the greatness and weightiness of the glory in eternity O what cause have we to bless the Lord who limits both measure and time and is also present in mixing some comfortable Cordial which sweetly allays the bitterness of our heavie crosses and strengthens us to bear it patiently in some measure As the Lord is present in sanctifying a cross so when he hath perfected his noble work in us he will be a present and perfect deliverer of us O what a comfort is it to know we dwell in the especial love of God under the cross as those who are free from it And though a Saint may be cast out of a happie state in the world yet never never out of their dear God's favour O what joy doth this administer to us to know That however it goeth with us yet our Father will deal kindly with us and continually accompany us with his presence seasoning our hearts with grace and mounting our spirits high carrying them forth with pure respects to advance his glory The true-divine soul you know is never satisfied till it 's as neer God as is attainable Truly the nearer we come to him the more we are emptied of sin and all selfishness A Christian's happiness lies in being emptied of all self self refined as well as gross self and in being filled with a full God and the glorious emptying satisfying incomes of his free spirit Certainly that soul that denies it self most seeks it self most for the more it endeavours to advance the Lord in all above all enjoyments experiences gifts graces relations or any creature or creature-comforts the more we exalt our condition in him It 's sweet and but meet upon the revelation of any mercy to yeeld our God all the praise saying Lord as
a fellow-member of that mysticall body whereof Christ is the Head O what a mercy is it to be heartily affected with the afflicted to have the same mind which was in Christ in us to have the same love one to another as Christ hath to us in quality though not in quantity The love of the Lord in his people is many times made out to them in an unexpected way to wonderment when they think least of it as Hagar said the Lord looked after her when she looked not after him so doth he to many of his people oftentimes provide and protect them in a way and manner which they cannot but wonder and bless his Name It 's a wonder to mee sometimes to see how sensible one Christian is of anothers sufferings because it 's so rare but when I consider that all the Saints have but one God one Father one Faith one Baptisme one Love one Spirit who dwells in them all and runs thorow them all and conveys it self to all as it pleaseth whether absent or present afar off or neer at hand known or unknown by face Although the Saints are scattered abroad in this wide wilde world and distinct in the flesh from one another yet are they one in the Lord and so love sympathize sorrow and rejoyce together as members in truth of Christs body Christ was of a sympathizing suffering Spirit and such hearts qualities and dispositions he would that we should have therefore he puts his Law of love and kindness into us he takes our humane nature and infuses his divine nature into us Christ bears all our griefs and carries our sorrows and in all our afflictions is afflicted with us and for us O how good is it in our wilderness of trouble to lean upon this our Beloved who can bring us out of them all we are very apt to stumble at the way and maner of Gods dispensations when we have little cause for it if we did but consider that he hath glorious ends in all he doth and suffers for the exaltation of his Name and our sole comfort Though the Lord may cross his people in the way of his providence so that all things may fall alike to all in this World before men yet not in his account hereafter for he may give us to look unto him in his word of Promise and there behold him by an enlightned eye doing all things after the counsel of his own good will and pleasure for his glory and our everlasting comfort beyond and above all outward sense and external hopes as he did to Abraham calling things that are not as though they were I am not so much a worder as an admirer and a little writer of the wonders of God in the deep of affliction to some of my fellow-sufferers who have been bewildered in their spirits as I have been though now through rich mercy in som measure refreshed with the crums of Canaans comfort drops of honey and milk grace and love that flows from our good spiritual land Much of Gods fatherly Dealings and Refreshings I might relate unto you which my hungry thirsty weary Restlesse soul hath known seen and felt in the day of trouble the hour of sad temptations if I had freedom Sir the sharp exercise which hath been upon my spirit since that little unknown book was made of Gods glorious Displayings of light and love upon a poor dark forlorn nothing-creature in an unexpected time I was not then capable of the publishing of it if I had I could not be free fearing how it might be with me afterwards Truly since then I have had a sharp Winter-season mourning for the loss of all that comfort I have been stripp'd so bare of seeming comfort since that I cannot boast of that nor of any comforts but of the God of comforts not of enjoyments or experiences not of any gifts or graces but of the giver alone and of my infirmities and in that Power of Christ which hereby is made more manifest in us the Lord alone is the boast and glory of his people in his Name we set up our Banners and upon him alone shall our mind be fixed and our soul-affections set and not on things below this is to have our hearts above on things remaining not shadowy but substance and our conversation in heaven though we tabernacle in houses of clay in the world When Christ is our only object then but not till then will all below be our abject in comparison of a full God a naked Christ a free Spirit O that it might be all our aimes and ambitions to take up our crosses and follow Christ fully even thorow fire and water for here our God hath promised to be with his people and when we are purged and purified enough he will lead us out into a wealthy place of peace and Joy O that we could walk in our Masters steps without stumbling and do as he did run our race with joy knowing if we run we shall obtaine the Crown which is not to be had on this side the end of it Surely this prize is worth the running waiting for and longing after till we enjoy it Our suffering and Cross is but a little while for a small moment but our glory is for everlasting our reigning for ever Thrice-happy is that soul whom God chuseth for his own in his furnace and chastens in his school happy entering happy in it and for ever happy afterward Blessedness and Happyness is annexed to Gods chastning Blessed and happy is the man God correcteth and teacheth new lessons thereby therefore not to be despised Our loving Father even smiles when we think he frowns upon us when he seems to strike us he stroaks us He doth to us sometimes as he did to Adam convey a precious promise with a sad threatning saying The seed of the woman c. Mercies oftentimes come veiled to us and a sentence of death may pass upon our choicest mercies as did upon Abraham for the tryall of our graces which would not shine so bright if not fire-tryed with Abrahams whose faith love and holy obedience to God after thus tryed shined more eminent and glorious I find our sad visitation known to you Sir was not so much a Punishment as some may call it but rather a strict tryal to try our faith love patience and pure good-will to God whether it be simply and entirely to him without by-ends as Satan would have accused Job to God saying Doth Job love or serve God for nothing also to try our strength what we can do or suffer for God and also to try our wisdom how prudent patient we could behave our selves like true Christians in the loss of all outward enjoyments though deare and precious to us not onely in flesh but in Spirit O what an unspeakable mercy is it to finde and feel God enabling of us to hold out in these firy tryals speaking well of the Name of our dear God
his way to doe as he hath done to suffer patiently and willingly without the least gainsaying or resistance such grievous things Christ was as a sheep before the slaughter David under afflictions was dumbe also because he saw the Lord did it and not man so Aaron when he lost his sons suddenly held his peace And good old Eli said It 's the Lord let him do as he pleaseth In this sweet spiritual frame was Job when he said it was the Lord that took from him in the flesh who could give him much more in the Spirit All that they suffered was not so much from an enemy as a Father for their good who seeing how apt the current of their affections was to run more to them then to him their heart being not so fixed upon him as he would have them but very apt to be divided and to wander from him like ours as we are creatures therefore he sends afflictions as messengers to fetch them home to his Sheepfold Once this word came in Power to me when I was very sad O soul grieve not grieve not for thy Brother precious in my sight is thy Brothers death though grievous to thee and others was not Christs sufferings much more terrible and think not strange your firy tryalls for what is befallen you is common to all in this life and the same afflictions are accompanied to your fellow-members in the world Think of Samsons death a good man who died among the Philistins and seemingly in anger to be revenged on them for his two eys Consider these things and lay them to heart and sorrow no more as one without hope but know all things shall worke togeather for good even this unto ye therefore be still and know I am God doing whatever I please in heaven and earth and all places his time was not in thy hands or friends or his own but in my hands A sparrow cannot fall to the ground nor a hair off the head without my knowledge When these things was spoken to me I was very restless in my spirit even resolving to spend my few days in silent sorrow not expecting any more Sun-shine days of joy and suddenly the glory of the Lord broke forth thorow some thick darkness bidding me lift up my head and the Lord was pleased to speak to me as sweet as ever telling me he would wipe all teares from my eyes and the rebuke or reproach of his people he would take from off all the earth he had spoken it who would do it Jehovah a fulfiller of Promises therefore let not thy troubled fearfull heart be disquieted or afraid Peace Peace be unto thee I found Christ reasoned with me as once he did with his disciples when they were sad Why are ye troubled and why do such fears and doubts arise in thy heart am not I and my favour more to thee then enjoyments or Relations or any thing thou canst desire though I chasten thee sharply to draw thee neer me yet my favour will I not take from you nor alter my love is not this O soul more then all to give thee my self Who am the Desire of Desires the Beauty of all Blessedness the top of all Royalties even the fulness that silleth all in all who hath made thee beautifull thorow my comlyness though black in thy self under the bondage of coruption yet Lovely as Redeemed Justified and Sanctified my soul was even melted with in me at this sweet and powerful manifestation of love that I cryed out None but a naked Christ and who would not sell all for this Precious Pearl and willingly resigne up all even life it self to Christ who became poor and despised in the worlds eye that we though his poverty might be dignified in the Spirit and made rich in Faith in grace in humility and goodness this is to be heavenly rich in God in love O who would not leave all to follow Chrst for his treasures of wisdom and knowledg and all good things which he gives to his close followers This was one word which was spoken to me also Lovest thou me more then these more then Gold Silver Lands Livings any relations Golden gifts and Graces men or meanes and love not the world nor the things of it love nothing I say equall or above me for he or she that loves any thing more then me is not worthy of me set not thy affections on things below on earthly sensitive things but on Heavenly things above invisible glories If riches encrease set not thy heart upon them My Deare brother was such riches to me that if I could have but enjoyed his life and him spiritually restored to a comfortable state in this life according to my earnest and constant souls desire and the desire of many precious Saints that our God might have been more glorifyed in his life on earth O what riches what a portion of great joy would this have been to my soul none knows but now seeing by this uncertainty and emptyness in all things below the Lord I am forced to say What is riches or the encrease or sweet enjoyment of any creature-comforts to the lifting up of Gods lovely countenance upon us I can say now more feelingly Whom have I in Heaven or in Earth to glory in or stay my self upon but God alone from whom flows all our fresh springs of comfort joy life love and sweetness The Lord I hope by our late chastisements will make us more holy humble thankfull and fruitfull in every good work of God and cause the sword not onely to pierce into our souls but even to divide and sever more between soul and body flesh and spirit Christ and the Creature That nothing may remaine in us but what loves admires and blesses our God alone above all Sir this is all my desire to know more and do and patiently submit to the holy will of our Dear God in all things and to have more single affections to him and his naked glory Christian friend I have written in these papers some poor stamerings or what the Lord hath communicated to me with comfort in weakness through which I have written this to you that you with me may bless the Lord for his precious loving kindness to his unworthy hand-maid I cannot tell whether I may be troublesom to you because so tedious at one time When I begin to write to a Christian friend in this kind I am always much enlarged the more because but slow of speech In these few lines you may perceive a little that many are the troubles of the Righteous and also that the Righteous Lord supports sweetly under them all and in his own best time graciously delivering them out of all These troubles of ours may well be compared to waters even a flood of waters as David said that hath wave upon wave which though it be our Fathers pleasure and our portion to wade thorow yet this is our comfort VVe shall not sink in them
they may pierce our body but cannot run thorow our souls to the destroying of our life which is hid with Christ in God who is our Head which shall never perish and you know that member can never fear drowning whose head is still above water Whilst Peters Faith was anchored in Christ the Rock of his Salvation the water to sence did so far give back that they miraculously became a solid path to lead him to his Lord so I hope our late as well as former troubles will tend to lead us neerer to our desired haven of rest for certainly all the waters of affliction are to those whose faith is exercised in their God but a short Compendious way to Communion and fellowship with the Father and the Son in the Spirit which is best of all better then life as David said who had as we have fresh troubles often and fresh mercies fresh Temptations and fresh deliverances what said good David when he had deviated and gone astray like a lost sheep Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy Word Here he sweetly acknowledges tribulations to be messengers sent from God to lead him to the Shepherd of his soul said he Now have I kept thy word now do I know by this thy sanctified visitation of a truth that I am thine before I was a lost sheep of the house of Israel All our afflictions inward and outward in our selves or in the world 't will appear to be onely but the corrections of an indulgent Father for our profit in the end to make us rich in God though poor in our selves In the mean time the good Lord endue us with Power from on High whereby we may possess our souls with Patience till the time of refreshing from on High shall Visit us till he who changes times and seasons changes hearts and conditions with us Truly if the Poor Creature could change or any ways help it self or have any reliefe or help from any broken reed or cisterne besides the Lord the living Fountain how would it do as Israel of old did run from God to them adoring it self and Idolizing the creature men and means more then admiring the Lord in them above them Truly our natures are too apt to this for let the Lord but open a little of himself to us in any thing or way we are Readyer to be taken with it then him like some who looke more at the Dish then the Meate in it How apt let experience speake are we to take up our rest in something below our rest and not look up higher to the Fountain from whence all our fresh springs of comfort floweth therefore our God seeing this not good for us in wisdom and love dries up all Cisternes and Pools when it 's thus with us that nothing we run to the creature for in need may yeild us satisfaction below himself lest We should rob him of his glory and give it to something below himself which is not worthy of our heart-heart-love and his jealousie is such that he will not give his glory to another nor his praise to any thing or Idol but himself To this end therefore he imbitters every thing in the world to us to wean us from her shadowy delights like loving mothers who wean their children from the brest which is so sweet and dear to them even thus as I may say doth God our loving Father with his beloved children make every thing vile to them that he alone may be the preciousness of his Saints and all things nothing in comparison that he alone may be their All in all above all their onely boast and glory Before this glorious discovery of love I was like another creature running like Israel of old from Mountain to Hill and Hill to Mountain from men to meanes from means to men I was like the Spouse restless in my spirit which made me to send my spiritual senses all abroad to seek Christ as I thought but truely I found him not in any thing or place save in denying me that soul-comfort which I sought for all my seeking was like Maries at the Sepulchre forsaking all things for him as I thought whom if I could but have found in my way and time I should have thought I had found enough being led forth to seek The true God in an Ignorant way being blinded with Ignorance I asked every thing below him sensitive things I asked the Earth the Sea and the great Deeps and the Windy Aire with the Dwellers therein also the Sun Moon and Stars lesser and greater knowing and unknowing creatures and I found they all answered me with one voyce We be not thy God seek him O seeker above us Thou art but deceived in us we are onely by him made and upheld he is Lord over us this was without Then I went home and said to all that were about the doors of my flesh Tell ye my familiars what ye know of God O tell me somewhat of him whom my soul longeth after and they cryed out also to me We be not thy God it 's he hath made us not we our selves Notwithstanding all these denyals being soul-restless still I asked further even the whole world in general if it were not my Saviour and could deliver me from the bondage of corruption and it answered me very powerfully I am not but I am by him he whom thou seekest for in me even he made me above me must thou seek to him that made me and ruleth all things to new make thee Being as you may perceive Sir a wandering bird and soul-disquieted within me I sought to every Idol which I made an Idol below the true God for soul-rest peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost but like Noahs dove found this not in any thing to refresh my weary soul Now I finde that though every thing be beautiful in its season place and station yet in this respect it must deny it self and be nothing as it did to me and acknowledg this is not to be had in any created glory on this side the Creator himself Every thing spoke the same to me in this We be not the Lord thou lookest for but from him and by him for his glory I have found the Apostles words true that many times we may understand him by his visible works in the creation of the world In my former Creaturely seeking of the Lord as I have a little mentioned I found a vast emptyness in all things but when God was pleased to shew me this he turn'd me to himself and then gave me rest and satisfaction in his love which is better then life whereby my hungry thirsty spirituall starved soul was satisfied with that fulness that fills empty nothings with good things O it 's the sweet incomes of this Divine fulness that makes The dry land a Pool and our thirsty lands springs of Water O when the Lord shall thus appear to us shewing us by