and trembling and lose not that sweet and precious Sense that the Lord hath begotten in thee it is soon lost at least weakened but hard to recover wherefore let not the Spirit of the World in any of its appearances vain Company unnecessary Discourse or Words or worldly Affairs prevail upon the civility of thy Nature for they will oppress the innocent Life and bring grievous weights and burdens upon thy Soul and prolong the coming of the Lord whom thou lookest for and put the Day of thy Redemption a far off O beware of this compliance Let me put thee in mind of that sensible resolution so frequently and so passionately repeated Il faut que je rompe Il faut que je rompe Ah this speaketh a weight this weight a sense and this sense a strong Conviction Now be assured that till Obedience be yielded to that present manifestation and conviction the good things desired and thirsted after can never be Enjoyed Wherefore my dear Friend be faithful and watch against the Workings oâ— the Spirit of this World in thy self that the Nature and Image of it in all things may be crucified that thou mayst know an entire Translation with holy Enoch and walk with God Jesus the holy Light is this Cross and Power of God that killeth and maketh alive and 〈◊〉 is the heavenly Vine too if thou abideâ—â— in him thou wilt bring forth fruit bâ—â— if thou abidest not in him thou wilt noâ— bring forth that fruit in which his heavenly Father only can be glorified O see what the mind dayly abideth in O my Soul is even ravisht with the sence of that holy and quiet habitation In me saith he you shall have peace but in the World trouble however be of good cheer I have overcome the world I am not of the World as if he had said I am not of the Worlds ways Worships Customs nor Fashions for what ever is of the nature and spirit of this World hath no part in me and as I am not of this World neither are you of this world for I have chosen you out of the world out of the invention out of the worships and fashions â—f the world you are to leave them all to come out of them all and live and walk as Pilgrims in the world that is strangers To what To the life and practice of the World not using but renouncing the vain Customs and Ceremonies yea the whole Conversation of the World remembring that the friendship of this World is Enmity with God and what if the World hate you it hated me first and the Disciple is not greater than his Master nor the Servant than his Lord if you were of the World the World would love you and not reproach and persecute you for the World loveth its own O my dear Friend mayst thou be perfectly sensible what it is not to be of this World But there is yet a farther mystery in these Words not discerned even of many in whom some tenderness and inquiry is begotten much less of the worldly Christians This World hath a false Earth and a false Heaven a false Foundation and a false Ioy not only gross Wickedness but Iniquity in a Mystery inwardly and outwardly The Whore false Prophet and Dragon and all their Off-spring are here concerned This is their World that must be burnt with fire that Christ is not of nor his true Disciples O the Light of Jesus discovereth it And he is that spiritual Solomon that giveth true judgment and that saveth the living Child the true Birth giving it to the right Mother and not to the false pretender And all that hear his voice and follow him shall receive true Light discerning and Judgment to whom all Judgment is given They shall know his Voice from Man's There are two Trees of differing Natures have contrary Fruits and Leaves the one is the Tree of Life that is Christ the other the Tree of Death and that is Satan the fruit of the one giveth life the fruit of the other bringeth Death the leaves of the first Heal the leaves of the last Poison many that discern the Tree cannot clearly distinguish the Branches And those that see many Arms and Branches cannot distinctly behold the fruit much less the leaves this cometh by the gradual Discoveries and Revelations of the Light of Jesus the Word of God as it is daily received and daily obeyed yea and that Word is the Ax and Sword of the Almighty to cut it down daily feel the strokes of this eternal searching Light and Word at the very root of this corrupt Tree this evil one and his corrupt Nature Works and Effects for which end Jesus Christ is come and therefore is called a Saviour which is little known in truth to the Christians of this World Ah my dear Friend thou knowest this Word yea thou hast felâ— it O hide it in thy heart Treasure it up it up in thy Soul and love it and abide with it for ever Alas Whether shouldst thou go This hath and is the the Word of Eternal Life daily therefore watch and wait that thou mayest be grafted more and more into it that thou mayest live and grow by the virtue and life of it and that it may grow in thy heart as it grew among the first Christians the holy followers of the persecuted Jesus and when it searcheth thy Wound and cutteth away thy dead flesh yea when it separateth between the Soul and the Spirit of this World and divideth between Joints and Marrow when it cutteth off the right hand and plucketh out the right eye O watch unto Prayer and pray that thou mayest endure O keep the holy patience of this pure and living Word and this very Word will keep thee in the hour of thy sharpest Trials and sorest Tribulations O all virtue is in it O 't is a tried Word a sure refuge the staff and strength of the Righteous in all Ages 'T was David's Teacher and Buckler a Light to his feet and a Lamhorn to his Paths Walk thou in the Light thereof and thou shalt not stumble in this word is life as in the root and this life is the Light of Men They that receive and love the Light of it will therein receive divine Life from it to live to God this is the bread of God that cometh from God and seedeth and leadeth up to God by this only that which is born of God liveth and is nourished this is that Carcass to which the wise Eagles gather see thou gatherest to no other nor feâ—dest on no other This is that hidden Manna that cometh from heaven that feedeth God's Israel the World hath a Manna but it perisheth but this endureth for ever for 't is not of Man nor from Man but immortal and from God hid from the knowledge of all the vain Christians in the World So that the Israel of God can say to the Children of this World and that in Truth and
me and my Friends the last night if it be his Will But since thou art a mortal Man one that must give an Account in common with all to the Immortal God let me a little expostulate with thee By what Law on Earth are Men not scandalous under no Proscription harmless Strangers about lawful Occasions and Men not Vagabonds but of good Quality in their own Country stopt menaced sent back with Souldiers and that at Sun-set exposed to the Night in an unknown Country and therefore forced to lie in the Fields I say by what Law are we judged yea thus punished before heard Is this the Jus Gentium or Germanicum Naturale or Christianum Oh! Where 's Nature Where 's Civility Where 's Hospitality But where 's Christianity all this while Well but we are Quakers Quakers What 's that for a Name Is there a Law of the Empire against that Name No Did we own it No but if we had the letters of that Name neither make up Drunkard Whore-master Thief Murderer nor Traitor Why so odious then What harm hath it done Why could Jews pass just before us that have crucified Christ and not Quakers that never crucified him but Ignorance is as well the Mother of Persecution as Devotion and the false Christian and the false Jew have but one Father But Argumentum ad hominem my Friend bear with me a little Art thou a Christian How canst thou be rude uncivil and persecute then Thou art to love Enemies not abuse Friends harmless Strangers Well but this Life is dead this Doctrine antiquated Jesus Christ turn'd out of doors I perceive What art thou for a Christian A Lutheran Yes Canst thou so lately forget the Practises of the Papists and with what Abhorrence thy Ancestors declared against such sort of Entertainment Were not they despised mocked and persecuted And are their Children treading in the steps of their old Enemies Friend 't is not reformed Words but a reformed Life that will stand thee instead 't is not to live the life of the Unregenerate Worldly-minded and Wicked under the Profession of the Saint's Words that will give an Entrance into God's rest Be not deceived such as thou Sowest such must thou Reap in the Day of the Lord. Thou art not come to the Berean-state that tried all things and therefore not noble in the Christian sense the Bereans were noble for they judged not before Examination And for thy saying We want no Quakers here I say under favour you do for a true Quaker is one that trembleth at the Word of the Lord that worketh out his Salvation with fear and trembling and all the Days of his appointed Time waiteth in the Light and Grace of God till his great Change cometh and that taketh up the daily Cross to his Will and Lusts that he might do the Will of God manifested to him by the Light of Jesus in his Conscience and according to the holy Precepts and Examples in the holy Scriptures of Truth laid down by Jesus and his followers for the Ages to come Yea he is one that loveth his Enemies rather than feareth them that Blesseth those that Curse him and prayeth for those that despitefully treat him as God knoweth we do for thee And O that thou wert such a Quaker Then wouldst thou Rule for God and act in all things as one that must give an account to God for the Deeds done in the Body whether Good or Evil. Then would Temperance Mercy Justice Meekness and the Fear of the Lord dwell in thy Heart and in thy Family and Country Repent I exhort thee and consider thy latter End for thy Days are not like to be many in this World therefore mind the things that make for thy Eternal Peace least Distress come upon thee as an armed Man and there be none to deliver thee I am Thy Well-wishing Friend W.P. Duysburgh 3d. 7th m. 1677. S.V. This having done we went to Dr. Mastricht's to inform him of what had past who tho' of a kind Disposition and very friendly to us yet seemed surprized with fear the Disease of this Country crying out What will become of this poor Countess Her Father hath called her Quaker a long time behaving himself very severely to her but now he will conclude she is one indeed and he will lead her a lamentable Life I know said he you care not for suffering but she is to be pittied We told him that we both loved her and pittied her and could lay down our Lives for her as Christ hath done for us in the Will of God if we could thereby do her good but that we had not mentioned her Name neither was the Letter that he gave us to her so much as seen or known of her Father But still he feared that our Carriage would incense the Graef so much the more against both his Daughter and all those serious and inquiring People up and down the Country We answered with an earnestness of Spirit That they had minded the Incensings and Wrath of Men too much already and true Religion would never spring or grow under such fears and that it was time for all that felt any thing of the Work of God in their Hearts to cast away the slavish fear of Man and to come forth in the boldness of the true Christian life yea that Sufferings break and make way for greater Liberty and that God was wiser and stronger than Man We askt him if there were any in that City who enquired more diligently after the way of the Lord he recommended us as we had already been informed in another place to the Family of the Praetor or chief Governour of the Town whose Wife and Sister more especially were seeking after the best things So we parted with him in love and by the help of his Daughter were conducted to this Family We had not been long there before a School-master of Dusseldorp and withal a Minister came in enquiring after us having hâ—ard at Mulheim where he preached the day before to the People or else by the way of our attempt to visit that place and the Entertainment we received at the hands of the Gâ—â—ef He sat down with us and though we had already a sweet Opportunity yet feeling the Power to rise the Meeting renewed And O magnified be the Name of the Lord he witnessed to our Testimony abundantly in all their Hearts and Consciences who were broken into much tenderness and certainly there is a blessed Power and Zeal stirring in that young Man yea he is very near the Kingdom So we took our Leave of them leaving the Lord's Peace and Blessing upon them It was now something past the 12th Hour of the Day In the way to our Lodging we met a Messenger from the Countess a pretty young tender Man near to the Kingdom who saluted us in her Name with much love telling us That she was much grieved at the Enteâ—tainment of her Father towards us advising us not
morning but she laid a kind of violent hands upon us and necessitated us to stay and eat with her which we did And we had no sooner sat down but her Brother in Law a Man of quality and employment in that Court of the Elector of Brundenburg came in who dined with us As we sat at Meat we had a good meeting for the time was much taken up about the Things of God either in answering their questions or our ministring to them about the true Christian nature and life in all which her Brother behaved himself with great sweetness and respect After Dinner we took our Châ—istian leave of them in the fear of God recommending unto them the Light of Christ Jesus that brings all that receive it into the one Spirit to live in holy Peace and Concord together particularly and alone speaking to the Lady and the Attorney what was upon us to their States And so we departed and soon after took Waggon for Nimwegen where arriving about the 7th hour that night we immediately took Waggon for Utrecht and got thither about the 10th hour next morning We hear there is a People in that City but had not now time to visit them referring it to another opportunity About the first hour in the afternoon G. K. and B. F. took Waggon for Rotterdam and I took Waggon for Amsterdam where I came safely that night about six in the evening and I found Friends generally well though it is a sickly time in thiâ— Country The Meeting-house iâ— much enlarged and there is a fresâ— enquiry among many people afteâ— Truth and great desires to hear the Testimony and Declaration of it I also understand that dear G. F. is returned from Frederickstadt anâ— Hamburgh into Frieslandt whether T. R. and I. Y. are gone from this City to meet with him he hath had a hard time of travel with respect to the Weather yet I hear is in good health through the Lord's power that hath kept him This day at night being the seventh day of the week came John Hill from Frieslandt to the House of G. D. in Amsterdam The next day being the first day of the week we had a blessed and large Meeting larger then ordinary because a great addition of room since our Journey into Germany indeed there was a great appearance of sober professing people yea several of the chief of the Baptists as Galenus and Companions the Lord's heavenly Power was over all and the Meeting blessedly ended about the fourth hour That night after Supper having taken my leave in a sweet little Meeting among Friends I took Boat for Horn P. Hendrick's accompanying me about the seventh hour at night and got thither about two in the morning where lying down till about six we took Waggon for Enckhuysen we came thither a little after eight in the morning where having refresht our selves about the 9th hour we took Ship for Workum in Urieslandt and arrived about one and thence immediately took Waggon for Harlingen where we arrived about six there we met with dear G. F. J T. I Y. T R. J C. and his Wife The next day we had two blessed meetings one amongst Friends being the first monthly meeting that was setled for Frieslandt Groningen and Embden the other a publick meeting where resorted both Baptists Collegians and others and among the rest a Doctor of Physick and a Presbyterian Priest all sate with great attention and sobriety but the Priest and Doctor more especially The Priest having a Lecture-Sermon to Preach that evening went away but notwithstanding speedily returned G.F. still speaking but as a Man in pain to be gone yet willing to stay sate at the door till G.F. had done and then stood up and pulling off his Hat looking up to Heaven in a solemn manner and with a loud voice spake to this purpose The Almighty the All-wise the Oâ—â—ipotent great God and his Son Jesus Christ who is blessed for ever and ever confirm his Word that hath been spokâ—n this day Apologizing that he could not longer stay for that he was a Minister of the Reformed Religion and was now going to Preach where all that would come should be welcome and so left the Meeting The Physician also was called away but returned and stayed till the Meeting ended Just as the Meeting ended came the Priest again who said in the hearing of some Friends That he had made his Sermon much shorter than ordinary that he might enjoy the rest of the Meeting At night came the Physician to see me who after a serious and Christian discourse expressing great satisfaction in most things relating to Friends left me withall telling me That if I had not been to go the 4 th hour next morning he would either have stayed longer with me or come again He also remembred the Priest's Love to us and told me That if it had not been for fear of giving offence or coming too much under the Observation of the People he would have come to have seen us adding That it was great pity that this People had not printed their Principles to the World To which the Doctor answered That he had some of our Books and he would lend him them Blessed be the Lord his precious Work goeth on and his Power is over all It being now the tenth hour at night I took my leave of G.F. and Friends This day it came upon me to write a Letter to Joanna Eleonora Marlane the noble young Woman at Franckfort Dear Friend J. E. M. MY dear and tender Love which God hath raised in my Heart by his living Word to all Mankind but more especially unto those in whom he hath begotten an holy hunger and thirst after him saluteth thee and amongst those of that place where thou livest the remembrance of thee with thy companions is most particulary and eminently at this time brought before me and the sense of your open-heartedness simplicity and sincere love to the testimony of Jesus that by us was delivered unto you hath deeply engaged my heart towards you and often raised in my soul heavenly breathings to the God of my life that he would keep you in the daily sense of that divine life which then affected you for this know it was the life in your selves that so sweetly visited you by the Ministry of life through us Wherefore love the Divine Life and Light in your selves be retired and still let that holy seed move in all heavenly things before you move for no one receiveth any thing that truly profiteth but what he receiveth from above thus said John to his Disciples Now that that stirreth in your hearts draweth you out of the World sâ—ayeth you to all the vain-glory and pleasure and empty worships that are in it this is from above the heavenly seed of God pure and incorruptible that 's come down from Heaven to make you heavenly that in heavenly
Christian Worship Upon which I forsook the University and resolved to be one of this Family and this I can say in the fear of the Lord. P. Ivon concludeth This is what we have to say concerning the Work of God amongst us All this while I minded not so much their Words as I felt and had Unity with a measure of divine Sense that was upon them Certainly the Lord hath been amongst them yea I had a living Sense in my heart that somewhat of the Breath of Life had breathed upon them and though they were in great mixtures yet that God's love was towards them After some silence I began on this wise I come not to judge you but to visit you not to quarrel or dispute but to speak of the things of God's Kingdom and I have no prejudice but great love and regard in my heart towards you Wherefore hear me with Christian patience and tenderness I do confess and believe that God hath touched your hearts with his divine finger and that his work is amongst you that it was his Spirit that gave you a sight of the vanity and folly of this World and that hath made you sensible of the dead Religions that are in it 'T is this Sense I love and honour and I am so far from undervaluing or opposing this tender sense I feel upon you that this is it I am come to visit and you for the love of it And as for the reproaches that may attend you on the score of your separation with all the Reports that therefore go concerning you they are what I respect you for being well acquainted with the nature and practise of this World towards those that retire out of it Now since I have with patience and I can truly say with great satisfaction heard your account of your Experiences give me the like Christian freedome to tell you mine to the end you may have some sense of the Work of God in me For those who are come to any measure of a divine Sense they are as looking-glasses to each other seeing themselves in each other as face answereth face in a glass Here I began to let them know how and when the Lord first appeared unto me which was about the 12th Year of my Age Anno 1656. How at times betwixt that and 15 the Lord visited me and the divine Impressions he gave me of himself Of my Persecution at Oxford how the Lord sustained me in the midst of that hellish darkness and debauchery of my being banisht the College the bitter Usage I underwent when I returned to my Father whipping beating and turning out of doors in 1662 of the Lord's dealings with me in France and in the time of the great Plague in London In fine the deep sense he gave me of the Vanity of this World of the Irreligiousness of the Religions of it Then of my Mournful and Bitter Cries to him that he would show me his own way of Life and Salvation and my Resolutions to follow him whatever Reproaches or Sufferings should attend me and that with great reverence and brokenness of Spirit How after all this the glory of the world over-took me and I was even ready to give up my self unto it seeing no such thing as the Primitive Spirit and Church on the Earth and being ready to faint concerning my hope of the restitution of all things and that it was at this time that the Lord visited me with a certain sound and testimony of his eternal Word through one of those the World calls a Quaker I related to them the bitter Mockings and Scornings that fell upon me the Displeasure of my Parents the Invectiveness and Cruelty of the Priests the strangeness of all my Companions what a Sign and Wonder they made of me but above all that great Cross of resisting and watching against my own Inward vain Affections and Thoughts Here I had a fine opportunity to speak of the Mystery of Iniquity and Ungodliness in the Root and ground and to give them an account of the Power and Presence of God which attended us in our publick Testimonies and Sufferings after an indirect manner censuring their Weaknesses by declaring and commending the contrary practises among Friends too large to be here related And notwithstanding all my Sufferings and Tryals by Magistrates Parents Companions and above all from the Priests of the false Religions in the World the Lord hath preserved me to this day and hath given me an hundred fold in this World as well as the assurance of Life everlasting Informing them of the tenderness of my Father to me before and at his death and how through patience and long-suffering all opposition was conquered Then beginning my Exhortation unto them which was on this wise That therefore since God had given me and them a divine Sense of him our Eye might be to him and not to Man that we might come more into a silence of our selves and a growth into that heavenly Sense That this was the Work of the true Ministry not to keep People to themselves ever teaching them but to turn them to God the new Covenant-teacher and to Christ the great Gospel-teacher Thus John did and thought it no dishonour that they left him to go to Christ Behold the Lamb of God saith he that taketh away the Sins of the World And even John's Disciples left him to follow Christ Nay John testifies of himself That he was to decrease and Christ was to encrease Wherefore I prest them to have their eye to Christ that taketh away the Sin that is from Heaven heavenly to see that he increase in them Yea that henceforward they should know no Man after the Flesh no not Christ himself That their knowledge of and regard and fellowship one with another would stand in the Revelation of the Son of God in them which is God's great Prophet by whom God speaketh in these latter days And if their Ministers be true Ministers they will count it their glory to give way to Christ and that they decrease and Christ encrease that the instrument giveth way to him that useth it the Servant to the Lord which though it seemeth to detract from the Ministers yet it was and is the glory of a true Minister that God and Christ should be all in all and that his Will should be fulfilled For the day of the Lord God was come and all People must look to him for Salvation That all People must now come to keep God's great Sabbath to rest from meer Man and the Spirit of Man and all Men's thoughts words and works and that if they were true Believers they were at least entring into their rest I closely recommended that to them that they might not be of those that begin in the Spirit and end in the Flesh for that those that should do so and thereby break God's Sabbath-day should be stoned to death by the Stone which is cut out of the Mountain without hands yea
that should fall upon them as a Milstone and grind them to Powder Therefore let Christ have his honour let him preach and speak among you and in you and you in him and by him only to sigh groan pray preach sing and not otherwise least Death come over you for thereby the Apostacy came in by their going before Christ instead of Christ going before them And wait in the Light and Spirit of Judgment that hath visited you that all may be wrought out that is not born of God so will you come to be born of the incorruptible Seed of the Word of God that liveth and abideth for ever That you may be a holy Priâ—sthood that offers up a living Sacrifice with God's heavenly fire that God may have his honour in you all and through you all by Christ Jesus And turning my self towards the Somerdikes with a serious and tender Spirit I thus exprest my self That you should be Pilgrims in the Inheritance of your Father I have a deep and reverent sense of O that you might dwell with him for ever and exalt him that hath so visited you with whom are the Rewards of Eternal Blessedness So I left the blessing and peace of Jesus among them departing in the love and peace of God and I must needs say they were beyond expectation tender and respectfull to us all of them coming with us but the ancient A. M. S. who is not able to walk to the outward Door giving us their Hands in a friendly manner expressing their great satisfaction in our Visit and being come by the Porch and meeting several persons of the Family I was moved to turn about and to exhort them in the presence of the rest to keep to Christ that had given them a sense of the Spirit of this World and had raised desires in them to be delivered from it and to know no Man after the Flesh but to have their Fellowship in Christ Union and Communion with God and one with another that all their Worship and Performances might stand in him that he might be all in all desiring that the Lord might keep them in his fear all the days of their appointed time that so they might serve him in their generation in his own universal Spirit to his glory who is blessed for ever The two Pastors and the Doctor came with us a Field's length where we took Waggon and the chiefest of them took occasion to ask me If the Truth rose not first amongst a poor illiterate and simple sort of people I told him yes that was our comfort and that we owed it not to the Learning of this World Then said he let not the Learning of this World be used to defend that which the Spirit of God hath brought forth for Scholars now coming among you will be apt to mix School-learning amongst your simpler and purer Language and thereby obscure the brightness of the Testimony I told him it was good for us all to have a care of our own Spirits Words and Works confessing what he said had weight in it telling him it was our care to write and speak according to the divine Sense and no humane Invention The Lord comforted my Soul in this service yea all that is within me magnified his holy Name because of his blessed Presence that was with us O let my Soul trust in the Lord and confide in him for ever O let me dwell and abide with him that is faithfull and true and blessed for ever-more So in a very sober and serious manner we parted being about the 12th hour at noon This night about ten we got to Lippenhusen where there is a little Meeting of Friends being about 25 English Miles The next morning we had a blessed Meeting among Friends many of the World came in were very serious and well-affected one whereof was a Magistrate of the Place The Lord pleads his own Cause and crowns his own Testimony with his own Power There is like to be a fine Gathering in that place After Dinner we took Waggon for the City of Groningen where we arrived at eight at night being about 25 English Miles The next morning we had a Meeting among Friends of that City whether resorted both Collegiant and Calvinist Students who behaved themselves soberly the Lord's Power was over all and his Testimony stands When Meeting was ended they went out and as I was concluding an Exhortation to Friends came in a flock of Students to have had some Conference with us but having set the time of our leaving the City we recommended them to the Universal love of God promising them some Books of our Principles with which they exprest themselves satisfied and civilly parted from us After Dinner we took Boat for Delfzyl and came there about six at night The next morning about seven we took Boat for Embden which is about three Leagues On Board of that Vessel it came upon me to write a Letter to Friends in England concerning the present Separatists and their Spirit of Separation which hath several times been opened unto me and had remained some days upon my spirit The Letter followeth This came upon me in the Ship between Delfzyl and Embden upon the the 16th of the 7th Month 1677 to send amongst you To Friends every where concerning the present Separatists and their Spirit of Separation Friends and Brethren BY a mighty Hand and by an out-stretched Arm hath the Lord God everlasting gathered us to be a People and in his own Power and Life hath he preserved us a People unto this Day and praises be to his Eternal Name no weapon that hath yet been formed against us either from without or from within hath prospered Now this I say unto you and that in his Counsel that hath visited us whoever goeth out of the Unity with their Brethren are first gone out of Unity with the Power and Life of God in themselves in which the Unity of the Brethren standeth and the Member of the Body in the Unity standeth on the top of them and hath a Judgment against them unto which Judgment of both great and small amongst the living Family that in the Unity are preserved they must bow before they can come into the Unity again yea this they will readily do if they are come into Unity with the Life and Power of God in themselves which is the holy Root that beareth the Tree the Fruit and the Leaves all receiving Life and Virtue from it and thereby are nourished unto God's praise And let all have a care how they weaken that or bring that under their exaltation and high imagination that it is revealed against For I feel that unruly Spirit is tormented under the stroke and judgment of the Power and in its subtilty is seeking occasion against the Instruments by whom the Power gave it forth Let all have a care how they touch with this Spirit in those Workings for by
we arrived on the Seventh day in the morning every way well through the Mercies of the Lord. We sent to inform her of our arrival and to know what hour it would be convenient for us to visit her who returned us this answer that being then imployed in the business of her Government it would be the 2d hour in the afternoon before she could be at leasure The time being come we went to visit her and found her and the Countess ready to receive us which they did with much love and tenderness I observed them to be much lower than ever and that our former blessed opportunities had had a blessed effect upon them That afternoon was imployed in the narrative of our travels which they heard with great attention and refreshment the whole discourse ended with a precious little meeting The house being clear of Strangers they both earnestly prest us to sup with them which being not well able to decline we submitted to At Supper the Power of the Lord came upon me and it was a true supper to us for the hidden Manna was manifested amongst us yea a blessed Meeting it proved to us O the reverent tenderness and lowly frame of Spirit that appeared this Evening both in the Princess and Countess The French-woman we found greatly improved both in her Love and Understanding yea she is very zealous and very broken she was always with us on these occasions After supper we returned to the Princesse's Chamber where we stayed till it was about 10. at Night at parting I desired the Princess would give us such another opportunity next day being the first day of the Week as we had the last time we were with her she answered me With all my heart But will ye not come in the Morning too I replied Yes willingly What time wilt thou be ready to receive us she answered at 7. About 7 the next Morning we came about eight the Meeting began and held till Eleven several Persons of the City as well as those of her own Family being present The Lord's power very much affected them and the Countess was twice much broken as we spoke After the People were gone out of the Chamber it lay upon me from the Lord to speak to them two the Princess and the Countess with respect to their particular conditions occasioned by these Words from the Countess I am fully convinc'd but O my Sins are great Whilst I was speaking the glorious Power of the Lord wonderfully rose yea after an awful manner and had a deep entrance upon their Spirits especially the Countesse's that she was broken to pieces God hath raised and I hope fixt his own Testimony in them We returned to our Inn and after dinner we came back to the second Meeting on that day which began about the second Hour in the afternoon And truly the Reverent Blessed Sure Word of Life was divided aâ—right the precious sense of Truth was raised in the Meeting There came more of the City than in the morning and we were much comforted in the Lord's power that was with us For the Truth had passage and the hungry were satisfied and the simple-hearted deeply affected This day at both Meetings was one of the Princess's Women that never was at Meeting before and she though very shy of us the last time became tender and loving to us she was truly reacht O magnified be the Name of the Lord whose presence was with us and whose arm stood by us After Meeting the Princess prest us to stay and sup with her pleading the quietness of the Family and that they were alone At Supper as the night before it was upon me to commemorate the Goodness of the Lord his daily Providences and how pretious he is in the Covenant of Light to the dear Children and Followers of the Light Great was the reverence and tenderness that was upon the Spirits of both Princess and Countess at that instant After Supper we returned to the Princess's Chamber where we spent the rest of our time in holy silence or discourse till about the tenth hour and then we repaired to our Quarters Next morning about eight we returned to the Court where the Princess and Countess were ready to receive us The morning was imployed in very serious Conference relating to the affairs practice and sufferings of Friends in England with which they seemed greatly affected When about the Eleventh Hour a ratling of Coach interrupted us The Countess immediately stept out to see what was the matter and returned with a countenance somewhat uneasie telling us that the young Princes Nephews to the Princess and the Graef of Donaw were come to visit her upon which I told them we should withdraw and return to our Lodging but intreated that for as much as we were to depart that night with the Post-Waggon we might not be disappointed of a farewell Meeting with them and the rather for that I had a great burden upon my Spirit which they readily complied with telling me these persons would onely dine and be gone As we went to the door the Countess stept before us and opened it for us and as I past by she lookt upon me with a weighty countenance and fetcht a deep sigh crying out O the cumber and entanglements of this vain World they hinder all good Upon which I replied looking her steadfastly in the face O come thou out of them then After we had dined in our Lodging something being upon me to write to the Professors of that Country I went up to my Chamber that I might be the more retired just as I was about the conclusion of the Paper cometh the Steward of the House to the Princess with this Message That the Princess intreated us to come to her for the Graef of Dâ—naw had a great desire to see us and to speak with us this brought a fresh Weight and Exercise upon us but committing all to the Lord and casting our care upon him we went Being arrived the Graef approacheth us in French at first took no great notice of our inceremonious behaviour but proceeded to inquire of us our success in our Journey and what we found answering our Journey and Inclinations Then we fell to points of Religion and the Nature and End of true Christianity and what was the way that leadeth to the Eternal Rest After some short debate about compleat satisfaction in this life we both agreed that Self-denial Mortification and Victory was the Duty and ought to be the endeavour of every sincere Christian From this I fell to give him some account of my Retreat from the World and the inducements I had thereto and the necessity of an inward work with which he seemed much pleased After this he fell to the Hat c. This choaketh and the rather because it telleth tales it telleth what people are it marketh Men for Separatists it 's blowing a Trumpet and visibly crossing the World and that the fear of