is written The Invisible only Wise God whom no Eye of Flesh hath seen or can see and this moving invisible Spirit of God which is without limit or end is that which all People should be led unto by all its outward visible Appearances Ministrations and Dispensations and this Spirit was that which gave forth and ordained the Ministration of the the Law which was glorious in its time though to be done away but how much more glorious is the Ministration of that Spirit of Life it self from which the Ministration of the Law came which Spirit abideth forever And the second Adam is made a quickning Spirit and the Spirit which is the Word was with God and was God before the Body of Flesh was made and that Spirit abideth forever as it heard out of the Law He shall abide forever and this is that which ever liveth to intercede And this forever blessed invisible Spirit was before time and is to be when time shall be no more and is without limit an Eternal lively substance giving Life from it self and secretly covering it self from the carnal part of man not seen nor understood but by such as by its secret motions come to be led to see through that which shadows it forth and by the Image Form Shadow or Figure to discern the substance which is the Life where Immortality dwelleth for in the most innermost and secrets of all is the Life of all being covered over with that in which it lies through the which it breaking forth in any discovery of it self is that whereby the Beholders might be drawn through the discovery to it self which in the discovery broke forth for the discovery was still too short of that from whence it came and that which was discovered forth in any Shadow Form or Image was not to be idolized nor set up for the very thing or substance of Life from whence it proceeded and herein hath been much mistake by such who came not by that which opened in the Visibles to that from whence it came in that to have their Understandings opened and thereby to be made sensible of that which is Eternal by it to be brought in where its indwellings abide forever whose breakings forth in the visible which was to draw to that invisible refreshed the Soul invisibly in an unexpected time but being after sought for in the Visibles and not in the Eternal with-draws it self out of the Visibles and out of the sight and reach of that which seeks it there that thereby that which is to live forever with it may come through all that which it appeared in unto the very thing and invisible Substance it self which is the Life of all and the true center of the living Motion which moveth of it self and gave forth all things good as they proceeded from it by virtue of its gradual and various Motions and this being come openeth it self in them that find it and live therein and this maketh Darkness Light before the People whose dwelling is with God and the crooked comes to be made straight by the thing it self and dark Sayings of old come to be opened and secret things revealed But to write more plain for the sake of the weak of this glorious indwelling Spirit which in the fulness of time cometh forth in Flesh laying hold of the Seed of Abraham the most glorious appearance that ever was being thus appeared was the express Image of God who dwelleth in his People whose Bodies are Flesh and earthly Tabernacles but by the operation of the sanctifying cleansing Spirit which the Father sendeth are made fit Habitations of God and so Co-heirs with Christ and Members of his Body Flesh and Bones which Spirit quickneth to God and being thus received and obeyed is felt to live forever though the shadowings forth of it be done away and this is Eternal and never endeth but abideth with such forever and the Ministration of it is Life it self to the Soul and more to be valued and desired than all that ever was seen before it And as the Lord took off that Spirit which was upon Moses and put it upon his Brethren the Elders of Israel whereby they might rule and judge with him so saith Christ The Father shall take off mine and give unto you even of that Spirit of Love Life Power Valour and Virtue which was upon and in him that was like unto Moses is ministred into and put upon such as are truly his Brethren and Friends whereby him with they thus gifted sanctified and qualified judge the World for all Judgment is committed to the Son and of that which the Son hath and is committed to him doth the Father give unto his Members And so from Christ the Head they come to receive Power over the World and its Way Worship and Fashions and over Unclean Spirits And that is an Unclean Spirit which will lead into any Sin and it is an unclean Spirit in which sin standeth and which pleadeth for the continuance and upholding of that which is unclean and that is of the World which the Saints judge And as those Elders of Israel who were of the Church in the Wilderness were not made fit to judge nor rule in outward matters by all the writings and words of the Law though received by disposition of Angels until the Lord himself took off that Spirit which was upon Moses and put upon them So those that profess to be Elders in the Church now or any other Person whatsoever are much less made fit to rule or judge in spiritual matters by all the reading and professing Moses writings and Christs words and the rest of the holy Scriptures though they were given by the Inspiration of God until the Lord take off that Spirit which was upon and in Christ who is like unto Moses and give unto and pour it upon and minister it unto them And this is done in Gods way which is secret and time which is in his own hand to those whom he accounteth worthy thus to Honour and who truly wait for it as a Wayfaring man for a Resting place and as a Captive for Deliverance And though Christ after his Resurrection said All Power in Heaven and in Earth is given unto me go ye therefore and Teach yet they were to tarry until they had the Power in themselves and when that was come which they were to tarry and wait for then with that they went and taught the Nations from the sensible feeling of that which taught them how to teach and all things else when the same Spirit and Power was upon them which was before committed unto him and so the coming forth of it from him into them and filling them therewith was to them in that work of the Ministry most effectual like as the Virtue going forth of Christ healed the Woman so the Power and Virtue of the holy Spirit coming forth from Christ being sent of the Father and received by the Disciples who
way works worships and nature of such to serve the living God in the newness of the spirit through Faith and Patience and to walk in Innocency before the Lord for evermore Such shall come to rejoyce in the Truth and the Arm of the Lord shall bring them more nearer to himself that they may come to see the Lord in his Glory and to praise him in the Land of the living and to behold Sion in her perfect Beauty and to feel their Unity with Gods Elect and to enjoy the Covenant of Everlasting Peace that shall never be broken to be bound up together in the life of Immortality Wisdom and Righteousness to shine forth as the Morning like the Jewels of the Lamb and to be beautified with Meekness as the Members of the unspotted of God Oh! the Crown of Rejoycing and Everlasting Felicity that is set before you to whom I am not able to express the infinite bounty and goodness of the Almighty Oh! who can hold when the Lord hath spoken or conceal his loving-kindness when the Almighty giveth utterance The Lord hath enlarged my Heart let me not therefore enquire among you where there is room to receive it Oh! let there be an inward search whether that the door be open and the straitness taken away that he which was with you may find entrance in you and you truly come to feel the receiving of his life to the glad Tidings of your Hearts From such an outward Prison cannot keep me nor from them the vast distance of Miles cannot with-hold me Behold I say in the Name of God I am near unto you And when you are assembled together with one accord in the place where the Light is a Ministry to the work this read among you in the fear of the God of Heaven then shall many of you know it so to be that the Lord hath given me of his unlimited Spirit which I freely let forth unto you And the breathings of my life are that you might receive benefit thereby and be comforted together And be strengthened in the inward man that the Devil may not prevail nor the love of the World overcome the innocent desires which God hath begotten let no unbelief nor slavish fear hinder you in your spiritual progress toward the attainment of the Crown of Life in the Kingdom of blessedness which God hath certainly prepared for the upright and innocent And now behold I turn unto my Brethren the called and chosen of God whom my Soul hereby saluteth unto whom I cannot by words sufficiently express my Love neither have I room to publish the enlargedness thereof in writing neither will usual phrases of Speech satisfie my broken Heart Oh! blessed be the day that ever you were called and the hour of your Visitation and the time of the Conception of the Seed in the Womb and the season of the forth-coming thereof into the liberty of Peace Blessed be the Lord forever on your behalf who hath chosen you to the riches of life and brought you to the Well-springs of Mercy and caused you to drink of the Rivers of his strength which hath daily been renewed unto you Oh! blessed be the God whose love hath not been with-held from your Souls and who hath not with-held counsel from your Eyes Friends God hath opened my Heart unto you receive me therefore as in the Bowels of Mercy that now we may praise the Lord forever Oh! that your Souls may with me forever magnifie the unutterable Power of the God of Heaven and that you may this day with me drink freely of the Cup of Eternal Salvation that then we may rest together as in a Bed of Repose in the delightsom Arms of our Father's love that forever we may sing the Song of the Lamb and sound forth the Praises of the Almighty together that you may know the Lord is with me and that the holy One of Israel is indeed become my everlasting Support And unto you all Friends Erethren and fellow Members of the heavenly Body these are the pourings forth of Gods infinite Love free for all that can receive it And thus in few words as unto you my Brethren even desiring to be felt and received in that which comprehendeth all words and is more than words can express in which the words end which was before the words were where my dwelling is and you that truly know me know it so to be where-with you in the eternal Beeing and Substance of all living I rest in the Fountain of Mercy desiring daily in my pourings forth of my Soul unto God that you all may walk blamelesly and be preserved in the Truth of your Hearts to stand stedfast in the day of Tryal at hand And so in the power of Wisdom which is the Refuge of the Innocent the Lord God Almighty of Heaven and Earth preserve you all and keep you all for evermore Amen And hereby you may likewise know that I am in health and strength of Body and Soul and that my Heart is sometimes enlarged with the Power of Gods Love and my Spirit at Liberty which is out of their power to imprison by whom my Body is shut up in the close unsavoury Prison of my late and long sad Sufferings in the common Goal at Winchester where this is written by him that God hath called herein to be your Servant in obedience to his blessed Will known to the World but unto you in that which is nearer than this Name Humphry Smith Concerning TYTHES TYthes at first were not required but given only of the Spoils of the War only once by Abraham unto him that was made like unto the Son but the Substance being come even Christ who was before the Wars and before Abraham he redeems out of the Lust from whence the Wars arise and so bringeth to an end of that from whence Wars come and so to an End of that from whence Tythes were first given and so to give nor pay Tythes any longer being redeemed out of Lust and Wars and Fightings by the Blood of Jesus who said I am the Light that abideth a Priest forever and his day Abraham rejoyced to see who brings to the End of the Tythes and makes War with that and slayes that which caused men to Slay one another in the Wars who comes to save the Life who is Greater than Abraham who being now come denyeth fighting and saith He that taketh the Sword shall perish with the Sword And so that was to perish whereby Tythes were first given then must there needs be an end of Tythes which also perisheth with the using and the Law for the Tythes which had a shadow of good things to come decayes and waxes old and vanisheth away the good things themselves being come and good will towards man and the Covenant of Light to joyn the hearts together For Tythes were never given nor paid until after men had killed and slain and done violence and wrong one to another
and behold I have seen their Wo which is near at hand their Wives also shall be left as Widdows and their Children as Fatherless and from the pitiful Benovelence of the People must they be kept from Perishing in their Bodies but alas for their Souls who shall deliver them And herein moreover is their State and Condition the more Miserable because they will not regard this neither would they at all be warned by them whom the Lord hath sent amongst them and because they will not see when the hand of the Lord is lifted up neither regard the Word of his Power therefore for their Envy to the Lords People shall they be ashamed Isa 26. 11. that upon them it may be fulfilled which is written Behold I work a Work in your days ye Despisers which you shall in no wise believe though a man declare it unto you Acts 13. 41. Therefore have I considered in the very depth of my secret Meditations what shall be said or done in these things when the Priests have violated the Law and made void that which is Perfect and the Leaders of the People rebel against the Light Job 24. 31. and harden their Hearts against Reproof and will not be warned that they might escape the Dreadful day at hand therefore have I said Ah! surely the Lord will root them up Head and Tail Branch and Root in one day Ah! fruitless Trees said I have not you your selves yet brought forth the first Fruits of the Spirit which is Love And are not ye your selves yet come to that which fulfills the Law of God to wit Love And are not all without it as sounding Brass having the Tongues and the like making a Noise among the People like sounding Brass and pleasing their Fancies as tinkling Cimbals 1 Cor. 13. And have you been all this while sowing to the Flesh And are you the men who deny him that makes an end of Sin and his Blood which cleanseth from all Sin and the Faith which purisieth the Heart And are you the men who deny the true Light of him who said I am the Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World Are you the men that deny the Son of God and will ye not that he should reign that is of the Seed of Abraham who wandered up and down And is it you that are saying one to another and to the Rulers of the Earth concerning him that is the Light This is the Heir come let us Kill him And would you not that he should Rule who condemns Sin and saveth his People from thir Sins and maketh an end of Sin Surely have I said even therefore will the Lord reward you according to the Fruit of your own Ways and as you have denyed him so must you be condemned by him that is the Light Job 3. 19. And as you have been and yet are with Pilate and others of Babel in the many Languages and Tongues upon which the Whore sits and as you have been and yet are of the Nations which are drunk with the Wine of the Fornication of the Whore the great Whore Mystery Babylon that sits upon many Waters and hath corrupted the Earth and as you have been drunk with the Blood of the Saints and made rich by the Robbing and Spoiling of the Houses and Goods of many even as Troops of Robbers Hos 6. 9. Forty in one Troop lately at Dorchester feeding their Belly their God And as you have devoured Widdows Houses and been drunk with the Wine of the Fornication of the Whore and the Blood of Saints even so shall you have Blood to drink and even so must you drink the Cup of Astonishment and fierce Indignation of the Lord God Almighty and he will plague you false Prophets with the Whore together and the Beast and you must be taken alive and cast into the Lake of Fire which burneth forever and ever And when I have waited to see the end of these things and pondered this in my Heart in the Uprightness of Innocency and pure Simplicity of God then hath it been said in me Where then will the Memorial of this Priesthood of these Nations who came up since the Apostles days and were descended from the Bishops that were commissionated by the Pope and established by the See of Rome And what a Howling and a bitter Lamentation will come upon many in that day when Mystery Babylon the Mother of all these painted Harlots comes to be overturned forever How then will the Great men and the Rich men and the Mighty Ones of the Earth Mourn and Lament because of the Desolation of the Whore with whom they have all along committed Fornication and to see these her Children the painted Harlots the Priests of England who are covered with Saints words even dashed to pieces with the Light which is the Stone that is falling upon them to grind them to Powder Alas alas say they how many were made Rich And how many of our Children were like to be made Rich by being bred up under the Skirts of this Woman who hath a Golden Cup in her Hand holding it forth to all that will come to her And how many young men began to love her Pov. 7. Alas say they were not many of our Children looking at the Golden Cup and and growing up under her Wing at Oxford and Cambridge and in divers other Schools and Nurseries where the Languages and Tongues are even Multitudes upon which the Whore sits Rev. 18. 1 15. who hath the Golden Cup at which the Kings and the Great Ones of the Earth have drunk abundantly And must this Woman be laid Desolate And must her Children be dashed to pieces against the Stone the Light therefore is the Cry great and the Lamentation will be grievous when the Iniquity is come to the full the Sin ripe unto Judgment the Beast fully fatted for the Day of Slaughter and that come to pass which is haâ—â—ning suddenly though few can receive these things unexpected by many revealed in me and the more are they and many other People hardened and blinded herein because the Priests are so high so great and so strong and upheld by the strength of such Laws even exceeding and doubling in their Power and Authority the Laws that were made for the upholding of their Predecessors the Jesuites and Popish Priests in the dayes of Queen Mary whose Law was but three Moneths Imprisonment and now it is six and then the Law was but for the Tythes and now it is three times as much and so they are more higher exalted than ever and our Task is doubled and trebled upon us and besides they cry out We are Idle and wander up and down But let me Reason a little Was it not suddenly after their Bondage in Aegypt was doubled that the Lord overturned the mighty strength of the Oppressors forever and was not the cry of the oppressed great because the Task was doubled upon them who were in
thereabouts who do seldom give People large Money to tell Lyes after they have taught them so to do unless it be when they hire them to tell Lyes and Swear too in bearing false Witness for them against the Innocent but they commonly force People to give large Money to them for teaching them to tell Lyes and to deny and murder the Witness in themselves which Witness comes to be received by believing in the Light John 12. 36. ch 1. 11 12. 1 John 5. 10. And seeing these Priests do now get large Money or take it by Force for telling the People many large Repititions in their Pulpits one year after another How Christ was caused to be crucified and murdered by the other Priests who gave Money to have it done and the People know that already And when I have considered how many Hundred Thousand Pounds a year these Priests do receive and take by force for telling the People how Christ the Light suffered under the other Priests and how he that condemns sin in the Flesh and saves from Sin was called a Deceiver by the other Priests then have I said surely these Priests are worse than the other for they gave their Money even large Money but these take Money and Money that is much more large and take it by Force too even Treble Damage or three times Treble what they demand and Rob whole Houses and have got the Rulers to uphold them in it never such Robbers and take Tythe by force from such as hear them not And the first Priests that I read of in Scripture who would take the Tythe or Offerings by Force were the Sons of Belial and knew not God 1 Sam. 2. 12 16. and they said If you will not give it us we will take it by force And so they that took the Tythe or Offerings by force were Sons of Belial And such Sons of Belial now who know not God do not only take the Tythe and Offerings but they take even Three times or Sixteen times as much in some places and sometimes the Persons of men besides And those Priests formerly did give their Money and Simon Magus would have given Money for the holy Ghost but now these Priests force People to give them Money for their Meanings of the Letter And when I have seriously considered these things I have even stood as a man amazed saying Who would or how could I formerly have believed that these Priests of England were so far worse than them Priests that made a Covenant with a Devil and that caused Christ to suffer Or who would have believed that they were worse than Simon Magus in compelling People to give them much Money for their Meanings from the Letter whereas he would have given his Money freely for the Spirit but the Spirit they have not to sell but if they had what would they not do for the love of Money which is so rooted in their Hearts would they not do as Judas did who sold him that was his Master but I do not believe they would bring again the Money as Judas did though he was a Devil And who could have believed that these Priests of England were so far worse than the Sons of Ely who were Sons of Belial and knew not God for they would take but the Tythe and Offerings by force but these Priests take the Tythe and Offerings and much more and the Bodies of Men and Women also and keep them in Prison until Death for whom they do no Work and who desire none of their Ministry And if they herein be not worse than the Sons of Belial let all sober-minded judge and consider this thing with me that the first Priests that caused their Servants to take the Offerings by force knew not God then say I Alas alas for the Priests of England are they so much worse than those that knew not God How doth their Shame appear And who could have believed that these Priests were worse than Judas that was a Devil who brought the Money again that he had received But when do these Priests bring again the Money and Goods which they have received and taken away by force though Judas did not take his Money by force And how hard are these words to be received by such who have not yet come to see and understand these things And how unwilling will the Priests themselves be to believe the truth of this which I have thus weighed and considered and pondered in the Meditations of my Mind What horrible things from the Pit of Darkness are these that the Priests should be worse than Judas for after he had betrayed the Innocent he confessed He had sinned and brought back the Money but the Priests said What is that to us And are not these Priests worse than they for these do not only cause the betraying of the Innocent and say What is that to us but they take Money and force People to give them large Money for betraying that which is Innocent in them by their Subtilty and Craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive and when they have betrayed the Innocent Principle of God in People by telling them It will deceive them yet they will not bring the Peoples Money back as Judas did nor so much as confess they have sinned therein but are Impudent O hard hearted and unreasonable Men have I said What shall be said unto them Surely they are the worst of men and it had been good for them they had never been born or had a beeing upon the Earth Did the Prophet Mourn over or Cry aloud unto them that spent their Money and Labour for that which satisfieth not Oh! what shall I then say or write or how shall I cry loud enough or mourn enough yet more in secret or sound a Trumpet to these dead sleepy Priests who compell People to give them so much Money or spoil their Goods or imprison their Bodies till Death for that which is so far from satisfying them that their Souls are murthered thereby and the innocent meek thing in them betrayed and the Witness denyed Oh! who can withhold from declaring this And who can but write it in a Book that they may see the State which they are in and that People may know them by their Fruits which did never so plainly appear as now And when these things came upon me in the deep Meditation of my Mind and Conference in my Spirit what a Condition was I often in and how was my Soul overcome with Sorrow my Spirit with Heaviness and mine Eyes with Tears When did the Prophets ever see such a Generation of Priests as these And what manner of Lamentaion shall I take up because of these things Surely I will cry aloud unto the Lord in secret and my Soul shall pour forth Intercession to my Maker and with Tears as streams of Water will I beg at the Throne of the Most High for the slain of the People that are killed all
Worship the God of the Spirits of all Flesh and feel it in the inward parts according as the Lord requireth by which Truth man comes to be sanctified for the Word that liveth and abideth forever is Truth which comes to be ingrafted into them who believe in the Light and in it wait for the Promise of the Father even that Spirit of Truth which the World cannot receive for they know it not it being in Gods Wisdom hid from the Wisdom of the World who know not him that may be felt after and found who is near unto every one of you whose measure of Light in you is it you are all to know by it to come to know the eternal Power and Godhead as they did who had not Scriptures Rom. 1. 19. for the Light of Christ in you is that which is to give the Knowledge of God 2 Cor. 4. 6. who hath assuredly revealed his Son in me and led me in the straight Way to Life Eternal and the enjoyment of the Truth which is Immortal the which being to me a Pearl of great Price and more precious than a thousand Rivers of Oyl And that none may be hindred from receiving of this which I have most assuredly found to be more excellent than the Royalty of Diadems or the Excellency of the most purest Gold or the most Renownedst Glory Beauty or Riches that the natural Eye can behold and that all who breathe after divine Refreshings and the Rest that never shall be shaken and the attaining to the Covenant of Life and Peace may come to be gathered into the One Fold of blessed Happiness and rest upon the Rock of Ages and never more be moved henceforth and forever And that if possible all Murmurings Reasonings concerning me or what I was may be taken out of the Minds of all People of all sorts and that all Jealousies Whisperings and Heart-burnings in the Wrathful Nature may be passified and cooled with the over-spreading Streams of God's free Love which truely is shed and groweth in my Heart and streameth forth as a Well-spring of Life toward the Seed that is yet oppressed in them among whom sometime I walked in Darkness wallowed in Unrighteousness and afterwards stood up as a tall Cedar in the height of Profession preaching great and high things daily unto others whereby then I was admired by many Hundreds who thereby came not to receive Power to overcome their Sins neither yet attain to that which the Souls of many of them thirsted after whom since I have often mourned over in Pity and in the Bowels of my Father's Love to the Soul in Bondage in them from whom I have been long and far absent in Body And that none of them by looking and wondering at me or any thing that hath befallen me may stumble thereby at the Light or Truth it self or be thereby kept from receiving the living Truth or from giving heed to that which all the Wise Master-builders refuse nor that they by looking at what I was before I received and lived in the Truth and at that which justly came upon me for my former Rebellion against the Light nor at the Judgments of God that came upon me within or without because of my unwillingness to follow him who said I am the Light follow me and said He that will not leave Father and Mother Wife and Children Goods or Lands for my sake is not worthy of me and he that will not deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me is not worthy of me And what a Cross it was for me to leave what I did let that of God in all that knew me judge But I say that none of them who are Colonels Captains Justices Professors nor People by looking out at any thing concerning me may not be with-held from receiving the Truth and so kept from that which is the way to the Father and the Door to the Rest for evermore Therefore hath it lay long of late years and often upon me and that from the hand of the Lord to lay something before your Eyes O ye Rulers Professors and People of Herefordshire and thereabout endeavouring thereby to remove any cause of stumbling by reason of what I was or of any false Reports raised upon me whereby the whole Truth of God might be Evil spoken of And this have I waited long to declare among you either in Words Writing or Print thought thereby Shame might come upon my former Course of Life when I lived in all manner of Sin and Iniquity except it were actual Adultery Fornication and Murder and though also hereby Contempt may come upon all that great Profession I was in when I preached daily in the Synagogue or upon all that I then spoke or preached out of the Innocent Life of God or if hereby at present suffer I Reproach as it is like I may by many yet the Reproach of Christ is greater Riches to me than the Treasure Glory and Preferment of England And first Concerning my Call out of the World or my going out from my House Country and outward Employment THe Light of Christ which condemns the Evil Deeds comes from him who calleth his out of the World and from their Employments to follow him who putteth forth his Sheep and thrultech forth Labourers into the Harvest and Abraham of whose Seed I now am went out of his Country and from his Fathers House Gen. 12. and him God blessed and encreased mightily and the Lord also called and thrust forth me who at last was obedient to the Command of the God of Abraham and ever since his Presence hath been with me and his Blessings have I found and the Encreasings of God have I received Praises to the Lord God of Life for evermore who hath called me by his Word of Power through his Grace which did teach me to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to obey his blessed Will which was and is my Sanctification in Jesus Christ who did also call Matthew from the receit of Custom to follow him and Peter and John from their Employment of Fishing and made them fishers of men and Paul also being called left his Employment of Tent-making after a time and was Obedient to the heavenly Vision and those then became a Wonder and a Gazing-stock to many yet they continued on Travelling through many Countries as I since have done preaching the Word of God with boldness And one of these men who were called from their outward Employment said Every man wherein he is called there abide and whereunto they were called they did abide and so do l and when the Priests and Rulers would have stopt their Mouthes by their Commands they said Whether it be lawful to hearken unto God or Man judge ye But these Ministers of Christ did not say he that is a Husbandman there abide for Noah was a Husbandman yet a Preacher of Righteousness and Elisha a Plow-man and Amos a Herdsman neither did they
say He that is a Fisherman let him so abide neither did Christ say he that will be my Disciple must follow his outward Employment or Trade but he said He that will not hate Father and Mother Brethren and Sisters Wife and Children yea and his own Life too cannot be my Disciple Luke 1â— 20. and if not a Disciple much less a Minister of his But hereby neither Christ nor them Ministers of his neither I did or do intend to draw or perswade People to Idleness or open a Door for any such Evil neither is there many who are called out of the World's Worships and required to leave their Families and called to the Ministry but that hereby it may plainly appear that the Command and Call of Christ to his Work and Ministry is to be obeyed though it be to the forfaking of House Goods or Lands for a Minister of his said We have forsaken all And have not I done so and unto them who had forsaken all unto all such was promised a Hundred fold Matth. 19. 17 18 19. And Heaven and Earth shall pass away before one Jot or Tittle of his Word shall fail And truly I have found his Promise true for a Hundred times Hundred sold have I already received blessed be the Lord forever But how contrary it was to my own Will to fulfill the Will of the Lord. in leaving my Employment and outward Business in the World let all them judge with the Light who knew my Conversation therein and saw my Eagerness in the things of the World and Contrivances therein beyond many men my Heart being set in the Earthly things being very fierce in Labouring therein for the getting and encreasing of the Fruits of the Earth as though I would have laid up Treasure for many Years which might have been good in its place if my Mind had been redeemed out of it and my Heart from the Covetousness thereof but I say again it was much contrary to my strong Will to leave these things and the love of them and much more that might be named and be taken from it with a Hundred and Fifty Pound loss and be exposed to Want Hardships Revilings Imprisonments Whippings Stonings and all manner of cruel Torture that the Soris of men might have Power to inflict upon my Body and for me that ruled over many and was respected by many to become a Servant unto all and counted the Off-scouring of all and be abused by any Boy or the Vilest Person I meet and it was much contrary to my Will to refuse that Glory Honour and Preferment of the VVorld which was offered me by the Rulers thereof when I was beloved of them and Hundreds more and when I preached among them in the Pulpits daily and was then called of men Master like the Hirelings of England who being in the Curse cannot cease from Sin 2 Pet. 2. 14. yet I still refused their Unrighteous Gain and denyed all their Gifts and Rewards for the Lord in his Mercy kept me out of them Temptations though sometimes some that were then near Friends unto me would have perswaded me to have taken something of what was offered as to live upon but I durst not if I had wanted Food or Raiment but answered one Justice who was proposing me a free Gift toward Maintenance which might have been worth a Hundred Pound a Year or more seeing I left my Employment freely to preach daily but I say I answered I shall rather go in Sheep-Skins and Goat-Skins and eat Bread and drink Water and that little honest meek Principle in me which then kept me from that and such Temptations in due time led me to be Ruler over much which before I had not Power over therefore I say unto all it is good to be faithful to the little measure of God in the Conscience For when I was but young and void of the knowledge of God or his Way of Holiness my Mind ran much in the Earth with a covetous care how to gain the Riches thereof and even then did the Hand of the Lord follow me and his Witness in me did so judge and condemn me Night and Day for my Evil that at last I was scarce able to do any thing in the Earth or go upon it then waiting to see what the reason was after many Hours I saw clearly if I would leave the Wickedness of the world and follow the Lord and trust him I might have Peace and if not I was like to be cut off And then I left some Sins and resolved to live more Holy and began to Pray and Read and then I went to follow the Priests not knowing that in me which I was to hear and follow yet it secretly led me out of some Evil and so into some Peace and then my Heart was exalted in the Earth though I encreased in a Profession And when I was in the height of the World's Way and Worship and expecting Riches to increase even then in an unexpected time did the dread of the Lord fall upon me and his wonderful mighty Power wrought exceedingly in me to break me off from all my Wayes and seperate me from all the Worship of the VVorld and gave me to see the Abominations of all the Prayers of the Wicked and the Invalidity of all the Worships of all Mankind who are out of God's Covenant and the Operations then upon me by the terrible Hand of the Lord and the strivings that were in me can never be declared and then did the Lord command me to follow him in Obedience to his Will to declare against all Unrighteousness of men which I saw in the Light of Life to be in Priests Rulers and People and I then saw clearly in the eternal Light and foresight of God the Hardships Cruelties Whippings Imprisonments and Dungeon and many such things which since in part have been upon this Body fulfilled as may be read in several of my Books read the True Rule and at that time did the powerful Life of God so much break through me with such unspeakable Love that I was even willing to leave all walk with God But then contrary to Paul I reasoned with Flesh and Blood that I should be esteemed a Mad-man and that People would not believe me and that I was not fit and many such things Then the Word of the Lord was spoken in me saying Who is it that openeth the Mouth Is it not I the Lord Then was my Bowels even turned within me with the constraining Power of Gods Eternal Love and I began to be willing but when that was a little over the Tempter being near â— reasoned concerning my Wife and Children How they should be provided for and presently the Promise of the Lord was That they should be cared for and his Promise was to me That he who converteth Souls to God should shine as the Stars forever And when I had received them VVords into me I was overcome with
For another time formerly the Light of Christ in me which then I knew not did so condemn me and judge and trouble me in secret that it brought Sickness upon me and thereby being Weak expecting I should dye I was then much troubled and it lay much upon my Conscience at that time that I had not in the time of my Health gone to the Steeple-house and in the fear of the Lord warned all People to Repent and I was then much grieved because I thought I should dye and not first in that thing discharge my Conscience And so though I might write much by what is written may appear to the Meek and Sober-minded that the Lord did not only call but also thrust me forth of the World into his Harvest and this was of God and the operation of his powerful Word which called me out of the World and Hundreds since by the Word of his Power through me have been gathered out of the Way of the World and received the Earnest of the Rest Eternal and many converted unto God and Wo be unto them who openly oppose me in this the Lords Work I now am in which he hath thus called me unto and let none think that I did wilfully neglect my outward Employment neither let any one think that I left my Family as not regarding them nor that I stay much out of that Country for any By-end for the words are true A Prophet is not without Honour save in his own Country and in his own House and those that did since seek to stop my Mouth did not well Concerning my publick Preaching and something of what followed THAT none may stumble thereat and say We called Quakers are such who change from one thing to another and so what we hold not to be regarded But I say Those that have to changes are not come into fear of God psal 55. 19. and the Fear of the Lord is to depart from Evil And they depart from Evil are become a Prey but such were cleansed and changed from Glory to Glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. and grew in Grace and Knowledge in the Lord Jesus Christ And what I did or said then was in a great Zeal and real Intent to do good neither did I covet mens Silver for it neither was it my end to make a Gain thereby though much was freely offered me more than I intend to make mention though I recceived it not so that therein I was not much found in Covetousiness But when Judgement came upon me as before-mentioned I gave up that Preaching and said at the last Meeting I had then which was at Stoke-bliss That my Mouth was stopt at that present but if ever the Lord should open my Mouth again I should Preach indeed and it is so Praises to the Lord forever who hath indeed opened my Mouth and since I was no longer Rebellious and the living Truth of Jusus Christ do I declare and bear Testimony to his Name where-ever I come as his Spirit moveth me And let none herby think that I now glory in what was then my shame for though I had a great Zeal then for God it being not according to the Knowledge of the Crofs of Christ which crucisies to the World and all its vain Customs the which Cross being then left behind which is the Power of God so the Love of the world which is Enmity to God remained in me and the Root Iniquity not them removed out of my Heart therefore Fruits of Disobedience in secret were still brought forth which the Would the World took little notice of but I had one near me who did let me see all that ever I did and reproved me for vain Glory and having the Praise of Men and the Love of the VVorld and so my Preaching did not bring Souls home to God though I informed their Minds of many things which many ignorant People knew not before and so though much Love was in many yet this brought not forth Fruits of Obedience unto God and so all came to little for the People remained in their Sins and received not Power to come out of them neither came they out of the Fashions and Customs of the World nor to the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ which purrisies the Heart stands in the pure Conscience my self And so their Faith and mine was vain being then in our Sins Therefore let none think that I now justifie any Deceit Hy-pocrisie or secret Evil that then was in me or practsed by me for in the Presence of the Lord God I do openly declare against it all and that Spirit that acted me therein but I own that simple thing which then encourged me to do good out of an Honest Intent and that kept me out of Covetousness and from receiving of Gifts And I openly declare against all Cruel Unjull and Ungcdly Action and Words and all that Filth which I wallowed in before I was a zelous Professor as it is known to may Ungodly Persons how I was once as Wicked as many of them whom I Warn all to Repent otherwife they cannot escape the Dammantion of Hell And I utterly deny and declare against that Blindnese and Hypocrisie I was in when I followed the chief Priests from one Idols Temple to another who were chief in the Serpent's Wifdom deceiving me and many more and taught me that Knowledge which came from the Devil who said Te shall be a Gods knowing Gen. 3. 5. And in that Knowledge in which every man is Bruitish Jer. 10. 14. from them Hirelings Iencreased in that which pusseth up and encreased my â—orrow as before was mentioned for by that Serpent's subtilty which I learned from them without me I fought against and resisted that which was holy in me Therefore I declare in the Name of the Lord God that all the Hireling Priests do more harm than good and shall never bring People to receive the Power of God but lead them into Subtilty and further off from the Knowledge of that of God in them Rom. 1. 19. And as true as the Lord God liveth upon their Death-beds shall both Priests and People witness this to be true And it s also as true that I write this without any Prejudice to any of their Persons but in Love to all Peoples Souls do I warn all them Hireling Priests in Herefordshire and elsewhere to leave deceiving the People for absolutely the People are deceived by them and forced to maintain them too who may be warned of them by what I have learned by Experience from them having tried them and their ways to the utmost and have much experience of them more than many Country People whose Souls I truly love and therefore this I write And I declare against that which ruled in me in the time of Ignorance and Perverseness and acted me in Cruelty or Oppression towards any Person or to Wrong Defraud or Insult over any one in Tyranny either by Word or Action or wherein I
Cross of Christ is to the Joros a Stumbling-block to the Greeks Foolishness for Christ is this day as he was ever a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence to both the Houses of Israel 2 Cor. 1. 13. therefore are they this day speaking Evil of that they know not for say they concerning these Sects call'd Quakers We know that it is every where spoken against Acts 28. 22. But in the Way that men call Heresie do I Worship the God of my Father Acts 24. 14. and am not ashamed to own the Power that shakes the Earth for if I should be ashamed to own the Power of Christ before men then he might justly be ashamed of me before my Father which is in Heaven but I own and witness the same Power which made Moses exceedingly fear and quake The which overpowered Daniel that he had no strength left in him Dan. 10. 8. Which Power made Habakkuk Tremble his Lips Quivered Rottenness entred into his Bones Hab. 3. 16. the which Power struck down Paul Acts 9. 3 4 5 6. which caused the Goaler to come in Trembling Acts 16. 26 27 28 29. Therefore I say unto all serve the Lord with Fear and Trembling Psal 2. 11. and work out your Salvation with fear and Treambling Phil. 2. 12. for now I know the Lord to be with them that Tremble at his Word Therefore O foolish People without Understanding which have Eyes and see not Ears and hear not Fear ye not me saith the Lord Will ye not Tremble at my Presence Jer. 5. 21 22. Are you worse than Devils that Fear and Tremble Isa 2. 19. And now the mighty Power of the living God hath shaken the Earth and the Heavens that now that which cannot be shaken may remain Heb. 12. 27. Now all you that will enter in with the Bride-groom wait to receive the same Power for the Lord Jesus Christ is come tendering himself unto his own John 1. 11. and I witness that as many as receive him receive Power to become the Sons of God John 1. 12. O be not Fools and slow with Heart to believe all that the Prophets and Apostles saith for the Lord is still a God with Power he is the same yesterday and to day and forever whose everlasting Love is shed abroad in our Hearts by which the Love of the World is cast out For if any man love the World the Love of the Father is not in him John 2. 15. But we are bought with a Price and after glorifie God in Body Soul and Spirit which is the Lord's 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. Being made Ministers nof of the Letter which killeth but of the Spirit which giveth Liâ—e 2 Cor. 3. 6. Giving no offence in any thing that the Ministry of Christ be not blamed but in all things approving our selves as the ministers of God in much Patience in Affliction in Necessities in Distresses in Stripes in Imprisonments in Tamults in Labours in Watchings in Fastings by Pureness by Knowledge by Long-suffering by Kindness by the Holy Ghost by Love unfeigned by the Word of Truth by the Power of God by the Armour of Righteousness on the Right hand and on the Left by Honour and by Dishonour by Evil Report and Good Report as Deceivers and yet True as unknown and yet well known as Dying and behold we Live as Chastened and not Killed as Sorrowful and yet always Rejoycing as Poor and yet making many Rich as having Nothing yet Possessing all things 2 Cor. 6. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 and 10 Verses Now the Light of the glorious Gospel in the Face of Jesus Christ hath shined into our Hearts whereby the Grace that was to be brought in at the Revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 13. is now in us witnessed even the Grace the Apostle exhorted to hope for and the Prophets searched after 2 Pet. 2. 20. the which Grace and Glory is now made manifest in the Sons and Daughters whereby the everlasting Gospel is sounded forth in the Ears of many Thousands in England blessed are they that hear the joyful sound thereof For verily verily as the four Hundred and Thirty years Bondage in Aegypt was at last accomplished and as the Captivity in Babylon had an end and the Lord brought again the Captivity of his People even so now the many Years of Apostacy is over and the Lord hath heard the Cry of his own Seed and is come down to deliver Israel out of all Distresses and to gather the Out-casts Psalm 147. 2. And to bring home that which is driven away and to bind up that which is broken and to strengthen that which is sick but he will destroy the Fat and the Strong and will feed them with Judgment Ezek. 34. 26. but his own shall be delivered from the many Shepherds which have destroyed the Flock of Christ and they shall feed no longer Verse 20. yea verily People the mighty Power of the Lord is risen in England to gather his from the Corners of the Earth and they that have been long in the High-ways to Destruction being â—lind and Lame shall now be compelled to come in to the Supper of the Lamb and eat of the hidden Manna But many of the Children of the Kingdom shall be cast out For for Judgment is Christ come into the World that they that see not may see and they that soe may now be made Blind Joh 939. And the Sword of the Lord is drawn against the man of Sin to cut it down Root and Branch and to set up the Kingdom of Christ in Rightcousness and true Holiness And this Work of the Lord shall certainly go on and Men Devils nor the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against it The just Complaint of the Afflicted against the Rulers who oppress the Innocent to be delivered to the Judge of the Sessions at Winchester the 8th Moneth 1658. YOu that are set to rule over others should not let secret Envy Ambition and Prejudice so rule over you as not at all to hearken to the Counsel of the Meek nor receive Instruction from the Simple whom the Lord preserveth but you should let Haughtiness and Arrogancy be done away for God resisteth the Proud And you should come to that which is meek low sober and humble with it to know a ruling over that which hath captivated you under the power of Sin and Satan who hath so blinded the Mind that the Meek of the Earth are become your Enemies for telling you the truth and the Day upon you is come in which you cannot endure sound Doctrine But this I tell you That they who hate Reproof are bruitish and every man is bruitish in his Knowledge yea O ye men your Pastors are become bruitish and have not known the Lord though this be a hard saying to you who are your selves in that which is to be ruled with the Sword of God's dreadful Power who will execute Judgment upon all and with his own eternal
the Captivated Seed of the Noble Plant of Renown which is hid in all Sober Humble Wise and Professed Religious Emperors Kings Princes and People in all Nations kindreds and Tongues over all the whole World and for all sorts of Poeple who know not the Power of Truth in the inward Parts that they may come to have the hidden Treasure opened in them and be gathered into the Glorious Life of Eternal Peace HEarken and hear ye Mighty Ones of the Earth that love Righteousness and all you Prudent Ones that can receive Instruction who have not yet hardened your Hearts as many have done against the day of Slaughter even all ye who are willing to come to Meekness and receive Understanding that your Souls may live who have an Ear ready to be opened to entertain Counsel that the Wisdom of the Most High you may attain unto and come to taste of the Virtue of the Substance of that which nourisheth all things living that the unsearchable Life of the unlimited Power you may attain unto and come to that which was in the beginning and partake of the Life which over Death is to reign that to the Immortal Beeing you may be led Be ye now therefore awakened and feel the operation of the Breath of Life in you and let the Virtue of the Word of Life break through you and the Power thereof break through the Earth that you may come to be overshadowed with the Influences of divine Love and filled with the sweet Content of the Riches of the Life Eternal that nothing may stop the River of Healing Oyl nor hinder the issuings forth of the pleasant Streams of Living Water but that in it your Souls may be refreshed and your Life grow up as a fruitful Vine that under the Wing of the most High you may be shadowed and rest in the shelter of a Rock For the Almighty Power of the Infinite Beeing is spreading forth it self and the Eternal Excellency is giving forth it self unto the Sons of men that they by Humility in it may come to rest forever and come to the fulness of that which only gives satisfaction without which there is no true Peace by which Immortallity may be enjoyed forever and the Life which only through Death is found and that Dominion which through Patience and Long-suffering is obtained which only belongs to Kings and Princes and such whom the King of Kings delighteth to Honour who hath eternal Crowns of unspeakable â—lory for all that come to him in the humble Simplicity and Innocency of Uprightness with that Love which thinketh no Evil which comes from that â—ife in which no Evil doth stand For he that inhabiteth Eternity hath roared from the highest Heaven and the Almighty Wonderful and Terrible God over all hath thundered with the might of his Power to the revealing of the hidden things of Darkness and discovering the Foundation of all Worships practised by all Mankind upon the face of the whole Earth and the ground of their Revolting from that which was and is to be their Life that by it they might have lived forever who from the holy Life and Virtue of all things being departed in their Transgression and Rebelion against the Light whereby thick Darkness bath covered all mankind and Bruitishness in knowledge hath happened unto many and inordinate Aflections have had Dominion and Sottishness hath blinded the Mind and the things that are made in the Earth hath filled the carthly Heart that in it the living Power that made all things cannot have entrance without which living Power received in the Heart there is not Eternal Peace by the enjoyment or possession of all the things that are created in or upon the Sea or Earth neither is there any manner of Worship that obtains life to the soal until therein man comes to be guided with that by which the soul at first had its life by which man was made which is Light for the Eternal Power who is Light is breaking forth of Darkness and shining forth as the Brightness of the clear Morning that all the dark Corners of the Earth may be enlightened with the beauty thereof which Light in the lowly and the meek may be felt who obeying it may know it shining more and more to the brightness of the Day of Glory whereby all Nations may come to taste of the Virtue of the Life and come to know the Covenant of Peace which will heal all the Breaches and restore the Unity of all Nations that one peaceable Covenant over all Nations may spread as the Morning Cloud and be all covered under that which shadows over all the Upright in Heart who love the Breathings forth of the holy Life and keep their Minds to the humble Seed continuing in the pure Fear thereby in them to have the Fountain opened that they all may drink at the Spring that shall never be dry whose Souls come to be as a watered Garden and their inward parts as a Vessel of Oyl their Hearts being enlarged with the abundance of Peace and because of Salvation rejoycing forever that all Nations may be at quiet and every one feed under his own Vine and none destroy nor devour one another henceforth forever more For by the Mighty Wonderful Operation of the Power of the one Light which shines in and over all were all things made and all Mankind upon the whole Earth from the Life of which one Light was breathed into man that by which man might be kept in the Unity and abide in the Oneness of Spirit the which though all Mankind are gone out from by Sin and Evil yet that which is but One in all which was before man and sin doth still in man remain even the Light proceeding from the Life which was the Life of man without which he is dead unto God which Light remaining in man a free gift from the God of Life Power and Love by it may all Mankind seek after the living God and find him who is not far from every one but is near unto all that seek him in the meek Lowliness in the Heart And that all Emperors Kings Princes Judges and all Nations Languages Kindreds Tongues and People upon the face of the whole Earth may come be restored into Unity Peace and Concord and be united together in one bond of Love and Peace and never learn War any more and that they may all come to the true Worship of the God of Life Power and Light in over all and never to have hatred one against another concerning professed Religious Worship nor differ and strive about that by which the Souls if all Mankind come to be saved nor about the Way of attaining thereunto And that all Nations and People may receive the Virtue of the Life it self by which man may come to live forever in that noble state of Prudence Innocency and Wisdom in the durable Dominion of divine Honour ruling in the excellency of the Omnipotent
Power of the most Infinite God of Life over all that which at first in divine Wisdom was subjected under man who then bore the Image of the Immortal God of Power and live in the Glorious state of Peace and Quietness out of Wrath Envy and Trouble and that man may be brought into that Noble state of Uprightness and come to be directed and guided with that by which the may be renowned forever and leave the Memorial of his Righteousness for a sweet favour unto many Generations to come Therefore all ye Wise and Prudent Ancient and Honourable Devout Zealous and Religious Ones let all your Minds be turned from the Varieties of Conceptions in the vain Imaginations and the vain Thoughts of the dark Mind which leadeth forth into the carnal Conceivings of things without the pure Substance of the one Immortal Life which in man lies hid from all that carnal Wisdom which naturally ruleth in man who is fallen from the Dominion and Life of the God of Wisdom whose delight is to dwell in his People and reveal in them his secrets and make known unto them by that which searcheth the Heart the unsearchable Riches of the Mysteries of his Will instructing them as a tender Father in the Perfect Way of Life that unto them who feel his Power an Eternal Inheritance he may give and at last receive them in the Arms of his Love with him to reign in the Light of endless Glory forever Wherefore let all Tongues be silent and let every Evil Motion be denyed and the passage of every Vain Thought be stopt and let Dread and Fear Possess him that hath done Evil and let the inward parts be searched with the Light of Life which is in the Heart of every one of you and let your Minds be wholly turned from all the visible carnal fading Glory to the Light of Truth in you which being by you loved will lead you into Meekness and into true Humility which leadeth to and goeth before Eternal Honour and bringeth to be Honourable in his Power who ruleth in the Hearts of Emperors and Kings who fear before him and he only who searcheth the Heart is to be sought after above all things and the operation of his mighty Power is to be felt in the inward parts judging that which hath kept man from the knowledge of his Life and condemning and overturning that which hath hindred man from the sense of the feeling thereof in him the which being turned unto and loved followed and obeyed will bring Judgment upon that in you all which hath long kept you from the Dominion of pure divine Glory and Love in the Slavery of sleshly worldly Glory which hath more and more begotten you into that which lusteth after the Beauty which is to perish with them that dye in it Now therefore awake ye all to Righteousness stand in awe and sin not commune with your own Hearts and be still and in the cool of the day and quietness of your Mind listen ye then to the voice of the Word in your Hearts and prize and tender that which moveth in you against that which is Evil and come to be guided by that in you which is Light which cometh from him who is the God of Love whose love is already shed abroad in the Hearts of many which constraineth them to wait in his Light to receive his Power and further Discoveries of his Will who willeth that all men should be saved from Eternal Death and Damnation and not dye under the horrible Terrors of his Fierce Wrath nor perish in the Darkness of Unbelief and Rebellion against that Power which made man at first Upright and now from a fatherly pity doth call after all Mankind that they may return from Evil and come unto him and be saved from Wrath to come and find plenteous Redemption in the Life of his Power and be gathered into the Comliness of his Love and translated into the Kingdom of his Immortality and reign with him who sitteth upon the Throne of unspeakable Glory ruling in and over all the Kingdoms of men For behold the Day-star of the Morning is risen and his Glitterings are enlightning the Dark parts of the World and unto all Nations is it arising to declare in the Hearts of many the springing forth of the day of Judgment upon the vail and night of Darkness which hath long covered that from man by which all Mankind might come to see the Fountain of endless Love which now through Judgment by the brightness of the Light is brought near unto all People whose Hearts are open to receive it and the Light of the Morning-Star which ariseth in the Hearts of the beloved chosen Seed is bringing to Judgment the hidden things of Dishonesty and in secret reproving the Double-mindedness of man that Deceit Defraud and Hypocrisie out of him may be cleansed and the ground of all Vanity Tyranny and Lust discovered and removed that Death upon Death with Judgment through the Light may come that by the Light Life and Immortality may come forth and arise in the strength of immortal Power breaking through that which separated man from Unity Peace and Truth that unto it all Nations may become subject and by the force of its Lowliness be drawn together to the Hill of Holiness and rest together in the heavenly Felicity upon the Mount of Refuge forever For the Son of Righteousness is risen with Healings in his Wings and an overshadowing Power is with him and they that come to the Fruit of his Love are filled with Peace to their Souls and so come to that which may be received in the Heart and which is given to heal all Nations and spring up in the midst of them as a Tree of Life whose Fruit shall never fail World without End And this glorious Light of Life and Power of Love is springing forth of Darkness in the Hearts of Thousands in the Northern parts of the World and is shining forth in the brightness of Righteousness towards the utmost parts of the South and unto all Kindreds upon the Face of the Earth reaching from the East to the West to declare and give the knowledge of Immortal Power which in the Hearts of the humble harmless and single-minded may be felt and received if they rebel not against the Light in the Conscience nor remain in the strength of their own carnal Knowledge but be willing to come out of all that which they must dye unto or perish with and leave all that which never brought them to the Enjoyment of everlasting Rest to their Souls Now therefore all ye tall Cedars of the Earth whose Heads are lifted up on high above others and whose Minds are exalted above the Principle of Meekness in your selves this are you all to know even that Power of Eternal Life which is to rule in and over you And see that by greatness of your Honour and and Glory in this present World your Hearts be
not thereby lifted up in Pride Ambition and Wrath so as thereby to keep your selves from the attaining unto a Pearl of far more greater Price and of a more durable Substance for great is the Riches Honour and Dignity that is coming near unto you if you let not your Hearts be hardened against it in the strength and perversness of your own Wills despising the Day of your Visitation of Love and rejecting the Message of Life to your Souls and contemning that by which you might come to live forever and have Dominion over Death and Hell and escape the Torment which all them fall into in the day of their Death who dye out of the Covenant of Life and Peace the which Covenant that you may attain unto and come to live in forever let Love Mercy be received in you and then brought forth by you and let Humility and Fear be placed in your Hearts with it in tenderness to rule over others and let the Light in you which lets you see the thing that is Evil lead and guide you to speak and do the thing that is good right and just and let your Words be few sound sober and meek and hate not them who from good will to your Souls bring the Reproof of Life unto you or publish the word of Repentance among you or proclaim this message of Love and Peace within your Borders let not such be harmed for a day and time of Visitation is coming near upon you all and happy may you be if you receive Instruction and love the Light By a lover of the Souls of all Mankind a Servant of the God of Life Prisoner at the City of Winchester known by the Name of Humphry Smith TO ALL Parents of Children Upon the face of the VVhole Earth That your Children you may the better train up in the right Way that they should go therein something of the True Way it self is discovered that Iniquity may not be received by Tradition from Parents to Children and so from one Generation to another but that your Children may come to Christ and be Children of God and so be a Comfort unto you Therefore is this sent among you every where in love to your Children and you FRom the Bowels of God's infinite Love unto a tender Seed of him not known nor brought forth in tender Babes am I moved to you to write That your Children you provoke not to Wrath nor draw forth their Minds into Unrighteousness neither be ye Examples of Rashness nor Frowardness neither teach ye them that when they are little to please your vain Minds which you must chastise them afterwards to leave again neither teach ye them to be Proud by drawing forth their Minds to look at foolish Toyes which you in the Transgression have put upon them in any manner of dressing which is needless for this know that in so doing you bring them from being such of whom the Kingdom of God doth consist to be Children of the Devil who is the Father of Pride which many harmeless Children would not come unto were they not trained into it by such as are in Pride already neither teach ye them to strike in the least nor provoke them to have any delight to see striking for thereby afterwards they come to strike one another and hurt one another and so you teach your own Children to be unnatural one to another and you unnatural to them in teaching them to strike one another and then when they are a little grown up to strike and beat them for striking one another the which you taught them Neither teach ye them to speak wicked Words nor many Words for in the Multitude of Words there wants not Sin Neither teach ye them to call Names in the least nor any such thing as you will answer it for their Souls in the great and terrible Day of the Lord for in these things is greater weight than many Thousands are aware of And for want of taking heed of these things in the true fear of God Children have grown up in these and the like things to be a great Grief unto their Parents of whom they learned it and some beat their Parents being taught thereunto when they were little and so trained up out of the fear of the Lord. And by this Wickedness received by Tradition and nursed up from one Generation to another Nations are overspread with Sin and Iniquity and Towns and Countries are filled with all Abominations whereby the Lord of Heaven and Earth is grieved Therefore of these things be ye all warned for this do I know that in many tender Babes and young Children there is a meek innocent harmless Principle from God who willeth not the Death of any and they have a Light from Christ that lighteth every man that cometh into the World which Light is in them And he said Suffer little Children to come unto me forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of God who come unto him that is meek and low in Heart therefore you should suffer them to keep unto come unto that which is meek and low in the Heart for that which may be known of God is manifest in them And Christ the Light had a love to little Children and said He that will enter the Kingdom of God must become as a little Child Therefore Wo be to you if you teach and cause such to become the Children of the Devil by following your devised Fables evil Examples and wrong Guidance in your own rebellious Wills For behold and look upon young Children and see how innocent and lamb-like they look and consider if every thing were as good as God made it and how much more if they were brought forth in the Covenant of God And wherein have they delight in Pride or any Covetousness or any manner of Cruelty And is it not better for their Souls if you let them keep in that state and so to suffer them to come to Christ who saveth from Sin and his Power keepeth out of Sin and his Light in the Conscience condemneth for Sin where it is and he cometh to destroy the Works of the Devil Therefore you should consider that you are far from Christ if you teach such the works of the Devil that never knew it and teach Children to enter into Sin which separateth them and you from God and keep you forever from Salvation unless you come through Judgment out of it again which many come short of and most attain not unto for few there be that enter in at the strait Gate And that you may the more consider my words and come into Moderation and the Wisdom of God in these and other things to walk exemplary before your Children and to be to them Patterns of Gravity Meekness and Sobriety therefore shall I set before your Eyes some plain and simple Truths of my experience when I was a Child First as concerning Tenderness my Heart was much affected
therewith and Tears was as my meat and drink night and day and often was my Heart refreshed with love from God when I came unto that which came from Christ the Man of Sorrows who said Come unto me and suffer little Children to come unto me but many despised my Tears and vilified my Mournful state not knowing as they said what the matter was with me and much provocation was used to get me out of that Condition and as I grew up to hurry me into the Earth which brought much disturbance upon my foolish despised state that fear and terror then entred upon me and ghastly Dreams in the Night and sometimes strange Visions in which I should cry out and speak aloud to the raising of all in the House who with all the means they used could not get me out of it which even astonished the Parents with fear which things I well remember and by the violent fierce wrathful Nature that ruled in others was my quietness disturbed which begat Wrath and Anger in me again towards them which may be a Warning to you yet something of God in me was not wholly overcome And the first words according to Scripture that pierced my Heart and remained with me was He hath filled the Hungry with good things and the Rich hath he sent empty away The which words remained as a thing printed and sealed in my Heart from the pure love of God and my Meditations of him and his Love was exceeding prevailent upon my little tender Heart being a Child and so much the greater was my Grief when by the Earthly mindedness and wrathful hasty Nature in Parents and others I was even forced out of it and so provoked to Wrath Grief and Discontent and not suffered to come nor keep to Christ who saith I am the Light which I felt meek and low in the Heart therefore was my Trouble great many times and wrath and hastiness began to have entrance in me the which being sensible of and finding a love towards God to be much more precious than any thing of the World and having a Hope towards him I do affirm That when I was a little Child I should and did often pray to God believing there was a God though I knew him not even earnestly did I pray with Tears and my Heart was opened with his Love to whom also I should make my Complaint in secret sometimes upon my Knees when I could get into such a place that none could see me nor at all come to know it And sometimes as I went along the way when it come into my heart then should I even as it were beg and cry with many Tears and had boldness towards God as towards a familiar Friend though much in submission and fear as one unworthy because I had sinned against him And for these things I had no Creature to be my Example nor to learn it of and not knowing nor hearing of any that did the like I durst not let any know of it nor wherefore I did so often weep when they did see me for I saw none but despised that condition and were unsensible of my state And so having not any that was sensible of that tender Principle of God in me to cherish that or be a help to me in it but all as I grew up to nurse up the evil earthly thing that was begotten in me as I said before by that nature my Leaders were in and as I grew in years so that was apt to grow in me my natural Father being more eager than most men in labouring and caring for earthly things that when I grew to the age of six or seven years and upwards there was seldem one day in six but he caused me to cry bitterly and through provocation continually thereunto the Earth and Darkness got entrance in me more than before and the tender Principle of God in me was vailed from me and so became in after years as a Child of Wrath disobedient to God as I have written in a Book entituled Man driven out into the Earth wherein is declared the dreadful Indignation of God that after came upon me because of that wicked Nature which I was led into before I came into this peace with God which now I do enjoy with him forever whose Name my Soul doth magnifie for evermore And this I do write to be an Ensample unto you and a Warning that you may not bring your Children into the like Alienation Torment and Condemnation as I was and the more especially because that few afterwards do return to God with all their Hearts and enter in at the straight Gate And this you may also consider that this I write in plainness and true love to you and your Children for the good of Body and Soul that in the fear of the living God you may train them up so may you have comfort in them at the last and they may grow up in the Wisdom of God to rule over such outward Earthly things as the Lord or you may commit into their hands for this you may or should know that such as truly fear God will do no Evil nor waste the Creatures upon their Lust and if you teach them to waste the Creatures of God in Pride lust vanity and needless things when they are young how can you expect but they will abuse spend and waste your Estate when they are grown up and some have been bred up so high in Pride that when they have wanted to maintain that and other Wickedness they have robb'd and stole to maintain it and at last with shame come to untimely ends and many things might be named which with the Light you may also see and know that these things are of great concernment both for Body and Soul and for your good and your Children Therefore that it may go well with them and you and that God may do them good at the latter end let all your Children every where be trained up in the Way that they should go which Way is Christ and he saith I am am the Light and the Light in them will let them see that they should not Lye nor speak Wicked Words nor do any Violence one to another and so you are to train up your Children in the Light for the Light is the Way in which they may come to know God and hear his Voice for God speaks by him that is the Light And God called Samuel being yet a Child and Ely bid the Child answer the Call of the Lord. And the Child who answered the Call of the Lord reproved old Ely the Priest for that Priest's Sons were Sons of Belial and knew not God and them sons of his were the first Priests that ever took Tythes by force and they and their Father came to an untimely Death under the Judgments of God which is also to follow upon all them Priests that take Tythes by force And certainly when I was a Child the Light
Peace with God and his Blessing to be with you alwayes and be a Comfort to your Parents and all that truly fear the Lord. Written by a Member of Christ whose love was to little Children and so is mine who am called Humphery Smith THE True and Everlasting Rule From God discover'd AND That which proveth all things Published from the Spirit of Truth To the which Rule the Scriptures also bear Testimony that the Simple and Honest-hearted may see what Rule they are to walk by to come to perfect Peace and Rest with God for evermore Also A Testimony of the true Prophet who was to come and is come and there is not another his Work witnessed and Truth declared from a feeling-sence and experience according to Scripture Wherein also is shewed That the Prophets of God and Ministers of Christ did preach the Light and so those who preach the Light now do therein preach the same Doctrine as the Prophets Christ and his Apostles did With an Invitation from the Spirit of Christ By a Servant of the Lord and a Sufferer for his Truth in the House of Correction at Winchester in Hampshire called Humphry Smith The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee of thy Brethren like unto me unto him shall ye hearken Deut. 18. 15. To the Flock of GOD whom he hath gathered in Glocestershire Herefordshire Worcestershire Wiltshire Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire Hampshire Dorcetshire and Devonshire TO you my dearly beloved Lambs and Babes in Christ Jesus chosen of God the Father before the Foundation of the Word called to be Saints sanctified with the living Truth in the inward parts justified by him that is near redeemed with the Blood of the new Covenant glorified as a royal Diadem in the hand of the Father preserved through believing and obedience by the mighty Arm of unlimited Power compassed about with Salvation anointed with Oyl of Joy and Gladness of Heart who are beloved of my Soul and the Joy of the whole Earth who are chosen and faithful and true who through great Tribubation the Kingdom do come to receive who have not loved your Lives unto the Death who did once walk in the Shadow of Death whose feet now come to be guided in the Way of Everlasting Peace to whom the hand of the Father's infinite Love hath been reached forth as unto tender Babes who come to be born and nursed up by the Womb and the Paps that are free which is the Mother of us all who know the first-born which is blessed for evermore who are become the first Fruits unto God and to the Lamb who have received the Testimony of Jesus who have washed your Robes in the Blood of the Lamb and have received the fine Linnen which is the Righteousness of God and the Righteousness of the Saints whose Sins are done away forever whose Nakedness is covered who have put on the pure Robes and are adorned as a Bride for her Husband who are clothed with Righteousness as with a Garment and are all Glorious within and are able to stand upon the Sea of Glass mingled with Fire and before the Throne out of which proceeds Lightnings and Thunders and Voices who have cast down all your Crowns at the fect of the Lamb and come to wait on him forever and ever who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is worthy of all Glory and Honour and Praise and Thanks and Obedience and Dominion from all his for evermore The Salutation of me the Prisoner of Jesus Christ with my own hand unto you my dear Ones unto whom at present my Bowels of Love from God the Father are poured forth with whom I am in the Spirit of Love and Meekness among whom I have passed through good Report and evil Report yea that which is not to be named who am as one of the least yet not the least in Love unto you who are unto me as the Children of my own Bowels bound up with me in the unspeakable Life of the Father which from all the World is hid for evermore where Life and Immortality dwelleth forever and is daily felt by all you that abide faithful in the Obedience and keep your Garments unspotted of the Flesh abiding in the pure Fear and godly Humility your Bread is continued and your Waters are sure and your Souls are made as a watered Gardâ—n and Peace and Life springs up in you and you may delight your selves in Fatness and find the replenishings from the Fountain of God's living Mercies and grow up in the holy Life as Trees of Righteousness the planting of the Lord that he may be glorified The Church of the first born are you come to be the Pillar and Ground of Truth made lively Stones elect and precious growing up a holy Building unto God the Father who will dwell in you his holy Temple forever and ever who are founded upon the elect precious and Corner-stone the sure Foundation the Rock of Ages the Light of the World whose light is your life which is shining forth unto the Sons of men that they may see your good Works which are wrought in and by you and hear your seasoned words which ministers Grace unto the Hearers and answers Gods Witness in all and makes for your Advantage who are as Plants of Renown a Habitation of Holiness Vessels of Honour Clusters of Grapes who receive nourishment from the Vine whose Fruit never fadeth whose Rivers are never dry whose Rayment never waxeth old whose Glory never fadeth whose strength is renewed as the Morning your Dread is upon the People and your Terror upon the Heathen your Enemies are all as stubble before you and your God in the midst of you is a consuming Fire Dreadful is his Presence in you unto all his and your Enemies the Workers of Iniquity who shall fall before you as the Grass that is cut down and wither as the Blossom that is cut off Paleness shall cover the faces of all your Enemies before you shall all People be much pained Sorrow shall take hold upon them in the Night-season then shall the Arrows of the Lord reach into their Bowels Astonishment of Heart shall be upon them and they shall fly when none pursues and be in Distress and none shall deliver Arise against them O ye my Lambs in the strength of the Lord who teacheth your hands to war and your fingers to fight let the Beast be overturned forever let the Whore have blood to drink let her Merchant be spoiled forever and all her Children dashed against the Stone and broken to pieces as a Potters Vessel with the Power of the Light let the Darts of your hands who handle the Word of Life strike through all the false Prophets and reach unto the secrets of all their Hearts to the renting open of their Chambers of Darkness and the cutting down of the Enemies of the Most High and fear not let not your hands be slack the Lord
put into and kept long in a Dungeon sor Praying often abused in Prison sometimes near Death in Trials often in Perils often in Loss of Goods in daily Reproaches and in that which hath been greater then all these things and yet have I been preserved unto this day by the Power of him who is the Light and the only Son of God to whom be Eternal Glory from his own Seed in his Servant who is one of the least among many Brethren being a Prisoner at Winchester for the Truth of Christ by the will of men unto whom I am known by the Name of Humphry Smith An Invitation from the Spirit of Christ. COme unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden come unto me and find Rest I even I am he that comforteth Ziâ—â— I am he that preacheth Liberty to the Captives Oh! come unto me stay not I am the Way the Truth and the Life I am he and there is none other I came out from the Father into the World that it might be reconciled up unto God thorow me I am the good Shepherd that am now come to gather the Outcasts of Israel and to bring home unto God the lost Sheep that the dispersed of Judah may now return and the seed of Abraham may be brought in to me in whom the Redemption is even plentious Redemption for all that will hear and turn in hither Oh all ye scattered of the Flock my Voice is to you that have not found rest to your Souls now hearken diligently to hear my Voice and feel my Words of Life for now the time is come that the Seed that hath long lain in the Death shall hear my voice and they that hear shall live and arise out of the Death and I will give them Life Oh! come unto me my own my beloved before the Foundation of the World come and stay not I have long waited for you my Locks are wet with the drops of the Night and you have wearied me with waiting for you long have I knocked at the Door of your Hearts calling to Repentance and no man regarded now the sloathful would not arise that I might come in and take up my abode with and in my own and refresh them with Waters of Life but now am I come who am the Bridegroom and the Bishop of the Soul with my alluring terms Come oh my Friends hearken my Beloved let me not be denyed open the door of thy hard Heart and let me not stand waiting any longer behold I have Honour for all them that follow me and Crowns of Life for all that will receive me Come unto me my Lambs I have prepared my Supper I have made in this Mountain a Feast of Wines of the Lees of fat things full of Marrow all things are now ready Come in unto me I am the Bread of Life I am the hidden Manna I come to save mens lives Come all ye that are weary with the burden of your Sins I am the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World I come to take away the Sin of the World I am the Root of Jesse and the Off-spring of David I am he that opens and none can shut and shuts and none can open I have Power to forgive Sins on Earth Come cease from the Evil of your doings learn of me to do Well and then we will reason together and though thy Sins have been as Scarlet they shall then be as white as Snow for I come to finish Transgression and make an end of Sin and bring in the Everlasting Righteousness of God Therefore hear O ye scattered of the Flock that are yet in the miery Clay covered over with the thick Cloud of your Sins Oh! remain not in the filth now continue no longer with the Flesh-pots in the house of Bondage for I am come to condemn Sin in the Flesh and destroy the Works of the Devil that you may find Redemption in me and be washed from your filthiness and cleansed from your Sin Wherefore hear all ye that are far from Righteousness behold I have Gifts for the Rebellious my hand is stretched forth O ye simpels Ones come unto me and learn pure Wisdom and ye Fools be of an Understanding Heart Oh! why will ye dye O house of Israel have I any pleasure at all that the Wicked should dye turn you turn you now I do call O ye hard hearted wherefore do you hide your selves from me and dig deep to hide your Counsels from me Why do you run alwayes astray Oh! what shall I do unto you that I have not done and yet do you still go on in the Evil of your Wayes When will you once return O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made clean When shall it once be Oh! I have seen your Abominations and am wearied with your Sins and yet have you not regarded Oh! now it is high time to consider thy Ways and return from the Evil of thy Doings lest thou be shut out forever And all ye my dear Ones that have long waited for me behold I come quickly and my Reward is with me saith Christ the Son of God and I will open to you the hidden Treasures of my Father and make known his Will to you and I will remove off the burden and circumcise your Hearts Behold I come saith Christ and I will open the Prison-door and raise the Prisoner out of the Pit and bring Deliverance to the Captive and refresh the plant of my Fathers planting and nourish the tender Grape which the subtilty hath hurt and I will bind up the broken and restore unto the Mourners the years of Joy and Comfort and I will be unto you a sure Foundation a present Help in time of need and I will bring back the scattered and they shall not return and fear the Lord God of thir Fathers in my Mountain of Holiness and they shall walk in the Way of Peace and in the Paths of Righteousness where the Unclean shall not pass over nor the wild Beasts of the Field shall not come but the Ransomed of my Father saith Christ the Son of God Therefore hear all ye my Brethren and consider all ye my Friends for I am come who am the sure Foundation and the Corner-stone the Light the true Light of the World and the Life of Man and the Everlasting Covenant of the Father and the Power of God and the Wisdom of the Father by me Kings reign and the Princes of Israel shall now rule in Equity for behold I am come even he that you have long waited for and there is not another come learn of me I am meek I am lowly I am the Light low in the heart I am the living Minister saith Christ the Son of the Fathers love and the Light of the World I change not but remain a Priest forever a living Minister of Life within the vail ministring Life unto the Spirit in Prison The Sounding Voice Of the DREAD of Gods Mighty
prosper even as Kings whose Armies are swift to the Battel their faces are as an Adamant and their Countenances firce and terrible the found of their Voice is dreadful and the noise of their Appearance Astonish the Heathen the Earth before them is full of its Fruit behind them its a desolate Wilderness they spare not the Antient nor the Honourable neither have they respect to the Persons of men they even smile at Destruction when its coming and they are prepared for all your Oppressions VVherefore now gather your selves together O ye Potsherds of the Earth and stand up all you that thirst for blood assemble your selves together all ye Persecutors let your Counsels come up from Hell and let the depth of the Powers of darkness shew forth it self in the utmost of its strength and with it combine ye all together and stand up in the Power of your King which is the Angel of the Bottomless Pit who is head among in and over all you who thrist for the blood of the Innocent Now come and draw near in the very height of your Father's VVrath and behold we meet you in the Infiniteness of our Fathers Love and stand you together in the depth of your secret Subtilty and behold we abide in the pure VVisdom of the most High Stand ye up for the Glory and Honour of the World and we abide faithful for the Glory of the Lord our Maker And this I say plainly unto you that your long Tyranny will never weary out the patience we have received neither can you inflict more punishment than the Lord hath enabled us to bear and as your Wrath is incrased our Humility is increased much more and as you are filled and moved with Envy we are much more filled and overcome with the Power of the Fathers Life and though you contrive ways to ensnare the Innocent we take no thought aforehand to deliver our selves for Self we have denyed and we have given up our Bodies and Souls a living Sacrifice unto God to do or suffer his Will And him that kills the Body we fear not much less those that can but Whip or Imprison but for a few Moneths for our Life you cannot reach neither can you disturb their Rest whom the Lord hath crowned with Honour who out of the World are redeemed and bought with the price of Blood most precious but are become his to follow him whither-ever he leads them though it be through Tryals great Tribulations Bonds and long Imprisonments these things cannot move them who are brought to rest in the Defarts and sleep in the Woods yea and there is none can make them afraid with all their Threats unrighteous Laws Bonds Bridewels long unjust Imprisonments or Death it self And this Honour hath the Saints and herein do they rejoyce for evermore in that they are counted worthy to suffer for his Names sake who was made perfect through sufferings and and thereby overcame all the Powers of Darkness whereby Principalities and Powers are spoiled forever and through sufferings are we made more than Conquerers over all our Enemies whose Day will have an end whose Cruelty will cease whose Tyranny will be rewarded upon their own Heads and their Memorial will Rot forever but the faithfulness of the Faithful shall never be taken from him nor the innocency of the Harmless shall never be forgotten neither shall they ever want strength to stand in the day of Battel nor courage and boldness to endure when the Enemies of the Lord arise in Opposition against the brightness of the rising of the Power of the Lamb of God who is come to take away the Sin of the World even him who is the Light and the Heir against whom with one consent the Rulers of the Earth the Hireling Priests with all the Prophane and Unclean and all them of all Opinions in the World are joyning together in one Combination as with one Mind conspiring in their Enmity to slay and murder the Heir that is come to make an end of Sin Who saith I am the Light H. S. To all that want Peace with God To the Sheep every where not brought Home To the Thirsty Breathing Soul and to the Seed though in Captivity among and in the midst of all Professors Greetings of Love Mercy and Peace from God the Father of the Living VVHere the Bowels are not shut up nor the Heart darkned and where that doth not bear rule which stoppeth the Ear and closeth the Eye and where Prejudice and Rebellion against the Light with the Wisdom of the Flesh through that knowledge which puffeth up hath not wholly eaten up devoured got over and wholly overcome that tender Principle which once moved in the Heart towards that being of the living Substance There may my words take entrance and unto such who feel that which breathes to God and who are willing to be satisfied concerning the living Truth of his Son and who would receive the Truth if they knew it and do yet more desire after the Power of God than all the Temporal things that are seen and who are yet come no further than the reading of the Law the Priests the Tythes nor that Religion that makes nothing perfect and who are come no further than the outward Baptism Shadow or Figure or such things which are to be left behind Hâ—b 6. or who are come no further than the Supper or the Death and so not yet saved by his Life nor drunk of that which saveth and is to cleanse from all that which separateth from God after whom and the incomes of his Love Immortal whosoever truly desireth and is willing to receive the Power of his Life and come in Covenant with the Lord Such may lend me an Ear a little and you are them who may receive some benefit hereby for behold I write in plainness of the things of God my heart being enlarged with abundance of his Peace in which there is good will towards men that you might come to draw near to the Witness the Testimony whereof is within the vail which vail is over the heart 2 Cor. 3. 15 and is not done away but as you come to be in him who is given for a witness Isa 55. 4. by believing in the Light John 12. 36. and so to have the witness in you 1 John 5. 10. and you to be in it and that you may come to participate of Gods Indwellings and feel the Oyl which will last forever therefore I proceed thus How can I but look back a little with an Eye of Pity over those who yet are where once I was when the Darkness was over the Earth and the Cloud of Error compassed me as well as others surely I cannot now be so unmindful of them that are yet lost as not to have compassion upon the Out-casts of Israel or to conceal from them these things of so great concernment but rather as the Lord of my Life hath opened to me will I reach
with much desire waited for that impowered them to do that which before they were commanded to do after they were endued with Power or had the Power in them And so what they were commanded to do they were to wait to receive Power in themselves from God to perform and Christ did intend to give them Power to do that which he commanded And as he commanded them to go and teach he also required them to tarry and so not to go until they had received Power so to do and so it was the Power of the holy Ghost in them which made them Ministers and these were and such are truly Ordained Ministers And after they had received Power from on high even the Spirit or Life of Truth and were filled therewith and so had it in them then they went to do that which was commanded them then they went to teach the Nations and converted Thousands and turned Sinners and brought Souls to God and then they were called Christians and then were People brought to be of the true Church which Christ buildeth upon that which flesh and blood revealeth not And this is the entrance into the Church of God 2 Thes 1. 1. the receiving of the Spirit and in this God is worshipped and not else for this hath excluded all other Worship and those only are the true Worshippers who come in thus by the Door which is Christ the Light and Spirit of Truth sent into the Heart from God And if all the prudent learned Divines so called in Europe or all or any of the wisest Orthodox men in any other Quarter of the whole World can prove by the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament any other true Worship of God who is a Spirit now extant among men and to be performed especially among them called Christians with acceptance to God but only that which the Spirit of Truth leadeth such unto as receive it then let them bring it forth that we may see it and prove it by plain undeniable Truth of Scripture or otherwise I shall look upon their Proofs Words Ways Actions Practices Performances Duties and several Worships as things of no value Or if there be any other entrance into the true Worship of God than this Spirit that God sendeth or the Light which leadeth to it or if there be any other Worship which God doth or will accept to be after this spoken or prophesied of in the Scriptures of Truth whereby this shall ever be done away or ended from being the true only and alone Worship of God whilst men have a being upon Earth then let the wisest of the Sons of men bring it forth and produce there strong reasons therein that we may plead together and that the entrance into and the true Worship it self of the only true invisible God may be declared over all the World for the satisfaction of every tender Heart concerning this For this I am satisfied in that Christ Jesus who is the end of the Law and who finished his work when he was upon Earth is made a quickning Spirit and is the Way and Truth of Life which bringeth into the Worship of God and he is the begining and the end and he leadeth to the beginning of Gods Worship and he is the end and the Rest of all the faithful in whom all the Promises are Yea and Amen and without him all is as nothing and all that come before him are Thieves and Robbers and he it is that abideth a Priest forever and his Spirit of Truth is it which all People and Professors whatsoever should first wait to receive thereby to be led into that true Spiritual Worship which alone God accepteth lest they and their Worship and Building fall together in a day when there is none to deliver And then thus I will Query If Christ own dear Disciples who had forsook all and followed him not Priest or Baptists did not come to receive this Spirit by hearing all the words which he he spoke unto them but by waiting after the words were ended Then whether those that have not forsaken all nor so much as the Worlds fashions do now come to receive the Spirit by Reading Hearing or Professing the same words of Christ now written or any other part of Scriptures Or whether a Proud man hath received this Spirit or a Lyar or a Prophane person or any Wise or Prudent man whatsoever by any means or way of his And whether any such ever did have can or may by any industry or other way or means attain to this Spirit which leadeth in the true Worship of God but as it is freely given forth from God And then whether all people are not to be led by that Spirit which God freely giveth into the Worship of God because Christ said The Spirit should lead which indeed doth lead into all Truth and nothing else doth so And they that have not received this from God to lead them are not yet come to be led by that which the Sons and Children of God were and are led by And the Ministration of the Spirit which all are now to be taught by is inwardly to be known in the most nearest secret invisible manner and is more out of the sight Comprehension and reach of mans Wisdom than any other Ministration and it is given forth from the clear Fountain it self unto the Souls satisfaction of man when he is come to the end of words or having heard much or all the words that can be spoken of it remaineth unsatisfied in a restless longing desire to find receive feel and enjoy the thing it self which the words declared of and that which satisfieth the true thirsting Soul comes clearly from God to the refreshing of the inward parts of man and filling of the empty barren hungry Spirit which cannot be saâ—â—sâ—ed without Gods indewllings and thus the Disciples were led along and at last in a foolish way to the great Professors they waited among them in Jerusalem and the Lord had regard unto them and sent his own Spirit unto them and then they were filled with the Holy Ghost And the secret invisible hand of God whose Power was and is felt in my heart having out of the sight of flesh and blood in the hidden counsel of his secret Will led me by the vertue of the operation and drawings thereof through those things which thereby I come to leave behind and to receive and feel that which now goeth before and is my Leader in whose Covenant of Life Eternal my Soul is now satisfied and so by good experience of the Lords leading and from an experimental knowledge and sensible feeling and present enjoyment of the incomes of the Spirit of Truth and Life which filleth the inward parts with the holiness of it self and giveth power to do the things required before of God even from the right and good understanding thereof is this written That where it meets with the like condition in a weaâ—y Traveller
greatest of his Adversaries according to the fruit of their own Ways and altogether Righteous in all his Doings from whom the Upright may certainly expect a plentiful Reward and all his Servants the Wages of Righteousness and every one of the least of his Children a certain Inheritance with the sanctified in the Kingdom that fadeth not away Even this is the Lord our Righteousness whom the World knoweth not who also appeared unto them who were truly our Fathers in the dayes of old who is the same both in Wisdom Strength and Power as ever he was and it is he that found us in the waste howling Wilderness and tossed to and fro with the unsetled Waves on which the Whore sate that brought into Drunkenness and with his holy Arm did he bring us out of the Miery Clay and my Soul from under the deep Waters and set our feet upon the certain Rock of Ages that Men Laws nor Decrees can never remove and he hath been unto us a Shield and will certainly be an exceeding great Reward or a Reward that shall exceed and surmount all the contrary What shall I say what he will be unto the faithful can never be uttered what he hath been in his Power Wisdom and Love to us we have seen and what he is let all my Brethren feel and this we are most assuredly assured of that he is become ours yea even our own and we have a part in him that is true our Covenant with him stands in the Power of his Life which is endless and he hath bought us with the price of that which puts away the Sin and certainly I cannot but glorifie him even in the Body Soul and Spirit and no other Lover doth my Soul desire nor a better Shepherd can Israel ever find nor a more wise stronger and tender Father can Children ever have nay he himself as I have said is become the Lord our Righteousness and the portion of our Cup in which Salvation standeth of which we daily drink and know it to be the Cup of blessing and can truly say our lot is fallen in a good ground I can truly say my Soul cleaveth unto the Lord who bringeth Deliverance and hitherto the Lord hath helped us and hath done greater things than could have been by man expected and what now though there be a Sea to pass through and Floods of ungodly men to get beyond shall we therefore be discouraged or shall we murmur because of the length of time or be discontented when the Lord brings his People into Tryals for a two fold end or purpose as in himself that is to say For the proving and humbling of his People that he may do them good or much more good than he hath done at their latter end And for the drawing forth of the Cruelty and Tyranny of his Enemies to the utmost which was in them before or grounded in their Hearts that their Sin being finished he might destroy them forever and overturn them so that they never rise again Or shall we be unsatisfied because the People of the Land of Darkness do shut us up out from amongst them by reason of the dread and trouble that is upon them Or shall we not be contented if the Lord should suffer us to be deprived of all things but himself that we might have none other thing to have unity with but only him alone surely this would be his Love and great would be the Unity between such and him What if we went out as Jacob did and left all behind us even Goods and Lands and Fathers House as did our Father Abraham And what if there should be a Pursuer like Saul and David yet we know the Dominion belongs to the faithful Seed though in many Tribulations even to us the seed of Abraham according to the Promise whose seed was led out of the place of Bondage as it is this day And what if we had none but him even the Lord our God to take care for our Bodies who causeth the Rayment not to wax old and the Widdows Oyl to encrease and gave Bread from Heaven in the needful time yet should it go well with us and though we had none other to trust unto then he who delivered his People after the Decree was sealed for their Destruction in the days of Mordecai who could not bow though the King had commanded it yet should we not be discouraged and though we had none other to cry in secret unto but him that preserved Daniel in praying to his God though his Life thereby was in great Jeapordy and the Decree of the King broken yet might we have quietness and peace yea much better it is to enjoy the Lord than life it self and the lowliness of his Countenance than earthly Treasure Nay truly let them take what they are for and their Minds in so we may but enjoy the Treasures of Life Immortal and the Crown of Everlasting Peace which fadeth not away Dear Friends and Lambs of the Morning and Flock of the Fold of God in the suffering state through which the Everlasting Life doth spring when I am declaring of the unutterable Goodness and transcendent infinite Loving-kindness of the Lord I am sometimes rather willing to be swallowed up in that infiniteness of it self than to be declaring of that which in it self can never be uttered as it is and when I enter into the Chambers of secrecy where the hidden Wisdom is treasured up I have been even ready to shut up all the outgoings and to dwell in the inward Chambers of the secret Closets where the unutterable Treasures are treasured up abundantly forever and even say in my Heart unto the yet scattered Ones Oh! that ye would come and see my Dwelling and find out my Resting place and abide in the beautiful Habitation and rest in the munition of Rocks Oh! that ye would come and drink of the everlasting Streams and be satisfied with the Springs of Virtue that your Bones might be full of Marrow and the inside of your dwellings beautiful so shall the Lord delight in you forever and though the World hate yet he will love and though Relations may deny yet he will own though Riches may take themselves Wings yet he will never forsake nay though mortal Parents might cast off yet then the Lord will not cast off but receive and though Wives or Husbands may break their Promise and so be without natural affection yet the Lord will never break his Covenant with his People for that shall last for evermore and though Children might for sake their Parents the Lord will be more unto them than ten Sons So that I say again were I in one day bereaved of all and seperated from my Fathers Children which of all outward things are most dear unto me yet enjoying the Lord and his Presence being with me in whose Covenant I am with all the flock of God in the invisible Life so should it be well with me
opposite to him who came not to destroy mens Lives but to save them And what is here written need not hinder the moving of God in any of my Bretheren his servants in giving forth a more large Answer according to the particulars written in your called Appendix or to any other of your writings the which you may also expect only this was in my heart in which I have discharged my Conscience and so herein give forth my Mite a-amongst the rest of my Brethren by way of Declaration and that from God And by this it is my Souls desire your hearts may be humbled and truly rent and broken for your own Iniquities and that with speed or otherwise Gods dreadful hand you cannot escape And this is in faithfulness to God and love to your souls from a Friend thereof called Humphry Smith The 14th of the first Moneth in the Year 1660. The Lamb his Day PROCLAIMED THe Kingdom of God is at hand which comes not with Observation Salvation is near unto all that will receive it Redemption is coming in a time unexpected and Deliverance in a way not known as a Thief in the dark is the Heir come whose Light out of Darkness is shining and that which shineth out of Darkness is it alone that giveth the knowledge of God whom to know is Life eternal and the brightness of the Day of God is springing forth of Darkness as the Morning-Sun after the Darkness of the Night and glorious is this Day of the Revelation of God to all them that have waited for his coming who in the Life of his Power through the Obedience in his Love come to rejoyce in his Dominion over all the Powers of Darkness forever and sound forth the dreadful Day of his Power unto all the Inhabitants of the Earth from the which Christ the Saviour comes to take Peace and to bring the Sword of Gods Judgments into the Bowels of all the Earthly Minded and in him that judgeth the secrets of all mens Hearts do his Followers rejoyce and proclaim him unto you all that makes an end of Sin who of the Father of Love and Mercy is tendered unto all that will receive him that in him who condemns the Evil deeds and sin in the flesh Salvation might be attained unto who now comes unto his own of whom many receive him not for he is come to judge the World whom God so loved that he gave his Son the Light of the World that whosoever believe in him by whom the secrets of all hearts are and shall be judged may be saved from Wrath to come and find a sure hiding place when the wicked shall be cut off the Earth And now who will receive the Lamb in whose Mouth there is no Guile Who among the Sons of men will receive him that hath been slain from the Foundation of the World Who will receive him that is the Gift of God which is Perfect Who will receive him that is a man of Sorrows whose beauty is hid from the prudent of the Earth Who will receive him that the Priests cry out against and the Rulers say Away with him from the Earth Who will come unto the waters of Life and return unto the Fountain of living Mercies that in his Belly the springs of Life may be felt Who can endure to follow him to end of World whose Kingdom is not of this World and who receiveth not honour of men Who can hear receive and keep the hard sayings and drink his Blood that cleanseth from all sin Who is willing to receive him that is the Resurrection and the Life whose Presence troubled and terrified his own Disciples so that their Hearts burned within them VVho will lay down their Crowns at the foot of him that is the Light and mourn over him that is slain whom they have pierced and through Patience Long-suffering and Obedience follow the one Shepherd in the Regeneration even unto them is the VVord of Consolation sent Therefore be ye awakned O all ye Rulers and People let not your Hearts be hardned against Gods VVitness in you neither stop your Ears nor close your Eyes for of a Truth the Lord is at hand and is come to try you with his Loving-kindness and with his Judgments His flock despised of men hath he sent in the meekness of his love to preach the innocent Life of his Son among you in Meekness Patience Sufferings and Tribulations who being reviled revileth not again but in patience enduring long Imprisonment yea VVant and Sickness there and Abuses cruel Mockings Stonings in the street daily and Revilings by ungodly Persons whose Cruelty is encreased and their Sins multiplied encreasing to the day of Judgment and Righteous Revelation of Gods wrath upon all Unrighteousness of men who hold his Truth in that which is not his Righteousness which is now brought near unto all that fear before him in Uprightness of Heart that Truth in the inward parts they might come to know and in it VVorship the God of the Spirits of all flesh And all you People that are meek and tender who have been taught by the Priests and not by the Lord whose Mercy to the humble abideth forever the Lord God Almighty hath so loved you that he hath provided a better Teacher for you which shall not be removed and a Priest that abideth forever and a Bishop for your Souls and behold he is no less then a King yea he ruleth over Kings and help is laid upon him who is mighty and he is able to save and he is so willing to do it that he hath laid down his Life for that end and he standeth at the Door and knocks and he that knocks is called the Word and the Word is as a hammer and the Word is in the Heart where Christ is to be received and where this knocks for entrance and it knocks against sin and in him is no sin and he cometh to save you from sin and to lead you the way to the Father and without Money doth he ever teach nay he giveth abundantly unto all that are taught by him and that more then mortal Riches and you may have him to be with you alwayes forever and he can resolve all your Doubts and satisfie every one and replenish the weary and nourish the faint and in him are all Gods Treasures of the which by him you may come to partake forever and he himself is as a Treasure in thy field but hid from thee which I have found in the Earthen Vessel and declare it unto thee that thy Fallow-ground may be ript up to find the Pearl for this is near unto thee and the motion of it is against thy sin the beauty whereof thou canst never see until to it thou comest to hearken H. S. FOR THE honour of the king AND And the great Advancing thereof amongst men over all Nations in the World In the ensuing Proposals tending thereunto stated in Six PARTICULARS Concerning the KING'S
with Humility forever the little Child is you to lead in the peaceable Path of the Fathers love that you all as Lambs may follow him whose Power saveth from Sin in him trust compassed about with the Walls of Salvation and feeling the everlasting strength you all to preserve in the Power of his Might his Blessing to receive unto the Seed that you in it and by it may be fruitful unto God forever For dear Friends the Father is well-pleased in him who is meek and lowly in the Heart and in obedience unto him through the leadings of his Spirit of Power in which the Father's Love is manifest which leadeth in the low Ground where the safe way of everlasting Peace is known where all things are quiet and still where the small still Voice is heard whereby the Dead come to live in the powerfull Life of the Fathers Love which compasseth about the Seed as a Wall of everlasting Strength which is made perfect in Weakness and to the Weak is only to be known that the Weak then may say I am strong feeling Strength ministered forth from that which is begotten of the Father which never was comprehended by the Earthly Wisdom which is all scattered as the Smoke before the Wind when he ariseth who hath long been as a Servant and is now to be served that he may be Lord over all who is as a Man of Sorrows and leadeth through the Suffering state that by the Obedience of Faith through the Power of the Cross which crucifies and brings to the Death that which is to dye that the Vail may be rent the way into the Holiest of all made manifest and that received into the new Ground which abideth forever even that which now Comforteth the weary Soul and Satisfieth the longing Spirit and Replenisheth the dry and barren Land with the Rivers of the Valley and the Springs of the Desart that the Meek in the Earth may Rejoyce forever and through the Earth may grow as a Lilly in Summer For plainly it s the Poor that receive the Gospel and the Meek of the Earth that shall inherit Substance and its the Lowly that will abide forever and the Seed of the Shepherd that shall be set on the Throne and he that is low shall never fall neither shall his Footsteps at all be moved he leads the Creature in the Fathers fear and guideth the Tongue in Wisdom and it s him alone that all are to wait for to receive and continue in even him that is acquainted with grief who never openeth his Mouth in Perverness but speaks Life in Wisdom through the Power of the Father's love which overpowereth the Soul as an overflowing River of Oyl which makes all well and heals the grieved Spirit which none ever comes to find but such as alone walk with him who humbled himself to the Death of the Cross and became as a Servant though he was Lord over all in him there is Safety for he is the Rock and the sure hiding Place even out of the sight of the World and from the Tempters power for the Devil hath nothing in him who is meek and low in whose Mouth there is found no Guils And this is he that hath been long set at nought whose Tenders of Love constrains Obedience to himself because of the Beauty that is in him which from them is hid over whom the Vail is through which they cannot see the Comliness of his Love Oh all ye Lovers and Followers of Truth and Righteousness come ye all and sink down in your Minds unto him whose love springeth forth of the low Ground as a Well-spring of Life issuing forth abundantly as through a Rock that is hid under the Earth thence cometh Life to the Humble and there may you drink with me of the Cup of Blessings for from the Root of Jesse and the Foundation the Branch which is low doth spring forth the Life to the satisfying of every Branch and truly in him there is Life indeed and with him there is no want Who can desire another than he or who can complain that dwells in him where the Unclean doth never come where all things are at Peace and Rest is enjoyed forever Oh let none turn aside from him nor climb up above the measure of his humble Life nor reach beyond the Power of his Breathings forth neither grieve ye him through the unkindness of your forward Wills but love him as the Life of your Souls and prise him above all that can be spoken and tender his Love as the Apple of thine Eye that he to thee may be forever the Prince of Eternal Peace and the Power of thy Strength and the Blessing of thy Life that thou never mayst want Food nor Rayment nor want a shelter in the hour of Temptation nor look for another to help in the time of need And so my dear Lambs in him keep for evermore for it s he that comes out from God and keepeth them in perfect Peace who in his lowly Spirit abide from thence to feel the Fathers Love arise with it to love and tender one another So to that which is of my Fathers Life in you all I desire to be known and in it with you to have Fellowship forever which is more than â—â— to be declared by a multitude of Words or written in many or long Epistles the bowels of my Fathers love from the measure of his own Life in me is to his Image and that which is begotten of him in you all So the Life of the Power of the Lamb of God be with you all and the Blessing of the God of Love and Peace preserve you in all Humility of mind that the begotten of the Father through the Power of his Love may increase and grow up unto him who is the Life of my Soul who is blessed for evermore Amen H. S. Winchester-Bridewell To such in whose Hearts the Spirit of the Lord is beginning to move his Truth to declare YOu whom the mighty God of Power hath found in a Desart Wilderness polluted in your Blood without help or strength of your own whose Nakedness did once â—ppear and you in it stood guilty before the Bar of Gods Justice receiving the Condemnation due from him who then said unto you Live and since in the measure of that Word upon the Lord have waited to receive that which was promised of him who is the Father of the faithful This I say unto you the thing is great that you are come unto and entering upon to speak in the Name of the mighty God and to publish the Message of the most High to declare the Word of the Lord among the Heathen and minister Life to the Spirits in Prison to stand Witnesses for God to the People and to be as Guides and Examples to the Tribes of Israel Oh! how can you but be overcome with the dread of the Lord and filled with the Power of his Love How can your
not standing in the Cross to your wills in Obedience to the Light to receive the Judgment due to that ground from whence Transgression ariseth whereby the Enmity might be â—â—ain the love of the World rooted out and that ruled over with the perfect Law of God which was not subject to it that the Law of the Spirit of Life your minds might be alwayes exercised in thereby to be made free from the Law of sin and death that sin might not reign in your mortal Bodies but that through the power of the Cross of him who is the Light the sinful Lusts of the flesh might be mortified and you led by the Light through the Law by it to have the Transgression thereof to you in every Particular discovered that every one might deny and stand out of that which leads into the Transgression thereof seeing with the Light that not one jot nor tittle thereof shallpass till all be fulfiled and the Righteousness thereof is to be fulfilled in you by your humble and faithful following of him that worketh in us who cannot transgress the Law who being made as a Servant under the Law to him you are all to come and see the Law stand in force over every one that doth transgress which Law is addedbecause of sin and that which saveth the Soul doth not make it void nor mittigate the power thereof against any one that sins wilfully after the knowledge of the Truth received but upon such the Wrath of God abideth which is ministred forth through the Law with Tribulation Anguish and Wo upon every Soul that doth Evil so Trouble Torment and Vexation of Spirit cometh upon such who turn aside from the simplicity of the Gospel and let the spirit of the world reign over them not being faithful in the little which from God they had received by the powerful ministry of his living Truth that the smallest of all seeds in them might spring with obedience through the whole body of the Earth under which it lieth and by it in many is oppressed and such in whom it is so are in many Doubts and Reasonings from that ground out of which Unbelief doth arise And then the Mind being from the Light a hardness comes in and the Rebellious take entrance and so that which is worse than before gets strength which being joyned unto leads in a secret deformity farther from the Witness then ever so that then the good Savour comes to be lost and the Understanding darkned not knowing the true motion and often a carcless Spirit gets head and such are from the true Love and suffering Seed in themselves and so not joyned in the Covenant of Love and Peace with them that abide therein the which they sceing a discontent ariseth therein in the mind so did Cain he murmured at the other but the Fault was in himself for Sin lay at the Door and it is Sin to transgress against that which is Perfect and the Light is the perfect gift of God and his Gifts are Perfect and in the Light there is no Evil and the Light is to lead out of that which is Imperfect they that err from the Light are in the strife and fleshly will And the other Eye seeks for evil and then that kindles a Fire in the Bowels and eats as a Worm and so drowns that from whence true Love should arise as deep as the depth of the Sea and nothing but raging Waves over it sometimes ready to vent forth its own shame and discover the nakedness of it self and others which begets its Image in the minds of them that regard it so as to come under it or let it have entrance in them And where these things are there is little increase within or without but Truth suffers and the World takes advantage and the Weak stumble for whom Christ dyed and the Lambs hurt and their dear Life grieved And so these things are far from answering the dear and tender Call and Visitation of the Lord and then if not faithful in little when can such come to rule or how can they receive the blessing of God being joyned to that which he hath cursed What shall I say to such or with what Words shall I find entrance in them Surely if I had not a Word to write I would mourn in secret for them Oh fruitless Trees dry Branches foolish Virgins unprofitable Servants take heed lest the Lord spue you out of his Mouth What should the Lord do for you that he hath not done My Bowels within me are troubled for you and I even mourn under the burthen of your Iniquities How is it that you delight in other Lovers and what is it in you that keeps you from the power of Truth How long shall the Lord stretâ—h forth his Hand to them that rebel against the Light And how often have you grieved the Spirit of the Lord And why is it that he is provoked to Jealousie every day Will not the Lord visit for these things And can the Wicked go unpanished Turn ye now therefore O ye Rebellious and let the Double-minded fear and tremble before the God of Power for no Peace have I to preach for the Wicked nor Pearls for the Swine in which the Unclean is entred Let your Hearts now therefore be opened and let Judgment come upon that which is above the Seed and sink down into the House of Mourning that the Prisoner may hear my Voice And now you that are honest tender faithful willing and obedient dear is my Love unto you the Lord God eternal preserve you dear Babes and give you up your Lives and praise his endless rich love who hath called you to come out of the World My dear Friends let my Fathers love arise in you even the same which I now feel towards you and let me come near unto you in the power of my Fathers love that you may feel my Life and partake with me of the hidden Treasure that your Hearts may be open to me again from the feeling of the Power of the covenant of Life that in him I may salute you who is at the Fathers Right Hand For unto you O ye Children of the Light is my Heart enlarged and toward you doth the Power of my Life arise from the streams of unlimitted Love which from all the World is hid and reserved in the Bosom of the Father for the meek and tender Lambs for whom the Milk is prepared and to whom the Bread is to be given and the sure Waters that never shall fail Let the Light arise in you my dear Ones that with it your Hearts may be opened one to another that you may know that the Lord is a God of Power and near at hand unto the Humble that in his Love you may be kept and by his Power be defended and so from strength to strength in his fear to walk and to come at last to be a People saved from Death and redeemed from the
Magog and all Nations that rise up and gather themselves together against you the beloved of the Lord they are all but as the rising up of Smoke and as Chaff before the Wind so must they e'er long be driven away Have you not seen the Overturning and the Confounding of them that were against God and goodness who raged much against you as these do now And will not the Lord once more overturn Yea it shall be so for the Blood-thirsty Priests and persecuting Officers must follow after for though Pharoah and all his Host were overturned yet the Moabites nor the Canaanites would not take warning But rejoyce not thou when thine Enemy falleth nor because the Devils are made subject but feel thy Name written amongst the Living And now to the Lord God of Life I commit you all and to the Guidance of the measure of his Spirit of Holiness and the Blessing of the most high be upon you every one that is faithful now and for evermore and the presence of Lord be in all your Meetings Humphry Smith DEar Brethren Friends and Babes in Christ who are begotten again by the Word of Power and born of the Immortal Seed whom God hath raised up in the Day of his Love and gathered into his Covenant of Life with whom my Heart is joyned in the Life of Righteousness where the sweet savour of divine Love is felt as healing Oyl blessed forever and ever be the Fountain from whence it comes whereby the heart is made glad unto God and the weary Soul refreshed Beauty and Excellency remaineth in the Life forever and durable Righteousness inhabiteth therein Let the humble rejoyce because of its Beauty and let the meek be glad for evermore let the Earth be quiet and still and let the Inhabitants therein feel the Visitation of Life where God's day of brightness dawneth in the Hearts of his chosen where Peace abideth forever and the Light most gloriously doth shine which expels the Darkness far away and scatters the Clouds of the Night Love then springs up from God and Life and Virtue doth nourish his tender Plant unexpressibly is it received therein and the Father's Mercy more sweet than the finest Honey with this may all Gods Plants be nourished and your breathing desires answered and longing Souls satisfied then may you all lie down together receiving God's blessing of Life and grow up in the Power thereof as the holy Building of God to shew forth the Praise of his Glorious Name by walking in the Virtuous Life that the Father and Begettor of your true Desires for evermore may be honoured and you a delightsom savour of Life unto him to be joyned in his Covenant Immortal where God who is Love dwelleth in the Light which no Eye of flesh can behold nor the fleshly Birth come near nor the polluted enter within his Dwellings nor the Transgressor of the Law come with his burden into this City of Rest where the Lamb is the Light and the blessed Sabboth is kept who feel the liberty of the Seed Immortal may see and read and understand even the unutterable things of God whose Power Love Mercy Compassion and Peace may many of you feel sometimes in your own hearts which is to draw you to himself that you might love him again forever above all things that are created by him that in his Power which was before it you may come over it all to him again and in the same Power with him over it to reign and the Creatures to rule in his Wisdom that your Souls may be kept clean to God and you sanctified to himself a sit Habitation for him forever The Lord God Almighty help keep and preserve all Friends that all may stand in the day of Tryal and finish your Testimony with Peace H. S. Broomeyard in Herefordshire the 4th of the 3d Moneth 1660. One Hundred and Forty four Lines of secret inward Melody and Praise to the Lord. MY heart shall sing of thee Who dost my Soul defend Whose Life hath saved me Who didst my Wayes amend Whose strength hath me upheld Whose Love is with me still Whose Grace doth virtue yield Who hast taught me thy will O! blessed be thy Name Who hast my Life redeem'd That I may sound the same With them thou hast esteem'd O! let me now rejoyce And praise the Lord my strength Who long hath been my choice And drawn my dayes in length O! that I could declare Vnto the sons of men His Gifts and Rules rare Which he hath yet for them O! that my heart could dite The goodness of his Love Or that my pen could write His Mercies yet above O! that I might express With Heart with Tongue or Pen His sweet delight somness Reserv'd for upright men O! that I could unfold Or in meekness declare His strength which maketh bold And keepeth from the Snare Behold his Throne is Love His Seat is Mercy pure Descending from above Is he both day and hour Behold his Glory shines Vnto his Jewels rare He visits them betimes When they in Darkness are Behold his Heart is bent Towards his little Ones His Love their hearts doth rent And in his Virtue comes Behold he draweth near To all the Poor and Weak And he to them is dear Who will them not forsake Behold he doth arise In Might Virtue and Power To bring in his lost prize Into his refuge Tower The weak he doth defend The poor he 'l still uphold Forth ' needy he 'l contend And give them more than Gold His Lambs he still doth lead His little Ones he 'l teach The Hungry have his Bread The Thirsty he 'l refresh He makes the Feeble strong He makes the Barren bare He leads the Blind along Into the Light most clear He cometh as a Dew In heat of Summer time Vpon his Plants below That forth their Fruit may shine He feedeth every Babe He seeketh every Lost His Love doth never fade For his he spares no Cost His Vâ—rtue and his Strength His Wisdom and his Power He gives to his at length And they of him are sure He never doth forsake His dear and little Flock Who of that Bread partake That 's hidden in the Rock The Heavens and the Earth He with himself Doth fill He dwelleth in our Hearts And doth reveal his Will He maketh known his Way That all his Flock shall go And them in light Aray For to withstand the Foe He helps in time of need He leaves not in distress He doth effect the Deed To Man he gives redress He casteth down to Hell His Power is so great He doth the Living kill And none can him defeat He raiseth from the Grave And makes the Dead alive From him there 's none can save Nor in his absence thrive He 's alwayes near at hand From trouble to deliver He 's joyn'd with his in Band To live with them forever No God is like to him No Honour like to his No man is said to win
done it away with the same Power whereby before he came so to serve man under the Sin as to help him from under it and so to bring man with himself in his Power as it suffered by the Sin out of the Sin and out of that Power which captivated under or into the committing of Sin so to the end of it with Christ over it to live and reign forever as it is received in that way manner and operation which at first it doth come and shew forth it self in the Power of its sufferings whose Power and Virtue therein at first is known And so such who know Him in his suffering-state He permitteth chuseth and electeth to live and reign with him in his Ruling-state And so he that hath power to Reign hath power to Suffer and so to Suffer that he may Reign the exercise of whose power in his Suffering is in order to his Reigning and such as feel know and receive his Power first enabling them with him to suffer they with the same are brought to the end of sin and sinning by which the suffering came upon the Just for the Unjust and as man to this is joyned in his sufferings its Power worketh man's Redemption and so not of man or brings man back from under that power which held in the Transgression and Separation from the Bridegroom of the Soul and takes away that which captivates it and so breaks the Wall which stood between the desired Liberty and the present Bondage and so brings the true and lasting Peace and so both receive each other and are made one in each other and not otherwise It is certainly so And that man which truly suffered with it reigns with it who was joyned to it in its suffering till it came to reign and then to submit unto it and serve it in its Motions Leadings Rulings and Governings in the power of its Love which winneth the heart so to do as the chaste Wife to the Husband so with it in the Power of it man comes to reign over that which was both contrary to it and to the upright hearted man until all its Enemies are put under it and so under the man that is one with it and whose Life is in it being truly joyned to it of the Lord then not to be put asunder and so loving of it and in all things submitting to it more than the true chaste Virgin to the Husband living in the Power and the Power living in man and so both becoming one in Sufferings one in Tryals one in Tribulations one in Afflictions one in Joy one in Peace one in Liberty one in Captivity one in Riches one in Poverty And so truly one partaking with each other in all states unseparable may well in some measure be termed The Marriage of the Lamb which is come and more of it may be known and the Virgin being thus and more fully espoused to the undefiled unspotted of God they are thus far made one and she becomes the Daughter of the Husbands Father the King of Kings or the Adopted Child of God And thus the undefiled One of God and the Virgin of Sion becomes one in the unspeakable Unity which Unity being felt both as one preceive me and my Lines are understood and my Words received in Love And this is written and sent forth among all Friends who desire to hear of me and who have known me in the invisible Truth and such to whom the Lord hath made me serviceable in the precious things of the Kingdom of God which is of Peace and Righteousness where my Rest is that hereby they may hear from me and know that I remain in the labour of the Gospel which is very great and in the Fellowship of the Saints Your Brother in the unexpressible Love of the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour Humphery Smith From Cogshall in Essex in which parts very many of late have received the precious Truth the 12th of the 5th Moneth 1661. This is to all dear Friends who keep faithful in their measures to the end My dear Friends THe Father is well pleased in him who is meek and lowly in the heart and in Obedience unto him through the leadings of his Spirit of Power in which the Father's love is manifest which leads in the low Ground where the safe Way of everlasting Peace is known where all things are quiet and still where the small still Voice is heard whereby the dead come to live in the Powerful Life of the Fathers Love which compasseth about the seed as a Wall of everlasting Defence whereby there is boldness and courage comes in to Jacob the worm that it s then able to stand in that everlasting strength which is made perfect in weakness and to the weak â—â— only to be known that the weak then may say I am strong feeling strength ministred forth from that which is begotten of the Father wâ—ich never was comprehended by the earthly Wisdom which is all scattered as the smoke before the Wind when he ariseth that was laid in the Earth who hath long been as a Servant and is now to be served that he may be Lord over all who is a Man of Sorrows and leads through the suffering state that by the Obedience of Faith through the Power of the Cross which crucifies and brings to the death that which is to dye that the Vail may be rent and the way into the holiest of all made manisest and that received in the new ground which abideth forever even that which comforteth the weary Soul and satisfieth the longing Spirit and replenishâ—th the dry and barren Land with the Rivers of the Valley and the springs of the Desart that the meek in the Earth may rejoyce forever and through the Earth may grow as a Lilly in Summer For painly its the poor that receive the Gospel and the meek of the Earth that shall in her it Substance and it is the thing that is low that will last forever and that shall be set on the Throne and he that is low shall never fall neither shall his Footsteps at all be moved he leads the creature in the Father's fear and guideth the Tongue in Wisdom and its him alone that all are to wait for to receive and continue in even him that is acquainted with Grief who never openeth his Mouth in perversness but speaks Life in Wisdom through the Power of the Fathers Love which overpowers the Soul as an overflowing River of Oyl which makes all well and heals the grieved Spirit which none ever comes to find but such who alone walk with him who humbled himself to the Death of the Cross and became as a Servant though he was Lord over all in him there is safety for he is the Rock and the sure hiding-place even out of the sight of the World and from the Tempters power for the Devil hath nothing in him who is meek and low in whose mouth there is found no
us now we are his people and are purchased unto him with a Ransom more precious than all the Gold in the World Who is it among all the flock of God but have already had much experience of his Love good Will and Mercy And wherefore then should any of the Sons or Daughters of Zion suppose that God will ever forsake or leave them in distress I even say doubtless and certainly it will not be so but the Lord will stand by us and the God of the whole Earth will go before us and the wonderful dreadful powerful Presence of the most High will be with us over us among us and in us for evermore and we shall certainly be preserved by his Power And by this my tenders of Love in these Lines all the dear anâ— humble hearted Friends of Christ may hear from me and understand that something of the virtue of the Vine is and remaineth in me and if the will of God should be so that my Body suffer in this close unsavory Prison at Winchester many Moneths or several Years longer yet shall the Lord be my God forever and my Rest unto the end of Troubles and in silence and secret shall and doth my Heart and Soul pour forth Intercession to the Throne of Power in the behalf of his own Truth and People and for every feeble Plant which God hath planted And when I have put you in mind that you ought not to forsake the Assembling of your selves together I leave you to God at present H. S. ANd you should all take heed of that which would lead you up an easier way than by the Light that condemns sin and terrifies and troubles you for by it doth God speak and in it calls for Repentance and in it strives with you and many more so strongly that they cannot rest night nor day being not yet reconciled to it but this consider that this will not alwayes strive with you therefore while the Light is and is not put out if you will hear his Voice by whom God speaks peace that Peace you might enjoy forever then take heed of that by which a hardness comes upon the Heart and a Vail so thick with unbelief that the true Mourning is done away that there cannot be then a secret Crying unto the Lord for help and deliverance in the true brokeness of Heart which openeth to God with Bowels of Love and Tears whereby Gods Mercy is felt but a hardness upon the heart and a wrong thing ask for Peace in the unbelief from that which darkneth Take heed of this thing And this know assuredly that when Trouble comes in the inward parts and the rumour of War is heard between the two Nations Jacob and Esau both in the Womb and the Light condemning in the heart which hath been fleshly and the Witness of God awakning the Conscience that then if there be not a Brokeness thereby and a Mollifying of the Heart and a humbling of the lofty part then will Hardness take place and Rebellion prevail with thee against the Light Therefore in its season let these things have entrance in you and come to that which can receive it in love faithfulness and plainess as it is written H. S. The Cause of the long Afflicted and sore Oppressed sent forth in brief from Winchesteâ— Prison bâ—iâ—g a Copy of the Mittimus whâ—â—eâ—y Hâ—mphry Smith was again committed in oâ—th pace of his former lonâ— suffering in the same streight unsavory Prison wiâ—h his Answer which was then sent bâ—ck thereunto As likewise a shoâ—t Relation from the rest of them called Quakers there The Mittimus To the Keeper of his Majesties Goal at Winton or to his sufficient Deputy Greeting YOu shall herewithal receive the Body of Humphry Southton Smith who was taken at unlawful Meetings at Alton being a Ringleader and one of the chief of the Quakers who travelleth the Country to seduce the People and disturb his Majesties Peace contrary to the Law in that behalf made and provided These are therefore in his Majesties Name to will and require you forthwith that you receive the Body of him the said Humphry Smith into your Custody and him to detain in your said Goal until he shall be delivered from thence by due order of Law Whereof fail you not at your peril Given under our Hands and Seals at Alton the 14th day of October in the thirteenth year of his Majesties Reign Anno 1661. John Norton Humphry Bennit The Answer THe Jews who denyed him that said I am the Light laid hands on Paul crying out Help men of Israel this is the man that teacheth every where against the Law Acts 21. 28. And the Jewish Christians who denied the Light laid hands on Humphry Smith and in the Mittimus say He was at an unlawful Meeting And so these called Christians say Our Meetings are Unlawful or against the Law And just so it was said of Paul That his teaching was against the Law Again John Norton and Humphry Bennit say That Humphry Smith was a Ringleader Likewise Turtullous said That Paul was a Ringleader Acts 24. Again Humphry Smith is accused for one of the chief of the Quakâ—rs and for travelling the Country to seduce the People And in the same manner Paul was accused for a mover of Sedition among all the Jews throughout the World Acts 24. 5. and if so then Paul was a greater Traveller than Humphry Smith And as Humphry Smith is here accused for seducing the people so Paul was accused for setting forth of strange Gods and for preaching new Doctrine Acts 17. 18. And again Haman accused the Lords People That they kept not the Kings Laws And these men accuse us that we disturb the Peace contrary to the Kings Laws And the Rulers accused Paul for teaching things that were not Lawful And these accuse Humphry Smith That he did that which was contrary to the Law which they say is made and provided which is as much as if they had said We have a Law just like their Fathers who crucified Christ and said We have a Law and by our Law he ought to dye And so these who have Envy which is Murther in their hearts say We have a Law made and provided and by the force thereof Humphry Smith who is a member of Christ must be Imprisoned his Body Mark not his Soul then his Soul may be at liberty And them Magistrates cast Paul into Prison And so these did by H. Smith And they charged the Goaler To keep Paul safely Acts 16. 12. And these charge or require the Goaler in no less than his Majesties Name and at his own Peril to receive and detain the Body of Humphry Smith in his said Goal until he shall be delivered by due Order of Law And in this their acting and writing they themselves have compared Humphry Smith with Paul and others of Gods people And themselves with Pauls Persecutors and But now they have above a year
the Testimony of his Name and remain Prisoners for the same Truth and Testimony of Jesus for which also this Body of mine doth and hath long suffered Restraint and Bonds and my Soul grieved with the Sodomitish Wickedness and Heathenish Prophainness of Hard-hearted Rebellious to God and disobedient Ungodly People whose Judgment slumbereth not and whose Damnation will certainly come and be just from God upon them who have made a Covenant with Death and shew forth themselves as a people at an Agreement with all the Powers of Hell in which is the Reward of all the Wicked that have forgotten God and wholely rejected the manifold Manifestation of his Mercies which unto you O ye dear and tender-hearted is as precious Oyl and as desirable Treasure Who can but prize the Mercies of the God of Heaven How refreshingly hath it often flowed in upon the thirsty Habitations of many to the abundant refreshing and comforting of the weary Land Oh! how sweetly and with what pleasantness hath mine Eyes beheld the springing up and the growth and spreadings of the tender Plants after the distiling streams of the Heavenly Dews upon them and every one standing in his place flourishing with their Branches over the Earth not one offending the other and all casting forth a sweet favour being daily replenished with the springings up of the Sap of Life and comforted with the Sun Beams of Righteousness How harmoniously then doth the Garden flourish And how beautiful is every Plant whom God hath planted And is it possible for any other plants to bring forth Fruits unto holiness but only such whom the God of Heaven causeth to grow And how sad is it for any one Plant to hurt kill or destroy another And who can without some Remorse or pity behold the withering and fading of any such Plants whose flourishing was once so delightsom that all who passed by and took notice thereof commended them for their virtue or at least took some special notice of their prudence and the wisdom of him by whom they flourished in that they grew multiplied and prospered though they could not perceive nor understand by what invisible virtue they thus were nourished nor whence it came I say again when I have beheld the Trees of the Lord the Plants of the Garden of God in their fresh green growing flourishing united State in the Life of Liberty my heart hath often been refreshed my Soul quickned my Spirit revived and my mind and desires abundantly satisfied Then hath my life founded forth the precious praises of the Almighty in the Assemblies of the upright and my Heart broken therewith in the delightsom Love hath poured forth Thanksgiving with tenderness and tears in secret O! how then hath the overflowing of Mercy reached over the uttermost borders of my dwelling and how sweetly have we then been comforted and revived one in another How lovely then hath the face of the Righteous been when Righteousness it self in the Meekness of Love looked forth at the Windows How were the Bowels of each other then enflamed within them How sweet was the Beauty of Meekness to the Beholders Who then could but receive the love of the loveliness it self Dear Lambs of the fold of Heaven whose hearts are still opened by the feeling of the virtue of life who only know me and can hear the words of my Life and understand the Voice of my Love My Heart and Soul salutes you my Love is dear unto you my Life hath long reached forth it self towards you in my Remembrance your Life is written I am your Servant in the Love of God a Member of the Body with you a Brother in Tribulations a Companion with you in your Warfare a Feeder with you at your Table and one that rejoyceth with you in the Joy unspeakable being made with you a partaker of that precious Inheritance that fadeth not away where Life and Love and fellowship with Praises and Thanksgiving aboundeth forever Wherewith should I greet you in the Greetings of that Love which cannot be uttered And how should I Salute you in that which cannot be declared What words might I use to speak forth the Life of Wisdom or reach forth the true love of a broken Heart Behold I may become as a Babe herein and be silent as a Child yet learning utterance lest in reaching forth of my strength I should signifie my weakness to unfold the undeclareable Infinitness of the fulness of Virtue Wisdom Meekness Life and Love from the measure whereof my simple words most certainly do at present proceed as some few amongst many will surely perceive hereby who remain in the single-heartedness of undefiled Unity whose desires are still afresh enflamed and whose Bowels yet daily yearn after a more fuller enjoyment of God and the encrease and preservation of his Precious Truth and who for the same can still deny themselves to serve others in the true sense and feeling of the undefiled brotherly Love and who can lay down their Crowns that the Lamb may be honoured and suffer in the inward man that the Brother may be preserved for whom Christ dyed and towards whom Gods Love was even when he was an Enemy the which love of God being continued towards thee in the same Love shouldest thou continue towards thy Brother and there-with mayst thou do him good and perform some service towards the Lord whose love was towards you both and then from him shalt thou receive a Reward into thy own Bosom and in the needful time God will deliver thee and at the hour of Tryal he will Succour thee and thou the dear Plant of the Lord thereby mayst stand though some that were stronger then thee be overcome and fall into the Snare of the Enemy in that hour of Tryal and be then entangled with many Incumbrances and that of divers kinds The Lord God of Heaven and Earth preserve my dear tender hearted Lambs and Brethren out of such things that a Vail may not come over you and so the Life be stopt from springing up in you for then may such again go Mourning all the day long when none doth pity Friends the often Incomes of Gods Love and the forth flowings of the same towards you and the precious seed of God in them parts hath constrained me at present to visit you in the true love of my Soul with these Lines that so you might not only hear from me but also in some measure be comforted in me and likewise some of you a little refreshed hereby For Behold the God of Heaven is my Refuge and strength and the Lord of Host is my Upholder and the holy One of Israel is my Everlasting Support and the daily Incomes of that which doth truly comfort is as Marrow to my Bones yea the Lord hath prolonged my dayes inlarged my Borders and beautifyed the Place of my Dwelling My heart is overcome with his Love my Soul is filled with his Virtue and my Tongue doth declare of
and Christ saith Love your Enemies and if he smite thee on the one Cheek turn the other And such as are come to that and obey his command are come out of the Wars and the Strife unto the Prince of Peace who was before the Wars and so know the peaceable Covenant which will not wax old but last forever in which there is no Wars nor killing one another and so comes to the End of that Covenant which commanded the Tythes and to the change of the Law the Priest whereof and they that receive the Tythes murder and slay him that is to bring to the End of Tythes so that by him to the End of Tythes they are not come nor from under the first Covenant where the Tythes are paid whilst the vail is over the Heart and that Ministry standing which makes nothing Perfect and will dye and change and perish but he that Redeems out of and from among them and that which perisheth abides a Priest forever and of him it is said he liveth And so him we bear Testimony of who is entred within the Vail in whom the Vail is done away and so that is seen and departed from and made an end of which stood whilst the Vail was not rent and the way into a more Holy known than the first Covenant wherein the Tythes were paid the Vail being over the Heart and is yet over the Hearts of all them who pay or receive Tythes and all that uphold it who may take notice that the first Priests that ever took by force Offerings were Sons of Belial and knew not God whom the Lord destroy'd and they perished in the Wars with the Sword 1 Sam. 2. 12. ver 16. Therefore we cannot but deny Tythes and the upholding of it and all such as take it especially ly force which Actions are the fruits of such Priests as know not God and such he will overturn For the Seed of God in many Thousands Cryes unto him by reason of the Cruel Oppression of Tythes from under which the Lord will deliver us Humphry Smith This for my nearly related Friend Elizabeth Smith at Little Cawerne THe God of Heaven that made me and the Lord God of Power that called me to obey and follow him even in that day when I was not acquainted with his Voice and who hath been my Guide Defence Succour and Comfort unto this day and moment and who hath ever upheld me as a Father the Child by the Arm of his Power whom the world neither did nor can by its Wisdom ever know who is the only wise Invisible Spirit that upholdeth all things by the Word of his Power who is dreadful to the Heathen that know him not and more precious than ever can be expressed with Tongue or Pen unto them who have felt and received and live in the true sence of the Enlarging incomes of the virtue of his Power the Life whereof to them is most desirable My Strength Life and Refuge alone is he whose service I have no cause to decline and whose precious powerfull call he never gave me cause to repent for with himself he hath and doth dayly gratify me with a full Reward for all and all manner of my manifold Tryals and daily Sufferings and Exercises which I meet with in the way but really and Absolutely I can truly say that none of these things move me in the least from that foundation upon which the God of Heaven and Earth hath long since established me that I might stand for him and the Glory of his Name who hath both set and appointed me thereunto and given me Courage as a fortified Tower to stand as a mark for the Adversaries of Sion to vent forth the utmost of their limited Fury And in the Lord my strength is my Considence neither have I believed that ever I should distrust him though since the day that I have known him he hath even suffered the Sorrows of Death and the pangs of Hell and the Powers of Unutterable Darkness at sometimes to compass me in on every side and to lift up themselves in the vaunting Arrogancy of the swelling Pride thereof as Mountains never to be removed But behold he who hath his way in the Whirl-wind and his path through the midst of the deepest Ocan him alone it was that my broken Heart was by the power of his constraining Love resolved to follow forever even through the greatest difficulties and the most hardest Straits Tryals and Hardships with all manner of outward and inward Sufferings that might be permitted to happen unto or fall upon any one of the Children of men Oh! that I could now sufficiently declare his Goodness and so fully and effectually make mention of his Power as it deserveth or as the Lord hath given into my Heart to desire of him to be made use of in the Declaration or Manifestation thereof in this my day unto the Sons and Children of men Surely when I am waiting of him and of his unutterable Goodness and Power my Words and Lines are also short of setting forth the Virtue and Fullness of the most unexpressible divine excellency thereof that sometimes I am rather ready to dwell in silence with and in the fullness thereof which overcomes with unutterable Virtue than to be writing of that which in its self can never be written though what is written may be by and with and from the overflowings of the same and so be as drops or little streams of heavenly Water to refresh the dry and thirsty Land which therein doth its service and then the praise thereof is to return unto him who is the alone fountain of all Virtue and the Life which giveth Life even unto the dead that hear his Voice whereby he comes to be known to be Infinite in Wisdom Power and Virtue whom my soul doth Honour my heart doth Praise and my spirit adoreth forever for none is like to him neither doth my soul desire any other but he whilst in this body or for evermore in the Life which yet doth come Let all that know him bow before him and let all that hear his voice be humble and meek and let every one that truly desires after him wait with diligence and in patience upon him and let all that are faithful to him rejoyce in his Love and prize him for much more then the liberty of their bodies or the Enjoyment of Thousands and Thousands of Thousands of Temporal Visible Earthly thing All which are his and he is ours yea he is certainly mine and I am his and my soul doth magnifie him and my spirit doth yet breath farther to sound forth his Praises not only all the dayes of my life whilst in this Earthly Tabernacle but likewise in the hearts of Thousands of them yet unborn and among the Generations that are yet to come by my faithful upright Testimony and the Record thereof which may remain when the God and Father of my life hath gathered me
his Goodness the praises of the Lord ascend up to Heaven whose Mercies refresh the Earth Oh that you might partake with me of the unspeakable Blessings of God and feel and receive in your selves the true Tenders and Offers of the tenderness of my Love hereby presented unto you that you might feel your Hearts begin to open therewith to receive the same that in the Life of the Spirit of Truth you may truly perceive me to be present praising the Lord with you and likewise pertaking with you of your sufferings having also Acquaintance of your Grief and being truly sensible of your manifold Tryals and Tribulations The Lord preserve you to the end thereof And Friends let not your hearts be sad neither be ye overmuch cast down with any thing whatsoever of which I forbare to mention neither be ye discouraged by reason of any thing that the Lord bringeth or suffereth to come to pass either amongst us or concerning us neither let the multitude of Tryals nor the length of dayes therein cause you in the least to distrust the Lord who in his secret Wisdom in the end of all things bringeth forth good unto such who in all conditions and under all Tryals do truly love and cleave unto the Lord their strength But why should I multiply words The intent of my heart is that you might have benefit by the increase of the same love of God and the Springings forth thereof of the which we have all received For you know the Truth which teacheth all things and a measure of that Life from whence all these words do come which do service for the Lord and are helpful to his Servants and comfortable to his Chosen people and for the refreshing of the tender Lambs and the building up of the members in the holy Unity to grow up in the holy Life for the honour of his Glorious Name forever in whose blessed Name Life Strength and Virtue is found the which indeed is become a true Refuge unto the Chosen Israel of God where they are succoured when none can help and where they are preserved when none other can uphold unto whom they can pour forth their Complaints in secret and Address themselves at every needful time whose complaints are never by him rejected nor turned back upon the Upright hearted as sometimes it hath been when help or comfort hath been expected from some of the Children of men who may also be tempted and in danger of being overcome but the Lord can never be overcome neither can he ever Err in his Understanding or mistake in his Judgments nor reject that which is truly simple and tender neither yet receive that which is deceitful though appearing or seeming never so Glorious Let all Friends whose hearts are tender in the tenderness thereof still return unto him from that which causeth a hardness and out of that which bringeth distrust to leave that which bringeth darkness into the mind and so to get from the barren places into the fruitful Habitation of the living Then shall Peace flow as a River and Unity shall flourish as the varieties of the various Flowers in the Field and Righteousness shall spread over all as the Morning dew and then the Beauty of the Righteous shall shine and the Glory of the Lord shall yet more abundantly appear and fruit shall encrease as in the Summer season and the Vineyard of the Lord shall yet again flourish in Righteousness and the Lord shall be glorified in his Saints who is greatly admired by all them that truely believe Oh! that the seed might lift up the head Oh! that the Plants of Righteousness might spring that the true Mourner might be comforted That fruit might abound in abundance That the weak might receive strength That the Seed of the Lamb may know the Boldness of the Lyon That all might be refreshed together and that you all might live and grow and encrease with the Encreases of God The Lord God of Heaven and Earth grant these things unto you and fulfill them in you that you may be filled with Virtue and wax bold and Valiant to the end in the noble Life of the honourable Power of God whose Name is blessed for evermore Amen From Winchester Prison is this sent forth towards you and the true Love and Simplicity of Heart by your Brother in the fellowship and Testimony of Jesus and the Bonds of the Gospel Humphry Smith To the Young and Tender and to the late Convinced People of God amongst the rest of the Elect and already Chosen whose outward Habitations are in and near the County of Essex To be read amongst them in much Wisdom Meekness Deliberation and most chiefly in the true fear of the Lord God THe sound of the everlasting Truth of the Lord God of Heaven and Earth hath passed through and amongst you and the Word of his Power in the dread of his holy Name hath been published within your borders and the way of everlasting Life and Righteousness hath plainly been declared to the understanding and the Covenant of everlasting Peace and Truth hath been tendred unto your Hearts and the Day of Visitation from God hath been freely offered unto your Souls and the things which belong to your everlasting happiness hath been set before your Eyes and those things of the Kingdom of God which pertain to the Sons of men to know in the power of his Wisdom and in the strength of his Might hath been demonstrated among you and the tender Call of God in the day of his love hath been unto you Oh that your Hearts might retain it forever and that your Eyes might be abundantly opened to see into the unsearchable things of God! Oh that your understandings might yet be more opened to receive the Riches of the invisible Truth of God! Oh that your Hearts might come to be more enlarged therewith and that you who have known the Call of God and felt the working of his Grace in your hearts unto a true Convincement might all come to live the Life of Righteousness end forever hereafter to walk from that more and more which you are truly convinced of to be evil either in Word or Deed or any manner of Practice whatsoever and to walk with more Circumspection and Integrity and Faithfulness to the Lord in obedience unto all things truly made known unto you to be right and justifiable in the sight of the God of Heaven This certainly is the breathings of my Soul unto the God of Heaven for your everlasting Well-fare And the true desire of my present enlarged Heart for your Eternal Happiness is That as the Lord of Heaven and Earth hath counted you worthy of his Call in the power of his Grace which bringeth Salvation unto all you may not judge your selves unworthy of the Kingdom of God but may cleave unto his Truth in the inward parts leaving all that which hath kept you from it whatsoever it be and all that which hath