by you I count not my Life too dear to part with for the Testimony of my God in whom is my Confidence Trust and Hope who hath formed me for his praise whose I am unto you my Conscience I have cleared and whether ye will hear or forbear I am clear of your Blood who am a Friend to your Souls and Bodies and desire the welfare of both and am one who loveth righteous Government and Governours who are for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well and such Rulers I truly honour in my heart though not with the vain custom of the Hat neither with the deceitful flattering titles of this World This is from a true lover of your Souls who desâ—reth your everlasting welfare and tranquility in the Lord who is a Sufferer by you but not for evil doing but for doing well the Lord is his witness that this is true whose Servant he is whatever he be by you or any accounted of Edmonds-Bury common Goal this 8th Month 1665. William Bennit To Friends of Truth in the Town of Colehester Greeting DEarly beloved Friends and Brethren who have tasted of the love and goodness â—f the Lord and of the sweetness and pretiousness of his unchangable Truth the virtuous workings and powerful opperations whereof you have felt in your hearts whereby you witness and experience in measure your Souls set at liberty from the bondage of Sin and Corruption to serve the living God in holiness of Life to the praise of your God who hath raised you out of the dust by his Power and quickned you by his Life and formed you by his own Wisdom and given you his good Spirit to guide and lead you teach and counsel you comfort and refresh you oh he hath given you a taste of the Word of Life and power of the World to come oh he hath living Witnesses of his Name and Truth whereof you are made partakers and that which you have seen and known felt and tasted of the same you have through the strength of the Lord born Testimony unto even by Word by Deed by Life and Conversation and through great Sufferings manifold Tribulations and Afflictions all which the Lord your tender God hath inabled you to wade through and hath kept you from fainting unto this day who hath been with you in six Troubles and in the seventh dear Babes he hath not left you but in all your Afflictions for his Name-sake he hath been afflicted with you and the Angel of his presence hath been your defence on the right hand and on the left oh how hath he carried you in his tender Bosome and born you up in his Arms and lead you gently when you were Weak Young and Tender and made the Crooked strait and the Rough smooth before you and thrown down many a high Mountain before you and removed many a lofty Hill out of your way who hath made a way for you in the Wilderness and a path through many a Thickit and hath made the hard things easie he hath been a Shelter to you from the Heat and a Refuge to you from the Storm and many a time hath been unto your Souls as the shadow of a Rook in a weary Land who hath given you Bread when you were Hungry and Water to satisfie your Thirst who Strengthned you when you were Weak and Inriched you when you were Poor who Healed you when you were Wounded and bound you up when you were broken to Pieces who Comforted you in the midst of Sorrow and hath Refreshed you when you have been heavy hearted and lifted up your heads when they were bowed down because of the Oppression of your Enemies Oh how exceeding large is the love of the Lord your tender compassionate God of endless bowels of tenderness oh your own experience of his Love his Mercy his Pity his Compassion his Goodness his Kindness and his Tender Fatherly Care and Dealings towards you is much larger then what I can demonstrate with words oh how can you then but still trust in his Name rely upon his Arm and depend upon his saving Health and hope in his tender Bowels who is the same yesterday to day and for evermore who hath been with you when Trouble hath compassed you round to keep you from Dispair and with you in the midst of Perplexity to keep you from being Distressed and with you in the midst of Persecution to Sucker and Cherish you and refresh your hearts as with New Wine and oh surely dear Babes he is with you still to Comfort you still to Refresh you still to Feed and Nourish you still to Strengthen you still to Uphold and Support you still to Keep and Defend you and surely he will never leave you nor forsake you if you forsake him not but will cleave unto you as you cleave unto him and will still be your God and you shall be his People still and rest in him for ever when in this World you shall be no more Oh dear Friends my soul loveth you wherefore I cannot forget you but often remember you especially since the Lord hath been pleased to visit that place with such fore Affliction and to give it to drink so deeply of the Cup of his Righteous Judgments and oh my soul desires that the Lord may keep and hide your Souls in the hollow of his hand whatever Affliction he suffers to come upon your Bodies and oh that he may inable you to wade through all and to bear all with Patience and Contentedness and think not any of you the Lord cares not for you or that he dis-regards you â—ecauâ—e he doth or may permit the Beesom of his Righteous Juâ—gements which he hath sent forth to sweep away the Wâ—cked to sweep away many of your Bodies from off the Earth neither murmur against the Lord who may do what pleaseth him and yet all his doings are Equal and Righteous altogether and how strange soever his doings appear to the carnal reasoning fleshly part yet assuredly he intends good in all his deallings towards all the honest simple innocent upright hearted ones and it is inwardly well with such whatsoever outwardly the Lord suffereth to befall them and it shall be well with their Souls eternally whatever the Lord permits to come upon their Bodies and truly the sence of these things I know doth cause Joy to spring inwardly in the midst of outward Sorrows and Comfort in the midst of Heaviness Rest in the time of Trouble and Content and Satisfaction in the midst of Affliction and maketh that soul to bear all with patience without murmuring against the Lord and makes such to say The will of God be done well it is the Lord that suffereth it thus to be and why should I murmur against him seeing he knoweth what is best for me and will not suffer any thing to besal me but what through his Love and Mercy shall work for my good as I cleave
in all your Hearts that the little Seeâ— of Life may become as a great Tree and every one of you may witness a sitting under your own Vine Christ in you the Hope of Glory and none to make you afraid And dear Friends look not out at others but keep at home in the Light the Tent Jacob shall dwell alone and not be numbred among the Nations Esau he hunts abroad and grows weary and faint and then sells his Birthright for a Mess of Pottage What if some stumble and fall from the Truth let not that shake you Truth is the same still and changeth not and if you see some turn aside from us into a Self separation from the Body of Friends and endeavour to draw Disciples after them let not that cause you to stumble and question the Certainty of Truth neither be you drawn away and tost about like Children by them but keep to the Light and in it follow the Foot-steps of the Flock but follow not the Foot-steps of the Wandering Sheep that have left their Flock and are gone astray who are like to perish by the devouring Beast and Enemy of their Souls except in time they return again to the Fold And if you see some amongst our selves setting or keeping up that thing or practice which is out of the comly desent Order of the Body and not consistant with Truth 's Government let not that beget an Occasion of stumbling in your Minds but be still and keep your Eye single to the Lord and walk as you have them for an Example that are over you in the Lord who fully follow Christ Jesus And as for that which is only set up and â—eld up by Man out of Truth 's Order it will die and pass away and Truth will out-live all So unto the Lord who hath called you out of Darkness into his marvellous Light do I commit you to be preserved unto himself unto the End For many are called but few chosen he that abides to the End the same shall be sâ—ved To the true Mourner in Sion To appoint to them that mourn in Sion and to give them the Oyl of Joy for Mourning c. Blessed are you that mourn for you shall be comforted They that sow in Tears shall reap in Joy c. Isaiah 61. 3. Matth. 5. 4. Psal 126. 5 6. OH lift up thy head thou bowed down thou Mourner in Sion who art as one alone in a solitary place and few seeth thee or knoweth thy Sorrow or truly sensible of thy Grief or behold thy Tears who art in thine own Eye as a Woman forsaken and grieved in Spirit as a Wife of Youth rejected who appears in thy own Eyes as it were Miserable and Wretched mourning in the sence of thy own as thou thinkest Unworthiness Failings Inability Emptiness and Poverty who art ready to say with sorrow Where is there any so Poor Empty Barren and Unfruitful to God as I Oh I can do nothing for the Lord except like Mary Weep behind him thinking my self scarce worthy to see his Face and wash his Feet with my Tears whilst others sit at the Table with him and eat of the Fatness of his House and drink of the New-wine of his Kingdom but alas for me my Tears are my Meat and Drink because of the oppression of my Enemy who saith to my Soul Where is thy God dost thou think thou snalt ever be worthy to behold his Face to receive his Love and to have the Smiles of his Countenance And thou O mourning one by hearkening to and believing thy Enemy becometh in thy own eye like an alone Sparrow upon the Flouse-top and as the alone Quail in the Stubble-field and as a Dove alone mourning for the loss of her Mate and so thou layest thee down in Sorrow and makest it thy Bed and Grief thy Sheets Tears thy Pillow and Sighing and Mourning thy Sleep whilst thou believest thy Enemy and entertainest those Fears Doubtings and Carnal Reasonings which he infuseth into thy Heart as thy Companion But arise I say unto thee in the Name of my God and thy God of my Father and thy Father arise out of thy Bed for thy Beloved is at hand and knocketh at the door of thy Heart arise out of thy Bed of Sorrow Fears and Doubtings and by Faith let him in whom thy Soul loveth say not I am not worthy of him but rather say Lord I believe help thou my unbelief strengthn my Faith make me more worthy of thee Oh shut him out no longer by unbelief and doubtings and by reasoning with and hearkening unto the Enemy of thy Souls Joy Peace and Comfort who would always keep thee from thy Beloved and would daily add Sorrow to thy Sorrow and Affliction to thy Grief and Weight to thy Burden that he might if he could wholly sink thee down into the Pit of Desparation forever Wherefore hearken no longer unto him for he was a Lyar from the beginning entertain him not nor his false Instigations any longer nâ—r by unbelief keep not him out any longer whom thou lovest and much desirest but by that small measure of Faith thou sometimes feel'st in God though it be but as a Grain of Mustard seed endeavour to thrust and keep out the Enemy and to remove the Mountains of Fears and Doubtings out of the way and by Faith embrace him whom thy Soul desires more then Rubies or much fine Gold that so the Nâ—ghâ—s of thy Sorrow and Mourning for him in thy Bed of Fears and Doubtings may be turned into sweet reposes with him in his Bed of Solace that thou mayst say with gladness of heart the False Accuser is cast out and my Beloved is come is come and his reward is with him he hath taken me from my mourning state into his Banqueting-house of Joy Peace Rest and true Satisfaction and his Banner over me is Love and now my Sorrow is turned into Joy and I that once sate mourning in the Pit of doubtings and unbelief hath the Lord upon the wings of Faith raised up to come to sing in the hight of Sion and to flow to the goodness of my God who hath exalted my Horn in him and enlarged my Mouth over my Enemy whose Mouth was enlarged over me in the day I bowed under him through unbelief and doubtings Oh then feebleness possessed my Loins weakness my Knees and faintness my Heart so that when I rose up to go towards my Beloved I fell by doubtings and fears but now I that stumbled am by Faith in the Power of my God girt with Strength and the Bow of the mighty man that prevailed against me broken in pieces who so often wounded me with his Darts that I was like to poor Lazarus full of Wounds Bruises and Sores but the Great Physician of Souls hath healed me with the Oyl of Faith and Salvation and now I find that it is the Lord that bindeth up the broken in heart healeth all their wounds Oh
hath determined must be fulfilled in despite of all the powers of Darkness Oh that all thy Babes and Lambs may willingly wait thy appointed time O Lord God Almighty oh dear God keep all thy people retire in thy Name that so what ever thou suffers to befal their Bodies their Souls may be safe bundled up in the bundle of Life wrapped therein for evermore for a terrible day is like to be upon all Flesh and who can be able to abide it Oh dear God increase the Patience of thy People strengthen the Faith of thy Chosen oh support the Weak and uphold the little Ones which cannot go alone oh that none of thy Flock may faint nor grow weary oh that all thine might stand in the day of Tryal and be kept in the hour of Temptation and born up under all Sufferings that so in the end they may come forth as Gold seven times refined in the Fire that they may shine as Stars in the Firmament of thy Power making mention of thy Goodness Graciousness and Kindness O Lord God Almighty declaring of thy mighty Acts and sing of thy Mercies and wonderful doings and Glorifie Magnifie Honour and Praise thee thou mighty everlasting and powerful one who art from all Eternity to all Eternity whose Throne is established of old whose Scepter beareth sway in Righteousness whose Kingdom is Everlasting glory and hallelujah to thee in the highest for ever and for evermore yea praises praises pure living praises every minute be rendered unto the Lord Almighty saith thâ— sâ—ul of W. B. OH arise arise thou holy righteous Seed of the Covenant of Life Eternal Arise arise thy Light is come and the Glory of thy God is risen upon thee Oh thou lovely one Nations shall come to thy Light and Kings to the brightness of thy Rising Ah thou beautiful one thy Sons shall come from far and thy Daughters from the ends of the Earth Arise arise thou beautiful one who art altogether lovely Oh how sweet is thy Love thou lovely one oh how excellent is thy Love thou choice one oh thy love thy love is more precious then Rubies more sweeter then Hony oh thy love is better then Wine Oh how hath thy love overcome the hearts of many and won them unto thee oh thy love draws many after thee oh how doth thy love cause many to cast off all their other Lovers to follow thee thou lovely one oh thou art become unto many Souls who loveth thee thou lovely one even the chiefest of ten thousands whose eyes are opened to see thy Beauty and to behold thy Comeliness thou beautiful one oh thou art hid from the Polluted neither can the Unclean behold thy excellent Beauty the Vulture's eye cannot perceive thy Comeliness nor they who hath eyes full of Adultery and cannot cease from Sin and have hearts exercised with coveteous practises and are gone a whoring after many Lovers oh from these thou art hid thou lovely one even as a Garden inclosed as a Spring shut up as a Fountain sealed from them Oh arise thou choice one and let thy Beauty appear unto those who have not seen thy Beauty and let them taste of thy Love that so they may cast off all other Lovers and follow thee cast off all and cleave unto thee with their whole hearts Oh arise arise thou beloved one and shine forth in thy excellent Glory that even the Nations may be ravished with thy Beauty and Kingdoms overcome with thy Love and be drawn after thee that a blessing in thee they may obtain Oh arise and let thy Fruitfulness appear thou precious one and let Joy and Gladness fill thy heart thou lovely one for the days of thy rejoycing is come and coming and the days of thy mourning oh Sion is fleeing away Oh thou beloved one thou hast been even as a Woman forsaken and grieved in Spirit and few or none of the Sons or Daughters of Men hath looked upon thee with an eye of pity oh thou hast been as the Owle in the Desart and as the alone Sparrow upon the house top and as the alone Quail in the stubble fields and as a Dove mourning alone without her Mate who hast set solitary alone as in the Wilderness and none among the Sons of Men to comfort thee oh thou beloved anointed one thou hast been like unto a man of Sorrow and very deeply acquainted with Grief often Smitten often Grieved often Afflicted often Wounded often Pierced and Oppressed even as a Cart that is pressed with Sheaves and yet the Sons and Daughters of Men hath not esteemed thee although indeed thou patient one thou hast been wounded by their Transgressions and grieved smitten and pierced and bruised by their Iniquities and hath born the weight of their Sins and the burden of their Transgressions even while they like Sheep have gone astray every one following his own way Feasting themselves as for a day of Slaughter whilst thou hast been Mourning because of the Iniquity of the People Eating and Drinking and rising up to Play whilst thou hast been Weeping and Groaning in secret because of the multitude of their Transgressions who hath heaped Sin upon Sin and Iniquity upon Iniquity and hath loaded thee therewith which hath been as an impress of ten thousands upon thee thou tender one and unto thee they had no regard they took no notice of thy Sorrow and Burdens But oh thou beloved one thy God thy tender God who hath loved thee with an everlasting Love took notice of thy Sorrow and he saw thy Grief and beheld thy sore Weights and Burdens and took cognizance of thy grievous Oppressions and he heard the voice of thy Weeping and thy Tears which thou droppedst upon his Alter lay in the view of the eye of his pitiful Soul and he beheld thy great Travel and thy Sighing and Groaning entered into his Ears and his tender tender Bowels of infinite Love Mercy Pity and everlasting Compassion was and is moved towards thee and he hath determined to comfort thee with an everlasting Comfort thou patient suffering one and the Nights of thy Sorrow shall vanish away for ever and the Days of thy Mourning shall be over Oh thou beloved one lift up thy Head lift up thy Head in the strength of thy God and gird up thy Loines with Courage in the power of his Might for thy Winter is almost over and gone and shall no more come the Storms are vanishing away and shall no more appear the nipping Frosts are dissolving by the Sun of Righteousness who is arisen upon thee with healing in his wings Ah lift up thy voice like the sound of a Trumpet and shout like the voice of a King and sing for joy thou beloved one for thy Spring is come thou lovely one thy Summer is come thou lovely one the singing of Birds is come thou beautiful one and the voice of the Turtle is heard in thy Land thou delicate and choice one let thy heart
the true indearedness of the indeared love of the pure seed of life eternal doth my soul dearly salute you and imbrace you in the bosom of innocency in the which â—he Lord in measure hath wrapped up my soul with â—our souls dear Lambs and with the rest of his faithful Babes as in a mantle wherein we are together although absent from each other and herein I rest and repose with you who am your reall Friend and tender Brother in the heavenly relation which abides for ever William Bennit The 3 d moneth 1664. Dear Babes dwell together in love even in the pure innocent love of God which thinketh no evil and therein bear with and forbear and forgive one another even in that which keeps in the lowly fear and preserves in the true humility wherein none shall strive except to be the most humblest and meekest in mind and herein is the unity of the faith and the bond of peace known and kept which is exceeding comly amongst Brethren To Friends of Truth MY dear Friends in the pure tender bowels of the endless â—ternal fountain of love doth my soul dear Lambs dearly and tendorly salute you all most indearedly and fervâ—ntly desiring that you may stand fast in the pure precious everlasting truth of the Lord God in it so to live walk and abide as that you all keep your Garments clean and unspoted of the world as pure wise Virgins indeed who follow the Lamb whither-soever he goes Dear Babes hold fast your confidence in God and let yout hope in him be stedfast and constant and in that Faith stedfastly abide which hath been and is and will yet be your victory for ever and crown of tryumph eternally if in it you abide to the end Well dear Lambs I commend you unto the Lord God of everlasting strength and power by him to be upheld and supported and carried through whatsoever tryals and sufferings you do or may meet withall either outwardly or inwardly and by his power to be preserved sincere upright and faithful to him in your measures unto the end of your pilgrimage here that so a noble faithful clear Testimony you may bear for the Lord in this his day to the praise of his glorious name which is blessed for evermore So the sweet precious refreshing consolating inlivening strengthning quickning pure presence of the Lord God of Light of Life Love and Wisdom be with you in you and among you all even to the daily glading of your hearts and refreshing of your souls and to the girding up of your loines with courage patience strength and boldness in the God of your hope to stand unto the end Amen saith my soul So dear Babes feel my love in the innocent life of God and therein dwell together and I am with you and therein I rest and remain your dear Friend and tender Brother The 6th month 1664. William Bennit To Friends of Truth in Prison Dear Friends AH ye dear suffering Lambs who are in outward bonds for the Lord his Truth and Name-sake shut up and separated from your dear Friends and neerest Relations because of your keeping your Consciences void of offence towards the Lord God dear Hearts your cause is good for which you suffer and the Lord God who is ingaged for you whom you love and do manifest it unto the world through your willingness to suffer for him rather then to do that which you know is contrary unto his will or forbear doing of that which he willeth you to do well he will stand by you and will not leave you in the time of your need of his helping upholding power as you abide Faithful unto him in whose just cause you are ingaged and he will fully plead it with his and your Adversaries in his own time to your joy and their torment except they repent Dear Lambs my heart is even made glad and my soul it doth rejoyce because of your Faithfulness to the Lord in bearing your Testimony for his Name Ah the Lord God Almighty keep you faithful unto the end that so you may not faint nor grow weary before your Testimony for the Lord be finished that so you may not fall short of the Crown which is laid up for you if ye abide to the end even a full recompence of reward for all your sufferings and afflictions you do or may meet with for your faithfulness unto him the living God in whose pure bowels of most indeared intire unfained love doth my soul very dearly salute you dear hearts unto whom I commend you whose pure quickning holy heavenly presence I desire may be abundantly with you daily for the keeping of you all in pure patience and contentedness and in a true submission to his heavenly will that his joy comfort and consolation and sweet peace may abound in and unto your souls to the bearing of you up above all tryals that you do meet withall that you may not sink under them and that over the temptations of your Adversaries within and without you may Reign and be made more then Conquerers through the Lord who hath loved you and counted you worthy to believe in his Name and Truth and to suffer for the same Oh the Lord my God even your dear and tender God keep you low in his holy fear and very watchful and diligent in his pure Light having your minds exercised therein and girded thereby unto the Lord that so indeed dear Hearts you may learn much by these your tryals and sufferings even to your comfort and joy in God feeling indeed that the Lord doth cause these your sufferings to work together for your good that so you indeed dear Lambs may find cause thereby the more to praise and glorifie the name of the Lord and to make mention of his goodness and mercies and to magnifie his name in the land of the living unto whom be glory and praise for ever and evermore Dear Lambs receive these few lines as a token of the true love of my soul to you in the Lord in whom my love is right dear unto all his faithful ones Farewell dear Friends in the Lord in whose innocent life I am your Friend and Companion in the patience and long suffering of the Lamb. Norwich Castle the 7th month 1664. William Bennit To the sâ—ffering Lambs of the Lords Flock in Prison Greeting DEar suffering tribulated Lambs of my Maker ah dearly beloved Friends the tender unfeigned salutation of my soul reacheth unto you in the unchangable Love of the unchangable Truth of the living unchangable God whereof he hath made us pertakers and of which he hath made us witnesses and for which he hath through his love his constraining overcoming powerful Love made us willing to suffer and to part with and be separated from our deaâ—â—st Fâ—â—ends and nearâ—st Relations and to be willing to indure and â—o pass through what ever sufferings the Lord our God shall permit to be infflicted upon us rather then for any
by â—â—ds and self-inâ—â—â—â—st to condecend to do that thing willingly which we know â—ould cause Gods Truth to suffer his holy Name to be dishonoured his holy Spirit to be grieved and our Consciences to be defiled thereby ah in this frame of spirit free given up state the Lord God of power keep us by his power with the rest of his dear innocent suffering Lambs elsewhere for his own name-sake even unto the end until our Testimony for the Lord which he in his beloved Son hath counted us worthy to bear in this his day be finished to the praise glory and renown of his holy powerful name and to the everlasting Joy and eternal Peace of our immortal souls Amen saith my soul which doth fervently desire dear suffering Lambs that the holy living presence of my God may be in with and amongst you all to your Joy and Comfort and that his power may uphold you and that his strength may support you and keep up your heads above all your sufferings and tryals that so none may grow weary nor faint in your minds but you may be made strong in the Lord and be able in the power of his might to resist thresh hammer and beat down every thought and all carnal reasonings and fleshly consultings that your Enemy and Adversary in your own hearts would infuse into your minds which indeed if entertained how soon may they who are strong thereby become weake and they who witness freedom be brought again into bondage and be again caught in the Serpents snares ho is exceeding busie within as well as without seeking daily whom he may devour and betray of the simplicity of truth and draw back again unto himself Dear Lambs you are in measure acquainted with his subtilty yea blessed be the Lord who hath open'd your eyes and you see him and his temptations and crafty allurements and not only so but you know how to escape them so as not to be overcome by tâ—em but resist them overcome him and his temptations thâ—ough the strength of the Lord who hath called and redeemed you from under his power yet not withstanding my dear Friends let me say unto you in the brotherly love and tenderness of my soul watch and keep close unto the Lord in your own hearts that unto him you may be kept faithful unto the very end who will make way for your deliverance in his own time and season and he will plead your righteous cause with his and your Adversaries in his season to your Joy and their Sorrow Whâ—â—efore wholely commit your cause unto the Lord your God who watcheth over you and careth for you and will never leave you but will stand by you and help you in the needful time even all you whose trust and hope is in him alone and can use no other weapon to plead your cause with but the â—â—rd of his mouth So dear Lambs in the pure patience and long suffering of the Lamb our Captain and Leader and Example that meek one who saith love Enemies possess your souls and rest in stilness and peace and quietness and contentedness in the Ark of safety whâ—ch the Lord hath prepared for his Family to bear them up above the floods until the waters abate and dry land appear So the Lord be with you all and bundle you up together in his innocent love which thinketh no evil therein to serve him with your whole hearts and one an other with all self-denial none to strive except to be most meâ—kâ—st and lowâ—st in mind so that you all way be tender affectionated one towards another forgiving and fâ—rbearing one another in love the stâ—oâ—g bearâ—ng with the infirmities of the weak that even as dear Children of one Father you may dwell together in peace and in pure unity in the spirit of holiness that a Joy and a Comfort you may â—e to each other in the Lord upon whom dear Lambs wait â—ogether very diligently that of his fulness you may all receive who is ready bountifully to minister that of himself unto all his tender Lambs and breathing Babes who wait upon him which he seeth is meet for them even to their daily nourishment joy comfort and reâ—reshment So in the pure bowels and tender everlasting love of the tender God of compassion doth my soul dearly salute you all who loveth the Lord uprightly and who make mention of his name in sincerity and truth and are willing to suffer for the same whether you be in bonds or out of bonds my love reacheth unto all the upright in heart Farewel dear Lambs From your Friend and Companion in the patience and long suffering of the Lamb who hath must and shall have the victory over all his Enemies to Triumph and Reign in Dominion Eternally Norwich Castle 29th of the 7th Month 1664. William Bennit This to go among Friends of Truth to be read amâ—ng â—hâ—m when assembled together in the pure fear and dread of thâ— most Hâ—gh God DEarly and tenderly beloved Friends the dear tender unfeigned salutation of my tender soul reâ—châ—â—h unto you all who loveth the Lord and his Tâ—uâ—h with your whole hearts and who make mention of his holy name in sincerity and truth even in the meek render lowly holy seed of eternal life made manifest quickned and in measure raised up in my soul even in this innâ—cenâ— seed of immortallity doth the love of â—y soul extend towards you all and I very dearly desire your prosperity and â—ranquility therein even as I do â—esire for my own soul and thaâ— this lowly holy seed and meek innocent life oâ— Jesus may daily spring grow up and flourish in every particular soul of you all that so though it was once the lest of all Seeds in you even as a little grain of Musterd-Seed hid in the Earth it may become the greatest the highest and strongest of all things in you over-povvering you and over-shadowing you that so unto you it may become a pleasant Bower of spices and as a sweet smelling savour that you may even joy to sit under its shadow even with great delight its fruit be exceeding sweet to your taste Ah Babes therein is Peace to be injoyed which is Eternal which passeth all Understanding therein is Joy unspeakable and full of glory to be injoyned therein is Blessedness which is everlasting Happiness which is endless to be injoyed out of it there is none Ah Lambs therein is Power to be received whereby to overcome him who hath the power of Death to wit the Devil and to break his Head and withstand all his Temptations and strong Assaults and various Alurements and many Inticements and power therein to withstand thresh hammer and beat down all those Thoughts Reasonings and Carnal Fleshly Consultations which he your greatest Enemy would infuse into your Minds and raise up in your Hearts whereby to disturb and break your Peace and raise Trouble and Tumults and Insurections in your Minds that so
day it shall be said to those who did not Feed Cloth and Visit the Lords tender ones in Prison Go ye Cursed into Hell Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels then surely sad will be the Sentence of those who through their Cruelty go about to deprive them of Food and Raiment and instead of visiting them in Prison doth unjustly cast them into Prison and hinder them that would visit them Oh surely the Lord God of Pity of Mercy of Compassion and endless Love hath seen the sufferings of his People in this Nation and hath taken Cognizance of their sore Afflictions and Tribulations Burdens and grievous Oppressions under which they have long Groaned whose Groans are come up before the Throne of the most high and is entred into the Ears of their Compassionate God and he is moved with infinite bowels of Love towards his suffering Seed and he will plead the Cause of his own Elect which have long Cried unto him whose Cries he the Living God hath heard whose Cries he the Almighty God will answer and will revenge their Cause upon the head of their Persecutors and will Oppress the Oppressors and Devour the Devourers of his People even as Stubble before the Fire fully dry and they shall not be able to escape the stroke of his Righteous Judgement which he hath now begun to make manifest in the Earth that the Inhabitants thereof might learn Righteousness and the Beesom of his Wrath is cleansing the Land of Evil Doers and many of those who desired and indeavoured to have Banished the peoof the Lord from their native Country and lawful Habitations such the Lord hath â—anished from their Houses and they have fled from their Habitations and run from his Righteous Judgements but whether can man fly to hide himself from the Lord and so that measure they meted out to others is moted to them again and this is just with the Lord who is equal in all his Doings and just in all his Ways and he will not be mocked by any but such as People Sow such must they Reap and according to their Deeds they must receive a reward Wherefore Friends so far as ye have a hand in the Sufferings of the Innocent you have cause to Repent thereof and to ease the Burdened and to set the Imprisoned and the Oppressed Free and as you tender and respect the good of your Souls and desire to be tendered and respected by the Lord so tender the Lords tender people and do not in any wise usurp authority over their Consciences for that is Christs seat and the Magistrates Sword is not to rule there but only Christ the power of God who maketh the Conscience he alone is to rule in and over the Conscience and Friends to the Light in your own Consciences come and be obedient thereunto and it will cause you to do unto all men as you would be done unto and in the Light you must come to believe hearked to it follow and obey it before your Souls can injoy true peace with the Lord and by it be inabled to deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lust and by it to be taught to Live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World and to lay your Sword upon evil doers and to be a praise to them that do well and rather to tolerate such and to defend them in the exercise of their Consciences towards God in meeting together in his pure fear to Serve and Worship him then to suppress them And to exercise your power in breaking up their meetings who meet to Drink Swear Rant Tear and Devour the good Creatures of God upon their filthy ungodly Lust even to the great dishonour of the Lord and to the grieving of his holy righteous Spirit suppress such for that is the Magistrates work but as for those who feareth the Lord and liveth Peaceably and Honestly with all men let such have free liberty to serve the Lord in his own Way and worship him in his own Spirit and not to be compelled to a Dead Dark Invented Superstitious Worship which is not of God and then will the blessings of the Lord my God be powered down upon you and a good savour ye will be unto those that fear the Lord from whom ye will be worthy of double Honour And Friends I understand that it is the desire if not the intent of some of ye Rulers in this Town to proceed against me unto Banishment who am an innocent man and have done you no wrong neither have I committed any thing against you or any just Law worthy of Bounds much less of Bâ—nishment neither have I in this County been thrice Convicted by your Law as an offender and I would know whether those Records made by Justices who are only Commissionated for Norfolk be good evidence in Suffolk where those Justices themselves have no power seeing the Law saith that all offences other then Treason shall be Inquired Heard and Determined in the Shire Division Limit and Liberty where such offences happen as was Inacted in the third year of King James see Chapter the fourth Well I am not careful in this matter touching my own particular only I would not have you hasty in what you intend towards me but seriously to weigh the matter in that equal balance the Word of God and take heed what you do and hurt not your own Souls and sin not against the Lord then sure I am you cannot hurt me Wherefore be wise oh ye Rulers and be instructed ye Judges of the People touch not the Lords Anointed neither do his Prophets any harm and let not Envy and Prejudice blind your Minds nor cloud the nobility of your Understandings and take heed of ingaging the Lord more and more against you and your Town consider the Lord hath hitherto spared you and your Town from the Wo Sorrow Misery Distress and Calamity which is come upon many other places and if you desire the Lord should still spare you and your Town then do you spare those who fear the Lord in your Town and free them from their causeless Imprisonments and do not Afflict them lest thereby you hasten the just Judgements of the Lord God upon you and your Town which is even at hand Well my soul in the Lord is at rest and in quietness free from fearing the threatnings of men who are not able to Banish me from the presence of my God who is with me and with all who feareth his Name who will work the deliverance of his people from their Sufferings Burdens and grievous Oppressions in his own time and season and will so far preserve them as that they shall be a People when the Egyptians shall he dead upon the Sea-shore of his Righteous Judgments the Lord hath spoken it in whom is my Joy and Peace Refreshment and Comfort in the midst of my Sufferings who will never leave me if I leave not him for whose Cause for which I now suffer
and I the dry Heath Springs of Water now I the solitary place Rejoyee and I the Desart blossom as a Rose I the Poor one made Rich and I the Weak one made Strong I the Foolish one made Wise I the Empty one overflow with Fulness now the days of my sore Mourning turned into Joy and the nights of my Sorrow turned into Pleasure and the seasons of my seeking him whom my soul loveth turned into times of sweet reposes with him in his bed of solace But oh alass for me I may speak of these things but oh when when will it be thus with me oh how long shall I wait how long shall I seek how long shall I call and utter my voice weeping saying oh come away come away unto me thou whom I mourn for whom I long after whom my soul loveth oh I have waited so long that I am weary and begin to be almost without hope of his coming any more unto me Well what shall I do and whether shall I go I will even lay me down in Sorrow and make it my Bed and make Grief my Sheets and Tears my Pillow and Sighing and Mourning my Sleep untill he come vvhom my soul loveth for verily I cannot I cannot be satisfied vvith another besides him Oh vvho amongst the Sonâ— and Daughters of Men shall I make my moan unto unto vvhom shall I complain and ease my heart unto vvhere shall I find one vvho is sensible of my condition that can simpathize vvith me and that can speak a vvord in season unto my poor soul oh is it thus vvith any as it is vvith me Yes yes I believe there is many hath been and many now are in thy condition Oh where may I find one of them that I might ease my heart unto him and spread my condition before him for oh verily my Bowels is very open to those who be in my condition well have patience be quiet and be still and lend an ear unto me and I may speak a little how it is with me and it may be if the Lord will to thy comfort for oh truly my soul loveth thee oh my heart is moved with compassion towards thee oh my bowels my bowels is open unto thee and my soul greatly simpathizeth with thy soul and could even wish my soul for a time in thy souls stead oh though indeed I am but a Child yet truly I am in some measure sensible of thy condition and can read it by my own and oh how willingly would I help thee according to my ability oh truly methinks I would even be a help unto all who stand in need of help but especially unto thee thou poor soul What art thou Poor so am I what art thou Weak and Feeble so am I oftentimes what art thou Empty so am I oftentimes what art thou Cold and Barren so am I sometimes what art thou as one Desolate and Destitute so am I sometimes what doest thou eat thy Bread Weeping and mingle thy Drink with thy Tears it is so with me at sometimes when I want the enjoyment of him whom my soul loveth for tâ—uly it is with me sometimes as it is with thee for sometimes I have not the enjoyment of my Beloved as I have at other times but sometimes he seems to be withd-rawn and to hide his-Face from me oh then it is with me as it is with thee oh then Sorrows take hold upon me and Trouble surroundeth me about as a Wall and Mourning covers me as a Garment and none seeth my Tears but the Lord oh then my Leanness my Leanness my Coldness and Barrenness is my greatest Burden which causeth me to go bowed down in Spirit saying in my heart Oh whether is my Beloved gone and what is the cause he hath with-drawn himself from me wherefore is it thus with me what is the matter what shall I do what will the Lord leave me what will my God forsake me what will the Lord now cast me off who hath done so much for me oh what is the cause that it is thus with me wherefore is the Windows of Heaven shut up and the Shovvers of Refreshment from on high with-held from me oh once I could say the Lord is my Shepherd and my soul doth not want he causeth me to seed and even to lie down in green Pastures and leadeth me by the still Waters and spreadeth my Table with Dainties and anointeth my Head with the Oyl of Gladness and causeth my Cup to overslow with new Wine But oh alass for me now I am in a Dry and Thirsty Land where no Water is Oh what hath the Lord cast me off for ever oh my Tears is my Meat and Drink whilst my Enemy saith unto me where is thy God dost thou think he will ever appear again unto thee why dost thou thus Hunger Thirst Cry and Paint after him alas it is in vain for thee to wait for him once indeed thou hadst the enjoyment of him once thou wentst with a Multitude with them to the House of God with the voice of Joy and Praise with a Multitude that keep holy day but alas thou must not look for such a day again And thus the Adversary of my soul endeavoureth to add Sorrow to my Sorrow and to encrease the weight of my Burden that so I might sink and never rise But oh the Lord my God is near to help me even in that time when I can scarce perceive him and when I am as Peter was ready to sink then his invisible arm of Mercy is ready to save me and a secret hope the Lord preserveth alive in me which is as an Anchor unto my soul which keeps me from suffering Shipwrack a hope that the Lord will appear again to me to my Joy whereby some encouragement I feel stirring in me to wait upon the Lord patiently and to trust in him though I do not see him and to relie upon him and hope in his tender bowels when he seems to be far oâ—f me and to roul my self upon him and surely he will appear again to thy Joy oh my soul who canst not be satisfied without his presence even the presence of the Lord thy God which thou desirest more then all things else whatsoever wherefore the Lord seeing it is so with thee that thou desirest his presence more then all other things surely surely he will not cast thee off for ever surely he will appear again to thy joy wherefore why art thou so much cast down oh my soul and why art thou thus disquieted within thee oh hope hope thou in thy God for thou shalt yet praise him the Lord will yet again command his loving kindness in the day time and in the night season his song shall be with thee even praiâ—â—s to the God of thy Life oh wait patiently upon the Lord and trust in the living God whose compassions fails not towards those vvho love him oh he vvill send out his Light and Truth into
thee again and it shall bring thee unto his holy Hill and to his Tabernacle and then shalt thou go to the Altar of God of God thy exceeding joy and upon thy Harp shalt thou praise the Lord thy God thy Delight and Joy oh it is good for thee both to hope and quietly to vvait upon the Lord for the Lord is good to the Man that vvaits upon him unto the Soul vvhich seeketh him and cannot be satisfied vvithout him oh vvait patiently upon him even as a Servant vvaiteth upon his Master and as a Maiden at the hand of her Mistress so do thou vvait for the Lord and even as the Husbandman vvho sovveth his Seed in the Earth hath long patience for it until he receiveth the early and latter Rain so do thou vvait patiently upon the Lord vvho vvill be unto thee as the early and latter Rain in due season wait upon him he who is to come will come and will not tarry and his reward will be with him even fulness of Joy Comfort Peace Rest and sweet Satisfaction unto thee for surely surely the Lord will never leave thee nor forsake thee if thou forsake him not indeed he may seem to hide his Face from thee for a time but without doubt he will appear again to thy Comfort who cannot live without him oh my soul the Lord heareth thee often saying in secret alass What is the Glory of the World unto me what is the Honour and Praise of the World unto me what is the Favours Friendship and Estimation of the World to me what is the Vanities vain Sports Delights Pleasures of the Sons and Daughters of Men to me oh surely all these things are but as Drofs and Dung unto me in comparison of the Lord my God who is the Fountain of everlasting Joy Delight and Pleasure oh if I enjoy him fully I have enough he is the joy of my Heart the rejoycing and glading of my Spirit the strength of my Reins the girdle of my Loines wherefore how can I live without him oh my soul the Lord intends good unto thee by all his dealings with thee if he withdraw for a time and hide his Face from thee for a season it is thereby to let thee see what thou art without him how Poor how Weak how Feeble how Foolish how Empty how Dead how Dry how Cold how Barren and Unfruitful art thou without the Lord that so thou being made truly sensible of thy own Weakness and Inability may be the more sensible of the needfulness of the supporting Power and upholding Arm and saving Grace of the Lord thy God and the more to relie and depend upon the Lord oh my soul though the Lord withdraw his presence from thee thou comest the more to know what the want of his presence is and comest to learn to prize the sweet enjoyment of his presence the more and to hold him fast and cleave unto him and to be very vigilent and careful thou dost not grieve him nor do the thing that may cause him to withdraw himself from thee oh my soul Oh my soul thou must learn to know how to Want and how to Abound how to be Full and how to be Empty how to be Rich and how to be Poor and in every Condition to be content and not to murmur against the Lord the Lord can open and none can shut and he can shut and none can open the Lord ean open the windows of Heaven and shower down abundantly upon thee oh my soul and even make a Plenty in thy Land even cause thy Store to abound with Corn and thy Fat 's over flow with new Wine and he can also shut up the windows of Heaven for a time make a Famine in thy Land if he pleaseth and thou must not say unto him in a murmuring way why dealest thou thus with me for indeed he may do vvhat he vvill do and yet all his doings are Just Righteous altogether and in all his dealings vvith thee he thy dear tender nursing Father intends good unto thee oh my soul Oh my soul vvhen the Fountain openeth and the great Deep overflovveth and fills thee vvith plenty of all things needful for thee even then oh my soul dread and fear thou before the Lord and take heed of being lifted up in Heart of being puffed up in Mind of being exalted in Spirit and bevvare of a false Ease and vvrong Liberty and false Security vvhich may soon steal upon thee at such a time if thou do not abide upon the Watch and dread the Lord and drink the draughts of Joy in the pure fear and trembling never departing there-from in vvhat ever thou enjoy of the Lord or receive from the Lord or do and suffer for the Lord keep lovv in Heart meek in Mind humble in Soul tender in Bovvels contrite in Spirit and then oh my soul thou art in a safe condition truly my soul vvhen thou appearest Wise Strong Rich and Full enough even then thou art rather in greater danger then vvhen thou appearest Weak Poor and Empty in thy ovvn eyes although thou art not then vvithout danger but hast cause to fear and vvatch in all conditions oh my soul vvhen thou appearest Weak Poor and Feeble in thy ovvn eyes even then take heed of distrust and doubting but hold fast thy Trust in the Lord and let thy Confidence in his Name be firm and Hope in his tender Bowels be sure and constantly relie and depend upon him and honour him in believing in him and if he kill thee yet trust thou in him and never leave him for alas whether shouldst thou go he hath the word of eternal Life who is worthy to be Glorified Magnified Honoured and Praised Feared Served Loved and Obeyed forever and for evermore Oh my soul thou dearly lovest thy Fathers Children oh the Lord knoweth how near and dear his dear Babes and tender Lambs are unto thee oh my soul oh thou knowest them in the Spirit of Love wherein thou delightest to Imbrace them even those whom outwardly thou never saw and in spirit to clasp them about and kiss them with a Kiss of Peace and hug them in the Bosom of Indearedness ah thy Bowels thy Bowels is open unto them and thy Love is dear indeed towards them as the Lord thy God knoweth and oh that love might abound in thee more and more and in the hearts of all the Children of Light it may abound one towards another as in Days past and Years which are gone that it may appear to all we are of God who is Love and that we all are true Disciples of Christ in that we love one another not only in Shew and in Word but in Deed and in Truth loving one another fervently with a pure heart Oh my soul thou defirest to simpathize vvith thy Fathers Children in their Tryals Sufferings and Afflictions and in spirit to bear a part vvith them therein oh thou desirest even to Mourn