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
Earth have cause to speak well of the Lord and to trust in his holy Name we are the People for mightily and wonderfully hath the mighty God done and wrought for us though the blind World sees it not Oh! how have we been as Lambs among Lyons and yet not devoured but wonderfully preserved by the secret Power and invisible Arm of the Lord our Shepherd who hath been our Defence when the Beasts of the Forrest have come forth to Devour and the Wolves have been greedy of their Prey then hath the Lord sought for Mount Sion and defended the Hill thereof and though some said We 'll pursue we 'll overtake our Lust shall be satisfied on them we 'll draw our Swords and our Hands shall destroy them yet how hath the Lord blown in his Wrath upon them the Sea of his Judgment hath covered them and they are sunk as Lead in the bottom of the mighty Waters and we yet through mercy are alive and have a being among the Living to speak well of the Lord and to make mention of the Goodnesâ— of our Good and to declare of his Kindness and to praise him for his Works which are marvelous in our Eyes Oh! his Love his Mercy and tender fatherly care over and towards us extends beyond the demonstration of Words and oh let the sense thereof be engraven upon the table of our Hearts that it may humble us and keep us low before the Lord and be an Obligation upon every Soul of us to bind and engage us unto the Lord and his Truth forever How mightily hath the Lord limitted and quieted the raging Sea and made a Calm oh that all Friends might take notice of the great Mercy and Love of the Lord to us in this particular and mind the end of the Lord therein and let us all take heed we Sin not because Grace and Mercy to us abounds lest it provoke the Lord to Anger and be a moving cause to induce him to let forth the Wind and suffer a Storm again Oh that none might get into a false ease and liberty and wrong security because of the present Calm but all to keep retire in that which fitteth and maketh ready for Tryals when they come in by and through which we have been upheld preserved hitherto even by the secret Power Arm of the Lord which is not shortned that it cannot save but is the same that ever it was and it hath been our Helper in six Troubles and in the seventh has not been wanting to us to help us when there hath been none to help and to support and uphold us when there hath been none to uphold but Loads Burdens and Oppressions have been heaped upon us and to comfort us when nothing but Sorrow and Trouble from the World compassed us about and when we have had nothing as from men but the Bread of Adversity the Water of Affliction even then hath the Lord our tender God been the Comforter of our Hearts the Refresher of our Souls the Rejoycer of our Spirits and the Lifter up of our Hands when we have been bowed down with the Oppressions of our Enemies his â—resence hath been with us in the Prison-house and in the low Dungeon and hath not left us to this day and assuredly never never never will leave us if we leave not him but will be with us until we have finished our Course and fulfilled the dayes of our appointed Time and our Change come So dear Friends unto the Lord I commit you who knoweth how it is with all his Babes and Children and beholdeth all their Tryals Straits and Sufferings inward and outward and his ear is open to the cry of the Poor and groanings of the Needy who is God all-sufficient for all those that trust hope relie and depend upon him and able to keep them by his power through Faith in his Name unto his heavenly Kingdom So the Lord be with you all and the Almighty protect and defend you and keep you from Evil unspotted from the World and preserve you in Love Peace and Unity with himself and one with another in his innocent unfained Love in his Light Life Power and Truth and make and keep you all of one Heart and one Mind and one Soul that you all with one consent may still worship and serve the Lord God in the one Spirit and the one Truth in which I dearly greet salute and embrace you all and remain your Friend and Companion in the Patience and Tribulation of Jesus Farwell dear Friends William Bennit Dear Friends IN the Love which waxeth not Old neither is subject to Change which God hath shed abroad in the hearts of those that believe in the Light through the operation of his Eternal Spirit in this Love which openeth our Hearts unto the Lord and one another doth the unfeigned Salutation of my Soul reach forth unto you as in which Love Iabide I cannot forget the Family of Love and Houshold of Faith neither can length of Time nor distance of Place â—onds nor Tribulations extinguish the remembrance of you whom the Lord â—ath chosen out of the Elect Seed from out of the Faâ—ilies of the Earth to place his Name among and to maniâ—est his Power and Glory in and through you his People to the praise of your God in your Generation dear Friends who are called to be made pertakers of the Blessed Everlasting Inheritance of the Saints in Light and through Faith in the Light of Life you are called and raised up to bear Testimony unto him whom the Nations Despise but unto you that believe in him he is Pretious and you that have seen his Bâ—auty and beheld his Comliness and have tasted of his Love and have savoured the sweetness of his preâ—ious Oyntment which hath healed your Wounds and cured your Diseases and with which your Souls have been Bathed Warmed and sweetly Refreshed unto you that have tasted of his Divine Vertues who is the Light of â—he World he is the chiefest of ten Thousand who hath called and chosen you out of the World to follow him in the Regeneration and to bear his Image before the World and to shew forth his Testimony against the World therefore do the World hate you and desire and seek your Destruction and would tempt you and by cruelty force you from the beloved of youâ— Souls but dear Hearts every one cleave in spirit unto the Lord and hold fast his blessâ—d Truâ—h received into your Hearts that the Enemy within nor his Instruments without by all their Temptaâ—â—ons and Cruelty may never move you to decline nor degenerate from that blessed Testimony which God hath given you to bear for him in the midst of a Wicked and Uâ—godly Generation who must fill up the measure of their Iniquity that Judgment may come upon them to the full and the measure of your Sufferings must also be fulfilled therefore dear Lambs hold fast Faith and a good Conscience and pâ—t
sometimes when the great Fountain the great Deep hath opened and issued forth of his fulness into thee oh my soul and when Joy hath come into thy heart as a River and Gladness as a mighty Stream Refreshings as showers in the Spring and Consolation as due upon the tender Plants and when thou couldst sing for joy of heart and shout aloud even Praises and Halelujahs to thy God that then even then thou oh my soul remembrest the Poor and Needy in his own Eyes and think'st thou hearest his cry sounding in thy Ear and his soul saying in secret Oh how many is there who Eateth of the largest Loaves and Drinkest of the largest full Flagons but oh alas for me I have scarce a drop of Refreshment hardly a crum of Consolation but my Tears is my Meat and Drink Day and Night whilest my Enemy saith unto me where is thy God Oh I go bowed down all the day long and none knoweh my Sorrow but the Lord alone Oh I am even as an Owl in thâ— Desart and as the Pelican in the Wilderness I am as the alonâ— Quail in the stubble Fields and as the Dove mourning for thâ— loss of her Mate and as the alone Sparrow upon the House top and as a Woman forsaken and grieved in Spirit Oh whose Condition is like mine is there any amongst the Sons and Daughters of Men like unto me is there any so Poor as I oh is there any so Needy as I oh is there any so Weak and Feeble as I is there any so Foolish as I oh is there any so Dry and Barren as I oh is there any so Cold and Fruitless to God-ward as I is there any so Desolate as I Oh my leanness oh my leanness oh how long how long shall it be thus with me oh how long how long shall I sit mourning as by the River of Babylon with my Harp laid aside oh when when shall I walk again in Sion and travel in the Streets of Jerusalem with a new Song in my Mouth and everlasting Joy upon my Head and living Praises in my Heart unto the Lord who dwâ—lleth in his Sion and his presence is great in his Jerusalem but oh alass for me I am as one cast out of his sight and one who walketh dejected all the day long Oh when will the Lord cause the days of my Mourning to be over and the nights of my Sorrow to pass away and my Sighings and Groanings to vanish and all Tears to bâ— wiped from mine Eyes oh when will the Lord give me Beauty instead of Ashes the Oyl of Joy for Mourning and the Garment of Praise for the Spirit of Heaviness that I a Poor Dry Barren one might become a Tree of Righteousness bringing forth Fruit of Holiness abundantly to the praise of the Lord God that he in and through me might be glorified Oh when shall my Winter be over and the terrible Storms be gone oh when shall the cold nipping Frosts be expelled the Darkness and Gloominess be extinguished oh when will the Sun of Righteousness break forth unto me in his Glory and his warm Beams refresh and warm my poor cold Soul oh when will the Spring come when shall I know a Spring-time â— the Lord oh when will Summer come oh when will the singing of Birds come oh when shall I hear the voice of the Turtle in my Land oh when will the Showers from on high fall down upon my Soul oh when shall I receive the early and latter Rain oh when shall I come to sit under my own Vine and under my Fig-tree and none to make me afraid Oh how long shall my Beloved be hid from me as in the clifts of the Rocks and as in the secret places of the Stairs sometimes indeed he shews himself unto me as behind the Wall and as through a Lattis and then my Bowels my tender Bowels are moved for him Oh when oh when shall I have a full enjoyment of him whom my soul loveth oh that I could but plainly hear his Voice and perfectly see his Face for oh indeed sweet is his Voice and his Countenance is very comly my soul desireth him in the Night season and in the Morning I seek him early but oh I cannot find him whom my soul loveth for he hath with-drawn himself from me and 〈◊〉 is the cause of my Leanness Coldness Barrenness and Unfruitfulness to God-ward which is the cause of my Sorrow Tears Sighing Groaning Mourning and walking Dejected all the day long Oh indeed there was a time once when my Beloved knocked at the Door of my Heart saying again and again open open unto me my Head is wet with Dew and my Locks filled with the Drops of the Night open open unto me and let me in but oh wo's me I was gotten into a Bed of false Ease and wrong Security and was loath to come out but I made many excuses and said I have put off my Coat how shall I put it on I have washed my Feet how shall I defile them c and I lingered so long as that my Beloved vvithdrew himself and at last I rose in my own time not when he called to open to my Beloved and he was gone and then I called him but he did not answer me I sought him but did not find him and oh my Bowels my Bowels is even pained for him and my Soul panteth after him even as the Hart painteth after the water Brooks Oh that I could but find him whom â—y soul loveth oh I would hold him I would hold him fast I would not let him go he should lie all night in my Bosom I would be watchful and diligent that I grieve him not and very fearful of displeasing of him and would take heed of giving him any cause whereby to leave me and thus to hide his Face from me but oh alass for me when shall I find him when will he come I long for Oh when when shall I have my full enjoyment of him oh when will he bring me into his Banquetting-House and his Love be even as a Banner over me his left hand under my Head and his right Imbrasing of me staying me with Flagons comforting me with Apples making me Sick of Love giving me of his spiced Wine and of the juce of his Pomgranets oh if thus I could come to enjoy him whom my Soul Loveth then would all Tears be wiped away from mine Eyes and I forget my Sorrow because of Joy and Gladness and then should I look no more Sorrowful but should Rejoyce as Hannah did and say Oh my Heart rejoyceth in the Lord and my Horn is exalted in the Lord and my Mouth is enlarged over my Enemy who said unto me I shall be always Barren and Unfruitful because I rejoyce in his Salvation who hath regarded my low Estate oh now I the Barren shall bear Seven and she who hath had many Children wax Feeble now I the parched Ground become a Pool
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
this day our God knows it Angels and Men know it and our Enemies one day shall be made to know it to their sorrow that we are a Suffering Persecuted People singly for our Conscience towards God and for our Obedience and Faithfulness to him therefore my dearly beloved Ones rejoyce in the Lord and lift up your Heads in his Name over all the Wrath and Cruelty of the Ungodly and think not strange concerning the Fiery Tryals that are come to try you and to prove your Love to God his Way and Truth as though some strange thing had happened unto you but rejoyce in the lowly fear of the Lord inasmuch as you are made partakers of the Sufferings of the Seed that when its glory shall be more and more revealed in and upon your Souls you may rejoyce with exceeding Joy in that you suffer on Gods account not as Murderers and Evil doers but as true Christians and Followers of Christ Jesus and true Worshipers of the God of Daniel in Spirit and in Truth And my dear Friends if ye suffer the spoyling of your Goods Bonds Banishment or Death for meeting together in the Fear and Name of the Lord to wait upon him and for performing you Duty and Obedience unto him and for keeping of your Consciences void of offence towards him truly the Cause is good and worth the suffering for it is not our own Cause but the Lords therefore let us commit it unto him unto whom we câ—n make our Appeal and spread our Complaint before him and pour forth our Cries unto him who seâ—th our Troubles and beholdeth the grievous Oppression and manifold Burdens Afflictions and Sufferings of his Poor Abused Tribulated Persecuted People whose innocent Cause he the Almighty Jevovah of worm Jacob will assuredly plead for them against their Enemies and wo will be to the Oppressors and Spoylers of Gods Heritage Dear suffering Lambs cast your Care upon the Lord he careth for you and for your little ones and hold fast Faith and a good Conscience whatever you suffer hold fast the Truth you have received that none may take your Crown of Joy Comfort Peace and Blessing from you and keep in the meekness patience and long suffering of Jesus suffering the spoyling of your Goods Joyfully glorifying the Lord in suffering according to his will giving him Thanks and Praise instead of Murmuring that he hath counted you worthy not only to Believe but also to Suffer for his blessed Name sake knowing in your selves you have in Heaven a far better induring substance therefore cast not away your Faith Hope and Confidence which hath such great Recompence of Reward but truly Friends you have need to abide in the patient long suffering Spirit of Jesus that after you have done the will of God and suffered for the same you may receive the Promise if any man faint and turn back he looses his reward of his sufferings but I hope my dear Friends you are not of the number of those that turn back unto Perdition but of them that believe and receive the end of your hope even the Salvation of your Souls And dear Friends take Courage and put on Strength and lift up your Heads in the Name of the Lord who is with his People and from them he will not go he is on our side and taketh our part we know it and our Enemies will feel it to their sorrow he will fight for us let us hold our peace and be still from reasoning with Flesh and Blood though he suffer us to be tryed as Gold is tryed in the Fire yet not wholly to be Destroyed after he hath done such great things for us and appeared on our behalf and hath manifested himself to be our God and we to be his People and after he hath Blessed us and Prospered us and Preserved us through all the Wrath and Cruelty of men hitherto and now hath made us a Family like a Flock and put his Jewels upon us and Cloathed us with the Garment of Salvation and Arayed us with the Robe of Righteousness and Beautified us with his Comliness and Betrothed us unto Himself in Mercy in Judgment in Righteousness and in Truth will he now suffer us wholly to be extinguished from being a People shall our Enemies have their full desires of us to root us out wholly from amongst them that they may blaspheme our God and say he was not able to Deliver them out of our hand surely no remember what Balack King of Moab had Consulted what Balaam Son of Beor answered him even from Shittim unto Gilgal that you may know the Righteousness of the Lord who keepeth Covenant with his People neither doth his tender Compassions fail unto the House of Jacob therefore let us trust in the God of our hope who delivered Just Lot from the vexation of the wicked Sodomits and his Poor Oppressed Israel out of the hand of cruel Pharaoh who delivered David from the paw of the Bear and the paw of the Lyon and from the hand of the uncircumcised Philistine who delivered Daniel out of the Lyons-Den and the three Children out of the Fiery Furnace good Jeremiah out of the low miery Dungeon and â—â—ul and Silas out of the Prison-House he the Living God whose Arm is not shortned nor abated in Strength Power and Might will assuredly deliver his oppressed People at this day in his own time when he hath tryed them throughly and hath Purged his Gold and refined his Silver and separated the Chaff from his Wheat and made up his precious Jewels and manifested the approved in his sight then will he arise as in Mount Paron and be wrath as in the Valley of Gideon to bring to pass his Work his strange Work at the hearing thereof the Ears of many doth and shall Tingle and the Heathen be Astonished and Confounded and fall before the glorious Majesty of the God of worm Jacob then shall â—ion Rejoyce and Israel be right Glad and the Mourners be Comforted and the heavy Hearts be Refreshed and the Oppressed Delivered from the Yoak The Lord God Almighty hasten the Accomplishment of his own Work in his own time to his own Glory and Renown Amen So my dearly beloved Friends my heart is open to you and my Soul simpathises with you in your Sufferings and my Crys and Prayers are to the Lord for you knowing that great and many are your Tryals that doth attâ—nd many of you poor hearts how willingly could I help you But unto the Lord the Great Shepherd and Bishop of your Souls the Keeper of the Flock of Israel I must commit you and resign you up to him who careth for you and watcheth over you and intends good unto you for he loveth you though he suffers hard things to befall you which will work for your good and bring many of you more neerer to the Lord and make you more and more like him that though the Hills shall be removed and the Mountains depart
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
Glory and Renown of his eternal powerful Name and to your endless Joy and everlasting Peace in him your tender God in whose pure tender unseigned Love doth my soul kiss you imbrace you clasp you about saying in spirit Oh the Lord the mighty God gird up your Loins with Courage Strength and Valour daily and spead over you all the mantle of Faithfulness keep you all in the pure patience and sweet contentedness and in true submission to his holy heavenly will which is your Sanctification whose will may be done in you all that indeed the Power the Glory the Kingdom and Dominion may be his and he alone may Reign in you whose right of due it is who was Dead and is a Live and lives forever and evermore unto whom be glory in the highest for evermore Amen Oh the holy living presence of the Living God of Holiness be in with and among you all in whose Love Life and Truth in my measure my soul is united and closely cleaveth to all the Children of the most high God and they are very dear unto the soul of him who is your Friend Brother and Companion in the innocent Love and Life of God over all blessed for evermore farewel dear Lambs T is 1665. William Bennit Dear Friend IN that which is Eternal and unchangable doth the unfeigned Salutation and tender Love of my Soul extend towards thee who art oft in the remembrance of my Soul which is in some measure sensible of the many Troubles Crosses and Tryals which thou hast been in and now art exercised with and truly dear Heart my soul desireth that thâ— Lord may inable thee to wade through them all in the pure Patience and true Contentedness and that thou mayst find the strong arm of Gods mighty power in the beating down keeping â—nder that part which would complain and murmur against the Lord and count him a hard Master and freet its self because the Wicked Flourish and the Ungodly spread themselves like a green â—ay-Tree and the workers of Iniquity are set up â—nâ—â—â—e Pâ—oud Lord it over the Meek of the Earth and â—â—eaâ— upon the Righteous as Diâ—t in the Streets Killed all the day 〈◊〉 aâ—d Oppressed like a Cart with Sheaves I say needful it is to feel that part which would freet it self because of thâ—se things chained down by the Meek Lowly Lamb like Patient Peaceable Spirit of the patient pitiful long-suffeâ—ing God of Forbearance and Mercy and to feel it curting and beating all Prejudice and Enmity that would be springing up from the murmuring fretting part against those who are â—â—struments of Iniquity and Servants to that Spirit that Persecutes and Oppress the Innocent and behold this Spirit of meekness keeps in coolness gentleness and patience and giâ—â—â—h dominion over that Spirit which in haste yet as it thâ—nâ—s in a Zeal for God crys for Fire to come down from Heavâ—n to devour those who are Instruments of Cruelty Iniquity and Oppression and indeed this Spirit of Love inableth to love Enemies to Bless and Curse not and seeks no Revenge but makes willing to leave all to the Lord unto whom dear Heart let us commit our Cause and sure I am he will plead it with his and our Enemies in his own time even to their Destruction and Calamity and to our Joy and Comfort in the end in the mean while the Lord keep us in contentedness and in dominion over that Spirit that would limit God to mans time and counteth that God is slack concerning his Promise who indeed is not slack as that Siprit counts slackness but is a God long suffering desiring not the Death nor Destruction of a Sinner but that rather he may repent and Live Oh that all those that profess his Name may be like-minded with him according to our measures and growth in him the Living God who is blessed forevermore My dear tender hearted Friend my Soul doth likewise desire fervently that thee and I and all the rest of our heavenly Fathers Family may be kept close unto the measure of the free grace and love of the Lord God in our own hearts that by it we may continually be kepâ— in the lowly fear and pure aw of him who hath called us out of Darkness into his marvelous Light wherein let us watch carefully over our Thoughts Words and Works lest in haste through carelesness for want of watchfulness we should speak or do any thing that may grieve the holy Seed and wound the Just one in our selves and bring a burden and load upon our own Souls wherefore dear Heart I cannot but desire that I with thee and all who love Righteousness may be kept watchful in the â—â—wly Fear close unto the grace that keeps humble out of the many words in the fewness of words that so in sweet stilness peace and quietness we may possess our souâ—â— and injoy the sweet incomes of the sweet Love and sweet pure refreshing streams of the Fountain of Life according to our measures that so even in the midst of our Tryals and Sufferings our heâ—rts may be made glad in the Lord and our souls may rejoyce in him over all the Rage and Cruelty of the Wicked that we may keep our standing on the Rock against which Gog and Magog and the whole Host of the powers of Darkness is not able to prevail and herein the Lord keep us saith my soul for evermore So dear Heart I leave thee unto the Lord in whom my Love is dear unto thee and my Soul simpathize with thee in thy Tryals and Sufferings and desire the Lord may bear thee up above them all in the bosom of his Love and Patience and minister daily unto thee what he knoweth is meet for thee and keep thee in a contentedness with his heavenly will that so thou mayst say with thy whole heart Lord not my will but thy will be done and submitted unto in all things whose will is our Sanctification So dear tender Heart in the innocent Love which drew me forth to write these lines unto thee I rest and remain thy dear Friend in the Truth William Bennit 1665. To the Magistrates of Edmonds-Bury Friends I hope your Nobillity and Moderation will be so far made manifest as to read over these following Lines with Patience and I desire you may Seriously consider of them and Sollidly to weigh them in that equall Ballance the Light of Christ in your Consciences before you Judge of them VVE whom the World in scorn call Quakers are a People that liveth in the pure fear of the Lord God and without boasting we can truly say we are a People who are led and guided by a peaceable Principle of Love which we have received of God who is the Fountain of Love by which Principle of Love we are made to live peaceable with all men as much as in us lies and fervenly to desire and seek the good and welfare of all People even from him
who sits upon the earthly Throne unto the most Inferior in the Kingdom and by this Principle of Love in our own hearts which is of God we are made to bear Love and Good will towards all people and by it we are taught to loy Enemies to Bless and Curse not to Pray for them who De spitefully useth us and to do Good to them that Beateth us and not in the least to render Evil for Evil but endeavour to overcome in our selves and others Evil with Good and by it we are preserved from joyning with the spirit of Envy and from being led by the spirit of Revenge which ruleth in many and leadeth into secret Plottings and evil Contrivances by way of Conspiring to raise Tumult and Insurrection which spirit with all its fruits we deny and judge and all those who are led by it to Contrive and Plot against any or to seek the Destruction of any people though our Enemies such we disown and their actions we defie the Lord is our witness And by the Principle of Love in our hearts are our Consciences made very tender to God-ward insomuch as that we would not willingly and knowingly sin against him and are willing rather to suffer the loss of all External things yea even Life and all then to break our peace with God which we value more then ten thousand Worlds and because we endeavour in the strength and power of the principle of love in our hearts to keep our Consciences void of offence towards God and because we dare not do those things though they be set up by men and tollerated and compelled to be done by a Law which we are perswaded by the unerring spirit of Truth we ought not to do neither joyn with any therein and because we dare not forbear doing those things though prohibited by the Laws of men there from which we are perswaded by the spirit of Truth is our duty towards God to do and perform therefore are we a suffering People this day and for no other Cause the Lord is our witness to the truth hereof And ever since the Lord our dear and tender God who alone hath been and now is our Helper Strength and Refuge and hath stood by us and supported and preserved us or else we had not been a People at this day did raise us up to be a People for to bear witness to his Way and Truth and against the false Ways evil Works false Worships Idolatry Sin and Wickedness of the World we have been a suffering People and all along we have suffered by every Power that hath come up to Rule and all along we have suffered for only our Consciences towards God if our Enemies have had no Law in force against us neither could find any thing on our parts whereby they might take a just occasion against us then have they as Daniel's Persecutors did against him who sought his Destruction without a Cause given them by him even made Laws on purpose to Insnare us and Trappan us concerning our Conscience towards God for which we did suffer by the other Rulers even many ways viz. by Stocking Stoning cruel Whipping Rayling Reviling and cruel Abuses even Imprisonment until Death and spoyling of Goods in a more abundant manner then I can relate and all hath been for our Consciences to God all which we have born and waded through in Patience through the strength of the upholding merciful Arm of our God and by him have been kept from seeking Revenge upon our Enemies but have committed our Cause to God who Judgeth Righteously and Justifieth those whom men Condemn unto whom alone Vengence belongs and he will repay it who will render unto man according to his Works And even at this day our Sufferings are greater then before and now are we even as Sheep appointed for the Slaughter and all is because we endeavour to keep our Consciences void of offence towards God and because we dare not joyn with that Idolatrous Worship which God abhors but must as moved of the Lord rather bear Testimony against Idolatrous Worships and Worshippers vvhatever vve suffer And because vve dare not Svvare at all knovving if vve should Svvear at all we should then transgress the Commands of Christ Matthew Chaper 5. Verse 34 c. James Chapter 5. Verse 5 c. And because vve follovv the practices of the Primitive Christians and dear not forsake the Assembling of our selves together but must as vve are taught of the Lord meet together in the pure fear and dread of the Name of the Almighty God even for no other end the Lord vvho knovveth the secrets of all hearts is our vvitness but to Wait upon the Lord and to Pray to the Lord and to Build up Strengthen and Edifie one another in the Lord and to Serve and Worship God in Spirit and in Truth vvherein God vvho is a Spirit is only Worshipped aright by his Spirituallized people vvho are born of the Spirit and guided and led by the Spirit of Truth into all Truth And it is not in Rebellion and Contempt to King Charles and his Lavvs that vve meet together to vvorship God neither do vve do it in a Cross Stubborn Self-vvill as by some vve are charged the Lord is our vvitness but even in a Cross to our ovvn vvills and in Obedience to the vvill of God vvhere fore vve have peace in the Lord for vvhose sake vve suffer and stand justified in the sight of God though by Men and their Lavvs counted Transgressors Novv Friends as your Moderation in measure hath appeared in this day of hot Persecution and hath been manifested heretofore tovvards the Lords tender Conscientious people in this Tovvn vvhich I believe the Lord hath taken notice of who hath regard unto those vvho have respect to his people and truly it is my Souls desire even for your ovvn good that your Moderation tovvards the people of God called Quakers or any other people vvhose Consciences are tender to God-vvard may continue still and increase more and more so as that ye might not in the lest degree have a hand any more in the Sufferings of the Innocent but might rather chuse as meek Moses did to suffer Affliction vvith the Suffering Abused Tribulated Afflicted People of God then to be found Prosecutors of any unjust Lavv against them for indeed happy in that particular is the man that hath no hand in the sufferings of the Lords people for sure I am the Lord God hath regard unto his people though disregarded by such as know not God nor his People and though Hated and Persecuted by the World yet Loved of the Lord and very dear unto him and though Contemptible Ridiculous and Absurd in the eyes of the wisemen of this World yet Beautiful Comely Delectable and Precious in the eyes of the Lord and what evil any do to them because of their Consciences towards God the Lord takes it as done unto himself and if one
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
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
Rend and Devour in the tender Love of the great Shepherd and Bishop of your Souls is my heart opened to you to visit you with a few Lines and in the name of my God and your God my Father and your Father I say unto you he whom you serve hath seen your Afflictions and hath beheld your Sufferings and hath took notice of your Burdens and cognizence of your grievous Oppressions and hath heard your Groanings and hath beheld your Tears he assuredly will in his own time rebuke your Enemies and plead your innocent Cause with your Oppressors and ease you of and free you from your great Afflictions therefore dear suffering Lambs of my heavenly Father lift up your Heads in the Name of the Lord God and take Courage and be Strong in his Power and Truth which is in you and with you and on your sides and it is the Truth that shall prevail against all its Enemies and its Opposers shall be Confounded and the Truth of our God shall Flourish over all therefore dear Hearts still cleave to the precious Truth of God made known unto you and let nothing separate you from it oh blessed be the Lord that he hath begotten such a Love in you to him and his Truth that such is your love thereunto that you are willing to undergo Reproaches Abuses and spoyling of your Goods Imprisonment and to be separated from your Friends and Relations for Truths sake oh dear Lambs great is your Reward if you abide to the end and faint not in well doing oh my heart is open to you in the tender Love and Bowels of Emanuel and my soul is refreshed in your Faithfulness and though many of your Faces I never saw yet I am one with you in your Sufferings wherein my soul simpathiseth with you and hath unity with your Testimony for the Lord and my spirit doth praise the Lord the God of your Salvation on your behalf in that he hath so mightily upheld you and born you up in his Arms in the midst of your Tryals though you of your selves are Weak yet the Lord is Strong whose Strength you know by experience is manifested in Weakness therefore trust hope and depend you upon the Lord forever who is and will be your exceeding great reward cast your care upon him for he your God careth for you and yours he is a Father to the Fatherless and a Husband to the Widow he is the Comforter of the Comfortless and gladeth the heavy hearted Oh be still quiet patient and contented in your Minds and wait upon the Lord and be not at all terrifyed by your Adversaries but in the lowly fear of the Lord God rejoyce in that he hath counted you worthy not only to believe but to suffer for his Name sake oh your Reward no man can take away as you continue faithful to the Lord dear Lambs my Bowels yearn towards you and in the Fathers love I salute you desiring that Grace Mercy and Peace may rest upon you and the blessing of the most High distil upon you as dew upon the tender Herbs that you ye tender Plants may grow and be like Willows by the Water Courses and as Cedars by the Rivers side that your Leaf may not wither neither cease bearing Fruit so dear suffering Lambs as none is to be through Joy Exalted above what is meet so none through Sorrow is to be Dejected or cast down but every one in all Conditions is to learn to be Contented with the will of the Lord and none to murmur against the Lord because of the Prosperity of the Wicked and Advancement of Sions Enemies for though they seem to Flâ—uâ—ish like a green Bay-Tree yet they will become like Grass upon the House top that withereth before it is grown up So unto the Lord God I commit you who careth for all his and is a present help in the time of need and leaveth not his Sheep and Lambs when the Wolves come to Devour but he the mighty God standeth by his People and sighteth for mount Sion and defends the Hills thereof and will put to flight her Enemies and with the Breath of his Mouth expel and scatter the Clouds Fogs and Mists that ariseth out of the bottomless pit of Darkness that then oh Sion thy Glory may appear as the Morning without Clouds and as the Sun in its Brightness thy Beauty may shine forth and thy Enemies be Astonished and Confounded forever This is the salutation of my Love who am your Fellow Sufferer and Companion in the Patience and Tribulation of Jesus the Lord God be with you and support the weak and little ones among you and keep you all Faithful to the end and preserve you in Love and Unity one with another Amen saith my soul Bury Goal 1669. William Bennit Dearly Beloved FRiends Brethren and Sisters in the Heavenly Spiritual Relation of the Immortal Incorruptible Seed of Life Eternal of which you are born again and become Heirs of an Inheritance that is Everlasting by Faith in Christ Jesus in and from whom Joy and Peace Mercy and Grace be multiplyed in and unto all your Souls Amen Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who through his abundant Mercy and free Grace hath called us and with the Arms of his Everlasting Kindness hath gathered us and by his Almighty Power hath raised us up to be unto him a People to live unto him in his Life and to walk before him in Truth and Righteousness and to Serve and Worship him in his own Way and Spirit and to bear Testimony thereunto and against the contrary in Word and Doctrine in Life and Conversation and for our Testimonies sake the Nations are angry with us and the Earth is moved and the Waters troubled and swell against us as if we should be swollowed up and wholly over-whelmed with the Floods of the Wrath of the Dragon who seeks to drown the blessed and glorious appearance of the man Child who is to rule the Nations in Justice in Mercy in Judgment in Righteousness and Truth well my dear Friends though at this day we are a suffering People and as it were Killed all the day long and appointed Sheep for the Slaughter and are set as a prey for the Beast of the Field and Lyons of the Forrest and though the Jaws of Death and Gates of Hell seem to be opened wide against us as if we should be swallowed up quick and be extinguished from being a People yet notwithstanding we can rejoyce in the Lord our God because our sufferings are infflicted upon us not for evil doing but for well doing and our Enemies have found no just Cause given them of us thus to give us up to the Spoylers and into the hands of Wicked Ungodly Unreasonable men but altogether without a Cause given of us have they taken an occasion against us as Daniel's Persecutors did against him concerning the Law Commands and Worship of our God so that at
dark place untill the Day had more and more dawned and until Christ the Day-Star had arisen in my Heart over all my Enemies but my mind was still gazing abroad and imagining a God afar off and he was very nigh me but I knew him not but was hunting abroad in my Imaginations for that which was within me the Pearl of great Price was hid in my Heart but I knew it not the Kingdom of God was at hand but I was gazing for it abroad whilst it in measure was working in my Heart like Leaven hid in three measures of Meal c. the Door into the Fold the Entrance into Rest was within but I was seeking it abroad my Saviour was nigh but I imagined him afar off and knew him not nigh neither did any man in those dayes direct my mind unto the Light and Gift of Christ in my own Heart And as for the Teachers of the People even they in the highest Profession of God in words were ready they being so ignorant and unsensible of the Gift of God in themselves to speak Blasphemy of the pure spiritual Light of Christ within as many Professors do at this day yet notwithstanding make a large Profession and Confession of Christ in Words though in Works deny him and to say that which troubles a man for his sins is a temptation of Sathan and thereby instead of directing the mind to the Light draw away the mind more from the Light and such are blind and are under the wo that call Light Darkness Good Evil and are in that Spirit they were who though great Professors said concerning Christ He is Mad and hath a Devil why hear ye him but as some then replyed and said Are these the works of him that hath a Devil Can the Devil open the Eyes of the Blind so I may say Is it the Devils work to discover Sin and judge condemn and trouble a man in the unconverted state for Sin or is it not his work to lull People a sleep in Sin and to cry peace to them in their Iniquities and to keep them satisfied with a profession of God without the possession of a holy undefiled Life Is it his work to destroy his own Kingdom which is Sin surely no that is only and alone the Work of Christ the Light of the World made manifest within to destroy the Devil and his works he brings Trouble upon the Transgressor and ministers Judgement against the Evil doer he kindles a Fire in the earthly Heart and raiseth Trouble Wars and great Tribulation within before he be known to be the Prince of Peace the Sabboth the everlasting Rest for the Soul And now I know infallibly that that which in those dayes did bring trouble upon me for my Sins and checked and judged for Evil and begat good desires in me after the Lord was the pure Witness of God the manifestation of his Spirit the Light of his Son Christ Jesus a measure of his free Grace and Truth in my own Heart and if ten Thousand should assert or affirm the contrary I know their Testimony will be a Lye But oh alas for me after all this long Visitation of the Love Goodness and Mercy of the Lord to my Soul and after all this trouble of Mind travel of Spirit desiring and seeking after the Lord I got oh I got into a false ease in the fleshly Nature and in a wrong liberty and false security as it is with many Professors at this day who once were low broken and tender in Heart mourning under the load and burden of of Sin having sincere desires to serve God in holiness of Life who are now gotten into the form and likeness of that they then hungred and thirsted after and are therewith satisfied and feeding themselves with others Words and without Knowledge without Life and so are gotten at ease in the Pride Fashions and Vanity of the World and are at liberty in the Flesh counting it their Freedom to do those things that once was their Burden and Bondage and I became careless and by disobedience I quenched the strivings of the Light of Christ in me insomuch as the Burden Trouble and Sorrow which once lay heavy upon my Mind I felt little of although the Original and real cause which occasioned the Burden Sorrow and Trouble which was my sins was not taken away but augmented and I through Rebellion had almost murdered the just and holy one in me and had so grieved and wounded the Spirit of the Lord that it had almost ceased striving with me though at sometimes it would bring former things to my remembrance and then some trouble and sorrow would seize upon me for a time but I soon got over it again and turned from the Grace into Wantonness and so forgot the Lord whom I had formerly desired and sought after and my Heart ran a whoreing after my old Lovers with my Face turned back again to Egypt the Land of Darkness Wickedness the Bondage-House of Sin and Corruption which before was partly turned towards Canaan the Land of Light Life and Rest and so ran into such Evils as I had formerly been kept out of by a secret Power which I then knew not and I grew wanton careless and wicked and my Mind and Heart taken off seeking the Lord and run into and after the Vanity Pleasures and Idleness of the World delighting much in Musick and Dancing Sporting and Gaming and so made merry over the pure Witness of God by sinning and rebelling against it and by rejecting its reproof and strivings Oh oh the patience and long-suffering of the Lord was large towards me in that day who long waited to be Gracious to my Soul Day after Day Year after Year who in his Justice might have cut me off in my Sins and Rebellion and even have made me an Example of his Wrath but oh his mercy his mercy and long-suffering was exceeding large to me which by my Soul is not to be forgotten but in and by the Spirit of Truth which brings former things to my remembrance and sheweth things to come am I to be kept in a living sence and remembrance of the great mercy long-patience long-forbearance and long-suffering of the Lord God of Compassion towards me and in the sense thereof he is worthy to be praised and honoured by my Soul who would not that I should perish from his presence forever For after all this the Lord the tender God of tender bowels of compassion was pleased to visit my poor Soul again even for his pure Seeds sake which he had not forgotten but he remembred the Poor and Needy the Captive exile to deliver him out of the hand of him that was too strong for him and to loose him that he might not wholly die in the Pit and perish in the miery Clay and Gods precious Truth pure Way of Righteousness and everlasting Gospel of Light Life and Peace I heard preached and declared by his
him for with the Lord there is great Mercy and plentious Redemption who also is just in all his Ways and equal in all his Doings and righteous in all his Judgments and he will not be mocked by any such as People sow such must they â—â—ap and the wages of Sin is Death Oh how many have been the Warâ—ings of the Lord to the People of this Nation Time after Time Year after Year Line upon Line Precept upon Precept but how few have ponderously weighed them received them and laid them to Heart And how hath the Lord in part executed his righteous Judgments in and upon this poor Nation and how few have learned Righteousness thereby but the greatest part of thy Inhabitants oh England are still daily adding Sin unto Sin and heaping of Iniquity upon Iniquity and so fitting themselves for a day of Slaughter And instead of being truly humbled under the hand of God and to mourn in Sack-cloath and Ashâ—s many are sporting themselves in Musick and Dancing in ringing of Bells Camping and Wrestling and many other Games and Vanities as Bull-baiting and Bare-baiting by which the Creatures are oppressed to make them Sport also their wiâ—ked Stage-playes and Games which are abomination to the Lord and ashame to a Nation-professing Christianity O! how doth Swearing and Drunkenness abound and many take pleasure to overcome one another in the Sin of Drunkenness which is abomination to the Lord. And you that are Tavern and Ale-House-keepers put not your Guests upon spending the good Creatures of God upon their Lust for your own Gain and Interest sake but rather restrain them lest you become guilty with them of their Sins and so partake with them of their Plagues And all your observable Days and Times in which you take liberty to sport your selves in Games and Vanity ought to be left off for your Customs are vain you that observe a Time as you pretend in honour of Christ which you spend in excess of Eating and Drinking Musick and Dancing Gaming and Revelling in these things you dishonour Christ and not honour him but grieve his holy Spirit and add Sin unto Sin and the greater will be the condemnation of such except they Repent and truly a great and sore Plague is come upon many People evâ—n hardness hardness of Heart So that indeed neither the Warnings nor Wâ—ings Mercies nor Judgments of the Lord will take impression on them to move them to Repentance and in the sence of this my Heart is grieved and my Soul mourneth in secret because of the hardness of their Hearts which doth signifie theâ— to be as Vessels of wrath fitted for Destruction Oh how doth all manner of Wickedness abound and Ungodliness appear with open Face and blush not at rebuke oh how doth Pride super-abound and Peoples Hearts so puffed up therewith that many scarcâ— know what to eat drink or put on oh the â—ields are even white for the Harvest Sinners grown ripe for Vengance Iniquity is coming to its-full height the Fat 's overflow with Wickedness oh how are the Proud counted happy and the Workers of Iniquity set up but the Meek of the Earth are despised and the humble and contrite Ones are killed all the day long and counted as Sheep for the Slaughter and they that reprove Sin in the Gate are Hated and Persecuted and he that departeth from Iniquity and learns Righteousness maketh himself a Prey Oh the Lord hath seen it and it displeaseth and grieveth him because of the multitudes of the Transgressions and Abominations of the Sons of men and Violeâ—ce and Cruelty that filleth the Earth but the Lord will arise as a man of War and ease himself of his Enemies and avengâ— himself of his Adversaries for because Judgment is not speedily executed against an Evil work therefore the Heartâ— of the Sons and Daughters of men are set in them to do wickedly but what will be the end thereof Oh England oh England how ofâ—â—n would the Lord in mercy have gathered thy Inhabitants unto himself as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under â—eâ— Wings but thou wouldest not therefore hath the Lord in Judgment partly made thee desolate Oh thy great City thy great City whose Abominations reached Heaven and her Sins came up before the Most High how hath the Lord God mighty in Power and righteous in Judgment layed her Glory in the Dust covered her Dignity with Ashes and marr'd her Beauty with Burning Oh how hath he made of a City an Heap of a defenced City a Ruin of a Palace of Strangers to become a ruinous Heap And oh how few of thy Inhabitants oh England have weightily laid it to Heart or have seriously and diligently taken notice of the cause of the Destruction thereof the Lord Could have destroyed the People with their Habitations but the Lord in Mercy spared them that his Mercy might move them to Repentance Oh England how hath Judgment after Judgment been executed upon thine Inhabitants how hath the Lord visited thee with Plague Fire and Sword yet their Hearts are still stout against the Lord and his People their minds haughty and they will not bow their Hearts to the Lord nor break off from their evil doings and wicked wayes therefore is his Hand stretched forth still and they that will not take Warning and Repent must feel his heavy stroke Oh say not any of you in your Hearts Tush the Lord hath done his worst oh the Lord he hath begun and he can make a full end and who amongst you can stay his Hand or escape his stroke when he smites or where can you hide your selves from the Lord therefore bow fear and tremble before him and submit your selves and meet him by True and Unfeigned Repentance and that is the way for you to escape the Stroke of his Fury The Lord is a God full of long-suffering and full of patience and forbearance and long woeth Sinners and waiteth day after day to be Gracious even to the Rebellious but his patient forbearing will come to an end towards those that will by no means repent and be reclaimed from the evil of their wayes and against such his Anger and Wrath will break forth as Fire and they like Stubble ready dry will be consumed therein Therefore you that have not yet wholy sinned out the day of your Visitation prize prize that littletime you have and make good use thereof in diligently minding and seeking after those things that concern your eternal Peace before you go hence and be no more Oh dear People every where my love is to you and pity and tender compassion is in my Heart for you and your good and welfare eternally I desire especially you unto whom I am known in the Feâ—â— even you my Neighbours and Countrymen whose resident is in Kirtly Peakfield Layestouff and those parts Oh my Soul tenders your eternal happiness and desires the Salvation of your Souls yea love and good will is in my Heart towards you and
blessed be the Lord who hath exalted my low Estate and brought me from off the Dunghil and given me a Mansion in the Father's House and a place at the Table with his Children though I once by hearken to my Enemy said I was a Dog and not worthy to eat of the Childrens Bread and so I kept good things from me by yeilding to my Adversary who would still have feed me with his food even the dust of the Earth that so I might have continued always Weak Lean Barren and Feeble and never to have been able to overcome him but the Lord my tender God who thought upon me in the day of my distress when I was poor and needy hath rebuked him and hath put him under my Feet the mighty the Lord hath brought down from his Seat and exalted him of low degree he hath delivered Jacob out of the hand of him that was too strong for him and though he was a Worm and no Man and the cry was How shall Jacob arise yet the Arm of his God hath raised him from the Earth and hath set his Feet upon the Necks of his Enemies and hath given him power to tread upon the Mighty as the Potter treadeth Clay and this is the Lord's doings and it is marvelous in the eyes of his Servants blessed be his name for ever it is the Lord that lifteth up the weak Hands that hung down and strengthens the feeble Knees and mâ—kes strait their Paths that that which is Lame may not be turned out of the Way but that rather it may be Healed that the Halâ—ing may go upright and the Lame may leap as an Hart and the Tongue of the Dumb might sing of the goodness of the Lord and the Mourner rejoyce in him whose Mercy endureth forever So believe hope and trust you in the Lord all ye that love him and mourn and long for him and in patience and contentedness without fainting in your minds wait for him for the Lord is good to the man that waits upon him to the Soul that seeketh him and it is good both to hope and quietly to wait upon the Lord more then he that wanteth and waiteth for the Morning for with the Lord there is great Mercy and plentious Redemption who redeemeth Jacob out of all his Trouble and is with him in the Fire and in the Water and in all his Afflictions he forsook him not Therefore trust you hope relie and depend you upon the Lord all you that love him and cast your care upon him for he cares for you whose tender compassion and faithfulness will never fail to the House of Israel A General Salutation of Love to the Children of Light AND all dearly beloved Friends everywhere who are faithful to the Lord and his Truth in your several measures and places my very dear and unfained love in the precious Truth of our God extends unto all the honest and upright in Heart who love and delight in Truth and Righteousness and seek the Praise Honour and Glory of God alone Grace and Love be with you Mercy and Peace attend you Joy and Comfort fill you and the Blessing of the Most High rest upon and remain in with you Day and Night and the Lord keep you all in the Faith of the Elect Seed in which is your Victory over the World in which stand fast and keep your Dominion in the Lord over the Earth earthly things that the Earth may be the Foot-stool of your Minds Heaven your Throne and you to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus and to use the World as if you used it not being loose in heart to that which perisheth with the using oh that all Friends that are free from and void of the Cares of this Life and Cumbrances of this World may prize and stand fast in their Freedom and not be forward and hasty in the affectionate part to run their selves into Bondage to those things that profit not but hindreth to God-ward and prove as Bryars and Thorns to the choaking or quenching of the growth of the Seed of Life in the Heart there is a mind that hunts and desires after and is ready if it be not limitted to form and create unto it self a Freedom that stands not in the Liberty of the Sons of God the Liberty of the Sons of God and Children of the Light stands in that which is a Yoke to the World's Liberty and their Freedom stands in that which is Bondage to the carnal Mind and crucifies unto the World and wordly things also there is a mind that is ready to endeavour and seek to put off and to keep out of those things which in their proper place may be said to be lawful that it seeth it hindreth the growth into the Eternal and endangereth the Souls standing to God-wards and truly that is the more purer mind that serves one Master God alone Indeed dear Friends I am ready to desire that this mind which was in Christ Jesus may have dominion in our Hearts more and more that as Strangers and Pilgrims we may be in and to the World and the love thereof and the Lord â—lone become object of our Love and his Truth the covering of our Eyes that so the desire of our Souls may be unto him and unto the remembrance of his Name which is like precious Oyntment pour'd forth giving a pleasant smell and a sweet delectâ—ble savour and therefore do the Virgins love him and remember his Love more then Wine yea more then Father Mother Husband Wife Children Silver Gold Houses Lands yea he is the chiefest to them of ten thousand and the Upright love him for he is altogether comely Oh! dearly beloved Friends much hath the Lord God of power done for us since the day he found us laid among the Pits and raised us up from the Dunghil of our own Corruption and sâ—id unto us Live who were dead in Sins and Trespasses oh how greatly hath he blessed and prospered us in despite of the spirit that hath so eagerly sought and endeavoured to devour us and extinguish us from being a People and hath even made us a Family like a Flock and though Balak and Balaam's spirit the Beast Jezabel and false Prophets have sought Inchantments against us to Curse us yet the God of blessings has greatly Blest us in our Sufferings Tribulations and Afflictions and has made Joseph as a fruitful Bough by the Wall whose Branches grow over the Wall that doth and will let until it be taken out of the way though the Archers of Babylon have shot at him and grievously wounded him yet his Bow notwithstand his great Affliction hath abode in Strength and the Hands of his Arms have been made strong by the hand of the mighty God of Jacob who has blest Joseph and unto the uttermost bounds of the everlasting Hills shall he be blessed forevermore Oh dear Friends if any People now in being upon the
on Courage and Strength unto the end and hold fast the Word of Patience that you may be kept in the hour of Temptation and the Preservation of your Souls you may come to witness by the Power of God through all Tryals Troubles Losses Straits Afflictions and Tribulations that the Lord suffereth to befal you trust you in him and depend upon his everlasting Arm which is your help stay and strength God will restrain the Wrath of our Enemies and dissipate the Purposes and confound the Evil Devises of our Adversaries so far as it seemeth good unto him the Lord God Everlasting who keepeth Covenant with his People and whose tender Mercy Compassion and Fatherly Care faileth not towards the House of Jacob his blessed soul refreshing strengthening Presence be with all his People to Feed Nourish and Strengthen them and Cherish them Support and Uphold them Comfort and Consolate them in all their sufferings for his Names sake and bear up all his little Ones for whom my Soul is in Travel and the Lord keep all his in the Covenant of his everlasting Love that if our Earthen Vessels be Broken and turned to the Dust for the Testimony of Jesus our Souls may rest with the Lord so whether we Live wâ— may Live to God or whether we Dye we may Dye unto God that whether we Live or Dye we may be the Lords and he be glorified in us either by Life or Death which is the desire of your Friend and Brother in the love of Truth Dear Lambs my love remains with you though Bonds hold me close be you bundled up together in Love Peace and Unity that you may be a help strength and comfort one to another in the Lord and let none be careless but all watch and keep close to the Lord and keep your meetings and wait upon God to be fitted for every Tryal yet to come neither let any be discouraged or surprized with fear through the terror of your Enemies you know that the Lord hath carried us through much already his Arm is not shortned our God is a God of Wonders let us stand still and see his Salvation which he will manifest on the behalf of the meek of the Earth that are appointed as Sheep for the Slaughter and hath no helper but the Lord God Almighty hasten it for his own Elects sake which cryeth Day and Night unto him Amen saith my Soul even come Lord Jesus come quickly and take unto thee thy great power to Reign for unto thee belongeth the Dominion for thou art worthy let all Nations come and Worship before thee and give Glory to thy Name who art Just in all thy Ways and Righteous in all thy Judgments thy Counsels of old are Faithfulness and Truth Bury Goal this 18th of the 9th Month 1670. William Bennit A Loving Exhortation and Warning to SEA-MEN and all others whom it doth concern YOV that go down to the Sea in Ships that do Business in great Waters where you see the Works of the Lord and his Wonders in the deep great Cause have you to fear and love the great God of Heaven and Earth who giveth you Life and Being who is the God of all your Mercies who in Mercy hath oftentimes preserved you in great Danger and Peril and delivered you when you have been ready to Perish Oh forget not his Mercy towards you but Repent speedily and Fear and Dread his great Name and stand in Awe and Sin no more against him whose Power is over all who commands the Winds and the Seas and they obey him When sometimes you have been in Great Jeopardy of Your Lives and the Lord hath in Mercy delivered you how little have some of You Eyed the Mercy and delivering Hand of the Lord therein â—ut have been Ready to ascribe the Honour of your Deliverance to the Anchor Cable and Manhood more then to the Lord and when you have been in Great Danger of your Lives and saw no Way but you must Perish have you not then cryed to the Lord to deliver you and the Guilt of your Iniquities being heavy upon your Consciences have you not been ready to make Promises to the Lord in your Distress that if he spared your Lives ye would Repent and turn unto him and Fear and Serve him and forsake your Evil Ways And when the Lord hath answered your Desires and in Mercy hath given you your Lives for a Prey when you came to Land have you then performed your Vows and Promises to the Lord or have you not gone on in Sin and Evil still let God's Witness in every Conscience speak for unto that I make my Appeal Consider how greatly it concerneth you Sea-men and so it doâ—h all other People to mind their latter End and to be ready for suddain Death let every particular One consider seriously how it stands between God and their own Souls Oh it is a blessed Thing to be fit to Dye and to feel Peâ—ce with God it is their Sins and Iniquities that make People unfit for God's Kingdom they that dye in their Sins must perish as Christ said unto some Except you repent you shall likewise perish without Holiness and Purity none can see God The Soul of Man is Immortal and can never Dye but must when it leaves the Body be in a feeling Sence of Joy and Peace or Wo and Misery forever The Wicked and all that forget God must be turned into Hell Oh that all People Young and Old may repent and return to the Lord with their whole Hearts and he will shew them Mercy Prize your time for it is precious and you know not how short it is Oh fear and dread the Eternal God that giveth you Life and Being and can take it away when he pleaseth It is not a talking of being Saved and Redeemed by Christ and of his dying for you will stand you in any stead that live in Sin and Vanity Christ said A Man must be born again or else he cannot see the Kingdom of God So dear People both Young and Old mind the Pure Divine Light of Christ Jesus in your own Consciences that which Checketh and Reproveth you when you speak or act that which is Evil and come to Obey it for it is the Way of Life and will Lead you if you obey it out of all Sin Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts into the Way of Life and teach you to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present Evil World Then Peace with God will be the Portion of your Souls The 15th of the 3d Month 1675 Written in Tender Bowels of Vnfeigned Love to your Souls by a Friend to all People William Bennit THE END