partakers of his everlasting love walk worthy of his love and of the high calling whereunto you are called who hath created you in Christ Jesus unto holinesse and righteousnesse for ever that to the praise of his grace which you are saved by by which you have obtained the remission of sins and an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified so wait in the living hope and the living faith in which God is well pleased in which you ask and receive of him and are accepted of our heavenly father And this faith ye know which is a present power and a shield against all temptations and a Helmet and as a Fortresse by which ye are preserved safe standing in it and putting it on in the day of triall My dear brethren of the everlasting kindred and heires of the everlasting promise wait all in patience having received an earnest of the Inheritance that never fades away to the end abide in the fathers counsell and at wisedomes gate Yee know what I say I write not unto you because you know not the truth but because you know and are made free in your measures by him who is the truth and the way in which all our fathers and you also have obtained a good report even of all the houshold of faith and take heed of the glory of the world and look not at hardship for verily all the suffering is not worthy to be compared to that glory which is revealed and to be revealed unto all that wait and abide in patience and faithfullnesse unto the end but be yee as good souldiers endure hardship that you may receive the end of your hope and the everlasting prise and the purchased possession and the Crowne of glory which God will give unto you in his owne day which is coming on towards you if you continue in the hope in the faith and in the love unfained which thinks no ill by which and in which love we have victory over the grave sin and death which he hath freely shed abroad in our hearts unto whom be everlasting praise for ever and ever to him which was dead and is alive and lives for evermore the mediator of the new Covenant of life and peace in which we have accesse freely to the Throne of Grace and are accepted in him who is the condemnation of all the World who hate the light but your life the light of the World God blessed for ever and ever And all you fathers and Elders and honourable women who are not a few whose bones and sinewes are filled with marrow and fatnesse who waite at the Altar of the Lord and knovves the mercy-seat vvhich hath overshadovved you and the golden vessell in vvhich is the hidden Manna by vvhich all the Children of the Lord are fed round the Table of the Lord out of the everlasting treasure-house of my father Watch over the Flock of Christ Jesus in every place and Region and quarter vvhere the Lord hath set you and govern them in all vvisedome and righteousnesse that the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ may be adorned and take care of them vvillingly knovving this the Lord requires of you and hath called you unto and to nourish the plants and the young ones and the babes and that every one may knovv their place and vvatch and instruct in all vvisedome and correct and reprove in the name and povver of our Lord Jesus that no rebellious nor sloathfull may grovv up nor be harboured among you but all in diligence may be kept in the fear of the Lord in their places that the Gospel of Christ Jesus be not evill spoken of nor the Heathen blaspheme And therefore my dear brethren be diligent in the vvork of the Lord so much the more as you see the day is approached and the Harvest is great and the Vineyard of the Lord is great and large and but fevv labourers yea the Lord is enlarging his borders and spreading forth his everlasting truth and stretching forth his eternall arm over the Nations and opening the treasures of Heaven and bringing raine out of his treasury to vvater the Earth that hath been parched and dry and to make his plants to grovv And so all vvait that you may see the povver and presence of the Lord in all your Assemblies and see that there be no strife nor contention nor exaltation amongst you but all in meeknesse and quietnesse and long-suffering and forbearance even as the Lord hath spared and forborn you one submitting unto another even as you have heard and received vvhen the vvord of the Lord came first unto you and he that vvill be the greatest shall be the least but all in meeknesse and lovvlinesse of mind serve one another in love even as you have received and the everlasting God of life and povver be vvith you all and make you grovv in the living povver and virtue of God to order all things in his vvisedome as good stevvards of the manifold mercies of the Lord vvhich you are made partakers of that he alone may be glorified throughout all the Churches of Christ Jesus every vvhere And to you my dear brethren and fellovv-labourers unto vvhom the vvord of Reconciliation is committed and are in the vvork and Ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ and are made partakers of the everlasting Gospel of peace vvhich unto you is given to declare Lift up your voyces blow the Ttumpet sound an Alarum out of the holy mountain proclaime the acceptable year and the day of vengeance of our God Gird on your sword upon your loines put on the tried Armour and follow him for ever who rides upon the white Horse and is cloathed with the same who makes War in righteousnesse Ride on ride on my beloved brethren and fellow souldiers make all plain before you thresh on with the new threshing instrument which hath teeth beat the mountaines to dust and let the breath of the Lord scatter it make the Heathen tremble and the uncircumcised fall by the sword the Lord of Hosts is with us and goes before us Spare none neither Ox nor Asse neither old nor young kill cut off destroy bath your sword in the blood of Amaleck and all the Aegyptians and Philistins and all the uncircumcised and hew Agag to pieces break the Rocks cut down the Cedars and strong Oakes make the Devils subject cast out the unclean spirits raise the dead shut up in prison bring out of prison cast in your nets lanch into the deep divide the Fish gather the good into vessels cast the bad away bind the Tares in bundles cast them into the fire the Angel with his sharp sickle is come the Angel of the everlasting Covenant is come thrust in your sickles reape the Earth the word of God is come that divides let all flesh keep silence divide the word rightly feed the Lambs and Babes fill the hungry stop the Lyons mouths feed the fat and the strong with plagues and judgements declare his
all and hath drunk of the cup of fury at the hand of the Lord who have suffered hunger famine pestilence and earthquakes and the darkening of the Sun and the Moon lost her light and the Stars have fallen and the pillars of heaven hath been shaken the Earth hath been removed out of its place as a Cottage and you have cryed out in the midst of all this he hath forgotten to be gracious and is his mercy come to an end The womb hath been shut up desolation and sorrow losse of Children and widowhood in a day came upon you Oh yee tossed afflicted and not comforted that have been as Eunuchs dry and barren as in the drought of summer that have been as Pelicanes and as Doves who have sorrowed for the losse of her Mate and as one in sorrow for the losse of her first born who have been in bitternesse and none could comfort you I am one with you your state I know I love you eternally yea yee are my brethren and sisters for ever sealed in my heart and engraven to be read for ever I see you I behold you I kisse you and embrace you with an holy kisse of everlasting love which overcomes death and hell which love thinks no ill yee that are made partakers of this love knowes what I say Yee that have waited for him and wait and suffer the spoyling of all I am married unto you I came forth of the same womb which is eternity free for ever free borne not in bondage because the Prince of this world is judged and cast out and the glory of the Lord revealed Come forth yee Sonnes and Daughters of Jerusalem which is free from above utter forth your voyce sing aloud the Bridegroome is come and is coming and yee that have suffered the spoyling of all rejoyce for evermore lift up your voyces as Trumpets He is come he is covered with Righteousnesse as with a Robe his countenance is as the morning his eyes is brighter then the Sun his voyce is life eternall salvation is round about him he dwells in eternall life life is in his right hand and joy is in his presence and peace for evermore he is a tryed stone he is a Rock which the righteous flyes to he hides his under his wings and covers them with his feathers Beauty beauty glory glory eternity eternity Almightiness Almightiness power riches honour dignity and dominion strength wisedome and goodnesse fullnesse satisfaction eternall treasure durable riches infinitnesse is his name for ever unexpressible I am filled with his love and power he opens the windowes of Heaven he raines his showres as silver drops and as fine Myrrhe as sweet odours he nourishes the young he carries the Lambs in his arms of love he drives gently them that are with young he is true and faithfull for ever he keeps Covenant he is long-suffering and kind who can declare his power I am lost in the incomprehensible being of eternall love Oh my dear ones come up hither fellow Citizens of Jerusalem which is from above who is our Mother which few know but you who are written in the Lambs book of life found forth his praise trumpet forth his power declare his name among the people that it may sound into the eares of Generations to come this is he we have waited for this is he who hath begotten us to himself to raign with him the Lamb upon Mount Sion as Kings and Priests and Judges of the Prince of darknesse death and hell for ever salvation honour and glory be to him for ever eternall infinite praises praises to him for ever who was dead and is alive and lives for evermore King of Kings for ever Majesty glory and power and eternall renown is in his right hand for ever his redeemed ones lives for ever dwells followes lives in him for ever no Beast can touch the mountaine where he dwells but he dyes for ever Come away my beloved ones drink abundantly and be refreshed and praise his name for ever eternally I am shed and spilt among you never so as now never to be separated out of the eternall onenesse sound forth his praise declare his word let it to goe forth as thunder let the Heathen bow let the Princes of this world fall and the Kings worship at his feet for ever let the disputers tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth for ever let all flesh keep silence for ever Babylon is fallen and become the habitation of Devills for ever the Judge of all the world hath confounded and cursed her language for ever God is risen and sits upon his Throne eternall wisedome is come and the Ancient of dayes all carnall shall be confounded stop all mouths in the dust for ever Eternity shall speak and judge for ever whom he binds is bound for ever whom he looseth he looseth for ever whom he remits are remitted the Devil is chained the grave gives up her dead and the sea and hell all is judged by him that lives for ever O beloved ones who are the children of my eternall father who have eaten at his Table and drunken of the new wine in the Kingdome of God who are nourished and dandled upon the lap of everlasting love who suck at the breasts of everlasting consolation your beauty is comely I am ravished I am filled I am filled with love to you all I am sick of love your beauty hath ravished my heart come sit down my dear Lambs together in the fold where no Wolf can come and let us rejoyce together and sound forth his praise who hath washed us and cleansed us and covered us and made us worthy to enter into the fold the Bride-chamber to eat with him of the bread of life for ever at the eternall Table of life the Bridegroom is come friends of him I know you rejoyce greatly because of his voyce And now my dearly beloved ones follow him for evermore in the eternall light and life where we were bred brought forth and nourished and are unknown to all the world but me you know and I know you in one who is the condemnation of the world and in him I meet you and leave you in his arms I lye down with you in the bosome of eternall love life peace joy and rest for ever where none can make us afraid Bandon in Irela the 7 Month 55. My name yee know my voyce yee know this is to all my beloved brethren who are redeemed from the Earth Francis Howgill TO THE CAMP OF THE LORD IN ENGLAND TO all you called chosen elected and beloved of the Lord who are of the true circumcision made without hands of the seed of Abraham who are Jewes indeed not after the flesh but in the spirit unto whom belongs the everlasting promise and Covenant whom God hath and is fulfilling in you so establishing with you We your fellow-Citieens of the heavenly Jerusalem which is the mother of us all and of the same body
and of the same seed and same birth begotten and brought forth by the immortall word of life which lives for ever doe send greeting and doe embrace you in the arms of our beloved who is and is to come God blessed for ever you who are called Quakers who are so not onely in word nor in shew but in life and in power whom God hath called and chosen to place his name in and to take up his habitation among above all the families of the Earth the Tabernacle of God is with you and his dwelling-place is among you and only among you is God known and his name is great in your Assemblies We who are of the same root and off-spring doth bring in our witnesse and doth set to our seale That God of a truth is with you and among you and he is the God of the living that answers by fire he is I am and there is none besides him the first and the last the beginning and the end of all things Praise him for ever yee redeemed of him lift up your heads your Redeemer is come clap your hands and shout for joy and let the everlasting praises of God be in your mouths for ever and ever Exalt ye his name above all Gods and glorifie him in the sight of all the Heathen and let his marvellous works stand upon Record from Generation to Generation Wonderfull hath his work been among you and that my soule knowes right well You that were scattered in the cloudy and dark day and were a prey for the wild beasts of the Forrest and were driven away as lost sheep in the wildernesse hath God gathered into the fould to lay down by the springs of living water in fat pastures for evermore Your bread is sure and your waters never failes a feast of fat things is made unto you of wines well refined the Lord is become the Lot of your inheritance and the portion of your Cup for ever Your Crowns have you laid down at the feet of the Lamb and your lives and liberties have not been dear unto you and let this never repent you for now the Lord will exalt you and Crown you with immortall glory The everlasting day-star is risen among you which gives light unto the Nations and the light of the Sun is as the light of seven dayes and there is no need of a candle in your dwelling but the Lamb is the light thereof faire as the Sun and clear as the Moon yea it is he which was dead and is alive and behold he lives for evermore Praise him all ye people praise ye him ye holy Host let all that hath breath praise him for ever Who can expresse his Noble acts and who can declare his wondrous works Oh my soule is ravished and my heart is overcome let me speak that I may be refreshed and let me declare his wonders among all people The Lord is our King our Judge and our Law-giver and our Rock of defence just is he in his Judgements who hath avenged us of our Enemies Mercy and Judgement meet righteousnesse and peace doth embrace each other Rejoyce for evermore ye Saints of the most High and tell it to your Children that they may tell it to another Generation what hath the Lord wrought among you and what hath his hand brought to passe Salvation is come and plenteous Redemption and the dead hath heard the voyce of the Son of God and liveth Let sorrow and mourning fly away and be ye comforted ye that have mourned and be ye refreshed ye that have been weary for God hath opened the everlasting fountain and the streams runs pleasantly which refresheth the City of our God He is come and his reward is with him even he for whom we have waited this is he who is our life our peace and our exceeding great reward the light of the world our Saviour but the worlds condemner our peace but the worlds torment glad tidings glad tidings the acceptable year is come Praise ye the Lord ye Sons and daughters of Sion beautifull is your dwelling place and aboundeth with pleasant fruit for you are digged and pruned and enclosed a Garden of lovely branches let the wonders of the Lord never be forgotten nor his works never passe out of your remembrance for he hath wounded and healed killed and made alive raised the dead and slain the living brought out of captivity and bound with chaines gathered and scattered brought low and exalted saved and condemned all this hath your eye seen and your ear heard and the Heavens and the Earth hath been burned as a scroule and the indignation of the Lord you have born But the winter is past and the summer is come and the Turtle Dove and the singing of Birds is heard in our Land O magnifie his name for ever you are made vessels of honour wherein the everlasting Treasure abideth which never waxeth old the voyce of the Bridegroom is heard among you and how can you have any more sorrow instead of weeping rejoycing and instead of heavinesse of heart fullnesse of everlasting joy the Lord hath fulfilled his promise and made good his word and his Law and Covenant is with you and from you doth the Law goe forth and the powerfull word of life and death soundeth out of your dwellings and you are Gods only witnesses to testifie of him in the presence of all Nations some of you by suffering and some by declaring Oh endlesse love and life and riches an eternall Crown is upon your heads and your suffering which hath not been a little is not worthy to be compared with the glory that is and shall be revealed I speak to you who hath an ear to hear my soule and heart is comforted in you in the midst of my burdens and sufferings who is separated from you outwardly yet joyned and united to you by the Spirit which is unlimited which all Nations doth comprehend yea I behold your beauty afar off and my heart is ravished with it and I am sick of love let his works praise him for ever which he hath wrought for his dwelling is with you in the light unto which no mortall eye can approach The new Jerusalem is come down from Heaven and no unclean can enter but you are made white with the blood of the Lamb and purged as silver and purified as gold in the burning and unto you an entrance is given and the way is prepared and the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready and the way of the Lord is pleasant to you and his commands are not grievous no unclean thing can passe over â— or no Lyons whelps can tread therein but it is called the way of holinesse where only the ransomed of the Lord doe walk even your mountain is established upon the top of all hills and all Nations shall flow unto it Sing praises for ever for the Kingdome of endlesse peace is come which passeth