their Works then shall the Children of the Lord be known and the Worker of Iniquity shall fall before them From a lover of your Souls who desires it to be the Lords Will it may not be laid to your Charge what you have done to him who writes his Name William Deâ—sbery My Dear Friends THat are convinced of the Blessed Truth all wait in the Light that you may truely Experience Christ in you Baptizing you with the Holy Ghost and Fire Rendering Vengeance upon all in you that knows him not and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and so you will come to witness you are of the number of the slain of the Lord and conformable to him in his Sufferings and Death and you that are in the sence of your miserable and lost estate wait upon the Lord weeping and seeking the Lord your God asking the way to Sion with your Faces thither-wards until the Lord cause your Souls to hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear his Voice live but not in themselves not to themselves but the Life you then live is Christ in you and you in him Oh blessed are you that witness what is here written for you are the true Members of the Body of Christ who abhor your selves and admire the Lord with all his Saints in whom he is admired Oh Praise the Lord all you his dear Children for his wonderful Works in leading you in his narrow Way and through his strait Gate which so few find the Lord keep you by his mighty Power that you may contend for the Faith and keep it which the Lord hath Delivered unto you his Saints that through Faith you may have Victory over your own Wills and over the World with all the Pomp Pride and Pleasure of it and so delight in the daily Cross to be the well seasoned savory People in all your Words and Works to Glorifie our Father which is in Heaven even so be it with you is the Prayers of your ever Loving Brother William Dewsbery W. D. Desired this to be sent amongst his antient Friends in Yorkshire to be Read in their Meetings This which is here written is to you that say you are in Commission to do Justice in the County of Northampton and profess your selves to be Ministers of Justice the Evil-doers to Punish and the Oppressed to set Free from under the power of those that oppress them THis the Lord God of Heaven and Earth requires of you as you will eternally answer before him that you faithfully walk according to what you profess and judge with righteous Judgment the Causes brought before you without respect of Persons for he that respects Persons commits Sin and is convinced of the Law as a Transgressor And this is required that when you are met together that you cause to be brought before you all that hath informed against me who to you is known by Name William Dewsbury that it may be proved what the Blasphemy is for which Thomas Pentellow in Wilbey said he sent me unto Prison on suspition of And it is required that you cause to come before you all that have given evidence against my Companions in Tribulation and in the Kingdom and Patience of Jesus Christ whom you have cast into Prison with me Gather together as is required and see if your God whom you served that lead you to do what you have done will appear with you and justifie you in your Actions and clear you of Cruelty and Oppression which if your God cannot clear you obey him no longer as you have done in abusing your power to hide your Sin for if you do this Scripture will be fulfilled on you He that hideth his Sin shall not prosper This is required that you bring your deeds to the Light and if they be contrary to the Light let the Ancient of dayes who gives Judgment to the Saints of the most High judge you and your God that leads you to do the Works of darkness and while you have time turn to the Light of Christ that shows you the secret evil of your Hearts and wait in the Light on the Lord God in the way of his Judgments that if it be his good pleasure he may give you Repentance unto Life least you perish in your Disobedience But if you abuse your power as you have done in casting into Prison and there keeping them that believe in Christ whom you never yet proved had transgressed any Law no more then Pilat could prove against Iesus then by your Fruit you will prove your selves to be in the state of Cain who was a Vagabond and had no Habitation and dwelling in the onely true God and so persecuted the Righteous Seed as you have done and if you so continue no withstanding all reproof then read your Portion Proverbs 29.1 He that hath been often reproved and hardeneth his Neck shall suddenly be Destroyed and that without remedy he that hath an Ear to haer let him hear I whom to you am known by the Namâ— before-written was moved to send this to you which Truth you shall know when the day shall declare you have me Imprisoned for the Word of God and Testimony of Iesus Christ. W. D. Dear Friends and Brethren I did not know until this last night but that I should have been with you at the Yearly Meeting but it pleased the Lord to visit me with my antient Distemper which hath accompanied me many Years in Prison and since I was released the Distemper was so sharp upon me as to sence this last night that I did not know I should have lived to see another day but Crying to the Lord he ordered and cleared my way to go into the Country so I cannot be with you at this Yearly Meeting but desire the Lord to assist you with his blessed Power and heavenly Life to bring in the scattered ones to their everlasting Comfort and his Glory forever Amen And that it may be so with you is the Prayer of your loving Brother William Dwesbury London the 30th of the â—th Month 1688. An Index THe Word of the Living God to his Church Page 1. The Word of the Lord to thee Oliver Cromwel p. 4. The Mighty Day of the Lord is Coming pag. 8. Dear Friends Servants and Children of the Most High God pag. 16. To all Saints and Children of the Most High God pag. 21. Dear Friends mâ—et often together pag. 23. My Dear Friends this is the Word of the Lord pag. 24. The iscoverâ—y of the great Enmity of the Serpent pag. 26. To all you that rule in England pag. 57. A true Testimony from the Prisoners in Northampton pag. 67. A true Prophesie of the Mighty day of the Lord pag. 90. Christ Exalted pag. 115. The Mighty Day of the Lord pag. 156. Dear Friends Brethren and Sisters pag. 167. Dear Friends in the Name of the Lord Iesus Christ walk pag. 174. To all Nations Kindred Languages pag.
Holy God you trample and reign over the greatest subtilty which in the Mistery of iniquity transforms it self as is before written that so you may in the service of Love in the meek healing compassinate Spirit of Jesus gather all the tender hearted forth of all Sects Forms and Opinions with all that hath strayed from the foot-steps of the Flock of the Companions in the Light of the Lord with us to walk in faithfulness all their days until their change come that if it be possible that not any may be lost who hunger after righteousness and hath their Faces set towards Sion That so in the heavenly Harmony all that have truly sought the Face of God may in his pure Light Life and Dominion walk together with us in the unlimitted Bowels of Love in the Lord Jesus to the confounding of all Sion's Enemies who in the time determined of our God shall come bending to the Soles of the Feet of the afflicted suffering Lambs of my Father who Love the Lord better then your Lives and your Neighbour as your self yea and they that withstand you shaâ—l in the day determined of God confess it is in vain for any to strive to bring to pass their evil intents upon a People beloved of God whom he will carry through by his Almighty Power and save with the Arm of his Salvation for every Tongue lifted up against you shall fall in judgment and all Weapons formed against you shall not prosper but come to nought and you shall see the mighty salvation of God for your joy which the Lord will hasten more and more to the astonishment of all that withstand the rising of his Glory and you shall certainly know this is to you the Word of the Lord God declared thorow your Brother and Companion in the Tribulation and Kingdom of Patience in the Lord Jesus Christ. Farewel W. D. From the Common Goal in Warwick sent forth at the command of the Lord the 8 th of the 3 th Moâ—eth 1665. Blessed are they that overcometh through the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their Testimony and love their lives no more to Death The Discovery of Mans return to his first Estate by the Operation of the Power of God in the great work of Regeneration And a Word to the Back-slider who hath tasted of the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come and hath turned from the Grace of God into wantonness and gone back into spiritual Sodom and Egypt where our Lord is crucified Also a discovery of mystery Babylon and her Merchants And a word to the hard-hearted unbelieving Iews Professors who profess Christ in words but stumble at his Light in their Consciences to theiâ— own Destruction With a Word to all Saints who have set their Faces towards Sion to seek the Lord their God and to those that are waiting therein to worship him in Spirit and Truth And a Word of Consolation unto the travelling Child that yet sits in Darkness being deeply afflicted and wounded in Spirit through ignorance of Salvation in the New Covenant in Christ Jesus the Light. All Men and Women behold and see in what Estate you were Created ANd God said let us make Man in our Image God created Man in his own Image and in the Image of God created he Him Male and Female created he them And the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to dress and keep it and the Lord God Commanded the Man saying of every Tree in the Garden thou mayest freely eat but of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye the death The Serpent was more subtile then any beast of the Field which the Lord God had made he said unto the Woman ye shall not surely die for God doth know that in the day you eat thereof your Eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil And when the Woman saw the Tree was good for food and that it was pleasant unto the Eyes and a Tree to be desired to make one wise she took the Fruit thereof and did eat and gave also to her Husband with her and he did eat And the Eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked and they sewed fig-leaves together and made them aprons And they heard the Voice of the Lord God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day and Adam and his Wife hid themselves from the Presence of the Lord among the Trees of the Garden and the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him where art thou And he said I heard thy voice in the Garden and was afraid and because I was naked I hid my self And he said who told thee that thou wast naked hast thou eaten of the Tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat and the Man said the Woman whom thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the Tree and I did eat And the Lord God said unto the woman what is this that thou hast done the woman said the Serpent beguiled me and I did eat And the Lord God said unto the Serpent because thou hast done this thou art cursed above all Cattel and above every Beast of the Field upon thy Belley shalt thou go and Dust shalt thou eat all the Days of thy Life And I will put Enmity betwixt thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed it shall bruise thy Head and thou shalt bruise his Heel And the Lord God said Behold this Man is become as one of us to know good and evil and now lest he put forth his Hand and take also of the Tree of Life and eat and live forever therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken And he drove out the Man and placed at the East of the Garden of Eden Cherubims and a flaming Sword which turned every way to keep the way of the Tree of Life Every Man and Women behold and see how you are fallen from the estate and condition you were created in you were created in the Image of God to delight alone in him but you are fallen in obeying the counsel of the Serpent and are driven out of the Presence of God into the Earth and there your minds are feeding upon the dust of the Earth created oâ—jects which will perish some delight in Father and Mother some in Wife and Children some in Houfe and Lands some in Money and Gold some in Meats and Drinks some in Raiment what they shall put on some in Lusts and Pleasures in Wantonness vain idle Communication foolish Jesting and Laughter which is Madness and Folly and some in Honour and Preferments in this World wherein their Hearts are lifted up in Pride and Exaltation above others
which all things were created and without him was nothing made this Word is Life and the Life is the Light of Men and the Light shines in darkness and the darkness comprehends it not this Light is the word of Faith the Apostle exhorted to take heed unto Say not in thy Heart who shall ascend up to Heaven to fetch Christ down or down into the deep to fetch him up the Word is nâ—gh thee in thy Heart and in thy Mouth and this is the word of Faith which we Preach the unction of the holy one given of the Father so that we need not to teach one another but as the anointed teacheth us which is truth and no lye which is the sure word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well to take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-Star arise in your Hearts All people return within give up your selves freely to be guided by that Light that discovers to you the evil of your Hearts and none be discouraged because you see an evil Heart but prize the Love of God that discovers it to you and whatever the Light makes manifest to you to be evil Wait on the Lord for power and he will give you power to obey and in being faithful in a little more will be communicated from the Lord so will the righteous Law be set up in your Hearts that will cry through your earthly and carnal Hearts for Righteousness and Judgement and so will bring you to an account for every idle word and all deeds done in the body Look up unto the Lord against whom you have Sinned and he will arm you with power to what he layes upon you with patience to undergo his Will until all the powers of the Earth in you be famished and slain under his righteous Judgments then will Judgment be brought forth unto Victory that you can no longer live without the loving kindness of your Father in Christ Jesus Now is the Parable fulfilled the little grain of Mustard-Seed grown up above all Herbs and the little leaven hath leavened the whole lump and the Prodigal starved forever if his Father receive him not freely into his House Thou that canst witness this condition stand still in the Will of God he will raise up his seed in thee to trust in his Name and to delight in the eternal Covenant of Love and Life he hath made with thy Soul in the Lord Jesus Christ and will guide thee by the Word of his Power in a way thou knowest not forth of Babylon where thou wast an inslaved Captive under the power of the filthy Beast which is thy will and the Whore the Mother of Witchcrafts which is thy wisdom which enthralled thee under the Powers of darkness to satisfie the lusts of thine own Heart which led thee to destruction up to Sion to live by Faith in the Lord Jesus which will purifie thy Heart and set thy Soul free from under the powers of darkness into the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God where thou shalt sing the Songs of Sion Hallelujahs and Praises forevermore unto the Lord God that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever W. D. To all inslaved hard-hearted and unbelieving Jews in this Nation and elsewhere who are made drunk with the Wisdom of the Whore and bewitched through the abundance of Sorceries to put the Day of the Lord afar off looking for Christs coming in the Spirit as the hard-hearted unbelieving Iews in the Letter did for his coming in the Flesh according to the promise but they limited the Holy One according to their carnal wisdom expected his coming in great Pomp and Glory and when he came in that poor despised way contrary to their expectations they stumbled at him and would not own him to be their Saviour but rose up against him and put him to Death Matth. 27.1 to vers 50. BEhold you hard-hearted and unbelieving Iews do you not look for Christ coming in the Spirit according to his promise as they did for his coming in the Flesh but you limit the Holy One as they did expecting Christ to come in Power and Glory according to your own fancies and so put the Day of the Lord afar off you in rejecting and despising the Counsel of Jesus Christ the pure Light in your Consciences which lets you see every evil thought word and action and cryes behind you This is the way walk in it but you disobey the Light and hearkens to the counsel of your Hearts as the Iews in the Letter did that put Christ to Death and so you slay the Witnesses in Spiritual Sodom and Egypt in your Hearts where our Lord is Crucified in not regarding the Counsel of Christ which is that Light that shines in your dark Hearts which knocks at the Door according to his Word I stand at the Door and knock if any Man hear my Voice and open the Door I will come into him and will Sup with him and he with me Oh thou enslaved Soul under the power of Babylon in thee come forth mind the Light in thee which is the sure word of Prophesie whereunto you do well to take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-Star arise in your Hearts stand not out against this secret Counsel of Christ in you lest you perish in your gain-sayings for if his anger be kindled a little blessed are all they that trust in him All give up give up freely to be guided by the Counsel of the Lord the Light in you believing in his Power that is present with the Light he will lead you daily through the Cross in the straight way of his Sufferings and Death where the old Man will be put off with his deeds and so you shall have right to the Tree of Life and shall enter with him through the Gates into the City New Ierusalem where you shall have communion with the Father and the Son and an inheritance with those that are sanctified in Christ Jesus and shall reign as Kings upon Earth to the Praise and Glory of the Riches of the Grace of our Heavenly Father to whom alone be all Power Dominion Honour and Glory for ever and ever W. D. A Word from the Lord to all that are waiting on the Lord in Sion and those that are weeping and are seeking the Lord their God asking the way to Sion with their Faces thitherwards FEar not ye Mourners in Sion the Lord waits on you to be gracious unto you and though he give you the Bread of Adversity now and the Water of Affliction yet shall not your Teacher be removed into Corners any more but your Eyes shall see your Teacher and your Ears shall hear a Voyce behind you saying this is the way walk in it when you turn to the right Hand or to the left therefore every one
towards another And when â—effery Bullocks Papeâ—s were published in Print which would appear to the Reader of a tendancy as to the breach of Unity which would cause the Enemies of God to Rejoyce it did so wound my Spirit that for many Week they that saw me did not expect that I would continue long in the Body But God in his Mercy restored Strength in his Appointed time And when I did hear that some in the West did intend to Publish in Print against some Friends I bore my Testimony against such proceedings and told one that did favour what was intended that I would have my Hand cut off before I would exercise it in such undertakings And desired him to speak to W. R. that he would not proceed in publishing any thing of that nature for if he did it would be a prejudice to Truth and would produce very sad Consequences that would follow and my Spirit would be deeply wounded as it is this day through these Proceedings that voluntarily through want of Love casts away the Judgment that is given to the People of the Saints of the most High God to keep all sweet and savoury amongst us into the Hands of the Enemies of God as an inlet for them to come unto the midst of us to sit as Judges and trample upon us So to Clear my Conscience of all False Reports cast upon me as that I have Encouraged what is brought forth as before written and to satisfie all Friends in God I have Laboured according to the Ability God hath given me to prevent the publishing all things of that Nature as afore-said and have Endeavoured with all concerned that I could meet with to have a care of watching for Evil lest they provoke one another to wrath and so quench the love But rather look at the good one in another and in the Love of God Minister to preserve them forth of any weakness they did see lay near to attend them that so the pure Holy Spirit of Life and Love that first gathered us into it self to be a People in God and in his blessed Authority to raign over what was and is contrary to his blessed Nature may again restore where it is wanting in the Universality of its blessed Power to make up the Breaches and to restore the Desolate ones in causing every one that Professeth the Blessed Truth of God to love their Neighbour as themselves and so to do unto all as they would have others to do unto them that so all concerned in the Exercise in the Measure of the Grace of God in Christ that seeks the peace of his People may stand as Saviours upon mount Sion to the Honour of the Name of the Lord our God and the Eternal comfort of all that love not their Lives unto Death to serve the Lord and his dear and chosen People in the Meek Patient and Peaceable Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ. In which the Lord keep you all with my Soul that in his pure and Peaceable Dominion we all Reign and throw down our Crowns before his Throne and all unanimously Sing all Glory Honour Praises Thanksgiving and Dominion be given to him who is found worthy to sit upon his Throne in all our Consciences Christ Jesus the true Light and hope of our Glory even so be it with all that Professeth his Blessed Truth Saith my Soul in the Name of the Lord. W. D. From Warwick the 8 th day of the 3 d Month 1682. MY Dear Faithful suffering Brethren and Sisters in Bristol Gloucester and elsewhere for the Word of God and Testimony of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Oh lift up your Heads you Blessed of the Lord whose dayes are prolonged to see this blessed day which was sounded in your Ears above twenty Years by past and have counted you worthy to receive this blessed Crown of his suffering Spirit for all you that freely resign to suffer for his Name in true sincerity shall reign forever with him in eternal glory therefore in the Name of the Lord I beseech you all convinced of Gods blessed Truth do not lend your Ear to any counsel in you or without you that would cause you to fly Sufferings and so deny the Suffering Jesus before Men for if you do you know it is written then he will deny you before his Heavenly Father c. But all you chosen Jewels that so loves the Lord that you dare but do as Godly Daniel did walk with your God as at other times with the hazard of both Estate Liberty and Life Oh Blessed blessed be the day that ever the Lord Crowned you with this blessed frame of Spirit in receiving Jesus to be your guide even so the Lord keep you and lead you to the living Fountains of living Water which in the Light is always opened in you give not way to your own thoughts but in the Light Judge them down as fast as they appear then will you be kept out of the streightness of your own Bowels in the Heavenly enlargedness in the Light Thought and Will of God whose thoughts are good and not evil to give you all an expected end in answering all the desires he hath raised up in you to do his will Therefore arise in the pure Peaceable Spirit of the Lord cast your care upon him he will arm you with Patience to endure the Tribulation which will cause the Beholders to admire as it is written in the Scriptures of Truth Behold the Patience and Faith of the Saints which will overcome all that withstand the rising of his Glory who is the God of our help over all blessed forever Where is the Rest of your tribulated Brother in the Kingdom of Patience in Christ Iesus W. D. Warwick the 17 th of the 5 th Month 1682. My Antient Friend Edward Nightingal WHom the Lord counted worthy to receive his Blessed Truth with many in that City and County when the Lord sent forth his Servants and called me to forsake Wife and Children and to give up my Life daily into his Will to endure Stripes and Bruises in many Tumults with the rest of my faithful Brethren who loved not our Lives to Death for your sakes to gather thee and all that received the Truth that you might enjoy the Presence of the Lord and amongst many others we counted thee worthy to receive his Servants that meet together in the heavenly Unity in the Truth for which both thou and I with many of the Servants of God was put into Prison as many of his Servants are this day c. And the blessed Presence of God kept and doth keep them that truly fear his Name in sweet Unity and Peace in himself and one with another to their everlasting Comfort and to the confounding the Enemies of God to behold their stedfast standing and entire union to bear their faithful Testimony in whatever they were or are called unto for the Truth of God which did not only confound Gods
therefore all that come to witness the least measure the freedom of the Immortal birth of God in you stand fast in the Liberty you have received in God and be not intangled again with the Spirit of Bondage judge the evil One in the least appearance that he enter not and the Lord God preserve you in his pure Habitation in his Light and Life and in the fear of the Lord God meet diligently when the Lord orders you to appoint your Meetings the time and place it is upon me from the Lord to lay it upon you to cast all excuses aside and to meet as near as may be at the time appointed that you may not be a burthen one to another as some hath been who hath come one a long time after another that when some have come others have been pretty clear before the Lord to depart this hath grieved the Spirit of our God and the Meetings have not been so profitable as would have been because of this carelesness in the behalf of the Lord I warn and charge you all in his presence that not any of you let any thing of the Earth or self enter upon you to hinder your diligent walking and meeting with the Lords People at the time ordered by you in the Light and when you meet let your Hearts in the Light be single unto God wait to receive his gift in the inspiring of his Spirit that there be no Eye one towards another in expectation of any thing from one another as to draw your minds from the Light in your own particulars but all single to God wait to be kept in the Light that he may give you an expected end according to your desires and when the Lord ministers in you any gift watch that the true birth possess it that so the false birth that would pride it self in Gods gift and sacrifice upon the Mountains in the exalted mind may be kept down in every one of you in the Fear of the Lord when thou receivest the gift wait to make thy Peace with thy Brother in feeling the word of reconciliation with God in Christ guiding thee to sacrifice upon the Altar and what gift soever thou receivest of the Lord in the Power of his eternal Word whether Praises Prophesie or Exhortation I am commanded of the God of Heaven to lay it upon you that thou quench not his Spirit but bring thy gift unto Gods Altar and in the strength of his Life in the Light Sacrifice unto him so shall thy Talent be Increased and the Babes shall be refreshed And dear People of God be tender over the least breathings of Gods Spirit in one another and all wait to be clothed with a healing spirit in the Covenant of Light in the Lord Jesus let the strong bear the Burthens of the weak that you may all grow in unity in the spiritual Birth born in the everlasting day of Light that in the day determined of God wherein your Faith must be tryed you may all stand born of the Seed which the Power of Hell and Death cannot touch nor make dismayed that the Lamb of God be over all born in you to reign in dominion you to guide in the Light to bear forth your Testimony in faithfulness to the praise and Glory of the most high God who called for all to prepare in his strength that you might be freely given up in the day he had determined and let not any be discouraged for the day is the Lords be bold be bold you Children of the most high God fear not Man whose Breath is in his Nostrils God will rebuke him in the height of his Pride and will dash and abase him as he did Nebuchadnezar when he boasted himself against the God of Israel so all be bowed in the Light and believe and walk with God from the God of Heaven I declare all the wrath of the powers of the Earth shall not perish one Hair of the Head of all the Saints but which shall be to the Glory of his Name and the Comfort of all his Peopâ—e all be faithful and none halt before the Lord whatever arise for now is the day of separation between the precious and the Vile the Wise and the Foolish so look not at thy own strength dear Babe for whatever God calls thee to at the present time his mighty Power will arise and will cause thee to rejoyce in finishing thy Testimony to his Glory Blessed Blessed are all you who are called and chosen and faithful unto death you shall receive the Crown of eternal Life to sing Praise and Hallalujah unto the most high God over all blessed forever God Almighty keep you in the Power of the endless Life faithful unto the end Amen Let this be read amongst Friends with understanding in the Fear of God. W. D. Given forth at London the 10 th 11 th Month. 1659. TO ALL NATIONS KINDREDS LANGUAGES TONGUES and PEOPLE WITH YOUR Princes and Rulers And all People from the Highest to the Lowest Thus to you is the Word of the Lord God FEar God and give glory to him for the hour of his Judgments is come and his dreadful terrible Day will come speedily upon all Nations and People therefore Worship him that made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and the Fountains of Water and them upholds by the Word of his Power let his Fear and Dread be upon you all People see what acquaintance and union you have with him he is a God that will not be mocked who is now coming in his pure dreadful Majesty and glorious Almighty Power to break down and dash in pieces like a Potters Vessel all People from the highest to the lowest from the Prince on the Throne to the Beggar on the Dunghil in and amongst all Nations Kindreds Languages Tongues and People who put the Day of the Lord God afar off and live without the knowledge oâ— the onely true God in this World serving an unknown God in the ignorance of your minds and in Traditions worshipping â—ou know not what and walking every one in your own ways doing your own works which leads to satisfie the flesh in the lusts thereof All which is abomination to the only true and ever living God to whom you must give an account for every idle word and all your deeds done in the Body All people upon the face of the Earth let the time past be sufficient you have lived without the Knowledg of the only true God in this day the living God visits you with a day of Visitation of mercy to declare his Counsel to you that you may corne to the knowledg of him be warned to depart from the evil of your ways and hearken diligently to the only true God who waits upon you to be gracious unto you whose Grace hath appeared unto all men which is the Light Christ Jesus the Son of God hath lighted you with that discovereth unto you the secret evil of your Hearts
known to the Lord in these things c. Oh feel the Seed of Abraham in its Dominion in you which is the Bride the Lamb's Wife and in true love to him doth offer up the dearest Isaac into the Will of God that a perfect Sacrifice our God may have Soul Body and all that we have in this day He hath called us to be the first Fruits unto the Lamb and in our Testimony in this our Tryal we are called to preach to all Nations Kindred Tongues and People in their own Language for the Witness in all their Consciences will feel us and give them to understand that we are not of this World but are the Redeemed of the Lord whom he hath called in the Patience of the Lamb to suffer for to gather the Seed that is scattered in the Earth that our Brethren may be brought from far and our Sisters from the outmost parts of the World who cannot come until we have drunk this Cup of which I was sent to declare to you in years past and now to your comfort I declare when it is finished according to the pleasure of the Lord which he is hastening and will cut short in righteousness for the Seed sake then wo wo to the Enemies of Sion for our God will plague them and cause them to cast all their glory down before him and they shall come bending to the soles of the Feet of his People and shall conâ—ess that you are the Children of the most high God the righteous seed which the Lord hath blessed and this certainly will come to pass the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Through your Brother and Companion in the Tribulation and Patience of the Lord Iesus Farewel W. D. Given forth in the the County Goal of Warwick the 26 th of the 6 th Month 1664. This for Dear Friends in London and them that are Aboard the Ship in order to Transportation or elsewhere all abarod DEAR and Valiant Children of the most High your faithful standing in the meek Spirit to bear your Testimony for the Lord in what he calls you unto is a sweet perfume in the Presence of the Lord and a great refreshing to the Hearts of his People Therefore abide in the pure meek Spirit and receive your blessed reward you faithful Lambs the blessed Crown of Glory is yours forever Oh feel the earning of Bowels towards you and the breakings of Heart that is before the Lord for you Oh can we remember you and not our Eyes water with Tears in compassionating of you in the simpathizing Spirit that indears and unites us one unto another in our God to whom my Soul breaths Oh Lord sweeten the passage of thy People and make their Cups pleasant thou suffers to be given them to drink that thy mighty Power may be manifest in all them that love not their lives to death to do thy will this day and plead their cause in hastening their deliverance to the confounding of all Sions Enemies and the renown of thy great Name forever and ever Dear Brethren and Sisters in the meek Spirit of our God my Life goes and abides with you with the forcible love of the whole Church of the first born Oh lift up your Heads and let not the fear of the Sickness or any Representation of any Evil enter you but all in staidness in the Light Life Thought and Will of God which is perfect in it self and abiding as is written God will keep every one of you in perfect peace all your days in every condition and will keep you in sweet peace and unity one with another to the praise and glory of the Name of our God whose presence is with you and will sweeten your passage in whatever you are to go through to the Praise and Glory of the Name of the Lord forever who will arise more and more and plead our Cause in the sight of a mighty People whom he will make to conâ—ess that you that are faithful are the Children of the most High God the righteous Seed that the Lord hath blessed and it will be well every way with all the faithful and suffering People and the blessing of God shall be upon us and our Children forever that love the Lord Jesus this day And the hundred forty four Thousand shall stand upon Mount Sion where some of the number is already established and they shall sing the new Song that not any shall learn but those that are redeemed from the Earth who shall make the Ears of all the Enemies of God to tingle and their Hearts shall fail and paleness gather into their Faces for dreadful will be the vengeance of the Lord upon Sions Enemies and great fearfulness shall surprise them they shall run to and fro like Vagabonds as Cain did and not know where to hide their Heads for where ever they are the Lord will find them out and banish them from place to place until he hath gotten his glory upon them in laying all low that withstands his arising for he will dash the potsheards of the Earth to pieces and they shall lament and cry out and gnaw their Tongues for pain when you faithful beloved ever honourable Children that endure unto the end shall Shout and Sing Praises and Magnifie the Lord and say Oh how righteous are thy Judgments Oh thou King of Saints for thou hast pleaded our cause and turned our Sorrows into everlasting Joy and hast over-thrown all thy Enemies that withstand the rising of thy Glory that a door may be opened to gather our Brethren from far and our Sisters from the ends of the Earth Therefore will we Sing of thy Goodness with Praises Praises Hallelujahs and high Praises for thou art worthy over all forever and ever Amen My dear Companions with me Salutes you all in the dearest love of our God where neither Sea nor Land can seperate but in the bowels of love will we imbrace one another in the chast Life where no Vulters Eye can behold our Joy and Felicity in the Lord our God In whom fare you weâ—l fare you well saith the Soul of your dear Brother in the Name of the Lord forever both you that are for Transportation and you that stand in a faithful Testimony in that City where the Lord hath sent his destroying Angel to execute the pleasure of his will. And in the tender Bowels of the Love of God I desire you all in this Gloomy Dismal Dark Day that 's come upon that City put you on the shieâ—d of Faith and in the Light of the Covenant stand single before the Lord to be cloathed with the Garment of Eternal Salvation that you may reign over all fearfulness and unbelief that every particular may stand as Saviours on Mount Sion in the midd'st of a desolate People for this is the Harvest of the great God in that City wherein he is Reaping Threshing and Winnowing the Chaff from the Wheat and making a short work
Correspondency betwixt Iesuits and Quakers as might render them suspicious or did you ever know any Priests or Iesuits in their Meetings and there suffered to Preach c. For I know the Iesuits and the Quakers and there is such vast difference in points of Religion that it is as possible to reconcile Light and Darkness as to reconcile them though they may appear different from us yet I think they are no Murtherers as the Papist have been and are I have no more but that I am yours though unknown T. O. The 13 th of March 1678 9. An Exhortation to all People to prize their Time in making their Calling and Election sure before they go hence and be no more As it hath pleased the Lord God in his tender Mercy in his Heavenly Power in Christ to assist his tender Hand-maid Mary Sam and give her full Assurance of her Eternal Salvation who lived with her Grand-Father William Dewsbury at Warwick where he was and is Prisoner for the Testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ And there she departed this natural Life when she was the Age of Twelve Years and sixteen Weeks and in her Sickness declared to all about her what God had done for her Soul. A brif Account whereof Follows ALL People mind the fear of the Lord who created the Henvens and the Earth the Seas and Fountains of Waters and all turn your Minds to the Light of Christ Jesus in your own Consciences that reproves for Sin in the secret of your Hearts and this God requires of you all to search your Hearts thorowly with the Light of Christ Jesus which is the true Light that lighteth every one that comes into the World as it is written in the Scriptures of Truth Iohn 1.9 And as you are faithfull to the Light it will let you see how you have lived and spent your precious time that is gone over your Heads then will your Consciences be awakned with the Light of Christ and you will be made sensible of your careless sinful and miserable state and condition that you have lived in so will the Lord in great Mercy to your Souls set your sin in order before you and the Iniquity of your Heels will compass you about so will you be made sensible of your lost and perishing State and Condition that if the Lord did not look upon you in his Mercy in the Lord Jesus to give you strength to forsake every evil Way and Repentance for what you have done you would perish forever So from the deep sence of your own nothingness and the need of the help of Christ Jesus the true Light and blessed Saviour to whom you Cry and Pray continually That he would perfect his great work of Regeneration in leading you in the foot-steps of the Tribulated Companions who go weeping and seeking the Lord their God asking the Way to Sion with their Faces thitherwards no more to let your Eyes slumber in peace nor your Eye-lids have rest until you be assured the Lord is your God and that he hath blotted out your Sins and done away your Iniquities for his Name sake and hath accepted of you in his new and Everlasting Covenant of his Mercy in Christ Jesus So you that were afar off in your Rebellious Nature of which you are now ashamed through true Repentance and Obedience to the Light you are made nigh in the Blood of Christ which gives you full assurance of your Eternal Salvation and purgeth your Consciences from dead Works to serve the Living God and whoever you are that come to witness this blessed Work of Regeneration wrought in your Hearts as before written in your being created to a lively Hope in Christ Jesus Mark you are to watch and pray that in the Exercise and Improvement of this Hope you may receive Strength to purifie your selves as he is Pure â—o comes all that are Worshippers of the Father to Worship him in Spirit and in Truth for such the Father seeks to Worship him and these are they whom he Perfects forever through the Sanctification of his Spirit So is this Scripture fulfilled in you He that doth Truth brings his Deeds to the Light that they may be manifest that they are wrought in God John 3.21 And these are his Children who walk in the Light and have their fellowship with the Father of Light in Christ Jesus their blessed Saviour and one with another in his humble meek pure and blessed Nature and so becomes his chosen Jewels and Citizens of Sion who walk in the Light of the New-Ierusalem as it is written in the Scriptures of Truth The Nations that are saved shall walk in the Light thereof And whatever any of you suffer who are redeemed from the Earth and have your Confidence in the Lord alone Christ takes as done unto himself as it is written Mat. 25.31 to the end of the Chapter When the Son of Man shall come in his Glory and his holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory and divide the Sheep from the Goats when he hath set the Sheep on the right Hand and the Goats on the left then will he say to those on his Right Hand Come you blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World for I was hungry and you gave me Meat thirsty and you gave me Drink a stranger and you took me in naked and you clothed me I was sick and you visited me I was in Prison and you came unto me Then shall the Righteous answer him saying Lord when saw we thee hungry and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee drink When saw we thee a stranger and took thee in or naked and clothed thee or when saw we thee sick and in Prison and came unto thee And the King shall answer and say unto them Verily I say unto you in as much as you have done it unto one of the least of these my Brethren ye have done it unto me Then shall he say unto them on the Left Hand Depart from me ye Cursed into Everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels He gave them to understand why they must depart they had not done to him as those at the right Hand had done as you may read at large from Verse 41. to the end of the Chapter So all may see how Man's destruction is of himself in not regarding the Counsel of Christ Jesus the Light to guide them in a Humble Pitiful Compassionate Pure and Blessed Nature so they go into Everlasting Punishment but the Righteouss that are guided by his blessed Spirit as before written they shall go into Life Everlasting which is the Inheritance of all that walk in the Light faithful unto Death the Crown of Life they shall enjoy forever and for evermore as it pleased the Lord to give a full assurance to his tender Handmaid of her Eternal Salvation in his blessed Work upon her Spirit as the following
Enemies but many were Convinced and received the Truth in the Love of it in beholding the Unity of faithful Friends to their everlasting Comfort and the Honour of the Name of the Lord forever which caused my Soul with the rest of the faithful Labourers to praise the Name of the Lord in blessing the Travel of our Souls and giving us to see the Fruit of our Labour â—n hâ—s Vineyard and the Peace and Unity of his People But of late I have heard that thou my antient Friend Edward Nightingal and Iohn Cox with some other in that City doth meet in a Separating spirit from the rest of Friends in that City which casts a Stumbling-block in the way of many And instead of gathering People to receive the Truth you scatter and drive them away and giveth great advantage to them that watch for evil and is of a bad savour and a Wounding of the Spirits of them that truly fear the Lord I can truly say that your meeting in that Separating spirit which is such an evil savour in the Nation hath been and is more Affliction to me then all Persecutions and Imprisonments I have endured unto this day Therefore I intreat and beseech thee my Antient Friend Edward Nightingal with all that meet in the Separation from the rest of Friends in the City to turn your minds to the Light of Christ in you that will let you see you have not done well and with it judge that which hath led you to Separate from meeting with Friends and return to meet with Friends in the City in the sweet Concord Love and Unity in the Life of the Blessed Truth as in the days of old and Years past of which I am a witness with the rest of faithful Friends that in all our Meetings whether in the Prison or in the City we never wanted the sweet appearance of Christ our Life in us and amongst us according to his Promise and our Comfort then and so is it now with all that meet in his Name and Unity with his People as we did in those days which was many Years before the Enemy could get any enterance to make a breach amongst them that make Profession of Gods blessed Truth and to draw some into a self Separation as he hath done you and too many elsewhere For I do assure you it is the work of the Enemy of your Souls for you should not have Separated but have kept your places amongst Friends and not have taken offence because Friends see there might be some service for Truth in meeting twice on the First Day it is very like in that City some that had a Love to Truth might get an opportunity to come to one of the Meetings It is very much to me how you let the Enemy get over you as to cause you to Separate from Friends which if you had kept your places in meeting with Friends you in time might have seen a Service in meeting twice a day as well as they For you may be sure that Separation neither restores any to love the Truth neither gathers any to God but rather scattereth and driveth away some that was gathered in Love to Truth by the painful and faithful Labourers that was truly sent of the Lord as is before written Therefore in the earnings of tender Bowels of the Love of God to you I once more beseech you that you in Humiliation wait in the Light of Christ he will let you see how the Enemy led you from the Light out of your places when you Separated from Meeting with Friends and in yeilding obedience to the Light it will bring you into your places again to meet with Friends to your Comfort and the Honour of the Name of the Lord according to the Counsel of the Lord in my Heart here sent unto you But if you reject the Council of the Lord which in his Love I am moved to send these Lines unto you then shall I Lament your Conditions because of the evil consequence your Separation will produce to your sorrow and wounding many God would not have Wounded for which you must give an account And before you lay down your Heads in peace you will remember me who hath not hide from you the Counsel of the Lord. W. D. Warwick the 21 st day of the 11 th Month 1684. A General Epistle to Friends from that Ancient Servant of Christ William Dewsbury MY Dear Friends and Brethren who are called forth of the World and pluckt as Brands out of the Fire by the Heavenly Power of God and hath Convinced you of his Everlasting Truth in the Light of Jesus Christ My dear Friends as have you received the Truth in some measure watch and pray and Believe in the Name of Christ that his Power you may feel in the Heavenly Inspiration of his blessed Spirit to lay Judgment to the Line and Righteousness to the Plummet that all that is not Obedient to the Light of Christ may be kept down and buried in the Heavenly Baptism under the Sentence of Death as it was and is with all the Children of God who have received the Sentence of Death in our selves that we may have no confidence in our selves but alone trust in the Living God which will keep you all in the sweet seasoned savory Spirit of Life in all your Words Tradings and Dealings amongst the Children of Men then will you be manifest and known to all People to be the Salt of the Earth who retain the savour of the Heavenly Life in the Blessed Truth in you that every one according to your Measure may be felt upon all occasions continually streaming forth in the savoury Spirit of Life to the Comfort of your own Families and the City of God who over all is Blessed forever And my dear Friends I desire all to be watchful that not any come short of what is required of them both Rulers of Families and Parents of Children while you have a day to be with them call your Families together to wait upon the Lord in the fear of his Name certainly the Lord will answer the end of your endeavours in causing the savoury Life to stream through you to season your Servants and Children that the Church of God may be in every paâ—ticular Family and Habitation of his People Great is tâ—e concern upon my Spirit for the Children of all that profess the blessed Truth of God that all Parents may stand iâ— their places to bring up their Children in the fear of the Lord while they are in their Minority and tender Years and under their tuishion not to be too indulgent to them in suffering the Spirit of the World to rule in them to have their own wills and to do those things which are not according to the Truth of God and to connive at their Children instead of reproving of them and crossing the Spirit of the World in them and causing them to be content with such things as is
hath caused many a sorrowful Heart and given cause to the Enemies of God to rejoyce which hath been a greater Exercise and Trouble to me then all the sharp Persecutions and Imprisonments I have endured for the Word of God and Testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ c. Therefore in the Bowels of the Love of God I beseech and entreat you all who have been or is concerned in what is before written let the Love of God so abound that in it all labour for Peace and Unity in Christ the Prince of Peace who in love laid down his Life for us when we were Enemies and called many of his Children in our Age to give up their Lives in the heaâ— of the Day Weeks Months and 〈◊〉 to gather Enemies unto the knowledge of 〈…〉 with God therefore wait for the heavenly Wâ—sdâ—m to bear one with another that if any who are Conscientious to God and Blameless in their Conversations having a concern upon their Spirit to declare in publick Assemblys the Truth to edifie the People I beseech you in the love of God that not any through disaffection shew at least any publick opposition but rather speak to the Party in private if there be any occasion for him to be spoken to so will the Enemy be prevented of casting a stumbling block in the way of tender spirited People that comes in love to be Comforted in the Meeting and in so doing it will cause Love and Unity to abound amongst Friends that in the Love of God all may be restored that hath been scattered and brought again into Unity to meet all together in the Everlasting Truth to feel the Healer of Breaches to reign who is the restorer of the Desolate exalted in his Kingdom in all your Hearts to offeâ— up a Peace-offering in passing by all Offences that have caused Dis-union and to bind you all up in the Unity of the Spirit and Bond of Everlasting Peace to meet all together who profess Gods Blessed Truth to Praise his Holy Name all as one and one as all while we are here in these mortal Bodies and forever when time here shall be no more even so be it with you all saith my Soul in the Name of the Lord to whom is my Prayers that all may be accomplished as above written until it be so with you I shall remain your exercised Brother in the Kingdom of Patience and Tribulation of our Lord Jesus Christ. William Dewsbury My dear Friends through the sharp Persecutions that was passed through in the heat of the day and many long Imprisonments being nineteen Years a Prisoner in this Town of Warwick and four of them being kept close Prisoner it hath pleased God to suffer my Health to be Impaired that many times I am forc'd to rest two or three times in going to the Meeting in the Town not being of ability of Body to travel as in Years past I do in the Love of God visit you with this Epistle desiring it may be carefully read in the Fear of the Lord in the Assemblies of his People that Peace and Eternal Vnity may be amongst you in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ Amen Given forth in the movings of the Peaceable Spirit and Word of Reconciliation in the Lord Iesus Christ to whom is my Prayers that all Convinced may wait to be made of the number of the Slain of the Lord and conformable to Christ in his Death that they may witness his quickening Power to raise them up in the Resurrection of Life to enter into the Gates of Sion to dwell in the City of new Jerusalem where Peace is within her Gates and Quietness amongst all that have their Habitation therein having Salvâ—tion for Walls and Bulwarks and are the blessed of the Lord preserved by him to the Honour of his Name forever Amen W. D. Warwick the 4th of the 10th Month 1686. These following Epistles were found in Manuscript without Dates To all you proud Priests that dare to add your Wisdom to the Testimony of Jesus KNow this as from him that he is come to lay open your Deceits and the Conjuring deceiving Inventions of your own Brains which you sell for so much in the Year to maintain you in Pride and Lust for to eat of the Fat and be cloathed with the finest of the Wool and so deceive the simple and lead them on in Blindness and Darkness in making people believe the Inventions of their own Brains to be the Word of the most high God as in taking part of the Testimony of the word Jesus and add to it the Inventions of their own Wisdoms branching it into Doctrines Reasons Uses Helps and Motives according as their fancies guides them and then takes the pure Testimony of Jesus to prove the truth of this their Conjuring deceiving Inventions though the Scripture tells you that no Prophesie is of any private Interpretation for the Prophesie came not by the will of Man but holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and saith Iohn in the Revelations I saw in the right Hand of him that sat upon the Throne a Book written within and on the back side sealed with seven Seals And I saw a strong Angel Proclaiming with a loud voice Who is worthy to open the Book and loose the Seals thereof and no Man in Heaven or in Earth or under the Earth was able to open the Book or look thereon now when Iohn saw that the mystery of Salvation was hid from all Creatures he wept much because none was found worthy to open the Book neither to look thereon And one of the Elders said to Iohn weep not behold the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah of the Root of David hath prevailed to open the Book and loose the Seals thereof and hath revealed his mind to his Servants that obey his Counsel to him be all Glory and Honour and Power for evermore Oh cease thou vain Man from adding thy Wisdom in opening the Seals in telling poor ignorant people what means the Scriptures by thy studied Sermons and Expositions which is the Invention of thy own Brains and putting words into the Mouths of poor ignorant people to sing Praises to the most high God for there is none can sing but the ransomed of the Lord and they return to Sion with joy and singing and everlasting joy is upon their Heads And the Apostle saith If any be Afflicted let him Pray if any be merry let him sing Oh therefore come down you vain proud Men that call your Traditions the Worship of God and causes the people to err by your Lies and by your Lightness And I sent them not neither commanded them therefore they do not profit this People at all saith the Lord Hear what the Lord saith unto you I testifie to every Man that hears the words of the Prophesie of this Book if any Man add unto these things God shall add to him the Plagues that are written