these things for they that sung and danced in the Wilderness forgot the mighty Power of the Lord which brought them out of Bondage therefore they got into the carnal Liberty like many others at this day before they come to the true Rest and these were in the false Worship who Worship that which the carnal Eye might perceive and these had lost the true Guide And when they were in their singing and dancing they knew not what was become of him who was the Minister of the Law that discovers sin but though they who danced saw him not for a time but began to dispise him yet in a time unexpected he came upon them in the Fierceness of his Anger who executed the judgments of the Lord upon those vain Dancers with whom he was grieved who was in the Church in the Wilderness and is the holy One in the midst who with a suddain slaughter destroyed these Dancers whose voice of singing was not because of Mastry neither was their Voice the voice of the Cry of the Oppressed and these were Idolaters whose Hearts were uncircumcised and knew not the Wayes of God who therefore condemned them with an utter Overthrow that they perished in the Wilderness where they thus sinned after they had seen the Deliverances of the Lord as many of the Rulers and People of England have done who have forgotten their Leader to whom these are left for an Example of whom there were about thirty Thousand slain for their Singing Dancing and False Worship Exod. 32. 1 Cor. 9. And Herod had Dancing before him and she that danced and he that was pleased with Dancing caused his Head to be taken off that directed to him that is the Light and preached the Lamb that takes away the Sin and their carnal Nature and so this murders that which is to prepare the Way of the Lord and they took off his Head and murthered him who was a burning and a shining Light and slew him that preached Repentance and so the Dancers and the Rulers of the Earth who were pleased with Dancing and Musick murther that in them which calls to Repentance and are ready to murder such as preach Repentance to them And whilst there is a delighting in Dancing and Musick that which calleth to Repentance is in Bondage for John was in Prison when Herod was pleased with the Dancing and there is not a greater Prophet than he that preacheth Repentance and he that proclaims the Way of the Lord was in Prison and she that danced desired his Death and he that caused him to be beheaded was a King a great one in the Earth who was pleased with Dancing and was a Swearer out of Christs Doctrine for he promised with an Oath What soever she would ask who danced before him then nothing would satisfie the Dancer but the Death of him who preached Repentance and he was an Observer of Days and kept the day of his Birth with Dancing It was his Birth-day the day of his Birth in which he was brought forth who was a Swearer the Swearers delight in dancing that caused his head to be taken off who warned them that had the Oracles of God To fly from the Wrath to come and said They were a Generation of Vipers who had the Scriptures and came also to his Baptism and brought not forth fruits meet for Repentance these are the Vipers And so that which is to lead unto Christ doth suffer in Bondage and is murthered and the Head or first Appearance of it taken off upon that day which the Birth of that is brought forth which is pleased with the Dancing not like Job Jeremiah and delights in the Musick and that which exerciseth the mind of the Creature in the dancing desireth the Death and Murthering of that in Prison which is to call to Repentance above all other things yea there is nothing then so much desired as the Killing and Overcoming of that which is cast into Prison by him that delights in the Musick Matth. 14. And when them in Israel who had Harps the Musitioners them who delighted in Musick were carried Captive into Babylon the Land of Confusion in which Land Nimrod the mighty One in the Earth went hunting before the Lord and by the River of Babylon they sate down and wept who were before the Musitioners with their Harps these went into Captivity because of the Sin and hanged their Harps upon the Willowes and sate down Mourning by the Rivers of Babylon and that which delighted in the Musick caused the Captivity and leads into Bondage that which should come to Liberty whereby Sorrow Weeping and Mourning comes in the End for the Songs of the Temple is to be turned into Howling and their Delight in the Musick was turned into Weeping and they led captive from Zion who were come to the land of Promise and there took Liberty in these fleshly Delights Psalm 137. The Mind that hath Wisdom may read this And it was the King of Babylon who said Is not this great Babylon that I have built by the Might of my Power for the Honour of my Majesty that set up the golden Image to be Worshipped at the hearing of all kind of Musick and he also was a great man in the Earth a great King the King of Babylon a mighty One in Confusion who commanded the Magicians the Astrologers and Sorcerers and Caldeans and ruled over them and all them that dwelt in the Earth and he sent Greetings of Peace to People Nations and Languages that dwelt in all the Earth but he that is the Light comes not to send Peace on the Earth and the Angel cryed Wo Wo Wo to the Inhabitants of the Earth but he that was King over Nations in the Earth had many Instruments of Musick even all kinds of Musick and he that delighted in the Musick set up the Golden Image and by his command they that heard the Musick were presently to fall down and Worship the great Golden Image like the Children of Israel who set up the Golden Calf and these were Idolaters and in the false Worship and that which delighted in all kinds of Musick was in the Enmity to the Righteous Seed and sought to murther them who denyed the Musick and false Worship and therein such appear to be of Cain the Murtherer and of Lemach the Man-slayer And these great Ones in the Earth who had all kinds of Musick were in Babylon and these were the persecutors and such persecute now whose Rage was exceeding great against the Servants of the living God who to him were faithful though in Babylon and regarded not their Musick neither feared their great threatning Words nor yet obey their strict Command neither would they keep their Decrees nor take much care to Answer them in that matter nor bow before their Image though made with Gold nor Worship any other God than he that dwells in his People though they were in the Land of captivity among them in the
and ignorance in his own wisdom may esteem that to be a Temptation which doth condemn and that out of Temptation all such who are tempted may be led and kept by that which doth condemn which is the pure Light of Christ which doth judge and condemn the Temptations and the Sin and the Transgressor who enters into it and every Evil motion which is apt to arise in the mind that is darkned and blinded by the God of the World which mind from the Darkness to the Light is to be turned in the Light to believe as he hath said I am the Light believe in the Light and it is a Temptation which hinders man from believing in the Light and all such keep not the Commands of Christ who do not believe and obey the Light and such profess his Words but deny that in which the power of his Life doth stand And it is a Temptation which causeth man to deny and refuse the Law which is Light and not come under nor receive the Ministration of Condemnation supposing he is under Grace and so not to come back to the Law because he hath gotten a Profession of Christ whose day Abraham saw whose seed came through the Law of whom Christ came who fulfills the Law and maketh an end of sin who was in the Church in the Wilderness and in his pity saved them and bare them all the dayes of old leading the humble seed that through the Wilderness of sin it might come and at last enjoy that by which the sin is done away forever And it is a Temptation which causeth man to call that a Temptation which in the Conscience doth sometimes arise and let men see that he by his sin is in the Fall the Death and the Curse and that the Judgments of God belong to him and that he cannot escape the fierce Wrath of the Almighty living in that by which sin is daily committed and the Righteous Law of God transgressed and himself out of the Covenant of Life wanting the power of God to bear him up out of Iniquity so that he labours and prays and crys sometimes with Tears like Esau to keep that alive in the Transgression which God hath appointed to destruction Consider this And strives against that which lettetâ— see the emptiness thereof and condemns afterwards if a false joy doth not arise secretly to glory in what was done whereby that was satisfied and got ease which the Judgment was to which of the Judgment was afraid and from under it led forth to perform a Will worship from the ground where Cain's nature bears rule who can bring a sacrifice but the deeds with the Light seen to be evil who at last murthers the just and the sin lying at the door which secret sin cannot be hid from the Light in any that commit it or in whom it is though never so secret And it is a Temptation which worketh in the dark corners of the heart in the time when Condemnation cometh to drive man to despair by reason of the fierceness of the Judgment and drives him from God and his Righteous Judgments into Unbelief and Hardness of Heart against God and herein the Tempter prevails over many some whereof then go to destroy themselves not keeping in patience under the Judgment which was to destroy the sin for Christ the Light comes to condemn and destroy the sin but the Life he comes to save Others through Unbelief have hardned their hearts in sin their minds being in that in which they cannot believe That ever they shall overcome sin nor be saved from it and such grow worse than before and use all means in vain lustful Delights to murther that in them which checks reproves and condemns them for sin and many here turn aside from under the Condemnation many and various ways some who are blind calling it Melancholly so that few endure to the end and enter through the strait Gate by the Death through it the Life to find not waiting with long forbearance out of that which hasteth in patience in the Light to see feel and know the seed of Abraham brought forth of the barren Womb which against hope in hope believe And these Temptations lead further into sin and is not that which condemns for sin for that would keep out of sin though its Judgments be never so heavy upon man for sin And being that God is known in the ways of his Judgments and that they who are to receive the Promise must keep Judgment and that with Judgment Sion's Redemption is to be witnessed and when Judgment begins to be set up in the heart to judge condemn confound overturn and cut down the Head Body and Root of all that which by the Light is seen to be in the Transgression having the form of Godliness but not the Power which keepeth out of and free from all sin which the Judgment is to pass upon Therefore is that a Temptation which then draweth forth the mind from under the Judgment to get ease by a supposed Peace with God from the Comprehension of something done without afar off or long ago and so climb up another way then by the Light within which I know is the door which condemns and bringeth to Judgment the hidden things of Darkness and brings fire and sword upon the Earth and sendeth not Peace to it but setteth two at variance within whereby there is much striving in the Womb and not rest day nor night because of the War between the two seeds out of which trouble being led by that which in the Judgment could not stand so that getteh ease again and then man preached peace unto himself having got out of some trouble he then striveth more strongly to keep out of it then he did before and labours much to comprehend a resting-place to abide in though that be not redeemed with Judgment out of Bondage which thereby should come to obtain rest and peace for evermore And being that the Law and the Prophets together are until John and that the Law is to judge and cut down that which is above the seed exalted and that the Prophecies and Openings from the Testimony of Witness is to uphold and preserve under the Judgment whereby some secret hopes or refreshings come unto that which at last out of Bondage shall be redeemed therefore it is a Temptation which leadeth forth on that hand in a Joy through the reason with great swelling Imaginations in the vain light Mind out of the fear of God not standing in his Counsel but like the rest of the false Prophets coming to true Openings from it run forth before that through judgment be brought forth which should go before and lead them in God's Wisdom and Counsel to stand and such speak great swelling words in a secret pride boasting of their Experiences but are become the untimely Children of the Mother of Harlots who with their Mother must be turned back into the Bed of Torments And
guile this is he that hath been long set at naught whose tenders of Love constrain Obedience to himself because of the beauty that is in him which from them is hid over whom the Vail is through which they cannot see the Comliness of his Love I rest in the Fathers will your Souls Friend H. S. FRiends the Lord is with us and the God of Heaven is on our side and the Lord is our Defence who hath spoken Life and Peace to my Soul behold he will be with us forever and the holy Arm of his precious dreadful strength shall no Nation under Heaven prevail against dwell all in the Power of God and the blessing of the God of Heaven will be upon you all forever THe Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul and he then Prophesied but after for his disobedience he lost the Kingdom and was afraid of the shame before the People and the Kingdom is rent from such who disobey the Lord though they were among the Prophets like Saul who afterwards went to the Witch And the Witchcraft is near to all such as stand not in the Counsel of God to cause the People to hear his Word and not their own whose Word feeds not the flesh above the seed but is as a Hammer to break the Rocks in pieces and it kills and makes alive and opens a way through the Earth for the Prisoner of Hope to come forth And the Spirit came upon Balaam who was reproved by the dumb Ass that he was exalted above and resisted and he durst not go beyond the Word of the Lord he durst not go beyond that which was quick and powerful in the heart nor over-reach it to do more or less for the gaining of half a Kingdom in the Earthly And such as exceed Balaam therein may expect to be cut down also by the true seed as he was and so to fall among the rest of the Enemies of the Israel of God who is dreadful in Power And the Spirit came upon Jephthah who after offered his own Daughter for a Sacrifice and the Spirit came upon Sampson and yet he not standing in wisdom was bettrayed of his strength by a Daughter of the Philistines who also afterwards put out his eyes And so the Spirit may come up in some and yet afterwards they lose that with which they should see and some there are that use their tongues as in the Name of the Lord upon whom the Spirit never came mark that And Caiphas the High Priest prophesied and he spake not of himself and yet he was an enemy to Christ the Power of God and such as are got up high like high Priests above the measure of the Man of sorrows speak from self or flesh and are in that by which he that is the Light doth suffer and the power is resisted and the seed in others oppressed and they not brought to the Living Minister within the vail that abides a Priest forever but are in that which will dye And many might be named upon whom the Spirit came And Judas also had obtained part of the Ministry â—ut now consider the Spirit resteth upon the branch of the Root even the seed it self for the Spirit came upon many but it rested and relieth upon the se ed only even the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanâ—ing and counsel and might and knowledge and of the sear of the Lord in the fear of the Lord which is a fountain of Life which Life all are to feel and not be kept from by words without it but to feel that which comes from it and favour that that Jacobs Tent all may know which who so dwell in are blessed against whom there is no enchantment and where the Witch-craft cannot enter which leads from the strait and narrow way to the Spirit and Life into a liberty to that which is fleshly where that is kept alive which the word in the heart as a hammer and a sword should have broken and cut down for Paul was grieved with such who at first could almost have pluckt out their own eyes for him and after sought occasion against him and themselves to be made perfect in the flesh and all flesh as grass is to be cut down with the Sword of the Lamb and where the flesh is above the Spirit suffers by it and the vail is thickned which keeps from the Unity and out of the Life and Power of God H. S. THe Lord God of Heaven preserve all every where in the Love Long-suffering Forbearance Meekness and Gentelness out of the Strife or Self-seeking for suerly Wo will come upon that Spirit where-ever the Lord finds it and even the Lord knoweth the desires of my heart in true Simplicity hath been That his Righteous Judgments might pass betimes upon every appear ance thereof in my self and all others and I believe that God will never prosper it in any therefore my Exhortation in the Everlasting Love of the God of Heaven is That you all every where live in true Brotherly Love remember Joseph's Advice to his Brethren That they fall not out by the way The heavenly God of Power and Life and Virtue keep ye out of all this in the Life of Wisdom and Meekness where Strife shall never inhabit nor Death enter within the walls of Zion in which their dwellings are who keep themselves undefiled and remain in the fear of God to whom I commit you all and to the Power of the Word of his saving Grace praying to the Lord for you that evermore you may continue in the Love of Christ Your Freind and Brother Humphry Smith To the meek and open hearted Lambs and Flock of Heaven in meekness of Love with Greetings of Peace from the Seat of Infinite Mercy â—endred unto and sent to be read among them all who live in the humble State THere was a time of Blackness and Darkness which covered all flesh and the Guilt of Sin was upon all Consciences and Hardness of Heart possessed every Vessel and the Minds of all was astray from God and their Souls in the bonds of Iniquity in the day when none was able to deliver his brother O! who can utter the distress and the Languishing state which the Sheep then scattered were in O! the secret Groans of the Out-casts of Israel which God hath now gathered Why should it be forgotten Who could pluck their Feet then out of the Snare or deliver their Souls from Death had not the Lord in mercy looked down from Heaven surely many had sunk in the Pit of Misery and never come to see the Light of the Morning for the which the Bowels of the humble yearned in secret and the Sights were deep in the Solitary Place And then did the Lord in the Bowels of his Mercy let open his Ear and for his own Names-sake had regard unto the Complaint of the poor and needy and he caused Light to break out of Darkness and Truth to spring from its secret
which teacheth to deny Ungodliness should stand and remain And how wonderfully hath the Lord preserved his whole flock unto this day even so that with true gladness of Heart in living Praises it might truly be said That no Weapon formed against Gods Israel hath to this day yet ever prospered though no man hath appeared either in Field or Court on their behalf nor visible hand appeared for the defence of the flock of Heaven O! where is that Lamb of the fold who now stands in the Covenant of Redemption that cannot breath forth the Praises of God in the heart-breaking Power of his Love and the sensible feeling of his tender unspeakable Mercies Behold O friends the goodness of God is unutterable yea I have not words to express it and such that feel it may taste of it and drink of the fulness thereof beyond the narrowness of my broken speech and let such draw near unto me and let lose that which bindeth and closeth up in the Bowels that we may meet at the entrance of Wiâ—dom's Gate and live one with another and one in another so as the World did never â—now neither in their nature shall eveâ— understand for my heart is filled with Love and my dweling is enlarged with bouâ—dless Borders of Peace and my Life streams forth in meekness Behold there is none can stop it where the seed springs up as a Lilly and where the dawning of the day is witnessed where undefiled Love which cannot think Evil hath its resting-place and where the true simplicity of meekness remains Even there my Lines are read my Words are heard my Mind is Known my Language understood my Love received and even my Life takes entrance What shall I say I am with near or in the midst of aâ— the Innocent Lambs by the virtue of that Power and inviâ—â—ble Spirit which filleth all in all and in silence with you could â— long rest where the World should neither know nor yet perceive me the same Bread which I receive in the invisible Power break unto or disperce among the Lambs of God who can feed upon no other Even so the same is it which my Soul at present doth live yea behold I live who once was dead and my Life is hid among the rest with Christ in him from whence the heavenly Food and the Souls-saving and hearts-satisfying Power doth come And this is to stir up your Minds and to put you in remembrance of the Lords dealing with you and his large Loving-kindness towards you and his effectual work of Love in you that you may never forget him nor be unmindful of his fatherly Pity towards us all when we were all in our low estate and that you may feel the Revivings of his virtue and the Inlivenings of his power and the quicknings of his Spirit That you may grow therein and wax fruitful to God and come to be seated and established in the Land of Life blessed from Heaven with much more fruitful increase than the Land of Goshan That the fruit of Lebanon may be known and the Rose of Sharon and your selves as the Cedars that are full of Sap and your Life as the Vine that never wanteth Nourishment whose Fruit aboundeth to the glading of the Vine-Dresser that the Lord may rejoyce over his Heritage and delight himself in the midst of Zion and be glorified in his People and admired of all them that believe THe Lord God of Heaven preserve all every where in the Love Long-suffering Forbearance Meekness Gentleness out of the Strife or Self-seeking for surely Wo will come upon that Spirit wherever the Lord finds it and even the Lord knoweth the desires of my Heart in true simplicity hath been That his righteous Judgments might pass betimes upon every appearance thereof in my self Neither do I believe that God will ever prosper it in any nor any with it Therefore my Exhortation in the Everlasting Love of the God of Heaven is That you all every where live in true Brotherly Love and remember Joseph's advice to his Brethren That they fall not out by the way The Heavenly God of Power and Life and Virtue keep you out of all this in the Life of Wisdom and Meekness where Strife shall never inhabit nor Death enter within the Walls of Zion in which their dwelling is who keep themselves undefill'd and remain in the fear of God to whom I commit you all and to the Power of the Word of his saving Grace praying to the Lord for you That evermore you may continue in the Love of Christ From the feeling and refreshing whereof in the heart this is written unto you by him that in the Truth can serve the least of you being your Friend Humphry Smith ANd Friends this is a time of quietness and stillness or a time for you so to be and there hath been a large time of gathering and for convincing and now the Lord is proving and trying them that are gathered And after this time blessed and thrice happy shall they be that are found faithful in it and worthy to be Crowned with Heavenly Honour and to be further employed in Gods service and to remain as Pillars among the Flock of Heaven and as Lights to invite others home to the dwelling of God And now should all Friends be kept in Wisdom and take heed what words they use among men or concerning any men though they do contrive against us Had the Lord left us where they are and set them where he hath placed us then might we have been this day as ignorant of the Way of Peace towards Enemies and of the Path of Innocency and Righteousness as they now are but the Lord hath shewed us Mercy And I say the God of Heaven forgive them and defend us And all that dwell in this may come at last to see a time of greater Gathering than ever yet was Oh! my Pen cannot write it And if all were quiet in their own measures and little at all were moved in that measure either to write print or speak at this time waiting singly upon God Oh! he would plead for us and he alone would help us and keep us as in his Arms until the Indignation were over-past And this I write that you might know of my continual confidence in the Lord if he had or did not at this time raise up or make use of any of us to help him or to be workers together with him But a Remnant he hath whose hearts he enlargeth with prayer and some of them with strong inward desires and groans and some with utterance to declare the good will of God unto others in your Assemblies and some steadfastly to believe in God that he will never leave us and all this ascends up before the Lord even as one sacrifice And he that hath heard and had mercy on us when we were not his People and turned not back our complaints in that day O! how shall he now forget