therefore am I out of the Tenderness of my Soul and in bowels of Compassion towards thee moved to warn thee and to advise thee in dear and tender Love to the oppressed Seed in thee which groans to be set at Liberty Now the Desire of my Heart is that thou shouldst awake out of death and come unto CHRIST the LIGHT that he may give thee Life and to cast off every weight and burden and the Sins that so eaâ—â—ly beset thee and that thou shouldst put off the Armour of darkness and put on the Armour of light for assuredly there is nothing that makes a Separation between thee and thy God but Sin but now herein stands the wonderful Love of God towards the fallen Sons and Daughters of Men who were dead in Sins and Trespasses and altogether in Darkness without any Means or Hope of Recovery in themselves now the Lord beholding poor distressed man in this State whereinto the Prince of Darkness hath captivated him out of the Tenderness of his Compassion unto the poor distressed Sons and Daughters of men he gave his only begotten Son into the World for a Light and to every man and woman which is born upon the Face of the whole Earth hath the Lord in mercy given a measure of this true Light which hath enlightned every one which cometh into the World in which Light standeth the Power of God and in this Light man comes to see his Sins and to see the Deceit of his own Heart which otherwise he could not have seen and though thou art unacquainted with it yet that is it that lets thee see the actings of the Prince of Darkness in thee for if he plotteth in thee any mischievous Intents whereby to destroy any man's Person or Estate and so endeavours to make thee an Instrument whereby he may do it secretly in the dark and although no Eye of man can see thee nor see his secret acting in thee yet this Light will follow thee and discover his subtil Delusions unto thee and make him many times appear odious unto thee and calls thee and invites thee from following of him and many times brings Fearfulness and Dread upon thee for thy wicked Actions now this is that that would redeem thee out of Sin which saves all them that believe in and follow the Son of God the true Light of the World out of Sin and Death which is the Wages thereof Now it is but vain for thee or any other to call Christ thy Redeemer and thy Saviour and to say that thou hopest to be saved by Christ after thy Death because he was crucified at Jerusalem sixteen Hundred years ago and yet thou livest in Sin and Wickedness in Pride and Vain-Glory of this world which passeth away as a Vapour of the Night afore the Morning Sun but for all this let me tell thee plainly without Deceit nevertheless for all thy high Conceits of thy self and for all thy vain Hopes and thy feigned Faith thy Hope is the Hope of the Hypocrite which will perish in the time of Trial and thy feigned Faith cannot give thee victory over the world therefore if ever thou comest to witness Redemption to thy Soul thou must witness Christ's Death to kill Sin in thy mortal Body and thou must witness his Resurrection in thee And as for his Sufferings at Jerusalem I own according to the Declaration of the Scriptures but thou must witness him nearer to thee then at Jerusalem if ever thou witness him to be thy Redeemer and the Salvation of thy Soul Now let me reason with thee a little in Coolness and Moderation if Christ be thy Redeemer what is it that he hath redeemed thee out of seeing thou yet livest in Sin and in the Polutions of the World And if he be thy Saviour what hath he saved thee from seeing thou art yet in Bondage to Sin and Iniquity Therefore the sting of death is not yet taken away while Sin remains so thou canst not call him thy Redeemer in Truth and Righteousness unless thou couldst witness him to have redeemed thee out of sin and transgression and thou dost but deceive thy self to call him thy Saviour unless that thou couldst witness that he did save thee out of temptations when they arise in thee from thy own Lusts and so from Sin which they bring forth and from Death which is the Wages thereof Now as the first Nature hath reigned which is of the Earth earthly in all mankind which is the first Adam over whom Sin came to have the Dominion whereby Death came to reign over all Mankind in that nature so now as the Children of men come to be begotten into Christ the Second Adam and so born of the new Birth of Righteousness they come to know what the Immortal Seed is whereunto the Promises are Yea and Amen and come to witness Christ to be the Redeemer and Saviour in Deed and in Truth and that his Cross in them is the Power of God unto Salvation and they see as they abide faithful in that which crosses their own fleshly wills therein they come to see the power of God and as they stand stedfastly faithful in it they come to see the Power of Light in them which is far stronger then the Powers of Darkness for they come to see Victory in it over the Devil all his subtil Delusions and over the Flesh and all its Lusts and over the World and all the Vanities thereof and as they abide in this Power which is CHRIST the Light of the World and the Power of God unto Salvation and as they follow him faithfully through all Sufferings and all the Hatred and Malice which arises against them in the Children of Darkness they will come to see him to trample down all his Enemies in them and make them his Footstool but as any man or woman goes out of the Cross wherein standeth God's Power and let their own wills rule in them then they go into the Power of the Prince of the Air which ruleth in the Children of Disobedience whose Dominion wholely standeth in man's corrupt and carnal will and then he leads them captive at his own Pleasure and so as they stand in his Dominion Sin comes to have Power over such in all his Motions and then comes in Complainings and Murmurings against the Lord who made them and so they come to cry out for want of Power and because they cannot have power and victory over Sin in their own wills and in their own time which is the very Ground wherein the Power of Sin standeth then when they see they cannot have Power over Sin there which is impossible for any to attain to unless they come out of the Power of their own will into that Power which crosseth it then they come to plead for Sin in themselves then they not having Power over it there they inform all others that they can never have Power over Sin nor be set free from
it whilest they remain in this earthly Tabernacle and then if the Lord raise up any to witness that he hath redeemed them from under the Power of Sin and so by his Power in them which is a Cross to the carnal will of man freed them from the Power of sin and Death then cry out those that live in all manner of sin and polutions these are Deluders take heed of being deceived when alas there is nothing reigning in them that they can be deceived of but sin and wickedness and so they cannot bear the hearing that they should be free from sin until the Lord cut off them and their sins together but they never consider that as the Tree falleth so it lieth and as Death leaves them so assuredly shall Judgment find them for in the Grave there is no Repentance neither can any unclean thing enter into God's Kingdom which consists of Purity Holiness and Righteousness Now the scriptures they declare that God is Light and if we walk in the Light and aâ—ide in the Light as he is in the Light then we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Chrâ—st cleanseth us from all Sin Now if thou comest into this LIGHT this will let thee see that there is something in thee that doth check reprove and cross thy own natural will and this is the Power of God in thee and would be unto Salvation if thou wouldst but obey it for it will crucifie thy old Nature and stand a Cross over thy own will and so keep it down that it might not rule in thee and so thy Soul will come to stand in the Power which is above the Power of sin and so come to be saved out of sin and out of Death which is the sting thereof And so as thou comest into the Light and therein standest with an Upright Heart the Light will make sin and the Power thereof manifest unto thee in all its Motions and will crucifie all that is of the first Nature and all that which ariseth from thy self and will judge out that Power daily which hath moved in thee and hath carried thee forth at all times to act contrary to the Mind and Will of God and hath caused thee to oppress the Seed which God hath placed in thee and so SION with the pure Seed of God in thee cometh to be redeemed through Judgment and her Converts come to bring forth a righteous Life and Conversation Now thou that readest understand The Life is more then Meat and the Body is more then Rayment and the pure Life is more then Knowledge for old Adam or the first Nature may eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and so by thâ—t may come to talk much of the Truth and what the Saints enjoyed in former Ages but cannot come into the Life thereof for he is driven out from the tree of Life into the earthly Imaginations without him and the ANGEL of the Lord with his flaming Sword even the Righteous Law is placed to keep the Way of the Tree of Life lest he put forth his Hand and take of the Fruit there of and eat and so live forever Now the first Nature is not to live forever but for an appointed time for that is the first Adam and his Life which standeth in sin and he hath transgressed the Righteous Law of God and so hath sinned and that Soul that sinneth must dye the Death and so death cometh to reign over all Mankind from Adam till Moses from the first Nature till the Seed of God in the creature moveth under the burden of Iniquity whereby it hath been pressed down as a Cart is pressed with sheaves and comes to stir up the Creature and draws him into some Consideration and brings him to understand his Condition that he is even a Captive under sin in the Land of Darkness even in spiritual Egypt and under many Lusts which are as so many hard Task-masters to him and that he is but a stranger and a sojourner there and that the Lord hath promised him a land of rest and freedom but he knows not how to find it out until the Lord God shall raise up the great Prophet like unto Moses to lead him out of this Land of Darkness through the red Sea by his LIGHT or PILLAR of Fire which Light is Darkness unto the Egyptians even in their Day which Pillar of Fire is to guide the Creature through the long desert Wilderness into the land of rest and Moses is till the Prophets and the Prophets they declare that there shall a REDEEMER come out of Zion or the Seed of God within who shall reign in Peace and Righteousness over his own House which shall be raised up for he will make them a willing People and he will turn unto them the pure Language and they shall all call upon the Name of the Lord with one Consent and he will bring back again their Captivity and settle them in perfect Peace so that they may every man sit under his own Vine and under his own Fig-Tree and none shall make them afraid And the Prophets they are till John who is as the Voice of one crying in the Wilderness now the VOICE said Cry the Prophet answered what shall I cry That all Flesh is Grass and the Clory of man as the Flowers of the Field therefore prepare the Way of the Lord and make streight the crooked Paths and let the high lofty Mountains of Man's proud Will be laid low and let every Valley and low despised Place be raised that so the ransomed of the Lord may pass and John he baptizeth to Repentance and bringeth the Creature into a Sorrow and a Trouble because it cannot bring forth Fruit worthy of Repentance and he declares that he is not the Messias that is to come after him which is to be preferred before him whose Shoe-latchet he was not worthy to unloose but that he is sent to bear his Testimony of him and John he is till Christ and when he comes which is the true Messias and the true Redeemer of the promised Seed of Israel after the Spirit who is the second Adam and the true Prophet like unto Moses whom the Lord hath promised since the Dayes of old even this is he that shall come out of Sion and shall bring Deliverance unto that Seed in all the Sons and Daughters of Men that hath long groaned and that which Sion hath long travailed with and been in Pain to be delivered from under the Burden of Oppression and he will crucifie the old Nature even the first Adam who hath been the Oppressor and nail him to the Cross and so by the Cross to him â—nd to his corrupt Will will mortifie or kill his Deeds even by the Power of the Spirit which Power standeth in that which crosses the old Nature now the first Adam's Life that standeth in Sin and in Transgression and in Deceit and Guile which are all
Wilderness even by a mighty hand and by his Arm of Strength which he now has stretcht forth unto you which Arm he is making bare even in the Sight of the Nations therefore go on and be valiant for Truth and lift up the weak Hands and strengthen the feeble Knees for now is he making himself known who will assemble her that halted and gather her that was scattered and bring back again that which was driven away even he that binds up the broken-hearted is come and coming who will satisfie the Thirsty Soul and speak comfortably unto all them that truly breath after the Eternal Peace and Welfare of Zion and the Redemption of the oppressed Seed which hath long breathed after Liberty therefore wait in the Patience in the Stilness and in the Coolness of your Spirits that you may come to feel that to arise daily in you which will dash down all Incumbrances who rebukes the Winds and stills the raging Seas at his Command who is the only begotten of the Father who begets all his Children into Love for God is Love and that which is begot of him in all Hearts is Love and Tenderness unto all men but especially one towards another Therefore dear Friends beware of that Spirit which would arise in you to cause evil Surmisings one of another or that would open an evil Eye to look forth at one anothers Weakness and of that Spirit that would cause any secret Rejoycing thereat though it be never so hidden but beware and bring it to the Bar of Judgment before it gets any Head or Strength in you that so it may be condemned before it go any further And beware of that Spirit that shall arise to cause a Deadness or a Barrenness in you as to the things of God would carry you back to feed upon that which you have formerly enjoyed and that would cause you to give way to a secret Envy which will be Ready to arise in you against them who in honest Simplicity walk in the true Obedience to the Measure of God made manifest in them because when they feed in the Banqueting House of their Father you may perhaps find Barrenness and Emptiness for the present I say beware of that Spirit for it is he that causeth the Barrenness and the want therefore wait in that which discovers him and makes him known and come unto true Obedience thereunto and you shall see him and all that would arise to oppose it self against the pure seed of God in you cast into utter darkness from whence it arises for the Prince of Darkness with all his Legions is not able to stand in the Presence of God of his Christ who is the Light of the World and hath enlightned you with a measure of himself which if you faithfully obey and follow you will feel a living Zeal to arise in your Hearts for the Lord and for his Truth and likewise an utter Enmity against all the Deeds of Darkness both in your selves and likewise in all others and you will feel that to arise in you which truly breaths after the Good and Welfare of all the Sons Daughters of men and you will come to suffer with the Seed of God which is oppressed both in your selves and aâ—l the Sons and Daughters of Adam and blessed are all they that come to witness this in Truth and in Reallity and that are fâ—ithful to that little thing that makes this known unto them for verely they shall be made Rulers over much Therefore dear Friends you that are newly begotten into the eternal Truth of God for your Sakes is this declared by him who hath by the good Hand of God been carried through these things and hath seen much of the Strength and Subtilty of the Enemy who like a roaring Lyon goes about seeking whom he may devour therefore stand in the Light and in the Cross even that which crosseth the carnal Mind and in that there is Power against all his Assaults and wait in Stilness at all times that so you may come to hear the Voice of the Lord and to obey and follow it for Obedience is better then Sacrifice and that is it which the Lord requires of you and without that you shall not eat of the good of the land even the promised land of Rest and Peace which the Lord is now bringing his People into where they shall feed in fat Pastures even by the Springs of living Water under the Shadow of the Tree of Life whose Fruit is pleasant to the Taste and whose Leaves are for the Healing of the Nations in which Land is Peace and Pleasantness and Joy and Gladness of Heart where the redeemed of the Lord walk and lie down in Rest and perfect Peace where no vultrous Eye can come and where the Devourer cannot enter where the Abominations which make desolate cannot stand The Gates of which land have long been the gates of the Enemy but now is the time appointed come the true spiritual Seed of Abraham is risen in many and doth possess the Gates of their Enemies and many are they that are entred in through the Gates to this Land of Rest and Redemption Praises to the Lord God forever and for evermore Aâ—d mâ—ny are they that are yet entring and to enter therefore be couragious and faint not for the Promise is unto all in whom tho Seed is in any measure made manifest which Seed shall possess the gates of his Enemies and though the Enemy hath long stood in the Gate and stopped the passage and though it may yet stop in many the passage through which the Seed should come forth out of Bondage Oppression yet mind not the Enemy but mind him who has promised will perform even that the Seed of Abraham shall possess the Gates of its Enemies which Seed is Christ in the Male and in the Female I say mind not that which brings in the Incumbrances but mind that which lets you see them and stills and quiets all again For Friends the Battail which is to be fought in every one of you is hard and the Enemy is strong and mighty therefore come forth even forth of the Polutions to the Help of the Lord against the mighty for Cursed is he that comes not forth to the Help of the Lord against the mighty therefore stand forth with your loyns girded about with Truth and put on the Breast plate of Faith and the Helmet of Salvation for a mighty work hath the Lord God to do in the Earth Instruments in whose Hand many of you may be if you are willing and obedient and can with content take up the Cross dayly which crosseth the carnal and despise the Shame then shall you be partakers of the Joy which is set before you which Joy dashes all the Glory of the World and makes it appear as a thing of nought for the Sake of which Joy many dear hearts have despised the Shame and Contempt of
the World and have willingly undergone many grievous Afflictions and have undauntedly triumphed over Death and Hell even to the Amazement of all their Enemies therefore blessed and happy are all you that are called forth to suffer for the Name of the Lord and of his Truth in which Truth is Freedom and the Name of the Lord is a strong Tower to which you may fly in time of Distress and you are safe from the Enemy and from all his Strength Oppositions and though he may exercise his Tyranny upon your outward man yet that is a thing of small value for that must to its Dust again from whence it came yet that it cannot touch without the Permision of him who is the Keeper of Israel who never slumbers nor sleeps But you have a Life which is hid with God in Christ which will remain when all mortal things shall turn to the Dust its Mother which Life cannot be touched nor injured by no invitred Heart nor cruel Hand therefore fear not man nor the Sons of men nay I know you that are come into the true Fear of the Lord you cannot fear man for Fearfulness that shall surprize the Hypocrite and Astonishment the double-hearted when they that fear the Lord shall be as bold as Lyons Therefore if Sufferings present unto thee my dear Friend whoever thou art that readest they will be as precious Jewels unto thee and thou wilt come to be as Gold which is purified in the Fire and as thy Sufferings do abound upon thy outward Body so likewise shall Peace and Tranquility flow in upon thee as Rivers of Living Water whereby thy Soul will come to be refreshed abundantly yea thou knowest that Pen cannot express nor Tongue declare the Endless Joy and Felicity which at all times accompanies those â—hat are faithful Words are too short â—o declare it yet nevertheless for the Sake of them that languish and hunger after the living Bread wherewith all that are faithful are satisfied and fed abundantly I say for the Sake of him that is hungry not yet â—ully satisfied is this written that he may go on and not faint in his Travail for blessed art thou that hungers â—nd thirsts after Righteousness for â—f thou wilt wait and abide in the Paâ—ience thou shalt be satisfied for in our Father's House is Bread enough where all his Children are fed at his Table in the Banqueting-House of Peace therefore wait and be still and commune with thy Heart and go not forth to look that abroad which cannot be found any where but at home in thy own Heart and though at present thou mayst see a Day of Distress and a Night of Sorrow wherein Judgment may come to be laid to the Line and Righteousness to the Plummet yet stand still wait on the Lord and in the Way of his Judgments so shalt thou witness Zion even the Seed of God within thee to come to be redeemed through it and Baâ—ylon with all her Brats come to be thrown down and dashed in pieces by it for now he that dasheth in Pieces is come upon our Walls and entred into our Borders even the Lord who is now risen to enter into Judgment with all Flesh and to purifie and to clense the Sons and Daughters of Men from all their Polutions and to let them see the Filth of the Fornication of Babylon's Whore which hath long reigned in the Hearts of the Children of Men and hath caused all the Creation to groan under her Oppression now is the Lord risen to rent her Covering and to lay open her shame and Nakedness that all that are not wilfully blind may see the Filth of her Polutions and come out from her lest they be Partakers of her Plagues which shall suddenly come upon her that so the Lord may clense them and purifie them and make them fit Temples for himself to dwell in for that is the Work which the Lord is going to perform and his mighty Arm shall bring it to pass for he will work and who shall hinder it and he will dash all the Pot-sherds to pieces that oppose themselves against him for who art thou that settest Bryars and Thorns in Battle against me saith the Lord Shall not I pass through and burn them up Yea verely Friend this have our Eyes seen and our Ears have heard how the Lord hath torn the Powers of the Earth in pieces and hath brought all their Contrivances to nought who have sought after their own Glory and not the Glory of Him who have sate at rest and ease and have not partaken of the Day of Jacob's Trouble but have sought their own Interest and not the Interest of the Lord nor the Liberty of his People but have suffered the Innocent to lie under the Hands of grievous Oppressors even the greedy Hirelings and the dumb Idol Shepherds who have long made Prey upon the Lord's Heritage and have scattered the Lord's Flock in the dark and cloudy Day and caused them to wander upon the Barren Mountains who have long fed themselves with the Fat and clothed themselves with the Wool and have sate at Rest and Ease and have cryed peace whilst men could put into their Mouthes but now them that cannot feed them any longer they even prepare War against them whereby they become a Prey unto them so that the whole Land groans under that Oppression more then any other and the Righteous suffer and no man layeth it to Heart and for this Cause hath the Lord rebuked strong Nations and he will still rebuke all them that shall set themselves against him and against his People Therefore dear Friends wait still on the Lord who is the Strength of Sion and the Redeemer of the Seed of Jacob who hath already for your sakes even for his Seed's sake which he hath raised in you overthrown all that have exalted themselves against him and against his Anointed even Kings Princes Protectors and Parliaments I say the Lord hath overthrown and dashed them in pieces as Potters Vessels because they relieved not the Oppressed nor pleaded the Cause of the Innocent therefore hath swift Destruction overtaken them as an Armed Man and there was none to deliver And for your sakes O ye Sons and Daughters of Sion hath the Lord brought these things to pass that the Nations may know that his Dread and Presence is with you and at all times is amongst you for by you will he make himself known unto this crooked and perverse Generation and they shall confess that God of a truth is in you and amongst you And though his Appearance unto Proud Flesh is without Form or Comliness yet you know him to be as a Lilly among Thorns who is the Beloved of your Souls and the fairest among Ten Thousand who is declaring his strange Acts his wonderful Works in you that which hath been hidden from Ages and Generations past he is now making known even in and through you