of Love and Peace be with you and his Blessings rest upon you Farwel dear Friends William Bennit Eâ—monds-Bury common Goal this 25th of the first Month 1667. A Testimony to the True Light that lightens every Man that comes into the World The People that did sit in Darkness have seen a great and glorious Light and unto those that were under the Region and Shadow of Death is the Light of Life arisen and the Blessed Day sprung from on high and shineth in their Tabernacles and that which they have seen heard felt and tasted of the same they have and do bear Testimony unto though few there be that have received their Testimony For who hath believed our Report and unto whom is the Arm of the Lord Revealed But come ye O House of Israel and let us walk in the Light of the Lord. THE Light revealed within is the narrow Way to Life Eternal and the Door into the Fold of Everlasting Rest The Light-is the Entrance into the fresh and green Pasture wherein the Lord feedeth his Elock and causeth them to lie down in peace and quietness out of the reach of the Beasts of prey The Light leads and draweth those that obey it out of Darkness and from under the region and shadow of Death into the Land of the Living there to dwell under the region shadow of Light and Life The Light breaks the Bonds of Sin in pieces and snappeth â—he Cords of Iniquity asunder and sets the Soul free from the Bondage of Corruption to serve the Loâ—d in the Life of Righteousness The Light draweth and leadeth those that believe in it and obey it out of the Alienation and Separation from God into the Everlasting Covenant of Life and Love where the Soul is in unity with the Lord The Light searcheth the Heart and operateth in the secrets of the Minds of those that obey it and like unto Leaven worketh the Heart and Mind into its own nature frame and quality The Light is Pure Holy and Undefiled and hath no unity with the least impure Thought Word or Work but Judgeth and Condemns it The Light is Meek Contrite Lowly and Humble condemns that honour that is corrupt and is from below and standeth in respect of Persons and it seeketh the honour of God only The Light Baptizeth self into Death slayes the Boaster puts Flesh to silence that God may speak in his Temple who is not to be denied the Mouth to speak by The Light is the heavenly Treasure in the earthen Vessel that brings honour and glory unto God The Light hath no fellowship with Darkness he that saith he is in the Light and hath unity with the Light and yet loveth and walketh in Darkness lyeth and the Light hath no room place or entertainment in his heart The Light teacheth those that love it to love Enemies its fruit is Love no Envy no Malice no Hatred no Bitterness no Enmity no Prejudice no Discord no Backbiting no Reviling no evil Whispering proceedeth from the Light the Light condemns it all and that ground from whence it springs The Light hath no unity with any unfruitful works of Darkness but reproves them The Light teacheth to render Good for Evil and to forgive Enemies and to pray for Persecutors and to have love and good will to all People and to seek and desire the Eternal good and wel-fare of all Souls he that hates and envies his Enemies abideth not in the Light Envy is of the Evil-one he that saith he walketh in the Light and hates his Brother lyeth and errs from the Truth The Light teacheth to love God with thy whole heart and thy Neighbour or Brother as thy self He that saith he loves God and hates his Brother is a Lyer he that loveth him that begetteth doth also love those that are begotten of him Love thinketh no Ill to Enemies much less to Brethren The Light leadeth his Children into Love Peace and Unity with God and one with another in the Life of Righteousness oh the unity the unity of Brethren in the Light Love and Life of God is exceeding precious and comely it s compared like to precious Oyl poured on the Head that runs down on the Beard even Aarons Beard that went down to the skirts of his Garment and like the dew of Hermon and like the dew that descended upon the Mountain of Sion where the Blessing is and where the Lord maketh unto his People a Feast of fat things The Light teacheth and maketh to be of one Heart of one Mind of one Soul and in all those that walk in it begetteth one consent to serve and worship the only wise God in the one Spirit and one Truth The Light giveth a good Understanding a clear Discerning a sound Judgment The Light leadeth not into strife and contention nor into rents divisions and parties nor into a particularity and self-separation from the Body nor into self-conceitedness nor into high airy notions nor into a climing up in imaginations after high discoveries and so slight the day of small things and neglect thy obedience to the present gift through an expectation of something greater to come yet unrevealed and such like Lucifer mounts high in their Conceits and Imaginations but will fall to the side of the Pit but the Light condemns all this and judges that Spirit that leadeth thereinto which Spirit soweth Discord among Brethren which is Abomination and that Spirit leadeth some to speak evil of Dignities and to dispise Dominion and to rebel against the Order and Government of the Lamb The Light judgeth that Spirit that setteth up and keepeth up out of the comly descent order of Truth that thing that tends to strife and breaking unity among Brethren The Light teacheth those that love it to seek and endeavour for Love Peace and Unity among Brethren with all Self-denial The Light teacheth to take away the occasion of stumbling in thy Brothers way The Light teacheth to be very wary and careful of giving Enemies advantage to strengthen themselves against Truth and the Wicked occasion to reproach it and those that live in it The Light teaches to live and walk in a holy godly Life and blameless Conversation as becometh the Gospel of Truth and as becometh Saints of the Most High The Light in those that love it crucifieth the Flesh with the lusts and affections thereof and teacheth those that love it how to possess their Vessels in Sanctification and Honour The Light crucifieth the Heart unto the World and worldly things and redeemeth the Mind from the Earth and earthly things and teacheth to use the World as if thou usedst it not The Light draweth the Mind out of the many things where all offend into the one thing needful which giveth not nor receiveth an offence but judges the offences and that ground from whence they come The Light is Supernatural and is to over-rule the Naturals and to keep them within the bonds of the Government of Truth
them as a pillar of Fire by night and a pillar of a Cloud by day c. and yet behold they are drawn back again by the Enemy of their Soul through their yielding unto his Temptations and receiving his Pâ—oâ—fers and are turned as the Dog to his Vomit and as the Sow that was washed to her wallowing again in the mire and hath even madâ— Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience and are proved treacherous Children denying their Father who begat them and casting off their Mother who travelled in pain to bring them forth and hating the Womb that bore them and the Paps which gave them suck and this hath come upon them through Carelesness and Sloathfulness and through Reasoning and Consulting with the Enemy of their Souls and through looking at the Trouble Tryal Sufferings Streights and Difficulties which appeared in their way and through lusting after the Flesh-pots of Egypt through looking back into the Ease Pleasure Riches and Honour of this World which hath carried them away captive again into Egypt into the house of Bondage again wherefore oh my soul watch watch and stand fast in that Liberty which the true Christ the Power of God hath brought thee into and take heed thou be not intangled again in the yoak of Bondage Oh my soul if there be some who once were in some measure Fresh Green Tender Living and Fruitful unto God who now have lost their Freshness Greenness Tenderness and Fruitfulness towards God and now Coldness Deadness and Barrenness is come upon them to God-ward and their Love and Zeal for the Lord waxed cold oh my soul if it hath thus happened unto some oh how canst thou but fear before the Lord least the same should happen unto thee also And if some there be whose minds are gotten into a full Liberty and are at ease in the Flesh living above the Cross of Christ Jesus which Crucifies to the World and grown Careless and Negligent spending their time often with vain Talking foolish Jesting and needless Communication how ought all to spend their time in waiting upon the Lord in meditating and exercising themselves in the things of God being very watchful over their Thoughts Words Works and Actions having the pure fear of the Righteous God fresh in their hearts standing in awe of him always least they should Sin against him in Thought Word Deed lying down rising up in his pure fear Eating Drinking and doing all things in the pure fear of the Lord knowing a stay to their Minds a stop to their Thoughts a bridle to their Tongues a watch before their Mouth and a fearing in their Hearts least they should not be watchful enough over their Lives and Conversations yea even over their very Carriage and Gesture their words being very few sober and savoury even savouring of the grace of God in their hearts they desiring and endeavouring to walk so as that they might in Life Carriage and Conversation be as holy Patterns and righteous Examples of Love of Peace of Holiness and Purity of Meekness and Lowliness of Tenderness and Pity of Mercy and Compassion of Patience and long Suffering of Sobriety and Gentleness c. that so they might walk as becometh Saints Bâ—aâ—eless and Harmless as Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation amongst whom to shine as Lights to the adorning of the Truth of God professed by them and to the Glory Honour and 〈◊〉 of the Lord God and to the Joy Comfort Refreshment Peace and Consolation of their own Souls Oh this condition is very sweet blessed and happy wherefore â—leave cleave and keep close unto the Lord thy tender compassionate God and then assuredly the Lord will cleave unto thee and will not leave thee oh my soul wherefore lift up thy head in the strength of the Lord and look up unto the holy one whose dwelling is on high in the holy place and with thee oh my soul as thou art kept humble in Hâ—art contrite in Spirit meek in Mind and trembleth at his Word and look not at thy own Weakness Feebleness and Inability but keep thy eye unto the Lord and trust in his Name relie and depend upon his Arm and hope in his tender Bowels who maketh the Poor Rich the Weak Strong the Simple Wise wait thou patiently upon him and look not out at the greatness of others measures neither look thou at the smalness of thy own least Faintness Weariness and Discouragement should thereby come in upon thee and thou murmur because thy measure is no greater but be thou contented and truly satisfied with thy portion and be faithful unto the Lord in thy measure and being faithful in the little thou shalt be made ruler over much and enter into the joy of the Lord wait upon him who hath freely given in thee what thou hast of him and he can give thee more there was nothing in thee that was of thee which induced the Lord to communicate that measure of his fulness unto thee which he hath dispensed to thee but of his own meer mercy tender love and free grace who of his own free will hath begotten thee again unto a living hope so that thou well knowest that it is not he that willeth nor he that runneth but God who sheweth mercy Oh thou hadst not awakened out of the sleep of Sin and Corruption had not the mighty God thundred from his dwelling place upon thee and awakened thee oh my soul surely thou hadst never been raised out of the dust of Sin and grave of Iniquity had not the Lord of his own free will raised thee up and brought thee forth by his own Almighty power Oh my soul surely thou hadst never as of thy self turned unto the Lord had not the Lord of his own free will turned thee and after thou wast turned thou Repentedst and after thou wast Afflicted thou smotest upon thy Thigh yea thou wast consounded because thou borest the shame of thy youth and surely my soul after the Lord had turned thee in measure to him thou hadst not followed him in the narrow and strait Way through the Cross in the Self-denial had not the Lord thy God drawn thee after him by the cords and woings of his tender Love and surely thou hadst turned back again from the Lord into the Mire and Durt again and hadst never Stood untill this Hour but must have Fainted and Dyed ere this Day had not the Lord of his own free will Kept thee Preserved thee Upheld thee and Supported thee by his own almighty Power whose Grace hath been sufficient for thee both in the day of Prosperity and in the day of Adversity in the time of Tryal in the hour of Temptation and so let all Flesh be silent in thee oh my soul and the Lord only Exalted and the Boaster for ever Excluded and God alone have the Glory and self wholly slain and the Lord alone Honoured and Praised and his
Earth have cause to speak well of the Lord and to trust in his holy Name we are the People for mightily and wonderfully hath the mighty God done and wrought for us though the blind World sees it not Oh! how have we been as Lambs among Lyons and yet not devoured but wonderfully preserved by the secret Power and invisible Arm of the Lord our Shepherd who hath been our Defence when the Beasts of the Forrest have come forth to Devour and the Wolves have been greedy of their Prey then hath the Lord sought for Mount Sion and defended the Hill thereof and though some said We 'll pursue we 'll overtake our Lust shall be satisfied on them we 'll draw our Swords and our Hands shall destroy them yet how hath the Lord blown in his Wrath upon them the Sea of his Judgment hath covered them and they are sunk as Lead in the bottom of the mighty Waters and we yet through mercy are alive and have a being among the Living to speak well of the Lord and to make mention of the Goodnesâ— of our Good and to declare of his Kindness and to praise him for his Works which are marvelous in our Eyes Oh! his Love his Mercy and tender fatherly care over and towards us extends beyond the demonstration of Words and oh let the sense thereof be engraven upon the table of our Hearts that it may humble us and keep us low before the Lord and be an Obligation upon every Soul of us to bind and engage us unto the Lord and his Truth forever How mightily hath the Lord limitted and quieted the raging Sea and made a Calm oh that all Friends might take notice of the great Mercy and Love of the Lord to us in this particular and mind the end of the Lord therein and let us all take heed we Sin not because Grace and Mercy to us abounds lest it provoke the Lord to Anger and be a moving cause to induce him to let forth the Wind and suffer a Storm again Oh that none might get into a false ease and liberty and wrong security because of the present Calm but all to keep retire in that which fitteth and maketh ready for Tryals when they come in by and through which we have been upheld preserved hitherto even by the secret Power Arm of the Lord which is not shortned that it cannot save but is the same that ever it was and it hath been our Helper in six Troubles and in the seventh has not been wanting to us to help us when there hath been none to help and to support and uphold us when there hath been none to uphold but Loads Burdens and Oppressions have been heaped upon us and to comfort us when nothing but Sorrow and Trouble from the World compassed us about and when we have had nothing as from men but the Bread of Adversity the Water of Affliction even then hath the Lord our tender God been the Comforter of our Hearts the Refresher of our Souls the Rejoycer of our Spirits and the Lifter up of our Hands when we have been bowed down with the Oppressions of our Enemies his â—resence hath been with us in the Prison-house and in the low Dungeon and hath not left us to this day and assuredly never never never will leave us if we leave not him but will be with us until we have finished our Course and fulfilled the dayes of our appointed Time and our Change come So dear Friends unto the Lord I commit you who knoweth how it is with all his Babes and Children and beholdeth all their Tryals Straits and Sufferings inward and outward and his ear is open to the cry of the Poor and groanings of the Needy who is God all-sufficient for all those that trust hope relie and depend upon him and able to keep them by his power through Faith in his Name unto his heavenly Kingdom So the Lord be with you all and the Almighty protect and defend you and keep you from Evil unspotted from the World and preserve you in Love Peace and Unity with himself and one with another in his innocent unfained Love in his Light Life Power and Truth and make and keep you all of one Heart and one Mind and one Soul that you all with one consent may still worship and serve the Lord God in the one Spirit and the one Truth in which I dearly greet salute and embrace you all and remain your Friend and Companion in the Patience and Tribulation of Jesus Farwell dear Friends William Bennit Dear Friends IN the Love which waxeth not Old neither is subject to Change which God hath shed abroad in the hearts of those that believe in the Light through the operation of his Eternal Spirit in this Love which openeth our Hearts unto the Lord and one another doth the unfeigned Salutation of my Soul reach forth unto you as in which Love Iabide I cannot forget the Family of Love and Houshold of Faith neither can length of Time nor distance of Place â—onds nor Tribulations extinguish the remembrance of you whom the Lord â—ath chosen out of the Elect Seed from out of the Faâ—ilies of the Earth to place his Name among and to maniâ—est his Power and Glory in and through you his People to the praise of your God in your Generation dear Friends who are called to be made pertakers of the Blessed Everlasting Inheritance of the Saints in Light and through Faith in the Light of Life you are called and raised up to bear Testimony unto him whom the Nations Despise but unto you that believe in him he is Pretious and you that have seen his Bâ—auty and beheld his Comliness and have tasted of his Love and have savoured the sweetness of his preâ—ious Oyntment which hath healed your Wounds and cured your Diseases and with which your Souls have been Bathed Warmed and sweetly Refreshed unto you that have tasted of his Divine Vertues who is the Light of â—he World he is the chiefest of ten Thousand who hath called and chosen you out of the World to follow him in the Regeneration and to bear his Image before the World and to shew forth his Testimony against the World therefore do the World hate you and desire and seek your Destruction and would tempt you and by cruelty force you from the beloved of youâ— Souls but dear Hearts every one cleave in spirit unto the Lord and hold fast his blessâ—d Truâ—h received into your Hearts that the Enemy within nor his Instruments without by all their Temptaâ—â—ons and Cruelty may never move you to decline nor degenerate from that blessed Testimony which God hath given you to bear for him in the midst of a Wicked and Uâ—godly Generation who must fill up the measure of their Iniquity that Judgment may come upon them to the full and the measure of your Sufferings must also be fulfilled therefore dear Lambs hold fast Faith and a good Conscience and pâ—t