Birth Immortal which in you breathes through over and above all the Pomp Pride and Pleasure of the World to enjoy the fulness of Life in Christ who liveth forever with the Light of the Lord judge all your own thoughts and desires which would draw from the Light that in the Life of God you reign over all Doubts Fears Cares Representations of evil and hardships which would look you in the Face in this trying day which is now manifest to the sight of all people that fear the Lord all take heed of consulting with Flesh and Blood or suffering an evil Spie to go forth in the reach of your Sence reason to fore-see how you may pass through such tryals as may appear to your Sence if you hearken to these reasonings you go from the Light and so will be weakned in your spiritual Travel as Israel was in the daies of old So all dear Lambs and chosen Vessels in the Light of the Lord wait to receive his strength to tread down every motion that is out of the Life of the voice of Christ the high Priest over the houshold of God you all hear and feel who saith in his Light believe in the Name of the Lord and you shall see his mighty Works brought to pass while you stand still in Obedience and Peace with the Lord and he will clear your Innocency and smite the Hearts of them that devise mischief against you so shall you behold the Lord in his glory pleading your Cause with the raighty of the Earth whom he will make to confess and say it is in vain to afflict a People whom the Lord supports or to destroy whom the Lord God will save for as it hath been proclaimed in your Ears certainly it shall come to pass the Lord will try all that they may be known who are born of him for whom God will appear to carry through with joy whatever he calls unto and by his mighty Arm will bring deliverance unto us who cannot handle Sword nor Spear neither trust in the Arm of Flesh but in the spiritual Power and Life in the Light which he will exalt over all contrary to him so will he make his Name famous in the Earth because of his glory which he will reveal to cover the Earth as the Waters cover the Sea and all ungodliness will be buried in the deep and sink as a Stone to the bottom thereof and never rise agaâ—n over the Just but the Righteous shall rejoyce that the Lord reigneth their Strength and Life blessed for ever So all Brethren and Sisters lift up your Heads in the valiant Spirit of the Lamb which bears all things and endures all things that in his Light Life and Power every particular reign over whatever is contrary to him and rest in peace in a faithful resignation to the heavenly Will of the Lord and in his Name meet and his presence you will feel in the mid'st of you who will not suffer one hair of your Heads to perish but which is for his glory and as you abide faithful to him for the eternal comfort of our Souls for ever so in Faith and Patience in the Power of the Lord all in your own measures received of God stand stand still all in the pure unity with the Lord and with one another in his living Dominion rest in peace God will give you an answer of all your Prayers and Tears an expected end in refreshing your Souls with his Light and Power and Life forever in whom you shall sit under your own Vines and never more shall any make you afraid the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it through your Brother in the Tribulation and Kingdom of Patience in Christ Farewell W. D. From York Castle the 4 th of the 9 th Month 1662. Dear Lambs and Babes LIft up your Heads in the Light and Life of God that you may keep the Word of his patience which will carry you up over and above all the afflâ—ctions you meet withall in this present World for the Lord is dear over you and your lives are pretious in his sight who hath called you to witness forth his glorious Truth this day through Tribulations and Afflictions to enter the Kingdom Oh be bold and valiant in the Patience of the Lamb and in the love of his own Life feel his vertue filling you that in the eternal unity you may grow Pillars in his Temple unmoveable to bear your faithful Testimony to the astonishment of the Enemies of Sion and the praise and glory of the God of our Strength Life and Righteousness over all who Reigneth and Ruleth for ever and the God of Life bless preserve and keep you in Unity and Love over all in his Life to Reign to his glory for ever Farewell W. D. From York Castle the 2 d of the 7 th Month 1662. Dear Suffering Brethren FOR the Testimony of the Name of the Lord the strength of the Almighty God is with you and the eternal Crown of glory shall rest upon your Heads that in your faithful Obedience refresheth the Flock of the living God Oh lift up your Heads you chosen Vessels in the Light of the Lord arise up in his Strength and Reign over every thought and whatever would streighten you of drinking in of the fulness of the vertue of God that you may alwaies be fall of the Power of the Spirit to water the Plants and build up the Feeble in mind and speak a word in due season to the Weary and Oppressed in Spirit that the Blind may see and the Lame walk and the tongue of the Dumb loosed to praise the Name of the Lord in the Assembly of his People that the glory of the Lord may be spread abroad in and through you his chosen Vessels whom the Lord hath called to be the first-Fruits amongst many Brethren The eternal glory of the Lord rest upon you and cover you saith your Brother and Companion in the Name of the Lord. W. D. From York Castle the 21 th day of the 8 th Month 1662. Dear beloved Brethren and Sisters IN the eternal love of the Lord Jesus Oh my dear beloved ones love the Lord Jesus and delight your Hearts in his Light Power and Life of our beloved who hath chosen you in his eternal love to make known his everlasting Salvation in the sight of all people that he may get himself a Name over all in carrying you in your faithful Testimony to the astonishment of all that know not God and exalting his glorious Name over all and spreading his renown to the ends of the Earth Oh be valiant my beloved Friends in resisting the thoughts of your own Hearts that in the eternal depth of the love of God in Christ you grow and abound to the eternal comfort of one another and the glory and praise of God over all blessed for ever and ever in which Farewell W. D. York Castle the 17 th of the 1 st Month 1662
submit unto Him and all the Nations that are saved shall walk in his Light and call him Blessed who was dead but now alive calling to all People to come and believe in his Name that Eternal Life may abide in them forever But all that reject his Counsel the Light to be led in the strait way of self-denial their Blood will be manifest to be on their own Heads in the day of the fierce wrath when he will be revealed in Flames of Fire rendering his eternal Vengeance upon all that know him not and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ c. Therefore doth the Word of the Lord sound thorow me in the heavenly Proclamation to all the Children of Light with all whose Faces are set towards Sion Stand fast in the Faith and in the Light come boldly to the Throne of Grace where the Fountain of the fulness of the great refreshings you will enjoy that you may buy Wine and Milk without Money or without Price O come away come away in this day of your Invitation wherein the Spirit and the Bride saith Come and every one that it heareth saith Come and every one that is athirst Come and every one that will Come come and drink drink of the Fountain of the Water of Life freely that by the vertue thereof the Weary and Heavy-laden may be eased and all your putrified Wounds cleansed and all the Issues of Blood healed and all the stains of the Garment washed that all the bowed-down heads may be lifted up and the Soul that hath been as a desolate Widow and as a stranger without a dwelling in God and as a Child without a Father now in your faithful Obedienee to the Light the Lord will manifest himself to be the Husband of the desolate Widow and an Entertainer of the Sranger and with him the Fatherless shall finde Mercy which shall cause the Lame to leap as an Hart the Blind to See the Dumb to Speak forth the high Praises of the most high God whose Mountain is and shall be more and more set up atop of the Mountains and established above all the Hills and all Nations shall flock to the Mountain of the Lords House in Obedience to our God who is taking to him his great Power to manifest himself to be the safety of them that trust in his Name whom he will hide in the hollow of his Hand as in a munition of Rocks to the confounding the Enemies of Sion and staining the pride of the glory of all Flesh who shall vail and bow before him and confess to the glory of his Majestical Power That there is not any GOD like to him in whom we trust and who will plead our Cause and answer our Expectation according to his own Determination Therefore dear Servants of the most High let not any of us be weary in well-doing and above all things love the Lord Jesus yea love the Lord Jesus Christ and in his perfect Light. Thought and Will all in stedfastness and staidness of mind keep your Habitations in perfect Peace that the Birth of the one pure holy Will may rule and reign over all that stands in the will of Man that so high Praises Praises may wait upon the Lord in Sion and Hallelujahs in Heavenly Harmony may be sounded within the Gates of Ierusalem who is made this day a Burdensome Stone to the Nations but is and shall be more and more the Praise of the whole Earth forever and it shall be known more and more Assuredly the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it through your dear and loving Brother who blesseth and praiseth the Name of the Lord for you all who love the Lord Jesus Christ and seek his glory alone and nothing for self in all that you do and suffer upon the account of the Testimony you bear in profession of his Truth in the sight of all Peopâ—e O blessed blessed are you you Self-denying-People for what is before expressed is your Inheritance forever and ever In which fare you well fare you well saith my Soul in the Name of the Lord. And all dear Friends be dear and tender over the weak and all that hath strayed forth of the Foot-steps of the Flock of the Companions in what you can draw them and gather them in the Bowels of tender love that the scattered may be gathered into the Unity to lie down with us in the pure Rest to the praise and glory of God forever W. D. To all the Faithful and Suffering Members in all Holes Prisons and Goals for the Word of God and Testimony of Jesus Christ with the rest of the Faithful where-ever scatter'd upon the Face of the Earâ—h Dear Brethren and Sisters HEar the Word of the Lord thus saith the Lord Though you now drink the Cup of Adversity and eat the Bread of Affliction and are trampled upon as though you were not worthy to live upon the Earth yet notwithstanding all the Fury of Men you are resolved in the strength of my Spirit forever to be deprived of the sweet enjoyments of Wife Husband tender Children Parents and outward Possessions Liberty and Life before you deny the Testimony of my Name before the Sons of Men. Oh! you dear and tender Children who love not your Lives unto Death this day that you may finish a good Testimony for the Glory of my Name saith the Lord God lift up your Heads in the Light of my Covenant and believe in my Name for I am near unto you saith the mighty God of Safety and let not any weight or burthen lie upon you for I will be more than Husband to Wife and more than Wife to Husband or Parents to Children or Children to Parents yea I will be a Husband to the Widow and a Father to the Children who are deprived of their tender Parents for my Name sake I will enlarge your Borders in the Life of my Righteousness you that suffer in true Innocency will I refresh with the depth of my Mercies yea I will guard you with the Angel of my presence and all that devise Mischief against you shall be confounded beâ—ore the Glory of my Power with which I will keep and preserve you in the Word of my Patience and Safety in my Presence saith the Lord God. Therefore you dear Children who drink the deepest in Sufferings think it not hard for it is my purpose unto you all that have not any Eye to Self but alone seek my Glory in all you do I will make you more and more Honourable in the Glory of my Life and double my Blâ—ssings upon you and yours for I have â—eheld your Integrity and my Bowels are mightily moved with Compassion towards you therefore am I risen for your sakes this day to declare unto you my suffering People That not an Hair of your Head shall perish neither shall you be detained in Prisons and desolate Holes any longer than I have determined shall be for your eternal Good and
the Glory of my Name forever Therefore in my Life stand faithful in resistance of every evil Thought or whatever would cause you to murmer or desire any thing but what you know will advance the Glory of my Name and the Exaltation of my Truth over all that riseth up against it in your being truly subject to the measure of my Light and Life that will not let any seek a Pre-eminence or esteem amongst Men neither let Self-striving nor Self-serving have power in any but in true Humility Love and Meekness watch one over another and let the strong take the weak by the Hand that you may all gently in Love Meekness and holy Fear dread my Name and serve one another that your Love may be manifest unto me saith the Lord your God and one unto another in the naked simplicity of your Spirits then will I make my Dwelling amongst you and with you and my dreadful and glorious Presence you shall all feel mightily in you and amongst you moving in the exercise of my Spirit to the Renown of my Name and the Comfort of one another and I will Crown you with heavenly Blessings and the Glory of my Powerful Life and you shall praise my Name forever that I made you my Jewels and counted you worthy to suffer for the Testimony of my Name I will go before you through all the Waters and Floods of Afflictions and I will appear with you before all the Counsels of the Sons of Men and my saving Power shall compass you about in your hot and sharp Afflictions all you who have your Confidence alone in me the LORD your GOD. Therefore trust in my Name ye my dear Children and cast all your care upon me And if any of you joyfully suffer the Spoiling of your Goods I will supply with what is needful for you and yours And if any of you seal your Testimony in the Word of my Patience with your Blood I will take care of your tender Wives and Children or Parents for whom your Souls have been poured forth in Prayers unto me for their good Therefore hear my Word which is sounded unto you from the Throne of my Grace and eternal Glory Rejoyce not too much in Spirits being made subject but throw down your Crowns before me that there be not a Self-seeking Self-serving Spirit in the Family of my People but all feel the Birth Immortal raised up in the Resurrection of my Life in you all which truly makes Self of no Reputation so that all Loftiness be laid low and all Haughtiness bowed down in every one that I the Lord God in you all may be loved obeyed and exalted who is taking and will take to me my greaâ— Power to exalt the Meek upon the Earth and reign over all the Pride of the Children of men that is exalted above my Witness in their Conscience that so my Sons may be brought from far and my Daughters from the ends of the Earth in the sight of all People whom I will make to confess in Subjection to my Power That you are the beloved People of the most high God and of the righteous Seed which the Lord hath Blessed and not any Weapon formed against you shall prosper but come to nought which will be hastened for your Comforts and certainly performed according to what is here declared to your Eternal Joy and you shall assuredly know the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it The Word of the Lord before expressed came to me in the Prison-House in Warwick the 13 th day of the first Month 1664. which constrained me to send it to be read amongst you dear faithful and suffering People of the Almighty God in whom I remain your Brother and Companion in Tribulation and Kingdom of Patience in the Lord Iesus Christ. W. D. Oh thou beloved Seed of God in London Hartford Bristol Redding and Colchester with all in other Places where the Power of Hell and Darkness is begun to make War in the fierceness of his Wrath and great Fury as though he would destroy and utterly lay waste ALL you dear Children born again of the Royal Seed who is raised up in the Power of the most High to bear the Name of the Lord in the Earth and to shine forth in the lively Image of his own Nature amongst the People in your loving the Lord Jesus better then all the World and the created objects and enjoyments therein and in this day of your great Trial you are found faithful in the Name of the Lord to withstand all the Power of Hell and Darkness and to make War in Righteousness neither with Sword nor Spear but in the Word of the Patience of the Lamb of God who overcame and was made perfect in sufferings Oh you chosen Vessels whom the Lord â—ath counted worthy to stand in the heat of the Trial in the excellent noble Life to bear your Testimony with the hazard of the loss of your estates and Liberty even to Banishment yea to lay down your lives if the Lord require it at your Hands to the comforting and incouraging of all your dear Brethren whose eyes are upon you and their Prayers and Breathings to the Lord for you that he may carry you on with boldness and sweeten your Passage until in faithfulness you have finished what is determied of the Lord in drinking of this Cop he is handing unto you that he may make you manifest to be his dear and chosen Jewels to the perfecting of the praise and glory of the Name of our God over all blessed forever Oh you valiant Brethren and beloved Sisters cloathed with the excellency of the glory of the incomprehensible God lift up your Heads in the Name of the Lord trample upon all the fear of Man and upon aâ—l the Representations of hardships of parting with dear and tender Wife or loving Husband or with your dear and tender Children which lyes near to the Hearts of loving Parents Oh how doth the compassion of a Father flow forth towards them and the earning of the Bowels of a tender and loving Mother towards the dear and tender Children when the Trial looks in the Face of being separated from them and to see their Faces no more Dear chosen Vessels of the most high God let not any of these things enter into you as to trouble or weaken your Testimony for the Lord who hath commanded me to write unto you to cast your care upon the Lord and be faithful in standing approved before him in your faithful Testimony he will be more then Wife to Husband or Husband to Wife or Parents to Children or Children to Parents yea he will instruct our Children with his Spirit and teach them his Fear though they should be in the Hands of their Enemies so that our Children shall not want the thing that is good for them The Lord hath sealed his Counsel to me which I here declare unto you Parents of tender Children whose Trial is
by his eternal and pure Wisdom according to the Counsel of his own Will and his Name alone may be honoured in you in his ordering of you who alone is worthy of all Honour Glory and Power and Praise for evermore W. D. THis is the Word of the living God to you his dear Children all be Faithful on your watch in the Light wait to dwell in the Power of the Living dreadful God and in it stand armed against self in all its appeareance that in the mighty Power you may tread upon your own Heads that Christ Jesus may be Head in you all that you in him may reign Kings upon the Earth to trample upon the Earthly Spirit in all its appearances in you and without you I charge you and command you in the Presence of the Living God consult not with Flesh and Blood which draws into disobedience and unbelief and fills you full of hard thoughts of God I charge you lend not an Ear to that wicked Spirit but diligently incline your Ear to the Counsel of Jesus Christ and in him all walk faithfully according to the measure of Light to answer the charge and care that 's laid upon every one in your measure and meet often together in the Name and Power of the Lord to wait in the silence of your Spirits by his mighty Power to Manifest it self in you and watch one over another with a pure single Eye and let no hard thoughts lodge in your Brests one towards another I charge you and command you in the Presence of the living God judge them out with the Light and when you see any draw back be faithful in ministring to the pure in them to raise up â—he Seed to restore them again and then forgive one another your offences which is done one to another as Christ Jesus hath forgiven you and be tender affectioned one towards another and exhort one another in love to the Building up in your most holy Faith that you all may rejoyce together in the eternal unity in that which is pure begotten of God and God Almighty be with you his dear Babes and Children and you in it keep in the unity of the Spirit and bond of Peace where I am with you my dear Hearts saluting you all in the Bowels of eternal Love. W. D This was I moved write the 7 th of the 10 th Month when I was in Wellinâ—gborow in Northamtonshire where the Lords Work is great in gathering his Children together there awayes and in Leastershire and in Buckinghamshire Dear Friends ANd Children of the everlasting God and Father of Light and Life all in his Light wait for his living Power to manifest it self in you to guide you in every thought word and action in obedience to his will that you may all shine forth in the brightness of his Glory in a pure Conversation that so you may every one of you be Lights to the dark World that they may see your good Works and glorifie your Heavenly Father who hath in his tender love plucked you as Brands forth of the Fire and hath looked on you in Mercy and hath counted you worthy to be Witnesses of his great and glorious Name for which sake he hath chosen you unto himself that you might be a People to his praise and glory every one of you in your measures to bear his Name in righteousness this is the Word of the Lord to you all that every one of you be Faithful in your Measure that as you have received Christ Jesus so to walk in him in giving your selves to him that he may guide you by his Power I charge you and command you all in the Presence of the living God to be faithful upon your watch and in the pure Light wait believing in the Name of Jesus Christ to save you from all hard thoughts of God and all unrighteousness and to establish your Souls in righteousness and peace where you will all be united together in the unity of the Spirit and Bond of Peace God Almighty be with you and in his Eternal Power keep you all bold valiant and faithful unto the end that you may all sit down in the eternal rest prepared for you in the Lord Jesus where I am with you all that are faithful forever in the Lord whose Prayers to God is that not any of you draw back to perdition but that you all wait in the Light believing in the Name Christ Jesus to the saving of your Souls And the power of the dreadful God rest upon you all and establish you in his Love and Life that you may rejoyce forever in his Presence and there I am with you in the eternal Unity W. D. Dear Friends BE not troubled at the Lords disposing of us in suffering the Devil to cast us into Prison for with you we are in the Liberty of the Spirit in the eternal unity which cannot be separated I have declared to you of the Lords ordring of us to his Praise and Glory On the 10th day of the 11th Month Iofeph Storr my fellow Prisoner and I was carried forth of the Prison to the Sessions which was holden at Northhamton there was Iohn Parker that did fine my Brother Thomas Aldam and more called Justices who were in great enmity against the Truth But the Wittnesses that had sworn against me as they said for Blasphemy did not appear against me the Lord smit them with terror the lying Spirit durst not appear then they were confounded in that they charged against me And there was many Friends appeared in much boldness for the Truth one Justice Crutt and Iames Nagill who is great in the outward where there dwellings are in Bickering Park in Bedfordshire and one Edward Hackney an Atturney at Kettency in North-hamtonshire there had not been above three Meetings with me yet the enmity of Iohn Parker and these with him required Bonds-men of me to be bound for me for they said I had writ strange Papers to the Lord Protector if I would not find Men to be bound for me I should to Prison again I then required of them to read me a Law I had transgressed but they would not answer but called for Bonds-men I answered there shall not any be bound for us hear is our Bodies do with them what you have power to do they commanded the Jaylor to take us away we were not suffered to speak any more but taken and put into Prison and a Copy of our Mittimus we cannot have but was denyed both of the Jaylor and of the men called Justices when it was demanded of them in the open Court but the wrath of man turns to the Praise of God for the Truth of God was much spread abroad that day and a mighty thirst was raised up in the Hearts of many towards the Name of the Lord Praises forever be to him whose ways are past finding out he takes the wise in their own Craft and overturns them in their
sturdy Oakes that stand in pride of their own conceits but hath no Root so let them not speak of the Scriptures but bring them to the Witness to which they can witness of the Scripture so will the breath of the eternal Spirit of the living God speaking in you from the Power of the Lord that hath sealed his love to your Spirits raze up the Sandy Foundation so will the House and the sturdy Oakes and the tall Cedars fall and the Serpent in all his windings and twistings his Head will be bruised and all deceits overturned and your Souls preserved pure and clean and the Name of the Lord honoured who doth accompany the Witness of the Spirit with his own Power and abiding in his Power you shall reign Kings upon the Earth and the Lord God almighty be with you all you Sons and Daughters of the most high God and carry you all on in his eternal and mighty Power faithful unto the end that ye may receive the Crown of eternal Glory which is laid up for you in the Lord Iesus Christ and there you will fare well and I shall remain with you for ever in the Lord. W. D. DEar Friends meet often together in the Name and fear of the living God and take heed of Words see that the Witness speaks which will cut down your own wills and it will minister to the Witness in others to the slaying of their wills and take heed of watching over one another with an evil Eye to spy out one anothers weakness and declare it to others and discover their nakedness thou that art here art cursed Ham and the Wrath of God will be revealed upon thee but watch one over another with a pure single Eye and if thou see the pure in Bondage in any one by the deceit whisper thou not behind their back to others but let the Witness in thee which sees the deceit and suffers with the pure that is pressed down by it let it declare and witness forth the minde of the living God against the deceit and it will cut it down and the pure holy Seed will be set at Liberty and thy Conscience will be kept clean unto the Lord in discharging thy Duty and so will thy Captivated Brother or Sister be restored again forth of the Hand of the Destroyer and then thou wilt have union together in that which is pure for ever in the Lord And the eternal God of Power keep you all his dear Children in his pure Wisdom to walk faithfully with him and one with another and the blessing of the Lord God almighty be with you all for ever Amen William Deusbery MY dear Friends this is the Word of the Lord to you all whom my Father hath chosen out of the World in his eternal Love to make known his Power in you thus saith the Lord to you Look not back but Iudge that mind with my pure Word I have Enlightened your Consciences withal for the exercising of them towards me and towards men And I command you my Children stand in my pure Counsel and look up to me and I will accompany you with my Power and will make the way plain before you in bringing down that which is untoward in you and disobedient to my Will so my Ways will not be burdensom and my Commandments grievous to you my dear Children and this is my Word to you Cast off whatever I have let you see is offensive to my Will that so your Souls may rest in the Bosom of my Love that I may carry you on in the Arms of my eternal Power faithful unto the end and Crown you with glory which I have laid up for you in the Lord Iesus sleight not my Counsel but be valiant and bold for the glory of my Name saith the Lord God and be not hasty to utter words before me but let your words be few and savory at all times ministring Grace to all that hears you that my Name may be honoured in all you my dear Children in all your words and actions then I will accompany you with my powerful presence and will make you a terror to all evil doers One to chase a Thousand and Five to put Ten Thousands to flight so will I get my self a glorious Name in the manifestation of my Power in you my Sons and Daughters who stands faithful in my Counsel and walks in my Fear and your Souls shall be refreshed in the Fountain of my Love in the Lord Iesus where you shall reign for ever in my presence Meet often together to wait upon me in the fear of my Name and watch one over another in love and I will be with you my dear Children to order you in my pure Wisdom to the praise and glory of my great Name saith the Lord God almighty Written from the Spirit of the Lord to be sent abroad amongst Friends to be Read at their Meetings William Deusbery THE DISCOVERY Of the great Enmity of the SERPENT Against the Seed of the Woman which witnesseth against him where he Rules both in Rulers Priests and People whose hearts are now made manifest in this great day of the Lords Power wherein he is sending his Sons and Daughters in the Power of his Spirit to run to and fro to declare his Word Which Discovereth the state of England who according to her own lusts hath heaped up Teachers to her self that hath spoken smooth things to her calling her the beautiful Church and Spouse of Christ but in the day of tryal she is found in Enmity to Christ in his appearance in his Children and to be in the estate deluded from the Spirit of Truth Recorded in 2 Tim. 4.2 3. Which cannot indure sound Doctrine having itching Ears and turns them away from the Truth to Fables and now are Englands Teachers tryed she hath heaped up to her self and their Doctrine proved and their Ministry made manifest in the great Enmity they manifest against Christ in Persecuting the Bodies of his Saints them to destroy whom he hath sent to Preach freely his eternal Word for which they are Stoned Beaten and Imprisoned and many of Englands Teachers whom she upholds stirs up the People so to do Being deceived not regarding what is spoken that neither Fornicator nor Idolater nor an Adulterer nor Effeminate nor Abuser of themselves with mankind nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revellers nor Extortioners shall Inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 10. A true Testimony of him the World knows by name William Deusbery and in scorn calld Quaker who hath been by them Imprisoned in York Darby Leicester and Northampton where he is now kept in the common Goal for the Word of God and Testimony of Iesus Christ. Also his Call to the Ministry of the everlasting Gospel by the still voice of the Spirit of God and his mighty Power destroying with the flaming Sword the disobedient that would not stand in his Counsel and causing the Soul to submit to
he hath called and chosen to be faithful to him in his eternal Power rejoyce who will you all keep in that day in rest and peace in the ancient of days who shall sit to judge the Beast and the Whore their Kingdom to break down and destroy in his eternal judgement for evermore and will Rule over them by the Arm of his mighty Power and of his Dominion there shall be no end for to him it belongs forevermore Meet often together in the fear of the Lord his Power to manifest in you to his praise who is worthy forever Amen I charge and command all in the presence of the Lord God who make mention of his Name that you speak not at any time to any in your own will or to one another or to any without or to exhort them when you are guilty of the same thing in the exalted Spirit out of the Cross be silent thou Fool first judge thy self with the Light and in the Power dwell to cast the Beam out of thy own Eye and that thy own House be kept in order then wilt thou see clearly to take out the Mote out of thy Brothers Eye and how to exhort others how to walk in order to the Spirit of Truth and watch over one another with a single Eye All you that fear the Name of the Lord in tender love bear one anothers Burthens and exhort one another to build up one another in your most holy Faith God almighty be with you all his faithful Servants and Children and in his eternal Power keep you in himself that in him you may grow up in his pure nature to bear his Name in righteousness that his Image may be written in your Foreheads that all that sees you may know you to be the righteous Seed the Lord hath blessed his eternal Power preserve you and keep you and build you up in the purity of the Spirit and bond of Peace where I am with you in the eternal unity and in the unchangable Love and Life William Deusbery From Northampton Goal the 19 th of the 3 d Month 1655. A TRUE PROPHECIE OF THE Mighty Day of the Lord. Which is coming and is appeared in the North of England and is arising towards the South and shall over-spread this Nation and all Nations of the World. WHEREIN The Lord is redeeming Sion forth of her long inthral'd Captivity in Babylons Kingdom where she hath been scattered in the cloudy and dark day into Forms and Observations and there kept by the Priests and Teachers of the World who ran when God never sent them Now is the Lord appearing in this day of his mighty Power to gather his elect together out of all Forms and Observations Kindreds Tongues and Nations and is making up his Jewels his mighty Host and exalting Jesus Christ to be King of Kings to lead his Army he hath raised up in the North of England and is marched towards the South in the mighty power of the living Word of God which is sharp as a two-edged Sword to cut down High and Low Rich and Poor Priests and People and all the Powers of darkness in the Land and all the World over that are fruitless Trees that cumbers the ground defiles the Flesh and walks in disobedience to the righteous Law of God the pure Light in the Conscience For who falls on this Stone shall be broken but on whom it falls shall be ground to Powder So shall this Nation and all the Nations of the World be Conquered and the Victory witnessed neither by Sword nor Spear but by the Spirit of the Lord. A Word from the Lord to all the Inhabitants of England Rulers Priests and People to haste to meet the Lord with speedy Repentance and returning within to hearken diligently to his Counsel the pure Light of Christ in your Conscience to be guided by his Power else you shall perish in your gain-sayings For if his anger be kindled a little blessed are all they that trust in him O England who lies in the faln and lost estate separated from the true and living God by thine Iniquities notwithstanding all thy Profession of his Name in outward Forms and Observations Repent Repent and turn unto the Lord God Almighty who waits on thee to be gracious unto thee and to make thee the glory of all the Nations of the World if thou wilt diligently hearken unto his Counsel the Light that is in the Conscience of every one to wait in it upon the Lord God that he may guide thee by his Power And this I have to declare unto thee from the Lord which he hath made known unto me concerning thee O England certain years ago when the everlasting Covenant of Life was confirmed unto my Soul in the Lord Jesus Christ that I should go with the ransomed of the Lord unto Sion I enquired of my God to manifest unto me where Sion was that I might return thither to worship him in Spirit and Truth there being so many confused cries in thee O England who professes to worship the only true God some saying Lo here is Christ in the Presbyterian practice so called and the Independants so called cries Lo he is here and the Anabaptists so called saying Lo he is here and others in outward Forms saying He is here according as Christ foretold that the time would come when they shall say Lo here is Christ and lo there as it is fulfilled in thee but Christ saith Believe them not look not forth for the Kingdom of Heaven is within And as the Lightning that shineth out of the one part under Heaven and shineth unto the other part under Heaven even so shall the Son of Man be in his day And this I witness and while I was waiting on my God to make known unto me where Sion was the Word of the Lord came unto me with witness to my spirit that Christ was not divided and that there was no rent in his Garment For the Lord is one and his People one and that all thy outward Forms of Worship O England where thou art waiting for Christ in Observations is contrary to his Will for Christ saith The Kingdom of God is not in Observations neither shall they say lo here or lo there for behold the Kingdom of God is within you And that all thy strict observing of thy outward Forms is but imitating the Saints practices in thy babylonish heathenish Wisdom so there is nothing but confusion in thee and that all thy outward Forms is the outward Court which is without the Temple that the Angel was not to measure for it is given unto the Gentiles and the holy City shall they tread under foot and this was made known unto me from the Lord my God to be the estate and condition thou stoodst and doest stand in O England in all thy outward Forms and Observations Having a Form of Godliness but denying the
have been Persecuted and some cast into Prison by their power and this is the Beast that had power to give Life to the Image that the Image of the Beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not Worship the Image of the Beast should be killed and this is fulfilled that when the Beast received his deadly wound with the Sword of the righteous Justice of God then did the other Beast which was the power that Raigned after him give life to the Image of the Beast that the Image of the Beast spoke and this was fulfilled in giving power to the unrighteous Laws where the Priests and unrighteous Lawyers and Judges that Iudge for Rewards that as many as would not worship the Beast in obeying the will of proud flesh must be Killed cast into Prison and there Starve and be broken to pieces and by the power of proud Nebuchadnezar's nature must be cast into places some into close Prison by the wrath of proud flesh and must neither Buy nor Sell to have any benefit of the Law but he that hath the mark of the Beast and the number of his Name Here is the Patience and Faith of the Saints And you Saints of the most high God stand in his Will for these words are sealed up until the time of the end and you shall stand in the Lot at the end of the days Here is Wisdom Let him that hath understanding count the number of the Beast for it is the number of a Man and his number is six Hundred threescore and six Now if you hold up this glorious Image which was set up by Nebuchadnezar's nature proud flesh in human wisdom which that Image spoken of in Daniel was but a tipe and figure of this which now shines gloriously in Forms and Observations and deny the Life and Power of Jesus Christ you will be found to be the strength and glory of this great Image And this I declare unto you from the eternal God of Power You shall be overturned as all that have gone before you which have set up this great Image and caused all both small and great to bow down and worship it The Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hand shall smite this glorious Image and break it to pieces and it shall become like the Chaff of the Summer Threshing-Floor and the Wind shall carry it away and no place shall be found for it and the Stone that smites the Image shall become a great Mountain and shall fill the whole Earth O be valiant for the Truth upon Earth ye Rulers of England and give over building up Sion with Blood and Ierusalem with Iniquity as it hath been in this Nation by all that upheld this Image which the Lord hath overturned and cast out before you and is still held up by you The Heads thereof judge for Reward and the Priests teach for Hire and the Prophets thereof divine for Money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst us no evil can come upon us O prize your time and stand steadfast in the Counsel of the Lord the Light in your Consciences hearken unto it let it alone guide you in all your Counsel that Christ may be Head in you all then will the glory of God be the end of all your undertakings and you will remove this filthy and abominable thing out of the sight of the Lord the Judges that judge for Rewards and the Lawyers that plead for Money and the Priests that teach for Hire and set over the People to judge their Causes Men fearing God and hateing Covetousness to judge their Causes without Rewards and that the People may be taught freely without Money or Price by the free Spirit of Christ in the Hearts of his Saints who cannot but declare freely as we have freely received Then will the mighty Power of God go along with you in all your ways if you will stand in his Counsel and walk in his fear to depart from all evil which is the beginning of Wisdom and your names will become a sweet savour through the power of the Lord among his Saints as all the names of the Righteous are and you shall partake of the glory of the Lord which he is manifesting to his chosen People in this Nation which he hath chosen to make known his Power in exalting the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and will make it the glory of all the Nations in the World and the mighty God of Power will be unto us Salvation for Walls and Bulwarks and we shall sit under our Vines and Fig-trees and none shall make us afraid And this shall be the Portion of your Cup if you will deny your selves and diligently hearken to the Counsel of the Lord the Light in your Consciences to which I speak which shall eternally witness the Truth declared unto you For the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it who hath raised up his own Seed in his People in this Nation which cannot cleave to this great Image which was set up by those that were in the place where you are which the Lord hath overturned and cast out in his Indignation and is not yet taken away by you and while you uphold it the anger of the Lord is kindled against you There is no peace to the Wicked saith my God. This is the day that the God of Heaven will set up his own Kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdom shall not be left unto other people but shall stand for ever and ever Here I have cleered my Conscience in declaring unto you what my God hath made known unto me concerning you and the Nation which shall shortly come to pass He that hath an Eye to see let him see and he that hath an Ear to hear let him hear To all you unrighteous Judges that judge for Rewards and Lawyers that plead for Money who devour the Creation and set people at variance destroy many Families and delight in unrighteousness and to all Oppressors high and low who grind the faces of the Poor and causes them to groan under your Cruelty and Oppression hear the Word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God Howl and Weep for the misery which is coming upon you for the cry of the Oppressed hath entered into the Ears of the Lord and he is coming to render vengeance upon you and set the Oppressed free For the rust of your Money and Gold shall eat your Flesh as it were Fire for you have heaped up Treasures for the last day and ye shall be cut down ye fruitless Trees that cumber the ground and cast into the Lake for it is the place prepared for you and for all fearful and unbelieving and the Abominable and Murtherers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers Idolaters and all Lyars shall have their part
the week there was a Meeting where it was said there might be two Thousand My God was mighty in his Power to the glory of his Name If God will I may be at Justice Cripse's in Gloustershire the next third day and at Slettingford twelve Miles from Bristol the fourth day if God-will I may be at Bristol the sixth or the first day being the 18th of this Month further then as my freedom is in my moving in the Lord the presence of God keep you with me in his Life and all the Elect faithful to the end Amen W. D. Dear Friends IN the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ walk to reign over all contrary to the Light that in the Light and glory of God you may all shine forth living Witnesses of the Name of the everlasting holy pure God who hath looked on you in his tender love to gather you in the Everlasting Power of God to stand against all deceit blessed are you thaâ— are faithful in obeying the Light of Christ to foâ—low him in the Cross and straight way of self-denial you are my Brethren and Sisters in the Lord Jesus our Captain over all he will Crown you with his Almighty Power to stand in Faith and Patience to follow him until every tongue that lifts up it self against you shall fall in Judgment withal that stumble at Christ Jesus our Life and Light who will gather a large People to himself in that Country many shall come in that is yet wandering upon the Mountains where they find no rest Blessed are all you that abide and walk faithful with the Lord whom he hath called and chosen in the Light to be the first Fruits what ever ariseth contrary to the Light within or without watch to the Light you will descern stay your Hearts on the Lord in the Light holding fast your Confidence in the Lord he will deliver you forth of all contrary to the Light and cause you to rejoyce in the daily Cross to the crucifying you to the World and the World to you and over the World will cause you to rejoyce withal its pomps and glory and evil therein you shall over it stand in the Power of God to his Praise and Glory even so be it with you all in the Almighty Power of God in whom my Soul salutes you that faithfully walk humbly before the Lord in Obedience to his Counsel the Light. DEar Lambs called in the Light to lye down in the safe Fold of rest in Christ our life in the tender bowels of love in him I beseech you that you be faithful in meeting together in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and diligently watch to know your own measure of Grace in Christ him to feel in you to judge your thoughts and every vain Imagination that over them you may reign and delight in the refreshing of his presence and all take heed of many words at all times let them be few but what is from the savory Spirit of Life in Christ the Light in him the blessing of the Lord rest on you all for evermore there to farewel with me in the everlasting love of the Father in Christ the Light Amen W. D. Given forth the 24 th of the 7 th Month 1658 at Leeth near Edenborough Scotland Let Copies of this carefully be written and sent to the Churches when they are met together in the Fear of God to be read amongst them Dear Friends BRethren and Sisters called in the Light to feel the Power of Almighty God burying self in the Death and raising up his own immortal Birth of himself in all your Hearts which hungereth and thirsteth after his Righteousness and cannot be satisfied but in the Light of the Countenance of the Eternal God of Heaven Grace and Peace be multiplied to you all in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ the Light c. This to you all is the Word of the Lord God to watch diligently to the Light that you may see all the workings of the Enemy who would draw you from the Light and as the Lord discoveâ—eth him judge him in all his appearances with the Light that you may be kept out of all his Temptations that the Power of God you may all feel guiding of you that not any receive the knowledge of the Truth in the wrong ground as many have done who have received the knowledge of the Truth and for want of the watch to the Light the false birth in them raiseth its self with what is known and received in the day of tenderness and so hath run out in a drunken hard Spirit spending the Talent upon the lust out of Gods fear so hath grieved the Spirit of the Lord and burthened his dear People and hear is the ground of all that came out with us and go from us and are not of us who in the day of their coming forth were tender and at that time God manifested himself in measure but not watching to the Light the Enemy entered and the false birth rise in its strength and enriched it self with Gods gift then the Swine got the Pearl and turned again and all to rend so here is the ground of strife that hath been or ever shall be with all that came out in the acknowledgment of Truth and flee the true Judgment of God from his witness in their own particulars and through his People in whom he dwelleth All dear Children of God who love the Light prize the Mercy of the everlasting Father of Light who hath counted you worthy to wait upon him watch watch to the Light that the Judgment of the Lord may pass upon the first Man which is of the Earth that he may truely be buried into the one Baptism into the death that the birth Immortal you may feel generated in you by the working of the Immortal Word the true Birth which makes self of no reputation which humbleth self in the Cross and Thirsts and Hungers in you for the presence of the Lord or otherwise you cannot live fear you not you Children of my Father lift up your Heads in the Light of the Lord for the Bowels of the God of Heaven earns towards you stay your Hearts upon him in the Light and the Lord will rebuke the furious Enemy of your peace he will not break the bruised Reed neither will he quench the smoking Flax until he hath brought Judgment forth into Victory so let not any of you be bowed down any longer but all arise arise in the Light of the Lord God hold fast your confidence in the measure of the Light of Jesus and the Enemy of your peace he will rebuke and all unbelief and deceit he will throw down and raise you in the strength of his own Life to delight in the strait way of self-denial and the daily Cross where the Immortal Babe will receive the Crown of the Glory of the Lord and in the light of his Countenance shall be refreshed forever
as an Act of Justice now if thou let Bonds be laid no more upon the Consciences of the people of God but as before written they may serve their God in free liberty of his Spirit thou wilt then find a hiding-place in this terrible day of Vengeance which will be manifest in England and so to the astonishment of all the World for not any Man that lives contrary to God but he shall roar under the heavy Judgments of the fiery wrath of the Lamb of God whom the Father will reveal in Flames rendering Vengeance upon all that know him not and obey not the Gospel of Jesus Christ for God will make England as the Garden of Eden and Wickedness shall not reign therein then shall it be a blessing to all Nations and thou shalt know assuredly he is faithful and true who hath revealed these things to his Servant that desireth thy everlasting felicity and happiness in thy obedience to Christ Jesus the Light who lighteth every Man that cometh into the World and now is the Father revealing him to Judge every one according to the deeds done in the Body c. W. D. Dear Friends and Sisters BOrn of the birth of the immortal Seed of the most high God who hath not any Life but in his presence nor refreshment but in the Light of his Countenance you are the Children of the day-spring which is from on high lift up you Heads in the Light of the everlasting Covenant in it feel the drawings of the love of the Father whose Bowels earns towards you who hath remembered you in all your Retâ—rements Mournings Crys and Tears in the days when you were weeping and seeking the Lord your God seeking the way to Sion with your Faces thitherwards now in the acceptable day of the Lord in the Light hath he gathered you that you might satisfie the thirst of your Souls and the hunger of you Spirits in the Ocean and Fountain of Life which is opened for you all to drink yea drink abundantly of the infinite Mercies of the Eternal God oh feel the earnings of his Bowels that when you were Enemies he gave his only Son for you and now he spreads his Arms forth in this day of acceptance to imbrace every Prodigal and set free every Captive and purge every Conscience and wash every Garment of those that cannot live but in his pure Life Oh the strength of the Bowels and Mercies of the God of all Compassions who hath resisted the proud and given Grace to the Humble who hath opened his Ear to the Cry of the Poor and hath heard the Groans of the Needy and hath prepared his Table and richly furnished it with the fatness of his House that all that cannot live without him may in his Light return and wait upon him and he will imbrace you in the Marriage union in Christ Jesus in whom he will Cloath you with the wedding Garment of his own righteousness in the power of his love you all his dear Children to sit down and eat and drink the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ which will fill you with vertue and cause you to grow fruitful Branches in the Vineyard of God in whom the Father will crown you with the Glory of his pure Liâ—e and cloath you with the Garment of Innocency and beautifie you with the excellency of his Majesty to grow in eternal Unity to finish your Testimony in faithfulness to the Lord God in his Light over all blessed forever And all you chosen Jewels of the Lord whom he hath made up in this his powerful Day to stand living Witnesses of his glorious Name in the sight of all People and Nations of the World whom the Lord calls to bear your Testimony in the glorious Resurrection of his Life which he hath raised up in 〈◊〉 in his Light as moved of the Lord arise in his 〈◊〉 every one to clear your Spirits with boldness in his Innocent Life let no difficulty stand before you in the Majesty of the Power of God tread down Sathan under your feet that would let or hinder any of you that are truely constrained of the Lord to declare his Name in any Country Nation or Island where the Lord God leads for the mighty God will prosper you that retain the sence of your poverty as in self that his powerful Life may stream forth in the glory of his own brightness to the enlightning of the People that have sat in Darkness that in the path of Life they may walk to the Praise of the Mighty God. And all you called of God from the least to the highest growth wait in the Power of the endless Life of the most high to cover you in it be valiant to keep your Meetings in the Name of the Lord that every one may feel the streams of the Fountain of Virtue in Christ the Light refreshing you all and filling you his Vessels with the Vertue of his heavenly Life And when the Living God fills you with the overcoming Power of his Love and moves any of you in the broken Heart and contrition of Spirit to offer up the Sacrifice of Prayer or Praises or any other exercise in the Congregation of his holy People This is laid upon me in the Name of the Lord to lay it upon thee whoseever thou art that thou quench not his Spirit let the Lord God glorifie his name thorow thee let not thy mind look out from the Lord as to mind the presence of any of his there for streightning of thee in thy obedience to God and in thy faithfulness thy Talent shall be increased so look not at thy weakness but at Gods strength and at thy clearness before the Lord and this in the Name of the Lord I lay upon every particular Soul to wait in singleness for the Lord to exercise thee with clearness in his sight in every motion and breathing of thy Spirit in the measure life received of God for he is come to silence all Flesh and set Israel free in the strength of his Life to deliver his Captives and to cause the Fetters to fall off that which hath been bound to lift up the Head which hath been bowed down in Israel and to loose the Tongue of the Dumb to cause the Mouths of the Babes to praise him and the Tongues of the Sucklings to speak forth his wonderful works So arise you that have groaned for a day of freedom and you that have been as Vessels ready to burst for want of venting and have said in your Hearts I fear I shall not be born so hast thou gone in mournfulness of thy spirit as a child disobedient to thy God but let it be so no more least thy Talent be taken from thee So all Children keep your Eye with God and with clearness answer him in every motion in his everlasting Power then will the Lord cause his Light to shine in the brightness of his glory which will stop all forward and
the gathering the Brethren from far and the Sisters from the ends of the Earth who shall bless the Name of the Lord for ever for you that endure in faithfulness unto the end the Crown of glory shall rest upon you forever The eternal God in his everlasting Power keep you in the deep Life of his Son in unity to finish your Testimony to his Glory Farewel W. D. Given forth in Newgate Prison London the 13 th day of the 12 th Month 1661. Dear Lambs keep in the unity in the Life and Power of God and let your words be few W. D. Dear Friends THe Eternal God of rest and peace is amongst you in him Rule over all that would draw from the everlasting Power and peace in God his peace be with you in his Light Power and Life to establish you that in the first love you grow in unity and in it reign to the endless praises and glory of the God of peace and the comfort of one another forever Even so be it with you saith my Soul in the Name of the Lord. Farewell W. D. London Newgate Prison the 12 th day of the 12 th Month 1661. Dear Brethren and chosen Vessels of my Father HOw do you comfort my Heart in your faithful obedience to the God of our Salvation lift up your Heads you blessed Lambs of the holy God dwell in his love and delight your Hearts in the Light of his Countenance continually and in the Life of the Lord let your love abound one towards another that in the strength thereof you may comfort one another in these trying days and with the Light judge every thought that would streighten you for drinking in the fulness of the vertue of God that so you may all fill your Hearts with gladness and keep the word of his patience till the time determined God will work your deliverance with all his Elect to his praise and glory forever Fare you well your Brother W. D. 25 th day 11 th Month 1661. Dear Brethren GReat is the charge that is committed to you as to your watchfulness over your own Hearts and the great people amongst whom you are placed Oh you Brethren walk in the unity in the Life of God it will be the great comfort of them chosen Jewels of God in that place the strength of the Life and Love of God will wait to cover you it will flow through you in the unity as a River to water the Garden of God and cause it to grow full of the fruit of the Spirit which is Love Joy Goodness Peace against which their is no Law so â—hall your names be honorable in Israel and many shall bless and praise the Name of the Lord for your watchfulness meekness and lowliness and tender love in the Power of God to build the decay'd Walls of Sion and repair her desolate places to the rejoycings of all that love the Lord our God. His Powerful Presence be with you and bind you up as one in his Life in all your undertakings for the comfort of Sion and the Blessing of the Almighty God be with you and rest upon you to his Glory forever Your Brother W. D. From Newgate Prison the 5 th day of the 9 th month 1661. This was writ and directed to several Friends in Bristol Dear Friends in God ALL in the measure abide that in the unlimitted power and life in his Kingdom you stand to keep your dominion in his heavenly authority these trying days wherein Husband is called to forsake Wife Wife Husband Parents Children and Children Parents and other Creature-enjoyments for the Testimony of the Name of the Lord so all you Families of God that are or shall be called to bear your Testimony prize the mercy of the Lord who hath made you his chosen Jewels and the first-fruits amongst many Brethren to fulfil the measure of the sufferings that is yet behind in the name and power of the Lord Jesus arise whether Husband Wife Parents or Children in bonds or out of bonds and take to you the sharp threshing Instrument which is the Power of God that you may thresh inwardly all the Mountains of thoughts fears or unbelief representation of all hardships and every desire and imagination that would draw from a peaceable rest in God in the Name of the Lord I lay it upon you be valiant for your Freedom and with the powerful Instrument of God thresh and bruise down the Mountains as chaff and dust and thresh upon the head of the great red Dragon the old Serpent the Devil and spare him not and be not afraid of encountering for mighty is the Lord that hath called you to conquer him so keep his head under with the threshing Instrument bruise down and keep under all that would disquiet you or draw you from your rest that so in peace in Christ you all may abide in a pure resignation to the will of the Father that in the Habitation of peace in his Kingdom you in his dominion reign over above and atop of all below the Light so wiâ—l your joy flow as a River your triumph and dominion in the authority of God over all the Mountains of this World within and without in the Mountain of the holy Life in Christ to reign admire and souâ—d out in the low minde and holy fear the new song with triumph over the Devil and his Angels and the accuser of the Brethren which you will see cast down and you shall tread upon him and bruise him under and all that would joyn with him with the sharp threshing Instrument the mighty Power of God which you have received in Christ the Light and in all things you do one for another let love abound in the Innocent Life in God doing as you would be done unto in the sight of God and you that are servants in Families which be in sufferings I lay it upon you be faithful that the good savour of God be found amongst you to the praise of the Lord and you that are out of bonds in what you may be assistant eveâ—y way as the Wisdom of God leads bearing one anothers burthens to fulfil the Law of Christ who is taking to him his great Power to reign forever even the strength of the mighty God be with you and lift up all your Heads in his Authority to stand and to keep the word of his Patience to finish your Testimony to the praise and glory of his Name over all blessed forever of whose Dominion there is no end in which you dear Lambs may feel me and read me in the Life which is hid from the World but known to you in the secrets of God where our eternal Joy and Triumph is for ever whatever becomes of the outward Man in the Will of God farewell yea farewell in the Name of the Lord. W. D. Given forth in Newgate Prison London the 3 d day of the 1 st Month 1661 62. Dear and chosen Vessels IN the
the glory of his Name and the comfort of one another which will cause you to prize the opportunities God gives to you not knowing how soon you may be deprived of them c. And be tender one over another and watch over one another with a pure single eye and every one see the Beam cast out of your own Eye before you go to spy a Moâ—e in others And if any Brother or Sister offend you that know speak to them privately in all tenderness to restore them and this know Whoever turns a Sinner from the error of his ways saves a Soul from Death and hides a multitude of Sins But if they will not hear take two or three more and speak to them again in the spirit of meekness waiting and seeking the Lord for their recovery but if they will not hear but persist in wickedness then acquaint the Church whom the Lord in his Wisdom will order to deal with them for his own glory And in all things you do I dearly beseech you do unto others as you would be done unto your selves that so you may all in your measures stand as Saviours upon Mount-Sion to the glory of the Lord in the power of his own Spirit which will cause the Whisperer Bcakbiter False-accuser and Tale-bearer to be clensed away and cast out of the House of the Lord that so in the good order of the Holy Spirit of our God we may all live that he alone in his Dominion may reign in us and amongst us whose Government is upon his Shoulders and all the Crowns of the Gory of Man cast down at his Feet that he may be exalted in ordering every member of the Body in their place and service to his everlasting Praise and Glory Even so dear Father carry on thy work in all the Churches of the Saints scattered over the face of the Earth that in the Eternal unity they may be established in the Lord being one and his Name one and all the contrary swept away with the Breath of thy Mouth and brightness of thy coming So come Lord Jesus take to thee thy great Power and reign in thy Authority in and amongst thy dear Children to the astonishment of the Nations and all people that are not born again and to the Exaltation of thy own Name and Kingdom over all who is worthy to reign blessed for ever and of whose Dominion there is no end And all you faithful Labourers in the Gospel of Christ who in true innocency travel in his Strength and seeks not any thing for your selves in what you do but to Glorifie the Lord in establishing his People in the living Unity in his own Spirit Oh blessed are you amongst the People my Soul Praises the Lord for you and blesseth his Name that ever he raised up such a Spirit in you that in all the greatest riches of the Spirit God gives to you yet you remain truly poor in your selves and in deep humilty become Servants to his People for the Lords sake and being poor you make many rich in that which will abide fresh and green in the Winter Storms and will not fade away in the Terrible Blasts which will come for the trial of his People and cause all Hearts to fail but what is born of his own nature Oh dearly beloved Brethren feel my Bowels of enlarged love which floweth to you in the Love and Life received and enioyed thorow death where there is no variableness nor shaddow of change I remain your Brother in the Word of his Patience to endure the Suffering according to his determination with all that love the Lord better then their lives W. D. Warwick the 14 th of the 10 th Month My dear Friends IN these trying days be not afraid of what Man can do whose Breath is in his Nostrils and lock up to the al-sufficiency of the Almighty God to stay your minds in him who hath counted you worthy to Suffer for him In all humility walk faithfully before him unto the end he is your reward and will give unto you a Crown of Life forever even so be it with you in the Name of the Lord is the breathing of my Soul for you whom my Soul loves and keep your Meetings in the Authority and Life of the meek and patient Spirit which wares out and overcomes all things that is not of its nature Read this in the fear of the Lord amongst Friends W. D. Warwâ—ck the 5 th of the 3 d Month 1671. For my dear Brethren George Whitehead A. Parker and Brethren concerned in the General Meeting My dear Brethren IN the Love of the Lord my Soul in the endeared Life of God is with you if the Lord had set my face to have been with you I should have been present in Body but I am ordered otherways having much upon me while the Door is open therefore my breathing to the Lord is that he may cover you in that Assembly with his Glory and heavenly Wisdom as I believe he will to the comfort of his People that so all Hearts may be gladed in feeling his pure Power and heavenly Refreshing in you My dear Brethren in the Light and Life of God whom my Soul loves and remains Your dear Brother in the Vnity of the Spirit of our dear Father who hath called us by his Name W. D. Bristol the 7 th day of the 3 d Month 1673. My dear Brethren Friends are generally in a sweet state with God in this City and where I have passed both to my comfort and yours in the Lord blessed be his Name forever Dear Brother IN the Covenant of Life in Christ our head my Soul salutes thee and simpathizeth with thee in thy exercise in thy Bonds with breathings to the Lord to sweeten all our ways what he calleth us unto with his living Presence to the perfecting of his glory forever Amen Dear George Fox I have been through many Counties in the North Countrey and the comfortable Persence of the Lord did manifest it self in all the Assemblies of his People to all our comfort in him our Head and Life blessed forever All was very peaceable and great Resort to Friends Meetings of all sorts of People and not any opposition but all Meetings parted in peace And it would be too tedious to mention the names of them that minded their Love to thee through all the Counties where I Travelled but generally all the Ancient Friends in Cumberland Northumberland Byshopprick and York-shire Darby-shire Notingham-shire Leicester-shire and in this Town desired to have their dear Love remembred to thee and the deep sence of thy Labour and Travel is fresh upon their Spirits which causeth many Prayers to be poured forth before the Lord if it be his good Will and Pleasure to give thee strength of Body and Liberty to Travel amongst them to their great comfort as in the days of old and years past but in the Will of our God our Souls rests with
in the Light as he is in the Light and so are Partakers of his Divine Nature and as he is so are we in this present World bearing his Name in his righteous Power guiding us in his Light Thought and Will which keeps us in the Heavenly Fellowship with the Father in the Son and one with another in him So all my dear Friends Brethren and Sisters who do witness proud ambitious Self buried in this Heavenly Baptism in Conformity to Christ in his Death and you made alive through Faith in Christ our Light and Life as you have received Christ so walk in him in all Humility and godly Fear and true Watchfulness that your own Thoughts Will and Unbelief have no Dominion over your Spirits but every Minute of Time as they appear through Faith in Christ the perfect Light and Life keep your Dominion and reign over them And thus in Christ being victorious over all Self in you you will reign as Kings in the Authority of the glorious Truth of God over all the Power of Darkness without you So whatever you suffer for the Testimony of the Name of Christ he takes it as done unto himself and better a Milstone were hanged about their Necks and they cast in to the Sea then hurt or offend the least of you my Brethren and Sisters who are regenerated and born again and your Confidence is in the Lord alone So in all your Sufferings whether spoiling Goods or imprisonments or whatever your Trials be from the Sons of Men that you meet withall for your Testimony in the Blessed Truth of God let nothing Discourage you but judge all your own Thoughts and in the Glorious Light and Life in Christ Jesus rest in Peace in the pure Contentation within the Gates of Sion where your Faith and Patience will so abound in you that you shall weary out all your Persecutors and the Blessing of the Aâ—mighty God will be upon your Families who are rent one from another to fulfil the Sufferings of the Body and you shall wear your Crowns who thus patiently wait in a Quiet Mind and Resigned Will And in the Word of the Lord I declare it to all you who suffer Imprisonment as is before written That all the Wrath of the Power of Darkness shall not be able to keep you an Hour longer then the King of Eternal Glory hath determined for the Renown of his Glorious Truth on Earth and your Comfort forever Therefore let Patience have its perfect work for in Peace are we to Conquer and in Quietness to Prevail over all that resist the rising of the King of Glory who liveth in us who hath been Dead but now Alive in whose Life keep your Habitation in the Word of Faith which is in our Hearts and in our Mouths and this is the Word of Faith we preach unto you and which you are to contend for against all Evil Attendances both within and without for by this Word of Faith are the Armies thaâ— would alienate your Souls from the Enjoyment of the Lord within you beaten back and overcome and the Mouth of the Roaring Lyon stopt and all the Fiery Darts of the Devil both within you and without you quenched therefore as the Valiants of Christ Jesus in his Name and Nature contend for the Faith which is delivered unto us his Saints for this is our Victory that overcomes the World even our Faith as it was with our Brethren of old in Ages past I have fought a good Fight I have kept the Faith henceforth is laid up for Me a Crown of Eternal Glâ—ry And here iâ— our Fellowship with the Father in the Son and one with another in him and all dear Brethren and Sisters in this Word of Faith keep your Meetings both valiantly and faithfully that so none of you be found forsaking the assembling of your selves as the manner of some is who are out of the Word of Faith but as the Lord hath counted you worthy to be his Dwelling-place on Earth and his Tabernacle amongst the Children of Men Prize every Oportunity the Lord affordeth you to meet together in his Powerful Holy Name with the Loins of your Minds girt up with the Word of Faith in you which will empty you of Self and cloth you with the Garment of deep Humility and fill you with the Riches of his Everlasting Love and Endless Mercies for God dwelleth with the Humble but the Proud he beholds afar off So without Faith in the Name of Christ and a Humble Spirit the In-dwelling Presence of the King of Eternal Glory you cannot enjoy Therefore I charge you in the Name of the Lord Hearken not to any Suggestions within you nor Counsels without you that would draw you to sleight or forsake meeting together in the Name of the Lord Jesus but let every particular Member know your Service in the Body that by your Faithfulness others be encouraged to meet with you to wait in the Light to feel the Living Refreshings of the Lord and when you are refreshed with the Income of God's sweet Presence be watchful that not any utter words rashly before the Lord to spend your Talent in a forward Spirit to satisfie the Lust that would appear further then the Lord would have them as some have done which has brought them under a great Vail of Darkness and have lost their Way and returned with Sorrow to the burdening the Hearts of the Righteous but Tender Plants wait to know and truly discern between the Milk of the Word and the Words for the Milk of the Word is a Sweet Stream in the Refreshing to the Nourishment of this heavenly Birth that it may grow thereby and some the Enemy hath drawn to speak forth that which they in a retired Silence were to feed upon and grow up in its Nature Therefore dear Friends wait in the Light that the Word of the Lord may dwell plentifully in you as it is written so are we Witnesses If any have my Word let him speak my Word faithfully is not my Word like a Fire and a Hammer that breaks the Rocks in pieces which sealeth up the Testimony God calleth unto in the Heart of his Disciples Therefore all be very circumspect in this weighty Matter that whatever you feel of the Refreshings of God in you that you do not let any thing come forth either in Words or Sounds or any Noises but what is brought forth in the Authority of this Living and Powerful Word then will the Blessing of the Lord attend what is brought forth be it much or little either in Words or Hymns or Joyful Sounds do not quench it but answer the Lord in the Authority of the Word of Eternal Life and the Sons and Daughters of the Lord who are thus exercised will not burden any but it will be a Stream of Refreshing in the Hearts of all the Righteous thus will every Vessel be preserved in the Life of Truth and not go but as the Presence
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
guide them forth of it in the Light to have union and fellowship with the Father of Light in Christ to whom you are come to be your Wisdom and he will establish your Souls in righteousness and peace that give up your selves to be guided by him Dear Friends Let the love of God that hath pluckt you as Brands out of the Fire and hath counted you worthy to be as the first Fruits of the Lamb constrain you to be faithful upon your watch to wait in the Light of Christ to dwell in his power that in it you may grow up in his Life and pure discerning to know the Deceit in all appearances and the Beast in his lying Wonders who keeps all in a Form of Truth that lends an Ear to him but out of the Life but in the Light of Christ you may know him he leads into a Form of words when the Life speaks not so the Soul doth not enjoy what the Mouth speaks and the Beast which is the Will is at Liberty from under the Yoke and out of the Cross painted with the Saints words and with you sits deckt a painted Beast above the Cross of Christ working lying Wonders in â—â—rming Sights and Groans when the pure Seed of God is not regarded which is in Prison the sighing and groaning of that the Lord hears and he will deliver that which Sighs and Groans to him for deliverance with groans that cannot be uttered and the Deceit also will work violently in you whose minds are turned from the pure Light to form and immitate the true Power that did pass through you from the Life but being faithful in your watch in the Light of Christ you may know him in his deceitful working in the mind he leads out of the Fear of God into a formality to appear before men so into Pride and Emulation which is to be thrown down and condemned with the Light of Christ. This is the word of the living God to you his dear and chosen Children in the Light all meet often together and take heed of lending an Ear to the Adversary the Devil who goes about like a roaring Lyon to tear you from the Light and to Sow the Seed of Enmity to watch over one another with an evil Eye to spie out one anothers weakness and to declare it to others behind their backs and to lay open their infirmities and discover their shame and uncover their nakedness thou who practises this art turned from the pure Light into Hams cursed nature which the wrath of God is to and is to be condemned with the Light of Christ in which thou must wait and own the condemnation upon that nature and to blind and pluck out that evil Eye and to open the pure single Eye to judge the deceit and guide thee in Obedience to the Light least thou perish in thy disobedience Dear Friends in the pure Light Power and Life dwell and take heed of speaking words in the sight and visions of the Truth when you are not in the Life and Power all mind the Union in the Power which will be manifest in all that wait in the pure fear in the silence of your Spirits in the Light for the living Power of Christ to declare it self in you and even through you to the praise of his Name who is worthy for this is the Word of the most high God to you his Sons and Daughters whom he hath chosen in his eternal love to watch over one another in love with a single Eye as over your own Souls and if you see any of the Children of Light through the Subtilty of the Devil prevailed against and turned from the Light take heed of laying open their infirmities to discover there Shame in uncovering there Nakedness to others but thou that discovers their conditions in tender Bowels of love minister to the pure in the Conscience to raise up the Witness to restore them again with the Spirit of Meekness then wilt thou save their Souls from Death and hide a multitude of Sins and here is Christ and his Disciples serving one another in love washing one anothers Feet in ministring to the pure to wash away the filthy nature and bearing one anothers burthens so fulfilling the Law of Christ who did bear the Burthen for us when we were Enemies he died for us and in fulness of time hath manifested his mighty power in you in raising up his Seed that you might be of the first Fruits in him to grow Trees of Righteousness in his Vineyard to bring forth Fruits to the praise and glory of his great and glorious Name who alone is worthy God Blessed forever God Almighty be with you his dear and chosen Children and his powerful and dreadful Spirit accompany you in all your ways and his eternal Power establish you in Vnity of the Spirit and Bond of Peace that in it yâ—u may stand over all the World and the troubles thereof within you and without you in his Power stand fast and unmoveable in the will of God where I am present with you saluting you in the Bowels of tender love in the eternal Vnity W. D. Dear Pretious and Beloved Friends CAlled in the Light of the Lord to stand living witnesses for God in the midst of a crooked wicked perverss and untoward Generation Dear Friends all in the Light and pure meek Spirit of the Lord enter into the Chamber of Rest which God hath prepared for you in his unlimitted Power to dwell there to stay your Minds and keep your Confidence and hold fast your Faith that so the door may be shut that not any thing enter which would cause feebleness of mind faintness of Spirit or in the least measure would cause you to stagger at the promises of the Lord who hath promised he will never leave us nor forsake us that what tryal soever any of us be called unto who love the Lord and have given up our names unto him he will not suffer one hair of our Heads to perish but what shall be for the Glory of his Name and the Comfort of our Souls forever as many of us are witnesses of the faithfulness of our God in making our passage pleasant through all Tryals and Suffering that hath been unto this day which is now manifesting it self as was proclaimed amongst you in times past Therefore I beseech you all dear Friends put not the day of the Lord afar off for a general Tryal will go on all that make mention of the Name of the Lord that it may be known who are truly born of God and who are not that so his pretious Jewels may be made up which doth and shall more and more shine forth in the brightness of his Glory being established in his Light Life and Love which the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against because the Lord is the strength of all that is born again and for their sakes he is making a short work in the Earth and to
Field and confessed to the Truth and received it and after some time he did testifie to it and in 1653. he came into the North into Westmerland Cumberland and Lancashire and declared the Truth both in Steeple-Houses and Meetings and underwent great Sufferings Beating c. with the rest of Friends for the Truth and then after was Imprisoned at York and also at Northampton in 1654. And when I was brought up a Prisoner to Oliver Cromwell I got leave of him that brought me up to see him in that Prison and after that he Travelled up and down a great Part of the Nation declaring the Truth and went under great Sufferings with the rest of Friends who went in great hazard of their Lives declaring the Truth of Christ. And in his latter Days he was long Imprisoned in Warwick but after he was set at Liberty he came to Visit Friends at London where he bore a faithful Testimony for Love and Unity and against the Spirit of Division and after went back and finished his Course and laid down his Head at Warwick in Peace with the Lord in 1688. George Fox London the 16 th of the 10 th Month 1688. Here Followeth some Expressions of his amongst a few Friends near a week before his Departure this Life BEing met together rising from his Bed in great weakness of Body he said to them my God hath yet put in my Heart to bear a Testimony in his Name and blessed Truth and I can never forget the day of his great Power and blessed Appearance when he first sent me to Preach his Everlasting Gospel and proclaim the Day of the Lord to all the People and also he confirmed the same by Signs and Wonders and particularly by a Lame Woman who went on Crutches where I with my Dear Brethren George Fox nnd Richard Farnswarth were cast and as I cryed mightily unto the Lord in Secret that he would signally Manifest himself at that time amongst us and give witness of his Power and presence with us R. F. in the Name of the Lord took her by the Hand and G. F. after spoke to her in the Power of God and bid her stand up and she did and Immediately walked streight having no need of Crutches any more therefore Friends be faithful and trust in the Lord your God for this I can say I never since played the Coward but joyfully entered Prisons as Palaces telling mine Enemies to hold me there as long as they could and in the Prison House I sung praises to my God and esteemed the Bolts and Locks put upon me as Jewels and in the Name of the Eternal God I alway got the Victory for they could keep me no longer than the Determined time of my God and Friends this I must once again testifie to you in the Name of the Lord God that what I saw above thirty Years ago still rests as a Testimony to leave behind me That a Dreadful terrible Day is at hand and will certainly come to pass but the Time when I cannot say but all put on strength in the Name of the Lord and Wait to feel his Eternal Power to preserve you through the Tribulations of these days that approach very near in the sence of which I have often been distressed and bowed down in Spirit with Cryes and Tears to my God for the preservation of his Heritage and this I have further to signifie that my departure draws nigh blessed be my God I am prepared I have nothing to do but Dye and put off this corrupt mortal Tabernacle this Flesh that hath so many Infirmities but the Life that dwells in it transcends above all out of the reach of Death Hell and the Grave and Immortallity and eternal Life is my Crown forever and ever therefore you that are left behind fear not nor be discouraged but go on in the Name and Power of the Lord and bear a faithful and living Testimony for him in your day and the Lord will prosper his Work in your Hand and cause his Truth to flourish and spread abroad for it shall have the Victory and no Weapon formed against it shall prosper the Lord hath determined it shall possess the Gates of its Enemies and the Glory and the Light thereof shall shine more and more until the perfect Day so concluded in Prayers to the Lord with servent Breathings and Supplications for all his People every where but more especially for his dearly beloved Friends assembled together at the Yearly Meeting at London where he had intended to have been if the Lord had given him Health his dear Love was to all Friends that should enquire of him He departed this Life the 17 th of the 4 th Month at Warwick and was Buryed the 18 th 1688. This is the Word of the Living God to his Church he hath called and chosen out of the World to place his Name into order and guide in his pure Wisdom to his praise and glory who alone is worthy God over all blessed for ever THat in every particular Meeting of Friends Servants and Children of the most high God that there be chosen from among you one or two who are most grown in the Power and Life in the pure discerning in the Truth to take the care and charge over the Flock of God in that place and this is the Word of the living God to you who are chosen To watch over the Flock of God to whom I commit the charge and care to take the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy Lucre but of a ready minde I charge and command you in the presence of the living God not to rule as Lords over Gods Heritage but rule in the Power of the Spirit in all purity to be Examples to the Flock and to see that order be kept in the Church in constant meeting together according to the Rule that hath been given forth once a week or more if it may be beside the First-day Meeting and to have a general Meeting with other Friends near to you once in two or three weeks as the Lord orders and makes way Be not slack and backward but faithful to the Lord in improving every opportunity for Friends to meet and to lay the charge and care of some Friends that is the most grown in Truth in every Town where Friends are scattered to see they meet together to wait on the Lord three or four hours as the Lord orders one night or two in a week and to watch over one another with a pure single Eye to see those that come amongst them walk orderly according to what they profess and if any walk disorderly for them to whom the care and charge is committed or any other which discerns them and is moved to speak to them to deal plainly with them in reproving them and ministring to the pure in the Conscience for the restoring of them and if they will not reform acquaint two or three
more that are the most grown in the Truth or you to whom the charge and care of the Flock is committed and you with the other that did speak to them in tender Bowels of love admonish them and with plainness of speech minister to the pure in the Consciences to raise up the Witness to judge and cut down the deceit that their Souls may be saved and their Nakedness covered but if they still walk in disorder when the Church is meet together reprove them openly and if they do not still reform but walk in their Filthiness when the Church is met together in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ charge them to depart from amongst you so cast them out and not have any union with them not so much as to Eat with them until they repent and turn to the Lord to walk in obedience to that which is pure if they do then receive them again but if they still walk in the Stubberness of their Wills and not bend to the pure in their Conscience keep them forth that not any filthy Person dwell in the House of God then will the blessing of the Lord God be with you And this is his Word to you to see that there be not any in outward Want in the Church and that all walk orderly in their Places and Callings and if any Root of bitterness spring up in any which causeth Strife in their minds one against another as soon as you know of it call such before you and examine the matter strictly and stand in the Wisdom and Power of God to guide you to judge the Cause and end it in Righteousness but if the Cause be hard for you to discern the measure you are grown to cannot discern betwixt the Parties I charge you and command you in the presence of the living God not to be hasty in the Cause come before you to order it in your doubtful and dark minds for what is not of Faith is of Sin but to send for some that is more grown in discerning to judge the Cause and end it in Righteousness then will Deceit be judged and Strife kept out and the Innocent set free to serve the Lord and your union will be in Christ Iesus where you will bring forth Fruit abiding in him and through his Blood you shall overcome the World in you and without and shall reign Kings upon the Earth In the Power of Christ you shall command the unclean Spirit in all his appearances within you and without and he shall submit to the Power of God in you dwelling in him who alone is Power and to whom all glory belongs for ever The eternal pure powerful and dreadful Spirit of the most high God rest upon you whom he hath chosen to watch over his Flock and his mighty Power open the pure eternal Eye in you to discern and separate between the Precious and Vile the Holy and the Unholy and furnish you with Courage and Boldness and pure Wisdom to rule in the Power of his Spirit to cut down all deceit and to wash the Disciples Feet in bowing to the pure in the least appearance and ministring to it to strengthen the desire raised up towards the Name of the Lord until Judgment be brought forth into Victory then will you have union together in that which is pure eternal begotten of God who reigns over all blessed for ever and Wisdom's justified of her Children W. D. Writ in the Year 1653. This is the Word of the Lord to thee Oliver Cromwell called Lord Protector THus saith the Lord God of Heaven and Earth to thee Oliver Cromwell Why dost thou slight my Counsel and harden thy Heart against it which I declare to thee by my Sons and Daughters and is witnessed in thy Conscience by my Word in thee which called on thee to trust no longer in the Arm of Flesh nor seek great things for thy self as those did I drove out before thee in my Wrath and destroyed in my Fury and the fearfulness of my Displeasure consumed them and hath given thee power into thy Hand who promised me in the day of thy Distress if I would deliver thee in that day and give the power over all that stood up against thee then wouldest thou take away all these Unrighteous Laws which is contrary to my Righteous Law in the Conscience which were made by those I drove out before thee that my Children should not be Persecuted any more by any outward Law but have free Liberty to declare my mind as I moved them by my Spirit and into thy power I have committed what thou requiredst of me that thou mightest perform thy promises to me and now I have tryed thee and in this day of thy Tryal thou hast proved unfaithful to me and to my People and no truth have I found in thee in this day as to perform thy promise to me but contrary to them all hast thou improved the power put into thy Hand to seek great things for thy self and hast set up thy self in the pride of thy Heart to rob me of my glory in taking upon thee to be Lord Protector of my People when contrary to thy fair words and promises thou by thy power Establishest those Laws by which my People always were and are Persecuted which Laws uphold this filthy and abominable thing in my sight the Heads thereof Judge for Rewards and the Priests Teach for Hire and thou with them leanest upon me and sayest Is not the Lord amongst us no Evil shall come upon us as the Wicked Generation did Mic. 3.11 And those Rebellious People I destroyed before thee who made those Laws thou hast Established contrary to all thy fair words and promises and to preserve thee in thy obstinate and wicked walking before me in setting thy self on high in seeking thy own glory thou trustest to the Arm of Flesh to protect thee in the ways thou livest in but since thou hast abused the power I put into thy Hand I have Corrected thee by the Arm of my Power to let thee see that all the Policy and Strength of men cannot deliver thee forth of my Hand and when thou wast nigh to Destruction I appeared as I had done in all the times of thy distress thy Lord Protector and in my tender Love to deliver thee by the Arm of my mighty Power when none could help thee that thou mightest fear me and lay thy Crown in the Dust before me and give glory to my Name in denying thy self and performing thy promise to me who am a dreadful God and will not be robbed of my glory but since I delivered thee still like proud Pharoah hardenest thy Heart against me and continuest in thy obstinacy in upholding these Unrighteous Laws thou promised me to take away but instead of performing thy promises in taking them away thou hast Established them by thy power by which my Children are Persecuted and the Hands of the Wicked are strengthen'd
the names of Blasphemers Deceivers Seducers and Disturbers of the Peace so make Lies their refuge as that Persecuting spirit ever did in all Ages To stop the lying Mouth and for the Simple sake that desire in the truth of their Hearts to know the leadings of the Spirit of Truth in the way to know the only true God I here publickly declare to the Inhabitants of England and to all that dwell upon the Earth what I was in the fallen estate and how the Lord raised me up by the arm of his mighty Power and carried me on through the great work of regeneration that all may know the Truth I am sent to bear Testimony to the Consciences of those that dwell upon the Earth is not any Seducing nor contrary to the Truth of the Gospel but is according to the Truth as it is in Jesus He that hath an Eye to see let him see and an Eâ—re to hear let him hear The first Birth I Was conceived in Sin and brought forth in Iniquity and in that state lived and delighted in pride and pleasures lightness and vanity as all do in that nature untill I was about eight Years of Age though before that time when I did live in vanity the Light in my Conscience did witness against me and caused some trouble in me but I departed from the Light and so followed the counsel of my own Heart that lead me into vanity to live without the fear of God And about the time when I was eight Years of Age of my natural birth the Word of the Lord came unto me I created thee for my glory an account thou must give to me for all thy words and actions done in the Body which word enlightned my Heart and opened the Book of Conscience in me where all was written I had done in the Body ever since I had any remembrance and when I had read my condition how I had lived without God who created me for his glory the Word of the Lord then came unto me Shall the Axe boast it self against him that heweth therewith or shall the Saw magnifie it self against him that shaketh it as if the Staff should shake it self against him that lifteth it up or as if the Staff should lift up it self as if it were no Wood and by the Power of the Word of the Lord that spoke in me my understanding was enlightned and my Conscience bore witness that it was my condition I had lifted up my self against the living God in living without his fear who created me to live in obedience to him but I had lived in disobedience to him untill that day so deep sorrow seized upon me and I knew not what to do that I might get acquaintance with the God of my Life who created me for his own praise and glory then I ceased from my vain conversation which I had lived in and began to read the Scriptures and Books and mourn and pray to a God I knew not where he was but expected him without looking up towards the Firmament where my carnal imaginations told me he was and as I had heard those the World calls Ministers whom I went to hear whose words did witness with my carnal imagination of God they said he was above the Skies calling it Heaven but I felt the hand of the Lord within me executing justice upon the wicked in me and what way ever I turned to seek him in observations thither the flaming Sword turned which was placed against me to keep the way of the Tree Life and execute the righteous justice of God upon me So I stood before the Throne of the Lamb reading in my mournful estate the sentence of condemnation that passed upon me from the glory of his presence and in this condemned estate I continued and through the ignorance where God was what his Worship was I strove to satisfie his justice in outward observations imitating what the Saints did sometimes in Fasting and Praying which was the practice of Cornelius and others of the Saints of the most high God as I found recorded in the Scripture of Truth But notwithstanding all my strict walking in observations in which I was seeking the Kingdom of God I found him not but the flaming Sword cut me down so my sorrow increased for I found none in my condition that I could declare it to Then it pleased the Lord to order my Friends in the flesh to put me to keep the Sheep where I was retired from company so my minde was kept in my mournfull estate where my great ease was in mourning to a God I knew not nor none could tell me where I should get acquaintance with him in the place where I was in the outward being in a Town called Allathorp nigh Pocklington in Yorkshire but hearing of a people about Leeds that walked more strictly in profession of the name of God then any did where I was I had no rest in my spirit till my Parents in the flesh sent me thither to be an Apprentice not regarding what Calling so I might be amongst those that feared the living God that I might be acquainted with the God of my life who had created me for himself and the desires the Lord raised up in me were answered when I was thirteen years old of my naturall birth I was bound an Apprentice to a Cloath-maker in a Town called Holdbeck near Leeds and as I hard so it was there was much speaking of God which they called preaching and professing him in words from the letter of the Scripture what the Saints had spoken forth so intimating the Saints practice in their carnall wisdom seeking the Kingdom of God in outward observations as I had done before I came there but when I met with none that could tell me what God had done for their souls in redeeming them from the body of sin which I groaned under and separated me from the presence of God though I walked strictly with them in their outward observations running to hear one man after another which they called Ministers yet I found no rest nor peace to my weary soul but the flaming sword the righteous Law of God cryed in me for a perfect fulfilling of the Law of God and did meet with me where-ever I was that I could finde no peace in that worship of God the world hath set up as in receiving the bread and wine which they told me was the seals of the Covenant which was long ere I durst receive it because I saw not my selfe prepared for the evil of my heart stood before me and when I was to receive it I sought the Lord to keep me by his Power that I might receive it worthily and when I did receive it my desire was the Lord would seal up his love to my Soul but I found nothing sealed up to my soul with it Then much
heaped up to your selves according to your own Lusts who cries Peace Peace to you in what you do while you put into their Mouths and now is the time come to the fulfilling the Scripture in you who have itching Ears and cannot indure sound Doctrine but turns from it to Fables which if you continue in your careless minds slighting this day of your Visitation and not like to retain God in your knowledge God will give you up to reprobate minds that profess you know God but in works deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate upon whom the Lord will get his glory in his righteous judgements and if the Lord in his everlasting love had not left a Seed in thee O England thou with all thy Teachers whom thou hast heaped up according to thy own Lusts would have become as Sodom but for his own Seed sake whom he hath blessed he will do good to the Inhabitants of England who stand faithfully in his Counsel to be guided by his Power and will scatter all those that stand in opposition to his righteous Seed Christ whom he is exalting in the Hearts of his elect and chosen People in England to rule for ever over all that stand in enmity to him this is the day the mighty God is giving all power unto his Son Jesus to whom every knee shall bow and all you proud stubborn self-willed lofty ones that hate the Light of Christ in you that witnesses against Sin in the secret of the Heart and Conscience and it reject and deny to be guided by it but turn to the counsel of your own Hearts and the Teachers you have heaped up according to your Lusts and with them sits at ease in the Flesh and turns the Grace of God into wontonness and forgets the loving kindness of the Lord who delivered you by the Arm of his mighty Power when Enemies compassed you on every side and gave you your lives for a prey when they were nigh unto Death and now you abuse your liberty to walk with your Teachers according to your Lusts and with them commit this filthy and abominable thing in the Land the Priests to Teach for Hire and the Prophets they divine for Money and you People love to have it so but what will you do in the end thereof which day you put afar off and do not regard but that you shall not be ignorant of the mind of the Lord and left without excuse in the mighty day of the Lords anger who hath sent his Servants and Children early and late to fore-warn you of the evil day that is coming upon you if you do not speedily repent and turn to the Lord but slight this day of your Visitation then shall the things now belonging to your Peace be hid from your Eyes and your end shall be according to the Word of the Lord I declare to you Thus saith the Lord All these my Enemies that will not that I shall Rule over them bring them hither and slay them before me and this is your portion you Enemies of Christ that hate his Counsel as before written he will you consume with the Breath of his Mouth and the brightness of his coming which will over-take you that sit at ease in the Flesh as a Thief in the night and in flames of Fire will render vengeance on you that disobey his Gospel and will give to every one of you according to the works done in the Body and you shall not escape from Israels Judge Sions King who will all his people deliver and you proud lofty Ones bring under by his mighty Power to the praise and glory of his righteous justice who alone is worthy God over all blessed for ever Amen Remember you are warned in your life time and prize this day of your Visitation while the Lord in patience and long-sufferance waits to be gracious and merciful to you if you speedily return to his Counsel which is the Light of Christ in your Consciences that shewes you Sin and wait in it for his Power to lead you to Repentance and to cleanse you from Sin and in the straight way of self-denial and the daily Cross you to guide in obedience to the Father of Light then will the Lord God be merciful to you and heal your backslidings and love you freely and blot out your Transgressions for his name sake which if you will have none of his Counsel but it reject as you have done and still commit this filthy and abominable thing in the Land the Priests to teach for Hire and the Prophets to divine for Money which is the practice of your Teachers you have heaped up to your selves according to your Lusts and love to have it so then your Portion you must own what the Lord hath spoken he will perform and you and your Teachers shall reap the fruit of your doings according as is declared and in that day I shall be remembred when you lie upon the Bed of sorrow who is clear of all your Blood who perish through your disobedience in that I have not hid the Counsel of God from neither Rulers Priests nor People And to the Light of Christ in all your Consciences I clear my Conscience in the presence of the living pure dreadful God who will perform according to his Words and the condemnation of the Evil-doers slumbers not the Lord will cleanse the Land of you and not any that rejects Christ the corner Stone shall Rule in England for the Lord will make it the glory of all the Nations of the World notwithstanding all that oppose him his own work he will carry on in it by the Arm of his mighty Power will he exalt Christ Jesus to be King in it to Rule the People according to his righteous Law and all that will not his Laws obey and their Crowns lay down at his Feet and to him their Knee bow in perfect obedience to his righteous Law written in the Heart and Conscience he will you break in pieces with his rod of Iron and dash in sunder like a Potters Vessel and not any shall escape that doth evil and bring the Curse upon the Earth which the Lord is making as the Garden of Eden the Mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it he that can receive it let him and hath an Ear to hear let him hear And whether you People in England hear or forbear in your Consciences I shall be for ever manifest and you shall eternally witness the Truth I have declared is to you the Word of the Lord God the day will declare it William Deusbery A TRUE TESTIMONY OF What was done concerning the Servants of the Lord At the General Assizes holden at NORTHAMPTON THE One and twentieth day of the fifth Month 1655. Where Edward Atkins sate Judge of Life and Death before whom was brought William Deusbery Ioseph Storr Henry Williamson Iohn Whitehead Marmaduke Storr Thomas Cocket and Francis
Power thereof So under all thy profession is most cruel oppression every one oppressing one another according unto their power from the highest unto the lowest so that the cry of the oppressed Seed within the Hearts of thy Inhabiters O England and those that are oppressed in outward oppressions in thee hath entered into thr Ears of the Lord God of Sabbath and he is coming in Power to set the oppressed free and to bring them to Sion which in the eternal Riches of his Love he made known to me where Sion was according unto the desires he had raised up in my Heart and the Word of the Lord came unto me saying I will gather my People out of all Forms and Observations and out of all Kindreds Tongues and Nations and I will pour my Spirit upon them and purge away their filth with the Spirit of Iudgment and of Burning and I will write my Law in their Hearts and put my Spirit in their inward Parts and they shall not depart from me but shall be bound up in union with me in the free Covenant of Life in the Lord Jesus and one with another in the one Spirit so shall the Lord be one and his People one and this is Sion the City of the living God to whom all the promises of the Lord are according unto the Scripture of Truth wherein they need not to Teach every Man his Neighbour and every Man his Brother saying Know the Lord for all shall know me from the least unto the greatest for I will be merciful unto their unrighteousness and their Sins and Iniquities will I remember no more And this is the holy City the New Ierusalem which Iohn bare witness of wherein there is no Temple for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it And the City had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof And the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the Light of it and the Kings of the Earth do bring their glory and honour unto it and the Gates of it are not shut at all by day for there shall be no night there and there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither that works abomination or makes a lye but they that are written in the Lambs Book of Life and all that walk in the Light of Christ within which Light exerciseth the Conscience and leads into the holy City the New Ierusalem where the true Worshippers of the Father are who worship him in Spirit and in Truth and are come out of the night and need no Candle neither light of the Sun for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall raign forever and ever And this is the true Church in God Sion which shall become the praise of the whole Earth and from whence the Law shall go forth according unto the promise of the Lord and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem Then shall Righteousness run down with a mighty stream and Oppression shall cease And this glory of the Lord which he hath made known unto me shall be made manifest to the Inhabiters of England if you will hearken diligently to the Counsel of the Lord which is the Light in your Consciences and in it wait on the Lord to be guided by his Power I waited in the Counsel of my God in the Calling where I was placed until the Year 1652. and in the eighth Month of the Year as it is accounted of men the Word of the Lord came unto me saying The Leaders of my People causes them to err in drawing them from the Light in their Consciences which leads to the anointing within which the Father hath sent to be their Teacher which would lead them into all Truth to seek the Kingdom of God in Observations where it is not to be found So my People perish for want of Bread Freely thou hast received freely give and minister and what I have made known unto thee in secret declare openly Which Word constrained me by the Power of it to leave my Wife and Children and to run to fro to declare to Souls where their Teacher is the Light in their Consciences which the Lord hath given unto every one a measure to profit withal for the exercise of the Conscience towards God and Men and waiting in the Light for the Power of Christ he would lead them up to the living Fountains of Water where their Souls would find refreshment in the presence of the Lord and their Bread should be sure and their Water never fail as the Lord hath made manifest to my Soul and to worship him in Truth at New Ierusalem to sing Hallelujahs and Praises among the redeemed Sons and Daughters of God in the beauty of holiness unto the Lord God that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for evermore To you Rulers of England whose names will be honourable if you will honour the Lord in obeying his Counsel which is the Light in your Consciences that he may guide you in all your ways to you I am moved to write Thus saith the Lord God Almighty I will overturn overturn overturn until I have given it unto him whose right it is as you have seen the Power of the Lord manifest on many that were in the place where you are who all professed the Name of Christ but they would not obey his Counsel the Light in their Consciences but walked after the counsel of their own Hearts and improved their power for their own ends and dissembled with God and the Countrey but our righteous God hath overturned them to their everlasting shame and contempt Now if you will not obey the Light in your Consciences to rule in the Power of the Spirit to break every Yoak of unrighteousness and put every filthy and abominable thing out of the sight of the Lord that the oppressed may be set free but you will cause both small and great to worship the Image of the Beast in forcing them to obey the Heathenish and Unrighteous Laws made by Nebuchadnezar's nature proud flesh who set up himself a King to oppress all under his power and set up whom he would to Rule and Raign with him over others in Tyranny Cruelty and Oppression in all unrighteousness which Beast received a deadly wound with a Sword by the little Horn spoken of in Daniel before whom three Horns fell and the Horn had Eyes to see what they should do the Light in their Consciences and a Mouth which speaketh great things what they would do for the glory of God whose look was more stout then their Fellows I beheld the same Horn made War with the Saints of the most high God and prevailed against them as it is fufilled Many of them
Conscience towards God and Men and fear not Man whose breath is in his nostrils who stands up to oppose the Lord in this mighty Day of his Power wherein he is exalting Christ Jesus the Light to be King for ever in his Light be faithful to the Lord and though you be haled before Rulers Governours and Kings for a Testimony against them take no thought what you shall say but keep within staid in the Counsel of God it will be given you in the self-same hour my Heavenly Father will in you speak and his Enemies confound before his mighty Power in you and the Hearts of the great and mighty Men of the Earth shall fail and paleness shall gather into their Faces the dread of the holy God will be with you who faithfully give up to be guided by his Counsel in the Power of his Spirit one shall chase a Thousand and five put ten thousand to Flight the decree is gone forth Christ shall be King over all the Nations of the World and all the Powers of the World that him withstand he will break them with his iron rod and dash them in pieces like a potters Vessel so shall they become as dust before his breath the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it who is giving the Kingdoms of the World to his Son and to you that wait for his apperance the living â—ound is come that doth witness that not any weapon formed against him shall prosper in this day of his appearance in the Hearts of his Saints In the presence of the Lord I you Warn and Charge stand fast in the Counsel of the Lord Jesus Christ the Light in the Conscience and according to the measure you have received be faithful in walking with God in perfect obedience to his Will freely giving up your Bodies to finish your Testimony in sufferings if the Lord call you for it is not given only to believe in him but to suffer with him and they that suffer with him shall Raign with him and the Son of Man is perfect in sufferings and you that are faithful to the Lord he will lay no more upon you then he gives you strength to bear with the Angel of his presence he will you guard and campass you about with Salvation for Walls and Bulwarks and you shall know this is to you the Word of the Lord God The Day will declare it ALL People who dwell upon the Earth from the highest to the lowest fear the most high and living God who hath Created Heaven and Earth and the Fountains of Waters all return to his Counsel the Light of Christ that witnesseth for God in the Conscience against Sin in its appearance in the secret of the Heart and diligently encline your Ear to the Counsel of Christ the Light that he may guide you by his Spirit least through your disobedience you perish before him in this mighty Day of the Lords Power in which he is coming with Fire and Sword to plead with all Flesh and not any that transgresseth his righteous Law in the Conscience shall escape his righteous Judgment in this his Day He is bringing down the loftiness of Man and the haughtiness of his Spirit laying low and exalting his Son Christ Jesus to be King over all to Rule The Heathen he will give him for his Inheritance and the uttermost Parts of the Earth for his Possession and the Kingdom he will establish to his Son whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and of his Dominion there shall be no end Come down ye Kings Princes and Rulers in the World who in the Throne sit in Pride exalted to rule in your Wills contrary to the pure perfect Law of God the Light of Christ in your Consciences to which you must come and own your Condemnation for your Pride and Disobedience and to his Counsel the Light in your Consciences return in subjection to Christ the Son of God and at his Feet your Crowns lay down and Honours in the Dust before him and wait on him in his Counsel the Light that he may guide you by his Spirit in the fear of God to walk humbly before him in your Places to Rule for God to break the Bonds of iniquity and let the Oppressed go free that the glory of the most high God alone you seek and not great things for your selves as you have done and in this day of darkness while you have lived without the fear of God not regarding to be guided by his pure perfect Law the Light of Christ in the Conscience let the time past be sufficient you have lived to your selves without God in the World and with all diligence obey the Word of the Lord which is to you declared in this day of your Visitation wherein the Lord tenders eternal Salvation to you in Christ the Light in whom the Father is well pleased with all that obey him which if you be obedient to Christ and wait on him to guide you by his Counsel the Light he will you lead in the strait and narrow way of self-denial and daily Cross into the holy City new Ierusalem the Light of which all Nations that are saved walk therein and the Kings of the Earth shall bring their Glory and Honour unto it where your Souls will be refreshed with the living mercies of God in Christ the Light to praise him for ever in the beauty of Holiness but if you his Counsel reject and walk in Pride self-Love delighting your Hearts in the glory of the World and the pleasures therein and so slight this day of your Visitation then the things belonging to your Peace will be hid from your Eyes and sudden Destruction as a Whirlwind shall overtake you for Sions King whom you disobey will break you with his Rod of Iron and dash you to pieces like a Potters Vessel and you shall be cut down and slain with the Sword that proceeds out of the Mouth of him whose Name is called the Word of God. Now while you have time to him submit and kiss the Son in obeying his Counsel the Light in the Conscience least you perish in the way for if his anger be kindled a little Blessed are all they that trust in him Remember you are warned in your Life-time he that hath an Ear to hear let him hear The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall Raign for ever and ever Rev. 11.15 He that can receive it let him Dear Friends BRethren and Sisters in the Eternal Light of Christ Jesus whom my Heavenly Father hath gathered you to wait upon him that you might be the holy Presthood and Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus every one in particular mind your calling in the Light and watch diligently in the Light the Life to feel a raising you up in the pure being with God in Christ your Souls to delight in the pure Fellowship with the Father in the Lord Jesus and
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
that hath resisted the God of Israel DEar Friends let the Love of God constrain you to trust in him and feel the Birth of the Seed of God born up over all to eat and feed of the Bread of Life that out of time and place and over all visibles you may live and rejoyce over all hardships that would appear and wrath that arises all keep the word of Faith in the Power of God the Mountains shall fall before you more and more and you shall tread down the Pride of the perverse and froward Generation in the patience and dominion of God forever and let the strong bear the Burthen of the weak that all in the unity of the Spirit in the Power of the Love of God grow up an holy Preisthood offering up the Souls and Bodies a living Sacrifice in faithful Obedience to do the will of God. In whose Name it is declared unto you Dear Friends in vain is it for Man to strive to limit the holy one of Israel or his Spirit in his People for if they were as the Sand upon the Sea shoare that seek to oppress and destroy you that love God more then any thing in the World yea then Life it self fear not comfort your selves in the Light of his Countenance for he will arise and scatter in his wrath as dust before the wind all those that resist his Spirit and his righteousness will he establish in the Earth for ever And O Sion thy God reigneth and thou shalt seethy Enemies come bending to the soles of thy Feet and thy renown which shall go more and more over the Earth thy leaves shall heal the Nations which shall walk in thy Light and you shall be known in all the Earth to be the City of the most high God yea the righteous Seed which the Lord hath blessed when the Faces of thine Enemies shall be covered with shame the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it Let this be sent abroad amongst Friends with understanding in the Fear of God. W. D. York Tower the 19th 12th Mounth 1660. Dear Brethren ANd Suffering Members dwelling in the Power and Life glad your Hearts in the unlimited Power of God that in his strength you reign over all the Powers of Darkness in your keeping the word of Patience in the Lord Jesus who will plead your cause in his righteous Judgments when he will clear your Innocency in the Faees of all his Enemies to your eternal comfort and the Glory of his Name forever lift up your Heads this is the day that hath been proclaimed in your Ears which our God hasteth to finish and cut short in righteousness for his Name sake the mighty God of Power keep you faithful to the end Amen W. D. 19th 12th month 1660. DEar faithful Friends in God who hath known the day in your Travels that not any thing hath been dear to you not Life it self that you might enjoy the Light of the Countenance of God which he hath now manifested in the everlasting Covenant of his Light in Christ which now constraineth in the Power of our Royal Life born of the noble Seed to stand out over and above all flattering Tongues and all threatings and wrath of Men which will be more and more manifest before this day of tryal be over and what wrath ever the Lord suffers to arise in the Powers of the Earth without he moves do not any seek to stop it let God have the glory the wrath of Man turns to the praise of God and the remainder he will restrain while the royal Babes in Meekness and Patience stand still and gives glory to God in faithfull obedience with Life to Death if the Lord call for it who hath blessed the labour of all he called into the Vine-yard of God in whom my Bowels is enlarged in the strength of the Life I have received of the Father Oh feel me for I am with you filled with joy in the Lord that his royal Birth is brought forth and the Captive set free the Tongue of the Dumb loosed and the living Power of God raised to offer up living praises on the holy Altar of God in the Asemblies of his Saints Oh lift up your Heads be glad in the strength of the Lord in this day of gathering the good ripe Fruit in the Vine-yard of the Lord now doth the Vines abound with Vertue laden with Clusters of the purest Grapes full ripe which drops abundantly with the Wine renewed in the Kingdom of the Father Oh fill your Cups be not straitned in your Spirits to receive of the fulness of God in whom I am constrained to say unto you in the Light drink drink abundantly let the Thirst of the immortal Birth earnestly in the Light reach forth it self to draw more and more the infinite Life that it may comprehend you in the Power of it self that in its strength your Hearts may be set free over all below and your Spirit in the Light and Life raised in the Heavenly Harmony to praise and glorifie the Name of the Lord in eternal unity to the astonishment of all that know not God whose Hearts shall fail before the Life of God which keeps all that abide in it with what ever he gives low in his fear that neither Heights nor Depths Tribulations or Distress Persecution or Famine or Nakedness Peril or Sword Life nor Death things present nor things to come can never separate the royal Birth from its faithfull obedience to Christ Jesus the Light and dwell out of time and place and over all Creature enjoyments in the unlimitted Power to guide that your words be few and savory at all times whether in Bonds or out of Bonds to minister Grace to the Hearers and be tender affectionate one towards another in the pure chast Love of God all to lye down together in the eternal unity one in the fulness in the most high God over all blessed for ever Farewel your Brother W. D. From the Tower in York the 25 th of the first Month 1661. Let this go abroad amongst all the afflicted and wounded in Spirit with care send this to them DEar Child which Crys over all the World and beyond all the Pleasure Pomp and Vanity therein for the enjoyment of the Light and Countenance of God fear thou not neither be thou discouraged because of the violent assaults of the Enemy who seeks to draw thee into the carnal reasonings of thy Spirit and in it to kindle a fire to thy self and causâ—s thee to walk in the Light of the sparkes that thou hast kindled and this thou hast at the hand of the Lord in thy going from his Counsel thou lyes down in sorrow few knows thy great distress but to the Lord it is known and them that has walked in the same Pathes Oh thou Dear and afflicted Soul who lives in the deep sence of the working of the evil one in thy mind and many times is ready to
purifies the Conscience and this is his Worship he hath determined in his unchangeable and heavenly Decree to establish in the Earth and over all Nations it shall stand he will scatter all as Dust that seek to oppress his People and resist the rising of his glory and thou shalt certainly know the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it Which if thou turn thy mind within to his Counsel in thee and in dilligent watchfulness encline thine Ear to his pure Spirit that calls for Righteousness in thy Heart and Conscience and be obedient with boldness to walk in the strait way of the daily Cross and deny the evil that accompanies the day and answer his requirings what he makes known unto thee then will he guard thee with the Power of his heavenly and dreadful Presence and will make thee a terror to evil doers that a Lyar or an Unclean person shall not be found in thy House nor any worker of Iniquity shall be able to stand before thee he will Cloath thee with Wisdom and thou shalt be able to Judge all Causes that is brought before thee in Righteousness then wilt thou put away all Sports Playes Pastimes Drunkenness Uncleanness and whatever grieveth his Spirit forth of thy sight and cleanse the Land of it through thy faithful walking with God who hath made thee a Son of Affliction from thy Youth that thou mightst learn to fear his Name which if thou do he will make thee a Terror to all Nations round about that devise mischief against thee the Angels of his presence will pitch their Tents about thee thou standing in his Counsel and giving Liberty to his Sons and Daughters as he moves them by his Spirit to walk in his Service who is the mighty God that requireth this of thee that thou do not lay a Bond upon the Spirits of his People in matters of Worship as to force all to one Uniformity for thou hast seen before thine Eyes that the Kings and Princes of this Woâ—ld that have sought so to do have brought much innocent Blood upon them who have been seeking by their outward Power to establish Sion with Blood and Ierusalem with Iniquity thus hath his People been Slain from day to day in the Nations that have been building Babel in whom is found the Blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus and all that is Slain upon the Earth for whose sake he is now risen to plead the Cause of those that fear him and walk humbly before him And this he requireth of thee in all things to mind his Law in thy Heart to do unto others as thou wouldst be done unto if thou wast in their places and they in thine and let mercy be found in thy Hands to all people as thou hast found mercy at the Hands of the Lord yea to thy Enemies and in what thou mayst live in Peace with all Men and in all thy undertakings seek not thy self let the glory of God be the Object of thy mind and wait to feel his Hand leading thee in what thou doest which if thou stand in his Counsel to do as he requireth of thee to mind thy Place and to keep the people in Peace and punish Sin and Wickedness and give free Liberty for the Lord with his Spirit to Rule in the Consciences of his people as he orders them to meet in his fear and witness forth his mind where he leads them without restraint and no more be given like Lambs to the Slaughter and driven to Prison like Sheep to the Fold but to have free Liberty in their peaceable lives to serve him their God then will he raise his Name in thy Fathers House and make thee a nursing Father unto his People and thou shalt partake of the Blessings with them that fear him and all the World shall be amazed to hear of his dreadful appearance for his people that obey his Spirit in this Nation which shall convince both Iew and Gentile that the mighty God is risen to manifest his Power to them that fear him in this Nation and these Northren Countries and the day is very near wherein it shall be no more said the Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt but the Lord liveth that brought up and led the Seed of the House of Israel out of the North-Country Oh King let his goodness constrain thee and all in thy Family to humble your selves before him what could he have done for thee more then he hath done hath he not been thy relief in thy greatest straits now let his goodness ingage thee to answer what he requires of thee then will he make thee one of the number of his Elect and Chosen and thy days will be fulâ— of gladness and thy Soul shall live forever in the Kingdom of glory with all the redeemed who are led with his Spirit but if thou reject his counsel his law in thy Heart and not regard his Spirit in thy inward parts but hearken to the counsel of thy own Heart and the wit and pollicy of the spirit of this World and so set up thy self on high and rob God of his Glory and give up his people as they have been to be pulled out of their peaceable Meetings and haled to and fro as Sheep that are slaying all the day long in tumults distresses afflictions stonings stripes prisons and death and set up proud covetous Men that know not God to be Teachers in the Land which draw people into Idolatry worshipping they know not what so the Blind leading the Blind they both fall into great wickedness which grieveth the Spirit of God and the liberty which is given to Playes Sports and Pastimes which draw people into drunkenness uncleanness and great abomination and if they be not reformed by thee but suffered to go on as they have been this will be thy portion as he hath multiplied on thee his mercies to astonishment of the people and Nations round about so will he stretch out the Arm of his Power against thee and get himself the glory in his mighty Judgments which shall be revealed in the great and terrible day of his fierce wrath wherein he will cleanse the Land of all that rob him of his glory and reject his counsel the Light of his Spirit in their Consciences and thou shalt certainly know the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it through his Servant which in faithfulness to thy Soul oh King hath not hid the Counsel of God from thee but greatly desireth thy eternal welfare and in patience waits that Righteousness may be established in the Earth who is known by name William Deusbery Prisoner at the date hereof in the common Goal at York for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ. But before this could be sent unto thee with a private and safe Hand I was set at Liberty with some other of my Brethren by thy late Proclamation which we own
dry Spirits which is hasty to utter words before the Lord so will Israel be full of virtue and the Churches be covered with the glory of the most high in the savory Life which shall reign forever and in it be tender one over another to restore one another in the Spirit of meekness let your Bowels be enlarged to the poor and let your Compassions flow to the helpless and the needy whether in the inward of the outward man and the God of all Compassions cloath you with the Garment of his vertue to his Praise and Glory And all you valiant Vessels and Antients in Israel how have you refreshed the Children of the most high God in your travells in the strength of the Almighty in the gathering the great multitudes of the Israelites of our God to behold his glory in the Light of the Son all put on the excellent Garment of the feeling virtue more and more that by pure Judgments the healing tender Spirit be placed in Israel that if any that comes forth with us be struck with the Adversary that would weaken them from walking in the Path of life Oh you Antients in Israel who were willing to lay down your lives to gather them to the Light in that Life feel your bowels open to support them in the hour of Temptation and draw them in the pure Judgment which is surrounded with Mercy so will the excellency of the Glory of God be your Crown which to my great comfort in measure I feel set upon your heads this day that so the tender bowels of the true Shephard may abound in you who leaves the ninety and nine to seek the lost and strayed of the House of Israel who shall praise the Lord to see the Antient of days sitting amidst and amongst the Antients of Israel cloathing all with his meek low tender healing restoring Spirit so will the judgment committed to you be pure and establishing Sion in her pure holiness and freedom then will few be lost or scatered in the Israel of God and the Children will be bold to speak forth the mind of the Lord in prayer or praises or what exercise they are called unto in the presence of his People and you who have travelled for the freedom of Sion's Children which will become as a Family of Prophets every one prophesying one by one as the Lord gives utterance and the Antient of days governing you and all his Israel to judge in righeousness in which the Spirits of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets in this day of the freedom of Sion whom the Lord is exalting over all in his heavenly dominion to reign to his praise forever And all you Saints in Light what tribulation soever ariseth in the Earth as for the Testimony whereunto we are called of God look not forth from the Lords Power in you but every one abide in your Tents in the measure of his powerful Life and you will feel the Antient of days in and with every one of you to lead you on in the Testimony whereunto you are called in the Light with boldness to endure the tryal till you all have finished that whereunto you are called in Christ the Light who is come in his Saints to judge the World and to break down the wickedness thereof with the Breath of his Mouth and the Brightness of his coming in his heavenly Authority to clear his Peoples Innocency in all he calls unto to the confounding of the unrighteous Generation whom he will tread upon as Morter and bring to nought whatever will not have his righteous Life to reign for the Kingdom of this World shall become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall break the battle out of the Earth his Government shall be over all and of his Dominion shall be no end the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it through his Servant who remains your Brother and Companion in Tribulation in the Kingdom and Patience of Jesus Christ. W. D. Given forth the 8 th Month in Newgate Prison 1661. DEar Children of the most high God dwell in his eternal Power to keep your Habitation in the Light to stand over above and atop of all that is contrary to the Will of God in the living Faith tread down Sathan under your feet trample upon him as the Valiant Lambs of the Lord that in his holy Mountain you may dwell together in his eternal powerful Dominion Reign over all that would vail you from the full enjoyment of the Life of God and in the strength of the Son of God walk together in his pure Life comfort one another in bearing the Burdens of the Weak and gently leading them in the Power of God that they may sit down in the holy Mountain of God with them that have overcome in the Name of the Lord Jesus to offer up an acceptable Sacrifice in the pure operating Life in the strength of the Power and Wisdom of God to stand out of all dead Formality in the Life to feel the Lord Rule in you and amongst you to guide you in his Wisdom that if any Simple heart through weakness should utter words out of the savory Life in what you may bear it in the Meeting and after speak to them to restore them with the Spirit of meekness that so in Love and Unity you all may grow in the Wisdom of the Father as dear Children in all things doing to one another as you would be done unto in singleness of Heart in the sight of God freely Ministring according to your Ability both to the inward and outward Man to the Reâ—ief of your Brethren and Sisters that are in need that God may take pleasure to dwell in the midst of you to fill you all with his comfortable Presence to his Praise and Glory for ever W. D. Newgate Prison London the 13 th day of the 12 th Month 1661. Dear Brethren and Sisters BOrn of the Birth of the Morning of the powerful Day of God abide in the powerful Life satisfie your Souls with the fulness of the Presence of God in your faithful watchfulness in his Light let no Dalilah allure you from his fear least the Philistine bind you and the Vncircumcised come over you to the sorrow of your Hearts In the Light and Life of God arise let no stain come upon you let the Righteous Garment of the Son of the Day cover you and in the glory of his Light and Life you all walk and shine in the glory of the brightness of the Father of everlasting Mercy Comfort and eternal Salvation to you his dear Children that dread and fear before him and delight your Hearts alone in him keep your Meetings in his Power that in it you be all bound up in his Life his vertue to feel in the strength of his Love filling every one of you that in the overflowings you may refresh one another that in the unity in the powerful Life you
grow to the eternal praise and glory of the powerful God of Vertue that his Name be magnified in and amongst you over all God blessed for ever his powerful presence more and more fill you and overcome you that the strength of his Love and Wisdom may govern you and build you up in the Life of Love Farewel Let Copies of this be sent all abroad in the Meetings of the Church of the living God. W. D. Given forth the 28 th of the 6 th Month 1661. at Beckrins Park in Bedfordshire Dear beloved Friends OF the noble Seed born of the Birth of the excellent Life in Christ the Son of the most high God in his Eternal Power wait to keep your estate with God in the measure of his Life to feel his Almighty presence leading through every condition to the establishing the Soul in his eternal Wisdom to walk with him that not any take their flight in the Winter nor on the Sabbath day but in the midd'st of the Winter Storms whether in the inward or outward Man or both seek not to flee in the least measure from the Light and Power of the Lord to get any ease but as it is handed in God for wo to them that take their flight in the Winter or on the Sabbath day And when you are in the Winter or in the Sabbath doth the Enemy work to get entertainment to cause you to flee from the leading Power of God which if he prevails in the Winter your flight is into Unbelief and Dispairing thoughts Hardships and Difficulties to cause you to Faint and draw back to Perdition But all dear faithful Vessels of the Lord to whom his Power is known in the Light all of you wait on the Lord in the middst of the stormy Winter the Lord hath and will keep you in the Word of his Patience in which he hath made you his chosen Jewels to stand in his mighty Power which hath caused his Renown to sound over the Earth in leading of you even unto Blood others to the spoiling of their Goods some Imprisoned even until Death in the meekness and patience of the Lamb of God who in tender Bowels hath remembred you and answered the Cries and Supplications of his people that have been poured forth in the behalf of you faithful Sufferers for the Name of the Lord who in measure hath caused the fierce Winter storms in the outward many times to cease that a Sabbath of rest in measure you may come to enjoy c. Dear chosen renownable Children of the most high God which not any Winter storms could move from your stedfastness in the Lord This is laid upon me to write to you that all diligently watch to the Light of the Lord that the Enemy do not enter with his Temptations as to cause any to take your flight on the Sabbath day into security which will draw into a customary Formality and into an easeful mind that will vail and darken the understanding and cause dryness and barrenness in the inward Man which will quench the first Love and cause the Innocent to suffer and bring a greater exercise then all the storms that have been indured from the hard-hearted Children of Men c. In the Name of the Lord all stand armed against the subtil Enemy of your Souls Peace with the Light judge him in the Power of God trample and tread down Sathan under your Feet that in the pure humble Spirit of Life in Christ you all be kept and grow in unity in the depths of the Love of the Father that his Vertue and Life abound in you to bind you up in eternal oneness with himself and one another to serve the Lord with singleness of Heart in faithful obedience in the Cross that the Crown of the glorious Dominion may rest upon you to the glory of the Name of the Lord for ever Farewel your Brother W. D. Given forth in Newgate Prison London the 11 th day of the 12 th Month 1661. Dear beloved Brethren and Sisters BOrn of the noble Birth of the God of our strength in whom my Soul rests with you in the Life of God oh let us in true humility be glad in him and strong in the Power of his Love and Life in these trying daies to keep our Habitations in God that in our faithfulness to him comfort may flow to all the Babes Lambs and Children of our Father through all who know his loving kindness abounding in the secrecy of the depth of his Love in the new Covenant of Light which stands in his own faithfulness all that wait in his fear will feel your strength renewed from day to day in the Resurrection of his Glory Power and Dominion with him to dwell and reign over self and tread down Sathan under your Feet in the Unfathamabâ—e depth of the Love and Life in God that his own Vertue may stream it self into every Vessel more and more to make these transcendant excellencies to appear to be of God in the brightness of his glory to shine forth in the strength of his Incomprehensible Love and tender feeling Compassions to the strengthning the weak and feeble minded and enlivening that which is ready to die that in the feeling enjoyed Life in Christ the Babes and Children of the Lord be raised in eternal unity to grow up in the Heavenly Dominion of the Lord God of our Righteousness him to obey with boldness in the strait way of self-denial and daily Cross in faithfulness unto the end and watch one over another with a single Eye building up one another in the holy Faith opening your Hearts in the free Spirit of God to them that are in need that ye may bear the Image of the Heavenly Father who relieveth the Hungry and easeth the Burthened and maketh glad in refreshing his in the time of need giving liberally and upbraideth not even so be it with you in the Name of the Lord saith your Brother and Companion in the Lord Jesus Christ Farewel W. D. Given forth in Newgate Prison London the 16 th day of the 12 th Month 1661. Dear suffering Brethren ANd Companions in the Tribulations and Kingdom of Patience in Christ Jesus in him Watch and Pray and believe in his Name that you may keep the Word of his Patience in the Will of God quietly lye down in your present Sufferings for the Word of God and Testimony of Jesus Christ who numbers the daies of your Sufferings and when they are accomplished will plead the Cause of his People in the day he will be revealed in flames of Fire rendering Vengeance upon all that know him not and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ then shall your Innocency with all the Elect be cleared in the sight of all people and you shall shine as the Morning Stars in the Power of God to enlighten the people of the Nations through the brightness of the glory of God that shall rest upon you to
63. To all the Faithful in CHRIST Who Have stood in his Counsel the Light to be led in the Foot-steps of the Flock of the Companions and to all that profess the Light of Christ to be their Guide To you I write these following Lines to be seriously weighed in the weighty and ponderous Spirit wherein you may discern a Discovery of a false Birth in some that came forth with us as to own the Light in their Iudgments and go forth from us in rejecting the stroak of the pure judgments of God through the working of the mystery of iniquity and so become as the untimely Birth that doth not see the Sun in his glory nor the beauty of Sion who hath passed through death unâ—o life in her comely unity in the Spirit and bond of peace He that can receive it let him nâ—w in the cool of â—he day when Counsel may be hearkened unto and rightly understood in the Truth as it is in Iesus DEar Friends called and chosen of God in the Eternal Light and Power of the most high who have been and are his living Witnesses from the beginning of the dawning of his powerful and glorious day of his dreadful appearance which hath caused the Earth to shake and the Keepers of the House to tremble in this day of your visitation from on high And all you that in true watchâ—ulness wait on the Lord in the measure of his life you are sensible of what he did hath done and doth in the ordering of his dear and tender Children as in the subjection both of the inward and outward Man in every exercise of the Spirit as in exhortation prayer or praises which the most high God hath and doth accompany with his blessed presence in which he hath made all that hath kept their Habitations in the powerful life of the first Love to stand as Saviours upon Mount Sion to gather the scattered of Israel and to bring again the dispersed of Iacob And this is the work of all that are truly sent of the Lord to labour in his Vineyard who seeks not their own things neither sets up nor serves themselves with what the Lord hath given unto them but alone seeks the glory of God and serveth him with uprightness of Heart in the exercise of all the Gifts and riches of his Grace with which he hath cloathed them to the perfecting of his Praise and Glory and the comfort of his Heritage forever therefore do they shine as the Stars in the Firmament of Heaven in turning many Souls to Righteousness in which they enter into the heavenly Habitation of the most high God where it is known the Lord to be one and his Name one and there alone stands the union of all the flock of the Companions who have been truly baptized and buried with Christ in his Death where we could not cover our naked Souls with a Fig-leaf Garment of our own works or with any self-created gesture or posture of the outward Man but in true obedience to the Light waiting in the sence of our misery crying out of the great Deep to the God of mercy who in his appointed time in his tender compassions he casts the Skirts of his Garment over us and said unto us live In which Life we in eternal unity bear our Testimony to all the World in the Light of his Covenant sitting and feeding together at his Table cloathed with the wedding Garment where there never was noâ— ever shall be any rent but eternal harmonious joyful unity in the everlasting felicity where every Child of this Inheritance as moved of the Lord casts in their Mite in the returns of his Spirit offering up the Sacrifice of high praises to the most high God over all blessed forever Dear and tender Friends This ariseth in my Heart to exhort all that are convinced of the Truth that every one with diligent watchfulness search your own Hearts with the Light and in it know your own estates and seriously know your own conditions and that you may certainly understand what Spirits you are on and to have the seal of the Spirit of God demonstrating to you in full assurance that you walk with him in true self-denial according to your measures in uprightness of Heart with all the flock of the Companions as before written then will the Lord give you a sound and perfect judgment to weigh and try all Spirits and taste the breath from whence the words proceed and not to lay your Hands hastily upon any whatever they pretend but in that which tries and weighs your own spirits in coolness and singleness of Heart try and taste what Spirits they are on that comes amongst you in this day wherein many comes forth with us as to the owning of the Truth in their judgments and regulates the outward Man in some outward gestures like to the Children of the Truth and some have felt the stroak of the Judgment of the Lord which hath caused them to forsake some things which formerly they delighted in and in some measure of Zeal have born a Testimony to the Light enduring both stripes and imprisonment both in this Nation and some beyond the Seas while they stood in the Fear of the Lord who for his Names sake hath delivered them from the Winter Storms that they suffered under but they for want of watchfulness the Mystery of Iniquity hath wrought and drawn them from the Light into the pride of their Hearts to deck themselves with the jewels and gifts of the Spirit God gave unto them when they were humble before him but they departing from the redeeming judgment of God the Beast gets the deadly wound heal'd again and instead of giving glory to God for their deliverance they in this time of some measure of rest take their flight on the Sabbath day upon the Mountains of their high Imaginations and Sacrifices upon the high places and doth not regard to make their peace with Christ in them their Elder Brother and so to bring their gift to the Altar in the humble meek Spirit which gathers into unity and answereth to the witness in every Conscience but though they pretend zeal and Obedience to God in what they do they being gone from the Light they neither regard the Glory of God nor the good of his People for all that they now do is wrought in a self-serving Spirit where they enter into the mysterious working of the deceit of their Hearts to set up and cover themselves with a voluntary humility and feigned love gathering all the eloquent and inticeing words of mans wisdom with which they make a flourish in a discoursative spirit speaking high words of that they never did know to get entrance upon the affection of the tender hearted ones that are afraid to judge any but themselves with others that look more at high words then to feel from whence they came or to know the end for what they are spoken and these they
Brethren that need not be written unto in lines of this nature but to all who hath or may have their mouths opened in the true motion of the Spirit of God and hath not yet overcome and escaped the danger where many have received loss as before written with a godly jealousie over you in tender bowels I beseech you watch and pray that in the Light and Power of God you always be kept And when any motion of the Spirit of the Lord ariseth in you to exercise the Gift God hath given you first search your Hearts and see that you be at peace with Christ in you your elder Brother that in the sense of your peaceable union with him your Hearts be truly broken and your Spirits truely humbled and abased before the Throne of his glory in which power bring your gifts to his Altar and keep within the bounds of the Spirit then shall your Sacrifices whether it be Exhortation Prayer or Praises answer the witness of God in all his People and God will accept of your faithfulness in the returns of his own Spirit to his glory forever And whatever the Lord doth in you or with you rejoyce not over much in Spirits being made subject but rather rejoyce in the power that keeps self in the Death that your names you always behold written in the Lambs Book of Life then will you be full of vertue as branches in the Vine of Gods righteousness whose leaf shall never wither but you shall be always Faithful and your leaf shall be for the healing of the Nations and an Eternal Judgment shall rest and abide in you in the pure discerning of all the unstable wandering Spirits that are as before written which is the Stars that the great Dragon draws after him from the heavenly Light and throws them down again to the Earth because through pride they kept not their estate in the meek humble Spirit of the Lord of Glory Oh my dear Brethren in the unity and bonds of the meek humble Spirit of our God my Soul blesseth the Name of the Lord for you and your faithfulness is as marrow to the bones of the feeble and as sinews to the loynes of the weak therefore let us in the true motion of the meek peaceable Spirit of the almighty God go on in his service and let us wrestle with the most high in the prevaling power of his own Spirit for the bringing again the captivity of Sion that they that have mourned before our God with us in years past may be restored and brought from the Mountains where they are scattered into the Light and Fold of rest with us to lye down in the Shephards Tent where we find safety in the heat of the day and in the hollow of his hand he will keep us untill the indignation be over past Therefore you valiants amongst the people who in the meek humble Spirit shines as the Angels of Glory every one be faithful in the power of the most high God in whom you shall stand as Saviours upon Mount Sion in your living Testimony which causeth the dead to hear the living Voice the Lame to Walk the Blind to See the Dumb to Speak forth the high Praises of the mighty God which shall cause the Ears of them that know not God to tingle and the Hearts of the righteous to rejoyce and forever glorifie the Name of the Lord that hath kept you humble little and low as to self but mighty powerful prevailing in the pure peaceable eternal Dominion of which there is no end Where my Soul rests who hath now given forth what hath for some time lain upon me to clear my Conscience to all that ever have tasted in any Measure of the good Word of God and the Power of the World to come that they may certainly know whether they abide in the Vine of Gods Righteousness yea or ndy Therefore Let them that hath an Eye to see let them see or an Ear to hear let them hear or an Heart to understand let them understand what the Spirit saith to the Churches in the eternal Judgment and Word of Truth through Your Brother and Fellow-Labourer in the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ Farewel W. D. Send this with care abroad to be read in the Fear of God in the Assemblies of the Church of the first Born. The Word of the Lord to his beloved City New Ierusalem come from God cloathed with the excellency of the Glory of his Love and is the Bride the Lambs Wife with the flowings of the tender compassionate Bowels of the Lord Jesus to all the Mourners in Sion and the Afflicted desolate People who wait for his comming as for the Morning and hath not satisfaction in any thing but in the enjoyment of his sweet and comfortable Presence OH Ierusalem thou beloved amongst the People who art become the beautiful Bride the Lambs Wife Oh how did he seek thee in the day of thy Divorcement when thou wast weeping in the barren Wilderness as a desolate Widow who had not any to comfort thee when thy greatest Mournings and breakings of Heart were thy greatest comfort And the more thou drunk the Tears that was shed for the want of him was thy greatest satisfaction Oh the weary daies thou had'st upon the Earth because thy Languishing Soul knew not where to meet with thy beloved neither did'st thou know how to walk in the steps of the Flock of thy Companions who was comforted with his Presence whom thy Soul wanted then was he near unto thee though thou knew it not enlivening the desires that were towards his Name And in the acceptable day he sent forth whom he had ordained to declare unto thee the glory of his Love in the Light of his own Life in which he hath covered thee this day as with a Wedding Garment and in it thou appearest comely in his sight and acceptable in his Presence And for thy sake oh Ierusalem thou City of the Living God what hath been endured How many Innocent Lambs have suffered its hard to be expressed to bring gald-tidings unto thee of him whom thy Soul thirsteth after How have the Striplings sent out in Gods Authority run to and fro in the Earth willing to spend and be spent in all services of Love to perswade thee to forsake all that hath intangled thy mind and hindred thee from the innocent Life of thy Beloved Thy mighty Men with many of the Sons and Daughters of glory have sealed their living Testimony with their Blood in the patience and sufferings of the Lamb of God that thou mayst be affected with the excellency of the glory of him whom thy Soul desireth And now the Lord God requireth of every particular Son and Daughter of Sion To Watch and Pray that not any enter into Temptation and all that have any stain upon their Garments come to the Fountain which is opened for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in which is the Heart-breaking love of
God manifest in the Light of the Covenant and sealed up to the Soul in the Blood of Jesus Oh come away come away out of all your thoughts desires doubts and unbelief which would turn you aside from the enjoyment of the dear love of God in Christ Jesus Let not any stand afar off because of your Littleness Lameness Blindness Weakness and Infirmities who cannot live at Peace until you be healed with the Blood of the Lamb. Arise arise you necessitated people in the Light of the Lord give up to the drawing Spirit of Life in the Light of Jesus Christ he will carry thee that cannot go in the Arms of his Compassions he will cause the Lame to walk and thou that art sensible of thy Blindness to recover thy sight yea he will heal thee of all thy Infirmities who in the Light waits as a little Child to be ordered and guided in the washing and sanctifying Spirit of the Lord Iesus who is become a Husband to the desolate Widow and a repairer of the Breaches and a restorer of the desolate Places in whom the Fatherless hath found mercy this day for his Names sake Oh! what shall I say of the unspeakable Love of God in Christ Jesus the Husband of the Bride the Lambs Wife Oh ye Sons of the glorious day read and feel in the deep tasts of the unsearchable Love. And you Hand-Maids of Glory drink of the inexpressible Ocean which flowes in the Light over all opposition This is the Son of the Fathers Love who hath been a Man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs He was Wounded for our Transgressions and by his Stripes are we healed and this is the Work of the Lord Let all Crowns be thrown down before him for he alone shall have all the glory besides him there is no other Therefore in the measure of him let every Son Daughter and Servant of God watch and diligently hearken to his Counsel and what ever the natural Man most inclines to when the Temptation besets you judge your selves look up to the Lord and resist the Devil with boldness in the first assault and the Lord God will give you Dominion over him and the Bond of Iniquity shall not have power over you and in his holy Authority every one stand in Dominion upon the Head of the first Man with all his excellency and glory that in the perfect freedom every particular Reign in the measure of the Light over every thought and desire that is contrary to the Will of God that in his eternal Will you Sons and Daughters of the most high you all dwell in the holy Faith which will evidence to you beyond your sight and will Arm you against all the fiery Darts of the Devil And you shall tread down Sathan under your Feet and in the triumphing Dominion through the Blood of the Lamb and Word of your Testimony you shall overcome and continually drink of the Rivers of pleasures which is the presence of the Lord Jesus our Light Life and Righteouness for ever for he is become our Husband and we are as the Wife of his Bosom in the delight of his glorious Love Let the Mourners in Sion rejoyce and the afflicted among the people be glad and fear the Lord. And let not any say the Lord regards me not who desires Salvation in uprightness of Heart for what ever thou hungers and thirsts for in his Life thou art the Heir of it and the Lord will satisfie thy Hunger with his refreshings for his Name sake And this is the Portion of them that are least in their own Eyes amongst the people the Lord hath spoken it And all you Inhabitants of the City of the great God whom the Lord hath prospered in your living Testimony in what he hath called unto blessed be the Lord God for you who retain the sensibility of your nothingness in self and so become poor with the poorest and Weak with the weakest and truly maketh self of no reputation but humbles it to the Cross and doth not serve self but the Lord and his people with all his Gifts and Ornaments with which he hath adorned you because of the savour of this Oyntment which you have in Christ causes the Souls of all the upright in Heart to praise the Lord for you Oh your stedfast valiant unwearied Travels Labours and Sufferings for the Lord causes the Hearts of his People to be enlarged with Hallelujahs and high Praises in the holy Assembles of his Saints you know your reward is with you and wo to them that devise mischief against you whom the Lord hath blessed Oh Sions Children from the least to the greatest love the Lord Jesus Christ and let not a thought of the Heart have any power that would draw from the Light Life and Love of the Lord Jesus let the day of the Resurrection arise upon you which will set your Souls in perfect love above all Unbelief and Infidelity Oh drink drink drink to the full satisfaction of your Souls of the Cup of his Salvation for it is freely handed to all that love him and thirsts for his Mercies and trample and tread down the self-working spirit that all be bound down in silence and kept in the Death that would move in any exercise to utter words rashly before the Lord but in the Resurrection Light Power Life and innocent Birth enter the Kingdom and Reign in the Dominion thereof Oh here my dear Friends let us comfort and consolate our Souls together for this is our beloved and we have waited for him and now is he come with power and great glory to deliver his Captives and establish them in his glorious freedom where the evil one shall not prevail against them and to Marry the Soul unto himself who hath waited for him as for the Morning and all in the Marriage union feel his Power abounding to lead in the daily Cross to stand over all that would draw from the sweet union that is in the footsteps of the Flock of his Companions who walk in the Light and stir up the gift of God in you in all faithful obedience to meet together in true watchfulness to wait in the Light And as your Hearts are filled with the Heavenly Power of the Lord and broken in the sence of the overcomings of his Life and moved in the forciable strength thereof in any exercise in your Families or in the Assemblies of his People quench not the Spirit of the Lord but be obedient and keep within the bounds of a broken Heart and a contrite Spirit which is a Sacrifice acceptable in his presence And all feel the love of God enlarging your Hearts one to another that the strong may bear the Burthen of the weak and in the pure Life of love you may grow fruitful Plants in the Vineyard which God's right-Hand hath Planted c. And as for our little Sister which is scattered amongst the people in the Nations that hath no Breast of
Consolation her broken Cisterns hath failed her What shall we do in this day she shall be spoken for which is come upon us though at present she cannot draw near but Mourns at a distance and Cries in secret for want of the enjoyment of the God of our Saâ—vation Oh let your Bowels open to her and let your Hearts breath unto the Lord that he may seal his Counsel unto her and cause her to walk in the Light of the Lord with us whom he hath raised to be the first Fruits amongst many Brethren to bear his glorious Testimony over and above the Heads of all the wrath of the Children of Men that withstands the Appearance of God who will cause them to bow before his Glory in the day he will clear the Innocency of his beloved people which shall smite the Hearts of them that know him not neither by Sword nor Spear nor strength of the Arm of Flesh but with the breath of his Mouth and the brightness of his comming which shall spread his Fame over the Nations to gather our Brethren from far and Sisters from the ends of the Earth yea the mighty shall bow to his Scepter and the Nations that are saved shall walk in his Light with us whom he hath made as dear unto himself as the Apple of his Eye and though a Woman may forget her sucking Child yet the Lord will not forget any that fear him but he will lead through all Tribulations with Joy in his heavenly Power untill we have finished our Course with gladness to the glory of the Name of the Lord forever And this is the Portion and the Lot of thy Inheritance thou beautiful Bride the Lambs Wife against whom every Tongue that is lifted up shall fall into Judgement and the Weapons formed against thee shall not prosper for the Lord hath made thee a burthensome Stone to the Nations and the praise of the whole Earth and the desires of the people shall be to the Name of the most high God who dwells in the midd'st of thee and hath displayed his Banner of Love over thee and hath turned his fury away from thee and never any more shalt thou want the fresh Springs of Life who loves the Light and bathes thy Soul in the Ocean of his inexpressible Mercies The Lord will keep thee in the safety of his Power and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against any of the Sons and Daughters who waâ—â— in the Light of thy City O Ierusalem in whom there is no more Curse but the Throne of God and of the Lamb is in thee and his Servants doth serve him and they do see his Face and his Name is written in their Fore-heads and there is no Night there neither need of Candle nor Light of the Sun for the Lord God giveth them Light and they do Reign forever as the Lord hath spoken Through your Brother and Companion in the Tribulation and Kingdom of Patience in the Lord Iesus W. D. Given forth in York Castle the 19 th of the 1 st Month 1663. Let this be sent abroad to be read in the fear of the Lord in the holy Assemblies of the Church of the first born where she is scattered to the ends of the Earth The Breathings of Life To God's Spiritual Israel Through A faithful Follower of the Lamb in the Regeneration and Kingdom of Patience and Tribulation and now a Sufferer in Bonds for the Testimony of the Lord Jesus known to the World by the Name of William Deusbury DEar Children and Chosen Vessels of the Eternal Everliving God whom he hath plucked as Brands out of the Fire and hath manifested his heavenly powerful operating Spirit to lead you in his holy fear to wait upon him in the way of his Judgments which hath buried and 〈…〉 in the Death that you could not find â—ny Comâ—ort or Satisfaction unto your hungry thirsty Sâ—â—ls but in lying down in true subjection to the Judgments of the Lord manifest in the Light until the Lord broke in upon you when your wills were subjected with his tender love and bowels of free mercy which caused the Dead to live the Lame to walk the Deaf to hear and the Dumb to speak forth the wonders of the Lord. Oh you dear Companions in the Tribulations and Patience of Jesus when I remember you my heart is broken and as a man overcome with the Compassions of the Lords love that flows out towards you in which my Soul exhorteth you to dread the Lord and fear continually before the heavenly Majesty of our God and be faithful upon your watch that the Enemy which you know goes abroad as a roaring Lion to devour you that he may be trampled upon and never get Entrance to stain your pure Garments which you know never could be washed but in the blood of the Lamb And all take heed of giving way in the least measure to what you know would intangle you in any bondage do not rely upon your own strength though you have and do reign in the glorious dominion standing in the Light yet if there be the least hearkning to the Enemy to tamper with him though you may think you may be able to subject the disposition of nature he works upon if he draw you from the Light you will be insnared and distress and sorrow will come upon you as an Armed man and under Gods Judgments you must lye until the Lord raise you up again in the renewings of his mercy in the Light of his own Covenant Therefore dear Children of the Immortal birth I cannot but say once more unto you Watch watch with all circumspection and diligence stand faithful upon your watch that in the Light of the Lord the eye of discerning be kept open in you that you may discern the Mysterious workings of the subtil Enemy of your souls peace And take heed of taking any liberty to your selves in any thing but what you know stands approved in the Light Power and Life which hath so freely manifested it self in regenerating and renewing you in the spirit of your minds let your souls continually prize the Light and the Sin-condemning power to love it above all things that you may stand in the Marriage-union in the power which destroys the works of the Devil and keeps the Soul in pure freedom to walk with the Lord rejoycing in the daily Cross where Self is crucified and the Soul set free in the pure Liberty in the love and life of the most High to magnifie and praise his name in the beauty of holiness forever and ever Oh beloved ones look not at Self nor at any storm or tempest that ariseth through temptation or tryals of what nature soever as to vail you from beholding of the lovely countenance of Jesus the beloved of our Souls Oh lift up your heads all that love the Light for the Lord our God in the bowels of everlasting compassions will draw near you more and more and
he will carry his tender Lambs in his Armes and the dear suckling Babes at the Breasts of his Consolation and to cause his young men in Christ to rejoyce in the purity of his nature and the Handmaids and Daughters of Glory to triumph in his Comliness with which he will cover them that love the Light and his pure nature better then their lives the aged among his people he will cloath them with Wisdom and the grave solid ponderous weighty Spirit shall more and more possess the Ancients among his Children a pure perfect eternal Judgment he hath plac'd in the midst of thee oh Sion that shall keep forth and bind the ravenous ones for it shall be as a wall for the preservation of his lovely City Ierusalem and great is and shall be the encreasings of God upon all thy Inhabitants that abhor self and love the Light and delights to walk in faithfulness up to the requirings of the Lord in this his dreadful day wherein he is purging his Sanctuary through great sufferings according to the word of the Lord as hath been declared let no discouragement be upon your Spirits for the mighty Jehovah is with every particular Babe of his Kingdom and dear and pretious is your lives in the sight of the Lord a Woman may forget her sucking Child but the Lord will not forget you that trust in his Mercies and though the Cup look bitter which many hath to drink in this trying day fear not you beloved People but stand approved in the Light of Jesus and whatever you meet withal his presence will accompany you in sweetning your passage daily more and more for his bowels earns abundantly to you who in the holy resolution in his heavenly Power is freely given up to do and suffer whatever the pleasure of the Lord is â—hat he may glorifie his Name in the Earth in disposing of you to the eternal renown of his Name forever Oh you dear Babes of the holy Seed abide in your safe dwelling in the Light over all fear of what ever man can do for the determination of God is not any more wrath shall have power then shall turn to his praise for the Lord hath given his Angels charge over you and they pitch their Tents continually about you and in vain it is for man to strive to afflict you whom the Lord will save or to destroy whom the Lord will preserve Therefore be glad oh Sion in thy God this day and let thy Inhabitants oh Ierusalem shine forth in the glory of the Heavenly power of the most high God who dwelleth in the middst of thee for the day of thy deliverance he is hastening and to make inquisition for the Blood of thy tender Children who has sufferred spoylings of their Goods and many Stripes Prisons Afflictions and Death for the Word of God and Testimony of Jesus Christ Therefore in the Word of his Patience every one stand in your several conditions gird up in the Light the mind to the Lord unmoveable in his strengâ—h to bear your Testimonies the strong leading the weak by the Hand that all in the gentle sweet leading Spirit of Life in eternal Unity live and walk in the heavenly Authority in peace and faithfulness until death where the Crown of eternal glory shall be your reward in the power of his everlasting dominion to Praise and Magnifie his Name with Hallelujahs and high praises in the beauty of his Life forever and for evermore Amen And further this ariseth in my Heart dear beloved vessels whereâ—oever God hath placed you in the Earth whatever appears amongst the Children of men in the Light of Christ stand still and dwell in your peaceable rest forever that to the witness of God in every Conscience we may be manifest to be the Children of the eternal God of Peace in whom is our diligent watchings and waitings upon our God to order us in his Power and Wisâ—om in our peaceable lives to be a blessing to all the Inhabitants of the Land of our Nativity from the highest to the lovest in what we may to perswade them to walk in the Fear of the Lord that they may escape in the day of terrible wrath which the mighty God will manifest in the day of his dreadful vengeance upon the ungodly that so by our conversation in Christ the measure of God in all their Consciences may testifie for us that in us the peaceable holy Seed is raised which the Lord hath blessed and in which we know that neither height nor depth principalities nor powers things present nor things to come prisons nakedness peril or sword life nor death can never seperate us from the sweet refreshing Life and Peace we have together in Christ the Righteousness Strength and Dominion forever In whom Rests the Soul of your Brother in the word of his Patience with you Farewell W. D. Warwick Goal the 8 th of the 11 th Month 1663. The Word of the Lord to Sion the New Ierusalem the Bride the Lambs Wife the Eâ—cellency of all the Glory that is amongst the People though she be now in deep Sufferings in fulness of time God will clear the Innocency of her Children and all the Nations of the Earth shall call her the Blessed of the Lord yea the holy City in whom the Lord dwells to manifest his Glory upon the Earth amongst the Children of men forever O Sion who is brought forth in the beautiful and glorious Birth of the morning of the Day of the Almighty God thou Ierusalem the Bride the Lambs Wife O what Tongue can express of what is felt in the heavenly Treasures and Fulness of the Most High who watches over thee for good and not for evil in this day of thy great Tryal wherein Judgment is begun at the House of God that he may prove you to be his People in the sight of the Nations and manifest his mighty Power for your deliverance in the presence of the People to the astonishment of all the proud and stout-hearted among the Children of men In the ability of the strength of the Lord I declare his Word to thy tender Children O Sion whom the Lord God beholds how you are compassed about with the ravenous Beasts of the field and given up by the Children of men for to be laid waste and to race up the Foundation of your strength if it were possible that so the pure and living Worship of God in the Spirit may not be known in the Earth O dear and tender Children of the Immortal Birth which maketh Self of no reputation whom the Lord hath called and chosen to be his living Witnesses upon the Earth to bear Testimony of his great and glorious Name amongst the People fear not Man whose breath is in his nostrils neither regard evil tydings of what men intend to do with you O be faithful upon your watch that you may stand in a good Authority in the Light and Life over all the
appearance of evil in the Inward-man that would draw your minds from staidness in the Power of the Lord God that so the evil spy of the mind may never have Power that would run forth in the reach of your reason to judge of what will come to pass in the sensitive part and so cause â—0ainting and feebleness of mind thorow the dark Judgment which is out of the Light and Power of God as the evil Spyes did in the days of old who brought evil tydings of the good Land Therefore all you Servants of the Most High God stand fast in his Counsel who saith I am God Al-sufficient walk before me and be ye perfect in that to reign over all what ever is contrary to the will of God that so in the free resignation of your wills with all that you have and are you may be a living Sacrifice upon his Altar with singleness of Heart standing approved before the Throne of his Glory with boldness and holy conâ—idence without the least doubting or wavering of mind but that the Lord will go before you and with joy and gladness of Heaâ—t carry you through what ever he hath determined to the perfecting his Praise and Glory of his Name forever And dear Friends in God you are not ignorant of the tender Love of our Father who in the Authority of his own Spirit sent to proclaim this day of tryal in your Ears certain Years ago that every Child might look up to the Power of the Lord to be prepared to meet him in the day determined which now is manifest in the sight of all People that love the Lord To whom I declare in the Authority of the same Spirit and Life that your deliverance is sealed in the Eternal and Unchangeable Decree of the Most High God let all the power of darkness do what they are permitted fear not you chosen Vessels for not any more of the wraâ—h of man shall have power then you shall have ability in God's Sufficiency to rejoyce triumph praise and magnifie the Name of the Lord through and over all the wrath of Man all your days until your Change come and for ever when time shall be no more and God will be the God of your Families and tender Children who never did not will forsake the Righteous neither suffer their Seed to beg their bread Therefore lift up your heads in the Power of the Lord you chosen Vessels for you shall prevail and overcome through the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of your Testimony and no more shall love your lives to death that you may do and suffer whatever the pleasure of the Lord is who was made perfect in suffering and did go before us unto the Father and â—ow is come again to receive us unto himself therefore all in the Light behold Him behold Him who ascended over all the power of Hell and Death and Darkness who now in like manner is descended whose coming we behold in the Clouds with Power and great Glory Therefore dear Children of the Lord with the Light judge whatever would cloud or vail you from beholding his glorious Appearance so shall you reign over all the evil attendances of the mind though they be never so strong or many you shall in the Power of the Lord trample upon them in the Name of Jesus whose coming is in the Clouds to deliver every Lamb forth of the evil that assaults the mind thorow the Manifestion of his Appearance For as the Lightning is from the East unto the West so is the Appearance of the Son of Man and as the Serpent was lift up in the Wilderness so is the Son of Man lifted up in this his Day O let your Eyes be all fixed on him and your Hearts stedfastly believing in his Name without wavering though the Devil tempt and all the Power of Darkness do what it can in the meek Life of Jesus you shall trample upon the head of the old Serpent and reign in the powerful Authority over all the Enemies within and without forever And as to the Clouds that arise outwardlâ— from Men who lay their Plots in the deep and fetch â—heir Counsel out of the bottomless Pit c. I beâ—â—â—ch you all in the Bowels of love consult not with Fleâ—â—â—nd Blood but walk close with the Lord as at other times as our Brethren Daniel Shadrach Meshach and Abâ—â—nego did in the days of old for whom the Lord appeared through all the clouds and power of darkness to the confounding the pride of Babylon in that Age and Generation c. And certainly the Royal Birth of the Immortal Seed which maketh Self of no reputation shall see Christ coming thorow all the Clouds with Power and great Glory and in as great Majesty as ever since the World was made for the Deliverance of his own Birth that seeks not any thing but to glorifie his Name with the loss of all Life it self if the Lord requires it at their Hands to seal the Testimony of their peaceable and holy Conversation in Christ Jesus which is in meeting watching and waiting to receive the Heavenly Vision And dear beloved Children stedfastly believe in the Name of the Lord that the Birth of the one pure Will may be raised into its Dominion in you all that the Father may fill you with his sanctifying Word and when you are sweetly refreshed take heed of being hasty to utter words before the Lord but sink down into the Eternal Power and as it overcomes you with the forcible Power and moves in you to make mention of the Name of the Lord whether in Exhortation Prayer or Praises O take heed of quenching the motion of the Spirit but give freely up to the Power of the Lord to order you in his own Will and Wisdom what he will manifest thorow you that so you in true Obedience cast your Miâ—e into the Treasury of God and give the Lord his own with advantage which proceeds from a broken Heart and a contrite Spirit which our God will not despise but will enlarge our Borders for our Faithfulness that so all the Assemblies of the Lord's People may be as the Assemblies of Prophets of the Most High freely offering up to him the Fruit of his own Vineyard in the holy return of Praises Praises in the pure Demonstration and Power of his own Spirit that the everlasting Praise and Glory of the Name of the God of our Consolation may be exalted over all who is established in his pure peaceable Kingdom in the Hearts of his People and of his Dominion there is no end For the Heathen shall be given Him for his Inheritance and the utmost ends of the Earth for his Possession Swords shall be beaten into Plow-shares and Spears into Pruning-hooks for he will break the battle out of the Earth who is God over all to rule and reign forever and ever Princes shall be in love with Him and the Mighty of the Earth shall
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
in the Earth for his Seed sake and many that shall have their lives given them for a prey shall receive the Word of Eternal Life in that City and great shall be the number who shall submit to the Government of Christ and they shall bless the Lord for you that love not your lives to death for the Glory of God and gathering the Sons and Daughters of Men to the Knowledge of God by your holy lives and sweet walking in all holiness of Conversation Oh blessed be the day that ever you were born yea my Soul Glorifies God for you that ever you had a being you faithful Lambs in the City of London and else where scattered according to the Will God Though you now drink a Cup of great Affliction the day of Eternal Joy is sprung up to thee which none can take away an eternal Freedom shall be unto thee Oh Sion Kings shall come unto thee and Princes to the rising of this thy Glorious Day and all thy Enemies shall fall before thee and thou shalt be the Glory over all the Earth and the chosen Diadem in the Hand of thy God amongst the People who shall as much love thee as they now hate thee and esteem of thee as they now despise thee for thou Oh Sion art the Plant of the Lord the Tree of Righteousness in whom is the vertue of the mighty God of Heaven and the leaf of thy Tree shall heal the Nations and put an end to all their distractions the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Through one that dwells within thy Gates thou Glorious and Beautiful Sion Church of the first Born the Beloved Bride the Lambs Wife forever Blessings Glory and Praises Hallelujahs Eternal Honour and Renown be unto thy God and King who reigneth in thee and is exalting his Kingdom over all the Kingdoms of this World and of his Dominion there shall be no end W. D. From the Common Goal in Warwick the 12 th of the 6 th Meneth 1665. For the dear Daughters of Sion whom the Lord hath or shall suffer their dear and tender Husbands to be separated from them beyond the Seas or else-where for the Testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. DEar Handmaids of Glory whom the Lord hath counted worthy to part with your dear and tender and beloved Husbands for the Name of the Lord assuredly many puts their Shoulders to help to bear the Burthen of your Tryals this day O the Tears and breakings of Heart that is poured forth before the Lord for your dear Husbands and you and your tender Children you are Families of many prayers and assuredly shall be known to be Families of many Mercies O dear Daughters of Sion be content with your Cup handed forth to you this day and bless the Name of the Lord that you are accounted worthy to be the first Fruits among the beloved Daughters What could the Lord do more for you then to count you worthy to suffer in this nature to give you such blessed Husbands that are set as glorious Lights in the face of all People Dear chosen beloved Daughters of Sion let it be seen you love the Lord Jesus more then your dear Husbands and stand over the affectionate Part and solace your Souls in the Love and Life of the Lord Jesus your eternal and beloved Husband and Comforter of your real Husbands and will make us all to rejoyce in whatever he calls us unto we diligently watching and judging our selves and resting in the Light and Will of God in which the Lord establish you you deâ—r beloved Daughters of Sion for whom breathes the Soul of your dear Brother daily to the Lord to strengthen you and your dear Husbands and all that love the Lord Jesus Christ In whom fare you well W. D. Warwick common Gaol the 10 th of the 8 th Month 1664. For my dear honorable Brethren who are or may be sentenced to be Transported to the Isles beyond the Sea for the Testimony of the Name of the Lord Jesus MY dear Friends in the suffering of the Lamb who liveth and reigneth forever and ever and shall overcome all his Enemies in the day determined that all his Enemies shall bow under the Soles of his Feet then shall all that oppress you call you the blessed of the Lord forever O my dear Brethren lift up your Heads in the Light and Life of Jesus for whom you suffer abide in his Light reign over your thoughts of either Wife or Children or whatever would trouble your minds for giving up freely in this your Testimony O you valiants among the People the first Fruits and the leading Champions the Lord is with you and Thousands and ten Thousands shall bless the Name of the Lord for your faithful Testimony which shall sound over Nations to the gathering the People and bringing in our little Sister who hath no Breasts to feel the Consolation of the life of our Beloved for whom we suffer this day O my dear Brethren triumph trimuph in the face of all your Enemies it shall be well with you wheresoever the Lord suffers you to be carried and as to your tender Wives and Children the Lord hath said to my Soul it shall be well with them the blessing of the Lord shall rest upon them forever and ever and with you to the comfort of the Isles that wait for his Law therefore in the peaceable power of the Lord go on you chosen Brethren of the suffering seed which the Lord hath blessed O happy men that ever you were born and blessed be the day that ever the Lord called you in his Power to stand faithful in what the Lord requires of you in which living Testimony you stream through the whole Body as a River of Oyle and vertuous refreshings whose memorial shall never perish but preach to Ages and Generations to the Glory of the Name of our God forever O go on with gladness with trimuph for it is to bring in the Seed from all the ends of the Earth that our Brethren may come from far and Sisters from the end of the World O mighty God cover thy faithful Servants with thy glorious Power and cause them and their Families to rejoyce in thy disposing of them forever and ever Amen My Life in the suffering Spirit go with you in the Name of the Lord forever my dear Companions in these bonds Salute you in the Love of the Lord. Farewel W. D. From the Common Gaol of Worwick the â—0 th of the 8 th Month 1665. The Word of the Lord to all Children born again of the Immortal Seed as the Salutation of the Bowels of the unlimitted Love of the Father flowing forth to you in the forcible Power of his own Life thorow your Brother and Companion in Tribulation and Kingdom of Patience in the Lord Jesus Christ. DEar and honourable Brethren and Sisters Oh how doth my Soul bless the Name of the Lord for you who stands faithful to God in your living
Testimony for him in the pure meek peaceable Spirit of our Lord Jesus with the hazard of the loss of all outward substance dear and tender Wife and Children and beloved Husband and tender Children to be rent from their dear beloved Parents and also with the hazard of your Liberty and Transportation out of your Native Country and not at all love your lives to death to seal your Testimony with your Blood in the Word of his Patience if the Lord require it at your Hands and when you have done the Will of God in what is before written your love is so large to the Lord Jesus that you abhor loath and detest and trample upon every appearance of the arrogant self-pridâ—ng and self-inriching boasting Spirit in what you have done or suffered for the Testimony of the Truth of our God and in true watchfulness and pure attendancy to the Light and Counsel of the Lord Jesus you are always kept in a true sensibility of your own nothingness cloathed with the Garment of everlasting humility where you sit at the feet of Jesus as Mary did chusing the good part that shall never be taken away casting your Garments of all self-righteousness upon the ground that Jesus may tread upon them and the cumbred disposition of Martha that would complain of the innocent Life or that would have any eye to self and rob him of his Glory and for this you Children of the most high is your daily waiting that the Lord Jesus may take you up into him and cause you to rejoyce and sing Hosanah to the highest and to bless him that comes in the Name of the Lord to cover you with his own righteousness and marry you to himself as his chosen and beloved Bride in his own faithfulness and give you perfect Victory in overcoming through the Blood of the Lamb and the word of your faithful Testimony in the pure meek holy healing Spirit of the Lord our righteousness in whom you shall be as Pillars in the Temple of our God and shall go no more forth but shall grow as Trees of Righteousness in the midd'st of the Street of the City of our God bringing forth acceptable Fruit to him in due season and your Leaves shall be for the healing of the Nations where-ever the Lord suffers you to be cast for the Testimony of his glorious Name yea the Prisoners of hope will be refreshed at the sound of your coming and the Mourners will rejoyce in your arising for the Tongue of the learned shall be given unto you all in your measure to speak a word in due season to every condition for you and all the Companions that can read and understand in the true experience your state as here written shall stand as Saviours upon Mount Sion which can never be removed because yoâ— have not any eye to self in what ever you do but it is your delight to be ordered by the holy Spirit of the Lord Jesus and in your resignation into his pure will you shall be translated more and more into the angelical glory and by your holy conversations words and works which hath the love of God stampt upon them you become Preachers of the mind of God to the Nations and as ministring Angels shall reap in his harvest to the gathering our Brethren from far and our Sisters from the ends of the Earth and all the Nations shall confess that you are the Children of the most high God the righteous Seed whom the Lord hath blessed and the Hearts of the People shall be changed in the day determined by the Power of the mighty God who turns the Hearts of men as a River of Water and the People of the Nations in the Earth shaâ—l more strive in their fervent desires for you suffering Innocent Lambs to live amongst them then they now strâ—ve and endeavour to send you away from them the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it through your Brother in the Lord Jesus whose life hath been of no esteem to serve you with my faithful Brethren who in true self-denial through the almighty Power of God indured the heat of the day that you might be gathered and established to indure the tryals which were of the Lord determined of which I was sent in years past to proclaim in your Ears and in the same word which speaketh thorow me to you of which neither jot nor tittle shall fall to the ground till all be fulfilled I declare to you this day Therefore dear and honourabâ—e Brethren and Sisters from the highest growth to the lowest stature in Jesus let not any consult with Flesh and Blood but all in the perfect Light and Life of Jesus lift up your Heads that your Souls may be inlivened with his quickening vertue in that eternal Hunger which nothing can satisfie but the Lord of Glory in this day of separation between the precious and the vile between the true birth and the false birth as it was in the days of old when they confessed unto him and followed him beyond the Seas but when the Lord said Except ye eat my Flesh and drink my Blood you have no Life in you All that were the false birth that stood as the high-way ground stony and thorny ground Hearers foolish Virgins that had no Oyle in their Lamps they said this is an hard saying and who can bear it and they went back and left the Lord of Life and followed no further Then the Lord said to the Children born of the true birth will you go away also They answered nay thou hast the words of eternal Life and whither shall we go Oh dear Child canst thou leave the Father that begot thee or canst thou â—eed of any thing but the bread he hath prepared for thee Though thou mayst be beset and compassed about as Bees with the Enemies of thy Souls peace that would hinder thee from walking with thy God yet can they keep thee from him nay assuredly thou hangest upon him as a Child upon a Father Though thou be as a little Babe thou abhors all things that would hinder thee from following the Lord Thou saist of thy riches of this World thou shalt be no snare to me and to the tender Wife weep not for me give me up for I must forsake thee when the Lord requires me neither regards the Crys and Tears of the mournful Children thou comfortest them in what thou mayst but thou freely leavest them for the Glory of thy God and thus is it with Wife concerning tender Husband and Children concerning their dear Parents in this day of rending one from another Assuredy I cannot but commiserate your condition and simpathize with you being sensible of the earnings of Bowels whilst I have been drinking this cup for many years And now Oh ye Babes born of the royal birth you are the chosen Jewels let no care be upon your Hearts for any thing in this World for you seeking Gods Kingdom and the
Righteousness thereof you shall have all satisfaction in the fulness of the Love of God though separated one from another and let none of your Eyes look out at any that deny the Lord of Life before Men who in the profession of his Name came forth with us and goes forth from us because they are not of us for as I have proclaimed in your Ears many years ago so I proclaim it again in the word of his faithfulness who liveth for ever That all that profess the Light and Name of Jesus and hath an Eye to self in what they do and doth not follow him with a single Heart in his work of Regeneration before the trying day be over they will deny him and wither as though they had never made mention of him but all you Lambs that fear and dread the Name of the Lord and freely gives up to be governed by his powerful Spirit and in the least measure wait in the Light self to be buried down under this Judgment and your Souls raised in the Resurrection of Jesus and born again of the Seed of God which cannot depart from him but must follow him let the power of darkness over all the Face of the Earth do what it is permitted Oh the beholding of you Children of the immortal birth it is known to the Lord the earning of Bowels in the meltings and breakings of my Heart and I am streamed into you as a River in the unexpressible unlimited love and Life of my God and your God where feel and taste and let us solace in the invisible in-dwelling love of a tender Father where no vulterous Eye can behold nor any venomous Beâ—st shall enter to sting the beloved Babes begotten of the Father any more And dearly beloved Brethren and Sisters where ever the Lord orders you watch diligently that in the sweet reserved Spirit in the heavenly Wisdom you walk together in the loving meek holy Spirit of the Lord Jesus and in the nearest fellowship and familiarity with any one watch to the Light to be covered alwayes with his Spirit of Sanctification that you may stand before the Throne of the Lamb with the pure Garment of his own righteousness to the Glory of his great Name forever And in all your words and works be tender over one another in love in what you may and the strong bearing the burthen of the weak that the holy meek lowly healing Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ may rule in you all binding up your Hearts together in the eternal unity of the Spirit and bond of Peace where ever the Lord orders any of you his faithful Children that you with us and we with you may be as Sinews to the Loynes and Marrow to the Bones of one another in the meek lowly Spirit of Christ our Head and Life that in him we all may be manifest to the whole World to be the Children of the most High God through the aboundings of his vertue in and amongst us who are born again and is the Church of the first born the pure Bride of the Lamb of God who abhors to live in any thing that is not of his nature and in sincerity of Heart have given up our names to him and in his Glorious Majestical cominion tramples upon all false births feigned self-creating self-serving Spirits who are gone from the Innocent Life and make to themselves Pleasant pictures in a voluntary humility and smooth words and gestures and outward appearances to enter the affectionate part and betray the Innocent as with a Kiss but in the tryal of the day that is come upon all pleasant things and pleasant pictures they are found serving themselves and Iudases to the Innocent Life of those that are regenerated by the Power of the most High and redeemed from the Earth therefore to you that stand girt up in the Light Thought and Will of God to reign over all the pollutions of this World I write as to my Honourable Brethren and Sisters desiring you all to resign to the faithfulness of God that his al-sufficiency may preserve you out and over all the clouding thoughts of your own Hearts that in the pure discerning you may taste and weigh all Spirits of what nature they are in what Nation Country or Island soever you are ordered to go and lay not your Hands hastily upon any neither regard their feigned smooth words and behaviour but in the Life of the Lord Jesus wait that he may give you Ability in his pure Wisdom to make your passage in the invisible entrance through all outward appearances to try and taste what they are inwardly to God in the measure of the Heart searching Spirit you have received of the Father that so you may all be kept and preserved in the intire union in the sincere Life to reign over all false births in the dominion to walk with the Lord and one towards another in the eternal inâ—xpressible unlimitted pure holy chaste Love of our Father in the Lord Jesus who in his unlimitted Love laid down his Life for us and with his Blood hath redeemed washed and cleansed us that we might have access to the Throne of his Glory continually to offer up the living Sacrifice of Halelujahs and high Praises Glory and Honour unto the Lord God and to the Lamb that sits upon the Throne our Light Life Strength and Righteousness Joy Peace Tranquility and everlasting Felicity over all God blessed forever of whose dominion there is no end And in his Glorious Powerful Resurrection and Dominion keep your state with God that his tender Bowels may be inlarged in you to all where you feel any true breathings and heavenly desires towards the Name of the Lord though in some outward things they may differ let not that shut up your Bowels but in the openings of the Spirit of the Lord in what you may Minister to the enlivening of that in them which the Lord hath begotten to hunger for him Oh I beseech you ease my Heart in this matter for I am in travel till all that hunger for the righteousness of God under what denomination soever be all gathered to the Light of Jesus there to receive an understanding to feel the Spirit of the Lord make a separation in condemning sin in the Flesh and quickning in Spirit in the Resurrection in the Powerful Life in Christ that so our little Sister that hath no Breast scattered among Languages Tongues and People in the Nations by your sweet and holy Conversations in the meek lowly and loving chaste Spirit of the Lord Jesus may be gathered in the Light and Life of â—esus with us to sit down at the table of our God to drink continually the Cup of Salvation in which work O my God bless thy Servants with thy prosperous presence where ever thou sends them and all you chosen Lambs comfort my Heart in what my Soul desires in this thing that as in the pure discerning of the Spirit of the
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
according to the promise of the Lord This is the Covenant I will make with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah after those days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their Hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People and they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them I will be merciful unto their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more and in this City there is no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it which are borrowed Lights outward Dispensations and teachings of men for the Glory of the Lord God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof and the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the Light of it and the Kings of the Earth bring their Glory and honour unto it and there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie but they which are written in the Lambs Book of Life and the Gates of it shall not be shut at all by day for there shall be no night there for the Lord God giveth them Light and they shall reign for ever and ever Halelujah to the Highest To all revolted Souls who have departed from the Counsel of the Lord and are made drunk with the Wine of the wrath of the Fornication of the Whore bewitched with the Mother of Withcraft to return into Spiritual Sodom and Egypt where our Lord is Crucified WHoever thou art in whom the righteous Law of God Jesus Christ the Light in thee hath cryed through thy earthly Heart for righteousness and judgment and there thou didst stand arraigned before the Throne of the Lamb where the Book was opened in thee and written therein all the deeds thou hast done in the body and the sentance of wrath and judgement passed out of the Mouth of the Lamb on thee for every idle word and all that thou hast done and in this thy condemned Estate thou runnedst too and fro to hide thee from the wrath of the Lamb in reforming thy ways and strictly observing what thou wast convinced of to be the Will of God but what way soever thou turnedst in thy Obedience towards God to get Life thither the flaming Sword turned that proceeded out of the Mouth of the Lamb and cut thee down and cast thee into a Hell whoâ—e thou layest weeping and wailing under the wrath of God sealed down under his eternal judgment for evermore for any help or power thou hadst in thy selâ— until Jesus Christ manifested eternal Love and Mercy freely to thy poor lost condemned Soul and raised thee up to a lively hope and sealed thee up in the Covenant of Life with his own Blood Now after the witnesses hath sealed up their Testimony the Beast which is thy will that ascends out of the bottomless pit of thy deceived Heart which is deceitful and desperately wicked hath made War against the Witnesses and slain them and they lie dead in the spiritual City of Sodom and Egypt where our Lord is Crucified and thou art made Drunk with the Wine of the Wrath of the Fornication of the Whore and bewitched with her Witch-Crafts who now tells thee whom he loves he loves to the end and to the Pure all things are pure thou art no more under the Law but under Grace and all things are alike that when thou disobeyest the pure Law which once had power over thee and it witnesseth against thee secretly crying in thy Heart use thy liberty but nor as an occasion to the Flesh thou regardest not the Counsel of the Lord but hearkens to the Mother of Harlots in thee and causes thee to wrest the Scriptures to thine own Destruction and tells thee the Law hath no power over thee thou art under Grace it is but the Law in thy members that Wars against the Law in thy mind the acting of the humanity which acts in its place that the Grace of God may appear more gloriously God sees no Sin in thee for it is no more thou but Sin that dwells in thee and the former misery thou wast in under the Wrath of God for the disobeying of the righteous Law thou now treadest under thy Feet and lies slain in spiritual Sodom and Egypt in thy Heart yet not put in Grave but lies in thy sight and lets thee see the evil of thy doings and vexes and torments thy earthly and carnal Heart in the midd'st of all thy Joy but the Whore in thee tells thee that the former trouble thou wast in it was through ignorance of God but now thou art grown up to a higher stature in Christ to see nothing but love in whatsoever thou doest and now thou knowest nothing but to eat and to drink and be merry for the Children of the Bride Chamber cannot mourn while the Bridegroom is with theus time was thou didst mourn but it was when the Bridegroom was not with thee but now the Winter is past and Summer come and singing of Birds is heard in thy Land and now wash thy face and anoint thy Head with Oyle that thou appear no more before Men as thou didst when thou wast a Pharisee now to be a friend to Publicans and Sinners and become all to all that thou mayest win some and whatever thou dost it is God that acts thee for thou art not stronger then he to resist him and if he would have it other ways how couldst thou hinder it so it is as it must be and it cannot be otherwise thus the subtle Serpent winds into the mind of Man and causes him to wrest the Scriptures to his own destruction to draw back into perdition Wo wo unto thee thou back-slider in Heart who chargest God who is purity it self to be the Author of Sin and the actor of thee in all thy filthy and unrighteous walking and hast turned the Grace of God into Wantonness and takest liberty to Sin because Graâ—e abounds and makest the coming of Christ who came to fulfil the Law to destroy it through the evil of thy Heart that when the righteous Law cries in thee for purity and condemns thee for thy unrighteous walking then thou pretendst to fly to the free Grace in Christ to save thee from the power of the Law but thou shalt find the Law hath power over the fleshly Man as long as he lives and the fleshly Man that now guides thee is under the Law until it be destroyed through Faith in Christ Jesus For he came not to destroy the Law but to fufil it and the Saints witness it though thou wrest the words of Paul when he declared his condition before he came to
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
of you mind the Light which is of Jesus Christ in you that judgeth the unrighteousness of your Hearts give up to be guided by the pure Light in you which is your Teacher the Counsel of Jesus Christ and it shall bring Judgment forth unto victory and whatever he makes manifest to you to be his Will Wait on the Lord in his Counsel and he will give you Power to obey and when you have obeyed his Will take heed of departing from the Counsel of the Lord which is within you to hearken to the counsel of your own Hearts which will draw your minds to look back at your Obedience and the experiences you have passed through so will the Beast which received a deadly wound with the Sword the righteous Law that goes out of the Mouth of the Lamb in you his deadly wound will be healed and sits a painted Beast above the Cross of Christ working lying wonders in your Hearts and imitating the operation of the Power of God who is purifying his Sons and Daughters with the Spirit of Judgment and the Spirit of burning and the Beast in you that tasted of the Power of God when he received his deadly wound under the Justice of God now can imitate the same in deceit and cause Fire to come down from Heaven in the sight of Men imitating the operation of the Spirit of burning and so deceives himself and all that dwell upon the Earth he is made manifest to all that dwell in the Heavenly Light in their Hearts All Friends mind your watch for the Adversary the Devil goes about like a rearing Lion seeking whom he may devour abide in the Counsel of the Lord which is the Light in you and you will discern between the Beast which is Anti-christ in his lying wonders and the Lamb Jesus Christ in the operation of his power so you will come to try the Spâ—rits whether they be of God yea or no all that are guided by the Beast have their Life in speaking and acting in outward operations what they once experienced and what they comprehend to be Truth speaking that they enjoy not and is exalted in pride the Heart returned into the Earth But thou that art guided by the Lamb the Light in thy Conscience the righteous Law crys through thy earthly Heart and brings it to judgment and thou canst find no life in the operation of the Power of God nor in thy obedience but whilst the Presence of the Lord is with thee in it and when thou hast done the Will of God in obeying what he hath made known unto thee thou seest thy self to be an unprofitable Servant and hast need of patience that thou mayest receive the promise where thy life is hid with Christ in God to save thee freely for his Names sake or else thou perishest and to carry thee on by his mighty Power or else thou fallest so thou hast nothing to Glory in but in the Lord. And as they that are guided by the Beast which is Anti-christ speak of the Truth a riddle to their own Hearts not knowing the Power and Life of what they speak adding to the Word of the Lord and the plagues and curse of God will be added unto them But thou that art guided by the Lamb Jesus Christ thou knowest when the Word of the Lord is committed to thee If any have my Word saith the Lord let him speak my Word faithfully is not my Word like a Fire saith the Lord and like a Hammer that breaketh the Rocks in pieces Thou canst witness the Word of the Lord to be as a Fire and as a Hammer to break the Rocks in pieces in thee and bring down all in thee in subjection to its self and it alone rules in thee and thou that canst witness the Word of the Lord thus manifest in thee thou art a true Messenger of the Lord let not the deceit stop thy Mouth for the Word the Lord calls thee to speak shall perfect his work for which it is sent All Friends stand fast in the Counsel and Will of God be faithful in following the Lamb daily through the Cross and none be discouraged in Temptations be content look up to the Lord to keep you in the Hour of Temptations for it is no Sin to be temped but to yield to the Tempter and when the Lord delivers you from the power of the Tempter watch that your will get not from under the Cross â—ut sink down into the Love of God and every one be content in what the Lord hath made manifest to you and be faithful according to your Talents and more will be communicated to you and none look forth at others conditions for if you do the Enemy will cause you to stumble and you will come to a loss in your own condition wait patiently in the Counsel of the Lord the Light in you for he is making a short work in the Earth that you that come into the Vineyard at the eleventh Hour shall receive as much as they that came in at the third Hour and have Laboured in the heat of the day All ye Children of the Lord lift up your Heads behold your King riding in Majesty and Power upon the wild Ass Colt which is your wild nature subjecting it to himself that you may enter with him through the Gates of the City into new Ierusalem where there enters nothing that worketh Abomination and maketh a Lie but what is written in the Lambs Book of Life and there you shall dwell in the Banquetting House of the Lord forever feeding upon the Feast of Fat things rejoycing in the Eternal Love and Mercy to your Souls in the free Covenant of Life in the Blood of Christ who is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings God Blessed forever who is riding on in Majesty and in Power conquering and to conquer all the powers of darkness in the Hearts of his Saints that they may reign as Kings upon the Earth to the Praise and Glory of our God who is taking unto him his great Power to reign in his Saints for evermore to whom alone be all Honour Glory Power and Eternal Praises for ever W. D. To Richard Thomas at Hartford for him to communicate to all that are there and at London and else-where as way is made to be sent to them that are to be Transported for the Testimony of the Name of the Lord. DEar Friends and blessed of the Lord forever you whom the Lord hath chosen to be the Valiant ones amongst his People in this your great Tryals oh blessed be the Name of the Lord for you and your dear Wives and Relations that gives you up freely for to bear your Testimony in the face of all People Oh the dear Bowels who can express that flow to you who in your faithfulness are as a stream of Vertue to the refreshing all the Heritage of our God
all take your full delight in his joyful presence and all in pure love walk together the glory of the most high God rest upon you and your beloved Families and Children whom the Lord hath blessed you with And all the People shall confess in the day determined that you with the rest of the faithful are the righteous Seed that the Lord hath blessed to whom the wicked shall bend and come under to the power which is our Life forever who feel the Life in the Infallible passage and secret Salutation in God where my Soul imbraces you in the eternal Fountain of love and taketh her solace in the dear and near Union where there can be no Separation but everlasting fellowship one with another forever where my Soul goeth with you in the eternal welfare Dear Brethren and Sisters whom my Soul loves and gives glory to God that ever you had a being in this World to glorifie the Name of the Lord in your Generation with him who remains your Brother W. D. Warwick Common Goal the 2 d day of the 5 th Month 1665. The Word of the Lord to all the Inhabitants in England from the Highest to the Lowest that they mey know his Determination and so be entreated to break off from their Sin in true Obedience unto him that they may escape in the day of his dreadful appearance when no flesh shall stand before him TO all Rulers Teachers and People in the Nation of England and to all the Inhabitants in these Northren Countries in which the mighty Jehovah Lord God omnipotent over all hath determined to raise up his righteous Seed to the exaltation of the glory of his great Name to the fulfilling of the Scriptures of Truth as is Recorded in Ieremiah the 23. Chap. and 7. and 8. verses It shall no more be said the Lord liveth that brought us out of the Land of Egypt but shall be said the Lord liveth that hath raised his Seed and brought it forth of the North Countrey and out of all the Nations where it is scattered and this I have to declare to you all in the Authority of the Word of his Holiness The Lord will manifest according to the determination and purpose of his mind unto a poor people that fear before him and seek the Lord with strong cries and tears day and night that if it be the Pleasure of the Lord all the Inhabitants in England and else where in these Northern Countries might break off from all the evil of their doings in a true resignation to the Light of Jesus that reproves for sin in the secret of their Consciences that so the Lord may turn his fury away and spare the People of the Land of our Nativity that not any be found sealed up to destruction in that day wherein it shall be said Let him that 's filthy be filthy still and let him that 's holy be holy still Oh sad will it be to them who hath neglected the day of the Visitation of the Lord God to their Souls and have not their Consciences washed and their Hearts purified in the Blood of the Lamb for they shall cry but not be regarded and call to the Lord but he will not hear them because the Decree of the Lord will be sealed against all that reject the Counsel of the Lord and the tenders of his Mercy and sport away their precious time in leud and wicked ways amongst the Workers of Iniquity whose condemnation slumbereth not the Day of Gods Vengeance will come as a Thief in the night great destruction will come upon them all that reject the Government of the Soul-saving sanctifying Spirit of the Lord Jesus in this day he is making up his Jewels and putting a difference between them that serve him and them that serve him not and between them that swear and them that fear an Oath Oh what shall I say concerning the People of the Land of my Nativity Oh my Bowels my Bowels are moved within me for her Inhabitants from the highest to the lowest with all in these Northen Countries and in the tender compassion I cannot be silent but in the force of the Spirit of the Lord exhort all who yet witness not redemption from their vain conversations turn turn why will ye die for the Lord God will not be mocked he is of purer Eyes then to behold Iniquity Oh reject not his Counsel neither kick at the reproofs of the Lord for the day of his Patience will not extend for ever neither will his Spirit always strive with man for he is jealous of his Glory Oh turn turn all People and diligently hearken to the Counsel of God the Light of his own Spirit that reproves you secretly in your Hearts and Consciences and look up to the Lord with the eye of your minds in true watchfulness and dependency upon the Lord that he may save you from your iniquities that you may find peace with God whatever befal you in these days of great calamity which is upon the Face of the Earth Oh People if you reject God's Counsel and harden your necks against the reproofs of the Spirit of the Lord. Oh what shall I say unto you seeing there is no minding the Fear of the Lord but every one doth what seemeth good in your own Eyes Oh the pity that 's to you from one that cannot help you but in the sence of your misery that rejects Gods Mercy saith in my secret mournings for you Oh that my Eyes were as a Fountain of Tears that I might water thy Altar Oh Lord day and night that if it were possible thou mightst be prevailed withal and change thy purpose concerning this stiff-necked and hard-hearted People that reject thy Counsel in the Land of our Nativity But notwithstanding all this simpathizing Bowels as one who hath received favour at thy Hands Oh Lord I leave all with thee spare thy People Oh Lord and inable them to go thorough the trial of the day and sweeten their passage and the Cup they are to drink who fear before thee and tremble at the Word of thy Holiness even so be it with them oh Lord. Once more I cannot but exhort all People look about you yea from the highest to the lowest and who hath not desperately sold themselves to do wickedly take a view of the Lords dealings with the People of the Land how he hath shaked the rods of his many Judgments over the Nation which did smite upon many and they were mown down as grass which caused many that feared the Lord to wrestle with him with strong crys day and night that he would stay the hand of the destroying Angel and the Lord heard his poor People and stayed his Hand in a great measure waiting to see if the People of the Land would mend their ways and the Rulers therein would give over persecuting imprisoning spoiling and banishing his poor People who fear before him and serves him in uprightness of their
Hearts day and night and dare not disobey him in what he makes known unto them though they hazard their Liberty and all enjoyments yea life it self so tender are they over the Glory of the Lord who hath given them victory over sin and all selfishness through the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their Testimony no more to love their lives to death c. But Oh you Rulers though God hath stayed his Hand in a great measure that the sound of mortality is not so loud in the Ears as hath been yet how do you answer the end of the Lord seeing that few Prisons in the Nation but the Lords People are in them because of the exercise of their pure Consciences towards the Lord and other cruel proceedings in rending Husband from Wife and Wife from Husband and Parents from Children and Children from Parents and inhumanely banishing them out of their Native Country for these things and other wicked proceedings the Hand of the Lord is stretched out still and the pale Horse is on his way passing to and fro in the Nation and he that rideth thereon is Death smiting and cuting down with the Sword of Plague and Pestilence and if so be you proceed as you have done in executing these cruel Laws against the innocent then will the commission of the Rider of the pale Horse be enlarged and what flesh can stand before the pale Horse seeing the Rider thereon is Death as is recorded in the Scriptures of Truth Rev. 6.8 Oh my Bowels is moved within me for the calamity that will come upon the Nation if you Rulers continue your Persecution for the day of the Lord hastens that they that do wickedly shall be as stubble and the Maker thereof shall be as a Spark and he will blow up the flame in the fierceness of his wrath and who can stand in this terrible dreadful day wherein Christ shall be revealed in flames rendering Vengeance on all them that know him not and obey not the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ c. Further this I exhort all mind what you say and do who hath hardened their Hearts in a boasting Spirit and said we see no difference but these People we cast in Prison God cuts off in a common Calamity as well as others the sence of their sufferings causeth many a Cry and Tear to be poured forth before the Lord and the mighty God answered and said unto my Soul I have beholden the cruelty of Men how they have stowed my People up in Prisons and in the Ship where the infection was and them that hath been taken away their Blood shall be required at their Hands who cast them into Prison and as to all in general that fell in the common Calamity that feared my Name it was to stain the pride of the glory of all Flesh as well amongst my People as others that my People might wait in my Light to stand in a true preparation for the day of their dissolution therefore I take away my People in my everlasting loving kindness from the evil to come but the wicked I cut off in my Fury and they shall reap the fruit of their own doings and this is the substance of what the Lord hath said in taking away his People in this common Calamity therefore let the stout-hearted bend and no more boast themselves in loftiness of their minds to see the righteous taken away for if the judgment begin at the House of God and the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the wicked and ungodly and Sinners appear for yet a little while and the Lord will plead the cause of his People with terrible Vengeance he will manifest himself and the Rod of the wicked shall nor always lye upon the backs of the righteous but their long continued Afflictions will be accomplished in time therefore you meek gentle and peaceable quiet People who abhor every appearance of evil abide in the Word of Patience and pray for them that Persecute you that if it be the Will of God we may prevail with the Lord that their Eyes may be opened and their Hearts softned that they may break off from their evil doings and so escape the terrible vengeance as is before written wherein the Lord will break the Battle out of the Earth and establish purity and peace amongst a people called by his Name that as they have sowen in Sorrow and long-suffering they shall reap with Joy in this great and terrible day of the coming of our Lord which is nigh to be revealed wherein he will say to the wicked that hath imprisoned and afflicted his People Go ye cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels and to his righteous Blessed suffering Seed he will say Come you Blessed of my Father enter into the Kingdom prepared for you before the Foundation of the Earth was laid so shall every one reap the fruit of their doings whether it be good or evil according to their deeds so shall be their reward from the Lord who is over all Blessed for ever Oh London London yea I say once more you Inhabitants of London whose lives was given you for a prey and you stand as Monuments of Gods Mercy to this day while many of your dear Relations Neighbours and Acquaintance were cut down with him that rid upon the pale Horse Oh that you would lay it to Heart who are yet living before the Lord and all turn to the Counsel of the Lord the Light and Manifestation of his Spirit in your own Consciences to guide you in all fear and dread of the Eternal God to wait upon him to feel the opperation of his holy Spirit to guide you in all your words and works that so you may be a good savour unto the Lord in your faithful Obedience to the measure of his Spirit that so he may take delight in you and take away the reproach that hath been cast upon you the Inhabitants of the City of London c. But if you People in the City of London do not prize the Mercies of the Lord but slight all his kindnesses and harden your Hearts and not regard the reproofs of his Spirit but delight your Hearts in pride pleasures pomp riches and glory in this present World and with so doing provoke the Eyes of the Glory of the Great God Oh then what shall I say unto you Inhabitants of London who thus requiâ—e the Lord notwithstanding all his Favours and boundless Mercies which he hath manifested to you in the sight of all People this day Oh if you do not speedily return to the Lord by repentance and break off from all your ungodly ways in obeying the sin-reproving Spirit of the Lord God in your own Consciences I must take up a Lamentation for you in the sence of the misery that I feel will come upon you for the Lord hath determined to bring you down and if you will not be intreated to hearken to
his Counsel the measure of his Spirit in you to guide you in his holy Fear that you may be Heirs of his living Mercies through your holy Conversations then will he come upon you in the fierceness of his Wrath and break you to peeces like Potsherds and get his Glory over all your Heads in the Revelation of his righteous Judgments wherein the Rider of the pale Horse shall execute the pleasure of his own will as he did the last Year upon thy Inhabitants Oh thou City of London so now art thou warned through the Constrainments of the Spirit of the Lord through him that could have no rest till he signified unto thee what is here given forth what the determination of God is Therefore Wo Wo unto the Wicked for it shall go ill with them But Oh blessed be the Faithful Lambs happy are you dear precious and blessed Vessels your Faithfulness to God in your watching waiting in the Light of the Son of Righteousness for whom you have stood as Pillars in the strength of the Almighty Ah your tenderness and love to God and one unto another in the days of great Calamity that hath been amongst you is recorded in the Book of Eternal Remembrance of the living God and in the Hearts of his Righteous Generation never to be forgotten Oh take your Crown of everlasting Blessings you innocent Lambs and Children of Light in the City of London Oh be valiant and keep your state with God that his pure saving sanctifying Spirâ—t may guide you all in purity of Life and Conversation and in the aboundings of the Pure Holy Love to God and one unto another the mighty Jehovah will shew himself for you in the day of great Tribulation you shall rejoyâ—â— when the wicked shall Howle yea you shall tryumph in the Pure Dominion of the Lord of Glory when the wicked shall be turned into Hell and all that forget God the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it Through your Brother in the Tribulation and Kingdom of Patience of the Lord Iesus W. D. Given forth in Obedience to the Lord the 10 th of the 3 d Moneth 1666. Blessed are all who are united to God in the Lord Jesus yea happy are the People that have the Lord for their God. A General Epistle given forth from the Spirit of the Lord to be Read in his Fear in the Assemblies of the Church of the First-Born gathered in these Northern-Countries and in all Countries and Islands where-ever the People of the Lord are scattered over the Face of the Earth Dear Friends CAlled in the Light of the Lord Jesus to stand living Witnesses for him upon the Earth amongst the Children of Men Oh! the Bowels of the Love of the Lord that is in my Heart to you that when I was nigh unto death to the sight of all that saw me as to the outward Man and scarce able to speak I was constrained to give forth the substance of what is now sent amongst you for a perfect discovery of your conditions seeing that many are called and few chosen and many convinced that are not converted therefore are these lines written that you may truly know whether you be born again and redeemed from the Earth yea or nay And in order thereunto let every Man and Woman search their Hearts with the Light of the Lord and it will truly manifest whether you be born again and so feed upon the Tree of Life or otherwise you rest in outward formal conformity to the Tturh and the heart in the Earth and that Spirit will turn against Truth and hath done And some others are drawn to delight their Hearts in the Gifts Parts and knowledge which the Lord hath given them more then in the Lord the Fountain from whence they come and so abuse the gift and feeds upon the fruit of the Tree of Knowledg which puffeth up and maketh Man wise in his own eyes and say in his Heart I am wise and rich sees and wants nothing when they are Blind miserable naked and wants all things and whatever any profess as to the Service of God that is in this condition they have an end to themselves in what they do which grieveth the Spirit of the Lord when Men and Women in a discoursitive Spirit takes upon them to declare the Truth when the Lord neither calls them nor speaketh by them so are the Children born of the Royal Seed burthened for such have turned against the Truth and the Children born of it whom the Lord hath and will ease in the day determined when all mouthes shall be closed in silence but who are opened by him and not any Voice be heard but his own Spirit speaking in and thorow his own Children born of him who alone seeks his Glory and not any thing for themselves which must be denied Therefore seeing the Enemies wiles are great and many let all dread the Lord and who have been led astray wait in the heart-searching Light to see the Mystery of Iniquity where it led them forth and return to the Light to judge down proud exalted self which hath turned against the Truth and bring into true Poverty and abhoring of self to wait at the Throne of Grace for the Lord to raise you up in the Resurrection which raised up Jesus from the dead and in this Life contentious Self is buried in death and the true unity is known where the Lord alone is exalted in purity joy love and peace in all his from the least to the highest growth and all Flesh abased before him who is worthy of all Obedience Praise and Glory for ever Amen And all dear Friends and Brethren that love the Light and rejoyce in the Judgments of the Lord to have subtil Self buried in the true Death that what gifts of the Spirit soever the Lord gives unto you and the Enemy tempt you never so strongly to puff you up in a self-priding spirit in what you have received of the Lord yet his fear is so minded by you which keeps you in a true sence of your nothingness and emptiness in your selves which causes you to wait in true self-denâ—aâ— for the daily assistance and renewing of your strength in the Resurrection of Life in the Lord Jesus and the more he manifests his Power with you the more empty and nothing you appear in your own Fyes And so is the true Birth known which makes Self of no repuration that the Lord may be exalted in his unlimitted power in manifesting himself in the poverty emptiness and nothingness of his people who are born of him that not any Flesh may glory before him but all in truth to say the Lord doth all in me and through me and the Lord shall have the Glory and I will sit in the dust at his feet with all my Brethren and Sisters to serve him and his People through whom we are raised up to sit in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus in
what I may whilst I have a being amongst the Sons of Men to the glory of his Name for ever And this is the state of the true Disciples of Christ that cannot feed of the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge although in your Journey and Travels dear Vessels of the Lord you see the Tree of Knowledge to be good where it stands in its place but the Fruit is not good to eat and feed upon because Knowledge puffeth up but Grace maketh humble Therefore dear Brethren and Sisters born of God who cannot live in any enjoyment but as you enjoy the Life and Presence of God from whence every good and perfect gift comes And dear Lambs although some of you be in your own Eyes the meanest amongst the People of the Lord yea at sometimes your Trials is so great that you are ready to account your selves unworthy to be numbred amongst the People of the Lord and yet you dare not disobey him neither can you live without his presence Oh you dear Children of God! lift up your heads over all Temptations and Accusations of the Enemy for your Groans and Cries are entred into the Ears of the Lord God who in the Bowels of his Love and Mercies doth constrain me to proclaim the day of the tender compassion of the Lord to all you who are truly poor in your Spirits Oh blessed are you among the Children of Men for yours is the Kingdom of God. Therefore be not weary of waiting upon the Lord for in his own time he will turn your Sorrows into Joy and give to you the spirit of Praises for the spirit of Heaviness as he hath done to many who have endured the like Temptations Tryals and Sufferings under which you wait this day for Deliverance and the Lord will be the same to you therefore be of good comfort for as the Serpent was lifted up in the Wilderness so is the Son of Man lifted up in the Light and Covenant of Life to heal your Wounds and save you from Sâ—n and to give you Victory over the Enemy in all his appearances so that you thorow Faith in the Name of Christ make War in Righteousness and fighting the good Fight in keeping the Faith you will he made more then Conquerors thorow his Love that he will shed abroad in your Hearts which will cause you to speak of his goodness and praise his Name for all his Mercies And all dear Children of the Lord who do witness in measure that you are truely baptized into his Death â—nd so are made partakers of his Resurrection as is before written which is the Life that worships him according to his own Will and so is truly accepted of him watch and pray that you may be guided in the power of his Spirit in all your ways And be careful that not any be hasty to utter words before the Lord neither suffer any sighs or groans or any thing to be heard to pass thorow you but as you have the seal of the Spirit of the Lord that he requires it of you this I am commanded to lay as a charge upon you that so all Flesh may be truly silent before the Lord and not any voice to be heard but the living Spirit of the Lord speaking in his People which you that wait in the fear of the Lord and minds his leadings may truly know as it is written so doth his Children witness He that hath my Word saith the Lord let him speak my Word faithfully Is not my Word like a Fire and a Hammer that breaks the Rocks in pieces Therefore all mind to feel the Word of the Lord speaking in you that the pure burning Life of the Spirit may be tasted and felt in whatsoever you be exercised in that so you might be fully assured it is not your own work as Man speaking of God but the Lord alone uttering his own voice in the forcible power of his own Spirit in what you are exercised in whether it be to pray in Sighs or Groans or in words or to speak in Exhortation or Praises you are not to quench the Spirit of the Lord in this his day â—hat he is come and doth appear in giving divers gifts unto his People in his appearance as he did amongst his Disciples who waited at Ierusalem for the pourings forth of his Spirit from on high but they that were strangers to the work of the Spirit could not taste the Life that spake in them but said They were mad and full of new Wine c. but the Lord justified them it being the work of his own Spirit and although he gave unto them various gifts yet all in the unity of himself in which they sacrifice in returning to the Lord his own with advantage to the glory of his great Name as his Children doth at this day blessed be his Name for ever that forth of the Mouthes of Babes his praise is declared in their measures as it is with those of higher growth in the Lord and so do the faithful Labourers reap the Fruit for which they Travel that all the People of the Lord may be filled with his Spirit and in the exercise and leadings thereof become a Body of living Ministers and a Family of Prophets the strong leading the weak by the Hand and in tender Love building up one another in their most holy Faith which gives the Victory over the World to Reign in the Heavenly Dominion which causeth the Children of the most high in the Authority of the Lord to say to the greatest Persecutors Oh man do what thou hast power the God whom we serve is able to deliver us out of thy Hand but if he will not we are resolved in his strength to suffer what he permitteth Man to do and this is the holy resolution of all that are Born again and cannot hide your Heads in the time of Persecution because you are Born of the Royal Seed and have overcome the beggerly cowardly earthly-spirit through the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of your Testimony and no more to love your lives to Death And all dear chosen Vessels of the Lord seeing he hath manifested his Grace so largely to you with all diligence be obedient in walking answerably to his Love and Mercy received that as living Witnesses for God you may shine forth in the beauty of Holiness in all your ways and be careful in keeping your Meetings at the time appointed every one endeavouring to be the first at the Meeting that so not any give way to a careless spirit as some have done and so come to Meetings when others have been a considerable time together and so becomes a burden to the diligent and obedient Servants of the Lord and so the Meetings are not so profitable to your comfort as when you meet diligently at the time waiting in the fear of the Lord to feel his sweet Presence which will keep you awake in the Life of his own Spirit to
thee in the Pleasure of our God in whom I remain Thy dear Brother W. D. A General Epistle Dear Friends WHom the Lord hath in this his Glorious Day visited and in his Light plucked as Brands out of the Fire to wait upon him that his Great Work of Regeneration may be perfected in all of you to your Eternal Comfort and the Glory of the Name of our God forever c. And my dear Friends seeing many are Called and few Chosen many Convinced that are not Converted and many come forth with us and go forth from us that are not of us as by sad Experience hath been witnessed c. and from the deep Sense of this working of the Enemy I am constrained to send this Epistle amongst you knowing the Kingdom of God is compared unto Ten Virgins Five Wise and Five Foolish who had all Lamps and slumbred in the Secure Mind until they were awakened to enter in with their Lord then were the Foolish Virgins made manifest that though they had Lamps like the other yet wanting the Oyl they neither did or could enter c. Oh! dear and tender Friends let all Dread the Lord who make mention of his Name in the Light of Christ for this Parable is to you unto whom the Lord hath sent to preach to you and in you the Word of his Kingdom And this is upon my Spirit in the Word of the Lord to you all convinced of the precious Truth of our God turly to examine and search your Hearts with the Light of Christ Jesus that you may have a certain Knowledge how it is with you and how you escaped the subtil Wiles of the Enemy which have hindred so many from the Possession of the Life of Truth and that you may truly discern how the Enemy draws into the Foolish Conceitedness in the Out-side and Formal Profession of the Truth feeding upon the Knowing Part and so stoppeth the Hunger that should reach the Life and then in an Exaltedness saith I See Know am Clothed and want Nothing when they are Blind Naked Miserable and want all things and this is the State of all the Foolish Virgins who dwell in the Outward Court and place all their Confidence in the Form and Outside and Profession of Truth and so has lost the Sense of that Heavenly Hunger which must possess the Life hid with God or else it must mourn out its days in Sorrow Therefore all dear Friends watch diligently to the Heart-searching Light that this Mystery of Iniquity you may all discern that so the Enemy may not prevail against you to turn you aside either to the Right Hand or to the Left that whatever the Lord has convinced you of to be Evil you may wait upon him for Strength to preserve you out of it that so you may Answer God's Witness in the Regulation of your Conversation in the Uprightness of your Hearts so you may stand clear before the Lord that you are willing to do and suffer whatever the Lord should call you to and when you have done all this then be you watchful to the Heart-searching Light that the Enemy doth not draw your Minds to place your Confidence in the Work of Righteousness you have done as the Ground of your Hope and Calling in Christ and want Faith in him and so cause you to rest in your Services and so come short of the hidden Life enjoyed through Faith in the Light and Life of Christ our Righteousness I beseech you dear Friends Wait to know your Passage in this great Mystery where the Entrance is into the Straight Gate where all the Foolish Virgins though their Lamp in the Outward Profession be never so Glorious yet through Pride in their Attainments never entered into this Rest and here is the farthest that ever any come that make a Profession of Truth that go from us and are not of us So tender Friends that truly seek God's Glory and so love his Light that you are willing to give up Life and all to do his Will and when the Enemy would draw you to rest in what you have done and so take the Jewels of God and play the Harlot and deck Your Selves you Dreaâ— the Lord and in his Light you see more Light and you see That all that you have done is your Duty and your reasonable Service which you must do or otherwise you perish eternally and yet your poor Souls in the Light travail on in the Foot-steps of the Flock of the Mournful Companions who are weeping in Secret and inwardly seeking the Lord God to be Married unto him in that hidden Life which is hid with Christ in God and until you enjoy the Marriage-Union in deep Humiliation you wait in the Light for the Lord to create you to a lively Hope in Christ Iesus the Second Adam And you tender Children of my Father who can understand in your Heavenly Travail and Exercise of Spirit what is here written Lift up your Heads and stay your Minds in the Light of the Lord Jesus which ransacks your Hearts and doth not only keep you in Holiness of Conversation but makes you weary of living under the Dominion of your own Thoughts and Wills Therefore I beseech you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ watch to the Heart-searching Light that discerns your Thoughts and Intents and judgeth your Thoughts and all Fearfulness and Unbelief and wait in the Measure of the Light and Life that quickeneth your immortal Souls and hath begotten heavenly Breathings Hungerings and Thirstings to eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of the Lord Jesus Oh thou blessed Birth let not Streightness be upon thy Spirit for the Bowels of the almighty God earn towards thee which cannot be satisfied with any Thing but the pure Presence of Christ to reign in thy Heart and to exercise heavenly Authority in his Throne in thy Conscience Oh tender Babe born of the immortal Seed leâ—d not thy Ear to any of thine own Thoughts Doubts and Unbelief neither to the Accuser who seeks every way to discourage thee for trusting in the Name of the Lord but diligently incline thou thy Ear to the righteous Counsel which is the Light and Life The Lord will satisfie thy Hungry and Thirsty Soul with his everlasting Loving-kindness in Christ Jesus and will create thee to a lively Hope and marry thee to himself in his own Righteousness where thou wilt receive Dominion to reign over thy own Thoughts and thy own will and to walk in his Strength in the Word of Faith which will give thee Victory over the World within and without so will thy Heart be kept pure thy Conscience clean and thou cloathed with the glorious Garment a meek low and a quiet Spirit and so become the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus the second Adam and the Lord of Life and Glory and here is the Dwelling-place of all the Sons and Daughters of Sion Citizens of the new Ierusalem who walk
of the Lord goes before them Therefore let all dread and fear the Mighty God who have received any Gift to see that the True Birth possess the Gift which Birth makes Self of no Reputation that so the Lord of Life may exercise every one in the Improvement of their Gift to the Comfort of his People and his Eternal Glory and none go further then they have Assurance they are called of the Lord and his Heavenly Powerful Presence goes before them so will the Lord bless the Travel of every Soul and the Body be kept in the Pure Sweet Seaâ—oned and Savoury Life which edifieth the Body in the Love and Life of God which cannot be exprest and all that will not wait thus to be exercised as is here written but go out of their Places burthen the Life weary the Faithful and if they do not give over and submit to the Government of Christ to reign in them and wait in true Silence that they may speak no more of him but as he uttereth his Voice through them my Soul pitieth them for they will be as Wandring Stars and Darkness will come upon them therefore be Warned whose Consciences witness what is here written to be your Conditions c. And all tender Friends be very watchful and careful to keep your Meetings upon all Services on Truth 's Account both Sons and Daughters born of God that there may be no Confusion but a sweet Submission to one another in the Light and Life of Christ Jesus that as the Lord hath blessed your Meetings and Labour of Love for the Body's sake keep your Minds stay'd upon the Lord out of all Consultings with Flesh and Blood or any Strivings to appear to be any thing but what the Lord is in you to keep you all in Humility in a pure Subjection unto Christ that he may silence all the Councils fo Flesh in you and keep you in his holy dread and pure Fear to receive Wisdom from him to guide you to determine all Matters brought before you so that every one have your Eye to the Lord to eye his Glory in all your Words and Works so will Love abound and the Blessing of the Lord will be in the midst of you to guide you all in his pure Fear to do to every one as you would be done unto and watch over one another with a Pure Single Eye at all times that your Single Eye may be to the Good in one another and your Tenderness in the Love of God in all Humility to reach to the Measure of God to raise it up and thus will you stand in the Heavenly Nature Saviours upon Mount Sion to bring again them that stray and so restoring them with the Spirit of Meekness and here is Christ and his Desciples Washing one anothers Feet in all Humility and Heavenly Condescention one unto another the Strong bearing the Burden of the Weak and gently leading them forth out of that which burdens the Pure into the Light and Path of Life where the building up one another is in the most holy Word of Faith where we sit together in our Heavenly Places in Christ where Self is made of No Reputation but every one Serving the Lord casting down our Crowns before his Throne and with one accord singing the Songs of the Redeemed from the Earth all Glory all Honour all Praises and Thanksgiving Dominion be giving unto him who is found worthy to sit upon the Throne in our Consciences to feed us with the Brâ—ad that is sure and refresh us with the Water that never â—aileth so we that are many are made one Bread eating the Flesh of Christ and drinking his Blood where we have Life and that abundantly and we comforted together in our Heavenly Mansions in our sweet and pure Fellowship of the Gospel in Christ our Righteousness who is One his Name and Nature One in all his People and Salvation is unto us for Walls and Bulworks and here have we Peace in this Holy City New Ierusalem which the World knoweth not neither can they take it from us and here is no Strife nor Contention within her Gates but we witness the Promise of the Lord fulfilled I will make Ierusalem a Quiet Habitation In this City there is no more Curse but the Name and Image of God is written in the Foreheads of them that dwell therein that all that have to deal with them as they mind God's Witness in any Measure will confess These are the People of the Most High God born of the Righteous Seed which the Lord hath Blessed And in this Heavenly Government dear Brethren and Sisters all keep your Meetings and the blessed Persence of the Lnrd fill all your Hearts and inlarge his Love in you and amongst you to your mutual Comfort one of another and the Honour of his Great Name who is over all God blessed forever So will you dear Friends and Brethren comfort the Hearts of all Travelling Friends and Brethren who have not loved their Lives to Death to serve the Lord and gather you home into this Heavenly Rest the very Sense of their faithful Labours and Travels seeking nothing for Themselves but the Honour of God and your Establishment in this Rest it takes deep Impression upon my Heart both they that have finished who here did wear the Garments of Humility and now the Crown of Eternal Glory and my dear Brethren that are yet on this side the Grave who are labouring in the Service of the Lord in Faithfulness in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus dear Friends let your Hearts be affected as mine is that the End of their Labours may be answer'd in your Faithfulness in keeping your Meetings according to all the Exhortations that you have had through the Faithful Labourers and is expressed in this Epistle that you may grow up as an Holy Priesthood offering up the living and holy Sacrifice in your faithful Testimony and pure Unity of Spirit and Bond of Peace where my Soul is bound up with you in this Heavenly Rest in Christ Jesus our Light and Life over all exalted in us to Reign who is worthy forevermore in whom I rest Your Dear Brother W. D. London the 14 th of the 11 th Moneth 1675 Titus Oates's Certificate concerning William Deusbery and the Quakers Mr Whitfeald YOurs I Received in which mentions one Deusbery his name is William Deusbery a Quaker whom you would do well to Discharge He is no Iesuit nor like one I look upon it to be more discretion not to medle with any Protestant Dissenters in this day but bend our forces against the common Enemy of the Protestant Religion the Papist And endeavour to win by Arguments those that are Dissenters from us Sir here is a Certificate from some that hath known him these Twenty years and upwards who are Men of repute in their Generation and Protestants And I pray did you ever know that there was ever such a
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
hasten his peculiar People through the Tryals according to the determination of his own will for the Glory of his Name and the eternal Comfort of the righteous Seed which the Lord hath blessed that so he may establish Peace in the Earth and Purity and Holiness amongst the Children of Men which will be the end of all these Tribulations therefore wait in the Faith and Patience you chosen Vessels of the Lord anâ— be faithful in obedience as at other times with the Loyns of your minds girt up to the Lord in his unlimitted Power to rest and reign in a quiet still mind giving up both Goods and Life fâ—eely casting all your care upon the Lord who will answer the expectation of his People and work a mighty deliverance neither by Sword nor Spear but by his own out-stretched Arm in the day of his dreadful and terrible Vengeance which he is hastening upon the Earth that shall cause all Hearts to fail that know not God the Wicked shall confess to his righteous Judgments and the Righteous shall bow before him and the Heathen shall know he is our God and that we have not trusted in his Name in vain for he will judge righteously upon the Earth and give unto every Man according to the Deeds done in the Body then wo wo wo to the Proud and Wicked it shall go ill with them Ah but you dear Suffering Innocent People of the Lord lift up your hands and rejoyce for the Lord is dear over you as the apple of his Eye and great is the reward of the faithful 't is you shall reap the Fruit of your doings and shall rejoyce when the Wicked shall Roar and Howl in the sence of his fierce Wrath for he will get himself a glorious Name in consuming his Enemies with the breath of his Mouth and the brightness of his Coming even so hasten thy Work O Lord it s the breathing of my Soul with all thine that thy dear Children may be delivered from all their Oppressors that in thy Power and Life they all be kept by thee to the perfecting thy Glory forever where is the Rest of your dear Brother W. D. Dear Children of the living God LIft up your Heads in the Light of the Covenant of God and Reign in his Life and Power over all that would draw your minds from staidness in his fulness and give God a Sacrifice of Soul Body all he hath given you In the word of his patience to stand valiant when you are called of God let not Demas's nature be obeyed in any to forsake God and imbrace this present evil World. Dear Children as you have received Christ the Light Life and Power of the Father so let us walk in faithfulness to finish our Course to the Glory of our God who is now bringing to pass what he hath revealed to his Servants that we may shine in the Glory of the Word of Faith and Patience in Jesus Christ our Life in whom we do and shall enjoy all things needful in whatever is endured for his Name sake Oh be bold and valiant in Christ you in his Word and Life and Patience shall Reign forever to brâ—ng a Blessing upon all the Earth the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it through his Servant W. D. My dear beloved Brethren ANd blessed Companions in the Tribulations Kingdom and Patience in the Lord Jesus Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplyed in and amongst you to perfect you in the Dominion of the Almighty God to keep the Word of his Patience in faithfulness quietly to rest in that Will of God that the weighty Seed of God in you stand in pure liberty to keep you all in the Life and Power of Truth that every one of you may have the Seal of the Spirit of God in your own Hearts that you suffer for the Word of God and Testimony of Jesus Christ then whatever is done to you he takes it as done unto himself and will judge your Cause in Righteousness to the Confusion of the Faces of them that afflict you in this his day wherein he wilâ— bring forth his Praises over all the Earth to the astonishment of the Nations and People that know not God c. Oh my dear Friends the Lord recompence into your Bosoms an Hundred fold for your faithfuâ—ness to the Lord in which you have caused his Renown to sound over the Land to the comfort of the Hearts of the Upright you have largely consolated and made glad my Heart in these my Bonds and caused my Soul to rejoyce with high Praises unto my God in whom I behold the Travel of my Soul and am satisfied in my return to the Prison-House bearing the Sheaf with joy Stand faithful Witnesses for the Almighty God blessed forever even the Lord God of eternal Power keep you in the savory Life together in Love and Unity and Faithfulness unto the end and in all things your words to be few and in the fear of God So saith my Soul in the Name of the Lord Farewel Your dear Brother W. D. FRiend thou who wast in the Place of the Mayor in Terrington the Thirtieth day of the seventh Month with the others that say with thee they are in Commission to do Justice the day before mentioned you abused the Power committed to you and turned your Swords against the Innocent whom you wounded inasmuch as you could In the fear of God consider what you have done is this the Fruit of your Fasting and Humbling your selves as you say when you have done to Smite with the Fist of Wickedness and instead of entertaining Strangers you use them so Barbarously as was made manifest when I was with you this is not to Rule for God an account you must give to the Judge of Heaven and Earth Oh Men How will you stand in that day when it shall be said unto you I was Sick and in Prison and you Visited me not Hungry and you gave me no Meat Naked and you Clothed me not a Stranger and you took me not in The day is near to this account you will be called with the Lord of Life and Glory and though you say When did we see thee in Prison or a Stranger and took thee not in the answer to you as is Recorded in the Scripture of Truth Inasmuch as you did it not to the least of those that Believed in my Name you did it not to me saith Christ of whom the Scripture Testifies Oh Men while you have time prize it and sleight not the day of God's Mercy and come unto him and diligently encline your Ear to his Counsel the Light in your Consciences that lets you see the evil of your Hearts and your unjust proceedings against Innocent Men and wait in the Light that will shew you as is written that the Lord may give you Repentance unto Life that you perish not in the day of his fierce Wrath wherein he will recompence to every one according to
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.
therein and if any Man take away from the words of the Prophesie of this Book God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this Book and this is your reward you add your Wisdom to the Prophesie of this Book and the Plagues written in this Book will be added to you and you take away from the words of the Prophesie of this Book in drawing the people from the anointing within them which the Father hath sent to be their Teacher according to the Prophesie of this Book to seek for the Kingdom of Heaven in carnal Observations you have set up contrary to the Prophesie of this Book and in the estate you here stand your names are taken out of the Book of Life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this Book Repent ye Reprobates who reject the Counsel of Christ in you and give over deceiving the people and mind the Light in you that discovereth to you the evil of your Hearts and give up to be guided by it least you perish in your gain sayings Kiss the Son in obeying his Counsel which is the Light in you least you perish in the way for if his anger be kindled a little blessed are all they that trust in him W. D. Dear Friends ANd Children of the living God mind your watch every one in particular and dwell in that which is of God which is the Light that searches the Hearts and discovers the Seed of the Serpent and its ground and being and ministers to the Seed of the Woman which Seed is Christ who is the Fountain and Treasure House where you shall receive of his Fulness Wisdom and Power to stand against the Serpent in all his appearances so will his Head be bruised and the eternal pure Eye will be opened in you to know what is to be blest and what is to be accurst therefore every one in your measures stand faithful in the Counsel of God which is the Light the eternel Witness of his Spirit which witnesseth against all deceit in its ground where it appears I charge you all in the presence of the living God that you consult not with Flesh and Blood nor look not down at the Corruption as to discouâ—age you and cause you to distrust in the Mercies of the living God thou that dost thy Condemnation slumbers not for the Wrath of God abideth on the All dwell in that which is pure stand out of your own wills and thoughts but keep in that which is of God that witnesses against all deceit in its appearances and all hold fast your confidence which is the measure of Faith which is the Witness of the eternal Spirit so will all deceit be kept under and the Serpents head will be bruised and the pure holy Seed of God the righteous Babe who works no Iniquity and in whose Mouth is found no guile will be set at liberty raised up to reâ—gn King over all the Earth and to do the Will of God so shall your Souls enter within this holy City and you shall have right to the Tree of Life feeding on the Feast of fat things the eternal Riches of the free Mercies of God in the free Covenant of Life in the Lord Jesus and there you shall rest with the Lord forever where nothing shall enter that works Abomination or makes a Lie but that which is written in the Lambs Book of Life and this is the rest that 's prepared for the people of God where the workers of Iniquity shall never come All dear Friends joyn with the Seed of God that works no Iniquity and take heed of lending your Ears to the Counsel of the Serpent that would draw your minds to look out at Experiences which you have partaked of in the Dispensation of the Power of God in rendering Plagues upon the works of Iniquity wherein thou comest to witness in the Name of Christ Miracles wrought in thee and Devils cast out wherein thou wast in Bondage by their power and thou who comest to witness the Lord ministring to his tender Seed in opening to thy Soul the riches of his Love laid up in Christ Jesus and so comest to Prophesie in the Name of Christ but not abiding in the Counsel of the living God who would destroy the works of Iniquity and would cast out the works of Darkness and would lead through Prophesies and Openings to the Inheritance in Christ which will never fade away but in departing from the Counsel of the Lord you are bewitched with the Serpent that tells you you are some body now that hath tasted of the Power of God and secret pride gets in and others out of the Prophesies and Openings of what they see and do not wait 〈◊〉 they come to the Possession and there gâ—â—s in secret Pride and so becomes a wandering Staâ— flown up into the Air and the worker of Iniquity yet stands notwithstanding all your experiences that you can witness Devils cast out in measure in the Name of Christ and that you have prophesied in the Name he will say unto you I know you not ye workers of Iniquity to that in thy Conscience I speak lend thine Ear unto it it will rip thee up and search thy Heart and pass true Judgment upon the Head of the Wicked and will eternally witness me notwithstanding aâ—l thy experiences Therefore all dear Freinds all take heed that none of you come short of your rest but dwell in the pure Power of the living God which judgeth the Wicked and casteth out Devils dwelling in it it will dispossess the powers of Darkness and as â—e in his tender Love appeareth to the mind and lets you see into the Inheritance laid up in Christ dwelling in the Power you will be kept in the pure fear not to avish your selves out to speak of that you possess not but to wait low in his Will where you will be kept in a true sence of your conditions how the Seed is oppressed by the worker of Iniquity and so will be kept by the Power of the living God waiting on him in the Faith until you overcome by the Blood of the Lamb aâ—d the word of his Testimony then will the worker of Iniquity be destroyed and cast out and the Power and holy Seed of God raised up which can work no Iniquity but stand perfect in the Will of God and there you enter into the Rest prepared for you in Christ Jesus where nothing shall enter that works Iniquity and I shall be with you forever in the Lord And the Lord God Almighty be with you his dear â—abes and Children bless guide and keep you all by his eternal pure power clear and holy that you may be a peculiar People and holy Priesthood to give up your Souls and Bodies a living Sacrifice unto the Lord God Almighty that he may order you and guide you
own Devices to their everlasting shame and contempt to the Glory of his Name who alone is worthy God over all blessed forever W. D. This is the Word of the Lord to you DEar Friends Servants and Children of the most High God whom he hath called out of the World be faithful all of you in his Counsel to wait his Power to guide in all your thoughts words and works in his pure Fear in Obedience to his will. I you charge in the Presence of God be valiant for your Freedom in your dwelling in the Power of God he you to Arm against the firy darts of the Devil him to resist in his appearance in all his wiles who goes about like a roaring Lyon to devour you every way seeking to get into you your minds from the pure to draw into the visible things your affections there to captivate your wills to satisfie in created and perishing Objects or in the Knowledge of the Truth in the fleshly wisdom to feed with the Swine upon the Husk the Form and Image of what you have enjoyed or of what you see in the Sight and Vision and doth it not injoy in the Possession but speaks in the airy drunken Spirit words without knowledg with which you sit deckt a painted Beast above the Cross and thou whose condition this is art the foolish Virgin that appears in outward formality in the sight of Men with a Lamp like unto the wise Virgin but not dwelling in the pure Power of God wants the Oyl of Joy and Gladness in the Power of his Love which the wise Virgin hath in her Lamp that dwells in the pure Light and Power of God which keeps all the affections in order to the Spirit of Truth and bridles the Tongue not to utter words before the Lord but in true silence on him to wait till his Spirit move his mind to declare from his living Power what the Soul possesseth and enjoys in Christ the Husband of the wise Virgin who is the Bride the Lambs Wife I you all charge and command in the Presence of the living God who make mention of his Name examine your Hearts search them and try your ways with the Light that from Christ comes with it all read your conditions in the Book of Conscience there will you see how you stand in the Presence of God whether in the state of the foolish Virgin that in the airy Spirit feeds on words speaking in the Vision and Sight there boasting in pride of what thou possessest not and through the subtilty of the Devil is turned from the pure Power to fly the Cross so makes shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience or you be in the state of the wise Virgins that in this pure Light waits dwells in the Power which chastiseth that which would your Garments defile daily in the Cross and there your Souls are kept pure and chaste to follow the Lamb with boldness wheresoever he goes and enter with him into the rest prepared for the people of God where thou the foolish Virgin shall not come until thou from thy foolish wisdom return to the pure Light thy self with it to judge and in it wait for the Power of Christ the Fountain of Wisdom thee to guide in faithful Obedience to the Father of Light. All dear Children of the Lord be Valiant Bold and Faithful that in the pure Light Power and Life of God you may all stand in this day of tryal which the Lord will bring upon you all that make mention of his Name for power shall be given to the Beast his Horn to exalt even to the Host of Heaven for the cleansing of the Sanctuary that all painted Beasts that are Enemies to the Cross that hath defiled the Sanctuary of the Living God in coming before him amongst his Saints and Children they shall come trembling before the power of the Beast when he utters his voice all to command his Image to worship then shall all you Children of the most High God whom he hath called and chosen to be faithful to him in his eternal Power rejoyce who will you all keep in that day in rest and peace in the Ancient of days who shall sit to judge the Beast and the Whore their Kingdom to break down and destroy in his Eternal Judgment for evermore and will rule over them by the Arm of his Power and of his Dominion there shall be no end for to him alone it belongs forever Amen Meet often together in the Fear of the Lord his Power to manifest in you to his Praise who is worthy forever Amen I charge you and command you all in the Presence of God who make mention of his Name that you speak not at any time rashly in your wills one to another or to any without as to exhort them when you are guilty of the self-same thing in the exalted Spirit out of the Cross be silent thou Fool and first judge thy self with the Light and in the Power dwell to cast the moat out of thy own Eye and that thy own House be kept in order then wilt thou see clearly how to take the beam out of thy Brothers Eye and to exhort others how to walk in order to the Spirit of Truth and in the pure single Eye aâ—l you that Fear the Lord watch over one another in tender love bear one anothers Burdens exhort one another to the building up in the most holy faith God Almighty be with you â—all his faithful Servants and Children and in his eternal Power keep you in himself that in him you may grow up in his pure nature to bear his Name in righteousness that his Image be written in your Foreheads that all that see you may know you to be the righteous Seed the Lord hath blessed and his eternal pure Power preserve and keep you bind you up in the unity of the Spirit and bond of Peace where I am with you in the Eternal Unity in the unchangable Love and Life W. D. Dear Friends ANd Friends of God whose minds are truned to the Light with which Christ Jesus hath inlightned you in his Light all wait and with boldness in him in whom your life is hide look up to him in his Light believing in his Name which is his Power to guide you with boldness in every thought word and work in faithful Obedience to the Light that in it you may shine forth in the brightness of the glory of his Power to be manifest to the Consciences of the Sons and Daughters of men that you are the Children of the Day which are come out of the Night in the Light up to Christ to judge the World in his power guiding you in a pure Life and holy Conversation that men may see your good works and glorifie your heavenly Father who hath raised you up by the Arm of his mighty Power in his Light to be Lights to the Children of the World that sit in darkness to