way works worships and nature of such to serve the living God in the newness of the spirit through Faith and Patience and to walk in Innocency before the Lord for evermore Such shall come to rejoyce in the Truth and the Arm of the Lord shall bring them more nearer to himself that they may come to see the Lord in his Glory and to praise him in the Land of the living and to behold Sion in her perfect Beauty and to feel their Unity with Gods Elect and to enjoy the Covenant of Everlasting Peace that shall never be broken to be bound up together in the life of Immortality Wisdom and Righteousness to shine forth as the Morning like the Jewels of the Lamb and to be beautified with Meekness as the Members of the unspotted of God Oh! the Crown of Rejoycing and Everlasting Felicity that is set before you to whom I am not able to express the infinite bounty and goodness of the Almighty Oh! who can hold when the Lord hath spoken or conceal his loving-kindness when the Almighty giveth utterance The Lord hath enlarged my Heart let me not therefore enquire among you where there is room to receive it Oh! let there be an inward search whether that the door be open and the straitness taken away that he which was with you may find entrance in you and you truly come to feel the receiving of his life to the glad Tidings of your Hearts From such an outward Prison cannot keep me nor from them the vast distance of Miles cannot with-hold me Behold I say in the Name of God I am near unto you And when you are assembled together with one accord in the place where the Light is a Ministry to the work this read among you in the fear of the God of Heaven then shall many of you know it so to be that the Lord hath given me of his unlimited Spirit which I freely let forth unto you And the breathings of my life are that you might receive benefit thereby and be comforted together And be strengthened in the inward man that the Devil may not prevail nor the love of the World overcome the innocent desires which God hath begotten let no unbelief nor slavish fear hinder you in your spiritual progress toward the attainment of the Crown of Life in the Kingdom of blessedness which God hath certainly prepared for the upright and innocent And now behold I turn unto my Brethren the called and chosen of God whom my Soul hereby saluteth unto whom I cannot by words sufficiently express my Love neither have I room to publish the enlargedness thereof in writing neither will usual phrases of Speech satisfie my broken Heart Oh! blessed be the day that ever you were called and the hour of your Visitation and the time of the Conception of the Seed in the Womb and the season of the forth-coming thereof into the liberty of Peace Blessed be the Lord forever on your behalf who hath chosen you to the riches of life and brought you to the Well-springs of Mercy and caused you to drink of the Rivers of his strength which hath daily been renewed unto you Oh! blessed be the God whose love hath not been with-held from your Souls and who hath not with-held counsel from your Eyes Friends God hath opened my Heart unto you receive me therefore as in the Bowels of Mercy that now we may praise the Lord forever Oh! that your Souls may with me forever magnifie the unutterable Power of the God of Heaven and that you may this day with me drink freely of the Cup of Eternal Salvation that then we may rest together as in a Bed of Repose in the delightsom Arms of our Father's love that forever we may sing the Song of the Lamb and sound forth the Praises of the Almighty together that you may know the Lord is with me and that the holy One of Israel is indeed become my everlasting Support And unto you all Friends Erethren and fellow Members of the heavenly Body these are the pourings forth of Gods infinite Love free for all that can receive it And thus in few words as unto you my Brethren even desiring to be felt and received in that which comprehendeth all words and is more than words can express in which the words end which was before the words were where my dwelling is and you that truly know me know it so to be where-with you in the eternal Beeing and Substance of all living I rest in the Fountain of Mercy desiring daily in my pourings forth of my Soul unto God that you all may walk blamelesly and be preserved in the Truth of your Hearts to stand stedfast in the day of Tryal at hand And so in the power of Wisdom which is the Refuge of the Innocent the Lord God Almighty of Heaven and Earth preserve you all and keep you all for evermore Amen And hereby you may likewise know that I am in health and strength of Body and Soul and that my Heart is sometimes enlarged with the Power of Gods Love and my Spirit at Liberty which is out of their power to imprison by whom my Body is shut up in the close unsavoury Prison of my late and long sad Sufferings in the common Goal at Winchester where this is written by him that God hath called herein to be your Servant in obedience to his blessed Will known to the World but unto you in that which is nearer than this Name Humphry Smith Concerning TYTHES TYthes at first were not required but given only of the Spoils of the War only once by Abraham unto him that was made like unto the Son but the Substance being come even Christ who was before the Wars and before Abraham he redeems out of the Lust from whence the Wars arise and so bringeth to an end of that from whence Wars come and so to an End of that from whence Tythes were first given and so to give nor pay Tythes any longer being redeemed out of Lust and Wars and Fightings by the Blood of Jesus who said I am the Light that abideth a Priest forever and his day Abraham rejoyced to see who brings to the End of the Tythes and makes War with that and slayes that which caused men to Slay one another in the Wars who comes to save the Life who is Greater than Abraham who being now come denyeth fighting and saith He that taketh the Sword shall perish with the Sword And so that was to perish whereby Tythes were first given then must there needs be an end of Tythes which also perisheth with the using and the Law for the Tythes which had a shadow of good things to come decayes and waxes old and vanisheth away the good things themselves being come and good will towards man and the Covenant of Light to joyn the hearts together For Tythes were never given nor paid until after men had killed and slain and done violence and wrong one to another
Power is Unlimited whose Mercy endures forever whose Judgments are just and true and all his Ways are equal whose Presence is Dreadful unto all the Double-minded whose bright Appearance is as a fierce Whirlwind of Fire and his Voice as the Terribleness of many Thunders all the Bowels of the Earth are ript open by the Dread of his Powerful Voice and all the created Earthly things pass away as if they had not been because of the Presence of the Almighty and the fierce Terror of the Lord of Glory who is now arising as a Gyant unto the Battel and as a mighty man of Valour unto the War who a long time hath held his peace and hid his face But now saith the Lord will I arise and roar like a Lyon and utter my Voice like a man of War yea I will arise as a Lyon out of a Thicket and a young Lyon out of the Forrest and I will Thunder from Heaven and Darkness shall be upon the Earth and with the Fire of my Jealousie shall the Wicked be consumed the Vngodly as the Smoke that vanisheth forever Wherefore come all ye Brambles of the Earth and gather your selves together all ye Briars Thorns and Thistles and all ye strong Oaks and tall Cedars yea all ye fruitless Trees that long have cumbred the Ground behold the Day is at hand that you shall be consumed forever and as the Stubble ready dry before an unquenchable Fire that is kindled with the Fierceness of the Wind of the Nostrils of the most High so shall all the Brambles of the Earth be Wherefore assemble your selves together O ye Heathen and stand up to Judgment O ye Princes and Rulers of the Earth and prepare to meet the Lord whose Trumpet is sounding an Alarum out of the holy Mountain to gather the whole Host of the Heathen to Battel and the People who know not God to the Slaughter of the great King Arise ye Idol-shepherds awake ye Blood-thirsty Rulers stand up together ye fatted Bulls Let all the wild Horses stand to the Battel saith the Lord of Hosts that I may pour out my Indignation like Fire upon them and Consume them as in a Moment forever that I may give you Blood to drink and fill you with Torment for evermore for thus saith the Lord Once more more will I arise and Confound mine Enemies and ease me of mine Adversaries and I even I will fill the Heathen with Horror and all mine Enemies with the Blackness of Darkness a Fire will I kindle in the Bowels of the Scornful and in the Proud shall the Flames burn forever and all the Earth shall know that I the Lord in the midst of them am Mighty in Power and that none is able to deliver out of my hand Therefore shall the Shepherds Howl forever and the Priesthood of England be Confounded and covered with a perpetual Shame the Nations afar off shall hiss at them and the Ages to come shall call them Accursed for the day is at hand that not a Tongue of all the Dogs of Aegypt shall be lifted up against the Seed that long hath groaned under the Bondage of cruel Oppressors who bite with their Teeth and imagine Evil upon their Beds and lay Snares for the Souls of the Innocent and watch for Iniquity to devour the Simple Therefore shall these things come upon you an unbelieving Generation whose Hearts are hardned Ears stopped and Eyes closed and many of you sealed up unto the great Day of everlasting Destruction which upon you the seed of Evil-doers is stealing unawares Neither shall you believe the things that are hastening upon you and declared unto you for the Prophets and Seers are covered a deep sleep is upon the bruitish Pastors and the Vail is upon the Hearts of all who are under the old Covenant and many of them are given up to the hardness of their Hearts and their Consciences are seared and such have yet a measure of Wickedness to fill up and then upon them the Vessels of Wrath fitted for Destruction shall the Flames of everlasting Burnings be poured forth forever from him that sitteth upon the Throne Wherefore Wo to the Inhabitants of the Earth forever Wo to the Proud and Lofty Ones Wo to all the Hard Hearted Abominable and Unbelieving the Devil is come down among you the old Drogon is Head in you the God of the World hath blinded your Minds the subtilty of the Serpent hath deceived you and now Wo is your Portion you are undone forever your King is the Angel of the bottomless Pit Gog and Magog are your chief Captains Cain is your Father Nimrod the mighty Hunter the builder of Babel is your elder Brother the great Whore is your Mother Ishmael and you are of one House Pharoah and Haman are your Companions Judas the betrayer of the Just is near unto every one of you and the Life of the Just crys for Vengeance upon your Head the glittering Sword of the Most High is drawn to cut you down forever the Ax to the very Root shall now come and Root and Branch shall be cut off forever Wherefore all ye Sorcerers Witches and Sons of the Whore with all Blasphemers who say you are Jews and are not come to the true Circumcision but Servants of Sin and so the Synagogue of Satan and all you false Prophets who feed at Jezabel's Table and not at the Table of the Lord nor never drunk of the Blood of the New Covenant to cleanse you from all Sin but are daily drinking the Cup of Fornication Now come all together the Standard of the Lord is lifted up against you and you shall have to drink forever the Cup of the Wine of the fierceness of the everlasting Wrath of the Lord Almighty and he will plague you with the Beast and the Whore together for evermore and your Seed shall be cut off the Earth and your Children from among the Living your Memorial shall Rot for evermore and your Name blotted out from under Heaven and all that hear of you shall Hiss at you and an astonishment and a hissing shall you be unto all People Where are Queen Maryes Judges and Bloody Persecutors who sought to drive down all by their Devilish power who were as high in Wickedness and cruel Oppression as any of you who are this day thirsting for Blood Where are your Cardinals Jesuits Friars Monks Abbots Abbies and Nunneries Where are your Altars and Crosses c Even as there hath been an Overturning of these so shall the Off-spring and Residue follow after and then shall the Priests howl and the Lamentation of the Shepherds be heard in all the Land and the Great men and the Rich men and all the Mighty of the Earth shall lament bitterly for their Torment shall come in one day and there shall be none to deliver Then shall your high places of Worship be left desolate and the Temple of the Beast destroyed forever and all the Idols burnt
with Fire and the Abominations of Molech confounded forever and the Whoredoms of the Whore punished with an everlasting Destruction and all them that have committed Fornication with the painted Harlot shut up in the Bed of Torment and in the Wine-press of the â—ierceness of the Wrath of the Almlghty for evermore In that Day shall the Songs of your Temples be turned into howling forever the place of your Worship laid desolate and the Dung of your solemn Feasts spread upon your Faces your Rottenness shall appear and your Unsound parts be made manifest the Skirts of the VVhore shall be discovered and all your Nakedness that long in secret have committed Fornication with her shall now appear to your everlasting shame And this shall come upon you as a Whirl-wind and overtake you as a Thief in the Night and when you cry Peace then shall Destruction upon Destruction come suddainly and you shall not escape Torment shall take hold upon you and Anguish shall seize upon your inward parts a Fire shall be kindled in your Bowels forever which shall burn and none shall quench it Oh who shall stand in this Day or who shall be able to endure the Terror of the Wrath of the Almighty Surely all the Ungodly shall be as the Grass that is cut down in the heat of Summer and all the Unrighteous as Fuel fitted for the Fire Oh! Whither then will the Sinners fly for Help or the Wicked for a Refuge VVhere shall the Lyar stand or how shall the Proud endure VVhat shall be the End of them that know not God And where will they be hid that obey not the Gospel of his Son Why certainly into the Lake must they be turned and with an utter Overthrow shall be condemned forever as it is written The Wicked shall be turned into Hell and all that forget God Therefore lament O ye Inhabitants of the Earth for the Lord is become your Enemy by reason of your Sins he is raining Snares as thick as Hail-stones upon you and the VVise men shall be taken in their own Craftiness Judges led away Fools Princes laid in the Dust Diviners turned Mad and a Curse will come upon all your goodly things Y your Glory shall vanish as the Dust and your Beauty shall be as the Dung upon the Earth Your Riches shall eat you up as a Moth doth a Garment your chiefest Delights will be your greatest Torment For the Lord is making the Earth empty and Wo to the Inhabitants thereof for evermore no Deliverer in it shall be found neither yet any to comfort you therefore shall the Young man VVeep and VVail the Strong man Cry bitterly In that day the Priests shall Howl the Honourable Lament and the Ancient go Mourning all the day long For the Lord is changing Times and Seasons and the Iniquity of the People is ascended up and the remembrance of the VVicked is come before him and once more will the Lord shake his Hand against the Wicked as in the day of Sodom and overturn the Oppressors as in the day of Pharaoh and shake the Heavens the Earth and the Sea and this shall be known when the Lord passeth through the Earth with his grounded Staff and Battels of Shakings And in that Day shall your solemn Meetings be confounded your high Places left desolate and your goodly Temples defaced Bats and Owls shall then build in your Steeple-houses and they shall be for the Fowls of the Air to lodge in the Night the unclean Beasts and Spirits of Devils do and shall resort thither a Den for Dogs shall it be made Your Bells shall come down after your Organs and your Temples shattered as the old Abbies and a perpetual Shame shall come upon all them that have been and are upholding the outward Temple made with Hands wherein God dwelleth rot and they themselves a Den of Thieves and full of Rotteness Therefore Astonishment of Heart shall come within and Destruction and Overturnings without Fear on every hand and Amazement shall come upon all Flesh then shall the Vine-dressers be ashamed and them that preach Peace to the Wicked shall no longer be hid Wherefore all you that have been Parliament-Members and all Judges Mayors Justices and Constables and all other Officers and People whatsoever that have been upholding the Wicked and oppressing the Just and have been hatching Mischief against and acting all manner of Cruelty you could invent upon the Servants of the Most High God behold the Lord will kindle a Fire in your Bowels which shall burn in the Night-season and with all your striving against it and vain hopes shall you not be able to quench it and when you should go to your Graves in Peace even then shall the Pangs of Hell lay hold upon you and utter Darkness shall compass you in on every side Oh! Fierce Furious and with unspeakable Violence will the Plagues of God come rolling in upon you When I was sick in Prison for a long time so weak as neither I nor any Friend then with me ever know any one and recover strength in the Body again at which time I gave up my Life and took my leave of Friends and lay down in the Fathers love not feeling sorrow or pain Friends hardly then knowing whether I breathed or not in which time I saw things unutterable And though Heaven was opened two Angels by my sides to bear me away into everlasting Rest yet was I left only for this end For the work of the Lord amongst the Sons of men for a time and so came into the Body again having seen before the way that all the Wicked shall go out And this I eternally witness to â—e true and now this Paper is written as a Warning from the Lord by one that came as from the Dead and yet many of you will not believe like the unmerciful mighty Waves of the Sea Which none can stop For verily and plainly I have seen the way that all the Wicked shall go and the place that they shall abide forever and none of their greatness in the world shall save them from it And I have seen the place where the Innocent whom you hate and all that dye in the Lord shall sleep in the Infiniteness of fulness of the Fountain of the Fathers unspeakable Mercy and unlimited Love where they shall rest in the fullness of God forever and ever and the entrance thereinto is easier and more to be desired than to fall into a sleep the sting of Death being taken away And this I know and testifie what I have seen and so warn all you the Enemies of the Lamb 's dear Members and your own Souls of the day that is coming upon you and the Vials of Wrath that therein will be poured forth upon you who when have felt Torment in your selves have then let Wrath arise up in you whereby you have been filled with Envy against a harmless People upon whom then to get ease
this mans confused Writings See one more page 50. Now these People as far as I am and ever was able to discern them are indued with a large measure in those things the Apostle mentioned in Heb. 6. 4 5 6. I mean many of them that I know that I did take in my former Intimacy and Acquaintance with them to have received much of the Power of Truth through Christs and to have much communion with God and large experience of his Love But as for others of them they were never judged by me or the rest to be any more than a willing People and for such this Scripture doth not touch them Even by this although there might be much more mentioned thou mayst see in measure in the Light of Christ what he is that doth Rail against such a People whose Words Lives Ways and Actions are agreeable to the Scripture as he confesseth in his own Book The World loves his own and the World delights in its own the World speaketh to the World and the World hears that which is spoken from the Earthly Heart reacheth the deaf Ear and no farther that which is comprehended by the dark Mind that is spoken forth by the deceitful Tongue that feeds the Deceit that lodgeth in the Hearers so one Darkness upholds another and the same Deceit upholds its own in both Speaker Hearer So in both Writer and Reader yea all that write and speak that which proceeds not from the Life but from the Death being in the state of Death is but Death speaking to Death whereby Serpents are begotten or the Seed of the Serpents is encreased Now they that are of God hear God's Word and they that hear not his Word are not of God for the natural man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are spiritually discerned by the spiritual man that judgeth all things though no man can judge him who is a Child of the day and dwelleth in the Light and hath no fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness out of which the Children of the Day are delivered and can witness the Darkness past and the true Light now shining in them But all those who say they have fellowship with Light and walk in Darkness are Lyars and all Lyars are shut out of the Kingdom and are estranged from God who is altogether Pure Holy and Righteous Just Perfect Light and those that dwell in him are as he is and they only have the Mind of Christ the which all the World and earthly Hearts are ignorant of Therefore I shall not put the worldly carnal Heart to judge of what may be written by me although I am but yet leaving off the World and entring into a little of that which is Eternal which no Eye of Flesh can ever attain unto and live neither can any but those that live in the same Life that speaks aright or understands what is spoken from the life by those that spake aright from the pure life Therefore let not thy deceitful Heart deceive thee in judging herein for the Old Heart is Deceitful as I shall further make manifest both unto the World and unto the Children of the Light not only from what I hear but from his own written words and my knowledge and being witnessed by the Light and Truth as it is manifested in me whereby something may so plainly appear that even the World it self may see the Deceit that always hath been and yet is in this man who now desires all the World to take notice p. 24. of his Exposition of his Lyes that he himself hath cast on us who are not of the World therefore the World knows us not for we witness against it that the Deeds thereof are Evil. After Edmund Skipp had thrown off his Tythes and convinced of much more which he was waiting to throw off too he then told me not long before he lest us That he had not Faith to carry him through neither could he believe but he was confident That the Devil would steal all that he had from him again the which is now too true Wo Wo Wo from the Eternal God to all the Inhabitants of the Earth who dwell in the earthly Darkness being seated in the Earth drove out from the presence of the living God and are Vagabonds and Fugitives in the Earth whose center is in the earthly dark Mind Wo to all those that put Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light Wo to all those that go down to Aegypt for help in Aegypt the pure Seed is captiyated and kept in Bondage in Sodom and Aegypt the Lord is daily crucified and put to open shame Wo to all the Oaks of Bashan and all the Beasts of the Field Wo to them that build their Nests among the Stars for Capernaum that is lifted up to Heaven and in its wisdom in its own strength shall be brought down to Hell for the Lord God of Life and Power is risen out of his holy Habitation to confound the Language of Babel and dry up the Tongue of the Egyptian Sea and famish all the gods of the Heathen that know not God whose presence is terrible to all the Children of Disobedience Therefore Wo unto him that striveth with his Maker who ariseth to scatter his Enemies and to wound the Head of every one that goeth on still in his Wickedness Oh! the Day of the Lord is at hand wherein every man shall receive according to the Deeds done in his Body then he that hath seemed to wait and now begins to smite his fellow-Servants saying his Master delays his coming and so eat and drink with the Drunken that are drunk indeed with the Wine of the Fornication of the Whore of Babylon those are Drunkards indeed that are drunk with VVine and overcome but not with strong drink such stagger at the Promises and stumble at the Corner-stone but when that Stone shall fall upon them it will grind them to Powder Therefore be warned of the Lord thou that despisest and wonderest For all the Works of the Lord are Wonderful lest thou perish for the Lord is working a Work in these dayes that thou canst not believe nor any that live in their own Wisdom exalted above the pure Wisdom of Christ who teacheth all his to deny all yea even all both their Wisdom Righteousness Wit and all carnal Comprehensions for they are Followers of him who lived not in his own Will For saith he I came not to do mine own Will but the Will of him that sent me and saith Not my Will but thy Will be done And he that is not yet made a Fool and so denies his own Will and Wisdom is yet exalted above the Cross and the Son of Perdition is exalted above all that is called God sitting in the Temple of God even in the Holy Place where Truth should alwayes be exalted Christ should reign as King and subdue all his Enemies under his Feet and lead Captivity
Cross of Christ is to the Joros a Stumbling-block to the Greeks Foolishness for Christ is this day as he was ever a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence to both the Houses of Israel 2 Cor. 1. 13. therefore are they this day speaking Evil of that they know not for say they concerning these Sects call'd Quakers We know that it is every where spoken against Acts 28. 22. But in the Way that men call Heresie do I Worship the God of my Father Acts 24. 14. and am not ashamed to own the Power that shakes the Earth for if I should be ashamed to own the Power of Christ before men then he might justly be ashamed of me before my Father which is in Heaven but I own and witness the same Power which made Moses exceedingly fear and quake The which overpowered Daniel that he had no strength left in him Dan. 10. 8. Which Power made Habakkuk Tremble his Lips Quivered Rottenness entred into his Bones Hab. 3. 16. the which Power struck down Paul Acts 9. 3 4 5 6. which caused the Goaler to come in Trembling Acts 16. 26 27 28 29. Therefore I say unto all serve the Lord with Fear and Trembling Psal 2. 11. and work out your Salvation with fear and Treambling Phil. 2. 12. for now I know the Lord to be with them that Tremble at his Word Therefore O foolish People without Understanding which have Eyes and see not Ears and hear not Fear ye not me saith the Lord Will ye not Tremble at my Presence Jer. 5. 21 22. Are you worse than Devils that Fear and Tremble Isa 2. 19. And now the mighty Power of the living God hath shaken the Earth and the Heavens that now that which cannot be shaken may remain Heb. 12. 27. Now all you that will enter in with the Bride-groom wait to receive the same Power for the Lord Jesus Christ is come tendering himself unto his own John 1. 11. and I witness that as many as receive him receive Power to become the Sons of God John 1. 12. O be not Fools and slow with Heart to believe all that the Prophets and Apostles saith for the Lord is still a God with Power he is the same yesterday and to day and forever whose everlasting Love is shed abroad in our Hearts by which the Love of the World is cast out For if any man love the World the Love of the Father is not in him John 2. 15. But we are bought with a Price and after glorifie God in Body Soul and Spirit which is the Lord's 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. Being made Ministers nof of the Letter which killeth but of the Spirit which giveth Liâ—e 2 Cor. 3. 6. Giving no offence in any thing that the Ministry of Christ be not blamed but in all things approving our selves as the ministers of God in much Patience in Affliction in Necessities in Distresses in Stripes in Imprisonments in Tamults in Labours in Watchings in Fastings by Pureness by Knowledge by Long-suffering by Kindness by the Holy Ghost by Love unfeigned by the Word of Truth by the Power of God by the Armour of Righteousness on the Right hand and on the Left by Honour and by Dishonour by Evil Report and Good Report as Deceivers and yet True as unknown and yet well known as Dying and behold we Live as Chastened and not Killed as Sorrowful and yet always Rejoycing as Poor and yet making many Rich as having Nothing yet Possessing all things 2 Cor. 6. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 and 10 Verses Now the Light of the glorious Gospel in the Face of Jesus Christ hath shined into our Hearts whereby the Grace that was to be brought in at the Revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 13. is now in us witnessed even the Grace the Apostle exhorted to hope for and the Prophets searched after 2 Pet. 2. 20. the which Grace and Glory is now made manifest in the Sons and Daughters whereby the everlasting Gospel is sounded forth in the Ears of many Thousands in England blessed are they that hear the joyful sound thereof For verily verily as the four Hundred and Thirty years Bondage in Aegypt was at last accomplished and as the Captivity in Babylon had an end and the Lord brought again the Captivity of his People even so now the many Years of Apostacy is over and the Lord hath heard the Cry of his own Seed and is come down to deliver Israel out of all Distresses and to gather the Out-casts Psalm 147. 2. And to bring home that which is driven away and to bind up that which is broken and to strengthen that which is sick but he will destroy the Fat and the Strong and will feed them with Judgment Ezek. 34. 26. but his own shall be delivered from the many Shepherds which have destroyed the Flock of Christ and they shall feed no longer Verse 20. yea verily People the mighty Power of the Lord is risen in England to gather his from the Corners of the Earth and they that have been long in the High-ways to Destruction being â—lind and Lame shall now be compelled to come in to the Supper of the Lamb and eat of the hidden Manna But many of the Children of the Kingdom shall be cast out For for Judgment is Christ come into the World that they that see not may see and they that soe may now be made Blind Joh 939. And the Sword of the Lord is drawn against the man of Sin to cut it down Root and Branch and to set up the Kingdom of Christ in Rightcousness and true Holiness And this Work of the Lord shall certainly go on and Men Devils nor the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against it The just Complaint of the Afflicted against the Rulers who oppress the Innocent to be delivered to the Judge of the Sessions at Winchester the 8th Moneth 1658. YOu that are set to rule over others should not let secret Envy Ambition and Prejudice so rule over you as not at all to hearken to the Counsel of the Meek nor receive Instruction from the Simple whom the Lord preserveth but you should let Haughtiness and Arrogancy be done away for God resisteth the Proud And you should come to that which is meek low sober and humble with it to know a ruling over that which hath captivated you under the power of Sin and Satan who hath so blinded the Mind that the Meek of the Earth are become your Enemies for telling you the truth and the Day upon you is come in which you cannot endure sound Doctrine But this I tell you That they who hate Reproof are bruitish and every man is bruitish in his Knowledge yea O ye men your Pastors are become bruitish and have not known the Lord though this be a hard saying to you who are your selves in that which is to be ruled with the Sword of God's dreadful Power who will execute Judgment upon all and with his own eternal
Power without Hands may break in pieces that made with Hands or the greatest tallest or most glorious Image that hath been conceived in the dark mind and set up on high above the humble suffering Seed to be worshipped within in the Power of the Light is resisted with all his Wiles though therein he bringeth Scripture to uphold his Kingdom and Dominion over the other to have it bow down to him and worship him who abode not in the Power which by the Power is resisted and denied forever And so that which denies the other and is Humble and Low it is that all are to wait to receive and joyn unto from it Power to know in it to stand against the other which did it oppress and by secret subtilty being exalted doth alwayes endeavour to sit in the Temple of God shewing it self as God being covered with a Profession of the Truth which in the Truth doth not abide yet to the Truth in words may confess and acknowledge that which saveth from Sin to be the begotten of God and may believe and tremble and yet remain an Enemy to the same tempting him by many Glorious Presentations to bow to that and worship that which abideth not in the Power that so thereby over the Power it may always rule in the Deceiveableness of Unrighteousness wherein many are ensnared others tempted and some Overcome whose latter end is worse than their beginning Oh! who can declare the Depth of the Ground of this Mystery of Iniquity or utter forth the Innumerable Transformings and Changings of that which still seeketh by all subtilty to keep from the Obedience to the Life of the Power by which man was made and from which he was led by that which said Ye shall be as Gods which against God doth stand in that ground which by him is cursed And how can the unsearchable Love of the Father be uttered with words who so loved the World that he gave his Son to them that asked not for him that by his Light might be seen the Deceiveableness of the many Workings of the Powers of Darkness in the Mind that is darkened which from the Darkness to the Light is to be turned with the Light in the holy Fear to watch against every appearance of the changeable Powers of Darkness which sometimes appeareth as an Angel of Light against whose Appearance all are to stand armed with the Power of him who is the Light and to feel the Power of the Word which is as a Fire and yet to resist that which the Devil darteth in which is also like unto Fire that the tender Simplicity after which my Soul breatheth may not be betrayed by that which still seeketh to devour and to keep from the Power of the Cross and turn aside from the narrow Way of Life and that in it all the innocent Friends of Christ may be kept to follow the Leadings of that which from the God of Truth and Love and Peace to them hath come by it to be led out of and from all that which in the Truth did not abide Therefore is this given forth even from the Breathings of my Life appealing to the pure Witness in you all which the Changeableness of Iniquity doth always stand against the which in Gods living Power let all that feel it keep against the other to stand and keep out of all Satan's Wiles to be preserved to the end of all that which hath an End that then when time shall be no more you may rest and abide with and in him that is the Truth whom the Devil hath nothing in to receive the Blessings of the Father and the tender Mercies of the most High to refresh you and overcome you with the Power of his Love that it to you all may be the Bond of Everlasting Peace in which with all the humble and faithful I am bound up and in it with them for evermore do rest Humphry Smith Winchester-Bridewell 1685. THE Love of God Declared AND SATAN'S VVILES DISCOVERED THE Lord God of Life and Father of Infinite Love Preserver of all the simple Deliverer of all the innocent whose Power reacheth unto the Heavens and his Goodness to the Sons of men who never forsook the Faithful but was near unto them in the hour of Temptation and knows how to make War for the Innocent to escape and deliver the Oppressed in the day of Distress whose Mercy endureth forever whose Love can never be fully declared whose Glory is beyond all Expression whose Wayes are past finding out whom my Soul honoureth forever to whose Infinite Fullness and Incomprehensible Power be Blessing and Glory and Honour from the Power of my Life to the Throne of his Love forever and ever Even he who is the Fountain from whence cometh the Breath of the Life of the Souls of all Mankind He I say from the Throne of his Power through the brightness of his Love with his Eye of Fatherly Pity hath look't down and taken notice of the Wants the Groans and the Cryes of his captivated Seed which hath been long oppressed with the strong and cruel Bonds of Iniquity which separated man from God and grieved the Spirit of the most High who bowed the Heavens and came down to visit the Captives and relieve the Oppressed which is acceptable to many and a time of everlasting Comfort for by him the weary come to be refreshed and the weak receive Everlasting strength for the Lord hath Compassion on the Needy and comes to clothe the Naked with the Righteousness of his Son for his Spirit reacheth unto that which is in Want and his Compassion is extended to the Lowly in Heart which long breathed after Life and Power to overcome the Evil but knew not the way to obtain it and therefore in the restless Wilderness under the burden of Sin did long Travail as in a wearisom Land of Darkness having little hope towards God being often in much Distress when no Eye pitied even then had the Lord Mercy for his own Name sake and he remembred his Covenant with Abraham his Friend and had Compassion on the Seed of the barren Womb which was as the Root of a Plant hid in a dry Land whom the Lord came to visit in the Power of his Infinite Love and said to the dead Live forever which Word of Power reached through the Earth making way through it unto the Seed that it through the Earth making way through it unto the Seed that it through the Earth might spring by the Virtue of his Life as a Lilly in the Spring that so the Prisoner might grow up out of Captivity and receive the early and the latter Rain and the Dews of Heaven that as a tender Plant it may grow and become as a Tree and be fruitful as a Vine bearing much Fruit over the Earth Oh! the Infinitness of the Fullness of the Fountain of the Father's unexpressible Love unto the Prisoners of Hope and the captivated Seed
not thereby lifted up in Pride Ambition and Wrath so as thereby to keep your selves from the attaining unto a Pearl of far more greater Price and of a more durable Substance for great is the Riches Honour and Dignity that is coming near unto you if you let not your Hearts be hardened against it in the strength and perversness of your own Wills despising the Day of your Visitation of Love and rejecting the Message of Life to your Souls and contemning that by which you might come to live forever and have Dominion over Death and Hell and escape the Torment which all them fall into in the day of their Death who dye out of the Covenant of Life and Peace the which Covenant that you may attain unto and come to live in forever let Love Mercy be received in you and then brought forth by you and let Humility and Fear be placed in your Hearts with it in tenderness to rule over others and let the Light in you which lets you see the thing that is Evil lead and guide you to speak and do the thing that is good right and just and let your Words be few sound sober and meek and hate not them who from good will to your Souls bring the Reproof of Life unto you or publish the word of Repentance among you or proclaim this message of Love and Peace within your Borders let not such be harmed for a day and time of Visitation is coming near upon you all and happy may you be if you receive Instruction and love the Light By a lover of the Souls of all Mankind a Servant of the God of Life Prisoner at the City of Winchester known by the Name of Humphry Smith TO ALL Parents of Children Upon the face of the VVhole Earth That your Children you may the better train up in the right Way that they should go therein something of the True Way it self is discovered that Iniquity may not be received by Tradition from Parents to Children and so from one Generation to another but that your Children may come to Christ and be Children of God and so be a Comfort unto you Therefore is this sent among you every where in love to your Children and you FRom the Bowels of God's infinite Love unto a tender Seed of him not known nor brought forth in tender Babes am I moved to you to write That your Children you provoke not to Wrath nor draw forth their Minds into Unrighteousness neither be ye Examples of Rashness nor Frowardness neither teach ye them that when they are little to please your vain Minds which you must chastise them afterwards to leave again neither teach ye them to be Proud by drawing forth their Minds to look at foolish Toyes which you in the Transgression have put upon them in any manner of dressing which is needless for this know that in so doing you bring them from being such of whom the Kingdom of God doth consist to be Children of the Devil who is the Father of Pride which many harmeless Children would not come unto were they not trained into it by such as are in Pride already neither teach ye them to strike in the least nor provoke them to have any delight to see striking for thereby afterwards they come to strike one another and hurt one another and so you teach your own Children to be unnatural one to another and you unnatural to them in teaching them to strike one another and then when they are a little grown up to strike and beat them for striking one another the which you taught them Neither teach ye them to speak wicked Words nor many Words for in the Multitude of Words there wants not Sin Neither teach ye them to call Names in the least nor any such thing as you will answer it for their Souls in the great and terrible Day of the Lord for in these things is greater weight than many Thousands are aware of And for want of taking heed of these things in the true fear of God Children have grown up in these and the like things to be a great Grief unto their Parents of whom they learned it and some beat their Parents being taught thereunto when they were little and so trained up out of the fear of the Lord. And by this Wickedness received by Tradition and nursed up from one Generation to another Nations are overspread with Sin and Iniquity and Towns and Countries are filled with all Abominations whereby the Lord of Heaven and Earth is grieved Therefore of these things be ye all warned for this do I know that in many tender Babes and young Children there is a meek innocent harmless Principle from God who willeth not the Death of any and they have a Light from Christ that lighteth every man that cometh into the World which Light is in them And he said Suffer little Children to come unto me forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of God who come unto him that is meek and low in Heart therefore you should suffer them to keep unto come unto that which is meek and low in the Heart for that which may be known of God is manifest in them And Christ the Light had a love to little Children and said He that will enter the Kingdom of God must become as a little Child Therefore Wo be to you if you teach and cause such to become the Children of the Devil by following your devised Fables evil Examples and wrong Guidance in your own rebellious Wills For behold and look upon young Children and see how innocent and lamb-like they look and consider if every thing were as good as God made it and how much more if they were brought forth in the Covenant of God And wherein have they delight in Pride or any Covetousness or any manner of Cruelty And is it not better for their Souls if you let them keep in that state and so to suffer them to come to Christ who saveth from Sin and his Power keepeth out of Sin and his Light in the Conscience condemneth for Sin where it is and he cometh to destroy the Works of the Devil Therefore you should consider that you are far from Christ if you teach such the works of the Devil that never knew it and teach Children to enter into Sin which separateth them and you from God and keep you forever from Salvation unless you come through Judgment out of it again which many come short of and most attain not unto for few there be that enter in at the strait Gate And that you may the more consider my words and come into Moderation and the Wisdom of God in these and other things to walk exemplary before your Children and to be to them Patterns of Gravity Meekness and Sobriety therefore shall I set before your Eyes some plain and simple Truths of my experience when I was a Child First as concerning Tenderness my Heart was much affected
of Christ in me did let me see the Abominations of the Priests practices and did speak against their way of sprinkling Infants and said I should never stand as a God-father for any nor never did whereat a man Swore at me and said It was pity any one did it for me but I said I mattered not if they had never done it for I was never the better though I had never heard any one speak against the things nor did not until many years after And so that which is now my Guide is the same which was in the beginning before the Sin and no other Foundation I never knew neither can another Foundation be laid in any than that which is already laid which is Christ within the hope of Glory and he saith I am the Light come unto me and suffer little Children to come unto me for the Kingdom of God is of such as come to him meek and low in Heart who saveth from Sin And certainly I never knew the Kingdom of Righteousness and Peace until I became again as I was when I was a little Child And how hard it is to come again into that simple innocent state when degenerated from it let Gods Witness in the Couscience answer Therefore is this written that you may not shut up the Kingdom of Heaven from your Children Secondly Take heed how you cause or suffer your Children to Babble many vain words with their Tongues with a delight to hear them prattle when there is no need for thereby afterward the Tongue becomes an unruly Member set on fire of Hell Jam. 3. 6. as I found and bore the fierce Indignation of the Lord for and many little Children would not come to speak so many vain and evil words which corrupt the good Manners if they were not much provoked thereunto and seeing People delight to hear them speak the most crasty words which are from the subtilty of the Serpent and many send their Children abroad among other wild People or Persons to have them learn subtilty and crast to speak their words from and how to be hardy or too hard for others by subtil Words and Lyes also in buying and selling and when they have learned it say They can live any where and that they can shift for themselves and live by their Wits and forecast which indeed oft-times to deceive others and yet there 〈◊〉 such a plain honest simple Principle in some that they can never be brought into such subtil words nor into so many words as others though they themselves have much endeavoured to attain it but they have been more plain and simple and the Lord preserveth the simple Psal 11. 6. and such sometimes could not defend their own cause but were pleaded down when their cause was just by others that had learned more of the Serpents subtilty which the Vengeance of God will one day come upon when the Lord avengeth the cause of the oppressed And in this I have had also much experience for when I was a Child I saw much into the vanity of needless words and was very backward a long time in speaking and in that and some other things much differing from other Children and many thought I would have been a fool 〈◊〉 they call it 〈…〉 the foolishness of God and therefore oft-times much means was used to cause me to speak and many Provocations long together and yet not at all scarce make me speak one word for I saw then it was needless and could not ask one how he did when I saw he was well nor answer that which was needless and when I was a little grown up and sent upon any small Errand I should deliver my Message in very few words that people thought I would be never like a man and about ten years of Age my Father in the flesh would sometimes send me to Market and it was long before he and all others could make me ask any more then the price he did allow me to sell at or if he did not set me a certain price then I should resolve of a price in the mind according as I saw the Market and so I often sold with the cheapest being loth to take too much and therefore was often esteemed and called a Fool and Dunce but it had been easier for me if I had never been drawn out of that state when I was taught of God to do unto others as I would be done unto and was fearful to strike any one but rather gave way to them that struck me and so was by many of my equals abused and it was hard for me to take away the life of any Creature and pleaded much against it with my Father and Mother when they commanded me to do it though it was but to kill a young Dog or Cat or the like my Life in me was grieved to do it and much was I forced to harden my Heart before I could do any such thing though commanded by my Parents which may be a warning to all Parents that they be not the cause of the hardning of their Childrens hearts and then say of them they are hardy Lads for that which har dens the heart seperates from God who is Love and from Christ who comes to save the Life and so the Sacrifice of God is not known which is in the broken Heart but the Lord is with the humble and the broken hearted And you should all take heed of provoking your Children to many words for all flesh should be silent before the Lord and their words and yours should be few seasoned with salt that they might minister grace to the Hearers for God sitteth in Heaven unto whom an account must be given for every Idle word and according to every word that a man shall speak shall he be judged Therefore let the fear and dread of the Lord God be before your Eyes that you bring not your Children into the Condemnation by speaking more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of plain simple Truth in few Words left the Lord God of Heaven and Earth requite it of you in the day of his firce Wrath when you will not be able to answer him one of a Thousand and left you bring your tender simple Babes to be Children of the Devil and then it be not in your power to bring them back out of that state again but they dye in their sins upon whom the Wrath of God abideth Therefore as you love and tender their good both of Soul and Body see that you keep and in all things bring them to Gods Witness in them and that will judg and reprove them for any Evil they have done and will keep them more out of all Evil then you by any other Reproof can do and will answer your chastizing for any Evil to be just when done in the true Moderation not exceeding the Offence committed nor proceeding from the least motion of the wrathful nature in you mark that Thirdly take heed of provoking your
laid upon me to say every night but I found that was just as dry Heath instead of a Honey-comb before And so being led on in a Form and to look after Things and Teachers without the Light within became darkned and my understanding of the Son of God's Love shed abroad in my Heart which sometimes being sensible of I began very Young to look after Priests and Sermons and thought to have sound the true Thing again there but as true as the Lord God of Heaven and Earth liveth They did me more harm than all the rest and led me farther from my Teacher and from the sence of the feeling after God Acts 17. 27. to sind him near me then ever and withal begot in me abundance of the Serpents subtilty and the more because I being sensible of a want in me received their fair Speeches with much eagerness and earnest Desires believing them that that was the Way to Peace so that I grew much into that knowledge which puffâ—th up and did indeed encrease my Sorrow and so by them was I deceived the Lord God knoweth I Lye not but speak the Truth in Flainness having not Envy towards any of their Persons and this is the very Truth of my Heart in the Presence of the living God That it was more harder for me to leave and deny and know Redemption out of that which I learned from and among the Priests then to leave the Fruits of all the Sin that ever I by Temptations did run into and my Witness herein will abide in me forever Therefore let the Lord God be the Teacher of your Children who hath given them Life and Beeing and a better Teacher you cannot provide for them nor direct them unto and that which may be known of God is manifest in them and let that lead them and guide them in his fear and you are to let them understand that they should do and speak justly according to that Witness of God in them which will let them see when-ever they are tempted to speak a Lye or say they have done such a things as you commanded them and have not and will let them see they should be faithful and diligent unto you in all things that are just in the sight of God and other things you should not require of them left you grieve them but examples of Righteousness should you be in all your Words and Actions unto them and if you are not able to set them to School to learn to read yet they have the Light from christ in them already and that will shâ—w them plainly of the Father and he that is the Light is the good Old Way in which the way faring men though Fool cannot Err. And if you set them to school never so long to read and write and with their learning to search the Scriptures which is good yet they are to come to Christ the Light that they may have Life and they are to learn of him and follow him and so to learn of Christ as to know him to be in them the Hope of Glory and the Way out of Sin and unto the Father his will in all things made manifest to obey rather then man that so it may go well with them and that they may come to receive a Blessing from God and be a Comfort to their Parents who fear him and at last in Gods Everlasting Covenant lie down with Peace and Rest ANd all you young Children who are growing up into years of discretion this you are to understand that you have not made your selves but were created by the Lord God of Heaven and Earth who ruleth over all Mankind whose Presence is every where and filleth Heaven and Earch and Knoweth the secrets of all the Hearts of the Children of men and sheweth unto man both Old and Young what is his Thoughts from whom the least Evil cannot be hid who is dreadful in Holyness and just in his Judgments and Righteous in all his Wayes and his Presence is near unto every one and from his All-seeing-Eye can no one hide his deeds and before him should you fear forever and learn in his fear to walk which will keep you out of Evil and grieve ye not his Spirit left he refuse to help you in your great Distress neither provoke the Lord against you by learning Wickedness among the Sons of men who are all astray from the lowly Guidance of his Spirit and so their works are Evil and their words Unfavoury and Evil Words they use which doth corrupt the good Manners the which of them you should not learn but let your Yea ne Yea and your Nay be Nay and so learn of Christ that his Power he may minister unto you and you by him come to be saved that you may be Children of God and taught of God and drawn by his Spirit unto Christ his Son who said I am the Light of whom the Scriptures bear Testimony And in him the Scripture saith is Life and he is come who is the Light that you might have Life in your selves and come to be Heirs of the Promise of God by Regeneration through the working of the Power of God which worketh in the Hearts of the Children of men to sit them for himself a Habitation of Holiness that he may be glorified in his People And certainly you ought in the tenderness of your Years to have a true fear before that God of Life which made you who is an invisible Spirit as may be read in the Holy Scriptures of Truth And as you learn the fear of the Lord who cometh to dwell in his people he will by the Direction and Guidance of the Light of his Son in your Hearts who is the Mediator by whom the Law is handed forth will he teach you your Duty towards your Neighbour which is near unto you and to Honour your Father and Mother and what Honour is as also your Duty and Obedience in the first place towards God that his Love might be towards you and that your dayes might be prolonged as also saith the Law for whoso groweth Wicked and Rebellious against the Light the Lord suffereth not to live out half their dayes Job 24. vers 13. For Life comes from God and he withdraws it at his pleasure from them that obey him not and when he taketh way their Breath they dye and the Breath of God was the Life of the Soul of man and Christ said He was the Life who is meek and lowly in Heart who said Suffer little Children to come unto me and said he I am the Way and he cometh to condemn Sin and calleth to Repentance his Name is caled The Word of God Rev. 19. 13. and the Word is very nigh thee even in thy Heart Rom. 10. 8. And so that is the Way that you all which are Young should go and be trained up in that when you are old you might not depart from it Prov. 22. 6. so may you have
Power To all the Judges and Rulers of the Earth who rise up against the Lamb And to Gog Magog and all their Armies and to the whole Host of the Power of Darkness and to all men who fight against God who or whatsoever they be or whatsoever they be called BEhold ye Rulers of the Earth and listen and hear all ye Earthly minded Men let the Blindness of your Minds be opened that your dark Hearts may be enlightned hear I say and stop not your Ears whose Minds are in the Earth whose Eyes are closed whose Hearts are covered with a thick Vail by your own Iniquity who see not the Wonders of the Lord wrought among the living neither perceive the mighty Power of the God of the whole Earth who are besotted through the sinfulness of your continual Transgressions and are groveling as Moles in the Earth and laden with thick Clay and covered with the Vail that is spread over all Flesh that you see not the glory of the God of Life neither perceive ye the comliness of the holy One of Jacob to whom the bright Morning Star is as a Cloud of Darkness and the Way of the living God as a fierce Whirlwind of Fire who see not him that dwelt in the Bush neither hear his Voice who hath made Darkness his Habitation and his Pavilion round about him thick Clouds of the Skey Hear I say and let my words have entrance in you and let the sound of my Voice take place in your Hearts let the opening of my Lips give Astonishment to the Wicked and the enlargement of my Heart the Confounding of the Heathen let the Dread of the Lord take hold upon the Hypocrites and Astonishment seaze upon the Double-minded let the Prudent keep silent and hear and let the Honourable be quiet and consider let the Understanding give audience to my words and let the Mouth of the Fool be stopt let the Sinner stand still and be quiet and let the Ungodly consider the words of Truth rebel not against the Word of the Lord neither harden your Hearts against the Dread of his Power let the tall Cedar bow and bend and that which is lifted up be brought down and stand ye all in Meekness For behold the Omnipotent Power is come the Rock of Ages is revealed the Everlasting strength is made manifest the God of Abraham hath reacht forth his hand and the Redeemer of Israel is come to dwell in the midst the great Jehova hath uttered his Voice and he whose Name is I Am is at hand he that moveth upon the Waters may be felt and he that formeth the Seed in the Womb may be known he that inhabiteth Eternity is come to dwell in his People and walk in the midst of the poor despised of his flock having cleansed them by the washing of Water and renewed them by the Spirit of Burning and refined them with his Righteous Judgments and cleansed them with the Blood of his Son that in his Zion redeemed with Judgment he may dwell for evenmore and take up his rest in the midst of his People having made the place of his feet Glorious and his residence as a Seat in the midst of a Fire which burneth against all them that are in the Night and giveth light to them that are in the Covenant whose Glory is hid from the dark Mind and his Counsel with-held from the Unbelieving in Heart he standeth near unto the Wicked who perceiveth him not and taketh Notice of his secret Intents he observeth the footsteps of the Kings of the Earth and marketh the Decrees of the Unrighteous and when they have filled up their measure he putteth forth his Finger to their Life and taketh away their Breath he suddainly cuts off the Wicked and regardeth not the Mightiness of Princes he searcheth the Hearts of Kings and ruleth over the Powers of men his Infiniteness can never be declared in his hand is the Breath of the Life of the Souls of all Mankind Hear I say and consider my words and ponder the Meditations of my Mind for behold the Lord God of Life is come Immanuel is revealed the Root and Off-spring of David is grown up as a Plant of Renown the Seed of the Shepherd sits upon the Throne and before him shall all the Kings of the Earth lay down their Crowns every Emperor shall bow and bend and the Potentates of the Earth before him shall wither as a green Herb their Glory shall perish as the untimely Birth of the Womb their Honour shall vanish as the Smoke before the Wind their Wisdom shall fade away as a Blossom cut off and their Understandings shall come to nothing the Wisdom of the most high shall be exalted over all and with his foolishness will he them all confound yea with a foolish Nation will he anger the Judges of the Earth and with a despised People will he provoke the Rulers of the World to jealousie by the foolishness of his Flock will he confound his Enemies and by his weakness in them will he subdue the strength of the Mighty and though all his Enemies strive in the Arrogancy of their Spirits and in the fierceness of their strength yet shall he be exalted who is led as a Lamb dumb and he shall reign whose right it is in whose Mouth there is found no Guile who maketh an end of Sin and bringeth in Ever lasting Righteousness and setteth up Judgment in the Heart and cometh to rule in the Kingdoms of men and overturneth the Host of his Enemies by whom Judges are led away Fools Diviners turned Mad before whose Presence the Mightiness of the mightiest Rulers of the Earth is as Wax before the fire and their Strength melteth away as the fat of Lambs Wherefore hear and see O ye Kindreds and Rulers of the Earth the Lord our God is come the might of his strength is revealed and the Power of his Presence made known he hath chosen his Army to himself and their Names are written in his Life he hath numbred up his Hosts together and armed his chosen with his Everlasting Strength the Captain of his Host goeth before them and the Camp of the Lord is very great they are Numberless as the Sand of the Sea and Infinite as the Stars of Heaven Even so is the Seed of Abraham the Remnant of the Flock of Jacob whom the Lord hath redeemed who are chosen and faithful and true yea behold its even so and that all the Nations of the Earth shall know for the Lord of Hosts rideth on in Meekness in the midst of his Host and maketh War in Righteousness with the Enemies of the Lamb who would not that he should reign who makes an end of Sin and he is clothing his Army with Zeal as with a Garment and covering them with the Armour of Light and preserveth their Head in the day of Battel and girds them up with strength and guideth their feet upon the Rock and preserveth their
Life under the shadow of his Hand When he speaketh the word his Army goeth forth and at his Command they march on their way He lifteth up a Standard before them and proclaimeth open War against the Inhabitants of the Earth who now hear that the Lamb is come to reign in Righteousness and to stain the Pride of their Glory and confound the height of their Wisdom and lay their Honour in the Dust forever Therefore all Kindreds of the Earth even Gog Magog and all the Hosts of the Heathen are rising up in the bitterness of their Spirits in the height of the Power of the Man of Sin joyning all their Forces together as in one band of Darkness taking Counsel from Aegypt making a Covenant with Death and an Agreement with Hell and gathering up the utmost Powers of Darkness to be as a Refuge unto them And thus in the strength of the King of the Children of Pride they are rising up against the Lord even the God of Life and against his anointed Ones who have indeed and in truth received the Anointings and need not man to teach them but are all taught of the Lord God Almighty who also teacheth their hands to war and their fingers to fight And he utters his voice as the sound of many Waters before his Army who follow him in the might of his Power whose Presence is dreadful in the midst of his Host and there is none that is able to stand before him for he is a consuming Fire in the midst of his Camp and burneth up his Enemies round about and before him and his Army shall all faces gather paleness Everlasting Shame shall cover the Glory of all Flesh before him all People shall be much pained his Dread and Vengeance shall take hold on all his Adversaries His redeemed shall march with him in the travail of their Souls from strength to strength shall they continue on and none shall be feeble among them their Arrows shall reach into the Bowels of the Scornful and their words of Life pierce the Hearts of the Hypocrites They shall tread upon Kings as upon Monter and trample upon the Wicked as upon Ashes they fear not the greatest Goliahs neither yet the VVickedness of the Pride of Haman Unrighteous Decrees cannot stop their Mouthes nor the fear of a Furnace or a Dungeon with-hold them from their Way All Flesh is as Grass before them and at their Rebuke shall the Potsherds of the Earth be broken forever before them there is no Nation shall stand For One of them shall chase a Hundred and before Five shall the strength and wisdom of a Thousand be confounded And this the Lords Army shall never be confounded and his Glory in them shall never be defaced nor his Power with them shall never be overcome nor his strength in them shall never be vanquished therefore in vain do all the Potsherds of the Earth strive for they that rise up against them shall be as Flax before the Fire and the Mightiest among the Sons of Men shall he as the Grass that is cut down for the Lord of Hosts is very Terrible and in Meekness is the Lamb riding on to Judgment his Followers are enrobed with the Light of the Morning and adorned with the Beauty of the Sun Their Eyes are enlightned with the Light of the most High and they see through the dark parts of all their Enemies and discern the secret Plottings of all their Adversaries Their Wisdom comes in like a River and their Understanding shall never be darkned Their Strength is renewed as the Morning and they are valiant to do Exploits The Wisdom of the Wise before them shall be confounded forever and the Understanding of the Prudent be esteemed as a thing of nought They spy out the lurkings of their Enemies and see through the coverings of the Deceitful Of their strength they shall never be deprived neither shall their Weapons be taken from them Their Refuge shall never be shaken nor the place of their Rest removed The VVicked shall never enter upon their Dwellings nor all their Enemies invade the Land of their Rest for the desire of all Nations to them is come and him that they long waited for have they now received They tread upon the Cockatrice den and meet the devouring Lyons And in the Power of the Father's love there is no deadly thing that doth them hurt nor any VVeapon formed against them that ever shall prosper And this is Sion the Redeemed of the Lord the Glory of the God of Israel the Seed of Jacob whom the Lord hath chosen and set up on high over all the Kindreds of the Earth which stands against all the Enemies of the Lord and is his new threshing Instrument with which he will thresh the Heathen in his Anger and bathe his Sword in the Blood of the slain for behold his Sword shall devour much Flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many VVith Sion the perfection of Beauty will the Lord break in pieces wound confound and overturn forever the Horse and his Rider the Captain and his Troops the Antient and Honourable the Prophet that telleth Lyes yea all the Host of the Unrighteous and the Strength of the Army of the man of Sin and the Beauty of the VVhore that rides upon the Beast and all them who set themselves in Battel against the Lord and all them who lead into Captivity and would captivate the Servants of the Lamb shall go into Captivity forever For behold the Lord is with us the Shout of a King is among us the Lord whose Name is holy is come he hath uttered his Voice from Heaven and now the Nations of the Earth are angry but the Lord will reign in Righteousness and all his Enemies shall be astonished at his Presence and his Adversaries shall be amazed forever their Hearts shall be turned as a Stone within them and men shall be at their VVits end for fear and for looking after those things which shall come upon the Earth and all them whose Names are written in it their VVisdom shall not preserve them their Understandings shall not defend them neither shall all their Subtilty cover them from the Light their Nakedness shall appear to their Everlasting Shame and the Prisoners of Hope shall rejoyce over them for evermore For behold I say your day is come wherein you shall bow down under the Prisoners and fall under the slain according to the words of the Spirit of Prophecy Isa 10. 4. and the slain over you shall rejoyce for evermore having the high Praises of God in their Mouthes and the Sword of the Spirit in their Hearts with which they shall cut in pieces and pierce in sunder the Bowels of all flesh and it shall be as Chaff before them and the strength thereof as the passing away of the Morning-cloud and in the strength of the most high shall the Army of the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah go on and
more because none came to visit it nor succour it for it was in a desolate place and unseemly and few had regard unto it and yet there was some hopes it might be delivered And this was a true resemblance of the state of the Seed of God in all the World And in plainness concerning Oliver Cromwell and his Son Richard late called Protectors the Vision from God was shewed to me before the downfall of either of them thus And I beheld a great and mighty Tree much bigger than ever I saw before and appearing without Sap or Virtue in it or Leaf Bough or Branch upon it much less Fruit and the top of it was broad being all big much like unto the top of Pauls Steeple in London and close by this great old Tree grew up another Tree as out of his Root and belonged to him but not both in one Body though very near together and stood both upon one Foundation and this was as a little stripling Tree which also was without Leaves or Branches or any thing to bear Fruit so that I admired to see it so with the young Tree for I looked for Branches or Leaves but there were none And whilst I was beholding of them a Man being sent came in much haste with an Ax in his hand to cut down the great mighty old Tree which seemed strange to me that one man should adventure upon so great a work to cut down such a Tree as that for the lower part of the Tree was exceeding big and almost as broad upon the Earth as half the height so that I thought he had need of three or more to help him and that one man could scarce cut him down with one Ax if he stood hewing all his Life time But I much more admired to see the Confidence of the man that came with speed with his Ax who made no stop at all because of the greatness of him nor any thing else but as soon as ever he could get to him smote with the edge of his Ax and struck between the Ground and the Tree so that I soon perceived he intended to separate between the Tree and the Ground on which he stood and the man in the might of his strength struck but three Blows in all but he separated the Tree from the Earth on which he stood and immediately the Tree fell with a mighty overthrow and the Foundation of the Tree was altogether rotten and not one Root at all but where the Root should be was Rottenness and the Earth shook at his fall and many Great men stood amazed and fear seized on many because of the great sudden fall thereof And as this great Tree fell I saw under the Foundation of the young tall Tree that stood near the other and it was much like to fall presently after and was almost down on the one hand and then almost down on the other and yet it recovered and stood up for a time having no Root but Rottenness And the great Tree fell from him on the one side and the Earth parted from him on two sides more so that only upon one side in four or less the Earth cleaved to him and he being slender and tall without Root was not like long thus to stand neither did Richard And I likewise beheld many more smaller Trees and the man with his Ax in his Hand cut them all down at the Butt somewhat above the Ground and so left the Stumps in the Earth and therefore it might be possible for them to grow up again As some did come up again who were put down but fell the second time through Disobedience And after all this I beheld also many more Trees in abundance yea more numerous then the other coming up out of the Earth and covering the face thereof and growing up apace which were not yet ready to be cut down and I saw the man with the Ax in his hand standing still for a time having cut all the other until those should be ready to be cut down and he waited till the time came and was in a readiness with his Ax in his hand ready to strike when those abundance of Trees should come up to their growth which hastened And let those who are now come up read this and let the whole City of London take heed as I said before and Repent with speed and turn to the Lord whose Servant I am called Humphry Smith Postscript WHen those People to whom God gave his Ordinances and his Statutes had long resisted and grieved his Spirit in them who said I am God and not man the holy One in the midst of thee and had also refused plain Instructions then the Lord sent them the Prophet Isaiah who said With stammering Tongues and other Eips will I speak unto this People and for a Sign he was sent to walk Naked among them And the Prophet Ezekiel was sent with that which they might esteem dark Visions and foolish Signs which were many and hard Sayings And Jeremiah he lamented over them and all the Lords Prophets proclaimed against their Priests and Leaders of them who caused them to Err and yet would they not be warned nor their Priests leave preaching Peace unto them nor they leave following their Priests until they had crucified the Just and denyed him that is the Light who saveth his People from their Sins and Jerusalem became a Heap and a Desolation and an Astonishment and so both Priests and People went into Destruction and Captivity together And thy Sins O London may be equalized with hers and are as many and as grievous and that thou mayst a little the better understand my Vision concerning thee therefore have I written these latter things that concerned others which if thou understand not that which concerns thee is more Mysterious To the great Flock of the Imprisoned Servants of GOD Almighty THe Lord is become our Portion and the God of Jacob the Lot of our Inheritance even the God of the whole Earth whose Throne is in the Heavens his Dwelling in the Hearts of the Humble before whom the least Lamb of his Fold is more delightsom than the beautifulst Flower of the Grass of the Field and of more value than the Fowls of the Air or many Sparrows which are according to his Providence the Mystery of whose Will lodgeth in the secret Chambers of his Wisdom whose Wayes are unsearchable and his goings in the deep none can fathom the unsearchable Fountain of his Goodness nor find out the utmost of the Intents of his Heart but as Love springs up with healing Oyl discovering a measure of the Motions of his Spirit whereby something of his Mind is known who inhabiteth Eternity and is dreadful in Holiness severe in his Judgments clear in his Love free in his Mercy bountiful in his Goodness large in his fatherly loving Kindness wonderful in his Operation pitiful to the Meek gentle to the Upright in Heart rewarding the
greatest of his Adversaries according to the fruit of their own Ways and altogether Righteous in all his Doings from whom the Upright may certainly expect a plentiful Reward and all his Servants the Wages of Righteousness and every one of the least of his Children a certain Inheritance with the sanctified in the Kingdom that fadeth not away Even this is the Lord our Righteousness whom the World knoweth not who also appeared unto them who were truly our Fathers in the dayes of old who is the same both in Wisdom Strength and Power as ever he was and it is he that found us in the waste howling Wilderness and tossed to and fro with the unsetled Waves on which the Whore sate that brought into Drunkenness and with his holy Arm did he bring us out of the Miery Clay and my Soul from under the deep Waters and set our feet upon the certain Rock of Ages that Men Laws nor Decrees can never remove and he hath been unto us a Shield and will certainly be an exceeding great Reward or a Reward that shall exceed and surmount all the contrary What shall I say what he will be unto the faithful can never be uttered what he hath been in his Power Wisdom and Love to us we have seen and what he is let all my Brethren feel and this we are most assuredly assured of that he is become ours yea even our own and we have a part in him that is true our Covenant with him stands in the Power of his Life which is endless and he hath bought us with the price of that which puts away the Sin and certainly I cannot but glorifie him even in the Body Soul and Spirit and no other Lover doth my Soul desire nor a better Shepherd can Israel ever find nor a more wise stronger and tender Father can Children ever have nay he himself as I have said is become the Lord our Righteousness and the portion of our Cup in which Salvation standeth of which we daily drink and know it to be the Cup of blessing and can truly say our lot is fallen in a good ground I can truly say my Soul cleaveth unto the Lord who bringeth Deliverance and hitherto the Lord hath helped us and hath done greater things than could have been by man expected and what now though there be a Sea to pass through and Floods of ungodly men to get beyond shall we therefore be discouraged or shall we murmur because of the length of time or be discontented when the Lord brings his People into Tryals for a two fold end or purpose as in himself that is to say For the proving and humbling of his People that he may do them good or much more good than he hath done at their latter end And for the drawing forth of the Cruelty and Tyranny of his Enemies to the utmost which was in them before or grounded in their Hearts that their Sin being finished he might destroy them forever and overturn them so that they never rise again Or shall we be unsatisfied because the People of the Land of Darkness do shut us up out from amongst them by reason of the dread and trouble that is upon them Or shall we not be contented if the Lord should suffer us to be deprived of all things but himself that we might have none other thing to have unity with but only him alone surely this would be his Love and great would be the Unity between such and him What if we went out as Jacob did and left all behind us even Goods and Lands and Fathers House as did our Father Abraham And what if there should be a Pursuer like Saul and David yet we know the Dominion belongs to the faithful Seed though in many Tribulations even to us the seed of Abraham according to the Promise whose seed was led out of the place of Bondage as it is this day And what if we had none but him even the Lord our God to take care for our Bodies who causeth the Rayment not to wax old and the Widdows Oyl to encrease and gave Bread from Heaven in the needful time yet should it go well with us and though we had none other to trust unto then he who delivered his People after the Decree was sealed for their Destruction in the days of Mordecai who could not bow though the King had commanded it yet should we not be discouraged and though we had none other to cry in secret unto but him that preserved Daniel in praying to his God though his Life thereby was in great Jeapordy and the Decree of the King broken yet might we have quietness and peace yea much better it is to enjoy the Lord than life it self and the lowliness of his Countenance than earthly Treasure Nay truly let them take what they are for and their Minds in so we may but enjoy the Treasures of Life Immortal and the Crown of Everlasting Peace which fadeth not away Dear Friends and Lambs of the Morning and Flock of the Fold of God in the suffering state through which the Everlasting Life doth spring when I am declaring of the unutterable Goodness and transcendent infinite Loving-kindness of the Lord I am sometimes rather willing to be swallowed up in that infiniteness of it self than to be declaring of that which in it self can never be uttered as it is and when I enter into the Chambers of secrecy where the hidden Wisdom is treasured up I have been even ready to shut up all the outgoings and to dwell in the inward Chambers of the secret Closets where the unutterable Treasures are treasured up abundantly forever and even say in my Heart unto the yet scattered Ones Oh! that ye would come and see my Dwelling and find out my Resting place and abide in the beautiful Habitation and rest in the munition of Rocks Oh! that ye would come and drink of the everlasting Streams and be satisfied with the Springs of Virtue that your Bones might be full of Marrow and the inside of your dwellings beautiful so shall the Lord delight in you forever and though the World hate yet he will love and though Relations may deny yet he will own though Riches may take themselves Wings yet he will never forsake nay though mortal Parents might cast off yet then the Lord will not cast off but receive and though Wives or Husbands may break their Promise and so be without natural affection yet the Lord will never break his Covenant with his People for that shall last for evermore and though Children might for sake their Parents the Lord will be more unto them than ten Sons So that I say again were I in one day bereaved of all and seperated from my Fathers Children which of all outward things are most dear unto me yet enjoying the Lord and his Presence being with me in whose Covenant I am with all the flock of God in the invisible Life so should it be well with me
and so may it be well with all you as ye are faithful to God in the suffering state and so enjoy his Presence thus also with you for evermore may it go well Shall I now therefore return to Exhortation and Admonition with desires of tender Love towards you that you all in patience may stand and look to the Lord whom we have and have none other in Heaven to hear our Cry nor in Earth that truly commiserateth our Cause nor hath Power like him to help Dear Friends he knoweth our Intents and seeth how it is with us he hath given to many of us an heart to say Lord if thou shouldst suffer us to perish we will not leave thee and whatever become of us we dare not deny thee before men for thou hast called us and we are thine even thine own whom thou hast chosen Let your desires be forever thus unto the Lord and wait upon him continually and let your Eyes be more upon the Lord than upon those things which in this day of Tryal are suffered to come to pass by him which he can also turn for his own Glory and your Everlasting Comfort And Friends this know that as your Minds are upon and much caring how to preserve the temporal things the weight of them will lie upon you and stop the Springs of better Treasures but as your Minds are towards the Lord a great case and satisfaction will be come unto you And Friends Murmur not that this day is come for it may be there was need of it even amongst us and it may be ye are more yet to be redeemed out of the earthly part and transitory things and question not but this will be for good and as for Tryals since this cloud was up I have even drunk deep with you of the inward sufferings yea more than is convenient to mention but the Lord hath kept my feet upon the Rock and with all the Upright I sing Praises to his Name And now be tender one to another you may read the Figure God is bringing you near together and Aegypt is thrusting you out by reason of the Torment that is upon them and a Land of Rest is before you and from the presence of the Lord they cannot Banish us nay nor what they would neither for God is on our side though they have yet something more to do and when every mans Work is over he shall certainly receive his Reward from God either good or evil and then as the Apostle saith of the Wicked They shall be punished with everlasting Destruction from the Presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Presence 2 Thes 1. 6 7 8 9. But Friends it is safe for you all to dwell in your own Tents and mind the Lord and let your love be towards him above all things and in all things that you do wait to feel his Counsel and Guidance and trust him forever for great is the work of the Lord yea I have even looked for this day that the Cry of the innocent may reach unto Heaven and as I have said the sound thereof reach over Europe that Kings may come to be crowned with Honour and Judges decree Righteousness and true Judgment may stream forth as Water and Righteousness as a living stream that Thousands and Thousands of Thousands may slock to our Fold as Doves to the Windows that the Nations of men may bow under the Scepter of Righteousness and the Powers of Darkness shut up forever Behold O Friends yea stand still and see the fall of Babel the Destruction of the Whore and the Torment of the Beast for though Hell hath enlarged her self yet this we know the Lord liveth who scatters the Powers of Darkness Oh! what more shall I say who come to the dwelling-place of its unutterable Power may feel the unsearchable things of God And Friends let not the Enemy prevail through Unbelief for there Israel fell in the days of old and there is no greater danger than that of Unbelief But consider that you have something still to resist and seldom ever more than now and you have a spiritual Enemy to war with which flyes not but as he is resisted and in the time of your weakness and inward trouble is his time to prevail if ever and if thou canst stand then full easie mayst thou walk when Refreshings come and with delightsomness mayst thou persevere when the Cloud is over and this know that a Storm lasteth but for a time and Winter is but for a season and the Night remains not always nay the four hundred and thirty years had an end and the Bounds of the Seas are set and happy is he that always looketh unto him that ruleth over them for though when the Waves swelled even the Disciples were ready to think he cared not if they perished yet he intended better things for them and when for the Life's sake they cryed unto him he soon and easily abated the Rage both of Wind and Sea and then the sweetness of a Calm is prized Dear Friends I need not open the Parable unto you but even rather say The Lord be with you even every one of you beyond all that I can write and the Lord strengthen you and keep you stedfast in the Faith and refresh your Souls and minister more strength virtue and comfort unto you all every where for evermore Amen This is chiefly intended for all the imprisoned Servants of God and them yet at liberty and to be read among them with a good Understanding in that which gives it distinctly in the fear of God Humphery Smith Chalfont in Buckinghamshire the 13th of the 11th Mon. 1660. To Nâ—w-Englands pretended CHRISTIANS Who contrary to Christ have destroyed the Lives of men Having seen something of yours called by you an Appendix whereby you would justifie your selves in Whipping Imprisoning Banishing Killing and making Spoil of whole Families I being weak of Body and in Bed the strength of the Lord arose in me from the which was given forth that which followeth THe Lord God will answer you with that which you shall never be able to resist from the which you shall never be 〈◊〉 to fly neither shall your Coverings defend you but God will visit in secret and the Almighty will rain Snares upon you and all your strong holds in one day and that suddainly in a moment will the Lord God scatter and confound with all your strong Reasons and your Weapons which you have gathered together against the invisible God and his Servants like your Fathers in the dayes of Old Isa 41. 21. these with all your Weapons of War against the Lamb and the suffering seed shall be broken in the midst of you and Death will overtake you and Gods Righteous Judgments will enter within your dwellings and a day of blackness from the Throne of God will come upon you and his Anger with Bitterness will be poured forth upon you as a mighty Storm which
which cometh on a suddain and as a Whirlwind which none can stop and as the mighty unmerciful raging Waves of the Sea which none is able to resist even so shall the day of your Calamity come which is hastning as the lighting whose breaking forth all your fleshly Wisdom shall never be able to hinder Behold I have heard a Voice of Terror from the Lord against your Unrighteous Proceedings and the day of Gods Vengeance is in his heart and who should stand to plead with him Behold ye Thorns the Lord our God is a consuming fire and before him you cannot stand for your Sins have reached up to Heaven and your Iniquities are come before the most High and your grievous blood-thirsty actions are spread over Nations and Gods witness in thousands who are not of us but rather yet against us do rise up in their hearts against you and when you are awakned you will be filled with Anguish and a Cup of Astonishment from the Righteous God of Truth will be poured forth unto you and as sure as you have thirsted after and drunk deep of the Blood of Gods chosen though despised of men so certain shall you have Blood to drink and Trembling Horror Amazement will most absolutely come in that day which approacheth as a Thief in the Night and then shall your Bowels be ripped open and your inside Coverings broken and then shall your Hearts be rent with Perplexity and Amazement shall come over you as a Cloud of the Night and the hand of the Almighty will find out your secret lurking places and then shall ye know that the Lord our God doth and will plead the Cause of his People and avenge himself on his and their Enemies and then shall ye know that ye have risen up against the Lamb who is sometimes silent from pleading his own cause who though dumb as to answer the mighty Ones of the Earth yet faithful in suffering according to the will of him who ruleth over all and then shall ye know that though no answer at all were written unto your dark pretended Coverings yet shall you then feel an answer near unto you and the sound of Gods Terrible Voice shall be heard in the midst of you and form the dreadful Noise of his War shall you never be able to cover your selves with all your Writings Printings nor Declarations though never so strong from the prudency of the Earth for God hath cast all that behind his back and in the day at hand shall you most absolutely come to know it so to be For behold my heart is indeed rent and God hath opened in it the secret Counsel of his Will and his Purpose concerâ—ing you whose Decree shall never be changed which is sealed against the evil doer And 〈…〉 or Evil-doer who have done worse then 〈…〉 selves a Reproach amongst me◠〈…〉 the People O horrible and Wicked Cruâ—lty and Mercilâ—ss Tyranny which is found in the midst of you Is this the fruit of your Profession And has the Spirit of Truth led you to do these things Do not even the Nations stand and look at you And do not the Upright in Heart mourn in secret because of your Sins Ah! who could have believed that you would have done such things And do you think now to stop the Mouthes of People by publishing your strong Reasons Nay this is plain in my heart that all whatsoever you Print Publish or Declare shall never give satisfaction to the meek just Principle of God which remains in the Spirits of many Thousand Thousands in the Nations round about you And if your called An Appendix with the rest of your Writings were never answered by us and if we therein should lay our mouthes in the dust forever yet this we know that the holy One of Israel the Righteous God of Truth will plead our cause and execute Judgment in his fury and avenge the Blood of his Saints and help the man of low degree against him who is too strong for him and to the Lord God of Righteousness we commit our Cause and the Innocency of our dear Brethren and in Gods blessed will I rest and am satisfied in respect of his love unto his Jewels though but as Fools to the World and in respect of his answering of you acording to the fruit of your own wayes And behold ye Children of men I cannot but proceed to declare unto you the Day which is near at hand and warn you all to strip your selves from your coverings and sit down ye People in Dust and Ashes and confess your Iniquities in secret unto the Lord before it be to late for great is the Wo which is coming upon you and that which I have heard concerning you is none other then a Voice of Terror O the Trouble Distress and Calamity that soundeth in my heart concerning you and from the Lord God will it be poured forth and exceeding deep shall you drink thereof and this shall you know to be true when the Whirlwind cometh from far and the shadows of the Night draw near when no hiding place will be found for the Hypocrite neither a refuge for the Evil doer And then as ye have not spared the despised of the World so will the Lord cast upon you and not spare O the Bitterness and Unutterable Torments which will then come but who amongst you will believe these things and who can entertain the Counsel of the Lord And are not your hearts yet hardened against Reproof And are not to be reproved for your Envy against Gods People Nay moreover are you not sometimes already reproved by him who seeth in secret and who searcheth the Intents of the Heart and maketh manifest unto man the Wicked Enterprises thereof and overturneth the Counsels of the Wicked but remembreth the Cause of the Needy and pleadeth the Innocency of the Upright in whose sight the Death of the Saints is precious and who pleadeth their Cause in the day of Trouble and will most certainly confound his Adversaries and scatter his Enemies as smoke is scattered with a mighty Whirlwind and in that day where then will your place be found And a seed there is which God will deliver from your hands and preserve from the Blood-thirsty men which shall grow up in the midst of you as a Lilly among Thorns and Gods blessing shall be upon them with whom my Life is And as the latter gleaning in the time of Harvest so shall the gathering of Gods Heritage be And what you have done will be for the advantage of the suffering Seed and for the Glory of God and much for your disadvantage and eternal Shame and endless Misery if you repent not And this you men of sin should know that inasmuch as you have taken away the Life of Gods Creatures and moreover Unjustly by an Unrighteous Law destroyed the Lives of his Servants therein may all men see that you are contrary to Christ and led by a Spirit
not need alwayes to keep one Company of his Subjects to guard him for fear of any other of his Subjects but rather for fear of such as are not his Subjects And were all his Subjects brought in such Faithfulness and the King well and truly satisfied therein would it not ease him and his Council of much Care and sometimes Fear too and to be so well satisfied in himself concerning his Subjects Faithfulness to him herein that he could take their Word for it without Oath Bond or Surety Or if he had no Word or Promise at all from them yet could believe and trust them that they would never plot or rise against him nor do him harm but remain as firm steadfast and true to him as any other Princes Subjects in the whole World by any of their Oaths Bonds or other Engagements whatsoever if not more constant and steadfast which were all the King's Subjects brought unto would be such an Honour unto the King therein as would hardly be found belonging unto any Prince in the whole World again IV. Concerning the Honour that the King might have by the Uprightness of his Subjects in their Traffick with other Nations VVEre all the King's Subjects or most part of them brought into Truth Plainness and Righteousness so that their Yea was Yea and their Nay Nay that so all Merchants and Factors could take their Words and trust to their Words to be of more value than the Oaths of most Princes Subjects in the World and that in what Nation or Kingdom soever they come in the World as soon as it was heard they were such a Princes Subjects that then both the King of those Dominions with Princes Judges Merchants Factors and People might all conclude they were true men of their Words and that any man might deal with them and none be afraid to traffique with them because they abhor Deceit Defraud and Lying and all manner of Cozening or Dishonesty And would not this also promote trading and so enrich the Kingdom and be some means to relieve the Poor And is not the enriching of the Kingdom for the King's Honour And what Man or Nation is it but would desire to deal with Just Men And would not the Fame of such a Prince and such his Subjects as deal justly and truely where-ever they come soon sound over all the World And would it not be for his Honour that had such a People as did neither seek nor ask but a Just Price where-ever they come amongst all Nations in the World And if such Honour before mentioned be esteemed what part of it is beyond this which might cause a King's Name to be renowned over the whole World having such upright true just honest-hearted men in all things to his Subjects as not any other Eemperour or Prince could produce the like V. Concerning the King's Honour by his Subjects departing from that which disbonoureth both God and the King and themselves VVEre all the King's Subjects brought to leave and utterly to forsake the Devil and all his Works the Pomp and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the flesh and the carnal desires of the same and so to leave and utterly forsake all manner of Evil in word and deed and to bear no Malice nor Hatred in their Hearts to keep their Tongues from Lying and Evil-speaking seeing it is the evil words that Corrupt the good manners and so not to speak proudly nor contemptuously no not of the meanest Member in the Nation but to abhor and leave Arrogancy with all manner of Voluptuosness knowing that God resisteth the Proud and so not one such prophane person as Lord Esau to be found amongst them nor one Swearer nor Lyar nor Thief nor Murderer amongst them neither yet a Drunkard nor a Glutton nor a Whoremonger nor a Covetous Person which is Idolatry to be found amongst them nor any that spend their dayes in Vanity nor that abuse or waste the good Creatures of God in any of the King's Dominions whereby any of his Subjects may come to want to his dishonour And were they all brought to forsake the very Appearance of Evil and so never to transgress any of his good Laws to his dishonour herein also would this be for the Honour of the King And thus might his Fame ring over all the World and be of great Renown among all the Upright-hearted in all Nations for what is a King without his Subjects And when is a King more honoured by his Subjects than when his Subjects themselves are most honourable and act most noble and honourably And what is more honourable and more noble in the outward practice among the sons of men whereby a King might be honoured than the things aforesaid Nay do not the Principles Qualities and Practices aforesaid make men more noble and honourable than the Titles of For Esau was called Lord Edom had many Dukes and Ishmael had twelve Princes Lord Esau or Dukes of Edom or Princes of Ishmael seeing Abraham was a Wanderer and Jacob a Pilgrim and Israel dwelt in Tents who obtained a good Report through Faith and whom God hath renowned with an everlasting Honour VI. Concerning the Honour of the King and also his great Benefit by his Subjects being the Peculiar Chosen People of God and their having the Spirit of the Lord to counsel Him VVEre many of the King's Subjects the true Servants and Children of the invisible God of Heaven and Earth by true mortification sanctification and regeneration and truly led moved and guided by the Spirit of God and many of them so grown into the Power and Wisdom of God really and absolutely so having the Spirit of the Lord poured sorth upon them in these latter dayes according to the promise of God which must be and is already fulfilled so that at a needful time one of them having as it was said of Daniel ch 5. v. 11. the Spirit Light Understanding and Wisdom being found in him could shew unto the King such a thing or things or secret Determination of God which all others the King's Wise-men whomsoever could not and to discover the lurking of the King's Enemies unto him and their secret purposes against him though they were far remote as Elisha discovered unto the King of Israel that which the King of Syria in his Bed-chamber contrived against him whereby the King of Israel escaped his Plots not once or twice 2 King 6. 10. And that they could and did at any time and often times as moved of the Lord declare and shew unto the King the Counsel of God concering himself and his Kingdom and what would come to pass concerning both and how he might avoid the Evil and chuse the Good like as Samuel and other Prophets who had the Spirit were wont to do unto the Kings of Israel in the dayes of old that so his Throne might be established in Righteousness which would be more than an ordinary Honour for
the King and God might bless and prosper him for their sakes as he did Pharaoh for the sake of that one faithful man Joseph after the King had released him out of Bonds But by this time many might say unto me as a Lord said unto the Prophet when he spake of things much unlike to come to pass How can these things be though God should make Windows in Heaven To which I answer That though I do not affirm that all those things shall come to pass concerning him yet I say that many are already and many more may come to the slate asoresaid And it would be his Happiness and more for his Honour than men can yet receive to be chief Magistrate among or over such a People and to have most of his Subjects so qualified and great would be his Peace thereby And thus further I say That the God of Heaven and Earth hath promised That a People shall be all Righteous and that Iniquity shall cease and the Nations shall learn War no more but every one shall rest under his own Vine and and none shall make them afraid and they shall be in League with the Stones of the Field and the Beasts of the Field shall be at peace with them And the Lord God hath brought many into the entrance of these things that with Christ in the Prophet they can give their Backs to the Smiter and their Cheeks to him that plucketh off the Hair And if it were well if that all the King's Subjects were come to the things aforesaid and to live in that upright state then it is not ill that some are come unto that state already And if the little that is begun towards this work were cherished might it not grow and encrease towards that state hinted at in the former brief Particulars touching the Honour of the King though there is an Honour which exceeds all this And certainly the Word of the Lord will stand forever though Men and their Powers and Heaven and Earth may pass away And assuredly the God of Righteousness hath begun his Work in this Nation and in the hearts of many of his little Ones And a Little One he hath said shall become a Thousand and a small One a strong Nation and the Kingdoms of this World shall become the Kingdom of our God and of his Christ And what if a Nation be born at once and Sion bring forth before her Travel and the Lord answer before his People call and hear while they are yet speaking and multiply the seed of Abraham as the Stars of Heaven and encrease the innocent flock of his Fold as the innumerable Plants upon the face of the Earth that Sin and Iniquity may have an end and Righteousness reign for evermore And if it be farther enquired How the King might have his Subjects truly principled and qualified as afore said or have such Subjects generally thus for his great Honour I Answer further to the everlasting Praise of God That there are many which may well be called some of his truest Subjects in his Dominions that are already truly principled and qualified as aforesaid and more are entering and growing up into the same Faithfulness Love Unity and Peace with all men and God will encrease them and it might be much for the Honour of God and the King to encourage them therein and much for the dishonour of God and dishonour and great disadvantage of the King divers ways if he seek or should be perswaded to seek the hindrance of these things or of his Subjects who are thus already qualified or the encrease of their Number therein or their encreasing in the honest noble honourable upright things aforesaid which things might make for the Honour of the King and will certainly be for the Glory of God And this is written by one that desireth the Peace of all the Nation and Unity amongst all men and that many more may come into the Righteous things aforesaid which would be for the Glory of God the Honour of the chief Magistrate the great Benefit of the Nations and much Comfort to themselves And that desireth the encrease of love truth and virtue which brings into the true honourable Nobility for the which this is written that men may come into the true Noble and Honourable Estate in the sight of God and all just Men among whom I am a true Friend to them all in love called Humphry Smith The 10th of the 4th Moneth 1661. To the Lambs of Christ MY dear Brethren who are Children of my Father whom he hath visited with the Power of his Eternal Love and gathered into his covenant of Light where Life and Immortality abideth forever who come to feel the Life of the risings of the Son of Gods Power with his Immortal strength you all in his Power to keep as living Branches of the Root to himself single and pure in the uprightness of Innoceny in this the day of his infinite love wherein the Glory of the Most High is revealed to the humble Seed which receives the Gospel of Peace and the Ministration of Life to those who in the Death did lie and by Captivity was long in Bondage kept which now from the Lord God of Life Refreshings comes to receive and Oyl of everlasting Joy to the mourning Plant whereby the everlasting Covenant of the Father is known in which I am with you forever you standing in obedience to the Power of the Word which operates in the Heart by which all things were made in which they are all enjoyed as you all in his Wisdom stand by it to be guided in the dominion of the Word with it over all to find Life and guidance with that which is Immortal in the strength whereof to stand as Pillars of Life for the living Truth of God against all his Enemies with boldness and cheerfulness through the Power of his Son whose Life you are to feel exercising you therein to which you are to yield Obedience with all humble Submission to the Fathers will abiding low in his fear and there is both Safety and Strength that the Fountain of the Fathers love may be opened in you as a Well-spring of Life to overcome you with the Power of himself that thereby you may be refreshed one in another and be opened one to another in the bowels of the Fathers love that it may overshadow you as a Tree in Summer and be to you as the refuge of a Rock in it to be hid from all the high and raging Waves Winds and Storms and from all secret Discontent or Swellings in the mind which are apt to hurt that which is little and tender which is to be brought forth into Liberty Peace and Life with the pangs of Sorrow and as with the anguish of a travailing Woman so is the Seed brought forth which lives forever which is fed with the Milk and preserved from the Storm and the Heat and fed with Food convenient and clothed
Law which is Light sin is found that is it which is afraid to receive the Law and come near the Darkness and Thunders and Tempests and so though many do talk of the Law being a School-master to Christ yet they are much afraid to receive the Ministration of Condemnation as their Fathers were who might have boasted that they were the People of God his only chosen flock and that the Land of rest was promised to them and that they had fed upon the Passover and yet they perished before they came to that which was promised who are left for an Example and they might have boasted and talked much of the goodness of God and of his wonders and of his presence being with them and of their own experiences therein and that therefore they were not to come under the Ministration of Condemnation and fear and horror and trembling and astonishment and that they need not now to be afraid of God who had shewed them so much love and mercy And many such things might they have pleaded as most professing People do now who can talk of promises and deliverances and of Christ and his Merites and Righteousness and Justification and Redemption finished without them and especially of Ordinances and their own experiences of the Power of God but are yet in their sins having not received the thing promised neither come to him who is the end of the Law and maketh an end of sin whom many satisfie their vain Minds with talking of him with the same Tongue that useth deceit and professing him who is the end of the Law but the Law they despise holding the Truth of God in the unrighteous Ground which by the mighty power of God through the Ministration of the Law is to be shaken and removed as it is written Sinai also was moved and all Israel trembled and Moses did fear and quake and once more will the Lord shake not only the Earth but the Heavens also and then shall the Foundation of the Hypocrites be overturned forever For though the Name of God and Christ be professed yet if Moses's Law be despised such dye without Mercy for the Law is to remove the Iniquity which doth with-hold the Mercy and the good things from man and in the end of the Law is that received by which the Law is fulfilled which is according to the Law and the Prophets but there is none can come to that in the end of the Law who refuse to come to the beginning of the Law and despise the Ministration of Condemnation and make a mock at Trembling or at least not knowing what it is exceedingly to fear and quake being not in the least sensible what that is which must be shaken and removed before the thing promised be obtained for a Promise may be made long before the thing promised be given or obtained for a Promise was made unto Abraham and his seed and yet it is written of him and many more that they dyed having not obtained the Promises and he that made the promise was before the sin who ministred forth the Law to discover the sin through the Ministration whereof and by Obedience thereunto that cometh to be received which taketh away the sin in which all the Promises are received And so all that come to receive the thing promised they receive that which is the end of the Law and was before the sin in which there is no sin by which sin is finished and him received in whose Mouth there is sound no Guile who bringeth his to be as he is in this present World being made the Righteousness of God through him having the Righteousness of the Law fulfilled in them by him who is the end of the Law dwelling in them in whom also his Power worketh mightily which is more than to talk of the Law being fulfilled without them for many such are neither come to that which fulfills the Law neither yet to the Law it self and such are hating reviling backbiting opposing and many ways persecuting those who witness the Law fulfilled in them even as Saul who was bred up at the feet of Gamalâ—â—l and knew that of the Law which was written without and walked blameless according to the Righteousness thereof and yet knew not that which gave forth the Law but persecuted him by whom the Law should be fulfilled whose dreadful Power smote him down and a blindness came upon that great Professor who had profited much in that Religion above many of his equals And to that Power which struck him blind did he then bow and became obedient and afterwards said When the Commandment came sin revived and I dyed And so that was struck blind and is to be blinded which professed the Law before it came and encreased in that knowledge without the Life and Knew not that by which the Law should be fulfilled Therefore that which sees must be blind and that which is blind is to see And this Revelation and heavenly Vision he did not then call a Temptation nor a Delusion neither did he despise that which struck him blind and let him see a Body of sin and came to cut him down because of the sin but cryed out of his Wretchedness and accounted all as Dross and Dung and unto this he was obedient and this he loved and did not say of it That it was not able to save him from Sin the which before did prick for sin though against that which prickt he had strived which was in him and it was said unto him It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks And so that which striveth and kicketh against that which pricketh at the Heart is that by which the Heart is hardened for the Word is hid in the heart which Word is sharp as a sword which Word being preached some were pricked to the heart others cut to the heart so that many cryed out Men and Brethrenâ— what shall we do to be saved And so the Word being nigh â—n which God is striving with man even piercing the hearts of many that some in secret have been ready to cry out and say What shall I do to be saved And yet being not truly sensible what it is in them which did prick and pierce through the heart and let them see themselves out of Gods Covenant therefore have they strove against it and called this a Temptation which was the Powerful Operation of God by the Light of his Son in the heart calling to Repentance the which they have called a Temptation of the Devil esteeming it so to be which is most horrible Blasphemy and resisting of the Spirit and refusing to turn to him that smiteth And this is the blindness of them who know not God who by the Light of his Son doth knock at the Door of the heart to minister forth the Law to judge and condemn and break the hardness that in the broken heart this Word of Life might be received and his Power made known
guile this is he that hath been long set at naught whose tenders of Love constrain Obedience to himself because of the beauty that is in him which from them is hid over whom the Vail is through which they cannot see the Comliness of his Love I rest in the Fathers will your Souls Friend H. S. FRiends the Lord is with us and the God of Heaven is on our side and the Lord is our Defence who hath spoken Life and Peace to my Soul behold he will be with us forever and the holy Arm of his precious dreadful strength shall no Nation under Heaven prevail against dwell all in the Power of God and the blessing of the God of Heaven will be upon you all forever THe Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul and he then Prophesied but after for his disobedience he lost the Kingdom and was afraid of the shame before the People and the Kingdom is rent from such who disobey the Lord though they were among the Prophets like Saul who afterwards went to the Witch And the Witchcraft is near to all such as stand not in the Counsel of God to cause the People to hear his Word and not their own whose Word feeds not the flesh above the seed but is as a Hammer to break the Rocks in pieces and it kills and makes alive and opens a way through the Earth for the Prisoner of Hope to come forth And the Spirit came upon Balaam who was reproved by the dumb Ass that he was exalted above and resisted and he durst not go beyond the Word of the Lord he durst not go beyond that which was quick and powerful in the heart nor over-reach it to do more or less for the gaining of half a Kingdom in the Earthly And such as exceed Balaam therein may expect to be cut down also by the true seed as he was and so to fall among the rest of the Enemies of the Israel of God who is dreadful in Power And the Spirit came upon Jephthah who after offered his own Daughter for a Sacrifice and the Spirit came upon Sampson and yet he not standing in wisdom was bettrayed of his strength by a Daughter of the Philistines who also afterwards put out his eyes And so the Spirit may come up in some and yet afterwards they lose that with which they should see and some there are that use their tongues as in the Name of the Lord upon whom the Spirit never came mark that And Caiphas the High Priest prophesied and he spake not of himself and yet he was an enemy to Christ the Power of God and such as are got up high like high Priests above the measure of the Man of sorrows speak from self or flesh and are in that by which he that is the Light doth suffer and the power is resisted and the seed in others oppressed and they not brought to the Living Minister within the vail that abides a Priest forever but are in that which will dye And many might be named upon whom the Spirit came And Judas also had obtained part of the Ministry â—ut now consider the Spirit resteth upon the branch of the Root even the seed it self for the Spirit came upon many but it rested and relieth upon the se ed only even the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanâ—ing and counsel and might and knowledge and of the sear of the Lord in the fear of the Lord which is a fountain of Life which Life all are to feel and not be kept from by words without it but to feel that which comes from it and favour that that Jacobs Tent all may know which who so dwell in are blessed against whom there is no enchantment and where the Witch-craft cannot enter which leads from the strait and narrow way to the Spirit and Life into a liberty to that which is fleshly where that is kept alive which the word in the heart as a hammer and a sword should have broken and cut down for Paul was grieved with such who at first could almost have pluckt out their own eyes for him and after sought occasion against him and themselves to be made perfect in the flesh and all flesh as grass is to be cut down with the Sword of the Lamb and where the flesh is above the Spirit suffers by it and the vail is thickned which keeps from the Unity and out of the Life and Power of God H. S. THe Lord God of Heaven preserve all every where in the Love Long-suffering Forbearance Meekness and Gentelness out of the Strife or Self-seeking for suerly Wo will come upon that Spirit where-ever the Lord finds it and even the Lord knoweth the desires of my heart in true Simplicity hath been That his Righteous Judgments might pass betimes upon every appear ance thereof in my self and all others and I believe that God will never prosper it in any therefore my Exhortation in the Everlasting Love of the God of Heaven is That you all every where live in true Brotherly Love remember Joseph's Advice to his Brethren That they fall not out by the way The heavenly God of Power and Life and Virtue keep ye out of all this in the Life of Wisdom and Meekness where Strife shall never inhabit nor Death enter within the walls of Zion in which their dwellings are who keep themselves undefiled and remain in the fear of God to whom I commit you all and to the Power of the Word of his saving Grace praying to the Lord for you that evermore you may continue in the Love of Christ Your Freind and Brother Humphry Smith To the meek and open hearted Lambs and Flock of Heaven in meekness of Love with Greetings of Peace from the Seat of Infinite Mercy â—endred unto and sent to be read among them all who live in the humble State THere was a time of Blackness and Darkness which covered all flesh and the Guilt of Sin was upon all Consciences and Hardness of Heart possessed every Vessel and the Minds of all was astray from God and their Souls in the bonds of Iniquity in the day when none was able to deliver his brother O! who can utter the distress and the Languishing state which the Sheep then scattered were in O! the secret Groans of the Out-casts of Israel which God hath now gathered Why should it be forgotten Who could pluck their Feet then out of the Snare or deliver their Souls from Death had not the Lord in mercy looked down from Heaven surely many had sunk in the Pit of Misery and never come to see the Light of the Morning for the which the Bowels of the humble yearned in secret and the Sights were deep in the Solitary Place And then did the Lord in the Bowels of his Mercy let open his Ear and for his own Names-sake had regard unto the Complaint of the poor and needy and he caused Light to break out of Darkness and Truth to spring from its secret
hidden place and Life to grow up in the midst of Death and to break through the Powers of Darkness and the Lord in his Power gave utterance to his Servants and Messengers and then were the words of his Truth as Food to the Hungry and with much gladness of Heart was the sound of the Way of Life by many received then did Love begin to arise in the Heart and a tenderness in the Bowels and a willingness in the Mind and then was a Joy like the Joy of Harvest among the People and many began to invite one another saying Come and we will return to the Lord and we will resolve to walk in his Paths forever then was the Voice of Thanksgiving among the People and the wayes of the Lord became more delightsom than Gold and the footsteps of Righteousness more pleasant than all the Treasure in the world O! it even melts the heart to remember the dayes that are past and to consider the infinite Goodness of him that is the God of the Poor and Needy Then were many made willing to run and to leave their filthy Garments behind them even before they well knew how to do it O! how loathsom was Sin in that day and how wearisom was the Land of Darkness and how desirable even beyond expression was the unsatisfied thirsting Soul after the Presence of God Could the Treasure of the Earth then have given Peace or could Silver have satisfied the hungry heart Or could the choisest Love of the most nearest Relations have quenched the thirst of the parched ground Surely none but the Lord was then desired yea other Lovers became as loathsom and other Delights became burthensom to the weary Travellers and all Vanities began to vanish as a Vapour of Smoke and the Wind of Heaven was daily a scattering the chaff and the barren Womb mourned for the quickning Life of God who had put it into the hearts of his long afflicted scattered Ones to follow him in the Ways of Truth Equity and then did the Lord visit such again and again in his Loving-kindness by his Servants whose Living Words of Truth through them did yet more open the Understandings Hearts satisfie the judgments of the humble People in the knowledge of the way to Rest and Peace in leaving the evil chusing the good to walk come to live therein forever And then came the time of Trial and Exercise when the Cross must be taken up to the Worlds wayes and all foolish Vanities left behind and the needless words no longer used nor that Religion continued any longer in which made nothing perfect Then did the People gaze and wonder and the Relations and the Acquaintance stood like as from David afar off and then was every ones greatest Enemy with the Light found in his own House then did the Tribes of the Earth mourn then did the Dragon stretch forth his Power then did the Doubtings and Fears and Thoughts and Unbelief come roling in like Floods O the straights that many then were in even seeming greater than any before and none but the Lord could deliver so that then the Cryes were doubled and the secret Groans came on afresh again and the greater the Cryes of such were the more they prevailed with him that was to help but with his Rod he forced them to submit unto his Will by departing out of that which had caused him to frown upon them and by leaving that which had polluted their Dwelling and as they began to obey him therein so he began to let forth the smiles of his Favour towards them and when they offended again he chastized them fore and scourged them for their Negligence and corrected them because they forgot their Obedience to his will and as thereby they drew near unto him he eased the stroke of his Justice and let them taste of his Mercy and sometimes invited them with love as a Father draweth the Child And thus he left not working with them and in them by his own secret Wisdom and Power until he had brought them to be after the desire of his Heart that he might delight in them forever and that they might never more be scattered upon the barren Hills nor yet the dark Mountains And as Obedience in Truth and Innocency was willingly yeilded to the Lord Peace began to take hold and Satisfaction got some entrance and a little secret hope there was which became as an Anchor to the Soul against the Stormy time and also in the midst thereof and as Inniquity was departed from so there came into the humble Heart some satisfaction from God and some stability in his way of Righteousness and then refreshings of Life attended the heart in the Morning and the Water which reneweth the Thirsty began to open it self in the midst of a barren Land and then nothing was more desired than the living upon that Food with which the God of Heaven doth nourish only his Children which he freely gave and brought down even near to the Tents of Israel and he caused them to know his Statutes and his Judgments and he put his perfect Law in the midst of them and his Mercy seat within the Vail that they might ask Counsel at the living Oracle and he gave them his Spirit which all the circumcised of Heart do rightly know to be the chiefest good and to this end did he bestow that most precious Gift upon them and gave that Spirit of Life into them even to guide counsel and direct inform instruct reprove defend and succour them and nourish their Souls for evermore And so he set before them the way in which they should walk with him wherein he would be their Father and the Rock of their strength and made known unto them the secret Mysteries of his heavenly blessed Will which had been long concealed and doth yet so remain from the Disobedient and covered from the Children of men And when even the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob had done all this and much more for you O ye now well beloved Friends then did he begin to try your patience and to exercise yoâ— yet further to prove you and to make known unto you even more of that which had long been in the heart and then he suffered a calm to come over you and much quietness there was with many and then did the Enemy begin to assay again to bring into Carelesness and present a spirit of slumber with dulness and negligence attending and then the Seed was again burthened therewith and the Upright hearted durst not give way thereunto before whose Eyes the pure heavenly fear still remaineth surely it were almost endless to relate the sundry Tryals and States which have been known among the flock of Jacob Who could have believed that the strong should have been so tempted as they were and the mighty so assaulted divers wayes as they have been and yet that the weakest who continued in the Grace
which teacheth to deny Ungodliness should stand and remain And how wonderfully hath the Lord preserved his whole flock unto this day even so that with true gladness of Heart in living Praises it might truly be said That no Weapon formed against Gods Israel hath to this day yet ever prospered though no man hath appeared either in Field or Court on their behalf nor visible hand appeared for the defence of the flock of Heaven O! where is that Lamb of the fold who now stands in the Covenant of Redemption that cannot breath forth the Praises of God in the heart-breaking Power of his Love and the sensible feeling of his tender unspeakable Mercies Behold O friends the goodness of God is unutterable yea I have not words to express it and such that feel it may taste of it and drink of the fulness thereof beyond the narrowness of my broken speech and let such draw near unto me and let lose that which bindeth and closeth up in the Bowels that we may meet at the entrance of Wiâ—dom's Gate and live one with another and one in another so as the World did never â—now neither in their nature shall eveâ— understand for my heart is filled with Love and my dweling is enlarged with bouâ—dless Borders of Peace and my Life streams forth in meekness Behold there is none can stop it where the seed springs up as a Lilly and where the dawning of the day is witnessed where undefiled Love which cannot think Evil hath its resting-place and where the true simplicity of meekness remains Even there my Lines are read my Words are heard my Mind is Known my Language understood my Love received and even my Life takes entrance What shall I say I am with near or in the midst of aâ— the Innocent Lambs by the virtue of that Power and inviâ—â—ble Spirit which filleth all in all and in silence with you could â— long rest where the World should neither know nor yet perceive me the same Bread which I receive in the invisible Power break unto or disperce among the Lambs of God who can feed upon no other Even so the same is it which my Soul at present doth live yea behold I live who once was dead and my Life is hid among the rest with Christ in him from whence the heavenly Food and the Souls-saving and hearts-satisfying Power doth come And this is to stir up your Minds and to put you in remembrance of the Lords dealing with you and his large Loving-kindness towards you and his effectual work of Love in you that you may never forget him nor be unmindful of his fatherly Pity towards us all when we were all in our low estate and that you may feel the Revivings of his virtue and the Inlivenings of his power and the quicknings of his Spirit That you may grow therein and wax fruitful to God and come to be seated and established in the Land of Life blessed from Heaven with much more fruitful increase than the Land of Goshan That the fruit of Lebanon may be known and the Rose of Sharon and your selves as the Cedars that are full of Sap and your Life as the Vine that never wanteth Nourishment whose Fruit aboundeth to the glading of the Vine-Dresser that the Lord may rejoyce over his Heritage and delight himself in the midst of Zion and be glorified in his People and admired of all them that believe THe Lord God of Heaven preserve all every where in the Love Long-suffering Forbearance Meekness Gentleness out of the Strife or Self-seeking for surely Wo will come upon that Spirit wherever the Lord finds it and even the Lord knoweth the desires of my Heart in true simplicity hath been That his righteous Judgments might pass betimes upon every appearance thereof in my self Neither do I believe that God will ever prosper it in any nor any with it Therefore my Exhortation in the Everlasting Love of the God of Heaven is That you all every where live in true Brotherly Love and remember Joseph's advice to his Brethren That they fall not out by the way The Heavenly God of Power and Life and Virtue keep you out of all this in the Life of Wisdom and Meekness where Strife shall never inhabit nor Death enter within the Walls of Zion in which their dwelling is who keep themselves undefill'd and remain in the fear of God to whom I commit you all and to the Power of the Word of his saving Grace praying to the Lord for you That evermore you may continue in the Love of Christ From the feeling and refreshing whereof in the heart this is written unto you by him that in the Truth can serve the least of you being your Friend Humphry Smith ANd Friends this is a time of quietness and stillness or a time for you so to be and there hath been a large time of gathering and for convincing and now the Lord is proving and trying them that are gathered And after this time blessed and thrice happy shall they be that are found faithful in it and worthy to be Crowned with Heavenly Honour and to be further employed in Gods service and to remain as Pillars among the Flock of Heaven and as Lights to invite others home to the dwelling of God And now should all Friends be kept in Wisdom and take heed what words they use among men or concerning any men though they do contrive against us Had the Lord left us where they are and set them where he hath placed us then might we have been this day as ignorant of the Way of Peace towards Enemies and of the Path of Innocency and Righteousness as they now are but the Lord hath shewed us Mercy And I say the God of Heaven forgive them and defend us And all that dwell in this may come at last to see a time of greater Gathering than ever yet was Oh! my Pen cannot write it And if all were quiet in their own measures and little at all were moved in that measure either to write print or speak at this time waiting singly upon God Oh! he would plead for us and he alone would help us and keep us as in his Arms until the Indignation were over-past And this I write that you might know of my continual confidence in the Lord if he had or did not at this time raise up or make use of any of us to help him or to be workers together with him But a Remnant he hath whose hearts he enlargeth with prayer and some of them with strong inward desires and groans and some with utterance to declare the good will of God unto others in your Assemblies and some steadfastly to believe in God that he will never leave us and all this ascends up before the Lord even as one sacrifice And he that hath heard and had mercy on us when we were not his People and turned not back our complaints in that day O! how shall he now forget
the Testimony of his Name and remain Prisoners for the same Truth and Testimony of Jesus for which also this Body of mine doth and hath long suffered Restraint and Bonds and my Soul grieved with the Sodomitish Wickedness and Heathenish Prophainness of Hard-hearted Rebellious to God and disobedient Ungodly People whose Judgment slumbereth not and whose Damnation will certainly come and be just from God upon them who have made a Covenant with Death and shew forth themselves as a people at an Agreement with all the Powers of Hell in which is the Reward of all the Wicked that have forgotten God and wholely rejected the manifold Manifestation of his Mercies which unto you O ye dear and tender-hearted is as precious Oyl and as desirable Treasure Who can but prize the Mercies of the God of Heaven How refreshingly hath it often flowed in upon the thirsty Habitations of many to the abundant refreshing and comforting of the weary Land Oh! how sweetly and with what pleasantness hath mine Eyes beheld the springing up and the growth and spreadings of the tender Plants after the distiling streams of the Heavenly Dews upon them and every one standing in his place flourishing with their Branches over the Earth not one offending the other and all casting forth a sweet favour being daily replenished with the springings up of the Sap of Life and comforted with the Sun Beams of Righteousness How harmoniously then doth the Garden flourish And how beautiful is every Plant whom God hath planted And is it possible for any other plants to bring forth Fruits unto holiness but only such whom the God of Heaven causeth to grow And how sad is it for any one Plant to hurt kill or destroy another And who can without some Remorse or pity behold the withering and fading of any such Plants whose flourishing was once so delightsom that all who passed by and took notice thereof commended them for their virtue or at least took some special notice of their prudence and the wisdom of him by whom they flourished in that they grew multiplied and prospered though they could not perceive nor understand by what invisible virtue they thus were nourished nor whence it came I say again when I have beheld the Trees of the Lord the Plants of the Garden of God in their fresh green growing flourishing united State in the Life of Liberty my heart hath often been refreshed my Soul quickned my Spirit revived and my mind and desires abundantly satisfied Then hath my life founded forth the precious praises of the Almighty in the Assemblies of the upright and my Heart broken therewith in the delightsom Love hath poured forth Thanksgiving with tenderness and tears in secret O! how then hath the overflowing of Mercy reached over the uttermost borders of my dwelling and how sweetly have we then been comforted and revived one in another How lovely then hath the face of the Righteous been when Righteousness it self in the Meekness of Love looked forth at the Windows How were the Bowels of each other then enflamed within them How sweet was the Beauty of Meekness to the Beholders Who then could but receive the love of the loveliness it self Dear Lambs of the fold of Heaven whose hearts are still opened by the feeling of the virtue of life who only know me and can hear the words of my Life and understand the Voice of my Love My Heart and Soul salutes you my Love is dear unto you my Life hath long reached forth it self towards you in my Remembrance your Life is written I am your Servant in the Love of God a Member of the Body with you a Brother in Tribulations a Companion with you in your Warfare a Feeder with you at your Table and one that rejoyceth with you in the Joy unspeakable being made with you a partaker of that precious Inheritance that fadeth not away where Life and Love and fellowship with Praises and Thanksgiving aboundeth forever Wherewith should I greet you in the Greetings of that Love which cannot be uttered And how should I Salute you in that which cannot be declared What words might I use to speak forth the Life of Wisdom or reach forth the true love of a broken Heart Behold I may become as a Babe herein and be silent as a Child yet learning utterance lest in reaching forth of my strength I should signifie my weakness to unfold the undeclareable Infinitness of the fulness of Virtue Wisdom Meekness Life and Love from the measure whereof my simple words most certainly do at present proceed as some few amongst many will surely perceive hereby who remain in the single-heartedness of undefiled Unity whose desires are still afresh enflamed and whose Bowels yet daily yearn after a more fuller enjoyment of God and the encrease and preservation of his Precious Truth and who for the same can still deny themselves to serve others in the true sense and feeling of the undefiled brotherly Love and who can lay down their Crowns that the Lamb may be honoured and suffer in the inward man that the Brother may be preserved for whom Christ dyed and towards whom Gods Love was even when he was an Enemy the which love of God being continued towards thee in the same Love shouldest thou continue towards thy Brother and there-with mayst thou do him good and perform some service towards the Lord whose love was towards you both and then from him shalt thou receive a Reward into thy own Bosom and in the needful time God will deliver thee and at the hour of Tryal he will Succour thee and thou the dear Plant of the Lord thereby mayst stand though some that were stronger then thee be overcome and fall into the Snare of the Enemy in that hour of Tryal and be then entangled with many Incumbrances and that of divers kinds The Lord God of Heaven and Earth preserve my dear tender hearted Lambs and Brethren out of such things that a Vail may not come over you and so the Life be stopt from springing up in you for then may such again go Mourning all the day long when none doth pity Friends the often Incomes of Gods Love and the forth flowings of the same towards you and the precious seed of God in them parts hath constrained me at present to visit you in the true love of my Soul with these Lines that so you might not only hear from me but also in some measure be comforted in me and likewise some of you a little refreshed hereby For Behold the God of Heaven is my Refuge and strength and the Lord of Host is my Upholder and the holy One of Israel is my Everlasting Support and the daily Incomes of that which doth truly comfort is as Marrow to my Bones yea the Lord hath prolonged my dayes inlarged my Borders and beautifyed the Place of my Dwelling My heart is overcome with his Love my Soul is filled with his Virtue and my Tongue doth declare of
his Goodness the praises of the Lord ascend up to Heaven whose Mercies refresh the Earth Oh that you might partake with me of the unspeakable Blessings of God and feel and receive in your selves the true Tenders and Offers of the tenderness of my Love hereby presented unto you that you might feel your Hearts begin to open therewith to receive the same that in the Life of the Spirit of Truth you may truly perceive me to be present praising the Lord with you and likewise pertaking with you of your sufferings having also Acquaintance of your Grief and being truly sensible of your manifold Tryals and Tribulations The Lord preserve you to the end thereof And Friends let not your hearts be sad neither be ye overmuch cast down with any thing whatsoever of which I forbare to mention neither be ye discouraged by reason of any thing that the Lord bringeth or suffereth to come to pass either amongst us or concerning us neither let the multitude of Tryals nor the length of dayes therein cause you in the least to distrust the Lord who in his secret Wisdom in the end of all things bringeth forth good unto such who in all conditions and under all Tryals do truly love and cleave unto the Lord their strength But why should I multiply words The intent of my heart is that you might have benefit by the increase of the same love of God and the Springings forth thereof of the which we have all received For you know the Truth which teacheth all things and a measure of that Life from whence all these words do come which do service for the Lord and are helpful to his Servants and comfortable to his Chosen people and for the refreshing of the tender Lambs and the building up of the members in the holy Unity to grow up in the holy Life for the honour of his Glorious Name forever in whose blessed Name Life Strength and Virtue is found the which indeed is become a true Refuge unto the Chosen Israel of God where they are succoured when none can help and where they are preserved when none other can uphold unto whom they can pour forth their Complaints in secret and Address themselves at every needful time whose complaints are never by him rejected nor turned back upon the Upright hearted as sometimes it hath been when help or comfort hath been expected from some of the Children of men who may also be tempted and in danger of being overcome but the Lord can never be overcome neither can he ever Err in his Understanding or mistake in his Judgments nor reject that which is truly simple and tender neither yet receive that which is deceitful though appearing or seeming never so Glorious Let all Friends whose hearts are tender in the tenderness thereof still return unto him from that which causeth a hardness and out of that which bringeth distrust to leave that which bringeth darkness into the mind and so to get from the barren places into the fruitful Habitation of the living Then shall Peace flow as a River and Unity shall flourish as the varieties of the various Flowers in the Field and Righteousness shall spread over all as the Morning dew and then the Beauty of the Righteous shall shine and the Glory of the Lord shall yet more abundantly appear and fruit shall encrease as in the Summer season and the Vineyard of the Lord shall yet again flourish in Righteousness and the Lord shall be glorified in his Saints who is greatly admired by all them that truely believe Oh! that the seed might lift up the head Oh! that the Plants of Righteousness might spring that the true Mourner might be comforted That fruit might abound in abundance That the weak might receive strength That the Seed of the Lamb may know the Boldness of the Lyon That all might be refreshed together and that you all might live and grow and encrease with the Encreases of God The Lord God of Heaven and Earth grant these things unto you and fulfill them in you that you may be filled with Virtue and wax bold and Valiant to the end in the noble Life of the honourable Power of God whose Name is blessed for evermore Amen From Winchester Prison is this sent forth towards you and the true Love and Simplicity of Heart by your Brother in the fellowship and Testimony of Jesus and the Bonds of the Gospel Humphry Smith To the Young and Tender and to the late Convinced People of God amongst the rest of the Elect and already Chosen whose outward Habitations are in and near the County of Essex To be read amongst them in much Wisdom Meekness Deliberation and most chiefly in the true fear of the Lord God THe sound of the everlasting Truth of the Lord God of Heaven and Earth hath passed through and amongst you and the Word of his Power in the dread of his holy Name hath been published within your borders and the way of everlasting Life and Righteousness hath plainly been declared to the understanding and the Covenant of everlasting Peace and Truth hath been tendred unto your Hearts and the Day of Visitation from God hath been freely offered unto your Souls and the things which belong to your everlasting happiness hath been set before your Eyes and those things of the Kingdom of God which pertain to the Sons of men to know in the power of his Wisdom and in the strength of his Might hath been demonstrated among you and the tender Call of God in the day of his love hath been unto you Oh that your Hearts might retain it forever and that your Eyes might be abundantly opened to see into the unsearchable things of God! Oh that your understandings might yet be more opened to receive the Riches of the invisible Truth of God! Oh that your Hearts might come to be more enlarged therewith and that you who have known the Call of God and felt the working of his Grace in your hearts unto a true Convincement might all come to live the Life of Righteousness end forever hereafter to walk from that more and more which you are truly convinced of to be evil either in Word or Deed or any manner of Practice whatsoever and to walk with more Circumspection and Integrity and Faithfulness to the Lord in obedience unto all things truly made known unto you to be right and justifiable in the sight of the God of Heaven This certainly is the breathings of my Soul unto the God of Heaven for your everlasting Well-fare And the true desire of my present enlarged Heart for your Eternal Happiness is That as the Lord of Heaven and Earth hath counted you worthy of his Call in the power of his Grace which bringeth Salvation unto all you may not judge your selves unworthy of the Kingdom of God but may cleave unto his Truth in the inward parts leaving all that which hath kept you from it whatsoever it be and all that which hath
hindred you and doth hinder from the Life and Virtue of it in your own Hearts this all to leave behind you forever and to give it away freely and as freely willing as a man would part with Dross for Gold and present mortal Honour for immortal Renown forever for behold the Glory of the World passeth away and all the Beauty thereof shall be as a fading Flower when it is fully ripe the strength thereof shall melt away like Wax before the Jealousie of our God and Aegypt shall be judged and Babylon confounded and the strength of the Oppressor brought down and the Lord will weaken the power of the Heathen and all the Earth shall know that he is the same God of Power and righteous Judgments as ever in the day when he cometh in the dread of his Power to assemble the Heathen to Judgment and to pour forth Floods of Indignation upon the Wicked when Anguish shall enter the dwellings of the Ungodly and intolerable perplexity seize upon the Consciences of the Unfaithful when the Hypocrite shall no longer cover himself nor the Adversaries of Sion rejoyce against her when the Lord shall reach forth his Hand and scatter his open Enemies as in the day of slaughter and consume the Bryars of the Earth as with endless Burnings and unquenchable Flames in the strength of his Fury when he pleadeth by the Fire of his Jealousie and the Sword of his Mouth with all the Wicked Ungodly and Unfaithful ones who make Flesh their Arm and depart from the Word of the living God in their Hearts which then they shall know to be Powerful against all Unrighteousness and quick in executing Judgments accordingly Oh! happy is the Man that then shall know a Refuge and blessed shall the People be whose God is then the Lord and full well will it be for them who then know a hiding place Then shall Sion alone rejoyce and Jerusalem be glad forever and only the redeemed of the Lord shall walk in the Paths of his Judgments and in the midst of devouring and consuming Fire which to them shall be as a Wall for everlasting defence round about them and as precious healing Oyl of Joy and Gladness in the midst and as pure Oyntment poured out into the Wounds of the broken-hearted Light shall shine forever in their Habitations and Wisdom shall be found in them like as in Daniel the Servant of God in the dayes of Old and only the Faithful shall stand and the Upright-hearted shall endure and God will keep his little Ones and the Weak shall be strengthened by him and the Poor of the Flock shall be comforted and the Feeble among men shall receive strength from God as the Morning and renewing of virtue as the dawning of the day and the Lambs of the Fold shall be kept and only Gods People shall stand yea they shall stand and the Gates of Hell with all the powers of darkness shall never prevail against them the Lord hath spoken it whose Words shall stand forever which shall seal it unto the Heritage of God and the Dross must be purged away and the Unbelieving must stand behind and the Careless will stagger at the Promises and they that seek themselves shall have Self enough but Self shall never help them in that day neither shall their own Wisdom stand them instead neither yet their Righteousness in the Day of God's Controversie when the great Oaks shall fall and the lofty Cedars shall bow to the Dirt when no covering at all shall hide but that which is put upon men by the Power of God's dwelling Spirit in the Heart of every individual by the virtue thereof and not otherwise And this moreover I say to every particularly unto you who were late astray from God and lately were convinced of the precious Truth of his Son that in the Name and Power of the Lord God of Heaven and Earth from him to you was I sent and that more chiefly to gather the Out-casts than to feed the Lambs who were already gathered and rather to call home the lost Sheep than to nourish them that were already brought home and to call Sinners to Repentance and for the opening the Hearts Understanding and Eyes of those who though they truly desired had not clearly understood the secret things of the hidden Wisdom of the Almighty And truly my Love was to Sinners and the true affections and breathing of my Soul for the Prodigals in them parts which were most chiefly my Message from God at that time and my Service of Love unto the Souls of such in them parts and to publish the Name of the Almighty in the great Congregations and surely my own Brethren even the gathered Flock of God attended in much patience whilst I thus performed my Service of love to you neither did I turn my Face from you to them nor with-held from you the Counsel of God in truth neither was I negligent in the Service to do you good neither yet sparing of my strength nor with-holding my Speech when God gave utterance but rather can truly say I could even have been spent for you in the discharge of my Conscience to the Lord my strength And now this is that which my Heart desireth of you and my Soul desireth for you That you all and every of whose Hearts then God touched with the feeling of his Love by the power of his Immortal Word through me his weak Earthen Vessel that you all may obey the Call and Visitation of God in the requiring of his Light in your own Hearts thereby willingly to depart from the wayes of the Wicked the professions of the Hypocrites and the paths of Ungodly men and to stand no long in the way of Sinners nor regard the counsel of them who hate the Light and Truth in the inward parts and to come out from amongst them that are unclean who live still more and more in that which pollutes them who live in their Sins professing God and serving the Devil until they have finished their Sins which then bringeth forth Death and he that dyeth in his Sins not believing in the Light which makes an end of sin cannot come where Christ is And so the Tree falling there it lieth and as Death leaveth Judgment findeth and as Judgment findeth so shall the Reward according to the deeds be And then shall every man stand or fall to his own Master the Servants of the Devil to their Master and the Servants of God to their Master and there is no more Masters but them two and no man can serve both though Thousands profess the one and serve the other who in that day must give an account whom they have served and not whom they have professed for they who professed God and served the Devil were Hypocrites and so are unto this day of whom the World is full And blessed are they who by the living Power of the Soul-saving Grace of God are truly redeemed out of the
and Christ saith Love your Enemies and if he smite thee on the one Cheek turn the other And such as are come to that and obey his command are come out of the Wars and the Strife unto the Prince of Peace who was before the Wars and so know the peaceable Covenant which will not wax old but last forever in which there is no Wars nor killing one another and so comes to the End of that Covenant which commanded the Tythes and to the change of the Law the Priest whereof and they that receive the Tythes murder and slay him that is to bring to the End of Tythes so that by him to the End of Tythes they are not come nor from under the first Covenant where the Tythes are paid whilst the vail is over the Heart and that Ministry standing which makes nothing Perfect and will dye and change and perish but he that Redeems out of and from among them and that which perisheth abides a Priest forever and of him it is said he liveth And so him we bear Testimony of who is entred within the Vail in whom the Vail is done away and so that is seen and departed from and made an end of which stood whilst the Vail was not rent and the way into a more Holy known than the first Covenant wherein the Tythes were paid the Vail being over the Heart and is yet over the Hearts of all them who pay or receive Tythes and all that uphold it who may take notice that the first Priests that ever took by force Offerings were Sons of Belial and knew not God whom the Lord destroy'd and they perished in the Wars with the Sword 1 Sam. 2. 12. ver 16. Therefore we cannot but deny Tythes and the upholding of it and all such as take it especially ly force which Actions are the fruits of such Priests as know not God and such he will overturn For the Seed of God in many Thousands Cryes unto him by reason of the Cruel Oppression of Tythes from under which the Lord will deliver us Humphry Smith This for my nearly related Friend Elizabeth Smith at Little Cawerne THe God of Heaven that made me and the Lord God of Power that called me to obey and follow him even in that day when I was not acquainted with his Voice and who hath been my Guide Defence Succour and Comfort unto this day and moment and who hath ever upheld me as a Father the Child by the Arm of his Power whom the world neither did nor can by its Wisdom ever know who is the only wise Invisible Spirit that upholdeth all things by the Word of his Power who is dreadful to the Heathen that know him not and more precious than ever can be expressed with Tongue or Pen unto them who have felt and received and live in the true sence of the Enlarging incomes of the virtue of his Power the Life whereof to them is most desirable My Strength Life and Refuge alone is he whose service I have no cause to decline and whose precious powerfull call he never gave me cause to repent for with himself he hath and doth dayly gratify me with a full Reward for all and all manner of my manifold Tryals and daily Sufferings and Exercises which I meet with in the way but really and Absolutely I can truly say that none of these things move me in the least from that foundation upon which the God of Heaven and Earth hath long since established me that I might stand for him and the Glory of his Name who hath both set and appointed me thereunto and given me Courage as a fortified Tower to stand as a mark for the Adversaries of Sion to vent forth the utmost of their limited Fury And in the Lord my strength is my Considence neither have I believed that ever I should distrust him though since the day that I have known him he hath even suffered the Sorrows of Death and the pangs of Hell and the Powers of Unutterable Darkness at sometimes to compass me in on every side and to lift up themselves in the vaunting Arrogancy of the swelling Pride thereof as Mountains never to be removed But behold he who hath his way in the Whirl-wind and his path through the midst of the deepest Ocan him alone it was that my broken Heart was by the power of his constraining Love resolved to follow forever even through the greatest difficulties and the most hardest Straits Tryals and Hardships with all manner of outward and inward Sufferings that might be permitted to happen unto or fall upon any one of the Children of men Oh! that I could now sufficiently declare his Goodness and so fully and effectually make mention of his Power as it deserveth or as the Lord hath given into my Heart to desire of him to be made use of in the Declaration or Manifestation thereof in this my day unto the Sons and Children of men Surely when I am waiting of him and of his unutterable Goodness and Power my Words and Lines are also short of setting forth the Virtue and Fullness of the most unexpressible divine excellency thereof that sometimes I am rather ready to dwell in silence with and in the fullness thereof which overcomes with unutterable Virtue than to be writing of that which in its self can never be written though what is written may be by and with and from the overflowings of the same and so be as drops or little streams of heavenly Water to refresh the dry and thirsty Land which therein doth its service and then the praise thereof is to return unto him who is the alone fountain of all Virtue and the Life which giveth Life even unto the dead that hear his Voice whereby he comes to be known to be Infinite in Wisdom Power and Virtue whom my soul doth Honour my heart doth Praise and my spirit adoreth forever for none is like to him neither doth my soul desire any other but he whilst in this body or for evermore in the Life which yet doth come Let all that know him bow before him and let all that hear his voice be humble and meek and let every one that truly desires after him wait with diligence and in patience upon him and let all that are faithful to him rejoyce in his Love and prize him for much more then the liberty of their bodies or the Enjoyment of Thousands and Thousands of Thousands of Temporal Visible Earthly thing All which are his and he is ours yea he is certainly mine and I am his and my soul doth magnifie him and my spirit doth yet breath farther to sound forth his Praises not only all the dayes of my life whilst in this Earthly Tabernacle but likewise in the hearts of Thousands of them yet unborn and among the Generations that are yet to come by my faithful upright Testimony and the Record thereof which may remain when the God and Father of my life hath gathered me