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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47127	The benefit, advantage and glory of silent meetings both as it was found at the beginning, or first breaking forth of this clear manifestation of truth, and continues so to be found by all the faithful and upright in heart at this day / writ for the stirring up and encouraging of those more especially who are lately convinced unto the love of them, and diligent improving them unto those ends and uses for which they serve by George Keith.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.; Crisp, Stephen, 1628-1692.	1687 (1687)	Wing K145; ESTC R29891	18,469	27

THE Benefit Advantage and Glory of Silent Meetings BOTH As it was found at the beginning or first breaking forth of this clear manifestation of Truth and continues so to be found by all the Faithful and Upright in Heart at this Day Writ for the stirring up and encouraging of those more especially who are lately Convinced unto the love of them and diligent improving them unto those ends and uses for which they serve By George Keith LONDON Printed by Andrew Sowle in the Year 1687. The Benefit Advantage and Glory of Silent Meetings BEfore the breaking forth of this clear manifestation of Truth that now shineth in great Brightness and Glory which began in the Nation of England some twenty six Years ago or so there was many People both in that Nation and elsewhere in whom there was some true desires and breathings raised and begot after the Lord by the secret workings of his Eternal Power insomuch that many in that day began to seek the Lord in great Earnestness and Zeal upon whom he had caused his Light so far to shine forth that thereby they came to see their Poverty Nakedness and Emptiness notwithstanding of the large and much Profession which they had made in divers Sects and also by the same they came to see their want of the living God though they had learned a notional and litteral knowledg of him from them who spoke weakly upon the Scriptures what they had gathered from the Letter by their Hammerings and Toolings upon them and so it came to pass that many who were diligent and zealous followers of these Ministers of the Letter through these dawnings of the Light of God and Christ which began to appear in them became to weary and tire of that ministration they were under which was at best but that of the Letter and for most part also had much of Falshood and Untruth mixed in with it from the Worlds Spirit and Wisdom so that their Doctrine had neither the sound Words of Truth nor the Virtue and Life of Truth to make it Savoury and Nourishing into the Souls of the People so that many come to loath and refuse it for it appeared unto them no better then as Dead Corrupted Water yea as the Waters of Egypt that became Blood which they loathed to drink off and the same People who began to loath the Doctrine and Ministry of the National Priesthood and also of others who pretended more finding it both Dead and Corrupt they found great perpexity and heaviness of Mind as not knowing what to do whether to go they were pressed in Spirit to leave and forsake the Dead and corrupt Ministry they were formerly under as finding it hurtful yea killing for the Letter killeth but they knew not where to find the living and true Ministery which might administer unto them that which could answer unto the living desires of their Souls and could Satisfie and Nourish them at the same time there were divers in divers Parts who had some inward true and Living openings and Manifestations of Truth but they were not come to a Clear and Sound State and Condition in their own particulars nor to a clear discerning of the Manifestations and workings of Truth from their own imaginations And from the Enemies transformings and likenesses yet in this uncleanness unsoundness they went forth and spoke and declared and Preached and Writ many things which because they did in part issue or proceed from the Light of Truth were much taking into their hungring seeking Souls who had left the Dead and tastless Ministery they were formerly under and so because there was somewhat in the Words or Declaration of these men which did partly answer unto the Witness and truth of God in their hearts they began much to look after them follow and hear them and drink in their Doctrine even as the parched and dry Land drinketh in the Rai● of a Summer shower yet this came to prove much unto the great hurt and loss both of these Teachers and also of them who gave up to be taught by them For their Ministery not standing in that cleanness and soundness either of Doctrine or Spirit as was needful it could not but prove as unwholsom and hurtful food especially seeing there was not that discerning begot in People whereby they could make a clear difference betwixt the pure and the impure that which was of God and that which was but of Man and of the Enemy betwixt the pure and clean Grains and the Tares for indeed in their Ministry they did not sow altogether clean Grain but many noisom Tares with it and that in much more abundance then the true Wheat and the Tares sprung up and choaked the good Seed and hindered it so the good Seed withered in many and in many others was in a decaying and withering condition but the Tares waxed great and flourished and as for those Teachers who went forth as to sow for most part it proved most to their own loss and prejudice for not being brought into a cleanness and soundness in their own particular Condition neither as to Doctrine nor Spirit the Serpent who beguiled the Woman betrayed the simplicity in them and so through his subtilty drew them forth still further and further from the true openings of Truth which at sometimes were opened in them truly from the Lord out into their own vain imaginations and apprehensions and also into the Enemies transformings and likenesses whereby the tender dawnings and breakings forth of Truth became to be vailed and clouded in them and the Darkness prevailed to blind the Eye which had received some half opening and so their latter condition was worse then the first yea many of them became worse then others as unsavoury Salt having run out from the Sence and Savour of that which Savoured them in some Measure and thereby gave occasion of offence unto many People for some of these aforesaid having run out from the Measure of Truth in their own particulars vented and published both in Words and Writing Gross Unsound and Pernicious Doctrines and others of them became loose and desolate in their lives all which the Enemies of Truth charged upon Truth it self and spoke evil of the Way of it unto many Simple People who too much believed them and so were scared and offended even at the appearance of Truth it self And about the same time the People even those of them for most part who were most tender Ingenious and Zealous through a weakness of understanding and because of the customary Way they had been used to had too much an Eye to Words and too much a Life in them for they could not meet together but some behoved to speak in Doctrine Exhortation or Prayer c. Otherwise they would have thought the Time mis-spent so much as passed away of it without Words for their minds were much drawn forth seeking satisfaction and refreshment in outward Words Practices and

esteemed as their Glory became now their shame as namely their large Profession and Righteousness and way of Worship which stood in Dead and empty performances in the oldness of the Letter in which they had a Life and which had a Life in them also but it was the Life of Death which Reigned in them and do Reign in all from Adam unto Moses yea and whose Reign is not put down until Christ the Blessed Seed and Life be Witnessed raised and revealed in the Particular and so this Day of God brought Death and Darkness over all that false Life and Light which had Place in them formerly and stained all their false Beauty and Glory even all the Glory of Flesh or of the First-birth in all the Wisdom Counsel and Knowledge thereof and in all its thoughts and apprehensions of God and in all its Words and Works and Practices and Righteousness whereby it came to pass that these who seemed to have and had much Knowledge and understanding of God and Christ but it was according to the Flesh or First Birth began now to See and be Convicted that they were very Ignorant so as even to say surely I am more Bruitish then any Man and I have not the understanding of a Man in me and thus many who were Teachers of others for many years came to be Convinced that they had need to Learn the very first Principles of the Doctrine of Christ and so these who had stood in a long and Large Profession of Words and attained to great Abilities that Way in Doctrine Exhortation and Prayer c. Whether through Education or frequent Practice being come to a true and Living Sence and Convincement that it was all but Carnal and Fleshly or at best stood in a great Mixture having more of Flesh then Spirit in it and more of Death and Darkness then of Life and Light which is hurtful as aforesaid came to be gathered out of all that Bulk and heap of Words into the waiting Place in the Measure of the Light which had Convinced them and given them some Sence of their Conditions so to wait upon the Lord in his Light in all possible stilness and quietness and silence of Mind not only out of all outward Performances and Words but even out of all Thoughts and Apprehensions of God or Christ and all inward motions and Workings which had not the Light or Word or Spirit of God in their Hearts for the Rise and Spring and this they were brought unto through the Ministration aforesaid which pointed or directed them unto this place even silence both as to Words and Thoughts and that both apart and together by which Ministration also they were called to assemble or gather together in the Name of Christ whose Name is the Light the Wisdom and Power of God and the second Adam the quickning Spirit to wait together in this Silence So in this Name they were called and directed to assemble or gather together to wit in the Light Wisdom Power and quickning Spirit of God so they were not to come in their own Wisdom and Spirit or in the Wisdom and Spirit of the first Adam as to Meditate Teach or Pray or give Thanks in the Words which that Wisdom and Spirit did teach them for that had been to meet in the name of the first Adam and not in the Name of the second whose Name is the Light and the Life and the Power and Wisdom of God as aforesaid and so this Wisdom and Power and Name was to furnish them in all they did or spoke in their Meetings or Assemblies and to this the Apostle directed the Believers in his day that whatsoever they did in Word or Deed they should do it in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ if they Taught it should be in his Name to wit in his Light Life and Power and if they Prayed it should be in this and if they gave Thanks it should be in this and then the Words uttered or expressed by them should be Spirit and Life that would both reach unto God for a sweet Savour and Odour before him and also unto his Witness in the Heart of them who heard for what they spoke should not be the Word of Man but the Word of God Christ the Word the Light and the Life speaking in them and through them as Christ said unto the Disciples It is not you that speak but the Spirit of the Father that speaketh in you and according to this Paul said That no Man could call Jesus the Lord but by the Holy Ghost for the Name of the Lord is a living Name and so cannot be named but by the Power and Vertue of his own Life indeed a Man in his own natural Spirit may pronounce the Letter of the Name but the Letter is not the Name for the Name is the Word of God but the Letter is not the Word and so it is one thing to pronounce the Letter or Letters but for another to name or speak the Word of God yea or inwardly only to conceive in it the Mind or Heart which none can do but by the Holy Ghost Now about this time that divers were convinced as aforesaid and gathered together in Divers Places through very Necessity their Meetings came to be Silent for some Time though the First Rice and Ground of their Meeting in Silence was that they were taught it of the Lord forasmuch as there were but few who were then attained unto that Soundness and Clearness of Condition in their own Particulars so as thereby to be fitted and Qualified in the Word Life Power and Wisdom of God to Minister unto others in Divers Places Friends being but very young at that first breaking forth of Truth and so their Works was mostly if not only to joyn together in a joynt Concurrence to wait upon the Lord for the indu●ngs of his Power from on High and to see the Work and Operation of his Word Light and Life in them every one being turned unto the Manifestation thereof in their own particulars For indeed in beginners or those who are but lately turned unto the Light and Life of Truth it hath much to Work through in them and they have many Steps of inward Tryals and Exercise to Pass through in the Light and Life of Truth before they attain unto that Soundness and Clearness in their own Conditions whereby they can safely and Purely Administer the Word and Words of Life unto others without mixture for First a Man must be in a good Measure gathered into the Life and Spirit of Truth so as to be well rooted and fastened in it in his own particular before he be in such a fit Condition as to Minister unto others with safety and advantage and the Word of Life must first have some free passage in a Mans Heart Mind and Spirit before it can have a free passage in the Mouth and it must have got some good Measure of Command

Observations which yet they found not but both their Words and Practices for most part proved their Burden and they Groaned under them and yet they knew not what to do for they saw no way how either to Worship God or profit their own Souls or one another but as they thought was in Words or outward Practises and Observations and yet they missed the Kingdom which they in some true Measure desired and so were scattered abroad as in Divers Flocks and Companies like Sheep without a Shepherd seeking the true Fold and Pasture but not finding it And the Lord who had Pity upon them of Old whom he beheld as Sheep without a Shepherd and whose Bowels Yearned over them in the same Yearnings of Bowels extended his tendrr Mercies and Compassion into these who at that time had Tender Breathings and desires raised in them after himself and to know and Worship Him aright and in the acceptable Way and he prepared Messengers and seat among them in a needful and acceptable time who having attained unto the soundness and clearness in their own Condition both as to Doctrine and Spirits through the Power and Grace of the Lord with and upon them which others before them as aforesaid were not come into Preached the glad Tidings of the Gospel in Purity and Soundness upon a People whom the Lord had prepared to receive them as he had prepared them to Minister to them the first Principles whereof were to this purpose or effect That what was to be known of God was manifest within that the Kingdom of God was to be sought after and found within by every Man in a Heavenly Seed and Principle which was of God in every Man the Word near in the Mouth and in the Heart that God Christ was to be sought within found received and enjoyed within in the Measure of the Light wherewith he did enlighten every one that comes into the World and that whoever do truly believe in God and in Christ must believe in the Light wherewith Christ did enlighten them who is given of God a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the People and who so believe in the Light which convinceth of sin judgeth and reproveth it in thought Word and deed come to receive life by it and be made alive unto God so as to have a Sence of his Divine Power and Vertue and to see him and behold him and enjoy him and have fellowship with him in which Life they come to receive Power over Death Sin and Darkness and in the same they come to receive the true knowledge of God and Christ and the things pertaining to his Kingdom and therein and therefrom and thereby they come to receive right thoughts and apprehensions of God and also the right and sound Words which are fit to be spoken of him and concerning him and his Way and Kingdom and which thoughts and Words had a manifestation of his heavenly Life and Vertue in them as they were received in the Living and Eternal Word near and in the Heart and so that all thinking or speaking of God or to him or the things of his Kingdom behoved to have this rise the Word Light and Life of God in the heart otherwise they were all wrong dead and unsavoury and so neither acceptable unto God or profitable either unto the speakers or hearers and in like manner all practices and works which are not wrought in this Principle the Light Life and Spirit of God within are but dead and unprofitable Works and Fruits of Death and Darkness as not having the Life of God for their Rise Spring and Original and so the first beginning of the Ministry in great part was in the Life and Power of God to call off people from all their dead and dark thoughts Words and Works as to God and his Way and Worship which were not brought forth in the Life and Light of God in the Heart were not thought in the Life spoken in the Life done and practiced in the Life as being all but false unsound unprofitable and unacceptable and as the sound and clear Ministration g●ven them in the Light and Life of God was to call people off from all the thoughts Words and Works of Death and darkness so was it also to call them off and turn them from the Darkness it self unto the Light which lighted every one of them and from Death unto the Word of Life nigh unto every one and which would give Life unto every one who became turned towards it in the drawings and Vertue thereof and this was the clear and Sound Ministration which the Apostles received from Christ and particularly Paul who was sent unto the Gentiles to turn them from Darkness into Light and from the Power of Satan unto God which Ministration as it was greatly Blessed of God in the primitive times unto that effect so was it and is it in this our Day the Work of Labour and Love of him whom the Lord sent as the first of many others who came after did greatly prosper though in much contradiction into many who opposed some through Ignorance and others through Malice whereby in a small time many out of Divers Sects and Professions came to be turned into the Light and be convinced of it and by it that it was the very saving Light of Christ Jesus notwithstanding of all that Priests or Professors said or disputed to the contrary for the Ministration had that Light and Evidence Life and Authority yea Power Dominion of Truth in it which even by a Spiritual compulsion forced an assent in the Hearts of many and the Measure of Truth which was Clouded and Vailed in many came to be reached unto through this Ministration so as to answer unto it to the sufficient convincement of these in whom it is thus answered And as for them who came to be clearly and soundly reached so as to feel the Power and Life of God in the Ministration reach into the Measure and Seed of Truth in their own particulars O what a Day and Time it was unto them that was even such a Day as they had never the like of it before nor in some Sence after it for it was a Day unto them both of Joy and Heaviness Comfort and Sorrow Light and Darkness Life and Death their Joy and their Comfort was in the Morning Dawnings of the Beauty and Glory of God which begun somewhat to appear in the Light as they became turned towards it but their heaviness was in that they began to find the exceeding sinfulness of sin and how to feel themselves so hedged and compassed about with intanglements and hindrances both within and without but more especially within to stop them from entring into the new and living and perfect way of God which began to be revealed in the Light insomuch that they came to see that these things which they formerly counted gain were now Dung and loss unto them and that which they

known and witnessed and found at this day even as at the beginning by them who faithfully and diligently do observe them and improve them And by this means also the Truth came greatly to spread and gain Ground and so doth at this Day even in that these who were Convinced in all the parts and corners of the Land where the sound of Truth came did meet together though there were but two or three in a place and sat down together to wait upon the Lord in pure Silence out of all their own Thoughts and Words and Works which was a great and loud Testimony and did Preach all abroad far and near which gave occasion unto many who had some measure of Simplicity and Tenderness to consider the thing and the signification of it that in a time wherein Professors had so much a life in Words as if all Religion had been turned into Words and in Speaking and Hearing as indeed it was so with most part that they knew no more of it but to hear and talk Words and so their Religion was a Monster as if all the Body were become the Tongue and the Ear that a People should be raised up to meet together in Silence and in Silence to be Edified and Taught and Instructed more then in all the Words they had formerly heard or spoken and in silence to Worship God and Pray and give Thanks and be Helped and Strengthened one by another this gave occasion and doth and will give occasion still more and more unto many that have any measure of Tenderness and Simplicity to look beyond Words into the inwards and substance of Religion and indeed hereby many came to be Convinced more then by all the Preachings in Words that ever they heard the very Silence and Silent Meetings of Friends Preached unto them so Convincingly and reached them that they came both to confess and own the Truth and to sit down in silence with them who were formerly gathered turning in their Minds to the Light whereby they came to be partakers of the Benefits of Silence as aforesaid with them and so they came to see the proportion of the true Religion which is as a well proportioned Body and is not all Tongue or Ears but hath many other Parts and Members and these far greater for the Tongue as said Iames Is but a little Member and so indeed the Words which the Tongue can utter and answers thereunto are but a very little part in respect of these many other things which pertain unto the true Religion and even as in the Natural Body many other Members recei●e power to execute and do their proper and respective Offices before the Tongue as we see in Infants who can use divers Members of their Body but cannot speak with the Tongue so is it even as to the true Religion which first gives power as to the use of divers other things relating thereunto before it gives power as to speak of them so that obedience unto the Truth and the practice of a holy Life and Conversation doth most naturally proceed the speaking of or concerning the Truth and this is the order of Christ who said He that keepeth my Commandments and teacheth men so to do so her● is first keeping the Commandments before teaching unto others the same shall be great in the Kingdom of Heaven And so Friends being turned towards God to wait upon him for his Teachings in their Silent Meetings have not their Meetings to depend upon any Speakers or Speaker without whatsoever and therefore they can and do meet together with Advantage when they know not of any Speakers and thus their Meetings are constantly kept up for a Testimony to Truth and the Edification of themselves as also for the reaching unto others whereas among all other Professions and Professors it is quite otherwise for if they have no Speaker they have no Meeting and so their Meetings depend upon the Words and Lips of men as if they could receive no good in Meetings but what dropped from the Lips of men whereas the good that Friends look at and wait for in Meetings and do receive is far beyond all Words whatsoever even the very Words of Life which Words are precious unto them notwithstanding and desirable in their place and that Good is the Life it self which was before Words and will be when Words are not and in which all Words are to cease but the Life endureth for ever in which Friends have Fellowship with God and one with another And as touching Silent Meetings or Meeting together in silence it is not only traceable among the Disciples and Apostles in the Primitive Times as aforesaid but even in the Old Testament so called although it be thought such a strange thing among Priests and Professors generally for did not Iob and his Friends meet together in silence 7 days Iob 3.13 And did not Ezekiel sit among the Captives 7 days and did not open his Mouth to any till at the End of them when the Word of the Lord came to him Ezek. 3.15 16. Yea and the Ilands are bid be Silent before him Isa. 41.1 and said Zechariah Let all Flesh be Silent before the Lord for he is raised up out of his Holy Place Zech. 2.13 George Keith POST-SCRIPT The Copy of a Letter written from Germany by Stephen Crisp to Friends which doth suit with the preceeding Paper ALL Friends every where who have tasted of the Goodness of God keep in the Savour thereof and let not your Minds be stoln away from that which is Living for that which is Living cometh from Above and makes you Lively but that which is Corruptible cometh from the Earth and brings Death with lt over your Souls and therefore watch in diligence to retain the Savour of the Life of Truth that you may Live from a sence that Christ liveth in you who is the Seed the Truth the Noble Plant and grows and bringeth forth Fruit in you And all Friends every where who thus keeps and retains the Savour of Life in them they will come to feel daily Quicknings thereby and will have power over the Nature that is dead in Adam to all good Works and especially to waiting upon God with a stedfast and stay'd Mind Nothing so hard as this to that old and corrupt Nature which is soon weary This is that Nature which cannot watch with Christ one hour but let his Tryals and Sufferings be never so great this leads from Watching to Sleeping this hath no Fellowship with the Seed of God in its Sufferings and shall have none in its Dominion And where this drowsie Nature stands Uncrucified it keeps you in the Weakness out of the Power and this brings out of the savour and feeling of the Goodness of God and so makes Meetings unprofitable and as it comes through Custom to be allowed and subjected to it leads into Hypocrisie that is to say into a professing to waiting upon God and a presenting the Body in the Meeting and then letting the Heart which God requires depart far from him even into the Ease and Liberty of the Flesh in which the Apostle said they that lived could not please God. Therefore Dear Friends in the Name of God I exhort you consider what you do when you Assemble together and let it be in the Name of Iesus that is in his Power not in the Weakness nor in the Flesh like a Fleshly Meeting but in his Name and Power make War with the Flesh and with the Drowsie Spirit that lodgeth there and in the Faith overcome it and be not overcome by it for that is Bondage And hold your Meetings in the Spirit where every one is made alive and flourisheth and grows in Life and in Dominion and shines forth to the Glory of God and to the Comforting and Refreshing one of another For now as any one suffereth himself to be overtaken with Sleep in a Meeting he looseth the sence of the Power of God he becomes a Griefe to the Diligent and an Evil Example to the Negligent and brings himself under the Judgment of Gods Power in his own Conscience which when he awaketh riseth up against him and also he is under the Judgment of the Power in the whole Meeting which when he comes to a true sence of will be no light thing and further if any that are unbelieving come in among you and see such things among you that make a profession of an inward Power and an inward quickning Spirit and a Worship that is inward in the Spirit and Truth herein causeth such the Name of God to be Dishonored the way of Truth to be holden in little Esteem by such who know it not in themselves and a Stumbling-Block is hereby laid in their way to hinder them from any farther seeking after the Truth Oh Friends consider these things and be all diligent in this Matter and let not that earthly part have Liberty but let it be kept in the Cross till it Dies or else it will keep and hold you Dead and Unsensible of God or one another And this is that hath hindred the growth of many namely their Carelesness in coming to Meetings and their Slothfulness when they are there Therefore for time to come let every one that bears the profession of Truth be diligent in the Work of God and be good Examples to each other and observe your time and hour of coming to Meeting and set not one hour and then come at another and neglect not your middle week Meetings by reason of your outward Occasions for that will not bring a Blessing upon your Affairs but let all things give way to the Service of God and then all things shall work together for good unto you and there shall be no lack of any thing that is good for you So dear Friends in the true love of God have I writ this unto you as it lay upon me from the Lord as a word of Exhortation to stir up the pure mind in you all and the God of Power and Strength give you of his Might and of his Power to help you in all your Necessities and in all your Combates and strengthen your Faith in which and by which the Victory is obtained which is the desire of my Soul for you all who am your Friend in the Fellowship of the Gospel Stephen Scrisp THE END