door of entrance in with him be shut against you or you prepared for his entertainment the sloathful Servant being apt to delay the doing of his Duty to the Lord imagins that the Lord delays his coming then he doth that which he should not do and so causeth his Lord and Master that is full of Mercy and Love to be angry with him and reward him according to his Deeds Dear Friends therefore love the Cross of Christ whereby you will learn to take up your daily Cross and follow your Captain Christ Jesus the Captain of our Salvation that endured the Cross and despised the Shame and was made perfect through Suffering follow him in the Cross as you desire to have the Crown despise the Shame of the Cross and endure it and do not shun it for you will not be as David nor witness David's House to be as God's if you shun the Cross nor will you grow stronger and stronger as you ought if you are troubled at the shame of it you will never deny your selves much for Christ if you shun the Cross or be amazed at the daily taking of it up whilst 't is so with any convinced of God's heavenly Truth they will not shut out the world's Spirit Words nor Actions but will be lusting after the world's Words vain Fashions Wayes and not come out into a clear seperation from them nor be capable to bear witness against the World nor their Words Wayes vain Fashions and Actions that are contrary to the Lord and whereby his holy Spirit is vexed from day to day such amongst us that will not cross their own Wills and unbridled Tongues to speak Thou to any single Person high or low but give way to a worldly and fleshly Will and fleshly Desires will not be willing to follow the Lord and his Servants the Prophets and Apostles in their true Language which was used by them that writ and gave forth the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelations and can such be now good or is their Religion good who have been long convinced and come amongst us that have not a Bridle for their Tongues nor do not know the Power of God's Truth professed by them to tame their Tongues Why are some in this estate anciently convinced but because they would not subject their worldly corrupt Wills to God's holy Power which would have made them willing so to do and would have made them willing to have left all for Christ and to have suffered the loss of all things though it had been never such a Darling-beloved for Christ's sake So let every one leave and forsake all which the Lord hath called you to forsake whether it be Father Mother Wise Children Lands or Livings and come to that whereby the laying down of a man 's own Life may be made easie which a Disciple of Christ ought to do when called of God thereunto And as you all keep in the Cross of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ you will be preserved in a pure seperation from the whole World that lieth in Wickedness and are Ungodly as the old World was which God destroyed by Water and you will be Preachers of Righteousness as righteous Noah was by a righteous Life and Conversation which will speak more expresly and have a louder cry in their Ears than Noah's building the Ark had although that had a speaking in it if the old World had not been dull of hearing and closed their Eyes they might have heard God's speaking Voice and have seen his Providence in it to preserve Noah and his Righteous Family though they were but few in number God saved them and preserved them in the Ark which Noah was a building before the Flood came and drowned the Ungodly old World and he will not spare the Ungodly World now but till their Sins be full and they ripe for a Deluge or Destruction and then it will come upon them and overtake them before they are aware thereof and now many are uncircumcised in Heart and Ear and will not be warned nor take notice of God's hand that is lifted against them Friends take heed of mixing with the wicked World now have no fellowship with them nor their works of Darkness for as you are the Children of the Light and of the Day what fellowship can any of you have with Darkness or the works of the whole World that lieth in Wickedness or how can you touch with them in their corrupt Communication Wayes or Worship or any of their unclean and polluted things but rather reprove and rebuke them that are found therein And keep true and faithful to the Lord God who called you out of the World and seperated you from the Kindreds of the Earth to stand for God and to be living Witnesses against the Devil and all his works and you are called of God to stand with the Lamb and his faithful followers against the Devil never more to joyn with the Devil or take part with his prophane ungodly Followers in their Sins and Trespasses nor in their Wrongs Oppression and Cruelty nor contribute any strength to them stand clear and in a pure and spiritual seperation from all that which God's holy Spirit and Light condemns and judgeth to be evil and contrary to the Light Spirit and Grace of God give not way to that to save the world or its Favour temper not with the Snares nor Baits of this World but in the hour of Temptation keep low waiting upon the Lord God who knows how to save deliver you and mightily to succour you when you are tryed and to preserve you out of the power of your old Adversary or any of his Snares Baits or Temptations God hath by his Light let you see what you ought to chuse and what you ought to refuse chuse the good cleave to the good whatever you may go through or suffer for so doing chuse Lise that you may live forever and how sew or many soever your dayes may be in this World refuse the evil and the wayes of Death and Destruction whatsoever hath not the mark of Truth upon it as to Way Worship or Religion refuse it and enter into no Consultation with the Devil or his bad sensual Reasoning which he will fill them with that desire and consult wayes to conform in this or the other thing relating to Faith Religion and Worship which never was nor is of the Lord and when the Wind bloweth high Rain fall and Sea rage and foam then especially look carefully and diligently to your standing and look to Christ Jesus the everlasting Rock that is higher than you and higher than the Heavens and who is the author and finisher of your Faith all steadfastly look to him trust in him fear him and think upon his Name and still remember that the Lord God by a mighty Hand and Arm stretched forth brought you out of Egypt spiritually Do not forget that we were once Bonds-men in Egypt nor how the Lord
account to God for any evil in this respect done by you and you ought to do in all matters belonging to your place as what you did and were concerned in were your own and you ought to perform business in your Masters absence as if present and shun all Cousining and Defrands and seek your Masters profit and be obedient unto them and subject to them in all their lawful and just Commands that the blessing of God and the good pleasure of your Masters you may obtain do not despise or slight the commands of them because they are Godly or may bear more with you allow you more just Liberty than the wicked will do for that would prove Wickedness in you and incur their displeasure which you may avoid if you be wise and rightly consider your place and station and do not strive unlawfully to get out of it And take you heed what Words you use and what Actions you do amongst your Masters Children for your evil example doubtless may do much hurt to Children who many times are more inclinable to the bad than that which is good you being frequent with them by your bad Words and Actions may give great strength unto incourage no corrupt Communication nor provoke them to Laughter foolish Jesting nor any unseemly behaviour to stir up the wrong part that you and your Masters Children ought to check and keep down in each other by the Grace of God which you all being taught by will make them good Children and you good Servants and then the blessing of the Lord will rest upon you whether Servants or made free and whether single or in a married condition wherein are the greatest Snares Troubles and Incumbrances And you that are single be not over hasty to force your selves from that state to change your conditions I speak this both to Friends Children and Servants wait the Lord 's due time and wait low in his fear in it that you may be taught of the Lord what to do and not Sin against God in changing your conditions and take heed of being unequally yoked or marrying with the World although they may be civiliz'd and have established to themselves a Righteousness which is not the Righteousness of God which if you be not aware of may beguile your Simplicity and anger the Lord God and grieve your Parents that waited for and expected better things from you so your Marriage will not be honourable nor you and them you make thus choice of be joyned together in Marriage by the Lord Therefore take heed of the World and the World's Spirit which leads from God for that will lead you to love the world and to have an Eye out to the Riches of it in your choice and the Beauty of their Daughters that have not believed nor received the Truth You Young Men will look out after and may be you see some elder than you drawn by the spirit of this world into the same Practices and you may strengthen your selves in that which God never justified you nor them in but you are both condemned for when you come to the witness of God and hearken to the witness of God in your own Consciences that never consents to any unequal yoking nor any thing else that is done contrary to God by any amongst us whether they be Young or Old Rich or Poor Married or Unmarried God doth not justifie but he condemns all bad Marriages and other things now as much nay more then in the times of Ignorance although he disallowed them ever since the beginning of this World and forewarned the Holy Seed not to mingle themselves in Marriage with the Heathen and commanded them to keep themselves Pure and to be Holy with this caution I the Lord your God am a Holy God but they not regarding the command of the Lord and taking to themselves Wives of all sorts thereat God was grieved And it repented the Lord that he had made Man when he saw the provoking of his Sons and Daughters and he said I will cut off Man and Beast from the Earth So all you Unmarried whether Young or Elder that are convinced of God's Truth and come amongst us look to the Lord in your proceedings in Marriage wait low and enquire of the Lord first whether it will stand with his honourable Truth and be an honourable Marriage that you have a mind to effect and bring to pass yea or nay and if in answer from God after patient waiting upon the Lord in it you find that it will be to the honour of the Lord and with the consent of your Parents go on and the Lord will be with you and will direct guide and bless you in your undertaking which is of very great weight but if after a deliberate waiting upon God you find not the Lord with you in your purpose and design but that his Hand is against you and your purpose then stay and give it up and be not discontented and hastily carry on the matter in your own wills nor let not your fond foolish Affections sway you so that you may become Captives to them or the Will and Lusts of the Flesh for then God's safe counsel will be hid from you and you will run on in your own Wills averse and opposite to the will of the Lord in that weighty concern whereby some dishonour the Lord defile their Bed grieve and make sad their Parents or them concerned as left in trust with them and endanger their own Ruin both as to Soul and Body So dear Friends whether Young Men or Maidens or more Aged that may be concerned in this weighty matter of Marriage consider these things do nothing against the Truth but look to the God of Truth give up your selves to be at the Lord's dispose and ordering and he by his heavenly Wisdom will preserve you out of the Spirit of this world and out of all the Wayes Works and Snares of it And you Parents of Children give no encouragement or strength to your Sons or Daughters that are owned by us or in the profession of Truth with us to Marry with the worlds People Sons or Daughters keep your selves clear of such mingling and Marriages that are out of the Truth which you cannot nor your Children expect comfort or Gods blessing in let no Earthly end whatsoever prevail with any of you to connive at or encourage such things in your Children for if so thereby will the worlds Spirit creep into you as well as it hath done your Children that so proceed and may darken God's counsel from both you and your Children and hinder Gods blessings from your Familes and let in the curse amongst you and bring his displeasure upon you and yours and that is a woful thing God Almighty lead direct and guide you all in the things that concern your everlasting Peace which you are come to know and understanding but the Wicked of the World know them not and so in the day
and for Israels sake he cut Rahab wounded the Dragon divided and made a way in the Sea a good and safe Passage for them in the Journey which the Lord led them on in he carried them on Eagles Wings and rebuked Kings and subdued strong Nations before them but when they rebelled then he turned to be their Enemy and fought against them whom he had often saved and had been afflicted with them in their Afflictions So dear Friends you that are gathered to God by his gathering Arm of Love and Power keep with the Lord and forsake him not whatsoever you may suffer for his Names sake therein the Lord will appear to your joy and will afflict them that afflict you for your obedience to God and the keeping your Consciences pure and good in his sight Let not a revolting or rebellious Heart be found in any one of you such cannot continue or abide with the Lord whose hearts are evil and rebellious out of them cometh not good things their hearts are defiled with evil filled with it and bent to do wickedly and they cannot cease from sin And how hath the Devil loaded some with Iniquity that do yet profess the same Light and Way of God with us How do they manifestly appear Children that are corrupters or corrupt Children endeavouring to corrupt the Minds of the Professors and other People by the seeds of Corruption which they have sown and printed for them to feed upon and it s the evil Seeds-man that sows corrupt or evil Seed What Instruments soever are by him made use of in that work mark them and avoid them as Instruments of Unrighteousness Oh Friends as you love your eternal Rest and Peace with God watch against and shut out the seed of the Serpent and his evil Seeds-men that sow it abroad by the Light of the Lord which shines in your hearts and hath given you the knowledge of God you may discern and see clearly the old Serpent's cunning in his Agents what high swelling words soever in their vain minds they may come with amongst you or print for Food to the uncircumcised and the unclean Be ye stedfast always abounding in the work of the Lord unto which you are called of God be not beguiled any one of you by the Serpent's cunning wait low in the pure Simplicity and that will give knowledge and understanding of the wiles and cunning working of the creeping Serpent And now is the seed of God risen to break the head of the Serpent and to tread under foot his power and authority which he hath got in man and women by disobedience and their rebellion against God whereby man in the beginning was subjected to vanity and not willing but by a salfe hope the Devil had begotten in them which was the cause of their being beguiled the begetting of that false hope that they should be as Gods knowing good and evil and as if they should not dye notwitstanding their transgressing the Command of the Lord which the Serpent's deceitful and beguiling Doctrine subjected them into the belief of Therefore take heed that none of you be beguiled as the Serpent beguiled Eve and draw you from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus It seems the Believers which the Apostle writ to had a godly simplicity and stedfastness in the Truth of God but afterward were in some danger to be drawn from it but Eve had not been so beguiled if she had minded to keep Gods command counsel and not hearkned to the Serpent So hearken not to the doctrine or voice of the Serpent which leads from God into Transgression and to death from the Life of God and to lose the Image of God which Adam and Eve were deprived of though once beautified therewith And so Gods Image may be lost now by them that are come into it and have born it and the beauty of Holiness that any one had may be lost if there be not a keeping in that Power which brings into it and preserves the faithful in it The heavenly Creator in the new Creation createth us in Christ Jesus unto good works and he restores his People to God in his Image which is after God in Righteousness and true Holiness so we become holy as the Lord our God is holy and perfect as our heavenly Father is Perfect and so we are a chosen Generation and a royal Priesthood to God and are prepared of him to offer an Offering acceptable and well-pleasing in the sight of God and come to know how to please God in all things and to hearken to his voice and obey his Voice that is better than Sacrifice or the sat of Rams which some content themselves with even a bare Profession of the Truth and Knowledge of but do not obey it nor walk in it but rather cause the way of Truth to be evil spoken of opening the Mouthes of Adversaries to blaspheme that holy Name by which we were called and who know the Truth but act contrary to the guidance of that Spirit of Truth which led them into the Truth and the Way wherein they should go and so go into the Apostacy and to turn back again into Aegypt which all ought to beware of for we were not brought out of the Apostacy or delivered out of Aegypt either to look back or go back again Did not the Lord by a very mighty hand stretched out Arm bring us out of Egypt spiritually as really as he did the Children of Israel out of outward Egypt in the days of old And how did God wound and overthrow our Enemies though strong and potent not by any might or power carnal but by his own holy Spirit and Power which he made known in our hearts and which we received from him Hath not this conquered and overcome many of your Enemies that oppressed you which you groaned under and were sorrowful because of till deliverance came And cannot many of you say that the right hand of the Lord hath brought mighty things to pass and that the right hand of the Lord hath done valiantly And cannot you say the Lord was on your side and now is the same and that greater is he that is in you than he that is in the World Although dear Friends you have many Enemies yet to encounter with fear not neither be at all dismayed only look to the Lord and believe in him and love and trust in him fear not man nor put no trust in Princes nor in any Arm of flesh and if the wicked bend their Bow and shoot their Arrows at you who are innocent in your Minds and of a peaceable Life matter it not but look to the Lord that Innocency and a peaceable Mind still may be found in you all leave your cause to the Lord to plead who in his own due time will plead your cause execute judgment for you the Lord can if he please soon break the Bow of the Wicked and turn their
Arrows against themselves and make all their Weapons they form against you unprosperous and cut off their expectation that seek your Ruin and Destruction And as Innocency is found in you and you preserved in a godly and peaceable life you will never envy them that oppress you nor chuse any of their ways but will mind Gods good old Way Truth and Life and will not walk in the way of the Wicked Ungodly men nor sit in the seat of the Scornful Proud and Arogant which leads to Death and Destruction if you see many in that way let not that be an occasion for you to stumble at or to forsake the way of the Lord which is narrow and leads to Life Peace and Rest that is Everlasting wherein you have learned to trust in the Lord to stand resign'd up to his will in the most perilous times when they come and wherein you have learned to love the Lord and one another with that love which is shed abroad from God in your hearts and is unfeigned in which dear Friends forever dwell and shut out all Deceit Hypocrisie and Dissimulation which doth render them black amongst us that have not put away or are not purged from such things and so doth Envy Wrath or Malice where-ever it is which is all for the fire and to be purged away that you may pray in the Spirit of the living God by which you were all quickened quench it not neither grieve it nor rebel against it for that hinders the heavenly joy and comforts of the Spirit when Tribulation ariseth because of the Word Let not any of you be found without true joy and comfort when you may have need enough of it and behold many weeping and wailing for want of it for certainly it will be woful and miserable for that man or woman that is without the comfort and joy of the holy Spirit when no comfort and lasting joy will be found in any visible created thing which this World can afford mens hearts already begin to be astonished and to fail them for fear because of the things that are coming to pass for not only the Powers of the Earth but the Powers of the Heavens shall be shaken Friends let not any of you be found an evil or sloathful Servant that shall say in his Heart My Lord delays his coming and so put his Day afar off to let Night again over you You may remember what Sorrow and Heaviness we endured when we were Children of the Night and covered with thick Darkness and what Joy came in the Morning of God's glorious Day as it dawned in our Hearts did not many then sing for Joy of Heart and experimentally could say The singing of Birds was come But the evil and sloathful Servant that saith in his Heart My Lord delays his coming cannot sing out of any sence of heavenly Joy in his Heart and therefore frets and smites his fellow Servant and eats and drinks with the Drunken such become the Companions of the evil and sloathful Servant he delights not to be a Companion to them that fear the Lord and are diligent in his Work nor will not say to the workers of Iniquity Depart from me I will keep the Commandments of my God but rather joyns with the workers of Iniquity and is one with them in breaking the Commands of God and rebelling against him and its just with the Lord to suffer Night to come over such again that have been called to serve the Lord in his House but are evil and sloathful Servants not good not diligent nor watchful but are found bad negligent and unwatchful and unsensible of God's presence and the coming of the Lord which draweth nigh Oh! keep in the Spirit and Power of the Lord God and that will preserve you all fervent in love to him and one another and diligent in the Lord's work whereunto you are all called with a holy calling to watch war against the Devil and whatsoever is of him let it have no place in you nor let not the Devil ever enter your Hearts any more and if he do not to dwell there but feel you the Arm and Power of the Lord to cast him out keep him out that he may never work in you any more nor have any Lordship or Rule in you or over you then I am sure you will be ready in Heart and Mind to follow that which is good and resist the Devil and all his badness which is so beloved of the World and then you will be prepared to avoid every appearance of Evil and will give no place to it but will keep faithful to God over it and then you will be made capable in the Spirit of Love and a sound Mind to reprove such as are light vain and of a loose behaviour and shun the Cross of Christ not indulge that Nature Spirit that keeps some high and unsubjected and in disobedience to the Lord God and for this cause some are weak and sick amongst us and some fallen asleep had they but taken up the daily Cross and kept therein there would never have appeared that Self love Weakness Sickness and Sleepiness that is in some that are amongst us that would be accounted wise Virgins and indeed have come long enough among us to have been found such at this day but are not but are weak as in the time of their first Convincement and as if they had not waited upon the Lord with us they so faint and have so little strength to stand in the day of Tryal or hour of Temptation that it appears their strength is but small I say in the Lord if they that now faint in the time of Adversity had waited upon the Lord in diligence and sincerity of Heart doubtless they would have had more strength and received more Power from God than they enjoy or feel and would have grown more in the Grace and Knowledge of God than they have done and would not have been so sick at their Stomachs as some are that they cannot digest wholsom Food but slight and dis-esteem it whereby some Members suffer and indeed it hurts the whole Body when any of the Members thereof suffer especially as the Apostle said then when many were Weak and Sick amongst them and some fallen asleep for want of subjecting themselves to that Spirit and Power which would give all strength if they kept in it and preserve all in God's saving health and with a good Stomach to that which is good and for Food if they did wait for it and keep in the Spirit and Power of the Lord God this would rouze up and awaken all careless and sleepy Virgins that want Oyl in their Vessels and Lamps who have not their Lamps trimed nor are ready when the Bridegroom comes Beware ye sleepy foolish Virgins lest Mid-night Sleep come quite upon you so that the Cry of the Bride-groom's coming be before you are prepared for him or the
Israel in this day and though Rahab and the Dragon stand up in the way of Israel God will cut Rahab and wound the great Dragon and whatsoever would stand up in his way to hinder his Work snall be confounded and fall before him for strong iâ— the Lord that judgeth the great Whore and divideth the Waters thereon she sits and who will give her Blood to drink who hath long drunk the Blood of the Saints and still thirsts after more Blood to drink about Conformity in matters of Religion and the worship of God but the hour of her Judgments is come her Paint is seen through and her golden Cup full of Abomination is clearly discovered 't is in vain for the Kings of the Earth to think to support or heal her nay she is not willing to be healed but thinks she hath no need of any healing Medicine and truly I know none for her that is to be destroyed and must certainly be destroyed even that false Church mystery Babylon the Mother of Harlots which hath called her self Christ's Spouse but hath the marks and attire of an Harlot My dear Friends as God hath called you out of her not to partake of her Sins Abominations any more keep out of her and stand clear of her Devices and and subtil Strategems she doth now or hereafter may make use of to draw ye from Christ Jesus and the Church that is in God to a House of Wood and Stone which they that are in Babylon call a Church and call to the Sons and Daughters of Sion to come to their Church and receive the Sacrament who are come to the true Church which is in the only true God and are living Members thereof united to Christ Jesus our Head and Husband and we need no other Head or Husband nor need not come to any Church but that which Christ is the Head and Husband of from whom we receive of his living Bread and Wine of his Kingdom and his holy things are given to us by the Spirit that comes from the Father and the Son and you know Friends that whereas Christ said a little before he went away as to his appearance in the Flesh he would send the Comforter to his Disciples which was the Spirit of Truth to lead and guide them into all Truth promising them that the Spirit should take off his and shew it unto them which as they then did receive it we are made now certain Witnesses of it So need not go to a House of Wood and Stone called Church and there sit amongst the corrupt putrified company of diseased misorable Sinners that are so much out of Health that they have no whole part in them what comfort can a healed Soul or a sound mind have in coming or sitting amongst them where one may sooner come by an evil Disease than ever be soundly cured of any inward Distemper or Sickness and you partaking of God's goodness and his holy things at his Table and having spiritual Fellowship and Communion with him that is abundantly better than all the Bread and Wine which is outward and will decay given by impure Hands to such as communicate with them as many times it is administred without any Commission from God and yet that we must by these Church-men be forced to come amongst them and eat and drink unworthily with these unworthy Administrators and Receivers of that which they call the Sacrament is certainly both Unchristian and Unreasonable and very Unchristian-like as the Administrators and Receivers of it who would now compel us to eat and drink with them will one day know to their Wo if they Repent not in time and we may justly deny such as for their Bellies sake without any authority from God presume to take upon them in a rude unchristian manner three times with the same Mouth that they bless God and curse Men to admonish us You that are taught of the Lord and have received his Counsel and spiritual Admonition from him have learned of him to admonish one another and know them that watch for the Soul from them that watch and lay in wait for their Prey and dishonest Gain whose God is their Belly and who glory in their shame who hunt you into their Courts to sleece you and seed themselves with the Fat and cloath themselves with the Wool which they obtain by making you and yours their Prey in spoiling of your Goods But dear Friends let none of these things that are at present or things to come be able to move you from the peaceable Habitation in the Life and Power of God to which you are come and have been kept living Witnesses of fear not neither be at all dismayed consider whose the Earth is and who hath Power to give it when and to whom he pleaseth for it is not the Devil 's nor his Servants Man is but as a Tenant of it at the will of the Lord God who hath given us that great gift his Son shall he not with him freely give us all things And be patient and rest quiet and contented although you should be fed with the Bread of Affliction and Water of Affliction for a season and that shall not be unless God see it convenient for us let this still comfort you the beholding of your Teacher near you that cannot be removed into a Corner and feel God's covenant which is everlasting that he made with David in all things well ordered and sure said David although then God made it not to grow he had a sure Hope and doubted not of the growth of it in God's time and appointed season And the Vision was for an appointed time and at the end it shall speak the Prophet said wait for it it will surely come and will not tarry You tribulated Followers of the Lamb that are come to stand with the lamb upon Mount Sion never regard the high looks nor threats of them of Babylon Sodom or Egypt although they may hate you and cast you out for his Name sake in whom you have believed God will make them blush for shame for their high looks for God will smite them that threaten your Ruin and Destruction and their designs God will discover and confound them before they be put in execution as the Wicked desire whom the Moth shall eat as doth a Canker and the Wind shall drive them away like Stubble the Righteous shall see it and rejoyce over Babylon when her Merchants and them that traded with her shall howl and lament for Widdowhood Sorrow and Destruction shall come upon her in one Hour and 't is greatly dangerous to buy any of the Merchandize of this great Whore and false Church that would force to their Church Religion and Worship such that believe it cannot make them better or do their Souls any good What Church but the false will by Prisons and great Penalties endeavour to make them come to their Church that are not of their Church nor
cometh that are not as good men and women watching for the Lords coming whether at Mid-night Cock-crow or when ever it be for the day and hour knoweth no man and Christ said In an hour when you think not the Son of Man cometh therefore how are we all concerned to be always ready and prepared for him to serve worship follow him whithersoever he goeth And Christ said When the Son of Man cometh shall he find Faith on the Earth signifying the great loss and want of Faith that shall be when he cometh and what shipwrack will be made of Faith notwithstanding I doubt not but this day of Trouble will be of great use unto all who are honest in heart and have believed with us and provoke such to examine themselves whether now they be in the Faith or not and truly to search their own hearts and thorowly prove themselves and so no doubt but all the Sons and Daughters of Sion will come out of the Furnace more pure than Gold seven times tried in the sire truly a thorow search trial and examination will hurt neither the strong in Christ nor the weakest of the Flock it will doubtless be of great benefit for all to examine themselves whether they be in the faith or not for he that standeth standeth by Faith and liveth by Faith and pleaseth God by Faith and holdeth the Mystery of it in a pure Conscience and worketh Righteousness by Faith and stops the Lyons Mouthes and escapes the edge of the Sword by Faith and out of weakness are made strong through Faith and valiant for the Truth in warring against all that which works against the Truth and is for untruth And Friends to be rich in Faith such durably are made rich and such may be instrumental in the hand of the Lord to make others rich although they be poor in this World for it is the poor of this world rich in Faith that are Heirs of Gods Kingdom So you poor of the Flock that honour God in your day be content with such things as you have nay though you should have less and be made as poor as any are do not repine nor murmur in your hearts against God do not thou say in thy haste Why is my Lot and Portion of this World so little and so hard but mind thy being rich in Faith and still look unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of thy Faith that hath made thee rich in Faith and thou wilt be as well contented with such things as thou hast as them who are out of the Faith though they be never so much increased with Corn Wine and Oyl or have this world's Goods in never such abundance And if thou be'st poor and needy consider the poor distressed and stript estate of Gods innocent Servant Job and by what he was upheld and kept from sinning against God let the same Love to God be in thee and the same uprightness and patience will preserve thy goings aright and keep thee from murmuring when thou wantest many things that others enjoy Thou knowest that Dives was rich but Lazarus was poor and was desirous of the crums that fell from the rich mans Table Dives had his good things but Lazarus his evil things in this world a Beggar the Rich man dyed and the Beggar also the Rich man was Wicked and went into Hell to be tormented in that Fire but Lazarus was received into Abraham's Bosom and was blessed and comforted with faithful Abraham who is called the Father of the faithful And you that are poor in this world consider Christ Jesus who in the days of his flesh had not whereon to lay his head though the Foxes had holes and the Birds of the Air their nests and your heavenly Father knoweth what you have need of and will let you want no manner of thing that he seeth good for you be content that you are Heirs of Gods Kingdom and that God hath promised you Treasure in Heaven keep your Hearts to that and prise that above all earthly cankering or the rusty Treasure of this world and it will go well with you forever and evermore The Riches of this World and all its Honour and Glory that is uncertain and takes to it self Wings and flyes away but we being rich in Faith and in good Works that will abide and follow us when we are gone hence and shall be no more seen in this world but the Riches of this world and its Delights and Pleasures will come to an end now are flying away from many whose minds were lifted up and who were puffed up in their minds with it And the Apostle said Charge them that are Rich in this World that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertain Riches but in the living God who gave them all things richly to enjoy And Job said Naked came I into this World and naked shall I return again and that the Lord gave and took away and could bless the Name of the Lord He thus said in his poor stript and distressed state and the Love Faith and Patience of Job giveth true contentedness now and such as have it cast their care upon the Lord and he takes care for them And Friends you that are rich in this World keep your Minds out of it or else it will become a snare to you and your Table may become a snare if you keep not low sober in the use of these good things that you enjoy in this world although God gives you them for your welfare yet they may become a trap and if when they encrease you let your hearts after them and set your hearts on them undoubtedly they will prove so to you as well as other People Therefore keep low and take heed to your selves that the Earth get not over you again to oppress and burthen that Seed of God in any of you for then you will begin to walk heavily on and pull back your Shoulder from many good works and services that you might do for God in your day and will neglect the doing of them and if when Riches encrease you set your hearts on it it will steal away the hearts of such from the Lord then what availeth any thing of a drawing near to God with the Tongue or Lips or any Bodily exercise that you may be exercised in For in this state Pride and vain Glory creeps in and a desire after the Glory of the World and a love to it and to deck themselves very unbecoming Truth professed and talked of by them and to get into the vain Fashions and Modes of the world because they have gotten more of it than others they may think that they may get into fine Apparel and needless things the world useth to wear and so much of that which is needless and superfluous is worn by some especially that are young that it is a shame their Parents that have the government of them should suffer them in it So