condemnation but are in disobedience to the Light of Christ by vvhich the law is fulfilled and in vvhich the Gospel is preached again as in times past therefore all come to the Light of Christ vvith vvhich you are enlightned and obey it vvhen in your Consciences it reproves you that it may guide you and lead you and teach you and bring life and imortality into you vvhich you can never finde in your ovvn vvay and therefore out of your ovvn vvay you must depart in the leadings of the Light if ever you come to the life from vvhich the Light is made manifest and you must obey the Light and follovv it and not reject it and quench it and by follovving the Light in obedience it vvill bring you to forsake your ovvn vvay and all your invented forms and vvill bring you into the vvay vvhich God hath prepared in vvhich the cross is placed upon vvhich all worldly lusts is crucified and condemned and the old man vvith all his deeds destroyed and as you take up the Cross and follovv the Light vvhich is to obey it then you vvill have true peace in your vvay and vvill knovv and understand the Gospel of God vvhich is the power of God unto Salvation and the Gospel will have a free course in you and not be quenched and so the Cross is in the way which God hath prepared but ease and fleshly liberty is in the way which man hath invented and therefore it is that so many walkes in it and are so in love with it as they will not forsake it but whosoever continues in that path and doth not turn to the Light with the Light to be guided they will finde the pit to be in the end of it therefore how deeply are people concerned to take heed to their way least their obstinacy run them to perpetual ruine for it is not a profession of any sort that will bring peace in the latter end though people may be observant in what they do profess according to their own forme but the life which in the Light is ministred in that alone by which the Soul is comforted and sustained and in the needful times is helped and relieved and that is the Gospel which brings glad tydings of peace and glad tydings of good things that binde up the broken hearted and restores joy for mourning and gives the spirit of gladness for the spirit of heaviness and so the poor receives the Gospel and it is glad tydings unto them but the rich reject it being filled with their own wealth and so they are sent emptie away as to the virtue which the Gospel ministreth and therefore it is hard for a rich man to be saved who hath stirred himself with the fetchings in of wealth by his Earthly wisdom his Ear is stopped to the joyful sound of the Gospel but the poor are sensible of their want and so are always waiting to be supplied from the spring of life and are ready to receive when it opens and ministers and by the Gospel they are converted relieved refreshed and strengthned for the virtue thereof flowes in the life unto every breathing soul that wants in the Light and this is the Gospel which is preached again in the Spirits power as in times past and the joyful sound hath entered the hearts of the poor and thereby they are restored into the joy of Gods Salvation and are heires of the Kingdom and inherits the riches of life everlasting so as the testimony of the Light is faithfully obeyed the power of the Gospel workes by operation and overcomes the god of this World and rend away the vail with which he hath blinded the minde and then the minde enters into the power of the Gospel and in the power receives faith to believe in God and by faith in the power there is a sure standing and a patient waiting upon God then doth the power work into salvation regeneration and translation beating down every strong hold and casting out the god of this World which hath been exalted in the place where he ought not and so darkness comes to be Expelled out of man by the power of the Gospel which worketh effectually in all that believe by which the mindes is drawn into the new and living way and so comes to be redeemed up to God by Jesus Christ in whom is life Eternal and in whole life is the fellowship of the Gospel therefore all people forsake your own way and live and walk in the way of understanding that after your long time of weary wandrings in the night season where darkness hath compassed you about you may come to the Light of Christ in your own Consciences and so enter into the same rest which is onely in God A tender greeting unto the royal off-spring of God RIght Dear and tenderly beloved Lambs in an acceptable time hath the Lord God manifested his everlasting love unto you and in the day of his Salvation he hath sweetly visited your tender soules and hath raised you up by the arme of his power into the glorious life of the son of his love in whom he hath chosen you and in whom he hath set his love upon you and made you his peculiar ones in whom he taketh great delight and unto you his love doth freely run without ceasing and his life doth flow with pure streams of sweet refreshings for in his Covenant he hath gathered you and in his Covenant his virtue hath free passage to you in which you spring as plants of his own hand and in his hand he keepes you that none can pluck you out for with his hand he hath done valiant things since the day he set his love upon you and you are made witnesses of his mighty power by which he hath preserved you in your greatest afflictions it is none but he alone that could do that for you which hath been done and therefore he alone is worthy of all the glory for the work is of him and the glory belongs unto him over all Therefore my dearly beloved in the Lord keep your Eye single to the first principle the measure of Light which is pure for therein the Gospel was first preached unto you and by the same your Eyes were opened and your Ears unstopped your hearts broken and melted and there was the hand reached forth by which you was first helped and by that holy principle alone you have been quickned for it preached from the throne of God and from his glory and with the same you were overcome to yeild up all to be made one with it So that ye are made children of the Light and of the day and are witnesses that this principle brought life and immortality to Light by the Gospel and the glad tydings did reach your mourning souls and you were thereby turned unto God and became followers of the truth in the love of it and the Lord hath been with you and blessed you and hath made your
Gospel-Tydings Wherein is shewed What the Gospel-Administration was the Apostacy from it and the Restauration into it again BEING A Message of true unfeigned Love UNTO All that are seeking peace in their own way and wearying themselves in their own wanderings that they may come to the Light of Christ Jesus and be established in the Power of the Gospel where Life and Peace and rest is witnessed With a tender GREETING UNTO THE Royal Off-spring of God W. S. LONDON Printed in the year 1662. Gospel Tidings c. THat there was a time in which the Gospel was preached and published is a thing which generally is confessed by all that profess Christianity but that there was an apostatizing from it and a night of thick darkness came over that dispensation is a thing that few understand and therefore it is that the appearance of the same Gospel which at this day is broken forth in light out of the night of apostacie and preached again in the same power is by so few believed and received for as that spirit and power doth remain in people which led into the apostacie and went over that glorious dispensation of the Gospel that then was even so it blinds their mindes that the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ doth not shine unto them though by the same spirit power in which it was then preached it be preached again and so through the ignorance that is in them they are led captive in Error having Eyes but see not Eares but hear not hearts but do not understand so are not converted nor healed but in darkness abides and in darkness walks in their own way and such wearies themselves in an endless travel being driven about with divers doctrines which is held forth in mans cunning part that lies in wait to deceive by which they are tossed from one thing to another and catches at words and sounds instead of life and power and so the many Inventions have been sought out and set up with which people please themselves as if they were in the right way though there is a cry in many which is not satisfied in it And these Inventions which are come up in the long night of apostacie and observed and practised as if they were a Gospel dispensation they want the virtue with which the gospel gives satisfaction and are found dry and emptie Cisterns which yeilds no refreshings for they onely lye in forms without and not in the light and power of God within in which the gospel hath a free passage to the soul in its own virtue and therefore unto that all people must come from which the night of apostacy hath caused them to erre that they may feele the dispensation of the Gospel in its own power and virtue for the Gospel is not changed into any new Invention though people have invented many new forms every one sets up their own form as a gospel dispensation yet their form doth not make a Gospel administration neither can any breathing desire receive peace or satisfaction therein for whose minds are turned outwards looking for the Kingdom of God in observations they deceive themselves with a vain hope runs themselves at a greater distance from the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ by how much they place their belief in any invented form by so much the more they err from the power which is the Gospel loses the virtue of its administration whilst they are seeking the Kingdom of God in formes and observations without they neglect the power of the Gospel which ministreth an entrance into the Kingdom of God within Now as it is generally confessed that there was a time in which the Gospel was preached and published so it is to be considered in what principle their administration stood who was the ministers of it and how they became worthy to be put in trust with it for the Apostle said Our exhortation was not of deceit nor of ucleanness nor of guile but as we are allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel even so we speak not at pleasing men but God which trieth our hearts 1. Thess 2. mark they were blowed of God and put in trust with the Gospel by him having received Christ Jesus into their hearts by the manifestation of his light and love and so were found worthy in Christ to be put in trust with the Gospel for by the holy principle of Light which they had received in Christ Jesus they received power to Crucifie deceit uncleanness and guile and thereby they became renewed in the Spirit of their mindes unto God who put them in trust with the gospel in that which was pure and clean in which he allowed them to be ministers of it not in words onely but also in power so that their words which in the power was ministred they were spoken as in the sight of God who tried their hearts and they did not frame their words to please men but in the power by which they were made ministers they were made manifest unto every mans Conscience in the sight of God and the Apostle said Now thanks be unto God which always causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place for we are not as many which corrupt the Word of God but as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ 2. Cor. 2. marke they spake in Christ and so were manifest to every mans Conscience in the sight of God and the measure of Christ in every one bare witness unto their testimony though such as did not joyn to the measure of Christ in themselves could not receive it yet the same principle in which they spake did bear witness to it in every mans Conscience and so they stood approved unto God and not unto men whereby it is evident that they had received Christ Jesus and that he was in them for they spake in him and that was the Gospel which they preached and which many receivâ—d as glad tidings that brought life and immortallity unto their souls and they that did receive the glad tydings of the gospel and did abide in it they became followers of the Lord and of the truth in the love of it so that the savour of life in them that ministred did reach the life in them that believed by which life they all came into the fellowship of the gospel and so they that ministred was a sweet savour in the hearts of those that believed and the Apostle said My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and of power that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man but in the power of God for what man knows the things of a man save the Spirit of man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now
we have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God which things also we speak not in the words which mans wisdome teacheth but which the holy Ghost teacheth comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual 1. Cor 2. mark they had not received the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that was their principle in the Spirit of God they knew the things that was freely given of God in the same principle in which they freely received they freely ministred this was the preaching of the Gospel then not according to mans wisdom but in Christ Jesus the power wisdom of God in which gospel many believed and were saved and the Apostle said Moreover brethren I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you which also you have received and wherein ye stand by which also ye are saved if ye keep in memorie what preached unto you unless ye have believed in vain 1. Cor. 15 mark the Gospel which then was preached they that received it stood in it and were saved by it and they were not to let it slip out of their mindes but to keep it in memorie that they might not believe in vain and many did so receive it in the love of it as they did retain it and the salvation in it and was preserved by the power of it to hold fast that which they had received and such continued in their well doing and persevered unto the end and died in the faith having obtained eternall redemption and Salvation by the power of the Gospel and unto whom this Gospel was hid it was hid unto them that was lost in whom the God of this World had blinded the mindes of them which believed not least the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them 2. Cor. 4. And such perished in their gain saying not receiving the truth in the love of it but gave up themselves to believe lyes which the God of this World led them into and blinded their mindes with and such could not see though they had Eyes nor hear though they had Eares nor understand though they had hearts and so was not converted nor healed by the power of the Gospel though in the same power it was preached unto them as unto those that did believe in it and receive it and so it became the savour of life unto life in those that believed and the savour of death unto death in those that perished and as there were many which could neither see nor hear nor understand the glorious dispensation of the Gospel but were blinded by the God of this World unto whom they yeilded themselves to obey and so were never converted not healed but perished in their gainsaying even so there were many whole Eyes were opened and Ears unstopped and hearts broken who did both see and hear and understand the true and living message of the Gospel and yet did not abide in that which they had seen and heard and understood not likeing to retein God in their knowledge but yeilded themselves again unto the God of this World and so became vailed from the Light of the glorious Gospel that they lost the sight of that which they had seen and the hearing of that which they had heard and the understanding of that which they had in some measure understood and by the God of this World unto whom they yeilded themselves again their hearts were darkned and their mindes blinded and though professing themselves to be wise they became fooles having put away faith and a good Conscience and made shipwrack of it though they were gone from the Gospel and the power of it in themselves yet they reteined the form and became more in love with the form then the power and so did not onely err from the power but turned against it and denied it and of this sort they were that crept into houses and led silly women captive loaden with sins and led away with divers lusts 2 Tim 3. For they being erred from the power of God and having made shipwrack of saith and a good Conscience they were gone into Captivity themseves and so led others to follow them and captivated them in the forme in which they were always learning but never came to the knowledge of the truth and so many apostatized from the Light of the glorious Gospel and denied the power of it after that they had seen and heard and understood somthing of it and such became false brethren who turned the grace of God into Lasciviousness and denied the onely Lord God and the Lord Jesus Christ as in Jude So that after the Saints deceased who by the power of the Gospel was cleansed and with its vertue washed from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and did retain it and hold it fast in the pure principle of life then did the Apostacy overspread and the darkness of it covered the Earth and the God of this World came into dominion and ruled in the hearts of people and in darkness they conceived what was in the power practised and thereby people came to be deceived being erred from the principle of God and so that hath been taken for a Gospel dispensation whcih in the unclean part hath been conceived and practised and in that unrighteous nature the truth hath been held for by the God of this World peoples minds have been corrupted their Eyes blinded hereby it may be understood how the apostacy entered and how the Gospel dispensation came to be lost and how the many invented forms came to be set up and observed with which people now seemes to be well pleased and satisfied and every one according to their own perswasion observes their own for me as a Gospel dispensation yet in all ages since the apostacy entered there hath been something of God stirring in some particular that hath breathed after the enjoyment of that life which in pure Gospel times was witnessed amongst the Saints and Gospel worshippers but the God of this World being in dominion it hath been Crushed and quenched in its rising and hath been beaten down again by a strong hand which the God of this World hath stretched forth against it so that it could not come to spread abroad in the liberty of the life but hath alway been suppressed in its rising by the force of Laws which the God of this World hath invented but now it hath pleased God in the fulness of time to reveale his Son in power and great glory who hath brought life and Immortallity to Light by his appearance in whoselife and power the Gospel is preached again and many have believed and received the glad tydings of it who some times were wandering in the apostacy and seeking peace in their own way but could not finde it for which cause they many
times mourned and lamented and their Souls endured griefe and trouble for want of Christ whom they earnestly breathed after and though they had gone through many invented forms and tried the depths of mans wisdom in his own way yet they could not finde him whom their Souls longed after but when the glorious Gospel brake forth in its own power and came to be preached in the life then by its strength their Ears were pierced and the joyful sound did enter into their hearts and the living witness of God was raised and life from death was witnessed and then they found him whom their souls loved and such knows the Scripture to be fulfilled and can truly say How beatutiful is the feet of him that brought glad tidings of Salvation and published peace who is risen in life to proclaim the Gospel and such do witness that the night is over and gone and the day is come and the light of the knowledge of the glory of God shines in their hearts in the face of Jesus Christ who is the first born of God that brought many Son to glory who are now made living witnesses of his Resurrection and his life and are allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel whose labour and traveail is in the strength and power of God and in the same they publish his message that people may be turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive remission of sins and come to an inheritance amongst all that are sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus and whosoever doth not bring this message is not to be received for it is the same Gospel that was preached unto Abraham and in which he believed it is the same Gospel that was preached by the Apostles and in which many then believed and what they had heard and seen and tasted and handled of the word of life that they declared in the life and so they preached Christ Jesus the power of God to Salvation and there was not another Gospel to be brought either by Angel or man but they that brought it was to be accursed for the Apostle said though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed as we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you then that ye have received let him be accursed but I certifie you brethren that the Gospel which was preached of me is not after man for I neither received it of man neither was I taught it but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ Gal. 1. Oh that they which speak of themselves would consider this who knowes no more of the Gospel then what they receive of man and are taught by man which is not the way by which the Apostle came to the Gospel and therefore it is evident that such have not the Gospel to preach who denies revelation and so they preach another Gospel then that which the Apostle preached But now the same Gospel is known again by many in whom Jesus Christ is revealed who hath brought life and Immortallity to light by the Gospel and in his power it is preached again even the same Gospel which is neither of man nor by man but in the same power received as they received it and in the same power preached as they preached it and it is committed unto faithful men whom God hath intrusted with it who are able to teach others also and this is the Light which shines out of darkness and goes over the night of apostacy with all the Apostates Inventions and in power redeemes people up to God again from whom they are alienated in the apostacy and such whose Eys are shut and Ears stopped and hearts hardened against this glorious administration of the Gospel they are of all men most miserable for it is the mighty power of God unto Salvation unto all that believe in it and receives it but they that reject it and are rebellious against it they reject the loving kindness of God and with the Gospel are condemned and not saved for they that believe not they are condemned because they believe not in the name of the onely begotten Son of God but unto all that do believe his appearance brings life and immortallity to light by the Gospel and it is evident that it is the same Gospel that is now preached and not another for it hath wrought effectually in the hearts of many and hath purged and expelled the uncleanness and filthiness both of flesh and spirit and hath pulled down felf-righteousness and revealed the Righteousness of God in which many are established so that the life of such now who have received the Gospel doth fully answer to the life of such then by which it is manifest that it is the same Gospel and not another having wrought the same work in the hearts of all that have received it as in times past and they answer to the same in life and practice as face answers face in a glass so that the demonstration of the Gospels power may be clearly distinguished from all Inventions for though there may be fair shews of Godliness in some particular forms yet they are not translated into the power and life of Christ in which the Gospel administration standeth therefore unto all such who yet abide in darkness and are seeking peace in their own way is this message sent in love that they unto the Light may be turned by which the danger of their way will be opened and discovered for the Light will open that eye which hath been closed and unstop that Eare which hath been stopped and break that heart which hath been hardned by the God of this World and so they will come to see and hear and understand what is with the Light made manifest without which the things of God can never be perceived for as the Light is in it self a most holy pure and Righteous principle so it doth discover in mans Conscience all unrighteousness which is sin and lets him see what lovers he hath entertained into his heart which defiles him and makes him unclean in the sight of the pure God and in the Light waiting that voyce which speaks from heaven will be heard and the Gospel will sound into that Ear which is unstopped pierce into the heart prick it and with the precious savour of its virtue it will soften it and so the Light of the glorious Gospel will shine out of the night of apostacy and bring glad tidings into the Soul which in the night of apostacy hath been captivated and there man will come to feele the love which God hath unto him who would not that any should perish but that all should come to the knowledg of the truth and be saved and there is no want of love from God to save men but there is want of love from men to close
way prosperous even as a people upon whom his love is placed and as he hath chosen you and is a God present with you so let the desires of your hearts be kept unto him and to the remembrance of his name that the pure seed of life may be Crowned in every one which is the birth that seekes the glory of God alone for as ye abide in the principle in which you are gathered so will the pure fear be retained and in the low estate you will be preserved unto which the Lord hath great regard for the waves upon the waters doth but rise to fall again but the low estate is fixed on the Rock and upon the rock stands higher then all and there the life is fell which God doth highly exalt Oh ye tender hearts the Light of Christ teacheth that plainness is the path of truth and lowly mindes walks in that way and simplicity is with them and innocency cloaths them and in that life is the sweet refreshment for there the babe doth rellish the savour of that which is good for food and with the same is comforted and nourished in its tender growth therefore in the innocency keep our station that the weighty power of God may for ever be your defence so will the glory of his life rest upon you and the plant of his hand wil flourish and be fruitful in you and in its beautie you will be comely as the off-spring of God and bear his Image in the seed of glory therefore retain the first principle which is of God that the love wherewith God loves you may for ever remain with you and do you increase therein to the glory of him who hath chosen you for there is not an other Gospel but that which was first preached amongst you and received by you the sound of which was joyful in your hearts and made your feeble knees to gather strength so that you could walk and leap for joy Oh dwell in the same my dear beloved for it is the weighty power of God in which is the Kingdom and life without end And have such in singular love who are Fathers in Israel who first brought the tydings of peace by the Gospel for they are worthy of double honour vvho yet continues labouring in the vvord and doctrine and nurses the birth vvith pure milk and refreshes the plant vvith heavenly vvaters and though some be fallen asleep having finished their testimony faithfully yet their life remains vvith us and in the same their glorious testimony are had in remembrance yea it can never be forgotten by the upright in heart for their labour and travel and faithful sufferings for the Lord and his precious truth doth stand as a sure feal of their holy testimony which by them was faithfully held forth unto the end against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men and all their unlawfull deeds and they are now entered into everlasting rest where their reward is with them in fullness and as their precious life is reteined so will their testimony be abundantly increased and enlarged by which God will yet make known his great power and glory to the comfort of his people and amazement of their enemies therefore hold fast the gift of God which in the Light ye have received that you with the same may be close girded up and in your well doing continue to the end neither looking back nor turning aside to lay hold upon any other thing then what was first preached and in which ye believed and received which is the gift of God into Eternal life Brethren these things I write not as though ye had need of teaching but in that dear and tender love which floweth to you-wards in the same to stir up your pure mindes to retain and hold fast that which ye have heard from the begining and the anointing which abideth in you will teach you the same as ye abide in it for you have no need of teaching who are in the anointing but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things which also will bring to your Remembrance whatsoever hath been told you through the holy testimony of faithful brethren in the same life so ye being come to that which abides for ever ye know the Lord to be your teacher who by his Counsel instructs you in the night season and with his love doth comfort you and strengthen you when there is not another to help you and herein the Lord hath made you to differ from all wanderers who are wearying themselves in their own way and setting up teachers in their own wills upon whom the apostacie yet abideth so that they hear not the heavenly voyce but gives heed to fables which unto them is spoken by the voyce of dreamers but yee beloved have a more sure word being come to the heavenly Light in which you hear Christs voyce and follow him as his own sheep in his own way where he teaches you in secret with the still voyce of his life so that you can sit in silence and see your teacher and hear his voyce that speakes from heaven and receive the joyful sound into your hearts and feed upon the sweetness of his own virtue and drink of the Rivers of his pleasure freely and this is the weighty power of God which goes over all the wandrings and presses into the stillness by which the seed of God comes into dominion and cloathes the babes of its nature with the garment of praise and in this life the witness of God is answered in every Conscience and this is the life which unto you is come and of which ye are born ye dear beloved Lambs who are reconciled unto God through Jesus Christ in whose love life and power he hath joyned you together and made you a compleat body in himself from whom let no man separate you or put you asunder but grow in his life in which you are purely the off-spring of God by whose power you are regenerated and born again of incorruptible seed and are translated into the nature of the lamb whose heavenly image you bear in his glory So let the Word of Christ dwell plentifully in you and in the same exhort one another and build up one another in your most holy faith alwayes keeping your Eye to the movings of the word that none may quench it through fear or doubting nor lose its motion by over-running but as it purely moves in it self opens the riches of its fulness so let the virtue flow from its own life without adding or diminishing and there you will all drink at the streams of one fountain and be comforted together by one spring for as there may be a service lost when the movings of the word is quenched so there can be no service done when another motion is answered or the true motion of the word is over-run but when the word disposesit self in the riches of it self the savour of its life is to the life in which the Babes rejoyce in endless peace and unitie Oh ye Lambs right dear and precious you are be strong in the faith and look up to God the day of your glory yet breaketh forth darkness cannot vail it cruelty cannot cloud it your innocencie preaches your patience and meekness reaches Gods witness the seed answereth and riseth many Eyes are turning to your Light and life strong desires are kindled towards you and the hearts of many wisheth well unto you and though they behold you a far off yet they love you Oh the patient sufferings of the lambes hath pierced deep glorious is your testimony ye holy ones who shall oppose you to prosper I know not any though for a time they may afflict you and cast you down yet you are not forsaken but shall rise again for the most high hath blessed you and your life shall spread and flourish whilst they that seek your hurt will run themselves to ruine Dearly beloved brethren and lambs Fare ye well in the life of Christ Jesus who hath made us one in himself and set us together in the heavenly places of his love in whose bosom our joy and peace and rest is sure for ever where I right dearly greet you all The everlasting God of power peace be with you preserve and keep yon in his heavenly power life and wisdome in dominion to reigne even so Amen The arme of the Lord in this place is largely stretched forth to the gathering of his elect and the precious truth doth flourish and abundantly prosper many are lately joyned with it are become followers of it in love glory and everlasting praises be given unto God most High Friends in these parts are generally well and fresh in the truth of God and meetings large peaceable and in the love and Life of God both bond and free rejoyces together Nottingham County Gaole The second Month 1663. W. S. THE END