over thee with joy he 'l joy over thee with singing then it shall be said sing oh daughter of Sion and shout oh Israel and rejoyce with all thy heart oh daughter of Jerusalem for the Lord hath taken away thy Judgment he hath cast out thy enemies and thy warfare is accomplished and thy great travel is finished and now thou shalt rest from thy labour and they who hath laboured and mourned with thee and for thee shall rejoyce for joy with thee and suck and be satisfied with the sweet consolation of thy breast and milk out and be delighted in the abundance of thy glory oh the Lord thy husband thy maker the God of hosts is his name will extend peace joy comfort and everlasting refreshment as a mighty stream and endless consolation as a river oh then shall they be comforted in thee after their sorrow and be born up upon thy sides and dandles upon thy knees for as a woman comforteth her only son so will the Lord comfort Jerusalem in the sence whereof her Children shall rejoyce and their souls be right glad and flourish as an herb and their spirit shall praise and sing glory unto him who is Lord and King of Heaven and Earth who is worthy worthy of all glory praise and honour for ever and for ever more Amen saith my soul The thing which the Lord hath purposed must be accomplished in his season and the thing that he hath determined must be fulfilled in despite of all the powers of Darkness Oh that all thy babes and lambs may willingly wait thy appointed time oh Lord God almighty oh dear God keep all thy people retire in thy name that so what ever thou suffer to befall their bodies their souls may be safe bundeled up in the bundle of Life wrapped therein for ever more for a terrible day is like to be upon all flesh and who can be able to abide it Oh dear God increase the patience of thy People strengthen the faith of thy Chosen oh support the weak and uphold the little ones which cannot yet go alone oh that none of thy flock may faint nor grow weary oh that all thine might stand in the day of tryal and be kept in the hour of temptation and borne up under all sufferings that so in the end they may come forth as gold seven times refined in the fire that they may shine as stars in the firmament of thy power making mention of thy goodness graciousness and kindness oh Lord God Almighty declaring of thy mighty acts and sing of thy mercies and wonderful doings and glorifie magnifie honour and praise thee thou mighty everlasting powerful one who art from all Eternity to all Eternity whose Throne is established of old whose septer beareth sway in Righteousness whose Kingdom is Everlasting glory and halleluiah to thee in the highest for ever and for ever moâ—e yea praises praises pure living praises every minute be rendered unto the Lord Almighty saith the soul of William Bennit OH arise arise thou holy righteous seed of the Covenant of life eternal Arise arise thy Light is come and the glory of thy God is risen upon thee Oh thou lovely one Nations shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightness of thy rising Ah thou beautiful one thy Sons shall come from far and thy Daughters from the ends of the Earth Arise arise thou beautiful one who art altogether lovely Oh how sweet is thy Love thou lovely one oh how excellent is thy Love thou choice one oh thy love thy love is more precious then Rubies more sweeter then hony oh thy love is better then wine Oh how hath thy love overcome the hearts of many and wone them unto thee oh thy love draws many after thee oh how doth thy love cause many to cast off all their other lovers to follow thee thou lovely one oh thou art become unto many souls who loveth thee thou lovely one even the chiefest of ten thousands whose eyes are opened to see thy beauty and to behold thy comeliness thou beautiful one oh thou art hid from the polluted neither can the unclean behold thy excellent beauty the Vulterous eye cannot perceive thy Comeliness nor they who hath eyes full of Adultery and cannot cease from sin and have hearts exercised with covetous practises and are gone a whoring after many Lovers oh from these thou art hid thou lovely one even as a garden inclosed as a spring shut up as a fountain sealed from them Oh arise thou choice one and let thy beauty appear unto those who yet hath not seen thy beauty and let them tast of thy love that so they may cast off all other Lovers and follow thee Cast of all and cleave unto thee with their whole hearts Oh arise arise thou beloved one and shine forth in thy excellent glory that even the Nations may be ravished with thy beauty and Kingdoms overcome with thy love and be drawn after thee that a blessing in thee they may obtain Oh arise and let thy fruitfulness appear thou pâ—ecious one and let joy and gladness fill thy heart thou lovely one for the days of thy rejoycing is come and coming and the days of thy mourning is fleeing away Oh thou beloved one thou hath been even as a woman foâ—saken and grieved in spirit and few or none of the sons and daughters of Men hath looked upon thee with an eye of pitty Oh thou hath been as the Owle in the desart and as the alone sparrow upon the house top and as the alone quail in the stuble fields and as a Dove mourning alone without her Mat who hath set solitary alone as in the Wilderness and none among the sons of Men to comfoâ—t thee oh thou beloved one thou hath been like unto a man of sorrow and very deeply acquainted with grief often smitten often grieved often afflicted often wounded often pierced and oppressed even as a Cart that is pressed with sheaves and yet the sons and daughters of Men hath esteemed thee not although indeed thou patient one thou hath been wounded by their transgressions and grieved smitten and pâ—eâ—ced and bruised by their iniquities and hath born the weight of their sins and the burden of their Transgressions even while they like sheep have gone astray every one following his own way and feasting themselves as for a day of slaughter whiles thou hath been mourning because of the iniquity of the people eating and drinking and rising up to play whiles thou hath been weeping and groaning in secret because of the multitude of their transgressions who hath heaped sin upon sin and iniquity upon iniquity and hath loaded thee therewith which hath been as an impress of ten thousands upon thee thou tender one and unto thee they had no regard they took no notice of thy sorrow and burdens But oh thou beloved one thy God thy tender God who loveth thee with an Everlasting love took notice of thy sorrow and he saw
and even as the Husbandman who soweth his seed in the Earth hath long patience for it untill he receiveth the early and latter rain so do thou wait patiently upon the Lord who will be unto thee as the early and latter rain in due season wait upon him he who is to come will come and will not tarry and his reward will be with him even fulness of joy comfort peace rest and sweet satisfaction unto thee oh my soul Oh my soul oh my soul surely surely the Lord will never leave thee nor forsake thee if thou forsake him not indeed he may seem to hide his face from thee for a time but without doubt he will appear again to thy comfort who cannot live without him oh my soul the Lord heareth thee often saying in secret alass what is the glory of the world unto me what is the honour and praise of the world to me what is the favours friendship and estemation of the world to me what is the vanity vain sports delights and pleasures of the sons and daughters of Men to me oh surely all these things are but as dross and dung unto me in comparison of the Lord my God who is the fountain of everlasting joy delight and pleasure oh if I enjoy him fully I have enough he is the joying of my heart the rejoycing and glading of my spirit the strength of my rains the girdle of my lines wherefore how can I live without him oh my soul the Lord intends good unto thee by all his dealings with thee if he withdraw for a time and hide his face from thee for a season it is thereby to let thee see what thou art without him how poor how weak how feeble how foolish how empty how dead how dry how cold how barren and unfruitful art thou without the Lord that so thou being made truly sensible of thy own weakness and inability may be the more sensible of the needfulness of the supporting power and upholding arme and saving grace of the Lord thy God and the more to relie and depend upon the Lord oh my soul through the Lords withdrawing his presence from thee thou comes the more to know what the want of his presence is and coms to learn to prize the sweet enjoyment of his presence the more and to hold him fast and cleave unto him and to be very vigilent and careful thou doth not grieve him nor do the thing that may cause him to withdraw himself from thee oh my soul Oh my soul thou must learn to know how to want and how to abound how to be full and how to be empty how to be rich and how to be poor and in every condition to be content and not to murmur against the Lord the Lord can open and none can shut and he can shut and none can open the Lord can open the windows of Heaven and shour down abundantly upon thee oh my soul and even make a plenty in thy land even cause thy store to abound with corn and thy Fat 's overflow with new wine and he can also shut up the windows of heaven for a time and make a famine in thy Land if he pleaseth and thou must not say unto him in a murmuring way why dealeth thou thus with me for indeed he may do what he will do and yet all his doings are just and righteous altogether and in all his dealings with thee he thy dear tender nursing Father intends good unto thee oh my soul Oh my soul when the fountain openeth and the great deep overfloweth and fills thee with plenty of things needful for thee even then oh my soul dread and fear thou before the Lord and take heed of being lifted up in heart of being puffed up in mind of being exalted in spirit and beware of a false ease and wrong liberty and false security which may soon steal upon thee at such a time when thou art rich wise strong and full enough in thy own eyes if thou do not abide upon the watch and dread the Lord and drink the draughts of joy in the pure fear and trembling never departing therefrom in what ever thou enjoy of the Lord or receive from the Lord or do and suffer for the Lord keeping low in heart meek in mind humble in soul tender in bowels contrite in spirit and then oh my soul thou art in a safe condition truly my soul when thou appeareth wise strong rich and full enough in thy own eye even then thou art rather in greater danger then when thou appeareth weak poor and empty in thy own eyes although thou art not then without danger but hath cause to fear and watch in all conditions oh my soul when thou appeareth weak poor and feeble in thy own eyes even then take heed of distrust and doubting but hold fast thy trust in the Lord and let thy confidence in his name be firme and thy hope in his tender bowels be sure and constantly relie and depend upon him and honour him in believing in him and if he kill thee yet trust thou in him and never leave him for alass whether should thou go he hath the word of eternal life who is worthy to be glorified magnified honoured and praised feared served loved and obeyed for ever and forever more Oh my soul thou dearly loveth thy Fathers Children oh the Lord knoweth how near and dear his dear babes and tender lambs are unto thee oh my soul oh thou knoweth them in the spirit of love wherein thou delighteth to imbrace them even those whom outwardly thou never saw and in spirit to clasp them about and kiss them with a kiss of peace and hug them in the bosom of indearedness ah thy bowels thy bowels is open unto them and thy love is dear indeed towards them as the Lord thy God knoweth and oh that love might abound in thee more and more and in the hearts of all the children of Light it may abound one towards another as in days past and years which are gone that it may appear to all we are of God who is love and that we all are true disciples of Christ in that we love one another not only in shew and in word but in deed and in truth loving one another fervently with a pure heart Oh my soul thou desirest to simpathize with thy Fathers Children in their tryals sufferings and afflictions and in spirit to bear a part with them therein oh thou desirest even to mourne with them that mourne and to weep with them that weep in secret and to rejoyce with them that rejoyce and to travel in spirit with and for the Travellers to Sion and with the Travellers in Sion and to watch with those Watch-men which the Lord hath set upon the walls of Jerusalem who for Sions sake cannot be still and for Jerusalems sake cannot hold their peace who cease not to cry day and night to the Lord and can give him no rest until he establish
Jerusalem and make her a praise in the whole Earth for ever more Oh my soul be watchful and wary that thou dost not in the least degree seek glory honor and praise to thy self and to be had in esteem by others but oh wait to feel self wholly baptized into death and made of no reputation and take heed that thy left hand know not what thy right hand doth and do nothing to be seen of men or whereby to be accounted of by others but in all thou doth appeal unto him who seeth in secret and he it is who will reward thee openly seek thou to be only known and manifested to the pure un-erring witness of God in all consciences and to stand justified and approved by it and that is enough no honor no glory no praise but to God alone oh strive not for Lordship and Mastership over others but rather strive to be most meekest lowest humblest tender and contrite in mind and spirit condescending even to the lowest and serving the meanest in love seeking peace and unity among bretheren with all self-denyal bearing forbearing and forgiving for the Seeds sake bearing with the infirmities of the weak and with the haltings of the feeble watching for the good in all without respect of persons but not to watch for evil in any for that is abominable in the eyes of the Lord and seek thou the glory of God alone the honor of his name the exaltation and spreading forth of his truth the freedome growth and reign of the Seed of God in the hearts of all the prosperity of his tender Lambs Babes and Children that they may all stand in this day of tryal and be preserved in this hour of darkness and temptation and even to seek the good of all yea the good of thy greatest Enemies and have nothing but love and good will towards thy greatest Persecuters seeking the salvation of all people but not the destruction of any And oh my soul be circumspect and vigilent to walk so as becometh the Gospel and thee to be an adorning to the truth of God and to be as an holy example and righteous pattern unto all people where ever I come that I may be unto the Lord as a sweet smell and delectable savour that the blessing of the Lord my God may be poured down upon me yet more and more that I might become fruitful unto the Lord my God and be an instrument in his hand amongst the Sons and Daughters of Men to the praise glory honor and renown of the Lord Almighty for ever more oh my soul watch and fear before the Lord and take heed thou do not that thing to please others which thou knowest is not approved by the Lord keep thy eye unto the Lord and look not out at others to walk by imitation and if thou seeth him or her one or another what ever they be accounted of do those things which the Lord allowes thee not to do do not thee do them because an other doth them but watch and keep close unto the Lord and take counsel of him Oh my soul do not judg or justifie those things which thou hath not a true discerning in because an other judges or justifies them but rather be passive in that matter and stand still and wait upon the Lord for a perfect understanding in all things Oh my soul seek not liberty to the flesh beware of that counted freedome which is indeed bondage which hath stollen upon many in their latter days oh my soul indeavour to put off those things which in their place are said to be lawful which are a means to hinder thy growth into the Eternal and oh walk wisely before all Men giving no offence to the Jew nor Gentile nor to the Church in God knowing that there is that which is lawful but not expedient there is that which is lawful but it edifies not wherefore forbear what may be forborn and yet be not brought under the power of any thing below the life but seek after those things which make for edification love peace and unity for God is the Author of peace and not the Author of confusion strife contention and debate Oh my soul thou doth greatly desire that I might not appear in the sight of any of the Lords Lambs and little ones to be more then what I really am in and through the grace of God by which I am what I am and his grace which he hath freely bestowed upon me hath not been in vain praises to his name for ever Oh I would not be accounted of by any little one to be more then what I am in the Lord but rather let me be hid least honour should be ascribed unto that unto which it doth not belong for indeed all honour belongs to God alone alass all flesh is as grass and what is Man he is but a Vessel wherein God may appear or disappear as he pleaseth and indeed the Lord is jealous of his glory and he will not give it unto another wherefore my soul seek the glory honour and praise to God alone unto whom only it is due for ever and ever more Oh my soul thou doth not want the love the dear unfained love of the Lords dear babes tender lambs and children and oh thou desireth thou may not want their prayers for thee oh my soul that I may be preserved in this day of trial and be enabled by the Lord to finish my Testimony for him to his praise and my comfort joy and peace for ever more Oh my soul fear thou before the living God and very diligently take heed least thou who stand'st should fall as several hath done to their own woe and to the dishonour of God and to the causing his unchangable Truth to be evil spoken of and many seekers after Righteousness to stumble and the hands of Sions enemies thereby strengthened against the faithful of the Lord wâ—ose hearts are made sad whom the Lord hath not made sad even in the sense of the sad condition of those who once in some measure were acquainted with the Lord once tasted of his goodness and graciousness of his sweet unspeakable love and peace and even in some measure tasted and handled of the word of life and of the Powers of the World to come who were delivered out of spiritual Egypt by an out-stretched Arm and Mighty Power and by the same power carried through the Spiritual sea and wilderness and did in measure eat of the spiritual meat and drink of the Spiritual Rock which was made unto them as a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of a cloud by day c. and yet behold they are drawn back again by the enemy of their soul through their yielding unto his temptations and receiving his proffers and are turned as the Dog to his vomit and as the sow that was washed to her wallowing again in the mire and hath even made shipwrack of faith and a good
and brought thee forth by his own Almighty power Oh my soul surely thou had never as as of thy self turned unto the Lord had not the Lord of his own free will turned thee and after thou was turned thou repented and after thou was afflicted thou smote upon thy thigh yea thou was confounded because thou bore the shame of thy youth and surely my soul after the Lord had turned thee in measure unto him thou had not followed him in the narrow and strait way through the Cross in the self denial had not the Lord thy God drawn thee after him by the cords and woings of his tender love and surely thou had turned back again from the Lord into the mire and durt again and had never stood untill this hour but must have fainted and dyed ere this day had not the Lord of his own free will kept thee preserved thee upheld thee and supported thee by his own almighty power whose grace hath been sufficient for thee both in the day of prosperity and in the day of adversity in the time of tryal in the hour of temptation and so let all flesh be silent in thee oh my soul and the Lord only exalted and the boaster for ever excluded and God alone have the glory and self wholly slain and the Lord alone honoured and praised and his unspeakable love and free grace admired and his holy name feared and obeyed by whose grace thou art what thou art and his grace bestowed upon thee hath not been in vain blessed blessed be the Lord and pure holy praises to him and glory and Halleluiah to him in the highest Amen saith my soul Oh Lord what was I and what was my Fathers house I was neither a Prophet nor a Prophets son what was I that the King of glory should cast his eye upon me even when I laid as among the pits what was I that he should hold forth the scepter unto me and I should find favour in his sight who regarded my low estate and raised me out of the dust and brought me from off the dunghill to sit among Princes Oh my soul the Lord hath done much for thee since the day he formed thee in the womb and brought thee forth for his praise he hath made the crooked things strait before thee and rough smooth and mountains he hath laid low before thee and removed many a hill out of thy way and he hath made a way for thee in the Wilderness and a path through many a thicket he hath lopt the bough with terrour and the great one of stature hath been hewn down he did cut up the thicket of the Forrest with Iron and Lebanon did fall by a mighty one oh he hath made the hard things easie unto thee oh how hath his love made thee willing to bow thy neck to the yoak and to take up the Cross and totally to despise the shame and to follow the Lamb through some trials and tribulations whose love hath drawn thee after him whose love hath as it were made thee to forget thy Fathers house Oh how hath his love caused me to cast off other lovers and to love the Lord my God who is now become my treasure and my heart is with him so that if I be shut up in prison if I enjoy him oh then days months and years may pass over my head and time is not thought long nor sufferings hard because of the enjoyment of the presence of the Lord my treasure whom my soul loveth for whose sake I am willing to suffer whose pure sweet refreshing comfortable presence makes a prison delightsome to me praises pure living praises to my God for ever who hath been with me in six troubles and in the seventh he hath not left me he is my buckler my shield my strength my Rock my safe guard my strong tâ—wer wherefore I 'le not fear the threats of the wicked neither regard the cruelty of the ungodly nor heed the purposes of my enemy nor mind the dâ—terminations of unrighteous men through the strength of my God I will not fear though the Earth be removed and carried into the midst of the Sea and though the mountains shake through the swelling thereof though the Heathen rage and the people imagine vain things and the Rulers take councel against me I 'le not fear what Man can do unto me for the Lord is with me and I shall not be moved and the Lord will help me and that right early yet alass for me poor poor worm I am but a child weak and feeble but indeed having had great experience of the love of my God and of his tender fatherly care over me how can I but confidently trust hope relie and depend upon the Lord my God believing that he the mighty one will enable me the weak one to wade through and endure those tryals he pleaseth to exercise me withal who through his love and mercy hath caused my trials to work for my good praises to his name for ever more who hath nine times delivered me out of the hands of unreasonable men out of their prisons and holes where I have suffered for the Testimony of my God through his enabling of me without murmuring against him praises unto him alone no honour no honour no glory but unto God saith my soul who hath kept me by his power from bowing to the Beast or drinking of the Whores Cup pure praises to my dear God for ever more who will free me once again from bonds in his own time I am willing to wait thy season oh my God who art with me and oh let me never depart from thee oh Lord and then I know thou will never leave me but thou wilt be my God to help me still and to support me still and to comfort me still and refresh me still and quicken me still and to feed me still with bread from Heaven fresh Manna morning by morning and give me to drink of the River of thy pleasure daily who wilt enable me to stand faithful to thee unto the end of my days that I may finish my Testimony for thee thy name and truth in this thy day even with joy and lay down my head in peace in thy tender bosome of endless love oh my tender God and therein repose with thy dear Children for evermore have my full satisfaction of love in thee thou fountain of Love and therein fetch my full breath for ever more Oh let it be so oh let it be so oh my dear God for thy own seed sake to thy own praise thou holy one who is worthy worthy of all glory glory honour and everlasting thanksgiving and pure living praises for ever and ever more Amen Halleluiah glory and eternal renown to the almighty one in the highest Amen Oh my soul thou dearly loveth the whole Flock of God where-ever they are scattered upon the face of the Earth oh thou greatly desireth their prosperity and tranquility and that
the Lord may prosper and bless them with all Spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus Oh the Lord God keep all his Children every where in this hour and power of darkness and preserve all his dear babes and tender lambs in this day of great trial and manifold temptation Oh the Lord keep all those who make mention of his name in sincerity and truth from bowing in the least degree unto the Beast and from drinking the least drop of the Whores cup although she should be permitted to drink their blood Oh the Lord God almighty keep his sheep and lambs who were once scattered abroad in the cloudy dark day whom he hath sought and found out and gathered out of the desart places and wast howling Wilderness whom he hath brought from off the barren mountains and dry heaths into the low low low fresh green Valley where the pure sweet refreshing consolating springs of life eternal encompasseth them about Oh the Lord keep them still and quiet minding their feeding and not at all heed the raging of the Sea nor regard the unmercyful waves thereof which often looks very high as if they would quite overflow the valley of the low places and drown all who flee not unto the mountains for refuge and safety but oh let not the sheep and lambs and little ones fear nor at all flee to the hills for refuge for behold the Lord the high and mighty one the holy one of Israel is their Shepherd and he even continually watcheth over them and greatly careth for them and he it is who hath given bounds to the raging Sea and he limits the proud waves thereof and shuteth up her floods as he pleaseth he can let forth the wind and suffer a storm and he can make a calm when he pleaseth he can cause the sea and the wind to obey him and therefore the Children of God need not to fear none besides the Lord who will suffer nothing to befall them but what shall work for good to all his chosen faithful ones wherefore it is good for all the Children of the Lord confidently to trust in the Lord and not at all fear though their enemies pursue hard after them and say in their hearts come come we will pursue them we will overtake them our lusts shall be satisfied upon them we will have the desire of our hearts concerning them we will draw our swords and our hands shall destroy them and we will try whether their Gods in whom they say they trust be able to deliver them from the stroke of our hands well let not Israel heed the boasting and threatnings of his enemies nor regard the purposes of his adversaries though they pursue hard after him and say we will bring them back again into Egypt or else we will totally destroy them yet let not Israel fear for the Lord his God is between him and his enemies and fights for him against his adversaries and he in his anger will look down upon them and trouble their host and take off their Chariot wheels and will blow in his wrath upon them and the sea of his righteous indignation shall cover them and they shall sink as lead in the bottom of his righteous Judgments and he will get himself a name through the distruction of Sions enemies and honour and magnifie himself through the deliverance of his chosen who will work wonders for the sake of his Redeemed in so much as the Dukes of Edom shall be amazed and even trembling shall take hold upon the mighty men of Moab and all Nations shall shiver and quake before the mighty God of Israel who is dreadful in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Oh let Israel honour his God in believing in him and in trusting in his name in relying and depending upon his arme of everlasting strength and patiently without murmurings to wait upon the Lord for he that is to come will come and will not tarry whose work is before him and his reward is with him even joy for the mourners in Sion and beauty for ashes gladness for the heavy hearted in Jerusalem freedom for bondage freedom from weights burdens and grievous oppressions Oh let all the Children of the Lord wait without fainting upon the Lord for yet a little while and the voice will be heard saying rejoyce oh rejoyce and even sing for joy ye saints servants and prophets of the most high and triumph in the Lord Almighty over the beast and false prophet and over the Whore which hath corrupted the Earth who hath long set as a queen and said in her heart she should never see sorrow with whom the Nations of the Earth hath committed fornication and she hath made Nations Kindreds Tongues and People drunk with the wine of her fornication who hath long deceived the Nations with her golden cup which hath been filled with abominations and in her is found all the blood of the Martyrs and servants of Jesus which hath been shed upon the earth and she hath rid upon the beast that rose out of the Sea who received his seat great power and authority from the Dragon who persecuted the true woman that was cloathed with the sun and had a crown of twelve Stars upon her head who sought to devour her Man child and made war against the remnant of her seed who keep the commands of God and have the Testimony of Jesus these cannot worship the beast nor his name nor receive his mark but these worship God alone and are followers of the Lamb through many tribulations whose garments are made white in his blood by whom they are redeemed from amongst men these the Beast and false Prophet have sought to kill persecute and root out from off the face of the earth but wo wo wo to the beast false prophet and thè Whore for the day of their Judgment is come and misery calamity distress and destruction is coming upon them and she the mother of Harlots the mother of Witchcrafts the abominations of the earth shall utterly be destroyed and totally burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God Almighty who judgeth her and now sing oh Heavens and rejoyce ye who live therein over mystery Babylon the great for it is fallen it is fallen as a mighty milstone into the bottom of the Sea never more to arise again Amen Halleluiah The Lord will thunder from Heaven upon thy enemies oh Sion and will break thy adversaries to pieces and will give strength to thy King and exalt the horne of his Anointed and he shall reign and rule and prosper and execute justice and true judgment in the earth in his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and sit under his own Vine and none shall make him afraid then shall it be said to Jerusalem fear not and to Sion let not thy hands be slack the Lord in the middest of thee is mighty he hath saved thee he hath set thee free from thy trouble he will rejoyce
conscience and are proved treacherous children denying their father who begat them and casting off their mother who traveled in pain to bring them forth and hating the womb that bore them and paps which gave them suck this hath come upon them through carelesness and sloathfulness and through reasoning and consulting with the enemy of their souls and through looking at the trouble trial sufferings streights and difficulties which appeared in their way and through lusting after the flesh pots of Egipt through looking back into the ease pleasure riches and honour of this world which hath carried them away captive again into Egipt into the house of bondage again wherefore oh my soul watch watch and stand fast in that liberty which the truth Christ the power of God hath brought thee into and take heed thou be not again intangled with the yoak of bondage Oh my soul if there be some who once were fresh green tender living and fruitful unto God who now hath lost their freshness greenness tenderness and fruitfulness towards God and now coldness deadness and barrenness is come upon them to God-ward and their love and zeal for the Lord waxed cold Oh my soul if it have thus happened unto some oh how can thou but fear before the Lord oh my soul least the same should happen unto thee also And if some there be whose minds are gotten into a full liberty and are at ease in the flesh living above the cross of Christ Jesus which crucifies to the world and are grown careless and negligent spending their time often with vain talking foolish jesting and needless communication who formerly spent their time in waiting upon the Lord in meditating and exercising themselves in the things of God being very watchful over their thoughts words works and actions having the pure fear of the Righteous God fresh in their hearts standing in awe of him always least they should sin against him in thought word and deed lying down and rising up in his pure fear eating and drinking and doing all things in the pure fear of the Lord knowing a stay to their minds a stop to their thoughts a bridle to their tongues a watch before their mouth and a fearing in their hearts least they should not be watchful enough over their lives and conversations yea even over their very carriage and gesture their words being very few sober and savoury even savouring of the grace of God in their hearts they desiring and endeavouring very diligently to walk so as that they might in life carriage and conversation be as holy patterns and righteous examples of love of peace of holiness and purity of meekness and lowliness of tenderness and pitty of mercy and compassion of patience and long suffering of sobriety and gentleness c. that so they might walk as becometh Saints blameless and harmless as sons of God without rebuke in the middest of a crooked and perverse generation among whom to shine as lights to the adorning of the truth of God professed by them and to the glory honour and praise of the Lord God and to the joy comfort refreshment peace and consolation of their own souls Oh this condition which once they were in was very sweet blessed and happy and if now they have in measure lost this sweet condition and so in measure are departed from their first love and grown careless and negligent puft up with knowledge without life which only keeps humble satisfying themselves with talking of what they formerly enjoyed of the Lord â—nd of what they have done and suffered for the Lord c. I say if it be thus with some then oh my soul in the sence of what is come upon them how can thou but fear dread and tremble in heart before the Lord not in the least measure or degree to watch for evil in any or to have an eye open to spy out the nakedness of another or to take an occasion against them because of their failings and haltings or being bâ—sie in looking at others conditions and in keeping their Vinyards and neglect the keeping of thy own Nay nay oh my Soul let it not be so with thee but if thou as thou setteth in thy habitation without desiring at all to look abroad at others seeth that it hath and is happened unto many according as is forementioned then oh my soul only let it be as a warning unto thee the more to fear before the Lord and to be the more watchful in the light and to keep closer unto the Lord least the same things should happen unto thee oh my soul as hath happened unto them unto whom let thy tenderness extend and thy dear love abound with secret crys and strong groanings unto the Lord thy God on their behalfes and on thy own behalf that thou may be kept and preserved unto the end Oh alass for thee my poor soul how weak art thou and how unable to stand as of thy self wherefore cleave cleave and keep close unto the Lord thy tender compassionate God and then assuredly the Lord will cleave unto thee and will not leave thee oh my soul wherefore lift up thy head in the strength of the Lord and look up unto the holy one whose dwelling is on high in the holy place and with thee oh my soul as thou art kept humble in heart contrite in spirit meek in mind and trembleth at his word and look not at thy own weakness feebleness and inability but keep thy eye unto the Lord and trust in his name relie and depend upon his arme and hope in his tender bowels who maketh the poor rich the weak strong the simple wise wait thou patiently upon him and look not out at the greatness of others measures neither look thou at the smallness of thy own least faintness weariness and discouragement should thereby come in upon thee and thou murmur because thy measure is no greater but be thou contented and truly satisfied with thy portion and be faithful unto the Lord in thy measure and being faithful in the little thou shall be made ruler over much and enter into the joy of the Lord wait upon him who hath freely given in thee what thou hath of him and he can give thee more there was nothing in thee that was of thee which induced the Lord to communicate that measure of his fulness unto thee which he hath dispensed to thee but of his own meer mercy tender love and free grace who of his own free will hath begotten thee again unto a living hope so that thou right well knoweth that it is not he that willeth nor he that runeth but God who sheweth mercy Oh thou had not awakened out of the sleep of sin and corruption had not the mighty God thundred from his dwelling place upon thee and awakened thee oh my soul surely thou had never been raised out of the dust of sin and grave of iniquity had not the Lord of his own free will raised thee up