this Form and in the other Form running from Mountain to Hill from one Man to another to enquire for him vvhom our Souls long for but vve still vvant the true enjoyment of him And although man hath told us vve should find him there in this Way and in the other Way in this Form and in the other Form in this Ordinance and the other Ordinance wherein we have been tossed about and turned from one broken Cistern to another but still wâ— want true satisfaction for our souls for we want the true enjoyment of the assurance of the Love and Peace of God wherefore come let us no longer hunt abroad nor run any longer from one man to another But oh come let us retire our minds inward and in stillness and quietness in sollidness and seriousness let us wait upon the Lord and he himself will teach us of his wayes and lead us into the path of Righteousness where we shall meet him whom our souls hath long panted after even as the Hart panteth after the water Brooks wherefore let us wait upon the Lord for the Lord is good to the man that waiteth for him to the â—am 3 25 26. Soul that seeketh him Therefore come let us both hope and quietly without hunting any more abroad wait to find and feel in our selves the salvation of the Lord that so we may in truth come to find and to say He is come he is come and made manifest in us whom our souls longed after and behold his reward is with him even joy comfort peace rest and satisfaction to our souls Lo this is the Lord we have waited for him Lo this is our God whom vve have vvaited for novv let us rejoyce and be glad in his salvation and praise his Eternal Name I say dear people tovvards you is the opening and yearning of my bovvels in the casting of this my Mite amongst you in the meekness and humility of my soul and the God of Heaven for his ovvn Seed sake make it a service of good to you And then vvill the onely end of my soul herein be ansvvered thereby vvho am your friend and one vvho desires that you off the barren mountains may be gathered and brought dovvn into the lovv valley into the fresh pastures of life vvhere you may feed vvith Gods Babes and Lambs and lie dovvn in the sold of rest and peace that you might find bread in your own houses and vvater in your cisterns the oyl in the Cruse that vvill not fail but vvill satisfie your souls in drought and make fat your bones that you might become like a vvatered garden and like a spring of vvater whose vvaters fail not Take this as a Salutation of the love and good-vvill of my soul to you vvho am a friend to all people one that ovvns and desires to tender nourish strengthen the least appearance of God in any A lover of honesty and uprightness in vvhomsoever I find it but a hater of hypocrisie and deceit A Traveller in the vvomb of supplication for the restoring and gathering in of the scattered sheep and bringing home the dispierced of the Fold that all may knovv one sheep-fold and one shepherd From one of the least amongst many of the chosen Generation and peculiar people of God called Quakers vvhose earthen vessel is knovv by this Name WILLIAM BENNIT Postscript DEar People you in whose hearts there is some tenderness and conscienciousness towards the Lord God if you because of by-ends and self-interests and through letting in by your reasoning and consulting with flesh and blood the slavish fear of man whose breath is in his Nostrils and can but if by God permitted kill the body doth consent and condescend thereby for to save your selves from or out of sufferings either by body or estate to do and joyn with that which you are really perswaded in your hearts is quite contrary to the mind and will of God and so knows it to be evil and also contrary to your own Consciences hereby in so doing you may engage the Lord God against you in your fearing man more then God and come to loose your tenderness and conscienciousness to God-ward and so hardness of heart may come upon you and so you wholly die and wither away as to all tenderness and conscienciousness towards God even as grass upon the house top But you dear people in whom there is tenderness and conscienciousness towards the Lord God if you be faithful to the Lord in your not joyning with nor consenting to do the thing for any by-ends or private interests whatsoever although it be set up and tollerated and compelled to be done by a Law from man which you are in your hearts truly and really perswaded is evil and contrary to the mind and will of God and also contrary to your own Consciences but rather are willing to expose your selves to suffer whatever the Lord God of Almighty power and everlasting strength before whose Eternâ—l Almightiness and Everlasting Powerfulness all the strength and power of the Arm of flesh is even like a puff of smoak before a mighty wind shall suffer man who to day is and to morrow is not to inflict upon you you hereby will even engage the Lord God of everlasting bowels of infinite compassion who is and will be a strength to the poor feeble weak and needâ— a shadow unto them from the heat a refuge unto them from the storm when the blast of the terrible One come upon them like an overflowing flood to stand for you and to help you in your need and in your greatest straights when you as Peter are ready to cry Help Lord I sink to appear to and for you in the greatest measure of his love who right well knows what you have need of to minister strength unto you proportionable to your tryals And hereby dear people â—our tenderness and conscientiousness may dayly increase and you come to make conscience of that which you have not made conscience of and then you may come to find and witness that this day of tryals sufferings and tribulations is a blessed day to you and turneth through the mercy and loving kindness of the Lord towards you for your good so that you may come to bless and praise his name for it unto whom be praise and glory for evermore But a woful day to Hypocrites who hath gotten on a garment of profession of God and Christ c for a cloak to cover their unrighteousness and deceit an unwelcome day to them a terrible day to them for it will stain their crowns and mar their beauty and subdue their strength and slay their power and pull down their strong holds rip off their sheeps cloathing pull down their gay Tombs and painted Sepulchres and their rottenness stink and nakedness will appear So be it so be it Amen saith my soul For Friends of Truth in the Town of Yarâ—outh DEar Friends whom the Lord God Almighty hath
and at the remembrance of Sion and in the sence of thy separation from her thou didst pant oh my soul thou didst pant after Sion the Land of thy nativity Oh! as the Hart panâ—eth after the water brooks crying in the anguish of thy sorrow how long Lord how long shall I be a captive in a strange Land with longing dâ—sires in thy heart after Sion thinking in thy heart oh when shall I walk with the ransomed of the Lord upon the Mountain of Sion and travel with the Lords redeemed in the streets of Jerusalem and in that day oh my soul the Lord for his own Seeds sake had regard unto thy cries and thy tears and sorrows was not hid from the view of his tender pitiful eye and in tender mercy and bowels of compassion towards thee he through his free love unto thee brought thee forth out of Babilon the Land of thy captivity and set thy face towards Sion thy desired rest oh my soul But oh oh my soul how oft wert thou bewildered in thy going even after thy face was turned towards Sion travelling thitherward saying in thy heart oh I will go joyn my self unto Sion in a perpetual Covenant which shall never be broken losing thy way some times wandering as it were in the wilderness in the deserts and solitary places hungry and thirsty my soul even fainting with weakness and then didst thou cry unto the Lord in thy distress and he helpt thee out of all thy troubles he took thee by the right hand and brought thee into the right way in which thou mightest come to thy desired rest oh my soul And now oh my soul thou art come to Sion with songs and everlasting joy upon thy head and thou hast obtained joy and gladness and thy sighing and mourning is fled away And now oh my soul thou that wert in a desert doth rejoyce and as a wilderness are made glad and as a solitary Place doth blosom as a Rose as a dry heath now as a fruitful valley as the parched ground now as the moist mould that drinketh in the rain that comes upon it Now oh my soul thou in truth canst say the wilderness doth rejoyce and the desert and solitary place is made glad and blossom as a Rose water comes forth out of the wilderness and streams in the desert the parched ground is become a pool and the dry heath springs of water now the mourner rejoyces and the heavy hearted is made glad and beauty is giving in stead of ashes the oyl of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness now oh my soul is thy horn exalted in the Lord in whom thy mouth is enlarged over thy enemies ah the Lord maketh rich and he maketh poor he woundeth and he maketh whole he killeth and he maketh alive he bringeth down and he raiseth up he raiseth up the poor out of the dust and the beggar from off the dunghil and setteth them among Princes and causeth them to inherit the seat of Glory Yea the full he emptieth that they hire themselves out for bread and they that were hungry and empty he filleth with good things yea the barren he causeth to bear seven and she that hath had many children is waxed feeble this is the Lords doing and it is morvellous in thy eyes oh my soul Oh! my soul my soul thou canst in truth say thy winter is in measure over and gone and the stormy wind is fled away and the cold parching frosts are dissolved and the spring and summer is come and the Sun with its warm beams breaks forth and the gentle showers descends and the time of the singing of birds is come and the turtle is heard in thy land oh my soul and the vine putteth forth her tender grapes and the fig-tree with her pleasant figs give a goodly smell And now oh my soul thou canst set under thy vine and under thy fig-tree with thy beloved and who shall make thee afraid with whom thou canst walk into his pleasant garden of delights among tâ—â— beds of spices and feed among the lillies and there solace thy self in the bosome of his love For oh my soul oh my soul there was a time when thou oh my soul hadst lost thy beloved and thou soughtst him by night upon thy bed and in the broad ways but thou foundst him not and therefore sorrow compassed thee as a wall about and mourning covered thee as a garment and thou couldst have no rest until thou hadst found thy beloved crying fiercely in thy heart saying in thy ardent desires after him oh oh thou art hid from me as in the clifts of the rocks and as in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance and let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely and when he did someâ—imes shew himself unto thee behind the wall or as through a lattice and put his fingers in by the hole of the door thy bowels were moved for him But now oh my soul thou dost enjoy his presence which is sweet and pleasant to thee he is as a bundle of myrrhe he is thy joy thou sits under his shadow with great delight for he is a bower of spices unto thee and his fruit is sweet to thy taste he hath brought thee into his banketting house where his banner over thee is love where he comforteth thee with the flaggons of his love he causeth thee to drink of his spiced wine which is as the liquor of life and the juyce of his pomegranates which is as honey to thy taste Oh my soul he filleth thee with good things that so thou mightest become as a watered garden and as a spring of water whose water fails not that thy bones might flourish as an herb and thy kidneys be covered with fatness and thy belly become as an oily Brook thus hath the Lord thy tender God thy merciful God oh my soul set thee free from the yoak of bondage And now oh my soul rejoyce in fear and trembling and dread and fear continually in the holy presence of the Lord thy God and watch watch watch oh my soul diligently watch in the lowly fear and godly jealousie over thy own heart trembling in thy bowels lest thou oh my soul in the joy the great joy in the sence of what the Lord hath done for thee and in a sight of thy good state thou art advanced to should be lifted up above what is meet and thereby come to loâ—s and a fall wherefore oh my soul to prevent such mishaps coming unto thee unawares keep thee watchful and low in fear and humble and contrite in heart and meek and chaste in mind tender and broken in bowels poor and needy in spirit waiting and depending upon the meer preserving grace of the merciful hand of thy merciful pitiâ—ul compaâ—â—â—onate God of infinite loving kindness that whatever thou dost or suffers through his strength for him thou mayst not
to him and am faithful unto him though my Earthen Vessel may be broken to peices and be turned to the dust and be taken away as the Wicked are who know not God yet nevertheless I know it shall not be with my soul as it shall be with the Wicked for it shall go ill with them that Die and be cut-off in their Sins but through the love of the Lord it is and shall be well with my soul for that shall Live and never Die whatever comes upon my Earthen Vessel wherefore I will not say in a murmuring way Lord why is it thus that as to outward appearance thou takest away the Righteous with the Wicked and cuâ—est off them that fear thy Name vvith them that fear thee not as if thou hadst no regard to thy people nor respect to them that call upon thy Name nor care over those vvho serve thee vvith an upright Heart but I vvill be still and knovv that the Lord he is God and may do as seemerh good in his Eye vvhose vvorkings are Mysterious and his doings very Strange and his actings very Marvellous in the eyes of many vvho is even to vvonderful for his people unto vvhom he intends good altogether for oh he loveth them and they are dear unto him as the Apple of his Eye they are his Portion vvhich he hath chosen and his Inheritance for ever vvhich he hath purchased for himself vvho is God over all blessed for evermore Oh dear Friends Brethren and Sisters my dear unfeigned Love extends to you all in the Truth of our God vvherein my soul salutes you vvho Love and Serve the Lord vvith a sincere and upright Heart and in Spirit I am vvith you though outvvardly separated from you for the Seeds sake and truly my soul simpathiseth vvith you in your Tryals Afflictions both invvardly and outvvardly and oh that I could help you saith my soul but vvell I can cry unto him vvho is able to help you unto vvhom dear Babes I must leave you who knoweth how it is with ever one of you all and is not wanting in his Love Mercy Pity Tenderness Compassion and Care towards you who loveth him and watcheth in his holy fear whose tender bowels is more largely open towards his tender innocent hearted ones then their weakness is able to comprehend Oh the Lord Almighty be with you and the Arm of his Power incompass you about and bear you up and keep you from Fainting and Falling as some have done to the dishonour of the Lord and grief of your Souls and preserve you unto the end of your Daies that you may finish your Course with Joy and lay down your Heads in Peace and rest from all your Troubles Sorrows Tryals Sufferings and Afflictions and receive the reward laid up for the Faithful who abide to the end this is the desire and breathing oâ— my soul to the Lord for you who is your Friend and Companion in the Faith Patience and long Suffering of Jesus and one that wisheth that Grace Mercy and Peace Joy Comfort and everlasting Refreshment with Strentgh Wisdom and Might may be augmented unto you all and that the love of God may abound and super-abound in all your Souls and surpass all your Sufferings that thereby your hearts may be kept open towards God and one to another in a large manner and that you continue tender affectionated one to another in the Truth and be as meet-helps one to another both outwardly and inwardly to your Comfort and to the Praise of the Lord God Almighty into whose hands I commit you dear Babes and the Lord be with you and Comfort the Mourners amongst you and Refresh the heavy hearted ones and lift up the bowed down and heal the Wounded and comfort the Languishing with love and lift up the weak Hands and confirm the feeble Knees and not suffer that which is Lame to be turned out of the way but rather heal it that the Halting may go upright and the Lame may leap as an Hart and the Tongue of the Dumb may sing of the goodness and loving kindness of the Lord and make mention of his Mercy and declare of his Doings and magnifie his Name in the the Land of the Living Amen Halelujah From your Friend and Brother in the Truth who hath often had you in remembrance and also longed to visit you with a few Lines but desirous to wait the Lords time read and feel my love in that which is more precious and excellent then all Words whatsoever wherein we are hid together Farewel dear Lambs William Bennit Edmonds-Bury Goal the 3th Month 1666. THE original of the foregoing Lines was chiefly write to Friends in the Town of Colchester but having freedom in the Lord and even pressed thereunto by his Love I thought meet to send Copies thereof to go among Friends in Suffolk Norfolk or elsewhere as Friends have freedom to Communicate them one to another And dear Friends let this signifie unto you that my soul loveth you and have a remembrance of you and a Brotherly care and affection towards you in the Truth wherein I desire your Prosperity Tranquility and Preservation in this day of Tryal in this hour and power of Darkness even as I desire for my own Soul the Lord my God even your God is my Witness desiring that I and you with all who love the Lord in Sincerity and that make meation of his Name in Truth and Righteousness may all be kept close in Heart and Mind unto the Lord standing upon our watch in the Light with the loines of our minds girded up unto God having on the Brest-plate of Righteousness and the Helmet of Salvation to guide stear and order us aright that we may not be Bewildred in this day of Storms and Tempests and especially to have and hold fast the Shield of Faith by which we may be able to quench and send off all the Fiery Darts of the Wicked within and without yea to have on the whole Armour of Light being fitted for the Fiery Tryals and Tribulat on s that so nothing may come upon us unawares before we be fitted for it oh that it might not be with any of those who profess Righteousness as iâ— was with the People in the daies of Noah who were Eating and Drinking and Sporting themselves Marrying and giving in Marriage and knew not till the Flood came and swept them away but oh that we may all stand upon our Watch-Tower and all hold fast our Integrity in the Lord and keep close to our first Love and none to deale unkindly towards the Wife of his youth by casting her off and going after other Lovers but all be tender over her and still love her with your whole Hearts and cleave unto her for she is a Spotless Virgin and never was Defiled with the alluring man of Pleasure she is very Beautiful Amiable and Comely in the Eyes of the pure in heart and the Glory of the
and I the dry Heath Springs of Water now I the solitary place Rejoyee and I the Desart blossom as a Rose I the Poor one made Rich and I the Weak one made Strong I the Foolish one made Wise I the Empty one overflow with Fulness now the days of my sore Mourning turned into Joy and the nights of my Sorrow turned into Pleasure and the seasons of my seeking him whom my soul loveth turned into times of sweet reposes with him in his bed of solace But oh alass for me I may speak of these things but oh when when will it be thus with me oh how long shall I wait how long shall I seek how long shall I call and utter my voice weeping saying oh come away come away unto me thou whom I mourn for whom I long after whom my soul loveth oh I have waited so long that I am weary and begin to be almost without hope of his coming any more unto me Well what shall I do and whether shall I go I will even lay me down in Sorrow and make it my Bed and make Grief my Sheets and Tears my Pillow and Sighing and Mourning my Sleep untill he come vvhom my soul loveth for verily I cannot I cannot be satisfied vvith another besides him Oh vvho amongst the Sonâ— and Daughters of Men shall I make my moan unto unto vvhom shall I complain and ease my heart unto vvhere shall I find one vvho is sensible of my condition that can simpathize vvith me and that can speak a vvord in season unto my poor soul oh is it thus vvith any as it is vvith me Yes yes I believe there is many hath been and many now are in thy condition Oh where may I find one of them that I might ease my heart unto him and spread my condition before him for oh verily my Bowels is very open to those who be in my condition well have patience be quiet and be still and lend an ear unto me and I may speak a little how it is with me and it may be if the Lord will to thy comfort for oh truly my soul loveth thee oh my heart is moved with compassion towards thee oh my bowels my bowels is open unto thee and my soul greatly simpathizeth with thy soul and could even wish my soul for a time in thy souls stead oh though indeed I am but a Child yet truly I am in some measure sensible of thy condition and can read it by my own and oh how willingly would I help thee according to my ability oh truly methinks I would even be a help unto all who stand in need of help but especially unto thee thou poor soul What art thou Poor so am I what art thou Weak and Feeble so am I oftentimes what art thou Empty so am I oftentimes what art thou Cold and Barren so am I sometimes what art thou as one Desolate and Destitute so am I sometimes what doest thou eat thy Bread Weeping and mingle thy Drink with thy Tears it is so with me at sometimes when I want the enjoyment of him whom my soul loveth for tâ—uly it is with me sometimes as it is with thee for sometimes I have not the enjoyment of my Beloved as I have at other times but sometimes he seems to be withd-rawn and to hide his-Face from me oh then it is with me as it is with thee oh then Sorrows take hold upon me and Trouble surroundeth me about as a Wall and Mourning covers me as a Garment and none seeth my Tears but the Lord oh then my Leanness my Leanness my Coldness and Barrenness is my greatest Burden which causeth me to go bowed down in Spirit saying in my heart Oh whether is my Beloved gone and what is the cause he hath with-drawn himself from me wherefore is it thus with me what is the matter what shall I do what will the Lord leave me what will my God forsake me what will the Lord now cast me off who hath done so much for me oh what is the cause that it is thus with me wherefore is the Windows of Heaven shut up and the Shovvers of Refreshment from on high with-held from me oh once I could say the Lord is my Shepherd and my soul doth not want he causeth me to seed and even to lie down in green Pastures and leadeth me by the still Waters and spreadeth my Table with Dainties and anointeth my Head with the Oyl of Gladness and causeth my Cup to overslow with new Wine But oh alass for me now I am in a Dry and Thirsty Land where no Water is Oh what hath the Lord cast me off for ever oh my Tears is my Meat and Drink whilst my Enemy saith unto me where is thy God dost thou think he will ever appear again unto thee why dost thou thus Hunger Thirst Cry and Paint after him alas it is in vain for thee to wait for him once indeed thou hadst the enjoyment of him once thou wentst with a Multitude with them to the House of God with the voice of Joy and Praise with a Multitude that keep holy day but alas thou must not look for such a day again And thus the Adversary of my soul endeavoureth to add Sorrow to my Sorrow and to encrease the weight of my Burden that so I might sink and never rise But oh the Lord my God is near to help me even in that time when I can scarce perceive him and when I am as Peter was ready to sink then his invisible arm of Mercy is ready to save me and a secret hope the Lord preserveth alive in me which is as an Anchor unto my soul which keeps me from suffering Shipwrack a hope that the Lord will appear again to me to my Joy whereby some encouragement I feel stirring in me to wait upon the Lord patiently and to trust in him though I do not see him and to relie upon him and hope in his tender bowels when he seems to be far oâ—f me and to roul my self upon him and surely he will appear again to thy Joy oh my soul who canst not be satisfied without his presence even the presence of the Lord thy God which thou desirest more then all things else whatsoever wherefore the Lord seeing it is so with thee that thou desirest his presence more then all other things surely surely he will not cast thee off for ever surely he will appear again to thy joy wherefore why art thou so much cast down oh my soul and why art thou thus disquieted within thee oh hope hope thou in thy God for thou shalt yet praise him the Lord will yet again command his loving kindness in the day time and in the night season his song shall be with thee even praiâ—â—s to the God of thy Life oh wait patiently upon the Lord and trust in the living God whose compassions fails not towards those vvho love him oh he vvill send out his Light and Truth into
thee again and it shall bring thee unto his holy Hill and to his Tabernacle and then shalt thou go to the Altar of God of God thy exceeding joy and upon thy Harp shalt thou praise the Lord thy God thy Delight and Joy oh it is good for thee both to hope and quietly to vvait upon the Lord for the Lord is good to the Man that vvaits upon him unto the Soul vvhich seeketh him and cannot be satisfied vvithout him oh vvait patiently upon him even as a Servant vvaiteth upon his Master and as a Maiden at the hand of her Mistress so do thou vvait for the Lord and even as the Husbandman vvho sovveth his Seed in the Earth hath long patience for it until he receiveth the early and latter Rain so do thou vvait patiently upon the Lord vvho vvill 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 for 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 unto me what is the Favours Friendship and Estimation of the World to me what is the Vanities vain Sports Delights Pleasures of the Sons and Daughters of Men to me oh surely all these things are but as Drofs 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 joy of my Heart the rejoycing and glading of my Spirit the strength of my Reins the girdle of my Loines 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 Arm and saving Grace of the Lord thy God and the more to relie and depend upon the Lord oh my soul though the Lord withdraw his presence from thee thou comest the more to know what the want of his presence is and comest 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 dost 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 ean open the windows of Heaven and shower 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 over flow with new Wine and he can also shut up the windows of Heaven for a time make a Famine in thy Land if he pleaseth and thou must not say unto him in a murmuring way why dealest thou thus with me for indeed he may do vvhat he vvill do and yet all his doings are Just Righteous altogether and in all his dealings vvith thee he thy dear tender nursing Father intends good unto thee oh my soul Oh my soul vvhen the Fountain openeth and the great Deep overflovveth and fills thee vvith plenty of all 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 bevvare of a false Ease and vvrong Liberty and false Security vvhich may soon steal upon thee at such a time 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 there-from in vvhat ever thou enjoy of the Lord or receive from the Lord or do and suffer for the Lord keep lovv in Heart meek in Mind humble in Soul tender in Bovvels contrite in Spirit and then oh my soul thou art in a safe condition truly my soul vvhen thou appearest Wise Strong Rich and Full enough even then thou art rather in greater danger then vvhen thou appearest Weak Poor and Empty in thy ovvn eyes although thou art not then vvithout danger but hast cause to fear and vvatch in all conditions oh my soul vvhen thou appearest Weak Poor and Feeble in thy ovvn 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 firm and 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 alas whether shouldst thou go he hath the word of eternal Life who is worthy to be Glorified Magnified Honoured and Praised Feared Served Loved and Obeyed forever and for evermore Oh my soul thou dearly lovest 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 knowest them in the Spirit of Love wherein thou delightest 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 defirest to simpathize vvith thy Fathers Children in their Tryals Sufferings and Afflictions and in spirit to bear a part vvith them therein oh thou desirest even to Mourn
vvith them that Mourn and to Weep vvith them that Weep in secret and to Rejoyce vvith them that Rejoyce and to Travel in Spirit vvith and for the Travellers to Sion and vvith 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 evermore Oh my soul be watchful and wary that thou dost not in the least degree seek Glory Honour 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 dost appeal unto him who seeth imsecret and he it is who will reward thee openly seek thou to be only known and manifested to the pure uâ—erring Witness in all Consciences and to stand justified and approved by it and that is enough no Honour 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 Contite in Mind and Spirit condesending even to the Lowest and serving the Meanest in love seeking Peace and Unity amongst Brethren with all self-denyal bearing forbearing and forgiving for the Seeds sake bearing with the infirmities of the Weak and 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 honour of his Name exaltation and spreading forth of his Truth the freedom 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 Persecutors 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 pouâ—ed 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 honour and renown of the Lord Almighty for evermore oh my soul watch and fear before the Lord and take heed thou dost not that thing to please others which thou knowest is not approved by the Lord keep thy eye unto the Lord look not ouâ— at others to walk by Imitation and if thou seest him or her one or another whatever they be accounted of do those things which the Lord allows thee not to do do not thee do them because another doth them but watch and keep close unto the Lord and take counsel of him Oh my soul do not judge or justifie those things which thou hast 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 Freedom 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 placâ— 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 forbare 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 dost greatly desire that I might not appear in the sight of any of the Lords Lambs and little ones to be morâ— 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 nor been in vain praises to his Name forever oh I would not be accounted of by any little one to be more then what â— am in the Lord but rather let me be hid lest honour should be ascribed unto that unto which it doth not belong for indeed all honour belongs to God alone alas all Flesh is as Grass and what is Man he is but a Vessel wherein God may â—ppear 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 evermore Oh my soul thou doest not want the love the dear unfeigned love of the Lords dear Babes tender Lambs and Children and oh thou desirest thou mayst 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 evermore Oh my soul fear thou before the living God and very diligently take heed lest thou vvho stand'st should fall as several hath done to their ovvn vvoe 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 the hands of Sions Enemies thereby strengthened against the Faithful of the Lord vvhose hearts are made sad vvhom the Lord hath not made sad even in the sence of the sad condition of those vvho once in some measure vvere acquainted vvith the Lord once tasted of his Goodness and Graciousness of his svveet unspeakable Love and Peace and even in some measure tasted and handled of the vvord of Life and of the povvers of the World to come vvho vvere delivered out of spiritual Egypt by an out-stretched Arm and mighty Povver and by the same Povver carried through the spiritual Sea and Wilderness and did in measure eat of the spiritual Meat and drink of the spritual Rock vvhich vvas made unto
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 O Lord God Almighty oh dear God keep all thy people retire in thy Name that so what ever thou suffers to befal their Bodies their Souls may be safe bundled up in the bundle of Life wrapped therein for evermore 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 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 born 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 O 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 and powerful one who art from all Eternity to all Eternity whose Throne is established of old whose Scepter beareth sway in Righteousness whose Kingdom is Everlasting glory and hallelujah to thee in the highest for ever and for evermore yea praises praises pure living praises every minute be rendered unto the Lord Almighty saith thâ— sâ—ul of W. B. 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 won 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 Vulture's eye cannot perceive thy Comeliness nor they who hath eyes full of Adultery and cannot cease from Sin and have hearts exercised with coveteous 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 have not seen thy Beauty and let them taste of thy Love that so they may cast off all other Lovers and follow thee cast off 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 precious 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 oh Sion is fleeing away Oh thou beloved one thou hast been even as a Woman forsaken and grieved in Spirit and few or none of the Sons or Daughters of Men hath looked upon thee with an eye of pity oh thou hast been as the Owle in the Desart and as the alone Sparrow upon the house top and as the alone Quail in the stubble fields and as a Dove mourning alone without her Mate who hast set solitary alone as in the Wilderness and none among the Sons of Men to comfort thee oh thou beloved anointed one thou hast 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 not esteemed thee although indeed thou patient one thou hast been wounded by their Transgressions and grieved smitten and pierced 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 Feasting themselves as for a day of Slaughter whilst thou hast been Mourning because of the Iniquity of the People Eating and Drinking and rising up to Play whilst thou hast 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 hath loved thee with an everlasting Love took notice of thy Sorrow and he saw thy Grief and beheld thy sore Weights and Burdens and took cognizance of thy grievous Oppressions and he heard the voice of thy Weeping and thy Tears which thou droppedst upon his Alter lay in the view of the eye of his pitiful Soul and he beheld thy great Travel and thy Sighing and Groaning entered into his Ears and his tender tender Bowels of infinite Love Mercy Pity and everlasting Compassion was and is moved towards thee and he hath determined to comfort thee with an everlasting Comfort thou patient suffering one and the Nights of thy Sorrow shall vanish away for ever and the Days of thy Mourning shall be over Oh thou beloved one lift up thy Head lift up thy Head in the strength of thy God and gird up thy Loines with Courage in the power of his Might for thy Winter is almost over and gone and shall no more come the Storms are vanishing away and shall no more appear the nipping Frosts are dissolving by the Sun of Righteousness who is arisen upon thee with healing in his wings Ah lift up thy voice like the sound of a Trumpet and shout like the voice of a King and sing for joy thou beloved one for thy Spring is come thou lovely one thy Summer is come thou lovely one the singing of Birds is come thou beautiful one and the voice of the Turtle is heard in thy Land thou delicate and choice one let thy heart
more and more unto the Lord and one unto another and that the sence of his Goodness and loving Kindness Mercy Pity and Compassion shed abroad and manifested towards you may always be fresh in and upon your hearts that indeed the largness of his endless unchangable unspeakable Love may be by your Souls admired and be an engagement and tye upon every particular one to oblige your Hearts and bind your Souls unto the Lord God and unto his immutable invinceable Truth oh dear Friends much hath the Lord done for us and let his doings be still marvelous in our eyes let his own Works shew forth his Praise whose Mercies endureth for ever dear Friends the Lord God of Compaâ—â—â—on sought and found us out in the cloudy dismal dark Day when we were scattered upon the barren Mountains and dry Heaths wandering as silly Sheep without a Shepherd but now hath he gathered us together and even made us a Family like a Flock and brought us down into the low Valley and hath given us fresh and green Pasture to Feed in and streams of living Water to Drink of and now the Lord the Almighty Jehovah is our Shepherd and his everlasting powerful Name our Fold and therefore are we not Consumed though the Beasts of the Field have come forth against us to destroy us and the roaring devouring Lyons have been very greedy of their Prey yet are we preserved unto this day because the Lord hath been our defence on the right hand and on the left who hath and doth Fight for mount Sion and as the Hills are round about Jerusalem so hath the Lord been still is and will be round about his People as the munition of Rocks for evermore and their Bread shall not fail and their Water shall be sure O let all that fear the Lord trust in him whose Mercies are everlasting Oh dear Friends the Lord once found us in a sollitary Place and in a waste howling Wilderness Hungry Thirsty Naked and Desolate our way hedged up as with Bryers and Thorns and there must we have Perished had not the tender God of Bowels looked upon us with an eye of Pity and Compassion and helped us in the day of our Distress how did he lop the Bough with Terrour and the strong one of stature he hewed down he did cut up the Thicket of the Forest as with Iron and Lebanon did fall by a strong Arm and made a way for us in the Wilderness and a path through the Thickets he laid low the Mountains before us and removed away the Hills and made the crooked Paths strait before us and was a Refuge to us from the Stoâ—m and a Shelter to us from the Heat and as the shadow of a Rock unto us in a weary Land and now hath he brought us into a right Way which leads to a City of Habitation to a quiet dwelling Place where the Lord feeds his Flock and causeth them to lie down at Noon-day oh marvellous are the Works of the Lord and the Living can sing of his Mercies his tender Compassion faileth not towards the House of Jacob he is a Father unto Israel and Ephraim is his first Born let Judah shew forth is Praises whose Mercy endureth for ever Oh dear Children of my heavenly Father remember we once sate as by the Rivers of Babylon and Weeping we thought upon Sion Mourning in the sence of our separation from her even as a Woman Mourneth for her only Son and then we could not sing the Lords Song in a strange Land but were as a Dove without her Mate and the alone Sparrow upon the House top as the Pelican in the Wilderness and as the alone Quaile in the stubble Field as a Woman forsaken and gâ—ieved in Spirit asking the way to Sion with our Faces thither-ward saying in our hearts we would be joyned again unto the Lord in a perpetual Covenant never to be broken And how graciously hath the Lord returned again our Captivity as streams in the South and hath brought us on the way to Sion with Joy and Gladness and our Sighing and Mourning is in measure fled away oh the Lord is worthy to be Feared and his holy Name is worthy to be Honoured and Magnified in the Congregation of the Righteous for his Mercies abids for ever Oh dear Babes we who once did sit in Darkness have seen a great and glorious Light and unto us who once sat under the Region and shadow of Death is the Light of Life risen and the blessed day sprung from on high shineth in our Habitatâ—on and the Lord is unto us an everlasting Light and let us for evermore walk in his Light as becometh Children of Light shining in our holy Lives and blameless unspoted Conversations as Lights in the World to the Praise and Glory of God whose Goodness and Mercy is without end Dear Babes the Lord hath brought us forth of the Prison House and lifted us up out of the dark miery Dungeon hâ— hath raised us out of the Dust and taken us as from the Dunghil to set us among Princes and to inherit the seat of Renown which is the Chair of Humility Oh the Height and Depth Length and Breadth of the Love Goodness and Mercy of the Lord let our hearts be rent and broken before him and humbled in his Presence and let us walk before his Holiness and tremble at his Word and bow down unto his holy Name and stand in awe of the Lord for whom Praises waits in Sion Now seeing the Lord hath done so much for our Souls let us wait upon him for Strength and Power daily thereby to endure to answer the largness of his Love in all Obedience and Faithfulness to him who hath broke our Bands asunder and snapt our Cords in â—ieces and now dear Friends let us stand stedfast in that Liberty whereinto the Lord by his Truth hath brought us and not be intangled with the Yoke of Bondage as too to many are who were once made Free by the Lord oh how have some for fear of Persecution started aside out of the narrow Way into the broad Way and some for the Love Favour and Honour of this World are departed from the Faith and have made Shipwrack of a good Conscience and some through the deceitfulness of Riches and some through the Cares and Cumbrances of this World the Seed of God is Choked again and the Earth is come over it again and the World hath eaten up their Hearts and their Minds are become carnal again and the Goodness of the Lord is forgotten by them and the Spirit of Slumber hath shut them up and for these doth my Soul mourn in secret and travel for their Restoration and in the sence of what is come upon them how can we but Fear and Dread the Lord and Watch and Pray and keep close to the saving preserving power of his Grace which hath kept us unto this day Praises to his Name for ever Oh
Babes we had need continually to stand upon our watch Tower having the Loins of our Minds girded up unto God with the Girdle of Truth having on the Breast-plate of Righteousness and the Shield of Faith the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God that we may be able to send off the Fiery Darts of the Ememy within and be able to shun his Wiles and to keep out of his Snares that we may never be betrayed of the simplicity and innocency of Truth as it is in Jesus Oh how hath he prevailled over some and drawn them into a self separation and particularily from the Body which is joyned unto Christ the Head from whom the Body receiveth Vertue whereby every Member is Nourished and all comes to supply its Plaee and Office in the Body and so is of service to the Body as it keeps its Order and so every Member being in unity one with another are as meet helps one to another and so the Strong in some things may help the Weak and the Weak in some things may help the Strong so that the Hand cannot say unto the Foot I have no need of thee but every Member to be as Servants one to another and all in Subjection to Christ the Head that the encrease of the Body may be witnessed unto the Edifying of it self in Love Dear Friends if some who under pretence of ceasing from Man and Words and Forms c. doth absent from the Assemblies of the Righteous and withdraw from the Meetings of the People of God c. yet I hope the Lord will preserve you from that Spirit and I hope the Love and Power of his Truth will stir up your Hearts and constrain you to be very diligent and faithful in meeting together in the holy Fear and Name of the Lord God to wait diligently upon him in the measure of his Light Life and Truth received that so ye may daily receive Teaching Counsel and Instruction from the Lord and receive of his heavenly Dew and Vertue whereby you may daily be Quickned Warmed and Inlivened in the inward man and be kept alive unto God Green and Fresh as the Willow by the Rivers side as the Lillies in the Vallies and as a watered Garden giving a sweet smell and delectable savour that the Blessings from on high may be showred down upon you more and more that your Fruit may encrease to the praise of his holy Name So dear Babes I commit you unto the Preservation and Protection of the Lord God who in this the day of great Tryals hath mightily stopped the raging Sea and hath limited the proud Waves thereof and hath shut up her Floods as he hath seen meet oh let every poor little tender honest hearted one put their trust in the Lord if they be never so Poor Weak and Feeble in their own Eyes let them cast their care upon the Lord for he careth for them and rely upon the arm of his Mercy and hope in his tender Bowels and he will be Strength to thee who without him art Weak and he will be Riches to thee who without him art Poor believe and trust thou in him and hearken not to the false Accuser neither joyn to the Consulter but be still and know the Lord is God al-sufficient for thee and all those that lean upon him for Help and that depend upon him for power he is able and ready to save in the hour of Temptation to support in the day of Tryal to uphold in the greatest Storm and to keep in Patience until it be over and gone and a Calm comes again Dear Friends and Brothren in that Love which is unspeaâ—able doth my Soul dearly salute you and imbrace you simpathising with you in your Tryals desiring to Mourn with all them that Mourn and to Rejoyce with them that Rejoyce and unto him you are left who is able to Comfort the Mourners among you and is ready to left up the Light of his refreshing Countenance upon the heavy hearted and bowed down under the burdens of the Righteous Seed to strengthen the feeble Knees and to heal the Wounded and bind up the broken in heart that they that hath or doth sit in the solitary place of Mourning may be filled with the Joy of the Lord and that they that yet are bowed down with the false Accuser of the Brethren and lie mourning in the pit of Distrust Unbelief and Desparation may mount upon the wings of Faith unto thâ— holy hill of Zion thereon to stand with the Lamb and to sing the new Song which none can sing but the Redeemed of the Lord so be it saith my Soul From your true Friend and Companion in the Faith and Patience and long Suffering of Jesus who is often with you in Spirit though in Body Separated and Confined from you being still close shut up in Prison with several of the Lords Lambs whose good Presâ—nce is with us blessed be hâ—s Name upon whom we wait for Deliverance believing that the Almighty God who delivered Just Lot from the Wicked Sodomits whose Ungodliness vexed his Righteous Soul from day to day and who delivered his People of Old out of Egypt and freed them out of the Hands of oppressing Pharaoh and who delivered David out of the Paw of the Lyon out of the Paw of the Bear and from the hands of the uncircumcised Philistine who delivered Jeremiah out of the low miery Dungeon and Daniel out of the Lyons Dâ—n who delivered the three Children out of the Fiery Furnace and Paul and Silaâ— out of the Prison-House he the Living God who changeth not whose hand is not shortned that it cannot save will at this day deliver his People out of all their Sufferings and free them of their Burdens Weights and grievous Oppressions in his own time Blessed are all they that durst not look out at time as some have done to their one hurt but wait pariently upon the Lord who can change Times and Seasons as he pleaseth who dwelleth in the Heavens and also ruleth over the Kingdoms of men and setteth up and throweth down as he pleaseth who seeth all the Works of the Sons of men and pondereth all their doings he is a God of Knowledg and by him actions are weighed he excelleth in Strength Power Wisdom and Mercy and his Throne is from everlasting and his Kingdom without end who is God over all blessed for evermore Let none get into a false security because of the present Calm the Lord can suffer a Storm and make a Calm again when he pleaseth let all Watch and Pray and Fear before the Lord and wait upon him to be fitted for-Tryals that so no Storm may come upon you before you are aware of it and before you be ready for it Dear Babes Read and Feel my Love in the Truth and therein let not your Love be wanting one to another but live in Love Unity and Peace and the God
this day our God knows it Angels and Men know it and our Enemies one day shall be made to know it to their sorrow that we are a Suffering Persecuted People singly for our Conscience towards God and for our Obedience and Faithfulness to him therefore my dearly beloved Ones rejoyce in the Lord and lift up your Heads in his Name over all the Wrath and Cruelty of the Ungodly and think not strange concerning the Fiery Tryals that are come to try you and to prove your Love to God his Way and Truth as though some strange thing had happened unto you but rejoyce in the lowly fear of the Lord inasmuch as you are made partakers of the Sufferings of the Seed that when its glory shall be more and more revealed in and upon your Souls you may rejoyce with exceeding Joy in that you suffer on Gods account not as Murderers and Evil doers but as true Christians and Followers of Christ Jesus and true Worshipers of the God of Daniel in Spirit and in Truth And my dear Friends if ye suffer the spoyling of your Goods Bonds Banishment or Death for meeting together in the Fear and Name of the Lord to wait upon him and for performing you Duty and Obedience unto him and for keeping of your Consciences void of offence towards him truly the Cause is good and worth the suffering for it is not our own Cause but the Lords therefore let us commit it unto him unto whom we câ—n make our Appeal and spread our Complaint before him and pour forth our Cries unto him who seâ—th our Troubles and beholdeth the grievous Oppression and manifold Burdens Afflictions and Sufferings of his Poor Abused Tribulated Persecuted People whose innocent Cause he the Almighty Jevovah of worm Jacob will assuredly plead for them against their Enemies and wo will be to the Oppressors and Spoylers of Gods Heritage Dear suffering Lambs cast your Care upon the Lord he careth for you and for your little ones and hold fast Faith and a good Conscience whatever you suffer hold fast the Truth you have received that none may take your Crown of Joy Comfort Peace and Blessing from you and keep in the meekness patience and long suffering of Jesus suffering the spoyling of your Goods Joyfully glorifying the Lord in suffering according to his will giving him Thanks and Praise instead of Murmuring that he hath counted you worthy not only to Believe but also to Suffer for his blessed Name sake knowing in your selves you have in Heaven a far better induring substance therefore cast not away your Faith Hope and Confidence which hath such great Recompence of Reward but truly Friends you have need to abide in the patient long suffering Spirit of Jesus that after you have done the will of God and suffered for the same you may receive the Promise if any man faint and turn back he looses his reward of his sufferings but I hope my dear Friends you are not of the number of those that turn back unto Perdition but of them that believe and receive the end of your hope even the Salvation of your Souls And dear Friends take Courage and put on Strength and lift up your Heads in the Name of the Lord who is with his People and from them he will not go he is on our side and taketh our part we know it and our Enemies will feel it to their sorrow he will fight for us let us hold our peace and be still from reasoning with Flesh and Blood though he suffer us to be tryed as Gold is tryed in the Fire yet not wholly to be Destroyed after he hath done such great things for us and appeared on our behalf and hath manifested himself to be our God and we to be his People and after he hath Blessed us and Prospered us and Preserved us through all the Wrath and Cruelty of men hitherto and now hath made us a Family like a Flock and put his Jewels upon us and Cloathed us with the Garment of Salvation and Arayed us with the Robe of Righteousness and Beautified us with his Comliness and Betrothed us unto Himself in Mercy in Judgment in Righteousness and in Truth will he now suffer us wholly to be extinguished from being a People shall our Enemies have their full desires of us to root us out wholly from amongst them that they may blaspheme our God and say he was not able to Deliver them out of our hand surely no remember what Balack King of Moab had Consulted what Balaam Son of Beor answered him even from Shittim unto Gilgal that you may know the Righteousness of the Lord who keepeth Covenant with his People neither doth his tender Compassions fail unto the House of Jacob therefore let us trust in the God of our hope who delivered Just Lot from the vexation of the wicked Sodomits and his Poor Oppressed Israel out of the hand of cruel Pharaoh who delivered David from the paw of the Bear and the paw of the Lyon and from the hand of the uncircumcised Philistine who delivered Daniel out of the Lyons-Den and the three Children out of the Fiery Furnace good Jeremiah out of the low miery Dungeon and â—â—ul and Silas out of the Prison-House he the Living God whose Arm is not shortned nor abated in Strength Power and Might will assuredly deliver his oppressed People at this day in his own time when he hath tryed them throughly and hath Purged his Gold and refined his Silver and separated the Chaff from his Wheat and made up his precious Jewels and manifested the approved in his sight then will he arise as in Mount Paron and be wrath as in the Valley of Gideon to bring to pass his Work his strange Work at the hearing thereof the Ears of many doth and shall Tingle and the Heathen be Astonished and Confounded and fall before the glorious Majesty of the God of worm Jacob then shall â—ion Rejoyce and Israel be right Glad and the Mourners be Comforted and the heavy Hearts be Refreshed and the Oppressed Delivered from the Yoak The Lord God Almighty hasten the Accomplishment of his own Work in his own time to his own Glory and Renown Amen So my dearly beloved Friends my heart is open to you and my Soul simpathises with you in your Sufferings and my Crys and Prayers are to the Lord for you knowing that great and many are your Tryals that doth attâ—nd many of you poor hearts how willingly could I help you But unto the Lord the Great Shepherd and Bishop of your Souls the Keeper of the Flock of Israel I must commit you and resign you up to him who careth for you and watcheth over you and intends good unto you for he loveth you though he suffers hard things to befall you which will work for your good and bring many of you more neerer to the Lord and make you more and more like him that though the Hills shall be removed and the Mountains depart
dark place untill the Day had more and more dawned and until Christ the Day-Star had arisen in my Heart over all my Enemies but my mind was still gazing abroad and imagining a God afar off and he was very nigh me but I knew him not but was hunting abroad in my Imaginations for that which was within me the Pearl of great Price was hid in my Heart but I knew it not the Kingdom of God was at hand but I was gazing for it abroad whilst it in measure was working in my Heart like Leaven hid in three measures of Meal c. the Door into the Fold the Entrance into Rest was within but I was seeking it abroad my Saviour was nigh but I imagined him afar off and knew him not nigh neither did any man in those dayes direct my mind unto the Light and Gift of Christ in my own Heart And as for the Teachers of the People even they in the highest Profession of God in words were ready they being so ignorant and unsensible of the Gift of God in themselves to speak Blasphemy of the pure spiritual Light of Christ within as many Professors do at this day yet notwithstanding make a large Profession and Confession of Christ in Words though in Works deny him and to say that which troubles a man for his sins is a temptation of Sathan and thereby instead of directing the mind to the Light draw away the mind more from the Light and such are blind and are under the wo that call Light Darkness Good Evil and are in that Spirit they were who though great Professors said concerning Christ He is Mad and hath a Devil why hear ye him but as some then replyed and said Are these the works of him that hath a Devil Can the Devil open the Eyes of the Blind so I may say Is it the Devils work to discover Sin and judge condemn and trouble a man in the unconverted state for Sin or is it not his work to lull People a sleep in Sin and to cry peace to them in their Iniquities and to keep them satisfied with a profession of God without the possession of a holy undefiled Life Is it his work to destroy his own Kingdom which is Sin surely no that is only and alone the Work of Christ the Light of the World made manifest within to destroy the Devil and his works he brings Trouble upon the Transgressor and ministers Judgement against the Evil doer he kindles a Fire in the earthly Heart and raiseth Trouble Wars and great Tribulation within before he be known to be the Prince of Peace the Sabboth the everlasting Rest for the Soul And now I know infallibly that that which in those dayes did bring trouble upon me for my Sins and checked and judged for Evil and begat good desires in me after the Lord was the pure Witness of God the manifestation of his Spirit the Light of his Son Christ Jesus a measure of his free Grace and Truth in my own Heart and if ten Thousand should assert or affirm the contrary I know their Testimony will be a Lye But oh alas for me after all this long Visitation of the Love Goodness and Mercy of the Lord to my Soul and after all this trouble of Mind travel of Spirit desiring and seeking after the Lord I got oh I got into a false ease in the fleshly Nature and in a wrong liberty and false security as it is with many Professors at this day who once were low broken and tender in Heart mourning under the load and burden of of Sin having sincere desires to serve God in holiness of Life who are now gotten into the form and likeness of that they then hungred and thirsted after and are therewith satisfied and feeding themselves with others Words and without Knowledge without Life and so are gotten at ease in the Pride Fashions and Vanity of the World and are at liberty in the Flesh counting it their Freedom to do those things that once was their Burden and Bondage and I became careless and by disobedience I quenched the strivings of the Light of Christ in me insomuch as the Burden Trouble and Sorrow which once lay heavy upon my Mind I felt little of although the Original and real cause which occasioned the Burden Sorrow and Trouble which was my sins was not taken away but augmented and I through Rebellion had almost murdered the just and holy one in me and had so grieved and wounded the Spirit of the Lord that it had almost ceased striving with me though at sometimes it would bring former things to my remembrance and then some trouble and sorrow would seize upon me for a time but I soon got over it again and turned from the Grace into Wantonness and so forgot the Lord whom I had formerly desired and sought after and my Heart ran a whoreing after my old Lovers with my Face turned back again to Egypt the Land of Darkness Wickedness the Bondage-House of Sin and Corruption which before was partly turned towards Canaan the Land of Light Life and Rest and so ran into such Evils as I had formerly been kept out of by a secret Power which I then knew not and I grew wanton careless and wicked and my Mind and Heart taken off seeking the Lord and run into and after the Vanity Pleasures and Idleness of the World delighting much in Musick and Dancing Sporting and Gaming and so made merry over the pure Witness of God by sinning and rebelling against it and by rejecting its reproof and strivings Oh oh the patience and long-suffering of the Lord was large towards me in that day who long waited to be Gracious to my Soul Day after Day Year after Year who in his Justice might have cut me off in my Sins and Rebellion and even have made me an Example of his Wrath but oh his mercy his mercy and long-suffering was exceeding large to me which by my Soul is not to be forgotten but in and by the Spirit of Truth which brings former things to my remembrance and sheweth things to come am I to be kept in a living sence and remembrance of the great mercy long-patience long-forbearance and long-suffering of the Lord God of Compassion towards me and in the sense thereof he is worthy to be praised and honoured by my Soul who would not that I should perish from his presence forever For after all this the Lord the tender God of tender bowels of compassion was pleased to visit my poor Soul again even for his pure Seeds sake which he had not forgotten but he remembred the Poor and Needy the Captive exile to deliver him out of the hand of him that was too strong for him and to loose him that he might not wholly die in the Pit and perish in the miery Clay and Gods precious Truth pure Way of Righteousness and everlasting Gospel of Light Life and Peace I heard preached and declared by his
blessed be the Lord who hath exalted my low Estate and brought me from off the Dunghil and given me a Mansion in the Father's House and a place at the Table with his Children though I once by hearken to my Enemy said I was a Dog and not worthy to eat of the Childrens Bread and so I kept good things from me by yeilding to my Adversary who would still have feed me with his food even the dust of the Earth that so I might have continued always Weak Lean Barren and Feeble and never to have been able to overcome him but the Lord my tender God who thought upon me in the day of my distress when I was poor and needy hath rebuked him and hath put him under my Feet the mighty the Lord hath brought down from his Seat and exalted him of low degree he hath delivered Jacob out of the hand of him that was too strong for him and though he was a Worm and no Man and the cry was How shall Jacob arise yet the Arm of his God hath raised him from the Earth and hath set his Feet upon the Necks of his Enemies and hath given him power to tread upon the Mighty as the Potter treadeth Clay and this is the Lord's doings and it is marvelous in the eyes of his Servants blessed be his name for ever it is the Lord that lifteth up the weak Hands that hung down and strengthens the feeble Knees and mâ—kes strait their Paths that that which is Lame may not be turned out of the Way but that rather it may be Healed that the Halâ—ing may go upright and the Lame may leap as an Hart and the Tongue of the Dumb might sing of the goodness of the Lord and the Mourner rejoyce in him whose Mercy endureth forever So believe hope and trust you in the Lord all ye that love him and mourn and long for him and in patience and contentedness without fainting in your minds wait for him for the Lord is good to the man that waits upon him to the Soul that seeketh him and it is good both to hope and quietly to wait upon the Lord more then he that wanteth and waiteth for the Morning for with the Lord there is great Mercy and plentious Redemption who redeemeth Jacob out of all his Trouble and is with him in the Fire and in the Water and in all his Afflictions he forsook him not Therefore trust you hope relie and depend you upon the Lord all you that love him and cast your care upon him for he cares for you whose tender compassion and faithfulness will never fail to the House of Israel A General Salutation of Love to the Children of Light AND all dearly beloved Friends everywhere who are faithful to the Lord and his Truth in your several measures and places my very dear and unfained love in the precious Truth of our God extends unto all the honest and upright in Heart who love and delight in Truth and Righteousness and seek the Praise Honour and Glory of God alone Grace and Love be with you Mercy and Peace attend you Joy and Comfort fill you and the Blessing of the Most High rest upon and remain in with you Day and Night and the Lord keep you all in the Faith of the Elect Seed in which is your Victory over the World in which stand fast and keep your Dominion in the Lord over the Earth earthly things that the Earth may be the Foot-stool of your Minds Heaven your Throne and you to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus and to use the World as if you used it not being loose in heart to that which perisheth with the using oh that all Friends that are free from and void of the Cares of this Life and Cumbrances of this World may prize and stand fast in their Freedom and not be forward and hasty in the affectionate part to run their selves into Bondage to those things that profit not but hindreth to God-ward and prove as Bryars and Thorns to the choaking or quenching of the growth of the Seed of Life in the Heart there is a mind that hunts and desires after and is ready if it be not limitted to form and create unto it self a Freedom that stands not in the Liberty of the Sons of God the Liberty of the Sons of God and Children of the Light stands in that which is a Yoke to the World's Liberty and their Freedom stands in that which is Bondage to the carnal Mind and crucifies unto the World and wordly things also there is a mind that is ready to endeavour and seek to put off and to keep out of those things which in their proper place may be said to be lawful that it seeth it hindreth the growth into the Eternal and endangereth the Souls standing to God-wards and truly that is the more purer mind that serves one Master God alone Indeed dear Friends I am ready to desire that this mind which was in Christ Jesus may have dominion in our Hearts more and more that as Strangers and Pilgrims we may be in and to the World and the love thereof and the Lord â—lone become object of our Love and his Truth the covering of our Eyes that so the desire of our Souls may be unto him and unto the remembrance of his Name which is like precious Oyntment pour'd forth giving a pleasant smell and a sweet delectâ—ble savour and therefore do the Virgins love him and remember his Love more then Wine yea more then Father Mother Husband Wife Children Silver Gold Houses Lands yea he is the chiefest to them of ten thousand and the Upright love him for he is altogether comely Oh! dearly beloved Friends much hath the Lord God of power done for us since the day he found us laid among the Pits and raised us up from the Dunghil of our own Corruption and sâ—id unto us Live who were dead in Sins and Trespasses oh how greatly hath he blessed and prospered us in despite of the spirit that hath so eagerly sought and endeavoured to devour us and extinguish us from being a People and hath even made us a Family like a Flock and though Balak and Balaam's spirit the Beast Jezabel and false Prophets have sought Inchantments against us to Curse us yet the God of blessings has greatly Blest us in our Sufferings Tribulations and Afflictions and has made Joseph as a fruitful Bough by the Wall whose Branches grow over the Wall that doth and will let until it be taken out of the way though the Archers of Babylon have shot at him and grievously wounded him yet his Bow notwithstand his great Affliction hath abode in Strength and the Hands of his Arms have been made strong by the hand of the mighty God of Jacob who has blest Joseph and unto the uttermost bounds of the everlasting Hills shall he be blessed forevermore Oh dear Friends if any People now in being upon the
A COLLECTION OF CERTAIN Epistles Testimonies Of Divine Consolation Experience and Doctrine Written by that Faithful Patient and Long-Suffering Servant of Christ William Bennit Who Finished his Testimony the 23d day of the 4th Month 1684. In the County Goal at Ipswich in Suffolk And I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the Dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them LONDON Printed and Sold by Andrew Sowle at the Crooked-Billet in Holloway-Lane near Shoreditch 1685. THE CONTENTS TO my dear Father and Mother pag. 25. A Tender and Vnfeigned Salutation of Love and Good-Will to Professors Or a tender Invitation and Call unto all People in whose Hearts there hath been and still is some true desiring and breathing after the Lord God who hath long been hunting abroad amongst the many Forms and Liknesses and have been running from one broken Cistern to another and have been long spending their Money for that which is not Bread and their Labour for that which hath not rightly satisfied their Souls For them to retire inward unto that in their own Hearts which is the Authour of the desiring in them after God even the pure spiritual Light of Christ Jesus in their own Consciences which will lead and bring them that do it follow and obey unto the well-spring of Life the fountain of living Water where they may drink abundantly and be satisfied unto the fold of everlasting Rest unto the fresh pastures of Life where they may feed and lie down and enjoy true rest and satisfaction for their Souls pag. 33. For Friends of Truth in the Town of Yarmouth pag. 59. God only Exalted in his own Work or the Works of God Praiseth him in Sion Or a Song of Deliverance from a great and sore Captivity Thraldom and Bondage under the King of Egyptian Darkness the God of the World where the Soul was fast bound as with strong Chains and Fetters but now Ransomed by the out-stretched Arm of Gods Almighty Power and art come to Sion with Songs of everlasting Joy upon thy Head and hast obtained Joy and Gladness and thy Sighing and Mourning is fled away pag. 63. To Gods Lambs in Prison Greeting pag. 75. To Friends in the Love of Truth Greeting pag. 77. To Friends of Truth pag. 78. To Friends of Truth in Prison pag. 79. To the Suffering Lambs of the Lords Flock in Prison Greeting pag. 81. This to go among Friends of Truth to be read among them when assembled together in the pure fear and dread of the most high God pag. 84. To Friends pag. 90. To the Magistrates of Edmonds-Bury pag. 92. To Friends of Truth in the Town of Colchester Greeting pag. 100. Somâ— Prison Meditations of an humble Heart pag. 108. This to go among Friends to be read among them when assembled together in the pure Fear and Wisdom of God pag. 142. A Testimony to the true Light that lightens every man that comes into the World pag. 150. To Friends in Edmonds-Bury Goal pag. 157. To Friends Sufferers in Norwich-Castle pag. 158. To Friends Brethren and Sisters c. pag. 161. The Work and Mercy of God conducing to his Praise Or a Demonstration of the Visitation of Gods Love to my Soul in the days of my Youth Being a Testimony of the Light of Christ in the Conscience which discovereth and judgeth Sin also if loved and obeyed saveth from Sin and redeemeth the Soul unto God pag. 167. To those that are young in Years c. pag. 179. To all People that live and delight in Wickedness pag. 181. To those that are seeking the Living God in the Dead Forms pag. 191. To those that are backslided from the Truth pag. 194. To those that profess the Truth yet walk contrary thereto iâ— Life and Conversation pag. 197. To all those that are convinced of the Truth but still remain in the Worlds ways pag. 198. To those that are newly convinced of the Truth pag. 200. To the true Mourners in Sion pag. 203. A General Salâ—tation of Love to the Children of Light pag. 207. To Friends pag. 211. A Loving Exhortation and Warning to Sea-men and all others whom it doth concern pag. 214. Edmond Cross HIS TESTIMONY For his Deceased Friend William Bennit THis Testimony lives in my Heart and is upon me to bear for and concerning my dear and well beloved Friend William Bennit whom with many more worthy Ones God Almighty in his endless Love unto mankind raised up and endued with power from on high to preach the Everlasting Gospel of Life and Salvation in our Age and forever blessed be the Lord who hath caused his blessed Work to prosper by them to the gathering many Thousands to himself notwithstanding the great opposition they have meet with both from the Enemy of mankind within and the Exercises Hardships and cruel Persecutions from his Instruments without yet so powerfully did the Lord appear in them that the Inhabitants of the Earth was awakened and Trembling took hold of many Judgment was laid to the Liâ—e and Righteousness to the Plumit yea the sound of the Gospel by these worthy Messengers Preached went through the Earth and many of its Inhabitance thereby came to learn Righteousness amongst which worthy Messengers this my dear Friend William Bennit was one who laboured in the service of the Gospel for the gathering in the out-casts of Jacob and the disperced of Israel He was a man wholly given up both in Body and Mind to serve the Lord and what he did for God he did it with all his Might he spared no pains wherein he might serve the Truth which to do was his whole delight his care was great over the Church of Christ and whole Family of God and when in Bonds for the Gospel sake he visited them with divers good Epistleâ— full of heavenly Exhortations and Comfort to the great refreshment of God's Children oh the sence of the want of him doth often make me sad knowing how serviceable he was in the Church though I doubt not but the Lord can raise up some worthy Ones to succeed him in the Work and Service whereunto he was called oh the many sweet refreshments which I have had with him cannot be forgotten what shall I say for the want of him whose presence hath often times been very comfortable to me I believe years to come will know the want of him I had inward acquaintance with him above many and can testifie he was endued with many divine Attainments he had the true qualifications of an Elder and Minister of Christ and walked in Holiness Meekness and Godly Fear towards all men he never exalted himself above any but as a perfect example in Humility Self-Denial and Meekness he behaved himself towards the Meanest his Zeal for the Truth appeared to be very great for though he was a very weak man as to his bodily strength yet in
preaching the Gospel he was carried forth with such Fervency and Zeal for the Lord being by the mighty Power of God upheld that at such times there appeared no Infirmness of Body in him and notwithstanding the weakness of his Body he often Travelled in the service of the Gospel being freely given up to spend and to be spent for its sake his Ministry was plain prevalent vvhereof he had a very good Gift he vvas vvell acquainted vvith the holy Scriptures of Truth vvhich he made much use of for the opening the Understandings of People vvhich often proved very Effectual for the convincing of many And as he vvas an incessant Labourer in the Gospel vvhere-ever he came so also vvas he as Valiant in suffering for the same vvhen ever called thereunto as the many grievous Imprisonments vvhich he hath met vvith for the Gospel's sake doth vvitness for he hath for his Testimonies sake been cast into divers Goals as Yarmouth Bliborough Ipswich and Melton several times also at Edmonds-Bury vvhere he lay amongst the Fellons nigh eight years together lastly he vvas taken from a Meeting at Woodbridge and committed to Melton Prison vvhere he lay till the quarter Sessions held at Woodbridg unto vvhich he vvas brought and vvas by an order of Sessions removed from thence to Ipswich Prison being then in the Winter season though he vvas very vveak at that time and not fit to be carried forth the Weather being very cold and at that time it Snovved very much yet vvas he in the midst of all hurried avvay I vvas then vvith him and vvith grief of Heart beheld this cruel Treatment of this innocent Lamb vvho then said If it lay in his freedom to go or not although he might gain much as to the outward he could not go his weakness was such yet for the Truths sake he was freely given up though it proved the dissolution of his Body as indeed it so happened for he never got over it but grew weaker and weaker till upon the 23 d day of the 4th month 1684 in the Prison House in Ipswich the place of his Confinement he finished his Testimony and laid down his Head in perfect Peace thus vvas this good man Persecuted unto Death who freely forgave them that Persecuted him and oh saith my Soul if it may stand vvith the vvill of God that they may find Repentance before they go hence that his Blood may not be required at their hands Well he is now gone beyond the reach of all his Enemies he hath run the blessed Race he has fought the good Fight hath kept the Faith and is now Crowned with that Eternal weight of Glory which never endeth and though he be removed from us yet his Life remains with us and his Name is a sweet memorial unto us yea he shall be reckoned amongst the Generations of the Righteous and time shall never blot him out of their Remembrance who served the Lord withal his Heart and loved not his Life unto Death for his Name sake Oh the remembrance of this my dear Friend hath often times been a refreshment to me and the many sweet and precious oppertunities I have had with him are at this time fresh in my remembrance I cannot forget those heavenly bedewings and sweet streams of divine Life from the God of Life who is the Fountain of all our well-springs which often times ran through his Vessel as through a Conduit Pipe to the great refreshment of his Children Oh when I consider his service in the Church of Christ and how ready he was to help the Weak and encourage the Feeble yea to reach forth his helping hand unto all that none might be left behind and that now at such a time as this wherein Tryals and Exercises seem to abound upon us it should please the Lord to removed him from us my Spirit is bowed before the Lord in the consideration thereof for a tiâ—e my Soul was afflicted within me being deeply sensible of the great loss of him at this time of day But while I was Meditating in the consideration hereof my Soul was revived in the feeling of the Springs of Life to arise which sprang up in this wise God is the same that ever he was his Arm is not shortned that it cannot Save neither is his Ear heavy that it cannot hear the crys of his Children but his care is and will be over all those that put their trust in him and against such no Weapon howsoever formed shall Prosper and that he hath not removed his Servant from us thereby to weaken us but rather that we should wholly look unto him only from whom alone our Salvation comes who vvill certainly take care of all those who are faithful unto him in their Testimony for his Name and will supply such with whatsoever he sees is needful for them yea the same Power that kept and preserved this our dear Friend through all his Tryals and Exercises who hath now finished his Course with Joy will also preserve us as we are faithful thereunto in which the Lord keep and preserve all his People through all their Tryals and Exercises to the end is the breathing of my Soul OH thou my dear Friend who art now from us gone Vnto thine everlasting Rest in the Eternal one Who now for all thy Labours in which thou didst abound Rewarded art with endless Life and art with Glory Crown'd Oh worthy man of God thy Name for ever shall Recorded be amongst the Rightous Gen'rations all Thou lovedst not thy Life to Death but gave up all unto The service of God s Truth most pure and for it didst forgâ— The World and all things else that unto thee was near That thou mightst be for evermore with thy Redeemer dear And though thy Body is gone and Flesh consumed be Thy Spirit with thy God doth live to all Eternitie Where from thine Eyes all Tears are wip'd and Joy for eâ—e is found And Cloth'd now art with Garments pure and Pleasures doth abound And from thine Enemies reach which did thee sore annâ—y Who for the sake of Truth they sought thy Body to destroy Thou now exalted art over all Mortallity Where neither ravenous Beast nor yet the voulterus Eye 〈◊〉 ever thee molest no nor disquiet thy peace Which as a River great doth flow and never more shall cease Ah thou Valiant one indeed who never turn'd aside But to thy God wert faithful found when ever thou wert tride Great is our went of thee for which my Soul doth cry â—nto the Lord our God who only can supply Oh righteous God make up our loss to thee I only pray That thou wouldst please to raise up Children to him this day And fill them with thy Grace and therein make them shine Forth in thy most glorious Power both heavenly and divine That so thy holy Truth for which he did engage May over all exalted be now in this latter age And though our loss
seeth to be Vain and Evil if it could gain the whole World by it but truly the Professors are out of this Condition though they can talk of the Fear of the Lord and scarce one of a 〈…〉 is come â—here into that state but this is a hard 〈…〉 is able to bear it yet it is a true saying though 〈…〉 believe it oh the largest Talkers and Declarers and Knowers even of the highest sort are farthest from the Life of Truth which is holy for truly such are settled on their Lees and have been building long and very high and have gathered much Riches and it is hard for these to loose all and their Building to fall and not one Stone to be left upon another but all to be thrown down oh the Lord God of Compassion is a gathering many tender Hearts from amongst them who hunger and breath after him and is not satisfied with the Husks the Shadows and Dead Forms in which they dwell and poor Hearts they have been long running from Mountain to Hill and have sought after the Lord even fervently Day after Day Year after Year and could not find him whom their Souls longed for but now such is the Lord a gathering into his Fold where they shall enjoy their Shepherd and their Souls shall not want So once more do I in tender Love direct you to the Gift of God in your own particulars and therein wait upon the Lord for Power from the Lord over that which is contrary to the Lord and condemnable by his Light in your own Hearts and keep in the fewness of Words for too many Words becometh not those who professeth Godliness but let your Words be few and let them savour of the Grace of God which leadeth into a Meek Sober Modest Chast Lifâ— that so your upright sober Conversation may preach Righteousness even to the convincing of them who have been as Teachers over you whom ye will come to see as you keep to the measure of God and know them to be a People whose Minds are at Liberty and are at case in the Flesh and know not a Stay to their Minds a Stop to their Thoughts a Bridle to their Tongues which if they be not come to know feel and abide therein let their Knowledge never so large their Declarations never so high their Words never so deep yea and true also yet I say and my saying is true though hard to many to bear that if such come not and keep not to that which is to be a Stay to the Mind a Stop to their Thoughts a Brible to their Tongues a Lanthorn to their Fâ—â—â— a Light â—o their Steps their Knowledge their Declarations their Works and their Suffering it is all in vain and a Babe of the Heavenly Birth sees and comprehends them and their large Coverings are to narrow to hide them from their Eye Well into the hand of the Lord do I commit you for to come to be gathered into and preserved in the pure Fear of God Watchful and Diligent in the Light and to War and Wrestle in the strength of it against that which you see is to be Mortified so be willing to pass through the strait Gate into the narrow Way to walk which few findeth and are made willing to walk therein But the First shall be Last and the Last First for many are Called and but few Chosen And dear Ones one thing more I have to say unto you beware and take heed of Condemning one another for doing that Evil which you see your selves are addicted unto but first see it Subdued and Mortified in your selves whether it be in Word or Action before you Condemn others for it though they be Prophane People and when you spake a Word of Reproof to any beware of doing it in a light Frothy way as many do even in the light Airy Spirit which bringeth forth the same things in themselves but let it be done in the Sober Solled Seasoned Savoury Holy Spirit of the Lord God that it may reach to the VVitness of God in them unto whom you speak and then is it profitable so the Lord God Almighty Infinite and VVise preserve me and you and all his little Ones in his holy Awe and Dread and therein to pass the time of our Pilgrimagâ— here in Fear and Trembling Farwell From your Son who is come into the Heirship of Eternity William Bennit Bliborough Goal the 5th Month 1661. A tender and unfained Salutation of Love and Good-will to Professors c. THe Lord God Almighty hath and is a looking down upon the Sons and Daughters of Men and hath and doth behold many of them even as poor scattered Sheep without a Shepherd wandering as in the Desarts and waste howling Wilderness wandering as upon the barren Mountains and dry Heaths hungry and thirsty their souls unsatisfied seeking diligently for food upon the barren Mountains running from Mountain to Mountain and from Hill to Hill and cannot find that Food that will truly satisfy their hungry Souls and running from one broken Cistern to another and cannot find one drop of water that will truly refresh their thirsty Souls who are seeking the living God amongst the dead Forms and seeking Meat among the Shells and the Substance among the Shadows and cannot find that which they seek after nor enjoy him whom their Souls longeth for seeking rest and can find no true Rest desiring to know where the Lord God the good Shepherd of Israel feeds his Sheep and Lambs and where they lie down in quietness and rest free from the fear of Evil. And this the Lord God of pity hath seen and in his Infinite tender bowels hath been and now is moved with yearnings of pity and compassion towards them and for his own Seeds sake he hath and is in Mercy to them Ezek. 34. 11 c stretching forth the Hand of his loving kindness unto them to gather in one the scattered to gather together in one the dispersed to bring home the wanderer and the prodigal that hath long fed upon the husks among the Swine to the Fathers house of plenty where there is bread enough and water faileth not Yea the Lord God Almighty of Heaven and Earth hath and is lifting up an Ensign for the Nations and hath and will assemble the out-casts of Jacob and the dispersed Judah from the four corners of the Earth and hath and will return the Captivity of his People and then Jacob shall be glad and Israel shall rejoyce in him the steam of Psal 14. 7. Jesse which doth and shall stand for an Ensign for the people and unto him doth and shall the Gentiles seek and his rest is and shall be sweet and glorious to the poor for whom he will Judge in Righteousness and Reprove with Equity for the meek of the Earth who will smite the Earth with the Rod of his Mouth and with the breath of his Lips will he slay the Wicked and Rule the Nations
Christ down from above or to descend that is to bring Christ from beneath c. but the word to wit Christ is nigh thee in the heart and in the mouth to be obeyed and done and this is the Word of Faith that Paul preached nigh in the heart Even Christ in them â—he living hope that was as an Anchor to their Souls sure and stedfast the hope of Glory And Paul exhorted the Corinthians to examine themselves and to prove themselves whether they were in the Faith whether they knew not Christ to be in 2 â—or 13. 5. them except they were Reprobates And John in his writing to the Saints reminds them of that within which they had heard from the beginning and says to them Let that remain in you to wit The word which was in the beginning which you have heard from the beginning and if it shall remain in you ye shall continue in the Son and in the Father and tells them That they should not need that any man should teach them but as the anoynting which they had received of God abiding in them should teach them which was the Truth to wit Christ the Truth in them the anoynted the anoâ—nting And as he had and did teach them so they were to abide in him so they knew Christ in them witnessed the Power of God within the Truth witâ—iâ— the Word nigh in their hearts the Spirit of God in their inward parts by which they were led guided taught anâ— instructed For so many as are the Sons of God saith Paul are led by the Spirit of God and he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his and this gave them an understanding in the things of God even the Spirit of God For no man knows the things of God saith Paul but by the Spirit â—f God through which he was made anable Minister of the New 1 Cor. 2. 10 11 12 Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit which giveth life And he Preached the everlasting Gospel Christ the Power of God the Word nigh in the heart and said If our Gospel be hid it is hid from them that are lost in whom Mark in whom the God of the world the Prince of the power of the Air that wicked spirit that worketh in the hearts of the children of disobedience hath blinded their minds lest the light of the glorious Gospel Christ Jesus should shine in and unto them But God who commandeth light to shine out of darkness hath shined Mark in our hearts to give us the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus and we have this treasure in the Earthen vessel that the glory may be of God and not of us so the Saints Preached up Christ the Word of Life the Light the Truth within and Rom 1. 19. 1 Cor. 12. 7. Tit. 2. 11. said That which is is to be known of God is manifest in them and Paul says That the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall and the free Grace of God saith he Mark that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that we denying ungodliness and worldly lusts should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world And the Saints they witnessed their reconciliation and were born again they felt and knew that in themselves of which they were born again even Christ 1 Pet. 23 24 25. in them the Seed incorruptible the Word of God which lives and abides for ever by which they were begotten again unto God and quickened by the Word of life even they who were once as dead stones were raised up as living Children unto Abraham and so they came to taste that the Lord was good and gracious to taste and handle of the Word of Life and to seed upon the Bread 1 Cor. 12. 13. of Life and to drink of the Cup of Blessing and so by one Spirit were baptised into one body and were made to drink into one Spirit wherein they worshipped and served the Lord God and had Unity with the Lord in and through the Eternal Spirit and Unity one with another which united their Souls unto each other and unto the Lord God over all blessed for ever Ah dear people you in whose hearts there is true desires and secret thirstings after the living God where-ever ye are scattered among the many Sects and people towards you doth my soul yea my tender soul yearn and stream with love and good-will and for your sakes dear people doth my Soul travel in the womb of Supplication that you might come to enjoy that which you are seeking after and come to possess that you are thristing for and for your sakes mostly is this written in tender bowels of unfeigned love and pity to your souls And dear people you that have true desires in you after the Lord and hath been seeking of him where you cannot find him and hath been running from Mountain to Hill and from Hill to Mountain from one broken Cistern to another from one dead Form to another but still are unsatisfied and are sensible that you still notwithstanding your long profession and confession of God and Christ in words and notwithstanding your practicing some things that you read of which the Saints once performed in obedience of the Spirit of Truth which led them thereunto want the feeling enjoyment of the Love and sweet Peace of God and go groaning daily under the burden of the bondage of sin and corruption and desires to be set free therefrom Oh dear people retire retire with your minds inward you who have been seeking a God a far off and hunting after the Lord without retire to within and wait to know the Lord God near you to know his pure Truth in your inward parts his pure Spirit in you to lead and guide you to teach and instruct you for God is a Spirit and his teachings are spiritual he must be known in Spirit worshipped in Spirit and in Joh 4. 21 22 23 24. Truth not at the Mountain neither at Jerusalem not in this set Form nor in the other Form As lo here and lo there but in the Spirit is the Lord God known and worshipped aright by them who are born of the Spirit And so the spiritualized people who are born oâ— the Spirit and lives in the Spirit and are taught and led by the Spirit of Truth these are the peculiar people who Worship the God of Truth who is a Spirit in the Spirit and in the Truth and these are acceptable Worshippers with the Lord who own no Worship but his own which he teacheth his people by his Spirit and they that is ignorant of the Spirit of God they are ignorant of the true Worship of God which is in the Spirit and although such may seem to Worship God yet their Worship is not of God nor accepted with God It is the purified Sons of Levy who have passed through
Mal. 3. 1 2 3 4. the fire that are purged even as gold is purged and tryed and as silver is tryed by him the Light of Israel who is as a Refiners Fire and like Fullers Sope that can offer unto God an Offering in Righteousness and their offerings is pleasant unto the Lord but the polluted Isa 10 17. Sacrifices the halt the blind and the lame is abomination unto the pure God of purity who is Blessed Blessed for evermore And dear People who have desires in you after the Lord towards you doth my bowels yearn where ever you are scattered among the many â—ects and heaps this is a tender invitation unto you that have been spending your mony for that which is not bread and your labour for that which hath not yet satisfied your Souls but still you are a thirsty for want of drink and an hungry for want of food Oh dear people retire inward retire inward hunt no longer abroad run no longer from one broken Cistern to another wait no longer at the Wells that men have digged draw no longer at them for still you thirst again But oh retire to within turâ— your minds inward and wait to find and feel that in you which you so carefully with sorrow hath been seeking without you even to know Jacob's Well in you which hath been dammed up with Earth by the uncircumcised whilest you have been hunting abroad therefore turn your minds inward to feel the gift that Christ gives the Water that he gives saith Christ to the Woman of Samaria The water which I will give thee shall Mark be in thee John 4. 14. a Well of water springing up unto Eternal life So the Water that Christ gives it 's within therefore turn inward to his pure gift in your own Hearts to his pure Light in your own Consciences for that comes from him and leads unto him them that do it love follow and obey the Fountain of living Water who satisfieth the thirst of the thirsty and feedeth the hungry with good things Therefore retire inward in your minds and come unto him and learn of him who is meek and low in Mae 11. 28 29 30. Isa 55. 2 3. the heart to wit Christ in you except ye be Reprobates hearken diligently unto him and eat ye that which is good no longer feed upon the husks and let your souls delight themselves in fatness come unto him encline your ear hear and your Soul shall live and enter into Covenant with him who will be your God and you shall be his people And so dear people it is not enough for any to have a profession and a talk of God and Christ in words without the enjoyment and possession of him It is not enough to confess and believe that Christ died at Jerusalem for sinners and he hath done all for you c. for the drunkard and the swearer will say as much as this and make a confession of Christ in words as many professors do who say They are justified by Christ and he hath done all for them and yet they are still in their sins in the pride covetousness vanity pomp and vain glory of the world in it's vain customs inventions and traditions seeking and loving it's honour and respect seeking and loving the praise of men more then the praise of God But dear people it is not enough to confess Christ without and say you believe in him c. except you come to know him made manifest in you to destroy the works of the Devil for your professing and confessing of Christ dying at Jerusalem c. doth not cleanse your Hearts nor sanctifie your Souls nor purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the living God in newness of life but still you see you are Bond-slaves unto sin and corruption and led captive with the lusts and desires of your own hearts and it will be so dear people until you turn your minds inward to the purâ— light of Christ in you that doth discover the sin and corruption of your own hearts and as you come to believe in that to love and follow that you will come to feel and find the working our of the old leaven of sin iniquity and corruption and working you into its nature and so come to see and feel and witness not only atalk of it but your Regeneration wrought by Christ in you the Immortal Word to be borâ— again of it the Seed incorruptible which must be known within to bruise the Serpents head the god of the world the wicked spirit that leads man into sin which hath been exalted in the heart of man and hath been Lord Head and King there and the holy Seed the pure life that hath suffered that hath been oppressed even as a Cart is oppressed with sheaves that hath been pierced wounded and crucified the Just hath suffered for the Unjust he hath long been a man of sorrows and largely acquainted with grief he hath been smitten and thou hast esteemed him not but oh he hath been wounded for and by thy transgressions and bruised by and for thy iniquities he hath born thy iniquity whilst thou like a sheep hast gone astray and followed thy own way But oh now return unto the good Shepherd who lays down his life for his Sheep and gathereth the scattered into the fold of Rest where he feeds them and causeth them to lie down in the fresh Pastures of life where none can make them afraid and feed and sup with him who is their daily Bread their Life their Rest their Joy and Delight So dear poople whose desires are after the Lord but are she King for Salvation and after a God afar off I beseech you to return inward because I fervently desire that your Souls might come to taste of the love and sweet peace of my God which is that which would satisfie your Souls and to take heed to that in your hearts which as light shineth in a dark place discovering unto you the deeds of darkness and the works of the night to be evil and fear not that It will deceive ye for it is the sure word of Prophecy 2 Pet. 1. 19. unto which you do well to take heed until the day dawn in your hearts and light shine out of darkness and wholly extinguish the night and give no heed to them who speak evil of the way of the Lord and count Truth to be error and Light darkness even as the professing Jews they boasted of Moses and of the Law and of the Prophets but when he whom Moses and the Prophets prophesied of whom the Law did figure out who fulfills the Law who was the life of Moses and the Prophets he came unto them but they hated him and said We Know that God spake by Moses but as for this fellow we know not whence he is he Mat. 9 29. the 8. 4 8. the 12. 24 11 ch 18 16. is a Gluttoner a Wine-bibber a friend
them they receive power through it to become the Sons of God for through his Grace doth he manifest his power in them that believe in the Light to the drawing of their hearts and minds out of the ungodliness and worldly lusts and to the teaching of them to live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world and thus the free Grace of God bringeth Salvation to their Souls And so dear people thus you who come to believe in the Light to love and obey the Light in your own Consciences will come to feel and witness the work of the Lord God in your hearts the working and opperation of the Word of Life to the casting out of the Bond-woman and her Son which is not to inherit to the binding of the strong man and casting of him out yea the Old man with his deeds is to be put off and you renewed in the spirit of your minds and the new Man is to Eph. 4. 20 21 22 23. be put on who after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness to put him on and to bring him forth before all men the only begotten Son of God who is full of Grace and Truth Mercy and Love Pity and Compassion Purity and Holiness and Good-will towards all who loveth Enemies and doth good to them that hate him c. So coming to the Light Christ Jesus you come to the Substance to him in whom the Figures Types and Shaddows end in and so come to witness him in you who fulfils all Righteousness he who is the end of the Law for â—ighteousness sake unto them that believe in him and to be Circumcised in him with the Circumcision Col. 2. 11 12. made without hands by the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the Circumcision of Christ which the outward Circumcision was a figure of and to witness the Baptism of Christ which is with the Holy Ghost and fire which John's Baptism with water outward was a true figure of and he bore Testimony unto Christ the Light of the world who said I must decrease but he must increase I indeed baptise you with water but he Christ Jesus who was before me shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire whose fan is in his hand and he shall throughly purge his floor the Wheat he shall gather into his Garner but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire So the outward water was but a type the outward washing a type of the inward washing and inward cleansing and inward purging and purifying by the Water of Life or the Blood of Jesus that cleanseth from all sin which is felt thus to work in them who believe in the Light and walk in the Light and they come to know that begotten in them that feeds upon the flesh of Christ which is the living Bread upon which the living Soul seeds and is the Substance which the Bread and Wine outward did figure out which the Manna that God gave the Israel of old in the Wilderness was a pure type of the heavenly Manna the living Bread vvhich the birth that is born of God feeds upon and lives thereby and grows up into Eternal life The day of gathering is come wherein the Lord God of everlasting bowels of Compassion is a gathering the despersed and seeking that which was lost and bringing back that which was driven away and healing that Ezek. 34. 12 13 14 9 16. which was sick and binding up that which was broken but the strong and the fat he is feeding with Judgment The Lord is a gathering people out of the Forms Shels and Shadows wherein many have long stuck and is bringing of them to the Substance and life it self out of the many Sects and heaps and divers ways into the one pure path into the one way of Life Light Peace Truth and Righteousness who by the one Spirit hath and is baptising them who believe in the Light 1 Cor. 12. 13 into the one body wherein the unity the oneness and the fellowship is witnessed blessed be his Name The way of the Lord is pure and Righteous and unchangable I am the Way the Truth and the Life saith Christ John 14. 6. Rom. 10. 8 John 12. 46. 8. 12. the immortal Word which saith Paul is nigh in the heart to be obeyed and done This is he the Light the Salvation of God the true Light that lighteth every man that commeth into the world who saith None can come unto the Father but by me I am come a Light into the world saith Christ that whosoever believe in me shall not abide in darkness but shall have the light of life Therefore dear people love the Light and believe in the Light while ye have the Light that so you may become children of the Light and become heirs of an Inheritance incorruptible that will never fade away There is no obtaining the Crown but through the Cross and this you will come to know who come to love the Light and to be taught of him and to learn of him who is meek and low in heart Mat 11. 29 and 6. 13. and 10. 38. and to follow him in the strait and narrow way that leads to life which few there be that find it and walk therein He that will be my Disciple saith Christ must deny himself and take up his dayly Cross and follow me This you will come to feel and witness if you be followers of the Light a dayly denying of self you will know a denying of your own wills your own desires your own thoughts your own affections your own words and works your own wisdom and righteousness and a daily taking up the Cross an hourly living in the Cross through which you must come to be crucified to the World its Vanity its Pomp Pastime and Pleasures Sins and Iniquities vain Words Psal 6. 14 Works Fashions Customs Inventions and Traditions so coming to be crucified with Christ unto the world and to be Baptised into death with him unto sin you will come to live with him unto God in the life of Righteousness in whom then you will find that Rest Satisfaction Joy Comfort and Peace which no man can give unto you So dear people who are seeking and desiring after the Lord God to find peace and comfort to your souls this I leave with you flee not from that which doth judg you in your own hearts for sin and evil and bring trouble upon you and sorrow upon you and woundeth and pierceth you in secret because of Transgression I say love that flee not from it for oh dear people how many is there that when they have been judged by Gods pure light in their hearts for their sins when trouble and sorrovv and distress hath seized on them because of their sins vvhich Gods Witness hath set in order before their eyes then have they run unto vain helps and run unto man for
help even to those that could not speak a vvord in season to them but have daubed them up vvith untempered Morter and have endeavored to heal their vvound deceitfully and have preached Peace to that vvhich is for judgment and so thereby they have gotten some kind of satisfaction for a time until the Lord vvounded them again with the Sword of his Righteous Judgments then their seeming rest fled away as smack before the wind and sorrow trouble took hold on them again as pain on a Woman in travel and then they have run again unto that which could not remove the very cause of their trouble and sorrow they have run to the Scriptures of Truth and therein have found a promise and this they have applied to themselves for to get peace and rest thereby when alas poor hearts they have not been in that state and condition which that promise which they applied to themselves was unto and so not for them and then they have read what the Saints once did and performed and they set themselves to do the like and to imitate them and so hereby for a time they have gotten some satisfaction some kind of rest and peace until the Lord God did thunder again with Dread and uttered his Voice with Terror which caused the Earth to tremble and their habitation to fall and then dissolation came upon them again and their Fig-leave garment came to be rent and their wound greater then ever it was before and thus they have run from Mountain to Hill from one Physitian to another for healing but they were unto them as Physitians of no value for none of them could rightly heal their wounds until at last they said in their hearts We will seek no more unto man for vain is the help of man But we will return unto the Lord God who hath wounded us and he will heal us who hath broken us in peices and he will bind us up and so returning to the light of Christ Jesus in their own hearts with which the Lord hath wounded them for their sins and brought trouble and sorrow upon them for their iniquities waiting therein in patience upon the Lord God in the way of his Righteous Judgments which was set up in their hearts they came to feel through their believing in the Light and loving the Light by which they were wounded for sin the cause of their sorrow and trouble and wounds taken away by the Blood of Jesus which is his life which they came to feel iâ— them cleansing of them from their sins and washing of them away and so the very cause of their wound being taken away and the corruption purged out then he the tender pitiful compassionate God of Mercy that in mercy towards them had wounded them healed them with the sweet Oyl of joy peace and gladness and now these that vvere mourners do rejoyce and they that vvere heavy hearted are made glad and beauty is given them for ashes and the oyl of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness and are become Trees of Righteousness the Lords own planting bringing forth fruit to his glory and praise vvho hath thus set them free from their sorrovv and trouble These can say Good it is to wait upon the Lord God in the Isa 26. 8. 2â— 9. way of his Judgments Lo this is the Lord whom we have waited for this is our God we have waited for him come let us rejoyce in his Salvation wherewith he hath saved us he hath redeemed us out of the horrible Pit out of the miry clay hath he brought us and set our feet upon a Rock and doth establish our goings who filleth our Souls with the fatness of his house and causeth us to drink of the River of his Pleasure and to suck and be satisfied with the Consolation of the Brest and to milk out and be delighted in the abnundance of the sweetness of its vertue Oh what what shall we render unto the Lord unto the Lord our God for his benefits oh what shall we render unto him for his Mercies what shall we render unto him for his loving kindness Oh! let us take the Cup of his Salvation and drink thereof abundantly and in the strength of the vigour of its vertue let us in the meekness of our hearts and in the lowliness and contriteness of our Souls praise praise the Name of the Lord our God who is worthy of all Glory and Praise for ever and for evermore A few words more unto you dear people who desire more after the love and peace of God then the glory and pleasures of the world Dear people take heed unto that which discovers unto you what are your thoughts whether they be good or evil for that is it which must redeem your minds unto God and wait to come to know it to be a stay to your minds and a stop to your thoughts and a bridle to your tongues and to cause a watch before your mouth and to raise a holy fear in your hearts of offending the Righteous God of Righteousness in thought in word in deed And dear people who have so much depended and relied upon man for teaching retire you with your minds inward to the manifestation of the Spirit of God in your own hearts and wait in it to come to know the Lord God to be your Teacher â—hat if you should be separated from those that have been your Teachers and put into a Hole a Dungeon or Cave of the Earth for your Consciences towards God and so be separated from all your teaching outward you may then feel find and witness the Lord to teach you to instruct you counsel and direct you comfort and refresh you even by his pure Eternal Spirit in you for all the children of the Lord shall be taught of the Lord and established in Righteousness and great shall be their peace in the God of their Salvation unto whom unto whom be glory glory honour and praise for ever and evermore for he is vvorthy he is vvorthy vvorthy saith my soul unto whom be glory in the highest Amen So dear people for your sakes mostly was these foregoing lines written in obedience to the tender spirit of love in my heart vvhich drew me thereunto and in tender unfeigned love and pure good-will to your souls vvho have had and still have true desires in your hearts after the Lord and have been and still are thirsting and hungering after the vvay of Truth and Righteousness and have been and still are seeking and hunting among the husks shells and shadows for to find the substance but still fail of your expectation and cannot find true and perfect satisfaction but secretly in your hearts are panting and thirsting after the living vvater and are vveary of feeding upon the husks and begin to say within your selves to each other Come vve have been long vvandering abroad hunting after the Lord afar off seeking of him in
visited in his endless unchangeable Love even in his making known and manifesting in and unto your souls his pure pretious Truth whereof he hath in measure made you pertakers with his dear Children and Witnesses of in your measures blessed be his Name who hath raised you up to bear a Testimony for him and his Truth which you profess who also hath inabled you through the power of his Love thereunto in this the day of your tryal in that great Town And my dear Friends my soul earnestly desires that you all may dwell and abide in the remembrance and living sence of the loving-kindness of the Lord towards you in his freely making known his Truth unto you that indeed the sence of his Love may bind your hearts and souls to be faithfull unto the Lord and his truth which you profess in still bearing your Testimony for the same in this the day of tryal standing as noble faithfull witnesses for the Truth every one of you in your measures amongst that hard hearted and crooked Generation in the midst of whom my dear friends you in the Light may shine as Lights in the blamless Life and unreproveable Conversation even to the praise of the Lord God and to the honour of his truth which you profess Now dear friends the Lord hath caused you hitherto to bear a testimony for him and against that wicked spirit of Persecution which would limit the Lord in his people in this particuler fix in your meeting and assembling your selves together in his fear to wait upon him and to worship him in spirit and in truth though it hath been though Sufferings And dear friends in the meekness of love unfeigned I Cry unto you saying oh do not grow faint nor weary of bearing your testimony still for the truth and worship of God in your meeting together in his name for dear Friends wherein can we in one particular exercise of the spirit of truth bear a larger testimony for the truth then in our meeting and assembling our selves together in the truth to worship the God of truth in the spirit of truth seeing that this is the thing above many which the wicked spirit of persecution doth so eagerly and so highly oppose and so eanestly seek and so greatly indeavour to deprive us of and confine us from wherefore dear Friends I cannot but in the Love and Zeal of the truth exhort you all not to neglect meeting together in the fear of God so long as the Lord permit you Liberty so to do And oh let not the smalness of your number you little Flock who are hated and rejected by the world be any discouragement to you in this matter but oh rather be you incouraged thereby in the strength of the Lord in love to his truth to bear up your testimony in that great Town in the midst of so many Persecutors faithfully in your measures even to the honour of the Lord his truth My dear friends let me say again neglect not meeting together through giving way to the slothâ—ul careless spirit or through letting in the fear of man into your hearts for indeed my dear friends although you be a poor small Remnant for whom my soul travelleth with the Lord for your preservation yet behold as you keep your meetings in the fear and name of the Lord you will feel and injoy his living presence in and amongst you which will make your meetings profitable unto you And dear Babes in stillness quietness in peace patiâ—nce and contentedness possess your souls in the dominion of truth to reign over all those thoughts reasonings and consultings which the Enemy of your souls would infuse into your minds whereby he would raise trouble and tumult in your hearts and bring faintness and weakness upon you And dear Friends lend not an ear to listen after the rumours and reports of the world nor heed not the boasting of the wicked neither regard the threatning of truths Enemies but dear Babes continually lend an ear unto the Lord and hearken you unto his Counsel and have continual regard unto him in your hearts and wait to feel his presence with you continually and know your unity with him and every perticular one feel and find in your selves that the Lord God almighty is on your sides and then my dear Friends you need not matter who are against you if the Lord be for you so dear Lambs be faithful to the Lord and to his truth in your measures and be not Dâ—scouraged nor Danted through the sence of the rage wroth and bitterness of your Enemies and through the feeling of your own weakness and feebleness but trust ye in the Lord and hope ye in his tender bowels which are opened with groanings of compassion towards his poor afflicted suffering people who is and yet will be a strength to the poor and needy a refuge unto them from the storm and a shadow unto them from the heat a helper in the time of need a Deliverer out of trouble in the greatest straits who will appear to help his helpless ones whâ— have no other helper but the Lord. So the Lord God almighty be with you and gird up your loins with Courage Boldness Strength and Valour and spread upon you the mantle of faithfulness and cause you to persevere on in the perpetual patience and to abide in the continual content therein to run the race that is set before you which you have begun And the Lord almighty of heaven and of earth for his own seeds sake keep you from fainting by the way and carry you through all whatever either outwardly or inwardly you do or may meet withal and keep you and preserve you unto the end that in the end dear Lambs we may lay down our heads together in the sweet bosom of the Lord God of everlasting rest peace and quietness in whose sweet meek heavenly humbling melting love my soul dearly salutes you all and commits you all unto the Lord God almighty Farewell dear Friends Dwell together in that love which thinks no evil therein forgiving and forbearing one another even as the tender God of bowels hath forgiven you and born with you day after day and time after time and dwell all in the meek spirit of self-denial keeping the unity in the spirit in the bond of peace Norwich-Castle the 3 d Moneth 1664. Your tender Friend and Brother WILLIAM BENNIT God only Exalted in his own Work OR THE Works of God Praiseth him in Sion OR A Song of Deliverance from a great and sore Captivity Thraldom and Bondage under the King of Egyptian Darkness the God of the World where the Soul was fast bound as with strong Chains and Fetters but now Ransomed by the out-stretched Arm of Gods Almighty Power and art come to Sion with Songs of everlasting Joy upon thy head and hast obtain'd joy and gladness and thy sighing and mourning is fled away witnessed unto and experienced in that Vessel whose earthly
Tabernacle bears the name of William Bennit Published in singleness and uprightness of heart from a constraint of Gods Love to all those who are yet groaning and panting after the Lord in truth and sincerity that they may meet with some refreshment and encouragement in their Journey and Travels towards the Land of Rest and Peace OH oh my soul my soul what hath the Lord even the Lord thy God done for thee oh what hath he done for thee oh my soul oh my soul a little while sit down in thy secret Chamber of rest and quietness and there oh my soul a little meditate of the most excellent loving-kindness of the Lord thy tender compassionate God of infinite bowels which he hath manifested to thee oh my soul of things past present and to come that so the perfect sence of the love mercy pity kindness tenderness and compassion of the Lord thy tender God may alwayes rest in and upon thee oh my soul That oh my soul through the sence feeling and true remembrance thereof thou mayst be O blessed God praised glorified and magnified reverenced and honoured even the holy powerful eternal wonderful everlasting Name of the Lord God Almighty who inhabiteth Eternity who lives for ever and for evermore and bound thereby to a bountiful kind loving tender pitiful merciful compassionate God towards all souls in the measure of God thy God who hath abounded in loving kindness towards thee oh my soul Oh! oh my soul my soul remember thou wert once a prisoner in the prison house of darkness strongly bound in chains and fetters a slave and a captive in the Land of Egypt under the servitude and slavery of the Prince and power of darkness the god of the world the king of Egypt and under thy hard bondage and deplorable thraldom and miserable captivity oh my soul thou wert made in secret to cry and groan under thy burdens unto the Lord thy tender God whose bowels whose tender bowels of infinite pity and unsathomable compassion did in mercy to thee hover over thee even in that thy sad miserable deplorable state first made thee sensible of thy sad captivity and so in the sence thereof and in the sence of thy own helplessness how didsâ— thou cry cry unto the Lord God of pity for help and groan unto him for deliverance oh my soul and the Lord who opened thine eye and gave thee a glimpse of thy sad estate did hear thy groanings and thy cries and for his own Seeds sake set himself by the out-stretched Arm of his power to deliver thee out of thy sad captivity in which thou were without help of thy own and there must abode had not the Lord God of everlasting unfathomable bowels of pity had mercy upon thee oh my soul Oh oh oh my soul my soul the remembrance of the tender love the tender pity the tender mercy of thy tender pitiful God how can it but even rend thy bowels even from top to bottom oh my soul and remember oh my soul how the Lord God Almighty through his sore plagues and righteous judgments executed upon Pharaoh the King of Egypt under whom thou wert a slave by an out-stretched and a mighty power by the slaying with the sword of his vengeance the first-born of Egypt brought thee out of the prison-house who broke thy chains in pieces and snapt thy bonds asunder and brought thee out of Egypt and set thy face toward Canaan the good Land that floweth with milk and honey And remember oh my soul how wonderfully the Lord God who by his mighty power and out-stretched arm brought thee out of Egypt preserved thee and upheld thee in thy long journey unto Canaan thy tedious way and passage through the sea and wildeâ—ness how gently did he lead thee as a tender nursing Father and carried thee as in his arms and bore with thee in his mercy towards thee when thou sometimes murmured against him because of the length and straightness of the way that he led thee in and because of the enemies thou hadst to encounter with by the way insomuch that thou sometimes backslided in thy heart towards Egypt and lusted after the flesh-pots thereof and murmured against the Lord who so led thee about in such a cross knotty way to that part in the which through the cross straightness and length of the way was to die pine and wither and be worn away and fall in the wilderness and not enter into the holy Land and yet the Lord thy tendeâ— God who did correâ—â— thee through his righteous 〈◊〉 and as a tender heaâ—â—ed Father did chasâ—ise thee fo◠〈…〉 complainâ—ngs aâ—â— murmuâ—ings against him and 〈…〉 baâ—â—sâ—iding towarâ—â— Egypt did not destroy thee but bear with thy weaknesâ—â—â— and infirmities and nourished thee and cherished thee day by day and as a tender hearted Mother nurseth the only tender babe of her womb who led thee by a pillar of a cloud by day which was a shadow unto thee from the heat and a pillar of fire by night which gave thee light by night when the Sun was under the earth who when thou wert an hungry he gave thee bread from heaven day by day fresh Manna morning by morning compassed about thy tent and gave thee water out of the rock to satisfie thy thirst yea oh my soul great greatly hath the mercy love pity and compassion of the Lord thy tender God been manifested towards thee how did he fight for thee and subdue thy enemies before thee and made way for thy passage yea remember remember oh my soul oh my soul how that after he had brought thee out of Egypt by his out-strctched arm and mighty wonderful power how mightily and wonderfully did he appear for thee to help thee in thy time of great need and extream distress and great trouble even when Pharaoh and his great host followed hard after thee and pursued strongly to overtake thee and bring thee back again into Egypt under his slavery and servitude And when Pharaoh and his host followed so close after thee and the Sea the great Sea was before thee and mountains on each side of thee how great was the straight thou wert in and the trouble and sorrow that compassed thee about oh my soul that thou wert even at thy wits end And oh oh my soul my soul in this time of thy greatest straight and trouble â—ven when thou wert without help of thy own thou criest unto the Lord thy God who gave thee some glimpse of comfort saying he would fight for thee and thou shouldst be still and hold thy peace and so he by his mighty power made hard things to become easie unto thee and that which appeared as a thing unpossible unto thee he by his power made it become possible unto thee Remember oh my soul how he made a way for thee to pass through the Sea and divided the waters thereof hither and thither and by his mighty power carried thee through the Sea and
Pharoah and his host he utterly destroyed in his wrath and delivered thee oh my soul out of his hand and destroyed them who would have destroyed thee and gave thee dominion over them that had dominion over thee and thou sawest them lie dead as by the Sea shore glory glory glory ah glory glory and pure praises praises to God to the Lord God even thy God oh my soul and now oh my soul thou canst sing a song of deliverance a song of victory and triumph and go into the Sanctuary of God to the Altar of God thy God even God thy exceeding joy ah and upon the Harp thou canst praise God the Lord thy God thy delight and joy Oh! oh my soul my soul thou in the lowly fear and holy dread of the Lord thy tender God and in truth and righteousness livingly and experimentally canst say the Lord my God is my strength and my song he also is become my salvation he is my Rock and strong Tower his work is perfect a God the God of truth and righteousness just and right he is the holy one whose dwelling is on high in the holy place and with him also who is of a poor and a meek and a contrite spirit and that trembleth before his Holiness and fears and dreads before his dreadful Name ah ah thy right hand O Lord thy right hand O Lord God of power is become glorious in power is become mighty in power thy right hand O Lord God Almighty hath dashed in pieces mine enemies by the greatness O Lord my God by the greatness of thy wonderful excellency thou hast O Lord confounded them that rose up against me thou lettest forth thy wrath and consumed them as stubble before a mighty fire thou lettest forth the breath of thy fury and blew upon them and scattered them as chaff before a mighty wind Oh! oh who can stand before thy indignation thy dreadful indignation who can abide the extream fierceness of thy anger thy fury is poured forth like fire thou breakest the râ—cks in pieces the mountains tremble before thee the mighty God thou utterest thy voice and the Heathen tremble thou roarest and the Kingdoms are moved and the earth melteth at the appearance of thy presence who cometh with fire and thy Chariots like a whirle-wind thou renderest thy anger with fury and thy rebukes with flames of fire thou hast thy way in the whirle-winds and the Clouds are as the dust of thy feet Thou art the mighty God who can but fear before thee and tremble at thy eternal presence thou roarest out of thy Sion and utterest thy voice from thy Jerusalem and the Inhabitants of the earth tremble thereat but still thou art the hope of thy People and the strength of thy ransomed ones their strong Tower their present Helper in the time of trouble Wherefore I 'll not fear though the Earth be removed and carried into the midst of the Sea and though the Sea roar and be terrible and the Mountains shake with the swellings thereof and the Hills fly before it though the tall Cedars of Lebanon fall and the strong Oaks of Bashan bend before it yet I will not fear the Lord is with me and he will not forsake me but he will help me and that right early Wherefore I will only fear before the Lord before the Lord my God the mighty eternal God of mighty eternal Power who measureth out the Heavens as with a span and measureth the waters of the Seas in the hollow of his hand who comprehendeth the dust of the Earth in a measure weigheth the Mountains as in scales and the Hills as in a ballance who taketh up the Islands as a very little thing before whose face the Heavens and the Earth flee away and behold there appeareth no more Sea Oh! who can but fear before thee O Lord my God the enemy said I 'll pursue I 'll overtake I 'll not spare my lusts shall be satisfied on him But O Lord O Lord God my God thou wert my God near to help in the time of need and in the time of greatest need appeared appeared in the greatest power of love O Lord thou blew upon them and the Sea covered them and they sunk as Lead in the bottom of the mighty Waters O Lord O Lord God who is like unto thee who amongst the gods is like unto thee the only God who art dreadful in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Oh! let the people hear and be afraid and the Dukes of Edom be amazed and let trembling take hold of the mighty men of Moab oh who can but fear before thee O Lord my God Thou hast redeemed me and led me forth in thy power and guided me in thy strength unto thy holy habitation thou wilt bring me in and plant me in the mountain of thy Inheritance in thy Sanctuary O Lord which thy hands have established wherein I shall live with thee O Lord my God for ever Ah glory glory glory unto thee O Lord God my God The Lord is a man of war the Lord of Host is his name Pharaoh and his mighty men hath he drowned in the Sea but he hath saved thee oh my soul So Lord let thine enemies perish but let them that hope in thy mercy live for ever to declare thy wonders and magnifie thy name in the land of the living Ah! glory glory ah glory glory to God the mighty God ah praises praises honour and thanksgiving unto thee O Lord my God who lives for ever and for evermore Amen Oh! oh what is this what is this that the Lord thy tender God of infinite bowels of pity hath done for thee oh my soul thou wert a slave in the Land of Egypt and the Lord hath redeemed thee oh my soul thou wert in darkness and the Lord hath given thee light and thou wert under the region and shadow of death and he hath brought thee forth in the to Land of life Thou wert in the prison shut up in the prison-house bound up with chains and fetters in the low dungeon of darkness and he hath broken thy chains and snapt thy fetters asunder and loosed thy bonds and broke up the prison door and pulled down the prison house and set thee free oh my soul Oh my soul my soul thou wert a captive in the Land of Babylon estranged from the Common-wealth of Israel and an Alien from Sion sitting sorrowful and solitary by the River of Babylon in the Land of Captivity mourning when thou thoughst upon Sion for thou wert a Captive in a strange Land and sorrow through the sence of thy woful Captivity and Alienation from thy native Land compassed thee about and trouble on every hand tears was thy drink daily sorrow thy meat and groans and sighs thy greatest joy thou wentest bowed down all the day long with an heart aking and thine eyes dropping with tears because of the oppressions of thine enemies and burdens of thine oppressours
be in the lest degree exalted above him but still keeping low in him dwelling beneath him at his footstool and whatever thou receivest from him when he calls for it return it back to him and be nothing without him but what thou art in him alone knowing that what thou art it is by him and what thou hast it cometh from him Therefore be nothing without him and return his own to him for he is worthy that his own should praise him And in the belly of a humble lowly broken contrite spirit dwell oh my soul where thou mayst serve God with thy tears dwelling in the sence of the freeness of his love and mercy in what he hath done for thee that the remembrance thereof may rend thy bowels before him passing thy pilgâ—image here in fear and trembling before the Lord thy God unto whom unto whom unto whom be glory glory glory praises praises praises thanksgiving honour and eternal renown be rendered unto his eternal name who is blessed blessed blessed for ever and ever Amen Amen Halelujah in the highest Amen glory glory ah glory Halelujah in the highest Amen Amen saith my soul Oh my soul where didst thou begin but in the sence of Gods dear tender precious most excellent love stirring in thy heart and there must thou end and rest satisfied and lay thee down quiet in peace with Gods most dear Babes and tender innocent Lambs unto whom thou cleavest as flesh to their bones towards whom thy bowels thy bowels thy tender bowels do unspeakably yearn with secret pantings in thy inward parts through the weight of love that abides in and upon thee oh my soul my soul my soul William Bennit To Gods Lambs in Prison Greeting DEar Friends and suffering Lambs shut up together in nasty holes oh you dear Suffering Tribulated Conscientious ones of the tender God of love life and power I whom am your dear and tender Friend and Companion in thâ— pure patience and long suffering of the Seed incorruptible do most dearly greet you and intirely salute you and sweetly imbrace you in the love of the Lord your God who hath not only counted you worthy to believe in him the mighty God but dear ones he hath also counted you worthy to suffer for his holy name sake because of your Faithfulness and for your Obedience unto his most sweet excellent everlasting Truth ah dear Lambs the witness hereof feel in your selves yea I believe my dear Friends that you know and feel the holy witness of the holy God of holiness in your own hearts bearing a true testimony to your own souls that your such confinment and sufferings is because of your obedience to the Lord your compassionate God of infinite bowels wherefore ye Lambs ye dear Lambs of the Lord God of power in him be ye comforted in the middest of your sufferings for him and be refreshed in the middest of your afflictions and consolated in the middest of your tribulations and be you made glad and rejoyce in the middest of your tryals even in the middest of all glorifying praising and honouring your tender God for his rich mercy towards you to be partakers of the sufferings of his seed oh my dear Friends my tender bowels is at this time opened unto you and my soul streams with streams of love of dear intire love towards you which fâ—oweth forth in the true sence and feeling and simplicity that my soul hath of your sufferings of which I partake in spirit and in the sence of your Faithfulness my soul is refreshed and bound thereby to praise your God and my God on your behalf Dear Lambs I believe that the sweet comfortable presence of the Lord God Almighty is with you and doth so accompany you as that your cup of sufferings is made sweet unto you so as that you can drink it off with gladness knowing and seeing that it is the will of the Lord to permit it to be given unto you whole will and not your own your innocent souls desire to do Ah dearly beloved Friends what shall I say unto you that ye might thereby be comforted that my soul in the sence there of might be made glad well dear Babes the fountain and fulness of everlasting joy and gladness is the bosom wherein you are to be wraped up and to repose together for evermore if you keep the faith to the end The streams whereof I know do often refresh your souls which overcomes you with its sweetness and lifts you up above all your sufferings and even make hard things become easie unto you â—lory glory and pure praises in spirit be shouted out unto the mighty God of worm Jacob the everlasting Jehovah of Israel unto whom dearly and beloved Friends I commit you all most intirely and fervently desiring that he the only Lord who is your tender God may for his own seeds sake minister to all your necessities and supply all your wants and cause your strength power wisdom and love with pure patience content and long suffering in him to abound daily more and more Amen saith my tender soul So dear ones read and savour my love in the Word which is more pretious then all words whatsoever wherein dear Lambs repose together and the milk thereof dear Babes suck and be refreshed thereby Farewell dear Lambs I am your dear Friend and Brother in the Lord. WILLIAM BENIT To Friends in the Love of Truth Greeting MY dear and tender beloved Friends in the love of God and in his pure pretious everlasting Truth whereof he hath in the freeness of his pure grace and endless love made us pertakers with the rest of his dear Babes and Children and whereof he hath made us witnesses in our measures in this his blessed day spring from on high which is come and coming which is brook and breaking forth in great glory so that its brightness shall reach unto the utmost dark corners of the Earth even to the exstinguishing of the Night and to the expelling the darkness which hath covered the Earth and the gross darkness which covered the People Ah dear hearts the blessed beams of the brightness of this blessed day spring from on high hath reached unto our souls which were once sealed up in the Darkness under the shadow of the Night and hath and doth shine in our hearts giving of us the true knowledg of the true and living God and thereby hath guided our feet out of the crooked slippery paths of darkness wherein we once walked stumbling as the blind into the paths of peace even into the path of the just which as a shining light shineth more and more until the perfect day for which the Lord our dear and tender God is worthy worthy to receive pure living praises from the breath of his own life in our souls who is worthy that his own should praise him for its sacrifice is acceptable and pleasant unto him who is God over all blessed for evermore Dear hearts in
the true indearedness of the indeared love of the pure seed of life eternal doth my soul dearly salute you and imbrace you in the bosom of innocency in the which â—he Lord in measure hath wrapped up my soul with â—our souls dear Lambs and with the rest of his faithful Babes as in a mantle wherein we are together although absent from each other and herein I rest and repose with you who am your reall Friend and tender Brother in the heavenly relation which abides for ever William Bennit The 3 d moneth 1664. Dear Babes dwell together in love even in the pure innocent love of God which thinketh no evil and therein bear with and forbear and forgive one another even in that which keeps in the lowly fear and preserves in the true humility wherein none shall strive except to be the most humblest and meekest in mind and herein is the unity of the faith and the bond of peace known and kept which is exceeding comly amongst Brethren To Friends of Truth MY dear Friends in the pure tender bowels of the endless â—ternal fountain of love doth my soul dear Lambs dearly and tendorly salute you all most indearedly and fervâ—ntly desiring that you may stand fast in the pure precious everlasting truth of the Lord God in it so to live walk and abide as that you all keep your Garments clean and unspoted of the world as pure wise Virgins indeed who follow the Lamb whither-soever he goes Dear Babes hold fast your confidence in God and let yout hope in him be stedfast and constant and in that Faith stedfastly abide which hath been and is and will yet be your victory for ever and crown of tryumph eternally if in it you abide to the end Well dear Lambs I commend you unto the Lord God of everlasting strength and power by him to be upheld and supported and carried through whatsoever tryals and sufferings you do or may meet withall either outwardly or inwardly and by his power to be preserved sincere upright and faithful to him in your measures unto the end of your pilgrimage here that so a noble faithful clear Testimony you may bear for the Lord in this his day to the praise of his glorious name which is blessed for evermore So the sweet precious refreshing consolating inlivening strengthning quickning pure presence of the Lord God of Light of Life Love and Wisdom be with you in you and among you all even to the daily glading of your hearts and refreshing of your souls and to the girding up of your loines with courage patience strength and boldness in the God of your hope to stand unto the end Amen saith my soul So dear Babes feel my love in the innocent life of God and therein dwell together and I am with you and therein I rest and remain your dear Friend and tender Brother The 6th month 1664. William Bennit To Friends of Truth in Prison Dear Friends AH ye dear suffering Lambs who are in outward bonds for the Lord his Truth and Name-sake shut up and separated from your dear Friends and neerest Relations because of your keeping your Consciences void of offence towards the Lord God dear Hearts your cause is good for which you suffer and the Lord God who is ingaged for you whom you love and do manifest it unto the world through your willingness to suffer for him rather then to do that which you know is contrary unto his will or forbear doing of that which he willeth you to do well he will stand by you and will not leave you in the time of your need of his helping upholding power as you abide Faithful unto him in whose just cause you are ingaged and he will fully plead it with his and your Adversaries in his own time to your joy and their torment except they repent Dear Lambs my heart is even made glad and my soul it doth rejoyce because of your Faithfulness to the Lord in bearing your Testimony for his Name Ah the Lord God Almighty keep you faithful unto the end that so you may not faint nor grow weary before your Testimony for the Lord be finished that so you may not fall short of the Crown which is laid up for you if ye abide to the end even a full recompence of reward for all your sufferings and afflictions you do or may meet with for your faithfulness unto him the living God in whose pure bowels of most indeared intire unfained love doth my soul very dearly salute you dear hearts unto whom I commend you whose pure quickning holy heavenly presence I desire may be abundantly with you daily for the keeping of you all in pure patience and contentedness and in a true submission to his heavenly will that his joy comfort and consolation and sweet peace may abound in and unto your souls to the bearing of you up above all tryals that you do meet withall that you may not sink under them and that over the temptations of your Adversaries within and without you may Reign and be made more then Conquerers through the Lord who hath loved you and counted you worthy to believe in his Name and Truth and to suffer for the same Oh the Lord my God even your dear and tender God keep you low in his holy fear and very watchful and diligent in his pure Light having your minds exercised therein and girded thereby unto the Lord that so indeed dear Hearts you may learn much by these your tryals and sufferings even to your comfort and joy in God feeling indeed that the Lord doth cause these your sufferings to work together for your good that so you indeed dear Lambs may find cause thereby the more to praise and glorifie the name of the Lord and to make mention of his goodness and mercies and to magnifie his name in the land of the living unto whom be glory and praise for ever and evermore Dear Lambs receive these few lines as a token of the true love of my soul to you in the Lord in whom my love is right dear unto all his faithful ones Farewell dear Friends in the Lord in whose innocent life I am your Friend and Companion in the patience and long suffering of the Lamb. Norwich Castle the 7th month 1664. William Bennit To the sâ—ffering Lambs of the Lords Flock in Prison Greeting DEar suffering tribulated Lambs of my Maker ah dearly beloved Friends the tender unfeigned salutation of my soul reacheth unto you in the unchangable Love of the unchangable Truth of the living unchangable God whereof he hath made us pertakers and of which he hath made us witnesses and for which he hath through his love his constraining overcoming powerful Love made us willing to suffer and to part with and be separated from our deaâ—â—st Fâ—â—ends and nearâ—st Relations and to be willing to indure and â—o pass through what ever sufferings the Lord our God shall permit to be infflicted upon us rather then for any
by â—â—ds and self-inâ—â—â—â—st to condecend to do that thing willingly which we know â—ould cause Gods Truth to suffer his holy Name to be dishonoured his holy Spirit to be grieved and our Consciences to be defiled thereby ah in this frame of spirit free given up state the Lord God of power keep us by his power with the rest of his dear innocent suffering Lambs elsewhere for his own name-sake even unto the end until our Testimony for the Lord which he in his beloved Son hath counted us worthy to bear in this his day be finished to the praise glory and renown of his holy powerful name and to the everlasting Joy and eternal Peace of our immortal souls Amen saith my soul which doth fervently desire dear suffering Lambs that the holy living presence of my God may be in with and amongst you all to your Joy and Comfort and that his power may uphold you and that his strength may support you and keep up your heads above all your sufferings and tryals that so none may grow weary nor faint in your minds but you may be made strong in the Lord and be able in the power of his might to resist thresh hammer and beat down every thought and all carnal reasonings and fleshly consultings that your Enemy and Adversary in your own hearts would infuse into your minds which indeed if entertained how soon may they who are strong thereby become weake and they who witness freedom be brought again into bondage and be again caught in the Serpents snares ho is exceeding busie within as well as without seeking daily whom he may devour and betray of the simplicity of truth and draw back again unto himself Dear Lambs you are in measure acquainted with his subtilty yea blessed be the Lord who hath open'd your eyes and you see him and his temptations and crafty allurements and not only so but you know how to escape them so as not to be overcome by tâ—em but resist them overcome him and his temptations thâ—ough the strength of the Lord who hath called and redeemed you from under his power yet not withstanding my dear Friends let me say unto you in the brotherly love and tenderness of my soul watch and keep close unto the Lord in your own hearts that unto him you may be kept faithful unto the very end who will make way for your deliverance in his own time and season and he will plead your righteous cause with his and your Adversaries in his season to your Joy and their Sorrow Whâ—â—efore wholely commit your cause unto the Lord your God who watcheth over you and careth for you and will never leave you but will stand by you and help you in the needful time even all you whose trust and hope is in him alone and can use no other weapon to plead your cause with but the â—â—rd of his mouth So dear Lambs in the pure patience and long suffering of the Lamb our Captain and Leader and Example that meek one who saith love Enemies possess your souls and rest in stilness and peace and quietness and contentedness in the Ark of safety whâ—ch the Lord hath prepared for his Family to bear them up above the floods until the waters abate and dry land appear So the Lord be with you all and bundle you up together in his innocent love which thinketh no evil therein to serve him with your whole hearts and one an other with all self-denial none to strive except to be most meâ—kâ—st and lowâ—st in mind so that you all way be tender affectionated one towards another forgiving and fâ—rbearing one another in love the stâ—oâ—g bearâ—ng with the infirmities of the weak that even as dear Children of one Father you may dwell together in peace and in pure unity in the spirit of holiness that a Joy and a Comfort you may â—e to each other in the Lord upon whom dear Lambs wait â—ogether very diligently that of his fulness you may all receive who is ready bountifully to minister that of himself unto all his tender Lambs and breathing Babes who wait upon him which he seeth is meet for them even to their daily nourishment joy comfort and reâ—reshment So in the pure bowels and tender everlasting love of the tender God of compassion doth my soul dearly salute you all who loveth the Lord uprightly and who make mention of his name in sincerity and truth and are willing to suffer for the same whether you be in bonds or out of bonds my love reacheth unto all the upright in heart Farewel dear Lambs From your Friend and Companion in the patience and long suffering of the Lamb who hath must and shall have the victory over all his Enemies to Triumph and Reign in Dominion Eternally Norwich Castle 29th of the 7th Month 1664. William Bennit This to go among Friends of Truth to be read amâ—ng â—hâ—m when assembled together in the pure fear and dread of thâ— most Hâ—gh God DEarly and tenderly beloved Friends the dear tender unfeigned salutation of my tender soul reâ—châ—â—h unto you all who loveth the Lord and his Tâ—uâ—h with your whole hearts and who make mention of his holy name in sincerity and truth even in the meek render lowly holy seed of eternal life made manifest quickned and in measure raised up in my soul even in this innâ—cenâ— seed of immortallity doth the love of â—y soul extend towards you all and I very dearly desire your prosperity and â—ranquility therein even as I do â—esire for my own soul and thaâ— this lowly holy seed and meek innocent life oâ— Jesus may daily spring grow up and flourish in every particular soul of you all that so though it was once the lest of all Seeds in you even as a little grain of Musterd-Seed hid in the Earth it may become the greatest the highest and strongest of all things in you over-povvering you and over-shadowing you that so unto you it may become a pleasant Bower of spices and as a sweet smelling savour that you may even joy to sit under its shadow even with great delight its fruit be exceeding sweet to your taste Ah Babes therein is Peace to be injoyed which is Eternal which passeth all Understanding therein is Joy unspeakable and full of glory to be injoyned therein is Blessedness which is everlasting Happiness which is endless to be injoyed out of it there is none Ah Lambs therein is Power to be received whereby to overcome him who hath the power of Death to wit the Devil and to break his Head and withstand all his Temptations and strong Assaults and various Alurements and many Inticements and power therein to withstand thresh hammer and beat down all those Thoughts Reasonings and Carnal Fleshly Consultations which he your greatest Enemy would infuse into your Minds and raise up in your Hearts whereby to disturb and break your Peace and raise Trouble and Tumults and Insurections in your Minds that so
Faintness and Weariness might come upon you and he your subtile Enemy might thereby gain upon you and get advantage of you and obtain his purpose and desire who indeed as a roaring raging devouring Lyon very eagerly seeks in this day of great tryal whom he may Devour and draw back again under his yoke of Bondage Thraldom and Slavery Wherefore dear tender Lambs in the Seed the Fold out of which he is shut forever in which he hath no part daily dwell and continually abide then out of the paw of thâ— Devourer you shall be kept by him that good Shepherd who layeth down his Life for his Sheep and leaveth them not when the Woolf cometh to destroy them but he preserveth his Sheep and his Lambs and hideth them as in the hollow of his hand Ah how Tender how Careful how Pitiful how Merciful how Kind how Loving how Forbearing how Forgiving how Long-Suffering how Patient how Meek how Humble and Compassionate is the Nature of the tender God of infiâ—ite bowels Ah dear Babes let me say unto all wait to feel and witness the nature of Emanuel even the meek Life of Jesus to rule and dwell in you daily and you to dwell and live daily in it Ah his pure leaven of Life Eternal oh how doth it work out the leaven of Death and Darkness Malice and Enmity and purgeth out every hard thought and all evil surmisings evil back-bitings and whisperings which doth proceed from the old leaven and are the fruits of that corrupt tree which is aâ—cursed by the Lord and is to be hewen down and with all its fruits cast into the fire forever to be consumed and puâ—teâ—â— out the Eye which would be watching for Evil and for the halting of others and to spie out their weakness and to telâ— it abroad to their shame oh how doth it oppose and hammer down that mind that would be great and esteemed of by men and would exercise Lordship over others Oh how doth it baptize self into the Death and bâ—ing down the Haughty to the Dust and boweth down the Lofty and raâ—seth up and bringeth forth a Birth which striveth not foâ— mastery except to be most meekest and lowest in Heart and Mind and to abound in Pity in Love in Tenderness in â—owels of Compassion in Patience in Gentleness in long-Suffering in â—orbearing and in Brotherly Kindness yea in all the vertuous Fruits of the nature of him who is meek and low in Heart who said love Enemies this Birth hath a hand ready to stretch forth unto the backward to draw them forwards it hath an arm ready to help to hold up the halting and bosom open to carry the weak and faint ones in oh it would I know be a help to all who stand in need of help it would not that any should be left behind the Camp who are willing to press forwards although they may linger behind by reason of their Halting and Lameness oh how hath it a garment ready to cover an others weakness it never overchargeth any it judgeth not any thing before the time appointed it is not Hasty nor Rash but Patient and Gentle and it hath a convincing restoring vertuâ— with it in all it doth so that it both Wounds and Heals Kill and maks a Live brings down and raiseth up lay desolate build and restore it is tender and gentle it breaks not the bruised Reed neither doth it quench the smoaking Flax it never renders Evil for Evil but overcomes the Evil with Good its Patience overcomes Fury its Love quencheth Enmity its Gentleness overcomes Rashness and its Meekness overcomes Haughtiness and in all it Suffers it seeketh no Revenge but beareth all things Patiently committing its Cause unto him who judgeth Rightly it loveth Enemies it beareth love good-will unto all men yet it hath no uniâ—y with any Uncleanness nor fellowship with the unfruitful works of Darkness in any but rather reproves them This is not the Birth born of Flesh nor of Blood nor of the will of man but the Birth born of God and this Birth shall out-live all false Births and likenesses and unto it must all bow anâ— become subject this Birth God will crown with Honour and Renown and beautifie with Glory and Praise and although it hath been troden under foot and despised by other false Births yet unto it they must all bow and throw down their Crowns at thy feet oh Zion Ah the Lord thy Husband thy Maker the God of Host is his Name hath determined that the days of thy Mourning shall pass away and the night of thy Sorrow shall for ever vanish and thou shalt no more be termed Desolate and Forsaken oh thy Winter shall be over and gone and thy Summer shall come and thy Fruitfulness shall appear Oh Zion thou shalt appear as a Royal Diadim in the hand of the Lord and as a Crown of Glory in the hand of thy God who will make thee the Beauty of Nations the Joy of Kingdoms yea the Glory of the whole Earth and a Praise therein forever amen saith my soul Oh hasten it hasten it Lord God Almighty that so the Mourners in thy Zion may be Comforted and the Hated be made right glad that so even her waste places may Rejoyce and her Desarts blosom as a Rose that her Wilderness may become as the Garden of Eden and her Desarts as the Garden of the Lord that so Joy and Gladness may alone be found in her Thanksgiving and the voice of Melody that so even Water may come forth of the Wilderness and spring in the Desart that the parched Ground may even become a Pool and dry Heaths streams of Water Ah when the Lord hath wholly gathered together in one the disperced of Judah and hath brought into one the scattered of Israel and hath throughly returned the Captivity of his People oh then surely Jacob shall rejoyce and Israel be right glad and glory in his God who is blessed forever and evermore And so dearly beloved Friends my soul hath daily a remembrance of you in and unto the Lord unto whom I leave you dear Lambs very dearly desiring that unto him you all who hath in measure tasted of his Love and of his pure pretious Truth are made partakers and thereunto have born witness in doing and suffering for the same may by him be kept faithful unto him even unto the very end that so the Testimony which he hath given you to bear for his Name Truth in this his day of sifting winowing purging purifying and of separating the Chaff from the Wheat and of making up his pretious Jewels and of manifesting the approved in his sight you may through the strength and mighty power of him the mighty God who hath câ—lled you and raised you up to war against Babylon and no more to touch but to bear witness against the unclean thing be inabled to finish your Testimony for him although it be with your Blood even to the Praise
Glory and Renown of his eternal powerful Name and to your endless Joy and everlasting Peace in him your tender God in whose pure tender unseigned Love doth my soul kiss you imbrace you clasp you about saying in spirit Oh the Lord the mighty God gird up your Loins with Courage Strength and Valour daily and spead over you all the mantle of Faithfulness keep you all in the pure patience and sweet contentedness and in true submission to his holy heavenly will which is your Sanctification whose will may be done in you all that indeed the Power the Glory the Kingdom and Dominion may be his and he alone may Reign in you whose right of due it is who was Dead and is a Live and lives forever and evermore unto whom be glory in the highest for evermore Amen Oh the holy living presence of the Living God of Holiness be in with and among you all in whose Love Life and Truth in my measure my soul is united and closely cleaveth to all the Children of the most high God and they are very dear unto the soul of him who is your Friend Brother and Companion in the innocent Love and Life of God over all blessed for evermore farewel dear Lambs T is 1665. William Bennit Dear Friend IN that which is Eternal and unchangable doth the unfeigned Salutation and tender Love of my Soul extend towards thee who art oft in the remembrance of my Soul which is in some measure sensible of the many Troubles Crosses and Tryals which thou hast been in and now art exercised with and truly dear Heart my soul desireth that thâ— Lord may inable thee to wade through them all in the pure Patience and true Contentedness and that thou mayst find the strong arm of Gods mighty power in the beating down keeping â—nder that part which would complain and murmur against the Lord and count him a hard Master and freet its self because the Wicked Flourish and the Ungodly spread themselves like a green â—ay-Tree and the workers of Iniquity are set up â—nâ—â—â—e Pâ—oud Lord it over the Meek of the Earth and â—â—eaâ— upon the Righteous as Diâ—t in the Streets Killed all the day 〈◊〉 aâ—d Oppressed like a Cart with Sheaves I say needful it is to feel that part which would freet it self because of thâ—se things chained down by the Meek Lowly Lamb like Patient Peaceable Spirit of the patient pitiful long-suffeâ—ing God of Forbearance and Mercy and to feel it curting and beating all Prejudice and Enmity that would be springing up from the murmuring fretting part against those who are â—â—struments of Iniquity and Servants to that Spirit that Persecutes and Oppress the Innocent and behold this Spirit of meekness keeps in coolness gentleness and patience and giâ—â—â—h dominion over that Spirit which in haste yet as it thâ—nâ—s in a Zeal for God crys for Fire to come down from Heavâ—n to devour those who are Instruments of Cruelty Iniquity and Oppression and indeed this Spirit of Love inableth to love Enemies to Bless and Curse not and seeks no Revenge but makes willing to leave all to the Lord unto whom dear Heart let us commit our Cause and sure I am he will plead it with his and our Enemies in his own time even to their Destruction and Calamity and to our Joy and Comfort in the end in the mean while the Lord keep us in contentedness and in dominion over that Spirit that would limit God to mans time and counteth that God is slack concerning his Promise who indeed is not slack as that Siprit counts slackness but is a God long suffering desiring not the Death nor Destruction of a Sinner but that rather he may repent and Live Oh that all those that profess his Name may be like-minded with him according to our measures and growth in him the Living God who is blessed forevermore My dear tender hearted Friend my Soul doth likewise desire fervently that thee and I and all the rest of our heavenly Fathers Family may be kept close unto the measure of the free grace and love of the Lord God in our own hearts that by it we may continually be kepâ— in the lowly fear and pure aw of him who hath called us out of Darkness into his marvelous Light wherein let us watch carefully over our Thoughts Words and Works lest in haste through carelesness for want of watchfulness we should speak or do any thing that may grieve the holy Seed and wound the Just one in our selves and bring a burden and load upon our own Souls wherefore dear Heart I cannot but desire that I with thee and all who love Righteousness may be kept watchful in the â—â—wly Fear close unto the grace that keeps humble out of the many words in the fewness of words that so in sweet stilness peace and quietness we may possess our souâ—â— and injoy the sweet incomes of the sweet Love and sweet pure refreshing streams of the Fountain of Life according to our measures that so even in the midst of our Tryals and Sufferings our heâ—rts may be made glad in the Lord and our souls may rejoyce in him over all the Rage and Cruelty of the Wicked that we may keep our standing on the Rock against which Gog and Magog and the whole Host of the powers of Darkness is not able to prevail and herein the Lord keep us saith my soul for evermore So dear Heart I leave thee unto the Lord in whom my Love is dear unto thee and my Soul simpathize with thee in thy Tryals and Sufferings and desire the Lord may bear thee up above them all in the bosom of his Love and Patience and minister daily unto thee what he knoweth is meet for thee and keep thee in a contentedness with his heavenly will that so thou mayst say with thy whole heart Lord not my will but thy will be done and submitted unto in all things whose will is our Sanctification So dear tender Heart in the innocent Love which drew me forth to write these lines unto thee I rest and remain thy dear Friend in the Truth William Bennit 1665. To the Magistrates of Edmonds-Bury Friends I hope your Nobillity and Moderation will be so far made manifest as to read over these following Lines with Patience and I desire you may Seriously consider of them and Sollidly to weigh them in that equall Ballance the Light of Christ in your Consciences before you Judge of them VVE whom the World in scorn call Quakers are a People that liveth in the pure fear of the Lord God and without boasting we can truly say we are a People who are led and guided by a peaceable Principle of Love which we have received of God who is the Fountain of Love by which Principle of Love we are made to live peaceable with all men as much as in us lies and fervenly to desire and seek the good and welfare of all People even from him
who sits upon the earthly Throne unto the most Inferior in the Kingdom and by this Principle of Love in our own hearts which is of God we are made to bear Love and Good will towards all people and by it we are taught to loy Enemies to Bless and Curse not to Pray for them who De spitefully useth us and to do Good to them that Beateth us and not in the least to render Evil for Evil but endeavour to overcome in our selves and others Evil with Good and by it we are preserved from joyning with the spirit of Envy and from being led by the spirit of Revenge which ruleth in many and leadeth into secret Plottings and evil Contrivances by way of Conspiring to raise Tumult and Insurrection which spirit with all its fruits we deny and judge and all those who are led by it to Contrive and Plot against any or to seek the Destruction of any people though our Enemies such we disown and their actions we defie the Lord is our witness And by the Principle of Love in our hearts are our Consciences made very tender to God-ward insomuch as that we would not willingly and knowingly sin against him and are willing rather to suffer the loss of all External things yea even Life and all then to break our peace with God which we value more then ten thousand Worlds and because we endeavour in the strength and power of the principle of love in our hearts to keep our Consciences void of offence towards God and because we dare not do those things though they be set up by men and tollerated and compelled to be done by a Law which we are perswaded by the unerring spirit of Truth we ought not to do neither joyn with any therein and because we dare not forbear doing those things though prohibited by the Laws of men there from which we are perswaded by the spirit of Truth is our duty towards God to do and perform therefore are we a suffering People this day and for no other Cause the Lord is our witness to the truth hereof And ever since the Lord our dear and tender God who alone hath been and now is our Helper Strength and Refuge and hath stood by us and supported and preserved us or else we had not been a People at this day did raise us up to be a People for to bear witness to his Way and Truth and against the false Ways evil Works false Worships Idolatry Sin and Wickedness of the World we have been a suffering People and all along we have suffered by every Power that hath come up to Rule and all along we have suffered for only our Consciences towards God if our Enemies have had no Law in force against us neither could find any thing on our parts whereby they might take a just occasion against us then have they as Daniel's Persecutors did against him who sought his Destruction without a Cause given them by him even made Laws on purpose to Insnare us and Trappan us concerning our Conscience towards God for which we did suffer by the other Rulers even many ways viz. by Stocking Stoning cruel Whipping Rayling Reviling and cruel Abuses even Imprisonment until Death and spoyling of Goods in a more abundant manner then I can relate and all hath been for our Consciences to God all which we have born and waded through in Patience through the strength of the upholding merciful Arm of our God and by him have been kept from seeking Revenge upon our Enemies but have committed our Cause to God who Judgeth Righteously and Justifieth those whom men Condemn unto whom alone Vengence belongs and he will repay it who will render unto man according to his Works And even at this day our Sufferings are greater then before and now are we even as Sheep appointed for the Slaughter and all is because we endeavour to keep our Consciences void of offence towards God and because we dare not joyn with that Idolatrous Worship which God abhors but must as moved of the Lord rather bear Testimony against Idolatrous Worships and Worshippers vvhatever vve suffer And because vve dare not Svvare at all knovving if vve should Svvear at all we should then transgress the Commands of Christ Matthew Chaper 5. Verse 34 c. James Chapter 5. Verse 5 c. And because vve follovv the practices of the Primitive Christians and dear not forsake the Assembling of our selves together but must as vve are taught of the Lord meet together in the pure fear and dread of the Name of the Almighty God even for no other end the Lord vvho knovveth the secrets of all hearts is our vvitness but to Wait upon the Lord and to Pray to the Lord and to Build up Strengthen and Edifie one another in the Lord and to Serve and Worship God in Spirit and in Truth vvherein God vvho is a Spirit is only Worshipped aright by his Spirituallized people vvho are born of the Spirit and guided and led by the Spirit of Truth into all Truth And it is not in Rebellion and Contempt to King Charles and his Lavvs that vve meet together to vvorship God neither do vve do it in a Cross Stubborn Self-vvill as by some vve are charged the Lord is our vvitness but even in a Cross to our ovvn vvills and in Obedience to the vvill of God vvhere fore vve have peace in the Lord for vvhose sake vve suffer and stand justified in the sight of God though by Men and their Lavvs counted Transgressors Novv Friends as your Moderation in measure hath appeared in this day of hot Persecution and hath been manifested heretofore tovvards the Lords tender Conscientious people in this Tovvn vvhich I believe the Lord hath taken notice of who hath regard unto those vvho have respect to his people and truly it is my Souls desire even for your ovvn good that your Moderation tovvards the people of God called Quakers or any other people vvhose Consciences are tender to God-vvard may continue still and increase more and more so as that ye might not in the lest degree have a hand any more in the Sufferings of the Innocent but might rather chuse as meek Moses did to suffer Affliction vvith the Suffering Abused Tribulated Afflicted People of God then to be found Prosecutors of any unjust Lavv against them for indeed happy in that particular is the man that hath no hand in the sufferings of the Lords people for sure I am the Lord God hath regard unto his people though disregarded by such as know not God nor his People and though Hated and Persecuted by the World yet Loved of the Lord and very dear unto him and though Contemptible Ridiculous and Absurd in the eyes of the wisemen of this World yet Beautiful Comely Delectable and Precious in the eyes of the Lord and what evil any do to them because of their Consciences towards God the Lord takes it as done unto himself and if one
day it shall be said to those who did not Feed Cloth and Visit the Lords tender ones in Prison Go ye Cursed into Hell Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels then surely sad will be the Sentence of those who through their Cruelty go about to deprive them of Food and Raiment and instead of visiting them in Prison doth unjustly cast them into Prison and hinder them that would visit them Oh surely the Lord God of Pity of Mercy of Compassion and endless Love hath seen the sufferings of his People in this Nation and hath taken Cognizance of their sore Afflictions and Tribulations Burdens and grievous Oppressions under which they have long Groaned whose Groans are come up before the Throne of the most high and is entred into the Ears of their Compassionate God and he is moved with infinite bowels of Love towards his suffering Seed and he will plead the Cause of his own Elect which have long Cried unto him whose Cries he the Living God hath heard whose Cries he the Almighty God will answer and will revenge their Cause upon the head of their Persecutors and will Oppress the Oppressors and Devour the Devourers of his People even as Stubble before the Fire fully dry and they shall not be able to escape the stroke of his Righteous Judgement which he hath now begun to make manifest in the Earth that the Inhabitants thereof might learn Righteousness and the Beesom of his Wrath is cleansing the Land of Evil Doers and many of those who desired and indeavoured to have Banished the peoof the Lord from their native Country and lawful Habitations such the Lord hath â—anished from their Houses and they have fled from their Habitations and run from his Righteous Judgements but whether can man fly to hide himself from the Lord and so that measure they meted out to others is moted to them again and this is just with the Lord who is equal in all his Doings and just in all his Ways and he will not be mocked by any but such as People Sow such must they Reap and according to their Deeds they must receive a reward Wherefore Friends so far as ye have a hand in the Sufferings of the Innocent you have cause to Repent thereof and to ease the Burdened and to set the Imprisoned and the Oppressed Free and as you tender and respect the good of your Souls and desire to be tendered and respected by the Lord so tender the Lords tender people and do not in any wise usurp authority over their Consciences for that is Christs seat and the Magistrates Sword is not to rule there but only Christ the power of God who maketh the Conscience he alone is to rule in and over the Conscience and Friends to the Light in your own Consciences come and be obedient thereunto and it will cause you to do unto all men as you would be done unto and in the Light you must come to believe hearked to it follow and obey it before your Souls can injoy true peace with the Lord and by it be inabled to deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lust and by it to be taught to Live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World and to lay your Sword upon evil doers and to be a praise to them that do well and rather to tolerate such and to defend them in the exercise of their Consciences towards God in meeting together in his pure fear to Serve and Worship him then to suppress them And to exercise your power in breaking up their meetings who meet to Drink Swear Rant Tear and Devour the good Creatures of God upon their filthy ungodly Lust even to the great dishonour of the Lord and to the grieving of his holy righteous Spirit suppress such for that is the Magistrates work but as for those who feareth the Lord and liveth Peaceably and Honestly with all men let such have free liberty to serve the Lord in his own Way and worship him in his own Spirit and not to be compelled to a Dead Dark Invented Superstitious Worship which is not of God and then will the blessings of the Lord my God be powered down upon you and a good savour ye will be unto those that fear the Lord from whom ye will be worthy of double Honour And Friends I understand that it is the desire if not the intent of some of ye Rulers in this Town to proceed against me unto Banishment who am an innocent man and have done you no wrong neither have I committed any thing against you or any just Law worthy of Bounds much less of Bâ—nishment neither have I in this County been thrice Convicted by your Law as an offender and I would know whether those Records made by Justices who are only Commissionated for Norfolk be good evidence in Suffolk where those Justices themselves have no power seeing the Law saith that all offences other then Treason shall be Inquired Heard and Determined in the Shire Division Limit and Liberty where such offences happen as was Inacted in the third year of King James see Chapter the fourth Well I am not careful in this matter touching my own particular only I would not have you hasty in what you intend towards me but seriously to weigh the matter in that equal balance the Word of God and take heed what you do and hurt not your own Souls and sin not against the Lord then sure I am you cannot hurt me Wherefore be wise oh ye Rulers and be instructed ye Judges of the People touch not the Lords Anointed neither do his Prophets any harm and let not Envy and Prejudice blind your Minds nor cloud the nobility of your Understandings and take heed of ingaging the Lord more and more against you and your Town consider the Lord hath hitherto spared you and your Town from the Wo Sorrow Misery Distress and Calamity which is come upon many other places and if you desire the Lord should still spare you and your Town then do you spare those who fear the Lord in your Town and free them from their causeless Imprisonments and do not Afflict them lest thereby you hasten the just Judgements of the Lord God upon you and your Town which is even at hand Well my soul in the Lord is at rest and in quietness free from fearing the threatnings of men who are not able to Banish me from the presence of my God who is with me and with all who feareth his Name who will work the deliverance of his people from their Sufferings Burdens and grievous Oppressions in his own time and season and will so far preserve them as that they shall be a People when the Egyptians shall he dead upon the Sea-shore of his Righteous Judgments the Lord hath spoken it in whom is my Joy and Peace Refreshment and Comfort in the midst of my Sufferings who will never leave me if I leave not him for whose Cause for which I now suffer
by you I count not my Life too dear to part with for the Testimony of my God in whom is my Confidence Trust and Hope who hath formed me for his praise whose I am unto you my Conscience I have cleared and whether ye will hear or forbear I am clear of your Blood who am a Friend to your Souls and Bodies and desire the welfare of both and am one who loveth righteous Government and Governours who are for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well and such Rulers I truly honour in my heart though not with the vain custom of the Hat neither with the deceitful flattering titles of this World This is from a true lover of your Souls who desâ—reth your everlasting welfare and tranquility in the Lord who is a Sufferer by you but not for evil doing but for doing well the Lord is his witness that this is true whose Servant he is whatever he be by you or any accounted of Edmonds-Bury common Goal this 8th Month 1665. William Bennit To Friends of Truth in the Town of Colehester Greeting DEarly beloved Friends and Brethren who have tasted of the love and goodness â—f the Lord and of the sweetness and pretiousness of his unchangable Truth the virtuous workings and powerful opperations whereof you have felt in your hearts whereby you witness and experience in measure your Souls set at liberty from the bondage of Sin and Corruption to serve the living God in holiness of Life to the praise of your God who hath raised you out of the dust by his Power and quickned you by his Life and formed you by his own Wisdom and given you his good Spirit to guide and lead you teach and counsel you comfort and refresh you oh he hath given you a taste of the Word of Life and power of the World to come oh he hath living Witnesses of his Name and Truth whereof you are made partakers and that which you have seen and known felt and tasted of the same you have through the strength of the Lord born Testimony unto even by Word by Deed by Life and Conversation and through great Sufferings manifold Tribulations and Afflictions all which the Lord your tender God hath inabled you to wade through and hath kept you from fainting unto this day who hath been with you in six Troubles and in the seventh dear Babes he hath not left you but in all your Afflictions for his Name-sake he hath been afflicted with you and the Angel of his presence hath been your defence on the right hand and on the left oh how hath he carried you in his tender Bosome and born you up in his Arms and lead you gently when you were Weak Young and Tender and made the Crooked strait and the Rough smooth before you and thrown down many a high Mountain before you and removed many a lofty Hill out of your way who hath made a way for you in the Wilderness and a path through many a Thickit and hath made the hard things easie he hath been a Shelter to you from the Heat and a Refuge to you from the Storm and many a time hath been unto your Souls as the shadow of a Rook in a weary Land who hath given you Bread when you were Hungry and Water to satisfie your Thirst who Strengthned you when you were Weak and Inriched you when you were Poor who Healed you when you were Wounded and bound you up when you were broken to Pieces who Comforted you in the midst of Sorrow and hath Refreshed you when you have been heavy hearted and lifted up your heads when they were bowed down because of the Oppression of your Enemies Oh how exceeding large is the love of the Lord your tender compassionate God of endless bowels of tenderness oh your own experience of his Love his Mercy his Pity his Compassion his Goodness his Kindness and his Tender Fatherly Care and Dealings towards you is much larger then what I can demonstrate with words oh how can you then but still trust in his Name rely upon his Arm and depend upon his saving Health and hope in his tender Bowels who is the same yesterday to day and for evermore who hath been with you when Trouble hath compassed you round to keep you from Dispair and with you in the midst of Perplexity to keep you from being Distressed and with you in the midst of Persecution to Sucker and Cherish you and refresh your hearts as with New Wine and oh surely dear Babes he is with you still to Comfort you still to Refresh you still to Feed and Nourish you still to Strengthen you still to Uphold and Support you still to Keep and Defend you and surely he will never leave you nor forsake you if you forsake him not but will cleave unto you as you cleave unto him and will still be your God and you shall be his People still and rest in him for ever when in this World you shall be no more Oh dear Friends my soul loveth you wherefore I cannot forget you but often remember you especially since the Lord hath been pleased to visit that place with such fore Affliction and to give it to drink so deeply of the Cup of his Righteous Judgments and oh my soul desires that the Lord may keep and hide your Souls in the hollow of his hand whatever Affliction he suffers to come upon your Bodies and oh that he may inable you to wade through all and to bear all with Patience and Contentedness and think not any of you the Lord cares not for you or that he dis-regards you â—ecauâ—e he doth or may permit the Beesom of his Righteous Juâ—gements which he hath sent forth to sweep away the Wâ—cked to sweep away many of your Bodies from off the Earth neither murmur against the Lord who may do what pleaseth him and yet all his doings are Equal and Righteous altogether and how strange soever his doings appear to the carnal reasoning fleshly part yet assuredly he intends good in all his deallings towards all the honest simple innocent upright hearted ones and it is inwardly well with such whatsoever outwardly the Lord suffereth to befall them and it shall be well with their Souls eternally whatever the Lord permits to come upon their Bodies and truly the sence of these things I know doth cause Joy to spring inwardly in the midst of outward Sorrows and Comfort in the midst of Heaviness Rest in the time of Trouble and Content and Satisfaction in the midst of Affliction and maketh that soul to bear all with patience without murmuring against the Lord and makes such to say The will of God be done well it is the Lord that suffereth it thus to be and why should I murmur against him seeing he knoweth what is best for me and will not suffer any thing to besal me but what through his Love and Mercy shall work for my good as I cleave
Lord God is her Dowry and blessed for evermore is the soul that is joyned with her in a perpetual Covenant never to be broken We all in this Prison who suffereth upon Truth account are in a measure of Health at present through the Love and Goodness of our God blessed and praised be his Name for evermore whose tender Compassion faileth not towards them who love him therefore are his people not Consumed but preserved as Lambs in the midst of devouring Wolves by him the good Shepherd of Israel who stopeth the Mouths of Lyons and chaineth up the Beast of Prey for his little Flocks sake whom he so dearly loveth that they may behold his Power and admire his Love and trust in his Name and return the Praise unto him whose Mercies are over all his Works glory to God in the highest my Love salutes you all farewell dear Friends W. E. SOME Prison Meditations OF AN Humble Heart Given forth from a Child in Israel whose soul very dearly loveth his Heavenly Fathers Children much desiring and travelling in Spirit for their Prosperity in the Truth even as for his own soul and the Author hereof believing and knowing that this following Treatise may if the Lord will be of service unto many of the tender honest simple single upright-hearted ones who are following on to know the Lord in the footsteps of Righteousness and who desireth to pass over on to the end in the strait way of Holiness therefore even for their sakes is this following Treatise Published from a constraint of Gods love in singleness and simplicity of Heart OH Oh my Soul be not unmindful of the large mercy and goodness of the Lord shewed towards thee neither forget the exceeding loving kindness of the Holy One manifested unto thee oh my Soul oh let the sence of what the Lord thy dear tender pitiful compassionate God hath done for thee continually be fresh in and upon thee oh my Soul for the Lord thy God hath freely done that for thee which none besides him the mighty one could do Oh my Soul the Lord hath brought thee out of the Pit even out of the horrible Pit and out of the Mire and Clay wherein thou once stuck so fast as that thou couldst never have been able to have gotten out by all means possible thou couldst have invented but must have sunkdeeper and deeper therein and so have perished for ever had not the Lord God of infinite mercy helped thee who did cast his eye of pity and compassion upon thee and out of his meer mercy love and free grace stretched out his hand to help thee oh my soul when none besides him could help thee and by his arm of his loving kindness lifted thee up out of the horrible pit out of the mire and clay and hath set thy feet upon a Rock which stands sure and can never be moved and thereon he establisheth thy goings praises pure living righteous praises to the Lord thy God be rendered by thee oh my soul even forever and for evermore Oh my Soul remember thou wast once even like a poor filly Sheep without a Shepherd wandering upon the barren Mountains and dry Heaths in the Wilderness and solitary places full of Trouble Sorrow and Perplexity and knew not the way to the Fold of Rest oftentimes mourning and weeping alone as a Dove without her Mate when no eye saw thy sorrow but the Lord alone often saying in thy heart whose State and Condition is so miserable as mine who so Poor and Desolate as I none knowing how it is with me but the Lord alone And indeed the Lord then saw thee and knew how it was with thee oh my soul and he the tender God of unfathomable bowels of Compassion behold thee in that day when thou didst eat thy bread Weeping and mingled thy drink with Tears and he the compassionate one heard thy secret crys and knew thy secret desires and thy sighing and groaning entred into his ears and thy tears which thou dropped upon his Alter laid open unto the view of the eye of thy tender merciful God and his tender bowels was moved with pity towards thee and for his own Seeds sake he had compassion upon thee oh my soul and helped thee in the day of thy Trouble and delivered thee out of Distress who freely reached forth his Arm unto thee and took thee by the Hand and brought thee out of the Wilderness and desolate Places and set thy feet in the right way which hath led thee to a City of Habitation and to the Fold of Rest and now the Lord who both sought thee and found thee out and brought thee out of the Wilderness and from off the barren Mountains he is become thy Shepherd oh my soul and how canst thou want any good thing he oftentimes feedeth thee and even causeth thee to lie down in green Pastures leadeth thee by the still Waters even Shilc's brook which runs softly and he spreadeth thy Table in the sight of thy Enemies and anointeth thy Head with the oyl of Cladness and causeth thy Cup to overflow with new Wine and hath brought thee to sit under thy own Vine and under thy Fig-tree and none shall make thee afraid oh my soul Oh the Goodness of the Lord oh the Kindness of the Lord oh the Mercy of the Lord oh the Pity of the Lord oh the Compassion of the Lord God of tender Bowels is even Unutterable Unspeakable Unfathomable and Incomprehensible Oh the Heighth oh the Depth oh the Length oh the Breadth of the Love of the Lord Oh my soul truly when thou meditatest of the goodness of the Lord and considerest of his loving kindness and mercy shewed towards thee oh how can but the sence thereof pitch thee even upon a stand of admiration Oh surely surely when thou oh my soul lookest back into his Works considerest how much he hath wrought in thee and for thee thou canst see no end of his praises oh praises oh living praises holy righteous praises unto the pure holy righteous Lord God be ascribed by thee oh my soul for ever and for evermore Oh my Soul as thou art kept in the fresh sence and remembrance of the great Loving Kindness the great Mercy the great Pity and unspeakable Compassion of the Lord thy tender God which he hath and daily doth manifest unto thee oh my soul oh how canst thou but in the sence of Gods unspeakable Love abound in Love in Pity in Mercy in Kindness in Tenderness and Compassion towards all People but especially towards all Souls who are Seeking Thirsting Hungring Breathing Crying and Painting after Righteousness Peace everlasting Rest and eternal Happiness Oh my soul the Lord thy God knoweth the frame of thy Spirit the Lord knoweth the tenderness of thy Bowels and the openness of thy Bosom towards all the Seekers after Righteousness towards all the Travellers to Sion and towards all the Mourners therein Oh my soul remember how that at
sometimes when the great Fountain the great Deep hath opened and issued forth of his fulness into thee oh my soul and when Joy hath come into thy heart as a River and Gladness as a mighty Stream Refreshings as showers in the Spring and Consolation as due upon the tender Plants and when thou couldst sing for joy of heart and shout aloud even Praises and Halelujahs to thy God that then even then thou oh my soul remembrest the Poor and Needy in his own Eyes and think'st thou hearest his cry sounding in thy Ear and his soul saying in secret Oh how many is there who Eateth of the largest Loaves and Drinkest of the largest full Flagons but oh alas for me I have scarce a drop of Refreshment hardly a crum of Consolation but my Tears is my Meat and Drink Day and Night whilest my Enemy saith unto me where is thy God Oh I go bowed down all the day long and none knoweh my Sorrow but the Lord alone Oh I am even as an Owl in thâ— Desart and as the Pelican in the Wilderness I am as the alonâ— Quail in the stubble Fields and as the Dove mourning for thâ— loss of her Mate and as the alone Sparrow upon the House top and as a Woman forsaken and grieved in Spirit Oh whose Condition is like mine is there any amongst the Sons and Daughters of Men like unto me is there any so Poor as I oh is there any so Needy as I oh is there any so Weak and Feeble as I is there any so Foolish as I oh is there any so Dry and Barren as I oh is there any so Cold and Fruitless to God-ward as I is there any so Desolate as I Oh my leanness oh my leanness oh how long how long shall it be thus with me oh how long how long shall I sit mourning as by the River of Babylon with my Harp laid aside oh when when shall I walk again in Sion and travel in the Streets of Jerusalem with a new Song in my Mouth and everlasting Joy upon my Head and living Praises in my Heart unto the Lord who dwâ—lleth in his Sion and his presence is great in his Jerusalem but oh alass for me I am as one cast out of his sight and one who walketh dejected all the day long Oh when will the Lord cause the days of my Mourning to be over and the nights of my Sorrow to pass away and my Sighings and Groanings to vanish and all Tears to bâ— wiped from mine Eyes oh when will the Lord give me Beauty instead of Ashes the Oyl of Joy for Mourning and the Garment of Praise for the Spirit of Heaviness that I a Poor Dry Barren one might become a Tree of Righteousness bringing forth Fruit of Holiness abundantly to the praise of the Lord God that he in and through me might be glorified Oh when shall my Winter be over and the terrible Storms be gone oh when shall the cold nipping Frosts be expelled the Darkness and Gloominess be extinguished oh when will the Sun of Righteousness break forth unto me in his Glory and his warm Beams refresh and warm my poor cold Soul oh when will the Spring come when shall I know a Spring-time â— the Lord oh when will Summer come oh when will the singing of Birds come oh when shall I hear the voice of the Turtle in my Land oh when will the Showers from on high fall down upon my Soul oh when shall I receive the early and latter Rain oh when shall I come to sit under my own Vine and under my Fig-tree and none to make me afraid Oh how long shall my Beloved be hid from me as in the clifts of the Rocks and as in the secret places of the Stairs sometimes indeed he shews himself unto me as behind the Wall and as through a Lattis and then my Bowels my tender Bowels are moved for him Oh when oh when shall I have a full enjoyment of him whom my soul loveth oh that I could but plainly hear his Voice and perfectly see his Face for oh indeed sweet is his Voice and his Countenance is very comly my soul desireth him in the Night season and in the Morning I seek him early but oh I cannot find him whom my soul loveth for he hath with-drawn himself from me and 〈◊〉 is the cause of my Leanness Coldness Barrenness and Unfruitfulness to God-ward which is the cause of my Sorrow Tears Sighing Groaning Mourning and walking Dejected all the day long Oh indeed there was a time once when my Beloved knocked at the Door of my Heart saying again and again open open unto me my Head is wet with Dew and my Locks filled with the Drops of the Night open open unto me and let me in but oh wo's me I was gotten into a Bed of false Ease and wrong Security and was loath to come out but I made many excuses and said I have put off my Coat how shall I put it on I have washed my Feet how shall I defile them c and I lingered so long as that my Beloved vvithdrew himself and at last I rose in my own time not when he called to open to my Beloved and he was gone and then I called him but he did not answer me I sought him but did not find him and oh my Bowels my Bowels is even pained for him and my Soul panteth after him even as the Hart painteth after the water Brooks Oh that I could but find him whom â—y soul loveth oh I would hold him I would hold him fast I would not let him go he should lie all night in my Bosom I would be watchful and diligent that I grieve him not and very fearful of displeasing of him and would take heed of giving him any cause whereby to leave me and thus to hide his Face from me but oh alass for me when shall I find him when will he come I long for Oh when when shall I have my full enjoyment of him oh when will he bring me into his Banquetting-House and his Love be even as a Banner over me his left hand under my Head and his right Imbrasing of me staying me with Flagons comforting me with Apples making me Sick of Love giving me of his spiced Wine and of the juce of his Pomgranets oh if thus I could come to enjoy him whom my Soul Loveth then would all Tears be wiped away from mine Eyes and I forget my Sorrow because of Joy and Gladness and then should I look no more Sorrowful but should Rejoyce as Hannah did and say Oh my Heart rejoyceth in the Lord and my Horn is exalted in the Lord and my Mouth is enlarged over my Enemy who said unto me I shall be always Barren and Unfruitful because I rejoyce in his Salvation who hath regarded my low Estate oh now I the Barren shall bear Seven and she who hath had many Children wax Feeble now I the parched Ground become a Pool
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 Pâ—oâ—fers 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 madâ— Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience and are proved treacherous Children denying their Father who begat them and casting off their Mother who travelled in pain to bring them forth and hating the Womb that bore them and the Paps which gave them suck and 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 Tryal Sufferings Streights and Difficulties which appeared in their way and through lusting after the Flesh-pots of Egypt through looking back into the Ease Pleasure Riches and Honour of this World which hath carried them away captive again into Egypt into the house of Bondage again wherefore oh my soul watch watch and stand fast in that Liberty which the true Christ the Power of God hath brought thee into and take heed thou be not intangled again in the yoak of Bondage Oh my soul if there be some who once were in some measure Fresh Green Tender Living and Fruitful unto God who now have 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 hath thus happened unto some oh how canst thou but fear before the Lord 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 grown Careless and Negligent spending their time often with vain Talking foolish Jesting and needless Communication how ought all to spend 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 Deed lying down rising up in his pure fear Eating 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 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 Pity of Mercy and Compassion of Patience and long Suffering of Sobriety and Gentleness c. that so they might walk as becometh Saints Bâ—aâ—eless and Harmless as Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation amongst whom to shine as Lights to the adorning of the Truth of God professed by them and to the Glory Honour and 〈◊〉 of the Lord God and to the Joy Comfort Refreshment Peace and Consolation of their own Souls Oh this condition is very sweet blessed and happy wherefore â—leave 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 Hâ—art 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 Arm 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 smalness 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 shalt be made ruler over much and enter into the joy of the Lord wait upon him who hath freely given in thee what thou hast 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 well knowest that it is not he that willeth nor he that runneth but God who sheweth mercy Oh thou hadst 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 hadst 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 and brought thee forth by his own Almighty power Oh my soul surely thou hadst never as of thy self turned unto the Lord had not the Lord of his own free will turned thee and after thou wast turned thou Repentedst and after thou wast Afflicted thou smotest upon thy Thigh yea thou wast consounded because thou borest the shame of thy youth and surely my soul after the Lord had turned thee in measure to him thou hadst 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 hadst turned back again from the Lord into the Mire and Durt again and hadst 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 halleujah 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 lay 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 Tryals 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 â—raises pure living praises to my God for ever who hath been with me in six Troubles and in the seventh he hath not lefâ— me he is my Buckler my Shield my Strength my Rock my Safe-Guard my strong Tower 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 determinations 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 counsel 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 thâ— Lord will help me and that right early yet alas 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 rely and depend upon my God believing that he the mighty one will enable me the weak one to wade through and endure those tryals he pleases to exercise me withal who through his love and mercy hath caused my Tryals to work for my good praises to his name for evermore 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 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 praise to my dear God for evermore 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 O Lord and then I know thou wilt 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 Bosom of endless Love oh my tender God and therein repose with thy dear Children for evermore and have my full satisfaction of love in thee thou Fountain of Love and therein fetch my full breath for evermore 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 honogr and everlasting thanksgiving and pure living praises for ever and evermore Amen Hallelujah 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 withal spiritual Blessings in Christ Jesus Oh the Lord God keep all his Children every where in this hour power of Darkness and preserve his dear Babes and tender Lambs in this day of great Tryal 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 waste 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 hâ—â—â— he raging of the Sea nor regard the unmerciful Waves thereof which often looks very high as if they would quite oâ—â— floâ— the Valâ—â—y of the low Places and drown all who flee not unto the Mountains for Refuge and Safety but oh let not the hâ—ep and Lambs and little ones fear nor at all flee to the Hâ—llâ— 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 giving bounds to the raging Sea and he limits the proud Waves thereof and shutteth 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 besal them but what shall work for good to all his chosen faiâ—hful 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 threatning of his Enemies nor regard the pâ—rposes 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 destruction of Sionâ— Enemies and Honour and Magnifie himself through the deliverance of his Chosen who will work wonders for his Redeemed insomuch 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 Arm of everlasting strength and patiently without murmurings to wait upon the Lord for he that is to come will come and wilâ— 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 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 sat 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 Jâ—sus 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 clothed 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 the Whore for the day of their Judgment is come Misery Calamity Distress Destruction is coming upon them 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 O 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 Halleluâ—ah And the Lord will thunder from Heaven upon thy Enemies oh Sion and will break thy Adversaries to peices and will give strength to thy King and exhalt the horn 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 midest of thee is mighty he hath saved thee he hath set thee free from thy Trouble he will rejoyce over thee with Joy he 'll joy over thee with Singing then it shall be said sing oh Daughter of Sion and shout oh Israel and rejoyce withal thy heart oh Daughter of Jerusalem for the Lord hath taken away thy Judgment he hath cast out thy Enemies and thy Warfare is acomplished and thy great Travel is finished and now thou shalt rest from thy Labour and they who have 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 everlasting Refreshment as a mighty Stream and endless Consolations as a River oh then shall they be Comforted in thee after their Sorrow and be born up upon thy Sides and dandled 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 Spirits shall praise and sing glory unto him who is Lord and King of Heaven and Eartâ— who is worthy worthy of all Glory Praise and Honour for ever and for evermore Amen saith my soul The thing which the Lord hath purposed must be accomplished in his season and the thing that he
be filled with Melody thou blessed one who art cloathed with Chastity and keepeth thy Virginity in the Chamber of Purity oh thy beloved is come and into his Banqueting-House he is bringing thee where his Banner over thee is Love where he will stay thee with Flaggons and comfort thee with Apples and cause thee to drink of his spiced Wine and of the juice of his Pomgranets oh Sion rejoyce thou in his Love for the days of the glading of thy heart is come thou tender one who hast been tossed with tempest not comforted thou hast been termed Desolate and Forsaken thou hast been as one Barren and Unfruitful but now arise arise lengthen thy Cords and strengthen thy Stakes and enlarge the Curtains of thy Habitation for lo thou fruitful one thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left and thy Seed shall inherit the Gentiles and thy Off-spring the People the North shall give up and the South shall not keep back they shall come from the East and from the West flock unto thee as Doves to the Window thy Sons shall come from far and thy Daughters be nursed at thy sides thou shalt cause many wast places to be Builded and many Buildings to fall and desolate plaees to be Inhabited and Inhabited places to be laid desolate and barren Mountains to become fruitful Valleys and fruitful Places to become barren Mountains and the Wilderness become a Vinyard of sweet Grapes the Forrest as a City of Habitation the parched Ground to become a Pool and dry Heaths springs of Water oh arise arise thou beloved one and let thy Fruitfulness be manifested to the Nations break forth in thy excellent Glory shine forth in thy glorious Beauty as clear as the Morning without Clouds fair as the Moon and bright as the Sun that thou mayst appear as a royal Diadem in the hand of the Lord and as a Crown of Glory in the hand of thy God that far off Nations may see thy Beauty and remote Kings may see thy excellent Glory and be won by thy Love unto thee that they who hath Hated thee may Love thee bccause of thy Love that did extend to them even whilst they hated and rejected the woings of thy Love oh my soul loves thee in thy Love thâ—u lovely one oh kiss me kiss me with the Kisses of thy Mâ—uth for thy Love is better then Wine oh thou beautiful one thy Love overcomes my heart thy Love draweth me after thee oh thou art pleâ—sant unto me thy presence is more desirable then all things my heart can desire oh if thou hidst thy Face thou bountiful one then am I bowed down for the smiles of thy comely Countenance is the rejoycing of my Heart and the glading of my Soul the refreshing of my Spirit as marrow to my Bones and strength to my Reins oh thou art my Joy in Sorrow my Comfort in Mourning my Help in Need my Strength in Weakness my Riches in Poverty my Bread in Hunger my Water in Thirst my Refuge from Storms my Shelter from Heat and as the shadow of a Rock to me in a weary Land oh how can I but love thee in thy Love thou lovely one oh thou art my Mother who hath travelled in great pain to bring me forth thou art the Womb that bore me and the Paps that gave me suck the Cradle of my rest and the Bed of repose oh can I forget thee how can I forget thee who hath done so much for me even that which no man could do oh thou lovedst me first before I loved thee thou lovely one and with thy Love thou woedst me and by thy Love thou overcamest my heart and drew it after thee and now thou amiable one the desire of my soul is unto thee and unto the remembrance of thy Love oh my Soul desireth thee in the Night season and in the Morning I will seek thee early thou art as a cluster of Campire and as a bundle of Mirrh unto me thou shalt lie all Night between my Breasts oh thou lovely one let me repose in thy Bosom and fold me in thy Arms oh thy Love thy Love ovcrcomes my Heart thy Beauty even makes me sick of Love oh let me remember thy Love more then Wine it is the upright loves thee and it is the pure in heart who seeth thy Beauty and beholdeth thy excellent Comeliness oh let thy Love still draw me after thee oh let me never leave thee oh that I may never forsake thee nor be unmindful of thy Love which I have known to be stronger then Death and him who hath the power of Death oh thou art a Tree of Life to those who take hold on thee and blessed is every Soul that retaineth thee Oh thy ways are ways of Pleasantness and all thy paths are green and delightsom to those who love thee oh in thee is my rest in thee is my peace in thee is my joy in thee is my comfort in thee obtain I blessing and happiness thou art my Joy and the Crown of my Rejoycing for ever and for evermore Oh wherefore hold me hold me with thy Love thou Lovely Blessed One and let me never depart from thee and then I know thou wilt never depart from me but I shall be thine and thou shalt be mine in a perpetual Covenant which never shall be broken Oh thou Comely Beautiful Choice One thy Riches is durable for the Glory the glory the glory of the Lord thy God is thy Dowry for evermore Unto whom be ascribed all honour and glory eternal praises and renown and everlasting dominion for evermore so be it saith my Soul and Amen saith my Spirit Oh come Lord Jesus come quickly and take unto thy self thy great power to Reign for thou art worthy worthy saith my Soul glory to thee in the highest for evermore Amen Written in Edmonds-Bury common Goal in the year 1665. William Bennit This to go among Friends to be Read among them when assembled together in the pure Fear and Wisdom of God DEarly beloved Friends and Brethren Sheep of the Lords Pasture Lambs of the Lords Flock and Lillies of the Lords Field the comely beautiful Garment of Innocency Meekness Love Truth and Righteousness which doth cover many of you even affecteth my Heart and induceth my Soul dearly to love you and Spirit to travel for your Welfare Tranquility and Preservation even in every particular respect desiring the Lord God of Blessings may Bless and Prosper you in Truth and Righteousness and that his Grace and Love Mercy and Peace with Joy and Consolation Strength and Wisdom may be augmented and multiplied in and unto all your Souls that so the encrease of him the fulness of all durable Riches to your Souls you may witness and that the Fountain of Life with whom is the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledg may be inlarged unto you that of his fulness you daily may receive whereby your Hearts may be opened and enlarged
of Love and Peace be with you and his Blessings rest upon you Farwel dear Friends William Bennit Eâ—monds-Bury common Goal this 25th of the first Month 1667. A Testimony to the True Light that lightens every Man that comes into the World The People that did sit in Darkness have seen a great and glorious Light and unto those that were under the Region and Shadow of Death is the Light of Life arisen and the Blessed Day sprung from on high and shineth in their Tabernacles and that which they have seen heard felt and tasted of the same they have and do bear Testimony unto though few there be that have received their Testimony For who hath believed our Report and unto whom is the Arm of the Lord Revealed But come ye O House of Israel and let us walk in the Light of the Lord. THE Light revealed within is the narrow Way to Life Eternal and the Door into the Fold of Everlasting Rest The Light-is the Entrance into the fresh and green Pasture wherein the Lord feedeth his Elock and causeth them to lie down in peace and quietness out of the reach of the Beasts of prey The Light leads and draweth those that obey it out of Darkness and from under the region and shadow of Death into the Land of the Living there to dwell under the region shadow of Light and Life The Light breaks the Bonds of Sin in pieces and snappeth â—he Cords of Iniquity asunder and sets the Soul free from the Bondage of Corruption to serve the Loâ—d in the Life of Righteousness The Light draweth and leadeth those that believe in it and obey it out of the Alienation and Separation from God into the Everlasting Covenant of Life and Love where the Soul is in unity with the Lord The Light searcheth the Heart and operateth in the secrets of the Minds of those that obey it and like unto Leaven worketh the Heart and Mind into its own nature frame and quality The Light is Pure Holy and Undefiled and hath no unity with the least impure Thought Word or Work but Judgeth and Condemns it The Light is Meek Contrite Lowly and Humble condemns that honour that is corrupt and is from below and standeth in respect of Persons and it seeketh the honour of God only The Light Baptizeth self into Death slayes the Boaster puts Flesh to silence that God may speak in his Temple who is not to be denied the Mouth to speak by The Light is the heavenly Treasure in the earthen Vessel that brings honour and glory unto God The Light hath no fellowship with Darkness he that saith he is in the Light and hath unity with the Light and yet loveth and walketh in Darkness lyeth and the Light hath no room place or entertainment in his heart The Light teacheth those that love it to love Enemies its fruit is Love no Envy no Malice no Hatred no Bitterness no Enmity no Prejudice no Discord no Backbiting no Reviling no evil Whispering proceedeth from the Light the Light condemns it all and that ground from whence it springs The Light hath no unity with any unfruitful works of Darkness but reproves them The Light teacheth to render Good for Evil and to forgive Enemies and to pray for Persecutors and to have love and good will to all People and to seek and desire the Eternal good and wel-fare of all Souls he that hates and envies his Enemies abideth not in the Light Envy is of the Evil-one he that saith he walketh in the Light and hates his Brother lyeth and errs from the Truth The Light teacheth to love God with thy whole heart and thy Neighbour or Brother as thy self He that saith he loves God and hates his Brother is a Lyer he that loveth him that begetteth doth also love those that are begotten of him Love thinketh no Ill to Enemies much less to Brethren The Light leadeth his Children into Love Peace and Unity with God and one with another in the Life of Righteousness oh the unity the unity of Brethren in the Light Love and Life of God is exceeding precious and comely it s compared like to precious Oyl poured on the Head that runs down on the Beard even Aarons Beard that went down to the skirts of his Garment and like the dew of Hermon and like the dew that descended upon the Mountain of Sion where the Blessing is and where the Lord maketh unto his People a Feast of fat things The Light teacheth and maketh to be of one Heart of one Mind of one Soul and in all those that walk in it begetteth one consent to serve and worship the only wise God in the one Spirit and one Truth The Light giveth a good Understanding a clear Discerning a sound Judgment The Light leadeth not into strife and contention nor into rents divisions and parties nor into a particularity and self-separation from the Body nor into self-conceitedness nor into high airy notions nor into a climing up in imaginations after high discoveries and so slight the day of small things and neglect thy obedience to the present gift through an expectation of something greater to come yet unrevealed and such like Lucifer mounts high in their Conceits and Imaginations but will fall to the side of the Pit but the Light condemns all this and judges that Spirit that leadeth thereinto which Spirit soweth Discord among Brethren which is Abomination and that Spirit leadeth some to speak evil of Dignities and to dispise Dominion and to rebel against the Order and Government of the Lamb The Light judgeth that Spirit that setteth up and keepeth up out of the comly descent order of Truth that thing that tends to strife and breaking unity among Brethren The Light teacheth those that love it to seek and endeavour for Love Peace and Unity among Brethren with all Self-denial The Light teacheth to take away the occasion of stumbling in thy Brothers way The Light teacheth to be very wary and careful of giving Enemies advantage to strengthen themselves against Truth and the Wicked occasion to reproach it and those that live in it The Light teaches to live and walk in a holy godly Life and blameless Conversation as becometh the Gospel of Truth and as becometh Saints of the Most High The Light in those that love it crucifieth the Flesh with the lusts and affections thereof and teacheth those that love it how to possess their Vessels in Sanctification and Honour The Light crucifieth the Heart unto the World and worldly things and redeemeth the Mind from the Earth and earthly things and teacheth to use the World as if thou usedst it not The Light draweth the Mind out of the many things where all offend into the one thing needful which giveth not nor receiveth an offence but judges the offences and that ground from whence they come The Light is Supernatural and is to over-rule the Naturals and to keep them within the bonds of the Government of Truth
and to limit the affectionate part from leading and drawing the Heart and Mind into things below into created Objects and into Bondage to the cares of this Life and troubles and cumbrances of this World which doth not profit but hinder to God-ward The Light is the Girdle of the Loins of the Mind of those that love it to gird up their Hearts and Minds unto God that in him their peace may be perfect The Light is a stop to those Thoughts which are reproveable by it The Light is a Bridle to the Tongue and they that know it so to be dare not say in a self-will our Tongues are our own and we will speak The Light ruleth over the Souls and Bodies of those that believe in love follow and obey it and teacheth and enableth such to yield their Members Servants of Righteousness unto God even as they have when they were Servants to Sin yeilded their Members Servants to Unrighteousness and of Iniquity unto Iniquity The Light is the Author of the true and living Faith which giveth victory over the World and is a shield unto the Soul to fend off the fiery darts of the Devil and worketh by Love to the purifying of the Heart The Light is the Author to the true Hope which is an Anchor unto the Soul sure and stedfast and is held in a pure Conscience void of Offence towards God and Man The Light is the Author of true Patience long Suffering Forbearance Forgiveness and Contentedness it teacheth to be patient in all Tryals Tribulations Troubles Straits and Difficulties and teacheth in all conditions to be contented and not to murmur against the Lord whatsoever he permit to come to pass The Light teacheth his Children to love one another fervently with a clean heart oh how good is God to Israel to them that are of a clean heart The Light teacheth to endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace The Light teacheth the Younger to yield and submit themselves to the Elder in the Lord and to hearken unto Counsel Instruction and Reproof he teacheth all his Children to be subject one to another he cloathes them with Humility adoâ—neth them with Meekness and beautifies them with lowliness of Spirit The Light teacheth the Strongest to condesend to the Weakest and to serve the Meanest in Love to bear with the infirmities of the Feeble to help and hold up the Halting and to draw forward the backward with the Cords of Love and to cast a Garment over thy Brothers Nakedness The Light in those that love it puts out the eye that watcheth for evil and condemneth that part that boasteth it self and rejoyceth at anothers fall and strengthens it self with prejudice against another through his failing which thing is as most abominable filth in the pure eye of the Light The Light doth not countenance evil in any but judges and discovers it though hid under a profession of Truth The Light is like unto the Touchstone that trys Silver from Tin it tryeth and discovereth the Good from the Bad it tryeth Motions Thoughts Words Works and Spirits The Light is a Stone which God hath laid in Sion Elect and Precious which they that believe shall not be ashamed and unto those that believe he is very Precious but unto them that believe not he is as a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence at whom the seeming wise Master-Builders have and do stumble and he whom tâ—â—â—ise Professors of this Age and great Rabbies and Learned Orators set at nought the same is become the Head and Chief Corner Stone in Gods House by the vertue of which Stone they that bâ—â—ieve in him are quickened and made living Stones meet to be joyned unto him the Light in whom the Building being fitly framed together groweth up unto an holy Temple in the Lord The Light was in the beginning before the Darkness was and is now made manifest to extinguish the Darkness and to fill the dark corners of the Earth with the bright beams of his Glory he is the First and the Last he was before Time and will remain when that which in time is passed away The Light is the Beginning and the End the Foundation and Top-stone the Root and Off-spring of David and the Bright Morning-Star whose blessed Day Abraham saw and was glad he dwelt among the seven golden Candlesticks and was with the Church in the Wilderness in the days of old He is the Light of the holy City New-Jerusalem which John in the Lords Day saw coming down from God prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband The Light giveth the Churches to know that it is he that searcheth the Heart and tryeth the Reins from whom no Hypocrite in Sioâ— can be hid who said I come quickly and my Reward is with me to give unto every one according as his Work But who shall abide the Day of his Coming in which the Heavens pass away with a great noise and the Elements melt with fervent heat and who shall stand when he appeareth who is like Refiners Fire and like Fullers Soap purifying his Sanctuary and cleansing his Temple in which he delights to dwell He is the Word that was in the beginning by whom all things were made that was made and in him there is Life and his Life is the Light of men and he is the true Lâ—ght that lighteth every man that cometh into the World he is the Express Image of his Fathers Glory and is called the Son of God in whom dwelleth all fulness of Joy Happiness and Eternal Felicity who is God over all and above all blessed blessed for ever and evermore Amen VV. B. OH happy and blessed are the People who though they once were Darkness yet now are Light in the Lord Oh walk ye oh walk ye as Children of the Light bearing the pure Image of the Father of Lights in whom is no Darkness at all nor variableness or shadow of turning but is the same yesterday so to day and for evermore FRiends that are Sufferers upon Truths account in Edmonds-Bury Goal are in a measure of health through the Love Goodness and Mercy of the Lord blessed and magnified be his Name this 7th day of the 10th Month 1667. and their dear love in the precious Truth dearly reaches forth unto all faithful Friends every where and you are often in their remembrance desiring the Lord may prosper you and bless you with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord and keep you with us and the whole Israel of God by his Almighty Power through Faith in his Name unto his Heavenly Kingdom and enable us all to finish the work the Lord hath given us by his Power to do that we may glorifie him on Earth that he may glorifie us with himself with that glory he had before the World began even so be it and Amen faith my Soul To Friends Sufferers in Norwich-Castle DEar Suffering Lambs whom the Wolves seek to
Rend and Devour in the tender Love of the great Shepherd and Bishop of your Souls is my heart opened to you to visit you with a few Lines and in the name of my God and your God my Father and your Father I say unto you he whom you serve hath seen your Afflictions and hath beheld your Sufferings and hath took notice of your Burdens and cognizence of your grievous Oppressions and hath heard your Groanings and hath beheld your Tears he assuredly will in his own time rebuke your Enemies and plead your innocent Cause with your Oppressors and ease you of and free you from your great Afflictions therefore dear suffering Lambs of my heavenly Father lift up your Heads in the Name of the Lord God and take Courage and be Strong in his Power and Truth which is in you and with you and on your sides and it is the Truth that shall prevail against all its Enemies and its Opposers shall be Confounded and the Truth of our God shall Flourish over all therefore dear Hearts still cleave to the precious Truth of God made known unto you and let nothing separate you from it oh blessed be the Lord that he hath begotten such a Love in you to him and his Truth that such is your love thereunto that you are willing to undergo Reproaches Abuses and spoyling of your Goods Imprisonment and to be separated from your Friends and Relations for Truths sake oh dear Lambs great is your Reward if you abide to the end and faint not in well doing oh my heart is open to you in the tender Love and Bowels of Emanuel and my soul is refreshed in your Faithfulness and though many of your Faces I never saw yet I am one with you in your Sufferings wherein my soul simpathiseth with you and hath unity with your Testimony for the Lord and my spirit doth praise the Lord the God of your Salvation on your behalf in that he hath so mightily upheld you and born you up in his Arms in the midst of your Tryals though you of your selves are Weak yet the Lord is Strong whose Strength you know by experience is manifested in Weakness therefore trust hope and depend you upon the Lord forever who is and will be your exceeding great reward cast your care upon him for he your God careth for you and yours he is a Father to the Fatherless and a Husband to the Widow he is the Comforter of the Comfortless and gladeth the heavy hearted Oh be still quiet patient and contented in your Minds and wait upon the Lord and be not at all terrifyed by your Adversaries but in the lowly fear of the Lord God rejoyce in that he hath counted you worthy not only to believe but to suffer for his Name sake oh your Reward no man can take away as you continue faithful to the Lord dear Lambs my Bowels yearn towards you and in the Fathers love I salute you desiring that Grace Mercy and Peace may rest upon you and the blessing of the most High distil upon you as dew upon the tender Herbs that you ye tender Plants may grow and be like Willows by the Water Courses and as Cedars by the Rivers side that your Leaf may not wither neither cease bearing Fruit so dear suffering Lambs as none is to be through Joy Exalted above what is meet so none through Sorrow is to be Dejected or cast down but every one in all Conditions is to learn to be Contented with the will of the Lord and none to murmur against the Lord because of the Prosperity of the Wicked and Advancement of Sions Enemies for though they seem to Flâ—uâ—ish like a green Bay-Tree yet they will become like Grass upon the House top that withereth before it is grown up So unto the Lord God I commit you who careth for all his and is a present help in the time of need and leaveth not his Sheep and Lambs when the Wolves come to Devour but he the mighty God standeth by his People and sighteth for mount Sion and defends the Hills thereof and will put to flight her Enemies and with the Breath of his Mouth expel and scatter the Clouds Fogs and Mists that ariseth out of the bottomless pit of Darkness that then oh Sion thy Glory may appear as the Morning without Clouds and as the Sun in its Brightness thy Beauty may shine forth and thy Enemies be Astonished and Confounded forever This is the salutation of my Love who am your Fellow Sufferer and Companion in the Patience and Tribulation of Jesus the Lord God be with you and support the weak and little ones among you and keep you all Faithful to the end and preserve you in Love and Unity one with another Amen saith my soul Bury Goal 1669. William Bennit Dearly Beloved FRiends Brethren and Sisters in the Heavenly Spiritual Relation of the Immortal Incorruptible Seed of Life Eternal of which you are born again and become Heirs of an Inheritance that is Everlasting by Faith in Christ Jesus in and from whom Joy and Peace Mercy and Grace be multiplyed in and unto all your Souls Amen Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who through his abundant Mercy and free Grace hath called us and with the Arms of his Everlasting Kindness hath gathered us and by his Almighty Power hath raised us up to be unto him a People to live unto him in his Life and to walk before him in Truth and Righteousness and to Serve and Worship him in his own Way and Spirit and to bear Testimony thereunto and against the contrary in Word and Doctrine in Life and Conversation and for our Testimonies sake the Nations are angry with us and the Earth is moved and the Waters troubled and swell against us as if we should be swollowed up and wholly over-whelmed with the Floods of the Wrath of the Dragon who seeks to drown the blessed and glorious appearance of the man Child who is to rule the Nations in Justice in Mercy in Judgment in Righteousness and Truth well my dear Friends though at this day we are a suffering People and as it were Killed all the day long and appointed Sheep for the Slaughter and are set as a prey for the Beast of the Field and Lyons of the Forrest and though the Jaws of Death and Gates of Hell seem to be opened wide against us as if we should be swallowed up quick and be extinguished from being a People yet notwithstanding we can rejoyce in the Lord our God because our sufferings are infflicted upon us not for evil doing but for well doing and our Enemies have found no just Cause given them of us thus to give us up to the Spoylers and into the hands of Wicked Ungodly Unreasonable men but altogether without a Cause given of us have they taken an occasion against us as Daniel's Persecutors did against him concerning the Law Commands and Worship of our God so that at
can make afraid for indeed it was Rest my Soul wanted and true Peace in God my Soul many a time longed for and panted after for oh I was oftentimes wounded wounded wounded because of Sin and for want of the enjoyment of the Love and Peace of God I went many a time bowed down in Spirit day after day with an a king Mind grieved Soul and wounded Conscience with my Eyes full of Tears and my Heart full of Sighing thinking in my Heart there was few if any in my State and Condition sometimes wishing and saying in my Heart Oh that I were in a desert solitary place outwardly for so was my condition inwardly where no man inhabits where I might have Mourned and Wept out my fill and have poured out my Tears unto the tender God of tender Bowels of Mercy and have spread my Complaints before him whom my Soul did then sometimes in measure long thirst and pant after even as the Hart panteth after the water Brooks And many a time I did get into a solitary place to ease my Heart a little in pouring out my Tears and Complaints to the Lord for in those daies many were my Prayers and Tears for great was the burden and load which I oftentimes went under day after day which made me cry Night and Day to the Lord for Peace and Rest yet I then not knowing that it was the Light of Christ in my Conscience that did break my Rest and Peace in Sin neither knew it to be a stay to the Mind and a bridle to my Tongue I many a time got into a false ease and liberty in idleness and wildness of Youth but it was broke again and Sorrow and Trouble would take hold on my Mind and true Desires would again be Renewed in me after the Lord and breathing and thirsting after Righteousness and oh my Heart and Soul was many a time made tender and soft and oh pity pity and tender bowels of compassion was in me towards any that I thought was in my condition and a tender love was hid in my Heart towards those that I then thought were the People of God and I can truly say my Bowels and Heart is open still and oftentimes Pity Love Compassion and Tenderness issues forth in me towards those that now are in that condition I then was in oh my Soul my Soul cannot but in some measure simpathize with them and in Spirit bear a part of their Burdens and Sorrows in my Bosom that not without some secret cries in my Heart unto the tender God of Bowels of Pity on their behalf and partly for their sakes is this published hoping that if the Lord will it may be of service unto some of them and if the Lord order it so to be to them or any then will my end herein be answered thereby And in those daies I frequented the Meetings of the People called Independants viz. William Bredges's Congregation in great Yarmouth whom I then thought were the People of God and yet I then saw that many of their Lives and Conversations even some of the chief of them were not consistant with what they professed in words and when I have been amongst them in the time of their singing Psalms the pure Witness of God in my own Heart hath as it were stoped my Mouth that I could not Sing with them but my Heart in the time of their singing was broken into tenderness and many were the tears of my Eyes and verily my outward â—an or earthen Vessel hath quaked and trembled this was before I was by Scorners called a Quaker or had seen any of those People and shaken like a Leaf that is shaken with the Wind which might be a sign of that shaking which since the Lord hath suffered to come upon ☞ them which hath almost shattered and scattered them who will shake all sandy Foundations and blast all Professions that are out of the Light and Power of God by the working of the Light and Power of God in my Heart though I then knew not that it was the Power of God that brought such a trembling upon me and that did in some measure let me see that it was not then a time of singing for me for I was theâ— in a strange Land in the Land of Captivity and could not sing the Song of Sion which I may truly say not in the least enmity towards the People for my Soul beareth love and good will towards all men and desire to tender and own the least true appearance of God in any they were ignorant of who were then singing what others had prescribed and made ready for them I then wanted the enjoyment of the Love Joy Peace and sweet Presence of God which maketh glad the Hearts of the Righteous and causeth the lowly meek and upright to sing in the Spirit with understanding for joy not that Song or Songs or Psalms which men have invented by their human Wisdom from which Wisdom the Mysteries of God's Kingdom is obscured and concealed but the new and living Song which the Dead cannot sing but the Living that are raised and redeemed out of and from the Earth and from amongst men even the ransomed of the Lord that are returned from Babylon unto Mount Sion whereon they stand with the Lamb whom they have followed through many Tribulations and have not loved their Lives unto Death and have washed their Garments and made them white in his Blood in and by whom they are become Virgins and have cast of all old Lovers and are not defiled with the Woman Jezabel but through the Lamb have gotten Victory over the Whore Beast and false Prophet and in the Heavenly Dominion of the Lamb by whom they are made more then Conquerors do they stand on the Sea of Glass mingled with Fire with the Harps of God and can sing a new Song of praise and thanksgiving unto him that was dead but is alive and lives for evermore And in all the times of my trouble of mind and travel of Spirit I never made known how it was with me nor declared my condition to any Creature though never so intimate with them but kept it secret in my Heart pouring out my complaints to God but not unto any man yet I could gladly have had some to have known how it was with me but I was straitned in my self and kept it in obscurity and in those dayes I knew not what it was that wrought and strove with me and did so frequently judge and reprove me for Sin and gave me power over many Evils which others were overcome withal and raised strong desires in me after the Lord and discovered unto me the thoughts of my Heart I say I knew not then what it was I was then not sencible that it was the Light of Christ Jesus or a measure of the Spirit of Truth neither did I then know I should have taken heed thereunto as unto a Light shining in a
precious Servants who were and are by scoffing Ishmael's Brood in scorn called Quakers whom I now ovvn in the Lord and the pure Witness of God in my own Heart bore Testimony to the Truth declared by them but long it was after I was in some measure convinced of the Truth before I steely gave up my Heart to obey the Truth but the Lord in time did overcome my Heart by the Power of his Love his inspeakable Love and made me willing to resign up my Heart in obedience to him and this Truth and to bow down to the Yoak and to take up the daily Cross which I learned by loving and taking heed to the Light and to dispise the Shame and to follow the Lord in that way viz. the Light which before had judged me for Sin begat desires in mâ— to know the Way which I knew not while my mind was abroad and knew not the Lord nigh who now teacheth and guideth me by his Light and Spirit in the way of Truth and Righteousness wherein I have found Peace Rest and true satisfaction for my Soul and witness my Teacher nigh though it hath been my portion with many other Berthren sometimes to eat the Bread of Adversity and to drink the Water of Affliction yet my Teacher and Comforter can none remove from me but he is and hath been with me in the Prison house and in the low Dungeon so that which now keeps me in Peace and Unity with the Lord and in Fellovvship vvith his People the same thing and not another vvas it that did formerly check reprove and judge me for Evil and brought trouble upon me for my Sins and that raised desires in me after the Lord as I have explicated in the fore-going Lines though I deny not but that I have novv a greater measure of Light and Grace then I had then yet the Light in quality and nature is the same for although the Light or Seed of the Kingdom vvhich consisteth of Joy Peace and Righteousness in the Holy Ghost be in the unbeliever and unconverted even as the least of all other Seeds yet nevertheless vvhere or in vvhomsoever it be received in the Faith Love and Obedience of it in such it grows and increases until it become the greatest in them and under its shadovv they come to sit vvith great delight and its Fruit becomes svveet to their taste and as a little Leaven in three measures of Meal it vvorketh and operateth in the Hearts and Minds of those that believe in the Light until it hath vvrought out the old leaven of Malice Sin and Corruption and leavened the Heart and Soul into its ovvn nature frame and quality so the same Light vvhich did condemn me for Sin vvhen I vvas in disobedience to it the samâ— hath and doth save me from Sin and now justifies me as I am kept in the Faith and Obedience of it and now it ministers Peace and Rest unto me and before it ministred Trouble and Condemnation So this I assert and affirm experimentally for an unerrable invincible Truth against all the Opposers Gainsayers Fighters and Undervaluers of the Light viz. that the Light of Christ who is the true Light that lighteth every one that cometh into the World even in the Conscience of that man or woman that is in Unbelief and in the Unconverted State is one in nature and quality with the Light in that man or woman that is in the belief of it and converted by it and the Light of Christ in the Conscience of the Drunkard and Swearer that doth check judg and reprove him for his Sins if it be believed in loved and obeyed is able to save him from his Sins but that man or woman that loveth Evil and hateth the Light and will not come to the Light but reject it such do not feel nor witness the saving healing vertue and restoring redeeming power of the Light but is only unto them a Judg and Condemner but they that receive it in the love and belief thereof such in through and by the Light receive power to become the Sons of God and joynt Heirs with Christ of the Kingdom of God which endures forever So blessed blessed be the Lord my tender God who is worthy worthy to be praised praised by my Soul in the sence of his Love Goodness and Grace whose Mercy hath been and is wonderful towards me unto whom be honour glory praise thanksgiving and obedience for evermore And my Soul having obtained mercy of the Lord and having tasted of his Goodness and Graciousness and experienced his Tender Fatherly Dealings with and towards my Soul my Heatt is opened with Love and Good will to all People Desiring their Good and Eternal Welfare in God To those that are young in Years c. Minde thy Creator in the dayes of thy Youth before the Evil day come c. Eccles 12. 1. c. ANd you who are yet young and tender in Years mind the Light of Christ in your Consciences which checketh and reproveth for Evil and idle words and works and it will learn you if you love it to fear and mind the Creator in the daies of your Youth before the Evil daies come and the Years when ye shall say We have no pleasure in them Oh say not any of you We are young and have many Years yet to spend wherefore we will take the pleasâ—re and delights of our Youth and seek the Lord afterward and Repent when we are old c. But remember the Lord God your Maker giveth unto you Life Breath and Being and how soon he may cut the threed of your lives and take you away from all your delights and vanities you know not for many he taketh away in their Youth Wherefore trifle not away your precious time in Sin and Vanity in vain Sports and Gameings or any Wickedness lest your Hearts come to be hardened in Ungodliness and you grow old in Iniquity and when it is too late you diligently seek repentance but you find it not wherefore take warning and mind those things in time before it be too late that concern the eternal Peace Rest and Happiness of your immortal Soul and first seek the Kingdom of God rather then the Riches Glory and Honour of this World which is all passing away and will not help in the day of Calamity and hour of Distress and Misery which will overtake the Wicked and all those that forget God as a Thief in the Night therefore mind and fear the Lord your Maker and take heed unto the Light in all your Consciences which is pure and holy and hath no unity with any evil thought word or work and love and believe in the Light that you may become Children of the Light if you love the Light it will save you from your Sins and redeem you from a vain Conversation and learn you to take up a daily Cross to your own Wills Desires Lusts and Affections and to Yoak down the
vain wild wanton corrupt Nature that defileth and polluteth your Hearts and Minds Lives and Conversations and so you will come to be changed and born again of the Seed incorruptible of the Word of God which is nigh in the Heart to be obeyed and done but if you delight in evil doing and hate the Light of Christ in your own Consciences which judgeth you for Sin and will not come to the Light but live and abide in Darkness and will not receive God's Counsel and Warnings nor hearken unto his Reproofs nor have none of his Ways but will follow your own ways wills and works and fulfill the lusts and desires of your own Hearts and vain devices and imaginations of your own Minds and will not that the Light should rule over you to govern you in the pure fear of the Lord and to lead you into holiness of Life to guide you into the way of Truth and Righteousness then will the Light be your Condemnation and leave you without excuse vvhen the Lord renders unto you according to your Works and the wages of Sin is Death but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ Therefore dear People love it and imbrace it vvhilst it is near you even knocking at the Door of your Hearts oh hearken to it and let it have place in your Hearts and refuse not the Love and Mercy of the Lord tendered to you in the Light nor harden not your Hearts against the eternal good peace and happiness of your ovvn Souls lest the Day of your Visitation pass over and the Night of everlasting Darkness Sorrow Misery and Calamity overtake you and shut you up forever To all People that live and delight in wickedness The shew of their Countenance doth witness against them they declare their Sin like Sodom and hide it not Because I have called and ye refused c. Ye have set at nought all my Counsel and would have none of my Reproof c. I will laugh at your Calamity and mock when your Fear cometh c. Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an Oven and the Wicked and they that do wickedly shall be as Stubble c. Now consider this all you that forget God lest I tear you in Pieces and there be none to deliver Isa 3. 9. Prov. 1. 24 25 26. Mal. 4. 1. Psal 50. 22. AND you oh People that are void of the pure fear of the Lord God and have given up your Hearts to work Wickedness with Greediness who rush into Sin and Ungodliness as the Horse rusheth into the Battle and drinking up Iniquity as the Ox drinketh in Water taking pleasure in Unrighteousness and delighting in Uncleanness and wallowing in the Mire of your own Filthiness and Corruption fulfilling the Lusts of your unclean Hearts in Swearing Lying Drunkenness Whoredom Pride Couzening Defrauding and such like Wiâ—â—edness whereby you grieve â—he Lord day after day and wound bruise burden and oppress his righteous Spirit as a Cart is oppressed with sheaves oh repent repent and cease from the evil of your doings and leave off your wicked ways lest the Lord God tear you in Pieces and there be none to deliver Oh tremble ye careless Ones before the Lord Almighty who can consume you in a Moment and cut you off in the twinkling of an Eye oh dread the Lord God and fear his great and dreadful Name for the hour of his Judgment is come oh stand in awe of him who made the Heaven and the Earth the Sea and Fountains of Waters who giveth the Sun for a Light by Day and the Ordinances of the Stars and Moon for a Light by Night who divided the Sea when the Waves thereof did roar who hath his way in the Whirlwind and in the Storm and the Clouds are as the dust of his Feet who meeteth out the Heavens with a span and measureth the Waters of the Sea in the hollow of his Hand he comprehendeth the Dust of the Earth as in a Measure and weigheth the Mountains as in Seales and the Hills as in a Ballance in comparison of whom all Nations are but as a drop of the Bucket and as the small dust of the Ballance Oh will you not fear the Lord and dread his Majesty and tremble before his Presence who is a terrible one to the Workers of Iniquity that will not Repent who cometh vvith Fire and his Chariot like a Whirlvvind to render his Anger against the Wicked and Ungodly in Fury and his Rebukes in flames of Fire for by his Fire and by his Svvord vvill he cut dovvn the strongest Oakes and tallest Ceders and vvill plead vvith all Flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many wherefore repent repent and tremble tremble before the Lord God ye Workers of Iniquity for the day the mighty terrible dreadful day of the Lord God Almighty is come and yet a coming and vvo vvo to the Bryars and Thorns that cumber the Earth for the day shall burn as an Oven and the Wicked and they that do vvickedly and vvill not take vvarning and repent but still harden their Hearts against the Lord and against his precious Servants that vvarn you to repent vvhose Souls mourn and lament over you in the sence of the Sadness Wretchedness Miserableness and Deplorableness of your Conditions shall be as Stubble and the Day vvill burn them up both Root and Branch and the Fire vvill burn up the Bryars and Thorns and clense the Earth that Truth Righteousness Justice and Mercy may spring and flourish therein and the Mouth of Iniquity be stopt forever And the day of the Lord God vvill be upon every one that is proud and lifted up against the Lord and his anointed and the loftiness of the stoutest in Heart against the Lord shall be laid low and the haughtiness of Men shall be humbled and the Lord God holy just and true shall be exalted in that day when the Wicked shall flee to the Rocks and hide themselves as in the Caves of the Earth for the fear of the Lord and the Glory of his Majesty when he cometh to shake terribly the Earth and to overthrow the Seat of Wickedness forever and to punish the World for their Sins and the Wicked for their Iniquity and cause the Arrogancy of the Proud to cease and to lay low the Haughtiness of the Terrible Wherefore oh People prepare prepare by true Repentance with speed to meet the Lord in the way of his Judgments before his dreadful Fury break forth against you as devouring Fire Oh bring forth Fruits worthy of Repentance and amendment of Life oh why will you die and perish in your Iniquities forever the Lord desireth not the destruction of a Sinner but rather he should return in time from his Wickedness and learn Righteousness and Live yea Let the Wicked forsake his Wickedness and the Vngodly man his Thoughts and turn unto the Lord with his whole Heart and he will have mercy upon
him for with the Lord there is great Mercy and plentious Redemption who also is just in all his Ways and equal in all his Doings and righteous in all his Judgments and he will not be mocked by any such as People sow such must they â—â—ap and the wages of Sin is Death Oh how many have been the Warâ—ings of the Lord to the People of this Nation Time after Time Year after Year Line upon Line Precept upon Precept but how few have ponderously weighed them received them and laid them to Heart And how hath the Lord in part executed his righteous Judgments in and upon this poor Nation and how few have learned Righteousness thereby but the greatest part of thy Inhabitants oh England are still daily adding Sin unto Sin and heaping of Iniquity upon Iniquity and so fitting themselves for a day of Slaughter And instead of being truly humbled under the hand of God and to mourn in Sack-cloath and Ashâ—s many are sporting themselves in Musick and Dancing in ringing of Bells Camping and Wrestling and many other Games and Vanities as Bull-baiting and Bare-baiting by which the Creatures are oppressed to make them Sport also their wiâ—ked Stage-playes and Games which are abomination to the Lord and ashame to a Nation-professing Christianity O! how doth Swearing and Drunkenness abound and many take pleasure to overcome one another in the Sin of Drunkenness which is abomination to the Lord. And you that are Tavern and Ale-House-keepers put not your Guests upon spending the good Creatures of God upon their Lust for your own Gain and Interest sake but rather restrain them lest you become guilty with them of their Sins and so partake with them of their Plagues And all your observable Days and Times in which you take liberty to sport your selves in Games and Vanity ought to be left off for your Customs are vain you that observe a Time as you pretend in honour of Christ which you spend in excess of Eating and Drinking Musick and Dancing Gaming and Revelling in these things you dishonour Christ and not honour him but grieve his holy Spirit and add Sin unto Sin and the greater will be the condemnation of such except they Repent and truly a great and sore Plague is come upon many People evâ—n hardness hardness of Heart So that indeed neither the Warnings nor Wâ—ings Mercies nor Judgments of the Lord will take impression on them to move them to Repentance and in the sence of this my Heart is grieved and my Soul mourneth in secret because of the hardness of their Hearts which doth signifie theâ— to be as Vessels of wrath fitted for Destruction Oh how doth all manner of Wickedness abound and Ungodliness appear with open Face and blush not at rebuke oh how doth Pride super-abound and Peoples Hearts so puffed up therewith that many scarcâ— know what to eat drink or put on oh the â—ields are even white for the Harvest Sinners grown ripe for Vengance Iniquity is coming to its-full height the Fat 's overflow with Wickedness oh how are the Proud counted happy and the Workers of Iniquity set up but the Meek of the Earth are despised and the humble and contrite Ones are killed all the day long and counted as Sheep for the Slaughter and they that reprove Sin in the Gate are Hated and Persecuted and he that departeth from Iniquity and learns Righteousness maketh himself a Prey Oh the Lord hath seen it and it displeaseth and grieveth him because of the multitudes of the Transgressions and Abominations of the Sons of men and Violeâ—ce and Cruelty that filleth the Earth but the Lord will arise as a man of War and ease himself of his Enemies and avengâ— himself of his Adversaries for because Judgment is not speedily executed against an Evil work therefore the Heartâ— of the Sons and Daughters of men are set in them to do wickedly but what will be the end thereof Oh England oh England how ofâ—â—n would the Lord in mercy have gathered thy Inhabitants unto himself as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under â—eâ— Wings but thou wouldest not therefore hath the Lord in Judgment partly made thee desolate Oh thy great City thy great City whose Abominations reached Heaven and her Sins came up before the Most High how hath the Lord God mighty in Power and righteous in Judgment layed her Glory in the Dust covered her Dignity with Ashes and marr'd her Beauty with Burning Oh how hath he made of a City an Heap of a defenced City a Ruin of a Palace of Strangers to become a ruinous Heap And oh how few of thy Inhabitants oh England have weightily laid it to Heart or have seriously and diligently taken notice of the cause of the Destruction thereof the Lord Could have destroyed the People with their Habitations but the Lord in Mercy spared them that his Mercy might move them to Repentance Oh England how hath Judgment after Judgment been executed upon thine Inhabitants how hath the Lord visited thee with Plague Fire and Sword yet their Hearts are still stout against the Lord and his People their minds haughty and they will not bow their Hearts to the Lord nor break off from their evil doings and wicked wayes therefore is his Hand stretched forth still and they that will not take Warning and Repent must feel his heavy stroke Oh say not any of you in your Hearts Tush the Lord hath done his worst oh the Lord he hath begun and he can make a full end and who amongst you can stay his Hand or escape his stroke when he smites or where can you hide your selves from the Lord therefore bow fear and tremble before him and submit your selves and meet him by True and Unfeigned Repentance and that is the way for you to escape the Stroke of his Fury The Lord is a God full of long-suffering and full of patience and forbearance and long woeth Sinners and waiteth day after day to be Gracious even to the Rebellious but his patient forbearing will come to an end towards those that will by no means repent and be reclaimed from the evil of their wayes and against such his Anger and Wrath will break forth as Fire and they like Stubble ready dry will be consumed therein Therefore you that have not yet wholy sinned out the day of your Visitation prize prize that littletime you have and make good use thereof in diligently minding and seeking after those things that concern your eternal Peace before you go hence and be no more Oh dear People every where my love is to you and pity and tender compassion is in my Heart for you and your good and welfare eternally I desire especially you unto whom I am known in the Feâ—â— even you my Neighbours and Countrymen whose resident is in Kirtly Peakfield Layestouff and those parts Oh my Soul tenders your eternal happiness and desires the Salvation of your Souls yea love and good will is in my Heart towards you and
to all People oh that you your selves did tender and seek after the Salvation of your Souls more then you do Remember when sometimes you have been in great jepardy of your Lives at Sea and the Lord hath in Mercy delivered you how little have some of you Eyed the Mercy and delivering Hand of the Lord therein but have been ready to ascribe the honour of your deliverance to the Anchor Cable and Man-hood c. More then to the Lord and when you have been in great danger of your Lives and saw no way but you must perish have you not then cryed to the Lord to deliver you and the Guilt of your Iniquities being hung upon your Consciences have you not been ready to make Promises in your distress to the Lord that if he spared your Lives you would repent and return unto him and fear and serve him and forsake the Evil wayes and when the Lord hath answered your desires and in mercy hath given you your Lives for a Prey when you came to Land have you then performed your Vows and Promises to the Lord or have you not gone on in Sin and Evil still let Gods witness in every Conscience speak for unto that I make my appeal Consider seriously how it stands between God and your own Souls and how greatly it concerneth you Sea-men and so it doth all other People to mind their latter â—nd and to be ready for sudden death it is a blessed thing to be fit to dye and to feel peace with God Dear People your Souls are immortal and must hereafter be in a sence and feeling of Joy Peace and Rest or else of Sorrow Misery and Torment even to all Eternity wherefore it concerns every particular one to mind above all other things and seek-after the eternal peace and happiness of your Souls in time before it be too late it is Sin Wickedness Unbelief and Hardness of Heart that doth separate People from the Lord and that draws down the wrath and curse of God upon them wherefore people must first be separated and clensed from that to wit Sin which separates them from the Lord and from his Love Peace and Blessing before they can witness their Reconciliation unto God in his Son and enjoy his Love Peace and Blessings Oh dear People I beseech you do not deceive your own Souls by being satisfied with a talk of being saved and redeemed by Christ c whilst you remain in your Sins for whom Christ saves he saveth from their Sins not in their Sins and they that witness Christ to be their Redeemer are redeemed from a vain Conversation and have their Consciences purged from dead works and their Hearts clensed and washed in his Blood which is his Life and Light from Sin and Corruption that so they might serve him in newness and holiness of Life Therefore consider be still serious and ponderous in Heart and retire your minds inward to the pure Light of Christ in your own Consciences that true and faithful Witness of God which keeps a Record of the deeds done in the Body and according to his Record must every man be judged according to his works so take heed unto the Light it will shew you your conditions and how it stands with your poor Souls to Godward that will deal plainly with you will not deceive you though indeed your Teachers who preach for Hire divine for Money have do deceive you by crying Peace to you lulled you asleep in your Sins have as it were daubed you up with untempred Morter and as it were sewing Pillows under your Arm-holes so long as you put into their Mouthes give them hire help to maintain their God which is their Belly But wo to such Teachers that feed with the Fat and clothe with the Wool and for filthy Lucre and Gain from their Quarters will cry peace unto the Wicked unto whom while they remain in their wicked state there is no true peace saith the Living God oh they are Blind Leaders of the Blind and how many are faln into the Pit of Perdition that have been led by them Therefore dear People cease from your Teachers who have not profitted you at all but keep you ever learning but never able to bring you to the knowledg of the Truth which until you do come to know freedom from the bondage of Sin and Corruption you cannot witness therefore to the Light in all your Consciences come for that is Truth and love it and obey it and you will by it receive power over Sin and be enabled to cast off the Yoak of Iniquity and to take up the Yoak of Christ and embrace that Cross which crucifies to the World and worldly things unto the Lust and Wickedness thereof and such are true Disciples of Jesus that learn of him who is meek and low in their Hearts and that do deny themselves and take up the daily Cross to their own Wills Thoughts Words Works Desires and Affections and follow him through many Tribulations in the narrow way of Holiness for it is not he that calls Lord Lord but he that doth the Will of God that inheriteth the Kingdom of God not the Sayers or Knowers of the Will of God are justified but the Doers of the Will are justified not they that only confess with the Mouth day after day that they are miserable Sinners c. as both Priest and People do and yet still Year after Year remain the same if not grow worse shall find mercy but they that not only confess but forsake and turn from the evil in Heart Life and Conversation unto that which is good shall find mercy and forgiveness and remission of Sins Oh mind the good thing in you which is grieved and burdened with the evil and turn in your minds to it and it will let you see those things that are reproveable Drunkard turn in thy mind to the Light in thy own Conscience and it will shew thee judge and reprove thee for thy Drunkenness Swearer turn into the Light and it will judge thee for Swearing for Lying Pride Envy Malice Reviling Cheating Defrauding Covetousness Fornication yea All things that are reprovable are made manifest by the Light and that which maketh manifest is Light thou that hatest the Light and lovest thy Evil deeds and wilt not come to the Light because it will reprove thee there thou hast learned thy condemnation For this is the condemnation of the World that Light is come into the World and men love Darkness rather then the Light because their deeds are evil but they that do good love the Light and bring their deeds to the Light to try them whether they be wrought in God and such are justified by the Light So while you have the Light believe in the Light that you may become Children of the Light so unto the Light in all your Consciences I am made manifest and in true unfained love and bowels of
pity tenderness and compassion to your immortal Souls have I cleared my Conscience in giving you warning to Repent and turn from the evil of your own ways unto the Lord while you have a time before the door of Mercy be shut against you forever and time unto you be no more From one that tenders the Eternal happiness and good of your Immortal Souls a Sufferer in Bonds for the Testimony of a good Conscience William Bennit To those that are seeking the Living God in the Dead Forms Having a Form of godliness but deny the Power thereof from such turn away c. Why seek ye the Living among the Dead he is not here but is risen c. Know you not your selves how that Christ Jesus is in you except you be Reprobates 2 Tim. 3. 5. Luke 14. 5 6. 2 Cor. 13. 5. AND all dear People that are scatered among the many Sects and Heaps who have honest sincere desires and thirstings after the Lord oh love and compassion is in my Heart towards you and my Soul pities you and the more because you are seeking the Living God among the Dead Forms Shadows Carnal Ordinances Beggerly in comparison of the Life of Truth Elements and Rudiments of the World but cannot there find true lasting peace rest comfort and satisfaction for the immortal Souls Oh Christ is risen he is not there his Appearance is now more hidden more invisible more inward therefore stay not in Shadows rest not in the Likeness without Life pitch not your Tent in the Form without the Power Come come away you thirsty Ones from the Wells of man's digging which can hold no Water that will rightly and kindly satisfie your thirsty Souls and wait to know the Spring opened in your own Hearts which cometh from Christ the Fountain of living Water and drink thereof and be satisfied and go no more forth to the broken Cisterns but wait within in the Light for the Springs of Life to refresh your thirsty Souls Oh! come out of the Shadows to the Substance Christ the Light in you except you be Reprobates Oh! the Spirit and the Bride says Come and he that drinketh says Come and let him that is athirst come and drink of the Water of Life freely why do you spend your Time for that which is not Bread and your â—abour for that which doth not truly satisfie your Souls Oh! feed no longer upon the Husk upon Words without Life upon Knowledge without Power for that will puff you up in your own Eyes and elevate you in your own Conceits and shut you out from the Tree of Life and though you may seem to grow Rich and increase with Goods and want nothing yet when your Eyes come to be opened you will see your selves Poor Blind and Naked for he that covereth himself with a Covering of Words and Knowledg and a Profession without Life his Covering is not the Fine Linnen whitâ— and clean which the Wife Virgins that follow the Lamb are cloathed with who have Oyl in their Vessels the Light Life and Substance in themselves but they that only get Words and Knowledge into the Comprehension and grow rich in the Brain and have their Religion in their Head and know not the pure undefiled Religion in the Heart such are Foolish Virgins that have Oyl only in their Lamps and though such may blaze and give a seeming great Light in Words yet such one day will want Oyl and their Lights will go out the Lord will dry up all standing Waters that have no Spring he will blast all Professions out of the Light all Gatherings out of the Name and Power of God the Lord will scatter therefore come away from among them you Unsatisfied and Thirsty Ones whose Souls pant after the Lord and are weary of the Husks and hunger after the Substance And deceive not your own Souls by creating to your selves a false Peace by applying the Promises to your selves and acting Faith as you say upon a Promise but seriously consider in the Fear of the Lord and examine your own Hearts with the Light of Christ in your own Consciences whether you be in that State and Condition that the Promises of Life Eternal are unto yea or nay There is great Difference between man's applying the Promises forcing him to believe they belong to him and God's applying them and sealing them to the Soul by his own Spirit The Promises of God are Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus the Covenant of Light and Life and those that are converted into him pertake with him of the Promises of Life eternal but he that is in Christ is a New Creature the old things are passed away and all things become new and such walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and so come to be Heirs with Christ of that Kingdom that is without End But for any to set themselves to believe that they are elected in Christ Jesus unto Life eternal and so count the Promises of God are theirs when they are not become New Creatures in Christ but are in their Sin such deceive their own Souls for Vnless a man said Christ be born again he cannot enter into God's Kingdom So all you hungry Souls turn in your Minds to the Light of Christ Jesus in your Consciences and wait in it to know Bread in your own Houses Christ in you the Bread of Life which the living Soul feeds on and lives by that you may know the fresh and green Pasture and with us feed therein and drink of the still Waters and rest with us in the Light in the Fold that so we may all know and have one Shepherd and be all of one Sheepfold To those that are backslided from the Truth Remember therefore from whence thou art faln and Repent and do thy first works c. Return oh backsliding Israel c. I will heal thy backsliding c. But if you will not hear my Soul shall weep in secret c. Because the Lord's Flock is gone into Captivity Rev. 2. 5. Jer. 3. 12. Hosea 14. 4. Jer 14. 17. AND you who have tasted of the Power of an Endless Life and were convinced of the precious immutable Truth of God and had in measure received it in the love and obedience of it and by it were in part set free from the bondage of Sin and Corruption and redeemed out of the pollutions of the World but now are Apostatized from the Lord and have forsaken his precious Truth and People and like Demas embraced this present World again and are turned like the Dog to his Vomit and like the Swine that were washed to wallow in the Mire again and have made ship-wrack of Faith and a good Conscience and have proved treacherous both to God and his People and have denyed the Womb that bore you and the Brest that gave you suck and have turned from the Grace of God into wantonness and done dispite to the Spirit of Truth and hath trampled
the Blood of the Covenant wherewith you were in measure sanctified under your Feet as an unholy thing and have slain the Just and crucified the Righteous in your selves Oh poor poor Hearts my Soul pities you and mourns in secret over you and cannot but lament the sadness and deplorableness of your Conditions oh better you had never known the Truth then after you have known it to turn from it to your old Lovers again Oh whither will you go you Backsliding ones where and in what will you hide your selves from the Lord now you are departed from him if you go from Sea to Sea he will find you out and what can defend you from his wrath oh where and in what can you find true Peace Rest and happiness for your Souls seeing you have forsaken him in whom alone it is to be enjoyed Oh are you not sensible that you want true Peace Oh you that have forsaken the Father's House of plenty and are gone out among the Swine who feed upon the Husks oh poor Hearts do you not sometimes a little come to your selves and then remember the Father's House and do you not then find some inclination and desire to return again if you do return how know you but that he will have compassion on you and receive you into his House again though you have been spending your Portion among Harlots and have deal so treacherously by him and so much wounded and grieved him and his Children yet notwithstanding if you can throughly return unto him with your whole Hearts he can and will receive you and heal your Backslidings blot out your Sins forgive you your Transgressions against him and love you freely Therefore return return you backsliding Ones why why will you die and perish forever oh repent and do the first Works turn your minds inward to the pure and just One in your selves which you have grieved wounded and oppressed as a Cart is oppressed with Sheaves Oh that you might look upon him whom you have pierced and behold him whom you have wounded and even mourn and lament over him Oh to the pure holy faithful Witness of God in your own Consciences which you were at first turned unto you must come and the righteous Judgment of the Lord you must own and wait in yea a dreadful Cup you must drink before you can enjoy true lasting peace in God Oh that you could be willing to drink it and to pass again through the Fire and Sword yea through Death to come to eat again of the Tree of Life and live forever Oh that all you that are betrayed like Sampson of their strength by the Adulterous mind so as that the Philistine the uncircumcised Nature hath prevailed over you and put out your Eyes that you are become Blind and cannot see that beauty and comeliness in the Lord and his Truth which you once saw oh that the Lord would be pleased to visit you again that like as the Hair of Sampson grew again his strength increased so that he slew more of his Enemies at his Death then he did in all his Life so the Seed of God may be raised again in your Hearts and the strength therein and thereby may be renewed and grow that by your dying again unto that which is contrary to the Will of God you may witness greater Victory in the Lord over your Enemies and know more of them slain then ever you did Oh! you that find and are sensible that the Lord hath not wholly given you over but is yet striving with you by his pure Witness in you to return unto him his Truth and People again Oh! return before it be too late and before the Door of Mercy be forever shut against you for then if you seek the Blessing with Tears as Esau did you will not obtain it and though you call Lord Lord open unto us we have Eaten and Dâ—unk in thy Presence and in thy Name we have cast out Devils and have had power over unclean Spirits and have done many great Works yet notwithstanding he will say Depart from me ye Workers of Iniquity I know you not Therefore be sober and serious and ponderously consider and let these things take deep Impression in your Hearts which are wrote in true Love Pity and Bowels of Compassion to your Immortal Souls by a Mourner over you and a Travailer in Spirit for your Restoration To those that profess the Truth yet walk contrary to the Truth in Life and Conversation For many walk of whom I have told you often and now I tell you weâ—ping that they are Enemies to the Cross of Christ c. Phil. 3. 18 19. ANd all you who make a Profession of the Light and Truth in Words but in Works deny it whose Conversations are loose and vain and not consistant with your Profession nor answerable but repugnant to Truth you do not conduce to the honour of Truth but produce a dishonour thereunto by your loofe disorderly walking whereby you also give the Enemies of Truth advantage against the Truth for them to reproach the Truth and those that walk and live in the Truth and also you are a stumbling Block in the way of the simple-hearted that hath a Love and Desire towards Truth and a Grief and Burden to the Faithful that love the Truth and live in it and seek the Glory and Honour thereof and also you deceive your own Souls by being satisfied with a Profession of Truth without the possession thereof and you have no true peace where you are nor unity with the Lord nor fellowship with his People for the unity and fellowship of the Saints is in the Light and holy Life of God and they that are out of the Light though they profess it are out of the unity of Faith and fellowship of the Sons of God and such are but gotten into the outward Court where the Gentiles the uncircumcised in Heart can come but blessed are all they that do the Will of God and keep his Commandments and have right to the Tree of Life and enter through the Gate into the City where no unclean thing can come So all you that profess the Truth and walk contrary to the Truth come to be faithful and obedient to the Truth that in the Way of Truth and Righteousness you may walk as becometh Truth and that in the Light you may shine as Lights in your holy Lives and blameless unspotted Conversations to the praise and glory of God and to the peace rest comfort and happiness of your own Souls verily no Hypocrite in Sion can be hid from the Lord who giveth the Churches to know that it is he that scarcheth the Heart and tryeth the Reins who saith I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every one according as his work shall be To all those that are Convinced of the Truth but still remain in the World's Ways If you know these things happy are you
in all your Hearts that the little Seeâ— of Life may become as a great Tree and every one of you may witness a sitting under your own Vine Christ in you the Hope of Glory and none to make you afraid And dear Friends look not out at others but keep at home in the Light the Tent Jacob shall dwell alone and not be numbred among the Nations Esau he hunts abroad and grows weary and faint and then sells his Birthright for a Mess of Pottage What if some stumble and fall from the Truth let not that shake you Truth is the same still and changeth not and if you see some turn aside from us into a Self separation from the Body of Friends and endeavour to draw Disciples after them let not that cause you to stumble and question the Certainty of Truth neither be you drawn away and tost about like Children by them but keep to the Light and in it follow the Foot-steps of the Flock but follow not the Foot-steps of the Wandering Sheep that have left their Flock and are gone astray who are like to perish by the devouring Beast and Enemy of their Souls except in time they return again to the Fold And if you see some amongst our selves setting or keeping up that thing or practice which is out of the comly desent Order of the Body and not consistant with Truth 's Government let not that beget an Occasion of stumbling in your Minds but be still and keep your Eye single to the Lord and walk as you have them for an Example that are over you in the Lord who fully follow Christ Jesus And as for that which is only set up and â—eld up by Man out of Truth 's Order it will die and pass away and Truth will out-live all So unto the Lord who hath called you out of Darkness into his marvellous Light do I commit you to be preserved unto himself unto the End For many are called but few chosen he that abides to the End the same shall be sâ—ved To the true Mourner in Sion To appoint to them that mourn in Sion and to give them the Oyl of Joy for Mourning c. Blessed are you that mourn for you shall be comforted They that sow in Tears shall reap in Joy c. Isaiah 61. 3. Matth. 5. 4. Psal 126. 5 6. OH lift up thy head thou bowed down thou Mourner in Sion who art as one alone in a solitary place and few seeth thee or knoweth thy Sorrow or truly sensible of thy Grief or behold thy Tears who art in thine own Eye as a Woman forsaken and grieved in Spirit as a Wife of Youth rejected who appears in thy own Eyes as it were Miserable and Wretched mourning in the sence of thy own as thou thinkest Unworthiness Failings Inability Emptiness and Poverty who art ready to say with sorrow Where is there any so Poor Empty Barren and Unfruitful to God as I Oh I can do nothing for the Lord except like Mary Weep behind him thinking my self scarce worthy to see his Face and wash his Feet with my Tears whilst others sit at the Table with him and eat of the Fatness of his House and drink of the New-wine of his Kingdom but alas for me my Tears are my Meat and Drink because of the oppression of my Enemy who saith to my Soul Where is thy God dost thou think thou snalt ever be worthy to behold his Face to receive his Love and to have the Smiles of his Countenance And thou O mourning one by hearkening to and believing thy Enemy becometh in thy own eye like an alone Sparrow upon the Flouse-top and as the alone Quail in the Stubble-field and as a Dove alone mourning for the loss of her Mate and so thou layest thee down in Sorrow and makest it thy Bed and Grief thy Sheets Tears thy Pillow and Sighing and Mourning thy Sleep whilst thou believest thy Enemy and entertainest those Fears Doubtings and Carnal Reasonings which he infuseth into thy Heart as thy Companion But arise I say unto thee in the Name of my God and thy God of my Father and thy Father arise out of thy Bed for thy Beloved is at hand and knocketh at the door of thy Heart arise out of thy Bed of Sorrow Fears and Doubtings and by Faith let him in whom thy Soul loveth say not I am not worthy of him but rather say Lord I believe help thou my unbelief strengthn my Faith make me more worthy of thee Oh shut him out no longer by unbelief and doubtings and by reasoning with and hearkening unto the Enemy of thy Souls Joy Peace and Comfort who would always keep thee from thy Beloved and would daily add Sorrow to thy Sorrow and Affliction to thy Grief and Weight to thy Burden that he might if he could wholly sink thee down into the Pit of Desparation forever Wherefore hearken no longer unto him for he was a Lyar from the beginning entertain him not nor his false Instigations any longer nâ—r by unbelief keep not him out any longer whom thou lovest and much desirest but by that small measure of Faith thou sometimes feel'st in God though it be but as a Grain of Mustard seed endeavour to thrust and keep out the Enemy and to remove the Mountains of Fears and Doubtings out of the way and by Faith embrace him whom thy Soul desires more then Rubies or much fine Gold that so the Nâ—ghâ—s of thy Sorrow and Mourning for him in thy Bed of Fears and Doubtings may be turned into sweet reposes with him in his Bed of Solace that thou mayst say with gladness of heart the False Accuser is cast out and my Beloved is come is come and his reward is with him he hath taken me from my mourning state into his Banqueting-house of Joy Peace Rest and true Satisfaction and his Banner over me is Love and now my Sorrow is turned into Joy and I that once sate mourning in the Pit of doubtings and unbelief hath the Lord upon the wings of Faith raised up to come to sing in the hight of Sion and to flow to the goodness of my God who hath exalted my Horn in him and enlarged my Mouth over my Enemy whose Mouth was enlarged over me in the day I bowed under him through unbelief and doubtings Oh then feebleness possessed my Loins weakness my Knees and faintness my Heart so that when I rose up to go towards my Beloved I fell by doubtings and fears but now I that stumbled am by Faith in the Power of my God girt with Strength and the Bow of the mighty man that prevailed against me broken in pieces who so often wounded me with his Darts that I was like to poor Lazarus full of Wounds Bruises and Sores but the Great Physician of Souls hath healed me with the Oyl of Faith and Salvation and now I find that it is the Lord that bindeth up the broken in heart healeth all their wounds Oh
Earth have cause to speak well of the Lord and to trust in his holy Name we are the People for mightily and wonderfully hath the mighty God done and wrought for us though the blind World sees it not Oh! how have we been as Lambs among Lyons and yet not devoured but wonderfully preserved by the secret Power and invisible Arm of the Lord our Shepherd who hath been our Defence when the Beasts of the Forrest have come forth to Devour and the Wolves have been greedy of their Prey then hath the Lord sought for Mount Sion and defended the Hill thereof and though some said We 'll pursue we 'll overtake our Lust shall be satisfied on them we 'll draw our Swords and our Hands shall destroy them yet how hath the Lord blown in his Wrath upon them the Sea of his Judgment hath covered them and they are sunk as Lead in the bottom of the mighty Waters and we yet through mercy are alive and have a being among the Living to speak well of the Lord and to make mention of the Goodnesâ— of our Good and to declare of his Kindness and to praise him for his Works which are marvelous in our Eyes Oh! his Love his Mercy and tender fatherly care over and towards us extends beyond the demonstration of Words and oh let the sense thereof be engraven upon the table of our Hearts that it may humble us and keep us low before the Lord and be an Obligation upon every Soul of us to bind and engage us unto the Lord and his Truth forever How mightily hath the Lord limitted and quieted the raging Sea and made a Calm oh that all Friends might take notice of the great Mercy and Love of the Lord to us in this particular and mind the end of the Lord therein and let us all take heed we Sin not because Grace and Mercy to us abounds lest it provoke the Lord to Anger and be a moving cause to induce him to let forth the Wind and suffer a Storm again Oh that none might get into a false ease and liberty and wrong security because of the present Calm but all to keep retire in that which fitteth and maketh ready for Tryals when they come in by and through which we have been upheld preserved hitherto even by the secret Power Arm of the Lord which is not shortned that it cannot save but is the same that ever it was and it hath been our Helper in six Troubles and in the seventh has not been wanting to us to help us when there hath been none to help and to support and uphold us when there hath been none to uphold but Loads Burdens and Oppressions have been heaped upon us and to comfort us when nothing but Sorrow and Trouble from the World compassed us about and when we have had nothing as from men but the Bread of Adversity the Water of Affliction even then hath the Lord our tender God been the Comforter of our Hearts the Refresher of our Souls the Rejoycer of our Spirits and the Lifter up of our Hands when we have been bowed down with the Oppressions of our Enemies his â—resence hath been with us in the Prison-house and in the low Dungeon and hath not left us to this day and assuredly never never never will leave us if we leave not him but will be with us until we have finished our Course and fulfilled the dayes of our appointed Time and our Change come So dear Friends unto the Lord I commit you who knoweth how it is with all his Babes and Children and beholdeth all their Tryals Straits and Sufferings inward and outward and his ear is open to the cry of the Poor and groanings of the Needy who is God all-sufficient for all those that trust hope relie and depend upon him and able to keep them by his power through Faith in his Name unto his heavenly Kingdom So the Lord be with you all and the Almighty protect and defend you and keep you from Evil unspotted from the World and preserve you in Love Peace and Unity with himself and one with another in his innocent unfained Love in his Light Life Power and Truth and make and keep you all of one Heart and one Mind and one Soul that you all with one consent may still worship and serve the Lord God in the one Spirit and the one Truth in which I dearly greet salute and embrace you all and remain your Friend and Companion in the Patience and Tribulation of Jesus Farwell dear Friends William Bennit Dear Friends IN the Love which waxeth not Old neither is subject to Change which God hath shed abroad in the hearts of those that believe in the Light through the operation of his Eternal Spirit in this Love which openeth our Hearts unto the Lord and one another doth the unfeigned Salutation of my Soul reach forth unto you as in which Love Iabide I cannot forget the Family of Love and Houshold of Faith neither can length of Time nor distance of Place â—onds nor Tribulations extinguish the remembrance of you whom the Lord â—ath chosen out of the Elect Seed from out of the Faâ—ilies of the Earth to place his Name among and to maniâ—est his Power and Glory in and through you his People to the praise of your God in your Generation dear Friends who are called to be made pertakers of the Blessed Everlasting Inheritance of the Saints in Light and through Faith in the Light of Life you are called and raised up to bear Testimony unto him whom the Nations Despise but unto you that believe in him he is Pretious and you that have seen his Bâ—auty and beheld his Comliness and have tasted of his Love and have savoured the sweetness of his preâ—ious Oyntment which hath healed your Wounds and cured your Diseases and with which your Souls have been Bathed Warmed and sweetly Refreshed unto you that have tasted of his Divine Vertues who is the Light of â—he World he is the chiefest of ten Thousand who hath called and chosen you out of the World to follow him in the Regeneration and to bear his Image before the World and to shew forth his Testimony against the World therefore do the World hate you and desire and seek your Destruction and would tempt you and by cruelty force you from the beloved of youâ— Souls but dear Hearts every one cleave in spirit unto the Lord and hold fast his blessâ—d Truâ—h received into your Hearts that the Enemy within nor his Instruments without by all their Temptaâ—â—ons and Cruelty may never move you to decline nor degenerate from that blessed Testimony which God hath given you to bear for him in the midst of a Wicked and Uâ—godly Generation who must fill up the measure of their Iniquity that Judgment may come upon them to the full and the measure of your Sufferings must also be fulfilled therefore dear Lambs hold fast Faith and a good Conscience and pâ—t
on Courage and Strength unto the end and hold fast the Word of Patience that you may be kept in the hour of Temptation and the Preservation of your Souls you may come to witness by the Power of God through all Tryals Troubles Losses Straits Afflictions and Tribulations that the Lord suffereth to befal you trust you in him and depend upon his everlasting Arm which is your help stay and strength God will restrain the Wrath of our Enemies and dissipate the Purposes and confound the Evil Devises of our Adversaries so far as it seemeth good unto him the Lord God Everlasting who keepeth Covenant with his People and whose tender Mercy Compassion and Fatherly Care faileth not towards the House of Jacob his blessed soul refreshing strengthening Presence be with all his People to Feed Nourish and Strengthen them and Cherish them Support and Uphold them Comfort and Consolate them in all their sufferings for his Names sake and bear up all his little Ones for whom my Soul is in Travel and the Lord keep all his in the Covenant of his everlasting Love that if our Earthen Vessels be Broken and turned to the Dust for the Testimony of Jesus our Souls may rest with the Lord so whether we Live wâ— may Live to God or whether we Dye we may Dye unto God that whether we Live or Dye we may be the Lords and he be glorified in us either by Life or Death which is the desire of your Friend and Brother in the love of Truth Dear Lambs my love remains with you though Bonds hold me close be you bundled up together in Love Peace and Unity that you may be a help strength and comfort one to another in the Lord and let none be careless but all watch and keep close to the Lord and keep your meetings and wait upon God to be fitted for every Tryal yet to come neither let any be discouraged or surprized with fear through the terror of your Enemies you know that the Lord hath carried us through much already his Arm is not shortned our God is a God of Wonders let us stand still and see his Salvation which he will manifest on the behalf of the meek of the Earth that are appointed as Sheep for the Slaughter and hath no helper but the Lord God Almighty hasten it for his own Elects sake which cryeth Day and Night unto him Amen saith my Soul even come Lord Jesus come quickly and take unto thee thy great power to Reign for unto thee belongeth the Dominion for thou art worthy let all Nations come and Worship before thee and give Glory to thy Name who art Just in all thy Ways and Righteous in all thy Judgments thy Counsels of old are Faithfulness and Truth Bury Goal this 18th of the 9th Month 1670. William Bennit A Loving Exhortation and Warning to SEA-MEN and all others whom it doth concern YOV that go down to the Sea in Ships that do Business in great Waters where you see the Works of the Lord and his Wonders in the deep great Cause have you to fear and love the great God of Heaven and Earth who giveth you Life and Being who is the God of all your Mercies who in Mercy hath oftentimes preserved you in great Danger and Peril and delivered you when you have been ready to Perish Oh forget not his Mercy towards you but Repent speedily and Fear and Dread his great Name and stand in Awe and Sin no more against him whose Power is over all who commands the Winds and the Seas and they obey him When sometimes you have been in Great Jeopardy of Your Lives and the Lord hath in Mercy delivered you how little have some of You Eyed the Mercy and delivering Hand of the Lord therein â—ut have been Ready to ascribe the Honour of your Deliverance to the Anchor Cable and Manhood more then to the Lord and when you have been in Great Danger of your Lives and saw no Way but you must Perish have you not then cryed to the Lord to deliver you and the Guilt of your Iniquities being heavy upon your Consciences have you not been ready to make Promises to the Lord in your Distress that if he spared your Lives ye would Repent and turn unto him and Fear and Serve him and forsake your Evil Ways And when the Lord hath answered your Desires and in Mercy hath given you your Lives for a Prey when you came to Land have you then performed your Vows and Promises to the Lord or have you not gone on in Sin and Evil still let God's Witness in every Conscience speak for unto that I make my Appeal Consider how greatly it concerneth you Sea-men and so it doâ—h all other People to mind their latter End and to be ready for suddain Death let every particular One consider seriously how it stands between God and their own Souls Oh it is a blessed Thing to be fit to Dye and to feel Peâ—ce with God it is their Sins and Iniquities that make People unfit for God's Kingdom they that dye in their Sins must perish as Christ said unto some Except you repent you shall likewise perish without Holiness and Purity none can see God The Soul of Man is Immortal and can never Dye but must when it leaves the Body be in a feeling Sence of Joy and Peace or Wo and Misery forever The Wicked and all that forget God must be turned into Hell Oh that all People Young and Old may repent and return to the Lord with their whole Hearts and he will shew them Mercy Prize your time for it is precious and you know not how short it is Oh fear and dread the Eternal God that giveth you Life and Being and can take it away when he pleaseth It is not a talking of being Saved and Redeemed by Christ and of his dying for you will stand you in any stead that live in Sin and Vanity Christ said A Man must be born again or else he cannot see the Kingdom of God So dear People both Young and Old mind the Pure Divine Light of Christ Jesus in your own Consciences that which Checketh and Reproveth you when you speak or act that which is Evil and come to Obey it for it is the Way of Life and will Lead you if you obey it out of all Sin Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts into the Way of Life and teach you to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present Evil World Then Peace with God will be the Portion of your Souls The 15th of the 3d Month 1675 Written in Tender Bowels of Vnfeigned Love to your Souls by a Friend to all People William Bennit THE END
yet his Everlasting Kindness shall not be removed neither the Covenant of his Peace be taken from you his People that keep Covenant with him your God so the Almighty be with you in all your Tryals and Temptations and his Arms of tender mercy bear up all the Weak and Little Ones among you whose desires are Upright before him that none such may fall through the Fury of the Adversary and Temptations of the Enemy but that you all may be kept by the power of your God through Faith in his Everlasting Name to the end to finish your Testimony in Faithfulness with Joy to his Glory and your Endless Peace Happiness and Filicity in him the God of your Hope Amen The God of Peace be with you and Comfort you with his Love oh Lord God Everlasting keep all thy dear People in this hour and power of Darkness hide them in the hollow of thy Hand and let the Banner of thy Love be over them dispose of them O Lord as seemeth good unto thee only let not thy Faithfulness to them and their Faith to thee be wanting and let them be tendered by thee as the first Fruits unto thee after the long Night of Apostacy that eclipsed thy Glory from the face of the Earth My dear love remains with you Farwel dear Friends Edmondâ— Bury common Goal this 8th of the fifth Month. From your true Friend and Brother in the Patient Suffering for the Testimony of Jesus William Bennit THE VVork and Mercy of GOD Conducing to his Praise Or a Demonstration of the Visitation of God's Love to my Soul in the days of my Youth Being a Testimony of the Light of Christ in the Conscience which discovereth and judgeth Sin also if loved and obeyâ—d saveth from Sin and redemeeth the Soul unto God Published in bowels of pity and love to all those that have desires after the Way of Truth and are yet seeking it abroad in their Imaginations and are mourning and groaning under the burden and weight of Sin hoping and desiring that if the Lord will such may meet with some incouragement and direction hereby for them to turn their minds into the Light of Christ in themselves and in it to believe and wait for power over and freedom from Sin that true lasting peace in God they may come to witness to the true and full satisfaction of their Souls All thiags that are reproved are made manifest by the Light for whatsoever doth make manifest is Light c. That which may be known of God is manifest in them c. Wherewith shall a Young man cleanse hiâ— way by taking heâ—d thereunto according to thy Word thy Word I have hid in my Heart c. Eph. 5. 13 c. Rom. 1. 16. Psal 1. 19. 9 11. VVHen I was but young in Years the Lord God of Light Life and Power of tender Love of infinite Compassion and everlasting bowels of Mercy was pleased then in some measure to visit me by or with his pure Light in my own Conscience which many a time did check and reprove me for my Sins and brought my Evil-doings to my remembrance and judged me in my own Heart for Evil and sometimes brought trouble upon my Mind for my Sins but I was not then sensible that it was the Light of Christ Jesus who is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World which then in my own Conscience did check reprove and judge me for Evil and sometimes broke my false ease and rest in Sin insomuch as I could not go on in Sin Wildness and Vanity without being somewhat troubled terrified and reproved for my Sin at one time or other though when I was among idle Children voic of the fear of God I ran into Sin and Wickedness with them and for the present time I acted in Sin with great Delight and Joy but when I came to be still quiet and alone in the Fields or elsewhere then would the pure Witness of God arise in me with its reproofs and set my Sins in order before me and brought my Evil Doings to my remembrance which I had acted out of the pure fear of the Lord God and then Trouble for a time took hold on me and Sin became my burden but I soon got from under that Burden at Ease and Liberty again and ran into Sin and Vanity again and thus year after year I went on in rebellion against the Witness of God in my own Conscience taking delight and pleasure in those things I knew were Evil yet the Lord God whose tender Bowels of Pity and Compassion did then in Mercy hover over me for good to me in that day did sometimes stop me from speaking and acting that Evil I intended to speak or do preserved me out of many gross Evils which many others were addicted unto and overcome with And in those days when I was alone in the Fields I cryed and prayed unto the Lord and desires were stirring in me after the knowledge of him his Way and Truth but I prayed to a God I knew not I imagined a God afar off and did not then know it was the Lord that did search my Heart and discovered unto me my Thoughts and judged me for Sin I then knew not that that was the Light Way and Truth of God in my own Heart which sometimes begot desires in me to know the Truth and to walk therein but my mind was abroad as it is with many at this day who have desires after Truth and Righteousness but are seeking abroad in Carnal Ordinances Forms Likenesses Beggarly Elements Rudiments of the World Ceremonies and Traditions of men and knew not that that in me was Truth which sometimes stopt me from Lying and Swearing and when I knowingly told a Lye it would accuse me when no man could accuse me for it and as I grew in years for I may truly say there was something stirring in me at times after the Lord ever since I was 6 or 7 years of Age and when I came to be about 14 years old and to be a Prentize and in outward Thraldom and Bondage it pleased the God of infinite loving-kindness to visit me more then formerly by his pure Light and Spirit which encreased in striving with me daily that I scarce knowingly committed any Evil but the Light would soon judge me for it yea the Lord God with his pure Light and Gift did persue me hard and followed me close calling to me in my Heart with his still Voice to come out of Sin out of evil Words and Works but I like Samuel when he was a Child knew not that it was the Lord that did call for he was though near me as a Stranger to me and I knew not his Voice but went astâ—ay as a wandering Sheep yet had I desires to know the way to the â—old and to know where the Lord feedeth his Flook and causeth them to lie down in Peace Quietness Rest where none