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
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
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
to Publicans and Sinners he through Beelzebub the Prince of Devils doth cast out Devils c And truly I may say not out of a prejudiced mind of Enmity towards any for my Soul bears love and good-will towards all men that it is as it were the same now with many of the Professors in this age who as the Jews made a large boast and profession of Moses the Law and the Prophets and hated him the life of them doth make a large boast of Christ in words and of his dying at Jerusalem which I believe he did according as the Scripture testifie and that he hath done all for them and if they can but believe it that is enough c. And yet whilest they are thus professing him in words behold many of them are enemies to his Life and so enemies to him whom they boast of who is the Word that was in the beginning in whom was life and his life is the light of men The true light saith John that lighteth every man that cometh John 1 9. into the world vvhich the Professors say is a natural light that vvhich convinceth vvicked men of sin in their ovvn hearts and judgeth them for evil doing it is a natural light say the Professors and so call the life of the Word vvhich is the light of men natural it 's a natural conscience say some it 's an insufficient light it 's a common grace c. so common it is indeed that as Paul says it hath appeared unto Titus 2 11. all men even that grace that brings Salvation nay some blasphemously vvill presume to say it 's a spirit of delusion a spirit of errour and these are under the vvo vvho call the Truth errour and the Light Isa 5. 20 23 36. darkness and the Good evil and these one day shall knovv their blasphemy and their vvords shall become their burden and these are in great darkness and ignorance indeed thick darkness fills their habitation even the darkness of Egypt that may be felt and it is hard indeed for such to be brought into the pure light and unchangable Truth of God although vvith the Lord God Almighty nothing is impossible and these like the Scribes and Pharisees vvho although they professed God in vvords and said Mat. 23. 13. they had one Father even God sought to shut up the Kingdom of Heaven from men and vvould neither enter in themselves nor suffer them that vvould and so these vvhile they profess Christ in vvords they speak evil of his Light and Truth and vvill neither ovvn it themselves nor suffer as much as in them lie them that vvould but cryes out take heed bevvare of the light the Quakers prate of it is darkness say they it vvill deceive you and delude you and lead you into Errour c. But let all people knovv the light vvhich the people of God called Quakers speak of and in bovvels of love direct peoples minds unto is the life of the Word vvhich is Immortal Eternal Permanent Divine and Immutable and not Natural Joh. 1 2 3 9. Thou vvhoever thou art and vvhatever by men thou art accounted of that doth make a large profession of God Christ and the Scriptures of Truth in vvords and doth hate and speak evil of the Light the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world thou art a hater of God and of Christ and art of Antichrist against Christ although thou professest him in words and sayst thou art saved by him and justified by him c. yet if thou hatest his light in thy own Conscience which doth check thee for evil doing and prick thee for thy sins in secret thou art in enmity to him and condemned by the Light and not justified and thy confession of Christ in words will not save thee from his Righteous Condemnation vvhilst thou hatest his pure light in thy Conscience and thy profession is for the fire and unto the Light thou must come before thou canst find true peace with the Lord God Yea whatever thou art who art climed and a climing up in thy Imaginations and a soaring up aloft with the god of the world the Prince of the power of the Air above the Light the Door into the fold striving to enter into the fold and not by the Door to wit the Light thou art the Thief John 10. 1 8 9. and Robber who runs before Christ the Light the Door into the Fold and thou must come down come down to that which appears a small thing in thy eye who art swell'd big in thy fleshly wisdom from which the things of Gods Kingdom is hid even to that which thou counts a foolish thing a weak a poor thing 1 Cor. 1. 27 28 29 30 31. and 19. 20 21. not worth the minding or heeding but this is it the foolish thing in thy eye that is to confound thy wisdom and turn it into foolishness that so thou beecoming a fool may be made wise in it This is the weak thing in thy eye which is to confound thy strength and make thee weak that thou mayst be strong in it and the poor thing in thy eye which is to rob thee of all thy Riches that thou becoming poor in it may be made Rich so where is the Wise the Rabbi the Scribe the Disputer of this world Hath not God made foolish the Wisdom of this world for the world by wisdom knows not God and so the boaster is excluded that God may have the Glory and all flesh abased and silent before him who of God is made unto his Saints that love his Light and are led by his Spirit Wisdom Strength Power Righteousness Justification and Redemption who have the heavenly Treasure in the Earthen vessel that the glory may be of God who is worthy of all Glory and Praise for ever So heed not dear people you who have any desire in you after the Lord what this man or the other saith of the Light but love the Light and take heed unto it for that which judges and condems sin in you which John 3. 20 is that which seperates you from the Lord and hinders your peace with the Lord and is the cause of your burden and sorrow this you shall not need to fear will delude you That is a spirit of delusion that leads into sin and evil beware of that but that which reproves you for evil in your own hearts and manifests the deeds of darkness take heed unto it for that is the Light that doth make manifest Eph. 5. 13 14. darkness that which is reprovable is made manifest by the Light for whatever makes manifest is Light and that will not onely make manifest the sin and evil but as you come to turn your minds in unto it and love and follow it it will save you from your sins and redeem your minds and souls unto God for who receive his Light his pure Grace in
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
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
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
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
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
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
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