and Weak in the Faith God hath put something into my Heart to write unto you for your Establishment in the perfect Way of the Lord. And this is God's Counsel unto you all Let your Faith remain firm and stedfast in Christ Jesus the true Light and Life of men and all wait upon God in that Measure of his Blessed Light and Spirit which he in his tender Mercy hath given unto you to profit withal that therein you may all grow into a living Sence and Knowledge of God which hath been lost by Transgression that you may all come to be renew'd up into the Pure Spiritual Heavenly and Divine Image of God in which man was made in the Beginning A Noble Vine wholy of a Right Seed So all wait to know your Birth of the Immortal Incorruptible Seed which is the Word of God which Lives and Abides forever which Word Seed Light and Life is to be found receiv'd and enjoy'd within People And Blessed are they who do believe in it and continue stedfast unto the End in them it doth take root and bring forth Fruit aboundantly unto the Praise and Glory of God and unto their aboundant Joy and endless Comfort So all you that have been bound down in sin by the great Enemy of your immortal Souls and who have known great Distresses Anguish and Sorrow because thereof Wait you all diligently upon God in the Light which doth shew unto you your present condition and therein you will receive Power from God who is Light over Sin and the Devil who is the Author of it and so will come to feel and know Christ the true Seed in you to bruise the Old Serpent's Head yea his whole strength and power in you to waste and destroy and he will bring you out of the Bondage of Corruption into the Glorious Liberty of the Sons and Daughters of God and so you will come to know that God and Christ is greater in you then the Wicked-spirit call'd the Devil who will certainly bind him and cast him out and take from him all his Armor wherein he trusted But for the Accomplishment of these great and weighty Matters You must all wait upon God with much Diligence and Patience and let the Pure Judgments of God freely take hold of all that is Unrighteous and contrary to God in you that so the Pure Powerful Quickning Word of Eternal Life may freely operate and work mightily in you as a Fire Hammer and Sword that so by it you may be perfectly set free For there is not any thing else that can make free from sin And this is an Eternal Record and True Living Testimony which the Eternal and Engrafted Word of Life which doth Reign in my Heart and in the Hearts of my Faithful Friends doth bear unto you and unto all People upon the face of the whole Earth And whosoever doth Write Print or Speak against the Word Spirit Light and Life of God and Christ within Man and Woman and do say That it is not able to destroy all sin nor able to lead into all Truth nor able to uphold Man and Woman in it They are all Lyars Deceivers and False-witnesses and their Words Writings and Testimonies herein are not of God nor for him but are absolutely of the Devil and for him whose Kingdom stands in Sin which Christ is come to throw down and wholy to destroy So let none believe them in those things for if they do they will be undone by it And so all keep out of all the Shadows and Figures which do not make the Heart and Conscience perfect in the Sight of God And all keep to Christ the Immortal and Eternal Husband and know him to Baptize you with his Spirit and Life which doth burn up the Corruptions And this is the one standing Baptism of which the Apostle did testifie and the one Faith of which he did testifie is to believe in Christ the Light and Life and Word and Power of God who said There is one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God over all through all and in you all So who are come to witness this have no need of outward Shaddows and Elements which are but beggarly in comparison of the Life and Substance So in Christ the Substance Life and Light all are to come to sit down in the Heavenly Places knowing his Flesh and Blood which comes down from Heaven feeding upon it which gives Life and this is the Lord's Supper with which he feeds his Faithful Followers by which they are made strong to resist the Devil and to overcome him So in and with this the Lord God preserve you all and by it strengthen you in your Inward Man that you may follow the Lord God with Chearfulness that you may walk in the Way of the Lord valiantly and never be weary of it nor faint in the hour of Temptation which is suffered to come upon you for the tryal of that precious Faith which the Lord God hath in a measure given unto you but all look unto him who is the Giver of Faith by which the Just lives in Dominion over the Tempter So let none look down at the Temptations of the Devil for that will weaken and do hurt But all when you are tempted look up unto Christ Jesus the great Power and Wisdom of God who is given unto us by the Father to take away all Sin and to lead into all Truth who in the dayes of his Flesh as the Apostle said was tempted in all points like as we are but he did not sin And so it is no sin to be tempted by the Devil unto any wickedness whatsoever but the sin is to consent with the Mind unto him and so to joyn to him and so by him to be led to think or speak or act that which is evil in the sight of the Lord God but out of all this Christ Jesus doth redeem and he is able to preserve and uphold you in Purity and Holiness in all things For he is able to save to the uttermost all that come to the Father by him and that is to free from all sin and of this the Apostle was a true Witness who writ thus of him And though the Devil may go about you like a Roaring Lyon ever seeking which of you he may devour whom the Lord hath redeemed from him yet be ye not hereby Affrighted Discouraged nor cast down in your Minds nor despair of overcoming him you tender and contrite hearted Ones but resist him in the Faith and be stedfast and Christ will succour and uphold you So all look unto him from whom your help comes Given forth by the Spirit of God in the sixth Moneth 1671. through a Try'd and True Witness of those things which he hath here written for the Edification and Comfort of all who are turn'd from Darkness unto Light from the power of Satan unto God And what is here written may be of some service unto those who are yet Strangers from God and his Way and Worship which is Pure I am a Sufferer for Righteousness sake a Prisoner for the Testimony of Jesus Christ the Light and Life of men at Maidston in Kent in England And my Heart's Desire is that all People might come to believe in Christ Jesus the true Light and so be redeem'd by him from Sin and so from the Curse which is due unto it and from the Devil who is the Author of it that so they might be blessed Eternally And as the Holy Apostle said I do say God would have all men to come to the Knowledge of the Truth and be sav'd But Christ said unto the Wise-men of the World great Professors Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life but ye will not come unto me that you might have Life And as it was then so it is now People will not come unto Christ the Great Power and Wisdom of God to be redeem'd from Sin by him and so to have Eternal Life in him and so many die in their Sins And he said If ye believe not that I am he you shall die in your Sins and whither I go ye cannot come No Unclean thing can enter the Kingdom of God and there is no Repentance in the Grave and all who die and perish in their Sins their Destruction is of Themselves and the Lord God is clear William Gibson THE END
any of you nor let not the Storm or Heat of Persecution drive any of you away from the Lord God but all keep your Virginity unto the End And all Friends every where Keep your Meetings in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ who never fell nor chang'd and feel his Living Vertue in the mid'st of you keeping you Quick Fresh and Lively out of all Carelesness Dulness and Drousiness for these are Uncomly So all have a great Care to keep out of such things and all wait upon the Lord in the Comly Order that you may all be Refresh'd by him in your Meetings and that you may all have Cause to say Good is the Lord and worthy is he to be waited upon for he feeds the Hungry with Good Things And as all do diligently wait upon God in the Measure of his Holy Spirit which he hath given unto them to profit withal they will feel a true Hungering and Thirsting after the Righteousness of God to be made Partakers of it more and more and unto such the Blessing doth belong and God will deal bountifully with such for he delighteth in his People's Diligence And as it is written The Diligent Hand maketh Rich but the Sluggard shall be clothed with Ruggs whose Field grows over with Briars and Thorns And Man in such a State is Miserable and shall not be Crown'd with Honour which God gives unto the Faithful nor can he in that State dye in Peace with the Lord. Therefore all be Faithfal unto the Lord God in all things that when your dayes are ended in this World you may rest Eternally in the Bosom of the Lord as it is written Blessed are the Dead which die in the Lord for they shall rest from their Labour and their Works shall follow them And Friends Our God who is the True and Living God he is Love as it is written of him and all People who do dwell in God they do dwell in unfeigned Love one unto another and also unto their Enemies as the Lord Jesus hath commanded In which Love of God we are raised up to Worship him and in it to watch one over another and to build up one another in Holiness and in it are we Comforted and Edified and are made of one Heart and Mind and made near and dear one unto another and truly tender one over another and careful one of anothers Good every way and in true Humility to Honour and Esteem one another and thereby led to be just and true in all our Words and Actions one to and concerning another and to and concerning all our Enemies in which we do seek the Eternal Good of all People and in which we do live in sweet Unity and pure Peace together as doth become the Family of God O how sweet is the Unity in God's Spirit of Love and Life in which the Bond of Peace is kept without BREACH For in the Spirit of Love and Life all Friends being kept which keeps all Upright Just and Pure the Bond of Peace cannot be broken So in this the Lord God of Heaven and Earth preserve you all my dear Friends unto whom my Love is dear and near in the Lord that so all your hearts may be full of the Pure Love of God which thinketh nor doth no evil unto any but doth good unto all that you may be known to be the Disciples of Christ who said Every Tree shall be known by its Fruit and said A Good Tree cannot bring forth Evil Fruit and he said The Good Man our of the Good Treasury of his Heart bringeth forth Good Things But he said The Evil Man out of the Evil Treasury of his Heart bringeth forth Evil Things Which are the Fruits of the Flesh begotten therein by the power of Darkness which doth Rule in the Hearts of all the Wicked and Ungodly upon the Face of the whole Earth Which Evil Things are Envy Malice Murder Oppression Injustice False-judgment Idolatry Strife Hypocrisie Defrauding one another in Words and Actions Evil Imaginations and Evil Thoughts and Evil Words Pride Covetousness Swearing Lying Drunkenness Whoredom Thieft Lightness Wildness Vain-Laughter Idle-Jesting Whispering False-accusing and Tale-bearing to sow Strife c. So all Friends who do make Profession of the pure Truth and perfect Way of the Lord and to be Followers of the Lord Jesus Christ the Patient and Innocent Lamb of God who did not Sin neither was Deceit at any time in any thing found in his Mouth See how you do follow him your Living Example and perfect Pattern I say Search all with the Heart searching Spirit of the Lord God and see that you stand out of all those before mention'd Evils c. For because of them comes the Wrath of God upon those who do continue in them and do not believe in Christ and follow him who leads out of them and destroyes them For no Vnclean Thing can inherit God's Kingdom But Glory to the Lord God He hath Redeem'd a Remnant from such of the before mention'd Evils as they were guilty of who now know a Pure Peaceable Rest and a quiet Habitation in him in whom he workes to Will and to Do of his own Good Pleasure and he is daily Redeeming those that wait upon him in the Wayes of his Righteous Judgments And so all who do profess the Truth and live and walk contrary to it and thereby cause the Way of Truth to be Evil-spoken of and harden the Hearts of Unbelievers against it and so shut the Kingdom of Heaven against men not entring themselves but by their Evil Example hinder others If they do not Repent while they have time and amend their wayes and walk orderly as becomes the Gospel heavy will the Judgments of God fall upon them in the End And all such who have once known and Professed the Way of Truth and in some Measure and for some time have walked in it but now are turn'd away from it into the Ungodliness again like the Dog to his Vomit and the Sow that was wash'd to the wallowing in the Mire and now are grown so hard-hearted that they can speak Evil of the Way of Truth and oppose it and hate contemn scorn and reproach those who live in it and suffer for it My Soul pitties them Miserable is their Condition O that it were in their Heart to seek a Place of Repentance then it may be the Lord might shew Mercy unto them But if they do go on in Gainsaying as Core did then had it been better for them that they had never been born for Everlasting Torment and Anguish will be the Reward of their wicked work And dear Friends and Brethren and Sisters every where This Testimony am I mov'd of the Lord God to bear for your Consolation viz. That this is the True and Living Faith wherein we stand who have believ'd in the Lord Jesus Christ the true Light and have follow'd the Leadings of his Blessed Holy Spirit which hath led us
out of the Evil that is in the World by which we have been crucified unto the World and its Glory and the many Sinful Customs and Fashions that are of it and in it and by which we have been led into a Holy Innocent Conversation And by and in this Faith we do live to God and in it are we brought to Love God Uprightly and to serve him with our whole strength For this Faith is his own Gift which hath wrought by Love in us Effectually to the purifying of our Hearts and Spirits which were defill'd with sin And in this Holy Faith is our Religion and Worship Pure and is of the Pure God and so is accepted by him and we have the Witness of this in our own Hearts And we do certainly know that we are of God by his Spirit which he hath given us And this is the one standing Faith which is God's Gift in which the Pure Standing Unchangeable Worship of God is again renew'd and set up among'st us as it was in the Apostles dayes Glory yea Glory be to the Lord God forever whose day of Light and Life is now again made manifest in and unto us as it was in the Apostles dayes and it shines Gloriously among'st us to our great Consolation O the Glory the Glory of the Lord God! O how doth it shine in the Assemblies of the Righteous Overcoming Refreshing and Melting the Hearts of the Upright and making them more glad then they that have great increase of Corn and Wine and Oyle And we can truly say The Lord hath dealt bountifully with us our Lot is fallen in a Fruitful Hill and we have a goodly Inheritance and this is our Inheritance The everlasting Power and Wisdom of the Lord our God whereby we are redeem'd out of the Evil that is in the World and through Faith in the same are upheld in Purity wherein our Peace and Joy is great at this day and no man can take it from us And my dear Friends I know the Lord God is daily encreasing your Faith who have been freely given up to suffer for Righteousness sake so that you can say with the Prophet Though there be no Flocks in the Fold and though the Fruits of the Earth be taken from you for your pure Obedience unto God yet can you not Murmur at it but do still Rejoyce in the Lord God of your Salvation and can cast your Care upon him knowing he doth care for you as a Tender Father for his Tender and Obedient Children And my dear Friends Though all the false Worshippers and Apostates upon the whole Earth should joyn together and seek to destroy our Testimony and pure Faith and pure Worship yet can they never do it But the Testimony and Faith and Worship into which we are gather'd by the Lord our God it shall stand and remain when all their Fighting Persecuting and Blood-thirsty Faiths and Religions and Worships and False Testimonies are gone and ended And we shall yet live to Praise the Lord our God notwithstanding all the Rage and Fury of our Enemies And though Sufferings may attend us for a little time yet will they be ended in the Lord's Time and he doth suffer us to be try'd but it is not in Enmity to us but in Love that we may be gather'd unto him out of all things which perish with the using and that we may know him to be our Strength and that he may shew forth his Vertue and Power in us in our Sufferings and that People who sit in Darkness and whose Hearts are set on Earthly Things may see that he hath redeem'd a People from the Earth who can suffer the Loss of all earthly Enjoyments rather then to deny their Testimony Faith and Religion which he hath call'd them into And by Friends Faithfulness herein is the Lord God Glorified and the Understandings of People opened and they come to see the difference betwixt those who do profess Christ in words and Faithful Friends who do enjoy him in Life and Power And so the Wise Man's House upon the Rock comes to be known from the Fool 's House upon the Sand that so those who are dissatisfied with the Dead Huskey False Worships that are in the World may know where to centre and sit down even with us who are become the Flock and Heritage of the Lord God And God's Worship in the Spirit and in the Truth which he hath set up among'st us and into which we are gather'd it must spread over the Nations and Kingdoms of the World and the Nations and Kingdoms of this World must become our God's and his Christ's as it is written This hath the Lord God Decreed and all his Enemies cannot reverse nor alter this his Decree And God will certainly throw down all the Fighting Persecuting Blood-thirsty Faiths and Worships and Religions upon the Face of the Earth which have been set up in the Fallen Earthly and Sensual and Divilish-wisdom of Wicked Men about which they have shed the Blood of many Innocent People who have been taught of God and therefore could not bow unto their Devilish Inventions And the Living Powerful Almighty Dreadful God before whom all the strength of his Enemies is but as a Thred of Tow in the bot fiery Flame he is risen to execute his Judgments upon the Old Red Draggon the Devil who hath made the Nations like the Raging Sea throwing forth Mire and Dirt and hath set People to devour one another about Religion Faith and Worship like Wolves Lions and Dogs And the Lord God will certainly Plague him and Bind him and REDEEM the Nations from under his Accursed power And the Great Whore who hath been drunk with the Blood of the Saints who have kept the Testimony of Jesus which is the Spirit of Prophesie Her will God judge and the Beast and False Prophets and all whose Hands and Hearts are defiled with shedding Innocent Blood the Wrath Indignation of the Lord God will be heavy upon them And God will certainly Waste Consume and Confound with his Righteous Judgments the Stock and Root of the Wicked and Ungodly and will Rout Wickedness and Ungodliness out of the Nations of the Earth and will plant the Nations with Righteousness Holiness and Purity that so he may be Exalted over all the Works of his Hands And the Lamb Christ Jesus the Prince of Life and Peace who comes not to destroy mens Lives but to save them He must have the Victory over the Dragon Beast Whore and False Prophets whose Work hath been and still is to destroy both the Souls and Bodies of People And all Nations that come to be sav'd must walk in the Light of the Lamb Christ Jesus in which Light we do now Raign with him over all Deceit and over all the false Worships in the World notwithstanding our outward Sufferings for our Raign is Spiritual and Inward AND all Friends who are newly convinced or such who may be Young