by the Power is alwayes helped in the needful time and here the Righteous dwell safely under the Banner which is spread over them they do not depart from the Testimony of the Word of Life neither do they utter words as a Testimony out of the Life but lives and dwells in the Life as in their Habitation and they that do not dwell in this Habitation they utter words from a wrong motion but who keeps their Habitation in the Life the Life is in their Ministry and Testimony for such lives in the Word of Life and so preaches the Word of Life in its own power and the sound of that Word of Life and Power goes thorow death and darkness and reaches the true and faithful Witness and this is a joyful sound by which the Captive is made glad and this sound is gone forth into the World and the words of it to the ends of the Earth many that were in the Graves are raised up by it the dead hath heard the voice of the Son of God and lives for it hath quickned and given Life to as many as received the Testimony of it into their hearts and they that keeps it and abids in it they live by it and such cannot forget it nor the benefits they have received by it but estemes it and prefers it above all other things and so they do not let the benefits slip out of their minds but retains them in that from which they have received them and so they keep in the beginning and goes forward in the beginning for it clearly manifesteth that such as depart from the Way of Truth and from the holy Commandement given of God that they have not kept in the beginning but lost it and so have lost the sence of benefits which in the beginning they received and now makes merry above the Witness and grows wanton upon the Earth and what can the end of these things be but distress sorrow and misery for all that have known the Lord in any measure and have turned their backs upon him they cannot lie down in peace except they repent and therefore that all might mind their own conditions and not to resist and strive against that which seeks their eternal good but submit unto it with a lowly and humble mind that the vapours which darkens their understanding may be removed and the night vision cease and the Word of Life become precious to them as in the beginning for the Lord hath gathered a Flock which keeps together in his Light Life Power and Wisdom and he is their Shepherd and Bishop of their Souls and as they abide with him they cannot be scatter'd any more for the good Shepherd leads them and keeps them and the Bishop of their Souls overseeâ— them and takes care for them and the Pasture of his Life is their delight and well-being and so the Lord God exalts his everlasting Truth over all and his Work prospers against every assault that would lay it waste and in the pure Truth springs and spreads and triumphs and the Lamb and the Saints have the Victory and must have the Victory and the Victory they rejoyce and are exceeding glad for they know that their labour is not in vain in the Lord and by many infallible proofs the Lord doth evidence that they are his and that the labour of true Labourers doth stand in his Councel and Wisdom and the Lord God is a Witness for them that they labour in his Service for as much as he makes them useful both to the gathering and confirming many and having such a certain evidence of the Lords Power with them they minde their Labour and service and though some which in the beginning was the fruit of their Labour be gone from that in which they then received their Testimony and now reckons their Labour and Service to be useless yet the Lord reckons their Labour and Service useful for himself and many that standeth as the seal of their Apostleship and Ministry and having the seal they continue their Labor in the work of God and cannot cease to publish the everlasting Gospel but goeth on with the Lord and the Lord with them and they are a blessing in his Hand for converting sinners from their way and for establishing the righteous in their goings and whosoever rises up to oppose the work of the Lord in the Gospel ministration they must certainly fall and wither as the mown grass for the good Seed is sown and many have received it into the ground and fruit is brought forth according to increase and the Lord God hath his honour and glory by it and this is the sweet savour which proceedeth from the Almighty to season the Earth for the Earth hath brought forth corruptible fruit which is unsavoury and now the Lord God is seasoning the Earth with the savour of his Life and the Testimony of Life spreads abroad that the Earth may be seasoned and the Everlasting Gospel is preached over the Beast and the Whore and false Prophet and many have received it into their hearts and walks according to the Truth of it and because of the good savour they are in love with it and so the Truth and Power of the Lord God judges down and goes over the head of the Serpent and the Lamb reigns and must reign and under his Government the Saints rejoyces A short Testimony unto Gospel Meetings and Fellowship c. THe Everlasting God having called and separated a people by the manifestation of his Light Spirit and Power from the ways customs and worships which are observed amongst such as be in the Fall and in the Apostacy he hath gathered them into a new and living Way and into a holy and spiritual Worship and in the leadings of his Spirit they follow him according to his Mind and Will and in his Wisdom and Counsel he orders them to meet together and to wait upon him in his fear not in the way nor after the manner as others do who know not his Mind and Will in what they do but as a distinct and separated people from all that meet according to the commandment of men they meet according to the Commandment of God and this is a meeting according to the Truth of the Gospel for the Saints in Primitive times did not meet to wait upon God and worship him amongst the Jews in their Synagogues and Temple but by the Light and Spirit were separated from their Worship and in the Light and spirit they met together in such places and at such times as the Lord ordered and appointed and they met distinctly and apart both from the Jews and Gentiles in their way and worship and did not meet or joyn with them to observe their practise as may be seen in the Scriptures of Truth for when Christ ascended he commanded his Disciples to tarry at Jerusalem until they were endued with Power from on high so mark he commanded that they should tarry
at Jerusalem and meet together and wait for the Power to endue them and being met together with one accord in one place mark again being met together there was a Gospel meeting according to the Commandement of the Lord And in that meeting the holy Ghost fell upon them and they spake as the spirit gave them utterance mark again they did not go forth before they had received the Power nor they did not speak before the Spirit gave them utterance but having received the Spirit and Power they then speak in the Spirit and went forth to declare the things of God in his Power and in the Spirit and Power which they had received they gathered Meetings distinctly both from Jews and Gentiles and they continue their Meetings and did not cease to meet after they had received the Spirit and Power and they were not only separated from the Jews and Gentiles as to their worship but they also received power to testifie against the worships which Jews Gentiles observed for Stephen testified against the Temple-worship and Paul against the Athenians Worship and this was their love to God his Truth and Worship and also love to the Souls of such as were ignorantly worshipping and herein they discharged a good Conscience towards God forasmuch as they labored to open the understandings of ignorant Worshippers by testifying against their Worships and as they met together and worshipped God in his Spirit and Truth so they kept their Meetings in his fear and did not forsake the assembling of themselves but with all diligence observed the Way and Order of the Spirit which they had received of God to meet together and to worship God in and their Meetings were formed and ordered of the Lord and by his appointment they were not formed ordered or appointed of man or by man but the Hand of the Lord was in the forming ordering and appointing of them and they that somtimes observed them and then departed from them they departed from the holy Commandment given of God and so it doth clearly appear that the Meetings of the holy People called Quakers are constituted ordained and commanded of God forasmuch as they answer to the Saints Meetings in primitive times being formed and appointed of God as their Meetings were and being also observed in the same Light Spirit Life and Power and so their Meetings are no new thing if truly examined and compared with the purity of Gospel times but their Meetings are of the first constitution and appointment of God amongst Christians and so hath the first place in Christian Practice Service and Worship for as they stand by the Appointment Commandment of God so they are more worthy to be observed then any Meetings that stand by the appointment and commandment of men and all that truly love God they do observe them as his Command and by keeping his Command they manifest that they love him and many that doth manifest their love unto God in assembling and meeting together according to his Appointment and Command and his Command is not grievous but joyous unto them for by observing and keeping his Command they have found him in his own Way and so keepe their Meetings unto God and not unto men and this is the glorious Light that is broken forth again through the Night of Apostacy and in which Gospel-meetings are ordered again as was before the Apostacy and the Everlasting Gospel is preached again as in the Apostles dayes and Christianity is known again as was amongst them and the worship of God is observed again in their Light Life and Spirit and the Way of Life and Peace is walked in as was by them and so all things are made new by the appearance of Christ in his Light and Power and yet nothing new in it self as to the ground but only made new by a separation and distinction from the old for all that man hath constituted ordained and set up as to Worship and Religion it is of the old nature and so old things but Christ makes all things new and yet in himself before all things and he hath brought forth that again which Darkness hath overspread since the primitive times which being so large a time kept under darkness it now appeareth new distinctly from the old and though this be new as to the appearance of it out of the old yet Christ who brings it forth in himself he is the beginning of all and so he is the first and good Old Way as in relation to foregoing Ages and also the last and new and Living Way in relation to succeeding Ages and he hath gathered a people to himself who walks with him as in the new and living Way and in him they meet and worship God and enjoys his Presence and having found the Lord in his own Way walking with the Lord in his own Leadingâ— they cannot walk in any other way nor meet to worship God in any other manner for there is but one way that leadeth unto God and in which he is worshipped and that is Christ the Light Truth and Life and that way being found all other ways are to be denied as leading from God that is the ground why such as have found the new and Living Way and walk in it cannot walk in the old and dead wayes which by the old nature of men are set up and prescribed but cleaveth to the Way which God hath prepared and appointed that they should walk in and therefore the holy People called Quakers who walk in the Light and Spirit cannot walk in the wayes or observe the worships in any Form or Profession which is made and set up by men as knowing that Christ Jesus is not their way nor that their worship is constituted and ordained of God and therefore they cannot meet with them nor walk with them nor worship with them but meets in the Spirit and walks in the Spirit and worship God in the Spirit who is a Spirit and this is a Gospel-Meeting and Way and Worship as in the Primitive times and all other meetings wayes and worships are constituted and set up since the primitive times and they are all to be denied and forsaken as having no life in them for though the Lord might once appear in Meetings Wayes and Worships which were of a lower degree then that which now he hath revealed and that the sender in heart did meet with something of God in such Meetings Wayes and Worships yet that doth not bind the Lord to a continuance in such meetings wayes and worships neither is it a sufficient ground for any to continue in them now the Lord hath appeared in a higher and greater Manifestation of Light for what any have met withal as from the Lord in lower Dispensations it was fourth drawing and bringing them higher not that God would fix himself in that dispensation or fix any unto it but only condescended unto low things to bring forward into higher and
are united in one and every one in their measure grows in Grace and Godliness and in that all stands in the beginning and as they wait upon God in that which first convinced them they are preserved out of the Net of the Fowler and from the deceit of the Deceiver and this is marvellous in the eyes of many this day for by the preservation that many have witnessed by cleaving to the Power they certainly know that there is not another thing sufficient for that work and so they keep their faith in it as in the greatest and in the very time when darkness came upon some to draw them back then there was no whither else for them to go but to that which from the beginning had preserved for they were come to assurance that he was the Son of God in whom they believed and they knew that he had the word of Eternal Life and so they could not forsake him and depart from him to go to another but continued in his Love according to his Command which if all had done so there had not been a going away and departing but the Serpent beguiled as he beguiled Eve and though he aimed to deceive the very Elect yet it was not possible because their Foundation was sure and they were faithfull to it and upon the Foundation they yet stand and are not moved and the Truth is precious in their eye and the testimony of it lovely in their hearts and they are not weary of serving the Lord for his power carries them as upon Eagles Wings and such are not born of flesh and blood and of the will of man but of God and as Heirs of God they inherit Life and Immortality and so they rejoyce in their way and in their portion and in this good ground their lot is fallen and they have a goodly heritage yea a heritage above the Earth and the glory of it for in the Seed and Life they have found the heavenly Treasure and the Pearl of great price and as their affections are set upon things above so they do not mind to be in love with things below and abiding in the Light and Truth they have a sure Dwelling and a quiet Habitation and so in that which is immortal they live with the Lord and one another and are refreshed in the Lord and one in another and these are Children which of his own Will he hath begotten by the Word of his Power mark by the Word of his Power these are begotten and they love the Word of his Power which hath begotten them and it is Milk unto them as Babes and Meat as strong Men and they know the vertue and power of it and cannot depart from it and by faith in the power they obtain victory and so they keep the faith and do not make shipwrack of it and by faith they stand and from the beginning they have kept in the way that is good and have not cunningly devised Fables but by the manifestation of Truth have approved themselves unto God and these are they which of his own Will he hath begotten by the Word of his Power who love the Word of his Power that hath begotten them and by the Word of his Power he upholds them it is that they lean upon and cleave unto in all their trials distress and tribulations and it hath been and is their strength from one degree of godliness unto another and from one degree of faith to another and so from degree to degree they have followed the Lord in humbleness of mind and he hath and doth give his Grace unto them and exalts them into honour and they are honourable and beloved in his sight and though some that came out with them be gone from them yet the Truth is the same and they are the same in the Truth for as they have kept in the Truth from the beginning so they have not wavered nor changed but in all things have been found faithfull wherein Truth hath been concerned and many whose dear and precious lives have been given up as a Testimony to it and many whose sufferings and tribulations doth yet remain for the Truth sake and it is no less in such as now depart from the testimony and turns against it then a trampling upon the Blood and Sufferings of the Faithfull and so a trampling under foot the Son of God and doing dispite to the Spirit of Grace and such are gone from the Grace of God in themselves and so runs into the liberty that pleaseth the vain mind which cannot bear the yoke and in that Sea of liberty in vanity the flesh is pleased and from that Sea cometh all the great swelling words of vanity in the likeness of Truth but the Sea is bounded beyond which it cannot pass and in that which bounds the troubled Seas the faithfull are preserved from being swallowed up and they that are fallen into this Ocean they are fallen from the Rock Christ Jesus who is the beginning and ending the first and last and so they are gone from the chief corner stone the Elect and precious upon which the Building is fitly framed and groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord so mark the Building is fitly framed upon the Rock and not upon the Sea and upon the Rock the Building standeth and groweth unto an holy Temple and so the Power of the Rock raiseth the Building which is framed upon it and there is a perfect union between the Foundation and Building and a perfect union in the Building for it is framed and compacted by his hand who is Lord of all so it is united and no where out of order for that which is out of order is not framed and compacted in the Building which stands upon the Rock and though it may appear as framed compacted and builded yet it is not united to the Foundation but the Lord hath pleasure in his own Building as being his own work and it grows to be an holy Temple and he fills it with his Presence and Glory and besides this Foundation which God hath laid there is no man can lay another nor no man can build another Building to be an holy Temple for him therefore all foundations and buildings which man hath layed and builded must come to nought for it is only his own Work that must stand and remain and so he hath been building upon his own Foundation and he hath framed a Building according unto his pleasure and he causeth the Building to grow unto an holy Temple for himself to walk in and so he walks in the Temple and dwells in the Temple which is holy and this is his own Work from the beginning For when the Lord appeared to make known his Truth in this day there was no building framed but all in several Forms and Professions scattered and he beheld it and his eye pitied and then was his Love manifest to the scattered and with his Light he opened their eye