Presence may go along with them and his Arm may defend them and his Glory follow after them to be their Re-reward And the Spirits and Life of all the Children of the Promise the Heirs of Eternal Salvation He upholds who give themselves up unto Him and to the Appearing of his Glory and the Light of His glorious Gospel which shines in their hearts that they may be unto Him as the Tower of Sion and the Bulwarks of Jerusalem in them hath the Star arisen which hath shined from the North and is broken forth in the Darkness of the Night and is shining towards the South it rises in the East it looks towards the West and there is no place for its going down The Lord hath Multitudes of People He gathers them as the Bands of the Earth He suffers the Nations to afflict them for a season He chastizeth with the Rods of Men that He may prove them all for His Glory And yet a little while and the Rage of the Heathen shall sink He correcteth his People for their Good and chastizeth them for their Peace-sake that He may build up his Nation which He hath visited and establish his Seed which he hath gathered and multiply his People Thy Throne O God endures for ever and the Scepter of thy Righteousness who lettest not Sufferings and Tryals to come upon the Seed which thou hath chosen and the People which thou hast visited to destroy them but to establish them that when thou hast tryed them as Gold they may be established and fitted for thy use that they may be humbled and all fear before thee and wait upon thee that thou mayest renew us all from day to day and night after night in thy Life to do thy Service to fit all thine to Glory and Praise and Honour immortal for thy great Name thou art spreading over all the Earth By Faith it was given me to see wherein the Worship of the true God consisteth and how He must be worshipped in the Spirit and in the Truth which the Father seeks such to worship him as worship Him in the Spirit as worship Him in the Truth and in the true Light which enlighteneth every one in which none can see the VVorship but who come into the Faith and into the Humility and into the Fear and into the Waiting and into the Zeal for God which bows the heart before God and the heart being bowed then the Consideration is come into and the Inquirings into the Knowledge of Life and the sinking down to feel the Spirit which brings the Truth into Remembrance and also brings to be still and quiet and wait in stilness and quietness and silence then God is seen and felt and his Life which gives the Creature to feel after God who comes to be felt in his Life which enlighteneth the Creature and gives the Creature liveliness to wait for the renewing the strength and God reveals his Word his Power and his Requirings in the Creature which works in the heart and in the reins and runs through the mortal body and is weighty in operation to give Power and Dominion to the Creature to the end that it may have full power and strength to resist the Assaults of the Devil and to have its mind staid in stilness and quietness and silence and waiting for the Love and Vertue and Mercies of God which being felt then the Lord is admired and bowed unto this is VVorship to bow before the God of Heaven that all that 's in Man may be bowed down and submitted under the Life and Power then he worships he boweth down to the higher Power his soul abhors all defilements his thoughts are staid on God his heart is kept tender and open and he is refreshed in the Enjoyment of the Life and of the feeling of the Presence of the Lord and of his Power by which the Creature comes to admire the infinite Love and Mercies of God and the Riches of his Grace that after so long living in disobedience the Lord should reveal his Power and make known the Riches of his Grace to such a Creature that hath been as altogether unworthy but the Lord hath done it for his Seeds sake in Man which never consented to or took pleasure in sinning but hungred and thirsted after God and breathed after God and moved in the Creature towards the Lord even while the Creature was yet subject to vanity and for the Seeds sake the Lord is merciful full of compassion long-suffering and slow to Anger and blessed are all they that turn unto Him in the obedience of His Seed and in the Faith of His Son they shall see his Mercies know his Presence feel his Life Power and Spirit which bows and brings to worship God By Faith it 's seen that none are more sensible of the feeling of the Presence of the Lord than when they are still and quiet and wait in silence and stilness even when met together and when alone for by Faith many are come to see that the Lord is very near and that they feel his Presence when they wait upon Him and his Life breaks forth in his tender Love to the great refreshing of the soul and quickning of the Creature this takes away weariness and leanness from the soul and removes the multitude of vain Thoughts which have lodged in Man so that though they may often appear yet they become stilled as though they were not for when any thing appears contrary to the Will of God the Light is near and ready to administer Judgment upon it and to give the Creature to apply its mind to Judgment through which God redeems out of the Incumbrances and reveals his Noble Spirit of Life which stills the Thoughts and the Desires and Affections which would raise Lust and War in the flesh so that Man comes to wait out of himself and out of his own thoughts and imaginations in the Life the Promise it self where it feels the Riches of the Love and of the Mercies and of the Grace and of the Power which brings into the Glory and into the unspeakable Life and Love where the mortal body becomes filled with Immortality and Life which swallows up mortality in Victory and Conquest and Dominion and the delight of all mortal fading things and this hath made me bold and confident in the Lord of my Life to give up my whole strength for the witnessing forth the Truth through Faith which by Faith is received of God even through the Nations by Sea and by Land as the Lord requires which I account Eternal Salvation though for it I suffer many things but all is good and for good By Faith it 's seen how exceeding good it is to wait upon the Lord and to be still and silent before Him and in all things to eye Him and fear Him then the Incumbrances come to be taken away and the Darkness and Doubtings dissolved and Courage and Boldness for God received which
after Knowledge and to grow high in Wisdom and in Profession of words when as they should seek after the Life and wait for the Power of God which should lead them in pure Obedience to the Lord and to his Truth which Life and Power if they miss on they will be but as if they had precious Ointment of the Apothecary but alas Flies have corrupted it that it cannot cure Even so if all the knowledge of the World whilst mixt with earthliness and enmity neither doth it stand in the Power of the Lord which redeemeth out of the World and giveth to seek after God and feel after Him in his Life to walk in his pure living way which who come into shall not want Wisdom nor Knowledge but shall have it in the gift of God By Faith it 's given me to see that the same Life which God hath in these last dayes made manifest and declared to be the Light of the World and doth enlighten every one that cometh into the VVorld was in the dayes of Old which is the Heart of God by which he purposeth and upholdeth all things which Life in due time was declared to be his Son and made known in the Church while in the Wilderness and was the Rock which followed Israel of which they drank when they were joyned unto the Law and baptized into Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea by which Moses He was seen that God would raise Him up in the midst of the People for all the People to hear that he that would not hear Him might be cut off So that certain it is the Law did prophesie that the Son of God should come and not only so for he was manifest in the dayes of Noah preaching to the Spirits in Prison whose day Abraham saw and was glad by which Life the Prophets wrote of his Sufferings which they saw and witnessed should certainly be fulfilled before the Seed was raised up through the Virgin which Seed is Christ who is come and hath taken the Seed of Abraham and David and suffered in the body which Sufferings by Faith in the Light which He hath enlightened every one withal are clearly seen and believed to be done and fulfilled according to the Scriptures So that by Faith in the Light it 's seen and certainly believed that the Lord 's Christ is come in the flesh hath suffered and is arisen in Glory in the Kingdom of his Father having suffered and fulfilled all things that was written of Him being declared by signs and wonders and mighty deeds to be the only begotten Son of the Father the Prince of all his Saints the Kings of the Earth and Priests unto God and all these things hath he done and suffered as it was written of Him in the Prophets That He being the first-born among many Brethren and the first begotten from the dead might have the preheminence being in all things a Captain and Example in all Godliness and Humility humbling Himself unto death even the death of His Cross that in all things He being our Example we may follow Him in His Sufferings and Death who in that He dyed once dyed unto Sin in that He liveth He liveth unto God Death hath no more dominion over Him So likewise is every one dying unto Sin to live unto God that the residue of the dayes may be spent in the Service of God and the death which hath reigned in the mortal body and subjected the Creature unto Vanity may have no more dominion but may be swallowed up and consumed unto the end in the Victory of the Judgments of the Life And by Faith it is seen that it is a greater Mystery to know Christ to be the first-born who must be witnessed born first in Man before Man can be born again and be begotten from the dead before Man can be begotten from the dead He that reads let him understand he that reads must read by Faith in the Light and blessed is he that readeth and heareth and seeth and hath part in these things he shall give Glory to the Lord and to his Christ who is translating many Sons and Daughters out of the Kingdoms of this VVorld into Himself and into His Kingdom to praise and glorifie and magnifie Him for ever By Faith it is seen that Christ is certainly manifested to be that which was written of Him namely to be a Covenant of the People and Light of the Gentiles and Salvation of the Ends of the Earth who is able to save to the utmost all that come unto God by Him who hath freely offered up himself once for all and by the one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and not only so but being an Atonement for Sin hath appeased the Wrath of God towards all so that He is become a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World having obtained Favour with God so that time and space is given and a day of Visitation unto all that the Long-sufferings of God waiteth towards all And this is the Liberty and Advantage which Christ through his Death and Sufferings hath purchased for All that all Men having a Visitation and time they might Repent and turn to the Lord by doing Righteousness which if they neglect their time and through impudence and impenitence and hardness of heart continue in their sins and unbelief and so treasures up Wrath against the day of Wrath and the revelation of the Righteous Judgments of God such shall certainly perish and receive the greater Condemnation when the measure of their Iniquities are full and all the Sufferings of Christ will be laid to their charge who have pierced the Just by resisting the Grace and the Light which from the Just is come to witness against all Transgression and doth testifie against it in every ones Conscience and this all shall see to be true that the Sufferings of Christ will be but to the greater Condemnation of them that continue in Wickedness though by His stripes are they made whole who turn unto Him but the Just when He appears the Families and Kindreds of the Earth shall weep and waile over Him when every Eye shall see Him and them that pierced Him shall behold him for He shall come in the Glory of his Kingdom and in the Power of his Father to sit as Judge upon all the Families and Kindreds of the Earth pleading with them by Sword and Fire and righteous Judgements taking Vengeance on all who have not wrought Righteousness on the Earth nor walked prudently amongst Men to shew forth his Praise and the glory of his Grace in obeying unto an Holy Life and Pure Conversation and as he comes rises and appears He destroyes the spirits of Belial and consumes the Transgressor that His Covenant of Peace and Life for evermore may be established with and in His Seed in which He comes and in which he reveals himself in the Children of the Covenant in Mighty Power that his
can the Gentiles be found worthy but by coming out of them into the obedience of the Truth and to come out of the Earth out of the High-wayes and Hedges and Streets where there hath been lameness and blindness and hardness of heart which the Gentile if he comes in hath not the VVedding garment and to him it will be said Friend how camest thou hither not having a VVedding garment and he shall be taken and cast into utter darkness where there shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Therefore all are to look about them and mind to obey that which is of God that you may have the VVeding garment the cloathing of Righteousness which whosoever feareth God and worketh Righteousness in all Nations both Jews and Gentiles shall be accepted but anguish pain and tribulation to the Soul of every one that doth Evil to the Jew first and likewise to the Gentile By Faith it is seen how just and righteous it was for the Apostles and Servants of Christ to meet togetter in the Faith and in the Fear of the Lord to wait together for the Promise of the Father which said Christ ye have heard of me and ye shall receive Power from on High when the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both at Jerusalem and in Judea and they through waiting received the Promise the Power from on High and the Holy Ghost came upon them and through the Power of the Highest were moved to go into the Nations and unto the People which dwelt upon the Earth Preaching the Gospel freely as they had received freely labouring in the Power of the Highest to turn People from the Darkness and Error of their Lives unto the Light and to the Knowledge of the Light of the Glorious Gospel which shined in their hearts to give them the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and Preached the Word of Faith in their hearts and in their mouths and that they had a more sure Word of Prophesie unto which they did well to take heed as unto a Light that shined in a dark place until the day dawned and the day Star arose in their hearts By Faith it is seen how just it was in the Apostles to go forth Preaching the Gospel to all Nations though commanded by the Rulers to speak no more in that Name yet they spoke the more boldly going into Markets Synagogues and Assemblies of the People though opposed by Priests Rulers People cast into prisons under sore Persecutions and Bonds and many Tryals yet they went on boldly not regarding the Commandment of men but obeyed God rather than man By Faith it 's seen how just it was in them to witness against false Worships false Teachers false Apostles false Prophets false Ministers laying them open by their Fruits as Christ had said when he prophesied that many false Christs and false Prophets should come and should deceive many by their fruits ye shall know them and by their fruits the Apostles laid them open who were false Ministers Messengers of Satan Ministers of unrighteousness transforming themselves into the likeness of the Ministers of Christ who went in Cain's way envying and persecuting the Just and in Balaam's way for Wages of unrighteousness and Promotion and Gifts and Rewards who minded earthly things whose God was their Belly and their glory in their shame whose end was to be destroyed who with good words and fair speeches deceived the hearts of the simple and through covetousness made merchandise of Souls bringing in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and preach for Money and Price when as the Lord said Freely ye have received freely give the Work-man is worthy of his meat these had eyes full of Adultery and could not cease from sinning beguiling unstable Souls whose hearts are exercised with covetous Practices cursed Children which have forsaken the right Way and are gone astray after the error of Balaam who loved the Wages of unrighteousness but the dumb Ass speaking with man's Voice rebuked such madness in him who was greedying after earthly things And the Apostles witnessed against such Teachers that spoke things which they ought not for filthy lucre sake who were proud men who were covetous men heady high-minded treacherous disobedient to Parents unthankful unholy blasphemers truce-breakers incontinent fierce dispisers of those that are good lovers of Pleasures more than lovers of God having a Form of Godliness but denying the Life and Power thereof from such turn away for of this sort are they which creep into Houses leading silly Women captive laden with sin and led away with divers lusts ever learning but never able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth and as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these withstand the Truth men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the Faith being Evil men and Seducers waxing worse and worse deceiving and being deceived but they shall proceed no further their folly shall be manifest to all men And Jude witnesseth against such as were ungodly men turning the Grace of our Lord Jesus into lasciviousness denying the only Lord and Saviour and called them Wells without water spots in their Feasts feeding without Fear Clouds carried about with Wind filthy Dreamers that defile the Flesh who went in Cain's way and Balaam's way having mens persons in admiration because of advantage being separated sensual having not the Spirit And the Apostle witnessed against them who were given to Wine and that were Strikers Lovers of Money of filthy Lucre bid the Saints take heed of such that were desirous of filthy Lucre that were self-willed who despised Dominion and spoke evil of Dignities natural bruit Beasts made to be taken and destroyed as all the Priests of the World despise that any can come into that Dignity or Dominion as to overcome Sin and to be throughly cleansed in this Life and perfected By Faith it 's seen that all these that testified against such as lived in these Practices before mentioned were just and faithful unto God and it 's likewise seen to be just and faithfulness in us to declare against all such that live in such Practices that they were in which the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and all the Saints testified against though the world could not bear it then to have their Teachers and Prophets declared against neither can they now yet it 's just with God and in faithfulness to the Lord to declare against them who are manifest by their Fruits to be in the steps of the false Prophets by their Fruits ye shall know them saith Christ for an evil Tree cannot bring forth good Fruit nor a good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit. By Faith it 's seen that it was just with God to smite Herod the King who had stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the Church and persecuted the Saints when he had made
of the Truth learned by Faith which shall be witnessed by the Light in every one's Conscience to be true which whosoever believes in the true Light which enlightens every one shall see greater things than these and that by Faith it 's possible to know all things and to know God whom to know is Life Eternal Farewel Written in Virginia by a Lover of the Truth and a Believer in the true Light G. R. Concerning Waiting upon the Lord in stilness and in silence VVHen Israel was in distress they were commanded to hold their peace and stand still and see the salvation of the Lord and the Lord should fight for them Exod. 14.13 14. and when they stood still then the Lord revealed his Arm saved delivered them But when they distrusted the Lord and looked to Egypt for help the Lord said Egypt should help in vain to no purpose Therfore have I cryed concerning this their strength is to sit still Mark to sit still was their strength and in returning and rest shall ye be saved in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength Isa 30.7 15. But they would not but said no We will flee upon the swift Mark here 's a way of their own finding therefore the swift should pursue them and one thousand should flee at the rebuke of one and at the rebuke of five shall ye flee till ye be left as a Beacon on the top of a Mountain and as an Ensign on a Hill Now mark what became of them who would not stand still who would not Wait and Job being afflicted and his Friends came to visit him they sate silent waiting seven dayes Job 2.13 And all may see it was the way of the Saints to be in stilness and in silence and in waiting for blessed are all they that wait upon the Lord Isa 30.18 And David sayes I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his VVord do I hope my soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning Psa 130.5 6. and rest in the Lord wait patiently for him Psa 37.7 And the Youths shall faint and be weary and the Young-men shall utterly fall but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Isa 40.30 31. And the strong Lyon shall suffer want and the young Lyon shall suffer hunger but he that waiteth upon the Lord shall not want any good thing I will stand upon my watch and set me on the Tower and will watch to see what the Lord will say unto me or speak in me and what I shall answer when I am reproved and let all flesh keep silent before the Lord Hab. 2. for every man 's own words shal be his burden Jer. 23. Keep silent before me O Islands and let the People renew their strength for the Isles shall wait for his Law Isa 42.4 Yea in the way of thy Judgements O Lord have we waited for Thee the desire of our soul is to thy Name and to the remembrance of Thee with my soul have I desired Thee In the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek Thee early for when thy Judgements are in the Earth the Inhabitants of the World will learn Righteousness Isa 26.8 9. Note this well how they were to wait and how they waited and sought the Lord Hearken unto me my People and give ear unto me O my Nation for a Law shall proceed from me and I will make my Judgement to rest for a Light of the People my Righteousness is near my Salvation Is gone forth and mine Arms shall judge the People the Isles shall wait upon me and on mine Arm shall they trust Isa 51.4 5. For since the beginning of the World men have not heard nor perceived by the ear neither hath the eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him Isa 64.4 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the soul that seeketh him It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord it is good for a man that he bear the yoak in his youth he sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath borne it upon him he putteth his mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope c. Lam. 3.25 c. And they shall every man sit under his own Vine und under his own Figge-tree and none shall make them afraid Mica 4. Therefore turn thou to thy God keep Mercy and Judgement and wait on thy God continually Hos 12.6 Hence all may see the Practice of the Saints in the dayes of the Prophets and how all are commanded to wait and hope in the Lord and to be quiet and still hoping on the God of their Salvation And Christ sayes Wheresoever two or three are met together in my Name there am I in the midst of them Mat. 18.20 And can ye not watch one hour and what I say unto you I say unto all Watch for blessed shall he be that shall be found so doing when the Son of man cometh Mark 13. and the five foolish Virgins who waited not nor watcht to have their Lamps kept burning but gadded abroad were shut out of the Kingdom Mat. 25. and Simeon a just man waited for the consolation of Israel to him it was revealed that he should not see death until he had seen the Lord's Christ and when he saw the Salvation of God the Light to enlighten the Gentiles and Glory of Israel desired to depart in Peace Luk. 2. And when Christ was ready to ascend to the Father he commanded his Disciples not to depart from Jerusalem until they had received the Promise of the Father which said he ye have heard of me and ye shall receive Power from on High when the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be Witnesses unto me Mark when they had received the Power from on High through waiting then they should be Witnesses unto Him both at Jerusalem and in Judea Act. I. And the Apostle exhorted the Corinthians to watch and stand fast in the Faith Quit you like men be strong I Cor. 16.13 And he told the Saints that they were not of Darkness nor Children of the Night but Children of the Light and of the Day therefore let us not sleep saith he as others do but let us watch and be sober for they that sleep sleep in the Night and they that be drunken are drunken in the Night but let us who are of the Day be sober putting on the Breast-plate of Faith and Love and for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation I Thess 5. And he exhorted Timothy to watch in all things 2. Tim. 4.5 and they which should be found not watching the Lord would come upon them as a Thief
in the Night Rev. 3.3 Behold I come as a Thief blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame Rev. 16.15 So now all may see that there must be a waiting and there must be a watching that ye may stand in the Evil Day that you may resist the Enemy of your Souls therefore put on the whole Armour of God that you may withstand the Evil put on the Armour of Light that you may be able to quench the fiery Darts of the Devil Rom. 13.12 So now all that come to know the Covenant of God and to walk in obedience to his Law that he writes in the heart and puts in the mind that every man need not say to his Neighbour and Brother Know the Lord for they shall all know him Jer. 31. Heb. 8. These I say must come to the waiting and watching in the Light which Arms against the Devil and his fiery Darts that you may come to be established in Righteousness for all the People of God shall be taught of God and established in Righteousness and far from Oppression Isa 54.14 15. Joh. 6.45 Now who comes to know this Promise fulfilled must come to know the waiting in the Light the Armour of God that ye may know an VNCTION from the Holy One by which ye may know all things as the Saints did I Joh. 2.20 27. who were anointed in their Souls by the Eternal Spirit and the Anointing which they had received of God abode in them which taught them all things so that they needed not that any man should teach them but as the same Anointing taught them all things which were true and of it is no lye and as it taught them they were to abide in Him And now all that come to wait and receive the Knowledge of these things need not any to teach them but all shall be taught of God and established in Righteousness so that they will not need any man to teach them Glory in the Highest A Visitation to the Called of God every where FRiends I consider the former dayes when God first made known unto us his Son to be a Light unto us to enlighten us and every one that cometh into the World which manifested unto us all that ever we had done and judged Transgression in us in all its appearances then we believed in it and had Grace for Grace manifested and Faith revealed from Faith to Faith so that the Light being believed in in which the Hope of Eternal Life came to be seen and laid hold on then was the Love strong which ran forth towards die Lord and his Truth and the breakings into true Tenderness and into the true Fear and Humility and the real-heartedness for God came to be seen and felt in which the bringing out of the World came to be seen and the true Zeal for God so that through obedience in the Faith to the Light nothing was too dear to be forsaken and parted withal and a true enquiring into the state and condition there was to see how it was between God and every Soul and then in the Light both Words and Actions came to be weighed and an enquiring into the Worlds wayes of Deceit and Words to deny them their Wayes and Words and their corrupt Language Oh! the heart-breakings that were in that day and the revealings of Secrets and the manifesting God's Power which begat into the true Cross and truly to cross that mind and nature which had transgressed both in thought word and deed So that the Lord arose in the Glory of his Majesty to shake terribly the Earth and to abase the flesh and lay low the glory of man as thousands can witness then earthly Enjoyments and Riches and Preferments came to be lightly esteemed on and cast off yea all of them that did let or hinder Then strong was the Love of God and mightily did his Power work to bring out of all things which were contrary to the Lord and to the rooting out every Plant which the Heavenly Father had not planted In this day Friends could ye wrong any Was not every one's care to be found innocent just upright and harmless having your Consciences exercised pure and void of offence towards God and man could ye then at all bow to the World or to their Wayes Worships Manners Words or Performances could ye then partake with them almost in any thing at all was not this a precious day and a day of Love could ye not endure all thing in this day and suffer all things and bear all things and was any thing too hard then to do or perform did not your Souls even hate all the corrupt delights of the Sons and Daughters of men in that day when the Zeal and Power of God broke forth could any temptation of the wicked ensnare you was not the Light present to judge and condemn every temptation and through its Judgement to deliver you Oh! the Beauty and the Glory of that day when God shook the Heavens and made the Earth to tremble and brake stony hearts at his pleasure and overturned Babylon as a thing of naught and brought forth many Sons and Daughters unto Glory my heart is broken within me when I call to mind this day wherein God did valiantly and wrought excellent things How were the hearts of many drawn after him how did their Love flow forth how were they gathered by God how quick was the Lord to execute Judgement and Justice and to set up his Truth in the hearts and to confound the wisdom of all flesh He gathered thousands in his Love to deny themselves and all their own Wisdom and Knowledge and to become as little Children yea as new Born Babes to wait at the breasts of Consolation that they might learn both what to do and what to speak yea in that day the Lord made of a little one a thousand and of a small People a strong Nation so that nothing was too hard for him to do When I saw it I was glad and trusted in the Lord who in that day fitted many to his Service and for his Honour and Glory for then he was swift in executing Judgement upon the World and in casting out the Prince of this World so that he setled many to wait upon him and it was their delight to do his Will for his Love constrained them and he was with them in their Assemblies and blessed them when they waited in stilness and silence then were their tears as a Fountain and the dropping down of their eye-lids as the dew of Heaven Oh! how precious it is to dwell in the tender Love of the Lord then they thought the time long until they were come together and they waited in silence until the Heavens dropped down dew and their Consolation came from God so that none waited in vain who waited in the Lord for the Mountains melted at his presence the Earth trembled the
before him and assuredly every one that hath tasted of the day and hath not kept the Faith nor walked unspotted of the World even hating the Garment spotted with the flesh they shall bear their own burdens and the Truth is clear and in it there is no insufficiency though some have forsaken their first Faith and not kept to their first Love But unto all ye precious Sons and Daughters who have kept the Faith and grown up since the begining of your first Love in the abundance of the Power and Vertue of the Lord unto you doth the Salutation of my Love reach and my Life springs forth and streams towards you which nothing can hinder for the Lord hath enlarged me in his Life and Power so that my Soul flows forth in the abundance of his Love towards you to be felt and known of all the Faithful for my life and strength is given up for the Service of the Lord and cannot be separated from you but must be known and felt though to the outward separated to the Work of the Lord yet in that which is alwayes near wherein the Lord doth bless his Work and prosper his Truth wherein I lye down in the Faith and Love giving up and being given up in all things to the Work of the Lord having the earnest desire of my Soul that we may all give up with one consent in Faith and Love to do the Will of the Lord and not to stagger or be dismayed at any thing whatsoever shall come to pass in the Earth we may witness forth the Truth boldly as we have already done bearing all things suffering all things and enduring all things joyfully for the Lord is merciful and will suffer nothing to come upon any but what will make for good and to fit them unto glory as all abide-faithful unto him and in this I bid you all farewel for my Love is with you and my life reaches you in the Salutation of Peace and Love having you often in my Remembrance And all ye who have tasted of the beginnings of the Work of the Lord unto whom the Light in some measure hath appeared yet the coming forward hath been but slowly unto you I say let the Light search that you may see wherein your hinderance stands and what it is that lets for in the true Light and Love and Faith of it there is no insufficiency no weakness no straitness for the straitness is in your selves and of your selves and stands in that which opens the eye to look into the pleasure of the delights of the Sons and Daughters of men and of earthly things which when they are looked into something likes them takes delight and seeks to advantage it self in them and this is the snare and hinderance which being given place unto then the Just suffers and so that which should strengthen and build up in the Power that ministers Judgment yea through Judgment must the Just be raised therefore arise be awakened shake your selves of the Encumbrances and of the Earth that the Virgin-Seed may be raised which will keep your minds staid on God and bring ye into the one Life where ye may feel true satisfaction in the enjoyment of the Lord and the Temptations ye may be redeemed out of and may see the Ground from whence they do arise namely the mind nature which hath not God to be its full delight but would delight it self in something else and when this mind is up then it 's easie for the Enemy to come and enter in with his Enticements and Allurements to entangle the mind and lead the Creature into the Cloud of Error and in that thing to which the Creature hath been most addicted will the Enemy most appear to bring it into remembrance which when it rises if it be savoured or liked the Enemy hath his advantage to ensnare But the Virgin-Seed delights in God alone and is throughly satisfied in the enjoyment of the presence of God the Lord and this is that in which the Judgment stands and the Power which wil keep out of the snare of the wicked unto which all must come before ye can grow into the plenteous Redemption be made Heirs of Eternal Salvation the Blessings of his Peace which establishes man in his growth and liveliness to grow up as the Corn in the night season and to be like the Trees bringing forth their pleasant fruits which who brings them forth becomes encouraged and receives confidence in God but such as bring not forth the pleasant fruits that which should be their encouragement becomes their Judge and rejects them in their purposes and so the growth in the Life they fall short of And all ye sons and daughters ye young men and women in whom the Virgin-Seed is arisen which delighteth in God and hath its full delight in God in which the Power Life stands to keep unspotted of the world it 's safe for us to keep in Union with the Virgin for she is the Lambs Wife and maketh her self ready for the appearing of the Lamb unto whom we have joyned in our youth and she is become the Wife of our youth therefore let none deal treacherously with the Wife of his youth but let the Virgin-Seed have the flower of her dayes in delighting her self in God and in doing his Will I say let none do violence to his Virgin but dwell in Unity with her and to be delighted in God with her and to make ready with her that all may be prepared against the Lamb comes for he that rejecteth