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
remember that in which God first appeared viz. the measure of Gods Gift or Grace in their Hearts there to stay their Minds often mentioning the command of God to Jacob who after many Tryals Travels and Exercises and after God had given him great encrease of Riches as Flocks and Herds VVives and Children which he devided into three Bands in order to meet his Brother Esau admiring the goodness of the God of his Fathers who had given him all that Riches who only with his Staff did some time before travelled over Jordan yet after all this God commanded him to go to Bethel the place where the Lord at first appeared to him when he fled from his Brother Esau there to dwell and erect an Alter and call upon his Name He often had it upon him to put Friends in mind of speaking the true Language to say thee or thou to a single Person without respect of Persons the contrary being false and so out of the Truth it was likewise much upon him to exhort Friends to feel the concern of Truth upon their Spirits that in the true sence thereof they might feel the drawing of the Love of God to Meet and Assemble themselves together in his Name and Fear and that they might truly know and understand the end of their meeting and what God therein requires of them that they might not go to Meetings as many People go to their Church as they call it to be a little serious while they are there and when they are gone thence let their minds out as if they had left their God behind them such a coming to meetings would not stand any one in stead in a time of Exercise or a day of Tryal much might be writ as to the good Exhortations Admonitions Advice and good-Counsel which oftentimes opened in his Heart in the Meetings and Assembles of Friends but I must refer my friendly Reader to the persual of his Cordial and Soul refreshing Epistles as in the Life they are Read by which they were given forth for his or her further satisfaction only I cannot pass by as not to mention his frequent wrestlings in Prayer with the Lord for the good of all but more especially for those of the Houshold of Faith not forgetting the Sufferers of all sorts whether in Body or in Mind particularly such as suffer Imprisonment for the Testimony of a good Conscience he often prayed that God would be pleased to make the Prison as a Pallace to them through the incomes of his heavenly Life and blessed Presence in and to their Souls and such as lay upon a Bed of Sickness that God would be their Comfort such as travelled by Sea or Land in the Work or Service of the Lord that he would be their Support and by his living Power and Presence them accompany that their Service might be effectual they enabled with cheerfulness to undergo what it should please God to permit or suffer to befal them for their Testimony sake he often interceeded with God for his very Enemies having learned that Lesson to love Enemies that it would please the Lord to turn their Hearts and to open their Eyes that they may see against whom they are striving and against whom they are setting themselves in battle aray as Bayers Thorns against consuming Fire that they might behold him whom with their Sins they had Pierced whom in his Members they had Persecuted that they might mourn over him and if it were the will of God Repent Return be Converted and Healed he oft remembred this the Land of his Nativity in his Suplications to God that it would please him if so it seemed good in his sight to prevent those impending Judgments that hang over it ready like a dreadful Tempest to break and fall upon it by its speedy Repenting and breaking off from those great Sins and Evils that abound and superabound in it which in Nature seem to Equal if not Exceed the Sins of Sodom and that it would please God if that it seemed good in his sight to frustrate confound and bring to nought the devices contrivances and consultations of that wicked Spirit and those wicked Instruments that device contrive and consult its Overthrow and Destruction Thus did the Love of God flow from the Heart of this Servant of his not only to Friends but to Enemies having so learned of his Master Christ Jesus whom he faithfully served in his Generation and with whom he forever resteth Now Friends having hinted something of the Testimony this good man bore for God in Life and Conversation and also in Word and Doctrine having a dispensation of the Word of Life committed to him to declare to others he being an able Minister of the same now it remains to speak something of his Testimony he bore for God in Suffering it was not only given him to Believe but to Suffer for the Name of Christ in which by the permission of God he had a large share especially by Imprisonment which many times was long and tedious had he not been supported by the Power of God for whose Cause he Suffered and in whose Will he was truly contented to undergo what wicked men were permitted to inflict upon him for his Conscience sake towards God eying the Will of God in all in which was his Peace and true lasting Satisfaction the principal places of his Imprisonment were at Yarâ—oth Norwich-Castle Blibro Melton Ipswich and Edmonds-Bury in the last of which he remained a close Prisoner scarce setting his Foot over the Threshold in five Years time he was several times a Prisoner in Melton Goal as likewise in the County Goal at Ipswich where he breathed his last Breath in which two places latterward my self with several of our Friends in and about Woodbridg were Prisoners with him as particularly in this Persecution which began five Years since by Edmond Brume Priest of Woodbridg but committed by Justice Bacon and Justice Bohon for refusing to take an Oath where he remained Prisoner about half a Year but after some breathing space our old Persecuting Adversary Priest Brume began afresh to breath out his Threatnings like the Persecutors of old and getting a Justice for his turn began to stir up the Town Officers and disturb our Meeting who of themselves might be unwilling and upon the 12th day of the 6th month 1683 there came to our Meeting the aforesaid Officers wherâ— our dear Friend William Bennit was upon his Knees in Prayer to God from which he was violently haled away by one Robert Chapman a Constable being put forward thereto by John Firman Church warden and with several others of us taken out of our peaceable Meeting at Woodbridg and carried before Edmond Jenny of Bredfeild Justice who committed us to Melton Goal for being at a Quaker-Meeting which is contrary to Law as saith the Mittimas at which this innocent man greatly rejoyced that the Lord see it meet for him to bear his Testimony in
with his Iron Rod and break the Heathen to pieces like a Potters Psal 2. 8. 9. Vessel who hath Righteousness for the girdle of his Loins and Faithfulness the girdle of his Reins who hath on the Brestplate of Righteousness and a Helmet of Salvation on his Head who hath put on the Garment of Vengeance for cloathing and is clad with Zeal as with a Cloak who with the two-edged sword that proceeds out of his mouth makes War in Righteousness who hath on a Vesture dipt in blood and his Name is called the Word Rev. 19. 13 Isa 42. 6 7. 4â— â— Luk. 2. 30 31 32 Isa 35. 5 6 7. of God This is he whom the Lord giveth for a Covenant of the people and for a light of the Gentiles to be his Salvation to the ends of the Earth to open the Blind eyes to unstop the Deaf ears to cause the tongue of the Dumb to sing and the Lame to leap as an Heart to cause water to come forth of the Desert and streams in the Wilderness the parched ground to become a pool and dry heaths springs of water to make the Wilderness and the solitary place glad and the Desert to rejoyce and blossom as a Rose who is anointed of God to Preach glad Tidings to the poor to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim Isa 61. 1 2 3. Liberty to the poor Captive and to comfort the the Mourners in Sion to give beauty for ashes the oyl of Joy for Mourning the garment of Praise for the Spirit of heaviness that they may flourish as Trees of Righteousness of the Lords own planting bringing forth fruit unto him 1 Sam. 2. 4 5 6 7. that he in and through them may be glorified He brake thâ— bowes of the Mighty and that which is weak and feeble he girds with Strength and Courage the Full and Rich he causes to hire out for bread and causeth the hunger of the hungry to cease who causeth the barren to bear seven and she that hath had many children to wax barren and feeble he woundeth and healeth he killeth and causeth to live he bringeth down and raiseth up even the poor he raiseth out of the dust and the beggar from the dunghil to set them among the Princes and to inherit a Crown of Glory This is he who maketh all things a New and Rev. 21. 1. 5 Isa 65. 17. causeth all old things to pass away who causeth the old Heavens and the old Earth to pass away and dryeth up the Sea and creates a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness this is he which worketh the strange work the marvelous work which causeth the ears of those that hear thereof to tingle This is he who is the strong Arm of Gods Mighty Power which is stretched forth towards the helpless to deliver the poor and needy out of the hand of him who is too strong for them Isa 52 1â— The Arm of Gods Salvation which he is making bare before the eyes of the Captives that they may see him and come unto him who is Mighty upon whom help is laid to deliver them and to save to the utmost them that come unto him this as I said is the hand of Gods loving kindness which in mercy is stretched forth towards you who cannot be satisfied with the husks shells and shadows but thirst and desire after him the Substance the living Bread which the living Soul feeds upon and lives and grows up thereby into Eternal life Ah dear People this is the Salvation of God whom I declare of and Salvation is not to be had in another besides him who is the Immortal word Luk 2. 29 30. of Eternal life which abides for ever which was in the beginning before the visibles were by whom all things were made whether visible or invisible and without Joh. 1. 1 c. him was nothing made that was made and in him the Word was life and this life is the light of men and he is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world and was in the world and the world knew him not He came unto his own and his own received him not but unto them that received him he gave power to become the Sons of God Who had a body prepared him in which he suffered the Will of him that sent him who was born of the Virgin Mary whom King Herod sought to destroy who was circumcised the eighth day and likewise baptised by John the Baptist who likewise eat the Passeover with his Disciples for he came to fulfil all Righteousness who was betrayed by Judas who was judged to die by Ponrius Pilate who was Crucified without the Gates of Jerusalem who was laid in a Sepulcher who rose again the third day according to the Scriptures who ascended up into Heaven and sitteth at the Right hand of God who is glorified with the same Glory that he had with the Father before the world began who came again unto his Disciples according to his promise who said unto them I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you I will send you a Comforter that shall abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth I am Joh. 14 16 18 26. the Truth saith Christ whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but you know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be Mark in you yet a little while and the world sees me no more Mark this you who are so much gazing and looking for his coming without but still fail of your expectation that you know not his coming within you to be a Comforter But you see me and because I live you shall live also saith Christ to his Disciples and in that day you shall know that I am in the Father and you in me and I Mark in â—ou and he the Spirit of Truth shall lead you into all Truth and shall teach you all things and shall shew you all things to come and bring all things to your remembrance that I have said unto you and shall reprove the world of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgement And his Disciples according to his Luk. 24. 29. Acts 2. 4. command waited at Jerusalem until they were indued with power from on high and had received the promise of the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Truth which caused them to speak the wonderful things of God as the Eternal Spirit of Truth gave them utterance and then they were come to witness his Word fulfilled when he said He dewlleth with you and shall be in â—ou and this is the immortal Word which was in the beginning which Paul who witnessed Christ the Son of God revealed in him and was Gal. 1 15 16. by him the eternal Spirit made an able Minister of him Preached to wit Christ within who said Rom. 19. 6 7. 8. None should need to ascend that is to bring
of him be great who still do here abide Yet in our God we are compleat while we in Truth reside In which the living God preserve and from the World defend All those that put their trust in him and keep them to the end That in the closurâ— of our Daâ—s our Heads in peace may ly And fill d our Mouths may be with Pray'rs unto the Lord on hy Who over all is worth and only prais'd be he That never â—axeth old nor ever Changed can be Walton the 30th of the 8th Month 1684 Edmond Cross Six Verses writ by another Hand WAs ever Dust more Dignified while t' was a House of Clay For heavenly Life did there abide its Vertue to display An Humble Meek and Harmless Soul within this Dust did dwell Which all the Glory of this World abundance did excell This Dust on Earth it had a Name whilst it on Earth did move But that same Life which mov'd the same theirs few do know or Love The Dust is left the Soul is gone in Life for ay to dwell From sight of every mortal one in Glory to excell Thy Dust within the Earth do ly my Dust shall ly by thine Our Souls in Life shall dwell on high our Fellowship divine And though by Death we leave our Dust our Souls remain forever And from the Spirits of the Just no worldly Power can sever William Peart HIS TESTIMONY CONCERNING William Bennit Reader MAny has been the faithful Witnesses which God hath raised in his day blessed be his holy Name that hath been truly honoured with his Power and living Presence in which they have gone forth in his Work and Service in order to the gathering in of his numberless Number which he is a gathering from the ends of the Earth to Inhabit in his new Jerusalem that heavenly City come down from God the City of the Saints Solemnity where the living Praises are continually Sung to the God of Zion the King of Saints to whom be ascribed all Honour and living Praises as is due saith my Soul forever Amen Now Friends many of these Embassadors and Agents for the King of Heaven it hath pleased his heavenly Majesty to end their Commission by calling them home to that place of rest prepared for the Faithful where the oppression of the Oppressor ceaseth and not so much as his voice heard himself being forever shut out the Memorial of them is blessed their Names will be honorable in Ages yet to come and the Children yet unborn will bless the Lord on their behalfs much might be writ in a general way as to those worthy Witnesses before mentioned but that which is before and chiefly at this time upon me is to leave a Testimony to Prosterity that lives in my Heart concerning that faithful Servant of God and of his People and worthy Minister of Christ Jesus dear William Bennit a man indeed of a meek Moses like Spirit in whom the Lord had in a large measure fulfilled his Promise viz. to make a man more pure then fine Gold yea then the golden Wedg of Oâ—â—er for indeed the Lord had tryed him in the Furnice of Affliction and had in a large measure purified him from the Oare or earthly mixture and made him a chosen Vessel fit for his own use for saith Solomon When the Silver is refined from the Drâ—ss there is a Vessel for the Refiner as this good man was a Vessel of honour fitted for that use whereunto the Lord had called him which was to bear a living Testimony for his Name in which he was found very faithful not in Word and Doctrine only but iâ— Life and Conversation also in which he shined as a Light upon a Candlestick which gives a Light to all which be in the Room so was the godly Life of this ever blessedman of which I am Treating it gave a Light easie to be discerned by all who are of the Family Houshold of Faith nay his and Truth 's Enemies see it and were made oft-times to confess it and say that he was a man of an Honest Godly Upright Life such a Luster Brightness did it cast that Truth was greatly honored by it not only in the Town of Woodbridg where he dwelt but where ever he came or was known his Life preached Truth his Carriage was Innocent his Words were very Savoury savouring of what his Heart and inward parts was filled with which ministered Grace to his Hearers And as to that Testimony that God had given him to bear for his Name in Word and Doctrine he was very faithful in it and was oft-times drawn in the Love of God to travel upon the account of it in great Weakness and Infirmness of Body which for the most part possessed him but great was the Strength and Vigor of his inward man which oft-times as it were swallowed up the weakness of the outward man I have often seen him go into a Meeting when it was thought he had more need have been in Bed such many times was his Weakness and Illness but strong was that Love in which he was drawn forth to serve the Lord his God which oft-times in the Assemblies of God's People flowed from him as sweet streams from a pleasant Fountain to the great refreshment of the right Seed and nourishment of the true Birth in the sence of which his Heart was often filled with that strength of Life and heavenly Courage that he would appear like a Gyant greatly refresht with new VVine ready to run a Race where there was no appearance of the bodily weakness as before but when his Testimony hath been ended and Service for that time over he hath been like onâ— ready to give up the Ghost his before-mentioned weakness again repossessing his earthly House of Clay by which I have often observed how in a wonderful manner as to the outward man the mighty Power of God attended the blessed Testimony and acceptable Service of this Servant of Christ he was a worthy and honorable Instrument in the hand of the Lord and many were turned to the Lord by him for the Lord of the Vinyard imployed him therein both to Plant and VVater he being very well accomplished and fitted for both being thereunto educated by the Power of God in the School of Christ He delightd much in breaking up of untill'd Ground often having Meetings where there was never any by Friends before and the Lord very much blessed and prospered his Labour in that very respect in adding to his Church thereby He was indeed the Father of many Children who were begotten by him into the Faith of the Lord Jesus Christ God had given him a ready Utterance his Tongue was as the Pen of a ready Writer often minding Friends of the day wherein they first received the Truth to remember their first Love that though they had known much experienced much had witnessed a large encrease in the Riches of God's Kingdom yet to
it worketh not without the Soul 's yeilâ—ing obedience thereunto so far as to work its translation yet not the Soul's work but the work of God in and upon the Soul for though Christ is come a Light into the World and is the Salvation of God yet they that believe not in him he is their Condemnation and yet sufficient Salvation to them who believe in him and obey him for as the Light manifesteth Evil yet if the Creature yeild not obedience thereunto he cannot have â—ower over the Evil but if he yeild obedience to the Light it gives him power over Evil yet not the Creatures Power but the Power of God which begetteth thâ— Will and â—h◠〈◊〉 also therefore perfect obedience to the Light the Lord requireth of every one and daily to Watch and Wrestle â—gainst that which is condemnable by the Light for so long as the Creature knowingly lives in that whether in Words â—â— Deedâ— that it seeth to be reprovable by the Light it cannot injoy perfect peace with God for the peace of God is enjoyed iâ— the Light and truely if that Condemn surely the Lord doth not Justifie though many believe they are Justified in the sight of God through Christ although the Witness of God leâ—s them see that they are yet in their Sins and condemns them for Sin and this Faith or rather Unbelief which leads them to believe that they nor none else can be made free from all Sin on this side the Grave and yet they imagin that they are free from it in the sight of God but beware of that Faith for it is accursed and is not the true Faith which is the gift of God which through Christ saveth from all Sin for that Faith admits of Sin but the Faith of Gods Elect sets free from all Sin for where the Wicked one hath seated this Faith or Perswasion in the Heart it is hard indeed for such a one to come to Live in the Life of Truth which is holy for as the Light doth let the Soul see it is in its Sins and brings Trouble and Condemnation upon the Mind for Sin and begets a desire also in the Heart to be freed from Sin for it feels it lie as a weighty load upon its Conscience behold even then the Wicked one who hath begot this perswasion in the Creature that it cannot be freed from all Sin here though freed from Sin in the sight of God and this perswasion causes the Creature to do dispite to the Spirit of Grace and strive to quench its Reproofs and so get at ease in that cursed Faith and in that wrong Believe and sit down short of the Peace of God so that which begot desires in the Creature to be freed from Sin comes to be vailed and slain and many Thousands are in this State who are large Boasters who are boasting that they are Justified by Christ and that Christ hath done all for them and if they can believe it that is sufficient and yet still in their Sins Now the Apostle Paul saith If while we seek to be Justiâ—â—ed by Christ we our selves be found Sinners Is Christ therefore the Minister of Sin God forbid and he saith Shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound God forbid for how can we who are Dead to Sin Live any longer therein and he said They who are Justified by Faith through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus which Redemption is a redeeming out of Sin and their Faith gave them power over the World and did not admit of Sin as the Professors Faith doth who believe they can never be free from all Sin in this Life Oh in tender Love I beseech you to beware of that Delution and Perswasion of the Wicked one for it is very dangerous and a broad way which the Creature is prone to run into now there is a great difference betwixt such who with the Light seeth much Sin which they are addicted unto yet to be subdued and it is their sore Burden and they in the strength of the Light wrestle against it and so feel it daily decrease and that Faith begoâ— by which they see and believe that they shall be made Conquerors over all as they abide faithful to the Light which lets them see Sin I say there is a great difference betwixt such as are there in that State travelling out of Sin out of Egypt where the Bondage is towards Sion where the Freedom is and such as are sate down satisfied in a false Confidence and in a wrong Belief continuing in their Sins and believe they shall not be free from it here but you know otherwise therefore in the Life of what you know abide for truly it is the Life that must make alive and keep alive to God which Life is the Light of men the true Light which lighteth every one thaâ— cometh into the World and is the Salvation of God and therein wait and feel your Minds exercised in its operation for this changeth the Mind the Thoughts the Affections and Desires for as they have been Earthly so they become Heavenly and it becomes the Souls delight to answer the end of the Lord and to endeavour to walk worthy of his Love and it becomes its Life to do the Will of God and to follow the Leadings of his Spirit which leadeth out of Evil but before this be witnessed the strait and narrow Way must be known felt and lived in and there must be a passing through the Fire through the Water through the one Baptizing which baptiseth into Death and so translateth into Life in which Life it will become your Life to do the Will of God Oh dear Father and Mother keep I beseech you to the Gift of God in your own particulars and be obedient to its Leadings and therein watch diligently continually and with it try your Thoughts and Words and Intents before you bring them forth and if they be reprovable give theâ— up to the Light the Fire to be consumed dear Hearts it is in unexpressible Love that I write thus unto you and be very wary of spaking things by contraries which you are addicted to for there is no Lye of the Truth and he that abideth in the Truth is preserved out of the Lye he that loveth the Light bringeth his Deeds to the Light to try them whether they be wrought in God so be not forward to utter Words but feel the Light of Christ to guide and lead you and bring your Thoughts and Words to it to try them whether you may speak them yea or nay now if they be reprovable by the Light then they are to dye and not be brought forth for if they be this grieveth the Righteous Spirit of God and breaks your Peace with the Lord for if his Witness Condemn he doth not Justifie so the Creature keeping low in the pure Fear and Dread of the Lord it dare not do that whether in Thought Word or Deed which it
Christ down from above or to descend that is to bring Christ from beneath c. but the word to wit Christ is nigh thee in the heart and in the mouth to be obeyed and done and this is the Word of Faith that Paul preached nigh in the heart Even Christ in them â—he living hope that was as an Anchor to their Souls sure and stedfast the hope of Glory And Paul exhorted the Corinthians to examine themselves and to prove themselves whether they were in the Faith whether they knew not Christ to be in 2 â—or 13. 5. them except they were Reprobates And John in his writing to the Saints reminds them of that within which they had heard from the beginning and says to them Let that remain in you to wit The word which was in the beginning which you have heard from the beginning and if it shall remain in you ye shall continue in the Son and in the Father and tells them That they should not need that any man should teach them but as the anoynting which they had received of God abiding in them should teach them which was the Truth to wit Christ the Truth in them the anoynted the anoâ—nting And as he had and did teach them so they were to abide in him so they knew Christ in them witnessed the Power of God within the Truth witâ—iâ— the Word nigh in their hearts the Spirit of God in their inward parts by which they were led guided taught anâ— instructed For so many as are the Sons of God saith Paul are led by the Spirit of God and he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his and this gave them an understanding in the things of God even the Spirit of God For no man knows the things of God saith Paul but by the Spirit â—f God through which he was made anable Minister of the New 1 Cor. 2. 10 11 12 Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit which giveth life And he Preached the everlasting Gospel Christ the Power of God the Word nigh in the heart and said If our Gospel be hid it is hid from them that are lost in whom Mark in whom the God of the world the Prince of the power of the Air that wicked spirit that worketh in the hearts of the children of disobedience hath blinded their minds lest the light of the glorious Gospel Christ Jesus should shine in and unto them But God who commandeth light to shine out of darkness hath shined Mark in our hearts to give us the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus and we have this treasure in the Earthen vessel that the glory may be of God and not of us so the Saints Preached up Christ the Word of Life the Light the Truth within and Rom 1. 19. 1 Cor. 12. 7. Tit. 2. 11. said That which is is to be known of God is manifest in them and Paul says That the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall and the free Grace of God saith he Mark that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that we denying ungodliness and worldly lusts should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world And the Saints they witnessed their reconciliation and were born again they felt and knew that in themselves of which they were born again even Christ 1 Pet. 23 24 25. in them the Seed incorruptible the Word of God which lives and abides for ever by which they were begotten again unto God and quickened by the Word of life even they who were once as dead stones were raised up as living Children unto Abraham and so they came to taste that the Lord was good and gracious to taste and handle of the Word of Life and to seed upon the Bread 1 Cor. 12. 13. of Life and to drink of the Cup of Blessing and so by one Spirit were baptised into one body and were made to drink into one Spirit wherein they worshipped and served the Lord God and had Unity with the Lord in and through the Eternal Spirit and Unity one with another which united their Souls unto each other and unto the Lord God over all blessed for ever Ah dear people you in whose hearts there is true desires and secret thirstings after the living God where-ever ye are scattered among the many Sects and people towards you doth my soul yea my tender soul yearn and stream with love and good-will and for your sakes dear people doth my Soul travel in the womb of Supplication that you might come to enjoy that which you are seeking after and come to possess that you are thristing for and for your sakes mostly is this written in tender bowels of unfeigned love and pity to your souls And dear people you that have true desires in you after the Lord and hath been seeking of him where you cannot find him and hath been running from Mountain to Hill and from Hill to Mountain from one broken Cistern to another from one dead Form to another but still are unsatisfied and are sensible that you still notwithstanding your long profession and confession of God and Christ in words and notwithstanding your practicing some things that you read of which the Saints once performed in obedience of the Spirit of Truth which led them thereunto want the feeling enjoyment of the Love and sweet Peace of God and go groaning daily under the burden of the bondage of sin and corruption and desires to be set free therefrom Oh dear people retire retire with your minds inward you who have been seeking a God a far off and hunting after the Lord without retire to within and wait to know the Lord God near you to know his pure Truth in your inward parts his pure Spirit in you to lead and guide you to teach and instruct you for God is a Spirit and his teachings are spiritual he must be known in Spirit worshipped in Spirit and in Joh 4. 21 22 23 24. Truth not at the Mountain neither at Jerusalem not in this set Form nor in the other Form As lo here and lo there but in the Spirit is the Lord God known and worshipped aright by them who are born of the Spirit And so the spiritualized people who are born oâ— the Spirit and lives in the Spirit and are taught and led by the Spirit of Truth these are the peculiar people who Worship the God of Truth who is a Spirit in the Spirit and in the Truth and these are acceptable Worshippers with the Lord who own no Worship but his own which he teacheth his people by his Spirit and they that is ignorant of the Spirit of God they are ignorant of the true Worship of God which is in the Spirit and although such may seem to Worship God yet their Worship is not of God nor accepted with God It is the purified Sons of Levy who have passed through
Mal. 3. 1 2 3 4. the fire that are purged even as gold is purged and tryed and as silver is tryed by him the Light of Israel who is as a Refiners Fire and like Fullers Sope that can offer unto God an Offering in Righteousness and their offerings is pleasant unto the Lord but the polluted Isa 10 17. Sacrifices the halt the blind and the lame is abomination unto the pure God of purity who is Blessed Blessed for evermore And dear People who have desires in you after the Lord towards you doth my bowels yearn where ever you are scattered among the many â—ects and heaps this is a tender invitation unto you that have been spending your mony for that which is not bread and your labour for that which hath not yet satisfied your Souls but still you are a thirsty for want of drink and an hungry for want of food Oh dear people retire inward retire inward hunt no longer abroad run no longer from one broken Cistern to another wait no longer at the Wells that men have digged draw no longer at them for still you thirst again But oh retire to within turâ— your minds inward and wait to find and feel that in you which you so carefully with sorrow hath been seeking without you even to know Jacob's Well in you which hath been dammed up with Earth by the uncircumcised whilest you have been hunting abroad therefore turn your minds inward to feel the gift that Christ gives the Water that he gives saith Christ to the Woman of Samaria The water which I will give thee shall Mark be in thee John 4. 14. a Well of water springing up unto Eternal life So the Water that Christ gives it 's within therefore turn inward to his pure gift in your own Hearts to his pure Light in your own Consciences for that comes from him and leads unto him them that do it love follow and obey the Fountain of living Water who satisfieth the thirst of the thirsty and feedeth the hungry with good things Therefore retire inward in your minds and come unto him and learn of him who is meek and low in Mae 11. 28 29 30. Isa 55. 2 3. the heart to wit Christ in you except ye be Reprobates hearken diligently unto him and eat ye that which is good no longer feed upon the husks and let your souls delight themselves in fatness come unto him encline your ear hear and your Soul shall live and enter into Covenant with him who will be your God and you shall be his people And so dear people it is not enough for any to have a profession and a talk of God and Christ in words without the enjoyment and possession of him It is not enough to confess and believe that Christ died at Jerusalem for sinners and he hath done all for you c. for the drunkard and the swearer will say as much as this and make a confession of Christ in words as many professors do who say They are justified by Christ and he hath done all for them and yet they are still in their sins in the pride covetousness vanity pomp and vain glory of the world in it's vain customs inventions and traditions seeking and loving it's honour and respect seeking and loving the praise of men more then the praise of God But dear people it is not enough to confess Christ without and say you believe in him c. except you come to know him made manifest in you to destroy the works of the Devil for your professing and confessing of Christ dying at Jerusalem c. doth not cleanse your Hearts nor sanctifie your Souls nor purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the living God in newness of life but still you see you are Bond-slaves unto sin and corruption and led captive with the lusts and desires of your own hearts and it will be so dear people until you turn your minds inward to the purâ— light of Christ in you that doth discover the sin and corruption of your own hearts and as you come to believe in that to love and follow that you will come to feel and find the working our of the old leaven of sin iniquity and corruption and working you into its nature and so come to see and feel and witness not only atalk of it but your Regeneration wrought by Christ in you the Immortal Word to be borâ— again of it the Seed incorruptible which must be known within to bruise the Serpents head the god of the world the wicked spirit that leads man into sin which hath been exalted in the heart of man and hath been Lord Head and King there and the holy Seed the pure life that hath suffered that hath been oppressed even as a Cart is oppressed with sheaves that hath been pierced wounded and crucified the Just hath suffered for the Unjust he hath long been a man of sorrows and largely acquainted with grief he hath been smitten and thou hast esteemed him not but oh he hath been wounded for and by thy transgressions and bruised by and for thy iniquities he hath born thy iniquity whilst thou like a sheep hast gone astray and followed thy own way But oh now return unto the good Shepherd who lays down his life for his Sheep and gathereth the scattered into the fold of Rest where he feeds them and causeth them to lie down in the fresh Pastures of life where none can make them afraid and feed and sup with him who is their daily Bread their Life their Rest their Joy and Delight So dear poople whose desires are after the Lord but are she King for Salvation and after a God afar off I beseech you to return inward because I fervently desire that your Souls might come to taste of the love and sweet peace of my God which is that which would satisfie your Souls and to take heed to that in your hearts which as light shineth in a dark place discovering unto you the deeds of darkness and the works of the night to be evil and fear not that It will deceive ye for it is the sure word of Prophecy 2 Pet. 1. 19. unto which you do well to take heed until the day dawn in your hearts and light shine out of darkness and wholly extinguish the night and give no heed to them who speak evil of the way of the Lord and count Truth to be error and Light darkness even as the professing Jews they boasted of Moses and of the Law and of the Prophets but when he whom Moses and the Prophets prophesied of whom the Law did figure out who fulfills the Law who was the life of Moses and the Prophets he came unto them but they hated him and said We Know that God spake by Moses but as for this fellow we know not whence he is he Mat. 9 29. the 8. 4 8. the 12. 24 11 ch 18 16. is a Gluttoner a Wine-bibber a friend
them they receive power through it to become the Sons of God for through his Grace doth he manifest his power in them that believe in the Light to the drawing of their hearts and minds out of the ungodliness and worldly lusts and to the teaching of them to live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world and thus the free Grace of God bringeth Salvation to their Souls And so dear people thus you who come to believe in the Light to love and obey the Light in your own Consciences will come to feel and witness the work of the Lord God in your hearts the working and opperation of the Word of Life to the casting out of the Bond-woman and her Son which is not to inherit to the binding of the strong man and casting of him out yea the Old man with his deeds is to be put off and you renewed in the spirit of your minds and the new Man is to Eph. 4. 20 21 22 23. be put on who after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness to put him on and to bring him forth before all men the only begotten Son of God who is full of Grace and Truth Mercy and Love Pity and Compassion Purity and Holiness and Good-will towards all who loveth Enemies and doth good to them that hate him c. So coming to the Light Christ Jesus you come to the Substance to him in whom the Figures Types and Shaddows end in and so come to witness him in you who fulfils all Righteousness he who is the end of the Law for â—ighteousness sake unto them that believe in him and to be Circumcised in him with the Circumcision Col. 2. 11 12. made without hands by the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the Circumcision of Christ which the outward Circumcision was a figure of and to witness the Baptism of Christ which is with the Holy Ghost and fire which John's Baptism with water outward was a true figure of and he bore Testimony unto Christ the Light of the world who said I must decrease but he must increase I indeed baptise you with water but he Christ Jesus who was before me shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire whose fan is in his hand and he shall throughly purge his floor the Wheat he shall gather into his Garner but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire So the outward water was but a type the outward washing a type of the inward washing and inward cleansing and inward purging and purifying by the Water of Life or the Blood of Jesus that cleanseth from all sin which is felt thus to work in them who believe in the Light and walk in the Light and they come to know that begotten in them that feeds upon the flesh of Christ which is the living Bread upon which the living Soul seeds and is the Substance which the Bread and Wine outward did figure out which the Manna that God gave the Israel of old in the Wilderness was a pure type of the heavenly Manna the living Bread vvhich the birth that is born of God feeds upon and lives thereby and grows up into Eternal life The day of gathering is come wherein the Lord God of everlasting bowels of Compassion is a gathering the despersed and seeking that which was lost and bringing back that which was driven away and healing that Ezek. 34. 12 13 14 9 16. which was sick and binding up that which was broken but the strong and the fat he is feeding with Judgment The Lord is a gathering people out of the Forms Shels and Shadows wherein many have long stuck and is bringing of them to the Substance and life it self out of the many Sects and heaps and divers ways into the one pure path into the one way of Life Light Peace Truth and Righteousness who by the one Spirit hath and is baptising them who believe in the Light 1 Cor. 12. 13 into the one body wherein the unity the oneness and the fellowship is witnessed blessed be his Name The way of the Lord is pure and Righteous and unchangable I am the Way the Truth and the Life saith Christ John 14. 6. Rom. 10. 8 John 12. 46. 8. 12. the immortal Word which saith Paul is nigh in the heart to be obeyed and done This is he the Light the Salvation of God the true Light that lighteth every man that commeth into the world who saith None can come unto the Father but by me I am come a Light into the world saith Christ that whosoever believe in me shall not abide in darkness but shall have the light of life Therefore dear people love the Light and believe in the Light while ye have the Light that so you may become children of the Light and become heirs of an Inheritance incorruptible that will never fade away There is no obtaining the Crown but through the Cross and this you will come to know who come to love the Light and to be taught of him and to learn of him who is meek and low in heart Mat 11. 29 and 6. 13. and 10. 38. and to follow him in the strait and narrow way that leads to life which few there be that find it and walk therein He that will be my Disciple saith Christ must deny himself and take up his dayly Cross and follow me This you will come to feel and witness if you be followers of the Light a dayly denying of self you will know a denying of your own wills your own desires your own thoughts your own affections your own words and works your own wisdom and righteousness and a daily taking up the Cross an hourly living in the Cross through which you must come to be crucified to the World its Vanity its Pomp Pastime and Pleasures Sins and Iniquities vain Words Psal 6. 14 Works Fashions Customs Inventions and Traditions so coming to be crucified with Christ unto the world and to be Baptised into death with him unto sin you will come to live with him unto God in the life of Righteousness in whom then you will find that Rest Satisfaction Joy Comfort and Peace which no man can give unto you So dear people who are seeking and desiring after the Lord God to find peace and comfort to your souls this I leave with you flee not from that which doth judg you in your own hearts for sin and evil and bring trouble upon you and sorrow upon you and woundeth and pierceth you in secret because of Transgression I say love that flee not from it for oh dear people how many is there that when they have been judged by Gods pure light in their hearts for their sins when trouble and sorrovv and distress hath seized on them because of their sins vvhich Gods Witness hath set in order before their eyes then have they run unto vain helps and run unto man for
by you I count not my Life too dear to part with for the Testimony of my God in whom is my Confidence Trust and Hope who hath formed me for his praise whose I am unto you my Conscience I have cleared and whether ye will hear or forbear I am clear of your Blood who am a Friend to your Souls and Bodies and desire the welfare of both and am one who loveth righteous Government and Governours who are for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well and such Rulers I truly honour in my heart though not with the vain custom of the Hat neither with the deceitful flattering titles of this World This is from a true lover of your Souls who desâ—reth your everlasting welfare and tranquility in the Lord who is a Sufferer by you but not for evil doing but for doing well the Lord is his witness that this is true whose Servant he is whatever he be by you or any accounted of Edmonds-Bury common Goal this 8th Month 1665. William Bennit To Friends of Truth in the Town of Colehester Greeting DEarly beloved Friends and Brethren who have tasted of the love and goodness â—f the Lord and of the sweetness and pretiousness of his unchangable Truth the virtuous workings and powerful opperations whereof you have felt in your hearts whereby you witness and experience in measure your Souls set at liberty from the bondage of Sin and Corruption to serve the living God in holiness of Life to the praise of your God who hath raised you out of the dust by his Power and quickned you by his Life and formed you by his own Wisdom and given you his good Spirit to guide and lead you teach and counsel you comfort and refresh you oh he hath given you a taste of the Word of Life and power of the World to come oh he hath living Witnesses of his Name and Truth whereof you are made partakers and that which you have seen and known felt and tasted of the same you have through the strength of the Lord born Testimony unto even by Word by Deed by Life and Conversation and through great Sufferings manifold Tribulations and Afflictions all which the Lord your tender God hath inabled you to wade through and hath kept you from fainting unto this day who hath been with you in six Troubles and in the seventh dear Babes he hath not left you but in all your Afflictions for his Name-sake he hath been afflicted with you and the Angel of his presence hath been your defence on the right hand and on the left oh how hath he carried you in his tender Bosome and born you up in his Arms and lead you gently when you were Weak Young and Tender and made the Crooked strait and the Rough smooth before you and thrown down many a high Mountain before you and removed many a lofty Hill out of your way who hath made a way for you in the Wilderness and a path through many a Thickit and hath made the hard things easie he hath been a Shelter to you from the Heat and a Refuge to you from the Storm and many a time hath been unto your Souls as the shadow of a Rook in a weary Land who hath given you Bread when you were Hungry and Water to satisfie your Thirst who Strengthned you when you were Weak and Inriched you when you were Poor who Healed you when you were Wounded and bound you up when you were broken to Pieces who Comforted you in the midst of Sorrow and hath Refreshed you when you have been heavy hearted and lifted up your heads when they were bowed down because of the Oppression of your Enemies Oh how exceeding large is the love of the Lord your tender compassionate God of endless bowels of tenderness oh your own experience of his Love his Mercy his Pity his Compassion his Goodness his Kindness and his Tender Fatherly Care and Dealings towards you is much larger then what I can demonstrate with words oh how can you then but still trust in his Name rely upon his Arm and depend upon his saving Health and hope in his tender Bowels who is the same yesterday to day and for evermore who hath been with you when Trouble hath compassed you round to keep you from Dispair and with you in the midst of Perplexity to keep you from being Distressed and with you in the midst of Persecution to Sucker and Cherish you and refresh your hearts as with New Wine and oh surely dear Babes he is with you still to Comfort you still to Refresh you still to Feed and Nourish you still to Strengthen you still to Uphold and Support you still to Keep and Defend you and surely he will never leave you nor forsake you if you forsake him not but will cleave unto you as you cleave unto him and will still be your God and you shall be his People still and rest in him for ever when in this World you shall be no more Oh dear Friends my soul loveth you wherefore I cannot forget you but often remember you especially since the Lord hath been pleased to visit that place with such fore Affliction and to give it to drink so deeply of the Cup of his Righteous Judgments and oh my soul desires that the Lord may keep and hide your Souls in the hollow of his hand whatever Affliction he suffers to come upon your Bodies and oh that he may inable you to wade through all and to bear all with Patience and Contentedness and think not any of you the Lord cares not for you or that he dis-regards you â—ecauâ—e he doth or may permit the Beesom of his Righteous Juâ—gements which he hath sent forth to sweep away the Wâ—cked to sweep away many of your Bodies from off the Earth neither murmur against the Lord who may do what pleaseth him and yet all his doings are Equal and Righteous altogether and how strange soever his doings appear to the carnal reasoning fleshly part yet assuredly he intends good in all his deallings towards all the honest simple innocent upright hearted ones and it is inwardly well with such whatsoever outwardly the Lord suffereth to befall them and it shall be well with their Souls eternally whatever the Lord permits to come upon their Bodies and truly the sence of these things I know doth cause Joy to spring inwardly in the midst of outward Sorrows and Comfort in the midst of Heaviness Rest in the time of Trouble and Content and Satisfaction in the midst of Affliction and maketh that soul to bear all with patience without murmuring against the Lord and makes such to say The will of God be done well it is the Lord that suffereth it thus to be and why should I murmur against him seeing he knoweth what is best for me and will not suffer any thing to besal me but what through his Love and Mercy shall work for my good as I cleave
to him and am faithful unto him though my Earthen Vessel may be broken to peices and be turned to the dust and be taken away as the Wicked are who know not God yet nevertheless I know it shall not be with my soul as it shall be with the Wicked for it shall go ill with them that Die and be cut-off in their Sins but through the love of the Lord it is and shall be well with my soul for that shall Live and never Die whatever comes upon my Earthen Vessel wherefore I will not say in a murmuring way Lord why is it thus that as to outward appearance thou takest away the Righteous with the Wicked and cuâ—est off them that fear thy Name vvith them that fear thee not as if thou hadst no regard to thy people nor respect to them that call upon thy Name nor care over those vvho serve thee vvith an upright Heart but I vvill be still and knovv that the Lord he is God and may do as seemerh good in his Eye vvhose vvorkings are Mysterious and his doings very Strange and his actings very Marvellous in the eyes of many vvho is even to vvonderful for his people unto vvhom he intends good altogether for oh he loveth them and they are dear unto him as the Apple of his Eye they are his Portion vvhich he hath chosen and his Inheritance for ever vvhich he hath purchased for himself vvho is God over all blessed for evermore Oh dear Friends Brethren and Sisters my dear unfeigned Love extends to you all in the Truth of our God vvherein my soul salutes you vvho Love and Serve the Lord vvith a sincere and upright Heart and in Spirit I am vvith you though outvvardly separated from you for the Seeds sake and truly my soul simpathiseth vvith you in your Tryals Afflictions both invvardly and outvvardly and oh that I could help you saith my soul but vvell I can cry unto him vvho is able to help you unto vvhom dear Babes I must leave you who knoweth how it is with ever one of you all and is not wanting in his Love Mercy Pity Tenderness Compassion and Care towards you who loveth him and watcheth in his holy fear whose tender bowels is more largely open towards his tender innocent hearted ones then their weakness is able to comprehend Oh the Lord Almighty be with you and the Arm of his Power incompass you about and bear you up and keep you from Fainting and Falling as some have done to the dishonour of the Lord and grief of your Souls and preserve you unto the end of your Daies that you may finish your Course with Joy and lay down your Heads in Peace and rest from all your Troubles Sorrows Tryals Sufferings and Afflictions and receive the reward laid up for the Faithful who abide to the end this is the desire and breathing oâ— my soul to the Lord for you who is your Friend and Companion in the Faith Patience and long Suffering of Jesus and one that wisheth that Grace Mercy and Peace Joy Comfort and everlasting Refreshment with Strentgh Wisdom and Might may be augmented unto you all and that the love of God may abound and super-abound in all your Souls and surpass all your Sufferings that thereby your hearts may be kept open towards God and one to another in a large manner and that you continue tender affectionated one to another in the Truth and be as meet-helps one to another both outwardly and inwardly to your Comfort and to the Praise of the Lord God Almighty into whose hands I commit you dear Babes and the Lord be with you and Comfort the Mourners amongst you and Refresh the heavy hearted ones and lift up the bowed down and heal the Wounded and comfort the Languishing with love and lift up the weak Hands and confirm the feeble Knees and not suffer that which is Lame to be turned out of the way but rather heal it that the Halting may go upright and the Lame may leap as an Hart and the Tongue of the Dumb may sing of the goodness and loving kindness of the Lord and make mention of his Mercy and declare of his Doings and magnifie his Name in the the Land of the Living Amen Halelujah From your Friend and Brother in the Truth who hath often had you in remembrance and also longed to visit you with a few Lines but desirous to wait the Lords time read and feel my love in that which is more precious and excellent then all Words whatsoever wherein we are hid together Farewel dear Lambs William Bennit Edmonds-Bury Goal the 3th Month 1666. THE original of the foregoing Lines was chiefly write to Friends in the Town of Colchester but having freedom in the Lord and even pressed thereunto by his Love I thought meet to send Copies thereof to go among Friends in Suffolk Norfolk or elsewhere as Friends have freedom to Communicate them one to another And dear Friends let this signifie unto you that my soul loveth you and have a remembrance of you and a Brotherly care and affection towards you in the Truth wherein I desire your Prosperity Tranquility and Preservation in this day of Tryal in this hour and power of Darkness even as I desire for my own Soul the Lord my God even your God is my Witness desiring that I and you with all who love the Lord in Sincerity and that make meation of his Name in Truth and Righteousness may all be kept close in Heart and Mind unto the Lord standing upon our watch in the Light with the loines of our minds girded up unto God having on the Brest-plate of Righteousness and the Helmet of Salvation to guide stear and order us aright that we may not be Bewildred in this day of Storms and Tempests and especially to have and hold fast the Shield of Faith by which we may be able to quench and send off all the Fiery Darts of the Wicked within and without yea to have on the whole Armour of Light being fitted for the Fiery Tryals and Tribulat on s that so nothing may come upon us unawares before we be fitted for it oh that it might not be with any of those who profess Righteousness as iâ— was with the People in the daies of Noah who were Eating and Drinking and Sporting themselves Marrying and giving in Marriage and knew not till the Flood came and swept them away but oh that we may all stand upon our Watch-Tower and all hold fast our Integrity in the Lord and keep close to our first Love and none to deale unkindly towards the Wife of his youth by casting her off and going after other Lovers but all be tender over her and still love her with your whole Hearts and cleave unto her for she is a Spotless Virgin and never was Defiled with the alluring man of Pleasure she is very Beautiful Amiable and Comely in the Eyes of the pure in heart and the Glory of the
Babes we had need continually to stand upon our watch Tower having the Loins of our Minds girded up unto God with the Girdle of Truth having on the Breast-plate of Righteousness and the Shield of Faith the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God that we may be able to send off the Fiery Darts of the Ememy within and be able to shun his Wiles and to keep out of his Snares that we may never be betrayed of the simplicity and innocency of Truth as it is in Jesus Oh how hath he prevailled over some and drawn them into a self separation and particularily from the Body which is joyned unto Christ the Head from whom the Body receiveth Vertue whereby every Member is Nourished and all comes to supply its Plaee and Office in the Body and so is of service to the Body as it keeps its Order and so every Member being in unity one with another are as meet helps one to another and so the Strong in some things may help the Weak and the Weak in some things may help the Strong so that the Hand cannot say unto the Foot I have no need of thee but every Member to be as Servants one to another and all in Subjection to Christ the Head that the encrease of the Body may be witnessed unto the Edifying of it self in Love Dear Friends if some who under pretence of ceasing from Man and Words and Forms c. doth absent from the Assemblies of the Righteous and withdraw from the Meetings of the People of God c. yet I hope the Lord will preserve you from that Spirit and I hope the Love and Power of his Truth will stir up your Hearts and constrain you to be very diligent and faithful in meeting together in the holy Fear and Name of the Lord God to wait diligently upon him in the measure of his Light Life and Truth received that so ye may daily receive Teaching Counsel and Instruction from the Lord and receive of his heavenly Dew and Vertue whereby you may daily be Quickned Warmed and Inlivened in the inward man and be kept alive unto God Green and Fresh as the Willow by the Rivers side as the Lillies in the Vallies and as a watered Garden giving a sweet smell and delectable savour that the Blessings from on high may be showred down upon you more and more that your Fruit may encrease to the praise of his holy Name So dear Babes I commit you unto the Preservation and Protection of the Lord God who in this the day of great Tryals hath mightily stopped the raging Sea and hath limited the proud Waves thereof and hath shut up her Floods as he hath seen meet oh let every poor little tender honest hearted one put their trust in the Lord if they be never so Poor Weak and Feeble in their own Eyes let them cast their care upon the Lord for he careth for them and rely upon the arm of his Mercy and hope in his tender Bowels and he will be Strength to thee who without him art Weak and he will be Riches to thee who without him art Poor believe and trust thou in him and hearken not to the false Accuser neither joyn to the Consulter but be still and know the Lord is God al-sufficient for thee and all those that lean upon him for Help and that depend upon him for power he is able and ready to save in the hour of Temptation to support in the day of Tryal to uphold in the greatest Storm and to keep in Patience until it be over and gone and a Calm comes again Dear Friends and Brothren in that Love which is unspeaâ—able doth my Soul dearly salute you and imbrace you simpathising with you in your Tryals desiring to Mourn with all them that Mourn and to Rejoyce with them that Rejoyce and unto him you are left who is able to Comfort the Mourners among you and is ready to left up the Light of his refreshing Countenance upon the heavy hearted and bowed down under the burdens of the Righteous Seed to strengthen the feeble Knees and to heal the Wounded and bind up the broken in heart that they that hath or doth sit in the solitary place of Mourning may be filled with the Joy of the Lord and that they that yet are bowed down with the false Accuser of the Brethren and lie mourning in the pit of Distrust Unbelief and Desparation may mount upon the wings of Faith unto thâ— holy hill of Zion thereon to stand with the Lamb and to sing the new Song which none can sing but the Redeemed of the Lord so be it saith my Soul From your true Friend and Companion in the Faith and Patience and long Suffering of Jesus who is often with you in Spirit though in Body Separated and Confined from you being still close shut up in Prison with several of the Lords Lambs whose good Presâ—nce is with us blessed be hâ—s Name upon whom we wait for Deliverance believing that the Almighty God who delivered Just Lot from the Wicked Sodomits whose Ungodliness vexed his Righteous Soul from day to day and who delivered his People of Old out of Egypt and freed them out of the Hands of oppressing Pharaoh and who delivered David out of the Paw of the Lyon out of the Paw of the Bear and from the hands of the uncircumcised Philistine who delivered Jeremiah out of the low miery Dungeon and Daniel out of the Lyons Dâ—n who delivered the three Children out of the Fiery Furnace and Paul and Silaâ— out of the Prison-House he the Living God who changeth not whose hand is not shortned that it cannot save will at this day deliver his People out of all their Sufferings and free them of their Burdens Weights and grievous Oppressions in his own time Blessed are all they that durst not look out at time as some have done to their one hurt but wait pariently upon the Lord who can change Times and Seasons as he pleaseth who dwelleth in the Heavens and also ruleth over the Kingdoms of men and setteth up and throweth down as he pleaseth who seeth all the Works of the Sons of men and pondereth all their doings he is a God of Knowledg and by him actions are weighed he excelleth in Strength Power Wisdom and Mercy and his Throne is from everlasting and his Kingdom without end who is God over all blessed for evermore Let none get into a false security because of the present Calm the Lord can suffer a Storm and make a Calm again when he pleaseth let all Watch and Pray and Fear before the Lord and wait upon him to be fitted for-Tryals that so no Storm may come upon you before you are aware of it and before you be ready for it Dear Babes Read and Feel my Love in the Truth and therein let not your Love be wanting one to another but live in Love Unity and Peace and the God
of Love and Peace be with you and his Blessings rest upon you Farwel dear Friends William Bennit Eâ—monds-Bury common Goal this 25th of the first Month 1667. A Testimony to the True Light that lightens every Man that comes into the World The People that did sit in Darkness have seen a great and glorious Light and unto those that were under the Region and Shadow of Death is the Light of Life arisen and the Blessed Day sprung from on high and shineth in their Tabernacles and that which they have seen heard felt and tasted of the same they have and do bear Testimony unto though few there be that have received their Testimony For who hath believed our Report and unto whom is the Arm of the Lord Revealed But come ye O House of Israel and let us walk in the Light of the Lord. THE Light revealed within is the narrow Way to Life Eternal and the Door into the Fold of Everlasting Rest The Light-is the Entrance into the fresh and green Pasture wherein the Lord feedeth his Elock and causeth them to lie down in peace and quietness out of the reach of the Beasts of prey The Light leads and draweth those that obey it out of Darkness and from under the region and shadow of Death into the Land of the Living there to dwell under the region shadow of Light and Life The Light breaks the Bonds of Sin in pieces and snappeth â—he Cords of Iniquity asunder and sets the Soul free from the Bondage of Corruption to serve the Loâ—d in the Life of Righteousness The Light draweth and leadeth those that believe in it and obey it out of the Alienation and Separation from God into the Everlasting Covenant of Life and Love where the Soul is in unity with the Lord The Light searcheth the Heart and operateth in the secrets of the Minds of those that obey it and like unto Leaven worketh the Heart and Mind into its own nature frame and quality The Light is Pure Holy and Undefiled and hath no unity with the least impure Thought Word or Work but Judgeth and Condemns it The Light is Meek Contrite Lowly and Humble condemns that honour that is corrupt and is from below and standeth in respect of Persons and it seeketh the honour of God only The Light Baptizeth self into Death slayes the Boaster puts Flesh to silence that God may speak in his Temple who is not to be denied the Mouth to speak by The Light is the heavenly Treasure in the earthen Vessel that brings honour and glory unto God The Light hath no fellowship with Darkness he that saith he is in the Light and hath unity with the Light and yet loveth and walketh in Darkness lyeth and the Light hath no room place or entertainment in his heart The Light teacheth those that love it to love Enemies its fruit is Love no Envy no Malice no Hatred no Bitterness no Enmity no Prejudice no Discord no Backbiting no Reviling no evil Whispering proceedeth from the Light the Light condemns it all and that ground from whence it springs The Light hath no unity with any unfruitful works of Darkness but reproves them The Light teacheth to render Good for Evil and to forgive Enemies and to pray for Persecutors and to have love and good will to all People and to seek and desire the Eternal good and wel-fare of all Souls he that hates and envies his Enemies abideth not in the Light Envy is of the Evil-one he that saith he walketh in the Light and hates his Brother lyeth and errs from the Truth The Light teacheth to love God with thy whole heart and thy Neighbour or Brother as thy self He that saith he loves God and hates his Brother is a Lyer he that loveth him that begetteth doth also love those that are begotten of him Love thinketh no Ill to Enemies much less to Brethren The Light leadeth his Children into Love Peace and Unity with God and one with another in the Life of Righteousness oh the unity the unity of Brethren in the Light Love and Life of God is exceeding precious and comely it s compared like to precious Oyl poured on the Head that runs down on the Beard even Aarons Beard that went down to the skirts of his Garment and like the dew of Hermon and like the dew that descended upon the Mountain of Sion where the Blessing is and where the Lord maketh unto his People a Feast of fat things The Light teacheth and maketh to be of one Heart of one Mind of one Soul and in all those that walk in it begetteth one consent to serve and worship the only wise God in the one Spirit and one Truth The Light giveth a good Understanding a clear Discerning a sound Judgment The Light leadeth not into strife and contention nor into rents divisions and parties nor into a particularity and self-separation from the Body nor into self-conceitedness nor into high airy notions nor into a climing up in imaginations after high discoveries and so slight the day of small things and neglect thy obedience to the present gift through an expectation of something greater to come yet unrevealed and such like Lucifer mounts high in their Conceits and Imaginations but will fall to the side of the Pit but the Light condemns all this and judges that Spirit that leadeth thereinto which Spirit soweth Discord among Brethren which is Abomination and that Spirit leadeth some to speak evil of Dignities and to dispise Dominion and to rebel against the Order and Government of the Lamb The Light judgeth that Spirit that setteth up and keepeth up out of the comly descent order of Truth that thing that tends to strife and breaking unity among Brethren The Light teacheth those that love it to seek and endeavour for Love Peace and Unity among Brethren with all Self-denial The Light teacheth to take away the occasion of stumbling in thy Brothers way The Light teacheth to be very wary and careful of giving Enemies advantage to strengthen themselves against Truth and the Wicked occasion to reproach it and those that live in it The Light teaches to live and walk in a holy godly Life and blameless Conversation as becometh the Gospel of Truth and as becometh Saints of the Most High The Light in those that love it crucifieth the Flesh with the lusts and affections thereof and teacheth those that love it how to possess their Vessels in Sanctification and Honour The Light crucifieth the Heart unto the World and worldly things and redeemeth the Mind from the Earth and earthly things and teacheth to use the World as if thou usedst it not The Light draweth the Mind out of the many things where all offend into the one thing needful which giveth not nor receiveth an offence but judges the offences and that ground from whence they come The Light is Supernatural and is to over-rule the Naturals and to keep them within the bonds of the Government of Truth
and to limit the affectionate part from leading and drawing the Heart and Mind into things below into created Objects and into Bondage to the cares of this Life and troubles and cumbrances of this World which doth not profit but hinder to God-ward The Light is the Girdle of the Loins of the Mind of those that love it to gird up their Hearts and Minds unto God that in him their peace may be perfect The Light is a stop to those Thoughts which are reproveable by it The Light is a Bridle to the Tongue and they that know it so to be dare not say in a self-will our Tongues are our own and we will speak The Light ruleth over the Souls and Bodies of those that believe in love follow and obey it and teacheth and enableth such to yield their Members Servants of Righteousness unto God even as they have when they were Servants to Sin yeilded their Members Servants to Unrighteousness and of Iniquity unto Iniquity The Light is the Author of the true and living Faith which giveth victory over the World and is a shield unto the Soul to fend off the fiery darts of the Devil and worketh by Love to the purifying of the Heart The Light is the Author to the true Hope which is an Anchor unto the Soul sure and stedfast and is held in a pure Conscience void of Offence towards God and Man The Light is the Author of true Patience long Suffering Forbearance Forgiveness and Contentedness it teacheth to be patient in all Tryals Tribulations Troubles Straits and Difficulties and teacheth in all conditions to be contented and not to murmur against the Lord whatsoever he permit to come to pass The Light teacheth his Children to love one another fervently with a clean heart oh how good is God to Israel to them that are of a clean heart The Light teacheth to endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace The Light teacheth the Younger to yield and submit themselves to the Elder in the Lord and to hearken unto Counsel Instruction and Reproof he teacheth all his Children to be subject one to another he cloathes them with Humility adoâ—neth them with Meekness and beautifies them with lowliness of Spirit The Light teacheth the Strongest to condesend to the Weakest and to serve the Meanest in Love to bear with the infirmities of the Feeble to help and hold up the Halting and to draw forward the backward with the Cords of Love and to cast a Garment over thy Brothers Nakedness The Light in those that love it puts out the eye that watcheth for evil and condemneth that part that boasteth it self and rejoyceth at anothers fall and strengthens it self with prejudice against another through his failing which thing is as most abominable filth in the pure eye of the Light The Light doth not countenance evil in any but judges and discovers it though hid under a profession of Truth The Light is like unto the Touchstone that trys Silver from Tin it tryeth and discovereth the Good from the Bad it tryeth Motions Thoughts Words Works and Spirits The Light is a Stone which God hath laid in Sion Elect and Precious which they that believe shall not be ashamed and unto those that believe he is very Precious but unto them that believe not he is as a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence at whom the seeming wise Master-Builders have and do stumble and he whom tâ—â—â—ise Professors of this Age and great Rabbies and Learned Orators set at nought the same is become the Head and Chief Corner Stone in Gods House by the vertue of which Stone they that bâ—â—ieve in him are quickened and made living Stones meet to be joyned unto him the Light in whom the Building being fitly framed together groweth up unto an holy Temple in the Lord The Light was in the beginning before the Darkness was and is now made manifest to extinguish the Darkness and to fill the dark corners of the Earth with the bright beams of his Glory he is the First and the Last he was before Time and will remain when that which in time is passed away The Light is the Beginning and the End the Foundation and Top-stone the Root and Off-spring of David and the Bright Morning-Star whose blessed Day Abraham saw and was glad he dwelt among the seven golden Candlesticks and was with the Church in the Wilderness in the days of old He is the Light of the holy City New-Jerusalem which John in the Lords Day saw coming down from God prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband The Light giveth the Churches to know that it is he that searcheth the Heart and tryeth the Reins from whom no Hypocrite in Sioâ— can be hid who said I come quickly and my Reward is with me to give unto every one according as his Work But who shall abide the Day of his Coming in which the Heavens pass away with a great noise and the Elements melt with fervent heat and who shall stand when he appeareth who is like Refiners Fire and like Fullers Soap purifying his Sanctuary and cleansing his Temple in which he delights to dwell He is the Word that was in the beginning by whom all things were made that was made and in him there is Life and his Life is the Light of men and he is the true Lâ—ght that lighteth every man that cometh into the World he is the Express Image of his Fathers Glory and is called the Son of God in whom dwelleth all fulness of Joy Happiness and Eternal Felicity who is God over all and above all blessed blessed for ever and evermore Amen VV. B. OH happy and blessed are the People who though they once were Darkness yet now are Light in the Lord Oh walk ye oh walk ye as Children of the Light bearing the pure Image of the Father of Lights in whom is no Darkness at all nor variableness or shadow of turning but is the same yesterday so to day and for evermore FRiends that are Sufferers upon Truths account in Edmonds-Bury Goal are in a measure of health through the Love Goodness and Mercy of the Lord blessed and magnified be his Name this 7th day of the 10th Month 1667. and their dear love in the precious Truth dearly reaches forth unto all faithful Friends every where and you are often in their remembrance desiring the Lord may prosper you and bless you with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord and keep you with us and the whole Israel of God by his Almighty Power through Faith in his Name unto his Heavenly Kingdom and enable us all to finish the work the Lord hath given us by his Power to do that we may glorifie him on Earth that he may glorifie us with himself with that glory he had before the World began even so be it and Amen faith my Soul To Friends Sufferers in Norwich-Castle DEar Suffering Lambs whom the Wolves seek to
Rend and Devour in the tender Love of the great Shepherd and Bishop of your Souls is my heart opened to you to visit you with a few Lines and in the name of my God and your God my Father and your Father I say unto you he whom you serve hath seen your Afflictions and hath beheld your Sufferings and hath took notice of your Burdens and cognizence of your grievous Oppressions and hath heard your Groanings and hath beheld your Tears he assuredly will in his own time rebuke your Enemies and plead your innocent Cause with your Oppressors and ease you of and free you from your great Afflictions therefore dear suffering Lambs of my heavenly Father lift up your Heads in the Name of the Lord God and take Courage and be Strong in his Power and Truth which is in you and with you and on your sides and it is the Truth that shall prevail against all its Enemies and its Opposers shall be Confounded and the Truth of our God shall Flourish over all therefore dear Hearts still cleave to the precious Truth of God made known unto you and let nothing separate you from it oh blessed be the Lord that he hath begotten such a Love in you to him and his Truth that such is your love thereunto that you are willing to undergo Reproaches Abuses and spoyling of your Goods Imprisonment and to be separated from your Friends and Relations for Truths sake oh dear Lambs great is your Reward if you abide to the end and faint not in well doing oh my heart is open to you in the tender Love and Bowels of Emanuel and my soul is refreshed in your Faithfulness and though many of your Faces I never saw yet I am one with you in your Sufferings wherein my soul simpathiseth with you and hath unity with your Testimony for the Lord and my spirit doth praise the Lord the God of your Salvation on your behalf in that he hath so mightily upheld you and born you up in his Arms in the midst of your Tryals though you of your selves are Weak yet the Lord is Strong whose Strength you know by experience is manifested in Weakness therefore trust hope and depend you upon the Lord forever who is and will be your exceeding great reward cast your care upon him for he your God careth for you and yours he is a Father to the Fatherless and a Husband to the Widow he is the Comforter of the Comfortless and gladeth the heavy hearted Oh be still quiet patient and contented in your Minds and wait upon the Lord and be not at all terrifyed by your Adversaries but in the lowly fear of the Lord God rejoyce in that he hath counted you worthy not only to believe but to suffer for his Name sake oh your Reward no man can take away as you continue faithful to the Lord dear Lambs my Bowels yearn towards you and in the Fathers love I salute you desiring that Grace Mercy and Peace may rest upon you and the blessing of the most High distil upon you as dew upon the tender Herbs that you ye tender Plants may grow and be like Willows by the Water Courses and as Cedars by the Rivers side that your Leaf may not wither neither cease bearing Fruit so dear suffering Lambs as none is to be through Joy Exalted above what is meet so none through Sorrow is to be Dejected or cast down but every one in all Conditions is to learn to be Contented with the will of the Lord and none to murmur against the Lord because of the Prosperity of the Wicked and Advancement of Sions Enemies for though they seem to Flâ—uâ—ish like a green Bay-Tree yet they will become like Grass upon the House top that withereth before it is grown up So unto the Lord God I commit you who careth for all his and is a present help in the time of need and leaveth not his Sheep and Lambs when the Wolves come to Devour but he the mighty God standeth by his People and sighteth for mount Sion and defends the Hills thereof and will put to flight her Enemies and with the Breath of his Mouth expel and scatter the Clouds Fogs and Mists that ariseth out of the bottomless pit of Darkness that then oh Sion thy Glory may appear as the Morning without Clouds and as the Sun in its Brightness thy Beauty may shine forth and thy Enemies be Astonished and Confounded forever This is the salutation of my Love who am your Fellow Sufferer and Companion in the Patience and Tribulation of Jesus the Lord God be with you and support the weak and little ones among you and keep you all Faithful to the end and preserve you in Love and Unity one with another Amen saith my soul Bury Goal 1669. William Bennit Dearly Beloved FRiends Brethren and Sisters in the Heavenly Spiritual Relation of the Immortal Incorruptible Seed of Life Eternal of which you are born again and become Heirs of an Inheritance that is Everlasting by Faith in Christ Jesus in and from whom Joy and Peace Mercy and Grace be multiplyed in and unto all your Souls Amen Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who through his abundant Mercy and free Grace hath called us and with the Arms of his Everlasting Kindness hath gathered us and by his Almighty Power hath raised us up to be unto him a People to live unto him in his Life and to walk before him in Truth and Righteousness and to Serve and Worship him in his own Way and Spirit and to bear Testimony thereunto and against the contrary in Word and Doctrine in Life and Conversation and for our Testimonies sake the Nations are angry with us and the Earth is moved and the Waters troubled and swell against us as if we should be swollowed up and wholly over-whelmed with the Floods of the Wrath of the Dragon who seeks to drown the blessed and glorious appearance of the man Child who is to rule the Nations in Justice in Mercy in Judgment in Righteousness and Truth well my dear Friends though at this day we are a suffering People and as it were Killed all the day long and appointed Sheep for the Slaughter and are set as a prey for the Beast of the Field and Lyons of the Forrest and though the Jaws of Death and Gates of Hell seem to be opened wide against us as if we should be swallowed up quick and be extinguished from being a People yet notwithstanding we can rejoyce in the Lord our God because our sufferings are infflicted upon us not for evil doing but for well doing and our Enemies have found no just Cause given them of us thus to give us up to the Spoylers and into the hands of Wicked Ungodly Unreasonable men but altogether without a Cause given of us have they taken an occasion against us as Daniel's Persecutors did against him concerning the Law Commands and Worship of our God so that at
yet his Everlasting Kindness shall not be removed neither the Covenant of his Peace be taken from you his People that keep Covenant with him your God so the Almighty be with you in all your Tryals and Temptations and his Arms of tender mercy bear up all the Weak and Little Ones among you whose desires are Upright before him that none such may fall through the Fury of the Adversary and Temptations of the Enemy but that you all may be kept by the power of your God through Faith in his Everlasting Name to the end to finish your Testimony in Faithfulness with Joy to his Glory and your Endless Peace Happiness and Filicity in him the God of your Hope Amen The God of Peace be with you and Comfort you with his Love oh Lord God Everlasting keep all thy dear People in this hour and power of Darkness hide them in the hollow of thy Hand and let the Banner of thy Love be over them dispose of them O Lord as seemeth good unto thee only let not thy Faithfulness to them and their Faith to thee be wanting and let them be tendered by thee as the first Fruits unto thee after the long Night of Apostacy that eclipsed thy Glory from the face of the Earth My dear love remains with you Farwel dear Friends Edmondâ— Bury common Goal this 8th of the fifth Month. From your true Friend and Brother in the Patient Suffering for the Testimony of Jesus William Bennit THE VVork and Mercy of GOD Conducing to his Praise Or a Demonstration of the Visitation of God's Love to my Soul in the days of my Youth Being a Testimony of the Light of Christ in the Conscience which discovereth and judgeth Sin also if loved and obeyâ—d saveth from Sin and redemeeth the Soul unto God Published in bowels of pity and love to all those that have desires after the Way of Truth and are yet seeking it abroad in their Imaginations and are mourning and groaning under the burden and weight of Sin hoping and desiring that if the Lord will such may meet with some incouragement and direction hereby for them to turn their minds into the Light of Christ in themselves and in it to believe and wait for power over and freedom from Sin that true lasting peace in God they may come to witness to the true and full satisfaction of their Souls All thiags that are reproved are made manifest by the Light for whatsoever doth make manifest is Light c. That which may be known of God is manifest in them c. Wherewith shall a Young man cleanse hiâ— way by taking heâ—d thereunto according to thy Word thy Word I have hid in my Heart c. Eph. 5. 13 c. Rom. 1. 16. Psal 1. 19. 9 11. VVHen I was but young in Years the Lord God of Light Life and Power of tender Love of infinite Compassion and everlasting bowels of Mercy was pleased then in some measure to visit me by or with his pure Light in my own Conscience which many a time did check and reprove me for my Sins and brought my Evil-doings to my remembrance and judged me in my own Heart for Evil and sometimes brought trouble upon my Mind for my Sins but I was not then sensible that it was the Light of Christ Jesus who is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World which then in my own Conscience did check reprove and judge me for Evil and sometimes broke my false ease and rest in Sin insomuch as I could not go on in Sin Wildness and Vanity without being somewhat troubled terrified and reproved for my Sin at one time or other though when I was among idle Children voic of the fear of God I ran into Sin and Wickedness with them and for the present time I acted in Sin with great Delight and Joy but when I came to be still quiet and alone in the Fields or elsewhere then would the pure Witness of God arise in me with its reproofs and set my Sins in order before me and brought my Evil Doings to my remembrance which I had acted out of the pure fear of the Lord God and then Trouble for a time took hold on me and Sin became my burden but I soon got from under that Burden at Ease and Liberty again and ran into Sin and Vanity again and thus year after year I went on in rebellion against the Witness of God in my own Conscience taking delight and pleasure in those things I knew were Evil yet the Lord God whose tender Bowels of Pity and Compassion did then in Mercy hover over me for good to me in that day did sometimes stop me from speaking and acting that Evil I intended to speak or do preserved me out of many gross Evils which many others were addicted unto and overcome with And in those days when I was alone in the Fields I cryed and prayed unto the Lord and desires were stirring in me after the knowledge of him his Way and Truth but I prayed to a God I knew not I imagined a God afar off and did not then know it was the Lord that did search my Heart and discovered unto me my Thoughts and judged me for Sin I then knew not that that was the Light Way and Truth of God in my own Heart which sometimes begot desires in me to know the Truth and to walk therein but my mind was abroad as it is with many at this day who have desires after Truth and Righteousness but are seeking abroad in Carnal Ordinances Forms Likenesses Beggarly Elements Rudiments of the World Ceremonies and Traditions of men and knew not that that in me was Truth which sometimes stopt me from Lying and Swearing and when I knowingly told a Lye it would accuse me when no man could accuse me for it and as I grew in years for I may truly say there was something stirring in me at times after the Lord ever since I was 6 or 7 years of Age and when I came to be about 14 years old and to be a Prentize and in outward Thraldom and Bondage it pleased the God of infinite loving-kindness to visit me more then formerly by his pure Light and Spirit which encreased in striving with me daily that I scarce knowingly committed any Evil but the Light would soon judge me for it yea the Lord God with his pure Light and Gift did persue me hard and followed me close calling to me in my Heart with his still Voice to come out of Sin out of evil Words and Works but I like Samuel when he was a Child knew not that it was the Lord that did call for he was though near me as a Stranger to me and I knew not his Voice but went astâ—ay as a wandering Sheep yet had I desires to know the way to the â—old and to know where the Lord feedeth his Flook and causeth them to lie down in Peace Quietness Rest where none
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