sustained and received from the hands of their Rulers and those instruments that are imployed in the execution of their Law last made for that purpose being the progress of thirteen months or upward in the execution of it and it is little taken notice of by our Persecutors how many Widdows and fatherless Children they have made by this their cruel work in this time But now the Lord is retaliating into their bosomes and is measureing unto you as you have measured unto us and many widdows and fatherless will he make for our sakes yea for our sakes therefore be not deceived our innocency is assuredly come before the Lord and our cryes are heard and he is recompencing of your works into your hands that you have wrought these many years and what will you say it is the great God that pleads with you O London London thou maist remember a few years since thou was sporting thy self and making merry thy Inhabitants was even distracted with vain joy Remember thy wasting of Gods good Creatures upon thy lust and drunkenness thy Bonfires thy Rosteing of good meat in the street and basting it with kenel dirt and water the worst morsel of which thousands and ten thousands would be glad of and many for want of these things perish now and remember thy vain shews erected in the high places of thee when no less then about 600. of the servants of the Lord were in prison in and about thee looking through the Grates of thy Prisons and even panting for very air In that very day the servants of the Lord did bear that burthen of all your ungodliness under which many walked up and down more like to shadowes then men even to see what would become of your wayes in which you were posting and gadding like wild Cattle what think you was God served therein or the Devil By this time many thousands in thee are sensible of the provocations wherewith you provoked the Lord in that day but in all those actions the mighty God beheld you and also his servants who had done no injury to any of you at all notwithstanding that all must be cooped up in your Prisons till you had offered your wicked heathenish sacrifice unto your lusts in that day you were told by many of the day that hath now overtaken thee O London and thou did'st not believe it but however now thou both seest it and feelest it to be true and now instead of healths which thou vainly drunk to men in thy Bowles and Cups thou hast sickness from the hand of the Almighty and instead of thy mad joy thou hast handed to thee a cup of deep sorrow and them thou dâ—ified O City in that day and for whom these things were wrought hath now left thee in the very middest of thy misery And now consider O London is it not better to trust the Lord than man whose breath is in his Nostrils some put their trust in Princes some in Horses but it is good to trust the Lord and had'st thou considered this in thy former day well had it been with thee and as for those that did help to promp on thy ungodlyness in that day those they were that by their Oaths execrations and all abominable wretched practises in whoring and drunkenness and what not in their Feathers and strange fashions have these relinquished thee also it had been well thou hadst never known them but however this memorial they have left behind them even their shameful spewings yea their shameful spewings in every corner of thy Streets And for all this the servants of the Lord undergoes more cruelties from Thee and thy Rulers then ever what do ye account we were born and brought forth as Men and Women to be destroyed was this the end the Lord gave us life for think yee and do you think it is our portion to spend our dayes in your Prisons what because the thing hath been continued and is common therefore you look upon it it is but right it should so be and so from the Womb unto the Tomb this is our portion from your hands And thus we have been all along and are made the very Prey of a company of Rapine fowle and Fleshcrowes who teareth our flesh from our bones and drinks our bloods in your stinking Jakes and Prisons But dear God it is for thy dear truths sake that we undergo these things from the Men of this Generation O glorifie glorifie thy self holy Father in all these things that have been suffered to befall thy Saints and servants in this age we know holy God it is because they know not thee they do these things unto thine for did they know thee they would fear thee and if they did fear thee then they would love thee and if they did love thee then would they love thine Righteous God because they know not thee therefore they know not us for thou hast made known thy self in us and so come we to bear thy Heavenly Image O magnifie thy name great God and let all confess unto thee unto thy mercies unto thy Judgments unto thy Righteousness unto thy forbearance and mighty patience unto thy loving kindness unto thy truth for thou art God most mighty even God of Heaven and Earth and there is none besides thee in Earth or Heaven the Gods of the Earth are not able to stand in thy judgment O powerful God make thy power more and more known amongst the Sons and Daughters of Men that they may learn thy fear that Atheism and unbelief may be rooted up in this Nation and that plant of ungodliness O Lord pluck up by thy mighty power that it be no more and for thine holy God who for thy truth sake are drove into exile let thy sweet peace which is a portion beyond utterance answer all the wants they may in their body sustain and increase thy love in them so will they love one another and Righteous God be with all thine whom thou hast gathered into thee either in bonds or at liberty for all thine are one flesh and one bone in faithfulness let all persevere thy great name magnifie O God exalt thy truth above all National inventions which they frame and constitute unto thee O spiritual God for worship thou art a Spirit therefore by art thou art not worshipped and though men chuseth it and orderest it for thee it is because they know thee not and imagines thee to be like themselves Arts and inventions may please Men but thou art not pleased with them thou chusest thy worship thy self thou seekest thy Worshippers holy God out of all visible things is thy Worship in the invisible thou art both known and seen and all that comes to know thee and to see thee must come into the invisible and when they come there then shall we be known of them as we are known of thee and then no more Persecution but Love which is thy begotten which is thy express Image
which shall be preserved from their Fury and they shall spread over all in my Life Power Knowledge and Wisdom wherein they shall stand in Dominion Yea and they shall rule the Earth in Mercy Justice and true Judgement and they shall forgive and love their Enemies as they do at this day and do the thing that is just and good unto all without respect of persons yea they shall seek the good of the whole Creation in 〈◊〉 true love and self-denial for the Spirit of Love Meekness Healing and Restoring shall mightily fill their tender Bowels and my Blessings shall fill their Dwelling-place and the Earth for their sakes these things will I accomplish by my own Power and in my own time saith the Lord God But although these things touching the holy Remnant shall certainly be fulfilled in their Season Yet before they be fully accomplished great will be the Tryals of many of the Righteous and there will be great Judgments executed in thee O Land by Him who oft-times maketh a fruitful Land barren because of the wickedness of them that dwell therein and Just will it be with Him to deal so with thee because of the great wickedness of the greatest part of thy Inhabitants who are departed and separated from the Spirit of Mercy Love Compassion and Healing and are labouring to Devour Oppress and Destroy one another and the whole Creation Oh England England There is also a People in thee who are come to see the Great Idolatry and Superstition which many are now striving to revive and set up in thee yea there is a People in thee which see and believe that the Worship which is now a setting up with the Vain Musick Altars Mass in English and the foolish needless Garments of the Priests and such like Popish stuff that these things are Idolatry Folly and Vanity and but a mocking of God and yet some of these People will run after this Vain Worship for self-ends slavish fear and to keep themselves in esteem with or amongst those who plead for it And others there are in thee who instead of being sorrowful for such Abominations and Superstition or reproving the Practicers thereof in the solid seasoned savoury Life and holy Dread of the Lord God they write and speak scoffingly of those things even to the stirring up one of another into vain Laughter and so make a sport of others Idolatry and this grieveth the Spirit of the Lord also and doth not convince but exasperate and harden those that are zealous for their blind Worship and Superstition There are also a great number of brittle fiery rash unsatisfied people in thee O Land who are as unstable as Water and these rebelling against the Light not knowing the way of it because they abide not in the path thereof they are restless rouling and raging oft-times like the Sea One time they will have a Parliament and cry out They shall govern and heal them and when they have gotten them in a short time they grow weary of them And then another time they will cry out for a King and say He shall heal them and make up their Breaches But these people are not long of one mind for they are much like the Athenians who spent their time in little else but either to tell or to hear of some New thing These People also are like mighty Tydes in thy Chanels O England which one while run with Violence driving all unsetled light unfixed things one way and shortly after run with as much violence the contrary way Therefore in a miserable condition are those Rulers whose strength is in such a People And untill Rulers come to be setled and fixed in Him who is the Rock of Ages and singly to rule in and for Him whom the Winds and the Seas obey who maketh the Waters to stand on heaps and divided them hither and thither and altereth the natural course of Tydes as he pleaseth as he hath done thine of late to shew thee the Figure of the People they can neâ—e safe neither will the People be still'd long together but there will be Swellings Ragings Overflowings sore Breakin gs and Ruines Oh! that the foregoing Rulers would have been perswaded to have Received Him for their Teacher who Ruleth in the Kingdoms of Men then should they not onely have seen what the Lord cast out others before them for but they should have been taught how to have denied all those things which the Lord was angry with others for and they should have received Power to have abstained from the same but they would not hear and obey the Lord nor his Prophets and therefore were they cast out also And therefore O! that the Rulers that now are would be perswaded whilst they have their Day by the Lord and his Servants to receive the Lord Jesus Christ to be their King and Teacher and then they should not onely see for what cause the Lord cast them out and others in their Age but they should be taught to deny and forsake all those things which God was angry with them and others for and they should receive Power to do those things which they and others before them left undone But alas How few are there that will Hear Regard and Obey the Prince of Life and his Followers and therefore is Desolation coming as a mighty Flood which none shall be able to stop Now all People in what Sect or Opinion soever in whom there are any true Breathings and Desires after the Lord and the way of his Holines Fear not neither be dismaid because of the Rage that you may yet see the Waters of the Land in and because of the Confusion and Cruelty of the People But stand still in that Life which begetteth Breathings and Thirstings in you after the Lord that you may come to see and feel his Salvation and that you may be gathered into that Patience Meekedness Contendedness Rest Peace and Satisfaction which many of the dear Lambs and Children of my Father are gathered into wherein they lye down and none can make them afraid though their Bodies and Estates be oppressed and abused Oh! Stick not Stick not in your Formes without Power neither Flee the Cross any longer but wait in the True Simplicity to feel God's hand of Tender Love which he reacheth forth to and manifesteth in you to lead and guide your minds into his Pure Worship which is in the Spirit and in the Truth Oh People This is the Worship that he will set up He will be LORD and LAW-GIVER in the Consciences of his People and those that will not be content that EMMANVEL should Reign over them he will slay them with the Sword of the Spirit The Words of his Mouth Oh! Hearken hearken a little and stand still that you may hear the voice of the true Shepherd in your own Hearts who calleth for Truth in the Inward Parts and he will discover what lodgeth Within and He will shew you the
Way wherein you should walk and he will let you see what the Cross is unto and He will teach you when you are nlone in your Beds or where-ever you are if you will receive Him who gives you Life and Breath whose gentle Reproofes and Instructions are the Way of Life Therefore you in whom the Breathings and Desires after the Lord are Consult not with Flesh and Blood neither reason against the Cross but submit to every Appearance of Gods Power in you which appeareth to Crucifie the Fleshly Birth and Nature which hath stood and doth stand in Rebellion and Enmity against the Pure and Precious Life and Requirings of the Lamb of God that so that Mind which is at Enmity against God and that Nature in you which is disobedient to his Commands in Spirit may come to be Crucified that so there may be a Change inwardly felt and witnessed by the working of the mighty Power of Christ in your Inward parts and then the Desires and Breathings which are Begotten in you after Righteousness they will be strengthened and the Teachings of the Almighty will be Truly known and you believing in the Power you will receive Power to obey and Practise whatsoever the Lord shall make known unto you by his Spirit to be his Will and Requirings Oh People Let the Dread of the Lord Seize upon your Spirits in this the Day of his Power wherein he is Trying Sifting and winnowing the Nations and wait to feel that Life arise within you which beareth Testimony against all evil within and without that so yee may become more and more acquainted with the Teachings Drawings and Leadings thereof that thereby you may be drawn and led out of those things which have kept your Souls in the Death and hindred you from enjoying the Pure Peace of God And this know and consider that all that come to witness their Souls raised out of Death and brought to enjoy the Peace of God they must Believe in the Life of the Quickning Spirit which is the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven who for Sin Condemneth Sin in the Flesh and appeareth in the Inward Parts of man to work out sin and transgression which hath Separated from God and so to make clean the heart and inside of male and female Oh People This is the Work of Christ the Son of God even to make manifest and destroy the works of the Devil and so to reconcile man unto God by the Virtue of his own Life which he gave a Ransome for many and blessed are all those that believe in the Life of the Son of God and feel know it manifested in their mortal flesh for they shall witness the Power of it to make all things new and so their Souls will come up in the hand of God and his Peace will be Received and Enjoyed Oh people Wait to know and feel this Work of Christ within you that so you may be made able to stand in the Judgment and to Endure the Tryal and that you may be Hid from the Wrath of the Lamb which is nigh to come upon the Rebellious Oh! Consider this Those that are his Followers they come throw many tribulations and their overcoming their Enemies is by his Blood not by a talk of it but by the Virtue and power of it sprinkled in their Hearts which washeth and maketh them White Clean and without Fault before God Oh People my Bowels yearn my Bowels yearn towards you whose Desires in any measure are after the Lord O that you would now Return with all your hearts unto Him and obey the Voice of his Power in you then should you be made able to stand and endure the fiery Trial which is come and coming Oh! the Day hastens wherein all Profession that is not grounded in the Life and Power of the Lord Jesus Christ whatever the shew of it be it will be so shaken that an utter Blasting and withering shall come upon it and for that cause the Lord doth and will yet suffer great Trials to come both upon the Professors and Possessors of his Name that so his Children the Possessors may be manifested unto all and discerned from all that are but Professors though never so fair and seemingly Covered For all Coverings but what is of the Power and Spirit it self shall be too Narrow and all that are not Covered with the Spirit and Power of Emmanuel their Shame and Nakedness shall appear more and more This is the Testimony which the Spirit Word of Truth giveth therefore He that hath an ear to hear let him hear before the day of his Visitation be wholly past and the things belonging to his Peace be hid from his Eyes For yet a little while and the Voice shall be He that is filthy let him be filthy still For the Spirit of the Lord shall not alwayes strive with flesh but his Plagues and Indignation shall be poured out upon such as will not be gathered in the Day of his Patience long Forbearance and Free-love and He or She that Loveth Father Mother Husband Wife Children House or Land Liberty Honour or any Thing more than the Life of the Lamb shall be counted not worthy of him and plainly manifested so to be Read this who can and he that can receive it let him For the Time draweth nigh that these Sayings must be fulfilled George Fox the Younger Printed the 13. of the Second Moneth The End To the King And both Houses of PARLIAMENT Thus saith the Lord MEddle not with my People because of their Conscience to me and banish them not out of the Nation because of their Conscience For if you do I will send my Plagues upon you and you shall know that I am the Lord. Written in obedience to the Lord By his Servant Geo. Bishope Bristol the 25th of the 9th Month 1664.