THe Lord God Almighty, hath, and is a looking down upon the Sons and Daughters of Men, and hath, and doth, behold many of them, even as poor ſcattered Sheep without a Shepheard, wandering as in the Deſarts and waſte howling Wilderneſs, wandering as upon the barren Mountains, and dry heaths; hungry and thirſty, their ſouls unſatisfied, ſeeking diligently for food upon the barren Mountains; running from Mountain to Mountain, and from Hill to Hill, and cannot find that Food that will truly ſatisfy their hungry Souls; and running from one broken Ciſtern to another, and cannot find one drop of water that will truly refreſh their thirſty Souls; who are ſeeking the living God amongſt the dead Forms, and ſeeking the Meat among the Shells, and the Subſtance among the Shadows, and cannot find that which they ſeek after, nor enjoy him whom their Souls longeth for; ſeeking reſt, and can find no true Reſt; deſiring to know where the Lord God (the good Shepheard of Iſrael) feeds his Sheep and Lambs, and where they lie down in quietneſs, and reſt free from the fear of Evil.

And this the Lord God of pity hath ſeen, and in his Infinite tender bowels, hath been (and now is) moved with yearnings of pity and compaſſion towards them, and for his own Seeds ſake he hath, and is (in Mercy to them) ſtretching forth the Hand of his loving kindneſs unto them; to gather (in one) the ſcattered, to gather together (inEzek. 34. 11, &c. one) the diſperſed, to bring whom the wanderer, and the prodigal (that hath long fed upon the husks among the Swine) to the Fathers houſe of plenty, where there is bread enough, and water faileth not.

Yea, the Lord God Almighty, of Heaven and Earth, hath, and is lifting up an Enſigne for the Nations, and hath, and will aſſemble the out-caſts of Jacob, and the diſperſed Judah from the four corners of the Earth, and hath, and will return the Captivity of his People; and then Jacob ſhall be glad, and Iſrael ſhall rejoyce in him (the ſteamPſal. 14 7. of Jeſſe) which doth and ſhall ſtand for an Enſigne of the people, and unto him doth, and ſhall the Gentiles ſeek, and his reſt is, and ſhall be, ſweet and glorious to the poor, for whom he will Judge in Righteouſneſs, and Reprove with Equity for the meek of the Earth; who will ſmite the Earth with the Rod of his Mouth, and with the breath of his Lips will he ſlay the Wicked, and Rule the Nations with his Iron Rod, and breakPſal. 2. 8, 9. the Heathen to pieces like a Potters 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. 49. 6. Luk. 2. 30, 31, 32. Iſa. 35. 5, 6, 7, and the 1. 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 Hart; to cauſe water to come forth of the Deſert, and ſtreams in the Wilderneſs; to cauſe 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 anoynted of God to Preach glad Tidings to the poor, to bind up the broken hearted, toIſa 61. 1, 2, 3. proclaime Liberty to the poor Captive, and to comfort 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, that he (in and through them) may be glorified.1 Sam. 2. 4, 5 6, 7. He brake the 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 Princes, and to inherit a Crown of Glory.

This is he, who maketh all things a New, andRev. 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; The Arm of Gods Salvation, which he is making bare before theIſa. 52. 10. 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 wordLuke 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, whither viſible or inviſible,Joh. 1. 1. an • ſo to the 9. 1 • and without 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 Pontius 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 Joh. 14. 16, 18, 26. abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of Truth. I am 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 their 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 you; 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 hisLuke 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 dwelleth with you, and ſhall be in you; 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 by him theGal. 1. 15, 16. Eternal Spirit, made an able Miniſter of him) Preached (to wit) Chriſt within, who ſaid, None ſhould need to aſcend, that is, to bring Chriſt downRom. 10. 6, 7, 8 from above, or to deſcend, that is, to bring Chriſt from beneath, &c. but the word (to wit Chriſt) is nie 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 the living hope, (that was as an Ancor to their Souls, ſure and ſtedfaſt) the hope of Glory.

And Paul exhorted the Corinthians to examine2 Cor. 13. 5. themſelves, and to prove themſelves whether they were in the Faith; whether they knew not Chriſt to be in 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 anoynting: And as he had, and did teach them, ſo they were to abide in him; ſo they knew Chriſt in them. The Saints came to witneſs the Power of God within, the Truth within, the Word nigh in their hearts, the Spirit of God in their inward parts, by which they were led, and guided; taught, and 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) 1 Cor. 2. 10, 11, 12. but by the Spirit of God, through which he was made an able Miniſter of the New 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 ſaid, That which Rom. 1. 19. 1 Cor. 12. 7. Tit. 2. 1 • . 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 withal; 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 in them, the Seed incorruptible,1 Pet. 1. 23, 24, 25. 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 to1 Cor. 12. 13. feed upon the Bread 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, doth 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 thirſting for; and for your ſakes moſtly is this written, in tender bowells of unfeigned love and pitty 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 ſomethings 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 hath 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, teach and inſtruct you; for God is a Spirit, and his teachings are ſpiritual; he muſt be known in Spirit, worſhipped in SpiritJoh. 4. 21, 22, 23, 24. and in Truth, not at the Mountain, neither at Jeruſalem, not in this ſet Form, nor 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 of 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 hath paſſed through the fire, that are purged even as gold is purged and tryed,Mal. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4. 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 Sacrifices, the halt, the blind, andIſa. 10: 17. the lame, is abomination unto the pure God of purity, who is Bleſſed, Bleſſed for evermore.

And dear People, who have deſires in your after the Lord, towards you doth my bowels yearn, whereever you are ſcattered among the many Sects and heaps, this is a tender invitation unto you that hath been ſpending your money 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, turn 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 Jacobs 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 the 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 doth it love, follow, and obey) the Fountain of living Water, who ſatisfy 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 the heart, to wit, Chriſt in you, except ye be Ma • . 11. 28. 29, 30. Iſa. 55. 2, 3. 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 than 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 pure 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 out 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 a talk of it) your Regeneration wrought by Chriſt in you the Immortal Word, to be born 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 have 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 hath gone aſtray, and followed thy own way.

But oh! now return unto the good Shepheard, who lay 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 people, whoſe deſires are after the Lord, but are ſeeking for Salvation, and after a God afar of, 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 that will deceive ye, for it is the ſure word of Prophecy, unto which you do2 Pet. 1. 19. 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 counts Truth to be error, and Light darkneſs; even as the proſeſſing 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, came unto them, they hated him, and ſaid, We know that God ſpake by Moſes, but as for Mat. 9. 29. • 8. 4, 8, the 24. 11. ch. 19. this fellow, we know not whence he is; he is (ſaid they) a Gluttoner, a Wine-bibber, a friend 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 prejudice 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 John 1. 9. every man that cometh into the world; which the Profeſſors ſaith is a natural light; that which convinceth wicked men of ſin in their own hearts, and judg them for evil doing; it is a natural light ſay the Profeſſors, and ſo call the life of the Word, which 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 bring Salvation: nay, ſome blaſphemouſly will preſume to ſay, it's a ſpirit of deluſion, a ſpirit of errour; and theſe are under the wo, vvho5. 20. & 36. call the Truth error, and the Light darkneſs, and the Good evil; and theſe one day ſhall know their blaſphemy, and their words 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 with the Lord God Almighty nothing is impoſſible; and theſe like the Scribes and Phariſees, who (although they profeſſed God in words, and ſaid they had one Father, even God) ſought to ſhut up the Kingdom of Heaven from men, and would • . 23. 13. neither enter in themſelves, nor ſuffer them that would: and ſo theſe, while they profeſs Chriſt in words, they ſpeak evil of his Light and Truth, and will neither own it themſelves, nor ſuffer (as much as in them lie) them that would; but cryes out, take heed, beware of the light the Quakers prate of; it is darkneſs, ſay they, it will deceive you, and delude you, and lead you into Error, &c. But let all people know, that the light (which the people of God, called Quakers ſpeak of, and in bowels of love direct peoples minds unto) is the Life of the Word, which is Immortal, Eternal, Permanent, • . 1. & 2, 3, 9 Divine, and Immutable, and not Natural.

Thou who ever thou art, and whatever by men thou be accounted of, that doth make a large profeſſion of God, Chriſt, and the Scriptures of Truth in words, 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 profeſs him in words, and ſay thou art ſaved by him, and juſtified by him, &c. yet if thou hate 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, whilſt thou hate 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, what ever thou art, who art climbed and a climbing up 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 and Rober,Joh. 10. • who run 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 which1 Cor. 1. 2 • 29, 30, 31▪ 19, 20, 21▪ thou counts a fooliſh thing, a weak, a poor thing, not worth the minding or heeding; but this is it (the fooliſh thing in the eye) that is to confound thy wiſdom, and turn it into fooliſhneſs, that ſo thou becoming 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 may 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 Rabby, the Scribe, the Diſputer of this world? Hath not God made fooliſh the Wiſdom of this world? for the world by wiſdom know 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 • 3. 20. unto it, for that which judge and condemn ſin in you, (which is that which ſeparate 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 manifeſt the deeds of darkneſs, take heed unto it, for that is the • . 5. 13, 14. Light that doth make manifeſt darkneſs; that which is reprovable, is made manifeſt by the Light; for what ever make 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 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 bring 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 Bondwoman 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 deedsEph. 4. 20, 2 • 22, 23. is to be put off, and you renewed in the ſpirit of your minds, and the new Man is to 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, Pitty and Compaſſion, Purity and Holineſs, and Good-will towards all, who love his Enemies, and do 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 fulfil all Righteouſneſs; he who is the end of the Law for Righteouſneſs ſake, unto themCol. 2. 11, 1 • that believe in him; and to be Circumciſed in him, with the Circumciſion 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 with fire, which Johns 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 (Chriſt3. 30. Jeſus, who was before me) ſhall baptiſe you with the Holy Ghoſt and with Fire; whoſe fan is in his hand, 3 11, 12. 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 feed, 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, which the birth that is born of God, feed 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 diſperſed, and ſeeking that which was loſt, • ek. 34. 12, 〈◊〉 , 14, 15, 16. and bringing back that which was driven away, and healing that which was ſick, and binding up that which was broken; but the ſtrong and the fat he is feeding with Judgement. The Lord is a gathering people out of the Forms, Shells, and Shadows, wherein many hath long ſtuck, and is bringing of them to the Subſtance and life its 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 is1 Cor. 1 • baptiſing them who believe in the Light) into the one body, wherein the unity, the ownneſs, 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, John 14. Rom. 10. John 12. & the 8 ch • ſaith Chriſt, 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 cometh 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,Mat. 11. 29. • 6. 13. & th • 10. 38. and to be taught of him, and to learn of him, who is meek and low in the heart, and to follow him in the ſtrait and narrow way that leads to life, which few there be that finds it, and vvalk therein: He that will be my Diſciple, ſaith Chriſt, muſt deny himſelf, and take up his daily Croſs and follow me. This you will come to feel and witneſs, if you be followers of the Light, a daily 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 dayly taking up the Croſs, an hourly living in the Croſs; through which you muſt come to be crucified to the • 6. 14. World, its Vanity, its Pomp, Paſtime and Pleaſures, Sins and Iniquities, vain Words, Works, Faſhions and Cuſtomes, 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; flie 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 peirceth you in ſecret, becauſe of Tranſgreſſion: I ſay, love that, flie not from it; for oh dear people! how many is there, that when they have been judged and Gods pure light in their hearts for their ſins, when trouble, and ſorrow, and diſtreſs, hath ſeized on them becauſe of their ſins, which Gods Witneſs hath ſet in order before their eyes; then hath they run unto vain helps, and run unto men for help, even to thoſe that could not ſpeak a word in ſeaſon to them, but hath daubed them up with untempered Morter, and hath endeavoured to heal their wound deceitfully, and hath Preached peace to that which is for judgment, and ſo thereby they have gotten ſome kind of ſatisfaction for a time, until the Lord wounded them again with the Sword of his Righteous Judgments, and then their ſeeming reſt fled away as ſmoak before the wind, and ſorrow and trouble took hold on them again, as pain on a Woman in travel; and then they have run again unto that which could not remove the very cauſe of their trouble and ſorrow; they have run to the Scriptures of Truth, and therein hath found a promiſe, and this they have applied to themſelves, for to get peace and reſt thereby; when alas poor hearts, they have not been in that ſtate and condition which that promiſe (which they applied to themſelves) was unto, and ſo not for them; and then they have read what the Saints once did and performed, and they ſet themſelves to do the like, and to imitate them; and ſo hereby for a time they have gotten ſome ſatisfaction, ſome kind of reſt and peace, until the Lord God did thunder again with Dread, and uttered his Voice with Terror, which cauſed the Earth to tremble, and their habitation to fall, and then diſſolation came upon them again, and their Fig-leave garment came to be rent, and their wound greater then ever it was before; and thus they have run from Mountain to Hill, from one Phyſitian to another for healing, but they were unto them as Phyſitians of no value; for none of them could rightly heal their wounds, until at laſt, they ſaid in their hearts, We will ſeek no more unto man, for vain is the help of man: But we will return unto the Lord God who hath wounded us, and he will heal us; who hath broken us in peices, and he will bind us up; and ſo returning to the light of Chriſt Jeſus in their own hearts, (with which the Lord hath wounded them for their ſins, and brought trouble and ſorrow upon them for their iniquities, waiting therein in patience upon the Lord God, in the way of his Righteous Judgments, which was ſet up in their hearts) they came to feel (through their believing in the Light, and loving the Light by which they were wounded for ſin) the cauſe of their ſorrow, and trouble, and wounds taken away by the Blood of Jeſus, which is his life, which they came to feel in them, cleanſing of them from their ſins, and waſhing of them away; and ſo the very cauſe of their wound being taken away, and the corruption purged out, then he (the tender, pitiful compaſſionate God of Mercy, that in mercy towards them had wounded them) healed them with the ſweet Oyl of joy, peace, and gladneſs; and now theſe that were mourners, doth rejoyce; and they that were heavy-hearted, are made glad; and beauty is given them for aſhes, and the oyl of joy, for mourning; the garment of praiſe, for the ſpirit of heavineſs; and are become Trees of Righteouſneſs, the Lords own planting, bringing forth fruit to his glory and praiſe, who hath thus ſet them free from their ſorrow and trouble. Theſe can ſay, Good it is to wait upon the Lord God • 1. 26. 8, 23, 9. in the way of his Judgments. Lo, this is the Lord whom we have waited for, this is our God, we have waited for him; come let us rejoyce in his Salvation wherewith he hath ſaved us; he hath redeemed us out of the horrible Pit, out of the miry clay hath he brought us, and ſet our feet upon a Rock, and doth eſtabliſh our goings; who filleth our Souls with the fatneſs of his houſe, and cauſeth us to drink of the River of his Pleaſure, and to ſuck and be ſatisfied with the Conſolation of the Breſt, and to milk out, and be delighted in the abundance of the ſweetneſs of its vertue. Oh what! what ſhall we render unto the Lord, unto the Lord our God for his benefits? oh! what ſhall we render unto him for his Mercies? what ſhall we render unto him for his loving kindneſs? Oh! let us take the Cup of his Salvation, and drink thereof abundantly; and in the ſtrength of the vigour of its vertue, let us (in the meekneſs of our hearts, and and in the lowlineſs and contriteneſs of our Souls) praiſe, praiſe, the Name of the Lord our God, who is worthy of all Glory and Praiſe, for ever, and for evermore.

A few words more unto you dear people, who deſire more after the love and peace of God, then the glory and pleaſures of the world. Dear people, take heed unto that which diſcover unto you what are your thoughts, whither they be good or evil; for that is it which muſt redeem your minds unto God; and wait to come to know it to be a ſtay to your minds, and a ſtop to your thoughts, and a bridle to your tongues, and to cauſe a watch before your mouth, and to raiſe a holy fear in your hearts, of offending the Righteous God of Righteouſneſs, in thought, in word, in deed.

And dear people, you have ſo much depended and relyed upon man for teaching, retire with your minds inward, to the manifeſtation of the Spirit of God in your own hearts, and wait in it to come to know the Lord God to be your Teacher; that if you ſhould be ſeparated from thoſe that hath been your Teachers, and put into a Hole, a Dungeon, or Cave of the earth for your Conſciences towards God, and ſo be ſeparated from all teaching outward, you may then feel, find, and witneſs the Lord to teach you, to inſtruct you, counſel and direct you, comfort and refreſh you, even by his pure Eternal Spirit in you; for all the children of the Lord, ſhall be taught of the Lord, and eſtabliſhed in Righteouſneſs, and great ſhall be their peace in the God of their Salvation, unto whom, unto whom be glory, glory, honour and praiſe for ever, and evermore; for he is worthy, he is worthy, worthy ſaith my ſoul, unto whom be glory in the higheſt. Amen.

So dear people, for your ſakes moſtly, was theſe foregoing lines written, in obedience to the tender ſpirit of love in my heart, which drew me thereunto; and in tender unfeigned love and pure good-will to your ſouls, who have had, and ſtill have true deſires in your hearts after the Lord, and hath been, and ſtill are thirſting and hungering after the way of Truth and Righteouſneſs, and hath been, and ſtill are ſeeking and hunting among the husks, ſhells, and ſhadows, for to find the ſubſtance, but ſtill fail of your expectation, and cannot find true and perfect ſatisfaction, but ſecretly in your hearts are panting and thirſting after the living water, and are weary of feeding upon the husks, and begin to ſay (within your ſelves) to each other, Come, we have been long wandering abroad, hunting after the Lord afar of, ſeeking of him in this Form, and the other Form, running from Mountain to Hill, from one Man to another, to enquire for him whom our Souls long for; but we ſtill want the true enjoyment of him: And although man hath told us we ſhould find him there in this Way, and in the other Way; in this Form, and in the other Form; in this Ordinance, and the other Ordinance; wherein we have been toſſed about, and turned from one broken Ciſtern to another, but ſtill we want true ſatisfaction for our ſouls, for we want the true enjoyment of the aſſurance of the Love and Peace of God: wherefore, come let us no longer hunt abroad, nor run any longer from one man to another. But oh! come let us retire our minds inward, and in ſtillneſs and quietneſs, in ſollidneſs and ſeriouſneſs; let us wait upon the Lord, and he himſelf will teach us of his wayes, and lead us into the path of Righteouſneſs, where we ſhall meet him whom our ſouls hath long panted after, even as the Hart panteth after the water Brooks; wherefore let us wait upon the Lord, for the Lord is good to the manLam. 3. 2 that waiteth for him, to the Soul that ſeeketh him. Therefore, come let us both hope, and quietly (without hunting any more abroad) wait to finde and feel in our ſelves the ſalvation of the Lord, that ſo we may in truth come to find, and to ſay, He is come, he is come, and made manifeſt in us, whom our ſouls longed after; and behold his reward is with him, even joy, comfort, peace, reſt, and ſatisfaction to our ſouls. Lo, this is the Lord, we have waited for him: Lo, this is our God whom we have waited for; now let us rejoyce, and be glad in his ſalvation, and praiſe his Eternal Name. I ſay, dear people, towards you is the opening and yearning of my bowels, in the caſting of this my Mite amongſt you, in the meekneſs and humility of my ſoul, and the God of Heaven (for his own Seed ſake) make it a ſervice of good to you.

And then will the (onely) end of my ſoul herein be anſwered thereby, who am your friend, and one who deſires that you of the barren mountains may be gathered, and brought down into the low valley, into the freſh paſtures of life, where you may feed with Gods Babes and Lambs, and lie down in the fold of reſt and peace, that you might finde bread in your own houſes, and water in your ciſterns, the oyl in the Cruſe that will not fail, but will ſatisfie your ſouls in drought, and make fat your bones, that you might become like a watered garden, and like a ſpring of water, whoſe waters fail not.

Take this as a Salutation of the love & good will of my ſoul to you, who am a friend to all people; one that owns and deſires to tender, nouriſh and ſtrengthen the leaſt appearance of God in any; A lover of honeſty and uprightneſs in whomſoever I finde it; but a hater of hypocriſie and deceit: A Traveller in the womb of ſupplication for the reſtoring and gathering in of the ſcattered ſheep, and bringing whom the diſpierced of the fold, that all may know one ſheep-fold, and one ſhepherd.