COme all to the light which is Gods witnesse in you all, which reproveth for sin in secret, which light leadeth to the Father of Lights; this I de­clare from my youth, which light condemneth for unrighteousnesse, which I have known ever since I was seven or eight years of age, when I yeelded my mem­bers servants to unrighteousnesse, when I had committed any evil either in word or action, the witnesse of God in my Conscience followed me and condemned me for it, and brought a fear and a dread upon me, that I was in more fear then I was of receiving correction from my pa­rents; yet I knew not what it was that troubled me, and many times the Seed of God in my cryed for deliverance, and a secret desire I had as for the Lord, that I might come to the knowledge of him, but where to find him I knew not, then I was directed to hear Sermons and to read the Scriptures, yea and I did so, and was very di­ligent in hearing; yet there was some thing in me which could not be satisfied with hearing nor reading, for my [Page 4] life was not changed, then I saw my self in the state of condemnation for disobedience, and so in a troubled state I was; then the Teachers bid me believe in Christ, and apply the promises, and observe duties; then I desired to know Christ that I might believe in him; then they said, I must believe in that Christ that died at Jerusalem, that he died for my sins, yea, and I did believe in that Christ that died at Jerasalem, but that he had taken away my sins I could not believe, because I lived in that which he condemned me for, yet I knew not who he was, though he told me all that ever I did; then they bid me apply the promises, and so I did, but I was condemned for it, for even in Scripture the promise was to the seed, not to the seeds many, but to the seed, one, which seed that at the pro­mise was to, was crucificied in me, I living in pleasure mur­dered and kil'd the just, then I observed duties, and think­ing by prayer and other performances to get acceptance with God whom I knew but as a Judge and a condemner, and in this condemned estate I run up and down to hear, the Priests, and those that were the best respected in the Countrey where I lived, and in hearing of them I increas­ed in knowledge, and the more I increased in knowledge increased sorrow, and could speak much of what I have heard from men, and would talk much of God, Christ and Scriptures, exceeding many my equals; Then I be­gan to be exalted, and was called by the World a Chri­stian, though I was out of Christ; and many times when I have been speaking of the things of God in the vain mind, I have been caused to walk solitary alone in the field, and a secret desire hath arisen in me as I walked a­lone, that I might come to the knowledge of God, yea, with tears and bitter lamentation, yea I can truly say my desire was even as Jobs, who said, O that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat, but where to find him I knew not, and in this bewildred estate I lay long, and then to get out of this troubled estate, I would go amongst them that was given to mirth, as musick, think­ing [Page 5] there to get case, & in the midst of laughter my heart was made sad; then the Priests told me that a troubled state was a good state, that Paul saw himself wretched, and therefore I might be so, and in this state, they cryed peace to me, to whom God had not spoke peace, so then I began to seet them to be Physitians of no value; then I went amongst them people called Anabaptists, and I saw them in the form higher to the truth then the Priests, in what they acted by the Scripture, and so then I went much to hear them, and could speak in their behalf, for the justifying of their practises, as Baptisme, and breaking of bread, according to Scripture, and I did see plainly that the Priests was those that built by Sion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity, crying peace to me while I lived in the filthy conversation; so amongst the Baptists I went high a year, and they did tell me how needful it was for me to be baptized, being did believe, which ordinance I could not take up, I seeing their lives like the former, nothing differing but in the form, then about the year 1654. I came to London and heard the Baptists there, which told me breaking of bread, by it they came to be sealed to the Father, calling it the seal of the Covenant, then with a great zeal I did eat and drink with them, thinking to be sealed to God at that time, and by so doing, my life, should be changed; but my life was as bad as ever, and I saw my self in the state of death as before and without hopes for ever, and knew not where to seek to find rest for my soul which lay crucified in the Wildernesse, then about the year 1655. I went into Northampton-shire again, and there I ran up and down, from Mountain to Hill, from one Sect to another as before, and yet found no rest, then I was made to stay at home, and go no whither, and as I was walking in an Orchard, the word of the Lord came unto me, even the youths shall faint and be merry, and the young men shall utterly fall, but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, and at that time the Lord manifested something of himself in me [Page 6] which was pure, which never gave me consent to do evil, shew with the light, I saw my sins from my youth set in order before me, and the judgements due unto them, and by the judgements of the Lord, the earth in me was shaken, and the pillars thereof did fall, yea the judgements of the Lord was so dreadful, that I could have wished I had never been. and that I had pe­rished in the womb before I came forth, and from under judgement I would have fled, but my fig-leaved garment would not hide me, then under the judgement of the Lord I was willing to stand naked, as in the day that I was born, before the Lord, and no other way came redemp­tion unto me, or was I redeemed but through the righte­ousness judgements of the Lord, and by the power of the Lord, and by his outstretched arm was I brought out of AEgypt, from under the thick darknesse that covered the earth, then the eye of my understanding was opened, and the Light appeared as the Sun that riseth in the East, and setteth in the West, and as I waited in that which shewed me sin & evil, many openings of the Fathers love I had wch made me weep for joy, and at that time, in the year 1655. there was many of the people of God in prison in the com­mon Goal in Northampton, amongst whom was William Dues­bury, whose face I never saw, and the witnesse of God in me did answer to the truth which I heard he declared; then I began to get truth in the comprehension, being gone from under the judgements of the Lord which I was under, but little before, and contended with the World for the truth which now setteth me free.

And many times, I had drawings to visit William Duesbu­ry and the rest in Prison, and I have went to the Prison door and knocked but with much fear, and have went a­way again and durst not go in, for I saw something in my self which William would cut down, though I held the Truth but it was in the unrighteousness, then the righ­teous judgement of the Lord took hold on me as before for holding the Truth in unrighteousnesse, then the Word of the Lord came unto me, which said, Silence all flesh in [Page 7] the presence of the Lord, then I durst not professe no more then I did possess, then a day of silence I knew, and subject to the higher power I was, which power crucified me unto the World, and the World unto me; so then in the Cross I waited which crossed my own will, then the Power was felt which led me out of the customs, fashions & traditions of men, then I became a fool and a by word a­mong my country men who cal'd me a Quaker, wch word I owned, for a day of Trembling and Quaking I knew by the unresistable Power of God, but trembling or quaking I denyed for fear of man or the powers of man, but qua­king by the unresistable Power of God I durst not deny, least I should deny the Power that appeared to Moses, at which power he feared and trembled, and David his bones were as if they were out of joynt, and Habakkuk said, my belly trembled, and my lips quivered at the voice, rot­tenness entered into my bones, I trembled in my self that I might rest in the day of trouble, and Daniel trem­bled, and Paul trembled and was astonished at the Word of the Lord.

So all people in tender love I warn you, that none may rest in a profession of God and Chirst, and Scriptures, for that will stand in no stead when the Lord cometh to plead with you; but turn to the light which maketh manifest your evil deeds, for that is the true Light, that lighteth every man that cometh into the World, and all who are led by this Light, they are led out of darkness, from Satans Power to the Power of God; and the day is come, the ax is now laid to the root of the tree, and every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire.

Written by one who hath seen the travel of his soul and is sa­tisfied, and is now come of his desired haven, where rest and peace is known, and hath ceased from his own works and knoweth the Lord to work in him, both to will and to do even his own good pleasure, who is known to the World by name,