ALthough you have not yet put on the Wedding-Garment, yet can I freely give this friendly Title to you; for I have nothing but bowels of Love, and unfeigned Affections in my boſom for you, that in Gods appointed time his Light may be the Leader of you, and a Saviour to you from all your ſins.

'Tis Satans deſign to keep the Soul in ſin while it is in the body; and that he may uphold his deviliſh kingdom for term of life, he feeds man with a man hope of a Heaven after Death, though he dye in ſin; and this is the Devis Maſter-piece, to deceive the Simple with that Fools Paradice. But know this, No unclean thing can enter into Gols Kingdom; And as the Tree falls ſo it lyes; You cannot dye in ſin, and be crown'd Saints: In the Grave there is no Repentance, nor Redemption out of the Pit; the Papiſts Purgatory cannot purifie you, 'tis a meer Imagination, a curſed Invention of the Devil's finding out, that ſinks many thouſands into endleſs perdition.

Be no longer deceived, God will not be mocked: you cannot live the life of the Wicked, and dye the death, or have the Reward of the Righteous: Mortifie therefore your members which are on the Earth, all Uncleanneſſe, inordinate Affections, Luſts, and Covetouſneſſe, which is Idolatry. You have but one thing in your which is your friend and that is the Righteous Seed, which hath ever ſuffered by you, and been ſuppreſſed in you, but doth not reſiſt you, only as an innocent Lamb, it bears its Teſtimony againſt you, that your deeds are evil, and that's the reaſon why it is not regarded by you. Is not he a Friend that in love and meekneſs layes your infirmities before you, and not only ſo, but ſweetly gives good counſel to you, Sin no more, leſt a worſe thing come upon you? This is Gods living Witneſs, which he hath placed in you, to be a Light to ſhine within you, a Guide and Leader of you out of the Pride, Pollutions, Pleaſures and Vanities of the World, a Staff to ſtay and ſtrengthen you; It is the Power of God unto Salvation to all that believe in it, and are faithful and obedient to it; It is the Armour of God, wherewith the Followers of the Lamb make war againſt the Dragon; By this the Saints overcome ſin, reſiſt the Devil, and batter down his kingdom: Make tryal of it, come, put it on, and wear it, and be cloathed with it: I have made proof of it, and gives this Teſtimony for it, I find it the only weapon which wounds the head of the wicked in me, and overcomes him for me; Glory, glory unto Sions King for ever who is ſo good and gracious to me, that hath given the Enemy of my Soul ſuch a mortal wound within me, that he is not able to overcome me: for Michael my Prince is with me, and fights valiantly for me, day and night I feel his Preſence with me, the riches of his Mercies he daily ſhowres upon me, which all the ſons of Adam are not able to take from me; This is my joy, this my comfort, The Eternal God is within me; I fell not his frowns, no, he ſmiles upon me, and maketh my Priſon as pleaſant as a Palace to me.

And if I never ſpeak or write word more, this is my Teſtimony for the Light of Chriſt all your Conſciences; It is the tender love of the living God unto you (I ſpeak what I know) to ſubdue and conquer ſin (which is the Devils kingdom) for you, and within you, if in your hearts you love the Light, believe in it, be obedient to it, and are willing to be guided by it. There is no other Antidote againſt the poiſon of Sin, but this Holy Seed; there is no other Phyſician can cure you of this Leprofie, but Iſraels Light; This Balm of Gilead is the Soveraign Cure for a Wounded Conſcience; there's none can heal you but he that ſmites you.

You that in any meaſure have got victory over ſome of your ſins, Conſider ſeriouſly how you came by it: Did you not receive ſtrength, zeal and power from a principle within you? Felt you not a war in your hearts? Was not your peace broken? That which brake your peace, began the war; That which began the war againſt your wickedneſs, was Michael my Prince: Was it not he that wounded the Uncircumciſed One within you, who ſought to lord it over you, and to keep Luſt alive in you? Felt you not the ſting of ſin to ariſe from within you? Had not ſin its root or riſe from the fleſhly part or principle within you, even in your hearts? and was there not ſomething that there wounded you, and made your ſin a heavie burden to you? Walk'd you not heavily under its ſtroak for the ſins which were committed by you? And then did you not feel a loathing of ſin begotten in you? And was not Iniquity then a Burden to you? Was there not a ſecret Power which rebuk'd the Tempter in you? and was not this Power then ſweet and precious to you, that did thus in your diſtreſs maſter ſin, and overcome it for you? Was not this an inward work, and was not he your friend who did this for you? and was he not within you? Surely Satan would not weaken his own kingdom; It was the Spirit of the Lord within you who did that good for you; Let him not be forgotten, but ever loved and honoured by you. Look no longer out, nor gaze no more about you, but be aſſured God's Kingdom is within you, and is Righteouſneſs, Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghoſt, as the Scriptures plainly teſtifie unto you; And ſhall God be kept any longer out of his Kingdom by you?

God is Light; All Sin is Darkneſs, and ariſes out of the heart of man, and that's within you; So is the Light which ſhines in Darkneſs, and for your ſins is a Reprover of you, and ſo muſt be till ſin be ſubdued in you: when that by him is done, Chriſt is a Saviour to you; but till then you muſt find him a Condemner of you: And 'tis not your flying to the Scriptures that can ſave you from the fire of his Wrath when once it's kindled in you, nor in your heavineſs take the burden from you, nor overcome the leaſt corruption for you: No verily, nothing then but a Chriſt within you can give the leaſt dram of comfort to you. Had you ten thouſand Bibles with you in the time of your diſtreſs, they would be nothing worth unto you, if the Preſence and Comfort of a Chriſt be taken from you: I appeal to your very Conſciences if this be not true which is here declared to you.

Come then, O come with boldneſs unto God's faithful Witneſs within you, and bear with patience the ſentence which that ſhall paſſe upon you; It muſt and will firſt or laſt be a Condemner of you; but it will only reprove that which is for Condemnation in you. You may believe me, it will not flatter you, nor indeed render your condition worſe than it is with you, but ſpeak the mind of God in plainneſs to you, and that's the reaſon why it is now ſo little regarded by you; bear I ſay in patience its gentle Reproofs within you; it will but purifie, and not deſtroy you: Chriſt muſt firſt be known a Judge within you, a Condemner of every idle thought, word and deed, before he be a Saviour to you: let him be your Law-giver; what he commands you in your Conſciences, that ſubmit and be obedient to; and he gives power, if it be to part with your deareſt Dalilah, your boſom ſins; ſtoop unto, and live in the Croſſe to your crooked wills, and take up the Crown, for then he is a Saviour to you. Be you but willing to part with that which grieves his righteous Soul, and brings a weight upon you; ſo ſhall you never want his Power to execute his Command, to overcome and part with, firſt one ſin, then another. I ſpeak my own experience. Let but your crooked wills be ſubjected to Chriſts Croſſe, and then his Yoak is eaſie, and his Burden light; then will you run with chearfulneſs the race of his Commandments.

If ever man be otherwiſe juſtified by his Maker, than by believing in Gods Covenant of Light, which in the Conſcience bears its Teſtimony againſt all Iniquity, and leads thoſe out of ſin, who are willing to forſake ſin, and believe in him, and be guided by him; then let me be for ever condemned from the preſence of the righteous God: This is the chief Corner-ſtone, the Rock which every wiſe man builds upon: This is that which the Learned Rabbies of this Ages, and all outſide peeviſh Profeſſors ſtumble at, and will not have to reign over them, but make war againſt him, and this is that which will grind them to pouder.

This is that Holy Seed which from righteous Abel to this very day hath ever been perſecuted by Cains Brood, who can do no better while they live in that perſecuting nature: This is that innocent Lamb, who now ſuffers by the devouring Lions in moſt of the Priſons of this Nation, in the Perſecuted People, called Quakers, for not bowing to the will of man, which ſpeaks contrary to the Law of God; Thoſe are they who in all theſe Overturning times, ſince they were turned to the righteous God, who have been cryed up as Jeſuitical, the Spawn of the Papiſts, Enemies to all Government, Plotters, Conſpirators, Rebels, Traitors; yet none of all this Traſh ever was, nor ever can be juſtly proved againſt them: Who more peaceable in the Nation than this People, who live in obedience to that juſt Principle of God within them, whoſe Kingdom is not of this World; and therefore with a carnal worldly weapon they neither do nor can ſight for it, Who does the Rage of the Heathen (who know not God) ſooner reach or fall upon, than this Innocent People? Who does the young Nurſeries of our Engliſh Rabbies, yea, thoſe who ſhould be taught better manners, and uſe more manhood, rail, revile, impriſon, and in many places of this Nation unreaſonably wound, abuſe and perſecute, ſo much as this innocent harmleſs People, who never yet could, nor ever ſhall lift up a hand againſt their Enemies?

Tell me now, O ye Profeſſors of this Nation, is not Innocency now counted for a Crime? And what have you got by warring, writing, or bending your tongues againſt this People, and their Principle? Is not the Rod, which many of you in the ſecret of your hearts prepared, or deſired might be laid upon them, very near to come upon your ſelves? Is it not juſt with the righteous God to let in this Flood upon you, even for the ſecret malignity which lodged in many of your hearts againſt this People? Haſt, haſt, I ſay, into the Ark of God, Elſe verily I ſee this Deluge will overtake you, ſink and drown you.

They who feared the Lord did gather and aſſemble themſelves together, and ſpake often one to another; But this is now counted a Crime, for this Innocent People to meet peaceably together in their own hired houſes, to wait upon the living God, and as the Lord giveth utterance, to edifie one another. And Chriſt the Son of God ſaid. Swear not at: and James his Apoſtle ſaid, Above all things, my Brethren, ſwear not. But now 'tis counted worthy of Impriſonment, Confiſcation of Goods, and Baniſhment, for the Children of God to be obedient to God, in his fear to aſſemble together and wait upon him, and not to Swear at all. Is it not a ſad thing, that obedience to the living God ſhould by the ſons of men, who would be counted Chriſtians, be thus taken for ſuch a heinous Crime, little leſſe than Treaſon, and ſo ſeverely puniſhed? What think you of this? Is Caeſars Proclamation grounded upon Chriſts Religion? or, were they Chriſts friends who adviſed Caeſar to take this courſe? It is not a high breach of the Priviledges of Gods People? Whom ſhall we obey herein, God or man? judge ye, O ye wiſe in heart.

Behold and ſee, all you that paſſe by! Did ever any People ſuffer more innocently than we do at this day? Becauſe a handfull of raſh inconſiderate men riſe up againſt Caeſar, ſhall therefore the Sons of Innocency be numbred amongſt Tranſgreſſors, and thus undeſervedly be proclaimed for Plotters? O the haſtineſs of men, and unadviſedneſs of ſuch Counſellors! verily they are Enemies to God, and to his Kingdom; the Lord forgive them, O that they may ſee their Error and be aſhamed.

If we now aſſemble together in Gods fear to wait upon him, and cannot for Conſcience-ſake any Oath at all; then Bonds to be ſure are like to abide us; next Confiſcation of Goods, and Impriſonment at Caeſars pleaſure, if not Baniſhment to boot.

And if we ſubmit to man herein, we offend God: Do you not ſee the Snare which unreaſonable men have laid for the Innocent? Do you not ſee Vice and Vanity abounds abroad and rants it with Impudence; and Prophaneſs hath liberty, while the Suns of Innocency, God's harmleſs Flock, are ſhut up in Priſons?

Were we of the World, the World would love us, for the World loves its own; but we are not of the World, therefore the World hates us: Is it not ſo? let that of God in your Conſciences ariſe and judge between us and our Enemies.

But the little Flock are fill'd with an holy Reſolution in this holy War againſt the Beaſt and Falſe Prophet, who ſeek to poiſon the King in his Affections to this Innocent People. The Righteous Innocent Seed, though it ſuffer unto Death, cannot bow to the Unrighteous Law of Man; though not a People in the Nation more willing to ſubmit to Juſt Government than they are. O let the Sufferings of the Innocent come before you, be tenderly affected by you, and a Warning to you, that you may haſten to the righteous God that made you, and be faithful to his Witneſs within you, in whatſoever it requireth of you: And be not diſcouraged becauſe Tryals ſeem near unto you, they will not harm you, but rather be good for you What if the Rod of the Wicked reach you, and for a ſeaſon be laid upon you, 'tis but to try you; It ſhall not alwayes reſt upon the back of the Righteous; Sion ſhall not alwayes ſit in the duſt. Faint not, I ſay, nor be diſcouraged; There is a Remnant that cannot bow the knee to Baal, yet are we no Enemies to Caeſars Perſon, nor good Government; for we cannot fight with a Carnal Weapon, neither for him, nor againſt him, but deſire to live peaceably under him in the exerciſe of our Tender Conſciences towards God, and towards man; and for that end do we willingly pay Tribute to him: But in the Kingdom of our Conſciences he muſt not come to rule; Chriſt Jeſus alone, the Prince of Peace and Lord of Righteouſneſs, muſt king it there, and not King Charles; no, nor the greateſt Monarch upon Earth.

Therefore let not this dark cloudy day be any diſcouragement at all unto you in the exerciſe of your Conſciences towards God. This Day muſt have a Night; Cold Winter will away; The Sun of Righteouſneſs will ariſe and ſhine gloriouſly in the hearts of the People. Sufferings cannot fright the Suffering Seed, nor Death it ſelf, if it come, cannot daunt them: For Sions King is with them, the God of Iſrael is in the midſt of them, and ſpeaks Comfort to them; their Joy and Peace in God no mortal can take from them.

Dear Friends, yet a little while, and the Clouds will clear again; God will plead the Cauſe and Innocency of his People in the Conſciences of his and their Enemies: What though they ſeek to weary out the Saints with Sufferings, their expectations ſhall fail them; for God is the Supporter of his People in all their Tryals; for the Work is the Lords.

'Tis in vain for Antichriſt to make War with the Lamb, he ſhall find him a Terrible Lion; 'Tis the laſt Blow that ever the Beaſt and Falſe-Prophet ſhall be able to give to the Royal Seed of Sions King; the Rage of the Heathen will haſten and help forward their own Ruine: The ſtrength of Egypt is but as ſtraw, the fire of the Lord ſhall conſume it; and till then we do not expect to be delivered from it, but are contented patiently to ſuffer under it, what ever God ſhall ſuffer Man to inflict upon us. In the mean time (Friends) let not Bitterneſs be in your hearts towards us, nor any prejudice riſe up in you againſt us, becauſe the Decrees of Men who are now in Authority do not favour us; The righteous God knows the innocency of our Sufferings, and that we are neither Caeſars, yours, nor the Nations Enemies, but your harmleſs Friends.

Wherefore let your Moderation appear towards all men, and do no otherwiſe to us, than you would have us or others do to you: That's the Royal Law of Sions King, whom both you and we do owe ſubjection to in all things. Come, O come, I ſay, to Gods Witneſs in your Conſciences, and that will teach you the Fear of the Lord, to Depart from Iniquity, which is the beginning of Wiſdom. No true Wiſdom can be poſſeſſed until the Fear of God be truly witneſſed; which cannot be, unleſs Iniquity be departed from. Dominion over ſin you can never get, until you come to Gods Witneſs, which in your Conſciences declares againſt it, and are willing to ſubmit unto the Light, that it may lead you over all the Mountains of Iniquity, and overturn all the ſtrong-holds of Satan, and deſtroy his kingdom within you; For you have no other Armour to uſe againſt him, but the Light, which if you truly love and believe in, will, like Davids ſling and stones; hit the Uncircumciſed Philiſtine in the Forehead; with the Light muſt you overcome him, and mortally wound that Man of Sin: If you uſe any other Weapon in this Spiritual War, you cannot proſper nor prevail againſt him, but muſt be overcome and conquered by him. The Scriptures, nor any other outward thing, are not able to grapple with him; you muſt put on the Armour of Light, and with that reſiſt him, or elſe be taken Captive by him: 'Tis the Power of that righteous Spirit that muſt prevail againſt him. O let not Sin any longer be kept alive in you, for 'tis that which keeps Gods bleſſing from you, and hinders him from being reconciled unto you, and is the cauſe of all the trouble that comes upon you; Sin brings a weight which will be too heavy for you: Haſt, haſt, and meet the Righteous God by a true Repentance and forſaking of your ſins, that he may ſhew mercy to you before his judgments be poured down upon you: For verily in the Fear of the Lord I teſtifie unto yon Gods heavy Indignation, his hot Diſpleaſure will ſpeedily overtake you, if your Iniquities be not ſpeedily forſaken by you.

Gods dreadful Vengeance is near unto the Wicked, in the Fear of the Lord I declare it to you, O that you may hear and fear, and ſin no more againſt the God that made you: O be not ſo vainly preſumptuous as to trifle away your precious time; O put not the day of the Lord afar off; for lo, I tell you, it is very near unto you, it is even at the door: The time is nigh at hand when God will viſit for the Iniquities of the people, and wound the hairy ſcalp of the wicked. Then ſhall the Drunkards Mirth be turned into Howling, and the Oaths and Curſes of the Wicked be a weight upon their Conſciences too heavy for them to bear: Then ſhall the Proud and Lofty be laid in the Duſt, and thoſe that fare deliciouſly every Day by grinding the faces of the Poor, ſhall be fed with Torment; and the Glutton in ſorrow be ſent into his Sepulchre: The wrath of the Wicked againſt the Innocent, ſhall then meet with Judgment from the Dreadful God; though his ſuffering Lambs do freely forgive them, yet the Fire of the Lord ſhall be kindled within them, and burn in their bowels till it have conſumed them; And the Lukewarm Profeſſors, who are neither cold nor hot, who ſtand gazing at the Innocent afar off, and in the ſecret of their hearts do little better than count the Croſſe fooliſhneſs; theſe will the Lord recompence according to their Doings; He will ſtain the Pride of their Hearts, and ſpue upon their Glory; and their Hypocrifie and meer out-ſide Profeſſion ſhall ſtink, and be an ill favour to all ſober people.

Ah! how Terrible will this approaching Day of the Lord be unto the Wicked? Verily they ſhall be turned into Hell, and all that forget God. The greedy Prieſts ſhall then be utterly confounded; the Merchants of Babylon ſhall weep and lament bitterly day and night; Sorrow and Angiſh ſhall come forcibly upon them, the Worm in their Conſciences, which never dies, ſhall then begin to gnaw them; yea, that never-dying Worm ſhall then fearfully torment them, and never leave till it have utterly conſumed them: All the Strength of Egypt ſhall then be terribly ſhaken, and the Pillars of Perſecution ſhall be broken in pieces. Then ſhall Sion be raiſed out of the Duſt, and ſing Hoſanna's to her King. Then ſhall Gods Truths, which is now ſo unworthily contemned in the hearts of the Wicked, be highly honoured and advanced, his ſuffering Seed exalted; the garments of Mourning ſhall then be laid aſide; Mordecai ſhall then be cloathed in Royal Apparel, and miſchievous Haman ſhall receive a Reward according to his Deeds: The Righteous ſhall then rejoyce and be exceeding glad: Priſons then ſhall not be the Portion of Gods People.

Then ſhall it be known how innocently we have ſuffered; Then will God put a difference between the Precious and the Vile; betwixt him that ſweareth, and him that feareth an Oath. Till then, O thou Righteous God, we commit our Cauſe to Thee, and ſhall through thy ſtrength, in patience bear the Yoak which our Adverſaries ſhall be ſuffered to lay upon us: Till then we are contented to be the Sheep whom the Wicked intend for the Slaughter, and we ſhall not with any carnal weapon make reſiſtance againſt them, but pray for them; In the integrity of our hearts, O Lord, we do forgive them, and deſire, if it may ſtand with thy good will and pleaſure, thou wouldſt ſhew mercy to them.

In thy ſtrength, O God, are we bold to meet them, and in the patience, which thou giveſt us, we ſhall weary them who ſeek to weary us; Through thy aſſiſtance we ſhall not bow unto them; thy Arm ſupporting us, Lord, we ſhall overcome them: Thou art our ſtay, our ſtrength, our ſhield, our All; Thou art with us, Thou art good unto us, Thou fights our Battels for us, Thy living Preſence is amongſt us; Thou haſt promiſed to be, yea, Lord, thou art and wilt be the Preſerver of us; Thou daily miniſters thy Joy and Peace unto us, Thy Bleſſing is not wanting upon us, Thy Love and Mercies cannot fail us, nor ſhall ever be diſtruſted by us; The Dew of Heaven deſcends upon us, Shall we then fear what man can do unto us? O Righteous God, let that for ever be far from us. Glory, Glory, Hallelujahs to the God of Heaven for ever.