consider how you are puffed up in your know­ledge, and your hearts waxen fat, and your eyes blin­ded by the god of the world, and ears become dull of hearing, that you cannot savour the things of God, nor rejoyce in the truth, but accounts Jesus Christ preached, (the light of the world, who in lightneth every man that cometh into the world) a fancie, and foolishness, or simpleness, to what you have attained, though few of you knows any thing of the fellowship of his sufferings, power of his Resurrection, or virtue of his Life made manifest in you, but have gotten the report and fame thereof to talk of, and in your prudence and compre­hensions are prescribing a way, and seeking to limit the Holy One in it, witness your agreeing beforehand who shall speak, and rejecting the truth in others, and taking your turns by an outward Order of habitation in such a place, witness your own words, who said, it is now Beverley turn; and also your agreeing before-hand on particular things to be prayed for, as by your own words plainly appeared, and going to prayer at the call of one another, though some of you acknowledged you had no freeness in spirit to it: All which is seen to be contrary to the doctrine of Christ, 6 and practice of his Saints, who spake and prayed as the Spirit moved, and gave utterance, and knew not before-hand what they should pray for, (as you do) but having received the first fruits of the Spirit, it helped their infirmities, and made intercession according to the will of God, with sighings and groanings that could not be uttered, which spirit you have sufficiently cleared your selves of, some of you saying that you want it, others that you cannot finde it, but prayes much of your selves, and slubbers over Gods sacrifices, and knows not his mind, but are in much darkness and deadness, contradiction and strife, and not being come to the u­nitie of the Body of Christ, imagines it to be like your selves, rent and divided, (as some of you said) who contradicts one another, even you who profess to be the Mouth of the rest, some of you saying, That you want the Spirit, and cannot finde it, but are in much darkness, others of you speaking in behalf of the rest, affirms, That you have it, and are Gods children, and does his work, which proves some of you at least, to be Ly­ars: And notwithstanding you are thus in confusion and darkness, (as might be mention­ed in many other particulars) you are not ashamed to speak in derision and contempt of the Children of light, because we all speak the same things, and declares one truth, according [Page 3]to the Apostles Doctrine, which truth is the ground of union, and stands a witness against all deceit, the declaring of which you have contemned, because it came contrary to your wills and appointments, and doth not feed that which reacheth out to the tree of knowledge, which is disobedient, and like the Athenians, cryed out for some new thing, and you would hear it, but accounted it babling, and a disturbance, to declare that which was from the beginning, carping at the manner of words, and time of their delivery, though they vari­ed not from examples and rules in Scripture, which saith, Cry aloud,Read Isai [...] [...] Mat. 10.17 1 Kings 18 1 Cor. 13.3spare not, and shew my people their sins, and that which you have heard in the eare declare on the house­top, which you accounted a heynous thing, and the fruits of an unmeek spiritThough [...] till three of [...] had ended, a fourth b [...] indirectly pray, whilst [...] waited for Answer to thing propo [...] ed, whose [...] mulation proved as [...] was praying Mat. 6.7, 8 14. Phil. 4.5. 1 Thess. 5.2saying, that I would make the Spirit by which I spake odious, by speaking in the time of your (long) prayers, though the Scriptures say, If any thing be revealed to one that sits by, let the first hold his peace; and read Elijah and Baalls Prophets, and you may see your selves as in a figure, and an example for speaking in the time of Prayer, and how like in effect your crying is to theirs, which the Prophets witnessed against, and how far different both you and your Prayers is from Christs Doctrine, and the Saints practice, let his light in your consciences judge, and your Heathen-like much speaking in your Prayers, witness a­gainst you, as also your breaking out into a confused uproar, many speaking together to stop the declaring of Truth, and not rendring a moderate reason of your sayings, contrary to the Apostles rule, Let your moderation be known unto all men, and try all things, and hold fast that which is good, which ye refused to do, and being lifted up in your knowledg, accounts it a needless thing to lay amongst you the foundation of Repentance from dead works, though you be even found therein, as the light of Christ in all your consciences will witness, which shews you your secret lust, pride, and high-mindedness, covetousness love, and conformity to this world, as also your respect of persons, anger, and peevishness, with your false accusing, deriding, foolish laughter, wantonness, and so forth, which dead works and your saying that you have not power against them, is a greater testimonie of your unbelief, and disowning of Christ, then all your profession of Faith in him, and talk­ing of his excellency in words can be for you, which profession and fair saying is nothing but hypocrisie, whilest you do not the things you say, and the hope you have in that nature is not sure and stedfast, but must be cut off, and perish, and you also, except you repent; and this shall you witness to be truth declared in plainness, when the worker of iniquity from Christ is forced to depart, and rewarded according to the deeds done in the Body, and those onely who have done the Fathers will enters into the Kingdom.Mat. 7.21, 23. Iohn 12.3 [...]A warning may this be to all that mentions the name of the Lord Iesus Christ, not any longer to deceive your selves with a vain hope that purifies not, neither let any deceive you with vain words, but believe in the light of the Lord Iesus, and singly wait, that therein you may receive power for obedience to the Faith, and put away the evill of your doings, and the abhominations that are in your hearts, which shuts out your prayers, that they pass not through, but you ask and receive not, desire to have, and have not, (because you ask amiss, to consume it on the lust of your own wils, which is not subjected in the Cross;) Iam. 4.2, 3and although there does a joy arise in some of your affections, at the uttering forth of words that makes mention of the thing you want, which joy for a time you may feed on; yet anon it withers and sades away, and you are but where you were before, at a loss in your selves, sticking fast in the mire and clay, and bondage, to the corruption and evil of your hearts, & not believing in the light which opens the blinde eye, you know not where to finde the power which should slay the enmity, and crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts, [Page 4]but are struggling and striving by what you can do to enter, often pleading your actions before the Lord, and filling your mouths with Arguments to perswade him to accept your indeavours and prayers, which are seen to be exacted labours, and a forced work performed in the strength of the natural understanding and wisdome, by vvhich you knovv not God, nor his minde, but have a zeal not accor­ding to knovvledge (from vvhich ariseth many deceitfull vvorkings, as feigned cryings, and the like) in vvhich you call for fire from heaven, not knovving of vvhat spirit you are.

But the Lord who searcheth all hearts, and knows your intents, hath shut out your wisdom from knowing him or his way; and to touch of the Tree of life you cannot come by all your climbing, Cor. 1.20, 1. turning and striving; the flaming sword being set to keep its way, you cannot pass through to feed on it, whilest you live in that nature and wisdom wherein pride, strife and every evil work lodgeth; but before you have a right to the tree of Life must become fools, Gen. 3.24. and cast down your Crowns at the teet of Christ, who lighteth every man that comes into the world, and own his Witness, Iohn. 1.9. who hath kindled a burning under your glory, and testifies of your works that they be evil; in whose Light stand you still, and you will see condemna­tion upon all your ovvn vvilling, and running, and acting in your ovvn strength, as also upon all your vvickedness, and self-righteousness, vvhich are both abhomi­nation to God, and a profession of faith, and talk of Christ and his Kingdome to come, vvill not serve to cover you that are found therein, and vvill not that the Lamb shal reign over you in spirit, that humbled himself to the Cross, whose appearance you cannot own, nor the glory thereof, which is not the glory of this world, nor of the Princes of this world, which shall come to nought, but stands in righteousness, judgment, purity, and in this world suffering, and reproaches, whipping, and imprisonment in Dungeons, and holes, to be numbred amongst Transgressors, buffeted, stoned, spit upon, and accounted a Devil, a Deceiver, &c. even by such as have gotten the Scriptures (which testifies of him) to talk of, [...]ph. 1.20, 1, 22. Cor. 15.4, 25. and yet in all these things the Lamb reigneth and shall reign till all rule and authori­ty be put under him, though I say his appearance and glory in this world can no more be owned by such as look for an outward kingdom, power and dominion, and in the mean time lives in pride, fashions and lust of the world, then it could by the Jews, who looked for his appearance in an outward pomp, and for an outward re­storation of their kingdom, & when he appeared did not know him, nor the voices of their own Prophets, [...]cts 13.27 but fulfilled them in crucifying him, who was not born by the wil of man, nor appeared according to their expectation and thoughts of him; and how like your thoughts and expectations of his appearance are unto theirs let his Light in your consciences judge, the which you may do well to take heed unto, untill he be manifest, who brings to light that which hath layen hid in darkness, and makes known the Councels of the heart, Then will you cease from all ouward expectations of his coming; [...]u. 17.20, 1. [...]an. 2.23, [...] 5. Pet. 2.6, [...], 8. Loe here, and loe there, and know his Kingdome to be within, and feel the Scepter of it, which is Righteousness, smiting at the feet of that glorious Image, which in your Comprehensions is set up, but must be dashed in pieces by the stone cut out of the Mountain without hands, which is stumbled at, set at nought and rejected of your builders, as being the [Page 5]light [...] the world, that lighteth every one that comes into the world; which light declared, you account a low mean thing, and a fancy, or some thing the is insufficient to salvation, without a further light. But this I say unto you, Iohn 1. and testifie in the Lord, that his height you cannot comprehend, who is far above all powers of darkness, and was from the begining with God, by whom all things was made and do consist, whose name is called the Word of God, which is the life and light of men shining in darkness (though thereby not comprehen­ded) which was testified in due time, and became flesh and dwelt amongst the Saints, and they beheld his glory as of the only begotten Son of God, and what they heard and saw, they Witnessed forth, and we know that their witness is true, who testified of him that he is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world, and there is not any besides him that makes manifest the deeds of darkness, or can lead out therefrom: So all that expect or hold our another light then that which lighteth every man, and deny its sufficiency, are in the fancy, ex­alted and puffed up in their knowledge and wisdome, with which they know not the Scriptures, nor the power of the Lord Iesus Christ, Iohn 8.21. 1 Pet. 2.4. Psa. 118.22. 1 Iohn 1.7. who is the light of the world, sufficient to lead out of darkness, for he that follows him, shall not abide therein, but have the light of life; and here is the stone which the builders re­ject, made the head of the corner, and is a pretious sure foundation to all them that believe and walk in his light, who are witnesses of the vertue of his blood (which by vain talkers is made a cloak for sin) washing and cleansing from all sin, & of his fulness, who is able to save to the uttermost, have we received power to be­come the sons of God, in that obedience and righteousness which is perfect, where all that be found are justified, which righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, in all them that believe in the light which manifests and condemns sin in the flesh, with which light, all you that stumble at it, are seen to come short of the righte­ousness of God, which makes a man righteous, and are shut out of the Covenant of grace, and light wherein salvation, and the power against sin is placed; yet left without excuse in that, light is come into the world, lighting every man (and you say you see) in which light the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, and there is your condemnation that abide in darkness, Iohn 3.19, 2 [...] Titus 2.11. that light is come, and grace hath appeared, in which power against sin is freely tendered, and yet darkness rather loved, and lived in, because of evill deeds, and the free grace of God into wantonness, is turned by all of you that live in the ungodliness, and follow after the worldly lusts (which the Saints are taught to deny.) And you are the murmurers, complainers, and slothfull servants, Isa. 55.2, 3, Acts 7.51. which foolishly would charge the fault upon God, as though he did not draw nor give power against sin, when as he hath freely given him for a witness to the people, in whom all power and fulness dwells, and by his spirit hath striven with you ever since you began to yeeld the members of you bodies servants to unrighteousness, for which you have often been checked in secret, and felt the spirit moving to purity, contrary to your wills; but how often ye have resisted the holy spirit, and quenched his mo­tions, let the light of your consciences judge, ye stiffneckned, and uncircumcised in hearts and ears? how will you be able to stand when the Lord shall visit upon you the evill of your doings, who have a form of godliness, but denyes the pow­er which overcomes sin; how deeply are you fallen into the Enemies snare, who [Page 6]ownes his power to keep you in sin, and cannot see nor own the spirit and [...]ower of God, that would lead you out from it, though it be a Reprover of you, my [...]ul even laments your captivity? how is the whole Head become sick, and the who [...] heart faint? how are you scattered in your imaginations, and driven from moun­tain to hills, which be dry and barren? how is your beauty and glory withered, and your wise men gone backward, and their knowledge become foolishness, and their language confounded? How do you reel to and fro, and stagger like a drun­ken man? how are you groping in the dark to finde him whom your souls longs after? how do your eyes fail, whilst your expectations are without, looking for glorious dayes, and a power to come, but when you know not, but as you ima­gine and conceive, from the promises written in Scripture, which imaginations and conceivings blindes the eye (that should apply the promises to their right ob­ject) and leads the minde outward into groundless hopes, which are mixed with doubt and uncertainties; and whilst you follow such blinde guides as your imagi­nations and conceivings, which arise from the earthly wisdome, which knows not the things of God, you often fall into the ditch, and are defiled by the pollutions of the world; [...] [...]5, 2, 3, 4. and thus compassing your selves about, with the sparks you have kin­dled, are forced to lye down in sorrow.

And now a word to all amongst you who sit weeping by the Rivers of Babylon, and have honest desires after God and his righteousness, whom my bowels yearnes over, and sounds towards you, that you may not any longer be tossed with the sleights of men, nor feed on their airy Notions, which gives you not the least strength against sin, but draws out your minds without, to look at Christ at a di­stance from you, and his appearance in power to come hereafter, though he be near unto every one of you, [...] [...].3.20. [...]. 10.6, 7, 8 reproving in the gate or door of your hearts, whereat the minde goes forth into vanity, even, as saith the righteousness which is of faith. The Word is neare you in your hearts, and in your mouths, the Word of Faith which we preach, and this is the same Word which was from the beginning, preached by the Apostles, and witnessed to be living and abiding for ever, ingrafted and able to save the soul; and this is it vvhich discerns the thoughts and intents of your hearts, and bears witness against every vain thought, idle word, and froward ungodly way, which your own wills that are not free, but bound to vanity, chuseth; therefore from your own wisdom, labours and self-works (which be all wicked) cease; and stand still in the Light of that engraf­ted Word, (of which the Scriptures testifie) which is able to save your souls; so may your blind eyes be opened, and you brought into a true sense of your conditions, to see how you have walked in unpleasant places; and that notwithstanding all your knowledge and profession, all is not right in the inward, but corruption still lodg­eth in the heart as a Partition-Wall, separating you from God; and to do good of your selves have no understanding nor ability, but for ever might have perished in this state, if God in his everlasting love had not given his son a light into the world to manifest and lead out of this darkness. So in the Light (which shews you fin and inability in self to come out of it) wait, [...]or. 1.4. and you will feel in your selves the sentence of death and condemnation upon the first man, which is of the earth, earthly; and by the operation of Gods power which is manifest in the light, you will feel desires begotten and moving in your souls after righteousness, which mo­tions [Page 7]is the Fathers drawing in his love that you may not perish, Ezek. 33.11. Iames 1.10. but come unto Christ which is the light and life; and this is the will of God which begets by the word of truth both to will and do, according to his good pleasure: Therefore be­ware of continuing in stiff neckedness, least you be found fighters against God, and resisters of his will, as they are who perish in their sin; but while it is called to day, Phi. 2.13. hear him that speaks from heaven, whose voice shakes the heavens and the earth, who is the good shepherd, & calls unto you that have gone astray; Heb. 12.25 26. therefore harden not your hearts, but wait in spirit to hear and know his voice who testifies against all sin and calls after him out of the conformity and love of this world and whosoever will be his disciples, must sell all, deny themselves, Mark 12.21. and take up his cross daily and in obedience follow him: This is that which you yet want, and makes the differ­ence between you and us, and is the ground of the enmities standing, and sin pre­vailing over you; therefore who amongst you is weary and heavy laden therewith, and would be his disciples, consult not with flesh and blood, nor give way to that nature which stumbles at the cross, and seeks to save its own life in the delights and pleasures of the flesh; and to keep in the union, love and unpure friendship of the world, which is enmity to God, and whosoever will be its friend, is Gods enemy; Iam. 4.4. Ioh. 2.15 profess what you will that love the world, the love of the Father is not in you; therefore do not love it, nor the things that be in it, neither fear any outward losses nor suffering that you shall meet with in your separation from your former compa­nions, nor the frowns nor oppositions of men, Matt. 10.37, 38. Luk. 9.23. 1 Cor. 1.8. for if you count any thing too deer to part with, that you may win Christ, you are not worthy of him; but let self (in which the inability to do good lodgeth) be wholly denied by you, and take up the daily cross to your wills and lusts, that wars against your souls, which cross is the power of God in all that are saved, which crucifies to the world, and taking it up, and enduring of it, you will come to witness the flesh crucified with its affections and lusts, and the Partition-wall broken down, and that which lets taken out of the way by the Lamb of God, in whom dwelleth the fulness both of wisdom and pow­er, which together with him is freely given to all that ask not amiss, but waits in spirit to know him revealed, and his life through death made manifest, Col. 1.27. 1 Ioh. 4.4. which o­pens the mystery that hath been hid from ages, Christ in you the hope of glory, who is greater then he that is in the world, and gives victory and dominion over it, as it was in the beginning, and this salvation is witnessed and freely is tendered unto you in the Covenant of Light, Life and Power, in which waiting to learn of him who is meek and low in heart; his holy arm you will come to see not shortned that it cannot save, but stretched out to take you by the hand, & lead you by a way that you have not known, in which you will come to see the wonders of the Lord, and the works of his hands brought forth out of bondage to corruption, and pos­sess the life of that which you profess in words.

Now being warned, take heed of hardning your hearts against the Lord by con­tinuing in sin, and resting in the outward knowledge of these things from what you have read in Scriptures, for that is not as you ought to know them, which if you do, Gen. 6.3. your visitation will pass over, and the Spirit of the Lord cease striving, by which he would sanctifie and gather you into his fold; and then will the things belonging to your peace be hid from your eyes, and you shall desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man and shall not see it; and though you be not gathered yet shall he be glorious, Act. 28.28 and the Gentiles will hear his salvation, and many shall come from the East, West, North and South, and sit down together in the Kingdom of God, and your selves shall be shut out who wil not hear. So he that hath an ear let him hear, and come forth, for the time is now at hand; and I am clear of your blood at that day, who in love to your souls have sent you a warning, commending it to your consciences in the sight of God, where I look to be made manifest when the book is opened, 2 Cor. 4.2 3, &c. and till then am willing to bear your reproaches, and be accounted your enemy for declaring the truth.

The 14 day of the 6 moneth, 1656.