God's falvation, even in fufferings, perfecutions, tribulations, yea, deaths, and every peril that may ' attend your moft holy faith. Therefore, hold up your heads, and be ye comforted, O little flock, your Shepherd will not fly, though the wolf come: know your shepherd, and dwell with him; and he will bring you into sweet and green pastures, in the midst of your enemies. Confult not with flesh and blood, to know what may be the cause of your trials, how you may fhun them, or which way you may keep mammon and a good confcience too; but eye the Lord, without whofe providence a fparrow falls not to the ground. No new or ftrange thing can ' happen unto you: dwell in the faith that works by love, and that will caft out all fear, that begets any ftaggering from your holy teftimony: remember that C many eyes are upon you, and as you acquit yourfelves in this exercife that may quickly be fuffered to come upon you, fo will God's truth be well or ill fpoken of; for people will measure your most holy way by YOU. The way they fee not, you they ' will behold: what know ye, but the Lord is now * preparing and brightening of you for farther service, both where you live, and in other places? Oh! in the light of JESUS, " the juft man's path," live and walk, that to the end you may endure; fo fhall you glorify God, answer their labours who have travailed among you, and obtain unto yourselves eternal falvation. So, dear hearts, be still, quiet, and given up in life and death, God's great work is going on: 'he always comes upon the WORLD in a STORM, and 'fometimes to his CHILDREN, that they may be the more weaned from the world; that people may be the more stirred up to mind them, and that truth 'may be more effectually manifefted through their felf-denial, patience, and refolution. Stand then, 'be valiant, and keep your minds to the invifible life, 'that in the light is felt; and then, I am perfuaded, "neither principalities, nor powers, nor life, nor death, "nor any other thing, fhall ever be able to separate

you

you from the love of God," that hath been, and daily is, revealed to you in Chrift Jefus, the Lamb of God, and Light of the world.

The God of all peace keep your minds and fpirits in perfect peace, amidst the greatest troubles and difquiets from without, that you may finish your testi'monies, with us, to his eternal praife that hath called us, who is over every name worthy, even God • bleffed for ever. Amen, Amen.

Your fellow-feeling brother in the unchangeable < truth,

POSTSCRIPT.

‹ W. P.'

Truth greatly prevails in these islands, and grows daily famous over the heads of its peevish oppofers and my friends, that have heard lately of you, travail and fympathize with you: you are not alone, and he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world. Farewell.'

<

To the LITTLE FLOCK and FAMILY of GOD, the People whom he hath called and gathered to the Knowledge and Belief of his Everlasting Way to Life and Salvation (of GOD beloved, but of MEN traduced, and spoken evil of); as alfo fuch as have of late any defires begotten in them after < his eternal Truth, now refiding in the UNITED

< PROVINCES ;

Right Understanding, Sound Faith, and Perfect Obedience, with all Spiritual Bleffings, be increased amongst you, according to your feveral Neceffities!

DEAR and Well-beloved FRIENDS,

'MY

Y true and tender love in God, our life, who' by the power that raised our Lord Jefus Chrift from the dead, hath quickened us unto an

• hope

hope of eternal felicity, when days, and years, and ' times fhall be no more, do I at this time falute you, and the rest of Friends in all thofe parts, unto whom is the iffuing forth of the light and love of God in an abundant manner, that you may all receive plen'tiful redemption, and be refreshed in him, who is an 'everlasting fountain, that can never be exhausted; and for the thirsty it is fet open, that they who want inward confolation and fatisfaction for their immortal fouls, might be abundantly replenished with the living cryftal ftreams thereof: bleffed are they of the Father of all bleffings and mercies, that have their eye turned unto him, that watch and wait upon him, who dare not to offend or grieve his good Spirit, 'that ftands ready not only to convince the world of 'fin, and turn many into the way of life; but feal all 'the faithful unto the inheritance of eternal life: that as you once bore the earthly image, and wore the beaft's feal in your foreheads, fo now you may daily 'witnefs the renewing of the heavenly image upon you, by the power of the Lord, inwardly felt, and a wearing of the Lamb's feal in your foreheads, by the Spirit of our God.

(

Oh! be not scattered from this bleffed hope, nor let the bawlings of fome thick, carnal, head-wife oppofers, who are more in word than in deed, and only skilled in fcience falfely fo called (for it is filled with endless jangles and debates) any whit move you, my dear friends, from your holy ftanding; neither the reproaches of the profane, nor cruel fufferings of fome perfecuting Pharifees, nor, finally, the falling-away, and treacherous apoftafy, of any Judas, 'Demas, or Alexander the copperfmith; but as pilgrims, estranged from the life and fpirit of this world, who are embarked for a more durable country and building that is eternal in the heavens, pafs away your fojourning here below in fear and trembling, in diligence and godly converfation; that fo the gof'pel may be adorned, the life and power of godliness 'fhine brightly forth through those black clouds, with

<

which envious men feek to obfcure and eclipfe the beauty of your principles and practice, and God fhall have the glory, and you fhall be preferved to his eternal kingdom: and therefore, my dear friends, have a care of the fnares the evil-one lays in the spirit of this world, whereby to draw out your minds ⚫ from the heavenly watch, against that which makes < not for God's honour and your own true peace: that no sluggish, negligent, or earthly fpirit overtake you, fince the fatherly vifitation has reached unto you. Neither let vain thoughts or unneceffary difputations be cherished, for none of thofe things make for true comfort in the day of God. O that the crofs of Chrift may evermore be precious among you! And you whom the Lord of late hath more particularly <extended his loving kindness unto, leave the dead to bury the dead; part with all, that you may have eternal life: make no bargains of eafe for your flesh and blood, which muft never enter into the kingdom of God, and whofe confultings, if you yield to them, ⚫ will run you into eternal perdition.

"Bleffed are the poor in fpirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God;" and a man is then fo, when he hath parted with all for Chrift's name fake. I mean not a comfortable livelihood, as popifh friars do, that they may live on the hard labours of other men; that is, at beft, but the outfide of the platter; but those fashions, cuftoms, pleasures, honours, lusts, &c. that are from below, and formed and brought forth by the spirit of this world, unto which the freeborn children of God, by the eternal Spirit, have been made strangers, not touching therewith. O let ⚫ not the foolishness of the crofs be over-reasoned, cavilled, and difputed; a willing offering, refigned fpirit, and contented bearer of the reproach of men for confcience-fake, fuch God loves, and hath in great regard: he is a fufficient recompence; and every light affliction he repays with a far more exceeding weight of glory, even that pure fpiritual glory, that was with the Father ere this world began. O prize

'évermore.

O prize your precious and high calling, and diligently feek to make your calling and election fure, by working out your fo great falvation by the power and fpirit of Jefus our Lord: and as many as are led by it, are children and heirs, yea, co-heirs, of that life and kingdom with him, which abideth for So the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, by his holy arm and power, compafs you about, and have your fouls and bodies in his keeping, that in his fear and love you may live towards him and one another the remainder of your days: fo 'fhall honour afcend to him, and his peace like a river flow amongst you to your unutterable rejoic'ing, world without end.

< I am

• Your fenfible, tender, and fincere friend and brother in the everlafting truth, to ferve you

to the utmost of my ability therein,

From my houfe at Rickmerfworth, in the

nation of England, the 4th of the

10th month S. V. 1673.

TO FRIENDS in MARYLAND.

DEAR FRIENDS,

T

‹ W. P.'

HOUGH unknown to you in body, yet well known in fpirit, by that eternal living union and fellowship that the light of the Lord Jefus 'Chrift hath brought us into, which comprehends the world, the life, wifdom, and works of it, and reproves them all as degenerated from the life of God, ' and the commonwealth of his blessed spiritual Ifrael: and bleffed will you be for ever, as you keep therein; for a growing-up into immortality, and the life, peace, and joy that are eternal, you will witness more and more, which is the heavenly durable trea* fure in the earthen veffel. In the living fenfe of his ' precious truth, and glorious day of light, life, and love, that has dawned, and is breaking up clearer and

clearer