with you, and therefore deeply fenfible of your heavy exercise, and bowed-down fpirits, I am constrained by the Eternal Unction, which we have received from on high, to vifit you in tender bowels of love unfeigned; befeeching you all, in God's moft holy fear and counfel, to stand faft, and "make your calling and election "fure:" which is not (my dearest friends) to those external and shadowy fervices, that could never perfect as concerning the confcience, in which the worfhip of the Jews did formerly, and of the nations now moftly do, confift, (carnal and beggarly elements indeed) but to that law in the heart, and spirit manifested in the inward parts, which is the fubftance of

all.

Here God is the teacher of his people, and daily doth replenish his with the immediate virtue of his own life. For God eternal is broken forth, and by the mighty power of his fpiritual appearance is come to ftain the beauty of all the inventions of fuperftitious men, and thereby to fummon all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people to judgment for their unrighteousness; that he alone may reign king in the heart, where the devil has hitherto had dominion; that true religion may confift in fearing him, and working righteoufnefs, by the powerful operation of the Spirit of Jefus in them; which, my dearly beloved friends, with all finglenefs of heart, let us wait to be fenfible of; that through the glorious rifing of the pure power of the everlasting God, which is felt by all the children of the light, we may be enabled "to work out great falvation with fear and trem"bling." For great and weighty is the work of the Almighty in this his day of appearance, even to adopt us fons and daughters of the Moft High, by a participation of his Divine Nature; "that as we have "borne the image of the earthly, in pride, vanity, "wantonness, avarice, and all manner of impieties,' and that whilst fome of us were under great profef fions, and the continual feasting on vifible and elementary things; fo that now we may daily experience, through

through obedience to that pure light and truth in the inward parts, which leads to all meeknefs, patience and purity, the quickening of the new man; and fenfibly witness a bearing of the heavenly image, that fo we may come to feel the " Peace that paffeth the "world's understanding," and our poor, toffed, tried, and troubled fpirits, in good measure fixed and anchored in the immoveable and holy ftate, over all the glories and pollutions of the world; that fo nothing may ever prevail upon us to return into our former ways and lufts, committed in our ignorance: for the overflowing fcourge of the Amighty will be upon the back of the backflider, and his fwift wrath will overtake the heart that faints by the way; yea, better were it that fuch had never been vifited with the glorious day-fpring from on high, nor been convinced by the powerful perfuafions of the Holy Spirit, concerning the pure eternal way of TRUTH than afterwards to turn from it, and fo trample the blood of that most excellent covenant under foot: yea, it will be the most dreadful of all aggravations to their eternal woe and mifery.

And therefore, my dear friends, let us not be difcomforted under all our fharp and heavy exercises, whether from within or without. For this I am fully perfuaded of, that the fame pure principle of light and truth that hath appeared to give a certain difcerning of our states and conditions, and wrought a convincement upon our understandings, is able to give us that fuccour and support, if our minds be but seriously stayed thereon," as fhall fanctify us through"out, in body, foul, and fpirit; and fo preferve us "clean, to God over all."

And, my dear brethren, let us not enter into any murmurings against the Lord, but be fingly given up to know his will and work done in us, that we perifh not, as those of old. And in the tender love of Jesus Chrift, I earnestly intreat you, let us no more look back upon our ancient paftimes and delights (but with holy refolution prefs on, prefs on); for they will fteal

away

away our precious fouls, beget new defire, raise the old life, and finally enfnare and pollute our minds again; and what will be the end of fuch rebellion, but woes and tribulations from the hand of the just God, world without end? Neither let us enter into many reasonings with the oppofers; for that is the life God's power is revealed to flay with the two-edged fword: for it is the ftill, the quiet, and the righteous life, which must be exalted over all. And this I fay in a found understanding, through the mercies of the Lord, that deadness, darkness, and anguish of spirit will be the end of fuch difputing and pragmatical Christians, whose religion confifts much more in words than works, confeffing than forfaking, and in their own will-performances and external obfervations, than in the reformation and converfion of their fouls to God. And finally, we ourselves, who have known fomething more of the Lord, may alfo reduce our good conditions to an utter lofs, by feeking to comprehend dubious matters in our understandings, and difputing about them with every oppofer, whom the devil, in a way of temptation, fhall present to us; which does no way advance our growth and increase in the noble principle of truth,

And I befeech you, my dear friends, let not the fear of any external thing overcome the holy refolutions we have made to follow the Lamb Chrift Jefus, through all the tribulations, trials and temptations, he and his followers ever met withal. O let us be valiant in God's caufe on earth, who have but a fhort time, and a few days to live.

And let the conftancy of the world to the momentary fashions, pleasures, and pollutions of it, the more ardently ftir us up to exprefs ours for the honour of our God against them all; who will reward us for whatsoever we bear, fuffer, or part withal, on his ac

count.

And therefore, I befeech you, let neither father nor mother, fifter nor brother, wife nor child, house nor land, liberties, nor life itself, deter us from our holy

conftancy;

conftancy; but, as the faithful ancients did of old, through deferts, wilderneffes, and folitary places, goat-fkins, and fheep-fkins, endure all torments, and bitter mockings, in this earthly pilgrimage, for the inheritance which is everlasting; fo, my dear friends, let us do, as we have them for our example. However, let us be careful to fhew all due respect to our relations, not to be exalted, nor any ways unruly, left there be juft caufe taken against us, and the bleffed truth fhould fuffer: but in the ftill, retired, holy, and patient life, this pure eternal principle of light and truth (as feriously and diligently waited on) certainly brings into, let us all wait and abide; fo fhall we feel the powerful operation of God's Holy Spirit, to the more complete redeeming of our exercifed fouls from under the dominion of fin, and to the giving all of us a clearer understanding, and founder judgment, of those things that are to be parted from, (as the pleasures, cares, and customs of the world, that ftand in the fallen nature, and only nourish the fame, but crucify the felfdenying Lord of glory) and of the things of God, and his fpiritual kingdom, which are to be adhered to; that in his pure wifdom, which is from above, we may be all kept and preferved over all the snares and temptations of the adverfary, both on the right hand and on the left.

And as one that is a traveller in his way, I even befeech, caution, and admonish you all, in the holy awe of God, that you never forbear meeting and affembling of yourselves with the holy remnant amongst whom we first received our bleffed convincement. Oh! for ever let us honour the Lord's truth, and those who do fincerely profefs the fame! But more especially fuch as were in Chrift before us; for this is well pleafing unto the Lord.

And let us beware of lightness, jefting, or a careless mind, which grieves the Holy Spirit, "that stands "ready to feal us unto the day of our perfect redemption" but let us be grave, weighty and temperate,

keep

keeping low in body, as well as in mind, that in all things we may be examples, and a fweet favour for the God who hath loved and called us.

And, my dear friends, let us keep in the fimplicity of the cross of Jefus, even in plainnefs of fpeech, and out of the world's flattering and deceitful refpects; for we are as well to be a crofs in our garbs, gaits, dealings, and falutations, as religion and worship, to this vain adulterated and apoftatized generation. So in the pure measure of truth that hath been manifested to every particular, and has convinced us of the unrighteousness of the world, and the vanity and emptiness of all its profeffions of God, Chrift, and religion, oh! let us ftand and abide! that we may feel it to be our refuge, and ftrong tower, when the enemy fhall approach, either by inward exercife, or outward bonds and fufferings, which in all likelihood will fuddenly overtake us, for the trial of our most precious faith; fo fhall we fenfibly experience that heavenly blood of cleanfing to stream therefrom, which only can give remiffion, cleanfe from all fin, and finally purge the confcience from dead works, to ferve the living, everlafting, holy God Almighty, Lord of hofts, King of nations, and King of faints. "And whatsoever things "are true, whatfoever things are honeft, whatsoever

things are juft, whatsoever things are pure, whatso"ever things are lovely, and whatfoever things are "of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be "any praise, O let us mind these things! And the "God of peace, that has by his eternal quickening power raised Jefus in thousands from the dead, bless, "accompany, and preferve us over all trials and tri"bulations, unto his eternal habitations of rest and "glory."

Your brother and fellow-traveller in the kingdom and patience of Jefus our Lord,

Carberry, in the county of

Cork, the 19th of the 12th month, 1669.

W. P.

THE

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