MY heart within me is broken because of the false Prophets & persecuting ru­lers, who are found fighting against the Lamb of God and his followers. Alas, alas! woe is me because of the misery that is coming upon you, my heart is filled with sorrow, and mine eyes with tears, and my bowels are turned within me, to consider the day of your desolation and destruction, which is coming upon you, from the Almighty God of heaven and earth: Oh what shall be done for you, ye hard harted and rebellious children, who shall intreat for you, or take pitty on you in the day of your calamity, which is coming as a whirlwind of terrors, and you shall not escape, and woe be to him that strive with his maker: do you think to stop or limit the mighty power of the Creator of heaven & earth, which is now broke forth and made manifest in his dear children, (who have waited for him in the way of his judgements) by your blood thirsty persecution; and by your false accusations and wick­ed consultations and unrighteous decrees and lawes, nay you shall never prevail nor prosper in these your intents, your vain hopes will perish, and your contrivances will be swept with you into the bottomless pit, from whence your counsel is, and no weapon that is formed against us, (who love not our lives for the son of Gods sake unto the death) [Page] shall ever prosper, and woe to the rebellious children that take counsel but not of me, and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit saith the Lord.

Is your councels, plottings and persecution to hinder the powerful work of the Lord, which he hath begun among the children of men, and hath blessed and will bless, and to frey people from embraceing the precious truth (which is the everlasting foundation of God) without which all men will be found miserable in their latter end, is this your end, and to keep up your earthly honour, deceit and flattering titles, and vain glory, which will wither and be laid in the dust, and to satisfie the pride of life, which is not of the fa­ther but of the world: Is this your end, for fear of loseing these things that puffs up the fleshly mind out of Gods fear, and that warrs against your souls, for which you persecute, imprison, and draw before the judgement seats, and make a prey and a spoyl of a harm­less and innocent people, whose glory and kingdome, and peace is not of the world, but follows the lamb that was slain whither soever he goeth; if this be your end, (and to keep off the trouble and torment that is coming upon you, by reason of your wickedness and rebellion against the Lord) you will miss of it, and your expectation will perish, and do you think to avenge your selves on his dear children, and get ease by aflicting them, and grieving them, and tormenting them with your plottings and snares of inhumane cruelty, is this your way? is the time that was spoken of, come to be fulfilled upon you? that whosever killeth us (who are the followers of Christ) shall think he doth God ser­vice, and will not their vain thoughts deceive them, who are found in the envy against the meek spirit, that is come to judge the world, and do not they rise up against the Lord of life; who rise up against him that is meek and lowly: surely this is a wrong way you have entred into, the way of the ungodly which will perish, and not the way to peace, for in these things you heap up wrath to your selves against the day of wrath, and reve­lation of the righteous judgements of God, in this way you shall never prosper nor pre­vail, the Lord God hath spoken it.

For this is the way of the wicked, which is as darkness (where the stumbling is) and leads into the chambers of death and destruction, this is the sword of the wicked which you have drawn, it shall enter into your own bowels, and if you thirst for our blood, you may have it to drink, for a body is prepared, and we fear not him that is able onely to kill it, but the Lord our God alone, he is our fear, and he is our dread, and our refuge in time of trouble, who is taking vengeance on you unawares, in a way you know not, nor will you believe though a man declare it unto you, for did you believe it, and were the eye open to see these things, you would fear and dread and tremble at the presence of the pure powerful God, whose swift witness is coming upon you as a thief in the night, and will wound your hairy scalp, who proceed in your wickedness, and will smite the head of his enemies, and strike through Kings in the day of his wrath, whose fury you cannot escape; and all your high mountains by him will be overturned, who think to rule and reign over the meek of the earth, by your hight of pride and cruelty: alas for you! ye tall Cedars, a fierce wind from the Lord God shall shake you, the axe is laid to your root, and you will be hewn down for the fire, ye raging waves of the sea, you some out your own shame, and cast up mire and dirt, our King (that rides meekly) is on the top of you all, and on your head doth he trample, and he will calm this storme to his own praise and glory, and to your utter confusion who rebel against him.

Christ Jesus the light of the world, the man of sorrows, who seek not honour from men, whom you despise, against whom you are risen up and have turned your sword, he is our King, here this ye rebels, ye traytors, the Lord God will stain the pride of your glory, and lay your earthly honour in the dust, and bring you into contempt, who are seeking honour and glory to your selves in the earth, whose peace is your life, who [Page] love the praise of men, and pleasures more then God: a sword is coming upon you all, and you are for the slaughter of the great King who is our lawgiver, and Saviour, and our peace, who is come a light into the world, and is the true light that lighteneth every man that cometh into the world, meek and lowely upon the wild asses coalt, hear this ye deaf, and see ye blind, and be still and hearken, ye flouds of ungodly men who com­pass the Saints about and the beloved city, with lies and plottings of falsehood, whereby you think to weary out the dear children of the most high: fire is coming down from God out of heaven to devour you, and you shall not be able to quench it, ye are the pricking briars to the house of Israel, ye are the thorns, the dross, and the stubble, the Lord God Almighty of power, will you consume the decree is sealed against you, a wit­ness I am for the eternal God of life against you all, in all your deeds of darkness, and hard speeches; my outward life is not deer unto me, ye devouring beasts of the field, I have given it up, and you may take it, for he that departeth from iniquity is become your prey.

But the Lord God will plead our cause in righteousness, and his eternal witness (the light in your consciences) will answer your condemnation to be just, and your destructi­on to be of your selves; for you have been warned from time to time, by the servants of the Lord without you, and reproved by the light, his true prophet within you, that you might escape & flee from the wrath to come, which if you proceed in the harness of your hearts, in afflicting his dear children, it will over take you: and because of these things, my soul is moved, knowing the terrors of the Lord against you, and a doleful lamenta­tion is on me, and my very bones are pained, and my heart is hot within me, the whole earth is moved with the fierce indignation of the Lord, his vengeance plagues, and eter­nal judgements (without mercy) do I proclaim against you all, from the mouth of the Lord God of hosts, except you speedily repent; for you have greived his spirit, and you have afflicted his dear children these many months, yet have you been intreated by them with many tears, and often warned, and the Lord have we even intreated for you, as A­braham did for Sodome, & Moses for Pharaoh, that you might not wholly be condemned, with an utter overthrow, but rather that you might repent and live; but our righteous souls are vexed and grieved with your pride, rebellion, and filthy conversation from day to day, and no answer from the Lord have we concerning you, but the red sea of his wrath wherein you will be utterly swallowed and drowned, and not one will be left, and fire from heaven as snares upon you, will be rained, for every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be hewn down and cast into the fire, and every plant which my heaven­ly father hath not planted shall be rooted up. Consider this ye that forget God, ye that forget mercy, whose bowels are shut up, whose hearts are hardned, from his righteous dreadful fear, lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver you, for our God is a consuming fire, and is terrible to the heathen that know him not, whose fire is in Sion, and his furnace in Jerusalem, and from thence our deliverer comes, who turns away un­godliness from Jacob.

But is not envy, persecution, and oppression, ungodliness, and wrath, pride, and in­justice, are not these things ungodliness and unrighteousness? consider and weigh it in the even ballance the light in your consciences, to which I speak, which will answer the truth without covering, and is my witness in you all, for the Lord God, and heareth my voyce, therefore stop not the ear, lest you are shut out for ever; then shall you cry but he will not hear you: and is not the wrath of God to be revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, or is envy, pride, cruelty, oppression, tiran­ny, and persecution, and laying snares for the innocent and harmeless without cause, is this good fruit, or the fruit of the spirit of God, (who among the saints in these things is your example,) or doth the heavenly plant bring forth such fruit, nay verily will [Page] Gods witness answer me, and are any the sons and children of God, but who are joyned to the heavenly plant, or led by his spirit, which guides unto all truth, (out of unrigh­teousness) into soberness, quietness, love, peace, patience, long-suffering, humility, and gentleness, &c. and are not the children of God in these things manifest? and are not the children of the divel, (in the other ground bringing forth other fruit of the curse) also manifest? But if you will not hear, nor lay these things to heart, and give over afflict­ing, oppressing, and grieving my dear children, and tender babes that cry unto me night and day, and give glory to my great and dreaful name, by returning from the evil that is in your hands, I will destroy you and your seed from off the face of the whole earth, & blot out your name from under heaven, and your remembrance shall stinck (and be a grief) to my chosen, yet shall they rejoyce over you, when the smoke of your torment shall ascend up for ever and ever, saith the Lord God Almighty,

For thus saith the Lord God, these people whom you hate (and seek many waies to ensnare and take counsel together against, and abuse and persecute, and imprison, whip, stone, revile and reproch by the name QUAKERS, who abide faithful to my son the light of the world, that lighteth every man that cometh into the world; they are dear unto me, my chosen, my dear children, my beloved ones, and he that toucheth them, touch­eth the apple of mine eye, whose cry is entred into my ears, and my pitty is towards them, and my bowels are moved for them, for whose sake I will reprove Kings, and kingdomes shall be overthrown that rise up against them, and every tongue that rise up in judgement against them, will I condemne, for I the Lord search the heart, and try the reins, and will reward every man according to his deeds.

Therefore consider these things, ye proud and scornful men, who are of the birth born after the flesh, persecuting the birth of the spirit, being moved with envy & wrath (which is of the Divel) against an innocent people, whom the Lord God will preserve and doth, though out of your sight, whom the God of this world hath blinded, and all you false teachers, deceitful workers, who use your tongues both to pray and also to lye, flander, and revile; whose hearts are exercised in covetous practises, and yet sometime (for a cloke) will speak against it, as if one fountain can yield salt water and fresh, but your skirts are discovered upon your face, and you shall be made manifest to them that yet see you not, and shall be a by word to nations, ye proud prophane hirelings, ye trea­cherous priests of England, from you prophaness is gone forth into all the land, who by your lyes and by your lightness hath caused many to erre, the Lord God will root you out without hand, and the very savour of your root shall become loathsome to the earth, (which is weary to bare you) and your foundation shall be utterly swept away, and no place for it shall be found, for you have been founded upon (and upheld by) the beastly nature and seed of enmity, within and without, of which now the Lord God of endless strength, is making an utter end, and none shall be able to deliver out of his hand, therefore is a cry heard among you, to the hills and to the mountains of the earth, to hide and cover you from the wrath of the lamb, against whom you make war, (who is the light of the world and your condemnation whose deeds are evil) but the mountains shall be overturned with the fierce indignation of the Lord, and cast into the sea of con­fusion and torment with you, who strive to hide you from the day that makes manifest, and from the stroke of his righteous judgements, and the fury of the Lord God Almighty will sweep the land of evil doers, and no place shall be found for the worker of iniquity, but shame and confusion of faces shall come upon you, and you shall gnaw your tongues for pain, and shall curse your God and your King, for a dreadful and bitter day is fastning upon you all, who are in the enmity against the meek spirit (in Cains nature) va­gabond from God in the earth where your names are written, and not in the Lambs book of life that was slain from the foundation of the world, (the foundation of trans­gression) [Page] when envy, and pride, and vain glory had a [...] spirit was slain by it, hear this ye that have an ear to hear, for he shall reign and get the victory, that was dead and is alive for evermore, and hath the key of David, and shall overcome and have the dominion, and rule and authority over all the kingdomes of men: ô ye foolish and without understanding, I have ye not read, that the lamb that vvas slain is worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and blessing, and that he shall prevail though ten Kings make war with him; consider this ye that strive with your maker, by whom you will be broken in pieces like a potters vessel, and was it not the Dragon (which is cast out of heaven) that makes war with the lamb, and was it not the Divel which had great wrath, when he saw he had but a short time, and was it not the great red Dragon, the old serpent, that made war with the woman, and the remnant of her seed, who kept the Commandements of God, and had the testimony of Jesus, these are them, the divel, the serpent, and his seed makes war against, against them that keep the commands of God, and have the testimony of Jesus, who saith believe in the light, and how can ye believe which receive honour one of another, and saith swear not at all, and they shall hale you out of their Sinagogues and bring you before ru­lers and governours for my namesake, and this shall turn to you for a testimony, (mark) for his sake that saith, swear not at all for his namesake, that respecteth not the person of any man, for his namesake that saith, how can ye believe, that receive honour one of another, for his namesake that testifie against the works of the world that are evil, haled out of the Synagogues, brought before rulers, persecuted and despitefully used for his sake, for keeping his commandements, and bearing his testimony against whom the ser­pent and his seed makes war, heer's the testimony, but the woman that brings forth the man child, (against whom the dragon cast out his flouds of reproch and persecution) [...] hid from the face of the serpent, glory to the Lord for ever.

And is not the lamb, the light of the holy city, where the dogs that bite and the un­clean devouring beasts shall not enter, but are shut out, and all lyers, and unbelieving, who believe not in the light of the world, in the lamb of God that taketh away the sin, whose Kingdome and glory is hid from the wise and prudent of the world, whose face to them is marred, and his forme more then the sons of men, who know not the bride the lambs wife, for the glory of the kings daughter is within, and not of the visible world, therefore the world knoweth her not, and the Princes of this world never knew the Lord of glory, who lighteth every man that cometh into the world: hearken ye bitter spirits, ye hasty, rash, and high minded men, whose wrath and pride blinds your understandings that you cannot perceive the invisible and eternal things of God, but are tossed in the sea of confusion, and darkness and cannot rest; consider these things, are not we whom you hate and persecure, and make a great stir and noise about, as a city set on a hill which cannot be hid, and unknown to you, yea verily we are, and are not we whom you grievously afflict without cause, as the light of the world, and the salt of the earth now, and can you endure the savour of them that fear the living God, and worship him in the spirit and in the truth amongst you, are you not like the horse that smells the battel afar off, and rageth when he hears the sound of a trumpet: but the trumpet of the Lord God is sounded out of Sion, and you shall tremble, and your whole foundation shall be shaken, the Lord hath spoken it.

Come let us try you, ye that cry peace, and cry for peace, can you endure to be tryed by the light of the son of God, who seek not honour from men, but is meek and without guile, and saith swear not at all, and saith, I came not to send peace on earth but a sword; come how do you feel his life and words, that respecteth not the person of any man, and denies the glory of the world, and testifieth against the evil thereof without respect of per­sons, whether in rulers, priests or people, and saith how can you believe that receive honour [Page] one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God onely, are his words peace to your life, and do you savour them well as a joy to you, or are they as a sword in your bowels, and cuts you to the heart as Stephens did, when he spake to the Council Scribes, Priests and Elders, and people who gnashed on him with their teeth, and stoned him for the testimony of Jesus, come try your peace whether it be in the earth, upon which the sword is to come, or whether he is your peace that brings the sword upon the earth, who seeks not honour from men, who is the condemnation of them whose deeds are evil. And see if you can endure the salting with fire, and the day of tryal and the hour of temptation that will come upon all them that dwell on the earth to try them, and do you not dwell on the earth, who are seeking earthly honour and imprisoning for it, and will not the sword of Gods righteous judgements come upon you for these things, see how you exceed your father, who did but tempt, and not imprison the son of God, when he would not bow down nor worship him, think on this and tremble, ye seed of evil doers, and consider your vvaies and the vvhole course of your life, and the end thereof, and see if you can dvvell vvith devouring fire, and vvith the everlasting bur­nings, for a fire the Lord God of our life is kindling among you, and the thickets of the forrest and the ravenous beasts, and the false Prophets shall be consumed by it, and the day is at hand, that a sword shall be upon your right arme, and it shall be dryed up, and your right eye shall be utterly darkned, and you shall look for light but behold darkness, and dimness and blindness, and anguish and vexation of spirit, with bitter lamentation, and for a comforter, but there will be none because you have despised reproof, and did not choose the fear of the Lord, but have said in your hearts there is no God, and what Lord shall controle us, therefore Gods righteous witness (the light in your consciences, which makes manifest the hidden things of dishonesty) will judge and condemne you for all your ungodly deeds and hard speeches, that you ungodly have committed, and spoken against him and his dear children, and that is nigh you wh ch will tell the matter, and he that seeth in secret will reward you openly, according to the works of your hands, and will let you see all that ever you have acted, in vvhose living povver and life I novv vvarn you to consider your vvaies, and repent vvhile you have yet time, and prise this your visitation, lest it stand a dreadful vvitness for the Lord God against you, and the thing that belong to your eternal peace, be for ever hid from your eyes, and your house left unto you desolate.

This is a warning from the spirit of the living God in his servant, who suffers (in the spirit of meekness) for his precious truths sake who desires not the death of a sin­ner, but rather that he might turn from his wickedness and live, and am in the house of correction at Winchester, where I have freely given up my life in the will of God, if it be to the finishing my testimony against a sinful and adulterous generati­tion; to which prison I was sent as a wanderer from the town in which I was born, (and which is in the same county) and have been kept neer 12. months because I cannot promise to go home, against whom no evil or breach of law hath been char­ged, though too Assises and four Sessions have past in the time of my imprisonment, who am of the world called,

THe Lord God Almighty of heaven and earth (who is the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob) is risen with his eternal dreadful power, to gather and to scatter, and no people powers or nations shall be able to stop his way, for he in whose presence all the nations of the earth, are but as a drop of a bucket, is risen as a Giant to the battlel, and he who maketh war in righteousness is gone forth conquering and to conquer, out of whose mouth goeth a sharp two edged sword, with which he will slay the wicked, and cut the heathen, that rage asunder, for the Lord God of life and terrible Majesty, is now risen to judge for the meek of the earth, and to plead the cause of the poor, against him that is too strong for him, and is now making inquisition for blood, and he remembreth the cry of the humble, for the year of his redeemed is come, and the day of vengeance is in his heart, he proclaimeth liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison doors to them that are bound, who hears the groanings of his pretious seed, and for its sake is come down to deliver.

Therefore woe, thick darkness and dreadful plagues vvill come upon Pharaoh and all his host, vvho oppresseth the righteous seed (the born of God) in the land of your dark­ness and house of bondage; for the Prophet of the Lord God like unto Moses (vvho set­teth before man good and evil, life and death, the blessing and the curse) vvhich God hath raised up in the midst of his brethren vvhich all are to hear, he is novv trying Pharaoh, or the sons and daughters of men vvho are hardned, from his fear, vvho loves the darkness rather then the light because their deeds are evill, and refuseth to let that go vvhich groaneth, and doth sigh and cry for deliverance, and hungers and thirsts after righteousness, vvhich being desolate and trodden under foot in many, it mourneth unto him, and the cry of it is entred into the ears of the Lord God of rest, and this is the seed vvhich the Lord is gathering into his gardner, of eternal do­minion and peace, and all the chaffe vvhich about it oppresseth (though in a profession without the life and power of the seed) will the Lord God consume with the unquench able fire.

Therefore take heed, and be you warned of the Lord God of heaven, all ye rulers, go­verners and people of the earth, and all you of this isle, and whom the Lord God Al­mighty hath moved many of his dear servants in the dreadful pure power of his might, and in the bowels of love to visit your souls: I say take heed of striving to hinder this the great mighty and powerful work of Gods love amongst the Children of men, as you will answer it before the throne of God and of the Lamb, who is the light of the world, and lighteth every man that cometh into the world, to whom all judgement and power is committed, who is now come to judge the world in righteousness and the people with his truth, and he must reign till all his enemies are brought under his feet, the Lord God of everlasting strength hath spoken it: for he is now coming in ten thousands of his saints to convince all that are ungodly among you of their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners have spoken against him, who is the true light, that lighteth every man that cometh into the world, who upon them will execute the judgment written, for now is the Lord of life fulfilling his promise, which he hath spoken by his former Prophets, that in the last dayes the mountain of the Lords house shall be established upon the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and many people shall flow unto it, and shall goe and say, come ye and let us go up unto the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his waies, and we will walk in his paths, and let us walk in the light of the Lord; so that the head stone (the mountain of the Lords house (which the wise master-builders have rejected and refused, (who is the light of the world the [Page] eternal wisdome and power of God) is he establishing upon the top of all your dark mountains, of pride, envy and ambition, and exalting above your lofty hills of oppressi­on and rage, and his day (who is the light) shall be upon every one that is proud, and upon every one that is high and lifted up, and he shall be brought low, and the Lord God alone shall be exalted on that day; for the decree is gone forth, and the consuming fire is kindled among the thickets of the forrest, and his eternal love is streaming forth toward the meek in the earth, and against this his mighty and powerful work, the gates of hell, and all the ru lars of the darkness of this world, shall never prevail, the eternal Lord God of heaven and earth hath spoken it, Therefore in vain do all the potsheards of the earth strive vvith their maker, and they that resisteth, resisteth not man, but God, (who is the higher power that lighteth every man that cometh into the world) and such receives to themselves damnation, for to him we are subject who rides meekly upon the foal of an ass, the wild asses colt, (he that readeth let him understand) and he is our peace, in whose mouth is found no guile, therefore let none be high minded but fear; for thou ô man (who art lifted up above the Stem of Jesse, and the off-spring of David,) bearest not the root but the root thee, therefore thou art to fear and dread the presence of the living God, and depart from evil, and this is the beginning of the eternal wis­dome (which is justified of her children) which is from above, pure, peaceable meek, gentle sober, and easie to be intreated, whose voice is to you (in the power of its love) ye people of this Island, and this will lead you if you embrace it, into its own paths which is eternal peace, and this leads out of rashness, crookedness and perversness, and out of headiness and high mindedness, and out of all the lusts and pleasures of sin, which are but for a season, and this brings to be just merciful and tender hearted, and to speak truth every man to his neighbour, and this will lead to entertain strangers, when by it you come to see your selves have been strangers to the life of God, (which is holy just and righteous and full of good [...] and this will let you soldiers see that you ought not to do violence, or accuse any man falsly, and that you ought to live soberly and righteously in this present world: for all men shall know that the Captain of our salva­tion (vvhich vvas made perfect through sufferings, vvho is the true light that is gone forth conquering and to conquer vvith his eternal arme of povver) that he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and must reign over the world, and all its enmity and haugh­ty povvers of darkness, (vvhich is but as a vapour) for by him the vvorld vvas made, and he is the heir that is novv come to take peace from the earth, and to call and gather in­to his Vineyard of eternal life, and those that are vvilling and obedient shall eat the good of the land, but those that refuse and rebel shall be devoured vvith his svvord, the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.