TO all the Nations Countries, Kingdomes, Tongues Peo­ples and Languages that are upon the face of the whole earth, And perticularly and more nearly, to the Inha­bitants of England and the Kingdomes, Countries, and Islands, to the same belonging, and adjoyning, and of all the Citys Towns, Villages, Hamblets, and Places thereof; unto you all and every one of you, high and low, Rich and Poor, bond and free, male, and female, Priest, and People, Professors, and pro­faine, even from the King that sits upon his Throne, unto the Begger upon the Dunghil; This is the word and Invitation of the Lord God, and a warning unto you by my mouth, that you all and every one of you who are found in unrighteousnesse unho­linesse, or uncleannesse, of any kind, do speedily repent and re­turn every man from the evill of his ways, and from the vio­lence that is in his hands, and by a due repentance, hast to meet the Lord God in all holinesse of life and uprightnesse of conver­sation, if so be that you may escape, and that you perish not; and be ye cleansed, and purged, and cleanse, and purge, all your streets broad places, and high wayes, and all your Markets, Chanells, watersewers, and gutters; as in the outward; so in the inward, your very hearts, from all those filthy nastie stinking noysome ill savours of sin iniquty, uncleannesse, persecution, op­pression, and unholinesse; with which as with a filthy nastie noysom ill savour your said streets, Townes, Steeplehouses, and other places abounds: that so an high way in holinesse may be made for our God (who is a consumeing fire; and whose eyes is purer then to behold iniquity) to come down amongst you; and make his progress through you, to take possession of his own Inheritance (to wit) the heart of man, which should be filled with righteousnesse, and be made the habitation of his holinesse, and to see what this is, that the Children of men is a doing; and what it is, that this great Busle, and Stirr that is amongst them is about; for there hath been for a long time much profession made amongst the sons and daughters of men, some prepareing [Page 2]and inventing, or setting up one way, or form of worship to come to the Father by, (as they pretended, and by which they might escape the wrath to come) and some an other; and every of the said severall sorts of professors, killing rending, tearing, riveing and distroying another, about what they have so set up and invented, because they will not be of the same way or cannot be of the same perswasion with them. Symenting what they have so set up, with one anothers blood, and not onely with one an others blood, but even every sort of them (as it were with open mouth) have run a­gainst the heritage of the Lord, if possible to distroy them, one building a wall and another daubing it with untempered morter; and thus like the Babell builders of old, hath every perswasion, or severall sort of professors, endeavoured to set up a Tower, and build something whose top, should reach unto heaven, and be a deliverance unto them: And great stirr havock spoyl de­struction and bloodshed, hath there been made, about the se­verall wayes, worships, and professions so set up and invented; But now the Lord God of life and power (as in the days of old when the Babell builders aforesaid was at their Confused work) is come and a comeing down amongst you, to see what this is, that the Children of men is a doing, and will certainely, not onely break down and confound the work, but also scatter and destroy the workmen, And confound that Language, in which you do pretend to worship him; For though you a­mongst your selves may differ somthing in the form and manner of your professions and pretence of worshiping God, yet in the root and ground of evil (to wit) pride, persecution, unholinesse, and unrighteousnesse, you are one; And therefore now all peo­ple, that are upon the face of the whole earth, I dearly desire you seriously to consider, if This Message or warning which now comes to you, in the name of the Lord God, (to call you to re­pentance and to forewarne you to fly, from the wrath that is likely with speed to come upon you, who are found in unrighte­ousnesse, [Page 3]Except you repent and return and be reconsiled and meet the Lord by a holy life and conversation); Were the message and request of your outward King, by his Messenger or harbenger unto you to give you notice of his approach unto you, And intended progress through your Towns Vil­lages, and wayes, with request to make provision and enter­tainment for him, or otherwise, that he would be offended with you, and do some iniury to you? Oh with what promt­nesse and readinesse [consider] would you bestirr your selves, to prepare for his approach and to give reception unto him: how would you dress and cleanse your streets Pavements, and channells, and scour and make clean your high wayes, Gutters, Watersewers, and sinks, (by which he should pass) and remove and purge out, all the dirt filth stinck and noy­some ill savours out, all the same? and how would you deck and adorne your selves in your most cleane and Sumptious apparell, to meet and give entertainement unto him, and sweep, dress, and perfume, your best Roomes for his recep­tion, and with what Obsequiousnes and humility would you come before him and present your selves unto him, and do what else you thought might please him: and if you would doe all this and much more (if it were possible) for the en­tertainement of your outward King, In how much more hum­ble, holy, lowly, Prostrate, heavenly, and Obedient Man­ner, ought you to be prepared, to stand before and give en­tertainment to so Glorious a King as is the heavenly God, whose eyes is purer then to behold Iniquity and no unclean thing can stand before him, Who is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and before whom all the Nations of the earth is but as the drop of a Bucket, who (as was said before) is now come or a coming amongst you, and will make his pro­gress through you, that he may render to every man, accord­ing as his works shall be, Tribulation and anguish, to every soule that doth not righteously, and therefore, how clean [Page 4]ought your garments (even the coverings of your spirits or spirituall coverings) in all holinesse to be, and how become­ing and needfull it is for you [consider] to have your hearts (which should be the habitation of God) purged and made clean, from all those foul runing inward evills; and filthy, nastie, noysome, ill savours; of sin and uncleannesse, with which you are polluted; and your whole man redeemed out of and from, all those your vain conversations and evill prac­tises [to wit] Pride, lying, drunkennesse, swearing, curse­ing, whoring, gaming, wantonnesse, and all those other a­bominations with which (notwithstanding your severall pro­fessions) your said Countrys, Citys, Towns, Villages, Streets, Steeple-houses, and places, in too large a measure abounds; for is it not a shame unto you and to your severall professions, nay to the very name of Chirstianity, to see, what pride and gaudinesse, lying, swearing, cursing, drinking, whoring, car­rowsing debaucherys, and all manner of evills, & abominations, are to be found, seen, and heard amongst you, and in your said Countryes, Citys, Towns, streets, Steeple-houses, and places, so that it may be truly said of these and the like evills, as the prophet Jeremiah said of swearing Jer: 23. that be­cause of these things the Land mournes; and therefore as a warning and Message from the Lord God, I cannot or dare not, but give you notice, And warn and Charge you as you love your Eternall good, that with all speed you fly these things before spoken of; and all other the crying sins and abominations, with which God is displeased, and of which in too large a measure, you are too deeply Guilty; For my Freinds, minde but your selves, and looke back upon your conversations and practices; and that with a serious eye, and you shall see, that the old world and Sodom, nor any o­ther of the evill generations that have gone before you, and whom the Lord God condemned and out of, for their Ini­quities; was never more unrighteous or did abound with [Page 5]more abominations, then this generation even your selves doth: For oh! the Lying, Swearing, Whordomes, De­baucheryes, and Prophamness of all sorts that is to be found among you, are almost Innumerable, therefore wash you make you clean; put away the evil of your doings, from before the Lord, be afflicted and mourn, let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your Joy into heaviness; for the Lord God hath a controversie with the Inhabitants of the earth, because of Lying, and Swearing, and comitting of Adul­terie, and blood toucheth blood; and therefore come out of them, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance and that with speed, and think not that your professions, (which stands in the unrighteousness) will save you; But let righteousness run down your streets as streams, and uprightness and truth as mighty rivers, that so the refuge of lyes (and of all other abominations, of which you are guilty,) may be swept away, and mind that of God in your own consciences which shews you sin and evill and be obedient thereunto, that if possible you may escape the Lords wrath, that you perish not, for I testifie unto you that if you do not fly these things before spoken of, and all other the crying evills, and abominations of which you are and have been too deeply guilty, and be­cause of which the wrath of God comes upon upon the child­ren of disobedience; and which makes you and your profe­ssions, even to stinck and become abominable before the Lord; and get under the hollow of his hand, and shaddow of his wings by a due repentance, and cease to do evill and learn to do well, and break the bonds of wickedness, and let the oppressed go free, and break every yoak; the Lord God will even come against you, and will even sweep you with the Besom of distruction, and that speedly, except you re­pent; and he will even deliver his People out of your mouths, that they may be a prey and spoyl to you no longer: And therefore dear people of all sorts, especially within this my [Page 6]native country of England, And the Countryes Places, and Isles thereto belonging, and Adjoyning, Consider, and whilest you have a time lay it to heart; for the Lord God (concerning many of you last before named) hath even sworn by his holiness and hath said he will not repent; that it shall surely come to pass; And that though Noah, Abraham, David, Daniel, and Job, were amongst you or in the midst of you, and did offer them­selves to stand in the Gap, yet they should deliver no more by their righteousnesse save every one his own soule; so be warned and whilest you have time Prize it, this is a visita­tion to you therefore sleight it not.

And now my deare friends unto you, in all nations, who in obedience to the principle of life and righteousnesse made manifest in you have forsaken, and are a forsakeing, the broad way and paths that leads to distruction, and those many and gross abominations before mentioned, which causeth the wrath of God to come upon the children of disobedience, e­ven to you, who are in Scorne called Quakers; who have heard and do hear the voyce of the true Shepheard and hath followed the same, in coming out of the many wayes and pro­fessions into the one way Christ Jesus; Keep in the same even way and Path, I dearly desire you, (for unto you also this Message reacheth,) that none of you may be found scattered abroad from under the true shelter, even the Lord Jesus Christ, or out of the Sheep-coat and fold of rest, but that you may with all speed (even as Sheep runs after their shepherd, when they hear his voice and Call,) Get under the Shaddow of the Lords wings and under the hollow of his hand, and fly thither even as Bees doth to their hive, and as travelling men doth under the shaddow of a great Tree or other covert, when they perceive, the approach of an ensueing great Storm, or Shower, that they may find safety: Even so fly yee; unto him in whom safety is found. And hast, hast I dearly desire every one, that is abroad (if any such there be) from out of [Page 7]the open Fields and places, and from off the high Mountains and hills, where there is no Shelter, and come into the low Val­leyes and under the Roofe of God even the shelter and sha­dow of his holiness, that you may be safe when the destroying Angel passeth over; For you know, or may be perswaded, that they who are under a good Roofe or Covert, and there abides, may be and are often safe, from abiding the extremity of that Storme or Shower, which they that are abroad in the open Fields and without shelter must sustaine: And therefore let none be strayed from their Habitation (I dearly desire) but all keep within their Tents, haveing the Lintall and side posts of their homes, stricken with the blood of Sprinkling, That when he who smote the first born of Egypt goeth forth, you may be safe; And not only safe but also ready, having your Loynes girded, your Staff in your hand and your shooes on your feet, that you may goe on with him, into whatsoever State, Condition or Service of Holyness the Lord God shall call you to, being cloathed in righteousness and having your Garments made clean in the blood of the Lamb, even such, as in which it may be lawful for you, to behold your King the Lord God of hosts; being purged from all spots and staynes, and made white, having your Lamps trimed and lights burn­ing, that when the Cry comes, you may enter in, And none be shut out of the Bride Chamber.

And my Deare Friends, It lyes further weightily upon me to signifie unto you, That the Lord God of Eternall life and power, doth intend and is about, to make his great, and Glo­rious, heavenly progress, throughout, and to the uttmost ends of all the Earth, And hath Chosen or Elected you, be­fore all the Nations of Them that dwell upon the face of the same earth, to be his Attendants, and to wait upon him, in his so great and glorious, and heavenly a progress, And hath or doth further lay it upon me, in his living everlasting power and by the arm of his Eternal Authority, to warn and Charge [Page 8]and Cite, and Summon you all, and every one of you, high and low, Rich and poor, bond and free, Male and Female, That you and every one of you, (according to your several measures and guifts, and according to every ones several Condition and Calling, whereunto the Lord God hath called and begifted you) be, and personally appear in Spirit before him, and give your Spiritual Attendance upon him, and that in such an holy, upright and undesiled way, and after such an humble, lowly, prostrate, dilligent, heavenly, and obedient manner, as is suteable to your duty, and doth become the dig­nity Majestie and purity of so holy and heavenly, a God, as he is with whom we have to do, That so the everlasting God, in all things may be glorified by you, and his truth and great name, be by, or through none disgraced, that so he may de­light to do you good, and call you up higher, and make you further pertakers of his manifold graces, which are yet be­hind, and which he hath yet laid up in store in Christ Jesus, for all them that love him, and who are the called Accord­ing to his purpose, And who do follow him in the Regenera­tion, haveing their garments washed in the Blood of the Lamb, For (as it is written,) it doth not yet appear what we shall be, But when he shall appear, then shall we also ap­pear with him in Glory; So mind to keep in, and to that which is pure, And which you have known from the begin­ning, that when he comes whose Reward is with him, to give to every man according as his work shall be, you may none of you come short, but every one (if it be possible) Enter into the Joy of his Lord: For consider if an outward King do but Summon his Servants, or Subjects, to give their attendance upon him in his outward progress, with what readiness, and willingness, will they appear before him, and in how Reve­rent and accomplished manner, will they endeavour to wait upon him that they may receive acceptance with him and (if possible) gaine preferment from him: And if it be so [Page 9]done in the outward by the Servants, or Subjects of an external Prince, let not us who are the servants, and who should be the Subjects of a Heavenly King, come short of our inward Duty, and obedience to the holy God, whose eyes is purer then to behold iniquity, and who is a liberall rewarder of all them that come unto him, and that wait upon him in truth and with an upright heart: And therefore my dear Friends, if any thing of the old stuffe, nature, or leaven yet remain in any, to hinder in this behalf, and if the Room (which is the heart, where the Lord should lodge, and finde entertainment in this his Spiritual progress, be not yet throughly swept, cleansed, purged, garnished, and perfumed, for the recep­tion and entertainment, of so holy and heavenly a guest, now while we have the Light to see, and the besom (which is the power of God) to sweep, let us hast to dress the same, that if it be possible (my dear friends) we may none of us come short (according to our severall measures) of doing our duty to, and waiting upon so holy a God as him with whom we have to doe, and who is now calling and Inviteing unto a most near and heavenly attendance upon him:

And my friends though the storm may appear to be great, and the tempest that is likely to overtake the wicked (except they repent) exceeding terrible, yet be not dismayed, for it is not intended to scatter the wheat but to refine it, and to blow away the Chaff, and sever that which is intended for the wrath, from the pure grain; Dear Friends this comes to give warning and discharge a Duty, and not to reflect on any; And therefore hast hast I dearly desire, And let none think light of what is said, or look on it as being not of their Concern, but every one up, get upon your watch-tower. That when the Lord comes you may be ready, and when he speaks you may hear.

And now there is another sort of People amongst the Sons and daughters or men, unto whom also this Message and Invi­tation [Page 10]of the Lord reacheth, and those are they, who (not out of hatred to the Lords truth, or envie to his people,) stands a far off, from the same, yet are not so bad as the worst, neither runs with them to the same exccess of ryot, nor are of the like persecuting spirit with this generation, and doe many of them, even in their hearts wish well to the Israel of God, and de­sire that their latter end might be like his, And have some­times, even in heart mourned over the afflictions and hard useage of the Lords People, and Simpathized with them in their Sufferings, and yet have not been willing to come under the Cross of Christ, and to suffer Afflictions with the peo­ple of God, but have rather chosen to Imbrace this present evil world, and continue in the Fashions and Customes there­of, though many of them hath not been without reproofes and often Alarmed, with something that hath sounded from under the Alter in their eares, whereby their peace, hath been many times broken, And they forced to look back, from off the Mountaines upon which they have been gone up: And unto all those and every other amongst the Sons and Daughters of men, who Breaths and Thirsts after Righteousnes and longs after an acquaintance with the Lord and with his wayes; unto you I say, and it is the Invitation of the Lord, that you come away and follow the breathings of that in you, which Longs and Thusts after Righteousness, And stay no longer in the Vanities, Follyes, Fashions, and Customes of the world, or any of the professions thereof, But be ye Separate saith the Lord God, touch not the unclean thing, but follow the lead­ings, guidings, and directions, of that of God in their own Consciences, which shews you sin and evil, and the vanities and emptiness of all things below him; And the Lord God will receive you; But if you stay any longer in this Genera­tion, and will not be reclamed from their vaine conversations, and redeemed from the evills, and gathered from out of the Fashions, Customes, Uncleannesses, and unrighteousness of [Page 11]which they are guilty, you must be content to share with them in their punishments; for he that will pertake with them in their sins, Must pertake with them in their Plagues for the houre of their Judgments is come, And the Lamb the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah, hath made himselfe ready, therefore fly for your lives (I dearely desire you) and get you out of Sodom even this Wicked Generation, And from of the high Mountaines of Conceitednes upon which any of you are gone up, And get from under every green Tree, and false Rest, into which you are gone, and under which you have sought shaddow, And come, out fly unto the Zoar of God, the Mount­taine of his holiness, to his little flock, and that with speed; Get out of the way of his Indignation and come under the mercy seat of God, for you are they, that yet stands in the Gap, and stops the stroke of Gods wrath, from falling upon the wicked, not because the Lord hath beheld more holiness or seen more uprightness in you, then in any of the sons of men, But because he hath a desire to gather you, and to ex­tend mercy unto you, for the breathing seed's sake that is in you, And because of the good, and kindness, forbearance, pity, and Compassion, that some of you (like Rahah) hath shewed to his People, even his little Flock, in scorne called Quakers, in the times of their sufferings, which he doth here­by proffer to Requite you for, (if you hear and obey,) by giving you Eternal Life, And by plucking you as brands out of that fire which is likely to fall upon the wicked: But then my friends you must come speedily, and not stay lingering, Gods Spirit will not allwayes strive with flesh, Remember Lots wife. And you must not only make haste, but you must also come in the right way, even by the footsteps of the Flock, in the self denyal, and taking up the Cross of Christ to your own wills, And to all those desires, Customes, and Fashions, [Page 12](which are contrary to him,) And come to the plain Lan­guage [thou and the] to a single person, at which many of you have stumbled, And in all other things you must follow the footsteps of the flock, unto the Tent of the true shep­herd, under whose roofe there is onely safety; Therefore fly thither I dearly desire, and that with speed, let none stay be­hind or think light of what is said: Remember Lot Sons in Law, who though they were warned, yet would not they o­bey and therefore, escaped not the wrath, that was poured upon the wicked: But be ye not like the Horse and Mule, that hath no understanding, but come away and that with speed, and by the Right way: Fly for your lives, and now while you have time, and that a hand of Mercy is held out and extend­ed unto you, Take the oppertunity, and Sleight it not: But if you will not obey, In hasting out of that, Aganst which the wrath of God shall be revealed, yet Remember, that you have been warned, and know that your Distruction is of you selves, So while you have a time prize it, This is the day of your Vi­sitation.

And thus dear people of all sorts, and of all Nations, Espe­cially of this my Native Country of England, I hope I have Cleared my selfe of that which the Lord God in this behalf laid upon me, in warning the wicked to fly from their wicked­ness, least the wrath of God come speedily upon them.

And also in warning the flock of God, to keep in their fold and under the roof of their sheep-coate, and that without straying, that they may escape that Stormie shower which is likely to overtake such as are abroad, or doe abide in the open fields without shelter.

And also in warning such as seems to halt between two opinions, and such as breath after the Lord, and have not been so Cruell, but more kind then others, to the people of [Page 13]God, that they in and through obedience, to that of God in their Consciences, which shews them sin and evill, may fol­low after the footsteps of the Lords flock, to feed with them and find harbour under the Tent of the trur Shepherd, that they may escape, and that they perish not, I desire that e­very one hereby Advised may be fully warned, and take the Oppertunity offered, and bring forth the fruits desired, that they may escape (if possible) the Judgment threatned, that they Perish not,

I desire Friends to read this in their Meetings, and also disperse the same abroad (if possible) amongst all Nations and to all People for my discharge.