your wants, and make supply unto you; so that, many of you are so provided for, as ye had never like to have been while in this world, had it not been for the interest, God gives you in the hearts of others, through and because of his Truth. Surely, this should not be forgotten by you, but daily acknowledged to the Lord, in the use and enjoyment of those things, which ye ought to receive as from his hand, through those who minister to you in his name, and for his sake.

And, take heed of murmuring, if the supply answer not any of your expectations; for, if we wait upon the Lord, to be ordered and guided by him in this matter, and answerably witness his presence with us, and holy wisdom ordering us in these affairs; your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. And, if ye watch narrowly over yourselves, ye will find, it is the unsubdued part, which is apt to be repining and murmuring; but, that which is of the Lord and eyes him, is that which is sensible of his goodness, and thankful to him for it. But, if there be judged to be any neglect towards any, or any just cause of complaint; let it, in tenderness, meekness, and the fear of the Lord, be laid before us; and we will wait upon him to give it a due and full consideration, and do therein as the Lord shall open and guide our hearts. For, great exercises of spirit do we meet with in these affairs, and great are our cries of spirit to the Lord, to guide and order us according to his will and holy counsel therein.

And, dear Friends, wait to feel that which stays your minds on the Lord, and keeps your eye towards him; and take heed of judging us in things, wherein we truly desire to act singly towards the Lord, and of which we must give an account to him; and, if ye in any thing judge us, wherein our God justifies us, certainly the Lord will therein condemn you. Therefore, be wary and watchful in this matter.

I. P.

Afflictions

LETTER LXVI.

may work out a Weight of Glory.

To my dear suffering Friends in Scotland.

DEAR FRIENDS AND BRETHREN,

Who have partaken of the tender mercy and blessed visitation of the Lord.

O! blessed be the Lord, who pitied and helped us in our low estate, and whose tender love and mercy hath followed us, from his first visiting us to this present day! And indeed, the Lord is with us, (what can we desire more?) preparing us for himself, preserving us in the life of his blessed Truth, building us up more and more, and causing his Spirit of glory and living power to rest upon us, and the virtue thereof to spring up in us day by day.

O! the beauty and glory of the day of our God increaseth upon his heritage, blessed be the name of the Lord! And, to what tend all the workings of the contrary spirit and power, but, to eat out its own interest and kingdom, through the Lord's blessed ordering of things; so that, all things work together for good, and for the advancing of Truth, and the growth of it in the hearts of God's heritage.

So, my dear Friends, none look out, either at outward or inward sufferings; but to the Lord only, whose life, Spirit, and power is above them, and bears up all over them, who are in spirit joined to him, faithfully waiting upon him; which God daily teaches and enables his to do. Thus, my dear Friends, feel the Lord's presence and power among you, who is always near his, but especially in the time of their straits, trials, adn sufferings: and wait to feel the life springing, and do

ing its proper work in each of you day by day; working out what is to be wrought out in any, and working more and more into the glory of the heavenly image; that, through the sufferings, ye may come into the glory, and be crowned with the glory, virtue, holiness, righteousness, and dominion of life over all; and thus, the Son may sit upon his throne in you, and wield his holy and righteous sceptre, and give you dominion in and with him over all that would veil life, or keep it under, in any of you. So, my dear Friends, be strong in the Lord, with the strength of the Lord, with which he is clothing those, whom he hath emptied and made weak; for the trials, temptations, and afflictions, prepare for, and (as I may say) lead into the possession of the desired inheritance; where, all that the soul hath breathed and waited for, is bestowed upon it, by the bountiful hand of the Father of mercies, who keeps covenant and mercy forever, and renews covenant and mercy day by day.

So, the tender God of my life, and Father of the blessings and mercies of my once greatly distressed and miserable soul, instruct you, preserve you, watch over you; exercise your spirits most advantageously, daily open you to himself; keep you empty and naked before him of all your own clothing and righteousness, and fill you with that, which flows from the pure living fountain; to the unspeakable joy of your hearts, and the glory of his own name over all forever!

Be of good faith, my dear Friends, look not out at any thing; fear none of those things ye may be exposed to suffer, either outwardly or inwardly; but trust the Lord over all, and your life will spring, and grow, and refresh you, and the love and power will purge out, and keep out, what would hinder its growth; and ye will learn obedience and faithfulness daily more and more, even by your exercises and sufferings; yea, the Lord will teach you the very mystery of faith and obedience; (oh blessed lesson!) and ye shall not be disappointed of your hope or crown, by any thing the enemy can plot

or bring about against you, but have the weight of glory increased and enlarged by his temptations, and your many sufferings; the wisdom, power, love, and goodness of the Lord, ordering every thing for you, and ordering your hearts in every thing, you having given up to him, and keeping them continually given up to him, in the holy seed of Truth, in which he hath in some measure already joined, and is daily more and more joining you to himself.

This is the salutation and tender visit of the love of your brother in the Truth; whose breathings are to God for you, and his praises unto Him, through the sense of his being with you, and daily showing mercy to you, upholding and preserving you in the midst of your sore trials and afflictions.

London,

5th of Fifth Month, 1676.

I. P.

LETTER LXVII.

Against Earthly Reasonings and Expectations.

DEAR SARAH,

To Sarah Bond.

I have had many thoughts of thee in this my imprisonment; wherein, I have seen in spirit thy error and miscarriage, and a hope and expectation in thy heart, which will deceive thee.

O how much precious time hast thou lost! wherein thou mightst have been travelling far on thy journey, while thou art disputing in thy mind, and wandering in the deceitful reasonings of thy heart. And indeed, it must not be, it must not be as thou imaginest; but, thou must begin low, and be glad of a little light to

travel with out of the earthly nature, and be faithful thereunto; and in faithfulness expect additions of light, and so much power as may help thee to rub on. And, though thou may be long low, and weak, and little, and ready to perish; yet, in the humble and self-denying state, the Father will help thee, and cause his life to shoot up in thee, in the shooting up whereof, will be thy redemption.

But, O hasten! O hasten out of the earthly nature, whilst thou hast time, or any visitations from the Spirit of the Lord! and do not in thy wisdom limit him, but accept what at present comes from him; for the flood is breaking out, and will swallow up and drown all, that are not found in the ark. Oh! therefore, enter, enter apace; mind that which checks in thy heart; mind also that which reasons against those checks, to hold thee still in captivity, and to keep thee from travelling out of the earthly nature, spirit, wisdom, and practices; and come out of the spirit and way of this world, that thou mayst live, and not die. For, none shall live, but those that walk in the way of life, and leave the paths and course of the dead, in which thou art yet entangled. O! that thou mightst be loosed, and travel out thence, with a little light and a little help; and not limit the Holy One of Israel in thy desires or expectations, but thankfully receive the smallest visitation that comes from him to thy soul; for, there is life and peace in it, and death and perplexity in turning from it. And, this will not be thy comfort or satisfaction hereafter, to have had a day of visitation and mercy from on high; but to have received the visitation, and to have been turned in it, from the darkness of the earthly mind and nature, into the light of the living and redeemed souls-this will be comfortable, indeed!

And this is my tender counsel to thee: wait for, and gaspingly receive the checks of the Most High, and take heed of reasoning against them; but, as that (though in a low, and mean, and despicable way to