To friends in England, Ireland, Scotland, Holland, New-England, Barbado's, or any where else where the Lord God shall order this to come, in the tender spirit of life and love, greeting

To Friends in England, Ireland, Scot∣land, Holland, New-England, Bar∣bado's, or any where else where the Lord God shall order this to come in the tender Spirit of Life and Love, greeting.

O Friends,

IN the pure love of God, and fresh Breath of his living Spirit, is it now on my heart to write unto you, in fear, in tenderness, in meltings and true sence of Spi∣rit; and the Lord God so guide my heart and words, as that they may reach the witness in the hearts of all that shall read, and may be felt by that to be purely of God, and not at all of the birth, will, or wisdom of the flesh.

I remember, I remember, O Friends, and it is in my heart to put you in remembrance of the cloudy, dismal and dark day, wherein the Shepherd of Israel 〈◊〉〈◊〉 our Souls, and what condition we were in, when he caused the Light of Life to shine upon our Tabernacles, and to spring up in us. O the desolation, the desolation that our Souls were in, in that day! O the wandrings up and down, the seekings, huntings, mournings, bitter com∣plaints, and deep distresses for want of our God, and for want of the guidance of his good Spirit! Who can utter now what was then felt of the thickness of darkness, of the misery, the loss, the dreadful captivity that poor Souls

were entangled and wraped up in? O how acceptable was the Visitation of God then! how deep was the sence of his tender Mercy in visiting! how glad was the Soul then of the living Path revealed! how unfainedly did it cleave unto the Lord, and embrace the measure of his Life revealed inwardly to the mind! how did it fear! how did it wait! how did it watch against the Enemy, and cry to the Father for his help! how beautiful were the Feet, and how pleasant the visitations of them, who brought the tydings of this Life and Peace! What love, what uni∣ty, what embracing one another in this life, was then wit∣nessed in the hearts of one another! and where this lives and grows to this day, O how precious is that Vessel! but where the Life in any is departed from, where ano∣ther thing (of another nature) hath entered and been en∣tertained by any, there it is not so; but there the love is grown cold, the mind changed, the goodness of the Lord forgotten, and the poor Soul again entangled in that which formerly it felt some release and deliverance from.

Now, that the Enemy would endeavour to entangle the minds of the Redeemed, and to draw them back from the Lord, and his pure measure of Life in the heart, towards Perdition again, that is not to be questioned, it being his Nature and Property so to do; and that he would use, not only his strength, but also all his subtilty & deceiveableness to affect this (his aim being at the Church and Redeemed of God, more then at the World) appear∣ing as an Angel of Light, in motions like Light, in wayes like Life, this is not to be doubted neither; for how else could he gain upon that, whose eye is towards, and whose aim is after the Lord? But this is the great thing for my heart, and the hearts of Friends, to be exercised in, to wait on the Lord, in his true Light, clearly to discern how far

we have been assaulted by this Enemy; and how far the Lord hath preserved us from his assaults, or suffered him to prevail upon us; for he hath prevailed in former Ages, under the ministration of the Law in the Prophets dayes, and under the ministration of the Gospel in the Apostles dayes; yea, and I must needs say, he hath also prevailed in our dayes, on all that have not watched in the pure Fear, and been preserved by the pure Power of the Lord. Now doth it not concern every one to look up to the Lord, to guide his heart in searching, that he may truly understand his state? that, if he can witness the preser∣vation of the Power, he may sing praise to the Power; but if he hath been betrayed and come to a loss, he may seek after the Power of Life again, and wait for delive∣rance and restoring by it. For with the Lord God is Mercy and Bowels, and he seeketh after and saveth the Lost, not once onely, but again and again; onely here is the great danger of Souls, when they are ignorant of their Captivity, and judge in themselves, and are guided by that, which should be judged down and destroyed in them; When Darkness is the light and leader in the Mind, O whither doth that Soul travel! how doth it judge, think, act! how sure doth the Enemy hold it in his Bonds and Chains! how easily doth he prejudice it against that, which is of God and for its good; and incline it to think favourably of that, which only appeareth to be of God, but is not, and is to its hurt.

Now Friends, there were three things on my heart this morning, which sprang up in true sence and demon∣stration of God's Spirit, as subtil engines, which the Ene∣my hath endeavoured to make use of to hurt our Souls; which any that have been entangled in, have received hurt by, and those that have escaped, have cause to bless

the Name of the Preserver of ISRAEL.

The first is this, By getting in Persons prejudices against those whom the Lord hath chosen, and pleaseth to make use of in Ministring to his People. Precious is the Mini∣stry that is in the Spirit, for the building up in Life, as well as for begetting. How doth the Enemy strive to prejudice the World against them, that there may be no begetting to God from amongst them? And how doth he also endeavour to raise prejudices among the Begotten, that he may interrupt, and (if possibly) stop their build∣ing up?

The second is this, To draw men from eying and sub∣jecting to the present dispensation, by an earnest looking after and waiting for another, or further. The security and blessing of the Soul lies in the present dispensation, in bowing to God there, in being diligent under the exer∣cises of his Spirit therein. Now that which draws the mind another way, from the present exercise, from belief in the present gift, under a specious pretence of waiting for somewhat more glorious to appear, betrayes and de∣ceives, in thus turning the mind out of the Path which God holds forth and guides into, towards expectation of a Path as yet to be revealed.

The third is this, Under a pretence of sticking to the enlightning & guidance of ones own measure, to set up a sense and judgement in the mind, both concerning per∣sons, practices, and things, which is not truly of the mea∣sure, but secretly instilled into and raised up in the mind, contrary to the pure measure of Life. All these have I not onely seen in Spirit, but been forely assaulted with; and that they have not prevailed upon me, even to de∣struction, is the tender mercy and kindness of the Lord unto me; and in that tenderness and love, for the preser∣vation

of others do I write these things: And indeed, I have somewhat in my heart to say singly and nakedly con∣cerning each of these, which the Lord guide and bless to the conditions of those who stand in need thereof.

First, Concerning those prejudices which the Enemy is apt to lay before the minds of Friends concerning those whom the Lord hath chosen to minister to them in the Power of his Truth, I shall say this: Look over the for∣mer dispensations of God; There were false Prophets under the Law, and false Apostles and Ministers in the time of that dispensation of the Gospel, who did strive and labour hard to disturb, undermine and overturn the Building and Work of God in the Spirits of his People then; but did God suffer the True Prophets under the Law, or his True Apostles to fall and lose their Ministry? And is not this present dispensation pure and living, and able to preserve both the Instructers and Instructed in the Lord? It is natural to the Enemy to suggest such a thing; but let all that fear the Lord and love his Truth, take heed how they entertain such a suggestion. Besides, he that hath felt the pure Power in his heart, and waited to be carried through the work of it, and hath been carried through and brought into the dominion, and set as a Pil∣lar in the Temple of the Lord; it is not easie (if possible) for him to fall, the Lord having undertaken for him, that he shall go no more forth, as Rev. 3. 12. But let me say this to thee, O Soul, who ever hast entertained this pre∣judice, Thou, through prejudices and suggestions judgest them fallen; but do not they, in the true Eternal Light of the Spirit of Life, see thee fallen? Nay, if thou couldst but retire to the pure measure that at first quickened thee, mightest not thou feel thy own fall?

To the second, Of drawing out the mind to look after

another or further dispensation, I have this to say: Con∣sider what this dispensation is; Is it not of the Seed it self? Is it not of the Light, Life and Power of the Fa∣ther, manifested in the Seed, and in the Soul through the Seed? Is not the sence quick, and the love pure, where this is felt? What wouldst thou have, poor Soul? O that thou feltest the virtue and power of this, surely thou wouldst then find, that thou mightest sit down here in the Peace, Purity, Power, Dominion and Perfection of Life; for it is all in the Seed, and to be revealed to thee, and be∣come thine, as thou art gathered into the Seed, and the Seed opened in thee. Besides, are there not many that have witnessed, and that can witness from God, that this is the dispensation which is to go through the whole earth? and shall it be laid aside in the beginning of its work? If there had been a Law given, which could have given Life, (said the Apostle) Righteousness should have been by the Law. God doth not change. When he hath brought forth that which will do the thing, why should he change it? Now of the ability of this, there are many witnesses; Yea it hath brought forth Life and Righteousness in those that have been subject to it, and was once owned as the desire of our Souls, and became a covering to our eyes that we could look no further; our hearts in the sense and life of Truth, being satisfied that this was the very thing we had long mourned after, and waited for. O that which begets another sense in any of us, (under what pre∣tence or appearance soever) let it be the abomination of our Souls, that we hearken not, nor give the least enter∣tainment to it, lest by it we be betrayed of our portion in the blessed Treasure and Inheritance.

To the third I say; It is a standing Truth, the Standard we were invited to, and to which we are to keep for ever,

even the measure of Life in our own Vessels: This will ju∣stifie us in our subjection to whatever it reveals; and its ju∣stification will stand, whatsoever any man else shall say to the contrary. But this is at unity in it self, and never op∣poseth the motion or appearance of Life in another. Now this is certain, the Enemy will appear as neer life and its motion, as he can; and if I receive his appearance, I am not subject to the measure of life in me, but to him under his deceitful appearance. Therefore if that, which ap∣pears like Life in thee, contradict a practice or appearance of Life in others, (who were in the Truth before thee, and are in the growth thereof far beyond thee) oughtest thou not to be sober in Spirit, and to wait in fear, lest thou shouldest be deceived, lest thou shouldest exalt Self and the Enemy in thee, and not the Truth; yea lest thy heart should grow hard, and thy neck stiff against those who are over thee in the Lord, and so thou lose the benefit of their watching over thee and counsel to thee, and of Gods preservation? For out of the Truth, in the deceitful ap∣pearance, there is no preservation, nor true Light, nor justification of Life, but self conceit fleshly confidence, and the justification of a mans own spirit; and his wis∣dom then gets up, and exalts it self, as if it were the right thing. The Lord gave the measure of Life to thee, and the Lord also hath given Fathers, Guides, Instructers, Watchmen, in his Israel. These have a service from the Lord towards thee, who knoweth that thy Soul hath need of that service; now if the Enemy can prejudice thee against, and withdraw thee from the use of what thou needest, art thou not in danger of falling and miscarriage? Dost not thou set up the measure of Life in thee (if not another thing) beyond its place, state and growth? And can any thing grow and thrive out of the Order and Wis∣dom

of God? Nay, nay, the very measure of life it self will this way come to wither and die in thee, and another thing live in its place, and the Sword of the Lord will be drawn against thee, and thou wilt be cut off from the Bo∣dy, and also from him who is the quickner and preserver of the Body. Therefore my Friends, as the Enemy watcheth to deceive and destroy, so the Lord keep our Souls in the true Watch and looking up to him, who (to those that fear him) discovereth the deceit, and preserv∣eth from the snare.

And this is witnessed concerning the measure of Life in the heart, and the way of its acting and operation, that it alwayes acts in its place, even in due subjection to the Father of Spirits, and to his Life in others according to its growth: for there is no rent nor division in the living Body, no setting up one measure of Life against another measure, or one motion of Life against another motion, or one practice against another, but all there is in the uni∣ty, in the love, in the tenderness, in the sence, in the peace, in the dominion, in the subjection; and that which dif∣fereth or dissenteth from the Life, interrupting the Union and Uniformity in the Life, is not of the Life; which when it is every-where cast out, Life to Life will answer every-where; which day my Soul breatheth and waiteth for, even the day wherein Life alone shall live and reign in every Vessel, and all the devices and snares of the Ene∣my not be able to enter upon, or catch any of God's little simple-hearted ones; but still by the power of Life rising in clearness against them, be thrown back upon the Ene∣my, to his torment and disadvantage.

And O dear Lambs, consider how easie it is for you to mistake, err, & wander from the Truth; and do not refuse the care, watchfulness and tender counsel of those who

were instrumental to beget you to, and are yet over you in the Lord. Alas, how easie is it for the Enemy to deceive your sim∣plicity, and get between you and your Life; and then ye are liable to miss-see and miss-act in all ye do, and to follow the Enemy, as if he were your right guide; and to fight against, and resist him who is your true Leader, as if he were your Enemy. The Life in you is to be your Guide and Leader, as it groweth up and re∣ceiveth ability, strength and dominion from the Lord; but the Heir is to be under Tutors and Governour, till the time appoin∣ted of the Father. And the Seed is meek, humble, tender, lowly, sensible of its own state and weakness, and subject to the exalta∣tion, dominion and pure authority of Life in others where the Lord hath so exalted it. That which is otherwise in you (which is high, exalted, conceited of it self, and not subject to every de∣gree of Life in others, according to its state) is another thing, which is not of the true kind, but onely under a guize appears to you as the true; and as it gets entrance, corrupts your hearts from the true, & destils its poyson into your Spirits, which ye believing, entertaining and feeding upon, as if it were the true, grow up in his poysonful nature (losing the pure nature and fellowship of the Body) and are travelling whither ye are not aware, being gone from that which at first gathered, into that which through subtilty hath deceived, appearing to you as if it was still the same, and that ye still keep to it, but others are departed; whereas the thing is clean contrary in the sight of the Lord, and in the sight of those who keep to the Annointing, and see with his eye. Therefore, O dear Lambs and Babes, what need have we to wait, in tender sence, for the Lord's preservation of us in that Nature, Spirit and Life, whereof we were begotten, and wherein we were taught, that there we may still learn and keep to the true teaching, in the innocency and simplicity of love, and not hearken to the wisdom and reasonings of another spirit, who lieth at watch to catch the mind with his wiles, and draw from the true thing. Mark how we learned at first; Was it not in a Nature, by a secret instinct and inclination of our minds towards the Life, and the Path, Wayes and Practises thereof, whereinto the Body (which before had been gathered) was led and walked before us? The same Life, when it maketh us part of the flock, bringeth us into the

same footsteps; and there we walk with them, in the unity of the same Life, and sence of the same Leader; but if the Enemy can at any time draw us from this sence, and from the belief and practices or practice, which we received in this sence, (even out of the limits of this nature and its naturalness) how easie is it for him to perswade us to question right things in our minds and un∣derstandings, as if they were wrong, (darkening our eye, and causing us to overlook and forget the leading and motion, which we had in the true sence and nature, from the Annoiting it self) and so confidently to think and conclude, that we took up such or such a practice by imitation, and have held it up in form? where∣as the Lord (who forgetteth not what and how he hath wrought in us) knoweth that we took it up in the sence and leading of his Truth, and are now tempted from that in the reasoning subtilty, which we formerly practised in the true innocent simplicity. And thus getting into us a belief and entertainment of his snare, he draws us from that which at first led us, and from the practices we were at first led into, to hearken to him and follow him, who in∣structeth us in a way we were not instructed in before while the Lord instructed us; and so destroyeth his Nature, and the Work of his Spirit in us, dividing us both from the Head and living Body; and so our standing, growth, sence and judgement is altered, and we are neither to the Lord what we were be∣fore, nor is he to us what he was before; for he hates that Spirit in all its appearances, and cannot have unity with the Souls that are entangled by it. Therefore, dear Friends, as we prize our gathering to and abiding with the Lord, and the enjoyment of his Love, Peace, Joy and Presence at present, and the Crown and Inheritance of Life with him for ever; so let us fear, so let us watch, so let us cry unto him, to be preserved by him, which gathered us, in that into which he gathered, and not by any means betrayed (through subtilty of the Enemy) into ano∣ther thing, where the life of the Body (and union with the Body) cannot possibly be witnessed, nor the true justification of the Lord, but only an appearing justification of a man's own spirit, which must afterwards come under condemnation. Ye, who are in the living and true sence, will feel my love, tenderness and faith∣fulness in what I write; and ye who are not, the Lord God of

Bowels pitty, and recover out of the snare and wrong judgement, that ye may feel it; and feeling that which is true, may be joyn∣ed to it, drinking of its virtue and preservation, and live; which is the earnest desire of my Soul to the Lord, who am

From Alisb. Prison, the 14th. of the 5th. month, 1666.

Your Brother and Companion, in the tribulations and mercies which attend the Living. Isaac Penington.