An exhortation given forth at the requirings of the Lord in tender love to all that have been in any measure turned unto truth, by the visitation of the Almighty, in his spiritual appearance, that they be faithful and obedient thereunto.

AN EXHORTATION Given forth at the Requirings of the Lord, in tender Love to all that have been in any Measure turned unto Truth, by the Visitation of the Almighty, in his Spiritual Appearance; that they be faithful and Obedient thereunto.

My Friends,

Great has been (and still is) the Love and Mercy that the Lord God Eternal has Manifested un∣to the Children of Men, in that whilest they are in a State of Disobedience & Rebellion against his Holy Law, in their Hearts; which by Nature all Men and Women are, as saith the Apostle Paul, We are all by Nature Children of Wrath, yet such is the Love of God, that in this State, he is extending his Grace, and he is visiting of Mankind by his Light and Holy Spirit, in order to turn them from their Evil Wayes to serve the Living and true God, and to as many as truly obey his Call, and turn unto him with their Hearts, they come to partake of Salvation and Eternal Life by him; And amongst the many others, who in the day of Gods Visitation came to Believe in him that Visi∣ted, the Lord was pleased to reach unto my Soul and to give me an understanding of my State and Condition, whereby I came to know and Believe, that it was the Lord that then called unto me to forsake my Sins and Evil Deeds, and my heart was af∣fected with his Goodness, and I was made willing in some Measure to turn from my Inquity that displeased the Holy God, and to forsake the vain Pleasures and delights of this Evil world, and to suffer Afflictions and Reproach for his Names sake. But this is that which is now Matter of Bitter Lamentation unto me

when I consider thereof, that after the Lord had thus been good and Gracious unto me, the Enemy of all Mankind, that al∣ways seeks to destroy the Work of God, he was near unto me with his Temptations and Allurements, and for want of keep∣ing Low before the Lord, and dwelling in the Sence of that Power that had reached unto me, and began my Deliverance out of Bondage, I was again intangled in the Snares of the Evil one, and thereby Darkness came over again, and Deadness and Dryness, as to the Enjoyment of Gods Presence; So that altho' I kept in a form and Profession of the Truth of God: Yet then I wanted the Enjoyment of the Life and Power that would have saved me from Sin, and kept me from Disobedience in Unity and fellowship with my Maker; and in this deplorable state I remained many Years, walking in a Way that was not accep∣table to the Lord, though as to the outward I was a Zealous for the form of Truth, and exercised in diverse Services thereof, as many others, and was owned and esteemed as a Friend of Truth; Yet I wanted Peace with the Lord, and the joy of his Salvation. Now such has been the Love of my God, that he followed me with his Judgements, and called unto me to re∣turn unto him from whom I was fallen, and repent of my Ini∣quity, and he would heal my Back-sliding, & would love me free∣ly; and at length through the tender Mercy of God, who had long waited upon me to shew himself Gracious and merciful un∣to my Soul, I was again brought down into a Consideration of my State and Condition, and of my want of the Enjoyment of the presence of the Lord, that had so Mercifully dealt by me, at my first Convincement, and the sence hereof became a Hea∣vy Burthen upon my Spirit, and the Lord raised up Secret Crys in my Soul, Oh! that I might be delivered from my Sins, that now Separated me from the enjoyment of true Peace and fellow∣ship with my Maker; for now I came to see my self in an undone State, without the Lord did appear again to be my Helper, notwithstanding I kept in the outward Profession of the Truth,

and was constant in Presenting my body before the Lord; but it pleased the Lord, after he had thus reached unto me, and let me see my State, to bring near his Righteous Judgements into my Heart, and to condemn Sin in my Mortal Body, whereby as I came to love his Judgements, and to submit thereunto, I was brought down into the Death, unto that Life I had formerly lived in, and the Terrors of the Lord I came to feel, and Wit∣ness Revealed in me against that Nature that had disobeyed the Lord, and which was not Subject unto his Holy Law (neither indeed can it be) and therefore it was to be Crucified and slain by the Sword of Gods Spirit; and this was a day of great distress and Bitterness of Soul: Oh! the Sorrow and horrour that I felt in my Soul for my Iniquity, and then the Enemy, he also was busy to keep his Possession in me, finding the Lord at work to dispossess and cast him out of his Seat, where he had Ruled, and had the Dominion, then he laboured to perswade me that there was no Mercy for me, but that the Lord had wholly forsaken me, and that was the Cause I was now in Trouble; but after I had remained a little Season in this condition, it pleased the God of all Mercy a little to appear, and to afford me some Glimpses of his Love to bear up my head from sinking in the day of my Di∣stress, and although his Judgements were heavy upon me for my Sins, yet this I came to witness, in Judgement the Lord re∣membred Mercy, as I was subject to him that Judged, and gave up to answer him in the ways of his Judgements, and in due time the Lord did manifest more & more of his Mercy towards me, and although I went forth Weeping, bearing the Precious Seed, yet there was a hope begotten in me, that the time would come I should return again rejoycing and bring my Sheaf with me. And now Glory and Praise be given unto the Lord my God for ever, the day is now begun to appear unto me, and in me, which is a day of Gladness, and of great joy, even the day of my Souls Redemption and Salvation from under the Power of Darkness, and out of the Regions and shadow of Death, and to walk be∣fore

the Lord in newness of Life; and now I am come sensibly to witness, that it is the Lord alone that is able to keep us, and that we have daily need to wait upon the Lord for strength and Power, and that we ought to be upon our Watch-Tower eve∣ry day, least the Enemy prevail again to draw us away from the Lord, for he is a very subtile and busie Adversary to mans everlasting happiness, but as we dwell in the Light, his Snares and Temptations are made manifest, and the Power is made known & enjoyed, that delivers out of the same, and in the Sence thereof we are bound to praise the Name of the Lord our God, who is the Keeper and Preserver of all those that put their Trust in Him.

And now my Friends, the Lord having been graciously plea∣sed thus to visit my Soul with his Goodness, and make me in the Riches of his Love, a partaker in some measure of his Salva∣tion; and having also raised up a Hope in me, that as he has begun this Work in my Soul, so also he will (if I abide faith∣ful unto him) carry it on, and perfect it to his praise, and to my Eternal Comfort; So he hath also begotten a concern upon my Spirit, to make known this his Wonderful. Goodness unto others, that I should declare of his Mercies, unto the Congre∣gations of his People, that those that are faithful to the Lord may rejoice on my behalf, and praise the Name of my Re∣deemer, and those that are yet in that state wherein I was; even in Disobedience to the Light of Jesus, and are set down at ease taking up a rest short of the true rest, which none can ever en∣joy but those that are faithful and obedient, that these may be awakened and stirred up to consider their own states and Con∣ditions, whilst a day of Mercy is afforded them, for how know any Man or Woman how soon their day may be over, and then Woful and Sad will their state and Condition be in∣deed, and whereas the Lord hath made me sensible of his Ter∣rors for my Disobedience, a Travel lives upon my Spirit that others may be brought into Obedience unto the Lord, that they

might witness his Salvation before the day of Fierce anger break for upon them.

And further my Friends I have been brought into a sence of the deep Tryals I am like to pass through, and the many Spi∣rits to be tryed with, and believing that many may through their being unacquainted with the Work of the Lord in themselves, be lyable to pass a wrong Judgement upon me (as I have alrea∣dy understood some have done) Judging the Work which the Lord has wrought in me to be only the effect of some Natural cause, as Proceeding from Melancholly; and therefore to inform such who have so Judged, and to prevent others from the like mistakes, I am constrained to give this forth as a Testimony to the Lords great Love and Goodness, and I hereby do declare in the sence thereof, That the Work that has been wrought in me is the Lords Work, and the Praise thereof is to be given to him alone. And I do also further declare and Testify, that the Lord in this the day of his great Love to my Soul, has been pleased to Discover unto me divers things, wherein I had diso∣beyed his Holy Law Written in my heart, and which he did require me to forsake and part withal; but that which in parti∣cular I find a concern to live upon my Spirit to give forth as a publick Testimony unto others, is, that the Lord has manifested unto me his displeasure against my being concerned in making any Fi∣gured and Gaudy Stuffs, whose end and Service was chiefly to satisfie the Vain and Proud Minds of Men and Women, that live in disobedience to God, and that those things have their rise and beginning, and are invented by man, whose Heart and mind is gone astray from the Council of the Lord; and therefore by such as come to yield up unto him, and take Council of his Ho∣ly Spirit, they are to be denyed and turned from, and we are not to reason with Flesh and Blood about those things, saying, If I leave this way I know not how I shall get such a Mainte∣nance for my Family, as I now can; and if the Lord would make out a way for me in other things; I could willingly part

with this, and so are preferring their present Prosperity here in this short and Transitory Life, before their Peace and Eternal Comfort and Felicity with the Lord for ever. O my Friends, it is better to have inward Peace with the Lord, and the Seal and Testimony of Faithfulness born witness unto us, and in us, though we do suffer in the outward, then to enjoy outward Comfort for a l••ttle season, and want inward Peace. My Friends it is the Faith the Lord hath given unto me, that those that are obedient unto him, and bear a faithful Testimo∣ny for his Truth against that Spirit of Pride and Wickedness that so much abounds in this our Age, they shall not want that which is necessary for their support in the outward, and on the contrary they that refuse to obey the Lord, and answer his re∣quirings, and think by continuing in that which grieves his Ho∣ly Spirit, to gather together, and increase in Riches, the Lord is able to blast all their Increase when he pleases: Therefore let all be perswaded to be faithful to the Lord, and turn their hearts and minds to seek him above all things, as said our bles∣sed Lord to his Disciples, Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Righteousness thereof, and all other things that the Lord sees good for as shall be added as his blessings. Let us not content our Selves with an outside shew or Profession of Religion, but let us every one be concerned to know and witness for our selves, and in our selves, a being quickened and made alive to God, by the Power of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, revealed in us by his holy Spirit, that he may fit and prepare our Hearts to be a fit habitation for himself to dwell in. For unless we come to witness this for our Selves, all our Faith is in vain, and we are yet in our sins unredeemed from Corruption, and Christ Jesus, by all that he has done and suffered, for the Salvation and Restauration of poor lost Man, will in the end profit nothing to such a Soul, without Unfeigned Repentance.

My Friends, I found a concern to lye upon me from the Lord

to Testify this unto you, being fully satisfied that those that are faithful unto the Lord God in their own Particulars, will set to their Seals, that this my Testimony is the Truth, and unto the Witness of God in every Mans Conscience, that will give a right and true Judgement, do I commit my self and what I have testi∣fyed to be Judged not being concerned what Judgement the Carnal minded man may pass upon me, for I seek not to please man but to serve and please the Lord my God is that which now I do desire and press after, and unto whom alone for all his Mercies and tender dealings towards my Soul, I do at this time render and ascribe the praises and thanksgivings and honour, for he alone is worthy, saith my Soul, for ever and ever, who is over all the Works of his Hand, God blessed in himself for ever, Amen.

This is given forth by one whom the Lord has pluckt as a Brand out of the Fire, and has made as a Monument of his great Mercy, who in the sence of his Infinite Love is made a Lover of the Souls of all People, and therein Travails for, and desires the good and welfare of all, but more especially those who have in measure been made partakers of his Love, but have not been faithful thereunto, that they might return unto the Lord before his day of Love be over, this is the breathing and Cry of the Soul of your Well-wishing Friend,

HENRY LOMBE

Norwich the 20th. of the 11th. Month, 1693.

This to be Read in the several Monthly Meetings of Friends, in England or elsewhere.