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My Dear Friends,
THerefore be all diligent to make your Calling and Election so sure and certain, that you constantly may have the fresh renew∣ings of the Spirit of God, and that to bear you witness that you are of the few or small number who are saved, that enter the strait Gate, and walketh in the narrow way that leadeth unto
Life Eternal, which but few find, and such as never yet found it, how should they walk in it; and you that have found it, keep low walking in it, and let none of your hearts by any means be lifted up, by any thing you do for the truth, or with any thing that you enjoy from God, Who is the giver of every good and per∣fect Gift, whether Temporal or Spiritual; but still keep your hearts and minds unto God, and in perfect love unto him above all, in the pure enjoyment of all the mercies, which you have received from him; let not the things of this world have place in your hearts again, who have been gathered to God out of the World; for whosoever let their minds and affections after that which is earthly, such cannot well affect heavenly things; therefore all have great need, even as much as ever, to keep your hearts with all diligence, that the enemy of the Soul and destroyer enter not again, where he once was cast out by Christ Jesus; O watch and pray that you enter not into temptation, when you are tempted to evil; in the hour of temptation watch in the word of God's patience; be sure that you keep that hid in your hearts, and take heed to it, and you will witness it a Light to your Feet, to lead and keep you all from the Temptations of Satan to Sin and Evil, which you may expect to meet with now, al∣tho it be a time of ease, as from outward Sufferings, for that may expose you more to the assaults of Satan inwardly, that now by his Agents he cannot imprison your Bodies, fine you, nor spoil your Goods, for meeting together to worship God, he will beset you and assault you now another way, to wit, within, there to work, if a diligent constant watch be not kept in the fear of the Lord; such will be in danger to be ensnared: you know many of you that the enemy hath many snares, and when he cannot catch in one he will lay another more privily to catch the inno∣cent in, to ensnare such as be of an upright Conversation. There∣fore let not any of you, that by the Lord's Holy Spirit and Power have known your Souls, to be quickened, suffer death to enter or prevail again, so to cause the second death to have power o∣ver you, or to be twice dead and pluck'd up by the roots; how can any good Fruit be expected from such Trees, but an utter withering. But, my dear Friends, in this time of freedom and outward liberty, feel the just and holy One at liberty, and to have freedom in all your hearts, that there the just may not suffer by the unjust, for that vexeth and grieveth the Holy Spirit, when any go into that which is evil, and commit iniquity in the sight
of the Lord that quencheth the Spirit of God, 'tis all out of the Truth and judged by it, and still all is to keep down to that which judgeth down the evil in its first motion in the heart or appearance there; then it will not get place to have dominion; but you will all in the Name and Power of the Lord have dominion over, and Reign over that which is evil, which formerly Ruled in your mortal Bodies to the dishonour of God.
And Friends, Let all beware of Covetousness, which is Idola∣try. Let not any of you covet an evil Coveteousness to your House, or to set your Nests on High; and keep out of all de∣frauding, cunning over reaching of one another, or any which you are concern'd in Trade, or otherwise with. Oppress not the Poor; wrong no man, but give unto all that which is their due, without grudging. Avoid dishonest Gain, or making crasty advantages of any person to make your Families Great or Rich in the World. Neither let your hearts be lifted up when you ob∣tain the World in abundance; consider you are but as Stewards of it for a little time, and must give an Account to the creator of all things how you use it, or what good or hurt you have done with it, or by it, daily take a view of the uncertainty of all visi∣ble things; and why somtime they are given to the owners thereof to their hurt; for its not that in themselves they are hurt∣ful, but because many times they are ill used or abused, but at the best not to be trusted in: therefore 'tis better to be Rich in saith and rich in good Works, whilst we abide here in this earthly Tabernacle, for every good Tree brings forth good Fruit, although the evil Tree bring forth the corrupt evil Fruit, therefore all that profess Repentance towards God and Faith in Christ Jesus ought to bring forth good Fruit, even Fruit meet for Repentance, whereby our hea∣venly Father may be Glorified, and we may be Recorded in the Book of Life; as those that are preserved good and faithful Ser∣vants to God in our Generation; that have pass'd the time of our Sojourning here in the fear of God, and finished our course with Joy, unto whom an everlasting Crown and Kingdom is prepared and will be given, to possess and inherit unto all Eternity. O what will a profession of God and knowledg of his Will avail any that are not faithful to God in what he hath shewed them to be his Will: Will it not tend to their greater Condemnation? Will it not add to their wo and misery in the day of Judgment, or when Christ shall enter into Judgment with them, and not only Judge Peoples words and works, but as Paul said, He shall
Judge the secrets of all mens Hearts; He searcheth the Heart and trieth the Reins. 'Twill be in vain to seek to hide or cover any sin and evil from him that will search and find out all the hidden works of darkness and dishonesty which any would hide or cover from the Lord, who seeth all, and will assuredly reward every man according to his works, such as every one soweth, such must they Reap; He that soweth to the Flesh, of the Flesh shall Reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit, of the Spirit shall reap Life Everlasting; it is certainly a fearful and dangerous thing to fall into the hands of the living God, for disobedience to his Will, and holding the Truth in Ʋnrighteousness; for to know God, and not to glorifie him as God, nor to walk in obedience and thankfulness to him for his benefits: this displeaseth the Lord; and indeed this is the cause why some convinced among us, and know the Truth, be∣come vain in their Imaginations, whose foolish hearts is darkned, and are not obedient to what was manifest in them; neither are they Righteous, nor walk as becomes the precious Truth of God, but through Disobedience and Unrighteousness, disho∣nour God and his Truth, which they profess, causing the Holy and Righteous way of God to be evil spoken of; also causing some to stumble and take offence at the way of God, by their unfaithfulness and disorderly walking, for whosoever looks out at them were not like to be drawn nearer to Truth, but rather driven further from it, by the evil Conversation of them that obey not the Truth, but do that which is contrary. And dear Friends, you that have Families of Children or Servants, and are set of God over them, walk wisely towards them, instructing them to fear the Lord, to hate evil and love that which is good: Teach your Children and Servants the way of God, wherein you have found peace and safety, that they may come to en∣joy the same, that you and your Families may serve the Lord, and walk together in his way, in which is no evil, not any thing that can corrupt any Family, People or Nation. In this way of the Lord his Blessing is felt and experienced, to the great satisfaction of all the undefiled in the way: Let not any Cor∣ruption or Sin have liberty, and go unreproved in your Fa∣milies, by a foolish pitty or indulgence towards your Children, or negligence of them and your Servants Eternal Good and Hap∣piness: but keep a watchful eye and care over all in vour Fami∣lies, that none get up into Pride or run out into Evil and corrupt Words; neither any evil way fashion or work, which may dis∣please
the Lord, wound their own Souls, and be your grief and sorrow, for it will be so, if any in your Families, espe∣cially under a profession of the Truth, do that which is evil. And you that are Parents, or Masters of Families, and have not endeavoured to restrain them, how will you then be clear of them if they perish in their Iniquity. Therefore I beseech you who are Governours of Families, Professing the Truth▪ fail not to discharge your duty to all in your Families, unto whom you may be instruments of good; be of a ready mind to warn and correct them in the love of God, when they speak or do evil, then there is need for it, whether they will hear or forbear, do what you can in the Light and Spirit of God to reclaim them from the evil of their waies and doings, that they together with you may say and do that which is good and right in the sight of the Lord our God; who knoweth but as you are found faithful in this needful work of Teaching your Families the way of the Lord, but that you may save many Souls from Death in your respective Families. And thus indeed and in truth you become even Saviours upon Mount Sion, through Christ Jesus, who was to turn Ungodliness from Jacob, and who saves his People who look unto him, work together with him, and put their confidence in him, so we receive power from him to deny our selves, and take up our daily Cross and follow the Lord fully, in humility and lowliness of mind; and by this power of the Lord so dwelling in it, all will be inabled to keep in subjection that which would ex∣alt it self against the appearance of the Lord in you. It will bring down every high thought and vain imagination; it will make self of no reputation in every particular: and Friends never had more need to mind the Light and bring their deeds to it, believe in it, and walk in it than now, when even Satan transforms himself into the likeness of an Angel of Light and Truth, and his Ministers also as Ministers of Christ, and as in the Light of the Lamb Christ Jesus, all keep and abide walking, you will see and be able to put a diffe∣rence betwixt the Divine Light and Truth, and the likeness of it, howsoever transformed by the prince of Darkness; for by the Light of the Lord you will all see Light to compre∣hend all the transformations of the Devil and Satan, in all
his appearances; with what fair shews, or under what spe∣cious pretences soever he may appear unto you or amongst you; the cunning Serpent is at work with his transformed likenesses of the heavenly things of God: let none look out at that, nor think any worse of the Light and Truth of God, because that even Satan transforms himself into the likeness of an Angel of Light; and his Angels profess Gods precious Truth, and talk of it with enticing words; that mans wis∣dom teacheth all this. God permits, that they who are ap∣proved may be made manifest, that all Friends may search and try their waies and works, and be more confirmed upon the tried Stone, elect and precious, which God hath laid in Sion for a Foundation; and another Foundation can no man lay, than that which is already laid, which not any thing can move or overthrow, but it stands and remains the same firm Rock of Ages still; upon this dear Friends, do but keep and abide, and then none of these things, which only is suffered of the Lord to come to try us, shall be able to move any of us from our stability in the Truth, Light, Life and Power of the Lord God: The Gates of Hell shall never prevail against this invincable Rock of Ages Christ Jesus, upon whom the faithful are built, a Spiritual Houshold unto God, and are become to him a chosen Generation and a Royal Priest-hood, to offer up to him the Spiritual Sacrifice of Praise, and of a broken Heart, which is accepted of the Lord: and surely we who are the Children of God, and his day had never more need to be continually with God, and see him in the mount than now, when there is so much de∣clining from God and departure from the Faith: and I be∣lieve many of you are very sensible that the mistery of Ini∣quity now worketh, whereby Satan sets himself and Agents at work, to let and hinder the work of the Lord, and yet they cry, Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy Name, &c. But are workers of Iniquity, which coming to be seen and discovered by the Light of the Lord, by that also is con∣demned; which lets the Saints in Light see over it and the mischievous intent of such workers where they come, that are workers of Iniquity, their works manisest what work∣men they are; unto whom the Lord will say, I know you not, depart from me. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood
Moses, so do these resist the Truth (professed by them being men of corrupt minds and sensual, altho they may still return good Words and fair Speeches, and so deceive the Hearts of the simple, with their seducing Spirit, and sowing Discord, Division, and corrupt Seed; which I do en∣treat you all in the love of God and care for your Souls good to beware of, and not to believe every Spirit, but try them with the Light and Spirit of God which he hath given you, whereby you may see and discern clearly, betwixt Spirit and Spirit, the true from the false; and the things of God from those things that are contrary, which he never wrought nor ever delighted in; all which is to be denyed and shut out, for by the Spirit of the Lord God, none can own or joyn with that which works against the truth, scatters from it instead of gathering to it, or that which un∣der pretence of most Christian, would lay waste the Heri∣tage of God, and set up fleshly Liberty instead of true Christi∣anity. In the Name of the Lord, and with his Light and Truth, see and fathom over all that which is not of God, which shall not stand. And Friends, feel the Ear open that trieth words, as the Pallat tasteth Meats, that you all the Spiritual Meat may feed upon, and not upon that which perisheth or dieth of it self, but that which endures to ever∣lasting Life at the Lord's Table; all feed upon and be filled with that, and a living Hunger will be encreased in you all after that which is pure more and more, to the renouncing of that which is dirty, defiled and impure, under what pre∣tence or colour soever it may appear, or what fine dress or gloss soever it may be presented to you in, by such as may presume to speak in the Name of the Lord amongst you, that are not really of us, but are gon out into a self∣separation from us, and impose their disunion and disorder in the Church of God, in opposition to that wholsom U∣nion and Order which that Church maintains, and is in the practice of; which tends to present it to God holy and without blame before him, without spot or wrinkle, or any thing that defiles, works abomination, or loves and makes a Lye; all which shall in no wise enter into the Holy City, which comes down from God out of Heaven, the seducing Spirit is of the Enemy the Father of Lies, and leadeth from
the Truth into Lies and Error, falshood and deceit, and who are led by this Spirit, they forge Lies and speak Lies in Hy∣pocrisie, having their Consciences seared, they grow self∣will'd, stubborn and hard-hearted, and appear hard through the deceitfulness of sin that dwelleth in them; losing the true tenderness and brokenness of heart, that for a time appeared in some of them, before they let in this pernicious Spirit, and gave heed to it, that liberty which now they are in, and wrangle for it, was hateful to some of them, whereby they corrupt one another; so they raise their mountain, and set their unholy mountain against and in opposition to the Lord's Holy Mountain, or the Mountain of the Lord's House, which is to be established a top of the Mountains and exalted above the Hills, which all Nations shall flow unto, not only a few Nations, but even all Nations must flow to and come to it; and every Mountain and Hill must be brought down and laid waste, that riseth up in opposition against the Mountain of the Lord, where in his day the Lord our God maketh to his People a Feast of fat things full of Marrow, and Wine upon the Lees that is well re∣fined; Glory, Glory to God and the Lamb over all, for ever and ever. None need pine for Hunger that come to know the House of the Lord and keep at his Table; there is Bread enough, Spiritual Meat, sufficient to satisfie every hungry Soul, with the Water of Life, whereof all may drink, so that you need never thirst more.
My dear Friends, who are come hither, abide with the Lord in the Mountain of his Holiness; keep in his Temple faithfully, serving of God, and as you alwaies keep there you will know there is no Night it, for the Lamb is the Light thereof, and his Servants shall serve him and worship him, and cry, Worthy, worthy, is the Lamb, to receive Glory, Ho∣nour and Praise for ever more. But let none content them∣selves or rest satisfied in the outward Court, in outward Shews, in an outward Form of Religion or Godliness, out of the Life and Power of God: For when the Lord cometh to Judgment, his Sentance upon them will be sharp, who have a name to live but are dead in Trespasses and in Sins. How much astonished and perplexed will such be when the Lord comes? Who said, Behold I come quickly to give a re∣ward
to every man according to his works. How sad will it be with all them that have not repented them, of their wicked deeds which they have done in the Body, but where it lieth at their door still; all the Wickedness which they have committed, which they should in their day given them by the Lord, have repented of and ceased to do; and what great multitudes of People evidently appear in that sad e∣state, which calls for a Lamentation from the saved of the Lord, who are his chosen Flock and Heritage; and who can commisserate the People of this Age, that are run into such wicked ungodly Practices, which undoubtedly will provoke God to Anger, and to execute his Judgments upon them with great severity if they repent not. But, dear Friends you who have tasted and seen how good the Lord is, and have of the Water of Life and the Rock that followed; Israel of old fed thereupon and drank thereof more abun∣dantly, that you all may be filled with that which is good, and every Soul delight it self in the fatness of that Meat which is really Spiritual, whereby all may come to be strong in the Lord, and through him may be made able to stand in this day as firm, true and unshaken in mind, as ever you or any of the Saints in any Age did: that you may not be found wanting, or fail in your testimony for his Name in the least degree; none to be weaker in Faith because some have faln, for through unbelief they fell, who are gone from the Truth and have sold it for that that perisheth, and so are broken off from their Spi∣ritual Society of Friends in it, whatsoever they may in their carnal Reasoning urge as occasion given to them by any; so all you that are come to God the Judg of all, to have fellowship with God and Christ Jesus, keep constant in the near Union and Fellowship of the Spirit of God, where there is no stumbling, nor falling away from God and his Truth; but by the Light of the Lord all will see and learn how precious a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in the Unity of the Spirit of God and to keep in the Unity of the Spirit, which is the Bond of Peace. And, dear Friends love one another and all Men, even your Enemies, that despightfully used you and hated you without cause; do good to them and pray for them.
And Friends, All greatly prize the great mercy of the Lord God, and his marvellous kindness towards us, who have been long accounted as Sheep for the Salughter, that he who hath the Hearts of Kings in his hand, should move in the Kings Heart that now is, to consider our distressed state; and that violence and spoil we were exposed unto, through the prosecution of the Penal Laws, that now the King hath put a stop to, and granted liberty for all to worship God according as in Conscience they think they ought, where∣by appears a great openness in most places of this Nation, for People to hear God's precious Truth declared, and a door of hope of the gathering in of many to the Lord God, of all Nations and People. Truly Friends, this Liberty and Ease from outward Sufferings, ought to be used in great Humility and Lowliness of Mind; and none ought to be puffed up with it to abuse it, or behave themselves any way unworthy of it, least the Lord should be pro∣voked to deprive us of that Liberty and Peace which we now enjoy, who not long since were troubled on every side, and met with many Perils, in which the Lord was with us, and stood by us and strengthened us by his Power; and giving us true Comfort and Peace in himself: notwith∣standing my dear Friends and Brethren, who have received from God more peculiar Gifts, for the work of the Ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ, and the perfecting of the Saints in Light: let the surtherance of the Gospel be every one of your chief care and industry. Now is an open door, the Harvest truly is great, and faithful Labourers are but few; Therefore pray ye the Lord God of the Harvest, to send forth more faithful Labourers into his Harvest, that every one returning may bring their precious Sheaves with you, and daily Exhort, Reprove, and Rebuke, with all long Suf∣fering and Patience; and be diligent in feeding the Flock and Lambs of Christ, over whom the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers: that altho many of you be poor in this World, yet you may be rich in Faith, and rich in the Work of the Gospel, making many Rich with durable Riches, where you travel or are set for the defence of the Gospel. And consider and have regard one to another in your several Ser∣vices for the Lord; keep singly and alone to God's Divine
Gift, that is in you and given you of God; and go forth in that in your Warfare, against what is contrary to God, none to be so entangled with the Affairs of this World, as to let or with-hold you from following the Lord in his Work and Service; walking uprightly and without blame in the fear of the Lord God, whose Servants you are, and unto whom we all ought singly to be given up in pure Obedience: And all Friends every where keep up your Meetings, in the Name and Power of the Lord, who was, and is, and is to come, who changeth not, as Times and Laws changeth. Be diligent in Meeting together; let none be idle, or come together in a careless indifferent mind, whether you come or not, for such doth not serve the Lord as they ought faithfully, not are they sensible of the prosperity of his Work in them; and such grow not in the Truth, Grace, or Knowledg of God; they shine not as Lights to the World or amongst Men. But blessed and magnified be the Name of the Lord, that a remnant do walk with God and faithfully do his Will, who have not de∣filed their Garments, but have kept them clean; who glorifie their Heavenly Father by bringing forth much Fruit to him; whom the Lord hath hid in the secret of his Pavillion, and he will hide them more and more in his munition'd Rock, whose Bread is sure, and whose Waters never fails. In the over∣flowing of the Cup of Salvation was I constrained at this time to write this Epistle to you, who are of the Flock of God, who will give you a Kingdom that is far beyond the King∣doms of this World; in which all that abide faithful to the end, shall live and reign with God the Father, and the Lamb Christ Jesus, for ever and ever; which that you all may be found Heirs thereof and come to inherit it, is the fervent Desire and Prayer to God, of
your faithful Friend and Brother in the Truth, James Parke.
Horsteydown the 24th. of 5th. Month, 1687.