To the meek and open hearted lambes, and flock of heaven, in meekness of love, with greetings of peace from the seat of infinite mercy;: tendered unto and sent to be read among them all, who live in the humble state.

ANd Friends this is a time of quietness & stillness, or a time for you so to be, and there hath been a large time of gathering; & for convincing, & now the Lord is proving and trying them that are gathered. And after this time blessed and thrice happy shall they be that are found faithful in it, and worthy to be Crowned with Heavenly honour, and to be further imployed in Gods service, and to remaine as Pillers among the flock of Heaven, and as Lights to invite others home to the dwelling of God. And now should all friends be kept in wisdome; and take heed what words they use among men, or concerning any men, though they do contrive against us; had the Lord left us where they are, and set them where he hath pla∣ced us: then might we have been this day as ignorant of the way of peace towards Enemies, and of the path of Innocency and Righteousness as they now are, but the Lord hath shewed us mercy; And I say the God of heaven forgive them and defend us; And all that dwels in this may come at last to see a time of grea∣ter gathering then ever yet was; Oh my Pen cannot write it. And if all were quiet in their own measures, and little at all were moved in that measure, either to write, Print or speak at this time, waiting singly upon God; Oh he would plead for us, and he alone would help us, and keep us as in his Armes, until the indignati∣on were over past, And this I write that you might know of my continual confidence in the Lord, if he had, or did not at this time raise up, or make use of any of us to help him, or to be workers together with him. But a remnant he hath whose hearts he Inlargeth with prayer, and some of them with strong inward desires and groans & some with uttrance to declare the good will of God unto others in your assemblys, and some steadfastly to believe in God that he will never leave us, and all this as∣cends up before the Lord even as one sacrifice, and he that hath heard and had mercy on us when we were not his people, and turned not back our complaints in that day; O how shall he now forget us, now we are his people, and are purchased unto

him with a Randsome more pretious then all the Gold in the World; who is it a∣mong all the flock of God; but have already had much experience of his Love, good will and mercy; and wherefore then should any of the sons or daughters of Zion, suppose that God will ever forsake or leave them in distress; I even say doubtless and certainly it will not be so, but the Lord will stand by us; and the God of the whole earth will go before us, and the wonderful, dreadful, powerful presence of the most high will be with us, over us, amongst us, and in us, for ever more, and we shall certainly be preserved by his power.

And by this my tenders of love in those Lines, all the dear and humble hearted freinds of Christ may hear from me, and understand that somthing of the virtue of the Vine, is, and remaineth in me, and if the will of God should be so, that my body suffer in this close unsavory Prison many months or several years longer, yet shall the Lord be my God for ever and my rest unto the end of troubles, and in silence and secret shall, and doth, my heart and soul, poure forth intercession to the Throne of power, in the behalfe of his own truth and people, and for every feeble plant which God hath planted.

And when I have put you in mind that you ought not to forsake the assembling of your selves together, I leave you to God at present.

H. S.

Winchester Prison the 30th of the first Month 1662.