They find, that though the truth gives the lib-ers, or such who use lawful things unlawerty to eat and drink in moderation, and with fully, or to their hurt; the overseers of the a due regard to that hand from whence it flock, whom Christ hath made so, and who comes, yet it gives no more liberty than in the have first taken heed to themselves, and being beginning, to eat and drink, to please and gifted for discipline by the same Spirit that gratify a voluptuous mind. Their tongues are those in the ministry are for preaching, seeing no more their own, than in the beginning; hurt and damage likely to attend any of the Truth then required our words to be few and flock, are constrained in spirit, in the love of savoury, and it doth the very same now. God, and cannot but advise, exhort and adTruth gives no more liberty in wearing fine monish, or reprove such, according to the naor gay apparel to please a vain or curious ture of their case, and bring things particu mind; it led into plainness then, and it doth larly to the person,-Thou art the man or the very same now; it then led out of com- woman who wears this, does this or the other pany-keeping with the world and frequenting thing, that the Spirit of Truth led out of in ale-houses and taverns unnecessarily, it doth the beginning, and the same spirit testifies the very same now, with many more things I against now, through the true ministers of could enumerate. These things have been Christ. This dealing with particulars, I have my experience both in youth and old age; and if any shall plead or argue for other things, and that Truth doth now give a greater latitude and liberty than in the beginning, I can declare and testify for the Lord, and from my own experience, that I have never found any such liberty in the Truth.

oftentimes seen to be of great advantage and help to such as have been honest-hearted, though in some respects they may have missed it. But the libertines can scarcely bear or endure this sort of plain dealing,-they never love it while in that spirit,-they must and will be left to their liberty and freedom, so it be not evil, as they call it;-they tell us, they see no hurt or damage to Truth or themselves in wearing this, or the other fine or fashionable thing,-they see no hurt in keeping company with the world's people, though they have no immediate business at ale-houses or taverns, so they be not overcome with drink; no hurt in exercising their talents, wits, or parts, provided they do not speak anything that is wicked. Nay, some have said, they have served Truth in such company, in being able to vindicate the principles of Truth, and putting to silence opposers, with more such like things. They will further tell us, they have a measure of the same spirit, by which they have freedom to do these things and a great many more, which those who truly walk in the light see are contrary to it, and hurtful to themselves, and that their pretended freedom and liberty is but bondage.

As I have at first written of the inward work of the Holy Spirit, and next what it leads to outwardly, as to conversation, &c., it is further upon my mind to add a little more relating to outward means, which the Lord in his wisdom has also seen meet to afford his people, as conducive to their good and to the great end of their salvation; in which I shall be as brief as I can, and therefore will begin with preaching. As saith the apostle, by the foolishness of preaching, it pleased the Lord to save those that believe. Here, preaching by the Holy Ghost, is a means to salvation. Well then the true preachers ministering from the Holy Spirit, are, as we know oftentimes, led to declare and warn the Lord's people against pride, covetousness, and eagerly pursuing the world to the hurt of their souls, against the finery and vanity of apparel, against drunkenness and evil company, against loose walking and con- Dear friend, I am ready to stop myself versation. These things, with abundance from writing after this manner. I confess I more such like, the Holy Spirit by the true have run on in this strain far beyond my exministers of Christ strikes at and testifies pectation, as well as that I verily believe I against, as contrary to the Lord and the dic- have no need at all to write these things for tates of his Holy Spirit within, as well as thy conviction, having not observed the least greatly hurtful to such as give way to them. tendency in thee, in my small acquaintance And as the Holy Spirit strikes at these things with thee, to any undue liberty. For what in public ministry, so also doth the same reason I write thus, I hardly know, but as Spirit in all true members of the church of these things came pretty swiftly into my mind, Christ in discipline. Thus it appears very I let them go; if they are of no service, yet plain to me, that true discipline is but true I am not conscious of any hurt they can do; preaching put in practice, and as under the if they but help to stir up thy pure mind by law, a Jew was not to suffer sin upon his way of remembrance, my end will be anbrother without reproof, so, much more un-swered. And let it be as it will, place them, der the Gospel. When the ministry has not I desire thee, to the abundance of love I feel proved effectual to reclaim disorderly walk- flowing in my soul towards thee at this time,

thee to keep in thy gift; minister therefrom,
neither going before, nor staying behind, that
the Holy Spirit of Jesus may be thy guide in
all things, and that the harms of others by
not keeping to and walking in the light, may
be our warning; remembering also, what our
blessed Lord said to his disciples, "Without
me, ye can do nothing." All our strength and
ability, then, is in him; and this strength and
ability is received from him, by our inward
waiting upon him in the gift of his holy Spirit.
There it is, that we see our own unworthiness,
and ourselves truly as we are; there it is, that
we persevere and go on from one degree
of strength and grace unto another; there
it is we see what the Lord requires of us,
either respecting ourselves or others; and
there it is also, we see the enemy of our souls
in all his appearances and transformations,
and are made able by the Lord's strength to
withstand him in all his temptations. But oh!
this inwardness, this inwardness, has been and
is too much wanting amongst the Lord's peo-
ple, even among many preachers, as well as
hearers, whom the Lord in the beginning
highly favoured; who, had they continued as
inward as the Lord would have had them to
be, would have been more eminently service- But if I should be asked in old ag
able in the church in their day, and attained is it with thee? hast thou not sine-
to a more extraordinary degree of heavenly there is more liberty in the Truth tha
brightness, and have witnessed more excellent day, which by thy own account was:
discoveries of the divine mysteries of God's childhood or youth? Dost thou not
kingdom than they have done. And out of thou wast then over nice and tender, r
this number I will not exclude myself; well fearful and careful than Truth did r
knowing had I been more inward than I have quire, as not having had time, and ex
been, my growth in his holy Truth had been nor yet judgment to discern between
greater than it is. Yet in great humility, II say, if I should thus be asked, r
bless his holy name, that I can say, I desire swer in much sincerity, thus: Since
with my whole soul, that for the residue of hood, I have no doubt witnessed vary
these few days I may have to spend, and I and conditions, and in humility and
expect them to be but a few, I may be con- thankfulness can say, my time
tinually inward to him. And as this is, I me larger experience, and a grea
think, the best wish I can wish for myself, re- the Lord's holy Truth, than in th
specting my duty to Him who lives for ever, yet this I testify for the Lor
so, dear friend, I can also say I truly desire found by my own experien
the same for thee.
holy Truth led me into in
me see when I was youn
the same now in my ol
same as it was in the
not, neither does it wo
a decay, or in other
liberty than in the
my own experien
from the Lord, b
is departed in
Tord. Truth

while I continue in his love. O the broken-
ness and tenderness of spirit that was upon
my soul in that day! How I loved the Lord,
his Truth, and faithful people! O the zeal,
that was in my soul for him! The tender
concern that was on my spirit, that I might
not grieve or offend him in anything, and that
I might not do anything against the Truth,
but all the little I could for it! My soul remem-
bers these things at this instant, the sense
thereof being renewed upon my spirit, in great
humility and thankfulness to the Lord. Then
was I fearful and careful how I did eat, how
I did drink, how I was clothed in plainness of
apparel, what I spake, how I spake, and that
my words might be few and savoury; what
company I kept, and what fear was I in, lest
I might be hurt with the company and con-
versation of the world! for I found by keep-
ing their company unnecessarily, and with
delight, it was like pitch which defileth. Th
blessed light of my dear Lord did in that
let me see these things, with many mor
needless to enumerate, that would be h
to me if I delighted in, or used them to pas
or gratify a carnal mind out of the cross
Christ.

And now, my dear friend, as I have hither-
to written more chiefly relating to inwardness
and the work of the Holy Spirit within, it is
in my mind also to write something of the
effects of the same Spirit, and to what it leads
outwardly, respecting our conversation, &e.
in the world; in which I can, through the
great mercy and goodness of my God, men-
tion something of my own certain experi-
I was young, and now
least well stricken in

405

thereof. So that things Condition, and it seems to is returning into the wilshe sits solitary and Lord sees her in her dis

iny faith is firm, that the which he will bring her be seen to lean upon the ed; for in him is all her Many who once were memforsaken the Lord, and

d upon the arm of flesh; said, with the prophet in has builded a wall, and anit with untempered mortar. day is coming, in which the

have in their own wisdom n building for a shelter to , and the foundation thereof ered; and both the builders

shall be confounded in that Lord will overturn all that is ht foundation, in the day when in his power to cleanse his purify his temple. That we. the number, who may be able to he appears, is what my soul traIt has often been before me of late, na day of trial is hastening on, as all to the very bottom, and the strong

ot find anything to boast of; yet I eve, the weakest babes in Christ who ir habitation, shall be strengthened to ugh whatsoever may be suffered to pon them for the trial of their faith, gat may be more precious than that of I do not see any need the faithful have iscouraged; for though there be a sufwith Christ for a time, yet there will be ning with him also. And though the wers of the Lamb may seem but a few, I his enemies a great multitude, yet the amb and his followers will obtain the victory t last, and triumph over all.

Whilst I am thus going on, I am ready to check myself, why I should write after this I manner to one who knows more than I do, the and whose experience far excels mine, from eat, whom I had more need to receive both counnt a sel and encouragement; for I am often, in the for sight of things and the sense of my own weakof the ness, made to cry out, who shall continue to ced by the end in well-doing, so many are the wiles motions of satan to weaken, and if possible, destroy in such the faith of God's poor children. Surely we gs thereof. have need of one another's prayers; and as ho have an the Lord opens, strengthens, and enlarges my t doth say to heart towards himself, I am not unmindful of arit doth speak my near and dear friends. I desire to be reby thee, and to be frequently herly epistles, as freedom and

er, such as are bent for his glory and the good of his people above all. For many are the poisoned arrows which the enemy is shooting at such, because they stand as in the front, and are boldly fighting with the sword of the Spirit against the wicked one in all his ap

of judgment outwardly, in order to separate
the pure from the impure and the chaff from
the wheat, there will be a beauty and glory
beheld. And though the gold must pass
through the fire as well as the dross, yet the
effect will be different, for it will destroy the
one, and make the other more pure and beau-pearances.
tiful; and though the winds blow hard upon
the wheat, yet it will not be driven away, but
only the chaff, which is not fit to be gathered
into the garner of God's power. And in those
days, precious unto the Lord will such be, as
in sincerity and true-heartedness have loved,
served, and feared him above all. The daily
cry of my poor soul unto my God is, that I
may be one of that number, whatsoever exer-
cises it may be my lot to go through for the
Seed's sake in this suffering day. And as it
is my cry to the Lord for myself, so even for
many more, and I do find it my duty to pray
for my near and dear friends everywhere, and
I also earnestly desire to have the benefit of
their prayers for me, and in particular thine,
my dear friend, as knowing thee to be one
who often goes deep in spirit before the Lord
on account of his people. I also desire a full
and free account in writing of thy present ap-
prehensions touching the state of the church
in general, that I may know whether we be
like-minded. I think we ever were when to-
gether, and as we still abide near that Fountain
of love and life, by which we were made to
love one another, which love is stronger than
death, we shall still abide in the oneness, and
see by the eye of faith the same things, and
so be a help, strength, and confirmation one
to another.

DEBORAH BELL TO JOSEPH PIKE.

24th of Second month, 1719.

My good and worthy friend,

Thy kind and acceptable letter of the eighth month, I received, and was very glad to hear from thee; for I thought it long before I had thine, and many fears did attend my mind concerning thee, lest thou hadst been worse than usual, which thoughts are very afflicting to me; for I am desirous if it be the Lord's will that thy days may be prolonged in this world, for divers reasons which are often under my consideration when I hear of thy indisposition.

The Lord in his tender mercy look down upon his church in general and the families of this people in particular, and administer suitably to the present condition and circumstances of his people everywhere, is my cry to him, and preserve for ever under the shadow of his heavenly wing and in the pavilion of his pow

These true-hearted soldiers often meet with very close engagements, by reason of so many who pretend to be of the disciples and followers of Christ, deserting their master and starting aside out of their places; and this makes not only the battle the harder upon such as dare not quit their posts, but it also makes the breach the wider which ought to be made up. How these expect to escape that woe, which is pronounced upon such as will not stand in the gap and make up the breach for the house of Israel, I know not. But it is to be hoped, the Lord in his own time will arise for his own name and suffering Seed's sake, which even groans and cries from a sense and sight of the abomination, which will, if not speedily purged out, bring desolation. And indeed desolation is already come upon mány, who once knew a good condition, and the greatest misery of such is, they are not sensible of their poor, empty, desolate state, but, too much like some of old, are thinking themselves rich and full, wanting nothing. And such as these are very apt to set themselves on high, and are speaking peace to their poor souls, saying, We shall see no sorrow; when alas! the Holy Spirit is telling them plainly, both immediately in themselves and through the faithful, that they are deceived by the great deceiver of souls, for their state is quite contrary, namely, poor, naked, blind and miserable, and wanting all things. But O, how hardly doth this plain dealing go down with this wise, conceited, self-righteous people; for with sorrow I write it, there are very few in these days who have an ear to hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, and indeed the voice and language of the Spirit is very little to be heard in the church now-a-days. though at times the Lord is laying a constraint upon his true ministers, such as mourn between the porch and the altar, and they are made to open their mouths in his dread, being filled with his eternal word, and they at times warn both professors and profane of the day of vengeance which is even at hand; yet when such have warned people, they, much like the old prophets, are even as it were separate from all, and dwell in solitary places, till sent again with a fresh message. But in the main, the spring of the ministry is very much stopped, and true ministers shut up, especially towards the professors of Truth; yet we have abundance of preaching amongst us, but [chiefly] from the letter which killeth.

For