and setting up, that all people may bow unto it, and all nations may tremble before the glorious, infinite power of the everlasting God, who is bringing to pass and prospering his glorious work in the earth; and by his Almighty arm of power is gathering the dispersed of Jacob, and scattered of Israel; and shall return, and is returning their captivity, as the streams in the south.

And therefore, awake, awake; the spiritual trumpet of the Lord is sounded, to proclaim the year of Jubilee, after the long night of apostacy, wherein antichrist hath reigned. Tarry not, delay not, go not about to reason with flesh and blood; but come to the obedience of the Light and Spirit of God, which gives a true sight and sense of sin and unrighteousness, and the nature of it: and being come to this true feeling and sight, you will come to the true sorrow, and the forsaking that accompanies it: and so, through the judgment of the Lord upon the transgressing nature, you will find mercy for your souls; for Zion is redeemed through judgment. Here then the blotting out of sin, and the times of refreshment from the presence of the Lord will be witnessed; and by the truth in the inward parts, that makes free indeed, and is beyond all outward profession, an inward, spiritual work will come to be wrought.

To this are you now called, through the sound of his powerful voice from his holy place, all of you who have any desires towards the Lord; and be assured that all that come here, shall find a sure hiding place in the day of the fiery indignation of the Lord, that is ready to break forth upon all the inhabitants of the earth.

Written from Harwich,

CHARLES MARSHALL.

the 1st of the Fifth Month, 1687.

An Epistle to Friends, [exhorting them to self-examination, and warning against false liberty.]

DEAR FRIENDS,

AND all professing the precious truth of our God, unto whom the redeeming arm of the Lord hath reached, to redeem out of the nature of sin, into the Divine nature; your mercies herein have been inexpressible.

Friends, it hath pressed on my spirit day and night, for some time, to visit you with a few lines in tender bowels of love; to call unto you, in the name of the Lord, to come into a spiritual communing with your own hearts, in openness of soul, as before the Lord; with his heavenly light, inquiring how far you have answered his heavenly call; whether you have made your calling sure, by persevering in an inward hearkening thereunto; and whether you have made your election sure, by coming out of the reprobating nature, and obeying and closing in spirit with that heavenly power, that translates out of the kingdom of Satan, into the kingdom of the dear Son of God.

Now, dear Friends, the Lord God Almighty is drawing near to judgment, and will judge in righteousness, according to the root in which every one grows, and the fruit they bring forth; for all the worshippers in the outward court will be trodden down under the swift judgments of the eternal God, and made desolate. Therefore, in his name that lives for ever, I say unto you everywhere, be inward, inward, inward; haste inward into the Divine nature, which

alone will be a safe abiding place, in the dreadful pleading-day of Almighty God, that comes on apace. And in his name I warn all who are gone from the obedience to the daily cross of Christ Jesus, and abide not in the daily, holy watch, and thereby have got into a false liberty, in their ways, words, conversations, meats, drink and apparel, to return speedily inward, under the operation of the spiritual circumcising-knife; that all which offends the Lord, and grieves his good Spirit, given to profit withal, may be effectually cut off and removed, and you may be brought back into your first fear, dread and awe, and holy watchfulness in the light of the Lamb. So will the Lord be with you in the day of the dreadful overthrow, when both the sandy foundations, and the buildings thereon, will fall together. Therefore, in the name, strength, and power of Almighty God, and in the sense of the majesty of his divine, glorious presence, I cry to you,-To the Rock, to the Rock, to the Rock;- -so will the Lord favour you, and encompass you, and make you sing of his praise; here is safety, food and water, heavenly and never-failing.

And unto you, young men and women, and children of the people of the Lord, I say, fear and dread the living God of truth and love; bear the yoke of the Lord Jesus in your youth, and love his heavenly cross, that crosseth all your inclinations to vanity and vain pleasures; abstain from all hurtful company, beware of your desires, that go out to pleasures, meats, drinks and apparel, out of the fear of God; let your words be few and savoury, and your conversation in all places be in solidity and gravity, in the heavenly awe of the omnipresent God, feeling after the enjoyment of his heavenly joys and divine consolations. Read the Scriptures of truth in seriousness, as oft as

you can, with your minds turned to that heavenly wisdom that will open them unto you; so will your youth preach forth the honour of truth, and you will be blessed of God, and be a joy and comfort to your tender parents: but, if you grow up in another nature, namely, that which is evil, and leads into vanity and evil, God Almighty will cut off many of

you from the land of the living: for he can raise up seed to Abraham even of the stones. Hear, fear and tremble before the Most High God, who hath beheld you with an eye of jealousy; bow before him, and let none of your enjoyments puff you up into pride and stout-heartedness, vanity and a loose life. God Almighty incline your hearts, and put his fear in your inward parts, that ye may see beyond all terrestrial riches, glories, pleasures and vanities; and be taken up with fervent love [to God,] and delight in the heavenly treasures and enjoyments that never fade away. Amen, Amen.

And all you tender-hearted babes that love the sincere milk of the word of life, keep you near the breast of consolation, and suck daily thereat; letting nothing come between it and you; so will your growth be daily from one degree of strength and stature to another; in the light, beholding the snares and temptations of the enemy, and abiding in a living inward diligence, out of the foolish virgins' state, where through spiritual idleness, comes spiritual slumber, to the losing the oil, and so the lamp goes out: but abiding in a daily subjection to the heavenly cross, in the holy watch, [you will] grow up to the young man's state, wherein ye become strong, and the word of God abides in you; and you abiding in it, will overcome the wicked one, and escape the high-way, stony and thorny ground and so the increase of riches, or any

terrestrial enjoyment, will not harm you; for you will feed on another life, and behold clearly another glory, even that which is eternal and celestial; and so grow up into the state of fathers, eating of the tree of life: for you will see Him that was from the beginning, in whose Almighty power is preservation out of Jesurun's state: you will walk in wisdom, and in the valley of humility, where Shiloh's brook runs and flows, by whose water ye will be washed; and by the holy blood and life of the Lamb sprinkled inwardly, and with his holy oil anointed; and so come within the vail, into the holy of the holies, where the glory of the Ancient of Days is beheld on the mercy-seat of infinite lovingkindness and in the enjoyment of his sweet smiles and divine favours, being overcome with the majesty of his presence, [you will ascribe], in the strength of his love, might, majesty and dominion, to the Lord God and the Lamb; and heavenly praises will ascend to his throne, who is over all, in heaven and earth, God blessed for ever and ever. Amen, Amen.

:

tender Friend and Brother in the labour

From your and travail of the gospel,

The Fifth Month, 1689.

CHARLES MARSHALL.