An Epistle to the Women's Meetings.

MY DEAR FRIENDS,

WHOSE Souls love Mount Zion and Jerusalem that is from above, the beautiful dwelling-place of the redeemed, where the glory of the Lord shines, the tree of life grows, and the river of life runs: meet you together in the adorning of the ancient, virtuous, holy women; and wait to feel [your] spirits gathered down into the deep, where the wonders of God are seen, and where life and power, and wisdom from above, spring into the immortal soul; by which you will be opened to the Lord, and one unto another. And dear friends, you here sitting in great humility before the Lord, his precious, living power, will spring amongst you; which when you feel warming your hearts, and in it any of you open your mouths, keep within the compass of the motion thereof; so shall you minister refreshment, and come to no loss nor hurt in yourselves. And dear friends, stay not behind the motion of the power, nor go beyond it; begin, continue, and end, in that in which the kingdom of God stands.

And now, forasmuch as there is a spirit of contention risen, that would divide from the precious shepherd of Israel, and scatter lambs from lambs, and sheep from sheep, and all from the fold of everlasting rest and safety; in the power of the Lord God Almighty stand over it, and in the life of righteousness live it down; and let none have an occasion to

say that any of you do exercise yourselves in pulling the mote out of others eyes, and do not see a beam at home in your own and families. Therefore in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, be careful, watchful and circumspect at home, to keep down evil in your children and families; that under the conduct of the sweet, saving wisdom of God Almighty you may be managed; that so you may live down all evils and opposition, and stop the mouths of all gainsayers with your upright walking.

And dear friends and handmaids of the Lord Jesus, let the remissness, carelessness and opposition of them that give up to the enemy's leadings, and thereby neglect to serve up their generation, according to the will of God, be ensamples unto you to beware of unwatchfulness: that you that stand may take diligent care, and walk in the Lamb's innocency; that day after day, more and more of the nature of meekness, patience and temperance, and the fear of the Lord may appear in you; that your just, careful, watchful, awful, tender, living, pure and unrebukable walking, in all your respective places, may preach forth the life of Jesus. And then the Lord will bless you with dominion over his and your enemies.

And dear friends, endeavour not to reason down; but as I said, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, live down all opposition and contention.

The Lord will hasten his work, to put an end to that which in this day dishonours his worthy, glorious, renowned, dear name. So keep your meetings in the name of the Lord Jesus, our Leader, Commander, Saviour, Shepherd, and Bishop of our souls; who will supply all your wants, and bow down his ear to your cries, in the sense of your wants, and answer your supplications, tears, sighs and groans.

God Almighty be with you, and fill you with the fillings of his life and heavenly wisdom, is the breathing and travail of the soul of your bowed-spirited friend and brother,

CHARLES MARSHALL.

POSTSCRIPT.

And the Lord Almighty cause a plenteous, pleasant, heavenly, refreshing shower to descend amongst you; that thereby you may be as a well-watered garden; that all may be melted and dissolved down into that heavenly frame of spirit, that would make you shine in all your respective places and dwellings.

And dear friends, manage those affairs of truth presented before you, in the grave, heavenly wisdom: and be swift to hear, and slow to speak; that in the comely ordering of the heavenly wisdom, you may be ordered, and weigh things ponderously before you speak; wait, to see things first clearly, and how you may be co-workers together and helpers, and then speak one by one: so will you go through things in a short time, and come to comfortable satisfactory conclusions; and in the end, part in heavenly contentedness of mind, in the sense of the Lord's helping you along in his work and service. God Almighty be with you, and bless you with his heavenly presence, power, light, life and glory. Amen, Amen.

Let this be read in the assemblies of women, in the fear and feeling of the power of the Lord of glory; and copied carefully, and sent abroad.

C. M. Tetherton, the 23rd of Second Month, 1697.

CHAPTER XIV.

A General Epistle to Friends, [cautioning against the spirit of the world, and recommending watchfulness, unity, humility and stillness.]

DEAR FRIENDS AND BRETHREN,

WHO with a high and heavenly calling have been called out of darkness, and all the ways and works thereof, to walk in the marvellous light of the glorious day of God Almighty, that hath preciously dawned in this our day; grace, mercy, and peace from God, with the virtues of his Eternal Spirit, be multiplied in and amongst you.

Friends, the great Husbandman of the whole earth, having in the riches of his love, planted a vineyard with the choicest vine, in a fruitful hill, in this age of the world, which he hath pruned, dressed and plentifully watered, is coming to take a view thereof, to see what fruit it bringeth forth; and therefore it weightily concerns you to see with the light of the Lord, how you have answered his great and inexpressible love, which for many years hath been abundantly extended unto you; and to prize your time whilst you have it, and it is called a day of mercy. O! have a care that you give no room to the spirit of the world, that blinds the eye of the mind, and subjects the affections to things below, and raiseth up the old love to the world again: beware of the going out of the simplicity of the gospel; and let there be a tender, inward care to watch against all

thoughts that darken you, and grieve the Spirit of the Lord. Let your words be few, and seasoned with heavenly grace go not out of the exercise of the precious cross of Christ Jesus, into any excess in meats, drinks, or apparel; and make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof: let not your gold and silver, lands and livings, furniture or apparel, any way ensnare you, or entangle, surfeit, or overcharge you.

O Friends! the enemy of Zion's prosperity hath laid deep snares in the spirit of the world in those things, to draw out the mind from the pure, innocent life, obtained and enjoyed through the spiritual exercise of the cross of Christ Jesus, which crucifies us to the world, and the world unto us ; for if the mind goes out of the awe, and dread, and fear of the Lord, and holy cross and heavenly watch, into a false liberty, then you I will live to the world and the world to you; and here is the way that death comes over again.

Therefore dear Friends, this is the word of truth to all the professors thereof everywhere, home, home, inward, inward; and in the spiritual watch-tower stand and abide,-where you will receive manifold spiritual advantages, and will see the approaches of your souls' enemy, when, where, how, and in what he works; and here you will see clearly how sin is conceived in the thoughts, which, when it is finished, brings forth death; and so you will receive an understanding how sin is strengthened, and how overcome; how it is finished and brought to an end, and the everlasting righteousness of Jesus Christ brought in ; and how the knowledge of God increases, and comes to cover the earth as the waters cover the sea; and so shall your peace flow as a river.

And dear Friends, keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and grow up in it for whilst

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