Truth's service, in all humility, labour and delight to bring up the young therein; and when any son or daughter, in simplicity, and as enjoyers of the new wine in some little measure, speak as children, help them, strengthen them, taking them by the hand, and bowing to their state, in honouring the lowest members; so shall not the tender bubblings up of life be stifled, nor the tender grapes bruised; but all preserved, and the Lord thereby honoured. For I testify, in the power of the Most High, as it is given me, he will abase all that exalt themselves, and they shall be brought low; and all that seek themselves, and their own honour, the Lord will discover.

And dear Friends, brethren and sisters, watch over the flock of God, over which he hath made you overseers, that the rending, dividing spirit of opposition may not enter secretly. Visit, exhort, seek, warn, reprove, and set judgment in the Lord's power and counsel, over all that which would hurt the tender flock of God; the way and works of which destroying spirit the Lord God will blast, and the bringings forth and product of it consume, with the brightness of his arising and coming, and blow away with the breath of his mouth.

Finally, Friends, brethren and sisters, be of one mind, and dwell low; live with and in life itself; deny yourselves; be in the daily bearing of the cross of Christ Jesus, that crucifies you to the world, and the world to you; live above the world's heights and depths, joys and sorrows: for a sore and dreadful day will the Almighty God bring upon the world that lies in wickedness; and a bitter cup must many of the inhabitants of this nation and that city drink off.

But if ye walk with God, and grow to him, you shall know the hiding-place of his love, wherein.

safety is, and bread and water shall be sure and certain to your souls. And the Lord God Almighty cause his power in great glory and brightness, more and more to arise amongst you; and send plentiful showers of divine rain, and cause his sweet evangelical dews to descend morning after morning, on your souls, in your meetings and families; through which ye may be kept green and fresh, like the growing innocent lilies, and lovely as the rose of Sharon. The Lord God of our life warm all your hearts and souls, with his beams of glory, and cause you, in the inward man, to partake of the blessings of the second cove

nant.

So, having done the will of my God, and eased my spirit before him, I commit you to the word of God's grace, that is able to build you up in his most holy faith, and give you an eternal inheritance with his saints in light: [that this may be your portion] is the earnest breathing of your travailing brother, in the labour, tribulation and faith of the gospel,

CHARLES MARSHALL.

Glory and honour, might, majesty, with holy renown, and immortal dominion, be ascribed, with living high praises, to the Lord God, and the Lamb, who reigns in Zion, and before his broken-hearted, bowed-spirited ones, gloriously.

P

CHAPTER XIX.

An Epistle in the Love of God, to Friends everywhere, [exhorting them to perseverance.]

DEAR FRIENDS,

WHO have been visited with the morning of the heavenly day of God's everlasting love, and have seen the clear inshining of the celestial light thereof, through which the ancient, precious way of eternal life is cast up in the view of your understanding; in the sense of which mercy, and inexpressible kindness of the Lord, which unto you hath been largely extended, your hearts have been tendered before him : dear lambs and babes of my Father's fold, in the bowels of inexpressible dearness is the salutation of my love and life unto you ; and in the pure stream of love and life, and precious power of the Lord, I say unto you, walk on in the heavenly path of life, and way of peace; the mark is before, the glorious prize, that all shall obtain that run well. Therefore in the name and power of the everlasting God, cast off every weight and burden that hath hindered or would hinder you, and now walk on towards Zion's city, the palace of the Great King, where he reigns before his ancients gloriously: shut out all weakening and discouraging thoughts and reasonings, and come away in this the day of the arisings of the glorious, powerful God of heaven and earth, who in this his day is freshly visiting his inheritance, causing his latter, plenteous, sweet rain of love, life and heavenly virtue,

to descend abundantly thereon. And therefore, all everywhere, who are convinced of the heavenly truth, in the dread, fear, and pure awe of the Almighty, wait to be capacitated to enjoy what the Lord is now plentifully dispensing, of the increase of his goodness and blessings. And the way to be so capacitated for this precious, spiritual enjoyment, is, diligently to wait upon the Lord, in the inward, sweet, retiredness of the mind and spirit; in the feeling of, and subjecting to that heavenly leaven that leavens the whole three measures; so shall every one come to receive the holy divine dispensings of love, life and nourishing virtue, whereby the inward man grows up in strength and stature, and so comes to have an heavenly place of joy in the mansion-house of the Lord.

So to the heavenly, sweet Comforter, to his teachings, leadings and feedings I commit you all everywhere; and rest in the satisfactory knowledge of the prosperity of the Lord's work, your brother in the labour, tribulation and hope of the gospel of peace, CHARLES MARSHALL.

POSTSCRIPT.

AND DEAR FRIENDS AND BRETHREN,

The Lord hath suffered several trials to arise, since we have been a people, through which there hath been, and is, a sifting and winnowing: but as you grow in the knowledge of Him that is true, and abide in Him that is true, you shall receive a certain understanding to know him that is false; and so be preserved in the word of his patience, from entering into the hour of temptation, that all those fall into that, go from the heavenly into the earthly; in which grows the

heady, stubborn, and murmuring birth of sensuality, which is born after the fleshly wisdom, and therein makes war with the birth that is after the Spirit; which the Lord Almighty will debase and consume by the brightness of his appearing, arising and coming, and by the breath of his mouth. And many hearts shall be broken with the joy of the Lord, and overcome in the power of his love, who is arising, ah! mournful Zion, to comfort thee through accomplishing thy spiritual warfare, and laying low the enemies of thy prosperity; causing more and more thy light to come, and break forth as brightness, and the glory of the Lord to arise on thee. Amen, Amen, saith my soul and spirit.

C. M.