An Epistle to Friends, [recommending them to wait for, and live under the power of the Lord.] DEAR FRIENDS, BRETHREN AND SISTERS, WHO have been visited with the morning of the eternal day, and by the arm of the mighty God, gathered from the barren mountains of lifeless professions; and called to come to the mountain of the Lord's house; grace, mercy, and peace, life and divine virtue, God Almighty multiply and increase in and among you all; Amen, Amen. Dear Friends, a necessity is upon my travailing soul this to say in the name of the Most High: your growth, increase, and preservation is alone in that which first reached unto you, and gathered you, namely, the mighty power of the living God; and therefore, dear Friends, wait diligently in that lowliness of mind, and contrition of heart and soul, wherein you may have an increased knowledge thereof, and of its bright, powerful arisings and appearing amongst you; without which you cannot be safe, nor bring forth anything that is truly acceptable in his sight; for without this, all testimonies and performances are lifeless and senseless, and such as the Lord hath no delight in. Therefore, in the sense of the heartbreaking love of my God, this counsel ariseth unto all Friends, in all your assemblies, and families ;— wait diligently to feel this living power of the Lord to spring in strength and might in all your souls; and when felt, bow with all your hearts unto it, so shall you know that the mind thereof is purely to purge away all the dross, the lead, the tin, and the reprobate silver, and to make a clean habitation for him to appear and dwell in.—And as the pure power of the Lord is [submitted to] in its arisings, it will search thoroughly, and find out all that nature, that is not, nor can be at unity with it, nor with his works; the burning up of which nature will be known, and so the power of the Lord will appear, and make chosen vessels to bear his name, and to honour him in your respective places. And dear Friends, in this is the living cross of Christ Jesus known, which crucifies to the world, (mark), and the world to you, in which all will be preserved in the pure awe, dread and fear of the Almighty God and all that are here truly preserved grow to God, and come up in his service; serving him in their generation, according to his will; knowing their places in that body which edifieth itself in love. Here all are led up in the pure, sweet unity, none moving out of their proper places; he that speaketh in this, speaketh as the oracle of God; and they that hear in this, hear so also: and a few words heard in the motion of the glorious power, are of more service than thousands spoken out of it; for these burden and grieve the Spirit of the Lord, and them that are in the tender sense thereof. And here tender Friends, brethren and sisters, wisdom from above [will] descend into your souls; and as in it, and with it, and under the conduct thereof, in the dread of the Lord God Omnipresent, you manage the affairs of Truth in all your meetings, heavenly blessings and prosperity will attend you, strengthening and encouraging you, and the whole flock and family of God. My dear Friends, this further lies upon me to say to parents, masters, and mistresses of families, in the fear and counsel of the Lord:-watch over your children and servants diligently, and let your souls be lifted up with strong cries and supplications to the mighty God, that your families may be brought under the government and seasoning of this sweet, precious power of the Lord, [and] that in this you might rule well.And to young men and young women, and children, I say,-let the dread of this power be over you, keeping you in that blessed, sole state of fearing God Almighty, and trembling at his word.--And here it will be the delight of children, to love honour, and obey their parents; and of servants, to perform their services truly and faithfully, as in the sight of God, in their respective places. Finally, dear Friends, nothing but the bright shinings and pure operation of this power, and living obedience thereunto, can keep and preserve you a savoury people. And therefore, once more I say, in the name of the God of truth, wait for the increasing, feeling knowledge of it, and cleave fully to it; so shall you be defended and fenced about. And as the mountains were round about Jerusalem, so shall a wall be round about you, even the compassing, ancient, honourable and renowned arm of God Almighty; which alone can fence out the wild boar of the forest, and the roaring lion, that now goes about seeking for an entrance to destroy and lay waste the heritage of the Lord. God Almighty be with you in your meetings and assemblies; and O! that his heavenly blessings, rain, and pure refreshings, as sweet dews, may plentifully descend among you to your great joy and inexpressible consolation; that high praises may be in your souls to the Lord God that ruleth and reigneth, and to the immaculate Lamb that sits with him upon his throne of celestial glory; to whom my soul [ascribes] might, majesty and dominion, for his daily arisings, and the bright goings forth of his mighty power; for he is worthy to receive all honour and glory, with heavenly renown, for ever and ever. Amen, Amen. Your tender, travailing brother, in the fellowship of the gospel of life and salvation, CHARLES MARSHALL. POSTSCRIPT. DEAR FRIENDS, The Lord's living call and counsel unto you all everywhere, is, that you diligently feel after, and wait for the living operations of that power of love, which brings to true contrition of spirit; that under the mighty hand of the Lord, [and his] dissolving life and power, all the families of Friends may be humbled before the day of the Lord's humbling the people in judgment; that in that day you may be favoured of the Lord, as those were that sighed for the great iniquity of Jerusalem: so you being made sensible of the grievous oppressions of the iniquity of the land of our nativity, may with strong cries and groans, night and day, cry mightily unto the Lord God of Sabaoth, for the finishing of the sins thereof, and bringing to an end its transgression; that so it may enjoy deliverance, and thereby a Sabbath. C. M. An Epistle to Friends, [exhorting them to walk in the light; warning the disobedient, and recommending inwardness of spirit, humility and diligence.] DEAR FRIENDS, THE High and Holy One, that inhabiteth eternity, condescends in his love to dwell with those that are of a broken heart and contrite spirit, and tremble at his word; these are the qualifications of the people he will uphold, refresh, and be with, in the dreadful, astonishing day of his fierce anger, and terrible, consuming indignation. Therefore, home, home, to live and walk in that ye have made profession of, in the sight of the nations, namely, the holy light of the Lamb, in which ye will see all your states and conditions, how you stand before the Lord this day; for the Lord God Almighty will extend his wonderful loving-kindness unto all the obedient, that walk uprightly before him, in his pure fear, awe and dread; sanctifying his great and glorious name before the people, in a Christian conversation, as becomes the gospel of Christ Jesus: and [as you] inwardly in spirit walk with God, he will appear more and more for your safety in a dreadful, stormy day, and give you the desire of your souls, in perfecting his work begun in you, to the honour of his own name, and consolation of your own souls; your habitation shall be sure and pleasant in the |