Lord has not been answered, behold wild fruit and sour grapes were brought forth. And what was the consequence of it? Was it not the taking away the hedge, through which it was eaten up; and breaking down the wall thereof, and it was trodden down? Read, see, feel and consider; and the Lord God Almighty visit you in your habitations and secret chambers, with his holy dread, and with his searching life and piercing word of power, who in his tender infinite love and mercy, long-sufferings, great bowels to his seed and offspring, visited us in his pure morning aforementioned, to give all the sense of their inward states, as they are in his sight, from whom nothing can be hid. And now, dear Friends, the hindrance of the prosperity of the work of the Lord, in the souls of any, hath not been from any cause in God, or deficiency in his light, power and wisdom, but from the creature's going out of a capacity of receiving and enjoying the working power of God, in which salvation is worked out, by all that wait for it, join with it, and cleave to it, and do not forsake it, for I have learned of the Lord, through many exercises inexpressible, that after the visitation of the Almighty to any soul, He requires an inward worthy receiving his love, and the spiritual watch to be kept in his holy light, in which all the workings and approaches of the destroying adversary of the soul is discerned, and the enlightened and obedient mind is preserved. And through the spiritual sense, given in a tender waiting on the Lord in the inward part, supplicating breathings arise to the living Eternal God of love and compassion, who beholding the want of the soul, descends in his love, and reaches forth his helping hand to the broken and contrite-hearted, and lifts up the bowed down spirit, with the liftings up of his

:

holy spiritual standard. So the temptations and assaults of the enemy are vanquished and overcome, and the power of God is felt in those that descend with it in humility, to be working on the root as an axe, on the rocky as a hammer, and on the chaffy as a fire. Now, Friends, when there is an abatement of the inward and spiritual care, and a gradual lessening of the inward watchfulness, the mind becomes both unworthy and incapable of the enjoyments of the power of the Lord, that begun and carrieth on the work of the Lord: then the enemy comes as not seen, through the minds being out of the holy watch in the light, the nature that was wounded comes to be healed again, and ease given to that which should be destroyed and the enemy, perceiving where the weakness is, and how, and by what means he has got a little entrance, endeavours with all subtlety and vigilance, by presenting matters and subjects, to lead by degrees out of a watchful state; and according to every degree of digression, he brings over the once enlightened mind a proportion of darkness and deceivableness of understanding, and insensibility of spirit. The enemy of the soul thus works, that with the declining there may be a proportion of benumbing the inward senses of seeing, hearing and feeling; and then again he has mankind in a state fit to work upon, by drawing them out by his power, to act and bring forth that which he sees them most capable of, and which there is the greatest inclination in their natures to go into hence schisms arise in judgment, which the wrathful part in man getting into, he works by the way of a fierce management, with a sort of zeal, but not according to knowledge.

The enemy is never wanting to present matters to the mind, as just, for the creature to be blown up

with, which end in dishonouring the Lord and his precious truth, and in hurting others. When the enemy has worked his end [on any] by such instruments, he brings them into an alienation from the life of God, into a worse state than the tender day of God's visitation found them in; and so, if not humbled under the mighty hand of God, and returning, they are exposed to shame, and so die away under the wrath of God.

Now, dear Friends, the enemy of Zion's prosperity works variously, according as he sees where he may get an entrance, proportioning his snares to the inclinations of every one, as before is hinted. Where he sees an inclination in any to be taken with earthly things, there he works subtly to captivate the mind, and draw it out of the watchful, tender, spiritual state, into a false liberty, both to the affections, to the things acting and possessed, and in the conversation amongst men; others [he draws] into superfluities in meat, drink and apparel, on themselves and houses; and such, their comforts stand most in outward things, and by degrees they are swallowed up of them, and the pleasures, lust and delights below; and so they die to an inward life of watchfulness and freshness, which is preserved in fear and dread, in keeping the holy watch, and in the spiritual cross, which crucifies to the world, and the world to it. Now, dear Friends, here is our spiritual encouragement, viz., the same that through death to sin made us alive to God, as we abide under the leadings and teachings of it, keeps us alive to Him, in a growing, increasing, fresh flourishing state; for as we delight in his eternal law of life, we grow as willows by the water-courses of immortal refreshings, and travel faithfully on in our spiritual journey, until we

come to Zion, the city of God, and then are enjoyers of the end of all our trials and tribulations; having overcome, we see an entrance administered, and that abundantly, into the eternal rest and sabbath of our God.

The Lord Almighty give all to enjoy this blessed portion and goodly inheritance; and let all see in this age, and the ages to come, all that which lets and hinders them taken out of the way, that the God of all our mercies, in whom are all our fresh springs, may have his honour and glory, and his church and people through ages the comfort and consolation. Amen. Amen.

CHARLES MARSHALL.

CHAPTER V.

An Exhortation to the Quarterly, Monthly, and all other Meetings set apart for the transacting the affairs of Truth.

DEARLY BELOVED FRIENDS,

THIS exhortation ariseth in my heart, in the motion of God's immortal Power and Spirit, unto all concerned in the meetings above mentioned, that before yo begin to speak to the matters that shall lie before you in all such meetings, you take a little time to wait on the Lord, to feel your minds gathered and inwardly retired into the heavenly light of righteousness, and there wait to feel the pure spring of wisdom, which is from above, and is pure and peaceable, in which every one may see and know his place in the body. And as every one is here centred, all waiting, in brokenness of heart and contriteness of spirit, upon the Lord, the sensual wisdom being under foot, and self made of no reputation, but humbled to the very death of the cross; all seeking the prosperity and welfare of the body, in the one universal spirit of life and love; then when a matter is spoken of, all will ponderously weigh the thing, in the heavenly peaceable wisdom of God; and as any things therein are opened in the understanding, there will be a pertinent speaking to the matter; and such speaking will be savoury, and one by one, as anything opens in the understanding that may be helpful. And here, in the unity of the one Eternal Spirit of life and