THE Lord God , who created all things by the Word of his Power , manifested his Love unto Mankind in general , by creating man in his own Image , and giving him power and dominion over the Works of his Hands ; that both Male and Female might stand in the Heavenly Authority , in the Life , and Power , and Heavenly Image , over the Earth and earthly things , ordering them in the Wisdom of the Creator ; and over the Serpent and all his subtilty , and power ; and in this State they had right to the Tree of Life , and the Fruit of it , which was to keep them alive unto God , that they might Worship and Serve him , and bow to his Power ; and so live to the Praise and Glory of the Lord forever : In this Estate man was in union with his Maker , and knew no Sorrow , nor Death , nor any Evil : In this blessed Estate they lived , until the Serpent , through his subtilty deceived the Woman , and she took of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil , and gave also unto her Husband , and they both did eat of the forbidden Fruit ; and so sin entred , and Death by sin ; thus they came to know Sorrow , and Death , and Pain , and lost the Paradice of God , and right to the Tree of Life ; and so fell from the Life and Power of God , under the Serpents power , and under Death's dominion . In this Estate are all the Sons and Daughters of Adam in the fall , who are not redeemed by the Life and Power of the Lord Jesus Christ : But the Lord in the Riches of his Love and o●… his free Grace , hath manifested his Love aboundantly unto Mankind 〈…〉 in that he hath given his only begotten Son , who was glorified wit●… himself before the World began , by whom the World , and all thing●… therein was made , and by whom all things are upheld ; him hath th●… Father given , and prepared him a Body , that he might do the Will 〈…〉 the Father , & tasted Death for every man , and enlightneth every m●… 〈…〉 world ( with the Light of Life ) that all Mankind might have a Day of Visi●ation of the Love of God , who would have all men to see from whence they are faln , and come to the knowledge of the Truth , and be saved , as it 's written , Titus 2.2 . The Grace of God , that bringeth Salvation , hath appeared to all men : Thus the Lord hath manifested his Love again unto Mankind in general , in giving a Day of Visitation , and tendering his free Grace in the Love of the Lord Jesus Christ ; and so the Lord is clear from the Blood of all men , that will none of his Counsel , who reject his Grace and good Spirit , when it is freely tendered to them , by which they might be saved from Sin and Death , and restored unto Everlasting Life : And unto this undeniable Truth of God shall the Unrighteous Generation confess in the mighty Day of the Lord , and that the Way of the Lord is Equal .

But more especially the Lord hath manifested his undeclarable Love ( in the Lord Jesus Christ ) in the Hearts of those who receive the Light and Spirit of Grace , when it is tendered to them , and appears in them ; these come to know the Work of the Lord by the opperating of his Power and Spirit of Grace , by which the heart comes to be opened , and the Eye of the Understanding inlightened ( more and more ) that the Creature comes to discern those things that pertain unto Life and Salvation ; and so waiting upon the Lord in his Gift , which is pure , comes to feel his pure Power , which gives dominion over the spirit and power of darkness ; & so as the Faith stands in the Power of God , the work of Darkness ( which is Sin and Iniquity ) comes to be wrought out of the Creature ; and the Blood or Life of the Lord Jesus comes to be ministred unto the Soul , by which the Soul comes to be Washed , Comforted , and inlivened ( more and more ) to wait upon the Lord ; and thus the Soul comes to be subject to the Lord , and to his Christ , the Power of God , which is the Higher Power , which every Soul ought to be subject unto ; and so the Soul being purified and made subject to the Power of God , comes to be joyned unto the Lord in the Spirit , and so waits upon the Lord , and serves him , and worships him in the Spirit and in the Truth ; and hereby the Love of God comes to be shed abroad in the heart aboundantly ( beyond expression ) and the Soul comes to pertake of divine Consolation , eats of the Bread , and drinks of the Water of Life , and so comes to know a Passage from Death to Life , as the primative Christians did : And so the tender Care and Love of God in the Lord Jesus is manifested on this wise unto them that believe , and are willing and obedient unto the Heavenly Voice ( or Motion of the holy Spirit ) and whatever the Children of Light come to pertake , of divine Consolation , whilst they remain in the Body , it is but as the Earnest of the Inheritance , which the Lord hath prepared for them in his Heavenly Kingdom , when time shall be no more ; and so the Apostle and Minister of Christ said on this wise , When our earthly Houses of this Tabernacle is disolved , we have a Building made without hands , eternal in the Heavens : And Moses , the Servant of the Lord , Chosed rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God , then to injoy the pleasures of sin for a season ; because he had respect to the Recompence of the Reward : And so , in like manner , the People of God in all Ages , who were delivered from the power of Darkness , and made subject to the Power of God , they chos'd rather to suffer with the Suffering Seed , then to do those things which might displease the Lord , and bring his heavy Judgments upon themselves , and cause the Name of the Lord to be blasphemed ; and so being made perfect in their Generation according to the Will of God , they became as Tryed Stones in the House of God , and were of the general Assembly , and Church of the First-born , Jesus Christ being the Head and chief Corner-stone ; and these Souls were subject to the Higher Power , and were nourished at the Brests of Consolation ; and what ever they suffered outwardly , it was under the power of Darkness ; and so Jesus said unto his Persecutors , when he was to Suffer , ☞ This is your houer , and the power of Darkness : And the true Christians in the primitive time , before the Apostacy , who were delivered from the Power of Darkness , they testified , That they wrestled not against Flesh and Blood , but against Principallities , and Powers , and spiritual Wickedness in high Places ; and yet these Christians were subject to the higher Power , and did not resist the Ordinance of God . Even so , now hath the Lord appeared in Power and in Glory ( after the Night of Darkness , and Apostacy from the Life and Power of God ) to gather in one ( even in Christ ) the hearts and spirits of his People , that he may Baptize them by his Spirit into one Body , that as the Lord is one , and his Name one , even so his People may be one in him , and wait upon him , and serve him , and worship him , and bow to his Name , and be subject to his Power ( Gods Ordinance ) and to every Ordinance of man , which is made for the ●ords sake ; and this is the Lords Work , which he hath begun , and carries it on by his own Power ; and for this end the Lord sent forth his Servants , to turn Peoples minds to the Light of Christ , and from the power of Darkness unto God , and their Testimony was true ; and as many as receive the Light , and believe in it , they receive power over their own wills , and over the spirit and power of Darkness , and so wrastles against the Spirit and Power of Darkness , to be delivered from its Temptations . And as it was the Practise of the Churches of Christ , in the primitive Times , to meet together and wait upon the Lord , that they might receive of his Fulness , and their Souls be satisfied with the feeling of his Love , and Life , and Power manifested in and amongst them , by which they were refreshed and enabled to stand against the Wiles and Temptations of the Devil and power of Darkness ; even so , the same Practise is found amongst the Gatherings of the Lords People ( who are in scorn called Quakers ) by which it appears , that they have received of the same Spirit and Power which they had , who lived in the Apostles dayes ; and though these Christians have no other end in meeting together , but that the Name of the Lord and his Truth may be exalted , and their Souls refreshed , in feeling the Life and Power of the Lord in them , and amongst them , and receive Wisdom from the Lord , that they may be ordered by it in a holy Conversation , that their Light may shine before men , that the Lord may be Glorified and Praised for all his Blessings . Many have suffered very deeply , since they were gathered in the Name of the Lord , and their Sufferings do encrease since the late Act came forth , which was made ( as we suppose ) against Seditious Sectaries , and other Disloyal Persons , who under Pretence of Tender Consciences , have or may at their Meetings contrive Insurrections , as late Experience hath shewn : If this be so , that the Act be against such , let the Wise in Heart consider , whether the Innocent People of God , who are free from all these things ( and abide in the Spirit of Truth , and bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit , which is Love , Meekness , Peace , Long-Suffering , Temperance , and the like , which the Apostle saith , Against such there is no Law ) do not suffer contrary to the Law ; and whether the Rod of the Wicked ought to be laid upon the Back of the Righteous ; and whether it be not high time for all Ministers of Law and Justice , to wait for the Power of God to open their Understandings , that they may discern between the Righteous and the wicked , and between them that meet under 〈…〉 that meet in Reallity and in the Truth ; and so lay the Rod upon the Wicked , and Transgressors of every just Law , and let the Righteous go free , so that Love , and Peace , and Righteousness , and the Knowledge of God and his Truth might spread over the Earth , that the Lord may pouer forth his Blessings upon the works of his own hands ; and that Sin , and Iniquity , and every Abomination ( in the Eye of the Lord may be done away , which brings the Curse and Wrath of God upon Families , and Cities , and Kingdoms ; and that all People high and low might Fear the Lord , and honour him above all , and be subject to his Power : So shall the Mountain of the Lords House be established above all Mountains , and Love and Peace grow in the Earth ; that the Nations may beat then Swords into Plow-shares , and their Spears into Pruning-hooks , according to the Prophesie of Isaiah : And the holy City New Jerusalem , the Mother of many Sons and Daughters , may become the Praise of the whole Earth , and the Kings of the Earth that are saved , may bring their Glory and Honour into it , and rule in the Lambs Power , over the Beast and power of Darkness ; and the Kingdoms of the World may become the Kingdoms of our Lord Jesus Christ , that God may be all in all , and over all blessed for ever .

This will the Lord bring to pass ( we do believe ) in his appointed time , and in his day , by his Word and Power : And as the Lord hath been pleased to manifest his Love in us , and open the Eye of our Understandings , and reveal his Mind and Will ; even so in the same Love we signifie ( according to the Will of God ) in love to all People , that they may cease to do evil , and learn to do well , and turn to the Lord , and escape his heavy Judgment , which will certainly come upon the Ungodly , except they repent ; For the Ungodly shall not stand before him in the Judgment , nor Sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous : Therefore Kiss the Son , lest he be Angry , and ye perish from the Way , when his Wrath is kindled but a little ; Blessed are all they that put their Trust in him , and wait upon him , and receive his Counsel , that they may pertake of his divine Nature , and grow in the same into the Estate of Election , and so follow the Lamb in the meek Spirit of Grace ; and resist the Enemy , the old Accuser of the Brethren and Servants of the Lord , in all his Wiles and Temptations ; and so escape the Wrath of God and the Estate of Reprobation , which they that follow the Enemies Counsel cannot escape ; for the Lamb and his Followers must have the Victory : And the Redeemed of the Lord praise the Lord in the beauty of Holiness , in the Land of the Living , where the unrighteous Generation ( who reject the Counsel of the Lord , and Tenders of his free Love in Christ , and cast his Law behind them ) cannot come .