DEar Friends whom the Lord hath visited with the day spring from on high , and unto whom the Lord hath made known his Power , and the armes of his strength for your deliverance , from the deep captivity that your souls lay in , in times past , when there was none to help you , nor to comfort you ; when you spent your dayes in mourning , for want of the presence of the Lord : and in that day did the Lord hear your groans , and the sighs of your spirits , and he appeared for your comfort , when you were comfortless ; and in that day the Lord made known his judgements in you , for the purging of the dross out of you , that way might be made in you for the sweet dispencing forth of his mercies : And since the Lord prepared you for himself , by the work of his own spirit ; How hath he let forth himself unto you , to the making of your hearts glad , and to the overcomming your souls with the strength of his love ? that hath made you to say in secret , Who is like to the Lord ? or what is to be compared with his love ? and when your hearts were thus disposed of by him for whom you had waited , what was all the worlds glory to you , for this was more to you then all , in whose hearts were opened the sence of the want of him ? And now , seeing the Lord hath done such great things for you , it is the pleasure of your God to try your love unto himself , whether you can follow him to the losse of all things in this world , yea or nay , for such a birth the life of God hath been long travelling for , and now they are blessed that can say , This birth is brought forth , in which they can give up all for the enjoyment of the Lord , who hath turned a Wildernesse into a fruitfull Land , and a fruitfull Land into barrennesse in the inward ; and he likewise is able to make it so outwardly , for them that beleive and follow him in faithfulnesse unto the end . So my well-beloved in the Lord , who have felt his judgements and mercies in your hearts , who by the same are ingaged to follow the Lord , and hold forth your testimonies for his righteous Name , blessed you are , as you abide in the overcoming love of God , by which your hearts have been drawn after the Lord , and after a further enjoyment of his life , who cannot be satisfied without the fresh breakings in of his love into your hearts . Oh blessed are you for ever , however the Lord may dispose of you as to the outward man , the Lord will be unto you as the shaddow of a mighty Rock in a weary land unto you , the begotten of himself by the Word of his power , he will nourish you by the vertue of his own life , and by the sweetnesse of his own love , and this being felt , it makes all easie and delightsome whatsoever , for there is nothing to be compared with this love of our God . Therefore arise you Sons and Daughters of the Lord , and shew forth the love that you bear to him , that all may know whose off-spring you are , and how highly you esteem of the goodnesse of God , that you can forsake all for him , and the light of his countenance , which is more to you then all the world . Oh Friends , it is for your sakes that the Lord hath done great things already , and yet will the Lord doe greater things in the Earth for you , as in the heavenly life you abide , the Lord will arise for your help in the time of your distress and need ; And therefore fear not you the wrath of man , nor the fury of the ungodly , but in the life look unto the Rock of your salvation , and he will beautifie you with the Robes of Righteousness , and with the garments of praises , that all may see and confesse , to the glory of him that hath shined forth of Syon this day . And , dear Friends , you that have felt the love of God , in gathering you out of the world , and in preserving of you unto this day , let the kindnesse of the Lord , and the compassion that he hath shewed to you , be an ingagement upon your hearts , to walk with the Lord in faithfulnesse , that as the Lord hath watered your souls with the streams of life , and pure love from day to day , and from time to time , he might still continue the same to you unto the end of your dayes , that your blossome thereby may not wither , but be kept beautifull in the Eyes of the Lord , that his delight may be in you to doe you good , to rejoyce over you in his love , as it hath been in times past , that by the same we might grow further in love with him , and be more and more affected with his glory , that however it be permitted to fall out concerning these formes , we may be the Lords , and he the lot of our Inheritance ; Then shall we be constrained to say , Our lot is falne in good ground : And therefore you tender babes , be not discouraged nor amazed at the face of things , for mightie is the Lord who is with us , and glorious is his arme that doth compasse us about this day , and pure is the food that the Lord is feeding the tender spirited withall , which makes us undervalue all the world , and it 's glory , because our hearts are ravished with the love of God , which wonderfully is made manifest this day ; glory be to the name of the Lord for ever , who breaks in upon us by the force of his love dayly , so that our souls is become as watered gardens , through the shouring down of his blessings wherewith my soul is visited at this time , and in which I do visit you all in the life of God , in bonds , or else where who are called to bear witnesse for the Lord , in this trying , but not destroying day , that the purpose of our God may be fulfilled , and his determination compleated , that the works of the Lord may bring him praise in the gates of the wicked , who alone is worthy of glory and honour for ever and for ever , saith my soul .