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Show 440 'Jfot. I. ~t66~ ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;::= 1\ LETTER of LOVE ' ~ - - . _.. ' , ..... T 0 THE Y 0 U N G Convinced,' OF That B!elfed Everlafiing Way of TRUTH and Righteouf. nelS, now teftified unto by the People of the Lord call'd Rfiakm, of what Sex Age, and Rank foever; in the Nations of England, Irela11d, and Scotland, with the Illes abr~d; but more particularly to thofe of that Great City of London, Spmtual Refre!hmems, Holy Courage, and Perfe8: V i8:ory from G 0 D the Father, an~ the Lord J•sus CHltlsT, Amen. "MJ Dtarly Beloved Friendt and Bretbnn; W H 0 have been called by the Eternal Spirit, unto an Holy Calling; out of all the Pleafures, Vanities, Cuftoms, Profits and Cares of this peri!hing polluted World, unto the Pure Knowledge of the lnvifible God, and JESUS in you the Hope cf Glory, w~ich to a~ m.any as Believe and Obey, is Life Eternal; and who for that Ltttle Be~tn.mng of y~ur He~ venly Journey, have met with Repro;tch, Lofs, Suft(nng, and buter Tnals; as One among you, and a Traveller with you, and therefore deeply Senfible of your heavy Exercife, and bowed· down Spi~its; I am conftrai~'d by the Eternal Unaion, which we have received from on High, to v1fit you in Tender Bowels of Love unfeigned, befeechiog you a11 in God's Moft Holy Fear and Counfel, to ftand fa ft, :1.nd make your CoOing and Ele~ion {ure, which is not (my deareft Friends) to thofe external and fhadowy Ser· vices, that could never perfea as concerning the Confcience, in which the Worfhip of the Jews formerly, and of the Nations now, moftly do confift, {Carnal and Beggarly Elements indeed) but to that Law in the Heart, :md Spirit manifefted in the inward Parts, which is the Su bftance of all. . Here God is the Teacher of hi.s People, :1.nd daily doth replenifh his, w11h the immediate Virtue of his own Life; for God Eternal is broken _fonh1 and by the mighty Power of his Spiritual Appearance is come, to ftam the Beauty. of all the Inventions of Superfiitious Men, and thereby to fu_mmon all Nanons, Kindreds, Tongues, and People to Judgment, for their U~tighreoufnefs, that he alone may Reign King in the Heart, where the D<:v1l has. hitherto had Dominion, that T1:ue Religion may confift in fearin~ ~1m, and working Righteoufnefs, by the powerful Operation of the Splrtt o~ Jefus in them, which my dearly beloJcd Friends, with all ~inglene£5 o · Heart, let us wait to be fenfible of, that tlirough the Glorious Ri~ng of the Pure Power of the Ever!a!ling God, which is felt by all the Children of the Light, we may be enabled to w11rk o11t oNr Great SalvatiOTI u:itb Fe~r nnd Trtmbling: For Great and Weighty is the Work of tlle Almighty m this his Day of Appearance, even to adopt us Sons and Daughters of tbe Moft High, by a Participation of his Divine Nature, that m we have born the Imtl&e of the Eartblj, in Pride, Vanit)', Wnnronnefs, Avarice, and all m11nnu Vol.. I. A L ETTER to the Toung 1 Convinced. mitnller of . Impiet~es, :u1d th~t wbilft .rome of us Were under great Profeffions, and 1he con_n~ual Fe3:ftmg on V1fible and Elementary Things 1 fo that now w: may daily Exp~nence,_ through Obedience to that Pure Light ~gd Trmh m the_lm~Jrd Pans, wb1ch leads· to all Mceknefs, Pa:cience and Yarity, the QUic~mng of the New Man; and ftnfibly wirnefs_ a beari~of rhe Heavenly. e may come to feel the Peace that pa etb the Wor/d'J t'nder our poor, tofi'ed, t ryed, and tr(lubled-: pirits in good Meafu~e r'd, in the immoveable and Holy State, over· al~ the Gloncs and Poll~tionsofthe World, thac fo nothing may ever preyail upon us, to return Into our fortner Wa'/s and Lufis, commJrted in out Ignorance : For the over-flowing Scourge o the Almighty will be upon the Back of the Backflider, and his fwifr Wrarh wifl overtake the Heart that faints by rhe Way; yea, better were it that fuch had never heen vifited with the Glorious Day·fpring from on High, nor been Convirrced by the Powerful Perfwafions of the Holy Spirit, concerning the Pure Eternal Way of T I{ U T H, than afrerwards to turn from it, and fa trample ·rhe Blood of that mofi excellent Covenanr under Foot: Yea, ir will be the moft dreadful of all Aggravations to their Eternal w· ri :tnd Mifery. And therefore, JHrDcar Frienils, let us not be difcomforred under all our fharp and heavy Exercifes, whether from within or wirhoct; for this lam fully perf waded of,. that the ram~ Pur.e Principle of light and Truth that hath appeared to gtve a certam dtfcermng of our States and Conditions and wr6ughr a Convincernent upon our Underfiandings, is able to give us'rh:rt Succour and ~upporr, if our Minds be but ferioufly ftay'd thereon tU jh111l flm8ify tJs throNthONt in Body, So11/ anJ ~pirit; and fo preJerve ~s Clean, to God over aU. *- And .i11y Dear Brtthren,_ Let us not enter i_nto ~ny Mur~utings againft the Lord, hut be fiogly g1ven up to know H\.5 W1ll and Work done in u~ ) tha~ we perifh n;>t, as thofe of Old: And jn the Tender Love of Jefr/i Chrijl, I earnefrly mtre:lt you, Let us no more look back upon our Ancient Pall:i.rn:s and Delights (but ~ith Holy Refolution prefs on, prefs on) fot t~ey wlll ileal a\I.J.ay our Pr~c1ous Souls, beget New Defire, raife the Old L1fe, and final1y, enfn~re and polhlte our Minds agJin ; and what will be the End of fuch R~belhon, but Wo~s and Trib11/ariotts from the Hand of the JJtjJ Gcd, World fwthoilt End. Neuber let us enter into many Reafonings with '?ppofers, For that's the Life God's Power i.t revealed to flay with tbe Tu:o Kdged Sword; for tif the S11U, the '<_11iet, and the Righteous Life whicb tmtjl be e~alted over aU. And this I fay in a Sound Underlbnding through t~e M~rc1es of the LORD, ~hat J?earlne{s, Darknifs, c~~ Anguijh of Spi• rt.r, wdl be tbe End of /11.ch Difputmg andPragmattca/Chrijltans, whofe Rdi· gzon ~onfi/1! much m~l'e m Words than TYor.ts; Con/effing, than Forjakint t ~tnd. tn rh~tr own WtU-Performancu, and External Obfervations, than in the Rrformauon and Converjion of their So11/s to God. And finally we our felves whd ~~~ve known fomerhing more o~ the Lord, may alfo reduce our Good Coodttlons to an urcer Lofs, by feektng to comprehend dubious Matters in our Pn?erftandings, and difeuting about them with every Oppofer, the Dev1l m a Way ofTernpr:mon, fhall prefent to us; which does no 'fay advance our Growth and Increafe intbe Noble Principle of Truth. And I befeech you My Dear Friendr, Jet not the Fear of :lny External Thing overcome the Holy Refolutions we ha \'e made to follow the Lamb C~rifl, ]efus, tbroNgh a!J.the Tribulathmr, Trials, and Tempttrtions, He, and liu Kollowers ever met Withal. 0 let ur be Vfdiant in God's Caufe on Eltrtb, who h11Ve but a fhort T1me and a few Days to livt.. _. And ler the C?nfianc~ of the World, to the Momentary Faf'hions, Plea~ fures, ~nd Po1lunons of it, .the more ardently fiir us up ro exprefs ours, for the H onour of our God a~amft them all, who will reward 11s fur whatf9fVer ate bear, f11f[er, or part wuhnl on his Accounr. And th.erefore, I hefeech you, let nrithu Father nor Mother, Sifler, nor Brbthct', ·Wife nor Child, Hoa.[r, nor Land, Libcrtiu1 nor Life it felf, deter us from from our Holy Conftancy :; but :IS the Faithful Ancients did of L II Old, |