Dover-Castle the fourth day of the tenth moneth, 1655.

WHat in a great measure my temper of spirit was before thy coming to me, I in its measure communicated unto thee, by the copy of my letter to Luke Howard, which I have here inclosed thee at thy leisure to peruse: And what distemperedness my earthly spirit was in, at, and towards thee, at thy and my last meeting upon Saturday, the tenth of November last, I need not to repeat unto thee, being (I beleeve) it is fresh enough in thy own memory.

And the frame of my heart, after thy reconciliation and mine (so far as God hath given me the spirit of discerning, and searching it) I in no small proportion in reallity discovered to thee.

And since my departue (upon VVednesday the 21. of November last) setting my self seriously to a deep and weighty consideration of that work that my soul longed for a new to be a travelling in; And giving fulness of scope to that divine and heavenly voice of God speaking plainly in my heart, unto which I am truly able to set my seal to, that it is that spirit, or power of the Holy Ghost, or true Comforter, spoken of Joh. 16. 7. 8. that convinceth, or reproveth the world, or the carnal, or first, or fallen nature in me, of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement, and is that eternal and everlasting spirit of truth, that (imbraced and closed with) leads my soul by its divine and strong power, or attractive drawings, step by step in its measure and degree into truth, and in my heavenly fathers good time, I doubt not but it will establish and build me up in truth, Iob. 16. 13. and mould me into a real conformity in life and power (in real and substantial injoyment) to the wayes of truth, of light, and life, be they never so difficult to the flesh, carnal man, or fallen, or first nature in me, or never so full of the cross, or self-denyall, or giving up my own reason, understanding, will, wisdom, and affections, to be crossed and crucified by the Will and Wisdom of JESUS, the annoyated above measure of the Father, and to be guided or led on by him the living life, light, or power in all the sons of men, that have the greatest degree, or least of sparks of divine or heavenly light, shining within their dark, (in their small degree or measure) or inlightned, inlivened souls, in their larger degree or measure.

I have, since I see thee, read extraordinary much of those two volumes which I shewed thee, containing both almost seventeen hundred pages, of the writings of those preciousest (though most contemptible) people called quakers; the truly beloved objects of my soul. And this at present, (because I rather now heartily desire to live in the possession, power, or life of truth in my soul, then in the bare profession, notion, or talk of it) I shall, and can in sincerity say to thee, that my soul hath been amazed, and even confounded by them; not as Herod by Iohn Baptist preachings was, for fear of eternal wrath (or loss of his Tetrarch-ship by, or) for his sins, which to avoid made him reform, and amend many things, Mark 6. 20. but of real breakings, or shame of soul, that so glorious a Talent, as my Lord and Master (by the clear, lively, and powerfull breakings in of his divine and heavenly light into my heart) long, and many yeers ago bestowed upon me, should by me (or my first, and carnal wisdom) be most ungratefully, and unfaithfully, like a lighted candle put under a bushel, or hid, or buried in the earth in me, in obscurity and darkness: Or, that my soul should by the will and wisdom of the first nature, ambitiously (Adam-like) eat anew upon the tree of Knowledge of good and evill, and thereby covet to be esteemed something amongst the sons of men, (more then the Divine Wisdom would have me) with that measure or degree I had attained to; and therewith be with it (like the unbelieving Jews, the type in the flesh) or the first (or mean in its degree or measure, to what I ought to have thirsted after) out-goings of the divine and heavenly teaching, and instructing spirit, or voice of God in, or unto my soul, willing and content to sit down in the wilderness, or journeying way to Canaan; and not with precious Ioshua and Caleb (the spiritual anti-types in that particular, or in another particular, the outward types, of the spiritual travelling anti-types, the seed of God under the Gospel, into Gods spiritual rest in himself) be willing, longing, and desirous, by faith in the strength of Cod, (resting as the old Israelites after the flesh ought to have done, in his faithfull and powerfull promise of carrying me on) through all difficulties, self-denyals, crosses, and hardships whatsoever; to travell into the spiritual Kingdom, or heavenly Land of Rest, that God in the naked injoyment of himself hath prepared for (and at this very day I beleeve hath experimentally and really bestowed the clear injoyment of, upon man, of) his Ransomed ones, contemptibly and scornfully called quakers.

I say unto thee, the real (and close applyed home unto my soul by the spirit and power of life from God, that now aloud again speaks within me) consideration of the premises, or that which is foregoing, and that people afar off, (yea, ignorant ideats, fools and prophane* ones) in comparison of my being so nigh at hand so many yeers ago, to the clear and full possession of the spiritual Land of Canaan, should enter into the glorious Kingdom of God, or that clearness of Rest, Peace and Union in, and with him, that now clearly to my spiritual understanding they injoy, and there bring forth the ripe fruits of spiritual old age in comparison of me, of Praises, Honor, and Glory to the Lamb: and to the ancient of Dayes, that clearly sits upon the Throne in their hearts, as having judged down, conquered, and overcome, within them, all their sinns or spiritual enemies, and caused them to triumph over them, as in his strength, divine and heavenly power, reigning and ruling as King and Lord over them.

O, I say unto thee again, the real sight (in its measure and degree) and spiritual consideration of these things, since I last see thee, for divers hours in several nights, one after another, when my God denied sleep unto my outward eyes, and caused my soul to be awake with himselfe, and to be really exercised in an interchange of Divine conference, contemplation or parley with him, hath even caused my soul to weep, sigh, and mourn within me before him, and in his strength and almighty power to indent with him, and now in good earnest to ingage in my soul, or spiritual man, to be obedient to his heavenly and divine voyce, speaking clearly in me, and to follow him (least I should now, by any longer resistance, totally quench his divine drawings, through the denyall of my own (or naturall reason) will, wit, wisdom, desires and affections; with a real weanedness from worldly or fleshly honor, applause, glory, riches, or creature-fulness, yea, even to a final denyal of father, kindred, friends, my sweet and dearly beloved (by me) babes, or thy own self, who viz. thy self, for many yeers by past, I must avow it before the Almighty in sincerity and truth, hath been to me the greatest and dearest of all earthly delights and joyes.

And now therefore look about thee in good earnest, and see what thou hast got to thy self, as to the flesh, by thy eager desires, and strong indeavours to bring me back again into England; for the day of thy real, strong, and full temptation and triall, never came upon thee till now, if God give thee not by degrees the fulness and compleatness of spiritual and heavenly strength and ability to bear it and go through it. For my part I am now in reallity and truth, in the clearly, lively, or evident seeing of the wisdom, and loving hand of a tender and indeared eternal Father, in stripping me naked of all earthly and created excellencies, and taking my outward estate and profitable imployments, and all my worldly glory from me, and graciously, and supportingly leading me through the valley of Naca, Psal. 84 6. or Tears, outward Dangers, and Death, for now almost tfour yeers together, and separating from me for a long time, that wonted delight that used to be betwixt thee (my old and real Idoll) and me; and at my coming to this place, clearly unrobeing me of all and every one of my old Friends, and familiar Acquaintance, that were any way fit, or able to do any thing for me; and therby hedging up my way, that I must, whether I wil or ne, in spite of my teeth, once again give ear to the serious and plain voice, call, or counsel of the Most High, speaking in, and unto my soul.

And so in much mercy and indeared loving kindness, as he did in my great straits in the Bishops time, provided and sent unto me a poor disspised (yet understanding) Priscilla, to instruct me in, or expound unto me by way of God more fully, or perfectly; (whom I am compell’d now to tell thee, I shall love and respect therefore, the longest day I live upon the earth, let her continue by whomsoever to be judged never so rigid or contemptible) so here at this place he hath also provided for me an Apple (being a contemptible yet understanding, spiritually, knowing, & single hearted Shoomaker) to do the same now to my spiritual, & no small advantage, refreshment, & benefit, by means of all which I am at present becom dead to my former busling actings in the world, & now stand ready with the devout Centurion or captain, spoken of Act. 10. to hear and obey all things that the lively voice of God speaking in my soul shal require of me, upon the further manifestation of whose glorius presence, my heart with a watching fear and care desires to wait, & to walk faithfully, and tenderly, and humbly in that measure of Light already received; and out of the strength of indearedness of love, and tenderness of affection, that hath long in times by-past, dwelt in me toward thee and of late in much sincerity is renewed unto thee again; I have with the same eternal, wel-wishing of thy spiritual happiness, as I do my own ordered Giles Calvert to send unto thee several of those printed pieces of the quakers, that in the serious reading of which have been most convincingly, instructive unto my soul; amongst which I have judged in the first place Iames Naylor (that strong, or tall man in Christ) his Something in answer unto (thy and my indeared friend) John Jackson (that tall Cedar in great profession of Religion) his book called, Strength in weakness, (which book the last Post I received from thee) in the reading of which piece of Iames Naylors, I must set my seal to it, that there goes along in the breathings out of it a great deal of the quickning life & power of the spirit of God, & unto it are annexed several pieces of that precious and divine soul, VVilliam Deusbury, the Lords now, or late glorious prisoner, in Northampton common goal, (to whose precious and heavenly spirit, although I never see his face, mine indearedness of love is glued unto) whose book is called, The discovery of the great enmity of the Serpent against the Seed of the woman, and his discovery of mans return, have been pieces in my reading of them seriously, that by the power of the Almighty hath spoken home to my soul I have ordered to be annexed unto them (as I remember) as many as makes them ten in number; and then twelve more in another volume principally for answering Objections, I have ordered to be sent unto thee, which I hope thou wilt receive (before this come to thee) found up in that method that J have directed.

And now my dear love, for whom my soul travells with God for thy eternal good, with the same sincere heartedness as for my own, hoping that thy late out-fall and mine was but for a set season, that so as divine Paul in another sense speaks, Phil. 15. thy reconciliation and mine again might raw remain firm in love for ever.

I therefore earnestly intreat thee, not to much cumber thy self in thy toilings and journeyings for my outward liberty, but sit down a little, and behold the great salvation of the Lord; and if by any means possible thy spirit can be made free to it, retire thy self but for one week, or the like, into thy own chamber (as being sequestred from all thy friends & acquaintance) and with as much seriousness and deliberation read this, and the forementioned precious books, with the letter that thy & my indeared, spiritual, & faithful friend, Luke Howard, yesterday sent unto thee (as the real out-goings of the measure of the spirit of God in his heart towards thee) as I have often and deliberately read thy last Post-letter to me, Dated at VVhite-Hall, upon Wedneseday the 28. of November last, and often wept for joy and gladness of heart, at that thy honest exhortation to me, at the last end of it in these words, viz. My Dear, Retain a sober patient spirit within thee, which I am confident thou shalt see shall be of more force to recover thee, then all thy keen mettal hath been; I hope God is a doing a work upon thee and me too, as shall make us study our selves more then we have done.

O my dear Love, I am deeply already entred into my part of it: The mighty power of God inable thee to get in too, and also to go through thine, and effectually to go cheerfully & willingly along hand in hand with me, which abundantly would render thee more amiable, lovely, and pleasant in mine eyes, although thou wert then clothed in rags, then thou couldst be to me in thy drawings back, or standing still where thou wast when I last see thee, though therein thou wert clothed all over with rich, and outwardly glistering earthly Diamonds; and in the greatest of earthly prosperities.

I am sorry for that hard portion thou tell’st me thou hadst in going from me, in thy dangerous travelling upon the Thames, and I desire to bless God for thy deliverance from so nigh a death.

I am also sorry thou art so straightly put to it for money, but to live upon God by faith in the depth of straights, is the lively condition of a Christian: O that thy spirit could attain unto it!

According to thy desire in thy Letter, and my own present genius or frame of Spirit (which now can contentedly feed savourily upon bread and cheese, and Small-Beer alone) for saving of money. I have discharged my old Nurse, and borrowed 10. s. to give her to carry her towards her husband, and by her have I sent these lines to deliver to thine own hands.

Of which, poor ignorant soul, I must say this to thee in truth, that although the woman, in my clear understanding, be but wholly in the first nature of fallen man-kinde, yet she hath been in the hand of God, an instrument of much service, (honesty performed) faithfulness, and tender compassion to me, in the day of the greatest and unparalelled extremity of my outward desires in the Isle of Jersey, for which, in her station, I must value her as long as I live, and if ever outward prosperity in any competent degree be my portion, really requite her; therefore I expect from thee, if the have occasion to use thee, that thou beest tender and respectful to her for my sake.

And for my Liberty, about which thou so weariest and spendest thy self and earthly strength, as thy Letter acquaints me with thou dost, I can say no more to thee then what was contained in my Letter, directed to thee, and Dated Nov. 21. last, (which I gave here to thy own hands) but that I am in my present temper of spirit, ready really with Peter at the sight of the glorious transfiguration of Christ, to say, its good being here (for me) for here in Dover Castle, through the loving kindness of God, I have met with a more clear, plain, and evident knowledge of God, and my self, and his gracious out goings to my soul, then ever I had in all my life time, not excepting my glorying and rejoyeing condition under the Bishops, and now the pangs and travelling throes of God are powerfully afresh upon my very heart, and therefore now in my own will, I could rather wish thee and my sweet Lambs to be with me here, then I at present with thee and them where thou art, yet submissively and heartily I say, and can say, the Will of my heavenly Father be done in me, by me, and for me; in whose Will I leave thee and thine, with all thy and my friends, and rest,

The forementioned second Letter, take in these following words.

SInce my arrival here, I have often been desirous in my own spirit, at large to have writ to thee, but hitherto by a power above me, I have been hindered, and yet am, as to the particular aforesaid, onely now I thought it not only convenient to acquaint thee, but am thereunto compelled to tell thee, that meeting here with one of those precious people called quakers, (of which people thee and I at the Isle of Iersey had much talk of) and getting into my hands two volumes of their printed papers, amounting to about seventeen hundred pages, I have with serious of discourse, and seriousness reading therein, been knock’d down off, or from my former legs, or standing; and giving scope to my true teacher and guide, the light of God speaking in my soul, I am become at present, dead to my fallen, or first natures reason, wit, wisdom and desires; and also totally become dead to my old busling wayes in the flesh, and now in a great degree or measure, am struct down dead to the very earth within me, and by that Light which gloriously within my soul hath shined round about my first, or corrupt nature within me, I am like Paul, with astonishment and mazement, Act. 9. fallen down flat at the feet of Jesus, and hearing a voice speaking within me, to perswade me for my good and benefit, to become willing to be guided and directed by the heavenly wisdom of Jesus my annointed; I have thereupon given up my self wholly to be guided by his Divine reachings shining within me, before which I now stand ready to give ear to what by it shall be told me, being willing and desirous to have the seales fall further from the blinde eyes of my soul, that they may be further opened, and that a power there with may come in to my soul from the Holy Ghost, which may inable me in the strength there of, to redeem my lost, and misspent by-past precious time, and not now to consult with flesh and blood in my daily taking up the Cross of Christ, and following him whithersoever he shall by his call, or heavenly Divine voice within me, lead me.

I say, I am compelled from a power within me, at this present time, in brief to tell thee these things, and to require thee from God, to give ear to that true convincing light, that clearly speaks in thy conscience, and by the assistance thereof to strive with the first, or fallen nature yet ruling in thy soul, and lay aside that greatness of wit and earthly wisdom that thou hast attained to, and in that measure of Light that long since thou hast received, withdraw into thy private Closet, and seriously meditate upon these brief lines. And being thou in my late conversing with thee, told me, thou hadst read, or hadst sent me down from London most of the Quakers Books; Let me in love to thy soul, earnestly intreat thee, with seriousness to read over (strong and call in Christ) Iames Nayler, his sheet of paper, intitled, Something further in answer to John Jacksons book, called, Strength in weakness; (which Iohn Iackson is my indeared friend, and old and long acquaintance, and a greater professor of Religion now, then ever thou thy self in all thy zeal once was; therefore in him thou mayest plainly read thy own condition) and that precious prisoner of the Lords in Northampton Goal, VVilliam Dewsbury, his two books, the first and excellentest of which is called, The discovery of the great enmity of the serpent against the seed of the woman: & his other book is intituled, The discovery of mans Return: and the Lord by his almighty power set them home to thy soul. I heartily desire to return thee my hearty thanks for all thy kindness and tenderness manifested to me at Jersey, in our passage from thence, and at thy own house: so with my hearty salutations presented to thee, and all thy friends that were with me at thy house at Weymouth. I desire to let thee know, that by my moral, honest, carefull, and industrious old Nurse Elizabeth Crome (who by reason of shortness of money with me, I am forced and compelled to part with) I have writ thee a few lines in her behalf, intreating thy countenance and favourable respect to the old (and real serviceable to me in my great distress in Jersey) woman; in case in things that are just and righteous before God, she desire thy favour, and what thee, or thy friend and mine, Edward (commonly called Lievtenant) Tucker, in that particular doth for her, I shal thankfully look upon as actions done to thy souls