such the light breaks not forth, as the morning, and the Lord hears them not. And such have their reward, and their iniquities have separated them from their God, and their sins have hid his face from them, that he will not hear and such their hands are defiled with blood, and their fingers with iniquity, whose lips have spoken lies, and tongues have muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any plead for truth; they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. They hatch cockatrice eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs, dies; and that which is crushed breaks out into a viper: their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works. Mark and take notice; their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands: their feet run to do evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths; the way of peace they know not, and there is no judgment in their doings. They have made them a crooked path; whosoever goes therein shall not know peace: mark; such go from the light, therefore is judgment far; neither doth justice overtake. And here is obscurity, and here is the walking in darkness; and here is the groping like blind men, as though they had no eyes, and their stumbling at noon-day in the desolate places, like blind men. And here is the roaring like bears, and mourning sorely like doves; and here judgment is looked for, but there is none, and salvation is put far off: for the light is denied, which gives to see it. But here the multiplying of transgression, and their sins testifying against them, and the transgression that was within them, and their iniquities, which they knew in transgressing and lying against the Lord, speaking the things they should not, when that they knew with that of God in them, they should not speak it. So departing from the way of God, speaking oppression, revolting, conceiving and uttering forth from the heart words of falsehood: here is judgment turned away backward, and justice stands afar off; truth is fallen in the streets, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth, and he that departeth from evil makes himself a prey: yea, the Lord saw it, and it displeased him. These are such that are in the fast, which God doth not accept; and are not in the true fast, whose light breaks forth as the morning: but these are such that be in the false fast, who grope, like blind men.

And that which gives to know the true fast, and the false fast, is the light, which is the eye, that gives to

see each fast, where the true judgment is, and the iniquity standeth not, nor the transgressor, nor the speaker of lies; but that is judged and condemned with the light, which makes it manifest. And who be in this fast, when they call upon the Lord, the Lord will answer them, Here am I; and here truth is pleaded for, and falsehood flies away. But who be out of this fast in the perverseness, tongues uttering perverse things, are stumbling and groping like blind men, which be from the light in the iniquity, which separates from God, who hides his face from them that he will not hear; going from the light goes from the Lord and his face. So this is it which must be fasted from, for this is it which separates from God; and here comes the reward openly, which condemns all that beforementioned, which is contrary to the light; injustice, iniquity, transgression, vanity, and that which bringeth forth mischief, which hatcheth the cockatrice eggs, and weaves the spider's web; he that eateth of these eggs, dies. Mark, that which is crushed breaks out into a viper; mark again, their web shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works of vanity; acts of violence are in their hands; this is all from the light in the wickedness. Their feet run to do evil, and they make haste to spill innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of vanity; wasting and destruction is in their path; this is all from the light. Again, the way of peace they know not, there is no judgment in their goings; they have made them crooked paths, whosoever goes therein, shall not know peace. Mark; who goes in their way, that know not the way of peace, shall they know peace? Whose path is crooked, where there is no judgment in their goings; take notice, no judgment in their goings; and this is all from the light, which manifesteth that which is to be judged; where the covenant of peace is known, where all that which is contrary to it before mentioned, is kept out. Which all who live in those things before mentioned, contrary to the light, in the false fast, they may mark their path, and behold their reward; who be out of the light, stumbling and groping like blind men. Which they that be in the true fast, are from all them separated; their words, their actions, and fruits, and their fast: whose fast breaks the bonds of iniquity, and whom the Lord hears, and to whom righteousness springs forth, and goes before them, the glory of the Lord is the reward.' G. F.

We passed up into Wales through Montgomeryshire, and so into Radnorshire, where there was a meeting like

a leaguer for multitudes. I walked a little aside whilst the people were gathering; and there came to me John-apJohn, a Welchman, whom I spake to to go up to the people; and if he had any thing upon him from the Lord to speak to them, he might speak to them in Welch, and thereby gather them more together. Then came Morgan Watkins to me, who was then become loving to friends; and,' said he, the people lie like a leaguer, and the gentry of the country is come in.' I bad him go up also, and leave me, for I had a great travel upon me for the salvation of the people. When they were well gathered together, I passed up into the meeting, and stood upon a chair about three hours. And I stood a pretty while before I began to speak: after some time I felt the power of the Lord went over the whole assembly; and the Lord's everlasting life and truth shined over all; and the scriptures were opened to them, and the objections they had in their minds were answered. And they were every one directed to the light of Christ, the heavenly man; that by it they might all see their sins, and Christ Jesus to be their Saviour, their Redeemer, their Mediator, and come to feed upon him, the bread of life from heaven. Many were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to his free teaching that day; and all were bowed down under the power of God: so that though the multitude was so great that many sat on horseback to hear, there was no opposition made by any. And a priest sate with his wife on horseback, and heard attentively, and made no objection; but the people parted peaceably and quietly, with great satisfaction; many of them saying they never heard such a sermon before, and the scriptures so opened. For the new covenant was opened, and the old, and the nature and terms of each; and the parables were explained: and the state of the church in the apostles' days was set forth, and the apostacy laid open; and the free teaching of Christ and the apostles was set a top of all the hireling teachers: and the Lord had the praise of all, for many were turned to him that day.

I went back from thence to Leominster, where there was a great meeting in a close; many hundreds of people being gathered together. There were a matter of six congregational preachers and priests among the people; and Thomas Taylor, who had been a priest, but was now become a minister of Christ Jesus, was with me. I stood up, and declared about three hours; and none of the priests were able to open their mouths in opposition; the Lord's power and truth so reached them, and bound them down.

At length one priest went off about a bow-shot from me, and drew several of the people after him, and there set a preaching to them: so I kept our meeting, and he kept his. But after a while Thomas Taylor was moved to go to him, and speak to him; and he gave over: and then he, and the people he had drawn off, came up to us again; and the Lord's power went over them all. At last a baptist, that was convinced, said, 'Where's priest Tombs ? how chance he doth not come out?' This Tombs was priest of Leominster. Hereupon some went and told the priest; and up comes he with the bailiffs and other officers of the town: and when he was come, they set him upon a stool over against me. Now I was speaking of the heavenly, divine light of Christ, which he enlightens every one that cometh into the world withal; and turning them to it, to give them the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus, their Saviour. When priest Tombs heard this, he cried out, That is a natural light, and a made light.' Then I desired the people to take out their bibles: and I asked the priest whether he did affirm that that was a created, natural, made light, which John, a man that was sent from God, did bear witness to, and did speak of, when he said, "In him (to wit, in the word) was life, and that life was the light of men." John i. 4. Dost thou affirm and mean,' said I, 'that this light here spoken of, was a created, natural, made light?' And he said, 'Yes.' Then,' said I, before I have done with thee, I will make thee bend to the scriptures.' Then I shewed by the scriptures, that the natural, created, made light is the outward light in the outward firmament, proceeding from the sun, moon and stars. And dost thou affirm,' said I, ' that God sent John to bear witness to the light of the sun, moon and stars?' Then said he, Did I say so?' I replied, 'Didst thou not say it was a natural, created, made light, that John bore witness unto? If thou dost not like thy words, take them again and mend them.' Then he said, That light which I spake of, was a natural, created light.' I told him, he had not at all mended his cause; for that light which I spake of was the very same that John was sent of God to bear witness to, which was the life in the word, by which all the natural lights, as sun, moon and stars were made. "In him (to wit, the word) was life, and that life was the light of men." So I directed the people to turn to the place in their bibles, and I recited to them the words of John, how that "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God: all things

were made by him, and without him was not any thing made, that was made. (So all natural, created lights were made by Christ the word.) In him was life, and the life was the light of men: and that was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." And Christ saith of himself (John viii. 12.) "I am the light of the world:" and bids them believe in the light, (John xii. 36.) And God said of him by the prophet Isaiah (chap. xlix. 6.) "I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation to the ends of the earth." So Christ in his light is saving. And the apostle said, "The light, which shined in their hearts, was to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ :" and that was their treasure in their earthen vessels." 2 Cor. iv. 6, 7.

6

When I had thus opened the matter to the people, the priest cried to the magistrates, Take this man away, or else I shall not speak any more. 'But,' said I, ' Priest Tombs, deceive not thyself, thou art not in thy pulpit now, nor in thy old mass-house; but we are in the fields.' So he was shuffling to be gone and Thomas Taylor stood up, and undertook to make out our principle by Christ's parable concerning the sower, Matth. xiii. Then said the priest, Let that man speak, and not the other.' So he got up into a little jangling for a while; till the Lord's power catched him again, and stopped and confounded him. Afterwards a friend stood up and told him how he had sued him for tithe eggs, and other friends for other tithes : for he was an anabaptist preacher, and yet had a parsonage at Leominster; and had several journeymen under him. And he said he had a wife, and he had a concubine; and his wife was the baptized people, and his concubine was the world. But the Lord's power came over him and them all, and the everlasting truth was declared that day; and many were turned by it to the Lord Jesus Christ, their teacher and way to God: and of great service that meeting was in those parts. The next day Thomas Taylor went to this priest, and reasoned with him; and came over him by the power of the word.

From this place I travelled on in Wales, having several meetings as I went, till I came to Tenby; where, as I rode up the street, a justice of peace came out of his house, and desired me to alight, and stay at his house; and I did so. On the first-day the mayor and his wife, and several others of the chief of the town came in about the tenth hour, and stayed all the time of the meeting: and a glorious meeting it was. John-ap-John being then with me, left the meet