A SALUTATION IN THE Love of God, AND In the Fellowship of the work of his blessed Truth, unto all the Faithful Brethren and Sisters in Christ Jesus our Lord, who are Begotten by the Immortal Word of God unto a lively Hope, which liveth and abideth for ever.  
With A Word of Exhortation and Counsel unto all whose Faces are set Sionward, and who have found the Narrow-Way that leads to Life, whose hearts are tender of God's Glory, and desire to walk therein.  
Also a Warning unto all them that have long known the Truth, but have not, neither do obey it with all their hearts, that they may Redeem the time that yet remains, and prise the Day of their Visitation, and while they have the Light, walk in it, lest utter Darkness come upon them, and the Door of Mercy be shut.  
By SAMUEL CATER.  
Printed in the Year, 1672.   

A Salutation In the Love of God, and in the Fellowship of the work of his blessed Truth, unto all the Faithful Brethren and Sisters in Christ Jesus our Lord, etc.  
Dear Friends, Brethren and Sisters,  
WHom God, through the riches of his Grace, and break of his blessed Light into our hearts, hath thereby gathered us out of the dark world, which lieth in wickedness, amongst whom we had our conversation in times past, in which time we were Ignorant of the knowledge of the true God, and strangers unto eternal Life, which by his blessed Grace and heavenly Light he hath now brought us unto the knowledge of, to the great Satisfaction of our hearts and comfort of our souls, which peace and satisfaction the world could never give us, neither can they now take it away from us, blessed be the name of the Lord our God, who speaks peace to his children, and none can speak trouble, but in his holy will we rest under the shadow of his wings, where none of the instruments of cruelty can make us afraid; for the Seed is known, which is satisfied in the will of God, and can, and doth obey and follow the Lord as faithfully in adversity as in prosperity, whereby we are fully satisfied thorough the work that God hath wrought in us by his unchangeable truth and spirit, that the day of his power is come, in which day he hath made us willing to deny our own wills, and to obey the will of the Lord God our maker, and to take up the cross whereby self is daily crucified, and to follow Christ Jesus, and to keep the word of his patience, whereby we are made partakers of the fulfiling of his gracious promises, who keeps and delivers his in the hour of temptation; who saith to the Seed of Jacob, Call upon me in the time of trouble, I will hear and deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. And now dear Brethren, often hath the Lord made us Eie-witnesses, and partakers of this his love and mercy, who hath preserved our feet from falling; yea and hath delivered us out of many troubles: and when we have seen none to help, then hath he been a present help unto us, both outwardly and inwardly. So that the Lord hath not been wanting unto us, blessed be his holy name, who hath, and doth hand forth his mercy as largely now to them that fear him, as he did unto the generations that are gone before us. Oh! the love of our God and how large it doth abound to us-ward, even unto them that fear him, so that I can say as the Prophet said. Truly the Lord is good to Israel even unto such as are of an upright heart: For Dear Friends, who is their that can say they want any good thing, that put their trust in the Lord, and are given up to serve and obey him with all their hearts? So that our souls can say to the glory of our God, That Wisdom, and grace, nor any good thing doth the Lord withhold from them that obey him with an upright heart; for in him all fullness dwells; who feeds the hungry with good things, and covers the naked with the garment of Salvation, and beautifies his Elect with high praises; the poor he maketh rich with durable riches and everlasting righteousness; so that he raises the poor beggar from the dunghill of the world's glory, and sets him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, where his soul feeds quietly in the fresh pastures of love and life, and drinks at the Fountain of living water, which becomes as a well springing up in his soul to Life Eternal; the lame also doth the Lord, in this the day of his blessed power which he hath made us partakers off, make to walk; thorough the virtue of his love he refreshes the souls and hearts of all them that wait upon him, whereby their strength is daily renewed, to run the ways of his holy commandments, which the Lord makes easy to all them that are of an upright heart, the tongue of the dumb he loosed, through the virtue of his Life, and showering down his blessed dews of heaven into their thirsty Souls, which causeth them to publish his praise, and to set forth his glory: So that we see his Promise fulfilled; in the wilderness, waters break forth, and streams in the desert, and the place of barrenness is now become fruitful, whereby praises is brought forth to the glory of the Lord our God.  
So that his presence is with us as certainly now, as ever it was with his Children in any Age who obeyed his holy will, and stood in his council; who for their obedience to the Law of their God, were sometimes cast into the Lion's den, sometimes into the fire, sometimes imprisoned, and others their goods spoilt, and the Lo●ds presence was with them, who upheld them, and caused them to sing praises unto His name, in the feeling of His holy Power which they enjoyed when their bodies were locked in the Prison, and their feet in the Stocks.  
Even so now, He is known unto us that have believed in His name, by the virtue of His love, for He deals His bread of Life which is His flesh unto our Souls, by the virtue of which our Souls live and receive strength to praise the Living God our maker; and the misteries of Life and Godliness hath the Lord made known unto us, who hath cleansed us, and purged us by His blood, and washed and Regenerated us by His holy Word: So that there is a Remnant, that can and do read in God's blessed Light the misteryes of Life, and these can say, The bread which we break is the communion of the body of Christ, and the cup which we drink is the communion of the blood of Christ: For although we be many members, and many miles distant, outwardly separated one from another, and have sundry gifts which God hath given us by His holy Spirit, which He hath sent into our hearts, by the which we are led and guided to exercise the same, For the edifying of the body in the love of God, which constraineth us so to do, by which Spirit we are all baptised into the one body, and made partakers of the one bread which came down from heaven, by the which we are fed and nourished, led and guided into all truth; In the sense of which Mercy, and in the fellowship of this great Mystery which is hid in Christ from all that are high and proud, and wise in their own conceit, and envious, and slight the Grace of God, Who resisteth the proud, but gives more Grace to the humble; I say, In the fellowship of this ever blessed and truly worthy, for ever to be loved and obeyed, Truth and Grace of God, which ha●h done this blessed work for us; and hath made known this Mystery of Life in us, the Salutation of my Life, in the unspeakable Love and Me●cy of our God is unto you all.  
Dear Brethren and Friends, whom the Lord hath made partakers with me, and I with you, of this precious Faith, even the Faith which was of old delivered unto the Saints; which give us victory over the World, and by wh●ch we receive power to deny ourselves and to do the will of our God, by which we feel a hope begotten in us which is as an Anchor most sure and steadfast in our hearts, and souls, That nothing that is present, nor nothing that is yet to come, shall ever be able to separate us from the love of our God; Nor decline our minds, nor pervert our hearts from following the Lord, and obeying his blessed Truth and holy Spirit which hath effected this good work in our hearts, and hath done us thus much good, which our tongues are not able to set forth, so fully as our Souls partake and enjoy of the benefit, in the salvation of our Souls from death; who hath by the Arm of His blessed Power revealed in and unto us, preserved our feet from falling and our hearts from fainting, and hath delivered our eyes from tears, And now hath given us beauty for ashes, and the Spirit of joy and gladness for the Spirit of heaviness; So that the heart that hath been purged through the execution of the Lords Righteous Judgements, now rejoices in the enjoyment of his Mercies.  
But this is not every one's state nor condition, who are convinced of God's blessed Truth, and who are turned to the Light and Word of faith within, for it's now with us as it was with them that the Apostle writ to, who were in several states and conditions; there were some that were strong men of full age, whose senses were thoroughly exercised in the word of God and Doctrine of the Apostles, and these were such that the Apostle said, Had obeyed from the heart their Doctrine which they preached, by the which they were saved, made free from sin, and become servants to God, their fruit unto holiness, and their end everlasting peace: These were acquainted with the misteries of Life and Godliness, and he said to them, The bread which we break, is the communion of the body of Christ, and the cup which we drink, is the communion of the blood of Christ; for although they were many members, yet but one body, of which Jesus Christ was the head, who had true experience of the work of the Lord.  
And to some they spoke and writ, which were young in the faith, and had but little experience in the knowledge of the work of the Lords blessed Truth, unto which they were turned, and in the which they had believed, and by the which he told them they should be saved, if they continued to the end in faith and obedience.  
Also the Apostle wrote and spoke to such as had the knowledge of the Truth, but did not continue in faithful obedience thereunto to the end of their race, that so they might thereby receive the Crown of Life, who yet abode in the form, but had lost the virtue of the Life and power which once they felt and enjoyed, and which all do enjoy which continue faithful unto the Lord, whose virtue and power keeps them always fresh and green, and living to God.  
And now dear Friends there is something in my heart, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord, and according to the experience which God hath given unto me of his Love and Mercy, and as I feel the Lord requires of me for the easing of my heart, and clearing of my conscience unto you, that have believed in the Truth; And first unto you whose hearts are tender of God's glory, and that desire to have your Portion with the Sanctified in Christ Jesus; all keep low, and wait in God's holy fear, for the fear of the Lord will keep your hearts tender of his glory, for unto them that fears the Lord he revealeth his secrets: And all keep to the pure holy Light of Jesus Christ, unto the which you have been turned by the Mess●ngers and Ministers of Jesus Christ, whom God hath sent in his name and power, now, as he did in days past, to turn People from Darkness to Light, and all that were faithful in walking in it came to be redeemed from Satan's power; and knew then, and do now the power of God which saves the Soul: Therefore Dear Friends, be watchful in the Light of Jesus that shines in your hearts, that you may all be led by it in the way which leads unto Peace, He is given for a Leader, and whosoever is led and guided by him that is come a Light into the world, and now shines in thy heart, He leads to Peace, and gathers into Rest: For this is the path which the Just walked in, who traveled to God in all Ages, which the wicked and ungodly hates; the path of the Just is a shining Light which shines unto the perfect day: And all you that are entered into this path, be faithful to God, and diligent to walk in it, and bring your deeds unto it, that you may be found in well doing, for them are they that shall, and do come to enjoy Immortality and Eternal Life by Jesus Christ, who continue in well doing: And Christ says, He that does well cometh to the Light, and bringeth his deeds unto it. And the Apostle said to them he wrote to in his day, That they had this sure word of Prophecy, whereunto they did well to take heed, as unto a Light that shines in a dark place. This also is my Testimony with many Brethren, that all, that ever come to have Life everlasting must walk in it, love it, and obey the teachings of it: And therefore do I commit you all unto it, that have received the knowledge of it as unto that which is able, and on that which the Lord has laid help, that is mighty to save to the utmost all that bows to the apearance of it. And therefore let your eyes be towards it to wait upon God in it, even for the Grace that is to be brought in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, for as thou waitest honestly in the Light, it will let thee see how it is with thee, and how far thou hast been faithful unto God, and in what thou hast not been faithful, and wherein thou hast d●ne well, thou art justified by it, and in what thou dost evil, thou art condemned by it; and so here thou comes to see the Scripture fulfilled, which saith, Tribulation and anguish on every soul that doth evil, but glory, honour and peace, to them that worketh good: And therefore Dear Friends, as you desire to have peace with God, keep to the Word and Grace of God which appears within, and which calls for purity and obedience out of a pure heart; for them which went before us, which did enjoy peace, and which do now enjoy the same, and comes to witness such high privilledges, and partake of so great promises as to be Saints in the Light; they are such as did and do obey the Grace and Truth of God with all their hearts, whereby they come to be elected unto God through Sanctification of the Spirit, and obedience unto the Truth: So Dear Friends, You that have received the knowledge of the blessed Truth of God, which is Christ, The way, the Truth, Life and Light, whereby through the Mercy and Love of God unto your Souls, you are made partakers of that which David prayed unto God for, Lord says he, Send forth thy Light, and thy Truth, and it shall conduct us unto thy holy hill: and for that same end hath the Lord our God visited you with his heavenly Light, whereby he hath guided your feet into the way of peace, that you may travel therein unto his blessed and everlasting Kingdom, that stands in Peace, Righteousness, and Joy in the holy Ghost, into which nothing that defileth, or worketh Abomination can enter: And therefore Dear Friends, This is the word of exhortation which lives in my heart unto you that have believed, wait in it, and keep to the word of faith which purifies the heart and cleanseth the conscience, for it is the pure in heart that come to see God, and to partake of the great and precious promises of Life and Peace, even such as walk in the Light, in which there is no occasion of stumbling; for in it every snare that the enemy of our Souls lays to take our feet, or to entangle our affections with any visible thing or to draw down our minds into the earth, and to give us a sight of the visible and carnal things, which if the mind and heart close with them, and so enters into the Temptation, it brings darkness over the heart, and death upon the Soul, for to be carnally minded brings death, but obedience to the Spirit of the Lord, brings life and peace: And therefore all live in the Spirit, and obey Christ the Power and Wisdom of God, and look not out at your own weakness nor at any Temptation of the enemy of your Souls, either without or within, but all look up to Christ in whom your help is, Who is able to save to the utmost all that comes to God by him; and none to be discouraged because of the frowns of the ungodly or the threaten of the wicked, for they are but as the crackling of thorns under a pot with the Lord our God, whom we in Soul, Body, and Spirit, serve and worship, who hath set bounds for them, and they shall do no more unto us, then shall make to the glory of our God, and to the advantage of his Truth, and for the trial of our Faith that when our Patience is tried, we may come forth in our Testimony, as gold tried in the fire; and then blessed are all that wait in patience, and rest contented with all the flock of Christ, until the Lord renders vengeance on them that trouble us. But thou Dear friend, who art given up, and resolved in thy heart and soul to serve and obey the Lord thy God, what ever it cost thee, and thou hast honestly counted the cost, and thou seest the Pearl to be more worth than all that thou canst part withal for it, or suffer because of thy obedience to it, be not thou discouraged at the appearance of the wicked one, whose work the Lord thy God by his blessed Light is a discovering unto thee, but rejoice in that the Lord hath made him manifest, who hath Sat in the Temple of God, exalting himself above all that is called God, saying that he himself is God; and this is he that Rules Head, King and Prince, in all the Children of disobedience, which are yet in darkness, and who now proclaim him their King and Potentate; And both Priest, and Professor, and Profane, strike hands with him, saying, That they never can, nor shall be freed from sin, on this side of the grave, and so make the death and coming of Christ of none effect, who came to save his People from their sins, and to Redeem them from all unrighteousness, who will bruise the serpent's head, and overcome his power in thee, For unto him all power in heaven and earth is committed; and this is he you are to look unto and belive in, who is come a Light into your hearts, And to bind the strong man and spoil his goods, and cast him out; who w●ll certainly do it, for he is come into your hearts, that is greater than he that Rules in the world, but he does, and will strive to keep his possession as long as by any means and wiles, or cunning craftiness he can: And therefore my Dear Friends, All watch to the Light, for in that you will see and know, His cunning craftiness whereby he lies in wait to deceive; and whom he can no longer deceive but with the Light he is seen, and by the power of God his Temptations are denied by the honest hearted, Then he accuseth before the throne of God night and day: And this is he which tells you who are tender of God's glory, and hunger and thirst after Righteousness, that you shall never overcome all your corruptions, which you see to be the foes of your own house, but all believe in the Light, Which is the power of God unto salvation, unto every one that believes, and you shall come to see this accuser cast down, and by the power of the Living God overcome, and your feet set, And your house built upon the Rock; Which the gates of hell cannot prevail against, nor the floods of the ungodly can never overflow, nor the storms of the wicked, neither can nor shall overcome: For the Lord preserves his people, and delivers them that put their trust in him: And therefore, This is the word that is in my heart in the true sense of God's love unto your Souls, that are come to the Light of Christ which is the way of Life, end see it to be a narrow way, and the gate where by you must enter into Rest is strait; I say unto you wait upon God, and keep subject unto his Grace which appears unto you, for in that lies your help; for that is the same that ever it was unto the Travellers in days past: For when Paul the servant of God, who was deeply exercised in his mind and troubled in his heart, because of his own weakness, and the strength of Sa hans accusations and temptations, under the sense of which he cried unto the Lord for help, whose answer was to him, My grace is sufficient, for my power is made perfect in weakness; by the which he did come to witness help and deliverance from the body of sin and death, and th●n his Soul praised the living God; and then as he received of the Lord so he Preached to others, and committed them unto God, and to the word of his Grace, which says he, Is able to save your souls, and to give you an inheritance with the Sanctified in Christ Jesus; and he says, That this Grace hath appeared to all, that so many as obey it are brought into the perfect way of holiness in God's fear. Therefore all know your minds stayed in it, and your h●arts subjected unto it, that so you may come to witness Rest by it, to the which I commit you as unto that which I am a living witness, for the Lord is able to save your Souls, and to set your hearts at liberty to serve and praise the living God; And all be diligent to keep your Meetings, to wait upon God with them that meet together to worship the Lord out of a pure heart: And all wait in the Light, and labour to keep your hearts and minds stayed in, and with his blessed and holy Spirit of Truth, upon the living God, that so his blessed peace you may all feel abounding in your hearts more and more, to the comfort of your Souls, that so in the living feeling of God's heavenly power, you may have fellowship together: And all take heed that the enemy of your Souls, That goeth about like a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour, does not betray your simple minds, in causing your minds to wander from the Truth, or to let thoughts to rest in your hearts, which is the work of the enemy to bring in to trouble you, when you are waiting upon God; But all submit unto God, and in his name and power Judge them out, and let them not have a place in your hearts, for if you do, they will hinder you from hearing the voice of the beloved of your Souls. And all take heed of deadness, and drousiness, and sleeping in Meetings, for that is a great disorder, and brings dishonour to the holy name of God, that is concerned in and amongst you, which all that loves the Lord ought to be tender of, and it is also a great and heavy burden to the Souls of the Righteteous which sits with you, and are preserved in a fresh and living sense of the goodness of the Lord, and it is also a great dishonour unto yourselves, as you are men and women that profess to meet together, to worship God in Spirit and Truth; for I do say and know, That God's witness in all your consciences, who ever have felt the power of God, and known the worship of God, that is performed in Spirit, that when, and whilst at any time, that sleepy drowsy Spirit, prevails over any, although you may be in the Meeting with them that does serve and worship God, you do not then worship him; but burdens the Just in yourselves and in others, for the Word of the Lord which the Children of God hear and feel, is quick and powerful; and Christ who is in the midst of those that meet in his name, is a quickening Spirit, whose Life quickens the mortal bodies, and refreshes the Immortal Souls of all his little ones, that wait for his appearance. And therefore all wait in God's pure fear, that you may be covered with the Spirit of the Lord, that so your nakedness may not appear which is the cause of shame.  
And unto you that have long been convinced of the Truth, and have not been faithful unto it, but are in the state of them the Apostle speaks of, Who for the time might have been teachers of others, but now you have need one should teach you the first principles of true Religion; for you are they that have not been faithful to God, who have not truly, nor throughly forsaken dead works, but rest in a convincement of the Truth, saying and confessing to that which doth show you and all men sin, and convinceth of the same, is the Truth of God, and there is no other, but do not so obey it, as to become conformable thereunto, but rest in the knowledge of the will of God, but does not yield obedience unto it, and have gotten into a form of Truth, but for want of obedience to the same, doth not come to witness the power of God to Rule in your hearts: Friends, You are in the foolish Virgin's state which: Christ speaks of, which have got the lamps, but have not the Life and Virtue of the Love of God dwelling in you, by the which the Soul is daily fed and nourished; but even whilst your tongues may be talking of God, your Souls are in leanness, and this comes upon you, because your hearts still lusteth after that which Gods. Spirit is against, which you ought to come out of, and to be clean separated from; and here you keep an enemy in your own bosom, and harbours a Dalila in your own hearts, while you suffer any lustful desire to live in your hearts, that God's Truth hath appointed to be slain and crucified, which you ought to bear the Cross unto, for the want of which you cannot follow Christ, until you deny yourselves, and take up the Cross to your own wills, to whatsoever it be that it lusteth after; for our God is Pure, Holy, Just, and Righteous, who will and does render unto every man according to his Works; for although he let the Children of Israel of old have their lustful minds satisfied yet for it he brought leanness of Soul upon them, which was a, just Judgement of God upon them, which before he fed with bread from heaven; even so doth he now: Blessed be his holy name saith my Soul, for now doth the Lord refresh and feed with bread from heaven, which the world knows not, nor the disobedient partake not of, for the Lord our God refreshes, , and feeds, and ministers Peace and Comfort unto those who are zealous for his name, and obedient to his holy Truth: But the disobedient doth and must dwell in a dry Land: Therefore you that have the knowledge of this ever blessed, and worthy to be obeyed Truth, and Grace of God,  is given you for to lead and guide you, to the Kingdom of the Living God; Prise your time, and improve your Talon; For I testify unto you, that there is a Prize put into your hands, and an opportunity hath God afforded you to get strength, Before you go hence and shall be seen no more; But if you spend this precious time, that the Lord hath given you, To work out your Salvation, and to make your calling and election sure, Then God will be just in the day when your Ruin comes upon you; And his servant, and servants, will be clear of your blood; And the Talon which is a measure of the Lords good Grace and Spirit, will be taken from you, and will be a swi●● witness against you: And therefore, whilst you have time prise it, and whilst you have Light walk in it, least darkness so much overtake you, and the cloud of error through your continual disobedience to the Light, grows so thick upon you, as you cannot see the way to God; and then the enemy of your Souls takes you wholly captive again to do his will: And then the Scripture comes to be fulfilled upon you: The Dog is returned again to his old vomit; and the Sow that was washed to the wallowing in the mire; And then thou art fit neither for the land nor for the Dunghill, but to be trodden under foot of men; and then falls into that snare that David prayed to the Lord to be kept from, that he might never become a Scorn to fools that had no understanding; for all of you that have in any measure obeyed the word and Grace of God, you have known cleansing by it, so far as you have obeyed it; which is able to save and to cleanse throughly, all th●m that abides in it, whereby the words of Christ comes to be fulfilled, If you abide in my word, then are you my disciples indeed; and you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free. And as you tender the glory of God and the good of your own Souls, wait diligently to hear what the Spirit saith in, and unto you, for that will deal justly and truly with every one, for it is the same that ever it was, which justifies them that obey the Truth, but condemns and reproves in whatsoever they do evil; And this is the Spirit that all are now to hear and obey, which speaks a word in season to every one's condition; And therefore all wait to hear what it doth signify unto you, whether it be Judgement or Mercy, for through Judgement, Mercy comes to be known, for by Judgement, that comes to be overcome which is contrary to the Lord; and therefore blessed are they that wait upon the Lord in the way of his Judgements, until by Judgement, that be slain that is contrary to the Lord; that so you may come to see, Mercy and Truth to meet together, and Righteousness and Peace embrace each other, which is the desire of my Soul, who am a true Friend to your Souls.  
This to be Read in the Assemblies of God's People, in the fear of the Lord, in England, Scotland, and else where this may come; as Friends may see a service therein.  
Written at Monrosse Prison in Scotland, the eleventh Month, 1671. when I was there a Prisoner for the Testimony Of the Truth. Samuel Cater.  
THE END.