A SALUTATION OF Dear and tender Love to THE Seed of God Arising in ABERDEEN, IN TWO EPISTLES. Directed unto Friends of truth in that Place, whom the Lord hath called, and is calling forth to bear their Testimony for his Glorious Truth, (against an evil, adulterous, and Persecuting Generation) with others their dear Friends in these Nations.  
Writ by George Keith Prisoner for the said Testimony in the Tolbooth of Aberdeen.  
Isa. 60. 22. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong Nation, I the Lord will hasten it in his time.  
Isa. 30. 17. One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; ●t the rebuke of five shall ye flee, till ye be lest as a Beacon upon the top of a Mountain, & as an ensign ●n a hill.  
Isa. 62. 1. For Zions' sake will I not hold my peace, and for jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the Righteousness thereof, go forth as brightness, and the Salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth.  
Isa 62. 10, 11, 12. Go thorough, go through the gates, prepare you the way of the People, cast up, cast up the high way, gather out the stones, lift up a standard for the People. Behold, the Lo●d hath proclaimed to the end of the wo●ld, say ye to the Daughter of Zion, behold thy Salvation cometh, behold his reward is with him, and his work b●fore him. And they shall call them the holy People, the redeemed of the Lord, and thou shalt be called sought out, a City not forsaken.  
Printed in the Year 1665.   

To Friends in ABERDEEN.  
Dear Friends,  
THere is a precious Seed among you, in love to which several of the Lords Servants have been drawn to come, and visit the Seed, & preach the Everlasting Gospel thereto, which is the power of God unto Salvation; and the Seed hath been reached, and we have been made manifest in your Consciences, the witness of God in your Consciences hath answered our Testimony that we are of God, and that which we declared unto you, was not a cunningly devised Fable, but the living Truth of the Living God, which hath been revealed to us, and which we have learned from the Spirit of Truth, and our Testimony among you hath been, that the Son of God is come, and his Kingdom revealed with power and great Glory, even the Kingdom of God, which is Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, and now hath the Sun of Righteousness arisen with healing under his wings, and the glorious light thereof hath shined forth upon the Earth, and the Inhabitants thereof, after the long dark night of Apostasy that hath been; wherein many poor things who have had true breathe and desires after the Lord, have lamented after him, and sought him whom their souls loved, and longed for, but could not find him; and the thick Egyptian darkness hath choked them, and the living breathe in many hath been suffocated and killed, and Babylon the mother of Fornications hath bewitched the whole Earth with the cup of her Sorceries, who hath given herself forth to be the Church and spouse of Christ, but indeed a Harlot; and her Merchants who have handed forth the Cup of her abominations have passed in this time of darkness and ignorance for the Ministers of Christ, and Pastors of the flock, now it pleased the Lord out of his rich mercy and love a hundred years ago, or thereby, to send forth some beams of his Heavenly light into the Souls of people, whereby the more gross abominations of the Whore were disc●vered and quit; and no question many have been accepted of the Lord in that day according to their faithfulness: But alas, there hath been a great backsliding, and defection since, which some of the Lords servants than saw, that it would come, and that Christ should be again crucified in Scotland; and now it's my Testimony, and the testimony of hundreds and thousands that he is again arisen in this Island, and in other parts of the Earth, and all the wit and policy of Satan and his Instruments shall not be able to hold him from the setting up of his Kingdom in the Earth, Truth is planted and taken root in the Earth, yea even in Scotland, and it shall grow and prosper, and spread and fill the Earth, and every Plant which is not of the Lords planting shall be rooted out, and their folly shall be made manifest to all, who set themselves against the truth. And Friends, think it not strange that truth hath such opposition from many who have even had a great profession thereof, this day hath abundantly discovered them, that their glorying hath been but in the flesh, and that they are not come to live in the truth, but have had the form of Godliness, and denied (yea been altogether strangers unto) the power thereof; now they not being in the truth, which is living, and gives the discerning but in the form of it, which is but a dead thing, how could they but 
‖ Or not Know-worth  misken truth in its appearance, and the children and vessels thereof, and yet there is a precious seed even in many hundreds, which the Lord will raise up in his own appointed time, who may be for the present through ignorance, and their being deceived with false appearances, enemies to truth, and reproachers of it. Now the faithful testimony of such whom the Lord hath gathered, and is gathering into the truth, shall have a shrill and loud sound even to the awakening and quickening of such, and they shall be made to build up, that which once they were endeavouring to destroy. And therefore dear Friend's, be faithful to the Lord God in your testimony for his truth in every particular, according to the knowledge thereof, which ye have received from God, for thereby ye shall both save yourselve a●d others, having the eye of your souls continually fixed upon the Lo●d to see whither he will farther lead you, being resolved (and resigned up to him) even to follow whethersoever he leads, though it may be much in the cross to flesh and blood; for this I testify unto you, that its such, and such only, who are of that spirit (whereof honest joshua and Caleb were) to follow the Lord fully even in all things to the least circumstance of his requirings, who shall get an entrance into the blessed Land of promise, whereinto many can set to their seal, and witness it, that they have entered (among whom I am one) even into that good Land that floweth with milk and honey, yea with streams of joy, peace, and consolation from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, and this you shall all come to witness in yourselves in the Lords good time, as you keep faithful to him, and grow up more and more in a resignation to his will in all things, sparing nothing, against which the Lord's controversy and indignation is, but giving up all to a hope that's contrary to his will, that it may be burnt up, and slain by the judgement of the Lord, and you delivered therefrom, for this is only that which stands in the way, and lets your entrance into God's Kingdom, even somewhat more or less, that is contrary to the holy and pure nature of God, and against his will cleaved unto, and lived in, which till ye be rid of; the flaming sword will turn every way against you, so that ye cannot get into the Paradise of God, though ye should never so earnestly desire it. And such of you whom the Lord hath in some measure persuaded to quit many things, and ye purpose to quit more, as he shall discover them to be evil unto you; faint not in your minds, though ye cannot get the desires of your minds and souls accomplished, and though ye cannot see the good Land, nor get so much as a taste of the Wine that grows there: I say faint not, nor be discouraged, for a day of blessed refreshment from the Lord is abiding you, wherein ye shall see the King of Glory in his beauty, and ye shall be made to drink of the river of his pleasure, and to eat of the feast of fat things upon the mountain of the Lord, and the Wine well refined from the lees shall be given unto you, even the new Wine in the Father's Kingdom, and ye shall eat and drink, and praise the name of the Lord, which I declare unto you not of myself, but of the Lord, who hath brought me (through the riches of his goodness) to know such a state in a measure, and hath shed abroad his love in my heart, in the which love I have felt the bowels of the Lords compassion flowing forth towards you also, and the blessings of Gods heavenly Kingdom ready to be show●ed down upon you, which ye shall come to know when that which lets shall be taken out of the way, for ye must pass through the judgement of the Lord, and be rid of all that cannot dwell with everlasting burnings, for our God is a consuming fire, and the throne of iniquity can have no fellowship with him, and the Lord is to try you with a Wilderness, even a dry and barren Land, wherein is no water, whereby your desires after him may be the more enlivened and enlarged, and your faith and patience must be tried (which hath been the Lords dealing with us also, for which be endless glory and praise unto his Name) and there in the Wilderness he will allure you, and speak comfortably unto you, and give you Vineyards from thence, and the Valley of Anchor for a door of hope: Therefore, think not strange of the fiery trial, which shall try you, wherein the Lord will plead with all that is of Flesh within you, and ye must be brought down to the Valley of jehoshaphat, which is as much as the Valley of decision, or off-cuting, wherein ye must come to know the Circumcision, even the cutting off of that which is but flesh, before you enter the promised Land, and the Sun must be turned into darkness, and the Moon lose her light before the notable day of the Lord come, and all that hath been the delight of your eyes must be taken from you, and you left stripped and naked, as in the day ye were born, and then will the Lord cast the skirts of his love over you, and say unto you, live, and ye shall live, and ye shall become beautiful with his comeliness, that he shall put upon you, even the robes of his unspoted Righteousness, and the garments of his Salvation, wherewith ye shall be clothed, and in that day ye shall understand the sense and meaning of these Scriptures, that blessed are the poor, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven, and blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God, and that God is truly good to Israel, even to such as are upright in heart. And dear Friends, as I have spoke unto you, so it is in my heart to put you again [by writing] in remembrance thereof, though ye may know it, how that the Lord is making a narrow and deep search in this day, even beyond what hath been these many ages ago, he is now arisen to take vengeance upon the many inventions with which he hath borne long, and hath winked at them (so to speak) in the days of ignorance, and hath suffered many even of the faithful in former days to keep many things, against which the Lord hath pronounced his indignation in this day, for now is the day broken up, and the Sun arisen, and the more refined garments of the Whore, which formerly passed for upright in the twilight, are now discerned to be but counterfeit, and blessed are they, and shall be who are made willing to see, and seeks not to cover or spare what the Lord requires to be given up, and parted with, though it be a hard thing for flesh and blood, but I can assure you the love of God when ye come to feel it shed abroad in your hearts, will a thousand fold recompense all that ye can forsake for his name's sake, & the reproach of Christ shall become unto you more precious than all the treasures of Egypt. And as I have formerly told you, so it is with me again to remind you, even to exercise all forbearance in all things, but in so far as it lies upon you from the Lord, according to the manifestation of his light and spirit in your hearts; ceasing, ceasing, forever from every thing, but what ye manifestly know to be agreeable with the Lords will, not hazarding to be found in any thing whatsoever, because ye see it not evil or sinful; nay, that is not enough, the path and way of God is yet narrower, though large and broad enough to the children of God, even to let things alone, but as you see them in the openings and manifestation of the Spirit of life within you to be good, innocent, profitable, suitable to truth, so that you savour a good savour in them, and others of the Lords children with you, this ends all disputations and reasonings, and here is peace, joy, liberty, even true Christian liberty and freedom, yea, victory and Dominion; whereas to do things not knowing the Lords will and approbation therein, is but at best to do doubtingly, and such are condemned, and weakness and confusion enters them, and the seed of God is burdened; yea, I say it again, blessed are they who are come here even to be afraid to meddle with any thing though never so plausible in the eyes of men, but as they find and feel in themselves the approbation and allowance of the Lords Spirit therein, else to forbear, and let alone, even to take up the cross to every work and word, yea to every desire and thought of the heart, which is not manifestly known to be of the Lord, the blessed experience whereof, I have often found, and daily finds, waiting and earnestly desiring of the Lord that the mystery of his Cross I may more and more learn, that I may become crucified even to all that is of the World, and alive to him, ceasing from my own works, not being able to do, nor daring to do any thing without him, which is not only my testimony, but the testimony of all that are come to live in any measure of truth. And dear Friends, keep to any measure of testimony ye have attained unto, for I can say it, the Lord regards the same, and it hath a good savour before him, and grow up in faithfulness and resignation to the Lord in all things; for this is it which makes your testimony strong, and valid, and acceptable to God, that it be universal in every circumstance, that the enemy have nothing wherewith to charge you, and this is it which will make you able to stand it out in the day of trial, the having your loins girded about with truth, having truth to encompass you round, you being found in the truth in all things, but who are out of truth in any thing though never so small, here there is an open to let in the enemy, and it will be hard for such to stand. And Friends, let not the terror of your enemies affright you from keeping your Meetings, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and let him be your fear, and this will put away the fear of man that shall die, and become as the dust of the earth, and as you assemble together in God's fear and name, and in true love one with another, the Lord will be among you, and ye shall be made to feel his living presence, and he will show you where he feedeth his flock, and makes it rest at noonday, and he will bring you into the banqueting house, and display the banner of his love over you, and make you a terror to your enemies. And I have felt the sweet blessing and presence of God among you, and I can assure you his Salvation is near to come, and his Righteousness to be revealed to the upright and single hearted: And keep your Meetings in the silence of all flesh, and the shout of the King the Lord of Hosts shall be heard among you, and he will give in due time the opening of the mo●th in the midst of you. And dear Friends, my love in the bowels of Jesus Christ is towards you all, and with a sweet measure of his blessed presence have I largely written unto you, and the Lord is with me by night and by day, and makes my Prison very acceptable to me, Farewell dear Friends.  
From the Tolbooth of Aberdeen the 9th of the 10th Mont. 1664. Your very dear and loving Friend, George Keith.  
As it may conveniently be done, I am willing that this be read among Friends met together.   

For Friends in Aberdeen to be read in their Meeting.  
Dear Friends,  
BLessed, blessed is the opportunity, the Lord is putting in your hands to bear a Testimony for his Name, and living glorious Truth in this day. O be faithful to him, and rich shall be your reward, rich, unspeakably rich, even beyond what eye can see, or ear hear, or the heart be able to comprehend, the love of God, which passeth knowledge, the peace that passeth understanding, the joy unspeakable, and full of glory, the por●ion of such: the joy as in the time of harvest, or as when the strong divide the spoil. Oh who can declare the blessed lot and inheritance that shall be given them who give up all, sparing nothing, nothing to a hoof, or Pin point, which the Lord requires to be delivered, and parted with, assuredly they shall obtain an hundred fold in this life, and life eternal for ever more. Dear Friends, thus I write who in this day, and daily do witness, the hundreth fold, do possess it, even the love, the joy, the peace of God, which is my strength, my portion, my crown, which none can take from me, so that I am made to sing in a Prison, even in a Prison the Lines are fallen to me in a pleasant place, I have a good heritage: And this is the doing of the Lord, and it's wondrous in mine eyes, I am even as one that dreams, Glory to his Name for ever, for his unspeakable gift, and rich mercy, and free love, which hath visited my poor soul, shut up in the blackness of darkness, the region and shadow of death, the Pit wherein is no water: the hand of love hath reached me, and brought me out of the woeful Prison, and loosed my bands, and delivered my soul, and given me to drink of the Cup of Salvation, and now hereto do I set my seal: worthy, worthy is the Lamb; to suffer for, ignominy, reproach, hatred (even of the dearest relations) persecution, prisonment, killing, torturing, or what ever the cruelty of Man can be permitted to inflict: Worthy is he for his sake to be killed all the day long, and counted as Sheep for the slaughter, his Love will sweetly recompense all: and worthy is he to be waited for, to be credited and trusted, and believed in, and in and through the faith, and hope, which entereth through the dark and thick vail, which may be over for the time, so that little or no sensible enjoyment is perceived, yet even then, in and through the faith (the believing when there is not a seeing or possessing) to adventure upon the Lord, and to follow him, carrying his Cross, and his reproach: The Lord is near to such, with invisible, insensible support, and refreshment, which though t●e Vessels feel it not, yet the seed doth, and light is sown, which shall spring up, and in due time become a Fountain, a Wellspring of endless joy and consolation, the glorious Lord a place of broad Rivers, this I do declare for the comfort of the single, simple, upright hearted. The Child of Light, walking for the present in darkness, the Seed having sore and grievous travel through the many impediments, and lets, in its way to the God of its l●fe. O trust in the Lord, trust in his name, trust, though shut up in the Caves of the Earth, trust though hedged up as it were with hewn stone, trust, trust, though in the belly of Hell, the Whale's belly, poor distressed jonah shall come to land, the Seed shall be redeemed, that which mourneth shall obtain joy and gladness, and come to Zion with Songs of deliverance, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away: Yea, let the single-hearted trust in the Lord; be strong, be strong, strengthen the weak hands, confirm the f●eble knees; hath the God of my life said unto me, and given a word in season to the weary distressed Soul. Even God who hath showed myself sore and great trouble, and new hath raised me up from the gates of death, and girded me with gladness, and comforted me on every side, t●at with the comfort wherewith I am comforted of him, I may comfort others, that t●ey may therein partake with me. And dear Friends, as far as in you lies, remove every heavy burden that lies upon the seed in your own particulars, if ye (any of you) be found in the least jot or circumstance in any thing, which the light of Christ in its manifestation in the heart discovers to be sinful. Oh this will be a mountain on the seed, yea, the being but found in whatsoever, ye do not know your approbation, justification of God in the manifestation; will lie upon the seed, as a talon of lead, therefore come into obedience in all things, come into forbearance, come into the cleanly well ordered conversation, come into a final, total decision of all particulars betwixt God & your souls, & I can assure you his Salvation is near to such, & his righteousness, and the Kingdom which comes with power and great glory is at hand, even at hand to be revealed unto them.  
This from your dear Friend, George Keith. The 22 of the 11 month 1664.