THE EXERCISE OF THE SPIRIT IN Spiritual Things: AND The many good and peaceable Fruits of Righteousness Experimentally Witnessed in that great Work of God upon my Soul and Spirit, in the time of my first Convincement of the Truth, and Since.  
With some Experiences in the time of my Travel and Exercises therein: To those whose Faces are turned Zion-ward, and Travelling on towards their Eternal and Everlasting Rest.  
And for all People to Try and E●amine themselves, by that Manifestation of the Spirit that is given to every Man to profit withal,  1 Cor. 12.7. 
No chastening for the present seemeth to be Joyous, but grievous: Nevertheless, afterward, it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of Righteousness, unto them that are Exercised thereby,  Heb. 12.11. 
Bodily Exercise profiteth little: but Godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and that which is to Come,  1 Tim. 4.8. 
Printed in the Year, 1686.   

The Exercise of the Spirit in Spiritual Things, etc.  
Dear Friends,  
IN Dear and tender Love, do I communicate these things following unto you; who have traveled and are Witnesses with me herein: and not only unto you my Friends is this given forth, but in that universal Spirit and love of God, really intended for the good of all People; and more especially unto those whose desires are real and sincere after the living God, and his Eternal Truth.  
And be it further known unto all, that great hath been the work of the Lord in this the day of his Power; and many the great and weighty Exercises, that the dear Children and People of the Lord hath been Exercised in, since God in his Everlasting Love, did first Visit our Souls, and Convince us of our lost and undone State and Condition, because of Sin, and Transgression, which we had long lived and delighted in for many Years; yea, I say, when the Lord our God did first awake our Souls out of Sin, and call us to Repentance by his Light and Spirit in our Consciences; Oh, then was the time of Sore. Travel, and great Lamentation, and Mourning, finding our Souls in a lost and undone Condition, without a Saviour: Till at length God in his infinite Love, and great Mercy, unto our Immortal Souls opened a door of hope unto us; even that great Mystery that was hid from Ages and Generations, but now made known unto us, the believing Gentiles, Christ in you the hope of Glory; and believing in him, and joining to his Light which shined in our hearts, our faith and hope increases more and more: and though at the first, this our Estate was not joyous unto us; yet afterwards it brought forth the peaceable fruits of Righteousness as we were Exercised thereby.  
First then, As one of those good and peaceable fruits of Righteousness that was brought forth, in this our sore travel and Exercise in Spirit; the Lord did beget a true tender breathing desire in our Hearts and Souls after himself, and the true knowledge of his way: which desire in us could not way be satisfied by any external visible thing, but our Souls and Spirits still breathed and thirsted after him, as the thirsty Hart after the water Brooks; yea, more than after our daily Food: until the Lord in his good time satisfied our hungering Souls with good things, and did Administer Rest and Peace unto our troubled Spirits.  
2. Another good and peaceable fruit was brought forth, the Holy fear of the Lord; and Oh, the Awe, and Dread, and Fear, that was upon us, in the time of our first Convincement. And not only of things unlawful, but even those things that were lawful in themselves, and in meat, drink, and apparel, buying, selling, and otherwise; and if I should here declare and speak, of what God hath made some of us Witnesses of, there is many that could not believe: But this we may say, as we have been kept in this holy fear, we have been preserved out of much Evil; And as the fear of God increased in us, the fear of Man deceased: and we grew bold and strong in the Lord.  
3. Another good and peaceable fruit, the Lord did not only beget good desires in our hearts, and a fear to offend him, but he hath also raised a love in our Souls unto him and his precious Truth; which love did far exceed our love to all Natural and Earthly things. So that by this love we have been Constrained to part with all other things, though formerly never so near and dear unto us: yea, I say, because of that superabounding and overcoming love which God had shed abroad in our hearts.  
4. Another good and peaceable fruit hath been Experienced; Oh how hath the mighty power of the Lor● broken our hard Hearts, and Mollified, and Tendered ou● Spirits in a deep sense of our own Nothingness, and God● great love and mercy unto our Souls; yea, with wha● Mourning and Lamentation have we besought the Lor● many time in secret, going weeping on our way, and seeking the way to Zion with our faces Thither-wards tho despised and rejected of the world, yet the Lord hath remembered us in this our low Estate: and turned ou● Mourning into Joy, and our heaviness into rejoicing Yea, he hath bound up the , and comforted the sorrowful Soul: Blessed be his holy Name.  
5. Another good and peaceable fruit was brought forth, that true Humility and self denial, when we became little and low in our own Eyes, and of mean Account in the Eyes of the World; being made willing to do, or to suffer any thing for the Lord and his Truth thinking no Pains too much, nor Labour too hard, that w● might meet with the beloved of our Souls; waiting and depending upon the Lord alone, that he which ha● thrown down, would raise up again: and he that ha●… killed, would make alive: and he that 〈◊〉 wounded 〈◊〉 sin, that he would seal our wounded Spirits. And how hath he poured Oil into our wounds, and lift up th● hands that hung down, and strengthened the feeble Knee● and been a present help unto us in the time of our greatest need.  
6. Another good and peaceable fruit was Experienced in this our holy Exercise in Spirit, that though our Peace was lost, yea, that Peace we had in our former vai● Conversation in the World, while we lived and delighte● therein; in their worship and going after their Teacher's and in the Forms, Fashions, Customs, and followship thereof, and not redeemed therefrom; neither knowing the true Worship, nor right Teachers, nor yet the the holy Union and fellowship in the holy Spirit, until the Lord by his dreadful and awakening Call, reached unto our Hearts, and gave our Spirits no rest, often moving of us to come out from among them, lest we die in our Sins; to come out of our vain Conversation, and come into the Holy Life and Godly Conversation: to come out of their Worship, and to come into the true Spiritual Worship; which Christ himself had set up and Established above Sixteen Hundred Years since, Jo. 4. which is in the Spirit, and in the Truth: and to come out from their Teachers unto that Teacher, that cannot be removed into a Corner. Isa. 30.20. And know the Lord to be your Teacher, which was and is the Teacher of his People in all Ages and Generations. Gen. 15.1. Isa. 54.13. Jer. 31.33, 34. Heb. 8.10, 11.  
And so come out of the Forms, Fashions, Customs, and Fellowships of the World into the Saint's Fellowship, which the Apostle declares of, 1 Jo. 1.3, 5. That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you: that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. And as we harkened unto this Holy Call, and obeyed the Spirits Motions, we came to know the right way, and walking therein. Then we which had long doubted in Religion, and Worship, came to be fully satisfied and resolved.  
Having often livingly enjoyed Gods Heavenly power and divine Presence, in our blessed Assemblies, and Meetings to our great Comfort, Souls Satisfaction, and Refreshment; and thus we came to discern between the precious and the vile, both in ourselves and others; and those that had the form of Godliness, from them that had the power: and turning away from them that had the form only, being made witnesses of the power, and then coming out from the World's fellowship both of Professors and Profane, and into the true Unity and fellowship in the Holy Spirit, and waiting low therein, our peace did spring and increase like good David, who said, Great peace have they that love thy Law, and nothing shall offend them. And then we witnessed the saying of Christ fulfilled in our hearts, My peace I give unto you, not as the world gives peace, the world's peace often arising from the increase and enjoyment of worldly things; like that rich man spoken of by Christ, Luke 12.19. Which had goods laid up for many Years, said, Soul take thy ease: but that peace Christ gives unto his, is divine and spiritual; arising from a living sense and feeling of the love and favour of God, through Jesus Christ our Saviour, and Reconciliation unto him thereby.  
7. Another good and peaceable fruit hath followed a holy War, made in truth and Righteousness, against those great and grand Enemies of our Souls, the Devil, the world and the flesh; and all that doth spring up and arise from these evil grounds, and would make a Separation between our Souls and the Lord, and grieve and offend his holy Spirit, against these our Spiritual Enemies, and no other, daily do we make war.  
And our weapons are not Carnal but Spiritual, yea, mighty and powerful for the subduing and overcoming of the man of sin.  
And as for carnal weapons, we have laid them down long since, and can no more take them up again, having made them useless and unfit for that service, according to that Ancient Prophecy of old, and now in a good measure fulfilled in many in this our day, Isa. 2.4. They shall beat their Swords into Plowshares, and their Spears into pruning Hooks, and learn war no more.  
And blessed be the God of Heaven that hath redeemed our minds out of Wars and fight, and brought us to live and dwell ●n love and peace with all Men, according to Christ's Doctrine, Mat. ●…. 44. where he saith, Love your Enemies, bless them them that curse ●ou, and do good to them that hate you; and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you: and herein we have found much Peace and Comfort to our Souls, praises to the God of peace.  
8. Another good and peaceable fruit hath been Experienced, that though sorrow and sadness did continue upon us for a time, yet joy and gladness followed: yea, that joy that did exceed the joy of Harvest; being of that heavenly quality, to ascend upwards with high praises to the God of Heaven: singing and making Melody in our hearts unto the Lord. And according to David, that Man of G●d, who in his experience saith, Light is sown for the Righteous, and joy for the upright in Heart; and how did Christ comfort and encourage his, before his departure from them, John. 16. telling them they shall be sorrowful, but saith he, Your sorrow shall be turned into Joy, and I will see you again: and your heart shall rejoice; and your joy no Man taketh from you: as he had said unto them before. It is expedient for you, that I go away: for if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. Oh the great love and tender care of Christ over his little Flock, and many ●re made witnesses hereof in this our day, praises to our God for ever.  
9 Another good and peaceable fruit hath been witnessed, a ●oly growth and blessed increase unto God in that great work of Regeneration, and Sanctification; for nothing doth more make for ●his our inward and spiritual growth in the things of God, than this ●ur spiritual Exercise: this is not like that outward and bodily ex●●●se the Apostle speaks of, that profiteth little: but here is true Godness which is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the ●●fe that now is, and that which is to come.  
last; Another good and peaceable fruit hath been brought forth 〈◊〉 many, whose hearts, and minds, souls, and spirits, are come to be ●●tled, and established upon that sure Rock against all the temptati●ns and assaults of the Enemies of their souls peace, both inwardly ●nd outwardly; and these are the grown members of the true Church of Christ, against which the gates of Hell do not prevail; Glory, glory, to our God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ both ●ow and for evermore, Amen.  
●rom Dailehead near ●eswick 〈…〉 Tho ˢ Laythes Given forth from that experience God hath given me of 〈…〉