A Tender Visitation of Love TO PROFESSORS and PROFANE, But especially to the Inhabitants of the Town of WAYMOUTH.  
With some directions how they may try themselves, whether they are yet in their sins, or whether they are come to him that makes an end of sin.  
Also a Warning to all sorts of people, that they may repent of the evil of their ways whilst the day of Mercy lasteth, lest Repentance be hid from their eyes.  Howl ye Inhabitants of the Earth, for the day of vengeance is at hand, the Lord will slain the glory of all flesh. 
Being written from the breathe of Life, by a handmaid of the Lord, S. R.  
London, Printed for Thomas Simmons, 1661.   

I have a long time kept silence, now will I write that I may be eased, I will declare that I may be unburthened.  
O You professors, the Lord God in measure hath showed me your states and conditions, which is very bad and dangerous for you to go on in; O you are all of you posting the very way to Destructon, a black day hangs over your heads, you are all of you as people in the dark, you are seeking the way of the Lord where it is not to be found; O your ways and do are not good, they are not according to the Truth of the Living God, you have airy light vain spirits, you speak of the things you know not; you are like people who are dreaming of things, and when the sleep is over, behold it was not so; you have gotten the show or shadow of truth, but the Substance you know not; you are in the many ways, where no true peace is to be found, but Rents and Divisions, you have chosen lying vanities, and you go on in the imaginations of your own hearts, choosing that which the Lord hath no pleasure in, but his Righteous Soul is vexed, even from day to day.  
O you barren Trees, you cumber the ground, leaves are found on you, but no fruits at all, The Lord God will shake off your Leaves, and your Branches shall whither, you shall have nothing left to cover yourselves withal, the very foundation shall be shaken whereon you stand, then may you wish that the Mountains or Hills could hid you from the Wrath of the Lord God, he will speedily avenge himself upon all the workers of Iniquity. Therefore you stouthearted men and women, leave off doing that which is evil, and repent, make no delay, for the time is short, & the day of the Lord God is at hand, wherein all your ways words works and actions are to be tried, of what profession so ever you are of, the Lord will visit you, he will prove all your ways by Fire, and there is nothing shall be able to stand in that day but that which is pure of God, which hath known the day of burning and purifying by fire, of such the second death shall have no power, but all Professions which are out of the life and power of the truth of the living God, such I say shall perish and die, the Lord hath no pleasure in them, they are as a loathsome thing which hath an ill savour in his nostrils.  
O you Professors, your many long prayers the Lord hath no regard unto; your holy Sabbath Days, and your solemn Feast-days are as an Abominable thing, the Lord hath no pleasure in them, they are no more to him, then if you offered Swine's flesh, or did cut off a Dog's neck, the Lord is even wearied with your Sacrifices, your hearts are unclean before him, read Cain the Murderer which slew his Brother, the just Abel who was born after the Spirit, I say Cain which slew the just, he brought also a Sacrifice and offered it unto the Lord even as Abel did, whom the Lord had regard unto, but unto Cain, and to his off ring, the Lord had no regard, for the same Nature which slew the just one, I say that same Nature can offer Sacrifices, the same Nature which went out into the Transgression, which was the first Nature, I say the same Nature can Pray and sing, and speak many great swelling Words, but this the Lord hath no regard unto.  
O why will you die, why will you die? Why will you stand out any longer? Why will you put the day afar off? Are you resolved through wilfulness to die in your sins? hath not the Lord set good and evil before your eyes, and will you still choose the evil, and despise the good? O you Professors of the Town of Waymouth, the Lord hath had a tender pity towards you, O your warn hath been many by the Lords Servants and handmaids, but you have made it as a leight thing, and you have called the Lords Messengers and Servants the Devils,) and some have said that the Devil sent them, but the day will come when many of you shall say, & be made to confess, that many of you have been warned from the Lord out of their mouths, and many shall stand as witnesses in the day of God, when his wrath shall be revealed against the unrighteousness of every man and woman; I say in that day many shall stand as living witnesses against you, because the Lord hath warned many of you out of their mouths, although you have despised the reproof of the Lord, and cast his Law and his Counsel behind your backs; O may it not justly be said to you, as the Lord said to a people in the days of old, because you would not receive my Counsel, nor regard my repoof, therefore the Lord said to that people, he would laugh at their calamities, and mock when fear cometh upon them.  
Awake, awake, you who are asleep in security, I say awake and come forth out of your graves, the Lord our God is risen, he hath sounded his Alarm to the Nations, he hath uttered his voice to the ends of the Earth, the remote Islands hath heard his sound, the graves are opened, and many dead bodies are raised to sing praises to the Lord for ever and ever; And now is the Lords own chosen remnant to be gathered in, and now is he making up of his Jewels, with whom he will dwell, and he is choosing of a Peculiar people, who shall worship him in spirit out of all Shows and Shadows, Forms, Customs, and Traditions of men; And all Forms, and Customs, and Shadows of things shall be laid waist, I say it shall be laid waist, the Lord God will do it, his own mouth hath spoken it, the day is at hand wherein our God will work Wonders, I say the day is at hand wherein our God will work Wonders amongst the Children of men, and amongst all that dwell on the Earth will he make known his Arm of strength, and his Power shall be seen, and his Miracles shall be made manifest, to the view of all the Inhabitants of the Earth; Babylon's Merchants shall trade no more in that day, their lying divinations shall cease, the Lord will raise up Pastors, and Teachers after his own heart, such as shall feed his people with knowledge and with understanding; but such as go on in their lies, which makes Merchandise of the Just, and starves the souls of many, which deceives the simple, and causeth the weak to err in Judgement, a day of bitter torments is prepared for them, endless misery shall come upon them.  
Babylon, the Mother of Harlots, she with all her Merchants and their Merchandizes shall fall, and her downfall must be great, she that hath long sat as a Queen, which said she should see no sorrow, she I say must be thrown down, and all her goodly Children with her, which lean upon her knees, they must be taken Captive together, she hath Captivated and killed the Saints, and hath drunken the blood of the Innocent, she must be led into captivity, she that hath led others, she must have blood for blood, as she hath done to others, others must do to her, her very lovers shall loathe her, none of them shall pity her, the fire of God's wrath shall consume her flesh; shame shall cover their faces who have taken pleasure in her beauty, her fame shall be taken away, her glory shall utterly be defaced, her Foundation shall be rooted up, her Memorial shall utterly rot and be consumed from off the face of the whole Earth, the Lord God Almighty hath spoken it, and it shall come to pass, and be fulfilled in its season; Therefore howl all you that dwell on the Earth, I say howl all you who are yet in your sins, be you afflicted and mourn and weep, let your laughter and singing be turned into mourning, and your Joy into heaviness, let shame cover your faces, you proud wanton ones, is it not high time for you to consider your ways, and to cease from that which is evil? O return whiles you have yet a day, remember you are but flesh, and all flesh is as grass, or as a flower of the field, who appeareth beautiful for a time, and in a moment is changed, or withered away, and you must die; You know not how soon it may be, before the Lord may call you to an account, and then what will you say for yourselves? You who have spent your time in Wantonness, Pride, Vain laughter and foolish talking, in singing of Songs and Ballads, and telling of Stories, and taking Gods holy Name in vain, in Swearing, Lying and Drunkenness, to the abusing of the Creation of God, and many other lascivious actions; Take warning, O be persuaded, prise your time, make better use of it whiles the day of mercy lasteth, let a true Reformation be known amongst you, Repent, Repent, put sackcloth upon your loins and wallow in ashes, let a true mournful state in the sight of the Lord God be known & witnessed amongst you, that the Lord God may take pity and compassion on you; Nineveh that great City, who went on in wickedness for a time, was warned by one of the Lords Servants, as you may read in Jonah, and they received the Lords message without questioning of it, and the Nenivites repent before the Lord, for the evil of their ways, and the Lord was entreated by them, and he took pity upon them and spared the City.  
And now O Inhabitants of the Town of Waymouth, there is a necessity laid upon me at this time to warn you, because of the evil day which must assuredly come upon all the workers of iniquity, but you have made leight of the many warnings of the Lord and of his Messengers, and some of them you have requited with cruel mockings, and Imprisonments, and other ill usage. O people consider of these things, the Lord doth not usually bring destruction, or sore judgements, or plagues upon a People or Nation, but he first warns them of the evil that is to come upon them unless they repent. Sodom and Gomorab had a day wherein the Lord warned them of the evil that was to come upon them, but they slighted the Lord's warning; O read, sudden destruction came upon them; How could I take up a lamentation over thee O Waymouth, Waymouth? How could I take up a sore lamentation over thee? How could I mourn over thee O Waymouth? Lamentable is thy state, mournful is thy days, I am bowed down for thee, I have mourned for thee many times, as I have passed through thy streets, tears have trickled down mine eyes, to consider the sad estate and conditions of many of thy Inhabitants, the Lord God hath a controversy against you, the cry of oppression is found amongst you; O I have born the weight and burden of many of your iniquities upon my own shoulders, the yoke of oppression have lain heavy upon my neck, I have born a great burden for you days without number; O the Seed of God lies oppressed in you all, Professors and Profane; O the Seed of God, the Immortal Babe, the Begotten of God lies oppressed in you all, not heeded nor regarded, although it cries aloud in you, and often groans by reason of your wickedness; O you bruise the tender Principle of God in you all, and you put him to open shame daily, he who was the man of sorrows, who was well acquainted with grief, whose visage was mared more than any man's, he is oppressed in you all and by you; Read the little Babe, the begotten of God, he was laid in a Manger, in the worst place of the Inn, the beast fed over the Babe, it lay in the Manger, I speak near to you all, the beastly nature which was the first forward nature is not yet cast out of many of you, the Babe lies under in you, the first nature lives above it, and this nature makes merry over the just, the little one that is low whom you tread over. And now in the fear of God I warn you all who ever you are that are out of the Truth of the living God, come down, come down to the true witness of God placed in you all, which makes manifest sin and evil in the hearts and consciences in every man and woman, and this is pure of God which makes manifest every man and woman's state and condition, and this is not of man nor of woman, although it is placed in man and in woman, but this stands in every man and woman as a faithful Witness for God against sin and evil, and this witness cannot consent to any thing that is evil, which men and women does, although men and women acts and walks contrary day after day to the leadings of this true witness, and where this true witness which God hath placed to be man and woman's guide, I say, where and in whomsoever this true witness is not obeyed, loved nor believed in, by such it is crucified and slain, and so Scripture comes to be fulfilled, as it was said in a certain place in Sodom and Egypt [spiritually called] was our Lord Jesus crucified and slain, and this shall be every man's and woman's great condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than the light because their deeds are evil; Now this witness which makes every man and woman's state and conditions manifest, is light, and this light is Christ Jesus the Son of the living God, who was Crucified and slain by the bloodthirsty chief Priests and Rulers, who took council together against him; And this Lord Jesus who was spiritually abused amongst the ungodly Generation, the same is he which is risen and come in the flesh, with power and great glory, for the remission of sins, and for the justification of many, and also for the Condemnation of the wicked who know not God.  
Now that which is to be known of God, is manifest within every man and woman's heart, the word is nigh in the heart, and in the mouth, look not abroad, for it is not without you, it is in you, make no delay, come to a search, the pearl of great price lies hid in you, you must dig deep to find it, you must sell your own ways, your own wisdom, your own will worships must you part withal, your worldly delights must be thrown aside, if everyon come to find the pearl which lies hid in you, or to know the true wisdom which God giveth, the whole heart must be swept and thoroughly searched, if ever the groat [which is lost] be found; The Widow lost the piece of silver in her own house, and with a candle she searched till she had found it [mark] the Widow searched with the light in her own house for her lost silver, she did not search in the dark, nor out of her own house, but she searched with a candle in her own house, till her lost was found; All to the light come, every one in your own particulars, who are out of the truth of God, who are yet in your sins, and in your iniquities, come forth to the true trial, bring your deeds to the light, for the same Lord Jesus who enlighteneth every one that cometh into the world, is the true way which leads to the Kingdom of God; Now all you who are seeking the way of the Lord out of the light, you are out of the way, you are in darkness, and the true way of life there you will never come to find, the way which leads to God's Kingdom is but one, and that is a straight narrow way, so that none but the children of the light are able to pass that way, the hypocrites can never walk in the straight narrow way, such as are out of the light knows not the power of God to guide them, but they are in the many ways, wherein is confusion, and such are talking and sound worshipping of an unknown God, who are out of the light, life and power of God, such know not the true teachings of God, for they have not heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape; and how can such know the teachings of the Lord who are in darkness, and out of the life and power of God, who know not his voice, neither have seen his shape, but walk in the imaginations of their own hearts, such are found in the broad way which leads to destruction, but the Children of the light and of the day, the sheep of the true shepherd of Israel, they know his voice, they know him and follow him, and strangers they know and cannot follow, and to them he gives eternal life, and such can never be plucked out of his Father's hand, and such comes to know the true teachings of the Lord God, who knows his voice and are led and guided by it; but all you who are found scoffing at the light, O you are found fight against the Lord, you would go in another way into the true sheep-fold then by the Door; but such are thiefs which would murder the sheep, such cannot enter into the true sheepfold of rest, where the whole flock of God finds pasture.  
And now all you who are yet in your sins & iniquities, who know not the power of God to guide you, I ask you where there is not such a thing in you all, when you are upon your beds, or alone separated from company, when you are cool and calm, I say at such a time, is there not such a thing in you, which brings your sins to remembrance, and spreads them in order before you? Yea the sins of your youth it brings to remembrance, and this shows you the danger of sin many times before ever you have committed them, and this often strives with you to preserve you from sinning against the Lord, and from doing that which is evil; but I say to you as I have already said, where this true witness is not obeyed, by such it is crucified and put to open shame; therefore I say to you again in the fear of the living God, deal faithfully & plainly with yourselves, you who have any honest desires to know the true way of the Lord, bring your deeds to the light, try your ways there, give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids, till you know how the condition stands with you; if you are in your sins, the light will discover it to you as you in faithfulness to the Lord keep, whilst you are in your sins, this will speak trouble to you, For there is no peace to the wicked saith my God, and if you live in your sins, than sin lies at the door, and your consciences will condemn you; and if sin lies at the door, how then dares any of you to pray, or sing, or sacrifice your will-worships to the Lord? Doth he regard the many prayers of the wicked? Are they not abomination to him? Is it not required That all those which nameth the Name of the Lord Jesus, must departed from iniquity? Or can the dead praise the living God? I mean such as are dead in their sins whiles they are alive.  
O deceive not yourselves, God will not be mocked, such as you sow, such shall you reap; if you sow to the flesh, you shall reap Condemnation, Woe and Misery, the Lord hath no pleasure in the prayers or praises of the wicked, the Lord is wearied of such services, or such sacrifices they have an ill savour in them: To Obedience all come, for Obedience is better than sacrifice, it is truth in the inward parts which the Lord our God requires; And I say again to you, who hath any honest desires after the Lord, be not wilfully blinded, come out of your sins, live no longer in them, for the wages of sin is death, O come to him that makes an end of sin, and destroys the Devil's works in man, the Fountain is open for sin and for uncleanness, it hath this virtue in it, it maketh clean the heart and conscience of the Children of men, it purgeth from dead works, it doth not purge people from some of their sins, and leave the rest behind, but the blood of Jesus cleanseth from all sins, although many of you say, and your Teachers tell you and Teach you that you can never be freed from your sins whilst you are here, than I say to you all, as I have received it from the Lord, you shall never be made free from your sins at all, but if you die in your sins, you shall perish eternally in them; For after death comes Judgement, and in the Grave there is no Repentance, and in the Pit remission of sins is not to be found; Therefore I say it upon you in the fear of God, all people what ever you are, Professors or Prophance, prise your time whilst you have it, least repentance be hid from your eyes, and darkness come upon you unawares, for in the night none can work.  
Man was made after the Image of God, Created was he in purity and holiness, but when man disobeyed the Commandments of the Lord, he lost his pure Image, and so man became liable to the wrath and curse of God, and because man went out into the disobedience, he was driven out from the presence of the Lord God; now man is in the alienated estate in the separation, gone from his Maker, driven out from the presence of the Lord God, man hath lost his dominion over the Creatures, by breaking Gods holy Commandments, and for man's Transgressions was the flaming sword placed in the midst of the Garden, which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of Life, the tree of Knowledge was the forbidden fruit, (mark) all mankind hath fallen in Adam the first man, they have lost their Image, they are in the Separation, in the Alienated Estate, gone from the Lord God, quite driven out from his pure presence, they have all fed upon the tree forbidden, the tree of Knowledge which makes wise, the Serpent's meat is fed upon, for which cause the ground was cursed, man is in the cursed ground, whilst he stands in the Alienation from God, the cursed nature stands in him, it bears rule in him, and hath dominion over him, so that it leadeth him into Captivity to the law of sin and death; Now all men and women, who hath been in the fallen estate can never come to God again, but as they posse through the flaming sword, which God hath placed in the Garden, to keep the way of the tree of life; I speak near to the understandings of people, that so if any are willing to be undeceived, they may know and read what I say; (mark) there is none I say can ever come to God again, but as they come through the flaming sword, the first forward nature, which hath led all men and women into the separation from God must be slain by sire and sword, the wrath of God must be known to pass upon the head of that Nature which led out into the Transgression, there is nothing which is unclean or unholy that leads into the Separation must be kept alive, that which is for the sword must be cut down by the sword, and that which is for the fire must be destroyed by the fire of God's wrath and vengeance; and this I say whosoever comes to God again to have their Image renewed in the Kingdom of God, must pass thorough great Troubles, Trials and Tribulations, such as hath not been known since the World began, till the old Nature which is the Image of the old man, I say till that Nature is destroyed, true peace is not to be known, for saith Christ, I came not to bring peace on the Forth but a sword first, and sudden destruction; and this sword maketh an end of sin, and cuts down and destroys the Devil's Nature in men and women, which hath long boar rule in their hearts, and had the Dominion over them; Now all you who are in the fallen estate, try your deeds by the Light, that your dark understandings may be opened, come forth to the Lords Battle, all you who are at ease in the flesh, the battle is begun, and the woe of the Lord is against all such who are at ease; All upon your guard stand, every man to his watch, diligence is required of all people, prove and see if any of you have known a day of slaughter upon the man of sin, and if you have not known a day of slaughter upon the man of sin, than I say to you all in God's fear, it is not safety for any of you to sit down satisfied, or to give ease to your flesh, till you know your iniquities forgiven you, and your sins blotted out, and removed and done away as a thick Cloud; And this is to be done in man, felt and witnessed in man and woman, the Marriage day is come wherein many are espoused to one Husband, Christ Jesus the Lamb of life which taketh away the sins of the World, he is become the Teacher of his people, so that they need not another to teach them; and here the woman is known to learn wisdom of her Husband at home, and not to ask it of others, the woman is to learn in silence of her Husband, Christ the Husband and head of Male and Female, he who was from everlasting to everlasting, whose days are without beginning or ending, and this is he which guides and rules all the Children of the day, the babes begotten of God they cannot say the written word is their guide and rule, but they know and witness him to guide and rule them which maketh an end of sin and destroys the Devil's works. woe to the false Teachers which teach lies, and lead the people in an unknown path, which the Lord God hath no pleasure in, a bed of torments is prepared for them, endless misery must come upon them unless they cease from deceiving the Lords people.  
For truth sake I cannot rest, and for the Seeds sake I cannot hold my tongue, the Lord God hath spoken in me, how can I keep silence? He hath uttered his voice in me like a King going to the Battle, the Instruments for war is already prepared, the battle day is come, the batte over all the whole earth, that the Nations may know him come to reign whose right it is, he that hath long been kept in bondage in a strange Land under a strange King, the Lamb of life is he called, the bright morning Star of David, which giveth light to those that sat in darkness, the Lamb of life shall reign as a King in Israel, and all dark powers in Nations and Kingdoms shall bow and bend before him, Nobles shall faint to see his Authority, Kings shall be afraid when he appeareth to make known his power, a day of shaking must come that many may see his Power; Zions redemption draweth nigh, let the little ones rejoice, deliverance must be known to the captives, let the Babes sing for joy, O land of Oppressors, you which lie in wait for blood, take heed to your ways, look to it, the Lord God hath said it, and it will assuredly come to pass, I say, the Lord God hath spoken it, that he will sweep the land of oppressors, the besom of destuction is in his hand, he will make men know that there is a God in Israel, & he hath power to throw down, root up, scatter and destroy all that is not of his own building, planting, gathering or begetting, the strength of man shall not hinder it, the powers of darkness death and hell nor the Grave shall not hinder it; I will make my Miracles known, saith the Lord God Almighty, the Viols of my indignation will I swiftly pour out upon all that doth evil, I will make my Miracles known amongst thousands, I the Lord will slain the glory of man, I the Lord will slain man's Glory, I will dash the Pot shards of the earth together one against another, and they shall be broken to pieces, and Briars and Thorns must be burnt up, who are standing together in battle against the Lord God of the whole earth. woe to the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea, for the Devil is come down in a rage, and hath but a short time to Reign.  
THE END.