To all the Faithful in Christ Jesus.  
Precious and well-beloved Lambs, natural branches of the only Vine, fruitful plants in the Heavenly Vineyard, babes born again of Immortal Seed, who stands in the fear and council of the Lord God, with a free Resignation into his blessed will, following his leadings in sincerity and truth; ye are his Jewels whose amiable beauty adorns the Gospel, and unto you his love is very dear, and his eye is over you in much tenderness and choiceness, freely dispensing his precious virtue to your refreshment and comfort, whereby ye feel all things added for your support and strength in the great work whereunto he hath called you; so that ye are daily supplied from the riches of an Everlasting fountain that sendeth relief in every condition wherein ye stand to serve the Lord; for he hath made you near to himself in a perpetual covenant, and in the light hath set you apart to bear witness unto his power, life and truth; and ye are raised as a cloud of witnesses that covers the Earth with brightness and glory, and your faithful Testimony that ye have received of God, and in which ye live unto God is a sweet savour unto the life in all; for in your faithfulness, patience, and innocency you make way to the Just which witnesseth for you: And though your life be hated by that Spirit which would not have it reign, and that ye suffer and endure great affliction by your oppressors; yet in your meek and innocent life you reach God's witness in them, by which they are many times smitten for what they do unto you; so that ye are manifest in their Consciences, though they be from that in themselves, which makes you manifest, and in cruelty proceeds against you from evil to worse, that (if possible) they might darken your Glory, and bring down your holy Testimony into obscurity, and for that end they take occasion against you whom God hath chosen to follow his leadings, and you must either transgress the command of your Leader, and deny his Spiritual Worship, or be exposed to the severity of merciless men, and rendered Offenders by a pretended Law, and this is determined against you, and done unto you, because they know not him that hath raised you in your living Testimony.  
But Oh, how do these things work together for good unto all that love God; how doth it quicken the true birth unto watchfulness and faithfulness; how doth it enliven unto freeness and cheerfulness to do the will of God, and brings down the showers of life upon all the single and upright hearted: Oh my dear friends these purposed and practised cruelties of Zions enemies doth much advance her glory, and worketh good for all her Children though wickedly intended against them; for, thereby our faith is tried and strengthened, our peace increased and multiplied, and in the hour we are preserved.  
Oh dear Lambs, be ye strong in the Lord, for you are not forsaken though you may be cast down, you are not extinguished as tow, though in the fire you be tried; but with mercy you are compassed in the Salvation of God; and this he worketh for you who is Lord of all, that hath all power in his hand, and in his power ruleth over darkness, and enmity, and preserveth Zion in the midst of her troubles; for the Remembrance of Zion is always with him, yea in the very time when she sits in the dust bewailing; therefore let the Babes rejoice, and the plant be fruitful, let the weak put on strength, and the mourner be comforted, for of a truth God is with us, and he will not hold them guiltless that any way oppress us: So be not discouraged thou innocent birth, but keep close to thy God, and trust in him who hath raised thee, and let not thy Faith fail within thee, than thou wilt go comfortably in the Holy Testimony; and rejoice over all that would suppress the truth in thee, for the Lord God is assuredly with thee in all thou suffers for him, and in all he calls thee unto, his arm sustains thee; and though he permit darkness for a time to try thee, yet his love and good will is to thee, and his pleasure and delight is in thee, and thou hast had experience of his favour towards thee, and knows how thou hast been succoured in thy adversity, and wonderfully delivered out of thy Captivity. Oh therefore keep thy eye to him that hath never failed thee, nor never will fail thee as thou abides in his council; let not the world entice thee, nor flatteries prevail with thee, nor fears dismay thee, but follow thy God who is greater than all, so will his hand keep thee for being plucked out, and though thou may be in the Furnace of affliction, and may feel it sharp and tedious to endure, yet from thence he will take thee, and as well refined Gold will bring thee forth to his praise for ever.  
So all dear Friends every where, wait in that which makes you sensible of your own conditions, that you may feel to Christ your life and hope of glory, your helper, preserver and deliverer; so you will be stayed with a sure anchor in a troublous time, and will feel the springings of life to revive the hope of Israel, and then your Faith will not be driven to Shipwreck though storms be high and violent, but will be preserved and strengthened unto a further growth in the power which raises the seed, and this is testified in the power that ye may have strong consolations in the midst of your affliction, and in the testimony all glory is given to the power as most worthy? Oh, a stayed mind in the power is exceeding precious, for there the Birth lives in that which is eternal, and feeds upon the virtue in which it delighteth, and in stayedness, stillness and quietness, the heavenly glory rests upon it, and so there is a living sensibleness of the deep love and life of God, in which ye abiding, ye will attain unto wisdom and understanding in the seed, and feel the Image of God in you restored again, and so come to lie down in Christ Jesus your rest and peace.  
And now dear beloved Friends, be steadfast in the Faith, and hope to the end, for the end will manifest all things, and as ye abide in the patience you will overcome; and as you keep the Faith you will obtain victory, and the Crown will be yours.  
Dear and tender hearts, you may read the dearness of my love in the lines of Life, where I lie down with you in the bond of peace, beseeching you all to have fervent love amongst yourselves, and keep your eye single one over another, and entertain no exceptions one against another, for there is a watching eye that is not single, and that will take occasion to make a fault where there is none, and then will be exceptions, and raise a whisper to accuse; but the true birth that lives in the true love, it covers faults as they happen through weakness, and restores again in the Spirit of meekness, and so in the power that giveth life unto its Testimony, it judgeth presumptuous pride and arrogancy, and covereth faults that happeneth through weakness or infirmity, and rest●res that again which mourneth because it hath offended; and so it reacheth to its own in tenderness, and condescends to the lowest that travails after Righteousness, but unvaileth all feigned subtlety that would exalt itself over the Royal innocency, for the light discovereth and unvaileth the mystery of Iniquity, and judgeth Infallibly, and none by will't or reason can either add unto it, or diminish from it; therefore all dear Friends, live in that which keepeth the mind low in the fear and counsel of the Lord God, that in wisdom and understanding ye may have clear discerning, and so in sound judgement reach to the oppressed with mercy, that ye may break down the nature of the Oppressor, and restore and heal the grieved Birth that is ready to confess and forsake that which through weakness hath been done amiss, and here ye will have the Sovereign balm that healeth the wound safely, and not sleightily, and so you will be a comfort one to another, even as ye are sensible that the Lord comforts you, in which work the Almighty God confirm and strengthen you all to the glory of his Power, Life and Wisdom for Evermore.  
The Salutation of my Life in the heavenly love unto every Babe that Secretly panteth to do the Will of God.  
This may be read among friends as freedom is given, being a true token of my love (in a few words) as moved of the Lord.  
Nottingham County Goal, the 3d day of the 4th month, 1665. W. S.  
THE END