A WARNING To the Inhabitants of LEEDS, And all others in Cities, Towns and Villages, Who have wilfully been Persecuting THE PEOPLE of the LORD, Whom he hath called by his Eternal Spirit to magnify himself in, and to testify for Truth and Righteousness, and against all ungodly Works, and Workers thereof.  
By Isabel Wails.  
Printed in the Year 1685.   

A WARNING To the Inhabitants of LEEDS And all others that are or may be concerned, in all Cities, Towns and Villages, wheresoever this may come.  
O You Inhabitants of Leeds!  
to whom I have been a near Neighbour, and a near Dwelle●, these several years, This day I am moved in the everlasting Spirit of Truth, to warn you, both High and Low, Rich and Poor, to Return unto the Lord God, who by his Holy Spirit calls in the secret parts of your hearts for Truth and Righteousness, and true Holiness, and wills not the Death of any Soul that he in his pure Wisdom hath Created. But dear People! this is my Testimony for the Lord, he would have all to come unto him, that they may receive Life and Peace from him, who is God forever, and he changeth not, neither is he limited this day, nor his Spirit is not limited, which he in the riches of his Love hath manifested and revealed unto us; so in the sure Revelation of his eternal Love, am I constrained to tell you, who have made War against the appearance of the Lord in his People, The Lord is making haste to recompense every one of you according to your do; for he is risen to be a swift Witness against the Ungodly: And I plainly tell you all, who these lines may come before, to be read, or heard, If you sow to the Flesh, of the Flesh you shall reap Corruption, but if ye sow to the Spirit, ye shall of the Spirit reap Life Everlasting. Therefore in the fear of the Lord God, and Bowels of tender Pity, am I made to warn you all, to lay aside or cease from your Acts of Cruelty, which the power of Satan hath invented in your Hearts, which Power is limited. So I entreat you to return unto the Lord, and put on the Spirit of Meekness, and seek the Lord God, that through seeking him you may find Mercy and Compassion, as all his People (who have sought him) have done, from Age to Age, and Generation to Generation, the Lord God hath had pity unto the Cries of his own; and it's for no other cause or occasion, that we Suffer, but for bearing forth the Testimony of his Love that he hath revealed in us, who were in the Bondage of Corruption, and Iniquity, as you are, who are persecuting the Upright, and have oppressed the Innocent without any just cause: Therefore I am bound to declare unto you, That God is highly displeased at your do; for his Anger is kindled, and the Viols of his Wrath are ready to be poured forth upon you, who have wilfully transgressed against him: And except ye Repent, and let true Judgement come over the head of the Transgressor, you cannot escape, but you must drink of the Cup of his Indignation, which is held forth for them that will not take his counsel, nor hearken unto him when he calls.  
Oh! how doth my Soul breathe that you would return unto the Lord, before that you have sinned out your Day, lest that the Lord's Bowels of Compassion be shut up against you; and if so, Mark] you may call and he will not hear, you may shout and cry, but he will not hearken, nor answer; therefore as God hath manifested himself unto us through his Son Christ Jesus, though we were in Darkness as well as others, but through waiting upon him in his own Spirit, we are come to know the Deeds of Wickedness to be mortified in us, and through his Spirit that gives Life, are we come to have our hearts softened and mollified thereby. So in this living Spirit we cannot but declare unto others, and desire that all may come to the true acknowledgement of the Lord, and not only to know him, but also to obey him; than it will be certain (as here you abide) that Cruelty will be put to an end in every one of your hearts, who come to receive this Counsel, and Mercy and Pity, and true Compassion will be raised towards all men; for of a Truth I declare, and bear my Testimony for my God at this very moment of time, that there is yet a tender pity runs from the Bowels of the Lord unto some of you, and his Mind is, that none might perish nor be destroyed, but that you might wait upon him, that through him you might receive Life and Peace forever.  
So I entreat you that you may not reject the counsel of the Lord, which doth arise in the meanest of his People, and slight not the day of your Visitation, Jest it pass over your heads; for this day God is the same that ever he was, to bear up their heads that fear him, and also to renew their Faith, who are freely given up to answer him in his Requirings; also he is ready to take Vengeance of the Transgressor's, and of them that stand to fight against any of his Children, whom he hath chosen to bear forth his Testimony in his Truth upon Earth.  
So, dear People, (I would have you to) remember Moses, how often he was made by the Spirit and Power of God to spoke unto Pharaoh, but Pharaoh opposed the Power of God through the hardness of his Heart, and rejected the Counsel of the Lord, that the Lord had revealed unto Moses, and he would not let the Children of Israel go, but he invented a way (through the work of Satan) how he might destroy the Innocent; but the Lord harkened unto their Cries, and their Groans came before him, and he had regard unto his chosen flock, and by Faith were they delivered, when Pharaoh and all his Host were destroyed, and did perish from off the Earth.  
So in the tender Bowels of Love, hath the Lord God opened my Mouth amongst you (my Townsmen, Neighbours and Acquaintance) to warn you once more to return unto the Lord, who is the living God, and no longer harden your hearts; for this day God hath passed by the Wise and Prudent of this World, who have not had an Eye unto him, and he hath revealed himself unto a People who are accounted as the Off-scouring of the Earth, and in the eyes of (Wise) men we are not counted worthy to live; but God that hath heard our Cries, in the deepest of our Afflictions hath had regard unto us, and still doth remain with us, and we are certain he will do, as we stand faithful unto him; for he hath renewed our Faith, as he did Abraham's of Old. So in this Faith and Confidence is my Soul made to testify against all Gain-sayers, and them that strike against the appearance of the Lord of Hosts, in any of his People whom he hath chosen; and he hath also drawn us to believe in him, blessed be his Name forever; for he hath preserved us through many Troubles, Tribulations, and great Sufferings, both within and without, when men have heaped Sorrow upon Sorrow, through the wrath of their Hearts, if by any means they could have destroyed us; but yet the Lord by his outstretched Arm hath preserved us, that in the midst of my outward Troubles and Tribulations I can Bless, Praise and Magnify the Name of the Lord, that he hath delivered my Soul out of the Bondage of Iniquity, and out of the Snares of Death, and counted me (with my Brethren and Sisters) worthy to suffer for the Testimony of his Name, it's more precious to my Soul then the increase of Corn, Wine or Oil, or any visible thing that is upon the Earth.  
So in the openings of God's Spirit of Love, was I constrained to warn you to consider what you have done, and how ye will answer the Lord, when he comes to take an account of you, for the deeds that you have done in the Body, that he did Frame and Make for himself, for a Temple to dwell in, and by your wicked Inventions you have defiled it, and in it have lodged the Power of Satan. So in the Spirit of Meekness do I entreat you, that you may come to wait to feel the Power of God (which is an unlimited Power) to overpower all the Powers of Satan, which is limited and ever was, and he can go no further than the Lord suffers him, so that all our Trials and Tribulations that we have gone through, or may go through, are but light unto us, in comparison of God's Love that he hath revealed unto us, and made us sharers of, yea, many Thousands of Sons and Daughters. So in this free Grace that God hath made my Soul a Witness of, I desire to stand a Witness for him forever, over Sin, Death, and all the Powers of Satan, and my Travail is that you may come to experience the work of the Lord in you.  
Dear People! its my Cry, that your understandings may be opened, that ye may hearken unto the Voice of the Lord, which Cries in the secret parts of the heart for Holiness. Then will Sin be put to an end in you, and you will take no delight in it, nor you will have no Pleasure to have Iniquity to lodge within your hearts; For I can truly declare unto you, that the Lord hath no pleasure in them that are working Wickedness, and drinking up Iniquity as the Ox drinketh up Water. Oh, my Soul! my Soul cries unto the Lord that ye might return unto him, before the Day of Calamity and Sorrow come upon you; For if you will not hearken nor regard, its certain it will overtake you, and then will you say (if ye repent not) that you had warning given, time after Time, and would not take it: Therefore whether you will hear, or forbear, I have answered the Lords Requirings, and in my obedience I have Peace, which I prefer above all outward Enjoyments. And I am bold to declare unto you this day (the Lord knows I lie not) that I could neither eat, nor take my natural rest, but was oppressed, and my Tears were not a few; for my Soul mourned within me, until I was given up in obedience to the Lord God, to signify unto you, what he had revealed unto my Soul: Therefore whether you will hear or forbear, (as I have said unto you) the Lord hath eased my Spirit in some measure, and in his Will I lie down, whatsoever he is pleased to suffer man to inflict upon me, I desire to be found in his service for evermore.  
From one who is a wellwisher of all men, and desires the prosperity of all Souls, who am a Prisoner at York-Castle, for the Testimony of Jesus, this 17. day of the 10. Month, in the Year, 1684. Isabel Wails.   

POSTSCRIPT.  
O Ye People of Leeds!  
who have persecuted the Lords Servants, and imprisoned the Innocent without a cause; For your sakes am I ma●e to mourn in secret, and my Spirit is troubled within me, when I consider the Calamity that is coming upon you, and which will certainly overtake you, except you speedily Repent: A Day of Distress and great Lamentation! A Day of Darkness and Gloominess! A Day of Misery and of the Shadow of Death, is coming upon you, in which although you call, the Lord will not hear, yea, though ye cry aloud he will not regard it, because when he called unto you ye would not hear, and when he waited to be gracious, warning you again and again to Repent, yet ye regarded it not, but set at nought his Counsel, and made a scorn of them by whom he warned you, and despised all his Reproofs.  
Oh! consider of this, ye Inhabitants of Leeds, whilst yet you have a day or time, you who have had a hand in persecuting the Innocent, (who have done no harm to any of you) and that have had no regard either to Old or Young, Rich nor Poor, Fatherless nor Widows, but have sent (or haled) of all sorts to Prison, without respect to Age or Sex, (even some great with Child) Oh! have ye not despised and afflicted the Aged and Gray-Hairs, whom the Lord hath honoured, and the Poor which he regarded? And as for the Sick, have ye not turned your backs on them, whose Groans have been heard in your Ears? O! do you not think that the Lord sees and takes notice of these things, and that all your Hardheartedness, Cruelty and Oppression, are written down in his Book? Yes certainly, the Lord of Hosts both s●es and takes notice of them, and in due time will assuredly visit for the same, and be avenged on his Adversaries, recompensing a Reward upon them according to their deeds; for it is he that hath called us, and given us to bear Witness of him, and his Name and Truth upon the Earth, and are made willing to wait on him, and to be subject to him, in obedience to his requirings; yea, though it be to the hazard of Liberty, Life and Estate; for he hath not spared to shed his precious Blood for us, that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity, that we might be a peculiar People to him: Therefore he is precious to us, yea, as a Pearl of great Price; and this day we cannot but remember him, honour him, and fear his Name, and we durst not deny him nor his Truth before men, who hath plucked us as Brands out of the Fire, and hath raised us up who were dead in Trespasses and in Sins (as well as others) and hath caused us this day to Testify of him, who is God forever and changeth not, who will have pity on them that fear him, and trust in his Name, when all the Wicked and Ungodly shall perish from his presence, and from off the Face of the Earth.  
The Day hastens, yea, the day hastens, that God's fierce Wrath and Indignation will be poured out upon the Stiffnecked and Rebellious Generation, and upon all such as will not hearken unto (but reject) his Counsel, which by his Spirit he hath and is giving unto the Sons and Daughters of Men: Therefore Repent, Repent, lest Salvation be hid from your Eyes.  
From a Sufferer for the Truth and Righteousness sake, known to many of you by the Name of Isabel Wails.   
THE END.