AN EPISTLE To be red in the ASSEMBLIES OF Gods People.  
TO All the Flock of God that are scattered abroad, I am moved of the Lord God to writ, to warn them in his Name, not to slight the Day of their Visitation, which hasteneth greatly upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth, and of the Sea, and of the Dry Land; to such I say, wait you to have your Vessels filled with the true Treasure, for God is truly filling the Hungry with Good Things, but is sending the Rich empty away: and you whom God hath filled with his Treasures and virtue of Life, through which you are made alive to him, dwell in his Counsel at all times, that in all your Undertakings you may answer his Requirings in your own Particulars, for an account to him we must all give of our Stewardship: therefore in the Fear of the Lord God, I counsel you to follow his Requirings in every one of you, that by it you may be taught to do his Will in all Things you undertake, that so you may prosper and grow to him as Trees of Righteousness, Plants of his own Right-hands Planting, for ye are the Garden of God, and his Husbandry, the Sheep of his Fold, and Flock of his Pasture, whom he is feeding with the Bread of Knowledge and Understanding of those things that belong to your everlasting Peace, therefore follow ye him in all his Requirings in your own Particulars, that so you may have right to the three of Life, which is in the midst of the Garden of God, and may enter in through the Gates into the City of our God, out of all the outward Observations, as, Lo here is Christ, or Lo there; for the Kingdom of God cometh not in outward Observations, but is felt and known and enjoyed within; therefore all gather in from that that would draw out the Mind from God to observe Days or Times, or Months or Years, concerning any Matter or Business, but as you are inwardly drawn or required by the Truth in your own Particulars, that so you may be truly furnished with it, and enabled by it to act for God, and truly to do his Will in all things, who is worthy to be obeied and observed in all things, who is the Head of the Body, and Church of the First-born, and over all ought to Rule and have the pre-eminence, who is God blessed for evermore, Amen.  
Therefore Friends and Brethren, I beseech you and warn you all in his Name and Fear, slight nor the Day of his Visitation, which is the Light in your Consciences, which Christ Jesus hath enlightened you withal, which will open your Understandings towards God, and let you see his Mind and Will concerning you at all Times and Seasons, for Times and Seasons are in his hand, and he changeth them as he pleaseth, therefore keep you to the unlimited Truth and Spirit of God, that through it you may be truly seasoned to act for God, then will you have Praise of him; as you act for him, you will reach Gods Witness in all Consciences, and be a terror to Evil Doers, and a Praise to them that do well; and therein well doing, God will own you, and you shall be a Dread and a terror to all the Workers of Iniquity that dwell upon the Earth, and the Fear of you, and the Dread of you will fall upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth, to their great Amazement and Astonishment for ever: for our God is getting himself a Name above every Name, and to Him shall every Knee bow, both of Things in Heaven, and Things in the Earth, and under the Earth, and all Tongues shall confess that he is Lord of all, and over all the Works of his Hands, and must Rule and Reign for ever, and for evermore Amen.  
These Things lay upon me from God, and in Obedience to Him I have done this, in giving it forth, for God is Jealous of his Honour, and will not give it to another: My Glory( saith the Lord God) will I not give unto another, but will put a hook into the Nostrils of all that go from Him, and the Guidance of his Good Spirit within them, into any Imaginations or Uncleanness whatsoever, whereby they are defiled, for His Fann is in his Hand, and He will thoroughly purge his Flower, and gather his Wheat into his Garner, and he will burn up the Chaff with Unquencheable Fire. Therefore all fear him who is able both to kill, and to cast into hellfire, where the Worm never dieth, nor the Fire of Gods Indignation never goeth out, but remains for ever upon the Minds of such as disobey the Truth, which is the Earnest of their Everlasting Misery, that is their Portion for ever: But unto all you that have truly followed the Lamb in the Regeneration, and have washed your Robes, and have made them white in his Blood; unto you I say, who have kept your Garments clean, through the Inward Strength and Power you have received from him, keep your Habitations with him, and all wait to feel him led you by the Rivers of Living Water, that you may be refreshed therewith, and grow thereby from Strength to Strength, and from one Degree of Grace unto another, until you all appear before Him in Sion, the Perfection of Beauty; for God is truly honouring of all them that truly honour Him, and have nothing in their Eyes but the Exaltation of his Kingdom and Glory, and as it was declared in Times past, They that honour me, will I honour: but they that dis-esteem Me, shall be lightly esteemed. Therefore it behoves all to search their Hearts and try their Reins with the light of the Lord God, for he is searching Jerusalem with Candles, and bringing to Light the hidden things of Esau; for nothing can be acted ever so secretly, but it is known to the Lord altogether, for his Eye goeth through the whole Earth, and he pondereth the Hearts and Intents of the Sons of Men, for he weigheth the Earth as in Scales, and measureth the Heavens as with a Span, and rendereth to every Man a Reward according to their Works: Therefore all fear Him that hath set Bounds to the Sea by a perpetual Decree, Hitherto shalt thou go, and no farther. Although the proud Waves thereof roar, and the Billows swell, yet they cannot pass over, for the Determination of the Lord God will stand for ever, and he will set his King upon his Holy Hill of Sion, which is the City of our Solemnity, into which he is gathering his People from off all the barren Mountains and desolate Hills of Imaginations( wherein they have been acting for Him) to the true Knowledge of his Good Spirit, to led them and Guide them into the way of Life, & Peace and Salvation, where Salvation is known for Walls and bulwarks, into which the righteous Nation is entering; Glory, Glory, Glory to God on High, here Peace on Earth is truly known, and good Will towards all Men; yea, the good Will of God, that desireth not the Death of a Sinner, but rather that all should repent and live, For as I Live( saith the Lord God) I delight not in the Death of him that dies, but rather there is more Joy in Heaven when one Sinner repenteth, than of the ninety nine that went not astray from the Fold of Rest, where the Lambs lie down together. Therefore Friends, be you all pitiful and tender-hearted one towards another, that you may show forth the virtues of him that hath called you out of Darkness into his marvelous Light, that to the brightness of your rising, many may be gathered in this the Day of Gods everlasting Love and Kindness to the Sons and Daughters of Men, wherein he is redeeming a Remnant from under the Bondage of Corruption, and bringing them into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God, where they come to witness Him to be their King, Lord, and Lawgiver, from whom they receive their Command, and here he comes to Reign, whose Right it is to Rule all Nations as with a Rod of Iron, and to break them to pieces as a Potters Vessel, and happy are all you that by this, in your own Particulars, are broken into Tenderness before him, and bowed down out of all self Exaltation, or Lording over Gods Heritage, but are good Examples to the Flock, that when the chief Shepherd doth appear, you may appear with Him in Glory, that the Crown Immortal you all may wear, and that Kingdom you all may inherit, that never fades away, and with the Redeemed, may truly return to Sion with Songs, and everlasting Joy upon your Heads: here Sorrow and Mourning fleeth away, which was in the Night, when we were in Darkness, and in the Land of the Region of the Shadow of Death, unto us hath the Light shined, therefore while you have the Light, believe in it, that you may be the Children of it, That your Light may so shine before Men, that they seeing your good Works, may glorify your Father which is in Heaven. And in this God Almighty keep you all in Faithfulness to himself for evermore, Amen ▪  
And Dear Friends and Brethren, this is to put you in Mind how gracious God hath dealt, and is dealing with his People, whom he hath visited with a high Hand, and a strong Arm, in leading them out of Egypts Land, and through the Red-Sea, and through the Wilderness, towards the good Land of Rest and Peace, that in this our Journey none may be drawn out from the Guidance of Gods good Spirit within them, to join to any Form or Likeness, or Appearance, although never so beautiful, but as you are lead by the Pillar of the Cloud by Day, and the Pillar of Fire by Night, which shines in all your Hearts and Consciences, to the giving you Light in all your Dwelling-Places through the In-shining thereof, which guideth the Footsteps of the Flock of his Companions, out of all Transgression and Rebellion against Him in their own Particulars, to run the Race with Patience, that is set before them, that so Victory and Dominion in the Truth all may enoy and partake of, to the judging down of all that is contrary to God in every Vessel that so the Sanctuary and Temple may be thoroughly Cleansed, Purged, and Purified, and made a fit Habitation for God to dwell in through the Spirit.  
SUTTON, the 17th day of the 9th, Month, 1675, Nathaniel Colman.   

A Postscript.  
THe terrible Day of the Lord of Hosts is at Hand, to deliver those who have Mourned in Sion, because of the Oppressions of them that are turned away from the Truth among the Flock of God, for the Abomination that they have committed in turning away from the Lord God, and following Mans Orders, and obeying them, and not eyeing the Lord God of Life and Glory, but have let in upon them a Flood of Misery by departing from the Lord. Therefore he will break forth in his Wrath and in his Fury upon them, and they shall stink as Dung upon the Ground, and as the Street that no man passeth over because of the great Plague that is coming upon them, for the Lord that visited the Children of Men, did it to turn them to Himself, in order to deliver them from the Bondage of Corruption, that they might serve him in Newness of Life all the Days of their Appointed Time here on Earth. Therefore let this be a Warning unto all them to whom this may come, that the Lord will not be mocked, but such as every one fow, such shall they reap, they that sow to the Flesh, or Orders of other Mens Prescribing, shall reap a Crop of Corruption: but they that sow to the Spirit of the Lord, and are following its Directions, shall obtain that Life that is Everlasting. Therefore, Dear Friends, I desire you, as you will give an Account to God at the last Day; neglect not the great Salvation that hath been tendered unto us in our day, which is Christ Jesus, the true Light, that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World, that thereby they may have Eternal Life, which is alone in the Son Christ Jesus Our Lord, in whom are all our Well-Springs, and that for ever more: and therefore, Dear Friends, cleave to Him, as you expect Life and Salvation in Him, in whom alone is Refuge for all his People, and was in all Ages and Generations from the Beginning until this Day; so as many as have entred into the practise or Performance of any thing, and not by the Guidance of Gods Spirit, let them take heed that they do not provoke the Lord until his Wrath break forth against them, and they perish from the Knowledge of Him in their own Particulars; for, for want of that the People perish't in all Generations. And therefore all Friends, embrace this Counsel which from the Lord is revealed unto me to deliver unto you before the day of your Visitation pass over, and there be no Time nor Place of Repentance, and the Things that belong to your Peace be hidden from you; so in love to all your Souls, I desire you all to be careful in all your Undertakings, to have the Lord always before your Faces, and at your Right-Hand, that you thereby may be kept from being moved from the Guidance of his Holy Spirit, that leadeth into Truth, and out of all error into the Way of Life, and Path of Peace, in which, Redemption to the Soul is witnessed, where the Redeemed of the Lord praises him, unto whom let Honour be given for evermore, because he is worthy, who is God over all, blessed for ever, AMEN.  
This was upon me to Publish, together with the Epistle which I was moved to writ in the Year 1675. the Publication whereof was then stopped by some, which I desire the Lord not to lay to their Charge.  
N. C. Sutton, the 21st. of the 9th. Mo. 1682.  
FINIS.