not devouringly feed on you as it shall upon some Psalm 49. Once more you must dye I beseech you for Gods sake for dear Jesus sake for your souls sake let this be your greatest care oh that it may be mine as well as yours see to it that you live before you dye that you live the life of Grace before you dye the death of Nature and then it matters not when where how by what Disease you dye you shall not dye to dye but dye to live again and live to dye no more but live in the un-interrupted Vision and interminable fruition of him who is the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the onely wise God the Resurrection and the Life the I am the infinite Being the All in All. Oh my Friends let Master Bakters Counsel and this of mine seconding his let it be acceptable to you and be not so cruel to your own souls as to neglect such a God such a Christ such a Gospel such a Govenant and such an Inheritance as is laid up in store for the Saints in Light who but fools would live without God without Christ without Faith and Fear and forgo him and his Christ to all Eternity and be eternally miserable with Devils and Damned souls After you are dead you must have the searchers to view your bodies be you who you will be you searchers to your selves and your own Souls and see to it that there be no spiritual Feaver Spots or Plague Spots upon you If any spots look to it that they be no other then the spots of Gods Children and if you have spots look to it that you be not spots such as Jude speaks of And if the Marks of the Lord Jesus be upon your souls and not the Mark of the Beast and Dragon whatever Marks and Spots may be found on your Bodies they may prove Mâ—rkâ— of death but shall never prove the Marks of Hell and Damnation For my part while I am continued oâ— this side the Grave and in Praying work my earnest Prayer for you all shall be that though you may be judged according to men in the Flesh yet you may live according to God in the Spirit and that though your outward Man perish that your inward Man may be renewed daily that though there be a destroying of the outward Man your Souls may be saved in the day of out Lord Jesus I have now promised to pray for you and it is my daily work but be sure you pray for your selves and make use of Christs name in your prayers onely take heed of resting in a meet Forme as commonly men do that have learned to say for Jesus Christs sake do thus and thus when as poor souls in the mean time they know nothing of Christ never closed with him in a believing way never knew any need of him never had any sense of the burthens of fin pressing heavily on their souls and so made to cry out after that ease and rest which he is so willing to afford to poor burthened and heavy laded souls Mat 11. â—8 Such poor ignorant ones Christ may say to them upon what account do you make use of my name what hath passed between you and me you and I are yet to begin our acquaintance together you know not me nor I you what have you then to do to take my name into your lips This then is that which I would perswade and presse you to acquaint your selves with Christ and be at peace as was the counsel given to Job chap. 22. The Father is angry and there is no coming at him but by the the son Oh kisse the son least he be angry as is advised Psal 2. Kisse him with a kisse of Faith a kiss of Love a kiss of â—eal and Cordial Subjection Oh do in a spiritual way as the poor woman the sinner did in a bodily way but with her heart too Luke 7. Get to the feet of Christ and pray that if you may not have the kisses of his mouth you may have the kisses of his feet hang fast about him and touch him with a touch of faith Mary Magdalen was bid not to touch him and Christ gave the reason For saith he I am not aseended She doted too much upon his bodily presence but now he is ascended touch him and spare not get you an interest in Christs person and then use his name and improve it to the utmost you have his warrant for it John 16 24. and you may be bold upon it and this incouragement you have That what you aske in his name the Father will give it It is as a pretious so a prevailing name The case may so stand with a people or person that though Noah Daniel and Job though Moses and Samuel who were Gods Favourites very potent and prevalent with him yet could not Gods heart be toward such a people or person nor should they prevail Jeremiah 15. 1. Ezek 14. 14. And it did appear in Sauls case on whose behalf Samuel did very passionately intercede but could not prevail 1 Sam. 16. 1. But it was never said by God nor never shall though Jesus my Son should stand up and plead in the behalf of such or such a sinner he should not prevail with me This Paper of mine either in the whole complex or in the extract which principally I have wished to you may come and knock at your doores and may finde them shut upon you and you shut up within them that Friends cannot come to you If it come take it in entertain it friendly what know you but Christ who stands at the doore and knocks may come along with it Oh let him be entertained into your Houses into your Hearts you will have cause to blesse God to eternity that ever such a guest came under your Roofes And so that your hora â—ovissima prove but hora salutifera saluifica your last hour may prove an hour of salvation I wish you no more no better And now my Brethren I had down but that one onely thing more is to be done If this paper should be publisht as haply it may but if so it shall be your act as much as if not more then mine It will be perhaps animadverted upon and Objected against I would therefore willingly animadvert upon it my self and anticipate prevent what Objections may be made against it It may be said first That for all my time past I have been quiet and appeared little in a way of Printing How comes it to passe that now I appeare I Answer It s true I have appeared little very ittle in this way two or three things have passed in my Name and under my Hand poore inconsiderable things yet found good acceptance and incouragement for such minutula They take up little room and are had on easie terms lesse then Twelve pence I think will buy them all Why may I not appear when the occasion is so pressing the Arguments so material
on our left But thou hast not consum'd us all A Remnant thou hast kept Who trembling stood to see thy Wrath Thus to break forth and burn Not knowing but into th' same path With others they may turn But some from stroke of Pestilence Wholly preserved were Others who of thy stroke had sense From Grave thy Hand did reare Let such thus say with thankfull hearts Thy Fire Lord have we felt From being consum'd are set apart Us let it try and melt It 's meet for us to say to God Chastisement we have bore And having sinn'd have felt the rod Now we will sin no more What yet we know not teach us Lord And having sinn'd before To this we gladly will accord Hence forth to sin no more Thou Lord hast us delivered From Death and deadly thrall Our moistened Eyes from Tears we shed Our slyding Feet from fall When we did say our foot did slide We now are like to fall Thy goodnesse Lord did so provide To stay us up with all Except thou Lord hadst been our ayde Deaths darknesse to dispell Our Life and Soule had now been laid Almost as low as Hell And now our Souls since you are safe Return unto your Rest For largely lo the Lord to you His bounty hath exprest Before the Lord we in the Land Of Life will hence forth walk Submitting to his ruling hand His Laws we will not balk Among the Dead none doth none can Remember him one whit To sing his Praise there 's not a man in the Infernal Pit The living yea the living shall Him praise and eke his Truth The Fathers to their Children all Shall shew with Heart and Mouth The Lord was ready us to save And we our Songs will Sing And to his House being kept from Grave Our Offerings we will bring Amen To the Reader THE Author of this Letter hath expressed in one part of it that that which doth more specially concern the Families and Persons under the Pestilential stroke might be extracted and by one means or other transmitted to them and so coming in conjunction with Mr. Baxters papers might through the co-operation of divine Grace contribute somewhat to the promoting of their Spiritual and Eternal welfare We to whom the Letter was principally intended have judged it worthy in the whole to appear in Publick hoping it will have the same blessed effect upon others as upon our selves For the Author himself he is at a point not passing for mans day knowing that he who judgeth him is the Lord If the Letter had been circumscribed within the compasse of that number to which it was principally intended it would have pleased him well enough as for others who probably will frown upon it and lade it with their censures as he makes account they will Con him little thanks for it so he is not so low brought as to think himself beholding to them for their thanks And so if it must out out let it go and that 's all he hath to say C. B. S. H c. Amos 3. 8. THe Lion hath roared who will not fear the Lord God hath spoken who can but prophesie Micha 6. 9. The Lords voice cryeth unto the City and the man of wisdome shall see thy Name Hear yee the rod and who hath appointed it Prov. 11. 19 As righteousness tendeth to life so he that pursueth evill pursueth it to his own death Numb 32. 14. Behold you are risen up in your fathers stead an increase of sinfull men to augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord towards Israel Numb 32 20 to 23. If yee will doe according to that which the Lord hath commanded this land shall be your possession before the Lord but if ye will not do so ye have sinned against the Lord and be sure your sinne will finde you out Levit. 26. 23 24 25. If ye will not be reformed by these things but will walk contrary to me then will I also walk contrary to you and will punish you yet seaven times for yours sinnes And I will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrell of my Covenant and when ye are gathered together within your Cities I will send the Pestilence among you Read further vers 40 41 42. Esay 27. 4 5. Fury is not in me who would set the Bryers and Thornes against me in battell I will go thorow them I will burn them together or let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me Heb. 10. 31. It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Psal 116. 15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours and yee are Christs and Christ is Gods Jerem. 15. 15 16. Take me not away in thy long suffering Know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke thy words were sound and I did eate them and thy word was to me the joy and rejoycing of my heart The Plague Check't OR Piety will either Prevent Or alter the Property of the PLAGUE Held forth together with Sundry other things in a Letter VVritten by a Friend to a Friend pouring out himself into his Bosome and opening his heart unto him concerning the present Times and Providences c. SOlomon tells us Prov. 19. v. 22. That the desire of a man is his kindness and that a poor man is better then a lyer A poor man that hath a reall and cordial desire to express his love to shew kindness to another but hath not power in his hand so to do is better then a rich man that doth perform according to the power that is in his hand somwhat that is beneficial to another but it is not from an inward affection and desire the actings of his hand are not from the inlarged desires and affections of his heart such a one is a lyer Give me leave to accomodate this to my self I am one of the poor men of Anathoth that have but little in mine hand two Mites or so to cast into the Treasury but have an enlarged heart and a lively desire to contribute to the Promoting of the Good and Welfare of all Why should not this be reckoned to me as my kindness and my self and actings in this way be accepted of you and others of my antient and dear Friends to whom I apply my self now in this Epistolary way according to what I have and not according to what I have not I do not now present you with a curious and finely composed Sermon nor with an elaborate Treatise the World is full of such Oh! that there were better use made of them more and better fruit springing up from them then appears at this day but this is a Lamentation and well
commission such a paper to say Peace be unto this House and be sure if the Son or Daughter of Peace be there the Peace shall rest upon it notwithstanding the Plague be in it and whether it come as a tryal or as a punishment I would advise them to bid it welcome accept it kisse the Rod and the hand that holds it drink the cup which though it may be bitter yet may prove wholsome and not poisonous in the least hear the Rod and who hath appointed it quarrel not with it but fall under it study you to please God in what you do or suffer and that God may please you in what he orders out and all will be well I would aske you concerning your Souls and Spiritual Conditions have you not minded God hitherto nor acquainted yourselves with him and the Mysteries of his Will things that concern your Eternal Peace have you not yet believed repented set to it now and make it your businesse you may have but a little time to spend in the world improve it to as good purpose as you can let not a minute run out to waste the nearer you are to your journeys end make the more haste that your work may not be to do when you have no time left to do it in knowing that there is no Believing Repenting self-Humbling and making peace with God No such Work in the Grave whither you are going be deeply humbled for your neglect of Hearing Reading Praying and other Duties of Godlinesse and now cry mightily urge God with his Attributes and plead thus Lord thou art stiled a Father of Lights and wilt thou not send light into my dark soul thou art the God of all Grace and shall I dye in a gracelesse condition thou gavest Christ and that of thine own free accord when there was no moveing of thee in the least to such a purpose and he hath shed his blood pacified thy wrath satisfied thy justice brought in everlasting righteousness and is now at the right hand to make Intercession for poor sinners and shall I that now cry for him fly to him be never the better for him not one drop of his blood to purge my conscience onely by the way let me Animadvert upon that which is the common apprehension and expression of men that one drop of Christs Blood was sufficient to save a world for my part I am not clear in that it must be heart blood life blood that must be shed by him to make an Attonment but to direct your proceed in the way of your Plea Lord thou hast given me a natural life and breath and wilt thou not give me spiritual life and breath I have the natural senses of hearing seeing tasting feeling and so forth and Lord shall I be wholy a stranger to spiritual senses these things am not I able to perform in my own behalf by my own power Oh put forth thine make me such as thou wouldst have me to be and I shall be such it is said of Abraham thou foundst him faithfull and of David thou foundst him a man after thine own heart thou wouldst never have found them so if thou hadst not made them so make me such and thou shalt find me such thy grace is as sufficient to pardon and sanctifie and renew me as ever it was for any poor sinner in the World If I dye and damne and perish there is no profit in my blood the dead praise thee not the damned will not nor can If I perish I shall never love thee and honour thee If thou wilt save me I shall be a lasting Monument of freest love and richest Grace and Mercy Oh then Magnifie thy Mercy upon me and let me not be Fuel for the burning but Timber for the building yet let me further drive and deal with you and use my uttermost to fasten my nails in you you are humane creatures oh see that you be new creatures you are a part of the first Creation that is wofully degenerated and defaced see that you be a part of the second Creation which is performed in Christ Jesus in whom all Gods acts of Grace are performed you have natural understandings pray that God would give you spiritual understandings David fetched an argument from this consideration that Gods hand had made him fashioned him and urged in the strength thereof Oh give me understanding that I may keep thy Testimonies Psal 119. You have bodies but do you not consider that you have souls that are infinitely more to be valued then your bodyes the losse whereof the whole world will not countervail you live a natural life but do not you know that there is a spiritual life which is infinitely better look to live that life you eat and drink daily for the body there is a spiritual meat and drink provided which your souls have as much need of as your bodyes have of the Perishing food oh make out after that You are carefull to cloath your bodies and shall your fouls be naked You prize and study to keep and maintain your outward liberty spiritual liberty is far better and will you please your selves in spiritual bondage to sin and the Devil oh make out after this spiritual liberty knowing that if the Son shall make you free you shall be free indeed You are carefull to maintain your bodily health and is it good that you should have sick souls let me aske you will you love darknesse rather then light sicknesse rather then health bondage rather then liberty death rather then life your disease better then your Cure your Plague better then your plaister will you chose rather to be in the hand of a wounding killing Devil then in the hand of a healing recovering curing Christ will you choose rather to be damned and go to Hell then to be eternally saved and put into the possession of eternal Mansion above you are subject to a bodily Plague which may seize you and it may be hath know you not there is a worse Plague the Plague of the heart you must dye how soon you know not oh look after an interest in Christ which is the best interest look for Faith and free Justification Repentance and Renovation seconded with Real and Universal Reformation get the blood of Christ which is the blood of sprinkling upon your Consciences which will purge away your Guilt bring in Peace and kill the Worm which if not killed will killingly gnaw on you to all Eternity I say again you must dye once take heed of dying twice there is a second death and that is the most formidable you must dy but look to this that death do not kill you do you kill sin and you will kill death too you must dye but let it be your seeing of death as it is said of Simeon Luke 2. Let not death see you with a Mortifferous killing sight you must dye let it be but a tasting of death as the Scripture phraseth it let it