Church in time wise men would weep to see mad men laugh and as much laugh to hear fools rail for their Ministers and they know not what well curse rail jear and do what you will we are still the same yea such as do truly pity and pray for you though you cannot for your selves nor will not so well as you may the Lord Jesus do both for you and open your eyes to see and loath what you love and love what you lâ—ath especially the people of God some of which you would send for if you were to die with speed fetch them fetch them let them come pray well now you have them do not rail that is divilish nor judge them that is presumption or leave your Churches if they should come there to exercise their Gifts they time and your present meanes of grace will too soon be gone if they speak of their experiences they have learned something if they speak of Christ the love and lovelines of Christ Eph. 2. 4. Cant. 5. 16. then it seems they know him and that it life eternall John If they speak of sin the sinfulnesse of that then it seems they loath it if they speak of you and the way to heaven they would save you from the wayes to hell which we are sure you are in if you loath them for their love to God Christ his Word and your souls one of which is more worth than a thousand worlds and although it be your own proper work and the Ministers to minde that yet are we in conscience bound not to suffer sin upon your heads who would not help an ox out of the pit Mat. 12. 11. if like to perish Much more a soul they that this way set theiâ— helping hands can never be your enemies God forbid that these lamps should be so counted though they be not torches lesser lights may be useful so may the gifts graces of the Saints the Spirit speaketh where it listeth John 3. 8. Hear that where ever it be Would a soul in hell say If I were on earth I would not hear the Saints or should a man for heaven say I wil go no further such such are going too ô Friend if you be going to hell or they be going to heaven hear consider before it be too late time wil never come again nor they nor you from the dead to hear one another now you have Moses the Prophets Luk. â—6 31. so are they whom ye despise if they preach to you the same trutâ—s by the same Spirit the Lord make you wise after wit will do no good nor repentance neither one day you may say O that we had the Saints again their prayers light and Counsels when it is too late A certain man where some of these lay prisoners in the late warres thought of them as some of you now do but he being sick to death cryed night and day fetch the Saints again fetch the Saints again but they were gone long before be the Sun-set or near it you are they dead or dying what will good Sun good death or good Saint stay a little longer Any thing avail No no the night comes and none can work John 9. 3. they for you nor you for your selves Let them preach let them speak let them pray while they may if they be against your sins they are for your souls if they be against your customes the old or the new it is for a better may not time before and after Ministers have done be better spent then it is especially the Lords day and the after part of it but you are afraid your Religion will go down take heed that that be not a form rather than a truth many have the form of godlinesse but deny the power 2 Tim. 3. 5. But the bulk of men deny both in England Lord what should be the cause have our Pastors made us so nusling us up in ignorance My people perish for want of knowledge sayeth the Lord Prov. 29. 28. Hos 4 6. And sayeth Christ If the blinde lead the blinde wo be to both Luk. 6. 39. or have you opposed truth and would not see the light because of your deeds John 3 19. Searching light is a saving light if well improved have your Ministers so preached as certainly many have take heed that you refuse not him that speaks from heaven Heb. 12. 25. by their mouths yea and take heed of winking at what you see or may see in guifted Christians they can tell you from experience in their own language the mercies of a God Eph. 3. 18. the heighth depth breadth and length yea to you the worst of sinners if you will accept it but I obtained mercy 1 Tim. 1. 13. Yea they can tell you of his Loves the length and strength of that in some measure which is better than life so sayeth David Psal 63. 3. This love and mercy God sends to sinners sometimes by poor weak plain and unworthy men without Latine Phrases therefore thousands do refuse it yea Christ the Bread the Tree Rev. 2. 7. the Well of life Psal 36. 9. is the like with all his Loves loveliness and vertues Luk 6. 19 upon the same account O Christ who almost knowes thee Who almost owns thee the chiefest of ten thousand Cant. 5. 10. which art all in all in life death and eternity Col. 3. 11. Well this King Priest and Prophet can the Saints tell the world of yea by the Spirit in the Word they can open as it were his side and heart give them out his blood to set their souls free from sin death hell and eternall burnings yea they can give a taste of the life and joyes to come 1 Pet. 2. 3. one drop thereof is more worth than the treasures of the world if well considered yea they can breath upon you the holy Ghost my meaning is they by the Spirit in them breathing from them conveyes the words of life to poor sinners many times thousands can seal to this no fires ever kindled one another like this hoâ—y fire the Spirit of love the Dove in Noahs Ark Gen. 8. 8. rest it where it will it ever brings an embleme of peace from the God of peace O that men should refuse this love this Dove this peace an embleme of peace speckled with the blood of Christ because it breatheth not where the world listeth but it self Joh. 3. 8. Well be ye not offended I go not to throw down men nor Ministers no the Lord Jesus keep up them that are good and watch for your souls as they that must give account for in the day of judgement Heb. 13. 17. and throw down all yea all besides and what I say for Ministers who are your Seerâ— Isa 13. 10. Prophets Watchmen Jer. 6. 19. Shepherds Jer. 23. 4. which have the main care of your souls commited Acts 20. 28. to them by Christ when as he sends them to you and not a lesser benefice
Spirit their hearts being warmed with the breath thereof might not they then add a word or two of their experience O how sweet would that be from the sence of Gods love so to do one hour before or after would fit us for or fasten those things which now too soon we loose thus might we prophesie how sweet and lovely would the Assemblies of the people be yea how primitive like then would all our deerest brethren return again never more to separate from us but would be as lamps and pillars in our Assemblies And why may not these Jewels and their Lustre shine as well there as where few resort O my Lord bring them forth that have lyen among the pots they will be as doves whose feathers are covered with yellow gold yea let the world see the gifts and graces of the sonnes of Sion more precious than choice silver say unto them upon whom the glory of the Lord is risen arise and shine for their feet are beautifull and their God will be admired yea then will Satan and his Kingdom fall like lightening before the Spirit of the Lord men will not disdain the Saints nor perish for want of knowledge as now they doe whilst they think they have as much as any not knowing what the Saints through grace doe then will the boules of the Temple be usefull indeed other men have laid them by but bring them you out that every one may drink from their experience the waters of life receive the bread of life for that is that we promise now to break and nothing of self further be it from us ever to broach schism faction treason or rebellion yea any thing more than one thing our Lord Jesus Christ his loves and loveliness yea nothing but faith Christ his righteousnesse healing and practicall points we promise to preach nothing else but these things and the humility of Christ for our example nor will we ever slight those stars that â—ed us first to him no no they that travelled with us and pointed out the Lamb of God before us shall never be forgotten if they will be quiet they are our Fathers and woâ—thâ—â—wel of double honor yea we will ever â—ow to tâ—em as Joseph did to Jacob. And now my Lord our old Friend and good Friend will you hear will you help us your â—â—llow members once again in this â—iâ—k of time why should others have the honour from you try and try us by whom you please yea set up such as may do it and the God of heaven set up you in the hearts of his My Lord we fear not the touch many will be â—â—t though most are not so in any measure leâ— them be unbyassed not all of the Cleargy and try us while they will they will find men enough we desire not to run before so sent by you or they nor then out of our calling to the charge of the Nation but here and there as Providence leads to witnesse for the Truth most in our Parishes where our walking is known O my Lord this were Christian liberty indeed this were to be freed from Antichrist to purpose Men talk as if after all we should go back again far be that from the Israel of God and as far be it from you to withhold your hand from this work of his give us this Jewell long lost make up this breach and give us liberty as in the dayes of old and then we will lift up our heads yea voices and sing together yea we will never more complain but sing the songs of Sion and her deliverance fully come and under God and Christ you shall have the glory yea the glory of all we are or have in this particular Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands so have you but Solomon built the Temple and so have you when these tryed stones are laid in every place yea you have then done more for Christ the Saints the World the Souls of men than all the Christian Kings and Princes that ever was none has had a heart nor none has had a hand for this nor none are in memory of Saints to purpose but you shall be for ever yea let our tongues cleave to the roofe of our mouthes if we forget your labour of love in this particular yea though we or some of us have railed at you yea prayed to blast you in your late Proceedings yet will we â—â—g you in our bosomes and say you are more righteous than thousands To wind up all you know our mindes consult not with â—â—esh and blood nor byassed men The Lord Jesus and his Spirit hold you close to the rule keep you waking night by night on your bed to weigh our Petition and if it be right hear us as ever he should hear you in your heart-sick-dying hour when you and this world must part O my Lord hear us we are his though all of his are not with us yet thousands are and why and how can be against us the Word and Spirit is for us yea God himself My sons and my daughters shall Prophesie be not you against us nâ—d none but you can hinder yea against him who hath been your salvation all along yea and them too which at your command have shed blood and lost blood life limbes and relations yea and all upon this account more than any Israel never fought with Amalek on so low account as pay nor we with our neighbours for vineyards shadows and titles no no let it never be said in Gath nor published in the streets of Askalum here or in other countries we destroyed towns cities fired houses spilt the blood of millions and sent souls to heâ—on so low account one valley ful of sculs and bones are more worth than these besides former vowes would be minded and in this the main is paid death would be minded and for this you may take comfort judgment would be minded and for this you may expect a Crown if for any work under heaven O my Lord to have a Crown from Christ with this saying Weldone and Welcome when Kings and Captains shall run to the rocks hills and mountains This is considerable may such considerations ever well in great ment hearts and flatterers far from all your Councels for if you should miscarry good had it been if you had never been or any thing but what you are The Name of Christ the honour of God the expectation of the Saints the eyes of all the nations round about are more on you than any man on earth the Lord God Almighty and the Prayers of his People lead you and your Councel in all wayes of well-doing LEt us now treat a little with the people of the Nation I mean common Protestants that do confesse Christ and that is all and me thinks we hear most of them rail laugh and jear others judging and condemning us for proud fooles and hypocrites and such as if â—et alone will spoil the
Priests Prophets Samuel Moses Aaron David and Daniel now Peter Paul James and John again yet not without the old Spirit the Spirit of his Son God who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in times past by the fathers the Prophets hath in these last times spoken to us by his Son Heb. 1. 1. You the great Saints of England and glory of the world we would intreat you on the knee again and again yea beseech you in the bowels of love yea the God of love and the mercies of that God Rom. 12. 2 for his own and the honour of his and the poor gifted Saints sake that you would all pull off your Crowns of honour for an hour as once the poor fishers did their great bootes to follow Christ else it would have been but slow And you my Lord Protector What if you should begin in this high and low work and give us in your own Person one short and sweet Sermon now at White-Hall as late you did to your own Family we would say King David were on earth again and put in their murmuring no more at your present greatnesse who did a meaner thing in dancing before the Ark of God 2 Sam. 6. 16. My Lord look to the Canopies above and down again to White-Hall yea your self and what are you though so great a Saint more than a worm gnat nothing Isa 41. 14. Yet may you Nothing this way honour him that is what he is and doth what he pleases in heaven and in earth yea in hell amongst and with Saints Angels men and divels yea every living thing as well things that are not winds Seas storm fire hail ice snow yea day and night for they are all his too Psal 74. 16. This one Being and Being of all Beings may you poor Nothing yet preach and our good Lord Jesus who once becaâ—e nothing to serve and make you and us all Kings Priests and Prophets to our God by his blood Rev. 1. 6. Not that above once or twice we desire this work of honour from and for you to preach this God that every moment rides the circle of the heavens Isa 40. 22. upon the mighty wings and Chariots of the windes that drawes or drives the cloudâ— hither and thither yea the Seas where he wills quite from off the earth and flings them down again upon the Prayers of his people when and where he please as lately now when man and beast was mourning yea every senslesse creature dying yea the earth it self yauning wide as if that and all would dye yea dye they would and dye they must at once but God prevented all for his peoples sake and said live again Oh that men would praise his Name and sing again his mercy endureth for ever Psal 136. a Psalm for your soul in secret but a Sermon it is we beg yea one at at least from you my Lord and the Princes among the people yea the Saints of the most high God Dan. 7. 27 shall imitate you all for the honour of the work Nathaniel Pickering Wooslâ—y Sadler and Sir Henry Vane all which and many more could and can pray and Preach bravelie and if all Jacob be but one worm to the God of Jacob 't is no dishonour to these choice bitts of this worm to praise their Maker once or twice at the least in the great Congregations and the Assemblies of the Saints which David hints so often at as his own practice in a soul exalting way of glorie I will praise thee in the Congregation yea in the great Congregation of the people yea among the Gods Psal 111. 1. and 138. 1. I will do it and will not you Gods your selves once at the Prayers of all Saints as Paul speaks in another case God forbid you or any should be ashamed of a good Master and what is it else that some princes stick at Come come it will be an honour one day to come bowing to the Saints and lick the dust of their feet yea the meanest work for Christ and them will be an honour for the greatest Monarchs in the world yea to preach this King of kings that hath this Name written on his thigh The Word of God Rev 19. 13. and 16. Read ye often the sixtie of Isaiah but let us come down from these gods to the people yea to the Saints that may tend it best and most to them we have a word Be as the tree or river in the Paradise of God Rev. 2. 7. Watering and feeding yea feed and water yea that have gifts all the rest yea all the Church of God over which you are made in your own proper places Overseers a high glory so to be Acts 20. 28. but begin at the 17. verse and mark well the whole Chapter The Angels never were but servants to bring newes or carry Saints to their home Heb. 1. 14. and how sweetly did they sing for joy of this glorying in the Work Luk. 29. And what may you say Oh yee dust of Jacob who are all of you together lesse then the least of the mercies of a God Gen. 32. 10. Your God we mean and your work we are at that is to Preach him up sin Satan death and Devils down yea to their own places I mean the sorrowes of the Saints and the works of darknesse all which are to be Preached down and Christ up from the grave of death and hell with the keyes of both in his hand Rev. 1. 18. This Lord and these keyes must you Preach up yea the power now in his hand and in his hand alone over sin Satan curse grave Law men devils Saints and Angels things present and to come yea over all these he is King for ever and hath wholly and solely the power of and over these things souls and consciences of men That is one thing my Brethren you are now called to Preach up by the first born which do call on you from the rising of the light life and love of God now in their souls and therefore do not scruple Oh ye Kings of the East Rev. 16. 12. but come forth as the morning Sun in the glory of your gifts and graces and the Spirit of the Son and Father and Preach up all three the Father in his love Iohn 3. 16. the Son in his merit 1 Tim. 1. 18. yea and the fruits joyes life and power of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. converting and convincing killing saving damning and destroying powers burning up and burning down like devouring fire in and on the soul the world and all the works of flesh flaming up to the heavens the righteousnesse of men much more pride hypocrâ—sie self and the foolishnesse of and in man every whereas he turns from one form to another resting more than he ought therein Well and who is now free fit and sufficient for this thing but our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3. 5. And he hath appointed for good men every one to
we inrich the Common wealth with the knowledge of Christ and his righteousness by this kind of industry yea the Ministers who take the more pains for fear least we should excel them besides our experiences are considerable and it will be a good help to them also two may see more then one and two hours more in every day thou may est allow thy self to read over debts gather in and pay if thine and thy debters names be in one book 't is done in half a one if thy trading be not very great at this rate eight or nine will be spent in thy shop every day take one for recreation and that is more then Christ took who was Lord of time and all things But suppose thon takest two to recreate thy self walk with neighbors wife and children Rich Saints rather poor crying friend and neighbour what is in the Cubbard how hangs the tassles of the buget we mean how goes things where the charge is great Is the Landlord paid Are ye out of debt how much will put you in a way of subsistance All this is good But stay we must not forget the belly Gentlemen will have two for that but we allow but one for our selves meat is made for the belly and the belly for meat t is a shame how some eat whilest others faste but God shall destroy the one and the other 1 Cor. 6. 13. Yet we have an hour left still spend one halfe of that and take the rest to pick up in thy thoughts dead bones and sculs of thy old acquaintance yea go spuddel in the grave or cave brave Dean who was slid into a vault by his princely Train and musick was but a melancholly crucifying sight the old board flapt down the glory all was gone would some would peep in there every day where they intend to ly and must at last in the mean time remember you the worlds vanity thine own mortality Christs excellency Heavens joyes and hels torments Christs coming and thy dayly going to another world where thou would be stated the first moment that thou diest in an unchangeable condition and if it be of glory with Christ as certainly all believers will yet will their never be an opportunity to act do or speak one word for this Christ or his Saints again as is now a damned sinner once in hell will never have a minuts opportunity to do for self or hear of Christ again nor can a Saint warn a sinner there Laza us could not send to Dives kindred who as it is probable were laughing playing buying selling not at all minding his condition Well friends if you would be good Preachers Christians or forewarners of poor simple sinning sinners minde time study hard and resolve to be and do to day what you would to morrow if you were to dy but one Saint of a thousand is not yet does not yet or at least so much as he intends and what a sad thing is this How much trouble may it cost if death come as a man from a far countrey or thief in the night Rev 16. 15. But to our old rules once again onely remember this of time to keep a book or watch to see how that goes away a private book is best a thousand times and set down what of God you injoy every dayes providence and what of that is most remarkable t is done in half a quarter of an hour your failings and distempers write down every night good deeds leave out Christ will tell of them before Men and Angels Mat. 25. 35. this will be a better glasse and a larger then my Lady fools paint or pleasure who is dead while shelives 1 Tim. 5. 6. vers for in this you may see your life every day and year and when you shall read so much communion with God on such a duty such a strait such a providence such a casualty or deliverance from the grave self wife or children such a losse and why so Saints can tell if they please to look why every rod comes Mich. 6. 9. and what to doe in a new strait if they keep the experience of their old deliverance Psal 77. 7 8 9 10. the day and year exact as some doe their expences for seven yeares together the Lord make us as wise as the children of this generation Luke 16 8. and especially you that would fain be teachers which the Lord make you able to but take one direction for your Bibles in all your Bibles write us at the side or in every place where there is room for a word one word and no more as thus in the second and the third of the Revelations where mention is made of seven Churches and choice promises to all now write for thy own help and readinesse the remarkable word of every promise in the spare places â—s thus at the seventh verie of the second Chapter write Tree at the tenth verse Crown at the seventeenth white Stone Power or Nation at the twentie seventh White Ray at the fifth verse of the third Chapter Name or Pillar at the twelâ—â— Gold at the eigthteenth And so in Isa 65. 13. where the Lord saies My Servants shall eat but ye shall be an hungry drink but ye shall be thirsty sing for joy of heart but ye shall weep and lament Set thirst sing or weep at the side of the verse bread water well life treasure fulnesse rock refuge stone lilly rose wine apple tree shadow great rock sun star olive oyl priest prophet King of Kings Rev. 19. and 16. Write thigh lamb altar scape goat serpent and so in regard of Christs sufferings write brused broken afflicted marred sorrow or a man of sorrows yea by us a sixpenny Concordance or a bigger bound up by it self and every remarkable word in it set that with your pen by the side of the Scripture especially the most useful and where you find one and the same remarkable promise or one and the same threatning exhortation or reproof to be in two or three Scriptures set us by the verse where the remarkable and most known word stands a little hint where the other stands that is most like it or the same Many Bibles have something this way but you may add much more and with a little pains make one Bible worth ten of your gaudy ones and alwayes bring this to the Pulpit and not a cheating thing like a Bible gilt bound fill'd â—p and stuffed with white Paper old notes or new got stole preacht or borrowed we know not where nor when yea it may be some ten times over this is worse than pinning new leaves in and truly we think it much our duty to call for it from you if any of you should do so when you are set up what rivers of living waters in your belly John 7. 38. and speak by a quill to living stones in the Church of God 1 Pet. 2. 5. For shame take pains 't is lazinesse and not the memory