A Compassionate INVITATION OF Christian Love TO All Tender-hearted People Testifying unto GOD's Free-Grace His Spirit 's Teaching and good End of Man's Creation By one that has tasted of the Goodness of the Lord WILLIAM ROBINSON London the 25th of the 2d Month 1692. LONDON Printed for Tho. Northcott in George-Yard in Lumbard-street 1692. A Compassionate Invitation OF Christian Love To all Tender-hearted People MY dear Friends and all tender-hearted People there is Love in my Heart to you all according to the measure of Grace received from the Lord and my Heart is truly enlarged at this Time and Season in the consideration of the Work of the Lord that he has begun in our day and how the Lord has reached forth a Hand of Help unto us to bring us on our way Oh! my dear Friends there is a Travel upon my Spirit that none of us may turn back again but that our Eye may be to that Arm that has gathered us into a belief that it can save us and preserve us if we keep to it that that brings to the Birth will bring forth in the Lord 's due time for we may remember the earnest Cries that has been put up unto the Lord in days past and in years that are gone that the Lord would be pleased to make known his way to us and we were ready to say we would walk in it And truly Friends the Lord has been very gracious to us he has brought us by a way we then did not know and a great Concern and Travel was upon our Souls to be delivered from the Bondage and Captivity that we was then under notwithstanding we had a Profession but there was still something longed after that is beyond all the Professions that are in the World even Life to our Souls Oh the longings of Souls that was in that Day when the Lord visited us let it never be forgotten And truly Friends these things are mentioned that all may be stirred up to watchfulness and to faithfulness to God and for no other end for we may say and that without boasting we have known the Terrors of the Lord and therefore we perswade Men to come to this godly Sorrow and to a bowed down state before the Lord for this we can say that the Lord wills not the Death of him that dyes but rather that he may turn to him and live Turn ye turn ye why will ye dye said the Lord Turn ye at my Reproofs I will pour out my Spirit upon you and make known my ways unto you Oh! that all People were but willing to walk in God's way and lay aside all that hinders that every thing that hinders may be brought down by degrees every Weight and every Burden may be removed and Sin that so easily besets Oh how easily are men perswaded and drawn away after this thing or the other thing not considering what the end of these things will be Surely if the end was rightly considered People might be more concern'd how to get out of these Besetments and Entanglements for we may remember that the wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is eternal Life through Jesus Christ We would all men might come to this Gift of God he has given to us this is that we shall be called to an account for whether it amount to the degree of one two or five Talents comparatively that all People may be faithful to it the least measure the least appearance is of a saving nature if men will believe in it Oh what a tender regard the Lord had to a People in former times that were beset and under heavy Burthens how willing was the Lord to deliver them and bring them out from under Pharaoh that hard Task-master Was not this a lively Figure to his spiritual Israel in this our day he divided the Waters they passed through the Deeps he brought them into the Wilderness and Pharaoh and his Hosts were drowned And then they could sing and praise God for this Deliverance Now Friends there is an inward Warfare to be known there are inward Enemies to be met withal and we had need to know the same Arm of Power as they did to work in us and for us that we may come to serve God and worship God and love God with all our Hearts love his Truth love his Word and love his Appearance tho' God may appear in Judgment yet it is for a good end that we that know him trust in him and not in our selves nor in the Arm of Flesh but in God I will bear thy Indignation O Lord says one of old because I have sinned against thee and though thou kill me I will trust in thee Now Friends the way of his appearing is not to kill the Body but the Sin that dwells there the evil Affections the evil Desires that war against the Soul Oh what Warfare there has been and a Travel there has been that we might arrive at the good Land and that we might not faint in our Minds And truly Friends the Lord has given us a Brook by the way he has turn'd our Wilderness into a fruitful Field so that we many times can invite others to come and partake with us for we believe that God would have all men come to the knowledge of the Truth and be saved Now there has been a great deal of searching after outward Knowledge many have been very busie and diligent in seeking that to talk of and discourse of but the knowledge of the Truth as it is in Christ is a saving Knowledge and a sensible Knowledge to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent is Life eternal Come Friends try your Experience have you been made to cry out under the weight and burthen of Sin as one did when it was too heavy for him to bear Now People may see what a loathsome thing it is to have a Profession and Talk and Notions of good things and be out of the Life and Knowledge thereof for what benefit has a hungry Man or Woman in hearing tell of Bread if they do not partake of it We know that the Lord feeds the Poor with Bread but many are so high and rich in Notions they do not mind to come into a state of low degree nor the low and little appearance of Truth in their Hearts Oh! come Friends let us take notice of the day of small things and be faithful in a little or else we shall never be made Rulers over much And now Friends as we turn in our Minds we may find how the Lord reproved us for many things even things that were little taken notice of by some and made us to remember that Saying We must give an account to God for every idle word Now Friends here we can say was a good beginning when the Truth met with us and brought Judgment upon us we were made sensible what it was for and how we had been led
away one time after another and that Saying oftentimes did arise If the Blind lead the Blind they shall both fall into the Ditch Now Friends that we may never forget the love of our God herein that has reached to us Oh the great Concern that has been upon many and the Cries and Bemoanings that was in secret to the Lord that his hand might not spare nor his eye pitty until Judgment was brought forth into Victory We have cried to the Lord sometimes to bring us through Judgment that we might know a Victory and Freedom from Sin and Satan and also cry'd that others might come to be thus concern'd for I see many People very loose and unconcern'd and many days have passed over their Heads in a Profession and yet not truly concern'd as to Godward and Heavenward nor so as to yield Obedience to the Gift of God that will tell them all that ever they have done though it has made many to say Is not this the Christ Oh that all People would come to consider what Experience they have of the Work of Truth in their Hearts Truly Friends and People I could be glad to see my native Country-Men and Women to come to know the Work of the Lord for I do believe and therefore speak it that Christ Jesus who is the Truth is at work as he said I work and my Heavenly Father works also How work may some say It is by his Spirit and Power for he has Power so to do in Peoples Hearts a stony Heart is not made a Heart of Flesh without him who truly makes it so he who has all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him can do whatsoever he pleases but truly this doth not please fallen Man that is out of the Truth so to come to please God the way is too narrow and too strait for them where the love of this World is not easily parted with nor the Delights and vain Fashions of the World not willingly layed aside nor indeed can they be laid aside or overcome without coming to the Light of Christ within to know his appearance within he is the Physician of value and the chief Corner-stone and the true Foundation that every one ought to have their Faith built upon or otherways they will want a Foundation and we know he that builds a House and has not a good Foundation to build upon he comes to Loss and suffers Loss and so hath many a one for want of Experience how to build they have been apt to trust to the Building of others and to the Knowledge of others in that they should see to and for themselves For Faith is the Gift of God to Mankind and Men ought to receive it so in themselves and know a growing in the Obedience of Faith from Faith to Faith that so they may come to arrive at the Haven of Rest and Peace with God It was said that there is no Peace to the Wicked therefore ought all men to fear before the Lord and know his righteous Judgments to be set up in their Hearts that through Judgment they may come to learn to fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole Duty of Man Oh that all men would love Judgment that every thing that has offended the Lord and grieved his righteous Spirit may be judged out that clean Vessels we may be in the House of the Lord for the Vessels of God's House are holy Vessels Holiness is written upon them Oh! that holy Principle of Truth that has been and still is at work has made them such clean Vessels purifying them purging out the old Leaven of Malice and Sin and has made many as a new Lamp to the Lord that has thus been at work by his Spirit to bring Men and Women out of the Fall out of the Disobedience and out of the Trasgression and this is Christ Jesus that works this Work he is the second Adam the Lord from Heaven become a quickening Spirit he is the Way the Truth and the Life he is that great Prophet that Moses spoke of and told us that we should hear in all things and whosoever will not hear this great Prophet must be cut off from amongst the People for we know that by hearing and lending an Ear to the voice of the Serpent came Death even that Death that the Lord said should come in the day that Man eat of the forbidden Fruit and so we also know to the Praise of God and his Truth be it spoken that by hearing the Voice of Christ Jesus that speaks from Heaven comes Life to be known again and witnessed and partaken of for in the Lord Jehovah there is everlasting strength and He gives Strength and Power to his Children to overcome and then to him that overcomes will I give to inherit all things I will be his God and he shall be my Son saith the Lord of Hosts But the Fearful and Unbelieving the Abominable and the Lyar is not to be numbred with God's Children but in the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone Rev. 21. 7 8. Now my dear Friends you that have travelled this way and have been exercised this way towards the Lord and towards his Kingdom which is not of this World you know how it has been what a Care there has been upon many lest they should miscarry and lest they should be mistaken for it may so come to pass if we sit down at ease and in a careless Mind let us remember there is a great Work to be done there are many Weights and Burdens to be done away Sin is a great Weight and a Burden and as a Partitian Wall that cannot be broken down but as we come to the Truth and know that to work in us and for us and set us free for we may remember the words of our blessed Lord to a People in former days If you know the Truth the Truth shall set you free and if the Son who is the Truth make you free then are you free indeed This is a Freedom indeed But said they we were never in Bondage to any man Ah! that all People did but know what great Bondage Sin is surely they would desire to be released out of such Bondage and Slavery if they had any regard to their poor Souls they would desire to be the Lord's Free-men and Women they would not plead for Sin and for its continuance any longer for it hath reigned too long if People were but sensible and well awake out of it Awake to Righteousness and sin not says the Apostle and awake thou that sleepest arise from the Dead and Christ will give thee light And we can have Life that is everlasting Life no where else but many People and too too many has had a Life in Sin to their great Sorrow and Lamentation and truly Friends Sin is always Cause of Sorrow it is Truths Enemy and Man and Womans Enemy also If this great Enemy of
Worshippers and therefore no true Receivers of the Promises of God made to those that meet in his Name There is therefore now no condemnation to them which Rom. 8. 1. are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit It appears he knew when there was a time and State of Condemnation and it was before this time that he now speaks of this Man Paul knew several States having been a zealous Man and a Persecutor and then the Lord met with him and smote him to the ground and said to him Saul Saul why persecutes thou me Insomuch as he did it to his People he took it as done to him and without question knew great Condemnation for it and went thorow a great Warfare and tells us how it was with him in his Warfare he found a law in his members warring against the law of his mind and led him captive but afterwards he says now there is no Condemnation But to whom to those that are in Christ and who are they Even those that walk not after the flesh but after the spirit For the law of the spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me Rom. 8. 2. free from the law of sin and death Here he tells us of a Freedom how he came to be the Lord's Free-man this was while he was in the Body and a sound Testimony against all that plead for Sin term of Life For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh Rom. 8. 5. but they that are after the SPIRIT the things of the SPIRIT Here he makes a great difference between these two as if they comprehended all Mankind and the one so contrary to the other that which of these we joyn'd to we either please or displease the Lord For they that walk in the flesh cannot please God but they that walk in the spirit shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8. 9. Here is a plain Demonstration that this Apostle reckons the Spirit the main means of our being his and that a Man may so have or not so have the Spirit in his account is as he walks in it or obeys it or not walks in it or obeys it for his Servants we are to whom we obey now if we obey not the Spirit of Christ we loose that Priviledge of having it as our Guide to our comfort and yet may have it as to condemn and judge for Disobedience and then we have not the favour and love of it because of Disobedience But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead Rom. 8. 11. dwell in you he that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you There is a Testimony of the Spirit that it raised our Lord Jesus from the Dead and how it was to dwell in his People and how it was to quicken them whom it dwelt in I would all People might know a quickening to God by it Rom. 8. Rom. 8. 13. 13. For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live Now who are they that live after the Flesh but those that live in Sin for the word Flesh is comprehensive of all the Works of the Flesh and of Iniquity but now the Spirit is to mortifie all these deeds and this is the way to live for People cannot tell us what Sin it is that this cannot mortifie and bring under if any think they can let them shew it us For as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of Rom. 8. 14. God And truly if People were led by the Spirit of God they would not be at such uncertainty nor so unstable in their ways for the end of being thus led is to bring the Sons of Men to be the Sons of God Rom. 8. 15. For ye have not received Rom. 8. 15. the spirit of Bondage again to fear but we have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Here he makes mention of two Spirits the one is the Spirit of Bondage wherein are its Children and there is a Fear attends it a slavish Fear from inward Guilt a Fear of Punishment the other that the Children of God had received was the Spirit of Adoption whereby they could call God Father and gave them evidence that he was their Father Rom. 8. 16. The spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God A certain evidence of God's Care to his Children that they need not be tossed hither and thither with every windy Doctrine of Men and by the sleighty ways of Mens Invention but that they may come through the Spirit to a settl'd stay'd Mind from among the Lo here 's and Lo there 's to have this Witness in our selves and this Seal in our selves that the Lord knows who are his Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not Rom. 8. 26. how to pray as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered Then we ought to mind the help of the Spirit in drawing near to God least when we ask we ask amiss Howbeit when the spirit is come he will guide you into all truth John 16. 13. for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak They that run and the Lord never sent does not profit the People at all And why because they speak and the Lord speaks not by them This I say then walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfil the Gal. 5. 16. lusts of the flesh How full the Scriptures are and how many Admonitions left us from time to time to walk in the Spirit and yet many People make a Mock at it But the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long suffering gentleness Gal. 5. 22. goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no law Here is the Fruit of the Spirit made mention of and what Fruits is to be brought forth by it in the Sons of Men. Eph. 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word Eph. 1. 13. of truth the gospel of your salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise This Seal of the Holy Spirit is to be waited for and trusted in to receive the Promises of God which are Yea and Amen for ever in Christ Jesus For the spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. It searcheth Mans hearts and Womens hearts and with out it the things of God and of his Kingdom cannot be found out Verse 12. Now we have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit which is
of God that we might know the things freely given us of God Now they that are in the Spirit of the World sees not nor perceives those things but the things of God are made known by his own Spirit Not theives nor drunkards c. shall inherit the kingdom of 1 Cor. 6. 10 11. God and such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God He tells us here who shall not inherit God's Kingdom and how they had been such but now they were washed and sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and that by the Spirit of God But the manifestation 1 Cor. 12. 17. of the spirit is given to every man to profit withal The great Love of God to us in giving such manifest Tokens I desire we may all consider the intent and end in giving of it to us it is that we might know a Soul 's profiting by it Verse 13. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body whether Jews or Gentiles bond or free and have been made to drink into one spirit This is the true substantial saving Baptism and 't is of the Spirit they that witness this Baptism has the Witness in themselves even the Spirit of God bearing witness with their Spirits that they are his Children and that they are baptised by this one Spirit for it is not the washing away the filth of the Flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God this is that Baptism that burns up the Chaff and subdues the light vain airy Mind in Man and Woman and crucifies them to the World and to the Affections and Lusts of it for it cannot be said that Men are truly baptized by this One SPIRIT while the evil Lusts and Uncleanness remains in their Hearts for said John speaking of Christ's Baptism He shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with fire His fan is in his hand he shall throughly purge bis floor that is Peoples hearts that their hearts may be set on heavenly things and he may dwell therein for if ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God The first man Adam was made a living soul the second man 1 Cor. 15. 45. Adam was made a quickening spirit Oh! that all People would come to be quickened by him who is the Repairer of Breaches and the Restorer of Paths to dwell in Now the 2 Cor. 3. 18. Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty He is that quickening Spirit that quickens the Soul to God and proclaims Liberty to the Captives and to those that have been in the Prison-house of Sin to come forth and shew themselves For we through the spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by Gal. 5. 5. faith This was a blessed waiting indeed and they waited in a degree of the Spirit and of Faith and Hope for more thereof and they who feel this Hope need not be ashamed to wait upon God for an increase Gal. 6. 8. But he that soweth Gal. 6. 8. to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting And many more faithful Testimonies concerning the Holy Spirit and Man's Duty to obey it are in the Holy Scriptures of Truth of the Pourings forth of it and of the Work of it I have set down these few out of the Old and New Testament that all may regard the same Spirit and thereby see learn and believe what God has done and what he will do and also what he is a doing by his Spirit and Power and reap the Benefit of it and the great Advantage that is by it and for no other end have I laboured in this thing but that all might believe in it and come to the knowledge of the Truth by it and be saved In the Beginning God made and created Man for a purpose of his own Glory in a state of Uprightness and Innocency wherein he was capable to serve God but the Enemy being subtile beguiled and betrayed and drew Man and Woman into Disobedience to their Maker and Creator for which the Curse and the Woe came and still remains upon all the Children of Adam to this day that remain in Disobedience against God for by one man's Disobedience Death came upon all men but by the Obedience of one even our Lord Jesus Christ the Free Gift of God is come upon all men and Life is preached to all men for in him there is Life and this Life is the Light of men and all that ever come to Life must come to him Many make great Professions and yet want Life and the Reason is they abide in Death and they will not believe but many will say We do believe yes but it is but historically There is a Belief in the World that is received by hear-say of a Saviour and a Redeemer without receiving him and they not saved by him As if he would save People from Hell and Punishment and not from Sin that is the cause of it Surely the one is as possible as the other For his name shall be called Jesus he shall save his People from their Sins that Man may come to glorifie his Maker and know his Redeemer For Job said I know that my Redeemer liveth And because He lives we live also Now we must not think to live to follow the Devices and Desires of our own Hearts Lusts and do those things we ought not to do This state we have lived in when we knew no Redeemer when we lived without God in the World but surely this was not the way to know our Redeemer because we were not redeemed by him we did not know his Blood to sprinkle our Hearts from an Evil Conscience and him to wash us as with pure Water but the Temple was defiled divers Lusts dwelt and Uncleanness dwelt therein But now to know our Redeemer is so to know him as to be redeemed by him out of the World 's corrupt Ways and Fashions and ill manner of living that is not to live loosely and wantonly for they that live after this manner live to themselves and will have the Reward of their own Doings from the Hand of the Lord. But now the thing that I would have all People to mind is the Redeemer and Restorer of Mankind out of that fallen Nature and Spirit that so much prevails that so they may come to glorifie God and know him to be their Redeemer CHRIST JESUS to redeem them from an evil State and Conversation that he may present them to his Father without Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing And truly Friends we are to glorifie GOD with our Bodies and Spirits they are the LORD's we were created for this end and we are bought with a great Price for this end we are not our