clear up the sincerity and inward value and excellency of those Virtues or Graces of Christ which are his own and his admirable workmanship in their Souls These pass up and down among men as meer delusions from the Devil and hypocrisie in the professors of them And now it is the interest of the Lord's honour and the vindication of the operation of the Spirit that these be put upon some tryal that may search their very root and bottom discover their foundation to the neck When God speaks of his Workmanship and Image in Job Satan undertakes if he could hâ—ve the stripping him of all his outward accommodations touch all he hath and he would curse him to his face That attempt failing he is confident that if he might have the torturing of him the touching and tearing his bones and his flesh he would curse him to his face and if he durst assert his confidence of his success in such an enterprize to the face of God may we think much of his confident imposing his suggestions on the projects and conclusions of his children He did attempt the green Tree and it s no marvel if he do the Dry. Now while he would bear God if possible and doth bear the World in hand so confidently that he hath instruments of Cruelty that would whip and kick the new-creature in any man to nothing and herein make God a Liar as in the former and an Imposture as in this the Lord delivers the dearly beloved of his Soul into the enemies hand though with sufficient restrictions Take him Torturer try him to the bottom and when all comes to all when he is tryed he shall come forth as Gold Job 23.10 And though till his word of deliverance came to his Josephs the word of the Lord tryes them while their feet are hurt with fetters and they be laid in irons Psal 105.18 19. They pass through fire and water yet he brings them into a wealthy place Psal 66.10 11 12. Men and Devils shall know that the Faith Love Zeal Patience Courage Holiness c. wherewith he hath endowed them have that of Truth Virtue and Worth in them as doth undeniably constitute them more excellent than their neighbours and that an excellent Spirit is found in them so as none of these tortures numbred up Rom. 8.35 to the end is able to separate betwixt them and their love to God and uprightness with and before him 3. Sometimes the Lord doth by these Tortures take occasion to heighten the honour of his own Power Arm and Influence which are day by day administered to bear up his children when it is manifest they have no external props to stay them up but are out of weakness made strong This brings out a more evident acknowledgement That the power of Christ rests upon them 2 Cor. 12.9 God is in them of a truth 1 Cor. 14.25 It s true as long as times and providences hold to keep off pains from the body chains from the legs stripes from the back famine from the belly other props and principles may be presumed to bear one up but when there is no fruit in the Vine no flock in the Field no herd in the Stall none shut up nor left yet then to rejoyce in the Lord to glory in tribulation to accompt it all joy to fall into divers of them and they great ones this is convincing that such are kept and kept up by the mighty Power of God underneath such must needs be everlasting arms What convictions came upon the two great Monarchs by the great support the three Worthies and Daniel ch 3. and ch 6. had from the Lord to yield their bodies to torment The former because they would not joyn with false worship the other because he would not cease practising the true they gave glory to the God of heaven and upon all occasions confess that an excellent Spirit was found in them 4. Sometimes the Lord brings about this end by it he hereby brings forth a more plain and naked discovery of the wickedness that is in the world through lust Many times men come in upon Dominions and the exercise of Power and Authority with most plausible insinuations protestations and declarations of their design and temper as if no other than the disposition of Lambs were in them whereon they raise a name and repute of benefactors Luke 22.25 or merciful Lords and reckon it no small part of their interest and business to raise and maintain in the spirits of people the supposition of some indelible marks of the nature and majesty of a Deity is stamped upon them and sutably to get a reverence of them as most sacred when many times to open and undeceive the minds of poor souls held in such blind devotion the Lord lets them alone and exposes the bodies of his dearest ones to their cruelty that no man may glory in men above what is written but that coming to a plain discovery of men and things in their own evidence as Psal 36.2 the sons of men as well as the children of God may breath after the Lords arising to rule the earth and become the Governor among the Nations Thus we see for high ends and unto glorious advantage some are tortured The Second Enquiry put is Why but some men would be gratified and if God be so honoured why not all tortured A few Reasons may be considered here also 1. There are but some tortured because God is pleased to accompt but some worthy to bear and wear the glory of being thus used for his Name-sake There are some of whom the Lord saith They shall walk with me in white for they are worthy Who are counted worthy to walk in white Why they who are come out of great tribulations and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb Rev. 7.14 Though there be some points of honour of which it may be said this honour have all the Saints Psal 149.9 yet it holds not true in this that we speak of they who had the first stripes for the Name of Christ rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name Acts 5.41 They have marks of distinguishing favour who bear in their body the marks of the Lord Jesus Gal. 6.17 Alwayes carrying about in their body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the Life of Jesus may so much the more be magnified and manifested in their mortal flesh 2 Cor. 4.10 11. 2. All are not tortured because the Lord sees all of his Servants have not power to bear such tryals as all men have not faith so all good men have not the like strong faith though they may have the like precious Faith Their Faith may carry them to Heaven who yet may not have that degree and strength of Faith to carry them through Tortures to heaven not that they who have most have any thing to boast of above others as being better than they the differance
said when against this is objected the Presentness of the Worlds offer you shall have Deliverance presently Liberty presently Ease presently and will you tarry till Dooms-day for a Resurrection The conquest of this objection must needs bespeak the great power of Faith in the present choice Thirdly Now consider we the actings of Faith in its interposition to turn the scale upon the single proffer of the Resurrection and for the sake of it to slight the terror nay to imbrace the sentence of a Gibbet a Stake a Rack an Ax an Halter a Transportation into Exile surely we may conclude a man hath need deal upon notable principles that is thus furnished Now Faith helps by being the evidence of things that are not seen as 1. By annihilating and rendring very empty and vain all those things that can be offered in competition with the Resurrection 2. By realizing and rendering very substantial and precious all those things that are promised in and accompany the Resurrection Briefly thus First A discovery is made by believing of the invalidity to an Heavenly mind and its divine reasonings of all that can possibly be offered by the Tempter or his Torturers to debauch Consider them either 1 in their single nature as they all are subjected through the fall to vanity How many have this Deliverance and are cursed with it crost with it blasted in it unable to keep it oâ— comfort themselves under it Take Deliverance alone and what is it A Crust for a Dog saith Luther of the Turkish Empire a feast too empty to satisfie an immortal soul Wilt thou set thy eyes on that which is not The whole Book of Ecclesiastes practically opened is the effect of believing in a gracious heart Vanity of Vanities saith the Preacher and so saith the Believer Vanity of Vanities all is vanity 2 Consider we them in conjunction with the sin that buys them by means whereof they receive the denomination of the pleasures of sin And then whereas in the former respect they were at best but vanity in this they are vexation of spirit an evil sickness wherein many thrust themselves through with many sorrows drown themselves in ruine and perdition and in this sence to be avoided and fled from as from a Serpent 3 Consider we them in their competition with Jesus Christ and as frequently they stand in opposition to him and then they are very pernitious must be hated Luke 14.26 else we cannot be his Disciples Secondly Faith makes a discovery of the Resurruction and gives satisfactory evidence about it as that which hath weight to bear down all contrary objections the way it takes is not to fill the imagination with speculatory Notions but to put it out of doubt and quiet it in receiving the Testimony God hath given by his Son therein And particularly 1 it gives evidence of a very full and satisfactory repairation of all those breaches that all these tortures and sufferings could make upon their concerns therein They mentioned Heb. 13.34 took joyfully the spoiling of their Goods knowing in themselves they have in Heaven a better and an induring substance Whatever Losses they sustained in Stock or otherwise it interrupted not their joy they took it joyfully the Resurrection will pay for all The like is true of the marks of the Lord Jesus they now bear about in their bodies now indeed they are the badges of loss and infamy but he accounts it is better to enter into Life blind and maimed than to adventure Hell by saving them At the Resurrection of the Just our vile bodies shall be made like unto the glorious body of our Lord. In point of the perfection of them we know not what we shall be only this we know That when he appeareth we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 2 As it evidenceth a repair of losses thus sustained so it ascertaineth a most abundant recompence not of Debt but of Grace when they that suffer with him shall receive the Crown of Life for shame they shall receive double and for confusion they shall rejoyce in their portion When this shall be remembred Ye are they who have continued with me in my Temptations and I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me Luk. 22.28 29. When for whatever hath been lost or forsaken of his kind there shall not only be made good the lundred-fold-promised Mat. 19.29 in Peace â—oy and Consolation in Tribulation but in that World to come Life everlasting I shall draw the whole to a Conclusion in these Two or Three Inferences of Duty 1. If all this and a great deal more that might be said hold true touching the worth as well as the truth of the Resurrection Then would I beseech you that you do not sell the Doctrine of it for a Song do not be so easily baffled as many be out of the Faith and expectation of it by a few Allegorical Notions and plausible evasions of those Scripture-Testimonies that give evidence to this Truth in which is wrapt up so much of your standing Consolation when ever you are called by any manner of death to put off your Tabernacle that your flesh also shall rest in Hope and your vile body be changed into the likeness of Christ's glorious body Whatever natural corruption weakness dishonour it be sown in yet it shall be raised spiritual in incorruption power glory and be ever with the Lord. 2. Be intreated to give your selves more unto a search and study of that blessed truth that concerns your Resurrection and the glory that shall follow and be not ye easily startled and offended at it by reason of the miscarriages of some who have been Assertours of it and been too forward to vent their rash Conceptions touching divers things about it You know the blessedness pronounced on them who reade and hear the things contained in that Book which most professedly opens the Mysteries thereof yielded in the Vision and and Revelation of it such standing Consolation unto John to whom it was made known and is a Doctrine of unspeakable strength and encouragement to the Lord's suffering banished tortured ones as many in this day have found it 3. Draw forth the Improvement of your acknowledged conceptions and expectations of that day in a way of Consolation rejoycing in Hope and pressing after the Light Faith Spirit and Power of it making sure of your right to and proper qualifications for that day Blessed and Holy are they that have a part in this first Resurrection especially improve it as I said to Consolation in all the losses you have sustained or are like to This may seem one amongst others to you that a poor worm that speaks is to part at present with you and it may be may see your face in the flesh no more doth this seem any way grievous why let us carry the case in our thoughts beyond the Grave in a path of faithfulness the Resurrection will
Eye and Ear witness and the God that hath hitherto kept us alive to this day cause all those clouds to flee away and bring out your soul yet more fully not only to find pitty from him to escape the snares that others are catcht in to their hurt but grant also that you may come forth as one of those Palm-bearers cloathed in white Rev. 7.9 as having gotten the victory over all Enemies and made to sing with grace in your heart as they vers 10. Salvation to our God which sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb. And the love extended by you to me unworthy and in me to my Lord and Captain of my Salvation Oh! that streams of Salvation may come forth if it be his blessed will from him to you so also make you a blessed pattern of Piety Purity and Stability for him whom I desire to serve in the Gospel His Sister asked Will you have some Cordial He said Oh! when shall I drink of that good new Wine in my Father's Kingdom In a morning his Friend asked him What of the Night He said It hath been a long Night But saith his Friend The Morning comes Yea said he as a snare on it comes stealing upon the world but the Children of the Day and of the Light that have on the Armour of Light shall have no cause to fear He Exhorted a good Woman that watched with him with all earnestness to close walking with the Lord. His Sister said to him I hope Brother as your Tribulations abound your Consolations abound He said It was a hard question Consolations being very inward deep things She then asked how he felt his Heart He replied I feel the fleshly parts declining apace but I trust the spiritual renewing But saying further to his Sister Come are you wiling to part with me yet She answered Yes in some measure she hoped she was considering his pains on the one hand and the glory that should follow Then said he Be careful I charge you to walk close with God in your generation and take heed of departing from his wayes but walk as becomes a Christian that would be found to his praise After this through extremity of pains the exercise of his Understanding was at seasons interrupted but very sensible and spiritual in his Intervals One asked him How it was with him He said Vnder great rebukes from the Land by reason of sin Saying I have been a wretched sinner have perverted my way and my walks with God have been short and formal But Oh! that it may go well with Israel in the latter dayes though I be as reprobate silver because the Lord hath rejected me It was told him If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous who is the Propitiation for our sins Yea saith he through Faith in his Blood he is so and thither doth my soul flee He was also cautioned to take heed of casting away any his Confidence that hath great recompence of reward and of making a judgement of things in an hour of temptation and tribulation contrary to another judgement made and confirmed by the Lord again and again to him heretofore minding him how the Tempter waited such seasons to disturbe him and drive him from the strength he had laid up for him in Grace that is in Christ Jesus when Grace in us may be but at a low ebb Yea replyed he I would leave this Exhortation with you that when God bruises breaks treads down a poor soul and it lyes before him as ashamed and confounded and not able to open its mouth Oh! then to look up to the Lord for then will the Tempter be busie at such seasons for we are not ignorant of his devises but if God give another day and more strength I hope to speak more convincingly of these things The next day being asked How it was with him Whether all were clear within He said It was very tempestuous round about but yet the Lord is instructing and answering such a poor worm from the secret place of thunder And afterward sayes It will be better and there is hope in the end for all this And then broke out with admiration saying He is ever mindful of his Covenant Holy and Reverent is his Name he is a God near to those that fear him in the needful season Sometimes after one saying to him I hope you can yet say God is good and a strong hold in the day of trouble and knows them that trust in him Yes I can say so blessed be my God but not alike at all times can I say so but I remember the counsel and advise yesterday to wait on the Lord and keep his way and my place appointed me by God which I desire to do all the dayes of my appointed time till my change come though flesh and blood suggest this is hard work and would make haste out of it In the morning following being asked How is it now He said God had been at work closely with his Spirit in the three dayes past before this though this was left him for support That the foundation of God remains sure to all his sealed ones but sayes he I have been ready to say Why should I speak of sealed ones being such a one as might for mine iniquities be sealed up to a day of Wrath and be kept in chains of Darkness to the great day I have been so foolish to think my attainments were such as if I were got to the top and needed little more but the Lord hath laid Judgement to the Line and Righteousness to the Plummet and hath not only thrown down the high raised Structure but razed the very foundations of all fleshly glory and excellency and the Lord hath delivered his glory into Captivity and his strength into the Enemies hand yet hath not left me without hope I trust good hope in mercy that all notwithstanding shall issue well in the end But Oh! the reproach that I have brought on the Name of God! might that be done away by all I feel and suffer inward and outward I shall rejoyce In the After-noon the same day it was said to him I have observed by some hints from you That you have in these few dayes past had some exercises on your Spirit I would be glad to know whence and what they were and the way of God with you in them He replyed He had indeed some such exercise occasioned by close searches made in his soul about the clear and certain right and title it had to a substantial well-founded Interest in Christ which though sayes he I have mentioned heretofore to you and others what it was and how it was the Lord had begot and carried on in me and thought it had been above questions yet had I some doubts and fears renewed of a very ancient date about if not above thirty years ago with many miscarriages since to promote the same matter and this
Words in Season From that late Worthy Sufferer and Servant of the Lord Jesus an able Minister of the New-Testament according to that Character 2 Cor. 6.4 5 c. Mr. Abraham Cheare VIZ. I. Faith's Conquest over the Tortures and Tenders of an Hour of Temptation on Heb. 11.35 II. The Embalming of a Dead Cause on Mark 14.8 III. Remarkable Discourses on his Dying-Bed with Copies and Extracts of Letters on several occasions Useful for those whose Hearts are engaged to serve the Will of God in this Generation London Printed for Nathan Brookes in Bartholomew-Close 1668. The Publisher to the READER I Doubt not but the following Discourses carry so much evidence of Truth and Holiness as will sufficiently commend them to the Hearts and Consciences of the upright as proceeding from one who believed and therefore spake delivered what he received as a Scribe instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven the Fear of the Lord being evidently his treasure wherein he walked all the day long and by which he was enabled to bear those hard things which a constant Spirit in keeping the Commandments of God and Faith of Jesus holding fast the Word and Works of God drew upon him bringing him into fellowship with tryals and sufferings upon the Wayes Truths Interest and People of the Lord in this Generation It may highly concern the living to lay to heart the removal of Prophets and holy Ones true mourners that sought to stand in the Gap to turn away wrath that it might not come to the utmost I am sure it hath a sad aspect when even a Professing but too much complying People stand as on the other side or at a distance from those who earnestly contend for the Faith holding fast what they have received and are far from right laying to heart That through the hatred of the world righteous men perish and merciful men are taken away I doubt not but there remains a remnant whose minds by such providences are deeply impressed well-nigh to over-whelming further than help is given and the hand stretched forth to lead to the Rock that is higher than we when in all parts and corners the beauty and glory is cutting off as a fading-flower and how hard is it to speak and do as becometh under such astonishing stroaks and with him Ezek. 24.18 to hold on doing as the Lord Commands I am perswaded that sigh often goes up Ezek. 11.13 with Amos 7.5 O Lord cease I beseech thee by whom shall Jacob arise for he is small The reviving and desired issues of that work falling under great distrusts even with those that are the Friends thereof when if I may allude to it Luke 24.19 c those who are as Prophets mighty in deed and word before God and all the People Instruments polished to carry it on to an expected end are cut off and laying aside daily so hard is it for us to understand that thus it ought to be that so the excellency of the power may be acknowledged to be of God and not of men that all may see his Work is perfect his Word is tryed with whom is no restraint for he sendeth by whom he will the residue of the Spirit being with him who will in due time raise up and furnish Instruments for every service and if at this time men think that by cutting off and wearing out Saints and faithful Ones their nest is set on high they shall be delivered from the power of evil none remaining to cry out of their violence and spoyl to detect the unrighteousness of their wayes and doings the very stone shall cry out of the Wall and the beam out of the Timber shall witness against them I humbly pray and wish that the cast-out scattered peeled people in whose heart is the Fear of the Lord under all amusing dispensations may yet increase in the Faith that stands in the Power of God and is of the operation of his Spirit in the exercise thereof which judgeth not after appearances they may understand all these deaths passing over persons and things but needful and preparatory for the Glory that is to follow when their filth and defilements by the Spirit of Judgment and by the Spirit of Burning shall be put away the slow progress of which work with the discovery made of so great a defection from professed Light and Principles ought greatly to be laid to heart how many by reason thereof turn from the Truth and are confirmed in Athiesm even by the deceitful working of those who in the failure of outward advantages and exposal to necessities bonds and death set themselves at such a distance from the works of God our eyes have seen the begining of fulfilling Prophesies Threatnings and Promises to the last dayes as if either there was no Holiness or Righteousness in them or that they were unacquainted with the inward Life and Spirit of them so deeply hath corruption the spirit of the world mingled it self with those who not long since in greatest seeming Light and Zeal professed to seek after a better state of things Even looking for and hastning to the new Heavens and new Earth wherein dwells Righteousness but the Works of God being forgotten no wonder his Word is so little believed or his counsel waited for It was a worthy Expostulation but a few years since before some then in the exercise of Authority of one who I fear hath out-lived the force of it which though large hoping it may be of use I take leave here to transcribe If you will be able to steer your Course a-right if you would take one streight step have in a readiness an acquaintance with the work of God what it is that he aims at by which you may be guided in all your undertakings Suppose now a man or men should come and ask of you What God hath done in these Nations What he hath wrought and effected What is brought forth Have you an answer in readiness Certainly God hath done so much as that he expects you should be able to give an account of it take heed that every one of you be not ready to speak the disquietments of your own Spirits and so cast contempt on the Work of God something else is required of you I have sometimes in darkness and under temptations my self begun to think that what hath been is the thing that is and there is no new thing under the Sun as it hath been among the Heathen of old so it hath been amongst us or as it was with Israel 1 King 16.21 22. Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath to make him King and half followed Omri but the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath so Tibni died and Omri reigned That a common thing and frequent in the World had befaln us wherein God had no hand but that of common Providence in dashing
one sort of men against another so foolish have I been and as a Beast so ready to condemn the Generation of the Righteous so unbelieving and ready to cast away the Faith and Prayer of ten thousand Saints one of whose sighs shall not be lost but such fearful effects sometimes trouble disquietment disappointment and carnal fear will produce But certain it is none of the many cryes of the people of God shall be lost nor their Faith disappointed God hath a peculiar design in hand and we are to find it out that we may be able to answer them that make enquiries If you lay not this foundation of your procedures I shall not wonder if you err in your wayes it is your Pole-Star and will be so by which your whole course is to be steered your Shield which whilst it is safe though you die yeâ— your Glory abides And the same Author further discussing what this Work and Design of the Lord was results it mainly in this That Godliness and the love of the Lord Jesus be preserved protected and secured from a return of the hand of violence upon it What then may we now expect but after a little further fluctuating upon the deep to suffer shipwrack upon some Shelves or Rocks seeing we have ceased our steerage by this Pole-Star what may we expect but slaughter and extirpation since that Mighty Shield is vilely cast away as though it had not been anointed with Oyl considering also that if the hand of violence be returned its confederated with under the sacred ties of Oaths Covenants even whilst it manifestly opposes Godliness and bends the edge of all its power against such as love the Lord Jesus in sincerity I am sure it calls for deep lamentation that a People who had the Name of the Lord upon them are left to that wonderful and horrible thing Jer. 5. last Prophets prophesying falsely and Princes bearing rule by their means and both Prophets and People through a little present fleshly ease and prosperity waxing fat and shining love to have it so the holy Spirit then assures the end will be bitter and that enquiry What will ye do in the end thereof though slightly passed over now will have its resolve by their cry to the Mountains and Rocks to fall on and hide them from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne when in the faileur of justice on Earth he will cause judgement to be heard from Heaven When he ariseth as certainly he will to judge the Cause of the Fatherless and Needy and to save all the meek of the Earth But I may not further thus proceed lest I exceed bounds nor is it needful that more be said of the Author only I am perswaded it greatly furthered him in the search after knowledge of divine mysteries that he never was entangled and disadvantaged by Academical Education which hath been over-fruitful in furnishing persons as worthy Mr. Rutherford on another occasion in his Letters expresses it with ill washen and foul distinctions to shift Christ this age hath over-plentiful testimony thereof this Servant of the Lord as by the account left of himself in the last two Pages of this Book was by his believing Parents otherwise nurtured who waiting at the foot of Christ keeping his precepts diligently became wiser than his Teachers giving occasion to many to renew that saying Whence hath this man letters for he was eloquent and mighty in the Scriptures adding much to such as conversed with him whether by word or Epistle If what is here presented prove of use to strengthen weak hands or to uphold them that are ready to fall by keeping in view the Resurrection and Blessedness prepared for those whom God guides by his Counsel they will know where to give the glory I earnestly wish and pray That those to whom in a peculiar manner he was sent amongst whom more especially he laboured who must give an account of so great a Talent and Price long trusted with them may do it with joy discovering by an obedience of Faith to the Lord Jesus under all tryals that he laboured not in vain and I hope however it may be to others what is here presented may be useful to them keeping in remembrance how holily justly and unblameably he behaved himself amongst them that following his Faith they may be saved from this Generation and be found amongst those who receive the End of their Faith the Salvation of their Soul Amen To the MEMORY of Mr. Abraham Cheare Anagram Ramah Baca here WAs there a voice in Ramah heard Jer. 31.15 Was bitter weeping there ' Cause Rachels children were not spar'd Mat. 2.18 Why should there not be Here Was Baca in time past a Well Psal 84.6 Although a place of drought Was it made so by Israel When journ'ing in the South Did th' one for Children thus lament The other for their Water Oh! how should Sion it resent Lam. 2.1 to 12. Psal 46.4 Amos 1.2 Lam 2.1 Mala. 3.17 Jonah 3.8 Ps 119.126 Mat. 9.38 Zech. 11.4 7 When God her Sons doth slaughter When he cuts off her pleasant streams Her beautious Branches wither When he shuts up her brightest Beams Doth home his Jewels gather Yea how should this increase her cry When in a time of need That Shepherds they should multiply The slaughter'd Flocks to feed That even then God should not spare To take hence in great numbers Isa 57.1 Ezek. 3.26 Job 37.23 The most laborious in their Spheare Place this among his Wonders Psal 36 6. Job 11.7 1 Cor. 2.9 Psal 32.8 Psal 73 24. Job 36.9 10 They wayes O God are in the deep To search them to perfection 'T is not for Mortals pace to keep With thee give thou direction Let 's ponder well thy wayes O Lord Give us thy hearing Ear Some teachings to us do afford Deut. 13.11 Ezek. 12.3 Mal. 3.17 Ezek. 14.16 Mala. 3.1 Jer. 12.1 Ezra 9.13 Lam 3.29 2 Sam. 24.17 Joel 2.17 Ezek. 9.4 Psal 85.10 Jer. 14.7 Job 19.21 Gen. 19.19 Jonah 3.10 Psal 11.17 Zech. 13.7 Lam. 1.15 Isa 40.11 1 Sam. 1.8 2 Cor. 12.9 By what we see let 's fear What this portends thou mak'st such haste To treasure up each Jewel Art minded Lord our Land to waste Must we for wrath be fewel If so 't should be thou wouldst be just 'T were but Sin 's recompence We must our mouths put in the dust We have giv'n great offence Yet spare O Lord spare thou our Land At least in it thy Mourners Thy Mercy will with Justice stand In pard'ning great offenders Make us the objects of thy pitty Thy Mercy magnifie Spare as of old an Heathen City Spare O spare let 's not die But if more Shepherds thou wilt smite And Mighty men must fall Feed Sheep thy self thy Battels fight Be thou in stead of all Amen Amen Another To the Memory of Mr. ABRAHAM CHEARE Anagram Ah me Rear Bacha WHo can but Mourn when men do scorn To Note
acts of Beleevers is drawn out of the Old Testament and calculated as I may so express it to that meridian These all died in faith obtaining a good report but received not the Promise vers 13. 39. yet serveth not only indifferently for the Gospel-dayes wherein we are but indeed commends it self the more transcendently to us by how much God hath provided some better things for us having opened more fully the obiect of believing the Lord Jesus in the Gospel and poured out more plentifully the holy Spirit of Promise than it was ordinarily in those dayes which Consideration may serve to afford both mighty Aid and Argument to Believers now to encourage Christians to trust upon the Lord to do for them more than they can ask or think according to the power which worketh in them in their faithful following him Not to stand upon the opening particularly of these words nor on the exact time when they were fulfilled very likely this and some other here about had reference to the cruel sufferings in the times of the Maccabees which the Hebrews to whom this Epistle was written had reason to have a particular knowledge of although the History to us be Apocrypha it may suffice us that the Spirit of the Lord hath here infallibly determined such things were done and that the Conquest was truly attributable to this believing as it dealt with and drew vertue from the power of God So that without more a-do in the words are Four things observeable 1. Here is the Noble and Glorious Principle in which all these rare exploits are wrought on the commendation of which the whole Chapter insisteth By Faith they did it whether in all the subject mentioned it was a Faith that was saving will not be here disputed this is plain it was such Faith at least as falls within the Word of God and builds upon the Authority thereof in the business they were concerned in upon which foundation they went through and under-went what was before them in following God in their generations 2. We have here the subject or seat of action upon which this great Experiment is tryed and that is a tortured butchered massacred harmless weak Believer Others were Tortured a particular Inventory whereof made and taken in the verses following 36 37 38. such cruel usages as were beneath humanity to inflict and above humanity to sustain were exercised on and invincibly endured by these poor souls under the aid and influence of that Faith of theirs 3. Here is the magnanimity and excellency of spirit described unto which their faith raised them putting its self in the noble denyal repulse given to the tender of deliverance upon any unworthy terms They Accepted not Deliverance though their Persecuters came with torments in one hand and tenders in the other in as much as both were manifest Artifices and Engines to accomplish the same design as they slighted the threatnings of the one so they scorned the allurements of the other Deliverance in it self and as it may be considered is a mercy and the acceptance of it is a duty and consequently the refusal of it would have been their evil But if Deliverance cannot be had but upon terms dishonorable to the Lord if deliverance be a snare then to accept of such deliverance is a sin at least a great blemish to beleeving of which more hereafter 4. We have the powerful Motive and blessed Prospect that Faith took in view from whence strength was gathered to bear the tortures and forbear the deliverance and that was The obtaining a better Resurrection they had their eye and heart set upon a way of deliverance for which they would be beholding to the Lord only and this is called A better Resurrection that is not only better than their tortures but better also than any deliverance that could be offer'd to them this fixed expectation of their Faith carried them above any base or unworthy cringings to the sons of violence If you consider the words in their Connexion and dependancy on the former part of the verse you have this observable Women received their dead Children returned to life again this was verified 1 King 17.23 2 King 4.36 Others viz. other Women were tortured i. e had their living children tortured not accepting deliverance for them this is storied 2 Maccab. 6. If we consider Women as the subjects of this strong Faith who are stiled 1 Pet. 3.7 the weaker vessels Widows perhaps and desolate yet trusting in God hardly any faith out-went theirs Oh Woman Great is thy Faith we might by the way gather this Observation ☞ That the weaker vessels may be capable of exercising the strongest Faith Out of weakness they were made strong when I am weak then I am strong this treasure as well as the discoveries of the Gospel is put into earthen-vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us that as the strength of Flesh may not glory in his presence so neither may the weakness of a poor Saint occasion him to sink or dispond but he that glorieth may glory only in the Lord. But I shall not stand here but proceed to draw forth and make a brief improvement of some of the Observations that lie most plain in the words themselves one of which is plainly thus Doct. 1. That the most cruel tortures that have been invented by the vilest sons of men have by divine permission been vented upon the choicest sons of God They of whom in Gods accompt the world was not worthy the best of earth was not good enough for them vers 38. in mans accompt the worst of earth was not bad enough As they are made the filth of the world and off-scouring of all things 1 Cor. 4.13 so no instruments of cruelty can be enough vile or forcible in their thoughts to rid and deliver it of them The lust and rage in all generations hath been fruitful in inventions of this kind they were stoned they were sawn asunder c. the innumerable variety of particulars are reducible to this general They where Tortured I shall only attempt to pursue this Point to an issue by speaking briefly to these two enquiries 1. What is meant by these Tortures 2. Whence hath it sprung that they such an harmless People as they have had this for theit lot or why have they been tortured thus As for the former thus The word here rendered torture is observed no where else to be used in the New-Testament and in strictness of speech signifieth to be used and dealt withal as men do with a Drum viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à nomine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which figurative expression directs us for its meaning either to the manner or end of mens cruel dealing with them If the former be lookt on as intended then the resemblance is taken from the manner of their torments answering either to the violent stretching out or distending the head of the
especially in the Reigns of those Ten bloody Emperors known commonly by the name of the Ten Persecutions As the former was against profession of the Name of God under the Old-Testament so this was against the profession of the Name of Christ under the New A Third time to which by way of eminency the Tortures of the Lords people is appropriated is the time of the Reign and especially towards the Ruine of Antichrist described in Rev. 13. in its distinct Powers under the first and second Beast beginning short upon the Empires professing the Name of Christ carrying threatnings and slaughters against the true Witnesses of the Spirit Life of Christ though pretending to the Name of him and this not only during the 1260 dayes or years assigned him but principally at the end thereof when for a short space Power must be given him to slay those Witnesses with such a slaughter as carrieth its manifest distinction from the Sufferings to which they are lyable during their prophesying in Sackcloth and his bloody Reign not far from which finishing Rage which is but a short time the general Consent of most that search into the times and what Israel ought to do agreeth that we are by the wise hand of our Father cast the Word and Works Prophecies and Providences of God helping much to make up such a Judgment though in several particulars about it there is variety in the understandings of the most serious enquirers My apprehension and expectation hereupon is that we are near upon the borders of if we have not already made some entrance on an hour of sore temptation which will try all them that professing an interest in heaven do dwell upon earth in which it will be found of great moment that we stand girt about with the whole Armour of Righteousness upon the right hand on the left especially holding fast this shield of Faith whereby though in the Ages past some were tortured yet they were more then Conquerors they over-come by the blood of the Lamb c. Our Second Enquiry in opening the Observation was Whence comes it to pass that such a people as the Lords people are at least wise ought to be are nevertheless exposed to such torments they who are the blessing to the whole Creation simple concerning evil willing to live honestly following peace with all men as much as it is possible sent forth as sheep in the midst of wolves blameless and harmless as the sons of God without rebuke professing and striving to answer this principle yet are hated cast out persecuted as the filth of the World the troublers of Israel them that turn the world up-side down whence cometh this to pass That no torture can be heavy enough no death hard enough for them 1. That which gives life and fierceness to all these Enmities and Tortures which spring from them is the beastly Nature and Lust of poor fallen man that bears the Image of the Devil herein having this Character Hateful and hating one another living in malice and envy Tit. 3.3 serving divers lusts and pleasures Hence wicked men and they that have no Faith are called unreasonable men 2 Thess 3.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men that cannot be reduced to any proper place Beasts after the manner of men 1 Cor. 15.32 Bruits hurried with humour or sense contrary to reason as natural wilde Beasts made to be taken and destroyed 2 Pet. 2.12 How frequently are they likened by the Spirit to Lions Psal 57.4 Wolves of the evening Zeph. 3.3 and other Beasts of prey signifying the miserable plight sin hath cast poor man into If Jacobs own sons having partook of his education deserved this Character Cursed be their Wroth for it was fierce and their Rage for it was cruel How much less is to be expected from others that have no bridle on them if their lust be crossed if their wickedness be witnessed against as it is by the holy Conversation of testifying Saints Who can stand before envy the Ambition of one Haman will run down a whole Nation the fear and anger of one Herod will devour all the Children in Bethelem 2. There is a set and stated Enmity put and placed between these two Seeds the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent Gen. 3.15 upon which a War is founded in a way that can admit of no reconciliation for what agreement can there be betwixt Light and Darkness 1 Cor. 6.14 15 16. Hence the Lord takes notice that the bottom of that perpetual discord by which the Philistines dealt with Israel by revenge and took vengeance with a dispightful heart to destroy it was the old hatred Ezek. 23.15 an hatred that was as old as the old Serpent the Devil who was a murderer from the beginuing Hence 1 Joh. 3.12 Cain is said to slay his Brother he was of that wicked-one and the occasion of the quarrel was his own Works were evil and the others righteous This Root Christ reduceth that wrath unto that was exercised against him John 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the works of your Father ye will do he was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth And as it was in Abrahams Family He that was born after the Flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit So it was in Paul's dayes Gal. 4.29 So it is now and so it will be till the God of Peace tread Satan under our feet which will be shortly Rom. 16.20 till that old Serpent which is the Devil and Satan be bound and cast into the bottomless pit Rev. 20. beginning 3. There is an exasperation and aggravation added to this old hatred frequently when there is added a blind Superstitious Devotion and Zeal When this old hatred can get the covert and pretext of a Zeal for God it growes hereby exceeding fierce when Paul was acted on a principle of self-righteousness out of zeal he persecuted the Church Phil. 3.7 and you see to what height it grew he thought he ought to do any thing contrary to the Name of Christ shut them up in prison voted their death punished them compelled them to blaspheme and being exceeding mad against them persecuted them even to strange Cities Acts 26.9 10 11. breathed out threatnings and slaughters against them chap. 9.1 Of this time Christ foretells and forwarns his Disciples The time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service Joh. 16.2 They who think it promotes divine service to persecute Saints being zealous of a traditional Worship of their Fathers will be very cruel in their undertakings Hence is the Spirit so express that in the latter dayes perilous or fierce times shall come for men shall have among other ingredients to their maglignity a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof 2 Tim. 3.1 to 4. This when it comes to be the guise of Persecutors will make of it fierce times When Simeon and Levi had
a Religious Pretext for their cruel act Gen. 34.31 Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruel Gen. 49.7 4. Another occasion of their wrath boyling up to torment ariseth from the constant bold and couragious Spirit that is sometimes found in the Lord's people that will neither be debauched with their terms nor broken by their threats this exasperats exceedingly So it is with the three Worthies Dan. 3.16 18 19. We are not careful to answer thee in this matter be it known to thee O King we will not serve thy Gods nor Worship thy golden Image which thou hast set up Then was the King full of fury and the form of his visage changed against them and commanded the Furnace to be heated seven times more thaâ— it was wont c. See also vers 22. When Steven stood in the boldness of his Testimony Acts 7.54 57. It cut them to the heart they gnashed on him with their teeth cryed out stopt their ears ran upon him with one accord cast him out of the City and stoned him If Mordecai will not bow Haman is on a rack all his comforts do not comfort him till he shew himself profound for slaughter not an ordinary gallows will serve the turn A Consideration which ought not to be improved as many do that because they are apt to be thus enraged therefore we are to slack our Testimony thereby to abate their fury but rather to wait on the Lord with the more earnestness to double and multiply his Spirit and the strengths and consolations of it with us as they Acts 4.29 Though the Heathen rage c. Now Lord behold their threatnings and grant to thy Servants that with all boldness they may speak thy Word They do not beg Prudence Policy Skill to evade and escape but more anointing to testifie boldly for the Lord which was granted fully 5. When unto all this there is super-added the opportunity of wicked men's having the power of Magistracy in their hands Prov. 28.15 16. I mind when they have a providential admittance to the capacity of making Laws and putting them in execution against the people of God having their own lusts uncontroulable and an advantage of covering their cruelty under pretext of Law and to asperse the faithfulness of Saints to the Laws of Jesus Christ with the odious charges of being against Magistracy and not being subject to the higher Powers c. the old accusation Neh. 2.19 ch 6.6 Hest 3.8 Acts 17.6 7. They now rush upon the poor Lambs of Christ with all their lusts as so many sayls bearing nay in these capacities there is occasion to draw forth those monstrous cruelties which perhaps they hardly thought were hid in their hearts as you see in that remarkable instance of Hazael who when he was told He would slay the young men of Israel with the sword dash the Children and rip up the Women with child replied But what is thy servant a Dog that he should do this great thing He thought its likely that unless he did degenerate from humanity and became a beast he could not perform such strange things but what is the answer of the Prophet The Lord hath shewed me thou shalt be King over Syria 2 King 8.18 Intimating that whatever fierce and dogged disposition lay hid in his heart against the Lords interest under what plausible pretext soever it might be covered for a time from others nay whatever better perswasions he might have of himself about it yet his King-ship would give opportunity and provocation enough to draw them forth to grow up into his conceipt Joh. 19.10 Knowest thou not that I have power to crucifie thee and power to release thee will give strong temptation to a wicked man to condemn and kill the Just though he doth not resist especially when an intrest of worldly honour seems to lie that way ver 12. notwithstanding convictions and reluctancies of Conscience to the contrary Dan. 6.14 15 16. Mat. 14.7 9. These may serve as some of the Reasons giving light why and whence it is that it hath been the lot of Saints some have been tortured thus I shall only touch a little Practical Improvement by drawing these Inferences Use 1. If it be so that the Lord's people have their times by the permission nay the appointment of God wherein they have been and may be tortured put to the most violent shameful way of dying or the most slavish miserable and disgraceful way of living though the most choice of all his Children It then may serve to caution such as are lookers on how they proceed to make a positive judgement of men and things according to the severe dispensations they are carried through a mistake upon which very great inconveniencies have often followed and yet very incident in our Censuring-day to divers who deal with the Lord's Interest in their conclusions as the Barbarians with that providence of the Viper on Paul's hand pass a judgment Without doubt this man is a murderer whom though he escaped the Sea yet vengeance suffereth not to live But such rash conclusions frequently revert as much into the quite contrary extream as it did with them Acts 28.4 5 6. It becomes us therefore to lay our conclusions of this kind upon other principles than these which are not appointed directly to signifie what we are apt often to infer from them singly considered Eccles 9.1 if the best of men have endured the worst of torments if from the beginning it hath been so such fiery tryals should be no strange things to us nor should we draw any strange deductions from it either to the censure of the persons or dislike of the cause testified to thereby Use 2. If the rage of man having all the aggravations and advantages above-named be such a fierce thing and hath been so fruitful in torments on the Saints and if we have such caution to expect more in the latter days wherein iniquity must be expected to abound then let it teach us to admire the wonderful grace of God to poor England and to the poor Saints of God in it that have lived in such times wherein men that hate them have such Laws in hand and at hand to destroy them nay having it in the power of their hand to put them in execution having also received such exasperation in the years that are past to remember and revenge many old grudges and yet so few to this day compared with the body of professing people in this Nation have suffered these things in their extremity that we should be helped to cleave to the Lord and every one of us alive before him That there is no more blood mingled with our sacrifices the Bush burn in the fire and yet not be consumed it is the Lord's doings and marvellous in our eyes and should be owned and improved as an argument to strengthen our faith against the many faintings we are lyable unto in further
tryals Use 3. If from the Spirit that is in poor fallen man there be such ill fruits as those mentioned against the image people and heritage of the Lord let us not only prize that grace which hath delivered us from that power principle and interest to which all the former fierce Characters do naturally and necessarily agree But on the other hand be very conversant with the Lord for subduing in us the remains of that spirit that lusteth unto envy even in us and that towards them that persecute us there may be shewed forth our Dove-like innocency in pressing toward that Gospel-qualification of praying for them Mat. 5.44 45. Rom. 12.17 to the end 1 Pet. 3.9 and doing them good for all the evil they do to us that we may shew our selves to be the Children of another Father living in another principle and referring our selves in all the injuries done unto us to another judgment and if the Lord will bless it to that end we may hereby leave a powerful conviction that they hate and persecute us as they did our Lord before us without a cause I proceed to take some other Observations from the words Others were tortured Some were tryed otherwayes others this way some were tortured not all all are exercised some way or other every man's work must be tryed Whosoever will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 He chasteneth every son whom he receiveth Heb. 12.6 Whomsoever he loves he rebukes and chasteneth Rev. 3.19 But though every man must be tryed it is not appointed that they must all be this way tryed tryed by fire and water tryed by tortures Some were tortured where I note Doct. 2. That though the Lord hath provided tryals for all his Children yet he hath designed tortures but to some of them Thus Christ expresseth himself to his Disciples Some of you they shall put to death Luk. 21.16 The Devil shall cast some of you into prison Rev. 2.10 All Saints are some way tryed they be but some Saints are alwayes tryed All men are born to sorrows Job 5.7 yet but of some it is properly said they are men of sorrows Isa 53.3 Lam. 3.1 Psal 88.15 This is a plain case and obvious to frequent experience Yet because it may be seasonable and useful we may consider it by inquiring into these Two Things 1. Why some are Tortured 2. Why but some are Tortured For the former We now respect tortures as they are more immediately under the disposal and ordering of the Lord appointing more or less in point or measure to more or fewer subjects as it pleaseth him they being such bitter things as afore is described it is enquired Why the Father appoints it to any of his Children To this is answered 1. Negatively not from any love God hath to the Torments or from any lack or abatement of love to his Children he doth not take pleasure to see his precious believing People lie scattered up and down as they are described Psal 141.7 79.2 3. Lam. 4.1 2. as so many marks and monuments of the cruelty and butchery of the sons of men no saith the Psalmist Psal 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints he esteems them precious in their lives and puts a value on them in their death It goes as we may speak with reverence near the heart of the Lord to see his Jewels thus dealt withal In all their Afflictions he is afflicted and the Angel of his Presence is with them Isa 63.9 He that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye Zech. 2.8 He doth not afflict willingly or grieve the children of men Lam. 3.33 much less the Children of God but rather like as a father pitieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that fear him for he knoweth our frame and considereth that we are but dust Psal 103.13 14. nay he hath testified the greatest displeasure against such as have bin executioners of his rebukes when they have not performed them with pity Zech. 1.15 Isa 47.6 Psal 69.26 27. His Anointed Ones must be very tenderly handled and have no harm done against them Psal 105.14 15. wheresoever they wander Moab hath a charge to do so Isa 16.3 4. and in defect thereof his controversie is dreadful with the Nations Ezek. 25 throughout so chap. 26.2 3. c. 2. But positively and in general thus Though the Lord doth not assign these Tortures these fiery Tryals to his Children for want of love to his or from any delight he hath in such Tortures considered in themselves Yet many times the Lord hath higher and better ends to promote then their deliverance ends that have more of good in them than these Tortures can possibly have of evil and when it is so these dispensations are not only excusable but are to be justified Good is the Word of the Lord. As namely 1. Sometimes in giving his darlings thus to the power of the Dog he designs to bring to light the worth and excellency of some Truths of his which otherwayes would be much obscured if not quite excluded from among the children of men namely such Truths in the vindication of which his children are called and brought forth thus to suffer being wrought to a contentedness rather to endure torments than to let them go When a soul or people having obtained help from God continue witnessing to such Truths whatever it costs them There is reflected this honour upon Truth as was said of it of old Great is Truth and it shall prevail whereas if it should be as it is with the generality of Professors at this day when a Truth comes to be spoken for there is such a shrinking twisting shifting to evade the dint of the Tryal how would the World have too just cause to say What is there in your beloved Truth more than in our beloved Error What is your Profession more than ours your Religion more than ours If there were any excellent thing in it you would do and suffer somewhat excellent and extraordinary for it to take off this stumbling block and occasion therefore from them who seek or desire occasion the Lord is pleased to steel a people to this height We can do nothing against the truth but for the truth 2 Cor. 13.8 And then to shew a proof of Truth in them and the power and goodness thereof he puts them on a tryal proportioned to this design he hath some truth of the Gospel to shew in Paul and then must he be troubled on every side 2 Cor. 4.8 9 10. chap. 6.4 10 11. chap. 11.23 to 29. If the truth of Christ be in him no man shall stop him of his boasting none of these things move him or separate him from the love of God Truth shall be tryed in those vessels of earth though it be by fire seven times and the furnace seven times hotter than aforetime 2. Sometimes the Lord doth by these Tortures assert and
is only in bestowing mercies which are distributed variously even as the Spirit will 1 Cor. 12.11 yet still a proportion of tryal is measured out sutable to their strength 1 Cor. 10.13 for he knows our frames and in measure doth debate with us and as the day is so our strength shall be Deut. 33.25 and even as there are children young men and Fathers in Christ 1 John 2.13 so have these their tryals as they can and that they may be able to bear them 3. All are not tortured because all are not called to be tortured the Lord hath other imployments for some that shall as sufficiently prove their faithfulness and improve their strength as if they had been tortured Some of the Saints may as really honour God in a Meeting as others of them may on a Gibbet every member hath not the same office Rom. 12.4 1 Cor. 12. throughout not the same imployment shall not by the same manner of doing or dying glorifie God John 21.19 God seeks for a man to stand in the gap and make up the hedge Ezek. 22.30 Every man is not looked for in that place of danger it 's good to be where God looks for a man 4. All are not tortured because the Lord will be magnified in distributing the tryals of the body of Christ otherwayes than he did the tryals of their Head its true the tortures that were laid on him were to meet on him alone he was to tread the Wine-press alone and of all the people there was none to help him they that thought they could drink the Cup he was to drink or be baptized with his Baptisme did not understand themselves He looked and there was none to help he wondered there was none to uphold therefore his own Arm brought him help c. But now in the fellowship and similitude of Christs sufferings assigned to the body although there be a compleatness of suffering appointed to the whole of which the Apostle speaks Col. 1.24 and though there be a common spirit of fellowship and simpathy of bearing one anothers burdens through which they are all baptized into one body yet is there distribution made of them into the various parts each member having that assigned him which infinite wisdom sees proper for him so that none may boast against others as if he had no need of them though Paul had laboured and suffered more than all yet he had not suffered all and could not say to the weakest I have no need of thee 5. Lastly All are not tortured because the Lord will roll away the reproach and remove the usual stumbling-block which Satan raiseth up to the turning the weak out of the way of the Lord namely That the enquiring after and profession of Jesus Christ doth indispensibly necessitate and bind over unto all manner of hardships such can never be in reasonable expectation of good day more but must bid adieu to all creature comforts and espouse the quite contrary extremities its true A dying to a denying nay a hating of all our lower comforts is required to be learned in the beginning of their way who will be his Disciples But whether they shall be actually put upon that tryal and really deprived of them is left to be disposed of in the brest and good pleasure of him who knows what part of the wrath of men and suffering of Saints will praise him and the remainder he will restrain the absolute conclusion therefore of stumbling Sinners and discouraging Saints as if their bread would fail and as a Lion he would break all their bones are hence to be expelled as having no just ground to be insisted on as real obstructions to our following the Lord. Tempted Souls are apt to get their spirit quite worn out with a fearful expectation of the most fiery tryals when as it may be the Lord hath appointed no such thing at all for them and in their following on in this way they have met with little or nothing of what they feared A few Practical Inferences here shall close up the Point Vse 1. Is it so that God hath appointed but some to be Tortured not all it then yields some stay against those surprizing amazements that are apt especially in such dayes as these to seize upon the spirits of people who are looking toward Zion with their faces thither-ward most good people are looking upon Penal Laws and Statutes made and making against them if they hold on in such a profession as they have made hitherto of Christ Jesus all must be banished all must be sold as slaves all must be impoverished imprisoned or the like Why then saith a poor creature what shal I do I can never lie in a nasty prison being used to a soft bed fresh air good diet Saith another I shall never endure another clymate to have lash and labour that have been bred up in a Land and State of fulness I can never live if I am forced to such hunger and poverty as the Laws do threaten me Why Soul do not reason thus thou knowest not what supplies of strength the Lord may furnish thee withal if he call thee to such a condition Out of weakness many have been made strong But besides thou shouldst not fret thy self with such an expectation thou knowest not that any part of this shall be thy portion Yes yes will such object I am sure if any man in the town or countrey it will be me such and such have particular enmities to me c. Why yet thou knowest not but the Lord may preserve thee in his way from such rage of men and strife of tongues thou mayst be of them whom God reserves Baruch cryed out Wo is me now for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow c. Jer. 45.3 perhaps of the heavy and dangerous service he was called upon to go where Jeremiah could not ch 36.5 6. he feared ruine and tortures inevitably yet God had wayes to hide him v. 26. and to give and secure him his life for a prey ch 45.5 Moses had many dreadful objections and discouragements against going upon that thankless difficult hazardous message God sent him on Exod. 3.10 What am I vers 11. they will say what is his Name vers 13. They will not believe me nor hearken to my voice ch 4.1 I am not eloquent of a slow speech and of a slow tongue vers 10. Send by whom thou shouldest send v. 13. All springing from fear of the issues of the undertaking and of the miscarriage in it which when it came to be put in practice there was not one of the feared things occurred in his path though some other tryals did Unbelieving fear of these dreadful consequences of following God is very fruitful in forming Lions in the way as if there were no avoiding of them or no restraint designed by that Arm which setteth bounds to the Sea Hitherto shalt thou go and no further there shall thy proud waves be
look after strength of faith 2. Be exhorted such of you as find that good work of Faith with any power in your souls that you do not let it lye by you as a Talent in a Napkin or as the Sword behind the Ephod since there is none to it to make you valiant to do exploits Oh! be much in this work of drawing it forth upon constant quick and lively exercise as namely 1. Improve your Faith against your Fears It hath a soveraign and excellent vertue that way in the experiences of all the Saints As perfect Love casteth out Fear so doth perfect Faith indeed it is Faith working by Love only doth it What time I am afraid I will trust in thee In the Lord I have put my trust I will not fear what man can do unto me Have Faith upon its principallity of exercise when the sloods of ungodly men are apt to make afraid 2. Improve your Faith against all your offences and murmurings that you meet withal in your souls occasioned and multiplied by the stumbling-blocks of the day Proper Doctrines cannot be preached proper Duties cannot be practised proper Truths cannot be professed but Satan raiserh up multitudes of Objections against them of which this usually beareth the mastery Spare thy self they resolve themselves into this usually as their bearing reason The fear of man In such a time how needful is that Character to be found Great peace have they that love thy Law and Nothing shall offend them Psa 119.165 When tribulation and persecution for the Word cometh how by and by men are offended Mat. 13.21 It was one great part of Christ's care at parting with his Disciples that they should not be offended at mens putting them out of the Synagogues and thinking they do God good service in killing them John 16.1 2. When John was in prison it is not easie to answer the questions nor to remove the offences that arise upon it Whether Christ be the Christ or no But blessed is he saith Christ that is not offended in me Mat. 11.6 Oh! improve your Faith against these stumbling offences 3. Improve your Faith unto a full conquest of the World and the things that are therein respecting all the afrightments and allurements of it as it presents and presseth you with its objects of love and fear Oh! in such staggering times the dirt that clogs the feet of a Believer the thick clay that either in act or desire he is busied to load himself withal is extreamly detrimental to taking streight steps to your feet How easily did the present evil World draw Demas Judas and divers others to a betraying denying deserting their high profession The victory that overcomes this you have heard is your Faith 4. Improve your Faith against all the filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit let such as name the Name of the Lord Jesus depart from iniquity a little sin will destroy a great deal of valour whereas holiness carried on towards its perfection in the fear of God will yield encreases of strength and security against the worst that man can do unto you for who is he can harm you if you be followers of that which is good Holiness will secure you from harm They who torture you if they cannot defile you cannot destroy you they may kill you but cannot hurt you you shall not be hurt of the second death And in as much as you are frequently shewed what power Faith improved hath to promote holiness the Lord make you faithful herein Thus far hath been spoken to set forth the excellent and admirable nature of believing considered in its encounters with and conquest over torments It remains that we now take into view its vertue and excellency as it conflicts with and gets success against another adversary no less difficult to be attempted than tortures be no less apt to over-come and that is the tempting tenders of Deliverance And herein is the greatness of the atchievment that the Faith which enabled them to bear tortures without grudging enabled them to refuse the tenders of deliverance without complying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Redemptionem notat addita praeposito insinuare videtur perfectam redemptionem Leigh Cr. Sac◠They accepted not Deliverance The word we read Deliverance denoteth in the proper signification of it full Deliverance Deliverance very compleat and is here applyed to signifie such a deliverance as did not only consist in a meer relaxation of the torment as supposing them to be upon the Rack in such a case when the sinews begin to snap and the joynts to sever one from another if nothing more were offered in the deliverance but meerly to let down the rack and take off the creature from the extremity of torment though that may for a time seem to gain upon a meer man yet such may the case be that such deliverance may be worse than death its self You reade in Rev. 9.5 6. of a torment in which men shall seek death and shall not find it and shall desire to die and it shall flee from them Implying that such may be the torment on a poor creature as that to be killed out-right is better than to be spared Knock me in the head rather than let me live thus in Torture But the deliverance here is full deliverance a being reduced to a state of ease rest and quiet together with any other accommodations that can be desired to compleat it All this will I give thee Credit Trade Preferment Applause and what not They accepted it not They did not give it friendly entertainment such as one would shew to a stranger when he hath been long absent They were at such a pitch of raisedness that they would give such deliverance deliverance on such terms not any friendly welcome or entertainment that other men perhaps would gladly do they could not salute it bid it God speed could be in no fellowship with it That they might obtain The word doth not signifie any expectation that they had or could have of dealing with the hope of the Resurrection upon the terms of strict merit As if there were any equality or proportion betwixt their enduring tortures and their receiving the Resurrection nay when they have done all left all suffered all they are unprofitable servants but only thus in thus standing under torments thus withstanding deliverance upon unworthy terms they were in the Lord's path of expecting the comfortable foretastes now and assurances of a further glory A better Resurrection Paul pressed hard to obtain the Resurrection from the dead Phil. 3.11 which is not only a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust but that which is called the first Resurrection Rev. 20.6 for the dead in Christ shall rise first 1 Thes 4.16 They which are Christs at his coming 1 Cor. 15.23 For them that sleep in Christ shall God bring with him This is called the Better Resurrection not only better than their torments but
to do were but to exchange and avoid the torture of my body and admit in the room of it a torture upon my soul and spirit They who will adventure to rush upon and run down the counsel comfort and judgement that Conscience sets up and would keep up in them they little think what an hazard they run Paul could stedfastly behold the Council and tell the High-Priest that was President of it that God would smite him as a whited-wall when he had this defence to make I have lived in all good Conscience to this day Acts 23.1 2 3. This makes Councils that persecute slight and despicable torments sweet and easie Though without there be fightings yet inwardly there will be peace whereas if our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things To have God and our own Consciences against us at once will not be countervailed by the friendship of this world that any obtain by stretching a good Conscience making shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience I have been sometimes awakned with the dread of that word Jer. 4.11 12. when a threatning is exhibited from the Wilderness and then to have God give sentence also against a People that is dreadful to have God against us our selves against us and many to one but we draw men against us too in such cases this is the worst of torments whereas all is rendred easie when we can say Psal 17.2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence If God be for us Conscience for us who then can be against us who can harm us We may reade in Cain Judas Spira and many others how fearful it hath been to undergo a wound in them A man may sustain his infirmities of other kinds but a wounded Conscience who can bear Object It s true I cannot quiet the clamours of Conscience as I would do but I find I am very ignorant and men tell me This I may do and that I may do very safely and I am bound to think of them better than my self and not to prefer before their judgment the dictates of my weak Conscience Answ It is a very dangerous thing to do any thing against the dictates of an erring Conscience provided thou knowest not at present that it is in this thing erring It is a question among many Whether the dictates of an erring Conscience do bind but sure I am that violence offer'd to an erring Conscience hath a direct tendency to terrifie him that doth any thing with a doubting Conscience He that doubteth is damned if he eat for whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin Rom. 14.23 Blessed is the man that condemneth not himself in the things that he alloweth Though thy Conscience may be erronious yet while thou knowest it not to be so it is the best friend thou hast under Heaven Take heed therefore by the force of others or the fear and treachery that is in thy self thou admit any violence done to it lest once stretching it beyond its staple it never do the offices of a good Conscience more to thee to counsel excuse witness toward thy peace more Object But I have seen other men accept of comply with and yield to that which my Conscience makes such a noise about and they good men too and yet they profess they have peace in it and why may not I adventure Answ For my part I durst not judge another mans Servant to his own Master he stands or falls Yet I have sometimes observed men who have adventured in this kind and though they have carried it with an high forehead and put a bold countenance on it yet there are times when one may discern them to have pale faces which may give intimation all is not well within such are under great temptation to keep up their credit till the Lord arrest them with a new Conviction as he did David with a Thou art the man and then they may as he be forced to cry out how long soever he had carried it stoutly All my bones are out of joynt Restore to me the joyes of thy Salvation and take not away thy Holy Spirit from me But suppose their Consciences do not smite them they may have a kind of peace that is but from security not the peace of God not the peace of the answer of a good Conscience by the bloud of sprinkling The Apostle tells us of a Conscience seared with a hot Iron 1 Tim. 4.2 Some sorts of violence done to Conscience are left by the Lord to the Devils curing who heals the smart of divers wounds by searing them but the cure is never the more desireable for all that It s with Conscience as it is with Cloth which sometimes the Fuller strains so much upon the Tenters till he break the very staple of it and then it s neither fire nor water will shrink it whereas being strained but in an ordinary way it would but though it shrink not you may be sure it will have no strength for service Take heed you offer not such force to Conscience lest you find it short of serving you as it should in time of need 3. If I cannot come at the good of Deliverance but I must betray or balk some Truth of God intrusted with me as a part of my Testimony I may not upon any terms touch with that Deliverance Every Truth of Christ committed to the care and custody of a Christian is of more worth and value than all his Comforts and Accommodations under the Sun And he that yields or betrays any Truth thus deposited as a pledge to his trust and care for the procuring any liberty to himself hath too hard a bargain of it You have an express direction Prov. 23.23 Buy the Truth and sell it not We are to buy it whatever it cost but not to barter it whatever it will yield That was a choice Spirit described 2 Cor. 13.8 We can do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth The Glory of God may be so deeply engaged and imbarqued in one Truth as all my external comforts may not be named in one day with it It hath been an expression very taking with me Isa 43.9 10. God hath his times wherein most eminently he is put upon it to vindicate his Truth the question is brought upon the stage and tryal of the world who must either yield and say It is truth or else must endure the test of God's Evidences who are his Saints Ye are my Witnesses saith the Lord or his Son called his Servant whom he hath chosen who in the grand contest with all the powers of darkness hath by witnessing his good confession merited that name Rev. 3.14 The Amen the Faithful and true Witness a resemblance and proportion to him is every Christian required to keep in his being called forth to a witness-bearing to him As God values every Truth of his at an high rate especially in the day that it is to be spoken for
and People considered in their capacity of conflicting with many deaths and dangers wherein they need and depend upon him for aid and influence as their Head 1 Cor. 12.27 Colos 1.18 24. Eph. 1.23 The Body of Christ may also be applied to signifie sometimes the whole Oeconomy or administrations of the concerns of Christ in the World for the peculiar good of his Church especially with respect to the Institutions of the Gospel according as the Legal Institutions Ordinances and Administrations of Moses are called the body of Moses Jude vers 9. compared with Zech. 3.2 where the contest was about the restitution of the Ordinances of the Lord according to the Mosaical Institution after the captivity I say as the administrations of the Law are called the body of Moses about which Satan had a contest then so may by just analogy the Institutions of the Gospel be called the body of Christ against which Satan hath not only many conflicts with them that are anointed and honoured to be a Royal Priesthood but in the infinite Wisdom of God and for the bringing about and perfecting of his designs with greater glory he hath designed manifest deaths and burials thereunto that his Resurrection-Power may be the more fully manifested Hos 6.12 Isa 26.19 Rev. 11 9 10 11. Unto this his Body mystically and figuratively considered there being such promises of a Resurrection there is also a spiritual embalming to be performed to it compleat to the capacities of the Lords dear Children all essayes and offers hereunto in such â—argeness of heart and preventing forwardness as was found in this Handmaid have a very singular resentment and acceptance with the Lord as shall hereafter be shewed the which I hope may be treated of and applied to our case without stretching the Metaphor beyond the bounds of Scripture allowance or digressing from the Spirits intendment concerning us in this place The words thus opened afford us this Observation Doct. That the Lord highly prizeth all vigorous attempts of his weakest Children to preserve a sweet savour on the concerns of Jesus Christ when they are exposed to death and burial All Nations where the Gospel comes must expresly take notice for a pattern to all that shall believe what a value and estemation Christ had of and an apology for a censured act of a glorious soul laid out early and nobly upon what concerned him when under a sentence of death and burial by the wise appointment of God though to be executed by the hands of wicked men so that if it might not be preserved from rage and scorn yet should from stench and an evil savour as much as lay in her till its hoped-for Resurrection should set it above either what she could do for it or the enemies against it may we therefore in our capacities learn that lesson Go and do likewise Luke 10.37 In handling this Point I shall not confine my self to any other method than will offer it self in considering this lively instance and pattern to Believers in the Text what was the peculiar excellency of her act indiscernable to good men that were standers by and wherein the acceptableness lay and thence by way of proportion where the cogent reason and influence of it lyes respecting us at this day First Then we may consider the inward springs and motives of her action that lay hid from ordinary observation upon which her spirit was raised and her endeavours extended to this degree mentioned in the Text. Secondly We may consider the effect of these lively and ennobling principles manifesting its self in the dimentions of her activity or how it was said of her She did what she could Thirdly The business or affair it self about which she was conversant a very thankless office in the thoughts of those that were lookers on though they were the Disciples of Christ and men honourable in many other respects above her Fourthly The estimation and acceptance that it finds with Christ notwithstanding the hard measure and severe censures at the hands of men I shall only speak of all these in her so as is immediately applicable to our own case as we go along First As for the first of these namely The hidden principles and springs of motion that were open to the Eyes of Christ with whom she had to do though mistaken and miss-judged by those spectators Not to enlarge in that variety as the matter will bear there are these two that offer themselves by Christs discovery to our view and learning as being needful indeed to all generous and noble actions that are wrought 1. There lay at the bottom of her act a lively faith strong and operative in this very matter not only in receiving the discoveries of the death and burial of her Lord whereunto the Disciples were so generally unacquainted but also the assurance of his speedy Resurrection not only in the hints that himself had given of it but also from the testimony that the Spirit had long since born Psa 16.10 that he should not see corruption in the grave his early witness whereunto we have John 2.19 speaking of the Temple of his body vers 20. he saith Destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it up again Till he was risen from the dead this was not understood or at least not regarded and remembred vers 22. by the Disciples only such and so great apprehensive and active was the Faith of this good Woman that she receives the Doctrine of the Death and Burial and quick Resurrection from the Grave of her dear Lord and accordingly put her self to this great Cost to signifie her complyance with the Promise that he should be buried but not subjected to that corruption and putrefaction that attends that state and condition of all others We reade of the same Mary Joh. 11.2 in conjunction with her Sister Martha that when they were concerned in the burial of their Brother Lazarus though there was no want but rather a superabundance of love to him living and dying Christ loved him Joh. 11.35 36. The Disciples loved him for they could be content to go and die with him vers 16. His Sisters loved him to some excess vers 31. and yet because they had no expectation of his Resurrection till the general Resurrection vers 24. they yielded him up to corruption Joh. 17.13 14. so that when he had been dead four dayes they concluded by this time he stinketh vers 39. plainly shewing that having not any faith or fore-sight of his return to life again so speedily they were at no cost to embalm or perfume him against the stench of the Grave but touching him whom God would raise up from the Grave not to see corruption wherein he transcended David who wrote that Psalm who having served his generation by the Will of God fell asleep was laid to his Fathers and saw corruption Acts 13.34 to the 37. Acts 2.24 to the 32. So true and strong was her Faith
herein that she deals not with him as with Lazarus but afore-hand anoints him and after he was in the Grave again prepares another Confection of choice Embalm to perfect what might be lacking in the former Luke 23.56 Mark 16.1 by which we may perceive that Faith and such as was not found in Israel ordinarily lay at the bottom and contributed aid and influence to all these great acts and to this particularly wherein she did what she could for Christ In just proportion hereunto and on the same reason is there need of Faith unfeigned even Faith of the operation of God to ingage souls to shew the like respect to the dying Cause Interest and Concernments of Jesus Christ Other men and they also good men in the main generally give it over when such distress and dying pangs come on it till Christ come in the clouds of Glory especially where the grounds of their carnal and creaturely expectations of its revival do perish and fail none have such engagements on them to lay out themselves in preparing proper imbalm for it of which mention is made hereafter but they who have upon Gospel and unmixed principles an insight into and a fore-sight of the design of God to give it an effectual reviving and Resurrection The Faith then of this Resurrection is the needful principle to enlarge souls in such a case to do what they can for Christ's sake 2dly There was also in the bottom of this famous censured act of hers fervent love in its lively operation which is a large and defusive principle actuating souls upon very noble and unparallel'd exploits its power and tendency to do so commends its self in that ample character and description the Apostle gives of it 1 Cor. 13. throughout We have a very particular account of this principle brought forth to evidence by our Lord himself in an act of like cost and signification in the beginning of her way of following Jesus Christ Luk. 7.47 she there v. 37. brings an Alabaster box of Oyntment and with it anoints his feet having as the chap. shews washed them with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head This perfume though it filled the house with its odour yet was little understood in its spring and principle by them that sate by but Jesus discovers it vers 47. Much was forgiven her therefore she loved much there was much love in her soul on work and hence she layes out her self much upon her Lord the love of Christ constrains her and this though it was to work so early yet was not soon expended but rather increased more and more neither was it clouded or abated by the expectation of an approaching death and funeral but herein also puts out its self doth what it could towards his burial Love makes her follow Christ not only in life but in death also at his death to see the utmost of him and do the utmost for him compare Luke 23.27 28 55 56. chap. 24.1 Joh. 19.25 chap. 20.1 Mark 15.40 41 47. you may perceive how Love led them from place to place where Hazard might seem to way-lay them and how unsatisfied they were with what others did tending this way It was not the fine linnen Joseph of Arimathea bought it was not the newness of the Sepulchre hewed out of a Rock in which never man lay but fitted it seems for himself Mat. 27.59 60. nay it was not the costly bed of Spices that Nicodemas laid him in John 19.29 40. could satisfie them but there must be more Spices bought to this end Mat. 16.1 Love is strong as Death all the substance of a mans house will be contemned in the pursuit of it Cant. 8.6 7. In like manner will it be where a soul or people have from the love of Christ shed abroad in their hearts a sutable reflexion on the things of Christ they being so apprehensive of and enamoured with the unalterable beauty of them as these deaths and burials they meet withal do not alter the complexion of them or abate of that dear love and streaming affection to them where it dieth they will die and there will they be buried nothing but death nay death it self will not be able to separate 'twixt it and them Ruth 1.16 17. their own lives will not be dear to them for its sake Phil. 2.30 Acts 15.26 chap. 20.24 Rev. 12.11 Secondly But let us proceed to consider the Effect of these noble and innobling Principles of Faith and Love in this affait in the Text and also in the like on the Children of God at this day where the work of Faith and Love with Power are produced this commends it self in the extent of such acts as are performed she did what she could the commendable latitude of her spirit and endeavour is a qualification well worthy a little enquiry When may a soul be said to have done what he could This and the like expressions when they are applyed to set forth the Lords acceptance of a souls inlarged endeavours after or for himself do not signifie such a perfection of intention or act as denotes perfection which is not capable of increase or addition The choicest Saints in their highest services and attainments this way have found cause to cry out when they have done all that they could at the best rate yet they are unprofitable servants Luke 17.20 here is no place for Pride boasting is excluded by the Law of Faith Rom. 3.27 The expression it self however applied here to the commendation of this good Woman yet implies some degrees of imperfection and supposes the act in some respects to be short of absolute compleatness As for Instance 1. First Though she did and a Christian in his highest endeavours may have done what he could yet may it be very short of having done what he should there lies a very vast disproportion most times betwixt the perfection of the Law and the utmost attainments of our act such as may hide pride from us The Law of the Lord is perfect Psal 19.7 The Law is holy and the Commandment holy just and good Rom 7 12. The Law is spiritual vers 14. Indeed the Holy God who is perfection it self can require nothing less than perfection for sutable converse with himself Mat. 5.48 Now between this perfect rule and our imperfect act what proportion can there be I am carnal sold under sin our unspeakable mercy lies in the new and living way of Gods own appointing to present our selves and services without spot and without blemish to himself not through the works of Righteousness that we have wrought but according to his own mercy and grace whereby he makes us accepted in the Beloved 2. Secondly Though she did and a Christian may be said to do what he could yet may there be and many times there is a great shortness of doing what he would as there is a disproportion betwixt the Act and Law of which a poor Saint often
not despise or neglect it but look on it as the Call of God to you and obey it accordingly To which that Friend replyed My weakness is sufficiently known to you my self and others for such a weighty service making me dread the thoughts of such an undertaking as at present furnisht yet I hope I shall carefully mind what the Lord may speak to me in future as also what hint you have now given about it to do therein as God shall direct After this discourse ended he further said He had been a poor staggering vain creature and since the time he came to this place and the Lord gave a little recovery he had not so improved it as became him he earnestly wisht he could write a little that he might leave a witness against it Saying also Ah! I have many things in Short-hand that none can read but my self by which means they will be lost Then added I have a poor Sister an honest affectionate soul who I desire you will do what you can to comfort support and strengthen according to that counsel 1 Thess 5.14 Now we exhort you Brethren warn them that are unruly comfort the feeble-minded support the weak be patient towards all men And desired we would sometimes speak a word in season to her And further said as to the Church in Plymouth wherein he had laboured he designed to serve the Lord in it and to gather souls to Christ and had now the witness of a good Conscience in that matter that he had not wilfully omitted or dealt negligently in that Work in the main of it as opportunity presented and blest the Lord that since his Imprisonment he had heard of six or seven of that Church that had gone triumphing to Heaven before him Then speaking of Christians Sufferings he minded that word 1 Pet. 4.16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian c. He minded what a blessed thing it was to suffer as a Christian viz. To begin hold on hold out and at last come off as a Christian It was a great Word and Work and speaking of his pains he had on his outward-man yet blessed God There was no sorrow added nor no sting in them that was stuck in the sides of Christ blessed be his Name A Friend asking how he did Never better in my life said he blessed be God One asked him whether he would have any Cordial He said Yes may it be an instrument on Gods behalf to recover a little strength before I go hence and be seen no more to speak yet a word for God else tel me of no more Cordials for I drink full draughts One giving him a little he drank and said I am made to drink of the best spiced Wine the Wine of the Pomegranate his Love is better than Wine I am drinking of a Vineyard not a drop of red Wine blessed be God the Day I think is come I shall be led to the Fountain of Living Water and shall hunger nor thirst no more And added The Wine that is red might have been my Portion even fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest might have been the portion of my Cup. Oh! if Jacob's heart revived to see the Chariots to carry him to Joseph in Egypt How should my Soul revive in me to see my God's Chariots of Salvation to carry me to see him not in Egypt nor Earthly but Heavenly Canaan Then he fetch'd a sigh saying I sigh but am not sad Then applying himself to speak to Friends about him he said And to you that are troubled rest with me there is prepared for you shortly One telling him he spent himself he said He would gladly spend and be spent for Christ yet would not make undue haste to Heaven till his Beloved pleased yet I would bid my Friends Farewel remembring Elijah threw his Mantle on Elisha at parting and though I cannot yet say whether it be finally farewel Paul bid the Romans farewel often but I can bid you heartily farewel blessedly farewel Then added I have one word for Sion I have been oft refresht in thoughts of old Jacob as I mentioned but now how he revived and said Joseph is yet alive I will go down and see him before I die But yet before he comes out of Canaan he is at a stand and God must be sought to know his mind Gen. 46.4 God assures him he would go with him into Egypt and would surely bring him up thence and yet Jacob must die there I have thought how can this word be true and have been answered it was true to Jacob collectively though not personally considered his seed and with them him also dead or alive must be brought up with them in the time appointed and though Jacob's life indeed is took off in somewhat an unexpected time and way yet his Faith is kept up so as he gives charge in that matter ere he dies that his bones should be carried up with them and so gives testimony to the Truth of God in that case and the like doth Joseph Oh Friend God hath brought us down unto Egypt it may be where we would not have gone he hath indeed let us go in the beginning of our way where we would and we then went under full gales like to them Exod. 15.14 to 18. saying We shall come up out of Egypt it may be pitching it too personally as to us for whether we in our persons shall be brought from Bashan and the depths of the Sea may yet be a question but if we be indeed the seed of Jacob that seek him and his face we shall then most certainly be brought up dead or alive out of Egypt let 's endeavour to keep up Faith in that There is a Cause God hath stretched out his hand to own amongst us though men may be divided about it what it is some say it consists in Stating and Asserting our Rights against Oppressours but I take it to be such a Testimony to Christ's Kingdom that few will espouse but such as love the Lord Jesus in sincerity Though as to out-works they must be owned as works of wonder but the inward-part is the main thing even to bring forth Judgement and Truth into Power and Practice so as all the upright in heart shall follow it this even this shall be so brought out and lifted up over the heads of all oppositions and oppressors but God hath much of this kind yet to bring forth in the hearts of his own Children But Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee One asked him Will you have some refreshing I have refreshing saies he the world knows not of and Strangers cannot intermeddle with His Sister desired he would take rest He answered Christ's Disciples said of Lazarus Joh. 11. If he sleep he shall do well speaking it of natural sleep but to sleep in Jesus as those that God will bring again with him is much better Adding It was a sweet resolve of Hezekiah's broken
words Isa 38. when he had spoken hard words of God not becoming a man of his acquaintance with divine dispensations when he sayes What shall I say he hath spoken and himself hath done it I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul vers 15. Yet recollects himself vers 16. O Lord by these things men live and in all these things is the life of my spirit so wilt thou recover me and make me to live So I have a word or hint sometimes as if the Lord would say Eat a little and drink a little as if he might have some little further work for me but then old pains and not old clearness again at other seasons making me see and say Oh! how hard a thing is it to keep an even hand with God in his various dispensations So foolish was I and ignorant as that good man once said Psal 37. Sometimes as a man then as a Beast c. but 't is good for me to draw near unto God and to say though he kill me yet I will trust in him But it pleased the Lord though by very undiscernable degrees after keeping his Chamber three quarters of a year to give him a Recovery for some season after which being seized with Sickness which continued to the finishing of his dayes the following being but few of many worthy occasional sayings of his were by the same Friend carefully treasured up Being asked by a Friend Is all well within He answered All 's well there blessed be God my God the high rock of my salvation my soul hath trusted in him and shall not be ashamed His Sister discovering something of impatience at the stroak upon him threatning his dissolution he earnestly reproved her saying Oh! be more a Woman be more a Christian Is this what you told me yesterday Being then asked by a Friend Have you ought to say to us before you leave us He replied O love the Lord all ye his Saints when and wheresoever he calls to follow go after him yea though he kill you yet love him still trust him still One saying to him Yea worthy is the Lamb to receive Glory Honour Obedience and Service from all his Saints He replied He is worthy indeed for he hath redeemed me by his blood blessed be God he is my God he is my God And then said The Lord hath strangely raised me and called me to put on a very high Profession and carried me more strangely through it to this hour though it may seem to be but a poor thing in its self considered yet the Lord hath had a care of such a poor worm and hath not left me shamefully to forsake him nor hath hitherto forsaken me and blessed be my God that hath brought me into bonds for his Names sake in this day this honour have not all his Saints though they be a People near unto him but Oh! the crowning Mercy is this that I can behold my Father's face with joy and can say in some measure I have finished the work thou gavest me to do and now holy Father I come to thee I have heretofore given some account of my self to you as you may remember as to those remarkable Passages of my Life both as a Christian a Minister a Sufferer This last I am now come to put a Seal to as they have been Sufferings for Christ's Cause an◠Kingdom as God hath given him to be Head over al things to the Church which is his Body and indeed 〈◊〉 he hath appointed me sufferings for his Names sake so I must say to his praise he hath so far restraine◠mens wrath as he hath made Enemies to be at peac◠with me and friendly to me this I would comment to you my dear Friends as an Argument for ever to trust in God There is also some thing I have been under from his own hand that hath been with great pain upon me as you have been Witnesses and my sorrows here have been oft-times greater than my groanings and this last hath been well nigh oversetting at some seasons insomuch as I thought it was impossible to have born the torments laid on my poor flesh but now I see nothing is too hard for God sometimes to lay on his own Children or for his Power to bear them up under His Sister tells him You spend your self in speaking He answers Let me speak that I may be refreshed It is refreshing to me to speak of what God hath made sweet to me Then he calls for a little Julip to drink a Friend sayes to him It will be hut a little while and you will thirst no more He replyes Ah blessed are they that eat Bread in the Kingdom of our Lord and drink Wines there he will lead them by Rivers and Fountains of Living waters where they shall thirst no more and he will wipe away all tears from their eyes His Sister desired to know how he was satisfied as to his coming hither she having been the occasion as she judged of his coming from Exon to Plymouth and consequently of his coming hither He answered Very well satisfied all have been steps of divine ordering I would not have come from Exon might I have had my own will I would not have stayed in Plymouth after I had Preached once but God would have me stay I would not have come to this place after my time of suffering was out in the Town-Hall at Plymouth if I might have had my own will but God would bring me hither and blessed be the Lord that let me not have my own will blessed be God that brought me here and blest me here with desirable Company and Mercies concerning which we have had occasions and seasons to speak well of God together yea since I have been brought here and sick here yet the steps of God have been in great wisdom with me and the bottom of them all paved with Love in the main of his goings in these dark and heavy stroakes I say in the main of them they have been attended with peace to my soul I have had Old Wine or New afforded still sometimes he hath said the Old is better and hath made ancient experiences of his Love sweet to me yet not alwayes alike clear sometimes he hath seen good to cut short within and without and this last tryal to deal plainly came on in somewhat a cloud at its entrance I was somewhat stupid thinking no more in it than ordinary but I was at last awakened by the Lord to think that this might be a long and close tryal and though he let me see the Anchor dropt within the Vail yet had I not that freshness of Evidence till within a few dayes last past when he called up my Spirit to a close search in a Night or two though I said but little of it but he graciously issued that matter in a token for good that whether I live or die I hope I shall wear to
of it though these wayes be every where spoken against Upon a First-Day of the Week in the morning he began to speak to all in the Family with him one after another as follows Ah! Sister A. the Lord gave you a heart to own and profess him his Name and Wayes early when they were wayes every where spoken against and since you have held up and out the Profession thereof in a flourishing day and now are concerned in and with the same in this hour of temptation which I beseech you be not affrighted nor offended at You know how it fared with our Lord and Master whom the Religiou◠as well as the Prophane world persecuted and expelled their Coasts the Servant is not above his Master It is true you have had the Name of a Gentlewoman and of being descended of great Parantage and raised to great things in a worldly account but keep these al◠under-foot as you ought and let that be the song still Worthy is the Lamb to receive Power and Riches Wisdom and Strength Honour and Glory and Blessing Oh! give up all to him as Auranah of old as a King to a King so let the Offering be given up cheerfully and resignedly intirely to him I bless God I have learned something of this in conversing with you of your readiness and freeness heretofore and now to lay out for the Lord and though 〈◊〉 now go the way of all flesh yet you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that we have none of u◠cause to be sorry or repent for what we have laid ou◠for the Lord. And you for your part have heretofore entertained Saints yea it may be Angels unawars the Lord reward you for it and the God under whose wings you are come to trust be your great reward but Oh! take heed your Good be not evil spoken of and that your Table become not a trap nor what was provided for good turn to your hurt I desire the Lord Jesus may teach you to look carefully about you that you lose not the things you have wrought but receive a full reward I remember it 's said of Abel who though dead he yet speaketh and have thought that word in a bad sense looking at me and many others who while living have been but dead Speakers but I am now hastning to another kind of death where after Worms have consumed this flesh and bones yet I may be brought forth as a living speaking Witness in these words of mine against such as slight the instruction of them Then said I bless the Lord for ever that he hath kept me from Hell horror to hope of Salvation eternal Salvation by Jesus Christ and that I shall be helpt in my poor measure to shew forth his praise in this Generation as well as to every one that is to come Oh Friends you are like yet to have opportunities amongst living Saints that speak livingly and audibly Oh! take heed take heed this present dispensation that you yet are and I have been trusted with be not as the Lord's Trumpet sounding an Alarum against you on the behalf of the Lord of Hosts whose words have not been received by you Then speaks of England and sayes Oh! poor England sinful England who stonest the Prophets and choice men that are sent unto thee but wouldest not hear in this thy day the things that appertain unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes Thou hast had an Iron Sinew and brow of Brass and wouldst not be gathered to the great Shepherd and Bishop of Souls Ah England England What would many Kings and Princes and Righteous men have given to have enjoyed one of those blessed dayes of the Son of God which thou hast sinned away and rendred thy self unworthy of Oh! how art thou become a place of Persecution treading and trampling down God his Name and Concerns as much as in thee lyes But Oh! there is yet a Remnant according to the Election of Grace whom the Lord hath yet seen good to winnow till he hath driven each grain of Corn from other yet be of good chear you that are wholly a right Seed abide with God and know assuredly you are more precious in his sight than Gold of Ophir and lay this Cordial by it that the World is not worthy of you yet judges you unworthy of it but there is a day coming even the day of Jezerel the seed of God shall have a day for it in which the Righteous shall flourish and abundance of Peace as long as the Moon endures That word hath been sweet to me many times Psal 72.19 And let the whole Earth be filled with his Glory Amen and Amen The Prayers of David the Son of Jesse are ended Oh! methinks here is an ending of Prayer indeed Comprising the whole Glory of the great David in this short request that is the compleat end of all Prayer calling worthily for Amen and Amen to close it up Then speaks to all in the Room saying I charge you all in the Name of the Lord Jesus and as you will ever answer it at that great day that you make Religion your business and that you make not Godliness a slight thing nor walking with God a small matter as ever you hope to stand with boldness before God in the judgement Then he said God indeed hath took strength from these Arms of mine I speak it not as if I murmured at it or by way of discouragement as if he could not if it please him raise dead bones and of stones make Children to Abraham desires that they would lift up his arms which they did and then he layes this solemne Charge upon them and desires they would by lifting and holding up his hands be witness to it as his Charge to all of them That they make it their great business the remaining part of their dayes to walk to the praise and glory of the Lord Jesus in all the paths of his pleasure His Sister being troubled to see how he spent himself in speaking He said to her Come Sister is this becoming to cry over a dead Dog when by dying he may glorifie God the more And added I am here yet among the Living though with many marks of death upon me yet nothing with infallible certainty with me that I shall die at this time but Oh! look up from me to the Lord that so that whether I live or die your Interest may be sure in the Lord Jesus and now the Lord watch between me and every one of you when we shall be apart one from the other Then speaking to his Brother A. said My dear Brother the God of Jacob the restorer of the dry scattered bones of Israel shine forth from between the Cherubims of Glory on thy dear soul dispersing and dispelling all Clouds Foggs and Feares under which thou hast been long serving God with many tears and temptations many a day of which I have been
that fear before him With what a different power is a soul acted then in such a request Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done from what it is when only in an usual formal way it breatheth it out Such transfigurations may well constrain an out-cry It 's good to be here though many times one knowes not what he sayes But alas why speak I think I long I so much for such sights and tastes which indeed though precious yet are transient mean while not valuing as I should that substantial feeding and living upon Sions lasting foundations such as remain unshaken though he bring us into the place of Dragons and cover us with the shadow of death though there be no fruit in the Vine and the labour of the Olive cease yet then to live above hope under hope c. have the Lord's joy remain in us and our joy be full Methinks all the Lord's footsteps point to us that as our proper lesson To be securing all that which concerneth us upon such Foundations as cannot be shaken when Heaven and Earth is moved Foundations are destroyed the Earth and all its Inhabitants dissolved before the Lord when he cometh for he cometh to judge the Earth with Righteousness and his People with Equity Yours in special Relation and Affection To two of his Acquaintance Imprisoned Direct leadings to living Fountains of Water and wiping all tears from your eyes is desired Much Beloved I Salute you both in the same bowels and with the same respect although I have not much that I know of to communicate that can add any thing to either of you trusting and in a measure tasting that you are as on Eagles wings carried beyond what my poor dark confused heart or hand can contribute to you in the force and fellowship of that blessed Word 1 Pet. 4.13 14. And as I trust you in a good measure are so I am by Grace helped with many others in every Prayer of ours to desire you further may be advantaged with those walks with God in the perfect liberty of Grace and Peace that may make up abundantly your blessedness not only in equality with but in a way of surpassing and transcendency to their present priviledge that have as yet opportunity allowed them to walk up and down about their Father's business It is not a little or low ground of Consolation for you and I pray that the power of it may still remain with you which one was mentioning that you are as really in the Cause and Business of the King though you can do nothing but make Prayers for him and bewail the dishonour done to his Majesty as if you were in Field or Council for him It is to one of you a state not unusual I hope it s to neither of you strange or unexpected it cannot be but a little while at the longest run ere that Word will be made good on you in a most blessed sense Eccles 4.14 and ere that be I am by Grace perswaded that as you share in many more Prayers and direct personal remembrances than formerly so also that experience of Pauls will redound to your real Consolation Phil. 1.12 13 14. as verified and is in part upon you The dreadful and unexpected issue to which all things in appearance are reverting beyond what we were willing to suppose the former Apostacy should or indeed could extend unto nay beyond the hopâ—s of those poor worms that are everywhere wallowing in the vomit of their own druâ—â—â—nness and belch out blasphemy I trust will have with many as I hope the consideration of it hath begun to have with me its effects to lead the Lord's people into a deeper search after and greater sense of the Idols of Jealousie that have provoked to this exceeding Jealousie in which the Lord seemeth not pleased to spare the giving his own Name together with the memorial of all his Wonderful Works to be reproached and as a by-word to the vilest of men and no one left that can say Restore Surely though the personal iniquities be great and manifold that have been found in the skirts of the Lord's People under their Profession that they are Saints yet do I believe there lies more combined united provoking guilt upon them unpurged unrepented of vindicated and pleaded for considered as they are Sionists and in their publick Relations Ah! these other man's sins are such eating evils to such as are in a sort related to them and yet in a seeming tolerable and excusable sense free from them as for which I am perswaded not only the Land mourneth but even Sion languisheth and her Children faint in the streets and yet few consider where is the malignity of the disease or declare the causes of banishment True it is some that I think honourably of have profest the discovery and a means for recovery of it but truly I think with such an hard and uneven hand have been the application that I fear though their good-will may be accepted of the Lord yet in the issue they will prove Physitians not of that value as may be expected from their Profession in that respect I am also in some hopes that the Lord is more effectually weaning his little Children from every Idol to which one after another they are so apt to apply themselves though guilt and unholiness be in the bottom of it how many a pitiful piece hath the Lord made manifest to be as Coniah Jer. 22.28 a dispised broken Idol a vessel wherein is no pleasure and yet such hath been the carnality of many that they have been concluding as they of this Coniah Lam. 4.20 When I have remembred all along that holy escape that the Lord helped you unto when many other good men were entangled and came not off till their bones were broken I have been made to rejoyce in that love and favour to you that hath preserved and I hope reserved you in a waiting Spirit till he should bring you forth among the sons that shall comfort Jerusalem when she sees their wayes and doings concerning all the evil that hath been brought upon her Ezek. 14.22 23. a passage that I read this morning which it may be I understood not that desired Prayers might be made to the Lord in that behalf encreased with holy jealousie my cry lest any influence of that Word Isa 51.14 which God forbid should light upon any of the dear Children of God that are this day in bonds I trust the grace of Jesus Christ will keep guide bless and sanctifie you both and all that are as you and when ever he lifts up your heads it will be to see his reserve of Wonders that shall glorifie his Holy Name I am cut short of enlargeing unless my opportunity of Conveyance were a little better known to me for a most plentious supply of this defect I shall return again to my travel in your behalf that the Shepherd and Stone of Israel may undertake for you
of the relation wherein the Lord hath placed me in his House wherein you and others look on me and expect much from me as yours intimates who am so unsutable to a door-keeper there lest while much weight depends on such a worm that Word be fully and justly verified Isa 22.25 and so of being reared up a Monument for a living end as was his Pillar 2 Sam. 18.18 I prove but an heap of Infamy vers 17. But over against these faintings when they have ran in as a flood I have hitherto found the Spirit of the Lord lifting up a Standard and displaying a Banner in his Fear by which a seasonable rescue hath been offered in a time of need And that by keeping me upon and now and than succeeding me in some measure in this Three-fold work which I doubt not but you have arrived to a good degree and great boldness in the Faith of First That I do not satisfie my self in any ordinary and slight Evidences of an Interest in eternal Love but press toward that full Assurance of Faith founded on the New-Covenant and universally influential on the New-Creature I speak not as if I had attained much but this is with me by the Grace of Christ my soul is so much the more engaged to press after the riches of full assurance of understanding a fellowship in the mystery of God the Father and of Christ as I see the dayes are evil the glimmerings whereof in that degree the Father sees good to intrust me withal have been an unspeakable stay to me against the fears of what man can do unto me and through your Prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus I hope will continue so to be unto the end the powers whereof both to peace against the fears of this day Rom. 8.31 to the end and to purging against the filth of it 2 Tim. 2.19 1 Joh. 3.3 I need not insist to shew you who your selves are taught it of God Job 36.22 2dly Another main work which I find of great necessity and advantage is the setting up in my soul the dominion of the Cross of Christ in a daily mortification through spiritual aid and arguments of the affections and lusts of the Flesh to every thing that may or must suffer loss in the expected fiery tryal whether it be either corruptible things as Silver and Gold any under-Christ enjoyments or corrupted corrupting things as is all the filthiness both of the Flesh and of the Spirit The entanglements of one or other of these is the snare which so easily besets most of those who in this day are contriving how much Truth they may possibly sell or at least expel for peace who seldome treat upon these terms but Satan makes his market on them we are not ignorant of his devices To be therefore mortified by time to thâ—se things is a very great part of our best Interest not only that in this sense our sins go aforehand to judgement that we may not be judged in them and for them with the World when the Lord comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the Earth and ariseth terribly to shake it but also that our pleasant pictures costly coverings and all our detectable things may be so crucified to us and we to them in the love of them that it may be no hard thing when the Lord calls for them to glorifie him to say to them Get ye hence What profit is there in my Blood If the Lord his Name Cause Testimony hath need of it what is that between us and him 3dly I also am brought into an experimental observation how much of moment is the spirit of a sound mind to have real substantial and digested principles and to be in union with them concerning that Cause for which we are at the point to be throughly tryed Whether that part of it that concerneth Worship or otherwise to have our Faith in such a day as this to be only founded in the wisdom of man our own or others short of the power of God to build another man's foundation or boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand at a time when every man's work must be tryed and every man must bear his own burden and give such an accompt as this is of himself to God though the structure seem never so stately and to be founded on the highest resolution yet will that doom and out-cry sooner or latter attend it as did his Ax 2 Kings 6. And indeed as you observe backslidings at this time of day are very rarely and hardly repaired though I trust some will ere the door be shut Mat. 25.8 9 10. To have therefore our rejoycings in our selves and not in another Prov. 5.17 Gal. 6.4 is our great Interest That it may be your sweet portion is the prayer of him who being unexpectedly interrupted having nothing of moment to impart as tydings Rests Yours as ever To a Friend long kept close Prisoner under hard Circumstances and greater threatnings Everlasting joy upon your head while sorrow and sighing flee away Beloved and honoured by and for the Lord THis morning having obtained that mercy from the Lord of reading a Character of your heart drawn by your own hand wherewithal I and others were not a little refreshed and a safe hand presenting for the conveyance of this to you which I hope may reach you I thought my self providentially called and concerned to give you a testimony of my joy in the Grace of Christ which is engaged hitherto to uphold you with everlasting arms that neiâ—her the strength nor length of your Suffering is such to you as is accompted otherwise by you than â—ight and but for a moment being laid on the ballance with the Glory that is ready to be revealed in us In this way of reckoning while our eye is kept on invisible and eternal weights of Glory realizing and impropriating them Crowns of thorns are more easie and less dishonourable than at a distance they seem to be or than we sense and apprehend them while we are reasoning after the flesh Weights indeed they have and are and such as make the oppressed many times to groan earnestly none for the present being joyous but grievous and are tenderly thought upon by him who in all their afflictions is afflicted the Angel of whose presence also is with them but we know the End of the Lord and his Rest shall be glorious when his indignation ceaseth in their destruction but he rests in his Love and there also shall make the weary to rest I judge my self some-way rebuked from above and untaught what and how to pray as I ought if in any prayer of mine I forget the Sons of your noble Order and especially in seeking what you desire namely that you through the greatness of Faith may enter into rest and at this time of day while he hath taken business out of your hand he may the more abundantly
acquaint and refresh you with that dismission to rest as may secure you until the indignation be over-past You know his priviledge who Jer. 36.5 though he was shut up that he could not walk abroad about his Lord's business was nevertheless hid there by the Lord when the Courtiers did purpose to take him vers 26. But if in the Father's Counsel it appear best that out of these Store-houses he bring more of his precious boxes of Oyntment to be poured out upon the present Funerals of the Cause he is concerned in I make no question but the savour thereof will commend it self to all the Virgins in this and other generations and they shall have Robes and Rest till they stand again in their lot at the end of dayes and who believing and loving Jesus Christ in Truth would not put off his filthy garments in expectation of such change of raiment As for my part my Father graciously indulgeth me and the Lambs here giving us an undeserved Covert of which no reason can be given even where Satan's seat is while other flocks are dispersed and scattered Neer about us by my last I acquainted that some from our neighbouring parts are sent to that place of ancient experience where they have a stock of prayers and presence to begin upon they begin on straw as learning to endure hardness as good Souldiers the Lord make that word good to them which often hath been in that place sweet to me Exod. 23.25 and at length Eccles 4.14 I expect daily the same lot in the Lord 's with-holding his hand from which I fear nothing more than a Spirit apt to do as Agag 1 Sam. 15.32 putting off the evil day the least Sun-shine brought forth a manifestation that notwithstanding the ruine of his Nation and danger of himself he was not mortified to the delicacy of his life nor had escaped though he thought he had waved the bitterness of his death I need your Prayers and precious Exhortations tending to prevent slumber that I be not taken at unawares The Lord keep fresh and manifest before your eyes and mine the Captain of our Salvation not only as a leading pattern but as a life-giving Principle on which having our minds stayed we may still be trusting in him as kept in peace upon peace there with true respects to all your Family Rests Yours in the love of Jesus 26th 4th month 62. His judgement about continuing or forbearing Assemblies to Worship the Lord. Strength and Beauty as is in the Sanctuary Beloved in the Lord I Thought it best while it is yet day and opportunity offers that we attempt to make improvement so as may mutually tend to the strengthning each others Faith and Love in Christ Jesus with such intimations of occurrences as may direct to sutable sympathy and supplication as the Interest of the Lord may require in its present circumstances at their hands who have learned to approve themselves as true Sionists This place affords little save the continued series of divine goodness holding our souls in life and not suffering our feet to be moved where he with-holds not the tokens of his Fatherly care and provision to supply all our wants both outwardly and within to shew that he is good our Rock and no unrighteousness is with him We had rumours of being this week brought before the Deputy Lieutenant but that came to nothing Fear and fury fills many mens hands with work of their own occasioning so doth he make their own tongue to fall upon themselves the Righteous shall see it and flee away and all men shall see and consider the work of God for they shall wisely consider his doing They at our Island I hear are well and chearful but free access to them is denyed nothing else can be expected as times and jealousies are yet Heaven is open still David could form a song in the Cave when his Faith reached to this assurance He shall send from Heaven and save me Earth was block'd up but Heaven was open still And as long as Heaven holds he had no ground to mistrust a want of the Promises accomplishment to the uttermost Many thoughts of heart have exercised us as well in groans at the throne as in other sad conferences among our selves at the reasonings and resolves of your strong men who by drawing away the shoulder from the yoke and their hand from the Plough wherein they seemed so well skilled and blessed formerly have given way to the ceasing of their work in a time when their Faith and Love to Christ is brought to its tryal and that any poor souls should interpose with their lives in their hands to bear up the Name of Christ and to preserve a nail in his House in their absence it serves to signifie that there is something of reality in that Promise The last shall be first and the first last And touching your Question What ground a Church hath in times of Persecution to appear publickly If by publickly be meant only so far knownly as wherein with the best prudence and caution used as their case stands they may most effectually answer the ends of mutual edification and hold up the Glory of Christ in the practise of his Institutions It 's so far from being a Question What grounds they have to meet as we know not what grounds can well be held up to the contrary by any who pretend to so much profession as that any part of the Instituted Will of God is worth the suffering for or that Christ is worth the following in Gospel-Precepts when the Obedience of Saints therein is to be tryed as by fire If you be pleased to single out any Reasons that can pretend to satisfiâ— Conscience guided by the mind of God in Scripture they may have an examination Rests Yours many wayes oblieged 20th 7th month 62 To the same Friend and something further on the same Subject My very Dear THe Sea-Monsters they draw forth their brest and give suck to their young ones Ah! what shall the Lord's People who have received anointing to Preach the blessed Gospel become cruel as the Ostriches of the Wilderness that the young Children yea and old Disciples too ask Bread and none giveth it unto them nay are willing to seek their Bread with the peril of their lives because of the Sword of the Wilderness And shall such men as we who have known the Terrors of the Lord and felt the Love of Christ constraining us that pretend to know the worth of an immortal soul the joy for one sinner that repenteth that have had a dispensation of the Gospel committed to us and yet no necessity lying upon such no wo to such if they Preach not the Gospel no compassion at least no more compassion to the multitudes that are scattered as sheep that have no shepherd Alas where is the fellowship of that Spirit which of old enabled the publishers of this Gospel after they were shamefully intreated to wax
bold in their God to Preach the Gospel of their God with much contention 1 Thes 2.2 approving themselves the Ministers of Christ in Imprisonments in Tumults in Stripes in Necessities in Distresses Where is the Lord God of Eliah Where is he that put his Spirit upon them who first trusted in Christ I have been often refreshed with a saying of holy Burroughs in his Epistle to the Reader of his Heart-Divisions alledging a saying of Luthers I desire to be a faithful Minister of Christ and his Church if I cannot be a Prudent one the standing in the gap is more dangerous and troublesom than getting behind the hedge there you may be more secure and under the wind but it 's best to be there where God looks for a man c. thus he Indeed in this day if ever the Lord looks who they be that will stand in the gap that will answer that Character My life is continually in my hand yet do I not forget thy Precepts They who rescued the Field of Lentiles and the Field of Barley which were part of the Lord's Land how inconsiderable soever it might seem in its self when the generalty of Israel deserted them were at last reckoned among the first rank of David's Worthies 2 Sam. 23.11 1 Chron. 11.13 though perhaps while it was in doing they might be reckoned rash heady hair-brain'd men they who cannot pass as well through evil as through good report in the Gospel of God can surely go but a little way in it he that left at Pamphilia and would go no further in the work because perhaps 't was too hot and heavy was not thought by Paul fit for the same imployment another time whatever his Kinsman Barnabas might think of him I could wish some of these things might be by the Lord let in and set home upon the spirits of such who not only Retire themselveâ— but sound a Retreat also to others who might otherwise be sweetly and advantagiously engaged to fight this good fight of Faith War this good Warfare endure this hardness as good Souldiers of Jesus Christ I am called off from pursuing this matter All here are well not else at present Rests Yours many wayes 18th 8th month 62. To a Friend released out of Prison Wisdom and understanding exceeding much and largeness of heart like the Sand of the Sea Precious and Beloved I Have my longings to know how it fareth with your Soul now you are under the advantage of gathering up at liberty the diffused Light and Anointing that is dropt with such variety in the Body of Christ especially in your City whither I observe it is the aim of most of the choice Persons up and down who either are driven or disengaged from necessary attendance in their Countrey stations to make haste promising themselves greater liberty and enjoyment there than ordinarily here can be expected In respect whereof I have been sometimes conceiting that it is a place and puts into a capacity for Believers to make the most rare Extracts and pick out the choicest Notions and Assistances of any where in the World which thoughts are easily attended with such temptations Oh! that I had the wings of a Dove I would flee far away from this stormy wind and tempest I would see that goodly Mountain and Libanon But then I am as often checked with this reproof He that encreaseth knowledge encreaseth sorrow these creaturely engagements may render a man the more prudent and rational it 's many to one if they make him more serious spiritual evangelical It may be easie to get the mind fraughted with noise news notions but to get the heart established with grace drawn into a more substantial and experimental communion with Jesus Christ according to the tenor of the New-Covenant and in the Grace and Truth thereof this is not so easie to be found and maintained without extraordinary watch and diligence These words of Wisdom may be more heard in quiet and to better purpose and improvement than in the out-cry of him that ruleth among Fools Soul-searching Heart-preparing Sin-mortifying work may have more advantage from the retirement of a nasty Prison then unless abundance of Grace be ministred from being left to walk in a large place especially if with a large principle of Liberty to touch withal but being laid in Gospel-bonds under the Instituted charge of none In these respects my much valued in the Lord I have not only had some tryals of my own soul while I have been representing things to my self in such a figure and also seen the woful issues thereof on some others who have fallen under my short-sighted observation but have withal had many a thought of you since you have been in an outward respect as a Hinde let loose I will not say I have had hints of any tamperings with you but only that it is marvellous if you have not which doth and will so much the more magnifie Grace in your being preserved in Christ Jesus stedfast in the Faith fervent in the Spirit lively and active in the wayes of God growing up more into Christ which is our Head and being more publickly diffused by a largeness of Spirit in all the members This all this I hope pray and shall to my utmost endeavour may be found remaining and encreasing in you according to the form of sound words the pattern of them who first trusted in Christ worthy of all the Grace you have received and Testimony you have born hitherto in doing and suffering and worthy of the blessed hope of the Resurrection of the Lord's Cause and the approaching of his promised Glory In a fellowship in this earnest expectation and endeavour you have the prayers of all our little Family but especially and particularly of 26th 6th month 63. Your wonted and constant Soul-Friend Unto an ancient Acquaintance taken at a Meeting and cast into Prison Entrance and abiding with joy and rejoycing into the King's Palace My never dearer than now Friend I Salute you in this new state into which you are cast by the wise hand of my good Father in fellowship with my self and other dear Companions and as you have obtained this Grace that you suffer not an evil-doer though as an evil-doer unto bonds that the Word of God may not be bound nor Gospel-gatherings unto Christ confined within and accommodated to state models answerable to the lusts of wicked men So I pray you may not miss of those full free uninterrupted streams of Strength Satisfaction and Consolation which have been the promised and experienced portion of the highest Saints that have appeared for God My soul hath had fellowship in that thanksgiving touching you Dan. 3.28 Blessed be that God who hath sent his Angel and hath kept his Servants that hath trusted in him that they have changed the King's word and yielded their bodies that they might not serve nor worship any God except their own God And I pray that you may never want the
mixtures of this kind which are apt to steal in insensibly upon spirits influenced either with the Fear or Love of Creatures in this staggering and back-sliding hour of temptation wherein men's politick and prudential contrivances to preserve themselves from danger hath abundantly weakned and wasted the Courage if not the Conscience of Testifying Duty It 's of no small advantage I find by blessed experience to be giving daily diligence in observation how nearly and firmly the great Concerns of the Lord's Glory in his Works and Wayes are related to the Lord Jesus in his raised and exalted capacity and how directly the weight of them all rests upon his shoulders who is mighty to bear and with what infinite wisdom and according to what an exact platform of eternal counsel all these seeming Meanders and Laborynths of exteriour transactions are managed according to the integrity of his heart and the skilfulness of his hand who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working In the Faith and Hope of this the Soul of a Beleever hath gracious invitations and engagement to return to its rest knowing that in quietness and confidence is its strength and are as the secrets of a Presence-Chamber for it till these calamities be over-past and though it look on but cannot interpret signs in Heaven and on the Earth perplexity distress of Nations the Sea and Waves roaring through approaching woe to the Inhabiters of the Earth and of the Sea yet it can acquiesce in the infallible knowledge of that Interpreter one among a thousand who is concerned in all these things engaged by Covenant and resolved in absolute Will to bring about in the best time and way the Ends of his Glory and its blessedness in a most sweet harmony and conjunction This saying to the righteous It shall go well with them and commanding their fluctuating tempestuous souls into a calm is yet very far from inducing them to that carnal security and idleness wherein tyred Professors are apt to wrap and bless themselves concluding we must leave publick things to Providence and retire into a closset-converse with our selves and the Lord things good in themselves but usually abused into the generating of a private selvish narrow frame of Spirit unfit to serve God in our generation by Converting Sinners Edifying Saints or saving themselves from an untoward and adulterous generation by a faithful testimony That the contrary hereunto may be your blessed lot namely largness of Heart like the Sand on the Sea-shore accompanied with cleanness of hand and a Spirit clensed by the Blood and set free by the Spirit of the Gospel is the earnest desire for you of him who is Yours assuredly These Parts yield little only fresh gazing on a new Blazing-Star in the East and divers talks of the beautiful Star in the West few think of the Star of Jacob that bright Morning-Star they who overcome shall have him as a certain fore-runner and prognostick of a Morning without Clouds they must be up early who look to be visited with the comfortable beams of it Even so Amen 1st of the 2d month 65. Another to the like effect Supplies of every good thing from the Shepherd and Stone of Israel Dear Heart IT is in my desire for you that you may obtain the favour of a marked Mourner securing you from approaching Plagues and reserving you for expected Salvation among the Palm-bearing throng who only are competent to learn the new song as one of the One hundred forty four thousand that are redeemed from the Earth And though you are fed with the Bread of Affliction and Waters of Adversity and that also by measure and stealth yet you may not want the satisfactory sight and hearing of a Teacher that may guide you into all Truth as it is in Jesus keeping you upright in this staggering day when so many reel to the right hand and to the left I confess sometimes I have hopeful expectations of seeing some such effect as this oâ— all these slidings some of them of understanding sâ—all fall to try them and to purge and make them white even to the time of the end but yet It is a fearful thing thus to fall into the hands of the Living God My lye that promotes his Glory makes me no whit less a sinner or my doing evil that good may come thereby I think I was hinting to you last time the Caution the Lord hath ministred to me by Prov. 25.26 A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain and a corrupt spring detrimental and infectious to all that have any thing to do with him The accompt that you give of the Wall of the Daughter of Sion much-like his Neh. 2.13 which was once such an inviting prospect Psal 48.12 13. would engage to that Out-cry Lam. 2.18 19. but that there is hope in her end That her Children shall return though now they are not her dead men shall live together this dead body shall arise A review therefore of her from the munition of Rocks sutable to that Landschip Isa 33.20 c. is becoming the Children of the King but especially hath it been of use to me to feed upon that discovery made of the temper of his heart who is principally interested and concerned in all these mutations He shall not fail nor be discouraged till he have set Judgment in the Earth Isa 42.4 The youths shall faint and grow weary and young-men utterly fail they who stand upon their youthful vigour and greenness may and shall give way but he who hath such engagements with him and for him as vers 5 6. he waits without weariness and expects without impatience till his enemies be made his footstool A fellowship through faith in in his Spirit will furnish to a similitude in his patience to a being armed with the same mind that was in him Rests Yours dearly To a Friend upon the death of a Zealous Faithful and therefore Persecuted Servant of the Lord. Where is the Lord God of Elijah My true Friend IT comes to my lot to take you now by the hand though you may justly and earnestly challenge and expect it from a righter and more instructed heart and hand who being under deep pressures and considering there is a time to be silent especially when put to shame as well as a time to speak is not easily drawn forth to any thing of this nature till he can recover a little strength waited for to comfort others with the same comforts wherewith himself hath been when he hath been comforted himself of the Lord dreading especially under such a dispensation to utter any thing rashly knows that to speak his troubles will add little to the allaying of yours and that as Vinegar upon Nitre will be the singing songs to an heavy heart his own or others wisheth therefore his present silence may have no worse interpretation than the seven dayes silence of Job's Friends who answered him not a word