THE VVidow VVhiterows HUMBLE THANKSGIVING FOR THE KINGS SAFE RETURN With an Account of John Hall's Vision upon the first day of the Eleventh Month 1692 3. And also a Letter to a Friend concerning John Hall's Message with a Letter from Jamaica concerning the Earthquake that happen'd there a Warning to the Inhabitants of the Earth to fear GOD and give Glory to Him for the hour of His Judgments are come Say unto the KING and to the QVEEN humble your Selves sit down Jeremiah 13.18 The People of Neniveh believed GOD and proclaimed a Fast and put on Sackcloth from the greatest of them to the least of them For word came unto the King of Nineveh and he rose from his Throne and he laid his Robe from him and covered him with Sackcloth and sate in Ashes Jonah 3.5 6. Licensed D. P. April 18. London Printed by D. Edwards in Nevel 's Alley in Fetter-lane for J. B. 1694 THE Widow Whiterows HUMBLE THANKSGIVING FOR THE KING'S Safe RETURN ONCE more I am highly honoured with Mercy and Truth to return Thanks to the Most High for the Kings safe Return Oh what shall I say to the LORD for all his Mercies and boundless Favours for I am as one astonish'd at his Goodness How wonderful are his Works and his Ways past finding out therefore who shall not admire Thee Thou King of Righteousness who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth in thy Hands to bind the Kings of the Earth in Chains and their Nobles with fetters of Iron who rulest in the Heavens and makes bare the Arm of thy Glorious Power in the Earth to dash the Nations asunder and break in pieces the Potsherds of the Earth as a Potter's Vessel Oh Great LORD glorious in Power fearful in Praises doing wonders Thou LORD Jehovah art come and thy Power goes before Thee that shall rend the Rocks and cleave the Mountains in sunder The Everlasting GOD is come to throw down Mountains and Hills and to exalt the low Valleys he 'll awaken the Earth by his thundring Power and the sleepy Inhabitant thereof by his loud sounding Judgments For this know Oh King There 's neither Strength nor Policy shall stand Against what GOD's a bringing on this Land The Youth shall howl the Aged shall weep sore Yet there 's glad tidings for the Meek and Poor The Poor in Spirit I mean Matth. 5.3 who are Heirs of the Kingdom of Glory whom GOD will hide in the hollow of his Hand whilst his fierce Indignation passes over the Rebellious wherefore Oh that my Counsel might be acceptable to the King and that his ways might so please the LORD as that his days may be prolonged in this Land which the LORD for a time hath given him to do the will of GOD in all things with all his Might and with all his Strength that these heavy Judgments which the LORD hath pronounced may not be executed in the King's days For thus said the LORD to me in my deep humiliation before him viz. My Controversie is not with Man or Woman farther than they are found in the Transgression take away the Transgression and where 's my Controversie Is it so O Righteous LORD that thy Controversie is not with Man or VVoman farther than they are found in the transgression of thy Righteous Law and pure Commandments Oh then for thy Mercy sake and the advancement of thy Glorious Power and the praise of thy ever Blessed Name in these Nations and throughout all the Earth turn the King and Queens Hearts with all their Powers and Strengths to Thee as the Riveâ—s of VVaters are turned that with a powerful force of Thy Love and ardent Affection to thy Glory they may joyn unanimously together in Heart and Soul to humble themselves in the dust before Thee the Almighty GOD repenting with Niniveh's Repentance Jonah 3.7 8. For no less Repentance will put a stop to the hot and fiery Indignation of the LORD which is kindled against this Land but to turn every one from his Evil Way and from the wickedness that is in their hands therefore Oh noble Prince anâ— Princess for the LORD's sake who is the King of Eternal Glory the GOD of the Spirits of all Flesh the Everlasting Counsellor the Prince 〈◊〉 Peace the GOD that made the Heavens and Earth the Sea and all thaâ— therein is who hath delivered the King from all his Enemies and gavâ— him his Life for a Prey and for the LORD JESUS CHRIST's sake his Sufâ— fering Life and Bloody Passion who was nail'd to the Cross and gave uâ— his Life there for all Mankind and rose again for the Salvation and Redemption of the Faithful I pray again and again for His sake whâ— hath been with the King in six troubles and in the seventh by his outâ— stretch'd Arm hath deliver'd him Oh for His sake come down from your Thrones and humble your selves in the dust by Fastings and Prayers and deep Humiliation crying mightily to GOD the Father of all your Mercies that He would be with you in Counsel and direct your way in truth before Him to do His most acceptable will in all things that in his infinite compassions for his great and terrible name sake shew you what to do and which way to take for the suppressing and total destruction of this boundless flood of Ungodliness that overflows these Nations And dearest Prince and Princess I humbly beg and beseech you for the LORD and his Glory sake and for your own Lives and Liberty sake be not negligent in this great VVork prostrating your selves night and day before the Throne of his Grace crying mightily to him for his assisting Power Heavenly VVisdom and Holy Zeal which his Valiants had of Old Phinehas Numbers 25 7 8 11. Jehoshaphat Hezakiah and Josias these were clad with Zeal as with a Garment these were the Valiants of Israel that knew how to handle weapons of VVar being girt with the Sword of the Spirit and Helmet of Salvation Phinehas was honourable who by his holy Zeal stop'd the Plague from the Children of Israel then said the LORD unto Moses Phinehas the Son of Eleazar hath turned mine Anger away from the Children of Israel while he was zealous for my sake among them therefore I have not consumed the Children of Israel in my Jclousie wherefore say unto him Behold I give unto him my Covenant of Peace and he shall have it and his Seed after him for Ever because he was zealous for his God and hath made him an attonement for the Children of Israel Oh what an influence had this upon the LORD and how this act of Holy Zeal pleas'd his Divine Majesty here we may see the difference between a holy Zeal for GOD and his Glory and a blind Zeal that hath any Interest in it to Self-honour either in Name or Fame or any other thing of this perishing VVorld The first hath power to prevail with GOD to stop the Judgment the latter suffers it to go
grow from Grace to Grace till we come to the perfect stature of the fulness of GOD in Christ Ephesians 4.13.14 15. That we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of Men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive But speaking the Truth in Love may grow up into him in all things which is the Head even Christ Oh Praises to GOD for ever for this means this is the means if you make use thereof that shall make you wise unto Salvation not the wisdom of this World nor the Princes thereof that comes to nought which is humane and diabolical the wisdom of the Serpent the forbidden Tree of which GOD said In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die die to the life of Innocency but live to Man's own Will Wisdom and Skill which the Apostle Paul calls Death it self and the Apostle James 3.15.13 calls it Earthly humane and devilish Wisdom and it may well be called so for it doth the Devils work it lifts Men up above all that is called GOD to admire themselves to kiss their own hand Idolizing their own Gifts Wisdom and Parts Reason Honesty Knowledge and Art And where 's the Man that adores not himself here And can there be greater Idolatry than this for a Man to pride himself Pharisee-like in his own attainments This was Nebuchadnezzar's Sin which provoked the Highest to throw him to the Beasts of the Field Dan 4.20 28 29. till he knew that the Most High rul'd in the Kingdoms of Men and this is the crying Sin of Mankind now to think well of themselves their own Righteousness and Holiness and to follow their own wills conceits and opinion of good which indeed is false as to know much learn much to discern many Sciences and in some to aim to become Gods as might be spoke more fully to had I time yet at the same time all their humane Wisdom and Knowledge doth not shew them that this was Adam's Fall the biting of the Apple and his bitter death Therefore said GOD I think to Tyrus Thy Wisdom hath blinded thine Eyes Therefore Oh Man that wherein thou judgest Adam thou condemnest thy self thou art the Man that eats of this forbidden Tree while thou art following thy own Will and Wisdom which is the head of the Serpent that must be bruised by the Power of Christ before thou canst come to that Estate which Christ spake of by which we must enter Matth. 18.3 the Kingdom of GOD to wit As a little Child Oh my GOD Is this the station we must all come to to be Converted and become as a little Child before we can enter thy Eternal Kingdom of Everlasting Joy Peace and Rest Then how far LORD must the Wise and Prudent of this World travel back to undo all that ever they have done by the Serpents cunning Wit and sensual Wisdom To be stript of all their Glories in natural Parts Gifts and Arts both of Flesh and Spirit To stand as naked in themselves before Thee the pure God as Adam when he transgressed before they can be cloathed with thy Innocency and Humility for if we consider the state of a young Infant it knows nothing but to lye at the Breast and suck the Milk that nourishes and causes it to grow it hath no cunning contrivance of will or wit to preserve it self from danger you may do what you will with it it cannot help it self but if any thing ails it that it suffers it cries for the Breast Just so it is with the Regenerated Man the New-born Man that Christ our Saviour spake to Nicodemus of But did this wise Man tho' a Ruler in Israel understand what Christ meant No no more than the Teachers and Rulers of this Generation But as Bishop Vsher said As Parrots by rote Nor would these give themselves the trouble of that but for their Self-Interest in one kind or other some for yearly maintenance others for Name and Fame or to be highly esteem'd of for their Gifts and Parts therefore all of this sort comes short of the Life of Inocency therefore what can be expected when the Priests and Rulers of Nations or Kingdoms are so corrupted with By-ends and Self-respects But that the People should be infected with the same pestilential Disease of Poyson and Sedition both against God and Man and corrupted with all manner of gross Impieties both publick and private Sins which calls aloud for Vengeance when the Iniquity thereof is fully ripe But to the aforesaid Rabbies Doctors and great Scholars these were the Men that crucified Christ in the Days of his Flesh and are not these the Men in our days that crucify the Lord of Life afresh and puts him to an open shame by their wicked and impious Lives by which the whole World is fill'd with Atheistical Spirits that denies God and Christ Are not these the Anti-christs that preaches Christ in words but in works denies both the Father and the Son yet these are the Men that carries the World before them that pretends to know all things as to resolve any point in Divinity and give the Interpretation of any place of Scripture and so fill the World with their Expositions But what fruit to God hath all this Blustring brought forth For the Tree is known by its Fruit saith Christ Have they set up their Lights that the VVorld may see their Holy and Righteous Lives Are their Conversations in Heaven and so transformed and made new Creatures Do they live the inward and spiritual Life of the VVord they preach Are they dead to the VVorld and the VVorld to them Doth the Life of Christ shine in them and by them so that they live no longer to themselves but to Christ and so fetch'd off their own Bottoms that they are ingrafted into Christ the LORD of Life and Glory But wo and alas is it not quite contrary to all this Are not these the Men that follows the World most wallowing in the Pleasures Profits Honours and Humour thereof having Mens Persons in admiration because of their advantage seeking greeting in publick Places causing Men to fall upon their Knees adoring them as Gods and loving the uppermost Seats at Feasts making long Prayers to get the praise of Men being mightily desirous of Vain-glory and the Wealth of the World but if these fail they are dead and heartless therefore all these things discovers where they are below in the World and not above with GOD but if you be the true Ministers of Christ and Christians indeed shew your Humility and Self-denial let the life of Christ appear in the fruits thereof for you know Christ in all his Doctrine calls for fruits and what he called upon others for he shewed forth himself in Life and Practice For said he A good Tree cannot bring forth evil-Fruit and you know the Tree that did not bring forth Fruit was Curs'd Therefore
Innocents in Thee is found the Cries of the Poor for Justice thou hast wrong'd the VVidow and Fatherless and robbed them of their Right thou hatest him that reproves Sin in the Gate and abhors any that speaketh uprightly thou hast crucified the Lord of Life afresh and in Thee He is put to an open Shame by Professors and Prophane by Thy lewd Abominations which Thou secretly and open I without Shame before the Eyes of His Glory doth commit daily eveâ— one glorying in their Abominations The Prophane without Shamâ— glories in their Swearing Damning Drunkenness VVhoring Lascâ—â—vious Talking counting him the best Man that is most strong and acuâ—â— to do all these Abominations And on the other hand the Professors of Religion there 's so much 〈◊〉 be said that Time would fail to rehearse Their Pride Excess in Apparel following in all things the Fashions and Customs of the Heather striving to exceed one another in all manner of Rich and costly Atirâ— and Fantastical Dresses some of them pleading without Shame for then others that are ashamed which are but few say they should be red â—culous and not like other People Surely this is as shameless as thâ— other For if Christ His Prophets and Apostles had done as you say anâ— do where had been their Testimony among the Multitude against thâ— unfruitful works of Darkness which they were to have no fellowshiâ— withal but commanded to reprove them And where is the Cross 〈◊〉 Christ you are to take up and your Self-denying Life you are to folloâ— Christ your Pattern in But your self-ended covering Oh ye Professoâ— will be too short in the Day of account which is swiftly coming tâ— make you bring forth your Talent which you slothfully and maliciously have hid in the Earth and then receive your Portion among the Hipoâ—crites The next to your Habit is your Houses which are deck'd with all manner of Curiosity Richness and Delicacy as your sinful Persons are You great spacious Lordly Houses furnished with all manner of costly ricâ— and sumptuous Furniture which would be too tedious and fill up mucâ— Paper to insist upon but your voluptuous Feeding and excessive Feasâ— ing one another in so much that you run out great Estates both 〈◊〉 your own and other Men's but in your own Families that is amonâ— your â—ervants many of you are very pinching and sparing and to thâ— Poor little or nothing but what you are compell'd to in your Pariâ— Duties and your poor Neighbours many hundreds in City and Courâ— try sits in their Houses with hungry Bellies both of Weavers anâ— others that knows not which way to shift for Bread for their Children some eating Bread sparingly and drink Water Others getting Gardâ— stuff as Cabbage and such like for their Children to feed on whilâ— you feed Dives like lying at your Ease stretching your selves upoâ— â—…ur rich Sattin Beds and Couches wallowing in all your sinful Pleaâ—…es not knowing what to Eat Drink or put on for Richness and â—…inties and others of you Hoards up Treasure as Sand and are nâ—â—… satisfied compassing Sea and Land to get Riches adding House to â—ouse and Land to Land and all for Portions for our Children say â—…ey and thus the Fathers eat sowre Grapes and the Childrens Teeth 〈◊〉 set an edge Thus the Parents makes the Children to fould more â—…e Children of Hell than themselves by giving them that that proves â—…ares to fulfil their Lusts in Pride and Avarice and so your Childrens â—…od must lie at your doors But sometimes it falls out that neither 〈◊〉 nor your Children are Possessors of what you have pawn'd your Souls 〈◊〉 made your Bodies and Minds Drudges and Slaves to the unrighâ—…ous Mammon for on a sudden the Hand of the LORD sweeps it all â—…ay This I have seen in my time and just is the LORD to take â—…ay your Idols your Gods of Silver and Gold and then your Honours â—…st fall in the Dust But what think you that calls your selves Christiâ—…s Was this the End of your Creation Did God create you for this â—…d to serve your Lusts And you that pretends to be called out of the â—orld that is to separate your selves from the Church of England â—hat think you Is this the End of your Calling to bury your selves 〈◊〉 the Earth to run a whoring from the LORD after your Idols â—…ur Gods of Silver and Gold your Earthly Minds Are not you of the â—…rth Earthly Was this the End of your Calling to take up your Rest 〈◊〉 great Houses great Trades great Gain That you may consume it upâ—… your Lust your Pride fashioning your selves after the Modes of â—…e Heathen some in Rich and Gorgious Atire others in plainer but â—…ch and costly and both you strive to exceed one another in Princely â—ouses stately Furniture your Brass and Irons must glitter in your â—…es like the furbished Gold and Silver your Cabinets shines that if â—…u wanted Looking-Glasses you might view your Pride in them the â—oards of your Rooms so exceeding white or shining brown that a clean â—â—…ind knows not how to tread on them Now you that are Dissenters â—…om the Church of all Sorts and Sects from the Presbiter to the Indeâ—endant from the Independant to the Baptist from the Baptist to the â—uaker View your selves here and see how far you differ from the â—hurch of England in the Practical Part and because you are all one in â—…ur Lives and Conversations therefore you must have your Portions 〈◊〉 gether For what though you are all crying low here and low there â—…e saith in this Form and another saith in that Form GOD is to be â—…orshipped in and they that will not sit down with you in your Forms you persecute them so far as your Power goes to Death if possiâ— with your Tongues where the Poyson of Asps are under and sharp than a two edged Sword to slay the Innocent All be it the LORâ— hath said The Innocent and Righteous thou shalt not slay and those that aâ— not what you would have them to be to my knowledge some 〈◊〉 you will not suffer them to buy nor sell And is not this the maâ— of the Beast But wherein do you differ from the Church of England Except that formerly they were more liberal to the Poor than yâ—â— in building Alms-houses and allowing a constant maintenance fâ— them which indeed hath been much more formerly than now for 〈◊〉 is with them as it is with you because Iniquity doth abound therefore the love of many grow cold But you Covetous Earthly mindeâ— Professors of all sorts your niggardly pinching the Poor your givinâ— five ten twenty or Forty Shillings nay five ten twenty Poundsâ— though who is so liberal will not excuse you that have Hundreds anâ— Thousands and many Thousands lying by a year will not excuse you beforâ— the LORD of the whole Earth when His Majesty calls you to an account what you have done with his Treasure he committed to youâ—
Trust to serve him and his Creation Will you say we hoarded iâ— up by us or will you say We gave it our Children for their Porâ—â—tions to live in Pride and Luxury Then will the LORD of the Creation say You â—ennogades durst you presume to run a Whoring afteâ— your Idols spending your precious time in hunting after the treasurâ— of my Earth though to the hazzarding my utter displeasure Because you went not in my Counsel nor waited in my Fear to know my Mind and Will in your gettings and when you should cease from the incumbrance of the World that when you had got sufficient for Food and Raiment you should therewithal have been contented For I have said I will never leave nor forsake them that walks in my Fear But if I had blessed you with over-plus then to have waited upon me forâ— Counsel how to order the rest to serve me in my Members making plentiful Provision not only for them of your own Judgment but for all sorts that the Widow Fatherless and Strangers may have no want that they may be the fitter to serve me their Creator in all Humility and Holy Reverence But I may say to you as the Apostle said You bastardly Generation of Christians who are Strangers to his Sowship How comes it that you must enjoy all the good things of God's Creation Did the wise Disposer of all things give you the precious things of his Creation for to spend them upon your Lusts Was it so in the Beginning O no. Yet GOD saw in the Beginning what would ensue 〈◊〉 Man that was without the Knowledge of GOD was left to himself he would be like the Beast that perisheth therefore the wise Creator in his Eternal Wisdom made a Law for a limit to his unbridled â—ust by several Precepts and Injunctions in the Law where he expressâ—y tied them by several distinct Precepts to very large Contributions and Communications of their Estates mounting in all it may be to more than a sixth part of their Yearly Incomes And was there such â—are taken then by that which was imperfect How much more now â—ught there to be by them that are come to the Law of Christ that fulfils all Righteousness which saith Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as â—hy self for Christ is the end of the Law in Him the Law is fulâ—illed likewise those that are come to Christ and put Him on who â—re regenerated and born again they are become new old things are â—ast away and all things are become new the old Covetous Earthly Spirit is taken away and a noble generous free Spirit in the room â—ike their LORD and Master who gives liberally and upbraids â—one but feeds and cloaths his Enemies richly and bountifully and who are Christians indeed are like him as witness when his Spirit was poured out from on high how they sold their Possessions and distriâ—uted to every one as they had need but the Covetous died the Death as Saphira and his Wife Acts 5.2 who dealt deceitfully with GOD and his People in keeping back the Lord 's due when he required it Consider this you that forgets God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you But you Worldlings of all sorts you have had a long time to consider these things from one Generation to another and though you have heard and seen your Brother Worldlings taken away before your Eyes suddenly without Repentance yet this will not stop you from your eagerly grasping up together with the Expence of your most precious Time which is worth a VVorld upon a dying Bed when Conscience is awakened and instead of giving up your Strength and Might to wait upon the LORD with all diligence crying mightily to Him for His Power and Strength to cresist all the Temptations of Sinful Flesh you give up your Strength Might and Care to grasp and heap up Riches as if all your happiness wholly consisted in the abundance of the things you enjoy in this Life so that here you deny Christ his Doctrine and Practice who said No Man can serve two Masters Ye cannot serve said he GOD and Riches therefore I say untoyou Be not careful for your Life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink nor yet for your Body what ye shall put on and then send you to the Fowls of Heaven and the Flowers of the Field to learn of them your Duty to him Oh! ye Worldlings of all sorts How far short are you of being obedient to these Heavenly Precepts and the fulfilling this precious Doctrine You Wealth-mongers who hurry you selves almost out of your Wits to get Money the love of which is the Root of all Evil laying Bag to Bag till it comes to Hundreds and Thousands But how much have you laid by to serve the Lord and your Fellow-Creatures Necessity it may be five ten twenty Shillings and in this you would be counted Liberal and by some poor Creatures that are in great Necessity you are so but in the Eyes of the Lord you are counted Vile and Churlish But Oh! ye Hard-hearted Professors and Cruel of all sorts that suffers your Fellow-Creatures that are made of the same Flesh Blood and Bones that you are made of some to Starve and others to want Food and Raiment and you have your Hundreds and Thousands But what is the Reason of these things Why the same Reason may be given that was to the Israel of old This People hath an unfaithful and rebellious Heart they are departed and gone for they say not in their Hearts Let us now fear the Lord our God that gives Rain both early and late in due Season he that reserveth to us the appointed Weeks of the Harvest Yet saith God your Iniquities have turned away these things and your Sins hath with-held good things from you For amongst my People are found wicked Persons that lay wait as he that setteth Snares they have made a Pit to catch Men as a Cage is full of Birds so are their Houses full of Deceit Thereby they are become Great and waxen Rich they are waxen fat and shining they do overpass the Deeds of the Wicked they execute no Judgment no not the Judgment of the Widow and Fatherless yet they prosper though they Execute no Judgment for the Poor Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord or shall not my Soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Oh London London how often hath this Scripture been brought to me for thee and for thy Inhabitance Oh! Land Jerem. chap. 5. Shall not my Soul be avenged on such a Nation as this And upon the like occasion in another place saith he Ye I will feed this People with Wormwood and give them the Waters of Gaul to drink Jerem. 9.15 And did he not avenge his righteous Cause upon Sicily and Jamaica and did he not give them Waters of Gaul to drink when he did destroyed them and their Pride Lusts Cruelty
which signifies the Mount of Regeneration where the Soul is retired and shut up in GOD from all the hurrings and busiles of the World and the deeper its gets into this innermost Center the more dead it is not only to the World and the Concerns thereof but to it self in all things whether External or Internal it serves the very necessity of Nature with Grief thinking all time to much that is spent in any thing but in waiting upon GOD alone and this is its continual Exercise to enter into it self there to abide with GOD in perfect Unity and Resignation and being so disinterested and taken off from self that though it should fulfill all the Commands of CHRIST that concerns GOD and its Neighbour and should leave nothing undone of the Duty of a true Christian yet it makes no account of all this before His Divine Majesty nay tho' they being in such an Estate as to receive many wonderful Gifts and supernatural Graces yet they are not lifted up with vain conceit nor prides themselves in these rich Robes but are just as if they had received nothing being always humbled in the depth of their own unworthiness and ever kept in a holy Fear and inflaimed Love to GOD which shews that the Creature exhalted in Gifts is Lucifer But the Soul thus adorned with Heavenly Graces in the Humility is CHRIST JESUS come again in the Flesh therefore this is the Spirit that is to be uppermost whether in Prosperity or Adversity if you would have GOD to be your Teacher for the humble GOD will teach I mean the Humility of CHRIST who emptied Himself of all His Glory both Heavenly and Earthly and humbled himself to the death both in Body and Mind John 30. Luke 22. and 44. both in Soul and Body were his sufferings And if we are his Disciples we must tread in His steps we must first die to self before we can live to God the true Figure is a Corn of Wheat saith CHRIST John 12.24 and the more dead the Creature is in it self and to it self the more it shall know and please GOD but if it doth not mind this continual denying of self and internal Mortification it will never arrive at this state of perfection but through this Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost this inward Hearts-breaking Soul-suffering these Faithful Ones comes to wash there long-suffering Robes and makes them white in the Blood of the Lamb for these are redeemed from the Earth and all perishing and transitory Things and therefore have the Harps of GOD in their hands to sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb for from these internal Soul-sufferings comes the Eternal Heavenly Triumphant Joys therefore lift up your Heads ye tribulated Ones that are surrounded with Sorrows both within and without look up to the Rock whence ye are hewn but look not to Man for help whose Breath is in his Nostrils for then it will be just with the Highest to say to you as he did to them of Old Jer. 2.28 call upon your Gods let them deliver you but look unto me saith the Everlasting all ye ends of the Earth and be saved but look not at the Creature howsoever they may be suffered to try and prove you but keep your Eye to your Saviour's Beauty which is Patience Meekness and Long-suffering let these be ever in your Eye but cast not your Eye upon the Instrument who or whatsoever they may be for that will beget anger and wrath in your minds and then you will loose the end of your Sufferings for all these things are suffered to be to wean you off the Creatures to let you see the emptiness and nothingness of all things that hath a begining even to your selves and this is the way to make GOD all and the poor empty Creature nothing But whatsoever your Tryal is or with whomsoever be shure you keep in the Love that thinks no Evil no not to the greatest of all your Enemies and then you will be ready upon all Occasions to do them any Office of Love as the Power is in your hands and their Necessity requires and thus you will fulfill the Royal Law of CHRIST your Lord who said love your Enemies do Good for Evil overcome Evil with Good that you may be the Children of your Heavenly Father who causes His Glorious Sun to shine upon the Just and the Unjust and so your Prayer shall be heard when you say Lord forgive us our trespasses against thee as we forgive them there trespasses against us and thus will the Righteous Judge of the whole Earth take the Cause of the Innocent in His Hands and plead it with their Enemies for vengeance is mine saith the Lord and I will repay for it is as Dindimus said to Alexander the Great He is a Judge of all injuries and the Sighs of those that are injuriously treated become the pain of those that injure them But as was said before to you Servants of the LORD whom he hath counted worthy to be partakers with Him of His Internal and External Sufferings to be rejected of all denied condemned and tempted within and without in Fears and Dreads in Weakness in Watchings and Fastings with Tears of sorrow Night and Day led into the Wilderness and there tempted tried in the Night with great Temptations led in a Way you know not nor see no way out but as it were passing by the Gates of Hell and none pitty nor take your part Hear your Love to GOD will be prov'd to the uttermost whether you will follow your beloved LORD and holy JESUS in His suffering Life who trod the Wine-press alone and of the People there was none with him who was compassed with Sorrows on every side He that was in such a Labyrinth of sorrows as never Man was he saw no comfort neither in Life nor Death above him nor below him from God or Men were our Condition as bad as his if it were possible that we were in the very midst of the heat and fire of Affliction when the flood of Temptation arises an hundred fold above your strongest hold yet here you may be at rest in your beloved LORD in an assured confidence that all things shall work together for your good that loves the LORD although you may cry out and say as I know a Soul that did Was ever any Sorrows like unto mine Did ever any go this Way before me The immediate Answer was Yes Moses and all the Prophets and JESUS the author and finisher thereof Therefore thou art compassed about with a cloud of Witnesses when upon an invisible sight I said O my God Must there be yet more fire then He said unto me In the Fire and in the Water I will be with thee and make thy way thorow all I believed the LORD and was strengthened and his powerful Word was my Salvation Therefore you that are brought into these fiery Trials have a care you murmur not neither