Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A93758
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To the present Queen Mary, Richard Stafford, a scribe of Jesus Christ, desireth temporal preservation and eternal salvation
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Stafford, Richard, 1663-1703.
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1692
(1692)
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Wing S5147; ESTC R42920
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5,965
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4
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out of Conscience and fear of the Lord and only out of Obedience to the Word of his Grace and for the Salvation of thine Immortal Soul For the Law of God cannot be altered or reversed or dispensed withal nor yet may People think by a stricter Observation of some of the Commandments to make atonement for the neglect and violation of others Thou didst well in putting out an Order for the strict observation of the Lord's Day For notwithstanding every way whether in pretence or in truth God's Laws is obeyed it is better than the open Contempt and Violation thereof If in the deep of thy heart thou dost not much care whither God's Commandments are kept or not but thou didst thus to deceive and ingratiate thy self with Godly and well-meaning People and hereby to strengthen the more though it is not possible to make Right thy present Tiâ—le all this is Gross Hypocrisy Shall not God search this out For he knows the secrets of the Heart But if thou didst this out of a Good Mind towards God and out of a desire for the saving of thine own Soul then thou wilt hearken unto and receive this further Word of Instruction viz. As we must come out of Egypt quite and not leave an Hoof behind Exod. 10.26 So if thou wouldst arrive at the Heavenly Canaan thou must abstain from every Transgression of any other Commandments of the two Tables Thou art not to pick and choose or Article with God which to do or observe and which to neglect but if thou wouldst be where David is thou must practise the same as He did For all his Judgments were before me and I did not put away his Statutes from me Psal 18.22 It is not simply the Observation of a Monthly Fast which is pleasing and acceptable unto God For Jesabel did proclaim a Fast when she was to take away Naboths Vineyard And the Spirit of God saith expresly by Jeremiah 14.12 When they fast I will not hear their Cry and when they offer burnt Offerings and an Oblation I will not accept them but I will consume them by the sword which hath been exactly fulfill'd in many chosen Men of England who have been sent out into the Neighbouring Nations or into Ships and there they have dyed or been killed by the Grievousness and Instruments of War And by the truth of that which we now see and know it is a certain token that God will not hear and accept all your several Acts of Religion and Worship But as he speaks in the tenth verse of the same Chapter He will remember your Iniquity and visit your Sins For though to forget and utterly take off from the Remembrance of them ye mention only King James and to excuse your selves ye speak Reproachfully and Contemptuously of him against whom ye have dealt treacherously see Mal. 2.14 Micah 7.6 yet he is thy own natural Father But chiefly He is a Creature whom God hath placed in such a Relation and concerning whom he hath given such Laws Orders and Rules which the People have transgressed and done otherwise than they shewed and commanded He was our King but our People did not keep his Commandments nor regard the Oath of God Eccles 8.2 which they had taken unto him so that your sins are not against King James but against God The Prophets throughout their Writings do abundantly speak against Sin Iniquity and Trangression all which which are general things which are reduced into such and such particular Acts. And here again the People fly out and hope to excuse and save themselves But God answers them in short Wherefore will ye plead with me ye all have transgressed against me saith the Lord the Lord of Hosts Jer. 2.29 And since it is Transgression What an unreasonable and unaccountable thing thing is it That any Creature should continue and persist therein For a Worm to wriggle with its Maker to stand as it were at plain Opposition and Defiance with the great Creator and Governour of the World That a dying Creature of five or six Foot long should os yet exalt it self Exod. 9.17 against the great God unto whom the whole World is but as the dust of the balance and who is from Everlastigg to Everlasting No Creature would dare or presume to do according to this manner if God were not out of sight and if he did not keep silence and also it is because he doth render present punishment But for these reasons the Children of Men are so refractory and contemptuous against him Whereas it would be better for them if they did consider and fear how that the same word which doth mention how that no Man hath feen God at any time John 1.18 God doth hold his Peac even of old Iâ—a 57.11 That sentence against an evil Work is not executed speedily Eceles 8.11 The same word speaketh expresly of the Glorious appearing of the great God Titus 2.13 That the Lord shall appear to he Joy of some and the shame of others as may be seen Isa 66.7 Our God shall come and shall not keep silence Psal 50.3 And I will punish the World for their Evil and the Wicked for their Iniquity and I will cause the Arrogancy of the Proud to cease and will lay low the Haughtiness of the Terrible Isa 13.11 which last hath already been fulfill'd in the foregoing Generations and is daily now fulfilling in the several Persons of Men and Women as they die and go away and then doth the Word begin to be fulfill'd and these shall go away into Everlasting punishment but the Righteous into Life Eternal Mat. 25.46 Is it not for thee O Mary to obey God If thou dost it will be accepted But if not Sin lieth at the Door which when thy Breath is out of thy Body will let into Everlasting Misery for this Word which is truly gather'd out of Scripture is stedfast and every Disobedience and Transgression receiveth a just Recompence of Reward He that Believeth and Obeyeth shall be saved but he that Believeth not nor yet Obeyeth shall be damned The Postscript which is laid before thee whither thou Readest it or not however it remains written that thou mayest read it whensoever thou wilt FOR Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John and bound him in Prison for Herodias his Brother Philip's Wife for John said unto Herod it is not Lawful for thee to have thy Brother's Wife Mark 6.17.18 In like manner thou mayest send forth again and put Richard Stafford in Prison for Richard Stafford hath said and published it and he doth again hereby say and publish the same That it is not Lawful for thee to have thy Father's Kingdom before his Death or willing Resignation It was not so much John the Baptist that said so in his time nor yet Richard Stafford who writeth and affirmeth after this manner But the very Law of God which is mention'd by John and myself saith so He had but one or two texts viz. Lev. 18.15 and 20.11 But I have one half of the Ten Commanâ—ments which were given on Mount Sinah engraven in Tables of Stone and also written 〈◊〉 the Fleshly Tables of our Hearts as we might perceive iâ— the vail of Transgression was done away and also many and sundry places of God's word besides and all these give attestation to what I have written Now it is one of the highest degrees of sin and disobedience when any Man or Woman shall not only be contented and resolved to do contrary or otherwise then the Law of God commands and requires but they will further imprison punish or put to death him who shall make mention of this Law of God and confront it to their doings And therefore the Spirlt who searcheth all things and knoweth where the very provocation of sin lies doth elsewhere rehearse it up more particularly But Herod the Tetrarch being Reproved by him for Herodias his Brother Philip 's Wife and for all the Evils which Herod had done Added yet this above all That he shut up John in Prison Luke 3.19 20. Both Herod and John Baptist are now gone off from the Stage of this World but now it would be better for Herod if he had never put John into Prison so both Mary Stuart and Richard Stafford are now going off from this Earth and I do here tell and warn thee before hand That it would be better for thee Mary if neither thy self or thy Ministers and Servants under thee had never or shall yet forbear to put Richard Stafford the Scribe in Prison for no other fault but only for writing the Law and Truth of God It is near the same whether this was or shall yet be done by thine Especial Comwand or by thy silent which gives consent Will and Pleasure and then it is by the Officiousness of those under thee But take ye all hoâ—… to your selves and fear least the same Law and Truth of God who doth now all th 〈…〉 s and Years of your Life suffee your Manners Acts 13.18 in this World but when they are ended I say again Take ye all heed and fear least the same Law and Truth of our God should reserve and bind ye in everlasting Chains under Darkness unto the Judgment of the Great Day and from thence ye be cast into Hell Whereof as Earthly Prisons are some kind of Representation so they do as much come short of the real Torment and Misery thereof as now the light and distant heat doth come short of and is less than the fire it self For as they are refreshing and comfortable when the last is nothing but pain and devouring â—o there is a sweetness in suffering for the Truth and Righteousness which doth arise from the sence and assurance of a greater future Glory and Reward when they that inflict it are hereby liable unto greater Condemnation and they shall feel a more exceeding and enduring Misery which shall be without END
To the Present QUEEN MARY Richard Stafford a Scribe of Jesus Christ desireth Temporal Preservation and Eternal Salvation THE Sence and Compassion of what is likely to be thy final Condition doth constrain me to write thus unto 〈◊〉 and to admonish thee with the following Words of Truth I do see with an Eye of Faith That They which do iniquity shall be cast into a furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of Teeth Mat. 13.41 42. For if it is not so Jesus Christ must be a Liar and Deceiver But as certain as he is Christ viz. the Anointed One of God there shall be such a thing And he therefore made it known to warn and testifie unto all the Sons and Daughters of Men That they do not Iniquity and so they shall not come to that Place of Punishment and Torment And seeing that thou thy self hast so long and dost yet live in and practice Iniquity or In-equity thou art therefore concerned herein and thou art in great danger of future Condemnation and Eternal Misery Which will be upon thee unless thou dost confess and forsake thy own Iniquity when thy soul is slipt out of this Tabernacle of Flesh and must appear before that God with whom there is no respect of Persons and who hath given such a Law to Mankind of every Nation Country and Language and to all the Generations which shall pass through this Earth as is declared in Scripture as thy own Conscience and the Spirit of thy Mind may somewhat judge and conceive hereof before hand for that would willingly set thee safe as to the dreadful and doubtful uncertainty of thy own Eternal state ann Condition if thou wouldest set thy Conscience as in the sight of God and wouldest suffer it to have its proper full and perfect work Hearken not or be sure not to trust thine own Everlasting Happiness or Misery to the suggestions and sayings of those who call themselves Bishops and Overseers who say they are sent forth to Minister unto thy Salvation and that of others But thou art cautioned again not to hearken unto or at least not to trust unto them For the Enemy of Souls hath raised a Mist and cast a dead sleep over those Watchmen that they are become blind and see only on the worldly corrupt side or They are dumb Dogs they cannot bark sleeping lying down loving to slumber They all look to their own way every one for his Gain from his Quarter and so they are destitute of the truth supposing that Gain is Godliness Their principal business is how to keep or get Preferment They study and endeavour how to please and not to offend though it be to sooth and be silent as to the sin and transgression of the Rich and Mighty People as if they were only to have their Portion in this Life and after Death to suffer a greater Punishment and Misery For the Bishops and Pastors should seek to turn away Iniquity from Jacob and to turn many to Righteousness but instead of that they do strengthen the hands of evil doers that none doth return from his Wickedness by promising him Life by vainly assuring People that they shall go to Heaven though they go on in their own ways and after their own Thoughts But notwithstanding all the Multitude of our Modern Pharisees who by reason of that and their Justifying themselves before Men they have the fashion as yet on their side the Word and Judgment of God doth pronounce and will determine them to be Ministers of Satan transformed into Ministers of Righteousness for they do rather Minister unto the destruction of Souls by preaching and speaking for the deceiveableness of Vnrighteousness so long that day by day they perish in it And they do rather keep People in than lead them out of the Mystery of Iniquity But setting aside all deceitful workers and corrupt handlers thereof hearken and attend unto what the Scripture which is able to make thee Wise unto Salvation saith expresly and clearly of it self For as Laban said It must not be so done in our Countrey to give the younger before the first-born Gen. 29.25 So is the current moaning and requiring of the whole Law of God for it is not consistent with that Righteousness and EQUITY where with the Lord will judge the World Psal 98.9 It must not or it ought not to be so done in this Nation of the Earth for thee who art sprung out of the Loins of thy Father to have his Right and Inheritance before his Death or willing Resignation The same I have more at large demonstrated in my Discourse on 2 Cor. 10.4 and more particularly in page 21. to which I refer thee and beseech thee to read and consider what is there noted out of the Scriptures of Truth as thou wouldest willingly obtain Eternal Salvation and avoid Everlasting Misery And it being the declaration of the Mind and Will of God that such a thing is an Iniquity viz. a thing not equal for thee who art his Creature to act yet contrary let me tell thee plainly and be not angry thereat for the fault is in thy self who dost commit this Iniquity and not in me who do only Admonish of and Reprove the same This is downright Disobedience and Rebellion against thy God In which if thou continuest thou art now under his Wrath and Displeasure and when thy Breath is out of thy Nostrils thou wilt fall under his severe Punishment and suffer the Vengeance of Eternal fire for that will be allotted unto thee if thou dost now in the days of thy Flesh give thy self over Jude 7. to the things which are contrary to his Law Either thou wilt Repent of this thy sin and Disobedience or thou wilt not If thou wilt not obey God who commands That the Wicked restore the Pledge and give again what he had Robbed Ezek. 33.15 Thou wilt be in certain danger when thou diest to be Miserable for ever But if thou dost come to Repentance the sooner thou dost it will be better for thee throughout all Eternity For the sooner any one comes to Repentance and lives in Obedience God is the better pleased with that Man or Woman and he will give to such a more full Reward hereafter Even the Souls will discern and perceive this so far that even when they are let slip into Eternity they will wish that they had served and obeyed the Lord in those days of their Flesh in which they did continue in Despising and Transgression So that from the Day of the Date hereof October 19. 1691. or rather from the day that this Word is delivered and made known unto thee Thou art hereby put in mind and exhorted yea thou art Charged and Commanded from the Law of the Lord thy God to give up again and resign thy Kingdom and Inheritance unto him whose Right it is and then thou shalt find favour in the day of thy Death Thou art to do this purely