loveth Righteousness his Countenance doth behold the upright And if such as are accounted his People do wickedly and do not walk in the Wayes of Righteousness and delight to do the Will of God and fulfill all Righteousness in all things to do his Will but tuâ—n aside into crooked Paths he will have no pleasure Ps 40. 8. Mat. 3. 15 in t'em but he will bring his Judgements sooner upon them then upon others until they sanctifie his Name by humbling themselves before him and by turning from all their Evils and by walking in the Paths of Holiness But I say had the Rule of our Lord and King been observed towards many on their first fall in breaking the Covenant they had solemnly taken how many Evils might it have prevented But again had there been at first a faithful reproving of a Spirit of bitterness and heaâ—t-risâ—ng against any that were Saints for their differing in judgement in some particular things and a following the Rule unto a casting such out of Churches as nourished heart-risings against any that were Saints because they were not of the same mind with us this Evil might have been banished from among Saints And if care had been taken to have admonished and reproved such as neglected to Chew the Cud viz. to call the Word to mind after they had heard it this profitable exercise would have been more constantly and more conscionably practised among Saints And if the Members of Churches had taken inspection into such as spend time unprofitably together when it might be spent to more edification it migâ—t have been a more constant practâ—ce among Saints to study that when they come together theâ—â— discourses may be such as may minister Grace to the Heareâ—s But all the House of Israel must know asâ—uredly that the Lord their God expects a thorow Reformation henceforward in this and all other things which concern the glorifying and sanctifying his great Name All wicked doers must be cut off from the City of the Lord. No particular person that is a wicked doer in any of these respects continuing and living in these Evils or any other Sin against knowledge may be received into the House of the Lord. Or if any that were reformed and then received into the House of the Lord do back-slide and relaps into Evil again they must be cut off from that holy place every vessel therein must be holiness to the Lord. The third position that is to be laid down from the Premises is this That Position III if as in the first Position there be not a speedy Humiliation And if as in the second there be not a speedy discharge of those several Duties by them who are best fitted for them and by all others as Assistants of them therein according to their several capacities the Lord our God and our Holy Righteous Father may be speedily provoked to remove the Candlesticks from the Churches in London and in all England not to say any thing of Churches elsewhere For the Church of Ephesus we find to be greatly commended for many things in these words I know thy Works and thy Labour and thy Patience and how thou canst not bear them which are evil And thou hast tryed Rev. 2. â— 3. them that say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them lyaâ—s and hast born and hast patience and for my Names-sake hast laboured and hast not fainted In which words we have many excellent Characters given of this Church As First They were Labourers and laboured in good Works They were not idle Drones in the Church of Christ but they laboured in the Lords Work and Service and though they might suffer Persecutions and mockings for their so doing yet they had patience to indure it all for the Lords-sake And Secondly They had such a Spirit of Zeal for the Lord and for the Holiness that became his House as they could not bear them which were Evil but would search it out and diâ—cover it and prosecute Evil doers according to the Rules of Christ And Thirdly They â—â—yed them which said they were Apostles and were not and found them Lyars which is their great commendation that they would not suffer any persons to impose upon them with the authority of Apostles which were not appointed by God thereunto but were found Lyars And Fourthly It is said They had born the Yoak of Christ and continued patient and as it is said They laboured so it is said They had not fainted which is their great commendation And though they had all these blessed quallifications yet the Lord thus expresses himself Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast â—â—st thy first Love remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first Works or else I will come unto thee quickly and remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou repent And if the Lord said thus to this Church of Ephesus that had so many worthy things in them because they had lost their first Love that is lost the heat and fervency of Love which they first had to him and to his wayes How much more may he say thus to many Churches now who come much short of the good that was in them and it may be have much more lost their first Love who have forsaken their first Husband and entertained other Lovers into their Bosoms whose coldness of Love is notoriously manifest to Men and Angels and whose extravagancies are many and great How can they expect any thing less but that that Sentence should be pronounced against them I will come unto such and such a Church thee quickly and remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou repent O that therefore all the Churches in England may remember from whence they are fallen and may repent The Conclusion of the whole Discourse NOw for a Conclusion of this Discourse That all the House of Israel may be incouraged to repent and return to the Lord even every particular Person as well those that are not Members of Particular Churches as those that are I have this further Message to declare unto them all that fear the Lord viz. That there is hope in Israel concerning this thing which is grounded upon the word of truth in these following Scriptures Isa 5. 17. For the iniquity Ezrâ— 16. 2. of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seen his wayes and I will heal him I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is far off and to him that is near saith the Lord and I will heale him but the wicked are like the troubled sea which cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt there is no peace saith my God to the wicked In which portion of the precious Scriptures of Truth the Spirit of the
out one of another and by taking up Evil * Witness Mr. Edward 's Gangranâ— Reports one of another and manifesting no Brotherly Love one to another but caâ—rying it one to another as if they were not Children of one Father I say in that the Lordâ— People have done thus they have provoked the Lord to scourge them all and to spare none of them And they must know that as far as they remain thus disposed he is greatly offended with them Not that the Lords People ought not at all to judge one another for there are many things that we may judge and censure one another for as when persons are overtaken in faults or evils that are against plain Rules such Rules as are acknowledged by all that acknowledge and believe in the true God and Jesus Chrâ—st whom he hath sent as to be a Lyar to steal to cheat to deceive to swear falsly to commit adultery to be malicious or envious or proud or covetous or impatient or froward or to be scornful are evils acknowledged by all that truly believe in the true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent to be against plain Rules received and acknowledged by them all and when we see a Brother overtaken in any of these or the like â—â—â—lts we are to judge and condemn them as the Works of Darkness and the Fruits of the Flesh and to endeavour to restore them that are guilty of them and to have no fellowship with them in such unfruitful Works of Darkness And accordingly the Independants the Baptised the Quakers and the Presbyterians do all bear witness and that justly against these and such-like Eâ—ils whether they are in any of their own Understandings or in any others And this kind of judging one another the Lord both commands and commends He commands it in these Scriptures Lev. 19. 17. Psal 94. 16. Mat. 18. 15 16 17. Ephes 5. 11. And the Lord commends it in the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2. 2. I know thy woâ—ks c and how thou canst not bear them which are evil That spirit of zeal that was in them against evil in any in that they would not bear noâ— suffer sin in any was very acceptable to him And therefore in such cases we may and ought to judge of the Ways and Spirits of men and to condemn the carnal minde and sinful disposition of spirit and the sinful ways of men for if a man be disobedient to that which he knoweth to be the Will of his Lord we ought to judge and condemn him therein But that which we are forbidden to judge one another for is the things in which we cannot be of one mind but do differ in our Understandings For though we may be perswaded that the Way wherein we walk is the very Way which the Word of God directs us to walk in yet we ought not to say that therein we are infallible And though we are all to walk in those things wherein we differ every one as we are perswaded in our own minds and should erre therein yet we may not be judged to be none of the Lords Servants or People For they onely may be said to be none of his that wilfully rebell against his known Will and continue in so doing without Repentance But there being this testimony in the Conscience of a man that with his whole Soul he desires and endeavours to do the will of God from the heart and that he doth not knowingly erre in one tittle from the Law of our Lord Jesus Christ but it grieves and troubles him for to censure or judge such a one to â—e none of the Lords is that which the Lord forbids But it may be said That some Quakers do not acknowledge the true God nor Jesus Christ our Lord whom he hath sent To that the answer is easie If they be such to our own knowledge as do deny the true God and Jesus Christ our Lord whom he hath sent as do not own him nor his Law nor profess an unfeigned subjeâ—ion to him in all things so far as they know his Will Then they are not to be owned as the Lords Servants but to be accounted as Heathens and Inâ—idels Buâ— if they do profess Faith in God and in Jesus Christ whom he hath sent and if the true Fear of the Lord be in them and they do manifest a subjection unto the Laws and Rules of the Lord Christ in all things so far as they know his Wâ—ll although they are very differing from us â—n many other things not so generally received by all the Lords People yet he thaâ— censures or judges them as Enemies of the Lord or condemns them as none of his may offend the Lord Christ Now as far as the Lords People have been censoriouâ— one of another and condemned one another as none of hiâ— so far they have greatly grieved hâ— holy Spirit in walking contraâ—y unto the blessed Rules of his Word in which he sweetly instructs his People thus Hereby shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another And Joh. 13. 35 1 Cor. 13. 5 Rom. 12. 10. Heb. 13. 1. Rom. 14. 2 3 4 5 9 10 12 13 23. Love thinketh no Evil. And Be kindly affectioned one towards another with Brotherly Love in honour preferring one another And Let Brotherly Love continue And in another place thus For one believeth that he may eat all things another who is weak eateth Herbs Let not him that eatetâ— dâ—spise him that eateth not and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth for God hath received him Who art thou that judgest another mans Servant To his own Master he standeth or falleth yea he shall he holden up for God is able to make him stand One man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day alike Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind To this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living But why dost thou judge thy Brother Or why dost thou set at nought thy Brother We shall all stand before the Judgement-seat of Christ So that every â—ne of us shall give an account of himself to God Let us noâ— therefore judge one another any more And Whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin And Judge not that ye be not judged And Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy Brothers Mat. 7. 1 3 4. Eye and considerest not the Beam that is in thine own Eye But very many of the Lords People have greatly sinned against him in not observing these blessed Instructions but they have cast them all behind their back as if they were of no concernment to them to observe But they have rebelled against the Lord and rejected the Word and Wisdom of the Lord herein And though he say Judge not that ye be not judged And Let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth for God hath received him And
the whole Earth when true Holiness and Spiritual beauty shall appear in it when it shall be arrayed in the Robes of Righteousness and cloathed with Humility that shining beautiful Rayment and be adorned with the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit and be beautified with the exceeding precious Jewels of Faith and Love when their Faith in God shall be such as they shall not fear what all the united Forces of men or of Devils can do against them and their love such to God to his People and to mankind in general as it shall be the delight of their Souls to do Service to God and to do good in all respects to mankind in general as far as lies in them And when this spiritual Beauty appears on Sion then it shall be the praise of the whole Earth then men shall praise it and glorifie the God of Israel whose Children they are And without this though Sion should have full deliverance from all outward Enemies and though it should have all the outward prosperity that heart could wish instead of being a praise in the Earth and an honour to the Lord it might become a stink in his Nostrils and a stain a blot and a dishonour to his most Glorious and most Blessed Name But all those that wait for Redemption from sin in Jerusalem and that pray and long for the true glory of Sion that it may truly be a praise in the Earth they will rejoyce more in any work that hath any tendency to the discovery of the stumbling-blocks hereunto and to the taking them out of the way then if any one should give unto them thousands of Gold and Silver it will make their hearts leap for joy But I must tell the courtious Reader by the way That my prayer hath long been That God would call forth some better instrument to this Service that he hath appointed me to and give a greater measure of annointing to some excellent One of his that is in this Earth that might do it to greater advantage and so it had been done by any other it may be I had been altogether silent But none yet appearing behold a Babe must do it it may be to provoke others who yet have fuller measures of the Holy Oyl to pour out to this purpose for if this incission be not deep enough and if this Potion do not thorowly stir all the Humours which yet it aims at this being but an Essay it may be a second third or fourth attempt of some one or more that may be greatly replenished with a large Portion of the Holy Spirit that may convince of sin and be a word of Power through the concurrence of the Spirit to draw forth bitter mournings in the Lords People over all their Iniquities may effectually prevail to cast all the stumbling blocks out of the way of his Isa 57 14 Mat. 13. 41. People and to remove every thing that offends But if any of the Lords People shall after all that is or may be done in order hereunto hug their lusts as their beloved Delilahs in their Bosoms and roll them as sweet Morsels under their Tongues the Souls of many will mourn in secret for their pride But that be far from any But as I said before so I doubt not but am very sure of this there are many thousands in these three Nations that are true hearted Nathaniels that will not be offended but well-pleased with the convincing charging and reproving part of this Discourse even so well satisfied as they will say as Peter said to his dear Lord in another case Lord not my feet onely but my hands and my head also So will they say to the God of Israel Lord let not this Work or any other that may follow it onely tend to discover the Evils of the Paths of our feet and to turn us from them but also convince us of and turn us from all the Errors and Evils of our heads and hearts also and of our whole man we would be all over fair and beautiful and have no spot in us And they will say they are not herein too harshly dealt with but rather say the harshest word is the most acceptable word to them The whole scope of this Discourse is to do that work that must be done before the approaching glory can be expected viz. to prepare the Way of the Lord in the Wilderness and to make streight in the Desart a high way for our God And when that is done the Glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together as is plain Isa 40. 3 4 5. The Lords Sion hath a long time been and is at present in a Wilderness Desart state A Wilderness a Desart is a rough unhewen unpollished thing no beauty no comliness is in it There are no pleasant Walks no plain and streight Paths drawn by a line in a Wilderness but rough crooked places Hills and Vallies altogether unpleasant little fruit grows there but poor dry heathy shrubs that are of little use And thus it is and hath a long time been with Sion with the Lords own People they have been very barren and unfruitful and like the dry and parched ground they have dead hearts unprofitable and unfruitful lives and conversations in comparison of what they should be little verdure little greenness appears in them but they are like the heathy shrubs of the Desart places They have not plain streight Paths among them but have crooked Spirits and walk in crooked Paths But though this is Sions sad case at this day yet there are glorious Promises made to it as Isa 51. 3. The Lord shall comfort Sion he will comfort all her waste places though she is unfruitful and waste yet she shall not be forgotten but the Lord will comfort her and how by making her Wilderness like Eden And he will make her Wilderness like Eden though she is an unfruitful Wilderness yet she shall be as fruitful as ever Eden was even as the Garden of the Lord and when she is so fruitful she shall be comforted indeed then Joy and gladness shall be found therein thanksgiving and the voice of Melody This is a very great and precious promise the like is Isa 35. 1 2. The Wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them viz. the judgements of God upon Babylon and the Desart shall rejoyce Sion though a Desart shall rejoyce and blossom as the Rose it shall blossom abundantly not a few thin blossoms but abundantly and rejoyce with joy and singing The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it the excellency of Carmel and Sharon no place more excelling in glory for fruitfulness then it shall be they shall see the glory of the Lord and the excellency of our God So that it is plain that though Sion be a Wilderness yet it shall become a most lovely pleasant glorious and beautiful place But it is as plain that in order hereunto there
must be a cry made in the Wilderness that must have a tendency to prepare the way of the Lord and to make his Paths strait Isa 40. 2 3. to exalt the Valleys and to make low the Mountains and Hills to make the crooked strait and the rough places plain that the way of the Lord may be prepared But as yet although the Judgements the dreadful judgements of the Lord have come upon the People in these three Nations one upon the back of another and his anger is not yet turned away but his hand is stretched out still yet there is no appearance of his Peoples making preparation for him there is not yet a turning to him that smiteth them they do not put away the evil of their doings from before his eyes and Isa 9 13. 17. cease to do evil and learn to do well but they seem to be so far from it as they are not come to any sence of any of the Evils they have done to provoke him to do all that he hath done but they go on in their provocations of him more and more and are in the same sinful posture now that they were in seven years agoe as if they were altogether blind and did not see the causes for which he first turned the Wheel upon them nor because of which his anger is not yet turned away but his hand is stretched out still but they are directly and exactly in the posture of that people mentioned Jer. 8. 9. Why then is this people of Jerusalem sliden back by a perpetual backsliding They hold fast deceit they refuse to return I hearkened and heard but they speak not aright no man repented him of his wickedness saying What have I done Every one turned to his course as the Horse rusheth into the Battel There hath been a grievous back-sliding from the Lord by his People in these Nations into many Evils and how lamentable is it it seems to be perpetual to be more and more provoking the Lord to his very Face and God having striken and smitten them now is hearkening for their repentance and for their speaking right words and confessing their Iniquities and justifying him in his Righteous Judgements but instead hereof it may be truly said That no man repenteth him of his wickedness no man speaketh right words in giving glory to God no but men are so far from so doing as they do not so much as say What have I done as if they had not so much as a thought that they had done any thing to procure all these dreadful Judgements No man thinks the cause is in himself no man sayes What have I done to procure all these heavy Judgements What cause is there in me Or O that I knew what particular sin or sins in me in particular are the causes of these things And oh that I might obtain strength from on high to turn from them But every * I mean the generality though one here and there is not so Isa 69. 11. one plods on in the same Evils still that he or she hath done And this may be made manifest by the discoveries that are made of the temper and posture of their Spirits in all their Meetings generally there is usually a great complaining of their Sufferings and many cries put up for deliverance and great lamentations over their desolations and distresses and they roar all like Bears and mourn sore like Doves because they have long looked for deliverance but there is none for Salvation but it is far from them But there is little acknowledging the causes of all these things there is little or no sence of them appears in their Spirits It is true they will in general acknowledge that they are Sinners and so will the worst of men do but they rarely make acknowledgements of the particular Sins of which they generally are most deeply guilty And though some are more excessively guilty of some sins and others of others then some others of them are yet most of them are exceeding guilty of some particular Evils or other of the Evils herein declared to them I say in their Meetings together to Worship the Lord they do not come with any sence of them at all many times having not so much as a thought of them by any thing that appears in their words or actions but as if they were altogether blind and saw nothing of evil in themselves they come before the Lord without any shame or blushing for their sins in particular or any sence of his indignation against them for those Evils and consequently are far from Repentance and from turning from them for they are strangers to the first step of Repentance I considered my wayes saith David and turned my feet unto thy Testimonies Psal 119. 59. But they do not so much as consider their wayes nor say What have I done And without this How can they be sensible of the evil of their wayes And if they have no sence of the evil of their wayes How can they be ashamed of them How can they be grieved and broken in heart because of them How can they bewail and lament their unworthiness and vileness in rejecting the Word of the Lord even the blessed Precepts and Instructions of the Lord and casting them behind their back to fulfil the lusts of their flesh And if they do not lament sore and mourn over their unworthy wretched base dispositions of Spirit How can they repent of them and turn from them confess and forsake them loathing themselves because of them abhoring themselves in Dust and Ashes But for the most part they are not come to this step to say What have I done They are not yet come to consider their wayes But not doubting but that when many of them read these high charges that are brought against them they will be so far from stumbling at it or being offended as they will rather say Good Lord if this be my Case indeed that though I think I have considered my wayes yet indeed I have not considered them as I ought be pleased to help me to come to this step in Truth and in sincerity and in good earnest to search and inquire and say What have I done Even I What have I in particular done to provoke the Eyes of thy most Blessed aad most Glorious Majesty to do all this that thou hast done unto thy People in delivering the dearly Beloved of thy Soul into the hand of an Enemy and to chastise them by wicked men who are thy Sword the Staff in whose hand is thine indignation O help me in the multitude of thy tender Mercies to search what I have done and not to cease going from step to step until thine expectation be answered until thy Corrections have such kindly effects upon my Soul as that thou mayest say Thou hast thine end and that true Repentance of and turning from Sin is brought forth which thou aimest at in all thy rebukes and chastisements
of thy Children for thy great end in chastising thy Children is to make them partakers of thy Holinesse And O Righteous Father be pleased therefore if I yet see not mine own particular Iniquities to shew them me either by this published Declaration of the Transgressions of thy People or by any other means thou pleasest and leave me not until thou hast accomplished thy great designs upon my Spirit and grant the same Grace unto all thy People in general and leave us not until Sion become the Praise of the whole Earth I say not doubting but that such as these will be the Supplications of the many thousands of Israel that are Israelites indeed I shall leave Ingenious Reader the following Discourse unto thy most serious and most diligent consideration as that which eminently and evidently concerns thy Peace in this thy Day And the God of Israel shower down his Holy Spirit upon thee and upon whole Sion in an abundant manner and measure To the Praise of his most Blessed and most Glorious Name Amen April 30. 1667. Holy David the Man that was after Gods * own heart said My 1 Sam 13 14. Psal 119. 129. †flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy Judgements And Proverbs 28. 14. It is said Happy is the man that feareth alway But he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief And now even NOW in an especial manner what great reason have we to be afraid because of Gods Judgements Considering what dreadful judgements have already come upon us in these Nations and what terrible and astonishing Judgements seem to be hanging over our heads but as it were by a fine spun thread and may come suddenly with dreadful thunderings down upon us so as none may be able to resist It therefore greatly concerns all Persons vvhatsoever to be afraid of nourishing any Evils vvhatsoever in their bosoms lest they prove as so much Gunpovvder vvithin them that vvhen the fiery Indignation comes dovvn upon them may tear †Psal 50 22. them in pieces and there be none to deliver them But it is a sad sign when persons are grown Preaching Proof and Printing Proof and Judgement Proof A gracious Soul when it hears a convincing Sermon desires as those Acts 13. 42. that those words may be Preached to them again the next Saboth or wishes they might have it in Writing or have it in Print or if they meet with persons that deal plainly with them they desire more of that kindness from them But hardened Souls care little for such company and regard not any reproofs Prov. 13. 1. A Scorner heareth not rebuke Prov. 12. 1. Who so loveth Instruction loveth Knowledge but he that hateth reproof is bruitish Prov. 1. 20 23. Wisdom cryeth without she uttereth her Voice in the Streets Turn you at my reproof Behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you I will make known my Words unto you ERRATA REaders though there be some small Errors in the Printing that have escaped the Press by reason of the Authors being some time absent yet there is but one considerable word which you are desired to amend with you Pen it is page 78. line 29. where for unreasonableness write unanswerableness A Voice lifted up like a Trumpet With a Loud and Full Sound Declaring without Flattery or Partiality to all that fear and love the Lord small and great in England Scotland and Ireland that truly are of the House of Jacob whether they are Presbyterians so called by way of distinction or Independants Anabaptists or Quakers or any other that pretend to have Interest in or Relation to the Lord JESUS CHRIST what their Sins are To the end they may wash their Hearts from Wickedness that they may be saved Beloved and honoured if You fear the Lord Ps 15. 4. THe Lion hath roared who will not fear The great and Amos 3 8 glorious Lord of Heaven and Earth hath discovered his great displeasure against us who will not tremble Our Num. 12. 14. Amos 3. 8 Isa 58. 1. Father hath spit in our Faces should we not be ashamed The Lord God hath spoken who can but prophesie The Lord hath said to his Prophet Cry aloud spare not lift up thy Voice like a Trumpet and shew my People their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins O House of Jacob come ye and let us walk in the light of Isa 2. 5. 2 Chron. 20 20. the Lord Believe in the Lord your God so shall you be established believe his Prophets so shâ—ll you prosper Believe all the words of the Lord all the words of Truth and of the Prophets of the Lord that are written in this Book shewing you YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS discovering YOUR SINS which if you hide you shall not prosper but if you confess and forsake you Prov. 28. 13. shall surely find mercy and be establisâ—ed Your Sins O House of Jacob have been manifold and great you have been great Sinners and you have greatly given occasion to the Enemies of the Lord to blaspheme and you have greatly provoked the Eyes of his Glory And O House of Jacob that your Sins have been very great is clear by that Voice of the Lord by his Prophet Isa 42. 24 25. Who gave Jacob to the spoil and Israel to the robbers Did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned For they would not walk in his ways neither were they obedient unto his Law therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and the strength of battel and it hath set him on fiâ—e round about yet he knew it not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart Did the Prophet Isaiah prophesie and declare this for the People of the Lord that were in his own time or days onely Doth not this Prophecy concern all the House of Jacob in all times to whom it may be as fully applicable as unto them Was it not written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come If so then O House of Jacob KNOW YE that the Lord against whom you have sinned hath given his Jacob to the spoil and his Israel to the Robbers and it is of the Lord you are given to them For your sins you are a People Isa 42. 22 robbed and spoiled and snared in holes and hid in Prison-Houses and ye are for a prey and none delivereth and for a spoil and none saith Restore And he hath poured upon you the fury of his anger and the strength of battel and added to this that sore Judgement of the Pestilence that walketh in darkness and the Destruction that wasteth at noon day Because ye would not walk in his ways neither were obedient to his Law But if you should say We have walked in his Ways and we have been obedient Isa 42. 24 unto his Law in some measure We have frequented the Assemblies of his Saints we have gone to the
Church-Assemblies where we have heard the good Word of God in the Parish-Assemblies and in other Assemblies and the Word of the Lord hath been sweet unto us And we have been Partakers of that great Ordinance of the Lords institution at his Last Supper frequently wherein we have endeavoured to do it in remembrance of him and to shew forth his death until he come And we have upon several occasions kept days of Fasting and days of Thanksgiving both publickly and more retiredly And wherein have we not walked in the Ways of God nor been obedient unto his Laws The answer to these things is this It is true O House of Jacob that ye do many of you seek the Lord dayly and delight to know his ways as a Isa 58. 2. Nation that did Righteousness and forsook not the Ordinances of their God yea ye ask of him the Ordinances of Justice and ye take delight in approaching to God and ye come and sit before the Prophets and Ministers of God as his People and ye say the Word of the Lord is good and it is sweet Ezek. 32. 31 32. and with your mouth you shew much love But notwithstanding all this you are a People that have greatly sinned against the Lord for you would not walk in his ways neither were you obedient unto his Laws and you must be shewed wherein And you must know this O House of Jacob though there be many sins that ye cannot be said to be guilty of living in the constant practice of as those others do that cannot in any sence be called by the name of the House of Jacob or Israel because they do not so much as pretend to be Professors of being the Lords servants or being as they call some Puritans but despise being such Yet there are some sins that you the generality of you are as guilty of as the generality of those others are and those sins that you are guilty of are as odious and hateful in the sight of God as the other sins they live in are as you will see by the Testimony of his Servants the Prophets The sins that you are not guilty of or at least cannot be said to live in them as others do are these 1. The Sins of common and prophane swearing and taking the Name of God in vain and of horrible and blasphemous speeches The Sins of this sort are not your Sins that are Professors of the Fear and Love of God in your hearts but are the Sins of wicked prophane loose Creatures that make no profession of the Fear of God 2. The Sin of a common prophane idle loose spending the Sabbath-day or the first day of the Week in sports and plays and dancing and drinking and vain discourses This hath not been the Sin of any of them that have professed the fear of the Lord But they have generally in their measure though not without their weaknesses endeavoured conscionably to spend that â—ay in exercises of another nature Yea they that profess the fear of the Lord have generally a desire to keep as a day to the Lord one day in seven at least either the first day of the week or the seventh day and some of them have conscionably observed and kept both the seventh day and the first day of the week So that this hath not been your sin O ye that may be called by the name of the House of Jacob or of the Lords People but the sin of the prophane World 3. The Sin of unconscionable and wicked lying and deceitful words in jest or earnest in the common manner of some that make no conscience at all of telling Lies is not a sin that they that fear the Lord live in but their words and their reports of things have generally been such as have credit upon the account of their profession and they are known to be such as will not lie and men will take their words in the things which they say or promise 4. The sin of stealing and common cheating and deceiving which many make no bones of is not a Sin that they live in that fear the Lord but if before Conversion they have cheated any yet when they come to fear the Lord they do restore it again 5. The Sin of Adultery or Fornication or Whoredom is a Sin that they do not live in that fear the Lord but they abhor such beastliness such filthiness as knowing that Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Heb. 13. 4 6. The sin of Drunkenness and excessive abuse of those good Creatures that are given for the refreshment of our Bodies and not for intemperancy nor for the destruction of the health of the Body as intemperancy in the use of them is to many This is not a Sin of the House of Jacob. They that profess the fear of the Lord do not live in the practice of it But their sobriety and moderation therein is known unto all men These six great Evils and the Evils of the breach of the fifth and sixth Commandments which some others make no Bones of are Sins that are not at this day chargeable upon the People that profess the fear of the Lord. It cannot be said that they do live in the Practice of them Though it cannot be denied but in most of these very Sins some or other of them that fear the Lord have sometimes miscarried But it may not be said that they or any of them do constantly live in these Sins from day to day or week to week as they do in some other Sins but tâ—eir miscarrying in these things is very rare and when they do they are grieved and troubled for and repent of their so doing with all their Souls And as for some of these Sins very many of them that profess the fear of the Lord were never guilty of the commission of them in all their Lives and if any of them ever were it may be it is not one of a hundred or one of a thousand of them that have so bin guilty and they have truly repented of them and turned from them as Stealing Cheating Adultery Fornication or Murder or common Swearing I say these Sins that have been named are not the Sins of the Lords People at this day But if such things be discovered in any that profess to be the Lords People and are Members of Sion of the Churches of Christ they soon come under Reproof and Censure and if they live in them they are frequently Excommunicate or cast out of the Churches as unfit to have the Name of living in Sion or of being accounted the Israel of God But O House of Jacob and you that are called by the Name of Israel you are generally guilty at this day of great and horrible Evils for which the Lord hath brought upon you one Judgement after another and his anger is not yet turned away but his hand is stretched out still Therefore O Israel consider Isa 9. 17 21. well
that Word of the Lord already mentioned Isa 42. 24 25. Who gave Jacob to the Spoil and Israel to the Robbers Did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned This is spoken to you now and you have sinned against the Lord. And though you have not lived in these Sins that have been mentioned yet you have greatly sinned and your have lived in Sins which are as great as they Which are These 1. The Sin of COVETOUSNESS This Sin is and hath been thy Sin O House of Jaâ—ob and ye that are called by the Name of Israel This I COVETOUSNESS is a Sin of the Lords People Jer. 5. 28. hath been one of your Sins and this is one of your grand Iniquities and your horrible Sins as will be made to appear And this is a sin wherein you have equalized if you have not surpassed the deeds of the wicked As appears by what follows The Lord gave to the professing People of England Scotland and Ireland within these twenty years last past as much liberty to worship him as their Hearts could wish both in their Parish-Assemblies and other Assemblies They could not desire more liberty then was given to them for every one to worship him in that way in which they were perswaded in their own hearts was according to the minde and will of God And withal he gave to multitudes of them the additions of Health and Wealth and Riches What could have been done more for his Vinyard then he did for them But he looked that they should bring forth Grapes and they brought forth wild Grapes Instead Isa 5. 4. of devoting themselves to Him and to his Service and of presenting their Bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable to God which was their reasonable Service they fell in love with this present World and the Wealth Profits Pleasures and Honours thereof as if there were more beauty in it then in him and as if the Pleasures Profits and Honours of the World did out-bid him and they have chosen to set their Affections upon it and to give up their Hearts to it and to spend their whole Time and Strength and Care and Parts and Abilities which were given for more Noble Ends to grasp much of it together And they have forsaken their God and retained but the Name of being his but he hath not been their Delight their chief Joy and Solace the chiefest of ten thousand But their profits and incomes of outward things they have been their delight and pleasure and they have been as Cordials to them But God hath not been in all their thoughts sometimes all the day long no they have had other Lovers this business to be done and that and t'other business by which outward profits might come in and they have been as meat and drink to them and they can many times forget to eat their Bread to do business of profit But the service of the Lord that what 's that That must not hinder this business and that business that may be done when they have nothing else to do How many days have been spent day after day and scarce half an hour spent in the service of God And that with coldness enough onely to keep the Name of being the Lords Servants and therefore when nothing else could be done that was for worldly profit then the Lord was served in such a manner as it was as on the first day of the week when worldly business could not be done then there would be a coming to the Assemblies of the Saints and a kind of worshipping â—od when the heart was fâ—r enoâ—gh from him for having been engaged in worldly business all the week long it was full of worldly contrivances for profit and gain and wandering up and down in the world as in its proper element when the bodily presence seemed to be before God And so if sometimes in the week days there were an hour or two or three spent in the service of God in a day though very seldom either at a Meeting or it may be in a Closet the world had so much of the heart as very little of it was with God all the while whether on the Sabbath day or any other day onely a conscience and a Name of being the Lords Servants put upon it more then love to it for other Lovers were set up in the hearts of Professors fine Houses were beloved and fine Gardens and Orchards and fine Trades that brought in profits by hundreds or five hundreds or thousands by the year O how sweet were these things O how pleasant for delights What for him that never enjoy'd fifty pound in all his Life that he could say was his own free of debt to fall upon such a Trade or to come into such an Office or Offices as now to have gained fifty pounds per year a hundred two hundred or three hundred per year O how sweet was this What pleasure was there in this What a delightful and desirable thing was it to be so much above those that were his Equals before To be now so and so advanced How sweet were these things So sweet as they were still more and more desired and when a man had so much then he would fain have so much and then so much and then so much and who was it that ever came to a stint to a satisfaction To say I have enough for me and mine I desire no more I will never neglect one days service of God any more to gain any more of this World which I must shortly leave and I know not when I leave it whether it will be a blessing or a curse to my Children I know not whether I do heap it up for to be Ecccl. 5. 13. the hurt and the damage of me and my Posterity after me to nourish them up in idleness and fulness of Bread and it may be in Sodomy even in all those hateful evils which I see many great mens Children are addicted to that it may be it were better my Children had never been born then to have such Temptations left to them as my Estate may be to them Who was it in all the three Nations that came to so much as this while Wealth did flow in upon them Who was it that had their hearts dis-engaged from the pursuit of it How small was the number of them But O thou that art named the House of Jacob how greatly hast thou provoked thy God by a perpetual backsliding Thou art gone away backward thou hast said in thy actions and thy deeds I have loved Strangers and after them will I go so that Jer. 2. 25. there seems to be no hope of thy return Now consider O thou backsliding Daughter how the Lord resents this evil of thine Hearken unto that Voice of his by Jeremiah his Prophet Jer. 2. 12 13. Be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be ye horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord For my People
his poor People from so doing God requiâ—es of a man according to what he hath and not according to what he hath not But it is you that are the Great Sinners the great Idolators the great Adulterers that have hundreds of Pounds free of Debt or hundreds or five hundreds per year more or less that delight to hoord it up and have your affections so engaged unto it as you cannot endure to part with any thing that 's considerable of it not on good accounts And this is the Sin THE gâ—eat Sin which the House of Jacob the Lords People are guilty of This is the Epidemical Sin the general Disease among them though not of every individual Person of them excepâ—ing onely what is before excepted But it is so general a Sin as there are but few left to bear witness against it for it is a rare thing for any to be a witness against himself and because that from the least to the greatest every one hath been given to Covetousness there is few left to bear a Testimony against it but they have said one to another in their hearts Bear with me and I will bear with thee The Minister that pâ—eached the Lecture or other Sermon could not reprove the covetous Shopkeeper Merchant or Gentleman that was his Hearer for fear lest he should with-hold his Gâ—fts from him The Elders of the Independant and Baptised People and those called the Ministry among the Quakers were the same if they were supplied by their Hearers or if not then having Estates of their own they have â—een eager in getting more still and so closely kept their Wealth that they could not blame others that did so also and the People they could not blame their Teachers nor one another for Covetousness for they were all alike for every one from the least to the greatest were given to Coveteousness And therefore it was a thing rarely or never known that ever the Churches proceeded against any Member meerly for Covetousness That either the Presbyterian or any other of the Congregations or Societies ever excluded any Member for Covetousness though there is as plain a Rule for thaâ— as for Drunkenness Yet I never heard that any Member was ever proceeded against for that onely though there have been multitudes of them that as much deserved to be cast out of Fellowship as some that have been cast out for Drunkenness or Adultery or other Evils for which they have been justly excommunicate But though the Rule is plain That any that is called a Brother that is a covetous 1 Cor. 5. 11 Persons we are not to keep company with and it is as plain That such shall not inherit the Kingdom of God nor of Christ Yet such have been 1 Cor. 6. 10 imbraced and are imbraced in the Bosom of the Churches and some of them are highly esteemed in the Churches though not for their Covetousness for their Gifts and Abilities to preach and to feed the Flock and for their name of Greatness in the World the poor Flock loving to have some silken Sheep among them even Persons of repute in the World But Covetousness hath been as hath been said so general a Disease that the little could not reprove the great nor the great the little and so the Churches have been generally defiled and polluted and the Name of the Lord hath been greatly dishonoured among them And of this Sin of the love of this World and the great delight that many Professors have in it and their close cleaving to it and their sinful lustful desires after it it may be said as is said of the whorish Woman Prov. 7. 26. She hath cast down many wounded yea many strong men have been slain by her O how sad is it to consider of the many hundreds of those that have seemed to be no little ones nor no Fools but those that have been great men and wise men and strong men men of no mean parts that have fallen down wounded at her feet and have been carried away by her as an Ox to the slaughter and have truly been slain by her For the Profits and Pleasures and Honour and Glory of this World is none of the meanest Engines which the Devil uses by which he destroys so many Souls If it had been weak and mean he would never have used it as his last and greatest Engine against the Lord of Glory himself But though he used it in vain against him against whom it was not possible for him to prevail yet he hath prevailed and prevailed in a lamentable manner against many thousands of you that are Professors and that are called the People of the Lord And as you have been told it is a universal Disease among you very yea very few among you excepted Therefore let every one of you faithfully and throughly search his and her heart and say Is it I Is it I And finding your selves guilty more or less set your selves against it as against the Plague the bane of your Souls and never leave using all spiritual means until you are throughly purged and cleansed of it But guilty in a high degree ye are of it O House of Jacob and the Lord your Lord is highly displeased by it and therefore chiefly though also for other Sins he so hides his Face from you as he doth And therefore is it that you have for a long time even for this seven aâ—d seven years had so little communion with him and so little of the sweet Influences of his holy Spirit Therefore have you been so unfruitful under the Ordinances that you have enjoyed and do enjoy Therefore have many of you had such cause to complain of Deadness and Unprofitableness under the means of Grace therefore is it that there hath been so few also that have been lately converted by the preaching of the Word and the Ordinances practised among you whether in Parish-Assemblies or other Congregational Assemblies For how could it be expected that you should enjoy the sweet Rays of the shining Face of your great and glorious Lord and partake of the sweet Influences of the Grace and Love of his Heart toward you when your Hearts were goâ—e to another then him when you loved Strangers and after them you would and did go And though you did come and bring your bodily presence into the Assemblies on the Sabbath Day or first day of the Week and you came and sat before him as his People yet youâ— hearts which had been all the week swallowed up in the World would be then unavoidably also full of worldly Contrivances and your affections then as strongly set upon worldly things as all the week besides and his Soul could take no pleasure in you Ezek. 33. 31. and you had no communion with him at all but your hearts went after your Covetousness And he therefore withdrew the sweet Influences of his Grace and Kindness from you and left you to the vanity of your own Hearts
and hid his face from you so that you could hardly have so much as a glimpse of it from week to week It is no wonder that the Wife is unfruitful when her Husband is withdrawn from her It is no wonder that you have been baâ—ren and unfruitful and that the Fruits of the Spirit have not been brought forth by you but you have been as a barren Wilderness Your Lord is withdrawn from you for you have grieved his Spirit and he could take no pleasure in you and therefore you must needs be barren It is said of Believers in Christ That they are married even to him who is raised Rom. 7. 4 from the dead that they should bring forth fruit unto God You have been married unto him but you have left your first Husband and are gone to other Lovers and therefore have not brought forth Fruit unto God neither in your particular conversations neither yet have you been Instruments in converting others and bearing Children unto him The time was when it might be said of Sion This and that man was born in her But how few have been born in Sion of late But when you shall turn to the Lord again and cast off with a holy indignation all other Lovers and shall say I will return to my Hos 2. 7. first Husband for it was better with me then than now and shall be again betrothed and engaged to him so as never to depart from him any more Then you shall bring forth Fruit to him in another manner then you have done for these many years But in the mean time you are hereby told what your Sin is and what the reason of his great displeasure against you is for which he hath corrected you again and again even your Covetousness your love of Money is THE Sin that you have been generally guilty of as well those in the highest as those in the lowest forms And though some few Congregations or Churches one or two or more of you have exalted themselves up to heaven in their own imaginations and thought that they were excelling all others on the account of some peculiar Principles which they hold and have upon that account separated from all others as not worthy to have communion with them yet are they in respect of this Evil and the following Evils as vile and as wretched as others and some among those Churches are as great Lovers of the World as others and their Idolatries and Adulteries are as odious as others And there is no Church in England Scotland or Ireland found free but they have all provoked the Lord their God in a very high degree by this great Abomination But there are other Sins which the Lords People are guilty of also which are to be shewn to them with a SPARE NOT Cry aloud SPARE NOT shew my People their Transgressions and the House of Jacob their Sins are the Lords own Words II. Another sin which is a sin of the Lords People which is to be shewn to II. HARD-HEARTEDNES Job 42. 6. them that they may be ashamed and abhor themselves and repent in dust and ashes is the sin of HARD-HEARTEDNESS and shuting up the bowels of their Compassion from the Poor and Needy which hath sprung from that great Root of Evil Covetousness which hath been justly mentioned in the first place it being the spring and root of very much bitter Fruit according to that word of the blessed Apostle Paul who was cleer no doubt of that sin himself it being plainly demonstrated in his whole course of Life 1 Tim. 6. 10. For the love of Money is the Root of all Evil. Hard-heartedness and close-fistedness hath been I say another great â—â—n of many of the Lords people especially of them that are rich in this world and that have free and comfortable estates that they can call their own I shall the more briefly speak to this sin under this head having spoken to it in the former as it is one proof of that great sin of Covetousness But that this is a great and hateful sin appears thus The great Commandment of the Gospel is Love and it is the great Command not onely of the Gospel but also of the Law and therefore as it is called a New Commandment so it is called an Old Commandment also I say the great New Commandment which also is the Old is Love and it is the great Character of a Gospel-Saint especially Hereby shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another Now this Sin of Hard-heartedness and John 13. â—5 Jam. 2 8. Close-fistedness in them that profess to be the Disciples of Christ and the Lords People is a great blemish to their Profession and a great Evidence of their Disobedience unto the Royal Law of the Gospel unto the great Command of their great and glorious Lord and Master But this is the Sin of very many of the Lords People and though they do obey the Lord in many other things yet in this they do not Though this is that great Commandment of his that he did servently desire to be obeyed in and that he did so frequently inculcate again and again But you will say We do love one another we do love the Brethren we love them above all others as they are Brethren and as they are the Children of our Father and as the Image of Jesus Christ is in them they are very dear unto us To which the answer is Yea so you do in word and you will speak very kindly to them and you will wish them well and you will do kindnesses foâ— them if they cost you nothing But consider what the Apostle James says If a Brother or Sister be naked and destitute of dayly Food and one of you say Depart Jam. 2. 15 16. in Peace be you warmed and filled notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the Body what doth it profit If ye speak never so kindly and profess love and it may be have some love to them but if not so much as to communicate wherewith to supply their wants what doth it profit What doth it profit them or what doth it profit you Do ye think that love ye profess to have to them shall be taken notice of if ye have Estates and have not Hearts to manifest that ye have true love and true Bowels of Compassion by supplying their wants Whatever your Children need ye have bowels to them and supply their wants and ye cannot but supply them because ye love them and had you love to the poor members of Christ in necessity you would also supply their wants but your Hard-heartedness appears in your Close-fistedness and therefore consider what the lovely Apostle John speaks 1 Joh. 3. 17. But whoso hath this Worlds good and seeth his Brother hath need and shutteth up his Bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him It is an evidence
that all Bowels of Compassion are shut up when there is a with-holding of communicating of this Worlds Good to a needy Person by those that have it and what will such talk of Love He that shutteth up the Bowels of his Compassion how dwelleth the love of God in him What evidence of it doth he give He that loveth God loveth the Children of God whether sick or in Prison or in Hunger or Nakedness But what demonstrations of it do hard-hearted Persons give that have this Worlds good and shut up the Bowels of their compassion I was hungry and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink I was a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye cloathed me not sick and in Prison Mat. 25. 42 43. and ye visited me not How dare ye say ye love me that were so hard-hearted Of this great sin very many Professors of Religion of all the several Understandings fore mentioned are very deeply guilty though they are accounted the Lords People and are Members of several Churches and Societies of them that fear the Lord. And their fig-leaf excuses will not cover this sore nor hide it from the sight of the Lord whatever it do from Men. And such hard-hearted persons as have not a heart to communicate but lay it up either for Children or for some Niece or other may live to see them all buried before them and themselves soon after may have their Souls taken from them and then what comfort will they have in the thoughts of such hardness of Heart and such unanswerableness unto the Law of God as hath been in them Now the Law as well as the Gospel discovers how displeasing this Sin is in the sight of God and how pleasing the contrary Vertue is unto him And if such hard-hearted Persons have any desire to reform and any love to the Truth and Law of God if they have any delight in it let them read often and read considerarely those several Passages in â—is blessed Word Isa 58. 5. to 11. Jer. 12. 15 16 17. Isa 1. 16 17 18. Jam. 1. 27. Jam. 2. 8. Mark 6. 8. Exod. 23. 11. Levit. 19. 9 10. Deut. 24. 19 20 21 22 23. Levit. 23. 22. In these three last mentioned places you may see how the heart of the Lord our God is bent to require Tenderness and compassion in us which is so plentiful and abundant in himself in that though we have many other precious Precepts of this nature besides yet this one is repeated three times in the same words And that we may see how well he takes works of this nature he tells us Deut. 24. 13. Do this saith he and it shall be Righteousness unto thee before the Lord thy God But there is but few that have desired to be abounding in this Righteousness Compare with this place Psal 112. and 2 Cor. 9. 9 10. and consider how many such righteous Men and Women there be in England Some there are I do not doubt but they are rare to be found Read also Isa 32. 8. Prov. 19. 17. Job 31. 19 20. Ezek. 18. 7. Dan. 4. 27. Hos 6. 6. Psal 18. 25. Mat. 5. 7. Luk. 16. 9. Rom. 12. 8. 13. and 2 Cor. 9. from 5. to 15. Heb. 13 1 2 3 16. where we have a plentiful Testimony both from the Law and the Gospel of the blessedness of the Generous the Liberal the Bountiful the Merciful Man or Woman And to shew what the miserable the wietched and the unhappy case of others are I need mention no other place then that one Mat. 25. 41 42 43 46. And these hard-hearted persons shall go away into everlasting Punishment but the Righteous who have dispersed abroad and given to the Needy into Life eternal III. Another great Sin that those that are called the People of the Lord III. OMISSION OF HOLY DVTIES the Israel of God are guilty of is the Sin of OMISSION OF HOLY DUTIES of which Covetousness hath also been a great Root as well as of hardness of Heart For this hath been an evil Fruit of that bitter Root in many where Covetousness hath been though not in all that have been covetous For some have been very covetous and yet very frequent in Duties especially some that have great Estates coming in without a Trade by Lands and Interest-Money and Bank-Money For upon such there was no such temptation as upon others of neglecting Duties though they have been as covetous as I said before as others it being proved as I said before by their Close fistedness But this Sin of Omission of Holy Duties I cannot say hath alwayes sprung from Covetousness neither though for the most part it hath Duties â—hat have been omit â—ed are â— Solemn and constant Prayer in Families Now that this hath been a great Sin of many of the Lords People is too well known to themselves and others And the Duties that have been sadly neglected by many of them are these 1. Solemn and constant Prayer in their Families which ought to have been carefully and with great seriousness and fervency of Spirit performed twice a day at the least together with spiritual Praises to God for dayly and innumerable Mercies with some exposition dayly or at least reading of some part of the Scriptures for the Edification and Instruction of the Family in general which being done with great Fear and Reverence in a lively spritual manner is comely to be seen in the Tabernacles of the Righteous Psal 118. 15. Dan. 6 10. Josh 24. 14. Heb. 12. 28. Gen. 13. 4. Abraham Joshua Daniel and David did so Psal 92. 2. 2. Taking frequent opportunities particularly to instruct Children and Servants â— Partiâ—ular inâ—truction â—f Chilâ—ren and â—thers â— Closet-Performances one by one examining the state and condition of each Soul and applying particular Instructions or Reproofs or Consolations to them as the case might requite with a zealous and fervent and longing desire of doing good to every Soul appertaining to the Family or Acquaintance or Kindred or Neighbors as far as any opportunity might be had 3. Being constant at dayly Closet as well as Family Performances in Prayer and Praises in conversing with the Lord alone it being not possible to have so much freedom to pour out a Persons own Soul-Cases and to express iâ—s Soul-Affections to the Lord among others as alone and frequent private searching of and meditating on the Law of God the blessed Word of God day and night 4. The often visiting the Poor the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction â— Visitâ—ng of the â—oor c. and the Sick and Imprisoned in their Trials and Sufferings Wherein puâ—e and true Religion is manifested Jam. 1. 17. 5. Taking special care of the Souls of your Acquaintance whether you were Members of particular Congregations or not that you observed to be â— Watchâ—ng over â—he Souls â—f others under any sinful distempered diseased frame of
great and glorious Lord of Heaven and Earth the blessed Fountain of all manner of Loveliness Beauty Sweetness and transcendent Goodness then unto a barren Wilderness or a Land of Darkness into which no man desires to enter Do not such a People deserve to be cast into utter Darkness Yet such a People have you been O House of Jacob and ye that are called by the Name of Israel many of you that have refrained and abstained from coming unto the House of the Lord unto the Assembâ—ies of the Saints unto the Place where his Honour dwelleth upon every trivial and slight occasion and sometimes upon no occasion at all What reason have you to blush and be ashamed of these things that not onely as hath been said neglect the waiting upon the Lord in private but also in publick Wherein it is more visible to the World how slightly you serve the Lord and how little you prize an Opportunity of Worshiping him His blessed Servant David could say Psal 122. 1. I was glad when they said unto me Let us go into the House of the Lord Our Feet shall stand within thy Gates O Jerusalem Psal 26. 8 And Lord I have loved the Habitation of thy House and the Place where thine Honour dwelleth But what do many of you say You draw back and keep off when you should go to the House of the Lord. You prefer your Shops before it going to Blackwell-Hall before it going to the Custom-House going to receive money on Bills of Exchange going aboard Ships any palâ—ry business before it O foolish People and unwife Do you not consider that Word Deut. 28. 47 48. Because thou wouldst not serve the Lord thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart in the enjoyment of the abundance of all things therefore shalt thou serve thine Enemies which the Lord shall send against thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in want of all things and he shall put a Yoke of Iron upon thy Neck c. Did you not neglect the service of the Lord in the last twelve years in which you had a full liberty and a fulness of all things that a people could desire and therein in a high degree provoked the Lord to deprive you both of your liberty and of your fulness of riches together whereof some of you have been deprived to purpose And since you have been deprived of that liberty you then had have you not greatly neglected the Service of the Lord still though it may be there is a little Beformation among some of you though but a little And do you not provoke him yet more to anger by your negligent attending his Courts and the place where his Honour dwelleth So that you give him cause to deprive you both of all that liberty and plenty that yet he voâ—chsaâ—eth to you or any of you and to make you meer Servants and slaâ—es to your enemies even to Forreigners which seem to be preparing to come against you But I shall not in shewing you this publick sin viz. the sin of the Omission of the publick Worshâ—p of God mention more particularly then I have who are more or less guilty of this evil It is so visible and manifest to all of all sorts that I need say no more to shew those of the Lords People that have been guilty hereof that this is their sin in particular But let them all of them that have been guilty hereof know that the Lord takes it very unkindly at their hands and let them consider those complainings of his against a negligent People that do neglect the frequent and solemn waiting upon him in holy Servâ—ces Jer. 2. 31 32. and what expostulations he there uses with them Have I been a barren Wilderness unto Israel a Land of Darkness Wherefore say my People We are Lords we will come no more unto thee Can a Maid forget her Ornaments or a Bride her Aâ—â—ire Yet my people have forgotten me dayes without number What can ye answer to these words Was the Lord a Wilderness unto you or a Land of Darkness You can make no answer to this but what will â—eturn shame and confusion of Faces upon you What can you say to your Actions in which you have said We are Lords we will come no more unto thee Hath not your careless and indifferent waiting upon the Lord manifested that you thought you were Lords your selves and independant upon the Lord and had no need of waiting on him or praying or addâ—essing to him or observing his Rules or his Commands but you were able to stand upon your own Legs and therefore would walk by your own Rules Poor miserable Worms And how many dayes have you past over your heads when God hath â—caâ—ce been in all your thoughts but you have forgotten him dayes without number The Heart of a young Girl hath been much moâ—e upon her Ornaments and of a Bride on her Attire then yours hath been on your God A Child hath more minded its daily Ornaments especially a Girl then you have your daily solemn waiting on your God for which cause that word may be justly taken up Ezek. 19. 14. This is a Lamentation and shall be for a Lamentation And O that it may be bitterly lamented by the Lords People indeed But of this Sin I must say that there are some here and there of the Lords People whom I do know though it may be but one of a thousand that are very clear of it in the generality of the course of their lives that may it may be be compared with David and Abraham and Daniel and Paul in their diligent and constant waiting upon the Lord whom their Soul loveth both in publick and private Worshiping of him and with Moses and Aaron and Samuel among them that call upon his Name Ps 99 4â— IV. Another great evil in some of the Lords People is that great and IV. COVENANT-BREAKING hainous Sin of the BREACH OF COVENANTS or Oaths solemnly taken and entered into wherein many of them have very much dishonoured the Name of the Lord though it may be it is a Sin that they are not so sensible of as they should be There was a Solemn League or Covenant entered into about twenty two years since But the Deeds of them that did wittingly and willingly break any part of that Covenant when it was in their power to have performed it were a very great dishonour to the Name of God whose People they profest themselves to be that were then swaying persons in the Parliament and Army And whatever their specious pretences were for their so doing by which pretences they deceived themselves and blinded the eyes of many simple honest people yet their sin therein was very great and they did thereby give great occasions unto the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme and the Name of God was thereby prophaned abroad in the World The entering into that Solemn Covenant was not a
thing done in a Corner but was such a Publick and Solemn Act as was made manifest to all the Nations in Europe whose eyes were then gazing upon us and observing of us and the entering into that Covenant was greatly cryed up as a most worthy Act that might conduce much to the happiness of those Nations had it been inviolably kept to the utmost of every mans capacity But when a Nation shall solemnly enter into a Covenant with hands lifted up to God as if they desired his Blessings and Favours no otherwise then as they performed and faithfully kept it to the utmost of their capacitie and then perâ—idiously in a few years shall wittingly willingly and resolvedly break some great and considerable parts of it in the fight of God Angels and Men and yet profess to be the People of the Lord and the Children of God How greatly do they dishonour his Glorious Name whose People ought to be Children that will not lie much less break a Solemn Covenant of whose Servant it is said Psal 15. 4. That he sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not And it well becomes him so to do for it were better for him to chuse affliction rather then sin to suffer prejudice and loss and great disadvantage then in any measure to break his Promise much less his Oath For what if he lose outward things God is abâ—e to make up that â—hundred fâ—ll to him again But if he sin against the Lord Who shall intreat for him But this Sin of false Swearing or breach of an Oath is a great and horrible sâ—n which as it greatly dishonours the Name of the Lord doth greatly provoke the Eyes of his Glory as appears Because it is evident in Scripture that the Lord doth very severely punish his people for that sin that have been guilty of it bringing dreadful judgments upon them for that sin in particular as is evident in Ezek. 17. The King of Babylon having come up against Jerusalem and taken away the King thereof and carried him to Babylâ—n he being one of the Sons of Josiah and having set up a Brother of his to be King of Judah in the stead of him that he carried away to Babylon he made him whom he set up to be King to enâ—er into a Covenant of Subjection unto him But inâ—â—ead of keeping his Coâ—enant he rebelled against the King of Babylon as you have the History 2 Chron. 36. 10 11 12 13. 2 Kings 24. 17 18 19. Jer. 37. the whole Chapter And sent to Egypt for help But saith the Lord Ezek. 17. 15 16. Shall he escape that doth such things or shall he break the Covenant and be delivered As I live saith the Lord God surely in the place where the King dwelleth that made him King whose Oath he despised and whose Covenant â—e brake even with him in the midst of Babylon shall he die Neither shall Pharoah with his mighty Army make for him in the War Seeing he despised the Oath by breaking the Covenant when loe he had given his hand and hath done all these things he shall not escape Therefore thus saith the Lord God As I live surely my Oath that he hath despised and my Covenant that he hath broken even it will I recompence upon his own head and I will spread my Net upon him and he shall be taken in my snare and I will bring him to Babylon and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me and all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword and they that remain shall be scattered toward all Winds And ye shall know that I the Lord have spoken it Here we see when the King of Judah had sworn to the King of Babylon though it may be he might think himself not bound to keep Covenant with him being a Heathen and an Idolater and though it may be when he took the Covenant he took it unwillingly yet having taken it he was indispensibly bound to perform and keep it For if the consideration of the quality of the Persons whether Heatheus or Turks or Atheists should null the Covenants or Promises that are made by the People of the Lord to them then the Name of the Lord would be greatly blasphemed amongst the Heathen by such Deeds for it would justly open the mouths of such to say That there is no Truth noâ— Righâ—eousness amongst such as profess to be the Lords Servants For among all sorts of men in the World Truth and Faithfulness in Promises and Covenants and Just and Righteous Dealings among Men is highly esteemed and the contrary condemned much more among the People of the God of Truth for Just and Right is He therefore if any such do Deut. 32. 4. break a Covenant a solemn Oath God is more dishonoured by them then by others and he will not bear with it in them but usually doth severely punish it as in this King Therefore saith the Lord Shall he escape that doth such things Shall â—e break the Covenant and be delivered He shall not escape 2 Kin 25. 7. Jer. 39 6 7. he shall be carried captive and he shall die in Babylon seeing he despised the Oath by breaking the Covenant And accordingly he was carried to Babylon and all his Sons were there slain before his Eyes and then his Eyes were put ouâ— and he was blind to the day of his death And it is much to be observed That the Lord calls the Covenant that this King entered into HIS Oath and HIS Covenant Thus saith the Lord God As I live surely MY Oath that he hath despised and MY Convenant that he hath broken even it will I recompence upon his own Head For we find in Scripture that the entering into a Covenant or Oath is a great and solemn Appointment of the Lord for the ending of Controversie and for the confirming Heb. 6. 16 of Truth and therefore it is called in Scripture The Oath of the LORD as Exod. 22. 10. 11. If a man deliver unto his Neighbour an Ass or an Ox or a Sheep or any Beast to keep and it die or be hurt or driven away no man seeing it then shall an OATH OF THE LORD be between them both that â—e â—ath not put his hand unto his Neighbours Goods and the Owner of it shall accept thereof c. And 2 Sam. 21. 7. But the King spared Mephibesheth the Son of Jonathan the Son of Saul because of the LORDS OATH that was between them between David and Jonathan the Son of Saul The like Eccles 8. 2. And so here As I live saith the Lord surely MY Oath that he hath despised and MY Covenant that he hath broken even it will I recompence upon his own head And it is plain that in an Oath or Covenant the Party doth in word or gesture call the Lord to witness to the Truth of it either by Hands lifted up to Heaven or by kissing the
Book of the Scriptures which is the â—ord of God or by saying SO HELP ME GOD. So that it is properly called The Oath of the Lord because the Lord is solemnly owned as a Witneâ—â— to it and it is a dreadful thing to break it Another Scripture that manifests the dreadfulness and the horâ—ibleness of the evil of the Breach of an Oath is that in 2 Sam. 21. where it is plain that whatever the Persons are to whom it is made though Heathens and though a man be drawn into that Covenant by Flaâ—teries or by the deceitful words of the person or persons that drew him into it that yet he is indispensibly bound to perform it and the breach of it is a great Provocation of the Lord. For it is there said That there was a Famine in the days of David three years year after year and David enquired of the Lord and the Lord answered It is for Saul and for his bloody House because he slew the Gibeonites Now we know how that by deceit and guile the Gibeonites had drawn Joshua and the Elders of the Children of Israel to swear to them that they would not destroy them So that the Gibeonites though they were Idolateâ—s and of the sinful Nations that the Lord would have destroyed yet they had that sence of the weight and reverence and strengâ—h and force of an Oath solemnly taken by the Lords People that they knew it would not be broken by them and accordingly it proved unto them for though they had obtained this Oath by deceit and guile yet the Princes of the Children of Israel would not recede oâ— go back from it nor break it in killing of the Gibeonites but said Josh 9. 20. Let them live still lest Wrath be upon us BECAUâ—E OF THE OATH which we sware unto them Here the fear of the Lord was upon the Children of Israel when the power of the Lord and his Goodness had been much display'd unto them in making them Conquerours over their Enemies when they were newly come into the Land of Canaan O that it had been so upon others that have broken Covenants But Saul wicked King Saul made no bones of destroying the Gibeonites though it was contâ—ary to an Oath that the Elders of the Children of Israel had solemnly sworn to the Gibeonites But the Lord would not â—ear this Sin in him but being hereby greatly provoked he sends a Judgment upon Israel for this even three years Famine until seven of Saul's Sons were cut off for this Sin of Saul So greatly is the Lord provoked by those that do break a solemn Oath or Covenant How greatly therefore doth it concern those that have been actually guilty of the breach of any Oath they have taken or any Covenant or any part of a Covenant they have entered into to whom soever they have sworn it though it should be to Unbelievers and Infidels that they greatly humble themselves for their so doing and repent unfeignedly of it and resolve for the future to perform all the Oaths and Covenants they have taken to the utmost of their Ability I say to the utmost of their Ability for God requires no more of any And it is certain that it was not in the power of some to hinder others from the breach of that Covenant which they had generally taken For in the great Breaches of the Solemn League and Covenant that have been made it was not in the power of men in a private capacity to hinder them It being carried on by them that were the Ruling Power of the Nation at that time but as many as did protest against it at that time did well and for those that did not they ought greatly to bewail it And though they were deceived and blinded by the subtile devices that were then used to put a fair colour upon those Actions by which the Covenant was broken so that many good People in but a common capacity were ignorantly led to acquiesce in what was done by those that were above them â—et they ought now sincerely to repent of what they did then ignorantly To that end let them consider how greatly the Lord hath been dishonoured by his Peoples breach of Covenant The Natioâ—s abroad that had their Eyes upon us might blush to behold that a People that so eminently professed to be the People of the Lord should so grosly and palpably break so solemn an Oath And what occasions of stumbling hath been given to them thereby and occasion to Enemies of blaspheming the Name of the Lord In which respect this breach of Oaths has been a great Sin of some of the Lords People But though it haâ—h been the Sin of some yet I cannot say that it hath been the Sin of all and they may have Peace that have been kept clear from the breach of any Oath or any part of an Oath But I say Iâ— greatly conceâ—ns those that have been guilty of this Sin unfeigneâ—ly to repent of it And though I mention no particulars of the breach of Oaths yet it concerns every one to consider their ways and wherein soever they have not kept to the utmost of their ability any part of thâ—â— Oath or any other Oath they have taken to repent thereof whether it hath been done through ignorance or careless indifferency or any other way for it is a dreadful thing to break a Covenant and a Sin that brings the Judgments of God upon a â—eople that are wittingly and knowingly guilty of it and sometimes upon a whole Nation though it be but the Sin of some of the Nation as appears by the instances already given Now it is much to be desired that the Lord would please to help all his People that have been any way guilty hereof to lay it indeed to heart and truly to repent of it setting time apart to acknowledge it and to be humbled for it before the Lord with full purpose of heart to do no more so wickedly that if it may be the great Judgments of God that are already upon us and that may be coming on us may be diverted and the Plague may be stayed in all parts of the Land I mention this Sâ—n as a great Sin of the Lords People because though it be but the Sin of some yet it is such a Sin as for which God hath brought Judgments upon a whole Nation though but a few of the Nation have been guilty of it And because it is a Sin which brings so great a blemish on true Religion when some of the Professors of it shall be guilty thereof as witness that dung that was by reason of the guiltiness of some Professors of this Sin spread upon the Profession of Religion by George Wharton in his Almanack for the year 1660. in his Verses for the Month of June that year His words are these But 't is the Mode Come come let 's all comply There 's no firm footing on Integrity For having said and done all what
to do never knoweth to the full what such a man expects Now he is offended because he is not observed in such a thing and then in another thing even in such things as a humble meek man would never be offended at Or if he did not like such or such a Carriage yet a meek man would either forget it and take no notice of it as a thing not worth speaking of or else would speak with such meekness and such soft words as should manifest no heaâ— in his own spirit nor be any trouble to the party spoken to And a meek man would be far from carrying it sullenly two or three days saying nothing at all and harbouring discontent like fire in his bosom so long and then break out into a flame I say a humble meek man would be far from such an ill temper for of the two the angry or passionate man who is suddenly heated and then speaks his discontented mind as suddenly and when it is spoken is as friendly as if he never spake it is a far better temper then this Man But the man that being offended calmly and meekly delivers his mind without any heat in a sweet way manifesting still love and kindness to the party notwithstanding the offence and that suffereth long and is kind he is more excellent then his Neighbour Prov. 12. 26. But a proud man through his Pride is very apt to take offence at small matters petty things which none can prevent And what is said of a proud Man may be said of a proud Woman also But sometimes Discontents and Passions arise from Pride in both parties The one through Pride cannot bear an offence great or small and the other through Pride cannot bear his discontented words nor bear any offence from the other though never so small And small matters through the Pride of each proving offensive to both there is amongst such persons much frowardness and many unkindly heats But wheâ—e two persons are and both are humble and meek they will â—ear one another â—urthens and so fulfil the law of Christ And if the oâ—â— â—al 6. 2. forget such a thing or such a thing that the other would be glad to have done that shall never disturb the other but he is ready to wink at it and pass it by with only I wish you had done it or I pray remember and do it to morrow or when you have don such a thing and I intreat you not to neglect it unless some great occasion hinder you and if it be neglected again â—e can forgive it aâ—ain and again and again and it is the glory of Pro. 19. 11. Pro. 10. 11 1 Cor 13. 4 5 7. that man that pasâ—eth over a transgression and he manifesteth true love that can cover a multitude of offâ—nces Gospel love in a man beareth with many things that are in themselves iâ—ksome to him and endureth many things that are displeasing to him and suffereth many things that are grievous to him yea suffereth such things long and yet is kind he hath no unkiâ—dness in his heart no ranckor no grudge but is truely kind still tenderly deâ—ly servently loving to his friend still This was the glory of a man under the Law and is the glory and honour of a man under the Gospel to indure and bear not only some but allâ— things all offences against our selves and though they be a multitude love will cover them all and humility will account tâ—em smaâ—l and meekness will let them fall and never hold them up in contention Thus it will be between Neighbours and Aquaintance and Husâ—ands and Wives and Brethren and Sisters and fellow-Servants where humility love and meekness are But by Pride cometh Contention Pride is the great root of Contention And though it may be observed somtimes that men that are covetous do often break out into passion when any thing is done that proves to the loss of any part of their Wealth and their Coverousness seems to be the Root of that passion yet stil it is plain that Pride is in the bottom for why are men covetous but because they are proud and do love the Honour and Glory of the World and cannot bear to be crost in it being not truly humble They love Wealth aâ—d outward Greatness and cannot endure to be brought â—ow Thus it is clear that this is a true Word Onely by Pride cometh Contention Now that of these two odious and abominable Sins Pride and Passion many of the Lords People are guilty is too apparent and to well known Though yet there are among the Lords People many that are according to the Apostles Exhortaâ—ions cloathed with Humility and adorâ—ed with the Ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price and are very beautiful and lovely therein I say there are many of these both Men and Women both Presâ—yterians Baptised Independants and Quakers But O that it were not so there are as many if not more among all these several Professions that are deeply guilty of Pride and Passion and that have by those hateful Evils of theirs among others provoked the Lord our God to bring upon us one Judgement after another and his anger is not yet turned away but his hand is stâ—â—tched ouâ— still O that the hearts of all his Isa 9. 17. People were washed from all theiâ—â—â—ckedness When shall it once be VII Another great Evil which the Lords People have been guilty of is VII VNCHRISTIAN BEHAVIOVR VNTO EACH OTHER IN RESPECT TO DIFFERENCE IN JVDGEMENT The sore Evil of their Unbrotherly Unchristianly and Unworthy Deportments one towards another on the account of their differing in Judgements one from another The Lord having dispensed Light and Knowledge variously to his People to some he gives one degree of Light to others other degrees And they because they have not all the same Understanding and the same Knowledge do therefore slight one another and despise one another and like foolish Children have such Heart-risings one against another as to say they are not their Fathers Children and do deny them that their Father will own upon a great Presumption that the one party whether Presbyterians Baptised Independants or Quakers hath all true Light and Understanding iâ—folded in their Breast anâ— that they for their part are compleat in Knowledge and do not erâ—e in any one particular of their Judgement but their Understanding and their Way onely is the Truth and all others are in so great Errors as they cannot be the Children of God that do not own and practise what they understand and practise And this hath been the Way of those that are called Presbyterians and therefore they have preached and prayed against and uttered many bitter Invectives against the Independants Baptised aâ—d Quakers as holding gross Errors gross Deceits altogether out of the Way of God and rendring them as Enemies of God and such as were to be
opposed and imprisoned and banished and if hang'd it were good enough for them and if they were even cut off that troubled the Presbyterians it were but righteous in their account So little of the Spirit of God appeared in them and so little Love had they to all that differed from them and so ill thoughts did they harbour of them And on the other hand it hath been a frequent thing for the Baptised the Quakers and Independants to judge the Presbyterians to be Antichristian and to be in Babylon in an Antichristian Way as being such as the Lord would never own And yet it is to be hoped that by this time they are convinced on all hands in a good measure that they did eâ—e in so judging and speaking one of another For the Baptised People and the rest do now see that there is a spirit of Integrity and of the true Fear of the Lord among them that are called Presbyterians and that they cannot by the Temptations of this World nor yet by the Threats of it be drawn to comply with things against their Light to keep their Beâ—â—â—ces as they judged they would for many of those that had hard thoughts of the Presbyterians judged that those that were Preachers among the Presbyterians preached onely for Hire and for Reward and that if their far Benefices were taken away their work would be ended But they do now see that it is not so but that they can and do preach though there be no Tythes nor Rates put into their mouths and that they can be content as weâ—l as Independant and Baptised Preachers and Quakers to do their Lords Work and trust him to engage the Hearts of their Hearers to administer to them supplies for their Livelihoods And though it be not so much as formerly yet it may be it doth them more good and is more comfortable to them then their former Incomes were that were by Tythes c. And it may be seen also that those Impositions that came from Rome even from the Babylonian Crew are not submitted to by the Presbyterians but that they desire such a Reformation in all things as is most agreeable to the Word of God and not according to the Decrees Canons and Constitutions of Men. I say these things the Baptised Independants and Quakers can now see in the Presbyterians and can bless the Lord for it Again on the other hand The Presbyterians do now see that it is not a great Error for the Lords People to meet in private Houses thereto worship God and preach and hear the Word as the Primitive Saints did seeing that liberty of Worshiping God accoâ—ding to the Enlightâ—ings of their Understandings and Consciences is not to be had in the Parish Steeplehouses which some do call Churches And by this time they are all convinced that they all believe in and worship one God the Father of whom are all things and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and that they are all made Partakeâ—s of the same Spirit â— Cor. 8. 6. of Truth that dispenseth his Gifts and Graces and Teachings to them all variously dispensing to every one severally as he will and that his Wind bloweth where it listeth John 3. 8. And they can rejoyce in the Grace of God that is dispensed to them all inabling them or any particular person of them to bear witness unto the Truth Some by suffering Imprisonments or Confiscations and deprivements of outward things or Banishments or Death And they can all rejoyce in that Christ is exalted by any who do preach up and witness to this Truth That Jesus Christ is the onely Lawgiver in his Church and the onely â—ph 1. 22. Isa 33. 22 Ezek. 43. 8. Rom. 14 -5 King and Head of his Church and that his Laws and Rules onely are to be obeyed and practised in his Church and that no men ought to set up their posts by his Posts and that every Servant of the Lord ought to worship him so as they are perswaded in theiâ— own mind is most agreeable to his Word and his Rules and not according to the Understandings and Prescriptions of others but according to that direction Rom. 14. 15 23. Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind Perswaded of what Even that the Way in which he worships God is according to his Word and Laws and not according to the Words and Laws of men as knowing that whatsoever is not of Faith is sin And they all can rejoyce in this That that one Spirit in them all preâ—seth all to Holiness and Purity of Heart and Life so that out of doubt theâ—e are many of all these that now can lie down at the Feet one of another to do one another good though in some things they diffeâ— in their Understandings as much now as ever they did And they have now lâ—arned to be more afraid of Judging and Censuring and Condemning one another lest they shoulâ— be judged of Christ for so doing But though we may hope that it is thus now with many of the Lords People yet it is most undeniable that the generality of the Lords People have greatly sinned against him in their sinful Deportments one towards another â— Tim. 6. 4 in â—aking up evil surmises one of another and endeavouring to compel one another to their own Understandings and also manifesting such an unworthy spirit as that if any one party had prevailed to have absoluâ—e Dominion over all the rest it was more then pâ—obable they would have used some severity to conâ—â—â—ain the rest to conâ—orm to their Understandings This was known to be that which the Presbyterians did greatly seek for And it was too manifest by the words and actions of the Baptised Quakers and Independants thaâ— they would have gone far in the same Path †Though not to that height as the Presbyterians desired to do which was a very unworthy disposition in whomsoever it was for if it be a very grievous thiâ—g a veâ—y injurious thing for any to compel the Presbyterians to do that which is against their Conscâ—ences in the Worship of God it is the same in any other But this hath greatly displeased the Lord that any should be compelled and constrained to do any thing in his Service or Woâ—ship which they saw not his Word and Rule for He is thy Lord and worship thou him He is not thy Lord if thou observe Psal 45. 11. Mat. 15. 9. not his Rules and his Commands and Directions but the Commands and the Rules of Men. In vain do ye worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men But in that the Lords People have a Disposion to impose their own Understandings one upon another and in that though they have not had that full power so to do which they desiâ—ed yet have they manifested a persecuting spirit one against another meerly and onely for differences in Understanding by reproachful speeches which they have given
Who art thou that judgest another mans servant For to his own Master he standeth or falleth yea he shall be holden up for God is able to make him stand Yet they have taken upon them to be Judges of the Spirits and Ways of the Lords Servants in that wherein they have differed from them and have taken upon them some of them to censure one another to be the Devils Servants But herein viz. in censuring one another for things in dispute among them have the Servants of the Lord boldly violated these blessed Rules given us by our Lord Christ himself and by his Spirit in Paul and have peremptorily taken upon them to judge the Servants of their Lord who takes it as a high indignity offered to himself that any poor Worm of the Children of Men who must all appear before the â—udgment Seat of Christ and every one give an account of himself to God should take upon them to judge before the time they have given an account of themselves For what poor dark ignorant foolish insufficient Creatures are we to do that before the time that Christ both died and rose and revived that he might obtain viz. To be Lord and Judge of all both Quick and Dead Can we search the Heart and try the Reins Can we say we are of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord and are able to Isa 1â— 3. judge not after the sight of the Eye neither reprove after the hearing of the Ears but with Righteousness c. How presumptuous are they then that judge their Lords Servants How gross an affront do they offer him in it Will they say that such and such an one that differs from them is in such an Error as is the path of Destruction when it is said He shall be holden up for God is able to make him stand stand firmly upon the Rock of Ages though he differ from them in many particulars How greatly therefore doth it concern us with blessed Paul to say Let us not therefore judge one another any more Seeing this Precept is so often inculcated in the blessed Scriptures of truth the Wisdom of God fore-seeing our aptness to sin against Christ herein Though we have sinned gâ—ievously against him in so doing in time past yet henceforth let us not judge one another any more But further Let it be known to the House of Jacob That they have rebelled against the Lord Christ in that though he say This is my Commandment That ye love one another that ye may be thereby known to be my Disciples and Let Brotherly Love continue and Be kindly affectioned one to another with Brotherly Love And though this Precept be also in many more Scriptures again and again inculcated yet they have not loved one another but they have been very unkind one towards another and have had many heart-risings one against another and they have not in hoâ—our preferred one another but slighted and despised one another and spoken reproachfully one of another And though the Spirit of Christ in Paul hath said Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind yet they have been ready to â—ompel men to their understandings whether they have been perswaded in their own minds or not And though it is said in the Scriptures of Truth That whatever is not of Faith is Sin yet they have been ready to constrain others to conform to their way whether they have had Faith to believe it is the Lords mind or not And though our Lord say Why beholdest thou the moâ—e that is in thy Brothers Eye and considerest not the Beam that is in thine own Eye Yet they have been Eagle-ey'd to behold the mote that â—s is in some oâ—heâ—s which it may be hath been real Errors in them and it may be not but have not considered the great Beam of Errors and Miscarriages that are in themselves which may have been as much greater then the miscarriages of otheâ—s as a Beam is greater then a Mote And thus the Lords People have manifested a very great disobedience unto aâ—l the blessed Instructions of the Spirit of Châ—ist of this kind And of tâ—is very many both of the Baptised Churches the Presbyterians the Independants and Quakers have been very guilty as is too well known The Lord make all his People sensible of it and set them all unanimously a waiting and a praying that all the Lords People may have a pure Language turned to them that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord to â—erve him with one * Or â—houlder consent All the mists and darkness that came from the bottomless Pit that are yer among them being dispâ—lled by the clear Light of the Gospel shining more and more unto the perfect Day And in the mean time loving and approving whatsoever good thing they see one in another and rejoycing in the Grace of God communicated unto any Soul whatsoever though they differ in many things from those that see it No more hating or despising but pitying and compassionating one another in any thing that they judge is Darkness or Error And being desirous more to have their Eyes upon the lovely part one of another then upon the naked part but covering that with the Garmeâ—t of Love for Love is not willing to entertain any evil thoughts of those it loves Love delights to look upon the lovely parts of the Saints very much but to hide and cover from its Eye that which is uncomely at least so far as not to condemn them and to conclude them none of the Lords No Love will not think such evil thoughts but still hopeth well and judgeth well of the Persons though not of the Infirmities or Evils And though it rejoyces not in Iniquity but pities and compassionates the Soâ—ls in whom any Iniquity is founâ— yet it rejoyceth in the Truth and in all that walk in the Truth notwithstanding the weaknesses that may be in any of them So let henceforth all the Disciples of Christ demean themselves one to another Amen VIII Another great Evil in very many of the Lords People is the Sin VIII â—egâ—ect â— Mediâ—on on â—e Word â—ard of the neglect of a due and constant setting apart time to call to mind the Word of the Lord after they have heard it And this may be aptly and fitly called The Sin of Indigestion or of NOT CHEWING THE CUD The general coldness of Love to God by reason as hath been said of other Lovers interposing haâ—ing been such as they have so little and do so little â—egard his Word as that some persons do not afford any pains or time to recollect what they hear sometimes not once in a month nor sometimes once in a quarter of a year But they go to hear the Word for customs sake and to pacifie Conscience aâ—d content themselves with â—aâ—e so doing not considering that the Apostle â—aies That he that is not a forgetful Hearer but a James 1
25. doer of the Word that man shall be blessed in his Deed but he that is a forgetful Hearer can expect no blessing The good Seed of the Word cannot grow up there when he either suffereth the Devil to catch it from him oâ— the cares of this World and the deceiâ—fulness of Riches to choak it This heart is not the good ground in which the Word is sowed so as to bring forth thirty sixty or an hundred fold But this hath been a sin of very many that they very seldom take time so much as to call to memory the Word they have heard but hearing the Word on the first day of the weak many times think no more of it all the weak followiâ—g It is well known that the two distinguishing Characters that were given of the â—lean Beasts which onely were acceptable to God in Sacrifice under the Law were that they were such as did Chew the Cud and part the Hoof. â—nd it is certain that those Souls cannot be clâ—â—n under the Gospel that do not Chew the Cud that do not review and recal to mind and meditate upon the Word of God when they have heaâ—d it Paul speaking of the Word of the Gospel sayes It is the 1 Cor. 15. 1 2. Word whereby ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I have preached unto you unless ye have believed in vain and it is the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation But those that keep it not in memory cannot be saved Rom. 1. 16. Whereby ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I have preached unto you The Word of Truth maketh Souls clean Sanctifie them through thy John 17. 17. Truth thy Word is Truth but it is by treasuring it up in the heart The cleanest and purest Souls have the Word of Christ dwelling most plentifully in them Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way but by taking heed thereto according to thy Word Psal 119. 9. The Blessed man when he hears the Word doth not let it go in at one ear and out at another but his delight is in it and he meditates on it day and night Psal 1. 2. But it is no wonder such pollutions and uncleannesses appear in many of the Lords People seeing they do so little Chew the Cud. It is no wonder their Souls thrive no more seeing the Word so quickly passes from them undigested They go to hear the Word as the Food of their Souls but digest it not by Meditation and Chewing upon it and getting the sweetness and noâ—rishment of it and therefore are lean and starved Souls though aâ—â—plentiful Tables THIS this hath been also another great evil in many of the Lords People And what is the â—oot of this carelesness and indifferency whether they have nourishment from the Word or not hath been shewed in the mentioning of the first Evil that hath been in this Discourse declared and shewed to the House of Jacob. And they that have been guilty of not Chewing the Cud in the sence now declared are some of the people of the several understandiâ—gs and the Quakers though all of them are not guilty of it but very many of them are grosly guilty of this â—in of Indigestion and though many of them are ready and forward to go to hear the Word yet they too much satisfie themselves with a bare so doing as if that were enough and they very rarely take any time to do themselves their Families good by repeating each what they remember to the help of one anothers memory in whaâ— they have heard So that there appears little growth in many Professors but where they were ten years since the same they are now or scarce so far But it may be some of them are gone back many degrees because they digest not their Spiritual Food And one great reason of some of the Baptised Peoples so doing is their using when they had full liberty to continue their First Day 's ordinary Exercises until four of the Clock in the Afternoon at which time if they had broken up they had done well and then after that to continue the rest of the Day in doing the business of the Church viz. To reprove particular persons where there was need and to inquire into the state of the Sick or the Poor and Needy and to receive in or cast out as occasion required And these things taking up their time * Which things should be done at other times appointed for them until it was late then they had no time before Supper for any other Service and after Supper such Services with Children and Servants use to be lame Services and some elder People also being then unfit for any thing but to sleep so that they had no time on the First Day of the Week for to chew the Cud And for other Days the World so took up some of them as well as some Presbyters Quakers and Independants as they scarce minded to go to a Meeting or if they did the World had so eaten them up that they little cared to minde any thing but their Worldly Business and sometimes some would scarce have gone to a Meeting any week day but to stop the Clamours of their Consciences and it had been as good they had staid at home as gone and as much acceptance it would have had with God unless they had gone to more purpose I mention this as a distinct Evil and not among the Omissions already mentioned because it may be some do scarce think it to be a Duty required of them But â—et all the House of Israel know That this is assuredly a great Evil of those that have been guilty of it and that forgetful Hearers are not blessed But some Baptised People and the Quakers and many Presbyterians and Independants also have been very guilty of this great evil and it must be declared unto them and let them not think to hide it but as they desire to be blessed let them Repent and Reform IX Another great Evil of the Lords People of which they are generally IX TALE-BEARING OR BACK BITING very guilty is the Sin of BACK-BITING And this is a sore Evil and a mischievous Sin though it is a Sin which it may be many of them never think of the sinfulness of it nor scarcely ever think it to be a Sin And that Evil which the Spirit of God gives this title unto is expresâ— by a variety of other such-like Titles in the Scriptures As the Whisperer the Talebearer the Babler the Railer the Slanderer the Evil-surmiser Now that the Lords People may be shewn their Evil herein let them but take a view of their deformity of this kind also in the Glass of the Scriptures even in the blessed Words of Truth therein contained And first It is against the express Precept and Commandment of the Lord Lev. 19. 17. Thou shalt not go up and down as a Tale-bearer among thy People So that he that
and injuriousness For these praâ—lers and taâ—lers do either speak something they have heard from other tatlers or tale-bearers or something which they conjecture or imagine from such and such circumstances or from seeming grounds or from mistakes or misâ—pprehensâ—ons which they have in themselves or have â—eceived from others in which they think they have very strong grounds for what they repoâ—t All which being examined may be no grounds for such reports And so in all these things the Talebearer that â—peaks any thing that tends to the defaming of a person not present is oftentimes a great lyar and slanderer and is very unrighteous and unjust and is a sower of discord and is very injurious for it is very frequent for persons that tell tales or reports of things which they have heard from others to make additions and alterations either through badness of memory or delight in many words or both for some cannot remember things exactly and they speak at â—andom and others love many words and have a faculty to stretch things beyond what they are and most are subject to mistake words and when one word is taken for another or a sentence is taken to have another meaning then was intended it much alters the caâ—e and on these accounts many mâ—schiefs and evils have attended this kind of Talebearing also when persons out of a desire to praâ—tle and for want of better discourse do take that sinful liberty to speak things which tend to the defaming and undervaluing of others wherein they have been guilty of much evil and have greatly wronged their own Souls And so also when through a disposition to vaunt and boast and â—ender â— mans self to be excelling in Parts or in Virtue or Zeal or Courage c. and to render another more mean or low and despicable or unworthy and to lessen the esleem that others have of them or of any work or worth of tâ—eirs herein also such a Backbiter is many times a haiâ—ous and grievous sinner in the forementioned particulars and doth prove to be also a proud boaster and evil doer in a high degree And by this time it doth in part appear that the sin of Backbiting is a hainous crime and it is no wonder that it is ranked amongst the worst of sins But Thirdly As the Scripture declares the sin of Talebearing to be against the express command of the Lord and as it ranks it amongst the woâ—st of sins So thirdly The Scriptures declare the words of Talebearers to be as wounds and as the bitings of a Serpent as Prov. 18. 8. The words of a Tale-bearer are as wounds and they go down into the innermost parts of the Belly and Eccles 10. 11. Surely the Serpent will bite without inchantment and a Babler is no better And how unworthy a thing is it for the Servants of our Lord Jesus Christ to wound one another and to bite one another like the bitings of a Serpent And how greatly unbecoming the Gospel that requires such great degrees of love to brethâ—en Our Lord Christ gives this as the great Character whereby all men may know who are his Disciples viz. Their love one to another By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have John 13. 35. 1 John 3. 14. love one to another And the beloved Apostle John declares that this is the great evidence which Saints have in their own Souls that they are passed from Death to Life because they love the Brethren Now when a man doth wound and cut his Brother yea wound and gash his very inward parts as the Scripture declares that the words of a Tale-bearer do and when a man bites his brother like the bitings of a Serpent as the Scripture sayes the words of a Tale-bearer are no better I say When a man doth thus wound and bite his Brother What proof doth he give to others of his being a Disciple of Christ Or what comfortable evidence can he have in his own Soul that he is passed from Death to Life And yet these are the hateful and odious qualities of a Tale-bearer as the Scripture declares them And Fourthly The Scripture declares that a Whisperer or Tale-bearer is one that maketh divisions among Brethren as Prov. 16. 18. A Whisperer separateth chief Friends It is a very blessed thing for men and women to be alwayes studying and striving to be Peace-makers when there is any contention among Brethren Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called Mat. 5. 9. the Children of God God is stiled the God of Peace and the Peace-makers shall be called his Children it is a mark of a Child of God that is a Peace-maker And great are the blessings that attend Brethrens dwelling together in Peace in Love having dear and true and cordial affections one toward another And as Peter phrases it having love unfeigned and loving one another with a pure heart fervently And assuredly some of the Lords Servants do so love one another they are very dear one to another beholding 1 Pet. 1. 32. the Image of the Lord Christ one in another they are very lovely one in anothers Eye and the trouble or grief that comes upon one cuts the heart of another and the joy of one is the joy and comfort of another and so they dwell together in unity having one heart in dear love one to another and this may be though in some things they may differ in their judgements Now where this dwelling together in amity and unity is the Scripture declares it to be a very lovely and a very pleasant thing and tells us that there the Lord commands the Blessing even life for evermore and such are surely passed from Death to Life Psâ—â— 133 1 2 3. But a Whisperer doth that contrary that sinful that hateful work that tends to separating of chief Friends not onely of common and ordinary Friends but such as were chief Friends such as had a preference more then ordinary in the hearts and affections one of another And this hath commonly been done by Tale-bearers For the words of Tale-bearers which they have spoken behind a mans back have sometimes had such a deep influence upon the minds of men as to race a friend out of the affections that before was very dear to them and thence hath come an estrangedness and distance which hath never been made up And this hath been many times when there hath been no cause at all for it if all things had been examined in a sober Spirit face to face But the Tale-bearers words having been received and taken for truths without examination they have made a great distance between those that were before intimate Friends Fifthly The Scriptures declare that a Tale-bearer revealeth secret which is an unworthy thing in any for there are things which ought to be kept secret if we love the wellfare or the peace or the credit one of another and being concealed and kept
secret no inconvenience no evil effects come of it but being revealed are many times of very evil tendency But saith the Spirit of God A Tale-bearer revealeth secrets but he that is of a faithful Spirit concealeth the matter Prov. 11. 13. And he that goeth about as a Tale-bearer revealeth secrets therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips Prov. 20. 19. So that he that is a Tale-bearer is very unfaithful and it is a very indiscret thing to have much to do with such a one therefore meddle not with him though he speak never so fairly Sixthly The Scripture declares the displeasure of God to be great against such persons as Prov. 6. 16 17. These six things doth the Lord hate yea seven are an abomination unto him A proud look a lying tongue c. And him that soweth discord among Brethren And Psal 50. the Lord speaking of the wicked man saith this of him among other things Thou sittetest and speakest against thy Brother and slanderest thine own Mothers Son This is indeed an evil work which evil men are found in But saith the Lord These things hast thou done and I kept silence and thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self But I will reprove thee and set them in order before thee c. So that we see the Lord hates such works in any it is an abomination unto him and he will reprove them sharply that are guilty of them And Seventhly The Scripture declares that the Lord will cut off such from his house and from his Holy City if they repent not as Psal 101. 5. Who so privily slandereth his Neighbour him will I cut off Him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer and vers 8. I will early destroy all the wicked of the Land that I may cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord. Now having thus in part taken a view of what the Scriptures of Truth speak concerning Tale-bearers We see that it greatly concerns the Lords people to be exhorted for time to come to be very wary of that hateful Evil of Tale-bearing or Back-biting and to keep a strict watch over themselves lest they be found some way or other guilty of it and to that end it concerns them to be very careful what they say of any person or party behind their backs And indeed upon all accounts the Lords People have great reason with David to set a watch before the door of their lips for sayes he I will take Ps 39. 1. heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue I will keep my mouth with a Bâ—idle Happy are they that so do and that do restrain their lips from many words for it is a great point of wisdom so to do as the Scripture declares Prov. 13. 3. He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction And Prov. 10. 19. In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin but he that refraineth his lips is wise Many pâ—atling Women and Men also that take a liberty to let their tongues run wildly do not consider the great Truths contained in these words They seldom think that to be full of words is to be sinful and that it is true wisdom to refrain their lips from many words unless they are sure they are words that may adminisâ—er grace to the hearers And they little consider that the life and safety of their Souls depends upon the keeping their mouth and that destruction to their Souls may be the issue of opening wide their Lips And O how few are there that are so waâ—y of keeping their tongues as they ought For sayes James If any man â—ffend not in word the same is Jam. 3. 2. a perfect man and able also to bridle the whole body But how few such perfect men are there How greatly therefore doth it concern the Lords People to be deeply sensible of the greatness of this great Evil which many of them have been very guilty of and most of them more or less have eâ—ed in Not that it is hereby asserted that in no case there ought to be any thing said of any person or persons miscarriages but to their faces for sometimes there may be good ends in speaking of them to some others in order to the reclaming of them as in order to the bringing of it to the Church when the rule requires it or in order to the moving Parents to reprove correct or instruct their Children as the occasion may be It cannot be said to be the fin of Joseph that he â—rought the evil repoâ—t of some of his Brethren to his Gen. 27. 2 Father The like may be said in other cases But what is here declared against is plainly shewed to be the Sin of whomsoever are guilty of it And that some in a Gospel-Church have been guilty of this Sin of Back-biting is clear by what Paul speaks to the Church of Corinth 2 Cor. 12. 20. For I fear lest when I come among you I shall not find you such as I would and that I shall be found unto you such as you would not Lest there be debates envying strifes back bitings whisperings swellings tumults And 1 Cor. 1. 11. It hath been declared unto me of you my Brethren by them of the House of Cloe that there are contentions among you and Chap. 3. 3 4. For ye are yet carnal for whereas there is among you envyings and strife and divisions are ye not carnal and walk as men He had thus exprest himself in the first Chapter concerning this very Church I 1 Cor. 1 4 5 6 7. thank my God alwayes on your behalf for the Gâ—ace that is given you by Jesus Christ that in every thing ye are inriched by him in all utterance and in all knowledge even as the Testimony of Christ was corfirmed in you so that you come behind in no gift waiting for the coming of ouâ— Lord Jesus Christ Here we see that some that were in a Church of Christ that were inriched by him in all utterance and all knowledge and came behind in no gift and that were waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ had contentions and strifes and envyings and back-bitings and whisperings and swellings and tumults amongst them which were a grief and trouble to Paul So that he was like to come among them when he did come rather with reproof and with a Rod then with that joy and comfort that he desired to come among them with And might it not be for these among other Evils that many of them were sick and weak and many were fallen asleep 1 Cor. 11. 30. But as in the Church of Corinth so many among the Churches in England are very guilty of this great Evil which the Lord haâ—es and the mischiefs which Back-bitings and Tale-bearings have done among many Church-Members have been very great and to cure the
Wounds and heal the Divisions that have been made among some Church-Members hath cost many hours and many dayes of precious time And yet with some all time and labour hath been lost the breaches have been so great as have â—ever yet been made up and these breaches have been greatly widened by the whisperings and the back-bitings of many amongst them And this is the ninth sore Evil which must be shewed to the Lords People to the end they may be greatly humbled under the sence of it and may wash their hearts from this wickedness also that they may be saved in the day of the Lords anger that the Lords People may be so thorowly purged and cleansed from this Evil. as they may not only refrain their lipâ— from Back-biting but may be of that Bâ—essed â—isposition of him that shall dwell in Goâ—s Hoâ—y Hill mentioned Psal 15. 3. That He back-biteth not with his tongne nor doth evil to his Neighbour nor taketh up a reproach against his Neighbour Though a Back-biter should utter a reproach to him against his Neighbour yet he will by no means take it up oâ— receive iâ— And this is a Blessed disposition indeed which the Lord grant that all his People may preâ—s after X. Another great Evil to be shewed to the Lords People which is the last X. MISPENCE OF TIME IN VAIN DISCOVRSES that is to be mentioned in this Catalogue Is the spending too much of their precious time when they come into company one with another in discourses of worldly things and sometimes unnecessary things I do not say that all talk of worldly business is alwayes unnecessary But that there is very frequently very commonly talking that is unnecessary which is the Evil of many of the Loâ—ds People and shews they savour the things that be of men more then the things that be of God This is a sad token that many of the Lords People have loâ—â— their first Love for it was not wont to be so with them But I cannot say that of all the several distinctions of the Lords Servants any one are more guilty of this Evil then other but some of them all are eminent in the contrary vertue viz. Generally full of Spiritual Discourses wheresoever they can have opportunity but these are but a few But the far greater number of them all do manifest but little Spiritual savour when they come together or where ever they come which doth manifest great carnality and is contrary to the plain Rule of the Scripture as Ephes 4. 19. Let your communication be such as may minister Grace to the Hearers Ephes 5. 19 20. Col. 3. 16 17. 1 Thes 5. 11. But the more Spiritually minded we are the more will we be coveting to spend our time in things that are of a Spiritual advantage to our selves to one another â—o Acquaintance to near Relations to Children to Servants and all Companies so far as we may But O House of Jacob you have been greatly deficient herein And for this together with all the other Evils that are herein shewed to be the Sins of the Lords People it concerns you to * be on the Mountains like Doves of the Ezek. 7. 16. Valleys all of you mourning every one for his and her Iniquities in particular whatever they have been Which the Lord grant unto you all AMEN An ALARM TO REPENTANCE THese ten particular Evils that are here declared are the Transgressions by which the Lords People have very greatly provoked the Lord to anger and though there are no other particular Evils here mentioned yet it may not be concluded that the Lords People are not guilty of other Evils also But these Evils are the Evils that are most apparently against clear light and against the plain and undisputable Rules of the Gospel and of the Law and the Prophets even such certain Truths as cannot be denyed but are fully owned by every one that doth truly fear the Lord. There are many Errors and Evils either of Omission or Commission which the Baptised the Presbyterian the Quakers and the Independants are most certainly guilty of in the way of their particular distinct understandings and practice for some of them do not practise the Ordinances of Christ according to the Rules of the Gospel but according to mens inventions and some of them do omit and â—lâ—ght and neglect the Ordinances of Christ unworthily and some do sinfully admit of unfit and unworthy subjects to the Ordinances of Christ which are great Evils in all them that are guilty of them But these things are not done I hope by any of them against their light and understanding if they be it is a fearful thing but they all walk and practise as we may hope according to the clearest Light they have in their understandings and as God gives them more Light we may hope they will be ready to walk in it for which doubtless they are all waiting But the Evils which I have had a Commission to declare unto the House of Jaâ—ob are such as they cannot deny to be their Evils when they hear this Declaration of them such as they must and will confess to be abounding among them The which no doubt they will ackâ—owledge they ought to repent of and to abhor themselves for them in Dust and Ashes And it being so none of the Lords People I presume will dare to cavil with it The Word of the Lord giving such full Authority unto all that are inabled to Preach aâ—d Publish it and to me in particular upon whom the burthen the Blessed burthen of it is â—aid to declare among otâ—er Messages this Message To declare unto his People their Transgressions And I hope all the wise in heart will undeâ—stand the Voice of the Lord in it and improve it to the end for which it is published DANIEL 12. 10. Many shall be purified and made white and â—ryed but the wicked shall do wickedly and nâ—ne of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall undeâ—stand I have had in my custody for about three years time the Copy of two Letters which came from Amsterdam in August 1661. to a person of worth in this Kingdom concerning a Vision which an Antient man of Friesland had about that time which I judge worthy of publishing And though I cannot say that I am so confident that the Vision and Message mentioned in those Letters is so tâ—uly from the Lord and so ceâ—tainly the Word of the Loâ—d as that which is written in the Scriptures of Truth yet because so much of the Prophesie therein mentioned if it be a Prophesie is come to pass I dare not say it is not truly from the Lord but it is very probable that it is the Word of the Lord. And therefore I publish it that it may be observed by the Lords People and all whom it may concern And I shall publish those Letters in the very words of him that sent them without altering or
men to go hitherto and no further but they shall follow him whithersoever he leads them for he hath promised Isa 42. 16. That he will lead the Blind by a way they know not and will lead them in Paths that they have not known and will make darkness light before them and will make crooked things streight These things he will do unto them and will not forsake them That we are at present in great blindness and darkness is very evident and there are Wayes that yet we know not and Paths that yet we have not understood namely the Wayes and Paths which we all shall know before we shall all walk in one Way But we shall all so clearly see the true Way in which we all ought to walk as that the wayfaring men though fools shall â—sa 35. 8. not err therein which Way we have not yet known and which Path we have not yet understood But the Lambs Followers shall be led by him purely and he will make darkness light before them and crooked things streight and his Sheep shall hear his Voice and shall not follow a stranger but shall follow him whithersoever he goeth and into whatsoever Way or Path he leadeth them Fifthly They are redeemed from among men They shall appear to be such as shall not walk according to their former vain Conversations not according to the wayes and customs of men but as men of another Principle and of another World as redeemed from among men whereas before they walked so and so and did so and so now they shall neither so walk nor so do It shall appear that they are not carnal and walk as men but as the Children of the living God They shall not be proud and passionate and froward as men but meek and lowly as the Son of God was They shall not be vain and worldly and hard-hâ—arted as men are but regardless of the World and Holy and full of Love and loveliness as the Son of God was They shall plainly appear to be redeemed from among men For Sixthly They are the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb. They that shall be thus extraordinarily and beyond what men have yet been for these fifteen hundred years inabled to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth they shall be the first fruits unto God and unto the Lamb appearing very beautiful and lovely in Holiness and their Righteousness shall go forth as brightness according to the prophet Isaiah's Word great Splendor and Isa 62. 1. Glory shall appear in them worshiping the Lord in the Beauties of Holiness And as the first Fruits come before the full Harvest so is the time a coming and is also near at hand wherein these first Fruits unto God and unto the Lamb shall appear which shall be a â—â—rtain evidence of a Glorious Harvest presently following of a Happy a Pure and blessed State of the Church of Christ on Earth for as the first Fruits shall be Holy so the Lump shall be also Holy and Pure and without fault For Seventhly In their mouth was found no guile There shall be no Hypoâ—risie no Cheat no double-tongu'dness no Promise-breaking no Ingagement Oath or Covenant-breaking no Guile found in their mouths They shall be all thorowly principled in this Maxime That Truth and Plain-heartedness will never bring any to shame but Lies and Deceit and Guile will bring shame and dishonour and distress upon those that are exercised in them But in their mouths no kind of dissimulation or deceit or guile shall ever be found For Eightly They are said to be without fault before the Throne of God and of the Lamb. It will appear that they shall be very Holy and very Pure indeed when they shall so walk as they shall be found to be without fault before the Throne of God and of the Lamb. Men may have many faults and yet not â—e found faulty before the Thrones of Earthly Kings or Potentates becaâ—se they cannot search the Hearts and try the Reins Men can but judge according to outward appearance and according to the sight of the Eye and the hearing of the Ear. But if these shall be found to be without fault before tâ—e Throne of God and of the Lamb then they shall not onely be blameless and pure in all their outward Conversation and Actions that are visâ—â—le to the eyes of men but also in all their most secret Actions in all the inward motions and working of their hearts in all the aims ends and benâ— of their whole Souls they shall be Holy They shall be as Psal 45. 13. it is said of the Kings Daughter All-glorious within and her cloathing of wrought gold Ninthly The Lambs Followers Rev. 17. 14. are said to be Called and Chosen and Faithful By which it is plain that they are not as the common sort of People are but shall be persons that shall be called out from among others and were also chosen and elected unto that Honour and Dignity to be the Lambs Followers And it is also clear that they shall be truly faithful unto him and to his Service and Interest They shall never be unfaithful unto him none of them shall ever be as Judas to betray their Master or any part of his interest for the obtaining of pieces of Silver or bags of Gold or Estates of five hundred or a thousand or ten thousand per annum but shall be so faithful as to deny themselves all their worldly interest and their very lives also rather then betray any part of their Lords Interest They are Called and Chosen and Faithful And the seven Angels that are said to come out of the Temple Rev. 15. are said to be cloathed in pure and white Linnen having their Breasts girded with golden Girdles which signifieth very great purity and integrity and the beauty of Holiness appearing in them The like is said of those Followers of the Lamb that are mentioned Rev. 19. 14. And the like we have exprest Psal 101. being a Prophecie speaking in the Person of Christ of what he will do in the latter-day-dispensation when no unclean person shall be in Sion in these words I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes I hate the works of them that turn aside it shall not cleaâ—e to me a fâ—oward heart shall depart from me I will not know a wicked perâ— son Who so privily slandereth his Neighbour him will I cut off Him that hath a high look and a proud heart will not I suffer Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the Land that they may dwell with me He that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me he that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my House He that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight I will eaâ—ly destroy all the wicked of the Land that I may cut off all wicked doâ—rs from the City of the Lord. The like Description is also given in the fifteenth and twenty fourth Psalms where the
question being put Who shall dwell in the Lords Holy Hill It is answered Psal 15. He that walketh uprightly and worketh Righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart He that back biteth not with his Tongue nor doth evil to his Neighbour nor taketh up a â—eproach against his Neighbour in whose eyes a vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that fâ—ar the Lord He that sweareth to his own hurt and chargeth not he that putteth not out his money to Vsury nor taketh a Reward against the innocent And Psal 24. He that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lift up his Soul unto vanity nor sworn decâ—itfully And Isa 33. 15 16. It is said That that man that shall dwell on high and that shall see the King in his beauty and whose eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet Habitation that he shaâ—l be a man that walketh Righteously and speaketh uprightly and that he despiseth the gain of Oppâ—ession and shaketh his hands from holding of Bribes and stoppeth his Ears from hearing of Blood and shutteth his Eyes from seeing Evil. There are also many Scriptures that do give â—ull Testimony to this that the latter-day-Saints shall have this Inscription written on them HOLINESS â—â—ch 14. â—â— TO THE LORD So that persons that live in a continued course of any of the forementioned Evils are altogether uncapable of dwelling in the Holy Hill in the House in the City of the Lord and of being the Lambs Followers For he hates the works of them that turn aside of back-sliders of them that have forsaken him and cleave to other Lovers or that turn aside and betray his Interest or that are unrighteous in neglecting his Worship and his Ordinances Suffer it to be so now for thus it becometh us to fulfil all Righteousness saith he to John implying that the being obedient unto God in the practise of all his Ordinances and Appointments that being then a dispensation and appointment of the Lord in that season he having appointed and commissioned his blessed Servant John â—o Baptize his People Israel is a pâ—rt of the Righteousness of his People And he hates unrighteousness in not keeping his â—recepts also that require Love Mercy Meekness and Lowlâ—ness and Faithfulness But he saith That he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me he shall have that honour and happiness and Mine Eyes shall be upon the Faithful of the Land that they may dwell with me And He that speaketh the truth in his heart and he that is of such a tender heart and gracious Spirit as he will not back-bite his Neighbour will not speak evil of him behind his back nor hear evil to be spoken of him will not take up a reproach against him noâ— will swear deceitfully but will keep his Oath though it be to his own hurt and prejudice such a man shall dwell in his Holy Hill But a wicked person he will not know he that is of a froward heart shall depart from him and he that slandereth his Neighbou the will cut off and him that hath a high look and a proud hear the will not suffer He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within his house nor him that telleth lies But he will early destroy all the wicked of the Land and cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord How greatly therefore doth it concern all the Lords People to fear and tremble at the thoughts of living in those sins of which many of them are declared to be guilty or in any others of which they may know themselves to be guilty Now then it is clear from these several Scriptures that these Blessed Ones that shall be near the Lamb and shall follow him whithersoever he goeth shall be a People that shall hate Covetousness they shall be a chaste Spouse unto him they shall be perfectly free from Harlotty No Beloved shall have their hearts but their Lord and though it may be some of them have been Idolaters yet when they are convinced of the abominableness of this Evil they shall with a holy indignation cast away their Idols of Silver and their Idols of Gold which they have made each one for themselves unto the Moles and the Bats they shall haâ—e the thoughts of their Idolatry Isa 2. 20. and Harlotry They shall be grieved to look upon their Bags of Money and their great Stocks in Trading and Merchandizing when they cast up the sum of them and of their Lands and Houses and Rents which they have purchased and hoorded up with delight And that which was their greatest delight shall be their greatest buâ—then and it shall grieve their Souls and cut them to the heart to think how hard-hearted they were in laying up all this and suffering many dear Servants of their Lord to want when they knew it and were told of it and yet had not hearts to relieve them and they shall be so grieved and so humbled and so reformed herein as it shall be most apparent that though they were defiled with the love of the World and that Harlot had stollen away their hearts now it shall be so no more Now none but Christ none but Christ is the delight of their Souls and the World shall be trampled under their feet They shall despise it and all the offers of it when it comes in competition with the service of their Lord whose Worship and Service in private and in publick in Closets and Families and Churches and in the world if they call them to any service there shall be their meaâ— and drink their joy their delight their Heaven upon Earth Thus there will be a blessed freedom from that Sin of Covetousness and not from that sin only but from all other Evils also Now how greatly doth it concern all the Lords People to fear and tremble at the thoughts of living in those sins of which many of them are declared to be guilty or in any others of which they know themselves to be guilty But if ye love to be near the King to dwell withâ—n his House to be of the City of the Lord to see the King in his Beauty to have the honour to serve him Be ye sure to wash and make clean and to put away all the evil of your doings from before his Eyes Lest he be angry and ye perish leâ—t he destroy you as the wicked of the Land and cut you off from the City of the Lord. But remember this one Word of his He that walketh in a perfect way â—e shall serve me III. Another great Consideration that I would lay before the Lords People to provoke them to a deep Humiliation and a thorow Reformation is Consideration III this That as without it their most solemn Services cannot have acceptance with their God and as without it they cannot be the Lambs Followers nor be admitted into his Holy Habitation into his House and Blesâ—ed Presence So neither without iâ— shall they be
so much as shewn the way into it or be instructed in the Path in which they ought to walk in his House and City which yet is much hid from them But if theâ— be truely and unfeignedly humbled truely penitent and tâ—uly ashamed of all that they have done then it may please the Lord to send forth such a Prophet or Prophets as may be inabled in plainness and demonstration of the Spirit and Power so as it cannot be denyed to shew them such a Pattern of the House of the Lord as whereby they may all serve the Lord with one Shoulder one Mind and one Heart and then Ephraim shall not envy Judah nor Judah vex Ephraim any more For thus the Lord expresses himself by his Prophet Ezekiel Chap. 43. 10 11 12. Thou Son of Man shew the House to the House of Israel that they may be ashamed of their iniquities and let them measure the Pattern of the House and if they be ashamed of all that they have done shew them the form of the House and the fashion thereof and the goings out thereof and the comings in thereof and all the Forms thereof and all the Ordinances thereof and all the Forms thereof and all the Laws thereof and write it in their sight that they may keep the whole Form thereof and all the Ordinances thereof and do them This is the Law of the House upon the top of the Mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most Holy Behold this is the Law of the House Now if the House of Israel from the consideration of the greatness of their iniquities which have been shewed to them and of their lamentable unreasonableness to what the Lambs Followers shall be and to what some few particular Followers of the Lamb now are and some few of them have been in all Ages and of their unfitness to dwell in the House of the King in the City of the Lord shall be ashamed of their iniquity then may they obtain the favour to be shewed to the full all the Forms of the Lords House and the Fashion thereof and the goings out thereof and the comings in thereof and all the Foâ—ms thereof and the Ordinances thereof and all the Laws thereof even of that House upon the top of the Mountain the whole Limit whereof round about shall be most Holy even of that House which hath this Name THE LORD IS THERE IV. Another great and weighty Consideration to provoke the Lords People Consideration IV thorowly to amend their Wayes and thorowly to walk in the Paths of Holiness is this That they do by their Iniquities not onely make themselves uncapable of being accepted of God in the performances of their most solemn Duties and uncapable of being the Lambs Followers and uncapable of being shewed the perfect Pattern of his House in all which they do very greatly wrong themselves but they do also which is more then all that greatly prophane and pollute the Name of the Lord their God as appears Ezek. 36. 22 23. Therefore say unto the House of Israel Thus saith the Lord God I do not this for your sakes O House of Israel but for my holy Names sake which ye have prophaned among the Heathen whither ye went and I will sanctifie my great Name which was prophaned among the Heathen which ye prophaned in the midst of them And Ver. 17. â—t is said When the House of Israel dwelled in their own Land they defiled it by their own way and by their doings their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed Woman The â—inful and unclean wayes of this People defiled and prophaned the Name of the Lord and not onely so but defiled their own Land when they dwelt in it The House of Israel do prophane the Name of the Lord by the sinfulness of their wayes moâ—e then others do by their abominations for the House of Israel are nearer unto God and are more under his teachings then others having his Oracles committed unto them and they profess to be a People near unto him but others do not and they pass in the World for a People that have chosen the Lord for their Lord and their God Now when these do break his Law and behave themselves like the Heathen and when their Conversation is sinful They do greatly dishonour their Lord when they are as the men of this World are When as the men of the World that have their portion in this World and have no better thing to set their hearts upon having no interest in God nor Christ nor having any asâ—urance of that inheritance uncorruptible and undefiled and that faâ—eth not away that is reserved in Heaven for Saints As these are Covetous so are they that profess to be the Lords People as these do spend the greatest part of their time and strength and parts and abilities to get wâ—â—lth though they have no necessity so to do for they that have but from hand 〈◊〉 mouth and must work for Bread before they can have it have a necesâ—â—â—â—o spend most of their time so so do many of those that proâ—ess to be the Lords People Again as these are close-fisted and hard-hearted and have not bowels of compassion unto their Brethren so it is with them as they are negligent and remiss in that which they account to be the Worship and Service of the Lord though some of them are zealous of it in their way so are many of the Lords People and as these are Proud and Passionate and Covenant-breakers and spend much time in pratling of needless things when they come together and take no care to remember the Word when they hear it so it is with many of them that proâ—ess to be the People of the Lord. Now when the Lords People do thus then they do greatly prophane and pollute and wound and reproach the Name of the Lord. For if there be a man that is a discreet man that is a good and a just man and a man of port in the World if he have under Servants in his Family that are Idle Drunken Sottish Persons that are Wâ—oremongers and Swearers which things he hates If such be in his Family Are they not a dishonour and a reproach unto him But it would be more a reproach unto him if those Servants that were near his Person were such but much more would it be a dishonour to him if his Children were so and much more would it be a shame and a blot and a dishoâ—our to him if the Wife of his Bosom should turn a Strumpet a lewd Person a Drunkard a Sot So is it with respect unto the most High Those that are in the nearest Relation to him are the greatest dishonour to him and do most of all blot and wound and reproach his Holy Name if their Conversations be irregular uncomely unworthy of bearing his Name And the nearer persons are to him the greater reproach do they bring unto his Holy Name They
to be the Sins of the House of Jacob or whether of any other Evil whatsoever that he is convinced of if he be not truly penitent and have not truly forsaken those Evils It is a very dangerous thing for such a one to approach to the Table of the Lord such do eat that Bread and drink that Cup of the Lord unworthily and do come together unto condemnation And the Lord will condemn them for it unless they speedily repent and judge themselves and condemn themselves that they may not be judged But O how unpreparedly and unworthily have many without examination or consideration of the greatness of the undertaking rushed unto the Table of the Lord without the Wedding Garment and how seldome have some Administrators of that Oâ—dinance given warning unto their Heareâ—s of the danger of it and Preached preparation Sermons or Words which they ought to have done as they tendered the safety or welfare of their Souls The Lord hath been greatly provoked to anger for the Sins of the House of Jacob and shall such sinners still be permitted to come to the Table of the Lord without repentance Thirdly It is also the Duty of every such faithful Servants of the Lord Duty III in the several Congregations to declare distinctly and particularly to every person that desires to be joyned to any Church of Christ hereafter that they may not be admiâ—â—ed into that Holy Fellowship if they be guilty of or do live in any of these Evils or any other known Sin and that hereafter if any of them be â—ound in any Evil they must expect to be cast out from among them For one great Reason why Sin hath so abounded among the Professors of the fear of the Lord is the unfaithfulness of the generality of the Churches unto the Lord in not exercising his Ordinances and Appointments faithfully but suffering sins one upon another and not shewing that true love and true friendship one towards another to reprove one another faithfully and graciously and meekly according to the Gospel-Rule and the Rule of the Law also for restoring such as are overtaken in faults But their suffering sinners to go on in sin in those Sins declared to be their â—ins and to grow old in Sin and hardened in Sin So that now it is a hard work for them to break off their Sins by Righteousness and their hardheaâ—ted iniquities by shewing mercy to the Poor Dan. 4. 27. Who whereas had the Ordinances of Christ been faithfully and frequently and duly practised whensoever there was occasion Sin might have been nipt in the Bâ—d and never have risen up to such a Rod of Wickedness as it hath Ezek. 7. â—1 done If Covetousness had been curbed betimes it would not have grown up to that monstrousness that now it is in many Church-Members And if hardness of heart and close-fistedness had been faithfully reproved it would have been more a shame to be so Iâ— the odiousness of Pride and self-conceitedness had been faithfully laid open in the Spirit of meekness and love to those in whom at any time it appeared it might have greatly prevented the continuance of it If â—â—owardness of Spirit had been faithfully declared against as an Evil very unbecoming Saints and an Evil wherein they are most unlike their Lord who was meek and lowly in heart and as a Lamb dumb before the Sheaâ—ers he opened not his mouth and therefore not to be tollerated in any that is a Member in a Church of Christ it might greatly restrain and mortifie that detestable Evil. So also if neglects of holy Duties had been declared against as not fit to be suffered in any Member of a Church of Christ it would have been both a shame and a grief of heart to any person to neglect Duties that ought to be duly and constantly performed whereas now Duties are neglected without shame or blushing or true grief of heart So also if Covenant-breaking had been reproved in any onâ— Church-Member and declared against as an Evil abhor'd oâ— God and of his People and that it was not fit that any such person should remain a Member of a Church of Christ without true repentance I say if this Rule had been put in â—re in the Churches of Christ when first any Member of any Church appeared to be guilty of it as many were fifteen years ago and more it might have prevented many others and have caused them that were so dealt with viz. ordeâ—ly reproved for that Evil and if impenitent cast out as grievous sinners and not worthy to remain in the House of the Lord to have considered their wayes and to have been truly humbled and penitent long ago But they being suffered to remain in a Church of Christ impenitent under the first Evil of that kind they were left to hardness of heart and searedness of Conscience in that and many other Evils making no bones of breaking Oaths and solemn Ingagements in every particular 1 Tim. 4â— 2. part of them and left to such other Evils as they would have abhor'd the very thoughts of them if they had been told but three years before that within a few years they should be very grievous sinners against the Lord in such and such sorts of Sin and to such and such high degrees And they would have said as Hazael said to Elisha Is thy Servant a Dog that he should do this great thing But being suffered to remaâ—n in Churches impenitent in the first breach of Covenant they were so hardened as they justified themselves in that and other grievous iniquities and saw no Evil in them neither weâ—e penitent in the sence of them until the judgements of God came in like a deluge upon them and though the judgements of God are come they do not at all repent nor give him glory nor sanctifie his Name in saying Righteous art thou O Lord and just are thy Judgements Ps 119. 137. Though his judgements are come upon us for this very end that he may sanctifie his great Name which hath been polluted by his People among the Heathen among the unbelieving Nations about us and among the unbelievers in these three Nations I say they do not repent of nor turn from their Evil nor glorifie and sanctifie the Name of the Lord in declaring that he is just when he speaketh and clear when he judgeth It is true they will confess in general that they are sinners and so will the worst of men But where is the acknowledging Psal 5â—â— 4. of particular Evils in the Publick Congregations and taking shame for them before all in the great Assemblies that God may be glorified and the declaring a detestation of them and the publick manifestation of the turning from them that the Name of the Lord may be Hallowed Sanctified Psal 5. 4. 11. 7. and Glorified for he is not a God that hath pleasure in Wickedness â—either shall Evil dwell with him And The Righteous Lord
Lord takes special notice of that which is the great the grand Sin of the Professors of the â—ear of the Lord in this Age which of all their Evils is the most abominable though they are all hateful to the Lord. And what is said in this Scripture is for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come And the Lord here speaks of a People that were for this Sin of Coâ—etousness smitten by him as his people now have been and yet they went on frowaâ—dly in the way of their heart they went on perveâ—sly in their covetousness notwithstanding his rebukes being an unworthy people as his people now have been of whom it may be said as he complains of them of old Isa 9. 13. For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them neither do they seek the Lord of hosts A people that have both abused his favours and are regardless of his being wroth and his sâ—itings and corrections of them yet he notwithstanding their perversness and unworthyness is pleased to manifest such riches of grace as to say that he had seen the evill of their wayes and would heal them and restoâ—e comforts c. So that the hardest and most froward and most rebellious heart may be softned and turned and healed and then comforted for here is sufficient ground of Hope for Israel in this Case But there is no ground for any Hope that while a Souls Diseases and defilements remain upon it whether it be Covetousness or any other Evil that they shall have any comfort or peace in that state for there is no Peace saith my God to the Wicked not to any Soul â—iving in any Wickedness But they shall be like the troubled Sea which cannot rest whose Waters cast up mire and dirt But to a Soul that is healed of its backsliding God will Create the fruit of the Lips Peace to it and will restore comfort to it and to its Mourners And God can and will heal them that have been and are guilty of the Iniquity of Covetousness and have notwithstanding they have been smitten by him for it yet gone on forwardly in the way of their Hearts But here is no word of Peace for any but the healed Soul Some it may be that are covetous will be covetous still and some that are filthy will be filthy still but the most covetous may be so healed as they may become such as are most hating Covetousness and God will heal such as have gone on frowardly in the way of their hearts and he will then speake Peace unto them Another scripture to this purpose also is Jer. 31. 18 19 20. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoak Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed ye even confounded because I did bear the reproch of my youth Iâ— Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therfore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him saith the Lord. In which Scâ—ipture we find that Ephâ—aim had bin chastised as the Lords people have now been for sin but Ephraim was froward and untoward under it and behaved himself like a Bullock not accustomed to the Yoak and could not submit to the Lords chastisements And yet notwithstanding Ephraim is brought at last to bemoan himself that ever he should be so froward and so unmoâ—tiâ—ied and unsubmissive to the Lords Righteous Chastisements And at last Ephraim is brought to pray Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God As if he should say thus Thou knowest how unsufficient I am to turn my self O turn thou me for thou art all-sufficient for thou art the Lord my God It is a work that thou canst easily Isa 26. 12 do in me For thou who art the Lord our God workest all our Works in us and for us And then Ephraim is become very teachable and very gentle and very ready to beaâ— the Lords Yoak and Ephraim is turned and repenteth and is instructed and smites upon his thigh and is ashamed yea even confounded because he did bear the reproach of his Youth And thus when Ephraim is brought into this humble and gracious posture then the Lord speaks Peace unto him and manifests the yearning of his Bowels towards him and promises that he will have mercy on him Ephâ—aim being healed being turned the Lord soon creates the Fruit of the Lips Peace to him The like Scripture we have also Hos 14. 1 2 3 4 5. O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity Take with you words and turn to the Lord and say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciâ—usly so will we render thee the Calves of our Lips Ashur shall not save us we will ride no more upon Horses neither will we say any more to the work of our hands Yea are our Gods for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy I will heal their back-slidings I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him I will be as the dew unto Israel he shall grow as the Lillies and cast forth his Roots as Lebanon In which Scripture we have a back-sliding People encouraged to return to the Lord and a promise that the Lord will heal theiâ— back-slidings Though they have lost their first Love and back-sliden from the Lord and have forsaken him in a great measure and his blessed Rules of Love and Humility and Meâ—kness and Righteousness c. Yet he will heal their back-slidings and love them freely And then when they are healed and do take unto them words c. And not until then doth the Lord speak Peace unto them and declare his anger to be turned away and promise to be as the dew unto Israel And he shall cast forth his Roots as Lebanon There are several other Scriptures that confirm this great and blessed Truth but I shall mention but one more with which I shall conclude this Work and service for the Lord and for his People humbly praying that the great and precious blessings therein mentioned as also in the forementioned Scriptures may speedily be the portion of all the Lords People It is Jeremiah 33. 4 5 6 7 8 9. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel concerning the houses of this City and concerning the houses of the Kings of Judah which are thrown down by the Mounts and by the Sword They come to fight with the Caldeans but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men whom I have slain in my anger and in my fury and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this City Behold I will bring it Health and Cure
Spirit in whom any sin did appear or any carriage or conversation not becoming the Gospel according to the Rules laid down in the blessed Word of Truth both in the Law and Gospel as Lev. 19. 17. Mat. 8. 15 16. Gal. 6. 1. 6. That great Duty of a constant frequenting the Assemblies of the Saints and the practise of the publick Ordinances of Christ which he taught all his Constant and diligent attending the Assemblies of Saints publickly to worship the Lord. 1 Pet. 4. 14 Disciples to observe wherein there is a more publick owning and honouring the Lord in the Eyes of all the World Which well becomes the Saints diligently and solemnly to attend whatever Persecution they suffer for it for happy are they if they suffer for well doing the Spirit of God and of Glory reâ—leth upon them which was the blessed Practice of the Saints of old as Psal 22 22. 107. 32. 149. 1. 122. 1 2. 27. 4. Heb. 10. 25. 1 Cor. 11. 18. 14. 23. 1 Cor. 5. 4. Now I say That there hath been a very great Omission of all these great Duties by the generality of Professors is too well known to themselves and others But I may not spare to tell them of it more particularly and to sâ—ew them tâ—e hainousness of those Sins As first That great Duty of solemn and constant Prayer in Families being neglected is to be charged upon many even of the Baptized Congregations whose looseness therein hath been very lamentable and not onely the people but some of the Elders and Teachers of those people also have greatly offended in this thing and whatsoever their zeal hath been in other things and in things never so excellent yet in this they have been a shame and a dishonour to the high profession of the Gospel which they have made my Soul is grieved to think of it It having proceeded meerly from a careless carnal sluggish frame of Spirit not from Opinion or Judgement that it ought to be so or that it were against a Rule to pray and praise the Lord in their Families or to exhort or instruct their Families though that were very bad in them if they did it from Opinion but it hath not been so for sometimes they have been practising that duty in their Families at their own leisure and when their own turns were served O sinful people that have thus provoked the Lord to perform duties to God either not at all all the day long or else when it s done sleeping by most present bringing the blind the halt to the Lord and as these so more private and Closet performances have been very rare and seldom as those that have lived in their Families and observed their looseness and remisness can witness and their own Consciences will testifie to their faces And as the Professors of the Baptized Churches so those of the Independant and Presbyterian understandings many of them have been as guiâ—ty of the omission or slight or seldom performances of these duties as they But for the people that are termed Quakers by way of distinction from oâ—hers they have been wretchedly guilty of the omission of these Family and Closet Duties it being their general way never to pray in their Families though many of their Families have been made up of all such as have been called Quakets all such as have approved one of another and could have no pretence why they should not joyn together in Prayer and praises why they should not worship the Lord together in their Families as well as in the greater Congregations but onely a careless carnal vain heart that is the occasion of the remisness of all Professors that are remiss in this Duty But they have a pretence that they may not pray but when they have a strong impulse of Spirit thereunto and if that be the case and that People may not pray that they may be quickened by the quickening Spirit nor pray for more of the Spirit when they have but a little very little in them then why do they pray at all in their Meetings or joyn in Prayer with those that do But it may be those that pray not all the week before in their Families will pray when they come to a Meeting And had not the devil a great design in hindring all sorts of Professors from Prayer they would not so easily upon such slight and insufficient grounds be hindred from Prayer as they generally are But that subtile Adversary knoweth that their Hearts shall live that seek the Lord and that there are no Souls so thâ—iving as the truly spiritual praying Souls that are most in Prayer and Supplication day and Ps 22. 26. 69. 32. night which none are whatever they pretend but those that spend much time therein both in their Families where they fear the Lord and in their Closets When thou prayest retire thy self set time apart for that purpose enter into thy Closet and pray to thy Father in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly But some may say I may pray in Mat. 6 6. secret when I neither enter into my Closet nor none in my House observeth me But let me tell such That if they be observed as they may be when they little think of it to spend their day from morning to night in being implunged in some worldly business or other or to be in company with some or other talking of this or that News or this and that Trade or business or eating and drinking and walking and talking and so fill up their whole day and no time set apart nor no retirement or being retired from the world and the affairs thereof they are sorry Prayers that such make Our dear Lord went into Desarts and Mountains to pray set time apart for that great and solemn Work and frequently continued all night in Prayer to God It was not a little and slight setting apart of time And therefore let not any dare to deceive and delude themselves and others with deceitful pretences But I have a little digrest though necessarily from my work in hand to show the Lords People their Transgressions But I must proceed to shew his People among the Quakers that this hath been their great Sin that they have been very grosly and in higher degrees then others guilty of the omission of these holy Duties of Family and Closet-Praying and Praising and Worshipping the Lord which is of so great concernment to the increase of all spiritual Grace and that is the reason that they grow so little but are come to a stint and do not adde to their Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowlenge c. but in the posture they were seven years ago they are still many of them and are rather declined in the purity of their conversations though they stick to their shells and outsides of needless words and gestures in the which there is no savour to
any truly spiritual taste Thus some of all Professors of the fear of the Lord have been great transgressors against him in not glorifying him as God and worshipping him so frequently and so solemnly as they ought but have been shamefully guilty of the neglect hereof Though some have been more guilty then others as their own Consciences as well as many other Witnesses can testifie to their Faces They have not been so exercised in Thankfulness and Praises as they ought nor so sensible of the multitudes of Mercies which God hath for a long time given them nor of his continued Mercies which are new every morning so as to praise him for his loving kindness every morning and for his faithfulness every night as David Psal 92. 2. 145. 2. 119. 164. But they have been unthankful though Praise is comely for the Righteous and frequent Prayer and Praises becomes the Upright And as they have been guilty of the Omission of Family and Closet-Prayer and Praises so many of them have been guilty too much of the neglect of instructing and taking pains with Children and Servants to bring them up in the nurture and fear of the Lord if they have taken a little paits once in a month or a quarter of a year they have thought it enough and how many have had Servants of whose Souls they have taken no care at all or very little O what great reason have very many of all distinctions to take shame to themselves on this particular account also Again The Lords People have been very guilty many of them of that great evil of the neglect of visiting the Poor the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction and of the Members of Christ in their sick and imprisoned conditions so that it will be said of many of them I was sick and in Prison and ye visited me not and of this evil they have been generally guilty except some of them here and there but some of them have been so guilty hereof through the love of this World as they could very scarcely find time once in a quarter of a year to visit any poor Soul in their Distress or Sâ—clâ—ness or Poverty or Imprisonment though some have been of the same Congregation of which they have been as thinking that the Visits that some others make may excuse them or whether others visit such or no it is all one to them this Worlds Business hath been their Work and their Delight perform such Duties who will they have not been careful This hath been the shameful evil of some both Presbyterian Baptised and Independant Professors but the People called Quakers may not be so much charged with this evil as many of the others may be there being generally a more forwardness and readiness in them to this Duty then in others And though it is a Duty that an out-side Professor may perform yet it is a Duty well becoming the the most eminent Saint But further The Lords People have also been very guilty of that Sin of neglect of a tender and careful watching over the Souls of one another when any one hath been overtaken with a fault and of not endeavouring to restore such a one with the spirit of meekness but have suffered Sin upon others Gal. 6. 1. Lev. 17. 17. and have not been concerned about it and have not taken that natural care of the welfare of each others Souls as they ought to have done this being the Duty of all Saints but especially of the Elders and Teachers of a People But of this Sin many have been guilty but the Elders and Preachers of the Presbyterian Congregations especially have been very deficient herein for which they ought to be deeply humbled for they most of them have been very negligent herein as if it were enough for them to preach two or three Sermons a week in a publick Congregation to all Comers and they have done little else in order to the Soul-advantage of the People whom they have judged to be committed to their Charge never going to visit them that hear them and to be enquiring into the state of their Souls and instructing them more particularly in the things that belong to their Peaee nor yet to endeavour with the Spirit of Meekness to restore any of them that have been over-taken with a fault and that are guilty of particular Evils which becomes not their Profession But they content themselves with a sluggish negligence of these things as if nothing else were to be done in order to the welfare of the Souls of the Flock the Sheep and Lambs of Christ but meerly a bare preaching once a week as some do no more or two or three times a week in a general way to all Comers Of this I say the Preachers of the Presbyterian Congregations are most guilty but yet some of the Teachers and Elders of the Independant and of the Baptised Congregations also as is well known are as guilty hereof almost if not altogether as any of these and therefore such may be joyned together And they must all know That these are the Shepherds with whom the Lord is greatly displeased of whom he makes that great Complaint Ezek. 34. 3 4. The diseased have ye not strengthened neither have ye healed the sick neither have ye bound up that which was broken neither have ye brought again that which was driven away neither have ye sought that which was lost c. which alas alas hath been your very Character How many of your Flock have been diseased weak and seeble Souls And what care have you taken to strengthen them by administring such particular Applications unto their particular Cases as might make them to be strong Men How many of your Flock have been sick of grievous Diseases either of filthy Covetousness or of dangerous Pride or of disturbing passionate peevishness and frowardness of spirit upon every small occasion or of desperate Unbelief c. And what care have ye taken to heal these and such-like fore Diseases of the Souls of your Flock by those blessed Prescriptions of the Word of God which you ought skilfully to have administred to each of them Remedies suitable to their several Maladies as the matter might require skilfully dividing the Word aright with a spirit of Meekness Sweetness and Love and yet with a holy Courage and Resolution not to spare Rebukes with all Authority in Love How many in your Flock have had broken Bones by reason of distress of Spirit that ye have not bound up And how many of your Flock have been driven away by falling into company with persons that have led them astray or by a propensity in theit natures to run into loose and vain company and to go astray from the Footsteps of the Flock of Christ And ye have not brought again that which was driven away neither have you sought that which was lost if they be driven away they may be driven far enough for you some of you who
adding so much as a Syllable not imposing it on any to believe but leave it to aâ—l persons to make such use thereof as the Lord shall direct them The Copies of part of tvvo Letters Written from Amsterdam in August 1661. so far as relates to the business that 's here intended to be Published I Have been told by two or three sober Persons that there hath been in this Town whiles I was at the Hague an Antient man of Friesland who came hither by the direction of an Angel who he said appeared unto him at night about eleven of the Clock when he was a bed making his Rome formerly dark more bright then when the Sun at noon day shined â—â—on it whereat he being amazed and troubled he saith The Angel stood still till he had recovered himself and then told him That he was sent from God to command him to go to the reformed Ministers of this Countrey to bid them exhort earnestly their Hearers to Repent and abstain from the Prophaneness and sinfiul excesses which abounded in their courses because God hath determined to visit this People with the Sword with the Plague and with Famine in the extremity of all these Plagues except they be humbled and Repent that the Sword shall be in all their Quarters at once that the Plague shall be such that the living shall not be able to bury all the dead but that the Dogs shall eat the Carkasses lying unburied and that the Famine shall be such that one pound of Bread shall be worth a Rix Dollar And when the Old Man did ask him when this should be the answer was That he should give the Reformed Ministers warning thereof first and as they should behave themselves he should then come to him again and let him know further That if they repented not he should be told of the time which should not fail one hour Mr. Rulice told me â—ome part of this having understood it from a sober Woman of his Congrâ—gation who spake with him of whom when she came to spake to him he asked whether she was of the Reforâ—â—ed Church-Members And when she had answered Yea then he told her these things and added That the Angel said That because he was an Old Man He was not charged to carry the same Message of the like Judgements to befall to England except they also Repeâ—â—ed for the great sins which bear sway in that Nation but that he should Write unto England to warn them of the same purpose of God against them if they did not alter their courses I shall inquire further into this matter and let you know what I learn The Woman that related a part of this to Mr. Rulice for some part namely concerning the Sword to be upon the four corners of the Provinces I heard from another hand added That he was commanded to give the same warning to the Reformed Ministers in Braband and that he said He could wish it had pleased the Lord to imploy some body else in this Message For said he I scarce dare go along the Streets for Boys and people following and taking me for a Qâ—akerâ— which is very troublesome to me Whether this matter of the Vision be true or no that the man who is known to be of a good life hath seen it is not material to me but that he saith these things is out of doubt And that the duty of Repentance is very necessary no man can deny that can look into the lives of Professors But that thâ—â— Message should now be sent when this People think themselves at peace with all the World and in a more flourishing condition then ever is remarkable to me and like unto the way of God who to ballance their carnal confidence and wanton security doth let them know the danger whereby they are except they behave themselves wisely and walk humbly before him Which I beseech the Lord to make you in England as well as those that are here sensible of Amsterdam the 9 19 of August 1661. The Copy of the other Letter I Wrote last week of an old man of Frieâ—land who had seen an Angel Two dayes agce Mr. Comenius and I with another went to him and spake with him his name is Homme Theus his Age is 76. his aboad in a Villagâ— near Sneck in Friesland his Imployment is in the Winter a Schoolmaster of Boys in the Summer because the Children are in the Field commonly he goeth about as a Physitian of Beasts and gets some livelyhood by that means I asked him first whether an Angel had spoken to him and he said That in the night when he was asleep he found himself wakened and an Angel standing before his Bâ—d with a great light as if it had been the Sun in the Room and that he stayed with him from about eleven of the Clock until toward morning about four hours time and that he told him He was sent to command him to give warning unto the Ministers of the several professions of this Land viz. The Reformed the Lutherans the Anabaptists the Papists that God would punish the said Land for their unthankfulness for the great prosperity hitherto bestowed upon these Provinces for their Pride for their Covetousness for their Oppression of the poor in Judicatures for their excess of Riot and Wantonness for Adultery and Fornication and for their hatred one of another and their persecuting each of other for differences of Religion seeking to force each other to their particular way of Profession saying That God did hate this practice and would severely punish them for it except they Repented And further the Angel said That the Gospel was truly preached in these Lands but their sin lay in that they did not live up to it and to the knowledge they had of it And he said That if the Ministry did not warn this People that God would first visit them and their Houses for the neglect of this duty and that he would send upon the Land if they repented not the Sword the Famine and the Pestilence A Pestilence such that the Living should not able to bury the Dead but they should lie upon the streets and be torn with Dogs A Famine such that a pound of Bread should cost a Rix Dollar which should be upon the four Corners of the Land He said The Angel commâ—nded him to give the same warning into England and for the same sins the same Judgements should befal unto them I asked him concerning the discharge of his Commission unto the Ministers of this place how he had performed it He told me He had been with one of the Ministers of his acquaintance Mr. Sihelanus with whom that day he had dined and that â—y him he would send a writing unto the Consistory of this City and that this Minister had undertaken to deliver it at their Meeting the next day and that he would cause it to bâ— Printed to give a warning to all Now whether this be