THE LAMB CALLING HIS Follovvers TO Retirement Being an Humble Enquiry into the duty of Churches Ministers and all that fear the Lord under the present dispensation of God By one that would be found though unworthy the Lords Witness and Servant and of all his SAINTS 1 COR. 4. 5. Judge nothing before the time Printed in the year 1662. TO THE READER THe different apprehensions of the People of God in this day concerning their present duty being cut off from their publick liberties of Worship gave occasion to the ensuing Enquiry some judging it of absolute necessity to assemble openly though they expose themselves or at least their Teachers to the utmost hazard others that Retirement is that which the present dispensation calls for which later this brief Discourse endeavours to prove as justifiable from the Scripture and the practise of the People of God in former Ages but more especially to be the voice of the Lord to his people in the present day in which there is a concurring judgement of many But that Retirement which is first called to namely unto the Lord Jesus himself which is briefly prest in the former part is that which is commended to all as absolutely necessary as ever they expect to be found under his wing at his coming and appearing and Reader hear the call of Jesus Christ therein that thou mayst lay up thy immortal soul with him that when storms are coming upon the World thou mayst be found in thy Sanctuary in thy Chambers of Rest and Safety where they shall not reach thee As to the Case of Retirement from open Assembling it is plainly stated from Scripture evidence as is humbly apprehended wherein if there be not enough said to satisfie a doubting Conscience yet at least there may be sufficient to engage humble and sober minds to a mutual forbearance The duties of all Saints under this Retirement are but briefly hinted because of brevity and in that they have been more at large prest by the Servants of God in the two years of mercy we have enjoyed as the peculiar blessing of this City to the honour of the Lord Jesus the establishment of the Saints in the faith and worship of the Gospel and in the Resurrection of the Cause of the Kingdom of Christ in these Nations the vindicating and asserting whereof hath as is hoped left a gratious and powerful impression and savour upon the Spirits of the Lords people that so they may be found the more quietly submitting to the dispensation of the Lord as blessedly establisht in the forementioned truths and may in those holy principles in which they have been built up continue in a more private way edifying one another in love as those in this their retirement that are waiting for the speedy return of their Lord that when he comes he may find them so doing This you may do as under the wings of the Almighty in a probable security and not hasten your selves into your own sufferings and if the providence of God single out any of you to a suffering testimony in the loss of liberty or goods or to banishment verily you will know the tender heart of Jesus Christ towards you and his faithfulnesse in making up all to you and yours and that in this life a hundred fold Be quiet you Captives of hope for in returning and rest shall ye be saved in quietnesse and confidence shall be your strength And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy Teachers be removed into corners any more but thine EYES SHALL SEE THY TEACHERS Do not think that the Lord is now at the end of twenty years work and that the present dispensation is the last issue of all his glorious providences you have sometime believed that the Exaltation of the Lord Jesus would be the issue of all the shakings the Lord hath made in these Nations and you have as great if not a greater ground to abide in the same Faith as ever Take heed of a bewildred Spirit under the dark providences the Lord is leading us but consider what the Lord hath been doing and what work hath been upon the wheele and by faith labour to look to the end of the Lord and you will be able quietly to wait for him I wish the Case in hand had been stated by an abler hand but finding nothing herein I have found my Spirit often looking for light from the Father of lights drawn out to cast in this mite to the present Generation of the righteous as hoping that the voice of the Lamb is in it in the main scope of it And though it may be in what is hinted about the death of the witnesses I may differ from some of the Lords Servants yet I promise my self their forbearance it being an houre of enquiry and we would be all glad to know the mind of Christ in our day Something more may be offerd to consideration to clear those hints and of the nature of the Kingdom of Christ in this World if the Lord permit Now the blessed God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve all his in this houre of temptation and lead us into his whole Counsel and Will to whose immutable grace I commend thee in the patient waiting for Zions Redemption The 25. of the 5. Month 1662. Resting Thy Brother and Fellow-Servant in the Patience of Christ ESAY 26. 20. Come my People enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment untill the indignation be overpast THE special Wisdome of the People of God in all Generations under the variety of his dispensations hath been to know what the Lord hath spoken and called his People to under them in the knowledge of which hath been bound up their mercy and peace in every Generation All their miscarriages have been for want of attending hereunto either in a day of peace and outward blessing or in a day of affliction and judgement The safety of this people to whom this word was spoken Enter into thy Chambers c. did lye in the obedience thereof at that day which let us a little more particularly consider This Prophet though many years before the day of it spake of the Captivity of Judah and also of her return and restauration with the blessings that should attend it which restauration he more at large begins to discover at the 14. Chap. For the Lord will have mercy upon Jacob and will yet chuse Israel and set them to their own Land c. Upon which the Prophet having denounced the burden of the Lord against Babylon Chap. 13. threatens all other Nations to the 25. Chap. that but helped in or rejoyed at the day of his Peoples Captivity as Moab and Syria and Egypt and Tyre c. As is more generally exprest ch 17. 12 13 14. Wo to the multitude of many people which make a noise like
thy former loving kindnesses c. The Covenant of God with his people is built as upon two Pillars Mercy and Faithfulness Psal 89. 2. For I have said Mercy shall be built up for ever thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very Heavens I have made a Covenant with my chosen c. Under these two doth David shelter as the Wings of the Cherubims 57. 1 2. God shall send forth his Mercy and Truth and shall save me Mercy to pitty and forgive Faithfulness to fulfil his Word here is a safe shelter for Saints in every strait David and other of the people of God get under these Wings of God and are at peace David near twenty times in the Psalms is putting these two together thy Mercy and thy Truth shall prevent me and in them I trust If all the Mercy of God and all the Truth and Faithfulness of God be my portion what need I fear here is sweet and safe retirement for Saints in an evil day But how do poor Souls retire into this Blessed Name of God a Merciful Almighty Unchangeable God as a Rock for them 1. By seeing thorough the Light of the Spirit the Emptiness and Vanity of all other refuges that nothing below an unchangeable God of all Grace through Jesus Christ can be a refuge for a Naked and Forlorne Soul in Psalm 62. David mentions two things which the heart is apt to make a reguge Men and Riches vers 9 10. of both these he saith they are a lie and vanity And if riches increase set not your heart upon them do not think them a meet refuge for you in any day specially a day of distress if neither the sons of men nor riches be a shelter then in God saith David is my Salvation and my Glory the rock of my strength and my refuge is in God Yea He onely is my Rock v. 6. seel Psal 142. 4 5. I looked c. v. 4. And what did he see Why Refuge failed him every refuge was too low too short too weak to shelter him here was conviction of nothing but emptyness in them vanity upon them all What then why vers 5. I said Thou art my refuge and my portion there is that in Jesus Christ to ensafe me and satisfie me the two great ends to which the soul moves in all its desires now I have them not in Creatures they can't be a refuge not a portion but God in Christ is both is All This is a conviction we should pass under every day 2. We retire into this Blessed Name of the Lord by Faith He is a Rock Psalm 62. the Rock of Ages or the Everlasting Rock nothing below himself is so Faith sees him so as a sinking man in the Waters sees a Rock and makes to it and sees him onely he onely is my Rock Now here 's the ensafeing Act of Faith it can lay up all concernments of Soul and Life with an unchangeable God here I adhere fasten cleave Oh O that Blessed Glorious Name a Gracious Almighty or All-sufflcient and Unchangeable Saviour in the day of my trouble Oh set me on this Rock that is higher then I Psal 61. 2. Then let Waves and Billows beat against me they may break themselves but shall never break the Rock I shall not be moved Psal 62. That 's the stability faith gives the Soul let Sins Temptations Troubles beat against me I shall not be moved thus Faith can triumph at all times Trust in him at all times God is a refuge for us In shaking times in dying times all is safe with him yea when the Heart is overwhelmed and desolate Faith thus relieves and fetcheth up the Heart in all its sinkings let the Soul see a storm coming away it hastens into its Refuge into the Chambers of strength and shuts its door till it be overpast Because this is the Work of Saints and the call of the Lord to them at this day Consider it a little further First Jesus Christ presents himself to a poor soul as an open refuge let the sin burden distress inward or outward be what it will this door of Grace stands open the sinners of the World pass by it and will not enter the more their misery but poor souls that are beaten out of one hold after another and see at last this door of hope opened in the valley of Darkness and Fears runs into it unbelief would draw the Soul back Satan would shut the Door against it but the soul ventures and venture it must or sink and perish and gets into Christ and he holds out a hand and bears it up opens Blood and Righteousness and Grace and bids the soul make use of it and here the Soul retires every day under this shelter t is driven and it can be quiet and safe no where else if the heart be stealing out else where to other shelters in the World or of its own Satans World and Conscience set upon it And the Soul flies back and gets into its strong hold again No living safely else where Now Jesus Christ is an open refuge in every precious word of free Grace Esay 55. 1. Rev. 21. 6. 22. 17. c. which words Believers see as a blessed safe Retirement when they are stormd out of every thing else and evidences are bemisted Secondly Jesus Christ presents himself a sure refuge for Souls to Retire into He sprinkles blood casts a Mantle of Righteousnesse a Mantle of Love and Grace and Power over the soul that gets into him and who then can harm it Guilt and Sorrows and Temptations and Pressures can follow the soul to the Door but cannot enter with it He is near that justifieth who then shall contend Esay 50. 8. there is safety T is true the soul is not alwayes apprehensive of its own safety but hath its fits of Fears and Mis-givings through Temptation and Unbelief as in Davids Case and mark it Psal 31. 22. For I said in my hast I am cut off from before thine eyes neverthelesse thou heardest the voice of my Supplication when I cryed unto thee here was sad Apprehension I am cut off though he had words of Promise to the contrary but yet he cryed to the Lord in that distemper but what did the Lord cast him off because of that mixture of unbelief No neverthelesse he heard and saved him a Case of great relief for Dark Doubting Souls So that Jesus Christ is a safe sure strong impregnable shelter all the World can't get a soul out of it all is safe there Obj. But may not my life go for it for all this Answer That which is indeed thy life the life of thy soul the immortal life that is most safe hid or laid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. Because I live you shall live also John 14. your life is as safe as my life t is bound up with my own yea t is the same with my own the life I live I live in you As
retired themselvs from their more publick Ministry In the ordinary providence of God these Reasons of it may be instanced 1. When publick Preachers are sent to preach to the world and the people will not receive them but persecute them they after some patient waiting may withdraw for a testimony against them Mat. 10. 14. which is too often the case of the servants of Christ though it doth not fully reach the case in hand 2. When the Lord Jesus hath more woâ—k and service for his servants and will preserve them to a day of liberty as hath been shewed of the whole generation of Saints then he hath used to hide them by his gracious providence in a wonderful manner and hath called them off from the publick stage and kept them in the midst of the persecutions they have been under or snatcht them out of them as abundant instances might be given so it is prophesied Isa 30. 20 That their teachers should be removed into corneâ—s till the Captivity was over c. 3. In mercy to the Churches that the liberties and lives of the servants of Christ may be preserved to serve them more publickly when the Lord by his providence shal make way and in the mean time may be useful to the Churches in a more private way and not to spend them in a kind of passionate courage upon the implacable fury of their persecutors whence it was that the Disciples at Cesarea so passionately besought Paul not to go up to Hierusalem And when he would have entred in among the people the Disciples suffered him not This may suffice to state and clear this case â—o the consciences of such as may be differently minded herein which may at least call for a mutual forbearance in love and that Satan get not an advantage to stir up heats heighten prejudices beget a greater distance among the people of God and so in stead of closing widen the sad breaches that have been amongst us And yet when I have thus stated this case that the call of Jesus Christ may be to retire and that 't is lawful upon particular personal persecution for the Ministers of Christ to do so yet I also say with blessed Bucer as he states this case on the 4th of Matth. upon our Saviour's retirement That there can be no absolute binding unlimited Rule laid down in this case that shall be binding in all times and to all persons And 't is hard for others to determine when a servant of Christ may more honour the Lord by retirement or by a publike exposing himself Every man in such a case is to give up himself to the leading of the Spirit of the Lord which hath carried some of the servants of Christ in one way and some in another in all times of persecution accordingly as Christ will be glorified by them Though the same Bucer who also retired in the Germane persecution concludes thus Where by retirement flight thou mayest see an advantage of honoring Christ tuae te horae servans by withdrawing thou dost as Christ himself did and as Paul at Damascus Yet that the minds of Saints may be fully satisfied herein I will consider what is usually urged by some to the contrary Obj. How do the servants of the Lord give forth a full Testimony if they retire when Edicts are given forth against them seeing 't is said they overcome by the Woâ—d of their Testimony Rev. 12. That we may therefore consider how far this may reach and when Saints may be said to keep the Commandments of God and to have the Testimony of Iesus Christ ver last 1. A Testimony is given first by the Preachers Witnesses of Christ by discovering the sins and the Antichristian abominations of the age day they live in and witnessing for all the Offices Worship Kingdom of Jesus Christ according to the Scripture as the Spirit of the Lord gives light and acts them thereunto and as the Providence of God opens a door to them Blessed be the Father of Spirits that through the Grace and Power of the Lord Jesus such a Testimony hath been given sorth to the glory of God the conviction and establishment as is hoped of the people of God which testimony no doubt the Lord will make good in his best time and which they leave with God being satisfied they are called by the providence of God to a more retired way 2. All other Saints do keep the Testimony of Jesus and the Commandments of God as opposed to the Commands of men in the matters of Christ and his Worship when they are through the teaching of the Spirit in the Word and the Power of the same Spirit resting upon them kept from partaking of the sins polutions and Anti-christian abominations of false Worship which men would impose upon them Acts 2. 40. Save your selves from this untoward generation Eph. 5 7. Be not ye therefore partakers with them v. 11. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness c. Touch not the uâ—clean thing be ye separate 2. Cor. 6 Come out of her my peâ—ple that ye be not pa takâ—rs of her sins that ye receive not of her plagues Rev. 18. 4. When the professing people shall obey the Lord in such words as these and not defile themselves nor provoke the Lord to jealousie against them this is a good Testimony and such Saints who call for extremities from others may find this to be a Testimony hard enough to be kept when they are tryed as thâ—y have in lesser matters already This Testimony the 7000. kept in Samaria that bowed not their knee to Baal and God accepted them in it And let all the Ministers of Christ who would approve themselves as such to God and his people take heed that they are faithful in this testimony as well as others of the people of God and that under pretence of having the liberty of their Ministry they are not found in compliance with Humane Inventionâ— against light to render themselves a scorn to the prophane and a grief and stumbling block to the godly especially when such eminent and severe strokes from Heaven have been upon many for so doing 3. Saints do keep the Testimony of Jesus Christ when they are found in the practice of Christ's appointments though in a more private way which is a testimony against the persecutions of the World and the abominations thereof as the primitive Christians practised 4. Saints do keep the word of Testimony when any of them are called before men for not partaking in false ways of Worship and being so called do not deny the truth but confess it before man Mâ—tâ—h 10. 32 33. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men him will â— coâ—fess bâ—fore my Father which is in Heaven But whosoever shall deny me before men him nill I also deny â—efore my Father wâ—ich is in Heaven So â—s said Iâ—sus Christ wiâ—nessed a good â—â—nâ—â—ssion before Poâ—tius Pilate 1 Tim
prohibition till the 2d year of Darius whose indulgence they might have soon had but neglected it and built their own houses and were reproved by the Prophets for their neglect therein And that word as urged by blessed Mr. Burroughs in this case and other of the Servants of Christ is not to be slighted Mal. 9. I will have mercy and not sacrifice which may wel hold forth this That the Lord hath more respect to a Work of Mercy than to a Sacrifice a lawful preservation of a man's self is a moral duty a work of mercy not only to himself but others to which end a Sacrifice of instituted Worship at certain times and in some cases may be omitted Obj. 6. But 't is objected That the case is not the same with that of our Saviour and the Apostles whose lives were in hazard but now it is not so the Liberties and Livelyhoods of the Ministers of Christ are onely endangered Ans 1. The loss of liberty livelyhood with the ruine of their Families is as a lâ—sser death the preservation of which is a moral duty But let the case well be considered what three Months Imprisoâ—ment in such nasty holes as the Lonâ—on Prisons are and it may be understood to amount to little less than life and upon what terms liberty may be had at the three Months end is not so easie to determine it cost one eminent * Mr. S. Minister his life already But if it be stated to be onely the loss of liberty it will be a tender case of Conscience whether for once or twice appearing in publike a Minister is to hazard his service of the Câ—uâ—ches aâ—d People of God to whom hâ— may be useful in a more private way Obj. 7. But such a withdrawing may be aâ— offence â—o some Sâ—ints though most otheâ—â— be satâ—fied Ans I shâ—ll here speak a little to the case oâ— offences because Satan hath formerly had great advantage upon the Spirits of the Lâ—rd's people this way 1. There are oâ—â—â—â—ces that com by the ungodly perâ—ecuting world who lay stumbling blocks in the way of the people of God by their persecuting them to such it is said Wo to the â—orld because of offences Mat. 18. Saints are not surely to pronounce those woes one upon another upon different apprehensions of duty 2. There are offences that arise among the Churches and people of God themselves such are 1 Either really given one to another Or 2dly Through misunderstanding weakâ—ess passion or temptation are unduly taken and not given 1. Concerning the former namely offences really given which will too often be while we sâ—e but in paâ—t and are holy but in part the Spirit of God calls for all forbeaâ—ance compassion and restoring one another and bearing one anothers burdens according to the Royal Law of Lâ—vâ— Gal. 6. 1 2. Eph. 4. Phâ—l 2. Col. 3. 12. 1 Pet. 3. 8. â—rom which Scripâ—ures let Saints and Members of Churches learn what Spirit and carriage is required one of another in case of offences which through miscarriages mistakes and hours of temptations will befall the poor children of God while they are in the flesh and therefore do call for such an exercise of grace one towards another and not for rigid censuring debasing treading one anothers names under their feet or worse if it may be which are fruits of the flesh and of the pride of our own hearts when we set up a Throne in our own spirits and all must bow and â—all down to it to be judged either as to matter of Judgement or Practise and wonderfully please our selves in it which will not well consist with a wel humbled heart 2. There are Offences upon the Spirits of Saints that are taken but not really given through weakness of Judgement mis-guided Zeale Rashness and Passions and not attending to a well studyed and rightly informed Judgement whereby the Tempter waits to stumble good sculs and to hinder their peace and communion with the Lord. Hence the Wisdom of God takeâ— special notice of the evils that befall the spirits of men in this case A Brother offeâ—ded is haâ—der to be non than a strong City and their conteâ—tioâ—s are liâ—e â—â—e â—â—rs of a Castle Prov. 18. 19. Yea let it be seriously attended to by all that fear the Lord whether all the Teachers that have been among the People of God have not riâ—eâ— either for want of a compassionaâ—â— bearing of offences given or by taking offences unduly when not really given and by which Satan hath been graâ—fied and the uâ—converted world hath been stumbled and all for want of thorough-heart â—umiliation Wisdom Love in the Spirit whereby they should be able to â—udge â—oberly and walk in peace as becometh Saints But oftentimes this temptation hath not rested here but as it hath been observed by holy men that all backfliding and apostacy begins in taking offence first offended at one thing or person then at another and â—o at more till they drink in prejudice against the Servants of the Lord and the Way they walk in â—â—â—l from all sound and searching Ministery and so run from Mâ—uâ—tain to Hill from one thing to another till they come to nothing unâ—ess the Lord in rich 〈◊〉 â—â—covâ—r them by a sound Wâ—rk of Humiliation upon them 〈◊〉 laid in that Parable Matthew 1â— 12. That he that hath not râ—ot in hiâ—self in â— time of persecution is offenâ—â—â— Various wayes hath Satan to offend and stumble them Our Lord Jesus warned his Disciples of this Matth. 26. 31. Then saith Jâ—sus unto them All â—e shall be offended because of me this Night c. And when the Lord promiseth to bring back the Captivity of his people he saith to his servants Cast ye up cast ye up prepare ye the way take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people Then will the Lord remove their offences and heal their spirits and they shal walk on in the way to Zioâ— and shall not stumble any more Obj. 8. But doth it not proceed from carnal fear in such as judge that retirement is the duty of this day Ans A grain more of love may cast it that the Lord's servants and such of the Churches that so judge and walk do walk after their light conviction and satisfaction of conscience which happily a little time may determine Truly most of the sons of men have an Absoloms spirit and say in our hearts What would I do if I were in such or such an ones case wherein our own hearts wonderfully deceive us Yet if any of the servants of the Lord have a more then ordinary impulse of spirit at this time as it may be some have had since this dispensation of giving in their testimony 't is bâ—st to leave them to the Lord without judging each other Concerning the Ministers of Christ I would humbly say thus much That iâ— they shal be found in their particular practice faithful to the light and