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A44118 A vvord to the saints from the watch tower. By a faithful embassadour, in bonds for the gospel divers years. F. H. Holcroft, Francis, 1629?-1693. 1668 (1668) Wing H2374A; ESTC R216408 7,204 28

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A WORD TO THE SAINTS FROM THE Watch Tower By a Faithful Embassadour In Bonds for the Gospel divers years F. H. LONDON Printed in the year 1668. Cambridge-Castle 27 Decem. 1667. TO THE Faithful Brethren in Christ IN LONDON FRANCIS HOLCROFT Wisheth Grace Mercy Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ BEing in the morning before the Throne of Grace yesterday seeking the face of God the word of God came with power to my Soul with respect to the Church of God here and all the Israel of God with us in the Land Ezra 9.8 9. It 's said before Since the days of our Fathers we have been in a great trespass unto this day and for our Iniquities both we our Kings our Priests have been delivered into the hands of the Kings of the Lands to the Sword to Captivity and to Spoil and to confusion of face as it is this day Which hath been now our case for about seven years but that in part onely for how marvelously hath our God through this time of our affliction and confusion of face stayed the rough Winds and Storms of Persecution by one or other wonderful and remarkably wise and gracious work in his Providence and Administration of things in the world But as if that were not enough for us a sinful People of his Mark what our gratious God speaks by his providence and works to us at this time and that in this word I mention Vers 8 9. And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the Lord our God to leave us a Remnant to escape and to give us a Nail in his holy place that our God may lighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our bondage for we were bondmen yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage but hath extended mercy to us in the sight of the Kings of Persia to give us a reviving to set up the House of God and to repair the desolations thereof and to give us a Wall in Judah and in Jerusalem Having had many thoughts touching this word of God and the grace of God towards us his People therein declared for the help of our Faith I found upon further consideration that it may be you my dearly beloved Brethren in Christ both the Prisoners of the Lord with you and a the rest are in an especial manner concerned in this word and that fora● much as this grace hath been now for some time past given you from the Lord since the fearful Judgements of God by Plague and Fire have brake out on you I say grace hath been shewed you from the Lord to enjoy greater Liberties than your Brethren and again our God hath brought you to see somewhat of the glory of the solemn Assemblies for which you that are Mourners have been sorrowful our God hath in some measure been gathering you bringing you again the Ministers of God and others to the places of concourse God hath opened a wide door to some of You which our God make yet more and more effectual for which things we your Brethren I hope many of us in the Countrie in Prisons and others have and do rejoice blessing God by Jesus Christ I thank our God I have at some ●●mes on the Lords Days especiallie been at libertie in my Soul being present in spirit with you somewhat in your Solemn Assemblies rejoicing with you in this Mercie brought to you by so wonderful a hand of our God Now observe the Language the Holy-Ghost here useth to set out this thing Now for a little space GRACE hath been shewed from the Lord our God Mark that word Grace and that from the Lord our God It s the language of Ezra by Faith laying hold of the everlasting Covenant of Grace on the behalf of Gods own People Under the Law God spake so to his people Lev. 2.13 And every oblation of thy meat-offering shalt thou season with salt neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the Covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat-offering with all bine offerings shalt thou offer Salt and so up and down in the Word we find the holy men of God in their Prayers and Preaching their spiritual offerings offering Salt even the Salt of the Covenant of their God as Ezra here Grace hath been shewed from the Lord our God whose Covenant is this I will be their God and they shall be my People saith the Lord. Now I desire that you and we may by Faith wrought by the Spirit of grace savour more the grace of this gracious dispensation of our God and Father Grace hath been shewed us from the Lord our God in it There is in it especial favour of grace grace flowing from the Covenant of grace where our God is making known to the Elect called Heirs of Promise the immutability and unchangeableness of his Counsels and eternal purposes of grace Liberty and reviving in Bondage given as a fruit of grace and given with the grace and shinings of the face of God is a mercy indeed such as the world have not they know not what it is Now My Brethren you know the grace of the Covenant of grace was made known graciously in the in the first Testament But now in the new and better Testament whereof our Lord Christ is the Mediator the Son of God himself Grace is more abundantly made known by Iesus Christ the great design of the Gospel of God being the manifestation of the glory of the onely begotten Son of God his Beloved in whom he is well pleased and so the love also with which God hath loved his Elect who are by the Father given to Iesus Christ of whom the Lord Christ thus speaks Iohn 17. That the World may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Now the God of all grace pour out richly on you and us at this season through our Lord Jesus the Spirit of grace and supplication that he may fill our hearts with the Faith and sweet Savour of this grace of God shewed to Gods people at this time I was glad to observe of late what is said of Holy Mr. Rutherford one who faithfully testified and defended in his Generation the Doctrine of the Gospel of the grace of God It 's said that when the Lord at the beginning of these times took him to himself on his death-bed he had on his heart in some especial manner a desire that all the Saints might instantly wrestle with God for the pouring out of the Spirit of grace supplications according to the Promise Zach. 12.10 Thus shall great godly sorrow working repentance never to be repented of be given to the House of David and Inhabitants of Jerusalem both Jews and Gentiles in the last dayes who shall wall over Christ whom they have pierced even all the Kindreds of the Earth even so Amen Thus our Back-slidings from our God and our Breaches amongst our selves shall be
we would be more Faithful and Laborious c. So in the Parable saith the Dresser of the Vineyard Lord let it alone this year also till I Dig about it and Dung it which was a kind of Promise to God As if he should say Ah Lord Let it yet alone and how will● Labour and Dig about it and Dung it c. And then Let all the Saints and also the Land Mind what follows And if it Bear Fruit Well Well indeed and if not saith the Dresser who before prayed for it Then after that Thou shalt Cut it Down And there will be then No remedy Now to the end we may wisely improve this Gracious Space of reviving from our Bondage that is by grace given us I beseech you as a Worker together with the Lord and his Ministers that you Receive not This Grace of God in Vain Let 's mourn for All the past Grace that we have received in vain and Watch how we receive and learn by this Grace that hath been shewed us from the Lord To Him let our eyes be beyond all Instruments Let us I say Learn Holiness and Godliness And that we may herein be furthered Consider for what Ends our God may Vouchsafe us this Breathing Call to mind what I said partly before that our Father seeing how Back-slidden how Luke-warm we are how unaccustomed to his Yoke and Cross and how Averse we have shewed our selves to bear them how readyto walk after the Carnal Imaginations of our Own hearts He will give us a Little reviving in our Bondage to further the Reviving of our Souls by Faith and Sound Repentance and Recovering that thereby our first Love may be restored and that we may be put into Heart for the Storm that is Coming for it will put All that is within us to it If the Righteous shall be there in Scarcely saved where then shall the ungodly and Sinners appear even when this Judgment shall again begin at the House of God Beware of False Mistaken Prophets that say the bitterness of death in these things is over least you find at last they Bite with the Teeth though you now love to hear them cry to you peace peace There hath been too much of this daubing with untempered Mortar already The Lord Spare us Here is more than two years and an half twice told passed over us since our Affliction began and yet I think we hardly judge the Witnesses are yet risen And how many then herein already have been found false Witnesses that have presumed far and much about Set times see you to it In this season Cry out in the Spirit every one O spare me that I may recover strength before the evil day come How loud doth God call in that word to us in the words of the Prophet Ier. 12. If thou hast run with the Footmen and they have wearied thee then how canst thou contend with Horses And if in the Land of Peace wherein thou trustedst they wearied thee then How wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan The Race with the Horsemen and the Sivelling of Jordan are yet I judge to come And now a season is given you to prepare for them improve it and with dread call to mind how many have in these Nations by as it were the very Looking out of Tribulation not only been found fainting too much which Gods Own must Mourn for but they have been Tired outright and are turned Apostates Perjured Covenant-Breakers Propliane and Superstitious c. and that after Enlightnings Furthermore Brethren to the end you may husband and improve this little space aright Mark in the Text for what ends there mentioned it is Given to us as to them of old and Let us See to it that we do not forget or over-look them and trifle about them Now for a little space saith he Grace hath been given us from the Lord our God to leave us a Remnant to Escape Call to mind the time when not so long since you lay in fears in your Beds night by night because of the Fury of Bloudy Papists as if they were ready to destroy and Where is the fury of those Enemies How doth God at present Say to the Flouds of the Ungodly Stand still The captive Exile hasteneth that he may be Loosed and that he should not Die in the Pit nor his Bread should fail Again read on This is to give us a Nail in his holy Place and it is repeated vers 9. To give us a Reviving to Set up the house of our God and to Repair the Desolations thereof and to give us a Wall in Judah and Jerusalem Let all of us now see to it that † Ezek. 22.8 we Despise not as formerly Gods Holy things and that we yield our selves unto the Lord and Enter into his Sanctuary which he hath sanctified for ever * Hag. 1.2 3 4. c. And according to our Light and in our Places Mind the Building of his House and Mourn over the Spiritual Desolations thereof Sion in this sence is a Wilderness in too many places and amongst too many of Us. And then this is added That God may Lighten our eyes and give us a little Reviving in our Bondage Which Lightening of eyes Ah that it may also reach the eyes of our Understanding that through the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Jesus Christ the eyes of our understandings may be opened and our Faith in the Lord Jesus Increased That when Fiery Tryals may come such as the Primitive and Latter Churches also have seen shall come we may then both Rich and Poor all be like the Wise Merchant Who when he had found the Pearl of great price went and sold all that he might Buy it And that we may do this also with Joy and full choice of heart hating Father Mother Wife Children Brethren Sisters yea our own Lives also taking up the Cross and following Christ like Disciples indeed Beloved and Taught of God according to the Promise of the New-Covenant Amen Remember I beseech you still in prayer my Bonds The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you Amen F. H. FINIS