AN EPISTLE TO THE FLOCK PROFESSING The true Light which lighteth every one that cometh into the World Wherein the Opposers and Villifiers of the True Light are by the way Expostulated with And they that own it are exhorted to Answer the Light in the Consciences of others by an unblamable life and to grow up therein both in the general and in their particular Relations Given forth chiefly for the Service of some in the Flock and may be serviceable also to others From a Lover of Truth and Righteousness wheresoever it is found W. T. Printed in the Year 1674. AN EPISTLE to the FLOCK Professing the true Light which lighteth every one that cometh into the World c. AS it pleased the Lord formerly to open my Mouth to check the Insultings of the first Adversary that appeared in Print against this present Dispensation to have slain it in its Infancy and afterwards to reprove the fraternity of those who stood under the name of Priests crying out against all that with-drew from them as Hereticks and Seducers c. So now it hath pleased him to open my Mouth to speak to some in the Flock gathered in under the acknowledgment of and testimony to the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World yet not in that manner as I spake to the former who appeared as open Adversaries but in tenderness and love to admonish and to help forward the work of the Lord in the spirits of some and to stir them up to mind the weighty things which the Lord chiefly requires in the Life and Conversation For let none think it sufficient that they are gathered into an outward Profession of any Truth or into this Society But consider and understand that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a Net cast into the Sea which gathers of every kind some good some bad So it was in the Primitive or first gathering after Christ and so it is now Some gathered then that were to be cast away and we may expect the same things now Math. 13.19 So shall it be saith 〈◊〉 Lord in the end of the World The Angels shall come forth and shall sever the Evil Ones out of the midst of the Righteous and shall cast them into a Furnace of fire there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth ver 50. So that although there hath been a separation from other Societies and from the World yet it remains that every one make their Calling and Election sure that they purge out the evil that remains unpurged away out of the heart till they become blameless and without offence in the World and bear so lively a Character of the Innocency of Christ our Lord that all that see and certainly know their Lives and Conversations may say of them This is the Seed which the Lord hath blessed Dear Friends you have been called to the testimony of a precious Truth if you rightly understand it and abide therein And though it hath many opposers yea and such as think of themselves highly as above so low a Doctrine yet it will stand when they shall fall And although they vilifie it and would reproach it with the terms of natural light and common light yet it will discover their darkness in their traditional * That is Doctrinal Notions and Principles received by tradition one from another which they follow as their light and guide as the Pharisees did This being darkness is great darkness holding them fast which stick therein which they receive upon trust one from another What if the Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World be a common Light Is it the worse for that Is the Sun the less excellent because it gives light to all or its light the less precious because it shines upon all Is the Rain the worse because it falls upon the Bad as well as upon the Good No more is the true Light the less precious because of the commonness of it for that may in some sense be called common which lights every man even as that Power is common which gives motion unto all in which we live move Thou that opposes it it may be thou professes a light above it as thou thinkest Well but for all that take heed that this discover not thy Nakedness even as Christ Jesus that Light of the World discovered the Nakedness of the Scribes and Pharisees by the common Actions of their Life such as were obvious to all Take heed that this common Light discover not in thee Pride of heart as was in the Pharisees Exaltedness of mind from an out-side Profession as was in them or Covetousness under a Cloak of Religion or Earthly-mindedness or Self-willedness or Hard heartedness or Crafty Policy to circumvent or get beyond another or Fierceness or Implacableness or Contentiousness and such like For verily the common light in all men will manifest such things to them and then thy covering of thy self with thy more excellent light as thou thinks is become too narrow for thee and will not hide thy nakedness from the world who have but that common light as thou in disdain calls it For if they see a haughty spirit in thee will not they count of thee as thou art A Proud Man And their judgment and repute of thee is true and will stand being guided by the true light which discovers thee to them by thy fruits So if thou art a Covetous person the light discovers thee to the World Yea by common and true Light men are made manifest one to another where they live and where their actions are well known And therefore they can see and say one to another such a man is a hard-hearted man and again such a one is a tender-hearted merciful man What! do they see the heart Doth the common Light discover the heart Yea by the fruits it discovers it Therefore they can say discerning by the light such a person is Zealous for his way of Religion but I should be loath to fall into his hands I durst not trust him for all his Profession Such a person it 's true he will not abuse himself with Drink but he is Drunk with his own conceits And again of another they can say Such a man is a faithful trusty man I durst commit any thing I have into his hands without fear Thus the Lord discovers Trees by the Fruits Men by their Actions and the common Light receives as well as gives the discovery And of this many Friends have much experience whose faithfulness and uprightness hath such testimony in the hearts of their Neighbours that they dare trust them with all they have when they dare not trust their own Relations and Kindred On the other side are there not some I speak it with grief whom the World will not trust though under the same outward profession of Truth Why Because they see them in the same Nature with others that will over-reach So that no outward profession
which lighteth every man that cometh into the World Thou faist it is not How is it thy rule now when thou denys or opposes it Lastly let this sink into thy heart O vain Contender who strives against the Truth Wilt thou make that to be evil which leads or directs into the paths of Peace and in following of which even some of the Gentiles have found an excusing Conscience and if that excuse we have Peace with God and for want of following it how many call'd Christians dye in horrour such as glory in their Christianity over the Heathen Unbelievers But tell me shall not their Obeying that Light be accounted to them for Christianity when thy disobeying it shall be counted to thee Paganisme and Gentilisme although thou glories over them Even as formerly the Uncircumcision of such who kept the Righteousne's of the Law was counted to them for Circumcision and the Circumcision of such as kept it not was accounted for Uncircumcision What did the name of Circumcision profit them that were Transgressors and Evil doers under the Law And what will the name of Christianity profit thee who walks contrary to the Light that discovers sin and wickedness in thee Therefore own that Light that enlightens every mans Conscience and submit to it in thy life and in thy words own it in thy actions as well as in thy expressions and bring thy deeds to the Light and weigh them in the Light that they may be made manifest that they are wrought in God And thou hast also the harmony and consent of the Writings of the holy men of God concurring with that Light in thee to make the testimony of it the stronger in thee against all ungodliness and worldly Lusts Therefore if thou who art called a Christian walks contrary to it the greater will be thy Condemnation the preventing of which is the thing to be minded by thee and not jangling about the Light in words whilst thou disobeys it in practice If thou wilt needs call it natural common yet own it from the Lord then I matter not that thy calling it so please thy self in thy own terms but know That it is a Beam from the infinite Majesty which hath no fellowship with wickedness but discovers it reproves it and is contrary to it And by the testimony of it in thy self and in all men will the Lord be clear when he judges the world in Righteousness I further affirm against thee that undervalues this light that there is such a piercing sight in it that thereby the true Seed is known and discerned by all that see them thorowly as it is said in the Prophecy of Isaiah chap. 61.9 All that see them shall acknowledg them that they are the Seed which the Lord hath blessed He had been speaking a little before of the Meek the Broken-hearted the Mourners in Zion such as were under a Spirit of heaviness such as our Lord comforted and Preached good tydings to pronouncing them blessed Matth. 5. as was Prophesied of him to do Isa 61.1 That Innocent Seed whose meek quiet humble temper whose inoffensive spirit whose blameless life whosoever shall see they shall be thereby convinced in their hearts That this is the Seed which God hath blessed This Convincement seeing it shall be upon all that see them it must needs be from a light common to them all which is the true Light If any oppose this let them shew from whence it shall be that all that see them shall have this discovery of them This testimony I say the common Light will give of them in all mens hearts that see and know them in truth I shall not deny but that some may judge otherwise even of the true Seed thorow sinister respects and prejudicate received opinion or by judging thorow received traditional Notions or by the hearing of the ear or by judging according to other mens judgments or being swayed by some private concern or judging by imagination and such like false ways of judging especially they that are of a Pharisaical Spirit exalted in the formal part of any Religious Profession and judging thorow that these not judging in the common true Light that lightens every man that cometh into the world may easily give a false judgment of the true Seed whilst those whom they despise as having no Religion may judge rightly of them and sometimes even their own Consciences may from the common Light at present overswayed in them lay up in them at the bottom that which shall force them in due time to confess to the true Seed and that they mght have seen them if they had not hearkened to those false wayes of judging so that still I say the unbyassed common Light that enlightens every man is the true Light and these particular Lights through which the false judgment proceeds are not the true Light Well then If this be the true Light let every one that Professes it mind to answer this Light in every mans Conscience This you have been often exhorted to do by those who have laboured with you in the truth and there may be need still to put you in remembrance thereof that so the actions of your life may be approved of by all that know you though they cannot approve of your way or Religion as they use to speak And consider that herein you stand as the lights of the world even in your Actions in your Conversation in your Works Therefore saith our Lord Let your Light so shine before men that they may see your good Works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven It is not talking good words without living a good life that glorifies God It 's the Life the Conversation that 's approved or disapproved in other mens Consciences It 's that which gathers to Christ or being amiss scatters from him Profess what thou wilt and with what eagerness thou wilt as if thou wert Zealous for him yet if Wickedness be found in thee thou dost but harden mens hearts against the truth and gathers not into the life of truth If they see unfaithfulness in thee that thou hast more respect to thy own ends than to single truth minds thy own gain more than simple honesty makes use of advantages from anothers weakness or ignorance or tenderness to get beyond him this will be seen that it is not right in the sight of the Lord and the Light in others will judge it and thou dost not approve thy self to their Consciences And though thou maist smooth over thy action artificially with words and make fair pretences yet that doth not make thee approved in their Consciences Thou maist stop their tongues perhaps from clamour but thou dost not satisfie their minds and Consciences For It 's the voyce of thy Actions not of thy Words that takes place in their hearts And therefore there is no approving of thy self to their Consciences nor answering of the true Light in them but by thy faithful honest single upright
of their knowing of him as Philip did But continuing in his Fear and abiding in the Path of Righteousness and Holiness they may come to know the Lord and that it is he that Operates all these things in them and for them and to feel the cleansing and washing of their Consciences by the Blood of Jesus Christ from all sin which is enjoyed in walking in the Light but not in talking of it only The true Christian Life doth not lye in words as if to be changed from one form of words to another were it although the Holy Spirit which changeth the heart require words sutable to himself and to eschew corrupt words Neither doth it lye in the changing of Apparrel although the Spirit that changeth require modest Apparrel sutable to himself and sutable to that humble mind which he formeth in man Nor doth it stand in high Notions or soaring Imaginations wherein the exalted nature gets up and magnifies it self above the simple-hearted but it is in simplicity and godly sincerity With such exalted Spirits the Apostles of our Lord were much troubled in the Primitive times after Christ and laboured much to keep down Believers from them to the simplicity that was in Christ as you may perceive by their Epistles Of such also our Lord made mention and strengthened the simple-hearted against them in some of his Epistles to the seven Churches of Asia In that to Thyatira he takes notice of some who were high in their Imaginations and Notions insomuch that they looked upon those whom the Lord approved of but as weak and low in comparison of themselves and as such as did not know the depths of Satan for that was the phrase it seems which they used But the Lord encouraged the simple-hearted against their exalted expression and said I will lay on you no other burthen but that which you have already hold fast till I come Rev. 2.24 25. And what would he do when he comes that he had expressed before verse 23. I will give to every one according to his Works not according to their Imaginations Neither doth the life of Christianity stand in any outward formal way although some way may be required for the gathering together of the true Worshippers who Worship in Spirit and in Truth As its probable there was in the old World before the Flood for there was a distinction between the Sons of God and those that were called the Daughters of Men. Some were called Men and some the Sons of God But how-ever after the Flood it is expresly said Job 1.6 That the Sons of God came together to present themselves before the Lord. So that this may be requisite and hath been practised more especially in all ages since Christianity was openly named in the World But observe Satan himself can come there as well as the Sons of God The Pharisee can be there whose Religion lyes chiefly if not only in outward observances For the Proud Covetous Persecuting Pharisaical Hypocritical spirit can come under the formal part of any Profession And so there were those in the Apostles days who had a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof they were to be turned away from For their lives were corrupt as you may read 2 Tim. 3. where you may see of what sort they were Neither doth it stand in openings or visions of things or understanding of Mysteries though these are excellent gifts given forth from the Lord and enjoyed by many of his Faithful Ones Yet for as much as evil Men and Spirits may have true Opinions therefore the Life of a Christian doth not consist therein but in living in Obedience unto the pure Life which doth open Balaam had very eminent Visions and Openings of things yet is he Noted in Scripture for a false Prophet because his Heart and so his Life was not right before the Lord. His heart run after the reward of Unrighteousness and he gave evil Counsel to Balaac against a People whom he knew the Lord had respect to and would not suffer him to speak an evil word of them to Balaac yet he taught Balaac to entice them to Fornication and Idolatry Satan himself and the evil Spirits may have openings and a sence given them of true things as its plain they had in the days of Christ in the flesh Art thou come said they to torment us before the time They knew that by him God would judge the World and them and they knew the time was not yet Therefore say they art thou come to do that Work before the time They knew whence he was what he was We know thee who thou art said they even the Holy One of God Paul and Silas going about in the Ministery of the Lord the evil Spirits knew them and followed them crying These are the Servants of the Living God Act. 16.17 chap. 19.15 Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are ye said the evil Spirit to the Exorcists who took upon them to cast out Devils in the Name of Jesus And further Satan knoweth when his time is near an end and that he hath but a short time Rev. 12.12 Therefore in respect of these things be wise to Sobriety and mind the approved blameless Life And let not Satan disquiet and trouble you because you are not as such a one or such a one who have had wonderful Openings from the Lord but keep down to the Anointing that abiding unction which guides the Life and discovers evil Paths and leads into all Truth and keeps abiding in the Truth and abiding in the Lord. I do highly prize the serviceable gifts of knowledge and utterance and such like given for the service of others But the Union of my heart is with you that are careful that you offend not in your words nor in your lives who walk humbly with your God observing the checks motions inclinations of the Spirit of Christ in your hearts applying to the Lord in all cases especially of difficulty as a Child to the Father for Council Guidance Wisdom Strength Assidance Succour Success whose Holy Spirit is your Guide Strength Assistance in Prayers and Supplications and Thanksgivings without limitation to time or place so that you cannot be banished from your Temple or place of Worship or removed into a corner where you cannot offer up Spiritual Sacrifices to God You whose hearts do breath after the Lord and to be filled with his Holy Nature and you who inwardly Converse with God dwelling in inward Peace and Consolation which the World cannot give nor take away it being Administred by him whom they cannot reach You whose hearts are ballanced with the free gift of God to your selves that excludes all boasting and with the true sense of the Universal Love of God over all that shuts out all Pharisaical exaltation and despising of others and so are kept lowly in your minds Also you who mournt in secret who Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness to be filled with it your selves and that it may fill the Earth Such as you it is that my heart is towards from the least of you that have the true savour of God in your hearts to the greatest from the Babe to the Father It 's you that my Soul longs after wheresoever you are found walking at present And that such may be daily raised up more abundantly to the magnifying of the Name of the Lord in the Earth and to the convincing of the World of the evil of their ways and of a Righteous Life that their hearts may be opened thereby to believe the Truth and to receive it in the Love of it is the earning of my Soul For these are they which are the true Seed of Sion of which glorious things are spoken and which the Lord loves above all the dwellings of Judah above all the out-works or formal ways of all professions It 's you that honour the Lord and make his Name to be loved in the Earth And your Prayers do I desire on my behalfe as mine are for you that utterance and strength and faithfulness may be given me to hold forth the Truth seasonably and stedfastly both in Life and Doctrine as it is or may be communicated unto me And to you the God of peace multiply all blessings with Joy and Consolation and make you to abound more and more in every good gift to his praise and to the raising up of thirstings after Righteousness in the hearts of others Amen POSTSCRIPT IF this shall fall into the hands of any that have an Enmity in them against the Flock and therefore catch at every failing they can espy or hear of in any Member that therewith they may asperse the whole Let them know that first of all they ought to judge at home and learn to separate between the Precious and the Vile in their own Bosom and then will they come to distinguish after the same manner in the Flocks of Christ and their desire and endeavour will be rather to convince those that err and strengthen those that are weak and gather those that stray and support those that stumble and help forward those that come behind and to hide the Infirmities of the weak then seek to blast the whole by the weakness or wickedness of some Let such remember the words of the Prophet Isaiah Woe to him that calls good evil or evil good that puts darkness for light and light for darkness and so confounds what God would have distinguished The true Spirit is not a Spirit of Confusion but of Order and Clearness distinguishing aright between the Precious and Vile And so did our Lord teach us to do by his example in his Epistle sent to the seven Churches of Asia the good that was found in them he approved of and encouraged and reproved only the evil He did not over-look the good in them because of the evil neither did he approve of the evil because of the good but saith he I have somewhat against thee Repent c. Let us learn to be like-minded lest any one by false and confused judging heap Judgment and Condemnation upon their own Heads W. T.
of Truth can hide from the common Light Therefore the Light that common Light is precious even as the common Salvation is precious to the Profession of which you are called and under the acknowledgment of which you have been gathered And therefore abide therein and so walk as to answer that Light in every mans Conscience And think it not sufficient that you are gathered out of several Societies and out of the World under the Profession hereof except you walk therein He that walketh therein he is blameless before men they have no evil thing to say of him justly For it s by the Life and Conversation among men that a man is accounted an Innocent man or an evil doer and it s by the Light that he is seen to be so He therefore that doth not in his Life and Conversation answer the common Light that is in all men he is not therein right before the Lord who hath set up that Light in every Man to discern by Obj. It may be thou wilt say But we find by experience that many good men are evil spoken of by the World and Reproached and not reputed good men though they be so the judgment therefore of the World is false concerning many Righteous and Godly persons Answ I Answer First mind that thou thy self dost not judge wrong of men and count those Godly persons who are not Consider whether their Godliness lye only or chiefly in an outward Profession and Zeal of their way of Worship and for that Society that they are of If so then their judgment who judge by the Life and Conversation may be right and thine wrong as Christs was right concerning the Pharisees and others wrong who only lookt at their high Profession and strickt observation of pious observances as they were reputed Secondly But if the persons Reproached be Innocent in Life just and merciful men then those that know them well will scarcely speak evil of them except in the matters of their God unless the common light in them be obstructed and darkened by some means as by some private concern or through malice and enmity in their hearts or by prejudice judging by the hearing of the ear which is often unrighteous judgment or through some particular traditional Light which is darkness These and such like things pervert true judgment even as the Light of the Sun shining thorow glass gives the colour of the glass upon the opposite Object So they that judge through these things give judgment according to those false mediums they judge thorow But these stand not in so doing in the common Light but in a perverting light which is darkness and this their judgment is judged to be false by those that stand unbyassed in the common Light with them and the very ground of that their false judging is often seen by them So that the unbyassed common Light is still a true judge in the common actions of mens Conversation Object It may be thou wilt further Object That this Light is but a natural Light and a natural Light is not a true judge no more than the natural Man which cannot perceive the things of the Spirit of God Answ Where the Apostle uses those words 1 Cor. 2. He is there speaking of the things which God hath prepared for them that love him such as Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard but not of the things that appertain to the common life of man and are visible before all men and such things indeed are not known but by a farther Revelation in the Light and Spirit of God which searcheth all things even the deep things of God However the common open Life of men is seen and judged by the common Light as thou calls it that God hath planted in every man And if thou wilt call that Light Natural yet will that nothing at all advantage thee whosoever thou art that walks contrary to it but it doth the more aggravate thy fault that thou lives contrary to a Light which God hath made so natural to thee and so planted in thee that thou canst do no evil but it discovers it in thee yea and records it in thy Conscience as in a Book And there 's the Book that is to be opened when the judgment is set and thou comes to be judged And the things written in that Book are the things done in the body whether good or bad and according to them thou shalt be judged And then this Light which thou calls Natural and was privy to all thy actions yea and to the intents and thoughts of thy heart will be a Witness against thee and shew thee thy evil deeds written in thy own Conscience and so God will be cleared when he comes to Judge and all the world shall be convinced thereby that they are guilty If thou callest that Light Common or Natural in an evil signification as if it were no true Light but a deceitful delusive unclean Light and a Product of the falne Nature then I shall not admit of those terms at all for then must it incline thee to evil of its own Nature as false Lights do and not stand as a discoverer of evil in thee and a faithful and true Witness against it Then also should it be a thing to be repented of that is to have the mind turned away from it and the actions of the life carryed contrary to it if it be evil and delusive And so when it checks thee secretly in thy heart for Swearing or Lying or wrong dealing or any other evil action or purpose of thy heart thou should'st then the rather do them because they are contrary to this deceitful and delusive Light as it s accounted by thee and so more likely to be true and good than it Or at least Wise thou shouldst not at all thereby be moved to avoid those evils because it s but a sinful evil delusive light that would stop thy carreer in them Again if that light be evil then its from the falne Nature and so from Satan that works therein And then is Satans Kingdom divided and he by that light seeks to bring to nought his own Kingdom For that Light works against his Kingdom in men It works to throw down Hypocrisie and Deceit and Lying and Swearing and Drunkenness and Uncleanness and Wrath and Envy and Murther and all such evil dispositions and actions wherein Satans Kingdom stands by discovering these things to the Conscience to be evil and witnessing against them and so Satan is divided against himself if this Light be evil and from him See what Consequences thy opposing of thy self to the Scripture of truth puts thee upon Had'st thou not better submit to the Testimony of the Servant of the Lord who said That was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World Be ashamed to say the Scripture is thy rule when thou fights against it and says contrary to it It saith That was the true Light
do and you shall be preserved when many seemingly taller Trees shall be thrown down with a storm and their building be undermined with a Wave and thinking to stand shall fall except they come down to you and repent of the evil of their Tongues and of the unfaithfulness of their Actions and Lives and of the leaven of Malice and Disaffection which by their Tongues they spread in the hearts of others For their work is contrary to the work of Christ who laboured with his Father for the Unity of all those that were given to him but they busying themselves in the contrary are found in that which is abomination to the Lord sowing Discord among Brethren Prov. 6.16 19. And stand not clean in that which is to abide in Gods holy Mountain in that they take up Reproach against their Neighbour Psal 15.1 3. Therefore their work shall fall and their Building come to nought and they except they Repent shall fall under the judgment of others How oft have I seen it fulfilled That judging hath turned upon the Heads of those persons themselves who have been forward in judging and condemning others even as our Lord fore-warned saying Judge not that you be not Judged for with what Judgment ye Judge ye shall be Judged and with what Measure ye meet it shall be Measured to you again Their Religion is vain that cannot bridle the Tongue And first I ask you Wherein is it that the true Brother-hood standeth And to you also that are of a more circumspect Behaviour and Conversation more able to govern the Tongue and so the whole Body who are not so forward to asperse others and are of a more exact life walking in a more stayed Wisdom to you I say suffer a Word of Advice from a Friend Take heed how you give place in your hearts to Reports and Reproaches Before you judg know certainly not only the Truth of things reported but also the ground or reason of them and upon what account they are done For it is a very uncertain way of judging to judg by the hearing of the Ear that is by Reports How hath the whole Nation of the Jews been Sealed up under unbelief and hardness of heart by receiving a false Report concerning Christ which Report was set on foot by such as were of esteem among the Jews Satan is the same subtle Adversary to this day and knows the Influence of false Reports and misrepresentations of things and how they leaven the hearts of people with prejudice one against another And this I testifie that it hinders the shedding abroad of the Love of God in their hearts as on the other hand the preservation of the pure love one to another tends to the perfecting of the Love of God in us 1 Joh. 4.12 It was Prophesied of him whose judgment is infallible and uncertain that he should not judg after the sight of his eyes that is by outward appearance nor reprove after the hearing of his Ears but with Righteousness shall he judg the Poor and reprove with Equity for the Meek of the Earth and he bids us do the same Judg not saith he by outward appearance but judg Righteous judgment The outward appearance of an action may deceive you the hearing of the Ear by reports may deceive you therefore know not only the truth of a report nor only the outward appearance but also the ground of an action and the intention of him that doth it for that doth much alter the nature of an action before the Lord lest you judg him that is not judged of the Lord and so bring the same judgment to return back upon your own heads And you that are just in your ways and equal in your dealings whom no man can charge with Deceit or Over-reaching or False dealing in your Affairs of this World keep stedfast in your Uprightness and also press forward that of Just men you may become Good men of Just men you may become Merciful men of Just men you may become Self-denying men It may be some will say What means this Is not every Just man a Good man Is there any difference between Just men and Good men or between just men and Merciful men and Self-denying men I Answer If there were not some difference what means that saying of the Apostle Rom. 5.7 Scarcoly for a Just man or Rightcous man as it s rendred will one dye yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to dye Surely when there is such difference in mens affections towards them there must needs be a sensible difference between them Therefore consider that he is counted a just man that doth not wrong another though perhaps he will hold fast what 's his own But he is a Good man who besides his just equal dealing with others also delights in Mercy and good Eruits who is of a more free and bountiful good spirit the tenderness of whose heart to the Distressed and good will of his mind to all carrys him forth to exercise Mercy and Bountifulness or Kindness to all according to his Ability It may be for such a man some would even dare to dye So that there is a difference between them Though the first be well approved of and is a good foundation laid for Mercy to spring up from For if there be not that first at the bottom and so things be justly come by let a man give what he will and for what pious uses he will yet it is but Abomination to the Lord as it is said in the Prophets I hate Robbery for Burnt-offerings If it be got in a false way by Fraud or Oppression though it be dedicated to the use of the Lords Service yet he hates it So that I say Equity just upright honest dealing must needs be at the bottom of every good work that is accepted And where this is laid as a foundation and Mercifulness and Kindness is built thereupon this is well-pleasing before the Lord and of good report among men Also you that are Just in your Dealings let your eye be still forward to come to a further state even to a more Self-denying Spirit among men I shall set a Pattern or two of this before you You have heard I suppose of Abraham who was called by the Lord to leave his own Kindred and Country and to go sojourn where the Lord should direct him and he obeyed the Lord therein being commanded and went forth he knew not whether and Lot his Brothers Son went with him and these two had both of them very great Substance or Riches And in process of time their substance grew so great that they could not dwell together for the Land was not able to bear them or sustain their Flocks And there arose a strise between the Herdsmen of Abrahams Cattel and the Herds-men of Lots Cattel Now behold a pattern for you of Self-denyal in Abraham He was Lot's Unkle and he followed not Lot in his comeing forth
of his own Country but Lot followed him therefore in the case of strife Lot should in reason have given way to Abraham and in their separating should have given the choyce to Abraham which way he would go But behold Abraham denys himself for Peace-sake and gives Lot the choyce of the Country Gen. 13.8 9. Let there be no strife I pray thee saith he to Lot between me and thee and between my Herd-men and thy Herd-men for we are Bre hren Is not the whole Land before thee Separate thy self I pray thee from me If thou wilt take the left-hand then I will go to the right or if thou wilt take the right hand then I will go to the left Thus Self-denying Abraham would stand to Lot's leavings Now observe a difference in their temper or spirit Lot though he was a just man yet did not so yeeld to Abraham as A raham yeelded to him He suffered Lot to please himself in the choyce of the Country and Lot did please himself and chose the best of the Country to his understanding Even the Plains of Jordan where it was well watered every where even as the Garden of the Lord and so most commodious for his Flocks Gen. 13.10 11. But what was the Consequence of Lots pleasing of himself and of Abrahams Self-denyal Observe which was the Gainer which was the Looser Lots choyce drew him down towards Sodom and at last into Sodom where he was once taken Captive together with the Sodomites and all he had led away and where his Righteous Soul was vexed from day to day to behold their unlawful deeds and where at last he was in danger to have been burnt with them Abraham on the other hand standing to Lots leavings was sufficiently recon-penced by the Lord. For the Lord appeared to him after that Lot was separated from him and bid him lift up his eyes and look North-ward and South-ward and East-ward and West-ward and promises to give him all the Land as far as he could see and to his Seed for a perpetual Inheritance Besides this Lots pleasing of himself set him in a place of great danger Abrahams Self-denyal kept him in safety And the Lord made Abraham Lots Deliverer first from the Captivity of those Kings which took him and all his away with the Spoils of Sodom and afterwards from the burning in which Sodom was consumed For it s said Gen. 19.29 that when God destroyed the Cities of the plain He remembred Abraham and sent out Lot out of the mid'st of the over-throw when he over-threw the Cities in which Lot dwelt Though Lot was a just man yet the Lord had more respect to Abraham in Lots deliverance than to Lot himself Such delight had the Lord in Self-denying Abraham And these words have been often sounded in my Spirit I love just Lots but my delight is with the Self-denying Abrahams Therefore I lay these things before you as a mark for you to press forward unto And they that walk accordingly though they be counted weak for so doing by others who please their Earthly part in using more cunning for the world yet they shall reap the blessing from the Lord. I know there is no need of speaking these things to some who are taught of the Lord to walk in the same steps as Abraham walked but nevertheless there be those to whom these things may belong who stand in need to be put in mind of them After the same steps of Abraham did his Son Isaac walk when there arose strife between his Servants and the Philistims about the Wells he digged Gen. 26. He still left those that they strove about to the Philistims until he possessed one without strife and he called it Rehoboth for now said he the Lord hath made room for us Thus were they taught by the Lord even to let go that which they had a right to for Peace-sake and to avoyd strife And thus the true Love teaches where it is risen in the heart in power It seeks not its own It 's so far from encroaching upon anothers right that it rather gives way to encroachments Therefore you in whom this Spirit is found be not grieved or troubled when you have to deal with Spirits that are too hard for you in the affairs of this World because they dare make use of more Earthly subtilty to compass their own ends than you dare do The Lord that recompenced Abraham will not forget you Let them that are of a more Earthly Spirit lay fast hold of the Earthly things which they love and prefer before simplicity of Spirit but do ye lay hold on the better things and the Lord will make up your wrongs in due time For want of this Self-denyal in these things and by giving way to the Earthly mind and to Covetousness which is a root of all evil how many have withered in their several Professions before us turning back to the things which once their faces were turned from And as you stand related in Families be faithful in your several Relations wherein you stand For if you carry disorderly therein that will be as a Worm at the root of whatsoever you can profess and will cause all to wither again in whatsoever you may flourish Walk in Love and in Wisdom in your places to wards them that are without not as Fools opening the mouths of the World against you for your folly and then glorying in that as if it were suffering Reproach for the Truth when it is only for your own headiness and disorder But mind things of good report as the Apostle of our Lord exhorts that so your lives may be of a good savour before all and you may be of good repute among them that are without and they may glorifie God for you in the day of their Visitation But if you be Reproached for the keeping of your Consciences clear in answering the requirings of the Lord that will turn to your honour and their shame that therefore do Reproach you Art thou a Master or Mistress in a Family and art mild and gentle abroad be so at home also not austere and fierce but ruling thy Family in the fear of the Lord and in Love and meekness instructing and directing those under thee so wilt thou be an incouragement to those that serve thee If any be stubborn I do not bid thee lay aside thy Authority which God hath given thee but see thou use it aright as for the Lord. Art thou a Husband take heed how thou suffers thy love to be alienated from thy Wife or gives just occasion to alienate hers from thee If thou art a Wife take heed how thou quenches thy Husbands love by thy want of love to him and be in subjection to him as thou art commanded 1 Pet. 3.1 And let your mutual love to one another represent the Love of Christ and his Church lest the truth you profess above the World be evil spoken of through you You that are
Parents connive not at your Children in evil words and perverse and foolish actions whereby they offend others lest they grow head strong also against your selves but in love and with a holy awe bear down such things in them retaining a sence of your love in their hearts and especially exalting the Name of the Lord and his fear in them that they may receive a good savour of the truth and things pertaining unto God betimes in their youth and acquaint them with the Scriptures of truth from their Child-hood as Timothy was acquainted and lay not on Youth more than it is able to bear neither bring them up in Idleness and Sloathfulness nor feed them with ability to follow bad courses Set before them an example worthy to be followed for they mind your example more than your words and let not your Prayers and Supplications to the Lord in behalf of your Children be wanting for the ordering of their hearts is from the Lord. And you Children be not stubborn and stiff-necked against your Parents for that 's dishonour to them and disobedience to God being directly contrary to his Will who hath commanded you to honour them and to obey them Be submissive therefore and obedient to them honouring them by your submission that as the Apostle of our Lord mindeth you Thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee And you that are Servants be faithful in your place and so adorn the Truth which you profess And consider this well That you cannot honour what you profess if your humble submissive obedient faithful Service to your Masters according to the flesh be awanting for therein chiefly are you eyed by all persons And the enquiry of every ones mind after prosessing Persons who profess more than themselves is this What is such a one in his life If you be Self-willed and Stiff trifling away your time and neglecting your Masters business or be careless and wastful of things under your hand and custody and give provoking words to your Masters when they reprove you you are out of the path of Truth what Zeal soever you pretend for the Truth It is not your running or busie talking for what you profess that will answer the Light in the Conscience of another so as to justifie you if they know that you are negligent or unfaithful and careless in the meantime in your Service to your Master Therefore let this always remain in your minds That your Service ought to be such as if you were doing Service to the Lord Christ whatsoever your Masters be and whether present or absent And indeed it is him you serve you that are faithful in your Service And therefore let that bear up your hearts who are found faithful and yet meet with difficulties and discouragements from your Masters And though they be perverse and froward yet be you patient and submissive and that may in time reach their Consciences and make them confess their evil carriage and justifie you and so honour the Truth which you profess And be not troubled that you are Servants thinking that if you were free you would run more speedily in the race set before you for you may bring as much honour to the Lord in your faithfulness and submissive service as if you were free Diligence and Providence in business and mindfulness that nothing go to wast and ruine under ones hand if they be free it 's look't upon as for ones self but in Service to another it 's more look't upon as from the fear of the Lord ruling your hearts and more convincing to others that the Lord is with you Set before you the example of Jacob who served Laban thrice seven years faithfully though Laban dealt deceitfully with him and changed his Wages ten times Gen. 31.7 J. cob for all that being faithful the Lord blessed his Labours and increased Labans Flock abundantly for Jacobs sake and made Laban sensible thereof and confess it Gen. 30.27 I find by experience saith he that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake Oh strive to be such Servants as may have the blessing of the Lord to go along with your Service to the convinceing of those you serve as you see it was with Jacob. And as it was with Jacob so also with Joseph his Son when he was Servant in Egypt to Potipher The Lord made all that was under his hand to prosper as you may read Gen. 39. Whereby his Master saw that the Lord was with him And do not think these Examples to be too high to be look't at by you that are Servants as if it were beyond expectation to attain to the like For there is a like blessing promised to every one and attends every one that are found faithful delighting in the Law of the Lord and Meditating therein Day and Night Psal 1.3 And if you say you have not that Wisdom which they had If any man want Wisdom let him ask it of God and he will give Wisdom where there is endeavour to please him And seeing the Lord hath disposed the whole Earth which is as a great House that he takes care of into Families therefore Servants are as needful in their places as Masters in theirs And as to your spiritual Estate and Son-ship and your Eternal happiness there is no respect of persons with God Therefore may Servants go on as cheerfully in their work of submissive Obedience as Masters in theirs of Commanding and Ruling Be not therefore troubled that thou art a Servant but be contented in that Condition untill thou seest Providence leading thee forth as Jacob was And Masters be not Cruel and Tyrannical or Unjust to your Servants or like Pharoahs Task masters to them but consider them as of the same flesh and blood with your selves and also that they are or may be Heirs of the Kingdom of God as well as you And therefore use them as you would be used if you were in their place And let every one that professes the Name of the Lord mind the blameless life that becomes Christianity This therefore I say That the Life of a Christian is a Plain Humble Meek Innocent Just Merciful Faithful Sober Temperate Gentle Loving Kind Chast Contented Wise Peaceable Holy Diligent Vpright Harmless Inoffensive Life and Conversation Chast also to God as well as to Man For the right Christian doth Worship God in Spirit and in Truth and will not prostitute his Soul to the known Superstitious Worships of Mans Wisdom and ordering which was always counted spiritual Whoredom with God In such a Life or in pursuance thereof doth the true Christian live The Ground of this Christian life is from the Spirit of the Lord working in man and changing the heart though some know it not and inclining it to these things which the Obedient and Faithful do walk in And the Lord knoweth his own who are of an upright heart though they as yet know not him but may doubt