dear Friends who are Parents of Children wait diligently upon the Lord in his Light that with his Light you may see betimes into the Natures Inclinations and Dispositions of your Children and have a watchful and good Eye over them and their Inclinations and if you see they are inclinable to that which is good cherish that in them if it be never so little strengthen it that more may arise in them and they may more come to see and taste with you how good and gracious the Lord is and be good Examples to them in words and actions that they may hear gracious words from you and behold your good Conversation coupled with fear fear to offend the Lord and fear to do any thing against his glorious Truth and then you will shine as Lights among them and your whole Families and amongst all the Children of men But if you see your Children incline towards that which is evil to Pride vain Fashions of the World or that they delight in the company of the Wicked and in Sports and that they evilly spend their time without delay check and sharply reprove them for it and endeavour as much as in you lies to stop and restrain them there-from and stubbornness high-mindedness and all manner of Evil labour in the love and wisdom of God to break them from and keep down in them If any say What can I do God must do all I fear some amongst you have omitted your Duty on your part to do as Christian Parents under that pretence of God's doing all and therefore do not train up your Children in the way of God Truth and Life as you ought to do But suffer them not to learn the corrupt wayes of evil Men and Women and to chuse their wayes 't is true God worketh all our Works in us and for us but as he worketh immediately by his Spirit and Power in our hearts he also worketh by Instruments and you in the wisdom and spirit of God are or may become fit Instruments for God to work on your Children and Families by and to reclaim your Children and Families from Vice and Wickedness which you may see them incline unto If the believing Husband may save his Wife and the believing Wife her Husband that believeth not then why may not you as believing Parents save your Children duly watching over them for good believing in God for them and doing your duty to them carefully and in God's heavenly wisdom And why may not you your Children and Families be thus sanctified and saved from the Abominations of the times and the Evil of the World while you and they are in it If wholly you discharge your duty and trust as Parents or Masters of Families and then if your Children or Servants notwithstanding remain wicked you will be clear and their Blood will come upon themselves or at their Doors I doubt not but there are many Parents have a Godly care over their Children and as Masters and Mistresses or Dames have a Christian care over their Servants and whole Family to instruct them in the way of Righteousness and that reprove and correct their Children and their Servants when they see them do that which is evil But this is written in the love of God as a caution to and reflection upon all who are negligent and careless amongst us in this respect that all may come into a care of God's glory and of their Children and Servants that as much as in you lies you endeavour to reclaim and restrain them from Sin and Evil and train them up in that which is good that you all may be able to give account to God with Joy when by him you may be called to an account how you have governed and ruled your Families trained up your Children counselled and advised your Servants and what Examples you have been to your Families whom God gave you the rule and government of here a few dayes in this World And you believing Husbands who have Wives that believe not love your Wives and be very careful how you speak and act towards them that no blemish may come upon the Truth by any unadvised words to your Wives neither any unseemly carriages or behaviour that if possible you may gain your Wives that believe not to the Lord and belief of his precious Truth And you Wives that have Husbands that believe not speak and do likewise the same to them that you all may be found Holy and Unblamable in the day of God that the unbelieving Wife may be sanctified by her believing Husband and the unbelieving Husband by his believing Wife loving and cherishing the good in them that believe not whether Husband or Wife but keeping clear of that which is Evil never joyn with that which is Evil for thereby you will not only hurt and darken your selves but also harm your Relations and strengthen them the more in that which is evil and contrary to God and make your Lives more uncomfortable And all Husbands and Wives in general live in Love in the love of God out of a pure Heart loving and cherishing one another submitting your Hearts to God and his counsel in one another as the Lord by his Spirit may move in any of your Hearts so to counsel and advise each other therein that you may be made to each other meet helps in the Truth and helps in him to advance that in your Families or in helps in Government in the Church of God And Children be subject and in obedience to your Parents in the Lord that you may please the Lord for the stubborn and disobedient displease the Lord and come short of the Blessing of the Lord whilst so I mean his Blessing in heavenly things and often in this world and its things they are not blessed to them nor do not enjoy them in the blessing of God Take heed Children disobedience to Parents is a great evil to disobey them and their Commands being that which is good Let none be high or set not your selves against such Commands if you do God will punish you for it and kindle his wrath against you if your Parents command you to keep out of evil Company and out of bad Words and Actions obey them or else it will be ill with you Parents care being over you for good will you grieve them by rewarding them evil for good and rebellion towards them instead of esteem honour and duty which you owe to them even so much as you can scarce do it enough therefore diligently mind your Parents commands in the Truth to observe and do them And all you Servants that are convinced of and own God's Truth let God's fear be before your Eyes and let his Truth guide and order you and keep you that you may be inabled by the Lord to discharge your duty in the place of a Servant every one of you not as Eye Servants or sloathful and careless in your Masters business knowing you must give an
of the Lord you will be more inexcusable acting against Knowledge than such will be that have not known those things So be ye all diligent and watchful that you may be kept out of the World and the Evil thereof and keep God's holy Will and Commands all the days of your abiding in the World And you Masters Mistresses or Dames behave your selves in the fear awe and dread of the Lord in your respective Families towards your Servants instruct and inform them as God your Master in Heaven by waiting upon him will give you Wisdom to do it which Wisdom will direct you how to speak and act towards them as such that know they have a Master in Heaven even so carry and behave your selves in your duty places to your Servants forbearing threatning in any words you say to them that whether your Servants believe or be such as believe not you may by your good Communication and Conversation reach the good and answer Gods witness in them and to put no stumbling blocks in their way whereby to cause them to stumble by hasty rash unadvised Words that savour not of God nor cometh of him that called you you being kept in the fear and dread of your Master in Heaven will have true and peaceable wisdom given you to carry your selves in your Families so that the Truth will not be reproached nor its way spoken evil of justly by your occasion and that greatly tends to the honour of the God of Truth and increase his wisdom and counsel to order your own Houshold or Family well will bring ablessing upon them And I could not be clear in the writing of this Epistle to you but to put you in mind of these things that are good to be known and practised in every Family which had I not seen a neglect of in some there would have been no need of And My dear Friends that have transported or may transport your selves or Families beyond the Seas out of your Native Country consider and throughly weigh your aims and ends therein that they be such as you may expect God's blessing in and without seeking great things to your selves or set your Nests on high lest you fail in your expecttation and bring much Sorrow Trouble and Exercise upon your selves and Families from the richest to the poorest of you seek Gods honour and keep in his Counsel wait low that you may enjoy Gods counsel stand in it where-ever you are for that is certain and safe and will direct you certainly and safely if you wait to be ordered and guided by it and that as you keep in it will bring a blessing to all the Countries where-ever you may be dispersed and bless your Undertakings where you Plant settle your selves but whether you who are gone already or such as intend to go out of the Land follow not your own wills or fond weak affections in going into forreign Countries or because this or the other Person goeth and may have a share in Government there consider it is a weighty thing for one Person to remove out of his Country afar off and his way clearly he sees not perhaps neither and if so it s not only a weighty but a dangerous matter to remove a whole Family for favour and affection and affection not well governed may lead a man or woman far into things they have not a right understanding nor clear sight in whereby some miss their way in their undertakings which brings trouble vexation of Mind and discontents not that I have any thing against any Person or Family going to settle themselves or Families or to plant in any Country that go in clearness as to God and singly mind his Honour and Glory more than any thing else besides that is visible for I know the Light of Gods countenance will blessedly shine upon such where-ever they are and they will not go in their own Wills nor be swayed by foolish Affections to run into things or do things hastily nor will or run in a heady mind in their undertakings but will patiently wait upon the Lord not only to know the mind and will of the Lord but faithfully give up to do it whether here in England or any other Country and such dare not remove themselves nor Families but as they feel the Lord to countenance them in it or have real true freedom in the clear Truth of God which leads us out of carries over all worldly aims and ends and seeking giving or receiving any earthly Honour which is judged of the Lord God and gratifieth only that worldly part and spirit that leads into it And Friends all of you be sure you neither had nor have in your hearts any secret reserve to save that which ought to be freely given up in your transporting your selves for where-ever that is it ariseth from Unbelief and carnal Reasoning And if there be any of you that have left the Land or shall hereafter leave it that shall do it to save liberty estate or life which I doubt not but you might have temptations to in your undertakings certainly that will not be well you may be in danger and jeapordy there as well as we here And by any particulars giving way to that here or there they will thereby but render themselves less capable to bear or keep up their Testimony for the Lord as all ought to do Truly my hearts desire and Prayer to God for you is That you may be saved out of the many Snares and Dangers that may attend you there as well as we your Friends and Brethren here left behind you and that you with us may be kept forever to God that we all may answer the Witness of God in all People Nations and of what Tongue soever and it will be so we keeping in Gods fear and wisdom and never departing from him or his counsel hereby shall many Nations be converted to God from their Idolatrous Ways and Practices And come out of all whatsoever is Evil and contrary to the Lord God and so Friends will you with us and we together with you in one Spirit of Love Life and Power be preserved out of the many Snares and Temptations to such things as would dishonour God grieve his Spirit one in another or be any occasion of stumbling to them that will watch strictly over both us you that in all things we may so behave our selves that the holy Name of the Lord known and professed by us may never be reproached or blasphemed by any of our Adversaries Walk wisely and behave your selves in tenderness and lowliness of mind towards the Indians or others whom you may have occasion to deal with do justly as you would they should do unto you and cease from Anger and Wrath in conversing with them that you may answer the just Principle of God in People of all Nations which you may be concerned with that we may hear of your welfare and stedfastness
account to God for any evil in this respect done by you and you ought to do in all matters belonging to your place as what you did and were concerned in were your own and you ought to perform business in your Masters absence as if present and shun all Cousining and Defrands and seek your Masters profit and be obedient unto them and subject to them in all their lawful and just Commands that the blessing of God and the good pleasure of your Masters you may obtain do not despise or slight the commands of them because they are Godly or may bear more with you allow you more just Liberty than the wicked will do for that would prove Wickedness in you and incur their displeasure which you may avoid if you be wise and rightly consider your place and station and do not strive unlawfully to get out of it And take you heed what Words you use and what Actions you do amongst your Masters Children for your evil example doubtless may do much hurt to Children who many times are more inclinable to the bad than that which is good you being frequent with them by your bad Words and Actions may give great strength unto incourage no corrupt Communication nor provoke them to Laughter foolish Jesting nor any unseemly behaviour to stir up the wrong part that you and your Masters Children ought to check and keep down in each other by the Grace of God which you all being taught by will make them good Children and you good Servants and then the blessing of the Lord will rest upon you whether Servants or made free and whether single or in a married condition wherein are the greatest Snares Troubles and Incumbrances And you that are single be not over hasty to force your selves from that state to change your conditions I speak this both to Friends Children and Servants wait the Lord 's due time and wait low in his fear in it that you may be taught of the Lord what to do and not Sin against God in changing your conditions and take heed of being unequally yoked or marrying with the World although they may be civiliz'd and have established to themselves a Righteousness which is not the Righteousness of God which if you be not aware of may beguile your Simplicity and anger the Lord God and grieve your Parents that waited for and expected better things from you so your Marriage will not be honourable nor you and them you make thus choice of be joyned together in Marriage by the Lord Therefore take heed of the World and the World's Spirit which leads from God for that will lead you to love the world and to have an Eye out to the Riches of it in your choice and the Beauty of their Daughters that have not believed nor received the Truth You Young Men will look out after and may be you see some elder than you drawn by the spirit of this world into the same Practices and you may strengthen your selves in that which God never justified you nor them in but you are both condemned for when you come to the witness of God and hearken to the witness of God in your own Consciences that never consents to any unequal yoking nor any thing else that is done contrary to God by any amongst us whether they be Young or Old Rich or Poor Married or Unmarried God doth not justifie but he condemns all bad Marriages and other things now as much nay more then in the times of Ignorance although he disallowed them ever since the beginning of this World and forewarned the Holy Seed not to mingle themselves in Marriage with the Heathen and commanded them to keep themselves Pure and to be Holy with this caution I the Lord your God am a Holy God but they not regarding the command of the Lord and taking to themselves Wives of all sorts thereat God was grieved And it repented the Lord that he had made Man when he saw the provoking of his Sons and Daughters and he said I will cut off Man and Beast from the Earth So all you Unmarried whether Young or Elder that are convinced of God's Truth and come amongst us look to the Lord in your proceedings in Marriage wait low and enquire of the Lord first whether it will stand with his honourable Truth and be an honourable Marriage that you have a mind to effect and bring to pass yea or nay and if in answer from God after patient waiting upon the Lord in it you find that it will be to the honour of the Lord and with the consent of your Parents go on and the Lord will be with you and will direct guide and bless you in your undertaking which is of very great weight but if after a deliberate waiting upon God you find not the Lord with you in your purpose and design but that his Hand is against you and your purpose then stay and give it up and be not discontented and hastily carry on the matter in your own wills nor let not your fond foolish Affections sway you so that you may become Captives to them or the Will and Lusts of the Flesh for then God's safe counsel will be hid from you and you will run on in your own Wills averse and opposite to the will of the Lord in that weighty concern whereby some dishonour the Lord defile their Bed grieve and make sad their Parents or them concerned as left in trust with them and endanger their own Ruin both as to Soul and Body So dear Friends whether Young Men or Maidens or more Aged that may be concerned in this weighty matter of Marriage consider these things do nothing against the Truth but look to the God of Truth give up your selves to be at the Lord's dispose and ordering and he by his heavenly Wisdom will preserve you out of the Spirit of this world and out of all the Wayes Works and Snares of it And you Parents of Children give no encouragement or strength to your Sons or Daughters that are owned by us or in the profession of Truth with us to Marry with the worlds People Sons or Daughters keep your selves clear of such mingling and Marriages that are out of the Truth which you cannot nor your Children expect comfort or Gods blessing in let no Earthly end whatsoever prevail with any of you to connive at or encourage such things in your Children for if so thereby will the worlds Spirit creep into you as well as it hath done your Children that so proceed and may darken God's counsel from both you and your Children and hinder Gods blessings from your Familes and let in the curse amongst you and bring his displeasure upon you and yours and that is a woful thing God Almighty lead direct and guide you all in the things that concern your everlasting Peace which you are come to know and understanding but the Wicked of the World know them not and so in the day