Spirit their hearts being warmed with the breath thereof might not they then add a word or two of their experience O how sweet would that be from the sence of Gods love so to do one hour before or after would fit us for or fasten those things which now too soon we loose thus might we prophesie how sweet and lovely would the Assemblies of the people be yea how primitive like then would all our deerest brethren return again never more to separate from us but would be as lamps and pillars in our Assemblies And why may not these Jewels and their Lustre shine as well there as where few resort O my Lord bring them forth that have lyen among the pots they will be as doves whose feathers are covered with yellow gold yea let the world see the gifts and graces of the sonnes of Sion more precious than choice silver say unto them upon whom the glory of the Lord is risen arise and shine for their feet are beautifull and their God will be admired yea then will Satan and his Kingdom fall like lightening before the Spirit of the Lord men will not disdain the Saints nor perish for want of knowledge as now they doe whilst they think they have as much as any not knowing what the Saints through grace doe then will the boules of the Temple be usefull indeed other men have laid them by but bring them you out that every one may drink from their experience the waters of life receive the bread of life for that is that we promise now to break and nothing of self further be it from us ever to broach schism faction treason or rebellion yea any thing more than one thing our Lord Jesus Christ his loves and loveliness yea nothing but faith Christ his righteousnesse healing and practicall points we promise to preach nothing else but these things and the humility of Christ for our example nor will we ever slight those stars that â—ed us first to him no no they that travelled with us and pointed out the Lamb of God before us shall never be forgotten if they will be quiet they are our Fathers and woâ—thâ—â—wel of double honor yea we will ever â—ow to tâ—em as Joseph did to Jacob. And now my Lord our old Friend and good Friend will you hear will you help us your â—â—llow members once again in this â—iâ—k of time why should others have the honour from you try and try us by whom you please yea set up such as may do it and the God of heaven set up you in the hearts of his My Lord we fear not the touch many will be â—â—t though most are not so in any measure leâ— them be unbyassed not all of the Cleargy and try us while they will they will find men enough we desire not to run before so sent by you or they nor then out of our calling to the charge of the Nation but here and there as Providence leads to witnesse for the Truth most in our Parishes where our walking is known O my Lord this were Christian liberty indeed this were to be freed from Antichrist to purpose Men talk as if after all we should go back again far be that from the Israel of God and as far be it from you to withhold your hand from this work of his give us this Jewell long lost make up this breach and give us liberty as in the dayes of old and then we will lift up our heads yea voices and sing together yea we will never more complain but sing the songs of Sion and her deliverance fully come and under God and Christ you shall have the glory yea the glory of all we are or have in this particular Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands so have you but Solomon built the Temple and so have you when these tryed stones are laid in every place yea you have then done more for Christ the Saints the World the Souls of men than all the Christian Kings and Princes that ever was none has had a heart nor none has had a hand for this nor none are in memory of Saints to purpose but you shall be for ever yea let our tongues cleave to the roofe of our mouthes if we forget your labour of love in this particular yea though we or some of us have railed at you yea prayed to blast you in your late Proceedings yet will we â—â—g you in our bosomes and say you are more righteous than thousands To wind up all you know our mindes consult not with â—â—esh and blood nor byassed men The Lord Jesus and his Spirit hold you close to the rule keep you waking night by night on your bed to weigh our Petition and if it be right hear us as ever he should hear you in your heart-sick-dying hour when you and this world must part O my Lord hear us we are his though all of his are not with us yet thousands are and why and how can be against us the Word and Spirit is for us yea God himself My sons and my daughters shall Prophesie be not you against us nâ—d none but you can hinder yea against him who hath been your salvation all along yea and them too which at your command have shed blood and lost blood life limbes and relations yea and all upon this account more than any Israel never fought with Amalek on so low account as pay nor we with our neighbours for vineyards shadows and titles no no let it never be said in Gath nor published in the streets of Askalum here or in other countries we destroyed towns cities fired houses spilt the blood of millions and sent souls to heâ—on so low account one valley ful of sculs and bones are more worth than these besides former vowes would be minded and in this the main is paid death would be minded and for this you may take comfort judgment would be minded and for this you may expect a Crown if for any work under heaven O my Lord to have a Crown from Christ with this saying Weldone and Welcome when Kings and Captains shall run to the rocks hills and mountains This is considerable may such considerations ever well in great ment hearts and flatterers far from all your Councels for if you should miscarry good had it been if you had never been or any thing but what you are The Name of Christ the honour of God the expectation of the Saints the eyes of all the nations round about are more on you than any man on earth the Lord God Almighty and the Prayers of his People lead you and your Councel in all wayes of well-doing LEt us now treat a little with the people of the Nation I mean common Protestants that do confesse Christ and that is all and me thinks we hear most of them rail laugh and jear others judging and condemning us for proud fooles and hypocrites and such as if â—et alone will spoil the
seems to be given us for this very purpose 1 Cor. 12. 6 7. again is it not Prophesied we shal be able so to do Joel 2. 1 Thes 4 8. Rom. 8. 16. 1 John 46. 13. Is not this Spirit that thus dwels in us a teaching Spirit as well as a pleading or a preaching Spirit as wel as a praying yea are not we bid to covet and desire that it may be so Minde those Texts wel and give a Sermon on one of them if you dare at White-Hall 1 Cor. 14. 1 5 30. but ye are all of you to shie this way yea I think scarce any of you good men that can freely say as Moses Num. 11. 29. I would all the Lords people were Prophets and with Paul I rejoice that Christ is preached though it be of ill will Phil. 1. 15 15. But you grieve although we preach Christ of good will judge us to be selfish proud and self-conceited the Lord pardon we do and in his presence professe what we do we do in love and obedience though you say in pride the Word of Christ which we preach thus in good will seems to be committed to our care and charge as well as yours Contend earnestly for the faith Jude 3. once delivered to the Saints that is the doctrine of the Scripture which we are to dispute pray and preach up you tell us of Corah Dathan Vzza's staying of the Ark 1 Chron. and would fain frighten us from the Work of God What things the people were forbidden they might not do but what we are commanded we may and must do and we are bid to build up one another pray with and for one another admonish and Prophesie to one another yea all Prophesie one by one 1 Cor. 14. 31. meaning not in an extraordinary way but in an ordinay way of opening Scriptures Prophesies and Promises to one another you tell and fright us with what men were forbidden to do we tell you of what we are bidden and commanded thou shalt not suffer sin upon thy brothers head but come ye and tell us what judgement did befall upon Apolos or Priscilla and Aquilla that preached unto him Acts 18. 26 28. Pray tell us if you can in the next the meaning of this Scripture 1 Cor. 14. 24. But you object and cry out this kinde of Doctrine and if all might preach will fill the Church with Errors from whence comes that Christ is of another mind Math. 22. 29. We are called not you sayes the Preachers to one place and people in an outward way they are so yea some to two or three but that we know no warrant for nor well which flock they are charged withall we are not with any not is it our duty to make it our whole businesse as it is yours and not to write newes make strife accuse us to or the Magistrates to us you say the Priests lips were to preserve knowledge now the Spirit is poured out upon the people breaths in and from the people this is a better help to us then the gift of tongues The Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God and that learning cannot 1 Cor. 2. 14. yea this Spirit leads us into all truth when men leads us by many times but here comes in the great one If ye preach ye will baptize in a little while No no we deny that and it may be are not for it as you are or the baptized Churches either more of Mr. Dells judgement the Spirit Baptism but we think some of us thinks so that believers may break bread together though it be most convenient for a Pastor and Preacher in office yea the dead may bury the dead and who will unlesse he be a fat hog or rich Saint yea the best Text in the Bible is scarce good enough for either this in practice you alow and now cryes some we will have no Preachers at all within a little while God forbid we should say so and yet will we bake brew and dresse meat for our selves yet do we not destroy the Trades nor your peculiar calling in all that we stand for nor do we ever intend to set it up more then he the profession of a Lawyer that studieth the Lrwes for the good of himself and some few friends or many for whom he freely pleads now and then but you like not that neither Well we have hinted at our judgement as well as we can in a sheet or two and what have we said to offend you ourself denying godly Pastors truly nothing we should think but now happily we may and yet we will hide our Fathers nakednesse with the mantle of modesty minding our distance you cry out for our affections we for our affliction yea all of us for our Liberty the truth is you rob us and chide us but loosers best may speak you cry out for honour we freely give you double our dutie it is and yours to be diligently in the Word of Christ withholding nothing of his minde from us Acts 20. 27. But however see you be John the Baptists self-denying men John 3 30. and such as give all your glorie to Christ owning his Members and the gifts of his Spirit every where and God will give you honour He that honours me him will my father honour John 12. 26. yea and all the Saints too Again would you honour us now and then in our meetings where we may erre and do what we please for all you we should honour you more in your Pulpits yea this condescension would bring the world to a love and liking of the Saints Assemblings Heb. 10. 25. which now they throw dirt on you not commending them so much as in your Pulpits but revile them too often you cry out of Errors more then needs many times yet too many are we do confesse but to put the Divel Pope Jesuites Anabaptists Antinomians together meaning Gospel Ministers I think as a great Presbyterian Minister lately did in his Prayer then cryed out the Lord confound the designes of them all or worse seems something bitter and why might not liberty be given to object in such a case without offence Sermon being ended you would weigh the more what you sometimes pray and preach yee too often read from a Paper and we grieve the lesse when we hear such kind of things but we will wind up all lest we should offend too much where we love honour Our request is in the name of Christ our Lord and yours that ye would be faithful in this controversal points and iâ— in truth our desires be according to the minde of God as certainly they are for the glory of his Name the exaltation of his Son and Spirit and against sin and Satans Kingdom wicked men divels and the works of darknesse yea if it be against ignorance the mother sin of the Nation whereby souls perish Hos 4 6. and go down to hell every hour in the year one where or
and let ever some of these true travellers of and for Sion be travelling to one place or another Preaching to and enquiring after Saints and their walkings all along the rode alighting still to visite every sick and afflicted one This will be as a Messenger of a thousand did a brother so come to a Saint sick or dying he would be received as an Angel of God as Paul speaks in another case what a Messenger from the Saints ten twenty or thirty miles to visite me like Sion whom no man regarded Jer. 30. 17. For my poverty or weaknesse surely the Lord alone sent him as Joseph said to his brethren but never take this journy without the State gifted Brethren Saints and as many Christians hands as may conveniently be got of the neighbourhood yea the Ministers if it can be got and half a dozen of honest men going to him may do much if he be a good one else take it not by no means and let this with a godly Justice be by the States order to impower you to command the keyes in any place Church or Chapel now in England in case the Ministers or Church-wardens be malignantly opposite and upon their and the Constables perill let it be if any should be wronged going so forth And this is the main work of all we would be at and not so much preach where there is little need unlesse it be to improve our time and talents yea never where there is an able Minister but a little before he comes and after and yet we would have a care of tyring men too much a six a clock Lector may do well in any mans Church in the Summer mornings John 8. 1 and 2. Psal 63. 2. and perswade the Minister to come or send his servants rather he himself may be busie in his study and let all consider if want be within three or four miles off London some Chappels quite shut up others none but Masse Priests Common-prayer men that can preach and pray no more than a cat to any purpose to supply them what want then must needs be twenty miles round well you see your work we your willingnesse for the work The Lord be with one all and every one of you in your journeys yea the mighty God of Jacob Gen. 19. 24. Make you strong against all oppositions from men or divels yea the beast of Ephesus which Paul fought so often with 1 Cor. 15. 32. harmlesse and wise as serpents in the managing of your gifts and Liberty Mat. 10. 16. successefull as the primitive Saints Acts 2. 46. 47. through the zeal of Paul who became all to all men to gain some 1 Cor. 9. 22. caught and begot many by gile 2 Cor. 12. 16. beged and beseeched them to Christ by the mercy of God Rom. 12. 2. to whose mercies loves armes joyes and blessings gracious presence and assistance we commit you by prayer and let all be sent forth so and let them follow you yea every one of you which are willing to spend and be spent for Christ 2 Cor. 12. 15 which none almost minds besides Phil. 2. 21. O Christ how few owns thee in this Nation called by thy Nam How few lives to thee that profess much sweet Jesus our deerest dear keep them that do from all enemies as in an Ammunition of rocks Isa 3â— 10. Let bread be given to them their work and water never fail Amen Amen Lord Jesus Christ IF any unsatisfied man or men without pride self or passion would seriously read squier Shepherds little book Called the peoples Priviledge and Duty guarded against the Pulpit and Preachers increachment never answer to any purpose but as one Lawyer doth a lost cause who must say something to please his simple cliant who hath fed and feed him all along yea a little balling pleases some when mony and cause is both lost and it may be still some will shoot against the light of the Spirit but take heed of looking too much against this truth or those Arrows which self pride parts or malice may shute upwards at it but read squier Shepherd once or twice soberly over you that are willing to be satisfied in these truths which doth and shall prevail and now though the sea rores Psal 46. 3 4. and makes a noise yet will we be glade there is a river the streams thereof shall refresh the City and Citizens of our God that are now dwelling on mount Sion and not Sinai in Arabia the wildernesse of strife and bondage Gal. 4. 24 25 26. And now if the drift of this be erroneous for a wanton Spirit or against our Lord Jesus whip us at the cart or hang us up in chains till we and our names rot and this is our Petition also to you the high and great Councel of these Nations yea good my Lord do one or the the other for us it is the onely way to get our hearts to purpose why should you loose the choicest thing under heaven next to the heart of God and we the main fruit of all our travell blood and treasure O my Lord the night comes when none can work John 9 4. Remember that ye sleepie virgins of Sion Awake awake for our deliverance O Arm of the Lord Isa 51. 9 10. and let all the Churches now in London yea in England hear what the Spirit sayes to them Rev. 2. 29. in this day of their visitation W. B. A Hint of some Texts we fain would be at Col. 3. 11. HE is all and in you all Christ is all in all in and to himself and in the eye of the Father and working of the Spirit he is all and in all to his Saints the last and present help and hope of siâ—ners he is the light life and gâ—ory of the world the image of the Father the Son Rock Well Water Spring Morning Star light life and comfort of the Saints all in all to them in his Names and Titles sweet Jesus Lord Jesus anointed Christ God-Man Man-God Immanuel with and â—n us Titles King of for and in the Saints to keep save help and deliver all Believers from sin death hell flames men divels dangers grave sting curse and curses Law fears bondage and captivity yea a Priest to pray day and night he interceeds continually when we do and cannot at the Throne of grace if we live die or sin he is still our intercessoâ— a Prophet to us when we pray preach study minde think or meditate that is sweet heaven comes down soul goes up world laid by we dye live and contemplate our God but Christ is all in all in health sicknesse wealth plenty want poverty all cases of all kindes whatsoever yea in life and death Christ is all and he that hath him shall not cannot dye nor lye long in the grave John 11. 26. and it is dead whilst he lives and shall live when he dyes with to and before the throne of God and the Lamb singing glory praise honour and salvation Palmleaves white Robes throng of Angels Rev. 7. 9. Wicked men dying so curse gnaw cry houl tear damn roar with in and among brimstone pitch rosin worm conscience satire scrich owle divels fighting flying teeth gnashing damned souls crying altogether frying for refusing Christ who is all in all little pleasure profit stories vaâ—n glories crownes Kingdomes names fames capps knees bowings melancholly musick joyes toyes moments pleasure earthly treasures sweet meat soure saâ—eâ— What is all to he and and what is he to nothing t'other nothing gets nothing loses all for nothing Oh Christ be my portion what will all avail me when I come to dye or a little thatch he whose goods wife children are all burnt by a fire their welfare thee lesse if thy soul misearry for want of this All. This and these Texts we fain would be at Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world John 1. 29. If ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Col. 1. 3 4. And when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory Jud. 20 buy of me gold tryed in the fire that thou mayest be rich Rev. 3 18. Build up â—re another in your most holy faith what shall it profite a man to gain the world and loose his own soul Mat. 16. 26. I sleep but my heart wakes Cant. 5 2. Bear you one anothers burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ Gal. 6. 2. Vnlesse a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God John 3. 3. The night comes when none can work John 9. 3. Speak not evill of dignities Jud. 8. Wo be to you when all men speak well of you Luk. 6. 26. Every man seeks his own things but none the things of Christ Phil. 2. 21. Thy loving kindnesse is better then life therefore my lips shall praise thee Psal 63. 3. God is love and they that dwell in God dwell in love 1 John 4 16 I have fought the good slght I have finished my course henceforth is laid up for me a crown of glory 2 Tim. 4. 7. If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10. 38. Yet when ye have done all say ye are unprofitable servants Luk. 17. 10. I am come into my garden my sister my spouse Amen even so come Lord Jesus Can. 5. 1. Rev. 22. 20. Thâ—se Texts and no other by the grace of God would we Preach and study but if cursed be the man that doth the destroying work of God negligently Jer. 48. 10. much more he that hinders this wilfully but we are ready not onely to be bound but to dye for Christ at Jerusalem yea welcome all for him Acts 21 13. FINIS