A Call to Archippus, Conclusion
The Conclusion.
But now it is time to think of closing. We fear we have been tedious and troublesome; but suffer us yet to utter a few sighs more unto you. We should not have thus pressed and presumed upon you, had not the necessity of the case required it. Reverend and Beloved, if we cannot prevail with you; yea rather, if God (that hath the power of hearts) do not prevail with you, poor souls will rue it, and Christ's Honour and Interest will suffer for it, his Gospel will be a great loser by it. Pardon us therefore if we are loth to let you go: fain we would that you should not be at the end of this Paper, before it hath attain'd its end; That you should not turn away your eyes from these Lines, till you have resolved to set to your Work. O when will you be weary with forbearing. Jer. 20. 9. I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his Name; but his Word was in my heart, as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I could not stay. Have you sate down in your discouragements, and said with him in his infirmity, Yet now may your hearts wax hot within you, that you may speak with your tongue. O that we could hear you saying with Elihu, †Job 32. 18.I am full of matter, the Spirit within me constraineth me; I will speak that I may be refreshed, I will open my lips and answer. What shall we say, Our *2 Cor. 6. 11mouth is open to you, our heart is enlarged. O that we did but know what would prevail with you! we †Job 23. 4.would fill our mouths with Arguments: We would not let you go, till you had granted our humble Motion. Who shall chuse our words for us? Alas, that we did but know what would pierce! It grieves us to think we should have done, before the Work be done; and that after all this, we should leave you as we found you. We verily fear, lest the Argument of Self-preservation will at last prove more forcible upon you, than all the moving Arguments that we can chuse; and that men are so in love with the way they have setled in, (from which they mostly think it dishonourable to recede) that they will not be turned. Shall we go from Words to Tears? O that we could command them! But we have not, (the Lord pardon us) we have not the bowels and meltings, that we should have in presenting you such a pitiful case. Shall we we fall from arguing to begging? O that this would do it! Verily, we could creep on our knees unto you, For the Lord's sake, let our words be accepted with you, do not despise our request; Accept this Petition, as if it were written in the mingled tears, of us and your People. Verily, these are the things, that they do sigh out before the Lord in secret. Shall none of their miseries nor necessities move you? Was the tongue of the dumb-born son of Croesus loosed, by the vehement commotion of Nature in him, when he saw one about to murder his father? And shall not the necessity of Souls loose yours? O think, by whom shall these be gathered? We beseech you, by the Children (as it were) of your own †Job 19. 17.bodies, by the *John 21. 15, 16, 17.Love you bear to our precious Saviour, (whose Interest it is, not our own, that we have all this while pleaded with you;) We beseech you, by your high and holy Calling, by all the Commands and Promises of the glorious Gospel, by all your Vows to the most high God at your solemn Admission to your sacred Function, Feed the Flock of God, which he †Act. 20. 28.hath purchased with his own Blood. In a word, by the bowels of Fathers, by the tears and cryes of Children, by the necessities, distresses, groans, and sorrows of our afflicted Mother, we beseech you do not turn a deaf ear to these Requests. Fulfil you your Peoples joy: refresh their bowels in the Lord. We are in deepest earnest with you, and do in some measure feel what we speak. We go not to act a part. The case is very deplorable, that is before you. You see what havock is made, and what is like to become of poor souls. O if there be any *Phil. 2, 1.consolation in Christ, any Comfort of Love, any fellowship of the Spirit, any bowels and mercies, feed Christ's Lambs, feed his Sheep. We humbly and tremblingly leave all at your feet; and fearing lest all our beggings to you will not prevail, we turn our selves to beg of God for you, and the souls committed to you and us.
O thou *1 Pet. 2. 25Shepherd and Bishop of Souls, the †Heb. 13. 20 Joh. 10. 11.great and good Shepherd of the Sheep, that gavest thy self for them, that *Ephes. 4. 11, 12.gavest thy Ministry to them, for the perfecting of thy Saints, for the edifying of thy Body; Quicken thy forgetful Stewards, to look to the pinching wants of thy distressed Family. Awaken thine Under-Shepherds; call up thy Watchmen to watch over thy Flock by night, that the beasts of prey may not devour them. Sleep not thou, O Lord, in the sides of the Ship, when the Water is come in, even to the soul, and we are all in jeopardy. Hear the moving cryes of thy Children and Disciples, about thee; Lord, save us, or else we perish. Behold how thy Flock is scattered, and few search or seek after them, so that they become a †Ezek. 34. 5, 6.prey to every beast of the field, because there is no Shepherd. O fulfill thy Promise, and take the Work into thine own hands. Do *Ezek. 34. 14.thou feed thy Flock, and cause them to lye down. Thou hast said, †Ibid. v. 16.I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat, and the strong, and will feed them with Judgment. Remember thy Word unto thy Servants, in which thou hast caused us to hope. O Lord God, *2 Sam. 7. 28.thou art that God, and thy Words are true, and thou hast promised this Goodness unto thy †ibid. v. 29…Servants. Thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it; be it unto thy Servants according to thy Word. O *Mal. 4. 6.turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children, and of the Children to the Fathers. Where are the †Isa. 63. 15.soundings of thy Bowels? where are the movings of their Bowels? O let the Distresses of thy Servants make their hearts to turn within them, and their Repentings to kindle together, and give us once again, the men after thine own heart, and set thou up Shepherds over us, that we *Jer. 23. 4.fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither be lacking, as thou hast promised. †Psal. 79. 13.So we thy People, and Sheep of thy Pasture, will give thee thanks for ever, and praise thy Name to all Generations. O Lord, thy People say, Amen. Let all thy Ministers say, Amen, Lord Jesus, say thou, Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Joseph Alleine, A Call to Archippus (1664)