The Poor Mans Cup of Cold Water, Text (1 of 3)

The Poor Mans Cup of Cold Water · Text (1 of 3)

p. 2For the now truely honorable, and really happy, that little Flock, and lovely Company in Scotland, who are in great tribulation, for the Word of God, and for the Testimony of Iesus Christ; and more particularly, for his specially endeared Friends, the Sufferers in the West. OF SCOTLAND.

MUch honoured, dearly beloved and longed for in our Lord Jesus Christ,

Grace from the God of all grace, mercy from the Father of mercies, who is rich in mercy, & peace from the God of peace, whose it is to speake that peace and to give that peace, which passeth all understanding, together with joy in the Holy Ghost, be multiplied upon you. Though I am unable to do any thing for you, or say any thing to you, which can cannot to the equivalency of a releife, now when you are overwhelmed with such an inundation and deludge of calamities; as every one who looks on, yea the very Authors and Instruments of these miseries and mischeifes must say, if they speake their soul or sense, you are pressed out of measure and beyond strength; yet your sufferings are such for kinde and qualitie, such for measure and weight, such for substance and circumstances, as might, through a transport of griefe and compassion, make the tongue of the dumb, if he have b…t eyes or eares, to break prison and cry out, behold, O Lord, and consider, to whom these things are done, and for what, and for whose sake. I dare not, Alas! say, that I fill up the just measure of that sorrow for you, and that sympathy with you, which is debt upon my part, and an indispensible duty, in this day of trouble and of treading down, and of great perplexity, by the Lord God of hosts, in the valley of vision; yet I desire to be amongst the company of those, who doe not, who dare not allow themselves, to carry as inconcerned now, when his precious interests lye a bleeding, his poor remnant under their pressures as breathing out their last, and such who endeavour to retain their integrity, and to hold fall what they have that no man take their crown, and to depart f…om that inquity, which is the inquity of our time (a departing from God, and an opposition to Jesus Christ in nature and degree, in height and hainousnesse, of a tincture and elevation, beyond and above what the departings from God and oppositions to his Son Jesus Christ have been or were capable of in former times) make themselves a prey; as is manifest in your case not to be paralleled, if weighed in an even ballance.

I am so much straitned, how to give my shallow and confused thoughts a vent, while I essay to contribute my poor mite, for alleying the bitternesse of your cup, and mitigating the greatnesse of your griefe (knowing well how little proportion what ever I am able to say keeps to the anguish of your soul, because of what you are put to suffer) as the sight of this indignation, wherewith you are filled, puts me to struggle with my inclination, and staggers me in my resolution to speake, as seeming rather to perswade me, because of the heavienesse of his hand upon you, to sit alone and keep silence, then to open my mouth, since the moving of my lips cannot asswage your griefe; yet affection (which easily procures a pardon, when it misseth the marke it aimed to hit) hath in the present clamant emergent emboldened me, out of my poverty and penury, to offer such as I have; and besides, I hope, both from the conviction of duety and knowledge, how much the depth of your distresse is beyond the supplies I can contribute for your ease, and the supportings of my feeble & feeklesse pen, to acconnt it m mercy, while you are in that Paroxisme & agony of misery, through p. 3the madnesse of such, as are incensed against your Lord and Master, to cry as I can on your behalfe, Arise o Lord, and rescue the soul of thy turtle from the rage of these men of cruelty, and do not give up the beloved of th… soul into the hand of such an enemy, whose way thy soul hateth.

You have often heard, my deare and distressed friends, and you have professed also to be in the faith of this, That men may be more then conquerours, when killed all the day long, and that there is an hundred fold to be reaped in this life, even with persecution: Now set your selves, when killed and crushed, to put the crown upon your Profession; now adorne that Doctrine of God the Saviour, which you Professe, by such a carriage, as will witnesse, you know, in the midst of what flesh can do unto you, how to be conforted in God, & how to endure the worlds hatred and harme, as those whom no affliction can make miserable? O that he may put you in case to seale from your own experience the sweetnesse of suffering for Christ; And to say, now we know there is a river that refresheth the whole City of God, because he hath made us drink of this river of his pleasure, whereof since we drank, we have forgotten our Poverty, & remember our Misery no more: now we can affirme from what we finde, (whereby our souls are fortified) that as the sufferings of Christ have abounded in us, so our consolation also hath abounded by Christ, for whom we have suffered the loss of these things, and in that loss are so great gainers, as now we know what we have lost is but dung; but what is left us, or rather what we have found in these begun fruitions of Jesus Christ, hath begun our heaven amidst all we suffer. Yea, I am hopeful, it shall be with you in your huntings, harassings, and hideings, as it was with Moses in the mount, never so neer God, as when at the remotest distance from all creature-converse and comfort; And that even while you lye as among the pots, and are black with the smoak of that fiery furnace, heated seven times beyond what you or your Fathers have found, or could have feared, if Satan, whose element is fire, had not set the Instruments of your calamity on fire of hell, and transported them so far beyond the limits and latitude of all reason. As if the question were asked, Why doe these heathen rage? the answer behoved to be given, nay, aske them not a reason, for they are in rage against the Lord, and against his anointod: I say, while you are smothered with this smoak, & made black, yet your face shall be made to shine, and you put in case to say, though we be black because this sun with its scorching heat hath looked upon us; yet are we comely, because the sun of righteousnesse with healing under his wings hath arisen upon our soul, and under the shadow of his wings we shine and sing, and are comforted.

But to come more closely to what I intend in these lines. Let me tell you, deare Friends, that nothing can be more effectual for working up the heart to a right temper at all times, and more particularly in your present case, and for frameing a right the wayes of a Christian, when he must either go with the drove of those, who depart from the living God, or expose himself for his adhesion to him, and relinguishing these workers of iniquity, yea opposing of their Christ-opposing courses, to all the effects of their fury, than well to know, and often to consider, what is the nature of that State and Condition, whereunto he is called as a Christian; to know what is his relation to Jesus Christ, who hath chosen him; and to the world out of which he is chosen: this, if seriously and sutably pondered, would certainly cool his feverish heats, and quench his thirstings after the world, and would quicken his soul, and kindle in his heart much heat and warmth of love to Jesus Christ; it would stablish his heart, strenghten his hands, fortify against feare, and fournish him with what is sufficient for the patient suffering of the worlds hatred and malice at him; How would a solid reflection of his being chosen out of the world, sweetly disengage him from the entanglements of this world; and as one made partaker of the divine nature, make him so mind and so move, as his mindings and movings would make it manifest whatsoever is below God is below the designings, the desirings and endeavourings of his soul. And the true reason why there is so little of real Christianity to be found amongst Christians, is, we consider not that Christianity is the soul cast in that blessed mould of disconformity to the world, and conformity to Christ, our having his blessed name called upon us; as it supposeth an association with him, so it obligeth to an assimilation to him, in order to the fruition of him, without which we can never make it appeare, that we are sharers of that unction, which is the import of that blessed name called upon us. There are few, Alas! amongst the many Professors of Religion, and pretenders to Christianity, who study to know the excellency of that state, the special comforts and the proper duties thereof, and the closenesse of that connexion which is amongst these. O! it must be an excellent state, which imports union with Jesus Christ. He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit, saith the holy Ghost. And what must the privileges and the comforts be which follow upon and flow from this? For Religion, as it relates to these, is the very religation of the soul to God, as a portion, and that good part which cannot be taken from him; and then all the special duties thereof are but the promoving of that begun conformity to Jesus Christ, till it be carried on, and consummat in a perfect likenesse to him. Now he, whose soul hath received just impressions of these things, is in case to carry amidst all surrounding miseries, as one who is happy without the world, and in despight of the world; for he hath a happinesse laid up in God, and to be laid out for him according to his need, which the world knoweth not of, and cannot take from him: hence it is, that he rejoyceth in hope, & is patient in tribulation: And as for the duties of Religion he is not found of these as of an enemy, even when he is sure he cannot follow them, but his enemies will finde him and fall on him: he knowes no other question, but Lord what wilt thou have me to doe? And when that is clear, sets himself to doe all things without disputings and murmur…ngs. Neither is he demurred nor diverted, much lesse turned out of the way of following the Lord fully, because there is a lyon in it? but can without fearing the wrath of a King, which is as the roaring of a lyon, & most either be encountered, or duty in its proper season deserted, go foreward; and when the danger he exposeth himself unto by doing so would be ready, if too much pored upon, to daunt him and draw him, into a relinquishing of his Master, look upward, and endure as seeing him who is invisible O noble look! this is that blessed second sight, whereby a Saint, in the darkest night of distresse, sees that which is soul-supporting: O! the invisible God made visible to the poor persecuted creature, in his omnipotent power, his infinit love, and his unfailing faithfulnesse, makes all visible dangers evanish into an invisibility.

Therefore, deare Brethren, since you are not of the world, and since there is so great a change made in your state, and some blessed begun chance made betwixt you and the world in your manners, think it not strange concerning these fiery trials, which you meet with from the world, and must go thorow, till you get thorow the work: he hath not rightly received Christ Jesus, who looks not on suffering as his daily work: he who hath closed with Christ, and is resolved to keep him company to the end, that he may be with him without end, must be at a point in this that be where he will bonds and afflictions will abide him, in every place, yea he must resolve with it, and be in readiness for it, not only to be bound, but also to die for the name of the Lord Iesus; And that not amongst heathens, but in Ierusalem, where also his Lord was crucified; not only at Rome and amongst professed enemis, but in Scotland, but at Edinburgh, where Christ Jesus our Lord is now crucified again, and put to open shame? not by a forraigne enemie, but by those who are Rulers (if it be not abuse of language to call them so, whose Government is pure Tyranny) and not only by Rulers, but by such Rulers as have bound their souls by the bond of a sacred and solemne Covenant, and stand eternally obliged, under the penalty of everlasting seclusion from the presence of God and from the glory of his power, to maintain that Reformation, the ruine whereof they drive with so much rigour and rage, and the razing of the foundations whereof they endeavour with the utmost of professed enmitie; to preserve that precious treasure for, and to propagat Religion in its purity to posterity; to protect these very persons, whom they persecute, and persecute for persisting in those wayes, wherein they themselves have give it under their hand to God they would walk. Now, we are not to think strange, concerning this fiery trial; for whosoever would be the Disciple of Christ, must take up his crosse daily and follow him, it must be such an one as he pleases to lay on and what he wil have it to be; he must not fansy to himself a fools Paradise in Christs company; nay, th… crosse is the necessare concomitant of a Christian; and sharp conflicti…g must goe before the obtaining of the conquerours crown: we must not only resolve to meet with such fiery trials, as will consume into ashes our darling Idols, (for there is a necessity that some hand be made use of to pluck out that right eye: and cut of that right hand' which hath caused us to offend` that so we may enter into life) but we must and may exspect to meet with …he saddest trouble, and the most unsufferably sharpe trials out of that airth, whence we did not feare, nor could we rationally foresee the storme should blow: these Persons and things… which should be most comfortable to the people of God, do often prove the source of their calamitie, and the Instruments Whereby they are afflicted, We need not goe to Ionah's gourd, nor Iob's Friends, we need goe to Zechariah, slain betwixt the Porch and the Altar, by Ioash, whom he was endeavouring to rescue out of the hands of the living God, by admonishing him to keep the commandement of the Lord, and his Covenant and Coronation-oath, 2. Chron. 23:16. compared vvith C. 24.20. & seq. for though he vvas the Son of Iehojadah, vvho had made him King, and stain the Usurper; yet he not onelyonly for gote that kindenesse, bu… slevv the Son, vvho vvas desiring, yea vvhile endeavouring to keep that crown upon his head, (by dissuading him to venture upon God-provoking courses or to enter the list of opposition to God Almighty, contrary to all the Objective and Subjective Obligations, under vvhichwhich he vvas to him, for having set him upon the Throne, vvho could as easily and vvonderfully bring him dovvn, as he had set him up) vvhichwhich his Father had set upon it. But God forgote neither his foresaking of the Covenant, nor his breach of his Coronation-oath, nor his forgetting of Iehojadah's kindenesse; but put Ioash in remembrance of all he had forgotten, and of all he had done; and made him know he had heard the words of dying Zechariah: I need neither tell you how, nor by what Monitors he brought these things to his remembrance, nor how pla…n a parallel it is to our case: onelyonly Ioash did not kill Iehojadah himse…f, who had been the Instrument of his setlement in the Government. I say, we need not search to reco…ds of former Generations, (except it be to finde some of the Saints, and some of the Churches of Christ, to whom we may turne. That we may learn at them? and be beholding the end of the Lord, know how to carry and acquit ourselves, though we may long turne over the records of former times, ere we finde a parallel to the iniquitie of ours) for examples: when these very men, with whom we ourselves did once take sweet councel together, and with whom we walked to the house of God in company, are become such cruel and keen enemies, as it is impossible to describe their rage and cruelty; for a naked representation of matter of fact would …ertainly passe with such as were not witnesses to what is done, for a meditat and malicious representation of Persons & Actions. but I need not tell you stories what you finde beyond my tellings, yea beyond your own expressings. O the crimson iniquitie of our times, when such as did but the other day cry Grace Grace unto it, are this day throwing down what they had built and are crying raze it, raze it even to the foundation: When these who not long ago did cry up and commend loyalty to Jesus Christ, are now crying, Crucifie him; let us burst his bonds assund…r, and Cast away his cords from us, Let us casse and rescinde our Covenant made to serve him, and be subject to him; and let us set up a New Lord; and let this be the New Law, that who ever will not doe, according as we have done and decreed, may die. But Alas! have these men forgotten, that this Insurrection against him is recorded in Heaven, and that this their rage against his follovvers (upon vvhom …hey run vvith open mouth, and against vvhom they prepare themselves vvithout their fault, being chargeable vvith no guilt, abstracting from obedience to their God) is come in remembrance before him? and that the cry of these oppressed ones is come up unto the eare of the Lord God of Sabao…h, and vvill bring him dovvn to execute judgement for the oppressed: but let us not stumble, nor start aside for all this; for hovv astonishing so ever it may be in it self to upright men, yet let the innocent stirr up themselves against those, who have dealt thus hypocritically with God; and let the righteous still hold on their way, and such as have clean hands wax stronger and stronger: it is a weaknesse unworthy of saints, not to carry as those who have laid their account with the crosse, a reckoning which flesh and blood (alwayes inculcating that carnal Doctrine, spare thy s…lf) is very unwilling to make.

We still think there is a way (because we would have it so, and often make a way where he hath made none) to shift these hard sayings, and shun these heavy things: and yet come at Heaven: We fansie a Possiblitie to passe thorow the world with the worlds good will, and be religious too. But this is to be wise above what is written: The Devil must first cease to lie, and murther and way-lay them that are going to Heaven; and the enmitie between the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent must first be done away, or changed into perfect amitie, (which shall never be) before that day dawn, that the traveller to Heaven needs not lay his reckoning to meet with trouble in the way. But passing the general account that the wickeds hatred ag…inst God is so perfect, as they hate his Image and Picture, in his Children; yea they like not the godl…nesse (If I may cal it so) of a hypocrit, but hate it? which they doe, (what ever they pretend) not for the evil that is under i…, but for the good that appeares in it: As Lions are said to have so perfect a hatred at man, as they wil teare the picture, because of the resemblance it hath to a living man: neither shall I in…ist upon this cause o… hatred against the Students of holinesse, that there is a light in a Christians life, who walks as a Child of light, which discovers the spots of the profane world about him; and with that light there is a heat also, which scorches and troubles their Conscience; and therefore they cannot endure them… but take all opportunites. to deale with them as Persons come to torment them before the time, by their shineing and burning. Besides these general and un…ailing Considerations, which ought to fortify us in a resolution to make ready for the worse the world can doe; there is somewhat peculiar in our lot, which should make us resolve and determine not onelyonly to suffer, but to have a mixture of gall and worm…wood in our cup. wherewith Saints are but at some special times exercised: There is a must be now, for all who will live Godly in Christ Iesus to suffer persecution, and it were a madnesse to entertain other thoughts, since our time is a time of Defection and shameful Apostasy, which hath ever been found a …ime of hot persecution. This hath been ever observed to be the practice of Apostats, to hate, as hell and to handle as the worst of men, such as stand fast fixed in owning that cause of God… which they have relinquished: a man, who resolves to keep a Conscience void of offence towards God, must take his life in his hand, and be …n readinesse to part with it, when his lot is to live in a time and place, where there is power in their hand, who have made shipwrack of Faith and of a good Conscience. For as Apostasy is the special sin of Devils, and as Satan the great Apostat hates all, who set their face heaven …a…d, and are Servants of that God, and seekers of that blessednesse from which he for his …postasy is everlastingly banished; so whomsoever he withdrawes from the wayes of the Lord, and drawes with him into the guilt of Apostasy, he drives them on also to the same sin of persecu…ing those, who hold on their way, and who adhere to those precious truths, which they have fo…saken, and are followers of God as deare Children: and these …wo have so neer and native a connexion together, as he doth not onelyonly drive without any difficultie those, over whom for their Apostasie he hath obtained a sole soveraignity and dominion, into these desperat and damnable courses of persecuting the truth, which they have foresaken, and the Professors …here of, who hold fa… his name: B…t which is more strange and sad, and should alarum every man into a watchfulnesse against the very first and smallest-like degrees o… defection from the good old wayes of God…r It is observed, that let a man, though sound in the main, slip from one degree of his zeal ond integrity, thoug… it wer… but in omission to stand-up for the defence of the Gospel, when the assaultings of Adversaries p. 7makes it duty; much more if there be a doing of any thing, which will give the enemies of the work of God the least advantage, he forth with slides also ere he be aware into a censuring, despising, contemning (if it stop here and go no further, it is well) of his Brethren, whom he cannot carry alongs with him, and becomes frequently more active and indnstrious to draw them, whom he hath in so far l…ft, his length, then he is observed to be active in strengthening the things that remaine and are ready to die, amongst a people in a declining time. Now these things are so plain in our case, as it were supe…fluous for me to make them more plaine. Need I tell you, in whose hand the power is, or of what spirit and principles these men are, after all the desolation they have made amongst you? Neither are they yet at an end; and therefore you would be preparing for new assaults, and laying in provision against the evil day. O blessed shall the man be, who in this dismal day, shall not be offended in him, but shall endure to the end. Lay your account therefore with the worst, that violence and enmity, armed with power, & enflamed to the height of revenge, can make you suffer, for withstanding this course of iniquity, now carried on by all means & methods in the Nation. This fore-sight & providence will be our wisdom; for when we have done so, we will not be amazed, when that comes to passe, we had resolved before hand to meet with; or put out of our postour, when these things do emerge, with which we had laid our reckoning.

But, deare Friends, for fixing yourselves into a firmenesse of resolution to hold out and hold on, though it should come to a resisting unto blood, after you are robbed and spoiled of your goods; Consider that there is nothing in all these fires and waters, you have to passe thorow; in all these dangers and deaths, which are before you; in all these trials, in all these hazards, nay in all these hells that are betwixt you and heaven, whch can prevail with a soul, that knowes in whom he hath beleeved, or perswade him to cast the blessed bargan, or go back from his Master, and walke no more with him. Whither shall we go from thee, for thou hast the words of eternal life? was the disciples deliberat and warme answer to that heart-moving question, will you also leave me? Leave thee Lord? Leave thee who will, we are for ever tied to an attendance upon thee, and continuance with thee, both by choice and by the chaine of our own advantage; that eternal life, which is in thee, and is to be had by abiding with thee, arrests us with a pleasant violence to wait upon thee, while we must foresake all in following …hee, and be foresaken of all. But secondly, let us exercise spiritual reason, and reckon right, & we will perceive, there is much of present & real advantage to be found in and reaped from the worlds hatred: and the greatest heat of persecution; who is he that will harme you, if ye be followers of that which is good? is a question that puts it out of question, they cannot be harmed even when hurt, and therefore it is immediatly added, 1 Pet. 3:14. But and if ye suffer for righteousnesse sake, happy a…e ye &c. It is true, there are none to whom moe injur…es are done, then to the poor persecuted people of God; for as men they are not only borne to trouble, but as Christians they are borne againe unto trouble and appointed thereunto: But it is as true, that there are none who are so little iniured by injuries; for they get meat out of the …ater, all these things work together for their good: For first, hereby the Saints are keept in a right temper towards the world and the things thereof; whereas i… they meet with kinde usage in it and from it, they would take too well with it, and sit down short of heaven, and forget to say, arise let us go hence, for this is not the place of our rest: there remains an unrenewed part in the saints, which would agree too well, and comply with the courses and customes of the world; and therefore it is their speciall adavntage to be driven off from it by being distressed by it; this bitter potion, which the world prepares for the people of the Lord, and puts all the gall and worm wood in it they can, to make it deadly poison, when drunk down and digested, by faith and patience dissipats and discusses these ill humors, which did weaken the vitals of Religion, and brought a consumption upon the inward man; and so proves a soveraigne antidot to drive out that poison, which would have killed the soul, if not purged out. And as it serves for dissolving that union between the Saints and the world, p. 8so secondly it knits them the more closely to him, who hath chosen them out of the world; for when they finde themselves dealt with as strangers and pilgrims in the earth, exposed to all manner of hurt and hardship, they then are in earnest in seeking that satisfaction in God, which they misse in this howling wildernesse of sorrow; and as they never seek it so earnestly and ardently, as at such a time; so they never so readily finde it, that they may have a proof that their own portion is fat enough, and can still afford them royal dainties; and so sit down satis…ied with the enjoyment of God, even their own God, and sing amidst all wants and miseries, the lines are fallen to us in pleasant places. The reason then why the people of God are often in so much heavinesse, and frequently hunted & harrassed with trouble & tentations, is, that they may be hunted by the worlds hatred and evil handling of them, out of the world, home to heaven; that since they see what they have to expect here, they may gird up the loins of their mind, & set their affections on things that are above, where Christ is & there treasure: & hence it is said, when the scourge slaieth suddenly, he laugheth at the trial of the innocent; which is not for want of affection, being a…flicted in all there afflictions; but, if I may say so, besids that he meens them not to command a calme in the greatest storme, & to have a consort of most sweet musick in their soul, amidst all their miseries, who have an interest in him as their God, he rejoiceth to think how the happinesse of his people is promoved by their pressures and persecutions; and how much their persecuters are befooled, who contrare to their purpose contribute their service to the Saints, whom in their rage they intend to ruine. All men of reason have judged the mustering and marching of this host against you, a high transport of malice and madnesse; in the mean time you mourne, and the enemies laugh amongst themselves, and the Lord, notwithstanding he takes pleasure in the prosperity of his people, he rejoyceth also: But why is it so? It is so not only in regaird of your Adversaries, at whom he laughs, because he sees their day is coming, but because he hath such a complacency in the soul prosperity of his people, that Court and Councel and all the Nation must be set a work to scoure the Saints, the vessels of honour, that they may shine in the beauty of holinesse, and sing in the begun fruitions of God: And thus by the effects of this fury, this malice and madnesse of persecuters, a company of his poor people, whom they intended to eat up as bread and to destroy, are made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light; the place to which neither they who gave the orders, nor they who obeyed and put them in execution, shall ever be admitted, except they mourne and amend their manners too; for heaven is not a place for impure and polluted persons, there is nothing that defileth or worketh abomination that can enter-in into that City, there is neither swine nor puddle there.

But to come more particularly to the purpose, & to show and set before you what grounds of strong consolation you may have, while handled as you are, by the persecuting enemy; Consider first, That it ought not onelyonly to remove the strangenesse, & to alley the bitternesse of your present sad lot; but also comfort you over it, and while under it, that your sweet Lord and Mast…r was handled by the world, as you are? If the world hate you, saith Christ, you know that it hated me before it hated you. And therefore for sweetening your lot and supporting you, Consider him lest you be wearie and faint in your minds. O what weight of sorrowes and variety of sufferings did he undergoe, both in his life and at his death? What pinches was he put to? What Pressoures were upon him? Reproach, Shame, Calumnie, Hatred, Persecution met upon him, to make it appeare, he was a man of sorrowes: What alley is this to your griefe, under your pressures and Persecutions, that your Lord and Master drunk of the same cup? he met with much worse handling: Cease then to think strange concerning this fiery trial; but rather rejoyce, in as much as you are partakers of the sufferings of Christ; this may comfort you, that herein you are conforme to your Lord and Master, If they have persecuted …e, saith he, they will persecut you.

But secondly, to make the consolation strong indeed, Consider that he not onelyonly was p. 9hated of the world, and persecut…d by them, before you were; but he is such a feeling-head as he still suffers with you, for all the after fufferings of his servants do …ir…t light upon him; there is never a stroke given to one of his members upon the earth, but the stound of it is felt in Heaven: Saul, Saul why persecuts thou me, being the word of our glorified Master, puts the matter beyond debate. The quarrel is at Him, and he will own it, as such, in as much as you did it unto one of these little on…s, you did it unto me, holds true here: And this is so cleare in your case as it passeth the parts of your most pregnant Adversaries to palliat this persecution with any colourable pretence, which will hide it from being a plain fighting against God. Is it not the purity of their malice and perfection of their hatred against Christ as King, which pouseth them on, & Prompts them to this persecution? Let them …ender any other reason for what they have done, if they can. For when to compleat the revolt of the Nation from its sworne subjection and obedience to Iesus Christ, as Supreme in his own-house… they have substitut and constitut another in his place, and have framed a Supremacy in to a Law, to be the rule and standar…, according to which our Kings, in all succeeding generations, shall of right King it over the house of God, as knowing no Superior, with a more simple absolutnes…e, then the Law of the Nation will permit them to do over the house, inheritance, interest or concerne of the meanest subject in the Kingdom: by which Law our Lord Iesus Christ is most explicitly exa…torat, he is declared to have neither house, people nor propertie in Scotland. Le… any read over our late Supremacy, and sense it, and consider if its lowest amount be not this; we have no King but Caesar. And to make it emphatickly expressive of this, vvhereas other Acts of Supremacy (vvherby yet our Lord Iesus Chrest vvas vvronged, and his royal prerogative encroached upon) did still for shame leave him the title; and a supremacy vvas pretended unto under God, and his Son Christ, and a derivation and conveyance from that fountain vvas in words acknovvledged; that the iniquitie of our Supremacy might be supreme… an absolute, independent, arbitra…y dominion is attributed to our Kings, setled upon them by Law: And for the more security, this povver is declared to be the i… trinsick right and the inherent prerogative of the imperial Crown of the Nation, vvhereby al-Church-mat…ers are subjected to their imperial vvisdom, to do in all these as they think fit; and the managment of these are so solely in his Majesties povver, that vvhereas the Council acts in Civils in a subordination to his Maj. according to the Law of the Land, His Maj: may make use of what kinde of persons so ever he will; passing by Parliament or Council, to put all the incontrolable dictats and decrees of his Maj. wisdom and good pleasure, concerning Church matters, in execution; And therefore that we may be no longer in suspense, nor solici…ous about the sense of our Supremacy, & that the Church may hen…ceforth know & acknowledge, who is her Lord and undoubted Superior, whose it is to give Laws and appoint Officers, to put them in execution; and that there may be none, in heaven or earth, to pretend to any part of this power, or paritie in this Supremacy, the name of God and of his Son Christ is omitted in it, and (because mentioned in other Supremacies) must be conceived to be delet out of ours. (O! the patience of God, that their names… yea that the name of the Nation, where such a wicke…nesse was decreed, is not before this perished from under the heavens!) It is true… this pleased me best in all that Supremacy, because it was plain dealing, without all cloak or complement; for now Iesus Christ hath neither thing nor name of Kingly power left him, but is most explicitly put from the exercise of his royal Government; And Church Lawes are no more to passe in the old stile, nor are things as formerly to be done there by vertue of the Authoritie of this one Iesus, who calleth himself a King; But according to the new stile. And so hence forth, Church Lawes must beare the datum of the Iulian account. Now our Rulers, having framed this Law, for hainousnesse of hatred & h…ight of opposition to the Lords anointed, whom he hath made King in Zion, beyond the most supream Supremacies, that ever wer… framed or moulded into lawes, since God made man upon the earth; or Satan, that he might destroy the Church, prompted men to compet with the Mediator & strive p. 10with him for state, y…a even in its prodigious shape and feature, beyond what was arrogat by the Man of sin, the Anti-Christ, that Son of Perdition … Our blessed Lord Jesus, who hath all his enemies in de…ision, stirred up the spirit of some of his zealous Ambassadours to goe forth and give a Testimony against the hainousnesse of this usurpation of their Masters Crown and Sc…pter (which will be their crown, and which should be now our main question upon which we act and suffer, as we expect his p…esence and supportings, either in doing or suffering) and in pursuance of that Commission, which they had received from him, to preach in …eason and out of season, and to negociat a peace betwixt this great and glorious King and poor guilty sinners: whereupon our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, though slighted and set at naught by our Rulers, bo…h to signifie his complacency in the zeal of his faithfull servants, …ired into an holy fervo… fo… the Prerogative of their exalted Prince, from the observation of the fury, whereby they saw he was opposed; and to refute till more come, (O! that is coming, which may and certainly would make their souls tremble, if thought upon, the apprehensions of the righteous revenges he will …ake, for this contempt cast upon him, and when he will returne their reproach upon them, by speaking unto them in his wrath, and vexing them in his sore displeasure) the folly and infatuation of that new Pretence to his incommunicable Prerogative… royal, framed into a Law, and that by an argument easy to be understood by the poorest Lasse and Lad in the Nation, he goeth forth conquering and to conquer, by the Ministry of these his despised servants, and thus he reigns as King in the m…dst of his rageing enemies, and acts wonderously, so that to the conviction of all, he holds the hands of his servants, upholds them at his work, and doth from tha… day greater things by them, then ever, in regaird of many circumstances, were done in the Nation: he makes such noble and notable in roads upon Satans territories, and these darke places of the land, where the Prince of darkenesse had an indisturbed dominion, as multitudes are made, in this day of his power, to follow after and fall in love with Ordinances, dispensed by his own O…ficers, and flock unto the standart of this exalted Prince: a proof as great as ever was given of his reigneing, and that his people shall be willing in the day of his power, though all the powers of the earth were on a conspiracy against him, and abused that power to the fainting of his followers, and the fr…ghting of them into a dis…oyal relinquishing of Iesus Christ: which the Adversary perceiving, and finding that to no purpose they had cru…ified Christ aga…ne, and put him to open shame, by taking his Crown and Scepter from him, and bu…ying his Supremacy in the grave, which they had made for it, u…der the fabrick of their newly erected one, and that in vaine they had set a watch to keep the grave, & fearing withal that this reviving of his work, and resurrection of his cause, might prove to them a second errour, worse by far then the first; The…efore, that rovers may not be ruers, and to fortifie themselves in the pos…ession of what they had taken by their Law from our Lord Iesus Ch…ist, and to prevent his returning to his throne, and his reassuming the exercise of his royal Government (o let their feare come upon them, who feare left Christ should reigne!) an Host must be gathered, on purpose to march into the West, as that part of the Nation (o happy and honourable cognizance!) where Iesus Christ had most remarkably rung, and which still was looked upon by them, as the Kings head-quarters; whereupon it is resolved that that poor Countrey shall be invaded, the people in the mean time, having behaved themselves as peacably as any part of the nation, being amazed at the rumour of this rage against them, and the resolution taken to pour…in upon them such a company of Barbar's, as their carriage and cruelty is beyond my describings, send some of their number to declare that they were most peacable; but to binde themselves to such a compliance with the course of the time, (that is, upon the matter, to cooperat with the workers of iniquity, and to st…p Christs Ambassadours from delivering their message, and to hinder the people from meeting together to heare what he would say unto them, by such as he hath cloathed with a commission, and called to …eake in his name) as a thing now no more in their power (o let it never be in the p. 11power of these abusers of their power, for hindering the word of the Lord to have a free course and to be glorified!) But as to the secureing o… themselves against all these groundlesse apprehensions of an insurrection, there was no way so proper, no way so possible. as to suffer the sent servaints of Iesus Christ to preach and perswade the things belonging to the Kingdome of God. But this seemed so insufferable, and such a plain and practical contradiction to the Supremacy, in its new (o let it never wax old; ovrt…rne, o Lord, overtu…ne, overturne, till he come whose right it is!) elevation, as the same reall and practical re…urne was given to it, which Pharoah gave to that request Exod 5:1 Thus saith the Lord God of Israel let my people go tha… t…ey may hold a feast to me in the wildernesse? And verse 2. Pharaoh said, who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice, to let Israel go? I know not the L…rd, neither will I let Israel go: I say, the thing sought, on the behalfe of that poor people, s…emes to be of a piece with that of Moses & Aaron; for it was this upon the matter, If you have taken all the houses of God in possession, If you have driven Iesus Christ out of all the Cities of the Nation; yet will you leave him, will you allow him some place in the open feil…s to met with his followers? will you suffer him and his to hold their Assemblies in the wildernesse, in some mosse or Mountain? No, that may not be heard, it hath a ha…efulnesse in it… as implying a proper and peculiar soveraignity still ascribed unto Iesus Christ as King, inconsistent with and subversive of our new Supremacy. A…d therefore nothing is now heard, but muster and march: And thus an host is raised with as great solemnity and celerity, with as much pomp and parad of Artillery, &c. to invade that poor peacable company, as if the land had been invaded by the most formidable and furious forraigne enemy; and impowered withall to do and act at that rate of violence as the actors of all imaginable mischeifs are secured by Law from all feare of future hazard, for what ever violence they commit, or wickednesse they can perpetrat; if …hey have but the wit to say in their own defence, it was done to answer the end of that expedition, and for his Maj. service against those, who professe subjection to another in soul-concerns. Now as there was never an act of Supremacy so explicitly in all points opposit to the kingly power of our Lord Iesus Christ, as this late one of ours, (an act onelyonly defineable by its own wickednesse, for this is Supremacy;) so besides the stupenduous unreasonablenesse of this course without a parallel, for a Magistrat to run upon and ruine his own peacable subjects, without a provocation on their part, or the least ground in law to justifie the crueltie of this procedour on his part; besides this, I say, no man who doth narrowly look into the matter, and consider the quarrell, but he must see it, he must say it, that since God made man upon the earth, since souldiers were mustered and marched under colours and command, never was there an army raised, or an host put so formally to march up with displaied banner against Christ as King; for this is the summe, substance and soul of all that can be said, as the genuine import of this expedition; Christ Iesus, from whom we have taken the Crown by Law, is yet like to keep some possessions o… the Nation; come th…refore let us march into the fields; And since he calls himself a King… and will trouble us with Conventicles and feild meetings, and since his followers and these who flock unto him affirme him both to be a King and Captain, yea that King against whom there is no riseing up, because he is the Lord of Hosts; let him meet us in the feilds, and mainta…n his …itle, and vindica… his prerogative; for as we have no King but Caesar, so this is our quarrel: And if he will not draw out and draw up, if he will not measure swords with us, then as we have taken his house in Possession, so we shall fall on, and by the strong hand t…ke the houses of all into possession, who will not renounce their depen…ance …pon him as Soveraigne and Supreme, and shut them out, either to die in the fields wi…h him… or …ob or starve t…em in their houses, who will not applaud our having taken his house in…o possession. My soul trembles to give the obvious sense of those our Rulers proceedings; nor date I give my pen it's just libertie to unbowel this course, and lay open the blasphemies wherewith it is big even …o a bursting: Neither is it necessare for me, for every one, who doth not shut his own p. 12eyes, must see, that hatred against Christ, and the coming of his Kingdome, expressed in this expedition, which he cannot, he dare not, without horrour and amazement expresse: who can suffer himself to resolve the practice of Rulers (who have bound their souls to obedience, fidelitie, and loyaltie to Christ, as King, under the penal…ie of the forfeiture of their immortal souls) into this, which is it's native and necessare sense: We are now wearied of the government of J…sus Christ… It is a yoke we cannot beare, we will not beare, we are resolved once for all to burst these his bonds, and cast away these his cords from us: We are wearied of this his Church Jurisdiction: Let him be gone therefore out of our borders: Let his name as King and Soveraigne be no more in remembrance: We have set up ano…her in his place; and have soudered into a samenesse his Crown, with the Imperial Crown of the Nation, and have setl…d that upon the head of our King, and whosoever shall succeed him; (the most dangerous and deadly decree, that ever was made for that succession) so that now, all his old pretenses to a Royal prerogatvie amongst us for the futu…e are cut off; or if he will clame any interest, notwithstanding of this our Law; let him now appeare to try the justice of his tittle and pre…ence by the sword: We are now drawn into the fields, to maintain what we have done: Where is he? If his followers meet together to oppose us, we have what we would, for then we will make a breakfast of them: And if not, we shall put all, who will not bow before the Dagon of our new erected Supremacy, once for all and for ever out of case to appeare afterward: For this end have we gathered our host: For this end do we march: Fall on, red shankes: Feare not, have not we bid you: You are pitched upon as the most qualified Souldiers for this expedition against the Mediator, whom we have denied to be a Monarch, and proper instruments for our purpose, for we know you well to be such as these must be, who will do our busin…ss…, even men who feare not God nor reguard not men; March therefore, right trustie and well beloved Sara…ens, ye who call not upon the Lord, (and so are onelyonly sit to be at our call and bidding) and eat up his People in the West, who call upon him, as bread: Make these the Mediators subjects smart for it; and either bring them to binde themselves no more to own Him nor his Ambassadours; or leave such monuments of your savage crueltie behinde you, as will answer the keenness against Christ of those who send you in this expedition, we have secured you against all hazard (hell excepted; and we know, you no more feare that, then we doe) of future danger or pursuite, for what destruction you bring upon these against whom we send you; onelyonly destroy?

Most deare Brethren, what miseries you have endured by the barbaritie of these Monsters, let loose upon you, are the matter of amazement, mourning and lamentation to all, who in every place call upon the Name of Jesus Christ ou… Lord, both theirs and yours, to whose eares the report of your sufferings is come. But amidst all these calamities and cruelties, you are not without comfort: O what a cordial may this be, to remember and consider, both who suffers with you, and for whose sake you suffer these thin…s! You cannot consider this, but it will comfort you over your loss: when this is laid to heart, yeu! will not so much be moan the loss of what is robbed from you, as you will blesse that ever you had any thing to lose for his sake, who sav…d you when ye were lost: You will then wonder at the honour, and re…oice that you are counted worthy to suf…er these things for his sake, who for your sake suffered far other things: You will take joyfully the spoiling of your goods for him, who for your sakes became poor, that you through his pover…ie might be made rich: O what will not be …asie and sweet to suffer for that sweet names sake, which is as an ointment poured forth, by the savour vvhereof, your dead souls have been quickened, and your drouping and desponding spirits revived, cheered and comforted! Consider then, since Christ your King, your Captain, and Saviour, neither did, nor does escape the vvorlds malice and persecution; and since he vvas hated and handled as the vvorst of men, & novv again in the vvorst of times, is so dealt vvith; if it be not reasonable, that vve should provide for the like, and resolve to go through the many tribulations, vvhichwhich may be fall us in p. 13his company, and for his sake: If we intend to follow him to the place of fruition, we must go that way, which he hath paved before us, it cannot be avoided; yea, how incongruous were it, if we could? How unsuteable were it? That the Lord and Master should meet with so much suffering, for the servants sake, and rejoyce amidst it all, as knowing he should see a seed, and have this recompence and satisfaction for all the travel of his soul, that the souls of his servants …hould reap the advantage of what he underwent for them: That he shonld be beaten for the servants sake, that through his stripes the servants might be healed; and the servants to be alwayes favoured, and applauded in that world, which had put the Master to shame and suffering, while he was negociating his servants businesse? And as he hid not his face from shame and spiting for their sake; so he laid down his life upon their interest. Were it seemly, that he who bore their burdens, should wade and swime thorow …eas of sorrows, and they sail in streames of pleasure? That he should be crowned with thornes, to purchase them an immortal Crown, & they crowned with roses? That he should be hun…ed, and had not whereupon to lay his head, that he might, by being handled so, purchase a Kingdome to his followers: that he should go thorow death, aud such a death, and be laid in the grave, that he might have accesse to go and prepare a place for them, and take possession of the undefiled inheritance, as their common Head, and Trustee, in whom and with whom they now sit in heavenly places; and they dwell at ease in their own house? Truely, to say nothing of the after glory, (for who can say what it is, since it is above apprehensions? OnelyOnly this is sure, that they who suffer with him, shall also reigne with him) if there were no more, then the present shar…ing and partaking in his sufferings, it were honour enongh. O how much above all regal dignite is it! And how in comparably beyond the fancied honour of a diademe, to be crowned with thornes for Christ's sake! There is an inherent glory for suffering in Christ, beyond all the ambition of the world… after that painted and putrid glistering bubble, with the glanceing whereof vain men are so much taken up. If this were keept in the view of the soul, what strength would it furnish? What support would it supply the spirit of a sufferer for Christ with? but, deare friends, the word of your Testimony and Patience hath somewhat of a precious peculiaritie in it, not onelyonly in reguard that it is the presently opposed Truth, you are persecuted for, and so must be sweet because seasonable; but the Word of your Testimony, and that Truth, for owneing of which, yon are put to su…er the loss of all things, is that very Truth, for which Christ himself suffered as a Martyr: Viz. That H… was a King … This Question is put to day unto his followers, with greater contempt than Pilat put it, What, and is Iesus a King then? O noble cause! O who would not rejoyce to enter the lists of Contradiction with these his enemies, & have once an opportunity, to say Yea, he is a King, and will be a King, when you …re gone, and will prove himsel… higher then the Kings of the earth, by rescinding your Supremacy, …hat Idol of his indignation, and object of his revenge! O what ambition should this raise in the soul of every saint! what patience in tribulation should this produce? what holy courage? what humble boasting? what triumphing and rejoyceing to be offerred up a sacrifice upon the Interest of this Kings Crown? Can you consider, that your present sufferings & losses are a seal to that great Truth, which Christ sealed with his blood, and not blush at the honour, and blesse him for ever, that now the source, rise and conduct of the Rulers procedour against you, and their barbarous c…uelty, give you not onelyonly confidence, to pour out your heart befo…e him, and present your c…s… and cause, in this General, for thy sake we are killed all the day long, we are counted as sheep for the slaught…r: But more particularly, when you can sist your selves b…fore him, and sob out your sorrowes, in these words; of a truth Lord, against thy Holy Ch…ld I…sus, whom thou h…st ano…n…ed, are all th…se gathered together, and it is for our owning of him; as thy anointed, and r…fuseing to be on that conspiracy, that we ore thus used: I know not vvhat can give ground of gladenesse in a mans life, or vvhat can be cause of gloriation p. 14in death, if resisting unto blood upon such a quarrell, and not loving a mans life unto death in such a cause, will not give ground for it?

Beloved Friends, and much honour…d sufferers for Christ, you know, since you are taught of God that the way to overcome all trouble here, and to carry as becometh Saints under it, is, to look above it, and beyond it; above it, to the high and supreme hand that sends it, and disposeth of it, so as it may subserve your great Interest (for in despight of the malice and madnesse of all inferior agents, all these dire and dreadful things shall together with him, who worketh mightily in his people and for them, work together for your …ood;) and beyond it, and above it, to the end of it, and the recompence of reward following after it: This is the way to profite by pressures, to be gainers in all losses; This is the ground of sweet peace, and serenitie of mind, amidst all trouble; and the solid foundation for patience of Spirit: For, he is only in a capaciti… to possesse his spirit in patience, whose spirit hath received these impressions, without which, the soul will be still disquieted: Trouble will still tosse it, as a ball in a large place, and it will prove unstable as water. I suppose, since you are Saints, and so must have some impressions of the absolute Soveraignitie of God, that though, in your searchings, you could not finde out or fixe upon the cause of his contendiug with you thus; yet you would either be silent, or say, it is the Lord, let him doe unto us what seemeth h…m good: And if he have no pleasure in our livei…g, and dwelling in our little huts, and houses; Bnt will drive us thence, the will of the Lo…d be done. But not to insist on this, which yet you will grant to be infinitly rational, (for who hath enjoyned him his way… or who may say unto him, what doest thou?) there is sufficient to keep you and me, a…d the Christians of this generation from fr…ting… and saying (while in the fire, and while the rod of the wicked rest upon your lot, and these plowers plow upon your back, and make their furrowes longer and deeper, than all these plowers… which went before them did: O when will God Loose the plough, by cutting asunder the cords of the wicked, and confou…ding & turning them all back that hate you? He is the Lord, who will hasten it in his time, to shew that he is righteous: Let us weep for what we have done; And wait in hope for what he will do) why are we thus, Surely a sight of our sin would make us wonder that we are not worse: yea admire his goodnesse, who will be at all this pains about us, to heal us of these mortal diseases, whereof our immortal souls are sick even unto death: I am sure, that the crimson dye of our crying iniquities would curb our impatience, and cure us of that evil of quarrelling with him, because of our suff…rings. Consider therefore, however you suffer very unjustly from men, against whom you have done nothing justly to procure their indignation; yet, if you look within you, and lift up your eyes above you, and consider, how the cry of your transg…essions is come up into his eare, you will be constrained, not onelyonly to justifie him, in this seeming severi…ie; but to confesse, from clearnesse and conviction, you are punished lesse then your iniquities des…rve: And that it is of the Lords merc… you are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. Hence is it, tha… when the Apostle Peter hath been speaking of the fiery trial 1 Pet. 4…12, 13, 14, 15, 16. (which this day in our case) and hath been encouraging and comforting them, to a pa…ent end…rein…, while schor…hed with these flames, by many noble arguments; yet when he looks up…n thes heavie afflictions as coming from God, he calls them ver…. 17 judgements, intima…ing thereby, that his precious and peculiar people, how upright and innocent soever, as to men; yet, they are guiltie before God, the righteous judge; and that they mu… acknowledge, when …hey …ist th…mse… ves in his sight, that what ever they suffe… is the fruit of their own doings, and that by their provocations they have procured these things, and rewarded all these evils unto their own soul, by not walking worthy of him, nor befo…e him to all pleasing. If his people, by their multiplied and manifold sins, did not extort (if I may say so) strokes our of his hand, he, who doth not a…lict willingly, nor grieve the Children of men, but hath pleasure p. 15in the prosperitie of this people, would not so often take the rod in his hand, or would soon cast it into the …ire; for he doth not love to lash beyond necessitie; and therefore, when he hath performed his whole work upon mount zion, he casts the rod into the fire, and punisheth the fruit of the stout heart of his and his peoples enemies, and the glory of their high looks. The saints you know, Brethren, how graciows and grown so ever, they are but Children, and therefore must be under Chastisment: The best of them are given to many Childish toyes, and not a few of them, in whom the root of the matter may be, yea will be found, are so far from abideing wit… God in their callings, and from adorning the Doctrine of God the Saviour, that so men, by seing their good works, may glorifie their Father, which is in heaven, that there is a groffnesse in their way, their iniquitie is of…en found upon the skirts of their garmen…s, and their spots are so unlike the spots of the people of God, and Persons made partakers of the divine nature, that because of these mouths of enemies are opened to blaspheme the name of God, and reproach the blessed Profession: But seting thsee aside, Alas! how doe they, who escape such grosse pollutions, yet often trifle in the matter of communion with God? How formal and luke-warme in their addresses; So that he who seeks the heart, and will be worshiped in Spirit and Truth, misseth their soul, in their service? How seldome ar… they in Heaven? How little dwelling upon the thoughts of Jesus Christ, and the great s…lvation purchased by him, on purpose to have him precious in the soul's esteme, and endeared according to his infinit preferablenesse to all other things, unto the heart? How few serious designes? And how little solide endeavour to be like him, and to have every thought of the heart brought in captivitie to his obedience? How little meditation upon the Glory to be revealed, till the heart be ravished, and transported into admiration a… it's inconceiveable greatnesse and in…init goodnesse? How seldome in soliloquies wi…h him? whence Alas! it comes to passe, that men, having, through carnalitie of Converse with other things, disframed their heart for dueties do not pray and jest with the same seriousnesse, but there is more of their soul in a vaine sport, then in prayer, which when rightly performed, is the pouring out of the h…art to God, and the wringing of the mans suit…s thorow his soul, carrying the af…ections the…eof with it. Nay, what of desire and love to the world, and the things ther…of? What lusting and longing after the things of this life? what stretching (even to the dislocation of the soul, and putting it out of case, for a converse with God, wherein the soul of Religion lieth) what Grasping to get a grip of these things, which when got hold of, can neither be held, nor make happie; What wrestling? what strugling? What striveing, to get on a load of thick Clay? whereby the soul of him, who is thus loaded, is put out of case often for following hard after God, and so runing as he may obtain? How are they often swallowed up in the cares of this life? With what complacency do they frequently sinck themselves, in the dunghil of this world, into the inconsideration and oblivion of the other world, and their eternal Interest? How are they hurried with their passions? How puffed up with pride? How un mortified to the delights of the sons of men? How irregular in their motions, which shewes the irreligiousnesse of their mindings? Alas! their Love and hatred (which gives the best account of a Christian) do seldome run in the right channel, or are rarely terminat upon the proper objects; or when it falls so out, that their face is in the right airth; yet, how slow is their motion, in following their look? How languid are their pantings? What Lifelesnesse? What …istlesnesse appeares in their pursuings? Yea, how quickly do they sit up, or turne aside out of the way of following the Lord fully? But who can reckon these things up in order? Alas! that which is wanting, to fill up the just import of exercising our selves to Godlinesse, cannot be numbered! And therefore, seing these things are to be found with his people, must he not visite their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquities wi…h stripes, and that because he will not take his loveing kindenesse from them, nor su…er his …aithfulnesse to …ail: it is needful, that they be often in the fire, for burning-away their drosse, and in the water p. 16for washing off their defilements; yea their propension to depart from him, and to pollute themselves in the pudle, preacheth, in order to the prevention of this, the necessitie of keeping this people all wayes under …od, though not alwayes under the stroke of it: for then the spi…its should fail before him, and the souls that he had made. Con…ider therefore, deare f…iends, the procureing cause of this deep distresse, and if we be impartial in the search, we will finde an accursed thing with us, and this will provoke us to do the greatest haste first, which is, the taking vengeance o… our own inventions against him; & impose the necessiti… upon us to turne away from the evil of our wayes, that he may turne f…om the fiercnesse of his anger: Let us, even in the midst of our trouble, rise up above the thoughts, and conside…ation of lower agents, and instruments of our suffering, which are the Devil and the world, who are his Tru…ees, & acted by him, in the work of Persecution R…v. 2.10. (For it is not su…eable for Saints nor safe for them to dwell long there) and take a view of our own guilt, that our being punished as our Congregations have heard, may preach unto us the Doctrine of the evil of sin, and make us in stead of our woe's me's for other things, cry out, woe uuto us that we have sinned? Our not walking as became the Gospel, if thought upon, will put us in the paenitents posture, (and surely he is out of his posture this day, who is not in that posture, and till we be in it; in vain do we exspect, to heare him say that word, as ye were) which is a looking unto him whom we have pierced, and a weeping: And it is in order to the produceing of these noble, and necessare effects… that there is a must be for judgement it's beginning at the house of God. I cannot in these few Pages, fol…ow this matter at any length; but… let this abrupt hint put you to the work of searching, and exercise of Godly sorrow; And to make this work both profitable to you, and pleasant to him, be not jealous of his love, because of what he hath laid upon your loins; for in all this rough-like dealing & seeming severitie, bowells of tender mercies earne over you, in these agonies: Love, though the noise and sound of it's feet be not heard, because of the noise of the enemy, doth both walk and work, in these your sufferings: As man… as I love I rebuke and chasten, is the word of him, who is love it self, to them, whom he most dea…ly loveth: the principle and the period of all his proc…dour is love, even when he lasheth; For this is written on every lash, I love so well as I will not lose, I love so well as I must embrace; & therefore, by purgeing I must put the beloved partie in case to embrace and be emb…aced: I purpose to dwell in them, and to let them know by my familiaritie, how much I delight in them; and therefore I must cleanse them, from all these Idols, and all the filthinesses, which seperat betwixt me and them… In a word, as in the Jeweler's shope and work house, there lies, besides the rough diamonds, the choicest jewels, and richest rings, his cutting iro…s, files, and other sharpe pointed Instrumeuts, under which they must all passe, & whereby …hey must be polished; so, in this life, where he is melting his gold, to cleanse it, from its drosse, and making up his jewels, to the end their beaut…e may be perfect; yea, that they may shine in the be…ties of holinesse, they must be under his cu… tings, his carvings and the point of his sharpest inst…uments: whosoever shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal diadem in the hand of thei… God, must passe under the purgings and polishings of his hand: Th…e are none whom he minds to make pillars in his temple to go no more forth, but he works for the self …ame thing, by making them passe under his polishing instruments, that so they may be made to shine as the sun in the firmament, and put in case to see God, when made l…ke him: But besides that his purpose of having them in his company for ever, pu…s him to be at the pains of making them meet, even by the …h…ngs that they suffer, (as the mean which he graciously & wisely useth and ordereth for that end) to be partakers of the inheritance of the s…i…ts in light: as is cleare, comparing Coloss. 1:11. vvith 12. he minds to be familiar vvith them here al…o, and admit them sometime vvhile in the vvay, & in the vvildernesse, to eat Manna, and to feast thei… souls in the begun fuitions of God; and therefore to commend & endeare this life unto them, he makes the vvorld mingle a cup of gall & vvorm vvood, & put it in their hand, & hold it to their head, he beats them off from the vvorld, that vvould vvrong them, in into his ovvn bo…ome; O blessed repose! the place indeed, vvhere the vvearie finde both rest and refreshing.