England Faithfully Watched, Conclusion
A concluding Speech.
WHich worketh in me mightily] The concurrence of this power wee have had in our meaſure all along our labour, which I would ſhould be much acknowledged to Chriſt; by vertue of which wee are now come to our period of this Verſe, and of the whole Chapter. Our pace in this long journey hath been ſlow, that you might all goe along with mee, in the well underſtanding and imbracing of weighty things; and yet how many notwithſtanding our double induſtry are left behind, in the blindneſſe and miſ-beliefe of their ſoules, I know not. If our Goſpell be hid, after all pains fully to lay it open, ſuch ſoules have great reaſon to feare themſelves. Child-bearing is no eaſie worke to any, but doubly hard to ſome; ſo that life out of death, may that which comes forth betweene the legges, be called. This birth though but a hard-favoured child, hath beene hard travell to us; 'tas made many a ſigh and groane, many a heart pang and crying out to God. What you will doe with the child now borne, whither you will be a Pharaoh or a Pharoahs Daughter to it, murther it or keepe it alive in your hearts, I know not. This I know, that no man can ſpill all the blood of any child of God, ſome will ſtick upon you doe what you can, to tell the murtherer at the great day. Sighes and groanes are the teares of the heart, the heart venting it ſelfe at the mouth when it cannot at the eyes and other leſſer pores: every drop that hath fallen from our heart and head, from our Eye-lids or Eye-brows ſhall be all gathered up, and put as marginall notes along by all our labours, and all put in one Volumne together; and this volumne put in your hand at the great day, and opened Leafe after Leafe, and read diſtinctly and exactly to you, and your ſoules made to attend, regard, and remember better then here many of you have done; and when all is thus read over, this booke ſhall be cloſed, and this queſtion ſolemnly put to you all; now O ſoules, what have you profitted by all Words, Prayers, Teares, Sighes, Groanes? As Conſcience can anſwer to this (for nothing elſe may then ſpeake,) ſo ſhall your ſentence be, and I ſhall be called out to give witneſſe to the juſtice of it, and ſay Amen Lord Jeſus, righteous is all that thou haſt pronounced upon theſe ſoules. Our labours loſt, if this were ſimply all, truly 'twere nothing; but our labours loſt, and your ſoules are loſt; and yet what is loſſe to you ſhall be gaine to us, for wee are a ſweete ſavour to God both in them that are ſaved and in them that periſh. As wee dreſſe and as wee water Trees in the Lords Vinyard, ſo ſhall wee have our wages, and not as theſe Trees beare; if Trees be dreſſed and watered well, though they never beare well, wee ſhall have a good Vintage. You Londoners are Trees watered choiſely indeede. 'Tis ſtoried of the Plane Tree, that at its firſt tranſplanting into Italie, 'twas watered with Wine, to make it take and proſper in thoſe parts of the World: you are Trees watered with Wine; I cannot ſay that you have beene ſo watered by mee, I dare not; but this I can humbly and truly ſay, that if our choiſeſt ſtrength and ſpirits, may bee nam'd in ſteade of Water, Wine, or if the bleſſing which hath gone along with theſe Waters at any time have turned them into Wine, in vigour upon your ſoules, then hath God by mee watered your Rootes with Wine; and yet if after ſuch coſtly watering you grow not nor beare not, certainly ſuch Trees are neere unto curſing; which ſad effect that my Miniſtey ſhould be an inſtrument to haſten to this place, or to any ſoule, will make mee to continue mourning ſtill in ſecret for you all, and ſo ſpend and end my dayes. *⁎*
FINIS.