Saints in England Under a Cloud, To the reader 1 – To the reader 2
To the Reader;
Chriſtian Reader,
I Have obſerved (of late) that the Saints generally through out this Kingdome have loft much of the power, and vitalls of Religion, ſince they entred on needleſſe diſputes; and while ſome pretend to live above Ordinances and Formes, they live below God and Chriſt, in and upon the world; and although they offer liberty to others, yet they themſelves (as the Apoſtle ſpeakes) are the bond-ſlaves of corruption, being lull'd aſleep by Satans delufions, & ſo made inſenſible of the want of thoſe reall injoyments of God which they have had in his Ordinances.*See the Epiſtle of 12. Miniſters to the Reader, before the Book intituled, The cleare Sunſhine of the Goſpel breaking forth upon the Indions in new England, lately ſet forth by T.S. I have therefore thought it my chriſtian dutie to publiſh this ſmall Treatiſe (as that which may be uſefull for ſuch Profeſſors, if God give a ſpirit of humility & ſelf-denyall) which though it be dreſſed in a ſimple and homely phraſe, without the varniſh of humane elocution, yet it diſcovers ſome ſpirituall experience of the work of Gods ſpirit which infinitely ſurpaſſeth all humane and acquired abilities.The poore Indians in New England, may ſhame the Profeſſors in Old Enland.
Others have treated on this Subject in printed bookes: but as I humbly conceive (with due regard to their elaborate diſcourſes) they ſpeak not fully to the preſent condition of the Saints, and to theſe times of confuſion, wherein the myſtery of iniquity works in a high meaſure under guilded and ſpecious pretences, and Satan himſelf is transformed into an Angel of light. What ſhall we ſay of this age? it is neither wholly night, nor wholly day with us: but we expect a glorious evening; wee looke for a time when truth ſhall vanquiſh error, and light ſhall ſwallow up darkneſſe. And thoſe that have a name they live and yet are dead, ſhall be plainly diſcovered, and that maske and vizard pull'd off, where with they have blinded many precious Saints, (I meane) their pretences of high and glorious diſcoveries, without relation to the blood of a crucified Chriſt, which is not only ſleighted and undervalued by Papiſts and others that live under a Covenant of works: but alſo by another ſort of Profeſſors, who have much of the Spirit of divine light, and dying to the fleſh and carnall created things in their mouthes, (the Lord Jeſus in the ſufferings of his humane nature is laid aſide as an Almanack out of date, or an old adminiſtration or fleſhly appearance out of which they are paſſed) And this is that ſpirit of Antichriſt which began to work in Johns time, and appeared much in Luthers time in Zwenkfeld & his followers, who judged Luther and other faithful Chriſtians to be men of a very low ſtraine, that lived under a carnall adminiſtration upon the letter and hiſtory, not knowing God in Spirit and in myſtery: which is the very language of the manifeſtarians, in theſe daies concerning many precious Saints.
I ſhall be far from ſtirring up the civill Magiſtrate againſt thoſe that erre in judgment about ſpirituall things (ſo they ſubmit to lawfull Authority in civill things) for this were to thwart the ſtraine of Chriſts Goſpel, which exhorts us to love and forbearance, if peradventure the Lord will give them repentance, to the acknowledgment of the truthaHeb. 10.2 our weapons (ſaith the Apoſtle) are not carnall but ſpiritualb2 Cor 10 4. and my Kingdome (ſaith our Saviour) is not of this world, if it were my diſciples would fight.cIoh. 18.36. Howbeit it concerns every Chriſtian ſoul to mourn before the Lord, and to be earneſt with him in prayer, that he would conſume the man of ſin with the breath of his noſtrills and that he would throw down the ſtrong holds of Satan, (namely) thoſe horrid errors, and blaſphemies which are crept into the Churches of Chriſt. I ſhall deſire thee (Chriſtian Reader) to read this little book without prejudice, and to avoid jangling and ſtrife, and minde the things that tend to peace and edification. Now the Lord give thee and mee a ſeeing eye, a hearing eare, and an underſtanding heart; Farwell.
To the Chriſtian READER.
HIgh attainments, and choyce Communion with God, are a great Happineſſe: ſuch as many Saints come not up to, nor all that pretend they have them, doe enjoy. Some judge themſelves on the top of Mount Sion, when they are at the foot thereof, they are without ſinne, perfect, live in the Eſſence of God; neither Chriſt, nor any of his inſtitutions are conſiderable with them. The Miniſtery is a deluſion, the Ordinances of the Goſpel, low adminiſtrations, empt, Cloudes, fleſhly appearances, and dead formes, righteouſneſſe, holineſſe, faith, are to them of little account. Immediate revelations are onelyonly looked at, the holy Scriptures laid aſide. Whereupon Satans deluſions are often taken for the Spirits diſcoveries; and theſe conceit themſelves all Spirit, manifeſt much fleſh. Is it not fleſhly wiſdome to put down what the infinite wiſdome of God hath ſet up? to ſeek out inventions of out own, and not to be content with the Goſſpel, which is the power of God to mans ſalvation. Reader, art thou beyond others in knowledge, holineſſe, high attainments? let not thy tongue, but life, declare it. Chriſt had the Spirit not by meaſure, John 3.34. he was annointed above his fellowes, Heb. 1.9. fill'd with all the fulneſſe of God, Coloſ. 2.9. yet he converſed with ſinners, Matth. 9.11. pray'd with others, Luk. 9.28. frequented the Aſſemblies, Luke 4.16. preached to mixt multitudes, Mark 6.33, 34. pray'd before meat, Matth. 19.19. 15.36. Communicated with his diſciples, Mat. 26.29. made uſe of the Scriptures, Luk. 4.17, 18, 19, 20, 21. and directed others to do ſo. John 5.39. How is it then that any ſhould caſt off ſuch duties? Have they more of the Spirit than Chriſt? Are they richer than he? If ſuch thoughts lodge in them, the Lord teach them to know themſelves, to bee lowly minded, and to eſteeme other better than themſelves, Phil. 2.3. What heights ſoever ſuch ſpeak of, they are in a bottome greatly benighted and clouded, decay'd, rather than growne Chriſtians. Declinings are dangerous, growth is comfortable. It's matter not onelyonly of obſervation, but of complaint, that the power of godlineſſe is much abated in moſt Saints. Many in England have loſt their firſt love, it's time for them to remember former dayes, and to doe their firſt works, leſt ſevere judgements divorce them from their ſweeteſt comforts. This little Treatiſe, very ſavoury and ſeaſonable, written with a Dovelike Spirit, will diſcover to thee thy declenſions, and direct thee to the ready way of recovery. Read it with a ſingle heart, and the Lord make it a bleſſing to thee.
W. G.