SOME Observations, Upon that Portion of Scripture, ROMANS 14. 20.

For the service of such in this present Age, whose eyes, and hearts the Lord shall please to open to see and consider the weight of the Truth thereof.

With some few weighty words of Ad­vice to several sorts of People, ac­cording to their different States.

By ISAAC PENINGTON.

London, Printed for Robert Wilson, 1662.

Some Observations, upon that Portion of Scripture, Rom. 14. 20. For the ser­vice of such in this present Age, whose eyes and hearts the Lord shall please to open, to see and consider the weight of the Truth thereof.

Romans 14. 20.‘For Meat destroy not the Work of God.’

Observ. 1. GOd hath a Work in some mens hearts. The mighty God, who made Heaven and Earth, and whose eyes run to and fro through both, he by the finger of his pure Power toucheth some of the hearts of the Children of men, and in the pure Demon­stration of his living Spirit is found work­ing there. Religion, true Religion is not a matter of opinion (as men, who have not [Page 4] tasted of the Power, are apt to imagine) but a New-Creation and Work of God in the heart of the creature, sowing the Light and Life of his Spirit there, and by it working man out of the darkness and Death of Sin (which is the destruction and misery of the Soul) into his Life and Blessedness.

Observ. 2. That this Work of God in man, is lyable to be destroyed. God could so have made man, as that he could not have fell: he could so have comprehended mans spirit in the pure Power of his Life, as that man could not have broke out of it. But it pleased him to make him under a Law: wherein, waiting upon and watching to the Power of Life, he might be preserved and remain happy; but departing from it, he should lose his state and sink into misery. God could also so redeem man, as that no Power should stop or interrupt his Work: but it pleaseth him also to hold forth a Law of Redemption; according to which, his Work of Redemption may either go for­ward or backward. As man is drawn by the Spirit of God, and followeth his lead­ings out of the corruption, out of the va­nity, out of the earthly Nature, out of the wisdom, reasonings and spirit of this world, [Page 5] so the work goeth forward: As man is tempted, hearkeneth unto, and is drawn back from the leadings of Gods Spirit by any of these; so the work goeth backward, and degrees of destruction overtake and come upon the Work of God in that heart.

Observ. 3. A little thing will destroy the Work of God in the heart. A matter of meat, eating but a little meat doubtingly, out of the Faith, (wherein is the preservation from the destruction) this leads into the Sin, where death and destruction is still met with. For in the Path of Life, in the Faith, in the Obedience to Gods Spirit, there alone is the preservation of the Work of God: but in the unbelief, in the disobedi­ence, in the doubting (though about never so small a matter) there is death and de­struction met with, if the Person venture upon that, which it doubteth of. Those who have travelled in the path of Life, I know can witness this. O how small a thing brings a vail over the Life! What a little giving way to the reasonings of the earthly spirit, about a small matter, drives back the Work of God in the heart, and brings anguish and misery upon the Soul, causing the hiding of the Light of God's Countenance, [Page 6] which is the Life and Joy of the re­newed Spirit. God is a great King, and all his Leadings and Teachings are weighty: and he that rebelleth, or neglecteth in the least thing, must bear his burthen, unless he feel the Humiliation of his Soul, and the Remission from the Spirit of the Lord, the Grace of God pittying him, and the blood of his Son washing him.

Observ. 4. No man should do that, which tendeth to destroy the Work of God in himself, or the Work of God in another. There is no such thing allowable by God for any man to do (whether in Publick Government, or in any kind of Commerce or Conversation amongst men, or in ones private course of walking) which tendeth to destroy the Work of God. The intent of Government, ei­ther in Church or State, was never to de­stroy the Work of God in any man. Go­vernment is of God, both in Church and State: but that way of Government, which destroyeth his work in any, is not of him, but contrary to him and against him. O that men could consider, and had the ballance of Truth to weigh things in, that they might bow before the God of Truth, and not strive with their Maker, about his Work in the World.

[Page 7] My Soul hath mourned, I may say, almost from my Cradle, about the estate of this Creation. To behold man fallen from his Glory, departed from his God, living without the sence of him, and sowing the Seeds of Eternal Misery for his poor Soul (which he must as certainly reap, as he hath sown, unless he travel the path of Redemp­tion in the powerful leadings and guidance of God's Holy Spirit) This hath so broken my Heart (together with the close exercises, which have continually attended this poor wearied Spirit) that I have often wondered, how the natural Life could be contained in the natural vessel.

I am a lover of mankind in general, and have been a deep sufferer with, and traveller for all the miserable. None knows the path of my Sorrows, or the extent of my Bowels, but he that made me. It is not natural or kindly to me to upbraid any man with any kind of wickedness, or never so justly de­served misery, but my Bowels work con­cerning him towards the Spring of Eternal Power and Compassions, even as I would be pittied and represented to the Father of Mercies in the like Condition. Indeed I have been emptied from Vessel to Vessel, [Page 8] and tossed with multitudes of storms and tempests, yet the savour of my life remain­eth with me to this day, and the Spirit of my God breatheth on my heart, Blessed be his Holy Name for ever. And though I walk with one sort of People, because my heart saith (yea the Spirit of the Eternal God hath witnessed unto me, and shewn me in that Light which cannot deceive, and to that eye which cannot be deceived) that they are the People whom he hath chosen, out of all the gatherings (throughout the Earth) from the Apostacy, to manifest his Power in, and his presence among: I say, though I have been guided and led by the Spirit of the Lord to walk among these, yet am I not bounded there, either in the love or in the unity of my heart; But I have unity with the Integrity and Zeal for God which is in others, of what sort or gather­ing soever, and I have tender Bowels for all, even for those which hate and Persecute that, which is my life, and hath the love of my heart for ever.

O how have I prayed for the lost World! For all the Souls of man-kind, how hath my Soul bowed in unutterable breathings of Spirit before my God, and could not be [Page 9] silenced, until he quieted my spirit in the Righteousness and Excellency of his Will, and bid me leave it to him. And as touch­ing this Nation and the several sorts in it, even those who seem most cast off and with­out all sence, yet the preciousness of their Souls have I spread before the Lord my God with tears.

And now, I have somewhat to say, in the love of my heart, and in the shinings of the Light of my God, to several sorts of People, which nearly concerns them, as those whose hearts are weighty and seri­ous (and who are not drunk up in the earth­liness of the sensual Nature, or mis-byassed by pre-assumed Principles from the wrong ground) may easily perceive.

First.
To such as never knew what belonged to ten­derness of Conscience towards God, but have spent all their dayes either in licentiousness of spirit, or in a dead formality, To such my Soul saith.

On Friends, wait to feel the Power of God upon your hearts (which is present with that, which sometimes lets you see the evils thereof) that they may be melted and made [Page 10] tender by him, fit to receive the impressions of his Life. Why should ye go down to the pit in a Dream, and center in the Land of Misery? Ye have immortal Souls in these earthen vessels, which must either be Re­deemed to God by the Power of his Life, or be shut up from his Glorious Presence in the Chambers of Death. It is a dreadful thing to appear before God after Death, and receive the sentence of Condemnation for the things done in the body. O that the eye of your Souls were awakened, that ye might see the hazard and danger ye are incurring dayly, and might know the hope of escape set before mankind, by the appearance of the Grace in you, and learn of the living God to flie thereto for succour, that ye might be sheltered in the evil hour, which hasteneth apace upon all Flesh.

Secondly.
To such as formerly have been tender and sensible, but are now grown hard, and deaf to the voice of God's Spirit in their hearts and Con­sciences, This is the Language of my Soul in the Love a [...]d Life of my God.

Oh that ye could wait to feel the hammer and stroke of God upon that which is hard, [Page 11] that it might be broken by him, and that that which is high and lifted up above his pure fear (where the Law of his Life is learned, and the Souls of his Saints pre­served) might be brought down and abased before him. Great is your danger, exceed­ing difficult is your recovery: yet there is strength in the Arm of the Lord God to strike through your deadness, and to quicken the immortal Principle of his Life in you. Why should ye, who have once tasted of the goodness of God, become more miserable then the rest of the Sons of men? Why have you departed from that, which once gave you a true taste of Life, and of the sweetness of Redemption by it, into that Spirit which is sealed up in the Death, in the midst of its greatest wisdom and surest foot­ing? O return, return to that which leadeth to the living God, that ye may travel (in the exercises of his Spirit) out of the Wis­dom and Spirit of this World, unto the Land of the Souls peace and rest.

Thirdly.
To such as are still tender, and d [...]re not but exercise a Conscience towards God, even in these searching and trying times.

Friends, Keep your standing in the Life [Page 12] of God. What God hath begotten in you, let it depend upon him. Let him do what he will with his own in you, and let the creature be subject to that living Principle, which God hath sown and raised in your hearts. Sell not your peace with God for any ease or advantage in this World. Let the tenderness of your Consciences, which is of value with God, be precious also in your eyes. The Times and Seasons are in the Fathers hand, and he seeth good to let this Day of Tryal come upon you. His Grace is able to carry you all through. It will be for his honour, to let all the World see how dear your God is to you, and how able ye are (in the meekness and strength of the Lamb's Spirit) to suffer for his Names sake. Thy will, O God, be done. The cup which our Father gives us, shall we not drink it? The Lord preserve you in upright­ness of heart towards him, in meekness of spirit towards those that afflict you, and in true love and good will towards all; that his Light which hath gathered you may shine over all the darkness which opposeth it, and his Life which hath quickened and preserved you, may be famous over all the Territories and Dominions of Death.

Fourthly.
To such as are hard-hearted, and of a per­secuting spirit towards the tender-conscienced.

O that ye knew what ye did. Ye are ene­mies to the most precious thing, that is to be found among the Sons of men. Ye strike at what God loves, and cherishes, and takes great pains to bring the creature to. Ye strive to keep that down upon which the happiness of mankind depends: yea, ye con­sult and take much pains to remove that out of the way, which stands between you and the Judgements of God. O that your eyes were opened: for surely then ye could not proceed in this course.

Well; The Lord will open the eyes of many, and mercy towards mankind is issuing from his Throne, and he will smite that through and through, which maketh the Earth miserable and desolate of his Life. But, O that man could hear in the day of his prosperity, that adversity might not come upon him.

Wait to read these things in the Life from which they sprang, and then tell me, whether there is not a cause for what I write.

A POST-SCRIPT.

THere hath been a great Apostacy (since the dayes of the Apostles) from the living Power, into dead forms of Wor­ship and Devotion, where likenesses of truth have been set up, in stead of the Truth it self. Now the Lord is gathering his true seed (even Israel his beloved off-spring) out of all dead forms of all kinds, into his living Truth, and into the true Spiritual Worship: and who is he, that shall be able to stop him herein? Let him consider his strength, who girds himself to the Battle against him: for not by might, nor by the Power of man, but by the Spirit of Life in his Called, Faithful, Chosen and Inno­cent Lambs, will the Lord of Glory carry on his Work in the World.

THE END.

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