OBardoes, Barbadoes! who excels in wickedneſs, pride and covetouſtouſneſs, oppreſſing, cheating and cozening, dreadful and terrible 〈…〉 practiſes; the Lord who is a conſuming fire and everlaſting burning will render to every one of you according to your wayes; horror and 〈◊〉 will take hold on you, you covetous ones, who ſtrive to get you care not how; who enlarge your Eſtates by violence, and encreaſe your wealth by wickedneſs; the cry of the oppreſſed is entred into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath, who will ſpeedily come to pour forth his plagues upon you, you wicked ones, and execute his righteous Judgements upon you who live in fraud and deceit, and act trecherouſly againſt your neighbors; the day is come nigh wherein you ſhall have no excuſe for your filthineſs, but the wrath of God ſhall be revealed in flames of fire againſt you, ye Earth-worms. Tophet is prepared of old, wherein ye ſhall be turned if ye repent not, and in that place you ſhall have doube returned upon your heads; now if you ſlight the day of your viſitation, and go on in your ungodlineſs, heaping up wrath againſt the day of wrath, wherein God the righteous judge will render unto the wicked according to his works, then ſhall the goods which ye heaped together by violence and oppreſſion, torment you; and of the fury of the Lord God ye ſhall drink, who now do ſpend your time in ungodlineſs, and do make your hearts as adamant, and harden your fore-heads as braſs againſt the Lord, who hath given you a day to repent in; but unto you who ſpend your time in wantonneſs will the portion of the wicked be given, which is in the Lake which burns with fire and brimſtone for ever. Remember Dives you that truſt in your riches and deſpiſe the poor; your Riches will not ſave you from partaking of Dives portion, if you repent not, and turn to the Lord, and forſake your oppreſſion, pride and filthineſs wherein you are exalted.

Wo unto you Drunkards, who are like Swine, wallowing in your filthineſs, and devouring the creatures upon your luſts, who think nothing good enough for your ſelves, but ſhut up your bowels of compaſſion towards them that want; the wants of the poor the Lord doth ſee; the cry of the hungry doth bear witneſs againſt you, ye Gluttons, who ſpend the creation on feaſting and rioting, but regard not the wants of the needy; you rejoice in the deſtruction of the creatures, and in your feeding without the fear of the Lord, but feed not the hungry; how many have periſhed for want of the creatures which you have devoured upon your own luſts? how many have been murdered by many of you, by detaining of that which was neceſſary for them, from them? will not the Lord enquire for the blood of thoſe who have been deſtroyed through your hardheartedneſs; yea the day is coming wherein the Lord will inquire diligently for their blood; then wo unto you oppreſſors and tyrants, you gluttons and drunkards; for the Lord will return double to you if you deſpiſe this the day of your Viſitation; you gather together, and rejoice in ſpending the creatures which you have gathered upon your luſts; you eat and drink, and riſe up to do that which is wicked, and ſay in your hearts, Shall we be controubled by any one? or who ſhall have dominion over us? ye eat and drink, and ſpend your time in vanity, but remember not that the Lord will viſit you for theſe your ungodly actions; and if you turn not from theſe your evil wayes your portion ſhall you have in utter darkneſs, where ſhall be weeping, wailing, and gnaſhing of teeth for ever.

Howl you proud ones, who are exalted in your own ſtrength; the day is coming, yea and near at hand, wherein the Lord will ſtrip you of your pride, and take away your glory, and ſhame and confuſion ſhall cover you, ye that beautifie the outſide, and deck your ſelves with dainty colours, and new invented faſhions, that men may admire your beauty, and honor you for your gay clothing; dreadful and terrible will the day of the Lord be to you; how beautiful will you be when the juſt judge ſhall appear? And know you careleſs ones, who are at eaſe in the fleſh, ſporting your ſelves in the day time, the Lord will ſtrip you of your beauty, and inſtead of joy and lightneſs of heart, ſhall you have ſadneſs and mourning for ever, if you repent not; your glory and your beauty is odious unto the Lord, he hates your painted outſides, your fashions are abomination to him; and you that now deſpiſe the beauty which is acceptable in the ſight of God, even the forſaking uncleanneſs, and departing from wickedneſs, and walking in that which is juſt and upright; you shall have inſtead of beauty, burning, and inſtead of eaſe, ſorrow, howling and lamentation, and inſtead of flattering one another in your deceit (as now you do) you ſhall with one conſent curſe the day of your birth, and howl and lament for the wo and miſery that ſhall come upon you.

Now ſeek the Lord while he may be found; To day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, go not on ſtill in your wicked practices, and ſpend not your time now in idle vanities, leſt you be taken away in the midſt of your pleaſures, and be caſt into the Pit, from whence there is no redemption.

And all you young men and young women, who have not yet acted in the ſame exceſs of wickedneſs, as you Parents have done, whereby they have provoked the Lord to anger, and have rebelled againſt the holy one of Iſrael; remember your Creator in the dayes of your youth, and ſpend not your time in vanity; take heed unto that which checks you in ſecret when you do that which is contrary to God; minding it, his will lead you out of the wayes of the wicked, and you will come to ſee wherein your forefathers turned aſide from the counſel of the Lord, and have deſpiſed the love of God, and have crucified the Lord of Life; hearkning unto that which checks and reproves for ſwcaring and lying, ſcoffing and ſcorning, and ſpeaking evil of the things you know not; you will come to ſee that which leads out of it and leads into the way of God; and that thoſe who are out of the way of God, have no right to the Promiſes that are made to the righteous; and look not at thoſe that are elder then you as examples to do wickedly, but wherein that which is unclean and contrary to God is diſcovered and manifeſted unto you, forſake it, leaſt you walking in the pathes of the wicked, and forſaking the way of the juſt, with the wicked be condemned; do not do wickedly becauſe your Elders do ſo; but in the time of your youth ſeek after the Lord, that you may be hid when he ſhall rent in pieces and deſtroy thoſe that deſpiſe his commands, and will none of his reproofs; though you be young, yet is there ſomething that teſtifies againſt ſin in you, which doth condemn you when you act that which is unjuſt, and do to others that which you would not be done to your ſelves; living and abiding in this, you ſhall be examples to thofe that be old; and keeping to that which is juſt, in moderation and ſobriety, you shall exceed thoſe who have lived many yeers, and have ſpent their time in vanity; better is it to forſake the vanity and pleaſures of your youth, then ſpending your time in vanity, to come to repent when it is too late.

O be not vain in your minds, nelther be exalted in that which will not frand, but ſeek after the Lord, that in his will you may come to delight, and in his preſence you may come to rejoice.

And you whoſe Parents are great in the Earth, and do ſeek to make you great in the Earth alſo, take heed to your ſelves, ſeek not the pleaſures of this world, for they will indure but for a time: I have ſeen the pleaſures of this world, and I know what it is to rejoice in the world, and what it is to delight in vanity, and have ſeen the end of all this, That it is but vanity, and folly, and madneſs; for if one ſhould enjoy what heart can defire, yet an end of that would come, and a time when that joy ſhall be left, when the beauty of earthly things ſhall fade away; then will ſorrow and trouble take hold of all thoſe that delight in earthly things, and have not delighted in the Lord. I have delighted in vanity, and ſet my heart upon folly; but bleſſed be the Lord I have forſaken it, and now do know I have a reward, though not in the earth, yet in that which will endure for ever; if I had lived in pleaſure, and ſpent my time therein, wo would have been the end of my pleaſures, and lamentation the end of my delight; but now is my joy in the denial of that which formerly I delighted in, and peace, and joy and delight I finde in forſaking that which formerly I lived in, which naturally all youth do eagerly deſire after: And ſo I deſire, That in the ſame in which I live, ye alſo who are young may come to live, that ſo no longer you may delight in the earth and earthly things, but ſeek after the Lord and the things that belong to your peace; ſeek not after riches in the earth, for riches make them wings and flye away; but lay up treaſures in heaven, which will never decay: Seek not after the horror of the world, for that honor muſt be laid in the duſt; but ſeek that honor which is of God, which will endure for ever. Glory not in any thing which is below, for the Lord is coming to ſtain the glory of all fleſh; but ſeek ye the glory of God: Delight not your ſelves in youthful pleaſures, but delight in walking in that which will lead you to uprightneſs and a godly couverſation if you walk in it; this will ſhew you what is contrary to God, and will lead you to God who are faithful to it; but will be your eternal condemnation who deſpiſe it.

And all you Enemies of God, who have made your bands ſtrong in wickedneſs, who have made a Covenant with Hell and Death; who becauſe the Judgments of the Lord are not ſpeedily executed have ſet your hearts to do wickedneſſe; wo is me for you, ye hard-hearted ones, who have not hearkned to the Lord, but have been as deaf Adders, which have not heard, though the charmer charmed never ſo wiſely; you have made a mock of the Servants of the Lord, and have deſpiſed thoſe that have been ſent unto you; but have rejoyced in your own corrupt Teachers, whom ye have heaped up according to your own ungodly luſts; your Teachers will not ſtand in the day of the Lord, for they are in the ſteps of the falſe Prophets which the Lord ever ſent his Prophets to cry againſt; they are greedy dumb dogs, who lye down and love to ſlumber, who make a prey upon the people, their deſires are after the Earth, they ſeek the fleece, and not the good of the flock; they are ſuch as go in the way of Cain, and their deſires after the earth are large; long have they been teaching among you, and are you not ſtill as wicked as ever you were? They are not ſent of the Lord, therefore ſhall they not profit the people at all; though they be drunkards and live in filthineſs, yet will you hold them 〈◊〉 ; the Lord abhors ſuch Teachers, for they ſtrengthen you in your wickedneſs by crying peace unto you when deſtruction is neer at hand; and when theſe Teachers are made manifeſt unto you by the children of the Light, and they are moved in love to your ſouls to declare againſt your deceit that is held up by you under the pretence of worſhipping God, theſe you take hold of as Tranſgreſſors and as your Enemies, though you have nothing to ſay againſt what they declare: How can you ſtand before the Lord? How will you ſtand in the day when he ſhall appear, when his Wrath ſhall burn as an Oven? Think you that God is not the ſame God againſt wickedneſs as ever he was; ye cannot ſerve God and the Devil; be not deceived, God will be avenged of you who deſpiſe the day of your viſitation, and turn the grace of God into wantonneſs: You that now laugh ſhall mourn; and you that ſtill go on in wickedneſs ſhall howl and lament when ſorrow ſhall take hold on you, and miſery which ſhall have no end.

O that you were wiſe to conſider! O that you would conſider and forſake your wicked actions, that ſo in the day of the Lords wrath you may be hid; for truly great is the abominations wherewith you have provoked the Lord to anger: Ye have multiplied your iniquities beyond many Nations; you have gone beyond the heathen, who have not heard of God; in your wicked curſed ſinful practiſes have you provoked the holy One of Iſrael; the heathen ſeeing your abominations which have dwelt among you, looking at you as to have more Knowledge, have committed the like filthineſs as you have done, and you have been to them as patterns and examples of wickedneſs: The Lords controverſie is great with you.

O ye Inhabitants of Barbadoes, you have exceeded the ſins of Sodom, the abominations of the Heathen are found among you, and think you to eſcape the fury of the Lord if you ſtill go on in wickedneſs? O no; do not deceive your ſelves, for of the righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth, who will not condemn the righteous, nor acquit the wicked, ſhall you receive a juſt reward, even according to your abominations. O conſider betimes! be not as the horſe and mule, who are without underſtanding; let the love of God, and the patience of God draw you to obedience; you cannot eſcape the hand of the Lord if you ſtill walk with hard hearts and ſtretched out necks: Large hath the love of God been towards you, that for all your abominations he hath not conſumed you, but hath given you a time to repent, and hath ſent his ſervants among you to declare his Truth among you, and his will, that you might be left without excuſe; and you have deſpitefully uſed them, and have made a ſcoffe of what they have declared; ye cannot long ſtand, you cannot reign for ever; though you be exalted among the Stars, yet will the Lord bring you down, even to the duſt.

Take heed, take heed, repent, repent ye ſturdy Oaks and tall Cedars; the Sword of the Lord is drawn, which is for the ſlaughter of his Enemies, and for hewing in pieces thoſe that deſpiſe his love; for the wickedneſſe of Sodome and Gomorrah, did the Lord deſtroy them with fire and brimſtone; and the ſame wickedneſs is found among you, and your ſin is far greater, in that you have deſpiſed the couniel of the Lord, and have delighted in iniquity above meaſure, that hath been declared among you (O ye Inhabitants of Barbodoes) which was not declared in Sodom nor Gomorral; for if it had, it would not have been reſiſted, as it hath been among you.

Tremble before the Lord you wicked ones; tremble before the Lord you oppreſſors of the poor; tremble before the Lord ye Enemies of goodneſs, whoſe delight is in doing wickedneſs, and in acting that which is contrary to God: Ye perſecutors, ye perſecute Chriſt; for your enmity is not againſt the creature, but againſt the ſpirit by which the creature is guided; and becauſe you cannot reach that (for it is out of your reach) you ſeek by all means you can to caſt lyes and falſe accuſations upon the creature, and if it lay in your power you ſeek to deſtroy it; but bleſſed be the Lord, who is the preſerver of thoſe that truſt in him, that keeps thoſe that ſerve him, for he it is that preſerveth us out of the hands of unreaſonable men: Remember the portion of thoſe that ſaw Chriſt naked, and clothed him not; ſaw him hungry; and fed him not; a ſtranger, and took him not in; and in Priſon, and viſited him not; their portion was Hell, prepared for the devil and his angels; and think you to fare better then them who live in the ſame wicked practices? and you do exceed them; for they were to depart into hell becauſe they did not ſhew kindneſs unto Chriſt; but you ſhew him all the unkindneſs that lieth in your power; you will not only keep from viſiting him in priſon, but you will ſeek to caſt him into priſon; you do not only ſee him a ſtranger, and not take him in, but you will (he being a ſtranger) caſt reproaches and falſe reports upon him, that none may take him in: O that you were tender to conſider of your ungodly practices, and ſeek for remedy while it may be had, for truly the day will come when it will be too late to repent: Shut not your eyes againſt the Light, ſtop not your ears againſt the voice of Equity, for if you do, the time ſhall come when you ſhall cry and ſhall not be heard.

Wo is me for you, ye are a ſottish children, a people that delight in rioting and uncleanneſs; how often would the Lord have gathered you, but ye would not? Darkneſs hath been your delight, to keep company with whores have you rejoyced in; your love is gone after harlots, there is no love in you towards the Lord; from the higheſt to the loweſt is covetouſneſs loved, yea pride and oppreſſion is delighted in; and by your wicked practices are the hearts of the righteous made ſad; the proud man among you is accounted bleſſed: Will ye not yet conſider, O ye people! How long will ye delight in vanity, and rejoyce in ſetting your ſelves againſt the Lord; Ye cannot proſper in your way, your deſires are to do lewdneſs; wickedneſs and unrighteouſneſs do ye delight in; but juſtice and uprightneſſe, purity and holineſs is made a laughing-ſtock among you; the ſimplehearted ye deride as a fool; he that departs from iniquity ye look at as if ſome ſtrange thing had happened unto him; blood is found in the midſt of you, yea, the blood of the innocent, which cryes in the ears of the Lord; and he is riſen in much indignation againſt the ungodly: VVherefore now take heed to your ſelves, for you cannot flye from his preſence, you cannot hide your ſelves from his all-ſeeing eye; ye who fight againſt the Lord ſhall be deſtroyed; you have not only reſiſted man, but ye have reſiſted the Lord of life; your hearts are made fat, you live at eaſe in the fleſh; but a day of ſorrow, a day of woe and miſery will ſpeedily come upon you; ye earthly-minded ones, who account gain godlineſs, who glory in that which is your ſhame, who are feeding your ſelves againſt the day of ſlaughter; wo is me for your wilfulneſs, you are a people who drink iniquity as an Ox drinks water, and draw iniquity with the cords of vanity: And this do I declare to you in plainneſs of ſpeech, for I cannot flatter you in your wickedneſs as your Teachers have done for many yeers; but in plainneſs of ſpeech do I declare againſt your wicked Practiſes.

From one who is a lover of your ſouls, but an utter Enemy to your curſed practiſes, known by the name Iohu Rous. Bardoes 10. d. of the 8. month. 1656.

TO you who are Rulers in Barbodoes am I moved to write; ſee that you turn not the Sword which is put into your hands againſt thoſe that do well, but againſt thoſe that do evil; ſo will you be a terror to the evil doers, and a praiſe to thoſe that do well: To the Light of Chriſt Jeſus in all your conſciences I ſpeak, by which you ſhall ſee if you abide in it, who are thoſe that do well, and who are thoſe that do evil; he that is in Cains way, in ſtrife, hatred, envy, and ſeeking after the reward of Balaam, he doth evil, and hath caſt the Law of God behinde his back, and is for judgement, and is condemned with the Light; now if any are moved of the Lord to declare againſt theſe blinde Guides, beware, I warn you from the Lord of taking hold on ſuch as peace-breakers and evil-doers; for he is a peace-breaker and an evil-doer who is in thoſe wayes that Chriſt cryed wo against, and the Law of God takes hold of him, and he is for judgment; the Light of Chriſt Jeſus in all your conſciences ſhall witneſs what I ſpeak to be true; the Prophets and Apoſtles were ſent of the Lord to declare againſt ſuch as ſought for their gain from their quarter, and did preach for hire, and divine for money, and did make trade upon the people, and if men did not put into their mouths, they did prepare war againſt them, and ſuch as had caſt the Law of God behinde their backs, and theſe were upheld by the Powers of the earth; and becauſe the Servants of the Lord declared againſt them, they (many of them) were put in Priſon and ſuffered much; now you will confeſs that theſe were not Chriſtian Magiſtrates, neither did they rule for God, but did with their power oppoſe him in his wayes, and perſecuted his ſervants for reproving both Magiſtrates Prieſts and people for their wickedneſs and idolatry; Jezabel threatned Elijah becauſe he was zealous for the Lord of Hoſts, and ſlew the Prieſts of Baal, 1 King. 19.2. Ahab cauſed Micajah to be put in Priſon becauſe he witneſſed againſt the falſe Prophets, and declared the truth as he had received it, 1 King. 22. Jeremiah was put into the Dungeon becauſe he declared the word of the Lord faithfully, Jer. 38.1, to the 7. Ieſus Chriſt who was the dear Son of God, when he was manifeſted in the fleſh, was crucified by the powers of the earth becauſe he ſpoke the truth; and Barabbas, who was a murderer, was let go, as you may read in the Scriptures. And by the Light I ſee the ſame ruling now as was then, that a drunkard may come to a houſe of VVorſhip, and ſtay there quietly; but if one come to witneſs againſt the deceit there committed, and ſpiritual wickedneſs in high places, he is ſtraightway taken hold on as an evil doer; are not you who live in their practices oppoſers of Chriſt ſo well as thoſe which Chriſt ſpoke of, who ſhould hale them out of the Synagogues, and bring them before Rulers for his name ſake? are ye not Enemies of God, ye who perſecute and impriſon thoſe who come among you to declare against your falſe wayes? are you not in the ſame wayes as the Rulers and People were who perſecuted Stephen to death, and ſlew James, and impriſoned Peter, Silas and Paul for witneſſing againſt their falſe wayes and worſhips? and truly it is ſo come to paſs in this generation, that though he be a drunkard that is ſet up to be a Teacher, or a vain perſon, or a lyar, or a prophane one, yot if any come to declare againſt his filthineſs in obedience to the Lord, they are taken hold of as evil-doers; but the day is coming wherein the ſecrets of al hearts ſhall be made manifeſt, and you who are ſet to do juſtice ſhall be called to an account, for the power wherewith ye have been intruſted; remember the portion that the Lord will give to the evil Servant when he comes, who eats and drinks with the drunken; He will cut him aſſunder, and will give him his portion with the hypocrites; there ſhall be weeping and wailing, and gnaſhing of teeth; be not exalted in your own ſtrength, and make not your own wills your Law; but ſee that the righteous Law of God be exalted, which reſpecteth no mans perſon, but doth juſtly towards all, and doth take hold on the evil doer, whether he be rich or poor, high or low; for he that reſpects perſons commits ſinne, and is convinced of the Law as a tranſgreſſor, and is for judgement. Now you who are Rulers, I charge you in the preſence of the living God, That to the Law of God in your conſciences you take heed, which doth judge the King and the Beggar; the Ruler, and he that is ruled, for doing that which is contrary to Truth and Juſtice; by this if you are ruled, you rule for God; and he that is not obedient to you, is an evil doer, and the ſword of the Lord is againſt him, and he is condemned by the Light; but if you forſake the Law of God, then pride and oppreſſion is exalted, and the righteous are not regarded, but he that departs from iniquity is made a prey upon.

JOHN ROUS. THE END.