ENGLANDS FRIEND Raised from the GRAVE.

Giving seasonable Advice To the

  • Lord Generall,
  • Lievtenant-Generall,
  • And the Councell of Warre.

Being the true copies of three LETTERS, WRITTEN BY Mr. JOHN SALTMARSH, A little before his Death.

HEB. 11. 4.

He being dead yet speaketh.

LONDON, Printed for Giles Calvert, at the black Spread-Eagle at the West end of Pauls. 1649.

To the Reader.

THese Letters were written, and sent according to the superscriptions, by the Author a little before his departure; they might have continued in silence, as they have done ever since, but providence hath otherwise disposed, through the desire of many friends; and you have them truly printed according to the originall copies.

Mary Saltmarsh.

For his EXCELLENCY the Lord FAIRFAX.

Noble Sir,

GOd having raised me up from the power of the grave, though he hath not made known to me yet, what further use he hath of me, but I wait on him whom I have found to be my God, both in sickness and health. Sir, at present I am prest in spirit to write to you, & I yet know no other but it is from the Spirit of God. There is a mighty noise of unrighteousnesse and inju­stice in the proceedings at your Councels as to the King­dom: And truly Sir, this not in most Counties onely amongst the people, but amongst the choicest, and the conscientious Christians: the hearts of good people are departed from you very much, and from your Army and Counsells: And Sir, whatsoever you or others may think and perswade your selves, yet I am thus free to speak, that God hath at present brought a dark cloud o­ver you, and the Lord shew you a way out of it, which is presented to mee to bee this onely way, stop not the breathings of God in meane private Christians; the counsells of God flow there, when the greater persons somtimes (for his glory) are left naked without a word of advice from him. I found this desolating evill be­ginning in your meetings. Be faithfull to your ingage­ments for Justice to the Kingdome: you have many, and you promised speedy redresse of many things. Consi­der [Page 2] and compare in the light of God impartially, how your first principles, and publike promises and proceed­ings answer each other: and where you have been un­righteous, delatory, or unfaithfull, be not discouraged speedily to depart out of those tents, least God over­take you with a dispensation of more righteousnesse, and judge you.

Sir, the cries, the teares, the prayers of the oppressed and afflicted, and the departing of many of Gods peo­ple in their hearts from you, are and will b [...] burdensome stones, and cups of trembling. The Lord direct you in this your day, that you may not depart from your first love, lest he who is the holy One, the just One, the God blessed for ever, come against you with the spirit of his mouth. Sir, I have little more to write, the Lord having discharged me of this burden, which was as fire in my bones: And truly the shadowes that some Coun­cells of the flesh have brought upon this Army lately, hath reached to the darkening of all professing Christi­ans in the Kingdome, in the hearts of the people of the Kingdome: for, where should redresse come (will they think) if not from such as professe higher godlinesse then others?

Sir,
Your Servant, John Saltmarsh.

For Lievtenant-Generall Cromwell.

SIR,

I Have found the Lord appearing of late in my weak estate, and I cannot but from these sweet shinings of his desire, to behold the like and more glorious in those who are called to greater actions. Sir, it is the voice of people, but that which sounds loudest is the voice of choice, and spirituall desiring Christians, that your proceedings have much injustice, great delayes, and the hearts of many good people are turning from you, as you are in these wayes, you are much accused of unfaithfulnesse to solemn Ingagements: Sir, I was mo­ved long since, you may remember, to tell you what would follow in stopping the breathings of God in pri­vate and poor Christians, and I must tell you, and I know other, but it is the voice of the Lord in me, that I observe you and some others to begin an estrangement to such who were godly, honest and spirituall, and to avoid discourse and communion with them: Me thinks I see in the light of God a black cloud over some of you in the Army, and I am satisfied in spirit, that there are great transgressions amongst you against publike Ju­stice and Righteousnesse; behold, and you shall see be­fore ye the Rock against which both King and Parlia­ment were dashed, and truly Sir, by what I see in your proceeding, and heare of your Councells by honest men, some of ye hasten in the flesh to the same distresse. Sir, break off this sin by righteousness, return to your [Page 4] communion with Christians, let not the wisdom of the flesh intice you under the disguise of Christian prudence, for that wisdome is not from above which is not pure and easie to be intreated; run not to the old shifts of the flesh in these your times of straight, leane not on Aegypt, or any imaginary strength which is not of God, if the Lord in his goodness and wisdom will have some of your former glory which was his, and you might through temptation think your own, to perish: be not ashamed of the fiery triall, but close in with that which hath most of God in it, do you not hear an oppressed and afflicted Kingdome crying out to ye? believe it Sir, all professing Christians in all places will suffer what evill is done by ye, the Lord shew you wherein you have counselled in flesh, neglected Christians, delayed Justice, failed in publike Ingagements, neglected or grieved some afflicted Christians whom you should have comforted, and then peace, glory, and excellent power will appear in you, and Christians will blesse God in you, whilst you walk in that more pure admini­stration: and Sir know, that you in your person will in­joy most of the good or evill that shall follow; Sir, God powres out fresh abilities freely and of meer grace, even rivers and streams of life in such weake vessells of his as we are, and at this fountain I desire you may now live.

SIR,
Your Servant, John Saltmarsh.

For the Councell of VVarre.

Honourable,

NOt to repeat to ye the sad outcries of a poor No­tion for Justice and righteousnesse, the departure of the hearts of many Christians generally from you, the late testimonies of some in your own bowells, the with­drawing of that Glory the Lord formerly cloathed ye withall, but this I know ye have not discharged your selves to the people, in such things as they justly expe­cted from ye, and for which ye had that Spirit of righte­ousnesse first put upon ye, by an Almighty Power, and which carried you on upon a conquering wing: the wisdome of the flesh hath deceived and enticed, and that glorious principle of Christian Liberty which we ad­vanced in at first, (I speak as to Christians) hath been managed too much in the flesh.

Now if the Lord hath opened to any of ye the un­soundnesse of any principles then, or in the management of them, I hope he will shew ye a better course and path to walk in, and now ye are met in Councell, the Lord make ye to hearken to one another from the highest to the meanest, that the Voice of God wheresoever it speaks, may not be despised; and think it no shame to passe over into more righteous Ingagements: that Wis­dome which is from above is easie to be entreated, look over your first Ingagements, and compare them with your [Page 6] proceedings, that you may see what you have done, what you must do; I know it is unsavoury to nature to be accused or taxed, but I hope there will be found that Spirit in you, that will esteem the wounds of a friend better then the kisses of an enemy. I write I know to such who in their first love were a people loving God, and his appearances in the meanest Christian, and such as pursued the good and happinesse of the Kingdome cordially: and if the Lord hath not thought to take off the Spirit of righteousnesse from ye, and put it upon a­nother people, he will give you to discerne this last temptation wherein Sathan hath desired to winnow ye, and ye shall be a Diadem once more in the hands of the Lord: For my self, as I am my self, there is neither wis­dome nor counsell in me, but if the Lord hath breathed on my weaknesse for your sakes, I shall rejoyce in that mercy and grace of his. I rest,

Yours in all righteous Ingagements, John Saltmarsh.
FINIS.

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.