PRecious Christian friend, much beloved in the Lord of all love; in him I kindly salute you, wish­ing you and your dear Relation, with my self and all Saints, an heavenly increase of knowledge in the mystery of our Lord and Savi­our Jesus Christ: not doubting, but as ye have received some of the Spi­rit, so you enjoy daily fresh supplies, and at last shall be perfected in the Spirit; to the glory of God, who [Page 2] hath formed you to shew forth his noble praise.

Sir, in our winter-season of affli­ction, I finde it a Christians crown of rejoycing, to retire in the Spirit, to hear what God speaks: for none speaks or teaches like him; never man spake like Christ. In this retirement of spirit, or silent waiting upon God, we shall be able to see, and say with the Prophet David, that God is good of a truth, to his purified, sincere, single-hearted Israelites, in the midst of all troubles; under Pharaohs bondage, at the Red-sea, in the wilderness, in the firy furnace, doing them unexpected good: at all times, he is a present help to us, and an Ark or hiding-place for us, from all storms and tem­pests.

I finde, there is no condition so sad, but there is balm enough in Gi­lead, sutable comfort of supplies in Israels God, to revive and raise up a fainting spirit. The depths of mi­sery, [Page 3] we finde, are never beyond the depthless depths of mercies. When the Lord is pleased to make bare his holy Arm for the deliverance of his people out of troubles, he first lays them very lowe, that his work may be more admirable: he many times, for this very end, strips us naked and bare, and deprives us of all helps and props belowe, that we may thereby learn to make the Lord alone our stay and trust; who stiles himself, A God that comforteth those that are cast down, poor helpless nothings: this is the very time a soul may ex­pect great appearances and delive­rances from God, when its help stands onely in the Name of the Lord.

That soul that findes a special pre­sence of God with it in trouble, as the children in the firy furnace, hath ample cause to bless his Name. This gracious presence hath been much with us, in moderating the measure [Page 4] of our cross, though not in taking it away; which I desire to wait the Lords time for, in praising him, who hath not hitherto suffered it to be a­bove our strength. As he moderates the measure, so the time: it's but a moment of affliction, and light, in comparison of the greatness and weightiness of the glory in eternity. O what cause have we to bless the Lord, who limits both measure and time, and is also present in mixing some comfortable Cordial, which sweetly allays the bitterness of our heavie crosses, and strengthens us to bear it patiently, in some measure! As the Lord is present in sanctifying a cross; so when he hath perfected his noble work in us, he will be a pre­sent and perfect deliverer of us. O what a comfort is it to know we dwell in the especial love of God un­der the cross, as those who are free from it! And though a Saint may be cast out of a happie state in the [Page 5] world, yet never, never out of their dear God's favour. O what joy doth this administer to us, to know, That however it goeth with us, yet our Fa­ther will deal kindly with us, and continually accompany us with his presence; seasoning our hearts with grace, and mounting our spirits high, carrying them forth with pure re­spects to advance his glory.

The true-divine soul, you know, is never satisfied, till it's as neer God as is attainable. Truly, the nearer we come to him, the more we are empti­ed of sin, and all selfishness. A Chri­stian's happiness lies in being empti­ed of all self, self refined, as well as gross self; and in being filled with a full God, and the glorious emptying, satisfying incomes of his free spirit. Certainly, that soul that denies it self most, seeks it self most: for the more it endeavours to advance the Lord in all, above all enjoyments, experien­ces, gifts, graces, relations, or any [Page 6] creature, or creature-comforts; the more we exalt our condition in him. It's sweet, and but meet, upon the re­velation of any mercy, to yeeld our God all the praise, saying, Lord, as the benefit & comfort shall be mine; so shall all the praises and glory be thine: Not unto me, nor unto any thing acted or done by me; but to thee be the whole glory of all, who art the author of every good and perfect gift we enjoy. It's an excellent thing, to know, own, and love the Lord a­bove all, even in the time of adversi­ty. As prosperity should not lift up, so adversity should not daunt a Chri­stian. When we finde our estate here, like a web woven with intermingl­ings of wants and favours, crosses and blessings, standings and fallings, com­bats and victories, and the like, which hath and doth accompany a poor soul in its pilgrimage, as it did the Israel­ites of old in theirs; Every condition is beautiful in its season.

Christianity hath its several Offi­ces, at several seasons: it hath a sor­rowful, mourning, praying time; and its rejoycing, praising, triumph­ing time, when it's warmed with the glorious sunshine of Gods favour, in which consists our eternal life and joy. The seasons, varieties, & changes in the outward world, lively repre­sent the seasons, varieties and changes that are in the inward world of man­kinde. I daily behold things here belowe, true according to Solomon's description; living, and dying; com­ing into the world, and going out of it; planting, and plucking up; kill­ing, and quickning; wounding, and healing; breaking down, and build­ing up; weeping, & laughing; mour­ning, and rejoycing.

I know, you, and many of the pre­cious sons and daughters of Sion, can experimentally witness the truth of this, not onely outwardly, but in­wardly: they by an enlightned eye [Page 8] behold mutability written in every thing of the first man Adams state, e­ven in the height of his first glory: which glory must and shall dayly, yea doth pass away; and will, till it shall cease to be what it is, mixed, and fa­ding. When this glory shall be aboli­shed, then will a more pure & lasting glory disclose it self: the decreasing of the one, makes clear way for the increasing of the other. The Lord suffers his poore creature for a season to take quite contrary ways, and to fetch contrary steps; to throw down all he builds up, and another while build up all he throws down: yea, its appointed to him to Run thorow so ma­ny degrees of death, as he hath gone degrees of life; and to run thorow so many passages in the dark world, as he hath done in the light world; one while to make him­self an universall transgressor, and anon to justifie himself in all his transgression; shewing himself to be as he is in all he doth as man; a fool, [Page 9] an unwise one, in all he doth; in liv­ing, dying, planting, plucking up; in weeping and rejoycing: a fool, in making himself a sinner; a Saint, till God make him what he will have him to be; this or that, here and there, when and what he pleaseth: not what we will, but what he will, this our Potter may do with us; for we are the clay: he is our father, and we his children, at his dispose; more his then our own: we are his children, I say, though he may withdraw from us, and because of our weakness hide from us for a season the true colour & original of things, and those various workings by which he doth those things: the great Jeho­vah may put what paint he will upon things, and what Dy he pleaseth into us: and we with beholding the pre­sent colour subject to change, with the present eye, may be confident in what we see, both in judging it, and other things by it, not rightly know­ing him that judges it, nor consider­ing [Page 10] what various changes both the eye and colour are subject to undergo.

That which had a time to be born, planted and built up, hath a change accompanied to it; it hath also a time to die, to be plucked up, and thrown down; like the glory of old Jeru­salem or the old first world: and there is nothing so deaded, or troden under foot, plucked up, or rased out, but shall have a gladsome season, a time of quickening, glorifying, and planting, and writing in a­gaine by the finger of God. All things are at first brought forth in weakness in the inward world, as well as in the outward world: saith the Wiseman, All things under the Sun are vanity, or to have a vain course a while: the Lord is perfect in every motion of his, both in the inward & outward world; what­ever he doth shall be for ever; nothing can be added to it, or taken from it: but poor silly man, like the wild Asses colt, is weak and vain, the outward and inward man vain; yea, every mo­tion [Page 11] of his, as he is onely man, comes to nothing, he may seem to be won­derous wise, to have notions of great weight, even of eternity upon him; & yet he cannot reach eternity as man; being but a vain empty nothing, the purposes he hath in him, are but poor low, shallow things: yet he hath his season to take his pleasure in his vain inventions: but when these seasons are blown over, he is then stripped of all, of inside and outside, as I have of­ten been; and so made naked to divine purpose. One breath of the Almighty blasts all the creaturely perfection which we have been acquainted with; one appearance of love, dissolves the soul to nothing, as the Sun doth wax: some boast, I see, of their selfish seem­ing glory, Riches, honour, parts and abilities, and such like; which I poor empty nothing cannot do: yet I am not troubled at it, now I consider what a moth is in these garments, and how subject these treasures are to be cor­rupted, [Page 12] and creature-fulness exhaust­ed: one grain of that precious faith, and one dram of love which the Lord gives his hidden ones, is far be­yond all other things, that we can act or do; it's all of God, without our mixtures.

The Lord having shewn me some of his glory in this particular, I beseech him to shew me more; for it doth content me, and it will suffice my soul more then hid treasures: the sensible and full enjoyment of thy Spirit, will cause my soul to return satisfied to her rest, praising the God of all our mer­cies; not caring what others boast of, when thou art become the Crown of my glory, the top of all Royalties to me; my spirit now breaths out this language, & says, Holy God, let who will treasure up to themselves, yet will not I: that which some love and store up besides thy self, of their own excellency; I cannot but abhor, & cast away, as filthy raggs of no value: e­very [Page 13] thing that is in me, that springs up out of my dry ground, that springs not from the sap of thy Holy Spirit.

If I know my own heart, I would not glory in any thing below my Maker, and what is of him, and con­veyed by his Spirit alone into me: it rejoyceth my soul much, to see the Lord at work, gathering all, as he hath given me as his own, and saving me for his own Name sake, and not for any worth, or worthyness in me, Justifying me, or any unworthyness condemning me: O how admirable is it for to find God thus freely and fully loving and saving his poor peo­ple, and owning all that is his, as he hath been and appeared in them; and causing all that hath been and sprung from us to pass away for evermore: My soul shouts forth with the true spiritualized Christian, this voice: Dear God, as I am a selfish corrupt creature, so let there be no profit of all my labor and travel; but thou who [Page 14] alone art the Author of every good and perfect gift we enjoy, do thou reap the travels of thy soul, for its high time for thee to enjoy thy own: for my part, I cannot but turne from all the fruitless works of my hands, all the motions and delights of my Spirit, in the inward world of my heart, and with as much irksomness and great tiredness of spirit, as ever Solomon did in the outward world: yet I know every thing is beautiful in its season, time and place, though nothing is lovely out of it: there is a beauty in li­ving, when the spring of life is come: O how lovely is it! thee is also a beauty in death, when that season is come: it's as beautyful to see things in Winter, as to see them live in the Spring of Summer: there is nothing so deformed, but, when we look upon God in it, we see much beauty written in it; nor nothing so evil, but it hath good on it: there is nothing so bad, but it's good in its own order, place, [Page 15] and season, and course; nor nothing so good, but it's bad and uncomely out of its place, order, and season. There is a beauty in killing, healing, weep­ing; in Rejoycing, and triumphing: but this beauty shines not so glori­ous out of their seasons, as it doth in: There is the very nature and exellency of God in every thing that he doth; which makes it beautyful: for every thing that springs from him, savours and tastes of his life and perfection.

The outward and inward man hath but a poor, lowe, dark, shallow know­ledge of the things of God, whatever they may pretend to have. There is no soul able of it self to reach these things; they are onely spiritually discerned, and known by the sight of the Spirit: it's by this Spirit onely, that the soul comes to know, observe, and understand the ways and won­ders of God in the deeps, and his va­rious motions and operations in things which he doth. There is no­thing [Page 16] seen in the Root by the sense of the creature, as it lies or springs from thence, or as it returns thither. Man, as man, you know, hath onely a bru­tish understanding of every thing; so of God: I had not (says one) the un­derstanding of a Beast, as of God him­self, so of all his motions, thoughts, actions and intentions, in and about things, times, places and persons; see­ing onely a present appearance of this or that, not knowing what it is, whence it came, what it means, or whither it tends. So he judges ac­cording to a present outward appear­ance, and shews himself to be what he is, and what God will have him to be, A fool in himself, that the pride of his glory may be stained, and God a­lone exalted.

Though this be a dark obscure dis­pensation, yet because God will have it so with us, this is beautiful in its season: as darkness is proper for the natural night, so is spiritual darkness [Page 17] for the spiritual night as proper for it: as light becomes the day, and as truth and substance is proper for it; so are shadows and lyes for the night: & while the night remains, it's as su­table they should remain, as when the day dawns the shadows fly away: O how clearly doth herein the excellen­cy of Christ, of Sion, the holy seed, appear! though they are not exempted from any varieties or changes in the inward or outward world running thorow them; yet they still sweetly remain the same: being one with the Father, they are as he is; like him, as Seth was like Adam: what ever their cloathes, their appearances be; yet their life and substance is still the same. For a season, the inward man I find, is so benighted, and bewilde­red, yea all his life so deaded, and his light so put out, and his glory darken­ed, that he is made to see and confess, that he knoweth nothing as he ought to know, nor hath nothing to boast of, [Page 18] no more then the outward man; and that it's onely the spiritual man that shall grow up to perfection, and live and flourish, whether in the seed, or grown up.

For the coming of this full enjoy­ment of all blessedness & happiness, longeth my poor waiting soul, in a daily expectation, upon the God of all our mercies, who is coming to ful­fill our desires, to compleat our glory: he comes not with a thought to tarry or go back; he comes swiftly with speed, leaping to meet his beloved waiting Jacobs, to revive their spirits with his loves, his wisdom, power, grace, goodness, yea all his Riches of grace and glory; that they may sing sweetly, strongly, thorowly, fervent, and frequent, the new songs of Hosan­na, Hallelujahs, blessing and glory, power and praise to our God for ever, who is the Authour of all our present good, and the Omega of our perfect happiness, in that heaven of heavens [Page 19] where Just men made perfect take up Sanctuary and assured Rest for ever, solacing their souls with their Belo­veds loves; the riches, honors, pleasures and soul-delights of eternity that are in the bosome of our dear and preci­ous father: in the full fruition of this rest and glory, longeth my waiting soul to be, where time shall be no more; the time of sin, sorrow, paine, death, any weakness or im­perfection: when that which is per­fect is come, I know all this which is imperfect will be done away: yea then there will be no complaining or cause of complaining within or with­out, because all sin, and so all sorrow and sighing shall certainly be done a­way, as being momentary; & the pure language, the new melodious tune of Joy and gladness from the Spirit, shall be onely sung, heard, and known to be for ever in the Saints, to their Saviour, who is our choice, our chief, our only and dearly beloved One in [Page 20] all, without and above all in him­self.

Worthy Sir, because Honourable in the Lambs cloathing, having put pen to paper with an intent to salute you & your neer relation with a few broken fragments gathered up from my Masters table, I shall take leave, having a little freedom, to communi­cate a few more lines to you; hoping it will not be too burdensome to you. Sir, I cannot but Christian-like thank you for your Remembrances of us at all times; though I know you are in covenant with that God, who will re­compence sevenfold into your bosom, for all your labor of undeserved, un­expected love: your sympathizing, from a fellow-feeling of our afflicti­on, and others, plainly demonstrate you to be a fellow-member of that mysticall body whereof Christ is the Head: O what a mercy is it to be heartily affected with the afflicted! to have the same mind which was in [Page 21] Christ in us! to have the same love one to another, as Christ hath to us, in quality, though not in quantity! The love of the Lord in his people, is ma­ny times made out to them in an un­expected way, to wonderment, when they think least of it: as Hagar said, the Lord looked after her, when she looked not after him; so doth he to many of his people oftentimes, pro­vide and protect them in a way and manner which they cannot but won­der and bless his Name. It's a wonder to mee sometimes, to see how sensible one Christian is of anothers suffer­ings, because it's so rare: but when I consider that all the Saints have but one God, one Father, one Faith, one Baptisme, one Love, one Spirit, who dwells in them all, and runs thorow them all, and conveys it self to all as it pleaseth, whether absent or pre­sent, afar off or neer at hand, known or unknown by face: Although the Saints are scattered abroad in this [Page 22] wide, wilde world, and distinct in the flesh from one another; yet are they one in the Lord, and so love, sympathize, sorrow, and rejoyce toge­ther, as members in truth of Christs body: Christ was of a sympathizing suffering Spirit; and such hearts, qualities, and dispositions, he would that we should have: therefore he puts his Law of love and kindness in­to us: he takes our humane nature, and infuses his divine nature into us: Christ bears all our griefs, and carries our sorrows, and in all our afflictions is afflicted with us, and for us.

O how good is it, in our wilder­ness of trouble, to lean upon this our Beloved, who can bring us out of them all! we are very apt to stumble at the way and maner of Gods dis­pensations, when we have little cause for it, if we did but consider that he hath glorious ends in all he doth and suffers, for the exaltation of his Name and our sole comfort▪

Though the Lord may cross his people in the way of his providence, so that all things may fall alike to all in this World before men; yet not in his account hereafter: for he may give us to look unto him in his word of Promise, and there behold him by an enlightned eye, doing all things after the counsel of his own good will and pleasure, for his glory, and our ever­lasting comfort, beyond and above all outward sense and external hopes; as he did to Abraham, calling things that are not, as though they were: I am not so much a worder, as an admirer, and a lit­tle writer of the wonders of God in the deep of affliction; to some of my fellow-sufferers, who have been bewildered in their spirits as I have been, though now through rich mercy in som mea­sure refreshed with the crums of Ca­naans comfort, & drops of honey and milk, grace and love, that flows from our good spiritual land. Much of Gods fatherly Dealings, and Re­freshings, [Page 24] I might relate unto you, which my hungry, thirsty weary Restlesse soul hath known, seen, and felt, in the day of trouble, the hour of sad temptations, if I had freedom.

Sir, the sharp exercise which hath been upon my spirit, since that little unknown book was made, of Gods glorious Displayings of light and love upon a poor, dark, forlorn, no­thing-creature in an unexpected time, I was not then capable of the publish­ing of it: if I had, I could not be free, fearing how it might be with me af­terwards. Truly, since then, I have had a sharp Winter-season, mourning for the loss of all that comfort: I have been stripp'd so bare of seeming com­fort since, that I cannot boast of that, nor of any comforts, but of the God of comforts; not of enjoyments, or expe­riences; not of any gifts or graces; but of the giver alone, and of my infirmi­ties; and in that Power of Christ which hereby is made more manifest [Page 25] in us: the Lord alone is the boast and glory of his people; in his Name we set up our Banners, and upon him alone shall our mind be fixed, and our soul-affections set, and not on things be­low: this is to have our hearts above, on things remaining; not shadowy, but substance; and our conversation in heaven, though we tabernacle in houses of clay in the world. When Christ is our only object, then, but not till then, will all below be our abject, in comparison of a full God, a naked Christ, a free Spirit. O that it might be all our aimes and ambiti­ons, to take up our crosses and follow Christ fully; even thorow fire and water: for here our God hath pro­mised to be with his people; and when we are purged and purified enough he will lead us out into a wealthy place, of peace and Joy.

O that we could walk in our Masters steps without stumbling, and do as he did, run our race with joy; knowing [Page 26] if we run, we shall obtaine the Crown, which is not to be had on this side the end of it: Surely this prize is worth the running, waiting for, and longing after, till we enjoy it. Our suffering and Cross is but a lit­tle while, for a small moment; but our glory is for everlasting, our reign­ing for ever. Thrice-happy is that soul, whom God chuseth for his own in his furnace, and chastens in his school: happy entering, happy in it, and for ever happy afterward. Bles­sedness and Happyness is annexed to Gods chastning: Blessed and happy is the man God correcteth, and teach­eth new lessons thereby: therefore not to be despised: Our loving Father, even smiles, when we think he frowns upon us: when he seems to strike us, he stroaks us. He doth to us, sometimes, as he did to Adam, convey a precious promise, with a sad threatning; say­ing, The seed of the woman, &c. Mercies oftentimes come veiled to us; and a [Page 27] sentence of death may pass upon our choicest mercies, as did upon Abra­ham, for the tryall of our graces; which would not shine so bright, if not fire-tryed, with Abrahams; whose faith, love, and holy obedience to God, after thus tryed, shined more eminent and glorious.

I find our sad visitation known to you, Sir, was not so much a Punish­ment, as some may call it; but rather a strict tryal, to try our faith, love, patience, and pure good-will to God; whether it be simply and entirely to him, without by-ends, as Satan would have accused Job to God, saying, Doth Job love, or serve God for nothing? & also to try our strength, what we can do or suffer for God; and also to try our wis­dom, how prudent & patient we could behave our selves like true Christians, in the loss of all outward enjoyments, though deare and precious to us; not onely in flesh, but in Spirit.

O what an unspeakable mercy is it, [Page 28] to finde and feel God enabling of us to hold out in these firy tryals! speak­ing well of the Name of our dear God, owning him in giving mercies to us, and not friends; and owning him to take them from us, and not e­nemies: the Lord gives & takes also. Truly the Lords tryall in these things, is a firy strict tryall: God tries our Faith and love, as he did Abrahams, by causing him to offer up his onely son Isaac, the son of promise: Now I know, said God to him, in doing this, that thou lovest me: and thou shalt know it; for in Blessing I will multiply Blessings upon thee and thy seed; This ascending spark of love in Abraham, from God to God, did as I may say engage the Lord to descend showers of blessings upon him, and his seed. Our God in wis­dom doth all things: he tries and proves us, to do us unexpected good in the latter end: he tries whether we can live in the practicall part of Christianity, what we can do and [Page 29] suffer in truth for Christ; whether we can be content to leave all for him; be content with Christ alone, with­out freinds, or the world, gifts, gra­ces, qualities, and conditions, and such-like in one hand, and Christ in the other; whether we can be content to resign up all to God, all outward, and in­ward, things; all Relations, Ordinances, Gifts, Graces, Desires, Hopes, all that can be named or desired of Heaven and Earth; that nothing of self may Remain; none of our wills, desires, ends, hopes, but all crossed and destroyed in us, which is contrary to the Lords will: the Creatures will being so contrary to Gods will in all things, it's well to have it crossed, though it be in that which may be most for its seeming comfort. Surely they who are ac­quainted with the excellency of Gods hidden Divine will, would not have it crossed, but rather its own will in any thing, though it may seem hurtful to it; sure it's thus.

Sir, I shall acquaint you a little what a hard thing it was for me to submit to this will of God, though ea­sie to him to make me quietly submit, and resign up all to him, in the depar­ture of my dear Brother. Though the dispensation was dark and dismall, yet I dare say from a full perswasion, after many doubts, that though it might seem in Judgment, yet God hath received him to e­verlasting mercy: for being weak, I finde he was suddenly overcome by the strong man, not willingly, but by constraint; mee­ting with many unnamed inward and out­ward fears and troubles. Certainly, what is not done in despite, willingly, against God, but the violent hurrying of Temptati­on, through weakness, not willingly, shall never be layed to any poor tempted souls charge. The Lord doth not look so much to the weakness of his creature, and temptation, as to his own rich mercy and free love. Surely thus the God of love hath looked upon my dear departed Brother; for I had ex­perience [Page 31] of him in his life-time, that when he was himself, he served the Lord with many Tears, and Temptations oftentimes; and did endeavour to walk as exact as a Christian, to that light of knowledg God was pleased to measure out to him. Much I might say of this nature, had I oportunity, and thought it convenient: which causeth me to Believe the Lord hath not looked upon him to take advantage of his weakness, to destroy; but to save him, ac­cording to the multitude of his tender mer­cies; and being a God of love, patience and long Suffering, hath, I am now perswaded, though one while I was much troubled with doubts and feares, hath taken him from sin and sorrow, to bliss and blessed­ness: He was of a very weak Constituti­on of body. Truly, dear friend, the great loss of such a comfortable staff, such a hopefull son, and brother, the maner and unexpectedness of his go­ing from us, hath been a sword in our bones, first pierced thorow our soul; [Page 32] which hath cut us to the heart: First, from a serious consideration of Gods dishonour, by opening the mouths of the ungodly, to cause them to stumble at the way of God, saying, What profit is it to serve God? and are these they that made the Lord their trust? and such-like things. And secondly, the Saints discourage­ment, besides our own great discom­fort in the middle of our supposed comfort. I hope the effect of the sword I mention, will prove the Lords severing sword, to separate more be­tween flesh and Spirit, Christ and the creature.

I find, all that God doth, is to try us whether we can love God as well in the way of his Judgments, as in the way of his mercies; love him in cast­ing us down, as raising us up: in smiting as healing, in Winter as Summer, for all, in all changes and conditions, above all: many are the troubles of the holy seed of God; and [Page 33] truly did we not suffer something, the re­maining part of Christs sufferings would be unfulfilled; which tryal and proof he en­dures in us: as he suffered in the pat­terne, so we in truth: O there is a necessity of our suffering something, if we would be feelingly sensible of what Christ hath suffered in the flesh for us, to crown us with glory in the Spirit, and be sympathizing with o­thers in affliction, and really magni­fying that free grace of God which ends in full glory; causing us always to extol the Lord, blessing him with a triumphant song of praise. I am sure the Saints have cause to bless the Lord at all times, even in the wilder­ness, because this is the place where God usually speaks comfortably to his people. Though he lead them this solitary way, yet it's the right way; the way of the Lord is an unknown strange way, even in the whirlwind. O what a happyness is it to finde, afflictions come not out of the dust, but as we [Page 34] may say, they are the finger, the pro­vidence of God, for our good: he makes them antidotes to us, to expell poyson: the more we have of them Sanctified to us, the more pure, like Christ: we have no cause to say when we are under the rod, therefore not beloved of our Father, because so and so afflicted; but the rather loved of our Father, because chastned: here­by we are made more conformable to Christ, by being buried with him in the Baptisme of his sufferings: The Cup of affliction, which the sanctifi­ed ones drink of, is a Fathers Cup; which they cannot but drink, hand­ed to them for their good from him­self; whose ways are all mercy and truth, whose paths drop fatness, whose out-goings and in-comings are all sweet and precious to us. The poor creature in trouble, is very apt to cry out and say, Is this and this a pleasant way? is this a comfortable condition? and can God indeed bring [Page 35] good out of such great evills? O it's impossible.

Thus I have thought often: Can any good come out of sinfull Naza­reth, out of my confusion, and dark­ness? O it's impossible: with us it is, but not with God, who at first commanded light to shine out of darkness. O what cause have we to exalt Gods power and love in the fi­ry furnace! to glorifie him in the fires, is most excellent: O they cannot but do it, when they see him keep them alive in the midst of that fire which consumes onely the dross, pre­serving the Gold pure for his Use: That enlightening hony which is in the top of our Gods Rod, doth enlighten us to behold this great and glorious sight, why the Bush burns, and is not consu­med. O this honey out of the rock, Gods love-manifestations, will sweet­en, and doth, all conditions and chan­ges to us and all Christians. some are afflicted for the tryall of faith [Page 36] and patience, that they may have their perfect work by exercise. Some­times, that the handy-work of God may be made more manifest upon us, the Lord may take away our corn, Wine, Wool, and Oile which he giveth us, when we do not prize him above all; that hereby we may learn to love our giver more then gifts, and to know the worth and sweetness of them more by the want of them a while: We may be Deprived of any comforts, yet not of the God of comforts; and sadly cast down, yea seemingly forsaken, and overwhelmed with sor­rows like unto David, and weary of life with Job, distracted as Heman, and yet belong to, and dearly beloved of God, as they were: therefore it's good to take up this Holy Resolution, to wait on God in the way of his seem­ing Judgments, and in meditation of his loving-kindness, till he shall make hard things easy, and crooked things strait, rough places plain, and [Page 37] bring to light the hidden things of darkness, making darkness light be­fore us. Said good Jacob, (who found it good to wait upon God) I have waited for thy Salvation; and I will wait: and David, In waiting I waited: and Job, All my appointed time will I wait till my change come. O how desirable a thing is it to see Christians have such patient, believing, submitting hearts to the Lords will: Though he kill me, yet will I trust in him: and, I am thine, save me: This is a sweet rol­ling on God in a day of trouble; and saying with Christ, The Cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? it's a Cup, not a Sea; and a Fathers Cup, not an enemies; and a Fathers gift.

By considering these things, the Lord pleased to work comfort, renew his love to my soul when much troubled at my deare brothers death, by which I hope the Lord will gradually cruci­fie all that he would have crucified, [Page 38] and blast all of creature-props and helps, that he alone may be our one­ly stay and blessedness. The neerer a soul comes to God its haven of hap­piness, the more it meets with sad storms and tempests: Which makes our port of glory more desired, and gladsome to us when we come unto it: The bitterness of misery sets off the sweetness of mercy, as the blackness of the night the glory of the day: I am sure my brothers afflictions here, were sharp before he went hence; which causeth me to believe he is now for ever comforted: Some comfort came from this word to me; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thy eyes from tears, when my soul was in bit­terness; for thy work shall be reward­ed of the Lord, and thou shalt see him again with greater Joy: though thy de­sire was crossed here in some things, as Davids was and others; Yet ye shall re­joyce together in my Kingdom. I finde this was of God coming in power to the [Page 39] satisfying of my troubled soul in an agony of sorrow. I answered this voyce, Lord, it's enough if thou make thy word good: thy will, thy unknown will, by any but thy self be done, O Father. And further it was said, That nothing should sepa­rate him and Christ, nor estrange his love from him.

Till God appeared in this maner to me, Quieting my heart in some mea­sure, I was much troubled touching his honour, to think how he would suffer by some, till he told me he knew what was most for his glory, far better then silly I. Truly I may say, How had it been unless the Lord had been on our side! wee had almost fainted, and dwelt in silence; had not Jehovah our Mighty God been seen in the mount wonderfully for our preservation and deliverance; for which I desire to Bless his Name for ever, who comforts me much from these words, bidding me look to Jesus the Authour and finisher of our [Page 40] Faith, who for the Joy that was set before him, endured the cross, de­spised the shame, and is now set down on the Right hand of the Maje­sty on High. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he open'd not his mouth; learn of him, for he is meek and low­ly, which makes him so unspeakable lovely. Patient was Christ when he suffered: he overcame by patience, as well as by power. As Christ was patient, so was his members; and so should they be like David in their suf­fering seasons: says David, I was dumbe, and opened not my mouth: and let the Righteous smite me, and it shall be an excellent Oil; it will be for my profit; his correction.

This our loving friend, Christ, will not wound us, but heale us; when he smites, he smiles upon us: for he even then refreshes us with his brook, and well-spring of life, in our waylesse wildernesse, under all our sorrows and smitings; and hereby [Page 41] God makes us to lift up our heads with Joy and praise. O what cause have We to blesse the Lord under our crosses, for his supporting hand of love! truly, as great cause, as if he took them away from us. It's a de­sirable thing to own God to be Just, when he shews mercy; and when he gives grace, to be still exalting the Riches of his glory. O the happy­ness, the heavenlyness of those spi­ritualized souls, whose wills are sub­dued to the Lords will in all things; so to acknowledge him Righteous in all he doth, and our selves vile! O what a blessed state are they in, who have no will to be guided by, but the Fathers will in all things; which ea­sily learns them to deny and defie self fully, in all they do and say; and to esteem onely of God and the workings of his Spirit above all. O that we might be as Christ was, love­ly in all conditions, by our Holy sub­mission to our Father! Christ we [Page 42] know learn'd obedience by the things which he suffered. O how lovely was he when he lay in a Manger, when he lay on the ground, and sweat Water and Blood; when he was scourged, and crowned with Thorns; when he hung on the Cross between two Theeves; when he lay in the grave! even now Christ appeared most lovely, by how much he abased himself thus low. O how desira­ble a thing is it to see goodness and greatness kiss each other in one noble person! O what a great condescention of love was this in such agreat person as Christ, who is King of Kings! O that such a gloryous Majesty should so low condescend to such poor, weak unworthy worms, to teach sinners in his way, to doe as he hath done, to suffer patiently and willingly with­out the least gainsaying or resistance, such grievous things! Christ was as a sheep before the slaughter: David under afflictions was dumbe also, be­cause [Page 43] he saw the Lord did it, and not man: so Aaron when he lost his sons suddenly, held his peace: And good old Eli said, It's the Lord, let him do as he pleaseth. In this sweet spiritual frame was Job, when he said it was the Lord that took from him in the flesh, who could give him much more in the Spirit. All that they suffered, was not so much from an enemy as a Father, for their good; who seeing how apt the current of their affecti­ons was to run more to them then to him, their heart being not so fixed upon him as he would have them, but very apt to be divided, and to wander from him, like ours as we are creatures; therefore he sends afflicti­ons as messengers to fetch them home to his Sheepfold.

Once this word came in Power to me when I was very sad: O soul, grieve not, grieve not for thy Brother: precious in my sight is thy Brothers death, though griev­ous to thee and others: was not Christs [Page 44] sufferings much more terrible? and think not strange your firy tryalls; for what is befallen you, is common to all in this life: and the same afflictions are accompanied to your fellow-members in the world. Think of Samsons death, a good man, who died among the Philistins, and seemingly in an­ger to be revenged on them for his two eys. Consider these things, and lay them to heart; and sorrow no more as one without hope; but know, all things shall worke to­geather for good, even this, unto ye: therefore be still, and know I am God, do­ing whatever I please, in heaven, and earth, and all places: his time was not in thy hands, or friends, or his own, but in my hands: A sparrow cannot fall to the ground, nor a hair off the head, with­out my knowledge. When these things was spoken to me, I was very rest­less in my spirit, even resolving to spend my few days in silent sorrow, not expecting any more Sun-shine days of joy: and suddenly the glory of the Lord broke forth thorow some thick [Page 45] darkness, bidding me lift up my head; and the Lord was pleased to speak to me as sweet as ever; telling me he would wipe all teares from my eyes, and the rebuke or reproach of his people he would take from off all the earth: he had spoken it who would do it, Jehovah, a fulfiller of Promi­ses: therefore let not thy troubled fear­full heart be disquieted or afraid: Peace, Peace be unto thee. I found Christ reasoned with me, as once he did with his disciples when they were sad; Why are ye troubled? and why do such fears and doubts arise in thy heart? am not I and my favour more to thee, then en­joyments or Relations, or any thing thou canst desire? though I chasten thee sharp­ly, to draw thee neer me; yet my favour will I not take from you, nor alter my love: is not this, O soul, more then all, to give thee my self, Who am the Desire of De­sires, the Beauty of all Blessedness, the top of all Royalties; even the fulness that sil­leth all in all; who hath made thee beauti­full thorow my comlyness: though black [Page 46] in thy self under the bondage of coruption, yet Lovely as Redeemed, Justified, and Sanctified? my soul was even melted with in me, at this sweet and powerful manifestation of love, that I cryed out, None but a naked Christ: and who would not sell all, for this Preci­ous Pearl, and willingly resigne up all even life it self, to Christ, who became poor, and despised in the worlds eye, that we though his poverty might be dignified in the Spirit, and made rich in Faith, in grace, in humility, and goodness? this is to be heavenly rich in God, in love.

O who would not leave all, to fol­low Chrst for his treasures of wisdom and knowledg, and all good things which he gives to his close followers? This was one word which was spoken to me also: Lovest thou me more then these; more then Gold, Silver, Lands, Livings, any relations, Golden gifts and Graces, men or meanes? and love not the world, nor the things of it: love nothing, I say, [Page 47] equall or above me: for he or she that loves any thing more then me, is not wor­thy of me: set not thy affections on things below, on earthly, sensitive things; but on Heavenly things above, invisible glo­ries. If riches encrease, set not thy heart upon them.

My Deare brother was such riches to me, that if I could have but enjoy­ed his life, and him spiritually resto­red to a comfortable state in this life, according to my earnest and constant souls desire, and the desire of many precious Saints; that our God might have been more glorifyed in his life on earth; O what riches, what a portion of great joy would this have been to my soul, none knows: but now seeing by this, uncertainty and emptyness in all things below the Lord, I am forced to say, What is riches, or the encrease or sweet en­joyment of any creature-comforts, to the lifting up of Gods lovely counte­nance upon us! I can say now more [Page 48] feelingly, Whom have I in Heaven or in Earth to glory in, or stay my self upon, but God alone, from whom flows all our fresh springs of comfort, joy, life, love, and sweetness? The Lord, I hope, by our late chastise­ments, will make us more holy, hum­ble, thankfull and fruitfull in every good work of God; and cause the sword not onely to pierce into our souls, but even to divide and sever more between soul and body, flesh and spirit, Christ and the Creature; That nothing may remaine in us, but what loves, admires, and blesses our God alone above all.

Sir, this is all my desire, to know more, and do, and patiently submit to the holy will of our Dear God in all things; and to have more single affections to him, and his naked glo­ry.

Christian friend, I have written in these papers some poor stamerings, or what the Lord hath communicated to [Page 49] me with comfort in weakness, through which I have written this to you, that you with me may bless the Lord for his precious loving kindness to his unworthy hand-maid. I cannot tell whether I may be troublesom to you, because so tedious at one time. When I begin to write to a Christian friend in this kind, I am always much enlar­ged; the more, because but slow of speech. In these few lines you may perceive a little, that many are the trou­bles of the Righteous, and also that the Righteous Lord supports sweetly un­der them all; and in his own best time graciously delivering them out of all. These troubles of ours may well be compared to waters, even a flood of waters, as David said, that hath wave upon wave: which though it be our Fathers pleasure, and our portion to wade thorow; yet this is our comfort, VVe shall not sink in them: they may pierce our body, but cannot run [Page 50] thorow our souls, to the destroying of our life which is hid with Christ in God, who is our Head, which shall never perish: and you know that member can never fear drown­ing, whose head is still above water. Whilst Peters Faith was anchored in Christ the Rock of his Salvation, the water to sence did so far give back, that they miraculously became a solid path to lead him to his Lord: so I hope our late, as well as former troubles will tend to lead us neerer to our desired haven of rest: for cer­tainly, all the waters of affliction are to those whose faith is exercised in their God, but a short Compendious way to Communion and fellowship with the Father and the Son in the Spirit, which is best of all; better then life, as David said; who had, as we have, fresh troubles often, and fresh mercies; fresh Temptations, and fresh deliverances: what said good David, when he had deviated [Page 51] and gone astray like a lost sheep? Be­fore I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I kept thy Word. Here he sweetly acknowledges tribulations to be messengers sent from God, to lead him to the Shepherd of his soul: said he, Now have I kept thy word: now do I know by this thy sanctified visitation, of a truth, that I am thine: before, I was a lost sheep of the house of Israel. All our afflictions, inward and outward, in our selves or in the world, 'twill appear to be onely but the corrections of an indulgent Father, for our profit, in the end; to make us rich in God, though poor in our selves. In the mean time, the good Lord endue us with Power from on High, whereby we may possess our souls with Patience, till the time of refreshing from on High shall Visit us; till he who changes times and seasons, changes hearts and conditions with us. Truly if the Poor Creature could change, or any ways [Page 52] help it self, or have any reliefe or help from any broken reed, or cisterne, besides the Lord the living Fountain: how would it do, as Israel of old did, run from God to them, adoring it self, and Idoli­zing the creature, men and means, more then admiring the Lord in them, above them? Truly our natures are too apt to this: for let the Lord but open a little of himself to us in any thing or way, we are Readyer to be taken with it then him; like some, who looke more at the Dish, then the Meate in it. How apt (let experience speake) are we to take up our rest in something below our rest, and not look up high­er to the Fountain from whence all our fresh springs of comfort floweth? therefore our God seeing this not good for us, in wisdom and love dries up all Cisternes and Pools when it's thus with us, that nothing we run to the creature for in need, may yeild us sa­tisfaction, below himself; lest We should rob him of his glory, and [Page 53] give it to something below himself, which is not worthy of our heart-love: and his jealousie is such, that he will not give his glory to another, nor his praise to any thing or Idol, but himself. To this end therefore he imbitters every thing in the world to us, to wean us from her shadowy delights; like loving mothers, who wean their children from the brest, which is so sweet and dear to them: even thus (as I may say) doth God our loving Father with his beloved chil­dren, make every thing vile to them, that he alone may be the preciousness of his Saints, and all things nothing in comparison, that he alone may be their All in all, above all; their onely boast and glory.

Before this glorious discovery of love, I was like another creature, run­ning like Israel of old, from Moun­tain to Hill, and Hill to Mountain; from men to meanes, from means to men: I was, like the Spouse, restless in [Page 54] my spirit; which made me to send my spiritual senses all abroad to seek Christ, as I thought; but truely I found him not in any thing or place, save in denying me that soul-comfort which I sought for: all my seek­ing was like Maries at the Sepul­chre, forsaking all things for him, as I thought; whom if I could but have found, in my way and time, I should have thought I had found enough; being led forth to seek The true God in an Ignorant way; being blinded with Ignorance; I asked every thing below him, sensitive things: I asked the Earth, the Sea, and the great Deeps, and the Windy Aire, with the Dwellers therein; also the Sun, Moon, and Stars, lesser and greater; knowing and unknow­ing creatures; and I found they all answered me with one voyce, We be not thy God; seek him, O seeker, above us: Thou art but deceived in us; we are onely by him made and upheld; he is Lord over us: this was without. [Page 55] Then I went home, and said to all that were about the doors of my flesh, Tell ye, my familiars, what ye know of God; O tell me somewhat of him whom my soul longeth after: and they cryed out also to me, We be not thy God; it's he hath made us, not we our selves. Notwithstanding all these denyals, being soul-restless still, I asked further, even the whole world in general, if it were not my Saviour, and could deliver me from the bon­dage of corruption; and it answered me very powerfully, I am not, but I am by him: he whom thou seekest for in me, even he made me: above me must thou seek to him that made me, and ruleth all things, to new make thee.

Being, as you may perceive, Sir, a wandering bird, and soul-disquieted within me, I sought to every Idol which I made an Idol below the true God for soul-rest, peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost: but like [Page 56] Noahs dove, found this not in any thing to refresh my weary soul. Now I finde, that though every thing be beautiful in its season, place and sta­tion; yet in this respect it must deny it self, and be nothing, as it did to me; and acknowledg this is not to be had in any created glory on this side the Creator himself. Every thing spoke the same to me in this; We be not the Lord thou lookest for; but from him, and by him, for his glory. I have found the Apostles words true, that many times we may understand him by his visible works in the crea­tion of the world.

In my former Creaturely seeking of the Lord, as I have a little menti­oned, I found a vast emptyness in all things: but when God was pleased to shew me this, he turn'd me to him­self, and then gave me rest and satis­faction in his love, which is better then life; whereby my hungry thirsty spirituall starved soul was satisfied [Page 57] with that fulness that fills empty no­things with good things. O it's the sweet incomes of this Divine fulness that makes The dry land a Pool, and our thirsty lands springs of Water. O when the Lord shall thus appear to us, shewing us by his light the vileness and vanity of every thing which is Excellent within or without us; then indeed the soul crys out, What have I to do any more with Idols, to seek after Bethel, after any thing that will not profit; but the True, Living, Immor­tall God, who dwells in everlasting, un­utterable, and unsearchable light and glo­ry, without beginning or end? True­ly when we seek the true God aright, we shall finde him to be a certain Light above all Lights, which no car­nal eye can comprehend; and a certain Voyce which none in their creaturely state can conceive of: and such a sweet perfume is Christ, which no nose of sense can attain unto: He is a certain Sweetness above all Sweetness; no per­fumes, [Page 58] Ointments, Spices, Milk, Ho­ney, or Manna, is comparable to this sweetness, though ever so desirable; for this is incomparable, above and beyond all, for ravishing, pleasant, and satisfying: and such an imbrace­ing is Christ, our soul lover, which no sensitive feeling can take hold of; this pure light of life shineth where no place is to hold it; and the Voice of Christ soundeth free where no aire is to help it; and his sweet savour yeildeth sweetness and life where there is no feeding on crea­ture-comforts; and Christs imbra­cing is such an imbracing, where no armes are ever pluck'd asunder.

Now when the poor soul hath thus found and enjoyed Christ in the in­most Holy Places of its new heart, whom it so earnestly sought for, and now entirely loveth; now it cries out, None, none but Christ: it now makes account of nothing in com­parison of him, in whose favour con­sists [Page 59] its life: this is it a soul seeks when it seeks God; this is it we love and desire, Even a manifestation of that Jesus love who hath saved us from our sins, and is Emanuel, God with us, in all our troubles, sorrows, tryalls, and temptations; This bles­sed man Christ Jesus is our joy and Crown of rejoycing; which causeth us to break forth into songs of praises and Hallelujahs; glory for ever­more to our God. Finding all things dead, and empty to me, when I sought Christ sorrowing as I have mentioned; I was afterwards com­forted in some measure, being made willing to wait in silence; in which si­lence my soul with Hannah poured out my complaint to him, whom I know when all failes us, doth help us; being mighty to save, keep and deliver, even then: for the Lord never leaves his in trouble, but sup­ports and delivers out in his appoint­ed time. He that sets our faces to [Page 60] Zion, will undoubtedly bring us hi­ther in his own time, to possess our prepared mansions of glory in his kingdom, to live there in praising him to all eternity; singing continu­ally form our God to our God, whom we have been seeking, like the Spouse, abroad, When he was at home in the secret closet of the heart; to which when we return in peace, we here finde him in our souls by his Spirit, sitting as onely Lord and King in his Throne, ruling o­ver all the Powers of darkness in us. O for ever happy are they whom God is thus nigh unto in all things; fill­ing them with all joy in himself, through believing: O can any soul that hath or doth taste or enjoy but e­ver so little of the Lord, say his con­solations are small, but very great, and precious; full of life, love, Pow­er, like himself; and full of vertue and streaming sweetness, like Jona­thans hony, which revives the droop­ing spirits of sad hearts, in their dry, [Page 61] barren, sad, solitary wilderness-con­dition? Though this is the Fathers will, to have us pass thorow this state in such harsh and difficult ways to the eye of sense and reason, which would much terrifie and perplex a carnal heart; yet our God hath such sweetness to mingle with them, which makes them very passable to his Beloved, whom he leads thorow: for the bondage of Egypt, he can make tolerable; and the wilderness, with all the intricacies thereof, he can make easie; who makes rough places a plain way for us to go thorow our Journeys end: Canaan also, with the high walls and strong enemies there­of, even the children of Anak, whose very sight struck terror; even these our God did and doth make Con­querable to his Christ, and anointed ones.

Christ by his death hath made his people Conquerors over all enemies, and oppositions; by his death he [Page 60] [...] [Page 61] [...] [Page 62] hath brought to light life, strength, joy, glory, and immortality: though he was, as we are oftentimes, put to death in the flesh; yet he was quick­ned in the spirit: it's this Spirit alone that satisfies, quiets, and composeth a poor troubled soul, when none nor nothing can: and it's this holy Spirits work to lead us out of one truth into another, out of one dispensation into a higher; and at last possess us of per­fect rest and happiness: out of which rest I have been much bewildered and perplexed in my spirit, from the sense of a dead lost condition, not knowing what to do, or which way to turn my self for comfort. About four years ago, I was very sick and weak; in which weakness the enemy took advantage to shew his power, and set upon me strongly, tempting and troubling me, by raising new feares and doubts in my heart; which caused me to conclude that all form­er discoveries of love which the Lord [Page 63] had communicated to me, was but lying vanities, and delusions: this trouble was beyond all my former childish troubles; for my old life was not so much captivated, as my new one, my spirit: and truely this temptation lay with some confidence upon me, that I knew not what to say, or do: I thought sure the smoak­ing flax, that little spark of grace was now extinguished wholly: but I can through rich mercy say, Blessed and for ever praised be Jehovah, who hath so sweetly unbosomed himself, and unboweled his precious love to his unworthy hand-maid; telling me, that all my creaturely mutability should not, nor could not alter his unchangable love: for whom he loved once, he loved for ever, to the end, and in the end, endless, ever; out of sin into grace, and out of grace into glory: neither should any of the wa­ter which I had cast upon the smoak­ing flax, quench it, by disowning and [Page 64] doubting of the realitie of my state, and the truth of those precious ap­pearances I had enjoyed from the Lord: this smoaking flax, was God beginning a good work in my soul, who would perfect it for his praise. O how strongly doth the renewings of the Lords love to us, engage our hearts to honour him all our days, in righteousness and holy­ness! who notwithstanding all our unworthyness, and greatness of sins, sins after conversion, as well as be­fore; sins often reapeated, as well as once onely committed; yet is our loving friend, who loveth us free­ly, faithfully and constant, even in the height of our unconstancy to him; as he vvas pleased to shevv me, by not leaving me destitute of his mercy and his Truth, in my sad sor­rovvs.

By this firy contest, I finde, that vvhat is of God shall and vvill stand, all vvindes and vveather, against all [Page 65] the many tempests and violent stormes of all principalities and pow­ers of spirituall wickedness in High places; all this hath been in vain: for this fire, though a little while it did but Smoak; Yet it will Blaze, and that with fervent heat: it will never go out; it's God Everlasting; it's God beginning a good work in the soul, who will undoubtedly perfect it; it's God in darkness, or glimmerings, who will be a Shining light to us, and fulness of Heavens Glory in us.

Precious friend, I finde, all that a poor soul can do against the smoak­ing flax, or Day-breaking of God, shall never prevail against it, for it over­comes all, and can be overcome of nothing. O that I could more praise and exalt the Lord for his un­speakable loving kindness to me; whose compassions fail not to his un­worthy servant, though once and of­ten she thought they had, under her [Page 66] spirits captivity. Now I can through mercy say, That Jehovah the infinite and glorious being, shews wonders to the dead, and makes the desolate arise out of the grave of sin and si­lence, as Lazarus did, and praise him who preaches loving kindness to such; and puts an end to death and destruction, by his own life and sal­vation: I finde the Lord makes known his faithfulness and loving kindness in the land of forgetfulness, to souls that know not him, nor his wonders in the deeps; which caus­eth me to wait with joy for the fur­ther manifestations of the goodness and glory of God: Our God of love, whose communications of love are very precious to our soules, strongly engaging our hearts to praise him: O when, says my soul, shall we do this sufficiently! When we confess God to be his own praise. Some say of Parents, That their Children can never render to them their due: [Page 67] I am sure we may say so of God our Father, and Wisdom our Mother, which is Christ: for let a soul give never so much to God, it comes short of what is his due from us, for making us free, and joyfull in himself, from the bondage of corruption, by awak­ing and arising from under the black dark veils of Ignorance and Unbe­leife; saving us from our enemies which are too strong for us; and so redeeming and gathering us to him­selfe, who can no ways be happy out of him.

Now that we may be made thus happy, Christ is a Refiners fire to us, to burn and destroy all our dross, hay, and stubble; that we may be made a meet and fit habitation for God through the Spirit. O how should we be content with this purg­ing fire, knowing it to be our Gods design of love, in sending his bosom-Son to utterly abolish Mortality, and all that hath Death in it, and then [Page 68] cloath us with life, glory, and Immor­tality, according to his will; that we may be fit Brides for the Mar­riage of the Lambe; appearing like those who are begotten of the Im­mortall seed, and so changed from glory to glory by love; Whose irra­diant beames, and sweet shinings forth, makes the Lion a Lambe, the vile preci­ous, and ravening ones meek and lovely. These experienced souls, I finde, can more admire, then speak forth the ex­ceeding riches of Gods grace and free-love, and of his strange and mighty acts in renew making of us, by destroying the old creation in us, and transfiguring his new one in spi­rit. When this new life and glory, or new creation, is come down into us, or we taken up into it; then may a Christian be called A new Jerusalem, a heaven, and earth, wherein dwells righ­teousness, or the righteous Lord, who makes all things new, and glorious; by whose in dwelling presence in our hearts, [Page 69] we come to see what all the mists and fogs of darkness were, which hindred the Revelation of Christ in the Gospel, and his sweet discoveries of love from us; which was onely our proud, vile, vain, corrupt self; this is the obscuring veile; which veile for our comfort the Lord Jesus puts aside, as he said he would do, in the appointed time: this veile of darkness I finde also to be that vile woman which Solomon speaks of: her specious pretences to man in his lost condition, to bewitch us from the true knowledg of our dear God and his ways, and spirituall Worship: but he who is our wisdom and Pow­er, our all, is stronger then all enemies, to save and keep us for ever from them. Christ is our over-topping Mountain, in and by whom God hath promised to destroy the veile of the covering of the flesh, sin, or self-righteousness, which is cast over all people: this our spirituall eyes [Page 70] shall see with joyfull heart, when Christ shall be established above all other Mountains in the souls of his people; above every high thought & proud vain imagination, which of­fers to exalt it self above God, where it ought not to be, in our hearts; till the Holy Child Jesus is born and brought forth thence, our beloved Isaac, heir of all things, with the Govern­ment of life and Peace upon his shoul­der, to rule all, as only Lord and King, King of Salem, Prince of Peace; who hath, doth, and will bring all things in us into Obedience to his Holy Scepter; e­ven our corrupt averse wills, to subject to his Holy Divine will in all things: this great work Christ accomplishes by degrees, when he takes up his abode in our hearts.

Ah what a joy to the spirit, but what a sorrow to the flesh, is this indwel­ling presence in the hearts of his san­ctified ones! it's a sorrow to the flesh or old man in us, because it's death; [Page 71] and it's very joyous to the new man or second creation, because the life and glory of it: the indwelling pre­sence of Christ is a death to all that is evil in us, and a Quickning spirit to that which is good: the first work our King Jesus doth when he enters into our hearts; he shews us the falsness, foulness, Ignorance, and darkness, and all manner of evil in them; and afterwards he shews us the reality and purity of his own native beauty, and Supernaturall Glory. When the Sun of righteousness arises in our dark hearts, we then immediately see the gross darkness in us; and are then able to discerne aright between dark­ness and light, good and evil, truth and Error, by the Spirit of God which searches all things, even the deeps of Gods Counsels, and the deeps of our hearts: shewing us the weakness and unworthyness of our selves, and also the Power, Glory, and Omnipotence of God above them, who can turn [Page 72] and change them how and when he pleaseth, for his own glory and our sole comfort; and make us, of vile, precious and beautyful, through his comeliness. O what could God do more for his vineyard, his people, then he hath done? he hath invested them with his own glorious Image, and married them to Himself, or Son, which is all one, who is Heire of all things, King of Kings; and also dig­nified them with the graces of his Spirit, and cloathed them with the Glistering Spangles of his Holyness, the Angels Glory; and cull and chuse them from the common part of Gods earth, to be the chiefe or precious part of his earth: his choice Golden Mine, his peculiar treasure.

O may we not say, who have but seen, heard, or tasted ever so little a glimpse of this free rich grace, and precious love of God; what, O what shall we render unto the Lord for these unspeakable special mercies! for [Page 73] certainly God looks for some returne of his own from us; he looks for some thing present from us, as we do pre­sent and future from him. He looks we should live answerable to our en­joyments and hopes. Says Peter, What manner of persons ought we professors to be in practice, in all ho­ly conversation! O how excellent a thing is it to see all the Saints adorne the Gospell of Christ in walking, as well as talking! Noah is recorded for a walker with God: O to walk holy as Christ did, when he was upon earth in the days of his flesh, is excel­lent: we know his life was a life of Sanctity, an holy life; for, said he, Which of you convinceth me of sin? and he who had no sin nor guile found in his mouth: nay more, the Devil confest him the Holy one of God. O what a precious life was this holy life! as Christ walked holy, so humble: O that all Saints might walk in humili­ty, as their Lord and Head did; who [Page 74] though he were Lord and Heir of all, yet he washed his Disciples feet; and humbled himself to death, even the death of the cross. The humble soul looks likest Christ; humility is the veile of Christs Bride: O how beauti­full doth she look in Christs eye, when this veile of Rebekkah is upon her! be ye cloathed with humility, saith God, to us. As this veile hides anothers faults, so its own graces, as Rebekkah did her beau­ty: true grace, you know, shines most irradiant through the mask of humility. O what are all Christian duties, without heavenly humility! Incense smels most sweet when beaten small; then it sends forth its fragrant per­fume. As Divine humility studies Gods goodness, so its own unworthi­ness: Better is that sin which thorowly humbles the soul, like David, then that duty which lifts up Pharisee-like. In this the grace of humility is precious; it gives all to God; as Joab when he had gotten the Victory, sent for King [Page 75] David to carry away the Crown of it; so a believer, when he or she hath got­ten Victory over some corruption or temptation, then they set the Crown upon Christs head, and say with Da­vid, By my God I have leaped over a Wall: and if they finde strength to go tho­row duties, then they with Paul write Christ and free grace upon all: I la­boured more a bundantly then them all: yet not I, but the grace of God in me. To walk in love and amity, as Christ did, to the glory of God, is very desirea­ble: he breathed forth nothing but love; he was full of this perfume; as his person was lovely, so was his dis­position; he was composed all of love: he was so full of love within, that it broke forth without: his lips dropped honey, his hands Myrrhe, his sides blood, his heart Love: love! O how ought all Saints, who look for glorious things, to come to live in love, as Christ did upon earth! O that this sweet spice might send out its fragrant smell [Page 76] more among Christians, that all things by them might be done in love! We know, saith John, we who live in love and amity, That we are passed from death to life: surely none can love the Person of Christ really, but they will love his Picture, though very con­temptible to the world. O how might the Saints highly honor God, if they were more united in love, and quite dispossessed of these two evil spirits, that of self-conceitedness or vain glory, and uncharitableness! O why should this be? why should not we love as brethren? have we not all one Father? indeed that is a blessed strife, when the Saints contend for the faith; this consists in unity. O it's good in­deed, when simply out of love, the Saints shall be willing to suffer pati­ently for Christ, as he did, with a Lamb-like spirit: considering all our many and great sufferings are but one dram to his.

To think of Christs sufferings, and [Page 77] of his faithfull ones, Davids, Jobs, Jeremiahs, Sions, and many others, that we are not alone in troubles, sor­rows, and sufferings, hath administred much comfort to me, under all our sad changes. The Lord give us to sub­mit, and subscribe more to our Gods will in all troubles, and changes, that we may swim in the laver of his Love: Glorifying Him in the fires.

Sir, having these scattered Medi­tations upon my spirit at present, I was moved to communicate them to you by way of writing, being depri­ved of another oportunity. I hope you will accept my poor mite out of my scanty store, into you full trea­sury, with love, as I have done yours formerly in your lines. I remember a saying of yours which stirred me up a little to this communicating: you said, As the rich ones of the World Visit one another, opening their treasures to each other; so much more should the Saints de­clare [Page 78] the goodness of God to each other. Fearing my many lines at present may weary you, and being somewhat weak in body through sharp exerci­ses, I shall now leave you, with all Saints, in the Everlasting imbraces of our dear Lord Jesus, whose delight is to make his beloved the bosom of his rest, the bed of Spices; whose precious graces doth perfume all our tribulations: thorow which we enter into the Kingdom: and this love of the Lord also makes the world, and evil of it, a sweet savour of good, Peace, and rest to us in the end. The good Lord cause us more to indulge and honor the spirit of these graces above them, for the sweet incomes of them; this will demonstrate to the world, that We injoy more Within, then we make sound of Without; which my spirit covets after; and live not onely in the form, but in the Power of Godliness; and so can­not be led away with the Error of the wicked, or fall from our own stedfast­ness; [Page 79] but grow in grace, and in the pure, perfect knowledge of our dear God alone. Now the God of love and peace be with ye, making ye per­fect in every good work of faith and love; working in you, and all Saints, and us, that which is well pleasing in his sight, causing us all to walk as An­gels among Men, as the Powers and glory of Heaven upon Earth, like the children of the day in practice, as burning and shi­ning lights in this dark world. As the Saints believing heart, and un­daunted spirit is their glory before God; so is their unspotted life, their holy walking, their Glory before men; for when they see their good work, they will glorifie their God. Sir, having no further freedom to write more to you now, I shall take leave, and rest, Remaining

I am unskilled in Apologies and ex­cellent expressions; and if I were not, I had not whereof to glory of the ex­cellency of mans wisdom.

Sir, my dear mother is still tossed with many tempests of temptations; but the Lord graciously supports her, and gives her a little hopes sometimes of a gracious Issue. The Lord cast her into your heart to beg patience for her, to wait silently for a fresh manifestation of the Lords love to her sad soul; that she may with joyfull lips set forth his praise: she sees so much evil in her, and no good, which makes her often doubt whether it will [Page 81] go well with her in the end: and I tell her this is a token for good; for the more vile in our own eyes, the more precious in the sight of the Lord: this is a terrible sight to flesh and blood, To see our selves as we are, and God as he is.

Sir, your kind acceptance of my former lines, encouraged me to pre­sent these to your view at your ley­sure in spare hours.

Sir, I desire you to give my cordi­al respects to Mr. T. though unknown by face, with thanks for his Christian care and love to us in an unthought-of way: it's not he, but the Lord in him and by him, who will not leave a cup of cold water unrewarded, to him, and you, and all his.