| OCR Text |
Show s86 The Chriftian-Quaker, and bM ~OL. 1. fclf fuitable to that Created Cap:tclty in the C.rearure. Certamfy_ therl,, ' 673· fine~ God defires not that the Crelture 01ould recetve a wrong rtnpref!to~ of ~ · 1 ·1 h e uires Univerfal Fear and Reverence, he mutt needs ha\"e Chap.X:II. hi~~ fu~eecer~:inqand fufficierlt Difco~ery and Meafure to the C1eamre, in. ~rder to it, by rhofe Lively Manlfeft~uons, and moft Seofible Touches ~f the Li ht w and upon the Soul, wh1ch cannot. but be true~. clea~, and 1f · d dg fficacious . For that God (hould requue Men to 1erve h1m, and ~~~ ei;e ethem wha~ is fufficienr, is worfe than not to give at .all·;, fin~e M P obeying fuch DifCoveries, is not fo great an Aggr~v:ltlon ot h1s N 3 "t!ft0~5 the lmperfe£\:ion ofrhem is, ~ithe: of the Inf~fficl~ncy, or UnwiWing~ efs of him rha.c made them do orlterwJFe- \Vh~t IS th1s but to fay, that dod expeas Horr.age from Men, as thetr Sover~1gn Lord, a~~ lh:tt they live uprighdy in the World, and yet he has not gtven the~ Abthty to d · > H pronounces fuch Miferable who conform not thernfelves to an H~i; Lif:. but gives no Power to avoid the Curfe? In fhorr, though Re~fon tell us, he made none purpofely t? de1hoy them, _but r~th~J' that he m1ght be glorified in their Sal vat!orf, whtch he IS alfo f~td to tnvttc Me~ t~; yet that he defigns nothing lefs, by leavi~g all Manktnd under the Fa1nt1ngs crf an impoRible SuccefJ. Bur as fuch.dtfmal Con~equences belor:g no~ to the Truth, fo we are well affured, the Light, of w~1ch l!e fpeak, has e\crbeen Sufficient to the End for which it hJs been g1ven, m every Age, h~th to manifeft Evil, condemn for it, and redeem from the Power and Pollu~t?n of it, by the Holy Operation of it's Power, all thofe who, a_r~ the D1hgent Difdples of it. For it feems moll unreafonable that the S~1~1t ofD~rknefs . ihould be fufticicnt, to draw into Sin, 'and yet tbJt the .Sptnr. and light of Chrift fuould not be fuffi.cient t~ rede~m and f~ve fro_m ~r. Smce there.fore -we cannot admit of any Infuffictency tn the Ltght wtthm,_ bur at the ~~~~e Time we mull fuppofe, Fir]/, That whilll God would be nghtly worlhtpd, he has too darkly difco\'tted the yYay how to d~ tt an~hr; and Secondly, that his Gift is impotent; and Tb~rdly, that Man 1~ requued to ~o what he has no Power to perform; a-nd Fourthly, T?at whtlft God rcquues Man ro fer\'e him ' he hath not fo much as fhewn htm what Way he ought to do Jt (which ar~ Confequences moft unworthy of God)wc ratherchufe t? fir d?wn contented with this Belief, Tbot_God,_ wbo made lllan, tmd bdl gtVe'! btm_ a Soul Capable of Knowing and Servzng JJu Mder, btztb alfo endued ~1m rwb. Divine Knowi~J;.e, by a Superadded Ltght and Power, a~d ~n.dt!ed bun there· ·fJy to Jive fubjervient to that Kno~ledge: Tbat God'1 Gift u Ferfe8 and Suf· p-;ient for that Work; and tbat fucb at are led by 1t, mufl needs be kd I~ Gal; u11to «'hom, the Divine Li$_ht 1Wturolly tends, and nttraf!s, at thor ftom whom it ca111e, which is ccrtam!y a State of B!e.ffed lmmortt~bty. In {hart, accept Reader of lhefe few Arguments, Compreheofive of thefe .... , Two Chlpters, and indeed of rnoft of Y!'hat goes before.. . . 1 God requires no Man to do any Thmg he has not gt\'en htm firfi L1ght to Know, and then Power to Do. But God requ.ires every Man w fear him, and work Ri&hteou.fnefs; theu:for.e he has gtven e\lety Man, both :t lLifcovery of His Will and Power to do 1t. 2. No Man oug~_t t~ Worfhip the True God ~gnorant~y : But. every.Man is commanded to Worfhip God; therefore, He .1s to do .n kno"':'mgly. 3· No Man can know God, but God muft dtfcover. It to hun, and that cannot be wlthour Light; therefore every M:1~ h~ L~ght. 4 This Light muft he fufficient, or God's G1fts :1re tmpetfeEt, :1nd anfwer not ~he End for which they were given , but God's Gifts Jre Perf eO, Jn~ cJ~l perform what they are defigned for; therefore fince tpc Light is his Gift, tL muft be Slljfi&itm. The Sum is this: . Every M:1n oughr to Fear, Wor!hip and Obey Gc.d_. No M.1n can ~o i~ aright, that knows him not. ~o Man c:tn know hi~, but ~y tf}e Dtfco very he makes ofhimfelf. No D1_fc.overy can be _m:tde ~tth~ut f..tght: Nor can •his Light give that Difcovery, tf tmp:rfeft or mfuffic1cnt in Natute; thf~~ Vo11, t. Tel!:imony Sifted~~ V..ididded. fore afi i1aV~· a &r(f!uient L~g6t to this Great End and Purpo!C: iis. to Feu~ y.ror£htp. a_!l.d Obey God; and this Light is Cbrift. · \· . CHAP. XXII. ., t • , TheQuet1:~on, WhOHtU, o~ '!Jttare th11t ohey thit Diui,e Light, fie ~ Confi~ert~ n~d .lfnji<•er d; bfm& the CharaEier of a True Qpaker. I Am no~ co~e tO my ~aft Qu_eftion, 'fi.z . W~orb~ lfe is, or They are th~1 obey tbu L;}.bt, npd zn obqrrtg llllatn S(,(lvarion ? ·1 r ' Or~ W!Jat arc the ff<.:_lla/ifi,arionrof t~ofe thllt4Jbeythit Li4hf? Not "Y~'lf dre th't1r Names; but What Kind· or Manner of People 3re they) In fhort What is it tb obey the Light ? " · ' ~ Ch. XXII. ~ Irhink I have fo fullyexpr<ll1my f;lf already in this M~tter, th'!t wirh 2n mgemom R.eader, I m1ght be-Ihed the Pa1ns of further C()nfidenag ir ~ :But -that nothmg may be thought to be finwned as unanfwcrahle, which_ is fo ~~fy to b~ anfWered, I muft}:ell h'im and an Men 1_ <{nd that not without fome Expmmental Knowledge of what 1 fay, TM( fuch obey rh~ Ligltt who refrain from atl that the Light mahifefls ~o be Evil and who inclio6 to perform all that ft re_quires ta be done: For Example~ When the Lfg_ht fhews that it is inconfiflent w~c~ a .Man fearing God,, to be Wanton, Pajjio~ Gat.~· note, ProuJ, Covuobs, Bttckbmng, En~H011f!. w,·nrhjul, UnmertifNI, Re':' Ephef: ,. vengef~l, Proph~ne, Drunlun, Yo/upruoiiS, Lnelean whic~ With iuch iike, R.om. 1, are called in Scr!pture, the Fr~it.r Of the Flejh, nhd iVorRs oj Darknifs; and Perf~ns f~ qualified, The Ch11drtn of Wrath, fu'"tli m deligbt not to re~aitj G~d m_rbetr Knowle1ge, &c. I fay! when the Light difcovers thefe Things to be lnconfiftent wnh a Man fe:mng God, he who truly obeys the Light denies and forfakes them, however Crof.r it be to Flefh and Blood and le: it coft him never fo dear: Thot'lgh Relations do both Threaten and'Enrrear 2nd the World Mock, and that he is fure to beCome the Song of the Drunk~ ard, and a Derifion to his Ancient Companions. No he dare nor conform himfelf any mo(c to the Faihions of the World ;h.ich p:tfs awJy and Which dr~w ~ut the Mind into vai~ and unprofi'rable DelJghts,~ ~hich Jam.~· 6• the Juft m h1m had formerly been flam; neither to gratifie rhe Lu of the :iohn 2" ~~~ Eye, the J.-.u.[l of tbe Flejh, and tbc Pride of Lift, which arc not o rhe Na~ ture o~ hts father, who ~as begotten better Defireii and R,efolutions in him. ~e reJ.etls tM Converfauon he once had in the w·orld, and in rhe 'Eye of lts <;:htldren, feems a Man_f~rlorn a~d difirafied. He takes up the Crofs, defptfes the Shome, and wtlhngly dnnks of the Cup of birter Mockings 3nd yields to be bJptized with rhe Baprifm of deep Trials, rhac Chrifl ]efu; h1s Lord drank of, and was baptized with. He is as well taught to deriy the Religions, as Cares and Pleafures of the World. Such as profefs Religion from what they have either been taughe: by others, or read and gathered after their Carnal Minds our of the Scrip· tures, intruding into the Praaices of either Prophets or Apo!hes as to Ex~ ternalaod Shadowy Things, not being led thereto by the fame Power they h~, he can have no Fellowfhip with: He counts a1l fuch Faith and WOt~ ~tp the Imagination of Men, or a mcer llfelefs Imitation: He prefers one Sight b~otten f~om a SenfeofGod's Work in the Heart, beyond rhe Jongeft Prayers m that S.tate: He leavu them aU. wallu m a Man Alone, fett,ing to ~ff'!r God a Sn"ifice that U not of hH own prepttring. He charges all other htthsand Wor£hips wirh lnfhfficiency, and meer creatutety Power, which are not held and performed from an Holy Convietion and Prepaution· by the Angtl of God, the Light of his Prefence, tn rhe Heo.mand Confcience: TherefOre it is that he goes forth in the ~'uengrh of J1is God <~gainfi rhc A1e:cbams "f Bnbylo11; anrl 'Voes and Plaogoes are righrly in his Mouth ag<Jmft tltofe Buyers and Sellers of the Souls of Men. He is- Jealous for tlte Nameofthe Lord, and therefore dares not !pe:tk Pea.ceunto them; nei~ lifff, thee |
