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Show The Rife and Ptogrefs VoL. 1. 1694-' And alfo forn~ among them wanted not for Parts, Learning or F.fiare; \..i"'"V:'\.JJ (hough then as of Old, nor many Wife, or Noble, &c. were c~JUed; or ar l~alt recei\•ed the Heavenly CaD, hecaufe of the Crofs that artended the Profe(hou of it in Sincerity.• But neither do Parts or Learning make Men the better Chriftians,. rh:ough the berter. <?rato~s and Difpurants; :md it is the l g11..., .. ranee of People about the D1v1~e G1ft that ~aufes that yulgar and mifchic· vous miftake. Tbe~ry and Prt:lftcl!, Specll.laflon and En;o!'mem, Word.r and Life are rwo Thmgs. 0 tiS the •Pennent, the Ref01med, the Lowly the Watchful, the Self-den yin~ and Holy Soul, that is the C:bnflian! And that Frame is the Fruit and Work of the Spirit, which is the Life of Je· fus: whofc Life, tho' hid in the FulnefS of it in God the FJther, is 01ed ~broad in the Hearts of them that truly Believe, according to their Capaci· ty. 0 that People did but knd'W this to. Cleanfe them, to Circumcifi: them, to Quicken them, and _to make them New Creatures indeed! Re-crcnt· tJ, or Regenerated after Chr~H: Jefus unrogood Wo_rk_s; that they might li\'e to God, and not. t? them1el ves; an~ offer up (tvmg. P_rnY_us n'!d living Praifes, to the Lzvzng God, through biS own hvmg Spznl, lO whtch be i'i only to be Worfhipped in this Gofpel Day. 0 that they that read me could but feel me !. For my Heart is affeftcd with this Merciful Vifitation of the Fa theE of Lights and Spirits to this poor Nation, and the whole World, through the fame Tefiimony. Why fhould tl>e Inhabitants thereof rejeO it! Why fhould they lofe the Blc!fed Benefit of it? Why fhould they no.t turn to t he Lord with all their Hearts, and fay from the Heart, Speak Lord, for now rby poor Servants bear? 0 that thy Wi/J mny be dont; thy Grear, thy Good and Holy Wtll, in Ennb tU it is in HeaVC1t! Do it i11 NS, do it upon 11s, do what tho~t wilt witb tu; for wt 11rerbine, tmd dcjire toglorifi_e tbte our Creator, both far tbat, and be• cau(e thou art our Redeemer; for thou art redeeming 111 from tbe Eimb;. from rhe Vanities and Poi/JJtions of it1 tiJ be a Peculiar P~ople unto tbte. () this were a brave Day for England, tf fo (he could fay 111 Truth! But alas, the Cafe is orherwife; for which fome of thine Inhabitants, 0 Land of my Nativity! have mourned. over thee with biuer Wailing nnd IAmnJtntiorr, .Their Heads hnve ban mdetd as Waur.r, nrtd their J:..)tes ns f (nmtainl of Tenn, becaufe of thy Tranfgreffion and Stiffneckednels ; becaufe thou wilt not Hear, and Fear, and Rerum to the Rock, even thy Rock, 0 Eng!tmd! From whence thou :nt Hewn. But be thou warned, 0 Land of Gren Pro· feffion, to recei\•e him into thy Hearc. Behold, ot tbar Door it is he hath flood fo long knocking! but thou wilt yet have none of him. 0 be thou awakened, left: Jcrufa!em's Judgments do-fwiftly overtake thee, becaufe of Jerufalem"s Sin.r that abound in thee. For fhe abounded irr 1-'orma/ity, but made void the Weighty Things of God's Law, as thou da-ily dolt. She withftood the Son of God in the Flefh, and thou refifieft the Son of God in the Spirit. He would have gathered her as an Hen gathercth her Chick· ens under h~r Wings. and fhe would not; fo would bt have gathered tTue out of thy Lift-!efs Profeffion, and have bro11ghr thee to inhuir Subjlance ; to have known his Power and Kingdom: For whieh he often knoc:kt with· in, by his Grace and Spirit; and without, by his Servnnrs and Witneffcs .But on the Contrary, as ]er11ja!em of old Perfecuted the Manifefl::nion of the Son of God in the Flefh, and Crucified him, and Wbipr and lmprifonetl his Servants; fo haft: thou, 0 LJnd! Crucified to thy fe!f afrejh the Lord of Life and Glory, and done dejpire to his Spirit of Grace; flighting the Fatherly Vifitation, and Perfecuting the bleifed Difpenfers of it by thy Laws and Magift:rates: Tho~ they have Early and Late pleaded with thee in the Powtr and Spirit of the Lord; in Love and ll1eeknefs-, that thou mighre(t know the Lord, and ferve him, and become the Glory of all Lands. But thou haft Evilly entreated and requited them, Thou haft fer ot no11gl't all their Coun~el, and 1JJou/J'.ft have none of their Reproof. as than fboulo"ft have had. Thetr Appeara.nce was iooSrraight, and their Qualificarions were too ftlean for thee to recetve them; like the Jews of Old that cried !J not thn tbe Carpenter's Son, and 6ft nor bit Brethren among' us; whicl; of tbe · Scriba, VoL. I. OJ tbe P~ople cailetl O:uakers. Scribes, of the ttorneil (the 0 rh d ) h . . k'allln a Year or two and maki 0 ox tlzeve in him? Prophelying their it ro pafs: Endeavouri'ng to terrifi~ :;d executing O~ fefere Laws to !>ring them for abiding Faithful to it B te~ our ~fftrh~u Holy W(~ or dellroy m'ems that rof~ againft them · d du t ou a f~en how many Govern• overturned and exitin uiChed ~nan etermlned r~etr Downfal, have beed a grea_t and a confider~ble Pe~pled ~~~~:% are.~~}· P5referved, and become Inhabuanrs. And notwithftanding th e mt o·ffi on. of thy numerous Within, which they haVe Labour e many 1 culttes Without and. garhered them, they are an Encr::fi~ndpr, fince the Lord G~ Eternal firft them, in divers Parts fuch as fha111b g fl eo~le·} the Lord ih11 addfng Unto And to Thee, 0 1:!./rg!Jnd! Were th , e ave ' 1 the~ perfevere to ~the End. and as a City fet upon a·n Hill and ?• a~d Ne. ~hey lifted up as a Srandard, in tbeir Light thou may'll com; fi 1/ be auo~s rou~d about thee, that of the World, and therefore ~~o Li;bt Jg tj Y/~ m Cb:iP ]t/IH, the Li£hi turn from thy m~ny evil w ' '!n I.Je too, tf thou wouldft but of tbe.Lamb, mufl rht }latio~s~jrb~~e~btve an~ obedy it. For in tht Light Jeftifies. at are Jave wa!A, as the Sdipture Remem~er, 0 Nation of great p r. ffi 1 H on thee fince the Dawnin of Re~o e 10~ ow the Lord has walte!d lip~ Judgments by which he ha; pleadedo~~:b'T~ and dhe many Merctes and of thy deep Sleep, and yer bear hi; W d ee ;hanu Awake and A rife ou1 Ltve. or rn t ~ J..lean; that thotf dlay'it Ler not this thy Day of Vit.tatio fi h , . fo great Salvation as is This which t pas over~ Y lfead, nor t'leglefl li10J ·y.'h.Y Chould'fi thou die? 0 Land rli:rcome to t y oufe, 0 Etttland! Fot ts He rhac has been in the midft of Tb. G.P.d defir!=S to bt~ts! Be affured it not a Delufion, at thy miftaken Teacht.r ~pie, 10 JheTM1dft of Thee, :~ncf this thou fhalt find by their Mark ers _ave .rna e h~ believe. And ill the Spirit of Moderation. s and FruasJ If thou Wilt confider theai CHAP. III. OJ tht Qualifications of tbeir Minijlry. Elt11en Marlu that it is Chritlian. i: THey were cbonted Jlltn thtmftlvts before they weni ab • h · others. Thetr Heart.r were rtnt n . OUt to c ange they knew the Power lnd Work of God u aso. w.e as their G~rments ~ and the great Altera!ion it ina de, and their Wrifl:~eC. tndf rt~~ was feen bJ: Godly Converfauon that immediately followed 00! eo t e, and more II. They went not forth or p h d 1 h · upon 11: the WiU of God ; and fpoke not ~~~ir ~w~ ft ~1.r d'M Ttm\or Will~, but in, opened and moved of his Spirit with whic~ t~ atter, llut as tliey were their own Converfion: Which ~nnot be ey were. we . a~'uainted jn ~~~e ~~~n~n~fi~~~~~\~~ ~b~c~ntn'o ri;~~1~~ !~i;,a~~·~~ft~afd:in:~· whither it goerh. Yer th~ Proof a d S ln now whe.ncc It .c-omet~, or :~;itt w~[ •. ~~reant~~~~.t'~::d ih:it ,Li}e-kr~::~£~~:;~.\t!'J•:b~kn:llr~f Holy Life, as Th(;mfands can wi xpenmenta now ledge of God, and an they had to fay ftom the Lord fcmef· F. And as '!her Freely received what 111. The Benr and Strefs o? t~eit ~y. ~etly admmiftred lt to others: generation and Ho/inejs. N t Sch r MmJ~CJ wa~ Converfion to God 1 Renew Forms of Worfhi b 0 ~mer 0 Doflnnes and Verbal Creeds, or reducin the Ceremon{'; uta lea'vmg off in Religion the Supedluods, and {~fl':tit:~~·m~l\'t.d~~·r~Etil!J~~~,~·,~· th~~b~~~~~ au:~~~~ :~:,t~~; sT IV. Tfteyl |
