(_EXHORTATION TO ABIDE IN THE TRUTH, IN PROSPECT OF CHRIST'S
COMING--SCRIPTURAL MODE OF OBSERVING ORDINANCES SUCH AS THE SABBATH,
FAMILY PRAYER, AND THE LORD'S SUPPER--JUDGMENTS ANTICIPATED._)
DEARLY BELOVED IN OUR LORD,--Grace, mercy, and peace from God our
Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, be multiplied upon you.
I long exceedingly to hear of your on-going and advancement in your
journey to the kingdom of God. My only joy, out of heaven, is to hear
that the seed of God sown among you is growing and coming to a
harvest. For I ceased not, while I was among you, in season and out of
season (according to the measure of grace given unto me), to warn and
stir up your minds: and I am free from the blood of all men, for I
have communicated to you the whole counsel of God. And I now again
charge and warn you, in the great and dreadful name, and in the
sovereign authority of the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and I
beseech you also by the mercies of God, and by the bowels of Christ,
by your appearance before Christ Jesus our Lord, by all the plagues
that are written in God's book, by your part of the holy city, the New
Jerusalem, that ye keep the truth of God, as I delivered it to you,
before many witnesses, in the sight of God and His holy angels. For
now the last days are come and coming, when many forsake Christ Jesus;
and He saith to you, Will ye also leave Me?
Remember that I forewarned you to forbear the dishonouring of the
Lord's blessed name, in swearing, blaspheming, cursing, and the
profaning of the Lord's Sabbath; willing you to give that day, from
morning to night, to praying, praising, hearing of the word,
conferring, and speaking not your own words but God's words, thinking
and meditating on God's nature, word, and work; and that every day, at
morning and at night (at least), ye should sanctify the Lord by
praying in your houses, publicly in the hearing of all. That ye should
in any sort forbear the receiving of the Lord's Supper but after the
form that I delivered it to you, according to the example of Christ
our Lord, that is, that ye should sit as banqueters, at one table with
our King, and eat, and drink, and divide the elements, one to another.
(The timber and stones of the church-wall shall bear witness, that my
soul was refreshed with the comforts of God in that supper!) And that
crossing in baptism was unlawful, and against Christ's ordinance. And
that no day besides the Sabbath (which is of His own appointment)
should be kept holy, and sanctified with preaching and the public
worship of God, for the memory of Christ's birth, death, resurrection,
and ascension; seeing such days so observed are unlawful,
will-worship, and not warranted in Christ's word. And that everything,
in God's worship, not warranted by Christ's Testament and word, was
unlawful. Also, that Idolatry, worshipping of God before hallowed
creatures, and adoring of Christ by kneeling before bread and wine,
was unlawful. And that ye should be humble, sober, modest, forbearing
pride, envy, malice, wrath, hatred, contention, debate, lying,
slandering, stealing, and defrauding your neighbours in grass, corn,
or cattle, in buying or selling, borrowing or lending, taking or
giving, in bargains or covenants; that ye should work with your own
hands, and be content with that which God hath given you. That ye
should study to know God and His will, and keep in mind the doctrine
of the Catechism, which I taught you carefully, and speak of it in
your houses, and in the fields, when ye lie down at night, and when ye
rise in the morning; and that ye should believe in the Son of God, and
obey His commandments, and learn to make your accounts in time with
your Judge, because death and judgment are before you.
And if ye have now penury and want of that word, which I delivered to
you in abundance (yea to God's honour I speak it, without arrogating
anything to myself, who am but a poor empty man, ye had as much of the
word in nine years, while I was among you, as some others have had in
many), mourn for your loss of time, and repent. My soul pitieth you,
that ye should suck dry breasts, and be put to draw at dry wells. Oh
that ye would esteem highly the Lamb of God, your well-beloved Christ
Jesus, whose virtues and praises I preached unto you with joy, and
which He did countenance and accompany with some power; and that ye
would call to mind the many fair days, and glorious feasts in our
Lord's house-of-wine, that ye and I have had with Christ Jesus!
But if there be any among you that take liberty to sin because I am
removed from amongst you, and forget that word of truth which ye
heard, and turn the grace of God into wantonness, I here, under my
hand, in the name of Christ my Lord, write to such persons all the
plagues of God, and the curses that ever I preached in the pulpit of
Anwoth, against the children of disobedience! And, as the Lord liveth,
the Lord Jesus shall make good what I write unto you. Therefore,
dearly beloved, fulfil my joy. Fear the great and dreadful name of the
Lord. Seek God with me. Scotland's judgment sleepeth not: awake and
repent. The sword of the Lord shall go from the north to the south,
from the east to the west, and through all the corners of the land,
and that sword shall be drunk with your blood amongst the first; and I
shall stand up as a witness against you, if you do not amend your ways
and your doings, and turn to the Lord with all your heart.
I beseech you also, my beloved in the Lord, my joy, and my crown, be
not offended at the sufferings of me, the prisoner of Jesus Christ. I
am filled with joy and with the comforts of God. Upon my salvation, I
know and am persuaded it is for God's truth, and the honour of my King
and royal Prince Jesus, I now suffer. And howbeit this town be my
prison, yet Christ hath made it my palace, a garden of pleasures, a
field and orchard of delights. I know likewise, albeit I be in bonds,
that yet the word of God is not in bonds. My spirit also is in free
ward. Sweet, sweet have His comforts been to my soul: my pen, tongue,
and heart have not words to express the kindness. love, and mercy of
my Well-beloved to me, in this house of my pilgrimage.
I charge you to fear and love Christ, and to seek a house not made
with hands, but your Father's house above. This laughing and
white-skinned world beguileth you; and if ye seek it more than God, it
shall play you a slip, to the endless sorrow of your heart. Alas! I
could not make many of you fall in love with Christ, howbeit I
endeavoured to speak much good of Him and to commend Him to you; which
as it was your sin, so it is my sorrow! Yet, once again suffer me to
exhort, beseech, and obtest you in the Lord, to think of His love, and
to be delighted with Him, who is altogether lovely. I give ye the word
of a King, that ye shall not repent it.
Ye are in my prayers night and day. I cannot forget you: I do not eat,
I do not drink, but I pray for you all. I entreat you all and every
one of you, to pray for me. Grace, grace be with you.
Your lawful and loving pastor,