10 / 504
you nowenjoy. What
may
juflly
be
the
Expe
&ation
of
God
from
you,under,this
lgnal
di1-
penfatioh""ofhis
goodnefs,what..is
the
hope,prayer,& expatiation
of
very
many
that
fea re
him,
concerningyou,in
this
nation;what
are
the
defignes,defires,aimes,and endeavours
of
all
forts
of
them,
who beare
ill
wig
atwhatfoever
is
comely, or praife
worthy amopgft
us,you are
not
ignorant. Whatever confideration
at
any time
or
feafon may
feem
to
have had
anef-
ficacy
upon the
minds
and
wills
of
men,under the
like
Sacrament,and defignement to the
fee-
vice
of truthwith your
felves
,
to
incite and provoke them
to
a fingularly induftrious
and
faithful difcharge
of
their duty,is eminently prefling upon you alfo;and you are
made
a
fpec-
tacle
to men ved
eAngells,
as
to
the acquitment
of
your
(elves.
The
whole
of
your
im
ploy-
ment
,
I
confefs
,
both
in
the General intendment
of
it
,
for
the promoting
and diffuling
of
Iight.knowledge,and
Truth
in
every kind
whatever, and
in
the
more
fpccial defigne
thereof,
for the
defence,
furtherance, and propagation
of
the Antient,inviolable,unchangeable
truth
of
the Gofpel
of
God,
is
in
the
dayes wherein we live,
eapofed
to
a
Contention with
as
much
oppofrtion, contempt, fcorne,
hatred, and reproach,
as
ever
any
filch
undertaking
was,in
any
place
in
the world wherein
men pretended
to
love
light,
more then
darkneft.
It
is
an
hellifh darknefs which
the light
of
the
Sun
cannot
expel.
There
is
no ignorance
fo full
of
Pride, folly and ftubbornefs,as
that
which
maintains
it felfe,in the
midi
of
plenti-
ful meanes
of
light
and knowledge. He
that
is
in
the darke
,
when the
light
of
the
Sun
is
as
feven dayes,hath darknefs
in
his eye,and howgreat
is
that
darkne
/r?
Such
is
the Ignoranceyou
have
to
contend
withal;
ftubborne,
affe
&ed, prejudicate beyond exprefïion; maintaining
it's
darknefs at noon-day,exprelly refuting
to attend to the
Reafon
of
things,as being
that
alone,
in
the thoughts
of
thole
men ,
( if
they
may be fo called
)
who
are
pcfl'effed
with ir, where-
with the world
is
difturbed. From thofe who being under
the
power
of
this
enthtalment,do
Item to repine
at
God,
that
they
are
not beaus,
and clamoroully
traduce the more noble part
of
that
kind
&
offspring,whereof themfelvesare,which attempts
do heighten,&improve the
difference between Creatures
of
anintelle&ual Race
,
and them
,
to
whom
theirperifhing
Companion
gives
the utmoft
Advancement
;
whole eternal
feeds
,
and principles , are laid
by the
hand
of
God
in
their
refpedtive beings
,
you
will
not
I
am fare think it
much
if you
.
meet with
Oppofrtions.
Thofe
Who
are in
any meafureacquainted with the fecret
,
trium.
thing
exaltations
of
wifdome
and knowledge
,
againft folly and
ignorance;
with the
princi-
ples and conditions
wherewith they advance
themfelves
intheir gloryings
even
then,
when
the
precedency
of (
that
which
is
befial
in this
world
) force-and
violence
outwardly
beard
them
down
with infultation and contempt
,
will
rather
envie
,
then
pity you
in
any conceit
that
on this
foot
of
account,
you
can be engaged in. You
are not the fire, that
have
fought
with men,after
the
manner
of
Beaf
,;nor
will be
the
laf,
who fhall
need
to pray
to
be
delivered
from
abfurd
and
unreafanable
men,feting
all
men
have
not
faith.
Men
of
prophane
&
Atheiflical fpirits,who
are
ready
to
fay
;who
is
the Lord,What
is
the
Al-
mighty
that
welhouldfeare
hia
?or hie
truth that
We
fhoold
regardit? whole Generation
is
of
late
Multiplied on
theface
of
the
earth,
crying
a
Confederacy
with
them,
who profeffing better
things are yet
filled
with
grievous indignations
at
the
facrifice
that
bath been made
of
their
Abominations
before their eyes
by
that
Reformation
of
this place , wherein you have been
infirumental
,
are
a
continual goad on the
other
fide
,
and would quickly
be
a fword
in
your
verybowels were
not
He
,
that
is
higher
then
the higheft, your
dwelling place
,
and
refuge
in
your
Generation.
Theft
are they upon whom
God
having poured contempt-,and
!hind
their
glory,who inuead
of
accepting
of
his
difpenfations,are filled
with wrath,and labour to
make
others
drink
of
the
cup,
which
hath
been offered
to
themfelves.
With
their
reproaches Ileigh-
tings undervaluations
,flanders,do
your worth,
diligence,
integrity, labours,contend,from
one
end
of
this
earth to the other. He
that hath
delivered,doth
deliver,andin
him
we
craft
,that
he
will
deliver.
What
other
oppofrtion
you do
meet,
or
in
your
progrets
,
may meet
withal,
I
wall not
`mention
:
but Waiewith
patience
on
him
,
who
gives
men Repentance
,
and chang
of
Heart
to
the
Acknowledgment
of
the
things
,
that
are
of
him. This in the
midi
of
all
bath hi-
therto
been
a'caufeòfgreat
rejoycing
,
that God
harp
gratioufly kept
off
ravenous wolves,
fróm
entring into
your
fiocks,where are
fo
many
tender
lambes,and
bath not
fuffered men
to
arife from
amongu your
felvesfpeaking perverfethings,
&drawing
away
difciples
after them;
but
as
he
bath
given
you,
to
obey
fromyour heart
that
forme
of
which
bath
been
delivered
-unto
you,fo He
bath
preferv'd
thatfaithamongft
you,which
was
once
delivered to the
Saints.
Your peculiar delignation
to
the
fervice
óf
the
Gófpel ,
and
defence
of
the Truth thereof,
your
Abilities for
that
worke
,
your abiding
in
it,
notwithttranding
the
oppofition
you meet
+wethall,
Maw
mid'fiof
aerobked-arte1
prverfe
generation
,
are
as I fayd before,
my Incourage-
ments