InflruElionJ for a ri._~htcomforf!ng Watchman was better acqu:1inted with'our wayes,and hadmore fully difcovered the fiate ofour foules ;· the Word was unto us,ao a voyce ofagreat thunder,more difrinet and particular; breeding not only admiration,but feare alfo ;. not fill'ing our eares; only w'ith an uncouth found, but our hearts alfo with a terrible fearching.. For the Sermons ofevery Sabbath came home to our confciences, fingling out our feverall reigning corruptions; beating punctually upon our bofome-fiimcs; manifefiing clearly our fpirituall mifery and certaine liablendfe to the extremefi wrath ofGod,and eQdle!fe woe. VVhereupon, we were alt at our wits end what to do,grew weary ofour lives, wii11ed with all our hearts,that ii1ch a ruritane Preacher had never come amongfi us ; told every man, almofi: wemet, that we had a Fellow at our Towne would drive us all to defpaire, difi:racrion, fclfe-defrrucrion or feme mifchiefe,or other.That we heard nothing from him but of damnatiqn, and hell, and' :Li1eh horrible things,&c. Now in this-fecond worke of the \Vord there was a good number, even feme ·out ofthat curfed c~ue and knot ofgood-Fellowfhip,, wherin I have bin enfi1aredfo long, wane unto I if m Chr~(t. For being inlightned,convinced and terrified in confc1ence for their former finfi11l courfes; the continued piercing ofthe Word, and worke of the fpirit ofbondage,keeping them upon the Racke, under the dreadfull fenie ofdivine wr<1th,and their dam-. nabldl:ate a good while:at lafl:',they happily refolved without any moredday,diverfion, by...path, or plunging againe into worldly pleaft.Ires,to paffe on dire&~ ly ,by the light and guidance 9f theGofpell, into the holy path. And io pndertooke, and hitherto have holden out in Profefilon, and a bleffed conformity to the better fide, But I, and a greater part agreat . deale, more was the pitty, hating heartily to be~ J n;for,med,;and . abl1o~ring that pre,ife_ »'t!)', (o mud! ··· · ·- -- ·-"- - · f}_of<!n
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=