his light and fpirit, given us, of the Chriftian world's apoftacy from God, and the cause and effects of that great and lamentable defection. In the difcovery of which, the fenfe of our state came first before us, and we were made to fee him whom we pierced, and to mourn for it. A day of humiliation overtook us, and we fainted to that pleasure and delight we once loved. Now our works went before-hand to judgment, and a thorough fearch was made, and the words of the prophet became well understood by us: Who can abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand, when he appears ? He is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's foap. And as the apoftle faid, If the righteous fcarcely be faved, where fhall the ungodly and the finner appear? Wherefore, fays the apoftle Paul, knowing the terror of the Lord, we perfuade men: what to do? To come out of the nature, fpirit, lufts, and cuftoms of this wicked world: remembering that, as Jefus has faid, For every idle word that man fpeaketh, he shall give an account in the day of judgment.

This concern of mind, and dejection of spirit, was vifible to our neighbours; and we are not afhamed to own, that the terrors of the Lord took fuch hold upon us, because we had long, under a pofeffion of religion, grieved God's holy fpirit, that reproved us in fecret for our difobedience; that as we abhorred to think of continuing in our old fins, fo we feared to use lawful things, left we fhould use them unlawfully. The words of the prophet were fulfilled

Mal. iii. 2. Pet. iv. 18.2 Cor. v. II. • Mat.xii. 36.

on us Wherefore do I fee every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail? £ Many a pang and throe have we had; our heaven feemed to melt away, and our earth to be removed out of its place; and we were like men, as the apostle said, upon whom the ends of the world were come. God knows it was fo in this day; the brightnefs of his coming to our fouls difcovered, and the breath of his mouth destroyed, every plant he had not planted in us. He was a fwift witness against every evil thought, and every unfruitful work; and bĺeffed be his name, we were not offended in him, or at his righteous judgments. Now it was, that a grand inqueft came upon our whole life: every word, thought, and deed was brought to judgment, the root examined, and its tendency confidered. The luft of the eye, the luft of the flesh, and the pride of life, were opened to our view; the mystery of iniquity in us. And by knowing the evil leaven, and its divers evil effects in ourselves, how it had wrought, and what it had done, we came to have a sense and knowledge of the ftates of others and what we could not, nay, we dare not let live and continue in ourselves, as being manifested to us to proceed from an evil principle in the time of man's degeneracy, we could not comply with in others. Now this I fay, and that in the fear and prefence of the all-feeing juft God, the present honours and refpect of the world, among other things, became burdenfeme to us: we faw they had no being in paradife, 1 John ii. 16.

Jer. xxx. 6.

that they grew in the night-time, and came from an ill root; and that they only delighted a vain and ill mind, and that much pride and folly were in them.

§. VI. And though we eafily forefaw the ftorms of reproach that would fall upon us, for our refufing to practice them; yet we were fo far from being fhaken in our judgment, that it abundantly confirmed our fenfe of them. For fo exalted a thing is man, and fo loving of honour and respect, even from his fellow-creatures, that fo foon as in tenderness of conscience towards God, we could not perform them as formerly, he became more concerned than for all the rest of our differences, however material to falvation. So that let the honour of God, and our own falvation, do as it will, it was greater herefy and blafphemy to refufe him. the homage of the hat, and his ufual titles of honour; to deny to pledge his healths, or play with him at cards and dice, than any other principle we maintained; for being less in his view, it seemed not fo much in his way.

§. VII. And though it be frequently objected, that we seek to fet up outward forms of precifeness, and that it is but as a green riband, the badge of the party, the better to be known: I do declare, in the fear of Almighty God, that these are but the imaginations and vain constructions of infenfible men, that have not had that sense which the Lord hath given us, of what arifes from the right and the wrong root in man: and when fuch cenfurers of our fimplicity fhall be inwardly touched and

F

awakened by the mighty power of God, and fee things as they are in their proper natures and feeds, they will then know their own burden, and easily acquit us, without the imputation of folly or hypocrify herein.

§. VIII. To fay, That we strain at small things, which becomes not people of fo fair pretenfions to liberty and freedom of spirit: I anfwer with meeknefs, truth, and fobriety; first, nothing is fmall that God makes matter of conscience to do, or leave undone. Next as inconfiderable as they are made, by those that object upon us, they are much fet by; fo greatly, as for our not giving them, to be beaten, imprisoned, refused juftice, &c. To fay nothing of the derifion and reproach that hath been frequently flung at us on this account.

So that if we had wanted a proof of the truth of our inward belief and judgment, the very practice of them that oppofed it, would have abundantly confirmed us. But let it fuffice to us, that Wisdom is juftified of her children:" we only paffively let fall the practice of what we are taught to believe is vain and unchristian: in which we are negative to forms: for we leave off, we do not fet up forms.

§. IX. The world is fo fet upon the ceremonious parts and outside of things, that it has well befeemed the wifdom of God in all ages, to bring forth his difpenfations with very dif ferent appearances to their fettled cuftoms; thereby contradicting human inventions, and proving the integrity of his confeffors. Nay,

Mat, xi. 19.

it is a test upon the world: it tries what patience, kindness, fobriety, and moderation they have if the rough and homely outside of truth stumble not their minds from the reception of it, whose beauty is within: it makes a great discovery upon them. For he who refuses a precious jewel, because it is prefented in a plain box, will never esteem it to its value, nor fet his heart upon keeping it; therefore I call it a teft, because it shews where the hearts and affections of the people stick, after all their great pretence to more excellent things.

§. X. It is alfo a mighty trial upon God's people, in that they are put upon the discovery of their contradiction to the cuftoms generally received and esteemed in the world; which exposes them to the wonder, fcorn, and abuse of the multitude. But there is an hidden treasure in it it inures us to reproach, it learns us to despise the false reputation of the world, and filently to undergo the contradiction and scorn of its votaries; and finally with a Christian meekness and patience, to overcome their injuries and reproaches. Add to this; it weans thee of thy familiars; for being flighted of them as a ninny, a fool, a frantic, &c. thou art delivered from a greater temptation; and that is, the power and influence of their vain converfation. And last of all, it lifts thee of the company of the bleffed, mocked, perfecuted JESUS to fight under his banner, against the world, the flefh, and the devil: that after having faithfully fuffered with him in a state of humiliation, thou mayeft reign with him in a