When the Lord Jesus came to Jerusalem, he beheld the City,
and wept over it, with this lamentation: “Oh that thou hadst
known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace!” The
same tendernesse is witnessed now in them which the Lord
hath enlightned. I cannot but mourn over you, to see how
you lye wallowing in your filth, and joyne hand in hand,
and smite with the fist of wickednesse, and yet lean upon
Christ for salvation: Know you not that “many shall say in
that day, ‘Lord, Lord’?” but remember what will be your
answer; “‘Go you cursed into the lake, I know you not’”. Oh that thou wouldst but stand
still a little, and turn thy eye inward; Sit downe a little, and consider thy poore
soul that lyes in death: What will become of thee, thou murderest the just in thee,
there is a Talent to be improved in thee, how wilt thou give an accompt of it; the
Steward is now come: In the coole of the day, then Adam heard the voyce of
God, and then he saw his nakedness, and so mayest thou; If thou wilt turn in thy
minde to the light of Christ in thee, the light will discover to thee thy fallen state,
and how thou art turned out from the presence of God, and art in the gall of bitternesse,
and the earth is cursed for thy sake: Now if thou wilt minde the light,
and waite in it, which is the grace of God that hath appeared to thee, there is the
first step to pure redemption: And if thou take diligent heed to this light in thee,
thou shalt finde it checking thee continually for all thy evill deeds, and it will
teach thee to be sober minded and upright in all thy dealings as in the sight of
God: and so thou wilt come to see the straight gate and narrow way that leads to
life; but thou wilt say, “Christ hath done all this for me, I have nothing to do but
believe”: but it will be said unto thee, when thou thinkest to sit downe with thy
Lord; “‘Friend, how camest thou hither without a wedding-garment?’” then know what thy
portion will be. Faith is another thing then thou takest it to be; He that hath
Faith, if it be never so little, shall witnesse Christs words to be true, “he shall remove
mountains”: Now in the still silence, in the light that shines in darknesse in thee,
thou wilt come to relish that little grain of Faith which is held in a pure conscience,
and so feele the mountains remove, which presseth downe thy foule: but “ye
will not come unto me that ye may have life”, saith Christ Jesus; It is thy will that hinders
thee, for in thy will the Devill lodges. Adam when he disobeyed the minde
and will of God, then he entred into his own will, and so was turned out into the
Devils Kingdome. Now Christ Jesus the second Adam, who is God manifest in flesh,
condemning sinne in the flesh, if thou live in him in thee, and believe in him in thee,
then thou shalt witnesse his power to the cutting down of thy will; for thy will
must come to death, that the will of God may be done, and so that Scripture comes
to be fulfilled in thee, which are the words of Christ; “Loe I come, in the volume of thy
booke it is written of me to doe thy will O God”, which is the book of conscience in thee,
there the will of God is to be done: And as thou comest to love the light, and
live in it, thou wilt come to see the righteous law of God fulfilled in thee, Death
reigns in thee. Now Death reigned from Adam till Moses and when Moses came,
then was the Law given forth; and so Moses and the Prophets till John: But thou
wilt say, “‘thou art not under the Law, but under Grace’”? let the light search thee, and
it will aske thee, “how camest thou to be under Grace? Is not the law for cleansing;
When wast thou cleansed? or where dost thou think to be cleansed? Doth not
Christ Jesus say, that he is come to fulfill the Law, and that one jot nor tittle shall
pass unfulfilled, and wilt thou speak of his words, and not believe him?” Yea, thou
shalt know, that for that very end is there a measure of Christ given unto thee;
that if thou deny thy selfe, and yeeld obedience to his will, thou shalt witnesse the
whole Law fulfilled in thee, but it is through judgment, and through burning, for
through judgement is Zion redeemed: but “hearken a little, and consider, hear and thy
soule shall live”. If thou be willing to take up the Crosse of Christ, and despise the
shame, thou shalt witnesse pure peace of conscience: and though it may seem hard
to the world, yet there is living refreshments: Yea, glorious is the worke of redemption,
but none can see it but those that come through it: And now the way
of eternall life is laid before thee, if thou slight it, it shall lye at thy doore: and
therefore take heed what thou dost; for when the booke of conscience is opened,
thou shalt witnesse thou hast been warned in thy life-time.
Martha Simmonds