2. Take heed in your dealings with such, you make them not §2suffer more then Christ would have them suffer; do not abuse ⟨p. 40⟩your power over them, so as to cause them to complain justly to God of conscience-oppression; Conscience-oppression is the most fearful oppression; of all the cries in the world, the cries caused by it come up most swiftly to God. When an oppressed soul shall get alone, and make his moan to God; 1Oh, Lord, thou who knowest the secrets of all hearts, thou knowest the desires of my soul in uprightness to know thy will; I can freely and comfortably appeal to thee. Thou knowest what a sad affliction it is to me, that my judgement should be different from my brethren's, whose parts and graces I prize far beyond mine own. Thou knowest also there is no means for further Reformation, but I have been willing to make use of it as I was able, and what ever other help thou shalt make known to me, I am ready to make use of it, that I may not be led aside into error: and if thou wilt be pleased to reveal thy mind further to me, I am ready to submit to it. I should account it a greater happiness then all the comforts in the world can afford, to know what thy mind is in such and such things; but Lord, as yet I cannot do this thing, except I should sin against thee, thou knowest it: yet thou knowest also, that I desire to walk humbly and peaceably with my brethren, and in all meekness, submissness, and quietness of spirit, together with all diligence, I will wait till thou shalt further reveal thy mind to me. But Lord, in the mean time I find rigid dealing from my brethren; their spirits are embittered, their speeches are hard, their ways towards me are harsh, yea Lord there is violence in them; Lord, thou knowest my spirit is not such as to need any such carriage of my brethren towards me; I am not conscious to my self (no not when I set my self most solemnly in thy presence) of stiffness, wilfulness in my way; the least beam of light from thee, would presently turn my spirit what way thou wouldst have it go.
2. Take heed in your dealings with such, you make them not §2suffer more then Christ would have them suffer; do not abuse ⟨p. 40⟩your power over them, so as to cause them to complaine justly to God of conscience-oppression; Conscience-oppression is the most fearefull oppression; of all the cryes in the world, the cryes caused by it come up most swiftly to God. When an oppressed soule shall get alone, and make his moane to God; 1Oh, Lord, thou who knowest the secrets of all hearts, thou knowest the desires of my soule in uprightnesse to know thy will; I can freely and comfortably appeale to thee. Thou knowest what a sad affliction it is to mee, that my judgement should be different from my brethrens, whose parts and graces I prize farre beyond mine owne. Thou knowest also there is no meanes for further Reformation, but I have been willing to make use of it as I was able, and what ever other helpe thou shalt make knowne to mee, I am ready to make use of it, that I may not be led aside into errour: and if thou wilt be pleased to reveale thy minde further to me, I am ready to submit to it. I should account it a greater happinesse then all the comforts in the world can afford, to know what thy minde is in such and such things; but Lord, as yet I cannot doe this thing, except I should sinne against thee, thou knowest it: yet thou knowest also, that I desire to walke humbly and peaceably with my brethren, and in all meekenesse, submissenesse, and quietnesse of spirit, together with all diligence, I will waite till thou shalt further reveale thy minde to me. But Lord, in the meane time I find rigid dealing from my brethren; their spirits are imbittered, their speeches are hard, their wayes tomards me are harsh, yea Lord there is violence in them; Lord, thou knowest my spirit is not such as to need any such carriage of my brethren towards me; I am not conscious to my selfe (no not when I set my selfe most solemnly in thy presence) of stifnesse, wilfulnesse in my way; the least beame of light from thee, would presently turne my spirit what way thou wouldst have it goe.
- 1The moan of a true conscientious man to God.
