V. II. And feek to know Chrift and the Power of his Resurrection in their Hearts, Phil. iii. 10. whom to know is Life eternal, John xvii. 3. Left they fall from one Wickedness to another, and never come by Faith into God's Righteoufnefs, Pfal. Ixix. 27.

And thus in this tedious Epiftle, I have endeavoured to declare, as far as it is revealed, the whole Counsel of God, Att. xx. 27. Agreeable to the Command in Scripture which faith, 66 As every one hath received the Gift, even fo minister the fame one to another, as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God," 1 Peter iv. 10. Neither am I "afhamed of the Gospel of Chrift; for it is the Power of God unto Salvation, to every one that believeth;" (fo as to become obedient to Chrift) throughout the whole World: and juftified Souls do gladly obey, by Virtue of the Principle of Grace implanted in them, Rom. i. 16, 17. And they are free from a flavish Fear, which caufeth Pain, in the Prefence of God or Man; for "being juftified by Faith, they have Peace with God, through the Merits and Interceffion of our Lord Jefus Chrift," Rom. v. I. And forafmuch as the Lord is on their Side, they need not fear what Man can do unto them, Pfal. cxviii. 6. And therefore the Righteous are bold as a Lion, Prov. xxviii. 1. Being adorned with Grace, and arrayed with the Armour of God, they become "fair as the Moon, clear as the Sun, and terrible (to the Enemy) as an Army with Banners," Cant. vi. 10. They are compared to a beautiful Woman, clothed with the Sun (viz. the Righteousness of God) having the Moon (the Emblem of a changeable World) under her Feet; and upon her Head a Crown of twelve Stars; the Doctrine of the twelve Apoftles of the Lamb, Rev. xii. 1. the Saints' Coat of Arms, or Enfign of

T

Majefty,

66

Majefty, dwelling in the Court of Sion. And they are kept by the Power of God, through Faith, unto Salvation," 1 Peter i. 5. And thus being

faithful unto Death, they fhall receive a Crown of Life," Rev. ii. 10.

May you who read or hear these mysterious Truths, confider what they contain: and may the Spirit of our Lord reveal the Mystery to your Hearts, for great is the Mystery of Godliness, 1 Tim. iii. 16.

Behold! I leave this Epiftle, as a Legacy, unto you, my very dear and well-beloved Neighbours, the Inhabitants of Gillingham, my native Town : being ftill defirous of your eternal Happinefs. And I think it both my Duty and Privilege, to imitate my dear Redeemer, who pray'd for the Salvation of his Enemies and Perfecutors and hath graciously bestowed a Measure of his Love to his Chofen, to enable them to do likewife; in whofe Hearts he chooses to refide: for he faith, "This is my Refting-place, here will I ever dwell, for it is my Delight," Pfal. cxxxii. 14. And as he prayed for his Murderers, faying, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do, Luke xxiii. 34. And when he commanded his Gospel to be preached in all the World, he directed it fhould begin at Jerufalem, that Salvation might be offered firft to his Enemies, John xxiv. 47. So, although I am willing, if God permits, this Epiftle to go into the World, for the Benefit of all, yet it was written particularly for your Sake. To you therefore I prefent it, though you were my implacable Enemies and Perfecutors, because I believed and confeffed that Chrift does now, on Earth, forgive Men's Sins, and make it manifeft unto them.This was all my Crime, and this was enough to caufe a Diffention or Separation to take Place, and the Declaration of God to appear "I will put En

mity

mity between thy Seed (the Serpent) and her Seed
(the Woman) and altho' Chrift bruises the Serpent's
Head, (overcame the Powers of Hell) and weakens
his controul in the Believer's Heart; yet fhall he
have Power to bruife his Heel, to vex his People on
Earth, by the unregenerate World, Gen. iii. 15. for
as foon as the Dragon is caft out of the Heart, he
like Goliath leads his Philiftine Army to fight against
God's Ifrael, 1 Sam. xvii. 10. Thus the Dragon be-
ing wroth with the Woman (or Church of God) al-
ways makes War with the Remnant of her Seed (in
all Places) which keep the Commandments of God,
and have the Teftimony of Jefus Chrift in them, Rev.
xii. 17.
And as in Abraham's Days, he that was
born after the Flesh, perfecuted him that was born
after the Spirit; even fo it is now, Gal. iv. 29. May
the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift forgive
you, who thro' Ignorance perfecuted Chrift in his
Members, for you knew not what you did. May
the Voice of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, roar
like Thunder in your Hearts, and strike the Man
of Sin to the Ground, like the Voice from Heaven,
which faid, Saul, Saul! why perfecuteft thou me ?
May you tremble at his Word, and in Astonishment
cry out, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? May
he then fend a faithful Difciple, like Ananias, faying,
Brother Saul, receive thy Sight, and be filled with the
Holy Ghoft, A&t. ix. 4, 6, 17. May he then embrace
you within the Arms of his Mercy, as he did the re-
turning Prodigal, when he came to himfelf. May
Jefus Chrift, who is the faithful and true Witnefs
in every Believer's Heart, wash you from your Sins
in his own precious Blood, Rev. i. 5. May he guide
you while on Earth with his Counsel, and at last
receive you to Glory. AMEN.

F I NI S.

A Copy of a Letter to the Rev. M. PERN, Vicar of Gillingham: occafioned by a Sermon preached March 15th,· 1752. on the following Text, And be ready always to give an Answer to every Man that afketh you a Reafon of the Hope that is in you, 1 Peterili. 15. In which Difcourfe he railed vehemently against the Methodists, calling them Blafphemers, Subverters of Houfes, Schifmaticks, also that they wanted to overturn the Conftitution of the Kingdom. REV. SIR,

ITH Submiffion to that facred Function, with which you are invefted, I intreat you to fufpend your Invectives with Refpect to thofe People you call Methodifts, for if the Work they carry on be of themselves, it will come to Nought, but if of GOD, you cannot overthrow it. And be it known unto you, Rev. Sir, that it is no Blafphemy for the adopted Sons of GOD to call Him their FATHER. Such are many of thofe whom the unbelieving World call Methodits. Neither is it fubverting of Houfes, nor Schifm for Chriftian People to meet together after Divine Service, and fpend the Remainder of their Sabbath in teaching and admonishing each other in Pfalms, &c. As every one hath received the Gift, fo minifter the fame to each other, as good Stewards of the Grace of GOD. The Apostle commanded us not to forget the affembling of ourfelves together. GOD faith, where ever two or three are gathered together in his Name, he will grant their Request. All the whole Sabbath we are to delight ourselves in the LORD, not speaking our own Words. It is not our Father's Defign to batter down our holy Conftitution, neither in Church nor State, by blowing thro' thofe Ram's-Horns, but to blow down the Walls of Jericho, and to acquaint our dead Members not to be contented with the Form of Godliness, without the Power alfo: for if we have not the Spirit of CHRIST, we are none of bis. It is much to be lamented, by those who have fpiritual Eyes, and can fee that we have fo many blind Watchmen, blind Leaders of the Blind, Ifa. lvi. 1o. who ran, fays GOD, but I never fent them, Jer. xxxiii. 21. who rather marry our Church Members to Duties, than to CHRIST. I could wish the Sons of our Church had fixed their House on the Rock, i. e. had washed their Robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb, they would foon be able to give an Answer of the Hope that would be in them. Which is the fincere Prayer of,

Rev. Sir, with all due Refpect, Your humble Servant, Gillingham, Mar. 15, 1752. JOHN CAVE.