The truth exalted in the writings of that eminent and faithful servant of Christ, John Burnyeat collected into this ensuing volume as a memorial to his faithful labours in and for the truth.

To the Rulers, Ministers, and People of the Island of Barbadoes, who see and take notice in any measure of the Hand of the Lord that is upon them, and have desires in them to have his Iudgments removed.

FRIENDS,

IT is Sin that provokes the Lord, and causeth his Judg∣ments in his wrath, to come upon a Nation, a People, or a particular; and for that doth the Lord visit with his Rod, and many times smite with his sore Judg∣ments. And while that is lived in, the Lord will not hear, though man may cry, and make many Prayers, as you may see in the Scriptures of Truth. Read Isaiah the 1st, and see what the Lord said unto Israel, when they were revolted, and become a sinful Nation, a People laden with Iniquity: Tho they offered Sacrifices and burnt Offerings, and called Assemblies, and observed the new Moons and the appointed Feasts, the Pro∣phet called them, the Rulers of Sodom; and said, Hear the Word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodom, give Ear unto the Law of our God, ye People of Gomorrah; to what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices, saith the Lord, &c. And further told them, That though they spread forth their Hands, he would hide his Eyes from them, and when they did make many Prayers, he would not hear; their Hands were full of Blood: And therefore commanded them to wash, make clean, and put away the Evil of their doings from before his Eyes, and cease to do evil, and learn to do well; seek Judgment, re∣lieve the Oppressed, judge the Fatherless, plead for the Widow, and then come and let us reason together, saith

the Lord. So here you may see, this is the way for Man to cease from doing Evil, and to learn to do well, whereby he may come into acquaintance with the Lord, and to have his Prayers to be heard, and his Requests to be answered, and so the Judgment to be removed. And also Daniel's Counsel to the King was, that he should break off his Sins by Righteousness, and his Iniquities by shewing Mercy to the poor, that it might be a lengthening to his Tranquillity, Dan. 4. 27. And all along in the Scriptures of truth, you may see, that Sin was the cause why the Lord was angry with any People, and why his Wrath came upon any Na∣tion; and that the Lord (though he spared long many times) would not be reconciled unto them, till they obeyed his call in turning from the Evil of their ways; and if they would not be turned, at last he brought his Judgments upon them to cut them off. As you may see concerning Israel many times, both in the Wilderness, where the unbelieving and disobedient were cut off and perished; and also, after they were come into the Land of Promise, how often be∣cause of their Sins, he brought his Judgments over them, and Destruction upon them, after that he had warned them, and by his Prophets called unto them, to leave their Wick∣edness, and to learn to do righteously, and to amend their ways and their doings: And because they would not hear, but continued in their Sin, the Lord brought his sore Judg∣ments upon them, and rejected them, and cut them off, and laid the Land desolate, notwithstanding the multitude of their Sacrifices, of their Prayers, and of their Observa∣tions. So that he that killed an Ox, was as if he slew a Man, and he that sacrificed a Lamb, as if he cut off a Dog's neck, and he that offered an Oblation, as if he offered Swines blood, and he that burned Incense, as if he blessed an Idol; and all this was, because they chose their own ways, and their Souls did delight in their Abominations, as you

may read, Isaiah 66. 3, 4. And therefore were all their Per∣formances rejected of the Lord, and he brought their fear upon them; because when he called, they would not an∣swer, when he spoke, they would not hear, but did Evil before his Eyes, and chose that in which he delighted not. So that all along you may see in the Scripture, that it was not that which People did do as upon the account of the Worship of God, that did at all please him, or appease his Wrath, while they did Evil before him, and chose that in which he delighted not; as is very evident from the Scrip∣tures of Truth, in divers Testimonies therein to this pur∣pose. Time would fail to mention all; and what was written afore-time, was written for our Learning, and that we should take warning by their Example, who sinned and continued therein till the day of Mercy was over, Rom. 15. 4. 1 Cor. 10. 11.

And therefore since the Lord hath stirred in you to take notice of his Judgments, and of his Hand upon the People of this Island, prepare your Hearts to seek the Lord in his own way; and before you do pretend to draw nigh unto him that is Holy, or to Worship him, or to offer an Offer∣ing, or to keep a Day unto him, forsake your Sins, Put away the evil of your doing from before his Eyes, and learn to do well, that your Prayers may be heard, and that you may keep the Day holy unto the Lord; and so observe the Fast which the Lord hath chosen, which is, To loose the bands of Wickedness, to undo the heavy Burthens, and to let the oppressed go free; and to break every Yoke; to deal thy Bread to the hungry, with such like Works of Righteousness: And then the Lord hath promised, that such, their Light shall break forth as the Morning, and their Health shall spring forth speedily, and their Righteousness shall go before them, and the Glory of the Lord shall be their Reward. And then may such cry, and the Lord will answer, and say, Here

am I; when there is a taking away from the midst of you the Yoke, the putting forth of the Finger, and the speaking of Vanity, &c. Isa. 58. 6, 7, 8, 9. And therefore try your ways and your doings, and let none think that the Lord is like a Man, that he will be satisfied with fair Words or Pretences; where his Voice is not hearkned unto and obey∣ed, but Sin lived in, and the Fast kept which the Scripture condemns, which the Lord hath not chosen, as you may read Isa. 58. 2, 3, 4, 5, verses; for you may see there, how that that People did seek him daily, and had a delight to know his ways, as a Nation that did Righteousness, and forsook not the Ordinances of their God. They asked me the Ordi∣nances of Justice (saith the Lord) and they take delight in approaching unto God; and then cryed, Wherefore have we fasted, and thou seest not? Wherefore have we afflicted our Souls, and thou takest no knowledge? The Lord gives the reason, Behold, saith he, In the Day of your Fast, ye find Pleasure, and exact all your Labours: Behold, saith he, ye fast for Strife and Debate, and to smite with the Fist of Wickedness; ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your Voice to be heard on high, saith the Lord. Is it such a Fast that I have chosen, a Day for a Man to afflict his Soul, and bow down his Head as a Bulrush, and to spread Sack∣cloth and Ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a Fast, and an acceptable Day to the Lord? saith the Prophet. Nay, as I have shewed before, this is not it; and therefore let every one consider how they are prepared, to keep the Fast that God hath chosen, that the Fruits thereof may be brought forth by every one that pretends unto it, or else their cry will not be heard on high; for the Lord knows every ones intent, and takes notice of their doings; so that it is not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, that shall enter and be accepted, but he that doth the Will of God. So here you may see there is two Fasts, the one chosen, and the other

rejected, and the Fruits of both manifested, whereby they may be known, who are the true Fasters, and who are not, agreeable to what Christ hath said; every Tree shall be known by its Fruit: And so let all mind what they do, and what they bring forth; for they that fast for strife and debate, and do smite with the Fist of Wickedness, they do not fast to the Lord; their Voice he will not hear, according to the Scripture. And such who instead of setting the op∣pressed free, of undoing the heavy Burthens, and of break∣ing every Yoke, do bring under Oppression, and lay heavy Burthens, and make Yokes instead of breaking them, such are not the People the Lord will accept in their Fasts, nor whose Prayers he will hear: Because they walk not in the equal way of the Lord, but love to wander, and have not restrained their feet, therefore saith Ieremiah, The Lord doth not accept them, but will remember their Iniquity and visit their Sins; and therefore the Lord commanded the Prophet, that he should not pray for that People for their good; for said God, When they fast, I will not hear their cry, and when they offer Burnt-offerings and an Oblation, I will not accept them; but I will consume them by the Sword, and by the Famine, and by the Pestilence, Ier. 14. 10, 11, 12. So you may see all along, the Lord doth not regard all that Man can do, or may do, so long as he wandereth from God, and doth not restrain his feet from walking in the evil way. Thus hath it been in all Dispensations of the Scripture be∣fore, and therefore much more under this last and most glorious Ministration of the Gospel of Christ Jesus, which is professed by you, wherein the former comes to be ful∣filled and finished, or perfected, where Christ himself is the great Law giver, who gives out his Ordinances and Pre∣cepts unto all his People, who according to the promise of the Father, gives unto them the Spirit, and writes his Law in the Hearts of all the Children of the new Covenant,

Ier. 31. 33. which they are to observe and to walk after; and if any one do otherwise, he ought to be dealt with∣all, according to the command of this great Law-giver, Mat. 18. 15, 16, 17. First to be spoke to, and see if he will hear, either a Brother, two or three, or the Church: And if he will not hear, nor be gained, then saith Christ, Let him be unto thee as an Heathen and a Publican. But he gives no Commission unto Christians to persecute, to put in Prison, to take away Goods, to pull down their Houses, to put their Feet in the Stocks, to root them out of the World Root and Branch, no; nor to wish it so to be done unto them. But if any do, he will reprove such, as he did the Disciples, when he told them, They knew not what Spirit they were of, when they desired Fire to come from Heaven; for he came not to destroy, but to save, as you may read, Luke 9. 54, 55, 56. And you may see what the Apostle Paul saith, who was a wise Master Builder; he saith, One Man esteemeth one day above another, ano∣ther he esteemeth every day alike; but between them, he saith, Let every Man be fully perswaded in his own mind. So you may see, here is no forcing upon any Man, in those things that appertain to the Worship of God; but as Christ over-rules the Conscience, and per∣swades the Heart, and brings Man into a belief that it is according to the will of God, so that it may be done in the Faith, without which none can please God; for saith the Apostle, Whatsoever is not of Faith, is Sin, Rom. 14. 5, and 23. Verses. And therefore as the Gospel is pro∣fessed, let Christ's commands be observed, and the Ex∣ample of the Primitive Christians followed, who were blessed in their Day, and had the witness of acceptance with God; who were persecuted, but never persecuted any, nor sought to trouble any, as upon a bodily or out∣ward account, for their Conscience; though they did

reprove them sharply, that turned away from the power of Truth, and became Enemies to the Cross of Christ, whose Belly was their God, who gloried in their shame, and minded earthly things, and so served not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own Bellies, Phil. 3. 18, 19. Now such the Apostle did bear Testimony against, or any others that did unrighteously; but we do not read, that he either did, or desired to have it so, that they that did not serve the Lord Jesus Christ, should be put in Prison, or in the Stocks, or any such like bodily Punish∣ment, but left them to the righteous Judgments of the Lord at his coming, (having warned them) and so not to have fellowship with them as Brethren; but accord∣ing to Christ's command, let them be as Heathens or Publicans. And so all may see very clearly, that will read the Scripture with a single Eye, that it is not of Christ, nor according to the Primitive Example of the Church in her best State, to inforce the Conscience of any, to do any thing as a Duty to God, which they themselves had not a perswasion unto, though they did very sharply reprove, and very zealously bear Testimony against all such, who made Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience, and turned from the guidance and lead∣ing of the Grace of God, into Lasciviousness, Wanton∣ness, and fleshly Liberty. And therefore I cannot but desire, that all that profess Christianity, may follow the Example of them that were the first and wisest Builders of Christianity, who laid the Foundation so, that another cannot be laid. And he that would build upon this that is already laid, otherwise than they build∣ed, must suffer loss in the Day when his Works come to be tryed.

And therefore if any see the Lord's Rod, and his Judg∣ments in these things that is upon the People of this Island,

let all such humble themselves under the mighty Hand of God, and wait to feel his mighty Power, to sub∣due the Man of Sin, and to bring under that which hath oppressed the Soul, that through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the oppressed may be set free, and every Yoke may be broken, that it may be witnessed which was spoken by him, Ioh. 8. 36. If the Son make you free, ye shall be free indeed; and so then People do come to the Fast that the Lord hath chosen, and that Fast cannot be accompanied with Cruelty; nor there is no smiting with the Fist of Wickedness, nor bringing Oppression over the Just, where Christ is owned and followed (as the Lord hath appointed) as a Witness, a Leader and a Commander, for which he is given to the People, as you may read in Isaiah 55. 4. But where these Evils are brought forth, as the fruits of any Fast, by those that appoint a Fast, or pretend to keep a Fast, is it not like unto Iezabel's Fast, that she caused the Elders and Nobles of the City to proclaim, where the just Man was witnessed against, condemned, and stoned to Death for nothing, but because he could not give nor sell his In∣heritance away, which the Lord had given him? And so we desire the good of all Men, and that every one may take notice of his own ways, how he walks before the Lord, and do unto others as he would be done unto; and that all may be free upon the account of things that appertain to God, and so left to the Judgment of him that knows all Hearts, that from him they may receive Reward.

And as for those things wherein Man is concerned, if any Man do wrong or injury to another in Person or Estate, we say, let such be punished according to the Law, which was made for the Transgressor, and let Judgment run down as Waters, and Righteousness as a

mighty Stream, Amos 5. 24. This is the way the Scrip∣ture largely testifies, wherein Man may come to be ac∣cepted, and the Wrath of God appeased, and his Judg∣ments removed, and so the right Desire answered.

From a Lover of Peace and Rigteousness, who truly seeks the good of all Men, John Burnyeat.

Written in Barbadoes, about the 29th of the 11th Month, 1670. upon the Occasion of a Fast, that was pretended to by the People of the Island, because of a great Sickness that was upon them, whereof many died, of which my Companion William Simson then died.