A few things of great weight: offered to the consideration of all sober people, and to friends of truth more particularly, with relation to their early care and Christian endeavour to season the minds of their children while they are young, with the sense and savour of the spirit of truth / by Richard Vickris.

A few Things of great Weight, &c.

THis Way of Man is the Way that God hath appointed him to Walk in, and it is a High Way of Holiness and Happiness in God, that is, in his Divine Nature, VVill and Spirit, and is Oppo∣sed to the Low VVay of Sin and Imperfection that is in Man's self, Respecting his Cor∣rupt Fleshly VVill, Mind and Spirit: In each of these VVays there is a Law or Power, the one of Spirit and Life, the o∣ther

of Sin and Death; under this Law of Sin and Death all Men have been Concluded, for as much as all have Sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God; that is, they have chosen their own VVay, and followed the Thoughts and Devices of their own Hearts, which hath proved to be a VVay of Folly and Misery, and still continues so to be, whatever otherwise Man may think in his Earthly Sensual VVisdom, being in Captivity under the Law and Power of Sin and Death that Rules in him; in this State many are whole and at ease in a Self-security, having given up themselves to be Subjects to that Kingdom, seeks not, nor

desires any other. But there are others, who, having heard the Call of God, are awakened to a sight and sense of their Condi∣tion, and oftentimes Laments themselves, and crys and seeks for a Deliverer; and of these there is some hopes, because a Deliverer is come out of Zion to turn away Ungodliness from Jacob; that is, from him that wrestleth for a Blessing: This Deliverer is Christ the Lord, of whose coming all the Holy Patriarchs, Prophets and Apo∣stles bore-witness, who said, The whole needs no Physician, but those that are Sick; I am not come to Call the Righteous, but Sinners to Repentance.

Now this Deliverer (to wit) Christ, is that Way of Man spoken of by the Prophet Je∣remiah (viz.) That High Way of Holiness and Happiness in God, which leads from the Earthly to the Heavenly, from the Kingdom of Satan to his own Blessed Kingdom with his Father; and this Way is his Divine Nature Manifested as a Law and Pow∣er of Spirit and Life in us.

Now though we are awa∣kened to a sense of our Condi∣tion, and groans and longs for Deliverance, we cannot obtain it in our own Way and Will, for the VVay of Man is not in himself, it is not in Man that walketh to direct his Steps, we

must wait to feel our Deliverer to work in us, and for us, of his own good VVill and Plea∣sure, Directing us by his Law, and Inabling us by the Power of his Spirit, to work out our Salvation with Fear and Trem∣bling; so that it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that sheweth Mer∣cy; we are Exhorted so to run, that we may obtain according to the Apostles saying, Though all run, but one Receiveth the Price, 1 Cor. 9.24. This one is the True Believer (Personated in one, viz. Christ his Head) whose Hope, Trust and Con∣fidence is in his Helper and Deliverer; it is written in I∣saiah 28.16. Thus saith the

Lord, Behold I lay in Zion for a Foundation, a Stone, a Tried Stone, a Precious Corner Stone, a sure Foundation; he that Be∣lieveth shall not make haste. This sure Foundation, precious Cor∣ner Stone, is our Blessed Lord Christ; happy are all they that come to him, build upon him, and abide with him that never fails.

Thus we may observe two ways known by their differing Powers and Natures, the One Christ, the Kingdom of God in our Minds; the other, Satan in our Fleshly VVills or Mem∣bers; the one Light, the other Darkness, the one High and Ho∣ly, the other Low and Sensual.

Now all that have heard the Call of God, and have believed therein, and are awakened un∣to Righteousness, that is, have a Spiritual Sense and Feeling of God, must come out of this low sensual VVay of Self and Self-working; and instead of being led and acted by their own Natural Powers of Fleshly VVill and VVisdom in which Satan Builds, they must come down to this sure Foundation, viz. Christ in them, and feel the Power of his Life to Lead and Act them; that is, they must incline their Minds Inwardly unto his Divine Word of Faith and Law of Spirit and Life in them, which is Quick and Pow∣erful, &c. and is a Discerner of

the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart, whereby their Souls were first quickened and made alive, and Faith wrought in them, by which Faith the Spiri∣tual Senses of the Soul are Exercised towards God, where∣by they see him that is Invisi∣ble, by which the Holy An∣cients endured, and did all those mighty things made mention of in the Author to the Hebrews, Having an Eye to the Recompence of Reward; and this Faith being thus wrought in them, by the Ope∣ration of God, must be daily kept to, and in, that they may know and witness a dividing betwixt Soul and Spirit, be∣twixt the Soul and its old Na∣tural

and Sensual Power of working in its Fleshly VVill and Wisdom in which the Devil Rules; and its New and Heaven∣ly Power; which it receives by Faith through the Impression of the Divine Nature of Christ therein; which as the Soul comes to behold, it will be Af∣fected with its Beauty; and keeping in the Love thereof, will witness a being changed into its likeness from one De∣gree of Glory to another; and so the old comes to be put off, and the new Man put on, which is Created after the Image of God in Righteousness and true Holiness; these things are of great VVeight and Con∣cern to all that are true Tra∣vellers

towards God's Heavenly Kingdom of Rest and Peace, to Experience in themselves; for want whereof many have been held in sore Bondage and Capti∣vity, under hard Labour and Ser∣vitude many Years, and have not been able to attain to what their Souls have long Desired and Travelled for (viz.) Spiri∣tual Freedom and Deliverance from Sin and Death, because they have not been Rightly Ex∣ercised in striving, whilst out of the Faith, which alone can give the Victory, and without which 'tis impossible to please God; such instead of attaining to the divine Knowledge of the Truth, have attained only to a Notion and Comprehension thereof in

their Earthly Minds, who have not waited to Receive it by Faith into a Spiritual renewed Mind and Heart; which Faith is the Gift of God, and is wrought by him through the Quickening of the Soul to an Exercise of Spiritual Sense and Feeling of the Power and Vir∣tue of his Truth, by which alone the Soul is made Capa∣ble of receiving the true Know∣ledge thereof, and a fit Vessel to retain it. So here is a dif∣ference between a Living and Spiritual Knowledge, and a Dead, Natural, Fleshly Know∣ledge: The one gives Victory, the other leads into, and leaves in Bondage; the one is attained by Faith into a New and Spi∣ritual

Life, the other is gathered by a Fleshly Sense and Com∣prehension into the old corrupt Nature, which is not the pro∣per Organ of Reception of the True and Saving Knowledge of God, and the things that appertain to his Heavenly Kingdom, It's the old Bottle that is not fit for the New Wine of the Kingdom; Make the Tree Good, said Christ, and his Fruit Good; or else make the Tree Cor∣rupt, and its Fruits Corrupt. Of one of these all are, and ac∣cordingly must be Denomina∣ted, and the Tree is known by its Fruits; we were all by Nature of the Corrupt Tree, or Wild Olive, and cannot be made good, but by being cut

off and Grafted anew, contra∣ry to Nature, into the good Olive Tree, which is Christ Jesus, the Root and Off-spring of David, the Bright and Morn∣ing Star, the Alpha and Omega, the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles: Who, being thus inwardly Experienced and Acknowledged to be laid by God in Zion, a Sure, Elect and Precious Corner Stone, the Way, the Truth and Life, ac∣cording to his own Blessed Te∣stimony of himself in John 14.6. and that no Man cometh to the Father but by him: The Compleating of all our Happi∣ness consists in coming unto him, abiding with him, or building upon him; for as

Christ said, Without me ye can do nothing, John 15.5. It is not in Man that Walketh to direct his Steps, Jer. 10.23. And if a Man cannot direct his own Steps aright, how shall he di∣rect the Steps of others, which leads me to Express something that Lives and Rests upon my Spirit to Friends of Truth, Concerning the Discharge of our Christian Care and Duty towards others, more particu∣larly our Tender Off-spring, from a true Sense of the strict Relation that Exercise necessa∣rily hath to a Spiritual Ability from God, to a right Perfor∣mance thereof.

And therefore, Friends, more particularly you who are Pa∣rents

of Children, a few things hath opened in my Mind, to Recommend to your Consider∣ation, touching this great Duty of Educating our Children in the Love and Fear of God, by the Power and Influence of his Blessed Truth: VVe know God hath so Manifested his Light and Truth in us, that the Devil hath not been able to Extinguish it, or Obliterate the Certain Sense and Experi∣mental Knowledge of its Te∣stimony in our selves: And therefore he hath, and doth use his utmost Endeavour to do it in our Off-spring, and deprive them of the Benefit of our Faith, by lessening our Zeal for the Truth; and thereby

our Spiritual Love and Care for them, and by this means he hopes to obtain his end in the succeeding Generations, viz. to lay waste the Blessed Testi∣mony thereof in the Earth; but our God beholds his secret VVorkings, and doth, and will open the Eyes of his Children and People, to see and escape his Snares, and enable them to Resist and Disappoint all his VVicked Purposes against his Flock and Heritage, who hath all Power and Sufficiency to do whatsoever pleaseth him, and will Accomplish his VVill in all those that Love and Fear him, now henceforth and for ever. Such is the Power and Prevalency of the Truth, that

as in the Days of Christ's Ap∣pearance in the Flesh, the De∣vils were subject, and made to confess to him; so hath it been in our Day: But the Righte∣ous then were Exhorted, not to Rejoyce therein, but rather that their Names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life; and so it is now: And this is the Souls only Happiness, For∣tress, and Security from Danger for ever.

Now hereinto we must all come and abide for our selves, and hereby (as we ought) we shall be enabled to be helpful to others, especially our tender Off spring that God hath Bles∣sed us with, whom he Loves and Delights to do good unto;

and for that end hath bestowed them upon us, and given us the Knowledge of his Truth, that we may Minister it to them, and present them to God thereby; that is, by the Power and Virtue of his Truth, to season their Hearts and Minds with the Love and Fear of God, as is said before, in their tender Years, that as they grow up they may be fitted and pre∣pared to meet the Lord, and to know him in themselves, by the sweet Influences of him through us their dear Parents, and so shall we be Instrumen∣tal to bring them unto Christ, who said, Suffer little Children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven, Mar. 10.14.

Now this is a Spiritual Work, and therefore requires a Spiritual Capacity and Abi∣lity, Rightly to perform it, and this Capacity is not of Man, nor in the Will and Time of Man, but of God; and there∣fore to be sought for, and waited for from him, from whom every Good and Perfect Gift cometh, and in whose Hand are the Times and Sea∣sons: And unless we are thus Exercised and Qualified, what∣ever other Abilities of VVis∣dom and Knowledge we have attained to, and are exercised in, we shall fall short of a right Performance of this great Duty towards our Children, of be∣getting them to God; it was

a right Conclusion in Solomon, Expressed in his Prayer to God for Wisdom; viz. Tho' a Man be never so Perfect amongst the Children of Men, yet if thy Wisdom be not with him, he shall be nothing Regarded, Book of Wis. 9.6. All our Power and Sufficiency to act and do for God, is of him, and from him, how then can we do the Work of the Spirit with∣out the Spirit of God? It is the Spirit of God that begets to him, and if we are not begot∣ten thereby, or do not continue therein, how can we perform the Works thereof which are Spiritual, surely none can? Flesh and Spirit are contrary each to other, and have differ∣ing Powers as well as Fruits

and Effects; and the Tree is known by its Fruits, if the Tree be Corrupt, the Fruits will be Evil; and though the Cry should be Lord, Lord, it will not give an entrance into Christ's Kingdom, if the Will of his Father be not done, which is in Heaven, no more will the Doctrine of Truth, Truth beget to God, unless it spring from the Life and Power of Truth in our selves; that is, unless we so Live as to obtain entrance into God's Kingdom for our selves; how shall we help to bring our Children thereinto: No, on the contra∣ry, if our Fruits be Evil, our Tree is Corrupt and hinders them, For he that is not of me,

said Christ, is against me, and he that gathereth not with me, scat∣tereth abroad: And of such it may be truly said, they suffer not their Children to come unto Christ that he might Bless them, and tho' not in Words, yet by their Deeds they forbid them; and so are unlike the Blessed Example of Abraham, the Father of the Faithful, of whom it was said, Gen. 18.19. I know him that he will Command his Chil∣dren and his Household after him, and they shall keep the Way of the Lord, &c. Whereby we may observe, that Abraham's Care, in this Respect, was attended with the Word of Faith, which was a Word of Power and Command, which had a Blessed

Effect, and was the Reward of his Faithfulness to God; and if we be like-minded, and follow his Example, the Lord will be with us to Abilitate and Furnish us for the Effecting the same good Work by us, which Spiritual Ability from God, is my Earnest Desire we may all wait upon him for, who hath Promised to give his good Spi∣rit to them that ask him.

And now as the State of little Children, it may be the Opinion of some, that they are not Capable of receiving the Help and Benefit of their Pa∣rents Faith, by Reason of their Infancy, or small Age and Time; and hence may be the more Indifferent, as to an Early

Care for their coming to Christ, not considering them as fit Members of his Kingdom: But seeing our Lord Christ, in the Days of his Flesh, hath taught us otherwise by his own Blessed Example, in the Case of the little Children; which accord∣ing to Luke 18. were Infants that was brought unto him, when he came into the Coasts of Judea beyond Jordan, Mat. 19.13. and Mar. 10.13. That he might lay his Hands upon them, or touch them; we Read not that it was for any outward Infirmity they had; wherefore Christ's Disciples (not seeing into the Mystery of the Lord's Ways and Doings) Rebuked them that brought them;

which, had they been Diseased, we may suppose they would not have done, because we find not that they did it in such Cases to those of Riper Years. But when Jesus saw it, it is said in Mark 10. he was much dis∣pleased, and said unto them, Suf∣fer the little Children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven: Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of Heaven as a little Child, he shall not enter therein: Which Saying of Christ is of great Weight, and carries deep Instruction to us, if duly Con∣sidered. It plainly Teaches, not only that Children are Ca∣pable of Receiving the King∣dom, and that their Way of

Receiving is Right; but that there may be a wrong Way of Receiving of it by those of Riper Years, which shuts out of the Kingdom. It therefore greatly Concerns us all, Right∣ly to Consider how little Chil∣dren Receives the Kingdom, that we may prove and try our selves thereby: We all know that little Children are not very Capable of Exercising the Rational Faculty of their Souls; consequently are not so Capable, after that manner, to receive the Kingdom, whence we may infer, they had ano∣ther, better, and more excel∣lent Way of Receiving it, see∣ing their Way is Commended to us for an Example; for though it be granted, that the

Knowledge we attained to, by the right Exercise of our Senses and Reason, as we grow in Years, is as a School-Master to bring us unto Christ; yet the Right Receiving of him, is by, and into a New and Spiritual Life, that is begotten and quick∣ned in the Soul by him.

Now as the Souls of Men and Women are Capable of this New Life, so are the Souls even of little Children, being of the same Excellent Frame, according to Measure, and are endured with a more Divine Capacity of Knowledge, than what is, or may be attained to, by the Rational Faculties only, and that is the Capacity of its New Life it Receives from

Christ, as in a Seed which gives us Spiritual Sensation of the Visits and Touches of the Spi∣rit, which Influences and Opens the Spiritual Eye and Ear, to See and Hear a Beauty and Harmony in the Divine Na∣ture, and Original Good, which is God; whereto they, viz. Little Children, may be Ex∣cited by the Communication of Spirit, in the Reaches forth of the Love and Life of Truth Ministerially and Instrumental∣ly to them, before they are ei∣ther Capable of receiving In∣struction by Word or Doctrine, or giving an Account of that Beautiful Image of Light, and Life, and Truth, they see and feel in their Minds; and this is in

a good Measure to be seen and observed in some very little Children, and is the Work of God upon them, and the Way they Receive his Heavenly Kingdom, by Participation of the Blessing of the Divine Nature and Spirit of Christ for it is said Mark 10.16. That Christ took the little Children up in his Arms, put his Hands upon them, and Blessed them. Here it may be observed, that we Read not that Christ spoke any Words unto them; it is Pro∣bable they were not Capable of Receiving much Instruction that Way, and yet were Capa∣ble of Receiving the Blessing of his Spirit, and the Kingdom therein: And if this was, is, and

may be so with little Children, how much more Sensibly ought it to be Witnessed and Experienced by those of Riper Years. But if we who are at∣tained to the fulness of Years, and extent of the Exercise of the Rational Powers and Fa∣culties of our Souls, shall con∣tent our selves with what we can gather in, of the Con∣victions of Truth upon our Understandings, and not Re∣ceive the Kingdom thus as lit∣tle Children, by the Visits and Touches of Jesus, which quick∣ens our Souls to God, whereby we come to be Regenerated and Born again of his Spirit, and made Partakers of his Di∣vine Nature, we can in no

wise enter into the Kingdom God; and if we enter not the Kingdom our selves, how shall we be helpful to bring our Chil∣dren thereinto? No, we can∣not; but, as I said before, are hinderers of them.

Great hath been, and is, the Disadvantage, that the Children of many Friends have and do ly under, for want of the Spi∣ritual Help of their Parents Faith and Exercise therein to∣wards God for them, especially for the first Times and Years of their Life, wherein they are Capable of Receiving early Im∣pressions of Good; and for want thereof, the Evil many times takes place, and fills their Minds, and Renders them more Unfit

and Uncapable for a Right Re∣ceiving of the Kingdom of God; for as they grow in Years, they grow and increase in Natural Understanding, and Exercises of their Rational Powers and Fa∣culties, and get into a Compre∣hension or Notion of the Truth, which if it be not accompanied with a Divine and Spiritual Sense and Feeling of the Love and Life of God in the Inner∣most part of the Soul, and a Real Conformity thereunto; though they may Receive the outward Knowledge of the Truth in the First Birth, and grow Rich and Wise in Profession, they do, and will fall short of entering into God's Kingdom: And this is the Case

of too many of Friends Chil∣dren Professing the Truth; who, perhaps, make an outward Shew of Conformity thereto, but do not Receive it into the Right Ground, the Good and Honest Heart; so bring not forth Fruit to God's Glory, by which alone the Entrance is ob∣tained into the Kingdom.

Having Premised these things concerning Children, and the necessity of a Right and Spiritu∣al Frame in their Parents, for their Profitable Education, I tenderly Recommend it to all Friends that have Families of Servants and Children, that they seek the Lord, and wait upon him for Wisdom and Spi∣ritual Ability in themselves, that

they may be enabled to reach to that Degree of Soul in their Servants and Children, where∣in God is felt and witnessed to Appear and Work for their Re∣demption and Salvation; I have already shewed what that is, viz. The Souls New and Spiri∣tual Life in God.

That which I have further to Communicate and Recom∣mend, and hath been long upon my Mind, for a Remedy to help forward the Work of the Lord in the Souls of all both Parents and Children, hath a strict Rela∣tion to Practice, and that is,

For as much as our Children are Capable of being Members of Christ's Kingdom by com∣ing unto him; let us use all

our Endeavour to bring them to him, that he may lay his Holy Hand upon them, and Bless them, and that whilst they are little.

And for as much as the right doing of this Requires a Spiri∣tual Frame, and Heavenly Ca∣pacity in us, who are Parents, as is before observed, and this cannot be otherwise attained, unless God give it: Let us set apart some time to wait upon him in our Families, and a∣mongst our Children for this End, and the Lord will Bless our Endeavours, if we be true and sincere to him therein, and to Excite us the more to such Family-Meetings, Let us Con∣sider who have great Families

of Servants and small Children (especially in the Country, where Publick Meetings of the Lord's People and Servants are frequently at great Distances) that such small Children can rarely, if at any time, be pre∣sent; by which means the Op∣portunity and Benefit they should Reap by Meeting with their Dear Parents, in the As∣semblies of God's People, is for the first Years of their Life lost, which, if duly Considered, is a great Disadvantage, with Respect to its Consequence, both to Parents and Children; for as Iron sharpens Iron, so doth the Countenance of a Man his Friend; and if this be true in the General, as is most cer∣tain,

Must not the Heavenly Desire and Influences of good Parents, in the Love of God, for and towards their tender Off-spring, at such Times and Seasons, be greatly Prevailing with him for a Blessing, and with them to a Sense and Love of Truth (which Includes all that is Good) in their tender Years, before the Impressions of Evil fill their Minds, as is before observed, seeing they are and must be allowed to be Ca∣pable very Early of Good, as well as of Evil Impressions? It is therefore tenderly Recom∣mended, as a Supplement to the afore-mentiond Defect, that such Parents do set apart some time, as they shall see meet in

the Wisdom of God, to meet with their Children and Ser∣vants in their own Families, to wait upon him for the Blessing of his Sweet and Comfortable Presence, to be with, and a∣mongst them, which will Ena∣ble them to give Instruction in Meekness and Wisdom, and Govern in Righteousness and Truth, to the Quickening and Nourishing the tender Seed of God in their Children, and Edi∣fication of all therein, to the Praise of his Name, that hath Called us; and to the Peace, Joy and Happiness of our Souls for ever.

And now, as to you little Children, the Off-spring of Be∣lieving Parents, who have but

little Natural Knowledge, you are nevertheless Beloved of God, not only because he Made and Created you, but for the sake of his only Beloved Son Chirst Jesus, whom he sent in∣to the World to save and deli∣ver you from Sin and Death, and thereby make you his Chil∣dren; who also himself Loves you, in that he gave himself to Dye for you, that he might Re∣deem you to God, whereby you are beheld Innocent and Lovely in his sight, who de∣lights to Bless you, and knows how to Communicate to you Spiritual Knowledge, and make you fit for his Kingdom, who said, Suffer little Children to come unto me, and forbid them not,

for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. Thus whilst you are Innocent, you are Beloved of God and of Christ, and are also Beloved of his People, and are Accounted and Esteemed of them good little Friends, if you continue in your Innocency, and love God in your Minds, who have thus Manifested his Love to you, tho' you can Speak but little of him, you may have a Sense and Feeling of him by his Visits and Touches of you, by his Spirit, Life and Love in your Souls, and you may see and be∣hold him in his Appearance in your Parents and others, whose Souls Loves God, and whose Minds are Inward and Spiritual to him, they will have a Sweet

and Heavenly Influence upon you, to a Love of Spiritual-mindedness, Innocency, Meek∣ness and Sobriety, with other Heavenly Virtues, whereby you may come to know God, by these Fruits of his Spirit, and Love him and his Appearance, and Manifestation of his Son Christ Jesus in you, in Holiness, Righteousness and Truth, to the Sanctifying your Hearts and Minds, that as you grow in Years, and increase in Natural Knowledge, you may grow and increase in Divine and Spiritual Knowledge, by being made Par∣takers of the Blessing of Christ that Quickens your Souls to God; so will your Parents take Delight in you▪ as they find you

thus to Delight in Go•• which will Incline you to love all Opportuni∣ties to be with the Lord's People, to meet with them to wait upon him, for the Visits and Touches of his Spirit, th••t you may know Christ to come to you, and you to come to him, and to be taken up into his Arms, and Receive the Blessing from him, who will de∣light to fill your Souls with his Goodness, whereby your Love will be renewed to him, and you fitted for his Heavenly Kingdom, and enter thereinto; that this may be the Care and Portion of all God's People and Children; Is the Hear∣ty Desire of your Friend that Loves you, and Wishes the Well-fare of all, both Parents and Children.

R. V.

Notes

• Isa. 35.8.