An epistle to Friends. Bourne, Edward, d. 1708. 1682 Approx. 9 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2009-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A77134 Wing B3846A ESTC R170727 45789169 ocm 45789169 172482 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A77134) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 172482) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English Books, 1641-1700 ; 2634:4) An epistle to Friends. Bourne, Edward, d. 1708. 1 sheet ([1] p.) Printed by J. 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Broadsides -- England -- 17th century. 2008-07 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2008-09 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-11 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2008-11 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion An EPISTLE to FRIENDS DEAR Friends every where , who suffer Bonds for the Gospel's-sake , which is the Power of God. It is an Honour which the Lord doth Honour you withal , in that he account you worthy thereof ; wherefore rejoyce therein , because God hath Honoured you with so high a calling in that it hath been His good pleasure to call you thereunto , which is for your good , yea , for your best good : For these things Dear Friends are for the Tryal of your Faith , and Patience , and that you may be purified , and made clean from all Impurity and filthiness , both of Flesh and Spirit , that you may be made more precious than fine Gold , which hath often passed through the fire , to which Sion's-Sons are comparable , and a man comes to be made more precious than the Gold of Ophire . God knoweth what is best for us , and therefore it will be good for us to bear with Patience what he in his Divine Wisdom seeth meet to suffer to come upon us , for the Tryal of our Faith and Patience , that our Faith may be more precious than the Gold which perisheth . Let us be content to follow Christ whithersoever it be , and think no sufferings too much to suffer for his Name sake , who suffered Death for us all , yea for the worst of men , even the Rebellious and ungodly , that he might bring us unto God , in which , saith the Apostle of Christ Jesus , God commended his love to us , in that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us ; Was not this love indeed ? Doth not the Rich love of God appear towards us herein ? And if he honours us by calling us to suffer Tribulation for his Name sake ; Let us assure our selves , it is for our profit , and Advantage , and not that thereby we should come to loss , and be destroyed . Wherefore lift up your Heads , and be glad in the Lord , and strong in the Power of his might , yea let the weak hands be strengthened , and the feeble knees confirmed ; who are of a fearfull Heart , be strong , fear not ; for God will cause these exercises to work for good to us in the End , by holding out , and continuing to the End in the Faith and Patience , by our doing as God hath , and shall give us to believe we ought to do with Patience . Hereby shall we obtain victory over the World , and over him who Rules in the disobedient ones , who are of this World , by him who is not of this World , & hath Chosen us out of the World , and be made through the great love of God to us in him Conquerors , and more than Conquerors such come thereby to be , who are Redeemed from those who get the better one of another by warring and contending one with another , with their Carnall Weapons ; who after they have done all that they can in that way of Warring and contending , do many of them end their days in sorrow ; but who are made Conquerors through Christ , who hath loved them , & tasted Death for them ; their end comes to be happy , the Peace and joy of God being their portion , in which they are blessed forever . So DEAR FRIENDS , think it not much because of the fiery Tryals which you are come to be tryed withal , as if some strange thing had happened unto you , for these things are no otherwise than it was amongst those many Ages and Generations since , who were the called and Chosen of the Lord , who then rejoyced and were glad in the Lord therein , when they were persecuted for Christ's sake , yea in that God did reckon , and account them worthy thereof , and for whose sake they suffered joyfully the spoyling of their goods , knowing that they had laid up for them in Heaven , a better and more Indurable Substance , Riches and Treasures , which far exceeded those Earthly Treasures they suffered the spoyling of , which no Robbers nor spoilers could Rob nor spoil them of , wherefore rejoyce in the Lord , and again I say Rejoyce , because with them by your being Faithful unto the Lord God your maker unto the death , you shall be sharers and partakers of these Heavenly Treasures , which will never decay , and so come to receive a Crown of life which fadeth not away . It was by sufferings Christ Jesus the Captain of our Salvation was made perfect , wherefore being called of the Lord thereunto , as was the Apostle of Christ Jesus , Let us therein rejoyce even as he did , when he suffered for his Lord and Master's sake Christ Jesus , who said to the Saints at Coloss ; For whom , for Christ's sake he suffered , who now rejoyce in my sufferings for you , and fill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ in my Flesh for his Bodie's-sake which is the Church ; with whom if we suffer with him by continuing Faithfull unto the end , we shall come to reign for ever , who is sit down at the right Hand of Power ; wherefore who have set your Hands to the plow look not back you that have made a good beginning , continue , and hold on therein , pressing forward to the saving of your Souls . And you who are at Liberty , viz. who are not Thrown into Prisons and Holes for the Testimony of your pure Consciences towards God , what ever you may suffer , be Faithfull in your Testimony for him in your Meeting together to wait upon him ; and in making mention of his Name in Righteousness , and in every good word and work ; be ye firm , and stedfast in your Testimony for the Lord , that as thereby you have know the Lord present with you in the midst of you , to your Soules great Comfort , refreshment , and Satisfaction , you may know him so unto you even to the end , and so be your God forever . And you My Dear Friends , who are in Bonds for the Gospel sake , be patient in your Sufferings , according to his Holy and Heavenly Will , not otherwise desiring your Liberty nor Enlargement therefrom , but pray and desire it may be according thereunto ; that so in the appointed time of the Father , you may be saved , and delivered by him , out of the Hands of all that hate you ; and out of the Hands of all his , and all your Enemys ; by that Horn of Salvation , which he hath raised up , and ordained , and appointed in order thereunto ; that we might serve him without fear , in Holiness , and Righteousness before him , all the days of our life , dwelling in the Love and Goodwill of the Almighty towards all people , not desiring the Ruin or Destruction of any of them , that you may be like unto your Heavenly Father , who is Good and Kind unto all , even unto the unholy and unthankfull , even unto the worst of men , in sending his Rain upon them , and in causing his Sun to Shine upon them ; Oh! Let your Light so Shine forth , that by their beholding the same , they by your good works which they shall behold , may Glorify God on your behalf ; So will the Eyes of the Righteous Lord , who Loveth Righteousness and Truth in the Inward parts , be over you for good , whose Eyes run to and fro , to shew himself strong , for them who believe and trust in him ; according to whose holy and heavenly mind and will herein and in all things , my prayers are for you , that you may be found to do , that he may delight in you forever . To whom I do commit you , with my self , to be preserved and kept , as to a Faithful Creator : Hoping , Praying and Desiring , that we may so pass the time of our sojourning here , that when Time shall come to an end with us , Rest and Peace in Eternity with him may be the Portion of our Souls forever . So desiring that the Blessing of the Most High God , Possessor of Heaven and Earth , may rest upon you , I cease at present from writing unto you , but not from Love , in that which is Pure and Everlasting ; In which I remain Your Dear Friend and Brother , who are the Called , Chosen and Faithful of the Lord , whom he hath set apart for himself : EDWARD BOURNE . Worcester City-Prison , where I suffer Bonds for the Testimony of a Good Conscience towards God ; the 20th of the 10th Moneth , 1682. Let this Epistle be read in the fear of the Lord in the Assemblies of the Righteous every where , both in Bonds & at Liberty . London , Printed by J. Bringhurst , at the Sign of the Book in Grace-Church-street .