YET ONE WARNING MORE. OR, The Tender of the Lords Love To the Lawyer's Judge's Rulers of these Nations. By GEORGE BISHOPE. And I charged your Judges at that time, saying, Hear the Causes between your Brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his Brother, and the stranger that is with him: Ye, shall not respect persons in Judgement; but you shall hear the small as well as the great, and shall not be afraid of the face of man; for, the Judgement is Gods. And the Cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it, Deut. 1.16, 17. LONDON. Printed for Robert Wilson, at the Black-spread. Eagle and Windmill in Martin Le Grand, 1661. Yet One Warning more, etc. to the Lawyers, Judges, and Rulers of these Nations. Friends, YOu had need to look to it what manner of Judgement ye give; for, the Judgement is not Man's, but the Lords, who is with you in the Judgement; and look with what Judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what Measure ye meet, it shall be measured to you again from the hand of the Lord. And this I am moved of the Lord God of Heaven and Earth to write unto you. Who bind heavy Burdens, & grievous to be born, and lay them on men's shoulders, but ye yourselves will not move them with one of your Fingers; who afflict the Just, and take a Bribe, and turn aside the Poor in the Gate from their Right; Who turn Judgement away backward, and Justice stands afar off, and Equity cannot enter; who make a man an Offender for a word, and lay snares for him who reproveth in the Gate, and turn aside the Just for a thing of nought; who pant after the Dust of the Earth u●on the head of the Poor, and turn aside the way of the Meek; who sell the Righteous for Silver, and the Poor for a pair of Shoes; whose treading is upon the Poor, and who take from him Burdens of Wheat; who abhor Judgement, and pervert all Equity; who turn Judgement into Gall, and the fruit of Righteousness into Hemlock. The Lord God of Heaven and Earth will be avenged on you: As truly as I live, saith the Lord, will I visit you, and my hand shall be upon you; and I will do unto you, as you have done: & all the Earth shall be filled with the Glory of the Lord, and he will make you an Execration, & an hissing, & an Astonishment, and a Curse upon the face of the Earth; and ye shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord, the Mighty God of Jacob; and his King who liveth for ever, to whom is the Glory, and the Praise, and the Dominion for ever and ever. Therefore, my Dear Friends, my very Bowels are even turned within me for you, that you may not be found among the number of those whom the Lord will so visit; upon whom he will be so avenged, and his hand will be thus upon; For this thing I have heard from the Lord, and this thing will assuredly be to those whom the Lord shall find so doing in the Day wherein he will Judge the Earth in Righteousness, and render unto every man according to his Deeds; The Lord hath sworn it, who is with you in the Judgement, and takes notice how ye proceed, upon what ground ye go, and how ye move, and what ye do, and will give unto you according to your Works. And so, my Friends, heed that in you which tells you it is so; That is near you, and with you: that searcheth your hearts, and trieth your reins, and knoweth the very thoughts of your heart; that in his eyesight, (in the sight of that of him in you) which shows ye this and all that ye do. Ye may do every thing, and so be accepted of the Lord, in the day wherein he shall judge every man according to his Works, at his Appearing and Kingdom, to whom be Glory, and Praise, and Dominion everlasting. For, this know assuredly, That the Lord is not slack concerning his Promise (as some men count slackness) but is long-suffering to us wards, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come unto Repentance. And his Fan is in his hand who will thoroughly purge his Floor, and gather the Wheat into the Garner, and burn up the Chaff with unquenchable fire. Therefore, it concerns ye to mind what ye do, because ye must be accountable unto him who is Judge of heaven and earth; who will judge the World in Righteousness, and the People with Equity; who is no Respecter or persons, but will render unto every man according to his Deeds. From whose eye none can be hid, who sees in secret, who is privy to all you do (his Witness in you) who knows the Compass and End of all your Actions, and the thoughts of your hearts as ye lie upon your Beds; who searcheth the heart and trieth the reins; before whom all things are naked and hare, even before him with whom we have to do; whose Judgement cannot be avoided; who doth none Iniquity, neither can sin come near his Dwelling; Who is a GOD of Judgement; Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him. So I have poured forth the Bosom of my love to you in the Move of the Lord; Whose Love is to his seed in you; who would have none of you to perish, but that all of you might have Eternal life. His bowels move in me to you-wards; He would have none of you to die, but rather that ye might every one of you return and live. There is something of him near you, and in you, which tells you this, and shows you the place of Understanding, which he hath therefore placed in you to Direct you, that ye may know the Path of Wisdom, and the place of Understanding; and when matters are too hard for you; that thither ye might bring them, and have Counsel, and find Wisdom. And this ye have need of to know, and to repair unto, and to be guided by it above all other men; because you stand in the place of judgement, and sit in the Seat thereof, and are Counsellors thereunto; that you may wrong no man, nor oppress, nor deny to any, nor defer Justice and Judgement: For (as I have said) the Judgement is not man's, but the Lords, who sees, and will require; who standeth in the Congregation of the Mighty, and, judgeth among the gods. But where shall Wisdom be found? And where is the place of Understanding? Seeing man knows not the price thereof, neither is it found in the Land of the Living: The Depth saith, It is not in me; and the Sea saith, It is not with me: It cannot be gotten for Gold, neither shall Silver be weighed for the Price thereof: It cannot be valued with the Gold of Ophir, with the precious Onyx, or the Saphire: The Gold and the Crystal cannot equal it; and the exchange of it shall not be for Jewels of fine Gold: No mention shall be made of Coral, or of Pearls, for the price of Wisdom is above Rubies. The Topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, Neither shall it be valued with pure Gold. Whence then cometh Wisdom? And where is the place of Understanding? Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the Fowls of the Air: Destruction and Death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our Ears. God understandeth the Way thereof, and he knoweth the Place thereof: For, he looketh to the ends of the Earth, and seethe under the whole Heaven, to make the weight for the Winds; and he weigheth the Waters by Measure, when he made a Decree for the Rain, and away for the Lightning of the Thunder. Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea and searched it out; And unto man he said, Behold, the Fear of the Lord, that is Wisdom and to departed from Evil is Understanding.; So Friends, here you have it, viz. the Place of Understanding from whence cometh Wisdom, which is above the Price of all things here below, and hid from the eyes of all living, (who know not the Lord) and kept close from the Fowls of the Air. Behold, the Fear of the Lord that is Wisdom & to departed from Evil is Understanding;; And this the Lord saith, who understandeth the Way thereof, and knoweth the Place thereof. To this, then, come; hitherto resort for Wisdom in the time of need; to the place of Understanding, that ye may judge for God, and give Counsel for the Most High, that Truth may spring out of the Earth, and Righteouness may look down from Heaven; so the Lord may give that which is good, and our Land may yield her increase: For, for the Transgression of a Land, many are the Princes thereof, but by a man of Understanding and Knowledge, the state thereof shall be prolonged. So my Friends, the Way is plain, and the Path easy, and you know it, it concerns you to walk therein. The Fear of the Lord, that is Wisdom. & to departed from Evil, that is Understanding: & that which shows ye this, is the Way to God, and there is no Other; if ye know it, then are ye to walk therein; For, that Servant which knew his Lords will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. And, if you were blind, you should have no sin (saith Christ, John 9.41) but now ye say, We see, therefore your sin remains. Therefore it concerns you, seeing you know these things, to do them. Now if ye know these things (said Christ to his Disciples) happy are ye if ye do them. For, the Lord God will require an account of ye and ye may not pretend ignorance, or plead it, seeing you know where is the place of Understanding, from whence Wisdom cometh: The times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men every where to Repent; because he hath appointed a Day wherein he will judge the world in Righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance to all men, in that he h●th raised him from the Dead; That which shows you the fear of the Lord, gives you this Assurance; For, that is risen from the Dead, which bids you fear the Lord; And fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his Judgement is come; and worship him that made Heaven and Earth, and the Sea, and the Fountains of waters, was the everlasting Gospel which John heard the Angel preach, who flew through the midst of Heaven, to every Nation, and Kindred, and Tongue, and People After whom followed another Angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great City, because she made all Nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her Fornication, Rev. 14. And he is Wisdom and Counsel, wonderful Counsellor, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, who shows ye this; of the Increase of whose Government and Peace there shall be no end; Upon the Throne of David, and upon his Kingdom, to Order it, and Establish it with Justice and with Judgement, from henceforth even for ever. And here ye may be supplied, and here ye may be furnished. If any of you lack wisdom (said James to the Twelve Tribes which were scattered abroad, Chap. 1.5, 6, 7 8.) let him ask it of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him; but let him ask in Faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea, driven with the Wind, and tossed; for let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord: A Double-minded man is unstable in all his ways: For, he is the fountain of wisdom, who is the Son of God, Christ Jesus the Wisdom of God, and the Power of God. To Him come; to Him repair; wait at Wisdoms gate; blessed are they that find it, and enter therein, and receive of its Treasure, and follow its Steps. Now, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom; (here's the gate) A good Understanding (here's the place) have all they that Do thereafter; The Praise of it (here's the Crown) endures for ever. And now, My Dear Friends; to the seed of God in you all, am I moved of the Lord to write this, that ye may see your state, and where you are; and how your Actions are weighed; and on what Foundation your Judgement stands; and at what you enter. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom. Is it there you enter in every Matter, in every Cause you have to do with? Have you recourse to Wisdom for Counsel, through this Gate of Understanding, The fear of the L●●●? Open ye the Gates that the Righteous Nation that keepeth the Truth may enter in: This will search you all; this will be a Candle; this is the Candle of the Lord that searcheth the innermost parts of the Belly: This will quickly tell you how 'tis with you: It's very near you, it's in you; it's as ready to let you see, as ye are to mind; yea it calleth upon you when ye mind not; and as ready 〈◊〉 it is to let you see, and to mind you, so will it be as ready to judge, if you mind it not. For the Judge standeth at the Door, the Gate of Wisdom, the Fear of the Lord. In this let all your Actions be weighed; In this let all your Judgements begin; with this finish, and so the blessing of God will be upon you; Otherwise you must sink. It's the Word of the Lord to you, whether you will hear or forbear, through His Servant, Bristol 3d. 10th. Month, 1661. GEO. BISHOPE. THE END.