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 whilst they are Young; with the Sense and Savour of the Spirit of Truth.  O Lord, I know that the Way of Man is not in himself, it is not in Man that walketh to direct his Steps, Jer. 10.23. 
By Richard Vickris.  
London, Printed and Sold by T. Sowle, next Door to the Meetinghouse in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-Street, and at the Bible in Leaden Hall-Street, 1697.   

A few Things of great Weight, etc.  
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, Will and Spirit, and is Opposed to the Low Way of Sin and Imperfection that is in Man's self, Respecting his Corrupt Fleshly Will, Mind and Spirit: In each of these Ways there is a Law or Power, the one of Spirit and Life, the other 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 Way, and followed the Thoughts and Devices of their own Hearts, which hath proved to be a Way of Folly and Misery, and still continues so to be, whatever otherwise Man may think in his Earthly Sensual Wisdom, 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 Condition, and oftentimes Laments themselves, and cries 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 Patriarches, Prophets and Apostles 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 Jeremiah (viz.) That High Way of Holiness and Happiness in God, 
Isa. 35.8.  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 Power of Spirit and Life in us.  
Now though we are awakened to a sense of our Condition, and groans and longs for Deliverance, we cannot obtain it in our own Way and Will, for the Way 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 Will and Pleasure, Directing us by his Law, and Enabling us by the Power of his Spirit, to work out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling; so that it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that showeth Mercy; 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 Confidence is in his Helper and Deliverer; it is written in Isaiah 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 Believeth shall not make haste. This sure Foundation, precious Corner 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 Wills or Members; the one Light, the other Darkness, the one High and Holy, the other Low and Sensual.  
Now all that have heard the Call of God, and have believed therein, and are awakened unto Righteousness, that is, have a Spiritual Sense and Feeling of God, must come out of this low sensual Way of Self and Self-working; and instead of being led and acted by their own Natural Powers of Fleshly Will and Wisdom in which Satan Builds, they must come down to this sure Foundation, viz. Christ in them, and feel the Power of his Life to Led 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 Powerful, etc. 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 Spiritual Senses of the Soul are Exercised towards God, whereby they see him that is Invisible, by which the Holy Ancients endured, and did all those mighty things made mention of in the Author to the Hebrews, Having an Eye to the Recompense of Reward; and this Faith being thus wrought in them, by the Operation of God, must be daily kept to, and in, that they may know and witness a dividing betwixt Soul and Spirit, betwixt the Soul and its old Natural and Sensual Power of working in its Fleshly Will and Wisdom in which the Devil Rules; and its New and Heavenly 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 Affected with its Beauty; and keeping in the Love thereof, will witness a being changed into its likeness from one Degree 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 Weight and Concern to all that are true Travellers towards God's Heavenly Kingdom of Rest and Peace, to Experience in themselves; for want whereof many have been held in sore Bondage and Captivity, under hard Labour and Servitude many Years, and have not been able to attain to what their Souls have long Desired and Traveled for (viz.) Spiritual Freedom and Deliverance from Sin and Death, because they have not been Rightly Exercised 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 Virtue of his Truth, by which alone the Soul is made Capable of receiving the true Knowledge thereof, and a fit Vessel to retain it. So here is a difference between a Living and Spiritual Knowledge, and a Dead, Natural, Fleshly Knowledge: The one gives Victory, the other leads into, and leaves in Bondage; the one is attained by Faith into a New and Spiritual Life, the other is gathered by a Fleshly Sense and Comprehension into the old corrupt Nature, which is not the proper 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 Corrupt, and its Fruits Corrupt. Of one of these all are, and accordingly must be Denominated, 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, contrary to Nature, into the good Olive Tree, which is Christ Jesus, the Root and Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning 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, according to his own Blessed Testimony of himself in John 14.6. and that no Man cometh to the Father but by him: The Completing of all our Happiness 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 direct 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 particularly our Tender Offspring, from a true Sense of the strict Relation that Exercise necessarily hath to a Spiritual Ability from God, to a right Performance thereof.  
And therefore, Friends, more particularly you who are Parents of Children, a few things hath opened in my Mind, to Recommend to your Consideration, touching this great Duty of Educating our Children in the Love and Fear of God, by the Power and Influence of his Blessed Truth: We 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 Experimental Knowledge of its Testimony in ourselves: And therefore he hath, and doth use his utmost Endeavour to do it in our Offspring, 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 Testimony thereof in the Earth; but our God beholds his secret Workings, 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 Wicked Purposes against his Flock and Heritage, who hath all Power and Sufficiency to do whatsoever pleaseth him, and will Accomplish his Will 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 Appearance in the Flesh, the Devils were subject, and made to confess to him; so hath it been in our Day: But the Righteous than were Exhorted, not to Rejoice 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, Fortress, and Security from Danger for ever.  
Now hereinto we must all come and abide for ourselves, and hereby (as we ought) we shall be enabled to be helpful to others, especially our tender Off spring that God hath Blessed 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 prepared 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 Instrumental to bring them unto Christ, who said, Suffer little Children to come unto me, and forbidden 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 Ability, Rightly to perform it, and this Capacity is not of Man, nor in the Will and Time of Man, but of God; and therefore 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 Seasons: And unless we are thus Exercised and Qualified, whatever other Abilities of Wisdom 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 begetting 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 without the Spirit of God? It is the Spirit of God that begets to him, and if we are not begotten 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 differing 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 ourselves; that is, unless we so Live as to obtain entrance into God's Kingdom for ourselves; how shall we help to bring our Children thereinto: No, on the contrary, 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, scattereth 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 forbidden 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 Children and his Household after him, and they shall keep the Way of the Lord, etc. 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 , 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 Spirit 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 Parent's 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 according 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 Do) 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 displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little Children to come unto me, and forbidden 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 Considered. It plainly Teaches, not only that Children are Capable of Receiving the Kingdom, 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, Rightly to Consider how little Children Receives the Kingdom, that we may prove and try ourselves 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 another, better, and more excellent Way of Receiving it, seeing 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 Schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ; yet the Right Receiving of him, is by, and into a New and Spiritual Life, that is begotten and quickened 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 Spirit, which Influences and Opens the Spiritual Eye and Ear, to See and Hear a Beauty and Harmony in the Divine Nature, and Original Good, which is God; whereto they, viz. Little Children, may be Excited by the Communication of Spirit, in the Reaches forth of the Love and Life of Truth Ministerially and Instrumentally to them, before they are either Capable of receiving Instruction 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 Probable they were not Capable of Receiving much Instruction that Way, and yet were Capable 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 attained to the fullness of Years, and extent of the Exercise of the Rational Powers and Faculties of our Souls, shall content ourselves with what we can gather in, of the Convictions of Truth upon our Understandings, and not Receive the Kingdom thus as little Children, by the Visits and Touches of Jesus, which quickens our Souls to God, whereby we come to be Regenerated and Born again of his Spirit, and made Partakers of his Divine Nature, we can in no wise enter into the Kingdom God; and if we enter not the Kingdom ourselves, how shall we be helpful to bring our Children thereinto? No, we cannot; 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 lie under, for want of the Spiritual Help of their Parent's Faith and Exercise therein towards God for them, especially for the first Times and Years of their Life, wherein they are Capable of Receiving early Impressions 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 Receiving 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 Faculties, and get into a Comprehension 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 Innermost 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 Children Professing the Truth; who, perhaps, make an outward Show 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 obtained into the Kingdom.  
Having Premised these things concerning Children, and the necessity of a Right and Spiritual 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 Spiritual Ability in themselves, that they may be enabled to reach to that Degree of Soul in their Servants and Children, wherein God is felt and witnessed to Appear and Work for their Redemption and Salvation; I have already shown what that is, viz. The Souls New and Spiritual Life in God.  
That which I have further to Communicate and Recommend, 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 Relation to Practice, and that is,  
For as much as our Children are Capable of being Members of Christ's Kingdom by coming 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 Spiritual Frame, and Heavenly Capacity 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 amongst 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 Consider who have great Families of Servants and small Children (especially in the Country, where Public Meetings of the Lord's People and Servants are frequently at great Distances) that such small Children can rarely, if at any time, be present; by which means the Opportunity and Benefit they should Reap by Meeting with their Dear Parents, in the Assemblies 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 certain, Must not the Heavenly Desire and Influences of good Parents, in the Love of God, for and towards their tender Offspring, 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 Capable very Early of Good, as well as of Evil Impressions? It is therefore tenderly Recommended, as a Supplement to the aforementiond 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 Servants in their own Families, to wait upon him for the Blessing of his Sweet and Comfortable Presence, to be with, and amongst them, which will Enable 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 Edification 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 Offspring of Believing 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 christ Jesus, whom he sent into the World to save and deliver you from Sin and Death, and thereby make you his Children; who also himself Loves you, in that he gave himself to Die for you, that he might Redeem you to God, whereby you are beheld Innocent and Lovely in his sight, who delights 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 forbidden 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 behold 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, Meekness 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 Partakers 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 Opportunities 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 delight 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 Hearty Desire of your Friend that Loves you, and Wishes the  of all, both Parents and Children.  
R. V.   

ERRATA  
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FINI●