Page:Life and prophecies of Mr. Alexander Peden (1).pdf/58

 30. In his laſt ſermon, which, as I ſaid before, was in the Colm-wood, he ſaid, That in a few years after his death, there would be a wonderful alteration of affairs in Britain and Ireland, and the perſecution in Scotland ſhould ceaſe; upon which every body ſhould believe the deliverance was come, and conſequently would fall fatally ſecure "But I tell you, ſaid he, you will be all very much miſtaken; for both England and Scotland will be ſcourged by foreigners, and a ſet of unhappy men in theſe lands taking part with them, before any of you can pretend to be happy, or get a thorough deliverance, which will be a more ſevere chaſtiſement than any other they have met with, or can come under, if that were once over.

I Long to hear from you, how you ſpend your time, and how the grace of God grows in your hearts. I know ye, and other of the Lord's people, by reaſon of the preſent trial, have got up a faſhion of complaining upon Chriſt; but I defy you to ſpeak an ill word of him, unleſs ye wrong him. Speak as you can, and ſpare not; only I requeſt that your expreſſions of Chriſt be ſuitable to your experience of him. If ye think Chriſt's houſe be bare and ill-provided, and harder than ye looked for, aſſure yourſelves Chriſt minds only to diet you, and not to hunger you: Our Steward kens when to spend, and when to ſpare. Christ knows well, whether heaping or ſtraiking agrees beſt with our narrow veſſels, for both are alike to him: Sparing