AS it is written, When Messias is come, He will tell us all things, Joh. 4.25. And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led th [...]e these forty Years in the Wilderness, Deut. 8.2. And it is yet more evident from that saying of Abra­ham: Son, remember that thou in thy Life-time receivedst thy good things. Luk. 16.25. And that manner of Speech, The Former shall not be remembred, nor come into mind, Isa. 65.17. And also from that kind of Expression, Then shall ye Return and Discern. Mal. 3.18. From all these Scriptures put together this Proposition of Truth arises, viz. That in the fu­ture Life we shall remember, know, discern, and perceive the Things of this Present, but then past Life, more clearly and evidently than we do now we are in it. And so, I believe and testify beforehand, That then we shall remember, know, discern, and perceive, That in this Letter of mine directed unto him, or in this Testimony of Truth, bearing Date, July 25. 1692. The way was shewed, Pointed, and Chalked out, whereby King James might have Re­covered his Kingdom, and might have boen Re-instated and set upon the Throne of his Progeni­tors again. And how that if the King had trusted in the Lord, through the Mercy of the most High, He should not be moved, Psal. 21.7. for nothing was therein intimated or directed un­to him, but what was lawful and right. And that all those manifold Surmises and Imagina­tions, How that his Enemies and Rebellious Subjects within this Realm, and the Ignorant Gid­dy Multitude (God could, and can yet turn their Hearts to be as much for Him, as now they are against Him, which last comes to pass thro' so many Lyes and wrong Surmises conceived concerning him) would put Him to Death or harm Him, were false; and they were the Fright­nings of Satan; for thro' the others Omission and Fear in this kind, The Peril doth serve one end of his Kingdom; which is to keep and continue People longer in their Sins, and to hinder Peace from the Earth.

But the Children of Belial said, How shall this Man save us, and they despised him, 1 Sam. 10.27. So the Multitude and Generality of People are apt to say. Is this a likely way or fit Means for a Mighty Monarch, and once a Puissant formidable Prince to come over in a Pac­quet Boat or small Vessel, only with a few Servants, to recover his Kingdom; especially when Fleets and Armies, and the Power of a whole Nation are Engag'd against Him? But (besides that He had better come over this way then not at all) This account may be given thereof in Reason, and from the common Experience of things. For even they who would oppose Him, and confront Force to Force, if once He should attempt to Land in an Hostile [Page 2]manner, would not so mu [...]h as hurt the Hair of his Head, nor touch the outside of his Gar­ment, if He come in peaceably. There would not be the like Occasion and Pretence for so doing, Things altogether as unlikely (as what is here imagined) have come to pass, and been brought about, when they have been transacted all along exactly in the way and Me­thod of God. For all this I considered in mine Heart, even to declare all this, That the Righ­teous and the Wise, and their Works are in the Hands of God. Eceles. 9.1. Who are safe under his invisible Protection. ( He shall cover thee with his Feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust, Psal. 91.4.) even whilst the Rulers take Counsel together against the Lord, and against his Anointed: And even whilst Ten thousands of the People have set themselves against me round about. The very means whereby God would bring a thing to pass, do all along seem to the People of the World to be despicable Means.

And by a Prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a Prophet was he preserved. Hos. 12.13.

And so every and each Thought, which as yet hinders the King from coming over, and from doing as is there shew'd unto him is a false and untrue Thought. I have often Reason'd, and been Musing within my self, That if it was indeed the mind and good Pleasure of God to bring the King over and Re-instate H [...]m; Why then doth not God put the same Thoughts into His Soul as into mine, in order to set Him again upon the Throne? Or, Wherefore is it that all my Writings on his behalf seem only as so many Guesses and Imaginations? But as yet, many are apt to object unto me, Thou dost not hit upon the Right way, O [...] God doth not give such a Seal and Evidence, and Testimony unto the word of his Grace which appears forth through thee, That the People as yet do not obey and discern it. I do here confese to his Glo­ry, Josh. 7.19. but to mine own Shame, That in some things I have feared, and been dismay­ed, and been lacking. And as to other things in the management of that Great and Good Work which herein hath been committed to me, I have err'd, and been ignorant. Some rea­son whereof, and of what is heae objected, is to be imputed to the manifold and continued Op­positions of Satan. And he shewed me Joshua the High Priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan at his Right hand to resist him, Zac. 3.1. Only he who now letteth will lett until he be taken out of the way. 2 Thes. 2.7.

But then again as on one side, the work of the Lord as it was committed to my manage­ment, hath suffered much dimunition, loss and disadvantage thro' my unbelief and Ignorance, and beceuse mine own Life and Convesation comes so very short, and so much behind of what was that of his Antient Prophets, or of his Servants of old time. Depart ye, depart ye, G [...]ye out from hence, Touch ur unclean thing, Go ye out of the midst of her, Be ye clean that bear the Vessels of the Lord, Isa 52. v. 11. And so I should have got out and separated from amongst my Brethren, and I should have endeavoured to have exceeded even them (who live in the strictest Sect of our Religion, and in the most circumpect walking) in all holy conversation and God­liness, and in constant universal Zeal for the Lord our God. But alas! and Woe unto me; all this I have not done.

So on the other side, it was good and seasonable Advice which (having saw and received the same out of the Glass of the Word) I gave unto the King, that during the time of His Deprivation, He should not live in outward Mirth and Recreations (I am sorry to hear that he gives way to the latter, unless it is for his Healths sake) For it is not a proper time to drink wine in Bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief Ointment, Amos 6.6. When they ought to be grieved for the affliction ef Joseph. And so the King ought to be affected and sym­pathize also with those that suffer here for his Righteous Cause, and in this sense to weep with them that weep, Rom, 12.15. I repeat and put him in mind of it again, That even now He should be in a State of Humiliation, and waiting on the Lord, of Fasting, Sackcloth, and [Page 3]Mourning, that He may be Worthy for God to do some Great and Good thing for him towards his latter End. This Worthiness or rather Meekness doth not altogether so much consist in outward Worship, or in great Shew and Quantity of Devotion, Nor yet to go further, by ob­servation of Part of God's Law, but by confirming all the words of Gods Law to do them, Deu. 27.26. By resolving and performing it like the man after God's own heart, For all his judg­ments were before me, and I did not put away his Statutes from me, Psal. 18.22.

When God did intend to do good unto his Servant David in putting away his Sin, He did first reprove him thereof by his Prophet Nathan; so that the King should not be angry at what reproof of Sin or Error hath been in himself, for in like manner this (according to the Divine method) may be a forerunner of intended good unto him. And so certainly, That God might be justified when he speaketh, and be clear when he judgeth. Psal. 50.4. There is some Sin [...]er Fault, some unworthiness or unpreparation, some Iniquity or Transgression in the King, which hath occasioned this Affliction, And as yet hinders good things from him.

In fine, As to his coming or not coming again, Tho' the Prayers and Endeavours of all ho­nest People ought to be that judgment should return to righteousness, Psal. 94.15. and that Right should take place; Yet before and after all, we ought to acquiesce in the will of God; saying with David (which same should be the mind both of the King, and also of those Inhabitants of this Nation, who during his Absence from them, do yet still retain their Alle­giance, Faithfulness and Subjection unto Him. If I shall find Favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again; But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee, Behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him, 2 Sam. 15.25, 26. Notwithstanding David spake thus, yet God did bring him up again, but David did use the means for it, and not lie still.

Towards the close of my aforesaid Letter, there is brought in a Dilemma (which is the most forcible sort of Arguments) to persuade the King to endeavour to come again in a Christian, peaceable Manner there directed to him. It is taken from that Reasoning of Eliezer in 2 Ma­cabees 6. For he began to consider discreetly, and as became his Age, and the Honour of his Gray Hairs, whereunto he was come: Therefore he answered consequently (observe that) In like man­ner King James might Reason, that it becometh not his declin [...]ng Age (He being now more than Sixty Years old) to fear Death or Imprisonment. For if Thou, O King, shouldst tarry where thou art (which will be to the Desire and Rejoycing of thine Enemies. Here one should be sure to cotradict, and go thwart, and do contrary to what Enemies would have) Thou wilt certainly die in that Countrey where thou wast not born (which under the Old Testament Dis­pensation was look'd upon as a Curse, Threatning and Pun [...]shment of God) but to the Land where thou desirest to return, thou mayest as yet Return: And so through thy fear for a little time of transitory Life, People may be deceived by Thee, As if Thou not being so bold and courageous (as Thou oughtest to be, in a good and righteous Cause) it would procure a Reproach and Suspicion, as if it was not altogether so, or as if Innocency was not to be found in Thee. It is better to brings Things to this issue (which however at first sight may seem doubtful or uncertain; yet if the King trusteth in the Lord, He shall not slide, Psal. 26.7. He will Turn and Over-rule it into good, euen beyond the best Hope and Expectation) then always to re­main in a Forreign Nation, and there to abide for the most sure Event of Mortality. But it is seldom that People do according to those Motives, which are drawn from the consideration of Sickness, or the near approach of Death, (which should be most Forcible and Persuasive) Yet nevertheless such are good and true, safe and wholesome Counsels.

If those Subjects of Thine, who contrary to their Oath and Duty, did Depose Thee should al­ways Refuse and Rebel, and never come to Repentance, so as to Call Thee in, and Send for Thee over themselves (as it is but very seldom that Rebels do ever Repent, for Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft.) Yet nevertheless, the Remedy is in Thy Self: Thou mayest still in [Page 4]the way aforementioned, come over whensoever Thou wilt. Thou hast also many Subjects here (the Lord add unto this People how many soever they be, an Hundred fold) who have not consented unto the Counsel and Deed of them. And as when the Brethren come to meet him, thereupon Paul thanked God, and took Courage, Acts 28.15. So this last Consideration should encourage Thee also to praise God for it, and to come forward on Thy Journey after a Godly sort, then Thou shalt do well, 3 Joh. 6.

It may be Proper and Seasonable, to come over during the Absence of the wrong Possessor.

Let the King again eonsider what is here further said, and the Lord give Him Understanding in all Things.

These foregoing Words should some way or other be sent or conveyed unto Him to whom they ared irected and intended.

Written April the 2d 1695.