Elizabeth Stirredge's Exhortation to her Children
Taken from her Strength in Weakness ManifestTherefore, my dear children, keep clear in your spirits in the sight of God, and beware of the world, and the people thereof; be not in too much familiarity with them, nor let in the spirit, to mix with yours; that hath been the hurt of many who have been going right on their way, and have made a good beginning; yet for want of watchfulness, and keeping to the guide of their youth, the light of Christ Jesus, which is the way to salvation; and whoever comes in any other way, is a thief and a robber. The way you know, you have been trained up in it; and the concern of my spirit is, that you may keep in it, and be concerned for your children, as your father and I have been for you; and train them up in the way of truth, and keep them out of the beggarly rudiments of this world, that they may grow up in plainness, and keep to the plain language, both you and they; which is become a very indifferent thing amongst many of the professors of truth. But in the beginning we went through great exercise for that very word, as Thee or Thou to one particular person. And for my part I had a concern upon my spirit, because I shifted many a time from that word; I would have said any word rather than Thee or Thou, that would have answered the matter that I was concerned in, but still I was condemned, guilt following of me; I was not clear in the sight of God, my way was hedged up with thorns, I could go no further, until I yielded obedience unto the little things; then I walked alone, as my manner was, and frequently used so to do, when things came as a weight or concern upon me, where I might be private form all concern, except my soul's concern; Oh! that desolate place where I used to retire alone, how many times hath my soul met with my beloved there, that had sweetly comforted me, when my soul hath been sick of love; and full of doubts for fear my beloved had left me, and forsaken me. But blessed be his name, that liveth for ever, he still appeared in a needful time, when my soul was distressed for him. And this is the way of the Lord's dealing with his children, that he may teach them to be humble, and train them up as children, that they may learn obedience in all things to do his will. And this is his end in chastising of his children, to make them fit for his service.
