spirit of the remnant of the people and they came and did work in the House of the Lord of Hosts their God in the seventh month and the twenty first day of the month came the word of the Lord by the Prophet Haggai saying speak unto Zerubbabel the Governour of Iudah and to Ieshua the High Priest and to the residue of the people saying who is left among you that saw the House in her first glory and how do ye see it now is it not in your eyes in comparison as nothing yet be strong O Zerubbabel saith the Lord and be strong O Ieshua the High Priest and be strong all ye people of the Land saith the Lord and work for I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt so my spirit remained among you fear ye not as you may read throughout the Prophesie of Haggai In the eighth month in the second year of Darius came the word of the Lord unto Zachariah unto the Iews that were to build the Temple in Ierusalem saying the Lord hath been sore displeased with your Fathers thus saith the Lord of Hosts turn unto me and I will turn unto you saith the Lord of Hosts be not as your Fathers unto whom the former Prophets cryed saying turn ye from your evil ways and from your evil doings but they did not hear nor harken unto me faith the Lord but your Fathers where are they now do they live for ever but my words and my Commandments which I commanded my Prophets took hold on them as you may read from the first Chapter of Zashariah to the 4. Ch. So after that these Prophets had prophesied unto them The building of the Temple goes on again in the second year of Darius as you may read in Ezra 5. Then rose up Zerubbabel and Ieshua and began to build the House of God which is at Ierusalem and with them were these Prophets of God helping them and then came to them Tatnâ—s Governour on this side the River and Shethar-boznai and their Companions and said unto them who hath commanded you to build this House and make up this Wall but the eye of their God was upon the Elders of the Jews that they could not cause them to cease till the matter was come to Darius and then they returned an answer by Letter concerning the matter the Copy of which Letter you may read to the end of the 5. Chapter Then Darius the King made a Decree according to the Contents of the Letter and search was made in the House of the Rolls where the Treasuries were laid up in Babylon as you may read throughout the 6. Chapter And the King made Decrees that none should hinder them but the House should be built with speed and the Elders of the Jews builded and they prospereed through the prophefying of Haggai and Zachariah and Zachariah prophesied to them again in the fourth year of Cyrus as you may read Zach. 7. And they builded and finished it according to the command of the God of Israel and according to the Commandment of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes Nehem. 5.6 and 7. Chapters and this House was finished on the third day of the month Adar The Temple finished which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the King So you may read their course of life and their worship that they performed unto the Lord and how they sought the Lord you may read through the Book of Ezra and Nehemiah and how Neâ—emiah prayed unto the Lord and humbled himself before the Lord and how he went in the night to view the Wall that was broken down and laid ruinous and how he joined himself with the Builders and opposed the Adversaries and looked up and encouraged the Nobles and the Rulers and the rest of the people and said be not afraid of them as you may read in this Book of Nehemiah In the ninth Chapter of Nehemiah you may read how the Children of Israel assembled themselves together with fasting and with Sackcloth and earth upon them and the Seed of Israel separated themselves from all Strangers and stood and confessed their sins and worshipped God after they were returned back from their captivity and were come to Jerusalem and had built the Temple as you may read at large in this Chapter and so on throughout the Book of Nehemiah Esther AND so likewise in the Book of Esther you may see how the Lord in his mercy was pleased to promote the Jews interest under Ahasuerus by means of Mordecai and Queen Esther as you may read throughout the History of this Book of Esther therefore the Jews of the Villages that dwolt in the unwalled Towns made the 14. day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting and a good day of sending portions one to another and Mordecai wrote these things and sent Letters unto all the Jews that were in all the Provinces of King Ahasuerus both far and neer even to one hundred and thirty seven Provinces to establish this amongst them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and the seventeenth day of the same month and this was established among the Jews to be kept yearly as you may read to the end of the 9. Chapter of Esther and the King Ahasuerus did so promote Mordecai the Jew that he was next unto King Ahasuerus and great among the Jews and accepted of the multitude of his Brâ—thren seeking the wealth of his people and speaking peace to all his seed and this is writ in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Medea and Persia Est 10. And thus far you may see how the Lord hath dealt with his people Israel and how faithful he hath been in his promises to their forefathers and the tender eye and care he had over them all along and how gladly he would have had them to have obeyed his Commandments and his Statutes that they might have lived to him you may read through these afore mentioned Prophesies and notwithstanding that they did rebel against him and did grievously provoke him through their manifold abominations yet you see how careful he was of them and faithful to them and according to the Prophesies of the Prophets brought them back again to their own City But this was not all there is much behind yet for the Decree and Determination of the Lord was a further thing and these peculiar people which the Lord did chuse above all the Families of the earth they were a figure of the right and ture and precious seed of God and though they were a people as you see that had often rebelled against the Lord and fallen away from him and murmured against him as you may see they did often in the Wilderness when the Lord had set Moses and Aaron over them as you may see Numb 13. and all the Congregation lift up their voices
The Standard of the Lord REVEALED By which He hath led and guided and preserved his people since Adam to this day as is manifested through the Scriptures and is shewed forth in this following Abstract AS ALSO A clear manifestation by the Scriptures of the Recovering and Redeeming his Spiritual Seed and Body which is his Church out of thraldom and Captivity which day is begun Then he remembred the days of old Moses and his people saying where is he that brought them up out of the Sea with the Shepherds of his flock where is he that put his holy Spirit within them that led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm that led them through the deep as a Horse in the Wilderness that they should not stumble Isa 63.11 12 13. Neither said they where is the Lord that brought us up out of the Land of Egypt and led us through the Wilderness c. Jer. 2.6 But fear not thou O my servant Jacob and be not dismaied O Israel for behold I will save thee from the land of their Captivity and Jacob shall return and be in rest and at ease and none shall make them afraid Jer. 46.27 Isa 41.13.14 And I will bring again the Captivity of my people Israel and they shall build the waste Cities and inhabit them and they shall plant Vinyards and they shall drink of the Wine thereof and shall make Gardens and eat of the fruit thereof Amos 9.14 The Redeemer is come to Sion Jacob doth rejoice and Israel is glad Psal 53.6 Given forth at Lancaster Castle 11. month 1665 6 By M. F. a Prisoner of the Lord. Printed in the Year MDCLXVII The Epistle to the Reader Diligent Reader IF thou seriously consider that we are fallen into the last days and ages of the World in which the Lord of Heaven and Earth will come and plead with his Enemies and to recompence them according to their works Rev. 20.12 2 Cor. 5.10 Mat. 16.27 and that the terrible day of the Lord is coming with burns as an Oven and all his Enemies are before him as stubble and he will call all men high and low rich and poor to an account for their deeds done and reward every one according to their works whether they be good or whether they be bad The serious consideration of these things should put thee to a stand to search and to see how it stands between thee and the Lord. And if thou desires the knowledge of the living God and of his eternal Truth and desires to know the dealings of the Lord with his people and his seed here upon the earth since he made man and created him and gave him a being upon the earth look into this following Extract which is taken out of the Scriptures and thou mayst thereby see how the Lord hath led his seed and people from the beginning of the World until this present day As also his tender care and love that he hath exercised unto them all along as thou thy self will judge in the reading of this Treatise through which will be for thy own advantage and the building of thee up in the knowledge of the Lord and his Truth and also in the knowledge of the Scriptures which too many are and have been ignorant of and therefore have they dyed in their sins according as Christ saith if you do not believe that I am he ye shall dye in your sins Joh. 8.24 And none do believe that Jesus is Christ but who believes in his light and in his holy Spirit for that is the unction of the holy one the anointing which is the Christ which is the truth and is no lie and which leads into all truth which Christ Jesus promised he would send when he went to his Father in John 16. It is expedient for you saith he that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you howbeit when the Spirit of truth is come he shall guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but he shall receive of mine and shew it unto you all things that the Father hath are mine therefore I said unto you he shall take of mine and shew it unto you thou mayst read of this at large in this Chapter So this is the very life of our knowledge of the truth to mind the light of the Lord Jesus Christ which is in thy heart and his Spirit that he hath put in thy inward parts and with that eye read this following Treatise in sobriety gentleness and meekness of Spirit without partiality or prejudice and thereby thou mayst gain knowledge and understanding into the truth of God and also into the Scriptures which it may be thou didst not know before Thou mayst also read in this following Book of the Redemption and bringing back of the Captivity of the Church of Christ whose day of redemption and deliverance comes as is shewed therein by the Scriptures and so as I said before being the time is short and the Lord cometh as a thief in the night â—nd the servant knoweth not at what hour his Lord cometh Therefore Christ saith it is good for you to be ready for in such an hour as you think not of the Son of man cometh blessed is the Servant whom the Lord when he cometh findeth watching watch therefore for you know not at what hour the Lord cometh Mat. 24. so in this time and day all people had need to be found watching lest they say peace when sudden destruction cometh upon them So in love to the Souls of all people upon the whole earth is this written and that it might be of advantage to all people is the end of the writing of this following book And the Lord that hath opened and moved by the power of his holy Spirit in writing of it make it also effectual and of use and service for the salvation of the Souls of all the Readers of it M. F. Genesis IN the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Joh. 1. This is the testimony and the record of John the beloved Disciple that leaned on Jesus breast this agreeing with the first of Genesis In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth and the earth was void and without form and darkness was upon the face of the deep and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters and God said let there be light and there was light 1 Joh. 5.7 So here is the record which is in heaven God the Spirit and the Word that was in the beginning with God by which all things were made and created the Heavens and the Earth the Sea and the firmament and all things that are therein and every living creature
and the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron that they should put an Homer of this Manna which they did eat into a Pot and lay it up before the Lord to be kept for the Generations ver 33 And the Children of Israel did eat Manna forty years until they came to the borders of the Land of Canaan and all the Congregation of the Children of Israel journied from the Wilderness of Sin after their journey according to the command of the Lord and pitched in Rephidim there was no water for the people to drink and the people did chide with Moses and the people thirsted there for water and Moses cryed unto the Lord saying what shall I do unto this people they be almost ready to stone me and the Lord said unto Moses go on before the people and take with thee the Elders of Israel and thy Rod wherewith thou smotest the River take in thy hand and go and behold I stand before thee there upon the Rock in Horeb and thou shalt 〈◊〉 the Rock and Water shall come out of it that the people may drink and Moses did so in the sight of all the Children of Israel and the Lord gave them his Laws and his Statutes and sent Moses unto them and said thus shalt thou say unto the House of Jacob and tell the Children of Israel ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians and how I bare you on Eagle wings and brought you unto my self now therefore if yoâ— will obey my voice indeed and keep my Covenant then shall ye be a 〈◊〉 treasure unto me above all the people of the earth And the Lord said unto Moses loâ— come unto thee in a thick cloud that the people may hear when I speak â—nto thee and believe thee for over tâ— be readlly therefore on one third day for thâ— Lord will come down unto Mount Sina in the sight of all the people and it came to pass in the morning of the third day that there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the Mount and the voice of the Trumpet exceeding loud so that all the people that was in the Camp trembled and Moseâ— brought forth the people out of the Camp to meet with the Lord and they stood at the nether part of the Mount and Mount 〈◊〉 was altogether of a smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a Furnace and the whole Mount quaked greatly and when the voice of the Trumpet sounded long and waxed douder and 〈◊〉 Mosâ—s spake and God answered him by a vâ—iue and the 〈◊〉 Mosâ—s up to the top of the Mount and Moses went up as you may read at large Exod. 19. And the Lord gave his Law unto Moses from his own mouth and God spake all these words and said I am the Lord thy God thou shalt have none other Gods but me c. Exod. 20. And after the Lord had given his Law and his ten Commandments to them when the people saw the thundrings and the lightnings and the noise of the Trumpet and the Mountain smoking they removed and stood afar off and said unto Moses speak thou unto us and we will hear but let not God speak with us lest we die And Moses said unto the people fear not for God is come to prove you that his fear may be before your faces that ye sin not and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was and the Lord said unto Moses say unto the Children of Israel you have seen that I have talked with you from Heavenâ— ye shall not make with me Gods of Silver neither shall ye make ye Gods of Gold ver 23. And God commanded Moses to make an Ark the Ark of his Covenant with a Candlestick and all the holy Vessels of the Sanctuary as you may read at large Exod. 25. Moreover he commanded Moses to make the Tabernacle with all its Curtains Coverings and Vails Chap. 26. Also he commanded him to make an Altar on which the Offerings were to be offered as you may read from Chap. 27. to Chap. 30. and so to the end of the Book of Exodus And after this the Lord made Moses write his Law in Tables of Stone and Moses hewed two Tables of Stone and went up early in the morning as the Lord commanded him unto Mount Sinai and took in his hands the two Tables of Stone and the Lord descended in the Cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord The Lord merciful and gracious long-suffering abundant in goodness and truth and keeping mercy for thousands pardoning iniquity transgression and Sin Exod. 34. So all the precious works of Moses and Aaron and all their faithfulness and their care and their diligence and how the Lord honoured them with his presence and how they taught and governed and prophesied unto the Children of Israel why they led them through the Wilderness 40 years together ye may read in the four Books of Moses viz. Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Deuteronomy THE Lord promised the Children of Israel and said unto Moses I will raise them up from among their brethren a Prophet like unto thee and I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I command him Deut. 18.18 here Moses was a Prophet for Christ witnesses that Moses writ of him and Philip said we have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write Jâ—â— 1.45 and Chap. 5.45 do not think that I will accuse your to the Father there is one that accuseth you even Moses for 〈◊〉 you believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me but if ye believe not his writings how shall ye believe my words And the Apostle saith and Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant forth testimony of those things which were to be spoken after Heb. 3.5 And this was the Commandment which Moses laid before the Children of Israel a little before his departure from them saith he for this Commandment which I command you this day it is not hidden from thee neither is it afar off it is not in Heaven that thou shouldest say who shall go up for 〈◊〉 to Heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it but the word is very nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest do it I have sâ—t before thee this day life and death and good and evil Deuteronemy 30.11 to the 15. and Rom. 10.5 6 7 8 9 10. So after his Exhortations he blessed them with large blessings as you may read in the 31 3â— and 33 Chapters at large And he said I am 120 years old I can no more go out and come in and the Lord
and withall of a beautiful countenance and goodly to look to and the Lord said arise annoint him for this is he then Samuel took the horn of Oyl and annointed him in the midst of his Brethren and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward Here the Lord annointed David to be King over Israel by his Prophet and by his eternal Spirit but this was hid from Saul many years as you may read from Chap. 16 to 23. And how the Lord was with David in all his undertakings and how he was preserved from the wrath and fury of Saul and how David preserved Sauls life when he came into the Cave where he and his men were upon the Rocks and he would not hurt Saul as you may read in the 24. Chapter but still Saul pursued Davids life as you may read throughout the Book of Samuel And the Armies of the Amalekites gathered together against Israel and David enquired of the Lord saying shall I pursue after this Troop shall I overtake them and he answered pursue them and without fail recover all So David went and six hundred men that were with him four hundred pursued and two hundred stayed behind and David recovered all that the Amalekites carryed away and David recovered his two Wives and there was nothing lacking neither small nor great neither Sons nor Daughters neither flocks nor herds but David recovered them all and came to the two hundred men that stayed behind that were so faint they could not follow him Now after this the Philistines fought against Israel that was under Saul and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and the Battel went sore against Saul and the Archers hit him and he was sore wounded and Saul said unto his Armour-Bearer draw thy Sword and thrust me through but his Armour-Bearer would not therefore Saul took a sword and fell upon it and when his Armour-Bearer saw that Saul was dead he fell likewise upon his sword and died with him so Saul died and his three Sons and his Armour-Bearer and all his men fell that day together 1 Sam. 31. II. Samuel AND when David had word that Saul and Jonathan were dead then David took hold on his Cloaths and rent them and all the men that were with him and they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his Son for the People of the Lord and for the House of Israel because they were fallen by the sword and David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his Son which Lamentation you may read 2 Sam. 1. And it came to pass after this that David enquired of the Lord saying shall I go up into the Cities of Iudah and the Lord said unto him go up and David said unto him whither shall I go and he said unto Hebron so David went up thither and his two Wives and his men that were with him every man with his Houshold and they dwelt in the Cities of Hebron and the men of Iudah came and there they annointed David King over the House of Iudah and they told David that the men of Iabesh-Gilead were they that buried Saul and David sent Messengers unto the men of Gilead and said unto them Blessed be ye of the Lord that ye have shewed this kindness unto the Lord even unto Saul and buried him and now the Lord shew kindness and truth unto you and I will requite you this kindness for your Master Saul is dead and the House of Iudah hath annointed me King over them So now David reigned over the House of Iudah but yet there continued long War between the House of Saul and the House of David but David waxed stronger and stronger and the House of Saul waxed weaker and weaker Then came all the Tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron and spoke saying we are thy bones and thy flesh and in time past when Saul was King over us thou leddest out and brought in Israel and the Lord said unto thee thou shalt feed my people Israel So all the Elders of Israel came to the King to Hebron and King David made a league with them before the Lord and they annointed David King over Israel Chap. 5. David was thirty years old when he began to reign in Israel in Hebron he reigned over Iudah seven years and he reigned over Israel and Iudah forty years So David governed Israel in the fear and wisdom of the Lord God for David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel thirty thousand and David arose and went with all them that were with him from Baal of Iudah to bring up from thence the Ark of God whose name is called the Lord of Hosts that dwelleth between the Cherubims the whole passage whereof you may read Chap. 6. And when King David sat in his house the King said unto Nathan the Prophet see I dwell in an house of Cedar but the Ark of God dwells within Curtains and that night the word of the Lord came unto Nathan saying go tell my servant David thus saith the Lord shalt thou build a house for me to dwell in whereas I have not dwelt in an house since the time that I brought up the Children of Israel out of Egypt even to this day but have walked in a Tent and in a Tabernacle but when thy days shall be fulfilled that thou sleeps with thy Fathers I will set up thy seed after thee which shall proceed out of thy Bowels and I will establish his Kingdom he shall build an house for my name and I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom for ever I will be his Father and he shall be my Son if he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men but my mercy shall not depart away from him as I took from Saul Chap. 7. Thus David governed the Kingdom of Israel nobly all his days and the mighty works that he did and the great Victories that the Lord gave him you may read of to the end of this Book 1 Kings 2 Chron. AND when the days of David grew nigh that he should die he charged Solomon his Son saying I go the way of all the earth be thou strong therefore and shew thy self a man and keep the charge of the Lord thy God to walk in his ways and to keep his Statutes and his Commandments and his Judgments and his Testimonies as it is written in the Law of Moses that thou mayst prosper in all that thou doest that the Lord may continue his word which he spake concerning me saying if thy Children take heed to their way to walk before me in Truth with all their heart and with all their Soul there shall not fail thee a man said he to sit on the Throne of Israel 1 Kings 2. And so David slept with his Fathers and was buried in the City of David Then sat Solomon upon the Throne of
Israel gave the Kingdom of Israel to David for ever by a Covenant of Salt and yet Jeroboam is risen up and rebelled against his Lord and now do ye think to withstand the Kingdom of the Lord in the hands of the Sons of David and ye be a great multitude and there be with you goldeâ— Calves which Jeroboam hath made for Gods and behold God himself is with us for our Captain and his Priests with sounding Trumpets to cry aloud against you O Children of Israel sight not against the Lord God of your Fathers ye shall not prosper but Jeroboam caused an ambushment to be set before the Children of Judah and behind them and they cryed unto the Lord and the Priests sounded with Trumpets then the men of Iudah gave a shout and as they shouted God smote Ieroboam and all Israel and the Children of Israel fled before Iudah and God delivered them into their hands 2 Chron. 13. 1 Kings 12.28 After this Abijah waxed mighty and married 14 Wives and had twenty two Sons and sixteen Daughters and the rest of the acts that he did are written in the Story of the Prophet Iddo and the Prophets that prophesied in his days were Shemaiah and Iddo and Abijah slept with his Fathers and Asa his Son reigned in his stead So now you may read iâ— the remaining Chapters of this Book how Israel was divided and rent asunder and how they served other Gods and wrought abomination before the Lord and the Lord spake unto them by his Prophets but they would not hear but hardened their hearts and wrought wickedness and killed the Lords Prophets but Baals Prophets were 450. and the Lord plagued them and sent them Famine and Drought as you may read Chap. 18.22 And in the twentieth year of Ieroboam Asa reigned over Iudah and Asa did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and he gathered all Judah and Benjamin together and they entred into a Covenant with the Lord God of their Fathers that they would seek him with all their hearts he took away the Altars of the strange Gods and the Images and took away the Sodomites out of the Land and he removed away the Idols which his Father had made and the Lord cut off the Ethiopians before Asa Judah and Benjamin and he removed his Mother from being Queen because she had made an Idol in a Grove and he destroyed her Idol and burnt it 2 Chr. 15. 1 Kings 15.13 In the 36 year of the reign of Asa Baasha King of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah to the intent he might let none go out nor come in to Asa King of Judah then Asa brought out Silver and Gold out of the Treasury of the House of the Lord and sent it to Benhadad King of Syria that dwelt in Damascus that he might join with him against the King of Israel and the King of Syria harkened unto him and they smote Jion and Dan and Abel-Beth-Maâ—chab and all the Cities of Naphtali And at that time Hanani came unto Asa King of Iudah and said because thou hast relied on the King of Syria and hast not relied in the Lord thy God therefore is the Host of the King of Syria escaped out of thy hands for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole Earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is perfect towards him herein thou hast done foolishly and Asa was wroth with the Seer and put him in Prison And Asa in the thirty ninth year was diseased in his feet and he sought not unto the Lord but unto Physicians and he slept with his Fathers and the Prophets Hanani and Azaziah the Son of Oded prophesied in his days and his Son Iehosaphat reigned in his stead and he walked according to Asa his Father and turned not aside from doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord nevertheless the high places were not taken away for the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their Fathers And the Lord was with Jehosaphat because he walked in the waies of David his Father and sought the Lord and his heart was lifted up in the waies of the Lord and called his Princes and with them he sent Levites and Priests and they taught in Judah and had the book of the Law of the Lord with them and went about through all the Cities of Judah and taught the people and the fear of the Lord fell upon all the Kingdoms of the Land round about Judah so that they made no War with Jehosaphat And Jehosaphat joined affinity with Ahab and went down to Samaria to Ahab King of Israel and they went down to Ramath-Gilâ—ad as you may read the 2 Chron. 18.1 1 Kings 22.2 and Jehosaphat caused Ahab to enquire of the Prophets of Israel and afterwards they enquired of Michaiah the Prophet of the Lord which Ahab said he hated for he never prophesied good of him but evil 2 Kings SO the King of Israel and Jehosaphat King of Iudah went up against Ramath-Gilead and a certain man drew a bow at a venture and smote the King of Israel between the joints of his Harness so that he died 2 Chron. 18.33 1 Kings 22. Now Ioram the Son of Ahab reigned over Israel in Samaria in the 18. year of Iâ—hosaphat King of Iudah it came to pass when Ahab was dead that the King of Moab rebelled against the King of Israel and Ioram King of Israel sent to Iehosaphat King of Iudah to join with him against Moab and the King of Israel and the King of Iudah went and the King of Edom went with them against Moab and the King of Israel said alas hath the Lord gathered these three Kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab and Ichosaphat said is there not here a Prophet of the Lord that we may enquire of him 2 Kings and one of the Kings servants said here is Elisha that poured water on the hands of Elijah and the three Kings went to enquire of him and Elisha said unto the King of Israel what have I to do with thee get thee to the Prophets of thy Father and the Prophets of thy Mother and Elisha said as the Lord of Hosts liveth before whom I stand were it not that I regard the presence of Iehesaphat King of Iudah I would not look towards thee nor see thee but now bring me here a Minstrel c. and they prevailed against the Moabites as you may read 2 Kings 3. And it came to pass after this that the Children of Moab and the Children of Ammon and with them from beyond the Sea from this side of Syria went a great multitude that came up against Iehosaphat King of Iudah as you may read 2 Chron. 20. and Iehosaphat feared before the Lord and proclaimed a Fast and set himself and all his people to seek the Lord and the Lord gave Iehosaphat Victory over his Enemies then returned
of the Lord according to all that David his Father did he removed the high places and broke the Images and cut down the Groves and brake in pieces the Brazen Serpent for the Children of Israel burnt incense to it He trusted in the Lord God of Israel so that after him was none like him among all the Kings of Iudah nor any that were before him and the Lord was with him and he prospered whithersoever he went as you may read in the 18.19 and 20 Chapters of the second of the Kings for when the Prophet Isaiah brought him tidings of their carrying into Babylon all that was in his house all that his Fathers had laid up in store and the carrying of his Sons and his Issue That they should be carryed into Babylon and that his Sons should be Eunuchs in the Palace of the King of Babylon Chapter twenty Second of Chronicles 29.30.31.32 Chapters then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken and he said is it not good if peace and mercy be in my days ver 18 19. And Hezekiah slept with his Fathers and Manasseh his Son reigned in his stead Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign and he reigned fifty five years in Jerusalem and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord after the abominations of the Heathens 2 Chron. 33. for he built again the high places that Hezekiah his Father had cast down and reared Altars for Baal and worshipped the host of Heaven as you may read in Chap. 21. After this the Lord spake to Manasseh and to his people but they would not regard wherefore the Lord brought upon him the host of the King of Assyria which took Manasseh and bound him with Fetters and carryed him to Babylon and when he was in tribulation he prayed unto the Lord and the Lord was entreated of him and brought him again to his Kingdom in Jerusalem as you may read in the 2 Kings 21. and 2 Chron. 33. and Manasseh slept with his Fathers and Amon his Son reigned in his stead Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign and reigned two years in Jerusalem and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord as did Manasseh his Father he sacrificed to all the Images that Manasseh had made and he humbled not himself before the Lord as Manasseh his Father did and the servants of Hamon conspired against him and slew him in his own house 2 Chron. 33. And the people of the Land made Josiah his Son King in his stead And Josiah was 8 years old when he began to reign and he reigned thirty one years in Jerusalem and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord like unto David his Father as you may read in the 22 and 23. Chapters 2 Chron. 34.35 Chapters and like unto him there was no King before him that turned unto the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might according to all the Law of Moses notwithstanding the Lord turned not away from the fierceness of his wrath wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah because of all the provocations that Manâ—sseh had provoked him withall and the Lord said I will remove Judah our of my sight as I have removed Israel for the Lord had given the ten Tribes of Israel into the hands of the King of Assyria for the Children of Israel walked in the sins of Jereboam which he did they departed not from them until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight as he said by his servants the Prophets so was Israel carried away out of their own Land to Assyria so the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hands of spoilers to cast them out of his sight Chap. 18. So as the Lord out off Israel so also he cut off the City of Ierusalem which he had chosen and the House which he had said my Name shall be there Chap. 23.27 And of all these things did the Prophet Isaiah prophesie of in the days of Vzziah Iotham Ahaz and Hezekiah Kings of Iudah the Daughter of Sion is left as a Cottage saith the Prophet in a Vineyard as a Lodge in a Garden of Cucumbers as a besieged City and in the 5. of Isaiah you may read at large what the Lord speaks there by his Prophet except the Lord had lestus a very small remnant we had been as Sodom and we had been like unto Gomorrah as you may read in the first Chapter and so throughout the Book of Isaiah And Ieremiah the Prophet the word of the Lord came to him in the days of Iosiah Son of Amon King of Iudah he prophesied of the carrying away of Ierusalem Captive as you may read Ier. 1. I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness who have forsaken me and have burnt incense unto other Gods and worshipped the works of their own hands therefore gird up thy loins and arise against this whole Land and against the Kings of Iudah against the Princes thereof against the Priests thereof and against the people thereof for I have made thee as a defenced City and as an Iron Pillar they shall not prevail against thee for I am with thee saith the Lord to deliver thee The Lord said unto me in the days of Iosiah the King hast thou seen what this rebellious Israel hath done for she hath gone up upon every high Mountain and under every green Tree and there played the harlot and I said when she had done all this turn thou unto me but she returned not and her rebellious Sister Judah saw it and when I saw that by all occasions rebellious Israel had played the harlot I cast her away and gave her a Bill of divorcement yet her rebellious Sister Iudah was not afraid but went also and played the harlot so that the lightness of her Whoredoms hath defiled the Land as you may read at large in the third Chapter of the Prophesie of Ieremiah so on throughout the Book And this Iosiah put down the idolatrous Priests that burnt incense unto Baal according as the man of God did foretel 1 King 13. a Child shall be born unto the house of David Iosiah by name and upon thee shall he offer the Priests and mens bones shall be burnt upon thee viz. the Altar he put down also the horses that the Kings of Iudah had given to the Sun at the entring of the House of the Lord and the Altars that were on the top of the Chamber of Ahaz which the Kings of Iudah had made and he broke the Images in pieces and cut down the Groves Furthermore the Altar that was at Bethel and the high places made by Ieroboam the Son of Nebat and as Iosiah turned himself he spied the Graves that were in the Mount and sent and took the bones out
Volumn of thy Book it is written of me to do thy will O God he taketh away the first saith the Apostle that he might establish the second he took away the first Offerings and the first Sacrisices which he delighteth not in neither had he pleasure therein and he established the second and everlasting Offering Christ Jesus who hath a body prepared to do thy will O God by the which will saith the Apostle we are sanctified through offering up the body of Iesus Christ once for all Heb. 10. to the 10. ver And this is the Offering and Sacrifice in which God is well pleased this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased saith the Lord hear ye him for he hath given himself for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blâ—mish Eph. 5.25 26 27. And so this pure Church and Body of Christ is he coming now to redeem and to bring out of Captivity as he brought his former Israel out of Captivity of which you have heard which was but a Figure of this true and pure and holy Church which hath been a long time in the Wildernesâ— as you may read in Revel 12. And for this end is Christ Jesus come a light into the world not only to the Jews but to the whole world for he came unto his own even unto his Tribe of Judah which was at Jerusalem but his own received him not but as many of them as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God not only of them but the whole world for to that end is he come that whosoever believes on him they should not perish but have everlasting life For he is come a light and hath enlightned the whole world and every man that comes into the world Joh. 1. So every one that comes into the world that turns his mind unto the light of our Lord Jesus Christ turns his mind to the elected seed which the Lord hath chosen which he hath laid in Sion for a foundation And therefore thus saith the Lord behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious corner-stone a sure foundation that lays judgment to the Line and righteousness to the Plummet Isaiah 28.16 And the Apostle Peter saith wherefore it is contained in the Scripture behold I lay in Sion a chief corner stone elect and precious he that believeth on him shall not be confounded unto you therefore who believe he is precious but unto them who are disobedient he is a stone of stumbling and a rock of Câ—fence to them that stumble at the word 1 Pet. 2.6 7 8. So this is the foundation that the Lord hath laid in Sion Christ Jesus the light he hath sown in every mans heart and this new Covenant of which we have mentioned which cannot he broken he hath written in every mans heart and who keeps in this Covenant and obeys this light and the Spirit of the Lord that is in his heart which shews him his thoughts and reproveth him for his sin who believes in this light of the Lord Jesus believes in the Elect of God chosen of God and precious to all that believes he is precious but to the disobedient a stone of stumbling So here is the difference and distinction between the holy Nation the royal Priesthood the peculiar people and the whole world those that believe and obey and follow him that is precious they become precious they that obey Christ Jesus and follow him in whom there is no sin but takes away the sins of the whole world of those that obey him all that continue and abide in him are cleansed and purged from sin and washed and made nigh by his blood but to the disobedient that hates the light to them he is a stone of stumbling to them he is a rock of Offence whereunto the Apostle saith they were appointed So this is the main substance of all that can be said Christ Jesus that is Gods everlasting Covenant not only to the Jews but also Gentiles and all people even to the ends of the earth his light hath reached and shined into every man and every womans heart and conscience that is come into the whole world so that every one that will turn to that measure of the light of our Lord Jesus Christ which they have received they turn to the Elect of God they turn to that which God hath chosen in which his Soul delighteth whether they are Barbarian or Scythian whether they are Jew or Gentile whether they are bond or free whether they are male or female if they come to the light of Christ in their heart they are all one in Christ Jesus and so by this pure and glorious shining light which shines in the hearts and consâ—â—ences of people doth the Lord redeem his Church and purge it and purifie it and gives liberty to that precious seed that hath long laid in Captivity The Lamb hath been slain from the foundation of the world which world entred into mans heart at the fall of Adam and into mans heart is Christ Jesus come a light the new Covenant and everlasting Covenant of God which he hath written in every mans heart and his spirit he hath put in the inward parts by which the Prince of the power of the air cometh to be removed by the spirit of his mouth and the brightness of his coming will he slay that wicked one that man of sin and Son of perdition that hath sitten in the Temple of God exalted above all that is called God Now is the Judgment of this world how shall the Prince of this world be cast out and if I be lifted up from the Earth I will draw all men unto me saith Christ John 12.31 32. chap. 8.28.35 So Jesus having tasted death for every man Heb. 2. the vertue of his death hath reached unto every man so that every man hath partaken of that infinite mercy and bounty for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell whose fulness of grace and mercy hath reached unto all men and women for saith the Apostle he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world 1 Joh. 2.2 Jesus cryed and said he that believeth on me believeth not on me only but on him that sent me and he that seeth me seeth him that sent me I am come a light into the world that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness and if any hear my word and believe not I judge him not for I am come not to judge the world but to save the world Joh. 12. this was the end for which the Father sent his Son into the world God so loved the world that he gave his only
saith but by Jesus Christ and he is the foundation of all the Prophets and all the Apostles The Church of Christ upon the earth in the Apostles days when he spoke by them by his Spirit and poured it upon them in the power of his Resurrection and the corner-stone that upholds all the building of his Church he is the Lion of Judah's Tribe and Davids Root Rev. 5. and he only was found worthy to open that Book which John saw written within and on the backside sealed with seven seals and his Spirit and Power is the same as all the Apostles were redeemed by and this same Spirit was poured upon the Apostles and they were endowed and enriched with it and lived in it and obeyed it according to its motion and working and operation and said another foundation could no man lay than that which is already laid but let every one take heed how he builds thereupon So this is the main care that every one is to take to take heed how they build upon this true foundation for every ones work must be tryed by the fire and he whose work is burned suffers loss for there will nothing abide but that which will dwell in the fire for God is a consuming fire and his Spirit burns up the chaff but gathers up the wheat So who abides in the fellowship and in the unity of this eternal Spirit they abide in Gods Elect which he hath chosen and they abide in that which joyns to the Lord where the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth from all sin and here is the Mystery of the fellowship and here is the unity of the precious faith which is held in a pure Conscience and who abides here will grow up to a perfect man and these will sight the good sight of faith and contend for it and for them there will be laid up a Crown of righteousness for they that abide and continue to the end in the faith of Gods Elect they will obtain the price of the mark of the high calling but contrariwise they that fall away and shrink back and set up a feigned and a false deceitful Spirit and in that professeth the truth and appears outwardly like other Saints but when the time of tryal comes then they fall flat and draws back from the good word of God from the light and spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ which is the Elect of God where all the Saints in light meet together and joyn and unite and knit together in the unity of the Spirit of life and is baptized by one Spirit into one body and all drinks into one Spirit Let all such as draw from this and deserts from this read their portion in the 10. of the Hebrews and they shall be sure of it for the Lord is not slack concerning his coming neither will alter the word that is gone out of his mouth And all who are not of the right seed and spirit and life which is in Christ Jesus all such will be judged by him and condemned by him for if those that despised Moses Law dyed under the hand of two or three witnesses how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall they be thought worthy of who have trodden under foot and counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despight to the Spirit of Grace but vengeance belongeth unto me saith the Lord and I will recompense But in the Apostles days there were many false Christs and false spirits which he saw were entering into the Church so that he feared that which came to pass for darkness and Apostacy came over all and the Church of Christ that was then amongst the Saints in the Apostles days went into the Wilderness as John saw in the Revelations and of this the Apostles foretold before it came as it is Acts 20. where he saith Now behold I know that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of God shall see my face no more wherefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the bloud of all men for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of Christ which he hath purchased with his own blood The Apostle prophesies of the Church going into the Wilderness for I know this that after my departure shall grievous Wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock also of your selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them This is that Spirit which ever did betray and oppose the truth which was sound among them that professed Christ as Judas was found amongst the twelve for the Apostle saith such are false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ and the Apostle complains of the perils he went through among false Brethren as you may read 2 Cor. 11.2 Pet. 2.1 also Christ prophesied of false Christs coming in his name Mat. 24. and this Spirit is contrary to the right and true seed of God as the Apostle testifies 1 Joh. 3. whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God in this are the Children of God manifest and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother for this is the message that ye heard from the beginning that ye love one another not as Cain who was of that wicked one and slow his Brother and wherefore slew he him because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous ver 9.10 11 12. But the Apostle saith Now the spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some should depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils and speaking lies in Hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with an hot Iron 1 Tim. 4.1 and of these times did Christ himself foretel in Mat. 24.25 chap. as you may read at large when the Disciples were shewing him the goodly buildings of the Temple and he told them that one stone should not be left upon another but all should be thrown down and as he sat upon the Mount of Oliâ—es the Disciples came unto him privately saying tell us when shall these things be or what shall be the sign of thy coming and the end of the world and Iesus answered and rehearsed unto them as you may read at large in those Chapters which had relation to this night of Apostacy which was coming on and he told them that false Christs and false Prophets should arise and he tells them that immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the Sun be darkened and the Moon shall not give her light and the Stars shall fall from Heaven and the powers of the Heavens shall be shaken ver
the Sea and the Fountains of waters The Book which Iohn saw sealed with seven Seals which he mentions in the 5. Chap. he saw the Lamb open it in the 6. Chap. as you may read and so here there followeth another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she hath made all Nations drunk with the wine of her fornication as you may read Chap. 14. And in the 15. Chapter Iohn saw the seven Angels having the seven last plagues for in them is filled up the wrath of God and one of the four beasts gave unto the seven Angels seven golden Vials full of the wrath of God who liveth for ever and ever and in the 16. Chap. he saw the seven Angels go forth and they poured out their Vials as you may read and in the 17 Chap. there came one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials and he said come up hither and I will shew thee the judgment of the great Whore So he carried me away saith Iohn in the Spirit into the wilderness here was the place where the true Church was persecuted here was the place where the Dragon cast out his flood after the true Church to destroy her And saith Iohn I saw a Woman sitting upon a Scarlet-coloured beast full of names of Blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns and the Angel shewed him the Mystery of the Beast and of his horns as you may read throughout that 17. Chap. and in the 18. Chap. he saw Babylon destroyed So here is comfort for all the true seed of Gods Elect for Iohn heard the voices of much people in Heaven saying Halelujah Salvation Glory and Honour and a voice came out of the Throne saying praise our God all ye that fear him small and great let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready and to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linnen white and clean for the fine linnen is the righteousness of the Saints and he said unto me write Blessed are they which are called to the Marriage-supper of the Lamb and he saith unto me these are the true sayings of God ver 9. as you may read throughout Chap. 19. And in the 20. Chap. Iohn saw the Angel come down from Heaven having the key of the Bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand and he laid hold on the Dragon and bound him a thousand years as you may read And Iohn saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in these Books and another Book was opened which is the Book of life and whosoever was not found written in the Book of life was cast into the Lake of fire ver 15. And in the 21. Chap. Iohn saw a new Heaven and a new Earth The Church coming forth of the wilderness here was no Dragon in this Heaven for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away and there was no more Sea where the Dragon lodgeth and hath his way Isa 27.1 And I Iohn saw the holy City new Ierusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband here the Holy Spirit of the Lord God cloaths her seed that hath so long laid desolate as a nourishing mother which is free and gives liberty and sets at liberty all her free-born which are not Children of the Bond-woman but of the free and of this glorious City doth the Prophet Isaiah prophesie when he said Rejoyce O Barren that didst not bear and this is the City which the Apostle saith Ierusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all of all the free-born seed of the promise they are the Heirs but the Bond-woman and her Son are to be cast out of this holy City for he is not the Heir Gal. 4.30 And Iohn heard a great voice out of Heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God and he that sat upon the Throne said behold I make all things new that is according as the Apostle saith if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are past away behold I make all things new 2 Cor. 5.17 and he said unto me write for these words are true and faithful and he said unto me it is done I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely Here is the rich bounty of God And there came one of the seven Angels unto Iohn which had the seven vials of the seven last plagues and he said come hither and I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs wife and he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain he shewed me that great City the holy Ierusalem descending out of Heaven from God having the Glory of God and her light was like unto a stone most precious even like a Jasper stone clear as Chrystal This is the Stone the Builders have disallowed which now is become the Head of the Corner of this precious and holy building which is made up of living stones elect and precious and of a Royal Priesthood and of an holy Nation and the Walls of this City had twelve gates and at the gates twelve Angels and names written thereon which are the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel and the Walls of this City had twelve foundations and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb and the foundation of the City was garnished with twelve precious stones and the twelve gates were twelve Pearls every gate was of one Pearl he that understands reads and sees all these things And I Iohn saw no Temple in this City for the Lord God and the Lamb is the Temple of it And this City hath no need of the Sun or the Moon to shine in it for the Glory of the Lord doth enlighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof and the Nations of all them that are saved shall walk in the light of it and the Kings of the Earth that are saved shall bring their glory and honour to it and the gates of it are not at all shut by day yet there entereth not any thing that desileth Chap. 21.27 And in the 22. Chap. you may read how Iohn saw the pure River of water of life proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb and the tree of life which bears twelve manner of fruits and yields her fruits every month and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the Nations and he said these things are faithful and true and the Lord God of the holy Prophets sent his Angel to shew unto his