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
hath said thou shalt not go over Jordan And Moses went up from the plain of Moab unto the Mountain of Nebo the top of Pisgah over against Jericâ—o and the Lord shewed him all the Land of Gilead unto Dan and all Napthali and all the Land of Ephraim and Manasseh and all the Land of Judah unto the utmost Sea and the South and the plain of the Valley of Jericho the City of the Palm-Trees unto Zoar and the Lord said unto him this is the Land which I sware unto Abraham unto Isaâ—â— and unto Jacob saying I will give it unto thy seed I have caâ—sed thee to see it with thine eyes but thou shalt not go over thither So Moses the Servant of the Lord died there in the Land of Moab according to the word of the Lord and he buryed him in a Valley in the Land of Moab over against Bâ—th-peor but no man knoweth of his Sepulchre unto this day Chapter 34. unto the 9. Vâ—â—se And Joshua the Son of Nun was full of the spirit of Wisdom for Moses had laid his hands on him and the children of Israel hearkned unto him and did as the Lord commanded Moses there arose 〈◊〉 a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face ver 10. Joshua NOw after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Joshua the Son of Nun Moses minister saying Moses my servant is dead now therefore arise go over this Jordan thou and all the people unto the Land which I do give unto them every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon that I give unto you as I said unto Moses from the Wilderness even to the great River Euphrates there shall not be a man able to stand before thee all the days of thy life as I was with Moses so will I be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee be strong and of a good courage for unto this people shalt thou divide the Land which I sware unto their Fathers to give them Here take notice of the faithful and constant true care of the Almighty over the seed of his Covenant and promise when Moses his faithful servant was dead how he did deliver them unto Joshua and promised him his presence and performed the same as you may read at large in the Book of Joshua And the Lord said unto Joshua this day I will begin to magnifie thee in the sight of all Israel that they may know as I was with Moses so I will be with thee Joshua commanded the Priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant before them saying when ye are come to the River of Jordan ye shall stand still in Jordan and Joshua said unto the Children of Israel the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan and it shall come to pass as soon as the soles of the feet of the Priests that bears the Ark of the Lord of all the earth shall rest in the waters of Jordan that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above and they shall stand upon an heap and they did so as you may read in Ioshua 3.14 15 16 17. thus Ioshua led them over with twelve men with twelve stones upon their shoulders that they took out of the midst of Iordan who passed before the Ark of the Lord in the midst of Iordan according to the number of the Tribes of Israel and Ioshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Iordan in the place where the feet of the Priests stood which bare the Ark and they are there unto this day and when the people were passed clean over that the Ark of the Lord passed over in the midst of the people but the Priests which bare the Ark stood in the midst of Iordan until every thing was finished that the Lord commanded Ioshua Thus the Lord miraculously wrought with Ioshua as he did with Moses for the Lord God dryed up the waters of Iordan as he did the Red Sea before their Fathers you may read also how the Lord God wrought with Ioshua miraculously at the taking of Iericho when the Ark of the Lord compassed about the City seven times that the Walls of Iericho fell down flat at the shout of the people and at the sound of the Trumpets of Rams Horns Iosh 6.20 Again how the Lord was with Ioshua in a special manner in the taking of the City of Ai as you may read Chap. 8. And when the five Kings came against Israel and fled before them that the Lord cast great stones from Heaven before and they that died were more that died by hailstones than they that Israel slew with the Sword Then spake Ioshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the Children of Israel and he said in the sight of the Children of Israel Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou Moon in the Valley of Ajalon and the Sun stood still and the Moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves of their Enemies so the Sun stood still in the midst of Heaven and hastned not to go down for about a whole day and there was no day like that before it nor after it that the Lord harkened unto the voice of man for the Lord fought for Israel Chap. 10.12 13 14. These with many more miracles and wonders and the many Victories that he gave Ioshua over his Enemies you may read throughout this whole book of Iâ—shua And in the latter end of his days he called for the Heads and for the Rulers of Israel and for their Judges and for their Officers and Ioshua said unto all the people Thus saith the Lord God of Israel your Fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time even Terah the Father of Abraham and the Father of Nachor and they served other Gods and I took your Father Abraham from the other side of the flood and led him throughout all the Land of Canaan and multiplied his seed and I gave him Isaac and I gave Isaac Iacob and Esau and I gave unto Esau mount Sâ—ir to possess it but Iacob and his Children went down into Egypt and I sent Moses also and Aaron and I plagued Egypt according to that which I did amongst them and afterwards I brought you out and I brought your Fathers out of Egypt and ye came unto the Sea and the Egyptians pursued after your Fathers with Chariots and Horsemen unto the Red Sea and when they cryed unto the Lord he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and brought the Sea upon them and covered them and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt and ye dwelt in the Wilderness a long Season Then Balak the Son of Zippor King of Moab arose and warred against Israel and called Baalam the Son of Peor to curse you
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