Kings Captains Freemen Rich Poor Bond-men and great and mighty men shall roar And cry unto the Mountains and the Rocks And hide themselves in holes and dens in flocks Call to the Mountains Fall on us and hide Us from this Throne befor 't we can't abide To come to see the dreadful face of him That sits thereon so dismal is this time We liv'd in pleasure in time past and mock't At these things then not thinking we were lockt So fast in chains of darkness as we see We were Oh what a righteous Judge is he We often call'd upon him us to damn Now Rocks fall on us hide us from the Lamb And from this wrath of his this dreadful doom For now the great day of his wrath is come Put case my soul that thou shouldst be among This fearful rout this miserable throng As out of doubt thou wilt if thou give way Unto the flesh to pleasure Dalilah And all the treasure in the world were thine The wealthy Silver and the Golden Mine What wouldst thou better be it's nothing worth For 't can't deliver in this day of wrath But come my soul wee 'l back a little walk And then wee 'l have a little further talk By no means fall to dote upon thy lust And hearken not to them the world as dust Is blown before the wind then be Content to hear a little more from me Suppose thou shouldst unto the flesh give place How wouldst thou look thy Jesus in the face If thou shouldst turn his love and graciousness Into debauch'ry and lasciviousness Nay though thou shouldst not be so much unclean So grosly wicked vile and so obscene So openly prophane as some now are But outwardly to carry 't pretty fair Yet when that day shall come whereof we spake 'T will make thee tremble and thy heart to ake When Christ shall come and shall exalted be Hee 'l find out them that love hypocrisie When Zion shall be fill'd with righteousness And Hypocrites surpriz'd with fearfulness Then sinners will in Zion be afraid With fear astonisht very much dismai'd Canst thou my soul delight to be or dwel Within devouring fire or canst thou tell How dreadful ' t is or canst thou make good chear Where everlasting cruel burnings are No no thou canst not that 's a dismal day There is no end thereof the pain 's for aye But now suppose that no such thing would be No wrath to come no pain or miserie Canst be content the joyes of Heav'n to lose To gratifie thy lusts thy mortal foes For Heav'n and Glory 's such a place that there None that 's unclean can have a part or share But put the case there were no joys to be What wouldst thou with thy fleshly lusts agree So ill requite that Love and Grace so great Those many entertainments choice and sweet That God hath given thee though thou a fo Wert unto him or to his Grace also Or wouldst thou love the World or turn thy back Upon dear Jesus who was never slack Nor slow to do thee all that blessed good That with his honor and thy welfare stood How couldst forget his kindness love and grace With which he doth thee many times embrace His gracious condescention that was seen In him when for thy sake he dy'd between Two thieves for thee the wrath of God he bore He undertook for thee and paid thy score In him thou liv'st and mov'st and hast a being Through Christ thy Lord comes all supplies then seing His grace is such then be not thou ungrateful Ingratitude to God or man is hateful Where Grace is truly wrought what cause to fear Is there of Hell 't wil work although there were No joys in Heav'n that soul don't work to merit The pleasures there if he them do inherit He 'l say it is of Grace and not desert And such a one hath learn'd and got the art To love dear Christ and love him will and must Because dear Christ was pleas'd to love him first Again my soul I le tell thee one thing more We have a Proverb Store can be no sore Shouldst thou the world embrace and Christ deny Riches will take them wings away they 'l fly Thou maist be took from them or they from thee Of worldly wealth there is no certainty Suppose thou shouldst some Honor have and be As great as stout as strong as wise as he That hath as much of these as any have And be respected by the wise and grave These are but broken Reeds to lean upon No man can help thee in the day of doom As doth the poor so must the rich man dye And come to Judgement great men are a lye What though thou dost some goods and credit lose Because thou wilt not sin but rather chuse To suffer for the sake and Cause of him That will repay thee all thy loss agin Then think not much at any think that 's lost For Christ he was for thee at greater cost Than thou canst be for him his precious blood Was shed to do thee everlasting good Then dost thou lose thy All for his dear sake He did it lend then he his own may take Thou naked cam'st out of thy Mothers womb And naked must return unto thy tomb Thou brought'st nought with thee nought canst carry hence Serve Christ thy Prince with what thou hast from whence All came thou hast then all that ere thou l't have At his good service best who came to save Thee from thy sins and from the wrath to come Then offer up to him thy All and some And think it not a heavy burden nor Below thee thus to live and suffer for That Cause thou art engag'd in think 't no shame To lye in New gate for the sake and Name Of thy dear Jesus who hath thee esteem'd Worthy to bear his Name and thee redeem'd Who art a nothing worthless worm so vile So full of frailties ready to beguile Thy self that he I say should thee employ In such a Work or Cause and should thereby Give thee to see his love himself make known More unto thee than heretofore was shown And let thee see and know thy self and give Thee strength to bear reproach a Jayl and live In full assurance that he wil appear Whom thou shalt see and meet with in the air And all his Saints that dyed for his Word And they and thee be ever with the Lord. If his most glorious face thou'lt ever see And live and reign with him eternallie With Christ I say in rest and endly glory Then hearken now my soul unto this story Thou seest a Souldier thou art now engag'd To fight against this Rabble that hath wag'd War with thee many times each day and hour To bring thee to submit unto their power By snares and wiles the Serpent with his wisdom Doth labour hard to make thee of his Kingdom Then labour thou as hard with all thy might To break his snares
Or had committed crimes of such a nature So filthy and so foul with so much rancour Against their Worships What have they no Law To try me by Or have they got no maw To do me right What should the reason be I am an English man and am born free My Birth-right is not then without just cause To lie in Jayle contrary to the Laws But there 's a reason which I now espye Why they will make me still in Prison lye And that 's because they say I am a Preacher And of Phanatiques am a constant Teacher And therefore 't is they me in Prison hold Unless I would be wickedly so bold To promise them that I will preach no more Then will they me to liberty restore If I 'le conform then they will shew me favor Methinks to me these things have no good favor But what is 't now a crime to Preach and Pray That I must lie in Prison night and day For that and for no other cause do know But preaching Truth must I be used so Full seventeen Months and more as I have been In Prison now is Preaching such a sin That such as preach and have not their consent Can't be redeem'd except they do repent But must be kept in prison all their dayes As I shall be sometimes then Worships says The Prophet Moses was not of this mind For he would not Gods holy Spirit bind Nor limit it to this or t'other man He was content that those should preach that can For when complaint against some to him came Eldad and Meâ—al were the men by name Of whom 't was said These men do prophesie What for my sake saith he dost thou envie I would to God the Lords poor people all Were Prophets and that on them all might fall Such measures of the Spirit from the Lord That may enable them to preach his Word But now the case is alter'd much I see Their Worships will not so contented be As Moses was to prison he must go That preacheth now without their leave I know They would not be so serv'd themselves if they Should be forbid to either preach or pray Be clapt in prison for it when they should Do either of them I believe they would Not take it well to walk so in the dark The Priest forgets that ere he was a Clark Would they be us'd so by Romes brats and be Forc't to conform to Romes idolatry They do profess from Rome they 're separated And that by them Romes cruelty is hated And yet will they the conscience force of those That cannot with them in their Worship close Methinks in this they do not do by me As they themselves by Rome would used be But 't is my comfort in the midst of all My many troubles which some count but small They cannot charge me justly with a fault Which can by Law give cause thus to assaults My Carkase so to keep it thus in Jayle Against their Law refusing to take Baile Nay though they were commanded by the King They would not him obey nor me forth bring To any Legal tryal that I might Receive that just reward which is by right My due for more of them I do not crave And 't is but reason that I that should have Had I by Law deserved Bonds or Death I should contented be to lose my breath But if I have not any Law offended 'T is time I trow my trouble now were ended But I a Preacher am I don't deny Though much unworthy of the Ministry A worthless Worm unworthy of that love That Grace and Mercy which came from above Into my soul by which I did receive A Mission for to preach without their leave The Bishop of our souls did me ordain To preach his Grace I trust is not in vain That he bestow'd on me to preach his word And to declare his wondrous works abroad And though for this I do in prison lye I can in him rejoice most heartily And praise that God alone that doth esteem Of such a worthless one as I and deem Me worthy of the cross that for his Name And for the sake of Christ to suffer shame But yet some say I am a fool to lie In Jayle so long depriv'd of liberty Why should not I to them a promise make That I all kind of preaching will forsake For 't is against the Law that such as I Should preach unless I were ordained by The Bishops then without all doubt I may But might they not upon as good ground say The blessed Martyrs in the Marian dayes Did act against the Law for Bonner sayes You are not by the Law to preach or pray Except you do conform such prayers say As by the Queen and Church are now thought fit Should used be throughout the Land but yet Those Martyrs then would not perswaded be But stoutly stood to Non-conformity They rather chose in fiery flames to burn Than from what truth and light they had to turn There are two sorts of fools as I have read And one of them 't is true I am indeed The one wise Solomon so plainly paints In their own colours such will nere be Saiths For Fools saith he are such as knowledge hate Such is their dreadful miserable state That they the fear of God do never chuse Because they would not Wealth and Honor lose Such set a high esteem upon their lusts Their Pride and Pleasure and their gold that rusts In such like fools iniquity abounds And both in City and in Countrey sounds Fools belch out Oaths and dreadful Execrations Which are unto the wise man great vexations Fools call on God most wickedly to damn 'um And dare him to his face as 't were to ram 'um Into the very pit of Hell Fools say There is no God to hear when men do pray Their Oaths to hear or punish them for sin Which they with greediness do wallow in As quassing off of bowls of Beer and Wine Until they are as drunk as any Swine With whoring roaring and their sports and play That by them now are used ev'ry day As baiting Bulls and Bears with dogs and such Like sports as these of which there is too much With idle Stage Plays too and such like trade There 's many souls destroy'd that God hath made He then 's a fool that for these earthly toys Doth lose eternal life and heav'nly joys There are another sort if fools I find But those fools are quite of another mind These fools all worldly glory do despise Becoming fools that so they may be wise All worldly wisdom these for Christ account But loss and dung to win Christ doth furmount All Arts and Sciences all worldly treasure There 's none to them like him these take no pleasure In world or worldly things they are but dross Who offers them the world bids them to loss These do the glory of the world disdain Because its greatest glory is but vain An empty shell a water-bubble
SOME Prison-Meditations AND EXPERIENCES WITH Some Hints touching the Fall of the Mother of Harlots and the exaltation of the SON of GOD upon the Throne of DAVID Written in Newgate by JOHN GRIFFITH a Prisoner there My heart is inditing a good matter I speak of the things which I have made touching the King Psal 45.1 Thou wilt shew me the path of life in thy presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73.24 25. And there followed another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she made all Nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication Rev. 14.8 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion Psal 2.7 Printed in the year 1663. The Epistle Dedicatory To all in every place that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and Truth and that wait for his glorious appearing more especially unto that Remnant to whom I stand more particularly related Grace be multiplied with encrease of Faith and Love from God the Father and his Son Jesus the Anointed through the Comforter Christian Salutation Well-beloved ITs matter of comfort to the Lords poor despised people in a dark day that he is pleased not to leave his nothing-ones that either have or do suffer any thing for the sake of blessed Jesus without some signal tokens of his comforting and strengthening-presence with them by which they are in a good measure kept from fainting and that he doth seal up instruction to their souls leading them to the Rivers of Pleasures causing them to drink deep of his Love and Free-Grace in his dear Son Oh what a choice Mercy it is that the Most High God should so far condescend as to have regard to such worthless Creatures who in the day of their fulness so much provoked the Eternal God by their unthankfulness and mis-improvement of such Choice Mercy as the Mercy of the Gospel is It is wonderful Grace that God should notwithstanding such provocations wherewith he hath been provoked by Congregations in general and by every Member in particular still continue the good savour of his Grace upon the hearts of any of them or that he should account any of his poor servants worthy to suffer Reproach and Bonds for his sake Which Mercy which I esteem very choice and sweet to my soul he hath been pleased for some time to let me enjoy which is wonderful in my sight that such a nothing empty Creature as I am should be employed by him in such a Noble Work and in such a Noble Cause as to suffer Bonds for the sake of blessed Jesus Yet notwithstanding the length of time I have been in durance I find my heart is not so cleansed and brought to the foot of Christ as I hope it may and wait it should And if it so please the Lord to sanctifie these Bonds that I may by the help of his holy Spirit so crucifie the remains of Corruption that I find still in my heart and subdue and bring in subjection every vain imagination that every high thing that exalts it self may be brought in obedience to the King then may I bless the Lord for the day that ever I lay in Newgate The which I may say I am engaged and not without cause already to do for asmuch as God hath let me see my self and the baseness of my own heart the unbelief and diffidence that lodgeth there in some measure which giveâ— occasion to me to magnifie the Grace of God the more in that he should be graciously pleased to accept such an unworthy Worm as I am in his dear Son A clear evidence of which through Grace I can say I am not without in my soul yet not so as wholly to be without ups and downs occasioned by temptation working upon my Frailties which my dear Lord Jesus is pleased to assist me in and cause them to work for good unto my soul Blessed be Jehovah I have in this Poem rudely scattered here and there some of those MEDITATIONS and EXPERIENCES that God hath been pleased to visit my Soul with the which I present to the view and commend to the serious thoughts of all the Faithful but more particularly to that Remnant and chosen ones to whom I stand more immediately and particularly related in the bonds of the Gospel Hoping all the Spiritual will take them in good part and judge of them in the Spirit of Love to whose Christian correction I readily subject my self and Labours hoping also thâ—â— they will put the fairest construction and interpretation both upon them and me that Brotherly Love and Duty binds them to I could not willingly pass to the Conclusion of this poor Work until I had first hinted something touching the Fall of Mysterie Babylon that old and great Whore and of the Exaltation of our dear Lord the thoughts of which now in my bonds makes me very merry and is as a cordial to comfort my poor heath for which I wait and to which time I trust he will keep that which I have committed to him My dear Brethren 'T is but a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry In this time of our Pilgrimage let us labour to exalt him in our hearts that he may be chief and rule as Lord and King there that when we come to lay down this house of clay we may be cloathed upon with our House from Heaven and be found of him without fault at his coming To which end wait diligently upon the Lord in his Word and Ordinances Be much with God in Prayer praying for all Saints and for me the most unworthy Servant of Christ that I may be kept faithful to death and let your walks be in Heaven So shall the King greatly desire thy Beauty for He is thy Lord and worship thou Him Farwell Grace be with you all Amen From my poor pitiful Study in Newgate Septem 22. 1663. Your Brother in the dear love of Jesus JOHN GRIFFITH COurteous Reader by reason of the Authors absence many faults have escaped the Press which thou art desired to mend with thy Pen. SOME Prison-Meditations AND EXPERIENCES c. AS I in Prison lie I sometimes muse What should the reason be they me so use That they contrary unto Law Reason Should keep me here in Jayle so long a season No crime or charge against me can they lay Yet I shall lye in Prison still they say I think their will 's their Law I cannot see But that the reason is they thus use me What should the reason be they nought will have But what 's their will to keep me as their slave Within stone walls and bars of iron strong As if I had done unto them such wrong
trust thou in God alone fear not what man can do For Christ will sit upon his throne and then to them wo wo. This I have learn'd and by experience found The more my troubles for Christ do abound My joy and comfort by Christ doth encrease And daily grow and multiply not cease Decay nor vanish but my Lord doth still Exceedingly my soul with his sweet will Affect please and delight there 's nothing more Can do 't the King of Saints be prais'd therefore It 's true there can be no affliction joyous Unto the flesh but very sore and grievous The flesh doth not esteem a Prison gainful But bitter and most miserably painful And so I find it sometimes is with me It makes me wish in heart I could get free Alwayes provided I could have the same With honor to my Lord the King and 's Name Which is more dear to me than is my life My little all my Children and my Wife And they are dearer to me tho I say 't Then all the world beside I 'm sure I know 't Then if I with my flesh and blood should reason I ne'r had staid in Jayl so long a season I have not been from all temptations free But many times they have assaulted me But Christ with 's Grace my soul hath so sustain'd That on my soul temptations have not gain'd Such ground or root against me to prevail Through him they have not made me faint or fail And though they seem to be no pleasant things Yet are they such as profit to me brings For by temptation is my Faith so prov'd And made more precious when I 'm nothing mov'd But helpt against them and made to endure They work such patience in me I am sure That I 'm contented to abide the storm Because they work for good and not for harm I plainly find by tribulations I Have learn'd my many frailties to espye Such as I never knew nor learn'd before I little thought that I had had such store I now can see my heart so vile so base So prone to start aside sin to embrace So ready to betray me to my foes That lodge within my breast and with them close So dull so stupid and so indispos'd So vain so foolish seldom well compos'd So ready to affect the world and'ts pelf Secretly saying Master save thy self Why shouldst thou thus thy tender self expose To be so long afflicted by thy foes Why shouldst thou man so long in Prison lye Thou maist fall sick and of that sickness dye Ponder the matter well tender thy life Thy pretty children and thy loving Wife So selfish is my heart so prone to please This sinful flesh of mine that loves its ease So full of unbelief and diffidence So ready to let go all confidence So fruitless negligent ungrateful So crafty and so subtile so deceitful I find it hard my heart to understand It hath so many turnings windings and So many evils doth it still attend I dare not trust it nor unto it lend An ear to hear its many cunning quirks That in it secretly lies hid and lurks But watch against oppose and crucifie Lest it prevail ore me and so I dye And sleep the sleep of death and all in vain I do or suffer prove my loss no gain Now then my soul behold what cause thou hast To look back to the time that 's gone and past And see consider weigh remember and Bewail thy sins for number as the sand Thy self abhor and loath and mourn for thy Uncomeliness and great imparity To Christ thy Prince that ever blessed one That dy'd for thee else hadst thou been undone And held in Chains of darkness evermore In Hell thy self to moan thy sins deplore A bond slave held in Satans Chain and Kingdom Subjected to his will his wiles and wisdom If thou shouldst have what thou by sin didst merit Thou never wilt eternal life inherit Look back I say behold and see what case Thou' rt in through sin that so by thee the Grace Of Christ thy King may so be magnifi'd His Name exalted and so glorifi'd That thou maist live for ever in his sight And that the King in thee may take delight And now behold my soul how thou art bound Here the rich love of the Lord to sound Declare and publish that all men may see How dearly Christ thy King hath loved thee And what the manner of that love hath been In taking thee from such a state of sin From Satans pow'r of darkness into light Translating thee into that Kingdom bright Of his dear Son that Prince of Life and Peace And Lord of Glory who will never cease By 's blood to speak far better things than all The blood of Abel did which loud did call For God's just veng'ance ' gainst his brother Cain Who had his brother murder'd kill'd and slain I say that speaks far better things for thee On thy behalf to God his Father he By virtue of his Death and Mediation Who lives for ever making intercession By which he pleads thy cause where now he 's sitting And answers for those sins thou art committing In weakness frailty and against thy will Consent good liking and doth daily fill Thee with assurance that thy sin 's forgiven And blotted out and all those scores made even That thou stoodst charged with before the seat Of God's tribunal terrible and great Which in that Court of Conscience there was plac't In which thou wast arraign'd condemn'd and cast 1. How wonderful thy goodness Lord hath ever been to me That thou such kindness shouldst afford of Grace and Mercy free 2. To such a sinful wretch as I so empty and so vile So fill'd with such iniquity that 's ready me to file 3. O Lord it 's wondrous in my fight that thou shouldst have regard To such a worthless nothing-wight which makes my heart though hard 4. To melt as wax before the fire when I thy Grace do weigh It so enflameth my desire Come Lord and make no stay 5. And let my soul taste more of love my soul is not content Without those show'rs fall from above that may my soul prevent 6. Those show'rs of mercy love grace that may be to my heart As show'rs to the new-mown grass that I may ne'r depart 7. From thee who art my God and King my Refuge and my Stay But that I may thy praises sing Come Lord without delay The more Christ doth himself to me make known The more to me his love and Grace is shown The more my soul enjoyes and doth possess The more it longs to have that happiness More to receive enjoy find feel and tast That by its force and strength and power at tast All those remains of sin might be subdu'd And that no fair pretence might me delude Deceive and harm by taking of my mind From Heav'n Heav'nly things nor me so blind Or cause to dote on any thing below Or make my
hath seven heads ten horns at least Which Beast is full of names of Blasphemies And both to God and Christ are enemies This Woman 's deck'd so rich as rich may be With Gold and Pearls and precious Stones and she A Golden Cup doth carry in her hand She 's outwardly so brave that most men stand Admiring of her beauty and her state With which she doth deceive the Wise whose fate It is to drink the Cup she to them holds They take and drink it off as Wine in bowls Poor souls not knowing that this Cup within Is full of her abominable sin And filthiness of her great Fornication Her Whore-like stuff and great Abomination This Woman is so much a beastly Whore That she the mother is of many more The Spirit hath upon her forehead writ A name to her so suitable and fit Which he that runs may reade and her may know And therefore what her name is here I 'l show Her name is Mystery Babylon the Great That sits on many Waters that 's her seat The Mother too of Harlots and who hath Been the Abomination of the Earth The reason why the Spirit hath her nam'd A Scarlet Whore for which she is so fam'd Will plainly and perspicuously appear When thou the reason Scripture gives dost hear We call them VVhores who by Adultry vile And Fornication do themselves defile VVhose constant practice is t' insinuate Into poor men and unto them prostrate Their filthy bodies that thereby they may Unto their lusts poor simple men betray So hath this VVhore almost in ev'ry Nation With earthly Kings committed Fornication And by her painted beauty doth deceive Them and the Nations so they won't believe But she a comely woman is and fair Her beauty much to be desir'd that there Is none like her no woman hath such parts Such Wisdom Learning nor such store of Arts Nor none so well accomplished as she Nor never was nor nevermore will be Besides she is so rich so fine and gay They with no other woman can away And therefore she they only do desire And her adore her beauty they admire And yet she 's but a Whore a drunken sot A chast oâ— sober woman she is not Drunk with the blood of Saints whose blood is dear To God whom they did worship serve and fear For she with blood her self doth satiate And with her beast-like claws dilacerate The blood of Martyrs she hath shed and spilt ' Cause they would not defil'd be by her guilt Nor to her greatness bow who knew full well The dead her guests are in the depths of Hell She is so high though of no noble birth She reigneth over Kings Kings of the Earth And in her pride her self doth glorifie As for her life she lives deliciously She saith she is no widow but a Queen But she 's a Whore as plainly will be seen And doth pretend to be the Wife of him That one day will her plague and so will them That father on him all her filthy trade Those images and gods her hands have made And all the rest of her Idolatry Her Witchcraft and her loathsom Sorcery Her cruelty is such it 's death to say That she 's no Wife of Christ that so she may By Fire and Faggot murder and destroy Them that won't her adore nor her obey As doth appear if we no further look Than to the Maryan dayes for then she took The faithful Spouse of Christ and her she tore VVhich plainly proves she is a cruel Whore In Harlots evermore we plainly see There alwayes is a great an ipathy Against the rightful lawful Spouse and Bride A Strumpet never will the Wife abide But doth against her all the mischief do That ere she can invent she hates her so Just so the Church of Rome that whorish State The Church of Christ doth persecute and hate And labours all she can her to expose To such unheard of cruelties and those Most sad extremities she can devise By falshood flattery deceit and lyes With which she doth the world so much deceive That they are ready firmly to believe That Rome's the Church the Wife of Christ and she That is the Church of Christ the Whore must be The honest Woman doth as little care For any Harlot she can't with her bear Nor with her whorish tricks her filthy trade To touch with her or them she is afraid So doth the Church of Christ his Virgin Bride Abhor Romes whorish stuff and her beside And must in plainness say she is a Whore And therefore out Rome sends her Bulls to roar Against Christ's darling Spouse and lovely Bride Whom she disdains and scorns such is her pride That she must be the Church and none but she And Christ she saith her Husband is and he hath given power if she saith but truth To her to do all things what ere she doth And unto this her Doctors stifly stand That what they do is done by his Command As if that gracious Prince the Author were Of burning starving drowning such as are His faithful Followers and such as he Esteems as dear to him as dear can be So dear as is the apple of his eye If they be touch'd he feels it presently Then though O Virgin Spouse thy Bridegroom 's gone He 'l come again to thee ere it be long Though thou while he is absent dost partake Of such hard usage know 't is for his sake Then take 't not from him ill nor do not grieve That he his lovely Bride so long should leave His love is not unto his Spouse abated Though he permits his Church thus to be hated It is not out of disrespect to thee 'T is but to prove thy Love and Chastitie Thy Faithfulness and Zeal for him and then He 'l come and take thee to himself agen Nor is it only for that cause alone He seems his coming to delay but one Cause more there is and that 's because that she Might with the blood of Martyrs filled be And then her great and foul iniquity VVill mightily to Heav'n for vengeance cry Against her and her bloody barbrous hounds VVhose cruel bloody deeds for ever sounds In those most quick and hearing ears of him VVhoâ—l fill a Cup of Fury to the brim And she thereof shall drink and spew and fall And never rise this God shall do that all The precious blood of Saints which hath bin shed May on this Scarlet Whore be punished That blood that Bonner and the rest of those Did spill that were the Brides most cruel foes VVho shall receive a dreadful cursed doom When he shall come that is the Brides Bridegroom But to return This VVhore is she that doth Sit on seven Mountains seven Kings on the Earth She sits on many Waters likewise that The Waters which this VVhore upon hath sat Are Peoples Multitudes and Tongues Nations With whom she hath committed Fornications And hath deceiv'd them of their wealth and store By
the earth For on the Earth once Davids throne was plac'd And on the Earth it now is quite defac'd And on the Earth his throne shall be again Then Christ shall on the Earth both rule â— reign For on the throne of David he shall sit And ore his Kingdom rule and govern it But here by some it may objected be That Christ doth reign now on the earth and he Exalted is already by his Father And shall not rule nor reign on Earth no other Wise than by his Wisdom Strength and Pow'r He rules his Saints and People ev'ry hour And so the World by 's Might and Providence He govern'd hath ere since he went from hence Small sign it is that Christ on Earth doth reign When few his Laws obey and few refrain Him to blaspheme but ready are to evil What ever they are prompt to by the Devil Doth Christ now reign rule amongst those men That swear and curse and drink roar and then Fall out and quarrel fight and kill and whore Of whom the World doth yeild such mighty store That one would think and may conclude ful well That most are rul'd by Lucifer or Hell Can any one think or imagine how Christ should be said to reign on earth when now His people are most times so much oppressed So persecuted and so much distressed That for his sake they 're made a mock and scorn Whose time is now not to rejoice but mourn For what is done to them is done to him He takes it so and so 't will be all them That persecute his Saints shall find it so When he appears though now they won't it know When Saul with Letters went to Damascus To persecute and spoile the Saints then thus Christ said to him when on the way he smites Him to the ground with those bright shining lights That shone about him and all those that went With him no doubt the High-Priest had them sent Him to assist in this great work of darkness To persecute those men that were so faultless That Christ rebukes him as he on the way Did go and as I said did to him say Saul Saul why dost thee thus me persecute To kick against the pricks it is no boot Then Saul astonisht says Lord who art thou I 'm Jesus whom thou persecutest now For what thou dost to them thou dost to me Thou canst not them afflict but I must be Afflicted with them if thou art their fo I feel the stroke the wound is mine also If Jesus Christ will when he comes accuse All them that do his Saints to help refuse VVhen they in prison were or sick or lame Or naked hungry and will them so blame Because they did not cloath or them relieve Nor unto them would any comfort give Nor visit when in Gaol or sick they were And them refuse to succour and to cheat And takes what 's done to them done to himself When he shall say to them that have much wealth Depart you cursed into scorching flames Eternal burnings hound in fiery Chains Of dreadful darkness now and evermore Prepared for the Devil for before When I was sick you did not visit me That is you did not comfort them that be My little ones when they distressed were No help nor no assistance would you spare For as you did to them you did to me Depart then now for ever cursed be If Christ I say shall take these things as done Unto himself they suffer not alone That are his people but he suffer so In them that this I 'de very gladly know How Christ on earth is said to rule and reign VVhen still on Earth he 's crucifi'd and slain When Christ his father David's throne shal mount He shall all evil works call to account The Heathen shall be his Inheritance VVhen he unto his Kingdom shall advance Then he the utmost parts of th' earth shall have And will his poor despised people save VVhen his Dominions shall extended be Through all the earth and eke from sea to sea And from the Rivers to th' ends of the earth This great Dominion is his right and birth For when his Kingdom that we pray for 's come VVhich strongly doth import there is no room Left to conceit he doth already reign And in his Kingdom is for then 't were vain To pray for that which now already is And hath been many hundred years if 't is But two as many now a-dayes do say Let 's tare out then that Pray'r he taught's to pray But when it 's come I was about to tell That all things ev'ry where will go full well For then the Will of God will likewise even Be done on Earth as now 't is done in Heaven There will be then no Ram 'um dam 'um Blades That tare stare fight would with their shades But all his creatures living will him praise Because of those most joyful glorious dayes That Christ shall rule and reign here on the Earth The Scripture plentifully holdeth forth That he that reads impartially may know It is a glorious heav'nly Truth although It is the most esteemed but a fable Yet those that be the born of God are able To see much heav'nly glory in 't they do Receive such comforts from 't and not a few That they are made through Grace nothing to fear What they may suffer for the Glory there But that I may a little further clear This much despised Truth to me so dear And choice and sweet I will some Reason show That Christ the Kingdoms of the Earth shall so Possess as yet he never did but shall One day them have in full possession all First then when Christ shall rule on Earth and reign And Davids Throne shall be set up again There shall be such so great increase of Peace That Quarrels Broils and Wars shall ever cease Then shall there be no envying nor hating No Titles unto this and that debating By Sword and Fire as now is and hath bin And ever will and shall be until then All men shall then so quietly enjoy What they do build and plant none shall anoy Nor them molest they in their habitation Shall then secured be no molestation Nor no disquiet shall e're them come near They shall possess without all kind of fear What is alloted them they 'l be so sure That none shall trouble unto them procure The Nations then though now and heretofore Have learned War they War shall learn no more Of Righteousness there then shall be a stream Shall run through ev'ry street this is no dream Nor fond conceit Justice and Equitie Will flourish then and there no more will be Oppression us'd the cause of him that 's poor Shall not perverted be nor nevermore The Widows cause or Fatherless sha'nt then Be turned back at that time shall no men Hate one another nor no man then shall Imagine ill against his brother all Shall live in such a blessed unity No man
shall do another injury And then that very great antipathy That now between the creatures is shall dy For then the Wolf shall lie down with the Lamb And dwell together sure of this I am The Leopard then shall lie down with the Kid The Calf and Lion young are also rid The one of 's preying nature and the other Can now confide in him as in a brother Nay though the Lion be a Fatling by He 'l not him harm they 'l down together lye So gentle and so tame they will be then A little Child may lead them both and when This time is come the Cow then with the Bear Shall feed their young together lye and there The Lion shall like to an Ox eat straw To prey on flesh he now shall have no maw The deadly great and most destructive nature The Venom which is found now in the creature Their deadly sting shal then be took away When once a sucking-Child shall dare to play On the Asps hole the weaned Child may then Not fear to put his hand upon the den Of that so deadly Cockatrice for there They shal not hurt destroy none shal them fear In Gods most holy Mountain and the Earth Shal filled be with knowledge and with mirth Cover'd with knowledge shal the Earth then be As now we see the Waters do the Sea There 's such a glorious time as this to come Or else the Prophets are mistook not some But all for all of them of this time spoke Foreseeing that there was a heavy yoke That Rome should keep the faithful People in And afterward that cursed Man of Sin Until there come a Rod out of the Stem Of Jesse and a branch spring out of him Out of his Root shall spring that holy Prince That King of kings and Lord of lords from hence It comes that Christ our Lord is said to be Of Davids Off-spring notwithstanding he Is Davids Root and shal possess his Throne In the appointed time as hath been shown But that I might this Truth yet clearer make Then this that follows likewise from me take That Christ shal rule and reign on Earth as King To prove I further do this Reason bring Because the Earth and all that therein is Are by Creation-right all of them his They were made by him and not only so But for him too and then his Right we know It is that one day he should them possess Which were made for him to enjoy and bless With Righteousness with which he 'l judge the poor Reprove the meek with Equity more He with the Rod of 's Wrath wil smite the Earth And slay the wicked also with his breath For Righteousness the girdle of his loins And Faithfulness the girdle of his reins Shall be and then will come that blessed day That he the Root of Jesse will display The Glory of his Rest as on a hill Stand for an Ensign and the Gentiles will Unto it seek his Rest shal glorious be Thrice happy they that shall this Glory see When this is come to pass that Prophecie Spoke by Isaiah will fulfilled be Behold in Righteousness a King shall reign And Princes rule in Judgment shall again As from the wind and tempest which we see A hiding-place a covert there shall be As in a dry and thirsty place and as The shadow of a mighty great Rock is A man shall be as Water Rivers and As such a Rock is in a weary Land The eyes of them that see shall not be dim The ears of them that hear shall hearken then The rash of heart shall knowledge understand Their passions then they shall so well command The tongue of stammerers shall ready be To utter words to talk to speak plainly The Glory of that day shall be so great My pen's too weak that Glory to repeat So great it is my thoughts it doth so fill That here another Reason follow will That Christ shal come the Earth to rule will be Apparant made as 't wil appear for he By right of purchase is become the Lord Of all the Earth and all it doth afford He therefore dy'd reviv'd and rose again That he might this Prerogative obtain To be the Lord both of the quick and dead This may in Pauls Epistle soon be read By his obedience to his Father he Obtained such a glorious dignitie By dying on the Cross that cursed death For which his Father him exalted hath And such a Name hath given unto him Above all names that 's given into them That are in Heav'n in Earth or underneath The Earth to him all which have life and breath At his most glorious Name their knees must bow There 's few but will for truth this sure allow And ev'ry tongue confess that Christ is Lord This Glory they must unto God afford When God the Father rais'd Christ from the grave He then to him this Princely honour gave To sit at his right hand in heav'nly places In recompence of all those foul disgraces That he sustain'd while he was on the Earth Although he was the King thereof by birth So far above all Principalitie All Power Might Dominion Dignity And ev'ry Name that 's nam'd not only whom Is in this world but in that world to come And hath put all things underneath his feet Though all things be'nt subjected to him yet He bore the great iniquities of many Of all indeed he did not leave out any Then with the great a portion he 'l divide And with the strong divide the spoil beside Because he did his soul pour out to death This glory God to Christ now given hath That as the Earth he bought and paid the score That it stood charged with so he 'l restore All things again when he from Heav'n descends To take away what ever in 't offends And then all living shall enjoy and see How glorious Christ's Government will be That which already hinted is well may Give satisfaction unto all if they Be so unbyass'd and be so intent In searching out what all the Prophets meant And Christ and his Apostles for all they Did prophesie and speak of this good day By these and such like sayings as I bring Of which there is a multitude that sing The self-same song as I above have done For sure I am they all with me are one But ne'retheless it still is my intent One Reason more to contribute or hint That Christ shall rule and reign here on the earth Is true because it is his right by birth He Christ the first born is of ev'ry creature And he of all things also is the Maker The first-born is mongst many brethren too The first begotten Son of God and who The brightness of his Fathers glory is The express Image of his person his Gods only Son whom he appointed Heir Of all things that hath been shall be or are In Heav'n above or in the Earth beneath They all are his by birth there 's none that