O mighty God honour thy Self Glorify thy Self Magnifie thy Self and advance and exalt thy deer Truth over all O thou art worthy of all praise from thee in thine Blessed to Eternity POSTSCRIPT NOtwithstanding the sore Calamity that is by the hand of a most righteous God inflicted upon this City and that the last weeks Bill declared 3014. yet for all this and in this time they seized our Meeting in Joneses at the Peele and took away the most of Men friends amounting to the number of about 25. and carried them to be examined before George Monck called Duke of Albema le who after one nights been there their names being taken but not being brought before him was disposed of to Prison some to the Gate-house and some to Newgate where they remain Prisoners for the testimony of Gods holy Truth and though they had sent fifty five of the Servants of the Lord into cruel exile last week as it were to make an experiment of these actions and as I have heard it reported that some should say that if the Quakers were sent out of the Land it would be the onely expedient of stopping the Plague but behold what an effect it hath wrought and how the Lord hath dealt in this cause that this week since this hath been done 1016. is increased in the Judgement in this Bill for no less then 4030. is cut off which this Weeks Bill declares and so such Diviners if it were so spoken by them are falce and lyars for they see a contrary effect and those that causeth these our cruel and unjust sufferings may well observe the hand of a retaliating God upon you and except they intend to take vengeance upon the most High I am yet to learn their intentions in this matter O poor Mortals that thus striveth against the God of Heaven what shall I say a Lamentation a Lamentation yea a bitter Lamentation is to be taken up for you ENGLAND'S sad Estate and Condition lamented in this just Complaint taken up against the greatest part of her Inhabitants Because of their great Abominations and Treacherous Dealings both with God and Man For which cause the Terrible and Righteous Judgments of the Lord are coming upon them and the Land Wherein is also contained some PROPHESIES and EXHORTATIONS OH ENGLAND England The Abominations of the greatest part of thy Inhabitants who can declare them They have reached Heaven so as they are come up before the Lord the Jealous God and Wo unto that part of thy Inhabitants who have sinned out the Day of their Visitation and have wholly slighted the Day of God's patience and long Forbearance and would have none of his Reproof but have altogether rejected the same and have made a mock at Sin have sported themselves with their own Deceivings and Lusts and have gone a Whoring from under the God of their Lives Wherefore thus saith the Lord the onely God I will make such become a Hissing and Reproach and my Anger they shall not be able to Escape because of their provoking Abominations and Treacherous Dealings both with Me and Man Oh England England How have and yet do a great part of thy Inhabitants Rush into Idolatry and all manner of Profaness and grievous Abominations even as the Horse and Mighty Rush into the Battel How do they drink in Iniquity even as the Ox or Parched Ground drinketh in Water Oh! What manner of Lamentation shall I make for thee my Native Countrey Or What manner of Complaint may I take up against a great part of thine Inhabitants who have long Sought and yet seek thy Ruine and Destruction Verily their Actions have Declared them to be like the Inhabitants of Sodom Yea their sins have rendred them to be as â—â—d as those of Gomorrah O they have Vexed the Righteous Soul Yea and they have Grieved the Spirit of the Lord from Day to Day with their Vnjust Conversations They have multiplied their Transgressions and heaped up their Iniquities till they are become as the Sand on the Sea-shore without Number Oh! The Lord hath long striven with them yea He hath also long born their Iniquities He would have gathered them to himself out of their Abominations Yea he would oft have healed them but they would not but they have stiffned their Necks and hardned their Hearts against the Lord and his Counsel day after day and have chosen their own way and works even to their own hurt and would by no means be reclaimed for when the Lord hath reproved them by the Light of his Son in their own consciences and set their sins in order before their eyes they have stopped their Eares and closed their Eyes and willfully Rebelled against the Power of God and trampled upon his Witness the Light in them as a thing of nought counting it not worth the taking Notice of And when the Lord hath raised up Prophets Children and Servants and sent them out Commanding them to lift up their Voyces like Trumpets to shew the People their Transgression and to Preach Repentance and Amendment of Life Yea to warn and exhort them to turn from their Sins to God and to lay before them their great abominations and to Prophesie what should come upon them if they would not turn from the evil of their Doings Oh! how have a great part of thy Inhabitants Scorned and Derided these Yea how have many of thine Inhabitants Beaten Whipt Stock't Stoned and Imprisoned some of these till Death for bearing their Testimony for the Lord against a Crooked and Perverse Generation who hate such as speak uprightly and abhor such as reprove Sin in the Gate that so it is even thus come to pass in thee O England That he that departeth from Iniquity maketh himsef a Prey to this Generation of Evil doers whose hearts are set upon their Lusts Idolatry and grievous Abominations and the Lord hath beheld it and it pleaseth him because there is no true Judgment for these evil doers are all gone out of the way yea there is none of them that regard to do the thing that 's Just and Good any further than it may be advantagious to their own Corrupt Designes Oh England England How oft hath the Lord God smote thy Rulers and Mighty and Proud Men how oft hath he laid their Honour in the Dust Yea How oft hath he Overturned and Confounded thy Mighty Men even thy Men of War with thy Princes Nobles and Captaines of Thousands Hundreds and Fifties Oh how oft hath he Overturned thy Governments and Changed thy Governours But how few of them have so regarded the Out-goings of the Lord in all these things as they ought to have done And how few of them have rightly Weighed and Considered the Causes for which the Lord hath brought or suffered so many Changes in the Land Or have those who saw the causes that provoked the Lord of hosts thus to Act laboured so to remove them as they ought to do or might have done Nay
the Fatts to overflow and she is come up into remembrance before the Lord the Just God who will Plague her and all her Merchants and Inhabitants according to their Abominations whereby they have grievously provoked Him Therefore come out of her whilst Mercy and Time is offered lest you perish with her in her Judgments which the Lord is Strongly and Swiftly bringing upon her Oh England England A day of Sorrow and Calamity is comeing upon many of thy Inhabitants I have long been sensible of it even a day of such Breaking Confusion and Judgement as hath not been for a long space For thy People have wearied out the Lord with their iniquities and grieved his holy Spirit with their abominations days without number Oh England England The Lord hath a precious and Holy Seed in thee Yea He hath a Remnant which he hath raised by his Power to for himself which are exceeding precious in his sight and these a great part of thine Inhabitants have Shamefully entreated and grievously oppressed and persecuted And they have patiently born the same and have laboured in the Life of Innocency and Spirit of Emanuel to Inform thy Rulers and People in the Things that are Just and True and have shewn them the Wayes which have and do Displease the Lord and have Exhorted and Warned the Inhabitants Time after Time But notwithstanding their Doctrine Lives and Conversations have manifested their Innocency and Vprightness of Heart before God and Man yet have many of thy Rulers Priests and People Oppressed them more and more Some Spoiling their Goods others Imprisoning their Bodies in filthy Holes and Dungeons till Several of them have Sealed their Testimony for the Lord with their Blood which cryeth for Vengeance in the Ears of the Almighty and the Lord hath heard the Cry thereof and hath looked down and beheld the Actings of the Sons of men and he is near to Visit Yea the Lord hath beheld and doth behold the Snares that have been and are laid for the Innocent who have no other Helper but him alone and therefore they have Commited their Cause unto him who shall bring it to pass Yea he hath taken Notice how several of thy Rulers have combin'd together and endeavoured to Force his Babes to Violate his Royal Law and to Break his Command who saith Swear not at all to Uphold and Obey theirs which is Contrary to his Yea He hath taken notice of the Cruel Sufferings and great Temptations of his People who many of them are yet Imprisoned and both their Bodies and Estates threatned to be destroyed by some evil Men if they will not break the Royal Law and Commandment of Christ which he hath placed in their hearts to Obey Do. Oh! The Lord hath seen the Partiality and evil Intents of several of the Judges and Rulers of this Land who have had Power to let the Innocent go free and yet keep many of his Ministers and Servants many of which have outward Estates Prisoners in many places although they have no more against them than against those whom they have turned forth which is nothing else but for their Obeying the Command of Christ in them who this day saith unto his People Swear not at all as he said to his Disciples formerly and for meeting together and Speaking and Praying in his Name for the Edifying Comforting and Building up one another in their most holy Faith The Lord hath also taken notice that when some of the Rulers might Relieve the Innocent and let the Oppressed go free they will not and then to cover themselves they wil say They cannot act contrary to the Law But when a Ruler will act that which he hath no Law for he can then plead a Prerogative Royal for that and thus are the innocent Lambs of Christ made a Prey upon Oh! the Oppressions of his People and others are great this day in thee O Land and the Crying of the Fatherless the Widows and the Needy is come up before the Lord God of Compassion who will thorowly plead the Cause of his People and the Poor and Needy of the Land Oh England England I have oft heard and treasured up what the Lord hath said in me concerning thy Inhabitants but now must I declare it in the Appointed Season Thus hath the Lord spoken in me for a long time concerning thy Inhabitants saying The People are too many the People are too many I will thin them I will thin them Mark that is He will make them fewer for they cumber the Ground And the spirit of the Lord hath oft signified unto me for a long time That an Over-flowing Scourge yea even an exceeding great and terrible Iudgment is to come upon thee O Land and that many in thee shall fall and be taken away in the Judgment and the Spirit of the Lord signifieth unto me that the time draweth nigh and that the Decree of the Lord is so firm that though some of the Lords Children Prophets could appear so as to stand in the Gap yet should not that alter his Decree only in the Righteousness of the Lamb they shall be hid saved from his Wrath what ever may be done to any of their Bodies but his fierce Wrath Indignation shall be poured forth upon the Ungodly and a great Desolation and Destruction shall there be for he will overturn and overturn till he hath dis-throned thrown down the Man of Sin exalted established the Kingdom of his dear Son over all the Kingdoms of the world and the Kingdom and Dominion and the Greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the Holy People the Sints of the Most High whose Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him who is King of Saints Behold ye Despisers and Wonder This is the Work which the Lord will accomplish by his own Power though you will in no wise believe it but you shall feel even both Hypocrites and Prophane that the Lord is able to bring to passe the thing that is in his heart And you who now think to set up and establish your Idolatry and to live in Prophaness without control and you who appear so hot against some of these things and labour to stop and pull them down mark that you might set up and establish your own Hypocritical Will-Worship in another dark dead Form I will frustrare you both saith the Lord God and you shall grind and waste one against another as the upper and nether Milstone And I will pluck out from you and preserve a holy Seed beyond expectation and I will be avenged on you for that which you have already bruised or shall yet bruise mark And I will hurry and hurl you round with a mighty Stream for the Waters shall roar and swell And after I have executed my vengeance upon the Rebellious and Treacherous Dealers I will then bring forth the Remnant of my Holy Seed
Assuredly they have not for the Lusts of this World and the Pride of Life hath blinded the minds of most and such who have seen what their duty was the honour of this World that cursed self-interest hath stopped and hindred most of them from doing those things which they saw they ought and which they had opportunity also to have done Oh! How have the new Governors in almost every Change of late cryed out of the Tirany and great Oppression of those whom they did succeed and how have most of them Vowed unto God Declared to and Promised the People That they would Remove the Burdens and Oppressions that the foregoing Rulers had laid and continued upon them But alas very few of them have regarded their Vowes Declarations and Promises either to God or Man but in Treachery and Deceit have they gone on Serving themselves and their own Lusts and not the Lord nor their Generation faithfully For although many of them have been very large in promises and good words whereby they have long sought to deceive the hearts of the People yet it is but very Little that hath been done for their true Liberty because that wicked Spirit which seeketh to make it self great by the ruine of others hath Ruled and doth yet Rule in the hearts of many Rulers and this is of the Devourer and Destroyer who cannot forgive Enemies but Crys out of Rebellion and Treason labouring to exasperate the Spirits of Others that so occasions may be gotten if possible against them thereby to bring them under and keep them in Bondage Oh England England Such is thy sad Estate and Condition that severall of thy Rulers are and have been as roaring Lyons even greedy to Devoure And many of thy Teachers have been and yet are like Troops of Robbers Robbing and Spoiling of many of thine Inhabitants Oh! How have most of thy Priests Temporized and Daubed with every Power as they have come up in the many Changes How have they encreased Envy Wars and Destructions amongst thy Rulers and People How have they one time Cryed up and Prayed for the same Thing which at another time they have Cryed down and Prayed against Oh! Who shall ever believe them Their god is their belly and who is it that many of them would not Joyn unto if thereby they might be upheld in Pride Idleness and Fulness How oft would they Change again and again And what Idolatry is there that many of them would not Run into for their Bellies sake Ah poor Nation Are they not yet striving to kindle a Flame within thy Bowels Hath not the Lord divided them and are they not labouring with all their might to Divide and Rend thy Inhabitants yet more and more Yea surely and it is Just with the Lord to suffer it to be so because of the greatness of their Abominations which are daily encreased Ah poor Land How art thou overspread with Wasters and spoilers who like Caterpillars devour thy Pleasant Fruit. Oh! the Whoredoms and Idolatries that are daily committed and acted in thee Who can Declare them Oh! thy Chief City thy Chief City that bloody City Can its Abominations be Parallel'd in the Earth Surely it hath Exceeded Sodom in Wickedness The Lord is very Angry with a great part of its Inhabitants and his Vengeance is nigh to come upon them Wo unto you Whoremongers Drunkards Gluttons Swearers Cursers Blasphemers Cheaters and Idolaters Wo unto you Proud Wanton and Prophane Vain Persons Wo unto you Mountebanks Stage-Players Bear-baiters Gamesters and all manner of Abominable Workers and you that Build up Towers Scaffolds and Vain Heathenish Representations and such like and make and garnish Images to draw peoples minds after Idolatry and for your Cursed Gain and Lusts in pretence of Honouring your King Oh! How are people drawn into Gazing and Wondring after these Abominations It grieveth the Righteous Soul to behold such great Wickedness Oh! You Wicked and Abominable Workers and Devourers of the Creation The Lord God will meet with you in a time when ye are little aware of Him He 'l Stain your Pride Vain Glory and Idolatry and give you your Portion amongst Devourers except you speedily Repent and your Abettors Strengthners and Helpers forward of such Ungodliness that do it knowingly and Delighters therein The Lord will not acquit you He 'l smite you for these things and that right soon Oh! Ye Idolatrous people Do you think that the Lord God of Pitty and Patience suffered your King to Hide himself from his Enemies in an Oake for that end that ye might Devour his Creatures in makeing an Idol of it Is this the use you make of that which you say was Gods Mercy towards you Is not this the way to turn those things that might have been Mercies to you into Plagues and Judgments Oh! How do you daily provoke the Lord against Your selves and your King Oh! You wicked Workers How dare you make Representations of Destruction and Ruine How dare you make a Sport of such things Verily your provocations are great wherewith you provoke the Just God And it will be Just with him to bring Ruine Desolation and Destruction upon you and your City Verily great is the Judgment that is nigh you and your sins draw it on you apace Do you think that the Lord cast out Back-sliders Hypocrites and Vnfaithful men to set up and establish Idolaters and open Prophane persons Nay surely Therefore Tremble ye Wicked Workers and Howle ye Prophane Idolaters for the Mighty and Terrible day of the Lord is near to break out upon you Thus saith the Lord God I 'le Scatter I 'le Scatter I 'le Split Divide and Separate I 'le Break and Dash to Pieces and none shall be able to Gather Bind up or Joyn together For mine Anger is kindled and my Jealousie shall burn till I have devoured mine Enemies saith the Lord. Therefore ye people of England that yet live in wickedness who have not wholly sinned out the day of your Visitation To you I now speak you that feel the Lord yet striving with you O Return return speedily unto the Manifestation of his Spirit whereby he strives with you to shew you your Abominations and to draw and lead you out of the same O be not still Stiff-necked but hearken to the Word of the Lord which sheweth you the thoughts and Intents of your Hearts and hearken and be obedient to the Call thereof that so by its power you may Hasten out of Babylon both Young and Old Rich and Poor High and Low Noble or Ignoble Professor or Profane who yet are there For the Lords Controversie is great with Babylon her Merchants and Inhabitants and he will not much longer spare but he will suddenly smite and none shall be able to hinder his stroak Yea yea he will wound and none shall be able to heal For the measure of her Iniquities Idolatries and Whoredoms are nigh full and the Wine of her Fornications hath caused