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A91075 The prophets Malachy and Isaiah prophecying to the saints and professors of this generation of the great things the Lord will doe in this their day and time. Shewing (amongst other things) the nature and quality of the apostachy. The judgement of the Lord upon the leaders of the apostacy. How the Lord will deale with, and carry himself towards, others guilty of the apostacy. The certainty of deliverance at hand for the true seed. / By a wel-wisher to the kingdome of our Lord Jesus. To which is prefixed two very useful epistles, by Christopher Feak, and John Pendarves, ministers of the Gospel. Wel-wisher to the kingdome of our Lord Jesus.; Pendarves, John, 1622-1656.; Feake, Christopher, fl. 1645-1660. 1656 (1656) Wing P3687; Thomason E888_2; ESTC R207362 83,871 109

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them shal stand and wil not this be a terrible day indeed vvhen such glorious professors as delight themselves in the thoughts and expectations of the coming of Christ shal be found too light and thrown into the fiery furnace to purhe their dross and tinn and come under the Fullers sope to cleanse their garments from their unclean and filthy spots But would you see more of the terrors of this dreadful day then consider the four first Chapters of the Prophet Isaiah in the first Chapter he speaks of the same time Malachy doth in general termes in his second Chapter after an enumeration of some of the evils of the Times as the reason why the Lord hath forsaken his people he tels the particular work the Lord wil do in Zion at this day from the 10th verse to the end in the seven first verses of the 3d. Chapter the Prophet tels us what course the Lord wil take to bring those great things to pass he had spoken of before from the 16 Verse to the second Verse of the 4th Chapter he sets down the punishment and sad condition of the Capital and Head City of the land and in the remainder of the 4th Chapter we have a description of the glory and happy state of the Lords Jewels those that are purged and puryfied by this Refiners fire and Fullers sope by his spirit of Judgement and his spirit of burning That Isaiahs Prophecie in these Chapters hath relation to the same time Malachy treats of is clear to me upon these grounds 1 Because I find that Isaiah as wel as Malachy hath relation to three times 1 To a time of Apostacy z Isa 1.2 4 21 22 23. I have nourished and brought up Children and they have rebelled against me A sinful Nation a people laden with iniquity they are gone away backward how is the faithful City become an harlot it was ful of judgement righteousness lodged in it but now Murderers thy silver is become dross thy wine mixt with water thy Princes are rebellious and companions of theeves c yea and this apostacy is guilty of the same quality Malachy's is a refined hypocritical apostacy though they be rebelious children corrupters and are so far gone backward that the Lord dispairs of doing them any good by correcting them at a former rate but saith a Verse 5 They wil then revolt more and more though they be altogether unsound from the sole of the foot unto the head b Verse 6. though they be as the c Verse 10 Rulers of Sodom and their d Verse 15 hands are ful of blood yet they cover all with a e Verse 11 multitude of sacrifices they fil the Lord with them that they trouble him and he is a f Verse 14 weary to bear them all their performances are guilty of such hypocritical vanity that they are an g Verse 13 14. abomination to the Lord and his soul hates them 2 To a time of purifying and restoring Zion to its former glory from whence they are fallen h Verse 25 26. And I wil turn my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tin and I wil restore thy Judges as at the first and thy Counsellors as at the beginning afterward thou shalt be called the City of righteousness the faithful City i Ch 4.3 And it shal come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shal be called holy 3 To a time of destroying the wicked k Ch 1.28.3 The destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shal be together And they that forsake the Lord shal be consumed and the strong shal be as tow and the maker of it as a spark and they shal both burn together and none shall quench them Read also the second and third Chapters There is only this difference Isaiah hath spetial relation to the civil state of his people as a Common-wealth and Malachy hath spetial relation to the Worship and religious state of this people as a Church Ob If any should object that it is not probable that Isaiah should point at the same time with Malachy for he Prophecied a long time before speaks in the present tence as if he spake these things of his own time Answ I Answer 1. That this Prophecie was made known to I. saiah in King Vzzia's time l 2 King 15.3 who did that which was right in th sight of the Lord he was no ruler of Sodom therefore this Prophecy refers to another time not the present that it was revealed in Vzzia's time appears to me because the Vision seen by the Prophet sometime after in the 6th Chapter is said to be seen in the year that King Vzziah dyed verse 1. 2 This is a Vision the vision of Isaiah the son of Amos which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem c. now visions being concerning things to come this must of necessity have relation to a time yet to come 2 Because I find the Prophet Isaiah as wel as Malachy directs his speech to three sorts of people First To those Apostates the Lord wil in his judgements be avenged of m Ch. 2.24 and 3.11 Ah I wil ease me of mine adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies Wo unto the wicked it shal be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him Secondly To those whom the Lord wil purge and purifie n Ch 1.25 I wil turn my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tin who when the Lord shal have thus purged away their filth by a spirit of judgement and a spirit of burning shal be the holy Jewels of the Lord. Thirdly To a company of righteous souls whom the Lord wil spare in that day to whom the Prophet is commanded to say o Ch. 3.10 it shal be wel with them for they shal eat the fruit of their doings though it go ful ill with the rest of their Brethren yet it shal be wel with them the Lord wil spare them he hath his chambers to hide them in in this day of his wrath wherein he will punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their iniquities 3 Because I find the Prophet hath wholly relation to the last dayes Chap 2. verse 2. and it shal come to pass in the last dayes the Prophet brings in the kingdom of the mountain the kingdom of Christ in its ful glory as the product and effect of that which before in the latter part of the first Chap. he had said the Lord would do for he brings it in with an AND and it shal come to pass in the last daies it runs current thus when Syon for the faith faithful City in the 21 verse and Zion in the 27 verse I take to be all one hath so far apostatised as that she is become an Harlot in Gods account her silver become
God that they stumble into heathenisme and prophanes then are they that fear the Lord to take to heart the great dishonour the name of God suffers by this abomination and speak a gainst it also 4 Do they see inhabitants of professing Syon that seem to be great worshippers of God and zealous for the service of the Lord and the good of his people n Mal. 1.13 snuffing at that part of the worship of God at doing that peice of the will of God that suits not with their worldly interest of gaining this evil world with the Goods thereof crying out what a weariness is it something we would do for God but that the Lord now cals for is a wearisome burden to us it wil quite undoe us oh what a weariness is it this is an hard saying who can hear it then ought they that fear the Lord to think upon the dishonoured and despised name of God and speak against this abomination also 5 Do they behold men in professing Syon o Verse 14 Vowing a vow unto the Lord and in a capacity to perform that Vow having that Male in his flock and yet sacrifice unto the Lord a corrupt thing blinde and lame performances then also are they that fear the Lord to think on the name of God how greatly it is dishonoured and bear a ful testimony against that loathsom hypocrisie of him letting him know he is cursed who dareth so to trample under foot the name of the great King whose name is dreadful among the Heathen 6 Matters of a civil nature and as if the Prophet intended to stop the mouth of the objection of these dayes he brings in the evils of this nature in the last place that his THEN might clearly appeare to have special and direct relation to those things 1 When the proud professors in Syon that behave themselves proudly and contemptuously towards their God and their Brethren are accounted p Mal. 3.15 the happy men as those that would make the Nation happy by the wayes of their devising called happy congratulated and applauded as the men whom the Lord hath owned and made happy by his providence and blessing then are they that fear the Lord to think how the name of God is dishonoured by this evil and bear their testimony against it 2 When the wicked workers in professing Zion q Verse 15 the workers of wickedness are set up Children of strangers of a strange spirit and principle r Isai 3.6 contrary to the Spirit of our Lord the holy and righteous Spirit of true Syon and the work of God those whose delight is not in the law of the Lord but in wayes of their own inventions suitable to their degenerated and base interest who break the law continually working wickedness indeed although they cal it and would have what they do accounted righteousness and to defend these men in their wickednes s Verse 9 Horses and Chariots a powerful Militia is fixed as a wal about them when such men are set up over the people and such things done oppressing vilifying and persecuting the people of the Lord and the true interest of the Son of God our Lord Jesus among his people and in the world then are they that fear the Lord to be sensible of the dishonour and reproach is cast upon the name of God by this evil and bear their testimony against this wickedness also 3 When they see this evil in professing Syon t Mal. 3 15 they that tempt God are even delivered while the Altar of the Lord is covered with the tears weeping and crying out of the oppressed those who by their provoking hypocritical loathsome wickedness tempt the Lord to put an end to his long-sufferance and execute his vengeance before the appointed time are even delivered their heads are lifted up and their faces made to shine through the benigne aspect of those who should and ought to be a terror to them they are even delivered from their fears of receiving the desert of their wayes and actions by a stream of Justice and righteousness and are set up to work wickedness against God in oppressions and cruelty covering the Altar of the Lord with the tears sighs and groans of his people then are they that fear the Lord to think upon the great name of their God how unworthily it is dishonoured and trampled under foot and bear their testimony against this wickednesse also 4 When the Rulers of professing Syon be●●● and act like the Rulers of Sodom rebel against the Lord go away backward apostatise from God oppress the people of the land yet cover all with a cloak of religious performances and outward holines good aims and ends for the work of the Lord and the good of the Church of Christ with these coverings hiding their evils and wickednesses from the vulgar sight then are they that fear the Lord not to hold their peace but to cry aloud and bear their testimony for God against this abomination also and of of the fruit of this their doing shal they eat and it shal be wel with them in that day wherein he wil judge those men Qu Possibly it may be askt why wil the Lord have those that fear him thus industriously engaged against the evils and wickedness of Rulers and people at this day Answ The Answer is because his great name that was so glorious and dreadful among the Heathen is so exceedingly dishonoured therefore are they that fear the Lord to think upon the name of God and speak in its vindication this is an apostacy in Syon delivered out of Babilon though many of Babilons evils cleave yet close to them for whom the Lord hath done great and wonderful things freed them from the slavery and bondage of a sore captivity under the Babilonish power blessed them with prosperous success in building their City that in spite of the Tobiahs and Sanballats of all their enemies that had maintenance from the Kings Palace were maintained by a wretched Kingly Interest they became a Common-wealth a free people by which they had opportunity and liberty to serve the Lord in doing his whole Wil and pleasure in doing these great things far beyond the thoughts and expectations of the greatest worldly wise men for this people the Lord had gotten himself a great name dreadful among the Heathen how did the wicked world tremble at the thoughts of it and now for this people to draw back even to Babilon to apostatise from the Lord in matter and manner hath been treated of is none other but a wicked ravishing and deflouring the honour of the Virgin name of God he had so lately gotten to himself by doing such wonders for this unworthy people As our Lord said of his day in the flesh that if those Disciples that spake for him and blest him should hold their peace the stones would immediatly cry out so may it truly be said of this time also if they that fear
say to those that fear the Lord those blessed servants of the Lord who are exercising themselves in that Work so welpleasing to God about the concernments of the name and interest of the Lord at this day and I would reduce that I have to say into Instruction Exhortation First for Instruction And 1 Be instructed in the certainty of deliverance at hand that day of the Lords judging your enemies and bringing forth your deliverance is at hand even at the door Although the Wheel seems to run so fast back again and men are unraveling that bottom the Lord hath been winding up for some years last past and the powers of Heaven be shaken and mens hearts fail them for fear looking after those things that are coming on the earth though the face of things at present be thus sad and calamitous yet lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh know that the inexpressible wickedness and sadness of the times at this season is an unerring sign token of the certainty neerness of deliverance my thinks vvhat hath been already said in the preceding interpretation of the Scriptures handled proves this sufficiently but to strengthen your faith and increase your joy if the Lord please I wil offer some further proof That an hypocritical Apostacy after reformation is an unquestionable evidence that the Lord is at hand and wil delay no longer but suddenly deliver the true Seed to the glory and praise of his holy name wil be out of doubt if we consider That this vvas the state and condition of the old World vvhen Judgement took hold of it and the condition of the Jews our Lord found them in vvhen he first came in the flesh also that it is the state and condition of the present professing Gospel-Church when the day of the Lord of hosts shal come upon her wherein he wil be to her as a Refiners fire and as Fullers sope That it was the state and condition of the old world is clear for after that great defection and fal of man from his first purity had proceeded to blood manifested it self in that evil effect the slaughter of righteous Abel by his wicked Brother Cain and Seth the succeeder of Abel had preacht many years to the fallen world by that time Enoch was born a Gen 4●●● Men began to call upon the name of the Lord or as it it in the Margent of some Bibles to cal themselves by the name of the L. here was a reformation wrought by the preaching of the righteous the breach that Cain the seed of the Serpent had made was now made up again men would be no longer murderers as the children of the Serpent but they would be the Lords people called by the name of the Lord here is a notable reformation indeed one would have thought that there had now been a sure reconciliation made between God and man that there was an inseperable union of friendship entred into but behold the inconstancy of the nature of man afterward b Ch 6.1 2. it came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them that the Sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair and they took them Wives of all which they chose they degenerated from their former reformation they kept not themselves the seperated people of the Lord but mingled themselves with the seed of men the Serpents brood and through this defection the wickedness of man was great in the earth and now every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually c V 5 this moved the Lord greatly d V. 6 7. and it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth and it grieved him at his heart and the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth The nature and quality of this Apostacy the Evangelists Matthew e Mat. 24 38.3● and Luke tel us They did eat they drank they married Wives they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entred into the Ark and the flood came and destroyed them all it was not a defection to Caines gross prophaneness Luke 17.26 27. but their hearts ran loose from God to the good things of this world they went backward and apostatised from God to the world made Idols to themselves of the lawful things of this World no doubt they solved their consciences with the lawfulness of the things in themselves their hearts ran out so unworthily after and could find much to say for their practice against any that should charge them with evil The curious refinedness of the apostacy appears by this that but eight persons could attain to escape the temptation the hypocrisie of it was such that it swept away all that called themselves by the name of the Lord except upright Noah and his Family that by close walking with God obtained deliverance And which is very observable in the reformation these men exalted the name of the Lord called themselves by the name of the Lord they buried their own name and would become as nothing that the Lord might have all the honour they would have no name but the name of the Lord serve him and none other owned none to be their Lord but him exalted the Lord alone they called themselves by the name of the Lord but in the apostacy they forget that name of the Lord they forsake the interest of the honour and name of God and set up their own name and their own honor f Gen 6● 4● became mighty men men of renown exalted their own name their own renown and honour to the dishonour of God and that glorious name of his they formerly called themselves by give me leave to repeat a little observe the two grand remarkables in this notorious apostacy They assotiate and mingle themselves with that sort of men the seed of the Serpent with that interest they formerly seperated from out of a profession of love to God and his name their calling themselves by the name of the Lord import so much And secondly they set up their own name renown and honour in the place and room of Gods whereas before they would call themselves by no name but by Gods name novv they come under the mighty and renowned names of men how neer these last dayes of this evil world come to these men in manners lest those who have a seeing eye judge This grieves the Lord at his heart and heresolves to exalt that blessed name of his they formerly exalted and now dispise and trample underfoot to serve their lusts in their destruction none shal escape but Noah and his Family that Just and upright man who vvalked vvith God kept close to the good old principle the Sons of God walked in exalting the name of God When the old World came into this frame and temper the Lord would bear no longer but
again though you may be saved because of the grace and love of your father which is unchangeable yet it will be as by fire and the dreadfulnesse of that dispensation is such as deliverance from it is worth a world of Gems Look back upon the dread and terrour of the day of the Lord of hosts and if you believe the word of the Lord you will be of my opinion in this matter 2. That all that pelf drosse and dung this worlds good which now blindes your eyes and stops your mouths that you cannot stand up for the dishonoured name and interest of your Lord and Saviour at this day will stand you in no stead in the day of the Lord that will come upon Syon you will then be forced to throw away all those foolish Idols of gold and silver with which you now commit folly 3. That your sacrifices and offerings your worship and religious performances at this day are hatefull to the Lord as very dung unto him i Mal. 2.3 The dung of your solemne feasts they are a trouble to him and he is weary to bare them because of that hypocritical Apostatising guilt that cleaves to them Think on that word of the Lord k Is 66.3 He that killeth an Oxe is as if he slew a man he that sacrificeth a Lambe as if he cut of a Dogs neck he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines blood he that burneth incense as if he blessed an Idoll Here are glorious outward performances but behold how abominable and loathsome your offerings are to the great Jehovah What 's the matter Why it s the offering of an hypocriticall spirit * The sense of the Prophet in this 5. verse prove this That oppresse and persecute those that tremble at the word of the Lord yet can tell how to cloak their doings over with aims at the glory of God crying out Let the Lord be glorified but the Lord shall appear to their joy and you shall be ashamed Again * Amos 5.22 23 I hate I dispise your feast dayes and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies though yee offer me burnt-offerings and your meat-offering I will not accept them neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs for I will not hear the melody of thy Viols Who are these whose worship and service is thus rejected by the Lord verse 18. they are such as in a high profession desire the day of the Lord Why what 's the matter the guilt of an hypocriticall Apostacy cleaves to them notwithstanding all their glorious outward performances and their large professions yet they want those more weighty things as is implyed in the 24 v. Judgment and righteousnesse chap 4.1 they oppresse the poore and crush the needy Your silent by standing makes you abettors and guilty Heare what our Lord himself saith p Mat. 12 30. He that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me seattereth abroad your Lord admits of no moderate indifferent medium of spirit in this matter your sacrifices are not offered up in righteousnesse therefore are they not pleasant unto the Lord And because of this he will cast you into a Furnace that you may learn to offer up an offering in righteousnesse that your offerings may be pleasant unto him as in the daies of old as in aneient years So that 4. The best and purest standing any of you can brag of under this Apostacy will not abide the trial but the day that cometh will throw you off your ground the Earth quake shall rend it up that it shall not be found Who shall be able to stand in that day None no not one and if it be so what will become of those oppressing stations many who I hope have grate in their hearts run their feet into out of too much love to gold and silver the Idols of the age 5. As a natural consequent of the rest behold your exceeding folly that for love of your ceiled houses the convenient accommodations of this life you forsake the interest of the name and honour of your Lord and connive at and cleave to the evils and apostacies of this your day and time Have you not left and forsaken your discipleship Our Lord saith that except a man take up his crosse and follow him he cannot be his disciple every disciple of Christ carries his crosse at his back now where is your crosse have you not lost it in your too eagen pursuit after the profits and pleasures of this present evil world and what will this unchilde-like carriage of yours cost you the refiners fire and fullers sope will be your portion God will call thy terrors about thee as in a solemne day that in the day of the Lords angen none may escape terrors by reason the sword shall come upon thee Lam. 2.22 compared with Ezek. 21.12 Quest If it should be askt wherein our times are thus guilty of back-sliding and Apostacy as in charged upon them Answ Look upon our dayes through the glasse of these Prophecies of Malachy and Isaiah with the interpretation given which I am perswaded will be found according to truth and you will behold them of the same countenance and colour those times were of Isaiah pointed at and in which the Prophet Malachy gave forth his Prophecy differing in nothing but in many aggravating circumstances Obj. But perhaps some may object you hint to us that the state of the Jewish Church was a type and representation of professing Zion in England and truly you seem to me to put a restriction upon the text which it will not boor For put the case the paralel be true that that time of Apostacy in the Jewish Church Malachy Prophecied in was a type and representation of the state of this Professing Gospel-Church imediately before our Lords coming why may it not as well have relation to any other part or to the whole professing-Gospel-Church as to that part of the professing Gospel-Church in England and as that was the state of the Jewish Church imediately before our Lords first coming in the flesh so may it not rather be a tipe of the state of the Professing-Gospell-Church imediately before our Lords coming again in person Answ I conceive a due weighing what hath been already said would sufficiently answer all objections but for their sakes who have not the patience to take that paines I shall offer some further satisfaction This Objection consists of several parts and requires a distinct Answer to each 1. I conceive that this cannot have relation to the time imediately before our Lords coming againe but must relate to the time wherein it hath been already fixed 1. Because I finde the Prophet speaks not of the personal comming of Christ the second time but of a dispensation of the Lord wherein he will be as Fullers sope and as a refiner and purifier of
comes to vindicate his name and honour in jealousie and wrath Judging of her And that it was the state of the Jewish Church in which our Lord found them at his first coming in the flesh hath been cleared up already and therein she was a Type and representation of the professing Gospel-Church in the last dayes Lastly That it is the state and condition of the professing Gospel Church when Judgement shall begin at the house of God he will visit her with a SPIRIT of Judgement and a spirit of burning be as a Refiners fire and as Fullers sope to her Matthew and Luke tel us plainly As it was in the dayes of Noah so shal it be also in the dayes of the Son of man and Luke illustrates it by the condition of Sodom g Luke 17.26 28 30. They did eat they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded even thus shal it be in the dayes when the Son of man is revealed so that upon the credit of the word of two Evangelists we may believe it for a truth that the professing worlds being in this state and condition is a clear sign of the Lords being at hand to deliver his remnant and destroy his enemies But wil you have the testimony of a third Apostle John the Spirit of the Lord by him in his Epistle to the seven Churches in Asia bears witness to this truth that when the professing Gospel-Church fals into a refined hypocritical apostacy after reformation then the Lord stands at the door and knocks he stayes no longer but comes to Judgement for the proof of this let us a little consider these seven Churches of Asia They were Tipes and representations of the various state and condition of the Church of Christ from the falling away the Apostle writes of in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians by which the man of sin got up to his seat and power until the coming of the Lord to his Syon for some things written especially to the Churches in Philadelphia and Laodicea cannot be restrained to literal Philadelphia and literal Laodicea but must of necessity be granted to refer to some other time and persons tiped out by them further behold the order the Holy Ghost observes in his writing be begins with an apostacy with Ephesus who had fallen from her first works and closes with an apostacy with Laodicea that had fallen into a notable hypocritical strain boasting of her own gifts and excellencies saying I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing If we observe the Church of Sardis we shall there see what a low ebb the Church of Christ was once brought unto Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to dye there were but a few names which had not defiled their garments but at the next remove the Spirit of the Lord works such a glorious reformation in the Church that she seems as if she were perfect before the Lord he finds no fault at all with her but commends her after a high rate this is represented to us by Philadelphia now the coming of our Lord draws neer it is not far off Behold I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast after this Satan that cunning and implacable enemy to the Saints happiness brings his Laodicean temper upon the stage the professing Gospel-Church fals from so glorious a reformation wrought by the Philadelphians into a luke warm hypocritical apostacy by this time our Lord is at the door and ready to enter in and behold the hypocrisie of this apostacy although she be fallen from the glory of noble Philadelphia into the loathsome condition of luke warm Laodicea wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked yet she saith I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing now our Lord stands at the door and knocks gives notice that he is coming and wil not tarry Thus my Brethren you have a manifold testimony to the truth of the assertion that an hypocritical apostacy after reformation in the professing Gospel-Church is an unquestionable evidence That deliverance to the true seed and destruction to the enemy is at hand the Lord wil stay no longer but wil come and wil not tarry for his own Names sake if God would not spare the old world nor his chosen people Israel To whom pertaineth the Adoption and the glory and the promises when they came into this temper and frame what ground hath any man to think that this present evil world being come into the same State shal find more favour at the hand of the jealous God than those of old did The blood of all the Prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world Luke 11.50 shal be required of this Generation saith our Lord what Generation is that an hypocritical Pharisaical Generation So that it remains for a certain truth that judgement is at the door of this Generation and deliverance is coming from Heaven to the faithful that keep their garments pure and they shal walk with their Lord in white for they are worthy 2 Be instructed in the design of the Lord at this day upon you and the rest of your Brethren with whom you are contending for the name and honour of your Lord it is to bring you into cloth you with the glory of the day of your Espousals that it may be with you as it was in antient years in the beginning what glory is that the glory of the Apostles and Saints when they received the promise of the Father when the Spirit of the Lord came with power upon them working in them according to the might of his power the glory of this day is inexpressible neither is it my work at this time to dilate upon it but I chuse rather to leave it to your own meditations to represent it to your view by chewing the cudd in the consideration of it as it is set forth in the holy Writings of the Apostles when you have attained to this glory then wil you be defended by the creating power of God and power from on high wil be given you to tarry on that great work of God in the world to the glory and praise of your Lord your hearts are now so much fixed upon in which you so earnestly desire to be labouring Other very useful instructions might be added but I conceive it wil be more acceptable and vvork more kindly if your selves press that wholsom liquor out of this cluster therefore I forbear 2 In the second place give me leave to Exhort you to these things 1 Be not weary of nor undervalue your present work behold how acceptable how delightful it is to your Lord the Lord is alwaies among you hearing all your discourses with greatest delight the glory of it so ravishes his hear k Cant. 4 8 9 11. Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse thou hast