the Lords lawful Governours and Government whether Civil or Ecclestastical in Church or Commonwealth This was the sin of Corah Dathan and Abyram and their copartners mentioned in Num. 16. God had chosen Moses and Aaron to be the cheif Leaders and Governors of his people and placed the Government in their hands both as to the Civil and Religious administration thereof Korah and his companions gather themselves together against them and told them they took too much upon them seeing all the Congregation was holy every one of them and that the Lord was among them wherefore then should they lift up themselves above the Congregation of the Lord But see how highly incensing and provoking was this unto the Lord Separate your selves saith he to Moses and Aaron from among the congregation that I may consume them in a moment and now the Lord he will shew who are his and who are holy and a strange work will he do these men must not dye the common death of all men nor be visited after the visitation of all men but a new thing will the Lord make The earth must open her mouth and swallow them up with all that appertain unto them and they must go down quick into the pit and so they did and the earth closed upon them and they perished from among the Congregation Nor did the punishment of this Insurrection end here but the Lord causes a grievous Plague to break in upon the Congregation And Moses said to Aaron in the 46. verse Take a censer and put fire therein from off the Altar and put on Incense and go quickly unto the Congregation and make an attonement for them and why all this haste For there is wrath gone out from the Lord the Plague is begun And Aaron did so and stood between the dead and the living and the plague was staied Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred besides them that died in the matter of Corah So highly displeasing is it unto the Lord for persons to oppose his lawful Authority and Government which he hath put into the hands of his faithful Ministers and Servants Under which consideration undoubtedly must those Scriptures be comprehended that enjoyn subjection and obedience whether to the Lords Civil or Ecclesiastical Rulers and Governors Rom. 13.1 Tit. 3.1 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15. 1 Thess 5.12 13. Heb. 13.7 17. O that this were seriously and timously considered and laid to heart by all such who flye in the face of Christ and carry themselves contemptuously against his lawful Governours and Government which he hath set in his Churches I mean the Churches of Christ making unjustifiable and dishonorable rents schisms and divisions in the body whereof they are members which should be as the seamless coat of Christ woven from top throughout Joh. 19.23 Of such who despise the Lords Government or Dominion I may say without wronging or injuring of them as Peter of some scandalous backsliding Professors in his time who were spots and blemishes in their feasts of Charity Presumptuous are they and self-willed they are not afraid to speak evil of Dignities 2 Pet. 2.10 13. And while they promise themselves liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption vers 19. They despise Dominion The word it seems signifieth a removing of a thing from its place with some scorn and indignation They would remove the Lords Governors or Rulers over them with scorn and indignation And whereas they are said to despise dominion that is more then to despise their Rulers for they despise not only the Lords Governors but the Government it self And to speak evil of Dignities or to reproach Dignities is in the Original it see us to blaspheme Glories to speak reproachfully of Dominions which are placed in glory amongst men or which are set over them by the Lord in eminency power honour and authority Hence it is that lawful Magistrates ruling in the fear of the Lord are said to be Gods Psal 82.6 And the Lords Ministers and Messengers of Churches are said to be the Glory of Christ 2 Cor. 8.23 And as stars in his right hand are the Angels of the seven Churches Rev. 1.20 All holding forth that Glory and Dignity which the Lord hath conferred upon them And for any persons to rise up as Korah and his complices did against Moses and Aaron though it be in a presumption of their own holiness Numb 16.3 Such are like to perish in the gainsaying of Core as Jude expresseth vers 11. of his Epistle It being very observable how the Psalmist does express this act of Korah's Insurrection or rising up against Moses and Aaron to be no less then an envying of them They envied Moses also in the camp and Aaron the Saint of the Lord. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the company of Abiram And a fire was kindled in their company the flame burnt up the wicked Psa 106.16 17 18. That example also of Miriam and Aarons speaking against Moses is not to pass without its due observation neither Numb 12.1 7 8 9 10. The Lord giving that testimony of Moses his servant that he was faithful in all his house Wherefore then saith he were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them and Miriam became leprous as white as snow Let such therefore who are guilty in this matter consider how provoking a sin this is unto the Lord and whether they may not have a hand in pulling down this sore visitation among us 14. A Fourteenth Pestilential and highly provoking sin is the sin of Prophanation of Gods holy things and an Over-curious presumptuous speculation and prying unwarrantably into the Secrets of God This was the sin of the men of Ashdod for which the hand of the Lord was so heavy upon them visiting them with greivous plagues when they took the Ark and brought it into the house of Dagon the Temple of their Idol-god and set it by Dagon so sore was the hand of God on them that he smote them with Emrods and destroyed them and such a deadly destruction there was throughout all the City insomuch that the cry of the City went up to heaven 1 Sam. 5. The Ark was a Chest or Coffer which was made of Shittim or Cedar wood overlaid round about with gold whose cover called the Mercy-seat was also of pure gold on which was two glorious Cherubs of gold from whence God gave his oracle Numb 7.89 These Cherubims were placed at the the two ends of the Mercy-seat and they spread out their wings on high which covered over the Mercy-seat with their face one to another Exod. 37.1 2 6 7 8 9. In this were the two Tables of the Law or Testimony put written with the finger of God Exod. 25.16 21. Deut. 10.3 4 10. Between the Cherubims God was said to sit Psal 80.2 There will I meet with thee saith the Lord and
such like possessions they will have it and force it away from the owners thereof As Ahab in the case of Naboths Vineyard 1 King 21. And thus they oppress or practise violence upon a man and his house even a man and his heritage or his inheritance that is they make him poor and sad dispossessing and bereaving the Proprietor thereof which God would in no wise allow to be taken away or alienated from the heir Therefore saith the Lord Behold I devise an evil against this Family or against this generation Even as they wickedly devise contrive and practise the evil of sin so do I now devise the evil of punishment that shall be executed upon them from which ye shall not remove your necks the yoke of bondage which ye shall be made to undergo shall be so close and strong upon you And from whence proceeds all these evil incroachments these violent oppressions and practises but from this evil and bitter root of covetousness Against which the Prophet Habakkuk comes forth with the like woe and denunciation of judgment Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house that he may set his nest on high that he may be delivered from the power of evil And mark what follows Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people and hast sinned against thy soul For the stone shall cry out of the Wall and the beam out of the Timber shall answer it Woe to him that buildeth a Town with blood and establisheth a City by iniquity Behold is it not of the Lord of Hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity Hab. 2.9 10 11 12 13. Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness that he may set his nest on high that is that seeks and practices by all manner of base unworthy and unwarrantable ways to inrich himself his wife children and posterity that he and his family may rise and become great and famous in the world and live secure and safe A similitude taken from the Eagle and such Birds as love to build their Nests in high places Obad. 4. Well but consider a little what thou art doing all this while in contriving to be so great Thou hast but consulted shame to thy house saith the Lord as if he had said Thou hast setting all honour and honesty aside raked much riches together and raised great and stately Palaces and Places and filled and adorned the same with all manner of rich and sumptuous furniture yet all this speaks but thy own shame and infamy because thou hast accumulated and heaped all this together by thy covetous and unworthy practises And thou hast sinned against thy own soul in all that thou hast done And therefore the stone out of the Wall shall cry The very Stones wherewith thy Palaces are built shall testifie against thee namely that thou hast built them unrighteously by wronging and injuring of others which call aloud to God for vengeance against thee And therefore woe to him that buildeth a City with blood or bloods as it is in the Original that is with murder or with the goods of him or them that are slain or murdered or with the sweat and blood of the people Ezekiel calls it the bloody City Woe to the bloody City I will even make the pile for fire great Ezek. 24.9 So the Prophet Nahum Woe to the bloody City or City of bloods it is full of lies and robberies the prey departeth not And therefore Behold it is not of the Lord that the people shall labour in the very fire and weary themselves for vanity It is of the Lord surely it comes to pass by the secret counsel of God that these Houses and Cities which they build shall either come to be consumed by fire And what dreadful fires hath hapned amongst us of late days or else the people shall weary themselves in vain for vanity and to no purpose seeing it comes so soon to be destroyed and ruinated what they build Therefore saith the Lord Behold I have smitten my hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee Ezek. 22.13 intimating an abhorring of their wickedness and a purpose to proceed against them in fury as is expounded in Ezek. 21.17 I will smite my hands together and I will cause my fury to rest I the Lord have said it All holding forth the Lords great displeasure against this sore evil which is more evidently manifested by consulting some few Verses more in that 22. of Ezekiel beginning at the 24th Verse Son of man say unto her Thou art the land that is not cleansed nor rained upon in the day of indignation As if the Lord had said Thou art the Land that is not amended or reformed by my Judgements and punishments that hath not had her showers of rain to cleanse thee my judgements will not cleanse thee As a great showre of rain you know is wont to cleanse and wash away the filth and dirt of the streets Thy filthiness remains still unwashed away But how comes this to pass There is a conspiracy of her Prophets in the midst thereof like a roaring Lyon ravening the prey they have devoured souls And what else They have taken the Treasure and precious things they have made her many Widows in the midst thereof They did devour the godly mens estates and bereaved the Women of their Husbands by their false accusations and evil practises causing them to be put to death This was that devouring of Widows houses which our blessed Saviour so sharply reproved the Scribes and Pharises and Hypocrites of those days and all under a pretence of making long Prayers Therefore said he ye shall receive the greater damnation Mat. 23.14 Much like to what the Prophet Micha spake of in his day Micha 3.10 11 12. They build up Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity The heads thereof judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for money Observe that Yet will they lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us none evil can come upon us The Priests taught for hire that is out of a covetous disposition they suffered themselves to be drawn for money to Teach and Preach according to mens Pallates like to those which Paul spake to Titus of who subverted whole houses teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucres sake Tit. 1.11 Whereas they should have been content with Gods allowance and held forth the pure Word of God without regard to men In whose mouths the Law of truth should be and in whose lips iniquity should not be found Mal. 2.6 Thus for the Priests Then for the Prophets they did divine for money meaning the false Prophets The Lord implying here that both in the Civil and Ecclesiastical State among his people all was corrupted and to be bought and
to the Scriptures are lies So he takes away that not onely derogates from the Divine Authority of Gods book but he also that any ways changeth or maliciously perverteth or contradicteth any thing therein written Christ will have the integrity sincerity and sacred Authority of this Prophesie to be faithfully preserved in the Churches and that the contemners falsifiers and corrupters thereof be no way suffered under the pain of Anathema or dreadful curse For if falsifyers of Coin are lyable unto the civil curse of the law much more shall the Anathema of eternal damnation be inflicted upon the corrupters of the Scriptures which are the words of God These with the Beast and the false Prophet shall the Lord cast into the Lake of fire burning with brimstone Rev. 19.20 This is a dreadful sin drawing down the Lords severest plagues and punishments Therefore take we heed that we add not unto the word which God commands us nor diminish ought from it but that we keep the Commandments of the Lord our God which he commandeth us Deut. 4.2 And mark well the reason that Solomon giveth Every word of God saith he is pure he is a shield to them that put their trust in him And consider what follows Add thou not unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a lier Prov. 30.5 6. Having now spoken of the several Sins which so highly provoke the Lord to pour down his sore Judgements even this of the Plague or Pestilence among a people I shall now come to speak of some special spiritual Remedies which may be fitly applied and made use of as Soveraign Antidotes and Preservatives to prevent the further spreading of this pestilential contagious disease among us 1. THe first spiritual Receipt that I shall then prescribe unto thee who ever thou art that gettest in thy hand and readest this little tract Consider seriously and let thy thoughrs dwell long upon those Sins that I have insisted on as such which are the procuring Cause of this so sore a visitation from the Lord and entring into a diligent scrutiny and examination of thine own heart and ways Consider how far thou hast been or art a partaker of those sins which have so highly provoked the Lord to send down this National Judgement of the Plague and Pestilence among us For if we stand guilty of the same Sins how then shall we think to escape the like punishment This was the way and course the Apostle took when speaking of Gods displeasure against the Israelites whereby many of them were overthrown in the Wilderness how does he bring it home by way of special application Now these things saith he were our Examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted Neither be ye Idolaters as were some of them c. Neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one Day three and twenty thousand Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of Serpents Neither murmure ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the Destroyer Now all things happened unto them for enamples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come 1 Cor. 10.5 6 to the 11 and 12. ver So say I as from the Lord. As to the first Pestilentiall sin of Oppression Did the Lord plague Pharaoh and his Land with sore and dreadful plagues even this of the destroying Pestilence for his cruel oppressions which he exercised over the bodies and consciences of Gods people Take heed then that thou art not found an Oppressor of the true worshippers of Jesus the spiritual Israel of God Take heed of exalting thy self against God in seeking still to hold the spiritual Seed under Egyptian captivity and bondage See that thou lets them go to sacrifice to the Lord God as he has commanded them Take heed of ruling over them with rigour and making their lives bitter with hard bondage Take heed ye rich men that ye do not oppress the poor Know that the Lord surely looks upon the afflictions of his people and hears their cry by reason of their Task-masters and will come down to deliver them Exod. 3.7 8. So to those that are the Bishops Elders and Overseers the Spiritual Rulers and Leaders of the flocks of Christ Take heed that ye be not Lords over Gods heritage but examples to the flocks See that ye feed the flocks of God taking the oversight of them not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind 1 Pet. 5.2 3. Take heed that ye do not exercise a dominion over their faith but are helpers of their joy 2 Cor. 1.24 Take heed that ye do not eat the fat and cloath you with the wool and kill them that are fed Take heed that with force and cruelty ye rule not over them So then to all that oppress whether in one kind or another see that ye undo heavy burdens and let the oppressed go free and break every yoke else surely the Lord will visit for these things and his soul will be avenged on such a Nation as this 2. So for the Sin of Persecution and Hatred against God and his people Hath the Lord ordained the Arrows of his Indignation even the Instruments of Death against the Persecutors and will he strike them into the hearts of his Enemies O then take heed that thou art not found a hater of God and a Persecutor of the people of God lest the Arrow of the destroying Pestilence that flyeth at noon day do light upon thee and the Angel of the Lord persecute thee 3. So for the Sin of Murder and Bloodshed Hath the Lord threatned his sore plagues against the Destroyers of his heritage and will he avenge the blood of his Servants at the great whore of Babylons hands and is there a time when the Lord will make inquisition for blood Then beware that thou hast not a hand in killing and destroying the Saints of the most high God And take heed that thou partake not of Babylons sins lest thou receive of her plagues For the Lord will avenge the blood of his Servants and will render vengeance to his Adversaries and will be merciful unto his land and to his people Deut. 32.43 4. So for the fourth Pestilential and highly provoking Sin of Idolatry Was the anger of the Lord so kindled against Israel when Israel had joyned himself to Baal-peor that no less then four and twenty thousand died in the plague And did the Lord plague the people because of the Calf they had made Then beware that ye be not Idolaters as were some of them and provoke the Lord to anger with your inventions For surely the Lord our God is a jealous God his glory he will not give to another neither his praise to Graven Images Isa 42.8 5. So for the Sin of Covetousness and a greedy desire after gain Is
counsel that I give thee then there is hope that God will have mercy upon thee and lengthen thy peace rest and prosperity And if thou wilt break off thy sins by righteousness then thou must not onely loose the bands of wickedness but thou must undo the heavy burdens also and let the oppressed go free and break every yoke Thou must deal thy bread to the hungry and bring the poor that are cast out to thy house when thou seest the naked thou must cover him and not hide thy self from thy own flesh Isa 58.6 7. And surely if this counsel be timously accepted O people of England O City of London though thou hast trespassed greivously against the Lord and broken the Covenant of thy God and the hand of the Lord is gone out against thee and death is come up into thy Windows yea even entred into thy Palaces Jer. 9.21 Yet know that if thou humblest thy self and repentest there is hope in Israel concerning this thing Ezra 10.2 And O that thou mayst know even in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace before they are hid from thine eyes And think not that your flying away can secure you his hand knows how to find you out Whether canst thou go from his spirit or whether canst thou flee from his presence Psal 139.7 And know assuredly that if thou art still an enemy and a hater of God and goodness his hand will find thee out Psal 21.8 Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee Thou shalt make them as a fiery Oven in the time of thine anger the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath and the fire shall devour them And as Job saith His eyes are upon the ways of man and he seeth all his goings There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves Job 34.21 22. And though thou exalt thy self as the Eagle and though thou set thy nest among the stars thence will I bring thee down saith the Lord Obad. vers 4. And know whosoever thou art though thou rufflest it in thy gallantry and pride if yet thou puts far away from thee the evil day and causest the seat of violence to come near that liest upon thy bed of Ivory and stretches thy self upon thy Couch and chaunts to the sound of the viol and drinks wine in bowls and anoint thy self with the cheif oyntments but greivest not for the afflictions of Joseph that the judgment of God will pursue thee at thy very heels And if thou repentest not but shalt still bless thy self in thy heart saying Thou shalt have peace though thou walkest in the imaginations of thy own heart to add drunkenness to thirst The Lord will not spare thee but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against thee and all the curses that are written in the Book of God shall lye upon thee and the Lord shall blot out thy name from under heaven Deut. 29.19 20. The Third spiritual Receit When in the conscionable use of the former means thou findest that this bitter pill or potion of Repentance hath begun to operate upon thy heart so as to cause it to melt and mourn kindly before the Lord then in the next place take a good draught of Faith in the blood of Christ and put therein also a good quantity of Beleif in the power faithfulness and promises of God in Christ This through the blessing of God will make this bitter pill to work strongly and effectually to the expelling of all those virulent obnoxious and malignant humours that are such great enemies to a healthful and sound constitution of soul and body which if unexpelled that they grow to some head and strength they will have a very strong influence upon thy spirits to contract this sore Pestilential distemper to the endangering oftentimes of the loss and ruine of the whole man soul and body to all eternity First Then this Faith in the blood of Christ rightly applyed unto thy soul is and hath been always a very soveraign Receit and a precious Antidote to expell 1. All the fiery assaults of Satan 2. The venome and malignity of sin And therefore among all the several choise peices of our spiritual Armory laid down in the 6th of the Ephesians This is recommended as the most choise and principal peice among them all Above all taking the sheild of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked Some translate it in all as if he had said in all things whatsoever you do see that you use the sheild of faith to all as if he had said to all other Graces add this above all which is more emphatical for hereby all the imperfections of the rest of the Armes are covered and we are best defended against all the fiery darts and assaults of Satan that is his poysonous darts which by their venome inflame the soul The Apostle alludes to the custome of old in times of war who by their darts shot fire or else when they dipped the heads of their arrows in poison and shot them at their enemies they even fired their flesh To prevent which it is said that the Souldiers made them large sheilds of raw Neats-leather which might cover the whole body so that when the fiery venemous darts lighted upon them they were presently quenched All which agrees well with the nature of Satans temptations which as poison and fire do wound and pierce the soul if they be not stopped and quenched by the sheild of faith when they hit upon it So in the 1 Pet. 5.8 The Apostle directs to the making use of this most excellent peice of a Christians armour of proof speaking of our adversary the Devil who as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour This counsel he gives That we resist him stedfastly in the faith Resist the Devil saith James and he will flee from you Jam. 4.7 Resist him when he tempteth and enticeth thee to fullfil thy fleshly lusts and to seek after the freindship of the world And he will flee from thee he will run away if thou withstand him oppose him and set thy self as it were in battle array against him thou wilt find him as very a coward as ever any that handled a weapon thou wilt make him run away presently But that you may resist him and foil him you must be sure to resist him and that stedfastly in the faith if you make use of this weapon he will never be able to encounter with you Faith will foil him By this weapon the Saints always overcame him Rev. 12.11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. And how by the blood of the Lamb Satan will tell thee thou art a vile filthy polluted and abominable wretch a great and hainous sinner but faith in the blood of Christ will tell him that
it already performed Or thus thou shalt supply all humane helps unto him that is used to be bestowed upon sick diseased and distempered persons Now what a comfortable promise is here for our faith to take hold of in such a languishing and dying time O how should it encourage and stir up the rich especially in this world To be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate 1 Tim. 6.17 18. Yea all of us that can make out our Election of God as holy and beloved To be putting on bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any even at Christ hath forgiven us so also should we do And above all these things saith the Apostle put on charity which is the bond of perfectness Col. 3.12 13 14. He wishes them as they would be sure of their Election and have a sound note or mark of their holiness and that God loved them to be putting on bowels of mercies as if he had said let these be your robes and coverings wear them as you wear your garments let them be as tender and inward unto you as your own principal and most vital parts Such a measure of pity and compassion as maketh the inward bowels to yearn and this is proper to such as are in affliction and misery But Kindness extendeth further and reacheth to all whither in prosperity or adversity which is a sweet and loving disposition of the heart and a courteous affection to all shewing it self in pleasing and good speech and behaviour towards all But because Love is the root of all he doth therefore compare Charity to the most precious garment which is or can be put upon all others Calling it The bond of perfectness or the most perfect bond which is among men to unite them together Vinculum perfectionis is Vinculum perfectissimum quo plures inter se colligantur I shall conclude this point with that faithful saying and affirmation of Jud. 8. and 14. That they which have beleived in God might be careful to maintain good works for necessary uses that they be not unfruitful they should learn to be eminent in good works above others The Vulgar hath it Curent bonis operibus prae esse They should go before others in good works And gives this as his reason therefore These things are good and profitable unto men Thus much for the Sixth Soveraign Remedy The Seventh Spiritual Receipt 7ly The seventh and last Soveraign Receipt for the prevention or curing of this Pestilential disease Is an Evangelical universal obedience to the Gospel of Christ Called by the Apostle in Rom. 16.26 The obedience of Faith consisting in a readiness to do the Will of God in things commanded or forbidden be they never so troublesome or contrary to our reason or liking I call it Evangelical to distinguish it from that which is Legal which required an absolute universal conformity not of our actions only but of our affections also to the will of God exactly in every point and title thereof upon pain of Eternal Damnation Gal. 3.10 13. And therefore by the Apostle called The ministration of death and condemnation 2 Cor. 3.7 9. This Evangelical Obedience consists in beleiving the Gospel and subjecting our selves thereunto whence it is that it is put for faith or the receiving of the Gospel Rom. 1.8 Comp. with Chap. 16.19 and to obey Christ for beleiving in Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 and to obey the truth for beleiving the Doctrine of the Gospel Rom. 6.17 1 Pet. 1.22 Which evangelical or Gospel obedience is to be performed unto God in and through our Lord Jesus Christ who as he is held forth to be the pattern of our obedience 1 Cor. 11.1 So is he the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 And through his obedience onely it is that we are made righteous Rom. 5.19 This I say does consist in a readiness and chearfulness to do the will of God Lo I come saith Christ to do thy Will O God Heb. 10.7 My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work Joh. 4.34 And it must be performed from the heart out of love unto Christ Rom. 6.17 Upon this hing all Gospel obedience hangs Rom. 13.10 This is the spring from whence it originally flows 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constraineth us The force and efficacy of which will make difficult things easie The Saints loved not their lives unto the death for the love they bore unto Christ Rev. 12.11 Jacob served seven years for Rachel and saith the Text they seemed unto him but a few days for the love he had unto her Gen. 29.20 Charity suffereth long and is kind it beareth all things beleiveth all things hopeth all things endureth all things 1 Cor. 13.4 7. Much water cannot quench it neither can the floods drown it Cant. 8.7 When the soul is mounted upon the wings of faith and charity it makes it like the Chariots of Aminadib Cant. 6.12 It will make the soul cleave unto Christ as Ruth unto Naomi her Mother-in-law not to leave him nor return from following after him It will say then unto Christ Whither thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge thy people shall be my people and thy God my God where thou diest will I dye and there will I be buried the Lord do so to me and more also if ought but death part thee and me Ruth 1.16 17. Lord if thou goest into a Prison saith the gratious loving beleiving obeying soul I will go with thee if thou lodgest there in a Dungeon I will lodge with thee I am resolved in thy strength not to leave thee go where thou wilt It will say as Paul None of these things shall move me nor shall I count my life dear unto my self so that I may but finish my course with joy and the ministery which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God Act. 20.24 Mount-Sion Saints will follow the Lamb whither-soever he goeth Rev. 14.4 They have an inseperable communion an individual society with the Lamb which referred to the state of their warfare notes the sincerity and constancy of their faith and obedience under Anti-christs persecution they follow not the Beast but the Lamb wheresoever he goeth that is they exactly walk in the precepts and steps of the lamb wheresoever he leadeth them he leadeth them to the Fountains of living waters Chap. 7.17 These suffers not the decres and Idols of the Beast to be obtruded upon them but wholly cleave to Christ their guide and like Caleb Joshua they will follow him fully Numb 14.24 This indeed is very difficult in it self and in our strength so to do Our own experience tells us that Gospel obedience is an up-hill way and its hard to get a great waight up