down late neglecting no opportunity wherein thou mayest enrich thy self when as the other riseth up early and lyeth down late in drunkenness spending and making away that portion which was given thee so that thou being covetous he is no companion for thee for thou hast so much care in thee and upon thee how to make thy self great on this earth that unless thou canst advantage thy self thou wilt not spend a penny but when thou hast got five pounds or more or less then whatsoever shift thou and thy family shall make that shall not be diminished in the least but to usury it must go and then thou pinchest thy belly and the bellies of thy poor wife and children by living so long upon small Beer and flet Cheese and such like stuff that thou increasest thy estate to a vast sum at last that now the greatest care and thought of thy heart is how thou shalt secure thy riches from some of thy seed that if they should break into thy house they may not plunder thee of it and to that end thou inventest all maner of subtilty to deceive the deceived that thou hidest some in the earth and some on the house-top and some in hollow trees one place or another that thy brother serpent may not steal it from thee or the Law of this thy kingdom impose great Taxes upon thee I say thy care is so much upon this thy perishing earthly treasure that thy heart thy soul is wholly wrapt up in it insomuch that thy sleep and meat goes from thee that now having what thy heart desireth after thou art more tormented now then when thou hadst little or nothing therefore remember that of Christ Luke 12. 15. where he saith Beware of covetousness for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth and where thy treasure is thy heart will be also so that what will all this thy greatness in this world and plenty of gold or silver avail thee when the tears of the poor are laid naked before thee and starved for want of bread which thou hadst in abundance and not onely this but it is read in thy soul that thou hast enriched thy self in the ruine of others and thy conscience tells thee thou never got this justly but by fraud and deceit by grinding the faces of the poor and keeping back the hire of the laborers As touching this look about you ye Tradesmen of all sorts yea from the highest to the lowest examine your own consciences how often ye have cheated and remember this ye Landlords that oppress the poor Tenents as also ye Brokers that grinde the faces of the poor in lending upon usury or commodities and that after forty or fifty pound in the Hundred I say remember this that no cheater oppressor nor extortioner shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven and therefore against you I cry wo wo wo for this shall rise up a witness against thee and shall eat thy flesh as if it were fire as it is in James the fifth the first second third and fourth verses and then even then when thou thinkest all is well and that thou hast setled thy estate to thy hearts content that now thou fearest no want but canst without trouble cherish up thy soul with the fruits of thy wits and endeavors and to take thy pleasure for the time to come then comes the messenger Death and deprives thee of all the happiness of thy riches and saith unto thee Ah fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided Luke 12. 20. Now thou hast brought thy covetous heart to perfect what it longed after and now must thou leave all and knowest not what will become of thy soul on the other side of death and so in terror and fear of death thou diest and in torment thou shalt rise at the great day as in the next Chapter thou shalt hear and read at large So that I cannot but admire the wonderful wisdom of my God that notwithstanding the pleasure and pomp of this world belongs onely to the seed of Cain yet he gives them a bitter cup to drink at last which potion makes the devil afraid and to tremble at the thought of that day by which they are not onely bridled from their great cruelty and tyranny they would impose upon the Seed of Faith but also the thought of death doth in some measure out-top their pleasures and greatness so that their life in this their onely heaven is not much better then our life in this our onely hell for though they have fulness and such as we have want yet we have peace and they have war yea oftentimes sad torment to think what will become of their souls when as the Seed of Faith knoweth what he is here what he shall be in the grave and what he shall be at the resurrection even glorified with his Savior So if you seriously lay to heart the vast difference of the Seed of Faith and the seed of Cain upon their bed of sickness or hour of death it would cause admiration as thus The departure of the seed of Cain out of this world is as much as if a Prince should depart not onely from his loving wife and pretty children but be banisht from his Crown and Kingdom never to enjoy it more and also where he is banisht he is shut up prisoner all the the time of his life even so is his death in this world he must leave not onely all his society but the pleasure of this his kingdom where he had delight as much as heart could wish and in the grave his soul and body lyeth uncapable of either joy or sorrow and then at the great day of our Saviors appearance thou shalt be raised up thy body thy hell thy soul thy devil shut up close prisoner world without end Now death is unto the Seed of Faith as a Messenger of glad tidings in that it frees him from the cruelty and oppression of the devill the seed of Cain and take him from all his hardship and wants that he hath undergone by living uprightly in this strange kingdom and then he knowing that all the time he is in the grave there is no remembrance of good or evil and as soone as ever his God comes he shall be raised to meet him in the aire with his mighty angels where he shall have a kingdom that one hours enjoyment of that will be more then ten thousand times ten thousand the greatest substance of glory could be attained unto for ten millions of years in this perishing world Thus in brief you have the difference of the two Seeds what triumph the Seed of Faith have in death over the seed of Cain Now to the last sort of this people 4. The next and last sort of this seed of Cain you cannot easily neither for carriage nor action finde them much different from
so much attend thee that thou knowest not how to fashion thy garment nor which way to hang thy Cloak upon thee now being richly clad thou knowest not well what to think of thy self that whether thou be a god or a man thy garments so glitter and thy heart so proud and carriest thy head so high that the poorer sort of thy seed stands cap in hand to thee yea gazing after thee that thou art so puffed up with the thought of this that thou thinkest in thy self none in the world like unto thee for beauty and proper person so richly adorned with jewels of gold and silver that thou thinkest every one that looks upon thee admires thee from hence it is thy devil or soul is so ravisht with the vain glory of this perishing world that thou art never better but when thou art abroad shewing thy bravery with thy servants standing bare-head before thee in the open streets as also to your Church you go and what is the load-stone drawing you thither onely because you would be looked upon as good Church-men and to have the praise of the world also to shew your fine rags as aforesaid and to see and be seen who outstrips thee in apparel or what new fashion is invented this and onely this is the greatest load-stone inviting you otherways if thou wentest to hear sin reproved and thereby become humble for that thy rude carriage and corrupt behavior then it would appear in thy language but thou art so much a stranger to sobriety of speech that upon every occasion thou hast these and such like expressions God damn me I will have my will the devil take thee for thy pains what are you made you damn'd whore I think the devil is in thee the devil confound me body and soul if I be not revenged on thee the devil rot thee and the pox of God take thee for a pocky devilish whore by his life blood heart and wounds I will be the death of thee with many such wretched blasphemous expressions that the moderate devil doth even tremble to hear the language of this dark ranting devil In these not excluding the light ranting devil but as far over boots and shoes are they in these and such like cursed language so that before I pass to the next sort of the seed of Cain I shall parly a little with thee about these wicked tearms aforesaid Dost not thou desire to be saved this I am sure thou wilt acknowledge and yet thou callest upon God to damn thee how canst thou think to be saved when thy tongue will witness that many times thou hast said God damn me and whereas thou saith the devil take thee for thy pains thou little thinkest that thou art that devil Oh freind time is coming that thou shalt finde thou and such as thou art the onely devil and therefore for the time remember when ever thou saith the devil take thee then thou must take her or take him to whom thou utterest those words it is thou devil-man thy self must take them and when thou saith thou art mad I think the devil is in thee thou speakest truth not knowing it and so when thou saith If I be not revenged of thee the devil confound me soul and body now if thou be not revenged as many times thou art not then thou art justly confounded and if thou do revenge thy self thou art also confounded in that thou shouldest leave that to the Lord For revenge is mine saith the Lord I will not thou I will as I see cause revenge it so that in this thou hast sealed thy condemnation and whereas thou saith the pox of God take thee ah poor ignorant soul thy tongue declares what a corupt ulcerated humor doth run in the veins of thy soul and body that thou thinkest God like thy self when he declares himself a God all holiness and purity glorious immortal that no mortal corruption could in the least touch him for it is written Thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption and that such a devil as thou shalt say the pox of God when it is really and truly the pox of thy devil lust within thee as aforesaid I told thee how thou wouldest hazard not thy credit and estate but thy soul also for a beautiful yet pockey creature in whom and for whom thou hast not onely beggered thy wife and children but corrupted thy body that thy nose or thy bowelts rot within thee and yet thou so audaciously shalt say the pox of God when it is the pox of a whoring lustful devil thy self and then in all thy discourse thou must swear by his life when thou hast nothing to do with it in that his life is death in thee and to thee for thou hatest in thy life to be conformable to the life of Christ and therefore take notice thou hast no share nor benefit in his heart blood or wounds it was never spilt nor wounded for them that are far better qualified then thou yet the blood or wounds of the Lord was not for any of the seed of Cain but he was onely wounded and spilt his hearts blood for the seed of Adam or Abraham that blessed Seed of Faith therefore thou wretched soul let this my short parley with thee be for ever a Memento to look into thy soul and there thou shalt finde the devil that tempts or infuseth thee to utter all this diabolical language but true is that saying in John from the blessed tongue of Christ Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do for from him to you comes cursing oathes and lies who is the father of it As let but any sober man observe their quality in this and you shall have them swear and say God forgive me whore and cry God forgive me lye and say God forgive me thus thou thinkest it is nothing but with one and the same tongue say and unsay to lye cheat whore swear and be drunk and onely say I have sinned God forgive me and so commit the like wickedness again and again and thinkest this will serve thy turn but alas for thee the portion prepared shall at the great day lie heavy upon thee as read Matth. 12. 36 37. verses I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof at the day of judgement for by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned for out of thy own mouth he will judge thee as thou shalt read at large in the next Chapter that shall shew the place and nature of the devils torment 3. The next sort of the seed of Cain are qualited and acted forth to all maner of covetousness and worldly mindedness insomuch that thou abhor a drunkard or any that is given to hospitality and that because his quality is quite contrary to thine for thou art all for toyling and moyling rising early and lying
forty years and what I did think would become of my Soul and what would thy riches and glory here avail thee in the grave but especially at the great day of account Now friends I would have you understand that I was in a strait betwixt two so that out of hand the spirit of Faith pleaded thus in me That I had no Commission to preach and forthwith must cease though it was to the loss of my hundred pound a year then stept in the spirit of reason and pleaded How shall my self with five children subsist when as this Benefice would comfortably and honorably provide for us during life Then even then was death and life set before me and the spirit of Faith pleaded thus within me That whether I had rather injoy my Benefice and therein live honorably in this world and so be damned to all eternity in the world to come or whether I would hearken to that call within me to forsake my preaching with the benefit thereof and trust the Lord with my self and the children this lay hard upon me and so narrowly pursued me that for the space of three weeks I could not be at quiet sleeping nor waking going nor riding in which time I had no little conflict to disown the glory of this world for the glory of God supposing my condition to be safe and secure as any man or Parish Priest in the world whatsoever and for my doctrine I was not inferior to any but more able to declare the truth which I apprehended to be truth then the best of them Notwithstanding all this would do me no good nor in the least silence this combate within me but I must cease my trade of preaching lest a worse thing befall me and at that instant it came in my thoughts Remember me how here in this world where now thou livest I was a poor despised Saviour though now a rich immortal glorious God and therefore take no care I will provide for thee and thine so far as is requisite for such a one as thou art to be and withal remember when thou wast in thy wickedness not knowing me then I provided for thee How much more now shall I be mindful of thee so far as shall concern thy good Many of these refreshings did arise from my seed-spring within me that I was made willing to disown all that not long before I had taken great pains to perfect and so in submitting to the true light darkness fled and the Lord freely forgave me all that was past present and to come and hath every week more and more enabled me to walk obedient and upright before him mortifying sin continually within me to the onely praise of my God be it spoken that my calling and election is so firm and sure that I vveigh not the censure of men nor Angels but as sure as Christ is the eternal God I shall at his appearance reign eternally vvith him in the heavens and though in my journey to my bed of sleep the grave instead of riches I shall meet with poverty instead of fulness want instead of honor dishonor instead of love hatred instead of a good name all maner of evil tearms instead of friends foes yea may be such as will persecute me to the graves mouth yet now all this I matter not in that sin is my servant and Christ is my Master whom my soul earnestly craves more knowledge of himself with assistance of his power to withstand the despisers of thy person so 〈…〉 Now since the Lord in his own time hath in his free mercy called and chosen me according to his eternal purpose of old that I should redeem the time I have lost forty years and for the future the short time I have to stay in this present evil world my God I doubt not will enable me to walk holy and without blame before him till I be called to sleep or the day of his appearance change this my poor mortal to that immortal like himself either of which it shall please my God of mercy in his own time and pleasure to call me unto I had rather enjoy then now at this present mark what I say then now at this present enjoy all the riches and wisdom that ever God gave to Solomon so that I can boldly say Happy yea thrice happy am I that the seed of Cain that lying murthering devil who captivated my soul many years a servant to sin and all maner of evil is now disarmed and silent in me and in room thereof the seed of Abraham that blessed seed of Faith hath got the victory by which I am delivered from the power of the fruits of flesh and translated to the fruits of the spirit of Faith in the person of Christ the onely true and everliving God After this my remarkable change being at home silent and quiet in this my mortal tabernacle I was powerfully commanded yea my seed-spring hath certain times invited me to demonstrate to publike view that point concerning the Devil which very title or name Devil doth fright the Devil himself and the ground of this his fear doth arise from the non-knowledge of his first rise the description of his form as also his education and qualification with the place and nature of his torment thy ignorance in these things hath produced matter sufficient for my Genius to recal thy thoughts as touching thy mistake of the right Devil and so according as the true onely wise God hath revealed in me I shall make known these in their order which hath not yet been branched forth as aforesaid CAP. I. The first descent and true Form of the right Devil discovered FIrst as touching the Devil his rise and original I shall infallibly make known unto thee and from inspiration shew that subtile beast or Serpent there spoken of was no horned beast or creeping Serpent as the Priests vainly teach neither was it any Pippin or Pearmain or any other sort of Apple that was so pleasant in Eves eye or delightful to her taste No no it was that reprobate glorious Angel that was far more pleasant and sweeter to Eves taste then the sweetest fruit whatsoever therefore I shall demand of the proudest of his seed now living what was or which now of all creatures or things in this world is most pleasant in thy eyes or most in thy soul desiring to taste Art thou a man then is not a woman beautified and richly atired most pleasant in thy eyes and sweetest to thy taste Art thou a woman what saith thou is not a man beautified and richly atired with subtile and sophistical expressions most pleasant in thy eyes and soonest deceived by him Even so that reprobate Angelical man was that subtile Serpent or beast of the field minde what you read that angelman was so pleasant to her taste that she took it and did eat which is no more then this That proud beautiful glorious angelman did by his seeming divine wisdom and
of Cain is a meer cheat yea leads him forth to nothing but pride oppression and cruelty for by that wisdom they put the Lord of Life to death as in the eighth verse therefore you that have eyes may see what this learning and knowledge is the seed of Cain are tutored in that it is no other but the wisdom of this world which is foolishness with God and that is the cause they come to tempt or dispute with the Seed of Faith whose wisdom is given him by inspiration or revelation in the demonstration of the Spirit I say because the wisdom of Cain cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God given this precious soul O how they rayl with tearms of a fool an ass a dunce a coxcomb a heretical blasphemer an ignoramus one that hath no sense these and such like tearms this cursed Brood will brand the Seed of Faith with the onely wise men in Christ for which cause the Lord in 1 Cor. 1. 19. saith I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent Where is the Wise Where is the Scribe Where is the Disputer of this world hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world and all because the foolishness of God in the Seed of Faith is wiser then that great knowledge in the seed of Cain for take this infallible truth along with you which is this that the Scriptures in the life and power of them were never given to the wise learned men in those days For saith Christ to you it is given to know the mystery to you my Disciples or elected Seed of Faith to you and for your sakes did I speak this and therefore it was the wise learned Priests and Rulers did imprison and put to death not onely the Disciples but Christ also as Blasphemers for publishing this Scripture which now their wise children do make a Trade of and will not onely imprison but if possible put to death the onely Witnesses and true Interpreters of this Holy Writ which was given by inspiration for the proper use of his blessed Seed of Faith Again the seed of Cain are educated in the fulness and plenty of this world insomuch that there is no novelty delicate or dainty that by the spirit of reason can be invented but for their belly it is prepared as also no new antick fashion can be imagined either of silk gold or silver but their backs are adorned with it nay there is no attendance of men and maid-servants that this their kingdom can afford but the seed of Cain enjoys it yea they are so tenderly and princely brought up at home and abroad and so hurried in their Coaches and Sedans that if possible the cold wind should not blow on them nor the glorious Sun with his beams should scorch them so careful are they of their beauty and comely streight proper persons that if possible there shall not be a wrinckle on their hands nor a spot on their faces unless it be of their own making for the more grace of their comely persons thus what by art in their wisdom can be invented shall not in the least be wanting if it can be had for gold or silver and whatever Science Pastime or Pleasure their soul can desire as Hawking Hunting Bowling Shooting Gaming at Dice Cards or Tables or any other delight of Musick Dancing Courting of Ladies with the satisfaction of their greatest lust and that with the greatest pomp and state this their heaven can afford and then in the last place for carriage and behavior none in this world like unto them as observe how proud and Lucifer-like their father they carry their heads insomuch that they know not what fashion or coloured Perriwig to hang upon it and when they meet any of their brethren O what congeying and bowing with Cap in hand to the ground saluting each other with these and such like complementary tearms as Your servant Sir or Your servants servant Sir or Madam and fair Lady I am yours to command by night or by day and that with so much stateliness and comely behavior that I wonder thou shouldest be affrighted at the name or person of the devil considering what a glorious proud majestical creature the devil is as aforesaid But now if you ask me Are all the seed of Cain thus educated Answ No for you may understand some are brought up to one Calling or another that some of them do undergo hard labor and great pains to maintain themselves with their families in this their perishing kingdom so that they have neither gold nor silver the dust of this earth to mannage such a fleshly glorious education as aforesaid And others there are that are educated yea brought up servants yea slaves to the great Rabbies of their seed which none of them have that attendance fulness delights pleasures as aforesaid but on the contrary are deprived of all that their happiness the other enjoy insomuch that in stead of giving relief they beg relief in stead of a Bed of Doun they lye on a bed of straw in stead of being clothed with silk they are clad with rags yea many times ready to starve for want of food so that you may behold there is not onely rich but poor miserable ragged devils that shall rise at the day of our eternal Gods appearance so that I say these of all the tribe or generation are to be pitied if pity did belong to them to consider what affliction they undergo in this their heaven and yet be eternally damned hereafter Question But now you may say unto me and that seemingly affirm both from my writing and the Scripture in that I have before treated much of the rich men of this world how hard a thing it is for them to walk in the ways of God they being so educated in the pomp and glory of this world which I say and your experience findes it is the greatest thief that steals away the heart of man and so makes that soul as difficult as a woman in travail to enter into the life and power of the Gospel therefore we being poor and the Scripture saith the pooâ—…â—…eives the Gospel we much marvel how your writing will be found truth in Scripture that any poor should rise devils when the Scripture saith it is onely the poor that receives the Gospel Answer From this thy curious Query I shall answer thee in those words of James 2. 5. where it is thus written Hearken my beloved brethren hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in Faith and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him Now if you intend these poor I affirm what you say yea from my Seed-spring I declare not one of these poor shall rise devils in that these are the Seed of Faith and educated in the knowledge of eternal Truth yea tutored by the spirit of divine Wisdom But now tell me
thou shalt receive thy sad and dreadful portion and that world without end and therefore deceive not thy self with the vain imaginations of thy spirit of reason that though it be as I affirm yet thou hopest it doth not belong to thee 〈◊〉 â—…at is the cause of thy hopes thou art neither satisfied in thy self nor doth it appear to any other onely thou hopest with the rest of thy seed but hast no assurance in the least and that because thou findest within thee that thou art guilty if not of publick yet of private filthiness so that mark what I say believe it whether thou wilt or no thou shalt by woful experience finde that this beautiful world wherein now thou hast thy pleasure shall at the day of Christs next appearance be as aforesaid burnt to ashes or dry sand where all the seed of Cain which in his qualification I have branched forth into four particulars shall not need to trouble themselves about Heaven and how they shall come to it for as sure as God is a chrystal glorious holy righteous personal God thou that desirest with Balaam to die the death of the righteous and not to live the life of the righteous thou with all thy pretended holiness and unrighteousness shalt be raised no higher then this earth that now thou treadest upon for as here thou hast taken thy pleasure so here shall be thy sorrow as here thou hast been a persecutor of God and his people so here thou shalt have the vengeance of God upon thee and in thee as here thou hast cheated and burned in thy filthy lust towards woman so here shall those lustful actions burn in thy soul and body for ever as here thou hast sworn and been drunk so here thou shalt have nothing to quench thy thirst but even here upon this earth where now thou walkest thou shalt howl burn fry to all eternity when then none shall pity thee 2. Having shewed thee the place where the seed of Cain shall be tormented now I shall shew thee the maner and nature of thy torment and therefore attend give ear That after our Redeemer hath called up the Seed of Faith which are but few in comparison of what shal be left behind yet I say after he hath taken that little Flock to himself then will our long looked for Christ Jesus the God of Glory immediately yea in a few hours burn all the riches beauty and bravery of this world to dry sand as aforesaid insomuch that there shall not be left the least appearance of a house herb tree or plant for the Stars Moon and Sun that gave light and motion to the fruits of the earth and moving of the sea shall become nothing yea be put forth as the snuff of a Candle and this world shall be as dark as the land of Egypt was for three days for if you read Exodus 10. 22 23. you shall finde there was a thick darkness in all the Land of Egypt three days they saw not one another neither rose any from his place for three days so that after all is burnt to ashes and that which gave life and motion to the earth and sea is put forth then shall the earth bring forth no more fruit nor the waters run no more but become a dark standing stinking pool as it was in the beginning and all the seed of Cain then both dead and living shall be left behinde with bodies as heavy as lead and as black as pitch which then their bodies shall be their hell and their spirits or souls shall be the devil shut up close prisoner together for ever and ever without end and that fire and brimstone that will burn shall be those wicked thoughts words and actions which in thy life time where now thou art thou committedst against the Seed of Faith yea with a great hand of pride acted against them shall be the fuel as wood and coal is fuel to the natural fire so thy wicked lustful actions shall be the onely fuel that shall burn yea flame more hotter then any natural fire in the hottest furnace whatsoever and yet it shall give no light at all but the flame thereof shall be of a durty scalding burning envious nature which shall smoak and fry through thy mouth thy nostrils thy eyes thy fundament insomuch that there shall not from the crown of the head to the sole of thy foot be one part free but tormented throughout thy whole soul and body And no sooner hath our God caught up his blessed Seed of Faith but this beautiful world becomes dark dust or sand as aforesaid but then yea even then begins thy kingdom of darkness wherein thou must continue either sitting lying kneeling or standing not being able to move one foot from the place where thou art raised but there being lockt up to all eternity never to see thy own dreadful face nor the frightful faces of others their wailing and lamenting for ever Considering First as in relation that thou hadst so many warnings by such poor despised ones as I that hath hazared our estates our liberty yea life and all by publishing such writings and declarations from the Lord that there was no other Devil but such as thou as now to thy eternal wo thou caust set to thy seal is too too true that if thou hadst not shut thy eyes and stopt thy ears thou mightest have foreseen what now thou feelest and not onely that but thy remembrance shall flame in that thou didst not onely slight scoff and scorn such testimonies of truth but thou persecutedst it to death this is one thing that shall burn and never be put out Secondly the remembrance how thou hast spent thy time in this perishing world shall quicken and rise afresh within thee as though they were but then in doing for from my seed-spring I speak it as there is no remembrance of any thing in the dust so there is no time to the dead in the grave for the death of Adam to his resurrection though it be thousands of years in respect to the living yet to the dead so long sleep shall be but as one nights rest I say when thou art awaked it shall be unto thee as no time at all for though thou hast lain in the grave a thousand years more or less yet then it shall appear unto thee as though it was but the last night and as thou in relation to thy thoughts words and actions died here so afresh they shall rise with thee either to thy condemnation or justification O then thou light ranting Devil that died in the living lust of thy soul to deceive the poor innocent virgin or virgin-wife and was never better then when thou hadst opportunities to deceive thy own soul in the undoing of others perswading thy self and others it was no sin but at this day thou shalt know it was a sin and that personal God which thou in thy life time despisedst will now leave thee to thy lustful dealing god within thee where thou shalt be damned to all eternity O then thou dark ranting Devil that died in the pride and ambition of thy heart spending thy time in all wanton wicked sports and pastimes