Truth obey the Truth and hold fast the Truth Now Beloved Let me beseech you for Gods sake and for Christs sake and for your Soules sake keep your selves from false Teachers from false Doctrine from false worship from false Opinions If you will be tasting and siping at Babylons cup you must resolve to receive more or lesse of Babylons plagues XVIII Eighteenthly Be one with every one that is one with Christ Endeavouring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace There is one body and one Spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your Calling One Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Ephes 4.3 4 5 6. Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him By this we know that we love the Children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments 1 Joh. 5.1 2. He that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen 1 John 4.26 Oh Consider what a dishonour it is to the Gospel that those that professe themselves Sonnes of the same God Members of the same Christ Temples of the same Spirit Heirs of the same Glory should be at a jarring one with another It is strange and unnaturall that Lillies should prove thorns to one another that those who are Saints in profession should be Devils in practise to one another that Gods Diamonds should cut one another For Wolves to devour the Lambs is no wonder but for one Lamb to devour another is a wonder and monstrous Oh that Christians instead of loving one another should hate one another Oh how unlike are we to that God whom we professe to be our God! He is full of love full of goodness and full of mercy and patience Oh but Christians cannot beare and forbear one with another Oh do not wicked men warm themselves at the sparks of our divisions and say it is as we would have it Oh Beloved hath not God made his wrath to smoke against us for the divisions and heart-burnings that have been amongst us Oh that you would lay this to heart and throw away all discord and divisions and heart burnings and labour for a onenesse in love and affection with every one that is one with Christ Oh labour for a healing spirit You cannot love God if you do not love the people of God If any man saith he loveth God and hateth his brother he is a lyer Let brotherly love continue Heb. 13.1 They that feared the Lord spake often one to another Mal. 3.16 Christs Doves should flock together There be many that cannot love a man unlesse he be of their Opinion or a Member of their Church though he be a Member of Christ Every man hath a good opinion of his own opinion But alas Beloved it is not this opinion or that opinion this way or that way will bring a man to Heaven without faith in Christ and he that hath faith in Christ hath a right to all the Ordinances of Christ and Promises of Christ and Priviledges of Christ therefore let me beseech you to love every man that is a godly man let him be of what way and form he will And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul Acts 4.38 XIX Nineteenthly Love Christ with a Love stronger then life who loved us with a love stronger than death Therefore doth my father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again no man taketh it from me but I lay it down my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again John 10.17 18. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 Christs love to us was stronger then death he dyed for love he laid down his life to save our lives he loves us as the Father loves him John 15.9 As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love Oh the Scripture hath exceeding high expressions of his affection to us Now Beloved if he died for us and suffered for us and set his heart upon us to love us and delight in us how ought we then to love him again Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind Math. 22.37 38. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73.25 Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious 1 Pet. 2.7 Oh let our hearts be full of love and affections to Christ Love will breed courage and cast out fear slavish fear before God and carnal fear before men God can keep us from the torments of men but men cannot keep us from the torments of God Whilest we stand by God God hath promised to stand by us Therefore be not afraid of any Authority that stands in opposition to the Authority of Christ None can promise us better than Christ can none can threaten us worse than Christ can Can any man promise us with better then Heaven Can any man threaten us with worse than Hell Heaven is promised to those that love him and Hell is to be the portion of those that hate him Oh my dear Brethren Let us Love Christ with a love stronger then death so did Paul and the rest of the Apostles Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword Rom. 8.35 Love is stronger than Death many waters cannot quench it neither can the floods drown it Cant. â— 6 7. XX. Twentiethly Be every day as serious in your preparation for death as if it were your last day All the dayes of my appointed time will I wait till my change come Job 14.14 This night thy soule shall be required of thee Luke 12.20 For what is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth a little time and then vanisheth away Jam. 4.14 Behold thou hast made my days as an hand-breadth and mine age is as nothing before thee Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity Psal 39.5 As no Saint knows when that time and hour shall be so no wicked man knows when it shall not be To live without fear of death is to dye living To labour not to dye is labour in vain Men are afraid to dye in such and such sins but not afraid to live in such and such sins Oh the Hell of horrors and terrors that attend those soules that have their greatest work to do when they come to dye therefore as you would be happy in death and everlastingly blessed after death prepare and fit your selves for death Did Christ dye for us that we might live with him and shall not we desire to dye and be
with him A Believers dying day is his Crowning day And I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me write blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them Rev. 14.13 Oh I beseech you my dear Brethren every day spend some time in preparation for and meditation of Death Judgement Hell Heaven and Eternity Eternity is a sum that can never be numbred a line that can never be measured Eternity is a condition of everlasting sorrow or everlasting joy Oh think of this and prepare for this every day before the night of death comes And thus my beloved I have given you these Twenty precious directions for your souls I shall leave this Book with you as a Legacy of my dearest Love my desire in all this is your happiness here and your blessedness hereafter My earnest and humble desire of you is That you would mind this Book and my former Treatise not only read them but reform your lives by them O do your Duty love your Duty and live your Duty that you may be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Which is and shall be the earnest and constant Prayer of one that esteems it a most glorious priviledge to be of the number of those who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth William Dyer REVEL 14.6 These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth THE Title of this Book tells us it is The Revelation of John and John tells us Chap. 1.1 it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ Christs Revelation to John and John's Revelation to us The Comma of this Book is set forth Chap. 1.19 VVrite the things that are and the things that shall be hereafter And into these two parts this book is divided First a Relation of the things that are referring to the seven Churches of Asia Secondly A Revelation of the general state of the Church to come and that from John's time unto the second coming of the Lord. The words of this Book are the true sayings of the true God they are therefore true and faithful Chap. 22.6 The matter of this Book so much concerns the good of the Church that Jesus Christ commandeth every one that hath an ear to heare to hearken what the Spirit of God saith unto the Church and to shew how earnest Christ Jesus is to have all his Members and Servants acquainted with the things revealed in this Book this charge he repeated eight times over as this Book shewes Chap. 2.7 11 17 29. And Chap. 3.6 13 22. And Chap. 13.9 A blessing is pronounced upon the Reader Hearer and Doer of the things written in this Book Chap. 1.3 O what can be said more or more effectually to stir us up to hear and read than blessedness And blessed is he that keepeth the words of the Prophesie of this Book Chap. 22.7 But how shall we keep them except we know them and how shall we know them except we read them The excellency of this Book is such as neither Man nor Angel none in Heaven or Earth or under the Earth was found worthy so much as to look into it till Jesus Christ went took out of his Fathers hand to open it unto us Chap. 5.3 The blessed St. John could not but weep for fear least this book should have been kept close from him and the Church so earnest was he to know those things which we neglect to know Chap. 5.4 This book is a most precious Jewel which Christ hath bestowed upon his Church in the latter dayes and it is our great duty to look into it and read it study it open it and expound it that all the people may thorowly be acquainted with it especially in these times for now in this Age is and shall be the very heat of the war and brunt of the battle betwixt God and Beliall betwixt Christ and Antichrist betwixt the Lambs followers and the Beasts followers Now this book lyeth all open and plainly telleth us what shall be the issue and successe in the day of battel which side shall have the victory and which side shall go down Chap. 17.19 And certainly the sons of Belial shall not long prevail the date of their Reigne is almost out and the time draweth on apace wherein both they and their Beast shall be laid in the dust This book sheweth us the rising of the Beast the declining of the Beast and the ruine of the Beast Chap. 18 Our Lord Jesus hath shewed us in this book the sorrowes and sufferings and afflictions and tribulations which the Church was to meet withal in the latter times Chap. 11.7 and Chap. 12.14 15. and Chap. 13.7 And her deadly and cruel Enemies the Whore of Babylon the Mother of Harlots the Beast the false Prophet and the great red Dragon which maketh War against her and casteth out floods after her Chap. 12 17 This book sheweth us likewise the true State of the true Church upon Earth what she is where she is how she is and what she shall be hereafter and that before the slaying under the slaying and after the slaying 1. Before the slaying time the true Church is in the Wilderness where she hath a place prepared her of God that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes Chap. 12.2 Before the slaying of the Witnesses the true Worshippers of God are in a low condition in heavinesse and sadnesse in sack-cloth and ashes in a mourning and suffering State being scattered and dispersed here and there as Israell was of old But though this be the condition of the poor Woman in the Wilderness yet she is not without comfort she may take comfort in three things 1. That God prepared a place for her 2. That God nourished her locked her up in his chamber of Providence 3. That God numbered her dayes of suffering The Tribulation of the Saints of the Old Testament is reckoned up still by years as the bondage of Egypt four hundred and thirty years and the Captivity of Babylon seventy years But under the New Testament by Dayes Ye shall have tribulation ten dayes Chap. 2.10 And the two witnesses shall lye dead three dayes and a half Chap Chap. 11.9 So the Woman was to be in the wilderness a thousand two hundred and threescore days The Church is compared to a woman for four Reasons First As as woman is weak and feeble so is the Church and can doe nothing without Christ John 15.5 Secondly As a woman is useful and fruitful so is the Church John 15.2 Thirdly As a woman is faire and beautiful so is the Church Ezek. 16.13 Fourthly As a woman is full of love affection so is the Church Cant. 2.5 2 Under the slaying time the true worshippers of God and witnesses of Jesus Christ lie dead in the Street of the great City which is spiritually called
Sodom and Egypt Chap. 11.8 That is in Antichrists Kingdoms and Dominions The Woman which thou sawest is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth Chap. 17.18 She is called Sodom for her filthiness and wickedness and Egypt for her cruelty and oppression Chap. 17.4 The true Servants of God and Members of Jesus Christ that bear witnesse for him against the evils of the Beast and against the evils of the world are here called two witnesses 1. Because of the fewnesse of them 2. Because two is a number sufficient to bear a witness John 8.17 3. Because Antichrists Beasts are called two Chap. 13. 4. They are called witnesses for Six Reasons First Because their work is to bear witness for Christ and his truth against the world the Flesh and the Devill A true believer is to bear a threefold testimony to and for Christ a word-testimony to and for Christ a word-testimony a life-testimony and a blood testimony Heb. 12. John 5.33 Secondly Christs Members are called witnesses because they stand up for Christ to maintaine his name his honour his cause his truth his worship his Glory in the world Dan. 3.16 17 18 and Chap. 6. And ye killed the Prince of life whom God hath raised from the dead whereof we are witnesses Act. 3.15 Be it known unto you all and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom ye crucified whom God raised from the dead even by him doth this man stand here before you whole Acts 4.10 11 12. Thirdly The Lambs followers are called witnesses because they keep the testimony of Jesus Christ Rev. 12.17 Chap. 6.9 a testimony to all the Offices works and Kingdom of Jesus Christ as King of Saints and King of Nations Fourthly Gods chosen and precious ones are called witnesses because they doe appear boldly and openly for his truth they own it they love it they love it they publish it they hold it fast and suffer for it who through the teachings of the Spirit in the word and by the power of the same spirit are found in the practise of Christs Appointments they cannot deny the truth which is a Testimony to it Acts 24.14 Fifthly The true VVorshippers of God are called witnesses because they do bear witness against the beast and all the whole mistery of iniquity against the whore of Babylon who hath committed fornication with the Kings of the earth and made her self drunk with the blood of the Saints Rev. 17.6 Christs faithful witnesses bear an eminent Testimony against all her abominations and filthiness and wickedness against the Pope his Government his clergy his Doctrine his worship his Religion and all his abominable proceedings Rev. 19.7 Sixthly Christs redeemed ones are called witnesses because in dying they bear witnesse for him for to dye for the truth is a living standing testimony to it He who for Christs sake loves not his life unto the death dyes a most glorious witnesse of Christ Chap. 12.11 And they loved not their lives unto the death And the beast that came out of the bottomlesse pit made war against him and overcame them and killed them Chap. 11.7.9 Antichrist riseth in a double beast In his civil power and his Ecclesiastical power First In his civil power so he makes up one beast with the ten Kings Chap. 17.12 And this is that Beast that rise up out of the Sea which hath seven heads and ten horns and upon his horns ten Crowns and upon his heads the name of blasphemy And the beast which I saw was like unto a Leaper and his feet was as the feet of a Bear and his mouth as the mouth of a Lyon and the Dragon gave him his Power and his Seat and great Authority Chap. 13.1 2. Secondly In his Ecclesiasticall power so he makes up another beast with the Clergy and this is that beast that rise up out of the Earth He hath two horns like a Lamb and he speaks like a Dragon vers 11. Now these two monstrous beasts Antichrists Magistrates and Ministers slay the faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ and rejoyce over their dead bodies and make merry and send gifts one to another Chap. 11.10 Oh how do graceless faithless Christless men rejoyce at the afflictions and calamities of Gods people saying where is now your God and Christ your King Psal 42.10 As touching the nature of the VVitnesses death we are not to conceive thereof as though the same were to be a corporeall killing or slaying but a civill killing or slaying not so much their bodies as their testimonies deprive and strip them of their Liberty Worship Ordinances Religion and the free exercise of their Gifts suffering not a Servant of Jesus Christs to bear an open testimony against the abominations of the beast nor against their National wickedness but make Laws against them and lye in wait for them stoping their mouths and imprisoning their bodies hating and hunting them up and down afflicting and tormenting them and taking possession of their possessions Killing and slaying them all the day long and account them as sheep for the slaughter Rom. 8.33 This is to be broken in the place of Dragons and covered with the shadow of death Psal 44.19 This is to be killed all the day long And upon this account the witnesses are said to be slain And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet and great fear fell upon them that saw them Chap. 11.11 A spirit of boldnesse and courage zeale and undauntednesse and resolution to appear for Christ and his cause against Antichrist and the whole brood Therefore rejoyce all ye Saints and be glad all ye of upright heart though the witnesses be dead they will not alwayes be dead but rise again 3. After the slaying time the true Church is with the Lamb on Mount Sion Chap. 14.1 And I looked and lo a Lamb stood on Mount Sion and with him an hundred forty and four thousand having his fathers name written in their foreheads which notes a fixed state Those which trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion which cannot be moved Psal 12.5 before the slaying time the Church is very low but under the slaying time lower but after the slaying time the Church is very high she is rejoycing shining and triumphing on Mount Sion And they sung as it were a new song before the throne and before the four beasts and the Elders and no man could learn that song but the hundred forty and four thousand which were redeemed from the Earth The true Church having gotten the glorious presence of the Lamb in the midst of her and having gotten some victory over the beast they do rejoyce mightily And I heard a voice of Harpers harping with their Harps but this is not till after the resurrection of the witnesses are risen the Church is exceeding joyful This chapter out of which my Text
His Pleasant Portion Jer. 12.10 Thirdly His Inheritance Isa 19.25 Fourthly The Dearly beloved of my soul Jer. 12.7 Fifthly Gods Treasure and peculiar Treasure Exod. 19.5 Sixthly His Glory Isa 46.13 Seventhly The House of Gods glory Isa 60.7 Eighthly A Crown of Glory Isa 62.3 Ninthly A Royal Diadem in the same place Tenthly The Glory of God Jer. 3.17 Eleventhly Golden Candlesticks Rev. 1.12 Twelfthly Kings Rev. 5.10 And in my Text Heaven There is as much difference between the Church of God and other men as there is betwixt Gold and Dirt as betwixt Diamonds and Pebbles in the Lords esteem they are to God above all people The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour Pro. 12.26 O how precious how happy how blessed and glorious are Believers they are called Heaven Secondly Believers are called Heaven because there is much of them in Heaven First Their Thoughts are in Heaven Psal 139.18 Secondly Their Desires are ie Heaven Psal 73.25 Thirdly Their Affections are in Heaven Col. 3 2. Fourthly Their Hopes are in Heaven Tit. 2.13 Fifthly Their Conversations are in Heaven Phil. 3.20 Sixthly Their Hearts are in Heaven Mat. 6.21 Seventhly Their Aims are in Heaven Luke 10.20 O there is much of Believers in heaven their souls are in heaven when their bodies are walking upon the Earth they live in heaven whil'st they are on the earth and they come to heaven when they leave the earth Eph. 2.6 And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus The Saints are set in heavenly places heavenly Dignities heavenly priviledges heavenly Prerogatives The Saints of the High God are set in high places The true Church is that Spouse that is fair and beautiful Cant. 2.14 O the Church of Christ is lovely and glorious First Glorious in her Head Secondly Glorious in her Titles Thirdly Glorious in her Gifts and Graces Fourthly Glorious in her Offices Fifthly Glorious in her Priviledges Sixthly Glorious in her Members O the Church of Christ is a holy Church and a glorious Church That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinke or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Ephes 5.27 They are not defiled they are Virgins and in their mouthes is found no guile Now he that hath an ear to hear let him hear I shall exhort you that are members of this heavenly Church First To seek Heavenly things before and above all things else Let your hearts be filled with Heavenly knowledge and heavenly riches Secondly Delight in heavenly things let it be your heaven upon Earth to serve the God of heaven Thirdly Act by Heavenly Principles Fourthly Have a holy dependance upon God For Direction For Protection For Assistance For a blessing Fifthly Eye Heavenly objects God Christ and the Spirit Sixthly Imitate Heavenly Ones follow them that follow Christ Seventhly Walk by a Heavenly Rule walk according to the Laws of heaven Eighthly and lastly Live much in heaven Your Father is in heaven Your Head is in Heaven Your Husband is in heaven Your King is in heaven Your Treasure is in heaven Your Crown is in heaven Your Wages are in heaven And where should you be but in heaven Knowing in your selves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance Heb. 10.34 For we know that if our Earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God and a house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 Oh these are blessed and holy ones And they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful Rev. 17.14 Oh labour to be like these in purity and piety in holiness and humbleness in meekness and patience in faithfulness and uprightness in spiritualness and in all Godliness Thirdly Follow the Lamb out of Babylon And they cryed with a loud voice saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the Earth Revel 6.10 And another Angel came out of the Temple crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the Cloud Thrust in thy Sicle and reap for the time is come for thee to reap for the harvest of the Earth is ripe And he that sat on the Cloud thrust in his Sicle on the earth and the earth was reaped And another Angel came out of the Temple which is in heaven he also having a sharp Sicle Rev. 14.15 16 17. The Whore of Babylon shall be destroyed with a double destruction Her walls shall fall down Her wall of Power Her wall of Policy Her wall of Superstition Her wall of Maintenance And that for these Reasons First Because she hath corrupted Religion and that both in Doctrine and Worship Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she made all Nations drink of the Wine of the wrath of her fornication Rev. 14.8 Chap. 18.3 Secondly Because she hath poysoned the Kings of the Earth The Whore of Babylon hath been the great corrupter of Kings And I saw three unclean spirits like Frogs come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet for they are the spirits of Devils working miracles which go forth unto the Kings of the Earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty Rev. 16.13.14 Chap. 17.2 Thirdly For her cruelty In her was found the blood of the Prophets and all the Saints that were slain upon the Earth Chap. 18.24 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus and when I saw her I wondred with great admiration Chap. 17.6 Fourthly Because her ruine and destruction is published and proclaimed over the world And he cryed mightily with a strong voice saying Babylon the great is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of Devils Chap. 18.2 Chap. 14.8 Fifthly It is the great design that Christ hath in the latter dayes of the world to destroy Antichrist The Lamb shall overcome them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings Cha. 17.14 His eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many Crowns and he was cleathed with a Vesture dipt in blood and his name is called The Word of God And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword that with it he should smite the Nations Chap. 19.12 13 15. Sixthly Because she hath greatly insulted and triumpht over the Lords people in their miseries and calamities And they that dwell upon the Earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry and send gifts one to another Rev. 11.10 Seventhly Because of all the Churches enemies that ever were this is the cruellest enemy The fourth Beast is worse than any of the former Beasts And behold a fourth Beast dreadfull and terrible and strong exceedingly and it had great Iron teeth and it was divers from all the Beasts that were before it Dan. 7.7 Rev. 18.24 Eightly It is the expectation of all the Saints that Babylon should be destroyed and thrown like a Mil-stone Chap. 18.21 Now God that hath raised this expectation in the hearts of his people he will not frustrate their expectation he will fulfill their Petions Ninthly God hath promised to destroy the scarlet Whore because she hath destroyed his Saints and she is to be rewarded as she hath rewarded others Chap. 15.5 6. Chap. 18.8 Tenthly The Whore of Babylon shall be destroyed because she trusteth in the arm of flesh and glorieth in her strength and riches How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her for she saith in her heart I sit a Queen I am no Widdow and shall see no sorrow therefore shall her plagues come Chap. 18.7 Now Beloved consider of this and think of this and keep your selves from Babylon that ye do not partake of her sins least ye receive of her plagues O poor sinners if you have any love to your Souls if you have any mind to be saved follow the Lamb that you may be saved by the Lamb. He leads poor souls from darkness to light From death to life From vice to vertue From Satan to God From poverty to plenty From sorrow to joy From misery to glory From an earthly Kingdom to a heavenly Kingdom Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom Mat. 25.34 O the Kingdom which Christ leads poor souls to is First A Rich Kingdom Secondly A peaceable Kingdom Thirdly A Righteous Kingdom Fourdily A blessed Kingdom Fifthly A Glorious Kingdom Sixthly A satisfying Kingdom Seventhly A Universal Kingdom Eighthly An Everlasting Kingdom Oh follow the Lamb follow the Lamb that you may be for ever glorified with the Lamb and by the Lamb. FINIS