am a Magistrate too and a ruler over men and over Angels and properties of nature Be thou as I am and we shall gloriously sit on one bench Keep up thy pomp gallantly oppresse these silly moneyless wretches and widows Thunder out by thy Warrants and apprehend all those Fanatiques that walk by the spirit as they say but are unmannerly unworthy ideots Then shalt thou be my fellow-Magistrate doe as I doe I shall be at thy elbow I shall instruct thee in all gallantry and Magistratical devices excesses and bravery of spirit in oppression drunkennesse sloth and neglect of what is good But let Satan be told though he knoweth it already and that with gnashing of teeth that the Lord Jesus is fashioning to himself Magistrates that fear God and hate covetousness partiality and pomp 13. There is no trade occupation calling imployment or manufacture whereinto Satan hath not not crept and is become Master of the trade and Lord of the tradesmen also for the generality of them And while the trade their spirits is sinning and their practice deceit and falshood he takes them for his fellow-tradesmen and they that make a trade of any creature in this life to let their lusts live thereby have for their companion the enemy that trades in the heavenly firmamental astral and earthy nature O ye tradesmen let your conversations be in the Heavens let Christ be your treasure and your hearts thereon 14. But besides all this it behoves the children of men and the sons God also to remember and know that Satans fort is never stormed and taken by the chafed quickned or superlatived spirits of nature neither are this serpents scales pierced or he offended or awakened by all or any of the penetrations of mans wit reason learning writing preaching threatning praying or procking of him in all the strength of nature He laughs at those bullets and scorns the arrows of such bowes of men But the true bow of steel striketh him through That bow is the word or spirit of God in man and in mans doings prayers preachings and writings Thus the Prophets Apostles and Servants of the Lord both small and great have wounded the dragon and he that bendeth this bow denieth himself blusheth at the weaknesse of his endeavours and yet trusteth in God that whatsoever he doth it shall prosper 15. The comfort and conquest lieth in this that a great chain in the great Angels hand is now preparing with all her links to bind this old Drgaon in the dungeon of the bottomlesse pit O ye Sons of Sion and Inhabitants of Heaven and earth sing Hallelujah and praise God and the Lamb for the burning of Beelzebub and Babylon his Whore is to your joy And it may work upon Satan somewhat to hear such songs And as he is hopelesse for himself so he may despair of your souls condemnation But whatever he thinks he must shortly be bound and when he is loosened it is for his woe Therefore pray earnestly in faith and hasten that blessed time that long-looked for day of God wherein righteousnesse shall bud forth and mercy take her throne wherein the everlasting Gospel that discovereth eternity shal be heard by the Trump of God and the dead spirit released Hasten that day wherein all Saints shal be united when all truths shall be believed that day wherein all shall be judged within and without by one spirit of holinesse power of love for that day of the Spirit of the Lords mouth discovereth all darknesses and hasteneth to chase all clouds and tempests off from all Saints speedily Amen Amen 16. In the mean while until Satan this Achitophel hath erected his owne gallowes high enough let the poore soule be skilfull in resisting him in faith He comes to thee through thy owne thoughts and saith Thou wretch art guilty as well as I read over the booke of all thy guilts turn over the leaves of thy wofull conscience Dost thou not remember how beastial devillish vain wicked and unworthy thy conversation hath been yea thou art more guilty then I because the Messiah hath taken the nature of man not of Angels upon him Come then away with me and thou shalt lie under me for my ease in the bottomless pit Now when the accuser thus chargeth thee what wilt thou poor soul do Tell him I do read over my guilts and unworthinesse I am naturally the foulest of all wretches in the world I do confesse it notwithstanding the blood of Jesus washeth me from all sin But now I will no more live in sin because it is pardoned I throw it away from me and that thou canst not do Therefore it shall be thine and Christs Righteousnesse and Holinesse too shall be mine I excommunicate for ever from me that vile nature which I had that was the mother as thou wert the father of my corruptions Take thou that Bride and then what is left in me but the life and love of my Lord Jesus what canst thou say to this I am clothed with change of raiment I will have nothing to do with sin any more It is not mine I will have fellowship with Jesus for he is my portion and potentate 17. Now when thou hast thus answered the devil watch over thy will Never give thy consent to any sin keep thy will pure and earnest to God slack it not expect and draw within thee the mighty Power of God to carry thee every minute beyond and above thy own lusts Thy spirit is like a bowle The byas is thy naturall corrupt disposition If thy course in good things be slacked then thy own byas will turn thee round as it fareth with a bowle in bowling but while thou givest all diligence to finish thy course with mighty energy in all good thy corruptions are contemned crucified over-born to the land of oblivion for to be spiritually minded is life and peace but to be carnally minded is death Therefore whilst soule and body are together there remaines not one spare minute of time to be carelesse loos-hearted or diffident in Christ 18. This also is added to encourage thee the world is full of books on this subject but not of soules that wrestle against the devill howbeit whereever Christs souldiers are they have heavenly provision made for them food armour and pay And if by reading of this whoever and wherever thou art thou be in the least measure refreshed of God in the great campe of Israel Praise the great Generall the living sweet Eternall and Almighty Word of God and I shall rejoyce with thee farewell N. D. A Chapter to this People and to the World written in 1655. printed in 1656. 1. O Ye children of Adam in all the corners and habitations of the Earth upon whom the end of this World and the Day of God is dawning and hastening to discover and judge all Natures and Nations Hearken and awake and look about you yea look into your self that you may behold God
down fire so he knowes how to seeme mild and watery If any one element drown soul or body he hath his mind and sport And finding poor man imprisonned in his four elementall fetters he perswades him that its impossible to live supersensually in this life and will admit of no talk of breaking his prison And if the poor soul once offers to goe out he will set impossibilities before him his pleasures or guilt and behind him all the world and his children about his ears his own reasonings to dishearten him God as unwilling to receive him Heaven but a sublime fancy Hell but a child-frighting-bugbear the world and things thereof as reall harmlesse comforts that so by all or any of these means he might detaine the poor heart in his clutches and powers of nature And as the cat dealeth with the mouse he also will let a soule loose to pray read hear sermons and give almes but still keep him to live in selfe unlesse the second David Jesus Christ snatch the poor lamb out of this lions pawes by the effectuall workings of his spirit in the new birth 7. The young children are by him poysoned with vanity scorning wits scoffing expressions as in Elisha's case wrangling dispositions proud carriages lying excuses fleering gestures wanton talks disobedient spirits idle tales revenging thoughts prophane oaths contempt of the Lords day lusts after Interludes from thence often to the Ale-house fighting murder gallows and hell O ye Parents thou Father and thou tender Mother see here in time how the Devil of hell swaggers in your children and it may be you laugh at their witty evils This is to sacrifice your chidren in the fire to Moloch that bloody Devil Moloch was a brasse hollow image with the face of an Oxe and being made red hot it had spring-arms to clasp the poor children that were cast in to them Hags hugs kill with kindnesse and scared them to death and while the children were shreeking or roaring there were drums and loud musick made to stop the Infants cries from the Parents eares Ah thus are the soules of many children still burnt with lust and lost in Tophet and the valley of Hinnom O ye children be afraid of sin sin the ugly Idol of Satan And ye Parents be warned of your posterity lest God curse them and they curse you and you them at the great day Rather study the blessing of God that turneth the soule from its wickednesse and the hearts of the parents aright to the children and both to the obedience of the just Parents look to your childrens soules that are Gods portion you should be Prophets Priests and Princes in all humble meeknesse of wisedom in your own Families Teach the truth and use the rod and prayer lest God use his whip and curse Example not your children to wickednesse find them honest occupations according to their natural Genius and lawful marriage when God requires it by the law of nature And above all let them not sit in the seat of the scornful while they are young lest they come to the chair of anguish when they are old Why should Satan by his vain spirit possesse your children that may become heires of everlasting riches Bring them once heartily to be servants of God and he will take care they shall want nothing in this world when you are become dust and ashes under the earth But forget not that Satan is busie in bending these tender twigs from God and Christ 8. When children grow up to the state of men and women to the flower and power and heat of the spirit of this natural world then commeth forth the Mountebank Satan and sheweth them his tricks dances and musicks First in fornications between single persons then of adulteries and unsatiable lusts of the eyes flesh and hidden looks of the minde and so drowns them in the quagmires of concupiscence which is a lust of having more If these souls feel in a sowre reproving conscience that these wanton lusts are folly in Israel and in the world then turnes he them over to peruse the lectures and lessons of the cares of this life and make them sin by lending borrowing buying selling building planting providing and in all hurries their minds to a neglect of God and of the study of better things and so hastens their end and wears out their natures before they be made partakers of the nature of God 9. But if any be given and devoted naturally to enquire into the secrets of nature or Scripture and to reading conferring and prying into more excellent things then he eggs them on in their studies to find out God in their own reasons and saith Here 's all the glorious learning of this world and the highest contemplations of things This will I give thee if thou worship I would not thou should adore me as a black Devil but admire thy selfe wonder at thy own thoughts and attainments seek thy own glory and then I shall meet thee time enough 10. But O thou crooked winding fair Serpent This will not doe with the thousands of the Elect of God They have learnt and will more to deny selfe and to take up the inward crosse that destroyeth the vain thoughts of the minde Through Christs death they live above and trample thy heighths and depths They stand in the wisedome whence thou art fallen They have seen thee in their own darknesse and sublime selfish thoughts but thou seest not them in the love and humility of Jesus Their silence outvoiceth thy roarings Their nothingness overthrows thy brags Thy winds work not on these nothings They were dead to the life of nature They are alive to thy death and on them is written These are the revived of the Lord. 11. Furthermore If a man become a Preacher as so called this Doctor Satan will accompany him invisibly to his study and pulpit and perswade him to flatter the great men or at least passionately inveigh against them and sooth up or rock the cradle to the slumbring consciences or sleepy Churches or else let fly out his bitter bullets and blind uses of reproofs against such as differ from his opinion He shall sharply reprove that in publique whereof he is guilty himselfe in private He thinks that as Solomon speaks of the muckworms saying Money answereth all things his wit parts learned distinctions will resolve all other consciences and they should submit to him and his judgement and if that seem lame he will be advised to acknowledge his weakness in all humble wise and that also from hypocrisie to fence and fortifie himselfe in his own will and way And thus would Satan the Rabbi of Hell have Preachers learn the deceit of him that the people also may be deluded through such stalking horses But God hath many and will have more sincere powerful Preachers among men who will neither deceive nor be deceived 12. If a man be a Magistrate Satan comes to him within him and saith I
all Preachers and hearers Give me to drink that which is pure without the mixture of your spirits with it even such as hath no selfe in it such will doe good I will blesse it to others That is the true Physick to poore soules Give them that and they shall be well But if ye administer to them mixed teachings and their soules die upon it who shall answer think ye O ye publick Speakers look to your mixtures for a pure River of God is come out of Sion in it shall all the beasts of the field of God drink up the water of life and leave off the broken cisternes and disturbed pooles that have much mud and mire in them The true Ministers are followers of Christ that is they are like him and the false are enemies to the crosse of Christ that destroyeth all sin and vanity Down with all that nourish wickednesse and up with Christ in the rest I say up with Christ in them rather then with them to honours in this life lest pride blossome again and self-conceit bud forth These last daies will not long suffer any proud sprigs on the trees for now the Temple of God in Heaven is about to open and there are voices thundrings earthquakes lightnings and great haile upon that evil generation of self-seeking Christians O that we had hearts to stand out of the way of Gods arrowes out of the way of sin and hypocrisie then should not the soul feel within it that plague here mention'd without it 16. The time runneth out and is great and marveilous the grave gapeth for man let not man then gape also after the dunghill of this world Hunger after Heaven and that is to say long after the Lord Jesus If thou didst expect to find in this Chapter matters of knowledge eloquence with acutenesse thou hast deceived thy selfe But here is mourning warning and woe to the world and also directions to them that understand and they that seek the Lord shall understand all things None of the wicked perceive it but the wise shall understand saith Daniel and Solomon This Generation is under the sixth Trumpet of God and the fire smoke and brimstone are felt smelt in souls and Nations eminently Now the seven Thunders utters their voices in some and make mortal men tremble at the thoughts of the Great day The next Trumpet must sound and then will be the finishing of the mystery of Gods Being and Will Now is the houre the day the moneth and the yeare for thee to beg of God and to eat the little little book which was in Gods hand and is in the hand of his Angel The knowledge thereof shall be as honey in the mouth of thy mind but when that Lords candle shall search the inward parts of thy belly and discover thy great corruption it shall put thee in bitter paine as of a woman in travaile And that voice of the Lord shall make thy kind to calve and cause thee to cast off thy lust as an untimely fruit Howbeit cease not O man to beg of God that thou mayst swallow down that book for untill then thy soule shall not rest indeed nor shall the Nations and Churches be quiet untill that Book be known That Book is in and through the Bible the Creation and the heart of man and yet properly it is either of the three It is the Hidden word and yet revealed counsel of God in himselfe and in his spirit in the children of the new birth The name of this Book is Nothingnesse before the creature and All things before the Throne of God When thou art nothing to thy self then shalt thou read it and not before No wit or learning of man are sufficient spectacles they are lofting up over the lines of this Book But in selfe denial and yielding to Gods will in thee thou shalt become a Scribe and Schollar of the Kingdome of Heaven and no other way Forget not this verse of the Chapter sent to thee and to the world 17. One Verse more and then no more of this present Testimony The houre is in sight when time shall expire and be no more when day and night heat and cold summer and winter seed-time and harvest shall no more for ever take their Turnes And whereas now day and night joy and sorrow passe over us grief in the evening comfort in the morning goe on friend a little and it will become with thee all day for ever or all night without mixture of the comforts of nature as the eternal day or night prevaileth in the spirit Therefore be entreated againe to strive to spend thy short time aright and one quarter of an hour in four and twenty at least to begin to mind Eternity whither thou goest If thou sayest That is a small time as indeed it is see first whether in that quarter of an houre thy thoughts will not steal away to some creature or other and to the things of time of vanity and of vexation And know that while thou livest in the sieve of vanity which is the course of nature in thy own will it is impossible for thee to have a steady mind to look on Eternity And miserable art thou whilst thou livest a cripple at Bethesda in the five gates of the sensual life till Jesus bid thee take up thy bed and walk And this he doth when he makes thy will to cease thy thoughts to stop thy working fancy to sink thy apprehensions to be darkened in dimnesse of anguish thy pleasures to wither thy righteousnesse to putrive and thy self-hood to stoop and yield and die as Christ Jesus did This is best effected by the power of his love in thy heart which love is light and life to thy spirit but death to thy flesh When I speak to thee honest Reader I speak to my selfe also herein for I have learnt that sharp expressions to others are as weights of lead to our selves if we be guilty of the same evils But when we testifie with truth mildnesse and earnestnesse we shall be accepted of the Lord however men censure us as they please This I leave with thee in perfect love and thee also with that God who will shortly speak forth his own mind with Power Authority and great Glory to the whole World Peace be unto thee Amen N. D. FINIS These Books are lately Printed and sold by T. Brewster at the three Bibles neer the West end of Pauls THE retired mans Meditations or the Mystery and Power of Godliness c. by Henry Vane Knight A brief History containing most of those notable Occurrences and Revolutions that happened in those late Contests betwixt King and Parliament being a short mention of things from 1637. to the Kings death 1648. Written by Thomas May Esquire The Excellence of a free State or the Right Constitutions of a Commonwealth Objections answered together with some Rules of Policie and Errors in Governments as laid down by Machavel and others A Confession of Faith of several Churches of Christ in the Westerne Counties viz. Somerset Wilts Devon Glocester and Dorset signed by T. Coller and others A Dialogue between a Minister of the Gospel and an inquire Christian about the work of God upon the Soule the Authority of the Scriptures the Principles of the Quakers and the work of the present Generation By Tho Coller Lazarus and his Sisters discourse of Paradise or a Conference about the excellent things of the other world A Discourse betwixt 3 Neighbours about the present Government viz. Goodman past Goodman present and Goodman future A Dialogue between 3 Bords in Welsh with other Welsh things
peace silence and consideration ye were all for war noise turbulency and humoursome contrivances ye called light darknesse and darknesse light Now therefore friends be ye all muzled by your own consciences before ye be cast into outer darknesse for ye have not on the wedding garment of special fellowship with the true Bridegroom in love unto him and to his pure Spouse to an abhorring of selfe And thus when they are first thrust out of the Bridegrooms inner chamber where the light and warmth is they shall be bound hand and foot and sit without at the threshold in the outward form of the house where will be weeping for things past past beyond remedy and gnashing of teeth for very anger and coldnesse in Religion Wherefore O ye Preachers or Priests that know not the anointing the Christ be warned be convinced that ye are very unlike the Bishops mention'd in Timothy take not upon you the trade of hypocrisie nor the burden of the soules of others The guilt of your owne secret pranks and publick sins is burden enough and more then ye can bear See to the saving of your own poor souls first before the face of the burning and living spirit of God and leave off a while studying of Brain-sermons for others when as your selves are to be cast away 12. Few clear visions are there in the Countries and Nations but Teachings and Preachments seem mixed and disturbed for the present so that few can say if any aright Lo here or lo there in publique or in private in this opinion or in that in this Parish or in that Church And the learned as they esteem themselves as also the unlearned cannot to this hour attain to the unclasping and reading of the Book of the invisible God What shall poor soules doe before their candles be quite out they being in great streights divisions and difficulties O ye precious immortal soules do not sleep any longer let not your minds grow dull and heavy as ye look upon eternity Whatsoever darkeneth you is of the Devil and self examine your hearts often Dwell not abroad Be not as the harlot whose feet cannot be kept within her owne doores being she is a stranger at home and overmuch acquainted abroad in the streets of deceit a wandring mind every one hath in heart by nature Make haste to gather quickly together all the thoughts that are to goe with you out of this life for when a body falls as a leafe to the grave the thoughts of the heart are the intimate fruits thereof Notice take of your light and of your practice Compare both together how much knowledge thou hast or what light hast thou within thee How far followest thou thy conscience Wherein murderest thou the true light of the righteous One within thee How often dost thou any thing doubtingly thy inward principles grumbling at thy allowance of evill thoughts and also at thy sloathful performance of good How oft dost thou condemn and sharply judge in others that which thou dost secretly and silkenly allow in private practice thy selfe What canst thou say thou hast done wherof thou needest not to repent before the Throne of Christ and the face of the seven Spirits of the immortal impartial God How oft hast thou with thy owne thoughts made thy selfe drunk not knowing the sobriety of God and so hast been passionate and in thy vain mind been censuring things and persons opinions and Churches when at that instant the assembly of thy own wicked thoughts and the Church within thy own breast and multitudes of imaginations were all out of order How oft also hast thou limitted the eternal and holy one of Israel to thy own thoughts and attainments of a light How frequently hast thou done spoken or thought that which thou knowest was not for good to thy spirit nor others but probably for hurt and slaughter to thy poore soul How much time dost thou spend in vaine which thou mightest bestow on other things How many affections dost thou scatter upon the creatures which to gather up again will be a great taske at the houre of death There is no heaven or happinesse but God no way to God but Christ no fellowship with Christ but what is spiritual no enjoying his spirit but within in the heart within no comfort within thee but of what within thee is within God also Therefore thou poor wandring wailing soule keep within but believe not thy imaginations within Try the spirits first try thy own thoughts what is of love lowlinesse peace and purity is of God Mock not thy soul and be not deceived by others 13. There must appear now in this last Nunc of dayes unheard-of motions with words works wonders beyond all former Presidents The Antiquaries and all that look back only to former Ages wil say of these This is new to us away with it not understanding that it is the old renewed with advantage Let such remember in their day that as the great natural Corporation of this whole world growes old that it may be changed as a garment by the Creator that wore it as his vesture of time so also towards the end of dayes the second Creation which alwayes is within this world shall appeare from within and be furbished and made brighter Then shall the Son of Man who is the Son of God by the eternal nature bring to death of a Consumption the first Adam that now is who indeed was by a secondary nature or kind of propagation the Son of God Consider and understand There are two Natures the eternal and after that the temporal which temporary nature is again swallowed up by the Eternal In the Eternal Christ was and is begotten as the first-born of every thing In the temporal was Adam made a center and compendium of all Heaven and Earth In the first is Election and Rejection laid in the depths of God In the second both doe appeare to the creatures sight and therein he is active Now when Eternity is brought forth in the fountain-heart of any child of Adam then is time as to that birth swallowed up But divers boast hereof in vain who mind earthly or firmamentall things yea they are worse then mortal beasts because they live below their created nature though they were made to rule over it O ye off-spring of Adam open your eyes and see where you are Ye marry Time and trifle with Everlastingnesse ye study to be somwhat for a time and cannot stoop to be nothing that ye may comfortably lodge in Eternity But turne about and see how all under the Sun is vanity and vexation and how life is seated only in the Sun of Righteousnesse In his light we may find all old things passe away and all things become new And if ye are or will indeed be in him as Angels standing in the Sun you will find the substance of your selves renewed in glory in this life And then ye will clearly discerne what Adam was how