righteousnesse lodened with the fruits of righteousnesse He beareth greater respect to our hearts than he doth to our works I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God Rom. 12.1 The Formalist he is all for outward action and for nothing of inward sincerity he is for a body without a soul and a shew without a substance but it is not a shew of outward piety that will excuse inward hypocrisie For he is not a Jew that is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2.28 29. I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan Rev. 2.9 They are better in their outsides than they are in their insides but Believers are better in their insides than they are in their outsides The Kings daughter is all glorious within her cloathing is of wrought Gold Psalm 45.13 The one bowes his knee at the name of Jesus the other bowes his heart to the truth of Jesus the one signes with the Cross the other carryes the Cross Oh what would not superstitious men do for Heaven if they might have Heaven for their doing But they that sail in this rotten Bottom will surely sink in the Ocean Who hath required this at your hands to tread my Courts To what purpose is your sacrifices unto me saith the Lord I am ful of the burnt offerings of Rams and the fat of fed beasts and I delight not in the blood of Bullocks or of Lambs or of He-goates Isa 1 11. It was not the Clay Spittle that cured the blind man but Christs anointing his eyes It was not the troubling of the Waters in the Pool of Bethesda that made them whole but the comeing down of the Angel Alas the dish without the meat will not feed us Man may spread the Net of Duty but its God must take the Draught of Mercy Now by this Beloved you may know the Lambs followers from the Beasts followers And thus I have briefly and clearly shewed you these five things First What following the Lamb is Secondly Why gracious Souls follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Thirdly The Excellency of following the Lamb. Fourthly The Misery of following the Beast Fifthly How the Lambs followers may be known from the Beasts followers I shall make some Use of this First For Examination and Selfe-tryal Oh friends for the Lords sake and for your souls sake examine your selves and try your selves by this that you may know whose you are and to whom you do belong Know you not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness Rom. 6. O who do you follow if men verily you have your reward if sin you shall have sins wages which is eternal death woe and misery in this life and Hell and destruction in the other life but if God then you shall have eternal life Therefore be not deceived mistake not your selves God is not mocked for whatsoever a man sowes that he shall reap O beloved Examine your selves and try your selves what is it you mind what is it you seek what is it you do do you follow the Lamb in his Commands in his teachings in his appointments and in his Examples through sufferings and reproaches have you forsaken all and followed him Matth. 10.29 Have you taken up his Crosse and denyed your selves Mat. 16.24 Have you learned of him to be meek and lowly Mat. 11.29 Have you visited and cloathed his Members Mat. 25.35 Have you kissed the Sun and made your peace with him O beloved are you new Creatures are you in Christ are you in faith Know ye not if Christ be not in you ye are reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 The second Vse is for Exhortation O Beloved Let me beseech you for your precious and immortal souls sake to come out of Babylon from the Beasts Image and from his Worship and from his Mark that you may not be defiled O come away to Jesus Christ Arise my Love and come away Cant. 2.10 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Mat. 11.28 Oh sinners he calls you to come to him will you not go we must forsake sin and embrace vertue put off the Old man and put on the New man we must have Repentance and Mortification a dying unto sin and a living unto righteousness from the love of earthly things to the desire of heavenly things Our bodies and souls must come away unto Christ our souls because they are the Spouse of Christ our bodies because they are the Temples of the Holy Ghost We must come away from the Eenticements of the flesh the allurements of the world and suggestions of the Divel and from the Whore of Babylon and from all the inventions and traditions of men Rev. 18.4 That ye may walk with God before God after God in the Name of God and in the Spirit of God And that we may live in Christ as Christ lives in the Father O what more happy then to live for ever and so to live for ever as Christ himself liveth Surely that is a blessed and glorious life This is a Believers life Secondly Labour more and more to be like those that follow the Lamb fully they are very holy and pure they are called Virgins First For their Chastity That I may present you as chast Virgins unto Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 These love Christ with a chast but not with an adulterous love Secondly For their purity They are Virgin-Saints they are not defiled with the Whore of Babylon but have kept themselves from her Idolatry and Superstition and from her sin and wickedness And in their mouth was found no guile Believers are stiled and titled Heaven Christs Members are glorious Members they are called Heaven for two Reasons First Because there is much of Heaven in them Secondly Because there is much of them in Heaven First There is much of Heaven in Believers much of God much of Christ and much of the Spirit Of his fulness have all we received grace for grac Joh. 1.16 The glory of God the knowledge of God the presence of God the love of God the holiness of God the joyes of God these are the things that make Heaven to be Heaven Now there is much of these in Believers therefore they are called Heaven We are taken into Communion with Angels and our Communion with the Angels in a great measure doth consist in bearing a part with them in praising God it is the action of Heaven Believers are holy Ones and they have glorious Titles First The Lords Portion Deut. 32.9 Secondly
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
when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him O do not lift up your hand against the Son but kisse the Son Let his Will be your Rule His Spirit your Guide His precepts your practices His decrees your delights His chosen ones your choicest companions Submit to his Gospel and Government Oh Sirs make your peace with God There is a fourfold Peace First There is a peace external this peace is with men Secondly There is peace supernal that is peace with God Thirdly There is peace internall that is peace with Conscience Fourthly There is peace eternall and this is peace in Heaven Psal 37.37 Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace If you have peace with God the world and the Devil cannot hurt you And upon the glory shall be a defence Isa 4.5 Believers have God for their Guide and Guard he that meddles with the Saints of God assaults God himself Zech. 2.8 He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of mine eye He that lifts up his hand against them lifts up his hand against God though they have many enemies yet they have one friend that hath more strength then all their enemies A ragged Saint is dearer to God then a glittering Emperour that wants grace O make your peace with the Prince of peace that in this life you may have assurance of eternal life that eternal death may not be your portion in the other life IV. Fourthly Make Religion your main business and not a by business Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure for if ye doe these things ye shall never fall 2 Peter 1.10 Work out your salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 But seek ye first the Kingdome of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Math. 6.23 Oh why is the glory of this world so much regarded but because the Glory of Heaven is so little minded Oh what is an Earthly Kingdome in comparison of the Heavenly Kingdome the Angels themselves though they are glorious Spirits yet they are Ministring Spirits Do not most men in the world make light of God and Christ and the Spirit and Heaven and their precious souls And he sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding and they would not come Again he sent forth other servants saying tell them that are bidden Behold I have prepared my Dinner my Oxen and my Fatlings are killed and all things are ready Come unto the Marriage But they made light of it and went their way one to his Farm another to his Merchandize Math. 22.3 4 5. Wretched Wordlings make Religion a by-business they will hear read and pray when they have nothing else to doe Oh that such men did but know what everlasting Glory and everlasting torments are would they then do as they do Oh that they did but know the worth of their Souls and the want of a Saviour the shortnesse of their time and the greatness of their work would they then neglect God and their own souls as they do Oh Friends Let me beseech you to whom I write to make Religion your main businesse hearing reading praying believing and doing your maine businesse Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life which the Son of man shall give unto you for him hath God the father sealed Joh. 6.27 V. Fifthly Doe nothing in this World but what you can answer in another World For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5.10 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Rom. 2.16 He hath appointed a day in which he will judg the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained Acts 17.31 For God shall bring every work to judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Eccles 12.14 Oh for the Lords sake my Dear Brethren Let nothing be done by you in this world but what may be answered in another world Many men doe that in this world which they cannot in another world Now they contemne God blaspheme God rebel against God go a whoring from God and persecute the Beloved of God Instead of protecting the Saints imprison the Saints and are more for crushing them than comforting them instead of visiting them vilifie them and instead of affecting them afflict them and eat them up as they eat bread Psal 14.4 And will not suffer them to worship the true God in Spirit and in truth but Mock them Heb. 11 36. Threaten them Acts 4.29 Accuse them Acts 24.5 Slander them Math. 1.11 Curse them Math. 5.44 Beat them Acts 5.40 Imprison them Acts 4.3 Plunder them Heb. 10.34 Banish them Heb. 11. And Murder them Rom. 8.36 All this the poor innocent suffer whilst swearing cursing whoring robbing blaspheming drunkenness and gluttoning and all manner of debauchery yea murder it self walks unpunished in the streets and only he that departs from evill makes himself a prey What wonder then if such as these shall one day hide themselves in Dens and Holes and cry to the Rocks and Mountains to fall on them and hide them from the face of him that sits on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb Rev. 6.15.36 Oh what will Persecutors do when Jesus Christ shall appear in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that knew him not and obeyed not his Gospel 2 Thes 1 8. Will they not then be dumb and speechlesse and have never a word to say for themselves as that man that had not on his Wedding garment Math. 22.12 But Oh Beloved Let that grace that hath appeared to all men teach us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts that we may live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Tit. 2.11.12 following the Lamb resisting Satan shuning sin and separating from the world VI. Sixthly Make the Word of God your Rule and the Spirit of God your Guide To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them Isa 8.20 We have also a more sure word of Prophesie whereunto ye doe well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-starre arise in your hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in righteousnesse 2 Tim 3.16 Howbeit when the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he will shew you things to come John 16.13 The
you But it is good for me to draw near to God I have put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all thy works Psal 73.28 He that dwelleth under the shaddow of the most High no plague shall come nigh him He will give his Angels charge over thee Psal 91.10 Though the Fig-tree should not blossome and there be no fruit in the Vine though the labour of the Olive should faile and the fields should yield no meat the flock should be cut off from the fold and the herd from the stalls Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will triumph in the God of my salvation Hab. 3.17.18 The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower and the righteous runneth into it and are safe James 4.8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you This is a great comfort to the people of God though they be as Lillies amongst Thorns and as sheep amongst Wolves that they have a God to go to Come my people enter into thy Chambers shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast Isa 26.20 Let the world frown and friends forsake you God can sweeten all your enjoyments keep in Gods way and you will be sure of Gods protection doe you keep Gods precepts and God will keep your persons do what God commands and avoid what God forbids and then you need not fear what men can doe unto you If you would have God to take care of you you must cast your care upon God wait on him and walk with him obey his precepts and believe his promises Oh beloved Let wicked men fall out with us and hate us and reproach us and punish us as much as they will if we keep in with God therefore my beloved above all things get communion with God and keep communion with God Communion with God will yield you two Heavens a Heaven upon Earth and a Heaven after death all Saints shall enjoy a Heaven when they leave the Earth some Saints enjoy a Heaven whilest they are on the Earth He enjoyes nothing that wants communion with God he wants no-nothing that enjoyes communion with God X. Tenthly Live above the love of Life and the fear of death For whosoever will save his Life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it Matth. 16.25 If any man come unto me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple Luke 14.16 He that loves not Christ more than his life will be sure to save and to keep both He that goes out of Gods way to avoid danger shall certainly meet with danger Ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods 1 Cor. 6.19 20. My dear friends Let us live above suffering and fears though we cannot live without suffering In the world you shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world I have overcome the world for you and I have overcome the world in you John 16.33 He that loves Christ above his life will let life go rather then Christ Consider my beloved Christ and the cloud of Witnesses and Martyrs that are gone before and are passed over and through all those floods and safely arived to shoar and are now in Heaven with God and Christ and holy Angels where there is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore Thou wilt shew me the path of Life in thy presence is fulnesse of joy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 Oh the joy that they enjoy Oh the rivers of consolations that flowes from God! Therefore are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell amongst them They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sun light on them nor any heat for the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them shal lead them into living fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes Rev. 7.15 16 17. Who are they that have all this honour and glory and joy and blessedness in Heaven For this see verse 14. These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. The sweetnesse of the Crown which Believers shall receive will make them amends for the bitternesse of the Crosse they carried XI Eleventhly Desire better hearts more then better times O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou mayest be saved how long shall thy vaine thoughts lodge within thee Jer. 4.14 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts falsewitness blasphemies Mat. 15.19 The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it Jer. 17.9 Oh Beloved instead of reforming we are complaining of wicked men more then of wickedness of their cruelty more than our Apostacy of their injuries against us than our injuries against God We pore too much upon second causes or complaine of instruments not of our selves We have been a long time in sinning and we had need be a long time in repenting the times had not been so bad had not we been so bad and the times would soon be better if we were but better Alas Beloved we have sinned such sins as unrighteous men could not sin against the clearest Light and dearest Love the better God hath been to us the worse we have been to him he hath loaded us with his mercies and we have wearied him with our sinnes Oh let us blame our selves more and the times lesse Let us turne unto the Lord that he may turne to us in love and mercy Let our hearts go out to him that his heart may come unto us Oh beg and cry for better hearts that you may serve God better for broken hearts for sincere hearts for that is that God looks at and calls for Prov. 23.26 My Son give me thy heart Our hearts are alwayes out of tune to serve God but never out of tune to serve sin for if we had never so good times and not good hearts it would rather hurts us than blesse us XII Twelfthly Grow downward in humility and inward in sincerity Vnto me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ Ephes 3.8 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted Mat 23.12 Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercy kindnesse humblenesse of mind meeknesse long-fustering Col. 3.12 Be cloathed with humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Humble
your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time 1 Pet. 5.5 6. Bring up your will to God that God may bring down his will to you Be low in your own eyes keep a low esteem of your selves abhor pride and flye from it be inwardly sincere as well as outwardly humble Do not look Heaven-ward by your profession and Hell-ward by your conversation He that lives in sin is dead in sin Ephes 2.1 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Ephes 6.24 Let your hearts be upright with God and walk as those that have God for their portion Knowing there are many eies upon you the eye of God the eye of Christ the eye of Angels the eye of Saints the eye of the world and the Divell eyes you too therefore walk wisely and sincerely be like the Kings Daughter all glorious within Psal 45.3 She is all glorious within though within is not all her glory Her cloathing is of wrought gold Doe not think your selves good because others think so Alas the best mens confidences of us are poor Evidences for Heaven the best Testimony is that within us and above us See therefore that ye grow in grace and delight in holiness bring forth much fruit live still as before the living God take heed of Hypocrisie and Apostacy make it your daily business to walk with God be much in the exercise of humility Humility will exceedingly adorn your profession Doe not place Religion in a few good words when the substance is neglected but live as you would die live to day as if you were to dye to morrow XIII Thirteenthly Doe good to those that be good He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Micah 6.8 That they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate 1 Tim. 6.18 But do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. 13.16 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widdows in their affliction James 1.27 Forget not to contribute to the necessities of the poor Saints think that God hath given you your Estates for such a time as this Oh Beloved what an opportunity have you now to do good if Satan do not hinder you are there not many of Christs Ministers now in want and Members in want some in prison and others out of prison Remember those that are in bonds as bound with them and them that suffer adversity as being your selves also in the body Heb. 13.3 There be many men that have a great deal of this worlds wealth and riches and goods in their hands and in their houses but they have no grace in their hearts and therefore they do no good with the goods of this world they live so unfruitfull that their lives are scarce worth a prayer not their deaths scarce worth a tear Men may as well go to Hell for not doing good as for doing evil he that bears not good fruit is as well fuel for Hell as he that bears bad You may not be outwardly bad and yet not inwardly good you may be as far from grace as from vice Men are not so much sent to Hell for doing evil as for not doing good For I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink Math. 25.42 The rich glutton was in Hell torments not for persecuting Lazarus but not relieving Lazarus Merozzarus was cursed by the Angel not because they fought against the Lord but because they came not to help the Lord against the mighty Judges 5.23 It is one of the greatest mercies in the world for God to give a man a heart to doe good with that he hath given him Oh Beloved be always a doing good and hating evil Look not only where you may get good but where you may do good Labour to be helpful to the souls of others and to supply the wants of others XIV Fourteenthly Chuse chastisement before defilement Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the Sonne of Pharaohs daughter chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Heb. 11.24.25 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance Heb. 10.34 So the three Children chose burning in the fiery furnace before bowing to the Golden Image Daniel 3.17.18 We are not careful to answer thee in this matter If it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thy hand O King But if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the Golden Image that thou hast set up So Daniel chose suffering before sinning And it is said of those in Heb. 11.35 they accepted not of deliverance and others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection Oh Beloved there is more evill in the least sin against Christ than in the greatest suffering for Christ First Our sufferings for Christ are but light 2 Cor. 4.17 Secondly But short but for a moment Thirdly Christ stands by us in out sufferings Fourthly Our sufferings are ordered by the Father Fifthly Our sufferings shall not hurt our souls Sixthly God gives us the best of comforts in the worst of times we have most of consolations from God when we have most of tribulations from men as our sufferings do abound so our consolations do abound When the burden is heaviest upon the back when the peace of conscience is sweetest and greatest within Therefore my dear brethren keep your selves out of the puddle of this world and from the evil of this world and if you must sin or suffer chuse suffering before sinning XV. Fifteenthly Think not the worse of godliness because it is frowned upon nor the better of ungodliness because it is smiled upon For bodily exercise profiteth little but Godlinesse is profitable unto all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ Phil. 3.8 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darknesse but rather reprove them Ephes 5.11 For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.23 Oh Friends think not the worse of holinesse because it is reproached and scorned and persecuted by
wicked men and Divels nor the better of wickednesse because wicked men love it and follow it and say It is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts Mal. 3.14 But there is a time coming when ungodly men would be glad of some of that holinesse that now they despise but they shall be as far then from obtaining it as they are now from desiring it Let us therfore love holiness and hate wickednesse For without holiness no man shal see the Lord Heb. 12.14 Holinesse is the only way to happiness We must not dresse our selves for another world by the Looking-glasse of this world Thou shalt not follow a multititude to do evil Exod. 23.2 For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the Grosse of Christ whose end is destruction whose god is their belly and whose glory is in their shame who mind earthly things Phil. 3.18.19 The Children of God must be harmlesse in their actings and blamelesse in their walkings XVI Sixteenthly Prize the Word of God by the worth of it that you may never come to prize the Word of God by the want of it How sweet are thy words unto my tast Yea sweeter than honey to my mouth Psal 119 10. It is sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb Psal 19.10 Oh how do I Love thy Law Psal 119.97 I love thy Commandements above Gold yea above fine Gold The Law of thy mouth is better to me than thousands of Gold and Silver Verse 72. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that they may grow thereby 1 Pet. 1.2 Let the Word of God dwell richly in you not only with you but in you Col. 3.16 Oh let us with Job esteeme the Word of God above our necessary food Job 23.12 and with David above our Gold and Silver The delight of a Saint in Gods Word over-tops all his creature delights Wicked men can delight in the Creatures of God but not in the Word of God they can delight in the gifts of God but not in the God of gifts Oh let us love the word and prize the word it is the Sun of the Christian world As the Sun is the light of the naturall world and without it the world is but a Chaos and a dungeon full of darkness so is the Word of God the light of the Spiritual world without which a Christian is an eternal night Take away the Scriptures and there will be no certain rule to direct men what is to be done or what is to be believed All false wayes are here discovered all sins are here forbidden all holiness is here commanded Here you may see every action and motion of your Lives as a step to Life or a step to Death as a step Heaven-ward or a step Hell-ward Oh therefore prize the word and obey the Word First It is a plain Word Secondly It is a perfect Word Thirdly It is a sure Word Fourthly It is an uniform Word Fifthly It is a powerful Word it is the savour of life unto life unto them that believe Oh Beloved let us read the Word and abide in the Word If ye continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples Joh. 8.31 The lesse now you hear the more doe you read that little Book of the Revelations and Daniel especially XVII Seventeenthly have a care of the Whore of Babylons golden Cup and sweet Wine And the Woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour and decked with Gold and precious stones and pearls having a golden Cup in her hand sull of abominations and filthinesse of her fornication Rev. 17.4 And the Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the Woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood Rev. 12.15 Let me beseech you to have a care of this and keep your selves from this Be like the Virgin Spouse of Christ which followeth him wheresoever he goeth My Dear Friends keep your selves from four things First From false Teachers The Devil hath his Ministers as well as Christ Beware of false Prophets which come to you in Sheeps cloathing but inwardly they are ravening Wolves Math. 7.15 Yea they are greedy Doggs which can never have enough and they are Shepherds that cannot understand they all look to their own way every own for his gain from his quarter Isa 56.11 Oh false Teachers do not feed the Flock but fleece the Flock they do not convert but pervert they do not season but poison they do not edifie to salvation but edifie to damnation instead of curing souls they kill souls so they have but the peoples goods they care not though the Devil have their soules they are neither rightly called nor rightly qualified nor rightly ordained Their course is evil and therefore is not right Jer. 13.10 They are like Doggs and Wolves combining together to macerate the Flock of Christ Oh therefore keep your selves from Babylons Merchants that make Merchandize of the souls of men Rev. 18.13 Oh the sins of the Teachers are the Teachers of sins Secondly From false Doctrine But there were false Prophets also among the people even as there shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damrable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction 2 Pet. 2.1 Be not carried away with divers and strange Doctrines for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace not with meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein Hebrews 13.9 I beseech you also in the Lord my Dear Brethren that you doe not carnally comply with nor superstitiously conform to the Inventions of men But stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free Gal. 5.1 Thirdly From false Worship If any man Worship the Beast and his Image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drink of the Wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the Cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb Rev. 14.9 10. Ye Worship ye know not what God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Iruth Joh. 4.23 24. As there be some in the World that worship false Gods so there be others that Worship the true God with false Worship They that worship the Beast worship the Devil Rev. 13. Oh meddle not with false worship with vain worship and will-worship worship God as he teacheth us to worship him Our work is to depend on Christs work our outward working depends on Gods inward working Fourthly From false Opinions from Errour and Sedition Let your hearts be upright your judgements sound and your lives holy Love the
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
true Believer after he begins to follow the Lamb he never leaves following him but followeth him whithersoever he goeth Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall Tribulation or Distresse or Persecution or Famine or Nakednesse or Perill or Sword For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor Things present nor Things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Oh beloved he doth not follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth that follows the Lord earnestly for a while but afterward forsaketh him when a storme riseth Yet hath he not root in himself but dureth for a while when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by he is offended Math. 13.21 Nor he that followes the Lamb in some things and the Beast in other things They feared the Lord and served their own gods after the manner of the Nations Nor he that followeth the Lord in a dull heavy manner and a luke-warm temper I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot Chap. 3.15 Be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord for my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters and hewed them out Gisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water Jer. 2.12 13. Oh this is not a following the Lamb They that follow the Lord fully abide in the Lord and cleave to the Lord and continue constantly in Gods ways to the end of their dayes The righteous holds on his way Job 17.9 Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. Hosea 6.3 The righteous man holds on his way he followes the Lamb whithersoever he goeth First Speedily Secondly Truly Thirdly Undividedly Fourthly Zealously Fifthly Humbly Sixthly Chearfully Seaventhly Diligently Eightly Constantly Ninthly Faithfully Tenthly Transcendently Now this is following the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Now I shall shew you why Believers follow the Lamb. First Because they are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1.18 19. He paid a price for our redemption that so he might discharge the debt of our sins And they sung a new song saying Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the Seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation Rev. 5.9 There are three things called precious in the Scriptures First Faith is called precious 2 Pet. 1.1 Secondly The promises are called precious vers 4. Thirdly The blood of Christ is called precious 1 Pet. 1.19 O his blood hath redeemed us from six Enemies First From the World Galathians 1.4 Rev. 14.4 Secondly From the Curse Galathians 3.13 Thirdly From Sin Rom. 6 18 22. Fourthly From the Devil Heb. 2.18 Acts 26.17 18. Fifthly From the sting of Death 1 Cor. 15.55 56. Sixthly From Hell 1 Thes 1.10 Rev. 2.12 O his blood is precious blood his blood hath slaine our Enemies he hath purchased by his blood Reconciliation with the Father Union with the Son and Communion with the Holy Ghost Ye that were sometimes afar off are made nigh by the Blood of Christ Ephes 2.13 16. Secondly They follow the Lamb because they are washed in the blood of the Lamb. He hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his blood Rev. 1.5 These are they which came out of great Tribulation and have washed their Robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb Rev. 7.14 The blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sinne 1 John 1.7 Christs blood washeth away our bloody sins I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live Ezek. 16. For as soon as we are united with Christ our sins are upon him and his righteousness upon us It is Christ that gives us life and puts excellent Ornaments upon us to cover our nakednesse and decketh us with Jewels and Gems of Gold So we become beautiful in his sight Isa 6â— 10 That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle nor any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Eph. 5.27 Thirdly Believers follow the Lamb because they are risen with the Lamb. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ siteth on the right hand of God Coloss 3.1 Therefore we are buried with him by baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the father even so we also should wark in newness of life Rom. 6.4 Every man besides a Believer is a dead man Dead in trespasses and sins Ephes 2.1 Therefore they are exhorted to rise from the dead Eph. 5.4 They must rise from evil to good from Earthly-mindednesse to Heavenly-mindedness but now Believers by faith are risen from darkness to light For ye were sometimes darkness but new are ye light in the Lord Walk as Children of light Eph. 5.8 Arise shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee Isa 60.1 When the Lord shined forth upon his people in glorious discoveries of himself he calls them away from their former condition When the Lord discovered himself in a Gospel dispensation his people were no longer to sit under dark clouds of legal Ceremonies but to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Fourthly They follow the Lamb because they are enlightned by the Lamb. God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and doe count them but dung that I may win Christ Phil. 3.8 Divine and Heavenly knowledge brings a man near to God it gives a man the clearest and the fullest sight of God and the nearer any man comes to God the clearer vision he hath of God and the more communion with God The reason why others doe not follow the Lamb is because they see not the worth and want of the Lamb Having the understanding darkned being alienated from the living God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their hearts Ephes 4.18
Where there is a Vaile cast before the eyes of knowledge there is a Barre set before the hands of practise An ignorant person neither knows what he is a doing nor doth he know whether he is a going he doth nothing but undoe himself by doing Carnal men see no preciousness and loveliness in Christ Oh what is thy beloved more then another beloved Cant. 5,9 If thou knowest the gift of God and who it is that asketh thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water John 4.10 Christ goes undesired in the world because he goes undiscerned by the world But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 But now believers being enlightned by the Spirit of God and by the Word of God they see themselves what they were before faith and what they are by faith and what they shall be at the end of faith they see Christ to be all precious precious in his Ordinances precious in his Discoveries precious in his Graces precious in his Gifts precious in his Promises precious in his Members precious in his Ministers and precious in himself 1 Pet. 2.7 Therefore believers cannot but love him and follow him Fifthly They follow the Lamb because they love the Lamb. Grace be with all them that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Ephes 6.24 They love him with a superlative love Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73.25 The Spouse of Christ looks upon what she is as not great enough for his remembrance and what she does as not good enough for his acceptance Look not upon me because I am black because the Sun hath looked upon me My Mothers Children were angry with me they made me the keeper of their Vineyard but mine one Vineyard have I not kept Cant. 1.6 The Church is never more fair than when she judgeth her self to be most deformed never more happy than when she accounts her self most miserable never more holy than when she reckons her self most polluted she is never richer than when she seeth her self to be poorest of all The soul that loves much is a soul that works much the Commands of the Gospel are not grievous to him but precious to him Tell me oh thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest Cant. 1.7 A soul that loves Christ hath hath his eye upon Christ and his desire is after Christ The desire of our souls is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee With my Soul have I desired thee in the Night yea with my Spirit will I seek thee early Isa 26.8 9. True believers love Christ more then they love themselves They loved not their lives unto the death Rev. 13 11. Christ is dearer to them than their lives they slighted contemned yea despised their very lives when they stood in competition with Christ and his Glory and chose rather to suffer the greatest misery than he should lose the least dram of his honour The love of Christ hath made his Saints and VVitnesses yield all the parts and members of their bodies to the cruel and mercilesse instruments of bloody persecutors their backs to be whipt their eyes to be boared and their tongues to be cut out of their mouths Heb. 11.37 Oh how strongly did these love the measure of loving Christ is to love him without measure Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Tribulation shall not Persecution shall not Famine and Nakednesse shall not Peril and Sword shall not for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8.35 38 39. Sixthly They follow the Lamb because they are married to the Lamb Jer. 3.14 I am married unto you Rev. 21.9 I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs Wife Cant. 2.16 My beloved is mine and I am his Here I will shew you two things First How Christs comes to be ours 2ly How we come to be Christs First Christ is ours by the free donation and gift of the Father God so loved the word that he gave his only begotten Son John 3.16 Secondly Christ freely gave himself unto us so that Christ is ours by his own consent he hath as it were passed over himself unto us Christ loved me and gave himself for me said the Apostle Gal. 2.20 Thirdly Christ hath passed himself over unto his Church by marriage and therefore she is called his Queen his Spouse his Bride and his VVife Psal 45.9 Although we had nothing to bring to him but poverty shame forrow and misery yet he took us and loved us and married us Fourthly Christ is ours by communicating his own Spirit to us 2. The Saints are Christs four ways First By the Donation of the Father God hath made him both Lord and Christ Acts 2.36 And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the Head over all things in the Church Ephes 1.22 And now saith Christ Behold I and the Children whom thou gavest me thine they were and thou gavest them me John Seventeen Six God the Father gave us to God the Son that he might redeem us and God the Son gave us to God the Father that he might sanctifie us and keep us from the evill of the World verse 17. Secondly We are Christs by choice I have chosen you out of the World And the Saints are said to be Chosen in Christ Eph. 1.4 And they are called A chosen Generation 1 Pet. 2.9 And chosen and faithful Rev. 17.14 Thirdly The Saints are Christs by purchase We were in our Enemies hands and under their power and could not free our selves from the bondage of the Law Sin Satan Death and Hell therefore saith the Apostle We are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6.20 For in respect of Gods Justice we are bought by Christ Fourthly We are Christs by combination and Covenant I entred into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Ezek. 16.8 That is I did make a Solemn Covenant or Stipulation with thee that I would take thee to be my people So that it is no wonder Pelievers follow the Lamb whethersoever he goeth they are married to him he is their Head and Husband Seventhly They follow the Lamb because they have the Spirit of the Lamb We have not the spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are of God And we have the mind of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 2.11 12 16. And we know that he abides in us by the Spirit which he hath given us Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his This Spirit that the Lord
I not forget thee Isa 49.15 Who can harm a man if God be with him and for him He that hath the love of God need not care for the anger of men A true Believer hath the love of God the love of Christ the love of good Angels the love of good men and the love of all whose love is worth the having God protects men in his way but not out of his way When men appear for God God appears for men he is good to them in affliction and he doth them good by affliction The seventh Excellency is They that follow the Lamb shall not feel the wrath of the Lamb. Rev. 2.11 He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death 1 Thes 1.10 And to wait for his Son from Heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 Oh how sad is the condition of those who live and dye without Christ they are sent to Hell Psal 9.17 The wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2 Thes 2.9 They shall feel and suffer the wrath of the Lamb because they despised the truth of the Lamb. Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirl-wind when distress and anguish cometh upon you then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me Pro. 1.24 25 26 27 28. Do you hear this sinners if God will shew you no mercy if you live in your sins and dye in your sins be sure Hell will shew you no mercy Now the Believer shall feel and suffer none of this he is in a happy state and condition The eighth Excellency is They that follow the Lamb shall reign with the Lamb and this is another Excellency of following the Lamb. True Believers do reign now over the Creatures over the pomp and pride of the world over all spirits over sin over the consciences of wicked men and over sufferings but besides all this they shall reign with Christ and over those that now reign over them Rev 5.10 And we shall reign on the Earth Chap. 20.4 And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years And as the wicked tread down the Saints under their feet so shall the saints tread down the wicked under their feet Mal. 4.3 The Lord hath promised that the meek shall inherit the Earth Doth not the Scripture say that In the last dayes the mountain of the Lords house shall be lifted up above the hills and shall be established in the top of the Mountains Isa 2.2 And that the Kingdoms of this world must become the Kingdomes of our Lord Jesus Rev. 11.15 And he that loves to see the face of his Church beautiful will ere long wipe away those bloody tears it is not long before you will triumph and say Cant. 2.11.12 Lo the winter is past the rain is over and gone the flowers appear on the Earth the time of the singing of Birds is come The ninth Excellency is They that follow the Lamb shall sit upon the Throne with the Lamb Rev. 3.20 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to fit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne Ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Mat. 19.28 Oh what an honour is this what a glory is this to sit upon the Throne with Christ Is it not honour and glory enough for us to be in heaven with God and Christ and Angels but must we sit upon a Throne there Oh what an honour is this and yet this honour shall all the Lambs followers have The tenth Excellency of following the Lamb is They that follow the Lamb shall judge the world with the Lamb. If you consult sacred Record you shall find that both God Christ and the Saints are said to judge the world The Ordination is Gods the Execution is Christs the Approbation is the Saints When the Apostle would stop the sinful suits among the Corinthian brethren that did not want men of Eminency to put a period unto Controversies saith Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the world and if the world shall be judged by you are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters 1 Cor. 6.2 Enoch the seventh from Adam Prophesied saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute Judgement upon all Jude 14.15 When the Son of man shall sit in the Throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel Matth. 19.28 Now the world judge the Saints but then the Saints shall judge the world now they judge and condemn Christ in his Members but then they shall be judged and condemned by Christ and his Members For as the World cannot endure God himself so neither can they endure God in the Saints and the more God dwells in the Saints the more the world afflicts the Saints but they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth shall sit upon those that now sit upon them Thus have I shewed you the Excellencies of following the Lamb. Fourthly The misery of those that follow not the Lamb but the Beast O their misery is great in this life but it will be greater in the other The first misery of them that follow the Beast is They that follow him shall share with him in all his plagues And the third Angel followed them saying with a loud voice if any man worship the Beast and his Image and receive his mark in his fore-head or in his hand the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the Cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Lemb Rev. 14.9 10. Oh the plagues the terrible plagues that shall fall upon the Beast Death and mourning and famine and fire Chap. 18.8 The judgements shall come upon all parties and upon all degrees and conditions of men that joyn with the Beast All those that do partake of his sins shall share of his plagues There is First a Vial poured out upon the Earth that is upon the common people Chap. 16. vers 2. Secondly Another Viall upon the Sea that is the Jurisdiction of Rome Verse 3. Thirdly Another Vial upon the Rivers that is their Ministers Vers 4. Fourthly
my fathers lyeth waste and the Gates thereof are consumed with fire Nehem. 2.2 3. How can Sions Sons be rejoycing when their Mother is mourning Though they were the Jews Desolation yet they were Jeremies Lamentation How can such rejoyce in her standing that do not mourn for her falling When the Churches Adversaries make long furrows upon her back we should cast in the seed of tears Remember them that are in bonds as being bound with them and them which suffer adversitie as being your selves also in the body Heb. 13.3 Sympathising with others makes an estate that is joyful more happy and an estate that is doleful less heavy The righteous perish and no man layeth it to heart Isa 5.7 We may draw up that charge against many now Amos 6.46 They lye upon beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon Couches and eat the Lambs out of the flock and the Calves out of the midst of the stall that drink wine in bowls and anoint them selves with the chief Ointments but they are not grieved for the afflictions of Joseph O that there were not too many such now adays that eat the fat and drink the sweet and are not troubled for Sions troubles Instead of sympathising with them in their misery they are censuring of them for their misery But the true Servants of God are tender and broken-hearted they weep and mourn and wring their hands for Sions sins for Sions Breaches for Sions Calamities for Sions Deliverance and thus they do and will do till they see Sion on Mount Sion with the Lamb to be Tenthly the Lambs followers are known by their love to Christ and sufferings for Christ they chuse the worst of sorrows before they will commit the least of sins For thy sake are we killed all the day long and counted as sheep for the slaughter Psa 44. Rom. 8.36 And ye shall be hated of all men for my Names sake Mat. 10 22. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Mat. 5.10 Love can walk on the water without drowning and lye in the fire without burning How shall we land at the Haven of rest if we are not tossed upon the Sea of trouble A believer should live above the love of life and the fear of death Though we cannot live without afflictions yet let us live above afflictions None are so welcome to that spiritual Canaan as those that swim to it through the Red Sea of their own bloud In suffering the offence is done to us in sinning the offence is done to God In suffering we lose the favour of men in sinning we lose the favour of God Therefore Daniel chose the Den of the Lion rather than he would forsake the Cause of the Lamb Dan. 6. And the three Chrildren chose rather to suffer sadly than to sin foully Dan. 3. And Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Heb. 11. â—5 It is better to be a Martyr than a Monarch it is better to be a prisoner for Christ than to be a Prince without Christ or against Christ O how precious how glorious how lovely and how sweet is Jesus Christ to believers O they love him entirely uprightly they love his glorious person and the beauty of his holinesse and his Name his Honour his Cause and his Members they will suffer for him and die for him because he suffered and died for them Rev. 12.11 And they loved not their lives unto the Death Now by this all men may know the Lambs followers from the Beasts followers viz. by their sorrowes and sufferings for Christ for Truth for Righteousness and for Conscience sake Heb. 10.34 And they took joyfully the spoyling of their goods Heb. 11.35 Eleventhly The Lambs followers are known by this They seek the publick good of others above the private good of themselves I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart for I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my brethren my Kinsmen according to the flesh Rom. 9.2.3 And now O Father glorifie thy son that thy son may glorifie thee Joh. 17.1 He prayed for glory more for the Fathers sake that bestowed it than for his own sake that received it A true Christian doth not desire grace only for this end that God may glorifie him but he desires grace for this end that he may glorifie God For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich 2 Cor. 8.9 O that the Lord Jesus should not only in pitty save us but in love dye for us And David after he had served his own Generation by the Will of God fell on sleep Acts 13.36 His Generation did not serve him but he served his Generation not the Generation that was before him for they were dead before he was living nor the Generation that was behind him for they were living after he was dead but his own Generation and not by his own will but by the Will of God Old Ely mourned more for the lose of his Religion than for the lose of his Relation 1 Sam. 4.18 So Moses Exo. 32.10 Now therefore let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them and that I may consume them and I wil make of thee a great Nation He was no self-seeker but a life preserver Grace doth not only make a man carry it like a man to God but to carry it like a God to man Reason makes a man a man but grace makes a man a Christian Every gracious spirit is publick though every publick spirit is not gracious As we are not born by our selves so we are not born for our selves But the Beasts followers and Babylons Merchants are for themselves and seek themselves Yea they are greedy Dogs which can never have enough and they are shepherds that cannot undorstand they all look to their own way every one for his gain from his Quarter Isa 56.11 And teaching things they ought not for filthy lucres sake Tit. 1.11 Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees for ye devoure widdows houses and for a pretence make long prayers therefore ye shall receive the great damnation Mat. 23. These make not gain to stoop to Godlinesse but Godlinesse to stoop to gain Twelfthly and Lastly The Lambs followers may be known from the Beasts followers by this They are more for power than form for heart than Art for matter than method for substance than shew Having a form of Godlinesse but denying the power thereof from such turn away 2 Tim 3.5 As they who have the power of Godliness cannot deny the form so they who have the form of Godliness should not deny the power Alas what is hearing without doing and praying without practising and preaching without reforming God loves to see the plants of