Isa. 5. 1. I will sing a song to my welbeloved a song of my welbeloved touching his vineyard my welbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill and he fenced it and gathered out the loose stones thereof and planted it with the choicest Vine And Vers. 7. The Vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel and the men of Iudah are his pleasant plant And saith the Lord by his Prophet Zech. 12. 2. Behold I will make Ierusalem a burthensome stone and a cup of trembling unto all the people round about and vers 3. I will make Ierusalem a burthensome stone for all people all that burthen themselves with it shall be cut in pieces though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it Then let all Persecuting spirits have a care how they tread down Gods Vineyard for saith the Prophet Ier. 50. 10 11. For Chaldea shall be a Spoil all that spoil her shall be satisfied saith the Lord Because ye were glad because ye rejoyced O ye Destroyers of my People Then have a care of thy self O Richard Brown for God will have a Controversie with thee for thy treading down his Vineyard for he is the Husband-man yea so saith our Saviour Iohn 15. 1 2. I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husband-man every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh it away So that thou art but a drudge a servant to lop off the fruitless branches and therefore know that thou art not set on work either to cut off fruit-bearing-branches nor the Vine but thou behavest thy self hitherto as if thou wert set on work to root up the Vine even King Iesus and therefore know that in the midst of thy fury thou mayest make more haste then good speed and therefore in the Name of the Lord I am come to let thee know that this Stone cut out off the mountain without hands Dan. 2. 34. this Stone which the builders rejected the same is made the Head of the Corner and this is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes Therefore have a care of being too sie with him for whosoever shall fall upon this stone he shall be broken but on whomsoever it shall fall it will grind him to powder Yea so saith our Vine Matth. 21. 42 44. Then have a care of thy self O Richard Brown for if he fall upon thee he will break thy Lordship to pieces for he shall fall on the feet of the Image and break it to pieces Dan. 2. 34 35. Fourthly As Gods People are his Portion his Heritage and his Vineyard so they are his Sheep and his Flock for he is our God and we are the People of his Pasture and the Sheep of his hands Psal. 95. 7. For know ye yea I say again and again know ye ye Persecutors Know ye that the Lord he is God it is he that hath made us and not we our selves we are his People and the Sheep of his Pasture And thus he led his Flock of old by the hand of Moses and Aaron Psal. 77. 7. Thus did he by and to his Flock of old under that Legal dispensation and he shewed himself valiant for his Flock and his Sheep and that by the hands of Moses and Aaron Witness those ten Plagues he brought upon that Oppressing Tyrant Pharaoh King of Egypt for saith the Lord Exod. 3. 7 8. I have surely seen the Affliction of my People which are in Egypt yea and so he doth in England for it is not fair pretences that can blind his eyes or stop his ears for saith he I have heard their cries by reason of their Task-Masters that would violate their Consciences for I know their sorrows and am come down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians and he is the same God still for he can both see hear and will in his due time deliver For they are his Sheep and if they can but behave themselves like Sheep if they can but suffer their Wool to be torn off their Backs by such Bryary Brambles Thorns as thou art O Richard Brown if they can but according to the Requirement of that Shepherd and Bishop of their souls 1 Pet. 2. 25. that great Shepherd of the Sheep who became so through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 13. 20. I say if they can but follow his example who left himself an example for them 1 Pet. 2. 21. who although he was the great Shepherd yet he was oppressed and afflicted and he opened not his mouth Yea he was led as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before the is dumb so opened he not his mouth Isai. 53. who requireth that his Sheep should learn of him for saith he I am Meek and Lowly in heart and they shall find rest for their Souls Mat. 11. 29. who also requireth Luke 21. 19. that in their patience they should possesse their Souls And if they can but follow the word of Command given out of the Mouth of this great Shepheard the Captain of their Salvation who himself was made perfect through Sufferings Heb. 2. 10. I say if they would but observe his word of Command Mat. 24. 6. that when they shall hear of Wars and Rumours of Wars Nation against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom that then they be not troubled But with the Flock of God gone before them that they stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord Exod. 14. 13. for he will come down in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of Christ 2 Thes. 17. 8. But upon Mount Zion or to the Flock of God shall be Deliverance and there shall be Holiness and the House of Iacob or the Seed of Faith shall possesse their possessions Obadiah 17. For saith the Prophet Isai. 34. 1 2 8. Come near ye Nations and hear and hearken ye People Let the Earth hear and all that is therein the world and all things that come forth of it for the Indignation of the Lord is upon all Nations and his fury upon all their Armies for it is the day of the Lords vengeance and the year of recompences for the controversies of Zion For saith the Prophet Zech. 9. 16. And the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the Flock of his People for they shall be as the Stones of a Crown lifted up as an Ensign upon his Land O then have a care Opppressors both how and whom ye oppresse for it will be your own safety 5. For as they are his Portion his Heritage his Vineyard and his Sheep and Flock So they are Gods Garden for so saith the Lord Cant. 4. 12. A Garden inclosed is my Sister my Spouse The people of God are his Plants yea so saith the Lord Christ Mat. 15. 13. Every Plant that my Heavenly Father hath not Planted shall be rooted up for if we have been planted into the
not sparing the Flock also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them c. Such whom he telleth us do lie in wait to deceive Ephes. 4. 14. And thus we evidently see the Devil hath his Civil and his Ecclesiastical Instruments his Spiritual and his Temporal Engines that if he cannot get men to relinquish the Wayes of God by a Persecuting Hand then he striveth what he can to poyson them with False Doctrine Errours and Heresies and the one he endeavoureth to do generally at all times the other but when he hath a Commission So that it may be said to Persecutors yea and to the Devil himself as once the Lord Christ said That he nor they can do nothing except it be given them from above John 19. 11. For as the Devil must have his Commission Signed before he or his Instruments can Act any thing against Gods People So Secondly he is Limited for ye shall have Tribulation ten Dayes ten Dayes is his time Limited And as I said before I Judge and that upon an Experimental Account that this Text is meant Really and Actually that it shall be performed So I fear that some that have Experienced it so to be have and do own it strictly in the Sence of Ten Natural or Artificial Dayes following one successively after the other consisting of twenty four hours a piece or else they would not have made so much haste out of Prison as they did some by Swearing and others by Engaging to the Dishonour of that God they serve the Blemishing of his Truth and the Disencouraging and stumbling of weak single-hearted Souls and the great burthen of their Brethren under the same Sufferings For we are not to Limit the Holy One of Israel how long his ten Dayes shall last or in what Sence it is meant Some through Mercy lay above ten Weeks and had ten Moneths been added to those ten Weeks and ten Years to those ten Moneths they durst not in the least have entertained a Thought to have gained their Enlargement to the Dishonour of their Master by Swearing to King Charles contrary to the Law of King Iesus who saith Mat. 5. 34. Swear not at all As to the ten Dayes Imprisonment we know it possibly may be some Years as the Apostle Paul was who had worn out two Years at Rome after he had appealed to Cesar where the story of the Scripture leaveth him under Bonds Acts 28. 30. But Gods time of Deliverance is the best time for deliverance through Mercy some have had it and therefore I am Desirous that others should wait for it But this was and is the great Confidence and Comfort of some of Gods People that the Devil is Limited as to his Power as well as to his Time He can go no farther than his Bounds For all that he hath is in thy Hand said God to the Devil Onely upon himself put not forth thy Hand Job 1. 12. And Satan appeared before the Lord a second Time Job 2. 3. And the Lord said unto Satan Hast thou considered my Servant Iob who still holdeth his integrity although thou movedst me against him without a cause From whence I for my own part have great cause to Rejoyce yea and I do Rejoyce in that Causelesly I and others of our Judgement were haled to Prison and injuriously Printed as Traytors and that by the Good Hand of our God upon us our Innocency is cleared and we cleared without Fees I say again it was the Good Hand of our God upon us and we must to his Praise acknowledge it But to our Matter The Devil hath done what he can to Iob and yet Iob holds his Integrity But the Devil will not so leave him for saith the Devil Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his Life put forth now thine hand and touch his bones and his flesh and he will Curse thee to thy Face And the Lord said unto Satan Behold he is in thy Hands but save his Life Here is a new Commission and a new Limitation whence we may still take notice of the Providential Care that the Great God hath of his poor Faithful Ones for saith our Saviour Are not two Sparrows sould in the Market for one Farthing and not one of them shall fall to the Ground without your Heavenly Father But the very Hairs of your Head are all numbred pray mind it are all Numbred Fear ye not therefore ye are of more Ualue than many Sparrows Doth God take care for Oxen 1 Cor. 9. 9. Doth God take care for Sparrows And will he not take care for you if you in his strength stand firm to his Requirements O ye of Little Faith God gives his Servants Gifts and Graces and God requires an Improvement of those Gifts and Graces that so he may have the Glory of them And therefore the next thing considerable in the Text is That the Devil shall cast some of you into Prison ten Dayes that you may be Tried mind it Souls it is that you may be Tryed And now Friends look to your selves you that were not willing in times of Prosperity to keep close to the Words of Christs Patience will hardly with Patience lie in a Prison or a dark Dungeon in this hour of Temptation that shall come upon all the World to try them that dwell upon Earth to try those that live upon the Earthly Vanities of the Earth upon Creatures and Creature Comforts I say look to it for I am verily perswaded and that by the Word of the Lord that God hath yet a finer seive to bring his people thorow And as I said in my Fannaticks Letter in page 19. God is now going to gather Congregations out of Congregations and Churches out of Churches Oh! how many are there that have already fallen through this Course Seive and these no mean Ones neither This little Ridling time me-thinks it seems to me like the Dragons Tail spoken of Rev. 12. 4. That drew the third part of the Stars after it and cast them to the Earth cast them into the World again for their earthly Mindednesse I could wish that such souls would seriously consider the danger they are in from Heb. 6. 6. Oh consider this all ye that forget God lest he take you away and there be none to help Psal. 50. 22. Christ is now sitting as a Resiner and Purifier of Silver Mal. 3. 3. And he will purifie the Sons of Levi and purge them as Gold and Silver that they may offer an Offering in Righteousness He is now at work with his Fullers Soap and how can they be cleansed that will not endure the scouring Water of Persecution Therefore know that if ye will not endure the Heat of the Furnace if ye will not hold out the Tryal if ye will not trust to the Refiners skill and wait his Leasure if yea will Leap out of the Fire if you will shrink thus
again again and again but we see the Conclusion is a Prison a Dungeon but this I am confident of that he that fitteth in the Heavens doth laugh such violent Actions to scorn and the Actors of such Oppressions he will have them in Derision yea I say again the Lord will have them in Derision for so saith the Lord by the Mouth of a King Psal. 2. 1. c. Why do the Heathen rage and the People Imagine a vain thing the Kings of the Earth set themselves and the Rulers take Counsel together against the Lord and against his Anointed saying Let us break their Bonds asunder and cast away their Cords from us But in the midst of all these Contrivances as in Belshazzars case Dan 5. 5. there is a Hand-writing in the way that will cause some Trouble the which I cannot but declare and it is no more but the words of the Text for saith the Spirit of the Lord in vers 4. He that sitteth in the Heavens shall Laugh and who can hinder him yea the Lord shall have them in Derision and who shall gain-say it But give me leave in Christian Love to go on to give this Caution in the words of the same Man of God in v. 10. Be wise therefore O ye Kings be Instructed yea Iudges of the Earth ye Iudges before whom the peaceable People of God often in your Circuits are Haled And you Iudges of the Earth that are to Seal Decrees against them I say again take good heed in Gods fear what ye do to them for saith the Prophet to the People of God and that to their great comfort Zach. 2 8. He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of his Eye a tender place a choice thing yea they are his Sons and Daughters 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. His Iewels Mal. 2. 17. His choice ones that shall be his such as he himself will spare as a man spareth his own son that serveth him And if you will not spare them look to it the Lord will have you in Derision the Lord will Laugh you to scorn O then be instructed ye Judges of the Earth for ye judge not for man but for the Lord And will you not spare the peaceable Sons and Daughters of God that he would have spared If King Charles should say to you Spare such or such a man that comes before you would you dare to Condemn and Execute him How dare you then Arraign Iudge and Condemn to Prisons and strong holds an Dungeons the Sons and Daughters of the great God who are so near and dear to him and such of whom the Lord Christ saith He that receiveth you receiveth me Mat. 10. 40. And in as much as ye did it not to one of these littles ones ye did it not unto me Mat. 25. 45. And Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9. 4. Therefore upon the Seat of Iudgement Remember Mercy for he shall have Iudgement without Mercy that hrth shewed no Mercy Jam. 2. 13. I would not here be mistaken I do not plead with you Iudges that you should pervert Judgement far be it from me so to do but if ye find a Baptist such as I am now pleading for a Malefactor let my Tongue cleave to the Roof of my Mouth or my Pen fall out of my hand if ever I either speak or write in Vindication of any or of my Self if found in the way of evil-doing But if after the way which you call Heresie I or any are found worshipping the God of our Fathers I say again and again I hope I shall by Divine assistance plead and write if possible And herein I would have you all to take that safe Counsel and good Advice of one of your Brethren a Doctor of the Law Acts 5. 34. who said vers 38. Refrain from these men and let them alone for if this Counsel or this Work be of man it will come to nothing but if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it lest ye be found fighting against God And it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God Heb. 10. 31. For our God or the God of the Baptized People is a consuming fire Use Moderation therefore I forewarn you lest the fire of this God fall suddenly upon you as once it did upon Sodom and Gomorrah and the Neighbouring Cities for their abominations Be wise therefore O ye Kings be Instructed ye Iudges of the Earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce before him with trembling Kisse the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled ye a but a little Blessed yea I say again Blessed are all they that trust in him Psal. 2. 10 c. O then I beseech you in Gods fear have a care both Prince and People what ye do in shutting up the peaceable Meetings of the quiet People of God such as would according to the requirement of the Lord do Gods Work in Gods way they would not neglect the assembling of themselves together as the manner of some is but would Exhort one another daily whilst it is called to day who according to the Requirement of the Lord by his Apostle 1 Tim. 2. 1. would first of all make Prayers Supplications Intercessions and giving of Thanks for all men for Kings and all that are in Authority for King Charles and all his Courtiers for Mayor Brown and all his Citizens And for Iustices of Peace in all Cities Corporations Towns and Borroughs with all their Gentry Citizens Manufactures Yeoman and Rusticks that God would open the eyes of their understandings so as that they might see what they are a doing and how they on all hands are rendring to God for all his Benefits bestowed upon them in making and in so Eagerly prosecuting that Proclamation to shut up those peaceable quiet harmless and In-offensive Meetings of Gods People to the hindring as much as in them lyeth their Prayers from Ascending up to God and his Blessing from Descending upon them in which however they have and shall manifest themselves to be our Enemies yet I shall let them know that notwithstanding their thus using us we dare not neglect our Duties in praying for them for that is the Requirement of our Lord and Master King Iesus who as he saith Swear not at all Mat. 5 34. so also he saith vers 44. Love your Enemies Blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you and Pray for them that despitefully use you And for my own part I dare no more omit the doing of the One than I dare yield to the acting of the other And therefore O Richard Brown I shall let thee know that get me into thy Clutches when thou wilt and get a Commission to offer me up as soon as thou canst yet know that in the words of my Brother Stephen he who first taught Gods People how and in what manner to Suffer Acts 7. 60. I shall in his words say
for thou hast an Alarm from one of the Sons of Zion that telleth thee thy Condition is sad and that he is such an one unto thee as once the Lord Christ was to the Woman at the Well of Samaria Iohn 4. 17 29. that he is down-right with thee and telleth thee in plainness of speech what thou hast done and what is thy danger and what thy acts of violence will bring thee to And when Conscience is throughly awaked ask it seriously and desire it to satisfie thee plainly whether it doth judge that thou thy self couldest be willing to be served as thou hast served many a poor man yea many a miserable poor man that thou hast cast into Prison And were thy Children tender and young as possible some of theirs are at thy poor empty and naked house crying out for bread and thou kept in Prison not in a capacity to gain thine own nor theirs even to the wounding of thy Soul and to the great burthen of thy Spirit Ask thy Conscience also whether it ought not to make scruple of an Oath especially in Swearing for and against and whether thou couldest be willing to be forced to Swear one day for this thing and another day against that same thing Ask it also whether it could be willing to be forced to go to such a Worship as is meerly Formal Carnal and in a great measure Papal when it is really convinced of the contrary and whether it could be willing to be forced to maintain an Antichristian Ministery in opposition to the true Ministers of Jesus I say again O Richard Brown if thou art not willing to act as a Christian upon a Scripture account then rouse up and awaken thy Conscience and act but like a meer Heathen and confident I am thou wilt find more comfort in it in the conclusion than thou wilt in thy present actings by many degrees For now thou art Persecuting the People of God not knowing in what Relation they stand to the great God and his Son Jesus Christ for as the whole bulk of mankind was in a lost condition and as our first Parents sold us all by reason of their first transgression so God found a way out of his meer Love to buy us again to himself for so saith our Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. Ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price therefore glorify God both in your bodies and in your spirits which are Gods And 1 Cor. 7. 23. Ye are bought with a price be not the servants of men And he that bought us saith by his Son Mat. 5. 34. Swear not at all and yet thou dost imprison men and women because they will not serve men in Swearing for them and when they would have them Secondly We cost God dear even his own Son Tit. 2. 14. yea the precious blood of that Son For so saith the Text 1 Pet. 1. 18. For ye are 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 the Son of God as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Yea by the Blood of him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own Blood Rev. 1. 5. and Rev. 5. 9. and Heb. 9. 12 13 26. And so First We are his Portion for the Lords People are his Portion Deut. 32. 9. Zech. 2. 12. And now Richard Brown consider what thou art doing thou art squandring away the Lords Portion thou wert better by many degrees be doing something else for the very hairs of their heads are all numbred Matt. 10. 30. and he that toucheth them toucheth the apple of Gods eye Zech. 2. 8. Yea so saith the Prophet Moses Deut. 32. 10. speaking of Gods People he found them in a Desart Land in a waste howling Wilderness he led them about and instructed them he kept them as the apple of his eye And this was the Prayer of David when he was in distress Psal. 17. 8. Keep me O Lord as the apple of thine eye hide me under the shadow of thy wings Mens Portions we know are to be employed for the benefit of the Owners and the People and Portion that cost God so dear should be improved for God by setting forth his glory in their several and respective Meetings and increasing their number But thou hast shut up their Meetings and shut them up into Prison-holes and Dungeons O Richard Brown how wilt thou answer the Lord Iehovah for these thy cruel dealings O in the fear of the Lord consider thy ways and the Lords Patience yet towards thee should the Lord be but as cruel to thee as thou art to his Portion his poor peaceable innocent harmless People What dost thou think would become of thee to Eternity Turn back again to the Law-case in Page 32. and read thy doom what it will be except thou agree with him whom thou hast thus made thine Adversary even quickly whilst thou art in the way Secondly As they are his dear Portion by Purchase so they are his Heritage Ioel 2. 17. and God by his Spirit in his servant 1 Pet. 5. 3. requires those that are the Elders over his People that they Lord it not overGods Heritage as the Parish-Priests use to Lord it over their Flocks and the Bishops were wont to Lord it in their Dioces But consider O R. Brown since thou wert L. Mayor how thou hast lorded nay tyrannized over Gods Heritage whom thou by the Lord never hadst an appointment to overlook nor watch over therefore see the danger thou art in for thy so doing as well as others in all other Heathenish Nations for saith the Lord Ioel 2. 2. I will gather all nations and bring them down into the Valley of Iehoshaphat and will plead with them there for my People and for mine Heritage whom they have scattered among the Nations Yea I say O Richard Brown that God will reckon with thee for those that thou hast Imprisoned by which meanes thou hast scattered the Flock and dispersed derided and despised Gods Heritage For thus saith the Lord Vers. 11. Come ye Heathen and I say O Lord Major of London that hast not acted so well as most of the Heathens unless thou Repent thou also shalt there be Reckoned withall and that Reckoning will be terrible for Vers. 16. The Lord shall roar out of Zion and utter his voice from Ierusalem and the heavens and the earth shall be shaken And Vers. 19. Egypt shall be a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness for their Uiolence against the Children of Iudah because they have shed innocent blood in their land then beware O BLOODY MAIOR Thirdly And as Gods People are the Portion and Heritage of God so they are the Vinyard of God for so saith that Kingly Prophet Ps. 80. 15. They are Gods Vine the Vinyard which his own right hand hath planted Yea so also as saith that Evangelical Prophet