they that profess the Gospel of Peace by their Pride Envy and Hatred are ready to devour one another It doth provoke the God of Heaven to send great and heavy Judgments to Amaze Confound and Consume and Destroy one another Was there ever such a Plague and such a Fire as was in London 1665 and 1666 I hope it will never be forgot nor the Popish late Plot in 1678 against his Majesties Royal Person and to ruin many Thousands in the Nation but blessed and praised be the God of Heaven who doth daily watch over his Majesties Royal Person and the whole Nation Therefore let all that do profess the Gospel learn to live in Love and Peace to be of one Mind and to speak the same thing for this is the best way and the soonest way that the Name of God may be more and more known upon Earth and his saving Health among all Nations that so the People may praise him yea that all People may praise him with new obedience then will the Earth bring forth great Increases and among all Nations there will be a free Trade great Joy and a lasting Peace Let all them therefore that love the Lord be joyful in the Lord let them servet he Lord with gladness and come before his Presence with a Song for the Lord is a great God and a great King above all Gods The Sea is his and he made it and his Hands prepared the dry Land Therefore let all People in all Nations worship and fall down before the Presence of this great Lord Maker and Possessor of Heaven and Earth and kneel before him for he is the Lord our God and we are the People of his Pasture Therefore let us go into his Gates with Thanksgiving and into his Courts with Praise Let all People in all Nations be thankful unto him and speak good of his Name for the Lord is gracious his Mercy is everlasting and his Truth endureth from Generation to Generation Therefore let all the Sons and Daughters of Men praise his great and glorious Name from the rising of the Son to the going down of the same Let every thing that hath Breath praise the Lord for his Greatness and Goodness for his Name is most excellent and his Glory is above the Heavens As this great and mighty God stirr'd me up in time to make known his Mind to prevent much Ruin to Mankind that so among all Nations there may be a general Reformation then let all Dissentors and Sectaries readily and willingly conform and reform to the Government of the Church of England which will encourage many Atheists Papists Jews Turks and Infidels to be in love with the Protestant Religion as it is establisht in the Church of England A Friend loveth at all times and a Brother is born for Adversity and the Wounds of a Friend are better than the Kisses of an Enemy God in Man and God with Man will bring about great and wonderful things not onely for the great Honour and Exaltation of a Kings Person but for the great Joy Peace and Prosperity of many Nations and that without making of many Words or having the Voice much heard Pleasant words they be as a Honey-comb sweet to the Soul and health to the Bones And as Ointment and Perfume doth rejoyce the Heart so doth the Sweetness of a Mans Friend by hearty Counsel in these days of the Gospel and in the Reign of our Royal Sovereign his Majesty of Great Pritain All unbelieving Jews bruirish Athiests wicked and bloody Papists and rebellious Dissentors and Sectaries will be ashamed and confounded that have not improved their time to know and to understand the great Mystery of Godliness God manifest in the Flesh who was justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World by many both Jews and Gentiles and is received up into Glory and there is preparing a place for them that do believe in him and appear for him but he will pour contempt upon all them that will not know and obey him who is the Lord of Life the King of Glory the Prince of Peace the Captain of Mans Salvation the Son of Righteousness that can and will heal all their Diseases and pardon all their Sins that come unto him and well he may because he is the mighty God the everlasting Father the wonderful Counseller the Lord of Hosts who is strong and mighty in Battle that can readily and easily by weak and unlikely means confound and consume the Enemies of his Gospel that do slight and undervalue him be they never so many be they never so great But he will not break a bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax till it bring forth Judgement unto Victory It is not a thing of indifferency but it is of absolute necessity for the Sons and the Daughters of Men the Wisest the Strongest the Richest and the Learned'st and Poorest among them for to believe in the Son of God for whosoever believeth in him whether they be Jew or Gentile hath everlasting Life begun in them but they that will not believe and obey him will not see Life but the Wrath of the ever living God abideth on them Condemnation or Salvation will be the lot and portion of the Sons and Daughters of Men that ever have been or over will be in the World O that none might miscarry because the Lord has laid help upon one that is mighty both able and willing to save unto the uttermost all that come unto him and he will in no wise cast out for God the Father sent not his Son his beloved Son into the World that he should condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved Therefore he that believeth in him is not condemned for he hath the witness in himself but he that believeth not is condemned and there is not any that can be a witness for him or them but all their works and duties will be witnesses against them This made the Apostle St. Paul that great and eminent Saint count all his Righteousness Works and Learning to be loss and dross in comparison of that excellent most profitable and comfortable knowledge that he found in Christ The fruit of the Righteous is a tree of Lise and he that winneth Souls is wise and they that turn many to Righteousness shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever This is a high and honourable work pleasant profitable and delightsome work victorious glorious and crowning work that will crown the God of Heaven with much Glory among the Sons of Men and our Royal Soveraign his Majesty of Great Britain with great Honour and Power over them over all Heathen and Popish Kings Priests Princes and Emperors that so many Nations may be freed from slavery and throughout the whole World there may be great Joy Peace and Prosperity It is sad to consider how that too many do make themselves poor and miserable in the
for their great Joy Freedom and Gain so that the way of the Lord will be known more and more upon Earth and his saving Health among all Nations So that the People will praise him yea all People will praise him with new Obedience so that the Earth will bring forth great Increase and among all People in all Nations there will be a free Trade great Joy and a lasting Peace Let every Man continue in that honest and lawful Calling which Divine Providence has placed them in for it is unsuitable and uncomely for the Ministers to follow the Tradesmans Calling or the Tradesman the Ministers Work as too many have done in these days of the Gospel to the great shame of the Protestant Religion and the Church of England There is no Place Calling or Condition that will honour Men if that they be not careful to honour God and our Royal King his Majesty of Great Britain in them And when that the God of Heaven doth indue any Man with Divine Wisdom and Power for to understand his Mind what may be done and what is to be done for the great Honour Peace and Prosperity of a King and Kingdom let that Man make it known in time to that Minister whom God has set over him and the Minister to the Bishop whom God has set over him and the reverend Bishop in due time and season to the Kings most Excellent Majesty whom the God of Heaven under him has made among the Sons of Men Supream over all Persons and Causes But if that Man be not minded and regarded by the Wise Godly and the Learned whom the most Wise God doth enable in time for to make known his Mind to prevent much Ruin to Mankind then the Wise Godly and the Learned are guilty of those Troubles and Judgements that comes both upon themselves and the Nation and they may call and cry unto the God of Heaven to help to deliver them but he will not regard them because he will help save and deliver them when he will and by whom he will Every good and perfect Gift is from above from the Father of Lights in whom is no variableness or shadow of turning Both the preparation of the Heart and the answer of the Tongue it is from the Lord. Therefore let the Man be what he will or whom he will whom he doth indue with Wisdom and Power for to understand his Mind to do his Will and to injoy his Favour in his Calling let not that Man leave his Calling suddenly nor unadvisedly but let him prove and improve his Graces in his Calling till that Authority whom the God of Heaven has set over him commands him from it I have been very backward and very unwilling to have my mind made known in print and I have been much discouraged thereunto but true Valour will take Incouragement from Discouragement That which doth require it and puts me upon it to have it done in these days of the Gospel and in the Reign of our Royal and Gracious Soveraign it is the Glory of the great and mighty God the Credit of his Holy Gospel the great Honour and Renown of the Protestant Religion the great Joy and Triumph of the Church of England the great Exaltation of our Royal Soveraign his Majesty of Great Britain and the great Shame Contempt and Terror of the Turk the Pope and the Devil and all the Workers of Evil that so many Nations may by freed from slavery and throughout the whole World there may be great Joy Peace and Prosperity This is the Lords doings who is great in Counsel and mighty in Power whose Arm is very long and very strong though he doth make use of a weak and unlikely Man therefore let it be marvellous in the Eyes of them that be most wise I hope that our Royal Soveraign his Majesty of Great Britain will countenance encourage and set forward this Noble Design that Divine Wisdom and Power has enabled me for to make known in time for the great Joy Peace and Prosperity of Mankind As for the great Exaltation of his Majesties Royal Person and the great Joy Peace and Prosperity of many Nations Great has been the Trials and Troubles of the Church of England from her Enemies both at home and abroad so great will be her Joy her Triumphs and Victory over her Enemies both at home and abroad for the Lord will restore Health unto thee and will heal thee of thy Wounds therefore fear thou not nor be dismayed for the Lord who is most Great and most Good will save thee from afar and thy Seed from the Land of their Captivity and thou shalt be in Rest and Quiet and none shall make thee afraid for the Lord who is most wise and most strong is with thee to save thee though he should make a full End of those Nations that Worship Idols and Graven Images yet will he not make a full end of thee but he will correct thee in Measure and will not leave thee altogether unpunished therefore sing with gladness for Jacob and shout among the chief of the Nations Publish ye Praise and say O Lord save thy People the Remnant of Israel the Remnant of England the Remnant of London after such devouring Wars a wasting Pestilence and Consuming Fires for the Lord who is most great and most good he kills and he makes alive he wounds and he heals he casts down and he raises up a Person a Family a City and a Kingdom when he will and by whom he will The Lord that scattered Israel has scattered England and wounded London for is there any Evil in the City but the Lord has done it by inflicting of it and permitting of it for the Workers of Iniquity the Seed of Evil doers the Children of Disobedience are Gods Rod and Gods Sword to punish his Children when they walk contrary unto him but as the End of the Rod is to be burnt so the End of the wicked is to be cut off they are such Chaff that the Lord knows when and how to scatter them and such Briars and Thorns that he can when he please with much Ease consume them Who ever hardened themselves against God and prospered What got proud Pharaoh with his Six hundred chosen Chariots and all the Chariots of Egypt but sudden ruine and destruction What got Sizera with his Nine Hundred Chariots of Iron but shameful ruine and destruction For himself was killed by a Woman and his Army of a sudden routed and destroyed What got Sennacherib that proud King of Assyria who did insult and reproach against the living God and the good King Hezekiah but in one Night it pleased the Lord to send his Angel who did destroy a Hundred fourscore and five Thousand of his Men almost two Hundred Thousand a great Army but yet not Power and Strength enough to withstand one Angel And when the proud King departed and came to Nineveh as he was worshiping his Idol-God
Church of England They that believe will be saved but they that will not labour and endeavour to believe in the Son of God who became the Son of Man will be ashamed confounded and at last destroyed For there is no other remedy for Mans Recovery but by obeying the Gospel Therefore consider what so great a Prince as the Lord of Life and the King of Glory has done for the Sons of Men Let all fall in love with him for if Unbelieving Jews and Bruitish Atheists and Wicked and Bloody Papists and Rebellious Dissentors and Sectaries do not endeavour to love him who is altogether lovely their condition is sad for the present and worse for the future but I hope that in these Gospel-days and in the Reign of our Royal Severaign his Majesty of Great Britain that Jews and Gentiles will come into one Fold and that all People in all Nations will know the True God and Jesus Christ so as to love serve and to honour him For the Lord has promised and he will make it good for to give unto his Son the Heathen for his Inheritance and the uttermost Parts of the Farth for his Possession And who knows but that the time is come that in these days of the Gospel and in the Reign of our Royal Sovereign his Majesty of Great Britain it is to be done This high and honourable work this pleasant profitable and long desired work this victorious glorious and crowning work that will crown the God of Heaven with much glory among the Sons of Men and his Majesty of Great Britain with great Honour and Power over them over all Heathen Popish Kings Priests Princes and Emperors in the World that will not submit to the Gospel and the Protestant Religion as it is taught in the Church of England That this high and honourable work may be brought about by the Lords Annointed his Majesty of Great Britain the God of Heaven has stirr'd me up in time to make known his Mind for the great Joy Peace and Prosperity of Mankind Therefore let the Righteous rejoyce all that be faithful to the God of Heaven to his Majesty of Great Britain to the Protestant Religion and to the Church of England but let the Wicked tremble and all the workers of Iniquity be ashamed for in his Majesties Reign will the Righteous flourish and in his days there will be abundance of Peace so that Strife Contention and Wars in these Gospel-days will cease and throughout the whole World among all People there will be a free Trade great Joy and a lasting Peace Therefore let the Heavens rejoyce and let the Earth be glad let the Sea roar and the fulness thereof let the Fields be joyful and all that is therein then shall all the Trees of the Wood rejoyce for the Lord who is most wise and most strong cometh he cometh to judge the Earth He will judge the World with Righteousness and the People with his Arise and shine thou Church of England thy Light is come the Glory of the Lord is risen upon thee to bring thee to great Honour and Exaltation and the Whore of Babylon the Man of Sin and the Church of Rome to great Shame and Desolation for her Idolatry and Abomination for her Lies and Fornication for the Blood of the Saints that she has slain Her time is come to be brought down with shame but the Lord will have mercy upon Sion upon his Church throughout the whole World the time to favour her is come so that great will be the Joy and Triumph of the Church of England great will be the Exaltation of his Majesty of Great Britain and great will be the Peace and and Prosperity of many Kingdoms Let not any despise the day of small things for that God that speaks peace to a Person can inable a Person to make known his Mind for the great joy peace and prosperity of many Nations Return Return O backsliding Children therefore and remember from whence you are fallen and do your first work for it was better with you than them Even since the Dissentors and Sectaries left off to be wise and to do good they have been the occasion of shedding too much Blood They left off to be wise when they made Separation which has caused Division Contention Sedition and Rebellion They left off doing of much good ever since they have refused to say the daily Prayers of the Church of England which Prayers are suitable and seasonable profitable and comfortable for all Persons in all Nations they tend very much to inform the Ignorant to Reform the Disobedient to Comfort the Weak Christian to Resolve the Doubting to Raise up those that be fallen and to Strengthen them that do Stand if they be but well used and practiced but these Prayers have been slighted and undervalued by them who are too much like many of the Children of Israel who was a proud froward and stubborn Generation Children that could talk of Faith but the Lord told them They had not Faith for they moved him to Jealousie with that which is not god they provoked him to Anger with their Vanities But what saith the Lord who has all power in his own hand and the whole Creation at command he told them that he would move them to Jealousie with those which are not a People he would provoke them to Anger with a foolish Nation And has not our Contentions and Divisions about Religion caused the Lord to afflict us and to scourge us with a foolish and ignorant People even the Papist They that provoke the Lord to Anger he will provoke them to the shame and confusion of their own Faces The Children of Israel did so far provoke to Anger the Lord who is not easily provoked that he did hide his Face from them and would see what their end would be And has not the Lord justly hid his Face from the Dissentors and Sectaries for a long time to see what their end will be How they will quit themselves like Men. They can talk like Men and walk like Men but they have acted too many of them like Children Fools and Mad-men but their own wickedness will correct them and their backsliding will reprove them for the Backsliders in heart will be filled with their own foolish ways they will lie down in sorrow And have not the Dissentors and Sectaries experience enough that have made Separation from the Church of England what it is to backslide from the Worship of God from the Word of God from the Prayers of the Church which tends to Edification Reformation and Consolation and from the ways of God whose ways are ways of Pleasantness and all his Paths Peace and from the Yoke of Christ whose Yoke is easie and his Burden Light And what have they got unto themselves but great Shame and much Confusion When Israel did cast off the thing that was good the Enemy did pursue them So since the Dissentors and Sectaries
out of the hands of unreasonable bloody and deceitful men for all men have not Faith that do profess itâ— Let all pray that the Lord would by his wisdom and power establish his Majesties Royal Throne in Righteousness and enable his Royal Majesty to be a Terrour to all the Workers of Evil and a Praise to them that do well Let all pray that the God of Heaven and Earth would bless his Boyal Majesty with all temporal spiritual and eternal Blessings and when this mortal life of his shall be at an end that the Lord who is most great and most good would give him an everlasting Life and a glorious and unmortal Crown in his own Kingdom Let all that can pray pray that the Lord would bless our Royal Sovereign in all his Royal Relations thâ—â— the word would ennoble them to be true and fruitful Branches of the most Royal Vine that they may slourish in the Courts of Gods House and bring forth such Fruits as will be most suitable and seasonable pleasant profitable and comfortable to themselves and others Let all that can pray pray that the Lord who is most wise and most strong would bless our Royal and Gracious Sovereign with wise and faithful Counsellours that the Lord would counsel them with his Holy Spirit and enable them to be the Repairers of our Breaches and the Restorers of our Paths to dwell in It is the Blessing of the Lord that doth make rich and it is his Blessing that doth make weak and unlikely means effectual but without his Blessing neither Wisdom Power Strength or Counsel can be succesful Let all that can pray pray that the Lord would bless our Royal Sovereign with a wise godly and learned Clergy the Reverend Bishops and all the Ministers of Gods holy Word and Sacraments the Lord make them more and more faithful unto him to our Royal Sovereign 〈◊〉 Majesty of Great Britain to the 〈…〉 and to the Church of England To this end the Lord bestow a double portion of 〈…〉 upon them and grant that they may 〈…〉 of their Labours the salvation of many Souls which will be the Joy of Angels and a Crown to their Ministry Let all that can pray pray that in these days of the Gospel and in the Reign of our Royal Sovereign his Majesty of Great Bâ—â—â—ain the Lord would bless all people in all Mations with truth of grace strength of grace and increase of grace Let all pray that can that the Lord would raise up those that are fallen into the mire of Sin and that he would be pleased to strengthen them that do stand in the good old way of Piety and Honesty as it is taught in the Church of England Let all pray that in these days of the Gospel the Lord would forgive our Enemies Persecutors and Slanderers and turn their hearts That he would be pleased to have mercy upon all men that so his Mercy and Wisdom and Power may be more and more known upon earth and his saving health among all Nations that so among all people there may be a general Reformation which will bring great Joy Peace and Consolation And to his Majesty of Great Britain and to the Church of England great Honour and Exaltation Let not any despise the day of small things for what I have made known in much weakness and many infirmities against much opposition and contradiction I know that the God of Heaven will raise it with great power for the glory of his great Name for the credit of his holy Gospel for the great honour and renown of the Protestant Religion for the great joy and triumph of the Church of England the great honour and exaltation of his Majesty of Great Britain and the great peace and prosperity of many Kingdoms which will be brought about in the days of the Gospel and in the Reign of our Royal Sovereign Cryout and shout thou Inhabitant of Zion thou Church of England for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee to counsel comfort and to strengthen thee in thy troubles and to bring thee to great honour and glory So that all thy Enemies that have been incensed against thee will be ashamed and confounded if that they will not Conform and Reform to the Protestant Religion as it is established in the Church of England which is for Vnity Peace and Concord the best which would have all the Sons and the Daughters of Men to live in the fear of God and to die in his favour then they will not be afraid to die nor asham'd to live but their last works and days will be best It is high and honourable work pleasant prositable and delightsom work it is victorious and crowning-work That the God of Heaven has stirr'd me up for to engage with him in this day of his power for the glory of his great Name for the credit of his holy Gospel for the great honour and renown of the Protestant Religion for the great joy and triumph of the Church of England and the great peace and prosperity of many Kingdoms It is such work that the French King with all his Men and Money has not done cannot do nor knows how to do And why because his Wisdom is Foolishness and his Strength is Weakness to bring it about his Wisdom and his Strength will deceive him and all that trust to their carnal wisdom power and strength in these days of the Gospel and in the Reign of our Royal Sovereign Their wisdom is foolishness and their strength is weakness who are not careful to make themselves strong in the Lord in the Lord Jehovah and in the power of his might O great is the power of Faith that doth inable a mortal man to know that his wisdom and strength is in the Immortal God and to get wisdom and strength from him to be useful and serviceable for him in his Generation for the great Honour of Him and the King and the peace and prosperity of many Nations O great is the power of Faith that doth inable the Sons of Men to be most useful and serviceable both in Church and State and that in the worst of times and before the best of men It is the power of Faith that doth inable the Sons of Men for to have power with the God of Heaven to get power from him and to act with Power for the great Honour of him and the King and the great Peace and Prosperity of his Kingdoms What I have done can do or shall do by the Power of Faith which is the Power of God in this Noble Design which I have made known in time for the great Joy Peace and Prosperity of Mankind I would have all Wise Strong Rich and Learned Men give all the Glory to the God of Heaven because all Glory is due to him both from Man and Angels And that continually the Lord who is most wise and most strong knows when an I how for to
make bare his Arm and to send forth his Light and Truth to shame and condemn all unbelieving Jews bruitish Athetsis wicked and bloody Papists and rebellious Dissontors and Sectaries that do style and undervalue his Word of Truth and will not believe in the God of Truth but do live too many of them as if there was no God that made them and that there is not any that can save them But as the Lord who is most Great and most Good is able and willing to save unto the utmost all that come unto him be their sins never so great and many so he will punish unto the uttermost all that will not come unto him in these days of the Gospel for salvation Understand O ye Heathen and ye â—…believing Jews and ye bruitish Atheists and ye â—…cked and blood-thirsty Papists and ye rebellioâ—â— Dissentors and Sectaries when will ye learn to be wise to fear love serve and to honour him and to know him who gives unto all men their being He that planted the ear shall he not hear he that formed the eye shall he not see us He knows that all things that are wrought in secret will be made known in publick for Light will discover Darkness and the Lord that made man doth not only know all mens hearts but all their thoughts what they tend to and what will be the end of them The way of the wicked is as darkness they know not at what they stumble but the way of the Lord is strength to the upright because he makes him his hopâ— his trust his joy and delight Let not any in these Gospel-days question whether there be a God that made the Heavens the Earth and the Sea and all things that in them be because that he gives life and breath and being unto all the Sons of Men and takes it away when he please from any of them the Lord will be known throughout the whole World to be God by his Judgment upon the Wicked who are his Rod for to punish his Children that walk contrary unto him He that chastiseth the Heathen shall not he correct Yes he will correct them whom he loves most that they may serve him best God had only one Son without sin but not any without suffering our Saviour did learn obedience in the things he suffered not as he was God there could be no obedience desired or required of him but as he was man in taking upon him our Nature he learned Obedience for he took upon him the form of a servant and made himself of no reputation for to bring the Sons and the Daughters of Men that do believe in him to great honour and exaltation Our Nature it was his great humiliation that the Son of God should become the Son of Man it is the highest mystery and the greatest humility But why was this done That so the Sons of Men might become the Sons of God and Children of the Most High And if children heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Christ Which priviledge it is so high that though the Angels in Heaven do continually admire it they will never enjoy it for our Saviour did not take upon him the Nature of Angels but the Seed of Abraham For God so loved the world that he gave his onely beloved Son that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life To this end he obeyed his Fathers will and for his love to the Sons of Men he humbled himself to advance them he became poor to make them rich he under-went his Fathers Frowns that they might enjoy his Smiles he became a Curse that they might enjoy the Blessing he did wear the Crown of Thorns that they might wear the Crown of Glory he died a shameful and a painful death that they might enjoy a happy and a blessed Life And has he done so much for the Sons of Men let not any of them think any thing too much to do for him but let them all be willing to be any thing to be nothing so he may be all Let him rule in them and over them who can best counsel and comfort and strengthen them honour protect and reward them The Angels in Heaven rejoyce and praise God for his love to the Sons of Men in finding out a Ransom for them but the fallen Angels have not any to pity them but they be reserved in Chains of Darkness to the Judgment of the Great day And then all must give Account what they have done in this World whether it be good or evil The good Angels rejoyce and proclaim Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace good will towards men But no Worship or Adoration is due to them much less to pray to Saints Deceased We are to praise God for the benefit and the comfort we have from Angels and good Men and from any of his Creatures Let all the Sons and the Daughters of Men therefore praise the Lord Day by Day for Right-hand Mercies for Left-hand for Temporal Spiritual and Eternal But above all for Jesus Christ the Foundation and the Fountain of them all Let them praise him every Day for their Creation in due time for their Redemption in the fulness of time and their Preservation time after time Let them praise him for the Means of Vocation Justification Sanctification and for hopes of Glorification In these Days of the Gospel and in the Reign of our Royal Sovereign too many that have made Separation from the Church of England have proved wandring Stars and then blazing Stars and at last falling Stars How has many of them boasted of Church Priviledges of Gospel Ordinances of strong Assurance and of great Revelation and of a sudden like a Morning-cloud have vanished away and come to nothing But the path of the Just is as the shining-light that shineth more and more unto the perfect Day The Church of England has her fixed and real Stars which unbelieving Jews bruitish Atheists wicked and bloody Papists and rebellious Dissentors and Sectaries and know not well where they are nor who they are but they are known to the Most High and from him they will give the greatest and the clearest Light in the darkest Night of trouble and affliction that doth befall many Persons and many Nations Husbandmen love to see and to enjoy Fruitful Fields Fruitful Vineyards and Fruitful Gardens And the God of Heaven loves that they that know him and do own him should be Fruitful in Good Works for herein is he much glorified that the Sons and the Daughters of Men should bring forth much Fruit such Fruit as is suitable and seasonable profitable and comfortable in their Generation for the great honour of God the King and Nation As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so be they that be Fruitful among the Sons of Men They may be black with Reproaches cast upon them but they be comely with good Graces wrought in them Every true Member of Christ
all for all or against all when and by whom he please for as his Wisdom is unsearchable so his Power it is unresistable though the Instrument he may use among wise strong rich and learned men may be mean and contemptible But ever since that I have been precious in the Eyes of the most great and glorious God I have been honourable therefore I have not coveted after Silver or Gold Houses or Lands Offices or great Places but I have laboured and coveted to get and to keep to prove and to improve Rich Graces that so my Fruit may be better than Gold and may do more good for the Honour and Renown of the Protestant Religion for the great Exaltation of His Majesty of Great Britain and the great Peace and Prosperity of many Kingdoms than an Army of Men or thousands or ten thousands of Gold or Silver has done I have no grace but what I have received so I have none to be proud of I have not received any but what I have laboured to improve so I have not any to be prodigal with the least grace which I have received from the God of all grace I do esteem it above all the Honours and Riches in the World because that true Grace it is abiding satisfying lasting and everlasting but for the Honours the Riches and Pleasures of this World they be short they be not abiding satisfying nor long-lasting therefore they that would have Grace which is Heavenly Treasure to thrive in their Soul they must value and esteem it above Silver and Gold To be made Partaker of the Divine Nature it is high Honour and great Favour The Righteous shall be glad in the Lord because they trust in him and all the upright in heart will glory Salvation comes not from the Mountains nor from the Hills not from wise strong rich and learned men but from the Lord who made the Earth and the Heavens and that when and by whom he will that all the Glory may redound to him for his right Hand and holy Arm hath the preheminence over all persons in all Nations Let them shout for joy and be glad that favour my Righteous Cause yea let them say continually Let the Lord be magnified which hath pleasure in the Prosperity of his Servants and my Tongue shall speak of his Righteousness and of his Praise all the day long for he hath done marvellous things All the Ends of the Earth that have not seen will see the Salvation of God He maketh Wars to cease unto the End of the Earth He breaketh the Bow and cutteth the Spear asunder and burneth the Chariots in the fire when he pleaseth and by whom he please in these days of the Gospel and in the Reign of our Royal Soveraign His Majesty of Great Britain They that trust to their Chariots and Horses will fail but they that trust in the Lord Jehovah in the use of Means and above Means will prevail There is a River the Streams thereof will make glad the City of God which is the Church of God throughout the whole World For one fair Flood doth send abroad such pleasant Streams apace to refresh the City of our God and to wash his Holy Place Is not the Mighty God in Sion Go walk about and go round about her tell the Towers thereof mark ye well her Bulwarks consider her Palaces that ye may tell it to the Generation following for God who is most wise and most strong is with her and is known in her Palaces for a Refuge She is Beautiful for Situation the Joy of the whole Earth is Mount Sion and the City of the great King The Kings of the Earth in these days of the Gospel and in the Raign of our Royal Soveraign His Majesty of Great Britain they will admire her Wisdom Power and Strength her Honours Riches and great Glory Shall Deliverance be at hand and the Church of England at a stand Shall there be a Well of Water near Hagar and she weep and be in distress Who hath heard such a thing who hath seen such things Shall the Earth be made to bring forth in one day Or shall a Nation be born at once For as soon as Sion travelled she brought forth before her pain came she was delivered of a Man-child Shall the Lord who is most Wise and most Strong bring to the Birth and not cause to bring forth or cause to bring forth and shut the Womb saith thy God No it will not be for in these days of the Gospel and in the Reign of our Royal Soveraign His Majesty of Great Britain the God of Heaven has many Sons and Daughters that are grown up and many to be brought up and more to be brought forth in the use of the Means of Grace which he has appointed and the Church of England has ordained but all the Children of the Most High that are brought up and grown up and to be brought forth all is to be in opposition to the Turk the Pope and the Devil and all the Workers of Evil which will tend very much for the Glory of the Great and Mighty God for the Credit of his holy Gospel for the great Honour and Renown of the Protestant Religion the great Joy and Triumph of the Church of England the great Exaltation of His Majesty of Great Britain and the great Peace and Prosperity of many Kingdoms O that the Sons and the Daughters of Men were wise for to make an Improvement of the Wisdom and Power of the God of Heaven which is better than Strength or Weapons of War or Silver or Gold As for the Wisdom that is in the World among unbelieving Jews bruitish Atheists wicked and bloody Papists and rebellious Dissentors and Sectaries it is foolishness and doth many times end in madness for where Envy Strife and Contention is it brings forth too often Sedition and Rebellion But the Wisdom that is from above it is pure and peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie but where Pride Envy Strife and Contention is there is Confusion and every evil Work Now a good man and a bad man will be known by their Fruits for of Thorns men do not gather Figs nor of a Bramble-bush gather they Grapes but every Tree will be known by his own Fruit. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good that which is suitable and seasonable prositable comfortable and advantageous to many Persons and Families in a City and in a Kingdom But an evil man who is a wicked man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil to the great hurt and undoing of too many Persons and Families in a City and in a Kingdom It is commendable for the Sons of Men the wisest the strongest the richest and the most learnedst among them for to have always their heart to be Inditing
of a good Matter and their Tongue to be as the Pen of a ready Writer that that so they may declare the thing that they have framed for the great Honour and Renown of the King our Royal Soveraign His Majesty of Great Britain and the great Joy Peace and Prosperity of his Kingdoms How welcom should because how Beautiful are the Feet of him that bringeth good Tidings that publisheth Peace that bringeth good Tidings of good that saith unto Sion the Church of England Thy God Raigneth Awake awake put on thy Strength O Zion put on thy Beautiful Garments O Church of England shake thy self from the Dust from the Reproaches that thy Enemies have cast upon thee Loose thy self from the bands of thy Neck for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left and thy Seed shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate Cities to be inhabited in Righteousness shalt thou be established thou shalt be far from Oppression for thou shalt not fear and from terror for it shall not come near thee so as to hurt thee the Sons of them that have afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee and all that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the Soles of thy Feet And thy Enemies shall call thee O Church of England the City of the Lord the Zion of the Holy One of Israel Sing O Barren thou that didst not bear break forth into Singing and cry aloud thou that didst not travel with Child for more are the Children of the Desolate than the Children of the Married Wife saith the Lord Rejoyce ye with Jerusalem with the City of London and be glad with her all ye that love her Rejoyce for Joy with her all ye that have mourned for her for the Lord will extend Peace to her like a River and the Glory of the Gentiles like a slowing Stream then shall ye suck and be satisfied with the Breasts of her Consolations with the Means of Grace which God has appointed for he will give unto thee O Church of England more and more Teachers after his own heart which shall feed his people with Knowledge and Understanding so that they shall milk out and be delighted with the abundance of thy Glory And when you see this you that are full of Fears and Doubts what will become of Zion What will become of the Church of England Your Hearts shall rejoyce and your Bones shall flourish like an Herb for the Hand of the Lord the Power of the Lord will be known towards his Servants and his Indignation towards his Enemies The Nations that know not thy God O Church of England who is the true and the ever-living God will be ashamed and confounded for all their Wisdom their Power and Strength they shall lay their hand upon their Mouth their Ears will be deaf they shall lick the Dust like a Serpent they shall move out of their holes like Worms of the Earth they shall be afraid of the Lord our God and shall fear because of thee O Church of England The Lord will be terrible unto thy Enemies he will famish all the Gods of the Earth that men may worship him every one in his place even all the Isles of the Heathen then the rejoycing City that dwelt carelesly that said in her Heart I am and there is none beside me how will she become a Desolation a place for Beasts to lie down in every one that passeth by her shall hiss and wag his head for the Pope of Rome who is the Whore of Babylon and the Man of Sin will become the Man of Sorrow for the Lord will pour Contempt upon them that have poured Contempt upon his Word and Sacraments as all unbelieving Jews bruitish Atheists wicked bloody and deceitful Papists proud Dissentors and rebellious Sectaries have done But if that they will not learn in these days of the Gospel to be humbled and reformed they will be ashamed and confounded Fear not O Land but be glad and rejoyce for the Lord who is most wise and most strong will do great things for thee O England for thee O London above other Nations for as thou hast had great sorrow and misery so thou wilt have great honour and prosperity The time is come in these days of the Gospel and in the Reign of our Royal Soveraign His Majesty of Great Britain that for thy shame the Lord will give thee double Honour and for Confusion thou shalt greatly Rejoyce everlasting Joy shall be unto thee Thou hast drunken deep of the Cup of Gods Anger but thy Enemies they that hate thee O Church of England will drink the Dregs of it Be glad then ye Children of Zion and rejoyce in the Lord your God for thou shalt be no more tearmed Forsaken for thou shalt forget the shame of thy Youth and shalt not remember the Reproach of thy Widow-hood any more for thy Maker is thine Husband the Lord of Hosts is his Name The Lord thy God in the midst of thee O Church of England is mighty he will save he will rejoyce over thee with Joy he will rest in his Love he will joy over thee with Singing and the Gentiles shall see thy Righteousness and all Kings thy Glory for thou wilt be as a Crown of Glory in the hand of the Lord and as a Royal Diadem in the hand of thy God For as a young man marrieth a Virgin so will thy Sons marry thee and as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride so will thy God rejoyce over thee Therefore ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence and give him no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem the City of London a Praise in the Earth Praise the Lord O Jerusalem praise thy God O Zion for he hath strengthned the Bars of thy Gates he hath blessed thy Children within thee he maketh peace in thy Borders and filleth thee with the sinest of the Wheat He sheweth his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Judgments unto Israel He hath not dealt so with other Nations and as for his Judgments they have not known them Praise ye the Lord that be wise for it is good to sing Praises unto our God for it is pleasant and praise is comely For great is our Lord and of great Power his Understanding is insinite he lifteth up the meek with much ease when they be brought low he casteth the wicked down to the ground when they be so proud as not to know him and so high as not to fear him O that all the Sons and the Daughters of Men in these days of the Gospel and in the Reign of our Royal Soveraign His Majesty of Great Britain would learn to be wise and to know those things that do concern their Everlasting Peace before they go hence and be seen no more for Time flies and Man daily dies there is not an Hour in a Day but many have their Breath taken away All flesh is grass