from the milk and drawn from the brests For with another tongue will he speak to this people and this shall be the Rest to them that be weary till then the Word of the Lord shall be precept on precept line by line here and there a little lyes and falshood shall be no more a refuge I will lay a foundation in Zion a sure tryed One and he that believeth shall not make haste SECT XXVI §. 26 The wise and the fool both alike in the sealed book till the Lord open it I Will fight against Ariel and speak to her from the dust all the earth that fight against Zion my Mountain I will fight against them and they shall be as men dreaming they eat and drink and are satisfied but behold when they do awake they shall be hungry and thirsty so shall the imaginations or dreams against thee be And the Lord saith Forasmuch as this people honors me with their lips and their hearts are from me they are drunk but not with wine but a deep sleep hath seized on them like a sealed book all things are to them that the learned is as the unlearned and the unlearned as the learned neither understand me knowing only the doctrine of men and I will do this wonder amongst them for the wisdom of the wise shall perish and the understanding of the prudent hid But the deaf shall hear and the words of my Book shall be revealed to the blind the meek increase their joy in the Lord and the poor amongst men rejoyce in the riches of the holy One of Israel they also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured shall learn doctrine this Wisdom of the Word becomes foolishness and the foolishness of the Lord true Knowledg and Wisdom indeed SECT XXVII §. 27 The Counsel that is not of God perishes WOe to the Counsel that is not of me and from my Spirit or Mouth wherefore all things shall be your shame and without profit all help else is in vain write it in a table book thus which say to the Seers See not teach smooth things go out of the way cause the holy One of Israel to cease before us And as for quietness and rest in the Lord alone you would not yet the Lord shall wait for thee and thou shalt have aword behind thee teaching thee when to turn to the right the left and the Lord shall give thee rivers on the top of the mountains and knowledg shall increase when the Lord healeth the breach of his people the light of Moon like the Sun and the Sun seven-fold brighter then shall the perfect day be and that shall cause his voyce to be heard SECT XXVIII §. 28 Nothing below God any thing WOe to them that go downwards for help looking to any thing below God for their men and means and not God when the Lord stretcheth his hand both he that is helped and that helpeth shall fall down and they shall all fall down together teacher and hearer without him The Lord like a Lyon shall keep Zion his prey and like a bird fly to their defence and all the earth shall be afraid of the Lord and run to their strong holds for the Lord hath his fire in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem saith the Lord. SECT XXIX §. 29 Righteousness and Judgment King and Prince BEhold Righteousness thy King and Judgment thy Princes as rivers of waters as a rock in a weary land so is thy Lords Grace to thee no dimness nor dullness nor villany but Righteousness abounding behold the palaces shall be forsaken the Cities left the forts and towers dens until the Spirit be poured out from on high then Judgment shall be in the Wilderness and Righteousness the Field and peace and quietness and assurance the fruits thereof for ever SECT XXX §. 30 Who shall abide the everlasting burning and not be consumed therein THe spoiler spoiled by the Lord for he is exalted he filleth us his Zion with Judgment and Righteousness Wisdom and Knowledg the stability of of thy times and strength of salvation and the fear of the Lord thy treasure Now will I arise saith the Lord be exalted and lift up my self Ye shall conceive chaff and bring forth stubble my breath as fire shall devour you and you shall be as the burning of lime as thorns cut down so burnt in the fire Hear ye both far and neer acknowledg my might the sinners afraid the hypocrites trembled for fear of the devouring fire and the everlasting burning but he that walketh uprightly and speaketh righteously he that is against the gain of oppression that shaketh his hands against bribes that stops his ears from blood and his eyes from evil he shall dwell in the midst of the fire as Moses bush and the three children and not be consumed he shall dwell on high his defence the munition of rocks he shall have all bread his waters sure his King beautiful and before him and see things afar off Look upon Zion and Jerusalem our solemnities and our quiet habitation a Tabernacle not to be removed not a stake ever to be removed she is so rooted and stablished in the rock not a coard broken but there the righteous Lord shall be to us abroad river for the Lord is our Judg Law-giver King and Saviour and the people dwelling therein shall be forgiven their iniquity they shall not be sick praise the Lord. SECT XXXI §. 31 The wrath of the Lord revealed against earth and heaven HErein is revealed the indignation of the Lord against all unrighteousness of men which hold the truth in unrighteousness bringing them all to the fiery Vengeance First Let the Nations and people the earth yea the whole world and all therein draw near hear and hearken what God will do with them and the world That he will pour out his wrath and fury upon all the earth it shall be dissolved and delivered up to the slaughter cast out and left as stinking carcasses melted into blood nay his wrath is revealed against Heaven also they that boast themselves they are gods having heaven in the flesh a carnal heaven onely in shew and appearance not in heart it shall be bathed against the whole hoste of them and they shall all in heaven and earth be sacrificed to the slaughter for it is the day of the Lords vengeance and recompence upon them for their enmity to Sion and their streams shall be pitch their dust brimstone and the Land a burning tormenting all them that live in the earth and it shall not be quenched till all be finished in that day SECT XXXII §. 32 What strange things the Lord doth amongst us by his Spirit THe Lord will make your wilderness to rejoyce and the desart soul to blossom like a rose abundantly and he that is as a wilderness to rejoyce and sing the weak strengthened and the feeble confirmed the fearful in spirit encouraged
Goliah in the world of darkness and depths of Satan this Spirit of the Lord as a David with its stone and its sling its rod and staff makes way strikes dead to the ground whatsoever stands up and oppose laying all their glory in the dust making the Lyon and the Churl to be like Lambs and Doves silencing all the unclean spirits and establishes its throne in the midst of us SECT V. §. 5 The Raign of the Spirit of the Lord the true DAVID BEsides this Israel chose David now Saul is dead for her King and Iudah and Israel have one King the Lord our Righteousness of which David was a Type shall rule over all where it was said Ye are not my people it shall be said Ye are the sons of the living God for they shall seek the Lord and fear his goodness in the latter days and be a long time without a King Priest or Prophet and then they shall turn to the Lord yea the Philistins also shall have the Lord our David for their King the Heathen shal be his Inheritance the Kings themselves shall be wise and come and kiss the Son David daunceth before the Ark and would appear more vile to Michal if that was vile in her eyes she being childless this is the glory of the Saints the Ark the Lord his Glory it s their song and daunces they sing after his Instruments and this joy of the Saints and spiritual daunces all within us leaps for joy Michal this barren dry flesh scorns all such things as Ishmael scoffed at Isaac so doth flesh the spirit David prayeth the Spirit prayeth Villany is condemned Innocency in Uriah protected Adulteries especially spiritual Adulteries mortified Nathans truth confessed Parables opened and applyed treacherous Absoloms incestuous Ammons Rebellious Shebaes cursing Shimeies all of them consumed hanged and beheaded being judged to death by the King of Righteouâ—nesse David But the Worthies the Ionathans and all the faithful in the Lord renowned and Davids choice is followed by all the Worthies rather to fall into the hands of the Lord then the hands of men and the plague fell upon all flesh and his blessing was still with his spirit CHAP. IX The eighth Book that God writes in Man is §. 1 the third Book of KINGS SOlomon is anointed King his mother asketh Abishag for her son Adoâ—ijah Solomon would have her ask for the Kingdom as soon Adonyah fled Davids Charge to his son Solomon Solomons wisdom given of God the Justice he did the two mothers about the child Solomons building the Temple his workmen his peace and plenty his own house his many wives his blessing and prayer his Kingdom divided Ieroboam King of Israel Rehoboam of Iudah Ieroboams Calves Rehoboams counsel from the young men refusing the old Ahabs wicked raign Elijahs power the people halting Baals Priests destroyed the prayer of Elijah heard the water dryed up the Heavens give rain at his prayer Ahabs false Prophets Ahab goes to battel but prospers not according as Micah said Now all these things are they not written in the Books of the Lord opened in Man which are the true Books of Israel There Solomon Christ Jesus the son of David sits upon the Throne of his Father David it is given to them for whom it is prepared and he that hath Abishag the Queen hath the Kingdom also so he that hath the Queen of Grace hath the Kingdom of Peace which here Solomons wisdom shews us The hunger and thirst after Righteousnesse the seeking the things of Christ and not our own the Kingdom of God and his Righteousnesse all other things are added to us this is the desire in the Saints the only necessary thing how to go in and out before the Lord how to live before him all his days Again The wisdom from above judgeth all things knows whose the living child is and whose the dead and knows that the Lord will have a living child My son give me thy heart and not a dead child or half a child to serve God and Mammon Solomon builds a Temple thus the Lord builds a Temple in us we are the buildings of the Holy Ghost the Temple of the Lord. SECT II. §. 2 A Kingdom divided cannot stand Christs is not divided THe Kingdome divided cannot stand Satans Kingdom divided must fall Christs is not divided neither can be yet many Kings and many Lords many men and means flesh and form divides Paul Apollo and Cephas they were divided in men but united in Christ and having several forms yet one Spirit but when we come to the unity of the Spirit then we shall say many Lords and Gods have ruled over us but to us now there is but one God and Lord the Father of all that is within us all And neither Jeroboams false Gods nor Rehoboams heavy finger nor folly in neglecting the old Councellors shal divide us but we shall walk together in the light of the Lord our God no Ahab shall raign amongst us nor Baals Priests trouble us but the power of the Lord in his Elijah shall be like fire out of their mouths to slay them and there shall be no halting any more between Baal and God Flesh and Spirit but the knowledg of the Lord shall increase and they shall serve the Lord alone they shall shut Heaven and open it the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven shall be given unto them and all Ahabs and Jezabels shall be given over to beleeve lyes till iniquity be their ruine seeing they refused to be instructed and would none of the Lords counsel the Lord will mock at their calamity and laugh when their fear cometh CHAP. X. The ninth Book that God writes in Man §. 1 is the fourth Book of KINGS THe fourth Book of Kings opened Fire from Elijah that consumes the Captain and his fifty Elijahs blessing upon Elisha Elijah taken up into Heaven Elisha received his Spirit divided the waters healed them maketh the Ax to swim visiteth the Shunamite blesseth her case is fed by a Raven Hezekiahs and Josiah's good raign all which we are the truth and substance of thus the Lord doth with us we are a fire and a flame to our enemies to burn up stubble before us and all that shall fall upon us shall be broken in pieces but on whomsoever we shall fall we shall grind them to powder we are to be taken up in the fiery Chariot of the Lords love burning like fire and let all our dross and flesh fall from us like dross to the earth like his Mantle and we have also received the spirit of Elisha in a double measure not only his Mantle but his Grace and Gods gracious presence not only to divide the waters and heal them but also to divide between Light and Darkness Heaven and Earth Flesh and Spirit Sweet and Bitter Good and Evil Day and Night and to turn the evil into good the night into day that they that sit in darkness and in
shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercy So the strangers and strange wives are removed there shall no unclean thing live there any more Whatsoever lives in that is a stranger or a strange wife any thing thou art wedded or married to that is not the Lord is a strange wife that steals away thy heart and the Lord will give thee a bill of divorcement to put her away CHAP. XIII The twelfth Book that God writes in Man §. 1 is called ESTHER THe book of Esther opened in Man is nothing else but the state of a poor earthly creature in whom there is nothing when once beloved of God the Lord hath a favor to it and sends forth his Spirit to prepare it all things according to his heart and minde and so is brought forth in great glory washed perfumed adorned justified sanctified and so glorified with the Lord to be betrothed to the Lord in truth in judgment and in righteousness And as it shews how the Lord exalts the lowly and meek the worm and nothing above all things so it also holds forth the pomp pride and glory of all flesh and the fall thereof is great and that in Haman a lively figure and representation of this how flesh and blood is exalted and what favor honor friends it may have yea what obeysance and homage how it may have a glorious footstool and as stately and magnificent a crown as the god and king of this world can give him And what shall not be done to the man whom the whole world jointly intends to honor Here all things below are theirs yet behold of a sudden he is cut down like the grass and cast into the oven Cry then All flesh is grass and the glory thereof like the flower of grass so soon it withers away and we are gone surely all flesh is grass but the Word of the Lord endures for ever His Grace and Truth throughout all generations his Garments do not change neither his feet weary nor his shoes wax old but all is more beautiful for the wearing This is true in Esther and Haman the one Grace advanced the other Flesh disgraced CHAP. XIV The thirteenth Book that God writes in Man §. 1 is called JOB THe book of Job opened in man And herein you have the life and state of a Christian held forth dying in the flesh and to the world and then living to God and rising in Spirit above this world entering into another world his life with God in Christ this Job shews us in this history the true pattern of the other as for example first The Christians dying in the flesh and to the world is clearly manifested in Jobs miseries how Satan set upon him his wife tempting him Satan accusing him God hiding himself for a moment from him Satan buffeting him his children destroyed his cattel consumed his houses burnt his lands and living impoverished his spirit troubled his health broken his body bruised even from the crown of the head to the feet all over afflicted his friends forsake him his comforters torment him all his Physitians of no value thus he lies in the bed of sicknesse death seising upon all he hath SECT II. §. 2 What is the Mystery of this History of Job in Man I Pray what is this but the Christian crucified to the world and the world crucified to him a Christians dying dayly mortifying his members here upon the earth For this is the Will of the Lord even the denying of our selves and the bearing of our cross and following him And is not all this taught and learnt here in the spiritual state But mark the conclusion It dyes in weaknesse but it doth rise in power it is sown a natural body but it rises a spiritual body it dyes in the flesh but rises in the Spirit So much is clear in the other part of the History All that God took away from Job in the Flesh he gave him again in the Spirit so is it in the Mystery what we lose one way we gain another way we lose according as it is written He that loseth his life shall save it and he that would save his life shall lose it And again He that loseth or forsaketh father or mother wife or children lands or livings for my sake shall have a hundred fold in this life and in the world to come life everlasting SECT III. §. 3 The latter end of a Saint better then the first the longer he lives the better THerfore saith the Text The latter end of Job was better then his beginning so is it indeed in the spiritual state the latter end is better then the beginning he goes on to perfection his last works are the best therefore Iob said again I have heard of thee with the hearing of the ear but mine eyes never saw thee till now wherefore I abhor my self in dust and ashes The Lord had given him eye salve to see clearly the Glory and Beauty of the Lord God himself what he heard he sees true so is it in the pure spiritual state We see as well as hear the wonderful things of God what others eyes have not seen nor ears heard we can utter And lastly The more Job saw of God the lesse he saw in himself the more his flesh was dead and buried I abhor my self saith he so is it true in us also that know the Lord That the nearer the Lord appears to us the more we like wax melt away the more we enjoy of him the lesse we enjoy our selves CHAP. XV. The fourteenth Book that God writes in Man §. 1 is called PSALMS THe Book of Psalms opened in Man He is the Harp in the Lords hand the still and loud Instrument the Psaltery the Organ Sac but and Dulcimer tuned aright by the Lord and therein the Lord God makes melody with a loud Voyce their Sun and Moon Heaven and Earth Fire and Vapours all fulfilling his Word Fruitful Trees and all Cedars Gardens and Fountains Mountains and Hills Men and Angels yea every thing that hath breath praise the Lord as David saith Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy name And again Bless the Lord O my soul and forget none of his benefits And again Yea while I have any breath will I praise the Lord. And again Lord let me live that I may praise thee This is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us in all things to give thanks Wherefore saith the Apostle Be not filled with wine wherein is excess but be filled with Spirit wherein there is no excess This is the wine indeed that he that drinks abundantly thereof it will make him merry and wise according to the Apostles rule If any man be merry let him sing Psalms if afflicted let him pray And indeed when we are full of the Holy Ghost we shal be like men full of new wine every one shall be
and the earth removed out of its place yea thy children dashed in peeces thy young men thrust thorrow houses spoiled women ravished and a man shall be as precious as gold yea as fine as the gold of Ophir And this Babylon the glory of the whole earth and all flesh comprehended in it shall be overthrown as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah SECT XVII §. 17 Israel ruling over her oppressors BUt my people Israel shall rule over their oppressors they shall be their servants in the Lords land and their captives Babylon is fallen is fallen the Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked and the scepter of rulers He that smote is broken and none delivereth her The whole earth is at rest and quiet they break forth into singing now Babylon is fallen Hell is moved for thee saying Art thou come to the dead Earth is troubled for that is thy pomp in the grave the worms spread over thee and cover thee this is Lucifer fallen from heaven the man of sin or the mystery of iniquity working in us setting up it self as God till the power of the Lord thus overthrows it as Sodom though an Eden to flesh SECT XVIII Moabs destruction also §. 18 MOab layd waste and brought to silence weeping and baldness with sackcloth their waters desolate hay witheâ—ed grass fading and no green thing found therein there is no cry but destruction Moab shall be as a wandring bird cast out of her nest now the Lord shall inherit all things and the foxes no where to lay their heads thy harvest vineyards and wine-press ceaseth all their mirth howlings her glory contemptible but she shall be weary of her pride and high places or idols and come to the sanctuary to prevail SECT XIX Fat things made lean and high things low §. 19 THe farness of Damascus Syria and all flesh made lean and feeble ready to dye it s made so thin and small great things made low and small ones great Then when all flesh thus ceaseth a man shall have his eyes to his Maker and not to the Altar Groves or Images the works of our hands thus the Lord will turn them Woe to the multude of many people that make a noise like the sea and do rage the Lord will still and quiet them And blessed shall the poor peeled scattered people be that shall bring a present to the Lord whose Land hath been spoiled and they meted out and troden under foot they shall be raised up saith the Lord. SECT XX. §. 20 Egypt Assyria and Israel shall be made one by the Lords blessing EGypt melted and her idols at the presence of the Lord for he is riding on a swift cloud into Egypt and will set Egyptian against Egyptian Brother against Brother City against City and Kingdom against Kingdom and their familiar spirits and counsel shall fall their brooks be dried up their sisters lament and they that work curious works Pharaohs wise counsellers bruitish they know not the Lords purpose of Egypt and the land of the Lord Judah shall be a terror to Egypt and the counsel of the Lord therein torment her yet the Lord shall prevail over five of her Cities to turn to the Lord and shall speak Canaans language and there shall be the Lords Altar therein and his Pillar to be for a witness to the Lord to save them from all oppressors and the Lord shall be known in Egypt the Lord will smite and heal them and Assyria shall be as Egypt both one and Isrâ—el shall be the third with Egypt and Assyria and a blessing to them both And then the Lord shall say Blessed be Egypt my son or people and Assyria the work of my hands and Israel mine inheritance SECT XXI §. 21 The whole Earth dissolving and burning BEhold the Lord maketh the earth empty and waste he turns it upside down and scatters the inhabitants thereof he spares none Priest or People servant or lord poor or great Thus the world languishes and the haughty people fade away the earth is broken down dissolved and moved exceedingly yea the whole earth reels to and fro like a drunken man and the high ones and Kings of the earth shall perish they shall be gathered to the pit like prisoners their Moon shall be confounded their Sun ashamed when they shall see the Lord reigning in Mount Sion and Jerusalem before his ancients gloriously SECT XXII §. 22 The feast of fat things PRaise the Lord for his wonderful things faithfulness and truth his counsells for making the strong weak and being a strength to the poor and needy a refuge and a shadow from heat and storm and in the Lords Mountain his people he will make a feast of fat things unto all people of wine and marrow and fat things full of joy but the covering the vail yea death and all tears and the reproach of my people shall be destroyed this is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad in him and rejoyce in his salvation SECT XXIII The strong City whose Wall and Bulwarks §. 23 are Salvation IN that day this Song shall be sung We have a strong City Salvation will God appoint for Walls and Bulwarks the Gates open for the righteous Nation to enter in and perfect peace shall be therein for they trust in thee in Jehovah God is everlasting strength thou weighest the path of the upright in the way of thy judgments have we waited on thee for when thy judgments are in the earth they will learn righteousness let favor be shewed to the wicked yet they will not learn thy hand is lifted up but they will not see but they shall see and thou shalt ordain peace for us for thou hast wrought all our works for us we have been in travel before thee Lord we have brought forth little but wind but if thou sayst the word that our dead men shall live and with thy dead body shall arise Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of the herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead Come my people enter thou into thy chamber and shut thy door for a little moment until the indignation be overpast SECT XXIV The Leviathan slain §. 24 THe Leviathan and the Dragon in the Sea and the piercing Serpent shall the Lord slay and my vineyard of red wine I the Lord will keep and water every moment night and day Israel shall blossom like a bud and fill the earth with fruit and they that are ready to perish in Assyâ—ia and the outcasts of Israel shall come to worship the Lord in mount Zion SECT XXV §. 25 Against pride and drunkenness THe crown of pride the drunkards of Ephraim shall be troden under foot and the Lord shall be their Crown of Glory and Beauty being filled with the Spirit yet many have erred in vision and stumble in vision through strong drink Whom shall the Lord teach knowledg them that are weaned
the blinde eyes opened the deaf ears unstopped the hard heart mollified the lame to walk and leap the dumb to sing the parched land a pool and the thirsty land springs of water Here among these shall the Lord prepare a way it shall be called The way of holiness no Lion shall be there nor any such beast but the Lambs of the Lord shall walk therein SECT XXXIII Sennacheribs and Rabshakehs blasphemies §. 33 against the servants of the Lord in whom they are comforted SEnnacherib comes with an Army against Jerusalem to besiege and take it Rabshakeh sent to summon it with fair promises to enjoy every one his own and to be brought to as good a land as their own and not to trust in Hezekiah nor his confidence or vain words nor in Egypt a broken reed nor in the Lord for there is no God that can deliver you or your land out of our hands or our King the great King of Assyria for neither Samaria nor her gods nor any other god was able to deliver them out of his hand and if they did refuse and rebel they should eat their own dung and drink their own piss and be afterwards destroyed with the sword for thus saith the great King Now all this is true in the application of it to our selves The world and the flesh or the evil spirit in both Rabshakeh like reviles and speaks evil against the Lord tempting and summoning us bringing an army of evil and strong delusions to ensnare us promising if we will yeeld up all soul and body and all that God hath given us to him falling down and worshipping him we shall have all glory and be like gods and withal telling us many lies that God does not nor can deliver us he sees not neither cares for us saying God hath not said it and as for Hezekiah beleeve him not nor stay your selves in the Lord for I am the God of this world and give honor and glory and riches to them I will be I am exalted on high in these Kingdoms All bow down to me and serve me and they that serve me the god of this world I preserve them and if not I persecute hate destroy kill murther and torment Woe unto them if I am set against them This is the railing Râ—â—shakeh contending for the poor creature and rending it but the servant of the Lord is silent and mourns waiting patiently on the Lord in all things and commits it self wholy to him against all temptations and blasphemies SECT XXXIV How the Spirit of the Lord given to his §. 34 doth overcome all the evil and blasphemies of the devil and is stronger then he or his YEt further when the evil spirit that dwells in us or sent to us from the powers of darkness shall grieve the Spirit of the Lord in his Hezekiahs or servants by high imaginations or abominable blasphemies against the holy Spirit of the Lord in his lifting up it self against the Lord then a greater power of the Spirit of the Lord comes upon us and his Word strengthens us saying Grieve not nor be troubled at the blasphemies of Sennacharib and Rabshakeh those spirits of Satan for I will be with thee and I will let all the Nations of the earth see that I am the Lord God and there is none besides me and that you are my people preserved by my power I will put a bridle in his mouth and my hook in his nose and overcome him and fall backwards and perish in his own land and the Angel of my presence shall fall upon his hoste with the breath of my mouth and slay them all you shall finde in the morning nothing but carcasses this shall they have that rage against the Lord and his Spirit above a hundred thousand nay almost two hundred thousand slain in the field but a remnant of the Lord shall take root downwards now and bear fruit upwards manifold and rejoyce in the Lord of the whole earth And again we see that though an evil spirit of wickedness or blasphemy like the beast in the Revelation may for a while triumph over all and speak great words and do mighty things yet the Spirit of Truth and Glory consumes it all at last SECT XXXV §. 35 How the Lord makes sick and well kills and saves and he is glorified in all he doth THis shews how those whom the Lord loves fall sick through boyls and distempers of flesh the corrupt nature is sickly and perishes and how it all turns to the glorifying of God and the good of the soul as in the 11. of John saith Christ of Lazarus this sickness is not for his death but for the death of sin in the flesh and for his life for the Son of God in him shall be glorified by it and it was so And even so here Hezekiahs life is renewed he dyes after the flesh to this life and state and lives to God after the Spirit dyes to himself to live to God as he saith now shall I live to praise thee Thus the Lord makes us sick and well dead and alive wounds and heals takes and gives after his good pleasure sets all in order the fire the faggot the sacrifice the knife and all the whole sacrifice the whole man with his whole house and it is not to kill the Lamb but the Ram not the Sinner but the Sin and the Lord healed him and defended his City all his with him house and all prolonging their lives giving them a long life even for ever and ever and a signe The Sun returning or going backwards ten degrees which shewed the return and fall of his enemies or the forgiveness of sins and the restauration of souls SECT XXXVI Babylons letters and presents to betray us §. 36 and our treasures into his own Land LEtters and Presents from Babylon and her King Baladan upon Hezekiahs recovering hearing of it pretends joy for it Thus the Flesh lies in wait for the Spirit Antichrist for Christ and the Christian if we recover from falling on the left hand we are presently tempted to fall and err on the right hand Here the Devil is transforming himself into an Angel of light and deceives and betrays us basely pretending to be outwardly for us giving us his letters and presents and is inwardly against us so creeps in unawares and like a serpent subtilly gains upon us undermines us findes and feels our strength and eats and drinks with us and is received into our heart and treasure we being all opened to him nothing in us but made known and yet really know not whence he comes a stranger from a far Country to see us and rejoyce with us but not out of love but envy like them in Pauls days that preached Christ out of envy But the Lord remembers us and findes out all our enemies for us and smites us when we do amiss so that as Hezekiah received these messengers and presents and withal shewed his treasures
and glory in house and kingdom to them that would carrying it all away one day and take them captive so it is with many taken away by sorceries SECT XXXVII §. 37 The Comfort that the Lord comforts his people withal as the fruits of his coming THe Lord comforteth his people with these things 1. That their warfare is shortly accomplished 2. Their sins pardoned 3. The way of the Lord to be prepared in them the mountains there to be removed and the valleys lifted up there which is the poor in spirit to be comforted the rough ways made plain and the crooked thoughts made streight 4. Their flesh to be made like grass and toyling so that all flesh is grass 5. That the glory of the Lord is to be revealed and all flesh shall see it together for the Lord hath spoken it 6. That Zion shall have all glad tidings in her that she shall cry behold my Lord and my God for he shall come with a strong hand and his arm shall rule for him Behold his reward is with him and his work before him 7. The Lord himself shall feed us as a shepherd doth his flock he shall gather his lambs with his arms and carry them in his bosom leading them that are with young 8. Holding the waters in his hand spanning the heavens comprehending the earth weighing the mountains To whom the Nations are a drop and the Isles a little thing calling the stars by his names To whom then will ye liken me saith the Lord the everlasting God the Creator of the ends of the earth that never faints nor is weary whose understanding is unsearchable that gives strength life and being to all things and to them that wait upon the Lord he renews their strength that they mount up with wings like Eagles they shall run and not be weary walk and not faint SECT XXXVIII §. 38 The Worm Jacob made strong FEar not thou Worm Jacob for I will help thee and be thy Redeemer I have chosen thee thou art my Servant and I will not cast thee away but will uphold thee with the right hand of my Righteousness I will plant thee anew and none shall root thee up and every plant or idol that is in you shall become an abomination to you yea and the works of your own hands vanity and nothing and ye shall rejoyce in the Lord and all that strive with you shall perish SECT XXXIX §. 39 What the Lord doth for his Servants BEhold my Servants whom I have chosen mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth I have put my Spirit upon them and they shall bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles They are mine and not their own mine and not mens for no man can serve two Masters Behold they are excellent Servants whose service is perfect Freedom indeed and pleasure all his Words and Works Joy Peace and Righteousness for ever Again they are Servants of my own choosing calling fitting trained up by my self in my own house to serve me in Righteousness and Holiness before me And in whom my Soul delighteth Whom the Lord chooses he delights in them though they be but Servants the unworthiest of them nay and that with his Soul delighting himself in the prosperity of his Servants and whom he delights in he puts his Spirit upon them he can keep no good things from them yea all is theirs Heaven and Earth Christ the Spirit God and All. And lastly they shall by this Spirit overcome all things and bring forth Judgment unto Victory indeed SECT XL. §. 40 The sweetness and love of the Spirit of Christ in his HE shall not cry nor lift up his voyce nor be heard in the streets a bruised reed he shall not break nor quench the smoaking flax till he bring forth Judgment unto Victory he shall not fail nor be discouraged till he hath set up Judgment in the Earth and the Isles shall wait for his Law Thus shall it be with the Children of Jesus in whom Christ is formed the Spirit of Jesus is Love Meekness Sweetness Patience it seeks not revenge but in all things behaves it self comely in the streets abroad towards them without and at home towards them within it will offend none but help all SECT XLI §. 41 The smoaking flax and the bruised reed in us the little measure of the Spirit THe smoaking flax c. The lowest and darkest appearance of him is glorious he comes to his own and receives it if but a smoak he makes it a flame and such as sit in darkness he makes them to see light and where there is smoak and trouble of heart he takes away the dimness and makes the smoak to vanish and the fire of the Lords Spirit must burn us as flax and tow decay to nothing before we shall be good for any thing And the bruised reed also the Lord will not break he doth cherish and nourish it as the husband doth his wife the Lord rather doth bind up the reed then bruise it and makes the reed become a rod of iron to break in pieces the Nations the Potters vessels the fleshly man for the Lord can do nothing against himself SECT XLII §. 42 Flesh is deaf and blind the Lord seeing all things ANd the Lord will give himself for righteousness strength and light to the people eyes to the blind freedom to the prisoners I will no more give my glory to another I will make waste their mountains and hills dry up all their herbs and dry up all their pools and then will I bring the blind by a way they know not I will make darkness light before them and crooked things straight all flesh shall be deaf and blind and then shall they see even my Servant and my Messenger shall be blind that he that glorieth may glory in the Lord. SECT XLIII §. 43 The blind and the deaf shall be Gods Witnesses BRing forth the blind people that have eyes and the deaf that have ears for they are my Witnesses and my Servants whom I have chosen saith the Lord. For they beleeve understand and know that I am he and there is none besides me O Israel fear not for I have redeemed thee and called thee by my name thou art mine Wheresoever thou goest I am with thee through waters rivers fire and all for thou art precious in my sight and honorable therefore I will give men for thee and people for thy life Behold I will do a strange thing I will dry up all rivers and make a new river in the Wilderness and the Beast and the Dragon therein shall honor me for it and drink thereof and change their natures SECT XLIV I the Lord do all things §. 44 I Am the Lord and there is none else I the Lord do all things I make the Heavens to drop down from above and let the Sky pour down Righteousness and the Earth open and let them bring forth Salvation and let Righteousness spring forth together I
glorious presence of the Lord when he comes with so much brightness and glory then shall our Sun and Moon that is all our heavenly gifts graces ministries and administrations cease and go out give up their light and life as being darkened by this everlasting Light and Glory And the Moon turned to blood that is all our natural excellencies gifts parts relations portions possessions qualifications conditions whatsoever all our reason knowledg wisdom and understanding here below shall then appear as blood loathsom and filthy to us yea all shall appear vain and empty and instead of this Sun and Moon that is all earthly and heavenly things thou shalt inherit the Lord God himself most gloriously to be thy Sun that shall never set and thy Moon that shall never change for then thy God shall be thy glory and thou shalt be righteous and all thy people and shall inherit the land for ever the land of the living the living Lord to be planted as his branch there living in him as their vine even the work of his own hand that he hath glorified and a little one shall become a thousand and a small one a great Nation for the Lord will multiply and encrease them yea the Spirit of the Lord shall grow upon them and in them they shall put on strength dayly from strength to strength SECT LXXXV The Spirit of the anointing of the Lord §. 85 what works it doth binding and loosing doing all good THe Lords anointing of us with the oyl of his Spirit makes our hearts to overflow and speak of the loving kindness of the Lord to the humble and meek spirit it s a spirit of binding and loosing binding up the wounds and loosing the wicked bands a spirit of liberty to righteousness and opening and enlargement to the prisoners a spirit that doth and proclaims the acceptable works of the Lord a spirit of vengeance against sin and yet a comforter to the mourners it is the Spirit of the Lord that doth this it overcomes the spirit of sorrow and heaviness death and darkness it gives beauty for ashes joy for mourning praise for heaviness it makes them trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord to glorifie him it s a Spirit that is building up it doth nothing for destruction but all for edification and what unclean spirits have wasted and spoiled and wounded and consumed this Spirit of the Lord comes to us as a repairer of the waste places and the desolations made and to restore what is lost it makes us this anointing of the Spirit the Lords Priests yea the Ministers of God it shall fall upon the Gentile as well as the Jew and they shall eat the riches of his grace together I will give them everlasting joy and bring them into my everlasting Covenant and their seed shall be the seed the Lord hath blessed thou and thine shall be like the bride and the bridegroom deck'd with ornaments and jewels salvation and righteousness for their garments And thou shalt be like a fruitful garden righteousness and praise shall spring forth from thee and be the fruits in thee SECT LXXXVI §. 86 Our righteousness brightness and our salvation a burning lamp THe Lords zeal for Zion and his love to Jerusalem will not give him rest nor peace till he hath made our brightness righteousness and our salvation like the burning lamps for ever flaming and yet never ending being fed with eternity and all see the glory of thee and the Lords new name shall be in thy forehead which he shall give thee and write on thee We shall be the pure crown of gold which is a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and as a royal diadem with our God We shall be no more accounted forsaken or desolate as we were once but be termed Hephz-ibah the Lord delighteth in thee and thy land called Beulah thy land married for thy God shall marry and rejoyce over thee for ever SECT LXXXVII §. 87 The Lord thy Watchman day and night THe Watchman upon thy walls O Soul that never slumbereth nor sleepeth careth for thee and keeps not silence but remembers thee day and night neither will the Spirit of the Lord rest till thou art established and made a praise to the Lord in the earth Thou shalt not be spoiled any more by strangers nor thy corn wine and oyl devoured by them any more the enemy sin and Satan shall wrong thee no more nor the flesh plunder thee for thy salvation is come the Lord God is his name his reward with him and his work before him and the Lord shall call thee his People and his Redeemed sought out and not forsaken the habitation of the Lord through the Spirit SECT LXXXVIII §. 88 The Lords dyed garments coming from the great slaughter of his enemies sin and Satan THe coming of the Lord is with dyed garments glorious apparel travelling in the greatness of strength and righteousness to save us with might all over red with the winepress treading it alone trampling upon all thine enemies and mine in wrath and fury till the blood comes for I will take vengeance on all my adversaries now my Redemption is come to thee and I will help thee though there be none left else besides me I am alone and I will bring down all strength glory haughtiness and pride to the earth there it shall lie in the dust then shalt thou remember my loving kindness alone and praise me for all that I have done for thee When I was afflicted for thee and the chastisements of thy peace lay on me my presence saved thee and my love and pity redeemed thee and carried thee along in safety leading thee by the hand through the terrible wilderness and made my name glorious you are the habitation of my holiness I cannot forget you yea Abraham may though your own father or mother may cast you out of their Synagogue yet I will have thee to rule over them SECT LXXXIX §. 89 The Lords coming down with power to destroy flesh LOrd bow the Heavens and come down let the mountains melt at thy presence come amongst us like a melting fire to burn away all dross and iniquity that thine adversaries may tremble and perish in us and amongst us and do terrible things that we looked not for let sudden destruction come upon all flesh while it cries peace peace for eyes have not seen nor ears heard neither can the Natural perceive the things that are prepared of God for them that wait on him and that are to be fulfilled in him but thou art our God we know and we thy clay and thy work thy people and souls thou hast made le ts not be destroyed but make us a beautiful house to praise thee build us up and let not thy pleasant things lie waste but bring thy treasure to thy house and land SECT XC The Lord God is found of them that sought §. 90 not after him I The Lord