are made Partakers of Christs Sufferings that when his Glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with Exceeding Joy Be Sober be Vigilant because your Adversary the Devil as a Roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may Devour whom resist stedfast in the Faith For the time is Come that Judgement must begin at the House of God and if it first begin at Vs What shall the End be of them that Obey not the Gospel of God And if the Righteous scarcely be saved where shall the Vngodly and Sinner appear And The Day of the Lord will Come as a Thief in the Night in the which the Heavens shall passe away with a great Noise and the Elements shall Melt with fervent heat and the Earth also and the Works that are therein shall be burnt up here 's a Fiery Tryal indeed think it not strange Friends when this thing comes on you who have not known it yet for this ye must witness Ere ye be Perfect and the Time is near For things must not be as they have been the Seed suffering still the Seed under the Seed Languishing the Seed growing Lean the Seed Oppressed the Seed still compast about with Enemies and beset round and Lying down in Bitterness and in Sorrow and in Tears and in Death but it must Raign Over All It must lead Captivity Captive It must feed that which Oppressed it with its Own Flesh and make it Drunken with Its Blood as with sweet Wine And in the Day that it ariseth this will be witnessed Seeing then that all these things shall be Dissolved saith he What manner of Persons Ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness looking for and hastning unto the coming of the Great Day of God wherein the Heavens being on Fire shall be Dissolved and the Elements shall Melt with fervent heat Novertheless We according to his Promise Look for New Heavens and a New Earth Wherein Dwelleth Righteousness Wherefore Beloved seeing that ye look for such things Be Diligent that ye may be found of him in Peace without spot and Blameless And account that the long Suffering of God is Salvation Even as Our Beloved Brother Paul also according to the Wisdom Given unto him hath written unto you As also in all his Epistles speaking in them of these things in whith are some things hard to be Vnderstood which they that are Vnlearned and Vnstable Wrest as they Do also the other Scriptures to their own Destruction Ye therefore Beloved seeing that ye know these things before beware least ye also being led away with the Error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness But grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to him be Glory both Now and for Ever Amen And Paul said to the Thessalonians But of the Times and Seasons Brethren ye have no need that I write unto you For your selves know Perfectly that the Day of the Lord so cometh as a Thief in the Night For when they shall say Peace and Safety then suddain Destruction cometh upon them as Travel upon a Woman with Child and they shall not Escape But ye Brethren are not in Darkness that that Day should overtake you as a Thief Ye are all the Children of Light and the Children of the Day we are not of the Night Nor of Darkness Therefore let us not sleep as do others but let Vs Watch and be Sober For they that sleep sleep in the Night and they that be Drunken are Drunken in the Night but let us who are of the Day be Sober putting on the Brest-plate of Faith and Love and for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation for God hath not appointed Vs to wrath but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ Who died for Vs that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him And that knowing the time that now it is high time to Awake out of sleep for now is Our Salvation nearer then when we Believed The Night is far spent the day is at hand let Vs therefore cast off the works of Darkness and let Vs put on the Armour of Light Let Vs walk honestly as in the day Not in Rioting and Drunkenness Not in Chambering and Wantonness Not in Strife and Envying but put ye On the Lord Jesus Christ and make no Provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof And Put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil For we wrastle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World Against Spiritual Wickednesses in high Places Wherefore take unto ye the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the Evil Day and having done all to stand Stand therefore having your Loyns girt about with Truth and having on the Brest-plate of Righteousness and your feet shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace Above all taking the shield of Faith Wherewith ye shall be able to Quench all the Fiery Darts of the wicked and take the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Praying alwayes with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all Perseverance and Supplication for all Saints and for Us c. And take heed least any fall short of the Grace of God and by an heart of Unbelief depart from the Living God Let Us therefore labour to enter into that Rest least any Man fall after the same Example of Unbelief Take heed Brethren least there be in any of you an Evil heart of Unbelief in departing from the Living God but Exhort one another dayly whilst it is called to Day least any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of Sin For we are made Partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our Confidence stedfast unto the End while it is said to Day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your hearts as in the Provocation For Some when they had heard did Provoke howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses But with whom was he grieved Forty years Was it not with them that had sinned whose Carcasses fell in the Wilderness And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his Rest but to them that believed not So we see that they could not enter in because of Unbelief And John in the Revelations saith of him If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a Thief and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon Thee And Behold I come as a Thief Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Garments least be walk naked and they see his shame And without are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whore-mongers and Murderers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a Lie And the Fearful and Unbelieving and the abominable and Whore-mongers Murderers Sorcerers Idolaters and all
Deceiveableness of Unrighteousness in them that Perish Now of these things Paul testified to the Thessalonians in in that Day Even to the Church of Thessalonica which was in God when in that Day these things were beginning to Enter and John saw a Great War in Heaven Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels and Prevailed not Neither was their Place found any more in Heaven And the Great Dragon was cast out the Old Serpent called the Devil and Satan which Deceived the whole World he was cast into the Earth and his Angels were cast out with him and his Tail drew the Third part of the Stars from Heaven and did cast them to the Earth And he Persecuted the Woman which brought forth the Man Child when he saw that he was cast into the Earth and he was wroth with the Woman and went to make War with the Remnant of her Seed which keep the Commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ And the Serpent cast out of his Mouth Waters as a Floud after the Woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the Floud And the Earth helped the Woman and the Earth Opened her Mouth and swallowed up the Floud which the Dragon cast out of his Mouth And this was a Wonder which John saw in Heaven And he that is come said to his Disciples in that Day who also saith it now There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great Signs and Wonders insomuch that if it were Possible they shall Deceive the very Elect. Behold I have told ye before And he saith Immediately after the Tribulation of those Dayes shall the Sun be Darkned and the Moon shall not give her Light and the Stars shall fall from Heaven and the Powers of Heaven shall be shaken And then shall appear the Sign of the Son of Man in Heaven And then shall all the Tribes of the Earth Mourn and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven with Power and Great Glory And he shall send his Angels with the Great Sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather his Elect from the four Winds from One End of Heaven unto the Other Now Learn a Parable of the Fig Tree when his Branch is yet tender and putteth forth Leaves ye know that Summer is Nigh So likewise ye when ye shall see all these things know that it is near even at the Doors Verily I say unto you this Generation shall not passe till all these things be fulfilled Heaven and Earth shall passe away but my Words shall not passe away And the Prophet Zachery saith Awake O Sword against my Shepherd and against the Man that is my Fellow Saith the Lord of Hosts Smite the Shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered and I will turn my hand upon tht Little Ones And it shall come to passe that in all the Land saith the Lord Two Parts therein shall be cut off and Die but the Third shall be left therein and I will bring the Third Part through the Fire and will Refine them as Silver is Refined and will try them as Gold is tryed they shall call on my Name and I will hear them I will say it is my People and they shall say the Lord is my God And he that is come saith again All ye shall be offended because of Me this Night For it is Written I will smite the Shepherd and the sheep of the Flock shall be scattered abroad But after I am risen I will go before you into Galilee And the Prophet Isaiah saith Whose Fire is in Sion and his Furnace in Jerusalem And the Light of Israel shall be for a Fire and his holy One for a Flame and it shall burn and Devour his Thorns and his Bryars in One Day and shall consume the Glory of his Forrests and of his Fruitful Field both Soul and Body and they shall be as when a Standard-Bearer fainteth and the rest of the Trees of the Forrest shall be few so that a Child may Write them And it shall come to passe in that Day that the Remnant of Israel and such as are Escaped of the house of Jacob shall no more stay upon him that smote them but shall stay upon the Lord the Holy One of Israel in Truth The Remnant shall Return Even the Remnant of Jacob unto the Mighty God For though thy People Israel be as the Sand of the Sea Yet a Remnant of them shall Return The Consumption Decreed shall overflow with Righteousness For the Lord God of Hosts shall make a Consumption Even Determined in the midst of all the Land Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Hosts O my People that Dwellest in Sion Be not afraid of the Assyrian He shall smite thee with a Rod and shall lift up his staff against thee after the manner of Egypt but yet a very little while and the Indignation shall cease and mine Anger in their Destruction And it shall come to passe in that Day that his Burden shall be taken from off thy shoulder and his Yoke from off thy Neck because of the Anointing Behold the Lord the Lord of Hosts shall Lop the Bough with Terrour and the High Ones of Stature shall be hewen Down and the Haughty shall be humbled And he shall cut the Thickets of the Forrest with Iron and Lebanon shall fall by a Mighty One And the Apostle Peter saith who said it to the Saints in that Day who some of them came in that Day to the End of their Faith the Salvation of their Souls and Witnessed the things he spake of whilst they were in this Tabernacle and he speaks it now as to the things that are at the Door and must be Witnessed Ere this hour is Over for their Prophecies reach unto Us and of Us it is that they Prophesied chiefly and to Us it was to whom they spake who spake of the Day of the Lord the Apostles of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in whom what they so spake is to be fulfilled for the Lord had a Regard to Us in that Day and spake as to Us upon whom the Ends of the Earth are Come and in whom he is now come to finish his work which he hath been about since the World began that We might be found unto Praise Honour and to Immortality and Eternal Life and be the First Fruits of his Seed whom he hath Chosen and Brought forth in this Day to Do his Mighty Works of Wonder by in which he will be Glorified For they have all Prophesied unto Vs and in Vs their Prophecies shall be fulfilled But saith he The End of all things is at hand and the Lord hath said it Now Be ye therefore Sober and Watch unto Prayer And think it not strange concerning the Fiery Tryal which is to try you as if some strange thing hapned unto you but rejoyce in as much as ye
they went to Buy the Bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him into the Marriage and the Door was shut Afterwards came also the other Virgins Saying Lord Lord open to Us nad he answered and said Verily I know you not Watch ye therefore for ye know not the Day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh For Friends the time is not as heretofore when the Lord was Visiting you and Watering you and refreshing you that ye might grow up and bring forth Fruit unto God that he might be Glorified but now he is come Expecting rhe Fruit that he may be glorified And now Wo be unto that which shall not bring forth Fruit unto God that shall not Glorifie God that shall not shew forth the Vertue of him that hath called it from Darkness to his marvellous Light that he may be Glorified For he hath called you Friends unto Grace and Vertue and what Grace and Vertue Ye have he will call ye to shew forth and he will suffer Men to try you that ye may shew forth his Grace and Vertue That he may be Glorified Now that which starts aside in this Day that Soul that Drawes back that which proves the Degenerate Plant of a strange Vine after all this Digging and Pruning and gathering out of the Stones and fencing and Watering and Refreshing and brings forth Wild Grapes Grapes of Sodom and Clusters of Gomorrah Wo Wo will be to that in this Day of the Lord For the Lord is Come to make himself known in the Earth and the Lord will be known by the Judgement that he Executes The World hath long been without the Knowledge of him He hath brought forth a People by whom he hath made known himself he hath not dealt so by Another Nation Neither hath the Heathen the Knowledge of his Law Friends you are they that must make him known and by whom he will be known in the Earth by what of him shall appear in you before Men when you are tryed which is not in themselves which is his Vertue which shall get to him a Name and a Praise such as Never was nor shall be If any of you shall not answer to this but cause his Name to be Blasphemed through the contrary Now he is Come to shew what a People he hath and how he is in them and how they are as they say and do as they speak Who are not of this World though they are in the World and who do make it So to appear in sticking to the Lord in the loss of this World and in not being overcome by the World nor of Evil but overcoming the World and Evil with Good and Praying for their Enemies and Blessing them that Persecute them and doing good to them that despightfully use them and unmoved in the loss of All and unshaken notwithstanding the shaking of all things and obeying God before Men notwithstanding what Man may be suffered to do unto them and Man will be suffered to do very much and the Devil what he can within and without to try them to the Uttermost I say if any of you now shall be offended and fall off and Dishonour the Lord and cause his Name to be Blasphemed the Lord God will be Avenged of such and his Fury and his Indignation will break forth and burn against such and better it were for such that they had not been born The Lord hath spoken it And he will make such Examples of his Vengeance that Men may Fear the Lord and Tremble before him because his Judgements are made Manifest Who is a God that will be Feared and had in Reverence by those that draw nigh unto him Therefore All my Dear Friends All stand fast Unshaken Unmoveable forasmuch as your Labour shall not be in Vain in the Lord nor your sufferings but the Lord will Reward ye who is near and will be with you and will not suffer ye to fall as ye abide with him whatsoever may be your Tryal For it is his Name and his Glory and his Truth and his Seed that is at Stake and you it is as I have said that he hath formed for himself to shew forth his Praise and ye shall shew forth his Praise And he will stand near you he will hold the Ballance that your sufferings overturn you not Underneath will be his Everlasting Arms he will never suffer you to be moved who keep in him For it is his Great Day and his Great Battel that is to be sought and his Great Work in the World The Greatest that Ever was or shall be as hath been Dâ—â—lared after which there is No more but the Seed of God shall Reign over all for Ever and Ever He will assuredly now mind for his Name and his Glory and his Seed and his Truth and his People and his Kingdoms sake which is an Everlasting Kingdom and his Dominion that which never shall have End which he is come now to set up and you must fight it and in and by you he will overcome by the Power of the Sword which proceedeth out of his Mouth that sits on the white Horse whom the Armies of Heaven follow Riding on white Horses Therefore he will uphold you he will support you who abide Faithful unto him with the Right hand of his Righteousness and he will Crown you with Glory and Honour A Crown such as never was nor shall be because the Day will be such as never was nor will be and by you he will make way for the opening of the Graves of his Seed throughout the whole Earth By you he will make Nations tremble his Power in you and the Isles shall be afraid and stand afar off and will cast by you the Deceiver into the Pit Out of which he shall arise no more And as the things aforesaid are Dear unto him and as his Seed in you is Dear to him as the Apple of his Eye and as ye are willing to Glorifie his Name and Engage all unto that will he Regard you For Who is this that Engageth himself to draw near me saith the Lord. And this let me say unto you and you know it who are in the feeling of the Life Immortal which the Lord hath Delivered your very Life makes to this It Presses on unto the Battel It is as ready to Glorifie the Lord as he hath been to Deliver it and to Redeem it out of the Pit It came into the World to Do his Will It s ready to Do his Will and that his Will may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven It longs to be at his Work It Presses you On. O Death I will be thy Death O Grave I will be thy Destruction Repentance shall be hid from mine Eyes And so you feel that which shaketh all things that that which can be shaken may be removed that that which cannot be shaken may Remain Your Life it is that shakes all things how then can ye be