in the world great commotions there are troubles and fears shakings and tremblings hearts-failings and faith-dying the whole land is barren of faith the way of truth is hid Wit that hath hid it selfe and understanding hath withdrawn it self into its secret chamber indeed it is sought of many but not found for unrighteousness and unconstancy prospereth upon earth Friends the world is grown very weak by reason of age and therefore needs must the evils be very great that are upon it I and so they are for my heart can say Amen to this evill world These are the evill dayes the perilous dayes the sin-multiplying dayes dayes in which the word do violence to no man is forgotten and for love in the spirit it cannot be found in neither kingdome nor heart Judgment and Justice with all the other righteous streames is departed and run sarre away from Kings Princes Rulers Judges Magistrates Priests people and from thee oh Israel too and therefore the Lord is come down to destroy all Jer. 7. 28. Oh England thou art the nation of all nations that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord Isa 59 3 4. and so along to the 15. ver Your hands oh people throughout the Land are defiled with blood your fingers with iniquity your lips speak nothing but lies not a man in thee oh England acts in a just way not any plead for truth The way of peace ye know not there is no Judgment in your goings ye grope like blinde men and are in desolate places as dead men sin and iniquity is grown almost to the height in thee oh Land and therefore now behold the Lord Isa 59. 16 17. I saw and there was no man and therefore behold I the Lord will put on righteousness as a breast plate with salvation and vengeance for to repay every man Ye have lost all oh ye Kings and Rulers people and Ministers of all Lands for Gospel-light and truth is taken away by the Lord from you as well as judgment justice and righteousness from Kings and Rulers Isaiah 29. 10 11. The vision of all is become unto you as a book sealed Hear oh ye Ministers your gifts are perished and quite blasted and your sheep are scattered Hosea 4. 6. Think what you will your gifts are perished although you may say it is not so Jer. 18. 18. Ye and 〈◊〉 gifts are lost and the judgment of the Lord is upon you as well as upon Kings and Rulers for the night of darkness which the Lord spake of long agoe is fallen upon you all and darkness hath covered you all even thick darkness Micah 3. 6 7. Here is mischief upon mischief to the purpose Ezek. 7. 26. Kings Priests and people and thou oh Israel ye are all turned backward The wise men shall be turned backward so that the way of truth and Gospel-light is hid from you all your condition hath been a perishing condition many hundred years Prov. 29 18. Where there is no vision the people perish The word of the Lord is a precious thing and it is grown very precious amongst us Ruling in judgment is very precious Magistracy according to the order of God is very precious too for I know not where it is There is a perfect losse of all Iustice and Iudgment righteousness and truth there is a famine upon you all Kings and Rulers they are famished and lost in their judgment Ministers and people they are famished too for the Gospel-knowledg of the Lord which is bread indeed is taken by the Lord from you all yea and my very pen speaks out to you all that I am one whose soul is half famished for want of bread what a cloudy day are we in it is no wonder to me to see the Lord come now with Clouds to overturn all because all is grown corrupt and fit for nothing else for the wisdome of both Kings Priests and people and thou oh Israel is all turned into folly our knowledg into ignorance and our light into darkness and our peace into trouble this is by reason of the Lords being come down for to fight against all Nations and all things and to plead with all flesh for with fire and with sword the Lord is now pleading with all flesh and the slain of the Lord are many and shall be more and the Lord is gathering all together for that end Zepha 3. 8. O world me thinks I hear a rumor from my Lord and I see an Embassadour which is sent from the Lord to all the world to tell them they must gather themselves together for ruine Esay 24. 22. And they shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered together Who why Kings and the host of the high ones that are on high The dayes in which we live are the Lords gathering dayes Joel 3. vers 2. The Lord does gather and that round the world and all Ploughshares are a beating into swords and Pruning-hooks into spears and you will see all kingdoms watered with blood ere long clouds full of blood and sea full of blood and the whole world full of blood too and a man shall come to be more precious then the golden wedge of Ophire therefore you that are for the sword and you that are for the famine to the famine and you that are for the pestilence to the pestilence for this is the great day of the Lord his dividing day his cloudy dividing day his cloudy gathering day and his cloudy ruining day your day is come O worldlings and now fall you must for you are but the left hand hoast of God the Lord hath two great hosts that have lived together many a day let them alone till the harvest saith Christ now the harvest is ready and therefore ye begin to fall I saw the hoast of heaven 1 King 22. 29. Here is two hoasts and these are called multitudes Joel 3. 14. And these multitudes are gathered together by the Lord into the valley of Jehosaphat and by reason of the multitudes it is turned into a valley decision all the world is turned into Jehosaphats valley or into a valley of decision in the world nay it is for the Lord is come and by his cloudy appearing hath made a great division in the world Thy King O Sion is come and the end of his coming is to take thee from the enemies and the enemies from thee and the world from both and when this old world is gone thy kingdom and glory is gone O worldling the Lord is making great hast to remove you and for that end he is gathering you Ezeck 38. 14 15 16. In these verses they gather vers 18. the Lord rises up at vers 19. they shake at his rising and Israel also and they fall in Ezeck 39. 4. Thou maist read thy doom here O worldling ye are in gathering by the Lord and ye are and shall be slain by the Lord and his Israel do and shall go away conquerers and sing praises to
about him There is a three-fold appearing of this King upon Earth for to be first with Clouds and that is now Secondly with his Spirit and that is neer the pouring forth Thirdly with the brightness of his coming 2. Thessalon 2. 8. Then shall that wicked be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming And all these appearings will be in order according to the order of God and all of them destructive to the world and to all things below God and therefore the word Mystery is brought in The first appearing of this King upon the Throne is such a dark and cloudy appearing that he is scarce known to be there because his first appearing and power is a cloudy appearing and power but the second will be more light because spirituall and therefore more destructive then the cloudy And the third will be more excellent more powerfull then both because it will bring along with it the perfect brightness of your King and a perfect brightness of his glory shining out to the view of all the world which glory will not only consume but destroy all seeming glorious good and excellent things I say the first appearing of this King is so dark and cloudy that it is hard to be known whether he be come to sit upon the throne of Judgment or no and the reason why the Lord comes first with clouds is because he taketh great delight to let his Israel know first of him and where he is whether in the place he spake of returning to Hosea 5. 15. or whether risen out of his holy habitation Zecha 2. 13. Be silent oh all flesh before the Lord for this my Lord the King is risen up out of his holy habitation and that the Lord lets some of his Israel know and understand where he is whether come down or not come down witness Noah Genesis 6. 13. witness Abraham Genesis 18. 17 18. Witness Lot Gen. 19. 12 13. witness all the Prophets and among the rest Huldah 2 Cron. 34. 22. And witness Ezek. 4. 1. and 12. v. Witness Daniel Dan. 10. 14. and 21. Now I come to make thee understand what is noted in the Scripture of truth Witness the language of Paul 1 Thess 5. 4. But you bretheren are not in darkness that that day should take you as a thief witness John who saw by clouds the Lord coming to Judgment and witness oh thou my soul to the coming of Jesus thy King and long-lookt-for Lord and Saviour but let me tell you one thing by the way and that is this the Lord hath yet Messengers for to raise up and to send forth which Messengers mouths he will fill largely with good news and that with great power too and the news will be this behold your King Isaiah 52. 7. But his appearing as yet is but a dark and cloudie appearing so his Messengers dark and cloudie Messengers see what order there is in the goings of this King look to it worldlings and watch ye Saints for the Lord my King is risen out of his holy habitation Jer. 25. 30 33. The Lord shall roare from on high and utter his voyce from his holy habitation I must say the Lord does the word shall is forgotten with my King and the word does is come in the roome of it therefore be silent oh all flesh before the Lord for he hath a controversie with you all and he is in this your day come downe to put an end to the controversie Jer. 30. A noyse shall come even to the ends of the Earth for the Lord hath a controversie with the nations he will plead with all flesh and give them that are wicked to the Sword and they shall pass from end to end why the noyse is come and the controversie is in dispute what do not ye hear the voice of God he calleth to you all not one is excepted that is this day in the world and the voice is Hear oh ye Priest and hearken ye house of the Kings and give ear oh ye house of Israel Hosea 5. 1. Here is Kings Priests and Israel I must put in one number more that is all ye people of the world because the Lord is come to end his controversie with all flesh therefore not one shall escape no not Kings and for you oh Emperors Kings and Rulers and Princes of the earth I must tell you one sad thing you and your names are dying and your Crowns are taking off from your heads throughout the world and the Saints King Jesus by name the ancient of dayes Son the Lord of Hosts righteous Branch he shall be set up King in your rooms And that 's the reason why he is coming now with clouds and it will not be long ere all the Kingdoms of the world be broken down nay they are in this your day ruining by the King of Kings Dan. 2. 44. In the day of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom which shal break in pieces all other Kingdoms Where do you think to stand O wordlings who have made gods of earthly Kings ye and your gods are fallen like the Philistims false gods and shall never be remembred more I must confess with you God by his own providence suffered Kings in the earth for to be and caused them there for to reign but now their reign is almost up and their glory is almost at an end and when it is not almost but altogether up then the Lord will do to you as he did to Nebucadnezar let me tell you O Kings you are all weighed in the ballance of the King of Kings and being weighed you are found too light and I hear a voice from the Lord saying to you all as the Lord said to Belshazer The Kingdoms are departing from you and are to be divided among them who are more fit to reign then you a great deal this a mystery to you Dan. 4. 31. Dan 5. 20. The Lord is come to unthrone you all O Kings and that is the judgment of the Lord upon you in this your day but doth that he doth after a cloudy manner that you cannot understand nor see and therefore you contend for your Crown still but the Lord will conquer you and therefore is he risen to unthroan all Haggai 2. 22. I will overthrow the Throan of Kingdoms and bring down the power of Nations and their riders shall come down every one by the sword of his brother Take notice how they shall come down and see if the Lord be not risen to pull down all powers hear again what the Lord saith and in his word manifests that he regards no power but that that is righteous and just like himself and if they be not so he will unthroan them all and therefore it is he is come Eze. 21. 25. your day is come all ye Rulers of the earth in the which your iniquity shall
mouth thou shalt be judged either for salvation or damnation and therefore Christ saith The words that I have spoken and you have rejected shall judge you at the last day John 12. 48. You are got into the last dayes yea unto the last dayes of the last dayes that is into the half time Daniel spake of and that half time is almost out too Oh world and therefore a spirituall judgment is near to be revealed to us all And the words that Christ hath spoken shall judge us all that is God will open the eye of the understanding of all by his spirituall light by the which light you shall know and see what you did reject and what you have done in rejecting and also what Christ said and how you all have answered him again and also how you have lived and you shall need no other Judge then the light of God which shall shine upon your understanding and consciences for that shall give you light into all your wayes in the which ye have walked and this your enlightned understanding and convinced consciences shall condemne you all that is all flesh There is a mysterie John 8. 9. And they that heard it being convinced in their consciences went out one by one their consciences bearing witness again Romans 2. 15. Their consciences also bearing witness and their thoughts the meane while either accusing or excusing and a convinced conscience either of good or bad lyeth in the understanding being enlightned your understanding and consciences oh Saints and worldlings is all the book that God needs to use in the day of his spirituall judging of you and behold he is coming to Judgment and every eye shall see by this light of God every one shall be saved that have part in the first resurrection and by the same light every one shall be destroyed that have not part in him so that this light of God will bring salvation and destruction both at one time unto the two hoasts that stand at the right and left hand of God Isa 33. 4 5. The sinners in Sion are afraid fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites and who among us shall dwell with devouring fire reade one of the next verses and it tels you who shall and who shall not the Lord is come and coming still for to destroy and yet to save and that 's the reason why all flesh doth so fear Ezek. 39. 21. I will set my glory among the heathen and all the heathen shall see my Judgments that I have executed and my hand that I have laid upon them Isa 66. 14. The hand of the Lord shall be known towards his servants and his judgments towards his enemies ye shall not only have judgment but see the judgment of the Lord upon you yea eat your own flesh and drink your own blood and the Lord will come for to open your eyes for to see it And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together Isa 40. 5. And again that they may see know and understand together that the hand of the Lord hath done this you shall see the Lord oh ye nations ere long in his Saints with great power for to consume thee oh world and all that is in it that will be the next dispensation of God after the cloudy Sion stand up now and rejoyce for thou hast almost received double for all thy sins Isaiah 40. 2. Therefore comfort thy self in thy God for my King is very near bringing double joy double peace double rest and double glory with a double spirituall power Isaiah 61. 7. And all shall be thine and therefore gather to thee And the reason is because the Lord will glorifie the house of his glory and all shall call thee the City of the Lord the Sion of the holy one of Israel for the Lord will give thee such a spirituall power that by that power thou shalt consume all the wicked in thee so that no oppressor shall passe through thee any more Zach. 9. 8. And I will encamp about my house because of the Army and because of him that passeth by and because of him that returneth and no oppressor shall pass through thee any more for now have I seen with my eyes this is a mystery the light of God is a consuming and a destroying light Isaiah 11. 4. Hear oh world your fall is begun for your Prince that is your leader is wounded by the light of God and so wounded that he bleeds all the way he goes and so he will untill he hath bled himself to death for the wound that is given him is an uncurable wound for it is given him by a mighty Prince called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Sions King and your terrible Judge and from this arises all your fear and you know it not Oh who shall stand before this great Judge when he cometh out of Clouds into light to judge with light and glory why this the Lord is coming near withall and the day of the Lords light will be the day of the Lords dividing Joel 3. 14. Or the day of the Lords great separating not only a dividing or separating the powers of evill men far from you oh Saints or you from them but a dividing or separating two ancient warriers flesh and Spirit so that you shall never learn war more Why oh soul thou shalt never learn war more for the Lord who is thy King will conquer all thy inside enemies as well as thy outside enemies and there shall be a great valley between ye both and that is the reason why he comes with his glorious light for to destroy all and then for to make known all to you Israel thou hast been a long time under a vaile the which vaile so covered thy fathers glory that ye could not see nor yet discern him but now ye shall very suddenly for it is neer taking away Isaiah 25. 7. And he will destroy in this Mountain the face of the covering cast over all people and the vaile that is spread over all Nations A spirituall light brings a spirituall discerning along with it Malachi 3. 18. Then shall ye return and discern and Isaiah 14. 16. And they that see shall narrowly look upon thee and consider thee saying Is this the man Thy eyes shall be opened too oh world and thou shalt see and know what Israel is thou shalt know the Lords Sion but with another manner of knowledge then ever yet thou knewest them withall and by that sight thou shalt confess this is the seed which God hath blessed Isa 69. 1. And as the light of the Lord in thee causes thee to know his Israel so the light of the Lord in them shall destroy thee as well as that in them that bears not his image and therefore is but stubble and not fit for any thing but to to be destroyed by the light of God Isa 10. 17. 18. And the light of Israel shall be
for a fire and his holy one for a flame and it shall burne and devoure his thornes and briars in one day And as the Lord hath wounded the Prince of evill powers so he hath wounded you all and is revenging the blood of his Saints Land the Lord is come for to make a full end of all things but first with Clouds and by and by with light for all shall be destroyed by the light of God and I cannot but out of pure love give you warning of it look therefore oh world about you cannot ye see him yet is Israels cloud between you and the Lord that ye cannot behold the Lord why the light of God will cause the clouds to remove and then woe to be you And they also which pierced him Hear ye despisers and piercers of the Lords Sion I will tell you what you have done you have pierced the most precious Jewels the Lord hath and pierced them so deep that the wound is gone through the very side of God And he is now coming for to open thy eyes to cause thee to see the many wounds that thou hast given him and them and when that is represented you shall see your selves wounded with a deadly and eternall wound even unto death and yet never for to die in dying thou shalt dye and yet not dy Revel 9. 6. And in those dayes men shall seek death and shall not finde it for the light of God will keep them alive for ever and ever thy fall will be very great Oh worldling although you be as the Sunne of the morning how art thou cutting down to the ground which didst once weaken the Nations and thou art in casting out of the grave of security where thou hast lived and layen in peace for many an Age. Therefore hear ye sufferers for the Lord he hath recorded thy sufferings in his book and them that pierced thee hath he in remembrance and behold he is coming to reward upon them the evill of their own wayes and will plead with them here for thee I he will plead with all thy enemies temporall and spirituall inside and outside ones he remembers them all and all shall fall and never rise more I and that quickly for the great day of the Lord is coming on amain cannot yee see hear nor take notice of the Lords goings which proclaims to all the world that he is coming ye are angry and ye cannot tell with what ye are displeased and ye cannot tell with whom and the Lord is now coming to tell you it is with himself that you are offended There is a generation that must be offended being out of the holy number and therefore not honoured with that princely name Israel so having no lot in the holy land and therefore no entrance into the princely and heavenly Court into which Christ is coming for to gather all his up into by the light of his father Great will be thy joy oh soul who art boloved of God when this light of God hath not only purified thee but carried thee into the Court and mansion of heaven and set thee down there with thy father and thy King Jesus who is now come with Clouds and by and by with light watch ye therefore all ye sons of Sion And all kindreds of the Earth shall waile because of him even so Amen Oh the unspeakable walling and crying out there will be ere long I even tremble to think how the earth will ring with the cries of enlightned soules which have the light of God given them for no other end then to be an eternall plague unto them great crying because of great wrath and this great wrath will cause great anger to ceaze upon your spirits And your anger will arise from two causes first from the Lords coming to judge thee by the light of himself in thee Secondly by the Lords coming for to give rewards unto his Saints and to them that fear his name First from the Lords appearing for to judge you by the light of God in you The day of the Lords appearing will be a day of great trouble because it will be an eternall appearing an appearing that shall bring along with it eternall light eternall darkness with an eternall death too Isa 8. 22. And they shall look unto the Earth and behold trouble and darkness and dimness of an anguish and they shall be driven into darkness As eternall light eternall darkness with eternall death makes up but an eternall plagues so eternall light eternall life eternall joy eternall peace and an eternall glory with an eternall knowing of God as he is in himself makes up an eternall salvation to the saved ones of God Worldlings where are you what are you doing are ye filling up the measures of your fathers wrath fuller yet why make hast for my King cannot come with a light called the light of an eye untill you have finished the works of darkness and if I be not mistaken you have almost if not altogether finished your work for Sions King and your terrible Judge makes hast to come away and me thinks I hear you begin to waile but if not waile you are filled with much trouble fear and anger which is within one step of wailing the next sight of my King will make you waile then farewell all your honors rich treasures and worldly enjoyments for all are condemned to dye already and then they leave thee and thou must leave them I say trouble fear and anger ye have in your hearts and your hearts full of it but ye cannot tell what is the cause of it nor from whence it ariseth I will tell thee First from the Lords coming to judge thee and thy Judgment is begun but it is a cloudy judgment that is an unseen and an unknown judgment if it were made known to thee by the light of the Lord what the Lord is adoing and going still about for to do to thee and what hast he makes untill he hath done thou wouldest not only fear but waile and let me tell thee one thing over again all thy glory wisdom riches honor and delight with all thy other injoyments are condemned by the Lord of the whole Earth for to dy the death nay they are dead and that is the reason thou hast so little comfort in the world in this thy age There is a great change made instead of a sweet smell there is a stinke and instead of a girdle a rent instead of well-set haire baldness and instead of a stomacher a girding with sackcloth and burning instead of beauty so that all is out of order by reason of the cloudy day of God and when once the Lord appeareth with light then will thy wailing begin but never end because the light that God will give thee will be a light that will never goe out Rev. 14. 11. And the smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest day nor night
thy City and thy glory oh world is falling is falling is falling Rev. 14. 8. And now thy great strength is gone and therefore nothing but trouble cometh in the roome by reason of the Lords appearing And it will not be long ere the earth shine or be enlightned with the Lords glory and the shining and enlightning is for to let thee know that thy kingdome and glory is going being but a Babylonian glory Rev. 18. 1. 2. And I saw an Angel come down from Heaven having great power and the earth was enlightned with his glory and he cryed with a strong voyce saying Babylon the great is fallen is fallen and become the habitation of Devils Thou oh world hast the mysterie of iniquity dwelling in thee and by thy mysterious iniquities hast carried the Lords Israel captive at thy will for many thousand years and now the years of thy power is up and the day of thy ruling is at an end because all thy actions have been unrighteous actions and all thy wayes and paths which thou hast walked in have been sinfull wayes and paths and therefore now after thy iniquity woe be unto thee Ezek. 16. 23. Woe be unto thee indeed saith the Lord for thy sins have reached up to heaven and have raised the Lord of hosts out of his place Isa 33. 10. Now will I arise saith the Lord now will I be exalted now will I lift up my self behold now he is come down and is with thee to be exalted over thee and to recompense upon thee according to thy works Rev. 18. 5. For her sins have reached up to Heaven and God hath remembred her iniquity your wayes oh ye sons of men and all ye rulers of the Earth have been and are still Canaanitish wayes and ye have all run greedily after the error of Balaam for reward but in the end will perish in the gainsaying of Core Jude 11. ver Thy end is now begun I the end of your evill wayes oh Saints and worldlings is come up before the Lord and what do you think to doe for Job whom the Lord honored with the name of my servant and faithfull one and just in all his wayes yet though so when the Lord who is a God of so pure eyes that cannot behold iniquity did but once rise up Job feared with a saying What then shall I do Job 31. 14. When God ariseth up and when he visiteth what shall I answer him If the Sion of God do as it were fear what wilt thou do oh world then the Lord arises up to the prey and to gather thee for eternall ruine and to judge thee with an eternall Judgment attended with a just sentence and a just reward like thy works Oh all ye workers of iniquity and by the light of God ye shall see it and then your wailing will begin What ailest thou oh world for to waile why do ye not know oh ye blessed of the Lord the light of him who is your King and therefore raigneth over you and in you even he whom I scorned and rejected with a saying This man shall not rule over me hath wounded me to the heart by this light and this light by which he hath enlightned me carrieth me forward and backward backward and forward just as he did David after he had committed adultery with Beersheba and slew Vriah with the Sword he carrieth me backward to behold all my evill deeds which I have done and the many wounds that I have given him and you And also carrieth me forward to behold what once was offered me what mercies and what blessings what glory and what life what peace and what rest with an eternall salvation with your eternall King but now rejected of him by my own rebellious and scornfull denying of him and you and I behold all this by the light of God and this light of God causes me to waile with an everlasting wailing and therefore what condition can be like unto mine why no condition can be like unto thine for thou art doubly miserable and therefore shalt be doubly plagued by that light that shall come down from the Lord to shine upon thee Secondly from the Lords coming for to give rewards to his Saints what a plague will it be to thee oh world for to behold Gods Israel whom thou thoughtst not worthy to live nor yet the remembrance of them in the earth for to be that they so little esteemed of the earth among men should come to be cloathed with such glory and righteous robes and to be invested with all the glory of heaven called the glory of the father didst thou never hear of Mordecai and the royall cloathing he wore and the horse that he rid upon and the Crown Royall which was set upon his head and the Proclamation which was made before him by one of the most royallest Princes of that Court and of the ring that was put upon his finger this is a mysterious type these are the Lords Mordicai's that I now tell thee of and they shall all of them ride upon the wings of the Lords free grace ere long although thou now disesteemest of them and they shall have given them all manner of change of raiment called the white robes though for the present their cloathing is but ragged and filthy and an old cloathing thou art angry with them now and enviest them with thy very heart although they do but bear a dark Image of God and their light is but an imperfect light that they have yet O world And though their gifts knowledg and understanding be imperfect and their cloaths ragged yet thou hatest that in them they have Well thou shalt not hate this imperfect image long for the Lord is coming for to take them away and methinks I hear a voyce crying in my ears Take away take away take away these filthy rags Zach. 3. 3 4. And he spake to them that stood by him Take away those filthy Garments which they stand before the Angel withal they shall be suddenly taken away for that is the reason why Michael the Prince stands up that Arch-Angel and that is the reason why the breaker up is come up it is I say For to take away all our putrified and corrupt cloathing and upon the remove there will be trouble in thee O Israel And now they are risen it will not be long ere it is finished Dan. 9. 24. It is but as it were a seventy weeks before it shall be done seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy City to finish transgressions and to make an end of sin and to bring in everlasting righteousness This is a Mystery you have this Mystery opened in part in Heb. 9 28. unto them that look for him he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation It will not be long ere this Scripture be fulfilled upon thee O Israel for thou art the City spoken of in Daniel The world is old and
their King who hath taken to himself his great power and reigns although it be but with clouds and as his coming is a cloudy coming so his wrath that he poures forth is a cloudy wrath the day of the Lords wrath is come and yet still to come and it hasteth greatly thou hast outward temporall wrath falne upon thee from the Lord and therefore ye are intombed in your own blood the Lord hath waited long upon the world for their filling up the measures of their fathers wrath and now they are full the world is full of evill and darkness hands full and minds full and hearts full and now behold he is come to recompence wickedness filled up to the brim with plagues filled up to the brim and my King hath begun with the plague of the sword called by the name of a Sicle Joel 3. 13. and in verse 9. A Sword you wonder a at these strange things that befall you and you say in your trouble you think the world is almost at an end why thy world O worlding is almost at an end it shakes mightily it reels apace and would quickly fall were but thy doom read to thee you shall receive your doom here and sentence in this world where you have passed sentence upon so many of the Lords heritage thy sentence hath been upon them Let them die the death Psal 94. 21. They gathered themselves together against the souls of the righteous and condemned the innocent blood the very same sentence is passed upon thee from the Lord with a wo Esay 33. 1. Wo to thee that spoilest and wast not spoiled and Esay 54. 17. wo be to you indeed for you have risen up against the Lords heritage and now the Lord is risen up against you you have judged the Fathers beloved many thousand years and he is now come for to judg you and the first Judgment is this a wounding you all with a taking peace rest and quietness from you and so taking that you shall never see it more because the day of the Lord is come the day which thou hast so long desired with a praying Thy kingdom come Thy will be done and Hallowed be thy Name thou mayst now it may be call to minde what you have said all of you and whom you are angry with how many times have you said Hallowed by thy Name Thy kingdom come you little know what you said and what you desired you prayed for the Lord to come and glorifie his name which you and I and all the world have prophaned all our dayes and you prayed for the Lords Power Justice and Judgments to fall upon you behold it is come according to your desire although it be with clouds and that is the reason why Kings fall and lose their Crowns and Thrones too the Lord the Lord of hoasts my King whose possession all the kingdoms are is come and earthly Kings have do and shall perfectly fall before him for all kingdoms are the Lords and he is now come for to take possession of them Dan. 7. 13 14. Behold one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the ancient of dayes and there was given to him dominion glory and a kingdom what wilt thou do O world now thy long desire is granted or where will ye stand the Saints fear and are so moved they cannot tell where to stand Mal. 3. 2. But who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth Behold he is come and you are doubly miserable by it and in a worse condition then ever you were for there went out a wo against you long ago for this thy desire Amos 5. 18. Wo unto you that desire the day of the Lord for the day of the Lord is darkness and not light even very dark and no brightness in it therefore what profit hast thou by it but rather trouble fear with great astonishments and sorrow added and in stead of a Lyon a Lyon and a Bear and a Serpent too for to bite and to tear and who shall deliver you out of his hand you are hurt and in trouble and yet you cannot tell who hurt you why it is the Lord and nothing but the Lord and he is come for to gather you for destruction the day of the Lords gathering is the day of the worlds reeling too and fro Esay 24. 19. The earth reels too and fro I must reade it and is removing like a Cottage and the transgressions thereof are heavie upon it and shall fall and never rise again there are great breakings up and great cries in verse 11. and the 21. the Lord punishes the Lord is risen to the pray do you not hear the sound of his feet nay ye do not only hear but feel not only feel but see and yet ye cannot tell that the Lord is come down and that is your plague Mich. 1. 3. Behold the Lord cometh forth out of his place and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth and the mountains shall be moulten under him you are all in great trouble and in fear and you would fain know what the meaning of it is and to what it will grow thus much is the meaning of all your trouble it telleth you the Lord and Sions King is come down upon the earth and by reason of his presence the earth shakes and fears and trembles I and sinks under him being not able to bear his weight nor to behold his cloudy presence indeed it is impossible but that it should fear for the breaker up is come up and hath broke up Mich. 2. 13. And Michael the Prince stands up and my Lord is risen and your King is before you O Saints this is a mystery Dan. 12. 1. And there is now come and for to come still such a time of trouble as never was for that must be shaken ye and is shaking that never was shaken and that must be removed that never was removed because that that is to be brought to my Father is that that never yet was brought heaven and earth must be removed before thy glory shall come to thee O Israel Oh how heaven and earth does shake at this the cloudy appearing of Jesus Christ Friends where are you all where do you now stand in this the day of the Lords shaking heaven and earth let me tell you one thing in a mystery again all are risen out of their seat in heaven because of the great shaking there and all are risen out of their seat on earth and dare not sit any longer there because of the great shaking there Behold I shake heaven and earth sea and dry land all Nations and then the desire of all Nations shall come and fill ye all O ye Israel with his glory Hag. 2. 6. Heb. 12. 26. Oh what a shaking is there of both things visible and invisible there is a leaving strong holds visible and a leaving
John is a spirituall eye or ye may call it the eye of the Lord gone forth from the Lord to the works of his hands to behold their great Workman the Lord of hosts for nothing can behold the Lord but that which comes from the Lord I am apt to think that the eye which the Lord will open to all flesh in the day of his glorious light appearing will be the eye of the Understanding and my reason is this because that Paul saith that by that eye when once opened they shall know what is the hope of their calling what is the riches of his glory of his inheritance in his Saints Ephes 1. 18. Isa 41. 20. That we may see know and understand together and then shall they see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Sion and then shall we behold him as he is Hear Israel and ye gentile world too for ye are both brought in hear Israel the first sight that thou shalt have of thy King will be a sad sight for thy wounded Saviour will be represented unto thee which thou hast wounded pierced and grieved all thy days but the time now of thy grieving him is almost up and he is coming out of cloudy dispensations for to cause thee by his light to see what thou art and what thou hast done and what a condition thou art in and when he hath carried thee hither and thither up and down here and there and shewed thee all thy abominations and all thy idols and imaginary religious Exercises as he did to Ezekiel in Jerusalem and in the Temple there Ezek. 8. 5 6 9 10 11. and so to the end of the Chapter that is a Gospel type we may read there what our condition is for thou art the Temple of God and this Temple of the Lord is defiled with all maner of unclean things O thou Temple of the Lord there is great abomination in thee spiritual abomination mysterious abominations and there dwells in thee thou canst not tell what for every thing that bears not the image of the Lord is sin upon thee and thou art defiled with all maner of unclean things with an unclean heart an unclean minde an unclean conversation O how death is written upon all thy labors and ways rathen then life Behold therefore the Lord is come down for to open an eye to thee wherewith thou shalt see all that thou hast done to be wicked fleshly and nought The first sight will be a sorrowful sight but after sorrow comes joy Israel the Lord will first open thy eye because judgment shall begin first with thee yea this spiritual judgment The Lord will first search thee with candles and after thee then thy enemies thou shalt see first because thou shalt rise first nay dost not thou begin to see for methinks the clouds begin to break if not what 's the reason of so much strange noyses among the Sion of God was there ever heard or seen the like that is in this our age what distress what blasphemies what cursings These days are the last days these days are the blaspheming days I tremble to think how all the world is and will be filled with blasphemy Revel 13. 5. 7. 3. 16. 9 11 21. Here is trouble indeed to the purpose war was but the beginning and this shall be the end and when ended never trouble more shall come neer thee O Israel for thou shalt see thy King ere long with great joy and with such a beholding of him as thou never yet didst behold him withall and by this thy beholding of him thou shalt goe forth and speak great things of his name to the consuming of all the world Ps 40. 3. And he shall put a new song into thy mouth even praise unto our God men shall see it and fear God will come and consume all within thee because thou shalt consume all without thee and make all fall before thee by the light and glory that God will cloath upon thee and all shall come unto thee in chaines and shall bow and make supplication unto thee and Ps 149. 8. To binde their Kings in Chaines 2 Thes 2 8. Whom he will consume with the Spirit of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming all things below himself which destruction every one shall see and be convinced it is the Lord. Saints and worldlings your eyes shall be opened all ere long for to behold your selves first then the Lord after Israel the eye which the Lord will give unto thee shall as well behold all the glory of the fathers house as it did cause thee to behold all thy evill for this eye will carry thee into the secret chamber of God there to behold all the inside glory of thy father and thou shalt not only see it but be convinced all that is thine and laid up for thee of old yea and thine for to wear upon thy shoulders in the day when the Lord comes for to give reward unto his Saints and them that fear his name which day is hasting on amain and it will not be long ere thou seest thy King by the perfect light of God called the light of an eye And for thee oh world thou shalt have an eye opened unto thee by the Lord for to cause thee for to see him withall and so to convince thee of all thy evill wayes and of all thy evill deeds and hard speeches which thou hast moved withall towards his Israel You may all read your doome in Jude and hear there what the Lord saith He saith that the next appearing after the cloudy called the day of light or the day of Christ which day will be a day of conviction a day of enlightning throughout the world of good and bad a convincing day to all men of their wayes Jude 15. ver Therefore rejoyce oh Sion and fear oh world for the Lord is come near to Judgment and it will be a spirituall one attended with the spirituall light of God Isaiah 4. 4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughter of Sion and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem by the Spirit of Judgment and the spirit of burning This light of the Lord will be a reproving light a light which shall cause men to see and be ashamed and see and yet not be ashamed because he will bring a further wrath upon them it will be a reproving light John 16. 8. When he comes he will reprove the world of sin of righteousness and of judgment Oh the mighty great and unparallell fear that will fall upon all the world by reason of the light of God which shall break forth upon them for to behold the Lord withall and as they shall behold him so themselves too and reade their own charge and be their own Judges Math. 12. 33. For by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned That is by thy own