State that all that see it will praise and bless it as the Daughters the Queens and the Concubines did Cant. 6.9 such a Light will shine round about it and such a Glory will arise upon it that there shall be such a Confluence unto it of those who being in Love with its Glory are converted into it that we shall cry out with Isaiah Who are these that flee as the Clouds and as the Doves to their Windowes Isa 60.1 5 6 7 and 8. verses I shall conclude this part of this Discourse with the words of the 133. Psalm Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in this pure unity It 's like the precious Ointment upon the Head this Ointment was made of the most sweet and Odoriferous Spices Exod. 30.23 24. so that when it was poured out it made a most fragrant savour in the Nostrils of all those that were near unto it that run down upon the Beard even Aarons Beard that went down to the skirts of his garments it 's the very Image of the holiness of God stampt upon the Royal Priesthood of the Lord his Holy Nation and Peculiar People that must shew forth the praises of him that hath called them out of darknesse into his marvellous Light 1 Pet. 2.9 And that wrought by the mighty working and Annointing of his Holy Spirit It is as the Dew of Herman and as the Dew that descended upon the Mountains of Sion which made them both pleasant and fruitful for there the Lord commanded the Blessing even Life for evermore This is the State and Condition of his People which the Lord will Blesse with an Everlasting Blessing LIFE FOR EVERMORE which State shall suffer no alteration nor Change so long as the Son and Moon indure till the time of the Fabrick of this World ceases to be For upon the dwelling places of Sion and upon her Assemblies come into this State and frame of Spirit will the Lord create a Cloud and Smoke by Day and the shining of a flaming Fire by Night he will work as wonderfully as ever he did of Old to defend this Glory And there shall be a Tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat and for a place of refuge and for a covert from Storme and from Rain even from ALL that their Enemies can by the help of the Powers of Darkness be able to do against them We come now to consider the END of the Lord in Correcting and Afflicting his People which is 1. To take this Sin away This is fully expressed By this therefore shall the INIQUITY of Jacob be PURGED and this is all the Fruit to take away his Sin This Verse gathers up the preceding verses into it By this by what By the means fore-mentioned by the Smitings and the Slayings of the Enemy By this therefore wherefore Why will God make use of those means to purge Jacob First because the Lord will measure out the Affliction that it shall continue no longer then this effect is wrought in Jacob. Secondly because he hath in a readiness wherewithal to stop the Current and Stream of this Affliction to stay this rough-wind as soon as ever it hath wrought its effect If the Lord did not take care of this these means would not do the work to which the Lord appoints them instead of purging only they would destroy Jacob instead of taking away his Sin only they would take away his Being in this World By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be Purged and this is all the fruit to take away his Sin The End of God in this Affliction is to Cleanse and Purifie Jacob from his Sin yea from those sins already hinted at From hence we may lay down this Position It 's not SINNING-DEFILED Jacob God will DELIVER but it 's CLEANSED and PURIFIED Jacob whose iniquity is Purged and whose sin is taken away the Lord will bestow his salvation upon Therefore it is that the Lord will wait to be gracious he is waiting upon Jacob till the means he hath appointed the Affliction hath wrought its effect Washed and Cleansed Jacob from his Sin and the Daughtets of Sion from their Filth and Jerusalem from her Blood that he may Deliver and Save him that he may blesse Jacob that he may Take root and Israel may blossome and Bud and fill the Face of the World with Fruit. The Lord will put a Glory upon Sion and then create a defence upon all that Glory but first he will Wash and Purge her from her Filth and from her Blood Esa 4. and that by the great and terrible work mentioned in the second and third Chapters Christ will make his Spouse Terrible as an Army with Banners yea as the company of two Armies But first he will make her sick of Love exercising her under sore Afflictions the Smitings and Woundings of the Watchmen and the Robery of the Keepers of the Wall till she become undefiled looking forth as the morning fair as the Moon and clear as the Son Cant. 5. and 6. Chapters God will enable his People to tread down the wicked like Ashes under the Soles of their Feet But first he will sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver Purifying them and Purging them as Gold and Silver is Purged in the Fire Purging away their dross and taking away all their Tin Mal. 3. and 4. Chapters compared with Isa 1.15 The Lord Christ hath a great and glorious work to lead forth his people to do in the World but first he writes his Fathers Name in their Fore-head he redeems them from the Earth from among men makes them Pure Virgins having no Guile at all in them without fault before the Throne of God and then they follow the Lamb whithersoever he leads them into what Path or whatsoever work he pleases Rev. 14. Yea Christ hath Vials full of wrath to pour out upon the Earth But he will pour them out by Angels cloathed in pure and White linen having their Breasts girded about with Golden Girdles Rev. 16. The Lord will destroy Babylon but he will do it by his Sanctified ones such as rejoice in his Highness Esa 13.3 Christ hath a People that shall Reign with him but they must first suffer with him 2 Tim. 2.12 If Christs Witnesses will ascend up to Heaven as Christ did they must first be conformable to his Death Rev. 11. If it were necessary that Christ himself though he were a Son should learn obedience by the things which he suffered Heb. 5.8 much more will it appear necessary that we should through suffering learn to obey those commands which God in these last daies hath laid upon his people as his will they should do which are so contrary to flesh and blood and hard for it to bear And if it Became the Captain of our Salvation to be made Perfect through Suffering Heb. 2.10 how much more Becoming is it that his Followers his
GOOD NEVVS OR Wine and Oyle Poured into the Wounds of SINNING and DISTRESSED JACOB In some Meditations on Isa 27.6 7 8 9 verses Directing to the Cause wherefore and the End for which The present Affliction is come upon him Hinting at the Means by which his Deliverance will be wrought And Comforting him against the Extremity of Affliction come and coming upon him By PAIN LuMLE A WELCH christian Jer. 30.7 Alas for that day is great so that none is like it it is even the time of Jacob's Trouble but he shall be saved out of it Lam. 2.1 3.18 21 22 31 32. How hath the Lord covered the Daughter of Sion with a Cloud in his Anger and cast down from Heaven unto the Earth the Beauty of Israel and remembred not his footstool in the day of his Anger I said My Strength and my Hope is perished from the Lord. It is of the Lord's Mercy 's that we are not consumed because his Compassions fail not â— for the Lord will not cast off for ever but though he cause grief yet will be have Compassion according to the multitude of his Mercies Isa 61.9 All that see them shall ACKNOWLEDGE THEM that they are the SEED which the Lord hath BLESSED London Printed in the Year 1661. TO Sinning and Distressed JACOB LEt not your Heart be troubled saith our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to his Disciples when they were going through the withdrawing of his blessed bodily Presence into a scattered persecuted desolate helpless Condition full of Sorrows Now with what doth he fortifie their Heart against Trouble With his Gracious Ends in going away from them which were first To Prepare a Place for them in his Father's House In my Father's House are many Mansions I go to prepare a Place for you there a better State and Condition than I can either fit you for or bring you into while I am present with you here on Earth and then I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also And secondly after I am glorified I will pray the Father and he shall in the mean time give you another Comforter even the Spirit of Truth who will be a greater Comfort unto you than either I have been or can be or you can be able to receive I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now till I have carried your Nature the humane Nature which I have assumed into the Same Glory I had with the Father before the World was Therefore it is Expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you and he shall guide you into all Truth He shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you and all things that the Father hath are mine Joh. 17.5 and 16.7 13 14 15. verses Strongly inculcating not only his Gracious Ends for their Eternal Good but the Necessity of his going away to accomplish those Ends which would not nor could not be effected except he withdrew from them Therefore Let not your Heart be Troubled but Believe in Me that I will do these things for you As the Lord Jesus had these Glorious Ends at Thâ—â— Time in his leaving and withdrawing from his Disciples So he hath Glorious Ends in all his Dealings with his Chosen to the End of the World the Consideration of which should fortifie the Hearts of the distressed and peeled People of Jacob against all Heart-trouble What 's the Meaning of all that Chequer-work between Christ and his Spouse in the Canticles a Prophecy that reaches through many various Dispensations to the coming of our Lord to work a Total Deliverance for his Chosen as is asserted by Persons of no mean repute in the Church of Christ for Piety and Learning Sometimes hiding himself from her making her sick of Love and sometimes in the strength of his affection towards his Spouse He is Leaping and Skipping towards her Sometimes he Hides himself behind the Wall and again shews himself forth at the Window discovers himself through the Latess Sometimes he quite withdraws himself and is gone yet at last after she had undergone very hard usage from the hands of men the Smitings and Woundings of the Watchmen and the Insulting Robberies of the Keepers of the Wall he meets her and comforts her in his Garden among the beds of Spices What is the Reason of these various Becloudings of his so often hiding and withdrawing himself from his Beloved Surely it's to No other End as the whole current of the Prophecy and the Advantages the Spouse gaines after every casting down will tell us it is but to carry her from Glory to Glory from one Degree of Glory unto another until she be fitted for such a Total Deliverance and Salvation as shall never be clouded more and then the cry is Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness out of all her Trouble and Wilderness-straits leaning upon her Beloved And now at this time O thou Afflicted tossed with Tempests the fury of men and not yet comforted though the Cloud that is over thee grow darker and darker and this terrible Storm shake all the Pillars of thy fleshly Building yet let it not touch thy Heart with anxious trouble only Believe thy God is the same to thee that ever he was if he withdraw himself it is that he may come again and shew thee greater Mercy 's such as shall never be taken from thee if he hide his face from thee it is that he may fit thee for and shew thee more of his Glory than ever he did before if thine Enemy weaken thee it is that by waiting upon the Lord forsaking thy Idols thou mayest renew thy strength if he Imprison thee in Holes and Corners it is that the Lord may be glorified in fitting thee for it hearing thy Groanings if he appoint thee to Death it is that the Lord may be glorious at the appointed time in loosing those that are appointed to death Nay surely the Lord hath this Gracious End in Afflicting thee at this time viz. To fit thee for a Compleat Salvation that Manifestation of the Sons of God that Glorious Liberty of the Children of God which the Creature Earnestly Expects and the whole Creation Groaneth and Travelleth after yea which the Saints of God who have received the first fruits of the Spirit Groan within themselves for waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Bodies Rom. 8.19 21 22 23 v. that being fitted for that Work the Lord hath purposed to do by thee thou mayest go forth to it thrive and prosper in it both in Soul and Body and grow up to a compleat preparation to meet Our Lord when he shall come again without Sin unto Salvation All God's Ends towards thee in all his Dispensations are full of Glory to himself and Salvation to thee Therefore
Nothing that Jacob meets withal in this World should trouble his Heart but his Sin and that no further neither than is necessary to his thorow-forsaking of it it being only that which hinders the shining of the face of his God upon him and grieves the Spirit of the Lord causing him to withdraw his sweet Influences and leave us to feed upon the Husks of our Gifts and Parts till we are become sensible of the want of that True Bread which is to be enjoyed in our Father's House by those who forsake their Sin and this World with the things therein How many strong Obligations doth the Heart and Hand of God working thus graciously for us lay upon us to be Examining and Trying our Wayes and diligently searching out what that is which stands as a Partition Wall between us and those Everlasting Kindnesses that Glory which shall never be removed which the Lord is waiting a fit time to bestow upon us and to wash and cleanse our selves from it And now give me leave to take a little liberty to warn you of a few things which surely if among us at this time very much grieve the Holy Spirit of God 1. Take heed our Tongue of Profession run not beyond our Feet of Practice Let us not outbid our selves lest when we come to perform we have neither Strength nor Heart to follow our Tongue and so dishonour the Lord that bought us with so great a Price putting him to open-shame by whose Name we are called giving the world of Unbelievers occasion to think him not a sufficient Saviour able to save us from the Power of Sin and Temptation That Sin of the Scribes and Pharisees which our Lord while on Earth was so severe against and Austeer in Reprehending was of the like nature with this speaking great Words but doing little when it came to practice it was but tything Mint and Cummin small things and leaving the weightier things undone The Sad and woful Effects this Sin hath brought forth amongst us for many years past are too too evident 2. Take heed lest shunning that you fall not into another Sinful Extream almost as bad which is Not making an Open Profession of the Truth we believe lest we should not be able to walk answerable to it Knowing that which is convenient and lawful for one man to do is no way lawful nor convenient for another who makes a greater and higher Profession Now lest we should not have strength to come up to that strict Circumspection such a Profession requires to the honouring of it we hide our Light put not our hand to the work our Light would lead us to sit still out of a fear of our own weakness and infirmities this is a subtile Temptation and refined Snare of the Evil One. He that hath had experience of this Evil can tell you that it is of a pernicious nature it not only clearly speaks forth a secret liking of and unwillingness to part with some Beloved Sin that such a degree of owning Truth would necessitate the mortifying of but by this means every Sin that Nature is propense to gets a greater latitude to exercise it self in the whole Man Corruptions grow strong and stout and the Man careless by a mis-use of that Word that tells him That is Lawful and Convenient for him which is Not for another to do and this hinders that Fellowship and Communion with the Father and the Son through the Spirit which otherwayes he might attain unto This is of the same nature with that Temptation Moses himself was troubled with a sinful sense of his own VVeakness and of that Failing of his if it may be so called in the manner of putting his hand to the Work God had ordained him to when he slew the Egyptian Send I pray thee saith he to the Lord by the hand of him whom thou wilt or shouldest send as if he had blamed the VVisdom of God in pitching upon such an unfit and unworthy an Instrument as he was which kindled the Anger of the Lord against him Exod. 4.13 14. and had it not been for the Riches of the Grace of God to him-ward it had lost him the Happiness and Glory he afterward enjoyed in doing the Will and Work of God Our Sin should not hinder but provoke us to honour the Lord more by our Obedience than we have dishonoured him by our Disobedience If any man Sin saith the Apostle we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and this he writes unto us that we sin not 1 Joh. 2.1 And may I say that we sin not a Sin of this nature but looking upon and considering the Advocateship of Jesus Christ on our behalf we take courage and run the Race that is set before us by the Command of God our Father 3. Take heed lest that you upon whom the Extremity of Affliction is not yet come after the measure it is fallen upon others that you do not adde Affliction to the Affliction of your Brethren by your Slighting Undervaluing and Brow-beating them Look over all the Scriptures that relate the sad Condition of Distressed Jacob and see how unkindly God takes this kind of dealing at the hands of any he finds thus exercising themselves and how Severely he threatens to deal with them know of a Truth that before the VVheel of Affliction hath turned round it shall reach you also and it may be the heaviest Spoak may light on you This Sin is of the same nature with that the Lord was so wroth with Amos 6.1 and so on to the 7th verse VVo to them saith God that are at Ease in Sion c. But they are not grieved for the Affliction of Joseph Therefore now shall they go Captive with the first that go Captive How uncomly and unnatural a thing is it for him that professes to participate of the New Nature to make the Rule and Standard of his Valuation of and Respect to his Brother and so it is lesse or more according to his Enjoyment of the Good things of this life I am sure the Apostle James abhorred this Jam. 2.2 3 4 5 6. and upon this account as well as upon any other he cryes Chap. 5.1 Go to now ye Rich men Rich Professors for to such he writ Weep and Howl for your Miseries that shall come upon you I shall adde no further but intreat a serious Consideration of the following Treatise and if the Lord administer any Benefit or Comfort by it to any of Jacob's Afflicted Children or any Glory redound to the Name of God thereby I have my End I proposed to my self both in Writing and Printing this Discourse The good Lord make it fruitful to his Glory and the Good and Comfort of Distressed Jacob. Farewell READER AMong several other lesser Faults escaped the Press thou art desired to take notice of these more Material VIZ. Pag. 8. line 29. for him read them P. 13. l. 17. r. is done
Lord will perform upon Sion and Jerusalem till which is performed he will not punish the stout heart of the King of Assyria nor burn the Rod with which he is scourging and correcting his People for their unchild-like carriage towards him their Father In which there is 1. A sore Affliction Verse 7. 2. A Cordial to bear up the heart of Jacob from sinking under the severity of the Rod V. 8. 3. The Cause of it Sin implyed in Ver. 9. 4. The End of this Affliction which is two-fold 1. To take this Sin away expressed Ver. 9. And as the proper effect of this 2. To cause Jacob to take root and Israel to blossom and bud Ver. 6. 1. It 's a sore and dreadful Dispensation not only smiting but smiting to blood not only drawing blood letting out a little bad blood but the very Life blood SLAYING Hath he SMITTEN him as he smote those that smote him Or is he SLAIN according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him It 's the same manner of smiting with which Jacob in former times smote his Enemies It 's the same manner of slaying as Jacob shall after he comes out of this cleansing Dispensation slay his Enemies withal For though the Prophet speaks here in the Present tense ARE SLAIN yet of necessity we must refer it to the future for we cannot rationally conceive slain men can slay men Therefore we must look upon this as one of those Scriptures wherein the Lord is pleased to call things that be not as though they were as the Apostle speaks and that out of a gracious design to strengthen our Faith signifying thereby the certainty of the thing that it 's as certain as if it were in present action Poor Jacob goes into by-wayes wayes of his own invention to save his Blood to save his Life and behold he loses it making good that saying of our Lord He that seeks to save his Life shall lose it Sinning Jacob in his Laodicean frame of Spirit cryes out with the sloathful person Prov. 26.13 A Lion is in the Way a Lion is in the Street the Lord would have me pass through and fleeing from this Lion a Bear meets him and tears him and rends him as Amos speaks But lest the drooping Spirits of feeble Jacob should sink and dye under this trying and rending Dispensation under these Bloody smitings his Sin hath brought upon him 2. Here 's a Soveraign Cordial ready to revive him to support him In measure when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with it He stayeth his Rough wind in the day of the East wind The Lord hath measured out the Affliction of Jacob and meted it in the measure of Grace and Love The end of all is Grace and Love to Jacob that he may be purged from his Iniquity and his Sin taken away that he may be so far from being utterly destroyed as that he may fill the face of the World with Fruit. Yea this very Affliction these smitings and slayings that pass over him shall have the Love of a Father written upon it he shall be able to read a Fathers Love in and through all It shall not be beyond measure but in measure God will not suffer Jacob to be tempted beyond what he is able to bear as the Apostle speaks But fear thou not O my servant Jacob for I am with thee saith the Lord to save thee though I make a full end of all Nations yet will I not make a full end of thee but will correct thee in measure and will not leave thee altogether unpunished and in the LATTER DAYES ye shall consider it Jer. 30.10,11 24. V. When the Affliction hath shot forth to such a measure to such a degree to the working such an Effect which is humbling for and purging from Sin then will the Lord DEBATE with it When the Lord hath finished his whole Work upon Sion then will he Punish the stout heart of the King of Assyria when the Assyrian Rod would carry on the Affliction of Jacob farther than the Lord hath purposed it shall be then will he Debate with it How will he Debate with it He stayeth his Rough Wind in the day of the East Wind. By this Rough Wind I understand the same with the smitings and slayings before mentioned onely by this difference of expression the Lord would have us to understand the purging nature of the Affliction that the Lord will by this Wind by this Affliction as thorowly purge and cleanse his People from their Sin as the Husband-man cleanses his Corn from its Chaff by winnowing it in the Wind. And this Rough Wind these smitings and slayings this sore Affliction will the Lord stay put a stop to But when and how In the day of the East Wind. In that day in which the Lord hath appointed the East Wind to blow which is when the Rough VVind the smitings and slayings the Affliction hath done its work for which it was sent upon Jacob then in that day will the Lord stay this Rough VVind put a stop to these smitings and stayings take away this Affliction And that by The East VVind We shall see what VVind this is that taking place at its appointed time shall stay the preceding Rough VVind if we look into the Type Exod. 14.21 23. Moses stretched out his hand over the Sea and the Lord caused the Sea to go back by a strong East wind all that Night and made the Sea dry Land and the VVaters were divided and the Children of Israel went into the midst of the Sea upon dry Ground and the VVaters were a VVall unto them on their right hand and on their left This East VVind is that which Isaiah saith in his 51. Chapter dryed the Sea the Waters of the great Deep that made the depths of the Sea dividing it a VVay for the Ransomed to pass over and that when the VVaves thereof roared When the Rough VVind the smitings and slayings the present Affliction hath wrought its proper Effect upon Jacob then is the time come and a strong East VVind from the presence of the Lord shall blow and stop the breath of the Rough VVind The Lord will so deal with this Sea of Jacob's trouble the VVaves whereof are roaring upon poor Jacob as that a VVay through the Sea a VVay through the Rough VVind a VVay through the very smitings and slayings of the Enemy shall be made and found out for Jacob to escape And what then 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 that are scratching and tearing the flesh of distressed Jacob in one day Chap. 10.17 In ONE day A day known to the Lord even that day wherein he will staying his Rough Wind by his East Wind putting a stop to the Enemie's smiting and slaying of his Jacob healing his VVounds Punish the stout heart of the Assyrian and
Lords own People whom he hath ordained to be his Instrument by which he will do the great Work of his terrible Day that except this be done that cannot be done a Curse will come upon the Earth instead of a Blessing Quest What Curse is this the Earth must be Smitten with in case this Reconciliation between the Fathers and the Children be not wrought Answ It cannot be those Judgements of God which he will pour down upon the World by the hand of his People in this terrible day for though that day Begin with Jndgement it Ends with Blessing Now a Curse is pure Judgement without mixture of Blessing pure wrath without mixture of Mercy and this Curse being put in Opposition to those Blessings which these people reconciled shall obtain it 's as much as if the Lord had said If these Fathers and Children will be Reconciled and Turn their Hearts to each other I will Bless them to the enabling them to goe forth and grow up as Calves of the Stall in treading down the wicked that they shall be as Ashes under the Soals of their Feet But if not I will Smite all with a Curse not only the Wicked but they themselves too all shall be Cursed and Perish together as that Generation that Sinned against me in the Wilderness were Cursed and Perished Mount Ebal shall be their portion not Mount Garizim The Lord will Turn the Heart of the Fathers to the Children and the Heart of the Children to their Fathers As at the first he took away the Partition Wall between Jew and Gentile between those sheep of his Fold So now he will again take away the Partition-wall that Carnal Dividing Spirit that is among the Sheep of his Fold at this Day As then he made of Twain One New man so now of many he will make One Rev. 14.1 Ps 2.6 Isa 24.23 Mic. 4.7 Isa 18.7 8 18. 31.4 Obed. 17 21. Psal 48.2 Heb. 12 22. Hill One Mount for Christ to stand upon and sit on as King and Reign and that for ever this is the Place of the Name of the Lord of Hosts the Place where he dwells it 's when his People come into this state that the Lord will fight for them it 's upon the People of God in this state that Deliverance shall be upon this State upon Mount Sion shall come Saviours it's this state of Jacob that makes him the Joy of the whole Earth the Joy of the whole Earth is Mount Sion and this is that state the People of God in this Gospel Day are to come unto By this we see what fruit the Lord expects his present Afflicting hand upon us should bring forth in us what it is he expects from us before he will judge us fit for Deliverance and Bestow it upon us A forsaking our Carnal Envying and Striving and Dividing and the Turning of our Hearts to each other in a true sincere Love uniting upon the One True Foundation Jesus Christ Other than which no man can lay Abundance more might be said to prove this both from the Old and New Testament Pauls Epistles yield plentiful proof that this frame of Spirit is the Onely true Gospel frame But I forbear If it be objected That we are Commanded in several Scriptures in the Old and New Testament to be separate and not touch the unclean thing and to come out of Babylon upon the penalty of being partaker of her Sins and so of her Plagues therefore how can this union pleaded for be according to the mind of God I Answer It s a certain truth that touching the unclean thing and abiding in Babylon are inconfistant with this Union pleaded for A Holy Separation from the unclean thing and coming out of Babylon of necessity must precede this Union otherwise it cannot be for in a Defiled house the Lord will not dwell But yet we must be careful lest we call that unclean which the Lord doth not account so and so cast away that which the Lord will gather up as his and call that Babylon which the Lord looks upon as belonging to his Sion though weak and infirm Therefore it 's necessary to resolve this Case that we consider what is to be understood by this unclean thing and by coming out of Babylon 1. By coming out of Babylon we must of necessity understand coming out of whole Babylon her Civil Tyrannical State and her Religious Idolatrous State otherwise we shall neither be fit for nor can we come unto this Union To prove this a multitude of Arguments and Scriptures might be brought but taking it for granted I would onely caution this There are Tyrrannies and Idolatries which are not Properly her's for every thing that is like Babylon is not Babylon and we must be careful lest we mistake one for the other by which many Erring Inconveniences may follow 2. By the unclean thing I conceive we are to understand 1. What soever is inconsistant with the only true Foundation Jesus Christ laid by the Apostles That we must not touch with have any fellowship with or be united unto for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteonsness what concord hath Christ with Belial 2 Cor. 6.14 15. Now those Petty Differences I call them Petty because they cannot so much as move the Spiritual Man he sees them what they are and lives above them they are onely great and powerful to the disturbance onely of the Weak and Carnal Christian I say those Petty Differences that are among the People of God who are planted in and built upon this true Foundation are so far from being to be cast off as not agreeing with the Foundation as that they are not to be Judged Judge nothing before the time saith the Apostle but to be let alone to be born with till the Day declare of what sort they are The Apostle reckons up many several sorts Gold Silver Precious Stone Wood Hay Stubble 1 Cor. 3.12 the Carnal Christian looking upon these as very Heterogenious matter such an Impure mixture as is not to be suffered would burn up the Wood the Hay and the Stubble in the Fire of his own Spirit not considering that thereby he would rob the Gold and Silver and the Precious Stone of some part of their Glory by the smutting smoke of his wrathful Fire by this manifesting himself to be one Spirit with that combustible matter which yet he would destroy seeing he is so easily set on fire but saith the Apostle the Spiritual man Judge nothing before the time let them alone till the Day declares and tryes of what sort every mans work is till the Lord clearly manifests to the sincere in heart who are yet otherwise minded who yet Differ about and are not able to Distinguish between these things what he will have to Abide and what he will have to be Burnt 13. and 15. verses compared with Phil. 3.15 2. The meer Natural Man who hath never passed through the New Birth the
Son of Old Adam with all his fleshly and Dead Works Those Carnal uncleannesses under the Law several Diseases the Menstruous Corruptions of Nature the Dead Man c. which were then made unclean in that day as to that worship were Types of this This is clearly the scope of the Apostle 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16 17. be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness or what part hath he that believeth with an Infidell wherefore come out from among them and be ye seperate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing c. Believers and Unbelievers Believers and Infidels are not to unite together are not to be Cemented together in one building The Unbeliever the Natural man the Son of Old Adam is that unclean thing which the Believer the Spiritual man the Son of the New Adam Jesus Christ is to come out from to be separated from and not to touch with if he will be the Temple of the living God for him to Dwell in and walk in 3. IDOLS What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate c. Idols are a part of that unclean thing which those who will be the Temple of the living God must be separate from and not touch with Babylon and her Idols All will grant yea the Carnal fry of Christians will grant that they are to be separated from even while in the mean time they are hugging a more Refined sort of Idols in their hearts crying out against another as guilty of Idolatry and Wil-worship while yet they mind not the Idols in their own Hearts Dividing withdrawing communion from each other looking upon each other as not the Sheep of Christs Fold for their Opinion their waies-sake for the sake of those things wherein they Differ notwithstanding they all are by the mighty working of the Spirit of God planted in the true Foundation Jesus Christ putting their Opinions their Waies their Differences in the Room and Place of the Foundation Jesus Christ making them the Standard and Boundary of their Communion and Separation by which they become their Idols from which the Lord in his due time will separate them induing them with such a Spiritual frame of Spirit as should abolish their Idols the Idols he shall utterly abolish †See Tillinghurst upon this Scripture Isa 2.18 These things of a Religious Nature may be and too too often are as really the Heart Idols of Carnal Christians as the Silver and the Gold of this World are either unto such or unto the men of the World Of these Heart Idols the Lord expresses exstream detestation Ezek. 14.3 4 5. Son of man these men have set up their Idols in their Hearts and should I be inquired of at all by them Therefore speak unto them and say unto them thus saith the Lord God Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his Idols in his heart the Lord will answer him according to the multitude of his Idols And these Religious Heart Idols when we are joined to them make us so tenatious so obstinate so perverse that there is no dealing with us God himself thinks not fit to deal with us while in this Condition except in a way of Correction to scourge them out of us but saith Ephraim is joined to Idols let him alone Hosea 4.17 when men have Idolatrous hearts adoring either the Idols of this World the Silver and the Gold the good things of this Life or those more curious Idols those Religious things wherewith a world of Professors cheat their own poor Souls while they hug their Form for the Power while they make their Opinion and Way the Measure and Standard of their Religion there 's so little hope of them that saith God He is joined to Idols let him alone as Solomon saith of his Conceited man Pro. 26.12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a Fool than of him So it 's as true there 's more hope of a meer Natural man that never knew what belongs to making a Profession of the Name and worship of God than of such a one whose Opinion or Way or Judgement are his Heart Idols Let him alone saith God I will answer him deal with him by my self and that so as ye shall know that I am the Lord Ezek. 14.7 8. None can deal with such but the Lord and he deals with such a People by terrible things utterly abolishing the Idols that the Lord alone may be exalted See Isa 2.17 18 19. verses 4. Covetousness which is Idolatry Col. 3.15 This is another part of the unclean thing which must be separated from and not touched with This Sin was then of such an unclean Nature that it caused the Lord who was among them and in the midst of them to withdraw from Israel upon which they fell before their Enemies neither would the Lord be with them till they had cleansed themselves by separating from it Joshua 7.1 and 12. verses It was Covetousness made Achan put forth his hand to the accursed thing and to steal from the Lord part of his due that he had consecrated to his use as appears by ver 11. compared with Chapter 6.18 And the same that the Lord Consecrated to himself in that day he hath said he will again consecrate to himself in these last daies when Sion shall arise and thresh and beat in pieces many People Mich. 4.13 and he will as little bear with it in his People now as then for this is One of Babylons Sins for which the Lord Judges her Jer. 51.13 and it 's for the Iniquity of our Covetousness that the Lord is wroth with us and smites us Isa 57.17 Now it 's worth our searching into whether Achans sin hath not been one great cause of that Stop put to the Work of God and of that great Affliction which is fallen and is yet falling upon poor sinning Jacob at this Day Instead of Consecrating the gain unto the Lord have we not taken it to our selves and put it among our own Stuff From this Sin will the Lord separate his People making them his Redeemed from the Earth Rev. 14.3 Notwithstanding this and that the Apostle tells us Eph. 5.3 that Covetousness ought not to be so mnch as named amongst us as becometh Saints Yet how partial have poor Carnal Christians been in this day a small difference an Opinion hath caused them to Divide to Separate and Flce from each other as from Monsters while in the mean time this pernitious Idolatrous Evil is not so much as taken notice of Nay looked on as a Vertue or at least past over as an Infirmity For this as well as for other Evils the Lord is Judging his People Let these things be Separated from and I think I may safely without presumption say the People of the Lord will quickly come into such an undesiled united
his Rongh-wind in the Day of the East-wind Though our Sin and Perversness in it compel the Lord for our Good to suffer the †Isa 10.24 25 26. Deut. 32.37 41 42 43. verses Assyrian to Smite us with a Rod and to lift up his Staff against us after the manner of Egypt yet saith the Lord O my People be not afraid of the Assyrian for yet a very little while and the Indignation shall cease and mine anger in their Destruction The Lord of Hosts shall stir up a Scourge for him according to the Slaughter of Midian at the Rock of Oreb and as his Rod was upon the Sea so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt Though we by our Stubborness force the Lord to afflict us after the manner of Egypt to Purge us and Cleanse us from that which keeps us from him and him from us to do which his Glory engages him yet when that is done as our Affliction is so shall our Deliverance be after the manner of Egypt a stronger hand shall come to Deliver us than came to Afflict us What though the Assrrian our Enemy think not so but exalt himself saying where are their Gods their Rock in whom they trusted The Lord saith If I whet my glittering Sword and mine hand take hold of Judgement I will render vengeance to my Enemies and will reward them that hate me I will make mine Arrowes drunk with Blood and my Sword shall devour flesh and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives from the beginning of revenges upon the Enemy Rejoice O ye Nations with his People for he will avenge the blood of his Servants and will render vengeance to his adversaries and will be merciful to his People 8. Let us not say with Gideon Judg. 6.13 If the Lord be with us why then is all this befaln us Now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of the Midianites But as our Lord Jesus Christ said of himself to his Disciples Luke 24.26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and so to enter into his Glory So Consider all the Prophesies in the Old and New-Testament that concern these last Daies and then judge whether the body of Christ his Members Distressed Jacob at this Day ought not to suffer these things to undergoe this Trial the Refiners Fire the Fullers Sope the Smitings and Slayings of their Enemies now at last to fit them for Glory If this be the way through which Christ entred into his Glory surely his Members his Followers must enter the same way into their Glory Yea this is the Great End wherefore the Lord is Afflicting Jacob that he may become glorious with such a Glory as may Deserve and upon which he will Create a Defence such a Defence as shall never be taken away as all their Enemies shall never be able to rob them of And the Lord is Waiting the Time wherein he may be thus Gracious he desires only our Acknowledgement of our Sins and then he will work his Great Work Jer. 3.13 14 15. Return thon Back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine Anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep Anger for ever only ACKNOWLEDG thine Iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God and hast scattered thy waies to the Strangers under every green Tree and ye have not obeyed my voice saith the Lord. Turn O back-sliding Children saith the Lord for I am married unto you and I will take you one of a City and two of a Family and I will bring you to Sion and I will give you Pastors according to my heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding Lastly this Prophesie and what hath been drawn from it doth Earnestly Call upon Sinning and distressed Jacob to †Isa 1.19 Za. 8.12 Isa 10.21 37.32 66.19 24.15 Joel 2.32 Isa 1.20 Mal. 4.6 wash and Cleanse himself from all these Evils laid down before him If thou dost hearken and do thou shalt live and eat the good of the land partake of those Blessings the Lord hath in store for the Remnant that by a true and through Repentance shall escape the Evil of the Day returning from their Idols unto the Mighty God shall again take root down-ward and bear fruit upward declare the Glory of the Lord glorify the Name of the Lord God of Israel in or among whom shall be Salvation But if thou wilt not but dost resuse and rebel know of a truth this present Affliction shall devour thee If the Hearts of the Fathers and Children in Jacob will be still stubborn against and not be turned to each other the Lord will Curse instead of Bless the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it the Glory of the Lord is engaged in it Know of a truth that till you come into your Cleansed Undefiled United Sate you will not be a fit Instrument for the Lords Work Surely Jesus Christ had much of this in his Eye when he prayed so earnestly to his Father that they all might be †Joh. 17.20.21 22 23. verses One not only his then Disciples but those also that should Believe on him through their word and that he would give so great a price for it as the Glory which the Father gave him and that he should lay so much Stress upon this as that which is Necessary to make it manifest to the World that he was Sent of God and that God bears the Same Love to his People that he doth to Him I shall conclude this Discourse with this Word As an Afflicting Wilderness State is that into which the Lord will bring his People to Plead with them face to face as he Pleaded with them in the Wilderness of Old causing them to pass under the Rod to Purge out from among them the Rebbels and the Transgressors Ezek. 20.35 36 37 38. verses So it 's that State into which he will bring them in the last Daies and give them as a DOOR OF HOPE I will give her the valley of Achor for a Door of Hope The valley of Achor this Day of Trouble this State of Lowness and Affliction which Achans Sin hath brought upon us is given to us as a Door of Hope under the New Covenant in these last Daies of Jacobs Affliction in New-Testament Times a Ground to Hope the Lord hath Smiles for us after these Strokes the fruits and tokens of a Fathers Love after these Stripes of his Fatherly Displeasure a morning of Joy after this evening of Trouble he only waits till we have done Justice upon Achan that Sin that hath Troubled Israel and then I will allure her and bring her into the Wilderness Into the Wilderness of this Wilderness State He will Allure us by the Glorious manifestations of himself by the Mighty Workings of his Spirit into such through forsakings of all things of all of this
Desolate left alone forfaken of all implyed in the 6. and 7. verses And add to this the Reproaches of the enemy ver 8. which is a very sore affliction It 's a Day wherein enemies not only Reproach but are Mad against the Afflicted through hatred and malice having lost the right use of their reason they become Mad against him and these are Sworn against him to the taking away his life v. 8. comp with v. 20. It 's a Day of the Groaning of Prisoners a Day wherein Prisons are filled with the Afflicted vers 20. It 's a Day wherein some of the Afflicted are Appointed to Death or become the Children of Death as the margent of some Bibles hath it ver 20. Yea It 's the Day wherein Sion shall become so Desolate that her Buildings her Assemblies and Societies shall be broken to Peices her Stones scattered here and there and her Cement Crumbled into dust this is strongly implyed vers 14. of all her Buildings there 's only the Stones and the Dust left Agreeable to this is that of Isaiah Isa 1 2 and 4. verses speaking to the City where David dwelt that City which the Lord did Chuse out of all the Tribes of Israel to put his Name there 1 Kings 14.21 A Professing People that Kill Sacrisices are full of Right Outward Performances in matters of worship which yet the Lord hared they were a trouble to him and he was weary to bear them because of their Pollution in Morrals as the complaint is throughout the first Chapter yet saith God I will Distress Ariel and there shall be Heaviness and Sorrow and it shall be unto me as Ariel And thou shalt be brought down and shall speak out of the Ground and thy speech shall be low out of the Dust and thy voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar Spirit out of the Ground and thy speech shall whisper out of the Dust This City is brought into this State of Heavines and Sorrow of Lowness and Distress by reason of her Hypocrisie complainned of vers 13. but immediately before the Day of her visitation wherein the Lord will turn his hand upon her Enemies that fight against and Distress her and Destroying them Deliver her by his Thunder and Earth quakes and great Noise with Storm and Tempest and the flame of Devouring Fire Thus much surely the 6 7 and 8. verses tell us How far this may or doth concerne us I leave it to serious Consideration Lastly It 's the Day wherein the Afflicted are in this sad Desolate condition quite Destitute of any help from any under Heaven implyed in the 17. verse Yet This the Time the set Time for God to Arise and to have Mercy upon Sion For by this Time Sion is so Purged and Purified that she can offer up an Offering of Righteousness which is Pleasant unto the Lord as Malachy speaks she is enabled to Pray such a Prayer as the Lord will Reward and not despise and hearing her cry he Arises to have Mercy upon Sion he appears in his Glory and Saves her out of all her Troubles so that the Heathens fear the Name of the Lord all the Kings of the Earth his Glory 15 16 17. verses So that as the Sin of Jacob may sometimes be so Circumstantiated that it engages the Lord for his Gloriessake nor to pass it by but to Deal with him in wrath and Displeasure and as the stubborness of Jacob in his Sin may sometimes make his Affliction Long and Great So when the Affliction hath wrought its desired Effect humbled him and brought him to Gods soot though it bring him never so low and make him never so destitute even to the Dust that to the Eye of Reason he can never rise again yet then is the Time for God to arise and to have Mercy upon his Chosen The Lord having broken the Impure Buildings of Sion and separated the precious stones from the Vile and Winnowed its Dust by the rough wind of his sury from the defiling attoms among it now is the Set Time come for God to arise to have Mercy upon Sion and hear their cry and the groanings of the Prisoners and to lose those that are appointed to death now will the Lord appear in his Glory to Build up Sion for this is that State of Sion which the servants of the Lord will take Pleasure in and Favour Such is Gods Love to Jacob that when he seems to Cast him off in wrath and displeafure hiding his face from him yet then he Chuses him afresh as it were I have chosen thee in the Furnace of Affliction when the fire of affliction hath Refined Jacob burnt up his Drosse and his Tin then in this refining furnace the Lord Chuses him to be his For mine own sake even for my own sake will I do it for how should my Name be polluted and I will not give my Glory unto another As the Lord will not Save nor Deliver Jacob but at such a Time and in such a Way wherein he may save his Glory too so his Glory is as much and more engaged to Save and Exalt Jacob as ever it was to Afflict him and cast him down I will not give my Glory to another nor suffer my name which is called upon by thee to be polluted therefore will I not suffer thee to be cut off but chuse thee in this thy Low Estate Deliver thee and save thee Isa 48.9 10 11. compared with the 14. verse Wherefore seeing we have such evidences of the Love of God in all his dispensations towards his Jacob let uâ— not be discouraged let nor our Spirits droop and faint under our Burdens but let us lay aside every Weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the Race of suffering that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Crosse despising the shame and is set down at the ight hand of the Throne of God For the Day of Deliverance is at hand nothing hinders it but our own Sin The Lord is fully ready prepared to save Jacob to deliver the Captives of the Mâ—ghty and the Prey of the Terrible to contend with him that now contends with thee and Save thy Children Isa 49.25 he is only waiting till Jacob is ready prepared to be Delivered the Time wherein Deliverance may be a thâ—rrow Salvation indeed that he may nor be put to an after-work of Refining Jâ—câ—b and sweeping his house with the Beesoms of his wrath but that he may bestow Peace and Glory upon him and set a Defence upon it that may never be raken away again For a sinall moment have I forsaken thee but with Great Mâ—ciâ—s will I gather thee In a little Wrath I hid my Face from thee for a Moment but with EVERLASTâ—NG KINDNESS will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer For this is as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more goe over the Earth So have I sworn that I would not be wrath with thee nor rebuk thee For the Mountains shall epâ—rt and the Hills be removed but my KINDNES SHALL NOT DEPART from thee neither shall the COVENANT OF MY PEACE BE REMOVED saith the Lord that hath Mercy on thee Isa 54.7 8 9 10. verses THE END