THE LAMB CALLING HIS Follovvers TO Retirement Being an Humble Enquiry into the duty of Churches Ministers and all that fear the Lord under the present dispensation of God By one that would be found though unworthy the Lords Witness and Servant and of all his SAINTS 1 COR. 4. 5. Judge nothing before the time Printed in the year 1662. TO THE READER THe different apprehensions of the People of God in this day concerning their present duty being cut off from their publick liberties of Worship gave occasion to the ensuing Enquiry some judging it of absolute necessity to assemble openly though they expose themselves or at least their Teachers to the utmost hazard others that Retirement is that which the present dispensation calls for which later this brief Discourse endeavours to prove as justifiable from the Scripture and the practise of the People of God in former Ages but more especially to be the voice of the Lord to his people in the present day in which there is a concurring judgement of many But that Retirement which is first called to namely unto the Lord Jesus himself which is briefly prest in the former part is that which is commended to all as absolutely necessary as ever they expect to be found under his wing at his coming and appearing and Reader hear the call of Jesus Christ therein that thou mayst lay up thy immortal soul with him that when storms are coming upon the World thou mayst be found in thy Sanctuary in thy Chambers of Rest and Safety where they shall not reach thee As to the Case of Retirement from open Assembling it is plainly stated from Scripture evidence as is humbly apprehended wherein if there be not enough said to satisfie a doubting Conscience yet at least there may be sufficient to engage humble and sober minds to a mutual forbearance The duties of all Saints under this Retirement are but briefly hinted because of brevity and in that they have been more at large prest by the Servants of God in the two years of mercy we have enjoyed as the peculiar blessing of this City to the honour of the Lord Jesus the establishment of the Saints in the faith and worship of the Gospel and in the Resurrection of the Cause of the Kingdom of Christ in these Nations the vindicating and asserting whereof hath as is hoped left a gratious and powerful impression and savour upon the Spirits of the Lords people that so they may be found the more quietly submitting to the dispensation of the Lord as blessedly establisht in the forementioned truths and may in those holy principles in which they have been built up continue in a more private way edifying one another in love as those in this their retirement that are waiting for the speedy return of their Lord that when he comes he may find them so doing This you may do as under the wings of the Almighty in a probable security and not hasten your selves into your own sufferings and if the providence of God single out any of you to a suffering testimony in the loss of liberty or goods or to banishment verily you will know the tender heart of Jesus Christ towards you and his faithfulnesse in making up all to you and yours and that in this life a hundred fold Be quiet you Captives of hope for in returning and rest shall ye be saved in quietnesse and confidence shall be your strength And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy Teachers be removed into corners any more but thine EYES SHALL SEE THY TEACHERS Do not think that the Lord is now at the end of twenty years work and that the present dispensation is the last issue of all his glorious providences you have sometime believed that the Exaltation of the Lord Jesus would be the issue of all the shakings the Lord hath made in these Nations and you have as great if not a greater ground to abide in the same Faith as ever Take heed of a bewildred Spirit under the dark providences the Lord is leading us but consider what the Lord hath been doing and what work hath been upon the wheele and by faith labour to look to the end of the Lord and you will be able quietly to wait for him I wish the Case in hand had been stated by an abler hand but finding nothing herein I have found my Spirit often looking for light from the Father of lights drawn out to cast in this mite to the present Generation of the righteous as hoping that the voice of the Lamb is in it in the main scope of it And though it may be in what is hinted about the death of the witnesses I may differ from some of the Lords Servants yet I promise my self their forbearance it being an houre of enquiry and we would be all glad to know the mind of Christ in our day Something more may be offerd to consideration to clear those hints and of the nature of the Kingdom of Christ in this World if the Lord permit Now the blessed God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve all his in this houre of temptation and lead us into his whole Counsel and Will to whose immutable grace I commend thee in the patient waiting for Zions Redemption The 25. of the 5. Month 1662. Resting Thy Brother and Fellow-Servant in the Patience of Christ ESAY 26. 20. Come my People enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment untill the indignation be overpast THE special Wisdome of the People of God in all Generations under the variety of his dispensations hath been to know what the Lord hath spoken and called his People to under them in the knowledge of which hath been bound up their mercy and peace in every Generation All their miscarriages have been for want of attending hereunto either in a day of peace and outward blessing or in a day of affliction and judgement The safety of this people to whom this word was spoken Enter into thy Chambers c. did lye in the obedience thereof at that day which let us a little more particularly consider This Prophet though many years before the day of it spake of the Captivity of Judah and also of her return and restauration with the blessings that should attend it which restauration he more at large begins to discover at the 14. Chap. For the Lord will have mercy upon Jacob and will yet chuse Israel and set them to their own Land c. Upon which the Prophet having denounced the burden of the Lord against Babylon Chap. 13. threatens all other Nations to the 25. Chap. that but helped in or rejoyed at the day of his Peoples Captivity as Moab and Syria and Egypt and Tyre c. As is more generally exprest ch 17. 12 13 14. Wo to the multitude of many people which make a noise like
testimony they have given forth through the same grace upon them and chuse the greatest of sufferings rather then defile themselves and continue edifying of the Saints and Churches of God in a more private way as they have opportunity I humbly judge they shal be accepted with the Lord as his faithful witnesses and be just fied in the consciences of all serious people especially when the issue of this dispensation shall be made manifest And thus have we stated this case we hope according to Scripture light and leave it with the Lord to make it a blessing to any of his But what doth the Lord call for by way of duty of all his people in a time of retiremeâ—â— 1. To spâ—ak often one to another Mal. 3. It was a time when there was hardly a Priest to speak publickly to them but such as corrupted â—he worship of the Lord Then they that feared the Lord spake often oâ—e to anoâ—her anâ— the Lord bearkened and heaâ—d it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that seâ—red the Lord and that thought upon his Name They had great thoughts of heart for the Name of their God and they spake no doubt of his dispensation and of the signs of the times and what he call'd for to strengthen settle and comfort one another this is the practice Saints should be serious and conscientious and often in in such a day and so keep up the practice of Ordinances among them 2. To bee found as the mournâ—rs of Zâ—on In the day of Zions breach and Captivity the promise of mercy runs to her mâ—urnâ—rs to the humble and contrite ones Isa 57. 15. 18. with those hee will dwell those hee will revive and heal Hee wiâ—l not câ—ntend always lest their spirit fail but will restore comfort to the mâ—uâ—ners So â—saiah Chap. 61 ver 2 3. And Chapter 60 vers 10. This was Jeremiahs spirit In that day Jeremiah 14 ver 17. let mine eyes run down with tears and let thâ—m not cease for the Virgins Daughter of my pâ—ople is broken with a great breach with a very grievous â—lâ—w Oh that the Lord would give down this Spirit upon his people as we would call for a Spirit of Bravery and Courage which in its season is honorable and hath appeared upon many of the Ministers of Christ so let us call upon one another for this Spirit also to be found mourning apart and together in our retirements for the abominations and blasphemies of the land for our former un profitableness unholiness security formality hypocrisie pride of life divisions frowardness back shdings breach of Vows and Covenants with the Lord self-seekings in the management of the precious cause of the Lord Jesus which now lieth as crucified Oh! do we mourn over it as wel as talk of it 3. Jesus Christ calls to heart-searching In such a day is every one to be retiring into their own hearts and finding out the plague of them Lam. 3. 40. In the day of their captivity then saith the Prophet let us search and try our ways c. Then is every one to be awakening his own heart every soul attending to a renewed repentance and humility to renewed mortification in the spirit that it may be as a day of a new conversion upon all our spirits 4. In such a day Jesus Christ calls his to uniting that we get all our prejudices to be removed and healed though under different measures of light as we are upon the enquiry of our way to Zion after the long night of Antichristian darkness we have many stones in our way and much remaining darkness upon our spirits and the Lord gives out light gradually to his people in the Churches restoration which calls for a mutual forbearance from all that would see the beauty of Zion and press after it and not imposing one upon another much less devouring one another by the way Ah! when our spirits are more melted by the Gospel and we are more in the spirit of the Gospel it shall be so then shall wee know one another as Saints and upon that account have Communion together and not bee bound up to any Form and make it a Law of Communion which is indeed no better then a dreg of christiaâ—ism upon our spirits Union with the Lord Jesus is the ground of fellowship with him and loâ—t shâ—uld be one with another 1. Joh. 1 3 Let us all contend together for the great interest of the â—ospel power of Godliness purity of Worshâ—p as as the great and common interest of all that fear the Lord. 5. In retiring times the Lord calls to much secret duty especially of prayer Cant. 2. 14. Oh my Dove that art in the clefts of the rock c. Jesus Christ behold his Dove in the clifts of the Rock in her retirement as hid from the wrath of her Enemies and there she mourns in a Dove â—ike spirit and the Lord delights to see her face and hear her voice Some have more fully heard what great things single Saints have â—one in prayer for the people of God how they have prevailed with God as Jâ—cob Moses Joshua Samuel David Elijah Isaiah Jeremiah Daniel c. in their several generations who were men of like passions with us Let me alone saith the Lord to one Moses Every praying soul should be so awakened and engaged in this Work at this day as if the whole lay upon his or her shoulders as if his cryes even alone were to prevail for Zion's deliverance Oh my dear Companions in the Kingdome and Patience of Jeius Christ cry mightily and sigh with â—itrerness and unutterable groans pour out your souls as water before the Lord because of the sinne and breach of the people of your God Oh cry for Healing for Zion cry for your Bread those precious Gospelfeedings of which you are bereft cry against Babylon and the Horns that are pouring ouâ— the blood of your Brethren Cry â—or the ruine of the Beasts Kingdom and the exaltation of the Throne of Jesus Christ in the world 'T is said Dan. 7. 13. One like the Son of Man came to the Ancient of Dayes and they brought him near before him Saints by Faith and Prayer do bring the Son of Man near before the Father And then there was given him Dominion Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him ver 14. If such a Spirit be given forth in the entering into our Chambers verily the wind thereof shall put such an Earthquake into the tenth part of the City and the Foundations that are now laying that it shall be like a breach ready to fall swelling out in a high wall whose brâ—aking comeâ—h suddenly aâ— aniâ—stant Isa 30 13. 14. And the Adversaries of the Lord shall not see whence their blow cometh Certainly never did such a praying generation miscarry 6. In retiring times the People of God should walk wâ—sely at such a time when a
refuge for the oppressed a refuge in time of trouble Psal 91. 1 2. He that dwelleth in the secret places of the Most High shall abide under the shaddow of the Almighty with many more words to the same purpose The Lord at that day of indignation from the house of Saul and all the mighty men of Israel against David and such as did adhere to him calling David to retire as into his chambers from the storm that was against him till the indignation was overpast and the Lord hid him from the wrath of man as hath been shewed Of the same import is that word Prov. 11. 10. The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower and the righteous runneth into it and are safe There are three Names of God to which his people in a day of indignation fly unto The name of his Goodness that Name which the Lord made known and proclaimed to Moses after the People of God had sinned and Moses had cryed to him for the forgivenesse of their sin and begs his presence may go with them I will make saith the Lord all my goodness to pass before thee Exod. 33. 19. and chap. 34. 6. The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed The Lord God Merciful and Gracious long suffering abundant in goodness in truth c. So when David pleads with God in his distresse Psal 89. the argument of Faith is v. 5. For thou Lord art good and therefore ready to forgive c. and when he flyes unto God Psal 31. he makes this as the wing of God the Name of his goodness vers 19. Oh how great is thy Goodness thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men thou shalt hide them c. And Psal 144. My Goodness my Fortress and my high Tower c. not onely my good good but goodness it self c. Yea this Name of God that he proclaimed to Moses was as the great refuge of the Saints in the day of their distresse and which they urged upon him as Psal 86. and 103. and 145. and Neh. 9. 17. 31 because in all Generations hee would be known to his people by this Name and by Faith they were to live upon it in all their difficulties The Lord abundant in goodness and mercy and truth c. And when Judah was going into captivity the Lord offers himself to them by this Name if they would turn unto him and commands Jeremiah to proclaim it as it was proclaimed it as it was proclaimed before Moses Jer. 3. 12. Go and proclaim these words towards the North and say Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause my anger to come upon you or to settle upon you for I am merciful c. A heart-breaking word if that people had hearkened to it To this Name of the Lord do his people retire for shelter and refuge in an evil day though they have sinned against him we have sinned yet the Lord is infinitely good and therefore ready to forgive Who is like unto him a God pardoning iniquity Micah 7. And therefore where ever the Lord gives out promises of help and deliverance to his People from captivity and destresse hee also annexeth free promises of grace in abundant forgivenesse Esay 43. 16 17. speaking of the glorious Salvation of his people though they had wearied them with their iniquities verse 24. yet I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins see chapter 24. 22. see Jeremiah 33. 5 6 7. Behold I will bring it health and cure and I will cure them though a wounded broken scattered people and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth and verse 8. I will cleanse them from all the iniquity whereby they have sinned against me and I will pardon all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against me and whereby they have transgressed against me though Against me thrice repeated against all my kindnesse to them and my often Salvation of them yet I will cleanse them and though they are become a reproach to all Nations yet it shall be to me a Name of joy a praise and honour before all the Nations of the Earth See Jeremiah 51. 5. for Israel hath not been forsaken nor Judah of his God of the Lord of hosts though their land was filled with sin against the holy One of Israel Under these wings of grace thus spread forth in pretious promises do a poor sinfull broken people shelter themselves in humbling and turning to the Lord and they are safe this being the great Covenant Name of God they fly to and take hold of in all their sins and distresses Secondly the People of God retire into the Name of his Almightiness Psal 91. 1. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide or lodg as in a house of defence under the shadow of the Almighty c. As a God infinitely able to preserve and keep safe all the concernments of soul and life that his people commit to him able to save in and out of all distresses from every snare of the Devil from the wrath of man as Paul 2 Timothy 1. 12. For I know when I have believed and am perswaded that he is Able to keep what I have committed to him c. Thirdly The Name of the Lords Everlastingness sameness unchangeableness is a Refuge to retire to Abraham called on the Name of the Lord the Everlasting God Genesis the 21. the last verse So the Lord comforteth his people Esay 40. 28. Hast thou not known hast thou not heard that the Everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the Ends of the Earth fainteth not neither is weary c. So the People of God in their Plea Esay 63. 16. Thy name is from Everlasting c. And Psal 102. Where is set forth a day of sore indignation and distresse as verse 10. Thou hast lifted us up and cast us down c. What is their stay and Refuge in such a case why this verse 12. But thou oh Jehovah shalt endure for ever And ver 27. But thou art the same c. And though wee perish thou art the same Thou art the same in thy Covenant mercy is from everlasting and to everlasting c. The same in goodness pity and wisdom and power the faithful God that keepest Covenant and Mercy for ever as good to save as ever thou wast and as able to save so hee strengthens and comforts his People with the discovery of his Name Mallachi 3. 6. For I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed Let the state of the people of God be what it will there is support in this Thou Lord art still the same we have known what thou hast been to thy people in dayes of old and what thou hast done for them Oh where are
Christ lives in the Father so Believers live in him and have their life fed in him and from him and therefore they shall never die but have Eternal Life What more Then to live for ever and so to live for ever as Christ himself lives surely thats a Blessed Safe and Glorious Life This is your Life But secondly If Jesus Christ will use thy natural life in all the concernments of it who shall reach thy life Not the World not all the Persecutions of it no nor thy liberty neither Jesus Christ hath charged himself with both and all the interests of thy life he will order thy race and every step thereof to that end in which he will most be glorified in thee and theresore be putting it by faith into his hand every day and say as Jesus Christ himself did in the interest of his life Father Glorifie thy Name John 12. 29. This was when our Dear Saviour as a man was solicitous about his life and his soul was troubled and cries save me from this hour vers 27. but yet bows to the Will of his Father Glorifie thy Name No man shall touch thy life till thou shalt say I have finished the Work that my Father gave me to do John 17. 4. So that Jesus Christ hath charged himself with the care of thy life liberty and all the interests thereof as well as with the pretious life of thy Soul Thirdly the loosing thy life is the saving and finding of it as to life Eternal the death of thy natural life makes way for the True Spiritual Immortal Glorious life The cutting off this momentary life issues in a higher and more excellent life so that there can be no miss of it faith sees a life in death and that by it Mortality is swallowed up of life Thus Jesus Christ is a shelter to thy life And so I have opened how Jesus Christ calls his Saints to retire into himself by way of safety and protection Secondly Christ calls his own to retire into a more intimate communion with him in a time of indignation when storms are up The second Thing 2. This call of Jesus Christ into a more intimate Communion with him should blessed souls attend to in such a day into the Chambers of his Presence so Song of Solomon chap. 1. 9. Draw me we will run after thee the King hath brought me into his Chambers we will be glad and rejoyce in thee we will remember thy love more then Wine the upright love thee there is sweet and intimate communion Now how doth the Lord bring a soul to this Answer Jesus Christ shews himself to the soul in a greater Beauty and Glory then a soul had seen him before and thereby Humbles Empties and Awakens brings it lower and to be viler in its own eyes takes down all the high thoughts and conceits of it self makes the Soul know its own poverty whereby it becomes less then the least of all Saints renders pride and passion and selfishness and temerity and censoriousness and hypocresie with all fleshly corruptions more abominable and loathsome and the soul abhors it self in the dust too good for it is burthened and groans under the pressuresmentioned cryes mourns after a further cleansing healing and a more pretious conformity to Jesus Christ cries out for the Spirit for Holiness for Light and Strength and cannot live without them this is the way to more intimate communion here is a Vision of the Lord Jesus in his Holinesse Beauty and Glory that renders the Soul thus infinitely vile in it self and draws out such a panting after him Then it hath further Attractives of love We will remember thy love more then Wine Then how Free how Pretious how Eternal how Glorious is the Lords love to a worthless wretch whose sin is worse then the sin of Devils for they never sin against this love Oh that the Lord should not onely in pitty save me but in love die for me who can reach or understand it Thus is Glory and Love let in upon the soul And then the upright love thee Oh that I might love the Lord uprightly love him and love him uprighty love him for himself love his Glorious Person be enamoured with the Beauties of his Holinesse that I might see his Glory and for ever admire and adore him thus souls when he pleaseth thus to shew himself are taken into his Banqueting House and his Banner over them is love they retire into him and sit under his shadow with great delight and his Fruit is sweet to their tast Song of Solomon 2. 3 4. This is pretious and Heavenly employment in such a day when the Lamb calls to Retirement when the heat of the Sun begins throughly to beat against it and the soul finds little shadow in the World then the shadow of this Rock in a weary land a land of sin and trouble is sweet and plesant retirement indeed The effect of this special Retirement into the Chambers of our Lord Jesus under his shadow is sweet peace and rest of mind and spirit when the Waves and Billows come against us a blessed stilnesse a composed acquiescency in the Lord and a freee resignment to him the allaying and rebuking the tumultuous workings of our hearts a casting our care upon the love and care and faithfulnesse of the Lord in every condition In the Multitude of my thoughts my careful thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul Psal 94. 19. yea in this blessed Retirement cryes out Return into thy Rest oh my soul Thou hast been wandering after other rest too too much but hast not found where to put thy feet therefore now return to thy sweet safe proper Rest abide and dwell there and that for ever So the soul can in some good measure sanctifie the Name of the Lord by believing and trusting on him and waiting for him making Christ his Portion and Everlasting strength and doth in patience possess it self One word by way of more particular Application 1. If this Retirement into Jesus Christ into the chambers of his Grace be the great interest of souls What a case then are poor forlorne sinners in that have no shelter for soul or life or any thing but what the wide World as you speak can afford them which will not keep off a storm not one drop of the Wrath of the Almighty Verily the Wrath of the jealous God is ready to come forth into the Nations of the earth after a little stilness that hath been upon them who is coming and saints do hear the sounding of his feet to tread upon them in his wrath and trample them in his fury Esay 63. and then where will all your shelters be When it shall be said to the scoffers at the report of his day Behold you despisers and wonder and perish for the Anger of the Lord shall smoak against you Oh awake and tremble believe and tremble and see your confidencies to be lying
c. And this in a Land of Vision and after the hand of God hath been eminently lifted up against them When a people return to Idolatry and Antichristian abominations when Jesus Christ hath begun to reform a Nation as in the dayes of Manasseh When such a generation do declare their sin as Sodom Isa 5. When abominable uncleanness excess and riot and all manner of villany is acted as at noon-day When they persecute the Prophets and Messengers of the Lord that they may not speak unto the people 2 Chron. 36. 16. But take away the Key of Knowledge Luke 17. with Mat. 23. forbidding the servants of Christ to speak unto the people that they may fill up their sin alwayes and wrath come upon them to the utmost 1 Thess 2. 15 16 which the Spirit of God gives as a Character of a people filling up their measure When a generation shall doingly blaspheme the Spirit of the Lord Iesus calling it an unclean Spirit Matt. 12. 24. 31. as the Pharisees at that day call'd the Spirit by which Jesus Christ did preach and pray and wrought all his works an unclean Spirit when in their ordinary language they invoke their damnation and set their mouths against the Heavens and the Spirit and Holinesse and Saints becomes their by-word and their song and entitle Satan to all the glorious works of Christ in Conversion and call it all Delusion and Fanaticism when they oppress persecute and worse the Saints and Servants of the Lord filling Prisons with them when they set themselves in the Throne of the Lord and will be Lords in the Conscience and make the Sons of Zion as the filth of the Earth and all this after the Lord hath been pleading his Controversie with them in very stupendious Dispensation and by their hour of prosperity they are but hardened in their way and say they are delivered to all their abominations that is certainly a Generation of God's wrath Now among such a generation the Lord calls his people to retirment into their Chambers till his wrath come upon the wicked to the utmost and he wil put in his sickle reap down their abominations and none shall save them 4. The Lord calls to retirement that they may deal with him by faith and prayer in their secret corners and may wait for his teachings c. as may further be opened in the close of this Discourse And thus we have endeavoured to cleare the point That Jesus Christ calls his Followers from off the publike Stage into a more retired condition when and why he doth it I shall come to some useful conclusions and so answer the objections and dis-satisfactions of any that lye against it 1. If Jesus Christ doth sometimes in his providential Dispensations call off his people to retirement puts them as into the holes of the Rock then it wil follow that one Dispensation calls for that which another doth not the Lord calls for that at one time which he doth not at another sometimes to a more open appearing in their publike services and actings for him and administrations of worship and prophesying sometimes to a more open exposing to sufferings and at another time the Word of the Lord is Enter into thy Chambers c. shut thy doors about thee So what hath been a duty for Saints in one day hath not been so expresly I mean the main generation of them a duty at another especially in the later dispensations of the Lord towards the giving up of the Kingdom of the Beast when the Lords controversion is now and of his Kingdome hath been with a high hand carrying on as hath been shewed In such a day the Lamb marcheth against his Enemies and then reâ—reats and sounds a Retreat to his called Ones sometimes he faceth the beast and then withdraws and drinks of the Brook in the way he coucheth like a Lyon and then anon riseth up to pursue the prey Here is the wisdom of the Saints here is following the Lamb this is to see his footsteps to walk after them 2. Let it be therefore for an humble enquiry at least to all that are sober to weigh what hath been hinted and to consider if this be not the Word of the Lord at this day whether Jesus Christ hath not sounded a retreat whether he doth not call off from publike Prophesying and more publike Administrations though the wickedness of men be instrumentally in it yea whether the Testimony be not slain and lyes dead and that all the Characters of it have a visible accomplishment at this day a Testimony finished Rev. 11. 7. to all the Offices of Jesus Christ and of his Kingdom in the world in all the concernments of it and against the whole Mysterie of Iniquity and of the Kingdom of the Beast and that especially in this part of the world where the Spirit is given forth And when we had been looking for the fulfilling hereof lo a Death upon the whole and the Witnesses lye as dead in all the parts of the world let the place be named where an open testimony against all the abominations of the Beast against all their National wickednesses and a testimony for the Lord Jesus in the whole of his Kingdom as King of Saints and Nations will be born though some Gospel truths will be born and are practised among them Yea what a strange healing up hath there been in all the Nations of Europe among all the ten horns a General Peace in the Kingdom of the Beast not a Horn or Nation that wars against Babylon not a hand lifted up against her in a way of War to hate her and make her desolate but all preparations from the North and the West husht up levelled and laid dead when a few years since the Nations were all in a flame as if the last distress had been upon them But lo a healing up a stilness and the proud Whore sits as a Queen glorifying her self that she shall see no sorrow which she feared before and shall not be a Widâ—w nor be made desolate Which healing Peace among the horns is implyed in their sending gifts by their Embassadors one to another Rev. 11. 10. because the People and Spirit which they most feared is laid dead the prophesying of ruine to the hastening upon the Beast and wrath upon the Nations seems to have been but a fancy and to come to nought for behold their prayers witnessings prophesyings Armies every where in the whole street of the City are come to nought Is not this the triumph of the Nations at this day and of the Beast Such as state the last slaughter of the witnesses to be already past namely about the year 1558. when that general blow was given to the Protestant Interest in Germany and other Nations and by the Marian Persecution in this Nation have sufficient confutation by what hath since fallen out in several Nations in the persecuting and slaying of the Witnesses in