to know his wiles to fight Against this Power of death and darkness so That thou maist give the Devil such a blow That he with his dark Kingdom may lose ground Till they shall fall and never more be found Then for thy further information know The Devil will for ever be thy fo And wil the foe of all men ever be And them beguile with feigned flatterie Do thou resolve his works and him to hate And never bite nor tast the Devils baite But him resist withstand and alwayes be For evermore the Devils enemy If so my soul thou must not think to please Thy fleshly lusts nor think to live at ease But hardness as a Souldier must endure A Souldiers life is such thou must be sure But please thy Captain he that hath thee chosen To be a Souldier thy assections loosen From such affairs as now may hinder thee From serving him whose Souldier thou must be To fight this fight of Faith if thou intend To overcome then hold out to the end For those that overcome the Spirit saith And do his Works continue in the Faith That keep his holy Word his Word of Patience Shall be exalted they shall rule the Nations And he that overcomes the same shall be A Pillar in God's holy Temple he Shall go no more from thence out of the same But Jesus Christ will write on him the Name Of God and of the City that is nam'd The New Jerusalem so greatly fam'd For beauty glory wealth that cometh down From God and out of Heav'n where there are none Can entrance have which doth not overcome Both Sin the World and Satan where 's no room For such for none but them that do prevail Shall cloathed be in white such shall not fail To sit with Christ in glory on his Throne And sing the praise of God the Lord alone And though by fighting none can nothing merit He must orecome that will all things inherit Then now my soul it 's good thou ponder well What is thy work while thou on earth dost dwell Make it thy study how thou maist be found In Faith and Holiness more to abound Behold what beauty is in Christ thy Jesus Him love and prize for he is very precious Solace thy self with love his Love so choice Delight to do his Will to hear his Voice What though in strait and narrow paths he lead He in those paths thy soul doth sweetly feed Thou hast by good experience found and known That in those paths thou walkest not alone But he goes with thee leading by the hand Thee where thou canst not hardly go or stand And makes those strait and narrow wayes to be So pleasant and so easie unto thee That thou canst walk those paths with so much ease That many times they much delight and please Thee so that thou maist say and never cease His wayes are Pleasantness his paths are Peace What though no beauty nor no comliness Be seen in him by wise men ne'retheless Think ne'r the worse of him but love him throughly Though he be black he is exceeding lovely Set thy affections on him so delight In his refreshing Presence day and night That thou communion with him maist maintain And labour in his Fear more of 't to gain Bear thou his Image learn of him to be More humble harmless holy that as he A perfect pattern was so is he still Him follow fully and no doubt he will So entertain thee with such great delights So ravishing thy heart with heav'nly sights Thou wilt be so inflam'd in Love so grow With Heav'n thou 't live no more on Earth below My soul sing praise unto the Lord Declare his mighty Works abroad Praise thou his great and holy Name That men his wondrous Works may know His mighty Acts do thou forth show His Glory Kingdom and his Fame Who though thou wast a poor posthume He kept thee in thy mothers womb And there and then thy life preserv'd He brought thee forth and gave thee breath And oft deliver'd thee from death Though thou hadst nought of him deserv'd When thou hungst on thy mothers breast And on her milk didst richly feast He was thy God and did thee keep He watch'd ore thee and did defend Thee from that fierce infernal Fiend He slumbred not nor did he sleep Thou wast a Child and Parentless Praise thou the Lord his goodness bless He rais'd thee up a faithful Friend That was a Mother unto thee This was his goodness verilie Praise thou the Lord world without end All this the Lord did that he might Open thy eyes and clear thy sight That thou maist understand and see His Goodness Mercy Grace and Truth Which thou beheldst whilst but a youth To him the glory honour be And though thy troubles have been great With which thou hast in this world met They never could make thee to yeeld He never in them thee forsook But on thee did in mercy look And for thee car'd and thee upheld What reason then hast thou to fear Or think he will not for thee care In these thy bonds and captive-state Such good experience thou hast seen Of him from time to time I mean When ere thou wast in any strait What needst thou care for all thy foes There 's none of them but he well knows And knows the way how to prevent Them all from doing thee that harm Which they do threaten when they storm And may be often their intent What though the world against thee rise With tongues of falshood and of lyes In him alone put thou thy trust And though they persecute thee sore And hate thee without cause the more Praise thou the righteous God most just My soul then magnifie the Lord Let all his Saints like praise afford His Praises sing both night and day He hath regard to all the meek He strengthens those that are but weak Let all Saints sing Hallelujah Well now my soul wee 'l leave a while rest And then we will discourse again it 's best I think we should talk next of other matter And forasmuch as it is now the latter Most evil times of which we are forewarn'd By Christ himself 't is good we should be arm'd Against the perils which that time attends Then if the Lord us help and to us lends Assistance we will speak of such a thing As may unto our mind and mem'ry bring What Judgments God intends and hath in store Against that great and Scarlet-coloured Whore And of that glorious blessed holy Day When Christ shall sit upon his Throne for aye Here followeth a brief Discovery Of Romes soul filthy stuff and trumpery Together with the Plagues laid up in store Against the day that God will plague the Whore VVE read in Scripture of a Scarlet Whore That hath opprest the Nations very sore Who with her filthy Cup of Fornication Hath made the people drunk in ev'ry Nation This Harlot sits upon a Scarlet Beast A Beast that
sweeter Tho unto sence it seems to be so bitter Than any Princely Court or stately Palace When with his presence he the soul doth solace If in a Prison Jesus Christ be there It 's cause of joy to meet him any where No sorrow can nor will that soul betide That hath dear Jesus lying by his side And he that night and day can take a nap In Jesus Christ the Lord 's Anointed's Lap Can there rejoice and in a Dungeon sing For joy of heart that Christ is there with him Tho Paul and Silas in the stocks were laid At midnight they in that condition pray'd And sung for joy of heart their Lord was there And with his love did them refresh and chear And made their bonds so pleasant and so choice With his good presence comforts and sweet voice That made them sing aloud with joyful praise VVhich did their Jaylers stonish and amaze And put them into such a fright and fear They could not tell the Prisoners were there Not knowing that in Prison they were free VVhen others were in bonds in liberty Why should I then with Prison-bonds be frighted Tho in my bonds I am by many slighted Sith I full many many times have known That blessed Jesus leaves me not alone But doth refresh my soul both day and night I never am out of his Princely sight He by his Spirit doth my soul uphold So teach and comfort strengthen and new-mold So frame so form so fashion and compose My heart so vile to be at his dispose That with my bonds I 'm mighty well content And at 's command to be I 'm fully bent So he with strength and grace support my soul VVho ere he be in this that shall controul And so he please still to continue with me Nor will he ever leave me nor forsake me As he hath promis'd in his faithful word VVhich I believe and to it do accord And am ascertain'd that he cannot lye Nor ne'r his holy blessed self deny Nor will he break that Covenant he made VVith faithful Abraham and all his seed That seed of Faith I mean not of the Law That which the Scriptures long ago foresaw Then need not I to fear what man can do VVhat ere he be that saith he 'l make me rue If Christ my Jesus be but on my part I need not fear they cannot make me smart Nor can they touch my hair except he please Them to permit I cannot one hair leese But should he them permit to try my Faith My Love and zeal to him and for his truth On me some grievous torments to inflict VVith which my sinful flesh they should afflict And sorely bruise and wound and cut and burn Yet would such handlings to my comfort turn In taking up and bearing of the Cross There can nor will be to my soul no loss It is the certain way unto the Crown Christ went that way himself 't was his renown Then now O Lord assist me with thy Grace That I may run not faint that blessed race Which in the end will bring me to that rest Where Sin and Satan can't my soul molest Where I shall never hear Oppressions voice Nor grief nor pain nor trouble but rejoice In thee alone and praise thy holy Name Admire thy Glory Beauty and thy Fame Where I shall have no work to do but praise The God of Heav'n the King of Saints always And if thou Lord dost please still to employ me In any harder work thereby to try me Grant as the day is so my strength may be For strength I have not any but from thee And then command me what shall seem good to thee I am thy Servant ready to obey thee 1. MY soul praise thou the God of Might And in the Lord be glad His Grace is wondrous in thy sight for he such pity had 2. Of thee when thou a sinful wretch didst wallow in the mire Of lust and filth then did he snatch a brand out of the fire 3. He lov'd thee when thou lovd'st not him such was his Love and Grace He took thee from the very brim Of Hell that dismal place 4. VVhen terrors did my soul amaze and sorrows day and night He out of them my soul did raise to see those beams so bright 5. That on my darken'd soul did shine which darted from the Son Of Mercy Grace and Love Divine my soul with it was won 6. More to admire than comprehend comprehend I could not VVhat kind of love God did intend unto my foul I knew not 7. Comfort and light I did receive which sweetly staid my heart And made me wait hope and believe God would his mind impart 8. At length unto my thirsting mind that long'd so much to know More of his Grace and Mercy kind the Lord was pleas'd to show 9. unto my soul that these were pangs new-birth pangs upon me Which much in doubt for sometime hangs I knew not they were on me 10. But when the Lord had me begat a lively hope unto Then I perceiv'd 't was nought but that with cords my soul he drew 11. I say with cords of love so sweet so choice unto my soul VVith which the Lord did me then meet that was so vile and foul 12. Then straight-way did the Lord speak peace and issues out a pardon The troubles of my soul did cease that heart which I did harden 13. VVas then most sweetly mollifi'd even melted and so broken My soul was then so satisfi'd it hardly can be spoken 14. Oh then how was my heart inflam'd with love to Christ my Lord That of his word I was not asham'd but gladly could afford 15. To lose my All for his dear sake that lost his Life for me And laid it down that he might make my peace with God and be 16. An able Saviour that can save me to the uttermost That I an open way might have to God which I had lost 17. Oh then my soul how art thou bound thy self to serve no more Thou from the Lord hast mercy found praise thou his Name therefore 18. Be not a servant unto men their lusts do not obey Nor serve no longer any sin that will thee soon destroy 19. But serve the Lord with all thy might 't was he that hath thee bought Thou art non's else but his of right he thy salvation wrought 20. And paid a price for thee so dear so precious and so great Then praise the Lord him love and fear for that is wondrous meet 21. Forsake him not he is thy Life thy Peace thy Joy thy All A present help in time of strife in troubles great and small 22. And tho the wicked rage and storm and threaten what they 'l do There 's none of them can do thee harm Christ is thy Rock then lo 23. What cause to fear the wrath of man it 's that shall praise the Lord And the remainder he 'l restrain this shall be known abroad 24. My soul
Earth and she shall be at length A desolation none in her shall dwell But Owls and Satyrs and those Fiends of Hell But now it may be some there are that will be asking When God will these things fulfil My answer is to such It will be then When God shall break the yoke of all those men Of Rome which season is of his appointing Which he will do because of the Anointing For when he sends the Spirit from on high Then will the time begin undoubtedly When all those plagues shall hasten and will come Upon the Scarlet Whore and Pope of Rome But yet before this time may come or be The Lord will make his people all to see How much they have by their unholiness Uncomely walking and unthankfulness Their mis-improvement of rich mercy when God gave them plenty to enjoy and then Their carnal worldly-mindedness that life When they so liv'd in want of love and strife Contention and debates their pride and pleasure They walked in for many days together Their want of love to Christ and zeal that they Have for some time let very much decay Their great indifferency to Heav'nly things Which coldness to Apostasie some brings All which if timely they are not prevented They will not by the Lord be well resented For if they be'nt repented of in truth The Lord all such will spew out of his mouth Besides all these the Lord will have them see Their unbelief and their great lenitie Their diffidence appears now in the sight Of him with whom they have to do whose bright And piercing eye can see and look within Discern and sype out ev'ry secret sin By which things they the lord did much provoke And have as 't were against him done and spoke And yet these things there 's few do lay to heart And fewer do as yet from them depart Few faithfully perform the work of searching And fewer do perform the work of purging There 's few that are in bitterness of soul For their high provocations which so foul So great and many were with which they God Have much provok'd to bring on them a Rod For 't must confessed be that by their sin The Name of God hath much reproached bin Gods people have undoubtedly been such Who have the wicked caused very much Him to blaspheme and his most holy Name Hath by their evils suffer'd much defame These things I say the Lord would have us see That so for them our souls might humbled be And in the sence of them we might abhor And loath our selves and mourn in secret for Those Evils that we ev'ry day commit Against the Lord who notwithstanding yet His Remnant he hath not forsaken so But their oppressors may for certain know When he shall turn his hand on them again And purely purge their dross and take their tin Away and then when he shall wash the filth Of Zions daughter and restore to health Jerusalem by purging of her blood And cleanse her from her filth which like a flood Runs in the midst of her which by chastisement The Lord will do by burning and by judgement For such a spirit will he send I deem By Judgement God will Zion then redeem And when this is accomplished will he Restore their Judges and they then shall be As at the first their Counsellors shall stand As at the first beginning in their Land And then despised Zion shall be nam'd Which lieth in the dust so much defam'd The City of Righteousness Zion she The faithful City then will called be And then Jehovah will create upon The dwelling-place that is in Mount Zion A cloud and smoak on her Assemblies all The shining of a flaming fire which shall Be there by day and likewise so by night Which never shall depart out of her sight Jehovah then will ne'r depart from thence On all the glory shall be a defence But some it's like will yet be asking me Within what year or month this time will be Because they would precisely this time know They would that I to them that time should show Or else prefix the time in which God will Arise against the Whore and her so fill With all those plagues she may for ever be A by-word unto all posteritie To them I answer that the seasons stand In no mans power the times are in the hand of God alone there 's none but he can tell The day nor month no nor the year nor well That is his great prerogative to show The times or seasons day or hour to know But yet before these things accomplish'd be There wil be signs in Heav'n which some my see And likewise on the earth which will fore-run Those plagues wil make Rome quake ere they have don Besides signs of the times which signs the wise Can well discern and do as highly prise But Babylon must fall that 's out of doubt And then there will be such a dreadful rout As never was in any time before Such howling and lamenting of the Whore For all her sorrows shall come in one day Just like a flood that will not stop nor stay Both death and mourning famine also will Pursue her hard and all her borders fill And she shall utterly be burnt with fire Which now she little dreads doth less desire For strong 's the Lord that God which judgeth her Who now will plague her for her sins and for Her cruel usage of his Saints as she Rewarded them she shall rewarded be Then now those Kings that with her have committed Such fornications and that her permitted To reign and rule o're them who with her have Liv'd so deliciously so fine and brave Shall now bewail her and lament her sore When they shall see her burning smoke before Their eyes as they from her afar off stand For fear the torments of her should command Them also they cry oh alas alas See what a mighty great City this was Yet in one hour is her judgement come Her woful fall her dreadful dismal doom The Merchants of the earth shall also weep And mourn for her for they their goods may keep For though they have of Merchandize great store Now none will buy their Merchandize no more Though rich and gallant Merchandize they be As Gold and Silver precious stones as the So Cordial Pearl and Linnen fine and good With Purple Silk and Scarlet and Sweet-Wood Their Ivory Vessels of all sorts and manner With other things wherewith they did adorn her As Vessels of most precious Wood and Brass Of Iron Marble with these things alas As Cinnamon and Odours Oyntments too Sure here 's enough this old Whore to undo But more as Frankinsence and Wine and Oyle See what a great and utter total spoile Will come upon her and her Merchandise And on them all that how believe her lyes Nay yet here 's more her Flower and her Wheat Which she had got her stollen Bread was sweet Her Beasts her Sheep her Chariots her
most precious blood He undertook for you in your place stood And now hath made you Kings Priests by birth And one day you shall reign with him on earth Then shall that Princely Heav'nly song be sung On Harps of God most sweetly tun'd and strung The song of Moses who Gods servant was The holy Lambs song likewise this song is Which song methinks before I further go I must insert that you this song may know Most great and marvellous all thy works are Lord God Almighty who shall not thee fear And glorifie thy Name for thou art holy And just and true thy ways are righteous wholly All Nations shall now come and worship thee For now thy Judgements manifested be Thou King of Saints most true just are thy wayes This song then Saints shall sing him shal praise Such perfect heav'nly frames of heart they shall Be alwayes in their glory won't be small But such as always shall their souls so fill With joy they 'l sing praise to the Lamb and will Continually rejoice set forth the praise Of him who is the Ancient of all Dayes For then the glory of the Lord they 'l see The Lamb will always with them present be They then will God see face to face no blame Will he find in them but will write his Name Upon their foreheads he will dwell with them And they for evermore shall be with him They then shall be his people he will be Their God for ever to eternitie Then shall they hear no sighing nor no cries All tears he 'l wipe away from off their eyes No death nor mourning sorrow greif nor pain Shall ever overtake those souls again For such things then there will be left no room Because the Bride enjoys her dear Bridegroom If she rejoiceth now to hear his voice When she his face shall see she may rejoice When she beholds his person and doth see His Beauty Glory and his Majestie All former things with her will pass away Now she can sing and on Gods Harps can play Nothing can her to grief or sorrow move How can she mourn that hath her fill of Love What ere she did here in this mortal state She 'l now rejoice to mourn it is too late The Bride did mourn and weep while he was gone Who is her Bridegroom though she wan't alone Her heart was with him he with hers and still He with his Spirit did her always fill With full assurance that she was his Bride And that he from her went but to provide A City and a Mansion for each one And then he 'd come and leave no more his own And wel-beloved Spouse his chiefest Joy His Darling to the Lions to anoy Who can report the joy when she goes thither She there wil meet with when they meet together Thus have I hinted as I said I would In such a place so well as well I could The doubtless fall of that great Scarlet Whore Who in her loftiness and pride doth soar Above the Throne of Kings but she shall be Thrown down from thence into the deepest Sea From whence she nevermore shall rise again The healing of her breach will be in vain And as I promis'd so I 've now perform'd To hint that Christ shall one day be enthron'd Yet one or two words more by way of use I still have yet to say which may produce Some good effect to some though not to all But to the Whore I think 't will none at all But some there be which are of her that yet Adore her much if they 'l reade what is writ I mean her plagues here hinted in this book It may provoke them now about to look If they 'l consider well what Sorcery What Fornications and Idolatry What guiltiness there is upon her still Of th' Martyrs blood which she a Sea did spill Who knows but that it may a motive prove Some one or more from off their lees to move And who can tell but this may call forth some From out of her lest they share in her doom When they shall reade her sins her plagues withal Or else partake with her in her great fall And therefore let it be a use of terror Of great astonishment of fear and horror Unto the Pope and all his Cardinals His Moncks and Friers ev'n those Canibals Who eat the flesh of men trade with their souls And drink the blood of Saints as Wine in bowls Let pains and pangs and sorrows on them seize The time doth hasten now when God will ease Himself of such an evil Generation Who are such foes to Christ his Death and Passion Whom they would tear pluck out of his throne If they thereby could but keep up their own The next and last word I intend to speak At this time is unto the poor and meek Those filly harmless Lambs the lot and stock Of Jesus Christ our Lord that little flock Here 's comfort new for you and consolation That follow hard in the Regeneration That blessed Lamb of God which went before Whom follow after fully for the more You follow him the more your peace will be Here and hereafter your felicitie Though he lead thorow many rocky wayes To that sweet place of rest yet see you praise Your Prince it is the certain way that leads Unto God's Kingdom though it trouble breeds Unto the flesh to climb such rocks and hills He will go with you that with pleasure fills Your souls there can be then no cause of fear To go that way that Christ is with you there For he hath been and is strength to the poor Help to the needy in distress and more A refuge from the storm and from the heat A shadow is when grievous storms do beat The storm of furious ones whose blast doth fall As doth a mighty storm against a wall Know where you cannot go he will you carry And he that shal come wil come and won't tarry Fear not then little Flock rejoyce and smile At this it 's but a very little while But he will come and wil you all imbrace Then shal you see his glorious shining face The way 's but short the labour 's smal you spend Faint not you 'l soon come to your journeys end Afflictions are but light the Glory 's pondrous But a moment eternal Glory 's wondrous There 's no comparison between these twain If for a light Affliction you can gain A weight of Glory for a moment you Receive eternal-Glory with Christ doo What loss can't be who would not walk a path That dirty is if it an ending hath In Rest and in unutterable Joys Rather than one that leads to nought but toys The best and all of them this great fault have They leave a man when he goes to his grave Nay more while he is but on toys a poring And is them like to petty gods adoring They steal away his heart if he intend To follow that way still 't wil in the end Lead him to death that death to never dy But live in torments to eternity Then wait with patience for your Prince and King When ha appears he then will with him bring Such great rewards will make up all your losses Your suffrings trials troubles and your crosses Content your selves be satisfi'd and rest In this that you have such an interest In Christ and in his Glory that no man Though nere so mighty or so great that can Deprive you of 't God greater is than they None can you harm if he but say them nay Admit they should do what with their will stands They can't you pluck out of your Father's hands Beware then that you don't his love disdain Take heed you don't his holy Name prophane By any sin or unbeseeming walking By any foolish jesting idle talking But I the Prisoner of the Lord beseech You all to study and consider which Way you may sanctifie that holy Name And bring forth praise and hounour to the same That sacred Name of God which now doth seem To be reproach'd which some do much blaspheme Walk worthy of that calling wherewith ye Are called and be sure you alwayes see Your conversation all times cloathed is With lowliness that Christ-like grace of his That unto all men you may make 't appear That as was Christ so you like-minded are And be not rash but meek enduring wrong If you be like to Christ he suffer'd long Forbear ye one another live in love And God will still be with you from above And keep your hearts minds through Christ our Lord If you like brethren do in love accord Then make it ev'ry one your great endeavour And do at all times in the same persever To keep the Spirits unity and peace That God may dwell with you and you increase In all the fruits and graces of the Spirit You may esteem'd be worthy to inherit A Crown of life a Kingdom and a Throne Which will enjoyed be by those and none But those that faithful are unto the death For so God's holy blessed Spirit saith I now conclude and end and take my leave Hoping these lines though rude you will receive And mend those faults in love you may there find If any benefit you reap then mind To give the praise to God the honour 's his Give none to me but all to him whose ' t is All Glory be to him that ever liveth I 'm yours in him to love and serve John Griffith FINIS
simple heart in love to grow With them or any thing they can propose The more I gain of them the more I lose And that through Christ and strength of grace I might Have all my whole affections vanquisht quite So kill'd so slain so conquer'd and orecome That in my heart there might be left no room For any filthy sin or lust to harbour That oft hath caus'd my soul to sigh and labour Under the pow'r thereof the grief the pain Of which my heart doth many times complain By reason of the domineering power Of Sin and Satan that for ev'ry hour Did once assault me with its bates and wiles Those cunning stratagems which oft beguiles Poor souls and brings them oft-times to a snare In which they 're taken ere they are aware But now this is become my souls ambition To have it brought in full and whole subjection To Jesus Christ my Lord that nought but he May rule and bear the sway in me and be Both uppermost and chief and reign as King Within my soul and heart oh that 's the thing I long to find and feel and know and have And day and night do always beg and crave That Christ might dwell by Faith so in my heart That I might get and learn that blessed Art To bring down ev'ry thought into subjection And cast down ev'ry vain imagination And ev'ry high thing that doth self and flesh Exalt against the Lord my God I wish And earnestly desire that I might be So dying to the world the world to me Transform'd by the renewing of my mind And not conform'd unto the world but find The Art to know and prove what is that good That perfect acceptable will of God And that I might the pow'r of Jesus know The power of his Resurrection so The fellowship of his dear suffering That my poor soul might be in ev'ry thing And his dispose and while I 've life and breath So made conformable unto his death That if by any means I might attain The resurrection of the dead and gain To be conform'd to th' Image of the Son Who ' mongst the many Brethren was first-born That I in heart and mind might dwell no more Here on the earth but in my spirit sore Rest dwell and live and walk and climb Into that Paradise that Throne sublime Where Christ doth sit in shining glory he I 'de there be with and ever with him be With which most glorious place O Lord affect My stony heart that I may have respect To nothing more nor nothing more so eye Than that reward that 's in Eternity That so my soul may have the strength to bear The troubles I am like to meet with here That in the darkest dismal'st time and day No trouble may my soul amaze nor fray And take away the Clouds and Mists that be Sometimes between my heart my soul and thee That sometimes vails from me that love light And hides thy face and glory from my sight Which makes my soul for to lament and mourn Such troubles are too heavy to be born And suffer not my soul no more to live So much below that glory thou wilt give To those that love thy Name to those that fear The Lord thy Christ and wait when he 'l appear And fill my heart and soul with such a measure Of Light in that estimable treasure That I by Faith thy glorious face may see With which my soul may still refreshed be And always have assurance of thy love By that sweet sealing-Spirit from above Take up my thoughts into those endless joys Let me no longer live upon those toys That 's here on earth those passing earthly things That rather to my soul disquiet brings Than any joy or comfort Lord I find There 's nothing in this world gives peace of mind In that Celestial place where thou dost dwell That place of glory that no tongue can tell Nor mortal eye hath seen nor heart conceive What 's there in store for them that do believe There where thy Presence is there 's fulness store Of joy and pleasures now and evermore Then by thy Spirit give me to behold The Glory of thy Self to me unfold That most transcendant Beauty and that Light Where Angels worship thee both day and night That though no heart is able to conceive it Nor mortal eye perceive the Brightness of it Nor tongue relate what things are laid up there For them that do thee love and serve and fear And though I can't the least of Mercies merit Yet Lord reveal them to me by thy Spirit That I may daily more and more so slight So disesteem the world that I so might Just as a pilgrim-stranger travel here So freed from all the world and worldly care That I might never think my self at home Until I find that City that 's to come Before thou canst arrive this blessed Port And enter in this Haven such a sort Of waves and tempests may against thee rise Which Satan will against thee so devise To keep thee off by force with wind weather Unless thou play the man thou 't ne'r come thither Then look about thee and consider well And hearken unto what I shall thee tell Thou seest thou hast a journey now to go Be careful that thou dost it travel so Still casting off those things that may thee let That thou may'st safely to the end on 't get Thou art no other than a stranger here A sojourner as all thy fathers were Then think not thou shalt be so kindly us'd For strangers many times are much abus'd Though strangers should be all received well And entertained be it all times fell That sojourners and such as strangers be Which travel towards Heav'ns eternity That holy City Heav'nly Canaan Did find small friendship here from any man Our fathers Abraham and Isaac too With Jacob and the rest did find it so For they did live as strangers in the Land Which was by Promise their own Country and Because they sought a City God had made That had foundations he the basis laid The builder and the maker of the same Was he alone they from their Country came To sojourn in the Land of Promise when God call'd them forth out of their Country then They sought by Faith another Country where They should have rest from travel and the care That usually attends the way they went To heav'ly Canaan where they were bent To go through thick and thin what ere it cost The end would make amends for all they lost They all did die in Faith did not receive The Promise yet the Promise did believe And if my soul thou dost intend to go In that same path they went thou'lt find it so That thou art but a Pilgrim-Stranger here A Travellor unto a Country where Thou wilt a Resting-place enjoy indeed Then go not back but on the way proceed Think it no hard thing thou shouldst be a stranger And that thou art
hither to provided hath for thee Then let thy care be cast on him for he Doth care for thee and thine and alwayes will Then let thy care be only to fulfill His blessed mind and how thou maist him please To do his Will brings most content and ease Consider that the World doth pass away There 's nothing in 't that will long with thee stay Nor nothing in 't that brings true comfort neither But he that doth Gods will abides for ever Why shouldst thou then seek great things for thy self Nay seek them not not any worldly wealth It is but labour lost if thou hadst got The world for all its glory profits not But rather will a hindrance prove to thee No furtherance at all the world can be In this thy journey which thou now must go Then love it not but count it for thy so Remember Godliness is such great gain Together with Contentment if attain Unto 't thou dost it will thee richer make Than all the world can do then nere forsake That way in which thou maist be rich in faith There 's none is truly rich but he that hath That durable and everlasting treasure Which far exceeds the glory wealth and pleasure That all the world affords if one had all Which is therein its glory is but small For on the greatest of it may be writ All is but transitory and not fit For none but those that will no other have Which leaves men ere they get unto the grave Those mind no more then what will bring them thither Tho there they part cannot go together But Heav'nly treasure is not of this kind A man can never leave this wealth behind The dead are bless'd that in the Lord do dye They rest from labour and their work doth hie To follow after them they have no loss Death unto such produceth no such cross Their wealth to lose for them to dye is gain Because with Christ they 'l evermore remain What blessedness is like unto this bliss What riches is comparable to this Though one be poor yet making many rich And though one nothing have to be one which Possesseth all things and can say All 's mine And unto him that doth believe all 's thine Gods Ministers are yours the world withall And life and death this substance is not small Things present and to come are also yours It can't be known what wealth true faith procures He only is the wealthy happy man That reads God's precious promises and can Believe and truly say that these are made To him in Christ what ere in them is said He can by Faith apply by Faith can see That none of them are Yea and Nay but Yea In Christ Yea and Amen all of them are To him that in them through Christ hath a share According to our Proverb 't is the fate Of that man to be poor that God doth hate And such are they that doth oppression use And do the innocent therewith abuse Who are corrupt and partial in the Law That do the poor and needy tear and claw Like to a Lyon or a ranging Bear So wicked Rulers to the people are Which do encourage those that evil do But do the righteous Lion-like pursue That do abhor the upright man and hate Him likewise that rebuketh in the Gate That Judgment turn to Wormwood who hath Left executing Righteousness on earth Whose treading is upon the poor who make That man their prey that doth their ways forsake Or that departeth from iniquity Such they account for mad men and who buy The needy for a pair of shoes the poor That buy for silver by oppression sore Such cause the righteous man to howle and cry With violence the earth is covered by Their turning Judgement backward into Gall The fruit of Righteousness to Hemlock all Such men are very poor though very rich This is an Orthodox truth but very which May seem to be a Paradox to those That love the world and have its honor chose Then see my soul thou dost not fret at him That seems to prosper in his way not them That know no sorrow like to other men Whose eyes stand out with fatness and whose pen Writes grievousness which thing they have prescribed To turn aside from judgment unless bribed The needy and the right of him that 's poor They take away and by oppression sore The Widow doth become to them a prey And th' fatherless are robbed ev'ry day Although with fat such have got shining faces Yet they my soul do stand in slippery places Then envy not their great prosperity Their breath is in their nostrils they must dye Though pride doth compass such as with a chain And violence yet such men are but vain They in their best estate are vanity And so are all things else beneath the sky And God will bring such men to desolation The wicked shall not stand in th' Congregation Of the upright such are but as a dream In which a man in 's sleep doth think and deem He hath much wealth but when he doth awaken He finds it but a dream himself mistaken So are such men the Lord will sure despise Their Image when he doth awake and rise To call them down into destruction then They 'l know that God's the Lord and that he can Them in a moment visit all with horror And can them utterly consume with terror If this be so thou hast no cause to fear The fear of man will bring thee to a snare Trust thou in God and then thou wilt be safe For God thy God such strength and power hath Thou needst not fear what man a worm can do Whose dayes are as a span his hours few Who is as grass that flourisheth to day But on the morrow goes quite to decay Poor man is just like to a famous flower That liveth now but cropt and gone next hour His dayes are like unto a Wevers Shuttle So like to glass or some such brittle mettle So frail is man though of his strength he boast His life is wind he soon doth come to dust Though he in pride may swell and think to rise Above the Rocks nay sore above the skies Yet he must dye and wasteth then away When once death comes death wil for no man stay Though he be one as great as great may be Man giveth up the ghost and where is he Then as thou dost along thy Journey go I hope thou'lt ne're forget thy Maker so To fear the Grass so much thou goest by Or any famous Flower thou dost espye To quit thy journey for such fading dust As Grass and Flowers are which shortly must Be made as stubble for the wicked shall And then be burnt as in an Oven all Be made as ashes underneath the feet Of them that they did evilly entreat Why shouldst thou fear them then what fear can be The wicked fear where no fear is and flee When none doth them pursue away they go
Kings Captains Freemen Rich Poor Bond-men and great and mighty men shall roar And cry unto the Mountains and the Rocks And hide themselves in holes and dens in flocks Call to the Mountains Fall on us and hide Us from this Throne befor 't we can't abide To come to see the dreadful face of him That sits thereon so dismal is this time We liv'd in pleasure in time past and mock't At these things then not thinking we were lockt So fast in chains of darkness as we see We were Oh what a righteous Judge is he We often call'd upon him us to damn Now Rocks fall on us hide us from the Lamb And from this wrath of his this dreadful doom For now the great day of his wrath is come Put case my soul that thou shouldst be among This fearful rout this miserable throng As out of doubt thou wilt if thou give way Unto the flesh to pleasure Dalilah And all the treasure in the world were thine The wealthy Silver and the Golden Mine What wouldst thou better be it's nothing worth For 't can't deliver in this day of wrath But come my soul wee 'l back a little walk And then wee 'l have a little further talk By no means fall to dote upon thy lust And hearken not to them the world as dust Is blown before the wind then be Content to hear a little more from me Suppose thou shouldst unto the flesh give place How wouldst thou look thy Jesus in the face If thou shouldst turn his love and graciousness Into debauch'ry and lasciviousness Nay though thou shouldst not be so much unclean So grosly wicked vile and so obscene So openly prophane as some now are But outwardly to carry 't pretty fair Yet when that day shall come whereof we spake 'T will make thee tremble and thy heart to ake When Christ shall come and shall exalted be Hee 'l find out them that love hypocrisie When Zion shall be fill'd with righteousness And Hypocrites surpriz'd with fearfulness Then sinners will in Zion be afraid With fear astonisht very much dismai'd Canst thou my soul delight to be or dwel Within devouring fire or canst thou tell How dreadful ' t is or canst thou make good chear Where everlasting cruel burnings are No no thou canst not that 's a dismal day There is no end thereof the pain 's for aye But now suppose that no such thing would be No wrath to come no pain or miserie Canst be content the joyes of Heav'n to lose To gratifie thy lusts thy mortal foes For Heav'n and Glory 's such a place that there None that 's unclean can have a part or share But put the case there were no joys to be What wouldst thou with thy fleshly lusts agree So ill requite that Love and Grace so great Those many entertainments choice and sweet That God hath given thee though thou a fo Wert unto him or to his Grace also Or wouldst thou love the World or turn thy back Upon dear Jesus who was never slack Nor slow to do thee all that blessed good That with his honor and thy welfare stood How couldst forget his kindness love and grace With which he doth thee many times embrace His gracious condescention that was seen In him when for thy sake he dy'd between Two thieves for thee the wrath of God he bore He undertook for thee and paid thy score In him thou liv'st and mov'st and hast a being Through Christ thy Lord comes all supplies then seing His grace is such then be not thou ungrateful Ingratitude to God or man is hateful Where Grace is truly wrought what cause to fear Is there of Hell 't wil work although there were No joys in Heav'n that soul don't work to merit The pleasures there if he them do inherit He 'l say it is of Grace and not desert And such a one hath learn'd and got the art To love dear Christ and love him will and must Because dear Christ was pleas'd to love him first Again my soul I le tell thee one thing more We have a Proverb Store can be no sore Shouldst thou the world embrace and Christ deny Riches will take them wings away they 'l fly Thou maist be took from them or they from thee Of worldly wealth there is no certainty Suppose thou shouldst some Honor have and be As great as stout as strong as wise as he That hath as much of these as any have And be respected by the wise and grave These are but broken Reeds to lean upon No man can help thee in the day of doom As doth the poor so must the rich man dye And come to Judgement great men are a lye What though thou dost some goods and credit lose Because thou wilt not sin but rather chuse To suffer for the sake and Cause of him That will repay thee all thy loss agin Then think not much at any think that 's lost For Christ he was for thee at greater cost Than thou canst be for him his precious blood Was shed to do thee everlasting good Then dost thou lose thy All for his dear sake He did it lend then he his own may take Thou naked cam'st out of thy Mothers womb And naked must return unto thy tomb Thou brought'st nought with thee nought canst carry hence Serve Christ thy Prince with what thou hast from whence All came thou hast then all that ere thou l't have At his good service best who came to save Thee from thy sins and from the wrath to come Then offer up to him thy All and some And think it not a heavy burden nor Below thee thus to live and suffer for That Cause thou art engag'd in think 't no shame To lye in New gate for the sake and Name Of thy dear Jesus who hath thee esteem'd Worthy to bear his Name and thee redeem'd Who art a nothing worthless worm so vile So full of frailties ready to beguile Thy self that he I say should thee employ In such a Work or Cause and should thereby Give thee to see his love himself make known More unto thee than heretofore was shown And let thee see and know thy self and give Thee strength to bear reproach a Jayl and live In full assurance that he wil appear Whom thou shalt see and meet with in the air And all his Saints that dyed for his Word And they and thee be ever with the Lord. If his most glorious face thou'lt ever see And live and reign with him eternallie With Christ I say in rest and endly glory Then hearken now my soul unto this story Thou seest a Souldier thou art now engag'd To fight against this Rabble that hath wag'd War with thee many times each day and hour To bring thee to submit unto their power By snares and wiles the Serpent with his wisdom Doth labour hard to make thee of his Kingdom Then labour thou as hard with all thy might To break his snares
All evil works proceed do from the Devil He only is the author of them all Idolatry and errors great and small And men do willingly adhere to him And to his wayes and works rather than them That God appointed this is very right Such men love darkness and do hate the Light For let the Whore command them what she will If 't be to murder any one or kill Be 't Prince or People any what eare they For willingly the Whore's mind they obey Such dear obedient children they have bin Her to obey they think can be no sin But as I said the reason why she doth Forbid to reade the Scripture may be both Because she would not any man should see The Truth and also 't is because that she Fears the Scripture her Whoredoms will make known And all her works of darkness will be shown And therfore that she may her Whoredoms hide The use of Scripture she will not abide Though Christ it 's clear did very well approve The searching of the Scriptures and did move The Jews thereto by his commands that so They might there find wh'ther he were Christ or no. But this proud painted Whore will give to none That liberty but her they all must own Without all doubt or any jealousie But she must be the Church of Christ and why Because her Doctors say 't that 's their belief That 's Ask my fellow whether I 'm a thief They and their writings as she saith by far Must be esteem'd more than the Scriptures are Her Fathers and her Councils and what they Decreed we sooner far must all obey Than any Scripture-Writings for they be Or were writ in the Churches infancie But now the Church is grown to such a state And such maturity we scorn and hate To learn or follow any thing that 's there It is below us and our holy Chair And more than that it will bewray us all The people will us know and then we fall As Dagon did before the holy Ark We then our dogs can send no more to bark Against the Scripture and those holy wayes That practis'd were in the primitive dayes For this we know full well there is no ground In holy Scripture can or will be found For that great pomp and state we now live in Should this be known there 's none would care a pin For us the people very soon would bait Our greatness and our doing soon would hate And quickly pluck us from our holy Chair And pull our feathers till we were so bare That all the world would quickly plainly see What monstrous coz'ning cheating knaves we be But if we can but keep them ignorant We then shall lord it still and ore them vaunt T is but the hiding Scripture from their eyes By thundring threats or under some disguise We then are safe enough and all things still Will go according to our mind and will And therefore 't will be best for us to play That very game we have this many day For that 's the game we by experience find That holds us up and doth the people blind Well now we having briefly shown and seen Her whorish face that saith she sits a Queen And shall no sorrow ever know or see We 'l hint a little what her plagues will be And that there is good ground we may expect That men as well as God will her reject Those plagues that will come on her in one day Nay in one hour and shew what plagues are they What Judgments God hath now laid up in store Against that day that God will plague the Whore First then God will lift up a Banner on The Mountains high that will not be alone The Voice shall he exalt and shake the hand That they may enter in within her Land And go into her Nobles gates and be The great forerunners of her miserie For then God's sanctified ones will he Command and call his mighty ones that be Appointed for his anger who rejoyce In him his Highness and commanding Voice Then shall she howl the day of God's at hand And all among her shall amazed stand Because destruction will upon her fall From the Almighty and the weapons all Of his great indignation then will stand Against her they shall waste her and her Land They come from far so far that from the end Of Heav'n her to destroy God will them send To fear for paints and sorrow they shall drive This Scarlet Whore they shall against her thrive And she shall be in pain as woman are That are in travel and be fill'd with fear So much amaz'd her brats will look and stare At one another wondring what they are Whose faces are as flames for so they 'l be When she the coming of this day doth see That cruel day of anget and of wrath Which day will come though God seems to be loth To plague her for her sins yet when they are Become full ripe he will no longer bear But will against proud Babylon arise Her nakedness uncover and her thighs And lay her in the dust with loathsom shame Cut off from her both son and nephew name And remnant too that there shall be no more Left nor remain of this proud painted Whore For this great Work shall certainly be done When God shall say to Jacob Fear thou none Worm Jacob then shall so exalted be And from the Lord receive such strength that he Shall by Jehovah out of doubt be made According as the Prophets have fore-said A threshing Instrument both sharp and new To thresh this Mountain with this tale is true God will the Mountains beat therewith so small And make the Hills as chaff and fan them all The wind shall carry them away and when The whirlwind shall them scatter Jacob then Shall magnifie and praise the Lord with songs And give the praise to whom the praise belongs For in the holy One of Israel he Shall glory now and everlastingly When God shall give to Zion this Command Arise and thresh up Zion then shall stand Her horns shall then be made as Iron when Her hoofs shall be as brass with which those men I mean of Babylon or Rome shall be Beat all in pieces for their cruelty For God will bath his Sworn in Heav'n and then He 'l send it down upon those wicked men All them that are the people of his Curse That will not turn but still wax worse and worse To Judgement it shall come to judge the Whore For all her cursed deeds which she hath store For when the day of Vengeance shall come in The heart of God he 'l punish all her sin That day of Vengeance which to God is known That year of Recompences for Zion For Zion's controversie shall it be When God shall judge and plague the Whore for he Will tread her down in fury and will make In anger Romes foundations all to shake Then wil the Lord bring down her pride strength Unto the
hath Nor can deprive him of his right it 's sure To him and shall for evermore enoure Saith David in his Psalms The Heathen rage Vain things imagine what doth this presage God sits in Heav'n and hath them in derision And will at length himself make the decision Though they do set against him and 's Anointed And counsel take they shall be disappointed Vnto them all he 'l speak then in his wrath Though he forbears and seems to be so loth Yet will he vex them in his sore displeasure When he shall set his King his only Treasure Upon his holy Hill then the Decree Concerning him will soon declared be Thou art my Son I have begotten thee Then ask my Son ask thou I say of me And I will give thee thine Inheritance Thou shalt upon my Holy Hill advance The Heathen shall be to thee for a portion The Earth I give to thee for thy possession The utmost parts thereof I give and thou Shalt break them with a Rod of Iron now In pieces shalt thou dash them as a Vessel That 's broken a in Morter with a Pestle Again saith David in another place Such is the Majesty of Christ the Grace Of this most mighty Prince and Lord of all That Kings shall stoop and down before him fall And they that in the Wilderness do live Shall bow before him and him honor give His Enemies who will they nill they must Fall down before him and shall lick the dust The Kings of Tarshish and them of the Isles Shall presents bring to him to have his smiles The Kings of Sheba and of Seba too Shall offer gifts to him if that would do Yea all the Nations under Heav'n that are Shall him obey all Kings then shall him fear And David in another Psalm doth say That God his Enemies will drive this day Before him God will then his foes down beat And plague all men he will that do him hate My faithfulness saith God with him shall be My mercy also and his Name I 'le see Shall be exalted I will set his hand Upon the Sea so in the Rivers and He 'l cry Thou art my God my Father then And say the Rock of my Salvation when My first-born I will make whose so by birth Far higher than the Kings are of the Earth But some it may be here will now object And say These Scriptures all have no respect To Christ but Solomon by them is meant And David penn'd these Psalms to that intent To shew he should be set on such a throne That like to him there should be never none So great so rich so mighty as was he If so then all these things fulfilled be I answer That these Scriptures can't be so Receiv'd nor understood for this I know That Solomon was never God's first-born Nor never did God so exalt his Horn To give to him such great and large Dominion To reach from sea to sea in my opinion Nebuchadnezzar was a greater man Then ever was the great King Solomon For Daniel said to him O King it 's thou Art grown so mighty strong and great that now Thy potent greatness reacheth unto Heav'n Such is thy boundless and thy large Dominion It doth extend unto the ends of th' earth God unto thee such glory given hath Though Solomon his glory was so much That in his day there was no King had such Yet consid'ring Nebusshadnezzar he Was great Commander universallie O're all the world it clearly follow will Those Prophesies God did not then fulfil In Solomon because it 's plain that he Had never such a glorious Monarchie I then conclude they meant and rather may The King of Babylon which none will say So universal as the others was Nor yet so great nor universal as Our Lords shall be when he doth come to reign As those fore-cited Scriptures speaketh plain Besides what I before did shew indeed That Christ must be that King of Davids seed These reasons then I end though many more I might produce in Scripture there 's such store But I with these shall well contented be Such satisfaction are they unto me But yet I matter not for th' sake of those That may more doubtful be before I close Bring forth such Scriptures which do more conduce To satisfaction then I here produce That prophesie of Balaam who when He hired was to curse Gods Israel then He prophesi'd and said My eyes shall him Behold but shall not now they are too dim I shall behold him but it won't be nigh Though I the knowledge have of the most High There shall a Star come out of Jacob and A Scepter out of Israel the Land Of Moab shall he smite the corners all The sons of Seth shall be destroy'd and fall And Edom shall because of their transgression So Seir likewise shall be a possession Unto his Enemies but Israel he Shall in those days do then most valiantlie Then out of Jacob will he come that shall Possess and have dominion o'ne them all Balaam then took up his Parable Beheld and saw that day was terrible And said Alas though 't is a day of bliss To Jacob who shall live when God doth this Again good Hannah when the Lord her Womb Had opened that she conceiv'd to whom He gave a Son which when she had brought forth She lent unto the Lord a son of worth He was to her yet for the Lord she 'l spare Her child her only son that was so dear And then to pray and praise the Lord goes she And thus she saith by way of prophesie The Adversaries of the Lord shall be All broke to pieces out of Heaven shall he Thunder upon them then the Lord will judge The Earth and ends thereof this priviledge The Lord shall have and strength he 'l give his King And will the Horn of his Anointed bring To be exalted and he 'l help the feet Of all his Saints though men them ill entreat As for the wicked they shall silent be In darkness when that they this day do see To do these wondrous things God will not fail For know by strength no man shall then prevail Oh what a glorious time this then will be When Saints shal reign with Christ triumphantlie That most transcendent glory and the state Christ shall be in which he 'l participate To them their lot their portion and a shares Because they 're sons they likewise are Joint-heirs With him and in his throne they shall sit down And shall receive a Kingdom and a Crown Not such a corrupt Crown that fades away But such a Crown of Life that won't decay Then fear not little Flock for 't is the pleasure Of God your Father to give you the treasure That 's in a Crown by Grace he will you save And hath thought meet the Kingdom you should have He that is Prince of Kings Kings of the earth Who you so lov'd that you he washed hath From all your sins in his