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A65583 A second narrative of the late Parliament (so called) wherein, after a brief reciting some remarkable passages in the former narrative, is given an account of their second meeting, and things transacted by them : as also how the Protector (so called) came swearing, by the living God, and dissolved them, after two or three weeks sitting : with some quæries sadly proposed thereupon : together with an account of three and forty of their names, who were taken out of the house, and others that sate in the other house, intended for a House of Lords, but being so unexpectedly disappointed, could not take root, with a brief character and description of them : all humbly presented to publique view / by a friend to the good old cause of justice, righteousnesse, the freedom and liberties of the people, which hath cost so much bloud and treasury to be carried on in the late wars, and are not yet settled. Wharton, George, Sir, 1617-1681. 1658 (1658) Wing W1556; ESTC R8011 50,589 52

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for the future we are likely to have such prosperity success and good days as some so largely promise themselves and others it may be expected Or whether such smiling upon old wickedness and frowning and turning the back upon Righteousness suppressing its growth be any comfortable ground of such hope and expectation Or whether upon the whole Series of things as they now appear there be not rather to be expected some sadder matter if the LORD in mercy prevent not Let the wise in heart consider THE END Reader if thy patience be not quite worne out read the following Postscript which makes mention of the late flattering Adresses c. it may concern you As also a Vindication of that faithful Friend to the Cause of God and his people Mr. John Portmans late Secretary to the Fleet under General Blake now Prisoner for Truth in the Tower whom that lying Court-Pamphleter Nedham hath falsly aspersed and reproached in the late Diurnals A Post-Script to the Reader THe foregoing Narrative was composing and preparing to have come forth like apples of gold in pictures of silver in the fittest season during the life time of Oliver the late Protector so called and calculated for that end among other that as in a Glass he might clearly see his Mutability and Changeableness in his principles as also his Judas-like Treachery and Deceit and how wickedly he had dealt with the Lord his people and the Nation and the righteous cause on foot therein but the Lord having in answer to the earnest desires and prayers of some of his faithful remnant and in great mercy to the Nation and the good people therein and the righteous cause removed and taken him out of the way it was thought fit however to publish it for the sake of his associates and confederates he hath left behind him who may happily make some use of it as also that the standers by yea the whole Nation might likewise see and judge of what hath lately fallen out in this our day It is said of Jeroboam the son of Nebat That he not onely sinned himself but made Israel to sin and there were those of his confederates that then sinned with him and after he was dead and gone of whom it is recorded 1 Kin 15. 34 compared with 2 Kin. 17. 21 22. That they walked in the ways and departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin The parallel hereof we have in England in this our day Oliver the late Protector so called who Jeroboam like so greatly appeared with the people for Justice and Freedom against Oppression highly professing and declaring for the same hath sinned in the breach of those Protestations and Declarations in building again those things he had been so greatly instrumental to destroy therein surpassing not onely the deeds of the wicked who were cut off upon the like account but also of Jeroboam who never made such Professions and Declarations as he had done There also are of his confederates as the confederates of Jeroboam that sinned with him in his Apostacy and Revolt and do yet continue in those sins and walking in his steps now he is dead and gone as if they took no notice of the displeasure and wrath of God revealed from Heaven against him in cutting him off for his unrighteousness Israel smarted sorely for their evil and at last were carryed away Captive England hath likewise suffered and is brought very low as tradesmen of all sorts shop-keepers and others both in City and Country find by such sad and woful experience as they never did before nor in the memory of man was the like ever known or heard of and what may further suffer the Lord who will not be mocked onely knows For how unworthy are the people of this Generation not onely the more dark and sordid but too many who profess to be Saints and are Pastors and Members of Churches nay some who are Mercurial and more high flown that once spake the Language of Zion and highly appeared for the Good Old Cause who notwithstanding they have seen the mighty Arm and Power of God displayed in bringing down the unrighteous oppressive high and lofty ones with their foundation for their unrighteousness and oppression yet have so far forgotten the Good Old Cause so signally owned from Heaven and are so besotted and degenerated into a self-seeking slavish and enslaveing spirit as they not onely justifie but strengthen their hands who instead of pressing forward mith more refinedness in that work and cause leading to what it shall be when the promises and prophesies relating to the Kingdom of Christ and Zion shall be fulfilled have made a Captain or Protector and are gone back to Egypt to wit the old wicked foundation and things of Monarchy that have been destroyed and thereby under a new name upholding and keeping the people under the old Oppressions And do say of g g In their Addresses to his son Richard his worthy Successour Oliver their late Egyptian Captain who hatched this Cockatrice Egge and brought forth all this wickedness and thereby did more hurt to the Nation then ever he did it good and for which his Memory will deservedly for ever stink in the Nostrils of the Lords faithful people That he was a Moses the great Father and Protector of his people our late most worthy Prince that used all means to deliver us from Bondage by whom we enjoy Freedom in Spiritual and Civil Concernments c. most excellent Prince of happy Memory the famous Champion of our Liberties c. the Father Protector and Buckler of these Nations and the people of God who res●ned procured and maintained our just Liberties to us c. the great Assertor of the Liberties of Gods people and a Lover of their Civil Rights c. who well deserves to be a pattern to all succeeding Princes c. our gracious Benefactor a nursing Father to his people by whose hand the yoke of Bondage hath been broken both from the Necks and Consciences of good people c. an instrument of unspeakable Blessings all whose great Enterprises the Lord constantly prospered with high success c. the great Protector of our Peace and Joy who admirably got and h h Have you forgot Hispaniola and the war with Spain never lost but left three Nations in Peace c. We cannot but deeply resent that sad stroke of Providence that took away the breath of our Nostrils and smote our head from off our Shoulders your Highnesses most gloriously renowned Father Our Elijah c. your most illustrious accomplished most glorious heroical most renowned blessed most holy serene princely Father that sacred Person the delight of our Eyes our glorious Sun is set that unspeakable loss the light of our Eyes and the breath of our Nostrils c. But alass this our Moses the Servant of the Lord is dead and shall we not weep If we weep not for
him yet we cannot but weep for our selves we cannot but look after him crying Our Father our Father the Chariots of Israel and the Horsemen thereof c. Falsly and wickedly alluding to Moses and Elijah those two for ever to be honoured faithful Servants of the Lord with many other the like fawning blasphemous lying Expressions have they in those wicked Addresses wherein they lye and flatter for the Lord and his faithful Remnant know he was not so especially in his latter days but was rather acted by the back sliding spirit of Corah Dathan and Abiram as also the famous and renowned Princes of the Congregation yea the Congregation it self who rebelled against the Spirit of the Lord in Moses Caleb and Joshua c. and would not press on to Canaan the work of that day but said Let us make a i i N● Captain and return into Egypt and would have stoned Caleb and Joshua because they would have had them gone forward As also by the Spirit of Ahab Jehu and the rest of the back sliding wicked Kings of Israel and Judah The spirit of the Beast and false Prophet in the former and present Monarchs of this and other Nations which the Lord hath and will disown and curse but not the Spirit of Elijah Moses Caleb and Joshua the Lords faithful persevering ones of old as by what is before and afterwards mentioned doth too plainly and sadly appear for he not onely endeavoured to establish himself in this Tyranny but before his departure when he scarce had his sences or could hardly speak appointed as some report though some think otherwise his forementioned eldest son Richard to succeed him in the Government to support and maintain that Apostacy and Wickedness which himself and Thurlo c. had been the first Contrivers and then Actors of thereby to hold us perpetually under the old Monarchical Egyptian Bondage which was no sooner effected and he proclaimed but the aforementioned Addressors as they blasphemously and flatteringly speak in way of honouring his Father so in the same Adresses do they speak of him falsly and wickedly alluding to good Joshua Solomon and Elisha who succeeded Moses David and Elijah after their death saying to this purpose We humbly beg That though your renowned Father who as a designed instrument helpt us out of Egypt having Canaan in his Eye was even then called to Mount Nebo to dye there yet you as another Joshua with his spirit re-doubled upon you may by the efficacious conduct of the Captain of the Lords Host lead us into a more full possession of Truth and Righteousness c. In times of old when God took away Moses from his people in tender Mercy he gave them a Joshua to succeed him Such are our hopes of your Highness Gods aim and end in taking away his Moses was to usher you in his Joshua c. But since it was the Will of God our glorious Sun should set and that even whilst he was ascending we ought to submit unto it it is no little Alleviation to our sorrow that though our Sun be set no Night hath followed but our Evening hath been light by raising your Highness into your Royal Fathers Seat c. You are our great Master the person designed by God and Man to reign over us c. It begets no little joy in our spirits when we behold the Son of that Father by a divine Providence succeed him in the Throne by his own appointment given us as a most choyce Legacy and his last Blessing c. A Pledge of Divine Love and Goodness to these Nations c. Some saying if his Father had not appointed him to succeed him the common interest and peace of the Nation without Gods Assistance had perished together with him c. Happy successour in whom we shall be able to say Mercy and Truth are met together under whose Government Righteousness and Peace hath kissed each other of whose exceeding Vertues and Endowments we have had experience c. God hath been pleased in the midst of Judgment to remember Mercy in appointing your Highness to succeed your Father your most excellent serene Highness a branch of that princely stock on you our hopes rest Richard by the Grace of God Lord Protector your most serene Highness our Soveraign and General the noblest branch of that renowned stock and desire that he might build up unto perfection upon that wicked foundation which his Fathers blessed hand had laid And pray that the spirit of their departed Elijah even the Chariots and Horsemen of Israel might rest upon him c. And a great deal more of this blasphemous flattering stuff which would be too tedious to relate which Addresses The Humble Petition and Advice being so often mentioned and their desiring him to keep the Sword Military in his hand the design in them and strain of expressions so like to other begets a shrewd suspition they were rather hatch'd at the Court by Secretary Thurlo and the old malignant Pamphleter lying railing Rabshakeh and defamer of the Lords people Nedham alias Mercurius Pragmaticus who formerly writ for the King against the Parliament and by their Mercenary Emissaries and Agents suggested to and forced upon the simple people as the Addresses to his Father were formerly upon the Army and elsewhere rather then in their first motion naturally flowing from the Addressors which the Lord in due time will discover And not onely these but also that great Independent Doctor so called Thomas Goodwin he Aaron-like comes in as a Leader or one of the first among them to encourage the rejoycing and dancing about this new Golden Calf and in the speech that he made pretendedly in the name and by the appointment of the Pastors and Messengers of above 100 Congregational Churches from several parts of the Nation as says the Pamphlet says he We come with hearty acknowledgement of the best Liberties enjoyed under your Highness now blessed Father c. all which have been continued to us through the Protection of the great Mordecai that sought the Weal of his people and spake k k Was imprisoning the Lords people for their faithfulness to the Good Old Cause and leaving them there when he dyed a Mordecai's spirit and a speaking peace Well said Doctor peace to all his seed blessed be God for his unspeakable gift c. which we are here come jonyntly to acknowledge to your Highness c. We also come full of rejoycing blessing God for so happy and quiet a settlement of the Nation and Government in your person and succession Solomon though he had his name from peace yet was not his first entrance so peaceable as this of yours c. And after mentioning about what they met at the Savoy and that his Father knew of the meeting beforehand and approved of it and of a Declaration they had drawn up to clear themselves from the aspersions laid upon them and laying down therein what the
of them by all which thou mayest be able in some measure to resolve thy thoughts concerning the change of the Cause and Principles which these great Masters formerly carried on and professe to do so still It is notoriously known how even the chief of them sometime said It would never be well neither should we ever see good Dayes whilest there was one Lord left in England nor untill you speaking so to him my Lord of Manchester be called Mr. Montague yet now new Lords must be made by the dozens What Declaring what Fighting hath there been and how much Bloud and Treasure spent against a Negative Voice in the King and Lords Yet now not onely the Protector himself forsooth but all his new upstart Lords such as were our equals or it may be below us must Lord it over us with their No to our I. Is not the world growne mad were there ever such wonders before To fancy what after Ages will think of these men who pretend to be of the Saints of these times will never make a person melancholy that shall be serious in it Not to trouble thee further eye God more and Men lesse and that will stay and quiet thy Spirit and say to thy self as the Psalmist did Psal. 62. 5 9. My soul wait thou onely upon God for my expectation is from him Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lye A Second Narrative of the late Parliament so called giving an Account of their Second Meeting and the things transacted by them as also their Dissolution after two or three weeks Sitting With an Account of three and forty of their Names who in the interval of the Adjournment were taken out of the House and others that sate in the Other House so greatly designed for a House of Lords with a Brief Character and Description of them THe late Parliament so called having made their new Modell of Government called The Humble Petition and Advice before they had well licked their Golden Calf or given the Brat of their Brain a Name were called upon to Adjourn and break up And so making more haste then good speed they left things very raw and imperfect which afterwards occasioned great Contests and in fine their Dissolution According to the time they Adjourned unto they Assemble again being January 23. 1657. where after the usuall Solemnities of Devotion performed they repair to the House where they found some of their Number Commissioned and impowered by the Protector to swear them The Copy of which Oath here followeth The Oath I do in the presence and by the Name of God Almighty Promise and Swear That to the utmost of my power in my place I will uphold and maintain the true Reformed Protestant Christian Religion in the Power thereof as it is contained in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament and encourage the Profession and Professors of the same And that I will be true and faithfull to the Lord * Protector of the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging as Chief Magistrate thereof And shall not contrive designe or attempt any thing against the Person or lawfull Authority of the Lord Protector and shall endeavour as much as in me lies as a Member of Parliament the Preservation of the Rights and Liberties of the People Which having taken and coming into the House they finde not onely some of their Fellow * Members but their old Servant and Clerk Mr. Scobell gone and a new one put in his room whose name is Smith which with biting a little the Lip and something in way of Complement as with a Salvo of their Rights and Priviledges they for quietness sake Vote him so put upon them to be their Clerk and then settled themselves in a posture for their future work And the first thing they undertake is to keep a Day of Prayer in their House which accordingly they did and with great prudence plowing with an Ox and an Asse together the Presbyters and Independents being both called to Officiate The Other House who would fain have the Honour to be called Lords or rather a House of Lords did likewise in their House pray at the same time with much Devotion and did afterwards agree to send to the Parliament or as they would have them again called the House of Commons by Baron Hill and Serjeant Windham after the manner of the House of Peers formerly to declare their Message viz. That the House of Lords or the Lords of the other House had sent unto them to desire their joyning with them in a Petition or Message to the Protector That a Day of Prayer * and Humiliation might be appointed through the whole Commonwealth Which Message begat very high Debaets and sharp Speeches from many that were not at the making this lame and imperfect Modell so as the aforesaid Messengers were fain to wait a long time but at length got this Answer viz. That they would return an Answer by Messengers of their own The House filling daily and many of those that had been secluded in the former Session coming in the Face of things in the House were in a great measure changed another Spirit appearing in them then before insomuch that many made question of the things that were formerly done some speaking at a high rate in behalf of the Rights of the English Free People and against the Wrongs and Injuries that had been done unto them This being done day by day and the House not agreeing what to call that Other House which was as it were a namelesse Infant and fain would be named the House of Lords was the greatest part of their work save that now and then some little Matters came under Debate as the Reviving and perfecting their Committees and Reading some former Bills The Lord Cravens Case also was taken in and the Councill on both parts heard at the Bar of the House with some other little Matters that passed but the greatest part of time that was spent in the House whilest sitting was in Considering and Debating what they should call the Other House Towards the end of their sitting there came another Message from the Other House after the same manner as before Desiring their joyning with them in moving the Protector to Order that the Papists and such as had been in Armes under the late King might be exiled the City and put out of the Lines of Communication c. This Message being also designed as shooing horn to draw on their owning of them received a like Answer as did the former As for the Other House who called themselves the House of Lords they spent their time in little Matters such as choosing of Committees and among other things to consider of the Priviledges and Jurisdiction of their House good wise souls before they knew what their House was or should be called About which time also a Petition
Judicature was questioned being dissolved and the Protector taking the Government upon him he adventured to comply with the rest notwithstanding the danger that so he might keep his place and interest and avoid a new Storm or Frown from the present Power Men need not seek far or study much to read him and what principles he acts by All things considered he may doubtless be very fit to be Lord of the Rolls being Master already and to be taken out of the Parliament to be made a Lord and to have a Negative Voyce in the Other House over the people as well as over the causes in the Rolls being so thoroughly exercised in Negatives at his own will and pleasure as too many have sadly felt 19. Mr. Cleypole Son of Mr. Cleypole in Northamptonshire now Lord Cleypole he long since married the Protectors Daughter a person whose qualifications not answering those honest principles formerly so pretended to of putting none but godly men into places of trust was a long time kept out but since the Apostacy from those principles as also the practise brake in and his Father-in-law the head thereof came to be Protector he was then judged good enough for that dispensation and so taken in to be t Master of his Horse as Duke Hamilton to the King Much need not be said of him his Relation as Son-in-law to the Protector is sufficient to bespeak him every way fit to be taken out of the House and made a Lord and having so long time had a Negative Voyce over his Wife Spring Garden the Ducks Deer Horses and Asses in Jameses Park is the better skilled how to exercise it again in the Other House over the good people of these Nations without any gainsaying or dispute 20. Lord Faulconbridge a Gentleman whose Relations are most Cavaleeres his Uncle formerly Governour of Newark for the King against the Parliament was absent over the water in the time of the late Wars a Neuter at least if not disaffected to the cause came back the Wars being over and hath lately marryed one of the Protectors Daughters and was in a fair way had things hit right to have been one of his Council as well as his Son-in-law however suitable to the times he is lately made a Colonel of Horse his Relation both to the old and new Monarchy may sufficiently plead his worth and merits not onely to have his Daughter but also a Negative Voyce in the other House over all that adventured their lives in the cause formerly and over all the people of these Lands besides 21. Colonel Howard his Interest which is considerable is in the North his Relations there are most Papists and Cavaleeres whom he hath courted and feasted kindly and served their Interest to purpose it 's no matter who lost by it in favour to Sir Arthur Haslerigg was made Captain of the Generals Life-Guard when he was in Scotland wherein he continued for some time in England after he was Protector but not being a Kinsman or a person further to be confided in in that place was shuffled out from thence and to stop his mouth made a Colonel and as the Book says a Major General and had power of Decimation as also made Governour of Barwick Tinmouth and Carlisle hath also tasted with the first of that sweet Fountain of new honour being made a Viscount he was of the Little Parliament and all the Parliaments since is a Member of Mr. Cockains Church and of very complying principles no question to the service of the new Court from whence he received his new honour and having with his fellow Lord Cleypole so excellent a spirit of Government over his Wife Family and Tenants in the Country to be taken out of the House to have a Negative Voyce in the Other House might seem of right to belong unto him being also lorded before hand 22. Lord Broghil his Rise and Relation for means is Ireland a Gentleman of good parts and wit able to make Romance but was not looked on formerly by those of the Good Old Cause as a person fit to be trusted with the command of one Town or Castle in Ireland yet is he now by this happy change become a goodly Convert to be confided in and is made w President of the Protectors Council in Scotland he was of the Latter Parliaments a great Kingling and one that in the Last Parliament so called put on hard that way wherefore it were great pity he being also a Lord of the old Stamp and so well gifted if he should not be one to have a Negative Voyce in the Other House over the people of England and Scotland as well as of Ireland it being a good while since and almost forgotten that the Protector said It would never be well and we should never see good days whilst there was one Lord left in England and until the Earl of Manchester was called Mr. Mountague 23. Colonel Pride then Sir Thomas now Lord Pride sometime an honest Brewer in London went out a Captain upon the account of the Cause fought on and in time became a Colonel did good service in England and Scotland for which he was well rewarded by the Parliament with cheap Debenters of his Souldiers and others he bought good Lands at easie rates gave the Long Parliament a Purge fought against the King and his Negative Voyce and was against the Negative Voyce of his Brethren the Lords Spiritual and Temporal being unwilling to have any in the Land but hath now changed his mind and principles with the times and will fight for a Negative Voyce in the Protector and also have one himself and be a Lord for he is a Knight of the new Order already and grown very bulky and considerable it is hard to say how the people will like it However his worth and merits rightly measured will no question render him fit to be taken out of the House to be one of the Other House and to have a Negative Voyce not onely over the Bears but all the people of these Lands though he did formerly so opppose and fight against it and the Noble Lawyers will be glad of his company and friendship for that there is now no fear of his hanging up their Gowns by the Scotish Colours in Westminster-hall as he formerly so greatly boasted and threatned to do 24. Colonel Hewson then Sir John now Lord Hewson sometime an honest Shoomaker or Cobler in London went out a Captain upon the account of the Cause was very zealous fought on stoutly and in time became a Colonel did good service both in England and Ireland was made Governour of Dublin became one of the little Parliament and of all the Parliaments since a Knight also of the new Stamp The world being so well amended with him and the sole so well stitcht to the upper Leather having gotten so considerable an Interest and Means may well be counted fit to be taken out of the
your Major Corn Yes Josh. What are they Corn A pretty number of them Then the Major began to answer to one but nothing to the purpose but before the Major had done your most serene Protector or Joshua unjustly takes part with the Major to help him out saying to the Cornet You Article against your Major because he is for me you are a n n Meaning the officers who often met to seek the Lord and bewail their Apostacy from the Good Old Cause company of Mutineers you deserve a hundred of you to be hanged and I will hang you and strip you as a man would strip an Eele you talk of preaching and praying men they are the men that go about to undermine me And clapping his hand upon Colonel Ingoldsby's shoulder said Go thy way Dick Ingoldsby thou canst neither preach nor pray but I will believe thee before I will believe twenty of them And says he to the Cornet You never owned my Father you have lost your Commission and shall never ride more in this Army c. and a great deal more to this purpose which I leave to Pragmaticus formerly the old now the new Court-Pamphleter more perfectly to relate Is this speaking or action the righteousness and peace kissing each other that you so speak hath been since he took the Government upon him Or would Joshua Solomon or Elisha thus take part with wickedness and wicked men and do so unrighteous and wicked an Action and speak thus profanely and wickedly Surely no VVherefore acknowledge your iniquity and lye low before the Lord for these your blasphemous lying flattering Expressions in your wicked Addresses whereby you have so reproached and wronged good Joshua Solomon and Elisha in making such undue Comparisons wherefore repent you flattering Courtiers Peter Sterry and ye other Court-Chaplains Repent repent Thomas Goodwin and ye Pastors and Messengers of as it 's said above an hundred Congregational Churches in England Repent you Apostate Army Repent you Mayor Aldermen Common Council and Militia of London whose Principles are so base and mercenary and like a Beast looking downward as to side with whether right or wrong whatever is uppermost like your Sword-Bearer and Officers who cry Grace grace and bow to one Lord Maior to day and do the same to the next the morrow Repent also you Presbyterian Classical Ministers of the City c. who by the perswasion of three or four eminent self-interested Cycophants among you were drawn in against your Light and Consciences to carry your bodies to White-hall leaving your hearty good will at home to address your selves to this new Golden Calf as an owning of him and this from unbelief and slavish fear of being frowned upon or losing your Parish places VVill such a practice as this stand good before the Lord in the day of your account Repent also all of you for your spending 50 or 60000 l. about a Heathenish Popish Funeral pomp not onely wicked in it self but at a time when so many tradesmen and others break and are ready to starve and when you had done then following an image of wax to Westminster as if it had been a dead mans body wherein you lyed unto and mocked both God and man Repent also you Country professors and others of these flattering blasphemous lying Addresses and speak nor do no more so wickedly lest the Judgements of the Lord break in upon you as upon back sliding Israel of old and your carcasses fall in the wilderness c. as theirs did for making and then dancing about the Moulten Calf and their desiring to make a Captain to return into Egypt and opposing the Spirit of the Lord in Moses Caleb and Joshua and his work in that day And take heed Oh you Parliament that you do not say or do as these have done whom I so call if you keep close to and endeavour the promotion of the Good Old Cause and cast out the false sp rit of the Egyptian Bond-woman the Protector so called and his Lords and make way for and bring in the Spirit of Zion the Freewoman the true spirit of Magistracy by Judges and Counsellours as at the beginning men fearing God and hating Covetousness and faithful with all the saints If you thus proceed my self and the Lords faithful people will love own live and dye with you if not we shall abhor and dis-own you as we did the former and now Protector and his Lords and shall trust God with our Liberties and not fear your Frowns And now a word for your encouragement my Friends who remain faithful to the Lord in this evil day and are as it were in the Clefts of the Rocks Cant. 2. 14. and secret places of the stairs in pain crying and praying night and day giving the Lord no rest Isai. 6 ● 6 7. till he revive the Good Old Cause and cause the Righteousness of Zion to go forth as brightness and the Salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth and until he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth whose voyce in his account going forth in the power of his spirit from the sweetness you have tasted in communion with himself in the discovery of this glory is sweet and countenance is comely and unto whom he will in the best time say Rise up my love my fair one and come away for lo the winter is past the rain is over and gone Isa. 26. 20. The flowers appear on the earth Isai. 35. 2. chap. 51. 3. The time of the singing of birds is come Isa. 35. 6. And the voyce of the turtle is heard in our land Zach. 12. 10. And will rejoyce over you as the Bridegroom over the Bride with joy and singing and will rest in his love Zeph. 3. 17. compared with Isa. 62. 5. VVherefore be not dampt or discouraged in your spirits at the hearing and sight of the late Addresses nor at the great Cloud of VVitnesses therein seeming to own the present and former Governour What though many of them are men of such raised gifts and parts and appearing grace which to such as have not their eyes in their heads and look not within the vail may have an appearance the Lord doth own them and approves of what hath been formerly and lately done for though they are so great a Cloud of VVitnesses yet they are but VVitnesses in the Clouds whose Testimony Carnal Wisdom Policy and Arm of Flesh will pass away like the morning Cloud or early dew for the spirit of the Lord in his people like the waters Isa. 28. 17. hath overflown and looked into their hiding place abhor'd and blown upon them therefore follow not a multitude to do evil What though there be so many Prophets great Scholars learned Astrologers and wise men among them yet know that amongst almost 400 Prophets in the days of Ahab and Jehosaphat but one Micaiah a true prophet that had the mind of God among all the congregation that were going from Egypt
to Canaan among whom were many renowned Princes Priests and famous men yet onely Moses Caleb Joshua c. that truly followed God Numb. 14. Among all the wise men in Babylon but one Daniel a true Prophet Dan. 2. 19 But one Noah a Preacher of Righteousness and faithful in his generation before the Flood Gen. 7. 1. One Lot in Sodom Among the seven Churches Rev. 2. 3. but two to wit Philadelphia and Smyrna whom the Lord approves of but the other so carried it except a few among them as he said it should be manifested they belonged rather to the Synagogue of Satan then to the Churches of Christ When the great destruction comes upon wicked men a little before or upon the call of the Jews but a handful or as the gleaning grapes when the Vintage is done shall lift up their heads and rejoyce and glorifie God in the fires Isai. 24. They onely who speak often one to another when wickedness is set up and they that tempt God are delivered alluding to Israel who would have made a Captain to return again to Egypt or rather the Apostacy of this our day that the Lord owns as those who fear him and have the promise of the Sun of Righteousness to arise upon them Mal. 3. The false spirit of Magistracy in Adonijah aspiring to the Government had the assistance of the Kings sons Abiathar the Priest Joab the General and all the Captains of the Host c. who with slaying of Oxen c. eating and drinking said God save Adonijah and carryed it for a time against Solomon but the spirit of Solomon Nathan the Prophet c. who had the true spirit of Government and Prophesie approved not of or consented to it but were for the true spirit to rule 1 King 1. and so it is at this day and blessed be the Lord that our eyes do see a people crying longing and will not be at rest till the earthy selfish spirit of Magistracy be brought down and the self-denying spirit of Magistracy or Horn of David now budding in Zion come in its room Psal. 132. Wonder not neither be turned aside because of that great multitude on the one hand or smallness of the number on the other that truly and indeed appear for and own the cause of God but stand close and be more refined in the light and spirit of Zion and keep your ground for the Lord hath so appointed That the foot shall tread it down to wit the meanest of the saints for it is very probable that many of the great and wise saints ascording to Rev. 18. 4. shall be found in the borders and supporting the things of Babylon and casting out their Brethren Isa. 66. 5. saying Let the Lord be glotified and having the mist of Babylon before their eyes shall say The Lord delays his coming and will be beating their fellow servants onely the feet to wit the upright conversation of these poor ones who desire to keep close to God and not to touch with Babylon and steps to wit the faith prayers and honest endeavours of these needy ones who long for and cannot be at rest till judgement so visibly return unto righteousness that all the upright in heart may follow it These shall trend down the lofty City Isai. 26. The least of the flock shall draw them out the people that shall bring down the enemies of God in the latter days are a very small and feeble remnant when the Lord comes to destroy Babylon and to build up Zion he will finde but a few upright ones and those very destitute helpless and some of them prisoners too for their witness to the true Magistracy and Ministry of Zion whose prayers he will hear and not despise and bring forth to declare his glory in Zion who shall in a holy triumph and rejoycing say O Lord thou art our God we will exalt thee we will praise thy Name for thou hast done wonderful things thy councels of old are faithfulness and truth c. Lo this is our God we have waited for him he will save us we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee Trust in the Lord for ever c. Isai. 25. 1 9. chap. 26. 2 3. Which good and comfortable words shall certainly be made good for heaven and earth shall pass away but not one tittle of the word shall pass till all be fulfilled I the Lord will hasten it in its time Isa. 60. 33. with Jer. 33. 25 26. Hab. 2. 3. Read these Scriptures Wherefore strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees c. Isa. 55. 3 4. And you my dear Friends Commonwealths-men so called who so greatly seem to press for righteousness and freedom labour to bring forth this righteousness not by a commonmoral spirit and principle but by the spirit of Zion a lively spiritual active frame of spirit to wit that frame mentioned 2 Sam. 23. not to be pulled and haled to do the good that lyes before you that is more suitable to the unjust Judge but be as ready to help and refresh and therein be as suitable to delight the oppressed that come unto you as the light of the morning when the Sun riseth without Clouds is to those who have lost their way in a dark night and as the tender grass springeth out of the earth by clear shining after rain this is the Spirit of the Horn of David that shall bud in Zion Psal. 132. The consideration whereof in the first man festation and declaration of it by the spirit unto and by David having thereby a tast of that glory upon his spirit made him to break forth into a holy triumph and rejoycing saying And this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow to wit in his day Leave no stone unturn'd no means unus'd to let the people who come unto you speedily know one way or other what they shall trust to say not Go and come again to morrow if you can do it to day delayes are burdensome and chargeable Job from the secret of God being upon his Tabernacle and the precious dew of the spirit compassing his root and lying all night upon his branch had much of this blessed frame upon his spirit He put on and clothed himself with righteousness and had more love to judgement then to the robe and diadem and upon that account he was eyes to the blind feet to the lame a father to the poor and the cause which he knew not he searched one chap 29. it concerns you and is worth your reading This will be the frame of the handful of corn in the earth Psa. 72 or mountain establisht upon the top of the mountains Mich. 4. 1 2. the fruit whereof shall shake like Lebanon they shall not be shaken by others but themselves wilshake off their fruit then wil