your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time 1 Pet. 5.5 6. Bring up your will to God that God may bring down his will to you Be low in your own eyes keep a low esteem of your selves abhor pride and flye from it be inwardly sincere as well as outwardly humble Do not look Heaven-ward by your profession and Hell-ward by your conversation He that lives in sin is dead in sin Ephes 2.1 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Ephes 6.24 Let your hearts be upright with God and walk as those that have God for their portion Knowing there are many eies upon you the eye of God the eye of Christ the eye of Angels the eye of Saints the eye of the world and the Divell eyes you too therefore walk wisely and sincerely be like the Kings Daughter all glorious within Psal 45.3 She is all glorious within though within is not all her glory Her cloathing is of wrought gold Doe not think your selves good because others think so Alas the best mens confidences of us are poor Evidences for Heaven the best Testimony is that within us and above us See therefore that ye grow in grace and delight in holiness bring forth much fruit live still as before the living God take heed of Hypocrisie and Apostacy make it your daily business to walk with God be much in the exercise of humility Humility will exceedingly adorn your profession Doe not place Religion in a few good words when the substance is neglected but live as you would die live to day as if you were to dye to morrow XIII Thirteenthly Doe good to those that be good He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Micah 6.8 That they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate 1 Tim. 6.18 But do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. 13.16 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widdows in their affliction James 1.27 Forget not to contribute to the necessities of the poor Saints think that God hath given you your Estates for such a time as this Oh Beloved what an opportunity have you now to do good if Satan do not hinder you are there not many of Christs Ministers now in want and Members in want some in prison and others out of prison Remember those that are in bonds as bound with them and them that suffer adversity as being your selves also in the body Heb. 13.3 There be many men that have a great deal of this worlds wealth and riches and goods in their hands and in their houses but they have no grace in their hearts and therefore they do no good with the goods of this world they live so unfruitfull that their lives are scarce worth a prayer not their deaths scarce worth a tear Men may as well go to Hell for not doing good as for doing evil he that bears not good fruit is as well fuel for Hell as he that bears bad You may not be outwardly bad and yet not inwardly good you may be as far from grace as from vice Men are not so much sent to Hell for doing evil as for not doing good For I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink Math. 25.42 The rich glutton was in Hell torments not for persecuting Lazarus but not relieving Lazarus Merozzarus was cursed by the Angel not because they fought against the Lord but because they came not to help the Lord against the mighty Judges 5.23 It is one of the greatest mercies in the world for God to give a man a heart to doe good with that he hath given him Oh Beloved be always a doing good and hating evil Look not only where you may get good but where you may do good Labour to be helpful to the souls of others and to supply the wants of others XIV Fourteenthly Chuse chastisement before defilement Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the Sonne of Pharaohs daughter chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Heb. 11.24.25 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance Heb. 10.34 So the three Children chose burning in the fiery furnace before bowing to the Golden Image Daniel 3.17.18 We are not careful to answer thee in this matter If it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thy hand O King But if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the Golden Image that thou hast set up So Daniel chose suffering before sinning And it is said of those in Heb. 11.35 they accepted not of deliverance and others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection Oh Beloved there is more evill in the least sin against Christ than in the greatest suffering for Christ First Our sufferings for Christ are but light 2 Cor. 4.17 Secondly But short but for a moment Thirdly Christ stands by us in out sufferings Fourthly Our sufferings are ordered by the Father Fifthly Our sufferings shall not hurt our souls Sixthly God gives us the best of comforts in the worst of times we have most of consolations from God when we have most of tribulations from men as our sufferings do abound so our consolations do abound When the burden is heaviest upon the back when the peace of conscience is sweetest and greatest within Therefore my dear brethren keep your selves out of the puddle of this world and from the evil of this world and if you must sin or suffer chuse suffering before sinning XV. Fifteenthly Think not the worse of godliness because it is frowned upon nor the better of ungodliness because it is smiled upon For bodily exercise profiteth little but Godlinesse is profitable unto all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ Phil. 3.8 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darknesse but rather reprove them Ephes 5.11 For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.23 Oh Friends think not the worse of holinesse because it is reproached and scorned and persecuted by
true Believer after he begins to follow the Lamb he never leaves following him but followeth him whithersoever he goeth Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall Tribulation or Distresse or Persecution or Famine or Nakednesse or Perill or Sword For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor Things present nor Things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Oh beloved he doth not follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth that follows the Lord earnestly for a while but afterward forsaketh him when a storme riseth Yet hath he not root in himself but dureth for a while when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by he is offended Math. 13.21 Nor he that followes the Lamb in some things and the Beast in other things They feared the Lord and served their own gods after the manner of the Nations Nor he that followeth the Lord in a dull heavy manner and a luke-warm temper I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot Chap. 3.15 Be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord for my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters and hewed them out Gisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water Jer. 2.12 13. Oh this is not a following the Lamb They that follow the Lord fully abide in the Lord and cleave to the Lord and continue constantly in Gods ways to the end of their dayes The righteous holds on his way Job 17.9 Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. Hosea 6.3 The righteous man holds on his way he followes the Lamb whithersoever he goeth First Speedily Secondly Truly Thirdly Undividedly Fourthly Zealously Fifthly Humbly Sixthly Chearfully Seaventhly Diligently Eightly Constantly Ninthly Faithfully Tenthly Transcendently Now this is following the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Now I shall shew you why Believers follow the Lamb. First Because they are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1.18 19. He paid a price for our redemption that so he might discharge the debt of our sins And they sung a new song saying Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the Seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation Rev. 5.9 There are three things called precious in the Scriptures First Faith is called precious 2 Pet. 1.1 Secondly The promises are called precious vers 4. Thirdly The blood of Christ is called precious 1 Pet. 1.19 O his blood hath redeemed us from six Enemies First From the World Galathians 1.4 Rev. 14.4 Secondly From the Curse Galathians 3.13 Thirdly From Sin Rom. 6 18 22. Fourthly From the Devil Heb. 2.18 Acts 26.17 18. Fifthly From the sting of Death 1 Cor. 15.55 56. Sixthly From Hell 1 Thes 1.10 Rev. 2.12 O his blood is precious blood his blood hath slaine our Enemies he hath purchased by his blood Reconciliation with the Father Union with the Son and Communion with the Holy Ghost Ye that were sometimes afar off are made nigh by the Blood of Christ Ephes 2.13 16. Secondly They follow the Lamb because they are washed in the blood of the Lamb. He hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his blood Rev. 1.5 These are they which came out of great Tribulation and have washed their Robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb Rev. 7.14 The blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sinne 1 John 1.7 Christs blood washeth away our bloody sins I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live Ezek. 16. For as soon as we are united with Christ our sins are upon him and his righteousness upon us It is Christ that gives us life and puts excellent Ornaments upon us to cover our nakednesse and decketh us with Jewels and Gems of Gold So we become beautiful in his sight Isa 6â— 10 That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle nor any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Eph. 5.27 Thirdly Believers follow the Lamb because they are risen with the Lamb. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ siteth on the right hand of God Coloss 3.1 Therefore we are buried with him by baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the father even so we also should wark in newness of life Rom. 6.4 Every man besides a Believer is a dead man Dead in trespasses and sins Ephes 2.1 Therefore they are exhorted to rise from the dead Eph. 5.4 They must rise from evil to good from Earthly-mindednesse to Heavenly-mindedness but now Believers by faith are risen from darkness to light For ye were sometimes darkness but new are ye light in the Lord Walk as Children of light Eph. 5.8 Arise shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee Isa 60.1 When the Lord shined forth upon his people in glorious discoveries of himself he calls them away from their former condition When the Lord discovered himself in a Gospel dispensation his people were no longer to sit under dark clouds of legal Ceremonies but to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Fourthly They follow the Lamb because they are enlightned by the Lamb. God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and doe count them but dung that I may win Christ Phil. 3.8 Divine and Heavenly knowledge brings a man near to God it gives a man the clearest and the fullest sight of God and the nearer any man comes to God the clearer vision he hath of God and the more communion with God The reason why others doe not follow the Lamb is because they see not the worth and want of the Lamb Having the understanding darkned being alienated from the living God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their hearts Ephes 4.18
Where there is a Vaile cast before the eyes of knowledge there is a Barre set before the hands of practise An ignorant person neither knows what he is a doing nor doth he know whether he is a going he doth nothing but undoe himself by doing Carnal men see no preciousness and loveliness in Christ Oh what is thy beloved more then another beloved Cant. 5,9 If thou knowest the gift of God and who it is that asketh thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water John 4.10 Christ goes undesired in the world because he goes undiscerned by the world But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 But now believers being enlightned by the Spirit of God and by the Word of God they see themselves what they were before faith and what they are by faith and what they shall be at the end of faith they see Christ to be all precious precious in his Ordinances precious in his Discoveries precious in his Graces precious in his Gifts precious in his Promises precious in his Members precious in his Ministers and precious in himself 1 Pet. 2.7 Therefore believers cannot but love him and follow him Fifthly They follow the Lamb because they love the Lamb. Grace be with all them that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Ephes 6.24 They love him with a superlative love Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73.25 The Spouse of Christ looks upon what she is as not great enough for his remembrance and what she does as not good enough for his acceptance Look not upon me because I am black because the Sun hath looked upon me My Mothers Children were angry with me they made me the keeper of their Vineyard but mine one Vineyard have I not kept Cant. 1.6 The Church is never more fair than when she judgeth her self to be most deformed never more happy than when she accounts her self most miserable never more holy than when she reckons her self most polluted she is never richer than when she seeth her self to be poorest of all The soul that loves much is a soul that works much the Commands of the Gospel are not grievous to him but precious to him Tell me oh thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest Cant. 1.7 A soul that loves Christ hath hath his eye upon Christ and his desire is after Christ The desire of our souls is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee With my Soul have I desired thee in the Night yea with my Spirit will I seek thee early Isa 26.8 9. True believers love Christ more then they love themselves They loved not their lives unto the death Rev. 13 11. Christ is dearer to them than their lives they slighted contemned yea despised their very lives when they stood in competition with Christ and his Glory and chose rather to suffer the greatest misery than he should lose the least dram of his honour The love of Christ hath made his Saints and VVitnesses yield all the parts and members of their bodies to the cruel and mercilesse instruments of bloody persecutors their backs to be whipt their eyes to be boared and their tongues to be cut out of their mouths Heb. 11.37 Oh how strongly did these love the measure of loving Christ is to love him without measure Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Tribulation shall not Persecution shall not Famine and Nakednesse shall not Peril and Sword shall not for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8.35 38 39. Sixthly They follow the Lamb because they are married to the Lamb Jer. 3.14 I am married unto you Rev. 21.9 I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs Wife Cant. 2.16 My beloved is mine and I am his Here I will shew you two things First How Christs comes to be ours 2ly How we come to be Christs First Christ is ours by the free donation and gift of the Father God so loved the word that he gave his only begotten Son John 3.16 Secondly Christ freely gave himself unto us so that Christ is ours by his own consent he hath as it were passed over himself unto us Christ loved me and gave himself for me said the Apostle Gal. 2.20 Thirdly Christ hath passed himself over unto his Church by marriage and therefore she is called his Queen his Spouse his Bride and his VVife Psal 45.9 Although we had nothing to bring to him but poverty shame forrow and misery yet he took us and loved us and married us Fourthly Christ is ours by communicating his own Spirit to us 2. The Saints are Christs four ways First By the Donation of the Father God hath made him both Lord and Christ Acts 2.36 And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the Head over all things in the Church Ephes 1.22 And now saith Christ Behold I and the Children whom thou gavest me thine they were and thou gavest them me John Seventeen Six God the Father gave us to God the Son that he might redeem us and God the Son gave us to God the Father that he might sanctifie us and keep us from the evill of the World verse 17. Secondly We are Christs by choice I have chosen you out of the World And the Saints are said to be Chosen in Christ Eph. 1.4 And they are called A chosen Generation 1 Pet. 2.9 And chosen and faithful Rev. 17.14 Thirdly The Saints are Christs by purchase We were in our Enemies hands and under their power and could not free our selves from the bondage of the Law Sin Satan Death and Hell therefore saith the Apostle We are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6.20 For in respect of Gods Justice we are bought by Christ Fourthly We are Christs by combination and Covenant I entred into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Ezek. 16.8 That is I did make a Solemn Covenant or Stipulation with thee that I would take thee to be my people So that it is no wonder Pelievers follow the Lamb whethersoever he goeth they are married to him he is their Head and Husband Seventhly They follow the Lamb because they have the Spirit of the Lamb We have not the spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are of God And we have the mind of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 2.11 12 16. And we know that he abides in us by the Spirit which he hath given us Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his This Spirit that the Lord
WILLIAM DYER Preacher of the Gospell Aetat 27 1663 A CABINET OF JEWELS OR A GLIMPS OF SIONS GLORY Written by WILLIAM DYER late Preacher of the Gospel at Chesham and Chouldsbury in the County of Bucks Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things that are written therein for the time is at hand Rev. 1.3 Printed in the Year 1663. TO Those of Chouldsbury Parish Together with all others who did attend constantly upon the Word of God there Preached Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplyed from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. DEarly Beloved They that love God dearly are dearly beloved of God dearly beloved of Christ dearly beloved of Angels dearly beloved of Saints they are beloved of all and have the love of all whose love is worth the having O my dear Friends I cannot think of you and your condition but it fills my eyes with water and my heart with griefe and with Jeremy I wish O that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountaine of Tears that I might weep day and night for the slain of the Daughter of my people Jeremiah 9.1 Oh that I am constrained to be from you whom I could live and dye with spend and be spent for so deare a people as you are I would chuse to be doing the work to which I was called amongst you rather then any where else if I might I should not count my Life dear to me so that I might have the liberty to preach Christ to you for your edification and salvation I hope your Consciences will bear me witnesse that whilest I was with you I Laboured as much as in me lay to be a helper of your joy not to Lord it over your faith and I bless God I can with a good conscience safely say I have coveted no mans Gold nor Silver as you your selves know I could do very much for you but I dare not sin against God and my own Conscience But my dear Brethren Though they have separated us one from the other they cannot separate our hearts I hope there will never be a separation of our loves but that will still continue if we do not see one another yet we may love one another and pray for one another And now my desire is that my pen may reach you though my voice cannot reach you That I may still approve the sincerity of my love to you I shall give you twenty Directions for the right ordering of your Lives and conversations in these dangerous and sinful times that you may live in Heaven whilest you are on the Earth and come to Heaven when you shall leave the Earth I. First Loath sin and leave sin He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but whosoever Confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Prov. 28.13 If we confess our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 John 1.9 There must be falling out with our sins before there be falling off from our sins there must be a loathing of sin in our affections before there be a leaving of sin in our conversations Oh is it not a thousand times better to part with sinne though never so sweet than to part with God and Christ and Heaven one of them you must do One sin will damn a Soul out of Christ but no sin can damn a Soul in Christ Sin is the evill of evils it is worse then the Devill for its that that made the Devil to be a Devil O the love of sin and the lack of grace will ruin and destroy your souls for ever It is better not to be than to be a sinner better to be no people than not to be the Lords people Oh therefore kill sin that sin may not kill you mourn for sin and flye from sin do not commit new sins but repent of old sins Ezek. 36.31 You shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities O poor soul hast thou not served the flesh and the Devil long enough Yea hast thou not had enough of sin is it so good to thee or so profitable for thee Oh what a place will you be shortly in of joy or torment Oh what a sight will you shortly see in Heaven or Hell Oh what thoughts will shortly fill your hearts with unspeakable delights or horror what work will you be imployed in to praise the Lord with Saints and Angels or to cry out in fire unquenchable with Divels Oh therefore dye unto sin confess it mourn for it and be ashamed of it hate it and loath it and flye from it as from a Serpent and though your sins are more then you can number yet they are not more then God can pardon II. Secondly Put off the old man and put on the new Eye not one to another seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him Col. 3.9 10. And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in Righteousness and Holinesse Ephes 1.14 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature Gal. 6.15 As new born Babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that they may grow thereby 1 Pet 2.2 Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are past away behold all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.17 A new understanding a new will new desires new love new delights new thoughts new words new company and a new conversation he is not what he was before O dear friends be new Creatures that you may be glorious Creatures We can call nothing in Heaven ours till Christ be ours Without regeneration there is no salvation Verily I say unto you except yea be converted and become as little children ye cannot enter into the Kingdone of Heaven John 3.3 Verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdome of God You have heard much of God Christ and Heaven with your ears but this will not bring you to Heaven unlesse you have much of God Christ Heaven in your hearts you must be able to say I was once a slave but now a son once I was dead but now I am alive once I was in darknesse but now I am light in the Lord once I was a child of wrath an Heir of Hell but now I am an Heir of Heaven once I was under the spirit of bondage but now I am under the spirit of adoption A true Believer lives in the Lord 1 Thes 1.1 On the Lord Rom. 1.17 Luke 20.38 From the Lord Joh. 6.57 To the Lord Romans 1â— 8 With the Lord 2 Corinth 13.4 III. Thirdly Make your peace with the Prince of peace Isa 9.6 Psal 2.12 Kiss the Son least he be angry and ye perish from the way
Scripture is a Rule before us to shew us where we must go the Spirit is a word behind us to enable us to go according to the Directions of that word The Word of God is a Compass by which we are to Ship our Course the Spirit is the great Pilot that steers us in this course We have no eyes to see the Word till the Spirit enlighten them we have no ears to hear the Word till the Spirit open them we have no hearts to obey the Word till the Spirit bow and encline them By the Word of God we know the mind of the Spirit and and by the efficacy of the spirit we feel the efficacy of the Word The Word of God shews us the way and the Spirit of God leads us in that way which the WOrd points out The Spirit of God is able to expound the Word of God and to make it plain to our understanding The Holy Ghost is the Churches Interpreter he gives the Scripture and he can reveal unto us the sense and meaning of the Scripture The word is Gods Counsellour to discover the path in which we are to walk the Spirit is the Counsel of God that teacheth us how to walk in that path The word is a Chrystall-Glass which shewes us our duty the Spirit gives us sight to see our duty If God had not put his Spirit into our hearts as well as his word into our mouths we should never have arrived at the fair Haven of peace Austin calls the Scriptures The Epistle of God to the Creatures by which we understand the very heart of God God Almighty hath in the secret Scriptures as it were unbowelled himself and unfolded all his Counsel to the Creatures as far as it is necessary to be known for their direction and guidance to everlasting life There be many that walke by false Rules First Some by Opinions Secondly Some by Customes Thirdly Some by Providence Fourthly Some by Conscience Fifthly Some by their own Reason Sixthly Some by mens examples Seventhly Some by their Lusts But O my dear friends let me beseech you to walke by none of these false Rules but keep close to the word and spirit of God VII Seventhly Be faithfull and fruitful Therefore my beloved brethren Be ye stedfast and unmoveble alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know your labour is not in vain 1 Cor. 15.58 Every Tree that beareth not good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire Christians must be fruitfull and not slothful See that you bring forth good fruit and much fruit First Sincerity which is not a single Grace but the soul of all Graces Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts Psal 51 6. Secondly Humility A Grace most prevailing with God for the obtaining of all Graces Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls Thirdly Prudence The patient Christian is the best for waiting but the prudent Christian is the best for working Be ye wise as Serpents and harmless as Doves Mat. 10.16 We must have innocency with our wisdome else our wisedome is but craftinesse and we must have wisdome with our innocency else our innocency is but weakness we must have the harmlesnesse of the Dove that we may not wrong others and we must have the prudence of the Serpent that others may not abuse and circumvent us Not to wrong the truth by silence here is the innocency of the Dove not to betray our selves by rashnesse here is the wisdome of the Serpent Fourthly Patience Here is the Patience of the Saints Rev. 13.10 Rev. 14.12 The way to bring the world under us is for us to be patient under them Fifthly Self-denyal If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his crosse and follow me Math. 16.24 Be faithful in your promises in your purposes by faithful to the wayes of God and cause of God O do not begin with the Lamb and end with the Beast but be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of life Rev. 2.20 Keep your Lights burning your Lamps shining your Loyns girded your Consciences wakned your Garments unstained and your Spirituall Armour constantly on and closely girt VIII Eightly Have a care of reporting and believing the worlds reports of the people of God Those that have a good conscience have not alwayes a good name The people of God in this life are called the troublers of Israel seditious rebellious and what not An old device of that old serpent to perswade the troublers of Israel upon Elijah the Charret of Israel 1 Kings 18.17 2 Kings 2 12. Jeremiah for speaking against their sins and wickednesses and denouncing Gods judgements against them is judged worthy of death Jerem. 26.8.9 So Jerem. 38.4 The wicked Nobles petition the King to murder him under the pretence that he sought not the good of the people but the hurt So Amos for speaking against the Abominations of the Kings Court is charged with treason against the Kings person Amos 7.10.13 So Paul and Silas for preaching up the Kingly power of Jesus Christ are accused by the envious Jewes and rude multitude for turning the world upside down and breaking the decrees of Caesar Yea Christ himself had this laid to his Charge mark what the Jewes say of him And they began to accuse him saying We found this Fellow perverting the Nation and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar saying that he himselfe is Christ a King Luke 23.2 Math. 72.18 And for this have the servants of God in all Ages been accused and persecuted killed and stoned Math. 27 37. Acts 7.52 Now if they did so to the green Tree no wonder if they do it to the dry If the Lord and Master was called an enemy to Caesar no wonder if those of his houshold be called so Our integrity will not secure us from infamy The choicest of Professors have had black marks in the worlds Kalender It is usuall for those who live in treason and rebellion against the King of Heaven to slander his servants with treason and rebellion against the Kings of the Earth But my dear Brethren take heed of this for as the death of the Saints is precious so the names of the Saints are precious in Gods account The world will father a hundred Lyes upon the Lords people Men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake Math. 5.11 2 Tim. 2.9 Wicked men hate them most that God loves most But God will roul away the reproaches of his people he will cause their innocency and righteousness to break forth as the Sun at noon day and their names shall be in everlasting remembrance Yea at that great day God will clear their innocency before men and Angels and all the world IX Ninthly Keep in with God now men are out with
is taken containeth six principal things First A Lovely Description of Jesus Christ and he is described by the similitude of a Lamb Lo a Lamb stood upon Mount Sion vers 1. And behold the Lamb of God Joh. 1.19 He is called a Lamb in a double respect First In respect of his innocency 1 Pet. 1.19 Secondly In respect of his meekness and patience Acts 8.32 Secondly A Lively Description of the Church the Lambs wife and that from vers 1. to vers 5. Thirdly A glorious Description of the Churches Ministers As the Church is in this book called Heaven so her Ministers are called Angels And I saw another Angel flying in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel ver 6. And there followed another Angel saying Babylon is fallen vers 8. And the third Angell followed him saying with a loud voyce c. Vers 9. Fourthly Here is set down the Doctrine which these Angels preach and publish The first Angell published the free Grace of God in Jesus Christ openly against all the inventions of men Saying with a loud voice fear God and give Glory to him and worship him that made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and the Fountains of waters vers 7. Namely That men should once fear God and worship him and give all glory to him none to Creatures none to Images none to Antichrist he that worshipeth the Beast worshipeth the Dragon and the Divel Chap. 13. The second Angell proclaimed the utter ruine of Babylon and the destruction thereof over the world saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she hath made all Nations drink of the wive of the wrath of her fornication vers 8. The third Angel doth seriously and solemnly give warning to all those who shall yet adhere to the Beast shewing the danger and misery of it If any man worship the heast and his Image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the Cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb vers 19.20 Fifthly A sweet word of heavenly consolation to the Saints and People of God And I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me write blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from henceforth they rest from their labours and their works do follow them vers 13. Sixthly The Judgments and vengeance which shall be executed upon the false Church the Spirit doth set it forth by a double similitude the one by rending the other by gathering and that from vers 15. to the end God will as it were rain Hell out of Heaven upon Babylon he hath fire and brimstone for this spirituall Sodome judgement without mercy and fury without compassion I shall now come to the words of my Text These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth This text is one of the Golden Characters of the hundred forty and four thousand which stood with the Lamb upon Mount Sion In these words are three things First the Subjects these Secondly the Act follow Thirdly the Object The Lamb whithersoever he goeth I shall gather this Observation from the words That it is the sweet temper and frame of soules truly gracious to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth In the handling of this point I shall shew you five things First What it is to follow the Lamb Secondly Why they follow the Lamb. Thirdly The Excellency of following the Lamb. Fourthly The Misery of them that follow not the Lamb. Fifthly How the Lambs followers may be known from the beasts followers First To follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth is to follow him in four things First In his Commandements If you love me keep my Commandements John 14.15 Ye are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you Chap. 15.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life Rev. 22.4 Oh Beloved we cannot follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes unless we follow him in his commands Then shall I not be ashamed saith David when I have respect to all thy Commandments Psal 119.6 Christians should take as much delight in those precepts that enjoyne holinesse as in those promises that assure happiness Secondly In his teachings My Sheep hear my Voyce and I know them and they follow me John 10.27 A stranger they will not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voyce of strangers Vers 5. Thirdly In his Providences through all afflictions all straits all discouragements and sorrows whatsoever though it be a way of blood We must forsake all to follow a crucified Christ a condemned in bloody paths of sufferings if he call us to it Ye though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me Thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me Psal 23.4 For saith Paul I am ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Jerusalam for the name of the Lord Jesus We must be willing to venture the loss of all for him Liberty Estate Relations and Life it self We have forsaken all and followed thee Math. 19.27 Fourthly In his Example For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you Joh. 13.5 that Because Christ hath suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 22. So that to follow Christs steps is to take him for an example We must walk in the same spirit in the same steps and in the same obedience VVe must not follow wicked mens Examples who walk in the broad way that leads to death and are of their father the Devil and his work they do John 8.11 But we must follow our Head Christ who went up and down doing good Acts 10.38 Now this is to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth In his Commands In his Teachings In his Providence In his Example Secondly To follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth is to follow him truly without hypocrisie and constantly without apostacy First Truly without hypocrisie Many follow the Lord as Beggars follow a man onely for an Almes they prize the wages of Religion above the work of Religion You seek me not because of the miracles but because you did eat of the loaves and were filled John 6.26 Oh Beloved God abhors an Hypocrite more then a Sodomite and Hell is provided on purpose for Hypocrites Mat. 24.51 My Beloved following the Lamb fully is to have the heart sixed and resolved for God My soul followes hard after thee said David Psalm 63.8 And as the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God All the faculties of his soule are working after God My soul and all that is within me praise the Lord saith holy David Secondly Constantly without Apostacy A
righteousnesse lodened with the fruits of righteousnesse He beareth greater respect to our hearts than he doth to our works I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God Rom. 12.1 The Formalist he is all for outward action and for nothing of inward sincerity he is for a body without a soul and a shew without a substance but it is not a shew of outward piety that will excuse inward hypocrisie For he is not a Jew that is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2.28 29. I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan Rev. 2.9 They are better in their outsides than they are in their insides but Believers are better in their insides than they are in their outsides The Kings daughter is all glorious within her cloathing is of wrought Gold Psalm 45.13 The one bowes his knee at the name of Jesus the other bowes his heart to the truth of Jesus the one signes with the Cross the other carryes the Cross Oh what would not superstitious men do for Heaven if they might have Heaven for their doing But they that sail in this rotten Bottom will surely sink in the Ocean Who hath required this at your hands to tread my Courts To what purpose is your sacrifices unto me saith the Lord I am ful of the burnt offerings of Rams and the fat of fed beasts and I delight not in the blood of Bullocks or of Lambs or of He-goates Isa 1 11. It was not the Clay Spittle that cured the blind man but Christs anointing his eyes It was not the troubling of the Waters in the Pool of Bethesda that made them whole but the comeing down of the Angel Alas the dish without the meat will not feed us Man may spread the Net of Duty but its God must take the Draught of Mercy Now by this Beloved you may know the Lambs followers from the Beasts followers And thus I have briefly and clearly shewed you these five things First What following the Lamb is Secondly Why gracious Souls follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Thirdly The Excellency of following the Lamb. Fourthly The Misery of following the Beast Fifthly How the Lambs followers may be known from the Beasts followers I shall make some Use of this First For Examination and Selfe-tryal Oh friends for the Lords sake and for your souls sake examine your selves and try your selves by this that you may know whose you are and to whom you do belong Know you not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness Rom. 6. O who do you follow if men verily you have your reward if sin you shall have sins wages which is eternal death woe and misery in this life and Hell and destruction in the other life but if God then you shall have eternal life Therefore be not deceived mistake not your selves God is not mocked for whatsoever a man sowes that he shall reap O beloved Examine your selves and try your selves what is it you mind what is it you seek what is it you do do you follow the Lamb in his Commands in his teachings in his appointments and in his Examples through sufferings and reproaches have you forsaken all and followed him Matth. 10.29 Have you taken up his Crosse and denyed your selves Mat. 16.24 Have you learned of him to be meek and lowly Mat. 11.29 Have you visited and cloathed his Members Mat. 25.35 Have you kissed the Sun and made your peace with him O beloved are you new Creatures are you in Christ are you in faith Know ye not if Christ be not in you ye are reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 The second Vse is for Exhortation O Beloved Let me beseech you for your precious and immortal souls sake to come out of Babylon from the Beasts Image and from his Worship and from his Mark that you may not be defiled O come away to Jesus Christ Arise my Love and come away Cant. 2.10 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Mat. 11.28 Oh sinners he calls you to come to him will you not go we must forsake sin and embrace vertue put off the Old man and put on the New man we must have Repentance and Mortification a dying unto sin and a living unto righteousness from the love of earthly things to the desire of heavenly things Our bodies and souls must come away unto Christ our souls because they are the Spouse of Christ our bodies because they are the Temples of the Holy Ghost We must come away from the Eenticements of the flesh the allurements of the world and suggestions of the Divel and from the Whore of Babylon and from all the inventions and traditions of men Rev. 18.4 That ye may walk with God before God after God in the Name of God and in the Spirit of God And that we may live in Christ as Christ lives in the Father O what more happy then to live for ever and so to live for ever as Christ himself liveth Surely that is a blessed and glorious life This is a Believers life Secondly Labour more and more to be like those that follow the Lamb fully they are very holy and pure they are called Virgins First For their Chastity That I may present you as chast Virgins unto Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 These love Christ with a chast but not with an adulterous love Secondly For their purity They are Virgin-Saints they are not defiled with the Whore of Babylon but have kept themselves from her Idolatry and Superstition and from her sin and wickedness And in their mouth was found no guile Believers are stiled and titled Heaven Christs Members are glorious Members they are called Heaven for two Reasons First Because there is much of Heaven in them Secondly Because there is much of them in Heaven First There is much of Heaven in Believers much of God much of Christ and much of the Spirit Of his fulness have all we received grace for grac Joh. 1.16 The glory of God the knowledge of God the presence of God the love of God the holiness of God the joyes of God these are the things that make Heaven to be Heaven Now there is much of these in Believers therefore they are called Heaven We are taken into Communion with Angels and our Communion with the Angels in a great measure doth consist in bearing a part with them in praising God it is the action of Heaven Believers are holy Ones and they have glorious Titles First The Lords Portion Deut. 32.9 Secondly
Truth obey the Truth and hold fast the Truth Now Beloved Let me beseech you for Gods sake and for Christs sake and for your Soules sake keep your selves from false Teachers from false Doctrine from false worship from false Opinions If you will be tasting and siping at Babylons cup you must resolve to receive more or lesse of Babylons plagues XVIII Eighteenthly Be one with every one that is one with Christ Endeavouring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace There is one body and one Spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your Calling One Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Ephes 4.3 4 5 6. Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him By this we know that we love the Children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments 1 Joh. 5.1 2. He that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen 1 John 4.26 Oh Consider what a dishonour it is to the Gospel that those that professe themselves Sonnes of the same God Members of the same Christ Temples of the same Spirit Heirs of the same Glory should be at a jarring one with another It is strange and unnaturall that Lillies should prove thorns to one another that those who are Saints in profession should be Devils in practise to one another that Gods Diamonds should cut one another For Wolves to devour the Lambs is no wonder but for one Lamb to devour another is a wonder and monstrous Oh that Christians instead of loving one another should hate one another Oh how unlike are we to that God whom we professe to be our God! He is full of love full of goodness and full of mercy and patience Oh but Christians cannot beare and forbear one with another Oh do not wicked men warm themselves at the sparks of our divisions and say it is as we would have it Oh Beloved hath not God made his wrath to smoke against us for the divisions and heart-burnings that have been amongst us Oh that you would lay this to heart and throw away all discord and divisions and heart burnings and labour for a onenesse in love and affection with every one that is one with Christ Oh labour for a healing spirit You cannot love God if you do not love the people of God If any man saith he loveth God and hateth his brother he is a lyer Let brotherly love continue Heb. 13.1 They that feared the Lord spake often one to another Mal. 3.16 Christs Doves should flock together There be many that cannot love a man unlesse he be of their Opinion or a Member of their Church though he be a Member of Christ Every man hath a good opinion of his own opinion But alas Beloved it is not this opinion or that opinion this way or that way will bring a man to Heaven without faith in Christ and he that hath faith in Christ hath a right to all the Ordinances of Christ and Promises of Christ and Priviledges of Christ therefore let me beseech you to love every man that is a godly man let him be of what way and form he will And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul Acts 4.38 XIX Nineteenthly Love Christ with a Love stronger then life who loved us with a love stronger than death Therefore doth my father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again no man taketh it from me but I lay it down my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again John 10.17 18. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 Christs love to us was stronger then death he dyed for love he laid down his life to save our lives he loves us as the Father loves him John 15.9 As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love Oh the Scripture hath exceeding high expressions of his affection to us Now Beloved if he died for us and suffered for us and set his heart upon us to love us and delight in us how ought we then to love him again Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind Math. 22.37 38. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73.25 Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious 1 Pet. 2.7 Oh let our hearts be full of love and affections to Christ Love will breed courage and cast out fear slavish fear before God and carnal fear before men God can keep us from the torments of men but men cannot keep us from the torments of God Whilest we stand by God God hath promised to stand by us Therefore be not afraid of any Authority that stands in opposition to the Authority of Christ None can promise us better than Christ can none can threaten us worse than Christ can Can any man promise us with better then Heaven Can any man threaten us with worse than Hell Heaven is promised to those that love him and Hell is to be the portion of those that hate him Oh my dear Brethren Let us Love Christ with a love stronger then death so did Paul and the rest of the Apostles Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword Rom. 8.35 Love is stronger than Death many waters cannot quench it neither can the floods drown it Cant. â— 6 7. XX. Twentiethly Be every day as serious in your preparation for death as if it were your last day All the dayes of my appointed time will I wait till my change come Job 14.14 This night thy soule shall be required of thee Luke 12.20 For what is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth a little time and then vanisheth away Jam. 4.14 Behold thou hast made my days as an hand-breadth and mine age is as nothing before thee Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity Psal 39.5 As no Saint knows when that time and hour shall be so no wicked man knows when it shall not be To live without fear of death is to dye living To labour not to dye is labour in vain Men are afraid to dye in such and such sins but not afraid to live in such and such sins Oh the Hell of horrors and terrors that attend those soules that have their greatest work to do when they come to dye therefore as you would be happy in death and everlastingly blessed after death prepare and fit your selves for death Did Christ dye for us that we might live with him and shall not we desire to dye and be
with him A Believers dying day is his Crowning day And I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me write blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them Rev. 14.13 Oh I beseech you my dear Brethren every day spend some time in preparation for and meditation of Death Judgement Hell Heaven and Eternity Eternity is a sum that can never be numbred a line that can never be measured Eternity is a condition of everlasting sorrow or everlasting joy Oh think of this and prepare for this every day before the night of death comes And thus my beloved I have given you these Twenty precious directions for your souls I shall leave this Book with you as a Legacy of my dearest Love my desire in all this is your happiness here and your blessedness hereafter My earnest and humble desire of you is That you would mind this Book and my former Treatise not only read them but reform your lives by them O do your Duty love your Duty and live your Duty that you may be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Which is and shall be the earnest and constant Prayer of one that esteems it a most glorious priviledge to be of the number of those who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth William Dyer REVEL 14.6 These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth THE Title of this Book tells us it is The Revelation of John and John tells us Chap. 1.1 it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ Christs Revelation to John and John's Revelation to us The Comma of this Book is set forth Chap. 1.19 VVrite the things that are and the things that shall be hereafter And into these two parts this book is divided First a Relation of the things that are referring to the seven Churches of Asia Secondly A Revelation of the general state of the Church to come and that from John's time unto the second coming of the Lord. The words of this Book are the true sayings of the true God they are therefore true and faithful Chap. 22.6 The matter of this Book so much concerns the good of the Church that Jesus Christ commandeth every one that hath an ear to heare to hearken what the Spirit of God saith unto the Church and to shew how earnest Christ Jesus is to have all his Members and Servants acquainted with the things revealed in this Book this charge he repeated eight times over as this Book shewes Chap. 2.7 11 17 29. And Chap. 3.6 13 22. And Chap. 13.9 A blessing is pronounced upon the Reader Hearer and Doer of the things written in this Book Chap. 1.3 O what can be said more or more effectually to stir us up to hear and read than blessedness And blessed is he that keepeth the words of the Prophesie of this Book Chap. 22.7 But how shall we keep them except we know them and how shall we know them except we read them The excellency of this Book is such as neither Man nor Angel none in Heaven or Earth or under the Earth was found worthy so much as to look into it till Jesus Christ went took out of his Fathers hand to open it unto us Chap. 5.3 The blessed St. John could not but weep for fear least this book should have been kept close from him and the Church so earnest was he to know those things which we neglect to know Chap. 5.4 This book is a most precious Jewel which Christ hath bestowed upon his Church in the latter dayes and it is our great duty to look into it and read it study it open it and expound it that all the people may thorowly be acquainted with it especially in these times for now in this Age is and shall be the very heat of the war and brunt of the battle betwixt God and Beliall betwixt Christ and Antichrist betwixt the Lambs followers and the Beasts followers Now this book lyeth all open and plainly telleth us what shall be the issue and successe in the day of battel which side shall have the victory and which side shall go down Chap. 17.19 And certainly the sons of Belial shall not long prevail the date of their Reigne is almost out and the time draweth on apace wherein both they and their Beast shall be laid in the dust This book sheweth us the rising of the Beast the declining of the Beast and the ruine of the Beast Chap. 18 Our Lord Jesus hath shewed us in this book the sorrowes and sufferings and afflictions and tribulations which the Church was to meet withal in the latter times Chap. 11.7 and Chap. 12.14 15. and Chap. 13.7 And her deadly and cruel Enemies the Whore of Babylon the Mother of Harlots the Beast the false Prophet and the great red Dragon which maketh War against her and casteth out floods after her Chap. 12 17 This book sheweth us likewise the true State of the true Church upon Earth what she is where she is how she is and what she shall be hereafter and that before the slaying under the slaying and after the slaying 1. Before the slaying time the true Church is in the Wilderness where she hath a place prepared her of God that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes Chap. 12.2 Before the slaying of the Witnesses the true Worshippers of God are in a low condition in heavinesse and sadnesse in sack-cloth and ashes in a mourning and suffering State being scattered and dispersed here and there as Israell was of old But though this be the condition of the poor Woman in the Wilderness yet she is not without comfort she may take comfort in three things 1. That God prepared a place for her 2. That God nourished her locked her up in his chamber of Providence 3. That God numbered her dayes of suffering The Tribulation of the Saints of the Old Testament is reckoned up still by years as the bondage of Egypt four hundred and thirty years and the Captivity of Babylon seventy years But under the New Testament by Dayes Ye shall have tribulation ten dayes Chap. 2.10 And the two witnesses shall lye dead three dayes and a half Chap Chap. 11.9 So the Woman was to be in the wilderness a thousand two hundred and threescore days The Church is compared to a woman for four Reasons First As as woman is weak and feeble so is the Church and can doe nothing without Christ John 15.5 Secondly As a woman is useful and fruitful so is the Church John 15.2 Thirdly As a woman is faire and beautiful so is the Church Ezek. 16.13 Fourthly As a woman is full of love affection so is the Church Cant. 2.5 2 Under the slaying time the true worshippers of God and witnesses of Jesus Christ lie dead in the Street of the great City which is spiritually called