then Wars and Fightings would cease with Carnal Weapons then Kings and Princes and their Subjects would learn to be quiet peaceable and love one another indeed and in truth which would make Nations happy and flourishing Kingdoms and they would learn War no more but beat their Swords into Plow-shares and their Spears into pruning Hooks and Peoples Fleshly Lusts would dye which doth so often and so much prompt Peoples and Nations to Wars and Fightings but Christ's Doctrine and Example all People ought to mind and follow who command his Followers to love their Enemies as well as to love another and to do good to them that did hate them and to pray for such as dispitfully used and persecuted them and in so doings we manifest our selves to be the Children of our heavenly Father who causeth the Sun to shine and the Rain to fall both upon the Just and Vnjust and all People ought to cease from Anger and forsake Wrath not to fret themselves in any wise to do evil for Evil-doers-shall be cut off and who are of Caln's blood y race that slew his Brother Abel because Abel's Offering was accepted but Cain and his Offering was rejected and Sin lay at his Door and he was a Wicked One and they all are Wicked Ones who are in his wicked envions Nature which leads them to Hurt Kill and Destroy one another about Faith and Religlon now in the Gospel Day and Dispesation and Cain's envious Nature must be slain and dye in Man and Woman which hath caused so many Wars and so much Fighting in the World before Peoples and Nations come to a lasting Peace with God or one another for if People would truly Love God and one another as they ought and hearken to the Lords Voice then all would come to know great Peace with God and Concord and Agreement in that which is good which indeed is amiable and becometh Christian socioties for its want of love to God and Peoples not loving one another without Dissimulation out of a Fure Heart that there is so much envy and hatred amongst Men one towards another and so the envious one kindleth Passions stireth up Amimosities and Heats into a great Flame in Men and Women one against another to do Violence unto and destroy one another in self-love self-honour and about the Sinful Pleasures and Profits of this World with Fleshly Lusts that Wars against the Soul which all ought to abstain from high and low rich and poor and it s no marvil if People in that state ask but cannot obtain what they ask of God for they Kill and desire to have that they may spend it upon their Lusts which wars against their Souls and these Battlements ought to be taken away for they are not the Lord's but of the Divil's raising and building up in Man and Woman for the hurt of the Creature to do violence to and Kill one another but the War and Battlements of the Lord are against the works of the Devil that he hath wrought in the Creature and to save Mens lives not to destroy them So the Lord's War and Weapons that are Spiritual and mighty through God strikes at the power and spirit of the Enemy which captivates the Creature in that which is evil the power of the Enemy leadeth People captive into Sin and Evil but the Lord's Spirit and Power leadeth the Creature out of Sin and Evil and to free the Creature totally from it the spirit and power of the Enemy leads People to contend wrestle sight with Flesh and Blood Kill one another but the Spirit and Power of the Lord God Almighty leadeth the Saints to War and wrestle with Spiritual Wickedness in high Places and with the Rulers of Darkness not to harm or Kill Men but to love one another and forgive them that Traspass against us as we would be forgiven of God our Trespass against him but how can such expect the Lord should forgive them their Trespasses and Offences against him that are for revenging Trespasses which they have commited one against another also continuing in and revenging their Trespasses against the Lord and yet abink that he will Pardon and forgive them their Trapasses before they truly Repent or leave off so doing and so great Multituds are kept in miserable Blindness imagining the Pardon of Sin by Christ Jesus his Death and Merrits whilst in as much love to Sin and in the practise thereof as ever they were such do but deceive themselves being erred and gone astray from the way of Life and Salvation remain ignorant of that precious Redemption that Christ Jesus purchased with his own Blood from the bondage of Sin and Corruption for that was the great and Glorious end of his offering up himself a Sacrafice for Sin not that Men and Women should alwayes abide or keep in the practice of it but to be delivered from the practice of Sin and the Guilt and Condemnation removed and taken away that sinning against God bringeth upon the Transgressors of his holy commands that saith Thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve And such as Worship and serve another God than the Eternal God who made Heaven and Earth and the Fountains of great Deeps they Worship their own Imaginations in their dark Conceits and foolish Imaginations and with such Services and Worships the Lord is grieved and in vain do People draw near or come before him with such Worships and Service that yet many Socioties and false Gatherings in vain content themselves with being erred and strayed from that Spirit and Power of God where in all might come aright to serve and worship the only wise and true God no more to serve the Devil or Sln but to come to Serve God in newness of Life and living Soberly Righteously and Purely unto him his Honour and Praises the resudue of time yet to spend and abide in this present World which cannot be known but through a daily crossing thy own Will and vile Affections O vain Man and Woman come to deny thy self thy sensual desires and thy ungodly deeds take up a cross unto all that which is evil in which thou hast taken great pleasure and delight thou most renounce it part with and deny thy self of it to be a Desciple of Christ Jesus to be taught of him and follow him who will never lead thee into any Errour but out of all Sin and Errour and out of every by-path or crooked way that thou hast troden or walked in the Nations of the Earth are angry be cause God's glorious day is come which discovereth and layeth upon their hidden Works of Darkness and Dishonesty will come out and by the Light of Christ be manifest even that which long hath been hid and covered with thick Darkness and the Light God will cause to shine out of obscurity and his Day will break and the Shadows of the Night will vanish away as the heavenly Rayes of God's
Inhabitantes of the Earth and the Sea therewith and thining the People by the Sword and sore Deseases And what a terrible Storm and Tempest hath the Lord distressed and amuzed many with of late both by Sea and Land yet some People have been so far from looking at the Hand of the Lord in it that they would have it as the work of some evil Spirit in laying a Spirit that as they said did appear after a Person was dead The Power over the Winds and Seas belongeth to Christ Jesus and the Winds and Seas obey him for he had all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him and gives Power to his faithful Servants over Serpents Scorpions and all the Power of the Enemy to hear see so many disregard the Hand of the Lord lifted up sheweth that it will fall heavy shortly upon their heads who remain wicked and by their crying Sins bring down Vengeance from God upon their own Heads and procure their own ruin for God will recompence Fury upon his Enemies who harden their Hearts more and more against him and now is the Lord come to make Nations and Peoples sick in smiting of them he hath a long time forborn and kept his Hand of Judgment from falling upon the Heads of the wicked according to their deceit their manifold Sins to see People if you would turn to the Lord by true Repentance but ye would not hear his Voice to obey him how often soever the Lord called to and by how many Judgments soever he hath pleaded with you you would not reform therefore the Lord doth appear in great displeasure and is shaking the Earth and causing the Mountains and Hills to tremble he is making Kingdoms reel and tossing and fifting them to lay them low stain their Glory and bring them down from that height that they are got to and have appeared in against the Lord and his holy Mountain which abides and stands strong through him that is over all blessed for evermore O all ye wicked and ungodly People upon the face of the Earth your time is but short your dayes in Wickednsss will be shortened 't is but a little time and you will not be found who go on and persevere in wickedness and never come to Repentance your judgment and reward of Condemnation will come upon you swiftly and you will not be able to withstand it whoever you are high or low rich or poor where-ever you dwell that have sold your selves over and are given up to work Wickedness the all-seeing God will find you out and will be just in condemning of you to everlasting Flames of Fire and that will be your Portion and Reward that you will receive at the Hand of the Lord who hath appeared to you in his Grace and Truth in your inward parts and condescended to draw you by the Cords of his Love but you have despised and utterly rejected his appearance to you in his Grace whereby you might have obtained Life and Salvation to your immortal Souls if you had received God's Grace and Truth into your Hearts and kept to its Teachings and obeyed the same or done according to its Instruction but contrary-wise you have hated his Appearance to reform you and wofully continued in Rebellion against his pure Law so you have drawn down the Wrath of the Lord upon you and kindled his Displeasure against you in a high degree by your manifold provoking Sins which many Cities and Nations abound in and very many of the Inhabitants thereof are miserably corrupted and debauched thereby calling and alluring one another to Lightness Folly and gross Impieties with hellish Words Damning Swearing Drunkenness Lying vain ungodly Pastimes Murders Adulteries Thefts Cousining Cheating Cards playing at Dice and Stage-Plays which many strive to out-do one another in to the great dishonour of God and the reproach of the Name of Christ especially in Christendom so called where such a Profession of the Name of Christ is made but by their Conversation causeth the Profession of the Christian Religion to stink and to become of very ill fame amongst the Heathen that do not own nor profess Christ Jesus the Lord nor expect Salvation by him how were such like to be converted to the Christian Faith in the Lord 's Christ as long as so many pretended Christians do walk ungodly speak and act as wickedly if not worse than the Heathen who know or understand little but gross Superstition and Idolatry May not some such rise up in Judgment against many who call themselves Christians and condemn them who are found using such Words and Practices which are contrary to God and Godliness and ought to be repented of ceased from and forsaken otherwise it will stand People in no stead and be a vain thing to talk of profess and call Christ Jesus their Saviour Lord and Master whilst by Sin and Disobedience they serve and obey another Lord and Master and Christ Jesus is greatly dishonoured and provoked by the Riotous Debauched and drunken Feasts wherein so many called Christians sport and feed themselves without the fear of God on their Mass-Dayes and Feastival-Dayes which you had no example for from the Primitive and true Christians in the Apostles days Oh foolish People and hard-hearted Is it a time for Feasting and to invite one another to Feasting Mirth and Jolatry in such a day of Distress and Calamity as now threatneth almost all Nations Is it a time to sit down to eat and drink and then rise up to play when Nation riseth up in War against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom and every battel of the Warrior is with confused noise and Garments rolled in Blood and when God is rebuking strong Nations and when the just and righteous God is bringing his Judgments and Plagues upon many Peoples ought not every one from the highest to the lowest rather to sit down solatary be humbled and call each other to Weeping and bitter Lamentation because of the abominable crying Sins of Nations and to leave off your Horse-Racing Cock-Fightings Stage-Playes and all other idle vain and ungodly Sports Games and Pastimes whereby the Spirit of the Lord hath been grieved Nations corrupted and many of their Inhabitants made Vessels of Wrath fited for Destruction therefore such as yet have a Day and Time given you consider your Ways and cursed Practices O renounce and come out of them all and meet the Lord by timely Repentance and Amendment of Life or your Iniquity will certainly prove your Ruin But if all People Languages Kindreds and Tongues would come to fear and love God and love one another then their would be no need of letting in Fear or evil Jealousie one of another or of one to hurt or destroy another by Wars or Fightings or otherwise for all were made and created to love fear and reverence the Powerful Omnipotent God and to let him be their fear and not man neither to fear what man can do and if so
The Hour of God's Judgments Come and Coming upon the Wicked World SHEWING How Iniquity will prove the Ruin of all People who do not Repent and turn to God whilst yet they have time With an Exhortation in the Love of God to People of all Nations to cease to do Evil and to forsake those provoking Sins that hath kindled the Wrath of God that the Judgments now threatning many Nations may be turned away Psal 75. verse 8. For in the Hand of the Lord there is a Cup the Wine is Red it is full of mixture and he poureth out of the same but the Dregs thereof all the Wicked of the Earth shall wring them and drink them Isa 2.4 And he shall judge amongst the Nations and Rebuke many People c. Printed and Sold by A. Sowle at the Crooked-Billet in Holloway-Lane in Shoreditch And at the Three-Keys in Naggs-Head-Court in Grace-Church-Street 1690. The Hour of God's Judgments come and coming upon the Wicked World c. HEarken all ye People and give Ear ye Nations of the Earth for the Sword of the Lord is drawn forth against People and Nations not a few his Hand is lifted up in great Fury and Judgment against all Iniquity and the provoking Abominations of the Times which are grown to that height and degree that the Almighty God now appeareth full of Indignation and Displeasure against many People and Nations and the Nations wherein God hath shewn most Love and done most for who still remain Sinful the Rebellious in that Nation will the Lord most punish and plead with in his Wrath Where hath the Lord so much appeared as in this Nation of England hath he dealt in so much Loving-kindness and tender Mercies to any People or Nation as this our Native Country wherein the mighty and glorious Day of God broke forth and in these Ages of the World first proclaimed and the Light of the glorious Gospel that caused the Day to appear faithfully and with much Power and Demonstration preached and the tender Visitation of the Day sprung from on high reached forth universally in a very signal manner and the sound of the Gospel in Life and Power Love and Good-Will unto all men was heard through this Nation to call all People to Repentance and Amendment of their ways and doings to turn to the Lord from all their grievous Sins and Iniquities whilst it was called to Day whereby they grieved the Most high rebelling against him and rejecting his great love and favour in his Spirit striving with them the Inhabitants of England more than with any People or Nation whatsoever under the present Dispensation of Light Grace and the Spirit of God But ah ye Inhabitants of England how have many of you even of all sorts ranks and degrees of Men and Women slighted the dispensation of Light Grace and the Spirit of God and the sure safe Teaching and Guidance thereof for instead of minding that some of you have taught others to mock laugh and deride at the Light Grace and Spirit of God which appeared to you and shined in your Hearts from God to shew you what was really good and of God from what was evil and of the evil one and not only so but also to teach you to deny come out of and be saved from that which was evil and to choose come into and to do that which was and is good and the just and merciful God did give you time to Repent and endured all that you did against him with much long-suffering that you might be become Vessels of Mercy and not Vessels of Wrath by fitting your selves for destruction But alas how hath the Mercy and Forbearance of the Lord been abused how have most of you requited him evil for good and added Sin to Sin for Mercies multiplied upon this sinful Nation therefore now is the anger of the Lord kindled in Judgment against all such for now he is smiting and will smite yet more and more his Hand is dreadfully lifted up and it will fall heavy upon the Head of the Wicked where ever they are found and whatsoever they profess Amazement and Astonishment will be their portion and their Hearts will fail them for fear when the Iron Rod of the Lord is ruling of them with which he will break the Wicked to pieces like a Potters Vessel that they may see and know the danger of multiplying provoking Sins against the Lord till his long patience come to an end if there yet may be hope or a little time more alotted you Ah foolish People and sinful Nation that at last you might come to consider the great peril and danger that you are in both high and low rich and poor who are Wicked and Ungodly of all Sorts and Professions multiplying great Abominations and committing manifold Transgressions against the Lord. What are your Hearts so hardened through the deceitfulness of Sin that you do not mind nor at all consider Are your Eyes so blinded by the God of this World that you do not see the heavy Hand of the Lord that is so apparently lifted up as if the Iniquities of the People of England would prove the Ruin of many of the Inhabitants thereof could ever a Nation be more sinful or more loaden with Iniquity of all sorts then this a Nation so much professing God and that he hath done so much for their Salvation and a preservation of For what could the Lord have done more then he hath done for the good and benefit of England and notwithstanding where can there be greater Wickedness or Abomination committed although many Nations are horribly wicked and Cages of unclean Birds who regard not the Work of the Lord nor the operation of his hands And though the dark places of the Earth are full of Idolatry blackness of Darkness and Cruelty yet no People or Nation hath more provoked God by sinning against so much Knowledge and so many Convictions Reproofs of Instruction from the manifestation of the Spirit Light and Grace of God appearing in you and being given of God to you to profit withal that you might have been spared and saved in that woful day of Anguish and sore Distress that is come and coming upon Nations insomuch that many will cry out in bitterness of Spirit What shall we do to be saved we have no helper that can help or comfort us And the mighty Men of valour and strength will grow feeble and be full of Fears and Jealousies one of another and hide themselves in the Holes and Dens of the Earth and call to the Mountains and Hills to fall on them and cover them from the Wrath of the Lamb for his great Day even the Day of his Vengeance and Hour of his Judgments now appeareth against all the Wicked and Ungodly of the Earth without respect to Persons Opinions or Profession whatsoever and the Mountains and Hills where many expect safety will God Almighty shake and lay waste by his Power
and is everlasting that you may possess that and be established in that and not have on your own Righteousness in your vain Imaginations therefore will the Righteous God by his appearance in Spirit convince the world of Judgment also and the Prince of this World is judged and the World 's corrupt and erroneous judgment through the appearance of the Spirit of Truth being received it discovereth the World's judgment to be contrary to the judgment of Truth and how the wrong judgment got up in the world that so People may see the deceit and darkness of this World's judgment and that they who are in it have no judgment in their goings such have no right divine or heavenly judgment but are in the Prince of this World 's dark judgment that turneth against the Righteous Prince and his Righteous Judgments which are all true just and faithful And the Prince of Darkness with his fallen Wisdom and Judgment by the coming of the Lord in judgment shall be judged and condemned by that which convinceth the World of Judgment for what but the Spirit of Truth can judge the Spirit of Error and what but the righteous judgment of the Spirit of Truth that bringeth Man and Woman to see their deceit falshood and hypocrisie to judge it down and to save out of it And indeed what but want of the sence and feeling of this that causeth many to stumble at that that is good even the pure Light of the Lord Jesus Christ and some do fall and rise not again but fall into mischief and violent dealing and it pursueth them and cometh upon them in the hour of God's Judgments the Inhabitants of the Earth will learn Righteousness And what but the want of the judgment of Truth and Righteousness is the cause that Error so long in the world hath been taken and passed for Truth and Truth hath been taken for Error and condemned for it People calling good evil and evil good putting Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light And therefore by the judgment of this world it being dark blind and erroneous from Age to Age hath the Wicked been justified and how have men endeavoured in most of the Governments of this World to take away the Righteousness of the Righteous from them having judged rather according to outward appearance then given Righteous Judgment in matters and Causes of Differences in Religion and the worship of God but such as are in the judgment of Truth and Righteousness neither can nor will do so but speak of things and judge with Righteous Judgment Now the Spirit of Truth being received and continued in it quickens the Soul and giveth Spiritual Life to them that were dead in Sins and Trespasses against God therefore it ought not to be vexed grieved or rebelled against as it hath been to the great provocation of the Mogh high God and kindling the fierce Wrath of a merciful and long-suffering God who is slow to wrath and of great kindness how hath he been forgotten and no more minded by many than if he were no All-seeing God but rather People have thought him like themselves who are wicked as if God would not take any notice of their Ways and Doings neither set their Sins and abominable Practices in order before them and punish them for the same with a sore destruction who do not receive nor obey the Gospel-offers of Salvation of Peace and Good-will towards mankind in general Oh! how hath my Soul been often afflicted within me because of the Wickedness of the Wicked disebedient and ungodly Men and Women to see them even sowing to the Flesh that hath so much appeared both in Papists and Protestants so called they having not minded the former Mercies nor Judgments that came from God in love to them care for their Souls well-fare and that they might learn Righteousness when his Judgments were in the Earth that People might not utterly perish in their gain-saying and that his future Judgments threatning might be turned away But Oh! how have you sinned and provoked God more and more with greater and greater Evils What will it avail any of you to come before the Lord or to draw night to him with their Tongues and Lips whilst your Hearts are afar off from him and gone a Whoring from him after your Idols set up in your Hearts or whether any Idol of Silver Gold any Creature or outward thing which can save no man or woman's Soul nor is able to hide or deliver you in the day of God's Wrath and Indignation against a wicked and untoward Generation ought not to be put away because of the blackness of such Now Desolation Perplexity Wo and great distress of Nations hasteneth and is even ready to come upon many People and Nations but especially Nations and Peoples that God hath loved and done most for and most appeared in by the Light of his glorious Gospel of Grace and Truth that the same have rejected sinned against and walked contrary to such will the Lord shew most displeasure against and punish most severely when his Hand is lifted up to smite hew down and thin the People and to bring down the abominable Pride and Haughtiness of mankind in all Nations for he will make all Nations tremble and bow before him Astonishment Fear and Trouble on every side will appear when the Righteous Judge will plead with all Flesh in the way of his Judgments being wroth and cometh to punish the Inhabitants of the Earth for their Iniquity Who shall stand before him or who shall stop him or prevent the Execution of his Wrath upon the Ungodly Therefore O all ye wicked ungodly of the Earth be ye warned be ye warned Repent Repent and come to a Godly Sorrow for all your evil wayes and doings and turn to the Lord with your Hearts rent for what will the renting of your Garments profit you whilst your Hearts are not rent nor broken before the Lord but you remain as whole in your Sins as ever you were and your Hearts hardened thereby more than ever Now there is no other way for People of all Nations to appease the Wrath of God and turn away his Judgments threatning them for Sin but for all wicked People to take warning in time by former Warnings Judgments and Calamities and what Nation is there in the Earth where God's Voice is not heard in Judgment when his Goodness Mercy and Favours are abused and sleighted for before God punisheth not in his fierce Wrath. And all you that would escape Miseries and Calamities feel and bear the Indignation of the Lord inwardly for Sin and Transgression Put away the evil of your wayes and doings from before his Eyes who hath an all-seeing Eye and seeth all the Wayes and Doings of all Men and Women both High and Low Rich and Poor in every Nation throughout the World And now the Hand of the Lord is lifted up in Judgment and the Lord is smiting the