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
for what are all Nations Mountains or Hills before the Lord that rise up against him and if Bryars and Thorns set themselves against the Lord will he not break through them consume them together who by his Omnipotent Power planteth and plucketh up Kingdoms and the Governments of this World as he pleaseth pulling down one and setting up another that People may know and consider that the Most high rules in and over the Kingdoms of men and he giveth them to whomsoever he pleaseth and is not accountable unto any man for what he doth in the Kingdoms of this World in laying waste the greatest Mountain or Hill that riseth up in opposition to the Honour and Glory of God or the Exaltation of his Name in the Earth for all such the Judgments of the Lord will pursue he will abase and pour Contempt upon them although never so high and lifted up with earthly honour pleasure of this world We have seen already in this Age how God hath laid that Honour Pomp and Glory in the dust that Kings and Princes injoyed for a time and their Pride and Glory with the pride and glory of many others of lower degree stained by the Judgment God hath brought upon them O sinful People but how are they forgotten by you and out of date with you as much as an old Almanack the last great Plague in London and many other places in England whereof died so many Thousands in a short time with that dreadful destruction by that great Fire that came in London which destroyed so many Houses and stately Buildings consumed to Ashes or laid on heaps and many Country-Towns also have felt the dreadful effects by Fire to their great astonishment and loss Who hath taken warning by these heavy severe Judgments so as to Repent of their Wickedness or turn to God Where was your Weeping and bitter Lamentation for the evil you had done For hath not Pride Drunkenness Swearing Whoring Revelling Prophaneness all manner of hellish Words and debauched Practices abounded and much increased since the before-mentioned Calamities laid so heavy upon the City of London and other places in England who have not taken warning thereby to break from their Sins by timely Repentance and shewing mercy to the poor Ought you not to have loved God and your Neighbour without Dissimulation And ought not every one to do to another as they would be done unto And have not many of you rather lost that little of Christianity which you sometime seemed to have then known any increase thereof or been gainers in it What Self-love Self-seeking Self-confidence Self-exaltation and saving that Life you have had in Death hath appeared in you What have you laid down or left that is evil which you formerly lived and walked in 'T is plain and evident that you are under the government of the Power and Prince of Darkness who still remain in your ungodly delights wayes wicked practices You wicked and ungodly Men and Women both old and young what loss what lamentable disappointment are you come to as to God his Kingdom or the World to come to obtain a little ease in the Flesh with the pleasures of Sin in this World which you can enjoy but a little while or season Consider Christ Jesus who denyed and abased himself and would have no self-pitty mentioned to him when speaking of his Sufferings and Death he said Whosoever will save his Life shall lose it but whosoever shall lay down his Life for my sake the same shall find it But you have been wanton upon the Earth delighting your selves in the sinful pleasures of this world many of you have declared your Sin as Sodom and the Land mourns because of Oaths with other abominable and crying Sins for the Iniquity of your Covetousness God is wroth his Wrath is kindled like Fire which none can quench against an Adulterous Generation a Seed of Evil-doers lying Children and corrupters of the Earth Destruction and Death is in their hands but the way of Peace they know not neither really desire to know it a People that seek not after God but rather say in their Hearts to him Depart from us we desire not the Knowledge of thy Wayes and too many are become so Athestical that in effect they say What is the Almighty to us that we should keep his Statutes or walk mournfully before him And how hath the Proud been called happy the Wicked set up and they that tempt God been delivered the Prophets prophesie falsly the Priests bear Rule by their Means and such as are blindly led by them even to love to have it so But what will ye do in the end thereof your Sorrow will be great that you will lay down your Heads in both the blind Leaders and such as are led by them into the Ditch their fall will be great together great Woes and bitter Lamentation will be the portion of such who remain always in that sad state of blindness and darkness whether they be high or low rich or poor for the Eyes of the Lord are upon all the sinful Kingdoms to punish and destroy many People with great Punishments and sore Destruction because ye have so long hardened your Hearts against the Lord ye have set at naught his Counsel and would have none of his Reproof you have despised Knowledge and would not chuse the fear of the Lord therefore great Calamity severe Judgments hasten will come upon them that do not Repent the Spirit of the Lord will not strive much longer with many People in this and other Nations but God will laugh at their Calamity and mock when their Fear cometh And I fear many are given up to hardness of Heart and others appear as if their Consciences were seared as with a hot Iron passed all spiritual sence and feeling wholly captivated and irrecoverably insnared in the broad way that leadeth to destruction no Hand of God neither in Mercy or Judgment will reach them to work them into any remorse sorrow of Heart or Contrition and by such as hath an Eye opened to see such are seen to grow worse and worse and further and further off from Repentance or Amendment of Life May it not be said of many of you both Professors and Prophane That the best of you are but as a Bryar and the most upright but as a Thorne Hedge and great shall be your perplexity and Wo to all deceitful Workers of Iniquity Dissemblers and Hypocrites that would eat up God's People as they eat Bread your expectation shall be cut off your wicked Imaginations and Contrivances against the Just to slay him will God frustrate and confound yet more and more How many wicked Men and Women of late have whetted their Teeth and opened their Mouths to eat up God's chosen Flock and Heritage and devour them through Lyes Calumnies and false Reports speaking all manner of Evil against such as neither thought said or did any harm
or evil to them How have the Righteous been made the Song of Drunkards debauched Swearers and Damners who scarce could speak but in a Cursed and Danming manner What scorn and derision hath the Just met with in these latter days with the many Perils and Dangers on every side and from all sorts of wicked Men Women and Children is very well known to the Lord God who is coming with Power to take Vengeance upon his Adversaries and to Recompence all such according to their works you who are guilty every where your wickedness will not go unpunished it will come upon your own Heads and your treacherous dealing will pursue you and fall heavy upon you when the Righteous Judge shall judge and condemn you for it the Lord will not spare such who in their abominable Pride Debauchery and Filthiness walk the Streets as if they would out-dare the Most high that gave them Breath and Being in this world with their Pride and Filthiness And now Destruction to the Wicked is threatned how hath Fear surprised Multitudes not the fear of God but the fear of Destruction or some other Evil to overtake them and they cannot be quiet nor at rest they disturb and disquiet one another because the Way of Peace is hid from their them and also the Sinners in Sion are afraid and fearfulness surpriseth Hypocrites who cannot abide the day of the Lord 's coming nor stand when he appeareth for his appearance is and will be very dreadful to all the Workers of Iniquity to whom the Lord will say Deparâ— from me I know you not Such shall by no means escape the Wrath of the Lamb who is a righteous just and equal Judge and will Judge with Equity and do all Men Right in Judgment and is no respecter of Persons but in every Nation such as fear God and work Righteousness are accepted of him but they that fear not God nor work Righteousness will be rejected condemned and punished by him of what Nation Kindred People or Tongue soever Papish or Protestant or what Name and Profession soever they may go under or be known by for that will stand them in no stead when the Lord pleadeth with them and cometh to punish the Inhabitants of the Earth for their Iniquity that will prove the Ruin of them who are then found therein the Rich Mens Silver and Gold will not be able to deliver them from the Wrath of the Lamb now appearing as an Angry Judge Go too now therefore ye Rich Men that trust in uncertain Riches and in an Arm of Flesh but not in the living God Weep and Howle for the Misery that is coming upon you who are lovers of Pleasures more than lovers of God And you that have oppressed others to advance your selves by defraud and dishonest Gain and wronged the Poor to set your Nests on high the Righeous Lord God will Visit for these things and Recompence the evil of your wayes and doings upon your Heads if you do not cease therefrom and truly repent thereof while you have time Oh the manifold Provocations by which the Lord hath been and still is provoked to Wrath and Indignation by a sinful People and seed of Evil-doers laden with Iniquity and some are wise to do evil become Serpents and as a Generation of Vipers in imagining and doing evil but to do good they have no knowledge and it is sad and grievous to see the Brutishness Sensuallity and Devillishness many appeared in filled with Envy and Enmity against that which is good and them who keep therein from day to day and still such profess Christ Jesus in words and call him Lord and Master but do not honour him nor fear him neither keep his Commands but with their wicked works Spit upon him Grucifie him afresh again and how hath he been put to shame all Christendom over by them that seem to be Christians in words but are not so in deeds Did not Christ Jesus testifie against the Scribes Pharisces and hard hearted Jews that set themselves against him with the Chief Priests to take away his Life because their deeds were evil and he tould them They were of their Father the Devil and did his works Although they owned and professed God the Father that would not hide them or cover them from the Wrath of God when it was kindled and broke forth against them to punish and scatter them for rejecting and hating of him without a cause yet no less punishment would satisfie them but Crucifiing of him puting of him to Death who laid down his Life to give them Life Eternal and to redeem their Souls out of Death and Damnation if they would have received him then at his coming but because of the hatred they had to him and the cruel usage that spotless Lamb had from that Generation God was Wrath with them continuing his displeasure upon their Prosterity unto this day And may not you expect as sore a punishment who own him in words profess him and call him Lord and Master yet notwithstanding by your wicked works you slay him ye condemn and kill the Just and he doth not resist you you dishonour him and put him to shame plainly shewing that you are of the Generation of them who killed the Prophets Christ Jesus and his Apostles and accounted them not fit to live upon the Earth of whom the World indeed was not worthy My Heart truly is sorrowful and I am in pain to consider of what I see coming upon this evil and untoward Generation now O that they had an Ear open and a Heart to understand the Voice of the Lord and his Counsel to them before it be to late and the Door of Mercy and Favour from God be shut against them that they might repent that the Lord God may turn away his Wrath that they perish not For the Sword of the Lord is drawn forth forbished and made bright to make a sore Slaughter in many Nations and Countries by his Powerful Hand although People will not see it when 't is lifted up they shall see it and be ashamed astonished and confounded and by the immediate Hand of the Lord many People will fall and be cut down as the Grass whilst the carnal Sword also doth its part what the Lord permits and suffers to be acted by it in any flourishing City or strong Nation and he can raise up whomsoever he pleaseth as Instruments in his Hand to make his Power known that his Name may be declared throughout all the Earth therefore he pulleth down one Prince and Potentate and raiseth up another in his stead in the Kingdoms of this World that they may know that the Most high rules in the Kingdoms of men and giveth them to whomsoever he will and who shall say unto him What dost thou when he poureth out Contempt upon Princes and causeth them to wander where there is no way for he hath their Hearts and all Men in his Hand he can hold
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
glory appears for his Day will dawn and break in Peoples Hearts in all Nations of the Earth when he shall terribly shake the Earth and all Nations and the keepers of the House will tremble and all proud Flesh shall be made to tremble before the Lord at hiâ— appearance he will make known his Voice he will make the Earth to hear and the Heavens shall be astonished at his Power Glory and Majesty and every false Foundation shall be shaken and every high Tower and fenced City built upon a false Foundation will fall and tumble down tho' never so strong and lifted up in their forms of Worship and formal Profession without Life and Power that will not be able to stand in the Day of the Lord 's fierce Wrath which is against that City of Confusion which the Lord God will break down and race it to the Ground then will her Merchants and such as have traded with her lament and cry Alas alas none will buy her Merchandize of us any more Thus will the Lord bring down and destroy Babylon that great Whore that hath with her Cup of Fornication made drunk the Kings of the Earth who have committed Fornication with her and her Merchants that traded with her with great endeavours and all their Babylonish Skill and Trumpery have brought Darkness and Ignorance over the Earth and so would still keep People but the Day of the Lord is come and coming and the Knowledge of the Lord shall cover the Earth and many shall hate the Whore and burn her Flesh with Fire for by Fire and Sword will the Lord plead with all Flesh where-ever the Flesh of the great Whore is the Sword and Fire of the Lord of Hosts will find it out and pursue it till it be devouered to the end that the which is for the Sword and Fire of the Lord may be cut down burnt up and consumed then Envy Malice Cruelty Hatred and Unrighteousness so much abounding in Man and Woman will have an end and People will not be over-come of evil but over-come the evil with good and provoke one another to Love and good Works and not to Hatred Cruelty all manner of Unrighteousness which is Sin and punishable by the great Judge of Heaven and Earth that cometh quickly and his reward is with him although many shut their Eyes against his Appearance are so blinded by the God of this World that you do not see or behold him tho' his Light shines in all your Hearts by which you may all see behold him who is not far from any one of you yet you do not see him nor know him and that is the Condemnation of the whol world that lieth in wickedness that Light is come into the world but darkness is loved rather than Light because their deeds are evil Now it is as if I heard the noise of Trumpets sounding and Drums beating an Alarm to battle in many Kingdom and Nations and the Sword drawn to execute the Wrath of God for Sin and Transgression by the ungodly committed to the great displeasure of the Almighty God who now will shew himself a terrible God to the Workers of Iniquity by Wars Famine and Pestilence with other Judgements and Calamities that God will bring upon many Cities and strong Nations to bring down their Pride and Haughtiness and to abase them for their sleighting and Contemning his Appearance in the Light of his Glorious Gospel which shines in their Hearts to give them the Knowledge of the Glory of God to humble you under his mighty Hand that all might turn to him who smites and corrects Men and Women that they might see his Hand and acknowledge his Power and Soveraignity over all and what we can do with strong and fenced Cities and indeed with all Nations that are but as the drop of a sucket and the small dust of the Ballance to the Lord and his strength and great Power when in his sore displeasure he gives them up to the Sword Famine or Pestilence how soon can he make of a fair and flourishing City on heaps and a strong City a desolation when they Inhabitants thereof will not be reformed from the evil of their Ways and doings nor Repent of the same how often hath the Lord brought Plagues and heavy Judgments upon such Cities and Nations how glad should I be to see the Inhabitants of England in general and the City of London in perticular bringing forth Fruits meet for Repentance that they would whilst they have time be Afflicted Mourn and Weep for the great Evils that daily are committed by many of them that your Laughter might be turned into Mourning and your Joy into Heaviness that those great Calamities which threatens both City and Nation the mercisul God might turn away from my Native Country and every Inhabitant may be humbled for their Transgressions that the Lord may repent of the Evil that doth so much threaten this and many other Kingdoms O that there were such a Heart in all People of all Nations that they would seek after the living God and that they might know him and receive everlasting Lise by Christ Jesus and leave off doing Evil and learn to do Well that instead of hating and killing one another about Religion and worldly Glory and Honour they might feel the Love of God shed abroad in their Hearts and in that love God above all and one another as the Children and Off-spring of God for all Nations upon the face of the Earth being of one Blood made by the great and heavenly Creator all were created by him to fear reverence and serve the eternal God So all you who do pretend that you are Servants of God and Christ Jesus sear reverence serve and obey him in a measure of that Love of God wherewith he hath loved you and all mankind and desireth the Salvation of all men and not the death or destruction of the Wicked but rather that they would turn from their Wickedness and live for evermore to serve worship and obey the living God whose Servants you call your selves and think you worship him and serve him whilst you are out of his holy Spirit and Godly Fear in your vain superstitious and idolatrous ways of Worship which are so unprofitable and of no berefit spiritually to you that vainly pretend to worship the living God who is a Spirit and will be worshipped and served in the Spirit and in the Truth as it is in Jesus for their is no other acceptable worship or serving of God but in his holy Spirit and Truth which the Devil is out of and all his Servants are erred from the Spirit of God and doth imagine that God acceptably may be worshipped and served well enough by them is another Spirit than his own holy Spirit then it must be an unholy Spirit in which you can offer toe God no Worship or Service but what is vain unprofitable and unholy which is rejected of the Lord God as but vain worshipping of him and for this many spend their Money and Labour many Years together but gain no advantage or satisfaction to their immortal Souls being from the Spirit of God and Word of Life that was in the beginning and which is eternal so obtain not Life or true satisfaction to their Souls and therefore cannot livingly move or act spiritually in the service or worship of God but it seemeth to them as a strange thing and the pure God hath but blind and dead service and worship from such and indeed it is no marvel that so many wise and learned men in Arts Sciences and natural Tongues are unskilled and ignorant in spiritual waiting upon serving and worshipping the living God whilst they question whether any doth receive from God the gift of the holy Spirit now in these dayes then let such men in coolness of mind consider with what they adventure to serve and worship God and approach before him not receiving the spirit but will draw nigh to God serve and worship him out of the spirit and what may you expect who are in that deplorable state but that the Lord should say unto you Who hath required such Worship or Service from you now in this Gospel day the spirit of God being poured fourth Do you think People that God will be mocked with such service or worship to be offered to him that doth appear but the fruits of the Flesh or sowing to the Flesh O that you would come to see and seriously consider that the Flesh profiteth nothing nor any of the fleshly motions ways services or worships of fallen man performed in the Wisdom of the Flesh although performed in never so much skill and cunning outwardly can give man acceptance with the Lord nor can at all give Life to the Soul for its the spirit that giveth Life and this Spirit first must be received by you and work in your Hearts to will and to do before your Hearts can be fitted or prepared to serve or worship God acceptably so all of you wait upon God for his holy spirit receive it into your Hearts and no longer reject it but in the silence of all Flesh feel the spirit of God to quicken your mortal Bodies that in and by the spirit you to God may present your Bodies to him and draw night to him with your Flearts fitted and spiritually prepared to offer to God spiritual sacrifice holy and acceptable in his sight who cannot be pleased with Iniquity nor the Works of it in their service or worship for Sin and Iniquity must be done away before you can graciously be received of the Lord or know how to render to him the calves of your Lips or draw nigh to him aright with your Tongues or Lips why should you hate to be reformed or cast off from you that which is good to cleave to the evil and perish therein Beware of that left the Lord utterly reject you and cast you out of his fight and deprive you of his Mercy and Favour that he upon your real Repentance and Amendment of Life would bestow upon you Which is the fervent Desire of a cordial Well-wisher of all your Souls who seeketh the Glory of God the Peace of all Nations and the general good of all Markind to Eternity James Parke Hostedown the 7th day of the 3d. Month 1690. THE END