for the wealth of vs and our posteritie I haue strictly kept my selfe within the limits of the first part of this Watch which conteyneth the Summe of the Couenant of our God wherein we all agree in outward profession and vnto which whosoeuer returneth vnfeignedly to walke in the sincere obedience of it shall vndoubtedly haue eternall life like as euery impenitent transgressor against it is certainely condemned by the generall verdict of all the true Churches of Christ. In all this worke I haue and doe instantly desire of the Lord that I may be a faithfull and true witnesse both for his heauenly Maiestie and for his people and also that I may shew in euery part a right demonstration of an vnfeigned loue to the Church of Christ and towards my Nation euen to euery soule for the sauing of ech from the wrath to come and withall that I may preserue the honour due to all in autoritie chiefly to the highest to binde all hearts to their superiours ech to others and all of vs to Iesus Christ That he may euer remaine our Captaine Protector King and Sauiour euen he who will one day manifest all the secrets of the hearts of men who haue bin with him and who against him who will come quickly and reward euery one as their workes shall be Amen euen so come Lord Iesus CONTENTS OF THE seuerall Chapters particularly as they arise out of the Vision Ezechiel 9. 1. THe Vision giuen to Ezechiel with the occasion and opening of it 2. Certaine directions to be obserued in our reading hereof to teach vs to make right vse of the Vision to our selues 3. The Lord is not wont to bring any terrible iudgement on his Church but euer before hand to giue some euident warning That he neuer warned without cause or in vaine and what iust matter we haue for all our manifold gratious forewarnings to betake our selues to watching and prayer 4. The withdrawing of the Lords glorious presence from his Church is both an euident signe of his displeasure and a manifest threatning of his departure And what causes we haue therevpon to watch and to pray to pacifie the Lord so to hold him still amongst vs. 5. How the Lord is most vnwilling to depart from his Church so long as there is any other remedie manifested in his oft threatning to depart before he goe and of the outward tokens both of his glorious presence in his Church and of his departure from it And what causes we haue in respect thereof to watch and pray continually 6. No priuiledges can doe a people any good if they grow in their iniquitie but the mo their mercies haue bin the greater is their sinne and the heauier shall their iudgement be when it commeth what cause we haue thence to watch and to pray for the fearefull increase of the transgressions amongst vs. 7. The marking of the mourners That is how Gods owne people are marked in the midst of the greatest confusions before the destruction come And so what cause euery one hath to watch and to pray that he may be so marked 8. The propertie of the godly liuing amongst the wicked in a sinfull age is to mourne and cry for all the abominations and tokens of Gods anger Also what cause all Gods seruants haue to watch and pray for the fewnesse of such and that ech of vs may be found of that litle number 9. The enemies by which the Lord threatneth or afflicteth his Church are his soldiers and therevpon what cause we haue to giue our selues to watching and prayer because of the increase of them in number pride and malice 10. The mourners being once marked made sure then comes the vengeance for the destroyers follow at the heeles of the marking Angell What neede we had therefore to watch and pray bicause we know not whether this worke be not already accomplished or how neere it is 11. The principall abominations for which the godly so mourned and which moued the Lord to so seuere a vengeance first in generall after more particularly And therein what causes we haue to watch and pray both to be kept pureâ— from them and to obteyne pardon and redresse of them or at least that we may escape the plagues due vnto them 12. The meanes which the Lord had vsed to bring them to repentance that he might spare them and how their sinne was increased thereby Also the cause why the meanes could doe them no good And what neede we haue therevpon to watch and pray continually 13. The seueritie of the Lords vengeance and the miseries which all sorts indured in that captiuitie when no other meanes could serue to reclaime them And thence what neede we haue all to watch and pray continually to turne away the like and also to be thankfull for all our former deliuerances from as great calamities so neere vnto vs. 14. How Gods true messengers and all his faithfull seruants are wont to be affected when they perceiue the Lords anger to be kindled and his iudgements ready to rush vpon his people Also the meanes which in this their holy affection they vse to preuent the euils and to pacifie his Maiestie And herein likewise what cause we haue to watch and pray for the want of these affections and for the generall neglect of the state of the people and of pacifying the Lords wrath 15. The sinnes of a people may be so heynous as that the Lord will not be pacified at the prayers of his deerest seruants Also when that time is and what cause we haue therevpon to watch and pray continually 16. The true obedience of Gods faithfull messengers and seruants will bring them boldnesse to appeare before him and this alone when they are able to say in a good conscience Lord I haue done as thou hast commanded me And what great cause all of vs haue to watch and pray continually that we may be alvvayes able to say so to haue boldnes euermore hereby vvhatsoeuer come to passe THE VISION given to EZECHIEL before the great Captivitie of IVDAH set downe in the ninth Chapter of Ezechiel with the occasion and opening thereof 1. HE cryed also in mine eares with a loud voyce saying Cause them that have charge over the Citie to draw neere even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand 2. And behold six men came from the way of the higher gate which lyeth toward the North and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand and one man among them was clothed with linnen with a writers inkehorne by his side and they went in and stood beside the brazen Altar 3. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the Cherub whereupon he was to the threshold of the house and he called to the man clothed with linnen which had the writers inkehorne by his side 4. And the Lord said unto
the time of this sacrifice when hee would visit all who delighted in these vanities p. 257 Application to examine our odious fashions of divers sorts as charging with healths whorish plaies and the like p. 257 258 Private reading Scriptures left off by such p. 259 Filthie and scurrilous Pamphlets received in place p. 260 Babylonish policie by corrupting our manners first to overthrow our Religion p. 260 Having prevailed with the greater they make sure account of the rest p. 260 The device of old Balaam as the surest stratageme worthy our best consideration p. 261 There is no sorcerie against Israel abiding in obedience p. 262 Application of the Historie of Balaams stratageme to our selves p. 264 A mystery whereby to bring Italy into England and so to obtaine their purposes p. 264 A just lamentation for that no warning will serve but we must do at after them and be weary of the Lord. p. 264 265 Abomination 20. Oppression of the poore hastening the Captivitie p. 265 Our covenant with the Lord for justice and mercy to the poore p. 265 A patterne for great men in Iob. p. 265 Their transgression that instead thereof they were most cruell extortioners and oppressors p. 266 267 The Lord compares extortioners to Apothecaries Millers 268 They joined house to house till there was no place for the poore p. 269 Vengeance proportionall p. 269 Abomination 21. Oppression by ingrossing and inhancing the prizes of things to swallow up the poore hastening the Captivitie p. 270 What God requires of rich men in time of dearth p. 270 The rich were become as cormorants to the poore p. 270 The Lord will never forget this sinne it makes the land to tremble p. 271 Application to unsatiable corne-mungers p. 272 Gods warning forgotten in the levellers insurrection p. 273 Abomination 22. Oppression to raise their houses hastening the Captivitie p. 274 To build by oppression is to consult shame to their houses p. 275 Abomination 23. Oppression to support their pride hastening the Captivitie p. 275 The attire of gracious women what it ought to be p. 276 Their women helpt to flea the poore to support their pride p. 276 They minded nothing but pride when God threatned them most p. 276 The plagues which all such bring on themselves and theirs p. 277 A glasse for proud women to view themselves in p. 278 What this would worke rightly practised p. 278 Our pride though exceeding theirs so as cannot be expressed yet must one day be set in open view before the faces of all who doe not repent p. 279 Vengeance proportionall for this sinne p. 279 This sinne and the sighes of the poore for it cry continually for vengeance to be taken on such a monster p. 280 Abomination 24. Pride in sumptuous buildings causing oppression hastening the Captivitie p. 280 A glasse for them who build their houses by oppression p. 281 The unmercifulnesse of ambitious builders p. 282 The way for great men to prosper p. 282 The case of all oppressours how they live and what they provide for their children p. 283 Application p. 284 Abomination 25. Oppression to maintaine riot and excesse hastening the Captivitie p. 284 What the Lord requires for all his mercies chiefly of rich men p. 284 How they requited the Lord and used his benefits never thinking of the worke of the Lord. p. 285 286 A glasse for all given over to their pleasures p. 286 Men given over to pleasures forget the affliction of Ioseph p. 287 The seers given up to wine and good fellowship can see nothing amisse till the vengeance of God come p. 287 The fruits of excesse and idlenesse p. 288 They became to be impudent in uncleannesse to shew their filthinesse openly like the Sodomites p. 288 Men giving themselves over to carnall pleasures have no knowledge p. 288 Such prepare captivitie temporall or eternall or both p. 288 Hunger and thirst remaine for all belly-gods p. 289 Neither Gentrie nor greatnesse will save from Gods vengeance hell gapes for such p. 289 The proudest must be brought downe to the depth of hell and goe captives with the first p. 289 God abhorres the excellencie and haughtinesse of all such and the palaceâ— where their sinnes are most practised p. 290 Desperation the portion of all proud belly-gods when Gods vengeance comes p. 290 God must needs visit for such things and his soule be avengedon such a nation p. 290 Application to every conscience p. 291 Abomination 26. Vnsatiable covetousnesse causing oppression hastening the Captivitie p. 291 The studie and covetousnesse of the Lords people p. 291 All before the Captivitie generally given to covetousnesse p. 292 The fruit of covetousnesse in the Prophets to speake only to please p. 292 The manner of healing with faire words as the Prophets did before the Captivitie p. 292 293 Covetous men can see nothing but for their owne advantage p. 293 Vengeance proportionall p. 293 The wretched estate of all covetous Prophets p. 294 The difference of the preaching of the true Prophets and the covetous worldlings p. 295 The power of the true Prophets shewed forth chiefly in the time of abounding of all iniquitie and approching of judgement p. 295 A perpetuall night came upon the false Prophets at the Captivitie p. 296 Covetousnesse dumbnesse blindnesse sleeping goe together in the false Prophets p. 296 Iust vengeance on all for their unsatiable greediness p. 296 Application to all sorts of spoylers of the poore p. 297 Application to those who oppresse to make themselves great p. 297 Application to the haughtie on whose garments is found the bloud of the poore p. 297 Application to sumptuous builders oppressing p. 298 Application to them that oppresse to pamper themselves saucing all their dainties with the bloud of the poore p. 299 Application to the mightie ingrossers whose houses are filled with the spoiles of the poore p. 299 Application to all who have set up the world in their hearts to worship p. 300 How to be beautifull and glorious indeed p. 301 How to set our nests on high and to build them for eternitie p. 301 How to give our selves to all delights and to be prodigall therin p. 302 How to hoord up and ingrosse p. 302 How to covet a holy covetousnesse p. 303 Abomination 27. The generall Apostasie of Iudah hastening the Captivitie that they were ever starting away and departing from the Lord. p. 304 305 Their zeale in the beginning of the daies of Ezekiah Iosiah against Idolatry for reforming religion how soon it was gone 305 306 Abomination 28. Falling from their forwardnesse in Religion to all profanenesse hastening the Captivitie p. 307 The sum of Gods Covenant with them to magnifie and obey his word p. 307 They cast away the word of the Lord in regard of making any conscience of it p. 308 The plague which is upon them that cast away Gods word to set up their own imaginations they shal see they have had no wisdome
Lamentations This their good King had also sundry sonnes and sonnes sonnes as may appeare in the historie alledged before As for Gods tender love and care shewed for us in our continuall preservations and in all our former deliverances the abuse of them cannot but increase the wrath against us considering our grievous unthankfulnesse Besides that they had also then as just cause to boast hereof as we have now or much more both in that continuall preservation of their Land through a feare cast on their enemies that none durst invade them so long as they obeyed the Lord in any good sort of which we spake and by their great deliverances as that in the dayes of Ezechiah and others mentioned Whereas this may be yet further imagined for our vaine securing our selves that we live in the dayes of the Gospell wherein the judgements of God are more spirituall and therefore having received so many strange deliverances it is more like that he intends to punish us more spiritually which is indeed the heaviest judgement of all other We answer That true it is That we may as yet certainely expect an increase of the spirituall judgement of blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart to fill up the measure of our iniquities and to make the condemnation of all the reprobate and our plagues the more just thereby yet these things following thought of and well weighed with the former may cause us to dread some temporall plague and that heavier than all which have gone before As first the outward and temporall judgements which God hath been wont to bring for the contempt of the Gospell like as in the last finall destruction and scattering of this Nation of the Iewes over the face of the earth after the preaching of Christ and his Apostles and sundry other where the Gospell hath come as the judgements accomplished in removing those seven golden Candlesticks of Asia and in many other famous Churches with the afflictions upon them which must needs be very grievous in all reason before the Gospell could be utterly taken away And secondly if we call to minde how many forewarnings we have had of such a sharpe scourge and withall how often it hath bin so neere to our backs Thirdly that we have had as I take it all the fore-runners of the greatest temporall calamitie which is the very sword it selfe That we have felt both dearths and pestilences and also heard the cryes of the poore for mercilesse oppressors ravening and devouring almost in every part of our Land Besides the taking from us so many of the Royall issue and principally Him upon whom all the eyes of our Land were bent for continuance of our shelter yea of our life and all our blessings to cause all the godly to droope in fearing continually some greater judgement and giving all the enemies such cause to lift up their heads afresh as now expecting their day againe Fourthly the implacable malice of our bloudie enemies against us either to destroy us utterly or to bring our Nation by strong hand under that Babylonish yoke againe which cruell rage of theirs doth threaten such a plague every houre but that the Lord in mercie stayeth it This fiftly may terrifie us all so oft as we thinke of it for that as I take it under submission to better judgements we cannot be any more assured that our Land is as yet purged more of the abominable Idolatrie committed in former times and of the bloud of Gods servants the faithfull Martyrs of Iesus Christ in the dayes of Queene Marie with innumerable moe abominations committed both before and since and increased also to this day to anger the Lord than Ierusalem was in the dayes of Iosiah If God remembred against Iudah all the Idolatrie bloodshed and other like abominations of former dayes and in the day of his visitation visited them for all what can we looke for or how can we secure our selves And yet above all these That if the Lord doe love us and purpose to continue his religion and presence with us as we have great cause of hope that he doth then he will deale with us as kinde and wise fathers are wont to doe with their disobedient children he will double and treble his fatherly strokes upon us untill he amends us and makes us stoope to him He hath already corrected us very sharply with all his other rods over and over and continually one or other upon our backs and most thicke of late time whence we must needs expect a more sharpe scourge to awaken and amend us than any of the former or than all of them togither And what can that be we take not upon us to divine But let every one bethinke himselfe and looke into the booke of God and he will easily see by the course of Gods former proceedings what cause we have to feare especially if the same abominations be found amongst us or rather greater than these for which the Lord threatned and brought this wofull judgement for if he spared not the naturall branches then neither will he spare us now being but wilde Olives and having so far greater light than they and other meanes to reclaime us And therefore this is our lesson in this our day and left to admonish us now as it was given first for them For other prerogatives If any can be found wherein we doe excell them they will but rather serve to increase and hasten our judgement As the Gospell for example offring more grace and power of obedience must needs more kindle the Lords wrath Because so many of us making profession of it doe yet denie the power thereof so far as that we make the very enemies to blaspheme and doe moreover proceede not onely to hate but also to scorne all who labour to bring forth the fruit of it by a holy conversation For as it is with the most gracious and munificent Princes that they will shew most severitie to such of their Subjects whom no patience nor benefits can winne but that they rather waxe more rebellious by the mercy and bountie of their Prince so we must know certainely that it is with the Lord that his mercies so abused must needs provoke him to the heaviest indignation which if it be but the removing of our candlesticke how dreadfull it is yea whether it be not far worse than any bodily plague let all the wise-hearted judge Thus much likewise for this point That no favour or priviledges can give any securitie to a sinfull people professing Gods religion if they begin to cast off his yoke and to waxe worse and worse to make his name to be blasphemed but the moe their priviledges are the greater is their sin and the more grievous their punishments shall be And secondly what causes we have hereupon to give our selves more instantly to watching and
prayer for the innumerable mercies and priviledges bestowed upon our Land on the one side and the increase of our sinnes with the tokens of Gods vengeance and our deep securitie on the other side Lest our plagues doe prove greater than the plagues of all other people as much as we seeme to have bin lifted up above most if not all others in blessings in this last and most sinfull age of the world if all our blessings temporall and spirituall be compared togither and considered aright Oh Lord at length open our eyes and then we shall so cleerly see our estate that it will not be any more needfull to cry unto us to awake to watch and to pray CHAP. VII The marking of the godly that is How Gods owne people are marked in the midst of the greatest confusions before the destructions come and what causâ—s every one hath to watch and to pray that he may be so marked Vers. 4. And set it marke on the foreheads of all that mourne IN this Commission to the marking Angell to set a marke on the foreheads of all that mourne The Lord giving such a charge to his holy Angell thus carefully to preserve his chosen from this destruction to goe thorow the Citie and set a marke upon every one of them to overpasse none and also the destroying Angels to follow after the marking Angell so as they hurt none till all the faithfull be marked he would have all to know thus much That he never casts off the care of his people no not then when all things seeme most confused in the earth And secondly when they are so mingled amongst the wicked as that they can hardly be knowne amongst themselves much lesse to the eyes of the world that yet he still tendreth them and watcheth over them continually Thirdly that he will at length make his fatherly care and watchfull providence known unto them and that by some gracious and wonderfull deliverance even in this world if it be so best for them and for his glory And lastly that they evermore must be surely marked before the destruction come The Lord hath bin very carefull to set downe this point also most clearely in every of those great destructions which are recorded in Scriptures for examples and warnings to all posteritie That hereby his owne faithfull servants may receiue comfort against the greatest afflictions that can come upon the world As first in that terrible overflowing in the generall destruction of the old world The waters came not untill Noah had first prepared and finished the Arke and also God himselfe had shut up both him and his in the same so locking and sealing up the dores with his owne hand as that all the waters rage they never so horribly and hoyse him up above the highest mountaines yet cannot hurt him And why dealeth the Lord thus carefully with Noah Thee saith he have I seene righteous before me in this generation that is I have seene they heart sincere and thy purpose and indevour ever to please me not following the course of the times but crying out of the iniquitie thereof beleeving my threatnings and preparing the Arke according to my commandement to save thy selfe and familie from the vengeance to come Secondly in that dreadfull overthrow of Sodome and Gomorrha before the fire and brimstone came upon those filthy Cities Lot must not onely be marked but also gotten forth safe from the destruction The Angels have such a charge of him as that they get him by the hand pull and hale him for haste being far more carefull for him than he is for himselfe and they never leave him till they have safe conducted him out and then bid him hie for his life get him into Zoar. They tell him plainely that the Lords care was so great for him that they can doe nothing in this destruction their hands were tyed untill he be there safe out of all the danger The reason of it also is carefully set downe by the Lord himselfe why he accounted him worthy to escape for that he was a just and righteous man grieved with the uncleane conversation of the wicked his righteous soule was vexed from day to day with all their abominable deeds Thirdly before this destruction the Lord foretold to Ieremie particularly That he would give him his life for a prey in all places wheresoever he came because of his faithfulnesse in sticking to his word and commandement and for his warning the people And so indeed it came to passe that the Lord did not onely preserve him with sundry others fearing his name but gave him also speciall favour in the eyes of the enemies who led them captives So as Nebuchadnezzar himselfe gives charge to Nebuzaradan his chiefe steward to look well to Ieremie to doe him no harme but to doe for him as himselfe would whether to goe home with them into Babylon and there to receive kindnesse or to tarry still in the land of Iudah with the people which should be left there behinde And this mercy did the Lord shew not onely unto Ieremie but unto others also that had bin kinde unto his Prophet As to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian who had spoken for Ieremie to the King of Iudah to get him out of the dungeon to whom also the Lord gave his life for a prey because he put his trust in the Lord. And Gedaliah whose father Ahikam had formerly delivered Ieremie out of danger and from the rage that was against him he is made Governour of them that remained in the Land howsoever he was trecherously slaine not long after So to Baruch in like manner who was Ieremies Scribe and had stucke so close to him in all his troubles God promiseth to give him also his life for a prey in all places wheresoever he came We have likewise the ensamples of Daniel and of his three companions called the three children unto whom besides their preservation from the common destruction in the first Captivitie of Babylon the Lord granted that extraordinarie favour both to be brought up by the King of Babylon himselfe and by his speciall appointment in all excellent learning and so far to surpasse all others as to be most meet for their singular knowledge and understanding to stand with high favour in the presence of that mightie Monarch though otherwise a cruell oppressor of the Church of God who had caried them away captive He gave unto them moreover divine testimonies of his fatherly care and protection in the presence of all his enemies in those miraculous deliverances out of the fierie furnace and from the Lions den because they did cleave so fast unto the Lord that they would not suffer themselves to be polluted with the least part or shew of the Idolatrie of the Heathen The like favour for preservation he granted to Ezechiel and sundry