seen the late inventions that men have had in all nations by fire presaging that God may by fire do more strange things the one of guns and that great slaughters suddain batteries speedy victories and mighty conquests have been made by them both by Land and Sea the other of Tobacco accounted to be as vitall to the support of the naturall life of man seeming to overpoise bread in the traffick of it which inventions our forefathers never heard of Hath man found out these fiery wayes the one for destruction and the other for preservation and cannot the great God finde out wayes by fire the one to consume his enemies Antichrist the Whore and the beast and the other to burne and consume the drosse out of his Church that they may be preserved being by it made fit Temples to eternall life Tophet is ordained for the King for that that doth exalt in the Church or in any particular minde against God He will slay those that will not he should reign over them and he will melt his own people that they may be rid of all their drosse he will consume their flesh that he may be ever with them in Spirit Reader the Lord hath manifested to me that there is nothing more that he will make war against than against the impure Saints the drossy Silver the bad coin that hath filius Dei on the outside and drosse within Would the Church visible of England did but see how they are cheated a little light varnish silvering or gilt without is nothing to the massey body of Brasse Tinn Iron and Lead within which God will melt and take away He complaineth and he will redresse his people shall not be his onely in name but as he is himself Gold and as Christ the Word is Silver What God hath accquainted me with I am to acquaint as many as love the Lord Jesus Read it in the Spirit The Fiery Change Psalm 47.6 When the Nations raged and the Kingdoms were moved God uttered his voice and the earth melted Psalm 102.13 Thou wilt arise and have mercy on Sion for the time to have mercy thereon for the appointed time is come THe State and condition of England in respect of Gods worship and service the union and communion we ought to have with him doth appear at this day like as the Church of Laodicea Rev. 3.15 which was neither fast nor loose they did neither cleave to God with all their hearts nor forsake him as the words are they were neither hot nor cold And yet there was both heat and cold confusedly luke-warm talking and speaking much of their riches gifts graces goodnesse and goods and of the late increase of the said goods But know not they are wretched miserable poore blinde and naked One of these conditions is misery enough but to be in them all not to have any sight or any feeling but to be blinde Ephes 4.19 and past feeling of their earthy defiled corrupted drossie and unrefined condition is to be lamented and deplored And so it is by Englands late Converts bewailed and bemoaned who have past through the fire and have been refined and have bought of the most pure Gold of their Maker being clothed with the Garment of Christ and have anointed their eyes with eye salve that they can see the filthinesse from which they are escaped purged and cleansed from complaining of it and discovering it Yea uncovering the Whore and making her bare taking her vaile away shewing the filthinesse of her secret parts In prosecution of which it comes to passe that there is a very great difference among men in the world Tot homines sententiae So many men so many mindes the corrupt Metal would seem to be as good as that that is refined there is both good and bad there is that that is refined and there is counterfeit This is found to be among us in England Hosea 7.8 verse 10. We are a people that are mixt we have adulterated our selves The pride of England doth testifie to their faces that they do not return to rhe Lord their God nor seek him for all this that he hath done But do live in their own wills and not submit unto his will neither have they any respect to be drawne up to a union with their God nor with his people All men having not a â—ike measure of the knowledge of him neither do all men beleeve for some have no faith therefore they can have no love to God nor to his people being carnall they are full of envying strife and divisions and walk as men not as Christians 1 Cor. 3.3 Hence it comes to passe that there is much difference in judgement and opinion in matters of religion Some walk by an absolute and perfect rule obeying the ight God shineth in them being dead to their own wills living in the will of God others are hurried and carried by the violent streame of their own wills fleshly understandings and imaginations into all manner of contradictions dissentings oppositions and dividings owning a God and a re igion too in shew but have no desire to attain to any other perfection then that which is externall to the visible sight of men fearing to bring their deeds to the true light to be tried there by it but love darknesse more then the light reviling reproaching and perâ—ecuting those that do â—o and that endeavour to walk according to the light who worship God as he ought to be worshipped inwardly in Spirit and in Truth Gen. 6.22 Yea such as walk with God as Henoch did and such as would for God and to him part with their deerest childe as Abraham did and such as walk before God 2 Kings 20.3 with a perfect heart as Hezekiah did Yea and such as now meekly wait for the appearance of the mighty God and our Lord Christ in the perfect consummation and fullfilling of those prophesies which are neer at hand to be accomplished and fulfilled to the overthrow of the Man of Sin that Antichrist and to the compleat setting up of Christ in his Kigdome The Apostles knew very well what would come to passe after their daies and therefore Saint Paul saith 2 Thes 2.8 Then shall the wicked man be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall abolish with the brightnesse of his coming Then after that great Apostacy which should first come which yet continueth 1 Pet. 4 7. Saint Peter also saith Now the end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer But above all things have fervent love for love covereth the multitiude of sins Be sober in your mindes be not drunk for drunkennesse makes men fit for any evill it makes men full of wrath forgetfull sleepy and ready to speak or do any evill it doth infatuate the understanding it weakens all the powers of man it makes him as a beast as a dead man and not
You should work out your salvation with fear and trembling 2 Cor. 13. â— but like Felix you do not care for to tremble you will hear of that another time and so put it off untill you have no time left and then your trembling shall have no end let not your religion be of that sort that hath no union or communion with God Matth. 5.13 if it be so it is like that salt that is unsavoury that is not good for any thing but for the dunghill but let your religion be that of the Saints of old that could say The Lord is my habitation When we can truly say I finde Christ liveth in me then shall we be able to draw conclusions of Gods love in all conditions either of prosperity or adversity and in it shall behold with great joy through the Crosse our dignity that we are called the sons of God then shall we finde within our selves the pure salt that preserveth us being in the flesh as naturall salt doth keep flesh from tainting so shall we be kept holy and blamelesse till the coming of the Lord. In the third place let us see how Israel is Iron and how the people of traffique Merchants men of commerce and trade their exercise being to the support of their Nation City Town or place where they dwell or inhabit are resembled to iron First Iron is a metall that is very hard and strong and is of very great use to the main businesse of the world officiating various and sundry kindes of severall services and uses Secondly it is a metal that notwithstanding its strength and serviceablenesse is subject above all metals to rust to lose not onely his beauty and colour but to lose its strength yea utterly all and its very substance changed and turned into earth This metall of iron there is no dealing with it without the fire and with the fire it is very yeelding to the bringing forth or making of any instrument tool or thing whatsoever is necessary for building fencing framing foiling securing drawing cutting hammering delving plowing and all kindes of working insomuch that there is no businesse concerning the world but there to the doing of that businesse iron and things and instruments made of iron both on the land and on the sea are attending The which doth set forth unto us the great businesse and service that the men of the world doth as in the world and to and for the love and sake of the world onely by them many great designes and enterprises are brought to passe of merchandizing and trading and commerce as also much manufactory husbandry tillage and labours wherein is seen to the outward the great providence of God in the world in disposing of all the affairs of men in their outward adventures and their more hard labours some men sitting still and living upon the adventures and labours of others and others labouring and endevouring themselves with much hardship to maintain themselves Is iron a very hard and strong metall So are the people of trade and merchandise and all other signified by iron they are hard not easily plied and bowed they are hard in their bargains dealings hirings and paying of wages they are strong for they have great substance much art and cunning and do gain great profits possessions and inheritances having the exercise of buying and selling all commodities usefull for men As the Lord doth complain against them he sets up in authority and against his Prophets so doth he complain against others of his people who were set by him and appointed in callings to furnish the Nations with things convenient for the outward necessity of man and here sayes they are iron they are as hard as iron they will not ply saith the Lord nor bow to me but are a stiff-necked people a stubborn and a gain-saying people a people that have deaf ears blinde eyes hard hearts as deaf as the deaf adder that will not hear the voice of the Charmer charm he never so wisely that walk according to the stubbornnesse of their own hearts and their rebellious wils and understandings and such Christ spake of in his time They will not come to me that they might have life and others that will not come to the feast they are set and resolved and firmly determine they will not yeeld submit and bow And as they are hard and stiff that they will yeeld no obedience to God so likewise they are hard and cruell to their brethren in their bargains and dealings especially to their poor they have no respect to equity but to great gain and herein they do use lying deceit guil over-reaching and oppression the one to the other and as the more hard iron doth cut the soft iron and makes it to be fit instruments for uses and purposes so doth the hard and cruell man he cuts his neighbour not onely in his outside but in his very inward nay to the taking of away the very marrow of his poor neighbours bones they are hard and cruell in their hiring of poor men waiting and taking all the advantages that may be to screw them and bring them to work so low that they cannot maintain themselves nor their families they are hard in paying of wages concerning the time and the place not when they most need or at the most convenient place but putting them to the worst every way to make them the more serviceable and tendable upon them Some there be that do abate the poor man of his wages or pay him in bad coin or bad commodity Thus thus do the people deal that are signified by iron and resembled to iron wherein large complaints might be made against them Again they are strong they have great substance and much art they are still gaining great profits inheritances and lands having the exercise of buying and selling God made man righteous but he hath sought out many inventions herein in the traffique merchandise and trading of the world is seen much of the wickednesse of men First man makes himself strong by owning other gods he is strong in his own might making his merchandise his trade or his calling to be as his god in it he puts his confidence and his trust more then in God I would I could not say it but true it is that the worldly man doth put his trust in his merchandise in his trade in his husbandry in his manufactory in his cunning in his craft in his deceit hence it is that some places and houses that are and have been are called houses of deceit it is a very sad thing being well considered that any man should professe himself to be a Christian and relie confide and wholly put his trust in his outward calling for the support and maintaining of his family not trusting God in the least but to wall in to himself all possible things within his own reach to his visible eye for to er e him not onely from wanting but to get
an estate and to make himâ—elf great by deceit Secondly man becomes strong when he hath attained his own desires and brought to passe his own ends Resolution to be rich being accomplished makes the heart as strong as iron for reason gives to man that if once he hath gotten he may keep what he hath gotten and so poor blinde man having gotten a substance doth glory in it and boast of it it may be not without some verball expressions of the blessing of God to him in his trade or his way that he did exercise himself in But he is strong he is able for great undertakings and to give assistance to others he is strong fearing no change no alteration he hath enough to maintain himself and his he is not beholding to any others are to him he is strong concerning the noble atchievements in bringing about great designes whereby many poor is set on work much businesse as to the livelihoods of many is generated and born out of his care and casting about in the severall undertakings of himself that it is merit sufficient for him to do so much publike good crying peace to himself in the satisfaction of his earthly minde that because of his conceived publike good he doth carrying a greater countenance then other mens businesse doth in the world he blesseth himself in his own imagination so becoms strong but not according as S. Paul saith Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Thirdly man becomes strong in his own conceit that after he hath gained an estate and is the means of much employment of others to get their living then man comes to preferment to honour and dignity to have many friends to have all men to speak well of him and to be friendly to him to afford him any service and respect to praise him and to pray for him Salomon saith The rich have many friends but the poor is hated of his neighbour the worldly rich man what can he desire more when he hath gotten that that makes him strong he needs not to fear nor to be afraid what evil can come to him he is safe he is well provided for as the word is Thus we see how worldly men rich men are of the strength of iron strong every way to their hearts desire surely these strong men may be concerned in the speech of our Saviour Luk. 11.22 when the strong man keeps the house all things are at peace but when a stronger than he cometh upon him then he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted and divideth his spoils when men come to attain besides the worldly contentments some inward peace that nothing doth disturb them disquiet them or ail them then they are strong and able in their own imagination to overthrow power to vanquish all things that shall rise up against them Even then in the height of all this there is sorrow in the midst of laughter weaknesse in the midst of strength There is an over-ruling power and strength that sees the folly and madnesse of men to think themselves strong and wise and rich when they are weak foolish and poor for God will blast all the strength of men and they shall know that the Lord is onely strong Again as iron is a metall of great use much strength so it is a metall that is very subject to rust and to come to earth again Iron is a metall that will not mix with other metals yet it may be gilded silver'd and tinn'd workmen do make many sundry sorts of things of iron the which is gilded and silver'd and tinn'd That iron which is gilded doth set out to us those worldly people men of the world that are very high in profession and in seeming practice as if they were the very sons of God and of these men now there is the greatest talk and the greatest stir and the greatest plague will fall upon them for they are not as the threescore queens that Salomon in the Canticles speaks of but as the fourâ—core Concubines they are in shew such as are married to the Lord that are espoused to him but in truth they love other gods besides therefore they are iron for its strength and as gilded iron in re pect of their exceeding fair shew among men I would our Nation had but a few of these lesse than fourscore but I fear there are thousands speaking according to the capacity of men Would there were not thousands of them among the Presbyterians But what shall I name them may not there be some among the Independants among the baptized Churches and among the people called Quakers these people compared to gilded iron are not to be found otherwhere for they have protested against the common Protestant and Episcopalist besides all other religions of that sort O wo wo wo from the Lord against all such that have such costly and golden coverings and meer iron within that seem above other professours and practisers not onely to be changed but to be angelized not onely to be civilized but to be as it were deified These these are hypocrites with a witnesse which the Lord is now shewing to the world he is uncovering and taking away their gilt and they shall shew and appear what their inside is These are the worst of all men like to the Devil that can transform himself into an Angel of light of these I will say no more but what is said of them Heb. 10.26 For if we sin willingly after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin but a fearfull looking for of judgement and violent fire which shall devour the adversary Heb. 6.4 6 7 c. Again Heb. 6.4 there are terrible things for the Apostate Again that iron which is silver'd are another sort of professours in the world who are not upon so high a strain as the other but yet they are not according to their shew they are as Martha was that was cumbered with much businesse but Mary had chosen the better part which shall never be taken away the gold and the silver that is as a covering to iron shall by means of lying on the iron wear away for the iron will shew it self and break thorow its covering These sorts of people are a worldly people but yet they are full of the Word in their mouths alwayes talking of God his word and of religion but they have not the power of it in their hearts they are onely in shew for these do persecute people that live in the power and life of what they do professe which doth manifest by that that they are enemies to the Crosse of Christ To be Silver without and Iron within is much like to that foolish builder not building his house on a Rock but on the Sands when the windes came and the rain fell it blasted not onely the glory of the profession but the very house it selfe fell for
being of drossy earthy substances and qualities that are not fit for his service that will be served with Gold and Silver how then can these metalls be melted and purified and be made fit vessels for the Lord They cannot melt themselves neither is it in the power of one to melt another no more can man be humbled mollified or be made capable tractable or vertible of himself by himself or by any other man bur onely by the Lord himself who saith I will melt them Behold then I say the goodnesse mercy and love of God that doth such great things for us as to melt us himself we are still in his hands we cannot do amisse no hurt shall come to us we have his presence his love his bounty although in the Furnace he owns us he will not depart from us what greater love then this to be with us when we have most need when we have the bitter cup presented to us then then is our sanctification neer then the Lord is making of us like to Himself and like to his Word to be righteous as he is righteous pure as he is pure Therefore those that have gone through this fire and have been melted humbled broken and refined sound fort the praises of God and declare as David did what the Lord hath done for your soules how he hath severed and separated you from the world and hath made you fit to have fellowship with the Father and with the Son which is a mystery to the World 1 John 1.3 and to those that have not past from death to life that have not past through the fire and known the indignation of the Lord but liveth in the vanity of their mindes serving their lusts cohering to the corrupt formes fashions and customes of the world which have no life in them but have the issues of death proceeding from a raw earthy drossy unmelted and unpurified root holding and continuing in it self no true peace nor joy but what nature or art hath Let the people who have been dead and are now alive that were darknesse and are now light in the Lord that are made conformable to the Death and Resurrection of Christ being dead to all sin and alive to all Grace who love not the world nor the things of the world but have attained the Kingdom of Grace Love Joy and Peace and have communion with their God have a reciprocall and correspondent love to God and to their brethren and eccho back everlasting thanks and praises to their God who hath freely communicated of himself unto them and hath made them as kings and priests who have not onely the fruits and effects of peace but peace it self Heb. 7.2 Ephes 2.14 Col. 1.27 for Christ in them the hope of glory he is their eternall Peace and their everlasting Light which proceeded from that fire in which they were melted and purified which hath consumed in them all their drosse and all manner of carnall lust concupiscence and self wisdom all righteousnesse invention and imagination that was in the will and carnall minde that led them into errour imitation and separation from the pure truth that comes from God the Fountain of all Truth and the very essence of all true religion and of all righteous living being derived from him and to be yeelded up to him with a pure conscience being divided and severed from the world which savours not of the things of God Eighthly and lastly The end They shall know that the Lord hath done it in his wrath in his indignation What my people Israel are they such abominable sinners as to commit such grosse sins blood-shed idolatry oppression disobedience uncharitablenesse covetousnesse and fornication I have great indignation against my people for these their great sins you may think that you are still in my favour and because your secret hiding of your sins makes the lesse cry among men you think by my silence that I am like unto you But I will reprove you and set your sins in order before you Psal 50.21 you shall know that I am angry and wrathfull against you you may apprehend in your carnall wisdoms and understandings that I still love you but you shall feel my fury I will melt you and then you shall know wherefore because you transgressed against me The Lord in the sixteenth of Ezekiel speaks much of his people how they were and what he did for them Ezek. 16. and what their behaviour was vers 48. As I live saith the Lord God Sodom thy sister hath not done neither she nor her daughters as thou hast done and thy daughters After many threats and menaces the Lord still owns them and in vers 62. saith that he will establish his covenant with them and they shall know that he is the Lord. The Lord here doth tell them that when he hath melted them they shall know that it is the Lord hath done it in his wrath they shall not say This fiery change came upon them by chance or fortune or out of the dust or by the transactions of differences that is among the Nations of the world or through the envie and malice of men against them and so blame the instruments as the ignorant world doth but they shall know that it is he that doth it and by the power of his arm and in his wrath See here and take notice of Gods love and mercy in the midst of judgement although he be angry and full of wrath yet he will not destroy his people in the midst of judgement he remembereth mercy Psal 83.3 that what he doth bring upon them is to change them not to confound them it is to purifie not to consume them it is that they may know the Lord as in many places in Isaiah Jeremiah and Ezekiel of their prophecies you shall find that after judgements denounced it is said And they shall know that I am the Lord. The knowledge of God is that that the world is not acquainted with although they talk much of it they have none of it Hos 4.1 God complains by his Prophet Hosea that there was no knowledge of him in the Land and that his people were destroyed for want of knowledge vers 6. We are Heathens by nature and by profession we declare it for we professe outwardly what is not inwardly It is the inward living the life of grace that makes us Christians to be ingrafted into Christ truly to be as the branches to the Vine to have experience of Gods mercy and love to us to know God by our acquaintance and fellowship with him is to know him aright as Christians not as the world that sayes they are Christians and know God no otherwise but as a dreadfull Judge by the flashings that they have in their mindes living in disobedience to the light and every thing that they do in profession is heavie irksome and burdensome to them they worship God because of his great power
there shall be no more of of noisome and infectious air but an air 1 Thes 4.17 like that Saint Paul speaketh of or the same where wee shall meet the Lord and ever bee with him The earth also shall be made pure Rev. 21.2 for it shall be made new there shall be a new earth all the actions commerce converse that is in the world that were corrupted through deceit oppression and cruelty shall all be burnt up and there shall be a clear and a pure converse and commerce without fraud covetousnesse or guile equity and honesty shall then be exercised according to the Christian rule to do as others should do unto us the waters shall no more remain there shall be no more Sea all the waters shall be dried up by the fire of the Lord Rev. 21.1 Esa 11.6.7 Acts 3.19 there shall be no more poore and oppressed by the rich the Lion shall lie down with the Lambe and our refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Again Saint Peter saith in the forenamed chapter that the heavens shall passe away that the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and further saith Ver. 10. ver 12. ves 13. We look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Many heretofore and some now doe from this Scripture tell the people of the finall end and dissolution of the whole world for ever But Christ saith To you it is given to know the mysteries or secrets of the the Kingdom And the Prophet Amos chapter the third Matth. 13.11 and the seventh saith surely the Lord will do nothing but he revealeth his secrets to his servants the Prophets It cannot be then so understood as our common Expositors have concluded but it must be truly and cleerly taken for the fiery change that shall be by the anger and wrath of God upon the world which shall dissolve the Heavens That is the religions that are in the world for Religion is as Heaven by it we do converse with God and commune with him and it hath been from the beginning that the people of God have had a way to draw neer to God by religious worship and services of him But so it is come to passe that the man of sin that is sin deceiving man and Satans temptations prevailing with man hath so corruptly and so confusedly so hypocritically so adulterately worshipped and obeyed God in the outward forme in the shew in the history with the lip onely in the outward man by and in the will of man That the Spouse is become an Harlot Man is become a beast and that body which the now-religion boasteth that it is Christ is Antichrist This heaven wherein the sons of men do solace themselves this strong City this fenced Jerusalem This mountain which they trust unto plead and fight for This heaven where righteousnesse dwelleth not that is but the huske the shell the sheath the outside the carkasse where the inward man is prisoned captivated and imbondaged and suffereth This heaven which is counterfeit full of drosse falshood lies whoredoms witchcrafts abominations mockings and persecutions This heaven shall passe away with a noise This heaven shall be dissolved This is the great wonder of the world at this time that the heavens shall melt that the earth shall quake that the stars shall fall But he that hath eyes to see seeth it now plainly for the sixt seal is opened and it doth manifestly appear Rev. 6.12 that the change now is begun mens confidences are slaying Babylon is besieged Antichrist is discovered persecution increased the iniquity of the Whore revealed her secrets uncovered and the man of sin dismantled upon which there is arisen a great war between Michael and the Dragon in this heaven they are both within the limits of heaven a strange thing that the Dragon the great old Serpent called the Devil and Satan should have his abode in heaven and claim a right there and now fighteth against that power of M chael Rev. 12. to maintain keep up and to continue this heaven which is designed to passe away and to be dissolved Yet so it is This heaven must passe away this corrupted simulate and drossy religion must fade Luke 16.17 Mat. 5.18 Rev. 6.14 Esa 66.22 Rev. 21.1 the Dragon shall be overcome there will be a new heaven and a new earth which shall continue and remain for ever that God himself will make which John saw wherein there is no visible temple but the Lord God and the Lambe are the temple thereof where righteousnesse dwelleth and abideth for ever Not as the old heaven that yet continueth which is full of ceremonies ordinances humane institutions and injunctions which hath caused much confusion contentions and intanglements the Nations being in controversie how it shall go every one thinking his own way to be right and that he shall have the conquest at last exercising themselves in the corrupt and infatuated matter proceeding from the four elements within them of pride malice covetousnesse and murmuring awaking and stirring up the wrath and fiery indignation of the Lord to the bringing of sore sad heavie and lamentable tribulation by which and through which tribulation the Lord will make known the great mysteries of the Kingdome that lyeth now hidden vailed and unrevealed that men shall know the Lord even in nature in which knowledge the stranger and the Heathens shall be converted and turne to the Lord as Christians and all Art cuning skill humane learning formes customes and inventions of men shall be clean dispelled and God alone shall be all in all That which hath been said concerning metals let it be seriously considered How the Almighty God doth set out the condition of his people by metalls and declareth his purpose concerning them as by the comparison of metalls is largely discoursed how he will melt them in all manner of their conditions degrees and qualities and not onely so but he will melt the Elements the Heavens also shall be dissolved the Earth and all the works therein shall be burnt let it then be considered as in the forenamed Epistle of Peter what manner of persons ought we to be To this inquiry he doth advise That our conversation should be holy and God-like that we may be found when the Lord cometh without spot and blamelesse having peace within us To this end is the Prophesies the sayings of Christ and his Apostles 2 Pet. 3. that we might be betttered and amended The disease then being discovered and the cause of it there remaineth now the remedy to be applied First then to the men of power signified by brasse Let it be said to them from the Lord although they may think well of themselves they are drosse and they are Brasse Hag. 1.7 8. Consider in your mindes you great ones God will be glorified by you you are his servants and his work you must do you are not to act any
thing in and according to your own wills neither to and for your own ends you are not to look to the glory and fame of your callings and places but to have respect unto the glory of God above all as the Prophet Micha speaketh you should do justly Mica 6.8 love mercy and walk humbly with God Justice mercy should be exercised after the most perfect patern of God himself for God saith Be holy as I am holy perfect as your Hevenly Father is perfect the justice dispensed by men on earth Matth. 5.48 should be suteable to the justice and judgement of God answering to his holinesse and to his righteousnesse and that not in some things as do the Heathens but in all things whatsoever and that exactly and compleatly that the will of God may be done on Earth as it is done in Heaven In this deportment the wise and faithfull that are in authority do manifest themselves to be the children of God their Father when that among all the prunings Matth. 5.9 and loppings of injustice the equitable and cleer reducement stands consistent with the most free single and perfect righteousnesse of the most Holy God And as God requireth justice so doth he require also mercy mercy to the poor that are oppressed wronged and trampled on Justice and Mercy must go together it is justice to punish the offender and oppressour Psalm 101.1 and it is mercy to relieve the poor and the innocent It is the counsell of Christ Be mercifull as your Heavenly Father is mercifull and there is a blessing pronounced to them that are mercifull full of mercy Matth. 5.7 Again men of power should walke humbly with God men that do walk humbly as they ought to do do walk with God as Noah did the Lord he will dwell with the humble man he giveth grace to the humble and resisteth the proud Pride hath been much among men of power some have smarted 1 Pet. 5.5 for their pride as our late times can testifie and through that and by that means the powers are some way refined the taking away of the Ecclesiasticall power is a great signe that God intendeth good unto us and it should cause the opposites derived from them to be humbled Let men of power consider how the Lord for the pride of Nebuchadnezzar dealt by him taking from him his reason making him to feed as the beasts They may also look back to the times that we have known of late how were the powers of this Nation shaken and shivered yea broken to peeces that when they thought to make a greater addition to tyranny and oppression they became powerlesse What were thoâ—e that were in authority or how were they set up was is not more because of their wealth then of their grace or because of their sinister relations then their qualifications more that they might act and do the will of man then to do according to Gods will Hath God begun to refine the powers have we seen some amendment Doubtlesse God will proceed For he will have those to rule that are God-like that are as Himself is he wil be the Shepherd of his sheep he wil correct them with his rod and bear them up with his staffe he will have no cruelty exercised on his nor partiality on the evill doers but the Judges and the Arbiters shall deal justly and impartially in dubious matters Most strange effects of Gods providence in this Nation is to be taken notice of how hath God begun among us as it were were with a besome to sweep away all adverse power in the great mutation of Governours and of Government laying aside some persons and powers Psalm 23. and deposing of them who thought themselves on a sure foundation and setting up others that never thought of being capable of it being of mean discent Luke 1.43 Surely this cannot but shew unto us that the Decree of God is gone forth to overturn all Nations Kingdoms Kings Governours and Rulers of the earth untill they be wise and learned in the the fear of their God and are willing to kisse the Son Psal 2. to embrace the Lord Christ the chief Head of all kingdoms and do yeeld up themselves their greatnesse lawes interest and affaires into perfect subjection and conformity to the most absolute and perfect power of Christ and to rule men no further nor no otherwise then as they are the servants of Christ their Lord Thus God will have his people that rule over others under himself when they are melted to be such as shall curb the evill doers and to defend preserve sustain maintain and uphold them that do well Truth and right government according to the perfect Law of God is most serviceable in its place and it cannot be performed rightly but by such as fear God and hate covetousnesse that are impartiall God that hath by the spirit of burning burnt and consumed the fleshly minde and will of Governours causeth them to act ac-according to his own will and for his glory being led by his Holy Spirit into all wisdom endeavouring to please him not winking at any deceit for carnall ends but administring and distributing true justice for Gods sake saving the innocent and punishing the nocent giving forth according to Gods will and not according to their own without respect of persons but for conscience sake to do the thing that is right and as becomes men given wholly up to serve and obey the living God 1 Cor. 6.1 Matth. 19.28 Let the Arbiters they that were of old called so now the Lawyers of our times learn to dread the Lord and not to scrue and wrest the proposalls made to them of peace into a long contrived debate to enrich themselves by others ruine and clothe themselves by the nakednesse of others It is an office for Saints and not for the covetous and cruell there will be a time in the new Jerusalem that the Saints shall judge the earth they shall give the Law forth from the Spirit of the Lord for the Evangelicall Righteousnesse shall comprehend more then the the Morall the love of the Father shall be in the Arbitrer and he shall administer judiciously equally and impartially which shall cast out the oppressour and restore again the prey taken from the spoiled and be in that love and meeknesse as becommeth a Saint doing no wrong Secondly Those that are called by the will of man to teach and to instruct men let them consider what they are and how they are to be qualified it is not for them to be as Tin to have the likenesse of the better metals and to adulterate with all mean metals it is not sufficient for them to have an artificiall humane pregnant and Scholastique manner of delivering speeches and sermons and with it set forms of prayer but they must have the theory within them that is such a testimony that their spirits can bear witnesse within them
judgement Look to this O ye Teachers of men your case is so that God hath found you great enemies to the most pure light and truth that floweth from himself Mal. 3. and as in the third chapter of the same Prophet being the next words hear there your doom God will try you Judgement beginneth at the house of God among the righteous among them that are full that are rich 1 Pet. 4.17 18. that are wise Oh that this sort of people could see but their unrighteousnesse their emptinesse their poverty and their folly until men come to see that they are so Joh. 3.39 Isa 29.18 19. they are not happy the blinde onely shall see and the deaf onely shall hear and he that is hungry shall be satisfied for the Lord hath sealed the book that he that can read cannot open it and he that can read will not meddle with it Isa 29.11 12. but persecute it witnesse the late times since that the hidden mysteries that John saw hath been opened which the Teachers of our times yeelded themselves willingly to be blinde unto 2 Pet. 3.5 how is it like to be persecuted further Is the rise of their persecution because that some illiterate men speak accounted not worthy in their esteem to meddle with such things Rev. 18.7 16. Or is it because that Babel the seat of the Whore with all her ornaments shall be destroyed Or is it because divine merchandising shall have an utter end Saint Paul did intimate in his Epistle to the Corinthians that there were some 2 Cor. 2.17 but he and the rest of the Apostles were no such that did make merchandise of the Word Tremble then all you that are Teachers that say you are Apostles and are not Rev. 2.2 that would be canonized for Saints here and have not yet bowed to the Scepter of the Lord Christ that have onely tasted of the little book which is sweet in the mouth Emanuel God with us but have not eaten it up Rev. 10.9 c. Rev. 21.8 because of its bitternesse in the belly that are fearfull of losing the glorious things of the world if they should embrace Christ really loving such a religion and profession that agreeth with the conditions of the great men driving still at those that would separate worldly same pomp ease and wealth from the inward 1 Joh. 2.15 invisible and spirituall worship of God which cannot stand together joyning the humane and corrupt ordinances and will-worship with the inward worship of God in spirit limiting the holy One to their traditionall service Learn to know that the Almighty hath power to change all things at his own will and pleasure yea the very Heavens which is the Church and the religion we live and converse with God in and that there shall not such adulteries and fornications be committed among his people and in his house there shall be no more inticers to love the strange woman Prov. 7. who hath all comelinesse and excellent entertainment to the satisfaction of the desires of the flesh There is other discoveries made and they who are the sons of Levi that wait at the Altar must be changed and not cry Templum Domini not the temple of the Lord because once it was so and now it hath not the Spirits presence to say all one words but they must cry Dominus in templo Rev. 21.3 Rev. 3.20 The Lord in his temple the Lord is now coming to dwell he standeth at the door and knocketh Observe with a discerning eye whether it be not in vain for the Teachers of the world to go about to uphold that which God hath designed down if Antichrist shall fall it will not be in part but in the whole the stars shall fall therefore envie not and despise not the small beginnings neither trample on any springing up that is of the Lords planting for it may prosper the better Contend not neither fight against them unto whom the Lord hath made great discoveries of Christ his coming forth in the glory of God censuring reproaching and persecuting those doctrines that you are not able to comprehend as the devout women did and the chief men did against Paul and Barnabas Acts 13 5â— such are the great opposers of pure truth that live in the profession of truth and teach others carried out with a zeal kindled from the outward letter endevouring to open the mysteries by and with their outward gifts which cannot be But in stead of opening Heaven they open Hell having the key of the bottomlesse pit stirring up contentions and strifes rather manifesting themselves to be the apostles of Gods anger and infliction then the peace-exercising and teaching Apostles of Christ were Shew forth your Evangelicall fruits you that stile your selves so let your love your patience meeknesse righteousnesse and long-suffering appear in your behaviour towards all men and your rendering good for evil blessing for cursing praying for persecuting Behold and see ye Teachers of the world whether there hath not been and now is amongst you such which have been as you say called to the function and place of the Ministery vile and vicious persons A great grief it hath been to many souls who have received somewhat from God Mills Flavell Wells by the conscientious and right dividers to see such covetous proud oppressing drunken idle lying vain incontinent persons to stand up to speak as if sent from God striking terrour amazement to the poor tender hearted hearer being ignorant of God that such as are reprovers of evill should be examples of committing evill This blessed be the Lord is taken notice of by our Governours and there is a beginning in some places of the Nation to call such to the barre and to try them for those grosse evils and there is hope that they being taken in hand for their open wickednesse others that live in the secret shall also be detected it is manifest that God is coming forth to refine and purifie all Thirdly to the men of Trafficke Merchants and others that by their commerce are as the earth to support and bear up and yeeld sufficiency to others through the exercise of their worldly imploiments Let them learn here to know God as he is and to know themselves what they are for God is the chiefest good there is no happines in the enjoyment of any thing without God al things created by him having not their use for to his glory are abused and become as so many hinderances and let ts unto us in the way to life Ester 1.5 They are all vanity there is no worth in them all the world and the things therein are not worth one soul Luke 16.1 and as for themselves let them know that they are but as stewards which must give an account 1 Tim. 6.17 of their stewardship and they are not to put their trust in uncertain riches nor to