c. And this in a Land of Vision and after the hand of God hath been eminently lifted up against them When a people return to Idolatry and Antichristian abominations when Jesus Christ hath begun to reform a Nation as in the dayes of Manasseh When such a generation do declare their sin as Sodom Isa 5. When abominable uncleanness excess and riot and all manner of villany is acted as at noon-day When they persecute the Prophets and Messengers of the Lord that they may not speak unto the people 2 Chron. 36. 16. But take away the Key of Knowledge Luke 17. with Mat. 23. forbidding the servants of Christ to speak unto the people that they may fill up their sin alwayes and wrath come upon them to the utmost 1 Thess 2. 15 16 which the Spirit of God gives as a Character of a people filling up their measure When a generation shall doingly blaspheme the Spirit of the Lord Iesus calling it an unclean Spirit Matt. 12. 24. 31. as the Pharisees at that day call'd the Spirit by which Jesus Christ did preach and pray and wrought all his works an unclean Spirit when in their ordinary language they invoke their damnation and set their mouths against the Heavens and the Spirit and Holinesse and Saints becomes their by-word and their song and entitle Satan to all the glorious works of Christ in Conversion and call it all Delusion and Fanaticism when they oppress persecute and worse the Saints and Servants of the Lord filling Prisons with them when they set themselves in the Throne of the Lord and will be Lords in the Conscience and make the Sons of Zion as the filth of the Earth and all this after the Lord hath been pleading his Controversie with them in very stupendious Dispensation and by their hour of prosperity they are but hardened in their way and say they are delivered to all their abominations that is certainly a Generation of God's wrath Now among such a generation the Lord calls his people to retirment into their Chambers till his wrath come upon the wicked to the utmost and he wil put in his sickle reap down their abominations and none shall save them 4. The Lord calls to retirement that they may deal with him by faith and prayer in their secret corners and may wait for his teachings c. as may further be opened in the close of this Discourse And thus we have endeavoured to cleare the point That Jesus Christ calls his Followers from off the publike Stage into a more retired condition when and why he doth it I shall come to some useful conclusions and so answer the objections and dis-satisfactions of any that lye against it 1. If Jesus Christ doth sometimes in his providential Dispensations call off his people to retirement puts them as into the holes of the Rock then it wil follow that one Dispensation calls for that which another doth not the Lord calls for that at one time which he doth not at another sometimes to a more open appearing in their publike services and actings for him and administrations of worship and prophesying sometimes to a more open exposing to sufferings and at another time the Word of the Lord is Enter into thy Chambers c. shut thy doors about thee So what hath been a duty for Saints in one day hath not been so expresly I mean the main generation of them a duty at another especially in the later dispensations of the Lord towards the giving up of the Kingdom of the Beast when the Lords controversion is now and of his Kingdome hath been with a high hand carrying on as hath been shewed In such a day the Lamb marcheth against his Enemies and then reâ—reats and sounds a Retreat to his called Ones sometimes he faceth the beast and then withdraws and drinks of the Brook in the way he coucheth like a Lyon and then anon riseth up to pursue the prey Here is the wisdom of the Saints here is following the Lamb this is to see his footsteps to walk after them 2. Let it be therefore for an humble enquiry at least to all that are sober to weigh what hath been hinted and to consider if this be not the Word of the Lord at this day whether Jesus Christ hath not sounded a retreat whether he doth not call off from publike Prophesying and more publike Administrations though the wickedness of men be instrumentally in it yea whether the Testimony be not slain and lyes dead and that all the Characters of it have a visible accomplishment at this day a Testimony finished Rev. 11. 7. to all the Offices of Jesus Christ and of his Kingdom in the world in all the concernments of it and against the whole Mysterie of Iniquity and of the Kingdom of the Beast and that especially in this part of the world where the Spirit is given forth And when we had been looking for the fulfilling hereof lo a Death upon the whole and the Witnesses lye as dead in all the parts of the world let the place be named where an open testimony against all the abominations of the Beast against all their National wickednesses and a testimony for the Lord Jesus in the whole of his Kingdom as King of Saints and Nations will be born though some Gospel truths will be born and are practised among them Yea what a strange healing up hath there been in all the Nations of Europe among all the ten horns a General Peace in the Kingdom of the Beast not a Horn or Nation that wars against Babylon not a hand lifted up against her in a way of War to hate her and make her desolate but all preparations from the North and the West husht up levelled and laid dead when a few years since the Nations were all in a flame as if the last distress had been upon them But lo a healing up a stilness and the proud Whore sits as a Queen glorifying her self that she shall see no sorrow which she feared before and shall not be a Widâ—w nor be made desolate Which healing Peace among the horns is implyed in their sending gifts by their Embassadors one to another Rev. 11. 10. because the People and Spirit which they most feared is laid dead the prophesying of ruine to the hastening upon the Beast and wrath upon the Nations seems to have been but a fancy and to come to nought for behold their prayers witnessings prophesyings Armies every where in the whole street of the City are come to nought Is not this the triumph of the Nations at this day and of the Beast Such as state the last slaughter of the witnesses to be already past namely about the year 1558. when that general blow was given to the Protestant Interest in Germany and other Nations and by the Marian Persecution in this Nation have sufficient confutation by what hath since fallen out in several Nations in the persecuting and slaying of the Witnesses in
6 Though in this case also 't is not easie to lay down the uâ—most extent of duty sometimes the Witnesses of Christ have â—â—eely and openly upon their convention and examination without any proof against them witnesâ—ed to the whole tâ—uth and maâ—â—er of Fact as carryed â—orth 't is to be charitably judged by the Spirit of the Lord thereto as in Stephens case and Peter's Acts 3. Others have kept silence and held their persecutors to proof of matter of Fact against them yet so as they would not deny the Truth which is a Testimony to it Now such a witness-bearing before the Judicatories of men as the Spirit of the Lord carries forth our spirits is another way of having the Testimony of Jesus Christ Now if the Lord help this generation of his people to be faithful to their Light in these particulars they shall be found the Lambs followers keeping the Commandments of God and the Testimony of Jesus But for any to judge that nothing else is a finishing a faithful testimony but for the servants of Christ to put themselves into the mouths of those whom they know wait to devour them and have laid a snare for them and that such are unâ—aithful or fearful or worse that think iâ— not their duty certainly when good â—ouls are come to themselves and shall particuâ—â—â—ly know and weigh the cases of the Lord 's poor servants without which 't is unreasonable to judge we shall all have a tender hearted forbearance one of another as that case requires Obj. 2. But was not this the practice of the Apostles Acts 4. when commmanded not to preach any more in the Name of the Lord Jesus they answered They â—ught to obey God rather than men Ans 1. I humbly conceive that the servants of God at this day if they were in the like manner called before Magistrates and were charged by them as the Apostles were namely Not to preach at all nor to teach in the Name of Jesus for so it was they would answer as the Apostles did would continue preaching where the providence of God opened a way to them as they did 2 We do not find it exprest that Peter and John preached openly in the Temple after that though they witnessed and preached elsewhere until the Angel of the Lord opened the Prison doors and commanded them to go and speak in the Temple Acts 5. 3. The Apostles having an extraordinary Annointing were to witness to all Nations that they had seen the Lord and that he was risen from the dead which is not the case of every particular Minister They went and preach't by the special dictate of the holy Spirit in one place and not in another 't is not so with ordinary Preachers And the same Spirit that led them forth sometimes to expose themselves to hazards at another time led them to withdraw from danger as hath been shewed Besides it doth not appear that there was any more than a meer prohibition not to preach to Peter and John by the Council of the Iews without any penalty of imprisonment or banishment expressed 3. Obj. Is not there a strict command that the Professors of Christ should not forsake the assembling themselves together Heb. 10. Ans Let it be considered what forsaking of assembling this was It was the departing from all Christian worship and fellowship a casting off their pâ—ofession as ver 23. Let us hold fast our profession such a forsaking as was a leading to an Apostacy as is clear in the following verses For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth c. which is annexed as a reason of not forsaking their assembling this will not be judged the present case 2. Saints therefore do not forsake their assembling in that sence while they hold fast their profession and labour to keep up worship in a more private way where they may likely assemble more peaceably and with less distraction for so those Hebrews did and all the Churches as hath been shewed Meeting is a duty but meeting openly is an accidental thing 4. Obj. But how are the servants of Christ consistent to their own Doctrine who press others to be partakers of the sufferings of Christ and would prepare them for it when they do not expose themselves to the utmost Ans There may be a prodigal casting away of liberty or life as well as a giving them up upon the Call of God 'T is certain that 't is a duty to offer up every Isaac to the Lord when he Calls for it but we must see our Call to be clear we should through grace be ready rather to suffer the loss of all things then to deny the truth and to follow the providential leadings of God thereto But that 't is our duty and call from the Lord to continue publikely witnessiâ—g and to expose our selves to the utmost hazards rather then give place though we know the snare is laid for us and we in all likelihood put an end to our Work in so doing is not yet proved to our Consciences from any Word of God but indeed the contrary is cleare to them If it be said that the judgement of some Saints is a Call herein I answer That the Judgement of many more may be put in the ballance against them who judge otherwise which may have as great or it may be a greater weight with them Obj. 5. But did not Daniel worship openly notwithstanding the Decree Dan. 6. Ans Whatever is said to the contrary it will easily appear that the prohibition and Decree was that Daniel should not pray unto his God at all as v. 7. That whosoever shall ask a Petition of any God or man for thirty dayes save of thee Oh King c. Not that Daniel and the Jews should not pray towards Jerusalem So that the Decree concerned natural moral Worship and not positive instituted Worship which may sometimes be dispensed with 2. Daniel in this case had an extraordinary Annointing upon him as a Prophet which carried him forth in this particular which in every circumstance is not to be made a standing Rule Besides we do not hear of such an open appearing of the rest of the people of God then in Babylon And let it be seriously considered that sometimes God hath indulged his people in the matter of positive Institutions as the Israelites in Egypt who were obliged to sacrificing if they could have had liberty but we do not find it practised while they were in Egypt So of Circumcision in the Wilderness there was an indulgence of it and that rolling away the reproach of Egypt mentioned at their circumcision Josh 5. 9. was not the reproach as some learned Interpreters judge of not being circumcised but of not being brought for so many years into the promised Land which 't is like the Egyp ians reproached Israel with So the Building of the Temple which was Institution ceased Ezâ—a 4. last upon the
testimony they have given forth through the same grace upon them and chuse the greatest of sufferings rather then defile themselves and continue edifying of the Saints and Churches of God in a more private way as they have opportunity I humbly judge they shal be accepted with the Lord as his faithful witnesses and be just fied in the consciences of all serious people especially when the issue of this dispensation shall be made manifest And thus have we stated this case we hope according to Scripture light and leave it with the Lord to make it a blessing to any of his But what doth the Lord call for by way of duty of all his people in a time of retiremeâ—â— 1. To spâ—ak often one to another Mal. 3. It was a time when there was hardly a Priest to speak publickly to them but such as corrupted â—he worship of the Lord Then they that feared the Lord spake often oâ—e to anoâ—her anâ— the Lord bearkened and heaâ—d it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that seâ—red the Lord and that thought upon his Name They had great thoughts of heart for the Name of their God and they spake no doubt of his dispensation and of the signs of the times and what he call'd for to strengthen settle and comfort one another this is the practice Saints should be serious and conscientious and often in in such a day and so keep up the practice of Ordinances among them 2. To bee found as the mournâ—rs of Zâ—on In the day of Zions breach and Captivity the promise of mercy runs to her mâ—urnâ—rs to the humble and contrite ones Isa 57. 15. 18. with those hee will dwell those hee will revive and heal Hee wiâ—l not câ—ntend always lest their spirit fail but will restore comfort to the mâ—uâ—ners So â—saiah Chap. 61 ver 2 3. And Chapter 60 vers 10. This was Jeremiahs spirit In that day Jeremiah 14 ver 17. let mine eyes run down with tears and let thâ—m not cease for the Virgins Daughter of my pâ—ople is broken with a great breach with a very grievous â—lâ—w Oh that the Lord would give down this Spirit upon his people as we would call for a Spirit of Bravery and Courage which in its season is honorable and hath appeared upon many of the Ministers of Christ so let us call upon one another for this Spirit also to be found mourning apart and together in our retirements for the abominations and blasphemies of the land for our former un profitableness unholiness security formality hypocrisie pride of life divisions frowardness back shdings breach of Vows and Covenants with the Lord self-seekings in the management of the precious cause of the Lord Jesus which now lieth as crucified Oh! do we mourn over it as wel as talk of it 3. Jesus Christ calls to heart-searching In such a day is every one to be retiring into their own hearts and finding out the plague of them Lam. 3. 40. In the day of their captivity then saith the Prophet let us search and try our ways c. Then is every one to be awakening his own heart every soul attending to a renewed repentance and humility to renewed mortification in the spirit that it may be as a day of a new conversion upon all our spirits 4. In such a day Jesus Christ calls his to uniting that we get all our prejudices to be removed and healed though under different measures of light as we are upon the enquiry of our way to Zion after the long night of Antichristian darkness we have many stones in our way and much remaining darkness upon our spirits and the Lord gives out light gradually to his people in the Churches restoration which calls for a mutual forbearance from all that would see the beauty of Zion and press after it and not imposing one upon another much less devouring one another by the way Ah! when our spirits are more melted by the Gospel and we are more in the spirit of the Gospel it shall be so then shall wee know one another as Saints and upon that account have Communion together and not bee bound up to any Form and make it a Law of Communion which is indeed no better then a dreg of christiaâ—ism upon our spirits Union with the Lord Jesus is the ground of fellowship with him and loâ—t shâ—uld be one with another 1. Joh. 1 3 Let us all contend together for the great interest of the â—ospel power of Godliness purity of Worshâ—p as as the great and common interest of all that fear the Lord. 5. In retiring times the Lord calls to much secret duty especially of prayer Cant. 2. 14. Oh my Dove that art in the clefts of the rock c. Jesus Christ behold his Dove in the clifts of the Rock in her retirement as hid from the wrath of her Enemies and there she mourns in a Dove â—ike spirit and the Lord delights to see her face and hear her voice Some have more fully heard what great things single Saints have â—one in prayer for the people of God how they have prevailed with God as Jâ—cob Moses Joshua Samuel David Elijah Isaiah Jeremiah Daniel c. in their several generations who were men of like passions with us Let me alone saith the Lord to one Moses Every praying soul should be so awakened and engaged in this Work at this day as if the whole lay upon his or her shoulders as if his cryes even alone were to prevail for Zion's deliverance Oh my dear Companions in the Kingdome and Patience of Jeius Christ cry mightily and sigh with â—itrerness and unutterable groans pour out your souls as water before the Lord because of the sinne and breach of the people of your God Oh cry for Healing for Zion cry for your Bread those precious Gospelfeedings of which you are bereft cry against Babylon and the Horns that are pouring ouâ— the blood of your Brethren Cry â—or the ruine of the Beasts Kingdom and the exaltation of the Throne of Jesus Christ in the world 'T is said Dan. 7. 13. One like the Son of Man came to the Ancient of Dayes and they brought him near before him Saints by Faith and Prayer do bring the Son of Man near before the Father And then there was given him Dominion Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him ver 14. If such a Spirit be given forth in the entering into our Chambers verily the wind thereof shall put such an Earthquake into the tenth part of the City and the Foundations that are now laying that it shall be like a breach ready to fall swelling out in a high wall whose brâ—aking comeâ—h suddenly aâ— aniâ—stant Isa 30 13. 14. And the Adversaries of the Lord shall not see whence their blow cometh Certainly never did such a praying generation miscarry 6. In retiring times the People of God should walk wâ—sely at such a time when a