raiment shining and to hear a voyce from the glorious Majesty this was strength and confidence enough what never be moved but it was but the Lyons day yet and he was not brought to lye down with the Lamb but Moses and Elias was seen to be talking with the Lord of that glory that by the roaring of the Lyon made the Beasts of the field to tremble but see the thing being come to be effected that was foreseen talked of the Cock did but crow and the Lyon trembles this was self-denyal indeed for the way was making and preparing for the Lambs day and all the self-confidence proved but a Christ denyal that he might see himself that by the Cock-crow had that foretold of brought to remembrance and then he went forth and wept bitterly and after repentance aright came to conversion Peter when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren but this might seem a strange saying after he had been his Follower and Disciple and then could he tell of the more sure word of prophesie whereunto they did well to take heed as unto a Light that shined in a dark place untill the day dawned and the day-star to arise in the heart here the Cock had crew and the day had dawned the Lambs day and the day-star had arisen in the heart and so no need of counsel from the wise men of the world concerning his birth for he is come to feed his Lambs his Sheep and such a Shepherd sees his star for God who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in the dark heart to give the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Thus spake I comfortably to thee that hast a sence of these things for while Gods face was hid thou wert troubled but now his countenance is lifted up thou art more glad than when Corn and Wine and Oyl encreased mark thee more glad for there was gladnesse then and a face of the love of God his countenance seemed to shine and his favour to be on the dwelling place but this was but the aray of Solomâ—n in his glory and the life was yet subdued in hope that gloryed in an endlesse joy and rejoycing yet was shut up under the Law untill a faith afterward to be revealed and then all the care is cast on God and the more sure word heeded that is that faiths begetter that leads out of the world and to consider the Lillyes glory and for rayment and food is no care in the worlds mind and spirit and Solomon in all his glory was not thus arrayed where the life comes to be seen more than meat and the body than raiment and then seest thou all the things after which the Gentiles seek and here is the faith of the elect of God of Christ the Son of God and the life I now live is by the faith of the Son of God thou mayest truly say yet not thee but Christ that lives in thee and because he lives thou livest also and he being revealed in thee thou canst say Christ in me the hope of glory and so there is no glorying in the flesh and any fleshly appearance but in him in whom is hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge and then the fear in and of the worldly mind and all therein held and retained comes to dye to thee and in thee and thee to and in it as thou art found dead to the Law which when it came revived sin and thou dyed for by it thou wert slain and then death hath no more dominion but the Babe of salvation is lift up and thou canst say Now let thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation c. And here the child dyes a hundred years old and the sinner a hundred years old dyes accursed for the old man that hath been waiting for the salvation of God sees the end of its expectation and the servant in the House of God that hath been faithful in all his House as Moses was faithful therein as a servant delivers up all to the Son as the Builder of the House that is more worthy of honour than Moses and so the old man and his deeds that was and is the transgressor and is accursed under the Law of its works comes to be judged and condemned by Moses in whom he hath seemed to trust because he was got into Moses's Seat and Choice and thou comest to dye and be dead to him and he to thee and the dayly dying is known and witnessed and the dayly living to God felt and the cost and charge of the building is considered of and counted and all reckoned on to be given up and the life lost for its souls salvation sake and what is here to lose or be affraid of seeing thou art resolved to trust God with all both soul body and spirit and the work of thy souls salvation which thou canst not any longer reason and dispute or question and distrust but believe in the salvation and goodnesse and love and mercy and pity and free-grace of God thou dost and if thou perish thou concludest it shall be in the hands of God having nothing else to trust in nor no where else to fly but as one which is stript of all earthly and creaturely dependance art resolved there to lye and remain even at the foot of mercy and in it to rest and trust and confide untill help and deliverance come and spring up and arise over all beneath that which is eternal And then thou seest what-ever work is in thee and for thee wrought is by the Spirit of God through thy faith therein and not thine own work but is Gods own work in and by the Spirit of his Son that only doth praise God and so doth not at all praise and glorifie self and boast in the flesh as that thou art this and this and he is that alass no of this thou art ashamed and to meddle of and with controversies about different opinions and judgements or anoy and upbraid such with any sin and wickedness that thou mayest get the victory and mastery is not thy work in that Spirit of God thou art returned unto but readily sayest How can we boast in those things whereof we are now ashamed and God that knows my secrets knows how it hath been with me and what I have been so that I find no cause to insult and boast over any nor to upbraid the worst of men for that doth but provoke unto mischief and stir up strife and contention and at best can but bring the creature to look at himself and what he hath been and done that may cause a looking back again if the forgivenesse of God be not seen into and thus to bring off the mind from looking at God and his work again that in love and pity and mercy and salvation to the soul of the creature had let him see himself and a way to escape the snares and baits and
though thou see the Pharisee making his loud acclamations Lord I thank thee I am not thus and thus nor aâ— this Publican but pay tythe of all that I possesse and fast oft and the out-side of the Cup and Platter made very clean whereas thou art found daily smiting thy hand on thy breast and art crying Lord have mercy on me c. and though his cry be stand off I am holyer than thou so that as Joshua the High Priest hath been found standing before the Lord in his filthy vile raiment the Devil hath been ready to resist him untill a voyce came from the Angel take away his vile garment and give him change of raiment and thou in like manner seest nothing in in thy self but vileness that is in thy flesh and if thou hast ought to boast and rejoyce in as of thy self it must be in that only and thy glorying in thy infirmities which rather humbles thee and is a Thorn in the flesh Satan to buffer least thou should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the Revelations of the Spirit that makes thee cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me and who shall change this vile body I say Is this thy state and are thy sins and transgressions brought alwayes before thee that something seems yet to be imputed and laid to thy charge and not all blotted out and carried into the Land of forgetfulness especially when thou look among men of upbraiding minds and corruptly bent that are gone from the Spirit of God that is liberal and upbraideth no man with things by-past as doth the world in the worldly nature and spirit of mischief in their tatlings tale-bearings whisperings backbitings and false accusations and reportings of evil in a mind delighted therein and therewith yet let not this any way trouble thee as that thou shouldest be led into despondancy and doubtings concerning the love and mercy and pity and forgiveness of God for Gods way is not like unto mans not his thoughts like unto his that is thus gone out of the life of God out of the life of forgiveness and mercy and pity and now would devoure and destroy at once but this is the voyce of his Spirit in the hearts of such let not wickednesse be so much as once more mentioned amongst you for these things are but the shame of thy youth and the reproach of thy widdow hood which no more shall be remembred nor charged against thee by God since thy return hath been indeed and in truth to him and he is returned to thee and will blot out thy iniquities by-past and thy sins will remember no more because these things were done in a state and time of ignorance in which God hath winked at thy faults or corrected thee lightly with Rods and they are transgressions against the first Covenant which the one offering hath made the attonement for and a way of reconciliation for thee therein in the flesh of his body that put an end to the many offerings under the Law and also blots out all the infirmities both of thy actings and offerings in that state unto whom thou coming as unto a stone indeed disallowed of by all the master builders of the earth he is precious in thy lively faith as the head of the Corner that was once offered up for all in the eternal spirit of the Fathers good pleasure and is offered up no more in that he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified For in that spirit thou art come and returned to that thou seest sin a burden to thee in and of which thou art weary and heavy laden God will freely blot out and do all for thee that hast an offering brought before thee that is everlasting and so is the Covenant thereof in the eternal spirit of him that sanctifieth and not as was and is the offerings and Covenants under the Law that were confirmed by strength of words and declarations of a Testament in which a better good was shadowed out and the promises therein and thereof confirmed by an Oath and strong Protestations but this is finished to and for all that can believe therein whose Maker is their Husband the Lord of Hosts is his name and the betrothment here is in righteousnesse and in faithfulnesse and in loving kindnesse for ever and all that thou hast to do is to believe perfectly and fully and wholly in him and the goodnesse of his salvation and he will do all for thee and in thee without thy workings and actings and strivings and buslings in a mind cumbred with the cares and sorrow of a life below wherein thy soul hath been pierced through with many darts and it hath been and proved the worldly sorrow that works death yea and by it all thou couldest not adde a cubit to thy stature but by believing in him that hath wrought and done the work it is finished to thee in thy faith for the questionings and reasonings thereof with all the doubtings and fear and distrust of God are but the enemies work of darknesse and clouding thoughts that hath vailed the extent of Gods goodness and love and pity and mercy to the souls necessity that the largenesse thereof in the unspeakable and unalterable bounty of his liberallity hath not been apprehended and seen into and all this continues by reason of unbelief which the Son of God is come to destroy and to that end is he manifest and he thou must believe in that is already come to work all thy works in thee and for thee er'e it can be the work of the eternal spirit in God and all to continue and remain eternally with thee that of thy joy and rejoycing there be no end and the comfort everlasting that abides with thee that art comforted in the eternal Spirit of God and what it works Without thy help as a Creature in the old man and state but in the new man as new created after God in which thou art a meet help unto thy Maker and fellow-worker together with him to bring forth his works into manifestation and appearance and then thou canst say truly that to destroy the works of the Devil is Gods work and the end for which he was made manifest in thy mortal flesh and because of that part mortality in which he hath wrought and works thou hast felt the work of mortification to be also the work of God and so is sanctification and justification for it is God that must kill and make alive and to all the works of the enemy must make thee dead and then holy and just after himself which thou art on him waiting to do for thee knowing that of thy self thou art able to do nothing and when thou hast done all that thou canst as of thy self art but an unprofitable servant yet that little strength thou hast in God thou art ready and willing to put forth because thy faith in God works by the Love of
temptation of Satan through a sence of forgiveness that came up in the manifesting cause to look at mens hardnesse and ruggednesse and want of love and mercy and pity and forgivenesse is not at all my work but is beneath me and out of my way I walk in for it is not as I would be done by in that God who hath healed my backsliding freely for his own name sake hath made me of the same mind to others knowing that he is blessed that covereth and hideth sin and transgression by converting a sinner to God where a multitude of fauls are blotted out and for me to uncover what God hath hid and reveal and diâ—close anothers shame and nakedness would get me but an ill name that cannot delight in the destruction of any as God doth not neither have I any joy to hear and see any ones backslidings but must pity them with my heart and pray for and wish their returne again unto God else I should degenerate from what God hath made me and change from my natural disposition And this is Because God hath proved the good Physitian and doth heal perfectly he is the good Samaritan that binds up the wound and in the day that I was cast out in the open fields when no eye pityed me but I was naked as in the day that I was born neither salted nor swadled at all neither was I washed in water to supple me nor any garment put on and over me to cover and hide my deformity but I was in my blood then did God pity me and in my blood said Live and hath done all these things for me though the Priest and Levite passed by and there was no bowels among men of that spirit and he being come to the lost sheep of the House of Israel and to gather a remnant of the out-casts of such and to call the sinner to repentance and not the righteous and to the sick and poor and needy and weary and maimed having lift up his voyce and stretched out his hand what shall I turn my back against such a work shall I be offended because he talks with the Samaritan woman because she hath no fellowship with the Jewes and that because he asketh her for water or that he hath entred the house of a Pharisee and there hath been found eating with the Publicans Oh! no such work is not the work of God in me but Gods work hath confounded it all of this nature and the upbraider cannot stand here in that I am come to the liberality of God to the inlargednesse of heart to him and to be upheld and sustained and supported by his free spirit by the work of the Spirit of Truth that makes free indeed and to use my liberty as an occasion to the flesh or cloak of maliciousnesse I cannot nor dare I be so imbondaged to Jew or Greek Barbarian or Scythian bond or free male or female Samaritan or Pharisee that I should forget that love that would do good to all and thinks well of the work of God towards all So that concerning the Apostate and Back-slider and Prodigal I dare not accuse any particular sect or opinion or perswasion or person of men in such perswasions as that you or thou art the only Apostate and Backslider but I doe see a part in all as it hath been and is wrongly perswaded and opinionated that until the creature be again returned in it and from the cause of its digression degeneration and depravation is that Apostate Back-slider from the Commandements of God and prodigal from the Spirit of truth the Fathers house and dwelling place to wit the flesh and it was and is the cause of the breach between God and his creature which no upbraidings can heal neither is the Spirit of God even it and him that God was in before the world began reconciling it to himself but that all might be laid wast of this nature 〈…〉 in and over all these things hath bâ—â—â— suffered even breach upon breach and devotion upon devotion and in the midst of heapes of confusion is God come to and bringing up order who must be and himself is come to be the healer and repairer and restorer thereof ere the healing can be perfect and by his Spirit that many are come to they see into the cause and ground of all these things and of all botches and boyles and putrified sores and breakings out in the particulars of persons or in any particular people gathered into a body infected with the deadly wound of an imposterous nature under mens daubings with untempered morter that cry peace while their mouths are put into and such patched up health could never long continue in a common-wealths body but since God is come to do the work and hath undertaken the cure that will be the teacher of his people himself their Councellour Judge Law-giver Instructor Correcter Physitian and All in all I question not a perfect cure of all that is amiss that such are witnesses of that come unto him through faith in the life of forgivnesse the Sons life that is the repairer of all breaches and the restorer again of a path to dwell in and then out of all the self-boastings and confidence in and of the world And thus though sin hath abounded yet grace hath much more abounded but not that we should continue in sin God forbid but all having sinned and come short of the glory of God thou that art brought into the sence hereof art not in the worst state neither is there any ground of despondency and doubtings to thee of Gods favour of thee thus returned into a sence of the work of God and into faith in the workers will and good pleasure whatever hard judgment and usage thou meet with among men of different judgments and opinions for thou art not left alone and let them upbraid and mock on be thou still and wait in patience out of the grumbling murmuring complaining nature and thou wilt come over it all and grow through all reproach of this nature untill thou come to leave such works withering and dying as untimely fruit but look thou at God in the midst of all and let them taunt on they cannot hurt and stop thy glorying in a life that is out of the worlds reach to hurt though in this life of the â—â—â—sh and 〈◊〉 â—â—â—yings they may think they hurt thee but thou art as willing to dye from that as all things else and thy repute is not a creaturely esteem but through bad reports hast learned to passe as well as good reports and canst say If my hope was in this life I was of all men most miserable but Christ in me is the hope of my glory with whom my life is hid and in him is hid all my treasure c. And when he my life appears I shall appear with him in glory And that which hath been done in secret shall be manifest openly and what spoken
in the ear preached on the house top but until he appear to be my life I must suffer with him waiting for a further manifestation of his glory and the appearance of the Son of God therein And so for reports alass thou canst not but know more of thy self in the root and ground of things and that to the light and heart-searching spirit art come than men can have to accuse thee and now being come to know nothing by thy self yet thou art not thereby justified what therefore is in this more than to manifest the frame and temper of such spirits that yet have a root of the same hidden that in thee hath broken forth and thou art therefore like to come first to the day of healing for their covering and false healing is the same that was thine and thus have they been daubing and are daubed with untempered morter as thou wert in that the same that hath been upbraiding when it is displeased will flatter when it is pleased and is it that is flattered deceiving and being deceived Therefore whatever they threaten and wait to see concerning thee wish not the same to them no not in thy heart because of him that seeth its secrets but wait on the Lord for preservation and the end of that spirits woâ—k thou shalt see manifest before thee and shalt be made able to judge of it And then as to thy state thou wilt see there is no need of a second offering or attonement for the offering is through the eternal Spirit once for all and the atonement for ever perfecting in the sanctified life and in thy going from that Spirit and the sence therein and thereof begotten the life of God hath been brought into a suffering state and to be afresh crucified which thou being again returned to and with the Spirit that manifesteth the cause thereof come into unity feelest the atonement makeâ— and the atonement making to be for ever then what the many offerings under the Law of works where was the blood of Bulls Goats of a year old sprinklings of an Heifer could not do in that they make nothing perfect â—s pertaining to the Conscience thou being come to that which manifesteth the nature that the Bull was a figure of and also the Goat at left hand that being offered up and slain on the Crosse all sufferance to the Lamb that went before for a peace-offering and is the atonement maker ceaseth and so the offering is but one and once for all that being offered to God which his Spirit hath begotten and wrought and the kindling and inflaming being of that nature and so no false fire put into thy Sensure Object 2. All this I confesse very true to my condition concerning the cause and ground of the apostasie and back-sliding and falling away from the truth of God in the prodigality of that mind a part and nature in the creature that could not be content to trust the Father withall and to have the portion in his hands and now I plainly see that the Apostate and Backslider and Prodigal is not so much such a Sect or Opinion and Perswasion and People of such a different Judgement from me though I confesse in these different Perswasions some are more deeply tainted with this apostatizing spirit than other-some as the spirit and nature of a part in all that hath backsliden from the Law and Commandements of God and in the adulteration of that mind hath been caused the breach that is yet standing between God and his Creture untill the spirit of atonement and reconciliation be so received and adhered to that it make up all again And seeing thou art not in Pauls state of unconversion from the ignorance of a blind zeal that persecuted and spoke evil of that he knew not when concerning the Law he could say he was blamelesse yet was one at whose feet was laid the garments of the witnesses neither art crying Lo here or Lo there or I am of Paul or Apollo c. but art found comforting the Babe and partaking with the afflicted in their way and as one that hath passed through the state and condition I am in and that would not have sin and wickedness countenanced under any pretence whatever but the creature of God pityed in every state betrayed under the enemies power and yet the Axe of God layed to the root of the tree and the root of the matter relating to the cause and ground of the apostasie and backsliding from the truth of God seen into that it may be removed and taken out of the way of God utterly the conditions of many being concerned herein I further query how and when it came in and how it may be removed again perfectly seeing it is generally the voyce and cry of the world it came in but just now and that the deceiver entred but as in their dayes and yet excuse themselves of his entring of them that they may lay the burden heavy on others Answ The first Apostate was old Adam that went from the guidance and government of the Spirit of God and as all have taken a nature and part from him who was of the earth earthly and as was the earthly so are they that are earthly though he was made a living soul nevertheless the soul that sinned having dyed in the day he eat of the forbidden fruit and so death having past over all from Adam c. all are to wait again for and in the power of the second Adam a quickning spirit and yet as to the first man as he was and is a natural man he was betrayed under and into this state and is not properly reckoned for the sinner and offender and transgressâ—r as to the natural part further than creatures in it are so joyned and united to the cause thereof that they neglect the work of that and him who gives the sight of the misery of such state and so in the end comes to sleight and dis-regard the remedy out of it for the mistery of iniquity that hath wrought and yet works in the hearts of many oppâ—sers of the work of the Spirit of Truth there is spiritual wickednesse in high places so that though death came on the bodyes of all as by one man that sinned they have taken a nature and part from for the souls sake that is immortal whom the tribulation and anguish hath rested on as a death that came by reason and means of sin yet the feeling of a remedy to the one to wit the soul once relapsed and fallen under the power of a second death is through the begettings and working up of a faith in the spirit of him that endured the one for the conquering the dominion and power of both Thus is there a man of sin or man by whom came sin whom God will destroy by the breath of his lips and nostrils and brightnesse of his appearance with an everlasting destruction and yet not properly the first
man Adam and natural body of elements the creature of God was betrayed in under the enemies power but he in all the world is to be redeemed and restored to wit the creature of God and nothing lost of him that comes into his hands who is the Redeemer and Restorer yet as the Elements are not properly the creature of God but that which the creature embodyed a being in to and for self for redemption sake from a state it was fallen in under and of the body that suffered and which he suffered in through the fall as self comes thus to be destroyed by a destruction that is everlasting the body thereby coming to suffer under the power of a death and destruction in time and place is restoring in time and place and restored out of time and place in the end thereof that was the beginning and then the first beauty is known which God created all things beautiful in when he set the world in their hearts that no man can find out the works of God from the beginning to the end which is all the work of the Spirit of God and attained by a faith therein where is only everlasting safety in a feeling of the spirit of the world and the way and course thereof it hath led into and under that hath made the body vile in the oldnesse of that state self hath made miserable and wretched and then are the groanings and sighings felt of that and him that hath begotten into a sence of the Spirits sufferance that makes intercession with that which cannot be uttered and so a fellow-feeling of the sufferers glory dwelt in in a hope that keeps waiting for and faith that believes in the perfect and thorow redemption and restoration again of the creature into a state it is fallen from Therefore The first Apostate being described in his place with the ground and cause thereof to wit of the apostasie this I have further to say to the remaining root of what continues undestroyed of the part and nature that was and is found in the cause Though the cause of the first breach was found in the first Adam in a nature he became embodyed in male and female where the woman was most properly seen and found in the cause of the first transgression against and erring and straying from the Spirit of God yet that being not so much the cause and ground of the apostasie as the deceitful healing is after the breach hath been made wherein Adam hath been found hunting about the Garden and running among the Trees for shelter as one afraid because of transgression and making to them aprons and coverings of Fig-leaves let this be throughly searched into and then all false coverings must off and the root will come to be removed from whence the cause of all complaints hath proceeded untill which time the daubings will be still but with untempered mortar and the false glosse will remain over every work of fallen man and here you will find the cause to be the nature of what was first degenerated from God and still is generated in the cause and ground of the mans fall and backsliding in which came up a Law which sin and the man of sin took occasion by and offerings under the Law which made nothing perfect as pertaining to the Conscience but served for the bringing in of a better hope a hope in a better life then that of the fall and transgression from God which all creatures live and move and have their being in under the sufferance of Gods Spirit as that which came and was taken from him but abode not in his will and good pleasure so that as far forth as any mans hope of glory is in this life the Law is not at an end nor the one offering rested and trusted in that makes a perfect-atonement but the remembrance is tinctured with the first Priest-hoods work whose lips was to preserve knowledge and so sin again is brought to the remembrance after there hath been a coming to the one offering that was offered up once for all and the Law can never be put an end to here the bringing up of which declared the everlasting High Priest to be come and an everlasting Priesthood the atonement maker for all but since the Watch-men hath been hunted after and there hath been a going down into Egypt for help as if there was no Balm in Gilead or no Physitian there it is seen what they have done and what is the most that the many Pastors can do even smite and wound or take away thy vail so that thou must get thee out besides the Shepherds Tents to find the place he makes his flock to lye down in and rest at noon-day even in him that is a shadow from the heat and refuge from the storm experience being my best Teacher in this condition I see no trusting in man but vain is the hope of all such confidence and now being returned to God I find a place of safety something of bread in my own house and water in my own Cistern and it being my own and not a strangers here I come to set down under my own vine and under my own fig-tree and none can rise up to make me afraid but God is to me all that I want or stand in need of both Husband Teacher Physitian and all in all and what need can I have here either of fruit of my body to rejoyce in or substance of and for my souls content of cure for my wounds or health to my disease since in him is both health to my soul and counsel and advice is in him to answer all my disquietness oh I have enough since I have again found him whom my soul loves this is my first beloved whom I will hold and never more will let him go when he meets me without he satisfieth me with kisses and this is he I have longed for all my life long And now I am over-joyed at his coming at our meeting again to finde his Armes so open and feel his imbraces so neer though I had put him off with delays and had wandred after other lovers untill I saw my way hedged up with thornes that I could no longer pass on and that I was among the swine in a prodigality of the Harlots love and there longed for my belly full of husks but there was found none to give them me I had a yoak of oxen to try and a wife to marry and father to bury and having put off my coat said how shall I put it on and having washed my feet how shall I defile them yet he never hath me denied in what ever I have been found asking in faith and this breaks my heart more than all his love notwithstanding my ingratitude but being thus returned I find in the house a home-born son that is elder by birth than I and he hath the name of a Jew but is only one outwardly for inwardly he is ravening
though his begrutchings and grumblings at me are alwayes with this exclamation Thou knowest I never went out of the house as hath this prodigall and played such pranks as he but have abode alwayes at home and now must the best robe be fetched down for him and must there be the musick for him and the fatted calf killed when didst thou ever thus for me Thus is the repiner at the Fathers will and good pleasure a dayly burden to my soul for it came into my heart to return to my father and to say Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy son make me as one of thy hired servants considering that in my fathers hous◠was many servants and they had bread enough and I a son did want and finding his love and forgiveness beyond compare as much was forgiven me so I cannot but love much and therefore the father being found falling on my neck and kissing me and crying out This my son was lost and he is found he was dead and he is alive the whole earth is disquieted at the matter And he that was a Jew outwardly and was broken off for the reconciling of the world whose receiving in again should be as life from the dead hath been found nothing at all differing from the Gentile that had the outward Court given into his hands to trample on and now hath been found exercising authority and Lordship over the flock and heritage of God that would boast it self against the branches as though he bare the roote and not the roote him for the Lyon being come forth of the thickets and the destroyer of the Gentile on his way one is found that hath again perswaded Japhet to dwell in the Tents of Shem though once it was sayd Who shall And this hath broken down the wall and here is neither Jew nor Greek c. but the Lyon lyes down with the Lamb and gives up the day to him as he hath had his day so that while the wrath is kindled but a little there is a trusting in him and a kissing the Son least he be angry and the Sun go down in wrath and because of this blessed the whole earth is amazed as such that call to the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide and cover them from the wrath of the Lamb in that flying from a Lyon that was in their way a Bare hath met them and laying their hands and leaning on a wall a Cockatrice hath bitten them and that which might have been killed and trampled on in the Egg is now become a fiery flying Serpent And what now shall I sing but oh the Lambs day here is no need of Sun by day nor Moon by night but the Lamb is the light of the glorious City which is as the light of seven dayes and is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and the Government is on his shoulders that hath brought on a mountain where none can hurt and destroy so that greater is the glory of the latter house then the glory of the first in which the grumbler is found as that which 〈◊〉 never went out of but is the outward Court only the Gentile hath troden under foot And how doth my soul sing to see this day in that greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world that doth hate and persecute us and hath spoken all manner of evil against us for the name-sake of God though once we were our own and went whither we would but now we are bought with a price and another girds us and carries us where we would not and all the wayes of sin and wickedness we hate with a perfect hatred and count it worse than poyson to the body whatever we have been and fly from it more than from a Lyon And this is my living testimony before a heart-searching God that I would rather presently and immediately dye and be stricken with the wound of a bitter enemy than in my self or any one else wittingly and willingly countenance any thing a known sin against the Spirit of God it being my burden to look back on what I have offended him in Therefore now will I sing a song of my well beloved of the salvation of my God from his own work that doth praise him in my heart who is to me my all my King that in a time of need to me deliverance did bring that from all hurt my soul redeemed and from the sting of death of grave of hell of bitter pangs when enemies without and within did hunt to catch my feet in snares and sought to wound the precious life of what in love rebounds to God in thanks above all mortals reach Oh he doth still support that keeps me fresh to live to love and love to praise his name that doth surround while I abound and still it s he is my enough that fills my cup that sweetens all he is my Physitian my stay my staff of bread of water my rock my song that empties that fills that makes poor that makes rich that kills that makes alive that is to me a Garden enclosed a watered bank a fountain sealed from the robbers reach I am lost and again am found in him I mourn and then I sing because I am full and yet cannot have too much of him and this I seal with life with blood with cross that hath a Crown because my crown is lost it is cast down in that which frontils high did never deny could never withstand for it 's in breast and not in tongue nor yet a hand an empty hand oh no! it 's that which can command and yet I chuse that I may refuse what love would abuse and make that grow cold which makes me so bold in what doth with-hold in boasting above the measure of love that purely doth move to kiss and imbrace the lips of that face whose heart doth grace the virgins eye that can espy who is so nigh to bless a Troop that now can stoop to hear my voyce that doth rejoyce The Babe Postscript IF curious eyes or subtill wits would judge what here I write They first must lose what I have done and that will give them sight Into the order I behold that is not grac'd with art But doth be fool and then make wise to learn another part Then that which leaves a roade for fools to taunt in verse or rhime As though to voyce they se et would make that he may go betime That coming forth so soon is lamed and then its hard to find The minds right way to be received in what it s made thus blind First crost then lost till up in view all 's brought That blinds the minde that seeks to finde out such a work is wrought Which shews the cause why peace is lost with God and then with man And while its loved can't be removed let wit do what it can For who can say that this I was but I can yet say more That once was courted for my wit which each Sects did adore Both high and low both poor and rich the small and eke the great In many cases made me Judge when I refus'd the seat But I seek now a servants place and yet am oft controul'd Because through love I chuse a life that durst not self imbold As sure do those that once I thought possest a better place Than I can see them keep or hold to make their name a grace And therefore since I this have los◠what more have I to lose That once was clipt about in armes of such that me did chuse Before the Nobles of the earth that sure were left behinde To chuse what I had chosen first which they could never finde Yea in the lap of favour was a knee where I was dandled How ever roughly I am us'd and coursely I am handled But now cast down I hath my Crown and count it all but dross That once seem'd gold for to behold though dung it s made my cross Crossed crowned renowned and all in one and in that one is all That keeps me safe on ground to walk while climbers take a fall Ah blessed God! be thou my guide and keep me to thy praise And thou shalt have both heart and minde given up to thee alwayes R. B. THE END