glory appears for his Day will dawn and break in Peoples Hearts in all Nations of the Earth when he shall terribly shake the Earth and all Nations and the keepers of the House will tremble and all proud Flesh shall be made to tremble before the Lord at hiâ— appearance he will make known his Voice he will make the Earth to hear and the Heavens shall be astonished at his Power Glory and Majesty and every false Foundation shall be shaken and every high Tower and fenced City built upon a false Foundation will fall and tumble down tho' never so strong and lifted up in their forms of Worship and formal Profession without Life and Power that will not be able to stand in the Day of the Lord 's fierce Wrath which is against that City of Confusion which the Lord God will break down and race it to the Ground then will her Merchants and such as have traded with her lament and cry Alas alas none will buy her Merchandize of us any more Thus will the Lord bring down and destroy Babylon that great Whore that hath with her Cup of Fornication made drunk the Kings of the Earth who have committed Fornication with her and her Merchants that traded with her with great endeavours and all their Babylonish Skill and Trumpery have brought Darkness and Ignorance over the Earth and so would still keep People but the Day of the Lord is come and coming and the Knowledge of the Lord shall cover the Earth and many shall hate the Whore and burn her Flesh with Fire for by Fire and Sword will the Lord plead with all Flesh where-ever the Flesh of the great Whore is the Sword and Fire of the Lord of Hosts will find it out and pursue it till it be devouered to the end that the which is for the Sword and Fire of the Lord may be cut down burnt up and consumed then Envy Malice Cruelty Hatred and Unrighteousness so much abounding in Man and Woman will have an end and People will not be over-come of evil but over-come the evil with good and provoke one another to Love and good Works and not to Hatred Cruelty all manner of Unrighteousness which is Sin and punishable by the great Judge of Heaven and Earth that cometh quickly and his reward is with him although many shut their Eyes against his Appearance are so blinded by the God of this World that you do not see or behold him tho' his Light shines in all your Hearts by which you may all see behold him who is not far from any one of you yet you do not see him nor know him and that is the Condemnation of the whol world that lieth in wickedness that Light is come into the world but darkness is loved rather than Light because their deeds are evil Now it is as if I heard the noise of Trumpets sounding and Drums beating an Alarm to battle in many Kingdom and Nations and the Sword drawn to execute the Wrath of God for Sin and Transgression by the ungodly committed to the great displeasure of the Almighty God who now will shew himself a terrible God to the Workers of Iniquity by Wars Famine and Pestilence with other Judgements and Calamities that God will bring upon many Cities and strong Nations to bring down their Pride and Haughtiness and to abase them for their sleighting and Contemning his Appearance in the Light of his Glorious Gospel which shines in their Hearts to give them the Knowledge of the Glory of God to humble you under his mighty Hand that all might turn to him who smites and corrects Men and Women that they might see his Hand and acknowledge his Power and Soveraignity over all and what we can do with strong and fenced Cities and indeed with all Nations that are but as the drop of a sucket and the small dust of the Ballance to the Lord and his strength and great Power when in his sore displeasure he gives them up to the Sword Famine or Pestilence how soon can he make of a fair and flourishing City on heaps and a strong City a desolation when they Inhabitants thereof will not be reformed from the evil of their Ways and doings nor Repent of the same how often hath the Lord brought Plagues and heavy Judgments upon such Cities and Nations how glad should I be to see the Inhabitants of England in general and the City of London in perticular bringing forth Fruits meet for Repentance that they would whilst they have time be Afflicted Mourn and Weep for the great Evils that daily are committed by many of them that your Laughter might be turned into Mourning and your Joy into Heaviness that those great Calamities which threatens both City and Nation the mercisul God might turn away from my Native Country and every Inhabitant may be humbled for their Transgressions that the Lord may repent of the Evil that doth so much threaten this and many other Kingdoms O that there were such a Heart in all People of all Nations that they would seek after the living God and that they might know him and receive everlasting Lise by Christ Jesus and leave off doing Evil and learn to do Well that instead of hating and killing one another about Religion and worldly Glory and Honour they might feel the Love of God shed abroad in their Hearts and in that love God above all and one another as the Children and Off-spring of God for all Nations upon the face of the Earth being of one Blood made by the great and heavenly Creator all were created by him to fear reverence and serve the eternal God So all you who do pretend that you are Servants of God and Christ Jesus sear reverence serve and obey him in a measure of that Love of God wherewith he hath loved you and all mankind and desireth the Salvation of all men and not the death or destruction of the Wicked but rather that they would turn from their Wickedness and live for evermore to serve worship and obey the living God whose Servants you call your selves and think you worship him and serve him whilst you are out of his holy Spirit and Godly Fear in your vain superstitious and idolatrous ways of Worship which are so unprofitable and of no berefit spiritually to you that vainly pretend to worship the living God who is a Spirit and will be worshipped and served in the Spirit and in the Truth as it is in Jesus for their is no other acceptable worship or serving of God but in his holy Spirit and Truth which the Devil is out of and all his Servants are erred from the Spirit of God and doth imagine that God acceptably may be worshipped and served well enough by them is another Spirit than his own holy Spirit then it must be an unholy Spirit in which you can offer toe God no Worship or Service but what is vain unprofitable and unholy which is rejected of the Lord God as but vain worshipping of him and for this many spend their Money and Labour many Years together but gain no advantage or satisfaction to their immortal Souls being from the Spirit of God and Word of Life that was in the beginning and which is eternal so obtain not Life or true satisfaction to their Souls and therefore cannot livingly move or act spiritually in the service or worship of God but it seemeth to them as a strange thing and the pure God hath but blind and dead service and worship from such and indeed it is no marvel that so many wise and learned men in Arts Sciences and natural Tongues are unskilled and ignorant in spiritual waiting upon serving and worshipping the living God whilst they question whether any doth receive from God the gift of the holy Spirit now in these dayes then let such men in coolness of mind consider with what they adventure to serve and worship God and approach before him not receiving the spirit but will draw nigh to God serve and worship him out of the spirit and what may you expect who are in that deplorable state but that the Lord should say unto you Who hath required such Worship or Service from you now in this Gospel day the spirit of God being poured fourth Do you think People that God will be mocked with such service or worship to be offered to him that doth appear but the fruits of the Flesh or sowing to the Flesh O that you would come to see and seriously consider that the Flesh profiteth nothing nor any of the fleshly motions ways services or worships of fallen man performed in the Wisdom of the Flesh although performed in never so much skill and cunning outwardly can give man acceptance with the Lord nor can at all give Life to the Soul for its the spirit that giveth Life and this Spirit first must be received by you and work in your Hearts to will and to do before your Hearts can be fitted or prepared to serve or worship God acceptably so all of you wait upon God for his holy spirit receive it into your Hearts and no longer reject it but in the silence of all Flesh feel the spirit of God to quicken your mortal Bodies that in and by the spirit you to God may present your Bodies to him and draw night to him with your Flearts fitted and spiritually prepared to offer to God spiritual sacrifice holy and acceptable in his sight who cannot be pleased with Iniquity nor the Works of it in their service or worship for Sin and Iniquity must be done away before you can graciously be received of the Lord or know how to render to him the calves of your Lips or draw nigh to him aright with your Tongues or Lips why should you hate to be reformed or cast off from you that which is good to cleave to the evil and perish therein Beware of that left the Lord utterly reject you and cast you out of his fight and deprive you of his Mercy and Favour that he upon your real Repentance and Amendment of Life would bestow upon you Which is the fervent Desire of a cordial Well-wisher of all your Souls who seeketh the Glory of God the Peace of all Nations and the general good of all Markind to Eternity James Parke Hostedown the 7th day of the 3d. Month 1690. THE END
The Hour of God's Judgments Come and Coming upon the Wicked World SHEWING How Iniquity will prove the Ruin of all People who do not Repent and turn to God whilst yet they have time With an Exhortation in the Love of God to People of all Nations to cease to do Evil and to forsake those provoking Sins that hath kindled the Wrath of God that the Judgments now threatning many Nations may be turned away Psal 75. verse 8. For in the Hand of the Lord there is a Cup the Wine is Red it is full of mixture and he poureth out of the same but the Dregs thereof all the Wicked of the Earth shall wring them and drink them Isa 2.4 And he shall judge amongst the Nations and Rebuke many People c. Printed and Sold by A. Sowle at the Crooked-Billet in Holloway-Lane in Shoreditch And at the Three-Keys in Naggs-Head-Court in Grace-Church-Street 1690. The Hour of God's Judgments come and coming upon the Wicked World c. HEarken all ye People and give Ear ye Nations of the Earth for the Sword of the Lord is drawn forth against People and Nations not a few his Hand is lifted up in great Fury and Judgment against all Iniquity and the provoking Abominations of the Times which are grown to that height and degree that the Almighty God now appeareth full of Indignation and Displeasure against many People and Nations and the Nations wherein God hath shewn most Love and done most for who still remain Sinful the Rebellious in that Nation will the Lord most punish and plead with in his Wrath Where hath the Lord so much appeared as in this Nation of England hath he dealt in so much Loving-kindness and tender Mercies to any People or Nation as this our Native Country wherein the mighty and glorious Day of God broke forth and in these Ages of the World first proclaimed and the Light of the glorious Gospel that caused the Day to appear faithfully and with much Power and Demonstration preached and the tender Visitation of the Day sprung from on high reached forth universally in a very signal manner and the sound of the Gospel in Life and Power Love and Good-Will unto all men was heard through this Nation to call all People to Repentance and Amendment of their ways and doings to turn to the Lord from all their grievous Sins and Iniquities whilst it was called to Day whereby they grieved the Most high rebelling against him and rejecting his great love and favour in his Spirit striving with them the Inhabitants of England more than with any People or Nation whatsoever under the present Dispensation of Light Grace and the Spirit of God But ah ye Inhabitants of England how have many of you even of all sorts ranks and degrees of Men and Women slighted the dispensation of Light Grace and the Spirit of God and the sure safe Teaching and Guidance thereof for instead of minding that some of you have taught others to mock laugh and deride at the Light Grace and Spirit of God which appeared to you and shined in your Hearts from God to shew you what was really good and of God from what was evil and of the evil one and not only so but also to teach you to deny come out of and be saved from that which was evil and to choose come into and to do that which was and is good and the just and merciful God did give you time to Repent and endured all that you did against him with much long-suffering that you might be become Vessels of Mercy and not Vessels of Wrath by fitting your selves for destruction But alas how hath the Mercy and Forbearance of the Lord been abused how have most of you requited him evil for good and added Sin to Sin for Mercies multiplied upon this sinful Nation therefore now is the anger of the Lord kindled in Judgment against all such for now he is smiting and will smite yet more and more his Hand is dreadfully lifted up and it will fall heavy upon the Head of the Wicked where ever they are found and whatsoever they profess Amazement and Astonishment will be their portion and their Hearts will fail them for fear when the Iron Rod of the Lord is ruling of them with which he will break the Wicked to pieces like a Potters Vessel that they may see and know the danger of multiplying provoking Sins against the Lord till his long patience come to an end if there yet may be hope or a little time more alotted you Ah foolish People and sinful Nation that at last you might come to consider the great peril and danger that you are in both high and low rich and poor who are Wicked and Ungodly of all Sorts and Professions multiplying great Abominations and committing manifold Transgressions against the Lord. What are your Hearts so hardened through the deceitfulness of Sin that you do not mind nor at all consider Are your Eyes so blinded by the God of this World that you do not see the heavy Hand of the Lord that is so apparently lifted up as if the Iniquities of the People of England would prove the Ruin of many of the Inhabitants thereof could ever a Nation be more sinful or more loaden with Iniquity of all sorts then this a Nation so much professing God and that he hath done so much for their Salvation and a preservation of For what could the Lord have done more then he hath done for the good and benefit of England and notwithstanding where can there be greater Wickedness or Abomination committed although many Nations are horribly wicked and Cages of unclean Birds who regard not the Work of the Lord nor the operation of his hands And though the dark places of the Earth are full of Idolatry blackness of Darkness and Cruelty yet no People or Nation hath more provoked God by sinning against so much Knowledge and so many Convictions Reproofs of Instruction from the manifestation of the Spirit Light and Grace of God appearing in you and being given of God to you to profit withal that you might have been spared and saved in that woful day of Anguish and sore Distress that is come and coming upon Nations insomuch that many will cry out in bitterness of Spirit What shall we do to be saved we have no helper that can help or comfort us And the mighty Men of valour and strength will grow feeble and be full of Fears and Jealousies one of another and hide themselves in the Holes and Dens of the Earth and call to the Mountains and Hills to fall on them and cover them from the Wrath of the Lamb for his great Day even the Day of his Vengeance and Hour of his Judgments now appeareth against all the Wicked and Ungodly of the Earth without respect to Persons Opinions or Profession whatsoever and the Mountains and Hills where many expect safety will God Almighty shake and lay waste by his Power
Inhabitantes of the Earth and the Sea therewith and thining the People by the Sword and sore Deseases And what a terrible Storm and Tempest hath the Lord distressed and amuzed many with of late both by Sea and Land yet some People have been so far from looking at the Hand of the Lord in it that they would have it as the work of some evil Spirit in laying a Spirit that as they said did appear after a Person was dead The Power over the Winds and Seas belongeth to Christ Jesus and the Winds and Seas obey him for he had all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him and gives Power to his faithful Servants over Serpents Scorpions and all the Power of the Enemy to hear see so many disregard the Hand of the Lord lifted up sheweth that it will fall heavy shortly upon their heads who remain wicked and by their crying Sins bring down Vengeance from God upon their own Heads and procure their own ruin for God will recompence Fury upon his Enemies who harden their Hearts more and more against him and now is the Lord come to make Nations and Peoples sick in smiting of them he hath a long time forborn and kept his Hand of Judgment from falling upon the Heads of the wicked according to their deceit their manifold Sins to see People if you would turn to the Lord by true Repentance but ye would not hear his Voice to obey him how often soever the Lord called to and by how many Judgments soever he hath pleaded with you you would not reform therefore the Lord doth appear in great displeasure and is shaking the Earth and causing the Mountains and Hills to tremble he is making Kingdoms reel and tossing and fifting them to lay them low stain their Glory and bring them down from that height that they are got to and have appeared in against the Lord and his holy Mountain which abides and stands strong through him that is over all blessed for evermore O all ye wicked and ungodly People upon the face of the Earth your time is but short your dayes in Wickednsss will be shortened 't is but a little time and you will not be found who go on and persevere in wickedness and never come to Repentance your judgment and reward of Condemnation will come upon you swiftly and you will not be able to withstand it whoever you are high or low rich or poor where-ever you dwell that have sold your selves over and are given up to work Wickedness the all-seeing God will find you out and will be just in condemning of you to everlasting Flames of Fire and that will be your Portion and Reward that you will receive at the Hand of the Lord who hath appeared to you in his Grace and Truth in your inward parts and condescended to draw you by the Cords of his Love but you have despised and utterly rejected his appearance to you in his Grace whereby you might have obtained Life and Salvation to your immortal Souls if you had received God's Grace and Truth into your Hearts and kept to its Teachings and obeyed the same or done according to its Instruction but contrary-wise you have hated his Appearance to reform you and wofully continued in Rebellion against his pure Law so you have drawn down the Wrath of the Lord upon you and kindled his Displeasure against you in a high degree by your manifold provoking Sins which many Cities and Nations abound in and very many of the Inhabitants thereof are miserably corrupted and debauched thereby calling and alluring one another to Lightness Folly and gross Impieties with hellish Words Damning Swearing Drunkenness Lying vain ungodly Pastimes Murders Adulteries Thefts Cousining Cheating Cards playing at Dice and Stage-Plays which many strive to out-do one another in to the great dishonour of God and the reproach of the Name of Christ especially in Christendom so called where such a Profession of the Name of Christ is made but by their Conversation causeth the Profession of the Christian Religion to stink and to become of very ill fame amongst the Heathen that do not own nor profess Christ Jesus the Lord nor expect Salvation by him how were such like to be converted to the Christian Faith in the Lord 's Christ as long as so many pretended Christians do walk ungodly speak and act as wickedly if not worse than the Heathen who know or understand little but gross Superstition and Idolatry May not some such rise up in Judgment against many who call themselves Christians and condemn them who are found using such Words and Practices which are contrary to God and Godliness and ought to be repented of ceased from and forsaken otherwise it will stand People in no stead and be a vain thing to talk of profess and call Christ Jesus their Saviour Lord and Master whilst by Sin and Disobedience they serve and obey another Lord and Master and Christ Jesus is greatly dishonoured and provoked by the Riotous Debauched and drunken Feasts wherein so many called Christians sport and feed themselves without the fear of God on their Mass-Dayes and Feastival-Dayes which you had no example for from the Primitive and true Christians in the Apostles days Oh foolish People and hard-hearted Is it a time for Feasting and to invite one another to Feasting Mirth and Jolatry in such a day of Distress and Calamity as now threatneth almost all Nations Is it a time to sit down to eat and drink and then rise up to play when Nation riseth up in War against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom and every battel of the Warrior is with confused noise and Garments rolled in Blood and when God is rebuking strong Nations and when the just and righteous God is bringing his Judgments and Plagues upon many Peoples ought not every one from the highest to the lowest rather to sit down solatary be humbled and call each other to Weeping and bitter Lamentation because of the abominable crying Sins of Nations and to leave off your Horse-Racing Cock-Fightings Stage-Playes and all other idle vain and ungodly Sports Games and Pastimes whereby the Spirit of the Lord hath been grieved Nations corrupted and many of their Inhabitants made Vessels of Wrath fited for Destruction therefore such as yet have a Day and Time given you consider your Ways and cursed Practices O renounce and come out of them all and meet the Lord by timely Repentance and Amendment of Life or your Iniquity will certainly prove your Ruin But if all People Languages Kindreds and Tongues would come to fear and love God and love one another then their would be no need of letting in Fear or evil Jealousie one of another or of one to hurt or destroy another by Wars or Fightings or otherwise for all were made and created to love fear and reverence the Powerful Omnipotent God and to let him be their fear and not man neither to fear what man can do and if so