may though all the power of darknesse set themselves against them yet that they may cleave close to God our Saviour Christ and the purity of his Gospell for we must looke for fanning and sifting and for the fiery tryall therefore let us sit downe and reckon what it will cost us and if we be not willing to lose all for his sake yea and to hate all even Father and Mother riches life c. if they stand in our way to keep us from him we are not worthy of him Math. 10.37 and 16.24 Mark 8 34. Luke 9.23.24 and 14.26.27 And for my owne part the Lord himselfe hath so firmly by his owne enlightening Spirit so fully convinced me and setled my soule so unmoveably in his truth that I assuredly know that all the power in Earth yea and the gates of Hell it selfe shall never be able to move me or prevaile against me for the Lord who is the worker of all my workes in me and for me hath founded and built me upon that sure unmoveable foundation the Lord Iesus Christ and I know if ten thousand deaths for my conscience and the cause of my God for which with courage and rejoycing I now beare witnesse to and am close prisoner in bonds lying day and night in Fetters of Jron both hands legges should be inflicted upon me I should sing rejoyce triumph in them all For my God makes me glory in my tribulation and my soule is filled so full of that sweetnesse and joy that it findes in my God alone that my tongue and penne is never able to the full to expresse utter it to his praise I desire to speake it and I doe beleeve that it is not possible for any man in any condition whatsoever whose neck in the best doth stoope to the yoake of Antichrist to have his heart and spirit elevated and lifted up above it selfe in that high degree with spirituall joy and comfort divine and heavenly strength and supportation that mine is for the Holy Ghost saith they have no rest night nor day who worship the Beast and his Image and whosoever receiveth the marke of his name And I doe beleeve it to be true as I am able to speake by my owne experience For they may have some spirit of rest and peace and sudden Flashes of joy and comfort but when a storme or Tempest doth arise they are so possessed with base and cowardly feare and distraction of spirit that they are like men without hearts and are ready to runne into every hole to hide their heads from the face of man a poore worme being ready to say when a tempest ariseth with them in the 6. Rev. 16.17 Let the Mountaine and Rock fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand When as on the contrary the Righteous is as bold as a Lyon though the wicked fly when none persueth Prov. 28.1 18.10 The name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous runneth unto it and are safe And Psal 91. he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shaddow of the Almighty and he shall be safe from the feare of all danger as the Holy Ghost there doth declare So that we see the feare and terrour that possesseth the hearts and spirits of all those whose necks are either in part or in whole under the spirituall yoake and bondage of the Beast And also the rest and peace and holy security that they are in that submitt alone to the Lord Iesus Christ for their spirituall Lord and King And are willing to follow him whersoever he goes not loving their soules to the death Rev. 12. but keepe close and hold fast the name and faith of Christ even where Satan hath his Throne Rev. 2.13 for he hath said and promised unto his people that keepe close to him because thou hast kept the word of my patience I will also keepe thee from the houre of Temptation which shall come upon all the World to try them that dwell upon the Earth Rev. 3.10 And this have I found by experience since the Lord in great mercy and rich loving kindnesse by his strength and power inabled me to withdraw my soule totally and finally from the greatest spirituall yoake and bondage that ever any mortall man groaned under namely the spirituall yoake and bondage of the Beast or Roman State unto which whosoever is hated of the Lord and doth not belong unto him doe submitt yeeld Rev. 9.4 and 12.7.9 13.8 But the Lord from all eternity hath loved me with his everlasting love hath delivered my soule from it and set me at liberty and in a large place and hath given me rest and ease and hath put a song of prayer and thanksgiving into my mouth unto the Lord of glory and the Lamb that sitts upon his Throne who is blessed for ever and ever and my God hath filled my soule so full of Heavenly matter that had I but a current vent I could ex tempore write an hundred Sheetes of paper to you filled full of Heavenly expressions of the Lords goodnesse faithfulnesse loving kindnesse and Truth for my soule is ravished with that fulnesse sweetnesse aimeablenesse and beautifulnesse that I finde in my God Oh that my soule were altogether with him that I might be satisfyed with his fulnesse and might solace my soule face to face which I most confidently know I shall in his due time But Oh I say againe and againe that J were with him for he hath crucifyed the World and all things here below unto me and hath enabled me to account and esteeme all things besides himselfe as dung and durt not being worthy of casting any affectionate eye upon them Philip. 3.8.9 and he hath pitched my soule upon himselfe as a naked and a single object in whom alone the quintessence of delight beautie and satisfaction is to be had enjoyed and possessed and for my shackled condition that I am in it is most sweete and 〈…〉 I am as merry yea more chearefull then ever I was in any condition in my life and can sleepe as soundly in my Boots and Irons as Peter did betweene the two Souldiers when he was in prison who when the Angell of the Lord came to him to deliver him He was faine to smite him before he awaked Acts 12.6.7 And I doe sing Psalmes and J am as merry as Paul and Sylas were when they were in the Stocks and in prison who sung Psalmes and Prayses at midnight so that the Prisoners heard them Acts 16.24.25 for the Lord hath so strengthened me with divine power and strength for the Lord of Hosts is my confidence And in the Lord Iehovah there is everlasting strength And there is no torments that the greatest Tyrans in the World can inflict
hands and from your Tyrannising crueltie But if he doe not be it knowne unto you Oh ye Prelates that I will not serve you nor worship you nor yeeld nor submit in any spirituall things unto you And if I were at liberty I would professe those Truths of God surely without feare which he himselfe hath made knowne unto me And if J were at any time taken by any of their Officers I would not goe to prison with them unlesse they carried me by force Yet if it were the meanest Officer in the Kingdome that tooke me that were made an Officer by vertue of the Kings Authority and power I would submit unto him and goe with him whether he would have me for I know the Kings Authority is from God And if I should disobey it I should disobey God and sinne against God and breake his Command Rom. 13. And therefore I will obey him his Lawes and all those that beare his Authority in all things they command or enjoyne me without any the least resistance at all heartily from my heart either actively or passively for if they command me any thing that is not contrary to the Word of God I will obey them actively But if they command me any thing that is dishonourable to God or his Truth I dare not in the least obey them actively but say with the Apostle whether it be fitt to obey God or Men judge ye for we ought to obey God rather then Men Acts 5.29 Yet I will submit my body to them and suffer cheerfully without any grudging any thing they shall inflict upon me for I doe hold it unlawfull for any of Gods people in their greatest Oppression by the Majestrate to rebell or to take up any Temporal armes against them whether the Oppression be in Spirituall or Temporall things but only to pray and make use of Gods two edged Sword Heb. 4.12 Rev. 19.15 and waite upon with patience for redresse and deliverance and to seeke unto him for strength that they may willingly and couragiously suffer any Terrours or Torments that they will inflict upon them for standing close to God and his naked Truth and cause But to the Kingdome of the Beast these members of which the Prelates are will I never stoope by the might of the Lord of Hosts nor have any spirituall communion with them for the Lord hath expresly commanded me and all his people to have nothing to doe with Idols nor with Idolaters 1 Cor. 10.14 1 Iohn 5.21 Exod. 23.32 Deut. 7.1.2.3.4.5 and 12.3 Now they are the greatest Idolaters that euer were in rhe world and the most pernitious Idols that are upon the Earth Rev. 9.20 cap 17. for they haue a golden Cup put in their hands it is full of abomination filthines with it they dazle the eyes of the world make it to cōmit close hiddē fornication Idolatrie which is the greatest and most dangerous Idolatrie that is for they couer their wickednesse and deceiveablenesse over with the Name of the Lamb but for all that doe the deeds of the Dragon Rev. 13.11 Iohn 8.44 But if they professed Idolatry openly to the eyes of the World the people would detest them but they doe it closely and covertly and therefore are not so easily discerned but deceive very many Math. 24.5 And therefore the Beasts Kingdome is called as it is indeed the Misterie of iniquitie 2 Thess 2.7 Now J will maintaine it that the Kingdome of the Beast is the greatest Idol that ever was in the World and the greatest plague that ever God sent into the World as the Revelation of Saint Iohn doth declare and as appeares by the expressions of the Spirit of God in the 8. Chapter where we may read that when the 4. First Angels had sounded their Trumpets mighty and horrible plagues then followed them worse and more great were to come after as appeares by the vehement expressions and calling out of the Holy Ghost with a loud voice Verse the last Saying Woe Woe Woe to the inhabitants of the Earth reitterating 3 times together by reason of the other voices of the Trumpet of the three Angels which are yet to sound For why the fifth Angell in the first Verse of the next Chapter sounded then followed a mighty horrible plague to all the inhabitants of the world The like whereof was never heard off before and that is the smoake that came out of the bottomlesse pitt which was that horrible darkenesse and spirituall blindnesse and sottish ignorance that seazed upon the World dureing the time of the Beasts Kingdome which was so great that the visible face of a Church of Christ could not be found upon the Earth for the heavens departed as a scroll together Rev. 6.14 And out of this smoake or darknesse came the Locusts the beasts officers or Clergy which are a multitude in number there being in the Kingdome of Antichrist at this day above an hundred severall Officers Whereas in the Kingdome of Christ there is but 5. Namely Pastor Teacher Elder Deacon and Widdow Rom. 12.7.1 Ephes 4.11 Phil. 1.1 1 Tim. 3.1.2 and 5. Titus 1.5.7 Againe the Spirit of God pronounceth another woe to the inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devill is turned downe unto you having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time the like expression we read not of in the whole Booke of God nor that there were any such plagues since the beginning of the World As those were which came along with the Kingdome of the Roman Beast as the Stories of all ages since his beginning is able to witnesse and prove for men worshipped the Devill and committed such horrible wickednesse for which God sent such mighty plagues upon them as the like before was never heard off before in the world as the whole Booke of the Revelation doth witnesse Therefore of all Idols that ever were in the World Gods people have most cause of all to detest abhorre and abominate the Idolaters and the Idols in the Kingdom of the Beast whosoever the Lord loves he will deliver frō them Rev. 20.4 But those that are his enemies and hated of him shall continue in subjection to it Rev 9.4 and 13.8 and 14.9.10.11 and 19.20 Pro. 2.18.19 and 5.5 and 7.27 and 9.18 Now the time of the raigne and durance of the Kingdome of the Beast in the 11. Rev. 2. is said to be 42 moneths and in the 12. Rev. 14. it is called a time times and halfe a time which is three yeares and a halfe And in the first Verse of this Chapter it is tearmed to be 1260 dayes which is just 42 moneths reckoning 30 dayes to every moneth and it makes also three yeares and a halfe accounting 12 Moneths to every yeare and this is the time of the Raigne of the Beast or the durance of Antichrists Kingdome Which if we reckon each day for a yeare as the Lord himselfe in Scripture
the strict profession of it is so meane contemptible and burdensome a thing in the blinde and darke eyes of the World and lyes under the reproach and ignominy of the men thereof the great Rabbies doe stumble at it and doe not imbrace it 1 Cor 1 19 20 for it is written saith God I will destroy the wisdome of the wise and wil bring to nought the vnderstandings of the prudent where is the wise where is the scribe where is the disputer of this world hath not God made foolish the wisdome of this world Isa 29.14 33 18. Oba verse 8. Therefore in regard the great Doctors of the world doe not imbrace the ways of God the multitude stumble at them likewise being ready to say with them Io 7 haue any of the Rulers or of the Pharises beleeued on him but this people who knoweth not the law are accursed Even so say men in these daies of the naked truths and waies of God do any of the Rulers or Nobles or do the great learned Doctors famous Divines imbrace and practice these strict and rugged waies but onely a companie of Brownists who are the base and obscure fellowes of the world and a companie of foolish singuler people contemning and censuring all besides themselues as though none should be saved but they onely To you Oh yee spirituall blind people whose vnderstandings are darkned with the smoake of the bottomlesse pitt and whose braines are intoxicated and drunke with the glittering and gilded Cup of spirituall fornication abhomination of the scarlet whore Reuel 17. To you J answere and know you that the way to heaven is narrow and straite and Christs fold and flocke but a small little company in comparison of the world Math 7.14 Luke 13.24 Also know that God hath not called many wise men after the flesh nor many mighty nor many noble but God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of this World to confound the things that are mighty and the base things of the World and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to naught things that are And he himselfe gives the reason of it that no flesh should glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1.26.27.28.29 And Iames tells us that God hath chosen the poore of this World rich in faith and heires of the Kingdome which he hath promised to them that love him James 2 5. And what though the Rabbies and great Doctors be learned yet it is but Earthly and humane learning which Paul had before his conversion for he was a Pharise brought up at the feete of Gamaliel a great learned Doctor of the Law had in reputation among all the people Acts 5.34 and 22.3 But yet when he came to the true spirituall knowledge of true spirituall learning indeed which is taught to all Christs Schollers lesse or more that are brought up in his Schoole he renounced his humane Schollership and accounted it no better then dung or dirt Phil 3.5.7 8. But besides him we read of none of the Apostles that were learned in that learning which the blinde world accounts learning and Schollership for they were all or most of them poore men brought up in obscure and base callings many of them being no better then poore Fishermen yet when Christ called them he indued them with spirituall learning which is the true learning indeed Acts 2.1 c. And those in the new Testament that are commended for their learning it was because they were filled with the gifts of the Spirit and were mighty in the Scriptures Iohn 7.38.39 Acts 18.24 1 Cor. 12.3.7.8.10 and 14. By all which places of Scripture we see that the learning which made the Apostles famous was not human learning for none of them had it but Paul and he renounced it but it was heavenly learning which came from God being the gift of his Holy Spirit And for all the rest of those which they ordained by the power and Authority which they had from Christ to officiat in the Churches and to administer the sacred and holy things of God to his chosen and sanctifyed ones for none but them have true right to Christs ordinances it was spirituall knowledge divine learning and insight into the Scripture which are the gifts of the spirit of God as is before proved which made them fitt for those Offices that they were chosen to by the Church and ordained by the Apostles for they were not to be Novices in the Mysteries and wayes of God but sound in the Faith and also of a holy and Godly life and conversation which the Apostle calls a good report and to have the rest of those qualifications which he layes downe in 1 Tim. 3. and 5. Chapters and Titus 1. And whosoever have not these qualifications are not fitt according to the Apostles command there to beare Office in the true Church which is the spirituall Sion Citty House of God Psal 87.2.3 and 132.13.16 Esay 3â— 20.21 and 52.1 Heb. 12.22 Rev. 20.9 and 12.2 Now that Heavenly learning and gifts of the spirit which the Lord under the time of the Gospell doth bestow upon his chosen and holy ones doth fulfill the Prophesies of the Prophets in old time who Prophesied of the same things Esay 44 3.4 and 54.13 Ier. 31 Ioel 2.28 saying And it shall come to passe afterward that I will poure out my spirit upon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie your old men shall dream dreames and your young men shall see visions and also upon the hand-maids in those dayes will I poure out my spirit Oh! the simplicity sweetenesse and pleasantnesse of the wayes of God if we had but inlightened spirituall understandings to see behold and looke into them which if we had they would ravish our soules rejoyce our spirits and fill our hearts full of gladnesse But they are sealed and will be hid from us till the Lord in his rich mercy loving kindnesse be pleased to anoynt our eyes with spirituall Eye-salve and take away these Foggie Mists of darknesse scales of ignorance that hang upon our understandings 1 Cor. 2. Oh! that the Lord would be pleased to deale so gratiously with us that we might be fooles Idiots emptie vile in our own eyes that so we might nakedly lye at the footstoole of Iesus Christ and seeke for wisedome spirituall understanding from him him alone according as it is our duty the the command of wisedome Prov. 1.4.8 and 9. Chapters But alas alas we have haughty hearts proud spirits our owne and seeke to be something in ourselves and doe not labour to be weaned from all things in our selves as is our duty for we should nakedly goe out of our selves and this we shall know to be true if ever the Lord come truely and throughly to instruct and teach us in