all subdued before you had founded and built up that Interest and Strength by which they opposed the Glorious out-goings of GOD before you and endeavoured your Ruine This is that which I call the Scotch-Presbytery and now compare with the Romish-Papacy 1. The Comparison is first to be made in those things which I call Agreements between them and these are Six 1. Agreement Both joyn in setting up the Scriptures the Word of God outwardly exprest as the Letter of that Law by which all things of Christianity and Religion are to be judged So Scotus himself teacheth in his Preface to his Disputes upon the Sentences that Religion must be grounded upon a Revelation In this not onely the Romish-Papist and Scotch-Presbyter but all who pretend with any face to any thing of GOD or CHRIST do concur But there are two things in a Revelation There is Lex Revelata and Lumen Revelationis that is the Law Revealed and the Light of Revelation One is the Subject or Master but the other is the Forme the Life the Essence of a Revelation Now these Two Parties meet in this to magnifie the first of these the Law Revealed This they make the foundation of their Throne the Scepter of their Government which as taken singly by it self is but a breathlesse Carkass or a Dead Letter Herein a Living Member of IESVS CHRIST is in this Point distinguished from all otherâ—… He receiveth ownes bowes down to the Law revealed upon this account because it comes down from Heaven into his heart in a Light of Divine Revelation 2. Agreement These two of whom we speak do Both asseâ—… a visible Iudge on Earth upon whom all Particular Persons are to depend for the Determining of those two Grand Questions First what is Scripture Secondly what the sense of that Scripture is The Romanists say that this Iudge is the Pope or an Oecumenicall Councell The Scotch Presbyter is for a Nationall Assembly or rather an Oecumenicall Assembly if the Civil Government would bear it This Presbyter condemns the Papist justly because he suffereth not the people to read the Scriptures in their own Tongue But who art thon O man who condemnest another and dost thy self the same thing while thou forbiddest private persons to read the Scriptures with their own Eyes Thou confinest them to Spectacles of the Assemblies making while thou permittest the Reading but prohibitest the Interpreting of the Spriptures according to that sense which the Holy Spirit brings forth to every man in his own spirit if it be not stumpt for Currant by the Spirit of the Generall Assembly Why dost thou judge the Papist for exalting un-written Traditions to an Equall Authority with the Scriptures when thy way maketh the Scripture it self in the Letter and Meaning of it a Tradition of the Elders 3. Agreement Both these Sects have a very great Jealousie over the Spirit of GOD As the Pharisees said concerning IESUS CHRIST Joh. 11 48 If we let this man alone all men will believe on him and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and Nation So say these two the Romish and Scotch Principles in the hearts of men If we yeeld to this to let the Spirit alone and to suffer all men to believe on the Holy Ghost as the onely witness and evidence of Divine Truth if we give way to this as sound doctrine that it is the proper office of the Third Person the Spirit and of him alone to Apply Truth Authoritatively as it is of the second Person to Act of the first Person to Decree that it belongs to this Spirit alone authoritatively to testifie in the spirits of Men what those words are which himself hath taught what the meaning of the Spirit is in those words if this be once granted that nothing is to be received as Divine Truth but that which brings an Epistle of Commendations along with it written by this finger of the Living GOD upon the Heart then farewell all Religion all manner of Sects Heresies Heathenisme will break in upon us and take away the very face of a Church from amongst us It is said of JESUS CHRIST that He was numbred among transgressors in his death Such usage as our Saviour himself found on Earth from Pilate and the Priests such doth his Spirit find to this day from the Papacy and that Presbytery of which we speak The Holy Ghost as he appears and gives forth his Oracles in his Temples which are his Saints is numbred among Whimsies Fancies Fanatick Furies Enthusiasmes and so is condemned is suppress'd 4. Agreement A watchfull Opposition to all Growths of Truth above the pitch and stature of Opinions commonly received Nothing is accounted so dangerous in things pertaining to the Gospel as Innovation although S. Paul command us still to be transformed in the Renewing of our Mindes that we may prove what the good and acceptable will of GOD is and this to Saints already converted as a continual duty in which they are ever to be exercising themselves that they may have new mindes to day in comparison with those which they had yesterday and new mindes again tomorrow in comparison with their mindes to day yet the same Iesus yesterday to day and for ever As in some places of the River Thames you have Wyers set up quite crosse the River and basket nets laid in those Wyers to catch those Lampries that come swimming up against the stream so both in Papacie and in Rigid Presbyterie all Constitutions Methods frames of Doctrine and Discipline seem to be as wyers with nets in them set crosse the whole stream of civil and Religious conversation to catch every discovery of Christ every manifestation of the Gospel which comes up against the present Tide the general Current of Principles and Positions They labour as to hedge in the Wind to binde up the sweet influences of the Spirit they will not suffer it to blow where it lists because they know not whence it comes or whither it goes 5. Agreement in Annexing the Spirit to outward Formalities Like Simon Magus Both seem to believe that the Gifts and Ministery of the Spirit may be purchased by the Coin of Education Parts Moral honestie formal Qualifications Ceremonious Observations of outward Rites So is their way laid so are all their practices managed as if by a kind of Simoniacal Magick that power which alone can aw or secure us from the divel were shut up within the circle of their custemary and solemn Forms VVhen the LORD saith Neither on this Mountain nor in Jerusalem but in spirit and truth shall all men worship the Father Yea say they but spirit and truth dispense themselves within the Ierusalem of this Church-order on the Mountain of these rituall observations these consecrated forms 6. Agreement in making Religion a Rise to Civil Pomp and Power JESUS CHRIST saith My Kingdom is not of this world But say these two Factions Our Kingdom
ENGLAND'S DELIVERANCE From the Northern Presbytery COMPARED With its Deliverance from the Roman Papacy BY PETER STERRY Once Fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge now Preacher to the Right Honorable the Councell of State sitting at WHITE-HALL Printed at Leith by Evan Tyler 1652. To the SUPREME AUTHORITY Of the COMMON-WEALTH of ENGLAND The High Court of PARLIAMENT RIGHT HONORABLE IT may seem strange that in the Thanksgiving on this Day I have exalted the praises of the present season above the head of this Ancient Mercy If I deceive not my self I have not done this to the disadvantage of those old loving kindnesses nor without great Examples Is not this the beaten way of JESUS CHRIST with his Church to make succeeding visits and loves by being a grave to those that have been already to become a Resurrection to them giving them a more Excellent Being in this Relative State and Subordination than they had in their absolutenesse Did John the Baptist encrease his glory by any thing more than by that sweet readinesse to decrease before JESUS CHRIST How do the holy Pen-men in all their Prophesies or Praises frequently make every present subject but as a sight to direct their eye while their spirits fly to this mark the Heavenly glory of CHRIST in this last Appearance which is now from the midst of its Thunders Lightning upon the Earth Right Honourable I hambly intreat your Patience a little further while I present you faithfully with my Sense in the Comparison which I make between the Papacy and Rigid Presbytery I shall do this in three words spoken to three things Forms Persons Principles 1. As to Forms I grant some to be purer than others I allow the Church-form of Presbytery to excell the Papacy as the fairnesse of the Moon doth the darknesse of the Night I allow it to be in the first Rank of the purest outward Forms although not the first of that Rank I believe it the duty of every Christian to follow after the best Forms Yet is there a more excellent way which is that of Love My Brethren our Joseph our Jesus chargeth us not to fall out on the way though we walk in different paths We are Brethren let no outward Forms divide us one from another if they divide us not from CHRIST if they have not in their own nature an enmity to the naturall Image of CHRIST which is Civility Morality or the Heavenly Image which is Spirituality Let us receive one another into the Glory of GOD as CHRIST receiveth us though that Cloathing of the outward Form be not of the same fashion upon all nor on some so well shap'd as on others to the Proportion of the Body which is CHRIST The Lord JESUS hath his Concubines his Queens his Virgins Saints in Remoter Forms Saints in Higher Forms Saints unmarried to any Form who keep themselves single for the immediate embraces of their Love But CHRISTS Dove in all these is One the New Creature in CHRIST the spirituall birth of the Spirit the only One of her Mother that Hierusalem above which is the City compact that Band of Peace that Unity of Saints the Holy Ghost 2. As to Persons Fathers and Brethren of the Presbytery You together with me desire after sit drwn under the shadow feed upon the sweet fruit of the same Apple-tree in the midst of the trees of the Forrest though not of the same Arm and Bough of that Tree I would not in any thing offend you who are in the number of the excellent Ones in which is all CHRIST'S Delight on earth If I grieve you what shall make me glad There are of you who are ready to answer this government of JESUS CHRIST as Peter did CHRIST Thou knowest that I love thee Feed then the sheep feed the Lambs in those fresh Pastures into which He now leads you You who are of another mind appear to me like good old Zachary Though an Angel from Heaven witnesse that the things now come to passe are the very answers to those prayers which your selves put up many years agone yet you cannot believe because the way is not in the ordinary track of your Principles and Expectations Therefore are you struck dumb for a season that you cannot make a good confession of these Appearances of GOD But when the Child shal be born the Glory perfectly brought forth then your selves shal name it John which being interpreted is Grace then shall even your tongues be loosed to praise this Day-spring from on high which hath visited us then shal you acknowledg that this was the gate of heaven though you were not aware of it Now the Lord himself bring it to pass that all you who in your pâ—…st dispensations have been fathers to these present discoveries may suddenly turn your hearts to your children lest he come and for your sakes smite the earth even all flesh with a curse 3. As to Principles The marriage between our Saviour and the Soul is a marriage of Spirits a marriage in one spirit No union with any form makes this Marriage or dissolvs it That which alone stands in enmity to these Heavenly Espousals is union with a strange spirit This strange spirit is the Great Whore Babylon Mother of fornications One of her names is Mystery because she puts her self into all forms from the lowest to the highest from the most outward to the most inward from the darksomest among men to the lightsomest amongst Angels This is the great work of a Saint to watch to watch the Spirit of CHRIST as be makes his removes out of one Appearance into another to watch the spirit of Antichrist as that also shifts its forms Right Honorable For this I have desired in my Preaching in my Prayers to work with GOD even for the opening of the eyes of men to see that the same spirit which lay in the polluted Bed of Papacy may meet them in the perfumed Bed of Presbytery that the fornications and sorceries of this Whore are then greatest when they are most Mysterious that she is able by her sorceries to bewitch those that have attained to a great degree of spirituality as the Galatians To this purpose have I in my Sermon represented the same spirit which dwels in the Papacy when it enters into the Purer form of Presbytery as fuller of mystery so fuller of despight of danger not to make the form or persons but that Principle that spirit unfit to be cherished by any Person in any foâ—…m The Highest Godlinesse and the Highest Wickeanesses are those which are most Spirituall Now O Christians you fight not with Flesh and Blood but Principalities and Powers spirituall wickednesses in Heavenly forms But this is your comfort spirituall wickednesses ascend as high as the Heavens even into Angelical forms but spiritual Godlinesse goes up above all Heavens together with CHRIST into the bosome of the Eternall Spirit from whence it looks down upon the Angels
is over this world We rule in Earthly things by an Earthly strength though not from an Earthly Title The Heavenly power of the Spirit is the Scepter in our Hand but the fleshly power of the Magistrate is the sword in the Hand of our Minister and Guard which is to be subordinate to our Scepter By this means they bring all manner of civil affairs within the compass of their Cognisance by vertue of their spiritual judicatories they dispose of Governments Nations Crowns by vertue of their Ecclesiastick censures As the Pope baited Queen Elizabeth with his Bul and gave away the Kingdom of England to the King of Spain so did the Presbytery in Scotland now judge condemn the Present Government set over us by the glorious might of Divine Power and give away this Nation to their Scots King I have done with the Agreements of these two I come now to compare them in their Differences and that onely those in which the later Enemy appears worse than the former that so the former Mercy may be made the sweeter to us in being exceeded and swallowed up by this later deliverance as a stream running into a greater river The Differences between these two Enemies are four 1. Difference Our first enemies pleased not GOD but yet were agreeable to men in their wayes Being false to a divine and spiritual interest they are true to principles of humane policy Being severe in the imposall of superstitious rites and those principles which descend immediatly into the practice of such rites they take and give a large scope to the understanding and affections in generous contemplations in mystical divinity Wanting that bread of heaven that new wine of the Kingdom the beauties and sweetnesses of GOD in the Spirit which should feast the inward man they entertain the fancy and senses with all objects sutable to them with a pretence of a subserviency to devotion as in the Temple of old On the other side our last enemies please not God and are contrary to all men These contemne the Spirit and its Impressions upon the heart when they are set up for Pillars of fire to go before us in this dark night of flesh as Enthusiasmes At the same time they condemne humane policy as profane They check the delights of sense and fancy as vain rejecting also the openings of the glory of Christ the mutuall enterviews walkes embraces kisses between God and the Soul in the Spirit as Whimsicall It is necessary for me here to professe that I have no meaning to justifie the sensualities of the Papacy in its religion while by pretending these things as Spirituall inlightnings Spirituall warmings they intend them for a vail upon the Spirit There is no such way to draw us up to the glory of Christ as by his Crosse to which the pleasing and heightning of the flesh for the most part carries a very great enmity Therefore do I not desire to cast any dif-esteem upon a severity towards the outward man even to the enslaving of it to the beating of it black and blew as Saint Paul used it so this be not to the puffing up of the fleshly mind But my Iustification or Condemnation of these things is as they stand in the comparison between these two parties and as they may stand upon the root of the same Principle or Spirit in each party Upon this account as Samuel was by Witchcraft raised out of his grave to appear before Saul with his mantle upon him So both these the Romish Papacy the Scotish-Presbytery as it hath been formerly stated by me appear like the Ghost of Iudaisme raised from the dead by that Witch of Endor the flâ—…shly principle dressed up in the forme of Christianity But there is this difference The former is the Ghost of Iudaisme cloathed with the Mantle which it wore in its life time appearing in the same outward pompe with the same delicious pleasures of pictures Musick Perfumes c. as of old But the later is Iudaism undrest like an apparition in chaines or Lazarus when he came forth from the grave with the grave cloathes bound about him 2. Difference Our Southern enemies are richer our Northern ones poorer Prov. 28. 3. A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food A Legall Spirit having not the seed of GOD which is CHRIST at the bottome of it is the poorest the proudest the cruellest of all Spirits Let not this at all discourage any poor soul which under a Legall dispensation waites for Christ It is spoken only of the proud poor ones not of the poor ones oppressed under a sense of divine wrath but oppressing with the fury of a carnal rage These poor ones when they prevail are even to those other poor and meek ones as a Hoâ—…slâ—…ech as a Barren womb as the grave ever devouring never satisfied The Legall Spirit standing in opposition to the Spirit of Christ is the barrennest of all wombes the cruellest grave 3. Difference The Scotch Presbyterie hath the purest form and in respect to the outward form is a good and great degree of reformation from the Papacy both in respect to discipline and doctrine as to the letter Now who knows not that the corruption of the best things is the worst of all corruptions Naturalists say that the Marrow of a man in which his strength lies the Brain of a man in which his wisedome is seated by Putrefaction in death generates oft times a Serpent In like manner the exactest Image of that Heavenly Man Iesus Christ if for want of the Quickning Spirit it corrupt converts its highest excellency the strength and wisedome of the letter to the enmity of the serpent against that Spirit which is the Heavenly man himself The most implacable hatred is in the nearest competition The falling out of brethren is as walls and barâ—…es The son of the Bond-woman is he who stirres up the most frequent and fiery persecutions against the son of the Free-woman It is the son of the Free-woman alone who darkneth the glory of his Brother Ishmael who puts in between him and the inheritance who carries away the love of the Father from him If the spirituall seed were out of the way the Iew in the letter the Legall Professour were the only Saint neither would there be any that could step into Heaven before him If therefore the spirituall seed be not sowne in the heart of this Iew he still cryes concerning him who is born after the Spirit Let us stay him When the single divel had left the house in the Parable he returned to it again finding it swept and garnished but empty of that heavenly Man that should inhabit it he re-enters into it and takes with him seven divels more The Scotch Presbytery is a house which the evill spirit of Papacy had left a house swept clean from the filth of profanenesse garnished with the beautifull things of the letter
them as Dust before the wind the Angel of the Lord driving them But these Two times he hath appeared to you as he did to Solomon he hath spoken Peace to you his chosen ones And what hath the LORD spoken to you when he hath spoken Peace even this that his chosen ones return no more to folly that you no more have any thoughts of Going down again into Egypt lest you go a-whoring from the living GOD the Eternall Spirit and forsakethe Guide of this your Youth Right Honourable Balaam was a Prophet he was the man whose eyes were opened who saw the visions of GOD But he prophesied for the hire of a fleshly Interest This Balaam hath assayed from several places to curse the Armies of Israel in the midst of you But no Inchantment hath been against you while you have walked as Iacob a Plain man in the simplicity of the spirit though a supplanter of his brother Edom. There hath been no Divination against you while as Israel Princes with GOD you have wrastled with GOD and so prevailed over your Enemies Right Honourable I do now with bowels tenderly Earning with a heart bleeding over your precious lives and this whole Common-wealth how the Knees of my spirit to the GOD of Israel for you I do earnestly warn and intreat every one of you that as this Balaam hath not been able to hurt you by his open curses so he may not by his close wiles and fair-tongued flatteries draw you to feast on the Moabitish Dainties look on the Moabitish Beauties bow down to the Moabitish Idols of fleshly Excellencies and enjoyments I speak to you as to wise Men Why should you fall for your fornications many thousands of you by the Plague in this wildernesse 3. Question What the Coming up out of the NORTH means Answer You have a full description of this in the Prophesie of Ezekiel As the severall Prophesies in the Revelation have prefixed to them severall Appearances of Iesus Christ as the Mark at which 〈◊〉 Prophesie aimes and as the Scene or Face of things which the predictions in each Prophesie are to usher into the world so Ezekiel in the Beginning of his Book presents us with a vision Dreadfully Glorious in which JESUS CHRIST is discovered as he comes with his people from the NORTH that this vision may be a Light to all the following Prophesies This first Chapter of Ezekiel hath many things to be said of it which are hard to be expressed and much more hard to be understood But I will not trouble you with any of those Mysteries which require senses well exercised on invisible things I shall only set before you severall particulars which offer themselves to every Eye and fall with ease upon every understanding 1. The whole Object which shewes it self to the Prophet is called the Glory of the Lord verse 28. This expression imports as much as the Court of a King where he is in state in Glory The Jewes call this vision the Chariot alluding to that in the Psalmist of GOD riding upon the Cherubim contrary to the figure in the most holy Place where GOD is said to dwell between the Cherubims in respect to the Ark and the Mercy seat which was under the Covering of the Wings of those Angelicall Creatures 2. He who rides in this Chariot is a Man upon a Throne This Man is our LORD JESUS in his Heavenly Man in the Person of a Mediatour The Word Amber is so interpreted by very learned Divines as to represent the Godhead in its Majesty together with the Humanity over-spread by the Bright Beams of the Divine Nature This Man appears also in the full Image of the Ever-Blessed Trinity The fire cloathing him from the Loins upward from the Loins downward shadows out the Father The Image it self the Appearance of a man in the fire represents the Son The Brightnes round about like a Rainbow typifies the Holy Ghost breathed forth from the Father and the Son the Union of both circling them in as in Mutuall Embraces verse 26. and 27. 3. This man hath a firmament under his Feet Behold here the Pavement of the Chariot if I may so speak This firmament is the third heavens where Iesus Christ is where Paradise is whither Saint Paul was rapt These are the Lords own Heavens which the Lord bowes and upon which He descends when he comes down according to the Prophet This is that Pavement which the Elders of Israel saw under the Feet of the God of Israel That was represented by Saphyre so is this here vers. 26. 4. Four living Creatures stand under this firmament and draw this Chariot verse 26. They sparkled like burnisht brasse verse 7. They were as burning coals of fire and as Lamps verse 13. See here the horses in the coach which are the Elect Angels the second heavens the holy Powers and high Principles or Principalities in the secret of the Invisible part of this Creation These have their Proper forms as Angels verse 4. They have all one common form of a Man verse 5. which is the Divine Image of our glorified Saviour in which everyone of them possesseth his own distinct-image to shew them to be the Angels of Iesus Christ Such is the Majesty of God riding upon the Cherubims as his horses who have the heavenly image of their glorious Rider himself as trappings cover them all over 5. The wheels to this Chariot are the visible Part of this Creation as it is restored and made new by Iesus Christ The word translated wheeles signifies very properly globes round globes such as the round world of these Heavens and Earth which our eyes behold 6. One Divine life acts this whole piece of Glory from the Man upon the Firmament to the wheeles which stand by the Living Creatures That fire which is a Robe of Glory upon the Man verse 27. That is the spirit of Life which goes up and down in the midst of the living Creatures verse 13. This Spirit of the Living Creatures is in the wheeles also enlivening and acting them ver. 20. 7. This flaming Chariot comes forth from the midst of a whirl-wind and a great cloud and a fire v. 4. 8. This sweeping Devouring Tempest comes from the NORTH v. 4. These are the Particular Notes upon this chapter which I have collected out of it unto this End to found upon these Notes three Observations 1. Observation When the Lord brings his People out of the NORTH he comes in a tempest of a whirle-wind a Great cloud and of fire He comes to bring Desolation upon the Holy city the Hierusalem which now is He comes as a whirl-wind to shake dreadfully the whole Earth He comes in a cloud to bring Darknesse Trouble Confusion upon the Spirits of all Mankinde He comes as a fire to burne upon all flesh till he have quite consumed it When He ariseth to raise
the Nations Let me add to this that the Power of our Dear Saviours Death so far as ever I could know or learn lyes with so much Sense of it with such Gaspings under it upon no Spirits which at this Day live in Flesh as upon the Spirits of English Christians though alas upon too too few of them Now our Lord foretels us that Where the Carkasse is thither will the Eagles be gathered together Matthow 24. 28. Where the most considerable Part of the Body of our Lord Iesus shall lye most eminently moulded into a fellowship with him in his most Precious Death there upon that flesh will the Heavenly Appearances the Divine powers the Immortall Glories of the Holy-Ghost who is represented by Seven Spirits for the variety of His Powers and Appearances first and most Eminently alight as Eagles upon the Carkasse 3 Consideration The Dispensations of God in Spirituall Priviledges have been Peculiar to this Nation in many things as to a Beloved a First-born Childe The First King that became Christian raigned in this Land The First Emperour by whom Jesus Christ with his Saints came up out of the fires of Heathenish Persecutions and appeared upon the Throne came from hence was born here Wickliffe that day-breake of Evangel call Light from whom the First Glympses of Truth and Christ appeared to the World lying in the deepest Night of Anti-christian Darknesse He dawned from this Quarter of the Heavens He was borne an Englishman lived fruitfully died Peaceably in London From him did the Gospel shine forth upon the Bohemians and so upon that Blessed pair of Martyrs Hierom and Huâ—… who prophesied of Luther the Morning starr I cannot passe over in silence that Darling of Iesus Christ's Edward the sixth a Childe a King a Saint all three in one He as a forward Plant though nipt in the Bud yet was a Declaration that Spring and Summer were coming But how in these last times have the People of God in the midst of this Land been as his Ioseph among the Nations Ioseph hath been despised by his brethren divided from his brethren as an Ambitious dreameâ—… Yet Ioseph hath been like a fruitfull bough by a well whose branches have run over the Wall for the Good-will of him who dwelt in the bush Ioseph is that bush which burnes with fire yet hath not been consumed The Archers sorely grieve him and shoot at him and hate him But his how abideth in strength his armes are made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Iacob From thence shall be the shepherd the stone of Israel the blessing upon his head unto the bounds of the Everlasting hils His Glory is as the firstling of his bullock his horns as the horns of an Unicorne with them he shall push the People together to the end of the Earth If the blessings on the Tribes be Types of the last dayes the dayes of the Messiah I hope I have not done amisse in transferring the things of Ioseph as a Figure to the Present state of the Church in this Land I formerly shewed you O my fellow-members whose Lot is fallen in this Age and Iland your face in the Glasse of Davids Story These two seem to me Paralel figures of your selves Both were drawn out of the Pit to be Princes Both ruled in the midst of Domestick Forrain Reproaches and Ruines Both were blessed with the Precious things of Heaven of Earth of Sun and Moon Grace and Nature Flesh and Spirit Yet both died in the Land of Egypt in a state of Trouble Both are happily succeeded by the Fulnesse of Peace and Glory David by Solomon Ioseph by Benjamin brought forth by the death of his mother the Hierusalem below but the Son of the right hand of his heavenly Fathers righteousnesse Power and Majesty of whom Moses sings The beloved of the Lord shal dwel in safety by him the Lord shal cover him all the day long he shal dwel between his shoulders 4. Consid. I have received from the Mouth of a Gentleman of understanding and integrity in his Testimony a Discourse which himself had from one of the most Learned among the Iews at Venice as I remember that A generall Tradition divides the Prophesies of the old Testament into unfixed fixed The fixed are such as be determined to some certain Place In the number of the fixed Prophesies is that of Isaiah chap. 24. and 13 14 15 16. When thus it shall be in the midst of the Land among the People there shall be as the shaking of an Olive Tree as the Gleaning of Grapes when the vintage is done They shall lift up their voice they shall sing for the Majesty of the Lord they shall cry aloud from the SEA Wherefore glorifie ye the Lord in the fires the Name of the Lord God of Israel in the ILES of the Sea From the UTTERMOST Parts of the Earth have we heard Songs Glory to the Righteous The place said he on which this Prophesie is fixed by the constant Reception of the Rabbins is this I le of Great Brittain I cannot but lay to these verses before cited another verse out of the same chapter verse 21. And it shall come to passe in that day that the Lord shall punish the Hoast of the High Ones on high and the Kings of the Earth on the earth Of a truth he that peruseth this whole chapter and compares it with the first of Ezekiel will finde Both to speak of the same season and affaire with this Difference Isay is full in Desoribing the storm Brief in the Glory Ezekiel spends one verse onely on the storm all the chapter besides on the Glory I appeal to those hearts who have a Spirituall Eye opened in them how farre they see the Letter in both those chapters answered by the life of the Letter acting it self forth on this land how much they discover of Glory wrapt up in a storm and ready to issue forth from it as lightning from a cloud 2. Interest of the Present times in the coming of the children of GOD out of the NORTH I shall here humbly offer to you three prophetick Scriptures which seem to be contemporary and joyntly to have their Proper influences on these dayes 1. The First Scripture is Dan. 7. ver. 9 10. and verse 22 and verse 26. The End of the Fourth Empire is here described in the vision and in the Interpretation 2. The second Scripture is Rev. 3. v. 14 c. The Epistle to the seventh Church 3. The last Scripture is Rev. 16. 10 13. The Opening of the fifth and sixth Seal These three Scriptures manifestly agree in Foure things 1. A Party Iudging 2. A Party Iudged 3. A Kingdom sinking 4. A Kingdom springing 1. A Party Iudging Laodicea the Name of the seventh Church made by Master Brightman a Type of England is compounded of two words {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifies the People
of God in Greek according to the most frequent use of it in the sacred Writings {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifies Iudgement Both together represent the Iudgement of the people of God or the people of God in Iudgement How is this Laodicea interpreted by the Angels that poure the fifth viall upon the Seat of the Beast the sixth viall upon the River Euphrates the Defence of the Great Babylon These Angels are described Rev. 15. ver. 6. The seven Angels came out of the temple having the seven plagues cloathed with white linnen and having their brests girded with golden girdles As the seven Churches had their severall Angels Rev. 1. v. 1. so have severall Dispensations of God to the Saints whether they be at once or in Different seasons Angels are the Ministers of the Divine dispensations as they descend from the Spiritual unto the natural man of a Saint These seven Angels powring forth these vials do upon this account denote seven dispensations or Appearances of JESUS CHRIST coming forth from the secret of the spirit into an outward manifestation through the flesh of the Members of Christ These poure forth the vials of Wrath upon the children of Wrath by the pouring forth of Grace upon their lips as the LORD consumes the Man of sin by the brightnesse of his coming But you have this Laodicea these Angels from the Temple plainly discovered by Daniel 7. 9. The Ancient of Dayes did sit whose garments was white as snow Behold One in the same Raiment with the Angels of the Vials ver. 22. Untill the Ancient of dayes came and judgment was given to the Saints of the most High v 26. The judgment shall sit and THEY shall take away c. Behold the Angels in white Behold the judgment and Judges in Laodicea The Ancient of Dayes coming forth appearing in his Beloved These are his judgment Seat his Iudges This is the sitting of the judgment 2. A Party judged The sixth vial falls upon the River Euphrates which encompasseth Babylon mystery the mother of fornications Waters hold forth a Spirit in which the flesh or letter stands lives and flourisheth as the Earth in the Waters A River is a Spirit either having the power or putting on the form of Light and Purity Under the same Vial is made mention of the false Prophet out of whose mouth an unclean spirit yet a spirit of miracles goes forth See the River which defends the spirituall Egypt and Sodome Is not this false Prophet he who would seem to be the River of Iordan making glad the City of Laodicea with his pleasant stream when he is as the dead Sea in the midst of her who saith I am rich and want nothing and knowes not that he is miserable poor blind and naked This is he who falls in to uphold the Dragon and the Beast who summons all the Kings of the Earth to battell in this common Quarrel against the Saints Is not this that very little horne of which Daniel speaks Dan. 7. vers. 8. There came up another little horne and behold in this horne eyes like the eyes of a man a show of divine Light a plain character of the River Euphrates the false Prophet and a mouth speaking great things that is I am rich and need nothing This little horne had a look more stout then his fellows vers. 20. He makes warre with the Saints vers. 21. He speaks great words against the most High GOD the Father and our LORD JESUS as he is in the most High the most holy place of Spirit and Truth above Flesh above Types he wears out the Saints untill this Iudgement sits ver. 25. This is the party judged 3. The Kingdom sinking is the Seat or Throne as it is in Greek of the Beast filled with Darknesse Revel. 16. vers. 10. The drying up of Euphrates by the Beams of a spirituall Glory vers. 12. The Battel of the great Day of God Almighty against all the Kings of the Earth v. 14. The spuing of the false Prophet out of the mouth of Christ Revel. 3. 16. The Thrones cast down Dan. 7. vers. 9. The Beast slain for the great words which the Horn spake vers. 11. The taking away of his Dominion consuming destroying it unto the end 4. The Kingdom springing is the everlosting dominion given to the Son of man by the Ancient of dayes Dan. 7. vers. 13 14. This everlasting Kingdom is given also to the Saints who must reign together with their Saviour vers. 27 Sweetly harmonious with this is that pleasant melody in the eares of Laodicea At the beginning of the Epistle our glorified Iesus is held forth to be the beginning the Head the Principle of the creation of God the New and Eternall Dominion Revel. 3. vers. 14. At the end of the Epistle He promiseth his Saints that they shall sit with Him in His Throne as He sits down with his Father in his Throne Thus the Ancient of dayes gives the Kingdom to the Son of man The Son of man gives it to his Brethren All Three raign each in other are Thrones and Kings each to other These are the Kings of the East for whom way is made by the drying up of Euphrates Revel. 16. vers. 12. These Kings from the East bring into my minde a place of Ezekiel to which St Iohn seems to relate as pointing at the same Time and Thing It is chap. 43. vers. 2 3. And behold the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the East and his voice was as the voice of many waters the Kings of the East which come with him and the Earth shined with his glory And it was according to the Vision which I saw when I came to destroy the City the vision that I saw by the River Chebar vers. 4. The glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose Prospect is to the East Ezekiel in his first chapter saw the glory of the Lord come from the North with a dreadful tempest He saw it come to destroy the City He saw it remove from the old temple and City of fleshly Administrations Here he sees it come from the East with a most blessed Serenity and Sunshine which cloathes the whole Earth he sees it enter into the New-built Temple to take up Its rest there for ever Remember O Christians to distinguish between these two commings of the LORD Iesus at the end of dayes 1. From the North 2. From the East 1. When your Saviour comes from the North he comes upon his chariot He comes in the glory of the Father with all his holy Angels Thus he comes unto your inward man But he comes flying upon the wings of a VVhirle-winde Ezek. 1. 4. He comes upon wheeles of Fires with a flame of fire issuing forth from him Dan. 7. 9. 10. He comes with rebukes and chastenings Rev. 3. 19. He comes as a thief in the Night covering himself with a