Name Wherefore let all Men who shall read search the Scriptures whether those things which he hath written and brought together from the holy Oracles be so yea or no and accordingly embrace what they find of the Spirit and truth of God and what they meet with that savours of humane frailty and mistake for which of the Learned Orthodox Doctors of the Church as they are called are not full of them let them reflecting upon their own insufficiency and imperfections passe by in brotherly love or rectifie according to the measure of their attainments in Christ For undoubtedly the Aime of the Author and the scope of his discourse is no way unworthy the Name and profession of a Disciple of Christ A plentifull portion of the Spirit of Wisedome and Revelation in the knowledge of Christ be given to every such Disciple in this day for the Lords sake Amen So prayeth One of the Servants of Christ and your Servant for Jesus sake CHR. FEAKE From mine own Hired House where a Souldier is appointed to keep me this 14 day of the 5 Month 1656. TO THE READER GOD who in times past left not himself without Witnesse Acts 14.16 17. hath in the dayes of the Gospel compassed us about with a aloud of Witnesses Heb. 12.1 A Remnant of whom notwithstanding that great Apostacy spoken of 2 Thess 2. hath the Lord reserved and by wonderfull providence hath preserved during all the bloody rage and reigne of the man of sin to bear a Testimony for Jesus with the hazard of their lives Rev. 17.6 And in this our Generation O how eminently hath God appeared witnessing to the truth Rev. 12.11 17. against all the unrighteousnesse of men as by many signal paovidences and dreadsull judgements Chap. 6.9 so also by raising up diverse Witnesses in his behalfe The number of those hath he augmented of late and prospered their Testimony to a great encrease of light and still the Lord holds them in his right hand and makes them like the Pen of a ready Writer bearing a swift Testimony against the most refined abominations of Professors declaring the mind of the Lord in divers dark sayings of Scripture bringing that light out of obscurity that many ages past have never seen 1 Pet. 1.12 showing plainly how the Prophets of old did Minister to the Saints and Professors in the last dayes Behold how these at this day are revived as from the dead to witnesse for God and Christ against a sinfull and adulterous Generation It rejoyceth me to behold how the Lord doth spirit instruments and instruct them to promote their Testimony by expounding and sitly applying their words for Reproof and instruction in Righteousnesse as once he did Ezra and others with him to hold forth the Law of Moses when that work which typed forth much of this now in doing was upon the wheele But as the Lords Witnesses of old were the main object of the hatred of those whom they witnessed against as Amos Jeremy and others who were threatned imprisoned and reproached even so are the Children of the Prophets those who through their word are brought forth to witnesse against evill doers now hated and misused by the men of this Generation I know men are ready to say with the Pharisees Mat. 23.30 31 32. If we had lived in the dayes of our fathers we would not have persecuted the Prophets whilest in the mean time they seek to suppresse those who in the same Spirit of faith doe with their words explained bear witness against such yea the self same evills by other persons committed now Obj. But some may Object saying This is the duty and work of extraordinary Prophets only to bear a Testimony against the evills of the Times ordinary Ministers have little to doe ordinary Saints much lesse with such matters Ans The Prophecies of old and the Testimonies of the Prophets are gathered up into the Prophesie and Testimony of Christ the Great Prophet of the New Testament the faithfull witnesse and by him having received of the Father The Promise of the Spirit in the fullnesse of it committed to his Seed even the faithfull believers as believers being made to partake abundantly of the same Spirit which was not given at least so generally and ordinarily untill Jesus was exalted John 7. 38 39. by them to be declared and held forth from Generation to Generation each word in its season according to their measure of Grace and of the gift of Christ as these Scriptures here inserted with many more doe sufficiently prove Rev. 1.4 5 11. Rev. 12.10 11 17. Isa 59.21 Psa 145.4 Isa 43.3 5 8. Isa 8.16 2 Tim. 2.2 And as it is the concernment of Saints in generall qualified for the worke to witnesse for Christ against Antichrist so is it in a speciall manner the worke of Gospel Ministers orderly called to that Office to bear their Testimony against all Antichristian Abominations And if these things be so may we not conclude that men ought to take heed that they be not found despisers when God comes forth by the words of his Servants though Babes and Sucklings with stammering tongues and pens Psal 8.2 to witnesse against the evills of the times O Yee that are called by the name of Saints Is it a time for you to dwell at ease in your cieled houses Is it not high time to awake and to consider your wayes to enquire into to lay to heart to sigh and cry for all the abominations of such as professe to be the Lords people whereby the grace and praise-worthy name of God is reproached at home and abroad Oh how gloriously is this duty rewarded and how severely are professors even the ancient of them punished for the neglect hereof Ezek. 9.4 5 6 7. If love to God and Christ doth not constrain yet let the just judgements of God breaking forth upon a professing yet sinfull secure people provoke you hereunto In this weighty work the ensuing Treatise will afford thee no small help for by it if the presence of the Lord accompany the reading thou mayest dig through a wall as Ezekiel was bid to doe Ezek. 8.7 8 12. and mayest behold with him an open door whereat entring in thou mayest see greater abominations then probably thou hast hitherto observed vayled over with spetious pretences and a large profession Herein is the wisedome of God to be seen and justified in bringing his truths to light in their proper time whilest men are working in the darke Isa 29.15 saying Who seeth us How hath the Lord lighted Candles wherewith to search Jerusalem visiting the men that are setling Zeph. 1.12 or willing to setle on their Lees. Reader This worke serves not only to present unto thee as it were in a Glasse the face of the Times but thine own face use it as a Touchstone to try thy heart whether it be right for the Lord and for his work Behold how the Lord comes and
is written in their foreheads they are redeemed from the earths and from among men from all of this old world nothing is of any value or esteem with them hath their hearts but the new Heavens and new earth which they look for according to the promise of God they are without guile and fault before the Throne of God their Offerings are Offerings in righteousness pleasant unto the Lord they are a holy Generation by the mighty and wonder-working hand of the Holy Spirit wrought into an exact conformity to Jesus Christ in all things these are the Lords Jewels upon whom his heart is so fixed that he wil defend them against the whole world of men and devils he vvil creat such a defence upon these that neither heat nor storme nor raine all the rage malice and power of their enemies either by day or by night shal be able to harm them We are now come to the second sort of promises the Lord makes to this people of his delight and that is such as contains not only reward for work done but also qualification and fitness for a future glorious work immediatly to succeed Then shal ye return and diseern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not In the words we have 1 The Persons to vvhom this Promise is made 2 The Promise it self And 3 The Time of performance 1 The Persons to vvhom the Promise is made Then shal yee returne c. that by this YEE cannot be meant the wicked leaders of the Apostacy against whom the Prophet had been speaking throughout his Prophecie seems clear to me upon these grounds 1 Because here is a promise made to them and the promises of God belong not to the wicked they are a Eph 2.12 strangers from the Conants of promise the Lord makes not promises to his enemies but to his Children and Friends To Abraham and his seed were the promises made b Gal 3.16 c 2 Cor. 1 20 all the promises of God in him are yea and in him amen and it s by the d Eph 2.13 BLOOD OF CHRIST that any are made nigh to the promise 2 Because it is a promise of a great gift of the Spirit a peice of that great New-Testament promise of the Spirit and what colour or shaddow of reason can be given that this should be spoken to wicked men the subject of the Lords wrath and displeasure 3 Because it is a promise of a spirit of descerning to qualifie and fit them with a sufficient ability to perform the work of the Lord in the to tal destruction of the wicked Now it is not the wicked that shal destroy the wicked at this day but it is the feet of them that fear the Lord that shal tread them down like ashes they burn them up leaving them neither root nor branch So that 2 By this YEE we are to understand the Jewels of the Lord they shal return out of the fiery furnace of the refiner and from under the scourings of the Fullers sope and have a spirit of discerning given to them that they may be enabled to perform that great work the Lord hath cut out for them to do upon and in the world But 3 In a more special and peculiar manner we are to understand by this YE those that feared the Lord spake often one to another those that the Lord wil so own as to spare them in that day of the Lord of hosts they shal return out of those places of consultation where they have been thinking of and consulting about the concernments of the great name of God at this day and shal discern what their work is in the doing whereof they may gain honour and glory to the suffering name of their Lord one reason why I apply it in such special manner to these is because I find them particularly pointed out by the same expression in the next Chapter and YEE shal go forth and grow up as Calves of the stall and YEE shal tread down the wicked YEE who why you that fear my name 2 The Promise it self we have in these words discern between the righteous the wicked between him that serveth God him that serveth him not it is a spirit of discerning the Lord promises here to qualifie and fit them to enable them to perform the glorious work of the following day spoken of in the 1 v of the next Chter for the Prophet there renders a reason why the Lord would then give them this spirit of discerning For behold saith he the day cometh that shal burn as an Oven implying as that that was the time and season for the pouring down of the spirit upon them so that there is a necessity it should be given to them otherwise they would not be able to perform the work of that burning day treading down the vvicked as ashes under their feet as the Children of old must be directed what to destroy and what to save alive so must these too have a spirit of discerning given them To discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not otherwise they wil not know which to burn up and which to pluck as brands out of the fire which to lead by the hand out of the miseries and sorrows of that day and which to tread down like ashes under their feet 3 The Time of performance THEN shal ye return c THEN when 1 THEN When I have gotten to my self honour and glory by my swift witnessing against the heads and leaders of this loathsome apostacy 2 THEN When I have made up my Jewels when my Refiners fire and Fullers sope that searching and trying dispensation of mine hath had its ful course amongst my professing people that pretend to so great a delight in me and my day 3 THEN When I have put forth such Majesty and glory in executing my vengeance on these mine enemies and purifying my Zion that forceth you because of that unlikeness and non-conformity that is in you to it to fly to the horns of the Altar to the freeness and riches of my eternal love my sparing love for shelter when the considering how far short you come of that glory I am about to reveal makes you to run into your rock the Rock of Ages to shelter your selves under his healing wings 4 THEN when I have manifested such glory of love in such a peculiar way as neither you nor your Fathers were ever acquainted with before taking such an unwonted unparalleld care of you sparing you in such a day as this the glory whereof shal have drawn you vvholly to my self that indeed I am as really become yours as you are mine and that I am fixed upon your hearts as you are upon mine that indeed you can unfeignedly say My beloved is mine and I am his THEN shal ye return and discern c. 5 THEN
silver purifying and purging the true seed from all their drosse and tin that they may be able to offer up an Offering to the Lord in righteousnesse sit to serve him in that great and glorious worke he hath to do in the world 2. Because the worke of our Lord at this time the Prophet speaks of is to bring his people into to cloath them with that glory they have lost the glory of the day of their espousal that they may be as in the dayes of old as in antient yeares but when our Lord shall come in person he will bring a greater glory then that with him even r Mat. 16.27 Luke 9.26 his own glory and his Fathers glory and the glory of his holy Angells 3. Because I finde the Prophet Isaiah who as hath been sufficiently proved speaks of the same time and worke calling this a coming in spirit the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning By which the Lord will wash and purge Syon 4. Because the great designe of our Lord at this his coming as hath been already proved is to sitt and prepare his Syon for the doing that great worke of his in and upon the world he hath decreed she shall carry on before he comes himselfe in person even the breaking Dan. great Image to pieces and powering out Vials of his wrath upon the rebellious world by giving his Spirit to them and causing it to rest upon them Read what the Prophet Isaiah saith in his 28. chapter the 5. and 6. verses In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a Crowne of glory and for a Diadem of beauty unto the residue of his people And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate In that day wherein the Lord will in judgment tread under foot the Crowne of Pride the Drunkards of Ephraim and all their glorious beauty shall be as a fading flower wherein God will judge the apostatising wickednesse wherewith the people are become drunken with the promoters of it in the midest of a professing people In that day will the Lord of hoasts be for a Crowne of glory and for a Diadem of beauty unto the residue of his people those that keep their garment pure and clean from this apostacie in this their day But the sword of the Lord of hosts is not to abide upon the back of his people but now judgment beginning at the house of God hath run its course there and the Lord of hosts hath magnified himselfe gotten glory and honor exalted himselfe alone there by the righteousnesse of his Judgments He will be for a spirit of judgement to him that sitteth in judgment and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate The sword of the Lord of hosts must be removed and the battel must be turned to the gate to what gate s Gen. 22.17 the gate of his enemies which the father hath promised that blessed seed of Abraham our Lord Jesus shall possesse And my thinks the reason is strong for this interpretation for after the Lord hath judged this wicked though professing generation bringing a destroying woe upon the Crowne of Pride the Drunkards among them and made himselfe a Crowne of glory and a Diadem of beauty to the residue of his people whether those that kept themselves clean from the pollutions of the day or those that he had left as his Jewells a people to shew forth his praise he will then be for a spirit of Judgement to them that sit in Judgment and for strength to them that turn the battel to the gate The battle of the Lord must now be turned hence to another place to the gate which cannot be the gate of this professing people for it hath been there already the mighty and strong one of the Lord hath already been as t verse 2. a tempest of haile and a destroying storme as a stood of mighty waters in their gate before the residue of his people set themselves to this worke And the persons to whom these promises are made are those that the battle of the Lord in the gate of this wicked-professing-people hath left the residue of the people so that it cannot be meant of their gate And what gate can this then be But that gate of his enemies which the Father hath promised shall be the possession of his Sonne the seed of Abraham Judgment begins at the house of God and ends in that gate and all this must be done by the Spirit of the Lord he will be for a spirit of Judgment and the same spirit shall be strength to them that turn the battle to the gate The Prophet speaks not a word of any other coming of the Lord than in spirit so that all the worke there spoken of must be done by the spirit of the Lord in and by his people before the coming of the Son of God in Person the second time And the same Prophet Isaiah in his fifty nineth Chapter the nineteenth verse speaks further of this truth When the enemy shall come in like a stood the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him clearly holding forth thus much to us that the worke of God in the last day's to repay fury to his adversaries and recompence to his enemies that combine together against him shall be carried on by the spirit of the Lord as the great agent in and amongst his people he speaks of his personal comming in the next verse as succeeding this And the Holy ghost in the fourteenth of the Revelation further confirms us in this truth there we finde the Lord bringing his purged and refined number upon Mount Zion martialling them for his work But how comes he As a Lamb A Lamb stood on Mount Zion with one hundred forty foure thousand The Lord comes to avenge the blood of his own person and all the blood of his u Luke 18.7 Mistical body that hath been shed upon the world as a Lamb But when he comes in person he appears after another manner as a King x Mat. 24.30 in power and great glory 5. When the Lord comes himself in person he will do his work himselfe alone by his great power and glory he brings with him he will stain all his Rayment with the blood of his enemies y Isa 63.3 treading the winepress alone and of the people there will be none with him But at this comming of the Lord he makes use of Syon as his battle-ax and instrument of warre of their feet to tread down his enemies as ashes under foot 2. This Tipe cannot represent THE WHOLE OF THE PROFESSING GOSPELL-CHURCH I conceive because the whole house of Israel the twelve Tribes being the tipe of that this one Tribe MALLACHY prophesied to was but a tipe of some small part of the professing-gospel-church which runnes parrallel to it For the illustrating of
of all unrighteousnesse likewise as may be observed once for all in Rom. 1. from the 18 verse to the end of the Chapter These Gentiles in the poynt of Government and worship have not Jehovah for their Judge or their Law-giver or their King but have in a constant succession submitted to the foure Beasts which rose out of the great Sea as is described by Daniel the Prophet as to their Soveraigne Lords in all things Others of the degenerate part of Mankind are such as having been taken into Covenant with God from among the Idolatrous Nations to be his Church and people did for a time observe and doe his Commandements but afterward forsaking the Lord their God have joyned themselves to Idols after the manner of the Nations of the world and so have gradually degenerated into the very Image and similitude of the Gentiles which know not God and so are of the world as the Aegyptians were of the world and as the Canaanites were of the world This was the state of the Ten Tribes and this state is notably described in Jeremy the 2 from the 9 to the 21 verse Such also were the degenerate Members of the Jewish Church in the first day of the Son of man they were of the world as the Romans and the Grecians were of the world and therefore without controversie our Lord in the forementioned passages doth include within the compasse of the word WORLD the Order of the Priests from the Highest to the Lowest the whole state of the Elders the whole Hypocriticall Generation of the Scribes and Pharisees and the Generality of the people who being corrupted from the simplicity and purity of the Divine Institutions did not long after the Testimony aforesaid Joyne in the Murthering of the Lord of glory This is the world which hated Jesus Christ even with a more perfect hatred then Herod or Pontius Pilate or the Centurions or the Souldiers of the Romans These Things are plain and clear to almost every understanding and therefore I for bear further explication Only let me add this As it was then even so it is now in these our dayes as by many Instances it might appeare That the Turks are of the world that the Jews are of the world and not of the Church that the Persians the Indians the Moores are of the world as the nations before the day of Christ were of the world is Confessed by us all But is it not as true that the Idolatrous the prophane the Brutish the Barbarous Papists are of the world as the Mahumetans c. are of the world though they pretend to be the only true Church of God upon earth this also will be assented to as the Truth among the protestants they may beleeve upon Scripture ground that the Romish Church as now degenerated must needes be very neere of Kin to the Heathenish world because the spirit of the world and the Characters of the world workes effectually in them and is plainly discerned upon them as in and upon others of the children of Disobedience But now what shall wee say of the Protestant Churches of the Reformed Churches which have a name to live to bee the Spouse of Christ c. wee cannot indure to heare them evill spoken of wee cannot beare it that they should be looked upon as the world or the worldly Church or the Carnal Church these are odious expressions they and their state are not to bee compared with the state of the Jewish Church as our Lord found it when he testified that they were the world and that their workes were evill To this with an holy Boldnes as in the sight of Christ I dare to say that in their present Constitution and Condition they may without doing them any wrong be compared to the Jewish Church and state in the Dayes of Christ and his Apostles in respect of their superstitions and persecutions of their hatred and enmity to the pure wayes of Christ as the popish Church may be justly compared to the Apostate Ten tribes in respect of their Idolatryes and persecutions for this is a most certain truth full of evidence in it selfe where you find the spirit of Idolatry Superstition Tradition Ceremony and formality in worship prevailing and overpowring the true Gospel spirit there will you find the spirit of the world Moreover where the Lord Jesus and his Members feele the power of the spirit of injustice and opression of hatred and persecution overcoming the spirit of truth and equity of righteousnes and innocency there they may safely say these Men are the men of the world and so no other no better then the world Now then forbearing to inquire into the state of the reformed Churches abroad let us take a short survay of the nationall Churches of England of Scotland and Ireland which are accounted in the Number of the Reformed Churches and their Daughters the Parish Churches as they were formerly or are now Constituted and Governed by the Lords Spirituall the Lord Byshops the Lord Presbiters and the Lord Triers under Charles R. and Oliver P. those two protestant Princes those two Defenders of the faith those two supream Heades successively of the Church in these parts of the Earth with all their Ecclesiasticall furniture of Church officers patrons Parsons Vicars Curates Church Wardens Clearks Sextons c. not to omit all their Parish and Collegiate-Church members Did they formerly or doe they now looke like the Churches of Christ or like the Churches of Antichrist were they not are they not of the world did they not doe they not speake of the world as sayeth the Apostle Iohn yea all of them from the Head to the tayle as sayeth the Prophet Isayah Were they not are they not now againe under the shadow of their Lord protectors wings Constituted Countenanced maintained and Governed after the Inventions of men after the traditions of Antichrist after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ doe not these Churches and their officers worship the Lord in vaine teaching for Doctrines the commandements of Men nay more then this did they not in the Prelates dayes doe they not in the dayes of the present Tryers appeare full of the spirit of enmity against the wayes of Christ against the Kingdom of Christ against the Government of Christ and his Legislative power is there not now as formerly a great and a generall hatred among the Scribes and the Pharisees and the Corrupt Lawyers against the new non-conformists nonsubscribers and against all those who in the spirit of Christ shall boldly beare witnes that they are the world and not the Church and that their workes are evill Let those who are spirituall consider the matter and speake their mind Let those whose senses are exercised by reason of use to discerne betwixt Christ and Beliall betwixt the Inventions of men and the Injunctions of God well weigh the premises in the balance of the Sanctuary and give judgement according to God
But to hasten to the second Question What were those EVILL WORKS which our Lord did testifie against or for which he did bear witness against the world and for doing whereof he was hated of the world I answer Without Controversie THOSE EVILL WORKS may be reduced to two or three generall Heads Either such as were wrought by them in the way of an ECCLESIASTICALL BODY or such as were brought forth in the Manner and Method of a CIVILL STATE or else such as were done by the confusion and mixture of ALL together as the Holy Spirit in that notable Prayer of Peter intimates where all sorts of Interests Civill Ecclesiasticall Military are declared to Combine together against our Lord. Acts 4.27 Of a truth against thy holy Servant Jesus whom thou hast anointed both HEROD and PONTIVS PILATE with the GENTILES and the PEOPLE of Israel were gathered together Here is a Combination in the Church in the Court in the CAMP against the Saviour of the world And upon examination of the works and workings of all these parties we shall find cause to say they were to be testified against as Evill But more particularly to reckon up some of them as we find them occasionally recorded by the foure Evangelists and as we goe along to compare them with those evill works which are now carried on in these parts of the earth as done by the High Priest by Herod by Pontius Pilate by the Gentlemen of the long Robe of both professions c. First let us begin with their Counsells against Christ those works of darknesse they are evill works within doores Mat. 12.14 The Pharisees went out and held a Counsel privately how they might destroy him Here were consultations held against the life of Christ So Mat. 27.1 All the chief Priests and Elders of the people tooke counsel against Jesus to put him to death We shall have an exact account of all their wicked murtherous Consultations against the Person the Doctrine the Honour of the Lord Jesus in that day when he shall Judge the secrets of all men according to his Gospel But in the mean time we know that these Deeds of Darknesse were some of those evill workes which our Lord did testifie against And in like manner at this day we know in that light of truth which will not faile us that there are many close cunning consultations to destroy that Cause of Christ which not long since was in shew highly honoured and contended for by him who is known by the name of his Highness the Lord Protector c. but who gave him that Name I leave to him to Answer when he shall be called to a strict account for all the evil counsel given against the Lord and his followers because of their righteous reproofs of the Army and their Generall for the Hypocrisie Apostacy Oppression and Persecutions whereof they are guilty in the sight of the Sun Another kind of evill works was their watching of the Lord Jesus and sending forth Spies which should feign themselves just men that they might take hold of his words that so they might deliver him to the power and Authority of the Governour Luke 20.20 And the Scribes and Pharisees Luke 11.53 urged him vehemently and provoked him to speak of many Things laying wait for him and seeking to catch something out of his mouth that they might accuse him Certainly every man who loves the Lord Jesus will easily grant these were very wicked workes But are not such practises frequently used by the Spies which are Imployed from the Court and Council at White Hall I am sure before our Imprisonment Many who came to catch our words feigned themselves to be Just men to be good men whereby they were capeable to intangle us in our talke The same Spirit which wrought effectually in those children of disobedience doth work in these as effectually and we doubt not but we shall prove these Spies to be guilty of the same evill workes with those Spies which watched Christ and their Masters to be of the same conspiracy with the Pharisees and Herodians namely at that Day when his Highnesse shall stand before the Judgement seat of Jesus Christ without either his Clergy or his Lawyers to plead his Cause We shall then understand what Instructions they were which he or his Secretaries gave his Catch poles when he imployed them and what conference he had with them when they read our Sermon Notes in his hearing and all those works of darknesse and secrecy shall be brought to light and Our Lord Himselfe shall second our Testimony That their Deeds were evill Again Other evill workes of the world and the men of the world which the Lord Jesus did testifie against was Their devouring widdowes houses while for a pretence they made long prayers Mat. 23.14 Surely this was a double evill worke and therefore He tells them they shall receive greater Damnation Not only widdowes Houses have been devoured by the new Rulers but whole Families in pressing and forcing or else inticing men to the ends of the earth for Gold and Silver thousands having perished in the Enterprize but while these Families were devoured by Sea and Land what frequent fastings and long prayers were made at White-Hall The Lord beholds this Hypocrisie and it will one day appear how abominable this project was in the sight of God as it doth in part already not withstanding all their long prayers to colour it over as a Designe against Antichrist and his Kingdome Besides these evill works before Mentioned the Lord declares against them because of their extortion and excesse as it is in Matthew because of their ravening and wickednesse as it is in Luke yea he speaks of their Binding of heavy Burthens and grievous to be borne and laying them on mens shoulders but they will not move them with one of their fingers For my part I am verily perswaded that the same evill workes are Done to the Innocent people by this present Sword power and their cryes enter into the ears of the Lord of Hoasts though they pity them not who Doe thus oppresse them Many more might be added which in the Judgement of all the true Disciples of Christ will be accounted evill workes but I must not inlarge a Preface beyond its proportion this therefore shall sufface for the second Point what kind of evill workes they were which Christ testified against and how like unto them the evill workes of this present Generation of Rulers will be found to be when they are examined by the Righteous Judge of all the world Now as for the Nature of the Testimony given by Christ concerning the evill works of that world or worldly Church which hated both him his doctrine and his followers which is the third generall Head to be spoken to it 's plain that it is no lesse then a Divine Testimony As saith the Apostle If we receive the WITNES of men THE WITNES OF GOD is greater Now
loose Professors against whom those who are of a low and legal spirit and Principle falling short by many degrees of their professed light in the Gospel are risen up and shall rise in Judgement to condemne them for their intollerable pride and sensuallity Qu. If any shall now enquire what is this fear of the Lord here spoken of I Answer It is a precious effect of the Spirit of Christ Isa 11.23 in the heart of a believer Jer. 32.40 whereby through the discovery of the glory of God in his word Psal 86.11 and works by Christ Rom. 3.18 and in consideration of the vast disproportion that is between God and the Creature he is made to think highly of God in all his Attributes Exod. 33.18 34.4 5 6 7. and to have respect unto all his Commandements Hosea 3.5 Thus referring the Reader to the search of Scriptures Psa 8.3 4. whether the thing be so Psa 111.7 8 9 10. and to the examination of his own heart Jer. 10.6 7 10 12. whether this good thing be found in him Isa 40.15 16 17. I shall hasten to the second qualification before mentioned Secondly Eccl. 12.13 The second Character whereby the faithfull people of God are distinguished from those Formalists is Their true and tender respect unto the name and glory of God preferring it above all their private concernments Of this blessed frame that people fell short who are upon this account reproved by the Prophet Herein is their Hypocrisie discovered that notwithstanding all their profession and performance of duties in assembling and bringing Offerings yet the Lord declares against them because they were men of mercenary self-seeking spirits Which of you saith he would kindle a fire on might Altar for nought Ch. 1.10 These were more like the Off spring of Hagar than Sarah unfit for Gods worke which was to exalt his name among the Heathen wherefore he layes them by saying I have no pleasure in you neither would he accept an Offering at their hands as you may see in the same Verse and in Chap. 2.3 of this sin who are so deeply guilty as the Priests whom the Prophet chargeth with despising Gods great Name Chap. 1.16 yet are they farthest off from conviction They put the Prophet or rather the Lord to it to prove the charge with A WHEREIN Wherein say they have we despised thy Name And thus they dispute with God and his Messenger but we find little or no confession or conviction of any evill charged on them but rather a charging God with injustice or unrighteousnesse in not rewarding their services Chap. 3.14 speaking stout words against him saying It is vain to serve the Lord. Could not these boast of a large and long profession as doe many now of their keeping Gods Ordinances walking mournfully before the Lord c. These observing solemne dayes of Fasting and Prayer as those whom the Prophet layes open and reproves Isa 1. 58.2 3. But in all these things mark what they had in their eye their own profit What profit is it say they As for the right Seed their care is exercised about their fathers name regarding it so much the more by how much others slighed it and as being provoked by the backsliding of many to an holy jealousie for God whilest others are looking after their Olive yards and Vineyards their purchases and large pay at best their present sensible enjoyments These are content to serve God though as to an eye of sense for nought and without profit if God hide his face they will give him glory by looking to him and waiting for him They meet together in a dark day and speak often one to another of the things that concern their fathers Name that being with most weight on their hearts We read of nothing save that nothing like to that upon their hearts they minded it more then their Trades Farms Wife and Children Lands and Lives these are the right seed whom God owns for his in trying dayes Mal. 3.16 17. and whom he delights to use having bent their hearts for him and for his design to make his name great in all the earth to these he promiseth the shinings of the Son of Righteousnesse with healing in his wings Mal. 4.2 3. and that they shall goe forth and grow up as Calves of the stall and tread down the wicked who shall be as ashes under the soales of their feet The words and actions of that chosen Remnant thus qualified howsoever slighted by the proud are noted in Gods BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE where their words who in a light self-seeking spirit made use of his great name have no place How apparent is the difference in this respect betwixt many Professors and Church-members some chiefly minding that work and those duties wherein they apprehend their present comfort and eternall salvation most neerly concerned little regarding those Ordinances which more especially respect the honour of God as to reprove sin and to reject or excommunicate offendors as just occasion is offered an Ordinance by the due practice whereof the name of God his truth and people are cleared and preserved from the blame of the miscarriages of scandalous offendors how heartlesse are Professors and Ministers at least so accounted to this work Did God lay them by of old who despised his name and will not God lay these by as Vessels wherein he takes no pleasure if they repent not and that speedily in as much as he is making hast to his great work viz. To exalt his great name not in one corner of the earth but in all the corners thereof Amen Hallowed be thy Name and Hallelujah Qu. But who shall follow the Lord in this great work Ans They only who are called chosen and faithfull whom he hath formed for his praise having redeemed them from the earth These follow him whithersoever he goeth not looking and tarrying for man till such and such a man goe before them It is enough to them to see clearly that the Lamb goes before them for they are his followers and will follow no other but in the way of following him Qu. But whence is it or how comes it to passe that so many professed followers of the Lamb doe turn back yea and turn against him at this time Ans Surely with many if not with all such Apostates the cause is their not being established with the grace of God because they were not stedfast in believing Gods free Promises in Christ for the Kingdome and all things else to be added to them in seeking that first Their hearts being not right in the matter of Regeneration therefore have they failed in the work of their Generation and being found Enemies to a thorow work within are found such to a thorow work of righteousnesse without and abroad in the Nation But did such at first run well Oh then seeing so many have begun to build and have not been able
may be able by scripture light to know to whom this Prophecy relates in a more special manner than to others and that the door of our hearts might be opened if possible to receive the following truth let us consider 1. The Time of this apostacy 2. The Quality of this apostacy 3. The People thus apostatising For the Time it self we have three Characters of it 1. It is after their coming out of Babilon as is acknowledged on all hands that Malachy was the last of the Prophets and Prophecied after Haggai and Zachary's time who Prophecied at the time of their return from Babilon after the Lord had delivered them out of the hands of the Babilonians their enemies and put them into a capacity to serve him in his own appointments according to his wil they turn their backs upon their God and apostatise from the Truth 2 It s that time of Apostacy in Zyon which the Lord will take to visit his people in with a spirt of Judgement and a spirit of burning by a fiery refining dispensation making up his Jewels after the manner of purifying gold and silver the Lord doth not suffer their enemies to carry them back into Babilon he takes not that former course with them but he takes them into his own hand to make them a fit and a suitable instrument to do that great wonderful and strange work he hath to do in and upon the world that this is such a time my thinks there needs no other proof then what the Prophet saith in the 5th verse of this 3d Chapter And I will come near to you to Judgement and I will be a swift witness against you that fear not me saith the Lord of hosts you Who why those to whom the Prophet had spoken before it signifies thus much in that day wherein I shal thus purge and purifie the sons of Levi my chosen that they become beautiful and glorious pleasant unto me I wil be a swift witness against you and judge you that have thus without any fear of me played the Apostates turned aside and gone backward the day of Sions purifying is the day of the Lords judging these leaders of apostacy therefore these Times are contemporary so joyned together as none can put them asunder 3. It s that time of apostacy immediatly preceding the stones smiting the great Image that day wherein the Lord wil burn up the wicked leaving them neither root nor branch when the Lord by turning his hand upon his people at the concluding time of this apostacy hath refining them made up his Jewels fitted and qualified them they fall to the work of the burning hot day mentioned in the 4th Chapt. which hath been proved to be all one with that day of breaking Daniels great Image there is no interval of Time between these two dispensation 2. For the Quality of this Apostacy it s a refined hypocritical apostacy These men wil seem religious although indeed their hearts are most irreligious d Mal 1.13 snuffing at the Ordinances and true worship of the Lord an offering they wil bring though it be but the blind and the torn and the lame and the sick though it be a wearisom burden to them yet worship they wil though they be under a e Verse 14. curse for their blinde and torn and lame and sick and corrupt performances yet they wil seem outwardly to the world to be the worshippers of God the blessed people of the Lord crying the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord yea they have such cloaks and coverings for their actions that their backsliding and apostacy is not observable for a while by the vulgar eye none are sensible of it but a company of dispicable souls that fear the Lord they indeed see this apostacy and speak often one to another about it but the rest are blinde yea so hypocritically cunning are these men that let the Prophet charge them with what he wil they answer him with a wherein have we done it doth he charge them with robbing God of his honour and of his f Ch 1.6.12 sear due unto him and with dispising and prophaning the great name of the Lord of hosts their answer is Wherein have we despised thy name and wherein have we robbed thee doth he charge them with poluting the g Verse 7. Altar of God saying the Table of the Lord is contemptible despising and contemning the true Worship of God that those that fear the Lord exercise themselves in at this time they reply Wherein have we done it doth he charge them with h Ch 2.13 Covering the Altar of the Lord with tears with weeping and with crying out through their oppressions and violence that his people cannot serve the Lord with a cheerful and free spirit they answer him with a wherefore doth the Prophet charge them with speaking stout words against the Lord saving its vain to serve God and i Ch 3.13 14 what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts their answer stil is What have we spoken so much against thee yea though they call the k Verse 15. proud happy and set up workers of wickedness and deliver them that tempt God yet they dare put the Prophet upon the proof of all that he saith knowing their coverings are able to stave off a present clear proof in this dark day so that the Prophet himself is forced to fly to the Lord of hosts to witness to the truth of his words to prove the charge l Verse 5. the Lord of hosts wil be a swift witness against you and lastly doth the Prophet to manifest the infinite riches of the love and mercy of God to backsliders exhort them to return to the Lord holding forth his gratious promise that then he wil return to them m Verse 7. Return unto me and I will return unto you saith the Lord of Hosts their answer is wherein shal we return they are so confident in the neatness and largeness of their coverings that they dare tauntingly put the Prophet to shew if he can wherein they should return implying that they would have him and all those that found fault with them to know that they are in the way of the Lord as near to him as they can be and that they have not backsliden nor retreated from the Lord in any thing by which any such distance should be made between them and the Lord that they need to be exhorted to return to him it signifies thus much further to me that their pride and hypocrisie is grown to such height that they think it an eclipse to their vain glory a disparagement to them to have the free and rich grace of God tendred to them their answer is a kind of profession that they need it not upon these termes for say they Wherein should we return they have nothing to return from nor nothing to
They are so heartily and throughly sensible of the sufferings of the name and honour of their God that their care for that swalloweth up all other cares they minde not so much their own sufferings under the oppressions of these workers of wickedness as the sufferings of the name and interest of their dear Lord under that dishonour and shame these wicked tho refined hypocrites throw upon it their careful thoughts are solely taken up about the concernments of the name of their God They thought upon his name yet notwithstanding these excellencies they are not per-sect But 3 They are subject to many insirmities for they stand in need of the sparing mercy of their God and Father and I wil spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him 2 The work it self which these sincere hearts exercise themselves in as the great duty incumbent upon them in this their day is Consultation about the concernments of the great name and cause of the Lord at this time They think and they speak both parts of counsel they thought upon his name they consult in their own own hearts and thoughts about the name and interest of God and they speak often one to another about it they are often enquiring of and communicating their light to each other that if possible by such communications they may be able to find out something of the mind of their God and Father they could not by their more private consultations in their hearts and thoughts the subject of these their so serious consultations is the name of their God they thought upon his name their care is not how shal we get from under the unsupportable oppressions of these workers of wickedness that are set up nor how shall we free our selves and our Posterity from the bondage and slavery of these sons of violence nor so much how shal we bring down these proud and lofty men that speak such proud and stout words against the Lord his name and honour though possibly that may be more remotely in their thoughts too but all their cares are dissolved into a godly and holy carefulness for the name and honour of their dear Lord they thought upon his name how that was dishonoured the Lord had gotten himself a great name by delivering his people out of Babilon rearing up the glorious structure of his Temple and building up the ruined wals of Jerusalem setting up his true Worship again there in despight of all those great oppositions of his enemies round about and these backsliders dispise and dishonour this great name of the Lord of hosts doing what in them lies to bury it in Oblivion now these lovers of the Name of God think on this are very solicitous what they should do at this juncture of time to wipe off that dishonour is cast upon this great and glorious name in the view of the whole world O say they what shall we do for the name of our God wherewith shall we honour it what course shal we take to exalt and magnifie it in the eyes of the world before whom it hath been thus dishinored here 's the Center of all their thoughts and consultations They thought upon his Name 3 Let us see how exceeding kindly the Lord takes this at their hands 1 The Lord by two eminent acts manifests his great acceptance of them how is the heart of God taken with this blessed work The Lord hearkned and heard it as it implie the lowness weakness of the voice of these holy consultations that the Lord must hearken and listen to speak after the manner of men before he can hear it so it also implies great intensness of spirit with delight he hearkned the Lord is so wel-pleased with these blessed consultations that rather than miss hearing their voice he will hearken and listen with the greatest intenseness of minde the Lord hearkned as if the Lord had said stand aside Sathan cease thy accusing clamours in mine ears silence you exalters of wicked workers You are of your Father the devil and the lusts of your Father ye w ll do he was a lyar from the beginning and so are ye wrongfully charging the innocent with things they know nor peace ye waiward froward children through the noise and din of your peevish wranglings nothing can be heard be stil all I wil hear what these my Beloved ones say that stand up for my name and honour in such a day as this what though they discover much weakness and infirmity in the management of their work yet I delight in them and love to hear their voice The Lord hearkned and heard it he hearkens til he hears all and he takes special notice of what he hears let 's nothing slip and so delightful and pleasing to him is that he hears that as if he were distrustful of his memory A book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name here is the Lambs book wherein he sets down all the service his servants do for him that he may give them a suitable and ful reward when he comes into his Kingdom that possession his Father hath decreed to give him the Lord is so taken with what he hears that he wil book it all down set it all upon Record not a thought nor an expression not a word nor a sillable wil he loose the heart of God is so taken with these breathings that he writes a Book of Remembrance that when those Heavenly Records are read he may remember to do them honour then who thus honour him now by their loyalty and faithfulness cloathing them with his own Robes his own glory Thus shal it be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour 2 The Lords acceptation of the work of these blessed souls appears by those rich promises he makes to them which are 1 Such as concern reward for work done As 1 They shal be mine saith the Lord of hosts this is a note of special peculiarity for as it hath relation to other persons it s put in opposition unto my Jewels in the next words saith the Lord of hosts there is a day a coming wherein I wil make up my jewels gather up my treasure and in that day they shal be mine mine in a more special and peculiar way and manner than my Jewels shal be as at the first when the children of Israel were in Egypt there were two Mines my people and my first born as as the first-born in whose stead the Tribe of Levi was chosen were Gods in a more special and peculiar manner then the rest of Gods people of Israel they were those whom he chose to be alwaies in his presence to serve before him continually his favorites to whom he manifested his glory and by whom he revealed his mind and Wil to the rest of their Brethren so here are TWO MINES too mine and my Jewels and this mine being put in opposition to my Jewels
instead of beauty thy men shal fal by the sword and thy mighty in the war and her gates shal lament and mourn and she being desolate shal sit upon the ground and in that day shal seven Women lay hold of one man saying we wil eat our own bread and wear our own apparel only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach The Prophet had been hitherto speaking of the calamities and sorrows should befal the whole land under the name of the house of Jacob but now he comes to tel us what should befal the Capital and head City of the Land which Zion the City of David was which great destruction and woful state their notable wantons and naughty pride over and above their cleaving to their other evils brought upon their heads and let not her antitipe say she is not guilty of these things and so shal not find this portion for she hath no tinckling Ornaments about her feet nor round tires like the Moon nor Nose jewels but I pray consider she hath other needless fashions of the Times as needlesly superfluous and as ful of pride and vanity as the others were and she is proud and haughty and hath a stretched forth neck and wanton eyes and can go mincing as notably as her Tipe and predecessor could do and surely wil be found to have exceeded in all things therefore behold thy portion and thy Judgement the reward of thy folly there is no preventing it there is no redemption for thee q Ezek 14.20 Though Noab Daniel and Job be found in thee they shal deliver neither son nor daughter they shal deliver but their own souls by their righteeusness saith the Lord God And is this refining day of the Lord such a day of Terrors to flesh and blood O how contrary wil it then be to the expectations and hope of the greatest part of those that profess a delight in the thoughts of and a longing for its coming Who may abide this day of his coming and who may stand when he appeareth In this terrible day wherein he wil make up his Jewels wil the Lord perform his promises to his beloved Remnant that stand up for the honour of his name They shal be mine in that day saith the Lord of hosts and I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him so that the bitterness and sharpness of these calamities and anxious troubles shal not be their lot but they shall be mine though I deal with their Brethren in a way of anger displeasure yet I wil deal with them in a way of grace love and spetial favour in that day as when the wicked were upmost and thought to have ravished my name of all its honour and glory they thought upon my name and interest so now I am bringing down these wicked workers of wickedness and scourging their foolish Brethren that have committed adultery with these mens apostacies purging them and washing their poluted garments clean I wil think upon them for their good safety and happiness in that day when I make up my Jewels Qu Who and what are these Jewels the Lord takes so much pains and doth such wouders in making them up Ans I Answer 1. Who they are They are the Lambs chosen number mentioned in the 14 of the Revelation his 144000 that stand with him upon the Mount Zion the Reasons that move me to judge thus are 1 Because of that likeness there is between those followers of the Lamb and these Jewels of the Lord they are not only redeemed from the earth but from among men and these Jewels are pickt from among men too from among the Inhabitants of professing Zion these are the Lords Jewels and they are the first fruits very pretious unto God and unto the Lamb they are without guile and without fault before the throne of God and these Jewels are holy ones every one that is left in Zion shal be called holy they are so gloriously beautiful so suitable to the minde of God that he wil create a defence upon their glory that it may not be lost 2 Because they are contemporaries they both belong to one and the same time these Jewele are made up immediatly before the burning hot day that shal burn up all the wicked leaving them neither root nor branch the Lambs number they are upon Mount Zion singing their new song in that part of time immediatly preceding the downfal of Babilon there is no interval of time between only an Angel preaches the everlasting Gospel to them that dwel on the earth which is but as the herald to the other telling the Inhabitants of the earth the hour of the Lords judgement is come and nothing but repentance and turning to the Lord of Heaven and Earth wil save them from the destroying Angel that follows and is hard at hand leaving them vvithout excuse fit for destruction if they hearken not Malachies burning day hath two parts the former part makes the wicked as stubble fit fuel for the fire the latter part burns them quite up and I yet see no reason why vve may not say that these two Angels answer to the two parts of Malachies burning day the Angel that preaches the everlasting Gospel makes the wicked as stubble ready for the fire by this r Isai 11.4 rod of his mouth he smites the earth and at the s Ch 17.13 rebuke of God the Nations are made as the chaff of the mountain and as a rolling thing stubble before the whirlwind yea by this breath of his lips he t Ch 11 4 slaies the wicked he doth as really slay themsas the following Angel doth with his iron rod with this rod of his month this breath of his lips he smites and slayes their hearts understandings takes avvay their courage strength their consciences flying in their faces their hearts sink and their spirits fail At the v Psal 76.6 rebuke of God both the Chariot and horse are cast into a deep sleep x ver 5 the stout he arted that are far from righteousness are spoiled they sleep their sleep and none of the men of might find their hands he shal y Ver. 12. cut off the spirit of Princes and when the Lord hath thus slain them by the sword of his mouth the breath of his lips z Psalm 2. speaking to them in his wrath then wil he break them with his rod of Iron and dash them to peices like a Potters vessel when they are thus made stubble by the rebuke of the Lord then shal they be burnt up root branch these things seriously considered I suppose wil be sufficient to prove the assertion 2 What are they All their dross and all their tin is purely purged and taken away and they are become holiness to the Lord they are holy ones he that is left in Zion and that remaineth in Jerusalem shal be called holy the Fathers name
not merit or desert but pure love vvil teach them another and a better lesson Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils the Lord alone shal be exalted in that day a thing which never yet was done in any of the dayes this old World ever saw 12 Behold somewhat of the way and course the Lord wil take to do this great and marvellous work he wil cause the fire to break out from among themselves that shal consume them this Earthquake arises from the rending vvind pent up vvithin the concavities of its own earth as the scope and tendency of the Third Chap intimates and herein consists somewhat of the Wonder that a State defended vvith such a Force Cedars and Oaks Mountains and Hils Towers and fenced wals Ships and pleasant things even the mighty man and the man of War the Judge and the Prophet the Prudent and the Antient the Honourable man and the Counsellor the cunning Artificer and the Eloquent Oratour should be brought down and laid in the dust the Lord so impoverishes those of the excellent gifts and qualities they once had that being enfatuated they become as Children Babes and Women this alteration in the superior orbs begets another as dangerous in the lower regions the Lord stops the fountains of this professing earth and for want of those cooling waters that had vvont to keep things in some tolerable poise the fiery element prevails and breaking out of the earth begets its own likeness a fiery blaze in the fountains also as of old fire came out from Abimelech and devoured the men of Shechem fire came out from Shechem devoured Abimelech so here is fire against fire which continues burning til c Isai 3. â— Jerusalem be ruined and Judah be fallen in this fire wil the Lord avenge himself on his friend-like enemies those to whom the professing world give the right hand of fellowship as true Cittizens of Zion free denizens of the holy City in the management of this fiery work causing one fire to overcome the other consuming its own nature and over-ruling it to the carrying on his own design and work wil the Lord manifest such an exceeding glory above all former manifestations that the best of men shal enter into the rock and hide themselves in the dust for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty and he alone shal be exalted in that day 13 That the Prophets Isaiah and Malachy do not give us any ground as I can perceive to think the Lord wil make use of that beloved remnant of his that fear his name and speak often one to another about his name and honour at this day in this great work of his judging professing Zion in the manner treated of Malachy tels us The Lord wil spare them in that day and Isai saith it shal be well with them in that day but not a word do we read of any active condition they are in any otherwise than by the word of their testimony at that day I rather conceive that the state and condition of the remnant mentioned Isaiah 26.20 21. Come my people enter thou into thy Chambers and and shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be over past for behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity the earth also shal disclose her blood and shal no more cover her slain 14 That none are under the saving influences of those rich promises made to the blessed remnant at this day but those who not only speak often one to another against the apostacies and evils of the times but think on the name of God have this as the moving cause in all their motions a holy carefulness for the interest and name of God for them and for them only is there a Book of remembrance written and they and they only shal be mine saith the Lord in that day and they and they only wil the Lord spare in that day when he makes up his Jewels and then shal they return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not 15 Here is a holy directory to guide and an unerring touchstone to try all our waies and actions by at this day that in all our motions against the apostacies and evils of the times the honour and interest of the great name of God move us if that be not our frame and temper of Spirit we are none of the number in whom the Lord so much delights and our work of counsel is not that which the Lord so earnestly lissens and hearkens after til he hears all noting it down in his book of remembrance and we have nothing to do with those high expressions of the Lords matchless love in his promises no if the name of God be not solely in our eye and the exalting the Lord alone be not all our aime and end in what we do in stead of Gods peculiars in that day of the Lord it wil be unto us d Amos 5.18 19. darkness and not light as if a man fled from a Lyon and a Bear met him or went into a house and leaned his hand on the wal and a Serpent bit him 16 That he high attainments the graces and excellencies the remnant have attained to at this day is far short of the glory of the Lord is about to reveal when it comes forth they wil be glad to run to their shelter the sparing love of their Father they themselves shal then be laid in the dust before the Lord and the glorious Lord alone shal be exalted and magnified 17 That the great designe of God upon professing Zion at this day is to purge and purifie wash and cleanse it from all its filth dross and tin that they may become a holy Generation a peculiar people formed for himself to shew forth his praise able to offer up an Offering in righteousness pleasant unto the Lord. 18 Behold the way and course the Lord wil take to purge and purifie his Zion at this day he wil do it by the spirit of Judgement and the spirit of burning by such a trying dispensation of fiery judgement as shal not only burn up their dross but their tin also that which now looks so like and goes for good silver for that which is acceptable in the sight of God 19 Syon thus purged and purified shal have the creating power of God to assist her as her defence upon all this glory the Lord hath now cloathed her with shal be a desence it is not poluted and impure Zion the Lord wil thus defend but it is that glory of holiness the counterpaine or image of Gods own holiness vvhich wil be upon Zion when the Lord shal have washed away the filth from the daughter of Zion and shal have purged away the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof then
God that they stumble into heathenisme and prophanes then are they that fear the Lord to take to heart the great dishonour the name of God suffers by this abomination and speak a gainst it also 4 Do they see inhabitants of professing Syon that seem to be great worshippers of God and zealous for the service of the Lord and the good of his people n Mal. 1.13 snuffing at that part of the worship of God at doing that peice of the will of God that suits not with their worldly interest of gaining this evil world with the Goods thereof crying out what a weariness is it something we would do for God but that the Lord now cals for is a wearisome burden to us it wil quite undoe us oh what a weariness is it this is an hard saying who can hear it then ought they that fear the Lord to think upon the dishonoured and despised name of God and speak against this abomination also 5 Do they behold men in professing Syon o Verse 14 Vowing a vow unto the Lord and in a capacity to perform that Vow having that Male in his flock and yet sacrifice unto the Lord a corrupt thing blinde and lame performances then also are they that fear the Lord to think on the name of God how greatly it is dishonoured and bear a ful testimony against that loathsom hypocrisie of him letting him know he is cursed who dareth so to trample under foot the name of the great King whose name is dreadful among the Heathen 6 Matters of a civil nature and as if the Prophet intended to stop the mouth of the objection of these dayes he brings in the evils of this nature in the last place that his THEN might clearly appeare to have special and direct relation to those things 1 When the proud professors in Syon that behave themselves proudly and contemptuously towards their God and their Brethren are accounted p Mal. 3.15 the happy men as those that would make the Nation happy by the wayes of their devising called happy congratulated and applauded as the men whom the Lord hath owned and made happy by his providence and blessing then are they that fear the Lord to think how the name of God is dishonoured by this evil and bear their testimony against it 2 When the wicked workers in professing Zion q Verse 15 the workers of wickedness are set up Children of strangers of a strange spirit and principle r Isai 3.6 contrary to the Spirit of our Lord the holy and righteous Spirit of true Syon and the work of God those whose delight is not in the law of the Lord but in wayes of their own inventions suitable to their degenerated and base interest who break the law continually working wickedness indeed although they cal it and would have what they do accounted righteousness and to defend these men in their wickednes s Verse 9 Horses and Chariots a powerful Militia is fixed as a wal about them when such men are set up over the people and such things done oppressing vilifying and persecuting the people of the Lord and the true interest of the Son of God our Lord Jesus among his people and in the world then are they that fear the Lord to be sensible of the dishonour and reproach is cast upon the name of God by this evil and bear their testimony against this wickedness also 3 When they see this evil in professing Syon t Mal. 3 15 they that tempt God are even delivered while the Altar of the Lord is covered with the tears weeping and crying out of the oppressed those who by their provoking hypocritical loathsome wickedness tempt the Lord to put an end to his long-sufferance and execute his vengeance before the appointed time are even delivered their heads are lifted up and their faces made to shine through the benigne aspect of those who should and ought to be a terror to them they are even delivered from their fears of receiving the desert of their wayes and actions by a stream of Justice and righteousness and are set up to work wickedness against God in oppressions and cruelty covering the Altar of the Lord with the tears sighs and groans of his people then are they that fear the Lord to think upon the great name of their God how unworthily it is dishonoured and trampled under foot and bear their testimony against this wickednesse also 4 When the Rulers of professing Syon beâ—â—â— and act like the Rulers of Sodom rebel against the Lord go away backward apostatise from God oppress the people of the land yet cover all with a cloak of religious performances and outward holines good aims and ends for the work of the Lord and the good of the Church of Christ with these coverings hiding their evils and wickednesses from the vulgar sight then are they that fear the Lord not to hold their peace but to cry aloud and bear their testimony for God against this abomination also and of of the fruit of this their doing shal they eat and it shal be wel with them in that day wherein he wil judge those men Qu Possibly it may be askt why wil the Lord have those that fear him thus industriously engaged against the evils and wickedness of Rulers and people at this day Answ The Answer is because his great name that was so glorious and dreadful among the Heathen is so exceedingly dishonoured therefore are they that fear the Lord to think upon the name of God and speak in its vindication this is an apostacy in Syon delivered out of Babilon though many of Babilons evils cleave yet close to them for whom the Lord hath done great and wonderful things freed them from the slavery and bondage of a sore captivity under the Babilonish power blessed them with prosperous success in building their City that in spite of the Tobiahs and Sanballats of all their enemies that had maintenance from the Kings Palace were maintained by a wretched Kingly Interest they became a Common-wealth a free people by which they had opportunity and liberty to serve the Lord in doing his whole Wil and pleasure in doing these great things far beyond the thoughts and expectations of the greatest worldly wise men for this people the Lord had gotten himself a great name dreadful among the Heathen how did the wicked world tremble at the thoughts of it and now for this people to draw back even to Babilon to apostatise from the Lord in matter and manner hath been treated of is none other but a wicked ravishing and deflouring the honour of the Virgin name of God he had so lately gotten to himself by doing such wonders for this unworthy people As our Lord said of his day in the flesh that if those Disciples that spake for him and blest him should hold their peace the stones would immediatly cry out so may it truly be said of this time also if they that fear
ravished mine heart with one of thine eyes with one chain of thy neck the Lord is thus ravished with his Spouse When she looks from the top of Amana from the top of Shenir and Hermon from the lyons dens from the mountains of the leopard and her lips drop as the hony comb yea so ravished is he with the glory of your present Work as he wil keep the Idea of it in his Book of remembrance he wil have it alvvaies before him why should you undervalue it and grow weary of it as of a low and mean thing seeing the Lord prizes it at so high a rate that it rejoyceth the very heart of God as those peculiar and rich promises annexed to it manifest Be not weary of it but keep close to your Work and you shal not only possess rich and glorious Reward but at the appointed time shal be accomodated vvith safficient furniture to carry on that glorious work of your Lord vvherein you shal grow up as Calves of the stal Be not weary of your work think not the time long nor your Work stale the Lord is now in the midst of you and it is exceeding dangerous for you to go forth to another Work Til the breaker up go up before you til your King the Lord pass on the head of you so long as the cloud abides on the Tabernacle the Children of Israel are not to journey but when the cloud is taken up m Deut. 1.33 and goeth in the way before them then is it safe for Israel to go forward let not an irregular ambition after a higher and more noble Work draw you into a sinful seeming 〈◊〉 of your Lords care of his Work cause that vvil greive the holy Spirit vvho dwels in your Temples n Cant. 2 7 I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field that ye stir not up nor awake my Love til he please be faithful in your present Work and vvait the pleasure of your Lord and in the very next Verse you vvil hear his voice The voice of my Beloved and no sooner do you hear his voice but behold he comes leaping upon the Mountains skipping upon the hils no hils nor mountains of opposition shal hinder him but you shal behold him coming to give you your hearts desire o Ch. 3.6 Who is this that cometh out of the Wilderness like pillars of smoke perfumed with myrrh and Frankincense with all powders of the Merchant and vvhen he forsakes that houling desart he vvil not leave you behind him p Ch 8.5 Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness leaning upon her beloved O then blemish not your Lords Work by any impatiency of Spirit but vvait your Lords leasure he vvil come and vvil not tarry q Ch 3.5 I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field that ye stir not up nor awake my love till he please r Ch. 8.14 Make haste my beloved and be thou like to a Roe or to a young Hart upon the mountains of spices 2 Let your love to your Lord Jesus and his name appear seek by all vvayes and means possible to convince the professing world that it is nothing but love to your beloved that moves you nothing but love strong as death verily this vvil prove of much advantage every vvay behold vvhat an advantage vvas gained by such a conviction as this upon the spirits of men in the 5th of the Canticles the Spouse of Christ by a sluggish and ununvvorthy carriage having lost the sight of her Beloved the consideration of the excellency and glory of his love blovvs up the embers in her sleepy heart into a fire of love her soul fails vvithin her she is ready to dye for vvant of her Beloved she runs hither and thither to seek him and she cals after him but all in vain in this hot pursuit after her Beloved she encounters with the Watchmen but meets with very unkind entertainment nothing but smitings and woundings from them she turns to the keepers of the wals and they handle her very roughly They took away my vail from me all this while she suffers loss she neither finds her Beloved nor gains any advantage her passion of love was such as obscured her beauty and excellency that it appeared not so plainly what in truth it was but when her Love brake forth clearly from under those clouds I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem if ye find my Beloved that ye tel him that I am sick of love what a wonderful change is wrought what an advantage is gained not only to her self a good esteem of her person O thou fairest among Women she is now longer counted worthy of stripes but of the highest praises but also to her Beloved it sets their hearts upon an earnest enquiry after him What is thy beloved more then another beloved that thou dost so charge us the intenseness and fervency of their mind in the enquiry is set forth by the doubling of the question What is thy beloved more then another beloved O thou fairest among Women what is thy beloved more than another beloved that thou dost so charge us O let your love to your beloved appear this wil wipe off all that dirt and dishonour the wicked world casts upon you and the cause of your Lord you stand up for and provoke the daughters of Jerusalem to enquire after your beloved with whom you are so exceedingly in love 3 Seek earnestly after a spirit of light and discerning from the Lord to enable you to hold forth your beloved to the world in all his glory the glory of his person and the glory of his word of truth when the Spouse had in answer to their question in the 5th of the Canticles made a ful description of the glorious excellencies of her beloved my beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand c. concluding This is my beloved and this is my friend O daughters of Jerusalem behold what blessed fruit this brings forth Whether is thy beloved gone O thou fairest omong Women whether is thy Beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee her Beloved is now become their beloved also and they joyn issue with her in a through search after him let this be no smal part of your work to hold forth your beloved to the world in all his glory and lovely excellencies convincing them that this is your beloved and this is your friend that it is your love to him that moves you and acts you in all your wayes that it is the enjoyment of him that is the mark you shoot at then wil the daughters of Jerusalem be in love with your beloved also and account of you as the fairest among Women the most excellent would you have the daughters of Jerusalem be your friends and assistants in seeking after your beloved then
This Witnesse or Testimony whereof we are speaking from John 7.7 is not the witnesse of a man a mortall man but the witnesse of God the witnesse of one who is God and man and so it is most Authentick And how often Doth our Lord in his Ministry and Testimony inculcate this upon his hearers That he spake nothing of himself but as the Father gave him Commandement John 12.49 50. And again John 8.38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father So that when the Lord Jesus testified it was the highest Testimony which could have been given to the truth His Testimony was an unquestionable Testimony a righteous Testimony a witnesse which will carry the cause against the whole world for Let God be true but every man a lyar as it is written that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings The sayings of Christ from the father concerning this present evill world and the wicked works thereof will be made good at the last day Let no powers on earth think or hope to enervate his Testimony in the least by any pretences excuses or distinctions whatsoever Now as Christ Himselfe was in the world so ought those who are Christs Ministers and Witnesses to be in the world likewise Those whom he sendeth were born and anointed to this end viz. to bear witnesse to the truth in his sted and on his behalf and let the Princes of the world and the people of the world assure themselves The Lord never did nor ever will leave himselfe without witnesse Some of his Servants shall be stirred up by his Spirit to plead the Cause of their Lord against his adversaries altho they know before hand that through the hatred of the world they shall be exposed to a thousand dangers distresses deaths for the truths sake The Dragon the beast the scarlet Whore the false Prophet the Kings of the earth although by a complication of interests they are desperately ingaged and inraged against the Lamb and his followers against the Lord and his witnesses neverthelesse the wrath of God hath been and now is revealed from heaven to their very faces against all their ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse by those witnesses which he hath raised up and furnished with Heroick spirits to contend with the whole earth and that wrath so revealed by his Servants the Prophets shall be executed likewise for The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy which the true Church is never destitute of altogether So that I am perswaded and I believe many others that Matters are carried at this day betwixt the Servants and Spirit of Christ and the Servants and Spirit of Antichrist as they were carried in those dayes betwixt the Spirit person of Christ and the Spirit and persons of the Priests and powers of the earth It is not to be expected that his Highnesses Court Chaplaines who are fed at his Table should lift up their heel against their Good Lord and Master in testifying openly that his Counsells are evill that his Instrument is an ugly Idol and an Image of Jealousie that his Government is evill that his workes in imprisoning the Servants of Christ without Just Cause are evil that his Extortion and Rapine in Imposing and gathering in all his Taxes by an Arbitrary power contrary to the Law of God and the Land is evill that his devouring whole families in sending thousands to the ends of the earth and multitudes against their wills upon a base and beggerly Designe that stinkes in the nostrills of God and good men is evill and abominable And which of his City and Country Clergymen fed and Cloathed by his Tyrannicall execution of the Popes Cannon Law will declare against him for maintaining the Relicts and Remainders of Popery and for his setting up New-Carnall spirituall Courts of Prelaticall Tryers or Comissioners to reigne over the Parish Ministers in the Byshops stead Which of those Inslaved Preachers Lecturers and Augmentation-Men who come cap in hand to their Inferiors or equalls for their Approbation and a box full of Orthodox Orders to preach in such or such a steeple House and to receive the ancient profits and perquisites of the parish for their paines dare to turn head upon their Ecclesiasticall Lords and joyn with Christ and his spirit to testify against these New invented Babylonish Abominations Alas poor wretches they have no heart no spirit for the Interest of Christ they are ashamed of the testimony of our Lord and of us his prisoners who by the most powerfull Illapses and influences of his spirit are inabled and Constrayned to bid Defyance to the scarlet coloured Beast and to all his 7 heads of Blasphemy and to all his ten homs of persecution to all the Kings of the earth which commit fornication with the mother of Harlots and with all her danghters But because these Men thus lamentably yoaked by their new Lords Spirituall and Temporall dare not particularly and couragiously in the power of the Spirit bear their Testimony for Christ against the world or world like Church that their deeds are evill therefore the Lord will raise up others to supply this defect And be it known to all the Kings and Princes which oppresse and persecute the Children of the free woman that the Lord will furnish himself with a sufficient Number of faithfull Servants who shall in his strength maintain that Conflict and Combate which is needful till the great of the Battel of the Almighty God As Christ told the Chief Priests and Scribes who were displeased that the Children cryed Hosanna to the Son of David If these should hold their peace the stones would immediately cry out so I say in words of truth and sobernesse seeing the Chief Preachers Pastors and Teachers are dumb and connive at the present Apostacy Hypocrisie Oppression Tyrannicall Government and going back to AEgypt the Lord is as it were compelled to furnish himself from among the private Christians and the weakest and meanest of the Brethren to bear a Testimony against this wicked Generation of Backsliders and if they likewise should hold their peace altogether the stones of the streetes and the very bruite Creatures would immediatly cry out for the Lord will not altogether and utterly leave himselfe without witnes This Insuing Treatise was not Composed by any of the University-scarlet Doctors nor by any Batchelour of Divinity or Master of Arts and sciences I am perswaded their Acadenicall Vnction will teach them to practice complyance and to sing Placebo But surely this is some Honest Sool who observing the Common Clergy to be as mute as Fishes when they should have cryed aloud and have lifted up their voyces as a Trumpet to shew the Apostatized Christians their transgressions and the Hypocrites their sins hath so far layed their Abominations to heart that he cannot for bear to speak a word for God against such an adulterous Generation and to encourage that little Remnant which speak often one to another and think upon Jehovah's