The Standard of the Lord REVEALED By which He hath led and guided and preserved his people since Adam to this day as is manifested through the Scriptures and is shewed forth in this following Abstract AS ALSO A clear manifestation by the Scriptures of the Recovering and Redeeming his Spiritual Seed and Body which is his Church out of thraldom and Captivity which day is begun Then he remembred the days of old Moses and his people saying where is he that brought them up out of the Sea with the Shepherds of his flock where is he that put his holy Spirit within them that led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm that led them through the deep as a Horse in the Wilderness that they should not stumble Isa 63.11 12 13. Neither said they where is the Lord that brought us up out of the Land of Egypt and led us through the Wilderness c. Jer. 2.6 But fear not thou O my servant Jacob and be not dismaied O Israel for behold I will save thee from the land of their Captivity and Jacob shall return and be in rest and at ease and none shall make them afraid Jer. 46.27 Isa 41.13.14 And I will bring again the Captivity of my people Israel and they shall build the waste Cities and inhabit them and they shall plant Vinyards and they shall drink of the Wine thereof and shall make Gardens and eat of the fruit thereof Amos 9.14 The Redeemer is come to Sion Jacob doth rejoice and Israel is glad Psal 53.6 Given forth at Lancaster Castle 11. month 1665 6 By M. F. a Prisoner of the Lord. Printed in the Year MDCLXVII The Epistle to the Reader Diligent Reader IF thou seriously consider that we are fallen into the last days and ages of the World in which the Lord of Heaven and Earth will come and plead with his Enemies and to recompence them according to their works Rev. 20.12 2 Cor. 5.10 Mat. 16.27 and that the terrible day of the Lord is coming with burns as an Oven and all his Enemies are before him as stubble and he will call all men high and low rich and poor to an account for their deeds done and reward every one according to their works whether they be good or whether they be bad The serious consideration of these things should put thee to a stand to search and to see how it stands between thee and the Lord. And if thou desires the knowledge of the living God and of his eternal Truth and desires to know the dealings of the Lord with his people and his seed here upon the earth since he made man and created him and gave him a being upon the earth look into this following Extract which is taken out of the Scriptures and thou mayst thereby see how the Lord hath led his seed and people from the beginning of the World until this present day As also his tender care and love that he hath exercised unto them all along as thou thy self will judge in the reading of this Treatise through which will be for thy own advantage and the building of thee up in the knowledge of the Lord and his Truth and also in the knowledge of the Scriptures which too many are and have been ignorant of and therefore have they dyed in their sins according as Christ saith if you do not believe that I am he ye shall dye in your sins Joh. 8.24 And none do believe that Jesus is Christ but who believes in his light and in his holy Spirit for that is the unction of the holy one the anointing which is the Christ which is the truth and is no lie and which leads into all truth which Christ Jesus promised he would send when he went to his Father in John 16. It is expedient for you saith he that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you howbeit when the Spirit of truth is come he shall guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but he shall receive of mine and shew it unto you all things that the Father hath are mine therefore I said unto you he shall take of mine and shew it unto you thou mayst read of this at large in this Chapter So this is the very life of our knowledge of the truth to mind the light of the Lord Jesus Christ which is in thy heart and his Spirit that he hath put in thy inward parts and with that eye read this following Treatise in sobriety gentleness and meekness of Spirit without partiality or prejudice and thereby thou mayst gain knowledge and understanding into the truth of God and also into the Scriptures which it may be thou didst not know before Thou mayst also read in this following Book of the Redemption and bringing back of the Captivity of the Church of Christ whose day of redemption and deliverance comes as is shewed therein by the Scriptures and so as I said before being the time is short and the Lord cometh as a thief in the night â—nd the servant knoweth not at what hour his Lord cometh Therefore Christ saith it is good for you to be ready for in such an hour as you think not of the Son of man cometh blessed is the Servant whom the Lord when he cometh findeth watching watch therefore for you know not at what hour the Lord cometh Mat. 24. so in this time and day all people had need to be found watching lest they say peace when sudden destruction cometh upon them So in love to the Souls of all people upon the whole earth is this written and that it might be of advantage to all people is the end of the writing of this following book And the Lord that hath opened and moved by the power of his holy Spirit in writing of it make it also effectual and of use and service for the salvation of the Souls of all the Readers of it M. F. Genesis IN the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Joh. 1. This is the testimony and the record of John the beloved Disciple that leaned on Jesus breast this agreeing with the first of Genesis In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth and the earth was void and without form and darkness was upon the face of the deep and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters and God said let there be light and there was light 1 Joh. 5.7 So here is the record which is in heaven God the Spirit and the Word that was in the beginning with God by which all things were made and created the Heavens and the Earth the Sea and the firmament and all things that are therein and every living creature
saith but by Jesus Christ and he is the foundation of all the Prophets and all the Apostles The Church of Christ upon the earth in the Apostles days when he spoke by them by his Spirit and poured it upon them in the power of his Resurrection and the corner-stone that upholds all the building of his Church he is the Lion of Judah's Tribe and Davids Root Rev. 5. and he only was found worthy to open that Book which John saw written within and on the backside sealed with seven seals and his Spirit and Power is the same as all the Apostles were redeemed by and this same Spirit was poured upon the Apostles and they were endowed and enriched with it and lived in it and obeyed it according to its motion and working and operation and said another foundation could no man lay than that which is already laid but let every one take heed how he builds thereupon So this is the main care that every one is to take to take heed how they build upon this true foundation for every ones work must be tryed by the fire and he whose work is burned suffers loss for there will nothing abide but that which will dwell in the fire for God is a consuming fire and his Spirit burns up the chaff but gathers up the wheat So who abides in the fellowship and in the unity of this eternal Spirit they abide in Gods Elect which he hath chosen and they abide in that which joyns to the Lord where the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth from all sin and here is the Mystery of the fellowship and here is the unity of the precious faith which is held in a pure Conscience and who abides here will grow up to a perfect man and these will sight the good sight of faith and contend for it and for them there will be laid up a Crown of righteousness for they that abide and continue to the end in the faith of Gods Elect they will obtain the price of the mark of the high calling but contrariwise they that fall away and shrink back and set up a feigned and a false deceitful Spirit and in that professeth the truth and appears outwardly like other Saints but when the time of tryal comes then they fall flat and draws back from the good word of God from the light and spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ which is the Elect of God where all the Saints in light meet together and joyn and unite and knit together in the unity of the Spirit of life and is baptized by one Spirit into one body and all drinks into one Spirit Let all such as draw from this and deserts from this read their portion in the 10. of the Hebrews and they shall be sure of it for the Lord is not slack concerning his coming neither will alter the word that is gone out of his mouth And all who are not of the right seed and spirit and life which is in Christ Jesus all such will be judged by him and condemned by him for if those that despised Moses Law dyed under the hand of two or three witnesses how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall they be thought worthy of who have trodden under foot and counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despight to the Spirit of Grace but vengeance belongeth unto me saith the Lord and I will recompense But in the Apostles days there were many false Christs and false spirits which he saw were entering into the Church so that he feared that which came to pass for darkness and Apostacy came over all and the Church of Christ that was then amongst the Saints in the Apostles days went into the Wilderness as John saw in the Revelations and of this the Apostles foretold before it came as it is Acts 20. where he saith Now behold I know that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of God shall see my face no more wherefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the bloud of all men for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of Christ which he hath purchased with his own blood The Apostle prophesies of the Church going into the Wilderness for I know this that after my departure shall grievous Wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock also of your selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them This is that Spirit which ever did betray and oppose the truth which was sound among them that professed Christ as Judas was found amongst the twelve for the Apostle saith such are false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ and the Apostle complains of the perils he went through among false Brethren as you may read 2 Cor. 11.2 Pet. 2.1 also Christ prophesied of false Christs coming in his name Mat. 24. and this Spirit is contrary to the right and true seed of God as the Apostle testifies 1 Joh. 3. whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God in this are the Children of God manifest and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother for this is the message that ye heard from the beginning that ye love one another not as Cain who was of that wicked one and slow his Brother and wherefore slew he him because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous ver 9.10 11 12. But the Apostle saith Now the spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some should depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils and speaking lies in Hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with an hot Iron 1 Tim. 4.1 and of these times did Christ himself foretel in Mat. 24.25 chap. as you may read at large when the Disciples were shewing him the goodly buildings of the Temple and he told them that one stone should not be left upon another but all should be thrown down and as he sat upon the Mount of Oliâ—es the Disciples came unto him privately saying tell us when shall these things be or what shall be the sign of thy coming and the end of the world and Iesus answered and rehearsed unto them as you may read at large in those Chapters which had relation to this night of Apostacy which was coming on and he told them that false Christs and false Prophets should arise and he tells them that immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the Sun be darkened and the Moon shall not give her light and the Stars shall fall from Heaven and the powers of the Heavens shall be shaken ver
was risen from the dead Now if Christ be preached saith the Apostle that he rose from the dead how say some among you that there is no Resurrection from the dead ver 12. but if there be no Resurrection of the dead then is not Christ risen this is very true for by the Resurrection of Christ the dead arises by preaching of his resurrection and if Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and ye are yet in your sins then also they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perish'd but now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that sleep for since by man came death by man also came the resurrection of the dead for as in Adam all died so in Christ all shall be made alive there is a natural body and there is a spiritual body saith the Apostle And some men will say how are the dead raised and with what body do they come thou fool that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die and that which thou sowest is not the body which shall be for that thou sowest must die that it may encrease God giveth it a body as it pleaseth him but to every seed it s own body so whatsoever seed thou sowest whether it be Wheat or any other grain though that which thou sowest die in the ground that it may encrease yet it bringeth forth its own body it s own nature it s own image And to this agrees Christs own words in John 12. where he saith verily I say unto you except a corn of Wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit this he spake when he saw his hour was coming and he said Father save me from this hour but for this cause came I unto this hour Job 12 24. to the 27. And now this great Husbandman the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ he did sow his seed in Adam and it died that it might encrease in Christ Jesus who is the resurrection and the life of this seed and the Lord hath watched and waited and had an eye over his Vineyard Isa 5.1 as we have shewed throughout this Treatise but the Apostle goes on farther and speaks of the glory of the Sun and of the Moon and of the Stars and saith so also is it in the Resurrection it is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sown in weakness it is raised in power it is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body for so it is written the first man was made a living soul the second Adam a quickening spirit howbeit that Adam was not first which is sâ—iritual but that Adam which is natural and afterwards that which is spiritual the first man of the earth earthy the second man the Lord from Heaven as is the earthy such are they also that are earthy as is the heavenly such are they that are heavenly and as we have born the image of the earthy so shall we bear the image of the heavenly Now I say unto you Brethren that flesh and bloud cannot inherit the Kingdom of God and so on to the end of the Chapter And this is the earthy that which is of the first man flesh and blood which must not inherit incorruption and this is the resurrection that we witness and wait for the spiritual body the spiritual image the spiritual life the quickening spirit the Lord from Heaven the gathering of the immortal seed to the great Lord of the Harvest the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that he desires his Disciples to pray for to send forth painful Labourers into his harvest So the great God is now coming to gather his great Harvest and his Crop that he hath sown so long since and the Angels are his Reapers and waited for and watched over as you may read through this Book And to this agrees that which Christ saith in Math. 25. when the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as the Shepherd divideth the Sheep from the Goats and he shall set the Sheep on his right hand but the Goats on his left ver 31 32 33. and so shall the resurrection of the just be to life and the resurrection of the unjust unto condemnation this is the Resurrection that all shall find and may expect for Christ hath been as he saith in this Chapter as one in a far Country and hath called his servants and hath delivered unto them his Talents and as every one hath gained and profited so shall they receive So it is required of every one to know the precious seed which God hath elected and chosen for himself of all seeds he hath chosen but one the precious seed though it be likened unto a grain of Mustard-seed which is the least of all seeds but is the most precious and pure and holy seed because it came from the life and breath of the immortal pure God whose life and immortality dwells in eternal light and eternal brightness So the Lord by his glorious word and power is gathering in again his precious and holy seed and renewing and restoring a far more and exceeding weight of glory than what was the glory of the first man the glory of the second man far exceeded it for as the Apostle saith the first man was made a living Soul so likewise David saith he was made a little lower than the Angels Psal 8. what is man that thou art so mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him for thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour thou hast made him to have Dominion over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feet which words the Apostle rehearseth again in the 2. of Heb. and saith that he left nothing that was not put under him then in that state that he then stood in which was before the Fall but now saith the Apostle we see not all things put under him why because he was come under in his transgression and fallen from that where God had set him but saith the Apostle we see Jesus who is made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death he is crowned with glory and honour that is everlasting that he by the grace of God should taste of death for every man which glory and honour changeth not as the glory and honour of the first man did So the glory of the first man Adam he was made a living Soul a little lower than the Angels and all the glory of the first body he was crowned with and had Dominion over all the visible Creation and had power over all the Creatures that God had made God set him King over
seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head mark that the womans seed shall bruise the Serpents head the Lord hath said it and thou shall bruise his heel Gen. 3.15 and this hath been and is fulfilled the heel of the precious seed hath been bruised ever since the day that Adam fell the Lamb hath been flain from the foundation of the world Rev. 13.8 The descending part of the Lamb hath been bruised and slain since the world had a foundation in the heart of man for the Devil got into Evahs heart and Adams heart by his temptation when they obeyed the voice of the Serpent and disobeyed his voice that made them he told them they should be as Gods but he became the God of that world of sin and of transgression and this world is set in the hearts of all men in the fall that they cannot find the beginning or the end of the work of God Eccl. 3.11 And the God of this world hath blinded the minds of all them which believe not 2 Cor. 4.4 through the disobedience that did enter into their hearts and so their foolish hearts were darkened and he the Prince of darkness hath ruled ever since this world had a foundation in the heart of man and to this very day doth rule in the children of disobedience Eph. 2.5 6. And so that precious part of the Lamb that descending part that God hath placed in mans heart hath been and is slain in all the children of disobedience who are not risen with Christ unto righteousness and true holiness Now he that ascended saith the Apostle is the same that descended first into the nethermost parts of the earth and he that descended is the same also that ascended far above all heavens that he might sill all things Eph. 4.8.9 So there hath he suffered and been oppressed as a Cart hath been with sheaves and born the iniquities of all above 5600 years But the Lord of his infinite mercy and love reserved a remedy and redemption at that very instant who decreed and said that the precious seed of the woman should bruise the Serpents head and break his power And so as it is already manifested and fulfilled the Word which the Lord spake that he should bruise his heel so as certainly and assuredly as the word of the Lord endureth for ever and that not one jot or tittle of it shall fail till all be fulfill'd so certainly will he fulfill this part also that the seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head and break his power and to this purpose hath he redoubled his promise again and again as we shall shew more fully hereafter And so Adam and Eve stood under the sentence that the Lord pronounced upon them unto woman that he would greatly multiply her sorrow in her conception and in bringing forth Children And unto Adam he said cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all thy days so in this miserable state they continued and in this darkness transgression and disobedience Adam knew his Wife and she brought forth a Son and called his name Cain and Adam called his wife Eve because she was the mother of all living and this Cain was the fruits of the Spirit of the Devil who was a lyar and a murderer And again she bare his brother Abel and Cain was a tiller of the ground but Abel was a keeper of Sheep and in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord and Abel he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof and the Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering for the Apostle saith Heb. 11.4 by faith Abel offered unto God but unto Cain and his offering he had no respect And Cain was wroth and his countenance fell and the Lord said unto Cain why art thou wroth and why is thy countenance fallen if thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted if thou dost not well sin lyeth at thy door And unto thee shall be his desire and thou shalt rule over him Gen. 4.7 But the Apostle saith that Abel offered a more excellent offering than Cain by which he obtained a witness that he was righteous God testifying of his guifts and by faith he being dead yet his bloud speaketh Heb. 11.4 and also Cain manifested what seed he sprang from unto which God said I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed which seed was a lyar and a murderer from the beginning and Cain talked with his brother and it came to pass that when they were in the field that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him and wherefore slew he him because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous 1 Joh. 3.12 And this Cains Spirit hath remained amongst men to this very day for he slew his brother about offering unto God and the worship of God and so this Cains spirit hath been slaying and killing and persecuting ever since about Offerings and Sacrifices and Worships righteous Abel and that spirit which God accepts hath been persecuted and slain and is to this day But God will fulfill the words of Christ upon them Mat. 23.35 that upon you might come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of rightous Abel but the Lord knew when Abel was slain and he knows and sees and hath seen all the righteous blood that hath been shed since Abel and the Lord said unto Cain what hast thou done the voice of thy brothers blood hath cryed to me from the ground and now thou art cursed from the earth which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brothets blood from thy hand Gen. 4.10 11. And under this curse all Cains spirit and off spring remains a fugitive and vagabond from the Lord for Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the Land of Nod. ver 16. And Adam knew Eve his Wife again and she bare a Son and called his name Seth for God saith she hath appointed me another Son instead of Ahel whom Cain slew So here is another Son brought forth of Abel's seed which the Lord accepted and to which the promise of the Lord remained and to Seth to him also there was born a Son and he called his name Enos then began men to call upon the name of the Lord here was the right seed again which set up the worship of God as you may read in the fifth of Genesis the Generations of them that worshipped God in that day from Adam some of which the Apostle bore witness of in Heb. 11.5 By Faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death Enoch translated and was not found because God had translated him for before his translating he had this testimony that he pleased God By faith Nâ—ah being warned of God of things not seen as yet
moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by Faith ver 7. So here the Lord had a Church then upon the earth that worshipped and served and feared and walked with the Lord and dyed in the faith as the Apostle bears witness of in Heb. 11. and may be read at large in Gen. 5. which was of that seed which God accepted And Lamech lived 182 years and begat a Son and he called his name Noah saying this shall conmfort us concerning the work and toil of our hands because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed Gen. 5.28 Here Lamech was a Prophet concerning his Son Noah which the Apostle witnesses to be a Preacher of Righteousness 2 Pet. 2.5 And Noah was 500 years old and begat Shem Ham and Japhet for it came to pass when men began to multiply upon the face of the earth and daughters were born unto them and the Sons of God saw the daughters of men were fair and they took them Wives of all which they chose Gen. 6.2 And so here again the earth was corrupted and here they fell again into transgression and the Lords Spirit was grieved and the Lord said my Spirit shall not alwaies strive with man for that he is but flesh yet his daies shall be 120 years and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was evil and that continually and it repented the Lord that he had made man upon the earth and it grieved him at his heart and the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth both man and beast and the creeping things and the fowls of the air for it repenteth me that I have made them But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord Noah was a just man and perfect in his Generation and Noah walked with God and the earth was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence and God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way and God said unto Noah the end of all flesh is come before me for the earth is filled with violence through them and behold I will destroy them with the earth make the an Ark of Gopher wood c. So Noah being a perfect and just man obeyed the Lord and set about the work for he had the Lords words and promise Gen. 6.18 with thee I will establish my Covenant and thou shalt come into the Ark thou and thy Sons and thy Wife and thy Sons Wives with thee So Noah laboured in the work and Commandment of the Lord and preached amongst them after the Lord complained of the wickedness of men a hundred years before the flood in which time the long suffering of God waited while the Ark was preparing so that there was but eight persons saved 1 Pet. 3.20 And Noah took of every living thing of all flesh two of every sort and brought into the Ark to him to keep them alive according as the Lord commanded him male and female of every sort and of the fowls after their sort and the cattel after their kind and of every creeping thing after his kind two shall come unto thee of every sort to keep them alive and take unto thee of all food that is eaten and it shall be meat for thee and them thus did Noah according to all that God commanded him The Lord God said unto Noah come thou and all thy house into the Ark for thee have I seen righteous in this Generation and of every clean beast take with thee by sevens males and females for yet seven days and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from the face of the earth And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him and Noah was 600 years old when the floods of the Waters were upon the earth and Noah went in and his Sons and his Wife and his Sons Wives with him into the Ark and here was his Father Lamech's Prophecy fulfilled Cen. 5.29 who saw the curse upon the ground which by reason of sin and wickedness the Lord cursed he saw this before it came even when he named his Son Noah saying this same shall comfort us and so he did for through his faithfulness unto the Lord in this wicked Generation the Lord had respect unto him who was a just and perfect man preserved him and his house even in that great deluge that they might be a seed unto the Lord God and so here it is proved that the Lord had a Church upon the earth that served the Lord and walked with him even before the flood as the Apostle bears witness Jude 14. Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of these saying behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly amongst them here Enoch prophesies of the eternal truth that was to be revealed And Peter saith God spared not the old world but saved Noah the eight person a Preacher of righteousness by which he went and preached to the Spirits in Prison when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the Ark was prepared wherein few that is eight souls were saved 1 Pet. 3.19 20. So brought in the flood upon the world of ungodly 2 Pet. 2.5 So he saved a seed for himself of those that worshipped and served him but these were not of Cain's stock that slew his brother Abel but these were of that seed which Cain persecuted and whose blood cryed to the Lord for justice against the mâ—rderer which seed hath suffered ever since by that murdering persecuting spirit and that was Cain's stock that corrupted the earth and filled it full of violence by which they grieved the Lord at the very heart as Jude saith in the 10. ver But these speak evil of dignities which they know not but what they know naturally as bruit beasts in those things they corrupt themselves wo unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain So Cain's spirit is always full of wrath envy murder and bloodshed and so this fulfils the word of the Lord unto the Serpent when he said I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed and so upon this seed and world of ungodly men the Lord brought the flood and overflowed the whole world because of their wickedness so that all flesh dyed and every living substance was destroyed Noah only remained alive and they that were with him in the Ark. And the waters prevailed upon the earth 150 days and in the second Month on the 27. day of the month the earth was dryed and God spake unto Noah saying
spirit of the remnant of the people and they came and did work in the House of the Lord of Hosts their God in the seventh month and the twenty first day of the month came the word of the Lord by the Prophet Haggai saying speak unto Zerubbabel the Governour of Iudah and to Ieshua the High Priest and to the residue of the people saying who is left among you that saw the House in her first glory and how do ye see it now is it not in your eyes in comparison as nothing yet be strong O Zerubbabel saith the Lord and be strong O Ieshua the High Priest and be strong all ye people of the Land saith the Lord and work for I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt so my spirit remained among you fear ye not as you may read throughout the Prophesie of Haggai In the eighth month in the second year of Darius came the word of the Lord unto Zachariah unto the Iews that were to build the Temple in Ierusalem saying the Lord hath been sore displeased with your Fathers thus saith the Lord of Hosts turn unto me and I will turn unto you saith the Lord of Hosts be not as your Fathers unto whom the former Prophets cryed saying turn ye from your evil ways and from your evil doings but they did not hear nor harken unto me faith the Lord but your Fathers where are they now do they live for ever but my words and my Commandments which I commanded my Prophets took hold on them as you may read from the first Chapter of Zashariah to the 4. Ch. So after that these Prophets had prophesied unto them The building of the Temple goes on again in the second year of Darius as you may read in Ezra 5. Then rose up Zerubbabel and Ieshua and began to build the House of God which is at Ierusalem and with them were these Prophets of God helping them and then came to them Tatnâ—s Governour on this side the River and Shethar-boznai and their Companions and said unto them who hath commanded you to build this House and make up this Wall but the eye of their God was upon the Elders of the Jews that they could not cause them to cease till the matter was come to Darius and then they returned an answer by Letter concerning the matter the Copy of which Letter you may read to the end of the 5. Chapter Then Darius the King made a Decree according to the Contents of the Letter and search was made in the House of the Rolls where the Treasuries were laid up in Babylon as you may read throughout the 6. Chapter And the King made Decrees that none should hinder them but the House should be built with speed and the Elders of the Jews builded and they prospereed through the prophefying of Haggai and Zachariah and Zachariah prophesied to them again in the fourth year of Cyrus as you may read Zach. 7. And they builded and finished it according to the command of the God of Israel and according to the Commandment of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes Nehem. 5.6 and 7. Chapters and this House was finished on the third day of the month Adar The Temple finished which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the King So you may read their course of life and their worship that they performed unto the Lord and how they sought the Lord you may read through the Book of Ezra and Nehemiah and how Neâ—emiah prayed unto the Lord and humbled himself before the Lord and how he went in the night to view the Wall that was broken down and laid ruinous and how he joined himself with the Builders and opposed the Adversaries and looked up and encouraged the Nobles and the Rulers and the rest of the people and said be not afraid of them as you may read in this Book of Nehemiah In the ninth Chapter of Nehemiah you may read how the Children of Israel assembled themselves together with fasting and with Sackcloth and earth upon them and the Seed of Israel separated themselves from all Strangers and stood and confessed their sins and worshipped God after they were returned back from their captivity and were come to Jerusalem and had built the Temple as you may read at large in this Chapter and so on throughout the Book of Nehemiah Esther AND so likewise in the Book of Esther you may see how the Lord in his mercy was pleased to promote the Jews interest under Ahasuerus by means of Mordecai and Queen Esther as you may read throughout the History of this Book of Esther therefore the Jews of the Villages that dwolt in the unwalled Towns made the 14. day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting and a good day of sending portions one to another and Mordecai wrote these things and sent Letters unto all the Jews that were in all the Provinces of King Ahasuerus both far and neer even to one hundred and thirty seven Provinces to establish this amongst them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and the seventeenth day of the same month and this was established among the Jews to be kept yearly as you may read to the end of the 9. Chapter of Esther and the King Ahasuerus did so promote Mordecai the Jew that he was next unto King Ahasuerus and great among the Jews and accepted of the multitude of his Brâ—thren seeking the wealth of his people and speaking peace to all his seed and this is writ in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Medea and Persia Est 10. And thus far you may see how the Lord hath dealt with his people Israel and how faithful he hath been in his promises to their forefathers and the tender eye and care he had over them all along and how gladly he would have had them to have obeyed his Commandments and his Statutes that they might have lived to him you may read through these afore mentioned Prophesies and notwithstanding that they did rebel against him and did grievously provoke him through their manifold abominations yet you see how careful he was of them and faithful to them and according to the Prophesies of the Prophets brought them back again to their own City But this was not all there is much behind yet for the Decree and Determination of the Lord was a further thing and these peculiar people which the Lord did chuse above all the Families of the earth they were a figure of the right and ture and precious seed of God and though they were a people as you see that had often rebelled against the Lord and fallen away from him and murmured against him as you may see they did often in the Wilderness when the Lord had set Moses and Aaron over them as you may see Numb 13. and all the Congregation lift up their voices
Covenant that the Lord made with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah as you may read in Isa 42. I the Lord have called thee in Righteousness and will hold thine hand and will keep thee and will give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light to the Gentiles ver 6. And in Isa 49. he said it is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayst be my salvation to the end of the earth ver 6. And in Jer. 31. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt which my Covenant they broke although I was an Husband unto them saith the Lord but this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people and also Chap. 24. And Ezckiel 36. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your silthiness and from all your Idoâ—â— I will cleanse you a new heart will I give you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and will give you a heart of flesh ver 25 26. also Chap. 11. 19. This is the Covenant which God is establishing and Christ Jesus is the seed which was promised unto Abrsham Christ Jesus is the Elected seed which God hath chosen which he prophesied of by his Prophet Esaiah Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth I will put my Spirit upon him and he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles this is he that is the true and right seed and with this agrees the Apostle when he was speaking of Jacob and Esau for the children being yet unhorn neither having done good nor evil but that the purpose of God according to Election might stand and again the Apostle saith Israel hath not obtained that which he secketh for but the Election hath obtained it and the rest are blinded Rom. 11. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all Children but in Isâ—â—c shall thy seed be called that is they which are the children of the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed and therefore the Apostle told them that blindness in part hath happened unto Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles come in and so all Israel shall be saved both of the Jews and also of the Gentiles but the Apostle tells you in another place that all are not Israel that are of Israel but there shall come out of Sion the Deliverer and shall turn away â—ugodliness from Iacob this is my Covenant with them when I take away their sins Rom. 11.26 27. And the Redeemer shall come to Sion 〈◊〉 unto them that turn from transgression in Iacob saith the 〈◊〉 as for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the 〈◊〉 of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceâ— forth and for ever Isa 59.20 21. This is the seed which the Lord is gathering in this day both in Jews and Gentiles even to the ends of the Earth even such as turn away from iniquity and sin for Christ Jesus is manifest to take away sin and in him is no sin and the gathering is unto him for he is the head of his body which is his Church and the Apostle saith that the body is Christ and the seed is Christ so the head and the body is united together and of this body and Church all the holy Prophets of the Lord have prophesied of all along as you may read in the Scriptures David of whom the Lord said I have found David my Servant with my holy Oyl have I anointed him with whom my hand shall be established for ever he prophesied of the Mystery of Christ and his Church as you may read in Psal 45. and Solomon in his Song you read how largely he treated there of the Mystery of Christ and his Church and the Prophet Isaiah in the 54. Chap. saith Sing O barren thou that didst not bear break forth into singing c. for thy Maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his Name and the Redeemer the holy One of Israel the God of the whole Earth shall he be called as you may read in the 54. of Isaiah and Chap. 62.11 at large with many more places of Scripture Also Zachariah he prophesies of Christs coming to his Church Zach. 9.9 Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Zion shout O Daughter of Ierusalem behold thy King cometh unto thee he is just having Salvation lowly riding upon an Ass and upon a Colt the Foal of an Ass and this was fulfilled Math. 21. as you may read there when Jesus came nigh unto Ierusalem for there was the place that this might be fulfilled in he sent his Disciples to a Village and told them they should find an Ass tyed and a Colt with her and he bad them loose them and bring them unto him and the Disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them as you may read in that Chapter Mark saith that he was tyed at the door without where two ways met Mark 11. And they brought the Colt to Jesus and cast their garments upon him and set Jesus upon him Luke saith that they were to find a Colt tyed that yet never man sat thereon and they brought him to Jesus and cast their garments upon him and set Jesus thereon Luke 19.36 And John saith and Jesus when he found a young Ass sat thereon as it is written Fear not Daughter of Sion behold thy King cometh sitting on an Asses Colt Iohn 12.14 15. And this perfectly fulfills old Iacoby Prophesie of his Son Iudah where he saith Indah is a Lions Whelp from the prey â—oy Son thou art gone up Iudah was thâ— Whelp of this â—ion which was before Abraham Ioh. 8. â—8 and this is hâ— which Iohn saw in the Rev. 6. open the Bock that was sealed this â—â—on stooped down and crouched down as an old Dion when he stooped to Iudah who shall rouze him up saith old Iacobâ— the Scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor the Lâ—â—â— giver from between his feet until Sâ—ilch come and unto him 〈◊〉 the gethering of the people be bâ—inding his Foall unto the Vine and his Astes Colt unâ—o the choice Vined
Volumn of thy Book it is written of me to do thy will O God he taketh away the first saith the Apostle that he might establish the second he took away the first Offerings and the first Sacrisices which he delighteth not in neither had he pleasure therein and he established the second and everlasting Offering Christ Jesus who hath a body prepared to do thy will O God by the which will saith the Apostle we are sanctified through offering up the body of Iesus Christ once for all Heb. 10. to the 10. ver And this is the Offering and Sacrifice in which God is well pleased this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased saith the Lord hear ye him for he hath given himself for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blâ—mish Eph. 5.25 26 27. And so this pure Church and Body of Christ is he coming now to redeem and to bring out of Captivity as he brought his former Israel out of Captivity of which you have heard which was but a Figure of this true and pure and holy Church which hath been a long time in the Wildernesâ— as you may read in Revel 12. And for this end is Christ Jesus come a light into the world not only to the Jews but to the whole world for he came unto his own even unto his Tribe of Judah which was at Jerusalem but his own received him not but as many of them as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God not only of them but the whole world for to that end is he come that whosoever believes on him they should not perish but have everlasting life For he is come a light and hath enlightned the whole world and every man that comes into the world Joh. 1. So every one that comes into the world that turns his mind unto the light of our Lord Jesus Christ turns his mind to the elected seed which the Lord hath chosen which he hath laid in Sion for a foundation And therefore thus saith the Lord behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious corner-stone a sure foundation that lays judgment to the Line and righteousness to the Plummet Isaiah 28.16 And the Apostle Peter saith wherefore it is contained in the Scripture behold I lay in Sion a chief corner stone elect and precious he that believeth on him shall not be confounded unto you therefore who believe he is precious but unto them who are disobedient he is a stone of stumbling and a rock of Câ—fence to them that stumble at the word 1 Pet. 2.6 7 8. So this is the foundation that the Lord hath laid in Sion Christ Jesus the light he hath sown in every mans heart and this new Covenant of which we have mentioned which cannot he broken he hath written in every mans heart and who keeps in this Covenant and obeys this light and the Spirit of the Lord that is in his heart which shews him his thoughts and reproveth him for his sin who believes in this light of the Lord Jesus believes in the Elect of God chosen of God and precious to all that believes he is precious but to the disobedient a stone of stumbling So here is the difference and distinction between the holy Nation the royal Priesthood the peculiar people and the whole world those that believe and obey and follow him that is precious they become precious they that obey Christ Jesus and follow him in whom there is no sin but takes away the sins of the whole world of those that obey him all that continue and abide in him are cleansed and purged from sin and washed and made nigh by his blood but to the disobedient that hates the light to them he is a stone of stumbling to them he is a rock of Offence whereunto the Apostle saith they were appointed So this is the main substance of all that can be said Christ Jesus that is Gods everlasting Covenant not only to the Jews but also Gentiles and all people even to the ends of the earth his light hath reached and shined into every man and every womans heart and conscience that is come into the whole world so that every one that will turn to that measure of the light of our Lord Jesus Christ which they have received they turn to the Elect of God they turn to that which God hath chosen in which his Soul delighteth whether they are Barbarian or Scythian whether they are Jew or Gentile whether they are bond or free whether they are male or female if they come to the light of Christ in their heart they are all one in Christ Jesus and so by this pure and glorious shining light which shines in the hearts and consâ—â—ences of people doth the Lord redeem his Church and purge it and purifie it and gives liberty to that precious seed that hath long laid in Captivity The Lamb hath been slain from the foundation of the world which world entred into mans heart at the fall of Adam and into mans heart is Christ Jesus come a light the new Covenant and everlasting Covenant of God which he hath written in every mans heart and his spirit he hath put in the inward parts by which the Prince of the power of the air cometh to be removed by the spirit of his mouth and the brightness of his coming will he slay that wicked one that man of sin and Son of perdition that hath sitten in the Temple of God exalted above all that is called God Now is the Judgment of this world how shall the Prince of this world be cast out and if I be lifted up from the Earth I will draw all men unto me saith Christ John 12.31 32. chap. 8.28.35 So Jesus having tasted death for every man Heb. 2. the vertue of his death hath reached unto every man so that every man hath partaken of that infinite mercy and bounty for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell whose fulness of grace and mercy hath reached unto all men and women for saith the Apostle he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world 1 Joh. 2.2 Jesus cryed and said he that believeth on me believeth not on me only but on him that sent me and he that seeth me seeth him that sent me I am come a light into the world that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness and if any hear my word and believe not I judge him not for I am come not to judge the world but to save the world Joh. 12. this was the end for which the Father sent his Son into the world God so loved the world that he gave his only
29. Isa 13.10 Ezek. 32.7 but Christ saith farther verily I say unto you this Generation shall not pass away till all these things be fulfilled which were fulfilled according to Christs words for before the Disciples were removed all these things came to pass and were fulfilled in that day and the Apostles saw and knew the sum and substance of all that was spoken fulfilled but the next words makes it clear Heaven and Earth shall pass away saith Christ but my word shall not pass away my word shall endure for ever and is fullilling through all Generations yea beyond the Heaven and the Earth one Generation comes and another Generation goes and the word fulfills through them all and though that Generation did not pass till these words were fulfilled yet they continue in the substance the same fulfilling for ever to the end of the world Christ saith I will be with you who is the word but of the day and houe knoweth no man no not the Angels but my Father only for the times and seasons are in the Fathers hand And according to this the Apostle saith 1 Jâ—h 2. the world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever Little Children it is the last time and ye have heard that Antichrist should come and I even now there are many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time they went out from us c. ver 17.18 and Jude 17. Beloved remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ how they told you there should be mockers in the last time who walk after their own hearts lusts So these with several others that might be mentioned confirmeth the truth of the night of the Apostacy that was coming on and that the true Church of Christ that was among the Apostles should go into the Wilderness after their decease and departure which John saw would come to pass as you may read in Rev. 12. There was War in Heaven then the true Worship of God was lost and that eternal Spirit which was in the Apostles where the wicked one had no part but they had overcome the wicked one 1 Joh. 2. I have written unto you young men because you are strong and the word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one ver 14. That Spirit was lost which was among the Apostles they sat together in heavenly places in Christ Iesus as you may read Eph. 1.3 and Chap. 2.6 And Iesus exhorted his Disciples to lay up their treasure in Heaven for he said where the treasure is there the heart will be also Math. 6.20 21. But this worship of God and power was lost when the Woman sled into the Wilderness The Church of Christ gone into the Wilderness and then the Dragon got up and made War in Heaven and to this agrees that Prophesie of Christ where he saith the powers of the Heavens shall be shaken Mat. 24.29 but Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels as you may read in the 10. of Daniel after Daniel had mourned three full weeks and had eaten no pleasant bread neither came Wine in his mouth until three full weeks were fulfilled after this Daniel saw the Visions and heard the voice that said fear not Daniel for from the first day that thou settest thine heart to understand and to chasten thy self before thy God thy words were heard and I am come for thy words but the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me many days but loe Michael one of the chief Princes came to help me now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the last days for yet the Vision is for many days and after this Daniel became dumb and fell upon the ground and retained no strength neither was breath left in him then the Angel came again and touched him as you may read and said knowest thou wherefore I am come unto thee and now I will return and sight with the Prince of Persia and when I am come forth loe the Prince of Grecia shall come which is the third Monarchy but I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scriptures of truth and there is none that holdeth with me in these things but Michael the Prince ver 21. So Michael stood for the Angel there in the days of Daniel against the power of the Dragon this Michael the Apostle calls the Archangel Jude 9. And so here in the Apostacy Michael and his Angels have fought against the Dragon and his Angels for they prevailed not while the woman hath been in the Wilderness for it is a place prepared of God for her that she should be fed there a thousand two hundred and threescore days but after this John saw the Dragon cast out that old Serpent called the Devil and Satan which had deceived the whole world there was no more place for him in Heaven but he was cast out into the earth and his Angels were cast out with him when the true and precious seed of the body which is Christ which is his Church appeared again in which the wicked one hath no part then there was no place sound in Heaven for the Dragon therefore saith Iohn Rejoyce ye Heavens and ye that dwell in them woe unto the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth his time is but short this is very truly witnessed and fulfilled at this day for where the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ is witnessed and where his seed is raised up in any where the Spirit of Satan hath no place in their Worship but they worship in the Spirit of the Lord and in his Truth then Satan rages in the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea whither he is cast for in their Heaven and in their Worship he is there making war but where he is cast out from Heaven there he persecutes the Woman that brings forth the man-child and is wroth with her and makes war with the remnant of her seed which keeps the Commandements of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ Rev. 12.17 And in the next Chapter when John stood upon the sand of the Sea which was but a brittle foundation for it was to be done away there he saw the beast arise out of the Sea with his seven heads and ten horns and his ten crowns and upon his heads the name of Blasphemy as you may read throughout that 13. Chapter to the end but afterwards John saw an Angel slying in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth and he cryed with a loud voice unto every Nation and Tongue and People and Kindred saying Fear God and give glory to him and worship him that made Heaven and Earth
all the works of his hands and gave him dominion and power over them and here is the glory of the first man and the glory of the first body the visible glory of the Creation all things that God had made in the Heaven and in the Earth and when he looked upon them behold they were very good Adam was crowned with the glory of them all and had the Dominion over them but this Dominion he lost and this glory he stained through his disobedience and transgression and so fell and became servant and in a state of servitude and not only so but painful and miserable with a sentence upon him that in the sweat of his face he should eat his bread So after this as hath been shewed the Lord of his infinite mercy confirmed his eternal love and Election of Grace in his promise unto his seed and Covenant unto Abraham that of him he would bring forth a seed in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed which he hath faithfully and perfectly performed as hath been shewed And so he chose a people from amongst all the families of the earth that he did owne for himself as you may read Deut. 7.6 which he knew and had regard and love unto above all the families of the earth as hath been shewed and manifested Yet according as Adam did there rebell and transgress against him though he had a continual care and an eye over them and a continual regard unto them and watched over them by his holy Angels as you may read in the Scriptures for man was at that time lower than the Angels The Lord spake unto Abraham and Sarah by Angels and unto Jacob and the Lord spake unto Moses by his Angel Exod. 3.2 and Acts 7.3 where Stephen saith And God sent Moses to be a Ruler and a Deliverer by the hand of the Angel which appeared to him in the Bush God also sent his Ange unto David after he had numbred the people as you may read 1 Chron. 21. God sent an Angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it and when David â—ift up his eyes and saw the Angel of the Lord stand between the Earth and the Heaven having a drawn sword in his hand stretched over Jerusalem then David and the Elders of Israel humbled themselves as you may read after then the Lord commanded the Angel and he put up his sword into its sheath The Angel also was sent unto Zacharias and Elisabeth before the Birth of John and unto Mary before the Birth of Christ as you know and the Angel came unto the Shepherds after the Birth of Christ Luke 2.9 And the Angels came and ministred unto him Math. 4.11 So the revelation of Jesus Christ was signified by his Angel Rev. 1. with many more that might be brought Cornelius was warned of God by an Angel Acts 10. and Stephen when he was bearing his testimony before the High-Priest when he said Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in hearts and ears which of the Prophets have not your Fathers persecuted and slain them which shewed before of the coming of the just one of whom ye have been betrayers and murtherers who have received the Law by the disposition of Angels and have not kept it Acts 7.53 and Gal. 3.19 The Law was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator So the Prophets and such as the Lord made Overseers and Leaders of his people the Lord spoke to them by his Angels and the Law they received by the Angels but as the Apostle saith in the fulness of time God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law Gal. 4.3 for what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us read on in Rom. 8. So they that walk after the Spirit they are those that fulfill the righteousness of the Law for the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus makes free from the Law of sin and death and this renews into the right and into the perfect Image which is not lower than the Angels but into the Image of the Son unto which all the Angels are subject according to the Apostles words Heb. 1. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds who being the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins for that was the work he was to do when as the Apostle saith he became lower than the Angels for the suffering of death and so took not upon him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham and there he hath tasted death for every man that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to Bondage and when he had finished this work he is set down on the right hand of the Majesty on high being made so much better than the Angels as he hath by an inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they for to which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And again when he bringeth in his first begotten into the world he said Let all the Angels worship him and to his Angels he saith Who hath made his Angels Spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire but unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever a Scepter of Righteousness is the Scepter of thy Kingdom And so on So here you may see as the first man was made a little lower than the Angels so the second man the Lord from Heaven the quickening spirit is made higher than the Angels the brightness of the Fathers glory and his express image And so this is the seed and body and image which the Lord God is raising and restoring and preparing to do his will which far exceeds the glory of the first body for the glory of the first body was a visible glory but the glory of the second man the second body is an invisible glory and known and seen by the invisible eye and manifested by the invisible power and spirit of our Lord Jesus in whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins who is the image of the invisible God and the first born of every creature by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for
me saith the Lord therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do this unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel ver 11 12. And the Prophet Micah saith be in pain and labour to bring forth O Daughter of Sion like a woman in travel for now shalt thou go forth out of the City and there shalt thou dwell in the field and thou shalt go to Babylon and there shalt thou be delivered there shall the Lord redeem thee from the hand of thine Enemies many Nations are gathered together against thee that say let them be defiled but they know not the thoughts of the Lord neither understand his Counsel for he will gather them as the Sheaves into the floor Mich. 4. throughout the Chapter and again Micah the 7. Rejoice not against me O mine Enemy when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be my light I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him until he plead my cause in that day that the Walls are to be built in that day the Decree shall be far removed Thus Micah prophesied in the days of Jotham and Hezekiah Kings of Judah concerning Israel as you may read in Micah 1. And the Prophet Joel saith blow a Trumpet in Sion sanctifie a Fast call a solemn Assembly for the Lord will be jealous for the Land and pity his people and say I will send you Corn and Wine and Oyl and I will no more make you a reproach among the Heathen and I will remove off far from you the Northern Army and I will drive him into a Land barren and desolate Rejoice and be glad ye Children of Sion c. Joel 2.3 Chapters and I will bring again the Captivity of Judah and Jerusalem And the word of the Lord came to Zephaniah in the days of Josiah Son of Amon King of Judah I will also stretch out my hand upon Judah and upon all the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place and them that worship the Host of Heaven upon the House tops and them that worship and swear falsly by the Lord and that swear by Malcham Zeph. 1. Ezra THus you may read throughout the whole foregoing Prophesies how the Lord dealt with his people in loving kindness and tenderness sending his Prophets with line upon line and Precept upon Precept as you may read in all the Prophesies through all the Bible and until according to the word of the Lord by his Prophets that they were carried away captive and until the term of years was expired which the Lord by his Prophets Prophesied of And when the years were expired he raised up Cyrus according to his word by his Prophets to build his Temple and to call them home to Jerusalem as is before mentioned and as you may read in the 1. Chapter of Ezra and so on Even so did Cyrus King of Persâ—a bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the Treasurer the Vessels of the House of the Lord and numbred them unto Sheshbazzar the Prince of Judah ver 8. Now these are the Children of the Province that went up out of the Captivity 70 years fulfilled and Judah and Jerusalem coming out of captivity of those that had been carryed away whom Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon had carryed unto Babylon and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah every one unto his City you may read their names in the 2. Ch. of Ezra And when the seventh month was come and the Children of Israel were in the Cities the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem and they set up the Altar upon his basis and they offered burnt Offerings thereon unto the Lord even burnt Offerings morning and evening according to Deuteronomy 12.56 They kept also the Feast of Tabernacles as it is written in Exod. 23.16 Numb 29.12 and so on they set up the Worship of God as you may read in Ezra Ch. 3. Now in the second year of their coming unto the House of God at Jerusalem in the second month began Zerubbabel and those that were with him the Brethren the Priests and the Levites they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem they began to build the House of God and to set forward the Workmen Nehem. 4. And when the Builders had laid the foundation of the Temple of the Lord they set their Priests in their apparel as you may read to the end of the Chapter Now when the Adversaries of Judah and Benjamin The Temple in building heard that the Children of the Captivity builded the Temple unto the Lord God of Israel then they came to Zerubbabel and to the chief of the Fathers and said unto them let us build with you for we seek your God as ye do and we do sacrifice unto him but Zerubbabel and Joshua and the rest of the chief of the Fathers of Israel said unto them you have nothing to do with us to build a House unto our God we our selves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel as Cyrus the King of Persia hath commanded us and the people of the Land weakned the hands of the people of Judah and troubled them in building and hired Counsellours against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus King of Persia and in the reign of Ahasuerus in the beginning of his reign wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Iudah and Ierusalem and in the days of Artaxerxes Rehum the Chancellour and Shimshai the Scribe The building of the Temple stopped wrote a Letter against Ierusalem to Artaxerxes the King in this sort which Letter hindred the building until the reign of Darius as you may read in Ezra 4. Then the Prophets Haggai and Zachariah prophesied unto the Iews which were in Iudah and in Ierusalem in the Name of the Lord God of Israel in the second year of Darius the King in the sixth month came the word of the Lord by Haggai the Prophet unto Zerubbabel the Son of Shealtiel Governour of Iudah and to Ieshua the Son of Iozadak the High Priest saying thus saith the Lord of Hosts the people say the time is not come the time that the Lords House is to be built then came the word of the Lord to Haggai the Prophet saying is it time for you to dwell in your cieled Houses and this House lie waste Hag. 1. Then Zerubbabel the Son of Shealtiel and Ieshua the Son of Lozadâ—k the High Priest with all the remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the Prophet as the Lord their God had sent him and the people did fear before the Lord then spake Haggai the Lords Messenger in the Lords message unto the people saying I am with you saith the Lord and the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel and the spirit of Ieshua and the