one that b Rev. 17.1 2 sits upon many water who hath the Kings of the earth for her servants to commit fornication with her as Babilon of old was the great and lofty City exalting it self above c Dan 4.1 all people Nations and languages that dwelt in all the earth so hath our Babilon exalted her selt above the christian world as they cal in So that 3 The Prophet here sets forth the joyful praising state of the true Church and people of God immediatly upon the destruction of Babilon then shal they be able to sing the songs of Syon again praising the Lord after this manner 3 Because in this state there is night as wel as day therefore there is the shining of a flaming fire prepared for the nights defence but the glory of the mountain state is such as There shall be d Rev 21.25 no night there Because in this state there is a Tabernacle appointed for its defence which is moveable and not fixed therefore not the mountain state for that is a fixed unmoveable state They that trust in the Lord shal be as e Psal 125.1 MOUNT ZION which cannot be removed but abideth for ever And seeing for these reasons it cannot be interpretred of the glory of the mountain state of Zion I shall lay it down as the And last ground why I apprehend Isaiah and Malachy to treat both of one and the same time That this glory here spoken of in this 4th Chapter is the glory of that state of Zion wherein it becomes Daniels stone smiting the great Image the Lords battel-ax and weapon of war breaking in pieces the Nations and destroying Kingdoms the Lords threshing instrument to thresh the mountains smal and to make the hils like chaff upon the glory of this state there shal be such a defence that neither the heat nor the storm nor the raine of their enemies shal hurt or touch it the reasons that move me to adhere to this interpretation are 1 This glory is no other but the fruit of Zions purging and purifying which in this Chapt is called HOLINESSE Every one that it left in Zion and that remaineth in Jerusalem shal be called holy it is upon this glory the defence is created now this purifying of Zion and cloathing it with this glory is performed before though but immediatly before the day comes wherein the transgressors and sinners shal burn together and none shall quench them that day that shal burn as an Oven burning up the wicked both smal and great leaving them neithergoot nor branch when Zion shal be redeemed and restored to this glory then shall the destruction of the wicked come 2 The defence that is created upon this glory carries a great similitude to the Isratites wilderness state a cloud and smoakby day and a shining of a flaming fire by night and a Tabernacle now it signifies thus much to me that as the children of Israel had these things for their defence and direction when they were travelling through the Wilderness to the Promised land so under these figures the Holy Ghost holds forth to us that defence the Lord wil create by a wonder working power upon this glory all the while his chosen are journying over the worlds hils and mountains towards that State which was tiped out by the Promised Land of Canaan so that in deed and in truth the glory of this State mentioned in this 4th chapter which shal have such a defence is no other but that qualification and sitness the Lord wil indue his Zion withall to enable her to carry on his great design and work in the world to bring all the Kingdoms of this world into subjection to his Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Supposing I have sufficiently proved the truth of the assertion That Isaiah in these Chapters treateth of the same time Malachy doth in his Prophecy I shal proceed to consider the Terrors of this dreadful day as the Prophet holds them sorth which wil plainly appear to us if we confider 1 The dreadful work the Lord wil make in professing Zion at this day f Isai 2. he wil humble the lofty looks and bring down the haughtiness of man there is not a man that is proud and lofty and lifted up but shal be brought down in that day and the day of the Lord shal be upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that Timber of which once the Lord was pleased to make beams and rafters for his house becomes now the subject of the anger and displeasure of God by reason of its being high and listed up upon its own bottom and upon all the Oaks of Bashan those trees of strength that are so useful in the Common wealth and upon all the high mountains and hils that are lifted up those prodigious lumps of earth whose aspiring brows injuriously overtop their neighbouring levels and upon every high Tower and fenced wal those strengths and fortresses the works of mens hands in which they put their trust as in a sure place and upon all the Ships of Tarshish those waies and means by which these men gain their Idols of gold and their Idols of silver which they make each one for himself to Worship and upon all pleasant pictures those rare painted inventions the wits of the Times find out to please the childish world with now in its doting old age and these with all other Idols wil he utterly abolish they shal utterly pass away and which is worthy our serious noting and is very significant he doth all this as he is Lord of hosts for behold the Lord the Lord of hosts doth so and so it s the day of the Lord of hosts that fals upon the particulars fore-mentioned What a dreadful day of Terrors must this of necessity prove when the Lord of hosts ariseth out of his place to de I with such sturdy and potent enemies as these are shaking terribly the earth the dread of this glorious Majesty is such as puts all the Inhabitants of this professing world to the run they run into the holes of the rock and into the caves of the earth they then throw away their Idols of gold and their Idols of silver to the moles and to the batt's though their Whorish and adulterous hearts run out so strongly to them before yet then let who vvil take them that they may run the lighter into the clefts of the Rock and to the tops of the ragged rocks and poor Jacob he is put to the run too he enter into his rock the rock of Ages into those secret Chambers the Lord hath provided for him to lye hid in and all for dread and fear of the glorious Majesty of the Lord of hosts at this day and such glory wil be manifested at this day that those that are left to praise the Lord shal wholly cease from man all men all of man the best of men the holiest of men even the holy Inhabitant of Syon
dross and her wine mixt with water altogether defiled then wil God avenge himself of his adversaries the leaders of this loathsom apostacy and turn his hand upon professing Zion bringing her back again to himself restore her to her former glory that She shal again be called the City of Righteousness the faithful City and the wicked the transgressors and sinners together shal be burned with such a burning as none shal be able to quench then in these last dayes shal the mountain of the Lords house be established in the top of the mountains and shal be exalted above the hils and all Nations shal flow unto it and to confirm our faith and to keep out unbelief that we might not stagger at the promise in the remainder of this 2d Chapter with the 3d. and 4th Chap. the Prophet treats more largely and particularly of some of the same thing he had spoken of before in the general telling us the meanes by which the Lord would bring those things to pass doing such wonders in Zion mentioned in the latter part of the 2d Chapter and that by such a way and course as he sets down in the 3d. Chapter bringing forth such blessed effects as are held forth in the 4th Chap. that indeed the inhabitants of Zion shal be enabled to burn up the wicked both root and branch and then the mountain of the Lords house shal come to be exalted above the hils and established in the top of the Mountains so that all Nations shal flow unto it 4 Because I find that the glory of the 4th Chap. which is brought in as the proper effect and product of what was done in the 2d and 3d Chapt cannot in any wise be meant of the glory of the mountain of the Lords house but of some state of the house of God before it attains to its mountain-glory and my reasons for this apprehension are 1 Because the Prophet speaks of such a state of Zion as the glory whereof stands in need of a DEFENCE p Ch. 4 5. upon all the glory shall be a defence now when Syon the Lords house comes to be a mountain established above in the top of all other mountains it wil be so far above the reach of all its enemies that it wil not stand in need of a defencé from their rage and violence but this is such a state as must have a defence upon its glory least it should be ruined and spoiled by its enemies 2. Because this state stands in need of q Verse 6 a shadow from the heat and a place of refuge and a covert from the storm and from the rain by which metaphors of heat storme and raine I understand the violent rage of the enemies thereof and that stout powerful op position they wil make against it I am confirmed in the truth of this interpretation by Isaiahs 25 chap where is recorded a song that shal be the Churches tune after the Lord hath wrought some of his wonders by Zion thus refined and defended by an al nighty creating power then wil she sing forth praises to her Lord after the tenour of that heavenly excelling song wherein he expresses first her thankfulness for wonderful things already done acknowledging and admiring the truth and faithfulness of God vowing and engaging to exalt the Lord and praise his name in the 4 first Verses Secondly her sted ast faith believing without hefitation those great and glorious things the Lord hath said he wil yet do for and by his Syon in the rest of the Chap and amongst the wonderful things the Lord doth to cause his Syon thus to break forth into praises there is r Ch. 25.2 The making a City a hoap and a defenced City a ruine annihilating the Palace of strangers so as it shal never be builte again managing this great work in so glorious a way that it causes thes City of the terrible ones to fear Verse 3. now if we observe the meanes by which the Lord work these wonders we shal find it to be the same defence mentioned in the 4th Chapter t Verse 4 For thou hast been a strength to the poor a strength to the needy in his disiress a refuge from the storm a shaddow from the heat when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall the Prophet clearly makes good the interpretion given bringing in the storm and the heat as the effects of the blast of the terrible ones all which are gain managing this great work in so glorious a way that it in consistant with the glory of the mountain state Ob. If any should object That the Prophet seems to have reference to the mountain state for he cals it a mountain several times in this 25 Chapter Ans To that I answer first that it cannot be supposed by anything in this Chapeer that the Prophet points at the glory of the mountain of the Lords house when it shal be established in the top of the mountains that state I alwaies mean by the mountain state for that is a peaceful state of glory wherein u Chap. 2.4 Micha 4.3 Swords shal be beaten into Plowshares and spears into pruning hooks but throughout the Chapter the Prophet hath relation to that state of Syon wherein x Joel 3.10 Plowshares shall be be aten into swords and pruning books into spears wherein Zion is the Lords y Jer. 51.20 Battel-ax and weapon of was to break in pieces many Nations his threshing-instrument z Isai 41.5 Threshing the mountains and bring down the mise of the strangers bringing low the branch of the terrible ones and treading down a Ch. 25.10 12 Moab the enemies of the Lord as straw sor the dunghil laying low bringing down to the ground even to the dust the fortress of the high forts of the wals 2 To me the Prophet by his calling Syon a mountain signifies thus much That after the Lord hath by this purged refined defended Zion brought down that great and notable City then shal Zion begin to be a mountain begin to grow up into a mountain having by this time smitten the great Image so notably as to bring down the defenced City the Palace of strangers then shal her glory be such as shal strike fear into and she shal be able to cope with the City of the terrible ones and this mountain shal in due time be established in the top of the mountains Would any know who this defenced City this Palace of strangers is I conceive it to be the same with that lofty City mentioned in the 5th Verse of the next Chapter which shal be brought down and laid low by the foot even the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy which city I conceive to be Babilon that lofty City that fits as Queen and Emperess of the world for to whom can this character be more properly applyed than to that great and lofty
When I have brought you to cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils by letting you see through the glass of experience that he is not at all to be accounted of when you can cease vvholly from man that you care for and look at no man any otherwise than in me and trust to and rely upon me alone 6 and lastly THEN when you know the way to exalt me alone to give all the honour and the glory of the vvonders I bring to pass in the world to me vvithout any competitor though of the best of men for I wil be exalted alone in that day THEN shal ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not and the day shal come wherein you shall be delivered out of the hands of your enemies and you shal tread them as ashes under your feet and burn them up leaving them neither root nor branch and in your going forth in the performance of this vvork ye shal grow up as Calves of the stall be ful fed with the love and fulness of your Lord and Saviour HAving opened the words and supposing it in sufficiently evident that the interpretation given is according to truth let us with a truly religious sericusness observe the lessons the Holy Ghost would teach us from them 1 That the time of the Lords arising to work DELIVERANCE for his people is a dark day yea a black midnight of apostacy then wil the Lord come to his Zion as a Refiner to purifie it vvhen the professing vvorld are running back again even to Babilon then and there shal deliverance be vvrought for the true seed Mic 4.10 Thou shalt go even to Babilon there shalt thou be delivered there the Lord shal redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies this is the state and condition of Sion immediatly before the time vvhen the Lord wil make her horns iron and her hoofes brass wherein she shal thresh and beat in peices many people consecrating their gain unto the Lord. In the e Mat. 29 midnight of the Virgins sleep shal the cry be heard the Bridegroom the King the Lord of hosts is coming when professing Zion comes into a Laodicean Church-state Rev. 3.20 then the coming of our Lord is at hand he is f at the door The apostacy here is so universal and so gross notwithstanding all their curious coverings to hide it from the eyes of men yet the Lord sees it that the Magistracy the Rulers are Rulers of g Isaiah 1.10 Sodom h Mal. 3.15 proud workers of Wickedness the Princes are i Isaiah 1.23 rebellious and companions of Theeves every one loveth gifts and followeth after reward they judge not the Fatherless neither doth the cause of the Widdow come unto them the Ministry the Priests k Mark 2.8 depart out of the way of the Lord corrupt the Covevenant of Levi to the causing many to stumble at the law the Worship and commands of God become l Verse 9 contemptible and base before all the people because of their straying from the wayes of God by an irreligious partiality in the law or accepting of Faces as the margent of some Bibles hath it making the Law by their uncouth forced and private interpretations to seem to countenance the designe of those whose designs are not suitable to the design of God but are against the Lord and guilty of so much hypocritical unrighteousness to the provoking the eyes of his glory that he wil not forgive them seeking their own interest not the interest and honour of him whom they profess to be their Lord and master Jesus Christ and the multitude of this professing people grow up prophanely wicked snuffing m Mal. 1 13 at the Ordinances of the Lord as at a wearisom burden behold what a weariness is it the true Worship of God true Religion becomes a weariuess to these outside professors who n Isai 1.11 13 14. fil the Lord with the multitude of their sacrifices and weary him with their new Moons and their appointed Feasts their Sabboths and calling of Assemblies with their Fasts they o Mal. 1.14 polute the Altar of the Lord the Worship of God with their blinde and sick and torn and lame and corrupt performances their cursed deceit yea they are Idolaters in the sight of God p Isai 2.9 the mean man boweth down and the great man humbleth himself to their Idols that they are become to God as q Mal. 3.5 Sorcerers an adulterous Generation in this sad day of apostacy wil the Lord come to his Sion as a refiner and purifier of silver and as Fullers sope now wil the day of the Lord of hosts come upon professing Zion and lay all low before him teaching them by a smart and dreadful dispensation the way to exalt the Lord alone in this day wil the Lord come as a swift Witness against and avenge himself on his adversaries in Zion those vvho are profest friends members of professing Zion but in deed and in truth are his real enemies enemies to the righteous and holy designs of God and deliver his remnant and pick out his Jewels from amongst the professing rubbish of defiled Zton 2 That notwithstanding the gross wickedness of this day yet Sathan transforms himself into an Angel of light clothing his Children and followers in his best livery they have notable coverings to hide it whereby they deceive the multitude of the professing world and themselves to boot so that they dare not only assert their innocency in putting the Prophet to prove his charge against them but when the Prophet preaches to them the long-sufferance and tenderness of the heart of God towards them the grace and love of God in that promise r Mal. 3.7 Return unto me and I wil return unto you saith the Lord of hosts they scorning to acknowledge their guilt throw it back in his face with a wherein shal we return impudently asserting their righteousness to be such as they know not nor none can tel them wherein they should return and do better 3 That the leaders of this apostacy that cause the people to err notwithstanding their curious outside coverings of religious performances and good aims and ends for the good of the Church people and glory of God wil be the subject of the sore displeasure and wrath of the Lord of hosts the Lord wil be a s Verse 5. swift Witness against them and come neer to them to Judgement t Heb. 6.4 5 6 If those who were once inlightned and have tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come fall away it is impossible to renew them again to repentance at the hand of this hypocritical oppressing and persecuting Generation wil God require the blood of his Prophets and Witnesses that hath been shed u Isai 1 24. Ah saith the Lord I will ease me of
these mine adversaries and avenge me of these mine enemies 4 That the church-Church-state of professing Sion their outward holiness with all their Sacrifices and performances the Temple of the Lord shal not nor cannot save them from the smart and burden of the heavy hand of an angry God the day of the Lord of hosts wil come upon them he wil be as a refiners fine and as Fullers sope to them he wil fan them til he hath throughly purged his floore x Isaiah 27.9 by this therefore by the smitings of God as the former Verse hath it shal the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin 5 That notwithstanding this universal backsliding and apostacy in professing Zion yet the Lord hath a remnant left that fear him that stand up for his name and honour bearing their testimony against the provoking evils and wickednesses of the Times Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and thought upon his name 6 That this provoking professing world are beholden to this dispised remnant for the long sufferance of God towards them and the mercies they receive at the hand of the Lord y Isai 1.9 Except the Lord of hosts had left us a very smal remnant we should have been as Sodom and we should have been like unto Gomorrah they are the salt that season this earth and keep it from a total purifying annihilation into its first nothing it is they and they only that lengthen out the patience of God towards the backsliding professing world and keep it from being made an example of the severity of God to future Ages and as a necessary and natural consequent of this 7 We may observe The excessive giddines and folly of the great and wise men of this sick dying world who will not endure the application of the soveraign Remedies these wholsome though tormenting Physitians present unto them but look upon them deal with them as enemies endeavouring their destruction what though they handle roughly and feel hard that they prove a real torment to you that man that wil not indure his wounds searching wil never attain the cure it is not their want of care and tenderness but your corruption and rottenness that causes the paine the sound limb or joynt shrinks not at the searching hand but the rotten that is ful of corrupt putrifaction that cannot abide nor indure the willing hand of the skilful Chirurgeon to dive to the bottom of the distemper in order to a safe and speedy cure notwithstanding all the disguising Vizards you represent them their waies and ends to the world in it wil be found at last in the Lords own time which is best of all that the interest of your safety and happiness is wrapt up in hearkning and attending to the Voice of God in their mouth but if you wil not hear but set your selves against them know there is no middle way that z Psalm 8.2 out of the mouths of Babes and sucklings the Lord hath ordained strength to stil the enemy and the avenger 8 That before the Lord wil execute his Judgements in wrath upon the prophane antichristian world he enters into Judgement with professing Zion a 1 Pet. 4.17 for the time is come that Judgement must begin at the house of God the Lord wil purge and purifie Zion make up his Jewels from amidst all the dross and tin and then wil he make Zion a fit instrument to perform his great works in and upon the world in that day of his wrath that shal burn as an Oven if it first begin at us what shal the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God and if the righteous scarce be saved where shal the ungodly and the sinner appear in that day they shal burn up the wicked leaving them neither root for brach treading them down as ashes under their feet 9 That this professing Zion thus defiled by her backslidings and Apostacies and being lifted up upon its own bottom exalting themselves when they should exalt the Lord alone is become the subject of the anger and displeasure of God the scene on which the Lord will act the sad Tragedy of his Jealousie when once the Inhabitants of Zion become Mountains and hils and tall Cedars listed up and Oaks of Bashan high Towers and fenced wals c. come into a strain of self-exaltation self-confidence and self-interest then do they so provoke the eyes of Gods glory that he wil bear no longer but enter into Judgement with them The Lord is a jealous God and b Isai 41.8 he wil not give his glory to another he wil not suffer any to go away with his honour and glory he is so jealous of his honour least it should suffer detraction by the lofty assumptions of this foolish professing Zion that he fals foul with all her high mountains and hils tal Cedars and Oaks of Bashan high Towers and fenced wals and vvith all her ships and pleasant pictures he looks upon them all as Idols which he wil utterly abolish that the Lord alone may be exalted in that day 10 That this coming of Christ the Messenger of the Covenant to his Syon I do conceive is not in person but in Spirit though that personal appearance wil take place in due time also washing and purging his Zion by the spirit of Judgment and the spirit of burning he shal sit upon Zion as a Refiner and purifier of silver by a notable trying refining dispensation purely purge away their dross and take away all their tin purifying them as gold and silver that they may offer up to the Lord an Offering in righteousness 11 That the Lord wil manage his great work of Judgement in Zion avenge himself on his enemies there and search try cleanse purifie and throughly cure those that halt in Zion in such a way and manner as he himself wil have the sole honour and glory of that action be alone exalted in that day he wil manifest such exceeding Majesty and glory in the vvay of his Judgements at this day that wil staine and put out all other glories professing Zion vaunts it self of so that she shal hide her self in shame for fear of the glory of the Majesty of the Lord vvhen he ariseth to shake terribly the earth yea the very remnant of God to vvhom his heart is so entirely engaged shal taste a little of this cup of shame too sheltering themselves under the freeness and riches of the promise the sparing love of their tender Father though now happily some Children may be in love vvith themselves their light and parts gifts and graces being too too apt to think themselves something yet then God knows the roaring vvind among the Cedar boughs the bloody Furrows the rod makes upon the backs of their Brethren with its shaking over their own heads letting them know upon vvhat account or score it is they scape
shal she be clothed with all the the defence promised and not til then the promise is to a washed and purified State not to a State defiled with filth tho of Zion not poluted with blood though of Jerusalem that which is most like true holiness and purity and is not that vvhich the Lord wil defend is nothing but glory the Image and impress of himself upon all the glory shal be a defence nothing beneath the glory of Zion thus vvashed and purified by a spirit of Judgment and a spirit of burning wil the Lord defend at this rate and after this manner but Syon clothed upon with the glory of her Bridegroom and Lord e Cant. 9 5 Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness leaning upon her beloved shal be defended by a continual assistance of the creating power of God so that they shal not be tempted by any necessities whatsoever to make use of the same unrighteous politick wayes and courses the Rulers of the world have hitherto made use of to defend themselves they shal not make use of the worlds unrighteousnes to fence and guard their righteousness from the rape and spoils of their enemies but there shal a creating power such an extraordinary providence at tend them bringing down their enemiesunder their feet upon all occasions at all times that the Lord shal be so eminently seen in those wonderful occurrences of his providence and power that he shal have the praise and the glory of all Glory to God in the highest wil then be the burden of the song at that day 20 Vntil the Lord hath purged and purified Zion he wil not defend it against the rage and injuries of her enemies when the Lord shal have washed away the filth of the daughter of Zion and purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof then and not before wil he create upon all its glory such a defence as shal be a shadow from the heat a refuge from the storm and a covert from the rain such as shal be sufficient for all times and seasons night and day 21 When Syon is thus purged and purified become Gods holy hil of Zion a holy generation such a stamp of holiness set upon them that they shal be CALLED HOLY then will the Lord make use of her in his glorious work in the way of his Judgements upon the prophane antichristian and hypocritical world then wil they know how and be fit to burn up the wicked treading them as ashes under their feet But 22 Before that day comes that shal burn as an Oven wherein the stone shal smite the great Image and break it in peices the Lord will bring his remnant and his Jewels into one entire body and poure down his Spirit upon them a spirit of discerning such a degree of the Spirit as shal sufficiently qualifie and fit them for his work and service saith the Lord when I have made up my Jewels then shal ye all return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not for the day then cometh that shal burn as an Oven and all the proud and all that do wickedly shal be stubble and the day that cometh shal burn them up saith the Lord of hosts that it shal leave them neither root nor branch 23 Observe the work of the remnant at this day of apostacy and falling away it consists of two parts 1 Bearing their testimony against the apostacies and evils of the times they spake often one to another if Jerusalem loose the kindness of her youth and the love of her Espousals Jeremy must be f Jer. 1.18 a defenced City and an iron pillar and brasen walls against the whole Land against the Kings of Judah and the Princes thereof against the Priests thereof and against the people of the Land If the house of Israel turn aside from God grow impudent and hard hearted stopping their ears against the word of the Lord Ezekiel must have g Ezek. 3.8 9 a strong face against their faces and a strong forehead harder than an adamant against their foreheads if the house of Jacob get into an hypocritical strain of outward holiness would make the world believe they keep a fast a day unto the Lord when they indeed fast to smite with the fist of wickednes and would cover their fulfilling the wil of their lusts under a cloak of doing God service Isaiah must h Isai 58.1 cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a Trumpet and shew my people their transsions and the house of Jacob their sins in the performance of which service i Jer. 1.17 they must not be afraid lest they be confounded Qu If any should ask what those evils are that they that fear the Lord should bear their testimony against Ans The Prophet makes answer to this question by his significant THEN in the 16 Verse of his Third Chapter THEN they that feared the Lord spake often one to another then when they heard and saw things at that pass the Prophet had spoken of before they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and it doth not only point out the time when they spake but I conceive it also signifies to us the things against which they spake for the Prophets then hath relation and alludes to all the enormities and evils of the Times enumerated before and they are of a double nature matters of Religion and matters of a civil concernment 1 Of Religious matters And 1 If they behold men in professing Syon denying God k Mal. 1.6 that honour and that fear due unto him despising his great name robbing the Lord of those dues they ought to render to him then are they that fear the Lord to be sensible of the dishonour that comes to the name of God thereby and speak against that evil 2 If they behold Inhabitants of professing Syon a people that are l Isai 1. from the 2. verse to the 14 rebebellious children a sinful Nation laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers corrupters that have forsaken the Lord and gone away backward having their hands ful of blood mens hands may be filled with blood divers wayes that they are become to the Lord as Rulers of Sodom and people of Gomorrah provoking the holy one of Israel unto anger when they see this people in hypocrisie filling the Lord with a multitude of sacrifices and Offerings Oblations New Moons and oppointed feasts cloaking over their apostatising wickednesses with many religious performances to cozen their consciences and the professing world then ought they that fear the Lord to be sensible of the great dishonour the name of God suffers by this abomination and speak against that evil also 3 When they see men in professing Syon m Mal. 2.8 depart out of the way of the Lord apostatise causing many to stumble fal taking such offence at the Law the wayes of
again though you may be saved because of the grace and love of your father which is unchangeable yet it will be as by fire and the dreadfulnesse of that dispensation is such as deliverance from it is worth a world of Gems Look back upon the dread and terrour of the day of the Lord of hosts and if you believe the word of the Lord you will be of my opinion in this matter 2. That all that pelf drosse and dung this worlds good which now blindes your eyes and stops your mouths that you cannot stand up for the dishonoured name and interest of your Lord and Saviour at this day will stand you in no stead in the day of the Lord that will come upon Syon you will then be forced to throw away all those foolish Idols of gold and silver with which you now commit folly 3. That your sacrifices and offerings your worship and religious performances at this day are hatefull to the Lord as very dung unto him i Mal. 2.3 The dung of your solemne feasts they are a trouble to him and he is weary to bare them because of that hypocritical Apostatising guilt that cleaves to them Think on that word of the Lord k Is 66.3 He that killeth an Oxe is as if he slew a man he that sacrificeth a Lambe as if he cut of a Dogs neck he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines blood he that burneth incense as if he blessed an Idoll Here are glorious outward performances but behold how abominable and loathsome your offerings are to the great Jehovah What 's the matter Why it s the offering of an hypocriticall spirit * The sense of the Prophet in this 5. verse prove this That oppresse and persecute those that tremble at the word of the Lord yet can tell how to cloak their doings over with aims at the glory of God crying out Let the Lord be glorified but the Lord shall appear to their joy and you shall be ashamed Again * Amos 5.22 23 I hate I dispise your feast dayes and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies though yee offer me burnt-offerings and your meat-offering I will not accept them neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs for I will not hear the melody of thy Viols Who are these whose worship and service is thus rejected by the Lord verse 18. they are such as in a high profession desire the day of the Lord Why what 's the matter the guilt of an hypocriticall Apostacy cleaves to them notwithstanding all their glorious outward performances and their large professions yet they want those more weighty things as is implyed in the 24 v. Judgment and righteousnesse chap 4.1 they oppresse the poore and crush the needy Your silent by standing makes you abettors and guilty Heare what our Lord himself saith p Mat. 12 30. He that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me seattereth abroad your Lord admits of no moderate indifferent medium of spirit in this matter your sacrifices are not offered up in righteousnesse therefore are they not pleasant unto the Lord And because of this he will cast you into a Furnace that you may learn to offer up an offering in righteousnesse that your offerings may be pleasant unto him as in the daies of old as in aneient years So that 4. The best and purest standing any of you can brag of under this Apostacy will not abide the trial but the day that cometh will throw you off your ground the Earth quake shall rend it up that it shall not be found Who shall be able to stand in that day None no not one and if it be so what will become of those oppressing stations many who I hope have grate in their hearts run their feet into out of too much love to gold and silver the Idols of the age 5. As a natural consequent of the rest behold your exceeding folly that for love of your ceiled houses the convenient accommodations of this life you forsake the interest of the name and honour of your Lord and connive at and cleave to the evils and apostacies of this your day and time Have you not left and forsaken your discipleship Our Lord saith that except a man take up his crosse and follow him he cannot be his disciple every disciple of Christ carries his crosse at his back now where is your crosse have you not lost it in your too eagen pursuit after the profits and pleasures of this present evil world and what will this unchilde-like carriage of yours cost you the refiners fire and fullers sope will be your portion God will call thy terrors about thee as in a solemne day that in the day of the Lords angen none may escape terrors by reason the sword shall come upon thee Lam. 2.22 compared with Ezek. 21.12 Quest If it should be askt wherein our times are thus guilty of back-sliding and Apostacy as in charged upon them Answ Look upon our dayes through the glasse of these Prophecies of Malachy and Isaiah with the interpretation given which I am perswaded will be found according to truth and you will behold them of the same countenance and colour those times were of Isaiah pointed at and in which the Prophet Malachy gave forth his Prophecy differing in nothing but in many aggravating circumstances Obj. But perhaps some may object you hint to us that the state of the Jewish Church was a type and representation of professing Zion in England and truly you seem to me to put a restriction upon the text which it will not boor For put the case the paralel be true that that time of Apostacy in the Jewish Church Malachy Prophecied in was a type and representation of the state of this Professing Gospel-Church imediately before our Lords coming why may it not as well have relation to any other part or to the whole professing-Gospel-Church as to that part of the professing Gospel-Church in England and as that was the state of the Jewish Church imediately before our Lords first coming in the flesh so may it not rather be a tipe of the state of the Professing-Gospell-Church imediately before our Lords coming again in person Answ I conceive a due weighing what hath been already said would sufficiently answer all objections but for their sakes who have not the patience to take that paines I shall offer some further satisfaction This Objection consists of several parts and requires a distinct Answer to each 1. I conceive that this cannot have relation to the time imediately before our Lords coming againe but must relate to the time wherein it hath been already fixed 1. Because I finde the Prophet speaks not of the personal comming of Christ the second time but of a dispensation of the Lord wherein he will be as Fullers sope and as a refiner and purifier of
comes to vindicate his name and honour in jealousie and wrath Judging of her And that it was the state of the Jewish Church in which our Lord found them at his first coming in the flesh hath been cleared up already and therein she was a Type and representation of the professing Gospel-Church in the last dayes Lastly That it is the state and condition of the professing Gospel Church when Judgement shall begin at the house of God he will visit her with a SPIRIT of Judgement and a spirit of burning be as a Refiners fire and as Fullers sope to her Matthew and Luke tel us plainly As it was in the dayes of Noah so shal it be also in the dayes of the Son of man and Luke illustrates it by the condition of Sodom g Luke 17.26 28 30. They did eat they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded even thus shal it be in the dayes when the Son of man is revealed so that upon the credit of the word of two Evangelists we may believe it for a truth that the professing worlds being in this state and condition is a clear sign of the Lords being at hand to deliver his remnant and destroy his enemies But wil you have the testimony of a third Apostle John the Spirit of the Lord by him in his Epistle to the seven Churches in Asia bears witness to this truth that when the professing Gospel-Church fals into a refined hypocritical apostacy after reformation then the Lord stands at the door and knocks he stayes no longer but comes to Judgement for the proof of this let us a little consider these seven Churches of Asia They were Tipes and representations of the various state and condition of the Church of Christ from the falling away the Apostle writes of in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians by which the man of sin got up to his seat and power until the coming of the Lord to his Syon for some things written especially to the Churches in Philadelphia and Laodicea cannot be restrained to literal Philadelphia and literal Laodicea but must of necessity be granted to refer to some other time and persons tiped out by them further behold the order the Holy Ghost observes in his writing be begins with an apostacy with Ephesus who had fallen from her first works and closes with an apostacy with Laodicea that had fallen into a notable hypocritical strain boasting of her own gifts and excellencies saying I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing If we observe the Church of Sardis we shall there see what a low ebb the Church of Christ was once brought unto Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to dye there were but a few names which had not defiled their garments but at the next remove the Spirit of the Lord works such a glorious reformation in the Church that she seems as if she were perfect before the Lord he finds no fault at all with her but commends her after a high rate this is represented to us by Philadelphia now the coming of our Lord draws neer it is not far off Behold I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast after this Satan that cunning and implacable enemy to the Saints happiness brings his Laodicean temper upon the stage the professing Gospel-Church fals from so glorious a reformation wrought by the Philadelphians into a luke warm hypocritical apostacy by this time our Lord is at the door and ready to enter in and behold the hypocrisie of this apostacy although she be fallen from the glory of noble Philadelphia into the loathsome condition of luke warm Laodicea wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked yet she saith I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing now our Lord stands at the door and knocks gives notice that he is coming and wil not tarry Thus my Brethren you have a manifold testimony to the truth of the assertion that an hypocritical apostacy after reformation in the professing Gospel-Church is an unquestionable evidence That deliverance to the true seed and destruction to the enemy is at hand the Lord wil stay no longer but wil come and wil not tarry for his own Names sake if God would not spare the old world nor his chosen people Israel To whom pertaineth the Adoption and the glory and the promises when they came into this temper and frame what ground hath any man to think that this present evil world being come into the same State shal find more favour at the hand of the jealous God than those of old did The blood of all the Prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world Luke 11.50 shal be required of this Generation saith our Lord what Generation is that an hypocritical Pharisaical Generation So that it remains for a certain truth that judgement is at the door of this Generation and deliverance is coming from Heaven to the faithful that keep their garments pure and they shal walk with their Lord in white for they are worthy 2 Be instructed in the design of the Lord at this day upon you and the rest of your Brethren with whom you are contending for the name and honour of your Lord it is to bring you into cloth you with the glory of the day of your Espousals that it may be with you as it was in antient years in the beginning what glory is that the glory of the Apostles and Saints when they received the promise of the Father when the Spirit of the Lord came with power upon them working in them according to the might of his power the glory of this day is inexpressible neither is it my work at this time to dilate upon it but I chuse rather to leave it to your own meditations to represent it to your view by chewing the cudd in the consideration of it as it is set forth in the holy Writings of the Apostles when you have attained to this glory then wil you be defended by the creating power of God and power from on high wil be given you to tarry on that great work of God in the world to the glory and praise of your Lord your hearts are now so much fixed upon in which you so earnestly desire to be labouring Other very useful instructions might be added but I conceive it wil be more acceptable and vvork more kindly if your selves press that wholsom liquor out of this cluster therefore I forbear 2 In the second place give me leave to Exhort you to these things 1 Be not weary of nor undervalue your present work behold how acceptable how delightful it is to your Lord the Lord is alwaies among you hearing all your discourses with greatest delight the glory of it so ravishes his hear k Cant. 4 8 9 11. Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse thou hast