all for all or against all when and by whom he please for as his Wisdom is unsearchable so his Power it is unresistable though the Instrument he may use among wise strong rich and learned men may be mean and contemptible But ever since that I have been precious in the Eyes of the most great and glorious God I have been honourable therefore I have not coveted after Silver or Gold Houses or Lands Offices or great Places but I have laboured and coveted to get and to keep to prove and to improve Rich Graces that so my Fruit may be better than Gold and may do more good for the Honour and Renown of the Protestant Religion for the great Exaltation of His Majesty of Great Britain and the great Peace and Prosperity of many Kingdoms than an Army of Men or thousands or ten thousands of Gold or Silver has done I have no grace but what I have received so I have none to be proud of I have not received any but what I have laboured to improve so I have not any to be prodigal with the least grace which I have received from the God of all grace I do esteem it above all the Honours and Riches in the World because that true Grace it is abiding satisfying lasting and everlasting but for the Honours the Riches and Pleasures of this World they be short they be not abiding satisfying nor long-lasting therefore they that would have Grace which is Heavenly Treasure to thrive in their Soul they must value and esteem it above Silver and Gold To be made Partaker of the Divine Nature it is high Honour and great Favour The Righteous shall be glad in the Lord because they trust in him and all the upright in heart will glory Salvation comes not from the Mountains nor from the Hills not from wise strong rich and learned men but from the Lord who made the Earth and the Heavens and that when and by whom he will that all the Glory may redound to him for his right Hand and holy Arm hath the preheminence over all persons in all Nations Let them shout for joy and be glad that favour my Righteous Cause yea let them say continually Let the Lord be magnified which hath pleasure in the Prosperity of his Servants and my Tongue shall speak of his Righteousness and of his Praise all the day long for he hath done marvellous things All the Ends of the Earth that have not seen will see the Salvation of God He maketh Wars to cease unto the End of the Earth He breaketh the Bow and cutteth the Spear asunder and burneth the Chariots in the fire when he pleaseth and by whom he please in these days of the Gospel and in the Reign of our Royal Soveraign His Majesty of Great Britain They that trust to their Chariots and Horses will fail but they that trust in the Lord Jehovah in the use of Means and above Means will prevail There is a River the Streams thereof will make glad the City of God which is the Church of God throughout the whole World For one fair Flood doth send abroad such pleasant Streams apace to refresh the City of our God and to wash his Holy Place Is not the Mighty God in Sion Go walk about and go round about her tell the Towers thereof mark ye well her Bulwarks consider her Palaces that ye may tell it to the Generation following for God who is most wise and most strong is with her and is known in her Palaces for a Refuge She is Beautiful for Situation the Joy of the whole Earth is Mount Sion and the City of the great King The Kings of the Earth in these days of the Gospel and in the Raign of our Royal Soveraign His Majesty of Great Britain they will admire her Wisdom Power and Strength her Honours Riches and great Glory Shall Deliverance be at hand and the Church of England at a stand Shall there be a Well of Water near Hagar and she weep and be in distress Who hath heard such a thing who hath seen such things Shall the Earth be made to bring forth in one day Or shall a Nation be born at once For as soon as Sion travelled she brought forth before her pain came she was delivered of a Man-child Shall the Lord who is most Wise and most Strong bring to the Birth and not cause to bring forth or cause to bring forth and shut the Womb saith thy God No it will not be for in these days of the Gospel and in the Reign of our Royal Soveraign His Majesty of Great Britain the God of Heaven has many Sons and Daughters that are grown up and many to be brought up and more to be brought forth in the use of the Means of Grace which he has appointed and the Church of England has ordained but all the Children of the Most High that are brought up and grown up and to be brought forth all is to be in opposition to the Turk the Pope and the Devil and all the Workers of Evil which will tend very much for the Glory of the Great and Mighty God for the Credit of his holy Gospel for the great Honour and Renown of the Protestant Religion the great Joy and Triumph of the Church of England the great Exaltation of His Majesty of Great Britain and the great Peace and Prosperity of many Kingdoms O that the Sons and the Daughters of Men were wise for to make an Improvement of the Wisdom and Power of the God of Heaven which is better than Strength or Weapons of War or Silver or Gold As for the Wisdom that is in the World among unbelieving Jews bruitish Atheists wicked and bloody Papists and rebellious Dissentors and Sectaries it is foolishness and doth many times end in madness for where Envy Strife and Contention is it brings forth too often Sedition and Rebellion But the Wisdom that is from above it is pure and peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie but where Pride Envy Strife and Contention is there is Confusion and every evil Work Now a good man and a bad man will be known by their Fruits for of Thorns men do not gather Figs nor of a Bramble-bush gather they Grapes but every Tree will be known by his own Fruit. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good that which is suitable and seasonable prositable comfortable and advantageous to many Persons and Families in a City and in a Kingdom But an evil man who is a wicked man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil to the great hurt and undoing of too many Persons and Families in a City and in a Kingdom It is commendable for the Sons of Men the wisest the strongest the richest and the most learnedst among them for to have always their heart to be Inditing
make bare his Arm and to send forth his Light and Truth to shame and condemn all unbelieving Jews bruitish Athetsis wicked and bloody Papists and rebellious Dissontors and Sectaries that do style and undervalue his Word of Truth and will not believe in the God of Truth but do live too many of them as if there was no God that made them and that there is not any that can save them But as the Lord who is most Great and most Good is able and willing to save unto the utmost all that come unto him be their sins never so great and many so he will punish unto the uttermost all that will not come unto him in these days of the Gospel for salvation Understand O ye Heathen and ye â—…believing Jews and ye bruitish Atheists and ye â—…cked and blood-thirsty Papists and ye rebellioâ—â— Dissentors and Sectaries when will ye learn to be wise to fear love serve and to honour him and to know him who gives unto all men their being He that planted the ear shall he not hear he that formed the eye shall he not see us He knows that all things that are wrought in secret will be made known in publick for Light will discover Darkness and the Lord that made man doth not only know all mens hearts but all their thoughts what they tend to and what will be the end of them The way of the wicked is as darkness they know not at what they stumble but the way of the Lord is strength to the upright because he makes him his hopâ— his trust his joy and delight Let not any in these Gospel-days question whether there be a God that made the Heavens the Earth and the Sea and all things that in them be because that he gives life and breath and being unto all the Sons of Men and takes it away when he please from any of them the Lord will be known throughout the whole World to be God by his Judgment upon the Wicked who are his Rod for to punish his Children that walk contrary unto him He that chastiseth the Heathen shall not he correct Yes he will correct them whom he loves most that they may serve him best God had only one Son without sin but not any without suffering our Saviour did learn obedience in the things he suffered not as he was God there could be no obedience desired or required of him but as he was man in taking upon him our Nature he learned Obedience for he took upon him the form of a servant and made himself of no reputation for to bring the Sons and the Daughters of Men that do believe in him to great honour and exaltation Our Nature it was his great humiliation that the Son of God should become the Son of Man it is the highest mystery and the greatest humility But why was this done That so the Sons of Men might become the Sons of God and Children of the Most High And if children heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Christ Which priviledge it is so high that though the Angels in Heaven do continually admire it they will never enjoy it for our Saviour did not take upon him the Nature of Angels but the Seed of Abraham For God so loved the world that he gave his onely beloved Son that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life To this end he obeyed his Fathers will and for his love to the Sons of Men he humbled himself to advance them he became poor to make them rich he under-went his Fathers Frowns that they might enjoy his Smiles he became a Curse that they might enjoy the Blessing he did wear the Crown of Thorns that they might wear the Crown of Glory he died a shameful and a painful death that they might enjoy a happy and a blessed Life And has he done so much for the Sons of Men let not any of them think any thing too much to do for him but let them all be willing to be any thing to be nothing so he may be all Let him rule in them and over them who can best counsel and comfort and strengthen them honour protect and reward them The Angels in Heaven rejoyce and praise God for his love to the Sons of Men in finding out a Ransom for them but the fallen Angels have not any to pity them but they be reserved in Chains of Darkness to the Judgment of the Great day And then all must give Account what they have done in this World whether it be good or evil The good Angels rejoyce and proclaim Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace good will towards men But no Worship or Adoration is due to them much less to pray to Saints Deceased We are to praise God for the benefit and the comfort we have from Angels and good Men and from any of his Creatures Let all the Sons and the Daughters of Men therefore praise the Lord Day by Day for Right-hand Mercies for Left-hand for Temporal Spiritual and Eternal But above all for Jesus Christ the Foundation and the Fountain of them all Let them praise him every Day for their Creation in due time for their Redemption in the fulness of time and their Preservation time after time Let them praise him for the Means of Vocation Justification Sanctification and for hopes of Glorification In these Days of the Gospel and in the Reign of our Royal Sovereign too many that have made Separation from the Church of England have proved wandring Stars and then blazing Stars and at last falling Stars How has many of them boasted of Church Priviledges of Gospel Ordinances of strong Assurance and of great Revelation and of a sudden like a Morning-cloud have vanished away and come to nothing But the path of the Just is as the shining-light that shineth more and more unto the perfect Day The Church of England has her fixed and real Stars which unbelieving Jews bruitish Atheists wicked and bloody Papists and rebellious Dissentors and Sectaries and know not well where they are nor who they are but they are known to the Most High and from him they will give the greatest and the clearest Light in the darkest Night of trouble and affliction that doth befall many Persons and many Nations Husbandmen love to see and to enjoy Fruitful Fields Fruitful Vineyards and Fruitful Gardens And the God of Heaven loves that they that know him and do own him should be Fruitful in Good Works for herein is he much glorified that the Sons and the Daughters of Men should bring forth much Fruit such Fruit as is suitable and seasonable profitable and comfortable in their Generation for the great honour of God the King and Nation As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so be they that be Fruitful among the Sons of Men They may be black with Reproaches cast upon them but they be comely with good Graces wrought in them Every true Member of Christ
From the time that it goeth forth it shall take them for morning by morning will it pass over by day and by night And it will be a vexation unto the Workers of Iniquity the Enemies of the Protestant Religion and of the Church of England only to understand the Report thereof Let not any be Mockers and Scoffers and say Where is the Promise of his coming least their Bands be made strong for behold the Lord who is most wise and most strong most gracious and most glorious who has been for a long time much provoked being slighted and undervalued by unbelieving Jews bruitish Atheists wicked bloody and deceitful Papists and rebellious Dissentors and Sectaries He cometh out of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the Earth for their Iniquity for though the Lord who is most great has his Throne in the highest Heavens yet when he pleases for his peoples ease he can come into the lowest heart for to make the Enemies of his Gospel throughout the whole World to smart therefore Fear and the Pit and the Snare are upon thee O Inhabitant of the Earth It shall come to pass that he who sleeth from the noise of the Fear shall fall into the Pit and he that cometh out of the midst of the Pit shall be taken in the Snare when he ariseth to shake terribly the Earth Therefore let all that be wise of heart that would be secure enter into the Rock of Ages for safety let them humble themselves for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his most Excellent Majesty for the losty looks of men will be humbled and their haughtiness bowed down for the Lord thy God O Church of England will be exalted in the hearts of men for his wonderful works and great mercy towards them But they that have not made the Lord of Hosts in these days of the Gospel their strong Hold and City of Refuge what will they do in the Day of Visitation and in the Desolation which shall come from far To whom will they slee for help And where will they leave their Glory Who will in such a day as this is plead for Baal for Idol-worship Or who will undertake to uphold Babylon Babylon is fallen by Gods Decree who doth fore-see how all things will be The time is come that Babylon shall fall suddenly and all the graven Images of her Gods and the Idols will be utterly abolisht They that will plead for Baal let them be put to death if he be a God let him plead for himself What saith the Lord who is the true and the ever-living God who is to be feared and served by all people in all Nations Learn not the way of the Heathens and be not dismayed at the Signs of the Heavens for the Heathens are dismayed at them For the Customs of bruitish Atheists and foolish Papists is vain for one cutteth a Tree out of the Forest the work of the hands of the Workman with the Ax they deck it with Silver and with Gold they fasten it with Nails and with Hammers that it move not they are upright as the Palm-tree but speak not they must needs be born because they cannot go therefore let not any be afraid of them for they cannot do evil neither also is it in them to do good they have Mouths but they speak not Eyes have they but they see not they have Hands but they handlenot Feet have they but they walk not neither speak they through their Throat They that make them are like unto them so is every one that trusteth in them But let them that fear the true ever-living God trust in him and he will be their Help and their Shield he will encourage them in well-doing and reward them for well doing both in this World and in a better But the Workers of Iniquity and Seed of Evil Doers the Children of Disobedience are Confounded by their Graven Images for their Molten Image is Falshood and there is no Breath in them They are Vanity and the Work of Errours in the time of their Visitation they shall perish the Portion of Jacob is not like them for he is the Former of all things and Israel is the Rod of his Inheritance the Lord of Hosts is his Name The Lord of Hosts hath his Battel Axes and Weapons of War whereby he can when he pleases and with whom he pleases in the day of his Power break in Pieces the Nations and destroy Kingdoms break in Pieces the Horse and his Rider and the Chariot and his Rider The Lord has broke in Pieces both Man and Woman both Old and Young he has broke in Pieces both the Shepherd and his Flock the Husbandman and his Yoke of Oxen both Captains and Rulers the Lord has done it and will do it They that walk contrary unto him that will not Labour to Know him so as to Fear Love Serve and to Honour him he will walk contrary unto them so as to Wound them and Confound them Put your selves in Array against Babylon all you Wise Strong Rich and Learned Men that be Faithsul to the God of Heaven to his Annointed our Royal and Gracious Soveraign His Majesty of Great Britain to the Protestant Religion and to the Church of England Put your selves in Array against her round about all ye that bend the Bow or handle the Sword shout at her spare no Arrows for she hath sinned against the Lord thy God O Church of England who is most great and most good most gracious and most glorious Shout against her round about for it is the vengeance of the Lord who is most wise and most strong therefore take vengeance upon her As she hath done do unto her set ye up a Standard in the Land blow the Trumpet among the Nations prepare the Nations against her call together against her the Kingdoms appoint a Captain against her prepare against her the Nations with the Kings of the Medes the Captains thereof and all the Rulers thereof and all the Land of his dominion The Land shall tremble and sorrow for every purpose of the Lord thy God O Church of England will be performed against Babylon to make the Land of Babylon a Desolation without an Inhabitant In these days of the Gospel many will see it and be glad and rejoyce the mighty men of Babylon will forbear to sight because it is the vengeance of the Lord the vengeance of his Temple Babylon which is the Church of Rome hath been a golden Cup that has made all the Earth drunken the Nations have drunken of her Wine therefore the Nations are mad You that do truly fear and love the true God flee out of the midst of Babylon and deliver every man his Soul that they may not be cut off in her Iniquity for this is the time of the Lords vengeance who will render unto her a Recompence for her Judgment reacheth unto Heaven and is listed up even unto the Skies therefore
they that profess the Gospel of Peace by their Pride Envy and Hatred are ready to devour one another It doth provoke the God of Heaven to send great and heavy Judgments to Amaze Confound and Consume and Destroy one another Was there ever such a Plague and such a Fire as was in London 1665 and 1666 I hope it will never be forgot nor the Popish late Plot in 1678 against his Majesties Royal Person and to ruin many Thousands in the Nation but blessed and praised be the God of Heaven who doth daily watch over his Majesties Royal Person and the whole Nation Therefore let all that do profess the Gospel learn to live in Love and Peace to be of one Mind and to speak the same thing for this is the best way and the soonest way that the Name of God may be more and more known upon Earth and his saving Health among all Nations that so the People may praise him yea that all People may praise him with new obedience then will the Earth bring forth great Increases and among all Nations there will be a free Trade great Joy and a lasting Peace Let all them therefore that love the Lord be joyful in the Lord let them servet he Lord with gladness and come before his Presence with a Song for the Lord is a great God and a great King above all Gods The Sea is his and he made it and his Hands prepared the dry Land Therefore let all People in all Nations worship and fall down before the Presence of this great Lord Maker and Possessor of Heaven and Earth and kneel before him for he is the Lord our God and we are the People of his Pasture Therefore let us go into his Gates with Thanksgiving and into his Courts with Praise Let all People in all Nations be thankful unto him and speak good of his Name for the Lord is gracious his Mercy is everlasting and his Truth endureth from Generation to Generation Therefore let all the Sons and Daughters of Men praise his great and glorious Name from the rising of the Son to the going down of the same Let every thing that hath Breath praise the Lord for his Greatness and Goodness for his Name is most excellent and his Glory is above the Heavens As this great and mighty God stirr'd me up in time to make known his Mind to prevent much Ruin to Mankind that so among all Nations there may be a general Reformation then let all Dissentors and Sectaries readily and willingly conform and reform to the Government of the Church of England which will encourage many Atheists Papists Jews Turks and Infidels to be in love with the Protestant Religion as it is establisht in the Church of England A Friend loveth at all times and a Brother is born for Adversity and the Wounds of a Friend are better than the Kisses of an Enemy God in Man and God with Man will bring about great and wonderful things not onely for the great Honour and Exaltation of a Kings Person but for the great Joy Peace and Prosperity of many Nations and that without making of many Words or having the Voice much heard Pleasant words they be as a Honey-comb sweet to the Soul and health to the Bones And as Ointment and Perfume doth rejoyce the Heart so doth the Sweetness of a Mans Friend by hearty Counsel in these days of the Gospel and in the Reign of our Royal Sovereign his Majesty of Great Pritain All unbelieving Jews bruirish Athiests wicked and bloody Papists and rebellious Dissentors and Sectaries will be ashamed and confounded that have not improved their time to know and to understand the great Mystery of Godliness God manifest in the Flesh who was justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World by many both Jews and Gentiles and is received up into Glory and there is preparing a place for them that do believe in him and appear for him but he will pour contempt upon all them that will not know and obey him who is the Lord of Life the King of Glory the Prince of Peace the Captain of Mans Salvation the Son of Righteousness that can and will heal all their Diseases and pardon all their Sins that come unto him and well he may because he is the mighty God the everlasting Father the wonderful Counseller the Lord of Hosts who is strong and mighty in Battle that can readily and easily by weak and unlikely means confound and consume the Enemies of his Gospel that do slight and undervalue him be they never so many be they never so great But he will not break a bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax till it bring forth Judgement unto Victory It is not a thing of indifferency but it is of absolute necessity for the Sons and the Daughters of Men the Wisest the Strongest the Richest and the Learned'st and Poorest among them for to believe in the Son of God for whosoever believeth in him whether they be Jew or Gentile hath everlasting Life begun in them but they that will not believe and obey him will not see Life but the Wrath of the ever living God abideth on them Condemnation or Salvation will be the lot and portion of the Sons and Daughters of Men that ever have been or over will be in the World O that none might miscarry because the Lord has laid help upon one that is mighty both able and willing to save unto the uttermost all that come unto him and he will in no wise cast out for God the Father sent not his Son his beloved Son into the World that he should condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved Therefore he that believeth in him is not condemned for he hath the witness in himself but he that believeth not is condemned and there is not any that can be a witness for him or them but all their works and duties will be witnesses against them This made the Apostle St. Paul that great and eminent Saint count all his Righteousness Works and Learning to be loss and dross in comparison of that excellent most profitable and comfortable knowledge that he found in Christ The fruit of the Righteous is a tree of Lise and he that winneth Souls is wise and they that turn many to Righteousness shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever This is a high and honourable work pleasant profitable and delightsome work victorious glorious and crowning work that will crown the God of Heaven with much Glory among the Sons of Men and our Royal Soveraign his Majesty of Great Britain with great Honour and Power over them over all Heathen and Popish Kings Priests Princes and Emperors that so many Nations may be freed from slavery and throughout the whole World there may be great Joy Peace and Prosperity It is sad to consider how that too many do make themselves poor and miserable in the