The Fiery Change OR ALMIGHTY GOD His Melting and Refining of his people purging out their drosse and drossy Metals making them like unto Himself and to his Son who is the pure Word Wherein is discovered by the comparison of Metals how the visible Church is corrupted consisting of men of all degrees and conditions and how God hath begun to Refine them Which have past in the world a long time for good Metal But now is discovering by fire By Robert Read When the Lord shall purge the blood of Jerusalem out of the midst thereof by the Spirit of Judgement and the Spirit of Burning Isaiah 4.4 Every mans work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by the fire and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is 1 Cor. 3.13 For even Our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 LONDON Printed for the Author and are to be sold by Giles Calvert at the Black Spread-Eagle at the West end of Pauls and by Richard Moone at the Seven Stars in Pauls Church-yard neer the great North door 1656. To the right Christian Reader MAny writings have been of late in these distempered times printed published which have proceeded from the several authors desires to have all men to agree unto them which have like as streams of water run to and fro these Nations Had they come from the pure fountain there would not have been such difference but issuing from the dirty miry and dreggy puddles of art wit humane invention together with corrupt learning and imagination wherein hath been seen much Pride Passion Avarice Ambition Novelty and self conceit it cannot be otherwise but that instead of being medicinall as the pure word is those writings have proved to be killing and destructive True it is where prevaricate and prejudiciall complaints are made out of the carnall and sinister ends of vain men there can be no remedy or relief to their satisfaction But where complaints are from just discoveries of God there is a power goes along to remedy that that is is complained of Some would have the whole Orbe guided after one manner some after an other manner each man seeking chiefly his own honour interest and profit and what is corruptly seen by them to be good that they desire to be done and conclude all to be evil that seemeth against their Tenents Whence it comes to passe that they revile and persecute that truth and that good thing they see not which others purely see and do declare dealing with many as Balaam did with his Asse beating him because he stopt and would not carry him along the way where he was going contrary to the Word of God the Asse saw an Angel with his sword drawn but Balaam saw not the Angel It is even so that many who are accounted Asses Idiots see the Lord makes them see and complain against that that many wise and learned men of the world do not see for the wisdom of the world cannot see nor know God they see no Babylon but what is against their jugdement no Antichrist but that of Rome no Whore but what keeps not correspondency with the visible Church no Beast but onely the poor profane and breaker of the Civill Law They see not the impure purity the dissembled Christianity the unsavory Salt the covnterfet Diamond the drossy silver But think that the late brustring of their own Garments to be the Garment of Christ the new guilding of their base mettle to be very gold that they are sufficiently changed because Baptized and Civilized that they know the Lord if they can tell the report that they have heard of him and know themselves if they can say they are sinners Here Antichrist in the mystery exalteth himself against Christ in the mystery and persecuteth him laying stumbling blocks before the people of God loving the wages of unrighteousnesse more then the hidden treasure The consideration of this hath together with the great fire that is kindled by providence set more pens to work for they that bear good will to Sion cannot for its sake hold their peace but must declare the things that they have heard and seen and what will shortly be Even the fall of Babylon and the destruction of the great Whore which hath been spoken of by the Prophets by riddles and comparisons so twisted that the Clergy could not undoe as also the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven Christs finall conquest and exaltation over sin death and hell the Saints spiritually and most purely refined purified and sublimed from sinfull and carnall forms and will-worship Were it not that that impurity lodgeth with purity and Antichrist found to be in the seat of Christ there would not have been such a fiery contention but when curing compositions are found to be destroying potions if vessels of truth and simplicity are changed to lies and formality what lamentation may be taken up that our guides and our counsellours are fallen in their wisdom Surely the Lord is departed from his people But thanks be to God there is a still and a soft voice that rendeth the Mountains shakes the Rocks divideth the waters and expelleth darknesse apace that true Religion and Righteousnesse that the enemies thereof or rather the seeming friends of it would extinguish and bury now beginneth to get rooting and to grow from dry Bones to an exceeding great Army Should any one then be silent whom the Lord biddeth to speak waiting on the Learned the Aged and the Honourable men to speak fearing the revilings of the Disputer and Opposer No although he be the least and the worst of his Fathers house being thereunto appointed and enabled he must do his duty knowing that the Lord is risen and doth great things by small and contemptible meanes and that out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings he ordaineth strength Upon this account was the ensuing matter presented to me by that Imperiall hand which swaieth all having no power to wave the medling with this subject that tendeth to the discoveries of a pure trim'd Whore which gloriously glittereth like the Sun that speaketh so much of righteousnesse and integrity that none without high presumption and very great affront dareth to question especially without a learned tongue and a gilded pen. What here is spoken is not to flatter any neither is it unjustly to censure but to advise from the Lord the painted face to brinish teares sad cheeks the eleoquent and Oratory tongue to silence in the glory of the flesh the raking and greedy hand to Charity Liberality and Sobriety the impotent and lame feet to walk according to their stage and strength yea and the whole man to his purging and refining change Perhaps some may ask whether this fiery Change shal be before the final Consumption of the whole world having been taught that it is not till then Most certain it is before Have you heard and
so that the cruell and wicked practices of the one is the means of purging out the defilements of the other being set in opposition through the wisdom of our most holy God Comfort thy self O Christian thy God will purge thee through the fiery contentions that is among true Beleevers and hypocrites the fire is kindled Jer. 6.28 and the bellows do blow thy drosse shall be clean purged out and thou shalt be as the silver and gold for the Lord hath enough and he will fill thee out of his own fulnesse Read the thirteenth of Zachariah and the three last verses God saith there of the small number of his people Zach. 13.7 8. 9 that after he hath refined them then he wil be their God and they shall say The Lord is my God where no drosse is to purge out there God will not cast into the fire but he will there dwell and abide for ever thou shalt never need to mourn for the want of a Minister for God will be thy Minister and he will minister light and peace unto thee the Sun shall shine seven times brighter than at noon for the Lord himself will be thy light When Almighty God hath melted his people and burnt up their drosse and utterly consumed it then shall they come to be in union with him living and abiding with him for ever This is that new Jerusalem that John saw that came down from God out of Heaven wherein there is no temple nor ordinance being there is no need In the time of the Apostacie after the Apostles dayes which yet remains although wounded then there was a need of Pastours and Teachers as the onely means of distributing light to the world like unto the light of the Moon alwayes changing somtimes Popery somtimes Episcopacie sometimes Presbytery Independent and Baptized So that God was alwayes well pleased to make some cloudy discoveries of himself by the ministery of men But the day of the Lord being now dawned Christ who is our light shall appear again and the power of Antichrist which waxed so great shall be clean taken away and the rent that was made shall be made whole God will cement his people to himself and he will be their light and defence Psal 83. ult And this is Babylons plague yea the vexation of the grand Professours that are now full and will not obey the true light but do persecute it calling it the new light or new lights being blinde to the discoveries that God hath made to his people of the Whore and of her destruction and of the purest flesh and the glory thereof which must be burnt that God may be all in all in his people and never be any more forms Rest not then oh thou doubting soul untill thou hast found the Lord Cant. 3. as the Church in the Canticles he it is that gives light and life he is our peace he shall be thy Minister and thy Church and the house thou livest in for the Temple of Christ is within you and thou shalt hear Christ teach within thee incline therefore thine heart to the temple within cast away all thine abominations and bring thy will to the Father regard not the glory and vanity of the world but humble thy self under his mighty hand and know that there is no time to be when the holy Spirit of God will force it self into the will of the hardened But thou must bring thy will into the holy Spirit and then shalt thou hear it teaching thee by another way and means than formerly thou hast waited in for most certain it is that the change is now begun and God will finish that long expected and waited for Psal 45.6 7. even his own presence and fellowship with the Saints prize thy dignity and give praises yea eternall praises to the Lord of glory that sheweth himself unto thee in the fellowship of sufferings Oh the height the depth the breadth and length of the love of God that doth invest poor worms into such glory that neither eye hath seen nor ear hath heard neither can enter into the heart of man to conceive the riches of that glory Now seeing that there must be such a fiery change as is spoken of which through the great mercy of God doth free us from wrath to come What manner of persons ought we to be now in the body of flesh We ought to attend and wait on the inward calling of God and to obey the light that shineth into our mindes living according to our measure exercising our selves in all godlike conversation redeeming the time because the dayes are evill shaking off the things that cleave so close to us even our lusts crush the Serpent in the head kill the Cockatrice in the shell wait upon God with weeping fasting and mourning praying and ever praying that the Kingdom of Christ may be enlarged that the wickednesse of the world may be abated and the drosse among his people utterly consumed that the Nations that yet know not the Lord may be insightened and instructed to know him glorifying God the Father that he hath been so gracious so long suffering so mercifull and so patient in bearing with such a wicked and hypocriticall a generation as we are You that are enemies to the pure truth now declared and despisers of the light of Jesus made manifest and do live in contention for the upholding of the outward profession being blinde to the inward and invisible power that should rule within Learn to know that there are but two wayes the broad way and the narrow way the one a way of death the other of life the one without God in the world the other God with us living and abiding with us the one way directeth and leadeth to God as a mercifull Father and all-sufficient Redeemer the other way directeth and leadeth to God as a terrible Judge and Avenger knowing this Be you led by the light that shineth in you the light of Christ to the narrow way to the strait gate thorow which you cannot enter untill you are new born new creatures new moulded new melted which cannot be with the taking of the ease pleasure and profits of the world living in an externall professed and visible way of outward observances but it must be by the inward breaking bruizing and killing of that serpentine life will and wisdom of the carnall man Either you must fall on the stone and be broken Luke 10.18 or else it will fall upon you and it will grinde you to powder there is no middle way to life salvation and happinesse Either you must yeeld bow submit and embrace Christ upon terms of losse and death to the carnall or else you cannot have Christ at all keeping the carnall minde although never so much covered and gilded Seek the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is neer get oil into your lamps now there is an opportunity of having of it come
if they differ in the least from the will of God must be cast out For not onely humane reason but divine reason not sanctified can may or ought to have any power in the ordering placing or disposing of any worship of God The will of God onely is the reason of his own worship and mans reason can be no ground for such a structure which his art and science defileth as separate from the will of God Non vox sed votum non musica cordula sed cor Non clamans sed amans clamat in aure Dei Much might be said concerning the drosse that is among the pure metall In plain termes the corruption the filth and the uncleannesse that is among professing people that professe to be the people of God and are civilized exceedingly that to the eyes of the World are almost spotless but when God comes to try by fire then will their filth and drosse appear Prov. 7.3 Solomon saith As the fining pot for silver and the furnace for gold so the Lord tryeth the hearts The outward visible actions of professours that is so much accompanied with outward decency in the behaviour keeps off the inward purity that the soule should be exercised in in the sight of God Curisity in duties outwardly done in the sight of man hinders the inward integrity invisibly to be done with God Therefore it is that the exercise of Religion which should cure and eject our drosse by an addition of more filth and impurity in that which should speak purity and life it doth kill and brings death The shining beames of Gods most pure and holy Spirit shining in us causeth our actions and duties through that most pure Light to be living and become a living Sacrifice acceptable to God But duties done visibly and audibly Rom. 12 1â— onely in the body the minde and will being carried on to the satisfaction of the outward spectacle resting in the forme custom use and manner woundeth and slayeth the spirituall and invisible part where the receptacle should be for the living Sacrifice For men to go about to make themselves like God in their own wills doth derogate from the nature of obedience and doth manifest that they are the sons of emnity but yeelding themselves up submitting unto embracing that which is crosse to their wills desiring to be ruled and guided by that good counsell which is of God maketh the purest sacrifice It pleased God by these comparisons of metals to discover what his people are and how they are different in purity from himself which is most pure and holy let therefore all men that live in a profession not stand upon the purity of it for the Whore sits upon waters there is many baptisms of water but the baptisme of fire is that that God will purifie his people withall and that that hath quenched this many yeers Mat. 3. must now be dried up by the fire of the Lord and it will burn up all and dry up all For our God is a consuming fire Experience this ye that are called godly you cannot be God-like which is the Old language untill the Lord God hath consumed all flesh within you and there be nothing in you but the Lord God All in All. Thirdly God saith that Israel is Brasse and Tin and Iron and Lead What Israel was and what England is by these comparisons of metals the Lord will make known to us These severall metals are of severall natures and qualities some by art counterfeiting the richer metals of Gold and Silver which are figures of Himself and of his word These metals are very apt to rust and to receive and embrace the same and so are accounted drossy metals yet very vsefull as to the World ordained by the great Creatour in their severall kndes for severall necessitous negotiations in the world They have their breeding and their generation in the earth and being from thence and thereout they must passe through a strong blowing fire before they come to perfection and be fit to officiate the use service and the end the great Creatour made them for as to the use of the world wherein is seen a great deal of the glory of God in the excellency of his creation in the various qualities of them as doth also appear in all other things created by God How is Israel Brasse and Tin and Iron and Lead wherein and in what are they such metals The people of Israel here named are thus in divers respects First They are Brasse in their men of power Rulers Governours Magistrates Justices and Arbiters Secondly They are Tin in their Prophets Teachers Guides and Ministers Thirdly They are Iron in the people of Trafficke Commerce Trade and merchandise and in them that exercise to the support of the Nation Fourthly They are Lead in the poor and mean in people of low degree First see what Brasse is and how it may be said that Rulers Governours c. May be as brasse Brasse is a compound metall made and contrived of Copper and Calamy which metall so composed hath a lustre like gold by its mixture and the more usefull for it's mixture So are those that are called to high places of Government they are not barely naturalists onely men as borne simply themselves naturally But there is a mixture composed with other ingredients in them of natural endowments fit for their places of learning experience knowledge understanding and rightly to censure as also to execute as to the World the things matters and causes that are under their dispensation and their determination and herein as brasse hath a lustre like gold so have the Governours c. a lustre beyond other men Hence it is that there is and hath been at all times an honour and a respect given unto them being the greatest instruments under the arme of God for the peace the welfare and the good of people in the Nations under them I have said You are Gods and you are all Psal 82.6 the children of the most High Christians have had at all times respect to their governours for Gods sake they are set up of God By me kings reign c. Rom. 13.1 There is no power but of God wherefore resist not the powers they that doe shall receive to themselves judgement But whence is the complaint that the Lord makes that Israels Rulers are Brasse something is the matter God Almighty expecteth that they should not onely doe and execute the common and ordinary businesse as to the World but that they should stand up like men in the cause of God to distribute justice impartially and as in his stead to curb and punish the evil doers and to defend and preserve those that do well encouraging others also to live in their wayes that they should be as nursing fathers and nursing mothers Esa 49.23 they should defend the innocent and acquit him and execute justice on the nocent The cause why the Lord complaineth
of the truth of what they do speak for Saint John saith The testimony of Jesus Rev. 19.10 is the spirit of prophecie They are not to teach by letter or by another mans lines nor by transmission of other authors for that is as theft which the Lord by his prophets complains of and also they are not to teach the visions the divinations the falsities vanities Jer. 14.14.15 and deceitfulnesse of their own hearts but cleerly and exactly what is within themselves of the truth of God and of the power and life of the Spirit of God Wherefore let all the Teachers that are at this day who have took upon them to teach examine and try themselves whether they are of the same Spirit that their Lord Christ was of when he taught upon the mount Matth. 5. after he had foiled the Tempter he pronounceth happinesse and blessednesse to divers As to the poore to the mourner to the meek to the hungry to the mercifull to the pure to the peace-makers and to them that are persecuted proove your selves yee teachers of men whether the same minde be in you as was in Christ Jesus he was according to all these severall sorts of people he giveth them comfort whom comfort belongeth unto and blessednesse to them that are pure c. Is it so with you do you do the like then are you the Light of the world and the Salt of the earth It is to be feared that the worlds preachers are not so to be found but rather in stead of being poor in spirit they are rich like the Laodiceans Revel 3. in stead of mourning for the abominations that are in the land as spirituall whoredoms they are blinde to it and think themselves to be the very Spouse of Christ and rejoyce in the fleshly service of God which is not accepted in stead of being meek they are filled full of envie breaking out into revilings persecutings in stead of being hungry they are full they have need of nothing Luke 2â— when they are poor blinde and naked in stead of being mercifull they are cruell Incendiaries to authority against the innocent in stead of being pure in heart they are pure in tongue they prophesie in the name of God but God may say unto them I know you not I have had no inward acquaintance with you in stead of being peace-makers I would it could not be said that they are the greatest peace-breakers dividing rending railing fomenting and dissenting with those that they suppose are risen up to justle them out of their livings Are the teachers of the world contrary to Christ Surely then they are not to be heard Take heed how you hear saith our Saviour Come learn of me saith he also Those that have the holy Spirit of God in them have the gift of discerning 1 Joh. 3. and they are guided to hear nothing but what the Spirit speaks he that hath ears to hear hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches They were all faulty and would our Churches now were not so It is the scattered people in Babylon the despised remnant that deserteth the worlds fashions that are persecuted by the Churches that are now gathering together by the hands of the Almighty which will be the people that will grow up to an invincible mountain which shall for eâ—er stand Can the Teachers of the world say that they are the light of the world Job 18.6.21.17 and live in blindnesse and darknesse and have not the true light shining in them can they give light to others that have no light They may have a certain kinde of light in dark and obscure places like that rotten wood that is called Dadock which shineth untill the true light comes and when It comes no light at all appears in it Can they say they are the salt of the earth Salt is of that quality that it doth as it were give life to that which is dead it preserveth from putrefaction it is medicinall and of a healing quality Sal sapit omnia It is an embleme of love would this were so that the teachers of the world were as salt that they could introduce into their dead hearers the living and eternall Gospel of God that it might be to them as life and that their exhortations instructions rebukes and comforts were medicinall and healing to the diseases and wounds of their peoples souls and spirits as salt is to the body and that there were pure love and a godly jealousie in them as was in Saint Paul 2 Cor. 11.2 that had prepared the Corinthians for one husband to present them as pure virgins to Christ but feared they were beguiled as Eve was by the Serpent and their mindes might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ None should be teachers of others but those that are Beleevers for the simple and plain Beleever is the best speaker David said I did beleeve therefore I spake Psal 116.10 intimating had he not truly beleeved he had not been capable of speaking a true Beleever may be a right Expositour and a right Interpreter But pity it is that where the Teacher is defective there is joyned the traditions of men with the pure Word with Christs commands carnall paganish Philosophy with the anointing of the Spirit the orders and degrees of Schools rudiments of the world with the ministery of Christ which is from Heaven These things cannot stand together and therefore there is a great rent made and will still divide and rend untill all be made new for new wine must be put into new bottles the old bottles of the flesh cannot hold the wine of the spirit of God the new Covenant requires another manner of obedience then the old did Prov. 4.18 and the Gospel ministration is for the perfecting of the Saints the way of the righteous is light that shineth more and more to the perfect day to build them up into the unity of faith and to lead them from faith to faith into the perfect knowledge of the Son of God to be a perfect man into the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ When will the time come that there shall be no more complaint against unsavoury salt blinde guides divine Merchants Surely the time is now coming it is begun that the Lord will expell and drive out from his Church all those that are pernicious unnecessary unprofitable teachers and guides who by the will of man are educated and brought to learning and humane art fitted as to the eyes of men for to teach and instruct and no way as by the election of God inwardly posited and habituated by the Lord but rather suffered and continued for the sins and transgressions of the people who do collect matter together out of Authours keeping it in memory to deliver it not fixed by the Spirit in themselves but are as a channell or pipe that conveyeth to the outward certain
world Ye men of trafficke take heed to your selves Luke 21.34 that ye be not ovrcome with the cares of the world for worldly things cannot produce any comfort it is one of the greatest baits the evill one hath to catch men by what profit is there in winning the world and losing the soul by it How hardly can a rich man enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Strive therefore in the exercise of piety and God-like life and not by grovelling in the earth as an earth-worm but cast off the evil desire of gayning which causeth oppression cruelty and exaction and much detaining of the labourers hire be ye renewed from the condition of old man which is from the earthearthy 1 Cor. 15.47 Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that that endureth vexe not your selves in the anxiety of your mindes that you are not so rich and have such large possessions as others neither strive in the attaining of riches as the manner of the world is and that among professors having dark deceiveable lights false weights and measures fraud cousenage and lying with swearing Take heed of these things you that say you are Christians these things ought not to be among them the Lord seeth all your actions and will punish the evill doers yea even him that is as the Wolfe that devoureth his neighbour by subtilty to increase unto himself unlawfull gain and also the usurer that commonly drinks the blood of the poor these like to a Wolfe that hath blinde whelpes go down into the pit with their children the one for gathering and the other for scattering Fourthly and lastly the poor of the world are here to learn whether impotent poor or aged poor to be rich in God Ask of God in faith and he will give freely he giveth to all that asketh and upbraideth none you that are still ready to open your lips to the men of the world your brethren for relief call and cry mightily to God for his mercy learne to be of a poor a low spirit what wil you do if poor and not poor in spirit you shall not see God You poor that are hungry learn to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Mat. 5. and you shall be satisfied a strange saying that the hungry shall be satisfied and the full sent empty away so it is that the fulnes that is in men cording to the wisdome of their flesh agreeable to the lusts thereof speaks satisfaction to the carnall minde 1 King 8.38 but it is the plague of the heart Better it is for a vessel to be empty then to be filled with filthy corruptible and evill matter Let no outward ingagement make you that are poor to offend and sin against God or to forsake him for the Lord is with you while you be with him 2 Chro. 15. â—… in what state or condition soever but if you forsake him he will forsake you Hazard all endure all that you may enjoy your God your Saviour and the gifts and graces of his Holy Spirit subject your selves to none whereby you might break your peace with God do nothing for any mans sake friendship or money but what may stand with a good conscience spend what time you may in the service of God and in accompanying his people and if the necessary endeavours for bread takes away preparation know thus much that God doth accept of all those that cleave to him with all their hearts 2 Chr. 30.19 though they may not be outwardly cleansed the poor Publicane was commended and justified through the fervency of his short prayer being not with with ostentation but in humble confession contrition and animadversion The poor may take comfort in this that they are not in the way of sinners the great enormities and impieties Psalm 3. that are committed by the wanton ones of the world they are bard from them through their poverty as not fit companions being not fitted in outward deportment for such company neither can they so walke in the counsell of the ungodly for ungodly counsels are most among the wealthy of the world happy are they that are expeld from such ungodly counsels that do conspire against God and Christ and that are not exercised Psal 2.2.1 2 c. in the seat of the scorners usually the proud and the rich of the world are sornefull it is a haynous sin to be a scorner Prov. 1. the Lord will laugh at their destruction many plagues are denounced against them if men are blessed that are none of these then happy are the poor that are not so Take heed thou that art poor and be low in thine own estimation walk humbly with God because thou art constrained to walke humbly to man let God be in all thy thoughts he it is that will blesse thee and give thee thy hearts desire Psal 37. if thou delight in him he will feed thee Commit thy way to him and he will bring it passe that for thy povery here he hath eternall riches for thee hereafter Now seeing that all sorts of person signified by these metals have had advice from the Lord in particular let them here take warning in this their day and repent for the day of the Lord is drawing neer if we be washed cleansed purified purged then are we fit vessels for him if not then know that notwithstanding all that we boast of as concerning Oidinances Ministers Churches Professions and Services we are no way fit but without God in the world in carnall sacrifices O that England did know the day of its visitation and could but see how gracious merciful the Lord bath bin still is in forbearing and forgiving and standing at the door there knocking waiting when we will open unto him that he may come in and sup with us his kindnesse is so great that he would have us eat of the same that He doth that there may be both union and communion He would not have us lay out our mony and not for bread that that doth not profit but would have us to come and buy milke and wine without money yea to buy Gold of him and eye salve to anoint our eyes that we may see But foolish people as we are we think our selves happy in our old customary services and do not consider from whence they were derived and had their rise And that the night of Apostacy hath been over the face of the whole world this many hundred yeers It appeareth plain that England as well as Israel is drosse and who is there that hath the spirit of discerning but doth perceive the very fiery beginnings that God hath made among us as to destroy and consume all will of man fleshly wisdome and Antichristian church policy which hath kept us from the sincere and the most pure and unblameale service of God in the spirit Know thy self O England to be not that what thou boastest thou art Thou art ready
and quake O ye mockers for the day of the Lord is come in which he will not onely search Jerusalem with candles but he will change Jerusalem by fire what can you expect that when the great and dreadfull God who is holy and cannot endure uncleanesse and drosse to be among his people but will consume it by the fire of his anger but to be utterly consumed as these sublunary metalls you can have no other end for the Silver and the Gold the pure metals you ever hated and made no reckoning of but rested and trusted in the shinings of your own base metals not regarding to know God and therefore God will give you up to a reprobate minde Rom. 1.28 let seasonable advice take hold on you What ever you do or suffer get Gold buy Truth dig deep for Silver and let not all the metalls beneath these metalls gain thy heart let them have what luster gilding or shining soever they will deceive thee Jona 3.8 They that trust in lying vanities forsake their own mercy What will become of our Nation if it should neglect so great salvation is there not a deluge of pride hypocrisie idolatry covetousnesse and murmuring now God would be mercifull to us if we would but resigne our selves up to him but we are proud and exalted in the fleshly wisdome being blinde thinking our selves in an excellent good condition giving our selves up to the lusts of our own hearts not caring to see the visions of God in the inward and internall way and so perish through our own carnall understandings in an outward profession Let us be humbled under the mighty hand of God who will exalt us the humble he will teach and those that dread and fear him he will reveal his secrets unto what greater blessednesse can be to any of the sons of men then this to be his schollers Pro. 29.18 and to know his will The teachers of the world are corrupted Psal 25.9 14. and need to be taught themselves for it appeareth they are not as the Apostles were in the primitive time but alienated from their practice having not the inlivening power within them of the spirit whence it comes to passe that living and speaking according to the letter they are by an Artifice of Satan strengthened by the outward profession to oppose strongly from their forme the inward and true spirituall worshiper and so Antichrist comes to be taken for Christ and Christ for Antichrist As the Scriptures are such are the Ministers of it the letter serveth as a shelter or an hiding place for Antichrist to lurke and save himself in where now he is striving for superiority as the Pharisees did in the time of Christ against whom he did chiefly speak but the Spirit is of that pure simple individuall and virgin like holy quality proceeding from the Father of light that it needeth not to be urged either by letter or word being given up wholly to the invisible and internall enjoyment of the life of God which by his inspiration the letter was first monumented to enioy the letter without the spirit is to enjoy the picture and not the person Christ saith you thinke to have eternall life in the Scriptures No you cannot they testifie of me John 5.39 that giveth life to all that do beleeve His ministration is a ministration of reconciliation to salvation and we are to look after no other although there may be excellent pretences Should the men of the world study but half so much for their eternall welfare as they do for their temporall they could not but give strong reasons and gain strong resolutions against their own practices to be in Israel and not an Israelite to be of the visible Church and to have no invisible light and truth this is worth nothing to talk of grace with the mouth and have none in the heart to say they know and do not there sin remaineth Stirre up thy self Joh. 9.14 O worldling ly not still consider what thou art and wherefore thou wast created 1 Joh. 3.20 let not the naturall light that is within condemn thee to perdition and make no further use of any thing wherein others meet with the Lord their God then that thou mightest so really and truly meet him also Let not the outward performances of duties Eccles. 5.7 Job 34.19 Psal 113.7 serve thine own will to the increase of worldly gain or preferment but serve God with a pure minde and heart-performance which he onely accepteth of Let the poor and mean Yea the servants of men endeavour cheifly that the Lord may be their portion the sin of murmuring is as among all people so especially among people of low degree they murmure because God hath not given them such a portion of the world as oothers because they are impotent or that they are under the cōmand of others many waies is there a murmuring against God learn patience and know that the very worst estate that can be is beyond thy desert and that thy Maker will do with his own as He pleaseth Happy art thou if thou findest within thy self the God of love and infinite mercy anyway to appear if in that thou hast received thou hast seen a hand directing it to thee though it be bitter take it from the Lord as a token of his infinite love rejoyce in thy low condition the Lords eye is over thee and will neverthelesse judge thine oppressour he hath a regard to the poor he will defend them he wil bring them them out of the dust and set them among Princes all that wait upon the Lord shall see his goodnesse in the Land of the Living Let all therefore say that have not to their desire in outward appearance of Gods favour Verily thou O God hidest thy self O God thou Saviour of Israel Lastly whatever thou art that dost draw neer to God in any outward performance meditate with thy self to what end thou dost it and be more neer to hear than to offer the sacrifice of fools Eccles 4.17 ◠1. neither be rash with thy mouth to utter a thing before God for he is in Heaven and thou art on earth therefore let thy words be few Eccles 4.17.5.1 Lamentable it is to see how sinfully men present themselves before the Lord in Congregations petitioning for that their hearts are not affected with and promising that they have no intent to perform Consider in your mindes would a mortall man be so served that is in some regall authority and do you think the great God can bear it No if this be your resolved practice he will cast you into utter darknesse that doth thus counterfeit and dissemble with him who seeth the heart you shall never have the light of his countenance here nor that Heaven which you care little for hereafter Behold the day of the Lord is very neer at hand and he cometh as a thief in the night Revel 3.2 Who may abide the day of his coming And who shall endure when he appeareth Mal. 3.2 1 Thess 5.6 for he is like a purging fire and like Fullers sope Watch therefore Luke 12.33 to the 41. read it in the Spirit that being fore-warned you may be fore-armed Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things pertain to love Phil. 4.8 whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue or if there be any praise think on these things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in Paul or in any of the Saints of God those things do and the God of peace shall be with you FINIS