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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	faith_n	heart_n	overcome_v	2,318	5	9.2114	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65249	Lamentation over England from a true sight, and suffering sense, of the lamentable wickedness of such rulers, priests, and people, that are erred, and strayed from the way of God, and follow too much the devices and desires of their own hearts, offending against his holy laws ... : whereby all persecutors may (in pity to their souls) truly consider what way they are in, and whether it leads, and whose work they are doing, and what the Scripture saith will be the reward of oppression and cruelty / by M.W.	Watkins, Morgan, fl. 1653-1670.	1664 (1664)	Wing W1066; ESTC R38958	45,267	54

sin and the work still undone that he came to do but such are strangers to the true Faith that a grain of which removes the mountain of sin and wickednesse that all the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer could not remove under the first covenant though that took away the guilt after the sin committed yet made nothing perfect therefore he found fault with it and took it away but the bringing in of a better hope did make perfect for ever them that are sanctified so if the second Covenant had not made perfect as appertaining to the Conscience it had been as unprofitable in that thing as the first but the bringing in of the better hope did and doth that which all the children of darknesse cannot believe but he that doth believe hath this hope that purifies as he is pure and this is the faith that purifies the heart and overcomes the world in it and crucifies the flesh with the affections and lusts and this is the work of him that God hath sent into the world and raised him up to blesse all those that believe in his name in turning away every one of them from his iniquities that they may come to abide in him that sinneth not that he whosoever he be that lives in sin hath neither seen nor known Woe woe from the Lord God of power is the portion of all those that say or have said in their hearts we will try the Quakers God whether he be able to deliver or save them out of our hands that we should not execute upon them the intents and inventions of our hearts in breaking their meetings and scattering them that they should not be a people unto all you be it known from the spirit of the Quakers God your counsel shall not stand neither shall your decrees prosper for you have taken it against the holy seed that God hath blessed even against the seed of Abraham in which all the families of the earth shall be blessed which is the seed that could not bow to the pride of Homan against whom his sealed decrees could not prosper but what he prepared against them became his own portion as it is written the wicked are snared in the works of their own hands And you shall know that the God of the people scornfully called Quakers is the God of the whole earth and a God of the mountains and above the loftinesse of the hills as well as the low valleys and also a God of the seas and above the loftinesse of the proud waves thereof as well as of the land a God infinite in mercy to all that bow to his great and glorious name and submit to the government of his spirit of truth that is come and hath revealed it self in our hearts to the saving of our souls unto which every soul ought to be subject and serve him with reverence and godly fear but unto those that despise his name and cast his commands behind their backs and do despight unto his spirit of grace in labouring to destroy the work it hath brought forth in the little remnant it hath gathered under its government who have and are subjecting themselves unto its pure leadings unto such he is a God dreadful in Judgement terrible in vengeance to whom it belongs to repay and as it is written Hebrews 10.31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God And woe be to all those that are striving against their Maker and decreeing against his decrees and labouring to scatter that which his spirit hath gathered and to destroy that which he hath quickened to life because it cannot submit to a contrary spirit that is of the world and leads into bondage which is the voice of the stranger that the sheep of Christ cannot follow but the sheep must hear and will hear the voice of him that gives eternal life who is cowe to seek and to save that which was lost and that which was lost being found and saved will for ever honour its salvation in preferring the honour and glory of its Saviour before all the glory of the world and for the obedience of his commands that his will may be done in earth as in heaven will give up even life liberty estate and all that the world may know the kingdome of God is come in great power and glory into our souls when his will is preserred before our mortal lives and his commands before liberty and estate that it may preach to the ends of the earth that we have found something that is better than all things that wicked men can take from us and because we love and honour that which is from above that which is from beneath hates us and because we cannot worship and honour it therefore would destroy us but we see him that is invisible with us who is high to save and deliver us and will not leave us that have left our selves that he may be received and who will not deny us that have denyed our selves and our own wills that his may be done and where his will is done his power is come and his servants we are whom we obey and we know our master will stand by us while we do his will and all you that do not know whose servants we are because our manners and behaviour is not after the fashion of this world you laugh us to scorn like as the old world did at Noahs salvation that the Scripture might be fulfilled as it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be in the coming of the son of man you that hate the light cannot see the salvation of God no more than they did in the dayes of Noah for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved of the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 and those who have received the spirit of Christ which is the spirit of prophecy cannot but speak good of his name that hath brought salvation for blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord whom the Lords people will receive and hear but he that cometh in his own name cometh by the will of man and the men that stand in their own wills do receive him and hear him but he that comes in the name of the Lord such cannot receive him but he that denies himself and takes up the Crosse of Christ doth receive and hear the Preacher of the Crosse which to him is the power of God but to them that perish it is foolishnesse 1. Cor. 1.18 so by that which the wise of the world ●ounts foolishnesse it pleaseth the Lord to save us that believe so was it in the dayes of Noah he and his houshold was saved by that which the old world counted foolishnesse but when the Judgement came the high mountains of mans wisdome and imaginations could not save them then they knew and saw that his foolishnesse was better

LAMENTATION OVER ENGLAND FROM A true sight and suffering sense of the lamentable Wickedness of such Rulers Priests and People that are erred and strayed from the way of God and follow too much the devices and desires of their own hearts offending against his holy Laws limiting the Holy one of Israel making the devices of their own hearts a Law to insnare the Innocent that worship the Father in spirit and truth Whereby all Persecutors may in pity to their souls truly consider what way they are in and whether it leads and whose work they are doing and what the Scripture saith will be the reward of Oppression and Cruelty By M. W. Evil shall hunt the cruel man to destruction I know that the Lord will avenge the afflicted and judg the poor Surely the righteous shall praise thy name and the just shall dwell in by presence Psalm 140.11 12 13. Printed in the Year 1664. Impartial Reader IF thy heart be upright towards God thou canst not but love his truth in the inward parts which teacheth thee to speak the truth and do the truth and to deal plainly with all men and not to call evil good nor good evil nor put light for darkness nor darkness for light but to deal justly with all men and walk humbly with thy God and then thou needst not fear the threats nor frowns of any man who is but dust but wilt fear the Lord and give glory to him that made heaven and earth the sea and the fountains of water in exalting his name above every name and his commands above the wills of men in bowing thy heart and soul to the obedience of his spirit that his everlasting kingdome of righteousness may be set up in thee that the blessed government of his Spirit thy soul may be subject to then thou canst in truth say the kingdom of God is come in power and great glory then the Idols of gold and silver and the glory of the work that perisheth thou wilt cast to the Bats of the night that cannot behold the Sun and to the Moles of the earth that know not him that gave them breath then canst thou declare what the Lord hath wrought and sound forth his praise to the ends of the earth then will the voice of the good shepherd of Israel be joy to thy heart strength to thy sinews marrow to thy bones and thy soul shall feed in the fat pastures and thy dwelling shall be in the hill of Gods delight even Sion that shall never be removed into which the Father of life is gathering his own seed out of all Nations Tongues and Languages to dwell with him in the unity of his spirit and to have fellowship with him in his life that his coming may be witnessed in the ten thousands of 〈…〉 the world and to destroy the will of the flesh and make his great slaughter of all that which hath rebelled against him and cannot be subject to the law of his spirit but resists and is a law warring in the flesh and that nature which slew the Lamb from the foundation of the world yet offereth a sacrifice but could never please God and they that please God could never please it therefore were they and are they persecuted and suffer by it and so spiritually overcome and reign over it so our kingdome is not of this world but over the spirit of this world neither can it be shaken by the powers of this world but by its power doth shake the world and shall over turn that foundation on which the wickedness is built that the blessed foundation of the Prophets and Apostles may be revealed before all Nations which is Christ Jesus the Light in which the saved in all nations shall walk and in which if thou that readest this dost not walk thou canst never witness Gods salvation but if thou believe and in it walk then wilt thou know this to be truth and love to thy soul from th● friend A Lamentation over England from a true sight and suffering sense of the lamentable wickednesse of such Rulers Priests and People that are Erred and Strayed from the way of God c. TEnder love to all your Souls is the subject of this ensuing Treatise And your refusal to accept of so great love as the Lord God of life holds forth to you in this the day of his tender visitation is cause sufficient for this my Lamentation Oh England England and ye Rulers and Magistrates thereof Oh that you had prised this the day of your visitation Oh that you had hearkened to the voice of the truth in the mouths of the Prophets and servants of God who have finished their faithful testimony several of them with the laying down of their lives And that you had not despised and still do despise and persecute those whom he hath sent unto you Oh that the blood of his pretious servants did not lie at your doores which cries loud for vengeance in the ears of the just God of heaven and earth till he make Inquisition for it How many have been imprisoned till death for obeying the will of God And how hath their blood been mingled with their sacrifices when they have been peaceably met together in the fear of the Lord and in the dread of his power out of the fear of him that kills the body but in the love and patient nature of the Lamb that overcomes the wrath and saves the soul who is the highest power that the soul ought to be subject to who hath given it life breath and being and who can cast it into Hell fire if it obey him not And therefore you are very much mistaken in us who think to frighten us out of our Religion by persecution or killing the body it being that which the Lord hath raised up in us by his mighty power in the denyal of our own wills and so contrary to all mens wills that have not submitted to his power For when he appeared in his power to place his fear in our hearts then our flesh trembled and Immortality was brought to light through the Gospel which was the voice of the Son of God to our souls by which we came to hear and live which life is contrary and which voice is dreadful to the flesh and so we having felt the terrors of the Lord for sin and transgression do not at all fear the terrors of men which can but kill the body and when that is done can do no more Therefore friends you knew not what you did when you began to meddle with us and make laws against us and persecute us because we could not submit to your wills for had you known us you would not have begun such an ill work wherein you should have lost so much labour and gained so much dishonour and also incurr'd the wrath of God Had Nebuchadnezzar known the three Children as well before as he did after he would never have forced them

ever And also have we not good reason to turn from you when you turn from Christ the true Light that gives the true knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesns Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 For the want of obedience to the which Light you come to erre and stray from the way of God and are as you say in the lost state like lost sheep and no marvel when you will not hearken to the voice of the true shepherd and bishop of the soul and they which do you persecute and so will not receive the knowledge of the truth your selves and enter into the kingdome nor suffer those that would as much as lieth in you you shut the kingdome of heaven against men as did the chief Priests and Scribes and Pharisees of old therefore woe is to you that ever you were born alas for you how will you be able to stand in the dreadful terrible day of Gods righteous judgment that is coming and speedily hastens upon you who are found opposers of the work of the spirit of truth even that spirit that the Apostles and Disciples of Christ were Ministers of that is it that leads into all truth into which the good shepherd is gathering his sheep wherein is witnessed the perfect gift that leads out of sin and imperfection the gift of the spirit of faith that overcomes the spirit of the world that leads into bondage and so come to witness the glorious liberty of the sons of God 2 Cor. 4 13.3 17. which is in the spirit for where the spirit of the Lord is received there is liberty from what from the bondage of sin and corruption not in sin and the lusts of the flesh as many would have it but in the spirit that leads out of sin and mortifies the lusts of the flesh as the Scripture saith Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh Galat. 5.16 which you Priests cannot believe though the Scripture saith it you are not come to the spirit of faith that overcomes the world who say we can never be free from sin while we are upon earth hath not he dominion over sin that doth not fulfill the lusts of the flesh as it is written Galat. 5.24 they that are Christ have crncified mark the flesh with the affections and lusts these that are Christs did witness a victory over sin who lived and walked in the spirit and the law of the spirit of life in Christs Jesus made them free from the law of sin and death Mark these were such that walked in the spirit and were the sons of God who ceased from sin for it is written John 8.34 he that committeth sin is the servant of sin that is not one of the sons of God that is made free indeed for know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness for when ye were the servants of sin mark before Christs words that is committed sin ye were free from righteousness but now being made free from sin and become servants to God ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life Rom. 6 16 20 22. then there was a freedome from sin in the Apostles dayes as they bear testimony in the spirit of God and we who believe their testimony and are come to the same spirit and cannot but bear the same testimony according to our measure receiving him in the same spirit of faith do receive the same power to become the sons of God Now seeing there was a freedome from sin in the Apostles time who witnessed his glorious appearance to put away sin and that he had done in them the work he came into the world to do that is to destroy the works of the Devil how comes it to pass now that this Doctrine of the Apostles can find no more place in this generation of priests and people it is because they love darkness more than light and their lusts and evil deeds more than the life of righteousness and so would perswade the people that there is no such life of righteousness to be brought forth here on earth as the Apostles spake of and witnessed and the Scriptures bear testimony to so it doth clearly appear what kingdome you are of and whose servants you are that cannot cease from sin beguiling unstable soules mark these the Apostle saith are the false teachers that being in damnable heresies who through Covetousness and feigned words make merchandise of you 2 Pet. 2 14.2 1.3 who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness that cannot cease from sin mark but plead for it terme of life these are they that beguile the unstable and strayed sheep whose hearts are exercised with covetous practises cursed children which have forsaken the right way and are gone astray like lost sheep following the way of Balaam the son of Bozor who loved the wages of unrighteousness to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever because they hate the light and love darkness more than light it justly becomes their portion And who is he that will be so wicked as to say we ought not to turn from these who prove themselves to be in the way of Balaam both in life and Doctrine a company of miserable sinners that cannot cease from sin being erred and strayed from the right way that leads out of sin therefore bring another Doctrine to plead for it and turning the Doctrine of truth into another meaning to uphold your contrary practice and cover your life that the Apostle bare testimony against whose Doctrine was from the gift of the spirit of truth which saith every good giving and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights James 1.17 and as many as come to this good and perfect gift receive it and are taught by it are led into the good old way of truth and righteousness which is the perfect leadings of the perfect spirit of God into his perfect life by which the command of God comes to be kept which saith Be ye therefore perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect Matth. 5.4 8. and the Apostles said they kept his commands and did that which was right in his sight but you priests and people that are erred and strayed from the good and perfect way cannot keep his commands nor do that which is right in his sight for it is impossible you should till you come to the good perfect gift of God and because it is impossible with you you think it is so with all but that which is impossible with you is possible with God and all who do receive him the perfect gift of Gods power and walk in it are come to witness the dominion of the son of God which is over sin hell and death and so becomes the sons of God that can do nothing

word of the spirit of truth to you all for we are a people that have done you no wrong at all and as we walk in the truth we do professe and own we cannot wrong you nor any upon the face of the whole earth but you have wronged us and do daily in afflicting punishing and persecuting us as evil doers and as a people not fit to live upon the earth but know this from the Lord that lives for ever what you have designed against us in your hearts shall be your own portion because we are of the seed of the spiritual Jews whose Kingdom shall flourish for ever But what is the evil and what is our crime that we are thus reckoned as sheep for the slaughter is it not only because we cannot break the commands of God and his son Jesus and own your worship which he never commanded nor his Apostles and Disciples ever practised but warned those that feared God to depart from them that were lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God covetous proud unholy men despisers of those that are good walkers in their own ungodly lusts speaking great swelling words having mens persons in admiration because of advantage who run greedily after the error of Balaam for reward and to cover all this hold forth a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away saith Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 3.5 and because we do so therefore are we hated and persecuted but if we could put into your mouths then we might save the spoyling of our goods and be accounted good Christians though we served the devil but we are come to the knowledge of the truth everlasting praises be given to our God for ever and ever and to the power of godlinesse that cannot bow nor creep to deceit but must bear testimony with the holy Prophets and Apostles and the blessed company of Saints and martyrs of Jesus against preaching for hire and divining for mony and spoyling mens goods for trebble damages casting their bodies into prisons till death and all for mony and for gain from their quarter Oh blood thirsty bloody minded men destroyers of souls and bodies for your bellies who never have enough woe woe from the Lord is your portion that ever you were born to live to exceed the false prophets of old and yet professe Christianity For we do not read that ever they did force any by suite of Law to pay them but we read that Balaam when he did not his work that he laboured so mightily to do for the King of Moab which was to curse the people whom God had blessed mark when he could not do his work he went away without his reward and so is it not meet that those whom in this nation are sent by men pretending authority over souls and put into Parishes and places to reform and blesse the people and cannot do their work but the people grow worse and worse though they take pains yet God never sent them and is it reason that they should have such a great reward as the tenth of all our labours If they had sowen spirituals it had been a small thing for them to have partaked of our carnals or if they had planted a vineyard they ought to have eat of the fruit thereof But this Vineyard of Times the Pope hath planted for his Priests and never intended it for these who do not his work nor the Lords neither And therefore why may not they with Balaam return without a reward from the King seeing their blessing doth as little good as Balaams intended cursing did harme for he went away without the Kings great honour and promotion because the Lord would not suffer him to fulfil or satisfie the will of that spirit which would have had the Israel of God destroyed Num. 24.11 but so saith the King the Lord shall keep thee back from honour But wo be to that spirit that willeth the destruction of Gods Israel now that it may keep or get its earthly ends and selfish fleshly honours which God is risen in his mighty power to bring into contempt because it opposeth it self against the work of his spirit which is to bring down the earthly and exalt the heavenly Which work must and shall be done when men and devils have don and said what they can for he that made us for his praise hath now by his spirit quickened us up again for his glory And this is the Lord from heaven that spirit that as is the heavenly such they may be that are heavenly That the heavenly Image may be exalted above the earthly both to rule and reign over it in the Lambs patient nature to overcome the earthly which preacheth forth to the heavenly Witnesse in all consciences So the long suffering and patience leads to repentance and newness of life But that spirit which turneth people from the gift of God in them is the deceiver that strengtheneth the hands of the evil doer to make War against the appearance of God in man that brings salvation and this is the false Prophet that hath and doth deceive the Nations which second appearance of Christ the true spiritual light is to consume with the breth of his mouth and the brightnesse of his coming And this appearance of truth in the inward parts the false Prophet cannot endure Mark because it is come to reveal and consume him and therefore he thinks to strengthen himself by the powers of the earth in perswading them to believe his report and Prophecy against the spirit of truth and they being not come to the word of life in themselves that was before the deceiver was do not discerne him and so come to be deceived by him and to make War against the brightnesse of the rising of the Son of righteousnesse and the leadings of his pure spirit of life in his Children by making Laws and Decrees against them for the exercise of their pure Consciences towards God and man And hear is the tryal of their faith made manifest to be precious by which many comes to be added to it and the kingdom exalted by its own power through opposition and persecution so it comes to be seen and known to be the power of life in us that is greater and mightier then the power of death and darknesse that comes against us that we can of a truth say He that is in us is greater then he that is in the world who comes against us but must be overcome by him that is in us whose power shall burst the bonds of wickedness destroy the spirit of persecution that makes Laws for stumbling-blocks to the people that have a desire to seek after the Lord and come to the measure of his spirit that leads into all truth that they may witnesse dominion over sin and the works of the Devil destroyed in them and they forsake him and all his works and all the vain pomp of this wicked

such are now that the Scripture may be fulfilled for such are not of the world but of God for said they the whole world lyeth in wickednesse and they were with sound Doctrine and a holy Conversation to beget unto God out of the world and if you who are called Lords spiritual did exercise your authority over none but they that you had begotten to God out of the world you would have but a very small flock if any at all but instead of gathering a flock out of the world you take the world for your flock and so exercise Lordship over them as Christ said Luke 22.25 The kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them the example of those you follow and not Christ for there is many thousands by the year to be gotten by them and so rule by your outward power and Lordlinesse like the false Prophets of old and many of the world love to have it so and so let them have it But the flock of Christ the Church in God cannot own these things nor love to have it so but must stand witnesses against these things even to the death if the Lord require them And therein you come to be tried and made manifest what nature you are of and also their faith and patience is made manifest and the nature of the Lamb shewed forth that overcomes but the contrary nature as I have said is to be overcome that which persecutes and imprisons and would force the conscience and so slay the soul or else kill the body this was ever of the Devil and so it is now and a mark of Antichrist the false Church the Whore that is adulterated from the Spirit and alienated from the Lambs nature that overcomes in patience and obtains the victory and is made perfect through suffering but on the contrary the Whore the false Church is said to drink the blood of the Saints and the Scripture bears testimony that all the bloud is sound in Babylon then Sion is clear of bloud Mark that and the name Babylon comes thus to be written in the forehead of every persecutor who is of Cains stock that slew his brother because his worship was in truth but his in the murthering nature Mark he that was slain was in the truth from the beginning and he that slew was in the deceit and so we see it hath been all along unto this very day And that nature which slew our Lord Christ when he was upon the earth is the same that now persecutes and slayes his Disciples and followers because they are redeemed from the earth and cannot submit to their vain traditions customes and fashions and commands that are contrary to God therefore are sufferers by the world but the sons of Sion are such who are redeemed with judgment and that nature which is at enmity to God being condemned is crucified and cast out and the Lambs nature being raised up converts to righteousnesse and righteousnesse being brought forth glorifies God And we being called and gathered cut of the vain conversation and also from the vain worship which teacheth for Doctrine the commands and traditions of men by the mighty power and out-stretched arm of God are kept in faithfulnesse to him that we cannot bow or submit to that which the Lord hath shewed us to be evil for fear of men or their threats who are but dust being accompanied in our sufferings and persecutions with the power and presence of the eternal God that made heaven and earth And be it known unto you persecutors of the holy seed you shall never prevail to overcome us as we are kept in the power of Life which hath gathered us out of your dead forms to serve the God of Life in the newness of his spirit in which he is worshipped by the true worshippers out of the way sight and understanding of all that are not come to receive the true light who are all in a false worship erred from the spirit blind in the dark and stumble at the truth and fight against the life that is hid with Christ in God out of the sight of the vulterous eye and out of the way of the venomous beast where the lions whelp treads not and where the devourer cannot come and that which God hath hid in the spirit all the natural learning in the world could never find out nor ever shall for being hid from the wise and prudent of this world is revealed to such as are babes who hunger and thirst after righteousness and not after preferment in the world who cannot be satisfied with the bread that perisheth but with the sincere milk of the word of life they grow which word is nigh them and is the word of faith in their hearts that begets life in them and this life pints and breaths after nourishment from that which hath begotten it and cannot be satisfied with words but with the immortal word of life that was in the beginning that quickeneth that again that in Adam we were dead to and this is the quickning spirit that ministers life which we having obeyed do live and the life we now live is by the mighty power of God which our souls are made subject to and we cannot but obey that which quickned us and is the immortal life in us the second Adam that the children of the first persecute because they are born of that which cannot reveal the second and so being in the darknesse of death see him not nor know him But alas for you it is in vain for you to think that you can prevail over us by your carnal weapon for the sword of the spirit is with us which hath slain and cut down that nature in us that your strength stands in to make War against us for the strong man the enemy of our souls being overcome by the power of life that is stronger comes to be cast out who is the Captain that leads all persecutors and all destroyers of mens lives for Conscience sake that is he that would destroy us being cast out from within and cannot destroy our souls would revenge himself upon our bodies but we know that he that hath given life to our souls can preserve our bodies if he please if not his will be done but this I say to all persecuters We have overcome your Captain-general and he that is in us is greater then he that is in the world as we have said and you shall know who is the Captain of our salvation that suffered by the world and overcome the world and therefore know this that as our Captain hath overcome the world in us so with us and in us will he overcome the world by us but this the world seeth not therefore cannot receive it so if all the world rise up against us as one man for the obedience of the spirit of truth we know it is that they may be overcome And how can you expect that we should submit to that in others

I cannot believe this record saith the blind guide and his followers then saith Christ for if ye believe not that I am be what he the true light ye shall dye in your sins then saith Jesus again unto them I go my way and ye shall seek me and shall dye in your sins whither I go ye cannot come Mark that ye despisers and haters of the light ye despise and hate Christ and ye that will not follow him the light here in this world shall not follow him hereafter into the glory of the world to come but shall dye in your sin and perish eternally Consider this ye despisers of truth there is but a breath betwixt you and eternal destruction ye haters of the light the eternal word by which you breath move and have a being who plead for sin and the deeds of darkness to live in them for tearm of life read your portion that live and die in sin and consider what he hath said that cannot lye if you will not live the life of the righteous being manifested unto you in the day of visitation you cannot dye the death of the righteous nor shall your last end be like unto his because he hath called and you refused he hath stretched out his hand of mercy and you will not regard ye have set at naught all his counsel by his messengers he hath sent unto you and would none of his reproof by his light in your consciences the spirit of truth that he hath sent to reprove the world of sin therefore saith he that cannot lye I will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh and when distress and anguish cometh upon you then shall you call but I will not answer you shall seek him early but shall not find him Pro. 1.24 25 26 27. therefore because the spirit of truth hath said it you that are in that capacity cannot dye the death of the righteous who shall in Gods peace that he hath laboured after with all men lye down and in his everlasting habitation dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil for the upright shall dwell in the land that the envy of Cains spirit shall not nor cannot banish them out of and the perfect shall remain in it These be a people whose life the blind guides could never yet see in all ages because they dwelt not in their land which is the land of darkness where Cain said he should be hid from the face of God therefore all his generation loves this land of darkness naturally to this day it being the land of their nativity where their fathers City is built out from the presence of the Lord and the blessing of the light of his countenance in that land of the valley of the shadow of death where the sitting down is in darknesse and the Prince of the power of darknesse bears rule there teaching his children and subjects to plead for his kingdome of liberty in the flesh which natural desires and lusts of the flesh being brought forth is the life after the flesh that cannot please God the old mans life in the curse in whom the seed of the serpent the subtilest beast is head and makes war in the old enmity against the seed of the woman of which is the spiritual or the birth after the spirit that the birth after the flesh persecutes and hates as Cain did who was of that wicked one and slew his brother and wherefore slew he him because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous 1 John 3.12 therefore it is no marvel that the children of light are hated of the world that lyeth in wickednesse and pleads for it and hates the light and pleads against it for he that hateth the light abides in darknesse and loveth not his brother and it s written whosoever hateth his brother is a murtherer and ye know that no murtherer hath eternal life abiding in him and where eternal life is not abiding there is Cains nature dwelling and from that nature ariseth the persecutor that doth not well in doing the things he ought not to do and so fin lyeth at his door And woe unto the wicked it shall be ill with him saith the spirit of the Lord for the reward of his hands shall he given him Isaiah 3.11 For the wicked shall be cut off from the earth and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it Proverbs 2.22 Therefore let all that have yet a day prize it and make your calling and election sure in this the day of Gods love and tender visitation to your souls and think not to say in your hearts did not the thief upon the Crosse dye the death of the righteous yes and did he not live the life of the righteous yes he lived by faith though it might be but the last hour he being then called at the last hour to believe in Christ the light of the world he followed him by faith in him and bore a glorious testimony for him when most of his Disciples had forsook him and the blind guides laugh'd him to scorn and wagged their heads at him then he who was faithful reproved his fellow that was as blind as his guides and chief priests so the priests and the thief and the elders were all in one spirit of envy mocking and despising the truth and chose the murtherer and the thief of which spirit they were of before the truth the son of God which spirit he that believed did rebuke and that was a good work in that hour when few durst own him but yet more then all this he confessed him to be a king and that a heavenly one too before the face of his enemies and before the whole world justified the righteous son of God and said he had done nothing amisse which proved his enemies the chief priests murtherers and in such a time when he was in his lowest estate when he said My God my God why hast thou for saken me then did he honour him by his faith which preached God had not forsaken him but had given him an everlasting kingdome and did not doubt but he was able to bring his soul that believed into his kingdome therefore said Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome and so received him before the face of the world as a faithful witnesse to the death who entred into the glorious paradice of God that his precious faith had fitted him for in that short time And if in so short a time faith in the power of God can bring forth such a glorious work what wretched wicked miserable unbelieving sinners are they who say they be in Christ the son of God yet do not expect to be saved from their sin and set free from their iniquity all the dayes of their life these make but a bad confession of the work of faith which is not to the glory of God the Father that hath sent his son to take away the