ye must have heaven come down from God out of heaven here in grace and holiness or else you shall never come into heaven after you go out of this World Wicked men and unbelievers begin their hell here in the sinfull part of it and hereafter they shall have their hell compleated in the suffering and tormenting part of it so on the other hand godly persons begins their heaven here in the gracious part of it and then the glorious part is superadded hereafter and it is but the parting with a little breath and the sending out that it s but the knocking down of a weak mud wall and the impenitent sinner oh miserable he will have his hell compleated The godly believer oh blessed he will have his heaven compleated and both one and other be in a standing condition such as shall never know nor admitt of changes to all eternity there is no such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 between heaven and earth but that there may be an entercourse and converse now but there is a vast gulf between heaven and hell Luke 16. and whereas I speak of eternal life begun here I say it is by the means of eating the flesh and drinking the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which must be understood spiritually and spiritually performed not in the Letter but in the Mystery We must not here Terrenum concipere it s the spirit that quickens the flesh profits nothing I am of this belief and perswasion that if a man that was present at the Crucifying the Lord of Life had gotten a piece of his holy flesh and eaten it and catcht some of his blood and drunk it down it would have profited him nothing as to his Souls condition and the concernments thereof but that by the way I have been and am perswading to look to the main to minde and make after real and substantial godliness and to be cordial to it I presse it still deal not complementally with it and in the way of Courtship make it your main business and not as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a matter by the by and be sure that it be commander in chief and so it must and will be or it will be nothing it s of too noble and generous a nature to be an underling to any man or to any mans lusts in the world be he who he will and while I urge and press godliness I would have old godliness considered of and owned I mean Abels godliness and Enocks godliness and Abrahams godliness which was as good godliness as ever was in the world let us think it no scorn to be commanded by their examples to write after their coppy Let us not be sloathfull but followers of the holy Patriarchs that by Faith and Patience inherit the promises Concordet vita mea cum Patriarchis maneat in Eternum anima mea Compatriarchis only look diligently with all possible care to this that we be not mistaken about godliness for its a much mistaken thing in the world and the mistakes about it though very common yet are they of most dangerous consequence and will be found so to be ere it be long let you and I walk before God as Enock and Abraham did in the humility and integrity of our hearts and keep close to him while others study sinfull and unwarrantable latitudes and walke at a losse Be we carefull that whatever the times be we never be the worse for them nor they the worse for us that it may not be said of us as of Judah of old Hosea 11. verse 12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lies and the house of Israel with deceit but Judah yet ruleth with God and is faithfull with the Saints This is the way to bring a blessing upon us and let times and providences be what they will it shall go well with us if greater storms and tempests arise upon us then ever yet our eyes beheld in respect of mans actings we shall have a weather-shoare a shelter a hiding place a refuge a chamber of retirement let Gods appearances be never so formidable and dreadfull God will be the hope of his people and Godlinesse and a good conscience will befriend them to purpose and make them sing like birds of Paradice when others shall houle and lament for the misery that will come upon them being cast under a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation that shall devoure the adversary And to the honour of godliness be it spoken the beauty and benefit of it is never more seen and found then in times of publick Calamity and days of Vengeance Consider what our Saviour speaks in Luke 21. 25. And there shall be signes in the Sun and in the Moon and in the Stars and upon the earth distresse of Nations with perplexity the Sea and the Waves roaring Mens hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth For the powers of heaven shall be shaken c. When these things begin to come to passe what then then even then look you up and lift up your heads for your Redemption draws nigh The acceptable year of the Lord and the day of Vengeance of our God are joyned together Esai 61. When Vengeance comes upon the Wicked then is God in suo bene placito then is he in his fullest complacency The Psalmist tells us Psalm 58 The Righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance Esa 66. 5. Your brethren that hated you that cast you out for my names sake said let the Lord be glorified but for what I marvel what for hating their Brethren and casting them out O bona causa But what follows he shall appear for your joy and they shall be ashamed my servants saith the Lord shall eat and ye shall be hungry my servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty my servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed my servants shall sing for joy of heart but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart and shall houle for vexation of spirit chap. 65. verse 13. When was it that those Caelicolae the much people in heaven voiced out their Hallelujahs and the sour and twenty Elders consorted with them and said Amen Hallelujah but when the smoak of Babylon and her Torments ascended for ever and ever and upon the beholding of which the Kings and Merchants of the earth Cry out alasse alasse that Great City Babylon that mighty City for in one hour is thy judgment come It is as I hinted to you before a day of Judgment and terrible appearance of God amongst us in the way of Pestilence and what would we have God to do would we have him always to be silent and sit still in heaven as one that takes no Cognisance of what is done on earth and not sensible in the least of all the provocations wherewith he hath been provoked to his face from day to day such apprehensions and athiestical conceits have possessed the
THE Plague Checkt OR PIETY will either Prevent OR Alter the Property of the PLAGVE HELD FORTH Together with sundry other Things in a Letter Written by a Friend to sundry of his godly Friends and Acquaintance Pouring out himself thereby into their Bosomes and opening his Heart unto them Partly in a Paraeneticall and Perswasory way Partly in a Corroborating and Consolatory way with respect to the Present Times and Providences Wherein the Great and Terrible God hath appeared in some what a Dreadfull manner both by Land and Sea and by Terrible Things in Righteousnesse hath manifested and made himself known to the sonnes of Men as the Lord of Hosts and the God that is Holy who will be Exalted in Judgement and Sanctified in Righteousnesse London Printed by T. M. for the Authors Friends 1665. A Friend of the Authours to the READER MY Friend if so thou art to whom these come Acknowledge God the Authour of what 's done The Instrument his servant in his hand Hath shew'd himself to be at his Command And thereunto Obedient in that he Hath thus prepar'd what is so good for thee I say prepar'd for thee and 't is a price Put in thy Hand beware and be not nice Here by thou mayest be help'd Virtue to nourish But Vice it checks even in its greatest flourish Where e're he findes it like a man of God He makes due Application of the Rod Unto the Back which most deserves the blow But if it be not minded know yea know This as another Witnesse will come in And be an aggravation of thy sin Not that it was intended for that end No no it aim'd at this that such might mend And knowing their own evils might return To God that smites and makes his anger burn That he may please to spare and eke to pitty The miserable state of this poore Citty And would not let out all his Wrath Till us consumed quite he hath But in his Mercy he may give Some an escape that they may live And be for Monuments of Praise To his most holy Name alwayes Amen London's Lamentation Made mostly in the language of Jeremies Lamentations occasioned by the present Plague with which she is now visited Anno 1665. Her Case HOw doth the City solitary sit Of People it was full now few in it She weepeth sore i' th' Night and so appeares With mournfull Face with Cheeks bedew'd with Tears The wayes of her Assemblies do lament Because that few or none doe them frequent Her Priests do sigh yea they for feare do flye Her Virgins grieve she takes all bitterly Her beauty which was great it now is gone Solemnities she had now there are none Her Princes and her great Ones like the Hart Pursu'd by Plague strengthlesse from her depart Distrest she is her Bowels troubled are Her Heart is turn'd in her thus doth it fare Abroad the Sword bereaves at home there 's death Both young and old bereaved are of Breath Her miseries are yet without restraint Her Sighes are many and her Heart is faint The Cause SHee hath Rebell'd and Sinned grievously Therefore she is remov'd and made to fly Her Filth is in her skirts so may she finde Her latter end full little did she minde Zion of old had Prophets which did see Vaine things and foolish were they found to be Sin did not they discover no not they So as to turn Callamity away False Burthens they did see and Visions vent Causes of dreadfull Plague and Punishment God's fiercest Wrath they sorely did provoke And so they fell under his heavy stroke For sinns of Prophets and of Priests that shed The blood o' the just in her and had not fed The Souls of those committed to their care But rather mischief did for them prepare Gods anger did break out and t' was his minde Them to divide no favour should they findè Let London in this Glasse her Face behold Least still there dye and dye both young and old If she with Scripture as Gods Heifer plow Sho'le read the Riddle and the cause shee 'le know The Course to be taken in Order to Cure WIll she turn queritant That 's not the way To appease the wrath of God the Plague to stay Nay rather let her search her wayes and turn Vnto the Lord Least that his anger burn And not be quencht nor from her turn away But still devoure and waste from day to day Vnto the Heavens let her lift her hands Her Heart to God who hath her in his Bands And say that she transgrest Rebelled hath And therefore God hath Plagu'd her in his wrath That he is Righteous in what e re he doth Sinned she hath and he is justly wroth Cause she hath none to plain its punishment For Sin she bears it is for that shee 's shent Let her submit keep silence unto God Put mouth in dust quietly bear the Rod Remembring misery Wormwood eke and Gall And being kindly humbled under all Such Recollection made let her expresse Acceptance of her punishment learn Righteousnes Knowing withall her spiritual Plague and Sore Let her return to God and Sin no more Least worse things come unto her when she shall Back-slide return to Folly from God fall Then let her Hope and in that Hope confesse It is of Gods rich Mercy that there 's less Then utter desolation on her brought She not consumed wholly brought to nought Let her acknowledge Gods compassions are Such as doe never faile he doth prepare Them every morning fresh and so makes known His faithfulnesse full great unto his own Let her make God her Portion and then say In him my hope shall be both now and aye Let her improve the experience she hath found For others good and loudly let her sound To th' Honour of Gods Name that they that seek And waite for him with lowly Hearts and meek Shall finde its good because its duty and For them his goodnesse he will still command Let London take this course be sure God will Return in Mercy make her flourish still The after Carriage of such as are Preserved from or recovered of the Plague LOrd thou hast greatly been provok't By City Countries all Thine anger hath broke out and smoak't And we been made to fall Terrible have thy appearings been Thy Hand eke lifted up In it our Eyes have also seen Of Wrath a deadly Cup. Thy glittering Sword thou whetted hast Thy Bow eke thou hast bent Thine Arrows on thy string were plac't On every side they went On Judgement thou hast taken hold Thy Vengeance thou hast made To seize on such as have been bold And not at all affraid Thee to provoke unto thy Face Against thee to Rebell Thy Pestilence it did them chase And into Graves they fell Thousands on our right hand did fall Thousands eke
letter or by equivalency This I would say to you and my self on this occasion Let us doe our utmost endeavour that we may be and be found persons so spirited and qualified as the Psalmist expresses and let God doe with us what he will we need not be solicitous but possesse our soules in sweetest peace and security and if the Plagne should come and seize upon us the property of it shall be altered and as other sickness shal be usefull to bring us home to our own Country and to our Fathers house where we shall be as well as heart can wish where we shall never know sin nor sicknesse Plague nor Poverty nor Persecution and the time is at hand when death its self and hell shall be cast into the lake of fire Revel 20. It s a high expression I pray you mind it I would have added one word to the point I touched before in a Cautionary way Let them that hold the question Whether a godly man in the actual exercise of his Faith and Faith upon such promises as we spake of before may dye of the Plague yea or no In the Negative Look to it least intheir own persons their own dying that kind of death they prove not the affirmative For you and me Brethren let us be true to God and godlinesse and be bold to trust him with all your concernments Let our hearts be fixed trusting in the Lord and then fear nothing neither Plague nor Famine nor Sword nor wrath of men this wrath shall praise him and the remainder thereof shall he restrain It s a time wherein many are grown worse and worse according to Revel 22. Let him that is filthy be filthy still which is spoken Non optando imperando approbando sed prophetando judicialiter pronunciando Let us grow better and better the same Text requires That they that are holy be boly still and to be sure that is spoken imperando approbando Let us watch and keep our garments close to us and clean about us manifesting and making out that difference which our God by his calling hath made between us and others by a difference of disposition and conversation Let us look to it that Christ be in us the principle of spiritual life and be assured he will be in us the hope of eternal glory Let us not rest in a form of godlinesse but presse after the power of it You know the Scripture insists much upon Power there is the power of Christ the power of the Spirit the power of the Gospel the power of the Resurrection the power of the Kingdome the power of Godliness the power of an endlesse life the power of the world to come all this should make us minde Power On take heed of a powerlesse profession a powerlesse godliness rest not satisfied with a mere effigies a dead image such as many carnal professors set up to themselves and fall down to worship Statues which themselves becoms like unto having eyes but they see not eares but hear not c. Poor souls who seed upon ashes a deceived heart turns them aside they compasse God with lyes and run away with a lye in their right hand let us look to this that we have a Union with Christ our Mystical head and be carefull to hold that head Colossiansâ—â— â—â— 19. Study the Mystery of that expression and reduce it to daily practice think it not enough to be in a good way but be good in the way It is not Blessed are they that are in an undefiled way but blessed are the undefiled in the way Psal 119. â— 1. We may be in a true and Gospel Worship and not be right and true in that Worship What then when the way of the Lord shall be found strength to the upright destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity Prov. 10 v. 29. Yea though in the way yea the rather the sooner the very way will throw them out it will tire and founder them while the upright shall Mutare vires youths shall faint young men shall fall but they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength they shall run and not be weary walk and not faint Esaiah 40. Hosea 14. and the last verse speaks to the same purpose The ways of the Lord are right the just shall walk in them transgressors shall fallin them Be ye very studious of learning the truth as it is and lies in Jesus let it appear that you are good proficients in that learning by your putting off the Old man The Apostle Ephes 4. useth a metaphor taken from a Garment such is the Old Man a Rotten Ragged Motheaten Corrupt Musty Greasie Garment it s all filthiness and corruption nay let me tell you the Plague is in it verily it is Oh then off with it and throw it upon some hedge or into some ditch and put on the New Man that will make you comely and trim in the eyes of God Angels and men It s the new creature in Christ that is the availing thing Circumcision Uncircumcision outward Baptismes Knowledge Gifts Parts Priviledges all these and all other externals without the New Creature will avail nothing signifies nothing with God therefore be ye carefull of this and that you answer the New Creature with a New Carriage and suitableness of Conversation escaping the polutions of the world not onely by the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour as Hypocrites may do and afterwards come to be entangled again and overcome and so their latter end prove worse then their beginning as it s expressed in the second of Peter but let it be through the righteousness of God and by the means of the great and precious promises and by a participation of the Divine Nature that your escapes from the polutions of the world and the contammination thereof is brought about and then all will prove well at last But while I perswade you to put on the New Man and to be in a sanctified state I must needs mind you of putting on the Lord Jesus Christ in his Merrit and Righteousness by Faith for free Justification and then you will have the change of Rayment spoken of in the 3. of Zechariah and the 4. verse And so putting on Christ keeping him on never putting him off again walk up and down in him rise up and lie down in him and to vary the metaphor as the Scripture doth feed upon him daily for he is as cloathing so meat and drink to us Except ye eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood you have no life in you if you do you have eternal life you have it already it s begun and so indeed it must be begun in this world for it is the same eternal life that the Saints live here and in heaven the same for nature and kind though there are differences in degrees they that begin not their eternal life here shall never go to heaven to begin it there