there shall be no more of of noisome and infectious air but an air 1 Thes 4.17 like that Saint Paul speaketh of or the same where wee shall meet the Lord and ever bee with him The earth also shall be made pure Rev. 21.2 for it shall be made new there shall be a new earth all the actions commerce converse that is in the world that were corrupted through deceit oppression and cruelty shall all be burnt up and there shall be a clear and a pure converse and commerce without fraud covetousnesse or guile equity and honesty shall then be exercised according to the Christian rule to do as others should do unto us the waters shall no more remain there shall be no more Sea all the waters shall be dried up by the fire of the Lord Rev. 21.1 Esa 11.6.7 Acts 3.19 there shall be no more poore and oppressed by the rich the Lion shall lie down with the Lambe and our refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Again Saint Peter saith in the forenamed chapter that the heavens shall passe away that the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and further saith Ver. 10. ver 12. ves 13. We look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Many heretofore and some now doe from this Scripture tell the people of the finall end and dissolution of the whole world for ever But Christ saith To you it is given to know the mysteries or secrets of the the Kingdom And the Prophet Amos chapter the third Matth. 13.11 and the seventh saith surely the Lord will do nothing but he revealeth his secrets to his servants the Prophets It cannot be then so understood as our common Expositors have concluded but it must be truly and cleerly taken for the fiery change that shall be by the anger and wrath of God upon the world which shall dissolve the Heavens That is the religions that are in the world for Religion is as Heaven by it we do converse with God and commune with him and it hath been from the beginning that the people of God have had a way to draw neer to God by religious worship and services of him But so it is come to passe that the man of sin that is sin deceiving man and Satans temptations prevailing with man hath so corruptly and so confusedly so hypocritically so adulterately worshipped and obeyed God in the outward forme in the shew in the history with the lip onely in the outward man by and in the will of man That the Spouse is become an Harlot Man is become a beast and that body which the now-religion boasteth that it is Christ is Antichrist This heaven wherein the sons of men do solace themselves this strong City this fenced Jerusalem This mountain which they trust unto plead and fight for This heaven where righteousnesse dwelleth not that is but the huske the shell the sheath the outside the carkasse where the inward man is prisoned captivated and imbondaged and suffereth This heaven which is counterfeit full of drosse falshood lies whoredoms witchcrafts abominations mockings and persecutions This heaven shall passe away with a noise This heaven shall be dissolved This is the great wonder of the world at this time that the heavens shall melt that the earth shall quake that the stars shall fall But he that hath eyes to see seeth it now plainly for the sixt seal is opened and it doth manifestly appear Rev. 6.12 that the change now is begun mens confidences are slaying Babylon is besieged Antichrist is discovered persecution increased the iniquity of the Whore revealed her secrets uncovered and the man of sin dismantled upon which there is arisen a great war between Michael and the Dragon in this heaven they are both within the limits of heaven a strange thing that the Dragon the great old Serpent called the Devil and Satan should have his abode in heaven and claim a right there and now fighteth against that power of M chael Rev. 12. to maintain keep up and to continue this heaven which is designed to passe away and to be dissolved Yet so it is This heaven must passe away this corrupted simulate and drossy religion must fade Luke 16.17 Mat. 5.18 Rev. 6.14 Esa 66.22 Rev. 21.1 the Dragon shall be overcome there will be a new heaven and a new earth which shall continue and remain for ever that God himself will make which John saw wherein there is no visible temple but the Lord God and the Lambe are the temple thereof where righteousnesse dwelleth and abideth for ever Not as the old heaven that yet continueth which is full of ceremonies ordinances humane institutions and injunctions which hath caused much confusion contentions and intanglements the Nations being in controversie how it shall go every one thinking his own way to be right and that he shall have the conquest at last exercising themselves in the corrupt and infatuated matter proceeding from the four elements within them of pride malice covetousnesse and murmuring awaking and stirring up the wrath and fiery indignation of the Lord to the bringing of sore sad heavie and lamentable tribulation by which and through which tribulation the Lord will make known the great mysteries of the Kingdome that lyeth now hidden vailed and unrevealed that men shall know the Lord even in nature in which knowledge the stranger and the Heathens shall be converted and turne to the Lord as Christians and all Art cuning skill humane learning formes customes and inventions of men shall be clean dispelled and God alone shall be all in all That which hath been said concerning metals let it be seriously considered How the Almighty God doth set out the condition of his people by metalls and declareth his purpose concerning them as by the comparison of metalls is largely discoursed how he will melt them in all manner of their conditions degrees and qualities and not onely so but he will melt the Elements the Heavens also shall be dissolved the Earth and all the works therein shall be burnt let it then be considered as in the forenamed Epistle of Peter what manner of persons ought we to be To this inquiry he doth advise That our conversation should be holy and God-like that we may be found when the Lord cometh without spot and blamelesse having peace within us To this end is the Prophesies the sayings of Christ and his Apostles 2 Pet. 3. that we might be betttered and amended The disease then being discovered and the cause of it there remaineth now the remedy to be applied First then to the men of power signified by brasse Let it be said to them from the Lord although they may think well of themselves they are drosse and they are Brasse Hag. 1.7 8. Consider in your mindes you great ones God will be glorified by you you are his servants and his work you must do you are not to act any
cunning sophistry hath been much in use and it is got into that garb that it deceiveth many and they deceive themselves to speak prate of that that is not within them but without them they teach not the testimony of Jesus that should be the spirit of prophecie but speaks out their lying vanities to deceive yet taken by the world for teachers of the truth 2 Cor. 15.16 But S. Paul bids other Apostles not to teach by another mans line but to get praise of God for he that seeketh his praise of men or from himself is not allowed of God Such Apostles are deceitfull workers 2 Cor. 11.12 13 14 15. that transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ and no marvell for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of life therefore it is no great thing though his Ministers transform themselves as though they were the Ministers of righteousnes whose end shall be according to their works 1. Tin is like silver in colour in lustre silver is of a very bright colour and shineth much and tin doth resemble it in the colour and brightnesse as much for we may finde by things made of tin being in shape and form of the silver vessels some are apt to take one for the other bâ—ing not in their neer view so the Minister he shineth and is a spectacle for his whole parish to look on and for others where he resorteth observing all the rules of civil carriage and behaviour a fair outside good words courteous seemingly thankful for courtesies temperate sober and ready to give advice and every way seeming to be of a godlike behaviour like the painted sepulchres that are fair on the out-side but within nothing but dead mens bones 2. Tin is like silver in its sound silver hath a very sweet sound to the ear of man and nothing can passe it so the sound that the Minister doth make Jer. â— 14 is very sweet to the ear for they sound out the great love of God according to the letter and tell of his great mercies like the sound of the pure word but where is the true sound of the word that soundeth to us the taking up the Crosse the submitting and yeelding of our wils to Gods will denying our selves losing of our lives this is bitter Durus sermo to themselves and cannot say as Paul did that he rejoyced in the Crosse that is the sweetest sound to the soul when the mystery of God comes to be revealed by the Crosse 3. Tin is like silver in its weight herein is some difference but yet many times Tin hath not been su pected by wait when a piece of coin hath been counterfeited by it it is neer it in the weight of it So are Ministers like silver in the weight they will speak of as weighty matters and as pressing as if the very power of the Lord went along with their voices when it is nothing but a meer pressure upon the minde for the present and makes the melancholly man or woman it may be sermon-sick Where is the alteration and change of the minde wrought It cannot though they presse home with loud voices terrible words dreadfull and threatening quotations all is nothing it is but as the weight of Tin But the word it self figured to us by silver is that that shews its perfect and absolute weight when that without as to the outward makes a greater shew for when the Temple was builded there was no noise of axes and hammers 1 King 6.7 nor any tool else while it was building so the inward work of the word is not by outward hammering but by a low and still voice into the inward part Fourthly Tin will adulterate with other metals and mix it self with them it will adulterate and mix with brasse and so it becomes hard joyning with a hard severe metall So doth the Clergy they mix and adulterate with the power and authority taking that upon them they are not called unto by the Lord witnesse these late times wherein the Episcopacy had great power and authority to do and undo upholding by their power t e Beast and Antichrist compelling men to observe dayes and meats and the Orders of their Rubrique who did punish with as severe a punishment him that did deny Bishops to be Jure divino as he that should deny Jesus Christ or the Father to be God Blessed be God we are delivered from that horrible adulteration and so far is tin refined or melted nay in that case taken clean away yet the seed of that power lies in the earthy minde for the Clergy would if possible bear some sway but because they cannot they are gotten to be Incendiaries to the Magistrate against the Innocents for that the mystery of Antichrist is by them a discovering and laying open to the Beleever which they cannot endure to hear of because they are the chief concerned in upholding him it is conceived that they are the greatest hinderers of the growth of the pure and infallible truth But what can they do their power if they were so many Bishops might be restrained their behaviour concerning marriage heretofore did testifie what they were Psal 76.10 and now they rage but the rage of man will turn to the praise of God and the rest God will restrain Job saith of his persecutors Why persecute ye me as God is not my flesh sufficient let them take heed who they persecute for Christ is upon the earth though not seen by them nor heard out of the pulpit and God is shaking the heavens they are chiefly to look to it for they are as the pillars of that heaven that shall fade It is said when the Son of man shall come shall he finde faith on the earth It is to be doubted whether there will be any or no for the channell begins to be dried up the Spirits presence is not where some say it is and therefore suspect your selves you that would mix with the authority take heed of kindling any more fire if you do you are like to be burnt in it Again Tin will adulterate and mix with lead This is a strange thing that tin such a shining metall should debase it self so to mix yet so it is the Clergy will mix themselves with the poor rabble of the world Hosea 7.8 those that are ignorant and though not openly profane yet secretly vile making them the executioners of their designed purposes what they will not be seen to do themselves they encourage and countenance the poor to do as in the persecution of the tongue to mock and deride the poor Northern men that goes about speaking words of the kingdom such as Noah was to the old world a Preacher of righteousnes In this matter the Ministers of the land shew no spirit of meeknes 2 Pet. 2.5 neither are they Ministers of the Gospel that do not obey the Gospel of our Lord he saith blesse them that curâ—e pray for them
need nothing but more of the world that they might provide for their posterity there is all the care they have which made the Prophet cry Earth earth earth hear the Word of the Lord. In their Exercises they call a Psalm and either they or their Clarke read a verse at a time not too much for fear of cloying them and sweetned being meter and the people must sing to the praise and glory of God That they love the Lord with all their hearts that Gods Comandments are better to them then Gold and Silver and sweeter then the Hony and Hony Combe and divers such words whereas it is not in their hearts And thus the Almighty God is mocked by a company of poor soules that know not what they doe Yet by the report of their minister they are good Christians he dawbes with untempered morter and laies a little of his Tin upon them and so they passe for currant O what a reckoning will here be when the Lord comes to try and refine the sons of Levi who are reâ—embâ—ed to Tin they will be clean taken away God will have in his temple no other vessels but Gold and Silver that they may bring offerings to the Lord in righteousnesse then shall the offerings both of Judah and Jerusalem be acceptable unto the Lord as in the old time Aagain Tin is a dry metall and by reason of its drynesse when it is bended it will creek those that are Mineralists know this that Tin of all metalls is dry Shall it be said that the Clergy is so it may be said they are dry and thirsty too their drinesse appeares that they have but little good within them and their thirst declares that they would draw what they could to them for their drynesse it appears by their charity peace contentation and humility let them examine themselves I would none of them were to be blamed but found to be Sions builders yet being my duty I must speak what I know and have found them to be I charge not all that are or have the name of Ministers but the corrupt ones they are uncharitable contentious greedy proud and persecuting some there are I would set down their goodnesse if I could perceive any they are quite dry of all goodnesse But this is not all they are thirsty that is they are covetous their desire above all is large for they desire rich Benefices fair houses farmes dairies land living store of tithes all mens good will their servants their cattell their gold and silver what not if these be not like Tin in its drinesse then no men are But they are so and therefore the Lord will melt-them We may observe that in the Temple there was much Gold Silver Brasse and Iron used but no Tin in the new heaven Rev. 21.1 and new earth that coms dowen from God there will be no Tin this Tin was never found but where Apostacy was and when Almighty God removeth away our Apostacy then will he take away all our Tin Again Tin when it is bended it will creek and cry it makes a noise and by that signe many knowes it to be Tin and different from mixt metals will Tin when it is bowed and bended creek and cry And what do the Clergy when things goes contrary to their outward peace and welfare how do they cry till a deliverance comes till a repair is made this is sufficiently experienced what excellent shifts they use above all men that lost in the late warrs they were soonest repaired they will not ly long in a trouble or in adversity but they will cry to their gods whether favourers of Episcopacy or Presbytery they are sure to speed rather then not they will passe upon them a Romish sentence which some poor Ignoramusses stand in fear of and helpes them out of his tender minde saith he a minister of the Gospell There be many such canonized for Saints that have done much for the worst Ministers which is to their further hardening I must say of them Matth. 6.5 as our Saviour Christ said verily they have their reward they have it already it is in their possession they have all they shall have let them look for no more for the unrighteous shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven What a do is there now with the Clergy there is news that their kingdom is at end that there is no need of them that they are Seducers and Deceivers that they preach for hire here is a great matter to bow them and bend them to make them creek and cry and do they not Survey their demeanour under this strange Academy they do cry out amain they travell much they spend their spirits much more then they did having mended their pace they say we are all undone if this light do continue If they cannot blow it out they cry for help help Judge help Magistrate help Justice help Lawyer help common men help poor help rabble and rascality I had almost forgot they cry for help to their God too and that at all publike occasions and meetings I cannot assure them that the almighty God will hear them although some men of authority do hear them my advice is from the Lord to them Let all flesh be silent before the Lord Zach. 2.13 for he is raised out of his holy place Fiftly Tin it will receive any impression easily Filius Dei was once stampt on the clergy when the sons of Levi Since was Jure Divino on some on others such a Lords Chaplain They were at the beginning only Prophets and Priests but of late they have been leaving out the Romish Catalogue Bishops Doctours Bachelours and Masters As Tin will easily receive any stamp cognizance or badge so will the Clergy imbrace any place or name any title whatsoever to make their benefit great Yet in all this and notwithstanding all other impressions they claim the old stamp Filius Dei although they be not Silver but a mixt deceiveable metal so that they are in the world like unto bad coine which when some see the stamp they own the peece for good being afterwards upon better view or advice of others found to be bad and that no experienced party will meddle with it for good as it so past before then there is a stir and a mischief being a losse and a detriment to him that received and took it for good Even so the studied doctrines and speeches which is squeesed through the corrupt braines of some called Divines and brought through multitudes of words of Art Eloquence and Philosophy which is not consistent with the minde of God who is the Eternal and most holy God make much mischief in the world among the sons of men now Insomuch that men that are truly and purely inlightened will not medle with it and likewise doth forbid their brethren to have any thing to do with it knowing and understanding how formerly they were at a losse by it and
when the weather of affliction comes it weares away the silvering and then the Iron that rusteth and becomes earth and so all is worth nothing Secondly Iron is subiect above all metalls to rust and so looses not onely his beauty and his colour but also his strength yea his very substance for by lying in the earth it is turned unto earth Iron never so well cleaned and beautified will lose his colour let it be from the fire the fire doth preserve it standing or being used neer it So long as the fire of God anger is neer the worldling so long is he of a bright hue and countenance and some appearance of God is in him But when his corrupt heart joyneth it self to earth or to the waters that is to lie in the earth in his earthly and carnall minde and not be brought out of it but there remains still in its own element it becomes afterwards to be very earth it self by rusting in it How is the worldling by loving the world cleaving to it and delighting in it loving it with all his heart with all his minde with all his soul with all his strength exercising all his understanding art cunning and wisdome in the prosecution of it adding more and more to his desire and to his endeavours still unsatisfied so that in the end he becomes infinite in his desires being without bounds or limits no word or counsell can restrain him but colours the unmeasurable desire of still obtaining with the shew of good husbandry and thrift and therein thinks he doth God good service in the exercising of his talent and pleads for his most covetous and wretched practises which is the height of all wickednes to plead for it and to defend it against all the perswasions that can be urged So that the lying in this earthly minde and will without any remorse at all makes him to be very earth he is eaten up and devoured of his own earthly sensuall and worldly pursuings that there is nothing of God in him neither of Religion being thus centured hence it comes to passe that being present at any meeting where any thing of God is spoken though he be present in body he is absent in minde and either his minde wanders his thoughts runs out into the world or else heavie and sleepy in such places and at such exercises declaring plainly that he hath no love at all to God his Word or Religion the talke of it is tedious to him he cannot bear it it is to him as an unsavoury or an unrelishable dish of meat being offensive to him it must be taken from him or else he will depart Lamentable is the case of worldlings in respect of their loving the treasure of the world whereas being men made with a face directed to look upward they look downwards alwaies groveling in the earth like beasts And this is not all but there are some who live and center themselves in the pride and pleasure of the world what the world affords them they do embrace it and make their chief delight and joy in it the proud man that is proud of his estate means lands livings friends or his place or office is here concernd in this resemblance of iron and he living here in the onely service of his voluntary and high minde adâ—ancing himself above others and thinking himself in his proud conceit to be better then others staveth off from himself all good counsell to humility that in the end he is swallowed up into such an extream deluge of pride being hardened in it that nothing will work upon him his rust and filth of his proud minde doth devour him The like may be said of such as give themselves up wholly to pleasure and can see no benefit at all to themselves but onely the pleasure yea the pleasure that the world yeeldeth them that they take as their portion and dreams of a Heaven that is of such like condition Beware oh ye that love pleasure more then God for your end is damnation and while you live thus not owning God or the pleasure and pleasantnesse of His countenance you are so rusted with lying in pleasure that nothing but earth and the transitorinesse of that pleasure shall be your reward and are devoured by that wherein your flesh delighted Doth God complain that his people are Iron great cause there is for it for the greatest part of the world are as Iron hard and stiffe cruel and strong worldly covetous proud and living in pleasure consider this ye that do forget God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you although you are as strong and as hard as Iron the Lord can finde away to weaken and soften you the fire of his wrath will do it there is nothing too hard for the Lord hath he said and shall it not be done Break off therefore your sins by repentance and your iniquities by shewing of mercy be liberall and bountifull in the distribution of what God hath given you to the poor make not the earth your own it is the Lords and he giveth it to the sons of men Boast not of any worldly thing it is all vanity your wisdom your strength your riches honour and dignity and all shall passe away as a vaine thing Eccles. 2. Solomon had all his heart could desire of all the pleasurable things of the world and when he had considered all he saw all to be vanity and vexation of spirit and that there is no profit under the Sun Fourthly and lastly let us see how Israel is said to be Lead in the poor mean and people of low degree Lead is a metal that is soft and waighty it is pliable and will receive any impression and it hath silver contained in it not to be seen it is also malleable Of all the former metals this hath the least esteem yet the best metall considering the good qualities of it being soft and pliable and retaining something of silver 1 Is Lead soft and pliable so are the poor of the world they are soft in their answers as Solomon saith A soft word appeaseth strife it is not for a poor man to stirre up strife his care is to peace giâ—ing good words diligent attendance suffering wrong he is soft being gentle and submissive he is soft in being friendly and serviceab e every way a poor man is soft not rough nor rigid nor high minded as the former sorts of men exemplified by other sorts of metals are 2 A poor man is also pliable as lead you may winde him and turn him any way put him to any buâ—…nesse speak any thing to him he is content to be of anothers judgement being ignorant â—oon perswaded do any thing for a livelyhood 3 Again a poor man like as lead will receive any impression any stamp call him what you will any title serves him he bears it because he cannot avoid it he is also as Lead malleable the
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