SOME Prison-Meditations AND EXPERIENCES WITH Some Hints touching the Fall of the Mother of Harlots and the exaltation of the SON of GOD upon the Throne of DAVID Written in Newgate by JOHN GRIFFITH a Prisoner there My heart is inditing a good matter I speak of the things which I have made touching the King Psal 45.1 Thou wilt shew me the path of life in thy presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73.24 25. And there followed another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she made all Nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication Rev. 14.8 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion Psal 2.7 Printed in the year 1663. The Epistle Dedicatory To all in every place that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and Truth and that wait for his glorious appearing more especially unto that Remnant to whom I stand more particularly related Grace be multiplied with encrease of Faith and Love from God the Father and his Son Jesus the Anointed through the Comforter Christian Salutation Well-beloved ITs matter of comfort to the Lords poor despised people in a dark day that he is pleased not to leave his nothing-ones that either have or do suffer any thing for the sake of blessed Jesus without some signal tokens of his comforting and strengthening-presence with them by which they are in a good measure kept from fainting and that he doth seal up instruction to their souls leading them to the Rivers of Pleasures causing them to drink deep of his Love and Free-Grace in his dear Son Oh what a choice Mercy it is that the Most High God should so far condescend as to have regard to such worthless Creatures who in the day of their fulness so much provoked the Eternal God by their unthankfulness and mis-improvement of such Choice Mercy as the Mercy of the Gospel is It is wonderful Grace that God should notwithstanding such provocations wherewith he hath been provoked by Congregations in general and by every Member in particular still continue the good savour of his Grace upon the hearts of any of them or that he should account any of his poor servants worthy to suffer Reproach and Bonds for his sake Which Mercy which I esteem very choice and sweet to my soul he hath been pleased for some time to let me enjoy which is wonderful in my sight that such a nothing empty Creature as I am should be employed by him in such a Noble Work and in such a Noble Cause as to suffer Bonds for the sake of blessed Jesus Yet notwithstanding the length of time I have been in durance I find my heart is not so cleansed and brought to the foot of Christ as I hope it may and wait it should And if it so please the Lord to sanctifie these Bonds that I may by the help of his holy Spirit so crucifie the remains of Corruption that I find still in my heart and subdue and bring in subjection every vain imagination that every high thing that exalts it self may be brought in obedience to the King then may I bless the Lord for the day that ever I lay in Newgate The which I may say I am engaged and not without cause already to do for asmuch as God hath let me see my self and the baseness of my own heart the unbelief and diffidence that lodgeth there in some measure which giveâ— occasion to me to magnifie the Grace of God the more in that he should be graciously pleased to accept such an unworthy Worm as I am in his dear Son A clear evidence of which through Grace I can say I am not without in my soul yet not so as wholly to be without ups and downs occasioned by temptation working upon my Frailties which my dear Lord Jesus is pleased to assist me in and cause them to work for good unto my soul Blessed be Jehovah I have in this Poem rudely scattered here and there some of those MEDITATIONS and EXPERIENCES that God hath been pleased to visit my Soul with the which I present to the view and commend to the serious thoughts of all the Faithful but more particularly to that Remnant and chosen ones to whom I stand more immediately and particularly related in the bonds of the Gospel Hoping all the Spiritual will take them in good part and judge of them in the Spirit of Love to whose Christian correction I readily subject my self and Labours hoping also thâ—â— they will put the fairest construction and interpretation both upon them and me that Brotherly Love and Duty binds them to I could not willingly pass to the Conclusion of this poor Work until I had first hinted something touching the Fall of Mysterie Babylon that old and great Whore and of the Exaltation of our dear Lord the thoughts of which now in my bonds makes me very merry and is as a cordial to comfort my poor heath for which I wait and to which time I trust he will keep that which I have committed to him My dear Brethren 'T is but a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry In this time of our Pilgrimage let us labour to exalt him in our hearts that he may be chief and rule as Lord and King there that when we come to lay down this house of clay we may be cloathed upon with our House from Heaven and be found of him without fault at his coming To which end wait diligently upon the Lord in his Word and Ordinances Be much with God in Prayer praying for all Saints and for me the most unworthy Servant of Christ that I may be kept faithful to death and let your walks be in Heaven So shall the King greatly desire thy Beauty for He is thy Lord and worship thou Him Farwell Grace be with you all Amen From my poor pitiful Study in Newgate Septem 22. 1663. Your Brother in the dear love of Jesus JOHN GRIFFITH COurteous Reader by reason of the Authors absence many faults have escaped the Press which thou art desired to mend with thy Pen. SOME Prison-Meditations AND EXPERIENCES c. AS I in Prison lie I sometimes muse What should the reason be they me so use That they contrary unto Law Reason Should keep me here in Jayle so long a season No crime or charge against me can they lay Yet I shall lye in Prison still they say I think their will 's their Law I cannot see But that the reason is they thus use me What should the reason be they nought will have But what 's their will to keep me as their slave Within stone walls and bars of iron strong As if I had done unto them such wrong
hath Nor can deprive him of his right it 's sure To him and shall for evermore enoure Saith David in his Psalms The Heathen rage Vain things imagine what doth this presage God sits in Heav'n and hath them in derision And will at length himself make the decision Though they do set against him and 's Anointed And counsel take they shall be disappointed Vnto them all he 'l speak then in his wrath Though he forbears and seems to be so loth Yet will he vex them in his sore displeasure When he shall set his King his only Treasure Upon his holy Hill then the Decree Concerning him will soon declared be Thou art my Son I have begotten thee Then ask my Son ask thou I say of me And I will give thee thine Inheritance Thou shalt upon my Holy Hill advance The Heathen shall be to thee for a portion The Earth I give to thee for thy possession The utmost parts thereof I give and thou Shalt break them with a Rod of Iron now In pieces shalt thou dash them as a Vessel That 's broken a in Morter with a Pestle Again saith David in another place Such is the Majesty of Christ the Grace Of this most mighty Prince and Lord of all That Kings shall stoop and down before him fall And they that in the Wilderness do live Shall bow before him and him honor give His Enemies who will they nill they must Fall down before him and shall lick the dust The Kings of Tarshish and them of the Isles Shall presents bring to him to have his smiles The Kings of Sheba and of Seba too Shall offer gifts to him if that would do Yea all the Nations under Heav'n that are Shall him obey all Kings then shall him fear And David in another Psalm doth say That God his Enemies will drive this day Before him God will then his foes down beat And plague all men he will that do him hate My faithfulness saith God with him shall be My mercy also and his Name I 'le see Shall be exalted I will set his hand Upon the Sea so in the Rivers and He 'l cry Thou art my God my Father then And say the Rock of my Salvation when My first-born I will make whose so by birth Far higher than the Kings are of the Earth But some it may be here will now object And say These Scriptures all have no respect To Christ but Solomon by them is meant And David penn'd these Psalms to that intent To shew he should be set on such a throne That like to him there should be never none So great so rich so mighty as was he If so then all these things fulfilled be I answer That these Scriptures can't be so Receiv'd nor understood for this I know That Solomon was never God's first-born Nor never did God so exalt his Horn To give to him such great and large Dominion To reach from sea to sea in my opinion Nebuchadnezzar was a greater man Then ever was the great King Solomon For Daniel said to him O King it 's thou Art grown so mighty strong and great that now Thy potent greatness reacheth unto Heav'n Such is thy boundless and thy large Dominion It doth extend unto the ends of th' earth God unto thee such glory given hath Though Solomon his glory was so much That in his day there was no King had such Yet consid'ring Nebusshadnezzar he Was great Commander universallie O're all the world it clearly follow will Those Prophesies God did not then fulfil In Solomon because it 's plain that he Had never such a glorious Monarchie I then conclude they meant and rather may The King of Babylon which none will say So universal as the others was Nor yet so great nor universal as Our Lords shall be when he doth come to reign As those fore-cited Scriptures speaketh plain Besides what I before did shew indeed That Christ must be that King of Davids seed These reasons then I end though many more I might produce in Scripture there 's such store But I with these shall well contented be Such satisfaction are they unto me But yet I matter not for th' sake of those That may more doubtful be before I close Bring forth such Scriptures which do more conduce To satisfaction then I here produce That prophesie of Balaam who when He hired was to curse Gods Israel then He prophesi'd and said My eyes shall him Behold but shall not now they are too dim I shall behold him but it won't be nigh Though I the knowledge have of the most High There shall a Star come out of Jacob and A Scepter out of Israel the Land Of Moab shall he smite the corners all The sons of Seth shall be destroy'd and fall And Edom shall because of their transgression So Seir likewise shall be a possession Unto his Enemies but Israel he Shall in those days do then most valiantlie Then out of Jacob will he come that shall Possess and have dominion o'ne them all Balaam then took up his Parable Beheld and saw that day was terrible And said Alas though 't is a day of bliss To Jacob who shall live when God doth this Again good Hannah when the Lord her Womb Had opened that she conceiv'd to whom He gave a Son which when she had brought forth She lent unto the Lord a son of worth He was to her yet for the Lord she 'l spare Her child her only son that was so dear And then to pray and praise the Lord goes she And thus she saith by way of prophesie The Adversaries of the Lord shall be All broke to pieces out of Heaven shall he Thunder upon them then the Lord will judge The Earth and ends thereof this priviledge The Lord shall have and strength he 'l give his King And will the Horn of his Anointed bring To be exalted and he 'l help the feet Of all his Saints though men them ill entreat As for the wicked they shall silent be In darkness when that they this day do see To do these wondrous things God will not fail For know by strength no man shall then prevail Oh what a glorious time this then will be When Saints shal reign with Christ triumphantlie That most transcendent glory and the state Christ shall be in which he 'l participate To them their lot their portion and a shares Because they 're sons they likewise are Joint-heirs With him and in his throne they shall sit down And shall receive a Kingdom and a Crown Not such a corrupt Crown that fades away But such a Crown of Life that won't decay Then fear not little Flock for 't is the pleasure Of God your Father to give you the treasure That 's in a Crown by Grace he will you save And hath thought meet the Kingdom you should have He that is Prince of Kings Kings of the earth Who you so lov'd that you he washed hath From all your sins in his
to know his wiles to fight Against this Power of death and darkness so That thou maist give the Devil such a blow That he with his dark Kingdom may lose ground Till they shall fall and never more be found Then for thy further information know The Devil will for ever be thy fo And wil the foe of all men ever be And them beguile with feigned flatterie Do thou resolve his works and him to hate And never bite nor tast the Devils baite But him resist withstand and alwayes be For evermore the Devils enemy If so my soul thou must not think to please Thy fleshly lusts nor think to live at ease But hardness as a Souldier must endure A Souldiers life is such thou must be sure But please thy Captain he that hath thee chosen To be a Souldier thy assections loosen From such affairs as now may hinder thee From serving him whose Souldier thou must be To fight this fight of Faith if thou intend To overcome then hold out to the end For those that overcome the Spirit saith And do his Works continue in the Faith That keep his holy Word his Word of Patience Shall be exalted they shall rule the Nations And he that overcomes the same shall be A Pillar in God's holy Temple he Shall go no more from thence out of the same But Jesus Christ will write on him the Name Of God and of the City that is nam'd The New Jerusalem so greatly fam'd For beauty glory wealth that cometh down From God and out of Heav'n where there are none Can entrance have which doth not overcome Both Sin the World and Satan where 's no room For such for none but them that do prevail Shall cloathed be in white such shall not fail To sit with Christ in glory on his Throne And sing the praise of God the Lord alone And though by fighting none can nothing merit He must orecome that will all things inherit Then now my soul it 's good thou ponder well What is thy work while thou on earth dost dwell Make it thy study how thou maist be found In Faith and Holiness more to abound Behold what beauty is in Christ thy Jesus Him love and prize for he is very precious Solace thy self with love his Love so choice Delight to do his Will to hear his Voice What though in strait and narrow paths he lead He in those paths thy soul doth sweetly feed Thou hast by good experience found and known That in those paths thou walkest not alone But he goes with thee leading by the hand Thee where thou canst not hardly go or stand And makes those strait and narrow wayes to be So pleasant and so easie unto thee That thou canst walk those paths with so much ease That many times they much delight and please Thee so that thou maist say and never cease His wayes are Pleasantness his paths are Peace What though no beauty nor no comliness Be seen in him by wise men ne'retheless Think ne'r the worse of him but love him throughly Though he be black he is exceeding lovely Set thy affections on him so delight In his refreshing Presence day and night That thou communion with him maist maintain And labour in his Fear more of 't to gain Bear thou his Image learn of him to be More humble harmless holy that as he A perfect pattern was so is he still Him follow fully and no doubt he will So entertain thee with such great delights So ravishing thy heart with heav'nly sights Thou wilt be so inflam'd in Love so grow With Heav'n thou 't live no more on Earth below My soul sing praise unto the Lord Declare his mighty Works abroad Praise thou his great and holy Name That men his wondrous Works may know His mighty Acts do thou forth show His Glory Kingdom and his Fame Who though thou wast a poor posthume He kept thee in thy mothers womb And there and then thy life preserv'd He brought thee forth and gave thee breath And oft deliver'd thee from death Though thou hadst nought of him deserv'd When thou hungst on thy mothers breast And on her milk didst richly feast He was thy God and did thee keep He watch'd ore thee and did defend Thee from that fierce infernal Fiend He slumbred not nor did he sleep Thou wast a Child and Parentless Praise thou the Lord his goodness bless He rais'd thee up a faithful Friend That was a Mother unto thee This was his goodness verilie Praise thou the Lord world without end All this the Lord did that he might Open thy eyes and clear thy sight That thou maist understand and see His Goodness Mercy Grace and Truth Which thou beheldst whilst but a youth To him the glory honour be And though thy troubles have been great With which thou hast in this world met They never could make thee to yeeld He never in them thee forsook But on thee did in mercy look And for thee car'd and thee upheld What reason then hast thou to fear Or think he will not for thee care In these thy bonds and captive-state Such good experience thou hast seen Of him from time to time I mean When ere thou wast in any strait What needst thou care for all thy foes There 's none of them but he well knows And knows the way how to prevent Them all from doing thee that harm Which they do threaten when they storm And may be often their intent What though the world against thee rise With tongues of falshood and of lyes In him alone put thou thy trust And though they persecute thee sore And hate thee without cause the more Praise thou the righteous God most just My soul then magnifie the Lord Let all his Saints like praise afford His Praises sing both night and day He hath regard to all the meek He strengthens those that are but weak Let all Saints sing Hallelujah Well now my soul wee 'l leave a while rest And then we will discourse again it 's best I think we should talk next of other matter And forasmuch as it is now the latter Most evil times of which we are forewarn'd By Christ himself 't is good we should be arm'd Against the perils which that time attends Then if the Lord us help and to us lends Assistance we will speak of such a thing As may unto our mind and mem'ry bring What Judgments God intends and hath in store Against that great and Scarlet-coloured Whore And of that glorious blessed holy Day When Christ shall sit upon his Throne for aye Here followeth a brief Discovery Of Romes soul filthy stuff and trumpery Together with the Plagues laid up in store Against the day that God will plague the Whore VVE read in Scripture of a Scarlet Whore That hath opprest the Nations very sore Who with her filthy Cup of Fornication Hath made the people drunk in ev'ry Nation This Harlot sits upon a Scarlet Beast A Beast that
gave And did become his flesh then sure they have Eat up his Body and his Blood did drink If so 't were hard to understand or think How Judas with a kiss could him betray And afterward him carry so away With Swords and Staves before the Judgement-sent Of Pilate after his Disciples eat His body and his blood the night before He was betray'd And also furthermore How could the Jews accuse him if so be They eat him up then could it not be he Besides they did not only him accuse But they did buffet him the wicked Jews With one consent did all against him cry Deliver Barrabas but crucifie This man for we have often heard him speak Against the Temple and against God eke For whosoever speaketh blasphemy We have a Law by which Law he must dy 'T is very strange and wonderful to me How they could hang his body on a Tree And pierce his precious side so with a Spear If he was eat his body was not there Nor could his precious blood be ever shed Upon the Cross if his Disciples did Drink up his Blood when they drank of the Cup 'T was not there shed if they had drunk it up 'T would make one smile to think if this were so How Pilate was deceiv'd he did not know That his disciples did his body eat If Rome say true this was a pretty cheat And then the Jews were also much mistaken When they believ'd for certain they had taken And brought the Man before the Judgement-seat And had the life of that Deceiver great As they him call'd it seems 't was not the same For his disciples eat him ere they came By this it may be seen Rome doth deny That Christ upon the Cross for us did dy Though she enjoins her subjects to adore The wooden Cross such impudence this Whore Hath got that she may make the world believe That when she looks thereon she doth so grieve None like to her to think that ere the Jews Should be so wicked Jesus to abuse And put to death that was so good a man And yet if Rome say true she doth and can Eat up his flesh this makes me wonder more Because she saith his flesh was eat before By what is said one may already spye This Errand Whore can tell an errand lye But further if our Lords Disciples have His body eat their bellyes were his Grave If so no doubt the women likewise much Deceived were when they so early such Great hast did make to see where they had laid His body unto whom the Angels said He is not here but risen from the dead Go tell to his Disciples what is sed And let them know the Grave could not him hold As he before had often them foretold Away they went and told this to the rest But their report they did not in the least Give credit to their words did rather seem To be a tale or some such idle dream But after this as two of them did go To Emmaus but they did not him know Christ on the way they went drew near to them But as I said they did not know 't was him He takes occasion to begin some talk As they together on the way did walk And doth enquire why they were so sad What that communication was they had They answer him Art thou a stranger here That thou this weighty matter dost not hear Concerning Jesus whom they crucifi'd Who was condemn'd and for the people dy'd We trusted that it had been he that should Have now redeemed Israel and would Vpon the third day rise up from the dead And there some women are that have it sed That he is risen and again doth live Which doth astonish us but we can give No credit to them for they have not seen His person though to day they 've early been To look for him where they his body laid Then Christ to this them answered and said Oh fools and slow of heart for to believe What all the Prophets spake won't you receive And from the Prophets he did show that he Accordingly must crucified be And rise again the third day from the dead As all the holy Prophets witnessed But when they drew near to the Village where They were to go Christ made as though he were Not minded farther with these two to go But they constrained him with Reasons so That he went in to tarry there that night He sate at meat and vanish'd out of sight He blest and broke the bread and then they knew That it was he and what he said was true We then conclude his Schollars did not eat His body corp'rally that is a cheat That Rome invented to deceive the blind A thing in Scripture never man did find For this is clear that Jesus Christ was slain Laid in his Grave the third day rose again His real body that was crucifi'd The same was rais'd again as Thomas try'd For he was doubtful of the matter still Would not believe that Christ was risen till To satisfie his doubt Christ condescends So graciously that he his doubt soon ends By saying Thomas feel my sides and hands Which Thomas doth and then amazed stands And saith My Lord my God I now do see 'T is thou thy self no other man but thee Then afterward Christ in the sight of all His 'leven Disciples whom he did forth-call And led them forth as far as Bethany He blessed them and from them straight did fly He did ascend to Heav'n out of their sight Into that glory and transcendant light Where he before with God his Father dwelt And where he ne're such bitter usage felt As here on earth he did from such as those Who for his love became his cruel foes Where now in heav'n his body doth remain And shall until he doth descend again From heav'n to earth to recompence all men As their deeds be done in the body then How can the bread be transubstantiated When by a sottish Priest 't is consecrated His body being now in heav'n above And from that throne will never more remove Until the time appointed by the Father Which will be dreadful unto Rome the rather Because she doth those murder and devour That wil not her adore nor own her power The flesh of Christ she eats she drinks his blood Not that in heav'n ti'nt to be understood But that on earth his members that are here That serve the Lord in spirit faith and fear His body that 's in Haven she cannot eat Although she lyes and faith it is her meat But that she cannot reach that 's one good turn For if she could she would him eat or burn And yet this Whore is still so impudent That of her Whorish trade she won't repent Nor doth she blush but boldly will attest That she 's the Church of Christ I think 't is best For her to say so prov 't she cannot do Unless she prove and that I know is true That she the Synagogue
Earth and she shall be at length A desolation none in her shall dwell But Owls and Satyrs and those Fiends of Hell But now it may be some there are that will be asking When God will these things fulfil My answer is to such It will be then When God shall break the yoke of all those men Of Rome which season is of his appointing Which he will do because of the Anointing For when he sends the Spirit from on high Then will the time begin undoubtedly When all those plagues shall hasten and will come Upon the Scarlet Whore and Pope of Rome But yet before this time may come or be The Lord will make his people all to see How much they have by their unholiness Uncomely walking and unthankfulness Their mis-improvement of rich mercy when God gave them plenty to enjoy and then Their carnal worldly-mindedness that life When they so liv'd in want of love and strife Contention and debates their pride and pleasure They walked in for many days together Their want of love to Christ and zeal that they Have for some time let very much decay Their great indifferency to Heav'nly things Which coldness to Apostasie some brings All which if timely they are not prevented They will not by the Lord be well resented For if they be'nt repented of in truth The Lord all such will spew out of his mouth Besides all these the Lord will have them see Their unbelief and their great lenitie Their diffidence appears now in the sight Of him with whom they have to do whose bright And piercing eye can see and look within Discern and sype out ev'ry secret sin By which things they the lord did much provoke And have as 't were against him done and spoke And yet these things there 's few do lay to heart And fewer do as yet from them depart Few faithfully perform the work of searching And fewer do perform the work of purging There 's few that are in bitterness of soul For their high provocations which so foul So great and many were with which they God Have much provok'd to bring on them a Rod For 't must confessed be that by their sin The Name of God hath much reproached bin Gods people have undoubtedly been such Who have the wicked caused very much Him to blaspheme and his most holy Name Hath by their evils suffer'd much defame These things I say the Lord would have us see That so for them our souls might humbled be And in the sence of them we might abhor And loath our selves and mourn in secret for Those Evils that we ev'ry day commit Against the Lord who notwithstanding yet His Remnant he hath not forsaken so But their oppressors may for certain know When he shall turn his hand on them again And purely purge their dross and take their tin Away and then when he shall wash the filth Of Zions daughter and restore to health Jerusalem by purging of her blood And cleanse her from her filth which like a flood Runs in the midst of her which by chastisement The Lord will do by burning and by judgement For such a spirit will he send I deem By Judgement God will Zion then redeem And when this is accomplished will he Restore their Judges and they then shall be As at the first their Counsellors shall stand As at the first beginning in their Land And then despised Zion shall be nam'd Which lieth in the dust so much defam'd The City of Righteousness Zion she The faithful City then will called be And then Jehovah will create upon The dwelling-place that is in Mount Zion A cloud and smoak on her Assemblies all The shining of a flaming fire which shall Be there by day and likewise so by night Which never shall depart out of her sight Jehovah then will ne'r depart from thence On all the glory shall be a defence But some it's like will yet be asking me Within what year or month this time will be Because they would precisely this time know They would that I to them that time should show Or else prefix the time in which God will Arise against the Whore and her so fill With all those plagues she may for ever be A by-word unto all posteritie To them I answer that the seasons stand In no mans power the times are in the hand of God alone there 's none but he can tell The day nor month no nor the year nor well That is his great prerogative to show The times or seasons day or hour to know But yet before these things accomplish'd be There wil be signs in Heav'n which some my see And likewise on the earth which will fore-run Those plagues wil make Rome quake ere they have don Besides signs of the times which signs the wise Can well discern and do as highly prise But Babylon must fall that 's out of doubt And then there will be such a dreadful rout As never was in any time before Such howling and lamenting of the Whore For all her sorrows shall come in one day Just like a flood that will not stop nor stay Both death and mourning famine also will Pursue her hard and all her borders fill And she shall utterly be burnt with fire Which now she little dreads doth less desire For strong 's the Lord that God which judgeth her Who now will plague her for her sins and for Her cruel usage of his Saints as she Rewarded them she shall rewarded be Then now those Kings that with her have committed Such fornications and that her permitted To reign and rule o're them who with her have Liv'd so deliciously so fine and brave Shall now bewail her and lament her sore When they shall see her burning smoke before Their eyes as they from her afar off stand For fear the torments of her should command Them also they cry oh alas alas See what a mighty great City this was Yet in one hour is her judgement come Her woful fall her dreadful dismal doom The Merchants of the earth shall also weep And mourn for her for they their goods may keep For though they have of Merchandize great store Now none will buy their Merchandize no more Though rich and gallant Merchandize they be As Gold and Silver precious stones as the So Cordial Pearl and Linnen fine and good With Purple Silk and Scarlet and Sweet-Wood Their Ivory Vessels of all sorts and manner With other things wherewith they did adorn her As Vessels of most precious Wood and Brass Of Iron Marble with these things alas As Cinnamon and Odours Oyntments too Sure here 's enough this old Whore to undo But more as Frankinsence and Wine and Oyle See what a great and utter total spoile Will come upon her and her Merchandise And on them all that how believe her lyes Nay yet here 's more her Flower and her Wheat Which she had got her stollen Bread was sweet Her Beasts her Sheep her Chariots her
the Reward his Father hath him paid For that most great and glorious victory He did obtain ore Death when he did dye He overcame and sate down on the Throne With God his Father so shall ev'ry one That overcomes sit down with him and be Plac't in the Throne of Christ by vvhich vve see As God the Father hath his Throne so shall Our blessed Jesus have his Throne an'all From vvhence vve learn that certainly 't is so That Christ sits on a Throne his Father 's tho And so as true and certain also 't is There is another Throne that vvill be his Of vvhich most glorious Throne I am to speak VVhich vvill that other Throne in pieces break That throne I mean the Pope and Beast sits on I do not mean the throne God sits upon And therefore that I might not tedious be I 'le fall upon it straight novv presently A Throne in Scripture vve read of that shall As an Inheritance to Jesus fall It is the promise of the Father he Shall one day sit thereon exalted be To rule the Nations with an Iron Rod This shall be given to him by his God For 't is the Covenant his Father made With him that he as I before have said Should sit and rule upon the Throne for ever Of David dispossest he shall be never When once the throne he doth and shall obtain He then will ever govern rule and reign The Prophet Esay did this truth foresee That Jesus Christ should thus exalted be To us saith he a Child is born a Son Is given unto us there shall upon His shoulders be the Government his Name Shall called be the Wonderful for Fame A Counsellor the mighty God the Prince Of Peace the everlasting Father hence It is his Government shall still encrease For of his Government nor of his Peace There is no end upon the Kingdom and The Throne of David he shall sit his hand Shall hold the Scepter and he Davids Kingdom Will rule and order shall with so much wisdom And shall establish it with Judgement and With Justice too likewise throughout the Land That henceforth and for ever if shall be The zeal of God the Lord of Hosts shall see This done his zeal shall this perform and then Our blessed Lord shall rule and reign and when He sits upon his Throne the Throne of David Then shall the Seed of Abraham be saved If this be truth as doubtless but it is I think there 's few that lives so wicked is Plain Scripture to deny except it be The Pope of Rome that whorish State and he That saith he hath got such a Light within That sheweth what is not and what is sin The first indeed as I before have said The Scriptures by command and threats have laid Aside that no man dares in them to look Nor scarce at I have shewn no other Book The other saith the Scriptures he don't need He hath a Light with which he can both read And see and know what 's good and what is bad And should if he the Scriptures never had These both a crafty subtile trick have got That none may do or say what they think not Agrees with eithers mind or interest But I to heed the Scriptures think it best But to go on this is but by the by Yet I do think and know they must the lye Give to the Scripture that will not believe Or do deny that Christ the Throne shall have That throne of David and his Kingdom sway And that the Nations ever shall obey His Laws and Precepts so his will shall even Be done on earth as now 't is done in Heav'n But that I may this truth yet further clear Which is so precious lovely and so dear To all that wait and long and love to see That Christ alone should thus exalted be See what Jehovah unto David said Who by an Oath a Covenant had made With David That unto his Seed for ever His throne he would establish and would never Break that same Oath that Covenant that Word That is gone forth out of his mouth the Lord Once swore to David by his Holiness That he his Seed for evermore would bless And should endure for ever and his Throne As long at there was either Sun or Moon By Davids seed must needs be understood The seed of Faith for there 's no likelihood That any other seed should keep his throne For after the Messiah came was none Of Davids nat'ral seed that did possess His Throne or Kingdom yet nevertheless The oath God swore to him was that for ever His seed should sit upon his throne and never Be dispossest thereof But now it 's plain His throne is empty til it shall again By Christ be mounted who God wil enthrone And set thereon he is that Seed and none But he and those that he then shall now hath Made one with him through Grace not Works but Both he and they together shall sit down On Davids throne and wear a glorious Crown-Faith We find that Peter in the Acts confirms This exposition fully in plain terms Knowing saith he that God had sworn an Oath Which cannot be a fable but a truth That of the fruit of Davids loyns should be According to the flesh undoubtedlie Christ should be rais'd to sit on Davids Throne This Peter saith I am not then alone If neither he nor I you will believe What wil you then an Angel now receive By whom this exposition likewise shall Confirmed be from Heaven I think then all Wil be content more of this truth to hear There 's some it love though others do it fear The Angel Gabril who from God was sent Unto a City nam'd Naz'reth he went Unto a Virgin ' spoused to a man He named Joseph was the line down ran From David unto him the Virgins name Was Mary unto whom the Angel came And her salute with saying to her Hail Thou highly favour'd blessed woman shal Conceive thy womb shall now bring forth a Son And thou shalt call his Name when he is born JESVS he shall be great and called be The Son of the Most High undoubtedlie God shall to him the throne of David give And on it he shall sit and ever live And ore the House of Jacob ever reign His Kingdom shall for evermore remain For of if there shall never be an end This God to do doth certainly intend If Peter were a man none could afford To Credit yet methinks an Angels word All men should credit out of doubt believe What they do speak from heaven and all receive What they do say as well as part or some For part of this believed is by Rome To wit that Christ was of a virgin born Though they believe God won't on earth his horn Exalt yet he the horn of his Anointed Wil sure lift up for so he hath appointed I here conclude it is a certain truth That Christ shal come and reign here on
the earth For on the Earth once Davids throne was plac'd And on the Earth it now is quite defac'd And on the Earth his throne shall be again Then Christ shall on the Earth both rule â— reign For on the throne of David he shall sit And ore his Kingdom rule and govern it But here by some it may objected be That Christ doth reign now on the earth and he Exalted is already by his Father And shall not rule nor reign on Earth no other Wise than by his Wisdom Strength and Pow'r He rules his Saints and People ev'ry hour And so the World by 's Might and Providence He govern'd hath ere since he went from hence Small sign it is that Christ on Earth doth reign When few his Laws obey and few refrain Him to blaspheme but ready are to evil What ever they are prompt to by the Devil Doth Christ now reign rule amongst those men That swear and curse and drink roar and then Fall out and quarrel fight and kill and whore Of whom the World doth yeild such mighty store That one would think and may conclude ful well That most are rul'd by Lucifer or Hell Can any one think or imagine how Christ should be said to reign on earth when now His people are most times so much oppressed So persecuted and so much distressed That for his sake they 're made a mock and scorn Whose time is now not to rejoice but mourn For what is done to them is done to him He takes it so and so 't will be all them That persecute his Saints shall find it so When he appears though now they won't it know When Saul with Letters went to Damascus To persecute and spoile the Saints then thus Christ said to him when on the way he smites Him to the ground with those bright shining lights That shone about him and all those that went With him no doubt the High-Priest had them sent Him to assist in this great work of darkness To persecute those men that were so faultless That Christ rebukes him as he on the way Did go and as I said did to him say Saul Saul why dost thee thus me persecute To kick against the pricks it is no boot Then Saul astonisht says Lord who art thou I 'm Jesus whom thou persecutest now For what thou dost to them thou dost to me Thou canst not them afflict but I must be Afflicted with them if thou art their fo I feel the stroke the wound is mine also If Jesus Christ will when he comes accuse All them that do his Saints to help refuse VVhen they in prison were or sick or lame Or naked hungry and will them so blame Because they did not cloath or them relieve Nor unto them would any comfort give Nor visit when in Gaol or sick they were And them refuse to succour and to cheat And takes what 's done to them done to himself When he shall say to them that have much wealth Depart you cursed into scorching flames Eternal burnings hound in fiery Chains Of dreadful darkness now and evermore Prepared for the Devil for before When I was sick you did not visit me That is you did not comfort them that be My little ones when they distressed were No help nor no assistance would you spare For as you did to them you did to me Depart then now for ever cursed be If Christ I say shall take these things as done Unto himself they suffer not alone That are his people but he suffer so In them that this I 'de very gladly know How Christ on earth is said to rule and reign VVhen still on Earth he 's crucifi'd and slain When Christ his father David's throne shal mount He shall all evil works call to account The Heathen shall be his Inheritance VVhen he unto his Kingdom shall advance Then he the utmost parts of th' earth shall have And will his poor despised people save VVhen his Dominions shall extended be Through all the earth and eke from sea to sea And from the Rivers to th' ends of the earth This great Dominion is his right and birth For when his Kingdom that we pray for 's come VVhich strongly doth import there is no room Left to conceit he doth already reign And in his Kingdom is for then 't were vain To pray for that which now already is And hath been many hundred years if 't is But two as many now a-dayes do say Let 's tare out then that Pray'r he taught's to pray But when it 's come I was about to tell That all things ev'ry where will go full well For then the Will of God will likewise even Be done on Earth as now 't is done in Heaven There will be then no Ram 'um dam 'um Blades That tare stare fight would with their shades But all his creatures living will him praise Because of those most joyful glorious dayes That Christ shall rule and reign here on the Earth The Scripture plentifully holdeth forth That he that reads impartially may know It is a glorious heav'nly Truth although It is the most esteemed but a fable Yet those that be the born of God are able To see much heav'nly glory in 't they do Receive such comforts from 't and not a few That they are made through Grace nothing to fear What they may suffer for the Glory there But that I may a little further clear This much despised Truth to me so dear And choice and sweet I will some Reason show That Christ the Kingdoms of the Earth shall so Possess as yet he never did but shall One day them have in full possession all First then when Christ shall rule on Earth and reign And Davids Throne shall be set up again There shall be such so great increase of Peace That Quarrels Broils and Wars shall ever cease Then shall there be no envying nor hating No Titles unto this and that debating By Sword and Fire as now is and hath bin And ever will and shall be until then All men shall then so quietly enjoy What they do build and plant none shall anoy Nor them molest they in their habitation Shall then secured be no molestation Nor no disquiet shall e're them come near They shall possess without all kind of fear What is alloted them they 'l be so sure That none shall trouble unto them procure The Nations then though now and heretofore Have learned War they War shall learn no more Of Righteousness there then shall be a stream Shall run through ev'ry street this is no dream Nor fond conceit Justice and Equitie Will flourish then and there no more will be Oppression us'd the cause of him that 's poor Shall not perverted be nor nevermore The Widows cause or Fatherless sha'nt then Be turned back at that time shall no men Hate one another nor no man then shall Imagine ill against his brother all Shall live in such a blessed unity No man
shall do another injury And then that very great antipathy That now between the creatures is shall dy For then the Wolf shall lie down with the Lamb And dwell together sure of this I am The Leopard then shall lie down with the Kid The Calf and Lion young are also rid The one of 's preying nature and the other Can now confide in him as in a brother Nay though the Lion be a Fatling by He 'l not him harm they 'l down together lye So gentle and so tame they will be then A little Child may lead them both and when This time is come the Cow then with the Bear Shall feed their young together lye and there The Lion shall like to an Ox eat straw To prey on flesh he now shall have no maw The deadly great and most destructive nature The Venom which is found now in the creature Their deadly sting shal then be took away When once a sucking-Child shall dare to play On the Asps hole the weaned Child may then Not fear to put his hand upon the den Of that so deadly Cockatrice for there They shal not hurt destroy none shal them fear In Gods most holy Mountain and the Earth Shal filled be with knowledge and with mirth Cover'd with knowledge shal the Earth then be As now we see the Waters do the Sea There 's such a glorious time as this to come Or else the Prophets are mistook not some But all for all of them of this time spoke Foreseeing that there was a heavy yoke That Rome should keep the faithful People in And afterward that cursed Man of Sin Until there come a Rod out of the Stem Of Jesse and a branch spring out of him Out of his Root shall spring that holy Prince That King of kings and Lord of lords from hence It comes that Christ our Lord is said to be Of Davids Off-spring notwithstanding he Is Davids Root and shal possess his Throne In the appointed time as hath been shown But that I might this Truth yet clearer make Then this that follows likewise from me take That Christ shal rule and reign on Earth as King To prove I further do this Reason bring Because the Earth and all that therein is Are by Creation-right all of them his They were made by him and not only so But for him too and then his Right we know It is that one day he should them possess Which were made for him to enjoy and bless With Righteousness with which he 'l judge the poor Reprove the meek with Equity more He with the Rod of 's Wrath wil smite the Earth And slay the wicked also with his breath For Righteousness the girdle of his loins And Faithfulness the girdle of his reins Shall be and then will come that blessed day That he the Root of Jesse will display The Glory of his Rest as on a hill Stand for an Ensign and the Gentiles will Unto it seek his Rest shal glorious be Thrice happy they that shall this Glory see When this is come to pass that Prophecie Spoke by Isaiah will fulfilled be Behold in Righteousness a King shall reign And Princes rule in Judgment shall again As from the wind and tempest which we see A hiding-place a covert there shall be As in a dry and thirsty place and as The shadow of a mighty great Rock is A man shall be as Water Rivers and As such a Rock is in a weary Land The eyes of them that see shall not be dim The ears of them that hear shall hearken then The rash of heart shall knowledge understand Their passions then they shall so well command The tongue of stammerers shall ready be To utter words to talk to speak plainly The Glory of that day shall be so great My pen's too weak that Glory to repeat So great it is my thoughts it doth so fill That here another Reason follow will That Christ shal come the Earth to rule will be Apparant made as 't wil appear for he By right of purchase is become the Lord Of all the Earth and all it doth afford He therefore dy'd reviv'd and rose again That he might this Prerogative obtain To be the Lord both of the quick and dead This may in Pauls Epistle soon be read By his obedience to his Father he Obtained such a glorious dignitie By dying on the Cross that cursed death For which his Father him exalted hath And such a Name hath given unto him Above all names that 's given into them That are in Heav'n in Earth or underneath The Earth to him all which have life and breath At his most glorious Name their knees must bow There 's few but will for truth this sure allow And ev'ry tongue confess that Christ is Lord This Glory they must unto God afford When God the Father rais'd Christ from the grave He then to him this Princely honour gave To sit at his right hand in heav'nly places In recompence of all those foul disgraces That he sustain'd while he was on the Earth Although he was the King thereof by birth So far above all Principalitie All Power Might Dominion Dignity And ev'ry Name that 's nam'd not only whom Is in this world but in that world to come And hath put all things underneath his feet Though all things be'nt subjected to him yet He bore the great iniquities of many Of all indeed he did not leave out any Then with the great a portion he 'l divide And with the strong divide the spoil beside Because he did his soul pour out to death This glory God to Christ now given hath That as the Earth he bought and paid the score That it stood charged with so he 'l restore All things again when he from Heav'n descends To take away what ever in 't offends And then all living shall enjoy and see How glorious Christ's Government will be That which already hinted is well may Give satisfaction unto all if they Be so unbyass'd and be so intent In searching out what all the Prophets meant And Christ and his Apostles for all they Did prophesie and speak of this good day By these and such like sayings as I bring Of which there is a multitude that sing The self-same song as I above have done For sure I am they all with me are one But ne'retheless it still is my intent One Reason more to contribute or hint That Christ shall rule and reign here on the earth Is true because it is his right by birth He Christ the first born is of ev'ry creature And he of all things also is the Maker The first-born is mongst many brethren too The first begotten Son of God and who The brightness of his Fathers glory is The express Image of his person his Gods only Son whom he appointed Heir Of all things that hath been shall be or are In Heav'n above or in the Earth beneath They all are his by birth there 's none that