His Spouse from under the Power of his Death which is the scattering of his People among the Nations and under the rage of Anti-christ who sits in the sides of the NORTH driving his people into the wildernesse of the Nations then will our Lord Iesus after this manner take vengeance of all the Nations among which they have been scattered and bewildred 2. Observation Iesus Christ as He is the Glory of God comes riding in the midst of this whirle-wind cloud and fire He taketh up his Saints also whose Hearts are upright with the Father as his heart is into His Chariot They also though in their flesh they melt away with the servent heat of this fire yet in their Spirituall Man they come riding on upon the Third Heavens together with their King The Lord my God thus comes and all the Saints with thee While a cloud of darknesse covers the whole World you O ye Brethren of the Great King sit in the secret of this Darknesse upon a Thâ—…one of Light you lâ—…e in the midst of this cloud upon a Bed of Love in fellowship with your beloved Iesus Christ While the Tempest tears up this Creation from the very Roots of it you sit within it as above it as ruling it as flying upon the Wings of it you see a new Heaven and a New earth in the midst of it as in a womb from which they together with your selves are ready to spring forth Fear not you O ye meek ones when the storm rageth most violently they are the Swift motions of your Chariot-wheels which now make haste that raise this Storm Fear not you when the starry Roofe of the Kingdome of this World shall drop like melted Lead upon the Heads of the Inhabitants of it when the Foundations of it laid in the Dark parts of the Earth shall be devoured by fire While all this is working you have the firmamen of the third heavens the True Mercy-Seat for a Pavement under your feet 3. Observation When Iesus Christ shall have sufficiently avenged himself of his Enemies then shall the Whirl-wind cloud and fire altogether vanish in a moment as by a Divine Appointment The old heavens and the old earth shall vanish in the midst of this storme Then shall the Lord appear on his Chariot and fill All The bright Wheels with their high and dreadfull Rings full of eyes shall shine out as the New Earth of this visible frame made all of One Precious stone The Living Creatures which draw those wheeles shall sparkle forth as the New Heavens of the Elect and Holy Angels who are burnish'd Brasse in respect to their Naturall Angelicall Glory but flaming Lampes fill'd with the Oyle and fire of the Spirit in respect to their New State in the Kingdom of Christ But above the Heads of these in that Day shall discover themselves the Third heavens which are that firmament that expansion of Divine Glory These Heavens shall be seen onely as a floore or Ground for the Throne the New Ierusalem the city of the Great King Then shall the Heavenly man and the Glorious Trinity standing each in other God and Lamb appear as the Temple in this heavenly Ierusalem In the midst of this Temple are seen all thy Saints O GOD Here they have their Mansions as the Priests and Levits had their Chambers round about in the Temple of old Here they live continually with GOD as Kings and Priests never to go forth more From hence they extend the Line of their Divine Priesthood the Scepter of their Everlasting kingdom all over the New heavens and the New Earth From hence they sow themselves over all things as a seed they grow up out of all things as the fruit of joy glory and immortality O! who is there now among all the Saints that can forbear to cry Blow ye Whirl winds fly ye clouds thou fire make haste and bring my Beloved come thou come quickly Lord Iesus As surely as the Lord liveth and hath of old brought up the Children of Israel out of Egypt so surely will our Lord Iesus thus come and bring his Saints with Him out of the NORTH But why do I say that he shall come thus Ezekiel saith in the last verse of his first chapter that all this is but the Likenesse of the Appearance of the Glory of God As much as Earthly similitudes fall short of heavenly things as much as fleshly shadowes and Types fall short of Spirituall Substances and Truths so much doth all the Glory that can be now exprest or thought fall short of the Glory of the Appearance of our heavenly Bride-groom All former glories shall be remembred no more for ever A new a New glory shall fill thine Eyes thine Eares thy heart O thou the Lambes Bride even such a Glory as thine Eyes never saw any Image of thine Ears never heard any Tydings of thine Heart never took in any Degree of untill that Day Right Honourable I shall not conclude untill I have endeavoured to raise your joyes and your Praises yet higher by setting before you a Double interest which to say no more you seem to have in This comming of the Lord Iesus with his people out of the NORTH One is the interest of this Common-wealth The Other is the interest of this Age and time of the World in which you live 1. Interest Of this Common-wealth in the comming up of the People of GOD out of the NORTH I shall take the Boldnesse here to Propound to you severall considerations which may be all put together the Ground of a Modest Hope to a Sober Christian that the LORD JESUS intends that Honour to this Nation that it shall be said to it first of all the Nations concerning the heavenly Bride-groom that he was born here here he first of all appeared in an Eminent and signall Manner to bring his People up out of a fleshly servitude and Death into a Spirituall Glory and Immortality 1. Consider This is one of the Remotest Parts of the world to the NORTH whether the Rule of Hierusalem and Rome Christ and Anti-christ hath extended it self It is Master Brightmans observation in his Commentary upon the Revelations that Among the Seven Churches of Asia the Sun of Righteousnesse after his withdrawings began to return from that Church which stood most NORTH to make a Spring upon the Earth 2. Consid. I have heard it often observed by Judicious Christians who have travelled over Books Countreys and Spirits of men that no where upon the face of the Earth do there appear to be any Number of hearts Spiritually Acquainted Spiritually conversing with our Lord Iesus in any Degree of Heavenly Purity and Power save in this Poor small spot of Ground This looks as if Christianity and Spirituality were driven hither as to the Outmost Bound of the Habitable World here to make a Stand here to gather Head from hence to re-inforce it self upon
of God in Greek according to the most frequent use of it in the sacred Writings {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifies Iudgement Both together represent the Iudgement of the people of God or the people of God in Iudgement How is this Laodicea interpreted by the Angels that poure the fifth viall upon the Seat of the Beast the sixth viall upon the River Euphrates the Defence of the Great Babylon These Angels are described Rev. 15. ver. 6. The seven Angels came out of the temple having the seven plagues cloathed with white linnen and having their brests girded with golden girdles As the seven Churches had their severall Angels Rev. 1. v. 1. so have severall Dispensations of God to the Saints whether they be at once or in Different seasons Angels are the Ministers of the Divine dispensations as they descend from the Spiritual unto the natural man of a Saint These seven Angels powring forth these vials do upon this account denote seven dispensations or Appearances of JESUS CHRIST coming forth from the secret of the spirit into an outward manifestation through the flesh of the Members of Christ These poure forth the vials of Wrath upon the children of Wrath by the pouring forth of Grace upon their lips as the LORD consumes the Man of sin by the brightnesse of his coming But you have this Laodicea these Angels from the Temple plainly discovered by Daniel 7. 9. The Ancient of Dayes did sit whose garments was white as snow Behold One in the same Raiment with the Angels of the Vials ver. 22. Untill the Ancient of dayes came and judgment was given to the Saints of the most High v 26. The judgment shall sit and THEY shall take away c. Behold the Angels in white Behold the judgment and Judges in Laodicea The Ancient of Dayes coming forth appearing in his Beloved These are his judgment Seat his Iudges This is the sitting of the judgment 2. A Party judged The sixth vial falls upon the River Euphrates which encompasseth Babylon mystery the mother of fornications Waters hold forth a Spirit in which the flesh or letter stands lives and flourisheth as the Earth in the Waters A River is a Spirit either having the power or putting on the form of Light and Purity Under the same Vial is made mention of the false Prophet out of whose mouth an unclean spirit yet a spirit of miracles goes forth See the River which defends the spirituall Egypt and Sodome Is not this false Prophet he who would seem to be the River of Iordan making glad the City of Laodicea with his pleasant stream when he is as the dead Sea in the midst of her who saith I am rich and want nothing and knowes not that he is miserable poor blind and naked This is he who falls in to uphold the Dragon and the Beast who summons all the Kings of the Earth to battell in this common Quarrel against the Saints Is not this that very little horne of which Daniel speaks Dan. 7. vers. 8. There came up another little horne and behold in this horne eyes like the eyes of a man a show of divine Light a plain character of the River Euphrates the false Prophet and a mouth speaking great things that is I am rich and need nothing This little horne had a look more stout then his fellows vers. 20. He makes warre with the Saints vers. 21. He speaks great words against the most High GOD the Father and our LORD JESUS as he is in the most High the most holy place of Spirit and Truth above Flesh above Types he wears out the Saints untill this Iudgement sits ver. 25. This is the party judged 3. The Kingdom sinking is the Seat or Throne as it is in Greek of the Beast filled with Darknesse Revel. 16. vers. 10. The drying up of Euphrates by the Beams of a spirituall Glory vers. 12. The Battel of the great Day of God Almighty against all the Kings of the Earth v. 14. The spuing of the false Prophet out of the mouth of Christ Revel. 3. 16. The Thrones cast down Dan. 7. vers. 9. The Beast slain for the great words which the Horn spake vers. 11. The taking away of his Dominion consuming destroying it unto the end 4. The Kingdom springing is the everlosting dominion given to the Son of man by the Ancient of dayes Dan. 7. vers. 13 14. This everlasting Kingdom is given also to the Saints who must reign together with their Saviour vers. 27 Sweetly harmonious with this is that pleasant melody in the eares of Laodicea At the beginning of the Epistle our glorified Iesus is held forth to be the beginning the Head the Principle of the creation of God the New and Eternall Dominion Revel. 3. vers. 14. At the end of the Epistle He promiseth his Saints that they shall sit with Him in His Throne as He sits down with his Father in his Throne Thus the Ancient of dayes gives the Kingdom to the Son of man The Son of man gives it to his Brethren All Three raign each in other are Thrones and Kings each to other These are the Kings of the East for whom way is made by the drying up of Euphrates Revel. 16. vers. 12. These Kings from the East bring into my minde a place of Ezekiel to which St Iohn seems to relate as pointing at the same Time and Thing It is chap. 43. vers. 2 3. And behold the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the East and his voice was as the voice of many waters the Kings of the East which come with him and the Earth shined with his glory And it was according to the Vision which I saw when I came to destroy the City the vision that I saw by the River Chebar vers. 4. The glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose Prospect is to the East Ezekiel in his first chapter saw the glory of the Lord come from the North with a dreadful tempest He saw it come to destroy the City He saw it remove from the old temple and City of fleshly Administrations Here he sees it come from the East with a most blessed Serenity and Sunshine which cloathes the whole Earth he sees it enter into the New-built Temple to take up Its rest there for ever Remember O Christians to distinguish between these two commings of the LORD Iesus at the end of dayes 1. From the North 2. From the East 1. When your Saviour comes from the North he comes upon his chariot He comes in the glory of the Father with all his holy Angels Thus he comes unto your inward man But he comes flying upon the wings of a VVhirle-winde Ezek. 1. 4. He comes upon wheeles of Fires with a flame of fire issuing forth from him Dan. 7. 9. 10. He comes with rebukes and chastenings Rev. 3. 19. He comes as a thief in the Night covering himself with a
cloud and thick darknesse He comes as a VVarriour to the battell of that great day Revel. 16. v. 14 15. This comming from the North is that houre of temptation upon the Whole Earth which is threatned in the time of the Sixth Church Rev. 3. 10. but fals out in the times of the Seventh Church the fifth and Sixth vials Wo to you Ye Glorious Hypocrites who say you want nothing but indeed are Poor who wear your Garments loosly about you My Heart aketh for you The LORD commeth upon you as a Thief in the Nigh unawares unseen to steal your Party-Coloured coverings from you and dip them in Blood to uncover your Nakednesse and lay open your shame to every Eye Alas for you Ye daughters of Hierusalem You who live under the Sabbath of a Legall Dispensation you who are big with child of the Spirituall Seed but have not yet brought forth That Spirit which is born of the Spirit You who have that Spirituall Seed brought forth in you but still feed it as a Babe with the Milk of carnall Administrations you with whom it is winter whose Spiritual sappe is sunk down into its Root while you sleep My bowels earn and sound within mefor you Ye daughters of Hierusalem How hard will your flight be from before the whirlwind from the NORTH how great will your Amazement be when your Eyes shall behold the Glory of the LORD to depart from off the Temple of Outward Administations on which it hath long stood nay to destroy both this Temple and this Hierusalem As for you whether will you go for comfort when the fiery Wheels of my Saviours Chariot shal be brought over all your fleshly Excellencies and Enjoyments But be of Good cheer These throws this dissolution of the earthly mother shall bring forth a heavenly man-child into the World in which she shall live again and remember her Sorrow no more This comming of your GOD from the NORTH is as Iosephs Rule in the years of Famine as Davids Raign in Bloud It ushers in Benjamin's Glorious Rest Solomons Temple It prepares the way for the Kings of the East 2. I should now speak of the comming from the East But the time is not yet If Master Brightman do not erre in placing Laodicea on this Land I hope I have not done much amisse in fixing on these times that Church the fifth and sixth viall the sitting of the Iudgement in Daniel the comming from the North in Ezekiel in my Text For all these Scriptures seem to me to be manifestly Paralel and Contemporary Blessed are we who have lived to see this Comming of the Glory of God from the NORTH But blessed and happy are they who shall live then when this King of Kings with his Race of Kings shall come from the way of the East to go into the House of his Rest. In the mean time this is thy comfort O thou Sister-Spouse of the Lamb He comes Behold he comes to thee in this stormy night not as a Thief but a Guest a Bridegroom Behold he stands at thy door and knocks by all these loud noises Open the door let him in he will set up his chariot in thine heart he will come into thy spirit he will sup with thee feast with thee upon this glory and Iye with thee all this night Object Perhaps some will say changes and expectations were as great in Luthers time as now Yet what hath the issue of all those things been but desolation Answ. 1. What hath the issue of all those things been Desolations on the Earth but discoveries increases of light upon the Saints even unto this day Luther had this honour to live to see his Doctrine received publickly professed established by many populous Countreys and Cities many great Provinces and Princes in Peace for many years There was peace all his dayes Immediately after his death the saâ—…e or the very next year that fire of War brake forth which hath never been well quencht since that time Answ. 2. Noah was a Preacher of Righteousnesse He prophesied of the Flood 120 years before it came The like figure unto this doth Luther seemâ—… to be He was the Preacher of Iustification only by faith by Christ by the Righteousnesse of God in Christ He prophesied of a deludge of fire while he often witnessed to the World that Antichrist was to be destroyed by the brightnesse of Christs coming This was 1520 or 30 after Christ Compute from thence 120 years the summe will amount to 1640 or 50 which falls upon the present season The Flood came accordingly in the year from the Creation 1656. How near is that year 1656 from Christ Of what Eclipses what dreadfull signes in heaven above in earth below do we hear to come to passe in the years immediately preceding this Tremble O ye Inhabitants of the Earth a flood of fire is coming upon all the World The windows of heaven are already open and begin to rain down streams of fire The springs of the great deep are broken up and send forth their flames Ye meek Ones enter into the Ark which your Saviour and you have been long making ready in your spirits against this day when the flood should come What is this Ark Is it not the chariot of the Lord the appearance of the glory of God of your beloved Iesus in heavenly state within you Go in to this Ark the Lord shall shut you in till the storme be past Go up to this chariot sit quietly there by the side of your Saviour till that cloud break up and show you in glory But it is now time to conclude Is it so Is this then the Age Is this the Land in which our Lord Iesus ascends from the NORTH Doth he now call up the clouds and winds to minister to him Doth he now from hence begin as a Bridegroom to come forth from his Chamber as a Giant or Warriour refresht with wine to run his race unto the ends of the Earth Speak ye Virgins who are not falne asleep Is your Lord on his way Is this the noise Are these the fires flashes of his chariot-wheels You who have eyes exercised on spirituall sights who watch for the Morning tell us Have you seen your Beloved look forth like the morning a sweet light out of a black darknesse Faire as the Moon in his naturall Image the first Creation Pure as the Sun with the essentiall substantiall glory of his spiritual Image Terrible as an Army with Banners The horses and wheels of his chariot are his Army Angels Stars Elements nâ—…w made fighting for him in the newnesse of their courses Himself in his flaming person above the heads of these is the terrible Banner lifted up It is so The Lord is upon his white-horses of divine discoveries He rides on prosperously with his Sword girt upon his thigh Right Honourable Princes Prophets People remember now your dyivg Saviours charge Take heed of surfetting on the comforts or cares of this Life Watch and be sober As Elijah girt himself and run along with Ahabs chariot So gird up the loyns of your minde run along with the chariot of your King If through sloth or sleep you be cast behinde if the Bride-groom enter into his chamber and the door be shut upon him you will be left without in utter darknesse where is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth But woe to those who resist the progresse of his outgoings The wheels of his chariot shall be brought over these the feet of his horses shall tread them in pieces and dogs devour that which is left of them as it was with Iesabel But you which have heard the Lord Iesus plainly saying to you When you were under the figtree of outward dispensations and expectations I saw you run to him call him Master follow him still you shall see greater things then these you shall see the heavens opened Angels descending and ascending upon the heavenly person of Christ discovered as a ladder joyning heaven and earth in which ladder every Rowel is a spiritual a living glory FINIS 1. Cor. 12. 31. Rom. 15 7. Can. 6. 8 Can. 2. 2 Psa. 16. 3 Luke 1 Doctrine Reason 1. Part. 2. Part. 3. Part. Vse 1. Comparison of Scotch Presbytery and Romish Papacy Cautions 1. Agreem. 3. Agreem. 4. Agreem. 5. Agreem. 6. Agreem. 1. Differ 2. Differ 3. Differ Matth. 12. 44. 4. Differ Cant. 7. 11 1â—… Prov. 30. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 7. Psal. 8. 2. 2. Use 1. Question Answer 2. Question Answer 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason Rom. 11. 17 18 Rom. 11. 9. 2 Cor. 3. 13. c. Rom. 11. 12. 3. Question Answer Rev. 11. 8. 1. Anti 2. Antichrist Heb. 6. 4 5 6. Matt. 24. 15. Mark 13. 14. 1 King 11. 9. Pâ—… Num 24. 3 4. Mic. 3 11. Revel. 2. 14. 1 Cor. 10. 8. 3. Quest Ans. Ezek. 1. Rev. 11. 12. and 4. 2. 12. 1. Psal. 8. 10. 1 Sam. 4. 4. Exod. 25 17. Chashmal 2 Cor. 12. 2 Psal. 14â—… Exod. 24. 10. 1 Observat. Ezek. 43. 3. Isa. 14. 13. 2 Observat. Zach. 14. 5. 3 Observat. Ezek. 1. v. 7. v. 13. 2. Rev. 21. 22. 1. Interest 1. Consid. Pergamut hath the NEW name Rev. 2. 17. 2. Consid. 3 Consid. Luâ—…ius A. C. 170. Constantine he Great A. C. 270. born in Brittain of Constantius and Helene daughter to Coil Duke of Colchester Gen. 49. v. 22 23 24 25 26. Deut. 23 v. 13. 14 15 16 17. Gen. 49. v. 1. Deut. 13. 12. 4. Consid 2 Interest Rev. 3. 14. Mat. 24. 19. Object Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Cant. 6. 9.
ENGLAND'S DELIVERANCE From the Northern Presbytery COMPARED With its Deliverance from the Roman Papacy BY PETER STERRY Once Fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge now Preacher to the Right Honorable the Councell of State sitting at WHITE-HALL Printed at Leith by Evan Tyler 1652. To the SUPREME AUTHORITY Of the COMMON-WEALTH of ENGLAND The High Court of PARLIAMENT RIGHT HONORABLE IT may seem strange that in the Thanksgiving on this Day I have exalted the praises of the present season above the head of this Ancient Mercy If I deceive not my self I have not done this to the disadvantage of those old loving kindnesses nor without great Examples Is not this the beaten way of JESUS CHRIST with his Church to make succeeding visits and loves by being a grave to those that have been already to become a Resurrection to them giving them a more Excellent Being in this Relative State and Subordination than they had in their absolutenesse Did John the Baptist encrease his glory by any thing more than by that sweet readinesse to decrease before JESUS CHRIST How do the holy Pen-men in all their Prophesies or Praises frequently make every present subject but as a sight to direct their eye while their spirits fly to this mark the Heavenly glory of CHRIST in this last Appearance which is now from the midst of its Thunders Lightning upon the Earth Right Honourable I hambly intreat your Patience a little further while I present you faithfully with my Sense in the Comparison which I make between the Papacy and Rigid Presbytery I shall do this in three words spoken to three things Forms Persons Principles 1. As to Forms I grant some to be purer than others I allow the Church-form of Presbytery to excell the Papacy as the fairnesse of the Moon doth the darknesse of the Night I allow it to be in the first Rank of the purest outward Forms although not the first of that Rank I believe it the duty of every Christian to follow after the best Forms Yet is there a more excellent way which is that of Love My Brethren our Joseph our Jesus chargeth us not to fall out on the way though we walk in different paths We are Brethren let no outward Forms divide us one from another if they divide us not from CHRIST if they have not in their own nature an enmity to the naturall Image of CHRIST which is Civility Morality or the Heavenly Image which is Spirituality Let us receive one another into the Glory of GOD as CHRIST receiveth us though that Cloathing of the outward Form be not of the same fashion upon all nor on some so well shap'd as on others to the Proportion of the Body which is CHRIST The Lord JESUS hath his Concubines his Queens his Virgins Saints in Remoter Forms Saints in Higher Forms Saints unmarried to any Form who keep themselves single for the immediate embraces of their Love But CHRISTS Dove in all these is One the New Creature in CHRIST the spirituall birth of the Spirit the only One of her Mother that Hierusalem above which is the City compact that Band of Peace that Unity of Saints the Holy Ghost 2. As to Persons Fathers and Brethren of the Presbytery You together with me desire after sit drwn under the shadow feed upon the sweet fruit of the same Apple-tree in the midst of the trees of the Forrest though not of the same Arm and Bough of that Tree I would not in any thing offend you who are in the number of the excellent Ones in which is all CHRIST'S Delight on earth If I grieve you what shall make me glad There are of you who are ready to answer this government of JESUS CHRIST as Peter did CHRIST Thou knowest that I love thee Feed then the sheep feed the Lambs in those fresh Pastures into which He now leads you You who are of another mind appear to me like good old Zachary Though an Angel from Heaven witnesse that the things now come to passe are the very answers to those prayers which your selves put up many years agone yet you cannot believe because the way is not in the ordinary track of your Principles and Expectations Therefore are you struck dumb for a season that you cannot make a good confession of these Appearances of GOD But when the Child shal be born the Glory perfectly brought forth then your selves shal name it John which being interpreted is Grace then shall even your tongues be loosed to praise this Day-spring from on high which hath visited us then shal you acknowledg that this was the gate of heaven though you were not aware of it Now the Lord himself bring it to pass that all you who in your pâ—…st dispensations have been fathers to these present discoveries may suddenly turn your hearts to your children lest he come and for your sakes smite the earth even all flesh with a curse 3. As to Principles The marriage between our Saviour and the Soul is a marriage of Spirits a marriage in one spirit No union with any form makes this Marriage or dissolvs it That which alone stands in enmity to these Heavenly Espousals is union with a strange spirit This strange spirit is the Great Whore Babylon Mother of fornications One of her names is Mystery because she puts her self into all forms from the lowest to the highest from the most outward to the most inward from the darksomest among men to the lightsomest amongst Angels This is the great work of a Saint to watch to watch the Spirit of CHRIST as be makes his removes out of one Appearance into another to watch the spirit of Antichrist as that also shifts its forms Right Honorable For this I have desired in my Preaching in my Prayers to work with GOD even for the opening of the eyes of men to see that the same spirit which lay in the polluted Bed of Papacy may meet them in the perfumed Bed of Presbytery that the fornications and sorceries of this Whore are then greatest when they are most Mysterious that she is able by her sorceries to bewitch those that have attained to a great degree of spirituality as the Galatians To this purpose have I in my Sermon represented the same spirit which dwels in the Papacy when it enters into the Purer form of Presbytery as fuller of mystery so fuller of despight of danger not to make the form or persons but that Principle that spirit unfit to be cherished by any Person in any foâ—…m The Highest Godlinesse and the Highest Wickeanesses are those which are most Spirituall Now O Christians you fight not with Flesh and Blood but Principalities and Powers spirituall wickednesses in Heavenly forms But this is your comfort spirituall wickednesses ascend as high as the Heavens even into Angelical forms but spiritual Godlinesse goes up above all Heavens together with CHRIST into the bosome of the Eternall Spirit from whence it looks down upon the Angels
and all forms as ministring to it In vain is the snare laid before those Doves which have these spirituall eyes and wings In the number of which that you may be ever found is the Prayer of Right Honourable Your Honours most faithfull Servant in CHRIST PETER STERRY ENGLANDS DELIVERANCE FROM THE Northern Presbytery Compared with Its Deliverance from the Roman Papacy JEREMIAH chap 16. v. 14 15. Therefore behold the dayes come saith the Lord that it shall no more be said The Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt But The Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel from the land of the NORTH and from all the Lands whither he had driven them and I will bring them again into the Land that I gave unto their Fathers THe LORD in the Versâ—…s before convinceth the Jewes of the evill of their wayes in Doing worse than their Fathers verse 12. He threatneth for this to cast them out of their own Land into a Land which they knew not verse 13. In these Verses which are my Text that ever-gracious GOD who in the midst of Judgment remembreth Mercy and in the midst of Threatnings delights to drop in Promises provideth a Cordiall for his People to carry with them into the Wildernesse and to preserve them from Fainting in their dispersion He assures them that after He hath scattered them He will gather them together and bring them back again Yea to sweeten their Sufferings with the Expectation of a most Glorious Deliverance He lets them know his purpose of making their bringing up out of Egypt which was made so Glorious by many Miracles and Mighty Wonders to have no Glory in respect to this Glory of the Bringing them up out of the NORTH which should so eminently excell Thus you see my Text to be a Promise expressed by way of comparison between the Last calling home of the People of GOD out of the NORTH and their First coming up out of Egypt Drowning the very Memory and mention of this first mercy in the great and wide Sea of that last loving kindnesse I shall not spend that Time which I would be thrifty of in any larger opening or further dividing of the Words but fall presently upon that Doctrine which I have designed from these words for the Ground-work to my present Discourse The Doctrine is this Doct. It is the way of GOD to make his last Mercies to his people better than the first Reas. I shall give you one Argument from the Scriptures to prove it which Argument shall be a Demonstration of this Truth from the proper Reason of it This Argument is made up of three parts which all three laid together make one full proof 1. Part. The great Design of GOD from the beginning hath been and still is to bring forth JESUS CHRIST the second time into the midst of men in that Spiritual and Heavenly Appearance in which He now sitteth at the Right Hand of the Father Our Saviour signifieth to his Disciples this grand Project of the Father Ioh. 6. verse 62. What and if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before The Weight of the sense in this Scripture lyes upon those two words See Before It is a frequent thing for that which is First in Being Dignity Design to be Last in Discovery That which GOD hath chiefly in Design all along is the Manifestation of CHRIST to men at last in that Divine state in which He was at the first You have the same thing held forth Ioh. 5. 23. It was said in the verse before that All judgment was committed to the Son The reason of it is given in this verse that all men should Honour the Son as they do the Father Behold the Purpose and counsel of GODS Heart why he doth All that he doth why he puts the great and last judgement into the hands of the Son namely that the Son may appear to All Creatures in One Spiritual Eternal Glory with the Father 2. Part. All the Works of GOD are in order to this Design this Discovery of IESUS CHRIST Coloss. 1. v. 16. All things are said to be Created for Christ In what sense is the whole Creation for Christ Is it to make any Real Addition of Blessednesse or Glory to the Person of Christ This cannot be For the Person of Christ was compleat in Glory before any thing was made that was made Nay when our Lord Iesus took flesh and in our Nature ascended was glorified yet then was there no new Glory put upon Iesus Christ For as the humane nature was assumed into the Personality so was it into the Glory of the Son of GOD It was taken up to subsist in one person and shine in one glory with the Divine Nature But how then was the World made for Christ Our Divines answer it by that Distinction of Glorifying GOD essentially and manifestatively We say that all the Creatures Glorifying of GOD is no more than a Manifestation of the Glory of GOD So GOD in the Creation in the conduct and management of the affairs of the Creature from the Beginning to the End aimes at this mark to manifest Iesus Christ at the end of time in that glorious Appearance with which He was cloathed before all times 3. Part. This designe of GOD is his last end the end of all his works When GOD shall have brought forth thâ—…s Judgement this Spiritual Discovery of JESUS CHRIST to perfection to a full victory over all fleshly Appearances then will he cease from all his works and enter into this Discovery as his Rest. When man begins his work his End lyes lowest and least appears but as he goes on and approacheth to the Finishing of his work his End riseth up and makes more clear Discoveries of it self So it is with GOD at the beginning of his works this Designe the Discovery of CHRIST is Little lyes low and hid But as GOD goes on to work and drawes to a consummation of all things this Discovery which was at first as a grain of Mustard-seed hidden in the Earth grows up and spreads its self This Manifestation of CHRIST was at the first Creation as a small spring onely but a living one From the Fall to the Giving of the Law thâ—…s Spring drives along upon the face of the Earth thorow all manner of mixtures a very weak store and strength of Waters From thence it begins to make a channell to it self and to run along in a fair stream At the Incarnation and Ascension of JESUS CHRIST this Stream enlarged it self into a Broad River But our LORD shall come the Second time then shall this River become a great and wide Sea covering the face of the whole Earth Then shall the end be when the first and fleshly discoveries of Christ shall empty themselves into his last and Spirituall Appearance Now if you please to lay together
farre beyond the Papacy my Prayer is that being un-inhabited by the Lord Iesus there be not found the more divels in it besides the re-entry of the first-divel as to his inward principles though in a more specious form 4. Difference The Popish plot by Gun-powder would have taken away our Governours onely and those as they sate on that old seat in that old form of government which had framed those Laws which had shed the blood of so many Saints by Martyrdome which had laid so many bonds upon the Gospel But this Zeal-Plot laid more deeply more dangerously than the Powder-plot even in the hearts of our Brethren which dwelt in the midst of us this aim'd at the Ruine of Governours Government People and all by an Army made up of Highlanders who never knew Christianity or Civility whose rage would have blown up have torn in pieces all before it with a greater fury than that of Gun-powder All this was intended upon this Government as it came forth new washt in the blood of many precious Persons who sought it with the losse of their lives as it was busie in taking away the lives of those lawes which had shed the blood of the Saints and in taking off all bonds from the Gospel that it might runne freely and be glorifyed That former Treason was against an old power founded upon old principles concerning which as once before the destruction of Hierusalem a voice was heard which was the voice of Angels as is supposed saying Let us be gone from hence so the voyce of Good men Good Angels God himself was heard saying Let us be gone But this later Conspiracy was against a new power built upon new principles concerning which if I do not deceive my self and I comfortably hope that I do not deceive my self I have heard in my spirit the voice of Iesus Christ and his Spouse with the Angels attending speaking after this maner one to another Let us make our abode here Let us go forth into these fields to see how the Fig-tree puts forth its green figs and the vine her tender grapes Here will we give one another our loves Thus Right Honourable you have seen your two enemies compared You see how much the later exceeds the former in enmity opportunity design I shall now compare the manner of your deliverances in two things and so conclude this Use 1. In the powder plot all was ready brought within a very few houres of execution the train laid the Match lighted yet all vanished without giving any blow or making any noise In the Scotch plot long and mighty preparations were made a great Army formed every thing brought to maturity and ripe for action the design it self put furre into motion like a Granado shot up and falling into the very midst of us Yet these Preparations Armies Actions scatter in a moment like a Mist The way of the Papacy and of the Presbyterie in both these attempts against us hath been through the Blessing of our God like the way of a serpent upon a stone rising up out of his nest in the Earth sliding back into his first darknesse and leaving no track or impression behind him Secondly The LORD first delivered us from the Romish Papacy by a Child Edward the sixth But this proved like the Flower a fading Mercy When we were relapsed into Popery we were again raised out of it by the Hand of a Woman Queen Elizabeth We had been of late retrived and brought back under the Power of the same Principles cloathing themselves with the New Garment of Presbytery if that our God had not again delivered us by those of the New Modell who were in scorne esteemed as Children in the Eye of flesh who in simplicity behaved themselves as Children to GOD Right Honourable I humbly beseech you whose Hearts Heads Hands as Saints Counsellors Souldiers the LORD Iesus hath made use of to bring great things to passe do not I perswade my self that you do not think it your disparagement but your Glory rather to be accounted as children and women in these Mighty Works as children who have been led all along in the Hand of their Father who have been altogether guided by His Eye as Women who have had a Covering upon your Heads a vaile upon your wisdoms your worths that Iesus Christ alone may be seen as your Head the Power of GOD the Wisdome of GOD to you the Glory upon you If this also prove not a fading mercy as GOD hath founded his Praise and our Peace so will he also perfect it in the Mouths by the Hands of Babes and Sucklings such as shall hang wholly upon the Brests of His Consolations and draw in for nourishment only the sincere and unmixt milk of the Immortall Word But to finish this Use Right Honourable Hath the LORD made former mercies as seed out of which Later Mercies have sprung up as the Ripe fruit O then let our present Praises and Graces be to those of Former Seasons as Ripe fruit to the seed Let them not still be in the Earth of a fleshly Manifestation but let them come up to a Maturity a Spirituality Former mercies stand in the brightnesse of our later mercies as the Moon in the Light of the Sun They have no glory by reason of that Glory which excels If the Holinesse the Rejoycing of your Former Thanksgivings have been as the Moon Legall Litterall let the Holinesse the Ioy of your present Thankâ—…givings shine out as the Sun having an Evangelicall a Spirituall Glory in the face of them Doth our GOD come forth in New wayes to save us and shall we serve him still in the Old way Let us also lay aside the Oldnesse of the Letter and answer him again with the Newnesse of the Spirit Let us sing to him the New song of Moses and the Lamb now that he pipes to us the New Tunes of more Transcendent more spirituall more Heavenly salvations 2. Use A second Exhortation It is the way of the LORD to make his Last Mercies better than the Former The Present Salvations of our GOD in the midst of us have exceeded all that ever were to this day Let us raise up our expectations Let us lift up the Eyes of our Spirits unto Loving kindnesses which shal be yet much more glorious then these which are at this present come down from Heaven upon us in so Glorious a manner If we have seen Great things which we could not have believed now that the LORD hath brought us up out of Egypt what Wonders what Glory shall our eyes behold when the Lord shall bring up his People out of the NORTH For the more clear prosecution of this Use and explication of my intent in it I must propound and answer Four Questions First What is signified by Egypt as to the Iews Secondly What by the NORTH Thirdly what by Egypt to Christians Fourthly What by the NORTH 1. Question What
them as Dust before the wind the Angel of the Lord driving them But these Two times he hath appeared to you as he did to Solomon he hath spoken Peace to you his chosen ones And what hath the LORD spoken to you when he hath spoken Peace even this that his chosen ones return no more to folly that you no more have any thoughts of Going down again into Egypt lest you go a-whoring from the living GOD the Eternall Spirit and forsakethe Guide of this your Youth Right Honourable Balaam was a Prophet he was the man whose eyes were opened who saw the visions of GOD But he prophesied for the hire of a fleshly Interest This Balaam hath assayed from several places to curse the Armies of Israel in the midst of you But no Inchantment hath been against you while you have walked as Iacob a Plain man in the simplicity of the spirit though a supplanter of his brother Edom. There hath been no Divination against you while as Israel Princes with GOD you have wrastled with GOD and so prevailed over your Enemies Right Honourable I do now with bowels tenderly Earning with a heart bleeding over your precious lives and this whole Common-wealth how the Knees of my spirit to the GOD of Israel for you I do earnestly warn and intreat every one of you that as this Balaam hath not been able to hurt you by his open curses so he may not by his close wiles and fair-tongued flatteries draw you to feast on the Moabitish Dainties look on the Moabitish Beauties bow down to the Moabitish Idols of fleshly Excellencies and enjoyments I speak to you as to wise Men Why should you fall for your fornications many thousands of you by the Plague in this wildernesse 3. Question What the Coming up out of the NORTH means Answer You have a full description of this in the Prophesie of Ezekiel As the severall Prophesies in the Revelation have prefixed to them severall Appearances of Iesus Christ as the Mark at which 〈◊〉 Prophesie aimes and as the Scene or Face of things which the predictions in each Prophesie are to usher into the world so Ezekiel in the Beginning of his Book presents us with a vision Dreadfully Glorious in which JESUS CHRIST is discovered as he comes with his people from the NORTH that this vision may be a Light to all the following Prophesies This first Chapter of Ezekiel hath many things to be said of it which are hard to be expressed and much more hard to be understood But I will not trouble you with any of those Mysteries which require senses well exercised on invisible things I shall only set before you severall particulars which offer themselves to every Eye and fall with ease upon every understanding 1. The whole Object which shewes it self to the Prophet is called the Glory of the Lord verse 28. This expression imports as much as the Court of a King where he is in state in Glory The Jewes call this vision the Chariot alluding to that in the Psalmist of GOD riding upon the Cherubim contrary to the figure in the most holy Place where GOD is said to dwell between the Cherubims in respect to the Ark and the Mercy seat which was under the Covering of the Wings of those Angelicall Creatures 2. He who rides in this Chariot is a Man upon a Throne This Man is our LORD JESUS in his Heavenly Man in the Person of a Mediatour The Word Amber is so interpreted by very learned Divines as to represent the Godhead in its Majesty together with the Humanity over-spread by the Bright Beams of the Divine Nature This Man appears also in the full Image of the Ever-Blessed Trinity The fire cloathing him from the Loins upward from the Loins downward shadows out the Father The Image it self the Appearance of a man in the fire represents the Son The Brightnes round about like a Rainbow typifies the Holy Ghost breathed forth from the Father and the Son the Union of both circling them in as in Mutuall Embraces verse 26. and 27. 3. This man hath a firmament under his Feet Behold here the Pavement of the Chariot if I may so speak This firmament is the third heavens where Iesus Christ is where Paradise is whither Saint Paul was rapt These are the Lords own Heavens which the Lord bowes and upon which He descends when he comes down according to the Prophet This is that Pavement which the Elders of Israel saw under the Feet of the God of Israel That was represented by Saphyre so is this here vers. 26. 4. Four living Creatures stand under this firmament and draw this Chariot verse 26. They sparkled like burnisht brasse verse 7. They were as burning coals of fire and as Lamps verse 13. See here the horses in the coach which are the Elect Angels the second heavens the holy Powers and high Principles or Principalities in the secret of the Invisible part of this Creation These have their Proper forms as Angels verse 4. They have all one common form of a Man verse 5. which is the Divine Image of our glorified Saviour in which everyone of them possesseth his own distinct-image to shew them to be the Angels of Iesus Christ Such is the Majesty of God riding upon the Cherubims as his horses who have the heavenly image of their glorious Rider himself as trappings cover them all over 5. The wheels to this Chariot are the visible Part of this Creation as it is restored and made new by Iesus Christ The word translated wheeles signifies very properly globes round globes such as the round world of these Heavens and Earth which our eyes behold 6. One Divine life acts this whole piece of Glory from the Man upon the Firmament to the wheeles which stand by the Living Creatures That fire which is a Robe of Glory upon the Man verse 27. That is the spirit of Life which goes up and down in the midst of the living Creatures verse 13. This Spirit of the Living Creatures is in the wheeles also enlivening and acting them ver. 20. 7. This flaming Chariot comes forth from the midst of a whirl-wind and a great cloud and a fire v. 4. 8. This sweeping Devouring Tempest comes from the NORTH v. 4. These are the Particular Notes upon this chapter which I have collected out of it unto this End to found upon these Notes three Observations 1. Observation When the Lord brings his People out of the NORTH he comes in a tempest of a whirle-wind a Great cloud and of fire He comes to bring Desolation upon the Holy city the Hierusalem which now is He comes as a whirl-wind to shake dreadfully the whole Earth He comes in a cloud to bring Darknesse Trouble Confusion upon the Spirits of all Mankinde He comes as a fire to burne upon all flesh till he have quite consumed it When He ariseth to raise
the Nations Let me add to this that the Power of our Dear Saviours Death so far as ever I could know or learn lyes with so much Sense of it with such Gaspings under it upon no Spirits which at this Day live in Flesh as upon the Spirits of English Christians though alas upon too too few of them Now our Lord foretels us that Where the Carkasse is thither will the Eagles be gathered together Matthow 24. 28. Where the most considerable Part of the Body of our Lord Iesus shall lye most eminently moulded into a fellowship with him in his most Precious Death there upon that flesh will the Heavenly Appearances the Divine powers the Immortall Glories of the Holy-Ghost who is represented by Seven Spirits for the variety of His Powers and Appearances first and most Eminently alight as Eagles upon the Carkasse 3 Consideration The Dispensations of God in Spirituall Priviledges have been Peculiar to this Nation in many things as to a Beloved a First-born Childe The First King that became Christian raigned in this Land The First Emperour by whom Jesus Christ with his Saints came up out of the fires of Heathenish Persecutions and appeared upon the Throne came from hence was born here Wickliffe that day-breake of Evangel call Light from whom the First Glympses of Truth and Christ appeared to the World lying in the deepest Night of Anti-christian Darknesse He dawned from this Quarter of the Heavens He was borne an Englishman lived fruitfully died Peaceably in London From him did the Gospel shine forth upon the Bohemians and so upon that Blessed pair of Martyrs Hierom and Huâ—… who prophesied of Luther the Morning starr I cannot passe over in silence that Darling of Iesus Christ's Edward the sixth a Childe a King a Saint all three in one He as a forward Plant though nipt in the Bud yet was a Declaration that Spring and Summer were coming But how in these last times have the People of God in the midst of this Land been as his Ioseph among the Nations Ioseph hath been despised by his brethren divided from his brethren as an Ambitious dreameâ—… Yet Ioseph hath been like a fruitfull bough by a well whose branches have run over the Wall for the Good-will of him who dwelt in the bush Ioseph is that bush which burnes with fire yet hath not been consumed The Archers sorely grieve him and shoot at him and hate him But his how abideth in strength his armes are made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Iacob From thence shall be the shepherd the stone of Israel the blessing upon his head unto the bounds of the Everlasting hils His Glory is as the firstling of his bullock his horns as the horns of an Unicorne with them he shall push the People together to the end of the Earth If the blessings on the Tribes be Types of the last dayes the dayes of the Messiah I hope I have not done amisse in transferring the things of Ioseph as a Figure to the Present state of the Church in this Land I formerly shewed you O my fellow-members whose Lot is fallen in this Age and Iland your face in the Glasse of Davids Story These two seem to me Paralel figures of your selves Both were drawn out of the Pit to be Princes Both ruled in the midst of Domestick Forrain Reproaches and Ruines Both were blessed with the Precious things of Heaven of Earth of Sun and Moon Grace and Nature Flesh and Spirit Yet both died in the Land of Egypt in a state of Trouble Both are happily succeeded by the Fulnesse of Peace and Glory David by Solomon Ioseph by Benjamin brought forth by the death of his mother the Hierusalem below but the Son of the right hand of his heavenly Fathers righteousnesse Power and Majesty of whom Moses sings The beloved of the Lord shal dwel in safety by him the Lord shal cover him all the day long he shal dwel between his shoulders 4. Consid. I have received from the Mouth of a Gentleman of understanding and integrity in his Testimony a Discourse which himself had from one of the most Learned among the Iews at Venice as I remember that A generall Tradition divides the Prophesies of the old Testament into unfixed fixed The fixed are such as be determined to some certain Place In the number of the fixed Prophesies is that of Isaiah chap. 24. and 13 14 15 16. When thus it shall be in the midst of the Land among the People there shall be as the shaking of an Olive Tree as the Gleaning of Grapes when the vintage is done They shall lift up their voice they shall sing for the Majesty of the Lord they shall cry aloud from the SEA Wherefore glorifie ye the Lord in the fires the Name of the Lord God of Israel in the ILES of the Sea From the UTTERMOST Parts of the Earth have we heard Songs Glory to the Righteous The place said he on which this Prophesie is fixed by the constant Reception of the Rabbins is this I le of Great Brittain I cannot but lay to these verses before cited another verse out of the same chapter verse 21. And it shall come to passe in that day that the Lord shall punish the Hoast of the High Ones on high and the Kings of the Earth on the earth Of a truth he that peruseth this whole chapter and compares it with the first of Ezekiel will finde Both to speak of the same season and affaire with this Difference Isay is full in Desoribing the storm Brief in the Glory Ezekiel spends one verse onely on the storm all the chapter besides on the Glory I appeal to those hearts who have a Spirituall Eye opened in them how farre they see the Letter in both those chapters answered by the life of the Letter acting it self forth on this land how much they discover of Glory wrapt up in a storm and ready to issue forth from it as lightning from a cloud 2. Interest of the Present times in the coming of the children of GOD out of the NORTH I shall here humbly offer to you three prophetick Scriptures which seem to be contemporary and joyntly to have their Proper influences on these dayes 1. The First Scripture is Dan. 7. ver. 9 10. and verse 22 and verse 26. The End of the Fourth Empire is here described in the vision and in the Interpretation 2. The second Scripture is Rev. 3. v. 14 c. The Epistle to the seventh Church 3. The last Scripture is Rev. 16. 10 13. The Opening of the fifth and sixth Seal These three Scriptures manifestly agree in Foure things 1. A Party Iudging 2. A Party Iudged 3. A Kingdom sinking 4. A Kingdom springing 1. A Party Iudging Laodicea the Name of the seventh Church made by Master Brightman a Type of England is compounded of two words {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifies the People