to be buried with him in the true Baptism Rom. 6. 1 2. and so a fellowship into the new life cometh to be witnessed where there is one Faith one Lord and one Baptism and so one God and Father of them all and so they are kept in that Church which is the pillar and ground of Truth Ephes 4. 4 5 6 7. 2 Tim. 2. 19. 1 Tim. 3. 15. Mat. 11. 28. Christ calleth all that are weary and heavy laden to come unto him and he will give them rest And therefore obey the light and come out from your sins take up the cross and deny your wills and forsake your iniquities and touch not the unclean thing and he will receive you and take heed you do not reject the counsel of the Lord God who desires to bring you to salvation for the vision is but for an appointed time and the Lords Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man The tenth Epistle To all Drunkards Swearers Vsurers Extortioners Adulterers and all unclean Persons shewing the heavy Wrath of the living God burneth like fire against such evil Persons and the terrible day of Vengeance is at hand And these are to warn them that they speedily repent before their hearts come to be ript up and laid naked before the mighty and terrible GOD who doth regard no mans Person in Judgement but every one shall receive according to the things done in his Body whether they be good or evil THe Light that discovers sin is Christ and when any evil is committed Gods witness in the conscience is disturbed the just seed lyeth oppressed and then the soul lieth under the wrath of God and who can dwell in his Displeasure And the many sad Judgements that have befallen persons in that condition of drunkenness I think should deter persons from that accursed beastly sin which maketh men that they are like unto the swine as you may see in 2 Sam. 13. 28. Now had Absalom commanded his servants saying Mark now when Amnons heart is merry with wine and when I say unto you Smite Amnon kill him fear not Another president you may see in 1 King 16. 8 9 10. In the six and twentieth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah and reigned two years And his servant Zimri captain of half his chariots conspired against him as he was in Tirzah drinking till he was drunk in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah And Zimri came and smote him and killed him in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his stead Holofernes being drunk was slain by Judith Noah being drunk his sons mocked him he became a scorn to his Children Lot being drunk committed incest with his two Daughters Benhadad being drunk you may see what a sad loss he came to and how he was discomfited 1 King 20. 16 20 34. David made Vriah drunk and then sent Letters to Joab to have him set in the front of the Battle that he might be slain We ought not to keep company with Drunkards Prov. 23. 20 21. The wo of the Lord of hosts the God of Israel is pronounced against Drunkards Isa 5. 11. VVo vnto them that rise up early to follow Drunkenness and to them that continue until night till the wine doth inflame them for they regard not the work of the Lord neither consider the works of his hands Many more Texts of Scripture might be quoted and many Examples of Gods Judgements against such sinners to my own knowledge as some that have fallen into wells and been drowned some into the Thames some have broke their Necks off their horses some their Legs their Arms sides wasting their pretious time that God hath put into their hands to get wisdom and also ruining their wives and children in wasting and consuming their Estates for a Drunken man is fit to do any wickedness to act any ungodliness and this sad sin is many times committed by peoples drinking of Healths the Devil stealeth upon them and if he can get them to drink Healths he hath them safe enough for of whomsoever a man is overcome his servant he is to whom he is overcome whether it be of sin unto death or of obedience unto Righteousness so he that is overcome by sin is the devils slave And verily my soul doth mourn in secret and my heart doth bleed within me and sorrow doth over-whelm me for some of my dearly beloved Friends that are overtaken by Satans snares in this way of sinning and therefore my desire is to them from the Lord that they would mind the light of Christ in their Consciences which is Gods witness for himself and it will either excuse or accuse acquit or condemne and this being silently and patiently waited in will teach the denying the drinking of healths and will be a means to keep out of this beastly sin that makes persons like Beasts and defaces the Image of God and defiles his Temple and such if they do not speedily repent the Lord will destroy them for he that defiles the Temple of God him will God destroy And your Bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost And next to this is Swearers for because of Oaths the Land mourneth and The curse shall enter into the house of the Swearer and consume it even with the beams and timber thereof And what a company of sad creatures there is that will swear any thing for advantage in buying and selling in their ordinary course of trading in the world between man and man how for six pence many times they will sell their Faith O let such fear and tremble and repent for without heavenly Jerusalem are all swearers drunkards and all Lyers who have their portion in the lake that burneth with fire and Brimstone And the sin of accustoming a mans self to swearing is reproved Eccles 23. 9. to 24. 17. 14. and Christ Jesus gave this command to all that then were and should be Swear not at all saith Christ and all Controversies may be ended without swearing if the Magistrates would come to the line of true judgement and be guided by the witness of God in them And therefore dear Friends leave off this wicked custome of vain swearing for it neither profiteth the speaker nor hearer but serveth the Devil and bringeth everlasting destruction to the soul And there is a great and most abominable sin committed in and by many that they eat up Gods people like bread they devour them by Extortion and Usury but such must not come to the holy Hill of Sion VVo to them that get fields and houses by violence and oppression and devour the Fatherless and the widdow They are far from the commands of Christ which saith Lend looking for nothing again it is a sin forbidden amongst the Jews Exod. 20. 17. 22. 25. Lev. 25. 35 36 37. Deut. 5. 21. Neh. 5. 1. to 14. Psal 15. 1 5.
at the door of your hearts knocking let him in remember what Christ said to Jerusalem Jerusalem O Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not But her calamity came of a sudden and so let her be an Example for you speedily to repent and put away the evil of your doings cease to do evil and learn to do well for fear the wrath of the Lord destroy you for the time was when all the Kings of the earth would not have believed that the Adversary should have entered the gates of Jerusalem and all the inhabitants of the world would not have believed that the Enemy should have entered the gates of Jerusalem for the sins of her Prophets and of her Priests which were full of iniquity as the Priests of England are who have shed the blood of the Just in the midst of her And therefore wo wo to thee O England if thou dost not speedily repent and put away the evil of thy doings for the Lord desireth not the death of a sinner but that he may live Therefore turn ye turn ye for why will you die O house of Israel And come to be within the promise of the Elect of God for the Lord loveth his saints and he preserveth the faithful and mercy shall embrace them on every side For he is nigh to them that are of a broken heart and he saveth them that are of a contrite spirit therefore blessed are the people whose God is the Lord the people who he hath chosen for his own inheritance for the eye of the Lord is over them to preserve them and to keep them in all their wayes and to preserve them in famine and thousands shall fall before them and the plague shall not come neer them for the destroying Angels shall pass over their heads Therefore all dear hearts fear the living GOD who is a God of power and he is dreadful to all the workers of iniquity but a God of love and joy and consolation to all those that fear him and that delight in his Commandments to do them Therefore fear the living God and wait upon him that you may finde pure wisdom flow in upon you from on high For every good and perfect gift cometh down from above from the Father of lights who doth powerfully manifest himself unto his Babes and Children and doth flow from heaven with fresh discoveries of his love unto his belved Ones that they can say feelingly Their beloved is their and they are his and he draws them by the cords of everlasting love that they are refreshed at the well-spring of life And therefore return return forsake your idol-shepherds and embrace Christ which is the Light for he is the true Shepherd and Bishop of your souls in whom the sure mercies of David are enjoyed and the glory of Israel is witnessed even the free Covenant of light in which the true Prophets did stand who is the Rock of Ages and is the Light of the World and is perfect Righteousness and they that are in him are righte us by his Righteousness for he hath for ever perfected all those that are sanctified and he commandeth his to be holy as he is holy and pure as he is pure and Be ye perfect saith Christ as your Father which is in heaven is perfect and the Cross of Christ is the mighty power of God unto salvation unto every one that believeth And by this saith Christ shall you appear to be my Disciples by taking up the cross dayly and following me and Gods witness in every man will shew him the Cross of Christ what it is for that will shew all those that are faithful to it what is the will of God in every thing for it is that pure Thing of God in man that never did consent to sin nor never will but shews man all that ever he did and so we may say with the woman Come see a man that hath told me all that ever I have done Is not this the Christ said she And so dear Hearts this is your true Teacher Emmanuel God with us and the Lord is a strong Towet the Righteous fly unto it and are safe and they are hid in that invisible life which is in God and they know the life of God and they walk in his dayly presence and the arm of his strength is revealed dayly unto them which bringeth salvation And therefore come off from all your Idol shepherds and from all your false Forms of worship unto the Lord who is bringing his people off from the barren Mountains where they have fed upon husks and chaff and he is become their â—…cher himself and he will feed them with the finest of the Wheat and they shall drink of the well-spring of Life and never thirst again and they shall finde that one day in his Courts is better then a thousand elsewhere Now the Priests must know That an old Mass-house is not the Courts of God for the Church of Christ is the Pillar and Ground of Truth and as many as were baptized were baptized into Christ and They that are in Christ are new creatures old things are passed away all things are become new and Your Bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost and him that defiles the Temple of God him will God destroy And so dear Friends and Brethren and Sisters and Fathers and all You that do fear the Lord Take heed how you hear and take heed whom you hear for I do see dangerous seducers and deceivers abroad in the world besides the Priests even such as the Apostle Peter speaketh of that even would beguile the saints out of their simplicity if they could even as the serpent beguiled Eve such as have eyes full of adultery beguiling unstable souls hearts exercised with covetous practises having forsaken the right way and gone astray following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor which loved the wages of unrighteousness these are wells without water clouds that are carried with a tempest to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever For when they speak great swelling words in the Name of the Lord they allure through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonness those who were clean escaped from them who live in Errour while they promise them Liberty 〈…〉 themselves are the servants of corruption for of whom 〈…〉 overcome of the same is he brought in bondage for 〈…〉 they have escaped the pollutions of the world through 〈…〉 knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are 〈…〉 intangled therein and over-come the latter end is 〈…〉 with them then the beginning For it had been better 〈…〉 yhem not to have known the way of righteousness then after 〈…〉 have know it to turn from the holy commandment deli 〈…〉 ed unto them but it is happened unto them according to 〈…〉 true Proverb 〈…〉 dog is turned to his own vomit againâ—◠〈…〉 sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire And amongst the 〈…〉 other so called that saith he was born in Holland â—…t he is the dangerousest person that ever I read of or heard of next unto that grand Apostate Spira and I fear he had more Brethren I shall do my endeavour to finde them out and then publish them to the world that all men may take notice of them And my Advice now unto you from the Loâ—… is That you all dear Hearts wait low in the counsel of the LORD GOD and when you have got into the simplicity of Christ stay in it and abide in it and wait in the power and strength of GOD that you may be kept out of the wiles and suggestions of the roaring Enemy who stirreth up Enemies without and Enemies within and all to keep your Crown from you Put on therefore dearly beloved in the Lord the whole armour of God that you may be more then Conquerours through Christ that loveth you even as Paul was and learn the wisdom which is from above which is pure peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits be humble meek lowly be broken-hearred be contrite-spirited let patience possess your souls For ye were as sheep going astray but ye are now returned to the Saviour and Bishop of your souls Christ Jesus Unto his keeping I commit you To whom be given everlasting Praises Honour and all holy Hallelujahs to Him that liveth for ever and for evermore world without end The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all Those that set Their Faces toward Sion and seek it with their Soâ—… sire To which my Soul saith AMEN FINIS Deut. 13. Chap. 18. 2 Pet. 2. Baal
Christ as is before shewed who are in the life which are onely such that have the seed of God raised in their own particulars and alwayes obey it in the power thereof such are not under the power of the Law but under Grace and the Spirit of the Lord Jesus which dwelleth in them hath made them free from the Law of sin and of death and they and they onely are Christs because they are led by the Spirit of Christ and all others let their forms be Episcopal Presbytery Independents Anabaptists or whatever all their Worship is but will-Worship and their eatings and drinkings and washings and preachings and singings and hearings are all but the Sacrifice of Fools being all will Worship the inventions of mens hands out of the life and power of the truth as it is in Jesus and therefore is before the Lord but as the cutting off a dogs neck being a blind zeal without knowledge for I know upon what ground they all stand having run through all these Forms and could never finde rest for the sole of my feet in them neither can any find true peace until they come to lie down in the Father worshipping him in Spirit and in Truth being holy in all manner of conversation for unto such it is become natural to do the will of their Father on Earth as it is done in Heaven And therefore I do dearly exhort you all men and women to whom this shall come to keep close to the pure seed of God in you for that is your true Teacher and follow it and it will shew you the Father and the Son and if you obey this Doctrine you shall know that it is of God and lend not your ears at any time or place unto the Tempter but crush the Serpent in the first motions of sin and then they turn upon his own accompt and not upon thine for it is no sin to be tempted but the sin is to yeild for when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Therefore break the Cockatrice Egg before it be hatched that it may never come to be a Serpent and resist the devil and he will flee from you and turn in the minde to the pure light and wait in it that preserved you may all be out of that sin and evil that would defile you for this pure Principle of God in you will not consent at any time to sin but will check and reprove for it and if its motions be obeyed it will keep you all single and unspotted of the world and so you shall be found worthy to follow the Lamb in this the day of his power wherein he is risen to make War with the Beast and false Prophet And therefore it doth concern every one continually to watch and to have their loines girt about with the preparation of the Gospel of Truth that is with Jesus the Word by whom all things were made who is in all his Babes and Children that are born again and those that have his commandments and keepeth them dwelleth in him and he in them and this Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world shall have the Victory and blessed and thrice happy are all they that can come to witness sensibly in their own particular him rising in them that are truly fighting under his Bannâ—… against sin the world and the devil and feel a dayly conquering of sin that die dayly as Paul saith unto sin that they may be made alive unto God and as David saith that hateth the very appearance of evil And the onely way to this is to keep low in ones self and to wait in the cool of the day turning in to the light and in it wait and put on the whole Armour of God that you may be preserved at all times out of the snares of Satan for this will let you see sensibly the Tree that bringeth forth corrupt fruit to be cut down in you and a new plant raised which will bring forth its fruit in due season to the glory of the Lord who alone is worthy of all glory and honour and everlasting praises for ever and for ever And therefore all Friends keep in the pure fear and wisdom of the Lord that at all times you may be ordered by it to do all things to his glory at all times and in all places that you may be a good savour unto all men you have to do withal and let your souls truly pant and thirst after the living God as the hart panteth after the water-brooks for your Redeemer is neer you if you refuse him not the Word is nigh thee even in thy heart and in thy mouth and the kingdom of heaven is within you as is plainly shewed in this Treatise and if Satan be in his first motions resisted you shall plainly see him pass away as the shadows pass away and the dew when the Sun ariseth And therefore keep in the pure fear and wisdom of God that with it you may be ordered and guided in all things to do them to his glory and so you shall sensibly witness the seed of God in you all to reign that will trample Satan under feet and then shall the saints rejoyce and they shall witness pure and holy rejoycings with songs of Triumph and Praises with Glory Glory Glory and everlasting Praises to their Father which is in heaven who is worthy We have had great stirs in the Nation of late years by Souldiers and great Words and good Language have they spoken that they would do much for Christ and the setling of his Kingdom which they do not know and the protecting of his people whose Life is in it being in Righteousness Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost which is a hard thing for a Souldier that kills men for mony houses lands and goods ever to witness until with Zacheus he restore to him that he hath robbed by forged cavilation and to the debtor his pledge But the whole Nation is sensible if they be not wilfully blind of the backsliding and Apostatizing of the Army and how in all changes they have sought themselves and not the things of God it is like they have forgot that Text Joh. 18. 16. My kingdom saith Christ is not of this world and Paul saith Rom. 14. 17. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink nor yet Arms and Armies but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost which Souldiers and Armies usually destroy and confound and therefore Christs Souldiers must have onely the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God which leadeth them into all the truth and peace and condemneth the very practices of this Army that hath so often changed and sworn and engaged with hands lifted up to heaven and yet broke all as fast as made them to the sadding of the hearts of all their faithful friends to the strengthning of the hands of their enemies and