and tryalls afflictions calamities and miseries under penurie shame and reproach under bonds fetters and chaines under shipwrack death and tortures that their faith might be much more pretious then gould their love then the purest gould their patience answer my commmission concerning patience and that they might prize my deliverie and redemption when I shall deliver and redeeme them from tribulation For I will see them againe their heart shall rejoyce and their joy shall no man take from them I will see you againe This was Josephs charge see my face no more unlesse you bring your yonger brother with you this was the charge of David to Abner thou shalt not see my face unlesse thou bringst with thee Micall Saules daughter This is the charge of the drooping spirits to the watchmen of Israell let us heare your voice no more let us see your face no more unlesse you tell us where we may behold the countenance of our beloved whilst the watchmen saith they see him not Christ saith he will see his own I will see them againe their hearts shall rejoyce and their joy shall no man take from them Have I not looked upon you when no eye beheld you have not I respected you when none respected you when neither Levit nor Priest had compassion on you in the day of your wounds then I healed you by my death blood and righteousnesse I exalted you by my resurrection assention and mediation and I comforted you by my adoption union and justification as my father beheld his Israell in Egyptian tyrannie to give them delivery So I beheld you in bond-slaverie to give you my richest bountie As I have looked upon you being the morning starre that first rose in your hearts so I will shine upon you as the morning sunne that first appeared in your soules For I will see you againe your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you I will see you The face of Esau was deare in the eyes of Jacob he counted it as the face of an Angell the face of Jesus Christ is deare in the sight of the saints they count it more gratious then the countenance of all the Angels was there an acceptation of Jacobs presents a safety of the lambs the children and the aged through Esaus favour and is there not an acceptation of the offerings of the Saints and a deliry from death and destruction by the face and favour of Jesus Christ therefore they are ravished with the joy of my countenance saying O joy of joyes O solace of solaces O consolation of consolations that flowes from me their dearest Lord that brought them when I shall see them againe my countenance will be to them most deare and pretious What sun like me that am the sonne of righteousnesse what starre like me that am the morning starre the starres are darkenesse the sunne is dimnesse the moone is obscurity when I appeare in glory heaven should be no heaven if my countenance should not be in heaven the celestiall places should be a denn of Dragons if I had not beene in the celestiall places If glory be in the soule it is because I am the hope of glory if glory be in the heavenly place it is because I am the prince of glory What beauty hath the firmament without the sunne moone and starrs what ornament hath the earth without grasse hearbs trees and plants or what excellencies hath the soule without my gratious countenance therefore my dearest servants waite for the time of my appearings Is not my countenance more deare to them then the face of Esau was to Jacob sith in the sight thereof there are pleasures for evermore deliverie from the blacke chaines of darkenesse righteousnesse to eternall life hope of the fruition of my felicitie and praises from the beginning of my grace unto eternitie For I will see them againe and their hearts shall rejoyce and their joy no man shall take from them And your hearts shall rejoyce In the day of Tyre it was said of Tyre that she was the fame and glory of the world because her delights were the delights of paradice she walked in the midst of the stones of fire she had every precious stone as the Topaze the the Carbuncle the Saphire the Onix in the day of the Churches glory it may be said of the Church that her delights surpasseth the delights of paradice that she walkes triumphing in the midst of fierie tribulations and that Christ her precious stone is more to her then all pretious stones he that is to her the choysest stone of delightment is to her the streame of rare contentment O what citie like the citie of our God O what streames are like the streames that refresh the citie of our God as the fountaine is only delectable so the streames are absolutely delightfull for my joyes are the joyes of my people my rivers of solace their sole delight and my fountaine surpassing all the fountaines under heaven if they want comfort I make them rejoyce in the robes of purest righteousnesse Isai 61.10 I will greatly reioyce in the Lord my soule shall be ioyfull in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with the robes of righteousnesse as a bridegroome decketh himselfe with ornaments and as a bride adorneth her selfe with her iewels If they want solace I make them to injoy the holy Ghost the comforter John 16.7 Neverthelesse I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I goe away for if I goe not away the comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you If they are clothed with the garments of heavinesse I give to them the oyle of joy gladnesse Isa 61.1 The spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath anoynted me to preach good tydings unto the meeke To appoint unto them that mourne in Sion to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyle of ioy for mourning the garments of praise for the spirit of heavinesse that they might be called the trees of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified And if they are crowned with sorrow and lamentation I cause everlasting joy to spring out of the wells of salvation Isa 12.3 Therefore with ioy shall yee draw water out of the wells of salvation Shall my people hang down their heads like bulrushes lowre like the Hypocrites and wear sackcloth and mourning weeds No I would have my people dwell by my fountaines my waters are not bitter as the waters of Marah I would have mine refresh themselves with my rivers my waters passe the waters of Abanah Pharpar rivers of Damascus Have I not left to them the words of full consolation John 17.13 And now I come to thee and these things I speake in the world that they might have my ioy fulfilled in themselves Have I not removed their feares and perturbations John 14.1 Let not
us for it is written cursed is every one that hangeth upon a tree I saw that you could not stand just in the sight of my Father I gave you another righteousnesse by faith which is in me Phil. 3.9 And being found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnes which is of God by faith Now as you are not the sonnes of death but children of life so you are under the law of life Now as you are not the children of servitude and bondage but the children of liberty and Adoption are under my law of liberty and Adoption Gal. 4.1.2 Now I say that the heire as long as hee is a child differeth nothing from a servant though he is Lord of all but is under Tutours and Governours untill the time appointed of the Father Gal. 5.1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and bee not intangled againe in the yoake of bondage Now are you not children of unbeleefe and diffidence sith I dwell in your hearts by faith which is by me Ephes 3.16.17 That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to bee strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith being rooted and grounded in love Now you are not slaves of hell and wrath but the dearest and choysest ones through my grace and tender compassion therefore you are not under the law but under grace Rom. 6.14 For sinne shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law but under grace Therefore you shall walke as my dearest my choisest and my redeemed as my peculiar my jewels and reconciled Doe I make my branches stately through my union do I make mine fruitfull through my blessed Communion and doe I not make mine subjective through the law of life and benedicton Now they will live the life of faith in me the life of love through me the life of obedience by me I have not given them the rule of mercy and peace to walke contrary to the rule of mercy and peace I have not given them the law of faith to call in question the faithfulnesse of my Fathers love and the pretiousnesse of my dearest blood So I have not given to them the fruits of the Law of life that they should walke as a dead people but that they should live by my fountaines of living waters by my nearest union and richness of communion through spirit of life and Adoption ever triumphing rejoycing and glorying in my law of life by which they are freed from the law of sinne and death according to the text Rom. 8.2 For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath freed them from the law of sinne and death JOHN 16. verse 22. And ye now therefore have sorrow but I will see you againe and your hearts shall rejoyce and your joy no man taketh from you THe sad complaint of Israel was mine eyes runneth down with water because the Comforter is farre from me he that should releeve my soule will not looke upon me my bowels are troubled the enemy hath prevailed over me this is the relation of the Israel of God mine eye powreth downe with waters my comforter is not farre from me hee that will releeve my soule will looke upon me my bowels are refreshed the chariots of hell hath not prevailed against me therefore though I am possest with sorrow because I possesse not what I shall possesse neverthelesse I shall see his face my heart shall rejoyce and my joy shall no man take from mee And ye now therefore have sorrow What the Saints beloved are they not delivered from the power of darkenesse and translated into the kingdome of my deare sonne have they not the spirit of joy and delightfull solace are they not crowned in Sion with everlasting joy upon their heads doe they not rejoyce in the garments of Salvation and perfect robes of righteousnesse Have they not the oyle of joy and gladnesse in stead of the garments of heavinesse and shall they not sing praise for ever and ever more unto mee which am blessed for evermore notwithstanding they are invirond with great sorrow and heavinesse Who lives amongst Tygers Wolves Lyons and Beares if not they who are counted the basest of the creature the vilest of the earth the terror to the sonnes of men and the scumme of the world if not they who encounters with the Devill makes war with the flesh fights against sinne and all evills if not they if the roaring Lyon the devill seeke to devoure them doe they not seeke to me the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah if the flesh doth burthen them say they not with Paul who shall deliver them from the power of death if sin doth defile them do they not desire to be washed in my pretious blood and if the law of terror affright them doe they not fly to the law of life in Christ Jesus mine would sinne no more offend no more but praise me evermore Sith I have made them new creatures formed them according to my Image and made them conformable to my mind and pleasure True it is I imbrace them I love them and I delight in them to dayes everlasting yet my divine pleasure hath been to hide my face for a moment to obscure my selfe for the twinckling of an eye as though I would take my leave or farwel of them notwithstanding I have done it for their consolation to shew my might and power in conservation and my superemenent bounty and love in their beatitude and glorification I that hid my glory I that gave them not a footstep for habitation have given to them my heavenly mantion and though I deprived them of my personall presence yet my blessed presence shall shine upon them in my heavenly Citie What though for a moment they doe not possesse me in the fulnesse of communion in the blessednesse of my beatification in the plenitude of hope and benediction Yet I will see them againe their heart shall rejoyce and their joy shall no man take from them But I will see you againe If I come to mine who am my Churches King of glory I will bring her to the habitation of my heavenly glory if I the loving bridegroome come to my beloved Church and choysest Spouse I will make her glad with my heavenly and gratious countenance I will remove away her teares though thousands her forrowes though infinite and her Lamentations though as the sands upon the sea shore then shee that was wrapt in the dust below shall sing glory and praise to me on high for I that take away all teares will wipe away teares from her face For I will see her againe her heart shall rejoyce and her joy shall no man take from her I will What I will it was my pleasure to excercise mine under tribulations tentations
CHRISTS Gratious Message from the Throne of GRACE To all the Prisoners of HOPE ZACH. 9.11 As for thee also by the blood of thy Covenant I have sent forth thy Prisoners out of the pit where there is no water By TIMOTHIE BATT Physitian Printed in the yeere 1644. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE CHARLES King of Great Brittaine France and Ireland c. AND TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LORDS and COMMONS assembled in the High Court of PARLIAMENT Grace and Peace bee multiplyed from God the Father and from Jesus Christ whom he hath sent SIRS THough it might seeme Ingravity that the Sprouts in Libanus might attinge or touch the tops of the Cedars in Libanus Notwithstanding it is the most princely dignity and the highest honour to the highest Cedars of Libanus to overshadow defend the lowest sprouts Was it honorable in King Agrippa Felix and Festus to lend audience to Paul a chayned Prisoner And will it not bee counted an honorable thing to your Highnesse and to Your Honorable Lords to countenance the Contemplation of your Prisoner concerning the Prisoners of Hope Were the gleanings of Ephraim better then vintage of Abiezer and is not our Contemplation concerning Christs Prisoners more fruitfull then the Vine with its fullest clusters the Starres which are obscured in the presence of the brightest Sunne are profitable in his absence giving their light to the sublunarie travilers Howsoever the light of these our Contemplations for the present may seeme as darkenesse yet if through your Princely favour and your Honours protections these may be allowed they will give a glimmering light to the poorest soule and most distressed spirit It will bee to them as the flowing springs of Solace and as the pleasant influence from the highest starres How will they sing of love because of the Fathers dearest love how will they speake of glory in Christ the prince of glory when they shal understand that they are set free by the blood of his Covenant out of the pit where in there is no water Zach. 9.11 As for thee also by the bloud of my Covenant I have sent forth thy Prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water When they shall finde that their Lord was anoynted to set thē loose out of the Dungeon of death and darkenesse and that hee was the chosen Redeemer to breake the barres of death throw upon the gates of hell and knap in sunder the chaines of the Devill Isa 61.1 2 3. The high and honorable are not ignorant that the greatest prince under heaven and the mightiest Monarch in the sublunarie world are poore prisoners of hope unto Christ mediatour of the covenant King of his bought Redeemed Is the Earth beholding to the watery clouds and the lowest plants to the highest planers are not all Terren earthly Princes beholding to Christ King of Kings and Lord of Lords for ever The Prisoners of hope in this state and Kingdom are almost infinite in number How many thousands lye sicke at the poole of Bethesda how many thousands of mourning and drooping hearts waits for Christs springs of love more then David did for the waters of Bethlehem I might say how many Millions wounded in their consciences bleeding in their bloods lies waiting at this houre before the throne of grace for the sweete and cleare countenance of God the Father therefore they sigh and groane for his assurance through his Adoption of children for his liberty through the Redemption from Eternall bonds for his righteousnes through his presentation glorious and for his joyes and consolation through the law of the Spirit of life and obsignation as they have found under your Highest Noblest and worthiest fauours a gratious defence and loving protection so they doubt not but that two wings and two shadowes will be one wing and one shadow for their prosperity protection Considering that there is such a neerenesse of union between the Princely Head and the Honorable shoulders of this Royall state and Kingdome I with the Prisoners of Hope had neither gold nor silver riches nor treasures pearles nor jewells to present unto His Highnesse or to the Honorable Assembly save these lines of love for acceptation Not doubting but our present will bee as rich as the Queene of Shebaes was in Ierusalem and as Benjamins and Judahs was in the sight of Joseph sith the presenter with the Prisoners of Hope presents nothing else but a present concerning the Love of God the Father the rich treasures and the righteousnesse of Christ Mediator of the joyes love and peace concerning the Spirit of glory our comforter knowing that is not convenient for the meanest to be offensive to the highest and the weakest troublesome unto the Honorable We by generall petition desire and request that His Majesty with your Honours might honour the poorest with your shadow and vindication and we in generall shall bee bound by an everlasting obligation to wish all peace all unity and concord betweene His Majesty and your Honours for ever Oh that the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah would not only crowne the Lyon with strength and fortitude but also honor his poorest Prisoners with peace and sweet tranquility Oh that the King of Kings might shine gloriously upon the head of His Majesty and the Prince of Princes might shine favorably upon the Nobles of this Kingdome Oh that the gratious favour of him that was in the Bush and the deare love of him that was upon the Crosse might compose these differences put an end to these great distractions and make two one in this our Native Country Whilst we thus desire and wish the welfare prosperity and dignity of this State and Kingdome we shall waite for His Highest and Princely acceptation and your noblest and worthiest approbation of this Treatise concerning the Prisoners of Hope sith it is no lesse then the message of the King of Kings unto a King an Ambassage from the Prince of glory unto Princes and a Contemplation of the Throne of grace to all that waits for grace in Israel Therefore silence shall constraine us whilest we wish for the highest glory the richest mercy for the dearest bounty and for the greatest love that flowes from the Thron of grace to fall upō you that your dewes may be more soft then the dewes upon the tender herbs that your light may bee more splenderous then the sun in the Meridian and that the stability firmenesse and glory of this State and Commonwealth may be faster fixed then the celestiall Orbe Amen Amen Amen Then shall the sonnes of Sion sing a song of Melodious the daughters of Jerusalem make a harmony victorious and the poorest Prisoners of Hope shall sit under your shadows most joyous each giving glory praise honour truth and thankesgiving to him that sitts upon the Throne now and for evermore Recording that sentence memorable throughout all ages and generations Apoc. 4. last Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour
that of Abell O ye prisoners of hope weigh consider and ponder whether the Law of sinne and death is like to the law of peace and life hath it revealed redemption to bondmen Adoption to slaves of hell and children of the devill reconciliation to those that shooke and quivered in my presence justification to those that were found unrighteous in my sight sanctification to those who have beene unholy before me and glorification to those that were shut out from the blessed fruition and communion of my Kingdome what mention hath it made of the death of the Lord of life and the incomparablenesse thereof of the blood of my dearely beloved sonne and the richnesse thereof of the crosse of the prince of glory and the conquest thereof If I speake of rest to my restlesse prisoners it is by the Gospel of Adoption If I speake of peace to Captives it is by my word of reconciliation If I speake of grace to them that are bound in the black chaines of darkenesse it is by my message of grace and salvation Is the voyce of my servant Moses like the voyce of my beloved sonne no he was slow of speech my son is swift to deliver my minde of grace to my people he was not eloquent but my beloved he hath the rarest sentences of grace and bounty Aaron his brother spake for him to Pharaoh but my beloved for all in matter of Mediation and to al in the matter of reconciliation hee was unwilling to speake to and for my people but my beloved hath beene willing to speake for my chosen and Adopted John 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me Heb. 5.7 Who in the dayes of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared I gave to Moses the law of terrours to terrifie them that are wilfull sinners the law of horror to smite a horror into them that are incorriggable transgressors of severe equity to pronounce woe and miserie to them that live in sinne and iniquity I have honoured my sonne above my servant Heb. 3.5 6. And Moses verily was faithfull in all his house as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to bee spoken after but Christ as a Sonne over his owne house whose house are we if wee hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firme unto the end Heb. 5.5 So also Christ glorified not himselfe to be made an high Priest but he that said to him thou art my son to day have I begotten thee The Son by eternall generation is above the son by Adoption I thought non worthy in heaven above in the earth below o under the earth worthy to deliver my minde my will my pleasure to my people but him whom I have made king Lord over my people there is none fit ot declare the words of eternall life but the fountaine welspring of life the words of peace Attonement reconciliation but he that by his blood hath purchased peace attonement and reconciliation the words of liberty freedome and redemption but hee that acquired by his death liberty freedome redemption Apoc. 5.9.10 And they sung a new song saying thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred tongue people nation and hath made us unto our God Kings and Priests we shall raigne on the earth The words of protection justification and sanctification by his death blood and righteousnesse sith hee hath protected his justified them through righteousnesse and sanctified them thorough his words John 17.17 hee hath spoken of peace that procured peace John 14.26 But the comforter which is the holy Ghost whom my Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I said unto you Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I it unto you let not your hearts be troubled neither let it be affraid Words of life and victory that obtained life and victory Apoc. 1.18 I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and I have the keyes of hell and death Words of joy and consolation being the pretious river and welspring of consolation John 16.22 And ye now therfore have sorrow but I wil see you again your heart shal rejoyce your joy no man taketh from you Who can speake words of my gratious glorious presence but Jmmanuell my presence who can speak words of life but him that is the spring of eternall life and Lord of life by conquest from the dead or who can speak words of liberty freedom redemption but him that I have appointed to be the deliverer of my people the Doctors have wondered at his sentences the people admired at his gratious speeches the Churches delectation was in the rarenss of his voice Cant. 5. the last His mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether lovely this is my beloved and this is my friend O daughters of Ierusalem If he speake from the throne of my grace and bounty his words are onely grace and bounty If hee speake from the throne of mercy and pitty he speakes nothing but of grace and pitty is it not thus recorded Mat. 12.18 19 20. Behold my servant whom I have chosen my beloved in whom my soule is well pleased I will put my spirit upon him and he shall shew judgement unto the Gentiles he shall not strive nor cry neither shall my man heare his voice in the streets a bruised reede shall hee not breake and smoaking flax shalhe not quench till he send forth judgement unto victory His words are life to the lifelesse grace to the gracelesse pitty to the pittilesse and truth to the hopelesse his words are freedome to the bound health to the sick healing to the wounded binding to the broken and riches to the poorest under heaven The words of Achitophel were like the words of an Oracle But the words of my beloved are Oracles his words surpasseth the words of Solomon he spake of the nature of trees of plants of hearbs and of all sublunarie things from the Cedar in Lebanon to the Hysop upon the walls The words of Christ are of grace of mercy of peace of truth from the highest mercy to the deepest miseries all were happie that might stand at the footsteps of Solomon to heare his wisedome but they are happie that may stand at the feet of Christ to heare the wisedome of Christ the Queene of Sheba came from the South to heare the wisedome of Solomon The Prisoners of Hope departs from the barre of Justice to heare of the riches and glory of Christ Solomon was the wonder and