the Fruits of Death whereon he feeds and is in some sort satisfied for he dares not approach unto the Tree of Life because the Angel of the Lord's Presence standeth with the flaming sword ready lifted up even the righteous Law which still layes hold on him when at any time he approaches near unto the Tree of Life this cuts him down so that he at all Times remains in Death and feeds upon the Fruits thereof this is the true State and Condition of the first Adam who hath lost himself and is fallen from God his Maker But now the second Adam whom the Lord is creating and whom he hath created even after his own Image in Righteousness and true Holiness who was and is the first born among many Brethren even Christ the Son of the living God who puts an End to Transgression and destroyes Sin and sayes O Death I will be thy Death and fulfills the Royal Law in all things and passeth through the flaming sword for the Fire cannot touch him but he has free Access to the Tree of Life and feeds plentifully upon the Fruit thereof and so lives forever and nothing will satisfie him but the very Life it self And this is the true Condition of the second Adam who is the true Heir of all things Now he that comes to have this Babe begotten in him that which hath begot him will bring him forth for shall I bring to the Birth and not bring forth saith the Lord now he that comes to be born of this Birth and to have his Life to stand in this he shall with this come to eat of the Tree of Life for this is he that shall enter in at the streight Gate into the City whose Builder is God Therefore if thou feelest any thing in thee which stirs and moves in thee against sin and against the very Appearance of Evil there lies the seed out of which this Babe is formed and therefore as it is as yet but weak as in Appearance to thee thou oughtest to be tender over it even more tender then the Mother that is newly conceived is over the tender Fruit of her Womb and beware of bruising of it and of smothering of it for a small thing will offend it and choak it but as thou art tender over it and with Carefulness dost cherish it and come to take Delight in it thou wilt find it to grow daily and encrease in thee from strength to strength but thou must beware that thou dost not at any time lay any Burden upon it whereby it may be offended for if thou dost thou wilt come into Condemnation for the same and thou wilt come to suffer Loss in thy self which Loss will not easily be regained for thou wilt find Deadness and Barrenness to arise up in thee and the Dread and Terror of the Lord will take hold daily upon thee until the Lord hath executed his Vengeance upon that which hath oppressed his seed for thou must assuredly come to know a day of Vengeance in thee to light upon the Head of the Transgressor and a Night of sâ—rrow before thou canst know the day of Joy and Gladness Therefore if thou wilt give up freely to let the Seed of God go free to serve the Lord its God in Truth and Righteousness and wait in Patience to see the Oppressor judged and condemned in thee and to see the Vengeance of the Lord to be laid upon the Head of the Transgressor and so to become one with that which judgeth and executes the fierce Wrath and Indignation of the Lord upon that which oppresseth the righteous Seed in thee Now if thou become one with the Lord in this and give up thy self willingly in Obedience to him then a short Work will the Lord make in the Earth and thou shalt come to see him whom thy Soul loveth who now doth but spring up in thee as a Lilly among Thorns but when he comes to be brought forth he will be the fairest amongst ten thousand and this is Christ in thee the Hope of Glory and thou wilt come to live in him and he in thee and so thou wilt come to live in the Life that was before Sin was and before Transgression was and shall be when Sin and Transgression is destroyed and shall be no more and then thou wilt come to witness old things to be done away and all things to become new a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness and thou wilt come to witness God's Will to be done in thy Body of Earth as it is in Heaven and his Kingdom in thee to be come and established and his Power made known in thee to the destroying of the Power of Sin and Satan and his Glory to be made known in thee to the setting forth of his eternal Praise in the midst of all his Enemies and this is declared by many who are faithful Witnesses of it according to the Measure which the Lord hath freely been pleased to give and bestow upon them and this do they witness to be an eternal Truth according as the Spirit of the Lord God of Truth hath revealed it unto them for they never received from Man neither by Man but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ who leads into the Path of Light and Life all that are willing and obedient to follow him now these things are deep and hidden Mysteries to them that yet remain in Darkness but if thou canst but read the Scriptures singly without adding thereunto thy own or any other Mans Imaginations they testifie of him that hath the Life in him and they declare how the two Births have been brought forth in all Ages which Births came from the two Seeds even the Seed of the Promise and the Seed of the Serpent and between these two Seeds there is an everlasting Enmity placed so that they can never be reconciled one to the other but still arise one to destroy the other but at last the Seed of the Woman must and will get the Victory for that must come to bruise the Seed of the Serpent's head although the other bruise his Heel for a short Space now see the Seed of the Serpent brought forth by the first Birth in Cain how the Enmity comes to work in him so that he came as it were to murder Abel the second Birth which was brought forth of the Seed of the Promise and wherefore was it but because the Sacrifice that was offered up by the promised Seed was accepted and his the Seed of the Serpent was not therefore Cain the first Birth who as in Reference to his outward Birth after the Flesh was therein his Brother but yet he being ruled by the contray Seed to Abel the Enmity caused him to rise up and to murder innocent Abel and then he became a Fugitive and a Vagabond upon Earth all his Dayes not having an Habitation in God although he builded a City and call'd it by his Son's Name so here
THE REDEMPTION OF THE Seed of God At Hand Declaring the Return of the True Church out of the Wilderness into her former State of GLORY RICHARD MOORE Thâ—â— sâ—â—â—â— the Lord Keep ye Judgment and dâ— Justâ—â—e for my Salvation is near to come and my Righteousness to be revealed Isa 56. Printed in the Year 1677. A TESTIMONY Concerning RICHARD MOOR THE Author of this Book being a faithful Servant of the Lord and zealous for the Truth who laboured and travailed in the Work of the Ministry both in England and beyond Sea and was in Barbadoes when he wrote this little Book which was some Years since and because the Press hath been fully supplyed with other Things there was not an Oportunity to print it but knowing it was his great Desire it should be published and having now a fit Oportunity I was willing to answer what his Mind then was He came to London to visit Friends in the 11th Moneth and there fell sick and on the 13th Day of the same Moneth he dyed in Peace and thus much is signified concerning him by one who truly loved him for the Truth 's sake E. H. London the 14th of the 9th Mon 1676. TO THE READER WHoever thou art that readest this ensuing Treatise if thou findest any Thing in it which doth appear strange unto thee in the reading thereof be not troubled thereat but stand still in the Coolness of thy Spirit and turn in to the Measure of the Light of God which shineth forth clearly in thy own Conscience and there thou wilt see it openly made manifest unto thee but if thou readest it in the Power of thy own Will and therein standest expecting to receive Benefit thereby thou wilt find nothing but Deadness and barrenness for the Appearance of God and his Eternal Truth hath at all Times and Seasons been contrary to Man's VVill for it is now as it wâ—s in the Days of Old it comes not by the VVill of Man but holy Men speak as they are moved by the Spirit of God and as it was in former Ages so it is now in this our Day for he that departeth from Iniquity maketh himâ—elf a Prey unto this Generation of Evil-doers who set themselves in Perverseness against the Lord and have hardened their Hearts and stiffned their Necks against the Appearance of the Lord and of his Eternal Truth and he is come to be a Cross to the VVill of all Flesh for if the Things of God came according to the will of Man then the VVorld would receive them but seeing it crosseth Man's VVill therefore the VVorld hates it and calls it Foolishness and Madness and cryes out that them that are given up to follow it are Deceivers and are deluded and bewitched R. M. THE CONTENTS I. THe Return of the True Church out of the Barren Wilderness into her former State and Glory II. The Destruction of Babylon the Mystery of Iniquity and the Mother of Harlots and the Abominations of the whole Earth III. A Revelation of the Man of Sin and Death wherein he is separated from the Man of Righteousness and Life which two Men are of two several Births which Births proceed from the two Seeds which two Seeds are herein manifested and declared the one to be the Seed of God and the other the Seed of the Serpent whose Head is now to be bruised IV. A Word of Love unto the Sons and Daughters of Sion and a Hand held forth unto them who are yet in Egypt's Captivity and to them who are yet in the Desert Wilderness A True Manifestation of the Church's Return out of the Barren VVilderness where She hath remained since the Dayes of the Apostles which Church is the true Spouse the Lamb 's VVise Also the Speedy Downfal of Babylon the Mother of Harlots declared c. NOW is the appointed Time come wherein the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob is risen and arising to manifest himself unto his People and to make himself known to those that have long waited for this the Day of his Appearance unto whom the Son of his Righteousness is arising with healing in his Wings and now is the great Jehovâ—h appearing in his Dread and in his Power to the establishing of his Covenant unto â—braham and to his Seed forever and he is now gathering his Elect from the four Quarters of the Earth and redeeming the Seed of Jacob out of their Captivity and the Outcast of Israel from under their Yoak of Bondage Therefore prepare thee to meet thy God O Israel for behold he is come and coming in Ten Thousand of his Saints and who may abide the Day of his Appearance for the Eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful Kingdom and he will destroy it from off the Face of the Earth saving that he will not utterly destroy the House of Jacob for behold he sitteth upon a white Throne before whose Face the Heavens and also the Earth shall fly away and their Place shall be no more found at all his Eyes are as a Flame of Fire and on his Head are many Crowns and he hath a Name written that no man knows but himself is clothed with a Vesture dipped in Blood and his Name is called The word of God and out of his Mouth goeth a sharp Sword wherewith he doth smite the Nations and he treadeth the Wine-press of the Fierceness and Wrath of the Almighty God and he hath on his Vesture and on his Thigh a Name written KING of KINGS LORD of LORDS and in his Hands is all the Power of the Earth and also of the Heavens for behold he makes all things new old things must pass away for the Dragon having had Possession for so many Dayes even many Generations of the old Heaven and also of the old Earth which I say the subtile Dragon having gotten the Dominion thereof he by his Filthiness defiled it so that the true Virgin could no longer remain therein but was driven forth of it and was banished into the mourning and desolate Wilderness a place prepared her of God for so many Dayes and her Heir which she had brought forth which is to rule the Nations with his Iron Rod hath been caught up from her to God and so the Dragon hath had the Dominion of the true Virgin 's Territories since the Dayes of the Apostles and hath made War with the Seed of the Virgin and as it were overcome them and in her Dominion he hath placed the great Whore the Mother of Harlots and she hath corrupted the Earth and also the Heavens wherein the true Virgin was placed before she fled into the Wilderness the Whore having poluted them with the Filth of her Fornication for her Superscription is Mystery-Babylon the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the whole Earth And the Nations which the true Virgin 's Heir should have ruled they have all been the Seat of this great VVhore and she hath
come and the Glory of the Lord is risen and arising upon her and though the Darkness doth cover the Earth and the gross Darkness the People yet the Lord shall arise upon her and his Glory shall be seen upon her and the Gentiles shall come to her Light and Kings to the Brightness of her rising and she shall awake and put on her Strength and her beautiful Garments shall be put on for henceforth there shall no more come into her the Uncircumcised nor the Unclean therefore cleanse your Hands ye Sinners and purifie your Hearts ye double-minded that you may be accepted in this the Day of the Lord 's lâ—rge Love and Mercies that is so largely held forth and proffered unto you to invite you that you might not partake of the Plagues of BABYLON which shall speedily come upon her at unawares in an Hour when you least think of it shall Desolation and Destruction come upon her and upon all them that are found in her partaking with her of her Sins O therefore as you tender the Eternal Welfare of your precious Souls which ought to be counted as dear and as precious in your Sight as any Man's Soul that ever lived on the Earth for they are precious in the Sight of the Lord therefore prize them and this the Day of your Visitation for you know not how soon the dark Night may overtake you and you may be sealed up in the Pit of utter Darkness and no Means afforded you whereby you may be redeemed into the Light again therefore consider of these Things while you have Time and Space and come forth of Babylon and touch no more of her Uncleanness lest you perish eternally with her in your Stubbornness and gain saying the VVitness of God in your own Consciences which dâ—th stand a true VVitness against you in these things and let not the long Forbearance of so merciful a God whose Spirit hath for a long time striven with you and still rises up to condemn you in your own Hearts for your evil Deeds I say let not his long Forbearance harden your Hearts against the Day of Slaughter because his Judgments are not speedily executed upon you for verily his Spirit shall not alwayes strive with Man but at last you will provoke his VVrath cause it to be kindled against you his fierce Indignation will break forth of a sudden upon you and Horror Dread and Terror will take hold on all such ungodly VVretches which do Despight to his Spirit of Grace which hath long striven with them in their own Hearts and Consciences and have turned it into Lasciviousness and VVantonness and put the Day of the Lord their God afar off from them yet let all such know that he is nigh unto every one of them to smite them in their own Hearts and in their own Consciences for disobeying of his righteous Law and just Command which he hath clearly made known unto them for what may be known of God is made manifest in thee for he hath shewed it unto thee O Man And though there hath been a long time of Darkness Ignorance whereat the Lord hath winked but now since the true Light hath shined in all Hearts so manifestly so that none can plead Ignorance after they once come to be acquainted therewith now doth he command all Men every where to repent he that shall deny to obey his Commands shall be left without Excuse in the Sight of God and in the Sight of his Witness which shineth in his own Conscience for the Commands of God are not grievous but they that love him keep his Commandments and meditate upon his Law Day and Night for their whole Delight standeth in walking in his Statutes The Man of Sin Death separated from the Man of Righteousness and Life wherein the first mâ—n Adam is manifested to be of the Earth earthly and the second Man Adam to be from Heaven heavenly THou that hast any Longings or Breathings after the Lord God that made thee and formed thee in the Womb who stretched forth the Heavens as a Curtain and by whom the Foundations of the Earth were laid and thou that hast any Thing in thee that is oppressed by the unrighteous Power and groans under the Burden of Oppression and desires to be set at Liberty even into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God arise out of thy dark Slumbers for the Night is far spent and the dawning of the Day of the Lord God of Power is come and the everlasting Son of Righteousness is risen and arising even Christ Jesus the eternal Son of God the Son of the everlasting Day who is the true Light of the World and hath enlightned every Man and Woman that cometh into the World with a Measure of his true Light which Light shineth in the Consciences of all the Sons and Daughters of Men and this is the Light that lets thee to see the Thoughts of thy own Heart For he that formed the Mountains and created the Winds he declareth unto Man his Thoughts and the secret Intents of his Heart whether they be good or evil and this the Lord hath placed in thee to bear a true and faithful Testimony for him against every Appearance of Evil is God's Gift unto thee which Gift is perfect and without Sin for it is a true Measure of his Son Christ Jesus which hath enlightned every Man and Woman this did never at any Time consent to the speaking of any evil Word or the acting of any unrighteous Action by thee or any other of the Sons or Daughters of Man but hath and doth at all Times stand a Witness for the Lord God of Life and hath at all Times been the Condemner of the Transgressor and the Worker of Iniquity in thee and them Now fallen Man being Darkness it self having no Means whereby to discern his own Thoughts yet this Light hath shined in the Darkness but the Darkness could not comprehend it therefore hast thou and all Mankind for a long time walked in Darkness and thy Deeds have been the Deeds of Darkness and thou art become a Stranger to God and to his Wayes of Light and Life by Reason whereof thou lovest Darkness rather then Light because thou lovest thy own Will thy evil Deeds which proceed from thence whereby the Heritage of God in thee hath beenlaid waste his Righteous Seed oppressed and trampled under Foot in thee by the Power of Unrighteousness through thee but now after his long Forbearance and after many gentle Admonitions which he hath held forth to the Rebellious Sons and Daughters of Men after all this is he appearing to make himself known and now are the Cries of the Oppressed entred into the Ears of the Lord God of Sabbath and he is now jealous for his Seed's sake which hath long suffered under the Burden of Oppression and he is now manifesting himself in this his great Day to plead with all Flesh
in the Valley of Judgment and he will Overturn Overturn Overturn till he comes to reign whose Right it is for long hath the Powers of Darkness reigned in all Mankind whose Right it was not but now Christ Jesus making himself known who is the true Light of the World and he is arising to reign whose Right it is Therefore come into the Moderation and seriously consider in thy own Heart how thy Condition standeth before the Lord thy God if thou were immediately called to an Account before him for thy Deeds done in the Body whether good or evil and come but with an honest Heart to the Light of Christ Jesus in thy own Conscience and that will let thee and all the Sons and Daughters of men see how your Condition standeth in the Presence of your God for be thou assured that if the VVitness of God in thy own Conscience condemns thee for thy evil Words and Actions God from whence the Witness came is greater and will not any wayes justifie thee therein but if thou give up to be guided by his Light in the Singleness of thy Heart then thou wilt come into the Beginning of the Creation of God and see his Work dayly manifested in thee and thou wilt come to see the Sword of the Lord God of Jacob to cut down to destroy the Transgressor at all times in thee and thou wilt come to see that nature in thee that would stand up to take the Sword to kill or destroy thy Fellow-creatures or oppress or defraud any by the Unrighteous Power thou wilt come to see that Nature to perish by the Sword of the Lord in thee which Sword is the Word of the Lord which is a Discerner of the Thoughts of the Heart and divides between the precious Thoughts and the vile therefore as thou tenders thy own Soul come to that Sword and bring all thy Thoughts unto it and in the Light thou wilt come to see a nature in thee that hath a long time led thy Soul captive under the Captivity of Sin and Satan and thou wilt come to see that nature carried away captive by the power of Christ Jesus even into the Land of Forgetfulness for he is now risen in this his Day to lead Captivity captive and to set free from all Oppression and now is the Day of his plenteous Redemption come and his Salvation will he make known unto the Ends of the Earth and will redeem all them that come to walk in his Light and that obey and follow it in all his motions and that contentedly come to take up the Cross daily to their own wills and so in Singleness follow Christ the Light them will he redeem from under the Power of Sin and the Devil who is the Author thereof and from the World and all its inticing Lusts and as they give up wholely to be guided by the Light and to take up their Cross daily which crosseth the carnal will and so come to deny themselves and to follow Christ who saith I am the Light of the World whosoever followeth me shall not abide in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life and he that comes into this comes into the true Faith which purifies the Heart and they come to receive Christ and to as many as receive him to them Power is given to be the Sons of God and so such come to know what the Seed in them is and what it is to have the tender Babe of Grace formed in them and what it is to be born of God and so such do not commit Sin for they have the Seed of God remaining in them for that which is born of God cannot commit Sin for the Prince of this VVorld hath no part in this new Creature who is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Now thou that art born after the Flesh and art in the first Nature thou art a Stranger to this new Birth which is born of God and thou art ready with Nicodemus to cry out Can a man ente rnto his Mother's Womb again when he is old or shall there any thing be brought forth by God whilst man liveth upon Earth to be made manifest to be without Sin So thou art altogether ignorant of the wonderful works of the Lord for the God of the world having blinded the Eyes and darkned the Minds of all that live in the old nature so that they therein cannot please the Lord their God but their delight is in the works of Darkness whereof the Devil is the Prince and they love the world and the Glory thereof and so the Love of the Father is not in them but now if thou dost but come to believe in the Light and into true Obedience to it in tender Simplicity thou wilt come into the spiritual warfare and to march under the Banner of CHRIST who is the eternal CAPTAIN of our Salvation and thou wilt come to see the Battle fought in Heaven between the Lamb and the Dragon even in God's Kingdom which comes not by observations to say lo here it is or lo there it is for his Kingdom is within thee and there the Battle of the great God is to be fought between Christ the Prince of Peace and the old Dragon the Prince of darkness Now as Christ the Lamb of God comes to take away the Sins of the World and to lead his Souldiers forth he arms them with the whole Armour of Light in Patience Meekness Humility Chastity Soberness and Gentleness Love and Tenderness contented in the Will of God tosuffer all things with Cheerfulness so it may tend to his Glory Now these are they which are to make War in Righteousness against the Principalities and Powers of Darkness in high Places at whose Appearance all flesh shall tremble and all Hearts shall be astonished for Fearfulness shall surprise the Hypocrites Now as Christ appears prepar'd to battle and hath armed his Souldiers with those Weapons afore-mentioned so likewise the Dragon he arms his Souldiers with his Armour which is the whole Armour of Darkness which consists in Hatred and Malice Envy and Persecution Pride Hastiness and High-mindedness Oppression and Tyranny Covetousness and Drunkenness Lying and Swearing Defrauding and Deceit Wantonness and Whoredoms and many other wicked Weapons which the Light will make manifest to them that abide faithful in it Now let every one in particular come to a honest search in your own Hearts and examine your selves without Deceit and see whose Banner you are marching under and whose Armour you wear for it is but vain for any man to deceive himself any longer for look whose Armour thou bearest his Souldier thou art and his Wages thou must look to receive for if thou livest in Sin and Wickedness thou art a Servant to Sin and the Wages of Sin thou must expect to receive and the Wages of Sin is Death therefore it were good for thee to ponder the thing wisely lest thou bring thy Destruction upon thy self
nâ—t but go unto my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God your God and Mary Magdalen came and told the Disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had spoken these things unto her and now the Seed of the Woman was raised up mightily to bruise the Serpent's Head He afterwards appâ—ared unto his Disciples at sundry times and Places bidding them to go and preach the Gospel to all Nations he told them that he would be with them to the End of the World and commanded them to go to Jerusalem and there to wait till they should receive Power from on high even the Holy Ghost the Comforter which he had promised to them before and he told them that after the Holy Ghost was come upon them They should be Witnesses unto him both in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost Parts of the Earth which accordingly came to pass when they were met together with one accord on the Day of Pentecost for there suddenly came a Sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty Wind and it filled all the House where they were sitting and there appeared upon them cloven Tongues as of Fire and sate upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other Tongues as the Spirit gave them Utterance and there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews devout men out of every Nation under Heaven and now when this was noised abroad the Multitude came together and were confounded because that every man heard them speak in his own Language and they were all amazed and marvailed saying one to another Behold are not all these that speak Galileans and how hear we every man in our own Tongue wherein we were born we do hear them speak in our own Tongues the Wonderful Works of God and they were all amazed and in doubt saying one to another what meaneth this Now the Seed of the Woman was raised up in many of these devout men and the Serpent's Head came to be bruised but yet there were others in whom the Seed of the Serpent ruled which caused them to mock and to say These men are full of New Wine but Peter was raised up amongst them by the Power of the Almighty to declare unto them the Eternal Truth of God whereby the Serpent's Head came to be bruised in many and the Seed of God to be raised up even in three thousand whose Souls were then converted and the Seed of the Woman still prevailed more and more and the Apostles went on in the Dread and in the Authority of the Lord declaring unto the Nations what tho Lord had made manifest in them even by the Operation of his Powerful Spirit they turned People from Darkness to Light and from the Power of the Serpent even Satan to the Power of God which was Christ in them the Hope of Glory and they told People that Christ was in them except they were Reprobates yet they met with strong Oppositions even within them and without them which arose from the Seed of the Serpent but yet they witnessed the Cross of Christ to be the Power of God to Salvation Now do but behold how suddenly the Seed of the Serpent came to be destroyed in Paul even by the Seed of the Woman who bruised his Head who being a violent Persecuter came suddenly to be convinced even by the Voice of Christ Jesus the Light of the World which Light shined round about him and he became Blind to what he had formerly seen and that Eye which formerly was blinded came to be opened and that Eye which formerly had been opened came to be shut and the Scales fell from off them and that Tongue that had formerly been drunk came to sound forth the Praises of the Lord in the Declaration of his glorious Gospel and not only Paul but whole Nations came to be converted unto God to be turned from Darkness unto the Light of the glorious Gospel and the Sound of God's mighty Day went through all the Earth this was a good Day wherein Christ warn'd his Disciples that they should work but yet this Day was to be darkned for Christ told them That the Night should come wherein no man could work for he saw that the Seed of the Serpent yet lodged in many of them who then professed him therefore he gave his Disciples Warning of them and told them by what Signs they should know them which were That they should come in Sheeps Clothing a fair outward Shew but inwardly ravened from the Nature of the Sheep and the Wolfish Nature should lodge in them which would make a Prey of the Sheep and continually seek to devour them and this Nature did arise from the Seed of the Serpent which lodged in the Hearts of many and came afterwards to work in a Mystery even in the Mystery of Iniquity and this was the man of Sin which sate in the Temple of God as God and exercised himself above all that is called God which was then vailed and not known except unto a few to whom the Man of Sin came to be revealed and the Everlasting Day of the Lord came to be known and they came to give forth their Testimony from the Seed of God which was raised up in them that the Ends of the World were come upon them and that the latter times were come whereof Christ had fore-warned them wherein Antichrist should come and that he was then in their Dayes come and that there were many Antichrists then gone forth into the world which Antichrists made up the one great Antichrist in Process of time and they declared that the Mystery of Iniquity did then in their Dayes begin to work and that the Form of Godliness should come to be followed and the Power of Godliness to be denyed And the Apostle exhorted the Thessalonians Not to be troubled neither by Word nor by Spirit nor by Letter as from us that the Day of Christ is at Hand So he declared that there should be a Night for else he had not spoken of a Day to be at hand which Night was then drawing on therefore he advised the afore-said Thessalonians Not to let any man deceive them by any Means as concerning the Day of the Lord for that Day should not come except there came a Night or a Falling away first that the Man of Sin might be revealed the Son of Perdition which Man was conceived from the Seed of the Serpent who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God even the God of the world who blindeth the eye of the mind of many And the Apostle declared unto the fore-mentioned People that the Mystery of Iniquity did already work only he who now letteth would let until he were taken out of the
of the Earth there hath been against them and what stocking stoning knocking down in their publick Assemblies haling before Magistrates whipping and sending to the Bridewels and what long Imprisonments have been suffered by many and by some even to the Death who have thereunto been committed by the power of the Earth and hast thou not heard of what those People have suffered in New-England by the great red Dragon who is risen in those People who once fled out of Old-England even for Fear of that which they now exercise in a far greater measure upon those whom the Lord hath sent amongst them to declare the Appearance of his mighty Day unto them who in their time in Old-England should have born their Testimony against the Bishops Prelates and Priests and have stood in the Cross to that in their own Walls which caused them to flee from the Sufferings and so from the Cross which should have crucified that Nature which they carried with them out of Old-England even that which is now risen in them which causes them to exercise such grievous Tortures upon the Bodies of those whom the Lord hath sent amongst them even imprisoning and whipping casting into Dungeons and nasty Holes beating with Ropes until their Flesh became as Gelly whereby they are given to such a hardness of Heart that they have exceeded all Nations under the Sun in Tyranny the very Turks themselves have stood more in the Fear and Dread of the Lord then they for they continually thirst after Blood who after they have cut off the Ears of the Lord's People which no Nation under the Heavens except themselves did dare to do yet they not thinking that sufficient have since drunk two more larger Draughts then then ever yet was drunk by any in this our Age of innocent Blood whose Righteous Lives will stand as a Brand of Infamy upon them and their Generation to all Eternity and when the Lord makes Inquisition for Blood that will not be forgotten Now hast thou heard that at any time these People ever plotted or contrived any way or means whereby to defend themselves by the Arm of flesh or that they have risen or were defended by the Powers of the Earth at any time but at all times the Powers of the Earth stood against them and opposed them and yet dost thou not see that these People have dayly encreased and how many are dayly gathered unto them and how they dayly learn to bear the Reproaches of Moab and the Revilings of the Children of Ammon and are contented to bear and suffer all with Patience so that in their suffering they may glorifie God and therein become more then Conquerers by the Power of Christ who is risen in them and is become the Captain of their Salvation Now whoever thou art that readest consider seriously in thy own Heart for here thou seest the Division that is made between them that fear the Lord them that fear him not if thou canst with a single Eye behold it but if thou standst in doubt as yet concerning this thing come but into a true Examination in thy own Heart and Conscience for assuredly there is something in the Matter therefore what thinkest thou dost thou think that it is for nought that these People forsake their Goods and Lands their Wives and Children and become as it were strangers even unto their Country and to their Father's House and to travail from Country to Country through Persecutions and Sufferings through Mockings and Reproaches through Hunger and Cold and so come to be counted as Vagabonds and Wanderers having no Habitation in the Earth that they might have a Habitation in God for Cain he was a Vagabond although he builded a City and called it by his Son's Name yet he had no Habitation in God therefore was he a Vagabond but these who have a Habitation in God they are no Vagabonds but have sought have found the City whose Builder is God and they are willing and contented to part with all so that they may have a Habitation in that City But now herein stands the clear Truth of the Difference the appointed time is now come and drawing near even at the very Door wherein the Lord God is risen and arising to fulfil his Promise which he promised unto Adam in the Garden of Eden after his Fall that is That the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpent's Head and he should bruise his Heel And now is he come and coming who will cut Rahab and wound the Dragon and bruise to powder the very Head of the Deceit and the Iniquity which have long lodged in the Hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men. And now is the Stone even the Stone which is elect and precious which is to be laid in Sion which is the chief Corner-Stone that the Builders have long refused which Stone hath long lain buried in the Mountain of Sin and Transgression but now is the Stone cutting it self out of the Mountain which shall smite at the Feet of the Image even at the very Ground and Foundation of Iniquity and this Stone will become a Mountain which shall cover the whole Earth which the Mountain of the House of the Lord which is to be established atop of all Mountains and above the Hills and the Nations shall flow untâ— it Therefore seeing the Treader upon the Serpent's Head is come and hath made himself manifest in many therefore hath Pangs taken hold on many of them in whom the seed of the Serpent bears rule so that that Seed strives and struggles in them even as a Dying Man on whom the Pangs of Death had taken hold and this is the Cause that them in whom the seed of the Serpent still rules in power are so bitter and invitered against the Seed of the Woman in whom it s raised but yet though they raise up the uttermost of their Forces and gather together Gog and Magog and come up even the whole breadth of the Earth to encompass the Camp of the Saints about yet they shall not prosper for this John saw in his Revelation and he likewise saw a Fire come out of Heaven and devoured them therefore do I in tender Love to thee advise thee to consider of these things and lay them to Heart for this is the Day of thy Visitation therefore trifle it not away for meer Vanity things of nought for it passes away from thee faster then thou art aware of for this is the Time which the Lord hath given thee to make thy Calling and Election sure Therefore be not like foolish Esau sell not thy Birth-right for a Mess of Pottage for if thou dost thou wilt hereafter come to seek it perhaps with Tears when thou mayest not attain it therefore while the Lord is yet so tender towards thee who standeth with his Arm of Mercy spread open ready to receive thee therefore tarry not but arise and come away for the Winter is near