people I see my sick not visited my poore debased my naked unclothed my hungrie and thirsty not satisfied my dearest Jewells slandered my pretious servants defamed and those that speake the truth disdained In stead of patience prudence gentlenesse mildnesse and gratiousnesse of spirit there is backebiting lying crying and slandering in every corner of the City But have they not cause to tender one another dearly are they not fellow Citizens and of the houshould of of my father Ephes 2.19 Now therefore yee are no more strangers and forreners but fellow citizens with the saints and of the houshould of God Are they not my branches whom I esteeme most deerely John 15.5 I am the vine ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can doe nothing Are they not they that are called to communion with mee that am their deare Lord and Master 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithfull by whom yee were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. They are not base but noble all the Kings and Monarches under heaven are not comparable to one of the Kings that I have made to God my Father through my blood most pretious They are Kings of earthly Kingdomes mine of heavenly and celestiall Kingdomes They are Kings by a Royall progenie mine are Kings through my blood undefiled they have crownes of pure gold pretious stones mine have crowns of life and righteousnesse they have guards of men to attend them mine guards of Angells the beloved saints Heb. 1 last Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall bee heiers of Salvation Their cloth is better then the cloth of golâ— their riches better then the riches of jewells and their wealth more excellent then the wealth hid in the sands Though the devill would devoure them I will save them though the flesh make war with them I will support them though death would destroy them I will give them my salvation Haback 3.13 Thou wentest forth for the Salvation of the people even for Salvation with thine anoynted thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked by discovering the foundation unto the neck Selah I am their King and shall not I command them their Bridegroome and shall not I will them their loving Mediatour and shall I not wish them to love on another I know if I coÌ„mand them to endure bounds chaines imprisonments for my sake that they will obey me I know if I coÌ„mand them to endure poverty for my poore penurie for my distressed miserie for my afflicted that they will subject to me My voice is as deare to them as heaven my commands as acceptable as my joyes and my wishes As my love my glory and my righteousnesse Therefore they will answere my command of love as it is recorded John 15.12 This is my commandement that ye love one another as I have loved you A CONFESSION OF OVR FAITH According to the Order of the GOSPEL First WEE beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Eternall Sonne of God who was with the Father before the world was Appointed by an Eternall Election Mediatour Redeemer and Reconciler of all those whom the Father out of his Eternall and free love had ordained unto Eternall Life John 1.14 And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and wee beheld his glory the glory as of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father full of grace and truth John 1.18 No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten Son which is in thy bosome of the Father he hath declared him John 17.3 And this is life Eternall that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Secondly VVE beleeve that it was the Fathers divine pleasure to or daine Jesus Chr st to bee King over his Church peculiar and the sole only Prophet from which the Church should receive all her treasures of Divine rarest wisedome Ephes 1.21 22 23. Far above all principalitie and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in the world to come And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the Church which is his body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Deut. 18.18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee and will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him Col. 1.3 Wee give thnnkes to God and the Father of Jesus Christ our Lord praying alwaies for you Thirdly WEE beleeve that the Church of Jesus Christ was freely chosen and selected out of the free and eternall love of the Father resting in the bosome of Jesus Christ to the end that it might be partaker of all the heavenly treasures of divine grace and righteousnesse made conformable to the will of God the heavenly Father and to the minde of Jesus Christ the blessed and glorious Redeemed Ephes 1.4 5. According as hee hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Sonnes by Jesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will 2 Pet. 1.4 Wherby are given unto us exceeding great and pretious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust Rom. 8.27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because hee maketh intersession for the Saints according to the will of God Fourthly WEE beleeve that Jesus Christ the Lord of life and salvation laid downe his life in speciall for her according to the absolute and divine appointment of the Father to the intent that hee might confirme upon her the supereminent riches of glory the exceeding riches of mercy and the marvilous dispensation of his marvilous Kindnesse which proceedes alone from his free and divine pleasure Acts 20.28 Take heede therefore unto your selves and to all the floâ—ke over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feede the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how should he not with him freely give us all things Eph. 5.25 Husbands love your wives even as Christ loved the Church and gave himselfe for it Apoc. 5.9.10 And they sang 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 out of every kindred tongue and people and nation and hath made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall raigne on the earth Col. 1.27 To whom God would make knowne what is the riches of the glory of
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
taken up my rest my contentment my acquiescence and complacencie through atonement If I have filled the sonne of my love with the treasures of hidden wisedome and science the treasures of pure and unspotted righteousnesse it is because thou mightest live by faith which is in me at that time thou maiest answer the words of my faithfull Apostle Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh is by the faith of the sonne of God who loved me and gave himselfe for me If thou hadst beene with Noah in the Arke thou wouldest have lived above the waters If with Daniel in the Lyonsden thou would'st have lived by the strength of the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah If with Shadrech Meshech and Abednego in the fierie furnace thou wouldest have lived by the fire of love and by my promise of deliverance out of the fire Isaiah 43.2 When thou passest thorough the waters I will bee with thee and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not bee burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Out of the eater comes meate and out of the strong comes sweetnesse from love comes love to Christ againe We love him because he loved vs first 1 Ioh. 4.19 and out of the strongnesse of Christ comes the pleasantnesse and sweetnesse of the Saints Ephes 3.20.21 Now unto him that is able to doe exceedingly and abundantly above all we aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in us unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end Amen Hence they are filled with glorious expressions expressing the love of Christ in their freedome and liberation according to the text Rom 8.2 For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death Till I appeard in the rare expression of my love thou lovedst the vanities the treasures the glory the riches and power of the Creature before me till I powred out the savour of my sweet oyntments and caused my frankincence to smell in thy nostrills thou lovest thy self above me till I let my fingers drop the myrhe the sweet distilling mirhe thou sattest at rest and soughtest not after me but in the day of the effusioÌ„ of my sweet oyntmeÌ„ts I made thee love me Cant. 1.2 3. Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mohth for his love is better then wine because of the savour of thy good oyntments thy name is as oyntment poured forth therefore doe the virgins love thee in the time of the distillations of my mithe I made thee seeke after me Cant. 5.4 5 6. My beloved put in his hand into the hole of the doore and my bowells were moved for him I rose up to open to my Beloved and my hands dropped with Myrrh and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh upon the handles of the locks I opened unto my beloved but my beloved had with-drawne himselfe and was gone my soule failed when he spake I sought him but I could not finde him I called him but he gave me no answer Assuredly thou didst account of the treasures of the mountaines above the riches of the heavenly places the riches of the seas above the riches of the sea of sure mercies thou didst value the riches of Kingdomes above the riches of my heavely kingdom and thou didst prize the earthly jewelâ—s above the jewell of jewells and the pretious jemmes above the pretious stone the foundation of my Redeemed when my love appeared above women then thou didst love me above women when my love appeared to thee above riches treasure honours kingdomes provinces then thou lovedst mee above Kingdomes and provinces above riches treasures and honours thou wast not sick of love till my love made thee sicke of love Cant. 5.8 I charge you O daughters of Ierusalem if ye finde my beloved tell him that I am sicke of love Thou wast not overpowred with the overpowrings of my Love till I overpowred thee with my pretious love can the waters from below water the fruitfull and barren soile without me or can the raine droppe showers from the clouds without me or can the soule have the overflowings of love without my spirit no. Rom. 5.5 And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Canst thou know that supereminent love of my sonne without I shew my grace supereminent no. Ephes 2.6 7. And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in the ages to come he might shew forth the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Christ Jesus Ephes 3.19 And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God Or couldest thou have known the height the depth the length or breadth of my dearest faviour without my spirit No Ephes 3.16.17 18. That he would give you according to the riches of his glory to be strenghened with might by his spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that yee being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Hence thy experience witnesseth that the spirit of life is thy life of love and freedome Rom. 8.2 For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made thee free from the law of sinne and death What is the light of the Candle to the light of the Moone or the light of of the Moone to the light of the sonne or what is the light of the Sunne to Christ the sonne of glorious righteousnesse when by the light of his glorious countenance he shines upon the soule by giving to it the life of faith in God Acts 26.18 To open their eyes and to turne them from darkenesse to light and from the power of Satan to God that they may receive the forgivenesse of sinnes and inheritance amongst them which are sanctified through faith that is in me The life of love in Christ Ephes 1.15 Wherefore I also after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all the saints And the life of hope in the promise 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen nuto the glory of God by us Heb. 11.1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seene Hence we glory not only in the spirit of life but in the law of the spirit of life Rom. 8.2 For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sinne and death I gave to