or evil to them How have the Righteous been made the Song of Drunkards debauched Swearers and Damners who scarce could speak but in a Cursed and Danming manner What scorn and derision hath the Just met with in these latter days with the many Perils and Dangers on every side and from all sorts of wicked Men Women and Children is very well known to the Lord God who is coming with Power to take Vengeance upon his Adversaries and to Recompence all such according to their works you who are guilty every where your wickedness will not go unpunished it will come upon your own Heads and your treacherous dealing will pursue you and fall heavy upon you when the Righteous Judge shall judge and condemn you for it the Lord will not spare such who in their abominable Pride Debauchery and Filthiness walk the Streets as if they would out-dare the Most high that gave them Breath and Being in this world with their Pride and Filthiness And now Destruction to the Wicked is threatned how hath Fear surprised Multitudes not the fear of God but the fear of Destruction or some other Evil to overtake them and they cannot be quiet nor at rest they disturb and disquiet one another because the Way of Peace is hid from their them and also the Sinners in Sion are afraid and fearfulness surpriseth Hypocrites who cannot abide the day of the Lord 's coming nor stand when he appeareth for his appearance is and will be very dreadful to all the Workers of Iniquity to whom the Lord will say Deparâ— from me I know you not Such shall by no means escape the Wrath of the Lamb who is a righteous just and equal Judge and will Judge with Equity and do all Men Right in Judgment and is no respecter of Persons but in every Nation such as fear God and work Righteousness are accepted of him but they that fear not God nor work Righteousness will be rejected condemned and punished by him of what Nation Kindred People or Tongue soever Papish or Protestant or what Name and Profession soever they may go under or be known by for that will stand them in no stead when the Lord pleadeth with them and cometh to punish the Inhabitants of the Earth for their Iniquity that will prove the Ruin of them who are then found therein the Rich Mens Silver and Gold will not be able to deliver them from the Wrath of the Lamb now appearing as an Angry Judge Go too now therefore ye Rich Men that trust in uncertain Riches and in an Arm of Flesh but not in the living God Weep and Howle for the Misery that is coming upon you who are lovers of Pleasures more than lovers of God And you that have oppressed others to advance your selves by defraud and dishonest Gain and wronged the Poor to set your Nests on high the Righeous Lord God will Visit for these things and Recompence the evil of your wayes and doings upon your Heads if you do not cease therefrom and truly repent thereof while you have time Oh the manifold Provocations by which the Lord hath been and still is provoked to Wrath and Indignation by a sinful People and seed of Evil-doers laden with Iniquity and some are wise to do evil become Serpents and as a Generation of Vipers in imagining and doing evil but to do good they have no knowledge and it is sad and grievous to see the Brutishness Sensuallity and Devillishness many appeared in filled with Envy and Enmity against that which is good and them who keep therein from day to day and still such profess Christ Jesus in words and call him Lord and Master but do not honour him nor fear him neither keep his Commands but with their wicked works Spit upon him Grucifie him afresh again and how hath he been put to shame all Christendom over by them that seem to be Christians in words but are not so in deeds Did not Christ Jesus testifie against the Scribes Pharisces and hard hearted Jews that set themselves against him with the Chief Priests to take away his Life because their deeds were evil and he tould them They were of their Father the Devil and did his works Although they owned and professed God the Father that would not hide them or cover them from the Wrath of God when it was kindled and broke forth against them to punish and scatter them for rejecting and hating of him without a cause yet no less punishment would satisfie them but Crucifiing of him puting of him to Death who laid down his Life to give them Life Eternal and to redeem their Souls out of Death and Damnation if they would have received him then at his coming but because of the hatred they had to him and the cruel usage that spotless Lamb had from that Generation God was Wrath with them continuing his displeasure upon their Prosterity unto this day And may not you expect as sore a punishment who own him in words profess him and call him Lord and Master yet notwithstanding by your wicked works you slay him ye condemn and kill the Just and he doth not resist you you dishonour him and put him to shame plainly shewing that you are of the Generation of them who killed the Prophets Christ Jesus and his Apostles and accounted them not fit to live upon the Earth of whom the World indeed was not worthy My Heart truly is sorrowful and I am in pain to consider of what I see coming upon this evil and untoward Generation now O that they had an Ear open and a Heart to understand the Voice of the Lord and his Counsel to them before it be to late and the Door of Mercy and Favour from God be shut against them that they might repent that the Lord God may turn away his Wrath that they perish not For the Sword of the Lord is drawn forth forbished and made bright to make a sore Slaughter in many Nations and Countries by his Powerful Hand although People will not see it when 't is lifted up they shall see it and be ashamed astonished and confounded and by the immediate Hand of the Lord many People will fall and be cut down as the Grass whilst the carnal Sword also doth its part what the Lord permits and suffers to be acted by it in any flourishing City or strong Nation and he can raise up whomsoever he pleaseth as Instruments in his Hand to make his Power known that his Name may be declared throughout all the Earth therefore he pulleth down one Prince and Potentate and raiseth up another in his stead in the Kingdoms of this World that they may know that the Most high rules in the Kingdoms of men and giveth them to whomsoever he will and who shall say unto him What dost thou when he poureth out Contempt upon Princes and causeth them to wander where there is no way for he hath their Hearts and all Men in his Hand he can hold
for what are all Nations Mountains or Hills before the Lord that rise up against him and if Bryars and Thorns set themselves against the Lord will he not break through them consume them together who by his Omnipotent Power planteth and plucketh up Kingdoms and the Governments of this World as he pleaseth pulling down one and setting up another that People may know and consider that the Most high rules in and over the Kingdoms of men and he giveth them to whomsoever he pleaseth and is not accountable unto any man for what he doth in the Kingdoms of this World in laying waste the greatest Mountain or Hill that riseth up in opposition to the Honour and Glory of God or the Exaltation of his Name in the Earth for all such the Judgments of the Lord will pursue he will abase and pour Contempt upon them although never so high and lifted up with earthly honour pleasure of this world We have seen already in this Age how God hath laid that Honour Pomp and Glory in the dust that Kings and Princes injoyed for a time and their Pride and Glory with the pride and glory of many others of lower degree stained by the Judgment God hath brought upon them O sinful People but how are they forgotten by you and out of date with you as much as an old Almanack the last great Plague in London and many other places in England whereof died so many Thousands in a short time with that dreadful destruction by that great Fire that came in London which destroyed so many Houses and stately Buildings consumed to Ashes or laid on heaps and many Country-Towns also have felt the dreadful effects by Fire to their great astonishment and loss Who hath taken warning by these heavy severe Judgments so as to Repent of their Wickedness or turn to God Where was your Weeping and bitter Lamentation for the evil you had done For hath not Pride Drunkenness Swearing Whoring Revelling Prophaneness all manner of hellish Words and debauched Practices abounded and much increased since the before-mentioned Calamities laid so heavy upon the City of London and other places in England who have not taken warning thereby to break from their Sins by timely Repentance and shewing mercy to the poor Ought you not to have loved God and your Neighbour without Dissimulation And ought not every one to do to another as they would be done unto And have not many of you rather lost that little of Christianity which you sometime seemed to have then known any increase thereof or been gainers in it What Self-love Self-seeking Self-confidence Self-exaltation and saving that Life you have had in Death hath appeared in you What have you laid down or left that is evil which you formerly lived and walked in 'T is plain and evident that you are under the government of the Power and Prince of Darkness who still remain in your ungodly delights wayes wicked practices You wicked and ungodly Men and Women both old and young what loss what lamentable disappointment are you come to as to God his Kingdom or the World to come to obtain a little ease in the Flesh with the pleasures of Sin in this World which you can enjoy but a little while or season Consider Christ Jesus who denyed and abased himself and would have no self-pitty mentioned to him when speaking of his Sufferings and Death he said Whosoever will save his Life shall lose it but whosoever shall lay down his Life for my sake the same shall find it But you have been wanton upon the Earth delighting your selves in the sinful pleasures of this world many of you have declared your Sin as Sodom and the Land mourns because of Oaths with other abominable and crying Sins for the Iniquity of your Covetousness God is wroth his Wrath is kindled like Fire which none can quench against an Adulterous Generation a Seed of Evil-doers lying Children and corrupters of the Earth Destruction and Death is in their hands but the way of Peace they know not neither really desire to know it a People that seek not after God but rather say in their Hearts to him Depart from us we desire not the Knowledge of thy Wayes and too many are become so Athestical that in effect they say What is the Almighty to us that we should keep his Statutes or walk mournfully before him And how hath the Proud been called happy the Wicked set up and they that tempt God been delivered the Prophets prophesie falsly the Priests bear Rule by their Means and such as are blindly led by them even to love to have it so But what will ye do in the end thereof your Sorrow will be great that you will lay down your Heads in both the blind Leaders and such as are led by them into the Ditch their fall will be great together great Woes and bitter Lamentation will be the portion of such who remain always in that sad state of blindness and darkness whether they be high or low rich or poor for the Eyes of the Lord are upon all the sinful Kingdoms to punish and destroy many People with great Punishments and sore Destruction because ye have so long hardened your Hearts against the Lord ye have set at naught his Counsel and would have none of his Reproof you have despised Knowledge and would not chuse the fear of the Lord therefore great Calamity severe Judgments hasten will come upon them that do not Repent the Spirit of the Lord will not strive much longer with many People in this and other Nations but God will laugh at their Calamity and mock when their Fear cometh And I fear many are given up to hardness of Heart and others appear as if their Consciences were seared as with a hot Iron passed all spiritual sence and feeling wholly captivated and irrecoverably insnared in the broad way that leadeth to destruction no Hand of God neither in Mercy or Judgment will reach them to work them into any remorse sorrow of Heart or Contrition and by such as hath an Eye opened to see such are seen to grow worse and worse and further and further off from Repentance or Amendment of Life May it not be said of many of you both Professors and Prophane That the best of you are but as a Bryar and the most upright but as a Thorne Hedge and great shall be your perplexity and Wo to all deceitful Workers of Iniquity Dissemblers and Hypocrites that would eat up God's People as they eat Bread your expectation shall be cut off your wicked Imaginations and Contrivances against the Just to slay him will God frustrate and confound yet more and more How many wicked Men and Women of late have whetted their Teeth and opened their Mouths to eat up God's chosen Flock and Heritage and devour them through Lyes Calumnies and false Reports speaking all manner of Evil against such as neither thought said or did any harm
Inhabitantes of the Earth and the Sea therewith and thining the People by the Sword and sore Deseases And what a terrible Storm and Tempest hath the Lord distressed and amuzed many with of late both by Sea and Land yet some People have been so far from looking at the Hand of the Lord in it that they would have it as the work of some evil Spirit in laying a Spirit that as they said did appear after a Person was dead The Power over the Winds and Seas belongeth to Christ Jesus and the Winds and Seas obey him for he had all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him and gives Power to his faithful Servants over Serpents Scorpions and all the Power of the Enemy to hear see so many disregard the Hand of the Lord lifted up sheweth that it will fall heavy shortly upon their heads who remain wicked and by their crying Sins bring down Vengeance from God upon their own Heads and procure their own ruin for God will recompence Fury upon his Enemies who harden their Hearts more and more against him and now is the Lord come to make Nations and Peoples sick in smiting of them he hath a long time forborn and kept his Hand of Judgment from falling upon the Heads of the wicked according to their deceit their manifold Sins to see People if you would turn to the Lord by true Repentance but ye would not hear his Voice to obey him how often soever the Lord called to and by how many Judgments soever he hath pleaded with you you would not reform therefore the Lord doth appear in great displeasure and is shaking the Earth and causing the Mountains and Hills to tremble he is making Kingdoms reel and tossing and fifting them to lay them low stain their Glory and bring them down from that height that they are got to and have appeared in against the Lord and his holy Mountain which abides and stands strong through him that is over all blessed for evermore O all ye wicked and ungodly People upon the face of the Earth your time is but short your dayes in Wickednsss will be shortened 't is but a little time and you will not be found who go on and persevere in wickedness and never come to Repentance your judgment and reward of Condemnation will come upon you swiftly and you will not be able to withstand it whoever you are high or low rich or poor where-ever you dwell that have sold your selves over and are given up to work Wickedness the all-seeing God will find you out and will be just in condemning of you to everlasting Flames of Fire and that will be your Portion and Reward that you will receive at the Hand of the Lord who hath appeared to you in his Grace and Truth in your inward parts and condescended to draw you by the Cords of his Love but you have despised and utterly rejected his appearance to you in his Grace whereby you might have obtained Life and Salvation to your immortal Souls if you had received God's Grace and Truth into your Hearts and kept to its Teachings and obeyed the same or done according to its Instruction but contrary-wise you have hated his Appearance to reform you and wofully continued in Rebellion against his pure Law so you have drawn down the Wrath of the Lord upon you and kindled his Displeasure against you in a high degree by your manifold provoking Sins which many Cities and Nations abound in and very many of the Inhabitants thereof are miserably corrupted and debauched thereby calling and alluring one another to Lightness Folly and gross Impieties with hellish Words Damning Swearing Drunkenness Lying vain ungodly Pastimes Murders Adulteries Thefts Cousining Cheating Cards playing at Dice and Stage-Plays which many strive to out-do one another in to the great dishonour of God and the reproach of the Name of Christ especially in Christendom so called where such a Profession of the Name of Christ is made but by their Conversation causeth the Profession of the Christian Religion to stink and to become of very ill fame amongst the Heathen that do not own nor profess Christ Jesus the Lord nor expect Salvation by him how were such like to be converted to the Christian Faith in the Lord 's Christ as long as so many pretended Christians do walk ungodly speak and act as wickedly if not worse than the Heathen who know or understand little but gross Superstition and Idolatry May not some such rise up in Judgment against many who call themselves Christians and condemn them who are found using such Words and Practices which are contrary to God and Godliness and ought to be repented of ceased from and forsaken otherwise it will stand People in no stead and be a vain thing to talk of profess and call Christ Jesus their Saviour Lord and Master whilst by Sin and Disobedience they serve and obey another Lord and Master and Christ Jesus is greatly dishonoured and provoked by the Riotous Debauched and drunken Feasts wherein so many called Christians sport and feed themselves without the fear of God on their Mass-Dayes and Feastival-Dayes which you had no example for from the Primitive and true Christians in the Apostles days Oh foolish People and hard-hearted Is it a time for Feasting and to invite one another to Feasting Mirth and Jolatry in such a day of Distress and Calamity as now threatneth almost all Nations Is it a time to sit down to eat and drink and then rise up to play when Nation riseth up in War against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom and every battel of the Warrior is with confused noise and Garments rolled in Blood and when God is rebuking strong Nations and when the just and righteous God is bringing his Judgments and Plagues upon many Peoples ought not every one from the highest to the lowest rather to sit down solatary be humbled and call each other to Weeping and bitter Lamentation because of the abominable crying Sins of Nations and to leave off your Horse-Racing Cock-Fightings Stage-Playes and all other idle vain and ungodly Sports Games and Pastimes whereby the Spirit of the Lord hath been grieved Nations corrupted and many of their Inhabitants made Vessels of Wrath fited for Destruction therefore such as yet have a Day and Time given you consider your Ways and cursed Practices O renounce and come out of them all and meet the Lord by timely Repentance and Amendment of Life or your Iniquity will certainly prove your Ruin But if all People Languages Kindreds and Tongues would come to fear and love God and love one another then their would be no need of letting in Fear or evil Jealousie one of another or of one to hurt or destroy another by Wars or Fightings or otherwise for all were made and created to love fear and reverence the Powerful Omnipotent God and to let him be their fear and not man neither to fear what man can do and if so