no portion in his death 2. The nature of that faith by which we receive this righteousnesse True faith as I told you is not an idle speculative notion of the brain but a powerfull working grace upon the heart Act. 15.9 Purifying their hearts by faith Those that pretend to faith and have not their hearts in some measure purified they do but flatter themselves with a meer fancy and a vain presumption It is but a counterfeit a false faith Faith without Works is dead saith St. James and St. Paul tels us that faith worketh by love As faith without works is but a dead faith so works without love they are but dead works Though I give all my goods unto the poor and have not charity I am nothing Now faith it begets love and the more we believe that God hath done all this for us the more it inflames our heart with the love of God And love is of a constraining nature it sets a man upon work indeed David's three Worthies will adventure through the whole host of the Philistims to fetch water from the well at Bethlehem out of their love to David And St. Paul commends the Macedonians that to their power yea and beyond their power they were willing of themselves As St. James therefore Show me O man thy faith by thy works So true faith is no invisible grace but a grace which may be seen seen by its works Such is the faith by which we obtain the blessing When Isaac blessed his son Jacob he cals to him Come near I pray thee that I may feel thee my son whether thou be my very son Esau or not He would not blesse him by the voice but he will feel and handle him whether his hands be the hands of Esau so God will not blesse us by the voice because we say that we believe but he will feel and handle us whether our hands be the hands of faith hands that work the works of faith And take further notice that true faith it hath two hands as with the one it holds upward and layes hold upon the righteousnesse of Christ for justification so with the other it works downward and conveys this righteousnesse into the head and into the heart and into the life for sanctification Those that flatter themselves with a good faith to God-ward and yet without works they do but prophesie to themselves a lie a false vision and a divination and a thing of nought the deceit of their own heart It is but a counterfeit a false faith and receives but a counterfeit a false righteousnesse not the righteousnesse of God which is by the faith of Jesus 3. The nature of God whose righteousnesse this is Where the righteousnesse of God is there must needs be a change for will God cast pearls before swine or give holy things to dogs Will he put this new wine into old bottles or these holy things into unclean vessels No but first he gives us a new heart and creates in us a right spirit For what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse Where the righteousnesse of God is it transformes us in some measure into its own likenesse 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord. You have seen the glory of the Lord the glory of his righteousnesse We all and with open face if the God of this world hath not blinded our eyes behold though but as in a glasse on w th an eye of faith yet thus beholding it hath wrought a change and into the same likenesse so will it transform us from glory to glory from the glory of grace here to that glorie of glories in the highest heavens But thus there is a work of the Spirit here here it begins the change and we are changed into the same image When the Sun comes in at the window it inlightens the room so when the Sun of righteousnesse shines into a soul the beams of that righteousnesse must needs reflect upon that soul When Moses had been talking with God we read that his face shined So is it impossible that we should have to do with this righteousness of God but the splendor of it will in some measure put upon our hearts the beauties of holinesse It must needs be thus The Apostle followes it with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much more Heb. 9.13 If the bloud of buls and of Goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the Bloud of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God If there was any thing in those outward shadowes how much more in the bloud of Jesus If they purified the flesh how much more shall this purge your consciences If there be not this purging work upon your souls never speak of this righteousnesse of God received by the faith of Jesus Thus you see though we be not justified by works but by the righteousnesse of God which is by faith yet doth it not loosen the rains to profane liberty but rather layes weight upon us and works as naturally flow from it as the stream from the fountain It is the end of our redemption that we might be a people zealous of good works it is the nature of true faith it cannot lie idle but it works by love and the righteousnesse of God transforms us in some measure into the same likenesse And thus we know that we have title to the promises and an interest in the seed-time of light here and that harvest of joy hereafter An Exhortation to walk in this Righteousnesse For conclusion therefore you that profess the faith not the righteousness of works but the righteousnesse of God which is by Faith remember there is one thing necessary one thing in comparison of which all other things are but as losse as nothing nay as dung worse then nothing It is that of the Apostle that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ Labour O labour for this righteousnesse that ye may get it first into your heads that ye may know it then into your hearts that ye may love it then into your lives that ye may shew forth the power of it as the Apostle followes it Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death So that the life of Jesus might be manifested in our mortal bodies O let your conversation be as becomes the Gospel Do not O do not cause the Adversary to reproach It is the lewdness of your lives that casts the reproach upon this Doctrine O let not the name of
is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom all have sinned 4. But suppose we could quit our selves of that too that we could free our selves from all sin both actuall and originall yet then consider what must necessarily follow Surely to such a man there would be no need of Christ Mat. 9.12 They that be whole need not the physitian but they that be sick Christ is the great Physitian of the soul they that are righteous they need not a Christ only those that are sick those that are sinners If any man can be justified by the works of the law then in vain is it that Christ tasted death for every man in vain is it that he died for all men It is not mine but the Apostles inference Gal 2.21 If righteousness come by the Law then Christ is dead in vain Those that pretend to the righteousness of works they do what lies in them to make the death and passion of our blessed Saviour in vain and to no purpose They have no need of him 5. But suppose that they stood in need as our adversaries will acknowledge it in another way to merit for them that they may be able to merit for themselves yet whilest they think to be justified by their works Christ will have nothing to do with them Saith our Saviour to the Pharisees who trusted in themselves that they were righteous Mat. 9.13 I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance And Mat. 18.11 The Son of man is come to save that which is lost And in another place he tels us That he was not sent save to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Till therefore we finde our selves in a lost condition Christ hath no errand to us The Apostle shall conclude this point Gal. 5.4 Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are faln from Grace The Churches of Galatia were exceedingly troubled with these Pharisaical Justiciaries and indeed his whole Epistle is nothing in a manner but a confutation of such proud and vain boasting and here he shewes them in few words what the issue of that was whilest they put confidence in works though they professed Christ yet thus indeed they made him of no effect they inslaved themselves to the bondage of the Law and so cast themselves out of the estate of Grace Beloved mistake me not I speak not this to remit your care and zeal of weldoing God forbid The Law must still be the rule of your holy walking Rom. 3.31 Do we make void the Law through faith God forbid yea we establish the Law And this we pray Col. 1.10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all wel-pleasing being fruitful unto every good work To this we exhort and charge you 1 Tim. 6.17 You that are rich in this world that ye do good that ye be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for your selves a good foundation for the time to come that ye may lay hold upon eternall life Thus we presse you further Rom. 2.6 God will render to every man according to his works According to his works though not for his works as the meritorious cause According to our works so shall be the degree of glory Thus in the way of thankfulnesse in the way of obedience and that you may receive the crown of righteousness a greater measure and degree of glory no Papist in the world can more earnestly preach works then we do And it is observed that in lesse then one hundred years since the Reformation more works of charity have been done in England then in three hundred years before Wo is me that latter times are grown more barren in good works more fruitful in the works of darkness But so it was prophesied because iniquity shal abound the love of many shall wax cold Yet when all this is spoken it is not to merit heaven by so doing Ephes 2.8 By grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them We are created to good works yet not saved by them lest any man should boast Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory It is not of works therefore but meerly of free Grace Rom. 4.4 To him that worketh is the reward reckoned not of grace but of debt And Rom. 11.6 If by Grace then is it no more of Works otherwise grace is no more grace So not to discourage Works but to take you off from that self-justification in a legal way and to build your Faith upon the sure foundation I proceed to 2. The Righteousness of Faith This is that true Evangelical Righteousness by which we stand justified before God not the righteousness of Works but the righteousness of Faith Rom. 3.20 By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin But now the righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe The righteousness of God without Works the righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Jesus There is a remarkable expression and it is worthy our observation Rom. 9.30 The Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse have attained unto righteousnesse even the righteousnesse which is of Faith But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousnesse hath not attained to the Law of righteousnesse Wherefore because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the Works of the Law The Gentiles which sought not after Righteousnesse they found it the Israelites which sought after Righteousnesse they found it not this is a strange mysterie but the Apostle shewes you the meaning of it The Gentiles sought not righteousnesse in the way of Works but in the way of Faith the Israelites sought it not in the way of Faith but in the way of Works The more we seek for it in this legall way the further we are carried from it Rom. 10.3 They being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and going about to establish their own righteousnesse have not submitted themselves unto the righteousnesse of God It is not then the righteousnesse of Works but the righteousnesse of Faith which gives us interest in the Promises and intitles us to this rejoycing To discover therefore what this Righteousnesse is I shall shew unto you 1. That it is the Righteousnesse of Christ it is not our own righteousnesse but Christs righteousnesse Isa 45.24 25. Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousnesse In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Not a righteousnesse wrought in us
your own souls that cousen and defraud your brethren that grinde and oppresse your poor neighbours that make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience because you will be rich what needs all this adoe Why will ye go to the Devil for it He may shew you indeed as he did our Saviour All the Kingdomes of the word and the glory of them so doubtlesse he will flatter you with hopes All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Alas he doth but feed you with the winde He can bestow nothing without Gods permission They are none of his to give However this is but about Here is the way a ready a compendious way Mat. 6.33 First seek the Kingdom of heaven and the righteousnesse thereof and all other things shall be added unto you O ye that are greatly beloved ye are in this way so ye injoy contentment knowing that if more were better for you God would bestow it on you so far as may be for your good all things are yours And if others rejoyce when their corn and wine and oyle increaseth how much more may ye that enjoy this fulnesse Rejoyce ye righteous 4. Whilest we look within us Though we have lesse abroad yet we have enough at home We have God within us 1 Cor. 14.25 God is in you of a truth We have Christ within us 2 Cor. 13 5. Know ye not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates We have the Spirit within us 2 Tim. 1.14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the holy Ghost which dwelleth in us And is not here matter of rejoycing How can that soul but be very merry if not a stranger to its own happinesse that entertains such Guests But further take we notice of the manner of Gods dwelling in us It is not according to his Essence only for so he is in all places Do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord Nor yet according to his Power for so he is in all his creatures In him we live and move and have our being But God is in us according to the working of his grace and favour informing reforming transforming us into his own likenesse Consider that treasure of gifts which he hath bestowed upon us those unsearchable riches of his grace those fruits of the Spirit love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance saith our Saviour to his Disciples In patience possesse your souls Though you have little else yet ye have patience in you and when things are at the worst yet in that ye may still possesse and injoy your selves Besides you have faith within you and that is a good portion a sufficient living of it self Hab. 2.4 The just man shall live by his faith But above all remember you have the love of God within you Rom. 5.5 The love of God shed abroad in your hearts And is not that joy enough Cant. 1.2 Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better then wine O ye that are the Favourites of the King of Saints cheer up your spirits you have that within you sufficient to make you happy were you as poor as Job upon the dunghill Oh do not live besides your wealth Others may flatter themselves with their abundance as the Angel of the Church of Laodicea Thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and stand in need of nothing and knowest not that thou art poor and miserable and blinde and naked and hast nothing Alas poor miserable blinde deceived creatures lean empty and poor starved souls But these have it Ye have that within you which crowns you the happy men Felices nimium bona si sua nôrint did ye but know your own happinesse And are not your spirits as yet up Why what is it that still troubles you Alas my sins But love covers all Jer. 50.20 In those dates shall the iniquity of Israel be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve There shall be none God himself findes none not that God is blinde that he sees not what we see but he gives you the meaning in the latter clause he sees none unpardoned none that shall be imputed none that shall be laid unto our charge Rom. 5.11 We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the atonement The cloud 's now removed can you yet see your wealth I shall give you heaven in a word Luk. 17.20 The Kingdome of heaven is in you And what 's that Rom. 14.17 The Kingdome of heaven is righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost O do not rob your selves of any part of your own happinesse but as you have a righteousnesse within you so adde to your righteousnesse peace and to your peace joy Rejoyce ye Righteous 5. Whilest we look upon the right hand Whilest we sit under the sunshine of Gods favours and that all things go well with us Whilest we look upon the mercies God bestowed upon us be they lesse or more We see the men of the world how glad they are when their corn and wine and oyl increaseth The righteous live as merrily as they do and have better reason for rejoycing then they have more solid and true joy in the least mercy they receive then others in a great abundance Psal 37.16 A little that a righteous man hath is better then the riches of many wicked Their little is better then anothers much better then their riches then the riches not of one but many nay put all together Though their fare be not so delicate nor their cloathes so gay nor their bed so soft yet they eat their bread with more delight and take their sleeps with more sweet refreshment and enjoy the mercies God bestowes upon them with more comfort and content then others can And the reason 's evident 1. Because they draw their wealth from the head of the well the spring Dulcius ex ipso fonte and there the water drinks more sweetly Whilest others drink only in the channell receive their blessings from the hand of fortune or perhaps they sacrifice to their own net as if by them their portion were made fat these they receive them from the hand of God the fountain of mercies As once Jacob to his brother Esau These are the children which God hath graciously given to thy servant 2. Because they receive these mercies as pledges of Gods love and kindnesse towards them Whilest others feed upon the husk satisfie themselves in those poor injoyments and look no further then the creature these feed upon the kernell they feast themselves upon God in the holy injoyments they see his mercy and goodnesse in thus providing for them And this affords a sweet refreshment to their souls infinitely beyond all their creature-comforts whilest thus they injoy God in the creatures and receive
and see if we have not great reason of rejoycing even in our greatest trials It is true indeed no affliction for the present is joyous but grievous O but afterwards it works the quiet fruit of righteousnesse to them that are exercised therewith And take notice of it Beleved these are times of triall and one way or other we are sure to come to it So hâ—d we need to have our strength about us for the flesh is weak We have the word in general Rom 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God This is a sweet word And is not here matter of great joy whatsoever our condition is be it prosperity or adversity Nay observe further if not in adversity rather then prosperity David will acknowledge it Thou Lord of very faithfulnesse hast caused me to be troubled Do we not see how it files off the rust Isai 27.9 By this the iniquity of Jacob shall be purged and this is the fruit to take away his sin So the drosse consumes and we come out of the fire of affliction as gold refined out of the furnace So it excites our graces And the more our Camomile is trodden on it sends forth a sweeter savour Jam. 1.2 My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations When ye fall into temptations into divers temptations enough to make others stagger to reel to and fro like a drunken man and put them to their wits end yet count this your joy count it all joy And why so knowing that the triall of your faith worketh patience and let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing So Rom. 5.3 Now we rejoyce in hope of the glory of God and not only so but we glory in tribulation also In ipsa tribulatione spes gloriae in ipsa tribulatione gloria spei In tribulation it self is the hope of glory nay in tribulation it self is the glory of our hope and wherefore The Apostle followes it Knowing that tribulation worketh patience patience experience experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts What heap upon heap and grace upon grace and all flowing on us through the benefit of afflictions Are ye not now satisfied 1 Pet. 4.14 If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you The Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God The Spirit of God never rests so gloriously upon the Saints as in the time of suffering Then appears the glory of their faith the glory of their patience hope long-suffering gentlenesse meeknesse goodnesse all the fruits of the Spirit Nor only an increase of grace here but of glory hereafter 2 Cor. 4 18. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Our light affliction light because but momentany that short affliction compare it with eternity it works glory for us and a weight of glory a great weight an exceeding weight a more exceeding weight a far more exceeding weight a far more exceeding and eternall weight So do but compare your sufferings your layings out with your comings in happy men could you but see your own happinesse how it purifies you from the drosse of sin how it refines your graces how it works you for that weight of glory Mat. 5.11 Happy are ye when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven The more you suffer here the greater measure and degree of glory shall you have hereafter Rejoyce therefore nay double and treble your rejoycings rejoyce and be glad and exceeding glad Rejoyce in the Lord and be glad ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart 7. Whilest we look behind us Consider the time past As David Psal 77.10 I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High I will remember the works of the Lord and call to minde his wondrous works of old time So do but recount your former experiences of Gods mercies And is not here matter of great joy but think with your selves how it lift up the heart of Haman when he cast his eyes back upon those favours which Ahashuerus had bestowed upon him Esth 5.11 And Haman told them of all the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him And when he had been with the King at Esthers Banquet Vers 9. Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart If Haman could rejoyce so much in the favour of a wavering and unconstant man how much more reason have we of rejoycing in the favours of Almighty God with whom is no variablenesse neither shadow of changing So do but cast your eyes back upon what he hath already done and shall we not much rejoyce in his mercies Psal 126.3 The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad And as good as great yea and many of them Psal 139.17 How precious are thy thoughts toward me O God How great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number then the sand Not a minute of time passeth over our heads but we taste his mercies every day that we uprise Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercy that we are not consum'd because his compassions fail not they are new every morning Besides those ordinary and common favours none of us all if we look behinde us at some time or other we have had experience of special and particular deliverances What dangers do continually surround us we may easily guess if we do but consider our adversary the devill how like a roaring Lion he still walks about seeking daily whom he may devour and then the enmity that is in the creatures but especially that desperate wickednesse that lies in our own hearts How are we hunted as a partridge upon the mountains But blessed be God we are escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are delivered The greater our danger the greater our deliverance the more that our sorrow was the greater is our joy As a man that hath been long tost upon the troublesome seas Haec olim meminisse juvabit he then rejoyces when he gets into the harbour As the Israelites when they stood safe upon the banks of the red sea and beheld the drowning of the Egyptians So shall we not look behinde us that we may rejoyce whilest thus we behold the salvation of our God But above all observe that great deliverance from the hands of Satan from the chains of sin wherein we were led captive by him at his pleasure Cast your eyes behinde you and consider Eph. 2.1 You hath
It is because they act not with that uprightnesse as the righteous doth Perhaps there is too much of self-pleasing and vain-glory in it So the hypocrites give almes to be seen of men verily I say unto you they have their reward But do it as you ought to do it and ye shall finde the incouragement and joy in it And 1. Do it as in the sight of God setting him still before your eyes as spectator witnesse and the judge of all your actions Gen. 17.1 I am God all-sufficient walk before me and be upright So to walk before God as alwaies in his sight this is to be upright in the eyes of God Thus Abraham walked before God that is he walked uprightly And thus Jotham prepared his way before the Lord that is in the sincerity and uprightnesse of his soul he set himself to seek the Lord. Thus Paul 2 Cor. 2.17 We are not as many which corrupt the word of God but as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ Jesus Whilst we corrupt our waies in darknesse we darken and corrupt our joyes but when we act openly as alwaies in Gods eyes then we have our rejoycings before God 2 Do it with the whole heart Ps 119.7 I will praise thee with uprightnesse of heart when I shall have learn'd thy righteous judgements And then vers 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee So to seek God with an upright heart is to seek God with the whole heart Thus Samuel exhorts the people to fear the Lord and to serve him in truth and with all their heart He that serves God in the truth of his heart will serve him with all his heart So Josiah and the people made a covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord with all their heart and with all their soul And David's Worthies are commended that they were not of a double heart a heart and a heart where there is a divided heart there can be no settled joy A double minded man is unstable in all his waies as a wave of the sea driven to and fro and tossed Whilest as those Samaritans that feared the Lord and served their own Gods so our hearts are divided and our joy to seek Psal 12.2 They spake vanity every one with his neighbour with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak A double heart speaks vanity and so his rejoycings are but vanity It is an entire heart that gives us an entire joy 3. Do it with a pure heart a heart cleansed from the filth of sin I do not expect that ye should be without sin whilest you carry flesh about you For who can say I have cleansed my heart I am pure from my sin But keep your hearts from the love of sin 1 Tim. 1.5 The end of the commandement is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience Where there is a good conscience an honest and an upright heart there is a pure heart O do not deceive your selves with the love of any filthy lust but pluck out that right eye your darling and beloved sin Though it be but one and as Lot concerning Zoar Is it not a little one That little sin as a thief in the chest will rob you of your comforts If the fountain be defiled must not the streams be muddy and your rejoycings like the troubled waters so they lose their clearnesse But Mat. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God It is the pure heart that intitles to thâ—se pure joyes 4. Do it in truth and in sincerity Heb. 10.22 Let us draw more with a pure heart An upright heart that is a true heart and a true heart is a sincere heart without fraud and without guile Sincera quasi sine cora As honey without wax or as bread without leaven so without that leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisie Thus Hezekiah wrought that which was good and right and true before the Lord his God To walk uprightly is to walk truly So David walked before God in truth in righteousnesse and uprightnesse of heart And it is the prayer of Hezekiah I beseech thee O Lord remember how I have walked before thee in truth and with an upright heart There 's a truth in our words opposed to lying and a truth in our works opposed to hypocrisie A saying in truth and a doing in truth But O damnable hypocrisie The hypocrite you know is a painted sepulchre fair without but full of rottennesse within such is their joy but a rotten joy as the summer Pear mellow to the eye but rotten at the core Job 8.13 The hope of the hypocrite shall perish Nay Cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with hypocrites as if for them God had provided 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a greater damnation But as before so I tell you again 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world Thus you have had the motion to perswade you to the love of the waies of righteousnesse both toward God and toward men and to exercise your selves in them with an upright heart It will be your joy Now I come to the 2. Rejoyce Let such as are righteous such as are upright in heart remember that it is their duty and God cals upon them Rejoyce ye righteous Oh be not awanting to your selves but consider that happy condition wherein God hath set you maugre the malice of men or devils and let not any take away your glory Rejoyce in the Lord alwaies and again I say rejoyce Beloved though it may seem easie yet this is a duty of much difficulty It is easier for me to preach then either for you or me to practise especially in such times as these A voice of wailing is heard in our streets How are we spoiled Had we no more to look upon but only the ruines of a glorious Church to see our cattle engendring with divers kindes and begetting such monsters in Religion to see our ground sown with several seeds and the tares so choaking the good wheat to see our garments mingled of linnen and woollen and this grown so much into fashion that many follow their pernicious waies by reason of whom the way of truth is evill spoken on Are we priviledged beyond the Angel of the Church of Thyâ—tira Rev. 2.20 I have somewhat against thee Because thou sufferest the woman Jesabel who calleh her self a Prophetesse to teach and to seduce my people And how sad is the doom Jer. 12.9 Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird the birds round about are against her Come ye assemble all the beasts of the field come to devour And now how shall we sing the Lords song thus in a strange land But why not were the times worse then blessed be God they as yet are yet there 's joy for the righteous