to be in union and communion with him except he be changed and renewed and this God must alone do he is the Agent and we must be the Patient the work is Gods man can but resigne himself up and yeeld himself to him his obedience is passive God works all in all 1 Sam. 2.30 Resignation and submission is that that God requireth Honorantes me honorabo Those that honour me I will honour 1 Thess 4.4 and those that despise me shall be despised those that will honour God by their resignation he will honour them by his communication those that do despise God when he calleth shall be despised when they call 1 Thess 5 19 20. S. Paul saith Quench not the spirit despise not prophesying Doth it not appear that such there are that do Our Saviour Christ saith The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light Wherein is that The children of this world let any man but nod or becken to them be it in some hope of profit away they get and they take much pains and travell to get the wealth of this world But in matters concerning God neither the light that shines in the minde the motions of the good Spirit the prophecyings nor any verball perswasion will work upon them to take any pains so much as to yeeld or submit to endevour to subdue a lust But still men say What shall we do or how shall we do this or that in matters between God and them but do not that they can If man hold up his finger or wink although never a word be spoken it is presently understood 2 Pet. 3.5 But let God notwithstanding the light that shineth into every mans conscience speak by his Messengers plainly Turn return repent come submit draw neer why will you die and the like invitations yet poor miserable men refuse Speak conscience Prov. 1.24 25. may not a man be passively obedient in resigning and yeelding himself up to his Maker taking up the Crosse waiting on the light which directeth him to his God Rom. 1.19 20 21. answering the motions of the good Spirit and submitting to the wil of God Must man of necessity be acting doing in his own will or else nothing to be done Surely the Lord will be served after the manner he prescribeth that is in spirit and truth no flesh no wil of man must be in any thing wherein we have to do with God we cannot read of any that did walk according to his own heart but that he did wickedly Observe the commands of Christ if we will have our flesh mortified we shall finde them to be easie Matth. 11.29 Come love beleeve submit embrace kisse follow and the like If he bid us take up his yoke he meaneth to draw with us we shall not be overburdened he will assist us and make it easie and light Consider this then O man what canst thou do lesse then come to thy Saviour to resigne yeeld and roll thy self on him to embrace to depend and trust on him O Israel thy destruction is of thy self thou canst move and stir forwards in thine own will and in thy mis-led understanding and wilt not thou move or stir in submitting thy self unto his will You will not come to me that you may have life It appeareth then that men love death that they love darknesse Joh. 1.5 most true it is for they cannot comprehend the light Let therefore the consideration of the miserable effects that follow the neglect of not coming to Christ make us to be wise and come move and stir yeeld and submit ask seek and knock enquire not as Ahaziah did 1 Kihg 1.2 but as David did Psal 37. at the Sanctuary of God and as the Prophet Isa saith Should not they enquire of their God Isai 8.8 Hitherto that that hath been said hath been to shew what is signified by drosse and drossie metals whereunto God doth liken his people it remains now that somewhat be said to each particular people as a direction from the Lord to walk by If the Apostles Paul Peter 1 Thess 5.2 3. 2 Pet. 3.10 11 12. Jam. 5.8 James and John foresaw a change that would be in the world as if it had been at hand in their dayes what do the people and Saints of God foresee now now Antichrist the man of sin is revealed for Saint Paul saith 2 Thess 2.8 That the Lord shall consume him with the breath of his mouth and the brightnesse of his coming When man fell from God he fled away and his posterity hath ever been feeding upon the four elements and would not willingly be beholding to God but eternally live in them what wil mankind do when these elements shal be melted with the heat of fire surely not one jot or tittle of Gods word shal evade but in his du time al that hath been prophecied of Esa 40.8 shall come to passe It seemeth cleer to some that the day of the Lords coming is now begun and that the apostacy which hath continued many hundreds of yeers is declining and the light beginneth to shine that along time hath been simulated which declareth what the visible church is now upon the earth even like to Israel they are drosse to the pure and holy God they are Brasse Tin Iron Lead These four metals which signifie four sorts of men mē of power teaching men men of Trafficke poor men may be further resembled to the four elements S. Peter speaketh of that shal likewise melt fire 2 Pet. 3.12 aire earth and water The man of power being as the fire which doth predominate and do the greatest execution to the regularity of the rest the teaching man which is as the aire in which men do breath and live in yet as aire the man of trafficke which is as the earth that beareth forth fruit to the support of the life of man the poor man which is as the water that doth refresh and ease and bring much comfort and helpe to man Will God not onely melt the forenamed metalls but also the elements in which man hath and doth live in being the onely support of man for what can man do if any one of these elements be taken away he cannot subsist in his naturall being Then here see the great goodnesse of God that will not onely pruge and refine man but he will also refine the elements that man lives in and whereby he doth subsist God will not onely make man pure but the place and seat where mans station is he will make it pure also there shall be a pure world as well as pure inhabitants the fire shall be pure fire like the fire of the Lord that consumeth all the combustible matter of drosse and filth that remaineth now the air shall be pure cleared and purged from all humane and terrene vapours wherein the defilements of it did consist
to the wedding now the dinner is ready make no worldly or flesh-pleasurable excuses get among the people of God into his Sanctuary stand not gazing about expecting happinesse without you by other ways and means than by the death of sin within you and a resurrection from that death of sin to a life of God within you for there are none saved by the report of Christs dying at Jerusalem and of his resurrection and ascension into Heaven but by the vertue and efficacie of it within them finding the powers of sin and darknesse by his death to be utterly vanquished within and a new creation a new life within Examine your selves and see whether you are yet still as you were born and brought forth into the world whether there be the same terrene thoughts affections 2 Cor. 13.5 and actions the same will and wisdom whether the old man be dead or no Thou maist by the light of Christ keep court within thine own self thou mayest Apprehend Arraign Try Judge and Condemn thy self that thou mayest be freed from the judgments of the Lord what is done by the light within thee is of and from the Lord and the judgement is his which passeth 1 Cor. 11 â—1 and delivereth thee from wrath Wilt thou then be tried in this court what thou art what thou dost deserve thou shalt cry out what have I done what am I become and what shal I do Thou shalt see thou hast offended a most gracious a most mercifull and a long suffring God That thou art a filthy a polluted defiled and a disobedient wretch and knowest not what to do running up and down in disquietnesse of minde not finding any comfort at all in any creature but wait in patience the Lord is nigh when thou thinkest he is farthest off in thine own apprehension then is he neerest Psa 34.18 145.18 Luke 21.18 yea to them that are afflicted in spirit he will come in and be thy peace after thou hast had a conflict in thy self and hast made war aginast thy self If thou dost examine thy self thou shalt finde what thou art better then an another can tell thee whether thou hast observed the checks of thy conscience wherefore thou didst restrain from committing sin at any time whether for the love of God or for fear of outward disgrace discredit or repute among men what thy end is in all thy actions whether thou art offended with thy self after sin committed whether thou dost cover or hide any sin or defection in thy self or whether thou dost let loose the rains of thy affections to all impiety not caring to be changed but in the outward Garbe only Civilized without the powers of darknesse raigning and ruling within thy desires after carnall treasures thy confidence on that that fadeth thy felicity and joy in the prosperity of the world When thou hast found what thou art and that thou art not willing to unvail strip and lay thy self open before thy maker hear then thy doom thou shalt be cast into utter darknesse for thou hast not obeyed the light of Jesus within thee and darknesse will for ever overshadow thee that thou shalt not see thy self but in a condition of peace gotten by outward observances of reading hearing praying discoursing disputing and talking of Heaven not knowing what it is so that notwithstanding all things that seemeth to be of God and in power is not thou art in death and art a stranger to the life of Jesus Consider this ye that smother dimme and put out the light in you and will not be guided by it to walk up to the everlasting light for the time will come that there will be no remedy the gates will be shut and cannot be opened Awake therfore thou that sleepest stand up Christ shal give thee light Jer. 50.5 defer no time make no delay but ask the way to Sion with thy face thitherwards get out of Babel the place of confusion waite onely on the teachings of God be renewed in the spirit of thy minde exercise thy self in all low and humble matters lean not to thine own understanding be meek to all men render good for evill despise not prophesying quench not the spirit pray continually that the Lord would give thee an understanding heart and inlightened minde to abhor the Whore with all her gay glitterings and smiling inticements to alienate from the true enjoyments Now to conclude let England in generall and every man in perticular learn what to do Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth Eccles 12.1 before the evill dayes commeth while liberty strength peace and opportunity is imbrace that that customary and stiffe old age cannot embrace let no man marvell when he heareth that the church is impure or that being a member of the church he is in controversie with other members for so it is we are under the changing and overturning arm of God and we must dash one against the other Rev. 12.1 untill the time come that we shal know the Lord and shal be clothed with the Sun having the Moon under our feet all these sublunary metalls and things before mentioned shall ly beneath our affections being not worthy of them although much of Gods glory is seen in them there lies in them the tempter and subtill enemy that it is a hard matter to escape by the use of them or any terrene things from the defilement and corruption Be therefore lifted up oh thou dejected soul that waitest on the Lord Thy God O Israel raigneth in Sion Psa 39.1 Do waters and the overflowing floods trouble thee God will come with his fire and dry up all those waters and floods thou thoughtest that thou didst well to be washed and cleered by water being an element of refreshing But thou shalt now understand from the Lord Mat. 23.25 26. that the element of fire is the most excellent to purg refine thee the element of water hath had its use and its time which did very well clean the outside of the vessell but it is the fire that purifies the inward body of the metall whereof the vessell is made wherein corruption lieth and water cannot wash scour rinse or purge it out It is fire that will consume all thy tin base metal within thee or amongst thy Silver the seeing of thy God to be such a consuming fire within thee is the greatest matter that can be for thee to lift the head and rejoyce When the brook in the way is drunk up it will be otherwise with thee Psal 110.7 then when thou wast in the watery element for then thy Christianity was in shew and Christlesse in power within in profession then the beleeving the report of a Saviour dying for thee was faith but now the entertaining the receiving in and possession of Christ within hath made thee faithfull and faithfulnesse to appear within thee O ye despisers tremble before the Lord
if they differ in the least from the will of God must be cast out For not onely humane reason but divine reason not sanctified can may or ought to have any power in the ordering placing or disposing of any worship of God The will of God onely is the reason of his own worship and mans reason can be no ground for such a structure which his art and science defileth as separate from the will of God Non vox sed votum non musica cordula sed cor Non clamans sed amans clamat in aure Dei Much might be said concerning the drosse that is among the pure metall In plain termes the corruption the filth and the uncleannesse that is among professing people that professe to be the people of God and are civilized exceedingly that to the eyes of the World are almost spotless but when God comes to try by fire then will their filth and drosse appear Prov. 7.3 Solomon saith As the fining pot for silver and the furnace for gold so the Lord tryeth the hearts The outward visible actions of professours that is so much accompanied with outward decency in the behaviour keeps off the inward purity that the soule should be exercised in in the sight of God Curisity in duties outwardly done in the sight of man hinders the inward integrity invisibly to be done with God Therefore it is that the exercise of Religion which should cure and eject our drosse by an addition of more filth and impurity in that which should speak purity and life it doth kill and brings death The shining beames of Gods most pure and holy Spirit shining in us causeth our actions and duties through that most pure Light to be living and become a living Sacrifice acceptable to God But duties done visibly and audibly Rom. 12 1â— onely in the body the minde and will being carried on to the satisfaction of the outward spectacle resting in the forme custom use and manner woundeth and slayeth the spirituall and invisible part where the receptacle should be for the living Sacrifice For men to go about to make themselves like God in their own wills doth derogate from the nature of obedience and doth manifest that they are the sons of emnity but yeelding themselves up submitting unto embracing that which is crosse to their wills desiring to be ruled and guided by that good counsell which is of God maketh the purest sacrifice It pleased God by these comparisons of metals to discover what his people are and how they are different in purity from himself which is most pure and holy let therefore all men that live in a profession not stand upon the purity of it for the Whore sits upon waters there is many baptisms of water but the baptisme of fire is that that God will purifie his people withall and that that hath quenched this many yeers Mat. 3. must now be dried up by the fire of the Lord and it will burn up all and dry up all For our God is a consuming fire Experience this ye that are called godly you cannot be God-like which is the Old language untill the Lord God hath consumed all flesh within you and there be nothing in you but the Lord God All in All. Thirdly God saith that Israel is Brasse and Tin and Iron and Lead What Israel was and what England is by these comparisons of metals the Lord will make known to us These severall metals are of severall natures and qualities some by art counterfeiting the richer metals of Gold and Silver which are figures of Himself and of his word These metals are very apt to rust and to receive and embrace the same and so are accounted drossy metals yet very vsefull as to the World ordained by the great Creatour in their severall kndes for severall necessitous negotiations in the world They have their breeding and their generation in the earth and being from thence and thereout they must passe through a strong blowing fire before they come to perfection and be fit to officiate the use service and the end the great Creatour made them for as to the use of the world wherein is seen a great deal of the glory of God in the excellency of his creation in the various qualities of them as doth also appear in all other things created by God How is Israel Brasse and Tin and Iron and Lead wherein and in what are they such metals The people of Israel here named are thus in divers respects First They are Brasse in their men of power Rulers Governours Magistrates Justices and Arbiters Secondly They are Tin in their Prophets Teachers Guides and Ministers Thirdly They are Iron in the people of Trafficke Commerce Trade and merchandise and in them that exercise to the support of the Nation Fourthly They are Lead in the poor and mean in people of low degree First see what Brasse is and how it may be said that Rulers Governours c. May be as brasse Brasse is a compound metall made and contrived of Copper and Calamy which metall so composed hath a lustre like gold by its mixture and the more usefull for it's mixture So are those that are called to high places of Government they are not barely naturalists onely men as borne simply themselves naturally But there is a mixture composed with other ingredients in them of natural endowments fit for their places of learning experience knowledge understanding and rightly to censure as also to execute as to the World the things matters and causes that are under their dispensation and their determination and herein as brasse hath a lustre like gold so have the Governours c. a lustre beyond other men Hence it is that there is and hath been at all times an honour and a respect given unto them being the greatest instruments under the arme of God for the peace the welfare and the good of people in the Nations under them I have said You are Gods and you are all Psal 82.6 the children of the most High Christians have had at all times respect to their governours for Gods sake they are set up of God By me kings reign c. Rom. 13.1 There is no power but of God wherefore resist not the powers they that doe shall receive to themselves judgement But whence is the complaint that the Lord makes that Israels Rulers are Brasse something is the matter God Almighty expecteth that they should not onely doe and execute the common and ordinary businesse as to the World but that they should stand up like men in the cause of God to distribute justice impartially and as in his stead to curb and punish the evil doers and to defend and preserve those that do well encouraging others also to live in their wayes that they should be as nursing fathers and nursing mothers Esa 49.23 they should defend the innocent and acquit him and execute justice on the nocent The cause why the Lord complaineth
of them and that he will melt them is that as Brasse will adulterate with Tin and with lead with the false prophet and with the rable So the Rulers and Governours have not walked singly before God but have mixt themselves with that that hath been against his pure and undefiled law yeelding to the Harlot Iezabell 1 King 22.6 and taking counsell of the multitude of false prophets as Ahab did embracing flatterers and flatteries which hath caused them to erre to do injustice to punish the innocent and not let the oppressed go free and do in their waies according to their own wills fleshly lusts walking according to their fleshly desires and understandings minding their own profit pleasure worldly advantages and as the poor rabble of the world doth for their reward so do they out of their ambitious hearts for further honour and preferment not doing the thing that is right Was it thus with Israel and among their men of power and is it not so with England It is nor my businesse to reckon up the wickednesse that was heretofore in former powers that are past and gone But to the present being my duty is to stir up all Christians to a hearty thanksgiving and to a continuall praising of God for his mercies that he hath set over us such a valiant and God-like Joshua and for that through the late passages of war and discord wherein once we were in jeopardy to be dispeopled and our religion to be traduced we are arrived to the greatest liberty of any people under Heaven Religion and godly people being much countenanced and defended superstition and heresie extirpated in a great measure no mans conscience compelled the designes of Antichristian plotters and contrivers not onely weakned but confounded to their ignomy and shame for ever subordinare Magistrates in their pluces more vigilant and knowing and the professing people of the Nation much increased by it Hath God begun to melt the brasse to refine the men of power Let no man murmure then at the powers for the effects and issues of Christian and God-like powers we and our successours may rejoyce in for it is of great consequence to our eternall and everlasting peace That when pure truth doth begin to appear in our daies no violent heat of persecution can wither it for upon all the glory there will be a defence if God maketh us his glory he wil defend us Esa 4.3 that neither the wilde Bore of the forest nor the little Foxes of the wildernes shal hurt us God wil keep his Vineyard Esa 54.11 12. that he himself hath planted He will yet go forward and be refining still untill he hath made the Pillars of his Church like to the polished Saphirs and her windowes of shining Emraulds He will melt and purifie all that bear his Name Psalm 12. and are for the cause of his people that they shall be as pure as his Word which is Silver For God will not destroy his but purge them He will not lay his Garden waste but weed out that that is hurtfull to the growth of the tender plants he will not touch those flowres that have favour but them that have no savour but colour onely Great hope have we that the Lord will be gratious unto us because he hath begun so to be surely what God begins he will finish who can hinder him Job 9.12 or who can say why dost thou so But what means the crying out against unjust Judges and Arbiers who are concerned in this resemblance There is in our nation a great number who are as brasse vessels I would they were vessels for God But what are they I fear that they are as Saint Paul stiles them that were in his time 1 Cor. 6. In the first verse he calls them unjust and in vers 6 he calls them Infidels how ever they are such that he warnes the Saints not to meddle withall and questions whether there was a wise man among them or no a strange thing It seemes none but fooles hath to do with them Thefe men are called in our language Lawyers some say they are necessary evils but they are such as hold evill to be necessary and surely if any evil be necessary this is it is as necessary as a disease which pains so sorely that makes the patients cry to their God for many thousands have bin impoverished by their evill practices and they still gainers It is in their hands to compose differences more easier But they are covetous double dealers oppressours exactours and cruell When matters come to them to view skan order and to prepare for the determiner what horrible false dealing is there bribery treachery forgery false testimony underhand and partiall dealing as if they were made of purpose to act the Divels part These are like unto the brasse vessels that are used in and upon the fire for they are not onely Incendiaries to strife envy malice and contention but are nourishers and pleaders for the continuance of it Did not Christ say Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God Whose children are they then that set at variance who love not peace is it against their profit The vessels they are like to are kettles and pans which as to the businesse of the world are very usefull as the kettle holds water so there is fire underneath it that makes it boil and oftentimes the heat of the fire boils away the water sometimes the fiercenesse of the fire makes the water to boil over and put out the fire It is so with this generation that the exercise of their cruelty makes the watery Client I mean the man that mourns to be in Law to be the better as water is by heating for use But it usually fals out that the water overcomes the fire or the fire dries up the water and so the kettle or pan being washt or scoured with some of Pilates water makes it shine as it did before Matth. 26. after the colour of gold and stands up for a shew in many Countrey Churches and Congregations where the Minister there dares not speak a word but smooth him up for a good Benefactour for fear of his place his tithe or something he cals his dues or fearing to have his ill will O what wretched cruell and foul enormities are committed by men of brazen faces that should in their actions endevour to set forth the glory of God in deciding controversies and giving to every man his right for that end were they first ordained and therefore called Arbiters Ezra 7.25 the right use and end of such as they were heretofore ordained among the people of God was to do justice equity and right that use is not among Lawyers but the abuse is and remains and God will purge it out this sinfull and abominable filthy drosse out of his Church and people and will set up such as shall administer true justice with
wicked the profane ungodly against the despisers and them that make a mock of his word the breath of the Lord as a river of brimstone shall devour them As God placed the enmity Esa 30.33 so he will destroy it there shall be nothing that shall stand against him he will burne up all and consume all that is not of himself that that lies in the vain imagination of man he will burn it up for nothing can come from vain man as he is guided by the enmity but what is fuell Rev. 1.10 fit for the fire of the Lord. Hence it is that God terms his people to be dross and drossy metalls saith he will melt them he will blow the fire of his wrath upon them and they shall be melted the Lord is the fire and here he saith he will blow the fire c. Much like to that the Lord said permissively concerning Ahab I will go forth and be a lying spirit 1. King 22.22 Esa 54.16 Esa 40.7 Hag. 1.9 in the mouth of all his prophets I will blow the fire saith the Lord I will set men a work to blow the fire Behold then what the Lord hath now done among us What fire hath there been lately blown up what Divisions Dissentions Dashings Clashings Fomentings Rentings and Dividings yea what Burnings and boylings is there in the mindes and hearts of men some raging tearing spoiling and consuming themselves in blinde zeal others wearied and almost tired with patient waiting for the accomplishent of the promises being clouded and vailed and therein are afflicted and tossed with tempest and have no comfort Is it not the Lord that hath kindled the fire which Christ speaks of which he wisht it were kindled Esa 54.11 Luke 12.49 2 Cor. 11.29 I wil blow the fire of my wrath upoÌ„ you I have caused men to be inflamed one against the other I have blowed the fire that is now among you Your diversities of opinions your contrary and different judgements your various kindes of preaching your several prayings your fiery writings one against another your impatient and passionate speakings railings and revilings your condemnings and sentencing one another this fire that is in each of your bosoms wil I blow til it be such a strong fire that it shal consume al that is of flesh the glory of it for it doth deceive my people and makes them to err therefore the fire shall burne out all the drosse and the Tin and there shall be none left but the good metall When therefore we take notice of the severall contradictions that is in the world Rom. 8.28 among the sons of men let us know that all shall work for good in the end to them that beleeve and do with faith and patience wait for the accomplishment of the promises for herein doth matter of comfort arise to them that have received an unction from the Holy One 1 John 2.20 for they know all things if so that then as the Saints did that there are many antichrists now in the world and that the time is come nay the very day doth appear in the which an overturn shall be to all rereligions and professions Isa 66.22 that were made invented and set up by men And that there shall be a new Heaven a new religion set up by God which shall remain for ever But before this is really accomplished and brought to passe there may be much persecution occasioned by them who are the upholders of Antichrist in the professed way of a religion patched up in these times of Apostasie which cannot endure to hear of the fiery change that shall come which will burn up all Envie selfe-conceitednesse pride self-love ambition discord and strife and bring us to that pure love that shall ever the Saints badge 1 Cor. 13.5 6 7 8. and cognizance as in the first of John Chapter the fourth Seventhly God will melt them God will melt his people as men melt Brasse and Tin and Iron and Lead This word melting is often times used in the Scriptures as in Joshua 7.5 the peop es heart melted away Josiah his heart melted 2 Kings 22.19 2 Chro. 34.27 as you may read at large the issue of it Nahum 1.5 Psal 147.18 he sendeth his Word and me teth them God will melt his people that is he will dissolve them he will make them soft and liquid he will make them plyable to relent to faint to be discouraged he will break them and mollifie them The end of melting is to make pliabâ—e and capabâ—e the metall that is melted to accomplish and to bring to passe the designe of the workman for his intended purpose as may be seen by the severall varieties of vessells and other things made founded cast and formed by men that are skild in mettals Here the people of God are as metall Jer. 38.6 Rom. 9.21 in the hands of the founder in other places of Holy writ they are as clay in the hands of the potter and he hath power over them As clay is made soft by water and so is wrought and made to what fashion the potter pleaseth So are metals made soft by fire some having a more strong fire then the others according to their severall qualities and cast wrought and made up by the workman in what fashion he pleaseth Even so it is with the Lord he can melt us and cast us frame us and forme us into what fashion or condition he pleaseth Will God deal thus with his people Will he break them undoe them melt them dissolve them discourage them make them faint and relent Yea God will do it when no course else will serve the turne he will do it yet doth he appoint means not to cast him out from Him him that is expelled Behold here the goodnesse the bounty and the love of God to mankinde and to his people he wil melt them 2 Sam. 14.4 their hearts shâ—â— be melted he wiâ—â— not consume them but their drosse that is in them he will new found them that whereas their hearts were impure he will purifie them he will renew them he will open their hearts Acts 15.9 Ezek 11.19 1 King 8.37 as Lydias was Acts 16.14 he will give them sincere hearts Heb. 10.22 He will establish their hearts with holinesse 1 Thâ—s 3.13 2 Thes 2.16.17 he will give them upright heaâ—ts as he did to Asa 1 King 15.14 A perfect heart as he ga e Hezekiah 2 Kings 20.3 a contrite heart and a clean heart as he gave Dâ—vâ—d 〈◊〉 â—…0 he will giâ—e his people humble patient mâ—â—k 〈…〉 g and tender hearts O what a metamorphose will there 〈◊〉 â—hâ—re God doth melt he will take all manner of evill away and give and bestow all manner of good will it not be a strange alteration among Christians that of proud they are becom humble of being contray to God they are God-like If I had not been undone
I had been undone Consider how fit this resemblance is Man is as drossy metall that must be melted refined and purified These metalls are all generated and bread in the earth and they are no way usefull or serviceable as they come forth of the earth but must passe through a strong blowing fire before they can be made perfect or usefull for the Artificer Even so it is with man being brought forth into this world he is not fit for any thing nor to have to do with his Maker untill he hath past through the fire that all the earthy disposition and incapable substance of drosse that fixeth to him be clean taken away A man cannoâ— commune with his Maker nor offer any sacrifice to him as he is in nature untill he is new born he cannot enter all that earthinesse and drossinesse that is in the internall part must by fire be scummed cleared and utterly taken away and consumed hence it is that Saint John the Baptist saith John 3.3 I Baptise you with water but there is one that cometh after me who will baptize you with the Holy Ghost Matth. 3. and with fire the baptisme of fire is that that will be hereafter for the Whore sits upon the many waters and she is in discovering What is there in the world that is fit for use and service as it is brought forth Children are apt and prone to all evill and disobedience and do whatsoever is contrary to right if they be not educated taught corrected and instructed the naturall disposition must be subdued and kept under that the direction to a good demeanour may work upon them and they grow up into it Survey the whole creation and see where there is any thing that is fit in its body naturall by reason of its afaffixes to make use of before there is a change Corne canot be made into bread before it be threshed winnowed ground sifted and baked no flesh can be fit to nourish before it hath been ordered dressed by fire Trees cannot serve for building but they must be squared sawed and fitted stones must be hewed and so must all things that doth belong to meate and drink apparell and manufactory there must be a change of them or an abatement from them the earth it self canot yeeld forth fruits before it be tilled and manured Canst thou then Oh unbeleeving man conceive although thou art lord of the Creatures that thou art cleaner then other creatures canst thou approach neer to canst thou serve and obey thy Creatour in that nature of thine thou wast brought forth in before thou art cleansed purified purged melted plowed winnowed and sifted before thy self thy will wisdome understanding desires Psal 51.8 and all in that nature be dead and a new birth be witnessed that the broken bones may rejoyce over the dead body of sin which is called the old man because it is as old as thy self having all the parts of a man a head to imagine mischief and vanity to plot and contrive against his Maker a stiffe neck arms and hands full of oppression and guile and stretched out against the innocent feet swift to shed blood heels to kick against the law of God eares to hear folly eyes to behold vanity if this old man be not dead in thee and thou art not a new creature nothing that thou doest can be accepted thou mayest dream of a happinesse to be had when thou hast gotten an artificiall tongue like a newborne creature and art through education and thine own wisdome Esa 1. civilized in the outward garbe but if thy heart bâ— not changed thou art farre off from happinesse Judgement must passe over thee yea the fire of the Lord must burn out thy drosse or else thou wilt be miserable poor blinde and naked Thou must yeeld and submit thy self to thy God bring thy cursed nature to him there to be slain come willing y Psal 10. humble thy self under the mighty hand of God and he will exalt thee learn of thy Maker to know him and to beleeve in him that for the love of the world gave his onely begotten Son that they should not perish but obtaine through him everlasting life Thinke on this O man of the great love of God to thee what satifaction could the whole world give for the Redemption of one soul and hath Christ Jesus equall to God his Father purchased Redemption for the whole world and art thou so far from prising it that thou wilt not accept of it but think to live happie without change in thy naturall unclean unpurified and unrefined condition Consider in thy hought it to minde did thy Saviour Jesus Christ that be no robbery to be equall to God as it were un-God himself becomming man and suffering a shameful death to recover and Redeem thee and art thou so desperately wicked and so fool-hardy that thou wilt not unman thy self to be like God that is to say to put off thy will wisdome righteousnesse thy pride lust and carnall minde to be invested into a kingdom of righteousnesse peace and holinesse and to be made like unto Christ in whom all fulnesse dwels and to be in union and communion with the Father Let him that hath ears to hear hear what the Lord hath said Know ye not that Christ is in you except ye be reprobates and except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees you cannot enter if you are the servants of sin your wages is death if you live after the flesh you shall die for they that are in flesh cannot please God for the wisdome of the flesh is death but the wisdom of the spirit is life and peace all that you can do in the raw unquoth earthy rough drossy vain darke uncircumcised unprepared and dead condition of nature though never so much beautified and adorned with art learning and outward wisdom and glory it is but hypocrisie we are onely Christians portraied and as it with a diamond if not right it is worth nothing and as in a picture if it be not to the life then it hath no regard so except we are really changed and metamorphosed from that we were borne in and are made like the Son of God we are not free from the law of sin and death but it hath power over us to eternall death Will the almighty God melt his people let them be of what sort soever in their outward callings either men of authority men of the world teaching men or mean men Then here Behold the great love of God unto you he will will melt you he will make you pliable tractable and vertible that what you cannot do your selves he will do for you Can the Leopard change his spots or the Blackmore his skin no more can a man change his nature of himself or by any power within himself but God onely is the changer of all Are his people Brasse Tin Iron and Lead such metalls
there shall be no more of of noisome and infectious air but an air 1 Thes 4.17 like that Saint Paul speaketh of or the same where wee shall meet the Lord and ever bee with him The earth also shall be made pure Rev. 21.2 for it shall be made new there shall be a new earth all the actions commerce converse that is in the world that were corrupted through deceit oppression and cruelty shall all be burnt up and there shall be a clear and a pure converse and commerce without fraud covetousnesse or guile equity and honesty shall then be exercised according to the Christian rule to do as others should do unto us the waters shall no more remain there shall be no more Sea all the waters shall be dried up by the fire of the Lord Rev. 21.1 Esa 11.6.7 Acts 3.19 there shall be no more poore and oppressed by the rich the Lion shall lie down with the Lambe and our refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Again Saint Peter saith in the forenamed chapter that the heavens shall passe away that the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and further saith Ver. 10. ver 12. ves 13. We look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Many heretofore and some now doe from this Scripture tell the people of the finall end and dissolution of the whole world for ever But Christ saith To you it is given to know the mysteries or secrets of the the Kingdom And the Prophet Amos chapter the third Matth. 13.11 and the seventh saith surely the Lord will do nothing but he revealeth his secrets to his servants the Prophets It cannot be then so understood as our common Expositors have concluded but it must be truly and cleerly taken for the fiery change that shall be by the anger and wrath of God upon the world which shall dissolve the Heavens That is the religions that are in the world for Religion is as Heaven by it we do converse with God and commune with him and it hath been from the beginning that the people of God have had a way to draw neer to God by religious worship and services of him But so it is come to passe that the man of sin that is sin deceiving man and Satans temptations prevailing with man hath so corruptly and so confusedly so hypocritically so adulterately worshipped and obeyed God in the outward forme in the shew in the history with the lip onely in the outward man by and in the will of man That the Spouse is become an Harlot Man is become a beast and that body which the now-religion boasteth that it is Christ is Antichrist This heaven wherein the sons of men do solace themselves this strong City this fenced Jerusalem This mountain which they trust unto plead and fight for This heaven where righteousnesse dwelleth not that is but the huske the shell the sheath the outside the carkasse where the inward man is prisoned captivated and imbondaged and suffereth This heaven which is counterfeit full of drosse falshood lies whoredoms witchcrafts abominations mockings and persecutions This heaven shall passe away with a noise This heaven shall be dissolved This is the great wonder of the world at this time that the heavens shall melt that the earth shall quake that the stars shall fall But he that hath eyes to see seeth it now plainly for the sixt seal is opened and it doth manifestly appear Rev. 6.12 that the change now is begun mens confidences are slaying Babylon is besieged Antichrist is discovered persecution increased the iniquity of the Whore revealed her secrets uncovered and the man of sin dismantled upon which there is arisen a great war between Michael and the Dragon in this heaven they are both within the limits of heaven a strange thing that the Dragon the great old Serpent called the Devil and Satan should have his abode in heaven and claim a right there and now fighteth against that power of M chael Rev. 12. to maintain keep up and to continue this heaven which is designed to passe away and to be dissolved Yet so it is This heaven must passe away this corrupted simulate and drossy religion must fade Luke 16.17 Mat. 5.18 Rev. 6.14 Esa 66.22 Rev. 21.1 the Dragon shall be overcome there will be a new heaven and a new earth which shall continue and remain for ever that God himself will make which John saw wherein there is no visible temple but the Lord God and the Lambe are the temple thereof where righteousnesse dwelleth and abideth for ever Not as the old heaven that yet continueth which is full of ceremonies ordinances humane institutions and injunctions which hath caused much confusion contentions and intanglements the Nations being in controversie how it shall go every one thinking his own way to be right and that he shall have the conquest at last exercising themselves in the corrupt and infatuated matter proceeding from the four elements within them of pride malice covetousnesse and murmuring awaking and stirring up the wrath and fiery indignation of the Lord to the bringing of sore sad heavie and lamentable tribulation by which and through which tribulation the Lord will make known the great mysteries of the Kingdome that lyeth now hidden vailed and unrevealed that men shall know the Lord even in nature in which knowledge the stranger and the Heathens shall be converted and turne to the Lord as Christians and all Art cuning skill humane learning formes customes and inventions of men shall be clean dispelled and God alone shall be all in all That which hath been said concerning metals let it be seriously considered How the Almighty God doth set out the condition of his people by metalls and declareth his purpose concerning them as by the comparison of metalls is largely discoursed how he will melt them in all manner of their conditions degrees and qualities and not onely so but he will melt the Elements the Heavens also shall be dissolved the Earth and all the works therein shall be burnt let it then be considered as in the forenamed Epistle of Peter what manner of persons ought we to be To this inquiry he doth advise That our conversation should be holy and God-like that we may be found when the Lord cometh without spot and blamelesse having peace within us To this end is the Prophesies the sayings of Christ and his Apostles 2 Pet. 3. that we might be betttered and amended The disease then being discovered and the cause of it there remaineth now the remedy to be applied First then to the men of power signified by brasse Let it be said to them from the Lord although they may think well of themselves they are drosse and they are Brasse Hag. 1.7 8. Consider in your mindes you great ones God will be glorified by you you are his servants and his work you must do you are not to act any