SOME Prison-Meditations AND EXPERIENCES: WITH Some Hints touching the Fall of the Mother of Harlots, and the exaltation of the SON of GOD upon the Throne of DAVID.

Written in Newgate by JOHN GRIFFITH a Prisoner there.

My heart is inditing a good matter, I speak of the things which I have made touching the King,

Psal. 45.1.

Thou wilt shew me the path of life, in thy presence is fulness of joy, at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore,

Psal. 16.11.

Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in Heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire be­sides thee,

Psal. 73.24, 25.

And there followed another Angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great City, because she made all Nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her for­nication, Rev. 14.8. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion,

Psal. 2.7.

Printed in the year 1663.

The Epistle Dedicatory.

To all in every place that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and Truth, and that wait for his glorious appearing, (more especi­ally unto that Remnant to whom I stand more particularly related) Grace be multiplied, with encrease of Faith and Love from God the Father, and his Son Jesus the Anointed through the Comforter, Christian Salutation.

Well-beloved,

ITs matter of comfort to the Lords poor de­spised people, in a dark day, that he is plea­sed not to leave his nothing-ones (that ei­ther have or do suffer any thing for the sake of blessed Jesus) without some signal tokens of his comforting and strengthening-presence with them, by which they are in a good measure [Page] kept from fainting, and that he doth seal up instruction to their souls, leading them to the Rivers of Pleasures, causing them to drink deep of his Love and Free-Grace in his dear Son: Oh what a choice Mercy it is, that the Most High God should so far condescend, as to have regard to such worthless Crea­tures; who in the day of their fulness so much provoked the Eternal God by their un­thankfulness and mis-improvement of such Choice Mercy, as the Mercy of the Go­spel is.

It is wonderful Grace that God should (notwithstanding such provocations wherewith he hath been provoked by Congregations in general, and by every Member in particu­lar) still continue the good savour of his Grace upon the hearts of any of them, or that he should account any of his poor ser­vants worthy to suffer Reproach and Bonds for his sake.

Which Mercy (which I esteem very choice and sweet to my soul) he hath been pleased for some time to let me enjoy; which is won­derful in my sight, that such a nothing, [Page] empty Creature as I am, should be employed by him in such a Noble Work, and in such a Noble Cause, as to suffer Bonds for the sake of blessed Jesus.

Yet notwithstanding the length of time I have been in durance, I find my heart is not so cleansed and brought to the foot of Christ, as I hope it may, and wait it should.

And if it so please the Lord to sanctifie these Bonds, that I may by the help of his holy Spirit so crucifie the remains of Cor­ruption that I find still in my heart, and subdue, and bring in subjection every vain imagination, that every high thing that ex­alts it self, may be brought in obedience to the King, then may I bless the Lord for the day that ever I lay in Newgate.

The which I may say I am engaged (and not without cause) already to do, for asmuch as God hath let me see my self, and the baseness of my own heart, the unbelief and diffidence that lodgeth there in some measure, which give [...] occasion to me to magnifie the Grace of God the more, in that he should be graciously pleased to accept such an unworthy Worm [Page] as I am, in his dear Son. A clear evidence of which, through Grace I can say I am not with­out in my soul, yet not so, as wholly to be with­out ups and downs, occasioned by temptati­on working upon my Frailties, which my dear Lord Jesus is pleased to assist me in, and cause them to work for good unto my soul; Blessed be Jehovah.

I have in this Poem rudely scattered here and there some of those MEDITATIONS and EXPERIENCES, that God hath been pleased to visit my Soul with; the which I present to the view, and commend to the serious thoughts of all the Faithful, but more particularly, to that Remnant and chosen ones to whom I stand more immediately and parti­cularly related in the bonds of the Gospel:

Hoping all the Spiritual will take them in good part, and judge of them in the Spirit of Love, to whose Christian correction I readily subject my self and Labours; hoping also, th [...] they will put the fairest construction and inter­pretation both upon them and me, that Brotherly Love and Duty binds them to.

[Page]I could not willingly pass to the Conclu­sion of this poor Work, until I had first hin­ted something touching the Fall of Myste­rie Babylon, that old and great Whore, and of the Exaltation of our dear Lord; the thoughts of which now in my bonds, makes me very merry, and is as a cordial to comfort my poor heath, for which I wait, and to which time I trust he will keep that which I have committed to him.

My dear Brethren, 'Tis but a very little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry: In this time of our Pilgrimage let us labour to exalt him in our hearts, that he may be chief, and rule as Lord and King there, that when we come to lay down this house of clay, we may be cloathed upon with our House from Heaven, and be found of him without fault at his coming: To which end wait dili­gently upon the Lord in his Word and Or­dinances: Be much with God in Prayer, praying for all Saints, and for me the most un­worthy Servant of Christ, that I may be kept faithful to death; and let your walks be in Hea­ven; So shall the King greatly desire thy [Page] Beauty, for He is thy Lord, and worship thou Him. Farwell: Grace be with you all: Amen.

From my poor pitiful Study in Newgate, Septem, 22. 1663.
Your Brother in the dear love of Jesus, JOHN GRIFFITH.

COurteous Reader, by reason of the Authors absence, many faults have escaped the Press, which thou art desired to mend with thy Pen.

SOME Prison-Meditations AND EXPERIENCES, &c.

AS I in Prison lie, I sometimes muse
What should the reason be they me so use,
That they contrary unto Law & Reason,
Should keep me here in Jayle so long a season.
No crime or charge against me can they lay,
Yet I shall lye in Prison still, they say.
I think their will's their Law, I cannot see
But that the reason is they thus use me.
What should the reason be, they nought will have,
But what's their will to keep me as their slave
Within stone walls, and bars of iron strong,
As if I had done unto them such wrong,
Or had committed crimes of such a nature,
So filthy and so foul, with so much rancour,
Against their Worships: What have they no Law
To try me by? Or have they got no maw
To do me right? What should the reason be?
I am an English man, and am born free:
My Birth-right is not then without just cause
To lie in Jayle contrary to the Laws:
[Page 2]But there's a reason which I now espye,
Why they will make me still in Prison lye,
And that's because (they say) I am a Preacher,
And of Phanatiques am a constant Teacher;
And therefore 'tis they me in Prison hold,
Unless I would be wickedly so bold
To promise them that I will preach no more,
Then will they me to liberty restore;
If I'le conform, then they will shew me favor,
Methinks to me these things have no good favor.
But what, is't now a crime to Preach and Pray,
That I must lie in Prison night and day?
For that, and for no other cause do know,
But preaching Truth, must I be used so,
Full seventeen Months and more, as I have been
In Prison now; is Preaching such a sin,
That such as preach, and have not their consent,
Can't be redeem'd except they do repent,
But must be kept in prison all their dayes
(As I shall be (sometimes) then Worships says?)
The Prophet Moses was not of this mind.
For he would not Gods holy Spirit bind,
Nor limit it to this or t'other man,
He was content that those should preach that can:
For when complaint against some to him came,
Eldad and Me [...]al were the men by name.
Of whom 'twas said, These men do prophesie;
What, for my sake, saith he, dost thou envie?
I would to God the Lords poor people all
Were Prophets, and that on them all might fall
[Page 3] Such measures of the Spirit from the Lord,
That may enable them to preach his Word.
But now the case is alter'd much I see,
Their Worships will not so contented be
As Moses was; to prison he must go,
That preacheth now without their leave: I know
They would not be so serv'd themselves, if they
Should be forbid to either preach or pray,
Be clapt in prison for it when they should
Do either of them, I believe they would
Not take it well to walk so in the dark;
The Priest forgets that ere he was a Clark.
Would they be us'd so by Romes brats, and be
Forc't to conform to Romes idolatry?
They do profess from Rome they're separated,
And that by them Romes cruelty is hated:
And yet will they the conscience force of those
That cannot with them in their Worship close.
Methinks in this they do not do by me
As they themselves by Rome would used be.
But 'tis my comfort in the midst of all
My many troubles, which some count but small,
They cannot charge me justly with a fault,
Which can by Law give cause thus to assaults
My Carkase, so to keep it thus in Jayle,
Against their Law refusing to take Baile.
Nay, though they were commanded by the King,
They would not him obey, nor me forth bring
To any Legal tryal, that I might
Receive that just reward which is by right
[Page 4]My due, for more of them I do not crave,
And 'tis but reason that I that should have:
Had I by Law deserved Bonds or Death,
I should contented be to lose my breath.
But if I have not any Law offended,
'Tis time, I trow, my trouble now were ended.
But I a Preacher am, I don't deny,
Though much unworthy of the Ministry;
A worthless Worm, unworthy of that love,
That Grace and Mercy which came from above
Into my soul, by which I did receive
A Mission for to preach without their leave;
The Bishop of our souls did me ordain
To preach, his Grace I trust is not in vain
That he bestow'd on me to preach his word,
And to declare his wondrous works abroad:
And though for this I do in prison lye,
I can in him rejoice most heartily,
And praise that God alone that doth esteem
Of such a worthless one as I, and deem
Me worthy of the cross, that for his Name,
And for the sake of Christ to suffer shame.
But yet some say I am a fool to lie
In Jayle so long, depriv'd of liberty:
Why should not I to them a promise make,
That I all kind of preaching will forsake;
For 'tis against the Law that such as I
Should preach, unless I were ordained by
The Bishops, then without all doubt I may;
But might they not upon as good ground say,
[Page 5]The blessed Martyrs in the Marian dayes
Did act against the Law; for Bonner sayes,
You are not by the Law to preach or pray,
Except you do conform, such prayers say
As by the Queen and Church are now thought fit
Should used be throughout the Land; but yet
Those Martyrs then would not perswaded be,
But stoutly stood to Non-conformity;
They rather chose in fiery flames to burn,
Than from what truth and light they had to turn
There are two sorts of fools as I have read,
And one of them 'tis true I am indeed:
The one wise Solomon so plainly paints
In their own colours, such will nere be Saiths;
For, Fools (saith he) are such as knowledge hate,
Such is their dreadful, miserable state,
That they the fear of God do never chuse,
Because they would not Wealth and Honor lose;
Such set a high esteem upon their lusts,
Their Pride and Pleasure, and their gold that rusts;
In such like fools iniquity abounds,
And both in City and in Countrey sounds.
Fools belch out Oaths, and dreadful Execrations,
Which are unto the wise man great vexations:
Fools call on God most wickedly to damn 'um,
And dare him to his face, as 'twere, to ram 'um
Into the very pit of Hell; Fools say
There is no God to hear when men do pray;
Their Oaths to hear, or punish them for sin,
Which they with greediness do wallow in:
[Page 6]As quassing off of bowls of Beer and Wine,
Until they are as drunk as any Swine;
With whoring, roaring, and their sports and play,
That by them now are used ev'ry day,
As baiting Bulls and Bears with dogs, and such
Like sports as these, of which there is too much;
With idle Stage Plays too, and such like trade,
There's many souls destroy'd that God hath made:
He then's a fool that for these earthly toys
Doth lose eternal life and heav'nly joys.
There are another sort if fools I find,
But those fools are quite of another mind.
These fools all worldly glory do despise,
Becoming fools, that so they may be wise:
All worldly wisdom these for Christ account
But loss and dung; to win Christ doth furmount
All Arts and Sciences, all worldly treasure,
There's none to them like him, these take no plea­sure
In world or worldly things, they are but dross
Who offers them the world, bids them to loss.
These do the glory of the world disdain,
Because its greatest glory is but vain,
An empty shell, a water-bubble fading,
Its greatest glory is not worth the having.
These are such fools they can more glory see
In Christ their Prince, than any there can be
In all Honor, Glory, Beauty, Fame,
The world affords, or any tongue can name;
A crucified Christ these fools would know:
As for the world, say these, tush, let it go.
[Page 7]The world no peace nor comfort can afford,
Like to a minutes presence of the Lord.
Though wife and children unto them be dear,
Yea dearer far than any thing that's here,
That if the world were theirs, at their dispose,
Yet would they be content it all to lose,
Before they'd part with either wife or child,
Their pretty babes so tender and so mild;
And yet the Love of Christ is dearer far
Unto their souls than wife or children are:
The love of Jesus Christ surpasseth all:
These fools are ready when their Lord doth call
To leave for him their Wife and Children, and
Their Goods and Houses, Countrey, & their Land,
Yea, Life it self (though sweet) for his sweet sake,
That for their filthy sins did undertake:
These know their Life is hid with him in God,
And that he will them help to bear the Rod.
These are such fools they know that persecution
Is unto them a token if salvation,
And that unto their persecutors 'tis
A certain token of perdition is:
Such fools as these I therefore highly prise,
For there are none but such that's truly wise.
'Tis true, to worldly wise men he's a fool
That seeks no other wisdom then the School
Affords that Christ instructs his Schollars in,
There's none of them that values that a pin:
The Spirits teaching such laugh at and scorn,
And do resolve that of it they'l not learn:
[Page 8]And therefore God that's just and only wise,
Doth justly stop their ears, and blind their eyes,
And from the prudent hides his precious truths,
When he to babes reveals them, from whose mouths
He wil have praise, they shall the good way find,
When those that say they see, are wondrous blind.
Well then, I am content a fool to be,
But not a fool that loves iniquity;
But such a fool who for eternal bliss,
Am well content to suffer more than this
For his sweet sake that suffer'd more for me,
When for my sake he dyed on a tree
A shameful, cursed, bitter, cruel death
On my behalf, to expiate the wrath
Of God his Father; there was none but he
Could do't, and that the more engageth me
To be a fool, as fools please to esteem me,
For precious Jesus seke, who did redeem me;
Whose love unto my soul I far more prise
Then all the fading-wealth beneath the skies;
And for his glorious Name am well content
To suffer and endure imprisonment,
And do resolve through Christ & strength of grace
I nere will be so filthy, vile and base,
By any means my liberty to gain,
Whereby the Name of God I might prophane.
I were a fool indeed if for a trifle
I should so much my Conscience wrack and rifle
Of all that consolation, joy and peace,
And in a moment cause it all to cease,
[Page 9]That I now have and feel in Christ my Lord,
By Faith and Grace, and comfort of his word,
And wrack that Faith by which I know I stand
In full assurance that the Holy Land,
That Paradise of God, that Rest I mean,
That goodly place no mortal eye hath seen,
Is mine by right of testament, and wil,
Confirm'd to me by blood which Christ did spill,
To purchase that possession for my soul
Where him I shall enjoy without controul,
And there I know I God and him shall see
In perfect joy, and true felicity;
All sorrow then with me shall have an end
No more Oppression shall my soul offend:
What ever now I lose, I then shall find;
Oh how the thoughts of this contents my mind!
There shall I see a joyful, goodly sight,
Those precious souls, and those Saints in light
That have before endur'd the Cross and shame,
Reproach, rebuke and scorn, defame and blame,
With cruel mockings, scourgings, whippings and
Most barbarous deaths almost in ev'ry Land,
Which for a Crown of Life they did abide,
A Kingdom, Glory, and a Throne beside:
What tongue can tell me what that joy will be,
When I so many blessed Saints shall see,
All glorifi'd, and shining as the Sun,
And as the Stars, far brighter than the Moon,
With blessed Abram Father of the faithful,
The thoughts of this methinks is wondrous joyful.
[Page 10]There will be Isaac, Jacob, and the rest
That in the Lord are sweetly gone to rest;
There Peter, Paul and John, with many more,
That in their Pilgrimage laid up in store
A good foundation 'gainst the time to come,
VVho for Christ sake forsook both all and some;
With all those blessed Martyrs that have bore
A faithful testimony 'gainst the Whore,
Those hellish, filthy, cruel brats of Rome,
And all their Romish stuff, their dross and scum,
Their god of bread, their great abomination,
Their idle, brain-sick Transubstantiation:
If I among all these do get a share,
As praised be the Lord I nothing fear;
But in this place of joy I have my portion,
A place of Rest, a Stock, a House, a Mansion;
As Christ my Jesus when he went away,
Did to his well-belov'd Disciples say,
That sure within his Fathers House were many;
And this I doubt not, but if there be any,
He will prepare a dwelling-place for me,
VVhere I shall all this glory find and see:
Then were not I a fool if for my freedom
I should offend dear Christ, and lose a Kingdom,
A throne, a Crown of Life and endless Glory?
If I were such a fool, I should be sorry.
VVhat would it my profit should I gain the world,
If shortly into Hell my soul be burl'd
Among the damn'd, not only for a moment,
But if ever to endure eternal torment
[Page 11]In flames of fire to waste and not consume,
In dreadful, dismal sights, where is no room
Left for Repentance, no Redemption new
From this Tartari'n Lake, infernal Crew,
Where Dives may to Father Abra'm cry,
Oh Father Abram, see what torment I
Endure in flames of fire; my scorched tongue
Doth burn and fry; Oh Father be not long,
But send good Laz'rus, who I once rejected,
I now in torments am; but he's respected:
Send him (I pray) to ease my tongue, my grief,
And with cold water give me some relief.
But Abraham thus answer'd him, and said,
My Son, remember when thou wast array'd
In Purple and fine Linnen, and didst fare
Deliciously, thou wouldst by no means spare
The sorry crumbs that from thy Table fell;
But now he is in Heav'n, thou art in Hell:
Thou hadst thy portion in that World before;
Thy torments now must be for evermore:
You'l then conclude with me, as I hope well,
I'd better dye in Jayl, than burn in Hell.
A Gaol! what's that? it's no unpleasant thing
If Christ be there, that only blessed King;
He with his Love doth make a Prison sweeter,
(Tho unto sence it seems to be so bitter)
Than any Princely Court, or stately Palace,
When with his presence he the soul doth solace.
If in a Prison Jesus Christ be there,
It's cause of joy to meet him any where.
[Page 12]No sorrow can nor will that soul betide
That hath dear Jesus lying by his side:
And he that night and day can take a nap,
In Jesus Christ the Lord's Anointed's Lap,
Can there rejoice, and in a Dungeon sing
For joy of heart, that Christ is there with him.
Tho Paul and Silas in the stocks were laid,
At midnight they in that condition pray'd,
And sung for joy of heart, their Lord was there,
And with his love did them refresh and chear,
And made their bonds so pleasant and so choice
With his good presence, comforts and sweet voice,
That made them sing aloud with joyful praise,
VVhich did their Jaylers stonish and amaze,
And put them into such a fright and fear,
They could not tell the Prisoners were there,
Not knowing that in Prison they were free,
VVhen others were in bonds, in liberty.
Why should I then with Prison-bonds be frighted
(Tho in my bonds I am by many slighted?)
Sith I full many, many times have known,
That blessed Jesus leaves me not alone,
But doth refresh my soul both day and night,
I never am out of his Princely sight.
He by his Spirit doth my soul uphold,
So teach and comfort, strengthen and new-mold,
So frame, so form, so fashion and compose
My heart so vile, to be at his dispose,
That with my bonds I'm mighty well content,
And at's command to be, I'm fully bent,
[Page 13]So he with strength and grace support my soul,
VVho ere he be in this that shall controul.
And so he please still to continue with me,
Nor will he ever leave me nor forsake me,
As he hath promis'd in his faithful word,
VVhich I believe, and to it do accord,
And am ascertain'd that he cannot lye,
Nor ne'r his holy, blessed self deny;
Nor will he break that Covenant he made
VVith faithful Abraham, and all his seed,
That seed of Faith, I mean, not of the Law,
That which the Scriptures long ago foresaw;
Then need not I to fear what man can do,
(VVhat ere he be) that saith he'l make me rue:
If Christ my Jesus be but on my part,
I need not fear, they cannot make me smart;
Nor can they touch my hair, except he please
Them to permit, I cannot one hair leese;
But should he them permit to try my Faith,
My Love and zeal to him, and for his truth,
On me some grievous torments to inflict,
VVith which my sinful flesh they should afflict,
And sorely bruise, and wound, and cut and burn,
Yet would such handlings to my comfort turn;
In taking up, and bearing of the Cross,
There can nor will be to my soul no loss;
It is the certain way unto the Crown,
Christ went that way himself, 'twas his renown.
Then now O Lord assist me with thy Grace,
That I may run (not faint) that blessed race
[Page 14] Which in the end will bring me to that rest
Where Sin and Satan can't my soul molest,
Where I shall never hear Oppressions voice,
Nor grief, nor pain, nor trouble, but rejoice
In thee alone, and praise thy holy Name,
Admire thy Glory, Beauty, and thy Fame;
Where I shall have no work to do but praise
The God of Heav'n, the King of Saints always.
And if thou Lord dost please still to employ me
In any harder work, thereby to try me,
Grant as the day is, so my strength may be,
For strength I have not any but from thee.
And then command me what shall seem good to thee,
I am thy Servant, ready to obey thee.
1. MY soul praise thou the God of Might,
And in the Lord be glad,
His Grace is wondrous in thy sight,
for he such pity had
2. Of thee when thou a sinful wretch
didst wallow in the mire
Of lust and filth, then did he snatch
a brand out of the fire.
3. He lov'd thee when thou lovd'st not him,
such was his Love and Grace,
He took thee from the very brim
Of Hell that dismal place.
4. VVhen terrors did my soul amaze,
and sorrows day and night,
He out of them my soul did raise
to see those beams so bright,
5. That on my darken'd soul did shine,
which darted from the Son
Of Mercy, Grace, and Love Divine,
my soul with it was won,
6. More to admire than comprehend;
comprehend I could not,
VVhat kind of love God did intend
unto my foul, I knew not.
7. Comfort and light I did receive,
which sweetly staid my heart,
And made me wait, hope and believe
God would his mind impart.
8. At length unto my thirsting mind
that long'd so much to know
More of his Grace and Mercy kind,
the Lord was pleas'd to show
9. unto my soul that these were pangs,
new-birth pangs upon me,
Which much in doubt for sometime hangs,
I knew not they were on me.
10. But when the Lord had me begat
a lively hope unto,
Then I perceiv'd 'twas nought but that
with cords my soul he drew:
11. I say, with cords of love so sweet,
so choice unto my soul,
VVith which the Lord did me then meet,
that was so vile and foul.
12. Then straight-way did the Lord speak peace
and issues out a pardon,
The troubles of my soul did cease;
that heart which I did harden,
13. VVas then most sweetly mollifi'd,
even melted, and so broken,
My soul was then so satisfi'd
it hardly can be spoken.
14. Oh then how was my heart inflam'd
with love to Christ my Lord,
That of his word I was not asham'd,
but gladly could afford
15. To lose my All for his dear sake
that lost his Life for me,
And laid it down, that he might make
my peace with God, and be
16. An able Saviour that can save
me to the uttermost,
That I an open way might have
to God, which I had lost.
17. Oh then my soul, how art thou bound
thy self to serve no more!
Thou from the Lord hast mercy found,
praise thou his Name therefore.
18. Be not a servant unto men,
their lusts do not obey;
Nor serve no longer any sin
that will thee soon destroy.
19. But serve the Lord with all thy might,
'twas he that hath thee bought,
Thou art non's else, but his of right,
he thy salvation wrought,
20. And paid a price for thee so dear,
so precious and so great;
Then praise the Lord, him love and fear,
for that is wondrous meet.
21. Forsake him not, he is thy Life,
thy Peace, thy Joy, thy All,
A present help in time of strife,
in troubles great and small.
22. And tho the wicked rage and storm,
and threaten what they'l do,
There's none of them can do thee harm,
Christ is thy Rock: then lo,
23. What cause to fear the wrath of man,
it's that shall praise the Lord,
And the remainder he'l restrain;
this shall be known abroad.
24. My soul trust thou in God alone,
fear not what man can do;
For Christ will sit upon his throne;
and then to them, wo, wo.
This I have learn'd, and by experience found,
The more my troubles for Christ do abound,
My joy and comfort by Christ doth encrease,
And daily grow and multiply, not cease,
Decay nor vanish, but my Lord doth still
Exceedingly my soul (with his sweet will)
Affect, please and delight, there's nothing more
Can do't; the King of Saints be prais'd therefore.
It's true, there can be no affliction joyous
Unto the flesh, but very sore and grievous:
The flesh doth not esteem a Prison gainful,
But bitter, and most miserably painful;
And so I find it sometimes is with me,
It makes me wish in heart I could get free,
[Page 19]Alwayes provided I could have the same
With honor to my Lord (the King) and's Name,
Which is more dear to me than is my life,
My little all, my Children, and my Wife;
And they are dearer to me, tho I say't,
Then all the world beside, I'm sure I know't:
Then if I with my flesh and blood should reason,
I ne'r had staid in Jayl so long a season.
I have not been from all temptations free,
But many times they have assaulted me;
But Christ with's Grace my soul hath so sustain'd,
That on my soul temptations have not gain'd
Such ground or root against me to prevail;
Through him they have not made me faint or fail:
And though they seem to be no pleasant things,
Yet are they such as profit to me brings:
For by temptation is my Faith so prov'd,
And made more precious, when I'm nothing mov'd
But helpt against them, and made to endure;
They work such patience in me, I am sure,
That I'm contented to abide the storm,
Because they work for good, and not for harm.
I plainly find by tribulations, I
Have learn'd my many frailties to espye,
Such as I never knew nor learn'd before,
I little thought that I had had such store;
I now can see my heart so vile, so base,
So prone to start aside, sin to embrace,
So ready to betray me to my foes
That lodge within my breast, and with them close;
[Page 20]So dull, so stupid, and so indispos'd,
So vain, so foolish, seldom well compos'd,
So ready to affect the world, and'ts pelf,
Secretly saying, Master, save thy self;
Why shouldst thou thus thy tender self expose
To be so long afflicted by thy foes?
Why shouldst thou man so long in Prison lye?
Thou maist fall sick, and of that sickness dye;
Ponder the matter well, tender thy life.
Thy pretty children, and thy loving Wife.
So selfish is my heart, so prone to please
This sinful flesh of mine, that loves its ease,
So full of unbelief and diffidence,
So ready to let go all confidence,
So fruitless, negligent, ungrateful,
So crafty and so subtile, so deceitful,
I find it hard my heart to understand,
It hath so many turnings, windings, and
So many evils doth it still attend,
I dare not trust it, nor unto it lend
An ear to hear its many cunning quirks
That in it secretly, lies hid and lurks,
But watch against, oppose and crucifie,
Lest it prevail ore me, and so I dye,
And sleep the sleep of death, and all in vain
I do or suffer, prove my loss, no gain.
Now then my soul behold what cause thou hast
To look back to the time that's gone and past,
And see, consider, weigh, remember and
Bewail thy sins for number as the sand:
[Page 21]Thy self abhor, and loath, and mourn for thy,
Uncomeliness and great imparity
To Christ thy Prince, that ever blessed one,
That dy'd for thee, else hadst thou been undone,
And held in Chains of darkness evermore,
In Hell thy self to moan, thy sins deplore;
A bond slave held in Satans Chain and Kingdom,
Subjected to his will, his wiles and wisdom;
If thou shouldst have what thou by sin didst merit,
Thou never wilt eternal life inherit.
Look back, I say, behold and see what case
Thou'rt in through sin, that so by thee the Grace
Of Christ thy King, may so be magnifi'd,
His Name exalted, and so glorifi'd,
That thou maist live for ever in his sight,
And that the King in thee may take delight.
And now behold my soul how thou art bound,
Here the rich love of the Lord to sound,
Declare and publish, that all men may see
How dearly Christ thy King hath loved thee,
And what the manner of that love hath been,
In taking thee from such a state of sin,
From Satans pow'r of darkness into light,
Translating thee into that Kingdom bright
Of his dear Son, that Prince of Life and Peace
And Lord of Glory, who will never cease
By's blood to speak far better things than all
The blood of Abel did, which loud did call
For God's just veng'ance 'gainst his brother Cain,
Who had his brother murder'd, kill'd and slain;
[Page 22]I say, that speaks far better things for thee,
On thy behalf, to God his Father; he
By virtue of his Death and Mediation,
Who lives for ever making intercession,
By which he pleads thy cause, where now he's sit­ting,
And answers for those sins thou art committing
In weakness, frailty, and against thy will,
Consent, good liking; and doth daily fill
Thee with assurance that thy sin's forgiven,
And blotted out, and all those scores made even
That thou stoodst charged with before the seat
Of God's tribunal, terrible and great,
Which in that Court of Conscience there was plac't,
In which thou wast arraign'd, condemn'd and cast.
1. How wonderful thy goodness Lord
hath ever been to me,
That thou such kindness shouldst afford
of Grace and Mercy free,
2. To such a sinful wretch as I,
so empty and so vile,
So fill'd with such iniquity,
that's ready me to file.
3. O Lord, it's wondrous in my fight,
that thou shouldst have regard
To such a worthless, nothing-wight,
which makes my heart (though hard)
4. To melt as wax before the fire,
when I thy Grace do weigh,
It so enflameth my desire;
Come Lord, and make no stay,
5. And let my soul taste more of love,
my soul is not content
Without those show'rs fall from above
that may my soul prevent:
6. Those show'rs of mercy, love & grace
that may be to my heart,
As show'rs to the new-mown grass,
that I may ne'r depart
7. From thee who art my God and King,
my Refuge and my Stay;
But that I may thy praises sing:
Come Lord without delay.
The more Christ doth himself to me make known,
The more to me his love and Grace is shown:
The more my soul enjoyes and doth possess,
The more it longs to have that happiness,
More to receive, enjoy, find, feel and tast,
That by its force, and strength, and power, at tast
All those remains of sin might be subdu'd,
And that no fair pretence might me delude,
Deceive and harm, by taking of my mind
From Heav'n & Heav'nly things; nor me so blind,
[Page 24]Or cause to dote on any thing below,
Or make my simple heart in love to grow
With them, or any thing they can propose,
The more I gain of them, the more I lose.
And that through Christ and strength of grace I might
Have all my whole affections vanquisht quite;
So kill'd, so slain, so conquer'd and orecome,
That in my heart there might be left no room
For any filthy sin or lust to harbour,
That oft hath caus'd my soul to sigh, and labour
Under the pow'r thereof, the grief, the pain,
Of which my heart doth many times complain
By reason of the domineering power
Of Sin and Satan, that for ev'ry hour
Did once assault me with its bates and wiles,
Those cunning stratagems which oft beguiles
Poor souls, and brings them oft-times to a snare,
In which they're taken ere they are aware.
But now this is become my souls ambition,
To have it brought in full and whole subjection
To Jesus Christ my Lord, that nought but he
May rule and bear the sway in me, and be
Both uppermost and chief, and reign as King
Within my soul and heart; oh! that's the thing
I long to find, and feel, and know, and have,
And day and night do always beg and crave,
That Christ might dwell by Faith so in my heart,
That I might get and learn that blessed Art,
To bring down ev'ry thought into subjection,
And cast down ev'ry vain imagination,
[Page 25]And ev'ry high thing that doth self and flesh
Exalt against the Lord my God; I wish
And earnestly desire that I might be
So dying to the world, the world to me,
Transform'd by the renewing of my mind,
And not conform'd unto the world, but find
The Art to know and prove what is that good,
That perfect, acceptable will of God;
And that I might the pow'r of Jesus know,
The power of his Resurrection, so
The fellowship of his dear suffering;
That my poor soul might be in ev'ry thing
And his dispose, and while I've life and breath,
So made conformable unto his death,
That if by any means I might attain
The resurrection of the dead, and gain
To be conform'd to th' Image of the Son,
Who 'mongst the many Brethren was first-born,
That I in heart and mind might dwell no more
Here on the earth, but in my spirit sore,
Rest, dwell, and live, and walk, and climb
Into that Paradise, that Throne sublime,
Where Christ doth sit in shining glory, he
I'de there be with, and ever with him be:
With which most glorious place O Lord affect
My stony heart, that I may have respect
To nothing more, nor nothing more so eye,
Than that reward that's in Eternity,
That so my soul may have the strength to bear
The troubles I am like to meet with here,
[Page 26]That in the darkest dismal'st time and day,
No trouble may my soul amaze nor fray.
And take away the Clouds and Mists that be
Sometimes between my heart, my soul and thee,
That sometimes vails from me that love & light,
And hides thy face and glory from my sight,
Which makes my soul for to lament and mourn,
Such troubles are too heavy to be born.
And suffer not my soul no more to live
So much below that glory thou wilt give
To those that love thy Name, to those that fear
The Lord thy Christ, and wait when he'l appear
And fill my heart and soul with such a measure
Of Light, in that estimable treasure,
That I by Faith thy glorious face may see,
With which my soul may still refreshed be,
And always have assurance of thy love,
By that sweet sealing-Spirit from above.
Take up my thoughts into those endless joys,
Let me no longer live upon those toys
That's here on earth, those passing earthly things,
That rather to my soul disquiet brings,
Than any joy or comfort, Lord I find,
There's nothing in this world gives peace of mind.
In that Celestial place where thou dost dwell,
That place of glory that no tongue can tell,
Nor mortal eye hath seen, nor heart conceive
What's there in store for them that do believe,
There where thy Presence is, there's fulness, store
Of joy and pleasures, now and evermore.
[Page 27]Then, by thy Spirit give me to behold
The Glory of thy Self, to me unfold
That most transcendant Beauty, and that Light,
Where Angels worship thee both day and night;
That though no heart is able to conceive it,
Nor mortal eye perceive the Brightness of it,
Nor tongue relate what things are laid up there,
For them that do thee love, and serve, and fear;
And though I can't the least of Mercies merit,
Yet Lord reveal them to me by thy Spirit,
That I may daily more and more so slight,
So disesteem the world, that I so might
Just as a pilgrim-stranger, travel here,
So freed from all the world and worldly care,
That I might never think my self at home,
Until I find that City that's to come.
Before thou canst arrive this blessed Port,
And enter in this Haven, such a sort
Of waves and tempests may against thee rise,
Which Satan will against thee so devise,
To keep thee off by force, with wind & weather,
Unless thou play the man thou't ne'r come thither:
Then look about thee and consider well,
And hearken unto what I shall thee tell;
Thou seest thou hast a journey now to go,
Be careful that thou dost it travel so,
Still casting off those things that may thee let,
That thou may'st safely to the end on't get.
Thou art no other than a stranger here,
A sojourner as all thy fathers were.
[Page 28]Then think not thou shalt be so kindly us'd,
For strangers many times are much abus'd;
Though strangers should be all received well,
And entertained be; it all times fell
That sojourners, and such as strangers be,
Which travel towards Heav'ns eternity,
That holy City, Heav'nly Canaan,
Did find small friendship here from any man;
Our fathers, Abraham, and Isaac too,
With Jacob, and the rest, did find it so:
For they did live as strangers in the Land,
Which was by Promise their own Country, and
Because they sought a City God had made,
That had foundations, he the basis laid,
The builder and the maker of the same
Was he alone: they from their Country came
To sojourn in the Land of Promise, when
God call'd them forth out of their Country, then
They sought by Faith another Country, where
They should have rest from travel, and the care
That usually attends the way they went,
To heav'ly Canaan where they were bent
To go through thick and thin, what ere it cost,
The end would make amends for all they lost;
They all did die in Faith, did not receive
The Promise, yet the Promise did believe.
And if, my soul, thou dost intend to go
In that same path they went thou'lt find it so,
That thou art but a Pilgrim-Stranger here,
A Travellor unto a Country, where
[Page 29]Thou wilt a Resting-place enjoy indeed,
Then go not back, but on the way proceed:
Think it no hard thing thou shouldst be a stranger,
And that thou art attended with such danger
In thy own native Country; nay, that place,
That very City, which with such disgrace
Hath thee abur'd with such contempt and scorn,
In which thou were both bred, brought up & born;
Who should of right a Mother be to thee,
And thou her Child defend from injurie,
And from whose breasts thou shouldst such nourish­ment,
And not from her sustain such detriment
As thou hast done, and still art like to do,
If she so much degenerate into
A Monster so unnatural and strong,
Without all pity to devour her young:
If thou hadst unto her some Rebel bin,
Then justly might she punish thee for sin:
If thou by Oaths hadst made her Land to mourn,
That were a thing she ought not to have born;
Or, hadst thou by such foul debauchery,
Her glory blemish'd with such infamy,
As some have done, she ought not to refrain
From such Corrections as might thee restrain;
Or, hadst thou given any cause unto
Her righteously or justly to pursue
Thee at this rate, as for some time she'th done,
Then let her never own thee for her son,
But cast thee off as one to be rejected,
And nevermore by her to be respected.
[Page 30]But if thou hast in nothing her offended,
Nor any evil to her hast intended;
If thou hast rather laboured her to save
From those great Evils, which God's Judgements have
Been threatned long against her glory, then
Why should she evilly intreat thee, when
Thou speak'st somtimes, yet keepst within thy sta­tion,
Against her sins, sin shameth any Nation,
And will at length bring down that dreadful Wrath
Of that just God, whose Judgments on the Earth
Have oft been manifested on such places,
To do uncleanness who have set their faces,
And have rejected counsel, who did harden
Their hearts like to a stone, such God won't par­don,
Though he will suffer long, and presently
Don't rain down Fire and Brimstom from on high;
As once he did on Sodom, who the strangers
That Lot receiv'd, who, like devouring rangers,
The Angels hunted for about Lot's door,
Until they smitten were with blindness sore;
Nor would they hearken unto Lot's advice,
But griev'd his foul, persisted in such vice
That did from Heav'n bring down God's Wrath &c. Ire,
Consum'd they were with his eternal Fire.
Dost thou to London do such injury,
When thou reprovd'st her sins so modestly,
That no exceptions justly can be taken,
To that end too that London might awaken,
And from her sins return, repent, and live,
And never more such great occasion give
[Page 31]To God, whose Wrath revealed is from Heav'n
Against all such unrighteousness of men,
That Truth withhold in all unrighteousness,
And live in every kind of viciousness,
As she hath done for many years, and doth
By crying sins call down for God's great Wrath:
And is there any way she can prevent
The Wrath of God, except she do repent?
Then is not he her friend that doth reprove
Her for her crying sins, so much in love
To her and hers, that alwayes prayes she may
Be kept from those sore plagues, that ev'ry day
Hangs ore her head, and will for certain be
Upon her on a sudden, and then she
May cry, Alas! would we had counsel taken,
We had not then been now of God forsaken.
But if for what thy duty is, she do
Become so far thy enemy and foe
To persecute thee for't yet more and more,
And use thee ten times worse than heretofore
She did, yet go thou on, and never cease
To cry aloud and spare not, speak no peace
To such as hate reproof, and such as take
Delight in serving sin; else may'st thou make
Thy self partake with them as guilty be,
As they are of their own iniquity:
For so doth duty bind, and love to those
Who for thy love are now become such foes
To thee, that how to ruine thee they seek,
And quite undo thy Wife and Children eke,
[Page 32]Though badly they require thy love and pains,
As for to let thee have no better gains,
Yet this will comfort be unto thee still,
That God will recompence thy wrongs, and will
For what thou dost in love to him, reward
Thee for't, and will assuredly regard
Thy sighs and groanings, which are secretly
Put up to him, into his ears they fly;
His heart they move, his piercing eyes to pity;
But Wo will be to the oppressing City.
VVhat ere the usage be thou meetst with here,
It can't be worse than what thy Saviour dear
Did find and meet with from the hands of them
That were his Country-men, for unto him
They gave but sorry entertainment too,
Although the best they had was but his due:
For him they stigmatiz'd with names so bad,
They said he had a Devil, and was mad,
And call'd him Belzebub, they were so bold;
Much more then will they them of his houshold.
The Servant is not greater than his Lord.
If they no better welcome could afford
To give to him that was the Lord of all:
Thy entertainment then can be but small,
Who art a stranger in thy Country now;
A Freeman, yet a Foreigner, then how
Canst thou expect to be accommodated
Where thou a stranger art, and so much hated,
By such as don't thee know, nor can't thee love,
Because thou art a Child born from above;
[Page 33]And yet thou dost no more require, alas,
Than quietly in peace along to pass
Unto the most Celestial Canaan,
No injury thou't do to any man:
No bread thou dost not seek to have, or eat,
But what's thine own, no nor no other meat;
Their Gold nor Silver neither dost thou crave;
As for their Honour none of it thou't have:
And yet, like Esau, they prove so unkind,
Thou canst not through this world a passage find,
To go in peace, without the fear of danger,
Unto that Country where thou art no stranger;
But go thou must, there is no remedy,
'Tis but a folly by the way to lye.
Shouldst thou go back and from that Country run,
Take opportunity for to return
Back to the vomit, or unto the mire,
As thou maist many have, if thou desire
To live at ease, and take thy pleasure here;
But then be sure thou't lose the glory there,
And like to Esau, fall to so much dotage,
To sell thy Birthright for a mess of pottage.
Thenf or a Pilgrim stranger thy self take,
Thou art no other; no provision make
But what may serve thee in thy journey here,
That is enough, then take no further care;
Consider, here no biding-place hast thou,
No City that continue will, then how
Shouldst thou that care that is inordinate
Cast off, lest thou shouldst surfeit with it strait?
[Page 34]Or it be in thee like to weeds and thorns,
Far worse then all the cruel mocks and scorns
That thou maist meet with in this pilgrim-state
From all the Seed of Ishmael, who hate
The free-born Children, and the heav'nly Seed,
Which do the Land of Promise chiefly heed;
But cast thy care on God, and be content
With Food and Rayment, which he hath thee sent,
And hither to provided hath for thee;
Then let thy care be cast on him, for he
Doth care for thee and thine, and alwayes will;
Then let thy care be only to fulfill
His blessed mind, and how thou maist him please,
To do his Will brings most content and ease.
Consider that the World doth pass away,
There's nothing in't that will long with thee stay,
Nor nothing in't that brings true comfort neither,
But he that doth Gods will abides for ever.
Why shouldst thou then seek great things for thy self?
Nay, seek them not, not any worldly wealth,
It is but labour lost, if thou hadst got
The world; for all its glory profits not:
But rather will a hindrance prove to thee,
No furtherance at all the world can be
In this thy journey, which thou now must go,
Then love it not, but count it for thy so.
Remember Godliness is such great gain,
Together with Contentment, if attain
Unto't thou dost, it will thee richer make
Than all the world can do, then nere forsake
[Page 35]That way in which thou maist be rich in faith,
There's none is truly rich but he that hath
That durable and everlasting treasure
Which far exceeds the glory, wealth and pleasure
That all the world affords; if one had all
Which is therein, its glory is but small;
For on the greatest of it may be writ,
All is but transitory, and not fit
For none but those that will no other have,
Which leaves men ere they get unto the grave;
Those mind no more then what will bring them thither
Tho there they part, & cannot go together:
But Heav'nly treasure is not of this kind,
A man can never leave this wealth behind;
The dead are bless'd that in the Lord do dye,
They rest from labour, and their work doth hie
To follow after them; they have no loss,
Death unto such produceth no such cross,
Their wealth to lose, for them to dye is gain,
Because with Christ they'l evermore remain.
What blessedness is like unto this bliss!
What riches is comparable to this!
Though one be poor, yet making many rich;
And though one nothing have, to be one which
Possesseth all things, and can say, All's mine,
And unto him that doth believe, all's thine;
Gods Ministers are yours, the world withall,
And life and death, this substance is not small;
Things present and to come are also yours;
It can't be known what wealth true faith procures:
[Page 36]He only is the wealthy happy man
That reads God's precious promises, and can
Believe and truly say, that these are made
To him in Christ; what ere in them is said
He can by Faith apply, by Faith can see
That none of them are Yea and Nay, but Yea,
In Christ Yea and Amen, all of them are
To him that in them through Christ hath a share.
According to our Proverb 'tis the fate
Of that man to be poor that God doth hate;
And such are they that doth oppression use,
And do the innocent therewith abuse;
Who are corrupt and partial in the Law,
That do the poor and needy tear and claw,
Like to a Lyon, or a ranging Bear,
So wicked Rulers to the people are,
Which do encourage those that evil do,
But do the righteous Lion-like pursue;
That do abhor the upright man, and hate
Him likewise that rebuketh in the Gate;
That Judgment turn to Wormwood, & who hath
Left executing Righteousness on earth;
Whose treading is upon the poor, who make
That man their prey that doth their ways forsake,
Or that departeth from iniquity,
Such they account for mad men, and who buy
The needy for a pair of shoes, the poor
That buy for silver, by oppression sore
Such cause the righteous man to howle and cry,
With violence the earth is covered, by
[Page 37]Their turning Judgement backward into Gall,
The fruit of Righteousness to Hemlock, all
Such men are very poor, though very rich;
This is an Orthodox truth, but very which
May seem to be a Paradox to those
That love the world, and have its honor chose.
Then see my soul thou dost not fret at him
That seems to prosper in his way, not them
That know no sorrow like to other men;
Whose eyes stand out with fatness, and whose pen
Writes grievousness, which thing they have pre­scribed
To turn aside from judgment, unless bribed;
The needy and the right of him that's poor,
They take away, and by oppression sore
The Widow doth become to them a prey,
And th' fatherless are robbed ev'ry day;
Although with fat such have got shining faces,
Yet they (my soul) do stand in slippery places;
Then envy not their great prosperity,
Their breath is in their nostrils, they must dye;
Though pride doth compass such as with a chain,
And violence, yet such men are but vain;
They in their best estate are vanity,
And so are all things else beneath the sky;
And God will bring such men to desolation,
The wicked shall not stand in th' Congregation
Of the upright; such are but as a dream
In which a man in's sleep doth think and deem
He hath much wealth; but when he doth awaken,
He finds it but a dream, himself mistaken.
[Page 38]So are such men, the Lord will sure despise
Their Image when he doth awake and rise
To call them down into destruction, then
They'l know that God's the Lord, and that he can
Them in a moment visit all with horror,
And can them utterly consume with terror.
If this be so, thou hast no cause to fear,
The fear of man will bring thee to a snare▪
Trust thou in God, and then thou wilt be safe,
For God thy God such strength and power hath,
Thou needst not fear what man, a worm, can do,
Whose dayes are as a span, his hours few;
Who is as grass that flourisheth to day,
But on the morrow goes quite to decay.
Poor man is just like to a famous flower,
That liveth now, but cropt and gone next hour;
His dayes are like unto a Wevers Shuttle,
So like to glass, or some such brittle mettle;
So frail is man, though of his strength he boast,
His life is wind, he soon doth come to dust.
Though he in pride may swell, and think to rise
Above the Rocks, nay sore above the skies,
Yet he must dye, and wasteth then away,
When once death comes, death wil for no man stay
Though he be one as great as great may be,
Man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
Then as thou dost along thy Journey go,
I hope thou'lt ne're forget thy Maker so,
To fear the Grass so much thou goest by,
Or any famous Flower thou dost espye,
[Page 39]To quit thy journey for such fading dust
As Grass and Flowers are, which shortly must
Be made as stubble; for the wicked shall,
And then be burnt as in an Oven, all
Be made as ashes underneath the feet
Of them that they did evilly entreat;
Why shouldst thou fear them then, what fear can be?
The wicked fear where no fear is, and flee
When none doth them pursue, away they go,
But sure the righteous man doth ne're do lo:
For though ten thousand doth his soul inviron.
He doth not fear, but bold is as a Lyon:
If thou dost hearken unto Wisdoms voice,
And lay her words up in thy heart as choice,
As precious stones, as silver, or as gold,
Now lend an ear, for Wisdom hath thee told,
That thou though in a Gaol, shalt safely dwell,
The righteous map, with him it shall go well;
He lives in quiet from the fear of evil,
Of Bears or Lyons, Tygers or the Devil:
Thou hast no cause, my Soul, thy foes to dread,
Didst ever see or know, or hear or read
That any at the Gibbet or the Stake,
That thither came for Truth, or for the sake
Of Jesus Christ; did any ever find
Him prove unfaithful, or so much unkind,
To leave them in that needful time and hour
Of great temptation, and he not impowr
Their souls so far that they could bear the Cross
With joy, esteeming it their gain, no loss
[Page 40]To lose their lives? which loss they did endure,
Which did to them eternal life procure.
And hath not God this promise made to thee,
That thou by him shalt ne're forsaken be?
Was't ever known that any were asham'd
That trusted in him, though they might be blam'd
By wicked men? Indeed they all times were
Accounted evil, and such men as are
Not fit to live; this was the case of Paul,
How did the wicked Jews reproach and call
Him Heretick and mover of Sedition,
For preaching of the Doctrine of Contrition,
That they might of that horrid sin repent
In crucifying Christ, to which intent
He labour'd much with no small jeopardy,
In losing Life and Liberty thereby?
Yet he the work Christ call'd him to, would follow,
For which they counted him a wicked fellow,
And sometime cryed out against him, than,
You men of Israel help, this is the man
Who is so pestilent, hath such a face,
So impudent, that he this holy place
Hath now poluted; this is also he
That teacheth all men every where to be
(As we our selves have oft times heard and saw)
Against this Place, the People and the Law.
They sometimes fall on him, and him they beat,
And sometimes bring him to the Judgement-seat:
Sometimes against him insurrections make,
That so they might the more occasion take
[Page 41]Him to accuse of making Uproars, when
They were themselves, and none but they the men.
Before the Judgment-Seat they him accuse
To be the man that doth their Law abuse.
This is the man, say they, that here doth preach,
For he in ev'ry place all times doth teach
To worship God contrary to the Laws,
And therefore he's a man we have just cause
To cry against, and unto him to give
Sore punishment, for he's not fit to live.
The Wicked do the Godly all abhor.
This was not only Paul's condition: for
When Christ was preach'd, the unbelieving Jews
Were mov'd with envy at that blessed news,
And took unto themselves, by Luke's report,
Men that were lewd and of the baser fort,
And brought together such as they could get,
To make an Uproar, and the house beset
Of Jason, in whose house some Brethren were
Met altogether in the Name and Fear
Of Jesus Christ, whom these lewd fellows sought,
To that intent that they them might have brought
Forth to the people, them for to abuse,
It may be stone them, or some way so use
The Brethren, that the Jews might have their will,
Which for to have, no matter who they kill.
But God, which hath the strength of envy bound,
Did so provide, the men could not be found;
But Jason they did take, and certain more,
Whom they did drag, and draw, and pull before
[Page 42]The Rulers of the City, crying, These
Were at a Meeting, may your worships please,
In Jason's house, we now did take them there;
These are the men that make us all to fear:
For they the world have turned up-side-down,
And here were met together in our Town,
Whom Jason hath receiv'd; all these men do
Contrary to the Laws of Cesar, who
Doth say (and that doth most of all displease us)
There is another King, which is one JESUS.
Besides all these, the Prophets who of old
Did suffer much, as Scripture hath us told:
For Daniel was put in the Lions Den,
Because he pray'd. Remember those three men,
Nam'd Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
Who for Truth's sake by men were used so,
As to be in a fiery Furnace cast;
But they did not those cruel burnings tast,
For God did them preserve, to let thee know
That he is able thee to keep also.
With Ahab good Elijah needs must be
The man that troubled Israel, though he
Was not; but un [...]o Ahab boldly saith,
Thou art the man thy self that trouble hath
Brought unto Israel; 'tis no [...] I [...]hat am
The man, but thou that follow [...]st Balaam.
It was one portion of good Jeremy,
For he, good man, was used cruelly,
They kept him in the Dungeon night and day,
Until his feet stuck fast in miry clay.
[Page 43]And others tortur'd were, they not accepting
Of their deliv'rance, neither yet respecting
Their lives, nor any thing to save or gain,
A better Resurrection to obtain.
And some of cruel mockings tryal had,
And scourgings too, their usage was so bad;
And yet they joyful were, and well content
To suffer Bonds, endure Imprisonment;
And some were stoned and were sawn assunder,
Such inhumanity would make one wonder
That wicked men should ere so wicked be,
To exercise such barb'rous crueltie.
These tempted were, some with the sword were slain,
Some wandered about, to and again,
In Goat and Sheep-skins, being destitute,
The wicked did them still so persecute.
These were afflicted and were much tormented,
And yet their Zeal for God they ne're repented.
Some wandered in Desarts, and in Caves,
Because they would not be the Devil's slaves:
In Dens likewise and Mountains of the Earth,
Although they were the Heirs of Heav'n by birth.
These all were men whose graces made them lovly
Of whom this wicked world was nothing worthy:
These all a very good report obtain,
They di'd in Faith, and suffer'd not in vain;
For they in Heav'n their Saviours face shall see,
When those that persecuted them shall be
In hell tormented with the Devil sore,
And all those evil Angels evermore.
[Page 44]Thou seest, my soul, it was the portion now
Of better men than thee to suffer, how
Shouldst thou rejoyce in bon [...]s, them gladly take,
Because thou art in bonds for Jesus sake?
Let no discouragement upon thee seize,
God can deliver thee when he doth please,
And will, no doubt, when he shall think it fit;
His time's the best, which time is not come yet.
But if he will not thee deliver, then
Wilt thou submit unto the lusts of men?
No, fall not down to Gold, nor Word nor Stone,
But worship thou the Lord thy God alone;
Nor fall not in with what is mans invention,
Let that, my soul, be never thy intention:
What ere it be that may befall thee here,
Go on thy journey, do thou nothing fear
But Christ; thy Jesus will be with thee still,
And give thee strength, thy heart with comfort fil;
Then hye thee on, thy life is as a race,
Keep on thy way, there's but a little space
Of time but thou thy race wilt run to th'end,
Then slothful be'nt, but rather thy pace mend;
Neither turn back, nor into by paths step,
And thou the benefit thereof wilt reap;
Be'nt weary, faint not, follow this way still;
The other is the broad way, and that will
Lead to destruction; many that way find:
This leads to Life, then loyter no behind,
But like a nimble Racer, run thy Race;
And that thou maist the better run apace,
[Page 45]So run as one that doth not beat the air,
Nor of thy sinful body make no spare,
But keep it down, else thou the fool wilt play,
Faint and give ore, and be a cast-away.
Good Racers when a Race they run, they strip,
That so they may the better leap and skip
Through all the dirt, and ore the hills and wayes
That they may meet with in their racing playes:
They mind the Gole to touch, to win the Prize,
Ther's nothing more that they have in their eyes.
So thou, my soul, see that thou cast away
All weights that in thy running may thee stay;
The sin that doth so easily beset thee
Be sure thou lay aside, for that will let thee;
With patience run the Race thou hast to run,
The end is Rest, when thou the Prize hast won.
As thou a Journey hast, my soul, to go,
As thou a Pilgrim-stranger art also;
And as thou hast a Race to run, so now
Give ear unto me once again, for thou
Wilt in this Race and Journey have such foes,
As will assault thee many times with blows,
And therefore thou a Souldier too must be
The fight of Faith to fight couragiouslie;
For potent Enemies thou hast a many;
But t'help thee in this fight thou hast not any
Save him that is the Captain of Salvation,
Yet stand unto't, be sure thou keep thy station.
There are a sort of enemies will sally
Forth to confront thee, and will stoutly rally
[Page 46]Up all their force with malice and with spight
To overcome thee in this warlike fight:
For know, thou art not only now to wrestle
With flesh and blood, but others will thee justle;
For lofty Powers and Principalities
VVill new make war with thee, against thee rise,
As once Goliah did 'gainst little David,
If thou a coward art thou't be out braved:
Besides those Principalities and Powers
That will lay siege against thee dayes and hours,
There's Rulers of the darkness of this world,
That 'gainst thee many fiery darts have hurl'd,
VVith wicked spirits which are in high places
VVill all against thee proudly set their faces,
And thou against them all must now engage,
And stoutly on them fall, their pride asswage;
Then ne'r give ore, give them no place nor room,
But fight on stoutly till thou overcome.
That so thou maist, it's very good I see
Thou shouldst now know from whence thy strength must be;
For thou against this rabble in thy sight
Hast go [...] no strength nor pow'r, no force nor might;
For all thy strength is only from the Lord,
Fear not, engage, he will thee strength afford,
And will thee fill with courage to the brim;
Go on, but let thy eyes be towards him:
If thou good courage take and play thy part,
He is engag'd to strengthen thy weak heart:
The quarrel is the Lord's, thou needst not fear
But he'l be with thee both in front and rear,
[Page 47]And fight thy battels for thee alwayes, so
That thou shalt be a terror to thy foe,
And bring him to thy foot with such contrition,
He'l lay his weapons down with all submission.
But lest thy frailties should start some objection,
And want some satisfaction and direction
How thou this Fight of Faith maist fight & manage
With such discretion, prudence and advantage
All times unto thy self against thy foes,
That thou maist wound and smite them with such blows
As may prove fatal to them, and may crown
Thee with the Victory, I'le here lay down
Such Rules as may prove helpful unto thee,
Then take good heed to them, and these they be.
First, in this fight, my soul, do'nt fail to take
God's Armour, for no doubt but that will make
Thee able to withstand in such a day
As evil is, that thou maist give no way
Nor ground to any foes or enemies,
For if thou shouldst they will thee soon surprise;
Stand therefore to't thy loyns begirt about
With Truth, lest they should put thee to the rout;
And never fail to have that Breastplate on
Of Righteousness, ev'n Jesus Christ alone;
Thy feet shod with the Preparation of
The Gospel, Peace, Atonement, Grace and Love;
Above all, take the Shield of Faith, whereby
Thou maist with ease at all times constantly
Quench all the fiery darts of all the wicked,
Until thou hast their wiles and snares detected:
[Page 48]For Satan's such a fearful coward, he
Will never stand thee long, but from thee flee.
Do thou by Faith, resist him stedfastly,
He'l take his heels and straight away he'l fly.
Forget not in this Fight, this warlike station,
To take to thee the Helmet of Salvation;
Nor go not forth to fight without that Sword,
The Sword of the Spirit, God's holy Word;
And alwayes pray with Prayer and Supplication,
With fervent, constant, earnest Intercession;
So in the Spirit watching thereuntoo,
That no Temptation may thee so pursue,
Not Satan may not foil thee nor's adherance,
Watch thou to pray'r with constant perseverance.
When all this Armour put on thee thou hast,
And art assured it is fixed fast,
Then march forth bravely in this warlike posture,
So full of strength and prowess, might and luster,
Thy foes to conquer, kill, slay and subdue,
Until there be no more left to pursue
Thee any longer with their wiles and snares,
Nor thee no more disturb with warlike cares.
And seeing now, my soul, I have thee told
What Armour thou must have thy ground to hold,
Wi [...]h me of which thou maist thy self defend
From all thy foes, and hold out to the end,
And overcome: but now it's requisit
I should not leave thee so, lest thou forgit
What is thy duty, what thou maist procure
In those great Conflicts which thou wilt endure.
[Page 49]Then first, it's needful thou shouldst understand
Who is thy Captain, under whose Command
And Conduct thou a Souldier now art listed,
To be commanded by, to be assisted
And taught thy Arms to handle, and to use
With greatest disadvantage to thy foes:
Then know, my soul, thy Captain is no other
Than Jesus Christ, thy Prince, thy elder Brother,
Who did before thee in this War engage,
VVhen he was here upon this earthly stage;
VVho by his valour, strength, courage and might,
Did all his foes o'recome and vanquish quite:
He trampled on the world, the flesh, the Devil,
And ne're was overcome by any evil.
Though he his precious Blood and Life did lose,
'Twas for thy sake; the Grave could no way chuse
But yeild him up; He had the victory
O're Grave and Death, that potent Enemy,
For which he is rewarded, he's exalted
At Gods right hand, though yet he is assaulted
By those his foes that now afflict his members,
But they he'l make as dust, or as the embers.
He hath thy foes already so annoy'd;
The world he overcame, the works destroy'd
Of Satan and his Imps, so far that thou
Need'st not to fear them to encounter now.
Then, O my soul, be sure that out of hand
Thou ready art to be at his command;
VVhere e're he lead thee, fail thou not to follow;
Make no excuse, nor say thou'lt come to morrow:
[Page 50]Delays may prove of such great danger, so
Thou maist repent thou didst not run and go
At his command, to Jayle and Banishment,
To death with joy, without astonishment,
To great reproach, to stripes, to mockings, and
To have most cruel usage at the hand
Of wicked men, the bondslaves of the Devil,
Who are at his command, to do what evil
He shall appoint them to, so ready they
His Hellish precepts all are to obey:
But let them be as ready as they will
The precepts of the Devil to fulfil,
Be thou more ready far them to withstand,
Than they can be to be at his command:
For they his servants are whom they obey,
And he their Master will their wages pay;
A service bad, the wages is more evil,
When he that pays them wages is the Devil.
But leaving them a while their Master to,
We will on with our present matter go:
If thou'lt an expert, faithful Souldier be,
Then don't receive commands from none but he
Who is thy Captain, under whose command
Thou hast avowed (live or dye) to stand
To't still, and fight whilst thou hast life and breath,
Ne're to give o're, but faithful be to death:
His voice then hear, his precepts keen, and now
I'le tell thee what he saith to thee, and how,
And who thou must be careful of they don't
Prevail and spoil thee, for some will affront
[Page 51]Thee many ways with sundry sudden bouts,
And will attempt to give thee many routs.
Beat up thy Quarters, put thee to the run,
So thou the Crown maist lose when all is done,
Unless, my soul, (as thou a souldier art)
Thou play the man, a valiant souldiers part.
Then learn thy postures well, handle thy Arms,
And know it is one of thy great concerns
To stand upon thy Guard, and keep thy tower,
And always watch against the crafty power
Of sin, the Devil, and his depths and wiles
With which he seeketh, labours, toils and moyls
Thee to deceive, delude, destroy, devour
Like to a roaring Lyon ev'ry hour;
Whom fail not to resist with that good shield
Of Faith, and he will of her flie or yeild.
Besides the Devil, I would have thee know,
The worlds become thy cruel, desperate foe:
Thou art not of the world, but chosen now
Out of the world by Jesus Christ; then how
I [...] hated him, it also will hate thee,
While thou hast life, 'twill be thine enemy:
Nor will it love thee, though it love its own,
The reason is, because it hath not known
Thy Father nor his Son thy precious Lord,
And therefore 'tis the world wil not afford
No better entertainment than these bands,
With threats, reproofs & scorns from scoffers hands;
And yet somtimes the world, what e'rs the matter,
Will speak thee very fair, will cog and flatter;
[Page 52]But trust it not, when with its fading things
It doth lay siege against thee, and then brings
Such troops of foes which presently set on,
Who'l bid defiance to thee with much scorn,
And fall to scale thy works, and take thy Fort
With such attempts, so strong, in such a sort,
That if thou dost not quit thy self, thou'lt yeild,
And like a Coward faint and lose the field.
Stand then upon thy watch, keep here thy guard,
Lest thou be foild, and lose thy great reward.
Let nothing of the world, though ne're so brave,
Make thee thereof a good opinion have:
But use thy shield of Faith, defend thy self;
The world hath nothing in't but empty wealth:
And take thy Sword in hand, of this be sure,
The siege nor battel will not long endure:
That shield of Faith the world will overcome;
But when this fight doth end, there's in the room
Another fight; one field's no sooner won,
But presently another war's begun.
For there is yet another foe that will
Lie secretly in wait thy blood to spill;
That are so-close, and still in ambushcado,
But will not make an onset with bravado,
Except they catch thee careless by the by,
Then furiously they will upon thee flye:
But else these secretly lurk here and there,
Waiting to take thee ere thou art aware:
For these base foes are such as be employ'd
By Satan and his Imps, the world beside,
[Page 53]And often by them us'd, that so they may
By means of these, and by their help betray
Thee to their hands, and so unto their will,
That they may triumph over thee, and fill
Themselves with such revenge, with such great ire,
That they of thee may have what they desire.
Then of this foe take such a special care,
Lest thou by it be brought into some snare:
For this proud foe (my soul) is not without thee,
Thou dost at all times carry this about thee,
It lies within thy bosome all the day,
At night, at home, abroad, and on the way:
Thou never go'st no where, no time without it,
Its alwayes with thee in thy secret Closet;
Nay, when thou art the most and best retir'd,
And in thy thoughts most clear, and less bemir'd,
Turmoil'd or troubled least with such affairs
As tend to thy disturbance, freest from cares,
And think'st thy self secure and most at rest,
Then will this adversary play his best,
So craftily will labour night and day
To get thee fast asleep, that so he may
With fine enticing wiles and complements,
Wherewith he's fitted unto all intents
And purposes whatever, by the Devil,
The Father and the Author of all evil,
That he might flatter thee, and cog and wo
To that by guile, by force he could not do.
Of this close enemy then have a care,
Him wound and kill, of him make thou no spare,
[Page 54]Which that thou maist with constant courage do,
I'le now go tell thee who is this proud fo;
This enemy of thine, I tell thee plain,
Are thy own Lusts, who will with might and main
Wage war and fight (but craftily) against thee,
With pleasing baits they'l labour to deceive thee,
And sooner with the world than thee they'l join,
(Use stratagems they may, thy heart t'purloin)
And with the Devil too, but they will have
Thee made their vassal and their captive-slave:
And to accomplish this, they will thee tell,
Thou art a foolish man, and dost not well
To lie in Prison when thou maist conform,
And keep thy self from such another storm:
And likewise they'l suggest the world's a glory,
A famous, lovely thing, or such like story;
The wealth and honor of it worth the having,
The love of money, nothing else worth saving;
The friendship of the world is very good,
That which a man may have, and yet love God;
And that it would be mighty fine and brave,
If thou shouldst such or such a Living have.
And O how gallant would it he to meet
An honorable person in the street,
If such a one should kindly thee salute,
And entertain, with complements to boot,
Give thee respect, and offer favours, and,
I am your servant Sir, at your command:
Then stand not out, thou fool, but with them close,
They may become thy friends that are thy foes,
[Page 55]And by that means thou maist thy state much bet­ter
Than now it is by far; and that were fitter
Than thus to lye in Gaol, and spend thy little;
Why sure thou shouldst be of another mettle:
There was a time when thou didst look more high
Than so; for shame, wilt thou in New gate lie,
That dismal, stinking, foul and filthy place?
Fye, be asham'd thy self so to disgrace.
With these and such like things thy flesh would please,
And so delight thee by proposing ease
And pleasures of the world, that so they might
Cause thee to love the world, and make thee slight
Thy watch, thy guard, and garrisons and all,
And then, what then? thou'rt gone, and soon wilt fall
Into the pit, the snare that they have made,
To take thee in on purpose they it laid.
Well then, its time about thee now to look,
Account it mercy that thou art not took;
Prize it, and well consider that its now
High time to use what strength thou canst; but how
To manage this affair against this so,
Come learn of Christ, hee'l shew thee what to do;
His Grace implore, if thou dost wisdom lack,
Ask it of God, he will not turn thee back,
Nor thee upbraid, he giveth liberally,
Ask thou in faith, he will not thee deny.
Moreover, if thou mean'st the field to win,
Abstain from ev'ry lust, all kind of sin;
Thy members on the earth now mortifie,
To all of them see that thou daily dye.
[Page 56]Account thy self alive to God; to sin
Live not, but dye, if thou the field wilt win:
Abstain from all appearances of evil,
Abhor the works of darkness and the Devil.
As for thy flesh provision no time make
The lusts thereof to satisfie, nor take
No pleasure in a fleshly, carnal mind,
Nor in a frothy spirit; thou wilt find
Them hurtful to thee, prethee me believe,
A carnal mind doth oft God's Spirit grieve.
For they that have a fleshly, carnal heart,
Stil mind the flesh, and with their lusts won't part:
But such as are born of the holy Spirit,
Will mind those things they shall one day inherit.
Besides, a carnal mind to death will lead,
And many foul and filthy lust doth breed.
But to be minded spiritually,
Is life and peace to perpetuity:
A carnal mind 'gainst God is enmity,
Nor is it subject to his Law; but why?
Because it is an evil, ill disease,
Who ever hath it, can by no means please
The Lord; for thou maist well be sure of this,
He that Christs Spirit hath not, is not his:
This is my (soul) a Maxime certainly,
Who lives after the flesh, shall surely dye;
But If thou by the Spirit dost endeavour
To mortifie the flesh, thou'lt live for ever.
Now here's the war, the battel is begun,
Hold out my soul, till thou the field hast won.
[Page 57] The flesh against the Spirit now will lust,
The spirit against the flesh; these twain are just
Contrary unto each in opposition;
There can nor must be granted no admission
Of peace or of agreement 'twixt these twain;
Then give not o're till thou the flesh hast slain:
Nor lend no ear to what thy flesh doth say,
But fervently in Faith against it pray;
And take thy Sword, that holy Word of God,
To thy assistance, 'twill thee help afford;
And hide it in thy heart, lay't up within,
That thou against the Lord maist never sin;
Thou wilt not be asham'd when thou shalt have
Respect to all his Precepts, and them crave;
As for those things wherewith the flesh doth still
Seek to deceive thee, and doth sometimes kill
Thee with so many fancies, and thy mind
Disturb with them, and seek thy eyes to blind,
Thou might'st not see the glory that's beyond
The Grave, and tell thee often that its fond
To think of such and such brave things above,
But would have thee the world embrace and love:
But hearken unto me, I'le thee inform
How thou against this Enemy shalt arm.
Now then my soul suppose (wee'l put the case)
That thou shouldst be so cowardly and base
To hearken to the flesh, and to it cleave,
And shouldst it follow, and the Spirit leave;
And put the case my soul that thereby then
Thou shouldst become as great as any man,
[Page 58]Encreas'd with wealth, and worldly honor have,
Be counted wise, enjoy what ere is brave;
Have th' world and all its glory in a string
So much, that thou needst not want any thing
The flesh can wish, or what thy heart can crave,
But it command, and presently it have:
And what if with all these vain things together,
Thou shouldst a Rapier wear, a Hat and Feather,
And be so proud, so lofty and so stout,
That from a man thou'lt scorn to take a flout;
And be so full of complements, and gallant,
So full of valour, quarrelsome and val'ant,
That if one should but give to thee the lye,
Make no more on't, but stab him presently?
Suppose, I say, that thou hadst all these things,
And all the glory this world with it brings,
What art the near? in death they can't thee serve,
Nor from his dreadful strokes thy life preserve.
For when the King of terrors to thee comes
Thee to arrest and seize, then all the sums
The world affords, if all of them were thine,
Would insufficient be, there's no such Fine
That he of thee will take, thy life to spare,
Thy life must go, he will not stay nor care
For all the world, if thou the world couldst give,
Then dye thou must, and must no longer live,
And go to dust, and leave the world behind thee;
And as thou dy'st, just so shall judgment find thee;
For after death there is a day to come,
Which some men call the dreadful day of doom;
[Page 59]A dreadful day indeed, a day of wrath,
Too late then to repent thee of that froath
Thou livedst in while thou wast here so brave,
And then wilt rue that ere thou wast a slave
Unto the flesh, the devil, and the world,
If head-long into Hell thou shouldst be hurld.
Oh then (my soul) consider well, and see
That all the world will nothing profit thee;
For there's a time to come that shall, and will
All those that serve their lusts, with horror fill;
When Kings & Captains, Freemen, Rich & Poor,
Bond-men, and great and mighty men shall roar
And cry unto the Mountains and the Rocks,
And hide themselves in holes and dens, in flocks:
Call to the Mountains, Fall on us, and hide
Us from this Throne, befor't we can't abide,
To come to see the dreadful face of him
That sits thereon, so dismal is this time.
We liv'd in pleasure in time past, and mock't
At these things then, not thinking we were lockt
So fast in chains of darkness as we see
We were: Oh what a righteous Judge is he!
We often call'd upon him us to damn;
Now Rocks fall on us, hide us from the Lamb,
And from this wrath of his, this dreadful doom,
For now the great day of his wrath is come.
Put case, my soul, that thou shouldst be among
This fearful rout, this miserable throng,
As out of doubt thou wilt, if thou give way
Unto the flesh, to pleasure Dalilah,
[Page 60]And all the treasure in the world were thine,
The wealthy Silver, and the Golden Mine;
What wouldst thou better be? it's nothing worth,
For't can't deliver in this day of wrath.
But come, my soul, wee'l back a little walk,
And then wee'l have a little further talk.
By no means fall to dote upon thy lust,
And hearken not to them; the world as dust
Is blown before the wind; then be
Content to hear a little more from me.
Suppose thou shouldst unto the flesh give place,
How wouldst thou look thy Jesus in the face,
If thou shouldst turn his love and graciousness
Into debauch'ry and lasciviousness?
Nay, though thou shouldst not be so much unclean,
So grosly wicked, vile, and so obscene,
So openly prophane, as some now are,
But outwardly to carry't pretty fair:
Yet when that day shall come whereof we spake,
'Twill make thee tremble and thy heart to ake:
When Christ shall come and shall exalted be,
Hee'l find out them that love hypocrisie:
When Zion shall be fill'd with righteousness,
And Hypocrites surpriz'd with fearfulness,
Then sinners will in Zion be afraid,
With fear astonisht, very much dismai'd.
Canst thou, my soul, delight to be or dwel
Within devouring fire? or canst thou tell
How dreadful 'tis? or canst thou make good chear
Where everlasting, cruel burnings are?
[Page 61]No, no, thou canst not; that's a dismal day,
There is no end thereof, the pain's for aye.
But now suppose that no such thing would be,
No wrath to come, no pain or miserie,
Canst be content the joyes of Heav'n to lose,
To gratifie thy lusts, thy mortal foes?
For Heav'n and Glory's such a place, that there
None that's unclean can have a part or share.
But put the case there were no joys to be;
What, wouldst thou with thy fleshly lusts agree,
So ill requite that Love and Grace so great,
Those many entertainments choice and sweet,
That God hath given thee, though thou a fo
Wert unto him, or to his Grace also?
Or wouldst thou love the World, or turn thy back
Upon dear Jesus, who was never slack
Nor slow to do thee all that blessed good
That with his honor and thy welfare stood?
How couldst forget his kindness, love and grace
With which he doth thee many times embrace!
His gracious condescention that was seen
In him, when for thy sake he dy'd between
Two thieves; for thee the wrath of God he bore,
He undertook for thee, and paid thy score:
In him thou liv'st, and mov'st, and hast a being,
Through Christ thy Lord comes all supplies; then seing
His grace is such, then be not thou ungrateful
Ingratitude to God or man is hateful:
Where Grace is truly wrought, what cause to fear
Is there of Hell? 'twil work although there were
[Page 62]No joys in Heav'n; that soul don't work to merit
The pleasures there, if he them do inherit,
He'l say it is of Grace, and not desert,
And such a one hath learn'd and got the art
To love dear Christ, and love him will and must,
Because dear Christ was pleas'd to love him first.
Again, my soul, Ile tell thee one thing more,
We have a Proverb, Store can be no sore:
Shouldst thou the world embrace, and Christ deny,
Riches will take them wings, away they'l fly;
Thou maist be took from them, or they from thee;
Of worldly wealth there is no certainty.
Suppose thou shouldst some Honor have, and be
As great, as stout, as strong, as wise as he
That hath as much of these as any have,
And be respected by the wise and grave:
These are but broken Reeds to lean upon,
No man can help thee in the day of doom;
As doth the poor, so must the rich man dye
And come to Judgement, great men are a lye.
What though thou dost some goods and credit lose
Because thou wilt not sin, but rather chuse
To suffer for the sake and Cause of him
That will repay thee all thy loss agin?
Then think not much at any think that's lost,
For Christ he was for thee at greater cost
Than thou canst be for him; his precious blood
Was shed to do thee everlasting good.
Then dost thou lose thy All for his dear sake?
He did it lend, then he his own may take.
[Page 63]Thou naked cam'st out of thy Mothers womb,
And naked must return unto thy tomb:
Thou brought'st nought with thee, nought canst car­ry hence;
Serve Christ thy Prince with what thou hast, from whence
All came thou hast; then all that ere thoul't have,
At his good service best, who came to save
Thee from thy sins, and from the wrath to come;
Then offer up to him thy All, and some;
And think it not a heavy burden, nor
Below thee thus to live, and suffer for
That Cause thou art engag'd in; think't no shame
To lye in New gate for the sake and Name
Of thy dear Jesus, who hath thee esteem'd
Worthy to bear his Name, and thee redeem'd,
Who art a nothing, worthless worm, so vile,
So full of frailties, ready to beguile
Thy self; that he (I say) should thee employ
In such a Work or Cause, and should thereby
Give thee to see his love, himself make known
More unto thee than heretofore was shown,
And let thee see and know thy self, and give
Thee strength to bear reproach, a Jayl, and live
In full assurance that he wil appear,
Whom thou shalt see and meet with in the air,
And all his Saints that dyed for his Word,
And they and thee be ever with the Lord.
If his most glorious face thou'lt ever see,
And live and reign with him eternallie,
With Christ, I say, in rest and endly glory,
Then hearken now, my soul, unto this story.
[Page 64]Thou seest a Souldier thou art now engag'd
To fight against this Rabble that hath wag'd
War with thee many times each day and hour,
To bring thee to submit unto their power;
By snares and wiles, the Serpent with his wisdom
Doth labour hard to make thee of his Kingdom;
Then labour thou as hard with all thy might
To break his snares, to know his wiles, to fight
Against this Power of death and darkness, so
That thou maist give the Devil such a blow,
That he with his dark Kingdom may lose ground,
Till they shall fall, and never more be found.
Then for thy further information know,
The Devil will for ever be thy fo,
And wil the foe of all men ever be,
And them beguile with feigned flatterie;
Do thou resolve his works and him to hate,
And never bite nor tast the Devils baite;
But him resist, withstand, and alwayes be
For evermore the Devils enemy.
If so, my soul, thou must not think to please
Thy fleshly lusts, nor think to live at ease,
But hardness, as a Souldier, must endure,
A Souldiers life is such, thou must be sure;
But please thy Captain, he that hath thee chosen
To be a Souldier, thy assections loosen
From such affairs as now may hinder thee
From serving him, whose Souldier thou must be
To fight this fight of Faith; if thou intend
To overcome, then hold out to the end:
[Page 65]For those that overcome, the Spirit saith,
And do his Works, continue in the Faith;
That keep his holy Word, his Word of Patience,
Shall be exalted, they shall rule the Nations;
And he that overcomes, the same shall be
A Pillar in God's holy Temple, he
Shall go no more from thence out of the same,
But Jesus Christ will write on him the Name
Of God, and of the City that is nam'd
The New Jerusalem, so greatly fam'd
For beauty, glory, wealth, that cometh down
From God, and out of Heav'n, where there are none
Can entrance have, which doth not overcome
Both, Sin, the World, and Satan, where's no room
For such: for none but them that do prevail
Shall cloathed be in white, such shall not fail
To sit with Christ in glory on his Throne,
And sing the praise of God the Lord alone:
And though by fighting none can nothing merit;
He must orecome that will all things inherit.
Then now my soul, it's good thou ponder well
What is thy work while thou on earth dost dwell.
Make it thy study how thou maist be found
In Faith and Holiness more to abound:
Behold what beauty is in Christ thy Jesus,
Him love and prize, for he is very precious;
Solace thy self with love, his Love so choice,
Delight to do his Will, to hear his Voice:
What though in strait and narrow paths he lead?
He in those paths thy soul doth sweetly feed;
[Page 66]Thou hast by good experience found and known
That in those paths thou walkest not alone,
But he goes with thee, leading by the hand
Thee where thou canst not hardly go or stand,
And makes those strait and narrow wayes to be
So pleasant and so easie unto thee,
That thou canst walk those paths with so much ease
That many times they much delight and please
Thee so, that thou maist say, and never cease,
His wayes are Pleasantness, his paths are Peace.
What though no beauty nor no comliness
Be seen in him by wise men, ne'retheless
Think ne'r the worse of him, but love him through­ly,
Though he be black, he is exceeding lovely:
Set thy affections on him, so delight
In his refreshing Presence day and night,
That thou communion with him maist maintain,
And labour in his Fear more of't to gain:
Bear thou his Image, learn of him to be
More humble, harmless, holy, that as he
A perfect pattern was, so is he still;
Him follow fully, and no doubt he will
So entertain thee with such great delights,
So ravishing thy heart with heav'nly sights,
Thou wilt be so inflam'd, in Love so grow
With Heav'n, thou't live no more on Earth below.
My soul sing praise unto the Lord;
Declare his mighty Works abroad,
[Page 67]Praise thou his great and holy Name,
That men his wondrous Works may know,
His mighty Acts do thou forth show,
His Glory, Kingdom, and his Fame.
Who though thou wast a poor posthume,
He kept thee in thy mothers womb,
And there and then thy life preserv'd;
He brought thee forth, and gave thee breath,
And oft deliver'd thee from death,
Though thou hadst nought of him deserv'd.
When thou hungst on thy mothers breast,
And on her milk didst richly feast,
He was thy God, and did thee keep;
He watch'd ore thee, and did defend
Thee from that fierce infernal Fiend,
He slumbred not, nor did he sleep.
Thou wast a Child, and Parentless,
Praise thou the Lord, his goodness bless;
He rais'd thee up a faithful Friend,
That was a Mother unto thee;
This was his goodness verilie:
Praise thou the Lord world without end.
All this the Lord did, that he might
Open thy eyes, and clear thy sight,
That thou maist understand and see
His Goodness, Mercy, Grace and Truth,
Which thou beheldst whilst but a youth:
To him the glory, honour be.
And though thy troubles have been great
With which thou hast in this world met,
They never could make thee to yeeld;
He never in them thee forsook,
But on thee did in mercy look,
And for thee car'd, and thee upheld.
What reason then hast thou to fear,
Or think he will not for thee care
In these thy bonds and captive-state;
Such good experience thou hast seen
Of him, from time to time, I mean,
When ere thou wast in any strait.
What needst thou care for all thy foes?
There's none of them but he well knows,
And knows the way how to prevent
Them all from doing thee that harm,
Which they do threaten when they storm,
And may be often their intent.
What though the world against thee rise,
With tongues of falshood and of lyes,
In him alone put thou thy trust;
And though they persecute thee sore,
And hate thee without cause the more,
Praise thou the righteous God most just.
My soul then magnifie the Lord,
Let all his Saints like praise afford,
His Praises sing both night and day;
[Page 69]He hath regard to all the meek,
He strengthens those that are but weak;
Let all Saints sing Hallelujah.
Well now, my soul, wee'l leave a while & rest,
And then we will discourse again, it's best;
I think we should talk next of other matter;
And forasmuch as it is now the latter
Most evil times, of which we are forewarn'd
By Christ himself, 'tis good we should be arm'd
Against the perils which that time attends;
Then if the Lord us help, and to us lends
Assistance, we will speak of such a thing
As may unto our mind and mem'ry bring
What Judgments God intends, and hath in store
Against that great and Scarlet-coloured Whore;
And of that glorious, blessed, holy Day,
When Christ shall sit upon his Throne for aye.
Here followeth a brief Discovery

Of Romes soul filthy stuff and trumpery;

Together with the Plagues laid up in store

Against the day that God will plague the Whore.
VVE read in Scripture of a Scarlet Whore
That hath opprest the Nations very sore,
Who with her filthy Cup of Fornication
Hath made the people drunk in ev'ry Nation:
[Page 70]This Harlot sits upon a Scarlet Beast,
A Beast that hath seven heads, ten horns at least;
Which Beast is full of names of Blasphemies,
And both to God and Christ are enemies.
This Woman's deck'd so rich as rich may be
With Gold and Pearls, and precious Stones, and she
A Golden Cup doth carry in her hand:
She's outwardly so brave, that most men stand
Admiring of her beauty and her state,
With which she doth deceive the Wise, whose fate
It is to drink the Cup she to them holds,
They take and drink it off, as Wine in bowls,
Poor souls, not knowing that this Cup within
Is full of her abominable sin
And filthiness of her great Fornication,
Her Whore-like stuff and great Abomination;
This Woman is so much a beastly Whore,
That she the mother is of many more;
The Spirit hath upon her forehead writ
A name to her so suitable and fit,
Which he that runs may reade, and her may know,
And therefore what her name is here I'l show;
Her name is Mystery Babylon the Great,
That sits on many Waters, that's her seat;
The Mother too of Harlots, and who hath
Been the Abomination of the Earth.
The reason why the Spirit hath her nam'd
A Scarlet Whore, for which she is so fam'd,
Will plainly and perspicuously appear
When thou the reason Scripture gives dost hear.
[Page 71]We call them VVhores, who by Adultry vile,
And Fornication, do themselves defile,
VVhose constant practice is, t'insinuate
Into poor men, and unto them prostrate
Their filthy bodies, that thereby they may
Unto their lusts poor simple men betray.
So hath this VVhore almost in ev'ry Nation,
With earthly Kings committed Fornication,
And by her painted beauty doth deceive
Them and the Nations; so they won't believe
But she a comely woman is, and fair,
Her beauty much to be desir'd, that there
Is none like her, no woman hath such parts,
Such Wisdom, Learning, nor such store of Arts,
Nor none so well accomplished as she,
Nor never was, nor nevermore will be:
Besides, she is so rich, so fine and gay,
They with no other woman can away;
And therefore she they only do desire,
And her adore, her beauty they admire:
And yet she's but a Whore, a drunken sot;
A chast o [...] sober woman she is not;
Drunk with the blood of Saints, whose blood is dear
To God, whom they did worship, serve and fear:
For she with blood her self doth satiate,
And with her beast-like claws dilacerate;
The blood of Martyrs she hath shed and spilt,
'Cause they would not defil'd be by her guilt,
Nor to her greatness bow, who knew full well
The dead her guests are in the depths of Hell.
[Page 72]She is so high, though of no noble birth,
She reigneth over Kings, Kings of the Earth,
And in her pride her self doth glorifie;
As for her life, she lives deliciously:
She saith she is no widow, but a Queen;
But she's a Whore, as plainly will be seen;
And doth pretend to be the Wife of him,
That one day will her plague, and so will them
That father on him all her filthy trade,
Those images and gods her hands have made,
And all the rest of her Idolatry,
Her Witchcraft and her loathsom Sorcery;
Her cruelty is such, it's death to say
That she's no Wife of Christ, that so she may
By Fire and Faggot murder and destroy
Them that won't her adore, nor her obey:
As doth appear, if we no further look
Than to the Maryan dayes, for then she took
The faithful Spouse of Christ, and her she tore;
VVhich plainly proves she is a cruel Whore.
In Harlots evermore we plainly see
There alwayes is a great an ipathy
Against the rightful lawful Spouse and Bride:
A Strumpet never will the Wife abide,
But doth against her all the mischief do
That ere she can invent, she hates her so
Just so the Church of Rome, that whorish State,
The Church of Christ doth persecute and hate,
And labours all she can her to expose
To such unheard of cruelties, and those
[Page 73]Most sad extremities she can devise,
By falshood, flattery, deceit and lyes,
With which she doth the world so much deceive,
That they are ready firmly to believe
That Rome's the Church, the Wife of Christ, and she
That is the Church of Christ, the Whore must be.
The honest Woman doth as little care
For any Harlot, she can't with her bear,
Nor with her whorish tricks, her filthy trade,
To touch with her or them, she is afraid.
So doth the Church of Christ, his Virgin Bride,
Abhor Romes whorish stuff, and her beside,
And must in plainness say she is a Whore;
And therefore out Rome sends her Bulls to roar
Against Christ's darling Spouse and lovely Bride,
Whom she disdains and scorns; such is her pride,
That she must be the Church, and none but she,
And Christ she saith her Husband is, and he
hath given power (if she saith but truth)
To her to do all things what ere she doth:
And unto this her Doctors stifly stand,
That what they do, is done by his Command;
As if that gracious Prince the Author were
Of burning, starving, drowning such as are
His faithful Followers, and such as he
Esteems as dear to him as dear can be,
So dear as is the apple of his eye,
If they be touch'd, he feels it presently.
Then though, O Virgin Spouse, thy Bridegroom's gone,
He'l come again to thee ere it be long;
[Page 74]Though thou, while he is absent, dost partake
Of such hard usage, know 'tis for his sake;
Then take't not from him ill, nor do not grieve
That he his lovely Bride so long should leave,
His love is not unto his Spouse abated,
Though he permits his Church thus to be hated,
It is not out of disrespect to thee,
'Tis but to prove thy Love and Chastitie,
Thy Faithfulness and Zeal for him, and then
He'l come and take thee to himself agen;
Nor is it only for that cause alone
He seems his coming to delay, but one
Cause more there is, and that's because that she
Might with the blood of Martyrs filled be,
And then her great and foul iniquity
VVill mightily to Heav'n for vengeance cry
Against her and her bloody barbrous hounds,
VVhose cruel bloody deeds for ever sounds
In those most quick and hearing ears of him,
VVho [...]l: fill a Cup of Fury to the brim,
And she thereof shall drink, and spew, and fall,
And never rise; this God shall do, that all
The precious blood of Saints which hath bin shed,
May on this Scarlet Whore be punished;
That blood that Bonner and the rest of those
Did spill, that were the Brides most cruel foes,
VVho shall receive a dreadful cursed doom,
When he shall come that is the Brides Bridegroom.
But to return, This VVhore is she that doth
Sit on seven Mountains, seven Kings on the Earth;
[Page 75]She sits on many Waters likewise; that
The Waters which this VVhore upon hath sat,
Are Peoples, Multitudes, and Tongues & Nations,
With whom she hath committed Fornications,
And hath deceiv'd them of their wealth and store,
By selling them her Merchandize; this VVhore
Hath such a trade, she Pardons will them sell,
Or any thing, if they but pay her well.
If any one do her desire to pray
For them when they are dead, that so they may
Deliv'red be from Purgatory pains,
She'l untertake to do't, and for her gains
She will perswade them she can cry and pray
To Peter, who will hear her cryes straightway;
VVho hath, as she affirms, and will it say,
The Keys of Heav'n, and will without delay
Admit them in: and further to deceive
Poor blinded souls, and make them to believe
That they Salvation easily may merit,
If they themselves of all will disinherit,
And unto her their Land and Money give,
And go some Pilgrimage, an Hermite live;
Or in some Cloister, or some Nunry dwell,
Or in some Friary, Monastry, or Cell:
And then let them commit what sins they can,
'Tis but confessing it unto some man,
Though one as filthy as himself can be,
If he his sins doth pardon, what cares he;
For this poor soul he firmly doth believe,
A sottish Priest can all his sins forgive;
[Page 76]Provided alwayes (this must be I hope)
That he adore his Filthiness the Pope,
And doth believe while he is in his Chair
He can commit no kind of error there;
Though in his Chair he speaks such Blasphemy
Against the most high God, that Deity,
That one may stand and wonder at the patience,
The great long-suff'ring, & the long-forbearance
Of God, who doth still suffer them in sin;
But he will pay them home, if he begin
To call them to account for all their deeds
That they have done; 'tis not their broken reeds
That now they lean upon, can help them then,
Nor from his angry Rod deliver, when
They shall be compass'd round about with fear,
He will not pitty them, nor will his ear
So much as hearken to their woful cryes,
When once to punish them he shall arise,
To give them blood to drink, as they have slain
His precious Servants, then they shall again
Receive the like reward; nay, it shall double,
So sore will be her plagues, and great her trouble.
However Rome may now pretend to be
The Church of Christ, his only Spouse, yet she
Hath so adulterated, that we know
She is to Christ, and to his Church, a foe,
And ever was since she from Truth did fall,
To set up her Inventions above all
The pure Appointments of the Lord, then she
Became to him an utter enemie,
[Page 77]And ever since his Members persecuted,
Because her Arguments ne'r them confuted;
They were too weak, the Truth is stronger than,
(Though in a worm) ev'n all the wit of man;
And therefore Rome unto her Club-law goes,
Thinking she should prevail w th downright blows,
And they would yeeld whom she had soundly beat,
And with her hellish teeth had torn and eat,
Whose blood she drank, until she was so drunk,
That of those bloody draughts she hath so stunk,
That no man can her stinking breath abide,
But those that take her part, and with her side
Against the poor despised Lambs and Sheep
Of Jesus Christ, whom she doth hunt and keep
In her most monstrous Court of Inquisition;
Where they have no redress, nor intercession
Do make to any other God but him,
Who hears their cryes, whose eyes are not so dim
But he perceives the barbrous deeds that she
Doth exercise on them continually;
Though he doth suffer her, and give permittance,
He'l pay her all, Forbearance is no quittance.
But, as I said, for all her fair pretence,
She is Christs utter enemy; from thence
It doth arise that she makes such a bussle
Him and his Power out of doors to jussle.
How can Rome be the Bride of Christ, who by
Her whorish tricks the Bridegroom doth deny?
That in plain terms is not asham'd to say,
A bit of bread is he; and teach to pray
[Page 78]To Saints and Angels, and the Virgin Mary,
That she the Mother may present and carry
Those idle prayrs, that Rome sayes ore her beads,
To Christ her Son, which she as little heeds,
And doth as little hear them when they pray,
As Bel did know his Priests did steal away
The meat from him that daily was provided;
O how this blind Whore hath the blind misguided!
And yet for what she doth she will pretend
Christ's great Authority, but to that end
That she may blind the eyes and minds of those
She hath beguil'd, and who no better knows
But that she is the Church, so dote on her,
Believing this, that she can never err;
And therefore thus saith she, Christ did ordain,
And left in charge until he came again,
That Ordinance of breaking Bread, which he
Did will till then it should performed be;
Which when Christ Jesus did first institute,
This may, saith she, all Hereticks refute;
He said, Take, eat, this is my Body, than
It clearly follows that there is no man
That can deny but that the Bread became
His very flesh, and blood, and bones, the same
That on the Cross was hang'd and offer'd up,
And that his very blood is in the Cup;
And yet not so, but in his flesh is still
His blood likewise, and therefore Rome doth will
That none should now receive in both the kinds;
A pretty querk of hers to blind the minds
[Page 79]Of men, and so their fancy strongly tickle
With this conceit, the Priest the Wine must tiple.
The Bread, saith Rome, must needs become his flesh;
When by the Priest tis blest, tis such a dish,
That none but those that eat thereof can be
Preserv'd from Hell to Heav'ns eternitie.
As for the Cup, it is the right of him,
None must presume to drink thereof, but them
That are ordain'd to consecrate the Bread:
But where in Scripture ever was this read?
And if not there, than doubtlesly she lies,
For Rome her self did for him this devise;
For 'tis not any-where by Christ appointed,
That Bread & Wine should be so much disjointed;
For when the Bread Christ his Disciples gave,
He never will'd the Cup they should not have,
But in like manner he the Wine did bless,
And also said, Take, drink ye all of this;
And when he gave the Bread, he said 'tis so,
This is my Body; and we also know
That when he gave the Cup, he said (it's true)
This is my Blood, which I have shed for you.
The Bread his Body is most certainly,
The Wine his Blood, but sacramentally;
It must be understood to be to them
That do't receive with lively Faith in him,
That can by Faith his Love and Presence see
In both the Bread and in the Wine to be.
Just so it is, but otherwise we know
It cannot be, as we will plainly show.
[Page 80]Which thus is prov'd, when Christ did institute
This holy Ordinance, he out of doubt
We corporally with his Disciples then,
And had not suffer'd, nor was taken when
He said, This is my Body which I give
For you, that you eternally may live:
If Christ were present when the Bread he gave,
And did become his flesh, then sure they have
Eat up his Body, and his Blood did drink;
If so, 'twere hard to understand or think
How Judas with a kiss could him betray,
And afterward him carry so away
With Swords and Staves before the Judgement-sent
Of Pilate, after his Disciples eat
His body and his blood the night before
He was betray'd: And also furthermore,
How could the Jews accuse him, if so be
They eat him up? then could it not be he:
Besides, they did not only him accuse,
But they did buffet him; the wicked Jews
With one consent did all against him cry,
Deliver Barrabas, but crucifie
This man; for we have often heard him speak
Against the Temple, and against God eke:
For whosoever speaketh blasphemy,
We have a Law, by which Law he must dy.
'Tis very strange and wonderful to me,
How they could hang his body on a Tree,
And pierce his precious side so with a Spear;
If he was eat, his body was not there:
[Page 81]Nor could his precious blood be ever shed
Upon the Cross, if his Disciples did
Drink up his Blood, when they drank of the Cup,
'Twas not there shed, if they had drunk it up.
'Twould make one smile to think, if this were so,
How Pilate was deceiv'd, he did not know
That his disciples did his body eat;
If Rome say true, this was a pretty cheat.
And then the Jews were also much mistaken
When they believ'd for certain they had taken
And brought the Man before the Judgement-seat,
And had the life of that Deceiver great,
As they him call'd; it seems 'twas not the same,
For his disciples eat him ere they came:
By this it may be seen Rome doth deny
That Christ upon the Cross for us did dy,
Though she enjoins her subjects to adore
The wooden Cross; such impudence this Whore
Hath got, that she may make the world believe
That when she looks thereon, she doth so grieve,
None like to her, to think that ere the Jews
Should be so wicked, Jesus to abuse,
And put to death, that was so good a man:
And yet if Rome say true, she doth and can
Eat up his flesh; this makes me wonder more,
Because she saith his flesh was eat before.
By what is said one may already spye,
This Errand Whore can tell an errand lye.
But further, if our Lords Disciples have
His body eat, their bellyes were his Grave;
[Page 82]If so, no doubt the women likewise much
Deceived were, when they so early such
Great hast did make to see where they had laid
His body, unto whom the Angels said,
He is not here, but risen from the dead,
Go tell to his Disciples what is sed,
And let them know the Grave could not him hold,
As he before had often them foretold.
Away they went, and told this to the rest,
But their report they did not in the least
Give credit to, their words did rather seem
To be a tale, or some such idle dream;
But after this, as two of them did go
To Emmaus (but they did not him know)
Christ on the way they went, drew near to them,
But as I said, they did not know 'twas him;
He takes occasion to begin some talk
As they together on the way did walk,
And doth enquire why they were so sad?
What that communication was they had?
They answer him, Art thou a stranger here,
That thou this weighty matter dost not hear
Concerning Jesus whom they crucifi'd,
Who was condemn'd, and for the people dy'd?
We trusted that it had been he that should
Have now redeemed Israel, and would
Ʋpon the third day rise up from the dead;
And there some women are that have it sed,
That he is risen, and again doth live,
Which doth astonish us; but we can give
[Page 83] No credit to them, for they have not seen
His person, though to day they've early been
To look for him where they his body laid.
Then Christ to this them answered, and said,
Oh fools, and slow of heart for to believe,
What all the Prophets spake won't you receive?
And from the Prophets he did show that he
Accordingly must crucified be,
And rise again the third day from the dead,
As all the holy Prophets witnessed.
But when they drew near to the Village where
They were to go, Christ made as though he were
Not minded farther with these two to go;
But they constrained him with Reasons, so
That he went in to tarry there that night;
He sate at meat, and vanish'd out of sight:
He blest and broke the bread, and then they knew
That it was he, and what he said, was true.
We then conclude, his Schollars did not eat
His body corp'rally, that is a cheat
That Rome invented to deceive the blind,
A thing in Scripture never man did find:
For this is clear, that Jesus Christ was slain,
Laid in his Grave, the third day rose again;
His real body that was crucifi'd,
The same was rais'd again, as Thomas try'd;
For he was doubtful of the matter still,
Would not believe that Christ was risen, till
(To satisfie his doubt) Christ condescends
So graciously, that he his doubt soon ends,
[Page 84]By saying, Thomas, feel my sides and hands;
Which Thomas doth, and then amazed stands,
And saith, My Lord, my God, I now do see
'Tis thou thy self, no other man but thee.
Then afterward Christ in the sight of all
His 'leven Disciples, whom he did forth-call,
And led them forth as far as Bethany,
He blessed them, and from them straight did fly:
He did ascend to Heav'n out of their sight,
Into that glory and transcendant light,
Where he before with God his Father dwelt,
And where he ne're such bitter usage felt
As here on earth he did from such as those
Who for his love became his cruel foes;
Where now in heav'n his body doth remain,
And shall until he doth descend again
From heav'n to earth, to recompence all men
As their deeds be done in the body; then
How can the bread be transubstantiated,
When by a sottish Priest 'tis consecrated?
His body being now in heav'n above,
And from that throne will never more remove
Until the time appointed by the Father,
Which will be dreadful unto Rome, the rather
Because she doth those murder and devour
That wil not her adore, nor own her power:
The flesh of Christ she eats, she drinks his blood,
Not that in heav'n, ti'nt to be understood,
But that on earth, his members that are here,
That serve the Lord in spirit, faith and fear.
[Page 85]His body that's in Haven she cannot eat,
Although she lyes, and faith it is her meat:
But that she cannot reach, that's one good turn,
For if she could, she would him eat or burn.
And yet this Whore is still so impudent,
That of her Whorish trade she won't repent;
Nor doth she blush, but boldly will attest,
That she's the Church of Christ; I think 'tis best
For her to say so, prov't she cannot do,
Unless she prove (and that I know is true)
That she the Synagogue of Satan is:
If Rome be that, then so no Church it is
Of Christ, I'm sure: But for to prov't she pleads
Antiquity, and that the Pope succeeds
Th' Apostle Peter in his sacred Chair,
And saith that he by Christ is placed there,
And that he hath receiv'd the sacred Keys,
And power hath to do what ere he please,
To bind or loose, and what he doth on earth
Is ratifi'd in heav'n; nay more, she saith,
That she hath such Authority receiv'd
(If you do think this Whore may be believ'd)
So great, that he doth give but his command,
And strait the gates of Heaven will open stand
To let in who he pleaseth to admit;
And any one, if he shall think it fit,
He'l canonize and make a Saint of him,
Provided he be paid for't well; but them
That can't or don't, shall never be a Saint
By his good will, nor never will he grant
[Page 86]A License unto such that they may go
To Heav'n, (they may be sure he won't do so)
But unto Purgatory at the least,
If not to Hell; but if he think it best,
They shal not stay there long, he'l pray them out,
If he be paid but well, he'l make no doubt.
And that he might the better cheat and blind
Poor souls, he will not suffer them to mind
The holy Scriptures, lest they should espy
His great deceits, and all his knavery,
That he in ignorance might still them keep,
And in the dark; he'l hardly let them peep,
For if they do, he will them plainly tell,
They must forbear, or they will go to hell:
Then they are frighted, thinking this is true;
But as for those with whom this will not do,
He with his Bulls will such men fright and scare;
But otherwise he'l say the Scriptures are
So full of mysteries, so deep and great,
That for the Laytie 'tis not fit nor meet
That they should read them, much less them ex­pound,
That are such mysteries, and so profound;
The Laity have no other work to do
But yeild obedience to the Clergy, so
That whatsoe're they say you must receive,
And them obey, believe as they believe;
The Fathers of the Church have thought it good
That only Priests the Scriptures understood:
As for the Laity, they should be content
With what the Fathers said, and did, and meant;
[Page 87]They ought to take no care, nor heed no other
But what the Church commands, who is their Mo­ther▪
Which they must do upon a pain no less
Then losing of eternal happiness:
For no Salvation can there be, saith she,
Unless with her in all things they agree,
Be an obedient child, a son or daughter;
With such like stuff would fil a man with laughter:
But more the Fathers taught, and did agree,
That no Church-service should performed be,
But all in Latin ought and must be read,
And there's good reason for't, as Rome hath sed;
It's meet there should a Uniformity
Be in the Church, that so the unity
Thereof might be preserv'd, that there be no
Such Hereticks that Heresie do sow;
Which to prevent, it is not fit that they
(The Laity) should know what the Priest doth say,
That were the way to make them all as wise
As we our selves; how should we hide our lyes?
No, 'tis decreed throughout the Universe,
There shall no Priest presume, nor Monk rehearse
No Mass, no Prayer, nor no Ave Mary,
And from this Edict none must dare to vary:
That what the Laity doth not understand,
They may the more admire, and wonder, and
Fall down and worship with such great devotions,
With smiting of their breasts, and invocations,
With stamping, crossing, howling, bawling, and
Such Superstitions as would make one stand
[Page 88]Amaz'd to see such extream foolery,
Their madness and their great idolatry:
They are so mad and drunk (one well may judge)
With blinded zeal, they're made the Devils drudg;
Besotted so they are with ignorance,
That he is able them to lead what dance
Best pleaseth him, what suits most with his will,
They like his children, will his mind fulfill:
They are begotten after his own likeness,
And ready are to do what works of darkness
That he their Father shall of them command,
They at his beck will go by sea or land
His Kingdom to uphold or to enlarge,
And faithfully their duty will discharge
To him their Father, and his works will do,
As many martyr'd Saints have found it true;
For out of doubt the Devil is their Father,
They be his children, & the Whore's their Mother.
'Twill now be fit that we should briefly speak
To Romes Antiquity, Succession eke;
Both which she boasteth of, that she them hath
Above all other Churches on the Earth,
And doth conclude from thence, that none but she
(Forsooth) the true and Mother-Church can be:
Then as to her Antiquity we must
Begin, and therefore we will ask her first
A sober question, which if she doth please,
Is answer'd in the Negative with ease;
And that is, Whether Christ did ever make
A Pope of Peter, or he ever take
[Page 89]Upon him such a Lordly Pope to be,
That unto him men stoopt and bow'd the knee?
Or, whether any man did ever know
That Peter was so proud, men kist his toe?
Or, whether Peter was so high and great,
That Kings and Princes gave to him their seat,
At at his pleasure and command lay down
At Peters feet their Scepters and their Crown?
And such as pleas'd him, them set up; but those
That did displease him, curse, and them depose:
And all such Princes that refus'd to bow
Unto his will? Or would he not allow
Their subjects unto them such honor give,
Under whose Government they then did live?
As he the Church (should do) did once command,
As in his Letter they may understand.
If Rome can answer this from Scripture-proof
In the affirmative, I think she doth
More than her Doctors ever did before,
Ere since the Spirit saith she was a Whore.
But Peter was so far from being Pope,
He was no Lord; I may conclude, I hope,
If that be so, as that it is, then we
Believe the Pope is younger far than he:
For Peter leaves this charge with Elders, as,
( Peter himself an Elder also was)
That they should feed the Flock of God that were
Among them, and of them should take the care,
Both willingly, and of a ready mind.
(No such in Babylon a man shall find)
[Page 90] That neither by constraint do undertake
The charge, nor yet for filthy lucre sake;
No, nor as Lords; for Lords they must not be,
Nor lord it ore Gods Heritage; but see
They good ensamples were unto the Flocks,
And by that means they might lay up a stock
In Heav'n above, which Christ to them will give
At his appearance: But such men must live
In faith, in love, in peace and purity,
In godliness, and in the verity,
In Doctrine unreproveable, that so
Those that unlearned be, the truth may know:
Not in the pride of life, but always he
Cloth'd with humility he ought to be;
And as a Father, go before the sheep,
And feed them well, and them from danger keep,
From being by the crafty Fox annoy'd,
Or by the Lyon or the Wolf destroy'd:
And he that is the chiefest Shepherd will
Such Shepherds certainly reward so well,
They shall not once from him receive a frown,
Nor triple Mitre, but of life a Crown.
By what is said we may already find,
The Lordly Pope is of another mind
Than Peter was; for he no Lord would be,
Nor no man else that was in his degree;
Which proves the Pope, as you may clearly see,
To have no Primitive Antiquity.
For there no Popes nor Cardinals were then;
Nay, Christ forbids such Lords should be; for when
[Page 91]He was upon the earth, a charge left he
With his Disciples, that they should not be
Lordly nor lofty, as when men do meet
Them in the Market-place they should them greet:
Nor must they suffer any of them to call
Rabby, for Christ was Master ore them all:
No, nor must they presume by no means neither,
To call a man upon the Earth their Father;
For they no Father have on earth, but one
Which is in Heaven, their Father is alone:
Nor no preheminence must any seek,
But holy, humble they must be, and meek;
For he that doth exalt himself, shall be
Abas'd; so much our Lord hath said, That he
That will be greatest, 'tis his will he shall
No Master be, but servant to them all.
Indeed, the Princes of the Gentiles do
Dominion exercise ore men, 'tis true;
And such as Lords, and one that's greatest, he
Did exercise ore them authority:
But Christ's Disciples must not Lord it so,
If any seek such power, he must know
This is the mind of Christ, that such men should
Be ministers unto the rest, that would
Keep faithful in the place which Christ hath set
Them in, and ne're such honor seek to get.
And further, Paul unto the Corinths saith,
That they had no dominion ore their Faith;
Nor were they Lords, but helpers of their joy,
They stood by Faith, then would they not destroy
[Page 92]That Faith that Jesus Christ unto them gave;
For there is no man on the earth can have
Dominion over Faith, but Christ alone:
For that Prerogative is his, and none
But he can lay such claim unto the same,
Though Pope, or call'd by any other name:
And yet this lofty, proud, imperious Whore
Assumes this great Prerogative, and more,
She doth by force presume to contradict
That precious Faith, the Faith of Gods elect:
Nay, such she saith is her Authority,
That Kings and Princes she dares to defie;
Which Peter never had; then this, if true,
She Peters Faith and Practice never knew.
And therefore it (concluding) is that Rome
Hath not Antiquity beyond what some
Now living have, who in the Faith now be
That Peter had, those have Antiquity.
The next thing which we chiefly are to heed,
Is her Succession; she doth also plead,
And saith from Peter 'twas she did receive
Her great Commission, if you'l her believe;
And that from him, and since down all along,
Which she will prove by arguments so strong,
That none shall them oppose; her reasons are
So wicked strong indeed, that no man dare.
As for her arguments, the best are these,
If any Rome oppose, or her displease,
Away with him unto the Inquisition,
Or, take him Gaoler, grant him no permission
[Page 93]Of any Liberty, but keep him from
His Friends, or those that unto him would come,
And keep him there close up some months or years,
And then he will conform, be fill'd with fears
Of worser things that after will ensue:
If all these fail, and none of them will do,
Then out she brings that argument at last
That is the strongest, and that keeps them fast:
Unto the question answer Yea, or no,
Will you conform, or to the Fire go?
The strongest argument Rome hath is Fire,
Which is confuted when Saints do expire
In flames, as Witnesses of Christ against
Her Usurpation, Darkness, Ignorance,
That she hath introduc'd, and caus'd to be
Committed ever since the time that she
A right did plead or claim unto Succession
(As she pretends) to Peters great Commission.
But also unto this we do reply,
She doth not him succeed; the reason why,
Is very clear, exceeding plain, that she
A Successor of Peter cannot be;
Because that none but those of Peters Faith
Can him succeed, or that from Peter hath
Receiv'd Commission or Authority
To be a Bishop, or to use thereby
The Pow'r of Christ, to rule or take the care
Of peoples souls, such men must make no spare
Of pains nor labour, neither should they please
Themselves, nor live in pleasure nor at ease,
[Page 94]Nor pomp and state, nor have things as they will,
But must deny themselves, if they'l fulfil
Their Ministry with joy, which they receiv'd
Of Jesus Christ, in whom they have believ'd,
And ready be to offer up their All
For him, and for his Flock, if God should call
Them forth to such a service and a work,
Them to defend against the Pope or Turk:
Defend, I say, by sound and wholsome preaching
Of Gospel-truths, and them confirm by teaching,
To let them understand, to see and know
What great Impostors there's at Rome, and show
Their great prophaneness, and their filthy pride,
Idolatry and cruelty beside.
But as I said, Succession no man hath,
But such as follow Christ, and keep the Faith,
That precious Faith which Peter had, and none
But that which Christ did build his Church upon:
For those that do succeed in that true Faith,
They, and no other, true Succession hath;
Which all impartial men may clearly see
By what Paul writeth unto Timothy:
This charge he gives to Timothy, That all
The things that Timothy had heard of Paul,
Among those many witnesses, that he
Did Faith and Truth confirm to Timothy;
The same he did receive, he must commit
To faithful men, (for so Paul thought it fit)
And not to men that had not Faith, nor such
That erred from the Faith, or thought it much
[Page 95] To feed the Flock, except they had the wool,
And would make war except their mouths were full:
But unto such whose lives were commendable,
And who to teach the Truth were very able,
That they likewise to other faithful men
Should give the self-same charge as Paul did then;
That down along none should succeed but he
That kept the Faith. From time to time you see
From what is said it doth appear so plain,
That there doth no Succession now remain
In Rome, because Rome now hath wrackt and lost
The Faith of Peter, whereof she doth boast,
For she that Faith hath often stigmatiz'd
With such defame, and hath apostatiz'd,
That long ago she her Succession lost,
And Christ withall, she chang'd him for the Host
Which now she doth adore, and fall down to,
And therefore let us give the Whore her due;
If any one there be she doth succeed,
It is the Serpent, for she doth proceed
So fully in his ways and paths she goes,
That she's a friend to none that are his foes:
Then none but blind men can perswaded be,
But she her power hath from none but he,
For him she is a faithful servant to,
And therefore her Authority 'tis true
Doth come from him, and him she doth succeed,
He is her Father, and her help in need.
If Rome will wipe away this great defame
And filthy blot that is upon her Name,
[Page 96]That she doth not succeed good Peter in
The sacred Chair; then let her now begin
To prove from Scripture, if she can, that she
The faith of Peter hath; and if so be
That she can prove her idle god of Bread
To be that man that's risen from the dead,
And dyed for our sins, and rose again,
And went to Heav'n, where now he doth remain;
Unless she prove, I say, he came from thence,
And is become a bit of Bread, from whence
He doth into her filthy belly go,
And whither then, all men, but fools, may know:
Which blasphemies were never thought by Peter,
'Twas never known that man could eat his Maker.
I then conclude in spight of Pope or Hell,
Do what they can, true Faith will bear the Bell.
And though the Whore pretends so much to be
Possest by Peter with the sacred Key,
And that without all kind of intermission,
The Popes have followed Peter in Succession,
The truth of which we do more then suspect,
Because his Faith and Words she doth reject:
For his Authority she will not take,
Nor no account of that or him doth make
To be a Rule to her for what she doth
Believe or practise, but from him she go'th
Unto those men she doth the Fathers call,
And them she doth command her subjects all
To hear, believe, to follow and to read;
But for the holy Scripture that is dead
[Page 97]So far, that no man can the right way find;
But whosoever doth the Fathers mind,
Shal find the right way; they taught what was good,
That is, that we the Cross adore, the Rood;
And they us likewise taught, and thought it meet,
That we should fall down to't, though in the street
Or any other place; these Doctors they
Did teach us thus with Beads to cry and pray
To all those Saints that now are dead and gone,
That they for us might interceed the Throne
Of God; and these men taught us all likewise,
If we will have them open ears or eyes,
We must their Images so much adore,
Like petty gods or goddesses; and more,
They also taught, and do command that we
Should go a Pilgrimage sometimes, to see
Their Sepulchres so richly deckt, and brave,
With gold & precious stones, with which they have
Thought fit therewith that every holy shrine
Should be adorn'd and made so brave and fine,
In honor only of the holy Saint;
They also teach that we should bravely paint
Their Images, that we may see, and have
A high esteem of them when ere we crave
A boon; and when that we in any place
Do pass them by, and look them in the face,
The sight of them may stir up some devotion,
And bring into our minds some holy motion.
They also teach we must not be unkind,
But when we go, we ought to leave behind
[Page 99]An Offering, that Saint so to content,
That he for us may willingly present
What we do crave to God above, and then
They us perswade, and we believe that when
This is perform'd, we merit such access
Unto this Saint, that us he will so bless,
We need not fear but he will send us down
Such store of Pardons, sealed in his Throne;
Or give such order unto them that are
His Moncks or Friars, that we never fear,
But when we come to make to them Confession,
We shall not miss nor fail of the remission
Of all our sins, though great, and such as be
As black as Hell it self; then what care we
If we our pleasure take and live in sin,
Tush, we'l not care nor matter that a pin:
For if we should some beastly sin commit,
Such that we must some penance do for it,
Or go sometime a Pilgrimage agin
To invocate some Saint for this foul sin;
'Tis but the giving him another bribe,
And then all's well: such are they of this tribe,
That they can put up greater wrongs than such,
They never think of those like wrongs too much.
These are the things the Fathers teach, and say,
(Which if we do) they lead the ready way
To happiness. Oh! what a thing is this,
That we so easily can go to bliss!
But if (they say) we in the Scripture look,
And pore therein, and do what that same Book
[Page 98]Doth teach to do, we never then shall find
That good content and quietness of mind
Which now we have in that they bid us do,
And we believe in that they tell us true:
We willingly consent unto their motion,
For Ignorance is mother of Devotion.
Thus doth this blind Whore lead the blind along
With such deceits, so powerful and strong,
That with this cord she binds them all so fast,
Both she and they the Devil will at last
Them take and have, except they do repent,
And by their coming out of her, prevent
Him of his prey, or else he will not miss
(Tis to be fear'd) of more, ere he hath less.
But that all men may further know and see
How much from Peter's mind they disagree,
And that the Whore in nothing doth at all
Walk in the steps of Peter nor of Paul:
For he whom she pretends she doth succeed,
The Church commandeth that she should take heed
Unto the holy Scriptures, for they be
A Light unto the blind, by which they see
Their way in dark and dismal places, so
That by its shining Light they see to go
Without all stumbling, neither do they fall
Into those wicked errors others shall,
That will not have the Scripture for their guide,
To give them light, lest they should turn aside
Into such paths as lead out of the way,
Which those that heed not Scripture do and may,
[Page 100]As we by much experience know and find,
To disregard the Scripture, makes men blind;
When men to Fathers fly, or Light within,
Without the Scripture, then they any sin
The Fathers or their Fancies leads them to,
They very ready are to act or do.
To heed the holy Scriptures therefore we
Commanded are by Peter, as you see;
For Scripture is the Word of Prophecy,
A more sure Word, as Peter saith, whereby
We may discover, or unvail and see
The Mystery of Romes Iniquity,
And by its shining Light they do expel
All mists of darkness that arise from Hell:
A Rule to us the holy Scriptures are
Of Faith and Conversation; for they were
Writ for our learning, that by them we might
Know Truth from Error, and walk in the Light:
For holy Scripture by good men of old,
As Peter in his Letter hath us told,
Was spoke by them as they were moved by
The holy Ghost. If so, then certainly
We must them heed as God's pure mind, for then
Came they to any by the will of men?
Besides, the holy Scripture is the thing
That doth unto our understandings bring
The knowledge of that holy Mystery,
Which hath been kept from Ages secretly
Ere since the world began, but now are made
Known by the Scriptures of the Prophets aid,
[Page 101]According to the great Commandement
Of God, who did and hath those Prophets sent,
That he by them might make known what he saith
To Nations, for obedience to the Faith.
Yet notwithstanding, this besotted crew
Doth say there is more to their Fathers due
Than to the Scripture, that they might men blind,
So darken and becloud the hearts and mind
Of those they have so much deceiv'd, that so
They should not their Abominations know.
But Paul might sure as well believed be,
As any Cardinal, or Pope, or he
That is the greatest Champion they ere had;
For sure in their conceit he wa'nt so bad,
But he might be believ'd as soon as they;
And yet when ever Paul did preach or pray,
He would do neither in the speech or tongue,
When he did either pray or preach among
Such men who could his speech not understand,
But did declare the truth in plainness; and
When he and Silas to Berea went,
They being thither by the Brethren sent
To preach the Gospel to them of that place,
Preach there they did the Gospel of the Grace
Of God to sinners, where were some so noble,
Though Paul was authoriz'd and very able
To preach, yet would they not him trust, for they
More noble were than Thessalonica,
Because they search'd the Scriptures, there to find
If Paul did preach according to the mind
[Page 102]Of Jesus Christ, they search the Scriptures so,
That they might satisfie themselves, and know
The truth of what was preach'd, or whether he
Had preacht to them the Truth; they would not be
Content to take't on trust, but to't they go
To try whether those things were so or no.
This deed recorded is, a mark of their
Nobility, because they did not spare
To reade and search the Scriptures, as appears
(Which Rome forbids to do, 'tis that she fears)
So plain, that none can well the truth deny,
Except it be the Whore, who doth defie
The man that doubts, or shall in question call
Her filthy lies, her great deceits; though all
Of them be so direct, contrary to
The holy Scriptures, one would marvel who
Could be so blind that cannot find and see
That she their souls deludes, and that they be
Led by the nose to such a pit and snare,
That if they do not take a special care,
And from her flee, they will no doubt partake
Of all those plagues that will her overtake.
Christ did command the Jews when he was here,
To search the Scriptures, for the Scriptures are
Those holy Records that did testifie
Of him, and how that he should come and dye;
Be of a Virgin born, and how that he
Should for our sakes and sins abased be,
Laid in a manger, so impoverishe'd,
As not to have whereon to lay his head,
[Page 87]And should receive both scoffs & scorns from men
Be brought before their Judgment-seat, and then
Be crucifi'd, and for poor sinners slain,
And them to justifie, be rais'd again;
And how he was by his Disciples seen
After he three dayes in the grave had been,
And after that ascended up on high
Into his Fathers Throne above the Skie,
Where now he intercedes for them that are
His faithful Followers, all them that fear
His holy Name, that do depart from evil,
And from the Pope, his deeds, & from the Devil;
Where now he also sits, expecting when
His Foes God will his footstool make, and then
He shall descend to judge both quick and dead:
Why should the Whore the Scripture then forbid,
Except it be because she would not have
Men know the Truth, but be to her a slave;
For if Rome had the Truth, be sure those scorners
Would never hide the Truth, Truth seeks no corners.
But further, Paul doth Timothy commend,
Because he when a child, his mind did bend,
And give himself to search the Scriptures, so
That he thereby the mind of God did know;
He such a good proficient soon became
By reading, or the study of the same.
If Paul then doth commend, and will allow
A Child to search and reade the Scripture, how
Dares Rome to be so impudent and bold
The Scriptures then from any to withhold?
[Page 104] For all the Scripture was by inspiration,
Given of God to ev'ry Generation,
And profitable is for Doctrine, eke,
For to reprove, correct, instruct the meek
In Righteousness, they able are we know,
To make one wise unto Salvation, tho
They are rejected by two sorts of men;
Concerning one I shall not use my pen
At this time; what I may hereafter do
I will not say, but this I know is true,
The Scripture ought to be a Rule to thee,
Thy duty 'tis to make it so to be.
If thou unto Perfection wouldst attain,
The Word of God will perfect thee amain:
Or if thou wouldst be throughly furnisht well
To all good works, let me thee one thing tell,
Live in the Light and Spirit of the Word,
And thou shalt find it will such help afford,
Thou wilt be furnished so thorowly
To all good works, thou't flee iniquity.
But if thou dost the Scripture once reject,
And disesteem it, under what respect
So-e're it be (thou't find my words are true,
For what I say, I by experience knew)
Thou then art made so fit, as fit may be,
For Satans Ministers to work on thee
What pleaseth them, thou wilt to Error fall,
And lose thy Faith, and Hope, and Christ and all.
But to return; It seems without the Books
Of Romes great learned Doctors, let their looks
[Page 105]Be nere so high, yet this we find and know
The Scripture's of ability to show
Such saving Truths, there is no want of trash
That comes from Rome, their rubbish nor hog­wash,
Nor of their Superstitions, that are found
From sacred Scripture to receive no ground.
But may we not by this time understand
What is the reason Rome doth so command
Her subjects all the Scripture to reject,
That they to it dare give no more respect?
Now without doubt we have the reason why,
It is, because her beastly Sodomy
Should not by any once perceived be;
For, should they reade the Scriptures, they would see
Her nakedness, and all her filthy trade,
And that her gods are such her-self hath made;
And yet to see that men should be so blind,
So willingly deceiv'd, that they ne're mind
The holy Scripture, nor no other Book,
There's none of them that scarcely dares to look
In any such, that she doth not allow
For them to use; a man would wonder how
Men can part with their souls at such a rate
As they lose theirs; some say it is their fate
Or destiny, for God did once decree
That men should sin, and thus deluded be.
But 'tis not so, God ne'r decreed no evil,
All evil works proceed do from the Devil;
He only is the author of them all,
Idolatry, and errors great and small;
[Page 106]And men do willingly adhere to him,
And to his wayes and works, rather than them
That God appointed, this is very right,
Such men love darkness, and do hate the Light
For let the Whore command them what she will
If't be to murder any one, or kill,
Be't Prince or People, any, what eare they,
For willingly the Whore's mind they obey;
Such dear obedient children they have bin,
Her to obey they think can be no sin.
But as I said, the reason why she doth
Forbid to reade the Scripture, may be both
Because she would not any man should see
The Truth; and also 'tis because that she
Fears the Scripture her Whoredoms will make known
And all her works of darkness will be shown;
And therfore, that she may her Whoredoms hide,
The use of Scripture she will not abide;
Though Christ, it's clear, did very well approve
The searching of the Scriptures, and did move
The Jews thereto by his commands, that so
They might there find wh'ther he were Christ or no.
But this proud painted Whore will give to none
That liberty, but her they all must own,
Without all doubt, or any jealousie,
But she must be the Church of Christ, and why?
Because her Doctors say't, that's their belief,
That's Ask my fellow whether I'm a thief.
They and their writings, as she saith, by far
Must be esteem'd more than the Scriptures are;
[Page 107]Her Fathers and her Councils, and what they
Decreed, we sooner far must all obey,
Than any Scripture-Writings, for they be,
Or were writ in the Churches infancie:
But now the Church is grown to such a state,
And such maturity, we scorn and hate
To learn or follow any thing that's there,
It is below us and our holy Chair.
And more than that, it will bewray us all,
The people will us know, and then we fall,
As Dagon did before the holy Ark,
We then our dogs can send no more to bark
Against the Scripture, and those holy wayes
That practis'd were in the primitive dayes.
For this we know full well, there is no ground
In holy Scripture can or will be found;
For that great pomp and state we now live in,
Should this be known, there's none would care a pin
For us, the people very soon would bait
Our greatness, and our doing soon would hate,
And quickly pluck us from our holy Chair,
And pull our feathers till we were so bare,
That all the world would quickly plainly see
What monstrous, coz'ning, cheating knaves we be:
But▪ if we can but keep them ignorant,
We then shall lord it still, and ore them vaunt;
"Tis but the hiding Scripture from their eyes,
By thundring threats, or under some disguise,
We then are safe enough, and all things still
Will go according to our mind and will;
[Page 108]And therefore 'twill be best for us to play
That very game we have this many day,
For that's the game we by experience find,
That holds us up, and doth the people blind.
Well now, we having briefly shown and seen.
Her whorish face that saith she sits a Queen,
And shall no sorrow ever know or see,
We'l hint a little what her plagues will be,
And that there is good ground we may expect,
That men, as well as God, will her reject:
Those plagues that will come on her in one day,
Nay, in one hour, and shew what plagues are they,
What Judgments God hath now laid up in store
Against that day that God will plague the Whore.
First, then God will lift up a Banner on
The Mountains high, that will not be alone;
The Voice shall he exalt, and shake the hand,
That they may enter in within her Land,
And go into her Nobles gates, and be
The great forerunners of her miserie;
For then God's sanctified ones will he
Command, and call his mighty ones that be
Appointed for his anger, who rejoyce
In him, his Highness, and commanding Voice.
Then shall she howl, the day of God's at hand,
And all among her shall amazed stand;
Because destruction will upon her fall
From the Almighty, and the weapons all
Of his great indignation then will stand
Against her, they shall waste her and her Land.
[Page 109]They come from far, so far, that from the end
Of Heav'n, her to destroy, God will them send;
To fear, for paints, and sorrow they shall drive
This Scarlet Whore, they shall against her thrive;
And she shall be in pain, as woman are
That are in travel and be fill'd with fear;
So much amaz'd, her brats will look and stare
At one another, wondring what they are,
Whose faces are as flames, for so they'l be
When she the coming of this day doth see;
That cruel day of anget and of wrath,
Which day will come, though God seems to be loth
To plague her for her sins, yet when they are
Become full ripe, he will no longer bear,
But will against proud Babylon arise,
Her nakedness uncover, and her thighs,
And lay her in the dust with loathsom shame,
Cut off from her both son and nephew, name
And remnant too, that there shall be no more
Left, nor remain of this proud painted Whore.
For this great Work shall certainly be done,
When God shall say to Jacob, Fear thou none;
Worm Jacob then shall so exalted be,
And from the Lord receive such strength, that he
Shall by Jehovah out of doubt be made,
According as the Prophets have fore-said,
A threshing Instrument both sharp and new,
To thresh this Mountain with, this tale is true;
God will the Mountains beat therewith so small,
And make the Hills as chaff, and fan them all;
[Page 110]The wind shall carry them away, and when
The whirlwind shall them scatter, Jacob then
Shall magnifie and praise the Lord with songs,
And give the praise to whom the praise belongs;
For in the holy One of Israel he
Shall glory now and everlastingly.
When God shall give to Zion this Command,
Arise and thresh, up Zion then shall stand,
Her horns shall then be made as Iron, when
Her hoofs shall be as brass, with which those men,
I mean, of Babylon, or Rome, shall be
Beat all in pieces for their cruelty;
For God will bath his Sworn in Heav'n, and then
He'l send it down upon those wicked men,
All them that are the people of his Curse,
That will not turn, but still wax worse and worse,
To Judgement it shall come to judge the Whore,
For all her cursed deeds which she hath store:
For when the day of Vengeance shall come in
The heart of God, he'l punish all her sin,
That day of Vengeance, which to God is known,
That year of Recompences for Zion,
For Zion's controversie shall it be,
When God shall judge and plague the Whore, for he
Will tread her down in fury, and will make
In anger Romes foundations all to shake.
Then wil the Lord bring down her pride & strength
Unto the Earth, and she shall be at length
A desolation, none in her shall dwell
But Owls and Satyrs, and those Fiends of Hell
[Page 111]But now it may be some there are that will
be asking, When God will these things fulfil?
My answer is to such, It will be then
When God shall break the yoke of all those men
Of Rome; which season is of his appointing,
Which he will do because of the Anointing,
For when he sends the Spirit from on high,
Then will the time begin undoubtedly;
When all those plagues shall hasten and will come
Upon the Scarlet Whore and Pope of Rome:
But yet before this time may come or be,
The Lord will make his people all to see
How much they have by their unholiness,
Uncomely walking, and unthankfulness,
Their mis-improvement of rich mercy when
God gave them plenty to enjoy; and then
Their carnal, worldly-mindedness, that life,
When they so liv'd in want of love, and strife,
Contention and debates, their pride and pleasure
They walked in for many days together;
Their want of love to Christ, and zeal that they
Have for some time let very much decay▪
Their great indifferency to Heav'nly things,
Which coldness to Apostasie some brings:
All which if timely they are not prevented;
They will not by the Lord be well resented:
For if they be'nt repented of in truth,
The Lord all such will spew out of his mouth.
Besides all these, the Lord will have them see
Their unbelief, and their great lenitie;
[Page 112]Their diffidence appears now in the sight
Of him with whom they have to do, whose bright
And piercing eye can see and look within,
Discern and sype out ev'ry secret sin.
By which things they the lord did much provoke,
And have, as 'twere, against him done and spoke,
And yet these things there's few do lay to heart,
And fewer do as yet from them depart.
Few faithfully perform the work of searching,
And fewer do perform the work of purging,
There's few that are in bitterness of soul
For their high provocations, which so foul,
So great and many were, with which they God
Have much provok'd to bring on them a Rod:
For't must confessed be, that by their sin
The Name of God hath much reproached bin:
Gods people have undoubtedly been such,
Who have the wicked caused very much
Him to blaspheme, and his most holy Name
Hath by their evils suffer'd much defame.
These things I say, the Lord would have us see,
That so for them our souls might humbled be,
And in the sence of them we might abhor
And loath our selves, and mourn in secret for
Those Evils that we ev'ry day commit
Against the Lord, who notwithstanding yet
His Remnant he hath not forsaken so,
But their oppressors may for certain know,
When he shall turn his hand on them again,
And purely purge their dross, and take their tin
[Page 113]Away; and then when he shall wash the filth
Of Zions daughter, and restore to health
Jerusalem, by purging of her blood,
And cleanse her from her filth, which like a flood
Runs in the midst of her, which by chastisement
The Lord will do by burning and by judgement;
For such a spirit will he send, I deem,
By Judgement God will Zion then redeem,
And when this is accomplished, will he
Restore their Judges, and they then shall be
As at the first, their Counsellors shall stand
As at the first beginning in their Land:
And then despised Zion shall be nam'd,
(Which lieth in the dust, so much defam'd)
The City of Righteousness; Zion she
The faithful City, then will called be;
And then Jehovah will create upon
The dwelling-place that is in Mount Zion,
A cloud and smoak on her Assemblies all,
The shining of a flaming fire, which shall
Be there by day, and likewise so by night,
Which never shall depart out of her sight;
Jehovah then will ne'r depart from thence,
On all the glory shall be a defence.
But some it's like will yet be asking me,
Within what year or month this time will be?
Because they would precisely this time know,
They would that I to them that time should show,
Or else prefix the time in which God will
Arise against the Whore, and her so fill
[Page 114]With all those plagues, she may for ever be
A by-word unto all posteritie.
To them I answer, that the seasons stand
In no mans power, the times are in the hand
of God alone, there's none but he can tell
The day nor month, no nor the year nor well;
That is his great prerogative to show
The times or seasons, day or hour to know;
But yet before these things accomplish'd be,
There wil be signs in Heav'n, which some my see;
And likewise on the earth, which will fore-run,
Those plagues wil make Rome quake ere they have don,
Besides, signs of the times, which signs the wise
Can well discern, and do as highly prise.
But Babylon must fall, that's out of doubt,
And then there will be such a dreadful rout
As never was in any time before,
Such howling and lamenting of the Whore;
For all her sorrows shall come in one day,
Just like a flood that will not stop nor stay:
Both death and mourning, famine also will
Pursue her hard, and all her borders fill,
And she shall utterly be burnt with fire,
Which now she little dreads, doth less desire.
For strong's the Lord, that God which judgeth her,
Who now will plague her for her sins, and for
Her cruel usage of his Saints, as she
Rewarded them, she shall rewarded be.
Then now those Kings that with her have com­mitted
Such fornications, and that her permitted
[Page 115]To reign and rule o're them, who with her have
Liv'd so deliciously, so fine and brave,
Shall now bewail her, and lament her sore,
When they shall see her burning smoke before
Their eyes, as they from her afar off stand,
For fear the torments of her should command
Them also, they cry, oh! alas! alas!
See what a mighty great City this was,
Yet in one hour is her judgement come,
Her woful fall, her dreadful, dismal doom.
The Merchants of the earth shall also weep
And mourn for her, for they their goods may keep;
For though they have of Merchandize great store,
Now none will buy their Merchandize no more,
Though rich and gallant Merchandize they be,
As Gold and Silver, precious stones, as the
So Cordial Pearl, and Linnen fine and good,
With Purple, Silk and Scarlet, and Sweet-Wood,
Their Ivory Vessels of all sorts and manner,
With other things wherewith they did adorn her.
As Vessels of most precious Wood and Brass,
Of Iron, Marble, with these things alas,
As Cinnamon and Odours, Oyntments too;
Sure here's enough this old Whore to undo:
But more, as Frankinsence, and Wine, and Oyle;
See what a great and utter total spoile
Will come upon her, and her Merchandise,
And on them all that how believe her lyes:
Nay, yet here's more, her Flower and her Wheat
Which she had got, her stollen Bread was sweet:
[Page 116]Her Beasts, her Sheep, her Chariots & her Horses,
Besides all these, the greatest of her losses
Will be the Bodies and the Souls of men,
The Merchandize of which she loseth then;
Then will they her bewail and much lament
Her loss so great, her woful punishment;
Saying, those fruits her foul had thirsted for,
Those dainties are departed quite from her:
Them goodly things she cannot find at all,
For which her Merchants will so cry and bawl,
Who were made rich by her, and they shall stand
Afar off weeping for her great loss, and
For fear of her great torments they shall say,
Alas! alas! how great is thy decay,
Thou City great, that clothed was so gay,
In Linnen fine, most rich and brave array,
As Purple, Scarlet, deckt with Gold so brave,
And precious stones, which thou wast wont to have,
And Pearls! Alas! but now all's gone! Oh how
Thy glory's lost, and in an hour thou
That wast so rich, the riches thou hast got,
Are lost and gone, and are quite come to nought!
The Masters of her ships shall weep, also
The company in ships when they shall know
That Babylon the great is down and spoil'd,
For whom they have so greatly toil?d and moil'd.
The Sailers likewise, and as many as
Did trade by sea, shall stand and cry, Alas!
And stand afar off too, when they shal see
Her smoke arise, and shal amazed be,
[Page 117]Saying, What City is like unto this,
For greatness, riches, mightiness? I wis;
They now with mourning, weeping, wailing, and
With throwing dust upon their heads, they stand
Admiring how that all her costliness,
By which her Leaders riches did possess,
And all her Masters that fail'd in the sea,
Should in an hour all thus destroyed be,
And she he made an utter desolation,
That was the pride and glory of her Nation.
We then by holy Scripture find and see
This scarlet Whore shall thus rewarded be,
And how her dreadful fall shall be lamented
By all her Traders which have not repented:
But at this time when these lament her so,
And weep and mourn because of her great wo,
The Heav'ns shall be commanded forthwith all,
For to rejoice ore her, and at her fall:
So shall Apostles be commanded straight,
With all those Prophets that this Whore did hate,
Now to rejoice ore her, because they see
That God on her will now avenged be:
They sing his praise, the praises of that God
Who hath destroy'd and broke her with his Rod,
That Rod of's strength he out of Zion sent,
He gave command, and thither his Rod went:
Then wil be sung by them that Heavenly song,
With all those Saints and Martyrs she did wrong,
Those Hallelujahs, with Salvation be,
All glory, honor, power unto thee
[Page 118] O Lord our God, for true and righteous are
Thy Judgements on the Earth, who would not fear
Thee who hast judg'd the great Whore? for the Nations
She hath corrupted with her Fornications;
And thou on her and hers, and on her Land
Hast now avenged justly at her hand
The blood of all thy faithful servants dear,
Whom this great Whore did never no time fear
To burn in firy flames, who to truth stood;
But now of her thou hast aveng'd their blood:
Then Hallelujah, Praise the Lord therefore;
Her smoke rose up for ever, evermore.
For which great total fall of hers let's pray
Unto the Lord that judgeth her, and say,
Now Lord make haste, and cloath the self with Zeal
As with the cloak, let her thy fury feel;
And cloath thy self with vengeance as with garments,
And bring her to those everlasting torments,
Those plagues that thou hast written in thy Book:
Lord in thy fury down upon her look:
Let all the blood that this great Whore hath shed
Of holy Saints and Martyrs in that bed
Of firie-flames, who sweetly went to sleep,
Committing of their souls to thee to keep,
Come up to thee dear Lord, upon her think,
And give this bloody Whore ev'n blood to drink;
And judge her for her great iniquitie,
Which great Concern, O Lord, we leave to thee.
Here followeth now a hint of that great Day

That Christ shall sit upon his Throne for aye;

In which his Enemies shall bow the knee,

And unto him shall in subjection be;

In which his Foes shall coverd be with shame,

That have reproachfully spoke of his Name:

In which the Crown upon his head shall flourish,

In which Day he his Lambs will feed & nourish.
VVHen Babylon is fallen, fallen, then
Have at the Beast that monstrous Man of sin,
Which hath seven Heads, ten Horns, whose com­ing will
Be after Satans power and working still,
A more immediate working than before
Was seen to be in this great Scarlet Whore,
With signs and lying wonders he shall come,
Deceiving all the World, excepting some
Whose Names are written in the Book of Life,
These will the Lamb defend, these are his Wife.
This man of sin shall none of them seduce,
It is impossible he should produce
That lying-wonder that can them deceive,
Do all he can, they will not him believe.
Them Christ will keep, they in his strength shall stand
That won't receive his mark in their right hand,
Nor in their foreheads, nor this Beast adore,
(Nor fall down to his Image) which before
[Page 120]Was, and was not, yet is, and which shall be
Much wonder'd after, when the world shall see
His Prophet call for fire down from Heav'n,
And cause the Image of the Beast with seven
Heads and ten Horns to speak▪ and then to cause
As many as would not obey his Laws,
And worship him; likewise this is decreed,
They must be kill'd, whoe're they be, with speed:
With these his wonders he will much deceive
All men on earth that won't the truth believe,
Or did not truth receive with love to it,
Upon all such this dreadful doom is writ,
Who pleasure took in all unrighteousness,
Shall all be damn'd for their lasciviousness.
This Beast Christ shall defeat and soon annoy,
The brightness of his coming shall destroy
This rampant Beast who glories in his strength,
Shall so confounded be, that he at length,
And his false Prophet, Jesus Christ shall take,
And cast them both alive into the Lake.
And then, O then that blessed Prince alone
Shall reign and be exalted on his Throne;
For then an Angel he shall send to bind,
And chain up Satan, who the world did blind,
And them deceive; but Satan then no more
Shall able be men to deceive before
A thousand years be fully come and ended,
That time from him all men shall be defended.
But some may here object to me, and say,
Christ now doth sit upon his Throne, to day,
[Page 121]Did yesterday, to morrow will, and still,
For ever did, and doth, and ever will.
In order therefore to their satisfaction
That are propounders of this old objection;
'Tis granted Christ now sits upon a Throne,
But this he now sits on, is not his own,
For 'tis his Father's Throne he now sits in,
So properly his own it hath not bin,
As 'tis his Fathers; for himself hath said,
'Tis the Reward his Father hath him paid
For that most great and glorious victory
He did obtain ore Death when he did dye;
He overcame, and sate down on the Throne
With God his Father; so shall ev'ry one
That overcomes, sit down with him, and be
Plac't in the Throne of Christ; by vvhich vve see,
As God the Father hath his Throne, so shall
Our blessed Jesus have his Throne an'all.
From vvhence vve learn that certainly 'tis so,
That Christ sits on a Throne, his Father's tho;
And so as true and certain also 'tis,
There is another Throne that vvill be his;
Of vvhich most glorious Throne I am to speak,
VVhich vvill that other Throne in pieces break,
That throne, I mean, the Pope and Beast sits on,
I do not mean the throne God sits upon;
And therefore that I might not tedious be,
I'le fall upon it straight, novv presently.
[Page 122]A Throne in Scripture vve read of that shall
As an Inheritance to Jesus fall.
It is the promise of the Father he
Shall one day sit thereon, exalted be
To rule the Nations with an Iron Rod;
This shall be given to him by his God:
For 'tis the Covenant his Father made
With him, that he (as I before have said)
Should sit and rule upon the Throne for ever,
Of David; dispossest he shall be never:
When once the throne he doth and shall obtain,
He then will ever govern, rule and reign.
The Prophet Esay did this truth foresee,
That Jesus Christ should thus exalted be:
To us; saith he, a Child is born, a Son
Is given unto us; there shall upon
His shoulders be the Government, his Name
Shall called be the Wonderful (for Fame
A) Counsellor, the mighty God, the Prince
Of Peace, the everlasting Father; hence
It is his Government shall still encrease,
For of his Government nor of his Peace
There is no end; upon the Kingdom and
The Throne of David he shall sit, his hand
Shall hold the Scepter, and he Davids Kingdom
Will rule, and order shall with so much wisdom,
And shall establish it with Judgement, and
With Justice too likewise, throughout the Land,
[Page 123] That henceforth and for ever if shall be,
The zeal of God the Lord of Hosts shall see
This done, his zeal shall this perform, and then
Our blessed Lord shall rule and reign, and when
He sits upon his Throne, the Throne of David,
Then shall the Seed of Abraham be saved.
If this be truth, as doubtless but it is,
I think there's few that lives, so wicked is
Plain Scripture to deny, except it be
The Pope of Rome, that whorish State, and he
That saith he hath got such a Light within,
That sheweth what is not, and what is sin:
The first indeed, as I before have said,
The Scriptures by command and threats have laid
Aside, that no man dares in them to look,
Nor scarce, at I have shewn, no other Book.
The other saith the Scriptures he don't need,
He hath a Light with which he can both read,
And see and know what's good, and what is bad,
And should if he the Scriptures never had.
These both a crafty, subtile trick have got,
That none may do or say what they think not
Agrees with eithers mind or interest;
But I to heed the Scriptures think it best.
But to go on, this is but by the by;
Yet I do think and know they must the lye
Give to the Scripture, that will not believe,
Or do deny that Christ the Throne shall have,
[Page 124]That throne of David, and his Kingdom sway,
And that the Nations ever shall obey
His Laws and Precepts, so his will shall even
Be done on earth as now 'tis done in Heav'n.
But that I may this truth yet further clear,
Which is so precious, lovely and so dear
To all that wait, and long, and love to see,
That Christ alone should thus exalted be;
See what Jehovah unto David said,
Who by an Oath a Covenant had made
With David, That unto his Seed for ever
His throne he would establish, and would never
Break that same Oath, that Covenant, that Word
That is gone forth out of his mouth; the Lord
Once swore to David by his Holiness,
That he his Seed for evermore would bless,
And should endure for ever, and his Throne,
As long at there was either Sun or Moon.
By Davids seed must needs be understood
The seed of Faith; for there's no likelihood
That any other seed should keep his throne,
For after the Messiah came, was none
Of Davids nat'ral seed that did possess
His Throne or Kingdom; yet nevertheless
The oath God swore to him, was, that for ever
His seed should sit upon his throne, and never
Be dispossest thereof. But now it's plain
His throne is empty til it shall again
[Page 125]By Christ be mounted, who God wil enthrone
And set thereon; he is that Seed, and none
But he, and those that he then shall now hath
Made one with him through Grace, not Works, but
Both he and they together shall sit down
On Davids throne, and wear a glorious Crown-Faith:
We find that Peter in the Acts confirms
This exposition fully in plain terms:
Knowing, saith he, that God had sworn an Oath,
(Which cannot be a fable, but a truth)
That of the fruit of Davids loyns should be,
According to the flesh undoubtedlie,
Christ should be rais'd to sit on Davids Throne:
This Peter saith; I am not then alone:
If neither he nor I you will believe,
What, wil you then an Angel now receive,
By whom this exposition likewise shall
Confirmed be from Heaven? I think then all
Wil be content more of this truth to hear,
There's some it love, though others do it fear,
The Angel Gabril who from God was sent
Unto a City nam'd Naz'reth, he went
Unto a Virgin 'spoused to a man,
He named Joseph was, the line down ran
From David unto him: the Virgins name
Was Mary, unto whom the Angel came,
And her salute with saying to her, Hail,
Thou highly favour'd, blessed woman shal
[Page 126] Conceive, thy womb shall now bring forth a Son,
And thou shalt call his Name (when he is born)
JESƲS, he shall be great, and called be,
The Son of the Most High; undoubtedlie
God shall to him the throne of David give,
And on it he shall sit, and ever live,
And ore the House of Jacob ever reign,
His Kingdom shall for evermore remain;
For of if there shall never be an end,
This God to do doth certainly intend.
If Peter were a man none could afford
To Credit, yet methinks an Angels word
All men should credit, out of doubt believe
What they do speak from heaven, and all receive
What they do say, as well as part or some,
For part of this believed is by Rome:
To wit, that Christ was of a virgin born,
Though they believe God won't on earth his horn
Exalt; yet he the horn of his Anointed
Wil sure lift up, for so he hath appointed.
I here conclude, it is a certain truth,
That Christ shal come and reign here on the earth;
For on the Earth once Davids throne was plac'd,
And on the Earth it now is quite defac'd:
And on the Earth his throne shall be again,
Then Christ shall on the Earth both rule [...] reign;
For on the throne of David he shall sit,
And ore his Kingdom rule, and govern it.
[Page 127]But here by some it may objected be,
That Christ doth reign now on the earth, and he
Exalted is already by his Father,
And shall not rule nor reign on Earth no other-
Wise, than by his Wisdom, Strength and Pow'r
He rules his Saints and People ev'ry hour;
And so the World by's Might and Providence
He govern'd hath ere since he went from hence.
Small sign it is that Christ on Earth doth reign,
When few his Laws obey, and few refrain
Him to blaspheme, but ready are to evil,
What ever they are prompt to by the Devil.
Doth Christ now reign & rule amongst those men
That swear, and curse, and drink, & roar, and then
Fall out and quarrel, fight and kill, and whore?
Of whom the World doth yeild such mighty store
That one would think, and may conclude ful well,
That most are rul'd by Lucifer or Hell.
Can any one think or imagine how
Christ should be said to reign on earth? when now
His people are most times so much oppressed,
So persecuted, and so much distressed,
That for his sake they're made a mock and scorn,
Whose time is now not to rejoice, but mourn.
For what is done to them, is done to him,
He takes it so, and so't will be, all them
That persecute his Saints, shall find it so
When he appears, though now they won't it know.
[Page 128]When Saul with Letters went to Damascus
To persecute and spoile the Saints, then thus
Christ said to him when, on the way, he smites
Him to the ground with those bright shining lights
That shone about him; and all those that went
With him, no doubt the High-Priest had them sent
Him to assist in this great work of darkness,
To persecute those men that were so faultless,
That Christ rebukes him as he on the way
Did go, and (as I said) did to him say,
Saul, Saul, why dost thee thus me persecute?
To kick against the pricks it is no boot.
Then Saul astonisht, says, Lord, who art thou?
I'm Jesus whom thou persecutest now.
For what thou dost to them, thou dost to me,
Thou canst not them afflict, but I must be
Afflicted with them; if thou art their fo,
I feel the stroke, the wound is mine also.
If Jesus Christ will when he comes accuse
All them that do his Saints to help refuse,
VVhen they in prison were, or sick, or lame,
Or naked, hungry, and will them so blame
Because they did not cloath, or them relieve,
Nor unto them would any comfort give,
Nor visit when in Gaol or sick they were,
And them refuse to succour and to cheat,
And takes what's done to them, done to himself,
When he shall say to them that have much wealth,
[Page 129] Depart you cursed into scorching flames,
Eternal burnings, hound in fiery Chains
Of dreadful darkness now and evermore,
Prepared for the Devil; for before
When I was sick, you did not visit me,
That is, you did not comfort them that be
My little ones, when they distressed were,
No help, nor no assistance would you spare:
For as you did to them, you did to me:
Depart then now, for ever cursed be.
If Christ, I say, shall take these things as done
Unto himself, they suffer not alone
That are his people, but he suffer so
In them, that this I'de very gladly know
How Christ on earth is said to rule and reign,
VVhen still on Earth he's crucifi'd and slain.
When Christ his father David's throne shal mount,
He shall all evil works call to account.
The Heathen shall be his Inheritance,
VVhen he unto his Kingdom shall advance;
Then he the utmost parts of th' earth shall have,
And will his poor despised people save;
VVhen his Dominions shall extended be
Through all the earth, and eke from sea to sea,
And from the Rivers to th'ends of the earth,
This great Dominion is his right and birth:
For when his Kingdom that we pray for's come;
VVhich strongly doth import there is no room
[Page 130]Left to conceit▪ he doth already reign,
And in his Kingdom is; for then 'twere vain
To pray for that which now already is,
And hath been many hundred years, if 'tis
But two, as many now a-dayes do say,
Let's tare out then that Pray'r he taught's to pray.
But when it's come (I was about to tell)
That all things ev'ry where will go full well;
For then the Will of God will likewise even
Be done on Earth, as now 'tis done in Heaven;
There will be then no Ram 'um, dam 'um Blades,
That tare, & stare, & fight would with their shades;
But all his creatures living will him praise,
Because of those most joyful glorious dayes,
That Christ shall rule and reign here on the Earth,
The Scripture plentifully holdeth forth,
That he that reads impartially may know
It is a glorious heav'nly Truth, although
It is the most esteemed but a fable,
Yet those that be the born of God are able
To see much heav'nly glory in't, they do
Receive such comforts from't, and not a few,
That they are made, through Grace, nothing to fear
What they may suffer for the Glory there.
But that I may a little further clear
This much despised Truth, to me so dear
And choice, and sweet; I will some Reason show,
That Christ the Kingdoms of the Earth shall so
[Page 131]Possess, as yet he never did, but shall
One day them have in full possession all.
First then, when Christ shall rule on Earth, and reign,
And Davids Throne shall be set up again,
There shall be such, so great increase of Peace,
That Quarrels, Broils, and Wars shall ever cease;
Then shall there be no envying nor hating,
No Titles unto this and that debating
By Sword and Fire, as now is and hath bin,
And ever will and shall be until then;
All men shall then so quietly enjoy
What they do build and plant, none shall anoy,
Nor them molest, they in their habitation
Shall then secured be, no molestation,
Nor no disquiet shall e're them come near,
They shall possess without all kind of fear
What is alloted them, they'l be so sure,
That none shall trouble unto them procure:
The Nations then, though now, and heretofore,
Have learned War, they War shall learn no more.
Of Righteousness there then shall be a stream
Shall run through ev'ry street; (this is no dream
Nor fond conceit) Justice and Equitie
Will flourish then, and there no more will be
Oppression us'd, the cause of him that's poor
Shall not perverted be, nor nevermore
The Widows cause, or Fatherless sha'nt then
Be turned back; at that time shall no men
[Page 132]Hate one another, nor no man then shall
Imagine ill against his brother; all
Shall live in such a blessed unity,
No man shall do another injury;
And then that very great antipathy
That now between the creatures is, shall dy:
For then the Wolf shall lie down with the Lamb,
And dwell together, sure of this I am:
The Leopard then shall lie down with the Kid;
The Calf and Lion young are also rid,
The one of 's preying nature, and the other
Can now confide in him, as in a brother:
Nay, though the Lion, be a Fatling by,
He'l not him harm, they'l down together lye,
So gentle and so tame they will be, then
A little Child may lead them both; and when
This time is come, the Cow then with the Bear
Shall feed their young, together lye, and there
The Lion shall like to an Ox eat straw,
To prey on flesh he now shall have no maw;
The deadly, great, and most destructive nature,
The Venom which is found now in the creature,
Their deadly sting shal then be took away,
When once a sucking-Child shall dare to play
On the Asps hole, the weaned Child may then
Not fear to put his hand upon the den
Of that so deadly Cockatrice, for there
They shal not hurt, destroy, none shal them fear
[Page 133]In Gods most holy Mountain, and the Earth
Shal filled be with knowledge and with mirth;
Cover'd with knowledge shal the Earth then be,
As now we see the Waters do the Sea.
There's such a glorious time as this to come,
Or else the Prophets are mistook; not some,
But all, for all of them of this time spoke,
Foreseeing that there was a heavy yoke
That Rome should keep the faithful People in,
And afterward that cursed Man of Sin,
Until there come a Rod out of the Stem
Of Jesse, and a branch spring out of him,
Out of his Root shall spring that holy Prince,
That King of kings and Lord of lords; from hence
It comes, that Christ our Lord is said to be
Of Davids Off-spring (notwithstanding he
Is Davids Root) and shal possess his Throne
In the appointed time, as hath been shown.
But that I might this Truth yet clearer make,
Then this that follows likewise from me take,
That Christ shal rule and reign on Earth as King,
To prove I further do this Reason bring;
Because the Earth and all that therein is,
Are by Creation-right, all of them his,
They were made by him; and not only so,
But for him too, and then his Right we know,
It is, that one day he should them possess,
Which were made for him to enjoy and bless
[Page 134]With Righteousness, with which he'l judge the poor,
Reprove the meek with Equity; & more,
He with the Rod of 's Wrath wil smite the Earth,
And slay the wicked also with his breath;
For Righteousness the girdle of his loins,
And Faithfulness the girdle of his reins
Shall be, and then will come that blessed day,
That he (the Root of Jesse) will display
The Glory of his Rest, as on a hill,
Stand for an Ensign, and the Gentiles will
Unto it seek, his Rest shal glorious be,
Thrice happy they that shall this Glory see.
When this is come to pass, that Prophecie,
Spoke by Isaiah, will fulfilled be;
Behold, in Righteousness a King shall reign,
And Princes rule in Judgment shall again;
As from the wind and tempest which we see,
A hiding-place, a covert there shall be,
As in a dry and thirsty place, and as
The shadow of a mighty great Rock is;
A man shall be as Water, Rivers, and
As such a Rock is in a weary Land:
The eyes of them that see shall not be dim,
The ears of them that hear shall hearken, then
The rash of heart shall knowledge understand,
Their passions then they shall so well command:
The tongue of stammerers shall ready be
To utter words, to talk, to speak plainly.
[Page 135]The Glory of that day shall be so great,
My pen's too weak that Glory to repeat.
So great it is, my thoughts it doth so fill,
That here another Reason follow will,
That Christ shal come the Earth to rule, will be
Apparant made, as 'twil appear; for he
By right of purchase is become the Lord
Of all the Earth, and all it doth afford:
He therefore dy'd, reviv'd, and rose again,
That he might this Prerogative obtain,
To be the Lord both of the quick and dead.
(This may in Pauls Epistle soon be read)
By his obedience to his Father, he
Obtained such a glorious dignitie,
By dying on the Cross that cursed death,
For which his Father him exalted hath,
And such a Name hath given unto him,
Above all names that's given into them
That are in Heav'n, in Earth, or underneath
The Earth, to him all which have life and breath▪
At his most glorious Name their knees must bow,
(There's few but will for truth this sure allow)
And ev'ry tongue confess that Christ is Lord,
This Glory they must unto God afford.
When God the Father rais'd Christ from the grave
He then to him this Princely honour gave,
To sit at his right hand in heav'nly places,
(In recompence of all those foul disgraces
[Page 136]That he sustain'd while he was on the Earth,
Although he was the King thereof by birth)
So far above all Principalitie,
All Power, Might, Dominion, Dignity,
And ev'ry Name that's nam'd, not only whom
Is in this world, but in that world to come;
And hath put all things underneath his feet,
Though all things be'nt subjected to him yet;
He bore the great iniquities of many,
(Of all indeed, he did not leave out any)
Then with the great a portion he'l divide,
And with the strong divide the spoil beside;
Because he did his soul pour out to death.
This glory God to Christ now given hath,
That as the Earth he bought, and paid the score
That it stood charged with, so he'l restore
All things again when he from Heav'n descends
To take away what ever in't offends;
And then all living shall enjoy and see
How glorious Christ's Government will be.
That which already hinted is, well may
Give satisfaction unto all, if they
Be so unbyass'd, and be so intent
In searching out what all the Prophets meant,
(And Christ and his Apostles; for all they
Did prophesie and speak of this good day)
By these and such like sayings as I bring,
Of which there is a multitude that sing
[Page 137]The self-same song as I above have done,
For sure I am they all with me are one.
But ne'retheless it still is my intent
One Reason more to contribute or hint:
That Christ shall rule and reign here on the earth,
Is true, because it is his right by birth;
He (Christ) the first born is of ev'ry creature,
And he of all things also is the Maker;
The first-born is mongst many brethren too,
The first begotten Son of God, and who
The brightness of his Fathers glory is,
The express Image of his person, his
(Gods) only Son, whom he appointed Heir
Of all things that hath been, shall be, or are
In Heav'n above, or in the Earth beneath,
They all are his by birth, there's none that hath
Nor can deprive him of his right, it's sure
To him, and shall for evermore enoure.
Saith David in his Psalms, The Heathen rage,
Vain things imagine; what doth this presage?
God sits in Heav'n, and hath them in derision,
And will at length himself make the decision;
Though they do set against him and's Anointed,
And counsel take, they shall be disappointed▪
Ʋnto them all he'l speak then in his wrath,
Though he forbears, and seems to be so loth;
Yet will he vex them in his sore displeasure,
When he shall set his King, his only Treasure,
[...]
[...]
[Page 138] Upon his holy Hill, then the Decree
Concerning him will soon declared be:
Thou art my Son, I have begotten thee,
Then ask my Son, ask thou, I say, of me,
And I will give thee thine Inheritance.
Thou shalt upon my Holy Hill advance.
The Heathen shall be to thee for a portion,
The Earth I give to thee for thy possession,
The utmost parts thereof I give, and thou
Shalt break them with a Rod of Iron now,
In pieces shalt thou dash them as a Vessel
That's broken a in Morter with a Pestle.
Again saith David in another place,
Such is the Majesty of Christ, the Grace
Of this most mighty Prince, and Lord of all,
That Kings shall stoop, and down before him fall;
And they that in the Wilderness do live,
Shall bow before him, and him honor give;
His Enemies (who will they, nill they) must
Fall down before him, and shall lick the dust:
The Kings of Tarshish, and them of the Isles,
Shall presents bring to him to have his smiles;
The Kings of Sheba, and of Seba too,
Shall offer gifts to him, if that would do:
Yea, all the Nations under Heav'n that are,
Shall him obey, all Kings then shall him fear.
And David in another Psalm doth say,
That God his Enemies will drive this day
[Page 139] Before him; God will then his foes down beat,
And plague all men he will that do him hate:
My faithfulness, saith God, with him shall be,
My mercy also, and his Name I'le see
Shall be exalted, I will set his hand
Upon the Sea, so in the Rivers, and
He'l cry, Thou art my God, my Father then,
And say, the Rock of my Salvation, when
My first-born I will make, whose so by birth,
Far higher than the Kings are of the Earth.
But some it may be here will now object,
And say, These Scriptures all have no respect
To Christ, but Solomon by them is meant;
And David penn'd these Psalms to that intent,
To shew he should be set on such a throne,
That like to him there should be never none
So great, so rich, so mighty as was he;
If so, then all these things fulfilled be.
I answer, That these Scriptures can't be so
Receiv'd nor understood; for this I know,
That Solomon was never God's first-born,
Nor never did God so exalt his Horn,
To give to him such great and large Dominion
To reach from sea to sea; in my opinion
Nebuchadnezzar was a greater man
Then ever was the great King Solomon;
For Daniel said to him, O King, it's thou
Art grown so mighty, strong and great, that now
[Page 140] Thy potent greatness reacheth unto Heav'n,
Such is thy boundless and thy large Dominion,
It doth extend unto the ends of th' earth,
God unto thee such glory given hath.
Though Solomon his glory was so much,
That in his day there was no King had such;
Yet consid'ring Nebusshadnezzar he
Was great Commander universallie,
O're all the world, it clearly follow will,
Those Prophesies God did not then fulfil
In Solomon, because it's plain that he
Had never such a glorious Monarchie,
(I then conclude, they meant, and rather may,
The King of Babylon, which none will say)
So universal as the others was,
Nor yet so great nor universal as
Our Lords shall be when he doth come to reign,
As those fore-cited Scriptures speaketh plain,
Besides what I before did shew indeed,
That Christ must be that King of Davids seed.
These reasons then I end, though many more
I might produce, in Scripture there's such store:
But I with these shall well contented be,
Such satisfaction are they unto me.
But yet I matter not, for th' sake of those
That may more doubtful be, before I close,
Bring forth such Scriptures, which do more conduce
To satisfaction then I here produce.
[Page 141]That prophesie of Balaam, who when
He hired was to curse Gods Israel, then
He prophesi'd and said, My eyes shall him
Behold, but shall not now, they are too dim▪
I shall behold him, but it won't be nigh,
Though I the knowledge have of the most High:
There shall a Star come out of Jacob, and
A Scepter out of Israel; the Land
Of Moab shall he smite, the corners all,
The sons of Seth shall be destroy'd and fall,
And Edom shall, because of their transgression;
So Seir likewise shall be a possession
Unto his Enemies; but Israel he
Shall in those days do then most valiantlie:
Then out of Jacob will he come that shall
Possess and have dominion o'ne them all.
Balaam then took up his Parable,
Beheld and saw that day was terrible,
And said, Alas! though 'tis a day of bliss
To Jacob, who shall live when God doth this!
Again, good Hannah when the Lord her Womb
Had opened, that she conceiv'd, to whom
He gave a Son, which when she had brought forth,
She lent unto the Lord; a son of worth
He was to her, yet for the Lord she'l spare
Her child, her only son that was so dear;
And then to pray and praise the Lord goes she,
And thus she saith by way of prophesie:
[Page 142] The Adversaries of the Lord shall be
All broke to pieces: out of Heaven shall he
Thunder upon them, then the Lord will judge
The Earth and ends thereof; this priviledge
The Lord shall have, and strength he'l give his King,
And will the Horn of his Anointed bring
To be exalted, and he'l help the feet
Of all his Saints, though men them ill entreat:
As for the wicked they shall silent be
In darkness, when that they this day do see.
To do these wondrous things God will not fail,
For know by strength no man shall then prevail.
Oh what a glorious time this then will be,
When Saints shal reign with Christ triumphantlie!
That most transcendent glory, and the state
Christ shall be in, which he'l participate
To them their lot, their portion and a shares,
Because they're sons, they likewise are Joint-heirs
With him, and in his throne they shall sit down,
And shall receive a Kingdom and a Crown;
Not such a corrupt Crown that fades away,
But such a Crown of Life that won't decay:
Then fear not little Flock, for 'tis the pleasure
Of God your Father to give you the treasure
That's in a Crown; by Grace he will you save,
And hath thought meet the Kingdom you should have:
He that is Prince of Kings, Kings of the earth,
Who you so lov'd, that you he washed hath
[Page 143]From all your sins in his most precious blood,
He undertook for you, in your place stood,
And now hath made you Kings & Priests by birth,
And one day you shall reign with him on earth.
Then shall that Princely, Heav'nly song be sung
On Harps of God most sweetly tun'd and strung,
The song of Moses, who Gods servant was,
The holy Lambs song likewise this song is;
Which song methinks before I further go,
I must insert, that you this song may know.
Most great and marvellous all thy works are,
Lord God Almighty! who shall not thee fear
And glorifie thy Name! for thou art holy,
And just and true thy ways are, righteous wholly:
All Nations shall now come and worship thee,
For now thy Judgements manifested be:
Thou King of Saints, most true, just are thy wayes.
This song then Saints shall sing, & him shal praise:
Such perfect, heav'nly frames of heart they shall
Be alwayes in, their glory won't be small,
But such as always shall their souls so fill
With joy, they'l sing praise to the Lamb, and will
Continually rejoice, set forth the praise
Of him who is the Ancient of all Dayes;
For then the glory of the Lord they'l see,
The Lamb will always with them present be:
They then will God see face to face, no blame
Will he find in them, but will write his Name
[Page 144]Upon their foreheads, he will dwell with them,
And they for evermore shall be with him;
They then shall be his people, he will be
Their God for ever, to eternitie.
Then shall they hear no sighing nor no cries,
All tears he'l wipe away from off their eyes.
No death nor mourning, sorrow, greif nor pain,
Shall ever overtake those souls again;
For such things then there will be left no room,
Because the Bride enjoys her dear Bridegroom.
If she rejoiceth now to hear his voice,
When she his face shall see, she may rejoice:
When she beholds his person, and doth see
His Beauty, Glory, and his Majestie;
All former things with her will pass away,
Now she can sing, and on Gods Harps can play.
Nothing can her to grief or sorrow move;
How can she mourn, that hath her fill of Love?
What ere she did here in this mortal state,
She'l now rejoice, to mourn it is too late.
The Bride did mourn and weep while he was gone
Who is her Bridegroom, though she wan't alone.
Her heart was with him, he with hers, and still
He with his Spirit did her always fill
With full assurance that she was his Bride,
And that he from her went but to provide
A City and a Mansion for each one,
And then he'd come, and leave no more his own
[Page 145]And wel-beloved Spouse, his chiefest Joy,
His Darling to the Lions to anoy;
Who can report the joy when she goes thither,
She there wil meet with when they meet together?
Thus have I hinted, as I said I would
In such a place, so well as well I could,
The doubtless fall of that great Scarlet Whore,
Who in her loftiness and pride doth soar
Above the Throne of Kings, but she shall be
Thrown down from thence into the deepest Sea,
From whence she nevermore shall rise again,
The healing of her breach will be in vain.
And as I promis'd, so I've now perform'd,
To hint that Christ shall one day be enthron'd;
Yet one or two words more by way of use
I still have yet to say, which may produce
Some good effect to some, though not to all,
But to the Whore (I think) 'twill none at all;
But some there be which are of her, that yet
Adore her much, if they'l reade what is writ,
(I mean her plagues here hinted in this book)
It may provoke them now about to look,
If they'l consider well what Sorcery,
What Fornications and Idolatry,
What guiltiness there is upon her still
Of th' Martyrs blood which she a Sea did spill:
Who knows but that it may a motive prove,
Some one, or more, from off their lees to move:
[Page 146]And who can tell but this may call forth some
From out of her, lest they share in her doom;
When they shall reade her sins her plagues withal,
Or else partake with her in her great fall?
And therefore let it be a use of terror,
Of great astonishment, of fear and horror
Unto the Pope and all his Cardinals,
His Moncks and Friers, ev'n those Canibals,
Who eat the flesh of men, trade with their souls,
And drink the blood of Saints, as Wine in bowls;
Let pains, and pangs, and sorrows on them seize;
The time doth hasten now, when God will ease
Himself of such an evil Generation,
Who are such foes to Christ, his Death and Passion,
Whom they would tear & pluck out of his throne,
If they thereby could but keep up their own.
The next and last word I intend to speak
At this time, is unto the poor and meek,
Those filly harmless Lambs, the lot and stock
Of Jesus Christ our Lord, that little flock.
Here's comfort new for you and consolation,
That follow hard in the Regeneration,
That blessed Lamb of God which went before,
Whom follow after fully; for the more
You follow him, the more your peace will be
Here, and hereafter your felicitie.
Though he lead thorow many rocky wayes
To that sweet place of rest, yet see you praise
[Page 147]Your Prince, it is the certain way that leads
Unto God's Kingdom, though it trouble breeds
Unto the flesh, to climb such rocks and hills,
He will go with you that with pleasure fills
Your souls; there can be then no cause of fear
To go that way that Christ is with you there.
For he hath been and is strength to the poor,
Help to the needy in distress; and more,
A refuge from the storm, and from the heat
A shadow is when grievous storms do beat;
The storm of furious ones, whose blast doth fall
As doth a mighty storm against a wall;
Know, where you cannot go he will you carry;
And he that shal come, wil come, and won't tarry.
Fear not then, little Flock, rejoyce and smile
At this, it's but a very little while
But he will come, and wil you all imbrace;
Then shal you see his glorious shining face;
The way's but short, the labour's smal you spend;
Faint not, you'l soon come to your journeys end;
Afflictions are but light, the Glory's pondrous
But a moment; eternal Glory's wondrous:
There's no comparison between these twain.
If for a light Affliction you can gain
A weight of Glory, for a moment you
Receive eternal-Glory with Christ doo.
What loss can't be? who would not walk a path
That dirty is, if it an ending hath
[Page 148]In Rest and in unutterable Joys,
Rather than one that leads to nought but toys?
The best and all of them this great fault have,
They leave a man when he goes to his grave;
Nay more, while he is but on toys a poring,
And is them like to petty gods adoring:
They steal away his heart, if he intend
To follow that way still, 'twil in the end
Lead him to death, that death, to never dy,
But live in torments to eternity,
Then wait with patience, for your Prince and King,
When ha appears he then will with him bring
Such great rewards will make up all your losses,
Your suffrings, trials, troubles, and your crosses;
Content your selves, be satisfi'd, and rest
In this, that you have such an interest
In Christ, and in his Glory, that no man,
Though nere so mighty, or so great, that can
Deprive you of't, God greater is than they;
None can you harm, if he but say them nay.
Admit they should do what with their will stands,
They can't you pluck out of your Father's hands.
Beware then that you don't his love disdain,
Take heed you don't his holy Name prophane
By any sin, or unbeseeming walking,
By any foolish jesting, idle talking;
But I the Prisoner of the Lord beseech
You all to study and consider which
[Page 149]Way you may sanctifie that holy Name,
And bring forth praise and hounour to the same:
That sacred Name of God, which now doth seem
To be reproach'd, which some do much blaspheme.
Walk worthy of that calling wherewith ye
Are called, and be sure you alwayes see
Your conversation all times cloathed is
With lowliness, that Christ-like grace of his,
That unto all men you may make't appear,
That as was Christ, so you like-minded are;
And be not rash, but meek, enduring wrong,
If you be like to Christ, he suffer'd long:
Forbear ye one another, live in love,
And God will still be with you from above;
And keep your hearts & minds through Christ our Lord,
If you like brethren do in love accord.
Then make it ev'ry one your great endeavour,
And do at all times in the same persever
To keep the Spirits unity and peace,
That God may dwell with you, and you increase
In all the fruits and graces of the Spirit,
You may esteem'd be worthy to inherit
A Crown of life, a Kingdom and a Throne,
Which will enjoyed be by those, and none
But those that faithful are unto the death,
For so God's holy blessed Spirit saith.
I now conclude and end, and take my leave,
Hoping these lines, though rude, you will receive,
[Page 150]And mend those faults in love you may there find.
If any benefit you reap, then mind
To give the praise to God, the honour's his;
Give none to me, but all to him whose 'tis.
All Glory be to him that ever liveth;
I'm yours in him to love and serve,
John Griffith.
FINIS.

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