O England, England, many precious days of viſitation hath the Lord thy God let thee ſee, Oh that thou hadſt but known it: the Lord thy God hath been very gracious unto thee, O England, above manny Nations of a long time, he that created the Heavens and formed the Earth, hath made manifeſt his love unto thee; to that in the conſcience of thee (thou people of England) I ſpeak, who am alſo a witneſs of the Lords dealings with thee. I am the light of the world, ſaid Jeſus Chriſt, which hath lightned every one that comes into the world: with which light O people of England, thou haſt ſeen the deceits that people in thee and other Nations have lived in, and by that in thy conſcience (O people of England who was of late but little in thy own eyes) haſt thou ſeen the deceits of them that were in Authority before thee, both the Biſhops and their Prelates, and their Prelaticall Authority, and the perſecutions they uſed over the people of God, and their uſurped Authority they uſed over tender conſciences, that then were living in thee; thou waſt not ignorant, nor it was not unknown to thee, O thou people of England, how the Biſhops with their Prelaticall Authority and uſurped power did fine impriſon baniſh and lay waſt thy people O England, who for conſcience ſake could not bow down to his Idolatrous worſhips, as thou then rightly calledſt it: And O people of England, it was not hid from thine eyes, neither was2 thou ignorant, how others who were called civil Governours, and had the Authority of Majeſtracy in thee O England, did uſurpe Authority over mens perſons eſtates and conſciences; And to thee O people of England it was diſcovered, what corruptions thoſe and all other in Authority lived in, that then were heads of the Nation; and then thou couldeſt have cryed, The Judges judge for reward, the Prophets Propheſie falſly, the Prieſts beare rule by their means, and my people love to have it ſo, but what will ye doe in the end thereof; was not this thy cry in that day when thou waſt in diſtreſſe O people of England? to that in thy conſcience I ſpeak; Was it not a griefe to thee when thou waſt kept low? yea the griefe of thine heart to ſee people perſecuted, mocked, and impriſoned, or baniſhed under names and titles given them by their enemies, wherewith to cover their bloody enterpriſes? and I call that in thy conſcience to witneſſe, if thou didſt not languiſh under their tyranny in thoſe days? and how many prayers and tears hath it coſt ſome, and how much impriſonment others, and how much baniſhment others; and in theſe thy languiſhing days of ſorrow haſt thou with tears and prayers, and with hands lifted up entreated the Lord that he would be pleaſed to pull down that Authority which did then uſurpe and bear rule over tender conſciences in this Nation, and them that did uphold it? and how many vows promiſes and ingagements didſt thou make in thy lownes and diſtreſs, if ever the Lord would give thee power and ſtrength to overthrow the Tyrants that then bare rule, and if ever the Lord would bring thoſe Tyrants and their laws into thy hands, thou wouldeſt utterly deſtroy perſecution out of England for ever, and make England a free Nation; was not this thy ingagement and promiſe O people of England, when thou waſt under, and in diſtreſſe? to that in thy conſcience I ſpeak, O that thou wouldſt give it leave to anſwer me, that thou mighteſt come to ſee where thou haſt been and repent, for here thou waſt that in thy conſcience will witneſſe for ever.
And now O people of England, the Lord God by whoſe hands the Heaven and the Earth was made hath granted thy requeſt to the full, the Lord hath not been ſlack but hath given3 thee what in tenderneſſe thou didſt deſire; What dareſt thou charge the Lord with, that he hath witholden from thee, which in freeneſſe in thy days of ſorrow thou did deſire? the Lord hath brought under thy feet the necks of them that did oppreſſe thee, and the Lord hath brought into thy power their Authority and their Laws, and ſubdued them all under thee, to the full requeſt of that which then breathed under did deſire; to that which condemns the d ſobedient doe I ſpeak, which is an eternall witneſſe to thy face before the Lord, how thou haſt performed thy Covenant, which thou madeſt with the Lord in the day of thy calamity: Conſider, take heed to that in thy conſcience, return, the living witneſſe for God will not be mocked with words nor ſhews, to the light of Chriſt in thy conſcience look, and it will let thee ſee, that the ſame Laws which thou in thy adverſity and lowneſſe didſt promiſe to pull downe are ſtanding ſtill; are not oppreſſive Laws to compell men to pay Tithes, to the maintaining of coveteous hirelings and tithe-mongers, ſtanding in as great force as ever? and many of their outward eſtates ſpoyled by theſe oppreſſive Laws which thou promiſed to take away? and this is not done by an enemy of thine, but even by thee who didſt profeſſe to be faithfull in performing thy Vowes to the Lord: Thou faire profeſſing people of England who haſt made ſo many faire promiſes to take away oppreſſions, to the light of Chriſt in thee I ſpeak which will witneſſe me and condemn thee, for holding up theſe things which thou promiſed to the Lord thou wouldſt pull down, except thou repent with ſpeed, and let the light in thy conſcience judge if theſe perſecuting Laws under names and titles be not ſtanding yet in as great force and power as ever they were in thy fore-fathers days, which the Lord by thy hand hath deſtroyed, and thou doſt now exceed thy fore-fathers in perſecuting the innocent under names and brands which thou doſt put upon them, that the truth may appeare odious, and that perſecutions done by thee may be ſuppoſed to be puniſhing of errours, as thy fore-fathers ever did, as at this day is plainely made manifeſt in many places of thy Land, O faire promiſing people of England; and many people tender and dear to the Lord in4 in many a Town and City of thy Nation is impriſoned without any Law or cauſe at all, nay not ſo much as Queen Mary, the Papiſts Law to alledge againſt them; was there ever ſuch things done by thy fore-fathers which I have deſtroyed before thee? haſt thou allready forgotten that the Lord pleaded the cauſe of the innocent with thy fore-fathers and overthrew them? O call to remembrance what the Lord hath done to thy Predeceſſors in former time (who perſecuted the innocent and tender hearted ones) who hardned their necks and would not regard the counſell of the Lord, which was and is the light in all conſciences, which light once ſhone in thy conſcience, by which thou ſaweſt them which lived in perſecuting and oppreſſing the ſeed of the Lord in its ariſing and appearance; and people that in thy conſcience is witneſſe againſt thee, that thou art left without excuſe, and alſo that in thy conſcience the light is witneſſe againſt thee, that thou haſt built the Sepulchres of the Prophets, and garniſhed the Sepulchres of the righteous and whited them over with faire words and promiſes, and thou ſayeſt if I had been in the days of my fathers, I would not have been partaker in the blood of the Prophets, and yet thou art filling the meaſure of thy fathers iniquities, and the ſame wrath, curſe, and judgements of God waites to be poured upon thee, except thou repent, and be warned in time; many warnings haſt thou had from the Lord (that in thy conſcience can witneſſe) by the hand of them that are and have been perſecuted by thee and impriſoned by thee, but thou haſt caſt them behinde thy back, as all the perſecutors in all ages have done before thee, who by the power of the Lord were deſtroyed; and now O faire ſaying people of England, by the ſame power thy deſtruction comes for truce breaking with the Lord, and let that in thy conſcience judge, if thy judgement from the Lord be not juſt upon thee, which will appear in the day of thy miſery and overthrow, though thou for a while tread above it; but if thou have not totally put out the light, and if any ſpark of light be in thee thou mayeſt ſee thy ſelfe going the way of all bloody perſecutors into perdition, for ever and ever, except thou repent, and remember that thou art once more warned, and no more warning5 can I promiſe thee, whether thou wilt chooſe or refuſe. And againe heare the word of the Lord thou people of England, if thou wilt not be warned nor repent, but wilt harden thy neck againſt the tender Lambes of my paſture: Thus ſaith the Lord, becauſe of the Cry of the oppreſſed, and the many priſoners which contrary to my Law thou haſt impriſoned for no other Cauſe but becauſe they cannot worſhip thy Idoll Gods which thou haſt ſett upp, and the Idoll Gods which thou haſt ſett upp are many, for thou haſt promiſed many faire promiſes to take away Idolatry, Superſtition and Oppreſſion, and all Lawes over the Conſciences of men, that I the Lord might be worſhipped according to my owne will, which I have made manifeſt in my Childrens Conſciences, and that my Goſpell, even the word of eternall life, might have free paſſage through thy Land ô England, but now I ſee the ſinnes of Jeroboam which cauſed Iſrael to ſin, are held up by thee, Yea the high places which are in thee ô people of England, and the Prieſts of thy high places beare witneſſe before my face againſt thee, which thou haſt ſett upp contrary to my Will, which I have made manifeſt in every mans Conſcience; and for what end did Jeroboam ſett upp theſe high places, and thoſe Prieſts, was it for this end that he was afraid that the people of Iſrael ſhould returne to the Temple at Jeruſalem to worſhip, which then was Commanded of God for his people to worſhip at.
And now O people of England, thus ſaith the Lord, who pittied thee when thou little in thy owne eyes, and put a ſword in thy hands to cut downe Idulatry, high places, uſurping Prieſts made of the baſeſt of the people, and corrupt Lawes, wherewith they did tyrannize over the Conſciences of my people, and pride and reſpect of perſons, which then I let thee ſee to be before deſtruction, and thou waſt bearing, but now haſt turned thy ſword againſt them who are brought out of thoſe things, and witneſſe againſt them; and now I the Lord thy God in viſitting thee, and thy worke, have found unfaithfullneſſe, in what thou promiſed to me in the day of thy Calamity, and unfaithfulneſſe in thee in what I looked for at thy hand, for now I ſee that thou O people lifted up, doſt hold up the very ſame high places, and as bad a generation6 of Prieſts as thy forefathers did, and the ſame uſurped Lawe over mens Conſciences, and the ſame perſecuting Lawes, even the Lawes of Papiſts, wherewith to impriſon my ſervants, yea not reſpecting perſons is made a Law for thee to impriſon many of my ſervants, and many of my ſervants are impriſoned by thee, becauſe they cannot breake the Commands of Chriſt, and many of my deare Children are impriſoned by thee, becauſe they cannot pay Fees for being impriſoned and kept many moneths without any juſt Law broken, as at this day there are many Witneſſes of my deare ſervants, whoſe witneſſe thou doſt refuſe, becauſe they abide in my Doctrine, and dare not ſweare at all, but their witneſſe have I received againſt thee, becauſe I know their ſufferings, and their Cry is come before me, and this is the Cauſe why thou holdeſt up theſe things, even the ſinnes of thy forefathers, which made England ſinne, for which I will plague thee with all my ſtormes; Thou people of England art afraid, that if liberty be graunted to worſhip me according to my Will which I have made manifeſt in my Childrens Conſciences, that then the hearts of people which thou wouldeſt have to ſerve thee, and feed thy luſts, will be turned unto me, and then thy covetous hireling Prieſthood which in all ages I have cryed againſt, will fall downe, and thy pride will famiſh, and wither, and thy oppreſſions will ceaſe, whereby a great part of thy wickedneſſe is upheld, and thy honour will depart from thee, and returne to me, and thy reſpect of perſons which thou art ſo mad on, which I have and for ever forbid and denie, and for feare that thoſe and the like things ſhould come to paſſe upon thee (to that in thy Conſcience which is of me which thou hateſt doe I ſpeake, which will witneſſe me and condemne thee for thy ſtiffe-neckedneſſe) that this is the cauſe that thou doſt ſo torment my tender Lambes, and becauſe thou doſt theſe things, and will not be warned, but wilt ſtill provoke me to jealouſie by thy Idolls, I even I which plagued thy forefathers, will proceed againſt thee by my ſword, I will plead with thee by and with the fire of my jealouſie, till thou that wouldeſt not obey my Councell which I did give in thy Conſcience be utterly laid waſt and deſolate,7 and I will blott out thy name, as I have blotted out the name of thy forefathers who held up the ſame thing that thou doſt, and I will gett me honour in deſtroying thee, as I gott me honour in deſtroying thy fathers before thee, and thou ſhalt know that I am the Lord God, whoſe hand is not ſhortened but is ſtrongly ſtretched out to deſtroy and ſlay all that will not that I ſhould reigne over them; therefore expect my plague, for it is neere at hand to come upon thee, and my hand will I hold no longer, for becauſe of the Cry of the oppreſſed and the many priſoners who unjuſtly ſuffers, my heart is moved with pitty towards them, that I can hold my hand no longer, but ſuddenly powre forth my hott diſpleaſure upon thee, for I will not alwayes ſtrive with thee but will come quickly; the Cup of thy fornication is full, and the Cup of my wrath is full alſo; and now expect fulneſſe for fulneſſe, this is thy portion, wrath for pleaſure thou ſhalt receive, I the Lord have ſpoken it, whoſe word is without repentance; and now people thy time is ſhort and draweth very nigh, except thou wilt be warned.
ANd now ô Judges, Rulers, and Heads of the people in theſe Nations, you may reade your Cloud of Witneſſes who are your example, who perſecute the Innocent, and turne aſide the needy for a thing of naught; You may reade in the Scripture what they were, and what manner of Princes, Kings, and Rulers they were, who were perſecutors in all Generations, and doe not you ſay in your hearts you are Chriſtians, and walke in the ſame footſtepps of them who perſecuted the Prophets and them that were ſent early and late to forewarne them, and ſtood in the gate and declared in their Townes and Cities againſt the abominations that were committed; and Jeremy they put in the Dungeon that his feete ſticked in the mire, and put his feete faſt in the ſtockes; and Micha in priſon, and Daniel in the Denn of Lions, and Herod and Pilate were made Friends in the perſecuting of Chriſt, and they ſett him at naught, and the Prieſts and the Rulers conſpired againſt him, and ſought to entrap him in his words; and the Apoſtles they put in priſon, in the ſtockes, and whipped them and ſcourged them, and commanded them to depart out of their townes and villages and Cities, and called them ſeditious, and peſtilent fellowes, and ſaid they bred tumults in the Cities, when as they were tumultuous themſelves, and perſecuted, and mocked, and ſhamefully intreated: And now you that are found acting in thoſe practices are found acting the ſame, you may reade your Cloud of Witneſſes and your example, and be aſhamed ô England, England, and Ireland, is this the fruite of the great profeſſion you have made ſo many yeares, and now when you are proved the beſt of you is as a brier, and the moſt upright ſharper then a thorne-hedge. What is become of the promiſes you made in the day of your Calamity, when ſorrow and feare and oppreſſion compaſſed you about on every ſide? Hath the Lord broken the yoke from all your necks, and is your finger becoming heavier then their loynes? Was there ſo great oppreſſion and cruelty acted among the Biſhops and9 Prelates? Was priſons ſo filled, was there ſuch ginnes and trapps laid for the Innocent when their High Commiſſion Court was upp?
O ſhame ſhame! that ever it ſhould come in the eares, or be reported in other Nations, that ever you ſhould requite the Lord thus for all his love and mercies; that he ſhould breake the yoke from off your necks, and ſcatter your enemies on every ſide, and cut them off in his wrath, and hath given you their habitations to dwell in, and the power into your hands. Shall the axe boaſt it ſelfe againſt him that hewes therewith? and will ye requite the Lord thus for his love? Surely theſe things are come before the Lord, and a booke of remembrance is written; and all theſe things ſhall ſtand as witneſſe againſt you when the booke of Conſcience is laid open: But you, may be, will ſay, you know no ſuch that ſuffers for Conſcience ſake; Turne but your eare and liſten but to every Goale and priſon in every County, and there may you ſee many of your poore Brethren ſtopped upp in holes among murderers, and theeves, and tranſgreſſors, even they who have borne a part with you, in the ſufferings with the Nations in the heat of the day, and if you ſay they have tranſgreſſed any Law, why doe you not execute it upon them, but ſome kept in priſon two or three yeares, and never calld to know what is the matter. But friends know this, many ſuffers now for the tranſgreſſion of no knowne Law, but may be have cryed out in your Townes againſt iniquity, or have declared againſt the blindneſſe and ignorance of ſome who goe in the way of the falſe Prophets, and in the errour of Balaam; O the Land is full of ſuch Deceivers as have flattered the people and her Princes, till the Lord bathed his ſword in their blood, and now they are flattering you, and ſowing pillowes under your arme-holes; If you ſay as the Phariſees ſaid, Wee have a Law, and by our Law he ought to dye, if you execute thoſe Lawes and ſtand to thoſe Lawes which were made by them that oppreſſed you, the ſame ſhall come upon you, as came upon them, and God will breake the yoke from off the necks of the oppreſſed, and the yoke ſhall be laid upon yours who makes a man an Offender for a word, and therefore conſider,10 a warning to you all, and be you warned from the Lord God, to ceaſe from oppreſſing the Innocent, nay you are left all without excuſe, for I know you are not ignorant of theſe things; and further I ſay unto you, uphold not them by your power who are flattering the Nations, and crying peace, and daubing the people with untempered mortar, and telling them they are Chriſtians when they are Heathens, and live in that nature that puts Chriſt to open ſhame, for the hand of the Lord is againſt them, and prophanes hath gone from them, thoſe Teachers that uſe their tongues and ſay, he ſaith, when the Lord hath never ſpoken to them, and therefore the people are loſt for lack of knowledge, and there is not one among them that is able to turne any from his Iniquity; and therefore I ſay unto you, ſtint not nor limitt not the Lord by your wills, nor your Lawes made in your wills, for if you doe he which rents the heavens, and makes the earth reele as a Cottage, will breake you and your Lawes together, and there ſhall be none that ſhall be able to deliver you out of his hand who is pure and holy juſt and true, and will not give his glory to another, for he alone workes and who ſhall lett, and will bring his owne worke to paſſe, and none ſhall hinder; and therefore take heed you ſtrive not againſt the Lord, and ſo be broken upon the ſtumbling Stone to peices. A lover of righteouſneſſe and a Friend to all juſt power.
WOe woe unto all the Inhabitants, for the Lord God of power is coming in Power and great glory with ten thouſand of his Saints to judge the Earth, and to make a deſolation, and an utter overthrow, and a Conſumption ſhall come upon all fleſh, and its glory ſhall be ſtayned, for all fleſh hath corrupted its way and gone a whoring after other Gods, and hath commited fornication with ſtrangers, and whoredomes with the uncircumciſed, and the Land is filled with11 monſters, and the living God is departed from, the Lord is grieved, the Lord is weary with forbearing, and will no longer forbeare; Now is he ariſing to execute his Judgement in the Earth, and to ſift the Nations, and all ſhall now be put into an even ballance, and the wicked ſhall be as duſt and as chaffe which the wind blowes away, and ſhall be ſcattered and never more gathered, for a fire is come out of Sion, its before the Lord of Hoſts, and its tempeſtuous round about him; Coles of fire are kindled by the breath of his noſtrills, to burne upp all the ſtubble and chaffe, even by the breath of his mouth the Lord hath uttered his voice before his Army, for his Campe is great, as a Lion and is greedy of his prey as a young Lion, he will not ſpare but devoure and deſtroy all the uncircumciſed, and cutt off from the Earth even all the abominable: Tremble, tremble, O Earth before the Lord, and all ye careleſſe Sonnes and Daughters that live at eaſe in the fleſh, in wantonneſſe and in mirth, a day of howling is coming upon you, a day of ſorrow and lamentation; Howle howle and weepe ye that ſpend your dayes in vanity, in luſt and pleaſure, killing the Juſt; ye Drunkards your throates are as an open Sepulcher, your throates ſhall be dryed upp and parched with the flame of the Lords indignation, the Lion ſhall be famiſhed; Dives end is your portion you covetous greedy Deceivers, oppreſſors, lyars, ſwearers, proud, envious, contentious quarrellers, ye vaine aery light minds, ye are as duſt, and will have your portion in the lake that burnes; Tophet is prepared, Hell hath inlarged her ſelfe, the grave ſtands open to receive you, the Pitt hath opened her mouth, the Deepe ſhall ſwallow you upp, ye rebellious and ſtiffe-necked Generation, who feares not the Lord, but addes ſin unto ſin, behold the day is coming, ye ſhall wiſh the Mountaines to fall upon you, and the rockes to cover you, and ſhall ſeeke death, but ſhall not finde it, the Arme of the Lord is ſtretched out, the band of the moſt High is againſt you, you fruitleſſe trees that cumber the ground, you ſhall be cutt upp by the rootes and caſt into the fire, ye lyars, ſwearers, curſed ſpeakers, ye proud and covetous, double dealers and hypocrites, which ſay in word what you are not in deed, and make a profeſſion of12 the name of God, but departs not from iniquity; the trumpett of the Lord is blowne out of Sion, the Alarum is ſounded out of the holy Mountaine, let all the Inhabitants of the Earth tremble, a noyſe of warre and rumor of warre is heard, his ſword is furbiſhed and brandiſhed to make a great ſlaughter, and the ſlaine of the Lord ſhall be many; O ye potſheards of the Earth, will ye ſtrive againſt the Lord, will ye ſett bryers and thornes in battell againſt him, who ſhakes the Heavens, and makes the Earth reele as a Cottage, which dryes upp the face of the deepe, and cutts off all the freſh Springs, and makes the Cedars fall, and powres downe ſnares upon the wicked, fire and hayle, ſtorme and tempeſt, and pillars of ſmoake, this ſhall be your portion to drinke, the mouth of the Lord of Hoſts hath ſpoken it; O fooliſh people and unwiſe, when will you ſeeke after Wiſedome, Wiſdome hath lift up her voice in the ſtreetes, but you have ſtopped your eares as deafe Adders, and ſay in your hearts, we will not have righteouſneſſe to rule over us, but we will walke as our Fathers, and worſhip as other Nations doe, and as them whom the Lord hath cut off out of theſe Nations as untimely fruit, and are periſhed with the uncircumciſed: Feare feare, tremble tremble, ye Careles ones, ye hard hearts, ye rockes ſhall be broken, ye Cedars ſhall fall, ye ſtrong Oakes ſhall be cut up by the rootes your roote ſhall periſh, ye Mountaines ſhall melt, ye wild ſavage Creatures, that are as wild Aſſes upon the mountaines, a moneth is coming wherein you will be found, And a day is at hand wherein you ſhall ſee him whom you have peirced, yea, behold the Judge of all the World ſtands at the doore, even of the quick and the dead, and he comes in the Clouds with power & great glory, and every eye ſhall ſee him, and every heart ſhall melt, and all faces ſhall gather palnes, and all knees ſhall ſmite together, and every tongue ſhall confeſſe his Judgement juſt, when he ſhall execute his wrath upon you, and ſweep you into the pitt, and blow you away with the whirlewind of his wrath, and then you ſhall be judged out of the booke of your Conſciences, therefore feare feare & repent, repent and prize your time while you have it, and mind the light of Chriſt Jeſus that ſhewes you your Iniquities and ſinnes, and it love and it will13 turne you from ſin and unrighteouſneſſe to Chriſt Jeſus, from whence the light comes, and it love and it will judge all your vaine actions, and bring condemnation upon all the deceipt, and lead you to true confeſſion and forſaking, and to know the Lord is pure and holy, and nothing that is evill can dwell in his ſight; and ſo remember you are all warned in your life time, leaſt you be ſwept away into the pitt, and periſh for ever and ever, and there be none to deliver you, and unto you this is the word of the living God, whether you heare or forbeare.
THere was a time when Chriſt wept over Jeruſalem, ſo do I even lament over thee O England, for the ſame nature bears rule in thee now as was in Jeruſalem then, for thou art perſecuting them now,Mat. 23.37, 38. Luke 13.34. who are ſent to forewarne thee of the evill of thy doings O England, how would the Lord have gathered thee together as a hen gathereth her chickins under her wings and ye would not, but haſt gone on contrary to the light in the conſcience, therefore your habitations ſhall be left unto you deſolate; Woe be unto you Scribes and Phariſes hypocrits, for you build the Tombs of the Prophets and garniſh the Sepulchres of the righteous, and you are ſaying,Mat. 23.29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34. if we had been in the dayes of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets, and ſo you are witneſſing that you are the children of them that murthered the Prophets, and ye are fulfilling the meaſure of your fathers, O ſerpents the generation of vipers how ſhall yee eſcape the damnation of hell? behold I ſend unto you Prophets and wiſe men, and of them ſhall you kill and crucifie, and of them ſhall you ſcourge in your Synagogues and perſecute from City to City; and in thee oh England is this Scripture now fulfilling, O England, England, that thou didſt but know the judgements that hang over thy head becauſe of thy14 diſobedience, and becauſe of thy going on ſtill contrary to the light in thy conſcience; O England be obedient unto the Lord in this day of thy viſitation, O that thou hadſt an eye to ſee where thou ſtandeſt, for thou ſtandeſt upon a ſlippery ſtanding,Rom. 15.2. as a Sea of glaſſe with fire, ready to fall into deſtruction thou art for thy diſobedience unto the Lord thy God. O returne, returne all you that are in the firſt nature, going on in your ſins, in lying, ſwearing, ſcoffing, jearing, pride, coveteouſneſſe, back-biting, envying, cozening, cheating, and all manner of wickedneſſe,Gen. 3.24. O you are ſhut out from the preſence of the Lord, and the flaming ſword is turning every way to cut you down,Rev. 12.12. ſo that you cannot come to the tree of life; Woe be unto the inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea, for the Devill is come down unto you having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a ſhort time; therefore returne unto the Lord, and ſeek him whilſt he may be found, for this is the day of the Lords love unto your ſouls, now while you have time prize it, leaſt ye be caſt into utter darkneſſe, there ſhall be weeping and wailing and gnaſhing of teeth, and there ſinners that dye in their ſins ſhall be tormented for ever.
Mat. 25.30.I cannot chuſe but lament for thee O England, O that mine head were full of water and mine eyes a fountaine of tears, that I might weep for thine inhabitants O England, who proceed from evill to worſe, and they have not known me, ſaith the Lord, But let every one take heed of his neighbour, and truſt ye not in any brother, for every brother will uſe deceite, and every friend will deal deceitfully, and every one will deceive his friend and will not ſpeak the truth,Jer. 9.1. for they have brought their tongue to ſpeak lies, and take great paines to do wickedly, their feet are ſwift to ſhed blood, their throat is an open Sepulchre, under their tongues is the poyſon of Aſpes, their habitation is in the midſt of Deceivers, becauſe of their deceit they refuſe to know me, ſaith the Lord; Therefore thus ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, Behold I will melt them and try them, for what ſhall I elſe doe? for the daughters of my people their tongues ſhute out and ſpeaketh deceit, one ſpeaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in his heart he layeth waite for him: O I lament for you to ſee the miſeries that are coming upon you without ye repent; therefore, returne,15 returne, O England, unto the Lord and he will heal thy backſlidings and love thee freely; Return, ſaith the Lord, and I will not let my wrath fall upon you, but thou haſt rebelled againſt the Lord thy God, and haſt ſcattered thy wayes unto ſtrange Gods under every green tree, but ye would not obey my voyce, ſaith the Lord;Jer. 13.6. O ye diſobedient children returne againe, for I am your God, and I will take you one of a City and two of a Tribe and will bring you to Sion if you be willing and obedient: Therefore O England yeild up obedience unto the Lord and he will make three the glory of the Nations; waſh thine heart clean from wickedneſſe, and hate the evill, and love the good, and eſtabliſh righteous judgements in thy Gates, and the Lord will be mercifull unto the Remnant that hath eſcaped the dark and cloudy day, for the long night of Apoſtacy is over and gone, and the bright morning Star is riſen in the hearts of the Sons and daughters of the moſt high, praiſed be the Lord that it was his good will and pleaſure to leave a ſeed in thee O Englnnd: O returne, returne, repent, repent, why will ye dye O houſe of Iſrael; Now there are many that deſire the day of the Lord as they call it, the laying down of their fleſh in the earth, and they are yet in their ſins, and they think they ſhall be purified after death, but there is no remembrance of thee in the pit,Eccleſ. 11.3. there is no calling on thee in the grave, for if the tree fall towards the South, or towards the North, in the place the tree falleth it ſhall lye: Therefore woe to ſuch that deſire the day of the Lord, what have ye to doe with it?Amos 5.18, 19 the day of the Lord is darkneſſe and not light, as if a man did flee from a Lyon and a Beare met him or went into the houſe and leaned his hand upon the wall and a Serpent bit him: O therefore you that intend that your ſouls may live or enjoy the preſence of the Lord, yeild up obedience to the pure light of Chriſt in the conſcience, and returne with ſpeedy repentance, for the day of the Lord it is nere haſteth greatly, even the voyce of the day of the Lord the ſtrong man ſhall there cry bitterly, that day is a day of wrath, and a day of trouble, and a day of heavineſſe, and a day of deſtruction, and a day of deſolation, and a day of obſcurity and darknes,Epheſ. 1.14. a day of clouds and darkneſſe, a day of the Trumpet and alaram againſt the ſtrong Cities and the high towers, againſt16 thoſe that are ſtrong in their fleſhly wiſdome, and high in their earthly imaginations;Jer. 30.7. for the world by wiſdome knows not God, neither indeed can it becauſe it is ſpiritually diſcerned. O England thou haſt long been led by thy blind guides,Joel 2.11. which have told thee that the ſteeple houſe is the Church, but they are l ars, the Church is in God; O turn you, turn you; turn your mindes within to the pure light of Chriſt in your conſciences, that ſo you may come to witneſs a ſeperation between the precious and the vile in you,Cor. 2.14. ſo you may come to have the old heart taken away and a new heart given you that may bring forth the righteous, then ſhall you come to ſay with David, thou haſt made me wiſer then my teachers; there you will come to ſee the inhabitants of the Earth houl,Theſ. 11. and low places of the Earth rore, for the company of Merchants are deſtroyed, all they that bear Silver are cut off, ſo with the light of Chriſt within you you may come to witnes your Jeruſalem ſearched with his light within you,Theſ. 1.11. ſo you may come to ſee your barren ground to be broken up which hath long layn fallow, in ſteed of Grapes hath brought forth wilde Grapes; O England thou haſt long loſt thy key of knowledge; O now repent and do thy firſt works, thou waſt created holy but through thy diſobedience to the light in thy conſcience thou haſt been ſhut out from the preſence of the Lord, becauſe thou haſt not walked humbly before him: O break up thy fallow ground & ſow not amongſt thorns, be circumciſed unto the Lord, and take away the foreskin of your hearts, for of man as he is in his firſt nature is deceitfull above all things, and deſperatly wicked, & who can finde it out? Therefore now return your mindes within & ſeek no more the kingdome of Heaven in outward obſervations, prove your ſelves whether you are in the faith, examine your own ſelves; know ye not that Jeſus Chriſt is in you except ye be reprobates; therefore now ſee by that light that is within you, ſee who it is rules within you, and come to ſee whether that ſmall ſeed be not buried within you, which lyeth low, even in the duſt; for the kingdome of Heaven is compared to a ſmall thing, even to a graine of muſterdſeed, which is ſaid in the Scripture to be the leaſt of all ſeeds; now be ye obedient to this ſmall ſeed which lyeth low within you, & therein it will grow to be the ſtrongeſt of all ſeeds, ſo keeping your minds ſtayed upon it, to wait upon the Lord to be guided by his counſell.
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A85251)
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