THE BLACK ROD: AND THE WHITE ROD. (justice and Mercy.) Striking, and Sparing, LONDON. PSAL. 91. Surely he will deliver thee from the snare of the Hunter. And from the noisome Pestilence. He will cover thee under his wings, and thou shalt be sure under his Feathers. Thou shalt not be afraid of the Pestilence, that walketh in the Dark, nor of the Plague that Destroyeth at Noonday. Pugna suum Finem, cum jacet Hostis, habet. LONDON. Printed by B.A. and T.F. for JOHN COWPER. 1630. THE BLACK AND WHITE ROD. THis World is a Royal Exchange, where all sorts of Men are Merchants: Kings hold Commerce with Kings, and their Voyages are upon high Negotiations: As, the dear buying of another's Country, with their own Subject's Blood: The Purchasing of new Crowns, and new Sceptres, not satisfied with the old. And, as Kings, so Princes, Dukes, Earls, Lords, Clergymen, judges, Soldiers, have their Trading in particular Marchandizes, and walk every day for that purpose upon this Old Royal Exchange. They talk in several Languages, And (like the murmuring fall of Waters) in the Hum of several businesses: insomuch that the place seems Babel, (a Confusion of tongues.) The best, (yet most incertain) Commodity, which all these Merchants strive for, is Life: if Health begot into the bargain, He is a Made man, into whose hands it comes. Yet when these two inestimable Treasures are shipped in one Bottom, together; There are Winds, and Waves, and Woes, which still fill the Sails, and hang upon the Tackle. What's the end of this Voyage. Currit Mercator ad Indos. To heap up Gold. The Merchant's Name i'th' Indies, is enrolled. Nay, though he casts a Girdle about the World, yet, Anchor he must in one Harbour or another, to come to shore, and Proclaim his Lading on this Ryalta, this Burse, or this Royal Exchange, And when the Exchange-Bell rings. (his passing-Bell tolles) That's the warning-piece to tell him he must go off, he must for that time talk there no more of his Transitory Commodities, the Exchange of this world with him is then done, and Home does he hasten to dine with Worms. This Earthly spacious Building, in which we Dwell, (as Tenants only for life) is likewise a glorious Theatre, full of admirable Conveyances and Curiosities; The Frame or Module of it is round, with a Silver moving Roof (called the Heavens) to cover it by day, and a Golden Canopy of Stars to Curtain about it by Night. In stead of Arras and Tapestry, (which commonly do now, and ever have adorned, the old Amphitheatres, this is richly hung round about with the Element of Air. The beauties of the Earth are the Stage: Furnished bounteously, and set forth in all Bravery, with Woods, full of Trees, Gardens full of Flowers, Orchards full of Fruit, Fields full of standing Corn, (like so many Spears ready for a Battle) Mountains high in Pride, Valleys sweet in Pleasure. Our Mother's Womb is the Tiring-house, where we make us ready; And our Cradle, the Music-room, for there we are sweetly strung with Innocence. Nothing (then) puts us out of tune, but a peal of crying, And what's that? Only a little Note, a little too high; which being mended, the Melody is Heavenly; for, there is no Concord without Discord. Upon this goodly Stage, all sorts of People (Men, Women, and Children) are Actors; Some play Emperors, some, Kings, some Beggars, some Wisemen, some Fools. The hardest part to play is a good Man: and 'tis rare to see a long part given him to study. On this stage are presented Tragedies, and Comedies; The terriblest Tragedy is that, of the Soul, fight to get off (well,) from the Body. The best and most pleasing Comedy, is that of a white Conscience, and the Peace of Mind. Some have Plaudits, Shouts and Acclamations, and those are such who have played good parts, and played them Bravely-well. Some go hissed off the Stage. And that is for want of being perfect in those good parts, which are put into them. Some, play very long Parts, (and they are old Men) some, have done in the midst of the Play, (And they are young Men) some, being but in a Scene, before they speak, are out, and lost, (And they are Children.) Every Actor hath his Entrance, every one his Exit: As one comes out, another goes off, and sometimes meeting on the Stage together, they leave the Stage together. But in the Conclusion, He that can get Angels to sit, in the Galleries of Heaven, and clap his action with their Immortal hands, he is the only Roscius of the time, and one of the best Actors that ever stepped on stage. The sum, upshot, and close of all, is this▪ That, as many Men as that walk on that Royal Exchange, and seem rich, do often break and are laid in Prison: So in this World; when we appear never so strong in Body, never so stirring in mind; yet, if health turns Bankrupt once, and that the Sergeant with the Black Rod, (Sickness) Arrests us; if either Casualties, by Sea or Land, if losses, vexations, misfortunes or miseries, break our hearts, whether then are we carried! To our everlasting Prison the Grave. And so, when in this Magnificent Theatre, we have jetted long on the Stage, And borne our Heads high; yet, our Parts being done, we are enforced to put off, our gay borrowed garments, and wrapping ourselves in poor winding-Sheets, Hasten to our own homes, and (still) that's the Grave. The Grave then, is the Rendez-vouz where we all meet; The Marketplace where the Drum of Death beats, to have us come together: The Towne-Hall, where all our brabblings are ended: The Castle, to appear at, which at the Assizes, the Body is bound over, and there it is Cast: In the Field of dead men's Skulls, and fleshless bones, must the great Army of all Mankind muster, on Mount Caluary, CHRIST lost his life, And in Dust and Ashes must we leave Ours. We need not read any Books to prove this: Every man holds a Pen in his hand, to write a story of it. To pass over the Volumes of the Grave, (filled by Adam and his Children,) in the first World; And clasping-up, those likewise which have been ever since, after the Deluge, in this second World: Let us cast our Eyes only at that Black Rod, and that white Rod, which from time to time, have first smitten, and then spared, This Kingdom of Great Britain. In the Reigns of William the Conqueror, Rufus, and Hen: 1. (his Brother,) Death walked up and down this Land in strange shapes: Men, Women, and Children, fell by the Pestilence: So great were the numbers of those who died, that the numbers of the living could harldy bury them. cattle were stricken in the Field, Birds dropped from the Air, Fishes, perished in the Waters, Famine followed, Tillage went to Ruin, so that the Earth, which want to feed others, had in the end no meat for herself. Then, for four Kings together, little mention is made of any devouring mortality of people by the Pestilence; yet were there blazing Stars, Earthquakes, Storms of Hail, which killed cattle, and beat down Corn: with the Apparition of Spirits in the Air, in the likeness of strange, ugly Fowl, flying with fire in their Beakes, and doing much mischief to Houses. But presently after in the Reign of Hen: 3. the Kingdom in general was torn in pieces, by two Dragons, (Dearth, or want of victuals, and an exceeding great sweeping Plague.) So, Edward the second, saw the fall of his people, and the famishing of his Country by the two forenamed Tyrants. So, Edw. 3. in his long Reign of fifty years, lamented the loss of his then warlike Nation, so struck down by a Pestilent Contagion, that many who had health in the morning, lay in their Graves at night: Forty Bodies at one time, crowding in those cold Beds together, for want of more and better room. Thirteen years after, Death spread his Colours again, and then in that dismal Battle Henry Duke of Lancaster, his Duchess, and the Earl of Warwick, fell under the cruel Conquerors hands. Besides in one year, in a plot of ground, being at that time in Compass, thirteen Acres, (then called Spittle-Croft, or the Charter-house, founded by Gualther Manny Knight of the Garter, who there lies Entombed,) were buried 50000. Persons, besides those who took up their everlasting lodgings in other places. In this year, the Black Rod smarted deeply: The Sword of Divine justice had a sharp terrible edge, and where it hit, it struck home. Few of the then following Kings, but had their Subjects snatched from them by these hot and speeding calamities. We will now, (omitting all the rest) look only, at these two great Plagues indeed, (fresh, too fresh in our memories) the first, beginning when Q. Elizabeth left us, and that K. james, took us to be his people: The second, when K. james took his way to Heaven, and left both all his Kingdoms, and their mighty Nations, to his Royal Son, our most gracious Sovereign King Charles, whose years the great Arithmetician of Heaven, multiply, and bless the numbers, till they be all golden ones. But, let us now draw our Arrows, to the Mark we aim at; Those two last Visitations, this Hydra-Sicknesse with so many Heads, The Plague! Why carries it the Name of Plague? Plaga signifies a stripe, and this Sickness, comes with a blow, or stripe, given by the hand of God's Angel, when (as he did to David) he sends him to strike a people for their sins. Our sins therefore, were and are the Whirlwinds, breaking open jehovahs' Armoury, and forcing him (the better to keep us from further Rebellion) to shoot his fiery and consuming indignation against us. He hath several sorts of weapons; several Punishments, for several Offences. When Q. Elizabeth departed, and went on her Progress to Heaven; what a Train followed her! How many thousands of Coffins, waited on her Hearse! 'Tis fit, at the Deaths of great Princes, that there should be a great number of Mourners. And so, at the coming in of new Kings, there is a kind of State to be observed, that multitudes of the old Subjects, who have done service to their Country before, should give way to others, to step into their places. At the Arrival therefore of King james, upon this, his Crowne-Land, God beat a Path (narrow at first, though it stretched wider) to lead us by the hand as it were, to this Funeral Ceremony of dying Subjects. We were at the Coronation of our new King, (King james) not a new Nation, but the selfsame stiffnecked people we were before. As mighty in our sins, as in our Multitudes. Room therefore must be made; for our sins were so Ruffianly, and such roaring Boys, they did nothing but justle one another for the wall, to try, which sin should have the upper hand. The Thunderer looking down upon this, was loath, to shoot his Arrows feathered with Lightning, and headed with Vengeance, utterly to confound the Mis-dooer. No; Pity stood in his eyes, and Compassion leaned upon his Bosom. So that spying two Rods lying before him, A White one, and a Black, the Black he threw by, till he should have time (by compulsion) to use it; And then, taking up the white Rod, he laid it gently, upon the head only of one, who forthwith died of the Plague: And this was on the thirteenth of january, in the year 1602. Now almost twenty eight years ago. There died then but one of the Plague! O sparing Mercy! From such a huge Tree (as London is,) so laden with all sorts of Fruit, but one Apple to drop to the ground! No more to be shaken down! But one windfall! A Mountainous Quarry of stony hearts, to have but one poor pebble, digged away! In the next week (that year) soft Mercy forgot the white Rod too and struck None, None at all; Not One! In the Week after, four felt the smart: Then 1. again. Then none again: then 3. then none: then 3. then 2. then 3. then 2. then 6. then 4. then 4. and then 8. So that in 15. Weeks, which by this time reached to the end of April, there died of the Plague but 39 This was the Rod of Mercy, the white Rod, the Fatherly Correction! It goes on a little quicker; for then the Number swelling up, and increasing by Ten, amounted in june (23. day) to 72. (the highest;) So there died in these other 9 weeks, the full number of 297. It increased then to hundreds weekly, so that in july there died 917. in one week here. The white Rod, (no amendment in our lives being seen) was for a time laid by, and the black officer of Death, coming abroad, thousands were stricken down every week: So that from july 28. to October 13. being 12. weeks, were buried, twenty five thousand, six hundred and six. Here, the Divine justice, sat in her full Throne, robed in Scarlet, with a face threatening Terrors. But Mercy then stepped in, and held hands with justice, so that a Retreat was sounded; The terrible Execution, was not so hotly pursued; The Pestilential Enemy, retired a little, and fell back, yet so; that from October the 20. to Decemb. the 1. being seven weeks, there died 600. and odd, 500 and odd, 400.200.100. and odd still every week. And then abated again to ten, (as at first it did rise by ten,) the greatest number of the Dead, in December 22. being only 74. So that in all these main Battles, Seidges, Sallies, Batteries, and skirmishes; (Continuing for a whole year together, * From December. 23. Anno 1602. to December 21. Anno 1603. in and about London, (than the most desolate of Cities,) there died, of all Diseases, 38244. Out of which number the Plague challenged, 30578. for her share: yet the year immediately following, (Give thanks (o noble Troynovant) give thanks) thou then didst freely walk up, and down in health, when all thy Neighbours and Friends (when all the Shires in England) were mortally beleaguered by the same furious Enemy. Now, as when Q. Elizabeth resigned her Crown and Sceptre to King james, and that he fate in the Throne, all these changes were visibly seen: So, when the Royal Father went to rest, and that his most Princely Son (CHARLES, our Royal succeeding King, and now gracious Sovereign) was the Top-branch, of the Tree, (Nay, the Cedar itself,) A second Angel was sent down, to turn over the Audit-Bookes of our Transgressions. And finding London (for her part) to be run out, in deep Arrearages, she was not too suddenly nor too Rigorously called upon, but the Steward of God's Court, (Mercy) pointing with her white wand, only at One, set a fine of Death upon his head, and that party was taken from thence on the sixth of january, Anno 1624. And this was the first Weeks work of the Plague for that year. It began at One. Death then had little to do within the Walls or without, for his Infections, by the space of 12. weeks following; In which time there died no more but 26. of the Sickness. And then for 11. weeks following the former, it amounted to 480. The other four weeks succeeding them, (wherein they fell by hundreds,) could show in their Bills, of all Diseases, 3314, out of which the Plague took 1387. And all these three Reckonings, grew to this last height, from the sixth of january, Anno 1624. to the 7. of july, Anno 1625. being fully seven and twenty weeks. But then on the 14. of july, (being the same Month) the dead Marches began to come in by thousands in a company. Observe therefore in what dreadful Equipage, the two Armies of both our Kings, (I mean King JAMES, and King CHARLES,) went along to those fearful Encounters. King JAMES. 1603. 28. july. 1728 1496 4. August. 2256 1922 11. August. 2077 1745 18. Aug. 3054 2713 25. Aug. 2853 2539 1. Septemb. 3385 3035 8. Septemb. 3078 2724 15. Sept. 3129 2818 22. Sept. 2456 2195 29. Sept. 1961 1732 6. October. 1831 1641 13. October. 1312 1146 In all. Plague 29120 25606 King CHRLES. 1625. 14. july. 1741 1004 21. july. 2850 1819 28. july. 3583 2471 4. August. 4517 3659 11. Aug. 4855 4115 18. Aug. 3205 4463 25. Aug. 4841 4218 1. Septemb. 3897 3344 8. Septemb. 3157 2550 14. Sept. 2148 1672 22. Sept. 1994 1561 In all. Plague. 38788 30876 So, by this Account, there fell in that great overthrow given to King james his Subjects, for 12. Weeks together, (when they dropped down by thousands) the full number of twenty nine thousand, one hundred and twenty: The terror and cruelty of the Plague sweeping from that number, twenty five thousand, six hundred and six. But in that lamentable defeature of Bodies, which fell upon us in the reign of K. Charles, Anno 1624. to the end of that year in 1625. There died in all, (within the Compass of eleven Weeks, thirty eight thousand, seven hundred fourscore and eight: of which the black Rod of Pestilence smote, thirty thousand, eight hundred seventy and six. The difference of the numbers in those twelve Weeks in King james his Reign, and those eleven in that year of King Charles, being: 14. thousand, nine hundred, thirty and eight: The latter exceeding the former (in a few weeks) by so much. The number of all the dead for those two years of the two Kings, Amounting to one hundred fifty, eight thousand, five hundred and four. Now, if within so small a Compass, as a City, and the adjacent places, so many went out of the world, how many millions, did the whole Kingdom loose! But note the exceeding, Incomprehensible love of a Father to us his Children; The mildness and Mercy, of our judge! On the 22. of December, which ended that year of 1604. (going on to 1605.) there was struck but one: It began with one, and ended with one. O just and even Balance, of the Heavenly Compassion! How much are we in Thanks indebted (for more we are not able to pay) for this wonderful sparing us, Now, in this third Visitation! In that former years july, about this time, there died 2471. of the Sickness; Now (praised be Heaven) the greatest number is but sixty seven. Here was a Fall! There is a Favour. In the end, this fall from such a great number to one, came to nothing,- (A cipher.) And so continued a long time. Heaven held out a Flag of Truce, and all was quiet; The Bills proclaimed no such mortal wars; The Sexton opened some few Graves for common Diseases, to lie in, and for five years together, the burning Pestilence, had not kindled her fires amongst us Yet in that interim of years, other calamities afflicted us; Wars eat up many of our Gallants, the Sea swallowed others; Quarrels took away some, by the fatal stab or desperate fight in the Field. We have but one door, at which we come into the World, but a thousand Gates (set wide open) to send us out of it. For such ill bargains do we make with life, that the Body and the Soul, being dear Partners, and setting up together, do every day, by many devices, plots, and conspiracies undo one another. What one sin, Vice or ill custom, since the Departure of the last great Sickness is gone out of the Kingdom, or hath forsaken the City? Fasting and Prayer, (whilst God's Artillery shot off, and battered down the Walls of our flesh, making breaches into the lives and estates of thousands) Ran every week to the holy Temples. Much Condoling, there was, much crying for Mercy, and mercy came down. But where is fasting now, unless with those that are almost starved with hunger? At how few men's doors sits Charity? Yet are there great numbers of Religious, Godly, and Faithful Relievers of the Poor: But take all this City in a lump together, and how little true Charity, true Love, true Christianity, true Friendship is there one to another? What cruelty dwells in our hearts, if we catch a man (by Law) at advantage? How do we grind his Bones, and gnaw his heart in pieces? How do Tradesmen envy one another? How do Gentlemen undo themselves and their Posterities by Riots? How do an infinite number of Scholars complain of want? How do Soldiers gape after spoil! What Covetous Farmer, but is glad of a dear year? A dearth of Corn makes such Cormorant's Fat? Is not Pride, (which five years ago showed not her face in the City, being afraid of the Plague) now to be seen jetting up and down in every street! Does not the Drunkard that was then, haunt still the same Taverns! The Body is both the Caroche, in which, the Soul (being the Queen of life) rides, and the Coachman too, that drives her from one place to another, from one wickedness to a worse; And the Horses, that draw us, are our wild passions, or our intemperate desires. Our sins with a Dial's motion, lead us to destruction, in a soft pace, but insensible: Our Ruins steal upon us with woolly feet, all the time it comes after us, but being overtaken, It smites home: for, sin is such a Boon companion, it goes to Bed with us, and all night sits waking, on those very Pillows, on which we lay our heads: when we rise, It makes us ready, waits when we go forth, follows us all day, and is more servile, more fawning, more flattering than a slave; And never goes in mourning, till he sees us going to our Graves. The Soul is the Mistress, the Body the Chambermaid, that rules that Mistress; if the Soul says, I will rise, and do good to day: O says the Chambermaid you are young enough, lie longer, take your ease, be merry, and care for nothing; Twenty years hence you may do these pious deeds, and by this wicked Council of the Maid, the Mistress pulls back her hand. Thus from time to time, we defer doing well, and thus from hour to hour, we headlong run upon our own miseries. This being perceived by him, whose eye measures all men's Actions. Now again, (this year) hath he opened his Quiver, and is still shooting the black and dismal Arrows of the Pestilence, both at Country, and City: In many places of the Country, these darts of Contagion stick up to the very feathers; some hearts have been struck quite through here in the City, yet nothing to that Army which fell in the last Plague. This began in March last, and then, from the eleventh day of March, to the eighteenth, it rise to four. The total of all that died that week, being 153. And of the Christen 187. So that 34. came into the World more than went out of it. Then, the Sickness fell, and at the beginning of April was but one again. Another Week died 2. then 7. then 3. the highest it hath since mounted to, in any one Week (and that was now in August) being 75. So that in 8. of the greatest Weeks of sickness this Summer, (omitting the rest) there have died of all Diseases, within London (being 97. Parishes within the Walls,) and the nine out-Parishes, and the Pest-house 1593. Of the Plague in those 8. Weeks, 165. to which add 54. of the sickness last Week, and 67. this Bartholomew week, it maketh 286. Of Children in that short time, 402. of Consumptions some 300. And to repair these losses and ruins amongst us, observe the numbers of Children christened, which in those few weeks amount to 1434. out of which deduct 402. buried, there remains 1032. alive. Then take that Number from the former 1594. of all diseases, there have for these 8. Weeks but 561. departed out of the World more than are come into it: Westminster being not reckoned in this Account, The Burials there being very few, Neither is the greatest number of dead Bodies formerly set down, so terrible as so to hurt, spartle, and afflict so mighty and populous a City, as we see it does, but that Country Towns round about, are infected, and for that cause only are Fairs and Concurses of People forbidden, for fear the Contagion by Throngs meeting together, (mingled with some infected Persons) should increase. In the former passages of this years' sickness, Note the great Mercy of God extended to Infants, in calling such a number of them to Heaven, because he would have that place glorified with some white pure, and unspotted Souls, snatched from the Society of the wicked. Oh happy Fathers and Mothers, that are sure you have so many Saints entertained above, before they could have time to offend their Maker. You weep for them when you follow them to their Graves, but you should rather call it a Triumph, for they then are going to a Celestial Coronation. If you but look upon your children's clothes, you call them to mind, and then, beat your breasts, and tear your hair, but remember, they are clothed in the robes of immortality. When you but talk of your little darlings, you tell how beautiful they were, how well-favoured, how forward: but now, where they are, all the beauty of the world is ugliness to that sweetness which they possess: They have faces and forms Angelical, and are Playfellows and Companions with none but blessed Creatures. Be glad therefore, that they are rid from the miseries of the World; that Time never laid foul hands on them; they are free from want, hunger, thirst, diseases, cold, heat, weeping and wailing, and all other Calamities, which even rock us in our Cradles; they are well and happy, we left behind them, miserable. As therefore here you are counselled, to bear the absence of your little-ones with patience, so comfort you others, with this, that both their Children and yours, are gone to that high Star-chamber Office, where their names are entered into the Book of Life. Now albeit in so many set Battles of the Pestilence in years before, and in the light skyrmislies of this Summer, so many have fall'n: Yet (blessed be Heaven) we are a populous Nation still; we have Peace and Plenty, and all Blessings that Heaven and Earth can bestow upon a people: sing therefore Hymns unto the Almighty JEHOVAH; send up Sacrifices of Fear, Love and Obedience to him: Cry to him, as DAVID did, when he numbered his people, and every one say, I have sinned exceedingly, in that I have done: therefore now LORD I beseech thee, take away the Trespass of thy Servant, for I have done very foolishly, And then, though there dye of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba, seventy thousand men, in three days: yet when the Angel, is stretching out his hand upon jerusalem to Destroy it, The LORD will repent him of the Evil, and say to the Angel that destroyeth the people; 2. Sam. ●4. It is sufficient, Hold now thine hand. And then the black Warder shall be thrown down to part Death and our Kingdom from falling into so terrible a Combat. But art thou in fear of an Arrest, now that Writs are gone out (from the Kings-Bench Office of Heaven,) to Attach several men's Bodies! Art thou in doubt to be laid up! In danger to be imprisoned in thy Grave! Hath sickness knocked at thy door! Does she sit on thy Bed's side! Hath Infection blown upon thee with her Contagious, noisome and stinking breath! Hath the Pestilence, (Now in this present drooping, and sick-winged season) Printed her nails within thy Flesh, and hast thou tokens sent thee to come away! Fall on thy knees, Call for Mercy, to help thee, Cry out upon thy sins, send for thy Heavenly Physician, to minister good things to thy Soul, settle thy mind in peace, shake off the world, look up at Heaven, Thither is thy journey, prepare for no voyage else? Art thou all-spotted over! They are GOD'S rich Ermines; to Inroabe thee like a King, and to set a Crown of Glory on thy Head. Art thou marked with Tokens, and hast thou thy Memory! Make use of that Memory, and seeing those Marks are so set up, That thine eye may shoot at them and hit them, now draw the last Arrow home, and win the game of thy everlasting Salvation. Remember why those Tokens are sent: To make all the hast thou canst to set forward, for away thou must: Hug them therefore, as thy Lover; Kiss, and bid them welcome, th●nke that sweet Token-sender for his gift, and having nothing (which thou canst call thine) to send back to him, leave thy Body with some Friend in Trust, and bid thy Soul go cheerfully on her journey. Cheerfully indeed, and with all Alacrity, for now thou art travailing into a far Country, where all thy Friends are. There, thou shalt meet with thy old Parents, (thy old Father and Mother) ADAM and EVE. There shalt thou see that great Navigator of the World (NOAH) who in one ship, carried all the people in the world then living. There wilt thou find ABRAHAM and his Son ISAAC; Old JACOB, and his twelve Sons the patriarchs. MOSES and AARON will there receive thee into GOD'S Sanctum Sanctorum; In that glorious Palace, shalt thou behold, all the Kings of ISRAEL, all the Tribes of JUDA, all the ancient Prophets, all the Apostles, all the Saints and glorious Army of Martyrs, with branches of Palmtrees in their Hands, and golden Stars sticking on their foreheads. Nay, there thou shalt see thy Redeemer sitting at the right hand of this Father; There (face to face) shalt thou see GOD himself, attended on by Angels Archangels, Principalities, and Powers, Cherubins, and Seraphins; And who would not rejoice, to be setting forward on this blessed journey, to the end he may at length come to be a fellow-Citizen, in the Heavenly JERUSALEM. All the Kingdoms on the Earth, are not worth the Ceiling of that glorious Chamber of Presence, which is in this Court: This is a Kingdom, where there are no changes of Kings; No alterations of State: No loss of Peers: No Wars: No Revenges: No Citizens flying for fear of Infection: None dying of Them, that stay, No Women-keepers to rob you of your Goods, nor to hasten you to your End: In this Celestial Kingdom, there is true Majesty, True Glory, True Honour, True Beauty, True Peace, True Liberty, True Health: There is all Life, All Happiness, All Immortality. To this-Kingdome, the King of Heaven and Earth, call us when it is his Pleasure. FINIS.