A DECLARATION FROM THE Lord of Hosts, Against the Idol SHEPHERDS: AND THE Testimony of his Spirit of their Destruction being near at hand.  
And also, the Glory of the Lord that shall appear to his PEOPLE.  
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate, 1659.   

A DECLARATION FROM THE LORD of HOSTS, etc.  
THus saith the Lord of Hosts, who is strong and powerful: I will exalt my Name over the Heathen round about, for my Purpose and Decree is gone forth against the Idol shepherds; and I will break down their Idol gods, and their images which they have made, from the one end of the land to the other; and I will visit them with a rod for all their transgressions, wherewith they have been multiplied against me, for I have called to mind the heavy yoke (and sufferings of my people, wherewith they have caused them to suffer very grievous afflictions) to have been born.  
I have therefore heard the cry of my people, and am come down to deliver them from the hands of their cruelty, which they have exercised from time to time against my people, my soul hath been grieved with their abominations, they have been too heavy a burden for me to bear: they have exercised cruelty upon cruelty, upon my children, upon my servants, and upon my handmaids, and upon my innocent lambs, which are dear unto me as the apple of mine eye, yet I will now be the help and strength of my people; against all their adversaries, I will come forth in my might and power, like a man of war, against them, and will encompass them on every side, they shall not be able to escape my fury: for I am very jealous for my people, and my fury doth burn like an over against all their adversaries; and I will recompense them double for all their cruelties, and for all their oppressions, and for all their afflictions wherewith they have afflicted my people; thus saith the Lord of Hosts, who is strong and powerful, My hand shall be dreadful against you, who have been the Idol-shepherds of the land, who have caused the people to bow down to Idol Gods, even the works of your own hands, and have caused the people to err through your lying vanities; all your deceitful merchandise will I will bring to light, and no man shall by your ware any more; and the abomination of your fornication I will discover wherewith you have deceived the Nations, for I will thoroughly search and cry you, and your fruits shall be made manifest to all people insomuch you shall become a hissing to all people round about, and a dread and terror shall proceed from the Lord in all your inhabitations, and shall take hold of you, and you shall not be able to escape his fury: for out of his mouth shall proceed a sharp sword, which shall cut down the groves, and all the high places of Baal shall be trodden under foot, and I will scatter all the worshippers of their Images from place to place, and I will throughly purge this Nation from all its dross and defilements, and all Images and likenesses will I utterly destroy out of this land, and all the high places shall become desolate and barren, even as a wilderness, and they shall become a Proverb and a reproach unto all people, and they shall be even as a heap of confusion for ever, before the face of all people; and I will cause a stink to go upon them, and shall come up into the nostrils of the people, and they shall abhor them, and the beasts of the field shall come up and defile them, and they shall become a desolate habitation to all people.  
And I will repair the ruins of my own city, and my own temple to place my name there, and I will lay in my temple, and in my city, a sure foundation which shall not be moved; and I will kindle a fire amongst my people, and they shall utterly consume all the Idoll-gods of the land, and the remnant of my people shall possess the Nation, and I will encompass them with strength on every side against all their enemies; I will be as a wall of fire, and as a wall of brass about them, and they shall dwell quietly in the midst of the nation, and I will greatly multiply them with riches and strength, that all Nations shall bow down before them; and I will be their leader, and my presence shall go before them, & my Glory shall shine forth amongst them, to the confounding of all their enemies: And I will greatly multiply their Seed, and it shall be the glory of all the Nations, and my strength shall be increased therein for their defence, for my everlasting arm shall uphold them; for with perpetual blessings have I blessed them, for they are my offspring whom I have chosen to place my Name in, and of their dominion there shall be no end. I will stretch my hands over them in all places for good, and I will place my delight amongst them, and they shall grow up to be a fruitful people in the land, and my sanctuary will I enlarge amongst them, and will cause them to sit down in peace; and every one shall sit down under his own vine, and under his own figtree, and none shall make them afraid, and great shall be the peace of my people: And I will cause my sun to shine upon them with his everlasting strength to beautify them. And for the increase of their government there shall be no end; and I will establish them upon Mount Zion, the Hill of my own planting; and they shall be called the blessed of the Lord: My garment of Righteousness shall be put upon them, and I will  them with my majesty before the face of all people, and their Renown shall shine forth to the Nations round about, and great shall be the felicity of my people: And I will adorn them with rich array, and plenteousness shall be in their habitations: and I will put my wisdom into their mouth, and they shall judge my cause righteously: And my dread and terror shall go forth before them, to the confounding of all their Adversaries; and I will place true and sound judgement amongst them, that the hearts of the people may take delight therein; and the whole land shall be governed in peace and righteousness, and I will feed them with the dew of Heaven, and they shall wax fat and strong: And their strength shall be even as the strength of an Unicorn: And I will bring forth my everlasting Covenant, and will establish it unto them, and to their posterity from age to age thorough all Generations, and of their kingdom and dominion there shall be no end; for I have sealed a perpetual decree of Mercy, and Loving kindness unto them, and to their Generations for ever; and my everlasting truth and righteousness shall abide with them, which shall replenish the earth, and bring forth fruit abundantly, so that the hearts of the people shall be knit unto them. And great shall be the prosperity of the Nation, and I will abundantly satisfy the hearts of my people with good things, that my delight in all things may take place; and I will fortify them in the midst of the Nation as a strong tower, that no enemy shall come nigh unto their dwelling place, for I will be a defence unto them on every side, and I will make the hearts of my people glad with the joy of my countenance, and their memorial shall continue from age to age, and from generation to generation, and the Souls of my people shall be knit together in one union and harmony, that nothing may sepaerate them from my love, so that peace and love shall fructify amongst them, and great shall be the increase of my people; I will increase their table with all manner of good things, and no good thing will I withhold from my chosen ones, for my Decrees and Statutes shall abide with them continually: And I will come and dwell in the midst of them, and will lead them the way wherein they should walk, and my Statutes and Judgements shall not departed out of their Coasts; and I will choose unto them Judges as at first, and Counsellors as at the beginning, who shall deal uprightly between me, and my people, who shall judge in truth and righteousness, and shall plead the cause of the Innocent, that nothing that is contrary to truth and enquiry shall take place among them: Then shall the delight of the Lord be amongst his people, and he shall rejoice over them for good in all the works of their hands; then shall the Tabernacle of the Lord shine forth with resplendent beauty in the eyes of the Nations, and the glory thereof shall appear to the uttermost parts of the earth; and all Nations shall bow down before it, and shall become subject to his power and dominion; and there shall stream forth a pure law of Righteousness through the whole earth, and shall branch itself forth into the midst of the Assemblies of my People, even amongst all the Nations found about.  Written by the Move of the Spirit of the Lord, by one who is called by the name of LAURENCE WILLYER. 
THE END.