AN EARNEST EXHORTATION TO A TRUE NINIVITISH REPENTANCE. Wherein is briefly declared: 1. What true Repentance is. 2. How a man should perceive it wrought in him. 3. Exhortation to a due examination of every one's self. 4. A right penitential Prayer. 5. The Bars which hinder Christ's working in the soul. 6. What true and living Faith is. Also two Questions resolved: 1. From whence WAR doth spring. 2. By what means it ends. Together with other considerable matter fit for the times. PER CHRISTUM TESTOR, ANTICHRISTUM ASPERNOR. LONDON: Printed by T. P. and M. S. and are to be sold by Ben. Allen in Pope's Head Alley. 1643. TO ALL MEN DEDICATED: And published by a Lover of TRUTH, THat they might hearty try and examine themselves in this troublesome and miserable time; so, that each one might begin to enter into himself, and there make a narrow search; whether he be in CHRIST and CHRIST in him; or whether he be united to the World, the Devil, and his own Flesh and Blood. Whether Light or Darkness have dominion in him and over him, for his servant he is and shall be whom he obeys, whether of Sin unto Death, or Righteousness unto Life everlasting. REPENT ACCORDING to the Repentance of Niniveh. O Beloved Man! who so ere thou art, consider seriously in thy heart and mind, thy present external and internal estate and condition; hast thou ever had any cause to Repent? didst thou ever do? or leave undone any thing unadvisedly? didst thou ever repent thereof? seriously examine thyself, and help thyself thus. Quest. What is Repentance? Ans. Repentance is a divine work in Man, whereby GOD makes known to him, that he hath forsaken GOD, and his holy will, in the inward ground of his soul, and hath turned himself from the All-in-all enlightening Light of Grace, CHRIST JESUS; and through his own mind and fleshly-Will rejected the government of the Holy Ghost; and yet imagined himself by his accustomed outward worship and assumed name of Religion, to be a right true Christian, although he evidently lived in the love of the world, in fleshly lust, and in spiritual and corporal pride. For which subtlety and all other deceits of the crafty Serpent, GOD works in Man an hearty sorrow and repentance, for complying with Gods' enemy; So that a man by divine Grace gins openly to acknowledge such heavy and inward fall, and departure from GOD, and his holy will, bitterly to lament the same, and in very earnest to hate his accustomed internal Idolatry committed with the world, flesh and blood, and with the proud and holy-seeming Devil, and so to forsake, relinquish, and abandon the same: That when he is tempted either inwardly or outwardly; he then by the living power of CHRIST within him, resisteth, fighteth, subdues, conquers and overcomes, and thus he lets the new penitential Light appear without selfness or arrogancy, and shine forth to the Glory of the most holy name of God, and the edifying and amendment of his neighbour, in a right divine Love, according to the example of CHRIST, without any selfness, for by the divine Repentance (which is true godly sorrow) all selfness will at last be totally mortified and swallowed up. From hence ariseth another Question. 2. Quest. How may a man know that such Repentance wrought by GOD, is in him? Answ. By the inward and outward Combat which he hath daily and continually with the enemies of Christ (who is his Head) and overcomes their assaults. Also when he is outwardly tempted by the world, by its deceitful Riches, transitory treasures, and by getting of the reputed necessary provision of silver and gold, whereupon the Heart would rely, if need should be, or else leave it to his Children: that then in faith he makes void and quencheth such darts of the world and says: Ah thou deceitful world with thy seeming Riches and vain glory; I thank God through Jesus Christ who hath redeemed me from thy love, and stirred up in me a Love to the heavenly Treasure, which neither temporally nor eternally will forsake me; Which when I have and keep, I shall then truly possess that which can and will keep, maintain, and preserve me for ever. If the World with its Honour, Reputation, Greatness, or else with Contempt, Despite and Reproach, gins to exalt itself against holy conformity to the Cross of CHRIST JESUS, which follows upon this Repentance, when a man will not conform himself to the world any more, nor join with it, in fleshly sports, and sinful works; then the penitent soul is ready in Faith and saith: Avoid! away! I know not of any honour, greatness, delight, sport, or pleasure, but what I have in and by Christ, and the Conformity with his Cross, whereby the world with all its honour, etc. is crucified to me, and I to the world against all inward, spiritual, and bodily Temptations and assaults; namely, 1. against the bodily; as cares for food and maintenance, grief for loss of temporal things, covetousness, lusts, desires, and briefly in all and with all things wherewith the old Adam will delight, content, and cherish himself, or be lusty, wanton, and alive (for all these things are in the eyes of God an abomination, whatsoever the sons of Babel will prate and fable to the contrary, it being so that God will have the old Adam killed through Christ, in his lusts, words and actions, and by no means cherished.) Thus speaks the repentant Soul, I am buried with Christ after the old nature of the flesh, so that I neither may nor can, shall nor will, live any longer therein, but in the New Life which is Jesus my Saviour, I will serve God with fear and trembling, in holiness and righteousness (which is such a delight as remains for ever) and thus I will be a cross to my fleshly Tabernacle, as it in its Lusts is a Torment to me, wherefore I bear also a longing desire, for its laying aside, and to be rid of it. 2. Against the spiritual Temptations, as when the Devil persuades the soul, that she is a fare gloriouser, beautifuller, and better endued Spouse than others, and that now all is so well with her that there is neither need nor occasion of Fear; she may also now judge, despise, and condemn those that speak any thing dissonant from her, or else are not as it were subject to her, nor will not suffer themselves to be moulded in her frame, to brand all those, with Heresy, anathematise, curse and condemn them: that God would easily connive and wink at her, she being the Spouse of Christ, although perhaps she failed now and then, or went beyond the bounds, etc. Here we must observe that it is impossible for a man to understand and perceive all the Devils subtleties and crafty stratagems, unless God reveal them to him, and in Christ defend him from them, so that they may not hurt the soul. Against these crafty assaults of the Devil, thus speaks the repentant and believing Soul, I am Nothing, a poor wretched, miserable and distressed worm, therefore I have no reason at all to exalt myself, for what my Head and Husband CHRIST bestoweth on me, are of mere Grace which ought to work in me Humility; and acknowledgement of mine unworthiness (that I am not worthy of them) and in no wise work in me Pride, nor any Propriety or puffing-up. Therefore avaunt Satan with thy subtlety and deceit, for thou art a Thief and a Robber of the due honour of my LORD JESUS CHRIST, to whom only is due all honour and not to me: and for that reason whosoever will honour me, is and shall be mine enemy. O beloved Man, in this manner (thy repentant enlightened soul considered) thou art as yet in an evil Inn or Lodging, where no good days do shine, but strife upon strife, battle upon battle, storm upon storm, of which state the Scripture clearly testifies, that no man should be secure, but continually examining and proving of himself, and encountering with, and courageously resisting his enemies, lest he be sifted, deceived, foiled and overthrown by the Devil, stirred up to unprofitable words and works by his flesh and blood, and ensnared by the Love of the World, for if any of these Images possess thy soul, than Christ is expelled, and hath in thee no form. Perform, O Man, what actions soever thou wilt outwardly, yet it is but as the Scripture termeth it untempered mortar. Let every man after this manner try and search himself now, whether his hitherto practised Repentance hath been divine and true; namely so, that the old Adam is thereby truly disturbed, crucified, mortified, and Christ really conceived, form, born, grown, and become perfect in his soul; all which, O Man, thou must in power feel and find in thee, and not know it according to thy Reason out of the holy Scriptures or mouth preaching, for that is but a knowledge without feeling, a History without experience, and a word without power. 3. Therefore in the third place, I earnestly exhort every man in particular, in the name of God, to examine duly, and to look narrowly to himself in these times of the righteous and burning wrath of God, whether he be a sincere Christian, such a one as in the Love of God is powerful and active, or else a mere verbal or mouth-Christian, a knower, talker, and no doer, as alas, alas, the general custom of most men is. For, O babbling Babel, thou art according to thy imaginary Faith, not spiritually rich, though thou knowest the holy Scriptures and its natural or rational exposition, and art able to speak thereof eloquently, and after a Philosophical manner wittily to argue and dispute. Thou art not thereby spiritually fed nor refreshed, although thou usest the outward Sacraments after thy accustomed manner. Truly thou persuadest thyself in vain, as if nothing else were requisite to accomplish thy Christianity, than an imputation of the merits of Jesus Christ, and that in thine open transgressions, sinful courses, Adultery, Sorcery, and Idolatry: For it is evident that thou in this thy worship or Religion art very wretched, blind, poor, and wholly bare or naked of the Righteousness which God approveth, yea it is evident to thee, by the Plagues of Gods righteous wrath, and the consuming punishments which never have miss, but always have followed upon a false and (before God) frivelous Religion, which punishments also even for that cause now adays bear full sway. (For the true Religion hath never from the beginning of the world stirred up Rods of wrath, but worketh Patience in the fatherly chastisements and outward persecutions for Christ's holy Names sake, and hearty Thanksgiving for the Conformity with Christ's Cross; therefore if the world suffered in a good conscience for the confession of Jesus, then were her case and condition good.) Therefore, O thou Babel, rise up from thy false foundation, leave thy spiritual Pride, wherein thou imaginest as if thou wert a true, pure, and sin free unspotted Spouse of Christ, and stoodst in the power of the New birth, and Regeneration of the holy Spirit, in holiness and righteousness, in an obedient faithful service, with due fear and trembling, as unalterablie (or of necessity) becometh the Spouse of Christ, before God the heavenly Father's presence. Ah thou sinful stinking and loathsome Whore, lay down and submit thyself with Nineveh before God in humility of Heart, with acknowledgement of all thy committed whoredoms and pollutions with the Creatures and thy strange Lovers, lie down in the sackcloth and ashes of deepest and lowest unworthy, that God may no further uncover thy shame and ignominy in the Judgement of his wrath; but out of his grace, may work in thee true Repentance; And then thereupon shall follow a right and true worship of God, proceeding from the living Faith, divine Love and Righteousness, a holy Christianlike and blameless Life. (for these two are so linked together, that that cannot severally consist) and confequently the inward Peace and outward quietness, even grace, goodness, mercy, happiness, life and blessing; as upon unbelief, unrighteousness, voidness of Love, feigned Repentance, and outward false worship of God (whilst the true internal foundation whereout the external worship ought and must issue, is rejected and forsaken (as John Arnt in his third Book of true Christianity plainly lays open) and thereby are practised the Heathenish, yea worse than Devilish life and conversation, etc. War, Plague, Famine, and other punishments and afflictions threatened by God, are sprung up in all places, among that people which call themselves the people of GOD, and carry themselves also outwardly as if they were such indeed, boasting themselves highly to be Christians by their imaginary Faith, which they themselves have learned by their own power; and also by the outward Religion which flows from the former: and all this in a fiery Zeal or Heat (yet altogether without the moving or driving Power of GOD to it) in their Churches, Prayers, Sing, Sermons, Communions, or Almes-givings, etc. and yet are altogether estranged from the Life of Christ according to the Power and Truth of it, both inwardly and outwardly, as by comparison will evidently appear to every one, when he will make it without the flattery and adulation of the old man, in a right due and Christianlike trial and examination of himself. Therefore this conceited world might well begin betimes, duly and otherwise then hitherto hath been done, to examine its customary Religion, it's pretended Christian faith, communion in the Spirit, especially by this burning wrath of GOD, and yearly increasing terrible Destruction, from their heart, even from their very heart stirring up themselves to turn to God in the right way and manner of Nineveh, not imaginary as if those Villages, Cities and Countries in Germany, and elsewhere, that have perished already in God's wrath, were more wicked than those which are yet in a tolerable state and condition in respect of their outward prosperity. No verily, no, For if the remaining Towns, Cities, Countries and Dominions do not soon, even very soon (for the time of Life to Repentance passeth and hasteth with greatest speed to an end) bring forth true and upright fruits of Repentance, (for with false and seeming fruits God will not be baffled off nor appeased) and with Nineveh humble yourselves from your very Heart unfeignedly, and prostrate yourselves down before the highly displeased God, or else you shall perish in a more terrible manner: for the slowlier, the sharper and severer the Judgement of God will break forth, which not going to Church, Preaching, or hearing of Sermons shall divert (though ye should use and practise them daily according to your accustomed manner, as other Nations in other places have done, and yet for all that are ruined) but bring upon you the like judgement as other confumed Countries and Regions have felt, nay draw and hasten upon yourselves a fare heavier judgement. Therefore he that yet will be advised and take counsel, let him arise and go forth out of his own private little and fleshly Babel, and consequently also out of the great and public Babel, lest he perish in them in body and soul: For the wrath of the Lamb shall soon show itself in a right Lion-like property against his mockers and despisers. Therefore let him kiss with true and hearty penitential tears, him that may be kissed, lest he perish in his own vain Way, and be thrown from bodily into everlasting Destruction. O thou blinded Babel, be, I beseech thee, entreated for God's sake, and for thine own salvations sake, to relinquish that damnable Imaginarie-Belief, being but an opinion prated into thee, as if thou sufferest as a right and pure Spouse of Christ, for the true Religion and right fear of God; for were't thou the Spouse of Christ, and practised the right and true Fear of God, without all doubt God would be thy merciful Father, and not thy consuming fire: O how hearty would Christ thy Head and thy Husband take care for thee, and cover thee in motherly Love and tenderness under His Wings: Ah how would the Holy Ghost intercede for thee with unspeakable Groan, so that the Just Fire of God's Wrath could not thus consume thee: yea how hearty would thou rejoice if it should be the will of God to baptise thee with the Baptism of the Cross, for the confession of His Son, for as much as thou thereby shouldst be made like unto the Image of God. But O Babel, thou art neither inwardly nor outwardly fashioned and framed in the right form after Christ Jesus thy Lord and God: Ah thou Arch-whore, wherefore imaginest thou thyself to be a Virgin, since thou art so throughly impregnated and defiled with the Diabolical seed of Sin, that neither in thee nor about thee, there is no appearance at all of any thing else to be seen or heard, but sin, sin, sin: O remember, how by thy kingdom of sin thou shalt together with thy Paramour the Devil, (by whose instigation and motion thou dost plead so hard for the cursed kingdom of sin in thee, and not so much as the firest once, through Christ to become perfectly Righteous and without sin, but wilt to the utter Contempt of His Holy Merits, use thy Saviour as a daily servant of sin:) be cast into the pit of Hell, with a double hellish torment, for all thy crying and saying: Lord, Lord, and for all thy Preaching, Prophesying, Signs and Wonders, etc. and then thou shalt rightly and really perceive and know whether (as Babel says:) Christ cannot choose but love the wicked and malicious sinners, whom He both threatneth and also makes to feel woe, woe temporally and eternally. Now he therefore that will escape the place of torment temporally and eternally, let him in right earnest without any hypocrisy and simulation direct his Heart to God, pouring it out, and all that is in it, wholly and fully before him, lamenting and saying for himself and for others with a broken heart and contrite spirit, bitterly, hearty, and moanfully, thus: O Thou great God, and terrible LORD of Hosts: Ah we Men have sinned, we have committed unrighteousness, and have been ungodly, we are wholly revolted from Christ Jesus our inward Living Fountain, whereby we are totally departed from thy Commandments and statutes, and are become sinners deserving nothing but punishment. Ah Lord, our Teachers, Princes and Rulers, and all the people have so trespassed against thee, that they have forsaken thine inward Law, and Testimony, transgressed thine outward Covenant, neglected thy Voice, nor would hear the same in them, but have sought all from without, and are thereby become so unprofitable, that there is scarce one that doth good, yea not one; and yet we will not learn to be ashamed, that thy beloved Son Christ Jesus is rooted out of his true inward Church, Temple and Dwelling, nor freely and openly confess and acknowledge these our great sins, and horrible transgressions (that thereby thou mightest be again reconciled to us in and by Christ (the only Mean of Reconciliation and unition with thee the living God) and turn thy countenance to us in grace through the Mercy-seat) which we by the new extirpation of him out of our souls have more horribly committed, then ever the Jews did by the outward crucifying of him: Nay we plaster over such our misdoings with our outward customary worship of God, by which we moreover wickedly varnish over our heathenish, ungodly, yea altogether Diabolical life and do with a manifestly pernicious and damnable doctrine, as though we could not choose even in and by the New Birth otherwise but be sinners, and to deserve punishment, whereas by the testimony of the holy Scripture, through the true and new Regeneration (which is wrought by Christ Jesus in us by the effusion or imparting of his holy Spirit) we must be purged from sins, freed from all punishments of wrath to serve God in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life; and to walk in fear and trembling before his presence, which is the perfection of the true Christians in Christ Jesus their Head in this Time of Grace. But whilst that we, as did the Jews, reject the inward Circumcision and Baptism, and rely on the outward covenant in our open sinful courses and fleshly do according to the first birth, therefore thy just curse, and hideous execration on all sides lighteth upon us, O righteous God, in that thou hast sent such miseries upon us that are but Name and Mouth-Christians, and outward Religionists, wherein many are already languished both in body and soul; yea O righteous God, thou art ready in thy just anger to send yet greater plagues upon us, for the vials of thy wrath stand prepared to be effused upon us who are not yet right Christians, but godless revolting children, who yet still as thou (according to thy righteous judgements) afflictest, plaguest and punishest us, we add more and more to our backslidings, that so we may be destroyed from the earth, and our Name be never any more remembered. O God heavenly Father, seeing that from thy Grace, Goodness and Mercy all (things) spring, and all good Gifts have yet their original, and must through Christ flow into us: therefore mollify we beseech thee, through the power of thy Spirit our stony Hearts; break them to pieces, by thy true sorrow, Contrition and Repentance, which thou thyself workest in Men. O, bruise them so, that they may come to a true knowledge of their sins, and in a sincere penitency lay themselves down before thee in a sorrowful and continual prayer, crying, seeking, knocking, and not leaving off in their repentant Lamentation. Ah Lord mark: Ah Lord hear: Ah Lord be gracious: Ah Lord mark: Ah Lord delay not for the honour of thy Name sake: for thou art our Creator, and we the work of thy hands. O Father, thou knowest that after thy Name we are called, wherefore wilt thou then thus utterly destroy us, that we be no more a People: Ah righteous God, this have we merited by our sins, that thou in justice shouldst everlastingly cast us from thy sight, for all our do in and with our wont external Religion or formal God-service (it proceeding not out of the Living Faith, Spirit and Truth: forasmuch as the inward powerful office of the holy Spirit is (alas) ascribed to the outward Ministry, and thereby all is perverted and subverted) they are in thy sight, O righteous God, a truly polluted and defiled thing, much more odious than Dung and Filth, wherefore thou (O holy God) throwest in wrath the dung or dirt of our holy days, and the noise of our Songs and Psalms back into our faces: Ah that we were not so hard hearted, but that we might perceive that the Curse instead of the Blessing on all fides pursueth us. O Father we turn us to thy bottomless Mercy, which is greater than all our sins, and cry hearty to it, that thou wouldst not enter into Judgement with us, nor lay the sin to our charge, for we can answer nothing else, but this: Ah Father, we have sinned, and our sins are more than the sand of the Sea, which have (alas) separated us from one another, and brought woe upon us, because we have cast out of us and rejected the Throne of Mercy with its Office, and have adhered to Idols and humane Traditions: O God of all grace and goodness, forgive us, we beseech thee, our great sins, and be gracious to us. Oh have mercy, upon us, for we are but dust, ashes and earth, wherefore then should we be thus utterly consumed in thy wrath without all Mercy. O most loving Lord Jesus Christ, look upon that great calamity and destruction with thy Love-replenished Heart, which thy Father in his just displeasure hath determined now to let pass upon whole Mankind, the like whereof never hath been under heaven before, nor shall be the like for ever hereafter, seeing that the wickedness of the present world also fare exceedingly surpasseth all the ungodliness heretofore practised from the beginning of the world, therefore the judgement shall light so much the more heavily, and hidcously upon the hard hearted, and deriding Mockers and despisers. O thou only Mediator, intercede thou for us out of mere grace and mercy, for without thee there is no means to be found, neither in heaven nor earth, betwixt thy Father and us poor, miserable and forsaken people. O intercede! thou only right and true Intercessor, seeing thy heavenly Father doth at all times hear Thee. O thou hearty Friend of Men, let this move thee to compassion, that men, for whose cause thou becamest man, should wholly be ruined, and destroyed, and that thine Inheritance which thou hast redeemed with thy rosy red Blood, should become a spoil and prey to thine enemies. Ah we perceive, mark and find that by reason of the new crucifying of thee, thou wilt exercise vengeance upon vengeance through Heaven and Earth, upon men and beasts: Ah we have really deserved that the pit of darkness should swallow us up everlastingly as right fuel for that hellish fire, because we have indeed loved Darkness more than Thee the true Light, when thou wouldst inwardly aright have enlightened us, and revealed thy kingdom in us, therefore we deservedly also reap our unfruitful works of darkness, and shall in Hell smart for it according to thy righteousness and judgement, and have nothing to say against it. But, O God thou blessed holy Spirit, who hast thy chiefest delight in and among the children of Men, to heal them again, to sanctify them, and to purge them from sins, O hid not thyself now in this time of extremity and urgent calamity, because that we have grieved thee, and expelled thee with our reigning sins. O thou Divine Flame of Love, assist our cold hearts with unspeakable sighs: Ah mediate: Ah intercede, Ah kindle our hearts with a true fervent and hearty sorrow and repentance, that we may not so unawares and suddenly be snatched away without all Mercy: Ah thou true chastiser, chastise and reform our unnurtered Hearts: Ah thou only Enlightner, enlighten thou, we beseech thee, our darkened hearts: Ah thou only Sanctifier, sanctify our unhallowed hearts. O thou true Cleanser, cleanse now out hearts that are unclean and altogether defiled by the world, money, fleshly lust, and spiritual pride. O thou true Circumciser, circumcise our wholly uncircumcised hearts. O thou only true Converter, turn to day out of thy mere grace and mercy, and convert our perverted hearts, for without thy gracious drawing and powerful operation in us, we are able to do nothing: therefore thou only true worker of the will and the deed, make thou to day, to day the beginning in ours and all men's hearts to a true and cordial Ninivitish Conversion. For if thou turnest us, we are rightly turned and converted from our ways, so that we do truly repent, and cease to sin, relinquish the world, hate the flesh and blood, and fight in thy strength against the subtle assaults of the world, the flesh and the devil, and obtain the victory, and not in a deceitful way make a show of holiness for a day, as if we therein were become religious men, according to the customary, natural, seeming, Mouth-Repentance, and notwithstanding all this, remain inwardly the very former sows and dogs, and in the days to come show forth plainly the same properties of sows and dogs, and upon a new pretended Remission, sin afresh again; and think to plaster over again outwardly such works of the Flesh with a Sacrament, not considering that such use of it is turned to a double torment in hell for them, for no Remission is ordained for such Hypocritical Repentance, but Hell and everlasting damnation. Come, O come thou true Divine Flame of Love, and guide us to the true divine worship, and pierce to day our souls with the true beams of thy grace, whereby all accustomed hypocrisy, false holiness, Phatisaicall godliness and the fair external glistering show, being nothing but a mere Devil's cloud may vanish, for these are and for ever shall be an enmity with thee the everlasting, true, and living God. O thou most clear and shining splendour, enlighten throughly our hearts, that the holy seeming Devil, and the deceitful selfness and arrogancy may be truly expelled. O thou sole inward Teacher, and outward True witness of the Divine Truth, teach all men inwardly aright to know Christ Jesus, and in thy power to call him Father in truth O thou Director to the true path and only Way to salvation, which is Christ Jesus the Son of the All-praised God in his Body, namely, the Church of the Saints; Ah lead us, we beseech thee, in the right union to him, forasmuch as we are, alas! by the instigation of the spirit of error so far separated, and so miserably disjointed from one another, that out of the scattered multitude, that true and promised One may in right unity and sincere brotherly love again arise: O thou only Apprehender, lay hold upon us to day with the hand of thy grace, and bring us again into the essential heavenly paternal country of Grace, that we may there altogether spend the remainder of our earthly life with fear and trembling, and serve thee the eternal God unblamably in holiness and righteousness from our whole heart. Ah thou only Loser, lose and untie to day poor mankind from the hideous snares, bonds and chains of the holy-seeming Devil, and all his instruments, which change themselves into Angels of Light, and thereby violently ruin and destroy poor Mankind. O thou the true Destroyer, destroy the kingdom of sin in us wholly, quench the lust rising in the flesh: conquer the world with its deceitful Treasures, kill and crucify the flesh, refrain and stay all that, which exalteth itself against the inward essential knowledge, and from thence-springing open confession. O open the eyes of our soul, that she may lift up herself to the Mountain, from whence the quickening and for ever refreshing delight, joy and comfort doth spring, and flow, that she always may long after the same. O lose the inward spiritual ear, that it may truly hear Christ's word and voice, that it may stand open to all the works, wonders and deeds of God, and always stopped and close to all vain talk, unprofitable words, and jests, unmeet for Christians to hear. Untie the tongue, that she may be thy holy pen, and no instrument of the seducing and (with the old Adam) flattering devil any more. O untie our hands, that they may in right true and unfeigned love give to the right and truly poor and needy, of the right blessing of God, and not of that Mammon, which by covetousness, exaction, extortion, and under the colour of righteousness is hoarded up, which doth at this present time tie fast the hearts and hands of men in all states with such a powerful dominion, that they are not able truly to lift up themselves to God, being they are full of the blood of Lazarus. O thou only Renewer, amend thou and renew in us all in all, that we may even at this day, while there yet remaineth time for Repentance (which will quickly even very quickly be passed, run out) that we so may become new living creatures and children of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, and a living Church and dwelling of thine (O God thou holy blessed Spirit) and not any more deceive ourselves with our outward accustomed assembling in the stony Churches (in which the stony hearts, and so one stone goeth to another) as though that were the Commonalty of the Saints, and but gather ourselves in the true and living fellowship of thee O Spirit of God, in truth and the sincere bond of Divine Love, and out of one Spirit, soul and heart, truly honour, praise and magnify thee O only God. Ah thou holy and for ever blessed Trinity, one only eternal God for ever, be again merciful unto us, and spare us according to thy righteousness for the dear Merits sake of Jesus Christ. Ah, out of thy mere grace renew in us the Covenant of Grace, that we may again become thy people, and thou our God and gracious Father. O manifest such a Covenant out of grace in all Teachers, Princes and Rulers, and in the souls of all the people, and show unto them thy wonderful goodness, O thou Saviour of such as hope in thee: O God, let thy countenance shine again in us, that we may be revived and enlivened in right living power. O God incline thine ear unto us and heat us, for we are become very small. O open the eyes of thy mercy upon poor Germany and Ireland, and behold how lamentably it is destroyed, wasted, overflown, made desolate, and even wholly ruinated. O look upon this thou great God how through the instigation of the three unclean prophetical spirits men afflict, torment, martyr, kill, slay, and devour one another, insomuch that the wild beasts in their nature and race abhor such inhuman outrages. O thou Archshepherd of Israel, awake & behold, how thy poor sheep are scattered, and torn, and they that fear thee are also scattered and rushed away. Ah God and Lord, let the blood of the poor and innocent sheep and lambs, which do not know, wherefore they thus are torn by the spiritual and bodily woolves, move thine angry heart, and once stir thee up to a merciful deliverance. O let, we beseech thee, the promised help come out of Zion. Ah shorten the days of the inward and outward desolation. O let, we beseech thee, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah roar in power against the bloodthirsty and treacherous whom thou, O righteous God, hast in abomination, that they may be inwardly and outwardly terrified and astonished, and may so with horror perish, according to thy Judgement. O thou righteous God, crucify the Crucifiers of thy dearly beloved Son. Ah recompense to them that afflict and torment him, Anguish and Torment, and give to the Refractary-ones the thunder and lightning, the brimstone and fire of Hell for their reward. O God stand up in thy power. Ah Lord lift up thyself, we beseech thee, in thy strength. Wherefore shall the ungodly exercise their worse than diabolical maliciousness and insolence upon the poor and afflicted any further, and say in their hearts, and confirm and show it with their deeds, as though there were no God, no deliverer, no more any Helper of the poor and afflicted. Oh appear thou righteous Judge of the earth, unsheathe thy sword of Vengeance, and let it fully reach the blasphemers and extortioners, that the abominable scorners may once perceive, that thou art yet the righteous Judge upon earth, and hast not yielded thy judgements to mortal men to exercise them according to their own revenge, fullness, but hast in thy wrath, by reason of our unbelief, unrighteousness and wickedness, wherewith we have offended Thee, suffered them to pass over us as a flood of water to mollify us to Repentance, until thine anger be fulfilled. Therefore, O God, convert us to day, and turn thyself against the vessels of thy wrath, repay unto them double, what they have done to the poor and innocent, so will we for it praise Thee with united hearts everlastingly, that thou in the midst of thy wrath hast yet remembered thy infinite goodness and mercy; and turned thyself from thy wrath and our well deserved punishments, and hast again mercy upon poor mankind, and raised up a Saviour unto them. O heavenly God and Father, grant this our Prayer unto us for Christ his bitter death and suffering, to a true Ninivitish Repentance and conversion, that the day of thy promised Redemption may break in as a Lightning, and that the Jews and Heathen may be gathered together in and to the Truth, Amen. Allelujah. Amen. The Bars, which the Devil and the darkened Reason do set before the Souls, that Christ cannot begin to work therein. Ob. 1 1. That it is impossible, that a Man through Repentance wrought by God can wholly die from sin that it henceforth should have no ruling power. Ans. Hereby is God's omnipotency, Christ's merit, and the Holy Spirits inhabitation wholly made void, and greater power ascribed to the Devil in our destruction, then to Christ in our Renovation, contrary to the tenor of the holy Scripture, Rom. 5. 6, 7, 8. 14. 1. Cor. 2. v. 16. Cap. 3. v. 17. 2. Cor. 3. v. 17. 18. Gal. 2. v. 20. Ephes. 2. v. 5. 6. Epqes. 5. v. 27. etc. Now as long as this Bar of doubt remaineth in thee, so long is Christ's kingdom shut up in thee, and the kingdom of sin manifest, varnish it over outwardly how thou wilt, it will nothing at all avail. 2 Bar. Ob. 2 That God is merciful, and winketh at the sins of Men for Christ's merits sake. Answ. Verily hereby is Christ made a Minister of sin, contrary to the testimonies of the holy Scripture, Gal. 2. v. 17, 18. 1 Cor. 1. v. 30, 31. 2 Tim. 3. 17. Colos. 4. v. 12. Ca 1. v. 28 Cap. 2. v. 10. and the Righteousness of God slandered and blasphemed, Deut. 27. v. 26. Psal. 5. v. 6. 1 Joh. 3. v. 10. and his Grace wrested or drawn by licentiousness into a most damnable abuse. Epist. Jud. v. 4. 14. & seq. 2 Pet. 2. v. 14. 1. Joh. 5. v. 2, 3. 1 Joh. 2. v. 6. 3 Bar. Ob. 3 Although man live not so blameless and fear not God with all his heart, yet he may and can convert himself, and obtain of God forgiveness of his sin. Ans. Hereby is Repentance (which is merely Gods work, and is not within the comqasse of man's ability) Jer. 31. v. 18. 19 2 Tim. 2. v. 25, 26. ascribed to our natural powers, and by that means idolatry committed. And in the like manner it is also with Prayer, for it is the only work of the holy Spirit, Zach. 12. v. 10. Rom. 8. v. 15. 26. 27. Joh. 14. & 15. Now God heareth not sinners, for they pray without the Spirit, which dwelleth in no soul that is subject to sin, Wisd. 1. ver. 3, 4, 5. 4. Bar. Ob. 4 Hereby men may be brought to desperation, when all grace is denied to sinful evil doers, and a man would have altogether a pure Church. Ans. O happy desperation, which worketh a spiritual sorrow, 1 Cor. 7. v. 9, 10, 11. killeth the old Adam wholly, Rom. 6. v. 6. siq. Rom. 8. v. 4. 19 Gal. 5. v. 24. maketh the world with all its do to a bitter Cross, Gal. 6. v. 14. Phil. 3. v. 8. 1 Joh. 2. v. 15, 16. Matth. 10. Luk. 14. taketh captive the Reason, 2 Cor. 10. v. 5. maketh a man become a child, Joh. 3. v. 3. a beast and a fool, Psal. 73. v. 22. yea a mere nothing, Gal. 6. v. 3. for a reasonless, naturelesse, creaturelesse, worldlesse man, and freed from all vanity is fit for the kingdom of God, and that is then the pure soul, wherein God dwelleth, 2. Cor. 6. v. 14. seq. Psal. 18. v. 27. Psal. 24. verse 4. 5 Bar. Ob. Such men as these it is impossible to find in the world, therefore is it foolishness, yea madness to require this of any man. Ans. He that is fleshly minded must judge fleshly, and calumniate God's work and truth, for he is an enemy of the true Regeneration out of the Spirit, 1 Cor. 2. v. 10, 11. seq. Rom. 8. v. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Psal. 73. v. 89. Gal. 4. v. 29. There is but a narrow way to Lise, wherein for even very few and not many walk, Matth. 7. v. 13. 14. Luk. 13. v. 23. The sum of Christianity is this: That the old Man with his lusts and desires must perish, 2 Cor. 4. v. 16. be killed, destroyed and drowned by Regeneration, 1 Tit. 3. v. 5, 6. Rom. 6. v. 6. and all become new, 2. Cor. 5. v. 17. that Christ may be all in all, Colos. 3. v. 11. fill all in all, Ephe. 1. v. 23. and present every one perfect to the Father, Colos. 1. v. 28. Cap. 2. v. 6. 10. Colos. 3. v. 34. Colos. 4. v. 12. 2 Tim. 3. v. 17. THE SUM OF THE TRUE AND LIVING FAITH, and of all the Articles of the Belief. The true and living Faith (O beloved Man) consisteth not in the knowledge of the holy Scripture, which Moses, the Prophets and Apostles have left behind them, nor in such Articles, which men have according to their reason collected out of the holy Scripture, which a man can learn by heart, and fasten in his memory, and then out of his natural power say and confess; this I believe: for this truly is but the meet imaginary faith, wherewith all the world is at this day bewitched, deceived and befooled, yea so fare, that men go on to defend this their saith wrought by their own power by wrangling, contentions and disputes, yea even by the sword, with the shedding of the blood of the poor, and murdering of many innocent souls, which imaginary faith is the very true inward abomination of desolation, from whence is also sprung the outward desolation of Countries and people in the righteous wrath of God, which shall continue, break forth, and make desolate so long as this unbeleef with its manifest power of unrighteousness and cold LOVE beareth sway. The true Faith, (O dear Man) is a divine work or power of God in man, which changeth and regenerateth him out of God, truly killeth the old Adam, and maketh a whole new man from the heart, mind and all his powers, and bringeth with it the holy Spirit, wherethrough man becometh without sin, and keepeth and fulfilleth God's Commandments, which to the believers are not heavy. For the righteousness of Faith maketh a man without sin, fully righteous before God, so that he feareth God, honoureth him as a Father, and loveth him as a Lord, from his heart, whole soul and all his powers, and his neighbour as himself, as Luther described the true, but at this day very much unknown, Faith. Now he that findeth such power in truth in himself, and thereby doth the will of God, he is a true member of the household of Faith, a Religionist, a Christian, an heir and child of God; but he that hath not such a Faith, nor suffereth the fruits of love to grow and blossom, in a right godly and not seeming-holy way or nature, he knoweth neither of Faith, Religion, nor Christianity, yea of no God in truth, though he understood all the Scriptures, all mysteries and Articles of belief, and could thereof talk and dispute eloquently and rationally, even as an Angel of Light, yet is he in God's sight an unbeliever, a miserable and contemnable man, for he hath not in him the living power of the living Faith which always is fruitful in love, therefore he talketh and prateth much of Faith and its righteousness, yet he knoweth not what either Faith or Faith's works are; whiles he doth not find and feel them experimentally inwardly in spirit and truth, nor outwardly showeth his talking and knowledge in deeds and works which God and good men may approve. With such unprofitable Babblers is (alas!) at this day all the world replenished, namely, with such as with open mouth cry, Lord, Lord; prophecy and do signs and wonders, but fulfil and accomplish not the will of God in power, all these are but external plasterers, external criers and seekers of Christ and the Faith, despisers of the inward power of God, or of the living Word, of Faith, and the whole kingdom of God in men, in whom and by whom is the fulfilling of the Commandments, and also the true Christian freedom in holiness and righteousness. Therefore thou Faith-conceited Man, beseech God, that he would work this living Faith in thee, and free thee from this damnable and wrath producing imaginary faith, since that thou by this faith prated into thee hast imagined to thyself a freedom to sin, to transgress God's Commandments, relying upon Absolution according to thy accustomed manner, whereby alas! thou art verily free but not from sin, as Christ's kingdom requireth, but from God, and the fulfilling of his will and the observation of his Commandments in perfect obedience, and so art become truly a slave of Satan, 1 Joh. 3. v. 7, 8, 9, 10. Every one therefore that will be a master of Faith, let him behave himself as a pattern unblameable inwardly, (by the office of the holy Spirit) in doctrine, and outwardly in life as a follower of Jesus Christ; He that boasteth of faith, let him show the new obedience of faith by a new, righteous, holy and to Christ-conformable life and conversation in the Love of God and his neighbour: He that vaunteth of the Articles of Faith, let him show them forth in deed and truth, for God is served neither with knowledge, babbling nor disputation, nor yet the Church of the Saints, which overcometh all things with Love in Patience, and consequently not with words, but with power. Therefore O beloved Man that sayest, that thou believest in God, or but that there is a God, make thy faith appear with true fruit in the strict observation of his commandments, otherwise is thy saying vain, and thou in truth believest on no God, nor that there is a God, for otherwise thou wouldst tremble and shake at the breach of his Commandments. Thou that sayest I believe that Christ is dead for me, show then by thyself in deed the death of Christ, namely, that thine old Adam is buried with him, thy lust and desire is crucified with him, and thou risen again with Christ in a new nature or life of the Spirit, otherwise is thy faith of Christ an historical knowledge, without all power and property of Faith. Thou that sayest, I believe a Church of Saints, which the holy Spirit enlighteneth, sanctifieth, and purifieth: examine thyself, whether the holy Spirit doth inwardly enlighten, teach, chastise, admonish, anoint, guide, govern, lead and direct thee, and thou also hast by the power of the holy Spirit the kingdom of God revealed in thee, so that thou resistest all that exalteth itself against God's will, his knowledge and confession, through the office or power of the holy Spirit, and that the tentation from the world, flesh and blood, and wicked enemy, is a right hellish torment to thee, so then art thou a true member of the true Church of Christ. Sayest thou, O Man, so I am, for I am a baptised Christian; O beloved Man, show forth the drowning of the old Adam, the mortification of his lusts and desires, and the renuntiation which thou hast made to the Devil, the World, and the Flesh, in truth, so that they rule no more in thee, nor move thee to sin, though they entice, stir, and egg thee on to it. Dost thou not, or findest thou not this, so then art thou an unbaptized and unchristened man, for thou livest in the old and not in the new birth, therefore art thou a violator of the Covenant of God. Sayest thou, yet I partake of the flesh and blood of Christ: If thou partake thereof, then show the living-making power of the flesh of Christ, and that the blood of Christ hath cleansed thee from all sins in words and works, so hast thou truly partaken of the flesh and blood of Christ, otherwise goest thou to the Lords Supper to thy double condemnation. In sum, all the Articles must live sensibly in thee, and outwardly demonstrate the living power of love, otherwise is thy Christianity mere hypocrisy, seeming holiness, self chosen godliness and imaginary faith, which do but further the destruction both of body and soul, as (alas) appeareth before our eyes, and yet no man taketh it to heart, or will duly examine himself. Two Questions very necessary concerning these present and continuing Wars. viz. 1. From whence War doth spring. 2. By what means it ends. AS the inward exterpation (or rooting out) of Jesus Christ, with his holy and threefold office in man's soul, (which, when she is obedient unto, and receives him, he then as the true and only high-Priest, perfectly reconciles, sanctifies, cleanses, and presents her as a new creature to his heavenly Father in holy attire of Love, and as the only Master and Teacher in her, sent from the heavenly Father, makes her remember her misery, in penitency chastises her, instructeth, teacheth, guideth and preserves her from the spirit of error: and thus in her powerfully exerciseth his royal office, as her Head and LORD, to the utter (ruin and) demolishing of the Devil's Sin palace, bruising the head of the subtle and holy-seeming Serpent, quenching and suppressing of all that shall exalt itself against his inward kingdom of grace, as also to the overcoming of all outward enemies through the Spirit of Prayer, and his iron Rod or Sceptre: and thus killeth and crucifieth sin, Death, the Devil, Hell, the Flesh and Blood, and break asunder the whole kingdom of sin, so that it can no more bring under subjection or into darkness the soul, which he hath redeemed:) is the only cause of unbelief, and from thence springing unrighteousness, wickedness, malice, hypocrisy, self-chosen godliness, outward false worship of God, or Sectary and Schismatical religion, consisting merely and altogether in outward things, as external ceremonies, Articles, and Opinions, without any true inward and experimental fear of God, perfect obedience or keeping of God's Commandments; and thus without any true either inward or outward conformity to and with the life and conversation of Jesus Christ (which properly is called and really is true Religion, according to which these divided Religionists ought to prove and examine their Name-Religions now adays): So also is the rejection or neglect of this (placed by God in men) Foundation stone of all happiness, life, blessing, peace and holiness, etc. the only cause of all inward and outward Wars, jars, miseries, calamities, desolation, destruction, confusion and fundamental alteration of all the Foundations or Kingdoms of the Earth; whereby it is come to pass, that men (which ought to be vessels of Jesus Christ, that is, remain in the Love, grace, goodness and mercy of God, bear one an other in the bond of Love, and be united each to other in the Spirit of Peace:) turn and become fierce vessels of wrath, through hatred, envy, enmity, desire of temporal honour, or perishable goods, raging even with swords one against another, insomuch that the one falls by the others sword in wrath and selfwilled revengefulness, and thus the soul must come to her end with horror; whereof the holy Scripture thus testifieth: Since ye have rejected him out of you, whom I have sent unto you and in you, viz. Jesus Christ, the only Prince of Peace; Behold therefore I have slinged and cast you out of my grace, life and blessing, into wrath, death and curse, and given you up to do things that are nought and unseemly, full of unrighteousness and ungodliness, yea I rejoce therein that one falls by the sword of the other, so that countries' and people are made waste, and the Earth laid desolate. For this is the effect and operation of the strong delusions wherewith I have threatened you, when ye should forsake and suffer to be pulled out of you the King of Truth, by whom I would have ruled you with the staff of meekness, and directed the Rod or staff of woe against mine Enemies, which (staff) now for the unbeleef, unrighteousness, and hypocucies sake, must begin at mine Own House, and continue forwards, since there is no conversion or returning to me or my living Fountain. Therefore to day, to day, whilst ye hear my voice, and find the strokes of my wrath, (which could not hit nor touch you, if my Child Christ Jesus had ruled in you, and established anew again the inward peace betwixt Me and you; for we are separated one from another by the kingdom of sin) go out of Babel, put away the high places which in you have exalted themselves against the kingdom of my Son, and erected outward Idoll-houses, and committed therein the abomination of desolation, (according to my Son's prediction) through the motion and deceit of the holy-seeming devil: that yet the inward temple of your souls may be opened, and a pure, holy and righteous dwelling (in which I the LORD your holy and righteous God may go out and in) may be prepared therein for Me, through Christ Jesus; and so the inward peace be established: and then I will according to my righteous judgement, give unto you all the Heathen and mine Enemies, which would not kiss Christ, for a prey and spoil, that you may according to my righteousness reward them double as they have deserved it of me and my Son Jesus. He that hath ears to hear let him hear: he that will not hear, he shall feel it temporally and eternally, saith the LORD God: For I am strong enough to judge and avenge myself. The principal causes why the Devil doth make all Visions and Divine Revelations contemptible and suspected, are these. 1. THat the extirpation of Jesus Christ and his holy Office in the Devils own members might not be revealed and discovered to the world, which needs must come to pass, if the Devils disciples or apostles should allow or approve the works of the holy Spirits Office; of which the holy Scripture witnesseth, 1 Joh. 16. v. 13, 14. Amos 3. v. 7. Apoc. 1. v. 1. Joel 2. v. 28, 29. Phil. 3. v. 15. 1 Cor. 2. v. 10. Which works of the holy Spirits office, are not where abrogated; and therefore a man hath the more cause to observe and beware of the Devils crafty subtlety, for he is a seeming holy Angel, as his Ministers now adays in doctrine and life do sufficiently show, and therefore he cavilleth and slandereth the Ministry of the true Angels and Gods works. 2 Secondly, that the Devil's kingdom of darkness, which he hath gotten in men may not be discovered, (the which yet every man discerns and perceives by the works of darkness which bear sway everie where, and confesses that all things are naught with the children of Men; yet notwithstanding none will go out of this darkened Babel, lest he should lose the world's friendship, its honour, profit and love, etc. for it is a hard and troublesome thing for the old Adam, and goes to his very heart, when he shall be counted a Fool and a Beast (which he notwithstanding is, by his highest wisdom.) And to this scope all exhortations do aim, viz. that men should turn again to God and his Son Jesus Christ by true Repentance: Now to hinder this true Repentance, and to keep men in security by their own hypocritical repentance, the Devil (thirdly) doth cavil and blaspheme, whatever God causeth to be told, denounced, and declared: For the same course and process is at this day in hand (with the worse) as was taken with the first world, Sodom, Gomorrha, Jerusalem, and other Cities and countries' which perished in the wrath of God, which also by the devil's motion and instigation despised all things, and relied upon their outward religion, and their usual insolent and domineering government; and so by that means had no regard at all to the Day of the Lord, which the servants of God were fain to denounce unto them. O ye spiritual and corporal buyers and sellers, O ye voluptuous eaters and drinkers; O ye worldly and covetous planters and bvilders; O ye fleshly and wanton wooers, men and women: O ye stubborn and revolting children altogether, will ye not at all have regard to the fearful Day of the Lord's wrath, unless it overwhelm you as a Lightning, and destroy you from the earth; will ye not learn to mark and observe by other men's harm and ruin the crafty subtlety of the devil, and the deceit of his apostles, as from whom all calamity and confusion hath taken its original, for they are those that have caused the poor people to sin, and established hypocrisy by their witchcraft and idolatry; by which means the wrath of God hath begun to burn, and shall not be quenched until Babel be brought down and destroyed Now he therefore that will not fall with her from temporal unto eternal death, let him erect and lift up his head in Faith, observing and marking by all the works and signs of God, that the Day of Redemption draws nigh, and is even before the door. A Prayer for the Body of Jesus Christ in this troublesome and distressed time. O Thou true and only Head of thy (in all the world dispersed) Church; Let to day the noble Balsam of thy holy Spirit flow down in full power into thy members, that through the pure and sincere Milk, the children may become young men, young men through solid meat, perfect men, that we all may attain to the measure of thy perfect Age, Be it, O Lord Christ Jesus; O let every member to day be right fruitful in all works of Love which by thee are wrought in him to the honour of thy Father's Name. Let thy holy countenance shine in us, that every member may in all necessities of soul and body be powerfully healed: Arm every one with a new power of Grace, that he may be strong against all high things, which exalt themselves against thy holy and inward Knowledge, and outwardly resist it. Let the Light of the living Faith shine out of every one, that people may see the works of thy inward Righteousness, enter into themselves and receive thee into themselves the only Worker of all Good, that to the dispersed Church some may be daily added and gathered. O thou true and only Living Power of God, drive away and repel all spiritual and corporal Wolves that they may not devour not snatch away any of thy Members; make void all wicked counsel, which is consulted against thy Body, that the raging and furious ones may perceive that all their consultations against thee are in vain. O thou Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, work in every man out of thy Grace the true knowledge of his sins, the total dying and the spiritual resurrection to a new, holy and righteous life. O LORD, Jesus, thou that therefore hast appeared in all men, that thou mightest destroy and raze the kingdom of darkness, and manifest thy kingdom of Light and Grace in men, apprehend, we beseech thee, vanquish the old, crafty and deceitful Serpent, bruise its head to the purpose, bind it with the promised chains of Darkness, that it may cease to seduce people, in its seeming light of holiness. O God thou blessed holy Spirit, since that thine is the Office of Judgement and Vengeance over all them that do evil, rise up in thy Power; arm thyself with might, and utterly cast down them that revile and blaspheme thy holy Office: Turn away ungodliness with the Sceptre of Iron, since that few or none from his heart will kiss the Child Jesus: O let thy help break forth out of Zion: Ah redeem thy poor distressed people: Unite Heathen and Jews, make one Sheepfold, and let the Everlasting Gospel shine therein, to the glory of thy holy Name, Amen. BE IT SO. FINIS.