AN IRON ROD For the NAYLORS and Tradesmen near BRIMINGHAM.  The voice of God's holy Spirit crying in the Wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths strait: Or, the spirit of Eliah, that is to come before the latter day, Malechi 4. 
O All you that were my honest Christian neighbours and Country people which are whole sale Chapmen of any Trade whatsoever; but more especially to you that be Ironmongers of 
Though many of you accounted me mad, (as Christ, Mark 3. was thought to be possessed with a devil: and Paul thought to be a mad man) am I ever the worse for your false judgement, and slanders? But as the Lord caused Jerusalem's destruction to be foretold by poor despised instruments whom the world would not believe: so did God compel me to foretell the destruction of all corrupted Governments, and the downfall of King and Parliament. Let no man dare to judge otherways.  my own native Country: it being the Trade that God (by his overruling providence) ordained me, your servant in the Lord John Sanders, to be brought up unto from my youth, till it pleased my heavenly Master and Father in Christ otherwise to dispose of me by his heavenly wisdom: to call and compel me to go on his message both to King and Parliament, as an Herald or Ambassador from the great Kingly power and Parliament of Heaven, who hath assigned and sealed to me a Commission to be a forerunner and foreteller how that the Church and State must be rebuilded and reform in this Land, to be a pattern and example for the whole world to follow, to learn to serve God with one consent, Zeph. 39  
And for proof of what I here write, it will appear to any man's view the Holy Ghost hath compelled me to put out a Book called An Iron Rod put into the Lord Protectors hand, to break all antichristian powers in pieces; or a Discourse which tends to a spiritual warfare with all Sects and self-opinions which are the true Church's enemies, which hath its ground and foundation from Abraham, Moses, and Christ, having both Law and Gospel rule to direct every poor soul into the true good old way which leads to the new Jerusalem cituate above, a pure glorious government whose founder and builder is God, Rev. 21. so that all dissembling hypocrites and wilful oppressors shall leave their evil ways, or be suddenly rooted out, and those that have served God following the good old way, shall shine as the stars in the firmament, and enjoy a true religious peace according to righteousness and true holiness: so that our true born King Charles Stuart the second being restored, and Oliver Cromwell by the grace of God being united to him, and the second under him, the Civil Magistracy will be a Wall to the Orthodox Church Ministry.  
Four Monarches being broken down there will be another set up, even the Kingly power under the Sceptre of Jesus Christ. Believe not those Dreamers, mockers, makers of Sects, as Peter and Judas speaks who writ and speak nothing but swelling words against dignities and the powers ordained of God: nay against the Lord's day or Christian sabbath, and the sacred institution of God's holy Ordinances. Take away the Candlestick, and the light of God's true worship will immediately follow. But God hath promised to deliver the poor from the slavery of the wicked, Psalm 12.  
I tell you once again, that God hath formerly compelled me by the dictates of his holy Spirit to foretell 
First the Lord compelled me openly to foretell what would befall the King and Parliament when the King was prisoner at Holmhy, witness Col. Graves: the manner and time of Worcester fight: And the dissolution of the three last Parliaments, witness Colonel Baxter, Lieutenant of the Tower. And of the rising against the present power in the beginning of March 1654. before it was.  the most remarkable revolutions and changes that have befallen this Nation, King, Parliament, and State, for these 12 years past, which God revealed to me by his holy Angel, not by dreams and fancies, but in a real true manner, as in my book delivered to my Lord Protector, more at large appeareth. All that I have spoken having come to pass except only two things, namely the Church and State to be truly reform, and the true born King to be restored. Several things my neighbours and natural friends of Brimingham have heard me speak to their great amazement, as when God compelled me to wear old clothes, and rend the seams, putting off my old shoes, and with a Carpenters rule in my hand making Proclamation by the power of God and his great Parliament of Heaven, that the Parliament that very day and hour was dissolving in London, being 88 miles from the City.  
Good friends, and honest neighbours, and brothers of a Trade, to you at this time I chief address myself: What manner of persons ought we now to be, in all godliness and honesty of life, living in brotherly love one towards another!  
To which purpose I commend to you this course in our Trade: and first I speak to you rich covetous and uncharitable Ironmongers of mine own native Country, and also to other Trades and occupations in other Countries.  
I am to charge you in the name of the living God whose workmanship you are that you be not highminded, or uncharitable grinding the faces of the poor, whom the Lord has promised to deliver for his name sake. For all that will not deny themselves and leave off their wicked ways, and conform to the Image of his Son, God will pour out his indignation on them, & destroy them, as he did Pharaoh and all his host, to the comfort of his distressed people, and deliverance of his Church. Therefore forsake your evil ways, and make your peace with God while you have time. Live no longer like so many Dives keeping the poor like so many afflicted Lazarus'. You cannot choose but remember that many of you were poor, but now being raised up in the world you have forgotten God. Remember from whence you are fallen, and repent, lest you have no other heaven, but what you have here, but receive that dreadful sentence, Go ye cursed into everlasting perdition.  
Amend your lives therefore for the time to come, and live to that end God gave you a being, the general good: give better prizes 2d, in 12 d to poor workmen, that they may not have cause to hate you, many hundreds of them enjoying nothing but misery and want. So shall the Nation be served with serviceable ware, and you live more honestly and honourably then ever.  
Brethren and fellow sufferers if this be not forthwith done, for the healing of your grievances, then take my counsel, let them work themselves: for certainly you that make the ware are the most, & most considerable, though least valued, and worst 
Whereas there hath been yearly held by an old custom a month for the ending of harvest and mending of Trade, which rich men were the cause of for their own gain: Now, as other old customs have been altered and broken of late in this Nation, do you alter that: and do you poor labouring Tradesmen hold together, by assisting and maintaining one another one fortnight or a month, and forbear working for the cunning Egyptian Taskmasters now in the Spring. However take my advice, and let us have a general meeting thereupon. If we cannot gain our desires, we will try another way, that is, I will draw a Petition to the Lord Protector for a Corporation, that we may make orders among ourselves: and those that have set up our Trade within these 7. or 8. years (not having served just apprenticeships) may be called in question.  provided for. I pray God direct us in all our undertake, for the general good and welfare of the Nation, and every man's just interest. These being the things God hath set before our eyes, and put into our hearts, in which work, O Lord be pleased to arise and help us for thy name's sake; to thy glory, and the comfort of many poor distressed people.  
My other book is to be sold at the Angel in Cornhill.