Jerusalem's Glory, OR, THE SAINT'S SAFETY In Eyeing the Church's Security, wherein is showed the Captives Redress:  
Being an Invitation to all the different minded men in the World to become one; with the advantage of Unity, and the danger of Variety from the Example of the Saints and Servants of God, as well in former as these latter times.  
Offered to the View of the 97 Builders employed in that Work, for the Building of the True Temple, and all others.  
By THOMAS WATSON, a lover of peace.  Rom. 2.13, 14, 15. For not the Hearers of the Law are just before God, but the Doers of the Law shall be justified, for when the Gentiles which have not a Law, do by nature the things contained in the Law, these having not a Law, are a Law unto themselves, which show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their Conscience also bearing them witness, and their thoughts in the mean while accusing, or else excusing one another. 
London, Printed by J. C. for the Author. 1661.   

THE EPISTLE TO THE READER.  
Courteous Reader,  
I Having presented these few following observations to your view, desiring your serious meditation, & your moderate censure on what I have here inserted; and if I have offered nothing more to thy view then what was manifestly known to thee before, yet do not disdain it, nor the day of small things; but rather rejoice to see the same light break forth in me, as thou hast prised in thyself; and know that he that goeth up to Heaven by jacob's Ladder, must not disdain the first step; but suppose that this my small Treatise should meet with no acceptance within thy more solid fiction, but that it may seem altogether oposite to those thy friendly guests, that have had admittance granted to asociate themselves within thy more noble confines; yet seeing I have tendered my mind to thee so freely, expecting rather to involve thee in the circumference of my love, than any ways to render thee the object of my envy; let it suffice thee, rather to pass by those things that may seem opposite to thy understanding, with a dubious censure, and not conclude rashly, that all things that may scem difficult to thy apprehension, must enforcedly be false; but rather imagine there may be wrong construction enforced upon my endeared intention, as well as an ignorance in my writing; for many things may possibly seem current to thee in thy own agitations, when it may be, if they should but be brought to the Touchstone of Christ, and his Apostles, would prove no better than held by custom and use from others, rather then from the real grounds of the Scripture: even so it is very probable, that several constructions will be concluded upon this my small Treatise; for he that doth appear in print to the open view of all men, must not think it harsh to receive the retorting frowns of a disliking spirit in some things, wherein it may be he may be void of offence, or at least of offending them. And as for my part, had I not learned to have born such a burden, it had been in vain for me to have taken a Pen in my hand, seeing I intent not my present to any particular person, yet to every one, and amongst so many several imagined ways of worship, I am necessitated to be looked at awry by some, and in case my dislikers should take a Pen in hand with any other intent, it is very probable they might be frustrated in their aim; and if I had looked for an applause from men, I might have enjoyed more in silence then in manifesting my mind, and laying myself openly to the view of my enemies, if any such there be; but let all men conclude, if they expect any answer from me in that nature, they will be far mistaken in their intentions for I have not so learned Christ, as to make him my stalking horse, to carry my envy; but rather desire his assistance as an aid, to admonish all men; for love hath so much of the nature of truth, that it will abolish all envy, and pride, and self-conceitedness and fear, so that I would have all men to understand that I account it below me to take notice of any any one's praise, or dispraise in this thing, yet not below me to manifest what I have received, and to contend for the truth, and not to bind my Talon up in a Napkin, lest I should neglect the doing of the will of my Master, and so be called to an account for it: therefore I do not prize the censures of any, I having such a freedom in my intention as to my writing this my weak and more real information.  
And as for what any one is pleased to state me, either their friend or enemy, I have this hope, that as I shall not be much moved by any various manifestations in men, so likewise I shall endeavour to keep myself from deserving any envy from any one, knowing that truth may have many Batteries, yet the Fort will be resigned fully to it at the last; happy is he that is a Soldier in this undeprivable conquest, great will be his reward above all the endowments of this life, he need not press after the enslaving rudiments of this life, to serve where he ought to be served, so as to Captivate that noble grain of wheat, by any unseemly tares of man's inventions, but his delight is in a more higher and bright lustre far transcending any enjoyment in this life, or of this fabricating, what though his time here in this his earthly Tabernacle seem as it were a pilgrimage of distress to what others do enjoy, yet when he looketh homeward, he hath more cause to rejoice then to mourn; for what pleasure can any man assure himself of in any thing that is decayable, if he do but cast his eye toward the Rock from whence he was hewn. Suppose thou shouldst be made heir of all the promising delights that the whole earth could afford; yet if thou dost not improve them to the advantage of thy Lord and Master, it had been good for thee if thou hadst never known any thing of that nature, but suppose thou shouldest make a right use of them, yet canst thou not assure thyself of any continuance with them; for thou art not at thy own disposing, but must give up thy power to him of whom thou rentest or borrowest thy time since thy appearance in thy first State. O lose not the substance for a few fading vanities, which are but as dry Husks, that can never satisfy any, though they have never so many of them, it is the nature of them to breed desire, and not to quench desire, nor to enrich your Treasury of content that is but a Pearl; but that must be received from the Bridegroom, when he cometh to welcome his guests, and to adorn each of his friends with a Crown of glory and immortality, and eternal life, which every one shall receive that hath the wedding garment on, when he shall appear in his glory, to show us the heavenly mansions that he hath prepared for us; therefore let us use all endeavours possibly we can to nourish that more noble Seed, and let us beware we do not stifle it in its womb, but rather seek to cherish it by feeding upon moderation, that so its Birth may be hastened, and its glory manifested, and then thy pleasant pastures will be beautified with that incomparable Lily, even righteousness, that so it may produce the effectual crop of peace and holiness, without which no man can see God, & let us not become only hearers of the word, but doers of it also, knowing that the time past may suffice us to walk as we have walked, in the vanity of our minds, therefore now let us seek to lay aside all such superfluities of naughtiness that we may learn to receive the grafted word in meekness, that is able to save our souls, and not to spend our time in eyeing the seeming delights of this world, but rather manifest yourselves to be such as seek a Kingdom whose foundation is laid in truth and righteousness, and to lay up our Treasure, where neither Moth nor Canker can pollute, nor thiefs break thorough to steal away, that so we may aim at that mark in which we may have just cause of joy in the end; for where our Treasure is there will our hearts be also: so shall we approve ourselves to be the friends of God by doing the will of God, and then our beauty will become perfect through his comeliness, and we shall receive an unction from the Holy One, whereby we may come to know all things, yea, even the deep things of God; and to persist from one degree of righteousness to another, and to treasure up for ourselves that hope that will purge out all uncleanness, and cause us to walk more wisely, and to mourn over him whom we have pierced, that neither grave nor death may have any more than what was assigned them from the beginning, that so we may joyfully and conqueringly sing, O death where is thy sting, O grave where is thy victory? This is the conquest that we have gained if we Love God, we shall not want that spiritual food, because he loveth us, and hereby shall we know if we love him or not, for he that loveth God keepeth his Commandments, and his Commandments are not grievous unto him. Thus desiring each one that shall peruse this my vulgar yet more loving present, to wholly unclothe themselves of all envy, lest whereas they think to dart my weak endeavours with any envions' dart, they overstrein their hand in venting it, and so make themselves altogather unfit for their more expedient war, by seeming to inflict any former grudge upon this my present Treatise; but I would advise any one that hath any thing against me, to let me suffer for that, in that nature that they do suppose me to be guilty in, rather than to defame any one thing here, that their conscience may tell them is truth, and let them render me what they please, I hope I shall have love enough to banish all thoughts of envy, that may seek to encroach into my delightful Treasury, from whence this small Treatise did proceed. I know many may be retorting upon me for the vulgarness of my Speech, but let them conclude, had I had as much leisure to indite as they may have to peruse each word, I might have mended some of those expressions that they may judge correctible, but let not any envy my mean instructions, knowing that they might proceed from as effectual a fountain of fervency as if they had had the gloss of more curious wits, assuring themselves it is an easier thing to correct an error in another's Book, or to think they can, then to write a Book void of others sensuring the same by them, if not proving it, thus let it suffice each of my superiors, that I have not any ways hindered the building of the Temple intentionally, but rather endeavouted to lend them my helping hand, to hue one small Stone fit for the bvilder's use, and if I find that my endeavours may any ways further or hasten the work, I shall have great cause to rejoice, and it will be a great encouragement for me to persevere in my intended work, and to continue, seeking to pleasure you with one more effectually wrought; therefore let me entreat you not to despise the workmanship of this, I knowing myself altogether unworthy to be employed so far as to take these work in hand, yet if my willingness stir up the Spirits of any in the persuance of this work, let them attribute the honour of it to the chief owner of the work, by whom I was both employed and instructed, and if any thing may prove advantageous to you in this my invitation of love, repay it to my Instructor, and do not set up an Image in your hearts to bestow any thing of obedience to it, but sacrifice your whole heart to him from whom you receive your life, and being, that so we may press forward toward the mark of the price of the free calling of God, by yielding him all the pre-eminence of what he hath wrought for us; and let us manifest ourselves to be his servants by planting the fruitful Vine of Love, that so our Lord's Vineyard may yield him its  fruits in due season; and as he hath demonstrated himself to be a God, and a Father to us: so we may resign up the strength of our minds, to serve him in his commands, and then we shall receive the reward of good servants, which will be unto us of more value than all the delightsome Husks of this life, which at the best are but transitory and changeable, as in respect of our more durable riches. What though all the unfrequent gusts of persecution may meet us in our progress, into the several Revolutions in this world, whence possibly we may receive the loss of all other seeming pleasures, by those that are contradictors of the truth, yet here will be our comfort, that we have a treasure that no man can take from us; if we keep close to the truth, no one can take away that treasure that is laid up for all those that shall be found Conquerors, by the overcoming of the lusts and pride of this world, in their exactness in the ways of truth, their pleasure will be in desiring to be at their home and centre, knowing that there they shall take their repose, whereas before they are dissolved from their earthly tabernacle, or house of this life, persecutions and afflictions are, or aught to be as welcome guests as joy is expedient in that that is to come, and herein is that ancient saying verified, that the way to Heaven is thorough a Hellish state of persecution; therefore in thy highest aspire let this be thy aim, that God's pleasure may be thine, and take up thy Cross and follow him, not valuing all the lets and impediments that may seek to hinder thee, from returning to thy constant and abidable rest, by desiring thy beloved to make haste to involve thee in his arms, where thou mayst sing unanimously all praise be to thee O God; And in the mean time desire thy beloved, to set thee as a seal upon his heart, as a seal upon his arm; for love is strong as death, and jealousy is cruel as the Grave: the Coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehemene flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned, the 8. of Canticles or Solomon's Song, the 6, and 7. verses, This is the Jewel that when a man hath found he selleth all that he hath to purchase it, even the hidden Manna, that a man may eat, and satisfy himself with all; which is food, only for those that have the white stone given them, and a new name, written in it, that no man can read save he that receiveth it; this is the new Commandment, and the old, even that which was from the beginning, Love worketh no evil, neither rendereth evil for evil; but contrariwise good and forgiveness to his Brother, yea, if he offend seventy and seven times a day; this is perfect love that abhorreth slavery by casting out fear, he that getteth this pearl insureth to himself a safe hiding place, where his Enemy cannot dert him by his rejoicing over him; for though he seem to fall, yet he shall arise, and the Lord will be a light unto him; and Psalm 30.5. For his anger endureth but a moment, in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.  
Farewell, T. W.   

ERRATA.  
PAge 7. line 19 read their for our. p. 17. l. 13. r. this Lawgiver for the Lawgivers. p. 22. l. 2. r. may for nay. p. 27. l. 20. deal as. p. 29. last line, r. need for more. p. 40. l. 5. r. end of a for end a. p. 58. l. 25. r. a righteousness for for righteousness, and the true wheat for thy wheat. p. 59 l. 8. r. hid for hid. p. 62. l. 12. r. and under for that under. p. 64. l. 2. r. he had for had. p. 63. l. 2. r. aspiring for aspirations. p. 97. l. 26. r. your Father for our Father. p. 94. l. 26. r. but contrariwise for contrariwise. p. 70. l. 25. r. so say for say so.   

JERUSALEM'S Glory: OR, The SAINT'S Safety in Eyeing the Church's Security.  PSALM 137.3, 4, 5, 6. 
For there they that carried us away Captive, required of us a Song, and they that wasted us, required of us mirth, saying. Sing us one of the Songs of Zion. How shall we sing the Lords Song in a strange Land? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.  
THis Psalm in general, was a repeatal of the Children of Israel in remembrance of their Captivity, as you my read in the first and second Verses, and hath relation to their weeping and being oppressed for the decays and wastings of Zion, and also their sensibleness of their enemies Derision, both in deriding them for their present sufferings, and for their former mentioning of Zion, and that their deliverance should be by the hand of him, who had been manifestly known to them in times past, by the name of the God of Zion. This text was Israel's repeatal, and it is, or may be any one man's or any people's, that can by experience condole these sad effects. I shall not stand to repeat a further rehearsal or Catalogue of the general discourse of the Repeaters of this Psalm: but I shall in particular insist upon the words before mentioned in my Text, in which I shall only observe these Five particular heads.  
1. The People demanding.  
2. The People demanded of.  
3. The thing demanded.  
4. Their answer to the thing demanded.  
5. And I astly, the answer of God to them in the thing Answered.  
1. The People demanding were the Babylonians, or men of Babel; for so it is plainly understood in the first clause of my text, for there they that carried us away captive, If any one be so scrupulous as to know where it is detracted from, let him but cast his eye to the first words of this Psalm, and he may answer himself, it was by the rivers of Babylon, or the rivers in Babylon, for there was it that these prisoners of hope were carried.  
2. The people demanded of was the Jews, as is instanced in the 5 verse, If I forget thee O Jerusalem.  
3. The thing demanded is mirth, or one of the Songs of Zion, as is plainly instanced in the last clause of the 3 ver. saying sing us one of the Songs of Zion.  
4. The people's answer to the thing demanded, that is plainly understood by these words, How shall we sing the Lords song in a strange Land? or rather as some do read it, How can we sing the Lords song in a strange Land? judging it an impossibility so to do.  
5. The answer of God to the Jews in the thing answered; the thing answered you have plainly in the 4 verse, How shall we sing the Lords song in a strange Land? but do but mark the answer of God to these cast down and dejected Jews, in the 5 and 6 verses, If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.  
The Doctrine in general will be this, That God's dearest and choicest people may be left in such a straight, that they may not know how to sing the Lords Song. I say, that those people whom God intends chief to make use of to manifest himself to in love and kindness, and to set his name as a pillar in the midst of, may be driven to such a straight, that it may seem impossible in their apprehension to sing the Lords Song.  
But before I proceed any further, let us consider these 4 particulars.  
1. What this Song of Zion signifies, or rather what is here meant by the Lord's Song?  
2. What it is that disinables or captivates a People from singing this song of Zion?  
3. In what Land or state this song of Zion may be said to be really experimentally and truly sung in.  
4. By what means a people may be said to be made capable, or learned in this School to sing the Lords song?  
1. What this song of Zion is, or what the Jews enemies might here mean by the demands of Israel? Zion is the City that God doth accept of for the improvement of all those that are of the stock of Ahraham, and the Lineage of David, in that state wherein it is witnessed that Abraham was God's friend, and David a man after Cod own heart, and therefore God giveth this testimony of it, as he witnesseth, that he would and did delight himself in them, to wit, Abraham and David, even so he witnesseth that his dwelling is in Zion, & that He hath desired it for his habitation, Psalm 132.13. and as he hath it Psalm 76.2. Zion is the City of the living God, and Psalm 84. and 7. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. And so the song of Zion ariseth from the occasion of Gods dealing with his people in that dispensation, that he shows and manifests himself to his people in.  
But it is generally observed, that wheresoever there is any mention made of Israel singing of Zions' songs, there is mention made that the occasion of their song hath relation to some conquest or other that they had gained, either over moral enemies as men, or spiritual lustful wickedness in their hearts, wherein they had experienced God's love in some way or other more than usual, but I suppose the song that these Baby lonians did require of them, was only that song sung unto God at the time of their deliverance from the Egyptians, and other such like enemies: therefore I shall not speak of the former in this place, but shall refer it till I come to open my text further, and shall chief insist upon this part, because it is most suitable to this our purpose in this particular; for that song that was demanded of Israel, was such a Hymn wherein was mirth to be used, as their enemies did understand mirth, not that they thought that the Israelites should ever again be delivered forth of that servitude that they by conquest had subjected them under, as is plainly instanced in Nehemiah 4. and the beginning of the Chapter, by Sanbalat and Tobiah the Amonite, who stood and mocked them, saying, What will these feeble Jews do? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, that were burnt? Even that which they build, if a Fox go up, he shall break down their stone wall; which words was spoken by the same enemies that Israel is here in this Psalm making mention of, as you may read in the 2d Book of Chronicles the 36 chapter the 5, 6, and 7, verses, and that these were the people that were carried away captive in the time of Jeremiah, and is made mention of in the 1. of Ezra, and the 1. that the word of the Lord by the Prophet Jeremiah might be fulfilled. I say, these are the People of whom is required a song.  
Now let us search what song it is that Israel had used to sing to the God of Zion, if we do but turn to the 15 of Exodus, we shall find what it is that Israel makes their mirth, and what is the occasion of their mirth or singing. The cause of their song was chiesly occasioned, by their being delivered from the hand of Pharaoh, and the fury of the Egyptians, the song chief consists of praises to their God, whom they owned to be their strength and their salvation, and their deliverer, as is manifested quite through the whole song: therefore I say the song of Zion that is here made mention of, is praises to their God, for their deliverance from their open and manifest enemies, and in Deuteronomy the 32. there we have Moses singing another song, of the same nature as this, praising God for all his mercies in keeping and delivering his people, saying, it was the Lord alone that had delivered them, and that they had not in the least deserved it at his hands. Again we have Deborah and Barak singing a song of the same, in Judges the 5. in remembrance of what the Lord had done for Israel, in making use of so mean an instrument as a woman to take a King prisoner, It was God (say they) that went forth to fight the battle, yea, the Stars fought in course against Sisera, yea they fought from Heaven. Thus I say, the song of Israel, or the Hebrew song as some translate it, or the song of Zion, as is here spoken of, and demanded of these Jews, is praises to our God for their deliverance, and ascribing of him the honour; and now they being taken & carried captive by their enemies, was deprived of singing this song, by being deprived of the victory: and so the Egyptianish or Babylonian deriders might justly laugh at them, and deride them by reason of their restraint, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion or praises to your God, for your deliverance from us, when God had given them into their hands as prisoners. I will not say but there may be more gathered forth of these words in a higher nature, but I suppose, I may safely avouch this to be the song that was demanded, and so I shall pass it over at this time, I having not time to enlarge myself so far as I could wish I had; or then I should open every particular clause, so plainly as God hath given me ability, but I shall scarcely give a touch to each thing that I have intended.  
Secondly, or the second things is this, What it is that disinables or captivates a people so that they cannot sing this song? I shall be very brief in this place, I shall only give you these 3 particulars, and so shall pass to the third particular of my text.  
The first and greatest debarment that a people can meet withal, that may hinder a people from singing this song, is chief their sins; this I am sure will hold with the opening the text, to the full scope of these words. I say that sin is the first stumbling block that occasioneth a people's unsufficiency to sing this song of being delivered from the hand of their enemies as you have it in the 1 of the Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah, and the 8 verse, Jerusalem hath grieviously sinned, therefore she is removed, all that honoured her despise her; yea this Prophet was the messenger sent oftentimes, to bid and warn these people to teturn from their evil ways, as you may read at large in his Prophecy, as in the 36 chapter and the 20 verse, and so to the end of the chapter, is very plainly declared, that his love and zeal for Jerusalem, is not a little manifested; for though the King did burn the Role that he had presented, in defiance of his words, yet is he as willing to write another at the command of the Lord, as ever he was to write the first, that if it had been possible to have wrought any good upon them, he would not lack means to entreat them to repent, but all was in vain, the people were altogether bend after their own wilfulness, even from the King that sat upon the Throne to the Priest that sat in the Temple, as the Prophet lamenteth sorely in the 2. of Lamentations 14. verse, thy Prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee, they have seen for thee false burdens, and causes of banishment. It seemed a pleasing and melodious Vision, that these Prophets did see for Israel, as indeed it is too to frequent with most, if not all people, if they once bend their minds to any one vanity, to hear such Prophecies as will secure them, as they think, from being in any guilt if they should practise and follow that vanity: therefore it was the opinion of an ancient. Heathen, that if any man did speak well of any of his practices, that he would ask him what it was that he asked him for? for he supposed, that if any man did speak highly of him, it was to deceive him, that he might gain honour or a reward by it: and therefore he had a fervent affection for those that did most seem to envy him, saying, He had none that instructed him more than his enemies, for be sure that if they knew that he did offend, they would not hid it, but would reproach him for it, whereby he came to know in part, how far he did offend in the thing, I wish many Christians have not a worse rule than this.  
Secondly, God's sury is the second cause by which a People are made destitute of singing this song; for as sin is the first motive cause: so God's fury is the effected cause of their unsufficiency, for when God is moved by sin to afflict a people, and that he hath waited a long time, it may be day after day, and week after week, and year after year, and yet can see no hope of their return, than his fury is moved, and it may be he will slay some of them with the sword, and give others to the famine, that so he may revenge himself of them for their high provocations, wherewith they have provoaked him to do it, so that they shall know if his sword once be gone forth in fury, it will tot return void of effecting the cause of its being moved: so that whilst God is a taking vengeance upon a people, they cannot in any wise be said to be sensible of singing this song; for the song is praises to God for deliverance, and no people can sing this song, unless the Lord be reconciled to them as a friend in love and peace.  
Thirdly, Or the third thing that hinders a people from singing this song, is the want of the Lords presence in times of trial; for though his love may be as great to them in the time of trial as in peace, yet if it be not manifestly known to them to be so, they are very much disenabled to sing this song, as it is recorded of Job, in the 19 chapter of Job and the 6 verse, and so along, the Lord hath overthrown me (says Job) and hath caught me in his net, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard, there is no judgement. He hath set darkness in my paths, I am destroyed on every side, I am gone and my hope hath he removed like a tree. And as Solomon instances elsewhere, Oppression maketh a wise man mad: so that I say, whosoever doth not see the Face of the Lord to shine victoriously in his sight, cannot experimentally and knowingly sing this song, but is (as it were) a stranger to the real and punctual harmony that the singers sing in, by whom this song is and must be sung by, but I shall speak more fully to this in my following discourse.  
The third particular is, In what Land or State this song may be experimentally and really sung in? for this, first we must understand, it is only to be sung in the Land of deliverance; and herein doth it answer with a perfect coherence to the text, as it is opened, for it is not the place that hinders them from singing this song, but it is the want of God's power to assist them in any place, that makes the Land seem strange for a people to sing this song. Israel could not account the wilderness a strange Land, by reason they could sing it there, & though it was as strange a Land as Babylon, as in respect of their acquaintance with the place, but as in respect of their participating of the love & favour of God in the place, the Land of Babel was stranger to them then the Wilderness, for in the wilderness they were delivered from their enemies, and in Babel they were restrained from their liberty by their enemies, so that they cannot say, but they were restrained from singing this song, so long as they were confined to be prisoners; and therefore did they complain of the decays of Zion, because Zion was the City of their deliverance, and that being wasted, they were by that means made Heirs of a strange Land, by being strangers to the song of Zion, for this song cannot be sung out of Zion, or the Lords fortified City: and therefore saith the Prophet Zachariah, in the 2 of his Prophecy and the 12 verse, And the Lord sholl inherit Judah his portion in the holy Land, and shall choose Jerusalem again; the Lord is pleased to call Judah his portion, and he will inherit him in the holy Land. Now there is no place that can be said to be unholy, as to what it was made at first, but by a people's pollutions in the Land, as you have it in the 102. Psalm, and the 19 verse, The Lord hath looked down from the height of his Sanctuary, to hear the groaning of the Prisoners, and to lose them that are appointed to death, well, for what purpose did he lose these Prisoners; it follows in the next words to declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praises in Jerusalem, and as you have it in the 99 Psalms, and the 2 verse, the Lord is great in Zion, and he is High above all people, that is as much as if the Prophet should have said the Inhabitants of Zion have set the praise of the Lord High above all people, or the praise of all people, yea even the Lord to Reign in their hearts, and so you have it in the last verse of that 2 of Zechariah, be still or silent O all flesh before the Lord, for he is raised forth of his holy Habitation; for when the Lord is raised forth of his holy Habitation, it is to Conquer and subdue, and silence all flesh, that he himself may be lifted up in Zion, in Judah, or in Jerusalem, or in the Inhabitants of those places that are Jews indeed, and in action, and not by being Jews, or Sons of Zion by name, or profession only, for those are the true Jews, and Sons of Abraham, that build up the decays of Judah, and do the works of Abraham, for as Paul said we desire to know no man after the flesh, yea though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet henceforth know we him so no more, and as you have it more plainly, Romans the third, the 28, & 29. verses, he is not a Jew that is one outwardly, neither is that Circumcision that is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew that is one inwardly, and Circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God, so as I said before, the people that willingly and joyfully do seek to repair the breaches of Judah, are such as must inherit the promises of God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and shall surely be Inhabitants in this Land, where this song of Zion may be really, and experimentally, and truly sung in; but I shall leave this particular at this time, and shall desire every one that is desirous to be an Inhabitant of this Land, to take notice of what his duty must be in Zion or in Judah, to which I shall speak more fully when I come to show you the Laws and the Ordinances that are in this Land.  
And so I shall proceed to the fourth particular, by what means a people may be said to be made capable or learned in this school to sing this song.  
I shall endeavour through God's assistance to make manifest unto your view these two following Observations.  
First, It chief concerns us to search who is the Lawgiver in Zion, or who it is that instructeth Jacob or Israel.  
Secondly, What these Laws or Statutes are, that are taught or ought to be taught in Israel, and how to be observed.  
First, Let us consider, that God is made mention of in several places to be the Instucter of Israel, as Psalm 78.5. He established a testimony in Jacob and a Law in Israel, and in Isaiah the 48. and 17. verse, Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the holy One of Israel, I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth the by the way that thou shouldest go. And in the 51 of Isaiah and the 4. verse, Harken unto me O my people, and give ear unto me O my Nation; for a Law shall proceed from me, and I will make judgement to rest for a light to the people. If any one be not satisfied that it is spoken to Israel, the foregoing words will certify him better, and as you have it in the 40 of Isaiah and the 9 verse, O Zion and Jerusalem that bringeth good tidings, lift up thy voice and be not afraid, and say unto the Cities of Judah, behold your God. I might instance hundreds of places more to prove this truth to you, but I suppose it to be needless; for wherever there is any mention made of the Author of Israel's Laws, and Statutes, God is made mention of in some one degree or other to be the giver of them, if it be mentioned of Israel as Israel, or as I have defined Israel in my forementioning of them, which is not Israel in name or show, but in truth & verity, it may be some one or other will be inquisitive to demand of me What God is? as I have oftentimes had objected against me, but I shall speak very little to that in this place; but in case any one be desirous to know farther, if I find him willing and desirous to be satisfied, in this or any other particular that I shall make mention of, I shall endeavour to satisfy him (if it be possible) at any time or in any place convenient. First, God is said to be the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. Secondly, God is said to feed his flock and that he is their Shepherd; and in other places to be God of fury to the wicked, it is one thing to look upon him as he is in himself, and another to look upon him as he is in us, or in his manifestations; but I shall defer this discourse in this place, supposing the unfoldng of it would be rather a stumbling block then any thing of edification to many: therefore I shall advise every one whatever, to assure himself that there is no iniquity in him, and that he is a hater of lies, and a destroyer of all the devices of the wicked. Thus I shall proceed to the second particular, What these Laws or Statutes are that are given to Israel in Zion, or the Holy Land, as some read it, or Judah, or in Jerusalem, and how to be observed.  
First, let us consider that as the Lawgiver is holy, so are his Statutes and Laws holy also, as you have it in the 119 Psal. the 137 verse, Righteous art thou O Lord, and upright are thy Judgements, thy testimonies that thou hast Commanded are Righteous and very Faithful, and as you have it in the 7 verse of this Psalm, I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy Righteous Judgements, so that you see plainly that the Statutes, and Laws, and Commandments of the Lawgivers to these Inhabitants, is Righteousness and Truth, and Equity, and Love, and Faithfulness; and as you have a Righteous Lawgiver, and Righteous Laws, so you must observe to serve him in Righteousness, if you intent to be a Subject in this Land, as you have it in the 118 Psalm, and the 19, & 20. verses, Open to me the Gates of Righteousness, & I will go into them & praise the Lord, this Gate of the Lord, into which the Righteous shall enter; Thou must not stand to frame a service to seek the bounty and gifts of men in it, but the Commands of God; happy is that people that is brought to that uniformity, that it may be truly said of them, that the Statutes of the Lord are duly observed in their land: But before I proceed any further, let us consider what danger may ensue upon those that are Inhabitants in this land, if in case they should obey and keep the Statutes and Laws in this land.  
First I say, That no man as man, but is very apt to deserve the being cast forth from inhabiting in this land, but the Lawgiver is a God of Mercy as well as Justice; but in case thou art as strict an Observer as may be, yet thou canst assure thyself of no constant content in all things; for whilst thou art in this thy decayable and frail Building or House of this world, there will be strive and turmoilings in the several revolutions and changes; and whilst we are striving to conquer them by our more high aspiring, the World, the Flesh and the Devil will be striving to show us their present seeming delights, thinking to intermingle out more serious and reasonable undertake with those things that have nothing but a show only of godliness in them, and nothing of the power: This is the great warfare in which you must engage as a Combitant, if you come into this land; for the flesh will be striving against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and those two are contrary: So that if you will seek after any dutable riches, any treasure that the moth and rust will not destroy, but it will abide all trials that are of this life, and will be the purer each time that it is cast into the fire; I say, if you seek to deal in such commodities, you must expect the frowns of these your enemies, nay, your King will be trying you, how your Zeal is agreeable to your Profession.  
But lest you should think to escape this scourge or correcting hand of God, I will endeavour to show you that it is good to bear it, and continue steadfast to the end, though there be a twofold Affliction incident to the peculiar and chief beloved of God, yet they shall receive a Diadem at the last, that will cause them to acknowledge it was good for them they were Afflicted.  
First, There is an Affliction that God suffers his Children to be exercised withal, as in respect of their having to do or dealing with things of this life.  
Secondly, There is an Affliction as in respect of our dejections in things appertaining to our chiefest content, as when we are hindered of our commerce with our God, and lie sighing & complaining as Job and several others of his Servants have done, Job says, I look for him on the one side, but he is not there, and behind me, but I cannot find him, no he hideth himself. He would not appear to answer Job in what Job did desire, neither would he plead with him till his time was come, Job cried out of oppression, as you have it Job 23.3. and 19.7. This is the burthensomest Affliction that may befall the Children of God, yea, yea, it seemeth so burdensome sometimes, that they may be brought to question, their condition to be worse than mere worldlings, that have no joy in any thing else but what they grapple after in this life, as David plainly instances, I said it fareth better with the wicked than with the Righteous, but when I went into thy Sanctuary, I found it was better to abide one day within thy Courts than in the presence of wicked men for ever, Psal. 7.73. How doth God see them, say the wicked, though we scourge them? Nay, David says, therefore are his People brought thither, and water of a full Cup are wrung out to them.  
But let not any man mistake me herein, and think that I speak of Gods withdrawing his affection from his People; but my meaning is only thus, that God withdraws himself in love to us, even as the Apostle hath it, Heb. 12.6. Every son whom I love, do I rebuke and chasten; to keep our thoughts from vain constructions, that all men are very prone unto, to have high thoughts of their own strength, and their own ability, and their own righteousness, and peradventure never dive into our own hearts to acknowledge to whom we are obliged for it, but forget the fountain from whence it flows and springs to us, as the Apostle Paul says of the Romans, They had a zeal to God, but not according to knowledge, Rom. 10. and the beginning of the Chapter, They being ignoraut of God's Righteousness, went about to establish a Righteousness of their own, and did not submit to that Righteousness that was of God: Even so we are apt to conclude with ourselves we have this good qualification, or this good blessing, or I am so Just or more Righteous in such a degree than such and such are, when we do not consider if we are so, that it is God's mercy to us more than our deserving, but rejoice in ourselves far above our Sphere, and look not back to him that gave it us; for this take one Scripture more of the same Apostle, 1 Cor. 7. verse, If ye have received it, why glory ye as though ye had not received it? Let him that glorieth, glory in the Lord.  
Be sure of this, That whosoever doth receive any gift of grace, or any benefit to his spiritual refreshment, or any enjoyment to his Soul's happiness, or in general any blessing from the Lord, and doth not attribute all the praise, all the glory, all the pre-eminence and honour to God that gave it him, it had been better that that man or woman had never received it, for he doth nor here in forget God that gave it him, but robbeth him of that praise and honour that is due to him also, or employeth that to his own praise, or the praise of some other thing that is due to God alone; so that that which might through due obedience and thanks to God have been a blessing, nay, herein become a curse to him that employs it thus, for to whom much is given, much will be required; and if that servant shall be accounted an evil servant, That laid up his talon in a Napkin, and restored it safe to the owner again, without any loss, Mat. 25.24. What will he be accounted that robbeth his Master and devideth the talon, and takes part of it himself for his own use, and yet hath the face to say, I have improved my talon better than such and such men, and doth not account? But it is well enough with him, & that he hath not been behind with the Lord in giving him what is his due, and if any man make any thing fit for his use, he will look to have the pre-eminence of it to himself, & yet he will not render the same to God.  
O learn of the Beasts of the Field, and do not envy their service, unless ye will act above pretence, The Ox knoweth his Owner, and the Ass his Master's Crib, but Israel hath not known me, my People have not known their God, Isa. 1. And as you have it in the eighth of the Prophecy of the Prophet Jeremiah, and the 7. verse, yea, The Stork in the Heaven knoweth her appointed time, and the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow observe the time of their coming, but my People know not the Judgements of the Lord: And I remember, the Prophet Ezekiel being showed the transgressions of the People in his time, that the Lord shown him some that did not let to work abominations in the Temple of the Lord, as you have it Ez. 8.16. And he brought me into the inner Court of the Lords House, and behold, at the door of the Temple between the Portch and the Altar were about twenty men with their backs towards the Temple of the Lord, and their faces towards the East, and they worshipped the Sun toward the East; By the East, as some Translate it in this place, is meant these people's looking for the chiefest light to consist in the worshipping of the Sun: This is a sad Omen of the stirring or awaking of God's fury, when a people shall bend their minds to idolise any imaginary conceit of their own devising, and bestow that honour to it that is due to God; he will have thy whole heart if he hath any thing of thee, and that in the right worship too, and not in any way that we think is most rare, because it is most harmonious in our sight; but in the exact way of the foregoing Admonishers, even Christ and his Apostles, and the Martyrs that were made to seal it with their blood, & not by praying to Saints and Martyrs, but to observe and do the things that they did; I mean the works that they did, and to praise God in the same way as they did, and in the same thing; and let us seek to press forward toward the price of the high Calling of God, and ascribe honour to whom honour is due.  
I desire you my beloved Friends, yea, every one to whom this small Treatise shall come to, seriously consider with your own hearts, how far you are behind with the Lord in this Particular, by reason of our unthankfulness, that we have secured ourselves with, under the banner of forms and customary services, and have not looked into the inside of things, to eat the kernel of the Nut as well as gather the Husk and the Shell; as the Nut can in no wise grow without the Shell and Husk, so no man can experience the taste of the Kernel by eating and feeding of nothing but the Leaves and the Husk of the Nut; God looketh as well to thy heart as to thy tongue, therefore if thou prayest to God, look that thy heart be joined to thy tongue, and that thy tongue speak no more but the real Symptoms of thy heart, and that thy heart be chief bend upon the doing of the Will of God, and not upon the beggarly rudiments of the world; for if thorough practice or custom of others you frame any Prayer only, so learned as by Book and not by heart, you might justly think yourselves far short of the receiving any benefit by them from God; I do not say but learning is very good, take it in its place, for we can be no servants of God, but by utterance & manifestation: But this is my end, that no man set a higher price of words than they should do, but consider the word is chiefly to thyself in thy heart, and therefore consider that thy heart be joined with thy tongue, especially in Prayer and Praises to God; for if thy Prayer or Praises to God be builded upon no more durable a Rock than formal or customary uses, it will be in danger of being blown up by the encroaching gusts of covetousness and hopes of worldly honour and preferments of men's applause, and these will get uppermost in thy agitations, and so thou wilt cause the more noble and excellent Wheat corn to be choked by the Tares and Thistles in thy more worthy Land or Vineyard; for if thou hast no deeper root in Religion than this, thou wilt soon be brought and easily be won to leave this upon any small occasion; for if one must be left, then farewell Procession, for I must leave thee to embrace honour, & riches, & pleasures, I & the good words of men, thou shalt have the name so long as my better Friends can have their free entertainment; but if one must be left, then farewell Prayer, and farewell Praises, for I can Pray as well in another Dispensation, but I shall get nothing but the ill will of men, and the loss of honour and estate if I continue in this way, it was good and honourable, but now it is base, I have have had the company of my Friend's wealth, and honour, and applause, but I must now follow them further, or else they will leave me; O it is a sad thing when Religion, says God, is one thing to day, and a contrary the next day, only for money and self-ends: This is one way of worshipping God, so called; but I fear it is no better than a worshipping of thyself, and that in the worst sense too, for thou dost but herein toil to gather Coals & Faggots to consume thyself in the last day without the great mercy of God, for this manner of serving God or rather thyself; it may be performed in any Dispensation, or any sort of profession; but if thou takest up thy rest in any such like abess or Centerest thyself in any fabric of this nature, know assuredly, God will blast it in the end, if it be builded upon no surer a foundation than self-ends and notional expressions; it may be God may let thee alone for the time that thou hast to spend in this world, but the end will prove the bitterer; the wickedest of men may seem to have a rest, yea, a pleasant one to their minds and desires it may be, but it is not lasting, it is not abidable, as the Prophet hath it, Esay 48. the last verse, There is no peace to the wicked, sayeth my God; That is, no abiding nor continuing peace; therefore value thy future peace beyond any present seeming content in this life, for thou must give an exact account of all thy actions in the end; do but mind what Solomon says of it, Eccles. 11.9. Rejoice O young man in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine own heart, and in the sight of thine eyes, but know thou that for all these things, God will bring thee into Judgement; therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thee: Therefore I say, look well, yea narrowly to thy ways, lest whereas you think to build a Tabernacle fit to entertain the Holy Ghost in your Professions, you deceive yourselves, and build an Altar to sacrifice to the Prince of datkness, in deceit to thy Souls ruin, and eternal torment: But to-shew you more plainly the description of the Afflictions that God's dearest and choicest Children are incident and liable to in this life, I shall only give you as brief a definition as I can, only to give you an introduction into the rest, it being my intention to speak more fully to the duty of a Christian in this life, as well as in other things, how to bear the afflicting & trying scourge of God's lovely chastisements; but before I proceed any further, give me leave to lay this down as a maxim undeniable, that God never tryeth a Nation or a People generally with such trials as to deliver them into the hands of their enemies, unless it be for their sins; but these trials that I intent to enter further into, are such which the Children of God are liable to in particular, when their Father doth withdraw his presence from them, as in respect of showing them what he hath done for them, although his love may be as great to them at that time as ever, & these are many times in many things not only struck at, but overturned in their expectation; not that I ever read, that God did ever hid himself to any of them so far, but that ere long time was over, they found it was not in vain to serve him, but that he did appear one way or other to them, to manifest himself a loving and a tender God; as Solomon hath it in the Canticles 5. and the 6th verse, speaking of Gods withdrawing himself from the Church, for their high thoughts of their own Righteousness, as you may read in the third verse, I have put off my Coat, and how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? She thought herself secure enough, and clean enough, yea, too clean to entertain her Beloved, though he told her, That his Head was filled with dew, I but his Locks was filled with the drops of the night; So that his Calls was too dark for her to understand, although his voice seemed to be like the voice of her Beloved, yet she could not think by the drops of the night that hung upon his Locks, but she was too clean to entertain him then; but when Christ had put in his Hand by the hole of the door, than her Bowels were moved for him, and presently her Hands drops with myrrh; as soon as Christ put his Hands into the holes of the door, she desired to have more Society with him; but when she opened that door, she could not find him, for he had withdrawn himself, and was gone from her view, and would not appear to her in that door or manifestation, although she acknowledgeth that her Soul failed her when he spoke; which is as much as if she should think that that Dispensation was not so efficacious to her in which she thought herself so clean in, as that in which Christ did desire admittance in, and therefore her Soul failed her, or her confidence, and she sought him but could not find him, she called for him but he gave her no answer; So that she seemed to be at a loss now, whereas before she thought herself to be clean.  
The Watchmen found her as they walked about the streets, and they smore her and wounded her, and the Keepers of the Wall took away her vail from her: This is the greatest trial that can any ways befall the Church of God, to want the presence of God to answer them in their Afflictions; and indeed, it is no more but the absence of God, or his not appearing to answer them in what they think to find him in, that causeth this Affliction to be so great; as this Church did not perceive, that she had any need of such guest as Christ, seeing he did not appear in that cleanness that she thought herself blessed in; but when she had smelled of the pleasant odour that proceeded from him, than she falls to enquiry after him, and chargeth the Daughters of Jerusalem to tell her Beloved if they found him, that she was sick of love; When she had experienced the smell that he left behind him, than she could not be satisfied without him, and she doth not go to expect him in Babylon, or to bear tidings of him in Egypt or Edom, but of the Daughters of Jerusalem, and there it was that she found him examining her what her Beloved was more than another beloved, as you have her Demonstrating or Anatomising of him from the 10th verse of that 5th Chapter of Solomon's Song to the end; and when she hath set him in as magnificent an Applause as she could well manifest, than she comes to sum all up in one word, He is altogether lovely; But before Christ appeared to manifest himself to this Church to open their eyes, they were laid down to sleep securely, supposing themselves Righteous enough, and clean enough, and pure enough in that which she had received: Look well to yourselves all you that profess yourselves to be Actors upon the stage of Religion, that you do not entertain this guest of self-conceitedness, and so shut Christ out of doors; for this Church had not long before as high a sight, and as sensible an understanding as any that ever I read of in the Old Testament, as is instanced in the second Chapter of Solomon's Song, and the seventh verse, I charge you O ye Daughters of Jerusalem, by the Roes and Hinds of the Field, that ye stir not up nor awake my Love, till he please; And yet now he is awaked, she will not open the door to him, nor give him any entertainment, and all is occasioned by his Locks, being filled with the drops of the night; but when he had shaken them off, than she comes to find the same truth again to feed of, as is instanced in the eighth Chapter of that Song of Solomon, and the fourth verse, if you do but mark the third verse, you shall plainly find how she is enabled to let him take his repose, His left hand should be under her head, and his right hand shall embrace her; These words are mysteriously spoken, for the left hand of God is seldom made use of to administer his embraces to the People or Church of God, unless it be such embraces as he bestoweth upon them when his Locks are filled with the drops of the night; for God doth most gloriously unveil our minds with the strength of his right hand, when he hath laid his left hand under our head, and then he shall not be awaked, till he please: Oh! it is one of the fullest say in the whole Scriptures, it is as much as if they should have said; not my will, but thy Will be done O God, and yet this Church not to know her Beloved: Now this is a sad and sudden alteration, as I remember the Prophet Jeremiah hath something of this nature concerning the Daughters of Zion, Jeremiah the fourth and the last, I have heard a voice as of a Woman in travel, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first born, the voice of the Daughter of Zion, that spreadeth forth her hands and bewaileth herself, saying, Woe is me now, because of Murderers.  
Why what is the matter Zion? Why dost thou cry out? What need is there for thee to complain, thou that art the Spouse of Christ? Can the Husband forget his Beloved Wife? No surely, he hath promised great things for thee, look what the Lord thy Redeemer hath promised to do for thee, Esayah 33.5, 6. The Lord is exalted, for he dwelleth on high, he hath filled Zion with Judgement, and Righteousness, and Wisdom & Knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of Salvation, the fear of the Lord is his strength; and in the 20th verse, Not one of her stakes shall be removed, nor any of her cords thereof be broken; and in the eighth of the next Chapter, For it is the day of the Lords vengeance, and the year of Recompenses, for the controversy of Zion.  
Oh Zion, Zion! what need is there for thee to fear, the Lord is exalted in thee, yea he hath accepted to dwell with thee, and to be lifted up in thee, he hath set the two Pillars of his Name in the midst of thee, yea what greater Pillars is there to manifest his Name upon the earth, than Wisdom & Knowledge, & then to give this Character of him, The Fear of the Lord is his strength: Oh! what stronger Fortress canst thou have Zion, than the fear of the Lord, than the love of thy God? For thus it is here meant, for this is not a slavish fear, nor a dreadful fear, nor a terrifying fear; no this is such a fear that is here made mention of, that may well be compared to that that the Apostle calls love, yea perfect love that casteth out all such slavish fears; and God promiseth further to be her security, No one shall ever move any of her stakes, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken: And he will not only be her safety to keep her secure, but he will take vengeance of her enemies also, and plead her Controversy with those that rise up against her; surely, any one would think that Zion might sleep securely, I but Zion is here spreading forth her hands, crying, Woe is me now, my Soul is wearied, because of Murderers; as if she should have said, my Comforter hath left me, my Beloved is gone, my joy is turned into bitterness, my melody into sadness, my mirth into sighing and sobbing, yea as she plainly expresseth, Esai. 49.14. The Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten me: Yea, just now was this Prophet a proclaiming her Deliverance, and the opening of her eyes, as you may read in the following Verses, Though a Woman forget the Child that sucketh at her Breasts, yet will not I forget thee; No, he than shows her, that He had engraven her upon the palms of his hands, and ●id her behold it: So that as I said before, the Church of God and the People whom he loveth with an unmeasurable and ever abiding love, may be at such a loss, that many times they may think the Lord hath withdrawn his affection clean from them; but I seldom find, but God stayeth up their hearts so, as to trust in him, that their Deliverance must be through him, though many times he tryeth their fidelity and zeal to him and his Name, and at other times doth afflict them for their backsliding and careless walking, to bring them to a more clear understanding, that so they may walk worthy of such a God, who hath laid up so good things in store for them: I might speak a great deal more to this manner of Gods dealing with his choicest and peculiar people in this life, but I shall forbear to speak any more in this particular, but shall refer what my intention is to speak further, till we come to speak of them, I mean the Children of God, yea those that are dear unto him, jointly in their duty.  
There is a second Affliction incident to these beloved ones, but whereas you have them conquered in the former as it were, you now have them Conquerors and Champions, for now the Captain of their Salvation bids them go on and fear not, so that now neither life, nor death, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come is able to separate them from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus: Now here you have the Shepherd leading forth his Sheep into the pleasant pastures of content, and now they know his voice so well, that they will not give ear to strangers, what though they be tempted with all the strangers seeming delights, with his rich rewards according to appearance, with all his promises of preferments, and all the enchantments that he seemeth to present them withal, yet all these will not entice them from those fruitful pastures, nothing can allure them from this contented meadow, where they have the presence of their delightful Shepherd, giving them their meat in due season, so that stolen waters do not seem sweet to them, nor bread eaten in secret, pleasant to them; no, they know that the assotiates and resorters thereunto shall have their portion with Unbelievers, in a place or degree far remote from their rest, from their content, from their delight, For their delight is in the Law of the Lord their God; and to manifest his praise and his glory in working wonderfully amongst the sons of men, and to declare unto others what God hath done for them, and for the welfare of their Souls, And all sorrow and sighing will flee away from them, neither the voice of mourning shall any more be heard in the midst of them, for the Lord that is their Redeemer is also their Husband, who bideth them awake and put on their strength their beautiful garment, for the uncircumcised and unclean shall no more come into thee, what though thou hast drunk the Cup of the Lords fury in times past, yet thou shalt henceforth drink it no more, but it shall be taken forth of thy hand, and given to them that spoilt thee, Esa. 52.1, 2. and the last verse of the 51 Ch. So that now thou mayst arise from the dust and sit still, for the Lord will redeem you from all your captivities that have been the occasion of your distressedness, that have caused you in times past to howl and weep, you shall be delivered from all your burdens that ye have unjustly born, for the Lord hath taken upon him to plead the Controversy of his People; So that now they need not fear what befalls their bodies, for they have a sufficient and satisfactory content, that it shall far well with their Soul, They fear not him that is able to kill the Body, and can do no more, but him that is able to kill both Body and Soul, and to cast them into Hell: What though the world rage against them, and their neighbours envy them, and their kindred, and chiefest of their Relations here below do make a mocking and scoffing at thee, is it any more than the Captain of your Salvation hath engaged you to by his sufferings? Know you not that if you will be his Disciples, you must wear your Master's Livery? Yea, though it be died in as deep a Crimson as his was on the Cross, Is it not sufficient that the servant is made equal with his Master? I am sure, any earthly servant would account it a great favour, that he should be admitted to have a garment made of the same piece of cloth that his Master doth wear himself, even so will all these that have experienced the honour and reward that is laid up at the end of their journey, which no man can prevent or hinder them of receiving.  
Therefore I say, these are not at all amazed at these things, no they are no more than the honourable garments that all the guests of the Bride-chamber must put on, yea and that with much willingness too, if it be laid down for you, or tendered unto you; for surely, there is no man but will rather choose a Diamond than a Cornelian if he hath experience of the worth of both in men's esteem, even so will all those that have experienced the love of Christ Jesus, and the content that is in his ways, and the reward that shall be received by owning of him in Truth and Righteousness upon the face of the earth, in the presence of all contemners of it, and all contrariers of it they will show themselves to be Children of their Father, and servants of their Master, and Stewards that will manifest their Master to be one that is not only able, but willing also to give unto all those that will labour in his Vineyard of the abundance of the pleasant fruit thereof, yea they will tell unto others what a loving and tender God he hath been to them, and what content they have had in obeying him, and what safety there is in his paths, as Solomon hath it Proverbs 37.7. All his ways are pleasantness, and all his paths are peace: Yea surely, the way of the Lord is great pleasure to them that know the plainness, and the evenness, and exactness of it aright, to them it is a great pleasure to walk in this way; but the slothful cryeth out, There is a Lion & a Bear in the way, and therefore he will not venture, he will lie down and take his ease, and fold his eyes a little more in sleep, or in his dark and obscure rest, I he will rather put things to the hazard, as men had use to say, than he will encounter with this Lion that will meet him and bereave him of all his lustful desires, and of all his worldly pleasures, and of heaping together the unrighteous Mammon of this world, by cozening and defrauding the simple, and by usurping the just privileges of the poor, the innocent and the harmless; I but here is something more yet, for here is a Bear also which he must meet, if he will take his progress into this way, that he must encounter with, which at the best will affright and scare him, if not tear him in pieces and devour him.  
Whereas those that have been exercised to such a manner of walking in this way, as to enjoy the pleasant Sunshine of Gods most glorious and unfathomable love, they know after the dimest and darkest night, the morning will produce light again, and dispel the darkness; so that though they see never so dark a cloud of God's fury in the way, yet this shall not be a Bear to them, no, they know that the Sun will break thorough it, if it be so that they keep constant in this way, and do not run astray from the punctual rules thereof; it is not a Prison or a Dungeon that will fear them. nor any earthly power, that is contrary to the truth, that will daunt them; no, they know that if the powers of men do not stand, according to the truth of God, I say, their lives will not be dear to them, not so dear but that they will rather part with their lives than part with that portion of truth that they have received, so as to call light darkness, and darkness light, to dishonour him whom they know is able to keep them safe in their evillest and worst of days, look well to it I beseech you every man and woman, and lay not any burden upon one another, by unjust and unrighteous walking, for this is the end a Christian, that God shall have no dishonour by his walking, for if you deny God in this particular, pray that he may not deny you before the Angels in Heaven.  
But before we proceed any further, let us consider what observation we ought to take in the performance of these holy Laws; for as I have showed you in the forementioned Laws, you must observe that as the Lawgiver is Holy, Just and Good, so are his Law's Righteousness, and Peace, and Love, and Faith, and Truth, and Patience, and Equity, and Justice, and Forgiveness, and whosoever doth not observe and fulfil these Laws, will lie liable of being cast forth of this land, and from participating of the benevolence and fruition of this Lawgiver.  
Therefore let us walk wisely in our station, for this short time that we have to abide in this our frail house or fabric of earth, that when we come to give an account of all our actions, we may approach before his Throne with all boldness, by laying fast hold upon him that is our Righteousness, Peace, and Sanctification and Redemption; knowing nothing of evil by our selves, and yet knowing nothing of Justification in our works or by our works, as proceeding from them that is, there's no one that is an Inhabitant in this land of Zion, but must observe and do the Will, of him that is the Lawgiver, and these are the duties of the subjects in this land, the which when Israel did discern, they had broken, and that it was only the decays of the Statutes and Laws of Zion, that had been the occasion of their Imprisonment; the which now considered, causeth their grief, yea, and that in such a nature too, that they could not keep it in, but it burst out.  
Therefore that all Captives that are in captivity, in any respect as to their inward freedom, may know which way to ease and release themselves, let them observe and keep these following Invitations, that in case they have broken these Laws, they may mourn for the decays thereof, and amend their ways by walking more wisely, that so they may be delivered, for that is repentance to amend your ways, therefore take my advice, and press forward.  
First, let us consider what these Laws are, that so ye may know how to keep them, the first and greatest Commandment is, to honour the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy Soul; and the second is, To love thy Neighbour as thyself, on these two depend all the Laws instanced in the Law and the Prophets, Mat. 22.37, 38, 39, 40. Not that they are differing, but hold all in one, or both in one; for thou canst not honour God more in any one thing than by loving thy poor Neighbour, it is the poor God as I may so say, or rather the sons of God, that hath need of thy charity, and not he that is the Creator of all things; for Christ says plainly, biding them to stand on his right hand, for I was hungry and ye gave me meat, and a thirst and ye gave me drink, and sick and in prison, and ye administered unto my necessities; verily verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it unto these little ones, ye did it unto me, Mat. 25.34, 35, 36, 40. verses: So that I say, if thou art minded to praise God on the earth, or whilst thou livest here, deal justly with all men, and as near as possible thou canst make that thy direction, to deal the same bread to others that thou wouldst have God deal to thee, for fear thy heart should so far deceive thee in doing to others as thou wouldst they should do to thee; I say, that is a Rule of Rules, if truly observed, but beware thy heart do not deceive thee in this, and thou thinkest thou dost it, when thou fallest far short of it, and so deceive thyself.  
For I account it the one and only way to set forth God's praise, to deal faithfully with all men in all things, especially to them that are without or of another mind, for who knoweth but hereby thou mayst gain him to do the like, whereas if thou should do to the contrary, he would not only be emboldened to do the like, but would reproach and defame thy way of worship, and bring a scandal upon all others that walk in the same profession as thou walkest in, and not only so neither, but dishonour thy God also; I would desire all professors whatever, to be wary in this respect, lest the Heathen condemn us in that great day of Trial, and do not inquire concerning the unconstancy of the times, nor the evil of the days, but take the Apostles direction, If any man desire to live long, and to see good days, let him refrain his tongue from speaking evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.  
And as it is beneficial to us, to speak and act the Truth, so as I said before, it is the only way to manifest God's praise, for as for what is done in private, is done only upon the account of our Souls, it is only a conference between God and us, so far as concerns our Soul's welfare or reward; but what we do before men, is either to set forth the praise or dispraise of God; and whereas Christ says, Give not your Alms before men: He doth not command you to hold up your charity before men, but not to give it only, because men do behold it, we must not make it our chief end, to give it to be praised of men; for if we give it thus, we have our reward; but if we give it before thousands, and could as freely give if there were no man by, and give it only to nourish their bodies, knowing that we are but stewards of it, and our Master may take it away from us when he pleaseth, for it is given us but for this intent, to feed the hungry and  the naked, and to administer to the necessities of such as are in distress, and in such cases it ought to be as really theirs as ours, for we are but stewards of it, and if the Lord of the Husbandry do find that we do not distribute faithfully according to his Will, he can take it forth of our hands in a moment, and call us to an account for our stewardship; do but mark what the Apostle John says, If any man hath this world's goods, and seethe his Brother in want, and shutteth up the bowels of compassion from him, How dwelleth the love of God in him? the first of John 3. Chap. 17.  
Not that I conclude, that the love of God must be in every man that doth relieve the needy; but be sure, these are the manifestations of God in his people; there are some it may be will relieve the poor, because their fathers have done the like before them, and so they will not have their name decay, but will seek to uphold it amongst men.  
And others it may be will give to the poor, because they will exceed such and such men that have as great estates as they have, that they may have more praise than their Neighbours: But alas! all this doth not reach the mark of a Christian, for thou mayst give all thy goods to the poor, and thy body to the fire to be burned, and yet have no charity, and it profiteth nothing, 1 of the Corinthians and the thirteenth Chapter, and the third verse, no the poor widow's mite, Mark the twelfth, and the forty third and fourth verses, is more than all this, and that is as little as may be, if it be so that you cast your gift into this Treasury with any acceptance; therefore do not stay yourselves upon this as any sure foundation, that it is enough to give, but you must give it with all your heart, yea, even as to the Lord, knowing that it is one of the greatest precedents of a Christians verification.  
2. And as you must be willing and cheerful, so you must be careful too in your Alms, you must not do it as if you did not care how you did it, or when you did it, or as though you did not care whether ever you did it, or not as there is too many do now a days, it is to be feared they do the work of the Lord negligently, Religion is too too commonly looked upon with too careless an eye, only for outward shows and ceremonial traditions, as I shall show you more hereafter.  
I say, you must study to do good works, yea, how to do them, that you may glorify God in your doing of them, and advance his Interest, and magnify his Name, and that he may have the pre-eminence of all; and therefore Christ bids them, Math. 6. in the beginning, Take heed when you give your Alms, and that you must not let your left hand know what your right hand doth: So that it seems there is a left hand that is contrary to the right, that is prying into thy giving of thy Alms, yea, it seems such a left hand, that is apt to declare thy bounty to be praised of men; and therefore Christ bids thee take heed, as in the next verse he plainly intimates so much, That thy Alms may be in secret, and thy Father that seethe in secret, shall reward thee openly: This left hand is a member of that body of which you have mention made of the right hand in the former Chapter verse 30, that if it offend thee, you must cut it off, lest it should be the occasion of the whole body being cast into Hell: I wish that we have not too too many such hands in our professions in these times, that rather administer to our applause in Religion here before men, than to the glory of God, or the relieving of others that are in distress.  
Look well into your hearts I beseech you, and examine them thoroughly, that you may repent if any such thing be while it is day, for God will find you out in the end; therefore I say, you must be careful in your deeds of charity, if you intent either to glorify God, or reap any benefit to yourselves in it; do it with all diligence and fervency of spirit, even as Paul chargeth Timothy, so ought every one to make it his charge and duty to be careful in this particular, lest you deceive yourselves and wait for a reward when you have had it already of men, from whom you sought it in your intent of parting with your gift: I must confess, in this thing or particular you may come very near to the mark in your own conceits, for to feed the hungry and  the naked, and relirve the oppressed, that is, a very good work, if done to a good end; But how canst thou say, thou dost it to any good end, or aim at God's glory, when thou settest thyself in the highest and first degree in thy Alms, and hast respect unto thy own praises, that men should adore and praise thee for it?  
No no, do not not mistake thyself, for no man can serve two Masters, for either the one or the other must be neglected and not honoured, God will admit of no partners, he will either have all thy service, or else he will not accept of any; I say, he will have no partners, but as he created and form all things, so he will have the pre-eminence of all things, both by thee and all others, either to your eternal happiness, or else by showing his power upon thee, to thy destruction; therefore you must resolve to be careful, if you expect the praise of God, or have any love to his Name, to do his work willingly and zealously, and to be wary that the Devil do not deceive thee in any one thing, and so take away the efficacy of it from thee by any of his cunning wiles, for he will watch all opportunities to ensnare thee in thy charity, knowing it to be one of the grand Pillars of a Believers warfare.  
3. As you must be willing to give your Alms, and careful how you give them, so you must be ready to give them; for if you say, you are or would be willing that any one that is in distress, should be relieved, yet many times when your conscience tells you, that such and such poor people are in distress, you are not so ready as to give them that relief that may in any competent measure diminish their grievances, as the Apostle hath it, Do all things with all readiness and 2 Cor. 9.2, 3. For I know the forwardness of your minds, therefore I boasted of you to them of Macedonia, that Achia was ready a year ago: The Apostle doth make his boast of their readiness, to administer to the necessity of such as were in distress, yea, he urgeth it to others, that they might walk by this Example, as not knowing any of more use in this life, it being one of the needfullest effigies of a Christian, as Paul saith of it, That your zeal in it had provoked very many to do the like: Therefore I say, as you profess yourselves to have received the love of God, so let your love abound toward your Brethren, as Christ says, Let your light so shine before men, that they seeing your good works, may glorify your Father which is in Heaven, Matth. 5.16. For God is the Father of such love, and he will not be ashamed to own those that do this work with willingness, and carefulness, and readiness, for we do herein as it were represent him on earth, for he bestoweth his blessings upon us merely of his own willingness and freeness, as it is expressed, Of his own will begat he us in Christ Jesus; and he is also careful of us, And shall not we be careful to serve him? As you have it, The true Watchman of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps; and he is also ready no bestow his mercies and blessings upon us, for it is expressed Matth. 6.8. He knoweth before hand what we have need of; as if he studied to know our wants, and to keep those things ready for us against we have need of them, For he that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it is opened unto him, Matth. 7.8. So that if you will but go to the Fountain, you may drink freely, it is not locked from you, unless you bring a poisoned Pitcher with you, to destroy yourselves & defame the Fountain, & then I hope you will acknowledge his love to be as great in this as in any thing; surely, men would be willing and careful, and ready to serve such a God who is so good to them, if they did or do any waves render their own welfare; I wish you could but experience the Apostles words in this particular, although he was speaking of another when he uttered the words, which are these, The love of God constraineth me, yea, I am accursed if I do not do according to his will.  
So surely, any one that doth profess himself to have received more than others, he will and must enforcedly man fest it in the sight of men, upon every or the most part of his occasions; I do not put this most part in, to keep any from striving, to walk in the highest and exactest manner that may be, but knowing the choicest of God's People may be overtaken in a fault, but not that any of them can pass by this fault without great remorse and grief of heart for it, and they could willingly redeem the time, if it were possible, either by a private Repentance, or public instruction to others; but this is a stile too high to speak of in these days I fear, and yet assure yourselves, it is no more than aught to be in every professor, for if you do but seriously consider in your own hearts, you will find it is not a careless thing to profess Christ, and acknowledge yourselves to be his Servants, for you must expect to do his Will, if you will be approved worthy of such a Master as I shall show you more plainly hereafter.  
4. As you must be willing to bestow your charity, and careful how you do it, and ready to bestow it, so you must be bountiful and liberal, in your deeds of charity you must not lay up in your corrupt treasuries, to buy such a Lordship, no nor such a small Cottage, neither if you see that your poor Brethren are in necessity, or want: It was an excellent Observation of a late deceased Scholar, who when the Officers of the Parish came to him for moneys, they argued the needfulness of men's bounty in such a good work, saying, There was none of more concernment than to repair the Temple of the Lord; he answered them, It was both needful and justifiable before God and man, but he bid them beware they did not respect the dead Temple for the living Temples, and so fail in their intent in both: So I would entreat all those that profess themselves to be religious in their actions here, of obedience to Gods Will, that they do not mistake themselves and adorn the dead Temple with superfluous varieties, when the living Temples wants a sufficiency to keep themselves alive, look well to yourselves: I account it my duty to deal plainly with you, I fear it is too too common in our days, for that love I beat you in Christ Jesus, I could wish it were otherwise with many of you, for if you neglect the repairing of the living Temples, there is nothing that will hold in any harmonious tune in religious obedience, it is not enough to say, the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, but you must show yourselves to mind the Temple of the Lord, for it is not a feigned profession nor a guilded ceremony that will serve your turn, nor mine in the last day, but as we profess ourselves to have received more than others, so let us walk more righteously and more faithfully than they do, that we may not condemn them with our tongues seemingly, and condemn ourselves in our actions in the sight of God and men, for we may seem here before men to be zealous for the Lord, and it may be think really that we are so; do but mark what Solomon says, There is a way that seemeth right, but the end is the end of death, Proverbs 14.12. And in Esayah 1.11. Unto what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices to me? I am full of your Burnt-offerings and your Sacrifices, I desire not so much of this manner of ceremonial services without you will work the effects of them; that is, To cease to do evil, and that they would learn to do well, and seek Judgement, and relieve the oppressed, and Judge the fatherless, and plead for the widow, and then come unto me and I will reason with you, and though your sins be as red as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, yea, though they be as red as crimson, they shall be made as wool: If we bring these Sacrifices before the Lord, he accepts of them, and will delight himself in us, but if we forget to bring these with us, we had better to stay away than come before God in vain, to expect a Blessing when there is none assigned for us, it is to as much purpose for a man to think he hath a true Faith in Christ, when he hath not charity, as it is for a Builder to think to build a Tower, when he hath but one stone to build it; do you not mind what the Apostle James saith to such sort of men, James 3. and last, As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead: It is true, thou mayst have a faith to believe there is a God, even so Pharaoh King of Egypt, Exod. 9.27. He did believe there was a God in Israel, yet he would not obey him, nor leave the worshipping of Idols, till the Lord did overthrow him and his Host into the midst of the Sea; and as you may read of Nabuchadnezzar, Daniel 3. He did believe that the God of Daniel was the God of gods, and Lord of Kings, Dan. 2.47. yet he did set up an Image contrary to what Daniel did worship, and commanded all people to fall down and worship it: So as I said before, it is not enough to have a faith, but you must have a working faith, a living faith, a steadfast faith, and an upright and charitable Faith, for as Paul saith, 2 Cor. 9.6. He that soweth sparingly, shall reap sparingly, and he that soweth bountifully, shall reap bountifully, let every man give as he hath purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity for God loveth the cheerful Giver: Not but that God is able to provide a sufficient satisfaction for his Children without your aid or help, but know, he will try thee O man, how far thy charity will extend toward thy weak and helpless Brother, God doth not make use of us for need, but for his pleasure that he taketh in seeing us improve our talents, and that we should manifest to all the world, that we are a People that have a God exceeding all other gods, in love, and tenderness, and bounty, and strength, how would all people stand reviling of our God, and disdaining our way of worship, if they should see us walk undiscretly and loosely, they would be apt to say, lo, behold how profane and vain a thing it is for such and such men, who profess they walk in a higher and more clearer light than they have done or than we do, but they can let their Brethren lack bread and , and can wear such needless tryphles, and build such and such brave Houses that we can live without, and content ourselves without; I say, these things may be done, if that thing that is more needful be not left undone, but if one must be left undone, I say look that you leave the less needful & useful undone, for know the life and body of thy poor Brother is altogether as precious in the sight of God as thine, this thy undiscret and vain carriage doth give thy enemy's advantage to revile thee, and to defame thy Brethren, and to blaspheme the worthy Name of our God, whereas if we walk more strictly, more wisely and more charitably, the mouths of all such people will be stopped, and they will be ready to commend thy way of worship, & to praise those that you do associate yourselves withal, and to glorify the Name of God, by which you are called: So that if you will profess yourselves to be Servants of God, you must walk in the ways of godliness; and think not that it is the performance of your duty, to talk of charity and love, but you must make it your business to administer and distribute your charity to all such as are in distress and want, knowing that if you will manifest yourselves to be employed in his work, you shall receive a recompense worthy of your labour, For if God spared not his only Son, but delivered him up to death for us, that we might be freed from the power of death: Surely, thou wilt not think thy sabout too much, to serve him in thy estate, or rather in his own; I say, thou wilt not be so unjust a Steward, to let thy Master's servants die for want of food, when he hath provided enough for them, no certainly, thou wilt rather walk up and down from one end of the Vineyard to the other, to see that all thy fellow servants have their meat in due manner and due season, if thou dost respect the love of thy Master, and the praise of it will redound so far to thee in the end, if thou performest his Will, as that he will make thee one of his Family for ever, and thou shalt reign in joy and gladness to eternity: Now he which doth this work of charity, must observe that he have not more respect for himself than for God in his heart, for look for it, for the Devil will never leave searching, to find out one tradition or customary self setting up, to find out some one devise or other, if thou take this work in hand, to represent thee unstable in thy undertake in one respect or other, knowing it to be one of the greatest Forts that a Christian can acquire, for his unattemtible and unanimous residence, if truly and exactly built, for without this uniformity it is impossible to put on the whole Armour of God; nay, I dare be bold, that no man what ever can assure himself, to put on any part of the Armour of God, and not take up this with it; For how can it be said that you have armed yourselves with Truth, when you have not obeyed the God of Truth? Or how can any man say, That Righteousness is his Breastplate, when he hath neglected to do his Master's business, and hath left his Masters Commands unobeyed? Or how can any man say, His feet are shod with the preparation of the Gospel, when he walketh in obscure and dark ways? If you have your feet shod with the Gospel, you will walk in the path and way of the Gospel: Now Christ is the True and Righteous way, described in the Gospel, and he thought it not too much to sacrifice his life for us, and greater charity thou canst not have, than to yield up thy life in obedience to the God of love, and no man can come to the Father, but by and in him.  
And as for thy taking Faith to be thy shield, when thou goest to withstand the Devil, thou wilt be overcome, if thou dost not take love along with thee, for the Devil will quickly find out a place to dart thee in, if thou leave charity behind thee; for this take what the Apostle says, Show me thy Faith by thy works, and then thou mayst put on the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit, for as he that redeemed you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 1 Pet. 1.13. and elsewhere, hereby shall all men known that ye are my Disciples, if you love one another, John 13.35. And the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, etc. Gal. 5.22. So that I say, it is in vain to think of withstanding the Devil, but that he will wound thee in one respect or other, if thou dost not put on all thy Armour, even the whole Armour of God.  
2. He that undergoeth this duel, or maketh war against this enemy, had needs be very studious to know, yea, knowing what it is that he is to encounter withal, for thy enemy goeth about daily to seek to circumvent thee: So that when thou makest war against lying and deceit, beware he doth not overcome thee, by imputing a strength to thyself in thy striving, and so get into thy harbour, and weaken thy strength and fort; likewise, when you fortify yourself against unrighteousness, he will be presenting thee with a seeming righteousness, that if you are not very watchful, shall give you more content seemingly than any that you have chosen, if you do not know experimentally the odour that is in your choice, for he will endeavour either to delude thee that thou art more righteous than such and such men, and so set thee a judging of others, and a taking God's Office forth of his hands, that he may bereave thee of the efficacy of thy labour that way, or else endeavour to Sow some tares amongst thy wheat & make you delight yourself in embracing, for righteousness for some one self end or other for his tares are many times so like thy wheat, that it is hard to gather them out of it, without it be so that thou art very well insenced of the nature and taste of them; and as for thy fervency for the Gospel of God in opposing all his assaults, for this likewise he will not want endeavours to stir up enemies both of thy seeming friends and known enemies, that if he cannot entice thee to a false understanding of them, he will endeavour to screen thy mind to abuse thy knowledge in matter of action, if it be possible, and so hide it from thy discerning of it; but in case he finds thee so watchful that he cannot make a conquest of the, according to his will or desire this way, then possibly he will try thee further, if God permit him power, so as to put thee into Prison, nay, it may be to take away thy life also, for thy servant zeal for the Gospel; but know if thou art brought so far, thy God will not leave thee then, though thou mayst seemingly have a Cloud for a season, yet the Sun will presently break thorough, and expel the darkness of the time at an instant, yea, in a moment of time; happy is he that overcometh all the rest, to give Testimony of his fidelity in this to all Beholders; but I shall speak somewhat more to that hereafter, so I shall defer it at this time.  
But you must press forward still, you are not yet come to discern the difficulty of this your urgent and needful care, for we are now to discuss the grand part of his enmity, in seeking to keep us from believing in the Captain of our Salvation, and in relying upon him for all out strength, now he is labouring to deceive us of taking up this Wapon of Faith, so he will endeavour to fix our minds upon our own strength, and to trust in what conquest we have, it is merely of our own care, and of our own watchfulness, yea, he will not leave any corner of thy heart unattempted, if he see that there is any possibility of getting within thy walls under a pretended notion of friendship, that so he may deceive and rob thee of this thy Weapon, it being the chief Weapon of our defence, if truly fixed, by which we are enabled to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and so keep our rare Jewel from all his demonical delusions, for if he once get this shield of Faith from thee by any deceitful contrivance, he will make a conquest of thee at his pleasure, for he knoweth it is not for him to assault any that have this shield in their hand to defend themselves withal; I say, it is not for him to attempt the overthrowing of these by any ordinary way that is contrary to their way of worship, or to stand in opposition to maintain a pitched battle against such who have their Faith truly grounded and fixed upon the love and strength of Christ Jesus, but he will not lack flatteries, such as may seemingly sympathize with the true and grand emulations of truth in show & profession, though it shall differ in the intent or end of their doing it; therefore I say, he that is a Warrior in a Christian warfare, must not war only against known waver, and unconstancy, and unstability of mind, but against seeming steadfastness, and seeming confidence, and seeming unmoveableness also, for you must stand upon your watch and examine every thought that cometh by you, and try it whether it will abide the Touchstone or not in every particular, before you grant it admittance, for you may be deceived if you do not take great heed, for the Devil may appear in the likeness of an Angel of light, and do many things unlikely it may be as thou thinkest for him to do, for he can be as faithful and as religious as the Scribes and Pharisees, but he will not be willing that you should attribute any thing to God as proceeding from him, or that you should aim at his glory in the performance of it; but as I said before, though your work of Faith be seemingly, the same in show or ceremony, yet it will not be the same in event and effect, yet it hath been so like the true Faith, as that the People of old have cried, Peace, peace, when the Lord hath not said it: Yea, he hath been so subtle in his end, as that he hath deceived both Prophet and People, and he did appear very subtly with these Scribes and Pharisees, for they did give the effigies of true Faith in many respects seemingly, for it was built upon Alms and the fulfilling of the Law and Prayers for their success in it, but they gave their Alms to be seen of men, and therefore they had their reward, for as they gave them to be praised of men, even so they had the praise of men for their gifts, and as for their aim to fulfil the ceremonies and rites of the Law they were very exact in many respects, as to pay Tithes of Mint and Anise, Mat. 23. But to relieve the oppressed, and plead the cause of the needy, they had small care of that, and they would make a conscience sermingly to God, as to pray often to him, that under a pretence of Religion in this they would devour Widows houses; so as they seemed to be exactly religious in the fight of men, they were not religious hardly in any one thing before God.  
For it is not so easy and idle a thing as many think it is to be a Christian or a Christ-like man, for if you build your Faith upon any other Rock than Christ's Death and Resurrection, I say if you do not war against all other fabrics, you cannot exercise your Faith with any good warrant; I say, if you do not pull down and root up all other appearances that are not one with this, and hold in concurrence in this as proceeding from the same root & centre which Christ's undergoing have meritoriously crowned us withal, you can in no measure exercise a Faith with any good Warrant, but we shall yoke ourselves with burdensome impediments in our more higher agitations and Divine aspirations, for no clear eye can discern things of so bright and clear an appearance, so Divine manifestation much less believe them, it is not to believe that it is any thing of our own merits that a true Faith must be built upon, but all such thoughts and conclusions strike at the original grounds of a true Faith, as and is contradictory an enemy to it as may be; do but mark what the Apostle Paul says of the grounds of a true Faith, Rom. 3.24, 25, 26. Being justified freely by his grace, through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood, to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of sin, through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say, at this time his Righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus: Christ will not look upon you as partners in the grounds of your Faith, for as he hath conquered all such enemies who did lead us captive at their will by his suffering for us, to pacify the Divine fury of his Father, and to be a propitiation for to interceded with his Father for us, that he might reconcile all differences that did hinder us from having a peaceable and complete union and ownness with our God, that so he might be our Father as well as his Father, and our God as well as his God, and that he might rejoice in us as Brethren, being united and annexed with him by what had undergone for us, that so we might jointly declare the manifold love of God, and sing praises to his Name; I say, this was the intent of Christ in his interceding to the Father for us, only he would not have us slight his undertake for us, and so deceive ourselves, and dishonour his mockings, and his scoffings, and deridings that he did bear for our offences, when we should have perished to all eternity, had not he stepped in between our sin & his Father's wrath, and did that for us that we were not able to do for ourselves; so that he will have us to own him to be the Author and Finisher of our Faith, Heb. 12.2. So as I said before, you must War against every appearance of evil, and every thing that seeketh to oppose this way of grounding your Faith; but I shall leave it to your study, to examine how many such guests you have given entertainment to, as thinking them to be your Friends, intending to speak a word or two more of it in some of my following discourse, if God permit time and leave.  
And as you have resisted and must resist all the foregoing invocations of this your envious, yet more subtle enemy, so you must engage against all his extrinsical and seeming ways of ensnaring you in your charity, for he will not leave striving to conquer thee by craft, if it be possible, if he see that it is in vain to tempt thee otherways, he will promise thee great gain and great content, yea, he will give thee all the enticements and the allurements that the whole world can afford, and he will persuade with thee that thou mayst keep all these and be charitable too, he doth not care how fair a pretence thou makest of being charitable, but be sure of this, he will strike at the very root of it, if it be put in practice with any true intent to God's glory, and that if you are not very exact in your deliberating yourselves, he will be too hard for you in one respect or other, for if you war against him in maintaining your deeds of charity, and do not war against his ends in your charity, or against your own pride and selfseeking, you had as good lay your weapons down, and do not pretend to withstand him when you go about to fortify his strength, for he had as live have you profess and practice both, so as he can but delude you to set up an Idol to offer it to, for it is no better if we offer any praise to any imagined thing that is due to God, for an Image or an Idol is no more nor less than to set up any thing in our Divine worship, and attribute more honour to it, and have more esteem of it than is due to it by God's appointment; this will be a hard saying for many professors to pass by, and yet it is no more than you will find to be true in the end; the Prophet Jeremiah hath a notable expression to this purpose, Jeremiah 44.25. the people would not be beaten down from offering spiced cakes to the Queen of Heaven; not that you read any thing that they had any form substance, but an imaginary fancy; and as the Apostle said in his time, There are Gods many, and Lords many, bue unto them there was but one God and Father of all things; and as he hath it in another place concerning others, They worshipped the creature more than the Creator, who is God for ever, Amen, as you may read Rom. 1.25. as he plainly expresseth in the foregoing verses, that they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an Image made like corruptible man and birds, four footed beasts, and creeping things; Even as if the Apostle should have said, that they worshipped themselves, and bestowed and attributed that glory that was Gods own by due right to themselves, and gloried in so doing, and delighted themselves in birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things more than in the Creator, from whence they had their being; and therefore he says, God gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Besure, that when they came to that degree of apostasy, God would not leave them without punishment for it, but lets them run into all unseemly behaviour, as you may read the 20, 30, 31. vers. of this Chap. when God gives up a people to their own lusts & desires of their own hearts, they run on from one degree of unrighteousness to another, till at last they are so captivated by their own lusts, that though they come to see that they act contrary to the rules of natural reason, yet they have small or no desire to leave it, but run on still and persist from one evil device to another, from committing fornication with their own lusts, to covetousness, and malignity, and so to murder and debate, and having no understanding, they become Covenant-breakers; as the Apostle instances, They were without natural affection, implacable and unmerciful: Therefore I say beware of Idolatry, and do not make it your business to worship these and such like Gods, as the Apostle hath it plainly, Phil. 3.19. Whose gods are their bellies, and whose glory is their shame; but fix your Faith aright in God's prescribed rule, and then you will be able to wage war with the Devil in his cunningest designs, but it will require your fervent care continually to watch, that you may know and be sure to be provided for his coming.  
For if you seek to do the Will of the Father, which is Holiness and Purity, you must observe what his Commands are, and do not think to secure yourselves by notional pretences and literal expressions, rudely reasoning with yourselves in the worst of senses and the extravigants of courses, accounting it a small sin to offend God, or to walk contrary to his Commandments of Love and Chartly, Peace and Truth; for if you walk contrary to this, you may profess what you please, but if your actions and intentions do not answer what your pretences seem to blaze forth into notional extremes, as I may so account them; I will not value that opinion, though they pretend to be Saints or Angels, for if they walk so loosely as that their own hearts condemn them in their intention, much more may God condemn them, who seethe in secret and knoweth in secret, happy is he that can try all things with Solomon, and yet not be linked in his affection to any thing; I speak as in respect of his serving or idolising any thing below God, he can rejoice with a Heroic spirit, not only that Devils are made subject to him, but that his name is written in the Book of Life; he can try and search into the secondary powers of the world, and yet not like to the Philosophers of the Heathen conclude, That the Images of them should be worshipped, because, as they say, they represent their Gods to them, and that the reverencing of God is the uncovering of the head, or the sprinkling with holy water, and exterior expiations, and exterior ornaments for our Divine praises, as musical harmony, and burning of wax candles, and light, and ringing of bells, and adorning of temples, altars and images, in which, as they say, is required a special reverence, and comeliness.  
This is not a Garden for such to plant their Vine in, who by the Spirit of Jehovah can like the Bee suck Honey out of the Thistle, and yet account the Honey-suckle the more rarer flower; he that is truly grounded in this, will well know what I mean in all the rest, it is not the Sun, Moon nor any inferior light by which they walk or act, but acknowledge a more supreme and splendent brightness to be their guide in all things, and that they can try all these, and make it experimentally appear that they seek the honour of him which governeth and ruleth all things, even as he pleaseth, and when he pleaseth to alter them? They are made subject to him at all seasons, yea, he giveth them a brighter splendour at one time than at another to our appearance, And what is the glory of any thing, but in the manifestation of it? Oh! happy is he that like the Bee can go to Thistles and suck virtue out of them, as well as forth of the sweetest Flowers, though they are more in esteem in their sight, it argues the spirit of discerning as well as the Spirit that tryeth and searcheth, he needs not fear the being deceived that knoweth honey when he tryeth it, much less he that knoweth it by sight, he will not like the Wasp lie prying after the Bees Nest, when he can suck the purest forth of the Flower, and peradventure there may be a more bitter sting in the Nest than he bringeth power to expel, as the Snake doth commonly keep both Bee and Wasp away, though they have both stings, yet let this be your observation, that the lesser must be swallowed up of the greater, or else be put to flight, thrice happy is he that is truly conquered by the true Swallower up of all things.  
He can plead a true and certain interest with any man or all men, for whatever doth branch forth itself, if really engrafted into this Stock, it will be abidable, although the winter frosts may seemingly eclipses the beauty of our professions, yet it cannot reach our root, but we shall retain so much sap there, as will cause our branches to flourish again in their season; for as the Philosophers conclude, the Sun will not spend all his year in a sign, where he hath his detriment or fall, but will by his progressive motion in his exactness, in his line or circuit go straight forward, and doth not look backward as though he was afraid of those captivating powers, that have, as I may say so, dominion over him at such times, as is apparent in our Horizon, that that power that he assureth himself of in March, he is deprived of in September, and that glorious show of heat, yea even to scorch us as it were in July, is overswayed by the unequal frequenting of a Januaries approach; yet say they, the Sun doth continue going forward still, notwithstanding all his repulses by the unfortunate solicits of his most potent enemies.  
Even so he that doth really know the worth of grace, and the benefit of his endeavours, that Christ hath purchased for all them that will believe and lay fast hold upon him in his Death and Resurrection; I say, such a one that is truly sensible of what worth and value Christ's Death and Life is to all those that enjoy a portion of it, effectually operating, over all the lets and impediments that are in the way to hinder his true discerning of it, he cannot but press forward, accounting himself happy in each step that he addeth to his journey, wherein he discerneth that he getteth ground, you need not to urge such a one to be wary, for he cannot but discern when he getteth ground, and when he hath lost, for if all men speak well of him and assure him of peace, yet if he in searching find any corner of his heart not swept, be sure he will not cry peace to himself, but will take the Besom of righteousness and truth, and will carefully sweep it out, and make all clean within, for he cannot sleep in quiet till he hath got his house clean.  
As no earthly man can take his rest when he knoweth that there is a thief within his house that will take all advantage to rob him, but will rather rise and lock up his chiefest Jewels, that they may not be taken away from him, if in case he cannot get him forth of the house; but though they are locked never so fast, and there be not any thief within his house, yet if he hath any treasure that he taketh much delight in, he will be watchful, lest any one should break into his house unexpected, and bereave him of that in which he so much delighteth:  
Even so a discerning Christian that knoweth there is a thief within his house, he cannot but dread the worst of things, so long as any suspected enemy is within his confines, but if he know that there is none but he hath tried all of them thoroughly, yet he will stand upon his watch, and keep his doors locked about him (when he is at home and when he goeth abroad) he is wary with whom he doth confer as associates fit for his result, so that whether he is with the Lord at his home, or whether in the turba of the mind, yet he will be watchful, that strangers do not intermeddle with his joy, in any way to deprive him of that enjoyment by which he can convey his soul to its most fixed bliss, no man can beat him off of this his watchfulness, when he hath once tasted the love of God, so as to witness that he is satisfied with it, not that I think it is enough to seem satisfied or to talk of being satisfied, but I speak of them that are really and indeed satisfied; you have a notable Text of Scripture in the 4th of John, Christ tells the woman of Samaria, that he that drinketh of that water that he shall give them, shall never thirst again; and in the 6th of John he tells the Jews, that their Fathers did eat Manna in the Wilderness and were dead, but whosoever shall eat of that Bread which I shall give them, shall live for ever: I will not say but many may taste of this Bread in some measure in many degrees, and yet never hardly stand upon their watch, to keep Dogs from eating of it out of their mouths, as I may so say, and carrying it away out of their sight, and bring them some of their old diet, even Garlic and Onions; these are such as were taken in the Parable for the stony ground, in which the seed wanted root, yea, the heat of the Sun caused it to whither, but that which fell on good ground, brought forth plentifully, even unto the harvest: Therefore I say, he that warreth in this life, must be sure to watch when the enemy doth seek to assault, and batter down his Walls, and to defame his Weapons, and to poison them with his intermingled seeming delights, whereby he doth lie in wait to infect us, even as a Fisher doth lay bait for to catch his intended prey.  
So that you shall have baited hooks, such as you will think are very rare and agreeable to suit with your disposition as near as may be, and to advance his own ends, he will fit you if it be possible, for he hath variety of pleasant dainties, if you will but be persuaded to deal with him, he will deal for small profit rather than lose your acquaintance, if it be but a making slight of your word, or a self-conceitedness in your worship, or to worship for custom, or to believe, because others say, it is true, when it may be you have no warrant in your own hearts that it is true, but because others say, it is so, therefore you will believe it, for you are sure that such men would not say it, if it were not so, as I have heard many say, when they have had no other reason to believe it, but because other men have affirmed it.  
Alas! my poor Friends, you that have no other ground for your Faith than what another doth give you; I say, that you that satisfy yourselves with what others say, and do not inquire whether it be according to God's Holy Word that is left us for an Example, you are far from knowing what you fix your Faith upon, and you will be like to the Children of Israel that could follow Moses, because they saw that God did work many Miracles by him, but when Moses was longer in the Mount than they supposed he would have stayed, they are presently at a loss, and charge Aaron to make them a God to go before them, Exod. 32.1. and as we read they were forty years under his Preaching to them, and yet it is recorded of them, that they knew not the ways of God; there is many Writers that affirm them to be a peculiar and absolute People by their deserts, but I find no such thing recorded in Scriptures, therefore I shall speak what is made manifest to me, though I know it will seem harsh to many, to believe what I have here inserted, but I would have them to take notice, that it is one thing for a People to be made happy by desert and obedience, and it is another to be made happy by Gods infinite mercy and forgiveness, as you have Israel made happy by God's love and compassion to them in the Wilderness, but not by desert; there is a great difference between Gods loving a People, & a People's obeying God, therefore I would desire every one to seriously consider when they read or hear what is the occasion of the words spoken, and the time when it was spoken, and the dispensation that the People were under when it was spoken, and what degree of faith the People were heirs of by knowledge, that it was effectually to be made theirs, for if your enemy can but entrap you, he will soon be more potent, if it be possible, for he hath an apple for Eve, and so to betray Adam, and a discontented pride in Cain to bring him to murder Abel, Gen. 12. and a fear in Abraham, to make him deny that Sarah was his Wife, and a Feast for Noah, to make him commit fornication with his two Daughters, and a Covetousness in Jacob, to deny his Brother a Mess of Pottage, unless he would assign him his Birthright, Gen. 25. and afterwards he feared that God was not able to help him to the blessing of Isaac without his deluding of his old Father, and belying the truth, and a pride for David, that he might number the People, and so displease his God, 2 Sam. 24. and a lovely Delilah for Samson, that he might take away his life, Judg. the 16.  
I might instance several things more of these his forementioned stratagems and cunning devices which he hath made use of, as is apparent in the Old Testament and New, to which I shall refer you; happy is he that keepeth his watch and standeth closely armed, ready to answer him in any of his attempts, that he may rejoice over all his works, that hath gained the Victory by keeping close to the rule of his preserving and defending Saviour, knowing that it is by his strength that he doth stand, by giving heed to the narrowst and difficulst of his Command, observing it merely for the glory of his Father, knowing that he can no ways show himself to seek a Kingdom that is not of this life, unless he renounce the pleasures of this life, For whosoever calleth God Father and abideth in sin, is a Liar, John the first the 1 Chapter and 4. Because he calleth God Father, when he hath not known God in his manifestations, neither doth God own his actions.  
There is a People whom I have heard much of, that when they are going about any thing that they imagine, will hardly bear the razed of the Scripture, they will say, that they will inquire of God, whether they may do it or no, and so will through the strength of the desire of their own wills, draw the sense and intent of the Scriptures to what they please, or what pleaseth their fancy best, and think themselves secure enough too, if they have but framed a Prayer for God to direct them in it, though it may be they will not hearken to what God putteth into their minds at that time neither, but adhere rather to what is more beneficial, as they think, for their own ends, not that they will blot the Scripture clean out in show, but it shall seem difficult to them in such cases, and so will under a pretence of Religion, do those things that neither Reason, Equity nor Scripture will bear them any Testimony of; This is as much as if they should go to inquire of God, whether they might freely murder a man or not, and if their desire be drawn out to it, and in case God do not show them some wonder or sign, or presently pour down some Judgement upon them, they should be free to do it.  
This is as a great a delusion of the Devil, to draw any man's mind to Prayer, for God to direct them in any thing, when their minds are absolutely bend to do wickedly; I say, it is one of the highest provocations to provoke God's fury that you can invent, as the Psalmist hath it, The Prayers of the wicked are abomination unto the Lord: It is a thing too common in our days, for many men to content themselves with a form of Prayer, when it may be they understand not any one petition of what they require, nor that the thing that they require be according to the Will of God or not, which he hath left for our instruction, but rather seek to bring the Will of God to those things that may stand with their advantage and their benefit, and if they can but keep themselves from the Laws of men, taking hold of them, they think they shall be safe enough, so that they can but have the praise and applause of the great Rabbis of the times, they look no further; but it was Moses choice, Rather to suffer afflictions with the Children of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, Heb. 11.25.  
But those that seek a Kingdom in this world, they take little or no care for their future joy, but think it shall always go well with them, because they imagine it is rather better with them than with the Righteous at present, and they see no alteration, but God's love is as much to them as to any one sort of People, and they flourish as David says, like a green Bay-tree, and have no frowns from God, neither see any change, therefore they go on securely as they think, and they will persist in their own ways still, as the Psalmist hath it Psal. 55.19. God shall hear and afflict them, even he that abideth of old, because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God: It is not enough to think of being secure, because they see no change, God may let thee alone it may be for the time that thou art to live or abide in this life, but be sure of this, you must come to give up your account at the last day, where all your actions will be tried by the fire, whether they will abide or not, and whatever we have done in this life, must be brought before the Judgement Seat of God, where great men's words will not serve our turn, nor all our former seeming Friends can bail us, but Justice will be Justice, as well as Mercy will be Mercy, God cannot lay neither of them aside; therefore stay not your minds upon great men's ability, neither upon the pretended friendship of any man or men, for it is thy own conscience that must appear to excuse, or else accuse thee; so that I say, rather lose the friendship of all other seeming friends than wrong this thy chief Friend, which if he be forced to be thy enemy, will do thee more wrong than all thy other friends can do thee good, setting Christ's sufferings aside, and they will be of small or no effect to thee, if you give admittance to any unrighteous guests; therefore rather lose all the friendship that may any ways seem to prefer thee in this life; yea, thy right hand, than endanger the being shut forth of Heaven; it is not any other friend, save thy Conscience, that must give an account for thy actions in this life, it will lie upon thyself, either for good or evil, The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Pearl, that when a Merchant hath found, he selleth all that he hath to purchase it, Math. 13.45, 46.  
Even so he that hath ever experienced the love of God, will leave his Father and Mother, and all other seeming friends whatever, rather than lose this Pearl, or act contrary to the Truth; yet Christ doth not any ways advise Children to be disobedient to their earthty Parents in respect to their obedience, if it be possible to content them or obey them, but rather adviseth them to be just obeyers of God, by keeping the Commandments of God, commanded to be kept in the presence of God and men, and not that any one can imagine himself to be an approved fulfiller of the Laws of God, so long as he acts unjustly between man and man, as I remember it was historically expressed of the judgement of some Heathens, concerning the opinion of the Christians, that they judged the God of the Christians was not a good God, by reason of their unfaithfulness one toward another, and their unhuman carriage toward them: It is a sad omen of conversion, when they that should become a pattern to others to walk by, become a reproach and defame to their God, or rather the God of truth in their actions towards men; I never did read that Christ or his Apostles did leave them any such example, but rather to approve ourselves to be examples of the Flock, and not Lords over God's Heritage, and ro offer no offence neither to the Jew nor Gentile, 1 Cor. 10.32. but rather show ourselves to be such as seek to glorify the Name of God by our uprightness and exactness to men.  
Even as it is recorded of the Prophet Daniel, Dan. 6.4.5. Then the Precedents and Princes sought to find an occasion against Daniel concerning the Kingdom, but they could find none occasion nor fault forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault in him; then said these men, we shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the Law of his God: Faithfulness is a happy ornament, though they that wear it may be persecuted by men, yet they will be upheld by God.  
Oh! let us not pretend to be spiritual Walkers, when we have not acted the things that meet Moralists account no less than their duty to do, lest we become heirs of that woe pronounced against the Seribes and Pharisees, Math. 23. for pretending to be more righteous than any one sort of people in their time, and under a pretence of long Prayers, devour widows houses, and pervert the cause of the needy: Oh! let me entreat you, to look to your Souls, and do not make your liberty a cloak of maliciousness and deceit, but go to the light, that your deeds of darkness may be reproved: And know, you can no ways tempt God more than to pray to him with any self-endedness, you do no better than seek to pull a curse upon your own heads, but whenever you would be directed to pray, take these three Directions:  
First, Desire with the help of God, to banish all self-ends and self-aims, that so you may come to understand the Will of God in the Scriptures.  
Secondly, Consider really with yourself, that the thing that you do desire, is not to the prejudice of any one, but that you do as you would have others do to you, in case they were in your condition.  
Thirdly, Be sure that you use as much mercy in your undertake, as you would have God use to you in the last day, and then if you find that all these agree in and with your undertake, you may expect an Answer assuredly from the Lord, that is to say, a Blessing.  
For do but mind the strange appearances of men in our times, in their intercessions to God in Prayer, one prayeth for the restoring of one thing, & another prayeth for the throwing of that thing down, and one will persecute another, because he will not worship God as he would have him worship him, and another will seek to take away the life of others, because they will not be conformable to what they conceive is the right way of worship, so that Religion may but be your cloak, you value not what rule you have for your actions; Oh England, England! hast thou forgot a People that the Prophet complains of, That drew near to God with their lips, but their hearts were far away from observing his ways: Oh! that I could but cause thee to understand the things that belong to thy peace, before they are hid from thy eyes; then surely you would own God to be a God of peace and love, and not such an imagined fancy as most men imagines him to be, and then you would come to understand that obedience is better than sacrifice, and to hearken is better than the fat of rams, and to cry, Who is Paul? and who is Apollo? and who is Cephas? Paul plants, and Apollo waters, but it is God that must give the increase, 1 Cor. 3.  
It is far better for us to leave off professing ourselves to be religious, than to pretend to a great height of Religion, and walk in the unhuman rudiments of the world, for whosoever will be a Disciple of christ, must take up his Cross and follow him, in his ways as he walked in; he must not turn back to fetch any self-end to carry along with him, for if he do, he will endanger the being shut forth of the Bride-chamber, neither may he be freed from many encounters with the perverse enemy of all mankind, but must take up his Cross and march forward thorough persecutions, and afflictions, and crosses in this life, and the more he seeketh to serve his Master, the more he will be had in disdain, not that any can tax him with injustice either to God or men, but wherever Christ hath a Church, the Devil will be labouring to lay one stone or other, you may go on a great way, and build a very fair Tabernacle with moral stones, and have the love of men, and not the hatred of the Devil; but if you come to understand your task, what it is that you are to build, be sure he will seek to torment you, and make your wages as uncomfortable as he can, he will have a Cain to persecute Abel, and a Ishmael for Isaac, and an Esau for Jacob, and ten Brethren against Joseph, and whole Cities and Nations against the Prophets and Apostles, nay, he would not leave Christ unattempted.  
So that as I said before, if you will enter into this Company to be one of their Society, you must not think it too much to be a false prophet in others esteem, but as all your Fore runners have done, count it your joy that you do not deserve it at their hands, what though you are counted a Magician with Moses and Daniel, or a worshipper of a contrary thing with the most part of the Prophets, or a changer of customs and a profane person, or a wine-bibber, or a mad man, or a breaker of the Sabbath with Christ and his Apostles, account it your joy to bear the reproach of these things, but be sure to keep yourselves free from deserving any of them, but approve yourselves to be his friends, by doing what he hath commanded you, and then let the world rage, and the Devil spit his venomous poison how he please, God will provide you that that will expel it.  
And whenever you are brought to that maturity of knowledge, as to experience the love of God as it is in Christ Jesus, you will not sell your Birthright for all the seeming preferments, and advancements that any unrighteous tempter shall seek to betray you withal, look to the branch and you will most commonly find what it is that nourisheth the root, if it be nourished by any inward spring, or grow by the River side, it will flourish, although the showers of rain do not come so frequently as they were used to do, for he that knows not how to suffer with him, never knew how to rejoice with him, and he that is his, knows how to do both.  
But let not any one mistake me herein, and think that I conclude that every one that suffers, must suffer for Christ.  
I must confess, I hardly did ever read that any Moralist could suffer for what he did maintain, or seek to maintain, if he could any ways prevent his suffering; but in case he could not avoid suffering, any man will rather choose that in which he hath had most experience, as a Philosopher for his Philosophy, and a Martialist for his Adventures in War; but happy is he that can lay down his life as freely as keep it, upon the account of his Lord and Master, in due respect to his honour and glory, and not for self-ends, or self-glory.  
Many I know will be harping at these expressions; but let them know, that as I do not conclude the Scriptures to be void of reason, so also I conclude, that it is beyond the moral reason of men, to find out the depths of the Scripture.  
And as concerning War, I must count it is a thing in fashion in our days, and for me to seek to alter this fashion, I shall lie liable to the censures of men, yet let the Scriptures be true, and have that respect to them that you should have, and then let me be what you please, I shall be brief in this particular at this time, only refer you to those words of Christ that he left with his Disciples, Mat. the 26. and 52, & 53. verses, Put up thy Sword again into his place, for all they that take the Sword, shall perish with the Sword, Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall give me more than 12 Legions of Angels, but how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? and 2 Cor. 10.4. For the Weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God; This is beyond the work of a moral sword: And Epkes. 4.3. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace; and James 4.1, 2, 3. From whence comes wars and fight amongst you, come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members, ye lust and have not, ye kill and desire to have and cannot obtain, ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not, ye ask and receive not, because you ask amiss, that ye might consume it upon your lusts, he that is a Friend of the world, is an enemy to God; and as you read in the first Book of the Chronicles 28. and 3. But God said unto me, thou shalt not build a house for my Name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood; So that if that Temple of God could not be builded by blood that was but a Type of the true Temple; surely, the true Temple cannot be builded with blood or war, but in peace; it is not that Egypt is righteous enough to build the Temple of the Lord, though they may be made a scourge to Edom, as Nabuchadnezzar was to Israel, I will not accuse a defensive sword, because I have seen that the manifestations of God are not all of them made known to any one man; but I cannot find that any Disciple of Christ should use a moral sword, as he is a Disciple of Christ, or a Builder of the true Temple, for he that is a Builder of the true Temple, ought not to take revenge against his enemies, but commit his cause to the Lord, to whom vengeance belongs; and therefore Christ bids us to forgive our enemies, lest we should seek vengeance where God seeks none, for we are apt to condemn where God justifies, and to set ourselves upon his Seat; Where is any of God's Messengers, but have received this censure from the men of their times? Therefore lest we should be liable to this failing, Christ warns us not to judge our Brethren, lest we be judged, for to his own Master he standeth or falleth: Nay, we are forbid to judge, according to what it appears to us, John 7.24. judge not according to appearance, but judge Righteous judgement: And no man can judge by appearance in many things, but he will doubt whether he judgeth right or not; therefore as we cannot measure God's love, let us forbear judging ourselves to be better than others, lest we undervalue Christ's sufferings.  
But as concerning an offensive War, I find not any grounds in Scripture for it, and if any man can show me any Scripture for it since the death of the Testator, at which time the Testament was of force, I shall not take it ill at his hands, for I have not so learned Christ as to flatter any one, Job 17.5. He that speaketh flattery to his friend, the eyes of his Children shall fail; Prov. 27.5, 6. Open rebuke is better than secret love, faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.  
But some one may Object, Why did not Christ bid the Soldiers lay down their Arms, that came to ask him what they should do, he did not disencourage them in their undertaking, but bids them do violence to no man, and be content with their wages?  
I Answer, That any man that is a perfect Performer of this part of his duty, may give a just account of his actions, but you must observe that he that advises them to that, commanded also that they should love their enemies, and bless them that curse them, & pray for them that despitefully use them, Mat. 5.44. So shall you approve yourselves Children of your Father which is in Heaven.  
But I suppose that Christ did never advise any of his Disciples to go to War with the worst of their enemies, nor to fight for a Kingdom of this world, but rather suffrr by the men of this world, if one must be; and as for his advice to the Soldiers, I suppose it was rather that they should not break their engagements in what they were engaged in, as in respect to their Governors, or their loyalty to their promise, rather than his owning of the War to be according to the Will of God, for those for whom they fought were such as Christ doth condemn to be mere worldlings; And therefore how could their cause be good? And yet he would not advise them to break their engagements, but to act truth, that those whom he had spoke against for doing of injustice, might not have any thing to accuse him of, neither in advice nor action; For what difference is there between the Righteous and the Wicked? But only in their actions, as in respect of their honouring or dishonouring of God: It is a very vain thing for any one to think they are spiritually Righteous, when they are not morally just; For how can any man spirituallize himself, and not use morality? For whatever is manifested to be acted between man and man, is external, in respect of decayableness and noncontinuance; therefore God expects, that as you have received a Talon of Righteousness and Truth, so you should act truth and deal justly with all men, and not to boast of a Talon of Truth and Righteousness, when you act contrary, and do not improve it, but abuse the true use of it, for God is better pleased in the just demeanour toward men, than with thousands of sacrifices by your pretences in Religion, even as that is instanced of the Children of Israel in the time of Joshuah, as you may read Joshuah 9.19. they could not kill the Gibeonites, because they had made a Promise, that they would not destroy them, although the Lord had commanded to destroy all those people and places, showing them the danger of making a league with them, as you may read Deuteronomy the 7th. Oh! how would many in our days swallow such an Oath, and never think themselves hardly the worse for so doing! should such a thing extend to their own ends in any one particular, these people might have pleaded that they could not disobey the Commands of the Lord, who had commanded them to destroy both young and old, and that they entered into Oath with them upon no other account, but as being a people that lived at a distance from the place which God had given them, and that it would be a great danger of their, sons marrying with their daughters, and their daughters with the Gibeonites, and so entice them to follow other gods: Therefore being forewarned by the Lord, they would prevent the worst, being it was upon a spiritual account, as indeed it would have seemed with many of our most zealous Professors; but the Princes of Israel say, They may not do it, for they had entered into Covenant with them, to let them live: Therefore they would not become Covenant-breakers, but would make a Covenant to be a Covenant in deed as well as in words; I will endeavour to show you 3 Reasons, why the Princes of Israel would not break this Covenant, when the people did earnestly desire it.  
First, In respect they had not broken the Command of God willingly or knowingly, and in case they should break this League with the Gibeonites, they should offend against him in both, for that God that is the God that bid them keep those Covenants and Commands, bids them also act truth, and lie not one to another; that they may demonstrate to all people that they worship a God of Order, and a God that will not lie: Therefore seeing that they could not keep both, but that they were circumvented in one, they would be as exact as they could in the other; many look at what God says in one respect, but not at others, it had been good if Israel had not entered into League with them, to the contrary to have destroyed them, but seeing they had, though it was upon an account, as they thought of strangers, nay, they asked them if they did not live amongst them, and they said no, they came from a far Country.  
I fear very few Professors in our time would be so exact in their carriage, for the praise of their Master.  
Secondly, They knew they should very much dishonour their God in not confiding, that he was able to keep their sons and their daughters from believing or worshipping the gods of the Heathen, if they should marry one with the other, it would seem a very dishonourable part for Israel, when they had engaged to Gibeon to break their Covenant, for fear the Gibeonites should draw them, or their sons or daughters from worshipping that God whom they served, it must needs argue that they give evident witness, that their God is not strong enough to encounter with the god of the Heathens, and that is the way to worship a god that is not; but in case thou art engaged, I find no Scripture grounds that you should ever falsify your word for others, being worse than you, for that is the way to make thyself worse than they, whereas if Gibeon live with Israel, who knoweth but Israel may convert Gibeon; however, Israel will be Israel so long as they keep in this mind; It was the opinion of an ancient Heathen, That no man could be spiritually good, if he was not morally just; and his reason was, That the spiritual God was a God of Order.  
But some one may Object, Suppose that those that I have engaged to, should give me any just occasion to break my Covenant, they being as deeply engaged as I was, it is they that became Covenant-breakers, and not I; I hope I may freely break mine, without wronging my Conscience at all?  
I Answer, It is one thing to be found an Offender in the sight or judgement of men, or their customary Institutions, and another to be found an Offender in the last day before the just Judge of Heaven & Earth, the Laws of men it may be may clear thee, and so thou canst not be said to be an Offender of them; but if thou approvest thyself not to be guilty of refusing the advice of Christ and his Apostles, thou must look further than what the Laws of men do intimate; in some things the Laws of Nations are differing, many Kingdoms allow that which others condemn, but God is one entire being, and his Law the one edifying Truth, which teacheth us not to render evil for evil, contrariwise but good; suppose you are but engaged conditionally, even as by indenture, where there are Obligations laid upon both sides, and thy Partner breaks his part of the Obligation, thou canst not but account it evil in him; And wilt thou commit the same evil by breaking thy part, when thou condemnest the same thing in another? Christ adviseth, us, that if any man compel us to go with him a mice, to go two; and if any man strike thee on the one cheek, turn to him the other, thou shalt not answer for this offence, but for thy own. And I must confess, it is my opinion that no one can with any safety break their engagements for the time they stood engaged at first, though you may receive great in juries by the other party's default; the Apostle Peter doth plainly intimate as much in his first Epistle 2. Chapter 19, 20, 21. verses, For this is thank worthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully, for what glory is it, if when you are buffeted for your faults, ye take it patiently; but if when you do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God: The Apostle doth not advise the servant to break his Covenant to his Master, because the Master doth break his, but rather suffer what punishment the Master shall inflict upon him; yea, herein is a Believers joy, that he is accounted worthy to suffer for maintaining the truth in any one particular, for all are not called to suffer in one manner or way, though flesh and blood may not seem satisfied with it, by reason of the present anguish of spirit, for no affliction seems joyous for the present, but grievous, yet after ward, it yieldeth the pleasant fruit of righteousness, Heb. 12.11. So that though it may seem to terrify thy outward man, yet thy inward man will be strengthened, the which ought to be rather nourished than neglected, and though it may seem to prove disadvantageous to thee in this life, yet here will be thy joy that thou hast obeyed the Truth, and canst look death in the face with great boldness, by thy exactness in thy word to all men, even as David speaks in Psalm 15.4. concerning those that shall be Inhabitants in Zion, amongst which one thing that is found needful, is to keep his Word, Though he sweareth to his hurt, yet he changeth not; revenge belongeth to the Lord, if you receive any wrong, commit your cause to him, and do not seek any revenge upon any man; but let not any seek to circumvent me in this my description, I put a difference between the People of God promising, and a people that are in darkness, but I speak of them that engage, when they are in the tuition of the Lord, or at least ways own themselves so to be, and a difference between the promises of the Law or under the Law, as they were understood, and the promises under the Gospel, for under the Law any man might put away his Wife, only giving her a Bill of divorcement; but Christ tells us, that it is adultery, to do it in the Gospel, and causeth them to commit adultery also, that are put away in that nature; so it is not every thing that is customary with men, that is justifiable in the sight of God.  
3. Israel had experienced, that God did make it his desire to keep those engagements that he had made to them, as it is often mentioned in the Scriptures, though they had broken their engagements as to their particular and general failings, yet God was so tender, lest he should break his part, as that he doth as it were stand and meditate, before he will any ways insist upon any urgent or austere punishment, and doth often invite them to return and review their ways, and turn to repentance for their back-sliding, that he may have mercy on them, and defer his anger; God is just and merciful, and it cannot be said of him that he did ever break any engagement to any person or people, for as his promises have been to his people many times but conditionally.  
For as he engageth to be a God and a Defender to them, if they will keep his Laws, and observe and do his Commands, so likewise he often engageth, that if they will not keep his Law, or perform their part, that he will punish them, and leave them to their own wills and their own desires, and let them go on in their own filthiness, until they have fulfilled the desires of their own ways, and then he will take the Rod and scourge them; so as I said before in this parricular, God is as just in performing this part of his Covenant, as he was in performing the other, by reason of the entailment of Truth that did force him to it, but in respect to those promises that are made absolute, he is so exact in keeping them, where there is no entailment to the contrary, as that he will keep his word, though a people do offend him and vex his Holy Spirit, as is instanced by his promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in relation to his causing their seed to inherit the Land of Canaan; and although his People did oftentimes offend and vex his Holy Spirit, yet nevertheless, he being a God of Truth, he would not be moved so far as to make his Promise null and void of effect.  
2. As he had promised that he would render up the only beloved of his delight his Son Christ Jesus, to the mercies of wicked men, even to do after the imaginations of their own hearts with him, so far as concerned life to their appearance, so he did fulfil it to the full, although they had denied to own him in his intercessions, for a condescension of love and unity; yea, they did not own him to be their God, they would have none of him nor none of his instructions, but did beat his Messengers, and imprison and kill his Prophets, and shown him all the unhuman respect that possibly could be, and did him all the dishonour that lay in their power, yet nevertheless God had promised that he would provide an acceptable sacrifice for the seed of Abraham, A Lamb without blemish or spot: And though the People were never so wicked and unhuman, and Breakers of all the Ordinances, Laws and Commands that he had given them to observe and do, yet he could do no less than perform his Promise; Otherways how could it be said that he was a God of Truth?  
So as it is plainly understood, that God hath been compelled by Truth many times, to bestow his gracious favours and mercies upon his People, when they have deserved a curse, and oftentimes, though it might with true acknowledgement and obedience become a Blessing to them that receive it; so it proves to those that are obstinately bend, even a curse by their not prising of it as they ought to do, even as Christ was to Judas, and several other of the Jews.  
Besides, The Israelites durst not break their promise with Gibeon, for fear of dishonouring their God, and provoking him to anger, by making him odious in the fight of the Heathen, who do hold of this judgement, That if they do once promise a thing, their gods will afflict them, if they do not effect it, And should Israel act below the Heathen? The very Heathen would condemn their God of injustice, as indeed it was jacob's answer to his sons, Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me, to make me stink before the Inhabitants of the Land, and I being few in number, the Canaanites and the Perizites will gather themselves together and slay me, and all my household; As you may read at large in the 34th Chapter of Genesis, and the 30th verse, Jacob accounted it a greater offence for Simeon and Levy to break their Covenant, than to let their Sister remain with Hamor, as indeed seeing she had been the occasion on the one part of working the defame in Israel; even so they had made Israel to stink before the Nations on the other side, and so consequently the God of Israel.  
And if you do but mark in the following Chapter, you shall find that God doth take notice of it in the first verse, God calls to Jacob to go up to Bethel, and dwell there: If you do but turn to the 28th Chapter of this Book, you shall find what Jacob did promise in Bethel, whether he is commanded to return, that is, to his promise in Bethel, That if God would bring him safe to his Father's house, he should be his God: Now God had performed his promise, but Jacob had failed in his, in that his sons had broken their Covenant with Shechem and Hamer.  
Object. Well, but what doth God call Jacob to go to Bethel, or to his promise in Bethel to do?  
Answ. It was to take notice, that he had broke his promise, and therefore he commands Jacob to build an Altar there, for he would not answer him on that Altar El Elosie Israel, or in the breaking of the Covenant, but in Bethel, or his owning of him to be his God, and therefore jacob's first work is to cleanse and purge his house of Idols, as you may read in the 35th Chapter, and to bury them in Shechem, before he could go up to Bethel, and tells his Family, that they must change their garments and be clean, and then arise and go to build an Altar in Bethel, and seek the Lord that answered him in his distress, and by that means a terror did strike into the hearts of the neighbouring Cities that they journed safely.  
Secondly, Israel had purchased God's displeasure not long before this engagement was made with the Gibeonites, as is instanced in the 7th Chapter of Joshuah, and the 11th verse, Israel hath sinned saith the Lord, in breaking their Covenant which I commanded them, they have also stolen and have put it amongst their own stuff, and therefore they could not stand before their enemies: So you may see plainly, that God is very exact to have Israel keep his Law and Commandments, and had they not entered into Covenant with the Gibeonites to let them live, they durst not have preserved any of their lives, but seeing they had engaged to do it, though it was unknown to them of their living in that place, God was pleased better with it than if they had broke their Covenant, and Gibeon is not the last in process of time that laid their helping hand to build the Temple of the Lord in Judah, as you have in the third Chapter of Nehemiah and the 7th verse, which shows that God was well pleased with Israel for their keeping their Covenant, in accepting of the Gibeonites into his favour for Israel's sake, whereas Achan offending against him, when there was no Obligation to urge him to it, he will not be friends with him nor with Israel, till they have destroyed him, but Israel must fall before the men of Aye, yea, and those that have not offended with polluting themselves in the forbidden enticements; therefore it is not that men do fall before their enemies always for the sins that they commit themselves, but for the pollutions of others Israel is said to sin in that one had sinned, even Achan, and God would suffer even 36 of the Israelites to die before the men of Aye, and the rest to flee for Achans offence; therefore I would entreat every man whatever, that professeth himself to be a Christian, to take heed of offending God in this, or any other thing; for be sure, if God do not take up a controversy against us for our backsliding, yet we may be the occasion of his fury against others that are more innocent than we; for God will not be friends with Israel, till the Babylonish garment be burned, and Achan stoned.  
Look to it as well as you please, you know your pay will be according to your work; I need not tell you, that there are more Babylonish garments than one, and I sear some that profess high Notions, have clothed themselves with them from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, only wearing a religious cloak over it, to deceive; O men, look well to yourselves, and let not your own hearts condemn you before God, and before I will not condemn you, but I speak my mind plainly, because there is too too many that heal your wound too slightly, even as the Prophet Jeremiah complains in the 6th Chapter of his Prophecy and the 14th verse, They have healed the hurt of my Daughter slightly, crying, peace, peace, when there is no peace: So it hath plainly appeared in our time, that we have pretended to a great measure of light in Religion, But where is the man that cried, We are all fell short? But rather accounting that the Judgement that is fallen upon thee O England belonged to Rome and the Beast, accounting of Christ's Reign in person, and not minding to set up his Power in our hearts, just as the Children of Israel did account themselves happier in the Land of Canaan whilst they were in the Wilderness, than they did in the pleasure of God, by which they were to enjoy it, and so fell to murmuring and repining at Gods dealing with them according to his pleasure; therefore he slew that generation of men, and would not suffer them to enter into the Land at all; so may I say of thee O England, that hast had more discourse of the throwing down of Babylon, than thou hast had zeal to the God that should throw Babylon down into the bottomless pit; if pretences could have done it, I must confess thou mightest have gone a great way in it, but you sought to cleanse only the outside, and did not furbish the inside to answer it; it would be a very small satisfaction to thee to have Christ reign a thousand years upon the earth, and to begin his reign, before he hath been lifted up in thy heart, therefore first seek the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof, and then ●e sure all other things shall be added unto you; and do not think to dwell with the Father, unless ye eat the flesh of the Son, and if ye eat the flesh of the Son, ye shall live by him, even as he liveth by the Father, John 6.56, 57 Therefore do not think of satisfying yourselves with any thing below him, but be sure to eat that which the Scriptures doth manifest to be in him: Thus wishing the one Almighty and infinite being to direct both you and I, that we may not look at things as they appear customary, but as they are in reality and truth, that we may believe in him that is our peace, By adding virtue to our Faith, and to Virtue Knowledge, and to Knowledge Temperance, and to Temperance Patience, and to Patience Godliness, and to Godliness Brotherly Kindness, and to Brotherly Kindness Charity, and if these things be in you and abound, you will neither be barren nor unfruitful in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ, 2 Pet. 1.5, 6, 7, 8. For so is the Will of God, that with well-doing you might put to silence the ignorance of foolish men as free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of malitiousness, but as the Servants of God, 1 Pet. 2.15, 16. And if you have so learned Christ, as ●o observe and do these things that you are invited to, you need not fear what man can do unto you, but you will get into a stronger harbour, & take your repose, and wait till you hear the voice of the Bridegroom, crying, Come my People, enter thou into thy Chamber and shut thy doors about thee, hid thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast, Esay 26.20.  
FINIS.