The PROPHETS Malachy and Isaiah PROPHESYING TO The Saints and Professors of this Generation Of The Great Things the Lord will do in this their Day and Time.  
Showing (amongst other things) 

The Nature and Quality of the Apostasy.  
The Judgement of the Lord upon the Leaders of the Apostasy.  
How the Lord will deal with, and carry himself towards, others guilty of the Apostasy.  
The certainty of deliverance at hand for the true Seed.    
By a wellwisher to the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus.  
To which is prefixed two very useful Epistles, by Christopher Feak, and John Pendarves, Ministers of the Gospel.  
Thus saith the Lord God, Howle ye, woe worth the day: for the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day.  Ezek. 30.2, 3. 
The day of the Lord is darkness, and not light; as if a man did flee from a Lion, and a Bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a Serpent bitten him: even very dark, and no brightness in it,  Amos 5.18, 19, 20. 
I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now,  John 16.12. 
LONDON: Printed for, Livewell Chapman, at the Crown in Popes-head Alley. 1656.   

TO THE READERS: Whether Such as follow the Lamb, or such as wonder after the Beast. Love and Pity, for the Lords sake.  
OUR dear Lord, in the days of his flesh spoke many words privately among his Disciples, to this effect, viz. that they should be hated of the world, that they should be hated of all men for his Names sake: yea, and in that last solemn Address to his father, related, John the seventeenth (wherein he hath left upon record a pattern of his intercession on the Behalf of his Disciples, who did then or should afterward believe on him through their word) he doth expressly mention this matter, (surely his heart was full of it and much affected with it) I have given them thy word (sayeth he there to his father) and THE WORLD HATH HATED THEM because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. And again in a certain place he testifieth saying, If the WORLD HATETH YOU, ye know that IT HATED ME before it HATED YOU, If ye were of the world the world would love its own, but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore THE WORLD HATETH YOU. Now to bear up their hearts under this Burden of the Hatred of the world, he puts them in mind of that lesson, which he had formerly taught them, Mat. 10.24. John 13.16. saying, Remember the word that I said to you: the servant is not greater than the Lord, etc. If they have persecuted me they will persecute you also, if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. The spirit and life of the encouragement lieth in this, that the Son of God was their Brother and companion in Tribulation, and in suffering the hatred of the world, they should drink out of the same cup with him in all the afflictions which they were to endure from the world. Now if any Man, that observes the considerableness of these and many other passages of this Nature, should desire to know the particular reason why the Lord Jesus (with his Disciples) was always thus hated, persecuted and Abased by the world, Did He and they give any just Cause of hatred and ill-will against them? I answer, no surely, there were never a more innocent and harmless sort of people in the world than they, But the true reason of this inveterate hatred is expressed by himself John the 7 and 7. in a Conference betwixt himself and his Brothers which did not believe in him. The world (sayeth He) cannot hate you but me it hateth because I testify of it (or concerning it) that the works thereof are evil. Observe the matter seriously, and you will well perceive, that the world hath works of its own, the world is full of its own proper works, do and business, which it is altogether conversant about, Things which it must mind and manage, with all care and Industry: then secondly consider, these works are such as are exceedingly beloved and delighted in by the world, and the world cannot endure with any patience that any sort of men should account them evil works; but than thirdly if any should presume not only to Account, but also to Call them evil works, and so testify against them as evil works and odious in the sight of God; for such a Testimony though given by the Son of God himself (who for this purpose came into the world, that he might bear witness: to the truth) would the world hate him, and persecute him even unto death, if not hindered by the overruling power of God himself.  
And therefore if the true Disciples of Christ himself (who having his Spirit, his Truth, his Cause, his Glory and all his precious Concernments dwelling and working in them mightily, are constrained, by the power of his love, to second and confirm This his great Testimony against the world and the wicked works thereof) should incur the same hatred, indignation and wrath from the world, which was measured out unto him, they must by no means think it a strange thing, but rather rejoice exceedingly in their being thus made conformable to the father's first borne among many Brethren.  
And blessed be the Name of the Lord, that there are any among us, who are counted worthy to suffer shame and violent Dealing for his Name, and for their. Testimony concerning the world, that the works or Deeds thereof are evil.  
But will it not be well worthy your time and leisure to inquire into these two or three particulars, first, what doth the Lord Jesus understand in the Scriptures before mentioned by the word world. Secondly what are those evil works which our Lord testified against in the days of his flesh; and Thirdly what is the nature of the Testimony of Christ and his Disciples that the world should be so much incensed with hatred and indignation against them for it, Harken oh ye Children of men, and consider with all your might and with all speed, for the time of Consideration is almost spent and passed away. To the First I shall return this Account, undoubtedly by the word world in the Scripture mentioned, a Certain part of mankind, namely the degenerate part, the worst part contra-distinguished from the Best, namely the Church is here to be understood, for the Church and the world, are Contrary one unto the other, evermore.  
This degenerate part of the world or of mankind I distinguish thus, some of them, are such as having departed from the light and Law of Nature, did afterward by degrees degenerate into brutishness, and profannes, as namely, the nations of the earth, which neither worship God, nor love their Neighbour according to the written rule, but live and walk after their own and their Rulers lusts and inventions in all things; being full as of all ungodliness, so of all unrighteousness likewise, as may be observed once for all, in Rom. 1. from the 18 verse to the end of the Chapter. These Gentiles in the point of Government and worship have not Jehovah for their Judge, or their Lawgiver, or their King, but have in a constant succession submitted to the four Beasts which risen out of the great Sea (as is described by Daniel the Prophet) as to their Sovereign Lords in all things.  
Others of the degenerate part of Mankind, are such as having been taken into Covenant with God, from among the Idolatrous Nations, to be his Church and people, did for a time observe and do his Commandments, but afterward forsaking the Lord their God, have joined themselves to Idols, after the manner of the Nations of the world, and so have gradually degenerated into the very Image and similitude of the Gentiles which know not God, and so are of the world, as the Egyptians were of the world, and as the Canaanites were of the world. This was the state of the Ten Tribes, and this state is notably described in Jeremy the 2 from the 9 to the 21 verse.  
Such also were the degenerate Members of the Jewish Church in the first day of the Son of man, they were of the world, as the Romans and the Grecians were of the world; and therefore without controversy our Lord in the forementioned passages, doth include within the compass of the word WORLD, the Order of the Priests (from the Highest to the Lowest) the whole state of the Elders, the whole Hypocritical Generation of the Scribes and Pharisees, and the Generality of the people, who being corrupted from the simplicity and purity of the Divine Institutions, did not long after the Testimony aforesaid, Join in the Murdering of the Lord of glory: This is the world which hated Jesus Christ, even with a more perfect hatred, than Herod, or Pontius Pilate, [or the Centurions, or the Soldiers of the Romans. These Things are plain and clear to almost every understanding, and therefore I for bear further explication.  
Only let me add this. As it was then even so it is now, in these our days, as by many Instances it might appear.  
That the Turks are of the world, that the Jews are of the world (and not of the Church) that the Persians, the Indians, the Moors are of the world as the nations before the day of Christ, were of the world is Confessed by us all: But is it not as true? that the Idolatrous, the profane, the Brutish, the Barbarous Papists are of the world, as the Mahometans etc. are of the world? (though they pretend to be the only true Church of God upon earth) this also will be assented to as the Truth among the protestants; they may believe upon Scripture ground, that the Romish Church as now degenerated, must needs be very near of Kin, to the Heathenish world, because the spirit of the world and the Characters of the world, works effectually in them, and is plainly discerned upon them, as in and upon others of the children of Disobedience.  
But now what shall we say of the Protestant Churches, of the Reformed Churches, which have a name to live, to be the Spouse of Christ, etc. we cannot endure to hear them evil spoken of, we cannot bear it that they should be looked upon as the world, or the worldly Church, or the Carnal Church, these are odious expressions, they and their state are not to be compared with the state of the Jewish Church as our Lord found it when he testified that they were the world and that their works were evil.  
To this, with an holy Boldness as in the sight of Christ, I dare to say, that in their present Constitution and Condition they may, without doing them any wrong, be compared to the Jewish Church and state in the Days of Christ and his Apostles, in respect of their superstitions and persecutions, of their hatred and enmity to the pure ways of Christ as the popish Church, may be justly compared to the Apostate Ten tribes in respect of their Idolatryes and persecutions; for this is a most certain truth, full of evidence in itself, where you find the spirit of Idolatry, Superstition, Tradition, Ceremony and formality in worship prevailing, and overpowering the true Gospel spirit, there will you find the spirit of the world. Moreover where the Lord Jesus and his Members feel the power of the spirit of injustice and opression of hatred and persecution overcoming the spirit of truth and equity, of righteousness and innocency, there they may safely say, these Men are the men of the world, and so no other, no better than the world.  
Now then forbearing to inquire into the state of the reformed Churches abroad, let us take a short survey of the national Churches of England, of Scotland and Ireland, which are accounted in the Number of the Reformed Churches, and their Daughters the Parish Churches, as they were formerly or are now Constituted and Governed by the Lords Spiritual the Lord Bishops the Lord Presbyters, and the Lord Triers under Charles R. and Oliver P. those two protestant Princes those two Defenders of the faith, those two supreme Heads (successively) of the Church in these parts of the Earth with all their Ecclesiastical furniture of Church officers patrons, Parsons, Vicars, Curates, Church Wardens, Clerks, Sextons, etc. not to omit all their Parish and Collegiate-Church members. Did they formerly or do they now look like the Churches of Christ, or like the Churches of Antichrist? were they not, are they not, of the world? did they not, do they not speak of the world? as sayeth the Apostle john, yea all of them, from the Head to the tail? as sayeth the Prophet Isayah. Were they not, are they not now again (under the shadow of their Lord protector's wings) Constituted Countenanced, maintained and Governed after the Inventions of men, after the traditions of Antichrist, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ? do not these Churches and their officers worship the Lord in vain, teaching for Doctrines the commandments of Men? nay more than this, did they not in the Prelate's days, do they not in the days of the present Tryers appear full of the spirit of enmity against the ways of Christ, against the Kingdom of Christ, against the Government of Christ, and his Legislative power? is there not now, as formerly a great and a general hatred among the Scribes and the Pharisees, and the Corrupt Lawyers, against the new non-conformists, & nonsubscribers, and against all those who in the spirit of Christ shall boldly bear witness that they are the world, and not the Church, and that their works are evil? Let those who are spiritual consider the matter, and speak their mind. Let those whose senses are exercised, by reason of use, to discern betwixt Christ and belial, betwixt the Inventions of men and the Injunctions of God, well weigh the premises in the balance of the Sanctuary and give judgement according to God.  
But to hasten to the second Question, What were those EVIL WORKS, which our Lord did testify against, or for which he did bear witness against the world, and for doing whereof, he was hated of the world?  
I answer. Without Controversy, THOSE EVIL WORKS may be reduced to two or three general Heads. Either such as were wrought by them in the way of an ECCLESIASTICAL BODY, or such as were brought forth in the Manner and Method of a CIVIL STATE, or else such as were done by the confusion and mixture of ALL together, as the Holy Spirit in that notable Prayer of Peter intimates, where all sorts of Interests, Civil, Ecclesiastical, Military, are declared to Combine together against our Lord. Acts 4.27. Of a truth against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both HEROD, and PONTIUS PILATE, with the GENTILES, and the PEOPLE of Israel were gathered together. Here is a Combination in the Church, in the Court, in the CAMP, against the Saviour of the world. And upon examination of the works and workings of all these parties, we shall find cause to say they were to be testified against as Evil.  
But more particularly, to reckon up some of them as we find them occasionally recorded by the four Evangelists (and, as we go along, to compare them with those evil works which are now carried on in these parts of the earth) as done by the High Priest, by Herod, by Pontius Pilate, by the Gentlemen of the long Robe of both professions, etc. First, let us begin with their Counsels against Christ, those works of darkness, they are evil works within doors, Mat. 12.14. The Pharisees went out, and held a Counsel (privately) how they might destroy him. Here were consultations held against the life of Christ. So Mat. 27.1. All the chief Priests, and Elders of the people took counsel against Jesus, to put him to death.  
We shall have an exact account of all their wicked murderous Consultations against the Person, the Doctrine, the Honour of the Lord Jesus, in that day when he shall Judge the secrets of all men, according to his Gospel. But in the mean time we know that these Deeds of Darkness, were some of those evil works, which our Lord did testify against.  
And in like manner, at this day we know (in that light of truth which will not fail us) that there are many close & cunning consultations to destroy that Cause of Christ which not long since was, in show, highly honoured, and contended for, by him, who is known by the name of his Highness the Lord Protector, etc. but who gave him that Name, I leave to him to Answer, when he shall be called to a strict account for all the evil counsel given against the Lord, and his followers, because of their righteous reproofs of the Army and their General, for the Hypocrisy, Apostasy, Oppression, and Persecutions, whereof they are guilty in the sight of the Sun.  
Another kind of evil works, was their watching of the Lord Jesus, and sending forth Spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him to the power and Authority of the Governor, Luke 20.20. And the Scribes and Pharisees (Luke 11.53.) urged him vehemently, and provoked him to speak of many Things, laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him. Certainly every man who loves the Lord Jesus, will easily grant these were very wicked works. But are not such practices frequently used by the Spies, which are Employed from the Court and Council at White Hall? I am sure before our Imprisonment, Many who came to catch our words, feigned themselves to be Just men, to be good men, whereby they were capable to entangle us in our talk. The same Spirit which wrought effectually in those children of disobedience, doth work in these as effectually, and we doubt not but we shall prove these Spies to be guilty of the same evil works, with those Spies which watched Christ, and their Masters to be of the same conspiracy, with the Pharisees and Herodians, namely at that Day when his Highness shall stand before the Judgement seat of Jesus Christ, without either his Clergy or his Lawyers to plead his Cause. We shall then understand what Instructions they were which he or his Secretaries gave his Catch poles, when he employed them, and what conference he had with them when they read our Sermon Notes in his hearing; and all those works of darkness and secrecy shall be brought to light, and Our Lord Himself shall second our Testimony, That their Deeds were evil.  
Again, Other evil works of the world, and the men of the world, which the Lord Jesus did testify against, was, Their devouring widows houses, while for a pretence they made long prayers, Mat. 23.14. Surely this was a double evil work, and therefore He tells them they shall receive greater Damnation. Not only widows Houses have been devoured by the new Rulers, but whole Families, in pressing and forcing, or else enticing men to the ends of the earth for Gold and Silver, thousands having perished in the Enterprise; but while these Families were devoured by Sea and Land, what frequent fastings and long prayers were made at White-Hall: The Lord beholds this. Hypocrisy, and it will one day appear how abominable this project was in the sight of God (as it doth in part already) not withstanding all their long prayers to colour it over, as a Design against Antichrist and his Kingdom.  
Besides these evil works before Mentioned, the Lord declares against them, because of their extortion and excess, as it is in Matthew, because of their ravening and wickedness, as it is in Luke, yea he speaks of their Binding of heavy Burdens and grievous to be borne, and laying them on men's shoulders, but they will not move them with one of their fingers. For my part, I am verily persuaded that the same evil works are Done to the Innocent people by this present Sword power, and their cries enter into the ears of the Lord of Hosts, though they pity them not, who Do thus oppress them.  
Many more might be added, which in the Judgement of all the true Disciples of Christ, will be accounted evil works, (but I must not enlarge a Preface beyond its proportion) this therefore shall sufface for the second Point, what kind of evil works they were which Christ testified against, and how like unto them, the evil works of this present Generation of Rulers will be found to be, when they are examined by the Righteous Judge of all the world.  
Now as for the Nature of the Testimony given by Christ concerning the evil works of that world or worldly Church which hated both him, his doctrine, and his followers (which is the third general Head to be spoken to) it's plain, that it is no less than a Divine Testimony.  
As saith the Apostle, If we receive the▪ WITNESS of men, THE WITNESS OF GOD is greater. Now This Witness (or Testimony) whereof we are speaking from John 7.7. is not the witness of a man, a mortal man, but the witness of God, the witness of one who is God and man, and so it is most Authentic. And how often Doth our Lord in his Ministry and Testimony, inculcate this upon his hearers, That he spoke nothing of himself, but as the Father gave him Commandment? John 12.49, 50. And again, John 8.38. I speak that which I have seen with my Father. So that when the Lord Jesus testified, it was the highest Testimony which could have been given to the truth.  
His Testimony was an unquestionable Testimony, a righteous Testimony, a witness which will carry the cause against the whole world: for Let God be true, but every man a liar, as it is written, that thou mightest be justified in thy say. The say of Christ from the father concerning this present evil world, and the wicked works thereof, will be made good at the last day. Let no powers on earth think or hope to enervate his Testimony in the least, by any pretences, excuses, or distinctions whatsoever.  
Now as Christ Himself was in the world, so ought those who are Christ's Ministers and Witnesses, to be in the world likewise. Those whom he sendeth were born and anointed to this end, viz. to bear witness to the truth in his stead, and on his behalf; and let the Princes of the world, and the people of the world assure themselves, The Lord never did, nor ever will, leave himself without witness. Some of his Servants shall be stirred up by his Spirit to plead the Cause of their Lord against his adversaries; although they know before hand, that through the hatred of the world, they shall be exposed to a thousand dangers, distresses, deaths, for the truth's sake.  
The Dragon, the beast, the scarlet Whore, the false Prophet, the Kings of the earth, although by a complication of interests, they are desperately engaged and enraged against the Lamb and his followers, against the Lord and his witnesses, nevertheless the wrath of God hath been (and now is) revealed from heaven to their very faces against all their ungodliness and unrighteousness, by those witnesses, which he hath raised up and furnished, with Heroic spirits to contend with the whole earth, and that wrath so revealed, by his Servants the Prophets, shall be executed likewise, for The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy, which the true Church is never destitute of altogether.  
So that I am persuaded (and I believe many others) that Matters are carried at this day, betwixt the Servants and Spirit of Christ, and the Servants and Spirit of Antichrist, as they were carried in those days betwixt the Spirit & person of Christ, and the Spirit and persons of the Priests and powers of the earth.  
It is not to be expected that his Highness' Court Chaplains who are fed at his Table, should lift up their heel against their Good Lord and Master, in testifying openly that his Counsels are evil, that his Instrument is an ugly Idol, and an Image of Jealousy, that his Government is evil, that his works in imprisoning the Servants of Christ without Just Cause are evil, that his Extortion and Rapine in Imposing and gathering in all his Taxes by an Arbitrary power, contrary to the Law of God and the Land, is evil, that his devouring whole families in sending thousands to the ends of the earth (and multitudes against their wills) upon a base and beggarly Design, that stinks in the nostrils of God, and good men, is evil and abominable: And which of his City and Country Clergymen fed and Clothed by his Tyrannical execution of the Pope's Cannon Law will declare against him for maintaining the Relics and Remainders of Popery; and for his setting up New-Carnall spiritual Courts of Prelatical Tryers or Commissioners to reign over the Parish Ministers in the Bishops' stead. Which of those Enslaved Preachers, Lecturers and Augmentation-Men, who come cap in hand to their Inferiors or equals for their Approbation, and a box full of Orthodox Orders to preach in such or such a steeple House, and to receive the ancient profits and perquisites of the parish for their pains, dare to turn head upon their Ecclesiastical Lords, and join with Christ and his spirit, to testify against these New invented Babylonish Abominations? Alas poor wretches they have no heart, no spirit for the Interest of Christ, they are ashamed of the testimony of our Lord and of us his prisoners, who by the most powerful Illapses and influences of his spirit, are enabled and Constrained to bid Defiance to the scarlet coloured Beast, and to all his 7 heads of Blasphemy, and to all his ten homs of persecution, to all the Kings of the earth which commit fornication with the mother of Harlots, and with all her daughters.  
But, because these Men, thus lamentably yoked by their new Lords Spiritual and Temporal, dare not particularly and courageously, in the power of the Spirit, bear their Testimony for Christ, against the world, or world like Church, that their deeds are evil; therefore the Lord will raise up others to supply this defect. And be it known to all the Kings and Princes, which oppress and persecute the Children of the free woman, that the Lord will furnish himself with a sufficient Number of faithful Servants, who shall, in his strength, maintain that Conflict and Combat which is needful, till the great of the Battle of the Almighty God.  
As Christ told the Chief Priests and Scribes, who were displeased that the Children cried Hosanna to the Son of David: If these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out, so I say, in words of truth and soberness, seeing the Chief Preachers, Pastors, and Teachers, are dumb, and connive at the present Apostasy, Hypocrisy, Oppression, Tyrannical Government, and going back to Egypt, the Lord is as it were compelled to furnish himself, from among the private Christians, and the weakest and meanest of the Brethren, to bear a Testimony against this wicked Generation of Backsliders, and if they likewise should hold their peace altogether, the stones of the streets, and the very bruit Creatures would immediately cry out for the Lord will not altogether and utterly leave himself without witness. This Ensuing Treatise, was not Composed by any of the University-scarlet Doctors, nor by any Bachelor of Divinity, or Master of Arts and sciences, I am persuaded their Acadenicall Unction will teach them to practice compliance, and to sing Placebo. But surely this is some Honest Sool, who observing the Common Clergy to be as mute as Fishes, when they should have cried aloud, and have lifted up their voices as a Trumpet, to show the Apostatised Christians their transgressions, and the Hypocrites their sins, hath so far laid their Abominations to heart, that he cannot for bear to speak a word for God against such an adulterous Generation, and to encourage that little Remnant which speak often one to another, and think upon Jehovah's Name: Wherefore, let all Men who shall read, search the Scriptures, whether those things which he hath written, and brought together from the holy Oracles, be so yea or no, and accordingly embrace what they find of the Spirit and truth of God, and what they meet with that savours of humane frailty, and mistake (for which of the Learned Orthodox Doctors of the Church, as they are called, are not full of them?) let them (reflecting upon their own insufficiency, and imperfections) pass by in brotherly love, or rectify according to the measure of their attainments in Christ. For undoubtedly the Aim of the Author, and the scope of his discourse, is no way unworthy the Name and profession of a Disciple of Christ.  
A plentiful portion of the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Christ, be given to every such Disciple in this day, for the Lords sake, Amen. So prayeth  
One of the Servants of Christ, and your Servant for Jesus sake. CHR. FEAKE. From mine own Hired House (where a Soldier is appointed to keep me) this 14 day of the 5 Month, 1656.   

TO THE READER.  
GOD who in times past left not himself without Witness, Acts 14.16, 17. hath in the days of the Gospel compassed us about with a aloud of Witnesses, Heb. 12.1. A Remnant of whom, (notwithstanding that great Apostasy spoken of, 2 Thess. 2.) hath the Lord reserved, and by wonderful providence hath preserved, during all the bloody rage and reign of the man of sin, to bear a Testimony for Jesus, with the hazard of their lives, Rev. 17.6. And in this our Generation, O how eminently hath God appeared witnessing to the truth, 
Rev. 12.11, 17.  & against all the unrighteousness of men, as by many signal paovidences, and dreadsull judgements, 
Chap. 6.9.  so also by raising up divers Witnesses in his behalf? The number of those hath he augmented of late, and prospered their Testimony to a great increase of light, and still the Lord holds them in his right hand, and makes them like the Pen of a ready Writer, bearing a swift Testimony against the most refined abominations of Professors, declaring the mind of the Lord in divers dark say of Scripture, bringing that light out of obscurity, that many ages past have never seen; 
1 Pet. 1.12.  showing plainly how the Prophets of old, did Minister to the Saints and Professors in the last days. Behold how these at this day are revived (as from the dead) to witness for God and Christ against a sinful and adulterous Generation. It rejoiceth me to behold how the Lord doth spirit instruments, and instruct them to promote their Testimony, by expounding, and sitly applying, their words for Reproof, and instruction in Righteousness, as once he did Ezra, and others with him, to hold forth the Law of Moses, when that work, which typed forth much of this now in doing, was upon the wheel.  
But as the Lords Witnesses of old, were the main object of the hatred of those whom they witnessed against, as Amos, Jeremy, and others, who were threatened, imprisoned, and reproached: even so, are the Children of the Prophets, those who (through their word) are brought forth to witness against evil doers, now, hated and misused by the men of this Generation. I know men are ready to say with the Pharisees, Mat. 23.30, 31, 32. If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have persecuted the Prophets, whilst in the mean time they seek to suppress those, who in the same Spirit of faith, do with their words explained, bear witness against such, yea, the self same evils by other persons committed now.  
Obj. But some may Object, saying, This is the duty and work of extraordinary Prophets only, to bear a Testimony against the evils of the Times, ordinary Ministers have little to do, ordinary Saints much less, with such matters.  
Ans. The Prophecies of old, and the Testimonies of the Prophets, are gathered up into the Prophecy and Testimony of Christ, the Great Prophet of the New Testament, the faithful witness and by him (having received of the Father The Promise of the Spirit, in the fullness of it) committed to his Seed, even the faithful, (believers as believers being made to partake abundantly of the same Spirit, which was not given at least so generally, and ordinarily, until Jesus was exalted, John 7. 38, 39) by them to be declared, and held forth from Generation to Generation, each word in its season, according to their measure of Grace, and of the gift of Christ, as these Scriptures here inserted, with many more do sufficiently prove, Rev. 1.4, 5, 11. Rev. 12.10, 11, 17. Isa. 59.21. Psa. 145.4. Isa. 43.3, 5, 8. Isa. 8.16. 2 Tim. 2.2. And as it is the concernment of Saints in general, qualified for the work, to witness for Christ against Antichrist, so is it in a special manner the work of Gospel Ministers orderly called to that Office, to bear their Testimony against all Antichristian Abominations.  
And if these things be so, may we not conclude, that men ought to take heed that they be not found despisers, when God comes forth by the words of his Servants (though Babes and Sucklings) with stammering tongues and pens, 
Psal. 8.2.  to witness against the evils of the times.  
O Ye that are called by the name of Saints, Is it a time for you to dwell at ease in your cieled houses? Is it not high time to awake and to consider your ways? to inquire into, to lay to heart, to sigh and cry for, all the abominations of such as profess to be the Lords people, whereby the grace and praiseworthy name of God is reproached at home and abroad? Oh how gloriously is this duty rewarded? and how severely are professors, even the ancient of them, punished for the neglect hereof? Ezek. 9.4, 5, 6, 7. If love to God and Christ doth not constrain, yet let the just judgements of God breaking forth upon a professing yet sinful secure people, provoke you hereunto.  
In this weighty work the ensuing Treatise will afford thee no small help, for by it (if the presence of the Lord accompany the reading) thou mayest dig through a wall as Ezekiel was bid to do, Ezek. 8.7, 8, 12. and mayest behold with him an open door, whereat entering in, thou mayest see greater abominations, then probably thou hast hitherto observed, veiled over with spetious pretences, and a large profession. Herein is the wisdom of God to be seen, and justified, in bringing his truths to light in their proper time, whilst men are working in the dark, 
Isa. 29.15.  saying Who seethe us? How hath the Lord lighted Candles wherewith to search Jerusalem, visiting the men that are settling, 
Zeph. 1.12.  or willing to settle on their Lees.  
Reader, This work serves not only to present unto thee (as it were in a Glass) the face of the Times, but thine own face, use it as a Touchstone to try thy heart, whether it be right for the Lord, and for his work. Behold how the Lord comes, and sits as a Refiner, in and through those discoveries of soule-searehing truths, 
Jer. 23.29.  which he brings to light daily.  
His word that goeth forth out of the mouth of his witnesses, is like fire refining the precious Sons of Zion, 
Rev. 11.5.  who are compared to Gold, but consuming, 
Lam. 4.2.  or threatening to consume the wicked, who are like stubble. The Sword that proceedeth out of the mouth of Christ, 
Rev. 2.12.  is sharp and twoedged; if it do not convert from sin, it will condemn for continuing in sin. Such as are disobedient to his word, are inexcusable, fitted for ruin, as stubble fully dry. And have not some cause to fear, that, if after many reproofs, 
Exod. 23.28.  they go on hardening their necks, their fall will be sudden, 
1 Pet. 2.7, 8.  and their sad condition remediless? Prov. 29. 1. Isa. 30.10, 11, 12, 13. Yea, and then shall the Lords people who have testified against them, rebuking in the Gate, 
Jer. 7.16.  and exhorting to repentance, keep silence in that day, 
Jer. 11.14.  ceasing to plead with them, or with God for them, 
Amos 5.13.  thereby justifying the hand of God in bringing his judgements on them. And whoso is wise let him observe, That when those backsliders spoken of, Isa. 29.20, 21. proceeded to that degree of imimpiety, to watch for iniquity, to make a man an offendor for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproved in the Gate, by such acts as these, they perfected their iniquity, and filled up the measure thereof.  
The following Discourse sets forth in a Type, by comparing together many remarkable words in the Prophecy of Malachy and Isaiah, A most refined Apostasy of a professing people, after a Reformation begun. Their words, though first spoken to others, are declared to light on us the Saints, and Professors in this Generation, who having greatly sinned, 
num. 32.23.  may justly say, Our sins have found us out.  
Now as relating to this Apostasy, or Backsliding, with the cause, and cure thereof, I shall offer these things to be considered.  
As this backsliding is either total and final, in those who perish, or partial, in the Saints, so also is the cause thereof twofold.  
First, Hypocrites, who fall away in time of temptation, have no root in themselves, Luke 8.13. They are not partakers of the Divine nature, neither are they regenerate; wherefore such Professors notwithstanding for a time they may appear with clean outsides, are fitly compared by the Spirit of the Lord to the Sow, which being washed, turns again to her wallowing in the mire, 2 Pet. 2.22.  
Secondly, That Backsliding which is not total, ordinarily springs from Saints forgetfulness of God's great love in Christ revealed to them, and his wonderful works done in them, and for them; as also the love of their espousals, their first love to God, their relations, vows, and engagements to him.  
Of this Backsliding both of sinners and Saints, and the judgements thereunto belonging, do these Prophets treat. The Saints themselves, God's Children, and his Jewels shall not escape a trying refining day, which will be terrible to them; yea, and as they are or may be found in unbelieving, earthly, sensual forms of Spirit, consulting with flesh and blood, unsufferable. Who shall stand when he appeareth? Mal. 3.2, 3. His presence to the carrying on of this work of reforning will be to some (who may be judged good men) no less grievous, but rather more than fire is the flesh of a man.  
As for Hypocrites and Sinners in Zion, their dreadful doom, and just sentence that goeth forth out of the mouth of those two Witnesses, is, that they shall be consumed, Isa. 1.28. Mal. 4.1. The fiery day shall burn them up, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.  
According to that word of God to Jer. 15.19. If thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth. This Prophet Malachi speaking as the mouth of God, puts a difference (as also doth the Prophets and Apostles generally) between the two Seeds, The Seed of the Woman, and of the Serpent, between whom God did by his own mouth▪ first put the difference, Gen. 3.15. To all which agrees that clear distinction between the Son of the bond woman, and of the free, Gal. 4.22, 23: which things (saith the Apostle, v. 24.) are an Allegory, for these are the two Covenants, viz. The one of Works, the other of Grace.  
The two grand Characters whereby the two Seeds are here distinguished, are 

1 A true filial fear of God.  
2 A sincere love and respect unto the name of God above all things.    
These two choice effects of a lively faith, are such things as Hypocrites are strangers to, such singular things as do infallibly accompany salvation. In these things the carnal seed under the Law, and the formal Professor under the Gospel, come short of the Israelite in deed, and being weighed in the balance of the Sanctuary, are found wanting. And although such may be in a Palace with King Belshazzar, if they look narrowly into this Prophecy of Malachy, as here explained and presented to their view, it may be with them (if they be not miserably hardened) no better than with him, when beholding the writing on the wall, his countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another, Dan. 5.6.  
As for the former of these, viz. A filial fear of God, upon the account of their lack of this one thing, the Prophet Malachy reproves the people, saying, Chap. 1.6. If I be a Father, where is mine honour? And if I be a Master, where is my fear, saith the Lord of Host? whereas on the contrary, he commends his beloved Remnant for their fear of him, Chap. 3.16. and of his Name, Chap. 4.2. Yea, Christ himself the everlasting father of that chosen Generation, is extolled, and found worthy to be entrusted with the greatest of God's work, on the account of this blessed qualification, viz. the fear of God, Chap. 2.5. My Covenant was with him, of life and peace, and I gave them to him (saith God) for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my Name.  
These things well weighed, may through the blessing of the Lord, give some check to that unseemly lightness which often appears in the shameless foreheads of many noted Professors. Oh! where will such appear, if they repent not, seeing God hath not entered them on his Book of Remembrance, which is written for those only who fear the Lord, Chap. 3.16. and tremble at his word? How shall they escape that dreadful day mentioned, Chap. 4.1. Seeing then our God is a consuming fire, let us then take hold of his grace in Christ Jesus, whereby to serve him acceptably, with reverence and godly fear. He who is risen up to shake hereby the Earth, and also the Heavens, will certainly ere long shake off and cast out (as it were out of his lap) a Generation of light and lose Professors; against whom, those who are of a low and legal spirit and Principle, falling short by many degrees of their professed light in the Gospel, are risen up, and shall rise in Judgement to condemn them, for their intolerable pride and sensuality.  
Qu. If any shall now inquire, what is this fear of the Lord here spoken of?  
I Answer, It is a precious effect of the Spirit of Christ, 
Isa. 11.23.  in the heart of a believer, 
Jer. 32.40.  whereby (through the discovery of the glory of God in his word, 
Psal 86.11.  and works by Christ; 
Rom. 3.18.  and in consideration of the vast disproportion that is between God and the Creature) he is made to think highly of God in all his Attributes, 
Exod. 33.18. & 34.4, 5, 6, 7.  and to have respect unto all his Commandments. 
Hosea 3.5.  Thus referring the Reader to the search of Scriptures, 
Psa. 8.3, 4.  whether the thing be so, 
Psa. 111.7, 8, 9, 10.  and to the examination of his own heart, 
Jer. 10.6, 7, 10, 12.  whether this good thing be found in him, 
Isa. 40.15, 16, 17.  I shall hasten to the second qualification before mentioned.  
Secondly, 
Eccl. 12.13.  The second Character whereby the faithful people of God are distinguished from those Formalists, is, Their true, and tender respect unto the name and glory of God; preferring it above all their private concernments. Of this blessed frame that people fell short, who are upon this account reproved by the Prophet: Herein is their Hypocrisy discovered, that notwithstanding all their profession, and performance of duties in assembling and bringing Offerings, yet, the Lord declares against them, because they were men of mercenary selfseeking spirits. Which of you, saith he, would kindle a fire on might Altar for nought? Ch. 1.10. These were more like the Off spring of Hagar, than Sarah, unfit for God's work, which was to exalt his name among the Heathen: wherefore he lays them by, saying, I have no pleasure in you; neither would he accept an Offering at their hands, as you may see in the same Verse, and in Chap. 2.3. of this sin, who are so deeply guilty as the Priests, whom the Prophet chargeth with despising Gods great Name? Chap. 1.16. yet are they farthest off from conviction. They put the Prophet (or rather the Lord) to it, to prove the charge, with A WHEREIN, Wherein (say they) have we despised thy Name? And thus they dispute with God and his Messenger: but we find little or no confession, or conviction of any evil charged on them, but rather a charging God with injustice, or unrighteousness, in not rewarding their services, Chap. 3.14. speaking stout words against him, saying, It is vain to serve the Lord. Can not these boast of a large and long profession, as do many now, of their keeping Gods Ordinances, walking mournfully before the Lord? etc. These observing solemn days of Fasting and Prayer, as those whom the Prophet lays open and reproves, Isa. 1. & 58.2, 3. But in all these things mark what they had in their eye, their own profit; What profit is it? say they.  
As for the right Seed, their care is exercised about their father's name; regarding it so much the more, by how much others slighed it, and as being provoked by the backsliding of many, to an holy jealousy for God, whilst others are looking after their Olive yards, and Vineyards, their purchases and large pay; at best, their present sensible enjoyments. These are content to serve God (though as to an eye of sense) for nought, and without profit; if God hid his face, they will give him glory by looking to him, and waiting for him. They meet together in a dark day, and speak often one to another of the things that concern their father's Name, that being with most weight on their hearts: We read of nothing save that, nothing like to that upon their hearts, they minded it more than their Trades, Farms, Wife and Children, Lands and Lives; these are the right seed whom God owns for his in trying days, Mal. 3.16, 17. and whom he delights to use, having bend their hearts for him, and for his design, to make his name great in all the earth; to these he promiseth the shinings of the Son of Righteousness, with healing in his wings, Mal. 4.2, 3. and that they shall go forth, and grow up as Calves of the stall, and tread down the wicked, who shall be as ashes under the soles of their feet.  
The words and actions of that chosen Remnant thus qualified (howsoever slighted by the proud) are noted in God's BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE, where their words who in a light selfseeking spirit made use of his great name, have no place. How apparent is the difference in this respect, betwixt many Professors, and Church-members? some chief minding that work, and those duties, wherein they apprehend their present comfort and eternal salvation most nearly concerned, little regarding those Ordinances which more especially respect the honour of God, as to reprove sin, and to reject or excommunicate offenders, as just occasion is offered; an Ordinance, by the due practice whereof, the name of God his truth and people are cleared, and preserved from the blame of the miscarriages of scandalous offenders: how heartless are Professors and Ministers (at least so accounted) to this work? Did God lay them by of old, who despised his name, and will not God lay these by as Vessels wherein he takes no pleasure, if they repent not, and that speedily? in as much as he is making haste to his great work, viz. To exalt his great name, not in one corner of the earth, but in all the corners thereof; Amen, Hallowed be thy Name, and Hallelujah.  
Qu. But who shall follow the Lord in this great work?  
Ans. They only who are called chosen and faithful, whom he hath form for his praise, having redeemed them from the earth. These follow him whithersoever he goeth, not looking and tarrying for man, till such and such a man go before them: It is enough to them to see clearly, that the Lamb goes before them, for they are his followers, and will follow no other, but in the way of following him.  
Qu. But whence is it, or how comes it to pass, that so many professed followers of the Lamb, do turn back, yea, and turn against him at this time?  
Ans. Surely with many (if not with all) such Apostates, the cause is, their not being established with the grace of God, because they were not steadfast in believing Gods free Promises in Christ for the Kingdom, and all things else to be added to them in seeking that first. Their hearts being not right in the matter of Regeneration, therefore have they failed in the work of their Generation; and being found Enemies to a thorough work within, are found such to a thorough work of righteousness without, and abroad in the Nation: But did such at first run well? Oh then, seeing so many have begun to build, and have not been able to finish; let those who would follow Christ in the Regeneration, or their Generation work, sit down first, and (with serious spirits) count the cost. Take that word of Christ for your help, Luke 14.26. If any man come to me, and hate not father and mother, and wife and children, brethren and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my Disciple. The Law and Testimony of the Lord is bound up, and sealed with such Disciples-indeed, who choose rather to lose their ALL in this world, than to do any thing contrary to the mind of God contained therein. As for others, the Lord counts them unworthy; and if they be enlightened, they cannot but judge themselves unworthy of so great a trust.  
But why do I detain the Reader thus long from that discourse, which may afford more profit and delight? The work is before thee, go on to it in the fear of the Lord; only this I shall say further, viz. That I doubt not but men who will reject a good work (as the manner of some is) for some small (and it may be merely supposed) Error, may find whereat to be stumbled in reading this Book; and so this, as many other worthy works, be rendered useless, and an offence to them; whilst honest hearts (who having the love of truth, cannot easily be prejudiced against it, Psal. 119.165.) are like to reap precious benefit hereby. And here let it be noted also, That God is not a little jealous for the glory of his great Name, in the work he hath begun. Though he will use man in his work, yet so, as that his Imperfection shall appear, that we may cease from man, and from glorying in men, ourselves, or others; and that we may give all the glory to him, whose due it is. Amen; Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be given unto our God for ever. Having thus far enlarged, as being engaged to bear my Testimony in love to those truths contained in the ensuing work, I commend it to the Lord for his blessing, adding this only, that I am  
Thine if thou rejoycest not in Iniquity, but in the Truth. JOHN PENDARVES. The 10 day of the 6 Month. 1656.   

Errata.  
PAge 2. line 14. for vissitudes read vicissitudes. p. 9 l. 3. r. are not. l. 36. r. heart-feuds. p. 11. l. 8. r. they give him the honour. p. 13. l. 40. r. as at. p. 15. l. 36. r. is in Zion. p. 16. l. 31. deal abide the day. p. 17. l. 4. r. he tells us. p. 64. l. 12. r. secondly. p. 65. l. 8. deal of. p. 77. l. 34. r. swiftness.  
Many other literal Mistakes have escaped the Press, but these above written are some of the chief, of which the Reader is desired to take notice.   

The Prophets MALACHY and ISAIAH PROPHESYING to the Saints and Professors of this GENERATION Of the great things the Lord will do, and bring to pass in this their day and time.  MAL. 3.16, 17, 18. 
Then they that feared the Lord, spoke often one to another, and the Lord harkened, and heard it; and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his Name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.  
Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.  
THE State of the Nation and Commonwealth of Israel, their Worship, and the dispensation of their God towards them; were Tips of the better condition he would bring his Children into, of those clearer discoveries the Lord would make of himself, and his Glory, and after what manner he would carry himself towards his Chosen in the Gospel-day: And it's as true that the backslidings and apostasies of that Tipical Commonwealth and people, with their corrections, bondages, and captivities; were Tips also of the state and condition of the Church of God under that Gospel-administration: yea, their very Enemies were no less than Tippical, pointing out to us those adversaries the Serpent would raise up against the seed of the Woman (the true Church and people of God) in that dividend of time called the last days.  
Their servitude and sore bondage in Egypt was a general Type of the malicious practices of the seed of the Serpent against the Woman's seed, all the Serpent's day long, till the appointed time comes, wherein the Lord will judge them, and deliver his people with a mighty hand, with signs and with wonders after the manner of Egypt.  
But in a more particular way.  
After many vissitudes and changes, falls and rise, backslidings and reformations wrought in this Commonwealth (which also are not without their Tipical significancies,) when those two admirable & excellent Tips, David and Solomon had run their race, this people of one Nation became two, which tipically is very significant to us: For as those 10 Tribes who made the fraction, presently turned aside from their God, and through their backslidings and apostasies after many warnings from Heaven, brought a destroying enemy upon them, that their place and name was taken quite away; they were a Type of those ten parts (if I may so express it) of the professing Gospel-Church, who through their backslidings and apostasies 
a 2 Thes: 2.3.  falling away, made way for the man of Sin, the Babylonish power to exalt itself over them to their ruin.  
And as the Lord for his servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, promised to preserve one Tribe, that David might have 
b 1 King. 11.36  a light before the Lord in Jerusalem; notwithstanding their backslidings and apostasies, yet upon the pure account of his Covenant with David, the Lord preserves this one Tribe (according to his promise) till Shiloh came: this Tribe was a Type of that small part of the professing Gospel-Church, which the Lord will preserve for David his Son's sake, and for Jerusalem his true Church's sake, that the seed of the Woman may not be quite extinct, nor our Lord Jesus the Son of God left without his Remnant in the world, notwithstanding all the deviations, backslidings, and apostasies of Kings, Rulers, and people, yet there is a cluster in the midst of it, that hath such a blessing in it, that it shall be preserved and continue, till he comes the second time, whose right it is to Reign.  
But for the iniquities, backslidings, and Apostasies of this one Tribe, the Lord delivers them for a season into the hand of the King of Babylon; and after a certain term of time, by a Cyrus he opens away for their coming out of Babylon, and return to their own Land to Worship the Lord God of their Fathers at Jerusalem, in the true Church; now they apostatising after this super-abundant grace and favour, stopping their ears against the Lords Messengers, he withdraws, God leaves them to themselves, their Prophets cease, the Lord troubles them with no more of his Messengers, only there is a company of honest hearts that fear the Lord, speaking often one to another about these things, but their language is such, as is neither understood, nor harkened to by that Generation, indeed it's said the Lord harkened and heard, but not a man minds it as we read of: in this particular also is this one Tribe a Type; and it's of no small concernment to us at this day.  
In this time of apostasy it was, that our Prophet Malachy delivered his heavenly Message: before I can enter into the mystery of those words, the opening of which is my chief design; there lies a necessity upon me somewhat to mind the Prophecy in general.  
In this Prophecy there are three special, remarkable times to be minded.  

1 A day or time of Apostasy, wherein the Lord spoke these words by the mouth of his servant Malachy.  
2 A day or time of purging and purifying Zion in the 3 Chap.  
3 A day or time of judging & desiroying the wicked in the 4 Chap▪   
That this day of Judgement that shall burn like an Oven, is one and the same with the time of Daviels' stones smiting the great Image, is clear to me upon this double ground.  
1. Because I find the same work done in this day, the stone doth in that.  Dan: 2.35, and 44. 
Then was the iron, the clay, the brass the Silver, and the gold broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors, and the wind carried them away that no place was found for them: it shall break in pieces, and consume all these Kingdoms.  Mal: 41.3. 
For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an Oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch: and ye shall tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles os your feet.  
2 Because I find the same growth and prosperity, the same blessing following the performance of the work in both places.  Dan: 2.25. 
And the stone that smote the Image became a great Mountain, and filled the whole earth.  Mal: 4.2. 
The Son of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings, and ye shall go forth, and grow up as Calves of the stall.  
There is only this difference, Daniel speaks of the Powers, Authorities, and great ones of this wicked world; and Malachy speak of the wicked in general, both small and great, root and branch: Daniel speaks of the stones executing the wrath and vengeance. of God upon his enemies; and Malachy speaks not only of that, but also of that subjection the wicked shall then be in, to every individual Saint of that number, they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet: Daniel speaks of the prosperity of the stone as a body compact together, the stone became a great mountain; and Malachy speaks of the prosperity and advantage of particular Saints, ye shall grow up as Calves of the stall: yet both have reference to the same work and time.  
That the Lord might prepare and fit his people for the great work of this terrible day, he will purge and purify them: which is the work of the 2d. day or time mentioned in the Third Ch. of this Prophecy. To prevent some objections which perhaps might be thrown in the way of that further use I must make of this Prophecy in its due place, I desire you to take notice of two things.  
1. That this Prophecy hath special relation to the Gentiles in this Gospel-day, which is apparent by that partial fulfilling of this Prophecy, our Lord himself attributes to the beginning of the Gospel-day, even his days in the flesh, as will be evident it you compare with this Prophecy, Math. 11.10. Mark 1.2, 3. Luke 7.27. and Mat: 3.11, 12.  
2 That it hath not yet been fulfilled, either to Jew or Gentile: this purifying here treated of, is a Reformation wrought after an Apostasy, for in the day of the most wicked and loathed apostasy ever Israel was guilty of, the Prophet speaks of it as that which is to come: and sueh a reformation it is, as is a reducing the people to their first and pristine glory and beauty they had in the day of their Espousals, as the 4th. verse intimates to us, Then shall the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, as in ancient years, (as the margin of some Bibles hath it.) the excellent glory and Heavenliness of this beauty was such, as the Lord seems to glory in it, Jer: 2. 2, 3 I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals; Israel was holiness unto the Lord: it's described at large Ezek: 16. from the 8th: to the 15th. verse, and our Lord himself seems to hint at such a Reformation, in that speech of his, Mat. 19.8. But from the beginning it was not so: intimating to us, that things ought to be reduced to their first inslit●tion, their beginning state: it is that which the Church of Ephesus must return to, otherwise she must bear her punishment, Rev: 2.4, 5. This hath not yet been fulfilled to the Jews; for at our Lord first coming they were so far from being reduced by him to their former love, reform to their first glory, as that they were cast away, Rom: 11.15. and the day of the espousals of the G miles came: and since that dismal time to them, have they not been as a people driven out from the presence of the Lord? Neither have the Gentiles possessed the fullness thereof; for can any man show us any time or season wherein any part of the professing Gospel-Church hath (after any of her backslidings and apostasies) been adorned with the glory of her marriage-day, the excellency of her first love in the days of her youth, that the Lord could say unto her, Thy offerings are pleasant unto me, as in the days of old, as in ancient years? but so much it is, the Lord hath said in this Prophecy he will do for his chosen, and this glory it is the Lord will cloth his Zion with in due time.  
We are now returned to the first day or time mentioned, which is, a day of great Apostasy: and by this time I hope I have gained some ground to make good with demonstration to the understandings of men, the truth and certainty of the following discourse. This day of Apostasy after the building of the second Temple (that time of Reformation) being the l●st state and condition of that one Tribe, as a Nation, and that wherein our Lord Jesus came and found them to their cost and sorrow; It was a Type of the state and condition of some part of the professing Gospel-Church, at that time wherein our Lord shall visit it, with 
c Isai. 4.4.  the spirit os Judgement, and the spirit of burning. That we may be able by scripture light, to know to whom this Prophecy relates in a more special manner than to others; and that the door of our hearts might be opened (if possible) to receive the following truth: let us consider,  

1. The Time of this apostasy.  
2. The Quality of this apostasy.  
3. The People thus apostatising.   
For the Time itself, we have three Characters of it.  
1. It is after their coming out of Babylon (as is acknowledged on all hands, that Malachy was the last of the Prophets, and Prophesied after Haggai and Zachary's time, who Prophesied at the time of their return from Babylon) after the Lord had delivered them out of the hands of the Babylonians their enemies, and put them into a capacity to serve him in his own appointments, according to his will, they turn their backs upon their God, and apostatise from the Truth.  
2 It's that time of Apostasy in Zyon, which the Lord will take to visit his people in, with a spirit of Judgement, and a spirit of burning; by a fiery refining dispensation, making up his Jewels after the manner of purifying gold and silver: the Lord doth not suffer their enemies to carry them back into Babylon (he takes not that former course with them) but he takes them into his own hand to make them a fit and a suitable instrument to do that great, wonderful, and strange work he hath to do in and upon the world: that this is such a time, my thinks there needs no other proof than what the Prophet saith in the 5th: verse of this 3d: Chapter, And I will come near to you to Judgement, and I will be a swift witness against you that fear not me saith the Lord of hosts; you, Who? why, those to whom the Prophet had spoken before: it signifies thus much, in that day wherein I shall thus purge and purify the sons of Levi (my chosen) that they become beautiful and glorious, pleasant unto me, I will be a swift witness against you, and judge you that have thus without any fear of me played the Apostates, turned aside and gone backward: the day of Zions purifying, is the day of the Lords judging these leaders of apostasy; therefore these Times are contemporary, so joined together, as none can put them asunder.  
3. It's that time of apostasy immediately preceding the stones smiting the great Image; that day wherein the Lord will burn up the wicked, leaving them neither root nor branch: when the Lord by turning his hand upon his people, at the concluding time of this apostasy▪ hath (refining them) made up his Jewels, fitted and qualified them, they fall to the work of the burning hot day mentioned in the 4th. Chapt. which hath been proved to be all one with that day of breaking daniel's great Image; there is no interval of Time between these two dispensation.  
2. For the Quality of this Apostasy: it's a refined hypocritical apostasy: These men will seem religious, although indeed their hearts are most irreligious, 
d Mal: 1.13  snuffing at the Ordinances and true worship of the Lord: an offering they will bring, though it be but the blind, and the torn, and the lame, and the sick▪ though it be a wearisome burden to them, yet worship they will; though they be under a 
e Verse 14.  curse for their blind, and torn, and lame, and sick, and corrupt performances; yet they will seem outwardly to the world to be the worshippers of God, the blessed people of the Lord, crying the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord; yea▪ they have such cloaks and cover for their actions, that their backsliding and apostasy is not observable (for a while) by the vulgar eye; none are sensible of it but a company of dispicable souls that fear the Lord, they indeed see this apostasy, and speak often one to another about it, but the rest are blind; yea so hypocritically cunning are these men, that let the Prophet charge them with what he will, they answer him with a wherein have we done it? doth he charge them with robbing God of his honour, and of his 
f Ch: 1.6.12  sear due unto him, and with despising and profaning the great name of the Lord of hosts? their answer is, Wherein have we despised thy name, and wherein have we rob thee? doth he charge them with polluting the 
g Verse 7.  Altar of God, saying the Table of the Lord is contemptible, despising and contemning the true Worship of God, that those that fear the Lord exercise themselves in at this time; they reply, Wherein have we done it? doth he charge them with 
h Ch: 2.13.  Covering the Altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and with crying out through their oppressions and violence, that his people cannot serve the Lord with a cheerful and free spirit? they answer him with a wherefore? doth the Prophet charge them with speaking stout words against the Lord, saving, its vain to serve God, and 
i Ch: 3.13, 14▪  what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? their answer still is, What have we spoken so much against thee? yea, though they call the 
k Verse 15.  proud happy, and set up workers of wickedness, and deliver them that tempt God, yet they dare put the Prophet upon the proof of all that he saith, knowing their cover are able to stave off a present clear proof in this dark day; so that the Prophet himself is forced to fly to the Lord of hosts to witness to the truth of his words, to prove the charge, 
l Verse 5.  the Lord of hosts will be a swift witness against you: and lastly, doth the Prophet, to manifest the infinite riches of the love and mercy of God to backsliders, exhort them to return to the Lord, holding forth his gracious promise, that then he will return to them? 
m Verse 7.  Return unto me, and I will return unto you saith the Lord of Hosts: their answer is, wherein shall we return? they are so confident in the neatness and largeness of their cover, that they dare tauntingly, put the Prophet to show if he can, wherein they should return; implying, that they would have him, and all those that found fault with them, to know that they are in the way of the Lord, as near to him as they can be, and that they have not backsliden, nor retreated from the Lord in any thing, by which any such distance should be made between them and the Lord, that they need to be exhorted to return to him: it signifies thus much further to me, that their pride and hypocrisy is grown to such height that they think it an eclipse to their (vain) glory, a disparagement to them to have the free and rich grace of God tendered to them, (their answer is a kind of profession that they need it not) upon these terms; for say they, Wherein should we return? they have nothing to return from, nor nothing to return to, for they are not gone from God, but are as near to him as ever they were: although it be the most wicked apostasy that ever this Commonwealth was guilty of, yet the most refined of any; insomuch as a great part of those guilty of this Apostasy, are such as are great pretenders to the love of, and delight in the day of the Lords appearance; hence it is, that the Prophet tells them, The Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in, behold he shall come saith the Lord of hosts: O the curious wrought networks of this apostatising day! howneatly are the wicked actions of this day clothed with glorious pretences for the Temple, & people of the Lord? their outside seems so clean and clear in this twilight day, that they will dare any to prove them in an error, that they are out of the way of the Lord, or to show them a better way.  
3. For the Persons apostatising, they are of two sorts.  
1. The leaders and causers of the apostasy: those leaders that not content to departed out of the way themselves, but cause the people to err; that 
n Ch. 2.8.  corrupt the Covenant of Levi, and cause many to stumble at the law of God, laying stumbling-blocks of hypocrisy before the people to ensnare them, even to the causing the worship and service of the Lord to be an abhorring, a loathsome contemptible thing: upon the head of these men, with their proud and stubborn abettors, will the Lord the jealous God, send down his cursing Judgements, he will be a swift witness against them wounding their hairy scalp; saith the Lord of hosts concerning these, 
o Isai: 1.24.  Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemier; 
p Amos ●. 10.  all the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, the evil shall not overtake, nor prevent us.  
2. There are another sort of persons that keep not their garments clean from the pollutions of this Apostasy, though they are not so far engaged as the other; they are those that please and delight themselves in the thoughts of the coming of the Lord, the Messenger of that Covenant, by which the Father hath engaged himself to do great and glorious things for his people: these being purblind through the glory of their Ceiled houses, the convenient accommodations of this life, are not able to see the plain characters of a loathsome apostasy written in the forehead of the Times, and so run along in that dirty channel with the rest. they hear the Prophet cry out amain, An Apostasy, an Apostasy an Apostasy, and ye are cursed; undone forever, the Lord will raise up another people, (
q Mal. 1.11.  My name shall be great among the Heathen) and cast you off if ye repent not; and they hear those that fear the Lord speaking often one to another of the evil of the Times, and the sufferings of the name of God at this day: yet through dimness of sight, and dulness of heart, they know not what to think of these things, they are not able to adjust the controversy, and pass a right sentence upon the case, only they please themselves in the thoughts of the coming of the Lord, and that then he will put an end to these dubious controversies and hearts-feuds between Brethren, and right the wronged, punishing the oppressor; when he comes with the breath of his lips he will destroy the wicked, and wipe away all tears from the face of his people; when the Sun of Righteousness arises, his bright bcams will disperse all these clouds and mists of darkness, that we shall see the way of the Lord clearly; therefore it is good for us to keep our station, and abide in the condition we are in, till our Lord himself comes; and O that he would come, how would it joy our hearts to behold him? but ah saith the Prophet 
r Ch. 3. ●.  Who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? notwithstanding this curious profession of theirs, he gives them to understand, they would neither stand in that day, nor abide it: These have so far bespotted their garments with the apostatising defilements of the Times, that they need the Refiners fire, and Fuller's soap to parge and purify them; the Lord of hosts will turn his hand upon these, after the manner of purifying gold and silver, to purge away their dross, and take away all their Tin.  
Yet in the midst of this dismal Age, there is a handful that fear the Lord, they keep their garments clean and pure from the pollutions of this their day, speaking often one to another about these things.  
Then they that feared the Lord, spoke often one to another, and the Lord harkened, and heard it, etc.  
In the words we have,  
1 A description of some persons that exercise themselves in a work wel-pleasing to the Lord in this provoking day of apostasy, they that feared the Lord.  
2 The work itself; set down in two expressions, they spoke often one to another, and they thought upon his name.  
3 The Lords acceptation of this work; which is held forth  
1 By a double Act of the Lord, he harkened, and heard it, and a Book of remembrance was written before him.  
2 By several rich and glorious promises made to these sincere hearts, and they are of two sorts.  
1 Such as concern reward for work done; which are two.  

1 They shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts.  
2 And I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him.   
The excellency and worth of which promises are heightened by the aggravation of the time when; in that day when I make up my Jewels.  
2 A promise, that is not only a bare reward for work done, but contains qualification and fitness for the performance of a succeeding glorious work immediately to come forth; then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.  
Would you know the persons that are thus valued and prized by the Lord of Heaven and earth in such a day as this? we have three characters of them in the Text.  
1 They fear the Lord, they worship him, and give glory to him and none other; they give honour of a Father, and the fear of a Master, they sanctify his name, giving him those deuce which these despisers of his great Name will not: they fear the Lord; not man, not those great masters of apostasy that dare to speak proud and stout words against the Lord, and profane the name of God; nor those workers of wickedness that are set up, on high above their fellows, who by their Oppressions make their Brethren to howl, covering the Altar of the Lord with tears and with weeping, and with crying out; they fear not, nor care not for those that can only kill the body, but they fear the Lord, who can slay both body and soul; the Lord alone is their fear.  
2 They are so hearty and throughly sensible of the sufferings of the name and honour of their God, that their care for that swalloweth up all other cares: they mind not so much their own sufferings under the oppressions of these workers of wickedness, as the sufferings of the name and interest of their dear Lord, under that dishonour and shame these wicked (though refined) hypocrites throw upon it; their careful thoughts are solely taken up about the concernments of the name of their God; They thought upon his name: yet notwithstanding these excellencies, they are not per-sect. But  
3 They are subject to many infirmities; for they stand in need of the sparing mercy of their God and Father: and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.  
2 The work itself, which these sincere hearts exercise themselves in, as the great duty incumbent upon them in this their day is, Consultation about the concernments of the great name and cause of the Lord at this time. They think, and they speak both parts of counsel, they thought upon his name, they consult in their own own hearts and thoughts about the name and interest of God; and they speak often one to another about it, they are often enquiring of, and communicating their light to each other, that if possible, by such communications they may be able to find out something of the mind of their God and Father, they could not by their more private consultations in their hearts and thoughts; the subject of these their so serious consultations is, the name of their God, they thought upon his name; their care is not, how shall we get from under the unsupportable oppressions of these workers of wickedness that are set up? nor, how shall we free ourselves and our Posterity from the bondage and slavery of these sons of violence? nor so much, how shall we bring down these proud and lofty men that speak such proud and stout words against the Lord, his name, and honour? (though possibly that may be more remotely in their thoughts too) but all their cares are dissolved into a godly and holy carefulness, for the name and honour of their dear Lord: they thought upon his name, how that was dishonoured; the Lord had gotten himself a great name, by delivering his people out of Babylon, rearing up the glorious structure of his Temple, and building up the ruined walls of Jerusalem, setting up his true Worship again there, in despite of all those great oppositions of his enemies round about; and these backsliders despise and dishonour this great name of the Lord of hosts, doing what in them lies to bury it in Oblivion; now these lovers of the Name of God, think on this, are very solicitous what they should do at this juncture of time to wipe off that dishonour is cast upon this great and glorious name in the view of the whole world; O say they, what shall we do for the name of our God? wherewith shall we honour it? what course shall we take to exalt and magnify it in the eyes of the world, before whom it hath been thus dishinored? here's the Centre of all their thoughts and consultations, They thought upon his Name.  
3 Let us see how exceeding kindly the Lord takes this at their hands.  
1 The Lord by two eminent acts manifests his great acceptance of them: how is the heart of God taken with this blessed work The Lord harkened and heard it, as it imply the lowness, weakness, of the voice of these holy consultations, that the Lord must hearken and listen (to speak after the manner of men) before he can hear it; so it also implies great intenseness of spirit with delight: he harkened; the Lord is so wel-pleased with these blessed consultations, that rather than miss hearing their voice, he will hearken and listen with the greatest intenseness of mind; the Lord harkened; as if the Lord had said, stand aside Satan, cease thy accusing clamours in mine ears; silence you exalters of wicked workers, You are of your Father the devil, and the lusts of your Father ye w ll do, he was a liar from the beginning, and so are ye, wrongfully charging the innocent with things they know nor: peace ye wayward froward children, through the noise and din of your peevish wranglings nothing can be heard: be still all, I will hear what these my Beloved one's say, that stand up for my name and honour in such a day as this what though they discover much weakness and infirmity in the management of their work? yet, I delight in them, and love to hear their voice: The Lord harkened, and heard it, he hearkens till he hears all: and he takes special notice of what he hears, let's nothing slip, and so delightful and pleasing to him is that he hears, that, as if he were distrustful of his memory, A book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name; here is the Lamb's book, wherein he sets down all the service his servants do for him, that he may give them a suitable and full reward when he comes into his Kingdom, that possession his Father hath decreed to give him: the Lord is so taken with what he hears, that he will book it all down, set it all upon Record, not a thought nor an expression, not a word nor a syllable, will he lose; the heart of God is so taken with these breathe, that he writes a Book of Remembrance, that when those Heavenly Records are read, he may remember to do them honour then, who thus honour him now by their loyalty and faithfulness, clothing them with his own Robes, his own glory; Thus shall it be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour.  
2 The Lords acceptation of the work of these blessed souls appears by those rich promises he makes to them; which are  
1 Such as concern reward for work done. As  
1 They shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts, this is a note of special peculiarity, for (as it hath relation to other persons.) it's put in opposition unto my Jewels in the next words; saith the Lord of hosts there is a day a coming wherein I will make up my jewels, gather up my treasure, and in that day they shall be mine, mine in a more special and peculiar way and manner than my Jewels shall be: as at the first, when the children of Israel were in Egypt, there were two Mines, my people, and my first born, as as the firstborn in whose stead the Tribe of Levi was chosen, were Gods in a more special and peculiar manner than the rest of God's people of Israel, they were those whom he chose to be always in his presence, to serve before him continually, his favourites to whom he manifested his glory, and by whom he revealed his mind and Will to the rest of their Brethren: so here are TWO MINES too, mine, and my Jewels, and this mine being put in opposition to my Jewels, signifies thus much, that in the day when the Lord makes up his Jewels, he will honour them with more special favour, and higher dignities, than the rest of his Jewels: they shall be mine, I will take them so near to myself, that so great a ray of my glory shall rest upon them, as that they shall outshine all their fellows, their lustre and glory shall outstrip and go beyond all the rest of my Jewels, none in all my treasury of Jewels shall be like unto them.  
2 And I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him; saith the Lord, there's a fiery refining day a coming, full of troubles, sorrows, and anxieties of spirit to the professing world, but I will spare them.  
Spare them! for what? and from what?  
Ques For what will the Lord spare them, do these holy sincere hearts need sparing?  
Ans: Yes, Although they are so sensible of the suffering of the name of their God, under the dishonour and evil of the times, yet they have many infirmities, and come far short of the glory that shall then be revealed, but I will spare them saith the Lord; and although their infirmities be such, as they need not only a common sparing, but the sparing of a Father, that sparing which proceeds from the purest and freest love and affection possible, sparing in the highest degree; yet, I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him, as a man looks upon the good will of his Son that in serving him seeks his honour, although through weakness and infirmity he dishonour him, and takes not notice of his dishonouring infirmities, but of his good aims and ends in his service, so will I spare them saith the Lord of hosts.  
Queen From what will the Lord spare them?  
Ans: From the painful, sharp, and terrible sorrows of that day wherein I will make up my jewels: so that now we are come to the consideration of that weighty circumstance of time, wherein the Lord will perform these precious promises, the consideration whereof, will mightily enhance the value and price of our Lord and masters love, manifested in these his promises.  
In that day when I make up my Jewels, what day is this? it is that day mentioned in the beginning of the Chapter, wherein he will be like a Refiners fire, and like Fuller's soap. that the Holy Ghost intends that day in this place, is clear to me from this double consideration.  
1 From the phrase, THAT DAY, in that day when I make up my jewels: when the Holy Ghost speaks of a day or time to come, that he had not spoken of before, he calls it the day, as here in the fourth Chapter. Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an Oven, etc. but when the Holy Ghost expresseth a day or time by that day, he points at the time treated of immediately before, as in the Third and Fourth Chapter of Isaiah; and indeed throughout the whole scripture I find it is the usual manner of the Holy Ghost so to do: and this Refining-day being the time treated of immediately before, we cannot rationally conceive any other day is pointed at by that day.  
2 From that other phrase, When I MAKE UP my Jewels; what more genuine and natural interpretation can be given, than, that these Jewels are the product of the Refiners fire? the workmanship of this Refiner, and purifier of silver, forming them into Jewels of gold, and Jewels of silver, a people form for himself to show forth his praise.  
That we may see somewhat of the terribleness of this day, and from thence behold the pretiousness of these promises, and be provoked to make it our business to ensure them to ourselves, for our inheritance in this shaking day: let us consider,  
1. The manner of the Lords dealing with his people at this day; he will be to them like a Refiners fire, and like fullers soap: and what more dreadful & consuming than a refiners fire, & what more sharp & searching than fullers soap? and this will he be unto them; He will sit upon them as a Refiner and puryfier of silver, dealing with them after the manner of purifying gold & silver till he hath 
s Isai: 1.29.  Purged away all their dross, and taken away all their tin: 
t Isai: 31 9  His fire in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem; 
u Ezek: 22.18.19, 20, 21.22.  Because they are become dress to the Lord, behold therefore saith the Lord God, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem, as they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the Fire upon it, to melt it; so, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the Fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted; and ye shall know that I the Lord have poured out my fury upon you.  
2 It is such a day, as the Prophet makes it a great question, whether any of those that profess a delight in the thoughts and expectations of it, shall abide it, stand in that great day: Even the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in, behold he shall come saith the Lord of hosts; but who may abide the day of his coming? as if he should have said, you please and delight yourselves in the thoughts of the coming of the day of the Lord, hoping that he will mend all, and set things to rights when he comes, and make his people a happy people; 
x Isa. 11.13.  That the envy of Ephraim shall departed, nnd the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim; and then shall these unbrotherly controversies and heats of spirit cease, he will give them 
y Jer. 31.39.  one heart and one way: you delight in the Messenger of the Covenant that shall do such things; that day shall come, ah but (saith the Prophet) who of you may abide the day of his coming? he will come in such a way and manner so contrary to flesh and blood, so contrary to your expectations and apprehensions, as you will not endure it, nor abide, but be offended and stumble to the hazard of your souls; and who shall stand when he appeareth? you think you are well, in a good and safe station, but when he appeareth, who of you shall keep your standing? not one of you: your foundations will then appear but sandy foundations, and your rests broken reeds; and at what a loss will you then be? such a shaking will the Lord make in that day, as will shake you all of your standing; though now you think you are in the right, that your feet standeth in a sure place, and that you could be filled with joy to behold the Lords appearing, yet than none of you will be able to keep your ground. Who may abide the day abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? these interrogatives strongly affirm, that none of them can abide it, and none of them shall stand: and will not this be a terrible day indeed, when such glorious professors as delight themselves in the thoughts and expectations of the coming of Christ, shall be found too light, and thrown into the fiery furnace to purhe their dross, and tinn, and come under the Fuller's soap to cleanse their garments from their unclean and filthy spots?  
But would you see more of the terrors of this dreadful day? then consider the four first Chapters of the Prophet Isaiah; in the first Chapter he speaks of the same time Malachy doth in general terms; in his second Chapter, after an enumeration of some of the evils of the Times, as the reason why the Lord hath forsaken his people; he tells the particular work the Lord will do in Zion at this day; from the 10th. verse to the end: in the seven first verses of the 3d. Chapter; the Prophet tells us what course the Lord will take to bring those great things to pass, he had spoken of before, from the 16 Verse to the second Verse of the 4th Chapter, he sets down the punishment and sad condition of the Capital and Head City of the land: and in the remainder of the 4th Chapter we have a description of the glory and happy state of the Lords Jewels, those that are purged and purified by this Refiners fire and Fuller's soap; by his spirit of Judgement, and his spirit of burning.  
That Isaiahs' Prophecy in these Chapters, hath relation to the same time Malachy treats of, is clear to me upon these grounds.  
1 Because I find that Isaiah as well as Malachy hath relation to three times.  
1 To a time of Apostasy: 
z Isa. 1.2, 4, 21, 22, 23.  I have nourished and brought up Children, and they have rebelled against me: A sinful Nation, a people laden with iniquity, they are gone away backward: how is the faithful City become an harlot? it was full of judgement, righteousness lodged in it, but now Murderers: thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water: thy Princes are rebellious, and companions of thiefs, &c: yea, and this apostasy is guilty of the same quality Malachy's is, a refined hypocritical apostasy; though they be rebellious children, corrupters, and are so far gone backward, that the Lord despairs of doing them any good by correcting them at a former rate; but saith, 
a Verse 5,  They will then revolt more and more: though they be altogether unsound from the sole of the foot unto the head: 
b Verse 6.  though they be as the 
c Verse 10,  Rulers of Sodom, and their 
d Verse 15,  hands are full of blood; yet, they cover all with a 
e Verse 11,  multitude of sacrifices, they fill the Lord with them, that they trouble him, and he is a 
f Verse 14,  weary to bear them; all their performances are guilty of such hypocritical vanity, that they are an 
g Verse 13, 14.  abomination to the Lord, and his soul hates them.  
2 To a time of purifying and restoring Zion to its former glory, from whence they are fallen; 
h Verse 25, 26.  And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin; and I will restore thy Judges as at the first, and thy Counsellors as at the beginning: afterward, thou shalt be called the City of righteousness, the faithful City: 
i Ch: 4.3.  And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy.  
3 To a time of destroying the wicked: 
k Ch: 1.28.3  The destruction of the transgressors, and of the sinners shall be together; And they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed: and the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them: Read also the second and third Chapters. There is only this difference, Isaiah hath spetial relation to the civil state, of his people, as a Commonwealth; and Malachy hath spetial relation to the Worship and religious state of this people, as a Church.  
Ob: If any should object that it is not probable that Isaiah should point at the same time with Malachy, for he Prophesied a long time before, & speaks in the present tense, as if he spoke these things of his own time.  
Answ: I Answer 1. That this Prophecy was made known to I. saiah in King Vzzia's time, 
l 2 King. 15.3  who did that which was right in th' sight of the Lord: he was no ruler of Sodom, therefore this Prophecy refers to another time, not the present: that it was revealed in Vzzia's time, appears to me, because the Vision seen by the Prophet sometime after, in the 6th Chapter, is said to be seen in the year that King Vzziah died, verse 1.  
2 This is a Vision; the vision of Isaiah the son of Amos, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, etc. now visions being concerning things to come, this must of necessity have relation to a time yet to come.  
2 Because I find the Prophet Isaiah as well as Malachy, directs his speech to three sorts of people: First, To those Apostates, the Lord will in his judgements be avenged of, 
m Ch. 2.24, and 3.11.  Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies; Woe unto the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him. Secondly, To those whom the Lord will purge and purify, 
n Ch: 1.25,  I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin: who when the Lord shall have thus purged away their filth, by a spirit of judgement, and a spirit of burning, shall be the holy Jewels of the Lord. Thirdly, To a company of righteous souls, whom the Lord will spare in that day; to whom the Prophet is commanded to say 
o Ch. 3.10.  it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their do: though it go full ill with the rest of their Brethren, yet it shall be well with them, the Lord will spare them; he hath his chambers to hid them in, in this day of his wrath, wherein he will punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their iniquities.  
3 Because I find the Prophet hath wholly relation to the last days, Chap: 2. verse 2. and it shall come to pass in the last days: the Prophet brings in the kingdom of the mountain (the kingdom of Christ in its full glory) as the product and effect of that which before (in the latter part of the first Chap.) he had said the Lord would do: for, he brings it in with an AND, and it shall come to pass in the last days: it runs current thus, when Zion (for the faith. faithful City in the 21 verse, and Zion in the 27 verse I take to be all one) hath so far apostatised, as that she is become an Harlot in God's account, her silver become dross, and her wine mixed with water, altogether defiled; then will God avenge himself of his adversaries the leaders of this loathsome apostasy, and turn his hand upon professing Zion, bringing her back again to himself restore her to her former glory, that, She shall again be called the City of Righteousness, the faithful City; and the wicked, the transgressors and sinners together, shall be burned with such a burning as none shall be able to quench; then in these last days, shall the mountain of the Lords house be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all Nations shall flow unto it: and to confirm our faith, and to keep out unbelief, that we might not stagger at the promise; in the remainder of this 2d. Chapter, with. the 3d. and 4th: Chap. the Prophet treats more largely and particularly of some of the same thing he had spoken of before in the general; telling us the means by which the Lord would bring those things to pass; doing such wonders in Zion mentioned in the latter part of the 2d. Chapter, and that by such a way and course as he sets down in the 3d. Chapter, bringing forth such blessed effects as are held forth in the 4th: Chap. that indeed the inhabitants of Zion shall be enabled to burn up the wicked both root and branch; and then the mountain of the Lords house shall come to be exalted above the hills, and established in the top of the Mountains, so that all Nations shall flow unto it.  
4 Because I find that the glory of the 4th. Chap. which is brought in as the proper effect and product of what was done in the 2d. and 3d: Chapt: cannot in any wise be meant of the glory of the mountain of the Lords house, but of some state of the house of God, before it attains to its mountain-glory; and my reasons for this apprehension are,  
1 Because the Prophet speaks of such a state of Zion, as the glory whereof stands in need of a DEFENCE; 
p Ch. 4, 5.  upon all the glory shall be a defence: now when Zion, the Lords house comes to be a mountain, established above (in the top of) all other mountains, it will be so far above the reach of all its enemies, that it will not stand in need of a defencé from their rage and violence; but this is such a state as must have a defence upon its glory, lest it should be ruined and spoiled by its enemies.  
2. Because this state stands in need of 
q Verse 6,  a shadow from the heat, and a place of refuge, and a covert, from the storm, and from the rain: by which metaphors of heat, storm, and rain, I understand the violent rage of the enemies thereof, and that stout & powerful open position they will make against it; I am confirmed in the truth of this interpretation, by Isaiahs' 25 chap: where is recorded a song that shall be the Church's tune, after the Lord hath wrought some of his wonders by Zion thus refined, and defended by an all nighty creating power, then will she sing forth praises to her Lord, after the tenor of that heavenly excelling song: wherein he expresses, first her thankfulness for wonderful things already done, acknowledging and admiring the truth and faithfulness of God, vowing and engaging to exalt the Lord, and praise his name; in the 4 first Verses. Secondly, her stead hast faith, believing without hefitation; those great and glorious things the Lord hath said he will yet do for and by his Zion; in the rest of the Chap: and amongst the wonderful things the Lord doth, to cause his Zion thus to break forth into praises, there is, 
r Ch. 25.2  The making a City a hoap, and a defenced City a ruin, annihilating the Palace of strangers, so, as it shall never be built again; managing this great work in so glorious a way, that it causes thes City of the terrible ones to fear: 
Verse 3.  now if we observe the means by which the Lord work; these wonders, we shall find it to be the same defence mentioned in the 4th Chapter, 
t Verse 4,  For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his disiress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall; the Prophet clearly makes good the interpretion given, bringing in the storm, and the heat as the effects of the blast of the terrible ones: all which are gain; managing this great work in so glorious a way, that it in consistant with the glory of the mountain state.  
Ob. If any should object, That the Prophet seems to have reference to the mountain state; for, he calls it a mountain several times in this 25 Chapter.  
Ans: To that I answer, first that it cannot be supposed by anything in this Chapeer, that the Prophet points at the glory of the mountain of the Lords house, when it shall be established in the top of the mountains, (that state I always mean by the mountain state) for that is a peaceful state of glory, wherein 
u Chap. 2.4. Micha 4.3.  Swords shall be beaten into Plowshares, and spears into pruning hooks; but throughout the Chapter, the Prophet hath relation to that state of Zion, wherein 
x Joel 3.10.  Plowshares shall be be aten into swords, and pruning books into spears: wherein Zion is the Lords 
y Jer. 51.20  Battle-ax, and weapon of was, to break in pieces many Nations; his threshing-instrument, 
z Isai. 41.5.  Threshing the mountains, and bring down the mice of the strangers, bringing low the branch of the terrible ones, and treading down 
a Ch. 25.10, 12  Moab (the enemies of the Lord) as straw sor the dunghill, laying low, & bringing down to the ground, even to the dust, the fortress of the high forts of the walls.  
2 To me, the Prophet by his calling Zion a mountain, signifies thus much, That after the Lord hath by this purged, refined, defended Zion, brought down that great and notable City, then shall Zion begin to be a mountain; begin to grow up into a mountain; having by this time smitten the great Image so notably, as to bring down the defenced City, the Palace of strangers; then shall her glory be such, as shall strike fear into, and she shall be able to cope with, the City of the terrible ones: and this mountain shall in due time be established in the top of the mountains. Would any know, who this defenced City, this Palace of strangers is? I conceive it to be the same with that lofty City mentioned in the 5th Verse of the next Chapter, which shall be brought down and laid low; by the foot, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy: which city I conceive to be Babylon, that lofty City, that fits as Queen and Empress of the world; for, to whom can this character be more properly applied, than to that great and lofty one, that 
b Rev. 17.1, 2  sits upon many water, who hath the Kings of the earth for her servants, to commit fornication with her? as Babylon of old was the great and lofty City, exalting itself above 
c Dan 4.1.  all people, Nations, and languages that dwelled in all the earth, so, hath our Babylon exalted her self above the christian world, as they call in So that  
3 The Prophet here sets forth, the joyful praising state of the true Church and people of God, immediately upon the destruction of Babylon: then shall they be able to sing the songs of Zion again, praising the Lord after this manner.  
3 Because in this state there is night as well as day; therefore, there is the shining of a flaming fire prepared for the night's defence: but the glory of the mountain state is such, as There shall be 
d Rev: 21.25  no night there.  
Because in this state there is a Tabernacle appointed for its defence, which is movable and not fixed, therefore not the mountain state, for that is a fixed unmoveable state; They that trust in the Lord, shall be as 
e Psal. 125.1  MOUNT ZION which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.  
And seeing for these reasons, it cannot be interpretred of the glory of the mountain state of Zion, I shall lay it down as the  
And last ground why I apprehend Isaiah and Malachy to treat both of one and the same time; That this glory here spoken of in this 4th: Chapter, is the glory of that state of Zion, wherein it becomes daniel's stone smiting the great Image; the Lords battle-ax, and weapon of war, breaking in pieces the Nations, and destroying Kingdoms; the Lords threshing instrument, to thresh the mountains small, and to make the hills like chaff: upon the glory of this state there shall be such a defence, that neither the heat, nor the storm, nor the rain of their enemies shall hurt or touch it: the reasons that move me to adhere to this interpretation, are:  
1 This glory is no other but the fruit of Zions' purging, and purifying, which in this Chapt: is called HOLINESS, Every one that it left in Zion, and that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy: it is upon this glory, the defence is created: now this purifying of Zion, and clothing it with this glory, is performed before, (though but immediately before) the day comes, wherein the transgressors and sinners shall burn together, and none shall quench them; that day that shall burn as an Oven, burning up the wicked both small and great, leaving them neithergoot nor branch: when Zion shall be redeemed, and restored to this glory, then shall the destruction of the wicked come.  
2 The defence that is created upon this glory, carries a great similitude to the Isratites wilderness state; a cloud and smoakby day, and a shining of a flaming fire by night, and a Tabernacle: now it signifies thus much to me, that as the children of Israel had these things for their defence and direction, when they were travelling through the Wilderness to the Promised land; so, under these figures the Holy Ghost holds forth to us, that defence the Lord will create by a wonder working power upon this glory, all the while his chosen are journeying over the world's hills and mountains, towards that State, which was tiped out by the Promised Land of Canaan: so that in deed and in truth, the glory of this State mentioned in this 4th. chapter, which shall have such a defence, is no other but that qualification and sitness, the Lord will endue his Zion withal, to enable her to carry on his great design and work in the world, to bring all the Kingdoms of this world into subjection to his Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  
Supposing I have sufficiently proved the truth of the assertion, That Isaiah in these Chapters, treateth of the same time Malachy doth in his Prophecy: I shall proceed to consider the Terrors of this dreadful day, as the Prophet holds them forth: which will plainly appear to us if we consider,  
1 The dreadful work the Lord will make in professing Zion at this day, 
f Isai. 2.  he will humble the lofty looks, and bring down the haughtiness of man; there is not a man that is proud and lofty, and lifted up, but shall be brought down in that day: and the day of the Lord shall be upon all the Cedars of Lebanon; that Timber, of which once the Lord was pleased to make beams and rafters for his house, becomes now the subject of the anger and displeasure of God, by reason of its being high and listed up upon its own bottom: and upon all the Oaks of Bashan; those trees of strength that are so useful in the Common wealth: and upon all the high mountains and hills that are lifted up; those prodigious lumps of earth, whose aspiring brows injuriously overtop their neighbouring levels: and upon every high Tower, and fenced wall: those strengths and fortresses: the works of men's hands, in which they put their trust as in a sure place, and upon all the Ships of Tarshish; those ways and means by which these men gain their Idols of gold, and their Idols of silver; which they make each one for himself to Worship: and upon all pleasant pictures; those rare painted inventions, the wits of the Times find out, to please the childish world with, now in its doting old age: and these, with all other Idols, will he utterly abolish, they shall utterly pass away; and (which is worthy our serious noting, and is very significant) he doth all this as he is Lord of hosts for behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth so and so; it's the day of the Lord of hosts, that falls upon the particulars . What a dreadful day of Terrors must this of necessity prove, when the Lord of hosts ariseth out of his place to de I with such sturdy and potent enemies as these are, shaking terribly the earth? the dread of this glorious Majesty is such, as putteth all the Inhabitants of this professing world to the run, they run into the holes of the rock, and into the caves of the earth, they then throw away their Idols of gold, and their Idols of silver, to the moles and to the batts, though their Whorish and adulterous hearts run out so strongly to them before, yet then, let who will take them that they may run the lighter into the clefts of the Rock, and to the tops of the ragged rocks; and poor Jacob, he is put to the run too, he enter into his rock, the rock of Ages, into those secret Chambers the Lord hath provided for him to lie hid in; and all for dread and fear of the glorious Majesty of the Lord of hosts at this day: and such glory will be manifested at this day, that those that are left to praise the Lord, shall wholly cease from man, all men, all of man, the best of men, the holiest of men, even the holy Inhabitant of Zion; upon whose heavenly glory the Lord will create so sure a defence; even from this man, with whose beauty the Lord is so in love as that he will in no wise suffer it to be defaced; from all men whose breath is in their nostrils shall the remnant then cease: and they will be able to render a good reason for their practice from dear bought experience, for wherein is he to be accounted of? nothing, nor none will then be of any account but the Lord himself, the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day: this is the end of all, that we may cease from man, and the Lord alone may be exalied, but before this can be accomplished, what dreadfulwork, doth the stubborn Rebellions and Wickednesses of men, force the Lord to make in the world? what dissolutions! what ruining of mountains and Hills! of Towers and Fenced walls! of Ships, and of men! appearing in so dreadful a posture, that all men good and bad, run to hid themselves from his wrath and fury; may we not apply that Scripture to this day? 
g Luke 21.23  Woe unto them that are with Child, and to them that give suck in those days, for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.  
2 Consider somewhat of the way and means by which the Lord will bring to pass these wonders, to accomplish this great work of exalting himself in Zion at this day: 
h Isai. 3  For behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts doth take away from Jerusalem, and from Judah, the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, & the whole stay of water: the stay and the staff; whatsoever it is they lean and rest upon for help and safety, the Lord of hosts will take that away from them: the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water; those ways and means (whether traffic or otherwise) to which they trust to maintain plenty and prosperity, this stay will the Lord of hosts take away: do they trust to their power and warlike strength? the mighty man, and the man of War, and the Captain of fifty; I will take away that staff saith the Lord of hosts: do they rely upon their alliances and confederacies, with the most interested men in the Nation? the Judge, and the ancient, and the honourable man; I will take away that staff saith the Lord of hosts: do they lean upon their affinity and good correspondency with the holy and good men of the Times, that by the prevalent influences of their good words for them, they may appease and quiet a murmuring and discontented people, to gain time to take deep root in the earth? the Prophet, and the eloquent Orator; I will take away that staff to saith the Lord of hosts: do they rest upon their cousel and policy! the Counsellor and the cunning Artificer; I will take away that staff also saith the Lord of hosts: yea, Children shall be their Princes, and Babes shall rule over them; I will so enfatuate their Princes and Rulers, that they shall act like Babes and Children; as far below the commendable actions of good and wise Rulers, that act in the fear of the Lord, as the actions of Babes and Children are beneath the actions of a wise and prudent man: and what follows? oppression after oppression, intolerable oppression; and it is no wonder, seeing children and babes, yea Women, men effeminated, of most pusillanimous, fearful and cruel spirits, (
i Isai. 33, 14. ●  the sinners in Zion are afraid, fearfulness bath surprised the Hypocrites) rule over the people: Oppression in the highest degree, all ranks and degrees of men broken, The Child behaveth himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable; through the unworthiness of him that sitteth in the seat of the Ancient, and the degenerated actions of him that occupies the room of the honourable, those, whose stations are as far inferior to theirs, as the child is to a man full of days, and the base beggar to the truly honourable, they behave themselves proudly against them, looking upon them as the subject of their scorn and disdain, rather than the object of their fear and honour: The people are oppressed every one by another, every one by his Neighbour; yea, the imperious oppressions of these wicked Rulers are so intolerable, and the disgusts and rage of the people so great and high, that as they are at a loss whom to choose to rule and govern them, so every man will be so fearful and  of becoming a healer of these breaches, that when they come to pitch upon any, he will refuse the honour and dignity, swearing to them, that he hath not those qualifications in him, as they expect should be in a Ruler: this I conceive is the natural import of the 6 and 7th: Verses, When a man shall take hold of his Brother, of the house of his Father, saying: thou hast clothing, be thou our Ruler, and let this ruin be under thine hand. In that day shall he swear saying, I will not be a healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing, make me not a Ruler of the people: these calamities end in naught else but ruin, For Jerusalem is ruin, and Judah is fallen.  
Thus dreadful and terrible will the day of the Lord be to the house of Jacob, professing Zion; and who is he that trembleth not at this word of the Lord? is there any so curious to inquire into the reason, why the Lords wrath waxes so hot against his people, those that by a profession gave themselves up to him as his people? they may by a narrow search find, the Lord proceeds upon good and just grounds and reasons; from amongst divers others take these:  
1 More generally, relating to the people in the lump.  
1 Because 
k Ch. 3.8.  their tongue and their do, are against the Lord to provoke the eyes of his glory: their speeches and actions are such, so exceeding provoking, as the holy and pure eyes of God cannot endure; they are so dishonourable to his great name, and derogating from his glory that being a jealous God, that will not give his glory to another, he will not forgive them, but will satiate his justice in their fall and ruin.  
2 Because 
l Ch: 2.8.  their land is full of Idols, they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made, the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: they are guilty of idolatry, their own works are their Idols; which I cannot conceive is the gross idolatry of former Ages, but these Idols are of another nature, suitable to the refined wickedness of this day: what they are, I shall not stand to search into; it sufficeth; that they are in the Lords account Idolaters; notwithstanding all their curious cover, they cannot hid their idolatry from the eyes of the Lord.  
2 More particular, relating in special to the chief Rulers.  
1 Because 
m Verse 6.  they be replenished from the east, and are Soothsayers like the Philistines; notwithstanding all their glorious hypocritical professions, and outside worship, that men cannot discern what they are without digging very deep; yet, they are guilty of some of the wicked and provoking abominations of their predecessors, whom the Lord drove out before them.  
2 Because 
n Verse 7.  their Land is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasure: their time is spent in getting, and their hearts run a whoring after, the riches of this world; as it was in the days of Noah, so it is now, they are wallowing in the delights and pleasures of this world; they are so swallowed up in the love of the fading glory of this miserable world, that they cannot find their rest; but there is no end of their treasures, they will never with the rich man, say it is enough, soul take thy rest; so insatiable are they; that the treasures of the world are not able to satiate their boundless lusts; there is no end of their desires, the more they get, the more they would have; there is no end of their treasure, their Coffers will never be filled, so long as any thing is behind that may be gotten by any way or means.  
3 Their 
o Verse 7.  land is full of Horses, neither is there any end of their Chariots, and they please themselves in the children of strangers: to secure themselves in the enjoyment of their carnal and unworthy pleasures, they erect a Mercenary and powerful Militia; a thing of such a wicked and destructive tendency to the good and well far of the people, that the Lord doth expressly command that man, whom he shall choose to be Ruler over his people, that 
p Deut. 17.16.  he shall not multiply horses to himself; and the wickedness of its tendency is expressed in this, that it causeth the people to return to Egypt, into an Egyptian bondage and slavery, when the Lord hath said, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way: the Lord knew full well, that man, though a holy man, of the Lords own choosing, qualified according to the mind and will of God, so, as that he will choose him before all others; yet, man so qualified, man in the highest state of grace while this old World standeth, would not be able to bear up against the temptations of the evil one, and his own heart, when once he hath gotten a multitude of Horses and chariots, a powerful mercenary Militia, at his ownwil and devotion: David (that upright heart) after he was grown great by many Conquests, could not withstand a Temptation of this nature, numbering the people: and such a power will necessarily cause the people to return to Egypt, that is, into bondage and slavery; for it is the high way to oppression and injustice: To make this Militia wholly his own, to serve his interest, to be for him him against all his enemies, he must be bountiful and liberal to them, bestow great gifts upon them; and having not of his own so to do, he must rob and oppress the people: this course Saul took, 1 Sam: 8.14, 15, and 17 verses: And he will take your fields, and your Vineyards, and your Olive-yards, even the best of them and give them to his servants; and he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your Vineyards, and give to his Officers, and to his servants; he will take the tenth of your sheep, and ye shall be his servants. And lest any should have better thoughts of Saul, and think this might be meant of some other, read what himself saith, Chap: 22.7. Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, hear now, ye Benjamites: will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields, and Vineyards, and make you all Captains of thousands, and Captains of hundreds, implying as strongly, that he had done so, as, that David could not, nor would not do so: O the deep gulf of wickedness and misery, the horrid Temptations, that man's heart will hurry him into, who falls down to commit adultery with this filthy Idol. But these men will multiply horses and Chariots to themselves, that they may be a sure defence to them in their ways of wickedness; yea, they so dote upon this Idol, that they never think they have enough of her: there is no end of their Chariots, horse upon horse, Chariot upon chariot, force upon force; there is no end of them, they never think themselves strong enough; and great enough: and this brings a necessity for Oppression upon oppression without end, for these must have their fields, and their Vineyards, and their Olive-yards, and their tenth part of the seed, great possessions and riches; otherwise there is no life in this defence, without this Oil the chariot-wheels will not run, and they please themselves in the Children of strangers; men of a strange degenerated spirit, that choose to serve the Will and lust of the Prince before the true interest of their country's good, the welfare of the people: men of so strange a spirit and principle, that they truly deserve the name of strangers, and not Natives of the good Land; of such a degenerared unworthy principle, that teaches them obedience to the Imperious will, and unlawful commands of their Prince, although (with Doeg the Edomite) they fall foul on the servants of the Lord: in such Children of strangers do these men take pleasure, and with them is their delight: and therefore will the Lord arise to shake terribly the earth, and bringing down the lofty looks of these proudmen, save his righteous remnant, and get himself a name, excellent in all the earth.  
These wickednesses are guilty of such aggravations, that they so provoke the eyes of God's glory, as he will not forgive them, by no means will he pass them by, but will deal with them in that dreadful manner spoken of.  
But this is not all, the Prophet in the 16 verse of this 3d. Chapter, comes with a MOREOVER. Moreover the Lord saith, because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks, and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as shey go, and making a tinkling with their feet: therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts; in that day will the Lord take away the bravery of their tinkling Ornaments about their feet, and their Cauls, and their round tires like the Moon; the chains, and the bracelets, and the muflers, the honnets, and the ornaments tf the legs, and the headbands and the tablets, and the earrings; the Rings, and the Nose jewels, and the changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins; the glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails, and it shall come to pass, that in stead of sweet smell, there shall be stink and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of wel-set hair, baldness, and in stead of a stomacher, a girding with sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty; thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war, and her gates shall lament and mourn, and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground: and in that day shall seven Women lay hold of one man, saying, we will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel, only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.  
The Prophet had been hitherto speaking of the calamities and sorrows should befall the whole land, under the name of the house of Jacob; but now he comes to tell us what should befall the Capital and head City of the Land, which Zion the City of David was, which great destruction and woeful state, their notable wantoness and naughty pride (over and above their cleaving to their other evils) brought upon their heads: and let not her antitipe say. she is not guilty of these things, and so shall not find this portion; for, she hath no tinkling Ornaments about her feet, nor round tires like the Moon, nor Nose jewels: but I pray consider, she hath other needless fashions of the Times, as needlessly superfluous, and as full of pride and vanity, as the others were; and she is proud and haughty, and hath a stretched forth neck, and wanton eyes, and can go mincing as notably as her Type and predecessor could do; and surely will be found to have exceeded in all things: therefore behold thy portion and thy Judgement, the reward of thy folly; there is no preventing it, there is no redemption for thee, 
q Ezek, 14.20  Though Noab, Daniel, and Job be found in thee, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter, they shall deliver but their own souls by their righteeusness saith the Lord God.  
And is this refining day of the Lord, such a day of Terrors to flesh and blood? O how contrary will it then be to the expectations and hope, of the greatest part of those that profess a delight in the thoughts of, and a longing for, its coming? Who may abide this day of his coming? and who may stand when he appeareth? In this terrible day, wherein he will make up his Jewels: will the Lord perform his promises to his beloved Remnant that stand up for the honour of his name: They shall be mine in that day saith the Lord of hosts, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him; so that the bitterness and sharpness of these calamities and anxious troubles shall not be their lot; but they shall be mine, though I deal with their Brethren in a way of anger & displeasure, yet I will deal with them in a way of grace & love, and spetial favour in that day: as when, the wicked were upmost, and thought to have ravished my name of all its honour and glory, they thought upon my name and interest; so, now I am bringing down these wicked workers of wickedness, and scourging their foolish Brethren that have committed adultery with these men's apostasies, purging them, and washing their polluted garments clean, I will think upon them for their good, safety, and happiness, in that day when I make up my Jewels.  
Queen Who, and what are these Jewels, the Lord takes so much pains, and doth such wouders in making them up?  
Ans: I Answer 1. Who they are: They are the Lambs chosen number, mentioned in the 14 of the Revelation, his 144000 that stand with him upon the Mount Zion: the Reasons that move me to judge thus, are:  
1 Because of that likeness there is between those followers of the Lamb, and these Jewels of the Lord: they are not only redeemed from the earth, but from among men; and these Jewels are picked from among men too, from among the Inhabitants of professing Zion: these are the Lords Jewels; and they are the first fruits (very precious) unto God, and unto the Lamb; they are without guile, and without fault before the throne of God; and these Jewels are holy ones, every one that is left in Zion shall be called holy, they are so gloriously beautiful, so suitable to the mind of God, that he will create a defence upon their glory that it may not be lost.  
2 Because they are contemporaries, they both belong to one and the same time: these Jewele are made up immediately before the burning hot day, that shall burn up all the wicked, leaving them neither root nor branch: the Lamb's number, they are upon Mount Zion, singing their new song, in that part of time, immediately preceding the downfall of Babylon; there is no interval of time between, only an Angel preaches the everlasting Gospel to them that dwell on the earth, which is but as the herald to the other, telling the Inhabitants of the earth, the hour of the Lords judgement is come, and nothing but repentance and turning to the Lord of Heaven and Earth, will save them from the destroying Angel that follows, and is hard at hand, leaving them without excuse, fit for destruction if they harken not: Malachies burning day hath two parts; the former part makes the wicked as stubble, fit fuel for the fire, the latter part burns them quite up: and I yet see no reason why we may not say, that these two Angels answer to the two parts of Malachies burning day: the Angel that preaches the everlasting Gospel, makes the wicked as stubble ready for the fire; by this 
r Isai. 11.4  rod of his mouth he smites the earth, and at the 
s Ch: 17.13.  rebuke of God the Nations are made as the chaff of the mountain, and as a rolling thing (stubble) before the whirlwind; yea, by this breath of his lips he 
t Ch: 11, 4  slays the wicked, he doth as really slay themsas the following Angel doth with his iron rod; with this rod of his month, this breath of his lips he smites and slays their hearts & understandings, takes away their courage & strength, their consciences flying in their faces their hearts sink, and their spirits fail: At the 
v Psal: 76.6.  rebuke of God, both the Chariot and horse are cast into a deep sleep, 
x ver. 5  the stout he arted (that are far from righteousness) are spoiled, they sleep their sleep, and none of the men of might find their hands, he shall 
y Ver. 12.  cut off the spirit of Princes: and when the Lord hath thus slain them by the sword of his mouth, the breath of his lips, 
z Psalm 2.  speaking to them in his wrath, then will he break them with his rod of Iron, and dash them to pieces like a Potter's vessel; when they are thus made stubble by the rebuke of the Lord, then shall they be burnt up root & branch: these things seriously considered, I suppose will be sufficient to prove the assertion.  
2 What are they? All their dross, and all their tin is purely purged and taken away, and they are become holiness to the Lord: they are holy ones, he that is left in Zion, and that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy: the Father's name is written in their foreheads: they are redeemed from the earths and from among men; from all of this old world, nothing is of any value or esteem with them, hath their hearts, but the new Heavens and new earth which they look for according to the promise of God; they are without guile and fault before the Throne of God; their Offerings are Offerings in righteousness, pleasant unto the Lord: they are a holy Generation, by the mighty and wonderworking hand of the Holy Spirit, wrought into an exact conformity to Jesus Christ in all things: these are the Lords Jewels, upon whom his heart is so fixed; that he will defend them against the whole world of men and devils, he will create such a defence upon these, that neither heat, nor storm, nor rain, all the rage, malice, and power of their enemies, either by day or by night, shall be able to harm them.  
We are now come to the second sort of promises the Lord makes to this people of his delight; and that is such as contains not only reward for work done, but also qualification and fitness for a future glorious work immediately to succeed.  
Then shall ye return, and diseern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.  
In the words we have,  

1 The Persons to whom this Promise is made.  
2 The Promise itself. And  
3 The Time of performance.   
1 The Persons to whom the Promise is made, Then shall ye return, etc. that by this YE, cannot be meant the wicked leaders of the Apostasy; against whom the Prophet had been speaking throughout his Prophecy; seems clear to me upon these grounds.  
1 Because here is a promise made to them: and the promises of God belong not to the wicked, they are 
a Eph: 2.12  strangers from the Conants of promise: the Lord makes not promises to his enemies, but to his Children and Friends; To Abraham and his seed were the promises made; 
b Gal: 3.16  
c 2 Cor. 1, 20  all the promises of God, in him are yea, and in him amen; and it's by the 
d Eph: 2.13  BLOOD OF CHRIST that any are made nigh to the promise.  
2 Because it is a promise of a great gift of the Spirit; a piece of that great New-Testament promise of the Spirit: and what colour or shadow of reason can be given, that this should be spoken to wicked men, the subject of the Lords wrath and displeasure.  
3 Because it is a promise of a spirit of descerning to qualify and fit them with a sufficient ability, to perform the work of the Lord in the to tall destruction of the wicked: Now it is not the wicked that shall destroy the wicked at this day, but it is the feet of them that fear the Lord, that shall tread them down like ashes, they burn them up leaving them neither root nor branch. So that,  
2 By this YE, we are to understand the Jewels of the Lord: they shall return out of the fiery furnace of the refiner; and from under the scour of the Fuller's soap, and have a spirit of discerning given to them, that they may be enabled to perform that great work the Lord hath cut out for them to do upon, and in the world. But  
3 In a more special and peculiar manner, we are to understand by this YE, those that feared the Lord, & spoke often one to another; those that the Lord will so own as to spare them in that day of the Lord of hosts, they shall return out of those places of consultation,, where they have been thinking of, and consulting about, the concernments of the great name of God at this day, and shall discern what their work is, in the doing whereof, they may gain honour and glory to the suffering name of their Lord: one reason why I apply it in such special manner to these, is, because I find them particularly pointed out by the same expression in the next Chapter, and YE shall go forth and grow up as Calves of the stall, and YE shall tread down the wicked; YE; who? why you that fear my name.  
2 The Promise itself we have in these words, & discern between the righteous & the wicked; between him that serveth God, & him that serveth him not: it is a spirit of discerning the Lord promises here, to qualify and fit them, to enable them to perform the glorious work of the following day, spoken of in the 1 v: of the next Chter, for the Prophet there renders a reason, why the Lord would then give them this spirit of discerning, For behold (saith he) the day cometh that shall burn as an Oven: implying, as, that that was the time and season, for the pouring down of the spirit upon them; so, that there is a necessity it should be given to them, otherwise they would not be able to perform the work of that burning day, treading down the wicked as ashes under their feet: as the Children of old, must be directed what to destroy, and what to save alive; so must these too, have a spirit of discerning given them, To discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not; otherwise, they will not know which to burn up, and which to pluck as brands out of the fire, which to lead by the hand out of the miseries and sorrows of that day, and which to tread down like ashes under their feet.  
3 The Time of performance: THAN shall ye return, &c THAN, when?  
1 THAN, When I have gotten to myself honour and glory, by my swift witnessing against the heads and leaders of this loathsome apostasy.  
2 THAN, When I have made up my Jewels: when my Refiners fire, and Fuller's soap, that searching and trying dispensation of mine, hath had its full course amongst my professing people, that pretend to so great a delight in me and my day.  
3 THAN, When I have put forth such Majesty and glory, in executing my vengeance on these mine enemies, and purifying my Zion, that forceth you, because of that unlikeness and nonconformity that is in you to it, to fly to the horns of the Altar, to the freeness and riches of my eternal love (my sparing love) for shelter when the considering how far short you come of that glory I am about to reveal, makes you to run into your rock, the Rock of Ages, to shelter yourselves under his healing wings.  
4 THAN, when I have manifested such glory of love, in such a peculiar way, as neither you nor your Fathers were ever acquainted with before, taking such an unwonted unparallelled care of you, sparing you in such a day as this; the glory whereof shall have drawn you wholly to myself, that indeed I am as really become yours as you are mine, and that I am fixed upon your hearts, as you are upon mine; that indeed you can unfeignedly say, My beloved is mine, and I am his; THAN shall ye return and discern, etc.  
5 THAN, When I have brought you to cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils, by letting you see through the glass of experience, that he is not at all to be accounted of: when you can cease wholly from man, that you care for, and look at no man any otherwise than in me, and trust to, and rely upon me alone.  
6 and lastly, THAN, when you know the way to exalt me alone; to give all the honour and the glory of the wonders I bring to pass in the world to me, without any competitor, though of the best of men; for, I will be exalted alone in that day: THAN shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not; and the day shall come, wherein you shall be delivered out of the hands of your enemies, and you shall tread them as ashes under your feet, and burn them up, leaving them neither root nor branch; and in your going forth in the performance of this work, ye shall grow up as Calves of the stall, be full fed with the love and fullness of your Lord and Saviour.  
HAving opened the words, and supposing it in sufficiently evident, that the interpretation given, is according to truth; let us with a truly religious sericusness, observe the lessons the Holy Ghost would teach us from them.  
1 That the time of the Lords arising to work DELIVERANCE for his people is a dark day, (yea, a black midnight) of apostasy; then will the Lord come to his Zion as a Refiner to purify it: when the professing world are running back again, even to Babylon, then and there, shall deliverance be wrought for the true seed, Mic: 4.10. Thou shalt go even to Babylon, there shalt thou be delivered, there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies; this is the state and condition of Zion immediately before the time, when the Lord will make her horns iron, and her hooves brass, wherein she shall thresh and beat in pieces many people, consecrating their gain unto the Lord. In the 
e Mat. 29  midnight of the Virgin's sleep, shall the cry be heard, the Bridegroom (the King, the Lord of hosts) is coming: when professing Zion comes into a Laodicean Church-state, 
Rev. 3.20  than the coming of our Lord is at hand, he is f at the door. The apostasy here, is so universal and so gross (notwithstanding all their curious cover to hid it from the eyes of men, yet the Lord sees it) that, the Magistracy, the Rulers, are Rulers of 
g Isaiah 1.10  Sodom; 
h Mal. 3.15  proud workers of Wickedness, the Princes are 
i Isaiah 1.23  rebellious, and companions of Thiefs, every one loveth gifts, and followeth after reward, they judge not the Fatherless, neither doth the cause of the Widow come unto them: the Ministry, the Priests 
k Mark 2.8  depart out of the way of the Lord, corrupt the Covevenant of Levi, to the causing many to stumble at the law, the Worship and commands of God; become 
l Verse 9,  contemptible and base before all the people, because of their straying from the ways of God, by an irreligious partiality in the law, or accepting of Faces (as the margin of some Bibles hath it) making the Law, by their uncouth, forced, and private interpretations, to seem to countenance the design of those, whose designs are not suitable to the design of God, but are against the Lord, and guilty of so much hypocritical unrighteousness, to the provoking the eyes of his glory, that he will not forgive them; seeking their own interest, not the interest and honour of him whom they profess to be their Lord and master, Jesus Christ: and the multitude of this professing people grow up profanely wicked, snuffing 
m Mal. 1, 13  at the Ordinances of the Lord as at a wearisome burden, behold what a weariness is it; the true Worship of God, true Religion, becomes a wearivess to these outside professors, who 
n Isai. 1.11: 13, 14.  fill the Lord with the multitude of their sacrifices, and weary him with their new Moons, and their appointed Feasts, their Sabbaths, and calling of Assemblies, with their Fasts; they 
o Mal. 1.14  pollute the Altar of the Lord, the Worship of God, with their blind, and sick, and torn, and lame, and corrupt performances, their cursed deceit; yea, they are Idolaters in the sight of God, 
p Isai. 2.9.  the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself, to their Idols, that they are become to God as 
q Mal. 3.5.  Sorcerers, an adulterous Generation: in this sad day of apostasy, will the Lord come to his Zion, as a refiner and purifier of silver, and as Fuller's soap, now will the day of the Lord of hosts come upon professing Zion, and lay all low before him, teaching them by a smart and dreadful dispensation, the way to exalt the Lord alone; in this day will the Lord come as a swift Witness against, and avenge himself on, his adversaries in Zion, those who are professed friends, members of professing Zion, but in deed and in truth are his real enemies, enemies to the righteous and holy designs of God; and deliver his remnant, and pick out his Jewels from amongst the professing rubbish of defiled Zton.  
2 That notwithstanding the gross wickedness of this day, yet Satan transforms himself into an Angel of light, clothing his Children and followers in his best livery; they have notable cover to hid it, whereby they deceive the multitude of the professing world, and themselves to boot; so that they dare, not only assert their innocency in putting the Prophet to prove his charge against them, but when the Prophet preaches to them, the longsufferance and tenderness of the heart of God towards them, the grace and love of God in that promise, 
r Mal. 3.7  Return unto me and I will return unto you saith the Lord of hosts, they scorning to acknowledge their guilt, throw it back in his face, with a wherein shall we return? impudently asserting their righteousness to be such, as they know not, nor none can tell them wherein they should return and do better.  
3 That the leaders of this apostasy, that cause the people to err, notwithstanding their curious outside cover of religious performances, and good aims and ends, for the good of the Church, people, and glory of God, will be the subject of the sore displeasure and wrath of the Lord of hosts: the Lord will be a 
s Verse 5.  swift Witness against them, and come near to them to Judgement, 
t Heb. 6.4, 5, 6  If those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, fall away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; at the hand of this hypocritical, oppressing, and persecuting Generation, will God require the blood of his Prophets and Witnesses that hath been shed; 
u Isai: 1, 24.  Ah (saith the Lord) I will ease me of (these) mine adversaries, and avenge me of (these) mine enemies.  
4 That the Church-state of professing Zion, their outward holiness, with all their Sacrifices and performances, the Temple of the Lord, shall not, nor cannot save them from the smart and burden of the heavy hand of an angry God: the day of the Lord of hosts will come upon them, he will be as a refiners fine, and as Fuller's soap to them; he will fan them till he hath throughly purged his floor; 
x Isaiah 27.9  by this therefore (by the smitings of God, as the former Verse hath it) shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his sin.  
5 That notwithstanding this universal backsliding and apostasy, in professing Zion, yet the Lord hath a remnant left that fear him; that stand up for his name and honour, bearing their testimony against the provoking evils and wickednesses of the Times, Then they that feared the Lord, spoke often one to another, and thought upon his name.  
6 That this provoking professing world, are beholden to this despised remnant, for the long sufferance of God towards them, and the mercies they receive at the hand of the Lord; 
y Isai. 1.9.  Except the Lord of hosts had left us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah: they are the salt that season this earth, and keep it from a total purifying annihilation into its first nothing: it is they, and they only, that lengthen out the patience of God towards the backsliding professing world, and keep it from being made an example of the severity of God, to future Ages: and as a necessary and natural consequent of this.  
7 We may observe, The excessive giddiness and folly of the great and wise men of this sick & dying world, who will not endure the application of the sovereign Remedies, these wholesome (though tormenting) Physicians present unto them, but look upon them, & deal with them, as enemies, endeavouring their destruction: what though they handle roughly, and feel hard, that they prove a real torment to you? that man that will not endure his wounds searching, will never attain the cure: it is not their want of care and tenderness, but your corruption and rottenness that causes the pain; the sound limb or joint shrinks not at the searching hand, but the rotten, that is full of corrupt putrefaction, that cannot abide nor endure the willing hand of the skilful Chirurgeon, to dive to the bottom of the distemper, in order to a safe and speedy cure: notwithstanding all the disguising Vizards, you represent them, their ways, and ends, to the world in, it will be found at last, in the Lords own time (which is best of all) that the interest of your safety and happiness, is wrapped up in harkening and attending to the Voice of God in their mouth: but if you will not hear, but set yourselves against them, know (there is no middle way) that 
z Psalm 8.2  out of the mouths of Babes and sucklings, the Lord hath ordained strength, to still the enemy, and the avenger.  
8 That before the Lord will execute his Judgements in wrath, upon the profane antichristian world, he enters into Judgement with professing Zion: 
a 1 Pet. 4.17  for the time is come that Judgement must begin at the house of God; the Lord will purge and purify Zion, make up his Jewels from amidst all the dross and tin; and then will he make Zion a fit instrument to perform his great works in and upon the world, in that day of his wrath that shall burn as an Oven; if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God? and if the righteous scarce be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? in that day they shall burn up the wicked, leaving them neither root for brach, treading them down as ashes under their feet.  
9 That this professing Zion, thus defiled by her backslidings and Apostasies, and being lifted up upon its own bottom, exalting themselves when they should exalt the Lord alone, is become the subject of the anger and displeasure of God; the scene on which the Lord will act the sad Tragedy of his Jealousy: when once the Inhabitants of Zion, become Mountains and hills, and tall Cedars listed up, and Oaks of Bashan, high Towers, and fenced walls, etc. come into a strain of self-exaltation, selfconfidence, and self-interest, then do they so provoke the eyes of God's glory, that he will bear no longer, but enter into Judgement with them: The Lord is a jealous God, and 
b Isai. 41.8  he will not give his glory to another, he will not suffer any to go away with his honour and glory, he is so jealous of his honour, lest it should suffer detraction by the lofty assumptions of this foolish professing Zion, that he falls foul with all her high mountains and hills, tall Cedars, and Oaks of Bashan, high Towers and fenced walls, and with all her ships and pleasant pictures; he looks upon them all as Idols, which he will utterly abolish, that the Lord alone may be exalted in that day.  
10 That this coming of Christ (the Messenger of the Covenant) to his Zion (I do conceive) is not in person, but in Spirit, (though that personal appearance will take place in due time also) washing and purging his Zion by the spirit of Judgement, and the spirit of burning: he shall sit upon Zion as a Refiner and purifier of silver; by a notable trying, refining dispensation, purely purge away their dross, and take away all their tin, purifying them as gold and silver, that they may offer up to the Lord an Offering in righteousness.  
11 That the Lord will manage his great work of Judgement in Zion, avenge himself on his enemies there, and search, try, cleanse, purify, and throughly cure those that halt in Zion, in such a way and manner; as he himself will have the sole honour and glory of that action, be alone exalted in that day: he will manifest such exceeding Majesty and glory in the way of his Judgements at this day, that will stain and put out all other glories professing Zion vaunts itself of, so that she shall hid herself in shame, for fear of the glory of the Majesty of the Lord, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth; yea, the very remnant of God, to whom his heart is so entirely engaged, shall taste a little of this cup of shame too, sheltering themselves under the freeness and riches of the promise, the sparing love of their tender Father; though now happily, some Children may be in love with themselves, their light and parts, gifts and graces, being too too apt to think themselves something; yet then, God knows, the roaring wound among the Cedar boughs, the bloody Furrows the rod makes upon the backs of their Brethren, with its shaking over their own heads, letting them know upon what account or score it is they scape (not merit or desert, but pure love) will teach them another and a better lesson, Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils; the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day: a thing which never yet was done in any of the days this old World ever saw.  
12 Behold somewhat of the way and course the Lord will take to do this great and marvellous work▪ he will cause the fire to break out from among themselves that shall consume them: this Earthquake arises from the rending wound penned up within the concavities of its own earth; as the scope and tendency of the Third Chap: intimates: and herein consists somewhat of the Wonder, that a State defended with such a Force, Cedars, and Oaks, Mountains and Hills, Towers and fenced walls, Ships and pleasant things, even the mighty man, and the man of War, the Judge, and the Prophet, the Prudent and the Ancient, the Honourable man and the Counsellor, the cunning Artificer and the Eloquent Orator, should be brought down and laid in the dust: the Lord so impoverishes those, of the excellent gifts and qualities they once had, that (being enfatuated) they become as Children, Babes, and Women: this alteration in the superior orbs, begets another as dangerous in the lower regions: the Lord stops the fountains of this professing earth, and for want of those cooling waters that had want to keep things in some tolerable poise, the fiery element prevails, and breaking out of the earth, begets its own likeness, a fiery blaze in the fountains also; as of old, fire came out from Abimelech and devoured the men of Shechem, & fire came out from Shechem, & devoured Abimelech; so, here is fire against fire, which continues burning till 
c Isai. 3. ●  Jerusalem be ruined, and Judah be fallen: in this fire will the Lord avenge himself on his (friend-like) enemies, those to whom the professing world give the right hand of fellowship as true Citizens of Zion, free denizens of the holy City: in the management of this fiery work, causing one fire to overcome the other, consuming its own nature; and overruling it, to the carrying on his own design and work, will the Lord manifest such an exceeding glory above all former manifestations, that the best of men shall enter into the rock, and hid themselves in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his Majesty, and he alone shall be exalted in that day.  
13 That the Prophets Isaiah and Malachy, do not give us any ground (as I can perceive) to think, the Lord will make use of that beloved remnant of his, that fear his name, and speak often one to another about his name and honour at this day, in this great work of his judging professing Zion, in the manner treated of: Malachy tells us, The Lord will spare them in that day; and Isai saith, it shall be well with them in that day: but not a word do we read of any active condition they are in (any otherwise than by the word of their testimony) at that day: I rather conceive, that, the state and condition of the remnant, mentioned Isaiah 26.20, 21. Come my people, enter thou into thy Chambers, and and shut thy doors about thee: hid thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be over past: for behold, the Lord cometh out of his place, to punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.  
14 That none are under the saving influences of those rich promises made to the blessed remnant at this day, but those, who not only speak often one to another against the apostasies and evils of the times, but think on the name of God; have this as the moving cause in all their motions, a holy carefulness for the interest and name of God: for them, (and for them only) is there a Book of remembrance written; and they (and they only) shall be mine saith the Lord in that day; and they (and they only) will the Lord spare in that day when he makes up his Jewels; and then shall they return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.  
15 Here is a holy directory to guide, and an unerring touchstone to try, all our ways and actions by at this day, that in all our motions against the apostasies and evils of the times, the honour and interest of the great name of God move us: if that be not our frame and temper of Spirit, we are none of the number in whom the Lord so much delights; and our work of counsel, is not that, which the Lord so earnestly lissens and hearkens after, till he hears all, noting it down in his book of remembrance; and we have nothing to do with those high expressions of the Lords matchless love in his promises: no, if the name of God be not solely in our eye, and the exalting the Lord alone be not all our aim and end in what we do, in stead of God's peculiars in that day of the Lord, it will be unto us 
d Amos 5.18, 19  darkness and not light, as if a man fled from a Lion, and a Bear met him, or, went into a house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a Serpent bitten him.  
16 That he high attainments, the graces and excellencies, the remnant have attained to at this day, is far short of the glory of the Lord is about to reveal▪ when it comes forth, they will be glad to run to their shelter, the sparing love of their Father; they themselves shall then be laid in the dust before the Lord, and the glorious Lord alone shall be exalted and magnified.  
17 That the great design of God upon professing Zion at this day is, to purge and purify, wash and cleanse it, from all its filth, dross, and tin; that they may become a holy Generation, a peculiar people, form for himself to show forth his praise, able to offer up an Offering in righteousness, pleasant unto the Lord.  
18 Behold the way and course the Lord will take, to purge and purify his Zion at this day, he will do it by the spirit of Judgement, and the spirit of burning: by such a trying dispensation of fiery judgement; as shall not only burn up their dross, but their tin also that which now looks so like, and goes for good silver, for that which is acceptable in the sight of God.  
19 Zion thus purged and purified shall have the creating power of God to assist her, as her defence; upon all this glory the Lord hath now clothed her with, shall be a defence: it is not polluted and impure Zion the Lord will thus defend, but it is that glory of holiness the counterpane or image of Gods own holiness, which will be upon Zion, when the Lord shall have washed away the filth from the daughter of Zion, and shall have purged away the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, then shall she be clothed with all the the defence promised, and not till then: the promise is to a washed and purified State, not to a State defiled with filth, though of Zion, not polluted with blood though of Jerusalem, that which is most like true holiness and purity, and is not: that which the Lord will defend is nothing but glory, the Image and impress of himself, upon all the glory shall be a defence; nothing beneath the glory of Zion thus washed and purified by a spirit of Judgement and a spirit of burning, will the Lord defend at this rate, and after this manner: but Zion clothed upon, with the glory of her Bridegroom and Lord (
e Cant. 9, 5  Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?) shall be defended by a continual assistance of the creating power of God, so that they shall not be tempted by any necessities whatsoever, to make use of the same unrighteous politic ways and courses, the Rulers of the world have hitherto made use of to defend themselves: they shall not make use of the world's unrighteousness, to fence and guard their righteousness from the rape and spoils of their enemies; but there shall a creating power, such an extraordinary providence at tend them, bringing down their enemiesunder their feet upon all occasions, at all times, that the Lord shall be so eminently seen in those wonderful occurrences of his providence and power, that he shall have the praise and the glory of all, Glory to God in the highest, will then be the burden of the song at that day.  
20 Until the Lord hath purged and purified Zion, he will not defend it against the rage and injuries of her enemies; when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughter of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, then (and not before) will he create upon all its glory such a defence, as shall be a shadow from the heat, & a refuge from the storm, and a covert from the rain, such, as shall be sufficient for all times and seasons, night and day.  
21 When Zion is thus purged and purified, become God's holy hill of Zion, a holy generation, such a stamp of holiness set upon them that they shall be CALLED HOLY, then will the Lord make use of her in his glorious work in the way of his Judgements upon the profane, antichristian, and hypocritical world: then will they know how, and be fit, to burn up the wicked, treading them as ashes under their feet. But  
22 Before that day comes, that shall burn as an Oven, wherein the stone shall smite the great Image, and break it in pieces, the Lord will bring his remnant and his Jewels, into one entire body, and pour down his Spirit upon them, a spirit of discerning, such a degree of the Spirit, as shall sufficiently qualify and fit them for his work and service: saith the Lord, when I have made up my Jewels, then shall ye (all) return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not; for, the day (then) cometh that shall burn as an Oven and all the proud, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.  
23 Observe the work of the remnant at this day of apostasy, and falling away; it consists of two parts.  
1 Bearing their testimony against the apostasies and evils of the times▪ they spoke often one to another; if Jerusalem lose the kindness of her youth, and the love of her Espousals; Jeremy must be 
f Jer. 1.18  a defenced City, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole Land, against the Kings of Judah, and the Princes thereof, against the Priests thereof, and against the people of the Land: If the house of Israel turn aside from God, grow impudent and hard hearted, stopping their ears against the word of the Lord; Ezekiel must have 
g Ezek. 3.8, 9  a strong face against their faces, and a strong forehead; harder than an adamant, against their foreheads: if the house of Jacob, get into an hypocritical strain of outward holiness; would make the world believe they keep a fast, a day unto the Lord, when they indeed fast to smite with the fist of wickedness; and, would cover their fulfilling the will of their lusts, under a cloak of doing God service; Isaiah must 
h Isai 58.1.  cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a Trumpet, and show my people their transsions, and the house of Jacob their sins: in the performance of which service, 
i Jer. 1.17  they must not be afraid, lest they be confounded.  
Queen If any should ask, what those evils are, that they that fear the Lord should bear their testimony against?  
Ans: The Prophet makes answer to this question, by his significant THAN in the 16 Verse of his Third Chapter; THAN they that feared the Lord spoke often one to another: then, when they heard and saw things at that pass the Prophet had spoken of before, they that feared the Lord spoke often one to another: and it doth not only point out the time when they spoke, but I conceive it also signifies to us, the things against which they spoke; for the Prophets than hath relation, and alludes, to all the enormities and evils of the Times enumerated before; and they are of a double nature, matters of Religion, and matters of a civil concernment.  
1 Of Religious matters. And  
1 If they behold men in professing Zion, denying God 
k Mal. 1.6.  that honour, and that fear due unto him, despising his great name, robbing the Lord of those deuce they ought to render to him: then, are they that fear the Lord to be sensible of the dishonour that comes to the name of God thereby, and speak against that evil.  
2 If they behold Inhabitants of professing Zion, a people that are 
l Isai. 1. from the 2. verse to the 14,  rebebellious children, a sinful Nation, laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, corrupters, that have forsaken the Lord, and gone away backward, having their hands full of blood, (men's hands may be filled with blood divers ways) that they are become to the Lord as Rulers of Sodom, and people of Gomorrah, provoking the holy one of Israel unto anger; when they see this people in hypocrisy, filling the Lord with a multitude of sacrifices, and Offerings, Oblations, New Moons, and oppointed feasts, cloaking over their apostatising wickednesses with many religious performances, to cousin their consciences; and the professing world; then, ought they that fear the Lord, to be sensible of the great dishonour the name of God suffers by this abomination, and speak against that evil also.  
3 When they see men in professing Zion 
m Mal. 2.8  departed out of the way of the Lord, apostatise, causing many to stumble & fall, taking such offence at the Law, the ways of God, that they stumble into heathenism and profanes: then are they that fear the Lord to take to heart the great dishonour the name of God suffers by this abomination, and speak a 'gainst it also.  
4 Do they see inhabitants of professing Zion that seem to be great worshippers of God, and zealous for the service of the Lord, and the good of his people, 
n Mal. 1.13.  snuffing at that part of the worship of God, at doing that piece of the will of God, that suits not with their worldly interest, of gaining this evil world with the Goods thereof; crying out, what a weariness is it? something we would do for God, but that the Lord now calls for, is a wearisome burden to us, it will quite undo us, oh what a weariness is it? this is an hard saying, who can hear it? then, ought they that fear the Lord to think upon the dishonoured and despised name of God, and speak against this abomination also.  
5 Do they behold men in professing Zion, 
o Verse 14  Vowing a vow unto the Lord, and in a capacity to perform that Vow, having that Male in his flock, and yet sacrifice unto the Lord a corrupt thing, blind and lame performances? then also, are they that fear the Lord, to think on the name of God, how greatly it is dishonoured, and bear a full testimony against that loathsome hypocrisy of him, letting him know he is cursed, who dareth so to trample under foot the name of the great King, whose name is dreadful among the Heathen.  
6 Matters of a civil nature; and as if the Prophet intended to stop the mouth of the objection of these days, he brings in the evils of this nature in the last place, that his THAN might clearly appear, to have special and direct relation to those things.  
1 When the proud professors in Zion, that behave themselves proudly and contemptuously towards their God, and their Brethren, are accounted 
p Mal. 3.15.  the happy men, as those that would make the Nation happy by the ways of their devising: called happy; congratulated and applauded as the men whom the Lord hath owned and made happy, by his providence and blessing: then, are they that fear the Lord to think how the name of God is dishonoured by this evil, and bear their testimony against it.  
2 When the wicked workers in professing Zion, 
q Verse 15  the workers of wickedness are set up, Children of strangers, of a strange spirit and principle, 
r Isai. 3.6.  contrary to the Spirit of our Lord, the holy and righteous Spirit of true Zion, and the work of God; those, whose delight is not in the law of the Lord, but in ways of their own inventions, suitable to their degenerated and base interest; who break the law continually, working wickedness indeed, although they call it (and would have what they do, accounted) righteousness: and to defend these men in their wickedness, 
s Verse 9  Horses and Chariots, a powerful Militia is fixed as a wall about them: when such men are set up, over the people, and such things done, oppressing, vilifying and persecuting the people of the Lord, and the true interest of the Son of God (our Lord Jesus) among his people and in the world: then, are they that fear the Lord, to be sensible of the dishonour and reproach is cast upon the name of God by this evil, and bear their testimony against this wickedness also.  
3 When they see this evil in professing Zion, 
t Mal. 3, 15  they that tempt God are even delivered; while the Altar of the Lord is covered with the tears, weeping, and crying out of the oppressed, those, who by their provoking, hypocritical, loathsome wickedness, tempt the Lord to put an end to his longsufferance, and execute his vengeance before the appointed time, are even delivered; their heads are lifted up, and their faces made to shine through the benign aspect of those, who should and ought to be a terror to them; they are even delivered, from their fears of receiving the desert of their ways and actions by a stream of Justice and righteousness; and are set up to work wickedness against God in oppressions and cruelty, covering the Altar of the Lord with the tears, sighs, and groans of his people: then, are they that fear the Lord, to think upon the great name of their God, how unworthily it is dishonoured and trampled under foot, and bear their testimony against this wickedness also.  
4 When the Rulers of professing Zion, be●●● (and act) like the Rulers of Sodom, rebel against the Lord, go away backward (apostatise) from God, oppress the people of the land, yet cover all with a cloak of religious performances, and outward holiness, good aims and ends for the work of the Lord, and the good of the Church of Christ, with these cover hiding their evils and wickednesses from the vulgar sight; then, are they that fear the Lord, not to hold their peace, but to cry aloud, and bear their testimony for God against this abomination also; and of of the fruit of this their doing shall they eat, and it shall be well with them in that day wherein he will judge those men.  
Queen Possibly it may be asked, why will the Lord have those that fear him thus industriously engaged against the evils and wickedness of Rulers and people at this day?  
Answ: The Answer is, because his great name, that was so glorious and dreadful among the Heathen, is so exceedingly dishonoured, therefore are they that fear the Lord, to think upon the name of God, and speak in its vindication: this is an apostasy in Zion delivered out of Babylon, (though many of Babylon's evils cleave yet close to them) for whom the Lord hath done great and wonderful things; freed them from the slavery and bondage of a sore captivity under the Babilonish power; blessed them with prosperous success in building their City, that in spite of the Tobiah'sses, and Sanballats, of all their enemies that had maintenance from the King's Palace, (were maintained by a wretched Kingly Interest,) they became a Commonwealth, a free people, by which, they had opportunity and liberty to serve the Lord in doing his whole Will and pleasure; in doing these great things (far beyond the thoughts and expectations of the greatest worldly wise men) for this people, the Lord had gotten himself a great name, dreadful among the Heathen; how did the wicked world tremble at the thoughts of it? and now for this people to draw back, even to Babylon, to apostatise from the Lord, (in matter and manner, hath been treated of) is none other but a wicked ravishing and deflowering the honour of the Virgin name of God, he had so lately gotten to himself, by doing such wonders for this unworthy people: As our Lord said of his day in the flesh, that if those Disciples that spoke for him and blest him, should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out; so may it truly be said of this time also, if they that fear the Lord should hold their peace, and not speak and plead for the name of their God, the stones, the dumb Creation would bear a Testimony for God against man's wickedness; if none else will, the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it: The name of God, which had been clouded for a long time, began now to be glorious and excellent in all the earth, upon which, the heart of God is fixed; and their going about to ravish this honour, provokes the eyes of God's glory, stirs up his Jealousy; lest it should be given to others, what overturning work doth the Lord of hosts say he will make in professing Zion? and doth this move the Lord himself, and will he not (think we) have those that fear him moved also? will he act thus like a man of War and blood to vindicate his honour, and will he not have them to speak for it? surely yea: so that we see there is great reason why they that fear the Lord should be of this temper of spirit at this day.  
2 A second part of the work of the Remnant at this day is, a sincere and hearty solicitousness, after what other duty may be encumbent upon them, the performance whereof may in any measure vinvindicate the honour, and glorify the name of their God, who is so much dishonoured, and whose name is so vilely trampled under foot, by the hypocritical wickednesses of this day: they thought upon his name: What shall we do for thy great name?  
24. Behold the blessedness of those who sincerely exercise themselves in the work of the Lord at this day: They shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my Jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son, that serveth him; such blessedness will they possess as their portion from their God and Father, as none but themselves shall be made happy with in that day.  
Many other useful lessons might be observed to be taught us from these scriptures; but I shall satisfy myself with what is already written: And to conclude this discourse, give me leave to address myself in a few words, to those three sorts of men concerned in it.  
1. To the Leaders of this apostasy: Ye 
a Isa. 1.10. Mal. 2.19.  Rulers of Sodom, and ye base and contemptible Priests of the land (the Lord hath made you contemptible and base before all the people, because of your corruptions:) Hear how Isaiah complaineth of you, calling the heavens and the earth to witness against you; and see Malachy turning aside the skirts of your cover, discovering all your hypocritical rottenness, to the view of those who are not quite blinded by Satan's wiles and your disguises; behold! how your wickednesses have provoked the eyes of God's glory; Woe, woe, woe be unto you, if ye repent not: it's a certain truth, the Lord will visit his Zion, be a swift witness against you, and come near to you to judgement, his purging and purifying Zion, willbe your destruction; the Lord of hosts who cannot lie, who is faithful and hath power to bring it to pass, hath said it; O therefore (if possible) turn away the anger and wrath of the Lord of hosts by a timely repentance ch. 3.7. Return unto me, and I will return unto you saith the Lord of hosts. O that this Pharisaical Answer might not be yours; Wherein shall we return? But, Isa. 1.16, 17, 18.19, 20. Wash ye make you clean, put away the evil of your do from before mine eyes, cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgement, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the Widow; if ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat of the good of the land; but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword. for the month of the Lord hath spoken it. Embrace the invitation, harken to the Counsel of these Prophets, for why will ye die, O ye sons of men? There's no way of salvation from that Pit of destruction, your own ways and do have digged for you, but that the Prophets have chalked out before you; miss that, and you are irrecoverably lost, without remedy: you complain of the harsh words and rough speeches, of a company of men that tell you of your evils; and would have the world to look upon them, as the only pest of the land, the desturbers of the Public weal, the only hinderers of good days; thus you cloth them in the Bear-skin that the Dogs may tear them: But, do you not know? That Isai. 1.9. Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been (ere now) as Sodom, and we should have been like Gomorrah: Know that notwithstanding their fretting, vexing, and tormenting you so much, they are your best friends, for it's they that stand in the gap, and were it not for them an inundation of wrath and vengeance would (quickly) overrun you: when the Lord draws them into their hiding Chambers, those mansions of his peculiar sparing love; then will your 
e Pro. 1.27  destruction come upon you as a whirlwind: and then at that time, when your fear cometh as desolation, 
f v. 28.  though you call upon the Lord, he will not answer; and though you seek him early you shall not find him: Why, what's the reason? saith the Lord, it is because verse 25. ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: Even the counsel and reproof of God, wisdom's words, in the mouth of these his servants that fear his name, v. 20.21. who utter their voice in the streets, and in the chief place of concourse.  
2. I have somewhat to say to those Members of professing Zion, who though they are not ringleaders in this wickedness; yet defile their garments with the pollutions of the Apostasy: Behold, in what a dreadful manner the Lord will deal with you, he will make up his Jewels from among you, and consume the rest as dross and tin: Cast your eyes back upon the refiners fire and fullers Soap, and that day of the Lord which will come upon you, and reflect upon yourselves and consider, whether you are prepared to meet the Lord of hosts in such a day as that is; surely, if your examination be taken by a right rule, and you pass a righteous sentence upon yourselves, you will see you are not: you are not able to abide and sland in that day, when the Lords jealousy will burn like fire; wherein, he will give to apostatising professing Zion, blood in fury and jealousy, being clad with zeal as with a cloak: What anxious troubles and pangs will be your portion in that day? I entreat you to take notice of these things.  
1. That the defilements of this Apostasy that cleaveth to you, makes you so much unlike to your father, that no less than a Refiners fire and fullers soap must pass over you, to bring you into your old glory again: though you may be saved because of the grace and love of your father which is unchangeable; yet it will be as by fire; and the dreadfulness of that dispensation is such, as deliverance from it, is worth a world of Gems: Look back upon the dread and terror of the day of the Lord of hosts, and if you believe the word of the Lord, you will be of my opinion in this matter.  
2. That all that pelf, dross and dung, this world's good, which now blinds your eyes, and stops your mouths, that you cannot stand up for the dishonoured name and interest of your Lord and Saviour at this day, will stand you in no stead in the day of the Lord that will come upon Zion: you will then be forced to throw away all those foolish Idols of gold and silver, with which you now commit folly.  
3. That your sacrifices and offerings, your worship and religious performances at this day, are hateful to the Lord, as very dung unto him, 
i Mal. 2.3.  The dung of your solemn feasts they are a trouble to him and he is weary to bare them, because of that hypocritical Apostatising guilt that cleaves to them: Think on that word of the Lord: 
k Is. 66.3.  He that killeth an Ox, is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a Lamb, as if he cut of a Dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an Idol: Here are glorious outward performances, but behold, how abominable and loathsome your offerings are to the great Jehovah! What's the matter? Why, it's the offering of an hypocritical spirit; 
* The sense of the Prophet in this 5. verse prove this.  That oppress and persecute those that tremble at the word of the Lord, yet can tell how to cloak their do over with aims at the glory of God; crying out; Let the Lord be glorified; but the Lord shall appear to their joy, and you shall be ashamed:  
Again, 
* Amos 5.22, 23  I hate, I despise your feast days; and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies: though ye offer me burnt-offerings, and your meat-offering, I will not accept them, neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me, the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy Viols. Who are these, whose worship and service is thus rejected by the Lord? verse 18. they are such, as (in a high profession) desire the day of the Lord: Why, what's the matter? the guilt of an hypocritical Apostasy cleaves to them; notwithstanding all their glorious outward performances, and their large professions; yet, they want those more weighty things, [as is employed in the 24 v.] Judgement and righteousness; chap: 4.1. they oppress the poor, and crush the needy. Your silent by standing, makes you abettors and guilty: Hear what our Lord himself saith, 
p Mat. 12 30.  He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad: your Lord admits of no moderate indifferent medium of spirit in this matter: your sacrifices are not offered up in righteousness, therefore are they not pleasant unto the Lord, And because of this he will cast you into a Furnace, that you may learn to offer up an offering in righteousness, that your offerings may be pleasant unto him, as in the days of old, as in aneient years. So that  
4. The best and purest standing any of you can brag of under this Apostasy, will not abide the trial, but the day that cometh will throw you off your ground, the Earth quake shall rend it up that it shall not be found: Who shall be able to stand in that day? None, no, not one; and if it be so, what will become of those oppressing stations, many (who I hope have grate in their hearts) run their feet into, out of too much love to gold and silver, the Idols of the age?  
5. As a natural consequent of the rest, behold your exceeding folly, that for love of your ceiled houses, the convenient accommodations of this life, you forsake the interest of the name and honour of your Lord, and connive at, and cleave to, the evils and apostasies of this your day and time: Have you not left and forsaken your discipleship? Our Lord saith, that except a man take up his cross and follow him, he cannot be his disciple; every disciple of Christ, carries his cross at his back; now where is your cross? have you not lost it in your too eagen pursuit after the profits and pleasures of this present evil world? and what will this unchilde-like carriage of yours cost you? the refiners fire and fullers soap will be your portion; God will call thy terrors about thee as in a solemn day, that in the day of the Lords angen none may escape; terrors; by reason the sword shall come upon thee, Lam. 2.22. compared with Ezek. 21.12.  
Quest. If it should be asked, wherein our times are thus guilty of back-sliding and Apostasy, as in charged upon them?  
Answ. Look upon our days through the glass of these Prophecies of Malachy and Isaiah, with the interpretation given (which I am persuaded will be found according to truth) and you will behold them of the same countenance and colour those times were of, Isaiah pointed at, and in which the Prophet Malachy, gave forth his Prophecy, differing in nothing but in many aggravating circumstances.  
Obj. But perhaps some may object; you hint to us that the state of the Jewish Church, was a type and representation of professing Zion in England; and truly you seem to me, to put a restriction upon the text which it will not boor: For put the case the parallel be true, that, that time of Apostasy in the Jewish Church Malachy Prophesied in, was a type and representation of the state of this Professing Gospel-Church immediately before our Lords coming; why may it not as well have relation to any other part, or to the whole professing-Gospel-Church as to that part of the professing Gospel-Church in England; and as that was the state of the Jewish Church immediately before our Lords first coming in the flesh, so, may it not rather be a type, of the state of the Professing-Gospell-Church, immediately before our Lords coming again in person?  
Answ. I conceive a due weighing what hath been already said, would sufficiently answer all objections, but for their sakes who have not the patience to take that pains, I shall offer some further satisfaction: This Objection consists of several parts, and requires a distinct Answer to each.  
1. I conceive, that this cannot have relation to the time immediately before our Lords coming again, but must relate to the time wherein it hath been already fixed.  
1. Because I find the Prophet speaks not of the personal coming of Christ the second time, but of a dispensation of the Lord, wherein he will be as Fuller's soap, and as a refiner and purifier of silver, purifying and purging the true seed from all their dross, and tin, that they may be able to offer up an Offering to the Lord in righteousness, sit to serve him in that great and glorious work he hath to do in the world.  
2. Because the work of our Lord at this time the Prophet speaks of, is, to bring his people into, to  them with, that glory they have lost, the glory of the day of their espousal, that they may be, as in the days of old, as in ancient years; but, when our Lord shall come in person, he will bring a greater glory than that with him, even 
r Mat. 16.27. Luke 9.26.  his own glory, and his Father's glory, and the glory of his holy Angels.  
3. Because I find the Prophet Isaiah, who (as hath been sufficiently proved) speaks of the same time and work, calling this, a coming in spirit; the spirit of judgement and the spirit of burning: By which the Lord will wash and purge Zion.  
4. Because the great design of our Lord at this his coming (as hath been already proved) is, to sit and prepare his Zion, for the doing that great work of his in and upon the world, he hath decreed she shall carry on before he comes himself in person, (even the breaking Dan. great Image to pieces, and powering out Vials of his wrath upon the rebellious world) by giving his Spirit to them, and causing it to rest upon them. Read what the Prophet Isaiah saith in his 28. chapter, the 5. and 6. verses; In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a Crown of glory, and for a Diadem of beauty unto the residue of his people: And for a spirit of judgement to him that sitteth in judgement, & for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate: In that day, wherein the Lord will in judgement tread under foot the Crown of Pride, the Drunkards of Ephraim, and all their glorious beauty shall be as a fading flower: wherein, God will judge the apostatising wickedness, wherewith the people are become drunken, with the promoters of it in the midst of a professing people, In that day will the Lord of hosts be for a Crown of glory and for a Diadem of beauty unto the residue of his people; those that keep their garment pure and clean from this apostasy in this their day: But the sword of the Lord of hosts is not to abide upon the back of his people, but now judgement beginning at the house of God hath run its course there, and the Lord of hosts hath magnified himself, gotten glory and honour exalted himself alone there, by the righteousness of his Judgements; He will be for a spirit of judgement to him that sitteth in judgement, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate: The sword of the Lord of hosts must be removed, and the battle must be turned to the gate, to what gate? 
s Gen. 22.17.  the gate of his enemies, which the father hath promised, that blessed seed of Abraham (our Lord Jesus) shall possess: And my thinks the reason is strong for this interpretation, for, after the Lord hath judged this wicked (though professing) generation, bringing a destroying woe upon the Crown of Pride, the Drunkards among them; and made himself a Crown of glory, and a Diadem of beauty to the residue of his people, (whether those that kept themselves clean from the pollutions of the day, or those that he had left as his Jewels, a people to show forth his praise) he will then be for a spirit of Judgement to them that sit in Judgement, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate. The battle of the Lord must now be turned hence to another place, to the gate, which cannot be the gate of this professing people, for it hath been there already; the mighty and strong one of the Lord, hath already been as 
t verse 2.  a tempest of hail, and a destroying storm, as a stood of mighty waters in their gate, before the residue of his people set themselves to this work: And the persons to whom these promises are made, are those that the battle of the Lord in the gate of this wicked-professing-people hath left the residue of the people; so that it cannot be meant of their gate: And what gate can this then be? But that gate of his enemies, which the Father hath promised shall be the possession of his Son, the seed of Abraham: Judgement gins at the house of God and ends in that gate; and all this must be done by the Spirit of the Lord, he will be for a spirit of Judgement, and the same spirit shall be strength to them that turn the battle to the gate: The Prophet speaks not a word of any other coming of the Lord than in spirit, so that all the work there spoken of, must be done by the spirit of the Lord in and by his people, before the coming of the Son of God in Person the second time.  
And the same Prophet Isaiah, in his fifty nineth Chapter the nineteenth verse, speaks further of this truth, When the enemy shall come in like a stood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him; clearly holding forth thus much to us, that the work of God in the last day's, to repay fury to his adversaries and recompense to his enemies, that combine together against him, shall be carried on by the spirit of the Lord (as the great agent) in and amongst his people; he speaks of his personal coming in the next verse, as succeeding this: And the Holy ghost in the fourteenth of the Revelation, further confirms us in this truth, there we find the Lord bringing his purged and refined number upon Mount Zion, martialling them for his work; But how comes he? As a Lamb; A Lamb stood on Mount Zion with one hundred forty four thousand: The Lord comes to avenge the blood of his own person, and all the blood of his 
u Luke 18.7.  Mystical body that hath been shed, upon the world as a Lamb: But when he comes in person he appears after another manner, as a King, 
x Mat. 24.30.  in power and great glory.  
5. When the Lord comes himself in person, he will, do his work himself alone, by his great power and glory he brings with him, he will slain all his Raiment with the blood of his enemies, 
y Isa. 63.3.  treading the winepress alone, and of the people there will be none with him: But at this coming of the Lord, he makes use of Zion, as his battleax and instrument of war, of their feet, to tread down his enemies as ashes under foot.  
2. This Type cannot represent THE WHOLE OF THE PROFESSING GOSPELL-CHURCH, I conceive, because the whole house of Israel, the twelve Tribes, being the type of that, this one Tribe MALLACHY prophesied to, was but a type of some small part of the professing-gospel-church which runs parallel to it: For the illustrating of this particular, think upon what hath been already said in the beginning of this discourse.  
3. THAT IT HATH SPECIAL AND PECULIAR RELATION TO THE PROFESSING-GOSPEL-CHURCH IN ENGLAND WITH ITS TERRITORIES AND DOMINIONS: will plainly appear if we consider, First, That the Lord hath done these things for ENGLAND (and for none other) that answer, and are equivolent to, what he did for that one Tribe of old: He hath delivered them from under the Antichristian tyrannical power of Babylon, given them Liberty, Power, Authority, and Opportunity, to BUILD THE TEMPLE; to return to their first Love, to their God and Father and their Brethren, to the purity and glory of the day of their espousals, as it was IN THE DAYS OF OLD, AS IN ANCIENT YEARS, in their Offerings to the Lord, in the Worship and Ordinances of the Lord Jesus: And the CITY JERUSALEM; to do and carry on the Lords work, to the praise and glory of his holy name, in this their day and time: And Secondly, ENGLAND hath followed her Type, step by step, in all her Deviations and Apostasies: Building CEILED HOUSES; getting large Possessions, the curious Mansions and Honours of this world for themselves, and letting the HOUSE OF GODLY WASTE; neglecting the present work of God, Apostatising from that blessed work of his they once engaged in, and falling to work of their own, insuring to themselves CEILED HOUSES, their large and honourable acquisitions of the Mammon of this world: Instead of exalting the Lord alone, rendering him those honours due unto him for so many matchless expressions of an infinite love, they exalt themselves and seek their own honour, to get a great name of renown in the world: Yea, she is gone back even to Babylon again, to this, the new inventions of the times bear witness; and were it not that the faithful God hath engaged his Word, his Promise, himself, all his glorious Attributes, 
z Mich. 4 10.  that at this time, Zion being in this condition, he will now deliver his true seed from the hand of their enemies, they would be surrounded again and brought under the Iron yoke by a Babilonish power: And Thirdly, she comes not behind her Type, neither in devout and religious hypocrisies: All her do, though never so unworthy, must be cloaked over with the service of God, carrying on the work of the Lord, and the glory of God, and the honour of God, and the good of the Lords people; and a multitude of Sacrifices must be offered, and sometimes they will walk mournfully before the Lord: But because they smite with the fist of wickedness, hidden under these cover, these their Sacrifices are iniquity in the sight of the Lord, he cannot away with them, his soul hateth them, they are a trouble to him, he is really a weary to bear them, and he will be a swift witness against them. These things are all written in very fair characters in ENGLAND'S forehead at this day, and look round the world, and see if you can read them in any other forehead, I cannot think they will be found any where but here: And if so, and at such a time of the day as this, about the ending time of Babylon's forty two months (which here I shall take for granted, and refer you for the proof of it, to those elaborate discourses already extant upon that subject) it is to me an infallible argument, that these prophecies, with the interpretation given of them, fall directly upon these miserable Islands: And, to shut up this part of the Answer, that VERY MUCH, the Lord speaks in his Word concerning THE ISLANDS, as an introduction to the coming forth of his great work in the world, is no small confirmation of the truth of the assertion.  
Obj: It may be further Objected, that it doth not appear that England is delivered from under Babylon's power, as you affirm; for is not England at present in a far worse state and condition (as is the censure of the most prudent, wise, considerate Judgements) than it was in (at least) under three or four of the last of her antichristian Kings, whether we look upon her, in her civil, or Religious state?  
Ans: I Answer, It is true, that the course of England at present steers, will undoubtedly lead her into the midst of Babylon, both Civil and Religious, it will hurry her into a civil bondage, and Religious slavery, irrecoverable; this will be the inevitable effect of her ways, if an Almighty providence prevent not: but yet, this makes nothing against the position, that once she had Babylon's yoke broken from off her neck, and was delivered from under the Tyrannical power thereof, & did enjoy, that (never to be too much valued) liberty, & those blessed opporrunities to become everlastingly happy, by following her Lord whithersoever he would lead her, that she will never enjoy again, until the Lord hath made bare the arm of a creating power to redeem her from the hand of her enemies; even those her unnatural Children, who have sucked the milk of her breasts, whom she hath tenderly nourished and brought up, that now inhumanly would pull her very Vitals out of the midst of her body, and leave her dead carcase a continual Feast for the Birds of Prey to feed upon. And although our condition be thus sad and calamitous at present, we are running a pace back again into Egypt and Babylon, yet, I conceive we are not yet entered the Lists of Babylon's borders; though we are gone back even to Babylon, (become very Babilonish) yet, into Babylon, I trust the Lord will not suffer us to enter, but according to his promise will visit and deliver his people for his own names sake.  
Queen But if any honest heart should ask, how may I get clear of the danger I am in, of possessing the sorrows of this day of the Lord?  
Ans: I Answer, Learn that great and good lesson of self denial, taking up your Cross, and following your Lord; get to be of the number of those that fear the Lord, that speak often one to another; bearing their testimony for the name of God, and the interest of their Lord, against the evils and wickednesses of the Times: then shall you possess the gracious promises they are under, of the sparing love of your Father, which belongs to none of those, (though never so good and righteous in the esteem of the professing world) who are guilty of, and defiled with the evils of the Times: saith the Lord to Isaiah, Say unto the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their do. But, woe unto the wicked, it shall be ill with him; for the reward of his hands shall be given him: and the Lord will spare those that think upon his name, and speak often one to another about the concernments of his glory and interest, as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him; while their brethren are burning in the Refiners fire, and smarting under the Fuller's soap.  
In the last place, somewhat I would say to those that fear the Lord, those blessed servants of the Lord, who are exercising themselves in that Work so well-pleasing to God, about the concernments of the name and interest of the Lord at this day: and I would reduce that I have to say, into Instruction, & Exhortation.  
First, for Instruction: And  
1 Be instructed in the certainty of deliverance at hand; that day of the Lords judging your enemies, and bringing forth your deliverance is at hand, even at the door. Although the Wheel seems to run so fast back again, and men are unraveling that bottom the Lord hath been winding up for some years last passed, and the powers of Heaven be shaken, and men's hearts fail them for fear, looking after those things that are coming on the earth; though the face of things at present be thus sad and calamitous, yet, lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh, know that the inexpressible wickedness and sadness of the times at this season, is an unerring sign, & token of the certainty & nearness of deliverance: my thinks, what hath been already said in the preceding interpretation of the Scriptures handled, proves this sufficiently; but, to strengthen your faith, and increase your joy, if the Lord please; I will offer some further proof; That an hypocritical Apostasy after reformation, is an unquestionable evidence, that the Lord is at hand, and will delay no longer, but suddenly deliver the true Seed, to the glory and praise of his holy name, will be out of doubt, if we consider.  
That this was the state and condition of the old World, when Judgement took hold of it: and the condition of the Jews our Lord found them in when he first came in the flesh: also, that it is the state and condition of the present professing Gospel-Church, when the day of the Lord of hosts shall come upon her, wherein he will be to her as a Refiners fire, and as Fuller's soap.  
That it was the state and condition of the old world, is clear, for after that great defection and fall of man from his first purity, had proceeded to blood, manifested itself in that evil effect, the slaughter of righteous Abel by his wicked Brother Cain; and Seth the succeeder of Abel, had preached many years to the fallen world; by that time Enoch was born 
a Gen: 4THS  Men began to call upon the name of the Lord, (or as it it in the Margin of some Bible's) to call themselves by the name of the L. here was a reformation wrought by the preaching of the righteous; the breach that Cain (the seed of the Serpent) had made, was now made up again; men would be no longer murderers, as the children of the Serpent, but they would be the Lords people, called by the name of the Lord; here is a notable reformation indeed, one would have thought that there had now been a sure reconciliation made between God and man, that there was an inseparable union of friendship entered into; but, behold the inconstancy of the nature of man! afterward 
b Ch: 6.1, 2.  it came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the Sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair, and they took them Wives of all which they chose: they degenerated from their former reformation, they kept not themselves, the separated people of the Lord, but mingled themselves with the seed of men, the Serpent's brood; and through this defection, the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and (now) every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually; 
c V, 5  this moved the Lord greatly, 
d V 6, 7.  and it repent the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart; and the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth. The nature and quality of this Apostasy, the Evangelists Matthew, 
e Mat. 24. 38.3●.  and Luke tell us, They did eat, they drank, they married Wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the Ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all: it was not a defection to Cain's gross profaneness, 
Luke 17.26, 27.  but their hearts ran lose from God, to the good things of this world, they went backward, and apostatised from God to the world, made Idols to themselves of the lawful things of this World; no doubt, they solved their consciences with the lawfulness of the things in themselves, their hearts ran out so unworthily after, and could find much to say for their practice, against any that should charge them with evil; The curious refinedness of the apostasy, appears by this, that but eight persons could attain to escape the temptation; the hypocrisy of it was such, that it swept away all that called themselves by the name of the Lord, except upright Noah and his Family, that by close walking with God, obtained deliverance. And which is very observable, in the reformation, these men exalted the name of the Lord, called themselves by the name of the Lord, they buried their own name, and would become as nothing that the Lord might have all the honour, they would have no name but the name of the Lord, serve him, and none other, owned none to be their Lord but him, exalted the Lord alone, they called themselves by the name of the Lord; but in the apostasy, they forget that name of the Lord, they forsake the interest of the honour and name of God, and set up their own name, and their own honour, 
f Gen; 6● 4●.  became mighty men, men of renown, exalted their own name, their own renown and honour, to the dishonour of God, and that glorious name of his, they formerly called themselves by: give me leave to repeat a little, observe the two grand remarkables in this notorious apostasy, They assotiate and mingle themselves with that sort of men, the seed of the Serpent, with that interest, they formerly separated from out of a profession of love to God and his name, their calling themselves by the name of the Lord import so much. And secondly, they set up their own name, renown, and honour, in the place and room of Gods; whereas before they would call themselves by no name but by God's name, now they come under the mighty and renowned names of men; how near these last days of this evil world, come to these men in manners, lest those who have a seeing eye judge. This grieves the Lord at his heart; and heresolves to exalt that blessed name of his (they formerly exalted, and now despise and trample underfoot to serve their lusts) in their destruction; none shall escape but Noah, and his Family, that Just and upright man, who walked with God, kept close to the good old principle, the Sons of God walked in, exalting the name of God: When the old World came into this frame and temper, the Lord would bear no longer, but comes to vindicate his name and honour, in jealousy and wrath Judging of her.  
And, that it was the state of the Jewish Church, in which our Lord found them at his first coming, in the flesh, hath been cleared up already: and therein she was a Type and representation, of the professing Gospel-Church in the last days.  
Lastly, That it is the state and condition of the professing Gospel. Church, when Judgement shall begin at the house of God, he will visit her with a SPIRIT of Judgement, and a spirit of burning, be as a Refiners fire, and as Fuller's soap to her▪ Matthew and Luke tell us plainly, As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man: and Luke illustrates it by the condition of Sodom, 
g Luke 17.26, 28, 30.  They did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded even thus shall it be in the days when the Son of man is revealed: so that upon the credit of the word of two Evangelists we may believe it for a truth, that, the professing worlds being in this state and condition, is a clear sign of the Lords being at hand to deliver his remnant, and destroy his enemies: But will you have the testimony of a third Apostle, John; the Spirit of the Lord by him, in his Epistle to the seven Churches in Asia, bears witness to this truth, that when the professing Gospel-Church falls into a refined hypocritical apostasy after reformation, than the Lord stands at the door and knocks; he stays no longer but comes to Judgement: for the proof of this let us a little consider these seven Churches of Asia.  
They were Tips and representations of the various state and condition of the Church of Christ, from the falling away (the Apostle writes of in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians, by which the man of sin got up to his seat and power) until the coming of the Lord to his Zion. for, some things written (especially) to the Churches in Philadelphia, and Laodicea, cannot be restrained to literal Philadelphia, and literal Laodicea, but must of necessity be granted to refer to some other time and persons, tiped out by them: further, behold the order the Holy Ghost observes in his writing, be gins with an apostasy, with Ephesus who had fallen from her first works; and closes with an apostasy with Laodicea, that had fallen into a notable hypocritical strain boasting of her own gifts and excellencies, saying, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing. If we observe the Church of Sardis, we shall there see what a low ebb the Church of Christ was once brought unto, Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead, be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die; there were but a few names which had not defiled their garments; but at the next remove, the Spirit of the Lord works such a glorious reformation in the Church, that she seems as if she were perfect before the Lord, he finds no fault at all with her, but commends her after a high rate, this is represented to us by Philadelphia; now the coming of our Lord draws near, it is not far off, Behold I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast; after this, Satan that cunning and implacable enemy to the Saints happiness, brings his Laodicean temper upon the stage; the professing Gospel-Church falls from so glorious a reformation wrought by the Philadelphians, into a luke warm hypocritical apostasy; by this time our Lord is at the door, and ready to enter in: and behold the hypocrisy of this apostasy, although she be fallen from the glory of noble Philadelphia, into the loathsome condition of luke warm Laodicea, wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked; yet she saith I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; now our Lord stands at the door and knocks, giveth notice, that he is coming, and will not tarry. Thus my Brethren, you have a manifold testimony to the truth of the assertion, that an hypocritical apostasy after reformation in the professing Gospel-Church, is an unquestionable evidence, That deliverance to the true seed, and destruction to the enemy is at hand; the Lord will stay no longer, but will come and will not tarry, for his own Names sake; if God would not spare the old world, nor his chosen people Israel, (To whom pertaineth the Adoption, and the glory, and the promises) when they came into this temper and frame; what ground hath any man to think, that this present evil world (being come into the same State) shall find more favour at the hand of the jealous God, than those of old did? The blood of all the Prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world, 
Luke 11.50  shall be required of this Generation saith our Lord; what Generation is that? an hypocritical Pharisaical Generation. So that it remains for a certain truth, that judgement is at the door of this Generation, and deliverance is coming from Heaven to the faithful that keep their garments pure: and they shall walk with their Lord in white, for they are worthy.  
2 Be instructed, in the design of the Lord at this day, upon you and the rest of your Brethren, with whom you are contending for the name and honour of your Lord, it is, to bring you into, cloth you with, the glory of the day of your Espousals, that it may be with you, as it was in ancient years, in the beginning: what glory is that? the glory of the Apostles and Saints, when they received the promise of the Father, when the Spirit of the Lord came with power upon them, working in them according to the might of his power: the glory of this day is inexpressible, neither is it my work at this time to dilate upon it, but I choose rather to leave it to your own meditations to represent it to your view by chewing the cudd in the consideration of it, as it is set forth in the holy Writings of the Apostles: when you have attained to this glory, then will you be defended by the creating power of God, and power from on high will be given you, to tarry on that great work of God in the world, to the glory and praise of your Lord, your hearts are now so much fixed upon, in which you so earnestly desire to be labouring.  
Other very useful instructions might be added; but I conceive it will be more acceptable, and work more kindly if yourselves press that wholesome liquor out of this cluster, therefore I forbear.  
2 In the second place, give me leave to Exhort you to these things.  
1 Be not weary of, nor undervalue your present work: behold how acceptable! how delightful it is to your Lord! the Lord is always among you, hearing all your discourses with greatest delight; the glory of it so ravishes his hair, (
k Cant. 4, 8, 9, 11.  Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister, my Spouse, thou hast ravished mine heart, with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck, the Lord is thus ravished with his Spouse, When she looks from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir, and Hermon, from the lion's dens, from the mountains of the leopard; and her lips drop as the honey comb: yea, so ravished is he with the glory of your present Work) as he will keep the Idea of it in his Book of remembrance, he will have it always before him: why should you undervalue it, and grow weary of it, as of a low and mean thing? seeing the Lord prizes it at so high a rate, that it rejoiceth the very heart of God, as those peculiar and rich promises annexed to it manifest: Be not weary of it; but keep close to your Work, and you shall not only possess rich and glorious Reward, but at the appointed time shall be accommodated with safficient furniture to carry on that glorious work of your Lord, wherein you shall grow up as Calves of the stall: Be not weary of your work think not the time long, nor your Work, stolen: the Lord is now in the midst of you, and it is exceeding dangerous for you to go forth to another Work, Till the breaker up go up before you, till your King the Lord pass on the head of you; so long as the cloud abides on the Tabernacle, the Children of Israel are not to journey; but, when the cloud is taken up, 
m Deut. 1.33  and goeth in the way before them, than is it safe for Israel to go forward: let not an irregular ambition after a higher and more noble Work, draw you into a sinful seeming 〈◊〉 of your Lords care of his Work & cause, that will grieve the holy Spirit who dwells in your Temples: 
n Cant. 2▪ 7  I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the Roes, and by the Hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my Love, till he please: be faithful in your present Work, and wait the pleasure of your Lord, and in the very next Verse, you will hear his voice; The voice of my Beloved; and no sooner do you hear his voice; but, behold, he comes leaping upon the Mountains, skipping upon the hills: no hills nor mountains of opposition shall hinder him, but you shall behold him coming to give you your hearts desire, 
o Ch. 3.6.  Who is this that cometh out of the Wilderness, like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and Frankincense, with all powders of the Merchant? and when he forsakes that howling desert, he will not leave you behind him, 
p Ch: 8.5  Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness leaning upon her beloved? O then, blemish not your Lords Work by any impatiency of Spirit, but wait your Lord's leisure, he will come, and will not tarry: 
q Ch: 3.5.  I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the Roes, and by the Hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.  

r Ch. 8.14.  Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a Roe, or to a young Hart upon the mountains of spices.  
2 Let your love to your Lord Jesus, and his name appear: seek by all ways and means possible, to convince the professing world, that it is nothing but love to your beloved that moves you; nothing but love, strong as death: verily, this will prove of much advantage every way: behold, what an advantage was gained by such a conviction as this, upon the spirits of men, in the 5th; of the Canticles the Spouse of Christ by a sluggish and ununworthy carriage, having lost the sight of her Beloved, the consideration of the excellency and glory of his love blows up the embers in her sleepy heart into a fire of love, her soul fails within her, she is ready to die for want of her Beloved, she runs hither and thither to seek him, and she calls after him, but all in vain: in this hot pursuit after her Beloved, she encounters with the Watchmen, but meets with very unkind entertainment, nothing but smitings and wound; from them she turns to the keepers of the walls, and they handle her very roughly, They took away my vail from me: all this while she suffers loss, she neither finds her Beloved, nor gains any advantage, her passion of love was such, as obscured her beauty and excellency, that it appeared not so plainly what in truth it was; but when her Love broke forth clearly from under those clouds, I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my Beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love; what a wonderful change is wrought! what an advantage is gained! not only to herself, a good esteem of her person, O thou fairest among Women, she is now longer counted worthy of stripes, but of the highest praises: but also to her Beloved; it sets their hearts upon an earnest enquiry after him, What is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? the intenseness and fervency of their mind in the enquiry, is set forth by the doubling of the question, What is thy beloved more than another beloved? O thou fairest among Women, what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? O let your love to your beloved appear; this will wipe off all that dirt and dishonour the wicked world casts upon you, and the cause of your Lord you stand up for, and provoke the daughters of Jerusalem to inquire after your beloved, with whom you are so exceedingly in love.  
3 Seek earnestly after a spirit of light and discerning from the Lord, to enable you to hold forth your beloved to the world in all his glory, the glory of his person, and the glory of his word of truth: when the Spouse had in answer to their question (in the 5th of the Canticles,) made a full description of the glorious excellencies of her beloved, my beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousand, etc. concluding, This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem: behold, what blessed fruit this brings forth: Whether is thy beloved gone? O thou fairest omong Women, whether is thy Beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee: her Beloved is now become their beloved also, and they join issue with her in a through search after him: let this be no small part of your work, to hold forth your beloved to the world in all his glory and lovely excellencies, convincing them that this is your beloved, and this is your friend; that it is your love to him that moves you and acts you in all your ways, that it is the enjoyment of him that is the mark you shoot at: then will the daughters of Jerusalem be in love with your beloved also, and account of you as the fairest among Women, the most excellent: would you have the daughters of Jerusalem be your friends and assistants, in seeking after your beloved? then set before them his excellency and glory, let them know who your beloved, and who your friend is: this practice will prove exceeding serviceable to your Lord; do you but give the daughters of Jerusalem to understand the glory of the object of your souls love, which drew you to those harsh encounters with the Watchmen, and the keepers of the walls, and they will presently become followers of you as you are followers of your beloved: Whither is thy beloved gone? O thou fairest among Women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.  
4 Labour with all your might after union; seek out uniting principles, upon which an honourable union upon the right foundation may be wrought: Union! union! union! before the Zion of God can become a fit instrument to carry on that work of the Lord in and upon the rebellious World, your hearts are so much fixed upon, this glorious work of union must be perfected in her: when Zion is become a holy hill, a body united and compact together, then is she a fit seat for her Lord to sit upon as King; yet have I set my King upon my HOLY HILL of Zion: before Zion will be enabled (by a sufficiency of light and power) to tread down the wicked as ashes under her feet, and burn them up both root and branch, there must be a union (as hath been already hinted) between the Jewels of the Lord, and that remnant of his, that fearing his name keep their garments clean from the defilements of the day, to provoke you unto this blessed union, let me persuade you seriously to consider these few motives thereunto.  
1 This union, is that which our Lord Jesus prayeth so earnestly for the accomplishment of; Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one, 
John 17.20, 21.  as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they all may be one, etc. surely it is of no small concernment to Jesus Christ, but of absolute necessity, his chosen should be thus united, his heart is so entirely fixed upon it, he intercedes so particularly to his Father for it.  
2 This union is that, the accomplishment of which, is the end, wherefore Jesus Christ bestows the same glory his Father gave him, upon his people; And the glory which thou gavest me, 
Verse▪ 22.  I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one: it seems our Lord values this union at a very high rate, he gives so great a price as his glory to purchase it.  
3 This union is exceeding excellent and glorious, and therefore deserves seeking after with the greatest earnestness and diligence: therefore must it needs be glorious because it is the fruit of glory, And the glory which thou gavest me, 
Verse 23.  I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one; the giving of glory to them, brings forth this union among them as it's natural fruit.  
4 This union, is the way to perfection, that they may be one, even as we are one, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, etc. Would you become perfect with the perfection of your Heavenly Father? endeavour then after this union.  
5 By this union, you will convince the world, that Jesus Christ your Lord is the Messiah of the Father; 
Verse 2●.  That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me: the exceeding glory of this union, will convince both Jew and Gentile, in a day wherein there are false Christ's, and false Prophets, showing great signs and wonders if it were possible to deceive the very Elect, that you Lord you make profession of, is the true Messiah, the true Christ, sent from the Father.  
6 By this union, you will not only convince the world that your Lord is he that was sent from the Father (and so consequently, that the truth you plead for, is the truth, the promise of the Father to your Lord) but, that you are the beloved of the Father, loved w th' the same love he loves your Lord with: 
Verse 23.  That they may be one even as we are one, that they may be made perfect in one, that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast l ved them, as thou hast loved me: the perfection of this union will put such an excellent glory upon you, above all other glories, as that the World shall be convinced in their consciences, that if the Lord hath fixed his love upon any company of men in the World, you are the people; and be forced to report, that God is in you of a truth.  
7 This union, will make you  
1 Exceeding glorious in the eyes of your Beloved, and of all that look upon you; 
Cant. 6, 9,  My Dove, my undefiled is but one, saith the Lord Jesus; here is the union pleaded for: behold how he commends it, how amiable it is in his eye. She is the only one of her Mother, she is the choice one of her that bore her; of all the children she hath brought forth, this is the ONLY ONE, the best beloved; of all the states and conditions the Spouse hath been brought into, this is the most excellent, the most glorious, the choice one: yea, you will be the subject of the praises of all that shall behold you; The daughters saw her and blessed her, the Queens and the Concubines, and they praised her; behold how glorious you will appear in their eye! 
Verse 10,  Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the Moon, clear as the Sun, and terrible as an Army with banners? and who is she think you? why our Lord tells you, it is my Dove, my undefiled, who is but one: and this union, will make you.  
2 In the second place, fitly qualified for the work of your Lord, like to the Armies of the Lord indeed; who is she, that looks terrible as an Army with banners? the answer is, the undefiled Spouse of Christ who is but one: and when the fruits of this glorious union shall ere you are ware, make your souls like to the Chariots of Aminadab, carry you on exceeding swiftly and strongly in the work of your Lord, if any shall then cry, Return, return, O Shulamite, return, return, that we may look upon thee; the answer will be. 
Verse 13  What will ye see in the Shulamite? as it were the company of two Armies: if any would have you stay a while, that they may behold more of the glory of your united still state, the answer will then be, you are become terrible as an Army with banners, yea, terrible, as the company of two Armies: O the terrors and dread! that the glory of this union will strike into the hearts of your Lords enemies.  
8 By this union, you will become as an innocent Dove undefiled; my Dove, my undefiled is but one; it imports thus much, that it is the oneness of the Spouse that makes her so Dovelike, and undefiled, unless you endeavour after this union, which the Apostle calls The unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, you will not walk worthy of your vocation wherewith ye are called: 
Ephes. 4.3, compared with the iv.  while Ephraim envies Judah, and Judah vexes Ephraim, defiling dirt and dust will be thrown about, and stick to your garments: when the Lord hath by his Refining dispensation, united his Jewels and his Remnant into one, upon his own foundation, then will they be pleasantness to the Lord, his Dove undefiled; then will such a glory rest upon them, as the Lord will create a defence upon it, as hath been already suggested in this discourse: my Dove, my undefiled is but one.  
9 This union, is the very Image of that glorious union between the Father and the Son, our Lord makes the union between him and his Father, the pattern of that union he intercedes for; that they may all be one, as thou, Father art in me, and I in thee; again, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them, and thou in me, that they be made perfect in one: this union is a lively representation of the glorious union between the Father and the Son; and what an exceeding glory must that needs be? my thinks, the glory of it should even ravish your hearts, and make your souls like to the Chariots of Aminadab in an eager pursuit of it, till you have attained.  
So that by this time, I hope, you may be in love with union; who can but be in love with it? the glory of it is so exceeding like the glory of your Lord, who is the chiefest of ten thousand: but I would not be mistaken by any, 
It was in the heart of that blessed servant of the Lord, dear Tillinghast had he had alonger day to have wrought in to have presented you with some principses of this glorious union; O that the Lord would anoint some other with the same Spirit, that some healing balsom might be poured into the bleeding wounds of distressed Zion.  this union I so earnestly press after, is not dissonant to, but may well stand with that holy separation from the unclean thing, the Saints are exhorted (and it is their duty) to separate from; but again, a truly Christian pursuit after this union, will glorify a right and a holy separation; pursue this holy principle of Union, and I persuade myself, you will leave very few or none that have but a grain of sincerity, cleaving to the uncleanthing; if the glory of this Union be so powerful as to convince the wicked World, how much more than think you, will it draw that heart that hath but the least grace in it? O the inexpressible advantage, this union of parts brings to the whole body! one part possesseth wisdom and counsel; another, spirit and life; another part, agility and swiftess in motion: now, while they are not in conjunction; though the one may have wisdom and counsel, yet, it may want the spirit and life of the other; and though that other may have excellent spirit and life, yet it may want wisdom to direct and guide the agile faculty in a regular motion: but, when there is a union of parts, the whole body partakes off whatsoever wisdom, of whatsoever excellency of Spirit and Life, and of whatsoever other noble gift, is in any part thereof; which must needs be exceeding glorious to behold, & of much advantage to the cause and work of your Lord. O my Brethren, If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, 
Phil. 2.1, 2, 3.4, 5.  if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels of mercies: fulfil ye my joy, that ye be , having the same love▪ being of one accord, of one mind: let nothing be done through strife, or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves; look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others: let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.  
5 Take heed and beware of a selfish spirit, a self-exalting spirit; dread and shun this monster as the greatest precipice of danger your Souls can possibly fall into at such a time as this: This frame and temper of spirit, the Lord will contend against, and bow down in that dreadful day of his, which is hastening upon us; For, the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up, and he shall be brought low; yea, the Lord will not endure the least degree of it, not so much as a losty look; 
Isai. 2.11, 12  The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down: it is necessary it should be so, and the reason, why the Lord will have it so, is, that the Lord alone may be exalted in that day: it is the great design of the Lord in this notable day of his that he is bringing upon Zion, to exalt himself alone; and till this selfish frame of spirit be bowed down and brought low, the Lord cannot accomplish his design, he cannot be alone exalted: this is the reason why the dreadful day of the Lord will come upon the Cedars, the materials of his Temple, because they are high and lifted up: but one fragment of this temper of spirit, is one of the 7 things that are hateful, & an abomination unto the Lord, a proud look, or, haughty eyes; 
Prov: 6.17.  (as the margin of some Bibles hath it) O therefore, my brethren, if we would be partakers of the rich Promises of the sparing love of our Father, and not fall under the scourging hand of an angry God, in this day of the Lord that is coming upon us, let us dread and flee a self-exalting spirit.  
Lastly, Seeing it is the design of the Lord at this day, to bring his Zion into her first state, into the purity of the day of her Espousals; let us in the name of the Lord, with heart and hand join with one accord, to further this glorious design of God: O that we would n deavour every one to mend one, and in love help to mend each other: would you be serviceable in the work of the Lord? I know you would; why, this is the ready way, the high way, to carry on the great and glorious design of God upon the world: when Zion is so reform by the power of God, as that she can offer up Offerings in righteousness, that are peasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, as in ancient Years, THAN shall she tread down the Wicked as ashes under her feet: THAN will the Lord raise up thy Sons O Zion, 
Zack. 9.13.14, 15.  against thy Sons O Greece, and make thee as the sword of a Mighty man: and the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning, and the Lord God shall blow the Trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the South: the Lord of hosts shall defend them, and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones, and they shall drink and make a noise as through Wine, and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the Altar.  
THE END.