A seasonable vvatch-vvord unto Christians against the dreams & dreamers of this generation delivered in a sermon November 16th. 1665 / and being the last lecture, which was preached by that reverend, faithful and eminent man of God Mr. John Wilson ...

A seasonable vvatch-vvord unto Christians against the dreams & dreamers of this generation delivered in a sermon November 16th. 1665 / and being the last lecture, which was preached by that reverend, faithful and eminent man of God Mr. John Wilson ...

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Jer. 29, 8.‘For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, let not your Prophets, and your Diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your Dreames, which ye cause to be dreamed.’

IT is a strange thing (my Brethren) that the Lord should speak in this manner to his people, or that there should be such a thing found among them; for he speaks to the Rulers, and to the old men, &c. and he saith that they had caused these things to be spoken, that are Dreams, and the Lord doth give warning to them, that they should not hearken to these D [...]eams: wha [...] the people of God▪ that prosess his holy name? will they have a [...] [...]and in this woker to have Dreams spoken, and to have Dreamers come, that shall be instrumental of the damnation of the s [...]ul [...] of men? but it is so sometimes, that there are those that will compell others [...] these things: [...]s I remember there were those that came to Aaron, and would have a Calf m [...]de, &c. and▪ I remember there was one that came to the Prophet M [...]caia [...], and told him of these and those Prophets that did declare good to the King with one mouth: and let thy word be like the word of one, of them, and s [...]k that which is good: but they were a company of [Page] Dreame [...] and Ahab doth not love M [...]b: and he doth never speak a good word to me, wherefore I hate him: and the messenger that goes to him tells him that there were so many hundreds of them that do speak pleasing things to the King, and I pray thee do thou speak such like things to him, that may be matter of contentment to him; but that Prophet of the Lord would not turn to the right hand, or to the left, for the King, or for any other; but what God did put into his mouth, that he would speak: and so it is generally, that when the false Prophet doth arise among the People of God, it is because of Gods people that are the cause of it: and it is they that do set them up, and maintain them, and would have pillows laid under their elbows: and why is it so? why (my Brethren) even since it was that Eve did hearken to the voice of the Serpent: And also the children of God are much given to novelties; these are things that they never heard of before: and if they may have these and those things spoken which they never heard of before, this is all many care for, though they are such things as came not cut of the mouth of God: yet because they are new things, and that please their [...]u [...]ors, therefore they affect them: thus the Apostle Paul, one would think an Apostle good enough; yet there were many that were unsatisfied with him, as in the Epistle to the Galatians we read, & bewitched with the false Teachers; these give us (say they) the Gospel in this and that way▪ &c. however they did once look at the Apostle Paul as an Angel of God, even as Christ Iesus: but now the case was altered: and now Paul was no body: and come of him what would, he might st [...]rve for all them: they were carried away after those that ven [...]d their new things.

Again the word of the Lord doth come with marvelous great power, and might, when it is dispensed as it should be and accompanied with the holy Spirit of God: and men cannot go on so pleasingly and quietly in their sinful wayes, &c. but these P [...]ophets of God are ready to be upon their back [...], and sit upon their skirts, & tell them their own &c. Again another reason is▪ because the p [...]ople of God, that live under the word of God where God is stretching forth his hands all the day long, are [Page] (through corruptio [...] in them) [...] [...] of the things of God, & that because divers [...] them have no [...] [...] the truth of G [...]d▪ [...] the love of it, for if they had received the tru [...]h in the love of it, then they would abide still in that love of the [...] and w [...]d not account any thing too good for the faithful M [...] of God▪ But there are Hypocrites that come into the C [...] ▪ and [...] in the same Pew [...], and seem to be very attentive, and some [...] speak such a word as this [A br [...]v [...] S [...]] and [ [...] [...] Sermon [...] a ga [...]lant Sermon it was that [...] [...]eard to day▪ &c.] b [...] yet they never subjected themselves indeed to the truth of God: and will not part with their lusts which they [...]oster in their own bosoms: and if they love no [...] the truth, there is something else which they love surely; and indeed it [...] [...] ▪ even as our Lord and Saviour Christ saith, in the 5th of John, [...] [...] co [...] in my Father [...] Nam [...], and ye receive m [...] not: if another shall come▪ in his own na [...] him ye will receive: and him they shall receive, though it should be in the Devils name: and now it is just for God himself to give them over to the believing of lies, and to st [...]o [...]g d [...] sions, and if there be one delusion more strong then another, and more abominable then another, yet it will go down with them; as they that would have Barr [...]b [...]s rather then Christ, so it is with these that would not have the truth, no [...] did receive it in the love of it. The Devil himself of Hell cannot propos [...] to them [...] lye more abominable then other, but th [...] will receive th [...] [...]am [...], and God is just in this Judgement upon them for d [...]llying with his truth: and for their not receiving of it; Satan is an enemy to God, and an enemy to the truth: and when the Co [...] [...] sow [...] in the field, then that enemy comes, and [...]e sow [...] his [...]ar [...]s: he hath a great hand in stirring up such men as these, and [...] these Dreams into their heads, and he will set up his Kingdome to pull down the blessed Kingdome of the Lord Jesus Christ thereby: and he will have his Ministers, and he will have deceiver [...] (transforming himself into an Angel of light) and he will come in the Name of God, and in the name of Christ also▪ even [...] the [...]agabond Jews Act. 19. and the sons of St [...]a are said to do so. There is nothing that the [...] Prophets do, but he will by turning himself into an Angel of light do the like. The [Page] Devil spake that truth, as it may be questioned whether there can be a better truth spoken concerning Jesus Christ, i. e. thou art the holy One of God: and so the Damosel, we know, that said these men are the Servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation: could you have spoken better words than these? but that was only to make way for the bringing forth other things, that are in the pack, &c. Now saith the Lord do not you hearken to these Dreamers: it is a very lamentable thing to see that any such Dreamers should arise, as Quakers and Ranters, and these and those that trouble the Churches of God: but whom may we thank for it? even Gods People: in out Text God here saith, you have caused these Dreamers thus to speak their Dreams, i. e. by setting them up, or countenancing them: & by not testifying against them: God would have us seek to the Prophets, but it is to those that indeed come in his Name, and are sent by him: and if we do despise his Servants, we despise him: but as when those that did adjure by Jesus, whom Paul Preached; it was said to them, who are you? so may the Lord say, these and those that are sent in my Name I know, but as for you (these or those) who are you? But alas, if God leave People to themselves, what will they not come unto! This is one reason of it also, namely, because People are ready to follow a multitude: do you not see how they flock after them, and like them very well: and for your Ministers (Ministers) what are they? and, as Corah and his Company, we can preach as well as you: and we can offer Incense as well as you: and Baptize as well as you, &c. yea, but Christ saith, you shall know them by their fruits: but thus are they crying dow [...], and crying out against the faithful Ministers of God: and if we look into this Chapter, see what they say: is there not Jeremiah that maketh himself a Prophet? whereas it was not Man, but God that made him a Prophet: alas poor man! he would have been glad to have been cut of the work, but that God did call him to that work: but they had rather have some other than Jeremiah to be the Prophet: These Ministers, what are these Ministers? but if you would go to such a manner of Meeting, and h [...]ar what things are spoken there, you would like others [Page] better then your Minister: and so are men ready to cry up these as the great power of God, as was of him said, Act. 8. thus 'tis here; but I beseech you (my Brethren) if men will cast off the Lord, and his Ordinances, and follow their own humours, let them alone, as Mat. 15. they are [...] leaders of the blind; but yet notwithstanding the Lord hath pitty upon his poor people when he sees them thus taken in the net, and the Lord comes in now to give them warning: O do not hea [...]ken to these Dreamers, but he [...]ken to the holy Word of God, even as in the Psalm now sung, Psal. [...] [...]9. The Word, the Word, the Word (and the Statutes, the Statutes, the Statutes of God, and the Ordinances of God, &c. Oh these are the things which we are to observe: one word from the Lord is to be preferred before all other matters. You may think it a strange thing that thus they should speak against the faithful Ministers of God, but thus it hath been with the Prophets of old, yea, and with our Saviour Jesus Christ himself, who did not preach as the Scribes did, but with authority, and it was sp [...]ken of him, that God would raise up a Prophet like to Moses, &c. but yet when he comes into his Ministry, to draw all men to the faith and obedience of his holy name: yet (He, O they would have made a King of him, when as he did so wonderfully feed them: and never man spake as he! &c. but) afterward what was our Lord Jesus in their account? even a Wine-bibber and a Glutton, and a man that did practise with the Devil himself, even with [...]elzeb [...] himself: thus did they speak against our Saviour Jesus C [...]: and yet Christ did labour among them, and gave them many warnings: Wo be to Coraz [...]: and wo be to thee B [...]ida: and wo be to these, and wo be to those: but at length they came to that to cry up [...]arrabbas before him▪ yet Christ did not leave giving warning, O Jerusalem, Jerus [...], I would have gathered thee as a [...] [...]e [...] gatheret [...] her Chicke [...] under her wings: and [...] did weep over them; that they would not know the things of [...] peace: and that though he came to them, yet they (even his own) did not receive him; but were weary of his Ministry: and the Romans (say they) will come and destroy us: they thought it would be their u [...]ter undoing, whereas indeed that wa [...] [...] [Page] cause of their overthrow that they did reject him: yet still our Saviour Jesus Christ goes on to preach to them: and so it is in ou [...] dayes: and there be those that go about, and give it out, as though they were Christ: and how many are ready to hearken to such: [...] consider, what came you into this Wilderness for? did you come to gaze upon one another? &c. no, you came to see, and hear that great Prophet, even the Lord Jesus, in his Ministers, that you might have the Ordinances of God in his Churches rightly gathered, and the holy Sacraments rightly administred: I trow you did not come hither for the World, to scrape the World: much less to put your necks under these and those tha [...] would overturn all order among you: but O fool [...]sh Galatians, who hath bewitched you? you come hither to hear the blessed voice of Je [...]us Christ, and you did make account that when you came hither, O how holy should you be; &c. and we came not to separate from the Churches in Old England (God forbid) but we did indeed only separate from the polutions there: but alas, who hath bewitched you? that there should be any found to leave the blessed Ordinances of God, and to follow these and those: and if he be a new one, and have new things to teach them, that is enough to many: but the word of God will not spa [...]e any in their sin: nor let men sleep quietly in their sin: will not let the Drunkard alone, nor the Swearer alone, &c. but these D [...]eamers have their soft Pillows to place under mens Elbows, that they may not be hurt by leaning thereon: but see here the mercy of God that would not have men let alone, and run to hell in such way of their Dreams: O do not this abominable thing that my soul hates▪ and did not the Lord give warning to K [...]rab and his company? and so to the People, that they might not follow them? but away, away, save your souls, and come not near them if you love your lives, if you love your souls come not near to th [...]se men, but hearken to the voice of God; so here, &c. And therefore hearken not to the Dreamers, and Dreams which you have caused them to Dream: but if you have been deluded, come out from those delusions; if by your connivances, or entertainments, and the like, we have encouraged such Dreamers, O continue no longer so to do: And if these would [Page] not (in our T [...]) [...] Dreamer [...], yet [...] here come [...] the name of the [...] [...]o you to give y [...]u warning: O [...] [...] not to th [...]se [...]; God will tell you [...] day you had you▪ [...] Norton, and your Hoo [...]r, [...]d your [...], a [...] [...], and these and those, you had [...]y Ministers, and [...] Minister that God hath [...], [...]t the t [...]e will com [...] [...] [...], if you have he [...]d them▪ and [...] them, O what a [...]weet meeting will that be, and then may they say, Lord▪ [...]ere we are, and the Children that th [...] hast given us, &c. But otherwise God will say, why did you not receive them? when they come to d [...] spise the Proph [...] of the Lord▪ [...] it but the least of the holy Prophets and Messengers of the Lord, the wrath of the Lord rose against his People, so that there was no remedy: hea [...]ken not therefore to these o [...] those Dreams or Dreamers, but stop your ears against them: [...] the Adder that keeps her self from being [...]harmed, she is said to stop her ear with the ground on which she lyeth, and the other ea [...] with some other part of her body; so in this case stop your ears against them, and take heed in this case: else Conscience will fly in your faces another day, and say I told you of it, and I checked you for it, and you would not regard. But therefore hea [...]ken to those that do in a right manner speak to you the word of God, that are fitted for it, and are called of God to that work of the Ministry: hea [...]ken to these▪ And have you not (many of you) been converted by the Ministers of God? and have you not been comforted by them many a time? &c. and will you now cast off the Lord, and [...] [...]ervants? O to day, while it is called to day, hea [...]ken to the Lord [...] voice; the Lord is yet willing to receive you, and to p [...]otect you; but if you hearken to these Dreamers, God will turn to be your Enemy: and will testifie against such, as against A [...]ab, and Zedec [...]ia [...] spoken of in the Chapter where our text is▪ that were left to commit villany in Israel, even to commit A [...] with their Neighbours Wives (and that is the [...] of [...] and those Sects, and Errors, that such shall be left to com [...] [...] like uncleanness) and the King ro [...]sted these Dreamers [...] the [...], as one would roast [...]n hog: and this did become [...] [Page] Proverh, The Lord make th [...]e like Z [...]dechia [...] and like A [...]ab, &c. And so I say, m [...]k what will come on such like Dr [...]me [...]: and so saith the Apostle, mark those that do cause divisions, and offences, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them: ma [...]k them so as to avoid them and mark the course that the Lord will take with them, and with those that will follow after them. There are many D [...]mers in these times, the Q [...]ker hath his Dreams, and the S [...]ker hath his Dreams, and I cannot reckon up all of them: and one Dream doth beget another, but the Lord doth testifie against them all: and the Lord calls them bad Fig [...], none so bad a [...] those Figs were that did thus despise the Lords Prophets and Messengers, or Ministers: the Dreamers would take you off from them, but I be [...]eech you that you would not hearken to those Dreamers, but hea [...]ken to the voice of the Lord by his Ministers in their speeches, in their writings. I have known New-England about thirty six years, and I never knew such a time as this is that we live in: you came hi [...]her for your Children, Sons and Daughters, and for your Grand-children to be under the Ordinances of God, that they might be as Plants in the Lords house, was not this a great end in your coming hither? now if you love your selves, y [...]ur Families, your Children, if you love God, if you love Christ, if you love Heaven, then hearken not to Dream [...]s, no [...] cause them to Dream that would corrupt the People of God, and that would take them off from the holy and blessed will of God in these things: you would not suffer any to come and [...]ob you of your Money, or your Jewels, &c. would you let them come into your Houses, and take them away by force from you? no, you [...]d thrust them away, and what have you to do here? O much more so, when they come to rob you of the O [...]d [...]n [...]nce [...] of God, and of his faithful Ministers; this is as much as in them lies to take away our God from us, and communion with him: go serve other Gods, said Saul, by his acting, in his thrusting poor David away from the Ordinances of God: and so the two Tribes and a half were very careful about their Children, that it might not be said to them, what have you to do with the Lord God of Isra [...]l? and you have no part in the Lord, and [...]o their Children [Page] should be made to [...]ase from fearing the Lord: and when they saw any thing that did look like a new Religion, and like a superstition, now the people of God arm themselves, and let us go every one, and suppress and destroy those that would be the Authors thereof, unless they did repent: and what do they say? the Lord God of Gods, he knoweth this and that: wha [...] go and set up an Altar against Gods Altar! O w [...]e [...]ches that we were if so [...]e should do, but we were afraid left in time to come your Children might speak unto our Children saying, what have you to do with the Lord God of Israel? and therefore that Altar was only a memorial that we and our Children are in the Covenant of God: so it should be; we are to be zealous for God, and zealous for his Ordinances, that we our selves may injoy them, and also our Children after us, and that none might thrust them from their part in the Lord, and from their enjoyment of the Ordinances of God. We are afraid sometimes of Turk, or Pope, or these and those: be you afraid of nothing, but as our Lord & Saviour Christ saith, I will tell you whom you shall [...]ear: do not fear [...] that kill the body, but fear him that can kill the soul: and love the Lord, fear God, and honour the King, that is the duty of every good Christian: above all fear and obey the Lord: hea [...]k [...]n to the good word of God, that is able to save your souls, and build you up, and give you an inheritance among them that shall be saved: that when the Lord Jesus shall come in flaming fire, he may have nothing to say against you, but [...]ay say to you come ye blessed inherit the Kingdome prepared for you▪ and here is life and death set before you: New-England, here is life and death set before thee; choose which you will: Let the Governour choose which he will, let the Church of Bost [...] choose which they wi [...]et us all choose life, and choose [...] the Lord, we and our Houses as Joshua, and then God [...] with us: and if God be with us, who is there [...] be against us to [...] and so be for God, [...] to live to God, and to be willing to d [...] for him also if he call us to it: O be willing to submit to his will, that we may be able to kiss the stake, and the [...] if the Lord call us to it; There is no [...]ng in the World that hath such a Crown at that would be: we are [Page] [...] up our reckoning before hand. (as John Frith did) what it way cost us to be for, and to serve the Lord? trust not in men, trust not in the Governour, trust not in the Magistrates: trust not in your Captains, trust not in your Castle, or Amunition, trust not in your own righteousnesse but trust in this, that if the Lord be your God, and if you walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, that he will be with you: and say as the holy Prophet David; Here we are Lord, and thou knowest that we came hither to shroud our selves, and our Children under thy wings, and leave our witness behind us when we are dead: but here we are, and do to us even as is good in thine eyes: and yet as he said, who knoweth but we shall finde mercy in his sight; but then walk as David did: that though not afraid of the Lyon or Bear, or of ten thousand of his Enemies, yet he flies from his Son: and then what did he? truly he went bare-headed by the ascent of Mount Olivet, weeping as he went: and Kingdome or no Kingdome, he left that to God; but there prayeth to God, and that was a Prayer against Ahitophel [Lord curse the [...] of Ahitophel] and God did hear him, and restore him to [...] House, and Kingdome, and Glory again: so let us all pray, and repent; Governour repent, Magistrates repent, Ministers repent, People eve [...] all repent, young and old repent, and then it shall go well with us.

FINIS.

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[Page] A Seasonable VVATCH-VVORD UNTO CHRISTIANS Against the DREAMS & DREAMERS Of this GENERATION: Delivered in a SERMON November 16th. 1665.

And being the last Lecture, which was Preached By that Reverend, Faithful and Eminent Man of God Mr. JOHN WILSON.

Sometime Pastor of the Church of Christ in Boston in New-England.

‘

Acts 26, 27

Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men: For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.’

CAMBRIDGE: Printed by S. Green & S. Green. 1677.

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Christian Reader,

THere being too [...]oo many filthy Dreamers crept in among us, who by their filt by Dreams Blaspheme that worthy Name whereby we are called, re [...]g that One Holy, Blessed and Eternal God in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, into whos [...] Name we are Baptized; and that one only Mediator between God and Man, that Man Christ Jesus, and the whole Doctrine of divine efficiency both in the decree, particularly Election and Rebrohation, and the execution thereof in the fall and restitution in Redemption, and the application thereof, and so denying the resurrection and the last judgement, together with the authority of th [...] holy Scriptures, yea, under the sacred words, Repent, Repent, calling upon men to renounce and deny all their Religion, and th [...] prof [...]ssion and practise thereof, saying (as Edward Burrows in his Preface to George Foxes Mystery) that they have sufficient cause to cry against us, and to deny our ministry, our Church, our Worship, and our whole Religion: And some of them (called and known by the name of Quakers) und [...]r the pretence of the light within them, and of the Spir [...]t as their only Rule, having (even of their Women) been acted in a most beastly, shameful and horrid manner among us, agai [...]st the very light of nature, and the common dictates of modesty, especially in that Sex, so as to go openly, and wholy naked, in the day time, in some of our most frequented streets, and of our publick Assemblies. Another of them to transform her self into a deformed shap [...], as 'twere of the Devil, unto not only the disturbance and affrighting of o [...]her [...] [...] the solemn Assembly for Worship, but to the hazarding thereby the lives of divers Women with Childe, together with the fruit of the Womb, as b [...]d on the Lords day in Boston on the 8th. of this month, (beside other practical abo [...]inations which their Principles lead them to.)

It was judged meet to set before you in Print that solemn, serious and seasonable Testim [...]ny, which was given by that h [...]ly, prayerfull and p [...]evailing Man of God, that some [...] faithful, [...] and watchful Pastor of that eminent Church of Christ, which was the fi [...]st in Boston, that now blessed John Wilson by name, which was Preached by him in his last [...]cture Sermon in the said Church [...] [Page] [...] 16 of November 1655 and was taken from his month in Characters by the pen of a ready and judicious writer, and hath been compared and found faithful by my self also who took it in Characters. It was judged meet (I say) to Print it for our further Humiliations who have caused such Dreams to be dreamed, by not beleiving, embracing, clearing to, and carefully observing of the Doctrine of the Apostles so plentifully delivered unto us by the faithful Stewards of the mysteries of God and Ministers of Christ, to build us up on him in faith and love. To shew also how inexcusable those among us are, who against all such warnings are still flicking after such filthy dreamers, who defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of Dignities, Jude 8. To establish such as may be wavering, and are of a doubtful mind, and lastly to encourage the Righteous to hold fast the faithful word, which they have received, at the very sheep of Christ, of whom he hath said Joh. 10. 27. My sheep hear my voice and they follow me, & v. 5 A stranger they will not follow but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers. But if any will be flocking after these ravening wolves in sheeps cloathing, let such know that God sends these strong delusions in the unsearchable depth of his righteous judgement against those that believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness, that they all might be damned in believing a ly, and that the approved might be made manifest, And also let them know that the time shall come wherein, whether they will bear or forbear to hear they shall know that many faithful Prophets have been among them, and through his grace still are, for neglect and contempt of whose seasonable warnings they shall perish, and their blood shall be upon their own heads, according to Ezek. 33 beginning But the faithful watchmen that have seasonably sounded the Trumpet have thereby delivered their own Souls, being pure from the blood of all men.

Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen: His I am, and him I desire to fear, and for his sake I am in him,

Boston 25. 5. 1677.

Yours to serve you in the Gospel Thomas Thacher.

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Title statement

A seasonable vvatch-vvord unto Christians against the dreams & dreamers of this generation delivered in a sermon November 16th. 1665 / and being the last lecture, which was preached by that reverend, faithful and eminent man of God Mr. John Wilson ...

Wilson, John, 1588-1667.

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1677

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— A seasonable vvatch-vvord unto Christians against the dreams & dreamers of this generation delivered in a sermon November 16th. 1665 / and being the last lecture, which was preached by that reverend, faithful and eminent man of God Mr. John Wilson ..., Wilson, John, 1588-1667..

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[4], 10 p.

Printed by S. Green & S. Green,. Cambridge :: 1677.. (Reproduction of original in Huntington Library.)

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