JEREMIAH, the 7th Chapter, and part of the 8th.

THe Word which came to the Prophet Je­remiah from the LORD, came to me, by the said Prophet, saying; Stand in the Gate of this City, wherein the LORD hath yet his House, there Proclaim this Word, and say; Hear the Word of the LORD, and ye Inha­bitants of Great Britain, who pretend to worship the LORD. Thus saith the LORD, the LORD of Hosts, the GOD of Israel, and your GOD: Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, (or, in your formal sanctity and will-worship) saying, The Temple of the LORD, The Temple of the LORD, (nor say in boast, here is only his true reformed Church, and with us are his Ordinances) for know, The Temple of the LORD are these, even they that obey his Word; in them he dwells, and among them is his approved Worship. If you amend your wayes and your doings; If you tho­rowly execute Judgement between a man and his neighbour; If you oppress not the Stranger, the Fatherless, or the Widow, nor shed innocent Blood in this place, nor walk after other Gods in your heart, to your hurt, (nor worship the True GOD ac­cording, to the superstitious Inventions of men) then will I cause you to dwell in this place, which I gave unto your fathers, for ever. But, behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit: Will ye [Page 8] murder, commit Adultery, swear falsly, sa­crifice to false Gods, and walk after such as ye know not, and then come and stand before me in my House, or think in your hearts you were deli­vered from your late troubles, to do all these abo­minations? Is that House which is called by my Name, become a Den of Robbers in your eyes? Behold, I have seen it, saith the LORD. Consider now my Place which was in Shiloh, where I set my Name at the first: Consider also the City of Jerusa­lem, and my Temple therein: heed what I did to those places for the wickedness of my People Is­rael: For, in regard ye have done such works as they did, saith the LORD; and, forasmuch as I spake unto you (as I did to them) rising up early, yet was not heard, not answered when I called upon you; I will now do unto those Temples up­on which ye have imposed my Name, and to that Superstitious Worship, wherein ye trust, as I have done to Shiloh and Jerusalem: For I will cast you out of my sight, as I (long ago) cast our Ephraim, (and as I lately cast out many of your brethren.) Therefore pray not for this people, that they may totally be delivered (from the temporary visitation, which their wilful sins have, as it were, constrained my Justice to bring upon them, lest my Mercy should be quite contemned) life not up thy prayer, nor make intercession on their behalf, for I will not hear thee to that purpose.

Seest thou not what they do in the Cities of these Isles, and in the streets of LONDON their chief City? (Observest thou not what Swearings and Forswearings there are? what Dissemblings? what [Page 9] Apostacies? and how few are now secure from the Spiritual and Temporal Oppressions of this Genera­tion? (As they did in Jeremiahs dayes) the Chil­dren gathered wood, the fathers kindled the fire, the women kneaded the dough to bake cakes for the Queen of Heaven, and to pour out drink oblations to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger, saith the LORD: (So the Children, the Fathers, the Women, and the People of all sorts and degrees, contribute toward their Superstitions, according to their abilities, after the mode of these times; and pour out their drink Oblations of cursed healths, to those Idols which they have set up and honour, to the provocation of GOD's wrath.) But do they provoke me to anger saith the LORD? do they not rather provoke themselves to the con­fusion of their own faces? Verily they do so: therefore, thus saith the LORD, Behold, my anger and my fury shall be poured out on this place, upon Man and Beast, upon the trees of the Field, upon the Fruits of the ground, and they shall consume, as if they were burnt up with an unquenchable fire. Thus also, saith the LORD of hosts, the GOD of Israel; (make your selves merry with your carnal delights, and Super­stitious vanities:) Put your burnt-offerings to your Sacrifices, and eat Flesh; Add more of your formal Thanksgivings, to your formal Humiliations; Revive the late interrupted Traditions of men; Please your selves in them, and Gormundize upon the Profits you raise out of them, untill you are fat; yet know, GOD delights not in them. What I spake un­to your Fathers, and unto your selves, in the dayes wherein I brought you out of Aegypt, (out of the [Page 10] bodily and ghostly servitude of that mystical Aegypt, and out of that Babylonish Captivity, whereunto you are preparing to return) I commanded nothing concerning such sacrifices as you have offered, (nor gave I unto you any such Ordinances, as are many of those which ye imposed as mine) But, this I commanded you, saying, obey my Voice, and I will be your GOD, and ye shall be my People: walk in the wayes that I have com­manded, that, it may be well with you; never­theless, ye have not hearkned nor inclined your ear, but walking after the evil Counsels of your own hearts, went backward and not forward. Ever since that day, wherein I delivered you from your Spiritual Thraldom, and in which I would have delivered you from your Corporeal slaveries; I have even from that time until this day, sent unto you my servants the Prophets (of all sorts, and with various dispensations) rising early, and dayly sending them, as I did heretofore to my People Israel; yet, you hearkned not unto me, nor Inclined your ear unto them; but, hardned your necks, and did worse then your Fathers; (yea, worse then other transgressors whom I formerly de­stroyed, and by whose fall, ye ought to have taken warning) Therefore thou shalt speak unto them these words: Even thou into whose heart I have put it, to make application of what I heretofore spake by my Prophet Jeremiah, shalt Proclaim unto them these words, though they have not hearkned unto them; yea, thou shalt call again upon them though they will not answer thy expectation; And, thus thou shalt say unto them: This is a Nation that obey­eth not the voice of the LORD their GOD, nor [Page 11] receive Instruction, notwithstanding the Judg­ments whereby I have lately proved them many years together; and which, in part, yet lie upon them; for, Truth is perished, and cut off from their mouth.

Cut off therefore, your hair; lay aside your Ornaments, and cast them away; Forbear your Pride, your Luxury, your Oppressions, and the Tro­phies of your vanities, in this time at least of penury and Afflictions; and take up a Lamenta [...]ion in the high Places, wherein ye have exalted your own Inventions: For, the L0RD hath rejected and forsaken the Generations of his wrath. The Children and Inhabitants of these Isles, have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD. They have set up their abominations in my house to pollute it, and in those places whereupon they have imposed my Name, instead of what I commanded. They have built high places, wherein are com­mitted things as abominable as the sacrificing of sons heretofore in Tophet in the valley of the son of Hinnom. They have set up set wayes of worship­ping me, as were not commanded by me, nor ever entred into my heart: Therefore, the dayes will come saith the LORD; that those Places shall not be called by their old names, but places of slaughter, and in them shall be Burials, until there be not roome to contain more. Then, the Carkasses of these Nations shall be meat for the Fowls of Heaven, and for the Beasts of the Earth, and no man shall fright them away. Then, also, will I cause to cease from the Cities of Great Brittain, and from the Streets even of her chief City, the voyce of mirth and gladness the [Page 8] [...] [Page 9] [...] [Page 10] [...] [Page 11] [...] [Page 12] voyce of a cheerful Bridegroom and his Bride; and the sound of those Musical Instruments wherein ye are now so delighted, with all the altar'd Relicks of Superstition. Moreover, thus saith the LORD, a time will come wherein they shall take the bones of your Kings, and the bones of your Princes, (as it lately befell to others) and the bones of your Priests (and Prelates) and the bones of your Prophets who seduced you, and the bones of the Inhabitants of your chief City out of their Graves, and spread them before the Sun and Moon, and before the Hoast of Heaven, and before the face of those false gods whom you have loved, served, walked after, sought and worship­ped, and they shall never be gathered together, nor buried, but be as dung upon the face of the Earth. And, death shall be rather chosen then life, of all those who remain of this evil Family, wheresover they remain in the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of Hoasts. Thou shalt say thus likewise unto them; Thus saith the LORD, shall they fall and not rise? Shall they cause him so to turn away from them that he shall not return? If not, why then is this People slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? holding fast their deceit, and refusing to return? I hearkned and heard, but they spake not aright, no man repenteth himself perfectly of his wic­kedness, saying, what have I done? but every one runneth on in his course, as the Horse rusheth in­to the battel. They are more brutish than the brute Creatures; for, the Stork knoweth her appointed time; the Turtle, the Crane, and the Swallow know the time of their coming, but my People [Page 13] know not the Judgement of the Lord; yet, they say, We are wise, and the Law of the LORD is with us; yea, they boast as if they were the most glorious, and best reformed Church of Christ upon Earth.

The remainder of this Prophetical rebuke and Invitation to Repentance, I leave to be perused in the said prophesie of Jeremiah, and applyed by every Reader as GOD shall give him understanding, that the Mystical Balm of Gilead therein mentioned, may be timely sought after; and that Physitian found, by whom our Maladies may be cured; To which purpose, I will proceed with what I have more to say, in order to the making you desirous and capable of receiving benefit by that Universal Gospel, which the Angel flying through the midst of Heaven, was to Preach to every Nation, Kind­red, Tongue and People throughout the World; and, after a more general reception thereof (it being that which will destroy the whole Mystery of Iniquity, Root and Branch) the Angel next immediately following, will bring tidings, that Babylon is fallen.

This foregoing Branch of the Prophet Jeremies Commission; being, (as it were by way of Exem­plification) delivered out to me upon the occasion aforesaid, I was internally moved to publish it to these Nations in this my Generation, as I have now done this day; And I have performed it war­rantably, with a good Conscience, because, I am infallibly assured, that, it was recorded for all Nations and Generations to the end of the World, as well as intended for the Inhabitants [Page 14] of Judah in Jeremiahs dayes; and that it ought to be applyed to all those who are found guiltie of the same, or of the like Prevarications; and this I believe, in regard he who doth nothing in vain, would not have preserved, during so many Ages, this Record of his Judgements, and of the parti­cular passages between him and his People; and caused it to have been so dispersed throughout the Earth, had it not concerned all his People in all Times and Places. Therefore, it evidently appearing unto me, that GOD moved me to ap­ply it to these Nations, I have accordingly made Application, in this manner; conceiving it will operate the more effectually, by being expressed in the Prophets own powerful words & sense; and much better heeded and regarded then in mine onely; or if it had been undertaken by my own Premeditated Design, though I have seen enough to warrant the justness and necessity of making such an Addresse upon a morral account. I have not hereby charged upon these Nations any trans­gression which was charged upon the Inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem by the Prophet Jeremiah, (nor any Prevarications resembling their sins or to them equivolent) but, such as GOD, my own Conscience, and most men know (or may know) these Nations are guilty of; nor do I exclude my self out of that number which needs Repentance, but, have performed my duty faithfully without respect or disrespect of Persons according to my understanding. And, being conscious that it is my duty so to do, I will now, by the Authority of those Credentials, which GOD hath written in my heart (and which are in part, publickly shown) [Page 15] make use of them in such Immergencies and Con­tingencies as occur, faithfully adding what I believe he hath further Commissioned me to de­clare, so far forth as my Experience and his known Instructions, joyntly considered, shall indubitably warrant. And that is, at this time to send out among you an Exhortation to be wary, that you still harden not your hearts as in those former dayes of Temptation and Provocation, wherein ye provoked GOD's wrath: but, that you hearken unto his Voice whilst the day of Grace lasteth. But, alas! I am between hope and fear, it is almost too late with many; For, they who are worst, have so high a conceit of themselves, that there is more hope of meer fooles then of them. They think themselves to be safe & clear-sighted, when they are indeed, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; they suppose they are setled upon the hill of Sion, whereas, they are yet but as it were upon the mount Gilboa, even in slippery places, where they cannot long stand fast; For, we have almost so generally indulged Oppressions, Injustice, and Vanities, that they seem to be the principal sup­porters of our Safety, Power, and Honour; yea to be essential to our Lawes and legal Customs, as also so great a part of our Revenues, & the means of our Subsistance, that, we can hardly live without them. Verily break off in due time from your sins, and from all the occasions of transgressing; Hear, repent and turn speedily to the LORD our GOD, not presuming nor despairing.

In the first place, I do humbly (though I might do it Magisterially) beseech you my dear brethren (who seeming to be Professors of the Gospel, have [Page 16] dissembled or Apostatized, or any way given occa­sion of Scandal) be exemplary to others in a signal Repentance: For, nor your formal, nor your former Righteousness, will avail, if you have Aposta­tized from it. Though not in respect to my words, yet for the Honour of GOD, whose ser­vants you are thought to be, and for your own safe­ty sake, repent and turn to the LORD unfeigned­ly, all ye, who have hitherto taken the Name of Christ in vain, and prophaned it, by not living the Life of Christ according to those Doctrines of his, which ye have professed; nor acting, nor suffering constantly according to that honesty, and Piety, whereof ye made fair outward shewes: For, many of you have made sordid Gain by a pretended Godliness; and like the Religious Whore, of whom Solomon speaketh, have made your seeming holiness, and formal Devotions and Conformities, to be Preambles and Brokers to your Avarice and uncleanness. There have been very great failings of late in that kind among the best of us; so much self-seeking, dissembling and Apostatizing, that, there was little truth in our words, or deeds; and very great and severe are those chastisements which GOD hath already laid upon us for our transgressions, and greater are yet to come, if we more heartily repent not. All GOD's Judgements afore-mentioned, and threat­ned against Judah, by the Prophet Jeremiah, might have been prevented by timely Penitence; and so may those wherewith we are threatned, and these also be quite removed, which yet continue. But, neither our Righteousness in time past, from which we have Apostatized, shall profit us; nor [Page 17] shall our sins which we have heretofore commit­ted damnifie us, if we reform our wayes: For, GOD hath not onely said it, but sworn it also by his own Life, Ezek. 33. 11, 12. &c. As I live saith the LORD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather, that he may turn from his wickedness and live; The Righteousness of the Righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his Transgression, nor shall the wicked fall by his wic­kedness in the day that he turneth from it: neither the Righteousness of the Righteous shall be remem­bred when he committeth Sin, without Repentance; nor the wickedness of the wicked be mentioned, when he forsaketh his Sin; but he shall surely live, though I formerly said unto him, thou shalt surely die. GOD, who will not be mocked, hath begun to execute Judgements at his own House, and we prolong and increase them, by continuing and encreasing our Trangressions; yea, and not onely by our little awe of his Judgements, but by not rightly con­sidering his Love, and by defect of that mutual and hearty love to each other which most essenti­ally denominats us to be Christs Disciples; for, we have thereby multiplyed our sorrows and Troubles, more then all our Adversaries could else have done; And, though we had no other Oppressors or Persecutors, that alone is suffcient (if it continue) to make us utterly destroy our selves. Consider this, my dear brethren, with what it hath already brought upon us, that ye may speedily repent: GOD vouchsafe his Grace to assist you therein, and to me Perseverance also, in unfeigned Repentance and Amend­ment.

[Page 18] Repent likewise, all ye, who say in your hearts, There is no GOD, and sport away your Salvation, by such horrible Imprecations, as GOD damn me; For, though you not onely think, but speak and act also, as if indeed there was no GOD, you will one day find there is one, and that he hath several wayes manifested himself unto you, both open­ly and in secret (by his Judgements and Mercies upon your selves, and others for your example) though you will not yet acknowledge it, but run on impudently, into all manner of impietie and prophaness, promising unto your selves Peace, when destruction hangs over your heads. For, as the Prophet saith, Jerem. 49. 12. and 25. 29. Be­hold, saith the LORD, they whose Judgment was not to drink of the Cup, have already drunk thereof; and shall you go unpunished? you shall not go un­punished, but shall surely drink it. I have begun to bring evil upon those who are called by my Name, and shall you utterly escape punishment? you shall not escape; for I will bring a sword upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth, saith the LORD.

But, I will conclude with an Evangelical Con­solation; and that which I shall declare unto you is an Epitome of the Everlasting Gospel, which ascertaineth that Jesus Christ is the Eternal Mercy of GOD, and the Redeemer of all mankinde accord­ing to the Covenant of Grace, the same to day, yesterday, and for ever. This, I am authorized to Preach unto you by an unquestionable Ordina­tion and Commission; For, I declare it according to that Original Commission, which was given to all who were or should be the Ministerial Disci­ples of Jesus Christ, thereto qualified by the Gifts [Page 19] given to men from above, though not Ordained by men: For, I declare it not by that Light alone which the Son of GOD potentially set up in me when he assumed the Humane Nature, (and wher­with he enlightens in some degree every one who comes into the World, for the Salvation of his own Soul) but, by having his Gospel declared and witnessed also unto me by that Light in the Lanthorn of his Word, which ought to be a guide to every mans feet, and the direction of all men in their wayes, left the other Light, being but like that, which the Moon receiveth by reflection from the Sun, may be darkned by the interpositi­ons of the Flesh and the World, or by the delusions of the Devil. GOD's Threatnings, Mercies, and Promises, are all, or for the most part, conditional; and may be, or may not be, according as we demean our selves, when he calleth & offereth his prevent­ing and assisting Grace; wherein he is never want­ing to perform his part of the Covenant made with mankinde in Christ Jesus. He is long-suffering, slow to Anger, would all men should be saved, and desireth not the death of any sinner. There is no end of his Mercy, unless to them onely, who wilfully for­sake him first (after he so sufficiently rewards the Will) when he saith, Give me thy heart, which he may give up unto him, by vertue of the Talent which he hath received; And, even to them who then resist his gracious offer, he is not extreamly severe, until they do (as it were) com­pell his Justice to limit his Compassion, by justly hardening them into a final Impenitency, that his Mercy may not be made contemptible, to the disadvantage of others, by their yeilding to the [Page 20] Flesh, which by his ayd they might have subdued; and by their ungratefully adhering to, and be­lieving his, and their greatest Enemy, rather then trusting to his Word, who placed them in a happy Condition; and, when they forfeited it by their own default, had so much compassion on them (even whilst they were his Enemies) as to give his onely begotten and dearly beloved Son, [...]o be disgracefully Crucified to death for their Redemption. This Love being well considered, [...]s so strong a Motive to Repentance, that, they with whom it prevailes not, will be little moved with Preaching Everlasting Damnation in Hell Fire.

If ye be not sensible of this unspeakable Mer­cy, nor of Spiritual Judgments, let the sense ye yet have of those that be Temporary, and Corporeal, make entrance for the former into your serious and timely consideration. Beside many other Plagues that now lie upon you, GOD hath lately threatned to deprive us of the Fruits of the Earth for our Trangressions; we fear a Famine; and it having already begun to pinch us, we pretended a General Humiliation here in England, that our fear might be removed: But, what follows? we continue still in our unrighteousness and unmer­cifulness, prosecuting our former courses, rather with more then lesse violence. The Oppressed are not eased, but more oppressed. Prisoners are not set free, to whom the Lawes allow Free­dom; but, Jayls are daily replenished with new guests, barbarously treated, Even harmless men and women suffer meerly for their Consciences in relation to GOD, or upon misinformations and [Page 21] misprisions only, unheard, and uncondemned by a legal conviction. Which proceedings are contrary to the Laws of GOD, of Nature, and likewise of these Nations, if they have any in force. For, if the Complainants sad cryes, which I hear (and hear of) be as creditable, as they are lamentable, many honest Families are (and will be) exposed to beggary, and even rich men will probably be made beggars also. They are shut up from their dearest Relations; and they themselves being despoiled of all their liveli­hoods, and of means to supply necessaries by their labours, are destitute of all accommodations. They are lodged worse than doggs, thronged up together in sickness and in health, nothing left or provided for them to feed on (except they will eat their own flesh) but what GOD providentially conveyes unto them, by the charity of his Servants; of which cha­rity they are sometimes defrauded by their hard-hearted Keepers, and that which comes to hand, is handed-in also with much difficulty. These cruel­ties are aggravated with many other oppressive con­commitants, which make them almost inexpressable and unsufferable; yea the more unsufferable, in re­gard, that during the Sessions of Parliaments and Courts of Justice, which were wont to be their or­dinary Refuge, the Oppressed can have no Relief; and these Grievances are kept also from the King's ear, who is their last hope next under GOD.

Let us take heed how we fall into the hands of the living GOD, when his Wrath is kindled, lest he utterly & suddenly consume us, as he did Sodom and Gomorrah, for shewing so little mercy to others, who have lately received such extraordinary mercies from him. Learn by Examples, though ye have neglected [Page 22] Precepts, seeing what hath been heretofore, may be so again hereafter, and in regard Cases that have a resemblance, will bring down the like Judgments. When Jeremiah the Prophet was a Prisoner for dis­charging his Conscience (as I, and many others are at this day) the Famine so encreased, that there was no Bread then left in the street of the Bakers at Je­rusalem. It will therefore concern us that we be wary we continue not in the like sins, lest ere long, there be little Meal in our Markets, and a greater scarcity of Bread in the shops of our Bakers at Lon­don: For, as there are among us very great failings, so there are very great appearances of GOD's high displeasure; who hath more dreadful plagues ready to execute his Commands, than Famine, Pestilence and raging War, joyned all together; and he will here inflict that whereof we are most sensible, and those hereafter, if we repent not. Consider this all ye who forget GOD, and return: for, he is at all times ready to meet every one in mercy (without excepting any) who returns unto him by hearty re­pentance: yea, he takes all opportunities whereby he may shew Compassion, with preservation of his Justice; and is so inclinable to Mercy, that he oft withholds his Judgments from wicked persons and places, for the sakes of a few Righteous men among them, though they persecute and seek to destroy them for whose sakes they are preserved; and vouchsafes temporal Blessings (as he did to Ahab) for outside Humiliations. He is not, as his Enemies do scandalously report of him, a hard Master, who looks to reap where he sowed not, and to gather where he strewed not; but so just, that he will re­quire no more at any mans hands, but according to [Page 23] what he hath given; nor punish any one for the sin of another. There is no better means for us who are Subjects, to live safely in Holiness and Righteousness without fear, than to adhere constantly to GOD's Commands without dread of men, and to obey our Superiours in obedience to the LORD: Nor any surer way for Kings to possess the Thrones of their Kingdoms upon Earth, in honour and safety, with­out jealousies, than to provide, as much as in then lieth, that GOD may possess his Throne in the Hearts and Consciences of Men without Rivals; and to endeavour to be just, as he is just; and to be merciful, as he is merciful, acording to their measure: For, whatsoever the Parasitical Flatterers of Kings would make them believe, they may be more secure from dangers at home & abroad, by those poor con­sciencious men who are despised, than with twenty times so many Ruffians and God-damn-me's; though assisted also by the formal devotions, and fained san­ctity of superstitious worshippers, who seem glorious and powerful in outward appearances. I have ob­served, by what Histories testifie, that those great Kings and Conquerors of the world, to whom GOD heretofore translated the Kingdoms of men, from their former possessors (when he changed Governors and Governments) enjoyed them in peace and ho­nour, so long, and so far forth, as they tolerated the Servants of GOD to worship Him according to their Consciences, though they themselves were Heathens and false worshippers.

The Mercy of GOD leadeth to Repentance, and extendeth to and over all his Works. This I am warranted to proclaim by vertue of his grand Char­ter, and by his Commissions, heretofore issued-out [Page 24] for the comfort and encouragement of every true penitent Believer in the days of his fiercest Indigna­tion. These are the glad Tydings of the Universal Gospel, which caused the Angels to rejoyce and sing at the birth of Jesus Christ, this song; Glory be to GOD on High, On Earth peace, good will towards men. Let us joyn with that celestial Quire in mag­nifying of this great Mercy which so much concerns us; for it is our noblest Interest, and that which most advanceth GoD's Glory: Let our Burthen to that Song be, Amen, Hallelujah, Praise the LORD: Let us be zealous in defending this Universal Char­ter, and not be seduced by those who seek to abridg itto such a narrowness, and to such an uncertainty, that if they should be believed, we had more cause to howl and lament than to sing: This Gospel is the sum and scope of that Testimony, which was, and is given by those two Witnesses, the two Olive Bran­ches, and two Candlesticks, which stand before the God of the Earth, bearing witness against the Beast rising out of the bottomless-Pit, who was to war upon them, and slay them, and leave their Bodies (as a dead Letter) unburied three dayes and an half in the Streets of the great City, until the Spirit of Life from GOD should enter into them and make them ascend up into Heaven, in the sight, and to the amazement and vexation of their Enemies.

Therefore they, whosoever they be (though pre­tending to be of GOD's Counsel, and to be ac­quainted with his Eternal Decrees) shall preach contraty hereto, and think they honour GOD by bounding His universal and infinit Mercy, deal with Mankind, concerning His Charter of General Re­demption, as many among us now do concerning the [Page 25] Kings late Act of Indempnity and general Pardon, pretending thereby to do him honour, where [...] intends both to his dishonour and disservice. It is this mis-understanding, and limiting the infinit Love of GOD, which hath been the chief occasion of the narrowness of mens love to each other; and of much of that discord and bloodshed which hath been in the world: For, such as men make their Gods to be, such will they themselves be; in regard, as Da­vid saith, They who make them are like unto them. This I adde, not impertinently, nor by the suggesti­on of a contentious spirit, in opposition to the judg­ment of others; or with an uncharitable censure of those who do yet think otherwise; But I have thus in my mode preached it, in zeal to GOD's Truth and Glory; who sees my heart, and will punish me for it, if it proceed from any other cause. He is per­fectly merciful; so merciful in his Justice, and so just in his Mercy, that neither of them infringes the other; and hath left us upon record two unquesti­onable exemplary Evidences, which manifest that his Mercy is sincerely intended to every true peni­tent, to be his Consolation when Judgements are epidemical and universal: For, though he spared not the old world, but brought a general flood upon all the ungodly, yet, he even then spared Noah and his family; and when he made the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah an example to wilfull transgressors, he then also spared Lot who lived among them, and whose righteous soul they had vexed with their fil­thy and wicked conversation. Thus will he like­wise deal with all those, in all times, who have an upright and contrite heart (though they have been grievous offenders) so far forth as it shall be [Page 26] for his Glory, and their eternal happiness.

Hear, and heed this Proclamation; for it is of GOD, who is pleased in these dayes to preach Mercy by his most contemned Servants; and cause them otherwhile to act in such Modes, and by such Dispensations, as to the world seem ridiculous; and as probably he did (in most mens eyes) when his beloved Son rode meekly through Jerusalem, on the foal of an Ass, at the time wherein he first came to take a visible possession of his Kingdom upon Earth: which humble deportment his now preten­ded General Vicar, and the proud Kings of the Earth, would have scorned upon the dayes of their Inauguration. Which the Prelats, though raised out of the lowest of the people (as Jeroboams priests were) and though pretending to be the successors of Christs humble Apostles, would have disdained to be car­ried in that meek manner to their Instalments. But many other things appearing contemptible to flesh and blood, will be permitted ere long to make pre­paration for the coming of King JESUS, whom they scoff at, who sit in the Chair of the Scorn­full. It hath pleased GOD in this unusual man­ner, to make me (though unworthy) to be his Herald in publishing this Proclamation; who ha­ving been many years your Despised REMEM­BRANCER, liveth yet, to serve GOD and his Generation; known to the World by this Name,