I Told you when I was administring Justice upon your Remonstrance, that it was a mixt thing of good and evill; that the Lord was in it, but hid under so much filth that we could not discerne him. You are Sion, but not perfect, and therefore we must wash away your filth and purge away your bloud by the spirit of judgement and the spirit of burning: The Lord is amongst us, and sits as a refiner and purifier of silver; he is set to it close, and will make it his constant businesse, and doe it hotly, sharply; even the silver, the sons of Levi, the people of God, must passe thorow this sire; and therefore Who may abide the day of his coming, and who may stand when he appeareth? Many cannot stand before it, but are overturnd into a beastly ditch of rage, fretting and foolish passion; this is a bastard spirit that cannot endure chastisement: But others doe stand in peace and quietnesse, there we see the spirit and strength of the Son, who willingly suffers chastisement, knowing that he is chosen in the furnace, and that by it he is made partaker of Gods holinesse; purified from humane holinesse, which is at best but filthinesse, into the divine holi­nesse: And to such I apply that of Solomon, As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold, so is a man to his praise.

The fining pot and furnace are for the best mettals, and tis for their praise, that they may be brought forth in a more noble forme, and fitted to receive some excellent impression.

Now therefore having cast you into the fire, and ta­ken away your drosse, wee shall hold you forth with a [Page 2]beautiful stamp of the majesty of God upon you: That vail of an uncleane spirit being rent away, we now behold your face shining with the glory of God upon you; Now we have taken away the scum, and cast it into the fire, we may safely eate of the meat, having done justice upon the fleshly, worldly part, we must doe justice to the hea­venly and holy part.

The Remonstrance of it selfe is as the earth, without form and void, there is a face on it, but tis deep, and darknesse is upon it: But the spirit of God moving, or brooding, upon the face of the Waters, brings forth a new creation, which is blessed and good.

The Kingdomes of the earth, and the way of Gods dealing with them in these last times, are describ'd in Nebuchadnezzar and his Vision, Dan. 4. A Kingdome is a great tree growing out of the earth unto a great strength and height, reaching unto heaven, and the sight thereof unto the ends of the earth; it grows out of the peo­ple, and receives its life and nourishment from the lowest element the inferiour people, but arises up to such a height as touches hea­ven, i. e. comes near the heavenly glory, the Kingdome of heaven or Christ; This tree hath fair leaves and much fruit, meat for all; it brings forth honour, order, peace, justice, love, riches, advantage to all; Kingdomes afford a universall benefit: The beasts of the field have shadow under it, and the fowles of the heaven dwell in the boughs thereof, & all flesh feed of it: All sorts of men receive protection from it; those that labour and toil as beasts in the earth, they enjoy their wealth and safety under it; and those that fly in the aire of wise­dome, learning, they make their nests of honour and preferment in it, and all live upon it: Or the beasts, men of earthy and civill employment; Fowles of heaven, men of religious and heavenly em­ployment, all have their peace in this Tree.

But behold a watcher, and an holy one came downe from heaven; This watcher is the watchman of Israel, that keeps us and looks to us while we sleep; or that thiefe that comes in the night, secretly stealing in upon us while we see him not; and a holy one, though a thiefe, and in the night breaking downe the house, yet a holy Child Jesus, a holy Lamb, and we may know who he is, he came down from heaven.

Tis the coming of Christ from heaven that doth this, He cryed aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit, let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowles from his branches: Heres harsh, cruel doings from one that comes from heaven; Cryes aloud, tis not the still voice; and no­thing, [Page 3]but destruction; Hew down the tree, lay the ax to the root; cut down all government, dominion, King, Parliament, with all pow­er, order; cut off the branches of lawes, offices, places; Scatter the fruit, let there be no safety, peace, getting of estates; Let the beasts get from under it, and the fowles from the branches; let the inhabitants be scattered, let wealth be removed, let honour and preferments cease.

Neverthelesse leave the stump of the roots in the earth, with a band of iron and brasse in the tender grasse of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grasse of the earth; let his heart be changed from man, and a beasts heart be given unto him, and let se­ven times passe over him; There is not utter destruction, though the glory, honour, riches, peace of the Kingdome be cut down, yet it remaines in the stump, and is sure there: Theres nothing left but the stump of the roots in the earth, some life in the lowest people, and that bound down, yet safe kept by a band of iron and brasse, by the power of the sword: In the tender grasse of the field, in the wide field, not in a setled, built City, rather a wildernesse, amongst some weake, tender spirits, some smal blades of grasse that are grown up: And wet with the dew of heaven, lying open to heaven in the night of darknesse, expecting continual dews of favours and providence; Tis a desolate and poore condition though it hath a blessing in it; they that are gathered into the City of God live better: Let his por­tion be with the beasts, let him eate grasse as the ex; It is not the condi­tion of one man onely, but of the whole tree, the spirit of domi­nion in the Kingdome is changed from man to beast; driven from men.

Man is a wise, lordly creature, that exercises dominion by wisedome and understanding, and is invested with majesty, which is honoured and reverenced by others: The new man is the Lord from heaven, living in the light and understanding of God, and of excellent goodnesse and righteousnesse; and is therefore honoured because he is the true and great Lord of al, and doth good to al, exercising righteousnesse in wisedome to al; such a heart now appears not amongst us in no sort of men, but a beasts heart, rage, violence, fiercenesse, exercise of force one to another, compulsion, driving in herds; not wisedome to compose al into one body; These eate grasse as oxen, live, as oxen, a laborious, traveling, painful life, without any setled rest: And eate grasse: All flesh is grasse; the high­est and best men feed upon what providence daily brings for [...]h to [Page 4]them, and that of a fleshly, fading, dying nature: Not upon the living bread that comes down from heaven; not upon the fatted Calfe kil­led and offered up; not on meat rosted by the everlasting fire; not eating the spice nor drinking the wine of the Spirit; and this till seven times passe over thee: Till the compleat measure of Gods ju­stice passe over: which I would gladly restrain to seven yeares. This is the state of this miserable Kingdome.

The intent of God in this which is sure and decreed, and the de­mand by the word of the holy one; Tis required and shall be effected; That the living may know, First, That the most high ruleth in the Kingdome of men; God will make you all know that himselfe, the most high, not a minister or angel of his, not a vicegerent, not a civil Magi­strate only, but the high God, the highest glory of God ruleth, not only over, but in the Kingdome of men: This, beastly ignorant man knows not, but you must know it, though you oppose it; and would uphold an earthly Kingdome in which men may rule without God; no, the Lord himselfe and his most high excellen­cy shall rule and be known to rule.

Secondly, And giveth it to whomsoever he will: He rules not in an abstracted sense without us; but he gives it to whom he pleases, will bestow it upon men; administer this Kingdome in his highest glory in men: And in bestowing of it, will not be bound to any person or family, as King, nor to any society or company of men, as Parliament, nor to any form or custome of men, but when he pleaseth; will pull down some, and exalt others; will not be fixt upon this or that person or thing; but walke up and down with it at his pleasure.

And thirdly, setteth up over it the basest of men: will not leave till he set the bottome upon the top, advanced the basest, mean, com­mon sort of men, men of basest account, of lowest, smallest worth not renownd either for honour, riches, learning, wisdome or any other excellency; but set up men of base ignoble birth, base spirits &c. over it.

These three things hath the majesty of God written out clear­ly in these times; the most high ruleth in this Kingdome; and first gave it to the King, but he did not know the Lord that gave him his dominion, power and glory; nor govern his People in the goodnes, strength and light of GOD, but served and pleased himselfe by it: and so abused that rule and au­thority that God gave, to tyranny, covetuousnesse, oppression, and [Page 5]to self-pleasure and honour: for this the Lord blasted his Majesty, cursed his government, rent his Kingdome and fild it with trou­bles and distractions, and forced him against his will to call a Par­liament, which was virtually, or in a kinde a resignation of his dominion into their hands: For his great designe before was to rule without them, & to uphold his owne interest in opposition to theirs, looking upon them not as a help to him, but as enemies to his prerogative, being set upon principles of government in con­trariety to the Parliament; and his calling them being not natu­rall or voluntary, but forced (the union being first violated by his dis-affecting and disdaining them) it was an erecting or setting up another power distinct and divided from his owne; and by that God passed from him to the Parliament, left him, and set up maje­sty, power and glory in the Parliament, and gave hearts, affections, ho­nours, riches & strength into their hands, and so seated himself amongst them.

They as ignorant of God as he, and not exalting the name of God that gave them their power, but seeking their owne and a worldly good, divided from the Most High, they corrupt likewise; And God finding no satisfaction or rest amongst them, blasts and wi­thers their glory, and fils the Kingdome with such wrath; or rai­ses such stormes in the nation, that they could not guide the ship, but are forced to cast themselves, and the government and safety of themselves and Kingdome upon others: Not being able to sup­port their owne and the peoples good, they let all fall upon the people, and doe expresly in their declarations appeale to the people to judge, and require them to defend their owne safety; and upon that ground summon them to armes, or raise an Army; as may appeare in their Declarations at the beginning of these troubles; and thus they erect and set up another power, The Army.

Now it is exactly to be observed how secretly God passes out of one forme into another, as from King to Parliament, and from Parliament to the Army; and not so secretly, but his footsteps are seene visibly upon and in the actions of men, and he rides his jour­ney upon their backs. This very much concernes the clearing up of the Armies case, and the scattering the mists that yet cover them and hinder them from seeing their owne right, and others from discerning and acknowledging their [Page 6]power; and therefore I shall endeavour to unfold it in these five particulars.

• 1. That there is a transmitting or translating of power from the Parlia­ment to the People, or Army.
• 2. That this change of power from Parliament to people is according to humane and divine reason.
• 3. That this power of the People so raisd by the Parliament, is a superi­our and stronger power then that of the Parliament.
• 4. That this Army is truly the people of the Kingdome, already formd in­to a body of an Army.
• 5. That this forme of an Army is the most excellent, agreeable to God, and fittest for the present worke, and the mother of other powers.

First, The Parliament having all power by the presence of God with them, and the majesty of the King dying into them; they doe, by the will of God, convey all that they had to the peo­ple gathered together in armes for their owne security.

1. They themselves cease and expire, their end ceasing. The end of a Parliament is the execution of justice, reforming of cor­ruptions, preserving the peoples liberties, &c. Now 'twas mani­fest the malignancy of the Kingdome was such, as they could not heal it, and their liberties so endangerd they could not save them, 'twas beyond their power and skil: And so becoming uselesse, sur­render to others.

2. Besides they raise up another power that is inconsistent with their owne; for civil, legal or Parliamentary power cannot subsist together in the same Kingdome with military; but the military wil, and necessarily must, silence, enforce and subject the other at his pleasure. The power of the sword in a forrain na­tion may be inordinate, but at home, being raisd for its own safe­ty, 'twil be master, and eate up, or trample upon the other.

3. As an Army, being rough, thrusts out the civil power, being the gentler, so the people being raisd, abolishes the representatives; for the figure or image ceases when the substance comes in place, it lo­ses its use and imployment when the body it self appeares.

4. The raising of the power of an Army is an act of God, who is the Lord of hoasts, and hath a peculiar prerogative in gathering them together, and delights much to shew himselfe in this forme [...] and [Page 7]the Parliament were but instruments, God the main in raising an Army for his owne great designes; and therefore as soone as these are set up, he begins to shew forth his glory in them, and to with­draw himselfe from the other; leaves the Parliament to weak­nesse, divisions, vanities, disgrace, and appeares in the Army in u­nion, successe, power, vigour: The Parliament since the Army was on foot could doe nothing that had the face of majesty, justice or goodnesse: On the other side the Army goe on with great honour and glory in their work, being as full of power as the other empty.

The Parliament doing nothing sutable to their trust, or worthy of a Parliament, the Army discharge their place, gallantly, faith­fully and happily: So that we see the Parliament hath expowerd it selfe and impowerd the people, emptied and made void themselves of authority, and fild and formd the people with it; and that there is a transition of the glory of God from one to the other, and so a translation of dominion from the Parliament the representative, to the body of the people, themselves.

Secondly, We must know this, that this descent of power is most naturall and according to the will of God, or agreeable to hu­mane and divine reason: It is indeed very harsh and unpleasing to those beasts and fowles that live under the shadow and in the branches of this great tree of the Kingdome, and had their interest and subsi­stance in royalty, in offices, in preferments, &c. It seemes to them nothing but confusion, that all this glory, and with it their lives, should goe into the earth, and remain in a stump of the root; but if they had the wisedome of God, and did see his counsel and end in it, they would be satisfied.

For 1. Tis exceeding natural that when the sap of the tree hath risen to its height, and brought forth its fruit, it should, when the fruit fals, and the winter comes, sharp and cold seasons, return into its root.

Power did arise from simple, poore man, had its originall from the dust of the earth, common people, and receives its life and being from humane nature in its simple state; there it was purest, unmixt from pride, cruelty, deceit, it was quietest and at rest without violence and disturbance, though in a mean and rude manner: And thence it rises into the glory of Kingdomes, into Lordship, Monarchy, and all such greatnesse: Now when it comes to the top and begins to corrupt, finds stormes of wrath, malice and mischiefe, in those heights it naturally returnes to its center, and retires for its own safe­ty, [Page 8]and recover to it self in the roots of the earth, the people: Hence it is that bodies politique, Kingdomes, have their severall ages of childhood, youth, firme or full age, and old age as well as the bo­dy of man; and one as well as the other lies under this sentence, Dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt returne; at best they are but the people dresd or set out with some outward honour, and therefore they must returne to mingle themselves with dust of common men. Againe,

We know, honor est in honorante, honour is in him that honour­eth, its seate and subject is in him that gives it, and therefore in the people, who doe by their breath create any man honourable or great; and their breath is the life of all greatnesse and honour, it being but an empty Idol, a dead image, if not quickened by the affections of the people: Tis they indeed, or God ordering their spirits, that make men honourable; if they give him not respect, meanes, tribute, honour, their greatnesse dies at heart, and becomes a heavy burden and a curse; and therefore tis very naturall for it to come downe to its owne originall from whence it came, and doth by that recover it selfe; for as the people receive it into them, so they will quickly send it forth againe with greater power, and with encrease.

This course of things hath its method from the minde and will of God, who hath said, He will set over it the basest of men, Dan. 4. He raiseth the poore out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill: That he may set him with Princes of his people, Psal. 113. The Lord hath said he will exalt some and pull downe others; Scatter the proud in the imagination of their hearts, put downe the mighty from their seats and exalt them of low degree, Luk. 1. Tis a great sport and pleasure the Lord takes to set up and pull downe, to bring great things to nothing, and to exalt nothing to be all things; its excellent justice to poure con­tempt upon Princes, to tread upon them as morter, to bring them under as the basest, vilest creatures, and to poure riches, honour and great­nesse upon meane and base men, is as excellent love and goodnesse. This he hath said he will doe, and this he doth doe, and tis his prerogative.

This too is taken out of a higher copy, the way of the Son of God, who is in the form of God, in the highest heaven, and from thence descends into a low state of a servant, to be borne of a woman, to be a carpenters Son, to be with people of no account; to descend into the lower parts of the earth, to make his grave with the wicked, to descend into [Page 9]hell, and from thence to ascend againe far above all heavens. Tis the great God the king of kings, looks down amongst men of low de­gree, and is content to have his foundation in the dust, and so arise that he might fill all things and take up the lowest into the highest, and be the highest in the lowest, and so comprehend all things in one glo­ry; that he might fil lownesse with majesty, and majesty with lownesse, that ther might be a perfect agreement tween the greatest God, and the porest man.

Thus we see the second thing manifested; That this passing of power from the Parliament, or any higher or Politique body in­to the lower, or naturall of the People; is rationall, orderly, and and according to the originall rule and measure of all things which is the minde and way of God.

Thirdly, the people so rais'd and cal'd up, are the supreme po­wer or superiour to all others; even to them that begat them, the Parliament.

1. The Parliament call (as is manifest in their Declarations) to judge; saying, let the People judge: they appeale to them and so they have subjected themselves to the people: and tis but reason they should judge; for the people themselves, have in themselves, the truest and purest light of judging which is reason; and the most exact sence of their rights, and of good and evill respecting their liberty and safety: and those principles in them of discerning men, and things relating to publique weale or woe; are more cle­re, more incorrupted then they are in men rais'd by them into place and office; especially when all high places are poluted by the divell, and the mindes of men grow worse by preferments and honours, as tis manifest they do in these times of defection, where­in scarce any man in place, either Parliament or else where, re­taines his integrity, and the Parliament it selfe is one heap of selfe seeking, they being generally bias'd, both on the one side and the other, with places, advantages, offices, perticular interests, & so not fit to be the judges of publique and common right. There­fore tis reason that God should call up the people, who though they be rude, despicable and unlearned, yet have a plain and honest s [...]nse in them of good and evill: and they are now set up to be judges of the affaires of the kingdom by God, and by the Parliament as his hand.

2. As they are higher being made judges and appeald unto, so they [Page 10]are the stronger and more able to doe justice and defend themselves then any instituted power: in all representatives there is some weak­nesse being but figurative: They are indeed very elegant, beautiful and stately administrations of justice, but have not that inward suffi­ciency and fundamental, stable strength that is in the people: And being but formes of government, we have found them, as in this Parliament, trifling about punctilio's of honour, circumstances and points of priviledge and prerogative, and not gone down-right to the root of the matter; which lightnesse of spirit is not a pro­per remedy for the huge bulke of wickednesse that hath gotten into this Kingdom; nor able to stand against the height & pride of inju­stice enthornd in the nation, & would be a whole age & more in purging out these evill humours in their dull, formall and custo­mary way of proceeding, which is wholly unsatisfactory to the justice of God. Yea iniquity grew upon them, and appeard in such an overflowing malignity, and in persons of such eminency, that they feard to meddle with it, or feard they should be swal­lowed up with it, and therefore sought the people to stand up and doe that which they could not; whose weight and strength is only able to cast out the wicked spirit that had universally possesd it selfe of all parts of the Kingdome, especially the superiour parts: And the people thus authorizd and empowerd by the sword, and in­flamed with wrath and zeale against their adversaries, have with much difficulty along while contested with these evils, and at last got the better of them, which would have long agoe (as tis most evident) have swallowed up the Parliament; and by this tis evi­dent this of the people is the stronger power.

Thirdly, There is a third consideration proper for this, which is the power that is committed to the people; its the power of the sword, and that in a military way: If I give a man my sword I make him my Lord, and give him my life: so did the Parlia­m [...]nt in committing the sword to the people, submitted them­selves to them; And with it they have declared, that they would live and dye with those they have so entrusted: Tis as much as to say, we give our lives to your command; our prosperity and being is onely in you, we must live only upon you: Now tis reason that those that give life should give lawes too; and them upon whom we depend for our being, we must depend upon them likewise for out rule: so that the Parliament have made the Army the Lords protectours of themselves, and of the right and interest of England; which [Page 11]while it stands, is the chiefe power: What makes a publique per­son above a private, but that he hath the civill sword in his hand to administer justice? Now the military sword is sharper, its a trust more absolute and independent, more exercisd by will, and lesse subject so the formes of law; and therefore they that have it are much more Lords over those that are subject to it, and so the Army more superiour to the Parliament then they to o­thers.

This I know will seeme strange to many, and is not cleare to the Army it selfe, that the Parliament should become a subordi­nate and inferiour, and they a higher and supreme power. But God hath made it so, and that (as you see) according to the rea­son and actions of men; And let men consider but the actings of Parliament and Army, they shall finde the same thing expressed in deeds; which is a sensible and experimentall discovery of truth. Since these warres we know the maine businesse of the Parliament hath beene to serve the Army, to gather, borrow and assesse mo­nies for them, and to provide them necessaries; some things of government have passed from them, but in a low, weake, in consi­derable way; and in them they have beene up and down, high and low, this way and that way, as they received impression from the Army. Its true, this hath not been spoken expresly, but implicitly and darkely it hath, and the Parliament have felt it really: there­fore you must be content to beare this yoke: You have endea­voured to acquit your selves of it, but cannot: You have already lost your authority, when you turnd England into a camp, and set up martiall power: when God leades them to restore it, as he did you to give it, you shall have it, and not till then.

Fourthly, This Army are truly the people of England, and have the nature and power of the whole in them.

1. They are of a popular stature, men of the common and or­dinary rank of people, most of them of trades and husbandry, (with a small mixture of the Gentry) which are the body and strength of the Kingdome, and in whom the common interest most lies.

2. They are the heart and life of the people, men in whom ap­peares strong and lively affections for publique good, manifested in their great labours, and hazarding their lives so often for the Kingdome; by which they have merited the honour to be account­ed [Page 12]the very breast and strength of England, and to have in them the soule and life of the nation.

3. They did accept the appeale of the Parliament, and answer their call of the people to judge, and accepting of it, its reason they should have it; if others either are senselesse and cannot judge, or sluggish and cowardly and will not through feare adventure; or entangled with principles of slavery, or engaged by particular and self-respects to a malignant party, and so oppose them; yet they seeing and apprehending the danger of the Common-wealth, hearing the call of the Parliament, and being valiant for the truth, to steppe up upon this throne of judicature offered to them, they are unquestionably to be entitled the people of England.

4. To this may be added the concurrence of the affections, prayers, councels, pens and purses of the honest spirits in the Kingdome, who have at some time or other seald to them, and contributed their best helpe to them: Although it may be since, many through darknesse, weaknesse, temptations, divisions, petty and inferiour factions, have been distasted at them, and withdrawn themselves from them: But these earthly and carnall distractions arising, partly from the Armies miscarriages and weaknesse, partly from others passions, cannot obliterate and blot out the many subscriptions of their names in heaven to and for the Army in their prayers and speakings, especially in their distresse: And af­ter these mists are blowne away, God will leade people backe to their owne hearty and earnest desires of a blessing upon the Army, as on those in whom their lives and the life and safety of religion and liberty lay, which are enrolled in heaven; and so shew them, though they are divided below, they are one in the highest, best, and most generall actings of their spirits.

5. This Army in their generall carriage towards the people, have by their tendernesse of them, care of preserving them, forbearing to plunder and spoile them, though absolutely in their power, have shewd that they have a publique spirit, and that the peace and good of the nation lives in them: And although they be not so absolute and perfect in this, but that there be some sad examples of violence and wrong, by many ill members amongst them, yet they have generally, through the excellency of comand, and the good spi­rit of God guiding of them, so behaved themselves, that the peo­ple every where have witnessed their great approbation of them, [Page 13]as saviours or preservers of them, by joy in their presence and teares at their departure: Tis true, the Army hath of late for their iniquities, by the judgement of God upon their miscarriage, layne under the curse of many people, and under a blacke and thicke cloud of wrath: But former kindnesse will be remembred, and God will give them greater honour and acceptance, and let us know they are our selves, and as we have said, the people of Eng­land; having publique spirits, and minding the good of every per­son in England as their owne.

So that they are rightly and truly the people, not in a grosse heape, or in a heavy, dull body, but in a selected, choice way: They are the peo­ple in virtue, spirit and power, gatherd up into heart and union, and so most able and fit for the worke they have in hand: The people, in grosse, being a monster, an unweildy, rude bulke of no use; but here they are gathered together into one pure, excellent life, and so usefull and active for their good and safety. The cleare under­standing of this will be a great meanes to compose the dis-affecti­ons of people to them, and to draw their hearts to them in love, being themselves formd by God into this body, and that now their interest lies as truly in the Army, as ever it did in King or Parlia­ment, and will too be a guide to leade the Army into waies of common good, and will enlarge their principles to a generall love of all, and a desire of making all happy as themselves.

The Fifth and last particular is very considerable, and is that which the evill spirit of darknesse hath obscured from the Army and the Kingdome, and by it denied them the comfort and us the benefit of their being; and that is this.

That the Army are the People gathered and united into a most excellent and divine forme: Or an Army is a singular Ordinance of God appointed for speciall purposes, and at this time raisd by God as most fit for those noble, honourable and difficult works he hath now in hand.

For the clearing of this I would have considered; That Army is a peculiar Ordinance of God wherein he hath a speci­all delight, and appropriates it to himselfe as a power that hath more neare relation to him, and more imme­diate [Page 14]dependance upon him, & in which he will most visibly shew himself, & therfore chuses so often to be cald the LORD OF HOASTS. And though they have a very dark and black out-side, being the instruments of his wrath, so they have a very sweet and precious in-side, when God brings forth his owne name upon them, and discover them to be his: As the blackest afflicti­ons have in them the choicest mercies; the crosse of Christ hath glory in it; and privation it selfe obtaines the honour to be a cause, and to bring in new and more excellent formes: so an Army that in the outside sounds dread and terrour, yet hath riches treasured up in it; which when we see, we shall not fly from it, but rejoice to have it neare us, and to goe into it for subsistence.

1. When God brought forth the first creation he cast them into this mould, an Army, and so laid the foundation of all his works in the camp, Gen. 2.1. When he had finished the heaven and the earth, and all the host of them: In this posture hath he put all things, not onely the stars above, who fight in their order, march in their course, but the very locusts goe forth by bands. The reason is, that they might all quietly serve him under the protection of an Army; and that if they be infested with any adverse power, they might have force to retreat to: In this military wisedome hath the Lord of Hoasts made and established the world.

2. When God expresses his presence with his people in the world, he manifests himselfe to be in a military state, I will encamp about my house: Pitch his tents about them; so in a second, middle or an­gelicall state he is an Army, while he preserves us he gathers his Ministers about us in a body, an Army.

3. When he comes in his last and great glory, he brings his hoasts with him, and comes as a Generall and Lord of Hoasts, thousands of thousands attending upon him, all his Saints and Angels; so that wherever the Lord appeares, it is in this state, either in the reare or lowest, in the body or midst, in the van or highest, tis in this or­der; the creatures a camp, the Church militant a camp, the Saints in glory a camp or host likewise.

In the providence of God in the world, God hath made great use of Armies.

First, They have beene the parents of all the Empires and King­domes of the world; all the present Common-wealths upon earth must owne the sword to be their originall, and confesse that from it they had their beginnings; and tis rationall, for an Army hath [Page 15]in it all government, and all parts of government, order, justice, &c. in highest and noblest virtue and majesty.

Secondly, As all Kingdomes come out of an Army, so are much cherished and upheld by the same; most Kingdomes flourishing while their military virtues are kept bright and cleare by use; and quickly languish when the sword is wholly laid aside; The presence of the sword keeping off destruction from them.

Thirdly, As Kingdomes are begotten and nourished by Armies, so doe they againe resolve into them as into their first principles: And when by strength of wickednesse civill societies are disturbd, they naturally retire to a military, as unto their owne Father, for safety; for they have a peculiar majesty, severity, activity and mascu­line vertue or force to uphold a state against such evils as are in the world, which no power besides hath: And therefore Armies are not such hideous evils, as some imagine, but are beautifull, glori­ous and exceeding profitable societies; not onely scourges, but saviours and protectors; they have motherly bowels as well as iron hands: and so in Gods raising and supporting this Army there is a most perfect wisedome of God; casting his people into this form is very seasonable and proper for us at this time.

For we are at this time become a wildernesse, the pale of civill power being broken down, and men let loose to furious and beast­ly lusts, such as would leade them to inhume and brutill villa­nies, were there not this curb in their mouths; nor could any man promise himself security in what he hath, but that God is a wall a­bout us in this Army: And wise men wil easily see, if sense of some present suffering, or adhering to another side or party did not blind them, that the violent and exorbitant lusts of men in this age, is no way to be restrained but by this sharpe bit, an Army: Tis true, tis our wickednesse hath brought us to it; but seeing it is so, tis mercy in God to put himselfe and people into such a posture for our defence: And this is the minde of God1 formerly decal­red, not onely to breake nations, but to rule them also with an iron scep­ter.

2. The worke that God hath now in hand is not an earthy, fixt thing, but he is upon motion, marching of us out of Egyptian dark­nesse and bondage, into a Canaan of rest and happinesse; and there­fore tis proper for him to gird up himselfe, to contract himselfe from a vast body of a Kingdome into a narrower compasse, into a few spirits in an active body, such as an Army is, loose and free [Page 16]from the clogge of old formes and customes, to act lively his plea­sure and to follow him into those new waies and pathes of truth and liberty, that he shall lead them: and because this work is at­tended upon with difficulties, and through a wildernesse full of wild beasts and enemies on all sides, its his great wisedom to Arme himselfe and to imploy men skilfull at the sword as well as at the truel, to build Jerusalem with weapons in their hands, our great dan­gers requiring it. And we know the beginings of God's great works of good to his people, have been by Armies: as their delive­rance out of Egypt and Babilon, in the same part doth he walk still, and therefore doth he now in his last appearing gather his hoast a­bout him, and put us into this state as he hath foretold, Rev. 20. The camp of the Saints, The Armies in heaven.

Thus have we brought you forth as the Virgin daughter of Zion, a select and chosen Generation, a lovely and pretious people: But yet a femall, a woman, and so in flesh and weaknesse being subject to sin and suffering: a state that must be tried, and by temptations im­proved: tis no sure nor stable condition, being not in compleat and eternall union with God: you have had the love of espousals, many kinde favours from God, a Father, a Lord: but have sind against them and him, for which he hath caus'd you a while to wander in darke and troublesome waies, and not admitted you to that state of rest and glory which he intends to you. He hath ta­ken the Crown and Diadem from off your head, for your unbeliefe and departure from him, and for that impurity which was in you: he stript you of your beautifull garments of Praise and Honour that once clothed you, and so expos'd you to wrath, curses, reproach, and put you again into a new fire of trouble to purifie you, to make you seeke the Lord. But he hath not dealt with you, as he hath dealt with other people: he hath refrained for his namesake, that he might not make an ut­ter end of you. Because he will have a people that shall bear his name. Hath he smiteen him as he smote those that smote him? Or is he slain accord­ing to the slaughter of them that are flaine by him? No, In measlure when it shouteth forth thou wilt debate with it, be stayeth his rough winde in the day of the east winde. By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his sin. When he maketh all the stones of the alter, as chalke stones that are beat asunder, &c. Isa. 27, There is a a shouting forth of the righteous branch in you, and therefore we must stay all rough windes, and breath gentle gales upon you: your ini­quity being taken away, we will present you holy to the Lord, and [Page 17]marry you to the God of your salvation.

Know therefore, that the Lord, the most high God is in the midst of you, is in you and with you in a glorious presence, as you have pro­fessed: The glorious God, or the glory of God, dwels with you, or God in his highest glory rests upon you; so that you are not only the People of England, but the People of God, sanctified by the holy, mighty, wise spirit of God, and en lowed by the divine wisedome, strength and justice; and you are as an Army, so the LORDS hoast; or the Lord himselfe in his great majesty appearing amongst men in an hoast; the whole hoast of heavenly and blessed men and Angels, with all their various and innumerable excellencies and perfecti­ons gathered together, and embodied upon the earth in you. An earthly Army in union with the heavenly host, or the Lord of hoasts in Mount Sion among his people gloriously: This is your Righteous­nesse, the Lord Jehovah is your covering, your garment of salvation, and onely this can justifie you; honest intentions aid good meanings are rotten rags, and too narrow to cover your nakednesse; we shall therefore open and unfold this glory unto you, and bring forth this your righteousnesse.

First, The Lord is with you in his highest and greatest majesty, there is no power, no glory of God, but tis in you and with you, and no power nor glory greater then that which dwels in you, none besides, none above, none beyond it: The Lord is here, the most high God, and with him all power in heaven and earth; there is no wisedome or strength that you have not, and all imaginations of a power absent from you either in heaven or earth, is an injury or accusation to Gad and to you, is theft and robbery, stealing away the riches of God from you and from himselfe in you; if you look up­on the Kingdome of God, the new creation, new heavens, and new earth, as absent or to come, you deny the holy one with you, who is present in deed and power, though under your weake­nesse.

Secondly, The Lord is with you in perfect union and commu­nion; you are what he is, he is what you are; whatever is in him tis communicated to you, and whatever is in you, is communica­ted to him: Is there power or glory in God? tis in you also: Or is there weaknesse in you? it lies upon him: Or is there righte­ousnesse in God? tis in you as it is in him, to live in it, act in it and by it; to employ and bring forth: And is there infirmity in you? tis in him as tis in you, a clogge, a burden, an enemy hated, [Page 18]separated, taken away, &c. Nothing now is spoken of God, but may be spoken of you; you being in union with him: or nothing spoken or done to you, but tis done to God with you, you being one: And tis the blasphemy of hell and divell to separate God from you, or you from God. Will men say you are Rebels, De­stroyers; they say it of the Lord: or will you, or satan in you, say you are weake, and men, and can't do such high things: they are too great for us, you and they will know you speak the same of God, and so judge him as weak and unable to do them. For in nothing you must be divided: or if you think that is God's, but this is our work, you wrong God, and your selves: you must speak the words and doe the workes of God: God is now, God in the earth, and you an Army in heaven.

3. The Lord is with you in spirit and truth, eternally, inseparably, in a kingdome that never shall be destroyed: in an everlasting covenant that cannot be broken. The kingdome is so with you the Lords people, as it shall never be taken front you; but shall endure for ever, and all oppressing feares or dark doubts, they are of the malicious one, your enemy, and the darknesse of hell that obscures the glory of God, which is an everlasting light, a Sun that will not set: and all attempts of Satan or his instruments, will be as waves against a rock dash'd in pieces, and you shall grow from a little stone, to a great mountain: from a little branch, to a great tree, that shall spread it selfe and fill the earth with fruit.

Upon this mountain shall the hand of the Lord rest. Having laid this foundation; now shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily, and thy righteousnesse shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rerc-ward: you shall at once have light, cleare light to walke by, health to cure your diseases, to make you strong: and Righteouesse to justifie all that you doe: For these cannot be separated when the Sun rises, with light to di­rect he is a Sun of righteousnesse; to justifie and take away sin and shame, and hath healing in his wings, gives life and strength to doe what he leades us to do.

1. Seeing the Lord hath passed from other powers to you, and exalted or set up you as the present standing power of the King­dome, and hath given himselfe to you, and taken you up into his glorious presence; then must you exalt the Lord, publish, declare the name of the Lord. Confesse him to be in the mid'st of you: sound [Page 19]him forth evidently, boldly, aloud; say the LORD lives with you, that he is come to reigne amongst you gloriously. Bring him forth in brightnesse and power: let this oppressed one go free; tell it to all the nations, the Saviour of Israel is come to redeem his people from all their enemies: you doe mutter it, and speak it softly, and by halves, but declare it fully, that we may heare the shout of a King in the camp, that God himselfe is in you of a truth: Let us heare the sound of that Trumpet in the Camp, which the seventh, last and blessed Angel sounds; And those great voices in heaven, saying, The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reigne for ever and ever: Doe you, not in words but in power and truth, cast your crownes down to the earth, fall with your faces to the earth; your crowne of successes, victories, lay them downe in the dirt, be­ing but earthly; and your faces, your excellency of honesty, va­lour, wisedome, honour, lay it down to the earth, for tis but dust; and doe you worship God, live God, confesse God, exalt God, his righteous­nesse and power which is worthy, perfect, almighty; Say (and doe) we give thee thanks, O Lord God almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned, Rev. 11. Give tip your selves from humane, weake and fleshly state, as thanks or a free will offering, to the glory and majesty of God, to act and live the life of the Almighty, put on the Almightinesse of God, be cloathed with God Almighty; and know the Lord is with you who art, deny not his present being in power and glory in you, and confesse he alwaies hath beene with you; which wast, and that which is to come, that which is eternall and everlasting, is present; disjoine not these, let not him that is now with you, be another from him who is to come, or from him who was; but say and sweare in truth, that he who is to come, in all that he will doe, is now present with you to doe it; He hath taken his great power and hath reigned; he hath already begun, hath taken his last and great power, and is in the exercise of it.

Therefore, Arise and shine forth, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee: For behold the darknesse shall cover the earth, and grosse darknesse the people, but the Lord shall rise upon thee, and his glory shall be seene upon thee; And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and Kings to the brightnesse of thy rising. This lifting up the name of the LORD in you will have a very great effect upon others and your selves.

1. Upon others; Sad darknesse now covers the People of this [Page 20]Nation, & they are in perplexity, not knowing which way to go: Do you shake your selvs from the dust of your own vilenesse, and put on the goodnesse, power and wisedome of God, and all people will flow in unto it for helpe and succour; you will presently cause all to gather about you for reliefe: The glory and light of God will melt the heart of your adversaries into love to you; The sons of them that afflicted thee shall come bending into thee, and all they that despi­sed thee shall bow themselves downe at the soles of thy feet, and call thee the City of the Lord, the Sion of the holy One of Israel: Holding forth the goodnesse of God you will be a joy of many generations; revive the Nation now lying in a grave of misery: And those that continue obstinate, the name of the Lord will be a terrour to them, fill their faces with shame and confusion; 'Twill be as lightning, imme­diatly blasting and withering them; 'Twill pierce through their heads, hearts and loynes, and for ever disable them from any un­dertakings or practises against you.

2. For your selves; This presence of God will burne up all those low and base spirits that are amongst you, covetousnesse, pride, self-love, shall not dare to abide in the camp: 'Twill be an anointing to you, filling you with royall and Princely minds, create majesty, power, wisedome, justice and truth amongst you; fill you with light and understanding, so that all your wayes shall be clear and plain before you, and every one shall be more mighty then a hundred, able to fill the earth with righteousnesse and truth.

Secondly, You being the People of England, and all power and dominion descending and coming downe into you: You are the Mother of the Nation the earth, basis and foundation upon which all lie: and being thus, in the light and strength of God, you are Jerusalem which is above, the Mother of us all: And therefore must,

1. Spread your armes to receive the whole Nation, open your bosomes to us, and let us see that you carry in you all the happi­nesse and welfare of the Kingdome; manifest the largenesse and comprehension of your spirits, that you have in you the King and his royalty, the Parliament and their wisedome and majesty; these two in Treaty nay in perfect union, that religion, trade, justice, order, covenant, settlement, reformation, riches, honors, propriety lies treasured up in your breasts: What you have not, gather into you all the offices, treasure; authorities, seales, judicatures, all the prerogatives and [Page 21]priviledges of the Nation, let nothing lie out of you and be lost, but be you the center of all, and call in all into you.

2. Let it appeare that they are in you as in the Lord; In the Lord in you, and so are in you most excellently, safely; that though we have them not in a visible and sensible way, yet let all know they are in you as corne sowd in the earth; that you do embrace them all in your tenderest bowels of love and care, and but entrusted for a time with them; that as all have seene a seeds time, a fall of the fruit and leafe, so we may expect a spring; as we have seene a death by you of all, so we may hope to see a resurrection.

3. Receive them and retaine them all in judgement, make a thorow digestion of the good and evill of them all; keepe them as in a fire, by the sword of divine justice, with the exactnesse of God; cut off all evil things and persons, separate the precious from the vile in the Common-wealth, & let nothing that is of particular, or hurtfull interests remaine, but be a mercilesse grave to all ty­ranny, oppression, to all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse; let all things that are just, good, holy and honourable, incorporate with you, receive a new life from you: Know the Lord is upon his Throne amongst you, and every one, and every thing that is not his must be rejected; Every plant that he hath not planted must be pulled up; there must be no judge but the Lord; and no rule of ac­cepting or refusing, but the divine law of the spirit of God: What God will owne and say, tis mine, shall live, and what he will dis­claime, must dye, and the poore, narrow minds and fancies of men must not be enthroned, nor have leave to judge amongst you.

4. So receive and retaine them as ready to restore them when they are tried and purified; let it appeare that you are the womb of the Kingdome, that will with labour and travell conceive, breed and nourish it: But that it is to you a burden, and when the ap­pointed time comes, you cannot but desire to be delivered of it; and that it is your sorrow to have it in you, and will be your joy to bring it forth unto others. By letting forth this publique and good spirit you will be carried up above that petty, low spirit of malice or enmity to any; you will kill and tread upon this ser­pent, which is a base principle and unworthy of God, and would keepe you downe in earthy and darke wayes; but coming forth into the largenesse of God, you will act in high, noble and gene­rous waies.

And by being thus enlarged you will be as the wals of the Na­tion, inclose and imbrace all men, and all interests, and of a sudden gather up all men into your selves, surprise and catch mens hearts before they are aware: and begirt the Kingdom with your arms, and binde up all her breaches in union with your selves: and be a present ease and stay to mens sad and aking spi­rits: that whereas they are now in a wildernesse and know not where they are, they may of a sudden, their eies being open'd see they are in the hands of a wise and good God, taking care of them by his own people whom he hath blessed with largenesse, judgement and goodnesse for their safety. That men may see that though they are fallen, yet not into a pit of utter destructi­on, or not into the hands of enemies, but unexpectedly upon a very good bottome; a people having the tendernesse and good­nesse of the Nation, and the firmnesse, largenesse, judgement and stability of God in them, both in civil and spiritual things: and discover a foundation, a firm rock and beginning of peace and happinesse to the Kingdome arising up in the midst of us.

Thirdly, Let me bring you forth too as the highest and strong­est power in the Nation, being superiour to King, Parliament and All, in a true and good sense: Tis God and Nature gives it you, and you wrong the Kingdome and your selves, till you come forth in a clear and free owning of it: You darkly and in the twilight steal it by your actions, but deny to professe it, which subjects you to reproach and scorn as adulteresses and thieves, if you could boldly and in the light and strength of God challenge it as your right and manifest it; what is now fear'd would be im­braced: Truths while they are faintly own'd and by halves are abused and rejected: when they lie low in the dust and are obscu­red by darknesse are terrible, and men flie from them: but when we lift them up into our faces, and give them a throne in our o­pen and free possession of them they are lovely and acceptable; and command subjection in all: Besides the Kingdome is unsta­ble and looks this way and that way for a head: some look to the King, and others to the Parliament, and neither appears to head them, which keeps them still in a wavering state, farre from any staiednesse or setlednesse: Now lift up your heads, be upright: stand up in the name and power of God, and this will compose the divided and doubting mindes of men, knowing where to fix, and [Page 23]attract and ingage all to you: for you appearing their natural and head cant be disown'd.

Tis true you may be thought a Jacob a supplanter of your elder brother of his birth-right: But you having the blessing too, it will bear you out: God gives it: The smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field which the Lord bath blessed. God give thee the dew of heaven, and the fatnesse of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine. Let people serve thee and nations bowe down to thee: Be Lord over thy brethren, and cursed be e­very one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee. Shew forth that riches of heaven, that light and glory of God, and that fat­nesse of the earthy, that goodness, power, justice and kindenesse that is in you, and then all power must bowe to you, all will seek to you.

While you hold it forth in a night dream, as Joseph doth his brothers sheaves bowing to his: they despise and envie you for it, but shew your selves possest of all the corn of Aegypt, of all the good of the land, and then your brethren there being a famine in the land of peace and righteousnesse, they will be glad of you, and come and remove all their substance to you, into the Camp, to be preserv'd and kept alive by that store at health and salvation that is in the presence and goodnesse of God laid up amongst you and in you.

Your halting in this point is very dishonourable and unsatisfa­ctory, to write your selves the servants of the Parliament, and yet to exercise power over them: And it puts you upon grosse and unseemly actions: to patch and bodge, to pick out and cull some from the Parliament that goe against you, and leave others that are as unfit to govern as they you refuse, only because they vote with you: This hath great appearance of siding and partia­lity: it were more justifiable farre to dissolve the whole and stand upon your own absolute and supreme power: For while you goe as a Snail with that old house upon your heads, you will never make any dispatch in your businesse, they being in that state in which you own them, an emptie vain idol of no use at all, but will be a clog to you perpetually, and make you formall, low, servile, and tedious in all your actions.

Therefore ascend into that height into which you are call'd, shake your selves from your dust of formal relations to other powers that are ground to pouder by the justice of God, that you might come forth of them: Loose your neeks from your b [...]lls, be no longer captives: [Page 24]They have and God hath made you Judges, and given you author­ity and dominion: The mountain of the LORDS house, shall be e­stablished in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hils, and nations shall flow unto it.

It shall appear that you are indeed the supreme power taken up in­to the throne of God, living in the secret place of the most high. That the most high God rules in you, and gives his highest wisdome and justice to you: And that you have a more exquisite sense of the good and evil of the Nation then any, and more able to judge what is truly for their good, and to resolve those questi­ons and controversies which yet lie in doubt and darknesse a­mongst us.

And that you are in the power of God mighty to save them when men cannot, being the people of GOD, or qualified with a divine strength: Though the Kingdome be miserably broken, and those that have attempted to heal it through unskilfulnesse and unmer­cifulnesse have more abus'd the poor people: yet there is hope in Is­rael concerning this thing. There is balm in Gilead: Though there be none in the waies of men, yet there is amongst the people of God in Israel, that is a prince with God, and prevails over men: Though the Sunne be turn'd into darknesse, and the Moon to blond: there is confusi­on, shame and despair, in and upon the greatest lights of the world: Yet in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call, Joel 2.31, 32, in the LORDS people, a despis'd remnant is Englands salvation.

Therefore let them know, that though through the floud of wickednesse that is broken forth amongst us, religion be laid waste, order and government in Church and Common-wealth be dissolved, and the honour, royalty, greatnesse, riches, trade of the Nation be visibly lost, yet there is a power with you that can recover all these into light and health againe, to the satisfaction of all that desire to see good daies: This al-creating, al-restoring power is with us, and wil not faile us in our worke: Isay. 58.11, 12. The Lord shall guide thee continually, &c. Thou shalt be like a watered gar­den, and like a spring of water whose waters faile not: Thou shalt build the old waste places, thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations, and thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in: There is a fountain and spring of the spirit of God that shall run over the whole Kingdome, and not faile in any worke you are upon, be [Page 25]it never so high, great and honourable, and all that is excellent in the Kingdome, though it be sunke into the foundations, yet you wil restore and repaire them again.

Fourthly, I present you to the Kingdome, and so must you present your selves to them as the fruit of their own womb. The son of God begotten by the Spirit of God, of this Nation, form'd and shaped by the divine wisdome out of the bowels of the people: Or that little stone, a precious stone, being irradiated with the holy and divine nature, cut out of the mountain or the Kingdome without hands: There is in you the life and spirit of the Kingdome: the vigour and strength of the Nation: her first-born you are: the staffe and strength of her age, and although of all the children that she hath for­merly brought forth by her elections, laws, customes; there is none that can take her by the hand, and guide her out of her distresse, yet you will kindely put under your shoulders to carry her in your arms to a place of rest.

Cast away therefore that vail of a party of any particular inter­est, and looke forth in your owne true face a childe and heir of the Kingdome, our owne flesh and bloud, of tender affection to us, and pity of us; we have given you lite and being by our purses, prayers, persons, councels; tis our life, religion, estate, cause, bloud that runs in your veines, and therefore you owe to us your selves, life, strength, paines, labours, watchings, and ought to lay them all out freely for us, purely in love, and repayment of the debt you owe to us; And coming upon these terms as the childe of our travels, pangs and distresses, the childe of our desires and prayers, the issue of many consultations, affections, disbursments, feares, hopes, the first borne of our owne Lord and Husband, God, and bearing his owne image upon you, holinesse, righteousnesse, goodnesse; we cannot but with joy embrace you after our sore travels and afflictions; and though many people dying in feare and despaire, as Rachel, call you BEN-ONI, The Son of my sorrow, yet your Father who lives will call you BENJAMIN, the Son of my right hand.

Let the Spirit of the Lord file off your roughnesse and un-even­nesse, and blow away that dust that covers your beauty, and we shal see you a stone solid, firme and stable, that cannot be broken by any devices or force; a precious stone, that contains in it all the interests, all that's good or worthy in the Kingdome; That you are as cut out, so laid by the hand and art of God in Sion; a tried stone, [Page 26]a precious corner stone, a sure foundation, he that believeth maketh not haste; You have beene tried and are found precious, and a corner stone in which all our rights are laid, and so squar'd by God with that exact ju­stice, as to be a rule and square to the whole Kingdome, and a sure foundation of an everlasting peace, such a foundation as hath the whole building in it; and this will make men stay upon you and believe in you, not hastening after any other helpe or Saviour.

You are, being formed by God, of that true and intrinsecall worth, that you have the prise of the Nation in you, and that in spirit, and so in the purest and best union, which is to us a ground and bottome of true peace: But you neglect this true, substantiall union, and are making another, an agreement of the people, which shewes a grossenesse and filthinesse of spirit; not able to discerne the union of God in you in one heart and minde, and not onely a­mongst your selves, but of the whole Kingdom in their true and right sense, and therefore are framing a carnall and fleshly one, accor­ding to the custome of the Heathen; a worke below the Lord, and a, descending into the earth to doe that which God hath done al­ready most excellently: You are a living Altar, and a lifting up a toole unto it doth polute it: The Lord is building a house which is from heaven, and you know the patterne is in the Mount, and is thence brought forth; the stone it made ready, and there must not be beard while tis building, neither hammer, ax, or any toole of iron in the house; this sawing and cutting to make an outward; literall agreement, vexes and wounds your spirits, and tends to dis-unite you from the Lord, and from each other: The Lord is with you in union, he is one, and gives you true unity one soule and spirit: Therefore stand up and come forth in that entire forme that the Lord hath cast you into, in that image that he stamps upon you; a living stone in all parts, as polished so quickened by the spirit of God.

Lastly, Let me present you and bring you forth as the Lords hoast in the great majesty of an Army; in this most excellent forme in whom the Lord is as a mighty man of warre, cloathed with zeale as with a garment; stript out of ordinary, common and cold formes of government, and making bare his arme in the most terrible and masculine constitution of an Amy; Glorious in his apparell, travelling in the greatnesse of his strength, red in his apparell, and his garments like him that treadeth in the wine fat; for the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the yeare of my redeemed is come: A DAY of vengeance, this worke must be cut short in Righteousnesse, quicke and speedy, and that too in [Page 27]perfect union with salvation or redemption, which must be long, A YEARE, it must last for ever, The yeare of my redeemed it come.

1. In this respect you must appear most absolute in your comands, strong, mighty and indisputable in your authority; such is the government of an Army, and tis proper in the worke you are in: Dan. 4.35. And he doth according to his will in the Army in heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, what dost thou? An Army in heaven, that's your place, standing in God, and inspired by the Spirit of God; one with the heavenly hoast, majesty or absolutenesse, is but due here, and that without danger, when the Wise God guides your resolves; for nothing must come forth but that which hath the face of God upon it, and that in which divine justice and goodnesse doth appeare: Being the Lord doth it, who can say, What d [...]st thou? This excellency of God and all other glorious perfections are amongst us, and must no longer be buried under humane weaknesse, and the staggering blindnesse and uncertainty of the creature.

2. You must appeare in greater terrour to evill doers, then any power before you; with your sword whetted, furbush'd, bathed in hea­ven, made bright and glittering with the Spirit of God; That it may aw & dazle the eies of the Nation into a fear of transgressing: Former swords have beene too dull to cut up iniquity; wickednes hath sleighted and scorn'd them, therefore must you appeare in greater severity, every act and word of justice piercing to the heart; searching 'tweene the soule and spirit, 'tweene the bone and marrow; to kill wickednesse in the root of it; to destroy not onely the out­ward acts of injustice and oppression, as contrary to our sensible and outward peace, but their inward strength, as contrary to the glory and goodnesse of God: Not onely strike at humane mis­carriages, which are weake, but at those Diabolicall wickednesses that are strong, and the Father of these inferiour oppressions; which you are able to doe, having a sword bath'd in heaven, and exe­cutting the divine justice; and by doing this you shall secure the things you doe, and for ever disable Satan to bring forth any more mischiefes upon us.

This is that you have harped at, the fulfilling of that promise, Psal. 149.6, amp;c. The high praise of God in their mouth; This is excel­lent to have God in our mouth, and God in his praise, in his glory; yea, his high praise to speake forth the highest honour of God, his highest, last and utmost holinesse and justice. And a two edged sword [Page 28]in their hand, one of flesh, another of spirit: to cut up sinners with the one, and sinne it self with the other: The first is common to e­very Heathen; the second, the peculiar honour of Christ, who hath before us'd it in his mouth, but now in his hand, hath decla­red, preached it, will now act it in deeds, and so bring forth the in­ward sword of the Spirit, and outward of the flesh to be administred together by one hand: And by this shal you not only slay wicked men, but wicked works, or wicked things. To destroy or cut off evil men only is Heathenish, to destroy wicked workes onely, and not men, is Christian: to cut off both together is the last great and perfect judgement of the world: by this you shal doe that which hath been fore-told, in Daniel 9.24. To finish transgression, and to make an end of sinnes, and to bring in everlasting righteousnesse: so to break the staffe of oppression, that the rod of the wicked should no longer lie upon the lot of the righteous: or to destroy the wickednesse out of the earth root and branch, that there may no more come out of their loins: that sinne may be barren and childelesse: this is the secure condition you aim at, and that which is promis'd, and wil be made good to you: To set up such true and bright laws, so holy and in­corruptible, in such power and efficacie, as no ungodlinesse shal be able to passe thorow them, or stand in the sight of them: Such a majesty of the face of God will bring forth it self, as will behold no iniquity: sinne shall not abide in mens actions, no nor hearts, nay not in the first father of it, Satan, but in al it shal be utterly de­stroy'd: This is not beyond the power of the Lord of hoasts with us, but that which is our portion and prerogative: and must be effe­cted. To set up the new Jerusalem in such brightnesse and everlasting purity, as no unclean thing shall come into it: nothing defile it.

As you shall come forth in flames of fire against all the workers of iniquitie, so that not one shal escape: so in walls of fire towards all that is good, to defend and save it: We have that one law-giver that can kill and make alive, that can save as well as destroy: preserve gold as wel as consume drosse: be a Saviour of life unto life, as well as death unto death: to bring all the good of the earth into the good of heaven, as wel as to cast the evil of the world into hel: to loose the holy One out of his bonds, as wel as to binde the wicked one in his: Tis a black and foul work to kil only, and not to restore: but this is our chiefest excellency: to save what is good in al, [...]nd to bring it forth in a holy and perfect way: to beget children that shall be princes in al the earth. Or by the Spirit of God to beget Principalities & powers, Kings, Lords, &c. of our own righteous and just nature, and of greater [Page 29]vigour and power of righteousnes and wisdom, then our selves in our own persons: we are able in our God to stamp the divine image upon men, to form them into the likenesse of God, to convey our own spirits with our authority, to impower with spirit as well as office, and if we cant do that we can do nothing in truth, nothing in God, nothing different from the most common and ordinary Hea­thens: and but that which will destroy us as soon as we have made it. If we set up an earthly and fleshly form, it will corrupt and turn enemy to us that exalt it, except we set up God, and set up in all the powder of God, and all in the power of God, or all quickned with the Spirit of God: And being the hoast of God, and having all fulnes of the Spirit, or being attended with al the divine perfections, we can and shall spread forth in the fruits of righteousnes: And establish righ­teousnes in persons and things, living righteousnes.

This is your true state, and the first and least of it: and lesse then this is not your righteousnes: I cant speak or think lesse of you: & he that thinks or speaks less then this or contrary to this, be it Sa­tan in you or others, blasphemes the tabernacle of God, & them that dwel in heaven: This is your own life, and all below it are fancies, dreams and lies: Babylon and confusion keeping & holding Zion from her glory.

Tis a blessed face of God, and the light of his countenance shining upon you; and I know there is another face which is the same in you that answers to this, and though it hath bin vaild awhile, the brightnes and power of this will scatter that mist and call forth its own self and likenes in you to imbrace this: Righteousnes looks down from heaven here upon you: we might question whether it would be received, or no, whether it would not be judged a fancy, a conceit, but that we know also, Truth springs out of the earth, the same spirit hath been acting a long while in you, though un­der and in the earth buried under flesh, but now wil come forth and answer to this, or say, tis [...]r [...]th, and make it truth in the performance: You wil not say this is righteous in God, he may do al this it is pro­per for him, but not for us: No, righteousnes and peace have kissed each o­ther: you are r [...]conciled to this righteousnes, the partition wall is broken down, of two made one new man: and so you cannot but receive and re­joyce in it: mercy here meets with truth in your brests: The heavens powr down righteousnes, and the earth opens, and salvation springs forth together. The Lord is come down, yea the heavens, all the host of them, al the stars of righteousnes, and the same truth arises out of you and these to­gether, are salvation. God out of you works but in weaknes, in trouble: so do you out of God; both together bring forth salvation.

I shall I know meet with this objection from your selves and others, that this will be true, but not yet; and that it is farre o­therwise with you for the present; tis that you expect, but tis not yet manifested.

To this I answer, That this truth is eternall, and there is no moment wherein you can say tis not, tis he that was, is and is to come: That therefore it is darknes that denies it; or that's a deepe pit that saies tis not here: doe not abide in such darknesse of hel where eternall truth will not be admitted: That as it alwayes hath been so it now is brought forth borne into the world: the childe is born I have been long travelling for him, and now lay him amongst you: it is true it is in the Stable amongst beasts, Swadled and lying in a Manger, in a very meane and contemptible condition, but I shall own him and nurse him, and so will you I hope, it is your own God and Saviour, though wrapped up in flesh, and in the midst of a beastly crue, yet smiling in your face, offered to you, yea arising up in you; And he whom you have sought for is now come into his Temple; you have long conceiv'd him, and travelled too to bring him forth; and now Behold thy King cometh riding upon an asse; receive him and say, This is the Lord, we have waited for him.

If you can yet say, these things are brought forth in you, but not in us, we cannot owne them in power, you may, we are yet in the flesh; tis your light, not ours; we live not in this glory, nor can act in it, we must goe our way.

No, tis yours as well as mine, and not mine as distinct from you, but mine in you and with you; for we have but one life, one spirit, and if it breake forth first in me, tis for your sakes: Tis not a perso­nall or private spirit, but the Spirit of God and of all the Saints; tis the life and soule of the Army, and therefore you cannot be stran­gers to it; sure so soone as you see it you will say, this is our por­tion, our rock, our strength.

But if you are in the flesh, and this glory be not suffered to act in you, What's the reason of it? Who lets? Is it not the man of sin? If it be so, then you confesse your selves guilty of what I have for­merly written; for this man of sinne is not a limb or member, but a compleat man, and so hath all sinne in him: where flesh is it is a body of sinne, having all iniquity weav'd together into one vail; pride, hypocrisy, self-seeking, enmity against God, and all in the highest way of sinne, whose coming it after the working of Satan, with all power, and signes, and lying wonders, and with all deceivablenesse of unrighteous­nesse: [Page 31]Tis no lesse then Satan, though with all power and signes of praying, seeking God, justice; and lying wonders, wonderfull great things, but lying, because separated from the eternall truth: with all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse, I know none righteous but God, and all waies beside are to deceive: And if this spirit be in you, it is not idle, it comes forth; this bloud runs in the veines of al your actions; the Lord said it of you long ago, Ezech. 21.24. Yee have made your iniquity to be remembred, in that your transgressions are discover­ed, so that in all your doings your sins doe appeare — And thou prophane, wicked Prince of Israel, whose day is come when iniquity shall have an end: This filth lies not still, but comes forth in all your actions, and fils them with darknesse, weaknesse, confusion, instability: but an end it come of sinne, and that wicked Prince is cast out; I am pacified towards you, fury is not in me, I have no more to accuse you of.

If you now object, as I doubt you will, your being in the flesh, your weaknesse, inability to manage these high and great waies, the sense of your unworthinesse and sinfulnesse obscuring this glory: Observe this.

1. You now are the accusers; I have done, I have nothing to say against you; I appear'd in fury and jealousie against you, and by that fire have purified you, and burnt up that drosse that was in you; its all cast into the bottome of the sea, I remember it no more; its under my feet, I am above it; and now I am justifying, and you are ac­cusing your selves, and this shall be our controversy hereafter, I shall offend you by declaring a Righteousnesse in you which you you may say is too high, too great, and you be your owne con­demners; or being reconciled, and establishing a Covenant of peace, you will then be ashamed of all the evill that you have done.

2. Know your sinnes lie upon the Lord, they are his, he beares them all; there is none now under iniquity but Christ; you are Righteous, the Lord is your Righteousnesse; there is a fountaine opened for sin and for uncleannesse to wash in; That fire of jealousie in which the Lord appeared in my last, hath judged and destroyed the wic­ked one, and now appeares your righteousnesse. That was an ar­raignment of the filthy Prince, this is a clearing of the holy One, and both in the power and truth of God.

3. The consideration of your unworthinesse, unfitnesse may be to you sad and troublesome, it is to me glorious; It being the great designe of God to visit his people in a low condition, in pri­son, [Page 32]in Babylon, and to glorifie himselfe and the riches of his power and mercy, to love freely, to cover and take away iniquity, to blot them out as a thick Cloud; God now hath taken your filthy gar­ments from you, and cloathed you with beautifull garments, and put a crowne upon your heads; He gives you beauty for ashes: You were burnt to ashes by the wrath of God, here's now beauty for you: You are brought forth in your full proportion your originall, your feet, your first standing and your head, the glory of the Lord in eternal praise.

The holy God takes pleasure to raise the highest buildings out of the lowest and poorest beginnings; the more glorious the end, the viler and deeper the foundation; God that raised the first creation out of a Ch [...]os, and established it upon the waters, will raise the new heavens and new earth out of a weake and confused heape of waters, a poore and despised people; And there where men look­ed not for him will he appeare: Out of Nazareth from whence no good comes; from Egypt, a place of thraldome and captivity; And thou Bethlehem, little among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall he come forth unto me to be Ruler in Israel: This man shall be our peace when the Assyrian is in the land; And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, in the midst of many people, as a Lion among the beasts, Mic. 5. All which shews, that the Lord chuses to manifest himselfe first in those that are beastly, gentle, ignorant, meane, despised people, and even then when the Assyrian, the man of sinne is in the land, in them and upon them.

The Lord hath been with you informer mercies, and in late suf­ferings; he appeared amongst you in a spring of blessings, since hath lyen downe in disgrace; made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, he hath beene numbred with transgressours: Your sins have slain your Lord, your glory, and your Lord by death hath borne and slaine your sins; you have lien dead, because Christ your life hath beene kild your sins; but Christ hath died with you, in you, into you, and Sampson-like, by his death hath kild all his ene­mies; your transgressions have made his grave, & there buried them­selves, and loose their destroying nature in him, hanging upon him; he how offers up his soule a sacrifice for sinne, which is an accep­table and pleasant thing to God, who is pleased to see our sins fall by Christs death; and smels a sweet savour in that death that takes away the misery and griefe of his people, and out of which he rises with them to glory and righteousnesse: Now shall he see of the tra­vail [Page 33]of his soule and be satisfied, and by his knowledge shall my righteous ser­vant justifie many; he had not beene righteous if he had not died; but dying under our sins, he and we rising together are both righ­teous: It satisfies the Lord to travail with you, to travail out of your grave, to be in death with you, and thence to ascend to glo­ry; and it matters not if men be unsatisfied.

Be you unrighteous in your selves, the Lord coming forth out of this obscurity, and shining upon you, you will say, Surely in the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength, even to him shall men come, and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed; In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, & shall glory: Confesse the Lord amongst you, 'twil justifie you and strengthen you; and then they that are incensed a­gainst you are incensed against him; uncover his face clearly, and all will be ashamed to oppose their Lord, and so you may goe on in righteousnesse and strength, glorying.

Your way hath beene darke and obscure to your selves and o­thers; here is light for you, shewing you whence you come, and whither you goe, Mentioning you from the womb, declaring your genera­tion which hath beene cut off, and shewing your end, or that Canaan that you are going too; The Lord is here a Sun and shield, no good thing will he with-hold; a plain path of justice, mercy and good­nesse trodden out to you, shewing what you must doe, whith [...]r you must goe, and what guide you have to direct you: That you are now the mother and womb of the Kingdome into which all is cast; and the Father of mercies saies you are the Father too, and must bring it forth in perfect and eternall righteousnesse.

I have no more to say; or rather I will ever say, and say more strongly and plainly what I have here spoken weakly and darkly; Behold the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world; Say you to the Daughter of Sion, Behold thy salvation cometh; behold his reward is with him, and his work is before him; And they shal cal them the holy people, the redeem­ed of the Lord! And thou shalt be called, sought out a City not forsaken; Tis your salvation that is come, you shall see evill no more; let all the world know it, let the news of it fill the dark and troubled earth, proclaim it openly, he gives you a reward of all your paines and suf­ferings, he brings al good with him; you will need no supplyes but what he will daily bring forth to you: And his worke is before him; Tis now cleare what he will doe, reigne over the Nations in righ­teousnesse; set up an everlasting Kingdome for the Saints that shall never be destroyed: And all must owne you and confesse you to [Page 34]be the holy people; holinesse that hath beene the worlds scorn, will now be their saviour; that which they have derided shall they now trust in, your justice and faithfulnesse; you are holy with the holi­nesse of God, or holy as your heavenly Father is holy, to raine downe blessings upon the just and unjust, and to let the Sun of favour and salvation to shine generally upon all, upon the evill and the good: God hath sought you out wandring in a wildernesse, and not knowing whether to goe; and manifested but are not forsaken, not left to your own waies, wils or councels, but taken into nearest union with the pow­er, wisedome and glory of God; though for a little moment he left you, with everlasting kindnesse hath he gathered you, and will not forsake you any more.