The little Bible of the man or the Book of God opened in man by the power of the Lamb. Wherein God is the spirit or inside of the book, and man the letter or out-side of it. In whom, as in a glass, you may both behold the spirit and letter of the holy Scriptures in the new man; fulfilled and explained from Genesis to Jeremiah. This is the first volume of Gods Book in man. Written by a weak instrument of the Lords, Capt. T. Butler.

CHAP. XIX. The eighteenth Book that God writes in Man is the book of the Prophet ISAIAH.

SECT. I. The two sons and seeds, one of Flesh and the [§. 1] other of Spirit, that is in us.

THe book of the Prophet Isaiah opened in Man, both his Visions and Prophesies from the Lord; and first, you have the carnal and spiritual seed of the Lord; the bastard and the son, the child of the Flesh, and of the Spirit, the son of man and the Son of God, held forth. The first of these the fleshly seed, that serve God after the flesh, and call themselves by the name of Israel, and the children of the Lord; thus saith the Lord, ye are not sons, but rebels; you know me not, neither will I know you, nor consider you;

you are a sinful people, laden with ini∣quity: I have smitten you, and you go worse and worse; you are all over corrupt; within full of wounds, brui∣ses and sores, whatsoever you pretend without; your head and heart, and all, is out of order; the strangers live in you, and devour you; and the fire of lusts burn in you, and eat you up; you are children of Sodom more like then of God. And as for your Wor∣ship and Sacrifice, in multitudes, your appearing outwardly, and treading in my Courts, your new Moons, Sab∣baths, calling and sitting of assemblies, and solemn meetings, your appointed Feasts and Fasts, your spreading forth your hands and making long prayers, I abhor it all, it's detestable; my soul hates all these, and I never required them of you; your hearts and hands being full of blood, and all kinde of iniquity; your silver dross, your wine water, your Ptinces rebellious and theeves.

SECT. II. [§. 2] How the fleshly is eaten up of the spiritual.

I Will therefore stand up in judg∣ment against you all, and consume your dross, tin, blood and filth, ig∣norance and baseness; I will mollifie you, and binde you all up together, and if sons of the Flesh, I will make you sons of God in Spirit; you shall not have the image of Sodom, but Jeru∣salem; no Hypocrisie, but Power: I will wash you thorrowly, and purge you by my Spirit of judgment and burning, that all your iniquity shall pass from before me, and no evil pass through any more; you shall not be bloody, but white as snow; I will re∣ceive you to favor, you shall not re∣bel any more, but altogether willing and obedient; if I say do this, ye shall do it, or that it shall be fulfilled, and the sword shall be broken in pieces, and there shall be no dross amongst your silver, nor water with your wine, but all things shall be of God, Zion

shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness; and the destruction of transgression and ini∣quity shall be together, and whatsoe∣ver forsakes God consumed; be it an oak, or a garden that hath no water, they shall be burnt together, and none shall quench them.

SECT. III. The great Vision which the Prophet saw, [§. 3] what it is, and what it means.

THus much for the Prophesie; now for the Vision which the Prophet saw, concerning Judah and Jerusalem, it was this, The Prophet looked, and behold he saw the earth full of hills and mountains, and so full that they could hardly stand one by the other; and the valleys were drowned by the mountains and the hills; and he look∣ed till he saw the mountains and the hills wage war one against another, and he saw them that lived in these mountains and hills, were Soothsayers, Philistins, strangers: and the moun∣tains

and the hills were full of silver and gold, no end of their treasures: full also of horses, and no end of their charets: full of idols, and no end of their bowing down to them: and full of swords and spears, and no end of their blood, till at last in the end I saw a little hill arise out of the earth, amongst the midst of the hills, from the valleys, it ascended like the little hill Hermon: and this hill, in the ri∣sing of it, did terribly shake the earth, and in time grew to a great mountain, and neither by sword, nor spear, nor might, nor any such thing, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord; it waxed ex∣ceeding great, and the hills and the mountains melted before it, and would not stand when it appeared; all that opposed it were broken in pieces, and on whomsoever this mountain of the Lord fell, it ground him to powder; And this holy hill and high mountain came at last to get all other hills and mountains under its feet; and it was established upon the

top of the mountains, and then there was no living or safety, but only here; even all the Nations of the earth came flocking hither to the Moun∣tain of the Lord, and cast all their idols away, and forsook their own Country, and fathers houses, their own hills and mountains, and fly to this Rock, for there was darkness and death upon all the rest; here was the light of the Lord, and they said one to another, Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.

SECT. IV. [§. 4] The Spirit interpreting the Vision to be in us.

THis is the Vision, and herein the Spirit of Truth will open and interpret it to you; the moun∣tains and hills are proud, rebelli∣ous, lofty looks, and haughtiness of mens hearts; the treasures, charets, horses and idols, what are they but the pleasures, vanities and lusts of the flesh? the fighting, what was it but the torment and disquiet that flesh

hath, there is no peace there, saith God; and what is the hill arising out of the valleys, the Spirit of God arising a lit∣tle in us, & shaking the foundations of flesh and earth in us, and becomes pow∣erful and mighty, making all her ene∣mies her footstool, triumphing glori∣ously, and destroying flesh with her Principalities and Powers, leaving her dead: and this is the Day of the Lord upon all things, to bring to nought the things that are, and establish what is not.

SECT. V. The stay and the staff of the Creature [§. 5] broken, but the stay and the staff of the Lord himself re∣mains for ever.

ANd this is not all, but the stay and the staff shall be taken away, the staff of bread, and the stay of water: This is the vanity of the Creature, that shall be removed and broken in pieces, what∣soever is a stay or staff besides the

Lord, be it meats or drinks you make so, your Judges or Prophets you make so, your mighty men of War, or your honorable House of Commons, I will then break them, and turn them all to nothing; your Princes then shall be children, so your ancient men fools, your strength rottenness, your gods, idols, I will corrupt them all, and these shall not rule over you: Nay, if you make any your stay or staff besides me, saith the Lord, I will take the life away, and the comfort away; I will take your clothing and glory, so that none shall rule, saying, they have nei∣ther clothing, bread nor water, and they cannot rule over the ruines of the peo∣ple, but the Lord alone shall thus raign and rule over in glory; they shall be ruined and fall, and then I shall stand alone, and be stay and staff; thus woe shall be to the wicked, the reward of their hands given them, but well to the righteous, that have me for stay and staff, the fruits of their hands shall be given them; and thus the Lord shall

enter into Judgment with the oppres∣sor, and violent man, the ancient and the honorable, the proud and the base, and stain all their glory, smite it with a scab, even the crown and head of it, to the feet also; and where the sweet smell was, shall be a stink, for a girdle, a rent, for hair dressed, baldness, for a stomacher, a girding with sack-cloth, and burning, instead of beauty; all these mighty things shall be, and fall by my Sword, the Spirit, and lament, and be left destitute; this is the De∣cree of the Lord God.

SECT. VI. [§. 6] The beautiful Branch of the Spirit of the Lord, and all the fruits thereof holy.

IN that day, further, we shall all that know the Lord, whether weak or strong, take hold of one man, which is Christ the Lord, and the seven women shall be married to him; this is the male and female, bond and free, made one in Christ; this is surely the uni∣ty

of the Spirit in the bond of peace; and then all reproach shall be taken a∣way, and we shall eat every one his own bread, and wear his own apparel, and this one bread shall be the bread of Life, and this one apparel the Robes of Christ himself; and now shall the Branch of the Lord, the Spirit of Grace, budding like Aarons Rod, be glorious and beautiful, and the fruits of the earth excellent and comely, and that amongst them that are escaped of Israel; the outcasts shall be received in, and they that are dead shall live, and every one that liveth then shall be called holy, no other life, but that written amongst the living; and then the Lord shall wash away both filthi∣ness of flesh, and blood, and spirit also, by the Spirit of Judgment and burn∣ing; & the Lord wil create upon every dwelling place of his Tabernacles and Assemblies, clouds by day, and a pillar of fire by night; for upon all their glo∣ry shall be a defence to keep from rain, and storm, and heat, that nothing shall hurt.

SECT. VII. [§. 7] The Vineyard of the Lord of Hosts, and the men of Judah.

AGain, The Vineyard of the Lord of Hosts declared in a parable; and that in a Song of the Lords Be∣loved: The Lord hath a Vineyard planted on a fruitful hill, hedged, fen∣ced, gathered from stones, and planted with Vines, dressed, digged, and a wine∣press digged therein, and a tower build thereon, looking for fruits, and it brought forth wilde fruits. Judg now between me and my Vineyard; I will tell you what I will do with it, I will take away all from it, leaving it naked, and depart from it, and then it shall be full of bryars and brambles. What is all this but the good work of the Lord upon his; We are his Vine∣yard, the Lord God is the Husband∣man, Christ the Vine, We the Bran∣ches, the Spirit the Fruits, the Lords Grace the fruitful Hill, the Lords Peace the Hedg and Wall, the Lords

Power the Tower, Righteousness his Vine, Love his Winepress; and this is watched and watered from Heaven, and gives always increase, abounding with fruits to the Lord. But as for the flesh and earthly man, the corrupt nature, formerly the Lords Vineyard, when he leaves it, O what is it? Nay, the very best of us, if the Lord absent himself, take away the hedg, wall, vine, winepress, then what a miserable thing is man? then he minds nothing but earthly things; woe unto him when I leave him: Woe to him that joyns house to house, then th••t is his treasure, making provisions for the flesh▪ that is his feasts; but hell and darkness opens her mouth wide, and is enlarged her self, and all their pomps and glory de∣scend thither.

SECT. VIII. [§. 8] The second Vision of the Throne, and of the Temple, and him that sits there.

A Second Vision from the Lord: There was a mighty high

Throne, and it was lifted up glorious∣ly, and the Lord sate upon the Throne, high and lifted up; and there was a Temple also, the Throne was in the Temple where the Lord sate, and the Lords train filled the Temple also full of Glory, and above the Throne and about it stood the Seraphims, and eve∣ry one had six wings, with two he co∣vered his face, with two his feet, and with other two he did fly, and as they fled they cryed one to another, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory: And more∣over, the voyce that cryed was so great, that it shook and moved the posts of the door of the Temple, and the house was filled with smoak, and it shook and terrified the Prophet also, that he cryed out, I am undone, I am undone, I am unclean all over; and as I cried thus, I am undone, for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts, that then the Lord of Hosts sent a Seraphim to me, that came flying with a live coal, taken from off the Altar, with the tongs in

his hand, and he came and laid it upon my mouth, and took away with it my iniquity, purging away sin, and clean∣sing my lips; then saying to me, Who will go for us? whom shall I send? And I said, here am I Lord, send me; and the Lord said, Go and shew this people what thou hast seen, make their hearts fat, and ears heavy, and shut their eyes, for they understand not; and do, so long, till the Land be utterly desolate; for a remnant only shall be left like an oak, whose leaves are dryed up, and the substance in the root, so shall the holy seed be the sub∣stance thereof.

SECT. IX. [§. 9] The Lord ruling in the midst of his people, judging all within and without in Righteousness.

NOw what is all this that the Vision means, but the Lord God coming to Judgment, and sitting upon the Throne of Righteousness, which is high and lifted up, to rule the

Nations, and judg the Earth in Righte∣ousness; and inasmuch as the Throne was lifted up in the Temple, which Temple are we in the Lord, there God hath his Throne in the midst amongst us, and none other, and from thence he will send forth Justice and Judgment, that shall run along the streets of the Cities and Countries, but there shall his Throne be; and what are the Se∣raphims but the ministring spirits from the Lord, praising the Lord, and fulfilling his Word, crying, Holy, holy, holy continually? and what is the train that fills the Temple, are not we in the Lord, or are not all his Excellen∣cies▪ Grace, Power, Wisdom, Truth, Mercy, Love, Peace, are they not his train that fills the Temple of the Saints? All his Attributes, Blessings, Comforts, Gifts, Graces are his train, and to the filling of the Temple, and from thence he sends whom he will from the Temple where he is, into the Land, to convince them of sin, righte∣ousness and judgment, &c.

SECT. X. [§. 10] Rezin and Remaliah's sons confederacy, their tails and evil counsel like fire-brands.

THis is is a Prophesie now of Re∣zin the Syrian King, and Remali∣ahs son the Ephraimite, being Confe∣derates, and taking evil counsel against the Lord, and his people in Jerusalem, saying, Let's go up and vex it, make a breach in it, and set a King over it of our own, or else destroy it. This news made the house of David, Judah & Je∣rusalem faint for fear, like the trees mo∣ved with the wind, because of the tails of these two fire-brands raging against them; but the Lord sends the Prophet with a message to comfort them, and not to fear, for he will break & destroy them both, their evil councel shall not stand nor prosper; and the Lord sent them a sign also, either in heaven or earth, which they refusing, the Lord himself gave them a sign, saying, Be∣hold, a Virgin shall conceive, and bring

forth a Son, & shall call his name Emma∣nuel; and then the Land and the enemy that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her Kings; if thou believest this, thou shalt be established; and wea∣ry not the Lord, as ye have wearied men. This is the will of the Lord, that though the heathen rage, and the peo∣ple imagine a vain thing, and the Kings and the Princes take counsel to∣gether against the Lord, and his anoint∣ed, Judah and Jerusalem, the house of David, the Lords heritage and people; yea, though all the enemies of our sal∣vation, and all the host that flesh and blood can make against us, should compass us round about, yet the coun∣sel of the Lord that shall stand, and he will comfort his people, and say un∣to them, their sins are forgiven, and their warfare accomplished, and they shall receive double for all their mise∣ries, and this shall be their sign; the Virgin conceiving, and Christs form∣ing in them shall be the Emmanuel God with them, to deliver them out

of all the hands of their enemies, and establish them a glory to the Lord.

SECT. XI. [§. 11] The waters of Shiloah, or the soft and still voyce condemned by most, and Rezin followed; the Law and Testi∣mony where to be found.

THe people that refuse the waters of Shiloah, that go softly, and re∣joyce in Rezin, and Remaliahs son; the Lord shall hiss for the Fly that is in the river of Egypt, and for the Bee in the Land of Assyria, and they shall devour thy Land, and the mighty ri∣ver shall overflow thee, and reach even to the neck, and the lifting up of his wings shall fill thy Land, O Emmanu∣el; yet Emmanuel shall break you all in pieces: though you associate, con∣federate and band your selves never so much, yet the Lord God himself, whom they sanctifie, and who is their dread, shall be their Sanctuary to them, but for a stumbling, for a rock of offence,

a snare, a gin to others, here they shall fall, be broken and taken; but the stone which the builders rejected, is become the head of the corner, and it's the Lords doing; and the Law and the Testimony shall be bound and sealed in my Disciples, and they shall go no more to them that have familiar spi∣rits to be taught, but shall be taught of God, not of the dead, but of the living, and they shall go to this Law of Life in them, and speak according to that Light of the Lord that shines in them.

SECT. XII. [§. 12] The joy of the Lord, and the people that sate in darkness, and see light, and are go∣verned by the Lord himself.

THe people that sit in darkness shall see great light, and those that walk in the region and shadow of death, light shall spring up there, and thou shalt multiply their joy as the joy of harvest, and as them that divide the spoil; this shall be the Light of the Lord shining in them, their joy, and

the Lord shall break the yoke and bur∣den of the hands and traditions of men; nay, their bonds and bondage, the staff, and the rod of the oppressor, and this shall be with burning and with fuel of fire, by my Spirit, faith the Lord; For unto them is born a Gover∣nor, the wonderful Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, the Government is upon his shoulders, and of the increase of it there is no end, it shall be established in Justice and Judgment: Rejoyce therefore, O Zion, thy God raigneth; and instead of the bricks that shall be thrown down, and the Sycomores, we shall have hewen stones, and Cedars instead of earth, and fleshly things spiritual, in the room of all the Land; this Go∣vernment of the Lords Spirit shall throw down all other, and endure for ever, and the Lord shall joy in nothing but this Government; for the wrath of the Lord shall darken the land, and burn the thorns and bryars; and eat the flesh of their own arm, every one pull∣ing

out his eye, and cutting off his hand, casting them from him as unpro∣fitable members; and all manner of divisions shall then be reconciled, the Lords anger turned away: When this Government is established, then neither shall Manasseh vex Ephraim, nor Ephraim, Manasseh; nor both a∣gainst Judah; brother shall not con∣demn, nor cast out, or betray brother; but they shall have the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

SECT. XIII. [§. 13] The proud Assyrian is brought low, and Israel to be exalted.

THe unrighteous Decrees of men, that turn aside the needy from judgment, and the poor, to take away their right, robbing the fatherless, and making a prey of the widow; but the day of visitation shall take them all a∣way, and leave them without help or glory; the tyrant shall cease from any oppressing: And the Assyrian, the rod of anger, with his pride, that rules

in fleshly power and glory, lifting up it self above all, when I have done my work with him, I shall make him to cease, and pull down his stout heart, that boasts of his Princes and his idols, as if they made him to prosper, and he knoweth not me, saith the Lord: Thus the Ax, Saw, Rod, Staff, boast∣eth, and lifteth it self against him that made and rules it, and can take it and burn it; but the Lord will send a lean∣ness upon them and their proud flesh, and the light of Israel shall be as a fire, and the Holiness of Judah like a flame, and it shall devour the thorns, and con∣sume his glory & his fruitful fields, and all his idols, but Israel shall turn to the mighty God, and stay▪ her self in him, for a remnant shall be saved; And as for the Assyrian, all his yokes shall be broken off thy neck, because of the anointing of the Lord thy God upon thee.

SECT. XIV. The peaceable and righteous Kingdom of the [§. 14] Branch, and the great encrease thereof, from the four corners of the earth.

THe branch of the Lord (Christ Jesus) shall grow out of thy roots, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon thee, in wisdom, under∣standing, counsel, might, and of the fear of the Lord; and it shall make thee of quick understanding, in the fear of the Lord, and not to judg after the sight of the eyes, or reprove after the hearing of the ears, but in spirit and truth shall he judg and reprove all things, and smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked; and righteousness and faithfulness shall be our girdle of loyns and reins: then and thus shall the Wolf and the Lamb, the Leopard and the Kid, the Cow and the Bear, and their young, all lie down together, and feed toge∣ther;

the Lion eat straw like an Ox, and a young childe shall play on the hole of the Asp, and a weaned childe put his hand on the Cockatrices egg; for there shal be no poyson nor hurt in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord; for the earth shall be full of the know∣ledg of the Lord God: and to the en∣signe upon this mountain shall the people seek for rest, which shall be glorious: and from the four corners of the earth the Lord will gather them in, even the outcasts of Israel: All envy and adversaries shall depart, enmity, and all, between Ephraim and Judah, brother and brother; we shall flee upon the shoulders of the Phili∣stins: Edom, and Moab, and Ammon shall obey us, and joyn hands and hearts together; and the tongue of the Egyptian sea shall be utterly destroy∣ed, and her mighty rivers dryed; they shall be no more a let to my people. Here is much glory indeed, both a restoration, reconciliation, and ga∣thering all into one head, the Lord:

Then old things shall pass away, and all things become new indeed.

SECT. XV. The day of the Branch brings joy and [§. 15] thankefulness.

ANd in that day, the Branch be∣ing grown up, all boughes and branches shall be cut down, and spred under his feet, in the way, in joy and thanksgiving, and the babes and suck∣lings shall say, Blessed is he that cometh, Hosanna, Hosanna, to the highest: Thy anger is turned away, and thou com∣fortest us; behold thou art our salva∣tion, strength and song; therefore re∣joyce, and draw water of his wells of salvation; Sing unto the Lord, for he doth excellent things; and this shall be known to all the earth, and great is the Lord in the midst of thee.

SECT. XVI. [§. 16] The destruction of Babylon in us, the glory of the earth.

BAbylons destruction, the Lord musters the Army, they are sancti∣fied ones, and the onely mighty men, such as rejoyce in his highness, and these shall destroy and overcome her, such as were tormented by her, and pangs shall take hold of her, and the sinners destroyed out of her; her Stars shall fall, her Sun shall be darkened, and her Moon turned to blood; yea, thy heaven shall be shaken and the earth removed out of its place, yea, thy children dashed in peeces, thy young men thrust thorrow, houses spoiled, women ravished, and a man shall be as precious as gold, yea as fine as the gold of Ophir: And this Babylon, the glory of the whole earth, and all flesh comprehended in it, shall be overthrown, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

SECT. XVII. [§. 17] Israel ruling over her oppressors.

BUt my people Israel shall rule over their oppressors, they shall be their servants in the Lords land, and their captives: Babylon is fallen, is fallen; the Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the scepter of rulers: He that smote, is broken, and none deli∣vereth her; The whole earth is at rest and quiet, they break forth into sing∣ing; now Babylon is fallen, Hell is moved for thee, saying, Art thou come to the dead? Earth is troubled, for that is thy pomp; in the grave the worms spread over thee and cover thee; this is Lucifer fallen from hea∣ven, the man of sin, or the mystery of iniquity working in us, setting up it self as God, till the power of the Lord thus overthrows it, as Sodom, though an Eden to flesh.

SECT. XVIII. Moabs destruction also. [§. 18]

MOab layd waste and brought to silence, weeping and baldness, with sackcloth; their waters desolate, hay withe••ed, grass fading, and no green thing found therein; there is no cry, but destruction. Moab shall be as a wandring bird cast out of her nest, now the Lord shall inherit all things, and the foxes no where to lay their heads; thy harvest, vineyards and wine∣press ceaseth: all their mirth, howl∣ings, her glory contemptible; but she shall be weary of her pride, and high places or idols, and come to the sanctuary to prevail.

SECT. XIX. Fat things made lean, and high things low. [§. 19]

THe farness of Damascus, Syria, and all flesh, made lean and feeble; ready to dye, its made so thin and small; great things made low, and small ones, great: Then, when all flesh

thus ceaseth, a man shall have his eyes to his Maker, and not to the Altar, Groves, or Images, the works of our hands, thus the Lord will turn them. Woe to the multude of many people, that make a noise like the sea, and do rage, the Lord will still and quiet them: And blessed shall the poor, peeled, scattered people be, that shall bring a present to the Lord, whose Land hath been spoiled, and they meted out and troden under foot; they shall be raised up, saith the Lord.

SECT. XX. [§. 20] Egypt, Assyria, and Israel shall be made one by the Lords blessing.

EGypt melted and her idols at the presence of the Lord; for he is riding on a swift cloud into Egypt, and will set Egyptian against Egyptian, Brother against Brother, City against City, and Kingdom against Kingdom; and their familiar spirits and counsel shall fall, their brooks be dried up, their sisters lament, and they that work curi∣ous

works: Pharaohs wise counsellers bruitish, they know not the Lords purpose of Egypt; and the land of the Lord, Judah, shall be a terror to Egypt, and the counsel of the Lord therein torment her; yet the Lord shall prevail over five of her Cities, to turn to the Lord, and shall speak Canaans language, and there shall be the Lords Altar therein, and his Pillar, to be for a witness to the Lord, to save them from all oppressors; and the Lord shall be known in Egypt; the Lord will smite and heal them: and Assyria shall be as Egypt, both one; and Isr••el shall be the third with E∣gypt and Assyria, and a blessing to them both; And then the Lord shall say, Blessed be Egypt my son, or people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.

SECT. XXI. [§. 21] The whole Earth dissolving and burning.

BEhold the Lord maketh the earth empty and waste, he turns it up∣side down, and scatters the inhabitants thereof; he spares none, Priest or People, servant or lord, poor or great; Thus the world languishes, and the haughty people fade away: the earth is broken down, dissolved, and moved ex∣ceedingly, yea, the whole earth reels to and fro like a drunken man; and the high ones, and Kings of the earth shall perish; they shall be gathered to the pit like prisoners; their Moon shall be confounded, their Sun asha∣med, when they shall see the Lord reigning in Mount Sion and Jerusalem before his ancients gloriously.

SECT. XXII. [§. 22] The feast of fat things.

PRaise the Lord for his wonderful things, faithfulness and truth, his counsells; for making the strong weak,

and being a strength to the poor and needy, a refuge, and a shadow from heat and storm; and in the Lords Mountain, his people, he will make a feast of fat things unto all people, of wine and marrow, and fat things full of joy, but the covering, the vail; yea, death, and all tears, and the reproach of my people shall be destroyed; this is the Lord, we have waited for him, we will be glad in him, and rejoyce in his salvation.

SECT. XXIII. The strong City, whose Wall and Bulwarks [§. 23] are Salvation.

IN that day this Song shall be sung, We have a strong City, Salvation will God appoint for Walls and Bul∣warks, the Gates open for the righte∣ous Nation to enter in, and perfect peace shall be therein, for they trust in thee; in Jehovah, God, is everlasting strength: thou weighest the path of the upright; in the way of thy judg∣ments have we waited on thee: for

when thy judgments are in the earth, they will learn righteousness; let fa∣vor be shewed to the wicked, yet they will not learn; thy hand is lifted up, but they will not see, but they shall see; and thou shalt ordain peace for us, for thou hast wrought all our works for us: we have been in travel before thee, Lord we have brought forth little but wind; but if thou sayst the word, that our dead men shall live, and with thy dead body shall arise: Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust, for thy dew is as the dew of the herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead▪ Come, my people, enter thou into thy chamber, and shut thy door for a little moment, until the indignati∣on be overpast.

SECT. XXIV. The Leviathan slain. [§. 24]

THe Leviathan, and the Dragon in the Sea, and the piercing Serpent, shall the Lord slay; and my vineyard of red wine I the Lord will keep and water every moment, night and day:

Israel shall blossom like a bud, and fill the earth with fruit; and they that are ready to perish in Assy••ia, and the outcasts of Israel, shall come to wor∣ship the Lord in mount Zion.

SECT. XXV. [§. 25] Against pride and drunkenness.

THe crown of pride, the drunk∣ards of Ephraim shall be troden under foot, and the Lord shall be their Crown of Glory and Beauty, being filled with the Spirit; yet many have erred in vision, and stumble in vision through strong drink. Whom shall the Lord teach knowledg? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the brests: For with another tongue will he speak to this people; and this shall be the Rest to them that be weary, & till then the Word of the Lord shall be precept on precept, line by line, here and there a little; lyes and falshood shall be no more a re∣fuge. I will lay a foundation in Zion, a sure, tryed One, and he that believeth shall not make haste.

SECT. XXVI. [§. 26] The wise and the fool both alike in the sealed book, till the Lord open it.

I Will fight against Ariel, and speak to her from the dust; & all the earth that fight against Zion my Mountain, I will fight against them, and they shall be as men dreaming, they eat and drink, and are satisfied; but behold, when they do awake they shall be hun∣gry and thirsty; so shall the imagina∣tions or dreams against thee be: And the Lord saith, Forasmuch as this peo∣ple honors me with their lips, and their hearts are from me; they are drunk, but not with wine, but a deep sleep hath seized on them, like a sealed book all things are to them, that the learned is as the unlearned, and the unlearned as the learned, neither understand me, knowing only the doctrine of men: and I will do this wonder amongst them, for the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent hid: But the deaf shall hear,

and the words of my Book shall be re∣vealed to the blind; the meek increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor a∣mongst men rejoyce in the riches of the holy One of Israel; they also that erred in spirit, shall come to under∣standing, and they that murmured, shall learn doctrine; this Wisdom of the Word becomes foolishness, and the foolishness of the Lord true Know∣ledg and Wisdom indeed.

SECT. XXVII. [§. 27] The Counsel that is not of God perishes.

WOe to the Counsel that is not of me, and from my Spirit or Mouth; wherefore all things shall be your shame, and without profit, all help else is in vain, write it in a table book thus, which say to the Seers, See not, teach smooth things, go out of the way, cause the holy One of Israel to cease before us. And as for quietness and rest in the Lord alone, you would not; yet the Lord shall wait for thee,

and thou shalt have aword behind thee, teaching thee when to turn to the right & the left, and the Lord shall give thee rivers on the top of the mountains, and knowledg shall increase: when the Lord healeth the breach of his people, the light of Moon like the Sun, and the Sun seven-fold brighter; then shall the perfect day be, and that shall cause his voyce to be heard.

SECT. XXVIII. [§. 28] Nothing below God any thing.

WOe to them that go down∣wards for help, looking to any thing below God, for their men and means, and not God; when the Lord stretcheth his hand, both he that is helped, and that helpeth, shall fall down, and they shall all fall down to∣gether, teacher and hearer without him. The Lord like a Lyon shall keep Zion his prey, and like a bird fly to their defence; and all the earth shall be afraid of the Lord, and run to their strong holds, for the Lord hath his fire

in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem, saith the Lord.

SECT. XXIX. [§. 29] Righteousness and Judgment King and Prince.

BEhold, Righteousness thy King, and Judgment thy Princes; as ri∣vers of waters, as a rock in a weary land, so is thy Lords Grace to thee; no dimness, nor dullness, nor villany, but Righteousness abounding; be∣hold, the palaces shall be forsaken, the Cities left, the forts and towers, dens; until the Spirit be poured out from on high, then Judgment shall be in the Wilderness, and Righteousness the Field; and peace, and quietness, and as∣surance the fruits thereof for ever.

SECT. XXX. [§. 30] Who shall abide the everlasting burning, and not be consumed therein.

THe spoiler spoiled by the Lord, for he is exalted, he filleth us his Zion with Judgment and Righteous∣ness, Wisdom and Knowledg; the

stability of of thy times, and strength of salvation, and the fear of the Lord thy treasure. Now will I arise, saith the Lord, be exalted, and lift up my self. Ye shall conceive chaff, and bring forth stubble, my breath as fire shall devour you, and you shall be as the burning of lime, as thorns cut down, so burnt in the fire. Hear ye both far and neer, acknowledg my might; the sinners a∣fraid, the hypocrites trembled for fear of the devouring fire, and the everlast∣ing burning; but he that walketh up∣rightly, and speaketh righteously; he that is against the gain of oppression, that shaketh his hands against bribes, that stops his ears from blood, and his eyes from evil, he shall dwell in the midst of the fire, as Moses bush, and the three children, and not be consu∣med; he shall dwell on high, his de∣fence the munition of rocks, he shall have all bread, his waters sure, his King beautiful, and before him, and see things afar off: Look upon Zion and Jerusalem, our solemnities, and our

quiet habitation, a Tabernacle, not to be removed, not a stake ever to be re∣moved, she is so rooted and stablished in the rock, not a coard broken, but there the righteous Lord shall be to us abroad river; for the Lord is our Judg, Law-giver, King and Saviour, and the people dwelling therein shall be for∣given their iniquity, they shall not be sick; praise the Lord.

SECT. XXXI. [§. 31] The wrath of the Lord revealed against earth and heaven.

HErein is revealed the indignati∣on of the Lord against all un∣righteousness of men, which hold the truth in unrighteousness, bringing them all to the fiery Vengeance. First, Let the Nations and people, the earth, yea the whole world, and all therein, draw near, hear and hearken what God will do with them and the world, That he will pour out his wrath and fury upon all the earth, it shall be dis∣solved and delivered up to the slaugh∣ter,

cast out, and left as stinking carcas∣ses, melted into blood; nay, his wrath is revealed against Heaven also, they that boast themselves they are gods, having heaven in the flesh, a car∣nal heaven▪ onely in shew and appear∣ance, not in heart, it shall be bathed against the whole hoste of them, and they shall all, in heaven and earth, be sacrificed to the slaughter, for it is the day of the Lords vengeance and recompence upon them, for their en∣mity to Sion; and their streams shall be pitch, their dust brimstone, and the Land a burning, tormenting all them that live in the earth; and it shall not be quenched, till all be finished in that day.

SECT. XXXII. [§. 32] What strange things the Lord doth amongst us by his Spirit.

THe Lord will make your wil∣derness to rejoyce, and the desart soul to blossom like a rose abundantly, and he that is as a wilderness to re∣joyce

and sing; the weak strengthen∣ed, and the feeble confirmed; the fear∣ful in spirit encouraged, the blinde eyes opened, the deaf ears unstopped, the hard heart mollified, the lame to walk and leap, the dumb to sing, the parched land a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water; Here among these shall the Lord prepare a way, it shall be called, The way of holiness; no Lion shall be there, nor any such beast, but the Lambs of the Lord shall walk therein.

SECT. XXXIII. Sennacheribs and Rabshakehs blasphemies [§. 33] against the servants of the Lord, in whom they are comforted.

SEnnacherib comes with an Army against Jerusalem, to besiege and take it; Rabshakeh sent to summon it, with fair promises, to enjoy every one his own, and to be brought to as good a land as their own, and not to trust in Hezekiah, nor his confidence, or vain

words; nor in Egypt, a broken reed, nor in the Lord, for there is no God that can deliver you or your land out of our hands, or our King, the great King of Assyria; for neither Samaria, nor her gods, nor any other god was able to deliver them out of his hand; and if they did refuse and rebel, they should eat their own dung and drink their own piss, and be after∣wards destroyed with the sword; for thus saith the great King. Now all this is true in the application of it to our selves, The world and the flesh, or the evil spirit in both, Rabshakeh like, reviles and speaks evil against the Lord, tempting and summoning us, bringing an army of evil and strong delusions to ensnare us, promising, if we will yeeld up all, soul and body, and all, that God hath given us, to him, falling down and worshipping him, we shall have all glory, and be like gods; and withal telling us many lies, that God does not, nor can deliver us; he sees not, neither cares for us,

saying, God hath not said it; and as for Hezekiah, beleeve him not, nor stay your selves in the Lord, for I am the God of this world, and give honor and glory, and riches to them; I will be, I am exalted on high in these King∣doms; All bow down to me, and serve me; and they that serve me, the god of this world, I preserve them; and if not, I persecute, hate, destroy, kill, murther, and torment: Woe un∣to them, if I am set against them: This is the railing R••••shakeh contend∣ing for the poor creature, and rending it; but the servant of the Lord is si∣lent, and mourns, waiting patiently on the Lord in all things, and com∣mits it self wholy to him against all temptations and blasphemies.

SECT. XXXIV. How the Spirit of the Lord, given to his, [§. 34] doth overcome all the evil and blasphemies of the devil, and is stronger then he or his.

YEt further, when the evil spirit that dwells in us, or sent to us from the powers of darkness, shall grieve the Spirit of the Lord in his Hezekiahs, or servants, by high ima∣ginations or abominable blasphemies against the holy Spirit of the Lord in his, lifting up it self against the Lord, then a greater power of the Spirit of the Lord comes upon us, and his Word strengthens us, saying, Grieve not, nor be troubled at the blasphemies of Sen∣nacharib and Rabshakeh, those spirits of Satan; for I will be with thee, and I will let all the Nations of the earth see, that I am the Lord God, and there is none besides me; and that you are my people, preserved by my power: I will put a bridle in his mouth, and my

hook in his nose, and overcome him; and fall backwards, and perish in his own land; and the Angel of my pre∣sence shall fall upon his hoste, with the breath of my mouth, and slay them all, you shall finde in the morning nothing but carcasses; this shall they have that rage against the Lord and his Spirit; above a hundred thousand, nay, almost two hundred thousand, slain in the field, but a remnant of the Lord shall take root downwards now, and bear fruit upwards mani∣fold, and rejoyce in the Lord of the whole earth. And again, we see, that though an evil spirit of wickedness or blasphemy, like the beast in the Revelation, may for a while triumph over all, and speak great words, and do mighty things, yet the Spirit of Truth and Glory consumes it all at last.

SECT. XXXV. [§. 35] How the Lord makes sick and well, kills and saves; and he is glorified in all he doth.

THis shews how those whom the Lord loves fall sick through boyls and distempers of flesh, the corrupt nature is sickly and perishes, and how it all turns to the glorifying of God, and the good of the soul, as in the 11. of John, saith Christ of Lazarus, this sickness is not for his death, but for the death of sin in the flesh, and for his life; for the Son of God in him shall be glorified by it, and it was so: And even so here, Hezekiahs life is re∣newed, he dyes after the flesh, to this life and state, and lives to God after the Spirit; dyes to himself to live to God, as he saith, now shall I live to praise thee: Thus the Lord makes us sick and well, dead and alive, wounds and heals, takes and gives, after his good pleasure, sets all in order, the fire, the faggot, the sacrifice, the knife,

and all the whole sacrifice; the whole man, with his whole house; and it is not to kill the Lamb, but the Ram; not the Sinner, but the Sin: and the Lord healed him, and defended his City, all his with him, house and all, prolonging their lives, giving them a long life, even for ever and ever, and a signe, The Sun returning, or going backwards ten degrees, which shewed the return and fall of his enemies, or the forgiveness of sins, and the restaura∣tion of souls.

SECT. XXXVI. Babylons letters and presents to betray us [§. 36] and our treasures into his own Land.

LEtters and Presents from Babylon, and her King Baladan, upon Heze∣kiahs recovering, hearing of it, pre∣tends joy for it: Thus the Flesh lies in wait for the Spirit; Antichrist for Christ and the Christian: if we re∣cover from falling on the left hand, we are presently tempted to fall and err

on the right hand, Here the Devil is transforming himself into an Angel of light, and deceives and betrays us base∣ly, pretending to be outwardly for us, giving us his letters and presents, and is inwardly against us; so creeps in unawares, and like a serpent, subtilly gains upon us, undermines us, findes and feels our strength, and eats and drinks with us, and is received into our heart and treasure, we being all opened to him, nothing in us but made known, and yet really know not whence he comes, a stranger from a far Country to see us, and rejoyce with us, but not out of love, but envy, like them in Pauls days that preached Christ out of envy: But the Lord re∣members us, and findes out all our e∣nemies for us, and smites us when we do amiss; so that as Hezekiah receiv∣ed these messengers and presents, and withal shewed his treasures and glory in house and kingdom to them that would, carrying it all away one day; and take them captive, so it is

with many taken away by sor∣ceries.

SECT. XXXVII. [§. 37] The Comfort that the Lord comforts his people withal, as the fruits of his coming.

THe Lord comforteth his people with these things:

1. That their warfare is shortly ac∣complished.

2. Their sins pardoned.

3. The way of the Lord to be pre∣pared in them, the mountains there to be removed, and the valleys lifted up there, which is the poor in spirit to be comforted, the rough ways made plain, and the crooked thoughts made streight.

4. Their flesh to be made like grass and toyling; so that all flesh is grass.

5. That the glory of the Lord is to be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the Lord hath spoken it.

6. That Zion shall have all glad ti∣dings in her; that she shall cry, behold my Lord and my God; for he shall come with a strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: Behold his reward is with him, and his work before him.

7. The Lord himself shall feed us as a shepherd doth his flock; he shall gather his lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom, leading them that are with young.

8. Holding the waters in his hand, spanning the heavens, comprehending the earth, weighing the mountains; To whom the Nations are a drop, and the Isles a little thing; calling the stars by his names. To whom then will ye liken me, saith the Lord, the ever∣lasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, that never faints nor is weary, whose understanding is un∣searchable, that gives strength, life, and being, to all things, and to them that wait upon the Lord, he renews their strength, that they mount up

with wings like Eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; walk, and not faint.

SECT. XXXVIII. [§. 38] The Worm Jacob made strong.

FEar not, thou Worm, Jacob, for I will help thee, and be thy Re∣deemer; I have chosen thee, thou art my Servant, and I will not cast thee a∣way, but will uphold thee with the right hand of my Righteousness: I will plant thee anew, and none shall root thee up, and every plant or idol that is in you, shall become an abomi∣nation to you; yea, and the works of your own hands vanity and nothing, and ye shall rejoyce in the Lord, and all that strive with you shall perish.

SECT. XXXIX. [§. 39] What the Lord doth for his Servants.

BEhold my Servants whom I have chosen, mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth; I have put my Spi∣rit upon them, and they shall bring

forth Judgment to the Gentiles: They are mine, and not their own; mine, and not mens; for no man can serve two Masters: Behold, they are excel∣lent Servants, whose service is perfect Freedom indeed and pleasure; all his Words and Works, Joy, Peace and Righteousness for ever. Again, they are Servants of my own choosing, cal∣ling, fitting, trained up by my self in my own house, to serve me in Righte∣ousness and Holiness before me. And in whom my Soul delighteth: Whom the Lord chooses, he delights in them, though they be but Servants, the un∣worthiest of them; nay, and that with his Soul, delighting himself in the prosperity of his Servants; and whom he delights in, he puts his Spirit upon them, he can keep no good things from them, yea, all is theirs, Heaven and Earth, Christ, the Spirit, God, and All. And lastly, they shall by this Spirit overcome all things, and bring forth Judgment unto Victory indeed.

SECT. XL. [§. 40] The sweetness and love of the Spirit of Christ in his.

HE shall not cry, nor lift up his voyce, nor be heard in the streets; a brui∣sed reed he shall not break, nor quench the smoaking flax, till he bring forth Judgment unto Victory; he shall not fail, nor be discouraged, till he hath set up Judgment in the Earth, and the Isles shall wait for his Law. Thus shall it be with the Children of Jesus, in whom Christ is formed; the Spirit of Jesus is Love, Meekness, Sweetness, Pati∣ence; it seeks not revenge, but in all things behaves it self comely in the streets abroad, towards them without, and at home towards them within; it will offend none, but help all.

SECT. XLI. [§. 41] The smoaking flax, and the bruised reed in us, the little measure of the Spirit.

THe smoaking flax, &c. The low∣est and darkest appearance of him is glorious; he comes to his own, and receives it, if but a smoak, he makes it a flame, and such as sit in darkness, he makes them to see light, and where there is smoak, and trouble of heart, he takes away the dimness, and makes the smoak to vanish, and the fire of the Lords Spirit must burn us as flax and tow, decay to nothing be∣fore we shall be good for any thing. And the bruised reed also the Lord will not break, he doth cherish and nourish it, as the husband doth his wife; the Lord rather doth bind up the reed then bruise it, and makes the reed become a rod of iron, to break in pieces the Nations, the Potters vessels, the fleshly man; for the Lord can do nothing against himself.

SECT. XLII. [§. 42] Flesh is deaf and blind, the Lord seeing all things.

ANd the Lord will give himself for righteousness, strength and light to the people, eyes to the blind, free∣dom to the prisoners: I will no more give my glory to another; I will make waste their mountains and hills, dry up all their herbs, and dry up all their pools, and then will I bring the blind by a way they know not; I will make darkness light before them, and crook∣ed things straight; all flesh shall be deaf and blind, and then shall they see; even my Servant, and my Messenger shall be blind, that he that glorieth may glory in the Lord.

SECT. XLIII. [§. 43] The blind and the deaf shall be Gods Witnesses.

BRing forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears, for they are my Witnesses and

my Servants whom I have chosen, saith the Lord. For they beleeve, un∣derstand and know that I am he, and there is none besides me. O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed thee, and called thee by my name, thou art mine: Where∣soever thou goest, I am with thee, through waters, rivers, fire, and all; for thou art precious in my sight, and ho∣norable; therefore I will give men for thee, and people for thy life. Behold, I will do a strange thing, I will dry up all rivers, and make a new river in the Wilderness, and the Beast and the Dragon therein shall honor me for it, and drink thereof, and change their natures.

SECT. XLIV. I the Lord do all things. [§. 44]

I Am the Lord, and there is none else; I the Lord do all things, I make the Heavens to drop down from above, and let the Sky pour down Righteousness, and the Earth open, and let them bring forth Salvation, and let Righte∣ousness

spring forth together; I, the Lord, have created it, and will have it so: I have raised thee up in Righte∣ousness, and thou shalt built up my City, not for silver nor reward, but for my name sake; yea, all shall bow down to thee, and make supplication to thee, saying, surely God is with thee, and in thee, and there is none else; the idols shall make you ashamed, but I will save you world without end. Look unto me, and be ye saved, for there is none besides me, in me you shall be justified, and shall glory.

SECT. XLV. [§. 45] God not like the golden idols.

TO whom will you liken me, saith the Lord? to your dumb, dead idols, that cannot stir, overlaid with gold, yet without life, whereas there is no God besides me? I will bring near my Righteousness, and my Salvation shall not tarry, and I will place my Salvation in Zion for Israel my Glory.

SECT. XLVI. The shame and the nakedness of Babylon. [§. 46]

O Virgin, daughter of Babylon, come, and sit on the ground, for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate, thy nakedness and shame shall be seen; get thee into darkness, thou art no more a Lady of Kingdoms, thou shalt have no more pleasure, in a moment childless, and a widow, for thy sorceries and inchantments, trust∣ing in thy wickedness, saying, Thou art, and there is none besides thee; wherefore a mischief and a desolation shall come on thee suddenly, and thou shalt not know it; let all thy Confi∣dence or Counsellers stand up and save thee from the evil to come on thee; thou shalt be as stubble, the fire shall burn them; and thus the whole glory of flesh is destroyed.

SECT. XLVII. [§. 47] I have shewed thee what thy Idols could not.

I Have shewed thee new and hidden things, what is, and hath come to pass, and what shall be, and none of thy idols could do it, then did I tell it thee, yet is thy neck stiff, and thy brow hard: I, even I, have spoken it from the beginning, and if thou hadst heark∣ened to my Commandments, then had thy peace been as rivers; and thy righ∣teousness as the waves of the sea, thy seed as the sand, and thy off-spring as the gravel thereof, nor thy name cut off or destroyed for ever.

SECT. XLVIII. The Lord from the womb forms us to be [§. 48] his Servants.

THe Lord hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name, and made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand

hath he hid me, and made me a polish∣ed shaft in his quiver, making me his Servant, in whom he will be glorifi∣ed; then I said, I have labored in vain, and spent my strength for nought, yet surely my judgment then is with the Lord, and my work with my God; though I be nothing, yet he is all things; Kings and Princes shall arise and worship, because of the Lord thy God with thee; and then you shall feed in the ways, and their pastures in the high places; you shall not hun∣ger nor thirst, neither heat or Sun smite them; for thou hast mercy on them, and leads them by the springs of water, and there thou wilt guide them. Sing, O Heavens, Earth and Moun∣tains, for the Lord hath comforted his afflicted, and I will not forget you, and none shall condemn you, the smiters shall not trouble you: He that fears the Lord, and obeys his voyce, though in darkness, without light, shall trust in the Name of the Lord, and stay himself on God; but whosoever shall

kindle a fire of confidence for them∣selves, shall lye down in sorrow.

SECT. XLIX. [§. 49] Look to our Rock, whence we are hewen.

LOok to the Rock, whence you are hewen, and the pit that digged you: the Lord will make the desarts like Eden, and your Wilderness like a Paradise; though all fa••l, yet your Salvation shall remain for ever; and your Righteousness never abolished. Awake, awake, O Arm of the Lord: It was not our Arm, but thine, that hath done terrible things. Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, thou hast drunk a cup of trembling; the sword, the plague, and the famine hath taken hold on thee: I will give thee a cup of Salvation, and remove the other from thee.

SECT. L. [§. 50] Thy beautiful Garments.

ZIon, or the Saints, shall put on strength, and have the beautiful Garments of Life and Immortality, Grace and Glory, Righteousness and Truth, as their clothing and beauty, and there shall not any thing defile thee; the uncircumcised and the un∣clean, the filthiness of all flesh and spi∣rit shall pass away from thee, from henceforth, even for ever; thou art all fair my love.

SECT. LI. Shake thy self from the dust. [§. 51]

THou shalt shake thy self from the dust, and all thy earthly tabernacles and buildings shall fall in pieces, they shall hold you no longer, nor keep you captive; I will loose thy cords and bands, and thou shalt be at home in the Lord, and be absent from the body, from flesh, sin, death, and all misery: I will redeem you without

money, freely from all, though you have sold your selves for the world, and to the world, which is as good as nought; For what will it profit you to gain the world, and lose your soul▪

SECT. LII. The Lord rules over us, and speaks in us. [§. 52]

I The Lord will rule over them, and none other, they shall howl no more, but rejoyce, and my Name shall no longer be blasphemed amongst them, but hallowed; for my people shall know it, and have it written in them, and upon them, and know that I am he that speaketh; behold, it is I; the word in their heart, and from their mouth, it is not theirs, but mine to give; and they shall not take care what to speak in that day, for the Fa∣ther that dwelleth in them shall teach them.

SECT. LIII. [§. 53] How beautiful the feet of them that do bring the glad tydings of peace are.

THe instrument of Gods praises is honorable for the work sake; Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord, but thrice more, the Lord himself coming in his own Name and Glory; if the feet of them that bring but the glad tydings be beautiful, if they that bear the Ark glorious, if the figure, form or type be glorious, what is the Head, the Lord himself, the Truth, and Glad Tydings themselves? If those that were about King Solomon, and heard him, and wait∣ed on him, were so happy, how much more then is Solomon himself happy; for the feet of Christ is the lowest and weakest of Christs people, called Christians, the poorest amongst them; if they that are but the feet, like door∣keepers in the house of God, be so beautiful, and full of joy, and glad ty∣dings, having but the earnest and feet of the Spirit; O what are the eyes and

hands of the Lord? How glorious are the highest Saints? Nay, what is the King of Saints? Then who can tell us, if his feet, which is Christ manifest∣ed in the Flesh, be so beautiful, what is his Head then, which is Christ ju∣stified in Spirit? If the Feet of his Humanity be such, what think you must the Head and Heart of his Divi∣nity be?

SECT. LIV. Thy God reigneth in the Zion of Saints. [§. 54]

THe only glad tydings is this to all Zion, Thy God reigneth: This is their greatest joy, and without which all other joys are soon quenched; This is the Day of Salvation, Redemption, Remission, Justification, Sanctificati∣on, and all blessedness, the acceptable year and Jubile of the Lord and his Zion, then when their God reigns; and where must he reign? not only in hea∣ven and in earth, but in men, in the midst amongst us; then is his King∣dom come, and Will done on earth as it is in heaven, when thy God reigneth, O Zion.

SECT. LV. [§. 55] How thy God doth set thee apart; and how, though thy outward man be vile, yet the inward glorious.

DEpart ye, depart ye, shall the Lord then say, get ye out from hence, and touch no unclean thing; I have received you, go out of the midst of her, and be altogether in my holiness, and live in me, for I will lead you, and go before you, and be your rereward, and come behind you, so that nothing shall come nigh you, but my self; I will compass you so a∣bout, and deal so prudently with you, that I shall only be exalted and extol∣led amongst you; and though his out∣ward form and visage, in whom I dwell, be so base and marred by re∣proaches, more then any other in the world, yet I will stop the mouths of Kings for their sakes, and my glory shall break forth in the midst of them; and that which had not been told them by flesh and blood, shall they see by the

Spirit of my Father; and that which they had not heard, neither could they believe, shall they now know, and be fully satisfied in; and all this shall be in the day that thy God raigneth in Zion.

SECT. LVI. The Arm of the Lord. [§. 56]

THe Arm and Strength of the Lord are we in the Lord, and it is revealed to us in Christ, who is this Arm of the Lord indeed, and we can∣not but report so; the Lord is with us, and his Arm upon us, when it is so in∣deed, when the Arm of the Lord goes along with the report; and indeed how can we that have been saved and healed by the Lord and his Arm, but go about testifying what great things the Lord hath done for us, and magni∣fie his name, and declare his goodness, whether they will believe it or not, I am constrained to report it, to pre∣pare his way.

SECT. LVII. [§. 57] The plant growing up out of a dry ground, with sorrow to the flesh and the world, but with joy to the Lord & his Spirit in Saints.

ANd this Arm of the Lord, as it is revealed and comes that way, be∣fore it can be reported by us, flesh and blood reveals it not, but our Fa∣ther which is in Heaven; so it grows up as a tender plant of the Lords own planting: Christ planted in us grows up like a plant, and takes root from the Father, and brings forth his bran∣ches and fruits in the dry ground of our nature, in our sinful state, poor, barren flesh: and when this tender plant, Christ Jesus, grows up, it shall be at first in weakness, without form or comeliness after the flesh▪ nay with∣out beauty that you should desire him after the flesh, for he comes to cru∣cifie flesh and blood in us; and there∣fore the natural man will despise him, hide his face and not esteem him; for the plant of the Lord will be a man of

sorrow and grief to his flesh, as the Lord Jesus was to the Jews in his day. And further, this Arm of the Lord will bear all our griefs and sorrows, all our smitings, strikings and afflictings of God and men, besides the principa∣lities and powers of Satan which dwel with us, it will bear them all, yea the wounds of our transgressions and the bruises of our iniquities, wounding and bruising him; he heals them all, and overcomes them, reconcileing us to God, slaying the enmity, taking a∣way the wall of partition, becomes a Mediator between God and us, uniting us in one.

SECT. LVIII. [§. 58] The Lamb that opens not his mouth, but by suffering overcomes.

THis arm of the Lord findes us lost and going astray, like sheep, out of his way, and turns us into the way, and leads in the way of righteousness, bear∣ing all our iniquity, both in the way and out of the way, that lies upon us;

its the Lords pleasure to remove them that they lie not in our way, nor keep us from the way, nor turn us out of the way; and as a Lamb, so opens he not his mouth, though oppressed, af∣flicted, smitten, and slaughtered, but by patient suffering overcomes all, and is glorified over all, and is taken out of prison, and from judgment, and who shall declare his generation? for when he was oppressed and smitten, he was in prison in flesh; but when the Lord rises in us, and leads us captive after him, then he is out of prison, and destroys flesh; he is not here in pri∣son, he is risen.

SECT. LIX. [§. 59] Christ makes his grave with the wicked and the rich in his death.

BUt this Lamb, though he lies in the prison of flesh, and is in the wicked as in a grave buried and im∣prisoned, yet there he will rise; and as his grave is with the rich, that have righteousness, but not from the Lord,

he rises amongst them; so that the Lord makes his grave in his death with the wicked and the rich, and makes them both one in his death, and buried with him into his death, and lie with him in his grave, and rise with him in the Spirit, by making wicked and rich both happy in himself a∣lone.

SECT. LX. What it is to have the pleasure of the Lord [§. 60] for to prosper in his, or in our hand.

IT pleased the Lord to bruise his Son, and so his Saints, often to put them to grief in the flesh, that they might rejoyce in the Spirit; and to sow that seed in them that might pro∣long their days; and to let them see the seed of his soul, and love; and the seed of their soul, joy, and praises; and so to have the pleasure of the Lord to prosper in their hands, as it did in Christs, and to have the Lords plea∣sure to prosper in the hands of Christ, and no other hands, for it cannot; if

taken out of his hands, all decays and withers, every branch or work; but in him is all fruit and prosperity found; the pleasure of the Lord is he, and the pleasure of the Lord is his work and way, and it is to save sinners, to dye for sinners, call sinners, justifie sinners, and to make them Saints and sons, the soul of the living God blame∣less, harmless, glorious, beautiful all over; this is the pleasure of the Lord; nay, to have him bruised, smit∣ten, to have his grace, love, mercy, pa∣tience, goodness, bowels, wisdom, power, all employed for our good; this is the pleasure of the Lord; and it did, and doth prosper in the hands of Christ, and that is the next thing, when it makes us like Christ, and like God, when the will of the Lord is done in us, when God dwells in us, of a truth, when we are made one with the Lord, when we reign with him, when the Lord is all, when we are his pleasure and will.

SECT. LXI. [§. 61] The Lord shall see us as the travel of his Soul.

ANd the Lord Jesus shall beget us, and conceive us in the womb of his tender mercies, and travel in birth with us; and in the Day of the Lord we shall, though with sorrow, be the travel of his Soul, and we shall see it, and the Lord shall look upon us; and notwithstanding all former sorrow, it shall not be remembred, for joy that we are brought forth holy to the Lord; and the Lords Will and Plea∣sure, Wisdom and Power, Love and Mercy, shall be satisfied in us.

SECT. LXII. [§. 62] We are the Lords spoil and portion.

ANd the Knowledg of the Lord shall be known, and his Wis∣dom understood, and the righteous God shall be justified, and we justi∣fied by him, and in him, for his Righteousness shall be in us,

and upon us; we shall be his spoil and portion, the Lord shall take us for his lot, and the Lord shall be our por∣tion and great inheritance.

SECT. LXIII. The Lord makes the barren to sing, and to [§. 63] bring forth gloriously.

FEar not, neither be ashamed of thy reproach, poor heart, that art left like a widow, and childless, barren and fruitless, thou that hast not tra∣velled though thou wast married, but not to the Lord: Thou hast had many lovers and husbands, but not thy maker thine husband, therefore thou art confounded, and in bondage, weep∣ing and lamenting, as being left deso∣late; Hear now what the Lord God, whose name is the Lord of hostes, thy Redeemer, the holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth, what he saith, Sing O barren, and break forth into singing; for the Lord thy God will overshadow thee, and thou shalt conceive in righteousness, travel in

truth, and bring forth faithfulness: the Lord will marry thee to himself, and thou shalt bear many sons and daughters to the Lord; for Righteous∣ness shall be the fruits of thy womb, and Peace thy daughters, and Truth thy off-spring.

SECT. LXIV. [§. 64] The seed of the living God out of a barren womb wonderful.

THe Lord thy Husband, will en∣large thee all over, none shall surpass thee, thou shalt have more chil∣dren then the married ones, or the con∣cubines, thou shalt excel them all, in singing, bearing, and bringing forth a multitude of Glory to the Lord; thy womb shall be opened, thy heart en∣larged, thy spirit strengthened, thy seed multiplied, thy bed stretched out, thy tents widened, and the curtains of thy habitation, thy cords and stakes lengthened, for the Lord, will make the fruits of thy soul like the stars of Hea∣ven, or the sands on earth for number,

all the Plants of the Lord, all his own begotten Sons and Daughters, and born by the Spirit, in whom he is well pleased; thou shalt break forth on the right hand, & on the left, every way beautiful, and thy seed and children shall inherit and inhabit the desolate places; and where it was said, Ye are not my people, there shall it be said, Ye are the sons of the living God.

SECT. LXV. [§. 65] The Lord thy husband that comforts thee.

THus the Lord hath delt with thee, when thou wast as a woman for∣saken and grieved in spirit, nay, refu∣sed and rejected by all, I found thee desolate, and I married thee, and re∣ceived thee to my self, and lay thee in my arms and bosom, made thee to bear children; thus with great mer∣cies have I gathered thee, though for a small moment thou wast forsaken; and in a little wrath I hid my face from thee, but I am returned to thee now with everlasting kindness; and I

will have mercy on thee without end, for I am thy Husband and thy Re∣deemer.

SECT. LXVI. [§. 66] I will be thy God and Husband from ever∣lasting unto everlasting.

NAy, now I will do more for thee then ever, I wil never depart more from thee; I will swear to thee as I did to Noah, and give thee a better signe then I did to him, the Rainbow in the Heaven, that I would no more drown the Earth; so will I do to thee, the waters of my wrath shall never be up∣on thee, my light and countenance lifted on thee, but never taken off thee; and this shall be thy token, I will give thee my self in marriage, and be thy Husband, and thou shalt be without rebuke, nay, though moun∣tains and hills be removed, all thy comforts and comforters depart from thee, yet shall never my kindness, nor the Covenant of my peace, be remov∣ed, but I will keep thee in perfect

peace; for in the world, flesh and darkness, there is nothing but trouble, vanity, anguish, torment, and vexati∣on, but in me, my Love, Heart, Spirit, Light, Life, Truth, and Kingdom, thou shalt have peace; be therefore of good comfort, for I have overcome all to thee.

SECT. LXVII. [§. 67] The foundation, windows, and gates of the Saints, the Lords house and building, of what precious stones it is.

SEe further, how fruitful the Lord will make her, and how beautiful all over, though tossed and afflicted, discomforted and perplexed, behold the Lord will be thy foundation, the living Stone shall be thy corner stone, the Rock thy root and bottom, where∣fore saith the Lord, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and foundation with Saphirs; thy windows of Agates, thy gates of Carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant sto••es: And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great

shall be the peace of thy children: Thus will the Lord glorifie thee, for in righ∣teousness shalt thou be established, that shall be thy fair colours and Sa∣phirs, and without either oppression, oppressor, fear, or terror; and all that gather against thee, shall fall by thee, for I am with thee; and as whatsoever is in thine hand hath this blessing, it shall prosper; so this shall be a curse to thine enemies, that no weapon formed against thee, my Holiness, shall pros∣per: and every tongue that riseth up against thee, by preaching, praying, counselling, or threatening, shall be condemned: This is the heritage, blessing, promise, and portion of the servants of the Lord, and all their worth and righteousness is from thee; thou art the Lord their God, thou sanctifiest them.

SECT. LXVIII. [§. 68] The Lord is that water, that wine, and that milk to them that thirst after him, and that hunger in him.

THe Lord Jesus Christ is all true and saving comfort, and all kind of food is in him: He is water to the thirsty, wine to the heavy hearted, milk to the hungry; He is water to the weak, milk to the faint, wine to the strong; and yet one and the same Lord God that gives, water, milk, and wine; and this he doth in the reveal∣ing of himself more or less to us. And do but observe the Lords sweet grace, in calling us to this feast or banquet that he hath prepared for us, Ho every one that thirsteth, taste how good and gracious the Lord God is, taste of his after all: when thou hast drunk many waters, and tasted much wine, and eat the milk of many creatures that have stollen away thy heart, then do but come to this living water after all, and indeed if we knew the gift of

God, and the vertue of this water, and who it is that calls us to come to drink, we should say, Lord give me evermore of this water, or else I dye, and that I may never thirst again; but as long as we have any cisterns, Jacobs wells, or any such creature wisdom, or broken vessel, we are apt to forsake the living fountain; but after all, when all that fails us, and cannot quench our tongue enflamed, nor cool it, nor give us the least comfort, then shall we fly to the rock where we are com∣forted.

SECT. LXIX. [§. 69] Three things to be observed here, more espe∣cially on the best wine kept last.

DO but consider these two things here:

First, The Lord invites us to the wa∣ters, and then to the milk, and after to the wine: first to thirsting, then to buying without mony, and lastly to eating; so tender, carefull, and wise is the Lord to us, weaning us by de∣grees

from grace to grace, and strength to strength, becoming all things to all to win soul••.

And the second thing is, to remem∣ber the Governor of the feast in the marriage of Cana, that after all the bad wine was drunk, commended the water turned to wine by Christ above all that ever he drank before, and de∣manded why he kept the good wine till now; so is it in the way of the Lord here, when men have drunk their fill, and tasted, and filled them∣selves with the creatures, if the Lord makes them but to thirst after this wa∣ter and wine, and give them to drink∣ing, they shall also say as this Gover∣nor here, Lord God, this is the water and the wine indeed, all that ever I did drink before is nothing to this: thou hast kept the best last.

And also, do but observe one thing more, The best things are best cheap; this water is not to be purchased with mony, the gift of God comes not that way; No, no, our mony, and

mony-worth, and all such things perish; it is free and full, and the Lord gives it liberally, and upbraids none.

SECT. LXX. [§. 70] That which is bread, and satisfieth, and is good, and delights the soul, and makes it live and prosper in fatness, is from the Lord alone.

HEarken diligently unto me, I am the Lord thy God that will help and have mercy on thee, and shew thee what is good; I will not give thee stones for bread, nor serpents for fish, neither will I take thee, or thy mony, thy labor, or strength, or any such thing, to deceive thee; but I will, out of my love to thee, and bowels of compassion, knowing this, thou art deceived; I will give thee bread in∣deed, content and sufficiency of all things, that which is bread, and that which satisfied, which is my grace and peace; Hearken therefore unto me alone, and take what I shall give thee;

my water, my wine, and my milk, it is mine, and its water of life, milk from my everlasting brests, my own com∣forts from my heart, my Wine and Spirit, it is all good, exceeding good, the riches of my goodness; taste it, it will delight thy soul, strengthen thy heart, enlighten thy eyes, and revive thy spirits; its fatness indeed, its hony and marrow; it will make thee fat, and fair, and well-liking; thy soul shall prosper by it, and delight it self in fatness with it; I will be all this to thee; and you shall live in the fatness and fulness of all things: if thou wilt live with me, thou shalt no more labor in vain, nor spend mony in vain after those things that perish; but I will take thee to my self in Covenant, stature, life, spi∣rit, even an everlasting Covenant, the sure mercies of David; I will deal in mercy with thee, and no other way, e∣ven from henceforth for ever; I will make thee live in peace and happiness, and live and feed, walk and stand, and

lie down for ever in sure mercies: this shall be thy habitation for ever; and I will be thy labor and mony for ever, that is, thy riches and strength am I, and thy exceeding great reward.

SECT. LXXI. Christ the true Witness and Leader to [§. 71] the People.

ANd behold your light shall so shine before men, that they shall see your good works, and glorifie your Father which is in heaven: I will give Christ to be the true and faithful Witness in you to the world, and your Leader and Commander in all your goings out, and comings in, to glorifie me in the midst of a crook∣ed and perverse generation; and you shall have no other Witness, no less a Witness of my Covenant and sure mercies with thee, then the Son and Spirit of mercy himself, Christ your Lord my Witness in you.

SECT. LXXII. [§. 72] The people that know thee not shall run after thee, for the Lord hath glorified thee in their eyes, and their thoughts and ways shall be as the Lords thoughts and ways are.

BEhold, again, I will not only give them water▪ wine, milk, and all manner of good things, but I will sa∣tisfie them, make them delight in fat∣ness, they shall live with me, I will make also an everlasting Covenant with them, I will be their Witness in all things, to justifie them, and com∣fort them, and to discern between good and evil in them: and moreover, I will call whole Nations, that thou knowest not, to bear witness to thee, and to follow thee, for they hear and see that the Lord thy God is with thee, and they that know not thee shall run after thee, because of the savor of thy good ointments, and they shall come into thy chambers, and have fellowship with thee, for their fellowship shall

be with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, so because of the Lord thy God they shall be drawn, and be∣cause of the holy One of Israel, for he hath glorified thee, therefore shall they glorifie thee, and be glorified to∣gether in the Lord also with thee, and so shall seek and worship the Lord in one glory; for the Lord their God hath found them, and therefore they return to him, and seek him, and is found of them, and appears nigh unto them, so they cannot but call upon him, and he again upon them, he calls the sinners to repentance, the wicked to forsake his evil way, and the unrigh∣teous man his thoughts, and to turn to the Lord; for he will have mercy on them, and to them, that call him the Lord their God; for he can and will, and none else, abundantly pardon them: and though your thoughts, and ways, and mine, be as far distant as hea∣ven and earth, and as far below me, yet I will make your thoughts mine, and your ways mine; you shall think as I

think, and say as I say, and live as I live, and in every thing do as I do, agree in mind, spirit and judgment with me; think of your selves and ways as I do think of you, and think of me and my ways according as I think of my self, and think of others, and their ways, as I do; and then though my thoughts before were in heaven so high, & yours on earth so low, yet now you shall no more be in earth, but in heaven with me, and in earth with me, and in both like me.

SECT. LXXIII. The Word that comes from Gods Mouth shall prosper in what it is sent. [§. 73]

NAy furthermore, I will pour out my Rain and my Snow, my Spi∣rit and my Word, from my heavenly Glory, upon you, that are like the earth, sinful and carnal, and my Spirit and Word shall not return in vain, it shall water you, and make you fruit∣ful, and bring forth seed to the sower, and bread to the eater; for as it came

out of my Mouth, as from heaven, so it shall descend in the heart of the earth, and plow up the fallow grounds, and sow in righteousness, and reap in joy; it shall accomplish that whereto I sent it, and prosper in the thing I take in hand; it shall make you bring forth, and go out in joy, and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills shall break forth into singing, and the trees of the fields clap their hands for joy, for high and low, rich and poor, shall praise the Lord; no thorns, but fir trees; no bryers, but mirtle trees; and it shall be to the Lord for an everlast∣ing sign of praise, never to end.

SECT. LXXIV. [§. 74] No man is just, but he to whom Salvation is come.

BLessed is the man that keepeth judgment, for judgment shall keep him, and that doth justice, for that shall preserve him; for to him my Salvation is come, the Salvation of the Lord, and to him my Righteousness is

revealed; blessed is the man that hath this, and that layeth hold on it; for he shall keep the Sabbath from pol∣luting it, and serve the Lord; he shall keep a rest & a holy day for ever to the Lord; he shall do no evil, neither shall any iniquity be found in his hand.

SECT. LXXV. [§. 75] The stranger and the Eunuch joyned to the Lord, and made sons and heirs to God.

THe stranger and the Eunuch that are joyned to the Lord shall be sons and heirs, neither shall they say, we are separated from the Lord any more, nor from his people, but are u∣nited to them; nor shall the Eunuch say any more, he is a dry tree; but the Lord God, who joyned himself to them, and given them his Spirit, even the Spirit of Holiness and Rest, to keep a Sabbath within them, God will give them a place and a habitati∣on within his house, and a name better then of sons and daughters, even heirs, and an everlasting name that shall ne∣ver

be cut off: I will bring them to my holy Mountain, and make them my House of Prayer, and I will re∣joyce in them, and accept of all their burnt-offerings and meat-offerings up∣on my Altar, and my House shall be called, The House of Prayer for all people; though their watchmen be blind and dumb dogs, yet I will be their Watchman, saith the Lord.

SECT. LXXVI. [§. 76] The righteous man perisheth, but not his righteousness, yet none lays it to heart.

THe righteous man perisheth, though his righteousness en∣dures for ever, yet none lays him or his righteousness to heart, nor consi∣dereth his death or his life; and he, and his righteousness, is taken from the evil to come; for what hath righteousness to do with unrighteousness, or light with darkness? So he is taken from men to God, and shall enter in his peace, and lie down in his bed of rest,

and walk for ever in his righteousness: But the sinful and wicked man he pe∣risheth not, but lives and prospers in the world for a moment, but yet his triumph is short; this is the Adul∣terer and the Adulteress, and her who∣rish brood, that make a wide mouth; speaking blasphemy; false children, full of iniquity, sporting themselves with vanities, and inflamed with idols in every place, in valleys and hills, and hast joyned to another, and enlarged thy bed, and hast not at all remembred the Lord, nor laid him to thy heart; for these lovers and lusts have stollen away thy heart, thy vanity shall take thee away, and none shall deliver thee; but they that trust in me shall be de∣livered, and inherit rest in my Land quietly.

SECT. LXXVII. The Lord will dwell in Holiness, both on [§. 77] high and below.

NAy further, Thus saith the Lord to them that fear him, whose

name and nature is holy, and his dwel∣lings in eternity holy, that wheresoe∣ver he is he makes all things holy, and like him; if he dwell above or be∣neath, in heigth or in depth, in rich or in poor, in high or low, strong or weak, fathers or babes, which is called the high and holy place, or in the hum∣ble and contrite, yet he is Holiness in all estates and degrees, and revives the heart and spirit of the humble, and creates peace also in all their borders, both to them a far off, and to them nigh at hand; neither wil I contend in wrath for ever, least I should destroy the souls that I have made; but I have seen his ways, and will heal and restore comfort to the mourners, and peace where there is no peace.

SECT. LXXVIII. [§. 78] The sin and iniquity of Jacob; the Fast that is the Lords, the good and acceptable day that he chuses, how we must love one another, and walk in the light, and not in darkness, as the Lord doth to us.

THe Lords people, even the house of Jacob, have their sins and trans∣gressions as well as others, and the cry of the Lord is loud against them, he will not spare them above all, they shall see it; and these be their sins.

1. They seek me dayly, but its with the lip only.

2. They delight to know my ways, but yet hate to be reformed, and do it.

3. They ask of me the Ordinances of Justice, and yet forsake the Ordi∣nance of their God.

4. They delight in approaching before God, yet they say, Wherefore takest thou no knowledg of it?

5. They fast, and yet find pleasure;

they fast but from sin, but fast to strife and debate; you fast not unto me, your fast is not the acceptable day of the Lord, that is, Joy and Gladness; yours is rending of garments, putting on of sackcloth; you have chosen out a fast to your selves, which I know not of, nor delight in; the Fast that I choose is the abstinence from all ap∣pearance of evil, a rending of the heart, and not the garment, a blessed joyful mourning, its to loose the bands of wickedness, and to undo the heavy bur∣den, and to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke of oppression, as taxes, rythes, free quarters, besides the fightings within to be laid low; as also to deal bread to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, and not to say, be thou warmed, or be thou clothed: this is the new Commandment, to love one another; then shall we walk in light, and not in darkness, and our light shall break forth as the morning, and thy health like the noon day; thy righ∣teousness shall go before thee, and the

Lord thy God thy rereward; we shall no sooner call or cry, but the Lord shall answer, and say, Here I am: When the yoke of sin, and speaking in vanity is cut off, then thy soul will be drawn out to the hungry, and the afflicted shall be satisfied, and thy ob∣scurity shall be as the light, and thy darkness as the noon day, for the Lord will satisfie thee, and give to thee as thou dost to him, so will the Lords Soul be drawn out to thee, and make thee a watered garden, a living foun∣tain; nay, the Lord shall make thee a repairer of the breach, and a restorer of paths to dwell in; for the Righte∣ousness of the Lord is upon thee, and the Lord shall be thy Sabbath and pleasure, thy holy day and delight; thy ways and words, being lost to thy self, and remaining only the Lords, delight∣ing thy self in the Lord, riding to and fro•• upon the high places of the earth-triumphing over all things.

SECT. LXXIX. [§. 79] The exceeding sinfulness of sin, the misery that it brings, till the Lord arise against it in Justice and in Truth.

BEhold, the Lords Hand or Power is never shortened, that it cannot save even from the grave; yea, though they were dead, yet can he say unto them, live; nor is his ear at all hea∣vy, but he can hear the complaints of the distressed soul; nor his eyes closed, but he can see their misery; nor his heart sealed, but he can pitty, and have mercy on them, if he please; but our sins and iniquities shorten our hands, close our eyes, deafen our ears, and harden our hearts that we shall not understand, and so separate us from the Lord, and from his face, dri∣ving us out from his presence, that he may not hear, thus making us trust al∣together in vanities & lies, conceiving nothing but mischief, bringing forth nothing but iniquity, breeding cocka∣trices egs in us, & weaving spiders webs,

wickedness in a mystery, so keeping us far from the way of Peace; and as for Judgment, that is turned backward behind us, Justice stands afar off, Truth falls in the streets, and Equity cannot enter, therefore the Lords Arm is stretched out, he sees what is done, and puts on his Armor, his Brestplate of Righteousness, his Helmet of Salvati∣on, his Clothing of Vengeance, and his Cloak of Zeal to repay and recom∣pence fury on his adversaries, our ini∣quities & sins, lifting up his Spirit like a Standard against them, and bring them in like a mighty flood, destroying iniquity and sin; and this Covenant will I make in them and you, my Spi∣rit shall be with you, and my Word in your heart and mouth, never to depart from thee, nor thy seeds seed for e∣ver.

SECT. LXXX. [§. 80] Arise and shine, for thy light is come.

THe Lord, thy Light, O man, is come, he is risen, and shines most gloriously, and awakening thee to arise and shine in him, and with him, for his Glory is rising on thee, dispelling all manner of darkness from thee, and gathering all things to the light; yea, Kings and people to his brightness, far and near, sons and daughters, to see his Glory; they shall see and flow together, be enlarged, converted, because of the abundance of the Glory of the Lord revealed; they shall come flying as Clouds, and as Doves to the windows, and in thy light see light, walking every one in the light of the Lord.

SECT. LXXXI. [§. 81] The glory given to them whom God doth glorifie.

THy Temple shall be glorious for the Lord to dwell in; Kings and

Princes, strangers and friends, gold and silver, yea all precious substance, the excellency of creatures shall be brought to thee, because of the Name of the Lord thy God, for he hath glo∣rified thee, therefore they shall bring their glory unto thee, and glorifie thee; as the wise men that brought their gifts to Christ, the Babe in a manger, gold, frankincense, mirrhe, and worshiped him, because God had glo∣rified him above his fellows; so here, them that are Christs shall be glorifi∣ed, and the Nations and Kingdoms, that will not serve the Lord, kiss the Sun, and have him to reign over them, shall perish, and their Land left desolate.

SECT. LXXXII. All Glory comes when Gods Glory comes. [§. 82]

ALL Glory shall come unto thee, when the Glory of the Lord is re∣vealed, the glory of Lebanon, the Ca∣mels and Dromedaries of Midian, the Flocks of Kedar, the Rams of Nebai∣oth, the Ships of Tarshish; yea, the Nations & Kingdoms all abroad shall

fear thee, because of the Lord thy God that is with thee, and shall come from far to worship thy God with thee, and they shall be a beautiful Sanctua∣ry to the Lord, and the place of his feet amongst them shal be glorious, the meanest and weakest of the Saints, Gods lower parts; thus God will make thee an everlasting glory, and e∣ternal excellency, a joy to ages.

SECT. LXXXIII. [§. 83] I will bring gold and silver, strength and beauty unto thee.

ANd I the Lord, thy Redeemer, wil make thine enemies bow down to thee, yea all thy high imaginations, and spiritual wickedness, that hated and afflicted thee, and I will bring my Glo∣ry and Treasure to thee; I will bring gifts unto thee, I wil multiply my Mer∣cy, Grace and Peace to thee; yea, I wil give thee gold and silver for brass and iron, the precious for the vile; yea, I wil make thy officers all peace, ruling in peace, thy exactors righteousness, do∣ing truth & justice, so they shal learn to

war no more, neither shall the sword any more devour flesh; and it shall not be your bow, sword, spear, or might, but my Spirit that shall glo∣rifie me, and you also; for all manner of violence will I cause to cease, wast∣ing and destruction no more seen; for our weapons are spiritual, our God glorious, our dwellings on high, our walls salvation, and our gates praise; thy God thy glory.

SECT. LXXXIV. [§. 84] The Lord thy everlasting Light, thy Sun and Moon, that shall darken all other Suns, and turn them to blood, but himself, in the end.

WHen this great light of the Lord himself is come, then shall thy stars fall, and thy lamps grow dim; the heaven and earth, in thee, melt with fervent heat, at the glorious presence of the Lord: when he comes with so much brightness and glory, then shall our Sun and Moon,

that is, all our heavenly gifts, graces, ministries, and administrations, cease, and go out; give up their light and life as being darkened by this everlast∣ing Light and Glory: And the Moon turned to blood, that is, all our na∣tural excellencies, gifts, parts, rela∣tions, portions, possessions, qualifica∣tions, conditions whatsoever, all our reason, knowledg, wisdom and un∣derstanding here below, shall then appear as blood, loathsom and filthy to us; yea, all shall appear vain and empty; and instead of this Sun and Moon, that is, all earthly and heaven∣ly things, thou shalt inherit the Lord God himself most gloriously to be thy Sun that shall never set, and thy Moon that shall never change; for then thy God shall be thy glory, and thou shalt be righteous, and all thy people, and shall inherit the land for ever, the land of the living, the living Lord, to be planted as his branch there, living in him as their vine, even the work of his own hand that he hath glo∣rified;

and a little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a great Nation; for the Lord will multiply and encrease them, yea, the Spirit of the Lord shall grow upon them and in them, they shall put on strength day∣ly from strength to strength.

SECT. LXXXV. The Spirit of the anointing of the Lord, [§. 85] what works it doth, binding and loosing, doing all good.

THe Lords anointing of us with the oyl of his Spirit, makes our hearts to overflow, and speak of the loving kindness of the Lord to the humble and meek spirit; its a spirit of binding and loosing, binding up the wounds, and loosing the wicked bands; a spirit of liberty to righteousness, and opening, and enlargement to the pri∣soners; a spirit that doth, and pro∣claims the acceptable works of the Lord, a spirit of vengeance against sin, and yet a comforter to the mourn∣ers: it is the Spirit of the Lord that

doth this; it overcomes the spirit of sorrow and heaviness, death and dark∣ness; it gives beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, praise for heaviness; it makes them trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to glorifie him: its a Spirit that is building up; it doth nothing for destruction, but all for edification; and what unclean spirits have wasted, and spoiled, and wounded, and consumed, this Spirit of the Lord comes to us as a repairer of the waste places, and the desolati∣ons made, and to restore what is lost; it makes us this anointing of the Spi∣rit, the Lords Priests, yea the Mini∣sters of God; it shall fall upon the Gentile as well▪ as the Jew, and they shall eat the riches of his grace toge∣ther; I will give them everlasting joy, and bring them into my everlasting Covenant; and their seed shall be the seed the Lord hath blessed; thou and thine shall be like the bride and the bridegroom, deck'd with ornaments and jewels, salvation and righteousness,

for their garments: And thou shalt be like a fruitful garden, righteousness and praise shall spring forth from thee, and be the fruits in thee.

SECT. LXXXVI. [§. 86] Our righteousness brightness, and our sal∣vation a burning lamp.

THe Lords zeal for Zion, and his love to Jerusalem, will not give him rest, nor peace, till he hath made our brightness righteousness; and our salvation like the burning lamps, for ever flaming, and yet never ending, being fed with eternity, and all see the glory of thee; and the Lords new name shall be in thy forehead, which he shall give thee, and write on thee: We shall be the pure crown of gold, which is a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and as a royal diadem with our God: We shall be no more accounted forsaken, or desolate, as we were once; but be termed Hephz-ibah, the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land called Beulah, thy land married;

for thy God shall marry, and rejoyce over thee for ever.

SECT. LXXXVII. [§. 87] The Lord thy Watchman day and night.

THe Watchman upon thy walls, O Soul that never slumbereth nor sleepeth, careth for thee, and keeps not silence, but remembers thee day and night; neither will the Spirit of the Lord rest, till thou art established and made a praise to the Lord in the earth: Thou shalt not be spoiled any more by strangers, nor thy corn, wine and oyl devoured by them any more; the enemy, sin and Satan, shall wrong thee no more, nor the flesh plunder thee, for thy salvation is come, the Lord God is his name, his reward with him, and his work before him: and the Lord shall call thee, his Peo∣ple, and his Redeemed, sought out, and not forsaken, the habitation of the Lord through the Spirit.

SECT. LXXXVIII. [§. 88] The Lords dyed garments coming from the great slaughter of his enemies, sin and Satan.

THe coming of the Lord is with dyed garments, glorious appa∣rel, travelling in the greatness of strength and righteousness, to save us with might, all over red with the winepress, treading it alone, trampling upon all thine enemies, and mine, in wrath and fury, till the blood comes; for I will take vengeance on all my adversaries, now my Redemp∣tion is come to thee, and I will help thee, though there be none left else besides me; I am alone, and I will bring down all strength, glory, haugh∣tiness and pride, to the earth, there it shall lie in the dust; then shalt thou remember my loving kindness alone, and praise me for all that I have done for thee: When I was afflicted for thee, and the chastisements of thy peace lay on me, my presence saved

thee, and my love and pity redeemed thee, and carried thee along in safety, leading thee by the hand through the terrible wilderness, and made my name glorious: you are the habitati∣on of my holiness, I cannot forget you, yea Abraham may, though your own father or mother may cast you out of their Synagogue, yet I will have thee to rule over them.

SECT. LXXXIX. [§. 89] The Lords coming down with power to destroy flesh.

LOrd bow the Heavens, and come down, let the mountains melt at thy presence; come amongst us like a melting fire to burn away all dross and iniquity, that thine adversaries may tremble and perish in us, and a∣mongst us, and do terrible things that we looked not for, let sudden destru∣ction come upon all flesh while it cries peace, peace; for eyes have not seen, nor ears heard, neither can the Natural perceive the things that are

prepared of God for them that wait on him, and that are to be fulfilled in him; but thou art our God we know, and we thy clay, and thy work, thy people and souls thou hast made, lets not be destroyed, but make us a beau∣tiful house, to praise thee; build us up, and let not thy pleasant things lie waste, but bring thy treasure to thy house and land.

SECT. XC. The Lord God is found of them that sought [§. 90] not after him.

I The Lord am sought and found by them that never knew me, nor sought me, but I them, and they loved me, and beheld me; I opened my heart to them, and spred forth my hands, and drew them from g••rdens, altars, graves, and groves, mountains and valleys, and from eating swines flesh, and abominable things, and from thine own holiness and filthiness, which was like a smoke and filth to me, to my own self, and my own

mountain to dwell in; for my blessing that is amongst you I will not quite destroy you, but my inheritance shall be with you, and I will dwell with you, and all that is with you, and in you, that forsakes me, I will number to the sword, and bow down to the slaughter all that is disobedient to me; and thus I will do to you my servants, in you and amongst you, you shall eat, drink and rejoyce, but what is my revenge in you and amongst you, you shall hunger, thirst, and be asha∣med, and cry for sorrow of heart, and howl for vexation of spirit, and slain, but his servant shall be called by ano∣ther name; and he that blesseth him∣self in the earth, shall bless himself in the God of earth; and he that swear∣eth in the earth, shall swear by the God of the earth; so that heaven and earth shall give glory to God, and all that dwell therein.

SECT. XCI. [§. 91] How all things are made new of God.

ANd behold I make all things new, and these shall be remembred but all the former forgotten, and thou shalt rejoyce forever at what I create, for I create truth, peace, salvation and righteousness, yea, my rejoycing and my praise, there shall be no more an infant nor a father, but all shall be as one strong man in Christ, yea they shall have houses, vineyards, possessi∣ons of their own, and no others; they shall no more labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble, but you shall be cal∣led the blessed of the Lord and his off∣spring; thy God I will be, that hears and answers thee, who lives and abides with thee; there shall be nothing that doth hurt in all my Mountain, but the Wolf and Lamb, Lion and Bul∣lock, shall lie down together: there shall be nothing else but rest amongst them, all living in one.

SECT. XCII. [§. 92] Though heaven and earth be my house, yet I will dwell in you.

ANd though heaven be my throne, and the earth my footstool, yet this is not my dwelling, nor the place of my Rest, but in the houses and dwellings of men; you are my build∣ing and house, the humble and the con∣trite heart will I live with; and till I come to live with them, all their wor∣ship and sacrifice, yea their lambs, and offerings are abominable to me, I hate them all, till I am formed in them, and when I am thus formed in thee, all that hate thee hate me, then your souls shall not delight in these things which I delight not in, nor when I call shall they not answer, but they shall delight in the Lord alone, and nothing else.

SECT. XCIII. [§. 93] Zion brings forth, yea a whole Nation in a day, and that without pain.

THe soul that trembles at my Word, though he be cast out falsly for my names sake, and think they glorifie me in it, yet let them know their zeal is without knowledg; and who hath required this at their hands, but you shall be justified, and they ashamed, and the Voyce of the Lord shall be heard from his Temple with us, that Zion travelleth, and is de∣livered without pain: Was ever such a thing heard or seen, that a whole Na∣tion should be born at once, and brought forth in one day? And why cannot the Lord do it? Shall he bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth, or then shall the Lord shut the womb? No, no, be glad and rejoyce with her all ye that love her, take of the brests of her consolation, and be satisfied, delight thy soul in the abun∣dance of her glory, for her peace shall

be like a river, and her glory as a stream; you shall be born on her sides, and be dandled on her knees; I will comfort you as a mother comforteth her children; for by fire and a sword shall the Lord plead with all flesh, and make it as a loathsom carcass, but you shall remain for ever, and worship before me.

Thus I have finished this Book of Isaiah in much sorrow, weakness and trouble, and dare not yet venture to proceed, till I finde a more conve∣nient time for it, then I have had for this first Volume, it being brought forth in the midst of our troubles here at London, while the Army was a∣mongst you, and these great things acted, as the Charge, Tryal and Exe∣cution of the King; in all which time this was some repast and refreshment to write these things, though it was by fits and starts, yet the Lord may make it useful, in some measure, for the good of others: Being called away now

from London, I am forced to break off here in the midway, else I might shew you the Book of Jeremiah opened in Man, Ezekiel and Daniel, with the lesser Prophets, one by one fulfilled in us; as also the New Testament, how we have the everlasting Gospel taught us by the Spirit of Christ in our hearts, together with his Birth, Life, Doctrine, Works and Death of Christ formed in us; as also his Re∣surrection, Ascension and Glorificati∣on within us, Christ risen. Again, how we are the Acts of Christ, and how Christ is all our Acts and Works; it is he doth all for us, and in us. And again, how we are his Epistles, yea the heavenly and holy Epistles of Christ, written by God on the Tables of his Hand, our hearts known and read of all men; how we are the Lords Church, Spouse, Members and Body, his Building, Planting, Temple and Dwelling. Lastly, how we are the Lords Revelations and Visions to whom he shews himself, and the things that are,

have been, and are ro come, things past, present, and to come, afar off, or nigh at hand; we are these whom the Lord ravishes in Spirit, in his day, when that comes upon us, and then he tells us all things, and takes us up to heaven to see himself in all, and all in himself, opening heaven, and revealing his whole Will and Counsel: We are that sealed Book, whom the Lamb takes and opens, for he is worthy, and we are these that shall have the honor to say, Come, come, come, Lord Jesus, come quickly: Thus the Bride shall say, and we are those that shall have ei∣ther all these Blessings, Graces, Gifts, Mercies, Promises, Comforts and Glories that are in heaven and earth written or revealed in the whole Scrip∣tures, or else all the curses, woes, la∣mentations, miseries, threatnings and torments written in the whole Book of God to fall upon us; thus eternally happy, or eternally miserable: but all these things I leave to the Day of the Lord to bring forth in me, to per∣fect

his praises, that as the Lord hath began, so he would continue, and bring to the end of this Book of the Scrip∣tures, that we may be in the Lord God both the Alpha and the Omega of it.