An introduction to the holy understanding of the glasse of righteousnesse: wherein are uttered many notable admonitions and exhortations to the good life: also sundry discreet warnings to beware of destruction, and of wrong-conceiving, and misunderstanding or censuring of any sentences. Set forth by H.N. and by him perused anew, and expressed more plainly.

CHAP. III.

1. An admonition to observe the time, and to fly the abominations of the wicked world. 14. He hopeth that many believe the pro∣mises of restoring, and exhorteth all not to looke backe, as the greatest part in former times did; but to take their unbeliefe for in∣struction.

SEeing now [dearly beloved] that we see, heare, and marke evidently, that the blind wicked world is wholly min∣ded to errour, hunteth for a corruption, and destruction, and hasteth to fall into the plagues of the ungodly, to her own perdition, which all malicious ones, toge∣ther with such as are strayed and departed from the upright life, doe take pleasure with, and are blinded in, and doe dai∣ly increase in blasphemie, wicked imagi∣nations, false judgements, malice, and owne conceitednesse of self-chosen wis∣dome: therefore let every one now with carnest love to the good take heed to his time, that is to say, that he hate, die from, and forsake all that which the erring world increaseth in, and followeth after.

2. And let us increase daily in the spirit of the upright being, and c grovv up in the true life of godlinesse, [namely, as many as (out of a good purpose) have turned them to the vertue of truth, and (in obedi∣ence) given over themselves to the vvord of the Lord and his service of love; for the righteousnesse sake] that none [through his carelessenesse, or delight in vvorldly desires] be d disappointed of the rest of godlinesse, vvhich rest of godlinesse and of the upright life hath ceased, but hath been reserved, for an everlasting inheri∣tance for the children of God in the last daies, according to the promises.

3. Novv for to enter into this rest, let e∣very one have the eyes of his spirit, and the eares of his heart, and understanding earnestly attent to regard the time of his calling thereunto.

4. Let no man look back to the vain and wicked being of the ungodlinesse, which e he leaveth, forsaketh, and dieth from: nei∣ther let any man think to turn again (with his heart to the world [that is to say, to her abominations of iniquity, or to her vain be∣ing of wantonnesse] for behold the daies of her desolations be at hand, and are now already come at the door.

5. Oh fly f from the ungodlinesse of the vvorld vvith all your hearts, and from the wickednesse of her abommations. Look not back after her deadly poyson, and be not therewith made unbelieving to think, that the world shall not be punished for her abominations.

6. O! consider I pray you, how can a man that hath any understanding or know∣ledge of righteousnesse, take pleasure in the world? are not the sins of this last wicked world become out of measure abomina∣ble? are they not much more abomina∣ble and horrible, then the sins of the for∣mer wicked world, g in the time of Noe, and of the Cities of Sodoma and Gomerra, h in the time of Lot? If God then pu∣nished them so terribly and severely, how much more will he punish these, who doe far passe the other in wickednesse?

7. Oh children, keep your hearts separa∣ted from her, fear God and love his righ∣teousnesse, that ye be not taken in the snares of the wicked, nor plagued with the reward of their errors.

8. Take an example by i Lots wife: and remember the saying of our Lord Jesu Christ which he spake, when ye shall see the abomination of desolation (spoken of by

the Prophet Daniel) standing in the holy place; who so readeth it, let him consider it. Read Dan. 9. Mat. 24. Lu. 21.

9. Therefore (O all ye that love equity and righteousnesse) watch and pray; the sight of the destruction is ascended on high, the k darkness overwhelmeth the earth, her l inhabitants are drunken & sleepy, the Sun of righteousnesse giveth little shine among them, m the Moon of Understanding (which was wont to be a clearnesse to the darknesse) is utterly darkned with them, and for bright shining, giveth them but lit∣tle light; for almost all of them begin to grope, n as if they were blind, by meanes of the thicknesse of the darknesses which have invironed the earth, therefore is the woe of miseries, and the infelicity of unbe∣lieving men, come hard by, even at the door.

10. Whosoever therefore rejoyceth him with the unbelieving wicked world, and o promiseth or pronounceth happinesse, peace, and prosperity unto her or to her Adherents, the same man speaketh lies, who so boasteth him of grace, and yet abideth in his ungodly being, he blasphemeth God in his righteous judgement, p and (with blasphemy) dishonoreth his holy Name.

For God, is a God that loveth Righte∣ousnesse, and hateth all (yea all) q ungodly being.

11. He is holy, r and will have us to be holy also, and that we (to the laud and praise of his glory should s carry or bear his image and like being, and not the image of the devill, nor the vaine being of the world, wherein we do mock and reproach him.

12. We are called through Jesus Christ and his service of love, unto God, and his upright Righteousnesse, t because we should bring forth the fruits of God, and not to the devill, through the Antichrist the devills child, by whom we joyne to the world, u and bring forth the fruits of the devill, whose end or recompence is the e∣verlasting condemnation, x and the judge∣ment of the raging fire, which cometh up∣on the wicked world, and all wretched men that despise the Salvation of God, and believe not, that vve ought to live the righ∣teousnesse of God, with whole heart, soul, and body.

13. Now this passed over, I hope there are yet many good of will, and contrite of heart, which have a desire to do the will of the Lord, and which do stedfastly believe

Gods promises, and hope thereon; and y so vvith patience, wait for the coming of Jesu Christ, to their justifying and delive∣ring from their sins, z whereby they might serve God without feare all their life long, in such holinesse and righteousnesse, as are pleasing unto him.

14. Hereunto vve are to have regard, to the intent Gods promises may be to our salvation, a and not to a rigorous judge∣ment on us, as they are threatned to be to the ungodly.

15. If any man therefore count the e∣verlasting God true in his promises, let him not look back on that which is past, b but have regard to that which is to come, and believe God that he will not neglect, but openly shew his Salvation.

16. He will remember his holy Covenant, and c be gracious unto his people, and set them up again, according as he hath spo∣ken it heretofore d by the mouth of his holy Prophets.

17. Let no man reckon these things vain, or as though nothing shall come or grow of them, that he be not intangled by his blindnesse, as it came to passe heretofore with many, vvhen the Lord would punish the ungodly.

18. At which time, alwaies the most part of people were blinded, e and had no re∣gard hereunto, before it fell upon them, in such sort, that they could no way escape the vengeance of the wrath of God.

19. Which punishment, God (in sundry sorts) caused to come upon the ungodly, and are all set before us, for example, f that we being mindfull of the things to come, should exercise our selves in the most holi∣est belief of godlinesse, to the end we might g find grace before God, and so be preserved from the plagues of the un∣godly, h and from the terrible maledicti∣on, and horrible end of the last wicked world.

20. Which plagues i shall be divers and more horrible then aforetime, because the time is otherwise, as being much wickeder, and more manifoldly k increased in wick∣ednesse.

21. For behold, it was another time, and a different punishment upon the mali∣ciousnesse of men, when the Lord l con∣founded, and scattered the workmen at Babel (after which time of punishment, A∣braham m found grace before the Lord) then that time was, when the Lord n pu∣nished the world with the floud, before

which time of that punishment, Noe with his family, found grace (to be a Remnant) before the Lord.

22. In like manner it was also another time and punishment, upon Sodoma and Gomorra, o when Lot (the righteous) was lead out thence, and found grace before God, to his preservation.

23. Furthermore, consider the different punishments also of Jerusalem and her In∣heritants, how that God punished them for their sins cause, p neverthelesse, they alwaies which were upright of heart, and turned them from the iniquity, found grace before God.

24. Now, all this aforegoing being set behind, and having regard unto that which is to come, let every one turn him to the Lord, the God of Israel, who hath made heaven and earth, q and put away the ab∣ominations of idolatrous phantasies farre from his heart, and so amend his course of life.

25. Let every one love the good out of his whole heart, mind, and thoughts, and take heed of the perversity of the wicked world, wherein all impiety and the most horrible abominations doe bear sway, r whose plagues and punishments shall now

in the last time, be (out of measure) much more horrible then any aforementioned, according to the Scripture.

26. Wherefore let every one labour for an upright heart before God and towards his neighbour, s and seek of the Lord, to find grace in his sight, whereby to inherite now in this day, the bountifull mercy of God in the preservation of the righteous, that he perish not in the blind errours of the abominable and wicked world.

Notes

• a

  Sap. 1.
• Rom. 1. Eph. 4.
• c

  Col. 1. 1 Pet. 2.
• d

  Heb. 3.4.
• e

  Lu. 9.17. Phil. 3.
• f

  Esa. 48. Jer. 51. Apo. 18.
• g

  Gen. 6.7.
• h

  Gen. 18.19. 2 Pet. 2.
• i

  Gen. 19. Lu. 17.
• k

  Esa. 5.60. 4 Esd 14.
• l

  Esa. 28.29.56.
• m

  Esa. 13.14. Ezek. 32. Joel. 2.3. Sap. 5.
• n

  Esa. 59.
• o

  Jer. 6.8. Ezek. 13.
• p

  Esa. 52. Ezek. 36. Rom. 2.
• q

  Psal. 5. Prov. 3.
• r

  Lev. 19. 1 Pet. 1.
• s

  1 Cor. 15. Eph. 4. Col. 3.
• t

  Joh. 15. Phil. 1.
• u

  Sap. 1.2. Joh. 8. 1 Joh. 3.
• x

  Mat. 25. Heb. 10. 2 Pet. 3.
• y

  Rom. 8. 1 Cor. 1. Tit. 2. 1 Pet. 1.
• z

  Luk. 11.
• a

  Mat. 5. Rom. 2.
• b

  Luk. 9. Phil. 3.
• c

  Esa. 40.42.60.61.62. Jer. 23 31.33. Ezek. 36.37.
• d

  Luk. 1.
• e

  Gen. 6.7.18.19. Esa. 6. Sap. 2.
• f

  1 Cor. 10.
• g

  Heb. 5.
• h

  Lu. 21.
• i

  Dan. 12. Mat. 24.
• k

  4. Esd. 14. Mat. 24.
• l

  Gen. 11.
• m

  Gen. 12.
• n

  Gen. 6.7. 2 Pet. 2.
• o

  Gen. 19. 2 Pet. 2.
• p

  Vide Li∣bros Reg. Proph. in locis plu∣rimis.
• q

  Jer. 18.25.35. Ezek. 14.18. 4 Esd. 14.
• r

  Mat. 11. Lu. 10.11.
• s

  Esa. 55. Jer. 29. Heb. 5.