The Redemption of the Seed of God at Hand, Treatise · Part 1
A True Manifeſtation of the Church's Return out of the Barren VVilderneſs, where She hath remained ſince the Dayes of the Apoſtles, which Church is the true Spouſe, the Lamb's VViſe. Alſo the Speedy Downfal of Babylon the Mother of Harlots, declared, &c.
NOW is the appointed Time come, wherein the God of Abraham, the God of Iſaac, and the God of Jacob is riſen and ariſing to manifeſt himſelf unto his People, and to make himſelf known to thoſe that have long waited for this the Day of his Appearance, unto whom the Son of his Righteouſneſs is ariſing with healing in his Wings; and now is the great Jehov…h appearing in his Dread and in his Power, to the eſtabliſhing of his Covenant unto …braham, and to his Seed forever, and he is now gathering his Elect from the four Quarters of the Earth, and redeeming the Seed of Jacob out of their Captivity, and the Outcaſt of Iſrael from under their Yoak of Bondage.
Therefore prepare thee to meet thy God, O Iſrael; for behold he is come and coming in Ten Thouſand of his Saints, and who may abide the Day of his Appearance? for the Eyes of the Lord God are upon the ſinful Kingdom, and he will deſtroy it from off the Face of the Earth, ſaving that he will not utterly deſtroy the Houſe of Jacob; for behold he ſitteth upon a white Throne, before whoſe Face the Heavens and alſo the Earth ſhall fly away, and their Place ſhall be no more found at all, his Eyes are as a Flame of Fire, and on his Head are many Crowns, and he hath a Name written that no man knows but himſelf, & is clothed with a Veſture dipped in Blood, and his Name is called The word of God, and out of his Mouth goeth a ſharp Sword, wherewith he doth ſmite the Nations, and he treadeth the Wine-preſs of the Fierceneſs and Wrath of the Almighty God, and he hath on his Veſture and on his Thigh a Name written, KING of KINGS & LORD of LORDS, and in his Hands is all the Power of the Earth, and alſo of the Heavens; for behold he makes all things new, old things muſt paſs away; for the Dragon having had Poſſeſſion for ſo many Dayes, even many Generations, of the old Heaven, and alſo of the old Earth, which I ſay the ſubtile Dragon having gotten the Dominion thereof, he by his Filthineſs defiled it, ſo that the true Virgin could no longer remain therein, but was driven forth of it, and was baniſhed into the mourning and deſolate Wilderneſs, a place prepared her of God for ſo many Dayes, and her Heir which ſhe had brought forth, which is to rule the Nations with his Iron Rod, hath been caught up from her to God, and ſo the Dragon hath had the Dominion of the true Virgin's Territories, ſince the Dayes of the Apoſtles, and hath made War with the Seed of the Virgin, and as it were overcome them, and in her Dominion he hath placed the great Whore, the Mother of Harlots, and ſhe hath corrupted the Earth, and alſo the Heavens, wherein the true Virgin was placed before ſhe fled into the Wilderneſs, the Whore having poluted them with the Filth of her Fornication; for her Superſcription is, Myſtery-Babylon the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the whole Earth: And the Nations which the true Virgin's Heir ſhould have ruled, they have all been the Seat of this great VVhore, and ſhe hath guided them and rul'd them, as a man would guide and rule the Beaſt whereon he rideth, and ſhe hath made them all unſtable as VVaters, for ſhe ſate upon Peoples, Multitudes, Nations and Tongues, and all the Kings of the Earth have committed VVhoredom with her, and have drunk of the Cup of her Fornication; for ſhe held forth a golden Cup in her Hand, a ſmooth Profeſſion and pleaſing Pretences, but within full of Abominations; yea, rich and poor, bond and free, even from the Beggar upon the Dunghil to the Prince upon the Throne, they all drunk of this Cup, and have been drunken with the VVine of the VVhore's Fury; and many of them have (as it were) drunk the Blood of the Saints and of the Martyrs of Jeſus Chriſt, whom he hath raiſed to bear their faithful Teſtimonies againſt the VVhore, and againſt her Fornications; and all the Blood that hath been ſpilt upon the Earth is to be found in her, for within her lodgeth the Ground of all Iniquity, and the Foundation of all Tranſgreſſion.
But now hath the Lord God remembred his poor baniſhed Spouſe, which ſits mourning in the Wilderneſs, and the great Perſecution of her Seed; and great BABYLON is coming into his remembrance, and ſhe ſhall receive a juſt reward from the Lord God of Life for all the Abominations that have proceeded from her ſince the time the Virgin fled into the Wilderneſs; & though ſhe hath long ſate as a Queen, and hath known no Sorrow, but hath had a Husband, and hath brought forth many Children of Fornication, and hath lived deliciouſly for many Generations, whileſt the true ſpouſe (the Lamb's Wife) hath ſate deſolate in the barren Wilderneſs, where ſhe hath been childleſs and deprived of her Husband, yet nevertheleſs thy Judgments are at hand, and thy Downfal approacheth, O thou great and Antichriſtian-Babylon; for Sorrow, Deſolation and Miſery is even ready to ſeize upon thee; and the Smoak of thy Torments doth begin to riſe, and thy Kingdom is full of Darkneſs, and the Lord God hath diſcovered thy Nakedneſs and thy Sorceries, and thy falſe Divinations, whereby thou haſt deceived the Nations, and cauſed them to receive thy Beaſt like mark; and many are they that are come out from thee, and will no longer be partakers with thee in thy Sins, leſt they ſhould partake with thee of thy plagues; for ſtrong is the Lord God who judgeth thee; and thy Cup which thou haſt given to others ſhall be filled unto thee double, even the meaſure that thou haſt meaſured to others, ſhall be meaſured unto thy ſelf double, and all that wherein thy ſoul delighted muſt depart from thee and thou muſt come down and ſit in the Duſt, O thou Virgin-Daughter of BABYLON; & thou ſhalt be no more counted delicate nor fair; for the DECREE is gone forth againſt thee, and thy Judgment is aſſuredly coming upon thee.
Therefore all ye Inhabitants of the Earth, hearken diligently and your Souls ſhall live, and take WARNING in this the Day of your Viſitation, and go no longer on in your Polutions, but come forth of the midſt of BABYLON, and be no more partakers with her in her Sins; for, if you do, you will aſſuredly partake with her of her plagues; for ſhe muſt be burn'd up and conſum'd, and brought to nought by the fiery Fierceneſs of the Lord's Wrath; and the old Heavens, and the old Earth, wherein ſhe hath ruled in all this Dark Night of Apoſtacy ſince the Dayes of the Apoſtles, muſt be deſtroyed with her, and all them that wilfully reſiſted the Voice of the Lord their God in their own Hearts and Conſciences, calling them out of BABYLON, the Land of Darkneſs, into his marvelous Light.
Therefore beware of kicking againſt this▪ but if in wilfulneſs and ſtubborneſs you reject this the large Love of God towards you, yet nevertheleſs let it be known unto you all in his living preſence, that you have at large been warned, therefore ſhut not your Ears at the Voice of Peace, and be not like to the deaf. Add…r which ſtoppeth his Ear at the voice of the Charmer, although he charms never ſo wiſely.
For now Wiſdom uttereth her voice in the open Street, and in the broad wayes, ſhe crieth at the Gates at Entry of the City, at the coming in at the Door, unto you O men I call, and my voice is to the Sons of man, O ye ſimple underſtand Wiſdom, and ye Fools be of an underſtanding Heart, and know in th…s your day the things that belong to your Peace before they are hid from your Eyes, and the Door of Mercy be ſhut upon you, and the Decree ſealed againſt you, and Repentance removed far from you, ſo that you cannot attain to it, although y…u ſhould ſeek it with tears.
Now as BABYLON comes to be deſtroyed, ſo likewiſe is the mariage of the LAMB prepared, and preparing, and his Bride is making her ſelf ready even the true Virgin, the Lamb's Wife (the true Church) is now returning out of the deſolate and barren Wilderneſs, where ſhe hath ſate for many Generations in a mournful ſtate and condition, a place not known to the World, a place prepared her of God for ſo many Dayes; and now praiſes be unto the Lord our God, the Dayes are near expired, and ſhe is returning again into her former State and Glory; and the Lord is now creating for her a new Heaven, and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth Righteouſheſs; and if any queſtion what her former Glory was, and wherewithal ſhe then was beautified? let them with ſingleneſs of Heart ſtand in the Light of the Lamb, look into John's Revelations, and there thou ſhalt ſee what he declareth of her, and of her Glory & Beauty in Ages paſt, even in his Dayes; for he ſaw her a woman exceeding glorious and beautiful, even cloathed with the Sun, having the Moon under her Feet, and on her Head a Crown of twelve Stars: She was clothed with the true Light of heaven, even with the brightneſs of the everlaſting day and the Moon with her changeable things was under her Feet▪ & ſhe was …rowned with the Brightneſs of the Glory of the Lord God of Life, and ſhe travailed to bring forth the Man-Child that ſhould rule the Nations wi…h a Rod of Iron. Now this was the ſtate of the true Church in the Dayes of the Apoſtles, before the time of her Baniſhment into the Wilderneſs: And John ſaw this to be wonderful, even in Heaven. Now this will be the State and Condition of the true Church after ſhe is returned out of the Wilderneſs again; and the time is aſſuredly come, where in the Lord God will cloath her with his own Brightneſs, and with his own eternal Glory, and ſhe ſhall again bring forth the Heir, which ſhall rule the Nations with his Rod of Iron, and ſhall bind PRINCES in Chains, and NOBLES in Fetters of Iron; and he that doth deny this, doth deny plain Scripture, for they bear Witneſs, that Sion ſhall ariſe and ſhall ſhine for…h, for her Light is come, and the Glory of the Lord is riſen and ariſing upon her; and though the Darkneſs doth cover the Earth, and the groſs Darkneſs the People, yet the Lord ſhall ariſe upon her, and his Glory ſhall be ſeen upon her, and the Gentiles ſhall come to her Light, and Kings to the Brightneſs of her riſing, and ſhe ſhall awake, and put on her Strength and her beautiful Garments ſhall be put on; for henceforth there ſhall no more come into her the Uncircumciſed nor the Unclean; therefore cleanſe your Hands ye Sinners, and purifie your Hearts ye double-minded, that you may be accepted in this the Day of the Lord's l…rge Love and Mercies, that is ſo largely held forth and proffered unto you, to invite you, that you might not partake of the Plagues of BABYLON, which ſhall ſpeedily come upon her at unawares, in an Hour when you leaſt think of it ſhall Deſolation and Deſtruction come upon her, and upon all them that are found in her, partaking with her of her Sins.
O therefore as you tender the Eternal Welfare of your precious Souls, which ought to be counted as dear and as precious in your Sight as any Man's Soul that ever lived on the Earth; for they are precious in the Sight of the Lord; therefore prize them and this the Day of your Viſitation, for you know not how ſoon the dark Night may overtake you, and you may be ſealed up in the Pit of utter Darkneſs, and no Means afforded you, whereby you may be redeemed into the Light again; therefore conſider of theſe Things while you have Time and Space, and come forth of Babylon, and touch no more of her Uncleanneſs, leſt you periſh eternally with her in your Stubbornneſs, and gain▪ſaying the VVitneſs of God in your own Conſciences, which d…th ſtand a true VVitneſs againſt you in theſe things; and let not the long Forbearance of ſo merciful a God, whoſe Spirit hath for a long time ſtriven with you, and ſtill riſes up to condemn you in your own Hearts for your evil Deeds; I ſay, let not his long Forbearance harden your Hearts againſt the Day of Slaughter becauſe his Judgments are not ſpeedily executed upon you; for verily his Spirit ſhall not alwayes ſtrive with Man, but at laſt you will provoke his VVrath, & cauſe it to be kindled againſt you, & his fierce Indignation will break forth of a ſudden upon you, and Horror, Dread and Terror will take hold on all ſuch ungodly VVretches, which do Deſpight to his Spirit of Grace, which hath long ſtriven with them in their own Hearts and Conſciences, and have turned it into Laſciviouſneſs, and VVantonneſs, and put the Day of the Lord their God afar off from them; yet let all ſuch know, that he is nigh unto every one of them, to ſmite them in their own Hearts and in their own Conſciences, for diſobeying of his righteous Law and juſt Command, which he hath clearly made known unto them; for what may be known of God is made manifeſt in thee, for he hath ſhewed it unto thee, O Man: And though there hath been a long time of Darkneſs & Ignorance, whereat the Lord hath winked; but now ſince the true Light hath ſhined in all Hearts ſo manifeſtly, ſo that none can plead Ignorance after they once come to be acquainted therewith: now doth he command all Men every where to repent, & he that ſhall deny to obey his Commands ſhall be left without Excuſe in the Sight of God▪ and in the Sight of his Witneſs, which ſhineth in his own Conſcience; for the Commands of God are not grievous, but they that love him keep his Commandments, and meditate upon his Law Day and Night; for their whole Delight ſtandeth in walking in his Statutes.