Sad and Serious Political Considerations, Part 15 – Quotation
XV.
Thou therefore the eternall and incomprehensible Father of lights,A Praye… to God to u…ite his Church, end the afflictions of it, and to hasten the conversion of the Iews, with the monarchy of the Gospel. the indivisible God of peace and unity, look down at length upon the afflicted estate of thy Gospel and mournfull face of thy Church, clouded with sects and schisms, rent by civill combustions, dying by the wounds which her sons have given, and wallowing in that gore which was shed by the hands of her own children. Though our sins have deserved that we should for ever be cast out of the sight of thy countenance, yet respect thou the bloud of thy Sonne, crying better things then that of Abel, and be once at one again with thy inheritance… Abraham knows us not, Israel is ignorant of us, but thou art our Father, and in thee shall be all our a…fiance, with whom even the worst of men have found mercy. Extend the light of thy loving-kindenes to the Tribes of Iacob, and return to the many thousands of Israel, for the time to build up Zion is come, and the daies of restoring Jerusalem cannot be prolonged. For why? Thy servants think upon her stones, and favour the very dust thereof. But remember Edom, O Lord, as thou remembredst Babel, which have cryed so oft, Down with it, down with it to the very earth. Pour thy-vengeance down upon the Beast of Rome, and the red Dragon of Constantinople, who never knew thy name, that so the sorrowfull sighings of the Prisoners may come before thee… and thy servants be preserved that are appointed to die. Let thy work be upon the MAN of thy right hand, and upon the Son of man whom thou hast made so strong for thy self, that Pharaoh, Elam, Mesheck, with the sonnes of Tubal may fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword, and may descend into the midst of hell with all that help them, even the whole multitude of the Uncircumcised, whose Lot is to goe into the nether parts of the Earth. There shall they have their beds with the Uncircumcised near those Valiants, which are gone down to the grave, with their weapons of war, and have laid their swords under their heads, because they were the fear of the mighty in the Land of the Living. But what shall be said to the Captain of the Nations, or to the Angell destroying Edom and Babylon? Even this, That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it. He will leave an afflicted people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord: He shall give them a pure Law, that they may pray to him with one consent. He shall open the doors of darknesse, the gates of obscurity shall he break down, that the world may be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea. O thou sower of discord, and Captain of iniquity, how long wilt thou delight to murther, spoil and pursue the distressed? Knowest thou not that it will be bitternesse in the end? Command the people to return every man from pursuing his brother: for lo, a Nation is risen against you, a mighty Nation and terrible from the East, whose horses ace fire and his Chariots flames of fire to devour: his men are as swift as the Eagle, who will have no compassion on the fruit of the womb, nor shall their eye pity: They shall encompasse …hy Tents with an intent to lay all waste before them, but neverthelesse be con…ident and bold in the Lord of Hosts: for fire shall come down from Heaven and return their wickednesse upon their heads, and their doings upon their own pates. O thou worship of Israel! how wonderfull art thou in thy doings toward the children of men… Bringing light out of darknesse, strength out of weaknesse, and making Justice the mean to the manifestation of thy goodnesse and glory! As for me, I will expect him who is as well the King of Salem, Peace, as Melchised…ck, the King of Justice, all my daies: and will heartily pray for his coming, who shall bring every work into judgement, and every thing to a legall triall, whether it be good or evill. He is the Lamb upon the white Throne, before whose face Heaven and Earth shall fly away, and the Sea be no more found: Death and Hell shall give up the dead that are in them, and every Name that is not written in the Book of Life, shall be cast into the Lake of fire. For which time all the Creation groaneth, crying out to be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption, and restored to the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God. Even so, come Lord Jesus, come quickly, that sin may be destroyed for ever, and righteousnesse eternally established in stead thereof, Amen.
FINIS.
For…itan hunc aliquis verbosum dicere librum
Non dubitet: forsan multò praestantior alter
Pauca reperta pu…et, quùm plura invenerit ipse:
Des…s & impatiens nimis haec obscura probabit:
Pro capt… Lectoris habent sua fata Libelli.
Sed me juditij non p…enitet: haec benè vobis
Commis…, quibus est amor & sapientia juxtà,
Et Labor in studijs ijsdem celebratus inhaeret:
Vos sequar: in vestro satis est examine cautum.
End of the text · William Prynne, Sad and Serious Political Considerations (1650)