The Little Horns Downfall, Application
And now might I come to a large Application of all; which is applicable ſeveral ways: but deſiring to be brief therein, I have included all in theſe following Verſes.
Ʋnto the Court of Parliament, who are Supreme, in England, Ireland, and elſewhere;
Theſe Poems humbly are addreſt,
Which placed are before the reſt.
WHo knew, Grave Senators, when firſt of all
In Parliament to ſit you had a Call,
What great deſignes you were appointed to?
What world-amazing acts you had to do?
None but Jebovah, doubtleſs, then could tell,
Who knew his own holy Decree full well;
And therefore did betimes to you appear,
And fill you with his holy Spirit and fear:
And then, his Purpoſes to bring to paſs,
The Bill for non-diſſolving of you was
Confirmed ſo, as not to be repeal'd,
To bring about his holy Will reveal'd
So long ago, to Daniel, when he writ,
That to 'ſtroy the Horn, the Judgement ſhould ſit.
And now, you ſee, you were the Inſtruments
To bring about JEHOVAH'S high Intents;
Which were, his People to defend and ſave
From all their foes; and therefore pow'r he gave
You then, and ſtrength, his enemies to withſtand,
That did oppreſs the Saints with a high hand.
But they are overcome, and ſhall no more
O'ercome the Saints, as they did heretofore:
For now the Judgement hath the Horn deſtroy'd,
And all that Crew that were by him employ'd:
And now the time's expir'd wherein the Beast
Should overcome the Saints: his wo's increaſt.
Now Jeſus Christ doth on Mount Sion ſtand,
And there his Saints do wait on his Command:
So that henceforth overcome all they ſhall
That up againſt them riſe, and make them fall.
And now, ye that in Parliament have bin
The happie Inſtruments of this great King,
What cauſe have you in him for to rejoyce,
That guided were to make ſo good a choice,
To cleave unto this Cauſe, and to forſake
The other Party; not for to partake
With them, in ſins or puniſhments, but to
Wait on the Lord, his bleſſed Will to do.
But now, know this, If any of you did
Aim at yout ſelves, and walk in paths crooked;
And in that place of Judicature ſitting,
Pretending one, did mean another thing;
And if your labour, care, and onelyonly aim,
Have been to ſerve your ſelves, and get a name;
The fruit's but temporary that y'ave had,
And ſoon will moulder, periſh, quail, and fade.
And when you come to die, what good will't do,
When that your Conſciences ſhall accuſe you,
That you unfaithful and deceitful do
Prove to the Trust that is repos'd in you?
For though accounts to man you never make,
Yet unto God you ſhall, who them will take:
And then, though all your heaps of gold you would
Give up, to clear your ſelves, yet never ſhould
You be releas'd, when Death doth once you call
Before the great JEHOVAH'S Tribunal.
Your wiſdom it would be, betimes, therefore,
For peace to ſeek, and for to clear your ſcore:
For now's the time, if ever it be done,
Before your life's expir'd, and glaſs is run.
You know the way Zacheus took,
That's written in the bleſſed Book.
But now I've done with you, within this Court,
Whoſe ways have not been of a good report;
If that among you any ſuch there be:
For I can none accuſe; all may be free,
For any thing that I can prove, or lay
Unto the charge of any there this day.
And yet there may be many,
Though I do not know any.
NOw of the Wiſe, this will be accepted;
For why? ſuch counſel never breaks the head.
And as for you who in that Senate fit,
Whoſe conſciences before the Lord acquit
You fully do, from ill reports abroad,
And clear you from deceitfulneſs and fraud;
Who walked have in the ſincerity
Of your own hearts, and have in equity
And juſtice acted in the things which you
Have been intrusted and employ'd to do:
Ev'n you, who have the Lord before your eyes
Still ſet; and ever have, in all your ways,
His work and will endeavoured to do;
His Sions welfare being dear to you.
For doubtleſs, in that Court there are and have
Been always ſome, both holy, wiſe, and grave;
Some that were choſen, faithful, and called,
Unto the King of Saints, Jeſus their Head:
And theſe the happie inſtruments chiefly
Have been, to do the will of God: I ſay,
It's Saints that have the little Horn deſtroy'd,
And thoſe he left behinde have ſo annoy'd:
For others of themſelves this could not do,
Who lov'd the horn, and his oppreſſions too:
And ſo the Oracle divine doth ſay,
That it is Saints that muſt the Horn kill, ſlay;
It's Saints that muſt the honour have alone,
The written vengeance for to bring upon
The Heathen folk, and puniſhments alſo
On Kings, Princes, and Nobles, on a row:
In Saints the Spirit chiefly mov'd; that did
This work effect, though others that were led
By ſelf-ends, did therein their aid afford;
But Saints their eyes were in it on the Lord.
Therefore to you, O Saints, that in that Court
Of Parliament did ſit, here's your comfort;
Your labours by the Lord have bleſſed bin,
And counſels proſpered by him your King.
And is that all? Nay, Bleſſed you ſhall ſtill
Be of the Lord, who bleſſings on you will
Abundantly pour out, as he hath done,
If in his ways you ſtill walk and go on.
And now what doth remain? but that you do
Go on to carry on his work, and to
Give up your ſelves to him in holineſs,
And wait on him, in truth and faithfulneſs;
Approving of your ſelves ſtill in his ſight,
And ſo to ſhine in holineſs full bright.
And though men ſhall you ſlander and condemn,
Yet fear you not; God will not judge as men.
Do you rejoyce in him, and be aſſur'd
You ſhall be ever ſaved by the Lord:
And honour alſo you ſhall have of him;
For, thoſe that honour him, he honours them.
Great love alſo, he will ſhew unto you;
Who loves all thoſe, that purely love him do.
And you to ſing new ſongs of thanks and praiſe,
Henceforth ſhall have great cauſe, even all your days.
Ʋnto the Armies faithful Leaders, and Ʋnto the Faithful under their Command,
In the three Nations, that called are
To wait upon the Lamb in this his War.
O Happie, Bleſſed ones, conſider you
What Honour 'tis that you are call'd unto;
In that not onelyonly of the Common good
You have been Inſtruments, but that you ſtood
Upon Mount Sion with the Lamb, and did
At his command go forth, and eke were led
By him againſt his enemies and foes,
Their power, rage, and fury to oppoſe:
And not in vain; for why? he made them all
Before his preſence among you to fall.
For when in Sixteen hundred fourty five,
The time was come his Saints for to revive,
Who were before overcome by the Beast,
And lay as dead, then being unreleaſt;
He then you called forth, and in you made
His Witneſſes to live, who as dead laid;
But then were rais'd, and on their feet did ſtand,
And oppoſed the Beast by a ſtrong hand.
And is this all you have been call'd to do?
Not ſo; but to deſtroy the Horn alſo;
Yea, and all thoſe that do remain the Whore
For to ſupport, as the Horn did before.
And now, as happie inſtruments you have
Been for to do the work of Christ, to ſave
His People from the rage of enemies:
Even ſo henceforth it doth remain likewiſe
That you follow the Lamb in ev'ry place,
And ſtill expect his preſence and his grace.
And if to other Kingdoms he you call,
Fear not; for all that oppoſe him ſhall fall
Before his preſence among you; and then
His glory ſhall among the ſons of men
Moſt gloriouſly appear, and ſhine before
The World; and many then ſhall hate the Whore.
Therefore, ye ſons of Zion, who rais'd are
Againſt the ſons of Greece, both neer and far,
And are as Bowes and Arrows in Gods hand;
Fear not to do what he doth you command:
Fear not to go where e'er he doth you call;
For in your hand his work ſtill proſper ſhall.
And now look unto him in all you do,
To fill you with his holy Spirit, that ſo
You may not onelyonly uſe in his ſervice
The double-edged ſword of his Juſtice,
His ſoes for to deſtroy; but that you may
Uſe the ſword of the Spirit, that is to ſay,
The Word of God, which mighty is alone,
The Holds of ſin and Satan to caſt down;
That by the publiſhing of the Goſpel,
You may alſo honour your Lord, as well
As By inflicting Justice on them who
Deſpiſe the offers of his grace, and do
Implacably remain, and deſperate,
And ways of truth and purity do hate.
And Oh that as the Lamb you follow do,
Your garments may be white and clean, and you
May ſhine in ſpotleſs glory, having on
The garments of Christs righteouſneſs alone!
And Oh that in the ſight of God and men,
Your walkings might be pure and ſpotleſs! then
Much honour, praiſe, and glory would you bring
To him who is your Saviour and your King;
Who doth on his white horſe before you go,
When you in white garments do him follow.
Say I, O that you did ſo do! Nay, I
Do alſo bleſs the Lord, for that this day
So much of him appearing in you is,
Unto the joy and comfort of all his.
I mean, in you that faithful are, to whom
My ſpeech I did direct; whom God doth own,
And whom he doth guide, counſel, and direct,
Love, honour, ſave, and bleſs, and ſtill protect.
In you his holy Spirit appear doth,
In ways of holineſs you leading forth:
So that the ſolace of your hearts it is,
To walk with God in truth and righteouſneſs.
But though you have attained much herein,
Yet O that your might higher riſe! and bring
More praiſe to God, and joy to Saints, and ſo
Yet greater joy of heart would be in you.
Ʋnto thoſe people of the Lord that do In BABYLON abide, unto their wo:
And do not yet return,
But at the Truth do ſpurn.
COnſider, Sirs, what you have done, and do,
And think how ſad, how ſad it is that you
Should any help unto the Beast afford,
And ſhould oppoſe the ſervants of the Lord.
Hear now the call of God, and Come you out
Of Babylon; O come, O come about!
Leſt that abiding there, of her ſins you
Partake, and of her puniſhments alſo.
The word is giv'n, you muſt Come out, and you
Muſt reward her, as ſhe hath done; and do
Double to her what ſhe hath done, that ſhe
Be'ng drunk with blood, with blood may filled be.
Is this the word, and yet are you ſo ſad,
Becauſe the Beast his helpers lowe are laid?
Would you not have the little Horn deſtroy'd,
Who hath the Sain's of God ſo much annoy'd?
Remember how you did long ſince complain
To God againſt his cruelties, and fain
Would live in peace and quietneſs; but he
Oppoſed that, and would not let it be:
But War againſt the Saints did make, that ſo
He might them all deſtroy and overthrow.
But now he is deſtroy'd himſelf; and as
He did delight in blood, ev'n ſo blood was
Giv'n him to drink: are you, ev'n you ſo far
From ſinging ſongs of praiſe, as that you are
Offended at this thing? as if you were
Of Rome her ruine unwilling to hear.
O let it not of you, of you be ſaid!
But now do you remember how you've pray'd
Againſt the Beast, the Whore, and all the Crew
Of their adherents that ſupport them do:
And give not all the world juſt cauſe to ſay,
You are not as you were the other day;
But that whereas you did both pray and fight
Againſt that wicked Crew with all your might,
You now oppoſe … the Saints in the Land,
Who do unto thoſe firſt Principles ſtand,
Which were, for to oppoſe King, Queen, and all
That did ſupport the Whore, that down muſt fall:
Which they do ſtill purſue unto the end,
And wholly unto that their counſels tend.
But if you will now ſhew your ſelves to be
The ſons of Sion, then let all men ſee
That you repent of your evils, in that
You Camels ſwallow'd have, and at a Gnat
Have ſtrained, when with foes you have joyned,
And true Saints have oppos'd, becauſe they did
Not cloſe with you in ev'ry circumſtance
And thing that was of leſſer conſequence.
But if you do perſiſt herein, ſurely
You ſhall be made aſhamed in that day
When God ſhall justly judge between you and
His other faithful people in the Land;
Who always have deſir'd your happineſs,
And eke alſo your liberty and peace,
If peaceably you would have lived in
The place or Nation where you have bin.
(But thoſe that have been medling peace to break,
Have themſelves into trouble put their neck.)
But now, if that henceforth you ſhall no more
Support the Beast, nor helpers of the Whore,
But hearts and hands ſhall joyn with them that do
Oppoſe the enemies of Christ, and do
Give up themſelves to wait upon the Lord,
And him to ſerve according to his Word;
Then upon you ſhall mercy be, and peace,
And all the Iſrael of God, theſe days.
FINIS.