The word of the Lord God Almighty that liveth for ever, and ever, to all persecutors, who are dead, though yet alive, upon the face of the whole earth: that so they may hear, fear, and repent, before it be too late. West, Thomas, of Hertford. 1664 Approx. 24 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-08 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A65481 Wing W1393 ESTC R217346 99829021 99829021 33456 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A65481) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 33456) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1860:15) The word of the Lord God Almighty that liveth for ever, and ever, to all persecutors, who are dead, though yet alive, upon the face of the whole earth: that so they may hear, fear, and repent, before it be too late. West, Thomas, of Hertford. 8 p. s.n., [London : 1664] Caption title. Signed at end: Tho. West. Written in my prison, the 16th. of the 5th. month, commonly called July, in the year of the Lord, 1664. This was first written in the year, 1663. and is now given forth to be published all abroad through the nations of the earth, as the Lord makes way for it. Imprint from Wing. Reproduction of the original in the Friends House Library, London. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. 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Repentance -- Early works to 1800. 2004-03 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-03 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-04 Emma (Leeson) Huber Sampled and proofread 2004-04 Emma (Leeson) Huber Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-07 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion The Word of the Lord God Almighty , that liveth for ever , and ever , to all Persecutors , who are dead , though yet alive , upon the face of the whole Earth : That so they may hear , fear , and repent , before it be too late ▪ WHat are ye ; what ye ; O ye , Sons of men , you are but dust , from the dust you came , and to the dust you mu●● return again ; against whom , do you sport your ●elves even against me , saith the Lord of Host , you are ●oding your heads , and blearing out your tongues , gaping with a wide mouth , shaking your hands , and crying , Ha , ha , ha , the day i● now our own : Are you not Children of Adultery , and a Seed of the evil doers , and dissimulation ? Alas , alas , for you , that you should be so blind , to think the Lord doth not see you , in your wicked corruptible wayes , and vain Imaginations . O all ye mighty men upon the face of the whole earth ; O ye Kings , and Rulers all , how long will you , Plot and Consult , conspirings in your own hearts , and minds , taking counsel together , against the Lord and his Anointed . O when , will ye leave off your works of vanity ; when shall it once be ? Or do you , think the Lord doth not see you , in your great wickedness , and privy conspiracy ? In vain do you strive against your Maker , who is arisen , and arising , to execute vengeance upon you all , who have erred , and are erring from his wayes , and certainly , if you do not repent with speed , and put a stop , to the great wickedness , that is in your hands and hearts to do , against the Lord , and his chosen Heritage , he will arise , in the dread of his Almighty Power , and will throw you down , from your high places , and seats of Glory , where you have exalted your selves , above all that have been called God : Yea verily , he will tumble you down , from your Thrones of Majesty , and finally destroy your Honours , and so will lay all your glory amongst your shame for evermore . For I have heard , I have heard , I have heard ( saith the Lord , even the Almighty God ) the fightings , and groanings of my people , that have been , and yet are greatly oppressed , under the hands of hard task-masters , and I am come down to deliver them ; and if you will not let them go free , according to my Word , to serve me , in the Land of Liberty , which I have prepared for them , quite contrary to all Rebellious Persecutors , upon the face of the whole Earth : Then know this assuredly , I will bring all my Plagues and Iudgements upon you , whatsoever I have threatned against you , and there is none shall be able to deliver you ; nay but you shall be dashed and scattered all to pieces , ( O all ye Potsherds ) and shall be made like the dung upon the face of the earth , and as chaff before the whirl-wind of my wrath , and like the stubble before the fire of my jealousie , which is kindled like hot burning Coals , and shall consume you all , that are lifting up a hand against me , and my Royal S●ed , and Chosen Heritage , the which I will crown with great Glory , Majesty , and everlasting Dominion , far above and over all the Kings and Rulers upon the face of the whole earth . Wherefore now , thus saith the High and Lofty One , that inhabiteth Eternity , whose dwelling is on High , far above all the Sons of men , Yea verily , I dwell high above , and in the Sanctuary , whose Name is Holy , Pure , Living , and Eternal , and will be exalted over all ; I have a secret service to do , for my own oppressed Precious Seed sake , which shall be fulfilled in your sight ; and certainly , I can never forget my faithful Promise made to it ; but I must come and perform it when my Purpose is accomplished , and my Will fulfilled , concerning its Sufferings , even as I did for my People Israel , in the dayes of old , when they were under hard-hearted Pharaoh , and his wicked Task-masters ; And then , Wo , wo , wo , to all you wicked rebellious Persecutors , who are found fighting against God , in persecuting his dearly beloved People and Children , that have , and do believe in his Name : Sure I am , the Lord is bringing and preparing a sharp scourge to whip you all , who have so highly provoked him , with so often transgressing against his Righteous Law , in not doing to every man , as ye would all men should do unto you : For I have seen a dreadful day near to come upon all Persecutors ; yea verily , a terrible stormy day , a day of fire and smoak , a day of Thundering and Lightning , a day of blackness and darkness , a day of storms and tempests , a day of earth-quakes , a day of battelings , of shakings and quakings , a day of trembling and howling , a day of distress of Nations , a day of dread and terrour , and all faces shall be pale and wan ; yea verily , a day of the sound of the Trumpet , and an Alarm to the Battel : And this is a certain sound from the last Trump , that ever shall be sounded in your ears , before your destruction come upon you , and it shall be louder and louder , with more dreadful and terrible afrightments , until the hearts of men shall fail them for fear , for the Mountains shall be covered with fire and smoak , and all the whole world shall tremble ; and then shall God most wonderfully appear , and in the Majesty of his Power shall he go before us , who is our General and Living Commander for evermore ; Yea verily , and all the Chariots and Horse-men of Israel , are on our side already : Ah the Lord open your eyes that you may see clearly , who is with us ; behold the Mountains are full of fiery Chariots round about us , and they are more that are with us , then all that shall be able to come against us , and now we fear not all the Armies of the Philistines ; Nay though Gog and Magog should gather together against us , yet we being the Noble Army of the Lamb , whose weapons are not Carnal nor Temporal , but Spiritual and Eternal , even mighty through God that strengthens us , to the pulling down the strong holds of sin and Satan . and ( he now before us our Leader and Captain ) do you think you can overcome us ? I tell you nay : And if you do think you can , yet your thoughts are but vain , who are but like t●● poor Caterpillers and Grashoppers before our God ; and what are all those able to do against him ? O ye heaps of muck and mire , what will you still heap , what , heap upon heap ? Gods plagues will scatter you all abroad , his vengeance will cut you down , and make you become a filthy stinking savour upon the face of the whole earth , you wicked Persecutors , even all you that are causing poor harmless people , for their tender Conscience sake ( and for no other thing ) to be stocked , stoned , whiped , imprisoned , hanged , burned , or any other shameful tyrannical death most barbarously and bloodily , beyond all expression . O ye Murderers and men-slayers , ye have eat my peoples flesh , ( saith the Lord ) and drank their blood , even as an Ox drinketh water ; What are ye not fat enough yet ! I tell you , ye are almost all fit for the slaughter , ( O ye bruit beasts of the field ) And then shall my slaughtering Ax come upon you all , yea verily there shall not one of you escape that is found without true repent●nce , Therefore O ye Kings and Rulers all , hear , O hear , yea dread , tremble and fear , for God hath spoken , and I cannot but prophesie in his Name to all wicked and ungodly Persecutors to whom this may reach wheresoever it cometh , except you are sealed unto condemnation , and your Consciences be seared as with a hot Iron ; Behold your downfal is near , your destruction is at hand , therefore be warned and awakened to repentance before it be too late , and if you will not be awakened , and hear this deep cry and call ( that is from and through the Holy Seed ) then know this from God that liveth for ever and ever , neither will you hear , if one should arise from the dead , or if an Angel should be sent from Heaven ; So then you may proceed and go on in that wicked rebellious barbarous murdering persecuting Spirit for a little time , that may be suffered until the measure of your iniquities be wholly filled up , and the day of your tender visitation be ended in your rending , tearing , ravanous devouring Nature , that 's worse then the Dogs and Swine , or any of the bruit beasts of the field . But yet know this from God , and be ye assured , it is even so from the mouth of the Lord God , in his own Living Commandement of Life and Power , and shall be fulfilled in its season ; Gods dreadful vengeance hangeth over the heads of you all , and is ready to be poured down upon you , and there shall be no way found for you to escape it , if you do not spedily repent from the bottom of your hearts , and turn to the Lord our God with weeping and with fasting , and rend your hearts , and not your garments : yea , turn , turn , turn , from the evil of all your wayes and doings , and so learn to do that which is lawful , just , right in the sight of the Pure Righteous God , in whose presence you are all naked and bare , to whom you must all give up your accompts , and the time is near at hand ; for behold Heaven and Earth is the Lord God Almighty calling together to witness against you , and all the blood of his Holy Martyrs , Saints and Servants that hath been shed from the beginning of the world , until this very day , ever since the blood of Righteous Abel , until the blood of Zacharias , with Iames Parniel , Marmaduke Stevenson , William Robinson , Mary Dyer , ( one of which was most barbarously imprisoned until death in England , and the other three were hanged in New England , the stain of whose innocent blood will never be wiped away , except you deeply repent and timely return to the Lord who is able to forgive the chiefest of sinners ) the which innocent Lambs dyed for the Testimony of Iesus Christ , and for no other thing : And farthermore , let all Goals and Prisons witness against you for ever ; how many of the Righteous Servants of the Lord have bin imprisoned until death in them , whose innocent blood cries very loud to the Lord God of Heaven and Earth for vengeance against you all : And do you not think the weight of all the innocent blood will not be too heavy for you to bear ? yes verily , it will be too heavy for you all , and shall for evermore lie as a burthensom stone upon your heads , until it hath pressed & weighed you down into the nethermost Pit of eternal destruction , which is the burning fiery flaming Lake prepared for the Devil and his Angels , even Tophet , which was prepared of old ; yea verily , it was prepared for the King ( as saith the Scriptures , Isa. 30. 33. ) and it is deep and very large , the burning thereof is fire and much wood , and the breath of the Lord like a River of Brimstone doth set it on fire . Mark well , and behold where the portion of all wicked Kings and Rulers is ( and for ever shall be ) that leave this world without repentance . Therefore hear , O hear and give ear ye foolish Kings and Rulers all , yea I say , He that hath an ear to hear , let him hear what the Spirit saith , I that am the Lords Faithful Servant and True Prophet , to you all , whose face he hath set as a flint against you , because of Truth and Righteousness ; hath also made my Life strong as a walled City , even double walled , like walls of steel , with gates of brass , hath commanded me to cry aloud ; yea verily , as loud as ever I can call and cry , to set before you your sins and great wickedness , which are all come in remembrance before God ; yea verily , the stinking savour of them hath reached Heaven , and are so loathsom in the nostrils of the Lord , that he hath prepared in his wrathful indignation , a way to destroy you all , and there shall be no way found for you to escape the stroak of his heavy hand , but by turning every man of you from the evil of his wayes and doings , and so live to do that which is equal , lawful , just and right in the sight of the pure God , and with speed put a full stop to all the wickedness that is in your hearts and hands , to do against the Lord and his innocent People and Children that fear him , and tremble at his Word , and dare not break the least of his Commandments ; or else this know assuredly , you shall be dashed and scattered all to pieces , and your names shall be rooted out , both root and branch for evermore , ( in the Name of the Lord I have spoken it , who have stayed so long that I can stay no longer , and have borne so long that I can bear no longer , my Lord and Master having charged all your blood upon me , except I warn you betimes ) and now do you think you are able to withstand God , or are you able to joyn battel with him , and over throw him ; well if you judge you are of ability thus to do , then go on and gather your Armies together , prepare your Chariots , and make ready your Horse-men , arm your selves as well as you may , get ready as soon as you can , and come forth with all the strength and might you have . But yet , wo , and alas for you , poor foolish vain men , ah , what will all this avail you ; why know this from God , that liveth for ever and ever , all them things will be but in vain for you to put confidence in ; for strong and mighty is He , even the wonderful Conqueror ( Iehovah by name ) who can subdue and overcome all his Enemies , whensoever he pleaseth , who is the Mighty God , the Lord of Host , and God of Battels that you are going to encounter withal , yea , he will be too strong for all his Enemies who presume to fight against him ; therefore leave off your work , vain men , and cease striving any farther in your own wicked Wills and vain Imaginations , against him who is too mighty for you , all , and can , and will over-turn you , whensoever he pleaseth . Now therefore consider it ( O ye sons of men ) yea , weigh it in the due consideration of your minds , even the deep Cry of the guiltless innocent Blood , that is all charged upon you , ever since the Blood of righteous Abel , to this very day , who are found persecuting the Innocent about Religion and Worship ; and with speed repent and turn every one of you , from the evil of your wayes ( or else reade your portions , as God hath before proclaimed it by me in his own eternal Spirit ) and think not to escape the Plagues and Iudgements , Wrath and Vengeance of the Almighty God : for certainly it will come upon you , except you speedily repent : for I have heard the dreadful terrible Cry of all the guiltless innocent Blood of the slain Martyrs , Prophets , Saints and Servants of the Most High God , that have been slain for the Testimony of Jesus Christ , from under the Altar , saying , How long , O Lord , righteous , holy , just , and true , will it be , ere thou arise and revenge our Blood upon them that dwell upon the face of the Earth ? and there is a voice in secret hath answered , Wait but a very little longer , until the rest of your Brethren be gathered unto you ( and it be all fulfilled ) that must suffer also for the Testimony of Jesus , and then shall it be fulfilled and wholly accomplished : And will you not yet hear , O ye Rebellious ones , who are like fat full-fed Horses , each one of you naying after his neighbours wife , not having the Fear of God before your eyes , who are drinking wine in bowls , and making merry over God's Witness in you ( that which you have slain and crucified ; ) and yet in this thing , I charge no man , or men , but this I proclaim ( and that from God , who searcheth all hearts , and trys all reins , and shall be exalted over all his Enemies , Whoremongers and Adulterers , Swearers , Lyars , Drunkards , Chamberers , Wantons , and all manner of vain light persons , whatsoever , their guilty Conscience needs no other accuser . ) So thou that reads this , if thou art guilty , thou wilt be accused in thine own heart , mind and conscience , if thou art not seared as with a Fire-brand of Hell , and sealed down in the deep Pit of eternal destruction , where thou shalt never see the light any more ; and when thou art judged and condemned within , then there is no man or men can be able to save or justifie thee without . So this pure Light ( wherein there is Life to be found ( that is able to bring all out of Death and the Fall ) that discovers all the dark deeds of iniquity , and rips up the heart , and layes open all thy wickedness that ever thou hast done , even that which lighteth every man that is come into the world , so that none can be hidden or hide any thing from it : Unto this , only , all are to be turned that desires to be saved , which is indeed the way of Life and Salvation , and leads to know peace with God , for their immortal Souls , which is , and will be , the desire of all nations , people , kindreds , countries , tongues and languages , upon the face of the whole Earth , one time or other , whether Kings , Rulers or Governours , or whosoever else , the Light only is the true Saviour , to all that want or seek after a Saviour , for their poor Souls , even that which checks and reproves , and also convinces the worst of Sinners , pricking you in your hearts after you have dnoe wickedly : O do not kick against those pretious pricks , but alwayes turn in your minds to its gentle reproofs , for that very same is he , that is come to be Salvation to the ends of the Earth , to as many as lay hold of Him by a true and lively Faith , without any wavering , and there is not any other Saviour : So when any one amongst you , is pricked to the heart , by the Witness of God in your own particulars , O then you are to take good heed to that , which pricks you within , and not to turn away from it , but alwayes wait upon God in it . And again , when you are checked , then you are to take heed to that which checks you ; and when you are secretly reproved , within , you are not to be high minded , but fear , and bow low down to that which doth reprove you , and of that learn at all times how to deny your selves , and so take up the Cross against your own selves , and wills , and thus forsake all the vanities of this present evil world , or else you can never have any part in Christ Jesus , or in the Kingdom of Heaven : and here is the true and perfect way for you all , to hate the evil , and come out from amongst it , and so to chuse that which is good , and do it all times , even to every man , as you would all men should do unto you ; that so God may shew mercy unto you , and deal favourably with you . And here in the deep sence of this thing , you cannot but love God above all things , and your neighbour as your own selves , and the same measure of Grace being received in each Particular , even as it is freely given of God ( so that all may thereby be profited to life Eternal ) when obedience is yielded thereto ; in singleness , and uprightness of heart , will lead all men to love mercy , and do justly , and walk humbly before the Lord all the dayes of their lives . So here all men may come and deny ungodliness and worldly lusts , and walk soberly and righteously before God , and so live Godly in Christ Jesus , in this present evil world ; so now when you are sufficiently warned , I shall be clear of all your blood , and can leave you to your own Master , and if you will not hear , but still forbear , your blood be upon your own heads for evermore . All Glory , and Honour , and Power , and Dominion , with Majesty and Everlasting Renown to the Noble , Worthy Honourable Name of our Powerful Lord God ; World without end , Amen . Halelujah . So then all Emperours , Kings and Princes , with all other Rulers whatsoever , upon the face of the whole earth , shall be bowed down , and then God alone shall be exalted in the highest , and reign over all , who only is Worthy , worthy , worthy ; World without end . Even so be it , saith the Spirit in Tho. West . Written in my Prison , the 16th . of the 5th . month , commonly called July , in the Year of 〈…〉 , 1664. This was first Written in the Year , 1663. And is now given forth to be published all abroad through the Nations of the Earth , as the Lord makes way for it . THE END .