*Pfal. 90. Aftral World or Principle. They shall dwell under the Defence of the Moft High, and shall abide under the Shadow of the Almighty; he Shall deliver them from the noifom Pestilence, he Shall defend them under his Wings and they shall be fafe under his Feathers, fo that they shall not be afraid for the Terror by Night, nor for the Arrow that flyeth by Day, nor for the Peftilence that walketh in Darkness, nor for the DeftruEtion that wasteth at Noon-day. A Thousand Shall fall at their fide, and Ten Thousands at their right-hand, but it shall not come nigh them, only with their Eyes they shall bebold and See the Reward of the Wicked, but as for themselves there fhall no Evil befall them, neither shall any Plague come nigh, their Dwel lings, for the Lord has fet his Love upon them, therefore will be deliver them, he will fatisfie them with long Life, and fhew them bis Sal vation; i. e. They fhall furvive the Affi&tions of thofe Days, and come forth triumphantly in the Glories and Powers of the New World. I have waited for thy Salvation, O God, Gen. 49. 18. Behold the Lord has proclaimed unto the End of the World, Say ye to the Daughter of Sion, Behold thy Salvation cometh, behold his Reward is with him, and his Work before him, Ifa. 62. 11. Rejoyce greatly, O Daughter of Sion; Shout, O Daughter of Ferufalem: Behold thy King cometh unto thee, he is fuft and having Salvation, &c. Zech. 9.9. And as the Mercies of God are over all his Works, and his Judgments are fent, not for the Deftruction but Reformation of Mankind, fo fhall it be manifefted towards all thofe who are in the Beginnings of the

New

New Birth, though with much Weakness. and Infirmity. He will not quench the fmoaking Flax, nor break the bruised Reed; and though they may fuffer with the World, yet they fhall not be condemned with the World, their Sufferings fhall only ferve to purifie them. And as for others, who are yet in the Spirit of this World, and Strangers to the Life of God; even they also, as they fhall be found obedient to the Calls and Chastisements of the Divine Mercy, fhall be admitted into this State of Bleffed Security, whofe Gates ftand open Day and Night to receive all those that are willing to enter in through the Path and Way of the Crofs. I fhall conclude this Part, with that Rabinical Obfervation in Sepher Abkath Rokel, Part. I. Lib. 1. upon the Second Sign, which is the Peftilence. Here (fays he) you will ask, How fhall the Righteous be preferved in this terrible Peftilence? He anfwers, That God fhall provide them a Remedy against this Heat, which was "fore-told by the Prophet, Malac. 4. 2. But to you that fear my Name, fhall the Sun of Righteousness arife with Healing in his Wings. Which Place plainly refers to the last Times: (fee the whole Chapter :) And the Rifing of the Sun of Righteousness with Healing in his Wings, doth feem to exprefs the fublime State of those, who being regenerated in the Spirit of Jefus Chrift, the true Son of Righteoufnefs, are fecure and fafe from all evil Influences of

the Aftral World, reprefented by the Sun, the great Luminary of our Vortex, and the Parent and Fountain of Natural Heat. O may that Sun of Righteousness be our Protection and Defence in that evil Day, that we may be thought worthy to escape it.

PART III.

Of the FAMIN E.

73

Amos 4.7. I have with-holden the Rain from you, when there is yet three Months to the Harvest, and I caufed it to rain upon one City, and caufed it not to rain upon another City: One piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. fructifie, V.9. I have Smitten you with Blafting and Mil- bear Blof dew; when your Gardens, and Vineyards, and foms, or your Fig-trees, and your Olive-trees encreased *, the Palmer-worm devoured them.

* Began to

Fruit,

> more properly.

ST. TH HE next Inftance of Judgment, The Famine which God will bring upon the fall be the Punishimpenitent World in the latter Days, will ment of the be the Famine; which (according to our Luft of Bleffed Lord's Prediction, Matth. 24. 7. the Flesh. Mark 13. 8.) fhall be one of the great Afflictions of those Days, and which seems as if it were peculiarly intended to punish the last great Branch of Sin, The Luft of the Flesh: Which is fuch a degree of brutifh Degeneracy, as to fet a Man almost upon the Level with the Beafts that perish; and thofe Perfons who are in Captivity to this Sin, are not only Strangers to the Life and Light of God, but are fo miferably blinded, as not to be able to receive the dim Light of Reafon it felf, which (if they would

but

74

T

but open their Eyes) would reprove and condemn thofe beaftly and luxurious Pleafures, which they fo inconfiderately indulge themselves in. These are they that put far away the evil Day, and caufe the Seat of Violence to come near; They lye upon Beds of Ivory, and stretch themselves upon Couches, and eat the Lambs out of the Flock, and the Calves out of the midst of the Stall; They chant to the found of the Viol, and invent to themselves Inftruments of Mufick; They drink Wine out of Bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief Ointments, Amos the 6th, v. 34, 56. They rise up early in the Morning that they may follow strong Drink, and continue until Night, till Wine inflame them; and the Harp, and the Viol, and the Pipe, and Wine are in their Feafts, Ifa. 5. 11, 12. But they regard not the Works of the Lord, nor the Operation of his Hands: Nay, though the Hand of God be lifted up over them they will not fee, Ifa. 26. 11. But in their impetuous Pursuit of new Pleafures and fresh Enjoyments, they defpife and overlook all manner of Obligations, whether of Civility or Religion; and rather than want what they defire,d they will ftick atino manner of Violence or Injuftice. They will even remove Land-marks, and violently drive away the Flocks of the Poor, and feed thereof; They drive away the Afs of the Fatherless, and take the Wi dow's Ox for a Pledge; Theysturn the Needy out of the ways and make the Poor of the Earth bide themfelves together; They caufe the Naked to lodge without Cloathing, that they have no Covering in the cold; They pluck the Fatherlefs from the Breast, and take a Pledge of the Boar

They