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A29365 Babylons downfall a sermon lately preached at Westminster before sundry of the honourable House of Commons / by William Bridge ... Bridge, William, 1600?-1670. 1641 (1641) Wing B4448; ESTC R5651 21,012 41

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BABYLONS Downfall A SERMON LATELY PREACHED AT WESTMINSTER BEFORE sundry of the Honourable house of Commons By William Bridge sometimes fellow of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge and since Minister of Gods word in NORWICH And now in KOTERDAM Published by order of the said House LONDON Printed by I. N. for Iohn Rothwell and are to be sold at his Shop at the signe of the Sun in Pauls Churchyard 1641. Good Reader THou hast I doubt not heard with what difficulty and pains this small work is brought forth and delivered into the world let the difficulty of Printing quicken thine affection in reading As the fall of Babylon is much expected so the rising of the Churches is much desired Thy prayers and our paines may help forward both Wherefore that I might not be wanting to this great service I am willing that these notes should walk abroad which I thought should never see more light than what crept in at my studie windowes This Sermon may prove all the Legacie which your dying friend shall be able to bequeath unto you For I am now returning to that Church and people of God which Jesus Christ hath committed to me and others And if in this voyage the Lord shall put the windes and seas in Commission for my death my desire is First That God would forgive our adversaries if it be his will that have put us to these extremities Secondly That it may be ever said of this Iland as once it was said of Israel Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved by the Lord the shield of thine help and the sword of thine excellency Deut. 33. 29. Thirdly That falling Babylon may be fallen Babylon And that all the distressed Churches may be restored Churches Vivat Christus moriatur Barrabas moriatur Antichristus For the first wee have great cause to forgiue seeing all their injuries are turned unto our blessings And therefore as Joseph said to his brethren that sold him into a strange Country As for you ye thought evill against me but God meant it unto good Now therefore feare not c. Yet we know that publick Administration of Justice is not contrary to personall forgivenesse Wee must confesse that the leaving of our owne deare Country was and is most afflictive to us A trouble to leave our good friends Convenient houses Pretious liberties and so many soules under the hazard of your eternities But Luthers Counsell is good If they will not suffer you where they have to doe let not your minde bee troubled to cease from your work or disert your office but teach and persevere if it be not lawfull in one place it may bee in another But thou wilt say What if it be lawfull in no place and that wee be every where cast out in the whole world Christ answers Be not solicitous before it come to passe that no place be left for the word I will be present by my comming there shall alwayes be a place where you may teach till I shall come onely doe you hold on and you shall be saved you shall not have gone over all the Cities of Israel till the Sonne of man shall come So that according to Luther and the Truth though the persecutions of the Churches bee never so great yet there shall alwayes be some place free and open at a Citie of Refuge for Gods people to flye unto and hide themselves in till Christ shall come by publick deliverance for the Churches For the second You have seene what great things the Lord hath done for you Beleevest thou because of these thou shalt see greater onely let us follow the starre of heavenly and divine guidance which hath led us along all this while and not goe in to consult with the Scribes and Pharisees of the times with those that say they are Jeues and are not so shall our starre the Scripture lead us more clearely to the place and house where Christ is Neither be thou ashamed to receive and owne the truth and way of Christ though it be despised The wise men did worship Christ in a manger And for the third I shall not prophecie if I say The sword is now drawne whose anger shall not be pacified till Babylon be downe and Sion rais'd Yet if thou shalt meet with another suffering Bout In Patience possesse thy soule In Faith thy God In Love thy neighbour And know that it is Gods usuall way to bring his best servants to his choyce blessings by tedious Bouts Exod. 13. 18. In the interim observe diligently what God is now doing and help forward the work of God what you can Quod Deus facit pro nobis facit in nobis And as you would read and study some choyce booke to get learning so read attend and study every page line and letter of this great volume of the Lords works which is now extant be in commons with the Lords people The works of the Lord are sought out of all those that have pleasure in them saith the Psalmist Finally good Reader pray for us that wee may stand compleat in all the will of God and though the malice of some men hath beene so great that wee may not live together in one Land yet the mercy of God is so rich that wee may live together in one heaven Now the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Jesus and great Shepheard of the Sheepe thorough the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work to doe his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Thine in Christ WILLIAM BRIDGE Babylons Downfall REVELATION 14. 8. Babylon is fallen is fallen the great Citie c. THis Text hath connexion with the present times and the preceding words for the Holy Ghost having made a description of the state and condition of the Church of Christ in the first second third fourth and fifth verses comes in the sixth verse to make mention of another vision which Saint John saw and that is of an Angell flying in the midst of heaven with the everlasting Gospell which is said to be everlasting in opposition to those Innovations and Traditions of men under which the Churches of Christ had laboured a long time This vision being past as a right consequent of the former vision he sees another Angell crying Babylon is fallen is fallen ver. 8. And no wonder for where the everlasting Gospel is preach'd in the midst of heaven that is openly there Babylon falls and falls immediatly The words themselves are a short and sweet prophecie of Romes ruine and destruction Wherein we have The description of Rome it selfe The description of her destruction Shee is described two wayes 1. From her Greatnesse called the great Citie Indeed shee hath beene great in large possessions and great revenues so shee is fallen already in a great measure yet shee