power and who carries himself as if he were God he is the man of sin the great Antichrist but the Popes of Rome are seated in the temple have subjected all rule and Authority to themselvs and behave themselves as if they were God therefore the Popes of Rome are the man of sin the great Antichrist Thirdly Antichrists Name is written in his forehead Rev. 17.5 Mystery Brocard a Venetian doth avouch it that the word Mystery is written in the Popes Mitre and many others who have been at Rome do profess to have seen it as Dr. Iames the late keeper of the Library at Oxford will further satisfie any man in his Dedicatory Epistle to his Treatise of the corruption of the Scriptures What mystery 't is that is written upon his forehead Saint Paul tell you 2 Thes 2.7 Mystery of iniquity As the Doctrine of the Gospel is a Mystery of Godliness so the Papacy is nothing else but a Mystery of iniquity The Pope pretends to be more for Christ then any man in the World Christs Vicar Christs Vicegerent the visible head of Christs Church Saint Peters successor to feed the flock of Christ and still he hath Christ in his mouth and who but Christ with him I tell you he pretends to be more for Christ then any man alive but let me tell you withall that there is no man alive so much against Christ as he is and therefore most properly called Antichrist which signifies both for and against Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek is pro as well as contra Ioh. 1.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace for Grace The great Antichrist is one that is pretendedly for Christ but is really against Christ which cannot be affirmed of the great Turk or of any other beside the Pope but of him it may most clearly That he bears the World in hand he is Christ greatest friend I need not prove I suppose we will all take that for granted but let me shew you how in truth he is Christs greatest Enemy in all points One mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus 1 Time 2.5 There are other Mediators says the Pope both for satisfacton and intercession for satisfaction the propitiatory sacrifice of the Mass the blood of Thomas the merits of the Church for intercession the Virgin Mary Saints and Angels are intercessors to God even as to our particular necessities for us there 's but one says Christ there are more says the Pope Christ alone is Prophet of his Church to be heard in all things whatsoever he shall say Act. 3. and for this end he opened the sealed book bids every one of his search the Scriptures grow in knowledge walk in the light of Gospel-truth the Pope expresly contradicts this and tells you that the Doctrine Christ hath left in the Scriptures is not sufficient without his daily supplements of unwritten Traditions which are of equal Authority with the word of Christ and must be beleeved upon pain of damnation Of the written word what he pleaseth he makes authentique what he pleases he cancels he teaches and interprets all by an infallible unerring Spirit He hath sealed up the book or Bible which Christ opened to them forbidding the people the use of Scriptures Latine Scriptures Latine Service all must be to them in an unknown tongue he tells them that ignorance is the mother of devotion and to believe as the Church believes is knowledge and faith enough Christ hath forbidden all kinde of pictures and Images in the Worship of God Deut. 4.15.16 Take good heed unto your selves for ye saw no manner of similitude in the day the Lord spake unto you in Horeb lest ye corrupt your selves and make a graven Image c. John 4.23 The true worshippers worship the Father in Spirit and in truth the Father seeketh such to worship him No says the Pope you shall make Images of the Trinity and pictures of the Cross and shall kiss and worship them with the worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same worship ye give God Christ You shall make Images of Saints and Angels and shall worship them with worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a religious worship though not the highest you shall pray unto them and fill all your Churches with them for they are Lay-mens books Christ hath taught us that our own righteousness is as menstruous rags upon our best performances we are unprofitable sevants that we are justified by faith without the works of the Law T is not so says the Pope good Works are meritorious there is a merit of congruity in them before conversion and a merit of condignity in them after conversion nay that some men do works of supererogation more then the Law of God requireth or is their duty to do whereby they are not onely justified themselves but the overplus of their merits helps to justifie others Christ saith he will have the Sacrament of the Supper administred in both kinds 1 Cor. 11 23. to 27. I have received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you that the Lord Iesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and sayd take eat this is my body after the same manner he took the cup saying this cup is the new Testament in my blood this do ye as oftenas ye eat this bread and drink this cup c. This St. Paul received of Jesus Christ delivered it in charge to all and every of the Churches of Corinth both what and how they were to receive It shall not be so says the Pope the Priest shall receive in both kinds the People shall have nothing but the bread Christ teaches that marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled Heb. 13. No says the Pope 't is not honorable in the Clergy so they call them t is not lawful for a Priest to marry Christ says Let no man judge you in respect of meats or drinks or an holy day Col. 2. You are now freed from the observation of daies and meats every creature of God is good if it be received with thanksgiving No says the Pope ye shall observe Saints daies and for meats touch not taste not any flesh on such and such dayes and weeks of Lent But to what end should I thus go on I profess I can hardly name one Doctrine of Jesus Christ but the Popes of Rome have thwarted it either directly or indirectly and quite subverted it The Pope may see himself in those old Heretiques the Antitactae as in a glass who held it religion to contradict the Laws of their Maker and instead of Gods Laws brought in their own inventions and fooleries Take it thus He on whom such a mystery of iniquity is found as to pretend to be wholy for Christ and yet in every thing crosses and opposes Christ he is the man of sin the true and great Antichrist but upon the Pope is this mystery of iniquity
whatsoever constitutes or compleats it is from God out of Heaven Ezek. 16.8 to 15. But the Church of Rome is the Vine of the Earth its origination is of the Earth Earthly Head Earthly Members Earthly Doctrines Earthly Worship Earthly Discipline whatever is peculiarly theirs is of the Earth Earthly The Angel thrust in his Sickle and gathered the Vine of the Earth and cast it into the great Winepress of the wrath of God And the Winepress was troden without the City and blood came out of the Winepress even unto the horses bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs This speech of the Holy Ghost is doubtless hyperbolical the import of it is this a slaughter that hath dimensions height and depth length bredth in it Rev. 18.8 Her plagues shall come in one day Death Mourning Famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her Take one text more for it Rev. 10.3 4. He cryed with a loud voice as when a Lion roareth and when he had cryed seven thunders uttered their voyces And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices I was about to write and I heard a voyce from heaven saying unto me seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered and write them not I take it this Scripture contains as much terror in it against the Antichristian State as any in all the book of God Most fearful and stupendious things are written against Antichrist but as the Church of Rome would not content themselves with written Doctrines but would have also their unwritten Doctrines and Traditions to fight against Christ and his Church withall for more full execution sake So God will not content himself with Judgements upon them that are written in this book though they be exceeding many and great but he hath Judgements also that are not written for more remarkable execution and ruine of them even seven Judgements every one whereof is cloathed with thunder sealed up and kept close in Gods armory to be certainly brought forth in that day beside all mens thought and expectation Go as far in Imagining the terribleness of their destruction as the line of your Fancy will be stetched to and the event or issue will surely exceed whatever formidable things you have Framed to yourselves the thunder of a sevenfold wrath and displeasure from God will come upon them over and above Secondly the Holy-Geost gives you his ruine in the particulars of it Antichrist shall be so smitten ut sentiat se mori he shall feel himself die for more full revenge sake And here I must have recourse to the seven Vials which are called Rev 15.1 the seven last plagues in which is filled up the wrath of God that is upon the Romish Antichristian State Concerning Vials I know that several learned men say of them they are vessels wide beneath but of narrow mouths so though they contain much yet what they contain falls out guttatim drop by drop soaks deep It is very sure that where a Viall of Gods wrath falls it peirces deep wounds deadly But I am more inclined to their judgement who say they are drinking vessels wide-mouth'd Vessels Phialae dicuntur says Primasius quia haec supplicia non occulta futura sunt sed manifesta omnibus Phialae patent they are open-mouthd plain drinking pots when you turn them up what 's in them comes forth violently and een all at once manifest to every eye hereupon the Angels command is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not distill out or drop out but pour out upon them And indeed most evident it is that whereever a vial hath fallen there hath been much remarkable wrath upon that part of the Antichristian State It fares with us in handling Divinity as it doth with travellors in certain places of their way where the follower must set his foot in the very place of his leader lest otherwise he step in he that comes after in handling somepeices of Divinity must speak or write in some particulars thereof the very words of him that went before else he 's sure to fall into Error if not Heresie I cannot tell what material thing can be added to that holy and judicious Tract of Mr. Cottons upon the sixteenth Chapter of the Revelations I find that whoever have touched upon the Vials since that peice appeared have light their candles at his torch Wherefore I shall give you but hints upon them nor scarce stand to clear up the reason of interpretations for if thou beest a scholar into whose hands these papers of mine are fallen I perswade my self thou hast read him for few Divines and men of learning have not but if it be otherwise with thee I purposely say no more then will be enough to whet thee an Appetite to get him the price being but small from whom upon this Subject of the Vials thou mayst have Ample and full satisfaction what wages God devised for Antichrist from all Eternity and hath been for above this hundred years a working out against him and is still vigorously going on with not to cease but in his utter Ruine The first Vial falls upon the Popes mystical Earth or foot-stool Rev. 16. ver 2. the common sort both of Laicks and Clergy The Martyrs in the times of Henry the eighth and Queen Mary in England and elsewhere did discover what a dangerous state in reference to Eternity Common ordinary Catholiques were in that so living and so dying t was not their Beads nor Almesdeeds their good Hospitality nor their ignorant devotions and believing as the Church believed would save them if they died in the faith and worship of the Church of Rome they would prove no better then damned Reprobates This was a greivous botch and soare upon most of the People to be told and in effect convinced that they were in a state of deep damnation hereupon they strove which should make most haste with Fire and Fagot to burn those who testified such dangerous things concerning them But they made a further discovery of such as were in religious orders their parish-Priests that their lives were very base giving us themselves to ease Idleness Pride insatiable Avarice and serving their own bellies and so were fitter to have been swine-heards then Preachers or to have followed the Plough then lived in holy Orders The Martyrs of those times did not at all blush or fear to tell them all this to their faces and they themselves being convinced that what was laid to their charge was both very base and yet very true mend their lives and manners they would not keep off this Viall the poor souls thus fiercely poured out upon them they could not whereupon they were filled with as much vexation and Torment as if the noisome grievous soares of Egypt had been upon them from head to foot This was a plaguing judgement upon Antichrist thus to have the Element smitten that did
graffed in Well because of unbelief they were broken off and thou standest by faith be not high-minded but fear for if God spared not the natural Branches take heed lest he also spare not thee Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God on them that fell severity but towards thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou also shalt be cut off Are these Bugbears windie Bladders Can these words possibly import less then that God and Grace were not so made over to them but time might produce a change both in Pastors and Church from good to bad from bad to worse and that if they did not walk humbly and watch to the keeping of the Faith they should certainly be cut off Thirdly Together with Constantines large Endowments and Immunities there arose abundance of Idleness Errors Images Superstitions Pride Affectation of outward greatness especially in the Church of Rome and thus she forsook her first Love and the spirit daily quenching yea dying in them they knew no way to keep up but by supporting themselves with a carnal and outward strength Socrates in his seventh book and 11. Chapter saith Now began an ill name to stick on the Bishops of Rome who beyond their priestly bounds have stept into principality This was in the daies of Theodosius the yonger scarce fourscore years since their low poor condition which Constantine raised them from The next remarkable thing we read of was this Philippicus Leo with some other Emperors after them not without the advice of Pratriarks and a whole Eastern Councel threw Images out of Churches as being decreed Idolatrous Whereupon the Bishop of Rome seizes the City and Territories about into his own hands makes himself Lord thereof which till then was Governed by a Greek Magistrate absolves all Italy of their Tribute and obedience due to the Emperor upon this goodly occasion Then to bear himself out in these pranks he takes upon him by Papâ—â—â— sentence to unthrone Chilpericus gives the Kingdom to Pepin and so made him his fast friend and Champion for by him he presently got all Ravenna and annexed it to the Sea of Rome as lawful prize to Saint Peter I must not now stand to tell you how throughout the fift and sixt hundred years after Christ diverse of the Bishops of Rome did openly contend for supremacy but were supprest in several Councels of Carthage and Chalcedon T was not long after when Phocas murthered his Master the Emperor Mauritius and then says the Historian Bonifacius obtinuit a Phoca ut Rom. Ecclesia esset caput omnium Ecclesiarum Pope Boniface obtained of Phocas that the Church of Rome should be head of all Churches From that time forward that Antichristian Jurisdiction and Supremacie grew still more and more till it became an overgrown Monster even to give Laws to all the Kingdoms and Churches in the World Fourthly It is said Rev. 13.2 The Dragon gave him his Power and Seat and great Authority The Pope hath the Keys of the bottomless pit Rev 9 in his hands the devil freely bestowed them on him and made him the great steward of his house his heart rests securely in him Fithly God made them Antichrist in that sense which he 's said to harden Pharoahs heart They not receiving the truth in the Love of it but holding the truth of God in unrighteousness for this cause God gave them up to what you have heard to receive in and upon themselves that recompence of their Errors and sinfulness which was meet Thus you have the cause of his Rise and Growth But haply some man will say to me Is not the Pope Saint Peters successor My Answer 's this That he is the great Antichrist hath been I think sufficiently cleared then whether he is Saint Peters Successor or no I leave thee to judge But for your clearer light in this point what if Saint Peter were never Bishop of Rome as for my part I verily beleeve he was not And because here is the very foundation of their Papacie give me leave to speak to it not doubting but I shall say enough to convince thee there is no just Warrant to make it a point of thy Faith that Peter was Bishop of Rome Whatsoever Bellarmine saith concerning Peters Journals for he speaks as punctually as if he had travelled with him from first to last hath no solid ground to rest the sole of its foot upon at all He says in the fifth year of Christs passion Peter was made Bishop of Antioch and continued in that Bishoprick seven years Then he went to Rome the second year of Claudius ibique sedem fixit ann 25. there he pitched and Bishop'd it five and twenty years Et ibidem vitam finivit there he ended his daies But that ever Peter was seven years Resident at Antioch for that 's required in a fixed Bishop and twenty five at Rome or most part of those years in those places he brings not one text of Scripture to prove either you have his bare word for it but who 'l take that for good proof in his own cause I wonder For the former of these we read concerning the Church of Antioch who gathered and constituted it Act. 11.19.20 21 22. ver 25.26 We find also who were the chif Prophets and Doctors of it Act. 13.1 We do not find in all the Scripture that Peter was at Antioch but in one place Gal. 2. and that in transcursu he took it only in his way Is here sufficient ground to conclude him Bishop of Antioch for seven years together I have stood the more upon this to shew you that if upon such slender grounds they have concluded him Bishop of Antioch for such a space of time certainly they will catch at small things to constitute him Bishop of Rome whereby their own turn is so much served Search all the New-Testament from one end of it to another and where ever you find Rome named if you find mention of Peters being there twenty five years or ten years or one year or one day then let me pass for a lyar Yea says Bellarmine 't is evident he was at Rome Ex eo quod fuit in Babylone in that he was at Babylon 1 Pet. 5.13 the Church which is at Babylon salutes you Roma autem in Apocalypsi passim vocatur Babylon Rome in the Revelation is still called Babylon his very words 1. Let God have the glory of his own truth out of his Enemies mouths Rev. 17.4 5. The woman was arrayed in Purple and Scarlet colour and decked with Gold and Precious Stones and Pearls having a golden Cup in her hand c. And upon her forehead was written Mystery Babylon the great the mother of Harlots and the abominations of the whole Earth All this then by Bellarmines own confession must be understood of Rome and the great whore or Antichrist is not to sit at Jerusalem as he says in another place lyars had need of good
memories but at Rome The Holy Ghost tells us He must reign in Babylon Bellarmine interprets and sais that is at Rome Secondly Though by Babylon we must alway understand Rome in the Revelation doth in therefore follow that by Babylon we must understand Rome in all other places of the New-Testament because John in his mystical and typical visions by Babylon points out Rome must therefore Peter needs in the bare salutation of an Epistle by Babylon mean Rome is there either Example or reason of speaking mystically and by a figure in a meer Salutation The Church that is at Babylan salutes you conclude who will from this that therefore Peter was at Rome I am loth upon such easie terms to forfeit my Intellectuals though a thousand Bellarmines should say it But briefly to give you my reasons beside the Scriptures deep silence in this point why it cannot be thought that ever Peter was Bishop of Rome First Peter we all know was an a Apostle and consequently had an unlimited commission in respect of place according to that Mat. 28. Go teach all Nations and to be a Bishop also fixed to one place is not this diminutio capitis to fetch him a hole lower then Christ had set him are not these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 utterly inconsistent Did Christ make him an Apostle and dare they degrade him and make a fixed Bishop of him It seems they dare dishonor Peter after they have given him a Complement or two if they can thereby Honor themselves and pull down an Apostle to set up a Pope Secondly That Paul was at Rome and that in the reign of Nero when Peter was fixed Bishop there as they say tha 's evident from Scripture but in all Pauls occurrences and transactions we can nowhere find either expressions or hints concerning Peters being there much less Bishop there Of those who first saluted and congratulated Pauls coming to Rome see Act. 28.14.15 So from Puteoli we went towards Rome And from thence when the Brethren heard of us they came to meet us as far as Appii forum Here 's all surely had it been as the Church of Rome teaches Paul would have used more civility towards the prince of the Apostles and universal head of the Church then to have jumbled him in undiscernably among the Brethren Then after three days Paul sends for the chief of the Jews ver 17. to clear his innocency and honesty in coming thither yet no mention of Peter unless they can find him in that expression Men and brethren It is said ver 30. Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house and received all that came in unto him but we read not that Peter ever gave him visit at his own house or elsewhere During the time of Pauls abode at Rome how long t was in all we are not certain he wrote divers Epistles but in none of them doth he speak ought of Peters being there but seems rather to hint the contraty 2 Tim. 4.16 17. At my first answer no man stood with mee but all men forsook me I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me that by me the preaching might be fully known and that all the Gentiles might hear and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion T is strange did Couragious Peter desert him but suppose him not to be at that time at Rome had he with all his faithfulness and pains no better learned them Christ and Christian carriage then to forsake one another in suffering times nay to leave an Apostle in his trial to the merciless paws and teeth of a Lion But t is more probable Peter had never taken pains with them at all from the following words that by me the preaching might be fully known there having been nothing of Christ and his wayes known but what the brethren who were there occasionally set on foot Paul made the Gospel fully known to them he revealed the whole Counsel of God to the Jews at Rome and in the ears of all the Gentiles also Had Peter been fixed Bishop there surely Paul could not have carried this honor from him Peter long before this would have fully preached the Gospel of the Kingdom to all both Jews and Gentiles the work had not been to do when Paul came Col. 4.7 to 13. He there reckons up a few names whereof Peter is none These says he are of the Circumcision and these onely are my fellow-workers unto the Kingdom of God which have been a comfort to me From Pauls first arrival there to the time of writing this Epistle Peter could not be at Rome if he had of a certainty he had made these lines false for he could not but have been a chief fellow-worker with and comforter of Paul Whence an argument may be drawn from the less to the greater which is more then argumentum ab authoritate negative that if Paul mention inferior persons those whose welfare and respects t was of less concernment to speak of at present then much more would he have mentioned Peter the Prince of the Apostles him to whose care and charge they were all chiefly committed being made universal head of the Church had he been there at any of those times that Paul writ either to or from Rome But he doth not once name him neither in that Epistle he wrote to the Saints at Rome nor yet in these he afterwards wrote from Rome to other Churches therefore surely Peter was far from being fixed Bishop there And let me tell you this hath more Authority and prevalency to determine my faith in the Point then all that Papias a suppositious Clemens and Higisippus the first Authors of Peters Episcopacy there have men t is well known much given to unwritten traditions deceiving and being deceived thereby as the Apostle speaks which is manifest from that discord and contradiction in those authors who do assert this not onely to the Scriptures but among themselves Thirdly For Peter to have been fixed Bishop of Rome contradicts the voyce or conclusion of Divine providence in the eminent success of his Ministry Gal 27 8. The Gospel of uncircumcision was committed to me says Paul the Gospel of circumcision unto Peter For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the circumcision the same was mighty in me towards the Gentiles And when t was evident to them all that God would work effectually mightily with Peters ministration for the good of the Circumcision or People of the Jews is it likely that Peter would or durst so thwart the spirit and mind of God as to fix his seat among the Gentile were they not bound to lay forth themselves best for the advantage of the Gospel yes doubtless and therefore you may find them giving one another their hands and solemn Engagements that Paul and Barnabas should be preachers to the Gentiles hereupon says Paul Act. 19.21 After I have been at
concernment to him to prosper and speed well in it that ever any was in the world and therefore be assured he will interpret manifest Neuters to be close Enemies those that are not with him of them he will conclude they are against him which cannot but end in a bitter destructive curse 2. Gather we courage and valour to our selves though the enemies and difficulties of this work be never so many never so great and make up the number of those Called Chosen Faithful ones that go forth after Christ upon this expedition Rev. 19. Let Magistrates dispense Justice Minsters dispense Ordinances every man do the duty of his place as much as possibly we can to the difadvantage of Romes Interest More particularly 1. Let us wait with patience Rev. 13.10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity he that killeth with the sword shall be killed with the sword here is the Patience of the Saints saith St. John to be exercised in waiting for it For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Give Christ his own time and when it comes it will come with so much advantage every way that thou wouldst not for any thing it should have come sooner Christ times his Peoples mercies and his time is still the best blessed are those that wait for him 2. Get Faith believe all that God hath said in this business that he will fully execute each title of his threats upon him Let thy Faith trade daily in the blood of Christ for the more effectuall speeding of it for t is said They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb Rev. 12.11 that is by exercising their Faith in the blood of Christ 3. Endeavor to be skilfull in the Word especially in all the windings and turnings of this business made known It is both sin and shame that Christians especially we Ministers study and understand no more of the Book of Revelations then we do I am sure the contents of it are of as near concernment to us as any are in all the Book of God and I am sure God hath given out an encouragement to it in the beginning of it such as he hath not for the reading of any other in all the Bible Rev. 1.3 Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophesie and keep those things that are written therein that reads and studies them himself that hears others expound and preach the Word and keeps the weighty things thereof in his heart to support comfort him in these troublous sinking time to direct and guide him amidst these many cross ways and strange turns of affairs And he hath given out a command for it in the latter end of the Book Rev 22.10 Seal not the sayings of the Prophesie of this book for the time is at hand that they must be acted therefore let the book lie open for every one to read and study that they may have understanding of the times and know what they have to do The Word is the sword of the Spirit 't is a hammer a helmet t is a fire an engine of Battery 't is any thing thou canst stand in need of in this expedition against him Rev. 12.11 They overcame him by word of his testimony 4 Give thy self much to Prayer by Prayer thou mayest shut Heaven upon Antichrist and his Factions as the Witnesses Rev. 11.6 that they shall get no showers of refreshment no help no mercy no hope from God By Prayer thou mayst arm all the Hosts of Heaven and Eath against them Psal 18.6 7 8. In my distress I called upon the Lord I cryed unto my God he heard my voice out of his Temple and my cry came before him even into his ears Then the earth shook and trembled the foundations of the hills moved and were shaken because he was wroth There went up a smoak out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured coals were kindled by it Davids praying undid Saul Much more will the prayer of Faith unanimously put forth by all the Saints raise Heaven and Earth up in Arms against him Prayer-blast him I le warrant thee thou mayest do it 5. Carry thy life in thy hand Rev. 12.11 They overcame him how Why they love not their lives unto the death A dying time thou must have thou canst never lose thy life if I may call that a losing which is indeed the greatest gaining so gloriously comfortably safely as in this quarrell for God against Antichrist say with Paul I count not my life dear unto me so I may but finish the work Rev. 14.13 I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me Write blessed are the dead which die in the Lord they rest from their labours and their works do follow them The sense of this verse as it stands in conjunction with the former verses is a Cordial reach'd forth to those who shall lay down their lives for Christ in the quarrell thus they die in the Lord blessed are they they rest from the labours strifes combustions terrible broils that are in the World for the pulling of him down their services and sufferings shall not be in vain they shall follow them in the rewards of them triumphal Crowns exceeding eternal weights of glory Happy are the men of this generation according as they lay forth their parts and power for Antichrist his ruine it is the great work and business that God hath cut our for these times into which we are fallen and blessed are they who know their Masters Work and earnestly pursue his and their true Interest They are deaf that do not hear this voice from the mouth of Christ Who will rise up for me against the evil doers and who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquitie Psal 94.16 Cursed is he that doth work of the Lord deceitfully and cursed is he that keepeth back his sword from blood Jer. 48.10 You will say none of all this was spoken concerning Antichrist true for they were spoken concerning far inferiour enemies and left upon Record to be an alarm to us then especially when Christ should be up in Arms against his greatest adversaries if any should then with-hold his sword from blood or do the work he engages for deceitfully and is not in good earnest for the utter ruin of Pope and Popery surely such shall be cursed of God and cursed again And do not say that in this I am cruel lest you charge God foolishly from whose mouth you are witnesses I speak Rev 18.6 Reward her even as she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double as if he had said spare her not who never spared the dear Saints of God give her judgement without mercy who did never know to shew mercy you can never give her more then her iniquities have deserved Reflect we every one of us upon our selves
of Popish wordly powers they vanished and new ones came up in their place According to this Text must divers others be understood Isa 66. from the 18. verse to the end of the Chapter the Prophet Treats wholly of this Kingdom In the last verse he bids you look on the carcases of the men that had transgressed against Christ how remarkably and everlastingly they are destroyed In the 18 19 20. verses you have the Calling of the Jews and Nations of the Gentiles In the 21. and 23. verses you have the Ministers and Ordinances of the Gospel set forth and verse 22. all this called new heavens and new earth In the Margent of this Scipture there are divers quotations I would commend two of them to your notice One is Isa 65.17 For behold I create new heavens and new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into my minde That which God will do is so strange so mighty a Work that in comparison of Gods former Works of Providence t is called a Creation of new Heavens and new Earth which cannot be understood concerning the material Heavens and Earth for 't is a Prophesie of something to come that then was not but there was as much yea the very same Heavens and Earth properly taken then as there is now or ever will be there will be no change in the now Visible or Material Heavens Earth but the same Earth Sea Sun Moon Stars to Christs last coming Therefore the Prophet means and calls them new in respect of former ones as t is in the Text the former shall not be remembred Honoris gratiâ The Political Heavens and Earth as I said before of the Pope and Popish worldly Kingdoms these shall pass away and Christ shall set up new Heavens viz. a Heavenly King and Government over all the World Heavenly Officers to rule under him Thy exactors shall be righteousness heavenly Ordinances heavenly gifts and graces shall shine forth heavenly Pastors and Discipline and a new earth of external peace and external plenty the following verses of that 65. of Isaiah will force your thus to understand it The other Scripture the Margent quotes is 2 Pet. 3.12 13. Looking for and hastening to the coming of the day of God c. Nevertheless we according to promise look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness q.d. though I bid you look for and hasten to the great day of God wherein all shall be set on fire yet nevertheless take special notice how that word nevertheless v. 13. comes in do not fear that you shall lose that glorious Kingdom upon earth that your hearts are generally so much set upon Act. 1.6 7. Lord wilt thous now restore the kingdom to Israel That the Messias would do it 't was commonly known and believed of all the Jews and by these taken for granted our Saviour denyes not the matter of their Quaere suffering them to go on in their Faith of the thing it self only gives check to their curiosity It is not for you to know the times and seasons the Father hath put in his own hands Fear not say Peter before the great and last burning we groundedly from a promise expect that God will make and give us in our Posterity new heavens and new earth in which shall dwell none of that base ungodliness the present heavens and earth of the Kingdoms of this World are full of but in which shall dwell Righteousness as t is Rev 9 8. He names the chief thing in Christs Kingdom which will bring with it all the rest I have spoken of to you If we that live now who have taken notice of the present state of things might be raised out of our graves and have a full view of the Kingdom Christ will set up everywhere certainly there would be no more spirit in us we should cry out here is noting of that World that was when we were upon earth we see none of the old Kings and Queens old Rulers old Governments old Sins and Sinners old wayes that formerly were all the old things are gone and behold all is become new Here 's a new King and new Officers new kinde of Preachers new Ordinances new Discipline new Saints new Church new State all 's become new Why this is not the World that was when we were alive behold here 's a new World that the Lord Christ Omnipotent hath Created Lastly This Kingdom shall be of no small continuance Surely Christ will not be at all this care cost pain to pull down to set up to make a new World of it and all this but for a day or a year Antichrist had a thousand two hundred and threescore years to play Rex in now indeed 't is pitty Christ should not have as long a Reign in the World at least It is not for us to know the times and seasons the Father hath reserved in his own hands But I le tell you what Scripturer saith to it Isa 65.17 he had promised as I told you to create new Heavens and new Earth and lest you should mis-understand this new Heavens and new Earth what they are he tels you ver 18. I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy that I mean but when shall this be Why ver 19. When the voice of weeping and crying shall be no more heard in her which must needs point at a time after the destruction of the Temple for then there was weeping and crying enough amongst them viz. upon the now so much expected Calling of the Jews and setling of them again in their own Land at which time ver 22. They shall not build and another inhabit as it had been often formerly with them they shall not plant and another eat but they shall dwell in their own houses and eat their own labours But for what space shall this joy and settlement of theirs be It follows Mine elects shall long enjoy the work of their hands they shall enjoy their new heavens and new earth a long time Rev. 20 2 3 4. The angel laid hold on Satan and bound him at thousand years and the Saints lived and reigned with Christ successively generation after generation a thousand years T is very likely this is a certain number for an uncertain but whether it be more or it be less questionless this expression of a thousand years assures us of a very long time Isa 60.15 I will make thee the joy of many generations not a few but many generations I leave it to your judgement what number of years in this case are to be accounted many the Saints shall enjoy this blessed this glorious reign of Christ for many generations But that which goes immediatly before is this I will make thee an eternal excellency speaking of the Church The word eternal here being to be understood comparatively to other great Kingdoms that have been set up and in time fallen must import a duration as great